Last chance to do anything that needs to be done this year...like wish all your friends a Happy New Year!
WHAT I ATE TODAY:
I came up with some new recipes today...felt like playing in the kitchen. It was that kind of day.
It began with a Core dessert for Hubby. He really enjoys something sweet at the end of a meal...it is frequently fresh fruit, sugar-free Jello, or sugar-free instant pudding. We were talking yesterday about the merits of eating pumpkin pie over other desserts that he might find while eating out and I decided I would make a few custard cups filled with what is essentially pumpkin pie without the sugar and full-fat milk...it turned out really well and I posted the recipe on my recipe site.
I then worked on a recipe for a chicken and rice soup that I have enjoyed at our favorite restaurant...a Greek soup with chicken broth, rice, and lemon...thickened with beaten egg. Really good...and the added benefit of being Core if made with brown rice and fat-free broth. That recipe is also posted on my recipe site.
The third thing I made was some great chunky applesauce made with 8 Granny Smith apples that were sitting there being neglected as we ate oranges and Golden Delicious instead. I peeled them and cut them into chunks, added about 1/2 cup of water, a shake of salt, 1/2 cup Splenda, and 2 teaspoons apple pie spice. I cooked them covered until the apples were tender, mashed them a little with my potato masher, and immediately ate a little bowl full.
My last adventure was Trader Joe's Chile Lime Chicken Patties. I have been reading about how good they are on the WW Core Board and decided I had to give them a try...THEY ARE FABULOUS!!! We have to make an effort to get to a Trader Joe's...my brother was kind enough to pick these up for me...but we will be making that effort...they were really good.
WHAT I ATE TODAY:
In general, I try not to look back too often. What's done is done...what I do today is what really matters. But taking a quick peek over your shoulder once in awhile can also serve to teach...so, here goes.
2006...My first full year on my weight loss journey...I went to weekly meetings, ate Flex, endured the weigh-ins and lost well. It was an awakening...the fact that I could actually hang in there for more than a few weeks and actually enjoy myself in the meantime gave me a tremendous amount of confidence and hope...and I sorely needed that. Then came Autumn...we took a trip to Savannah and then spent a long weekend at a lakeside cabin and something happened to my progress. Pretty soon I was sliding back down the hill and ended up the year by regaining about 15 pounds. But I was not done! I was more determined than ever to jump right back and finish what I had started.
2007...I got right back in there and lost that weight I had regained and also found On-line WW...I loved it. I found a whole community of people who had great ideas and enthusiasm...I could search through endless recipes...some of them quite clever! I really plugged into the internet connection into weight loss. And then...I discovered the blogging community! I fell in love! This was what I had dreamed of all along...a real circle of friends that I could be involved with. People I grew to know and feel close to. Blogging kept me interested and enthused and accountable. My weight loss was slower in '07...I was pushing the limits of Flex and a little voice kept whispering in my ear that I really needed to eat fewer servings of my English muffins, soy chips, 100 calorie snacks, and sugar-free ice cream in order to get things moving again...but I was really reluctant to change anything...this was working, albeit slowly, and I really was afraid to rock the boat. But I worked up enough courage to give Core a trial run and I was so happy I did. It works well for me...and as a bonus...it works well for Hubby. I got through the fall without the 3 month melt down that I experienced in the previous year and headed into the holidays with just a blip of a few days of ornery eating before getting right back on plan.
So, what have I learned in the past two years?
I'm a few days early for the new 2008 edition of Kathy Calculates, but I had some time today to play and there you have it. I'm fond of presenting a clear, easy to read blog page...probably as a result of my old-lady eyes that rejoice in large type on a white background.
I decided to add a little profile on the right, but may tire of it later and hit "Delete"...we'll see.
I am really excited about 2008...I think it may be my best year yet. I'm beginning my third year of this weight loss journey...I have never stuck with anything that long except lousy eating and weight gain. I never had a problem maintaining them.
I look forward to seeing where the Core plan will take me. My food choices are so much better now than they had been and I just feel healthier than I did a few weeks ago.
I'm going to make a few changes for 2008. I have made it a point to not concentrate on the scale during the past two years, choosing to only weigh every three months as I went to the doctor for routine checks. I want to continue emphasizing the daily process...following the plan, getting in the fruits and vegetables, milk, healthy oils...but, I will also weigh at home the first day of each month just to check my progress. Eating healthier is my primary goal, but weight loss is also a target and I need to hold myself accountable to that goal as well.
I will continue to post what I eat each day. It does help keep me on-plan and I think it has the added benefit of helping a few other bloggers by giving them ideas for their own meal planning and to demonstrate how the Core plan looks in action. One of the things I read constantly on the WW board is the desire to see how others are "living" with Core...it was the reason I asked Skinny Guy just what he ate in a typical day before I began my own trial run.
I will continue to post occasional recipes as I run across them and will try to remember to also post them on my recipe site.
Is everyone else as excited as I am? I just can't wait to head into the next level of weight loss. I will be getting back to a weight that I haven't seen for about 30 years! And into new sizes...styles...maybe increased activity! And I have the added bonus of having my Hubby joining me and seeing him look and feel better!
