Ate fiber one today and had half a thin bar
Ate a salad with sliced turkey on top. I sauteed asparagus and fresh fava beans (worth a post in itself with pics- poster bean for compost waste) with a tsp of oil, sprinkled with salt and pepper. raw peppers, onion and romaine. No dressing needed b/c of turkey and sauteed veggies. YUM! One slice of double fiber bread.
I think I am eating too much salt for this diet. Salted nuts, regular turkey, miso soup and noodle sodium invasion added to soup last night.
Yoga yesterday and weights, ran with Teri today- maybe push-ups later. Tomorrow run or yoga? Can't decide- maybe run to yoga?
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
My reflections on dieting
I don't know if anyone tunes into this, but it seemed the only appropriate place to post. On doing the Gwyneth diet and discussing it with J, I realized that it has been a long time since I have been on a "diet". I have a healthier outlook on food and diets, but I have a long semi-professional history with diets. J looked into my eyes and I think realized that she was fighting a losing battle.
Upon reflection, I feel diets can be fun. On my "hot dog" diet as E scathingly called it, I learned to like beets and cottage cheese (I already liked hot dogs). And, while on this one I did something I never would have thought I'd do. I went into planet juice and ordered a wheatgrass shooter. It was so funny to hear Noa tell Kai with glee,"Did you know mama drank grass?!" He preferred his dollar rainbow sherbet.
Upon reflection, I feel diets can be fun. On my "hot dog" diet as E scathingly called it, I learned to like beets and cottage cheese (I already liked hot dogs). And, while on this one I did something I never would have thought I'd do. I went into planet juice and ordered a wheatgrass shooter. It was so funny to hear Noa tell Kai with glee,"Did you know mama drank grass?!" He preferred his dollar rainbow sherbet.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
80#
(o:
Just a yay for me moment. Succcccch a long haul, and a ways to go (like the rest of my life!) but every week it gets a little easier, a little clearer.
So... yay for me. Now you can say it too! (o:
Just a yay for me moment. Succcccch a long haul, and a ways to go (like the rest of my life!) but every week it gets a little easier, a little clearer.
So... yay for me. Now you can say it too! (o:
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Sick
I had free and easy long weekend of holiday eating and have been back in a healthier mode since Monday. But today I am sick and need to be at work until 10:00pm. In other words, I am not going to make it through the day without candy. I wish I were a better woman than this...but it's the hierarchy of needs, baby.
Are any of you still trying to lose weight over the holidays, or are you in a "maintain, don't gain" mode?
Are any of you still trying to lose weight over the holidays, or are you in a "maintain, don't gain" mode?
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Zero Tolerance
I know that with Weight Watchers, you're supposed to be able to eat "whatever you want" in moderation. But here's a hard truth I'm learning. Sugar craves more sugar; fat craves more fat. And yes, if we had to be 100% honest, booze craves more booze.
It just seems to be one of those slightly bummer facts of life. Anyway, I'm back on track.
A 4 point turkey & avocado sandwich with carrots...
...and a 2.5 point egg white scramble with roasted veggies and feta and a side of grilled tomatoes.
I've also decided to be even more discriminating about my baked sweets. Thus, the homemade cupcakes made by a coworker got a polite "pass."
It's much harder to pass on the following:
D's Chocolate Bread Pudding
Erin's Peanut Butter Cookies with Mini Peanut Butter Cups
Dana L's Chocolate Peanut Butter Krispys
and Jill's Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake.
Agh! You're all such talented bakers! Tie me to the mast, plug your own ears and no matter what I say, don't let me loose!
It just seems to be one of those slightly bummer facts of life. Anyway, I'm back on track.
A 4 point turkey & avocado sandwich with carrots...
...and a 2.5 point egg white scramble with roasted veggies and feta and a side of grilled tomatoes.
I've also decided to be even more discriminating about my baked sweets. Thus, the homemade cupcakes made by a coworker got a polite "pass."
It's much harder to pass on the following:
D's Chocolate Bread Pudding
Erin's Peanut Butter Cookies with Mini Peanut Butter Cups
Dana L's Chocolate Peanut Butter Krispys
and Jill's Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake.
Agh! You're all such talented bakers! Tie me to the mast, plug your own ears and no matter what I say, don't let me loose!
