I know we're not supposed to call it a diet; it's a lifestyle change. I know diet is a four letter word and that using the word lifestyle indicates permanence.
Can I be politically incorrect on this subject for a moment?
I HATE THAT TERM.
We have changed our diet. Diet is not actually meant to be synonymous with fads and unhealthy weight loss programs. The word diet is simply supposed to encompass what you eat. We have simply changed our diet. Permanently.
We have increased our activity level which, in certain ways, affects other small areas of our lives, but it is 30-60 minutes out of the entire day we're talking about here. Maybe more because I also do little things like walk into the bank instead of drive through and take the stairs if it is only a flight or two. Still, it is a simple increase of our activity level.
My overall lifestyle was and is fine. I see nothing wrong with it. I have not changed my personality or my responsibilities which are the major things that make up a lifestyle, imo. Skinny people's lifestyles are not defined by what they eat or whether they exercise. Neither is mine.
So if I avoid the term and I say things like 'diet', please don't think I have any delusions about the permanence of this change. I just hate trendy terms and find that in this instance, it actually belittles me as a person because it takes everything I am away and replaces it with the fact that I'm losing weight.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Shoes
I will be the first to admit this is shameless self-serving, but do you have good shoes for walking and exercise? I know in the case of my sister that she requires very special shoes, but for me, I just need a decent pair of comfortable shoes. Six months ago, I bought myself a pair of Curves shoes available through Avon and I am glad I did! I have this thing against sneakers (they are uggy so I have used Converse All Stars as my only sneakers for the last 15 years). I was reluctant at first and I don't wear them for anything other than exercise, but they have lasted well, look nice, and I definitely think my feet are happier than they would have been if I had kept wearing my Chucks.
Check out my webpage and search for other great Curves products such as a pedometer, moisture wicking clothes, and other handy workout items.
Check out my webpage and search for other great Curves products such as a pedometer, moisture wicking clothes, and other handy workout items.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
A quick recipe
Chicken enchiladas (store leftovers in fridge for a quick lunch tomorrow!)
2 cups greek yogurt
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 lb grilled chicken breast, chopped
2 cups broccoli, chopped
2 sm cans chopped green chilies
1/2 cup low calorie cheese*
8 tortilla wraps**
Stir yogurt and soup together. Mix in broccoli, chilies, and chicken. Divide into 8 wraps and sprinkle cheese on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until golden brown. About 215 calories per enchilada. Top with salsa for more flavor.
*Shreiber shredded cheese from Costco is 80 calories per 1/4 cup. Recalculate if using a higher calorie cheese or reduce the amount used.
**La Tortilla Factory wraps available at Costco are low carb, high fiber, and only 80 calories each. If you buy wraps with more calories, add the difference to each serving.
2 cups greek yogurt
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 lb grilled chicken breast, chopped
2 cups broccoli, chopped
2 sm cans chopped green chilies
1/2 cup low calorie cheese*
8 tortilla wraps**
Stir yogurt and soup together. Mix in broccoli, chilies, and chicken. Divide into 8 wraps and sprinkle cheese on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until golden brown. About 215 calories per enchilada. Top with salsa for more flavor.
*Shreiber shredded cheese from Costco is 80 calories per 1/4 cup. Recalculate if using a higher calorie cheese or reduce the amount used.
**La Tortilla Factory wraps available at Costco are low carb, high fiber, and only 80 calories each. If you buy wraps with more calories, add the difference to each serving.
Hope
Health
For those who hadn't heard yet, Scott's last doctor's appointment went very well. The doctor took him off of the diuretics (water pills) and without that he didn't need the potassium pills. He suggested that Scott may not need the metformin any more, but after blood tests he decided to leave him on because it will aid in the continuing weight loss. He was told he didn't need the compression socks constantly anymore so he can wean himself off of them. It's worth all the work for the money and hassle you save on medication!
Weight
I think I'm officially over my block. Inching up on the 60 lbs off line now and I had to buy a belt just to keep my pants from falling off when I walk. Yeah, I should just get new pants, but that costs money and as long as I can still get some wear out of the now-huge things I own, I'm going to try to milk it as long as possible. Still, it feels like I'm wearing skirts on each leg...
I haven't asked Scott for a couple of days, but I think he's lost another 10 lbs, too. Sometimes the progress feels very slow, but I have to remember to look back to the beginning.
Delusions
Part of me has known this all along, but the important part of my brain refused to process. For the first many years of our marriage, Scott and I would go out to eat. I'd pick a gyro (which is usually under 500 calories) and he'd get a pastrami burger (which we now know is usually 1200+) I'd get the chicken sandwich and he'd buy the triple stack with bacon. In general I ate better than he did - not that this is a race - but when we first started eating better together, I thought I generally ate healthier than he did so therefore I was healthier. Relative term, right, because if I sat next to a vegan, I'd look like the greasy pig. The point is, you can be healthier, yet still not healthy. Basically I was doing superb at maintaining weight, but a little work to be even healthier in eating and exercise habits was definitely in order.
In the end, though, it's not a contest to be the healthiest person or the most informed when it comes to food. It's a personal journey and I do grow tired of it feeling like weight loss is a group activity...
...unless, of course, you're in it together with the person.
Eating out
We tend to go with large chains because it's easier to get an accurate calorie count. Keep in mind, though, that because of small changes in preparation and location, nutrition information on the internet can be a little off. I tend to round up whatever I order just in case.
burgers
You've heard the amusing quote "some days it's not worth chewing through the straps"? Well, I admit it. Some days it's like chewing on a strap to gnaw on carrots when all you want is a french fry.
This weekend, I craved a burger like mad. I don't even like beef very much, but it felt like the only thing that would taste good.
Well, for under 600 calories, we put together a little meal at Wendy's which was totally delicious and satisfying. First, order the HALF size Apple Pecan salad, but make them keep the pecans. The pecan packet is 110 calories so if you desire the pecans, you must skip the second part of the meal. About half of one pomegranate vinaigrette pouch is enough to coat the salad, but you still come in under the 600 if you use the whole thing. Delectable salad, I assure you!
Second, order the Jr. bacon (yes! bacon!) cheese (and cheese!) burger, but make sure you ask them to hold the mayo! This is a good tip wherever you go because you can save 50-100 calories just by asking them to leave the mayo off. Moisturize your sandwiches with mustard instead for no calories or carbohydrates. If you only have 500 calories to spare for dinner, use no more than half of the dressing packet on your salad and request that they hold the lettuce and tomatoes as well. You will go over 500 slightly, but not as much as if you leave those things intact. Btw, you can order these together in a Pair 2 special for just $5.
chinese
Panda Express can be a friend. Anything with tempura batter, noodles, or rice will be packed with calories so look for something more vegetable heavy. Order steamed veggies instead of rice or chow mein, then enjoy delicious entrees like beef & broccoli, mushroom chicken, black pepper chicken, potato chicken, or veggie spring rolls. I recommend a bowl with just one entree, but sometimes you can afford enough calories to splurge.
