Thursday, April 29, 2010

Luck, Love, and Pizza

There are many different ways to show someone that you love them.  You could tell them, we often do that.  But how often, really, does someone do something for you that truly demonstrates how much they love you?  And what does this have to do with my weight loss journey?  Wow!  Lots of questions today!  Boy, are you lucky I'm in a mood to answer!

Saying I had a terrible, awful, truly horrible day, does not even begin to scratch the surface.  I had a damn the diet, go out for Chinese and grab and ice cream cake for dessert type of day (and that was before lunch and the marathon conference call!)

As luck would have it (the only luck I had all day), my wonderful husband called before he left work to ask about dinner.  My only response was, "Please don't make me think or cook!"  Obviously sensing all was not well in Katie-land, Mr. Supportive simply said "I'll take care of it, my love."

When I dragged myself home, and hour and a half late, he was unloading what used to be one of my favorite meals, homemade pizza!  My mouth dropped open in shock and a bit of horror.  This was no longer on the approved list!


My sweet husband smiled at me, very proud of himself, and said "We are only using 1/2 a jar of sauce to cut down on the sugar, I got turkey pepperoni, crimnei mushrooms, fresh bell peppers, and skim mozzarella cheese!"  I couldn't believe it; he had "Dtoured" one of my favorite meal!  My husband loves me!  A lot!

Nothing in the world could have made me feel more loved, cared for, and supported than that single simple action.  Isn't it funny?  It's not the big flashy things, it's the small, important things that really count.

Oh yeah, the pizza was AWESOME!!!

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Another small victory

Today is my mom's birthday!  Happy Birthday Mom!  As any good and loving daughter does, we took her out to dinner for her birthday.  Nothing fancy or big (that's for later) just a nice birthday dinner out to celebrate her 29th birthday!

Problem was, the menu.  There was nothing really there that I could choose.   Yes, I could have ordered a salad.  However, I've had their salads before and frankly, I don't want to pay $10.00 for some browning iceberg lettuce with a few cucumber slices and some carrot shreds on it, I'd have to have everything else removed, and who wants to do that?

I stared at the menu until I began to make myself crazy.  It is no good, this is never going to work if I am going to make myself insane or take favorite family haunts off the table.  I took a deep breath, ordered something I truly love, asked for a few modifications and made sure I only ate about half of it.  I have also learned that if I eat slower, I eat less overall.

I was even able to encourage my mother and Mr. Hormonal to have dessert and I was not bothered in the least when it came to the table and all I had in front of me was a glass of Iced Tea (no Long Island involved!).

So, lets tally this up:  Dinner out - check.  Ordering healthy - half a check.  Passing on dessert - check.  No alcohol - check.  Enjoyable evening out - priceless!

By gosh, I think I may be getting the hang of this; and all it is going to cost me is an extra walk in the sun, I can handle that!

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Chocolate - Post #2

In a bit of an ironic turn, especially in light of yesterday's post, I opened up CNN this morning to see this headline staring at me:

Study: Chocolate and Depression Go Hand in Hand

Now, CNN had gotten this information from the wonderful folks at Health.com so I went directly to the source to get the low down.  Can our favorite go to food really cause us to feel low?  It seems no one seems to know:
It’s unclear, however, whether depressed people eat more chocolate simply because they crave it, or whether chocolate consumption itself somehow contributes to a depressed mood.
Okay, so no help there,  what can we do when we are feeling down?  What do we do when we are struck with these almost uncontrollable cravings?
We need to figure this out!  Let's be honest here, THIS is what causes us all to fall down.  It's not the "big event", or the stubbornly stuck scale number (this is easily cured with the purchase of a new scale, I don't care what anyone says - the dumb thing really IS broken!).

Our real foe is 3:00 PM, isn't that the time it strikes?  We want sweet, we want chocolate and who has the stamina to resist the "witching hour"?  We need a plan!

Okay!  New project!  (Because I haven't assigned myself enough of them yet!)  On Sunday's post I'll have some wonderful new 3:00 Chocolate buster snack ideas!

Start burning up the email and comments folks!  I'll need some help here!

Monday, April 26, 2010

A case of the Monday's . . .

I have now decided that it is the freaking day of the week that does it!  It's Monday's!  Myron has figured out that I don't do Monday's!  Drat him anyway!!  All day I've had a chocolate craving.  It's not just me either; I've taken a poll - 9 out of 10 women polled (I'm no dummy, I don't ask men) have had a chocolate craving all day!

We do well all week, behave over the weekend and then WHAM!  The cravings hit us on Monday.  No amount of mental self-talk or diversion seemed to work today.  I wanted chocolate!  A candy bar, a truffle, ice cream, cake, it really didn't matter, I just wanted chocolate!  Man I hate this!

But odd as it sounds, I'm beginning to see these little weekly confrontations as a test of wills.  My will against the kryptonite of womankind worldwide - chocolate!  So far I'm ahead!  I have not lost one of our little weekly games yet!  Ha ha ha!  Take that chocolate!

I have to wonder though, sooner or later, will I give in?  Will the chocolate finally win the battle?  Will it wear me down? 