Rice Krispy Treats
FYI
Rice Krispy Treats made with
3 tbs butter
40 marshmallows
6 cups rice krispies
equals 45 points for the entire batch.
I made a batch this afternoon with no butter (used cooking spray). Let's just say...the butter is there for a reason. :)
Rice Krispy Treats made with
3 tbs butter
40 marshmallows
6 cups rice krispies
equals 45 points for the entire batch.
I made a batch this afternoon with no butter (used cooking spray). Let's just say...the butter is there for a reason. :)
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Pep Talk for all us revelers!
Special occasions, be they holidays or historic election days are great for indulging. Enjoy without shame or guilt!
The day after-- eat your 2 point breakfast and keep yourself busy, don't think about "getting back on the wagon" just get back to normal. Eat your points and enjoy that light feeling that comes with going to bed after a day of eating just enough instead of a day of too much.
You are a healthy woman! You can make great choices for yourself to celebrate with food or to simplify and reduce your food intake every day!
P.S. One thing that helps me when I am recovering from a day or weekend of excess is noticing how much MORE I can eat when I prepare a healthy meal. High fiber bread, a couple slices of deli turkey, mustard and laughing cow cheese--3 points! I used that same three points for 2 measly fun size snickers a few days ago! This helps me feel like I'm not depriving myself when I'm eating fewer calories/less fat.
The day after-- eat your 2 point breakfast and keep yourself busy, don't think about "getting back on the wagon" just get back to normal. Eat your points and enjoy that light feeling that comes with going to bed after a day of eating just enough instead of a day of too much.
You are a healthy woman! You can make great choices for yourself to celebrate with food or to simplify and reduce your food intake every day!
P.S. One thing that helps me when I am recovering from a day or weekend of excess is noticing how much MORE I can eat when I prepare a healthy meal. High fiber bread, a couple slices of deli turkey, mustard and laughing cow cheese--3 points! I used that same three points for 2 measly fun size snickers a few days ago! This helps me feel like I'm not depriving myself when I'm eating fewer calories/less fat.
I Need a Pep Talk
I got a group email from the "Wellness Coordinator" at work that said that an appropriate goal for the holidays is "don't gain, maintain." I'm a little nervous because in the last two weeks, I seem to have preemptively adopted that strategy; am I on a slippery slope?
What's been hard? Oh, the usual stuff. Busy at work, writing everyday and what else? Oh yeah, a little thing called ELECTING THE FIRST BLACK PRESIDENT and WATCHING A SEA CHANGE IN AMERICAN HISTORY. (I mean, when "some-of-my-best-friends-are-black" Celeste and Leslie invited me to eat Mexican food, what was I going to say? Don't care if Obama won, I'm eating a salad? What I actually did say was "margaritas are on me!")
Advice?
What's been hard? Oh, the usual stuff. Busy at work, writing everyday and what else? Oh yeah, a little thing called ELECTING THE FIRST BLACK PRESIDENT and WATCHING A SEA CHANGE IN AMERICAN HISTORY. (I mean, when "some-of-my-best-friends-are-black" Celeste and Leslie invited me to eat Mexican food, what was I going to say? Don't care if Obama won, I'm eating a salad? What I actually did say was "margaritas are on me!")
Advice?
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Ranch Dressing
I tried a modified version of this Ranch dressing tonight. (Modified because I didn't have any sour cream and used low fat mayo). Pretty darn good on Cobb salad made with iceberg lettuce, chopped cucumbers, tomatoes, celery, hard boiled egg and chicken (for me) or bacon (for the kids).
Note that everything on the Veggie Venture website has both nutrition info and WW points.
Note that everything on the Veggie Venture website has both nutrition info and WW points.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Email Ping
Looser Pants-ers,
Let me know (in comments or shoot me an email) if you want to be pinged when someone comments on this blog. I can enter up to 10 emails.
Let me know (in comments or shoot me an email) if you want to be pinged when someone comments on this blog. I can enter up to 10 emails.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Jillian's 30 Day Shred
Okay, I've been recommending this workout DVD all around town. It is so great. It will kick your butt and you'll come back for more. This is coming from JillyG here, one who usually says "no thanks" to exercise. I haven't done this DVD in the past week, and I actually miss it a little bit. I find that a workout dvd works best for me in getting the exercise in. I think most of you guys do the gym/running thing, but if you want to try it out I'll lend it to you.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Achy and Feeling Crumb-y
(I am temporary exiled from my office here at GSPP while they install new furniture).
