Weekly 18 FINALDraft - Weight Watchers...I’m going to shop for lunch the following day. I spend 10 minutes looking at the options in my Eat Out guide and jot it down in my diary.

1

weekly3RD MAY, 2015

WEEK 18

“Had a badday? Get backon the wagonand start freshthe next day!”Jodie O’Connor,

member

Ideas to keep your lunch both delicious andon ProPoints budget

LUNCH ON THE RUN

2

feature

3

LUNCH ON THE RUNIt’s the one meal of the day that’s most likelyto be eaten away from home, making lunchtime harder for staying in control of your food choices.

We are surrounded by food, all of the time. When we do get a chance to grab a bite, lunchtime offers at the cafeteria or takeaways are incredibly tempting. Even if you manage to avoid that ‘free’ bag of chips with a meal deal, you’ll probably be prompted by the shop assistant to reconsider as you pay.

Under pressureWhen you’re focused on weight loss or want to maintain your goal weight, lunch can often be a challenge. It’s the one meal of the day where most people are out of the house. With friends and family to catch up with, deadlines to reach and appointments to keep, it can be a minefi eld of in-the-moment food choices made under the pressure and time constraints of a short lunch break.

Plan ahead to stayon trackIt’s all too easy to let your grip on your ProPoints values allowance slip when you feel ravenous and are faced with a shop full of tempting lunchtime foods. Spending just a few minutes each evening planning what you’ll have for lunch the next day could help you stay in control, no matter

where you fi nd yourself. Here are some tactics other members use:

Most evenings I decide where I’m going to shop for lunch the following day. I spend 10 minutes looking at the options in my Eat Out guide and jot it down in my diary. It’s actually quite good fun – a bit like looking at a menu when dining in a restaurant.”JANET, TERRIGAL NSW

A chunky vegetable soup witha crusty roll really satisfi es me, yet doesn’t use up many ProPoints values. Quick and easy to heat up at work, too!” JESSICA, LABRADOR QLD

I fi nd it diffi cult to resist eating my lunch before 1pm, so I make a separate box of Filling & Healthy crudités, such as carrots, cucumber, celery and cherry tomatoes, to snack on. I’m less likely to wolf my sandwich down as I’m not famished by lunchtime.” SALLY, CANNINGTON WA

To help stop myself grabbinga sugary snack mid-afternoon,I bump up the protein in my lunch. I make a chicken salad, but adda medium hard-boiled egg anda sliced rasher of bacon.”TERRY, SYDNEY NSW

Filling and

Healthy tips

to try

Adding 2 tbs of pulses, such

as kidney beans, to your salad will provide a fi bre and protein boost that will help keep you going all afternoon.

A small tin (95g) of tuna in spring

water or brine is rich in protein, which helps satisfy hunger and is great mixed with salad.

Pineapple chunks will give you a

fi bre-rich vitamin boost as well as a welcome taste of summer. Go for fresh or canned (drain the juice).

150g 0% fat natural yoghurt

topped with raspberries, blueberries and fresh mint is a great dessert and a healthier option than the vending machine.

Swap crackers or chips for a

medium hard-boiled egg for a protein punch.

4

newsbite

s

Go vegetarian with bean burritos. Stir-fry chopped onions with a can of rinsed and drained kidney beans. Add a packet of pre-cooked rice and toss to combine. Layer down the centre of tortillas, then top with salsa and grated low-fat cheese. Roll up and bake in a moderate oven until the tortillas are heated through and slightly browned.

HEALTHY COOKING SHORTCUT

DON’T DEPRIVE YOURSELFCutting whole food groups or resorting to deprivation diets is a dangerous short-term solution to weight loss that can hinder your health. Deprivation diets can also lead to cravings, an empty bank account and abandonment of your weight-loss attempt.A healthy approach to weight loss means enjoying all food groups to ensure your body is properly nourished. The ProPoints Plan gives you the fl exibility to eat the foods you love and lose weight at the same time. That means feelings of deprivation and hunger won’t have a place in your weight-loss experience nor the words in your vocabulary.

Why not squeeze in a quick workout to start your lunch break? Perform a short 10-15 minute workout consisting of resistance exercises or high intensity interval training (HIIT). This type of training also may suppress your appetite immediately post training, reducing the temptation to overeat. Check out the Fitness Hub to get some great quick workout ideasfor the lunch break.

take time outDo you make time to step away from the offi ce? Or do you dine el-desko with crumbs in the keyboard? Research shows that taking a lunch break can be good for weight loss, stress management and good health, especially if you head outdoors into a green space. You’re likely to be more productive overall too, as you’ll get a fresh burst of energy for the afternoon.

the latest research & TIPS

ACTIVATE YOUR LUNCH BREAK

5

PROFILE

LOST25kgIN 20

WEEKS

jodieo’connor

before

Forget pressing pause on looking after yourself while raising a newborn – Jodie re-joined Weight Watchers when her daughter was six weeks old. Here’s her advice.

