Bunch of info...

I am, by no means, saying that the way I eat (when dieting) is healthy.  Probably not, but I stumbled over to Health.com this morning and found a few things that support things I have been saying either here on my blog or in real life.

27 Mistakes Healthy People Make got my attention mostly because of my rants about how people think skinny means healthy.  Even this title says so.  I sort of wish it said 27 Mistakes "Healthy" People Make.  Of course, this is just the beginning.  #1 - buying organic.  People think buying organic is healthier.  "Buying organic is wise for certain foods, such as beef or strawberries, but it doesn't make much difference for others, like avocados or eggs.  
And don't assume that all organic foods are healthier than non-organic options, or that organic equals healthy. Organic choices are usually pricier, for one thing. And organic high-calorie, high-fat granola bars and sugary cereals are just as bad for you as the non-organic version."
My note: Buying organic is a bloated politically correct thing we are supposed to to if we care about the environment.  I learned that "organic" as often an advertising ploy as tainted as anything else.  Example: Generally, cows raised for milk are given antibiotics constantly.  True.  Organic means some governing agency has made sure the cows have never had antibiotics or other medication.  True.  Then I saw a farmer who sells his milk and cheese at a farmer's market because he does not qualify as either organic or non-organic.  Why?  Because he does not distribute antibiotics to his animals *unless they are sick*.  Humane.  He wanted to become organic because, he claims, he realizes the milk is better without those antibiotics and growth hormones, but he also could not stand by and watch his animals die because they caught something and in order to be certified organic, you have to just let them die.  Wow.  Well, we don't eat much beef in this family and we mainly buy soy milk because of allergies to cow's milk so cheese is my only worry and...well... that's processed and such in a way that I can't justify "organic" cheese.

Besides, organic products always cost more.  Someone is making more money by slapping that label on there.  I realize that it's supposed to be because it costs more to raise things this way (you lose more crops, more cows, whatever and those have to be replaced) and it's a simple supply and demand issue - it will continue to cost more as popularity for it rises.

I won't go through these one by one, but they list a bunch of things I know are true.  Don't skimp on sleep.  Socialize more (that was interesting, but I do see the value.  Like sleep, our mental health affects our physical health.)

Supplements - I heard this pyramid scheme which sells diet shakes so that it's "legit" saying that you should never take supplements because your body doesn't digest it and use it.  It simply goes through and you poop it out.  Classy.  Also, wrong.  Your body uses what it can.  If there is too much of something, your liver and kidneys are there to get rid of it.  Granted, this article points out you can still be taking too much, but I think we sometimes forget that our bodies are efficient machines.

Germaphobes (slide #8) - But evidence also suggests that some germ exposure could steer the immune system away from allergies, and that an overly sterile environment might be bad.


I'm quite sure I did a post about this before.  Your immune system gets stronger by fighting things off.  Yeah, take precautions, but don't overdo!

#9 You over- or underdo alternative remedies
Agreed.  I believe both are very useful, but so many I talk to seem to think it's one or the other.  Don't discount the herbal remedies, but don't believe whatever the doctor is selling without question, either.



#13 - calorie free sodas.  yeah, it's my weakness.  I know I did better when I cut way back on them, but even when losing weight, I did have a little every day.  My guilty pleasure.  I defend the fact that people should remember that if they can narrow down just one thing that makes the whole diet thing bearable, then find a way to work that in.  Love sweets?  Allow yourself a piece of Extra's dessert gum or one can of soda per day.   I'm sure we shouldn't have it at all to be truly healthy, but for me this is what helps me make it through.  My husband loves salty chips so we buy Special K snacks or Baked Lays.  Low in salt, but just enough to get him through from time to time.

#14 - water... they are talking about drinking too much, but I admit, I don't drink enough.  This amused me.  The other day I was told that our body only recognizes straight water as water.  "It thinks" anything else is food.  Personifying is one of those annoying things people do.  The body is a machine.  Cells, fat, and the liver don't think, they simply process.  I know that you can't count soda or Gatorade as your daily water intake, but your body doesn't think my coffee is food.  I also know if I drink 16 oz of coffee, my body does not get 16 oz of water from that.

#16 - you think you know more than your doc.

Sometimes you do.  Yeah, I think some people are looking at things on the internet and believing what they read because it sounds good (or bad, sometimes) but they don't look at the supporting facts that prove it's wrong.  People who don't immunize at all are following a trend that seems informed, but in reality, there is way way way more information showing why you should.  They don't bother to research why they question, they just think they are being informed.

Meanwhile, we've had diagnoses from a doctor that is complete nonsense.  We look at symptoms on the internet and realize the doc made the diagnosis based solely on weight, not on symptoms.  A person with sleep apnea is often fatigued, snores, doesn't breathe in the middle of the night, etc, etc.  Scott had anxiety over our house fire and the doctor decided the anxiety was due to lack of sleep which was due to apnea.  Later, the same doctor decided he needed diabetic medication because he was not told about a blood test that day and ate a blueberry bagel before the blood test which spiked the blood once.  Since then, his levels have been well below normal - below the numbers that have had other family members taken off their diabetic meds, yet he is still on them.  I get frustrated because he listens to these doctors too much.  I think it's a balance.  Listen to your doctor, but it's okay to question them as well.

#17 - You think healthy packaging equals healthy food.

Ha, so true!  Healthy food is a marketing ploy and it is working because people buy into these things without research or question!  I saw a documentary about food and I loved this one guy who pointed out that he could sell you a bag of sugar that says "fat free!" but it will still make you fat.  People don't realize that while there are good fats and bad fats, both should be limited, but cutting out all bad fats won't make you thin, by itself.  You also have to simply eat less.  You feel hungry sometimes, sure, but you have to just eat less.  Fat free isn't helpful unless you still count calories or something.

#19 - you still don't eat your fruits and veggies.

Oh, thank god!  It's not just me!  I mean, I try every day, but....

$24 - You don't read nutrition labels.

I do, now, and I have to say it is eye opening!  Often, I'll be at a party or lunch and hear people say things that I know aren't true about certain foods because I've read the label and obviously they haven't.   Kashi go lean might have more fiber, but the "go lean" is deceiving because Eggo waffles and most cereals we buy are lower in both calories and fat than Kashi products... so what are they comparing it to?  go lean from what?  A pound of bacon for breakfast?  Yes.  Leaner than Cheerios?  Nope.

Okay, that's enough blathering for today.  I just realized the time and I need to start my other tasks for the day...

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.