There are days when healthy and low calorie eating feels downright easy. You're in a good groove, you have your staples and the occasional treat, it's all good. Then there are times like this weekend.
I had planned well for the party on Friday night, but when I woke up on Saturday morning with a sore throat, it was over before it started. Good intentions decreased as body aches increased. I was sick, not so sick that I was completely out of commission, but sick enough that I wanted to do something to make myself feel better.
Add to this the beautiful persimmon muffins I made for Anna's soccer team that were returned mostly uneaten (woe to the 8 year old's palate!) and you have a weekend of hot tea and muffins, and more hot tea and muffins. Which might have been okay, except that since I thought I was baking for kids, I used a recipe consisting of 1 cup butter, 1.5 cups sugar.
To get myself back on track, I cooked up a pot of lentils last night. Today's lunch is a cup of lentils with 1/4 cup feta and lots of heirloom tomatoes. 6 points.
The only downside is that the kids think cooking lentils smell bad...and Anna, aka Miss Smell Sensitive, says that, after standing over a pot of boiling lentils, my clothes "smell like farts" and that I should take a shower. Kids can be so darling, can't they?
There are days when healthy and low calorie eating feels downright easy. You're in a good groove, you have your staples and the occasional treat, it's all good. Then there are times like this weekend.
I had planned well for the party on Friday night, but when I woke up on Saturday morning with a sore throat, it was over before it started. Good intentions decreased as body aches increased. I was sick, not so sick that I was completely out of commission, but sick enough that I wanted to do something to make myself feel better.
Add to this the beautiful persimmon muffins I made for Anna's soccer team that were returned mostly uneaten (woe to the 8 year old's palate!) and you have a weekend of hot tea and muffins, and more hot tea and muffins. Which might have been okay, except that since I thought I was baking for kids, I used a recipe consisting of 1 cup butter, 1.5 cups sugar.
To get myself back on track, I cooked up a pot of lentils last night. Today's lunch is a cup of lentils with 1/4 cup feta and lots of heirloom tomatoes. 6 points.
The only downside is that the kids think cooking lentils smell bad...and Anna, aka Miss Smell Sensitive, says that, after standing over a pot of boiling lentils, my clothes "smell like farts" and that I should take a shower. Kids can be so darling, can't they?
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Roasted Veggies
I couldn't help but notice the delicious bowl of veggies that Dana L. was eating last Sunday night (while the rest of us was eating pizza at the prayer vigil meeting). I asked her about the method behind her veggie bonanza. Her answer:
I spray the tray with olive oil, very lightly. Load up my veggies (eggplant, yams, mushrooms, cauliflower, zucchini, etc. I stay away from things like peppers and really really wet vegetables, because I like them to roast a little dry.)
spray again, lightly
grind fresh pepper on top and put a little bit of garlic salt on it (like a lawry's)
Bake at 425ish for about 20 minutes. Less is fine too. But I do like it to be dry...
Then, though I didn't do it this time, because I was out... I mix it in a bowl with an 1/8 cup (or less) of a cup of feta. Heaven!
I use feta packed in brine which is something I discovered recently. Well let's be honest, they did a taste test on supermarket feta on America's Test Kitchen, and they determined it didn't matter what you bought as long as it was in brine. I'd never had feta packed in brine, but I love it!! I also don't need to use very much because it has so much more flavor!
Where do you buy it? I don't know if they have it at regular grocery stores, but I buy it at Indus groceries on San Pablo. Big ole block for about 5 bucks.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Breakfast
I've been on my healthy eating regimen for six weeks now, with a one-week break to account for my parents' visit, the church anniversary and the Full Belly Farm Hoes Down. I only recently acquired an accurate scale, so I can't really say how much weight I've lost. I'll approximate and say 5 lbs.
The best healthy habit that I've adopted so far is eating a good breakfast, even if that means I roll into the office a little late (and therefore have to stay late--boo!).
