I have passed a milestone. I have survived eating on the job.
I'm not at my normal office today, but I am at work.
I'm helping out with a special project, so I'm with a different team that I'm very comfortable with. Since they've all been working late hours and long days, they've been given the luxury of ordering food on the company. They definately deserve it, they all look a little too tired.
Regardless, this is my first major obstacle:
The office sponsored lunch.
The lead up has been daunting:
I had to be here this morning at 6:30 am. This means that I had to be up and out of the apartment around 6 am...not conducive to making my own lunch. Plus, I got my baking spree out last night for my team: blueberry muffins and brownies, so I wasn't about to carry anything else.
So when my senior manager footed the bill for lunch...from MatchBox (the most amazing pizza in downtown DC)...I was forced to make a choice. In this economy, you take free food. That wasn't the issue. The issue was: shop from the list of gourmet salads...or the list of gourmet, wood burning stove cooked pizzas. This was an epic battle.
I literally had to leave the office to settle my mind out on it. I took a lap, made some copies, sent a fax and came in...still unsure. I could literally smell the pizza.
The hard thing here is that even though I KNEW I should have the salad, I wanted that pizza. And I found myself justifying it. It's a thin pizza, I'm going to go to the gym later (I'm not, I have a date with Chadd's big TV and netflix tonight). But finally I realized, thanks to the support of a coworker, who suggested that we split a tiny pizza and get salads, that I could cope with the salad option.
I also had a stroke of genius and said to myself "you're always craving something then you always regret it, but you never feel the other way around." So I went with the grilled tuna salad. My dad has always told me, "if you're still hungry, we will order more."
I do regret that it was too small. I never say no to more greens. I did have that piece or two of pizza. Very thin crust, and was it cheating? I'm not sure, but I don't feel guilty...because when I got to that pizza, I was as full and satisfied as I could be (with a salad) and I made a healthy compromise.
I'm a very vindictive person with myself. I get irritable if I've withheld too long...and what do vindictive people do? They cheat. So there's always a balance to strike. Flirt, but don't cheat. Indulge, but don't over indulge. And it's a thin line. About as thin as the crust on my pizza.
Some history on me and salads:
For a while, Chadd and I were having a salad before dinner. This was back when I was working from home. I could start dinner casually while responding to emails and making calls, then move into a salad while dinner cooked. Now, I still spend time cooking, but most of it has to be up front to get dinner out, then make lunch for the next day (I told you, I love to cook). I always found when eating a salad prior, I ate less than half of what I normally did. I need to reinstitute this.
Tips:
- When you get home from the grocery or when you go to make salad next, chop enough for three salads, bag it up or put it in tupperware. If you do it while you're already chopping, you won't go out of your way. Then a salad is literally throwing things together.
My new motto?
Eat the salad first.
Showing posts with label Food Battle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Food Battle. Show all posts
Monday, July 21, 2014
Booze and the Epic Morning Fail
Oh beer.
Beer has a ridiculous amount of calories.
Your fearless leader had an epic fail after her minor victory against office food yesterday.
As it grew later and later, the troops grew restless and beer was supplied.
I had a few. Two.
Calories per beer I had last night: 153/12 oz.
Just two of those constitutes dinner. (And I also had dinner)
The good news here is that the hero of our tale only had two beers.
This is my rule because I've learned what happens the next day after more than two drinks, and no, it's not a hangover, though I'm sure that happens. It's that horrible bloated feeling. I like waking up, feeling thin and awake. Not tired and fat. Two beers is right at that line, but not over it. I wake up feeling nothing more than tired, which I would like to chalk up to being at the office from 6:30am to 9:30 last night.
This morning, because I was running late, I didn't eat breakfast, which was dumb. I have a very tempermental blood sugar levels...so I had a pesto veggie omelet thing. It sounds healthy, but from what I gather, anything that sounds healthy that isnt' in a pure form (hard boiled egg, fruit, vegetables). It's 740 calories not healthy.
This sounds horrible, and it is. But it's okay because I'm going back to Cosi for lunch and having a huge salad for dinner. Skip the cheese and the dressing (dip your fork tongs in for minimal calories, max taste) and you've got 228 for a salad.
Tonight, I'll be so tired I'll probably just have a salad at home, looking at my calculations for a small salad that I make at home...you get 61 calories, take out my dressing and use the dip method, we're down to 24 calories.
Our grand total for the day:
740 - Omelet sandwhich of doom
083 - Fruit salad
019 - Coffee
228 - salad at lunch
061 - salad for dinner
Total: 1131
Not bad, friends, considering I'm aiming for 1300 a day. It'll take off some of the edge from those two beers and fatty dinner last night.
I'm sure you're thinking that "for someone who counts calories, she must be panicking, she's probably freaking out."
You can assume otherwise, but I'm not really freaking out. I'm a bit disappointed in myself because I totally blew through that decision gate that said "this isn't going to be good. you'll feel bloated and sleepy all day tomorrow."
But it's almost a relief, because here's the deal. I was waiting to screw up. That sounds like I can't control my actions or that I was sabotaging myself, but think of it like this. When you first learn to ski or skate or anything that requires balance, the biggest fear is falling. But often times, once you fall, you go "that wasn't that bad, okay, next time I will have more confidence" and you fall less as your confidence builds. It's a weird circular system.
Now that I've really, totally blown it, I can readjust, I can better prepare and I know that I won't lose my mind over it. It's also something that will happen again. You can't not have that piece of pie that great aunt norma slaved over. You certinaly cannot refuse your soon to be mother in law's butter glazed, gravy coated, and deep fried chicken. And if you're stuck in a long meeting where they serve lunch (which happens to be chinese food)...you're going to eat.
Aside from cravings, none of us are 100% in control of what food is available to us. And for that matter, it probably shouldn't be. That's why I still go out and have lunch with my friends. It's why I let the office buy me lunch (and beer and dinner)...because let's face it. Neurosis of food is neurosis of food, even if you're losing weight.
And like I've said. I love food more than almost anything. And I don't like being neurotic about love.
Beer has a ridiculous amount of calories.
Your fearless leader had an epic fail after her minor victory against office food yesterday.
As it grew later and later, the troops grew restless and beer was supplied.
I had a few. Two.
Calories per beer I had last night: 153/12 oz.
Just two of those constitutes dinner. (And I also had dinner)
The good news here is that the hero of our tale only had two beers.
This is my rule because I've learned what happens the next day after more than two drinks, and no, it's not a hangover, though I'm sure that happens. It's that horrible bloated feeling. I like waking up, feeling thin and awake. Not tired and fat. Two beers is right at that line, but not over it. I wake up feeling nothing more than tired, which I would like to chalk up to being at the office from 6:30am to 9:30 last night.
This morning, because I was running late, I didn't eat breakfast, which was dumb. I have a very tempermental blood sugar levels...so I had a pesto veggie omelet thing. It sounds healthy, but from what I gather, anything that sounds healthy that isnt' in a pure form (hard boiled egg, fruit, vegetables). It's 740 calories not healthy.
This sounds horrible, and it is. But it's okay because I'm going back to Cosi for lunch and having a huge salad for dinner. Skip the cheese and the dressing (dip your fork tongs in for minimal calories, max taste) and you've got 228 for a salad.
Tonight, I'll be so tired I'll probably just have a salad at home, looking at my calculations for a small salad that I make at home...you get 61 calories, take out my dressing and use the dip method, we're down to 24 calories.
Our grand total for the day:
740 - Omelet sandwhich of doom
083 - Fruit salad
019 - Coffee
228 - salad at lunch
061 - salad for dinner
Total: 1131
Not bad, friends, considering I'm aiming for 1300 a day. It'll take off some of the edge from those two beers and fatty dinner last night.
I'm sure you're thinking that "for someone who counts calories, she must be panicking, she's probably freaking out."
You can assume otherwise, but I'm not really freaking out. I'm a bit disappointed in myself because I totally blew through that decision gate that said "this isn't going to be good. you'll feel bloated and sleepy all day tomorrow."
But it's almost a relief, because here's the deal. I was waiting to screw up. That sounds like I can't control my actions or that I was sabotaging myself, but think of it like this. When you first learn to ski or skate or anything that requires balance, the biggest fear is falling. But often times, once you fall, you go "that wasn't that bad, okay, next time I will have more confidence" and you fall less as your confidence builds. It's a weird circular system.
Now that I've really, totally blown it, I can readjust, I can better prepare and I know that I won't lose my mind over it. It's also something that will happen again. You can't not have that piece of pie that great aunt norma slaved over. You certinaly cannot refuse your soon to be mother in law's butter glazed, gravy coated, and deep fried chicken. And if you're stuck in a long meeting where they serve lunch (which happens to be chinese food)...you're going to eat.
Aside from cravings, none of us are 100% in control of what food is available to us. And for that matter, it probably shouldn't be. That's why I still go out and have lunch with my friends. It's why I let the office buy me lunch (and beer and dinner)...because let's face it. Neurosis of food is neurosis of food, even if you're losing weight.
And like I've said. I love food more than almost anything. And I don't like being neurotic about love.
Constant Cravings
Cravings.
We allllll have them.
If we didn't, the commercials wouldn't have these ridiculous commercials about women who cheat on every diet they try, or hoards of screaming women running after a 100 calorie pack of oreos truck. (I hate those commercials, in case you wanted my opinion...which you obviously do since you're still reading this blog.)
Cravings are hard to beat because they're chemical and then they're reinforeced with a mental/emotional behavior: a habit.
Everyone experiences cravings, if you don't...something is wrong with your chemical make up and you and I can never be friends.
Think about a runner training for a marathon. Big races historically throw a large pasta carb load dinner the night before a race, despite the fact that science now says that protein with a little carb added is the best meal prior to race day. But every runner associates pasta and garlic bread with that big race day. That's a situational memory/habit. The sleepy, restful feeling you get after that dinner is something runners cling to so they can sleep before a big race. I had to break an enormous habit of carb loading on Saturday nights before my distance run on Sundays post marathon.
Think about a smoker. Smokers have the added hindrence of the chemical reaction--one of the strongest in the world (apparently stronger than some heroine chemical reactions). Having a cigarette sets off chemical receptors in their brains that soothe them, mentally and physically. Add the human emotions surrounding a habit - boredom, stress, whatever, and you have a powerful craving that can take years to escape.
Think about your average dieter: someone who has gone through a few diets with minimal results and a lot of backwards sliding (lose a few pounds, feel great, go back to eating how they want, stop going to the gym, go back on diet). They associate diets with withholding, strengthening a craving when it occurs due to our lovely vendictive emotional make up. Add to the fact that a lot of cravings for sugar and carbs are chemically based, most often, based on being tired. When we're tired, our bodies want quick energy--simple sugar and simple carbs (they boil down to about the same thing).
Now, shout out to my dear friend, who is also embracing the volumetrics lifestyle. She's going the weight watchers way, which is essentially a program that makes calorie counting a bit easier to track.
I IM'ed her and said: I'm craving carbs.
She replied: I'm craving brownies.
I said to her: We both must be tired.
We are. It's been a tough two days at our respective offices.
So when I went to get lunch today (a big huge salad from the mall salad place, with chicken breast totaling to about 250 calories), I had to force myself to not get a bread stick (remember, I had my big slip Monday and a minor stumble Tuesday morning), or fries from the food court, or a pretzel.
See, here's the hardest part.
Just like a smoker who knows smoking will kill them, or the distance runner who knows that a dinner of chicken breast, green beans, and a few small boiled new potatoes is better than pasta...dieters face the same problem. We all know that X food is not in line with our goals. We know it and yet we just.don't.care. Or at least, I don't. I'll be the first to admit I have a weakness with food.
It's really easy to forget, but: hunger is not the same as a craving. Similar, our body doesn't equate a certain number of calories to a certain level of fullness.
I'll elaborate, because I in my nerdy nutrition curiosity, learned that our bodies process "full" on a volume basis. How "full" we are is truly the same on how FULL our stomach really is. You can have a 573 calorie king sized snickers bar...but you won't be as full as if you had something 10 times that size with a lower caloric value. It's just the way it goes.
Sucks, doesn't it? I'm bummed that chocolate has a ridiculous amount of calories as compared to lettuce. They don't consider lettuce a luxury item for a reason, though. Same goes with wine and good cheese....not sure why a burger and fries haven't made the luxury list, but you get my drift. Luxury is code for FAT.