Nah!  Look who we're talking about here!  I can out stubborn anybody, anywhere, anytime!  I can ignore it as long as I want to!

Take that chocolate!  Take that Myron!!

Ha ha!!  I win again!!!

Sunday, April 25, 2010

The great dinner experiment

Happy Sunday!  Okay, housekeeping chores out of the way first.  

Today's weigh in:
 Hormonal teenager:  -1/2 lb.  Yea boy!!!  (He also took early ACT test and got the results back this week - Rocked those too!!!  Amazing kid!!)
Wonderful husband:  stayed the same.  Yea hubby.
Me:  Stayed the same.  I'm actually relieved.  The large loss last week sort of threw me for a bit of a loop.

Today was another step for me.  I was fortunate that my charming son took the short journey with me.  We ate vegetarian all day today.  It isn't like we haven't done it before.  But today, I wanted to make a conscious choice to try it.  To try it and see if we would have the energy and feel full enough.  It was a success!  Not that we are going to become full time vegetarians, but I seem to feel better now when I have less meat.  Not sure what that is all about.

Tonight's dinner was two, not one, but two new recipes.  We had a dinner full of superfoods!  We had adzuki beans, quinoa, eggplant, and spinach!  It was awesome!  We had a casserole made with Aduzi beans, eggplant, tomatoes and other good stuff - It was good.  Our side dish was Quinoa with wilted spinach and feta cheese.  Gotta love feta cheese!

Now, one of the most amazing things about this meal is that I hate beans!  Always have, always wi . . . . . . well, I guess I don't anymore.  Aduzki beans rock!  They tasted really good and have lots of protein in them.  I'm going to have to rethink my whole stand on beans now.

Once again the horizons have been broadened.  Once again we have stepped outside of our comfort zone and totally enjoyed the experience.  Sooner or later, the box we used to live in will no longer exist!

This is such an amazing journey, everyday seems to be a new discovery.  We're training for our 5K, planning vegetable and herb gardens and I have even been looking at bikes!  What next?

Friday, April 23, 2010

Deep Thoughts Part Doux

Surprisingly I've felt better today.  I think just getting the words out, even in writing, helped me to begin to work through what has been keeping me down this week.

A friend suggested today that maybe some of this is from Myron's bag of tricks, which I am actually beating down - not falling for it as I always have before.  

It was also suggested that perhaps this is a normal emotional swing for me, but I am recognizing it as a feeling now and not as an "event".

Both suggestions have merit and make a lot of sense.  There are things that have happened in my life that are horrible.  Secrets that I have talked about with only my husband.  But these things were easier to hide when I was heavier.  Emotions are easier to deal with if you can just eat them with cake and ice cream and deal with them that way.  They are much less messy.

There is not cake now, no ice cream, no sugar, just me.  Just me and those I love and trust.  I wonder how much secrets weigh? 

Maybe Myron has a bunch of little friends, as I purge my self of them, the weight will go away!  Hey!  This is a wonderful new thought - Physical and Emotional purging!  This could work!

Watch out Demons, you may be eradicated! 

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Deep Thoughts

For reasons that I can't figure out, I have been really down and depressed this week.  I've been crying and feeling almost despondent.  I should still be floating on cloud 9 after my enormous loss from last week, so what is going on?

A friend suggested to me today that as as emotional eater (as most women are), my eating, and hence my weight is brought on by emotional 'trauma' or stressors.  When I start shedding the weight, am I not, on some level, worried that what I am attempting to bury under food may escape as I lose the weight?

I've been thinking about that all day today.  I'm wondering how much merit there may be in that thought.  I have now passed the point where I usually bail.  I have made a conscious decision to not fall back into former bad patterns.  We are shifting our entire life and habits around to ensure things are forever different.

Where will the insercurity hide now?  If not behind ice cream, cake, cookies, sweets, and layers of fat, where?

This merits some lengthy thought. 

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Gardens and Herbs

Now that we are preparing and eating all this fabulous fresh food, I have determined that the dried herbs from the grocery are dull and bland.

The only solution is to grow my own.  Yeah, I know - yet one more thing - one more leap from a ledge.  Do you think sooner or later one of these ledges is going to give way underneath me?  Nah, never happen!

So, now in the planning stages are a herb garden and, yes, I said and, a vegetable garden.  If we are going to grow herbs, we can't very well leave the veggies out can we?  Can you grow artichokes in Michigan?  I start my own backyard artichoke farm!

With all walking, food prep, shopping, and now gardening, I'm never going to have any time to sit on the sofa and visit with Couch Potato!

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Changes

I had to go to physical therapy today.  Whenever I go to therapy, I end up with a migraine; it has to do with something they are doing with my neck and shoulders.  I'm putting up with it as it is actually helping my arm.  I can straighten my elbow for the first time in almost 2 years!  Anyway . . . I had toast this morning and did not have my usual yogurt and flaxseed.

So, here I am driving home, as quickly as I can, because the migraine is simmering in my skull, and suddenly, all I could think about was grease.  I wanted greasy food, ice cream, and chocolate.  Now, I know that I've written about this before; but what surprised me today was that on Sunday when I drove by the ice cream stand I wanted nothing to do with it.  Today, I considered driving into it as that would make it easier to access the soft-serve machine.  (Not a sane thought, I know, but I was under the influence of a migraine!)