I know, however, that all that crispy delightfulness and sauce on the orange chicken or sweet and sour from some other place are what I'm really craving so those dishes don't really fill the bill (except the veggie spring rolls. I do love those!) Instead I bought the Panda Express orange chicken sauce from the store and then I carefully measure 2 Tbsp on a grilled chicken breast. For a larger dish, stir fry the grilled chicken with some "free" veggies and then add the sauce. Keep the food calories low since the sauce is 70 calories per 2 Tbsp.
Another way to enjoy sweet and sour style chicken is to get the nuggets at Chick-Fil-A and choose Polynesian sauce. 8 nuggets and one packet of sauce is just 370 calories. Top off the meal with a medium fruit (70 calories) and it satisfies. I know several places have reasonable nuggets and offer sweet and sour sauce, but I really find the Polynesian and the way they make their nuggets are more satisfying for the Chinese feel than any other.
mexican
Green taco sauce has less than 5 calories (many of them like the ones we keep on hand in the fridge these days are 0 calories) so it's a great thing to add to any dish to make it feel more Mexican. For me, I've found that going to Taco Bell is a favorite. Fresco Tacos are less than 200 calories each (the burritos are over 300) so I order 2 of the chicken ones at 150 each. If I'm especially hungry and have enough calories, I tack on one Nacho cheese steak gordita for 260 and come in under 600.
For those who hadn't heard yet, Scott's last doctor's appointment went very well. The doctor took him off of the diuretics (water pills) and without that he didn't need the potassium pills. He suggested that Scott may not need the metformin any more, but after blood tests he decided to leave him on because it will aid in the continuing weight loss. He was told he didn't need the compression socks constantly anymore so he can wean himself off of them. It's worth all the work for the money and hassle you save on medication!
Weight
I think I'm officially over my block. Inching up on the 60 lbs off line now and I had to buy a belt just to keep my pants from falling off when I walk. Yeah, I should just get new pants, but that costs money and as long as I can still get some wear out of the now-huge things I own, I'm going to try to milk it as long as possible. Still, it feels like I'm wearing skirts on each leg...
I haven't asked Scott for a couple of days, but I think he's lost another 10 lbs, too. Sometimes the progress feels very slow, but I have to remember to look back to the beginning.
Delusions
Part of me has known this all along, but the important part of my brain refused to process. For the first many years of our marriage, Scott and I would go out to eat. I'd pick a gyro (which is usually under 500 calories) and he'd get a pastrami burger (which we now know is usually 1200+) I'd get the chicken sandwich and he'd buy the triple stack with bacon. In general I ate better than he did - not that this is a race - but when we first started eating better together, I thought I generally ate healthier than he did so therefore I was healthier. Relative term, right, because if I sat next to a vegan, I'd look like the greasy pig. The point is, you can be healthier, yet still not healthy. Basically I was doing superb at maintaining weight, but a little work to be even healthier in eating and exercise habits was definitely in order.
In the end, though, it's not a contest to be the healthiest person or the most informed when it comes to food. It's a personal journey and I do grow tired of it feeling like weight loss is a group activity...
...unless, of course, you're in it together with the person.
Eating out
We tend to go with large chains because it's easier to get an accurate calorie count. Keep in mind, though, that because of small changes in preparation and location, nutrition information on the internet can be a little off. I tend to round up whatever I order just in case.
burgers
You've heard the amusing quote "some days it's not worth chewing through the straps"? Well, I admit it. Some days it's like chewing on a strap to gnaw on carrots when all you want is a french fry.
This weekend, I craved a burger like mad. I don't even like beef very much, but it felt like the only thing that would taste good.
Well, for under 600 calories, we put together a little meal at Wendy's which was totally delicious and satisfying. First, order the HALF size Apple Pecan salad, but make them keep the pecans. The pecan packet is 110 calories so if you desire the pecans, you must skip the second part of the meal. About half of one pomegranate vinaigrette pouch is enough to coat the salad, but you still come in under the 600 if you use the whole thing. Delectable salad, I assure you!
Second, order the Jr. bacon (yes! bacon!) cheese (and cheese!) burger, but make sure you ask them to hold the mayo! This is a good tip wherever you go because you can save 50-100 calories just by asking them to leave the mayo off. Moisturize your sandwiches with mustard instead for no calories or carbohydrates. If you only have 500 calories to spare for dinner, use no more than half of the dressing packet on your salad and request that they hold the lettuce and tomatoes as well. You will go over 500 slightly, but not as much as if you leave those things intact. Btw, you can order these together in a Pair 2 special for just $5.
chinese
Panda Express can be a friend. Anything with tempura batter, noodles, or rice will be packed with calories so look for something more vegetable heavy. Order steamed veggies instead of rice or chow mein, then enjoy delicious entrees like beef & broccoli, mushroom chicken, black pepper chicken, potato chicken, or veggie spring rolls. I recommend a bowl with just one entree, but sometimes you can afford enough calories to splurge.
I know, however, that all that crispy delightfulness and sauce on the orange chicken or sweet and sour from some other place are what I'm really craving so those dishes don't really fill the bill (except the veggie spring rolls. I do love those!) Instead I bought the Panda Express orange chicken sauce from the store and then I carefully measure 2 Tbsp on a grilled chicken breast. For a larger dish, stir fry the grilled chicken with some "free" veggies and then add the sauce. Keep the food calories low since the sauce is 70 calories per 2 Tbsp.
Another way to enjoy sweet and sour style chicken is to get the nuggets at Chick-Fil-A and choose Polynesian sauce. 8 nuggets and one packet of sauce is just 370 calories. Top off the meal with a medium fruit (70 calories) and it satisfies. I know several places have reasonable nuggets and offer sweet and sour sauce, but I really find the Polynesian and the way they make their nuggets are more satisfying for the Chinese feel than any other.
mexican
Green taco sauce has less than 5 calories (many of them like the ones we keep on hand in the fridge these days are 0 calories) so it's a great thing to add to any dish to make it feel more Mexican. For me, I've found that going to Taco Bell is a favorite. Fresco Tacos are less than 200 calories each (the burritos are over 300) so I order 2 of the chicken ones at 150 each. If I'm especially hungry and have enough calories, I tack on one Nacho cheese steak gordita for 260 and come in under 600.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
You lose more weight if you don't read the scale!
After my last plateau, I realized I really needed to get out of the habit of weighing every day... sometimes twice. It only makes you crazy! I cut back to once a week until I got over the hump. Have finally gone over that stupid 50 lb mark that I seemed to stay just under for a few weeks. YAY!