Before we go to solutions, let's examine prevention. No one's ever going to erradicate a craving. Or if they do, hand me that pill. Regardless, eating 5-6 times a day in small portions will tackle a craving in two ways, and give your metabolism a boost. If you eat constantly, your body maintains a feeling of "full" and you're less likely to get hungry, then crave a quick fix. Also, by continuing to process low caloric food, your body is still processing, keeping your metabolism fired up. And finally, it takes care of that emotional component of eating when you're bored. My 3:30 snack is what I look forward to come 2 pm.
All that requires planning. And how's that phrase go class? "...the best laid plans..." (I'm not actually sure how that phrase really ends, but it's something about f'ing up.)
When planning doesn't happen....
There are two "real" ways to tackle a craving, and a third that sounds like crackpot science and could backfire in the worst ways...
1) Realize that the loaf of garlic french bread sounds great because you're exhausted. NOT because you're hungry. You're having a craving, but whether or not your hungry is all that really matters. The solution here is this.
Figure out why you're craving something:
We allllll have them.
If we didn't, the commercials wouldn't have these ridiculous commercials about women who cheat on every diet they try, or hoards of screaming women running after a 100 calorie pack of oreos truck. (I hate those commercials, in case you wanted my opinion...which you obviously do since you're still reading this blog.)
Cravings are hard to beat because they're chemical and then they're reinforeced with a mental/emotional behavior: a habit.
Everyone experiences cravings, if you don't...something is wrong with your chemical make up and you and I can never be friends.
Think about a runner training for a marathon. Big races historically throw a large pasta carb load dinner the night before a race, despite the fact that science now says that protein with a little carb added is the best meal prior to race day. But every runner associates pasta and garlic bread with that big race day. That's a situational memory/habit. The sleepy, restful feeling you get after that dinner is something runners cling to so they can sleep before a big race. I had to break an enormous habit of carb loading on Saturday nights before my distance run on Sundays post marathon.
Think about a smoker. Smokers have the added hindrence of the chemical reaction--one of the strongest in the world (apparently stronger than some heroine chemical reactions). Having a cigarette sets off chemical receptors in their brains that soothe them, mentally and physically. Add the human emotions surrounding a habit - boredom, stress, whatever, and you have a powerful craving that can take years to escape.
Think about your average dieter: someone who has gone through a few diets with minimal results and a lot of backwards sliding (lose a few pounds, feel great, go back to eating how they want, stop going to the gym, go back on diet). They associate diets with withholding, strengthening a craving when it occurs due to our lovely vendictive emotional make up. Add to the fact that a lot of cravings for sugar and carbs are chemically based, most often, based on being tired. When we're tired, our bodies want quick energy--simple sugar and simple carbs (they boil down to about the same thing).
Now, shout out to my dear friend, who is also embracing the volumetrics lifestyle. She's going the weight watchers way, which is essentially a program that makes calorie counting a bit easier to track.
I IM'ed her and said: I'm craving carbs.
She replied: I'm craving brownies.
I said to her: We both must be tired.
We are. It's been a tough two days at our respective offices.
So when I went to get lunch today (a big huge salad from the mall salad place, with chicken breast totaling to about 250 calories), I had to force myself to not get a bread stick (remember, I had my big slip Monday and a minor stumble Tuesday morning), or fries from the food court, or a pretzel.
See, here's the hardest part.
Just like a smoker who knows smoking will kill them, or the distance runner who knows that a dinner of chicken breast, green beans, and a few small boiled new potatoes is better than pasta...dieters face the same problem. We all know that X food is not in line with our goals. We know it and yet we just.don't.care. Or at least, I don't. I'll be the first to admit I have a weakness with food.
It's really easy to forget, but: hunger is not the same as a craving. Similar, our body doesn't equate a certain number of calories to a certain level of fullness.
I'll elaborate, because I in my nerdy nutrition curiosity, learned that our bodies process "full" on a volume basis. How "full" we are is truly the same on how FULL our stomach really is. You can have a 573 calorie king sized snickers bar...but you won't be as full as if you had something 10 times that size with a lower caloric value. It's just the way it goes.
Sucks, doesn't it? I'm bummed that chocolate has a ridiculous amount of calories as compared to lettuce. They don't consider lettuce a luxury item for a reason, though. Same goes with wine and good cheese....not sure why a burger and fries haven't made the luxury list, but you get my drift. Luxury is code for FAT.
Before we go to solutions, let's examine prevention. No one's ever going to erradicate a craving. Or if they do, hand me that pill. Regardless, eating 5-6 times a day in small portions will tackle a craving in two ways, and give your metabolism a boost. If you eat constantly, your body maintains a feeling of "full" and you're less likely to get hungry, then crave a quick fix. Also, by continuing to process low caloric food, your body is still processing, keeping your metabolism fired up. And finally, it takes care of that emotional component of eating when you're bored. My 3:30 snack is what I look forward to come 2 pm.
All that requires planning. And how's that phrase go class? "...the best laid plans..." (I'm not actually sure how that phrase really ends, but it's something about f'ing up.)
When planning doesn't happen....
There are two "real" ways to tackle a craving, and a third that sounds like crackpot science and could backfire in the worst ways...
1) Realize that the loaf of garlic french bread sounds great because you're exhausted. NOT because you're hungry. You're having a craving, but whether or not your hungry is all that really matters. The solution here is this.
Figure out why you're craving something:
- did you see a commercial? (emotional/memory trigger)
- are you tired or stressed? (chemical trigger)
- are you hungry? (chemical trigger).
Solution: Drink water, if that fails...Eat. But don't eat what you're craving unless you're prepared to deal with the consequences. Have an apple, a few carrot sticks, rice cake and peanut butter, a huge glass of water will often stave of boredom hunger.
2) The second is to have some of whatever it is. Really want that garlic bread? Okay. If you're one of those magical people who's super power is self control, be my guest. Have one slice (about 150 calories). Chocolate is your weakness? 1 square of dove chocolate is 42 calories. Stop the craving by eating slowly, and drinking a lot of water before and after.
3) (crack pot advice)...make a friend who has an enviable metabolism eat the craved food in front of you. This often back fires (at least for me). Watching Chadd eat a 5000 calorie diet and lose weight makes me want to throw up all over him. Or punch him. Or eat chocolate. Or all of them. For one of my friends, this satisfies her craving.
Final word: When I find out how to inhabit Chadd's body when I'm eating, I'll let you know.
Saturday, July 19, 2014
You wine some, you lose some
Good morning from rainy, nasty Washington.
I have not actually fallen into a pit, eaten myself into a coma, or otherwise abandoned my blog as I'm sure many of you had assumed.
I've just been consumed by other things. Which actually leads me, in a strange way, into what I want to write about today.
I've figured out how to eat normally without totally blowing my diet.
This all started when Chadd's mom came into town a little more than week ago. Since Chadd works night and Kimberly and I have the benefit of getting along very well, we decided to go out for drinks and dinner.
But before dinner, we took about a 45 minute walk up to the zoo and back. Then we perused the Dupont restaurant selection, and finding nothing that made us go "ooh" on Connecticut, we moved over towards 18th and found a little bistro called Rosemary's Thyme that combines American grill with Mediterranian (sp).
We sat down, had a glass of wine, then ordered a salad to split. That was it and because we had all the time we needed, we decided that if we wanted more food, we'd order more.
Halfway through the salad, we decided that we probably needed another bite of something. So we ordered a roasted vegetable pizza. Having seen a pizza that went by earlier, it appeared that these were thin crusted, mostly topping laden pizzas. Good news on the roasted veggie front!
Because it takes about 20 minutes for your stomach to register how much food you've eaten, by the time the pizza showed up, I was approaching full, but needed a topper. I probably had a slim slice and a half and was done. It didn't hurt that we were talking a million miles an hour, either. Always eat with people you like; it not only makes the meal more enjoyable, but the more you talk, the slower you eat, and the more likely you are to realize that you're full.
The weekend progressed in a similar fashion. When we ate, it was punctured with conversation, we ordered by courses, and had an enjoyable. time. I'm sure I made up all my calories in wine...but you wine some you lose some (ha ha....okay, give me a break, it's monday.)
Regardless, what helped too is that since we were so busy, we were mostly just eating little bites of things here and there.
Things continued well last week as I cut back on my snacking, stayed good for lunch and dinner (I had made soup on Tuesday along with some eggplant something something).
Saturday was an epic fail, though. After a day of painting and tooling around the apartment, both Chadd and I realized we were really hungry and it was getting late....so out came the papa john's coupons and I pretty much inhaled pizza.
And that's okay.
This week I'm back on track, continuing to watch what I eat. Always ordering a salad before I have anything else (90% of the time, I'm satisfied), and trying to get back to the gym while work fights aggressively to keep me lazy.
Bottom line: once you know what you're eating down to the ounce, scoping outward is more of a challenge of maintaining scrutiny, eating less when eating worse, and not throwing a plan of attack out the window.
I have not actually fallen into a pit, eaten myself into a coma, or otherwise abandoned my blog as I'm sure many of you had assumed.
I've just been consumed by other things. Which actually leads me, in a strange way, into what I want to write about today.
I've figured out how to eat normally without totally blowing my diet.
This all started when Chadd's mom came into town a little more than week ago. Since Chadd works night and Kimberly and I have the benefit of getting along very well, we decided to go out for drinks and dinner.
But before dinner, we took about a 45 minute walk up to the zoo and back. Then we perused the Dupont restaurant selection, and finding nothing that made us go "ooh" on Connecticut, we moved over towards 18th and found a little bistro called Rosemary's Thyme that combines American grill with Mediterranian (sp).
We sat down, had a glass of wine, then ordered a salad to split. That was it and because we had all the time we needed, we decided that if we wanted more food, we'd order more.
Halfway through the salad, we decided that we probably needed another bite of something. So we ordered a roasted vegetable pizza. Having seen a pizza that went by earlier, it appeared that these were thin crusted, mostly topping laden pizzas. Good news on the roasted veggie front!
Because it takes about 20 minutes for your stomach to register how much food you've eaten, by the time the pizza showed up, I was approaching full, but needed a topper. I probably had a slim slice and a half and was done. It didn't hurt that we were talking a million miles an hour, either. Always eat with people you like; it not only makes the meal more enjoyable, but the more you talk, the slower you eat, and the more likely you are to realize that you're full.
The weekend progressed in a similar fashion. When we ate, it was punctured with conversation, we ordered by courses, and had an enjoyable. time. I'm sure I made up all my calories in wine...but you wine some you lose some (ha ha....okay, give me a break, it's monday.)
Regardless, what helped too is that since we were so busy, we were mostly just eating little bites of things here and there.
Things continued well last week as I cut back on my snacking, stayed good for lunch and dinner (I had made soup on Tuesday along with some eggplant something something).
Saturday was an epic fail, though. After a day of painting and tooling around the apartment, both Chadd and I realized we were really hungry and it was getting late....so out came the papa john's coupons and I pretty much inhaled pizza.
And that's okay.
This week I'm back on track, continuing to watch what I eat. Always ordering a salad before I have anything else (90% of the time, I'm satisfied), and trying to get back to the gym while work fights aggressively to keep me lazy.
Bottom line: once you know what you're eating down to the ounce, scoping outward is more of a challenge of maintaining scrutiny, eating less when eating worse, and not throwing a plan of attack out the window.
Wednesday, July 9, 2014
Yo-Yo's: Closing Out the Year
Happy Holidays again, to you all! I hope everyone has caught up on their sleep deficit, relaxed and destressed with family and friends (or after coming home from family and friends as the case may be), and that you're ready for a fresh start.
It's hard to believe that 2009 is coming to a close tomorrow, so expect a New Years Resolution post from me tomorrow or Friday! For now, I want to talk about something that we all consider to be a negative: holiday weight gain.
It's no secret that we gain weight during the holidays--tis the season of overindulgence, after all. I've read various reports that, on average, an American gains anywhere between 5 and 7 pounds from Halloween to New Years. Yikes!
It's gotten me thinking. I thought about why, if we know it's coming, we find ourselves shaking our heads on Jan. 1, dusting off our running shorts and gym memberships, and vowing "this year will be different." But will it really be different?
I'm having a hard time articulating what I mean, so allow me to use myself as an example.
Remember when I told you about the private blog that my dear friend and I are keeping to stay accountable? We recently had a conversation about sticktoitiveness (it's a word now, just keep reading) and what happens when you start to crumble.