How can I hit those two extremes in three days?  I know I'm moody, but come on!  That is ridiculous!  I was handling everything so well on Sunday!  What happened?

My mood.  My emotions.  I am an emotional eater.  I feel like I'm admitting to some sort of addiction here.  My mood changes, or I don't feel good and automatically my body says "We want sugar, chocolate and whatever starchy comfort food you can find."  

Is there a store somewhere where you can find a new internal system?  I want one that when I am depressed or sick says "Go forth and eat more vegetables!  Flaxseed is your friend.  Exercise will make you feel better!"  Where do I go to get that?

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Floating

First of all, I want to thank everyone for all of the support and well wishes!  I can not tell you all enough how much your support helps  and spurs me on!

Today has been an interesting day.  I have sort of been floating through it.  I have actually weighed myself a couple of different times, not actually believing the loss of this past week!

Like everyone else I have done the diet roller coaster so many times I have lost count.  I hate roller coasters by the way.  Evil devices, could have been used as Medieval  instruments of torture if you ask me.  Oops,there I go digressing again.  Okay, back on track.  Diets, right.  I have tried them all.  Hated them all.  I have so many different sizes of clothes, I could open my own (albeit very small) boutique!

This time is different.  This time is no diet.  This time is about true change.  There is none of the "I'll eat this for now until the weight is gone."  The new motto around this household is:  "We're embracing our new lifesyle and learning new eating habits!"  There is no going back.  None of us want to.

Hormonal son and I drove by the Ice Cream stand today, it didn't even look good.  I have low-fat Bryer's at home that I can have in my pretty small bowls twice a week as a special treat with my favorite shows.  Stopping at the ice cream stand for an artificial ice cream in a cardboard cone, dipped in waxy chocolate can not possibly compare to that!

My first big weight goal was lose 10% my body weight.  I have had that goal for about a year now.  I have failed at every other attempt.  This time I believe I will reach it quickly.  As of today I am at 7%.

I guess what I am really saying is that to be honest, at the begining of this journey, I thought we my family and I were undertaking the impossible.  So did my family.  I took a poll.  They were, as always, going to stick with me as long as I wanted to to this, then when I got bored or it got hard, go back to whatever I wanted to do.  They love me, and didn't know what else to do.

TOTAL TRANSFORMATION
That was my greeting on my Dtour home page this morning when I pulled it up to log my weight and measurements.  I've been thinking about that all day.  In 57 days this whole family has transformed not only the way we eat, but the way we think, the way we feel, and the way we veiw the world.  We are participating in a 5K in less than a month!  My husband had a second helping of fish for dinner last night!  I ate a huge platefull of cooked vegetables tonight for dinner and my son has cut down drasticlly on the amount of sugary sodas that he drinks and is being very careful about what he puts in his body now!
That is a Total Transformation.  Thank you Dtour!

(Watch out Myron, your going down!)

Weigh In

Okay, I figure I can do two posts today because I was a big ol' slacker this week!

Here are the results from weigh in:
Wonderful Husband:  +19 lbs!  (Then he put the cat down!)
Actual loss = 1 pound  and the people rejoiced!

Hormonal Teenage Son (yes, the tag is back):  -1 lb and has lost an additional 21/2 inches off his waist!  The people rejoiced and the young maidens sighed.

Me:  -8 lbs!  Yes, pick your jaws up from the floor!  I checked it three times!  8 flipping pounds in one week.  I know it is not healthy, but for one week, I'll take it!  I have also lost and additional 2 inches off my waist for a total of 8!  Hey we got 8's going on here!  Anyone play the lottery?

Here is what my little chart looks like from my Dtour tracking page:
Weight Measurement
Date 4/18/2010 4/18/2010
Starting 262  lbs. 48 inches
Current 242 lbs. 40 inches
Goal 115 lbs. 24 inches
Change -20 lbs.  -8 inches. 
Percent of Body Weight Lost
7%
Losing 5-10% of your body weight can lower your blood sugar and blood pressure and help prevent diabetes

The people are not only rejoicing, they are having a flat out, headbanging, ear-blasting, Myron-stomping, dragon slaying party!!!! 
Today, I will rejoice!

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Oh the stupid things we do

You might have noticed that I did not post yesterday.  For the first time since I started this venture, I did not post.  Sorry.

Thursday night, due to some major family drama (who doesn't love that!) I could not sleep and was up all night.  So all day yesterday (Friday) I was very sluggish and tired all day.  I tried to nap, but still could not convince my eyes to close. I went through the day feeling very weak, headachy, and tired.  I had trouble putting thoughts together and could not keep focused on the simplest of household tasks.  I was a mess.

When my wonderful husband came home, we started to work on making dinner together.  I was suddenly parched and drank two large glasses of my herbal iced tea.  Wonderful husband looked at me strangely and asked me when I had eaten last.  I thought for a minute and realized that I hadn't eaten since breakfast!

I looked at him in horror and went to check my sugar - just as I suspected - under 60!  Can you say Crash?