St. Patty's weekend started on Thursday and ended yesterday for us. After some salty corned beef, binge drinking, and lots of carbs, I wondered what I would see on the scale this morning so I took a chance. I lost two more lbs {blink} Works for me! (btw, this makes it a total of 55 lbs so I think that plateau at 47 is really behind me!)
St. Patty's weekend started on Thursday and ended yesterday for us. After some salty corned beef, binge drinking, and lots of carbs, I wondered what I would see on the scale this morning so I took a chance. I lost two more lbs {blink} Works for me! (btw, this makes it a total of 55 lbs so I think that plateau at 47 is really behind me!)
Friday, March 18, 2011
Tip: Yesterday I made dip for a party. Instead of buying a large container of plain yogurt of which I only wanted to use 8 oz I opted for Greek yogurt. I found a brand at Target called Fage which is a strained Greek yogurt and cost less overall (of course, per ounce was a lot more) than the larger container of regular yogurt. Into the 6 oz, I mixed 1 Tbs (about 1/2 pkt) of the Harvest Dill and OH. MY! It was creamy and delicious! You will NOT miss your sour cream! I will actually splurge on the Greek yogurt for this dip from now on. Definitely worth it.
Recipe
Somewhat Authentic Shepard's Pie
1 lb lean beef
2 cups free veggies (recommended: broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, celery)
1 pkt mushroom gravy
garlic powder
lemon pepper
Cavendar's Greek seasoning
Worcestershire sauce
1 pkg Four Cheese mashed potato mix
Slow cook beef in water until tender. Remove lingering fat and drain. Mash a little or shred. Prepare mashed potatoes with hot tap water and set aside. Gather six 2 cup baking containers (such as a ramekin) and put 2-3 oz of beef on the bottom of each container. Spread 1/4 veggies on top of the beef. Dash garlic powder, lemon pepper, and Greek seasoning over the top of each. Mix together the water and gravy packet without cooking into a small bowl. Use about 2 Tbs over each serving, then dribble 1-2 tsp Worcestershire sauce over the top (depending on how much bite you like). Dollop with mashed potatoes (do not smooth out on top) and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes until top is dark brown.
Depending on how lean the meat is, these are around 170 calories per serving.
Recipe
Somewhat Authentic Shepard's Pie
1 lb lean beef
2 cups free veggies (recommended: broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, celery)
1 pkt mushroom gravy
garlic powder
lemon pepper
Cavendar's Greek seasoning
Worcestershire sauce
1 pkg Four Cheese mashed potato mix
Slow cook beef in water until tender. Remove lingering fat and drain. Mash a little or shred. Prepare mashed potatoes with hot tap water and set aside. Gather six 2 cup baking containers (such as a ramekin) and put 2-3 oz of beef on the bottom of each container. Spread 1/4 veggies on top of the beef. Dash garlic powder, lemon pepper, and Greek seasoning over the top of each. Mix together the water and gravy packet without cooking into a small bowl. Use about 2 Tbs over each serving, then dribble 1-2 tsp Worcestershire sauce over the top (depending on how much bite you like). Dollop with mashed potatoes (do not smooth out on top) and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes until top is dark brown.
Depending on how lean the meat is, these are around 170 calories per serving.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Treat yourself!
Now it's time for the first recipe. Dessert! Reward yourself for a job well done.
Strawberry Cheesecake (No Bake)
4 sheets graham cracker
1 cup cottage cheese
2 Tbs lemon juice
1 cup light vanilla soy milk
1 small pkg sugar-free cheesecake pudding mix
6 oz light strawberry yogurt
In medium bowl, begin by blending cottage cheese until it breaks up. Add lemon juice, milk, and pudding mix. Blend more. Mix at a higher speed to reduce cottage cheese as much as possible. Add yogurt, but stir just a little to distribute.
Line for 16 cupcake(s).
Leave in chunks or crumble 1/4 sheet graham cracker into the bottom of each pan, spread to corners. Divide mixture as evenly as possible. Refrigerate. Because of soy, these will be a bit soft so eat carefully. Freeze for a summer treat!
Each is about 100 calories.
Strawberry Cheesecake (No Bake)
4 sheets graham cracker
1 cup cottage cheese
2 Tbs lemon juice
1 cup light vanilla soy milk
1 small pkg sugar-free cheesecake pudding mix
6 oz light strawberry yogurt
In medium bowl, begin by blending cottage cheese until it breaks up. Add lemon juice, milk, and pudding mix. Blend more. Mix at a higher speed to reduce cottage cheese as much as possible. Add yogurt, but stir just a little to distribute.
Line for 16 cupcake(s).
Leave in chunks or crumble 1/4 sheet graham cracker into the bottom of each pan, spread to corners. Divide mixture as evenly as possible. Refrigerate. Because of soy, these will be a bit soft so eat carefully. Freeze for a summer treat!
Each is about 100 calories.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Start Simple (dinner)
1st: a correction. I took Scott's word for it that Mrs. Butterworth's is sweetened with molasses. Well, upon inspection today, it does contain aspertame. Sorry!
According to the men, dinner starts with meat...
Before we even start on meat, save up a little money and go grab yourself a George Foreman Grill. We use ours 4 - 5 times a week so it was definitely a worthwhile investment. I’m sure it makes the calories a bit lower, but I still calculate as normal. I’ll repeat cooking tips when I start posting recipes.
Seasonings: While you’re out, see if you can find a tiny spritzer (I’ve seen them at the dollar store and Sally Beauty Supply) and a bottle of Liquid Smoke. Put the Liquid Smoke in the spritzer anytime you want to fool your taste buds into thinking you made something fresh off the barbecue grill. If you can get your hands on Yoshida’s Gourmet Sauce, a drop or two makes a veggie patty taste like a grilled beef patty.
Bwawk!
I like chicken. It’s pretty tasty, but how many things can you do with chicken and still like it 6 months later?
Our favorite place to shop for many things is either Costco or Target. At Costco, you can get wonderful flash frozen chicken breast tenders. These are quick and versatile, but you can usually save just a little more per pound by picking up the boneless skinless breasts. Try to buy the ones that look flattened as they actually cook better on your grill. The thick ones have to cook so long that the juices cook out of it so flat is oddly juicier.
GF Grill: 8 minutes for chicken tenders, 9-10 for breasts. If they are very thick, it may take a couple more minutes, but make sure you take them off the instant they are cooked in the middle. Surprisingly, they will still be juicy and delicious, unlike barbecue grilled chicken.