All I need is DW saying, "BOOGITY...BOOGITY...BOOGITY!!!Let's go racing into 2008, boys!!!
WHAT I ATE TODAY:
I found a list of 10 rules for making a new start in a recent blog; it was an excerpt from John Sarkett's book, "Extraordinary Comebacks", and seemed relavent at this time of year when we are all looking for new beginnings and renewed enthusiasm toward our commitments to healthier eating. I paraphrase:
I had a constant headache the past week...even two spells of migraine symptoms, which, for me, begins with visual distortion. Step two is a mild headache, followed by nausea, tightening in my neck muscles, an inability to handle light, and then the severe headache. I can usually prevent it from progressing to the later stages if I take an aspirin and drink a cup of coffee right away when the visual problems begin...works for me. But the constant headache just stayed with me.
Fast forward to eliminating sugar from my diet again yesterday and 24 hours later, my headache is 90% gone! I never was a big believer in all the side effects of sugar until I developed hyperinsulinism about 30 years ago. I would eat something sugary and a couple of hours later the bottom would drop out of my blood sugar as the insulin would kick in and my blood sugar would plummet leaving me with slurred speech, confusion, heart palpitations and weakness like I have never known. I dealt with that for years. I would watch what I ate and then decide I wanted pancakes and syrup for breakfast and pay the price.
Hubby confided in me only a few weeks ago that he didn't understand what I was going through at the time and even wondered if I was drinking or something...glad I didn't know that back then! I'm basically a tea-totaller and have an aversion to drugs or anything which affects my senses...not a candidate for drinking or drug-taking...but I probably resembled a user at times. Now that he has taken insulin and experienced low blood sugar for himself, he is totally sympathetic.
Anyway, after years of witnessing that side-effect of sugar, it is not so great a leap for me to believe it may have the ability to produce other cause and effect maladies. I'm glad that I'm getting my "sugar fix" from fresh fruit for the most part, now.
THE LAST OF THE HOLIDAY MEALS:
We traveled to Columbus today to meet with members of my family over lunch. It is at a great buffet down there that Hubby and I fondly refer to as "The Hungry Heifer"...lol. You can get into a lot of trouble there so I think I did very well under the circumstances. Had a lot of fun catching up with family members I had not seen for a while. So, that is the end of the Holiday encounters for me and there are no more official reasons to consider cheating in the near future...unless the Iowa caucuses go my way!!!
GOALS FOR 2008:
I'm forming my list of goals and may even tweak my blog a little for the new year...all kinds of ideas going through my head...just can't let the creativity overwhelm my computer abilities!
WHAT I ATE TODAY:
Ahhh...that's a sigh of relief. I'm back to my "normal" eating and it feels so good. Just one more family gathering tomorrow, but that is taking place at a restaurant and I can navigate that easily enough! At least, easier than I could daughter, Lara's house, where I basically bellied up to the bar and said, "Just keep the breads coming...garlic...friendship, old and stale...I don't care!" lol
My natural inclination is always towards starches...the breads, stuffing, casseroles, pastas...so that is always where my greatest challenge lies. And the first thing I have to put back into its proper perspective when I resume healthier eating.
It was back to fruits and vegetables today along with a moderate amount of lean meat...leftover roasted eye of round. I'll have some skim milk this evening.
I'm looking forward to when everyone is back to their blogs...I miss reading them and staying in contact... and I'm anxious to carry my revised eating plan into 2008. I'm very optimistic about where it will take me.
WHAT I ATE TODAY:
Off topic here...well, it is about food...So!
We had supper at our little Greek restaurant tonight and I'm always amazed at the variety of foods they have on their menu...and they are not the types of food that are just combined differently to offer a wide choice of items...like Taco Bell and their plethora of menu items that are all basically combinations of about 5 items.
No...I'm talking about 2 different soups every day of the week...fourteen different soups by week's end. Three or four Specials every day...they rotate...so, that's over 25 different specials each week. And then there are the Menu items, the items that are only written on the chalkboard as you enter, and the items that people "in the know" are aware of.
So, my question to our waitress tonight was what happens to the daily specials at the end of the day? Answer: The dumpster!
I am constantly amazed at the waste of food that occurs in our country because of the litigious nature of our citizens...at least that is the excuse I hear over and over again as I ask this question at different restaurants. They can't transport the leftover foods to soup kitchens and the like and guarantee that it remains at safe temperatures the entire time and they are afraid of being sued if someone becomes ill after eating it. (This same restaurant has a catering service...how can they ensure the safety of the food for that but not for delivery to volunteer kitchens?)
These seem to be fine people...I don't think any of them would willingly allow anyone to be hungry. I've seen them give "deep" discounts to seniors who are regular customers and give free desserts to anyone who eats there on Friday nights in order to make room for fresh ones on Saturday.
We hear of pizzas that are discarded because the crust bubbles during the baking process...the hamburgers that have to be discarded after they set for more than a few minutes...I'm sure the list is endless. All this when there are hungry people who are happy to receive even one warm meal a day.
Our leaders are so happy to pass bills for things that interest them and their supporters...couldn't someone pass a "Good Samaritan" bill that would protect these restaurateurs from being sued for sharing perfectly good food with hungry people?