I am an embarrassing yo-yo health person. For being an instructor and having a blog, I'm pretty ashamed to admit this. Chadd could probably regale you with the number of times I've come in after 3 weeks of solid working out and a healthy eating habit and say "I feel so good being thin and in my healthy weight range. I'm going to stick to it!" And then something happens. Friends come into town, I fit into tiny jeans and feel entitled, I go on vacation and it suddenly all goes to hell and I'm bloated and irritable and the cycle begins. Chadd is kind enough to at least pretend to believe me that "this time, I'm going to keep it up."
You see, I follow this pattern:
Week 0: Planning phase. I pick out recipes, make gym schedules, tell everyone I know that I'm losing x number of pounds.
Week 1: Beginning of the workout. I'm embarrassed with how much my athletic prowess has suffered, but I SWEAR I feel like a new person by day 2.
Week 2: Slight changes in my body. This keeps me going.
Week 3: More significant changes in my body, this is where Chadd starts noticing a difference, my yoga pants aren't skin tight, and my right out of the dryer jeans only require a deep breath in rather than a few jumps around the room.
Week 4: Doom.
My co-blogger recently hit Week 4, for what I believe is the first time, though she can feel free to correct me. This is that point where the realizations of what a lifestyle change is kick in. We will always be watching calories, fat, carbs, in restaurant meals where they cut corners on making delicious health food to make delicious, faster to make, fatty food. We will never be able to really truly let loose and we'll likely look at the menu online before going out with friends and be "that girl" at the table who has about a billion special requests. This is a choice, at least if we wish to never yo-yo again, we have to stick by.
It feels like a loss. I could point to articles about why we emotionally eat or how the happy chemical dopamine is created by digesting chocolate, but it would only tell you why and, to some people, marginalize how this point in a lifestyle change feels.
It's a scary decision. It's ONE MORE THING to think about, and on long days (and short days, too), that's a tall order. It's also hard socially. We are a polite society--whether you're trying to lose 5 pounds or 50, we're never going to tell our friend who announces this fact "good for you! I agree with that decision and I support you," because it's sounds like saying "you're right. you did need to lose weight" (even if it's true). Instead we say "really? You definitely don't need to!" It's usually a lie (sorry Miss Manners). At dinner we say "are you serious? Just enjoy yourself, one night won't hurt" but it does. Because 1+1+1+1...rapidly adds up. Do me a favor and stop saying this to your friends at dinner. Be an uplifting supporter in a better way. "Wow good for you! I admire that" sticks with that person a lot more than a dismissive/permissive comment does. We are a difficult society to live in to become healthy.
Doesn't that sound odd? It seems like there is a gym on every corner, hotel, office, right next to the Starbucks. Almost every magazine has some sort of health related tip about losing weight and we obsess over it on a daily basis. It's like Chadd's analogy to money--we're all obsessed with it, but we're too "polite to talk about it."
We are also sharers of guilt. If you and your best friend are out at dinner and she orders something health conscious but you were really eye-ing the creamy luscious pasta...inevitably one of two things happen--you try to convince her to fall with you, or you go the healthy route. Unless your friend has a will power of steel, I'll let you guess what normally happens.
Just socially, there's a lot against you. Don't even start with me on what lies ahead of you when your own willpower begins to fade and a snickers bar sounds good.
This is where as your weight is following the downslide of the yo-yo, your morale is running right along side. It's what happens to me at least 3 times a year and every single time, I tell myself it won't happen again. I've heard that the percentage of people who quit smoking drops with every attempt they have. If you go that route, then quit, and find yourself down the same path again, it becomes well worn and familiar. It's why people who quit quit quit the first time are so much more successful.
Do you see what I mean about the whole New Years Resolution thing? Is this year REALLY going to be any different? Are you going to get to Feb 1 and crap out?
Please don't mistake what I'm saying. What I'm asking of you is something that will change, hopefully, how you go about achieving your health resolution in 2010. I am not saying that you cannot or that the odds are against you, instead, I'm asking you for the next....let's say 48 hours, to really really contemplate what it is that you want to achieve. Making your resolution list should take more than 10 minutes. Put some thought into it and make the decision that you will follow through. Don't let this be a yo-yo year for you--weight or resolutions.
I made it through Thanksgiving to Christmas losing 8 pounds, stayed solid the week I was home with my family, and am back on track to keep losing down to my goal weight just before my February birthday. How am I going to beat the yo-yo?
I acknowledged the yo-yo in my life.
I confronted it and banished it and Promised myself (remember the 2 P's) it would not return.
I made a pact with my co-blogger that will not likely be broken because I found someone who will hold me accountable and who understands/is battling the yo-yo with me.
What were your resolutions last year? Did you achieve them? Yes or no--how did you achieve them or what made you stumble?
Stay tuned for a Resolution post!
It's hard to believe that 2009 is coming to a close tomorrow, so expect a New Years Resolution post from me tomorrow or Friday! For now, I want to talk about something that we all consider to be a negative: holiday weight gain.
It's no secret that we gain weight during the holidays--tis the season of overindulgence, after all. I've read various reports that, on average, an American gains anywhere between 5 and 7 pounds from Halloween to New Years. Yikes!
It's gotten me thinking. I thought about why, if we know it's coming, we find ourselves shaking our heads on Jan. 1, dusting off our running shorts and gym memberships, and vowing "this year will be different." But will it really be different?
I'm having a hard time articulating what I mean, so allow me to use myself as an example.
Remember when I told you about the private blog that my dear friend and I are keeping to stay accountable? We recently had a conversation about sticktoitiveness (it's a word now, just keep reading) and what happens when you start to crumble.
I am an embarrassing yo-yo health person. For being an instructor and having a blog, I'm pretty ashamed to admit this. Chadd could probably regale you with the number of times I've come in after 3 weeks of solid working out and a healthy eating habit and say "I feel so good being thin and in my healthy weight range. I'm going to stick to it!" And then something happens. Friends come into town, I fit into tiny jeans and feel entitled, I go on vacation and it suddenly all goes to hell and I'm bloated and irritable and the cycle begins. Chadd is kind enough to at least pretend to believe me that "this time, I'm going to keep it up."
You see, I follow this pattern:
Week 0: Planning phase. I pick out recipes, make gym schedules, tell everyone I know that I'm losing x number of pounds.
Week 1: Beginning of the workout. I'm embarrassed with how much my athletic prowess has suffered, but I SWEAR I feel like a new person by day 2.
Week 2: Slight changes in my body. This keeps me going.
Week 3: More significant changes in my body, this is where Chadd starts noticing a difference, my yoga pants aren't skin tight, and my right out of the dryer jeans only require a deep breath in rather than a few jumps around the room.
Week 4: Doom.
My co-blogger recently hit Week 4, for what I believe is the first time, though she can feel free to correct me. This is that point where the realizations of what a lifestyle change is kick in. We will always be watching calories, fat, carbs, in restaurant meals where they cut corners on making delicious health food to make delicious, faster to make, fatty food. We will never be able to really truly let loose and we'll likely look at the menu online before going out with friends and be "that girl" at the table who has about a billion special requests. This is a choice, at least if we wish to never yo-yo again, we have to stick by.
It feels like a loss. I could point to articles about why we emotionally eat or how the happy chemical dopamine is created by digesting chocolate, but it would only tell you why and, to some people, marginalize how this point in a lifestyle change feels.
It's a scary decision. It's ONE MORE THING to think about, and on long days (and short days, too), that's a tall order. It's also hard socially. We are a polite society--whether you're trying to lose 5 pounds or 50, we're never going to tell our friend who announces this fact "good for you! I agree with that decision and I support you," because it's sounds like saying "you're right. you did need to lose weight" (even if it's true). Instead we say "really? You definitely don't need to!" It's usually a lie (sorry Miss Manners). At dinner we say "are you serious? Just enjoy yourself, one night won't hurt" but it does. Because 1+1+1+1...rapidly adds up. Do me a favor and stop saying this to your friends at dinner. Be an uplifting supporter in a better way. "Wow good for you! I admire that" sticks with that person a lot more than a dismissive/permissive comment does. We are a difficult society to live in to become healthy.
Doesn't that sound odd? It seems like there is a gym on every corner, hotel, office, right next to the Starbucks. Almost every magazine has some sort of health related tip about losing weight and we obsess over it on a daily basis. It's like Chadd's analogy to money--we're all obsessed with it, but we're too "polite to talk about it."
We are also sharers of guilt. If you and your best friend are out at dinner and she orders something health conscious but you were really eye-ing the creamy luscious pasta...inevitably one of two things happen--you try to convince her to fall with you, or you go the healthy route. Unless your friend has a will power of steel, I'll let you guess what normally happens.
Just socially, there's a lot against you. Don't even start with me on what lies ahead of you when your own willpower begins to fade and a snickers bar sounds good.
This is where as your weight is following the downslide of the yo-yo, your morale is running right along side. It's what happens to me at least 3 times a year and every single time, I tell myself it won't happen again. I've heard that the percentage of people who quit smoking drops with every attempt they have. If you go that route, then quit, and find yourself down the same path again, it becomes well worn and familiar. It's why people who quit quit quit the first time are so much more successful.
Do you see what I mean about the whole New Years Resolution thing? Is this year REALLY going to be any different? Are you going to get to Feb 1 and crap out?
Please don't mistake what I'm saying. What I'm asking of you is something that will change, hopefully, how you go about achieving your health resolution in 2010. I am not saying that you cannot or that the odds are against you, instead, I'm asking you for the next....let's say 48 hours, to really really contemplate what it is that you want to achieve. Making your resolution list should take more than 10 minutes. Put some thought into it and make the decision that you will follow through. Don't let this be a yo-yo year for you--weight or resolutions.
I made it through Thanksgiving to Christmas losing 8 pounds, stayed solid the week I was home with my family, and am back on track to keep losing down to my goal weight just before my February birthday. How am I going to beat the yo-yo?
I acknowledged the yo-yo in my life.
I confronted it and banished it and Promised myself (remember the 2 P's) it would not return.
I made a pact with my co-blogger that will not likely be broken because I found someone who will hold me accountable and who understands/is battling the yo-yo with me.
What were your resolutions last year? Did you achieve them? Yes or no--how did you achieve them or what made you stumble?
Stay tuned for a Resolution post!
Starting on the List
So, I know I said I spent a few days working on my resolutions, and I did, but I seem to have forgotten a few things, specifically, things that are more of a to-do list. In doing so, I learned something interesting about my health insurance coverage: specifically, that it does not include a dietician.
I'm a little surprised, and kind of a bit outraged. I can understand not covering a nurtitionist...but a dietician? Really? (Note: In case, you didn't know, the difference between the two is that a dietician is similar to a registered nurse (RN). in that certification is standardized. See this article for more info).
Regardless, it is on my list of things to do this year, specifically since now that I have a good handle on my caloric intake, it's probably a good idea to check in about my actual nutritional intake/needs.
I just did a very quick search at the American Dietetic Association's website, which can be found here and found 15 RDs who specialize in some of the topics I'm interested in, specifically weight management, sports nutrition, and meal planning.
While I was looking around the website, I found an interesting article on who should visit an R.D.: http://www.eatright.org/Public/content.aspx?id=4294967631 Basically....everyone.
Myself included. More info to come!
I'm a little surprised, and kind of a bit outraged. I can understand not covering a nurtitionist...but a dietician? Really? (Note: In case, you didn't know, the difference between the two is that a dietician is similar to a registered nurse (RN). in that certification is standardized. See this article for more info).
Regardless, it is on my list of things to do this year, specifically since now that I have a good handle on my caloric intake, it's probably a good idea to check in about my actual nutritional intake/needs.
I just did a very quick search at the American Dietetic Association's website, which can be found here and found 15 RDs who specialize in some of the topics I'm interested in, specifically weight management, sports nutrition, and meal planning.
While I was looking around the website, I found an interesting article on who should visit an R.D.: http://www.eatright.org/Public/content.aspx?id=4294967631 Basically....everyone.
Myself included. More info to come!
Monday, July 7, 2014
Pizza DOES Have Calories and My Brilliant New Idea
Did you know that a slice of Papa John's Cheese Pizza on regular crust has 400 calories? Because I sure as hell did not. I found this out AFTER consuming 4 of them. Guys, that is quite literally about the total of my caloric intake on a daily basis. I paired this with a nice prosecco and blam. So much for that.