Now, my my my Miss Katie, whatever had  been going on with you all day?  Did you not stop to think for one minute that you were having a sugar problem?  Did you not even give a thought to the fact that you are supposed to eat three meals and two snacks daily?  
Apparently not, obviously I was in some weird state of exhausted state that rendered me unable to think or even remember that I was a, what was that?  Oh yeah, Diabetic (dummy, that I am)!

So, did I learn anything from this little lesson?  Do I ever?  Well, believe it or not, I have finally begun to figure a few things out!

Bits of knowledge gleened from this experience:
  1. GET SLEEP
  2. EAT
  3. REMEMBER TO EAT
  4. DO NOT FORGET TO EAT
  5. DIABETICS NEED TO EAT DURING THE DAY OR BAD THINGS HAPPEN
Weigh in day in tomorrow.  Hopefully, this little back step didn't hurt that.  Fingers crossed!

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Success Surprise

Sometimes the small signs of progress give you the biggest feelings of success.

This morning I put my watch on and it swung around on my wrist.  It took me totally by surprise, I shook my wrist a bit and watched in amazement as it circled my wrist.  I double checked to make sure I had fastened the band correctly ~ who loses weight in their wrists?  Apparently me!

I discovered today that my stomach has gotten flat enough that I no longer look pregnant when I tuck my shirt in!  Yea me! And guess what!  I have cheekbones!  They are hard to see under these chipmunk cheeks of mine, but there is a hint of a cheekbone peeking through just under my eye!

One of my co-workers commented today on how different I am looking.  She said she can really tell the difference!

It's nice when this struggle pays off in ways that you can really see and make you feel really good about yourself!

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Did ya ever notice . . .

Did you ever notice how when you are focused on one thing in your life, you become hyper-aware of of what others are doing in the same area?

Every time I'm in the grocery store now I can't help but notice what other people have in their carts.  I can not believe how people eat!  I walk by families with carts loaded to overflowing with brightly colored packages of processed, crappy, fat and cholesterol laden food and sugar-packed sodas, yet there are no fresh fruits or vegetables to be found.

I'm not judging these people, I am truly just shocked and appalled at what they are feeding themselves and their families.  Even when I was 'being naughty' our cart never looked like that.  I am just confused.

With all of the news reports on obesity and childhood obesity and Diabetes, how can people continue to eat this way?  How can the food manufacturers continue to produce this crap?

I'm not trying to accuse anyone, I'm just making an observation.  I have become hyper-aware lately.  Next time you go to the market, look at what people have in their carts.

For that matter, look who is in line at the ice cream stand.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Flaxseed - God's gift to "large" people everywhere

Today was a migraine day.  Which means, I also had a major chocolate attack.  Surprisingly, I haven't had too many of those.  Odd for this confirmed chocoholic.  Do you want to know what the secret is?

Flaxseed.  No lie.  Flaxseed is the answer.  It is like this super duper miracle food that is perhaps one of the greatest gifts mankind was ever given.  Remember that manna that fell from the sky and fed all those people who were wandering in the desert?  Flaxseed; I'm sure of it!  (You would have thought someone would have brought a map, but that is a conversation for another day!)

Anyway, 2 Tablespoons of Flaxseed per day helps cut the cravings!  I kid you not!  I do not joke about these things.  (Well, not any more anyway.)  A friend of mine from High School told me about it and then one Sunday I was watching my weekly D-life show.  That is a weekly program for Diabetics that has lots of super good information and fun recipes!  Anyway, this one week they were talking to people who had lived with Diabetes for  a long time.  One of the people interviewed was a 96 year old gentleman that had been diagnosed in his early 30's!  Can you believe that?  This dude was  still going strong and competing in some Senior Citizen Olympic thing!  He claimed that it was due to the fact that he ate 2 tablespoons of Flaxseed every morning!

Then I got my hands on Gillian McKeith's books and she says that Flaxseed is really high in Omega 3's (something my High School buddy also told me).  If you don't know what Omega 3's are, they are the GOOD fatty acids that help clean your veins.  Think of them as scrubbing bubbles for your circulatory system!

Long story short, I didn't have my Flaxseed this morning due to the stupid migraine.  Lesson learned for the day:
NO FLAXSEED = CHOCOLATE & SWEET CRAVINGS!
I am never running out of the stuff again!  It is worth it's weight in gold!  If you don't have some go get some now.  Run, do not walk, to the grocery store and do not leave until you have your little box of magic!

I wonder if I can grow it?  Hmmm . . . there was a seed catalog around here somewhere. . . .

Monday, April 12, 2010

Love yourself, warts and all!

I have discovered that there is one person in particular who is especially hard on me when it come to small mistakes and setbacks in my new journey.  The problem is, this person is the one who should be the most understanding and sympathetic of me, particularly at this time.  After all, this is the one person who realizes exactly how hard this whole thing really is on me.  Why would they do that?  Why would they make this already difficult task nearly impossible for me?  Why?  Who in their right mind would do that to me?

Why would I do that to myself?  Why would I sabotage myself in that way?  I am the first one to reassure everyone else that a slip or two is okay.  I'll be right in there cheering for them telling them that all they have to do is let it go and get back on track and everything will be fine.  A blip is a blip and not to worry about it.  Then when I have a very small setback, I am the first one to drag out the sack-cloth, scourge and ashes and beat myself into the ground.  How much sense does that make?

