Welcome to another day in Carol's Corner. Still working on acclimating to this injury. It is not easy but I have to take one day at a time. Yesterday I didn't leave my bedroom except for bathroom breaks and I didn't get dressed. Everything I do takes so much effort and leaves me drained. Today I had to get out of the house for just a bit, so with a lot of effort I got myself dressed, makeup and hair done, and with hubby's help managed to get out of the house and go out for dinner. Today I seem to be having more pain. Hope tomorrow's better. So the winning name for this ensemble comes from Jo Ellen Jatczak with,” Handle With Care.”

Wore a combination of jewelry I made and one necklace I didn't. Decided to layer 2 different necklaces and wear 2 bracelets together for a different effect. This ring seemed like the perfect fit for this ensemble.

As always I have a watch that looks like a piece of jewelry. And of course for at least the next 8 weeks my newest fashion accessory has to be this lovely boot, but I'll manage to rock it anyway.

So now onto the subject of this evenings blog.

 

 

Welcome my guest blogger Kelly Reid who is going talk to us about the the newest Weight Watchers program, so here's Kelly.

Hi all.

I am a big Weight Watcher's fan and I have been following the Pro Points system for a year.

I have had great success with this plan and I have managed to lose 100 pounds.

I was very nervous about changing to Smart Points, as I've done well on the old plan! The motto ” If it ain't broke, don't did fix it” came to mind.

Now to the exciting bit-the new Smart Point system.

The main and most important difference is that the points attributed to an item of food is no longer just based on the calories in it.

Now, the base value of any food is calculated from the calories in it ( as before) but sugar and saturated fats increase its value while protein reduces it. “So what you are left with for the most part is processed foods being higher in smart points, and fresh natural foods being lower”, which is a great thing for your overall health. I also like the fact, protein rich foods have almost halved in smart points. You can have a large chicken breast for just 2 smart points, and a cod fillet for just 1. Add your zero point vegetables and fruits and you have a healthy, filling meal for hardly any points.

The allowances are also more personalized. The minimum amount of daily smart points you can have is now 30, but the weeklies are now also calculated depending on things like age, weight and height. I know on Pro Points a lot of people found it was trial and error as to how many weeklies they could use up to lose weight, so it's good to see this is reflected in the new program.

Another big difference to the program (and my personal favorite) is that there is a greater focus being placed on activity. Move (and FitPoints) encourage people to move more and earn FitPoints which are NOT cashed in for food. I love this and think this was what was missing in the old program. However if you don't exercise, you will still lose weight following the program.

 

A great addition to the program I love is, the focus on inner well-being, positive mindset and being nicer to yourself. Learn from your mistakes by looking back at the week just gone by and seeing what worked well…what didn't. What one thing can you use from last week to make this week better? I'm a big believer that mental and physical health go hand and hand. So I was very pleased to see this added to the program.

On a personal level, what I love most about the program is it actively encourages me to eat less sugar and treats. Which can only be a good thing right?

The only negatives I can think of is that the food lists aren't as good as they were before. The main food list seems to be lacking and the layout of the shopping guide is a lot more difficult to navigate. The info is there, it just takes longer to find. Also the eating guide is lacking in my opinion. It no longer gives generic values for the different cuisines. This may be a good thing though as I think it was easy to fool yourself into taking those values as gospel instead of using a bit of common sense ( we've all done it). If you have access to the e-tools and the app, the database is full of the lists of foods, so this won't really be a problem for you.

I'm only three weeks into the new program but from what I know so far, I love it and think it's a great move in the right direction for a weight-loss program to take.

So there you have a look into the newest Weight Watchers Program. Thank you Kelly for sharing this for my readers. And may you have continued success in your own personal journey.

My year hasn't started out the way I would have liked , but I have to make the best of it. When I'm allowed to put some weight on my foot I have to see where my weight is at. I probably have a lot of ground to make up. But at the moment I am just trying to get through each day the best I can. That is all we can do. Take each day one at a time and do your best. Let's make 2016 a year to remember. Till next time, God Bless