But if there's one thing I've learned, it's to never dwell on what you've already consumed or how much you weigh now. Focus on the future, the next meal, the next few pounds, whatever. Inevitably, stress makes you keep the weight.
I choked on my light turkey breast sandwhich while totalling yesterday's calories. Alas. But tonight, I'm meeting my dear friend (who you may remember from this post: http://dietsarecrap.blogspot.com/2009/05/when-pizza-doesnt-have-calories.html) in VEGAS where she teaches for Teach for America. Words cannot tell you how excited I am to be going to see her.
Right now, I'm sitting in the Denver airport, waiting for my flight, a little baffled that it's only 12:13 while my internal clock is feeling a bit more like 2:13. By the time I get to Vegas, it'll be somewhere around 5:30 in my brain and only 2:30 there.
Tonight, we're going to hit up a 6pm spin class that she says is a real ass kicker. Then I'm hoping we'll find a little place to grab a few drinks and some light food or that we'll whip something up (she was the first person to introduce to me to Volumetrics...and speaking of, check out their bulgar stuffed peppers. 150 calories of filling amazingness.) I am focusing on eating well, working out, and enjoying my time with her instead of freaking out about my 4 figure dinner consumption last night.
Also. I have a brilliant plan. Anyone want to help me?
Let's put gyms with locker facilities in the airport. $20 for a pass. With people carrying on suitcases these days and long layovers (with a 30 minute flight delay and a 20 minute early arrival, I have about 3 hours to sit here), it would be no issue. I'd KILL for a gym right now, hell, even just to pass the time. Dibs on that idea, btw.
Side note, I probably won't be posting much while I'm in Vegas. I return on Wednesday, posting again Thursday, hopefully with a bit less stress and a lot more sanity.
But if there's one thing I've learned, it's to never dwell on what you've already consumed or how much you weigh now. Focus on the future, the next meal, the next few pounds, whatever. Inevitably, stress makes you keep the weight.
I choked on my light turkey breast sandwhich while totalling yesterday's calories. Alas. But tonight, I'm meeting my dear friend (who you may remember from this post: http://dietsarecrap.blogspot.com/2009/05/when-pizza-doesnt-have-calories.html) in VEGAS where she teaches for Teach for America. Words cannot tell you how excited I am to be going to see her.
Right now, I'm sitting in the Denver airport, waiting for my flight, a little baffled that it's only 12:13 while my internal clock is feeling a bit more like 2:13. By the time I get to Vegas, it'll be somewhere around 5:30 in my brain and only 2:30 there.
Tonight, we're going to hit up a 6pm spin class that she says is a real ass kicker. Then I'm hoping we'll find a little place to grab a few drinks and some light food or that we'll whip something up (she was the first person to introduce to me to Volumetrics...and speaking of, check out their bulgar stuffed peppers. 150 calories of filling amazingness.) I am focusing on eating well, working out, and enjoying my time with her instead of freaking out about my 4 figure dinner consumption last night.
Also. I have a brilliant plan. Anyone want to help me?
Let's put gyms with locker facilities in the airport. $20 for a pass. With people carrying on suitcases these days and long layovers (with a 30 minute flight delay and a 20 minute early arrival, I have about 3 hours to sit here), it would be no issue. I'd KILL for a gym right now, hell, even just to pass the time. Dibs on that idea, btw.
Side note, I probably won't be posting much while I'm in Vegas. I return on Wednesday, posting again Thursday, hopefully with a bit less stress and a lot more sanity.
Sunday, July 6, 2014
Tuesday Links
Following in the idea of bringing new features to the blog, Tuesdays are now Tuesday Links. I know that's not very clever, so suggestions for something a little more catchy than Tuesday Links. For now, I leave you with Tuesday's links!
What is a Calorie?
Fantastic article that tells you exactly what a calorie is (it's an intangible idea) and how it contributes to weight loss. Demystify the bizarre numbers on a nutrition label!
The Importance of Numbers
This article is a bit more technical, but if the numbers you see at the gym--your weight, BMI, etc. confuse you, this is a good article that breaks it all down for you.
Have You Ever Seen a Double Banana?
Sorry, this just cracked me up. Maybe I need more coffee. Fruit mutation!
Will Power and the "Slacker" Brain
Oh man do I love Robert Krulwich so hard. But this is actually a great little blip from the radio. It's about memory and making decisions. People trying to balance more on their brains often times reach for the more unhealthy choice. Clear your brain! It'll give you a bit more balance. Listen to this, even if only to listen to funny little quipy NPR and Robert Krulwich. Ahaha just wait for the little voice in the back of your head. Team emotion versus team reason!
Got some good links of your own? Share them!
What is a Calorie?
Fantastic article that tells you exactly what a calorie is (it's an intangible idea) and how it contributes to weight loss. Demystify the bizarre numbers on a nutrition label!
The Importance of Numbers
This article is a bit more technical, but if the numbers you see at the gym--your weight, BMI, etc. confuse you, this is a good article that breaks it all down for you.
Have You Ever Seen a Double Banana?
Sorry, this just cracked me up. Maybe I need more coffee. Fruit mutation!
Will Power and the "Slacker" Brain
Oh man do I love Robert Krulwich so hard. But this is actually a great little blip from the radio. It's about memory and making decisions. People trying to balance more on their brains often times reach for the more unhealthy choice. Clear your brain! It'll give you a bit more balance. Listen to this, even if only to listen to funny little quipy NPR and Robert Krulwich. Ahaha just wait for the little voice in the back of your head. Team emotion versus team reason!
Got some good links of your own? Share them!
Saturday, July 5, 2014
How to Achieve a Situation (Or Issue)
I don't want to follow in Mike the Situation's footsteps, so Chadd and I have agreed to call my abs "an issue." They may be upgraded at some point, but for now, they're an issue.
Anyway, I had a few people ask me how I did it. Basically, here it is, here is what I did. I'm not saying it will work for everyone, I'm not saying it's easy, this really is a change of lifestyle. But hey, here I am to tell you that it works and that it really wasn't that painful.
1) Set a goal for yourself and make it realistic. My goal was 22 pounds by my birthday (in 2 weeks) and I made this goal late October/Early November. I knew it was a bit of a stretch, so I had a modified "I will be happy with myself if I do X instead." That goal was 15 pounds. I could go all consultanty on you and say to make it a SMART goal, but I can't remember the acronym, so just make sure that it's measurable and that you have a date attached to it.
2) Enlist Help. Remember my Pact buddy? She's been great and without her, I wouldn't be here. We blog every day on our private blog. This person keeps you accountable and also gives you someone who will be sympathetic to you when you have a "I really need pizza and wine" day. You may need to join weight watchers or something to find that person, but it's easier/better if its someone close to you. If you're that kind of person, you can also find free online communities. Check out Peer Trainer for a good resource.
3) Count Your Calories. I know that this went the way of the mixtape--why bother listening to the radio to record songs when you could log onto itunes, right? Wrong. In this case, the old way is the best way. Measure your food. Look up calories (you can google it, or use SparkPeople). Read labels and stick to the serving sizes. Depending on how many calories you burn, you need to cut between 500 and 1000 calories a day to see weight loss. 1 pound = 3500 calories. So if you want to lose 2 pounds a week, you need to be cutting back 1000 calories a day. It starts by writing down everything. I mean everything. I never said this was a quick fix!
Example:
Breakfast:
1 packet instant oatmeal: 120 calories
Snack:
Apple: 81 calories
Also, I think it's ridiculously important to know what goes into your food. Take back control of what is put in your food.
4) Determine your burn. This one is hard. Here are a few sites that will at least help you:
Calorie Count (this is pretty accurate)
Health Status
To be honest, I use my BodyBugg for this. It's the one thing that I've found to be the most accurate and my burn was my missing piece. You need to determine what you burn to make sure that you're accurately achieving the deficit that you think you are. Write this down every day next to your calories consumed, deficit written as well.
5) Plan it all out. Make it easier on yourself, instead of getting to the end of the day starving and only having 10 calories left to eat, sit down on Sunday night and write out your menu for the week. Go to the store and pick up those 100 calorie snacks, lean cuisines, whatever it is that will make it easier for you to space out your calorie needs.
6) Give yourself 1 day to splurge per week. I'm not saying to go out and clear out the all you can eat buffet. But now is the time to have a slice of pizza, or go out for a nice dinner and not worry about the calories in the steak. It makes it so much easier when you know that you have 1 day to fudge, whether you use it for a celebratory dinner or for a day when you're captive to office food. Life happens. Your diet must be flexible.
7) Weigh in 1x a week, same time, same day, same scale. Weighing in once a week under those circumstances gives you the most real picture of your weight loss. Try and do it first thing in the morning. If you notice your weight going up, reassess your meal plan/burn goal. Ladies, keep in mind we do have more fluctuations than men...
8) Reward yourself at milestones. I recently bought a groupon for a massage that I plan to use at -20 pounds. Only 7 pounds away! My Pact buddy is eyeing a pearl necklace to match her goal weight dress. Just make sure your reward is NOT food based, unless it's something fun like healthy cooking lessons.
9) Give yourself time. I've given myself about 3 months to get here and I know I'm not done yet. This is not a quick fix, but this is a realistic life style change.
10) Forgive yourself. This is the most important one. We all slip up now and again. But when you have a bad moment/day/week, get over it, forgive yourself, and start anew. Just because you slid backwards does not mean that you have to start all over again. You just need to keep going from where you are.
It all comes down to this simple fact: when calories in < calories out, you get weightloss. I encourage you, if you are pursuing weightloss, to boil it all down to this simple fact. Learn what you consume, learn what you burn, and make it part of your daily routine.
If you want a day in the life of me, I'll post one tomorrow. But there are the guidelines. Tune in tomorrow! A day in the life of me.
Anyway, I had a few people ask me how I did it. Basically, here it is, here is what I did. I'm not saying it will work for everyone, I'm not saying it's easy, this really is a change of lifestyle. But hey, here I am to tell you that it works and that it really wasn't that painful.
1) Set a goal for yourself and make it realistic. My goal was 22 pounds by my birthday (in 2 weeks) and I made this goal late October/Early November. I knew it was a bit of a stretch, so I had a modified "I will be happy with myself if I do X instead." That goal was 15 pounds. I could go all consultanty on you and say to make it a SMART goal, but I can't remember the acronym, so just make sure that it's measurable and that you have a date attached to it.
2) Enlist Help. Remember my Pact buddy? She's been great and without her, I wouldn't be here. We blog every day on our private blog. This person keeps you accountable and also gives you someone who will be sympathetic to you when you have a "I really need pizza and wine" day. You may need to join weight watchers or something to find that person, but it's easier/better if its someone close to you. If you're that kind of person, you can also find free online communities. Check out Peer Trainer for a good resource.
3) Count Your Calories. I know that this went the way of the mixtape--why bother listening to the radio to record songs when you could log onto itunes, right? Wrong. In this case, the old way is the best way. Measure your food. Look up calories (you can google it, or use SparkPeople). Read labels and stick to the serving sizes. Depending on how many calories you burn, you need to cut between 500 and 1000 calories a day to see weight loss. 1 pound = 3500 calories. So if you want to lose 2 pounds a week, you need to be cutting back 1000 calories a day. It starts by writing down everything. I mean everything. I never said this was a quick fix!
Example:
Breakfast:
1 packet instant oatmeal: 120 calories
Snack:
Apple: 81 calories
Also, I think it's ridiculously important to know what goes into your food. Take back control of what is put in your food.
4) Determine your burn. This one is hard. Here are a few sites that will at least help you:
Calorie Count (this is pretty accurate)
Health Status
To be honest, I use my BodyBugg for this. It's the one thing that I've found to be the most accurate and my burn was my missing piece. You need to determine what you burn to make sure that you're accurately achieving the deficit that you think you are. Write this down every day next to your calories consumed, deficit written as well.
5) Plan it all out. Make it easier on yourself, instead of getting to the end of the day starving and only having 10 calories left to eat, sit down on Sunday night and write out your menu for the week. Go to the store and pick up those 100 calorie snacks, lean cuisines, whatever it is that will make it easier for you to space out your calorie needs.
6) Give yourself 1 day to splurge per week. I'm not saying to go out and clear out the all you can eat buffet. But now is the time to have a slice of pizza, or go out for a nice dinner and not worry about the calories in the steak. It makes it so much easier when you know that you have 1 day to fudge, whether you use it for a celebratory dinner or for a day when you're captive to office food. Life happens. Your diet must be flexible.