I am making such progress on this journey, maybe my next step is to learn how to be a little easier on myself.  At least give me the same break I give everyone else.  Right?

I talked with one friend who was really upset because she ate a Suzy-Q and another who is convinced that her son's Easter basket has a mom magnet embedded into it.  We all make mistakes, we all make little slips.  We are human, it's in our nature.  How could we not?

We have been conditioned for so long to react to upset, stress, and even boredom with comfort foods, that it is going to take time to break that cycle.  We can do it, I guess we just have to learn to be as patient with ourselves, in that regard as we are with our friends.

We owe it to ourselves to learn to love ourselves again, warts and all!

Sunday, April 11, 2010

And Now, Back to our Fairytale . . . .

When last we left our brave Princess, she was struggling to make her way up the large Dtour Hill, her wonderful Husband and Son behind her, helping to hold the dreaded Dragon Couch Potato at bay.

Our Princess was gaining ground, she was breathing easier and walking more upright, her steps were coming faster and she was smiling more and more as she made her way up the hill on her journey.  Couch Potato, however was losing ground, falling back as he slipped on the slope and tripped over the rocks in his path.
 
But our dear Princess had another enemy.  An evil little demon named Myron the Vicious!  Myron was the meanest, nastiest, creature ever to walk the earth, and he had made it his mission to hamper the little Princess on her journey.

Now, Myron knew that the Princess suffered from horrible pains in her head from time to time.  These pains were especially bad when storms were moving in and out and the seasons were changing.  Laughing evilly, Myron stirred the skies and created a series of storms that he sent through the area were the Princess and her family were. 

Clutching her head in pain, our Princess retreated to her throne and was forced to stay there for quite a few days, much to the delight of the dread Dragon Couch Potato.  He would sit next to the Princess and whisper in her ear.  "See how much easier it is to stay here where it is warm and comfortable?  Have some ice cream, you love ice cream!"  In her pain and weakness, the Princess gave in.

The days passed as they do, and soon it was Sunday.  Sunday was Weigh-In Day.  The day it had been deemed that everyone in the castle stepped on the scales to see how much they weighed.  First the young Prince stepped on the scale,  he had lost 1/2 pound, and the people rejoiced!  Next was the Prince he stayed the same, and again, the people rejoiced!  Lastly the Princess stepped on the scale, she had been doing so well lately, the people had been so happy!  The Princess stepped on the scale, and . . GASP!! She had gained a pound!  The people were silent, their disappointment hung heavily in the air.  The only sound that could be heard was the laughter coming from Couch Potato and Myron.  

In fury, the Princess spun to face Couch Potato and Myron.  "Very funny you two!"  she spat "But if you think a few headaches and one lousy pound are going to stop me, you have another thing coming!  I'm going to beat you and prove to myself and everyone that I can do this!"

Myron smiled a slimy evil smile.  "We'll see Princess, we'll see."  and he disappeared in a flash of flame, followed quickly by Couch Potato.

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Shopping Adventure

Shopping is not my favorite things, never has been.  Unless of course we are shopping for books, then I am yours for the day!  Grocery shopping is definately on my list of unhappy things to do.  It ranks right up there with clothes and shoe shopping.  Have you ever tried to buy "professional" shoes when you wear a children's size shoe?  Dress shoes with butterflies, flowers, and Hannah Montanya do not go over well in a professional office environment.

Anyway . . .I keep reading about these "super foods"  Quinoa (KEEN-wa) and Aduki beans (added benefit is that they are just fun words to say!).  Suprise, suprise, you can not find these things on the shelves at Wal-mart or Meijer - imagine that!  So off to the Health Food Store we went.  Yes, I did say Health Food Store, you can stop laughing now.


We have a small shop in our town so we walked down to see what they had.  Sure enough they had both items.  Thoroughly excited (I know, I'm getting weirder by the day) we got packages of both and continued to snoop around.  Have you ever seen these places?  They are way cool!  They even had hemp seeds - apparently they are really good for you.  I have to wonder though, if you eat some of these seeds and then have to take a drug test, do they show up?  And if they do, would anyone believe that you were eating it and not smoking it?

We had to leave before I put us in the poor house.  I'm not kidding; they even had pasta made from artichokes!  How cool is that!  That may possibly qualify as one of the world's most perfect foods!  That is definitely on the must try list!

Tonight's dinner was a veggie and Quinoa casserole.  It was AWESOME!!!!  Two thumbs up from everyone at the table!  I am loving this experimenting stuff!

This new eating regime has forced me out of my comfort zone.  I am so far out of that zone that I can not even see it in the rear view mirror!  And you know what?  I am loving every minute of it!  I'm exercising, taking my lunch to work everyday, eating cooked vegetables and learning things about myself that I never new.

I'm becoming a new and improved me, a happy and healthy me!

Friday, April 9, 2010

My new secret weapon

I have become hooked on BBC America.  I love that channel!  For the longest time I thought it was only really useful for Doctor Who, but there are all kinds of really cool shows on there!  Who knew? (Pardon the pun, sometimes I can't resist them!)