I just don't get it!
While most of us are taking a Holiday break from regular posts and our regular routines, I just wanted to make note of a few things I've noticed during the past few days of more "festive" eating:
Well...the Buckeyes went buh-bye...all was well with Encounter #1.
Yesterday, the aforementioned fudge from another neighbor arrived...peanut butter fudge...homemade and seriously good. And I already had my permission slip in hand for its arrival. It was one of the "10 Days of Christmas" treats that I was granting myself all out amnesty for indulging in...and I did.
And, alas, Jonathan...there was little dignity involved! Unless a lot of "Ummm...this is soooo good" and salivating like a dog over a ham bone is the least dignified.
I don't anticipate any more encounters until Monday when we have the family dinner...complete with every cheesy, starchy, bready, desserty thing I can squeeze into one meal!
Have a great weekend, guys!
I out and out stole the title for this post from Jonathan this morning...I'll admit it...but it was so good I couldn't pass it up. He described in his post throwing away a melted chocolate peanut butter bar that was a sample he picked up at a WW meeting rather than licking it from the wrapper...and, yes, Jonathan, we have all done that! He said he had promised himself he would always eat with dignity. And I love that idea.
It brings to mind tea rooms, Beaver Cleaver's meals whether they were served up in the kitchen or the dining room, and silverware! You had to have clean hands, combed hair, and straight backs for those dining experiences.
Now, picture the eating on the fly we are all doing anymore. Have you seen those people eating burgers and fries while driving down the street? And even when we go into the fast-food restaurant, we're eating with our hands off paper wrappings.
And, instead of the snacks eaten at the kitchen table...you know the ones you read about in books where the kid comes in to a plate of homemade oatmeal cookies and a cold glass of milk... the kids are flying out the door with sodas and Doritos. Or, even worse, sitting in front of the video game with Pepsi and Ding-Dongs.
I think I'm going to try to instill more of Jonathan's "eating with dignity" into my life. I kinda like the idea of the planned meal or snack eaten at the table on a plate with cutlery. I'll have to figure out how to eat microwave popcorn with a knife and fork, though!
P.S. Thanks for all the comments on how strong I was to rid the house of that candy...but, I insist that it was weakness and not strength that was motivating me...If I was strong, I would have ignored it completely or even eaten and enjoyed just one of them and then gone on my merry way. No, it was weakness and the knowledge that if I had eaten one then many more would have followed and that was a certainty I just didn't want to deal with.
I believe that it isn't willpower that sees us through these experiences, but self-knowledge and the willingness to do what needs to be done to make it easier to make the right choices. I know I will not get in the car and go get something I'm momentarily craving, so if it isn't in the house, I've eliminated the possibility that I'm going to eat something like that on a whim. If the desire to consume something lasts long enough for me to go out and get it, then I will honor that and try to have a limited amount of it...away from the house. That works for me...and not because I'm strong, but because I know myself.
And speaking of ridding the house of enticing goodies...the triplets are spending the night with us and I realized that I don't have any of their favorites in the house! So, Hubby and I concocted a safe list of kid snacks that we would bring into the house...apples, applesauce, bananas, a box of cheese crackers, some yogurt cups, a 2-liter of orange soda, a kit to make our own pizzas for supper (they love doing that), and some French toast sticks for breakfast. And then off to Bloomington with their little sticky selves after breakfast! The little Ya-Hoo's!!!
Have a good one! And, remember...EAT WITH DIGNITY today!!!
Everyone get over and give Skinny Guy a great big "Happy Birthday" wish...he's one of the best!!!
I made a really good soup for lunch today with odds and ends I found in the house..."Wanna hear it...here it goes"!
We have been pretty successful at keeping the house free of goodies so far...things are so much easier that way! And then our neighbors across the street rang the doorbell the other night and presented us with a pretty little bowl of homemade candy...Buckeyes, I believe they are called.
That would be sweet little balls of yummy peanut butter sweetened up and dipped in chocolate, to be exact.
Now, normally, I wouldn't head for them first if they were presented on a nice little buffet, but just the fact that they were in the house kept haunting me.
I would be watching an old Cary Grant movie and keep hearing,"Psst! Kathy! I'm over here!"
I would be talking with my daughter on the phone and there it would be..."Hey! I'm sweet! And I'll bet my peanut butter is really smooth...you know...just like you remember!"
I would be popping my afternoon bag of popcorn and over my shoulder was..."You have that every day...how about something sweet? You haven't had any...and it is the season. Just one!"
So, since it was so neatly wrapped and not at all easy to get into, I decided out of sight, out of mind would be the best policy...the little devil got shoved into the hall closet with the sweeper and the phone books...and the door promptly closed on it. I also reminded that little cutie about what happened to that ice cream that kept calling my name last summer...THE GARBAGE DISPOSAL!!!
But just shutting the door in its face didn't make me forget it...it was in the back of my mind 24/7.
So, Hubby was back to work today after being off for some eye surgery and he had a guest with him. That's right! That sweet little thing is now calling out sweet nothings to everyone in the break room...I'm sorry about that, Weight Watcher girls...I really am!!!