7) Weigh in 1x a week, same time, same day, same scale. Weighing in once a week under those circumstances gives you the most real picture of your weight loss. Try and do it first thing in the morning. If you notice your weight going up, reassess your meal plan/burn goal. Ladies, keep in mind we do have more fluctuations than men...
8) Reward yourself at milestones. I recently bought a groupon for a massage that I plan to use at -20 pounds. Only 7 pounds away! My Pact buddy is eyeing a pearl necklace to match her goal weight dress. Just make sure your reward is NOT food based, unless it's something fun like healthy cooking lessons.
9) Give yourself time. I've given myself about 3 months to get here and I know I'm not done yet. This is not a quick fix, but this is a realistic life style change.
10) Forgive yourself. This is the most important one. We all slip up now and again. But when you have a bad moment/day/week, get over it, forgive yourself, and start anew. Just because you slid backwards does not mean that you have to start all over again. You just need to keep going from where you are.
It all comes down to this simple fact: when calories in < calories out, you get weightloss. I encourage you, if you are pursuing weightloss, to boil it all down to this simple fact. Learn what you consume, learn what you burn, and make it part of your daily routine.
If you want a day in the life of me, I'll post one tomorrow. But there are the guidelines. Tune in tomorrow! A day in the life of me.
Friday, July 4, 2014
Moroccan Pita Sandwich Recipe Review
Do yourself a favor. Go home tonight, hell, leave work early, and pick up the stuff to make this incredible recipe for tonight. This is my new favorite food. I burnt out on the eggplant mushroom thing I talked about almost a year ago...yes, it literally took me a year to get sick of it...and immediately have a new replacement.
The Moroccan Pita Sandwich is amazing. If you can't find the tahini paste, neither could I because my safeway sucks, but I just added more garlic and lemon and found that it tasted just fine. I might add chopped cucumbers next time. Regardless. This is ridiculously easy to make, filling, and so good. I was craving something very earthy and ethnic yesterday, so planning for this meal was well timed. Some people in the reviews say they used plain yogurt instead of the Greek, which I'm sure is fine. I keep Greek yogurt at home anyway because I prefer that texture (it's almost kind of like French yogurt).
If you want to make this even easier on yourself, I'd suggest even skipping making the meat into patties and just cook it all and divide it into 4 portions.
In other words: this recipe gets my enthusiastic two thumbs up. I'm already looking forward to lunch.
The Moroccan Pita Sandwich is amazing. If you can't find the tahini paste, neither could I because my safeway sucks, but I just added more garlic and lemon and found that it tasted just fine. I might add chopped cucumbers next time. Regardless. This is ridiculously easy to make, filling, and so good. I was craving something very earthy and ethnic yesterday, so planning for this meal was well timed. Some people in the reviews say they used plain yogurt instead of the Greek, which I'm sure is fine. I keep Greek yogurt at home anyway because I prefer that texture (it's almost kind of like French yogurt).
If you want to make this even easier on yourself, I'd suggest even skipping making the meat into patties and just cook it all and divide it into 4 portions.
In other words: this recipe gets my enthusiastic two thumbs up. I'm already looking forward to lunch.
Wednesday, July 2, 2014
The Beginning of March...and on to May
And another month rolls around!
Well, I have mixed news. The first and only bit, really, is that I haven't really gained or lost weight in the month of February. I suppose the good news in all of that is that with my birthday, a massive snowstorm, staying up late to pick up Chadd and entirely too much snacking, I haven't gained...so I've found the right method of maintaining. 6 pounds from now, I'll have an idea of how to maintain that weight. That's the hardest part, in my opinion.
Of course, the bad news is that I am no closer to my goal than I was a month ago. Thankfully March is a very active month for me and my pact buddy and I are back on track, too, so we're all set to give a one-two punch to March and get that much closer to our goal.
My March looks as follows:
Weekend 1: Les Mills Training (Friday-Sunday)
Weekend 2: Snowboarding (Saturday)
Weekend 3: Colorado! (Wednesday-Monday)
Weekend 4: 10K Run to Register
Weekend 5: Easter (Chadd's mom comes to visit, likely)
Weekend 6: Cherry Blossom 10 Miler
Weekend 7: Open
Weekend 8: Open
Weekend 9: Run Amuck 5k
Weekend 10: Visit J in NYC
Weekend 11: Historic Half Marathon
Which brings us to the middle of May. No kidding. Like poof there go March and April!
My goal is to get through 3 pounds before I go to see my bro in Colorado. That gives me roughly 2 weeks at a pace I'm comfortable meeting, especially since I'll be meeting with my nutritionist on Wednesday for the first time! Cross you fingers and wish me luck. I'm SO close.
On another note--the 7 day work til exhaustion workout didn't make it 7 days. I strongly suggest clearing your date book because any other gym date literally kills this. I managed to teach it into my class (which I'm sure my class was less than thrilled about), but post boxing, I couldn't lift my arms, much less a weight. Tuesday, teaching no-tap killed me, and then I had a sore wrist for whatever reason for 2 days. So, basically, be careful what you under take. I do recommend trying the work to exhaustion workout 1x a week just to give yourself an extra uumph somewhere in your weekly workout!
Make March a healthy month--hopefully one filled with sunshine and warm weather too!
Well, I have mixed news. The first and only bit, really, is that I haven't really gained or lost weight in the month of February. I suppose the good news in all of that is that with my birthday, a massive snowstorm, staying up late to pick up Chadd and entirely too much snacking, I haven't gained...so I've found the right method of maintaining. 6 pounds from now, I'll have an idea of how to maintain that weight. That's the hardest part, in my opinion.
Of course, the bad news is that I am no closer to my goal than I was a month ago. Thankfully March is a very active month for me and my pact buddy and I are back on track, too, so we're all set to give a one-two punch to March and get that much closer to our goal.
My March looks as follows:
Weekend 1: Les Mills Training (Friday-Sunday)
Weekend 2: Snowboarding (Saturday)
Weekend 3: Colorado! (Wednesday-Monday)
Weekend 4: 10K Run to Register
Weekend 5: Easter (Chadd's mom comes to visit, likely)
Weekend 6: Cherry Blossom 10 Miler
Weekend 7: Open
Weekend 8: Open
Weekend 9: Run Amuck 5k
Weekend 10: Visit J in NYC
Weekend 11: Historic Half Marathon
Which brings us to the middle of May. No kidding. Like poof there go March and April!
My goal is to get through 3 pounds before I go to see my bro in Colorado. That gives me roughly 2 weeks at a pace I'm comfortable meeting, especially since I'll be meeting with my nutritionist on Wednesday for the first time! Cross you fingers and wish me luck. I'm SO close.
On another note--the 7 day work til exhaustion workout didn't make it 7 days. I strongly suggest clearing your date book because any other gym date literally kills this. I managed to teach it into my class (which I'm sure my class was less than thrilled about), but post boxing, I couldn't lift my arms, much less a weight. Tuesday, teaching no-tap killed me, and then I had a sore wrist for whatever reason for 2 days. So, basically, be careful what you under take. I do recommend trying the work to exhaustion workout 1x a week just to give yourself an extra uumph somewhere in your weekly workout!
Make March a healthy month--hopefully one filled with sunshine and warm weather too!
Tuesday Links
Well Happy Tuesday. This week is already moving right along, especially considering that today is my Wednesday since I'm taking Friday off work for the fitness conference.
Here are your Tuesday links:
(quick note--the first three articles are from the association that does the gold standard personal training certification--NASM and their health fitness professional network site (HFPN), so they're directed to wards the trainer audience)
1) Stretching Yoga into the OPT Model: FYI, OPT is a training reference for a type of program that is used for most clients. This article gives a more technical view into why Yoga might be a good addition to any training routine. After my yoga class this morning, I was certainly aware of where I have an imbalance--I'm not talking lack of balance, but where I'm weaker/stronger and where I'm compensating.
2) Group Fitness Breakdown: Following the post I did on appropriate behavior in a group fitness class, here's an article talking a little about different classes and what they entail. It's not a comprehensive list, but it's a good reference for learning more about Cross Fit and the various types of Yoga.
3) Anatomy of an Exercise: Cable Row: Oh man one of my favorites. I love my back and it has a lot to do with a ton of these puppies--or the upright row done with weights. Biggest two tips? Keep your shoulders down and squeeze your shoulder blades together. The shoulders down keeps your neck from straining (if your neck is straining, take the weight down) and the shoulder blades squeezing together works your entire back.
4) Spa (Weight Loss) Secrets: The first paragraph of this article is EXACTLY why I'm going to start seeing a nutritionist (tomorrow, in fact!). Do I really need 1500 calories? If not, how should I structure my caloric breakdown between different nutrients? The one thing I disagree with in this article is that chocolate torte. Worst recipe ever. I promise.
5) Grilled Chicken with Roasted Tomato and Oregano Salsa: I am very excited about making this tonight, especially at 312 calories a serving, this is perfect with a serving of rice. Review to come!
6) Angel Food Cake: Alright, I know this says Chocolate glazed, blah blah blah, but I'm not having 300+ calories for 1 inch of cake. I am going to make this tonight, sans glaze. I think I'll likely wind up having this with strawberries before bed at night. Again, review to come-just trying to make up for my lack of recipe posting!
7) America's Worst French Fries: Don't worry--you can still have them! In fact, the golden arches make a surprise showing here in the category of "best" fries in America. Man, I am craving some of those right now...must eat grapes...
8) What the World's Healthiest People Eat: As a foodie and fitness person, I love this article big time. Also, turmeric, one of my new favorite spices gets a little shout out. I'm not saying that any of us should adopt wholly any of these diets, but we should be a lot more willing to do what they do--they take their time, they are gentle with their food and allow it to have flavor on its own with the use of calorie free spices. Step outside your normal cooking path and try a little something new!
And that's all for right now. Post coming this afternoon with a frozen food review.
Here are your Tuesday links:
(quick note--the first three articles are from the association that does the gold standard personal training certification--NASM and their health fitness professional network site (HFPN), so they're directed to wards the trainer audience)
1) Stretching Yoga into the OPT Model: FYI, OPT is a training reference for a type of program that is used for most clients. This article gives a more technical view into why Yoga might be a good addition to any training routine. After my yoga class this morning, I was certainly aware of where I have an imbalance--I'm not talking lack of balance, but where I'm weaker/stronger and where I'm compensating.
2) Group Fitness Breakdown: Following the post I did on appropriate behavior in a group fitness class, here's an article talking a little about different classes and what they entail. It's not a comprehensive list, but it's a good reference for learning more about Cross Fit and the various types of Yoga.
3) Anatomy of an Exercise: Cable Row: Oh man one of my favorites. I love my back and it has a lot to do with a ton of these puppies--or the upright row done with weights. Biggest two tips? Keep your shoulders down and squeeze your shoulder blades together. The shoulders down keeps your neck from straining (if your neck is straining, take the weight down) and the shoulder blades squeezing together works your entire back.
4) Spa (Weight Loss) Secrets: The first paragraph of this article is EXACTLY why I'm going to start seeing a nutritionist (tomorrow, in fact!). Do I really need 1500 calories? If not, how should I structure my caloric breakdown between different nutrients? The one thing I disagree with in this article is that chocolate torte. Worst recipe ever. I promise.
5) Grilled Chicken with Roasted Tomato and Oregano Salsa: I am very excited about making this tonight, especially at 312 calories a serving, this is perfect with a serving of rice. Review to come!
6) Angel Food Cake: Alright, I know this says Chocolate glazed, blah blah blah, but I'm not having 300+ calories for 1 inch of cake. I am going to make this tonight, sans glaze. I think I'll likely wind up having this with strawberries before bed at night. Again, review to come-just trying to make up for my lack of recipe posting!
7) America's Worst French Fries: Don't worry--you can still have them! In fact, the golden arches make a surprise showing here in the category of "best" fries in America. Man, I am craving some of those right now...must eat grapes...
8) What the World's Healthiest People Eat: As a foodie and fitness person, I love this article big time. Also, turmeric, one of my new favorite spices gets a little shout out. I'm not saying that any of us should adopt wholly any of these diets, but we should be a lot more willing to do what they do--they take their time, they are gentle with their food and allow it to have flavor on its own with the use of calorie free spices. Step outside your normal cooking path and try a little something new!
And that's all for right now. Post coming this afternoon with a frozen food review.
Frozen Food Review (1)
Every night I make dinner with enough for leftovers. Everything is made fresh and is packed before I get up to go to work.