One of my current favorites is a show called You Are What You Eat , it is a show about this really strict looking Holistic Nutritionist named Gillian McKeith who helps people change the way that they eat and live.   I really like her because she doesn't pull punches and she tells people like it is.  One of the things that she does is that she loads a table down with everything her "target" has eaten during the last week.  It's horrible!  When you see this table loaded down with everything they've eaten and you look at it and think "Man!  That is one of my favorites, so is that!  And that!  And,  wait. . . Oh crap!"  About then, the show takes on an entirely different meaning and you begin rooting for the poor person to actually listen to Gillian and wish she were coming to your house next!

I have found it is the perfect motivator for me to help keep on track.  Even the name of the show helps me.  Right now I can think  "Today, I'm yogurt, flax seed, fruit, some yummy Chinese stuff, cabbage, nuts, a Dtour Ruben, and some baby bell peppers!"  Those are all good things!

I could have been:  "Donuts, McDonalds, a candybar, a Taco Bell Salad, and a Hot Fudge Sundae."

I feel much better being the new me!  Who needs the old me?  Not my family!  Gillian would be proud!

I heard from a friend today who has been walking her own path with weight loss for health reasons.  We have been cheering each other on and she checks in and follows this blog along with many others.  Today she let me know she has lost 7 pounds!  Yea!!!!  Part of her loss involves giving up a caffeinated beverage that she has been drinking since childhood.  It has been very difficult for her and I wanted to applaud her accomplishment here so everyone could share in her accomplishment!

Sometimes I laugh at myself because I'm sitting on the sofa watching Gillian McKeith and trolling online for articles about food.  I have never spent so much time thinking about food!  I'm beginning to wonder if I am becoming obsessed!  
But every show I watch, every thing I read reinforces my resolve! 
 I am not a Chocolate Bar! 
I am not a Fat Laden Lying Taco Bell Salad!  
I AM A SKINNY PERSON FIGHTING TO ESCAPE THIS BODY!!!

Thursday, April 8, 2010

New Recipe Night

Odd family traditions; we all have them.  You know, those weird little quirky things that your family does that others think is a little off or "odd".

One of our favorites is New Recipe Night.  Once a week (that is the goal), we try a new recipe.  The rules are as follows.  
1.  The first time it is made, the recipe must be strictly adhered to (substitutions and changes to be made later).
2.  Everyone at the table must try the new dish and give it a fair shot.
3.  If you don't like it, you don't have to eat it, you may find something else to eat.
4.  The cook should not take it personally if people don"t like the dish.  It's not them, it's the food being judged.
5. Majority rules as to whether the dish is a do-over again or not.

We have discovered over the years that this little tradition keeps us from getting bored with our meals and has lent itself to some very interesting gastronomic experiments over the yearsChocolate Chicken goes down as the most horrible thing we have ever made, yet we all smile and laugh whenever it is mentioned.

The new addition to the Recipe game is to find things that we can make that will fit within the constrains of our new eating plan.  No one wants to have to eat the same thing all the time.  

If anyone has any ideas, post a comment and let us know!

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Fat Food

Have you been watching the news lately?  Suddenly, it seems, there is all sorts of news about how overweight Americans are! According to JAMA - The Journal of the American Medical Association:
In 2007-2008, the prevalence of obesity was 32.2% among adult men and 35.5% among adult women. The increases in the prevalence of obesity previously observed do not appear to be continuing at the same rate over the past 10 years, particularly for women and possibly for men.

So what is going on?  Why are we getting so fat?  I have a possible answer.  I was surfing CNN today (my favorite news site and came across the following article:

(CNN) -- In the midst of first lady Michelle Obama's campaign against child obesity and chef Jamie Oliver's prime-time TV initiative for cleaner cooking, a chicken chain is crowing about some aggressively fat-laden fare.

KFC's long-rumored Double Down waddles into stores on April 12, boasting an ingredient list that prompted a copywriters' caveat on the product's Web page that it is "Real! No fooling."
The bun-free ("so meaty, there's no room") sandwich features two pieces of bacon, two slices of melted cheese and "Colonel's Sauce" - which KFC officials said is a "zesty mayonnaise" -- slathered between two chicken filets, either original recipe (540 calories and 32 fat grams per KFC.com) or the slightly slimmer grilled version (460 calories and 23 fat grams).
Taco Bell Chicken Ranch Taco Salad
A salad sounds pretty sensible, right? Depends on what you mean by "salad." A cheeky 2009 commercial for the chain's crispy tortilla-swaddled heaps of rice, beans, cheese, meat and additional tortilla strips defined the dish as "technically a salad" due to the presence of some lettuce shreds buried under the other ingredients.
The Bell's 54 fat-grammed Chicken Ranch Taco Salad is the second most caloric item on the menu, weighing in at 910, but comes served, improbably, with reduced fat sour cream.

Is fat fare at fast foods going too far?