Thanks, Shannon, for giving me this award...it is one I am proud to accept...especially from you. I love doing this blog. I've said many times that it is the blog and my blogger friends that have kept me motivated to keep moving forward this year. I will post my 4 nominations later...hmmm...now who should I pick??? This is for you, Shannon...these marshmallows look just like your blog!!!
NOW...WHAT WAS I SAYING?
I have the catbird seat...sitting here all retired with few demands on my time or energy...and I see all of you out there running yourselves ragged trying to keep up with the "season". You are stressed, fighting illnesses, trying to be two or three places at the same time, eating quick pick-up meals and having goodies shoved in your faces everywhere you go...you are depleted, my friends! Admit it!
But there is so much you have to do!
Do you? Do you really have to do all that? Be sure to set aside some time to relax, reflect, and relate to your loved ones.
It really is easy to be swept up by it. I used to be the cookie baking queen...dozens of cookies for family and friends...good cookies made with the best of ingredients. I loved doing it. I was known for it...let's face it...a lot of my identity was wrapped up in that role of cookie maker. I took great pride in it. And I ate my way through December...never trust a skinny cook!
But then I decided it was time to change my eating habits and I knew I was weak when it came to smelling those cookies baking...I knew I would eventually give in and when I did, the dam would break and it would be a non-stop flood of eating that washed me up on the shores of January! So...I decided I would only bake things that needed to be presented as a unit...like a pie or a cake or the apple dumplings. I would be too embarrassed to dip a spoon into the middle of such a treat and sample it...and I have stuck to that resolution.
But it has not been easy! I have seen a gazillion cookie recipes during the past few weeks that just begged me to give in and just make this one special recipe! Just this one...and maybe that one over on that site that the family would just go crazy over! They would love that cookie...and they would love me!
It's not easy for the woman who has her identity wrapped up in baking great things to give it up for selfish reasons...it really isn't!
But, when January rolls around and all the festive decorations are looking a little tired and begging to be packed away, I hope I will be able to say that I am still wrapped up in my new identity...that of the healthy eater!
WHAT I ATE TODAY:
I could have quite easily gone "free-falling" today...you know those days when you could just jump right into a vat of food and eat your way out?
I don't know what brought that feeling on except that I felt "stomach-growling" hungry even at 4 o'clock in the morning. By the time I'd fixed Hubby's breakfast and seen him out the door, I was feeling weak. I had some oatmeal all ready to go in the fridge, thank goodness, and threw it into the microwave to heat. And then it just felt like I was in a "deficit" situation the rest of the day.
I maintained my eating plan, threw in 3 points of my WPA for lunch, and am finally satisfied now that I've eaten my evening meal, but without that established eating plan to act as my parachute, I could have easily gone crazy. I'm so glad there are no "goodies" in the house!
WHAT I ATE TODAY:
This is how you live with someone for 38 years...My end of the kitchen/family room is decorated with my pigs, greenery and such...It is essentially "Kathy".
The television end of the room is decorated with a decent size group of Harold's collected fishing "trophies".
I am not a stupid woman...I get to stay at home while he goes to work. I can deal with fish on my walls!
All to say...I'm used to compromise...so, when I have to utilize compromise in order to lose weight, I can go there. I can live with fat-free dairy and lean proteins a majority of the time if I can enjoy pizza occasionally...that's a trade-off I'm willing to make.
I can eat fruit for dessert 99% of the time if I can also fit a great piece of pie into my plan on that 1% day. I can live without butter on my popcorn if I can still enjoy a bag in the afternoon. It's all a trade-off. Long live compromise!
STORM PREPARATION:
It was so funny going shopping Friday...we had heard there would be a significant amount of snow and ice this weekend so we naturally thought of the things we wouldn't want to be stuck without. Back in the days of the big blizzard that hit in the 70's, we were concerned with disposable diapers and milk for the kids. Friday, it was fruit, vegetables, popcorn...cigars for the Hub...and milk for us! Times change.
Speaking of fruit...we've been getting some oranges that are out of sight good! We are finding ourselves eating more seasonally now...apples in the fall, oranges and grapefruit in winter, berries in spring, melon in the summer months. We do the same with our vegetables. I think you get a good variety of foods that way...a better chance of grabbing the nutrients you need when you eat from the whole food spectrum.
WHAT I ATE TODAY:
I read Jonathon's blog every day...you wouldn't think a sedentary 58 year old housewife from the mid-west would have anything in common with a young runner from San Francisco...but I frequently find him "speaking my language". Today was one of those days.
In his own words:
"I absolutely adore seasonal specialties! But the only way I’m going to savor and enjoy them is if I can do it in an environment where I feel comfortable and happy. I know from experience that eating Christmas cookies when I’m sad is less appealing than eating them when I’m happy. Fifteen pieces of fudge wolfed down nervously standing in front of the buffet are never going to taste as good as a small slice of pie eaten off of a nice plate, while seated and feeling relaxed."
I would take it even one step further...I prefer eating alone. Don't get me wrong...I enjoy family dinners and meeting people at restaurants...but those events are seldom about the food for me...they are more about the people I'm with and conversation.