My breakfast of choice:
2/3 cup Trader Joe's Fruit and Fiber cereal with nonfat milk (2 points)
3 egg white scramble with salsa (1 point)
coffee with half and half (1 point)
The caffeine curbs hunger, the half and half is my morning indulgence. The protein gives me energy and the fiber keeps things moving right along. It's a good kick start to my 20 point day.
What are the best practices that you've adopted?
The best healthy habit that I've adopted so far is eating a good breakfast, even if that means I roll into the office a little late (and therefore have to stay late--boo!).
My breakfast of choice:
2/3 cup Trader Joe's Fruit and Fiber cereal with nonfat milk (2 points)
3 egg white scramble with salsa (1 point)
coffee with half and half (1 point)
The caffeine curbs hunger, the half and half is my morning indulgence. The protein gives me energy and the fiber keeps things moving right along. It's a good kick start to my 20 point day.
What are the best practices that you've adopted?
Friday, October 19, 2007
I Am Undecided
Went to Cafe Gratitude (raw foods restaurant on Shattuck) with Pauline yesterday. After thinking, like Bora, that I would not be eating there anytime soon, our raw foods blogging and my increased raw diet made me curious. So, Pauline humored me (her friend Pearl loves the place).
All the menu items are these "I am" statements. So you are supposed to go in and order in a very self-affirming way. "I am fabulous. I am satisfied. I am present. I am a little embarrassed(JK)." Then they ask you a question of the day which I assume you can answer or not. Ours was,"what motivates you?" Pauline commented that it was a good question. There are also these little sage cards with little stories and philosophical musings.
We got the "cream" of broccoli soup- I am thriving and the sampler plate- I am abundant. Everything was very tasty I have to say. Pauline said she would order the spring rolls from the sampler plate again- I am insightful. I have to say that I left intrigued but feeling like I had been to Jamba Juice, AND I was the blender. I would go back again and try the grain bowls or salads. Anyone interested?
Should we get a half marathon progress blog started?
All the menu items are these "I am" statements. So you are supposed to go in and order in a very self-affirming way. "I am fabulous. I am satisfied. I am present. I am a little embarrassed(JK)." Then they ask you a question of the day which I assume you can answer or not. Ours was,"what motivates you?" Pauline commented that it was a good question. There are also these little sage cards with little stories and philosophical musings.
We got the "cream" of broccoli soup- I am thriving and the sampler plate- I am abundant. Everything was very tasty I have to say. Pauline said she would order the spring rolls from the sampler plate again- I am insightful. I have to say that I left intrigued but feeling like I had been to Jamba Juice, AND I was the blender. I would go back again and try the grain bowls or salads. Anyone interested?
Should we get a half marathon progress blog started?
Monday, October 15, 2007
Raw
Inspired by the last two posts, here's my current action plan. I am going to combine the genius of weight watchers with the power of raw foods. I will have 20 weight watchers points every day--not going to use the rollover points--but I will not count points for raw food. This means that I can eat all fruits, veggies and nuts with impunity--as long as they're RAW (roasted nuts don't count). This includes and avocados and other "high point" foods.
I'm hoping that this will be a hybrid between dieting and lifestyle change and help me deal with long, sometimes stressful days at work. I get super hungry and point counting seems so hard that I usually give up and go out for Thai food. With this new system, I can keep raisins and raw walnuts at my desk and eat them without feeling guilty.
There's definitely some work involved--most immeidately taking the time to shop for and prepare enough raw food to bring to work. Given that my work life is most intense at the beginning of the week, I should probably shop Saturday and chop Sunday.
If I don't lose weight on this new system, it's back to the drawing board.
This, combined with running, marks a vast improvement in lifestyle for me.
If I do lose weight, I can market this and get rich.
I'm hoping that this will be a hybrid between dieting and lifestyle change and help me deal with long, sometimes stressful days at work. I get super hungry and point counting seems so hard that I usually give up and go out for Thai food. With this new system, I can keep raisins and raw walnuts at my desk and eat them without feeling guilty.
There's definitely some work involved--most immeidately taking the time to shop for and prepare enough raw food to bring to work. Given that my work life is most intense at the beginning of the week, I should probably shop Saturday and chop Sunday.
If I don't lose weight on this new system, it's back to the drawing board.