Our daughter doesn’t like chicken much so for months we served it to her with barbecue sauce. Well, one day I was poking around and found that marinade packets are only a few calories per serving. Substitute Extra Virgin Olive Oil (most reliable sources agree that Olive Oil’s fats are better for you than canola oil) for the vegetable oil and balsamic vinegar (just my opinion that it enhances flavors) if it calls for white vinegar. It doesn’t lower calories by much – if at all – but you do pour most of it out at the end. When I marinate the chicken, I can switch it up every night and still get her to eat a little. 3 – 4 days a week, we have about 6 oz of chicken and a green salad for dinner. The other nights have more variety – see recipes.
Fish
What a great alternative to unhealthy meats! Oh, unless you don’t like fish. I do not. In fact, sometimes it makes me feel ill just to smell it cooking. After a horrible experiment, though I have not been officially diagnosed, we believe I may be allergic to some fish oils. In general, if I buy fish, it’s just enough for Him and the youth so I let Him cook it for them both. (He’s an excellent cook.)
Pork
Here’s where the fats do come in. Lotsa fat means lotsa calories. Pork is something we now eat – maybe – once a month. When we do, we put it in the crock pot, slow cook it all day, then shred it so that we can scrape out as much fat as possible. Cut back on the barbecue sauce you put in it and serve with no more than ½ a cup of the free veggies and you should be able to enjoy it.
Beef
I wasn’t a big fan of beef before so it’s not much of a sacrifice to cut it out of our diets. Beef is actually one of the most difficult meats for your body to digest anyway. In the last six months, we have bought beef exactly once and we made sure to get a very lean shoulder roast. It’s tasty, however it is a meat that requires long, slow cooking if you want it to be remotely tender. Put it in the crock pot or bake in an oven bag with some free veggies, adding only things like pepper, garlic, or other no-calorie seasonings.
Other suggestions: Turkey breast, turkey ham, or Black Forest Ham. Read the labels. Some Black Forest Ham is quite lean, therefore on the low calorie side.
Meat without the meat
We’ve tried Gardenburgers, Boca Burger, and Annie’s Original Veggie burgers. I think we both agreed that while the popular Gardenburger is nice, the Boca Burgers are quite delicious (especially with that drop of sauce). Scott tried Annie’s on his own. Last word? Horrible! He told me not to even try it because he was sure it wasn’t going to be to anyone’s liking.
Veggies
Veggies are easy. ½ raw (slightly less when cooked) are considered free foods. Broccoli, cauliflower, cucumber, carrots, celery, peas, bell peppers… they can all add variety to salad. We have salads A LOT so we like to buy several free foods, then mix it up every night to keep it interesting. Mushrooms are also free. Corn, tomatoes, avocados, olives, and other fruits are not. Potatoes are not a vegetable.
Peppers
Honestly, I was never a fan of any kind of pepper other than black peppercorn. Now I’ve experimented and realized I love yellow and orange bell peppers. They have nice flavor, but aren’t spicy. I also add green chili sauce or chopped green chilies to many recipes in order to add flavor without calories. Sometimes dieting is just a matter of experimenting and growing accustomed to foods.
Pasta
There are plenty of people who will tell you that whole wheat pasta is better for you. Once again, upon research, it is mostly about the fiber. I find pasta filling enough; I'm not sure I need the added fiber. Several brands offer other additives like protein and Omega-3, but those brands usually cost a lot more. In our diet, it doesn't really matter. The calories are about the same between both kinds, but old school wins because of cost and taste. Many whole wheat and multi-grain pastas are gummy, chewy, or have a nasty after taste.
You'll note that pasta sauces are fairly reasonable as far as sauces go. The major pasta change is in presentation. Old school: I cooked a pan of pasta and a separate pot of sauce to which I added some sort of meat or extra cheese (I often added mushroom and that's still acceptable!) Diners filled their dish with the pasta and then slathered on the sauce, followed by a good amount of cheese. Now I measure the exact amount of pasta for three servings, then cook, drain, and cook with the exact measurement of pasta. We got excited for a minute because we thought Kraft Parmesan was 20 calories, but it's for just 2 teaspoons. Surprisingly, it still tasted good without the cheese! (Of course, sometimes we really want the cheese. Before cheese, depending on your pasta and sauce choice, it's about 300 calories so cheese will typically depend on whether or not you might want a snack later.)
According to the men, dinner starts with meat...
Before we even start on meat, save up a little money and go grab yourself a George Foreman Grill. We use ours 4 - 5 times a week so it was definitely a worthwhile investment. I’m sure it makes the calories a bit lower, but I still calculate as normal. I’ll repeat cooking tips when I start posting recipes.
Seasonings: While you’re out, see if you can find a tiny spritzer (I’ve seen them at the dollar store and Sally Beauty Supply) and a bottle of Liquid Smoke. Put the Liquid Smoke in the spritzer anytime you want to fool your taste buds into thinking you made something fresh off the barbecue grill. If you can get your hands on Yoshida’s Gourmet Sauce, a drop or two makes a veggie patty taste like a grilled beef patty.
Bwawk!
I like chicken. It’s pretty tasty, but how many things can you do with chicken and still like it 6 months later?
Our favorite place to shop for many things is either Costco or Target. At Costco, you can get wonderful flash frozen chicken breast tenders. These are quick and versatile, but you can usually save just a little more per pound by picking up the boneless skinless breasts. Try to buy the ones that look flattened as they actually cook better on your grill. The thick ones have to cook so long that the juices cook out of it so flat is oddly juicier.
GF Grill: 8 minutes for chicken tenders, 9-10 for breasts. If they are very thick, it may take a couple more minutes, but make sure you take them off the instant they are cooked in the middle. Surprisingly, they will still be juicy and delicious, unlike barbecue grilled chicken.
Our daughter doesn’t like chicken much so for months we served it to her with barbecue sauce. Well, one day I was poking around and found that marinade packets are only a few calories per serving. Substitute Extra Virgin Olive Oil (most reliable sources agree that Olive Oil’s fats are better for you than canola oil) for the vegetable oil and balsamic vinegar (just my opinion that it enhances flavors) if it calls for white vinegar. It doesn’t lower calories by much – if at all – but you do pour most of it out at the end. When I marinate the chicken, I can switch it up every night and still get her to eat a little. 3 – 4 days a week, we have about 6 oz of chicken and a green salad for dinner. The other nights have more variety – see recipes.
Fish
What a great alternative to unhealthy meats! Oh, unless you don’t like fish. I do not. In fact, sometimes it makes me feel ill just to smell it cooking. After a horrible experiment, though I have not been officially diagnosed, we believe I may be allergic to some fish oils. In general, if I buy fish, it’s just enough for Him and the youth so I let Him cook it for them both. (He’s an excellent cook.)