And I'm not talking about hiding away to eat so no one will know what I'm eating or in what quantity. I'm just talking about the pure enjoyment or the ability to appreciate the quality of a particular food. I don't want the distractions. It is much more likely that I will focus on the food when I am alone.
I want the cup of coffee...the plate...I want the experience.
It is the first taste that is the best...the seventh cookie doesn't taste any better than the first. I think we go on eating more just to prolong the pleasant sensation the first cookie brought us...or maybe we took that first bite and didn't even taste it because we were busy talking to a friend or worrying that we shouldn't even be eating the darned cookie in the first place! That has happened to me many times.
My mantra for the season is to savor the best of the season...that Derby Pie that my brother is baking at my request...the cheese appetizer my daughter is trying out for the first time...all those things we won't have around until the next Christmas dinner. I want to really concentrate on each of those foods...really taste it...experience the pleasure it brings...and then move on to something else. I want a hot cup of coffee with my little piece of pie...and I want a moment of peace where I can shut out the sounds around me...take it back to the cave with me in my mind, at least...and make it another memorable moment in my day...right there beside being with my family.
So, Jonathon...let's enjoy our pie...in peace...even if not while we are alone.
HAVE YOU NOTICED?
After the holidays are over and you've indulged in all the goodies...how good a simple salad or soup tastes? I think your taste buds just say, "Enough...already! Give us a break!"
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
From the WW Board yesterday: "I can eat what I want...or I can weigh what I want."
WHAT I ATE TODAY:
I never sought to lose weight unless there was a crisis related to it...a personal crisis. We've probably all had them...nothing fits, there is a wedding to go to, a bathing suit to wear. I would lose about 30 pounds...my clothes would fit again, I would begin to feel better, look better...and then I would revert back to "normal" and promise myself that I would "watch it" and everything would be fine.
And it was for a few weeks or months...and then the weight I had lost would find its way back...plus a few more. And the cycle would begin again.
Thirty pounds seemed to always be the magic number for me...the number of pounds lost that would relieve me of that feeling that I "had" to do something.
For some, that number is five, or ten, or twenty...it doesn't really matter if it is the same weight over and over.
My crisis two years ago was not a number that I had surpassed as much as it was a degree of unhealthiness I could no longer tolerate. I was tired all the time, I was taking the maximum amounts of all my medications, I was having bouts of asthmatic type breathing, I was beginning to feel a true element of panic setting in. I was playing around with the idea of taking drastic measures and even explored having bariatric surgery.
Instead, I started losing weight with Weight Watchers and I found my equilibrium again...a certain comfort zone...where I could function again, eliminate most of the medications, and feel hopeful again. That happened at about fifty pounds weight loss. And in the past, that would have been the beginning of the end for any further weight loss effort. I had faced the most immediate crisis...but I wasn't content with that this time.
I started to dream about taking this thing a step further...turn it into a true lifestyle change that would free me of those medications once and for all. Maybe I could face losing some more weight and get it below what I had grown to accept as "normal" for me.
Taking the plan past the "crisis mode" has brought me to the end of my second year following a healthier eating plan and the loss of about thirty more pounds. It has also found me with a healthier husband and plans for even more changes in the next year...especially with the help of my recent changes to my weight loss plan.
I am no longer in a panic...I'm hopeful and confident...and ready to face the next leg of my journey...The crisis is over.
WHAT I ATE TODAY:
TB writes on his blog that "I'm not on a diet!" and he is so right. The sentiment is that when you mention to the general public that you are "on " Weight Watchers that the eyes glaze over and the thought process begins...Weight Watchers=diet=any weight lost will soon be gained back! And one can hardly blame them...that has been the story for a lot of people for a long time. But I think some things have changed that the masses may not be aware of...heck, a lot of people attending WW meetings aren't aware of.
First, I think a lot of people who join WW are seeking more than a "diet" when they walk through those doors. The climate has changed in America. People are more aware than ever that a quick fix diet is not going to solve the problems associated with overweight...the hypertension, Type 2 diabetes, high levels of blood fats. More people are looking for guidance for lifestyle change and recognize that the WW meal plans are sensible, well-balanced, and healthy. I think a higher percentage of the men and women who sign up for WW are seeking long-term solutions rather than the quick fix.
Second, I know for a fact that WW itself has changed...the plan used to be a diet...one that was difficult to live with beyond a few weeks or months. It invited cheating and reverting back to "normal" eating after a relatively short time because it was much too restrictive. I tried my darndest to "live" life as a Weight Watcher many times and failed. It would have required adherence to an eating plan that was so different than what I was used to eating or what my family was willing to eat that I had to keep "my" food and "their" food. I admire the stamina of anyone who was able to follow that plan for a lifetime. I couldn't!
Both the current Flex and Core plans are so much more user friendly and less reliant on contrived foods and recipes that they are much easier to incorporate into each individual's own lifestyle and that of whole families. They are basically reflections of current thinking in the field of nutrition. Look at any list of the top ten healthy foods and you will see a list of foods that most WW'ers are eating on a daily basis...oatmeal, fresh fruits and vegetables, fat-free or lowfat dairy products, lean proteins.
