Weight Watchers (Part 1)

[Jensen]

The various international sites provide varying levels of access to recipes if you're not registered there.

Just discovered that. I can access the German site without being registered but need to register for the French and the Swiss (Schweiz) site. Haven't checked out the Suisse site yet.

Did you see the Austrian site? Just a phone number ... I guess there's no hope of finding a points-friendly recipe for Sacher torte

In any case I tend to use recipes for inspiration more than anything else, except for baking, and baking does not figure prominently in most low cal diets.

Me too. Just talking about food and seeing what other people are cooking gives me loads of inspiration.

I am just tickled that there are eGulleteers who are interested in this too. Just tickled

[therese]

The Italian site was also just a phone number. But the French site did have a nice recipe for tiramisu.

I think that people that are interested in food actually have an advantage when it comes to WW, as it's generally easier for us to figure out how to re-work a recipe to make it healthier, so we don't need to rely on pre-packaged items and meals.

[lala]

Did you see the Austrian site? Just a phone number ... I guess there's no hope of finding a points-friendly recipe for Sacher torte

No 3 point Sacher Torte mit Schlag? Noooo.... really?

Damn, I loved Vienna...Demels....I actually (when I was a Pastry Chef, many moons ago) went there every day and tried almost every pastry.

Now... it's NF yogurt and fruit. *sigh* Where's that packet of equal I brought.....?? (...wandering off into the staff kitchen)

Actually, the sugarless fudgesicles are pretty good, and Dreyers (maybe only in the NW?) makes great frozen juice bars, 1.5 points each.

"Each of us approaches the "lifestyle" thing in a different way. I'm not giving up ANY food, or food group, forever, and that's that. But what I am willing to do is stay within my points most days, and exercise a lot. I eat all my Flex and all my APs, and don't think I could survive otherwise. But then, I cook for a living, and have to taste everything I prepare for others.

I'm another vote for making a permanent eG WW presence happen. I'd love to have some foodie WW friends to play with!"

Yes! EGWW!!!! Real food! I actually have had to curtail my EG useage. Reading about all the food made me too hungry

My problem with WW is that it's strictly calories, and all fats are equal (bad). What about evoo? And while I know salmon IS fattier, it's all GOOD fat? Yet, they don't account for that at all....

[therese]

WW doesn't discriminate among fats, but I certainly do, and any recipe that calls for margarine will immediately turn into butter or olive oil as appropriate.

And at least at the moment the points aren't just based on calories, but also on fat and fiber. So if you're using the points calculator to figure out something from it's nutrient label thingy you'll find that higher fiber (within limits) will drive the point value down.

One issue for me is that some of the really weird things that I like are not listed. For instance, I like basil seed drink, and make my own iced milk tea version. But not only are basil seeds not listed on the U.S. site, but I can't find good nutritional information for this item anywhere. So I just count them as poppyseeds and keep going.

There are some hysterically funny things that are listed on the WW site. Bear, for instance. Did you know that 3 and 3/4 ounces of polar bear meat is 3 points, whereas 3 and 3/4 ounces of brown, grizzly, or black bear meat is 4 points? This seems counterintuitive to me, as the polar bear seems like it should have more fat. Maybe it depends on the time of year.

[helenjp]

I agree that eGullet is a good place to have a "good food habits" thread for people who are not kitchen-shy.

I put on weight easily if I am at home translating all the time, and that is one reason why I teach a couple of classes - I get some much needed exercise tearing up and down the aisles whispering in all those shell-pink ears! If I try to schedule things like gym or swimming, my translation simply expands to take up all avaiable time, whereas teaching is a commitment I can't back out of.

I lost what I needed to on WW back in 1990 when I had been translating full time for a couple of years, and never bought any WW foods, or anything much low-fat either from memory.

I also lost a good deal of weight last year following Sugarbusters, also without buying any special products. Because Sugarbusters is more "wholefood, controlled starch" than the low-carb diets, it combines well with WW, and a number of people do seem to combine them.

As my children grow, I also realize that while sane eating and food preparation may be remedial medicine for me, it's preventive medicine for them. I therefore make an effort with the basics - breakfast and snack foods, what kind of bread we buy/make etc, and not just dinner. The crunch...cycling to the shops regularly for fresh produce instead of buying too much once a week because I've got the car to carry it home in.