Okay, seriously?  A salad that is roughly 1000 calories and contains 54 grams of fat!?  That is so wrong on so many levels.  Some poor person who is trying to cut back will unknowingly go in, think they are "being good" by ordering a salad, and order enough calories for an entire day and enough fat for about 3 days!  That just seems mean!  There should be a law against that!  Not everyone has practice reading labels and nutrition guides.  For that matter, when was the last time anyone saw a nutrition guide in a Taco Bell?   What is wrong with the chihuahua?  Why are supposedly intelligent people listening to a little rat dog in the first place?  Do they hate people who are honestly trying to lose weight? Was the Prom Queen mean to them in High School and this is their revenge?  I think there should be a fine imposed on any restaurant who serves a salad like that!

Now let's discuss that gruesome "sandwich".  Who came up with that?  Instead of calling that thing the "Double Down" they should rename it the "Double Bypass"!  Because that is what is going to happen to people who eat the things!  It just sounds gross!  Fried meat as patties?  Come on!  If the Federal Government is so worried about people getting fat, why can't they do something about that?

If everyone is so concerned about the "fatty foods" we are eating, maybe someone should impose some sanctions, or better yet, incentives to fast food restaurants to come up with some actual REAL healthy options.  Until that happen, I vote we boycott!

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Honeymoon

This is hard.  Very difficult, taxing, hard work.  I think the honeymoon period is over.  You know, the part when you first start a new endeavor and the whole thing seems very exciting and shiny and new!  You can't wait to start and see what is going to happen!  Then when you get positive results, you plow on ahead, confidant in what you are doing, knowing that you are on the right course.  That honeymoon period.

The last couple of days have just been difficult.  I looked at a salad I was eating and all I saw was a bowl full of chocolate truffles!  Needless to say, I was terribly disappointed when I took the next bite!  

I miss my old comfort foods, especially when I am feeling a bit down and blue.  My first reaction was to head for the chocolate isle, and truth be told, I actually headed that way.  I stood there for a moment and looked down the isle at all the brightly wrapped packages.  Then, before I took that first step, I turned and made my way to the veggie isle.

The honeymoon period was fun and wonderful.  Now it is a bit difficult, I am sure that just like the honeymoon, this too shall pass.

I'm not on a diet.  A diet has an end in site.  I am on a new life path.  The changes in eating and exercise are only the first steps.  

The honeymoon is over, but my new life has only begun.

Monday, April 5, 2010

Strength in Numbers

I have discovered the secret to successfully sticking to a new eating plan.  A support system.  A good one!  With many people willing to tell you no!

Something went wrong today; very, very, wrong; and I was horribly upset.  Of course, my first reaction was "Is there any chocolate in the house?"  To which my wonderful husband said.  "No, and I'm not getting you any either."   I even tried the pout!  Can you believe that the pout didn't work?  The pout always works!  He gave me a hug and we dealt with the latest drama together.

Later in the evening, Hubby presented me with my snack for the evening; chocolate ice cream (all on plan!)  

I am beginning to learn that I don't need chocolate, sweets, bread, or any sort of food to make me feel better.  All I need is my family and my own strength.

Pretty cool, huh?


Sunday, April 4, 2010

Not only is it Easter . . . It's Weigh in Day!!!

Not even a holy day can stop weigh in day! Here are the results:
Me: -4.5 lbs and 2 more inches off my waist!
"The Boy": -.5 lbs and 1 inch off his waist
Amazingly wonderful Hubby: +.5 lbs (Aaawwww poor darling.)  Now, mind you, my husband takes the term pencil neck geek to a whole new level - he has a pencil body!

There was no candy in our house today.  The Boy had no Easter basket, but we did get him a couple of books this weekend.  Bless his heart, he was okay with it.  My brother and his family were down for the day and I requested that the kids not bring any of their candy down, I was feeling strong, but not that strong.
The whole day was a resounding success!  The veggie loaded table went over pretty well, I even heard some of the kids giggling as they were eating the artichokes!  I held out against the cherry and apple pies as well!  Everyone around me was chowing down on pie and all I could think of was - "Look at all those carbs."  It didn't even look good to me anymore!  Yea me!

As they were getting ready to leave, my youngest nephew gave me a hug and said.  You look pretty Auntie Katie, I'm proud of you!  I almost cried.

Saturday, April 3, 2010

Easter with an empty basket

I love holidays.  Holidays are my thing; I love having the family together so I can made a huge meal and we can all sit around the table and eat until we are stuffed on all the special dishes I only prepare for holiday meals.

Ham dripping with a honey and hot mustard glaze, mashed potatoes with real butter and cream, homemade rolls, yams with brown sugar, and fruit salad with colored marshmallows . . . then there is desert.  Oh yeah, desert, let's see we have pie, and . . . . 

WAIT A MINUTE!!!  HOLD THE PHONE!!  I can't eat that!  What am I thinking?  That stuff is no where in the Dtour book.  Trust me, I checked, twice!

Deep breath, new plan.  What can I make?  Artichokes!  I can make Artichokes - I love Artichokes!  What are the chances of getting my 5 nieces and nephews to eat and artichoke?  Check - take camera to dinner table.

Maybe I could pass mashed cauliflower off as mashed potatoes.  Do you think they will  notice?  Okay, I can deal with having mashed potatoes on the table and not eat them, I'll just keep and artichoke close by and I'll be okay.