This, combined with running, marks a vast improvement in lifestyle for me.
If I do lose weight, I can market this and get rich.
Friday, October 12, 2007
Chimin' in: A new wagon
So I'm still determined - or at the very least, hoping very hard - to get my pants looser. The points thing ain't got much lifestyle traction for me anymore. And yes, I concede.
I just so happened to record an episode of Oprah early this season. (Really, this is related...) It was one with her pal, Dr. Oz, Mehmet Oz. Oprah sure has a knack of finding people who explain things well and make things very accessible. And she then has a knack for making them famous. Anyway, there were 3 segments of the show that day that have been settling into me and creating a new resolve and strategy for eating and pants-loosening.
I humbly present the 3 below, along with my initial applications:
1) More fiber
We all know this one - and our preferred method and product has been Fiber One. Unlike a while ago, I can eat it now but chocolate soy milk is pretty integral to the experience. With regular milk, I can hardly keep it down.
With this one, I don't need to explain my theories - you know them, you've laughed, and you've come to believe. But if you check out Dr. Oz's "experiment" with 2 low-to-no-fiber diet, European truck drivers the point really hits home. He made each swallow a transmitter pill that tracked their digestion and how long it was taking "from end to end." It took one of the drivers, Wolfgang over 40 hours to pass the pill. Both were then given a high-fiber diet (I wish they'd give more specifics and ideas here) and Wolfgang cut his time down to 12 hours!
And of course, this isn't speaking specifically to weight loss but you know my "grease the skids" theory. And there are plenty of other positive effects of fiber as Dr. Judy's advised.
Link to Oprah/Oz fiber experiment.
D's initial application: More thought to fiber intake. Been starting each day with a packet/bowl of oatmeal - and been eating it (scarfing it down) before I leave the house. High-fiber cereal on hand at work too.
2) More calcium
I remember an article that ran (HA!) in Runner's World a couple of years ago about dairy's impact on weight loss. There wasn't much detail but it made an impression. Well, leave it to Dr. Oz to do an experiment (don't ask me why all his subjects are European) that hits the point home.
This group was given a diet high in dairy-based calcium one week, followed by a one low-in-dairy/-calcium the next. Stool samples were taken and the amount of fat that was absorbed/passed through was measured and compared. Conclusion: Calcium can double your fat excretion! And leave it to Dr. Oz to bring in a dramatic visual - 6.5 pounds of lard! Yup, he said that a daily intake of 1200 mgs of calcium a day can mean 6.5 pounds of fat loss in a year! Hey, SIGN ME UP!
More Oprah /Oz calcium details and explanation here.
D's initial application: Less regard for points and an increased, unabashed consumption of soy milk. 1-3 cups a day. Being better with my calcium supplements (but I wish it said how much magnesium was in these things too). And I think I've put ice cream on a figuratively lower shelf now too. Well, at least the fancy kind Marty received as a thank you gift here at the office. YUM! :-)
3) Raw food
So they fed another group of European subjects raw food. ELEVEN pounds of it (raw fruit, vegetables and nuts) per day for 12 days! Poor peeps. But the results were sort of astounding... cholesterol dropped 25%, blood pressure 10%, and each lost 10 pounds and over 2 inches off their waist - all in 12 days!
Nutrient-rich foods. Yup, I'm a believer. And I think this is where Weight Watchers was good in translating the benefits making raw veggies zero points. But also not so good overall - because I could focus on and be successful with my points but still be missing key nutrient and not have a well-balanced diet. Remember my post back a few months ago about needing to eat more vegetables? Yup. And really this #3 (raw food) has a high correlation with #1 (more fiber).
Link to Oprah/Oz "raw food" summary.
D's initial application: I've been trying to eat more veggies, thinking about this raw food component. Don't make reservations at Cafe Gratitude yet! - I ain't going that far. Just more veggies - 11 pounds is extreme but I'm trying to increase my relative volume. Also WW was/is so anti-nuts because of the fat, but I'm slowly re-programming myself to move toward them rather than away. Mmmm, pistachios!