For me, the big difference is that I no longer say that "I am a Weight Watcher" or that I "do" Weight Watchers, but that I incorporate the Weight Watcher eating plan into my overall lifestyle change...a big difference!
And, third, I think that the growth of the Internet and the habit of journaling on blogs...for many of us...has been the final element that we needed to push this whole experience onto a whole new plane. I have a voice here...I have a support group...I have cheerleaders...and I have people who care for me enough to remind me that this is important and if I temporarily run out of steam, they are there to say "What are you going to DO about it?" I can't tell you enough how valuable all of you who take the time to blog about your experiences and comment on mine are to me and my continued progress...your help is immeasurable. And I credit blogging with keeping me going the past year even when there were times that I would have dropped out in the past.
WHAT I ATE TODAY:
WHAT DO I REALLY WANT?
I find myself "wanting" something like pizza...especially after the 16th commercial on television or newspaper ad with the melting cheese dripping over the edge...and I tell myself that "I sure miss pizza!"...or tacos...or hamburgers. You can sit on the pity pot and feel sorry for yourself that you "can't" eat those things any more...you can give in and head out for the latest food that you "want"...or you can sit down and think about it. When I look at that pizza...what is it I really want? Is it the flavor of the sauce? The melted cheese? The crust? Or do I just want to go crazy?
Most of the time the desire for a particular food passes once the sight or smell that triggered the desire in the first place is gone. So just waiting it out is usually the best response...a good reason not to keep frozen pizza in the house! Too easy!
If the desire for a particular food hangs around for a while and we decide it is worth it, we will spend our extra points on the healthiest version of pizza we can find...usually thin crust, veggies, maybe ham, and light on the cheese...and we'll supplement it with a salad to fill us up.
And then there are times when all I want is the essence of the pizza...the flavor of the sauce and a little melted cheese...and I can duplicate the taste of pizza without eating the pizza at all. Maybe a chicken breast pounded out thin with some fat-free cheese and Italian herbs rolled up in it...sauteed lightly in a nonstick skillet and topped with tomato sauce full of Italian seasonings and garlic.
We do the same thing with Mexican and Oriental meals. In fact, most week's menus at our house will contain at least one meal from each of those themes...Italian, Mexican, and Oriental.
One of my favorite meals when I was eating less healthy food was a big hamburger on a bun with sauteed onions on top. Grease drips off the whole thing as you eat it. Well, I'm smarter than that now, but I still miss that taste. But now it comes in the form of a 97% fat-free lean ground beef patty, sauteed in a non-stick skillet, with the onions...minus the bun and the dripping grease! It still tastes wonderful...like I should be feeling guilty...and it's Core!
Taco salads and stir-fries made at home also taste great without the freaky added calories and fat that you get in the restaurant versions.
EGGNOG:
Hungry Girl had a recipe for point-friendly eggnog on her site this morning...the recipe looked good so I decided to give it a try. I used skim milk as a substitute for her soymilk in the following recipe:
I see Hubby off to work in the morning and my parting shout out to him is: "Be careful! It's a jungle out there!"...ala Phil Esterhaus on "Hill Street Blues".
Well, friends, it is a jungle out there for those of us trying to maintain our healthy eating plans this time of year, too. I just read that people gain an average of 7 pounds in the period from Thanksgiving to New Year's. I know that my weight went up by about 15 pounds in that time period last year...15 pounds that I had to lose all over again when 2007 began...I vowed that wasn't going to happen to me this year...so far...so good.
I think eliminating more of the carbs from my eating plan has helped me stop craving foods as much. We'll see how it works in the long run. I know for a fact that things taste sweeter to me now. I'm using less Splenda and the natural sweetness of ripe pears, bananas, and oranges is almost overwhelming at times. I wish I could say the same for salt...still love my salt! One thing at a time.
But saying that, I'm still considering putting a piece of Derby pie on my "10 Days of Christmas" list...don't know what that means!
CHANGES:
I guess Core has gone back to Basic Core and the snack restrictions have been lifted. I have to say that being able to eat a little cottage cheese with my fruit as a snack without having to count the points for it really makes sense to me. What I don't want to get in the habit of is eating a lot of meat between meals...too much like Atkins, to me...so I will probably put my own "restrictions" on that...it could be a problem for me. Some people are very happy about the change and others liked things the way they were...typical...we are all individuals in what we can "handle" when it comes to food and those decisions are best left to the individual.
Were there changes to the Flex plan? I haven't heard.
MEATLESS MONDAY:
This is one of my favorite websites...lots of nutritional news, information, and great recipes.
CHRISTMAS MOVIES:
I was looking over the list of movies that will be released during the Holidays for "must-sees" and I've decided that I will have to see the second of the National Treasure movies: The Book of Secrets...I loved the first one and have seen it several times since it has popped up on television. It is my kind of flick! (I loved Gosford Park...On Golden Pond...Chariots of Fire!)(And...btw...Cathy...I also am a big fan of Midsommer...I keep meaning to tell you that!)