Our breakfast is always based on yogurt. I'm trying to wean the family away from fruit and yogurt every day to yogurt salads with summer veges, and also curd rice (there's a thread about it on the Indian forum, with some yummy ideas).

Another great moderate-fat, low-sugar spread is yogurt cheese, laban, whatever you want to call it - yogurt drained like cottage cheese, salt added if desired, and used as a spread with jam or herbs or hummus or whatever. Great added to scrambled eggs too.

[therese]

Great points re keeping our kids' diets healthy, helen. Mine would kill for a piece of white bread at this point, and starchy snacks and sweet cereal aren't even possibilities. But weaning them entirely of starches in the morning has been problematic, particularly as my husband is unwilling to endorse this plan. Seems like it would be a bit easier with a Japanese spouse, presumably not as wed to the idea of pancakes and syrup for breakfast.

[helenjp]

Seems like it would be a bit easier with a Japanese spouse, presumably not as wed to the idea of pancakes and syrup for breakfast.

Forgot to make clear that we do also have bread for breakfast - I bake whole wheat flatbreads for myself and (not fat but needs to be careful in future) older son, and (skinny) DH and (skinny) younger son have white toast.

Japanese spouses would like rice freshly cooked for breakfast, but if Japanese spouses are wedded to that idea, they had better get unwedded to the non-Japanese spouse who is mildly allergic to rice ...one reason why I bake my own bread is to avoid eating rice every day.

I rarely saw fat Japanese kids when I first came to Japan in 1979...or even in 1985. Now I see more and more, closely linked to the spread of sweet sodas, though I see a swing back to tea. I'm *really* glad that I don't have to have the soda battle with my kids - they accept that something sweet is an occasional treat, and in this society, teas of all kinds are very normal, hot or cold. Now that summer vacation is here, snacks include cucumber allowed to chill in ice water for several hours until any bitterness is gone and eaten plain or with a bit of miso dip, sweetcorn, or steamed sweet potato.

Any other healthy snack ideas? Especially for starving teen boys...who grow and get hungry, but who belong to computer club at school and live practically next door to school anyway -- and get no exercise at all. I've taken to having part of dinner ready early so I can put it in front of him, but it isn't easy when I'm home late from work and fielding phone calls from clients too.

[therese]

Any other healthy snack ideas? Especially for starving teen boys...who grow and get hungry, but who belong to computer club at school and live practically next door to school anyway -- and get no exercise at all. I've taken to having part of dinner ready early so I can put it in front of him, but it isn't easy when I'm home late from work and fielding phone calls from clients too.

Cheese, nuts, dried fruit (neither likes fresh fruit very much, very odd), raw vegetables (like carrots and cucumbers), edamame, and yogurt are the primary snack options for kids in our household. Neither soft drinks nor juice are typically in the house.

I work full-time (and not in a food-related industry), so it's very easy to fall into the convenience food trap. Occasionally my husband ends up doing the marketing (if I'm really slammed at work, or sick, or traveling), and then our pantry looks as if Homer Simpson's been helping out around the house: salty fried snacks, cookies, sweet breakfast cereal, muffins, Pop Tarts, pudding, ice cream, Wonder Bread. I've gone so far as to throw some of this stuff away or bring it to work.

It's not that he doesn't understand my reasoning, but he seems to feel deep down that I'm depriving the children of some very crucial experience. He comes from a not very affluent background where junk food was pretty much never available, and so at some level equates Doritos with affluence. He's thin, too, the SOB.

[Jensen]

Well, I guess this is going to be *the* Weight Watchers thread. We can worry about the name of it later...

Yesterday, friends from home (Vancouver) arrived for a couple of days and we spent our first hours together partaking in one of our favourite meals...hot pot.

As far as points go, I'm really not sure. Maybe someone with the eTools access can run it through the points builder.