Haaaahaha. Yeah right.
There are days, many days, it seems, when I have to be able to throw stuff into a lunch box, most specifically, a frozen meal. I've been a long time supporter of Lean Cuisine since I've always preferred that taste, but I thought it might be a good idea to branch out. I purchased a few lean cuisines and an assortment of Amy's and Kashi frozen meals. Over the next week, you'll see a variety of frozen meal reviews. Today's review...
Carbs: 40g
Protein: 12g
Taste:
First off, I should say that I like Indian food quite a bit, so this wasn't some new adventurous food for me. I heard about a place in L.A. that serves moving octapus...that is new adventurous food for me. If you've never had Indian food, please don't start here. As far as frozen food goes, it was pretty good. The rice was moist without being mushy, the two Indian foods were a good combo of a type of curry without being too spicy--though I take points away for not being spicy enough. The tofu was kind of chewy, the way a thick fried egg can be--or maybe the egg in a dry omelet. I like my tofu a bit different (not sure how, just not...like eggs).
I'll also mention that I don't like eating frozen entrées with meat in them. It's a weird thing. I also avoid Asian food with meat, aside from the occasional chicken. I avoid it in frozen food because it's almost always chewy and kind of...watery while I avoid the Asian entrées with meat because I can't see if I'm about to chow down on a piece of fat with the sauce.
The dish wasn't memorable, but it wasn't bad either. While it was expensive ($4.50), I'd buy it again for the sheer reason that it was 260 calories, not dry or watery, and it filled me up.
Rating:
Presentation (1-5): 3, distinct sections of the plate and they made Indian food look better than my homemade Indian food.
Taste: (1-60): 45. Not great, not terrible, but I never thought "what am I eating?" it definitely was Indian food.
Satiety: (1-15): 10 This was hard to give--I had it with grapes and a 100 calorie pack of cookies, but I'm going to go with a 10.
Nutritional Balance (1-15): 13. I was totally pleased with the fact that it was 260 and filling, and had a variety of tastes--unlike Lean Cuisine ravioli.
Haaaahaha. Yeah right.
There are days, many days, it seems, when I have to be able to throw stuff into a lunch box, most specifically, a frozen meal. I've been a long time supporter of Lean Cuisine since I've always preferred that taste, but I thought it might be a good idea to branch out. I purchased a few lean cuisines and an assortment of Amy's and Kashi frozen meals. Over the next week, you'll see a variety of frozen meal reviews. Today's review...
Amy's Indian Mattar Tofu
The Skinny:
Calories: 260
Fat: 8gCarbs: 40g
Protein: 12g
Taste:
First off, I should say that I like Indian food quite a bit, so this wasn't some new adventurous food for me. I heard about a place in L.A. that serves moving octapus...that is new adventurous food for me. If you've never had Indian food, please don't start here. As far as frozen food goes, it was pretty good. The rice was moist without being mushy, the two Indian foods were a good combo of a type of curry without being too spicy--though I take points away for not being spicy enough. The tofu was kind of chewy, the way a thick fried egg can be--or maybe the egg in a dry omelet. I like my tofu a bit different (not sure how, just not...like eggs).
I'll also mention that I don't like eating frozen entrées with meat in them. It's a weird thing. I also avoid Asian food with meat, aside from the occasional chicken. I avoid it in frozen food because it's almost always chewy and kind of...watery while I avoid the Asian entrées with meat because I can't see if I'm about to chow down on a piece of fat with the sauce.
The dish wasn't memorable, but it wasn't bad either. While it was expensive ($4.50), I'd buy it again for the sheer reason that it was 260 calories, not dry or watery, and it filled me up.
Rating:
Presentation (1-5): 3, distinct sections of the plate and they made Indian food look better than my homemade Indian food.
Taste: (1-60): 45. Not great, not terrible, but I never thought "what am I eating?" it definitely was Indian food.
Satiety: (1-15): 10 This was hard to give--I had it with grapes and a 100 calorie pack of cookies, but I'm going to go with a 10.
Nutritional Balance (1-15): 13. I was totally pleased with the fact that it was 260 and filling, and had a variety of tastes--unlike Lean Cuisine ravioli.
Tuesday, July 1, 2014
Recipes and Nutritionists
Update on the recipe for the grilled chicken and salsa recipe in the Tuesday links--
Very good, I was missing the rosemary, but other than that, it turned out well. I needed to add salt, which is no surprise, but with a side of rice, it was a great meal. Just don't be like me and start making the recipe without reading the whole thing through (I'm terrible at doing that). I could have been doing two things at once, but instead I wound up doing one process (the marinating) only to find out I could have been roasting my tomatoes at the same time. Alas. Glad I had the Biggest Loser to keep me company while I cooked. The only beef I had with the whole thing was that it didn't reheat well. Though I've been having that issue with chicken lately. When I reheat it, the whole thing is tough and chewy and tastes...weird. Maybe I'm cooking it too much? Suggestions?
I was going to go for a run tonight, but our weather up here is drizzly and cold and I have my first appointment with my nutritionist at 7:45 tonight. I had to stay a tiny bit later at work than I expected, so by the time I got home, I was going to be cutting it close for running, showering, and walking down to GW. It's okay though. I was going to sleep in tomorrow, but instead I'm meeting up with my morning gym buddy to hit the weights, then my evening gym buddy after work to get in a run....oh, and Friday-Sunday I'll be working out intermittently through the days for my Les Mills Body Pump training!
Here are the concerns I plan to raise to my nutritionist:
1) If I am working out almost once a day, if not more than once a day, what staples do I need to have in my diet? What's the balance of nutrition that I need?
2) What kind of things should I add into my diet as I increase my endurance training for the 10 Miler and the Half Marathon (and eventually, the marathon)?
3) If I'm logging my calories very accurately every day (measuring food, etc.) and my body bugg is 90% accurate, then why am I not losing 2 pounds a week? Am I eating too much? Too little?
4) What kind of supplements should I be taking?
Here are my bets on what she'll say:
- I need to eat more
- I need to drink less wine (and/or prosecco)
- I need to cut the diet coke (currently at 1-2 cans a day)
- I need to eat more protein and find more calcium
- Iron is a must add to my supplements (which are currently at 0)
Update when I get home!
Very good, I was missing the rosemary, but other than that, it turned out well. I needed to add salt, which is no surprise, but with a side of rice, it was a great meal. Just don't be like me and start making the recipe without reading the whole thing through (I'm terrible at doing that). I could have been doing two things at once, but instead I wound up doing one process (the marinating) only to find out I could have been roasting my tomatoes at the same time. Alas. Glad I had the Biggest Loser to keep me company while I cooked. The only beef I had with the whole thing was that it didn't reheat well. Though I've been having that issue with chicken lately. When I reheat it, the whole thing is tough and chewy and tastes...weird. Maybe I'm cooking it too much? Suggestions?
I was going to go for a run tonight, but our weather up here is drizzly and cold and I have my first appointment with my nutritionist at 7:45 tonight. I had to stay a tiny bit later at work than I expected, so by the time I got home, I was going to be cutting it close for running, showering, and walking down to GW. It's okay though. I was going to sleep in tomorrow, but instead I'm meeting up with my morning gym buddy to hit the weights, then my evening gym buddy after work to get in a run....oh, and Friday-Sunday I'll be working out intermittently through the days for my Les Mills Body Pump training!
Here are the concerns I plan to raise to my nutritionist:
1) If I am working out almost once a day, if not more than once a day, what staples do I need to have in my diet? What's the balance of nutrition that I need?
2) What kind of things should I add into my diet as I increase my endurance training for the 10 Miler and the Half Marathon (and eventually, the marathon)?
3) If I'm logging my calories very accurately every day (measuring food, etc.) and my body bugg is 90% accurate, then why am I not losing 2 pounds a week? Am I eating too much? Too little?
4) What kind of supplements should I be taking?
Here are my bets on what she'll say:
- I need to eat more
- I need to drink less wine (and/or prosecco)
- I need to cut the diet coke (currently at 1-2 cans a day)
- I need to eat more protein and find more calcium
- Iron is a must add to my supplements (which are currently at 0)
Update when I get home!
Frozen Food Review (2)
Wow, am I behind. I feel like I have a billion posts that I need to write...here's what will be coming this week (if I don't get a chance today to write much)
1) Review of another Amy's frozen meal product (this one is awesome.)
2) My project with J (NYC) for med school
3) An overview of my weekend getting BodyPump certified (holy moly, I can't fully extend my arms right now)
I've also got another guest blogger/interview with a professional coming up soon--probably next Monday, so stay tuned and look for that!
Might as well get something off the checklist first--Let's talk about my frozen food quest.
1) Review of another Amy's frozen meal product (this one is awesome.)
2) My project with J (NYC) for med school
3) An overview of my weekend getting BodyPump certified (holy moly, I can't fully extend my arms right now)
I've also got another guest blogger/interview with a professional coming up soon--probably next Monday, so stay tuned and look for that!
Might as well get something off the checklist first--Let's talk about my frozen food quest.
Amy's Black Bean Tamale Verde
The Skinny:
Cal: 330
Fat: 10g
Carbs: 55g
Protein: 7g
Taste:
Amazing. This was hearty, authentic to the taste of salsa verde, and not at all watery. It was definitely a complex taste (not just corn meal and black beans). I really enjoyed every bite of the whole thing. It comes with one large tamale with a mixed vegetable (mostly corn and black beans) filling, a green sauce over it and Mexican rice on the side. Delicious beyond belief. I will most certainly buy it again ($4.50). One of my coworkers actually said "Is that the Amy's tamale? Man that thing is the best." So it has a reputation!
Rating:
Presentation (1-10): 10. Well laid out, colorful, I wanted to eat it frozen, if that says anything.
Taste (1-60): 55. I always leave room for improvement (this was a tiny tiny bit too sweet for me) but it was awesome.
Satiety (1-15): 10. I wanted more, for sure, at the end. But it's hard to say if that was because I hadn't enough to eat throughout the day or if there wasn't enough food. I think it was probably the former.
Nutritional Balance (1-15): 13. Pretty good balance, especially for 330 calories--a lot of flavor and a good, solid meal.
Total Score (out of 100):
88
Tuesday Links
Tuesday Linkage!
I've got a bunch for everyone this week, so here we go...
1) McDonald's Signs Weight Watchers Deal: I literally cannot even talk about this one without doing a headdesk. One of the items they mention as being a part of the new Weight Watchers is chicken mcnuggets. I'm not even kidding you. This where, personally, I think we're failing to see the point of health. It really ISN'T about weight loss, it's about changing your eating habits and recognizing that if you have McDonald's one day, you're probably going to want to stick to something you know, not frozen then deep fried the next. Just because it has x number of points doesn't mean it's a good idea.
2) Dannon Settles False Advertising Lawsuit: I don't really take 100% stock in a lot of the healthy benefits claims of packaged foods anyway, but I do think that the questions in the article are good ones to keep in mind when you feel enchanted by the claims of food at the store.
3) FDA Warns Companies on Food Claims: Lots of articles this week on food and consumerism. Must be something in the air. This article actually makes me a little defensive of food companies. Here's an excerpt:
The FDA also chastised companies for implying that consumption of their products can help treat disease, akin to taking a drug. For example, the FDA said POM Wonderful, of Los Angeles, implies on its Web site that its popular pomegranate drinks can help reduce blood pressure, clogged arteries and the progress of prostate cancer.
Look, I'm not saying that POM is going to cure your blood pressure or that you'll avoid that triple bypass next month, but I do believe that if you put good things into your body, you'll likely see an improvement. Example: if I feed my cat food with corn in it (cats can't digest corn), he's sick...and we all suffer. If I feed him high quality food (no corn or additives), his coat is shiny, we avoid hairballs, and I don't buy out Febreez supplies at Target. I don't think that anyone expect someone to pop the top off of a POM juice bottle, down it, and find that they're suddenly healthier. But I would bet that there are some benefits to laying off the coke and trying some antioxidant fruit juice instead. Just sayin. Are we really that dumb/health dumb? It's not magic, it's science...and common sense.
4) Student Lunch Contest: This is a wonderful article with the results of the student lunch contest. This blog set out the challenge to create a healthy and delicious snack for students at the cost of $5. The results are inspiring and will definitely find their way into my lunch.