I would also like to see "Charlie Wilson's War"...the book was a best-seller and Charlie Wilson was the talk of the Washington inner circle a couple of years ago. And Julia Roberts and Tom Hanks...definitely worth a little popcorn eating.
We always try to pick out a couple of possibilities for the grandkids just in case they happen to be here and we see a need to entertain them. The triplets are happy...all lined up with their popcorn and M&M's...they cheer for everything! Audrey is the entertainer and will stand facing the rest of the theater and sing for them if we get there too early...honestly!!!
I think they would find "Alvin and the Chipmunks" and "The Water Horse" entertaining, so we will keep them in mind. They also love the Indianapolis Children's Museum...one of the best in the country...and Christmas at the Zoo.
VERONIKA:
Veronika is spending her first Christmas as a vegan and asked for suggestions for the Holiday meal. I came up with the following sites:
WHAT I ATE TODAY:
Breakfast: Ham and scrambled egg, leftover squash from last night
Lunch: Pork loin from last night and steamed cauliflower and broccoli
Afternoon: Popcorn
Supper: French onion soup*, Salad w/ 1/2 boiled egg, sprinkling of potato sticks*, crumbled bacon*, red onion, tomato, tines of fork dipped in hot bacon dressing*
Evening: Milk and banana
*WPA...35-21=14 remaining
Hubby has over a week off during the Christmas-New Years Holiday and we usually spend that time seeing movies, watching television, eating out...in general, just having a good time. We have decided that this year, since we have been doing so well with our new eating style, that we don't want to miss out on the "fun" eating, but we also don't want to go crazy and find ourselves with added weight and elevated blood sugars, either.
So, we are coming up with our list of ten things that we would like to "indulge" in during that time and we will choose one item for each day and "savor" a reasonable portion of that food on that given day. Sound good?
I have been coming up with a few things and writing them down and we will go over the list together and map out a final plan. We decided this morning that the list would have to include a trip to Cracker Barrel for a pancake and real maple syrup for breakfast one day...we would both enjoy that. Hubby put in his vote for a biscuit and gravy from Bob Evans for another day...one of the things he has so "graciously" given up since beginning Core. And he is really wanting chocolate...I've been making him sugar-free chocolate pudding a couple of times a week, but I think he is talking maybe some of our neighbor's famous homemade fudge??? Not a problem for me...I'm not missing the sugar. I'm more the breadstick from Olive Garden kind of girl...or the cheese biscuit from Red Lobster...or a slice of really good pizza...So we will continue to work on the list and be specific on the food and the amount and SAVOR the chosen treats as we have them. They will be SPECIAL and we will appreciate them even more because they will be TREATS and not something we take for granted and eat every day. What do you think?
CHRISTMAS TREE...PART TWO
Our grown daughters had breakfast with us and redecorated the Christmas tree...they are so good to us! And I think it probably served to show allegiance to their friend, the pup who lives here. He does his best to "talk" to them...and I'm sure he passes on family secrets to them. Like which channel I get my news from when they are not here to witness it...they swear that I watch Fox when they are not around!
THE QUEEN OF ALL MEDIA
Have you seen either of Roni's cooking videos? I swear she is working on being the points friendly version of Paula Deen!!! We have a friend in the kitchen!
Our daughter, Sarah, pointed this video out to me this morning and it is definitely worth watching!
Have a great Saturday...I'll be back later to tell you what I ate today!
I've been enjoying the new vegetables I've been introduced to in my weekly vegetable delivery so much. This week it was a Red Kabocha Squash. Here is a description of it I found on-line:
ORGANIC KABOCHA SQUASH
To my palate, kabocha squash is a strong contender for the ultimate sweet. It’s satisfyingly rich, almost nutty, and never cloying like chocolate or sugar. Kabocha’s sweetness makes me feel both nurtured and content. It’s a good keeper--I keep a stash under the spare bed in my basement. Kabocha skin is either slate green or a loud orange-red. Its flesh is mustard yellow and its texture is similar to buttercup squash but its drier, flaky (if over baked), and never stringy. Delicious baked, sautéed, in a soup, with grains, beans, or vegetables, or in a pie.
from Rebecca Wood's The New Whole Foods Encyclopedia
I've spent the day knitting two Teddy bears...really important stuff, huh? And listening to political speeches and watching old "Murder She Wrote" episodes. But the bears are so cute and the grandkids will love them. I'm making them from the fun fur yarn Veronika sent me.
Hubby bought a few pumpkin seeds when we went to the natural foods market so I've been tossing a few into salads and stir-frys. Tonight, I put a few on a plate and rolled my banana in them before eating it. They are supposed to be good for the urinary tract according to his buddies...they just taste good to me and add a different texture to my food once in awhile.
WHAT I ATE TODAY:
Breakfast: Frittata made with 2 eggs, diced ham, bell pepper, shallot, tomato, and a pinch of Asiago cheese*; Banana
Lunch: Chicken breast, bell pepper, green onion, a few pumpkin seeds* in a saute
Afternoon: Popcorn
Supper: Salad with tines of fork dipped in Italian dressing*, chopped steak, mashed potato
Evening: Banana with a few pumpkin seeds*, 1 cup popcorn from Hubby's bag, milk
*WPA
"Gray is the new blonde."