Here are the ingredients for 8 people:

Vegetables:

* baby bok choy

* pea shoots

* sui choy

* cilantro

Fish & Seafood:

* fish balls (12 oz)

* shrimp balls (12 oz)

* prawns (8 oz)

Meat & Other Protein:

* lean pork (12 oz)

* chicken (8 oz)

* tofu (8 oz)

Noodles:

* rice noodles (2.5 lbs)

You can also see our sauces in that photo: Kai's "special sauce" (cooked oil--not much in deference to the WWs crowd, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, and green onions), sambal olek, sweet chili sauce, and oyster sauce. Also a little dish of chopped green onions for anyone who wanted them as a garnish.

Here is the table before we started cooking:

We'd started the broth out with a little flavour by boiling some pork neck bones on the stove while we were getting all the ingredients together. Then the stock pot goes on the tabletop burner and ingredients are added, a bit at a time:

Once the first batch is cooked, it is removed from the pot and put in the "community bowl". This bowl is then passed around the table, with all diners helping themselves.

I had a very sad flash card corruption and these were four of the five photos that were recovered. (Thank God Kai is an übertech!) What is missing is a photo of the first batch of noodles coming out of the pot, my first bowl of food, and the finishing touch to the meal...the broth.

Once all the ingredients have been eaten, the broth (by this time, very flavourful) is ladled out into the bowls.

I wish all the photos had been recoverable but I'm still very happy that even these few could be shared. This is a fabulous meal, especially when shared with great friends...no added fat, no added salt. Just healthy eating that tastes good!

[LEdlund]

it was all middleaged housewives and what not there, and I just was totally not feeling that vibe.

That's not too far from reality.

I think the program works well, but the culture is so targeted at a small segment of 35-50 year old moms that the meetings are at best a waste of time and at worst a complete turnoff for many, but especially men.

Funny, around here it's mostly retirees. I would love to meet some 35-50 yr old moms at the meeting I go to.

A big factor is the meeting facilitator. If you get a bad one (and there are quite a few) it makes the meeting not worth the time.

I agree, the facilitator is key as far as I'm concerned.

I also think a lot depends on where and when the meetings are held. I work downtown Seattle and attend meetings that are held in a medical/dental building. Most of the meeting attendees are office workers on break or their lunch hour. When I've attended meetings on the weekends at one of the neighborhood meeting sites, the attendees seem to be moms.

[therese]

Looks great, Jensen, and thanks for taking the time. Maybe now I'll have an excuse to start taking pictures of food.

What's particularly nice about that sort of meal is that you have a great deal of leeway when it comes to assembling your own meal, going lighter (or taking none) of the noodles if you eschew carbs, taking mostly vegetables if you've already used most of your WW points, etc.

Using up my points has recently become an issue for me, as I've dropped to 20 points. So I aim for meals that average 5 points, with 5 points left for incidentals (like wine, which is not so much an incidental for me as it is a food group).

So lunch today was a total of 5.5 points, used for...

1 1/2 oz pork tenderloin

1 cup sauteed summer squash and onions

1/2 cup quinoa

1 cup fresh tomatoes

1/2 cup fat-free ricotta cheese with a couple of chopped fresh cherries (ricotta sweetened with Splenda and flavored with vanilla)

The first three items were leftovers from family dinner last night.

The ricotta cheese dessert is actually quite good, and gets me some much-needed dairy.

With this few points I have to be careful to make sure that I'm not wasting them on nutritionally empty crap. But I'm not hungry, and not tired, and don't particularly feel as if I'm being deprived in any way.

[LEdlund]

Jensen, your meal looks fabulous! Where do you get your fish and shrimp balls? Some Pac NW eGulleters have been trying hot pot at local restaurants and that has me thinking about fixing it at home. How fun.

I thought I'd pass along my new favorite breakfast (now that blueberry season is in full swing here in Seattle). I cook Zoom cereal and add blueberries and maple syrup (or Equal if I'm saving points for something later in the day). The blueberries sort of "pop" in the hot cereal and it is so filling and tasty. I count it as 4 or 5 points depending on how much syrup I use.

[therese]

I've never been to a WW meeting, so can't comment directly on personal experience there. I'm a middle-aged professional mom who works full-time, so I'd have various things in common with many of the people at various different sorts of meetings.

But what I almost certainly would not have in common with very many of them is an interest in great food. For all that many of them are overweight, my impression so far (based on forum chat, which I can just barely bring myself to read) is that they did not get that way by eating or preparing great food. Nobody is posting queries about whether you can successfully sub Splenda for sugar in a Grand Marnier souffle (and would I have to count the alcohol in it?), or if there's a point difference for seared foie gras vs torchon.