5) Humans Found to Have Sixth Taste: Fat: Well well well. Unami, now fat! We're certainly up a few from when I was in elementary school and tested my taste buds with lemon juice, salt water, sugar water, and cranberry juice. Interesting study on the sensitivity of people to the actual chemical make up of fat. We actually "taste" it's chemical makeup, not just its texture. People who can taste fat acutely are less likely to eat it. Who knew.
6) How Much Caffeine Is In that?: A good list of common beverages/foods that have caffeine in them. If you count those sorts of things....admittedly, I don't. I do keep my caffeine consumption to about 2-3 drinks a day, max. Just out of habit, never something I plan.
7) Pizza Pronto: I'm trying this sometime this week. Looks delicious. Review to come!
I've got a bunch for everyone this week, so here we go...
1) McDonald's Signs Weight Watchers Deal: I literally cannot even talk about this one without doing a headdesk. One of the items they mention as being a part of the new Weight Watchers is chicken mcnuggets. I'm not even kidding you. This where, personally, I think we're failing to see the point of health. It really ISN'T about weight loss, it's about changing your eating habits and recognizing that if you have McDonald's one day, you're probably going to want to stick to something you know, not frozen then deep fried the next. Just because it has x number of points doesn't mean it's a good idea.
2) Dannon Settles False Advertising Lawsuit: I don't really take 100% stock in a lot of the healthy benefits claims of packaged foods anyway, but I do think that the questions in the article are good ones to keep in mind when you feel enchanted by the claims of food at the store.
3) FDA Warns Companies on Food Claims: Lots of articles this week on food and consumerism. Must be something in the air. This article actually makes me a little defensive of food companies. Here's an excerpt:
The FDA also chastised companies for implying that consumption of their products can help treat disease, akin to taking a drug. For example, the FDA said POM Wonderful, of Los Angeles, implies on its Web site that its popular pomegranate drinks can help reduce blood pressure, clogged arteries and the progress of prostate cancer.
Look, I'm not saying that POM is going to cure your blood pressure or that you'll avoid that triple bypass next month, but I do believe that if you put good things into your body, you'll likely see an improvement. Example: if I feed my cat food with corn in it (cats can't digest corn), he's sick...and we all suffer. If I feed him high quality food (no corn or additives), his coat is shiny, we avoid hairballs, and I don't buy out Febreez supplies at Target. I don't think that anyone expect someone to pop the top off of a POM juice bottle, down it, and find that they're suddenly healthier. But I would bet that there are some benefits to laying off the coke and trying some antioxidant fruit juice instead. Just sayin. Are we really that dumb/health dumb? It's not magic, it's science...and common sense.
4) Student Lunch Contest: This is a wonderful article with the results of the student lunch contest. This blog set out the challenge to create a healthy and delicious snack for students at the cost of $5. The results are inspiring and will definitely find their way into my lunch.
5) Humans Found to Have Sixth Taste: Fat: Well well well. Unami, now fat! We're certainly up a few from when I was in elementary school and tested my taste buds with lemon juice, salt water, sugar water, and cranberry juice. Interesting study on the sensitivity of people to the actual chemical make up of fat. We actually "taste" it's chemical makeup, not just its texture. People who can taste fat acutely are less likely to eat it. Who knew.
6) How Much Caffeine Is In that?: A good list of common beverages/foods that have caffeine in them. If you count those sorts of things....admittedly, I don't. I do keep my caffeine consumption to about 2-3 drinks a day, max. Just out of habit, never something I plan.
7) Pizza Pronto: I'm trying this sometime this week. Looks delicious. Review to come!
Monday, June 30, 2014
Eating Locally - Buffalo and Greens
I'm sorry I've been terrible about eating locally. I've been able to get to the market frequently, but the challenge has had to sit on the side lines since a) $30 is a lot for 1 dinner and b) I'm tired on Sunday nights. We've been doing Thai takeout (mmmm veggie curry = low calorie delicious), or this Sunday, Chadd was the man of the year and made me a beautiful Chilean sea bass filet with tomatoes, olives, potatoes and broccoli after my crazy intense training over the weekend. He went so far as to pick a low calorie recipe. Love that wonderful man of mine.
BUT. Last weekend, I did manage to stop by the market after class. I picked up two buffalo steaks--one for Chadd (a ribeye) and one tiny one for me (a petite filet). The guy told me that because buffalo has less fat, that I should cook it for a shorter time, but I should season it just like a steak. Total was about $16
I also picked up a big basket of mixed greens, which came with the suggestion to heat some olive oil with garlic, dump the greens in, cover and steam for about 3 minutes on the stove. I mixed in a little goat cheese afterwards and now that I think about it, I definitely should have added some pine nuts which are floating around in my spice cabinet. Greens = $5
I melted some butter (1 tbsp) and cooked Chadd's steak first on high heat to seal in the juices, I let it cook for about a minute and a half on each side, then I tossed my steak in and probably did four minutes total--2 on each side.
The result?
Greens with goat cheese: 190
Buffalo steak (1/4 pound): 165 (holy lean mean!)
Total: 355
I recommend the buffalo--find it at your local farmer's market if you're lucky enough! DC folks, Cibola Farms is our local supplier at Dupont's Farmers Market.
BUT. Last weekend, I did manage to stop by the market after class. I picked up two buffalo steaks--one for Chadd (a ribeye) and one tiny one for me (a petite filet). The guy told me that because buffalo has less fat, that I should cook it for a shorter time, but I should season it just like a steak. Total was about $16
I also picked up a big basket of mixed greens, which came with the suggestion to heat some olive oil with garlic, dump the greens in, cover and steam for about 3 minutes on the stove. I mixed in a little goat cheese afterwards and now that I think about it, I definitely should have added some pine nuts which are floating around in my spice cabinet. Greens = $5
I melted some butter (1 tbsp) and cooked Chadd's steak first on high heat to seal in the juices, I let it cook for about a minute and a half on each side, then I tossed my steak in and probably did four minutes total--2 on each side.
The result?
Greens with goat cheese: 190
Buffalo steak (1/4 pound): 165 (holy lean mean!)
Total: 355
I recommend the buffalo--find it at your local farmer's market if you're lucky enough! DC folks, Cibola Farms is our local supplier at Dupont's Farmers Market.
Frozen Food Review (3)
A few days late, but nevertheless, a third frozen food review for you on my quest to find something beyond a lean cuisine pizza.
Fat: 11g
Carbs: 37g
Protein: 11g
Taste:
Surprisingly fresh. It really did taste like I'd just cooked it myself--the peas in the pasta were crunchy instead of mushy. I was very very pleased with how flavorful the meal was. Pesto was salty without being processed, the veggies were crisp, and the pasta had life instead of being, well, again mush.
Rating:
Presentation (1-10): 9. Top of the charts, but something green over brown pasta is never stunning to look at. The veggies were different colors though (they retained their color) and the food had texture. I wasn't going...eww when I opened the package.
Taste (1-60): 53 Not quite as good as the Amy's tamale, which was a tough act to follow. The pasta was great, but I needed more variety. The food tasted fresh and clean, though, so a 55 is almost unfair.
Satiety (1-15): 8.5 Needed just a few more bites...then again, that's why it's 290 calories and not 310.
Nutritional Balance (1-15): 13, same as the tamale. Less food, less calories. I liked the protein appearance and I expected a high carb count there for the pasta.
Total (out of 100): 83.5
Would I buy it again? Yup. It's steep ($4.75), but it's fresh, and a nice pasta option (especially over the Lean Cuisine ravioli). Just make sure to bring extra fruit and veggies, it'll leave you hungry.
Kashi Pesto Pasta Primavera
The Skinny:
Calories: 290Fat: 11g
Carbs: 37g
Protein: 11g
Taste:
Surprisingly fresh. It really did taste like I'd just cooked it myself--the peas in the pasta were crunchy instead of mushy. I was very very pleased with how flavorful the meal was. Pesto was salty without being processed, the veggies were crisp, and the pasta had life instead of being, well, again mush.
Rating:
Presentation (1-10): 9. Top of the charts, but something green over brown pasta is never stunning to look at. The veggies were different colors though (they retained their color) and the food had texture. I wasn't going...eww when I opened the package.
Taste (1-60): 53 Not quite as good as the Amy's tamale, which was a tough act to follow. The pasta was great, but I needed more variety. The food tasted fresh and clean, though, so a 55 is almost unfair.
Satiety (1-15): 8.5 Needed just a few more bites...then again, that's why it's 290 calories and not 310.
Nutritional Balance (1-15): 13, same as the tamale. Less food, less calories. I liked the protein appearance and I expected a high carb count there for the pasta.
Total (out of 100): 83.5
Would I buy it again? Yup. It's steep ($4.75), but it's fresh, and a nice pasta option (especially over the Lean Cuisine ravioli). Just make sure to bring extra fruit and veggies, it'll leave you hungry.
Sunday, June 29, 2014
Tuesday Linkage!
Fun stuff today! I came up with a system of collecting links through the week (a handy old school internet browser tool called "Bookmarks"....)
So we have a ton of links, which will hopefully give you all something to do while I'm gone until next Tuesday. Again, just to rub it in, I'm going to Copper Mountain in Colorado. I'll be TRYING NEW THINGS and learning to snowboard for real this time. I already have plans to have an all day lesson this Thursday. My bro assures me that it's basically the best place to learn ever. If I come back in a neck brace, we'll talk.
Here are your Tuesday links!
1) Mindfulness May Change Your Health: In keeping with my belief that Yoga is good for you, here's a little bit on mindfulness. If you really take the new-age stuff out of it, being aware of your body (mindfulness) and being aware of how you eat (mindful eating) really make sense. Common sense at that. Your body talks to you a lot more than you're aware of.
2) Marathoning + Grammar = I Win!: It's just funny. That's all you need to know.
3) Learn the Right Way to Tie Your Shoes: It's interesting how something so small can change the way your shoes fit.
4) Today's Training Tip: Don't Worry, Be Happy: While it applies to how runners often times stress over the thing that actually destresses them the most (...running), it's all about perspective. Read the article (it's quick!) and apply it to whatever it is that you love to do that stresses you out. Then, re-enjoy!
5) The Runner's Pantry List: It's not just for runners. When you're doing your spring cleaning and chucking whatever that weird sauce you thought might be good with asian noodles out of your pantry, refresh by checking through these basics. Not to mention, it'll make cooking a LOT easier. My staple foods?
- Tomatoes
- Lettuce
- Onions
- Apples
- Strawberries
- Bell Peppers
- Mushrooms
- Cheddar Cheese
- Diet Peach Snapple Tea (weakness)
- Fresh herbs on overload (I ALWAYS seem to need them...particularly thyme and parsley)
- Plus Pasta
- Chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)
- Quinoa
- Sparkly water
- 0% Fayge Greek Yogurt
- Pirate's Booty Popcorn
- 100 Calorie packs of almost anything
6) Mark Bittman's 8 Rules For Healthy Eating: The first five of these rules, I said to myself "this summarizes my blog...oh wait, no this one does too." The last three, while I agree with them, don't really apply to my life. I try to get the right nutrients, I love beef, and energy bars? Who'd rather eat one of those?? Blech. The first five, amen brother, amen. Read the article, but in summary:
- Eat whatever you want...in moderation
- Plants first (fill up on low cal, nutrient rich, fruit and veggies)
- Start shopping and start cooking: KNOW WHAT GOES INTO YOUR FOOD
- Buy and Make Extra: I am the queen of reheats and left overs. Avoid office lunches. Hidden calories galore.
7) Free Jillian Michaels Mini Workouts: I have a serious girl crush on Jillian. And a trainer crush. I recommend downloading and watching (and doing).
And that's it for me today--I'm saving some of my links for next week since I won't be collecting them throughout this one. Stay active while I'm gone!
Also, do me a little favor and shoot my blog out to your friends, family, coworkers, gym buddies, whoever. Or...follow me on Twitter. It's good to know how many people out there are reading!
So we have a ton of links, which will hopefully give you all something to do while I'm gone until next Tuesday. Again, just to rub it in, I'm going to Copper Mountain in Colorado. I'll be TRYING NEW THINGS and learning to snowboard for real this time. I already have plans to have an all day lesson this Thursday. My bro assures me that it's basically the best place to learn ever. If I come back in a neck brace, we'll talk.
Here are your Tuesday links!
1) Mindfulness May Change Your Health: In keeping with my belief that Yoga is good for you, here's a little bit on mindfulness. If you really take the new-age stuff out of it, being aware of your body (mindfulness) and being aware of how you eat (mindful eating) really make sense. Common sense at that. Your body talks to you a lot more than you're aware of.