Haven't started yet - but my mom has for many years been starting her days with what she calls "nutrition soup." She blends 5-6 different vegetables/fruit into a "smoothie." Drinks it down and she's already ahead of the health game for the day. I like it - the idea of getting in the veggies and fiber that efficiently. And it tastes ok. Not bad, really. I think you have to treat it like good medicine. But the hassle has made it a non-consideration. But times are a-changin'. I'm planning to start blending after our household's next Berkeley Bowl run.
Here's some tips from my mom if you're interested:
Usual ingredients:
Main ingredient - organic oat bran (1/3 or half cup)
1) 1 small apple (or half big one) - keep the skin on
2) 1 kiwi - skin off
3) two stalks of celery
4) some berries (blueberry is preferred)
5) some dark green veggies - e.g., a few broccoli florets
then add water.
So in response Bora's last question (points vs. lifestyle): Lifestyle.
I feel freer to be without points, but now strategizing with these new learnings/convictions. Right now, my pants... have been tighter, and have been looser. But I'm feeling pretty good and we'll see if this jumpstarts some good, loosening, longer-life-living change!
:-)
I just so happened to record an episode of Oprah early this season. (Really, this is related...) It was one with her pal, Dr. Oz, Mehmet Oz. Oprah sure has a knack of finding people who explain things well and make things very accessible. And she then has a knack for making them famous. Anyway, there were 3 segments of the show that day that have been settling into me and creating a new resolve and strategy for eating and pants-loosening.
I humbly present the 3 below, along with my initial applications:
1) More fiber
We all know this one - and our preferred method and product has been Fiber One. Unlike a while ago, I can eat it now but chocolate soy milk is pretty integral to the experience. With regular milk, I can hardly keep it down.
With this one, I don't need to explain my theories - you know them, you've laughed, and you've come to believe. But if you check out Dr. Oz's "experiment" with 2 low-to-no-fiber diet, European truck drivers the point really hits home. He made each swallow a transmitter pill that tracked their digestion and how long it was taking "from end to end." It took one of the drivers, Wolfgang over 40 hours to pass the pill. Both were then given a high-fiber diet (I wish they'd give more specifics and ideas here) and Wolfgang cut his time down to 12 hours!
And of course, this isn't speaking specifically to weight loss but you know my "grease the skids" theory. And there are plenty of other positive effects of fiber as Dr. Judy's advised.
Link to Oprah/Oz fiber experiment.
D's initial application: More thought to fiber intake. Been starting each day with a packet/bowl of oatmeal - and been eating it (scarfing it down) before I leave the house. High-fiber cereal on hand at work too.
2) More calcium
I remember an article that ran (HA!) in Runner's World a couple of years ago about dairy's impact on weight loss. There wasn't much detail but it made an impression. Well, leave it to Dr. Oz to do an experiment (don't ask me why all his subjects are European) that hits the point home.
This group was given a diet high in dairy-based calcium one week, followed by a one low-in-dairy/-calcium the next. Stool samples were taken and the amount of fat that was absorbed/passed through was measured and compared. Conclusion: Calcium can double your fat excretion! And leave it to Dr. Oz to bring in a dramatic visual - 6.5 pounds of lard! Yup, he said that a daily intake of 1200 mgs of calcium a day can mean 6.5 pounds of fat loss in a year! Hey, SIGN ME UP!
More Oprah /Oz calcium details and explanation here.
D's initial application: Less regard for points and an increased, unabashed consumption of soy milk. 1-3 cups a day. Being better with my calcium supplements (but I wish it said how much magnesium was in these things too). And I think I've put ice cream on a figuratively lower shelf now too. Well, at least the fancy kind Marty received as a thank you gift here at the office. YUM! :-)
3) Raw food
So they fed another group of European subjects raw food. ELEVEN pounds of it (raw fruit, vegetables and nuts) per day for 12 days! Poor peeps. But the results were sort of astounding... cholesterol dropped 25%, blood pressure 10%, and each lost 10 pounds and over 2 inches off their waist - all in 12 days!
Nutrient-rich foods. Yup, I'm a believer. And I think this is where Weight Watchers was good in translating the benefits making raw veggies zero points. But also not so good overall - because I could focus on and be successful with my points but still be missing key nutrient and not have a well-balanced diet. Remember my post back a few months ago about needing to eat more vegetables? Yup. And really this #3 (raw food) has a high correlation with #1 (more fiber).
Link to Oprah/Oz "raw food" summary.