Instead, somebody posted a complaint today re her job and the fact that she has to entertain clients out at meals. Her complaint is that her clients don't want to go to Applebee's (which does offer portion-controlled/points assigned items), but instead insist on going to fish restaurants and fancy restaurants where she cannot order the exact same item every time she dines.

[Jensen]

Jensen, your meal looks fabulous! Where do you get your fish and shrimp balls? Some Pac NW eGulleters have been trying hot pot at local restaurants and that has me thinking about fixing it at home. How fun.

You can get the fish and shrimp balls at just about any Asian market. You can buy them fresh at the fish counter or frozen in the freezer section or fresh but vacuum-sealed in the refrigerated food section. Last night, we used fresh but vacuum-sealed.

In Vancouver, we used to buy the paste from the fish counter at T & T Market and then just form quennelles with a couple of spoons. That was even better because the fish paste was sooooo good.

Fresh noodles makes a big difference in flavour. Last night, we used Vietnamese rice noodles which are fresh but not cooked. They were great. Chinese rice noodles are sometimes coated in oil so you need to watch that.

[Jensen]

I thought I'd pass along my new favorite breakfast (now that blueberry season is in full swing here in Seattle). I cook Zoom cereal and add blueberries and maple syrup (or Equal if I'm saving points for something later in the day). The blueberries sort of "pop" in the hot cereal and it is so filling and tasty. I count it as 4 or 5 points depending on how much syrup I use.

It's still too hot for a warm breakfast here in Sacra-tomatoes. I've been eating Trader Joe's fat-free granola (1/2 cup) and TJ's low-fat organic yogurt (1/4 cup). 3.5 points

And speaking of TJ's low-fat organic yogurt...it is fabulous! I went on a huge yogurt-making binge not too long ago because I find American yogurt too sweet. This yogurt is wonderful...even though it's low-fat, it tastes creamy and it has the runnier, European texture that I like.

Yum!!!!

[Betts]

I am delighted that you started this thread and I hope it continues. I lost 43# on WW a while back, let 20 creep back and now my husband and I are trying to take off more. I am a former registered dietitian and currently have a personal chef and catering business.

Despite the diet perversions that appear on many of the WW online forums, WW has the soundest nutritional regimen out there. Personally, I think that the low nutritional value daily intakes reflect the eater's former habits and the dreadful culture of processed foods in Western developed countries. They have simply adapted old habits to conform to a low point count.

I like going to meetings. I had a leader for a couple of years that rarely talked about recipes - it was all about behavior and mental attitude. I have come to see that it is not what you are eating but what is eating you and when you really figure it out all the rest falls into place. Choosing lower caloric density foods, smaller portions, exercise and increased activity and channeling emotion effectively all become part of the balance of daily life.

I am one of those people who are compelled to cook. I miss it after a few days on vacation. I cannot eat the WW entrees - they are not good enough to waste the points on. I have found inspiration from Jane Brody's cookbooks, Cooking Light and Food and Wine. I might look for the CIA/WW book but my experience with WW cookbooks has been disappointing.

[Cusina]

Loved seeing your dinner Jensen.

Ours tonight was:

Roasted red pepper and onion pureed soup. - 1 point.

Grilled smoked mozzarella, tomato and basil sandwiches on whole grain bread. 3 points (use egg white instead of butter on the bread before grilling) These were delicious.

Pinot Noir - 3 points

Grapes - 1 point

homemade fresh blueberry frozen yogurt - 2 points

1 1/2 cups non-fat plain yogurt

1 cup splenda

1 pint plus some fresh blueberries, smooshed

1 T. lemon juice

1/2 tsp. grated lemon zest

This was my first time using Splenda and found that I don't mind the taste. Suprising.

My weigh in is tomorrow (I do the online, can't bring myself to go to the meetings). I was awful this weekend as we spent time at my parent's house and went to the state fair. Absolutely nothing is healthy at the Wisconsin state fair. Yikes. Hopefully being very lean the rest of this week will help.