I joined Weight Watchers with a girlfriend and fell pregnant with my second baby almost immediately, which meant I had to quit. It was a tough pregnancy – I developed pre-eclampsia, so I gained lots of weight from fl uid and I felt awful and swollen. I vowed to lose weight as soon as I could after giving birth. So, six weeks after Indigo came into the world, I was back at Weight Watchers. The structure and routine of the Program helped me adapt to motherhood with two small children. I was organised and prepared with my food, so it meant one less thing to think about while I was caring for them!

I went to meetings whenever I could, but when I couldn’t make it to meetings, my Coach, Jodene, and I spoke over email a lot – she was so understanding of me having a 3-year-old (son Ryder) and a baby at home. I followed the Program to a tee, even weighing meat to take to friends’ barbecues so I knew my portions were in check.

Once I started seeing results, my motivation didn’t waver. I felt empowered to teach my kids how to be healthy and, for the fi rst time, I could run around with Ryder under the sprinkler in a singlet and shorts. Before, I’d wear a big baggy T-shirt and constantly pulled it down because I felt embarrassed about how I looked.

I had 12 months off work and it was a good

opportunity to put good habits into place. As soon as I came home from doing the grocery shopping, I’d write the ProPoints values per serve on the packaging so that whenever I went to the pantry or fridge, I knew what I was getting without having to look it up each time. I’d cook while Indigo was napping and get some valuable one-on-one time with Ryder, too.

I was sleep-deprived and adjusting to life with a newborn again, so of course I had bad days! For me, getting back on the wagon and starting fresh the next day was key.

When I went back to work, I’d dropped from a size 16 to an 8-10 – I had to buy a whole new wardrobe. At work I’m not in control of the food around me like I was at home so I bring my own food, and I don’t take any cash or cards so I’m not tempted to buy food. If we ever have meetings over a meal, I treat it as a reward day and just go back to the Program the next day.

6

ALMOND BERRY SPONGE ROLL

▲ 2 eggs ½ cup (110g) caster sugar ½ cup (75g) self-raising flour ¼ cup (35g) cornflour ⅓ cup (25g) flaked almonds, toasted,

crushed (see tip) 3 tsp icing sugar mixture ½ cup (120g) diet strawberry jam▲ 125g fresh raspberries▲ 125g fresh strawberries 120g reduced-fat fresh ricotta cheese 2 tsp almond-flavoured liqueur ▲ 2 tsp skim milk, if needed

1 Preheat oven to 180°C or 160°C fan-forced. Lightly spray a 30cm x 25cm (base

measurement) Swiss roll tin with oil. Line tin with baking paper, allowing it to hang over the 2 long sides.

2 Using electric beaters, beat eggs and caster sugar in a medium bowl until thick

and pale. Sift fl ours 3 times onto baking paper. Gently fold fl ours and 2 tbs boiling water into egg mixture. Spread mixture into prepared tin and bake for 10 mins or until springy to the touch.

ProPoints VALUES PER SERVE | SERVES: 4 | PREP: 15 MINS

COOK: 10 MINS + 1 HR COOLING + 3 HRS CHILLING

3 Meanwhile, place a piece of baking paper slightly larger than the tin on a

clean tea towel. Sprinkle paper evenly with almonds and sifted icing sugar. Turn hot sponge immediately onto paper and peel lining paper away. Trim and discard crusty sides of sponge. Starting at one long end, roll up sponge. Cool for 1 hour.

4 Carefully unroll sponge. Spread with jam, leaving a 2cm border at each long

end. Cut sponge roll in half crossways. Roll up half the sponge and reserve – see note.

5 Finely chop half the raspberries and strawberries. Combine ricotta and

liqueur in a small bowl until smooth and spreadable. If mixture is a little thick, stir in milk. Fold in chopped berries. Spread ricotta mixture over jam. Roll sponge to enclose fi lling. Cover and place in fridge for 3 hours or until fi lling has set slightly. Serve with remaining berries.

NOTE: Store reserved sponge roll wrapped in plastic wrap in an airtight container for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 2 months.TIP: To toast almonds, preheat oven to 180°C or 160°C fan-forced. Spread almonds on a baking tray and bake for 4–5 minutes or until toasted.

RECIPE

Filling & Healthy foods are marked with a green triangle.

These foods help fi ll you up and keep you healthy.

NEEDIDEAS FORTHE LEFTOVERS? GRAB A COPYOF OURDOUBLE-UP DINNERS COOKBOOK�

UP S

OKK

7

this week’s action...What normally gets in the way of you having a healthy lunch? What small change can you make this week to ensure your lunchtime supports your weight-loss plan?

NEXTWEEKWe discoverthe power ofsmall changes forweight-losssuccess.

Have an idea for a feature or just have some feedback about the Weeklies? We want to hear from you!

Contact us at: [email protected]

GLUTEN-FREE COOKBOOKThe newest edition of the Weight Watchers Eat Well series is out now! Eat Well…Gluten Free contains 70 delicious recipes so anyone who needs to avoid gluten can still lose weight steadily and sensibly. Endorsed by Coeliac Australia and New Zealand, this book takes the guesswork out of choosing suitable meals from breakfast to dessert, plus those much-loved baked treats. With this gluten-free weight-loss cookbook you really can have your cake and eat it, too!

TEFwstAgbbce