2) Marathoning + Grammar = I Win!: It's just funny. That's all you need to know.
3) Learn the Right Way to Tie Your Shoes: It's interesting how something so small can change the way your shoes fit.
4) Today's Training Tip: Don't Worry, Be Happy: While it applies to how runners often times stress over the thing that actually destresses them the most (...running), it's all about perspective. Read the article (it's quick!) and apply it to whatever it is that you love to do that stresses you out. Then, re-enjoy!
5) The Runner's Pantry List: It's not just for runners. When you're doing your spring cleaning and chucking whatever that weird sauce you thought might be good with asian noodles out of your pantry, refresh by checking through these basics. Not to mention, it'll make cooking a LOT easier. My staple foods?
- Tomatoes
- Lettuce
- Onions
- Apples
- Strawberries
- Bell Peppers
- Mushrooms
- Cheddar Cheese
- Diet Peach Snapple Tea (weakness)
- Fresh herbs on overload (I ALWAYS seem to need them...particularly thyme and parsley)
- Plus Pasta
- Chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)
- Quinoa
- Sparkly water
- 0% Fayge Greek Yogurt
- Pirate's Booty Popcorn
- 100 Calorie packs of almost anything
6) Mark Bittman's 8 Rules For Healthy Eating: The first five of these rules, I said to myself "this summarizes my blog...oh wait, no this one does too." The last three, while I agree with them, don't really apply to my life. I try to get the right nutrients, I love beef, and energy bars? Who'd rather eat one of those?? Blech. The first five, amen brother, amen. Read the article, but in summary:
- Eat whatever you want...in moderation
- Plants first (fill up on low cal, nutrient rich, fruit and veggies)
- Start shopping and start cooking: KNOW WHAT GOES INTO YOUR FOOD
- Buy and Make Extra: I am the queen of reheats and left overs. Avoid office lunches. Hidden calories galore.
7) Free Jillian Michaels Mini Workouts: I have a serious girl crush on Jillian. And a trainer crush. I recommend downloading and watching (and doing).
And that's it for me today--I'm saving some of my links for next week since I won't be collecting them throughout this one. Stay active while I'm gone!
Also, do me a little favor and shoot my blog out to your friends, family, coworkers, gym buddies, whoever. Or...follow me on Twitter. It's good to know how many people out there are reading!
Saturday, June 28, 2014
My Second RD Appt and the Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Run
I met with my Registered Dietician (RD) last Thursday after many a rescheduled appointment.
I have to say, if you've never sat down with an R.D., stop what you're doing, stop reading this blog, and go make an appointment. Get 4 sessions, and trust me.
The last time I met with my RD, I had brought her a food diary from about a week to two weeks of eating. I'm fairly meticulous with writing down what I eat, so that was the easy part. We talked about my goals, my life style, and some general rules, then she asked me to write down the emotional feelings I had every time I ate until our next meeting.
While that went out the window when I got busy, I did make note of my emotions while eating enough that this picture became clear:
- I woke up not hungry (even before and after a morning workout), got the office and wanted a cup of coffee, no food. Halfway into my coffee, I wanted to eat my desk and the hunger came out of no where.
- I ate again around 10:30 because I was starting to get the munchies. Usually a piece of fruit cured this.
- Since my team tends to eat together at noon, I was never hungry at the beginning of lunch. The hunger picked up halfway through lunch, then I finished ready for a food coma nap.
- 3:30 I get bored and want to snack. Has to be a slow to eat food--popcorn, grapes, anything that requires time to eat.
- Not hungry when I get home and especially not hungry after I workout. At all. I have to force myself to eat after a workout. But about an hour after my workout, again I am ready to destroy an entire pizza.
My RD and I went through discussing that pattern and it basically followed exactly what she suspected/had seen in my food log:
I'm not eating enough. Hi, shocker! I'm a really big proponent of calories in, calories out for weight loss and while it still holds through, I'm highly active and not fueling my body to that level. Am I starving myself? No, but is my body going "eh, let's not burn off that fat, we're a little worried about our caloric intake?" in a word, yes. It sounds a lot more like a bad thing than it actually is.
Think about your body as a car. Let's say that the gas tank can fuel for the energy needed for exactly 1 day, plus a little bit of top-off fuel. When you wake up in the morning (start your car) without eating breakfast, you're essentially running on fumes till you hit the gas station (first meal). If you're like me and try to get in a few morning workouts, you're running on fumes, then pushing your car to the gas station if you fail to eat before hand.
Of course, you want to fill up the gas tank all the way (stuffing yourself). Same thing happens if you decide to put in more miles in a day than your gas tank can hold (second workout) and you wind up filling up again before you take your car home and putting it in the garage.
Essentially, I burn on fumes, over load on food, get really tired, burn all my food off again, then eat a ton or not at all, then pass out and repeat. My consumption looked more like a tiny hill followed by a valley, then a big hill, a steep valley, a little hill, then a huge hill, then right back down and repeat.
My R.D. says that I need to fuel before and after my workouts and definitely eat a breakfast and fuel through my day.
I don't have the papers in front of me, but she outlined the amount of stuff I need to be getting in these food groups:
- Grains
- Protein
- Dairy
- Fruits
- Vegetables
It's a LOT of food. I know she was thinking that I'd be mentally tabbing up the calories from a sample meal, so she said something that I guess I knew in the back of my mind, but hadn't actually fleshed out into full thought.
I might have been eating the right amount of calories, but the nutrients? Who knows. I mean, what do you REALLY get out of a 100 calorie pack of chocolate pretzels? Probably not much. So we turned the attention to what kind of calories I was actually eating. Cutting out a lot of prepackaged frozen junk and turning to "whole" foods.
While I'll be eating a lot more food, I'll probably be eating the right amount of calories, with all the nutrients. I added milk back into my diet, which hasn't been there in years. My stomach and I are still trying to decide how this is going to work out, but it has been nice to induldge in a big frothy glass of milk, especially post workout for the perfect blend of carbs and protein (and it cuts off that huge hunger pang I have about an hour post workout).
I'll post the sample menu that my RD gave me when I get home.
We also talked about setting SMART goals. I think I've talked about smart goals, so I won't go there again, but if you're interested, just google it. We wound up setting two SMART goals for me with three supporting goals.
I'll post those, too, when I get home so I make sure I have them down right.
So far, so good. I'm on 5 of eating more like the way we discussed and I feel really full all the time and I have energy. Double win.
In totally different news,
The Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Run was this weekend. This was my second 10 Miler, my first one, I came in with like a 1:26 something because I was running with my friend, Maureen, from work and she pushed the hell out of me. This year, by total accident, I ran into her among 15,000 people. We wound up running together again, all the time pushing the other by total accident. We each thought we were slowing up the other, so we kept pushing and pushing and pushing. Before I knew it, we'd crossed 4, just after mile 5, I saw Chadd where I handed off my jacket, then 6, then 7 (oh man, just a 5k left), then suddenly 8 and we only had about 17 minutes left to endure. Then 9 went by and holy moly there was a hill. Maureen put the pedal to the medal, and amazingly, my legs kept up with her. We crested the hill to see the arches were not exactly right around the bend. Falling back a bit, we tried to pick up the pace again and flew through the finish line.
Time: 1:21:29; Pace: 8:09
And just like that, another PR this year.
I can tell you that one of the most beautiful sounds to me in the world is the sound of silence and a thousand runners shoes hitting the pavement all around you.
I have to say, if you've never sat down with an R.D., stop what you're doing, stop reading this blog, and go make an appointment. Get 4 sessions, and trust me.
The last time I met with my RD, I had brought her a food diary from about a week to two weeks of eating. I'm fairly meticulous with writing down what I eat, so that was the easy part. We talked about my goals, my life style, and some general rules, then she asked me to write down the emotional feelings I had every time I ate until our next meeting.
While that went out the window when I got busy, I did make note of my emotions while eating enough that this picture became clear:
- I woke up not hungry (even before and after a morning workout), got the office and wanted a cup of coffee, no food. Halfway into my coffee, I wanted to eat my desk and the hunger came out of no where.
- I ate again around 10:30 because I was starting to get the munchies. Usually a piece of fruit cured this.
- Since my team tends to eat together at noon, I was never hungry at the beginning of lunch. The hunger picked up halfway through lunch, then I finished ready for a food coma nap.
- 3:30 I get bored and want to snack. Has to be a slow to eat food--popcorn, grapes, anything that requires time to eat.
- Not hungry when I get home and especially not hungry after I workout. At all. I have to force myself to eat after a workout. But about an hour after my workout, again I am ready to destroy an entire pizza.
My RD and I went through discussing that pattern and it basically followed exactly what she suspected/had seen in my food log:
I'm not eating enough. Hi, shocker! I'm a really big proponent of calories in, calories out for weight loss and while it still holds through, I'm highly active and not fueling my body to that level. Am I starving myself? No, but is my body going "eh, let's not burn off that fat, we're a little worried about our caloric intake?" in a word, yes. It sounds a lot more like a bad thing than it actually is.
Think about your body as a car. Let's say that the gas tank can fuel for the energy needed for exactly 1 day, plus a little bit of top-off fuel. When you wake up in the morning (start your car) without eating breakfast, you're essentially running on fumes till you hit the gas station (first meal). If you're like me and try to get in a few morning workouts, you're running on fumes, then pushing your car to the gas station if you fail to eat before hand.
Of course, you want to fill up the gas tank all the way (stuffing yourself). Same thing happens if you decide to put in more miles in a day than your gas tank can hold (second workout) and you wind up filling up again before you take your car home and putting it in the garage.
Essentially, I burn on fumes, over load on food, get really tired, burn all my food off again, then eat a ton or not at all, then pass out and repeat. My consumption looked more like a tiny hill followed by a valley, then a big hill, a steep valley, a little hill, then a huge hill, then right back down and repeat.
My R.D. says that I need to fuel before and after my workouts and definitely eat a breakfast and fuel through my day.
I don't have the papers in front of me, but she outlined the amount of stuff I need to be getting in these food groups:
- Grains
- Protein
- Dairy
- Fruits
- Vegetables
It's a LOT of food. I know she was thinking that I'd be mentally tabbing up the calories from a sample meal, so she said something that I guess I knew in the back of my mind, but hadn't actually fleshed out into full thought.
I might have been eating the right amount of calories, but the nutrients? Who knows. I mean, what do you REALLY get out of a 100 calorie pack of chocolate pretzels? Probably not much. So we turned the attention to what kind of calories I was actually eating. Cutting out a lot of prepackaged frozen junk and turning to "whole" foods.
While I'll be eating a lot more food, I'll probably be eating the right amount of calories, with all the nutrients. I added milk back into my diet, which hasn't been there in years. My stomach and I are still trying to decide how this is going to work out, but it has been nice to induldge in a big frothy glass of milk, especially post workout for the perfect blend of carbs and protein (and it cuts off that huge hunger pang I have about an hour post workout).
I'll post the sample menu that my RD gave me when I get home.
We also talked about setting SMART goals. I think I've talked about smart goals, so I won't go there again, but if you're interested, just google it. We wound up setting two SMART goals for me with three supporting goals.
I'll post those, too, when I get home so I make sure I have them down right.
So far, so good. I'm on 5 of eating more like the way we discussed and I feel really full all the time and I have energy. Double win.
In totally different news,
The Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Run was this weekend. This was my second 10 Miler, my first one, I came in with like a 1:26 something because I was running with my friend, Maureen, from work and she pushed the hell out of me. This year, by total accident, I ran into her among 15,000 people. We wound up running together again, all the time pushing the other by total accident. We each thought we were slowing up the other, so we kept pushing and pushing and pushing. Before I knew it, we'd crossed 4, just after mile 5, I saw Chadd where I handed off my jacket, then 6, then 7 (oh man, just a 5k left), then suddenly 8 and we only had about 17 minutes left to endure. Then 9 went by and holy moly there was a hill. Maureen put the pedal to the medal, and amazingly, my legs kept up with her. We crested the hill to see the arches were not exactly right around the bend. Falling back a bit, we tried to pick up the pace again and flew through the finish line.
Time: 1:21:29; Pace: 8:09
And just like that, another PR this year.
I can tell you that one of the most beautiful sounds to me in the world is the sound of silence and a thousand runners shoes hitting the pavement all around you.
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