Pork
Here’s where the fats do come in. Lotsa fat means lotsa calories. Pork is something we now eat – maybe – once a month. When we do, we put it in the crock pot, slow cook it all day, then shred it so that we can scrape out as much fat as possible. Cut back on the barbecue sauce you put in it and serve with no more than ½ a cup of the free veggies and you should be able to enjoy it.
Beef
I wasn’t a big fan of beef before so it’s not much of a sacrifice to cut it out of our diets. Beef is actually one of the most difficult meats for your body to digest anyway. In the last six months, we have bought beef exactly once and we made sure to get a very lean shoulder roast. It’s tasty, however it is a meat that requires long, slow cooking if you want it to be remotely tender. Put it in the crock pot or bake in an oven bag with some free veggies, adding only things like pepper, garlic, or other no-calorie seasonings.
Other suggestions: Turkey breast, turkey ham, or Black Forest Ham. Read the labels. Some Black Forest Ham is quite lean, therefore on the low calorie side.
Meat without the meat
We’ve tried Gardenburgers, Boca Burger, and Annie’s Original Veggie burgers. I think we both agreed that while the popular Gardenburger is nice, the Boca Burgers are quite delicious (especially with that drop of sauce). Scott tried Annie’s on his own. Last word? Horrible! He told me not to even try it because he was sure it wasn’t going to be to anyone’s liking.
Veggies
Veggies are easy. ½ raw (slightly less when cooked) are considered free foods. Broccoli, cauliflower, cucumber, carrots, celery, peas, bell peppers… they can all add variety to salad. We have salads A LOT so we like to buy several free foods, then mix it up every night to keep it interesting. Mushrooms are also free. Corn, tomatoes, avocados, olives, and other fruits are not. Potatoes are not a vegetable.
Peppers
Honestly, I was never a fan of any kind of pepper other than black peppercorn. Now I’ve experimented and realized I love yellow and orange bell peppers. They have nice flavor, but aren’t spicy. I also add green chili sauce or chopped green chilies to many recipes in order to add flavor without calories. Sometimes dieting is just a matter of experimenting and growing accustomed to foods.
Pasta
There are plenty of people who will tell you that whole wheat pasta is better for you. Once again, upon research, it is mostly about the fiber. I find pasta filling enough; I'm not sure I need the added fiber. Several brands offer other additives like protein and Omega-3, but those brands usually cost a lot more. In our diet, it doesn't really matter. The calories are about the same between both kinds, but old school wins because of cost and taste. Many whole wheat and multi-grain pastas are gummy, chewy, or have a nasty after taste.
You'll note that pasta sauces are fairly reasonable as far as sauces go. The major pasta change is in presentation. Old school: I cooked a pan of pasta and a separate pot of sauce to which I added some sort of meat or extra cheese (I often added mushroom and that's still acceptable!) Diners filled their dish with the pasta and then slathered on the sauce, followed by a good amount of cheese. Now I measure the exact amount of pasta for three servings, then cook, drain, and cook with the exact measurement of pasta. We got excited for a minute because we thought Kraft Parmesan was 20 calories, but it's for just 2 teaspoons. Surprisingly, it still tasted good without the cheese! (Of course, sometimes we really want the cheese. Before cheese, depending on your pasta and sauce choice, it's about 300 calories so cheese will typically depend on whether or not you might want a snack later.)
Monday, March 14, 2011
Start Simple (snack)
Aside: I often get asked "Don't you feel better?" I know I'm supposed to answer "yes!" but... I don't. I didn't feel -not good- before. This is one of those things people say with a certain expectation; that you either had failing health or failing self-worth which led you to begin a change of life. Every commercial on TV has people saying "I lost ___ lbs and I feel great!" or similar platitudes. The rebel in me wonders if I didn't want to lose weight because it's just pandering to "their" campaign to make us feel bad about ourselves. "They", as far as I'm concerned, are trying to brainwash "us" into thinking that if we are obese, we have to feel bad about ourselves; that it's our social responsibility to lose weight. Neither is true.
Meanwhile, I do think the person who asked me if I feel better last night would benefit from some sort of weight management program. I am quite certain he would feel better.
Veggies – Try crunching on fresh carrots or celery. Pick up cucumbers or bell peppers. Yeah, I’m not a big fan of carrot or celery either, but try eating them with the following dip:
Dip – Go to the dressing aisle where they sell the dip mixes. We like to mix it up with either the Harvest Dill or classic Ranch, but occasionally it’s nice to use the Italian dressing mix. Now head over to the dairy products. Pick up that low-fat sour cream, but before you put it in your basket, pick up a container of light or greek yogurt in a plain flavor. Compare calories. Hmm, interesting, right? Now look at serving size. You get one whole cup of yogurt for about the same calories as just 2 tablespoons of sour cream! This varies, of course, but you will never get to enjoy as much sour cream dip as you can if you just make it with plain yogurt. You could easily eat 2 tablespoons of dip and want more, but by the time you’ve eaten ¼ cup you would be done so divide the calories in the yogurt by 25% and that’s all you would likely want. Mix the packet into the yogurt and keep it in the fridge. Yeah, it’s not as creamy, but I assure you if you give it a chance you will find that it really satisfies!
Pickles
Nalley Kosher Dill is one of our favorite foods in this house. We could eat them all day and night! The sodium count keeps us from doing so, but remember that pickles are a free food. Even bread and butter pickles are low in calorie. If you like sweet pickles, it might be a problem, but consider the mini ones as a treat because you will be happier if you let yourself have your favorites from time to time. Theaters used to sell pickles and the ones that still do are a great alternative to candy.
Crave potato chips and other crunchies a lot? Have a healthy 9 year old in your house who doesn’t need to diet and can be a little finicky? These are foods that have worked great in our house. Not only do we dieters enjoy them, the young one here has no (or few) complaints.
Baked Lays – lower in calories than their counterparts, they actually taste delicious. In fact, at the last family dinner where a bag of regular chips were open, I ate two, realized they tasted oily, and didn’t want any more.
Quaker Rice Cakes РLike Cheetos? Get the Cheddar Cheese. Like sweets? The Caramel cakes hit the spot. We tried Ranch, Wild Blueberry, and Cr̬me Brulee. While the blueberry may curve a craving for blueberry muffins (those delicious ones from Costco are over 600 calories! I was bummed!) I would recommend the former two. They tasted best and are the only ones I wanted to repeat. If you like Ranch, go for the Baked Lays and dip (above).
Special K - These crackers are 70 calories for 17 crackers. We tried Multi-grain and Savory Herb. I don’t typically like wheat or multi-grain so I fully expected herb to be my choice. No! The multi-grain crackers are delicious! I don’t really like the herb ones at all – though they’d be nice to put out at a party.