Suddenly our fat-laden, carbo-loaded, sugar and sodium packed holiday dinner has turned into a vegetable garden and a little ham.  I'm excited about it.  Not to sure how my nieces and nephews will feel about it; but we are all on a new path with new adventures ahead of us.

Now for the Easter Baskets:  Let me see I need jelly beans, Cadbury cream eggs . . . 

Oh Man!!  Will someone tell Peter Cottontail to pass us by this year?  Thanks!

Friday, April 2, 2010

Sentences

My doting husband, as is habit, woke me at 6:AM this morning, on his way out to work.  Most mornings, I wander downstairs in a stupor and find my way to the kitchen to pour my first cup of coffee.  After about three I am almost fit for human contact.

This morning, I found myself looking for my sweats, digging for a pair of socks and my Zune.  Before I was even awake, I was out on the sidewalk a half a mile from home ~ with no coffee!  I was either insane, or in some sort of bizarre fugue state!  This is so not like me!  I am NOT a morning person.  I am a sleep in, have a pot of coffee, take a shower, get dressed and then, maybe, I'm awake enough to drive to work.  Yet, here I was, bouncing down the street, bopping to the music, loving the cool air.  Obviously I had fallen out of bed, hit my head and suffering from some weird head trauma that made me think I was some sort of morning person who enjoyed brisk morning walks prior to coffee.  What was up with that?

But you know what?  I have felt amazingly good all day since that early morning walk . . . hmmm . . could it be?   Nah, I couldn't be turning into a morning person, that's just, well, unnatural!


I've been thinking a lot today, especially on my walk, about the changes I am making in my life.    Last year, when I heard the diagnosis of Diabetes, I was devastated.  I thought I was being handed a death sentence.  Let's face it, how many good things come from this condition?

This morning I decided it was actually a life sentence.  It was the kick I needed to change my life for the better.  We were out this evening looking at bikes.  Hubby and I even tried out a tandem.  I'm sorry there is no photo, as it was really pretty funny.


I've come a long way from the girl I used to be.  I am only just now realizing how messed up my thinking and my self esteem has been.  For my 16th birthday my grandmother gave me a book .  That in itself was not unusual, I read constantly, I always got excited when I got a book.  When I unwrapped it, it was a diet book!  My Grandmother bought me a diet book for my birthday; and not jsut any birthday.  This was my Sweet Sixteen!  The day went from Sweet to Sour in a hurry!  To this day, that moment stands out as one of the worst in my life.  I was not good enough for my own Grandmother!


I never thought I was good enough for my own family, I was never smart enough, thin enough, my hair was never right, I never really wanted to wear make-up.  I listened to it all throughout my childhood.  That stuff gets into your head and messes you around.  In my case I just ate my way through it.  

Then came the "Death Sentence"  my diagnosis.  I spent about a year huddled on my corner on the sofa feeling sorry for myself, then on a trip to Barnes and Noble, I saw this wonderful pink book that said Dtour.  

That was the day my "Life Sentence" started.  I'm eating better now, I'm exercising, I'm enjoying myself again!


I was up and walking this morning before 7AM!  Life is Good!


Thursday, April 1, 2010

Getting Schooled by the Boy

Yesterday during 'The Great Attack', in an attempt to help me out, The Boy did a little research on chocolate.  Being the budding Scientist/Mathematician that he is, I received lots of chemistry and lofty explanations.  However, some of the things he told me were pretty cool!  Here is the most interesting example he found:

From www.allchocolate.com
Phenylethylamanie (PEA) - This compound may be responsible for some of the pleasurable feelings you get after eating chocolate because it releases natural feel-good chemicals called endorphins in your brain. PEA is released by the brain when people are falling in love. Perhaps this explains why chocolate and Valentines Day are so closely linked.

Okay, so now we understand why there are significantly more chocoholic women than men.  Women love the warm fuzzy, let's cuddle and talk part of falling in love.  Not to say that men don't, but in general, men are not as verbal about that topic as women.

It also explains why giving up chocolate is so difficult.  We can actually be addicted to it.  Seriously!  I thought it was a myth!  Who would have thought?

You know something, All day today I found myself thinking about yesterday, about how difficult it was and how much I wanted to break my plan.  I was willing to set my new goal aside for a freaking candy bar!  What is that?  Who does that?  Why would I work as hard as I have and throw it all away for something that would be devoured in 30 seconds and on my butt the next day!

All of my life I have felt like a loser, I have felt less than everyone around me.  I look at others who have no issues with weight and then I would look in the mirror and shake my head in disgust.  After awhile, it was easier to just not look in the mirror.  If I didn't look, I could pretend it wasn't really there and I wasn't slowly killing myself with food.

But this morning I woke up and to prove a point to myself  I stepped on the scale (I know, I broke my rule), I was down another 2 pounds.  I turned around and spotted myself in the mirror.  Instead of turning my head in disgust, I found myself grinning!  I could tell that I was thinner!  I could actually see it!

Yesterday was hard, I'm sure there will be more hard days ahead.  I know now that I don't have to do it by myself, my boys, my family, and my friends will be there for me.  But more imporantly, I will be there for me.  I'm learning that I am important to me too, I have to prove to myself that I can do this for me!

This journey is about a lot more than losing weight . . .