D's initial application: I've been trying to eat more veggies, thinking about this raw food component. Don't make reservations at Cafe Gratitude yet! - I ain't going that far. Just more veggies - 11 pounds is extreme but I'm trying to increase my relative volume. Also WW was/is so anti-nuts because of the fat, but I'm slowly re-programming myself to move toward them rather than away. Mmmm, pistachios!
Haven't started yet - but my mom has for many years been starting her days with what she calls "nutrition soup." She blends 5-6 different vegetables/fruit into a "smoothie." Drinks it down and she's already ahead of the health game for the day. I like it - the idea of getting in the veggies and fiber that efficiently. And it tastes ok. Not bad, really. I think you have to treat it like good medicine. But the hassle has made it a non-consideration. But times are a-changin'. I'm planning to start blending after our household's next Berkeley Bowl run.
Here's some tips from my mom if you're interested:
Usual ingredients:
Main ingredient - organic oat bran (1/3 or half cup)
1) 1 small apple (or half big one) - keep the skin on
2) 1 kiwi - skin off
3) two stalks of celery
4) some berries (blueberry is preferred)
5) some dark green veggies - e.g., a few broccoli florets
then add water.
So in response Bora's last question (points vs. lifestyle): Lifestyle.
I feel freer to be without points, but now strategizing with these new learnings/convictions. Right now, my pants... have been tighter, and have been looser. But I'm feeling pretty good and we'll see if this jumpstarts some good, loosening, longer-life-living change!
:-)
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
People using google reader UNITE!
Long silence here, I know. I am back on full force. What makes this different from just a good intention you ask?
I am committed to the following things:
-making less interesting, but infinitely more healthy dinners. Let's face it: fat is fun and tasty.
-ordering the healthiest thing on the menu even if it is the most expensive thing
-preparing food for my lunches as well as for dinner. Lentils, quinoa chili, cooked chicken breast.
I am I felt confirmation when my kids ate up all their lentils and rice last night. A good start!
I am committed to the following things:
-making less interesting, but infinitely more healthy dinners. Let's face it: fat is fun and tasty.
-ordering the healthiest thing on the menu even if it is the most expensive thing
-preparing food for my lunches as well as for dinner. Lentils, quinoa chili, cooked chicken breast.
I am I felt confirmation when my kids ate up all their lentils and rice last night. A good start!
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Accountability
How's everybody doing?
First I got busy, then I went on vacation, then I got sick. All part of regular life but healthy eating always seems to be the first thing to go. Am I correct in assuming that blog silence means that you all are also traveling, busy, overwhelmed, sick...and have let your original resolve slide a bit?
There's a reason weight watchers makes you come to weekly meetings.
I have a proposition for you (wink wink, nudge nudge).
Each person who "signs up" for this plan would check in via a blog post ONCE A WEEK. It's just a check in and can say, "All is going as planned," or "I'm struggling" or "I've lost all motivation." The only requirement is a check in.
Carrot: If everyone who signs up manages to check in weekly for four weeks, we can treat ourselves to a drink at Cesars.
Stick: If you say you will check in weekly but fail to, even after your friends gently remind you, you have to pay $25 into a common pot, which will go toward future outings to Cesars or some such place.
Let's see how this plan appeals or doesn't--if I get enough takers, I'll post an offcial start date.
First I got busy, then I went on vacation, then I got sick. All part of regular life but healthy eating always seems to be the first thing to go. Am I correct in assuming that blog silence means that you all are also traveling, busy, overwhelmed, sick...and have let your original resolve slide a bit?
There's a reason weight watchers makes you come to weekly meetings.
I have a proposition for you (wink wink, nudge nudge).
Each person who "signs up" for this plan would check in via a blog post ONCE A WEEK. It's just a check in and can say, "All is going as planned," or "I'm struggling" or "I've lost all motivation." The only requirement is a check in.
Carrot: If everyone who signs up manages to check in weekly for four weeks, we can treat ourselves to a drink at Cesars.
Stick: If you say you will check in weekly but fail to, even after your friends gently remind you, you have to pay $25 into a common pot, which will go toward future outings to Cesars or some such place.
Let's see how this plan appeals or doesn't--if I get enough takers, I'll post an offcial start date.
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