Sweets
From time to time, I would crave candy bars. During these times, I would go crazy! When I started this healthy campaign, I knew I had some sugar addictions to cut because the last couple years it had become a daily desire. Instead I bought Quaker granola bars and had them as a snack. It weened me off nicely and now I don’t crave them at all.
Alternate treat – I had a package of lemon pirouettes from World Market when we made this change. I found I could eat just one at around 35 calories as a sweet snack, too, but when they were gone, I didn’t care to buy more.Sunday, March 13, 2011
Start Simple (lunch)
For lunches, we stick to soups, sandwiches, or frozen dinners. We picked a specific calorie number and we stick to it. Scott can afford a few more calories than I so his cutoff is 350. Mine is 300.
We shop at Target because it is the nicest place we can go that still has good prices on their frozen meals. We shop for Lean Cuisine, Healthy Choice, and Smart Ones, although in the Banquet meals you can get a delicious turkey dinner (problem is sodium content). I prefer the pot sticker meal, french bread pizza (Okay, I don’t stick like glue on that one since it’s 10 over, but I only let myself get it once a week), and pumpkin ravioli (the taste surprised me!). Healthy Choice Café Steamers are delicious in every flavor except the Thai-Style Chicken. Neither of us enjoyed that one. Smart Ones aren’t quite as filling, but they have this one vodka cream sauce which I find incredibly delectable. Scott likes the Steamers as well, plus Smart Ones traditional lasagna and spaghetti with meat sauce. He also likes the Lean Cuisine pizzas and Lean Pocket Quesadillas.
Soups are a great way to go now that Progresso and Campbell’s have made so many advancements. Check the labels – often you can have the whole can plus a serving of reduced fat Ritz for less than 300 calories. A word about salt: The Mayo Clinic and other reputable sources claim there is no health benefit for choosing sea salt over regular salt; the only difference is in the taste.
Sandwiches are so quick and easy. Toast is a great snack. Bread is rather necessary in our house, but there are great options. Sara Lee makes a multi-grain and a whole wheat bread, both of which are just 45 calories a slice (serving size is 2 so the package will read 90 calories). Add lean lunch meat (shop around and make sure you measure the amounts) and low fat cheese (Costco has a lean variety pack; Kraft American is low in calories) and you can have a sandwich under 250 calories – leaving plenty for a small bag of Baked Lays or some carrots and dip. Don’t like wheat bread (like me?) Wonder makes a low calorie, nutrient rich alternative at 50 calories a slice (100 in a sandwich) so that you get the health benefit of whole wheat in a nice white flavor. (Compare to most breads that are 100-120 calories for just one slice) I also like Miracle Whip on my sandwiches and that is something you can buy fat free and it still tastes good.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Start Simple -Forgotten food (breakfast)
Cereal
If you like cereal, make sure you read the box. Fruit Loops are great, but have a lot of sugar. Life is nice for the crunch without the sweetness. Notice here that both of those are around 100 calories per serving, but Total and Kashi are higher. This is why it’s important that you read those labels and choose carefully! Don’t be sucked in by the words “go lean”. On comparison, we found that certain Eggos are lower in calorie AND fat than their Kashi counterparts. Kashi thinks having higher fiber makes up for this fact, but remember what I said about fiber? It may possibly make you feel full longer, but it does not actually burn off the extra calories in the food.
Start Simple (breakfast)
Yogurt
I am pretty picky about my yogurt. I will only eat Yoplait and I only like certain flavors. Well, We switched to light and tried several of those dessert flavors and I have to admit, it makes a nice breakfast. My personal favorites are pineapple upside down, boston cream pie, orange sunrise, strawberry, and strawberry shortcake. I was not as impressed with the black forest cake or lemon. I downright disliked the cinnamon bun. It just did not work for me. Experiment!
English Muffin
The other breakfast I tend to have is an English Muffin with just a light brushing of lemon curd. An English muffin is around 110 calories so if you can afford a little more, have both! (don't forget to add the lemon curd. It's almost as much as jam, but I am very careful to do half a serving spread over both which, for the brand I buy, adds just 35 calories.
Egg substitute
It's come a long way from that rubbery concoction of a few years ago. We buy 'Real Egg' in bulk at Costco. It cooks a little different, too and sticks to the pan (we prefer stainless steel so might not be a problem for coated pans), but if you soak it immediately, it will come right out after a few minutes. Throw in peppers, mushrooms, and a dash of garlic powder without adding calories. Can you afford a bit more? Toss in chopped tomatoes or a measured amount of low calorie grated cheese (Shrieber, pre-grated from Costco is very good cheese).
Mmm. Baco’
I like bacon and all, but I’m not a bacon fiend. He, however, loves bacon and would be happy to eat it every morning. At Costco we buy this delicious pork bacon that is 90 calories for two slices. Fine if you want a treat, but what about turkey bacon?
Hmm. What about sausage?
Morningstar makes a wonderful breakfast sausage patty. It tastes great and smells a little like KFC! At only 80 calories, you can enjoy a nice bit of protein without guilt.
Notes on preparation: Microwave for 1 minute, turn it over, then add a drop of Yoshida's gourmet sauce and cook another minute. Even better taste, cook on the George Foreman for 5 minutes.
McMuffins anyone?
He loves to make one serving of the egg substitute and two pieces of bacon or one sausage patty, then put them on an english muffin with a slice of low calorie cheese. At less than 300 calories it is filling enough to get you through the morning.
Waffles
Use egg substitute and LIGHT soy milk in your Bisquick waffle mix and each 4 inch square is only 120 calories. (Two for 240 is a fair enough breakfast if you can avoid calories in your toppings.) Note: Mrs. Butterworth's sugar free syrup tastes the best and is sweetened with molasses instead of saccharin.
I am pretty picky about my yogurt. I will only eat Yoplait and I only like certain flavors. Well, We switched to light and tried several of those dessert flavors and I have to admit, it makes a nice breakfast. My personal favorites are pineapple upside down, boston cream pie, orange sunrise, strawberry, and strawberry shortcake. I was not as impressed with the black forest cake or lemon. I downright disliked the cinnamon bun. It just did not work for me. Experiment!
English Muffin
The other breakfast I tend to have is an English Muffin with just a light brushing of lemon curd. An English muffin is around 110 calories so if you can afford a little more, have both! (don't forget to add the lemon curd. It's almost as much as jam, but I am very careful to do half a serving spread over both which, for the brand I buy, adds just 35 calories.
Egg substitute
It's come a long way from that rubbery concoction of a few years ago. We buy 'Real Egg' in bulk at Costco. It cooks a little different, too and sticks to the pan (we prefer stainless steel so might not be a problem for coated pans), but if you soak it immediately, it will come right out after a few minutes. Throw in peppers, mushrooms, and a dash of garlic powder without adding calories. Can you afford a bit more? Toss in chopped tomatoes or a measured amount of low calorie grated cheese (Shrieber, pre-grated from Costco is very good cheese).