[lala]

Ok, here's my challenge: white meat. Yuck. What do ya'll do with turkey breast? I've always preferred the dark meat, but have loyally sworn off for the duration. I'm tired of the stir frys. What's something quick and delicious?

One of my constraints is time: I started a gym membership (good for me!), and now I get home after my workouts, it's 6:30, and I'm ravenous! Thus, stir frys. What else is quick, about 6 points and tasty?

[FL Heat]

I don't know the exact point count, but some things I do with ground white meat turkey:

Chili, with red or white beans (I'll get it going before we go to the gym, and it's good by the time we get back)

Chop an onion and get it soft in a large pot, then 3-4 chopped cloves of garlic. Add 1 lb of turkey & cook until it's done; add a can of Ro-Tel Mexican Fiesta tomatoes, then a can of regular diced tomatoes, two cans of red or white beans (to up the fiber), cumin, oregano, black pepper, paprika, cayenne, and maybe a couple of jalapenos or a chipotle. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, go to the gym. I made chili often enough that I keep a special "chili mix" in a tin with the proportion of spices that I like.

"Sloppy Joes" of a sort. . .

Onion & green bell pepper in the pan, then garlic, then the turkey. Couple of splashes of red wine vinegar, some worchestershire sauce, a can of diced tomatoes, a tablespoon of brown sugar, salt & pepper, and two tablespoons of tomato paste. It's loosely based on a Rachel Ray recipe. We have ours in whole wheat wraps.

Diana

[therese]

I miss bread terribly on this WOE but I'm sure WW folks miss their steaks too.

Well, on the one hand we do miss our steaks, but then we also miss our bread, because (depending on where a person is point-wise) we can't have much of either one.

But then we don't really miss either one entirely, because we can have anything so long as we take the points into account.

This was my first time using Splenda and found that I don't mind the taste. Suprising.

I don't find the taste of Splenda off-putting so long as I've got other flavors in the item, a mixture if possible. So the combined lemon (juice and zest to boot) and blueberries makes the Splenda less noticeable.

Almond goes well with Splenda, as do mint flavors.

[hjshorter]

Interesting, I'll have to try almond. Splenda has a horrid aftertaste to me - just as bad as saccherine and aspartame.

[Betts]

My favorite thing with ground turkey .........

Turkey Kheema - adapted from Jane Brody

2 onions - cut into wedges and sauteed in 2 tsp oil gently

3 cl garlic, smashed

fresh ginger - 1-3 Tb

20 oz package ground turkey - add to the above and saute until no pink left

2 Tb curry powder

1 tsp ground cumin

red pepper flakes to taste

1 tsp salt

3 cups tomatoes - fresh or a 28 oz can of diced tomatoes

Simmer 10-15 minutes

fresh cilantro, chopped green onions garnish

Serve with rice, baked potato, whatever

1 cup is about 3 pts

[Jensen]

I used ground turkey in the stuffed squash I made (riffing on the LA Times' article about stuffed vegetables...now sadly archived away in oblivion). Photos, description here (just scroll down past the tower of pork...)

If you were in a rush, you could make the filling the night before and then just stuff a vegetable when you got home from the gym and steam it. I used leftover filling from that dinner to stuff a pepper for lunch a day or two later. It was great too.

[Jensen]

Ok, here's my challenge: white meat. Yuck. What do ya'll do with turkey breast? I've always preferred the dark meat, but have loyally sworn off for the duration. I'm tired of the stir frys. What's something quick and delicious?

Just had another thought...Trader Joe's Punjab sauce.

[bilrus]

Ok, here's my challenge: white meat. Yuck. What do ya'll do with turkey breast? I've always preferred the dark meat, but have loyally sworn off for the duration. I'm tired of the stir frys. What's something quick and delicious?

One of my constraints is time: I started a gym membership (good for me!), and now I get home after my workouts, it's 6:30, and I'm ravenous! Thus, stir frys. What else is quick, about 6 points and tasty?

I love Thai food and two things that I like to make with ground poultry - although I normally use chicken - are Larb and Kaprow (chicken with basil and chiles).

I ususally eat the Kaprow with rice, but then again, being a really big guy I get the maximum number of points. Larb is good because it can go on a salad.

And for turkey breast, how about a chef's type salad with grilled turkey strips?