Brothers...Beware!!! No matter how old we are...and we are old!!!...I am not above making fun of you having to drive to work in the first major snowfall of the winter while I am snug at home doing awful things like knitting and sending you messages that might contain the words...BWA.HA.HA!!!
Daughters...Beware!!! I may seem kind and motherly but I am not above playing the "Mom" card! You should know by now that no good will come of a telephone conversation which begins with me asking you, "How much do you love me?"!!! There just might be some repeat Christmas tree decorating involved...I'm just saying!
Voters...Beware!!! Enough said!!!
Healthy eaters...Beware!!! Holiday food is everywhere!!! My favorite word of the season is...SAVOR!!!...Look at that treat, decide if it is worth it, smell it, take small bites of it, actually taste it...ENJOY it...and then move on!!!
THIS IS SO PAINFUL:
I'm following a "diet" plan that "allows" me to have fried potatoes!!! The horror!!! I don't know if I can stand all this deprivation. Honestly...a potato...Core...2 teaspoons of olive oil...Core...put in a non-stick skillet...Core...a little chopped onion...Core...it could have been minced garlic or shallot or any favorite seasoning...and "fried". I saw another recipe the other day...a variation...where they took the small whole potatoes and steamed them until they were tender, added them to the same olive oil in the non-stick pan and then put a spatula on top of the little potatoes in their jackets and smashed them before allowing them to brown on both sides. They were then seasoned with a little Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper.
WHAT I ATE TODAY:
Breakfast: Autumn fruits in oatmeal
Mid-morning: Steamed cauliflower tossed around in a non-stick pan with bell pepper and onion and a splash of soy sauce
Lunch: Tuna, onion, and chopped lettuce with a little fat-free Miracle Whip
Afternoon: Popcorn and Orange
Supper: 1 cup bean soup, turnip greens with a splash of malt vinegar, the afore-mentioned fried potatoes
Evening: Milk
Yesterday is history, tomorrow a mystery...today is a gift.
KATHY'S RULE OF 5:
I'm not the least patient person in the world, or the laziest, or the least disciplined...but there have been times when I've had to employ the following "rules" to keep myself in line:
IN A BAD MOOD???
I found this list of mood-boosters in a magazine article recently...the comments are mine:
I got to noticing as I shopped yesterday how many types of vinegar I use on a regular basis. I'm certainly not in the connoisseur range...some are...but I do enjoy the taste of particular vinegars at certain times. I regularly keep the old-fashioned cider vinegar that my mom used to use, white vinegar, red wine vinegar, malt vinegar, rice wine vinegar, I used to keep the seasoned rice wine vinegar as well, but have stopped buying it because of the sugar...and balsamic.
I use the red wine vinegar the most, probably...it is my salad dressing of choice mixed 2 parts vinegar to one part olive oil. The rice wine vinegar gets used in oriental recipes, the malt vinegar for fish and on cooked greens such as spinach or kale. The cider and white vinegars are my standards for potato salad or when a large portion of vinegar will be called for.
I bought some baby lima beans while I was at the natural foods store last weekend and I'm cooking them today with a little ham and will have some steamed kale that arrived with my vegetables this week...reminds me of a supper I might have had back on the farm!
You may have noticed a ham theme going on here this past week...that is because I bought a spiral sliced ham from Aldi's last weekend and we have been enjoying it the whole week. Ham is so nice and handy and any fat is quite visible and easy to remove prior to serving.
"Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape."
Note: I got to eat none of the kale...seems Audrey enjoys kale...a lot!!!
WHAT I ATE TODAY:
Breakfast: Scrambled egg, ham, grits, few bites of fruit cup
Mid-morning: Banana, baby carrots
Lunch: Baby lima beans
Afternoon: Popcorn
Supper: Whole Wheat Pasta with tomato sauce made with mushrooms, bell peppers, onions, and a couple of ounces of chopped sirloin, 1 tsp. Asiago cheese
Evening: Smoothie of skim milk and frozen raspberries
Busy day today...grocery shopping, making the apple dumplings, entertaining the kid...not much time for eating too much today. In fact, I got down to evening and hadn't had my fruit, milk, or oils. I need to start adding those to meals earlier in the day.
I had a great breakfast...I got baby bell peppers in my veggies yesterday...and some fresh spinach...so I added those and green onions to my scrambled eggs this morning and sprinkled a teaspoon of grated Asiago cheese on top. Cheeses like that and Romano have so much flavor without having to add a large quantity. Also had a little ham with it.
Lunch was a serving of steamed spinach and grilled chopped sirloin.
Audrey and I shared an order of fried perch and a baked potato for supper...lots of WPA's left for this week, so that was my splurge for the week. We came home and had a smoothie made with my milk and a cup of frozen raspberries. I'll make sure I get my oil in tomorrow.
YARN...YARN...YARN
Veronika treated me to a huge box of novelty yarns in such fun colors and textures...just like Christmas when I opened the box. And three of her cute yarn markers and the sweater wizard program. Audrey fell in love with the yarn and will probably have to be the first recipient of something fun. It's so much fun sharing...that's my favorite part of this time of year.