Mmm. Baco’
I like bacon and all, but I’m not a bacon fiend. He, however, loves bacon and would be happy to eat it every morning. At Costco we buy this delicious pork bacon that is 90 calories for two slices. Fine if you want a treat, but what about turkey bacon?
Well, the first turkey bacon we found was Jennie-O. It said 40 calories, but upon further inspection, we saw that was for one slice. Two slices is 80. What’s the point? Well, it turns out that is their breakfast bacon. They also have an Extra Lean variety that is only 20 calories per slice. Butterball also has a 25 calorie per slice turkey bacon. As far as taste, both are good, but I think I prefer Butterball. (This, of course, is one of those examples where simply cutting calories will lead to lower fat intake.)
Notes on preparation: When I have pork bacon, I don’t like it too crunchy (unless it’s on a sandwich). I like it well cooked, but still tender. I have learned, however, that with turkey bacon, I prefer it to have a bit of crispy crunch to it. It tastes meatier that way.Hmm. What about sausage?
Morningstar makes a wonderful breakfast sausage patty. It tastes great and smells a little like KFC! At only 80 calories, you can enjoy a nice bit of protein without guilt.
Notes on preparation: Microwave for 1 minute, turn it over, then add a drop of Yoshida's gourmet sauce and cook another minute. Even better taste, cook on the George Foreman for 5 minutes.
McMuffins anyone?
He loves to make one serving of the egg substitute and two pieces of bacon or one sausage patty, then put them on an english muffin with a slice of low calorie cheese. At less than 300 calories it is filling enough to get you through the morning.
Waffles
Use egg substitute and LIGHT soy milk in your Bisquick waffle mix and each 4 inch square is only 120 calories. (Two for 240 is a fair enough breakfast if you can avoid calories in your toppings.) Note: Mrs. Butterworth's sugar free syrup tastes the best and is sweetened with molasses instead of saccharin.
Friday, March 11, 2011
The part of weight loss that isn't about eating healthy or exercise...
Now that I’ve got all the complicated stuff out of the way, I want to get on with why we wanted to create this blog. We’ve tried a bunch of foods, we’re working on recipes, and sometimes weight loss is just funny. After the 4th person asked us "No, really. How are you doing it because I would like some tips?" we thought maybe a blog would be a good idea. In theory, it will make us accountable - although that hasn't really been a problem since we're not extremely strict - and it will give us an outlet for things. Sometimes we just want to scream from the rooftops "Holy crap! These crackers are only 50 calories, but they taste freakin' delicious!" Other times I want to complain about my pants falling off even though everyone else wants to remind me that it's a good thing.
Losing weight is supposed to be fabulous and special all the time. Of course the kudos make us feel good. One time, somebody said that complaining was ungrateful. I was a little miffed by that because ungrateful indicates that I am spitting in the face of a gift. I have worked my ass off literally so to whom, exactly, am I being ungrateful?
So, here is the high-end problems that come with weight lost. He is cold all the time. Seriously, without the padding he just feels cold. Admittedly I am the commander (dictator) of the thermostat and I had to turn up the temperature schedule one degree, too, but apparently when you cut the fats from your diet, you can’t keep warm!
The next thing I noticed is that my ass hurts. All the time it hurts. It's not muscle pain, either, but instead the pain of sitting - even on the cushy couch. I’ve started doing butt-strength-training in hopes that some muscle will provide padding, but the fact is that I’ve lost just enough padding that I only feel bones. How do you skinny people do it?!Meanwhile, the other night I dreamed a shark was eating my leg. When I woke up, I realized it was my underwear. It’s too big and it loves to wrap its way around my thighs when I’m sleeping, walking, and somehow when I’m sitting. Stupid underwear.
See? Losing weight isn’t all it’s cracked up to be!
Make it fun because miserable does not help you send those pounds away.Thursday, March 10, 2011
Nitty gritty
Why is it that when you talk about weight loss, everyone is full of advice? It’s not the advice that’s annoying nearly as much as the commands. There is a difference between friendly, supportive advice (something from either experience or education) and trying to rain on someone else’s parade, trying to look smart, or just telling someone that they are doing it wrong (sometimes based on rumors or things you heard from your friend’s sister’s herbalist).
1. Fats – “It’s not just about cutting calories, you know. You also have to cut fat.” Well, if you are cutting calories, won’t you automatically cut fats? When you give up certain foods or choose between certain foods, can’t you see that counting fat might be less important? We now choose leaner meats and skip a lot of the junk food. Sometimes that’s the perfect thing because when we do treat ourselves to a high fat food, we realize it doesn’t taste as good as we thought it did.
Clearly we are becoming accustomed to less fat because if we eat something fatty at a dinner party, it will sit quite heavy for a while. Maybe we are still eating too much fat. Maybe not. Either way, there is no question that it’s already been cut.
2. Carbs – Even those of us with just a passing interest in cars found ourselves wondering why people on diets were suddenly obsessed with carburetors for a few days before we figured it out, right? I don’t care what you say; CARBS are NOT EVIL. Your body gets its energy from carbs and without energy, how the hell are you supposed to exercise? When you eat more carbs than your body uses, however, it will turn to fat. Granted it needs to be in balance like anything else and in general, we (humans) often eat more than we need. Low carb diets work, but what about balance? For me, it’s simply a matter of it being too strict. I can’t stick with it forever. I don’t miss potatoes, rice, or noodles. I can live without bread, cookies, chocolate. The thing is, I want sauce from time to time and I would cry if I couldn’t eat more fruit than one tiny strawberry a day. While fruit has calories so you still have to limit it, when I tried the low carb diet I found if I ate one carb over, I gained weight. I do find that if I spend too many of my daily calories on high-carbohydrate foods, it slows down my weight loss.
It’s my verdict that if you want a diet you can stick to, eat a few carbs. Just don’t create a diet of carbs or you won’t lose much. Eat something with carbohydrates before you go out for exercise, but avoid it at dinner.
3. Fiber – I find the last word on fiber to be non-existent. I’ve heard all sorts of stories on why fibers are good and why you need to watch the fiber numbers in your diet. The benefit I see requires getting VERY real. When you diet, your digestive system goes crazy. The end result? Troubles in the bathroom. Fiber will help to regulate that so eat your fiber. Additionally, high fiber foods do tend to make you feel full faster and longer just because they take longer to chew and digest. Veggies are free foods that are usually high fiber that make great filler foods. Suggestions on how to work these in will come later.
4. Multivitamins – It happens to be true that most people don’t actually need supplements, but if you are dieting, there is a good chance your body is getting shorted something, somewhere. Still, even at a lower calorie level, it’s possible you still don’t need them. He didn’t seem to need them, but I kept having strange feelings of general “unwell”ness until I started taking iron and Vitamin B complex supplements. Deficiencies in those areas have long been a problem for me which is the main reason I constantly discount vegetarian diets for myself. I now take a Women’s vitamin supplement. Despite hearing that your body doesn’t use vitamins, the truth is that if your body has what it needs and can’t use it, it will dispose of it in your urine so it’s harmless. Meanwhile, if your body is short of something, multivitamins can fill in the blank.
Don’t trust the guy at the store who is trying to sell you his overpriced product. Don’t trust the webpage that is paid for by the supplement you are researching. Do consider finding one of some kind or another especially if you just don’t “feel” right or if you’re quite sure you have a deficiency. If you are a woman of child bearing years, please consider making sure you get enough iron and B-vitamins from somewhere.
5. Water – drink lots of it. The general consensus is 8 servings at 8 oz. per serving. Personally, I can’t remember to do 8 things a day, let alone keep track of 8 glasses of water. Instead I carry around a large 32 oz cup which I fill in the morning and try to make sure I fill again by afternoon. That’s 64 oz a day which is the recommendation. Sometimes when I feel like I want a snack or something crunchy, a couple large gulps from my cup helps subside the craving.
6. Exercise - The "right" way is to do at least 3 days of strength training and 3 days of cardio a week, according to the majority of people who think they have the last word on weight loss. We've done a lot of walking (cardio) and similar things and I have no problem with strength training, per se, but again we are just focusing on the one thing because it's something we can do. We don't have weights or a lot of equipment. Besides, when you build a lot of muscle with a modicum of weight loss, you find yourself not losing much, if anything at all. How discouraging is that? It's been a motivator to see the pounds flee so we prefer this method.
Still, I have started doing certain muscle building routines just because the skin is a bit saggy and I am hoping that building muscle will give me something to sit on seeing as how my rear feels so freakin' bony all the time (and I still have ample!)
Basically, while I agree that all of these things are important, I want to make it clear that it is only calories we are counting. I think you should keep the other information in mind, but counting calories trickles down into the other areas. This is what works for us. If you find something else that works for you, kudos!
Please stop making it so complicated! If it’s complicated, either one of two things will happen. The person will become so discouraged, they will quit OR the person will become one of those people who can only talk about weight, diets, fiber, calories, etc and if they are like, they will become so bored with themselves that they will quit. If they are the latter and they don’t quit, they will just be boring and who wants to hang out with a boring person? Stop boring me and let’s talk about something else other than what I’m doing wrong, mmkay, pumpkin?
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Just to kick things off, here's post number one.
Our plan is simple.
1. Try to keep a balanced diet, but stick to 1200-1500 calories each day.
It's tricky at times and occasionally hunger or cravings really do a number on things. We don't believe that you have to give up your favorite things, but some of them may have to be consumed in much more moderation. Moderation here taking on the meaning of "feels like once in a blue moon!" It does get easier and the cravings get fewer and further between. Substitutions are also our friends. We do eat well, believe it or not!
2. Exercise at least 30 minutes every day, but a minimum of 5 times a week.
When we started, He had suffered from an infection that made his leg swell to the size of a tree trunk. Because of the pain and cumbersome bandages, it took 30 minutes to walk just a quarter of a mile. We're at approximately 9 months later and we can go 2 miles in just over 30 minutes.
3. Save money.
Losing weight can be expensive. There are dozens of programs who assure you that you can lose weight if you just fork out the cash. Well, we like to spend our money on cool things like books and games - not to mention new clothes to fit our smaller bodies! While we try to save some money, the bottom line is that eating healthy can cost money. In the end, though, we found that by cutting out the treats and most of the fast food, it freed up money to buy the low calorie foods that are more delicious.
4. Be awesome.
We don't really believe that losing weight will make us happy. We're already happy. If your view of yourself is dependent on your weight, then you have a lot of psychological work to go through before dieting will ever help you. Remember the important things. For us, it's that we have this really awesome daughter and a supportive family. We love each other and stick together through... well... I probably should avoid saying 'through thick and thin' right here. Even when we hate each other, we get along. It isn't as though we've never had rough patches with our appearance, either, but it's a matter of trying to squash out those negative voices and replay the positive ones.
"It's not about losing weight. It's about being healthier. The weight just happens to be fleeing the situation so let it go!" (I use this one a lot when the digits on the scale get stuck.)
"Sure that tastes good and isn't terribly unhealthy, but you've eaten your calories for today so just remember; it will still be there tomorrow."
"Oops. I messed that up. Oh well. Start over right now."
(I'll set up a small album of photos soon so people can see progress.)
Our plan is simple.
1. Try to keep a balanced diet, but stick to 1200-1500 calories each day.
It's tricky at times and occasionally hunger or cravings really do a number on things. We don't believe that you have to give up your favorite things, but some of them may have to be consumed in much more moderation. Moderation here taking on the meaning of "feels like once in a blue moon!" It does get easier and the cravings get fewer and further between. Substitutions are also our friends. We do eat well, believe it or not!
2. Exercise at least 30 minutes every day, but a minimum of 5 times a week.
When we started, He had suffered from an infection that made his leg swell to the size of a tree trunk. Because of the pain and cumbersome bandages, it took 30 minutes to walk just a quarter of a mile. We're at approximately 9 months later and we can go 2 miles in just over 30 minutes.
3. Save money.
Losing weight can be expensive. There are dozens of programs who assure you that you can lose weight if you just fork out the cash. Well, we like to spend our money on cool things like books and games - not to mention new clothes to fit our smaller bodies! While we try to save some money, the bottom line is that eating healthy can cost money. In the end, though, we found that by cutting out the treats and most of the fast food, it freed up money to buy the low calorie foods that are more delicious.
4. Be awesome.
We don't really believe that losing weight will make us happy. We're already happy. If your view of yourself is dependent on your weight, then you have a lot of psychological work to go through before dieting will ever help you. Remember the important things. For us, it's that we have this really awesome daughter and a supportive family. We love each other and stick together through... well... I probably should avoid saying 'through thick and thin' right here. Even when we hate each other, we get along. It isn't as though we've never had rough patches with our appearance, either, but it's a matter of trying to squash out those negative voices and replay the positive ones.
"It's not about losing weight. It's about being healthier. The weight just happens to be fleeing the situation so let it go!" (I use this one a lot when the digits on the scale get stuck.)
"Sure that tastes good and isn't terribly unhealthy, but you've eaten your calories for today so just remember; it will still be there tomorrow."
"Oops. I messed that up. Oh well. Start over right now."
(I'll set up a small album of photos soon so people can see progress.)
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