~ Musings ~His Sweet Gypsy Rose

Changes

2010-10-17T09:17:00.000-07:00

As you can see, I have been making changes to my blog. There's a new look, which I hope you like :) I'm also changing the focus to a broader scope of whatever is on my mind.

I hope you enjoy the changes!

testing again

2010-10-16T22:47:00.001-07:00

Testing Signatures and Graphics

2010-10-16T21:57:00.000-07:00

Trying Something New

2010-09-01T16:28:00.000-07:00

Aarti (the newest Food Network Star) posted a link to a NY Times article about rosewater and its uses in cooking. I'm currently exploring some new flavors and dishes to help me with healthier eating habits, and am always interested in the unusual. Rosewater certainly qualifies :)

Here are some excerpts from that article:

But don’t think of t as an exotic ingredient used in far corners of the world. Before 1841, when vanilla became widely available, rose water was also a primary flavoring in a wide range of desserts and pastries in Europe and even the United States.

...

Taking a cue from 18th-century bakers, substitute rose water for the vanilla in cupcakes, puddings or scones. Or (a personal favorite) add a teaspoon or so to your next batch of French toast batter. Put a drop or two in a glass of lemonade for a remarkably refreshing summer drink — or make a rose martini in the same manner.

Rose water matches uncannily well with many fruits, drawing out their shy aromas. Try adding a bit to a bowl of strawberries, or sprinkling sliced melon, plums or peaches with rose water mixed with a bit of riesling.

And if you make a salad of bitter greens dressed with a vinaigrette that has been barely touched with rose water, you’ll quickly change your mind about the versatility of this ingredient.

Here are a couple of interesting recipes using rosewater:

Victorian Lavender Cookies with Rose Water Icing Notes

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon lavender, crushed (be sure it's food grade lavender)
1 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

For Icing:
2 cups powdered sugar
5 1/2 teaspoons water
6 1/2 teaspoons rose water
Serves / Yields
About 4 dozen

Preparation Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cream together the butter and sugar. Add the eggs, lavender, flour, baking powder and salt.

Drop by teaspoons onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes.

While the cookies bake, prepare the icing by mixing the powdered sugar with water and rose water. Drizzle over the cookies after they have cooled.

Recipe from The Spice House

Rose Water Sugar Cookies
Time 20 minutes Serves 12

Ingredients
1 cup sugar
1 stick butter or margarine
1 egg yolk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp lemon extract
1 1/2 tsp rose water extract
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup sour cream
3 cups flour
dash salt

Directions
Cream sugar and butter well. Beat in yolk and extracts to blend.
Mix baking soda into sour cream and mix well with other ingredients.

Add flour, mix with a spoon by hand to mix well

Roll out dough on lightly floured surface and cut out your cookies as you would for sugar cookies. Place on baking sheets a few inches apart.

Bake 325 about 20 minutes or just slightly pale brown. Cookies should be set and cooked. Do not over bake.

Cool on rack.

These should have a soft texture and mellow flavor.

From Grouprecipes.com

Enjoy!

Monday Thoughts

2010-08-30T17:35:00.000-07:00

One of the hardest things about choosing to live a healthy life is, well, choosing to live a healthy life! There are so many temptations around me, and I struggle with them constantly. I think my biggest struggle is giving myself a treat. I can come up with thousands of reasons to treat myself throughout the day, and in so doing I lose the discipline I need to stick with my healthy choices.

Not having a set menu planned in advance is also a problem. I think it would be a good thing for me to plan the week's menu in advance, shop for only what's needed, and follow the menu faithfully. I'd have more control of the calories that way, and can also fit in those small 'treats' on a daily basis, making sure the treats are healthy choices.

I think it would be helpful to have at least 3 staple recipes for breakfast and lunch that I could rotate through, and then have more variety with dinner, or maybe have 3 staples for dinner and have more variety with lunch. Whatever I do, though, I need to make sure the food is healthy and filling.

More thoughts on this in my next post. I'm also interested in knowing your thoughts and what's worked for you, so comment away :)

Heart of a Lion

2010-08-28T12:45:00.000-07:00

It's been 4 weeks and 1 day since Andrew brought Spiffy into our home and hearts, and what a month it's been! The first few days were a roller coaster of worry and hope as Spiffy dealt with what seemed like nearly insurmountable odds. Every morning I woke up, afraid that he might have died, hoping that he made it through another night. I was so afraid he might be dead that I had my husband check on him first to be sure he was still alive. And every morning, Spiffy was awake, alert, and waiting for us to let him out of the computer room.

During that first week, I was constantly holding Spiffy and cuddling him, and Spiffy enjoyed the attention. I'd be at the computer and Spiffy would climb onto my shoulder and sit there, leaning against my head and purring as if to thank me for being rescued, warm, fed and loved. My heart melted at those moments and the little ache I still had over the loss of Riley began to heal.

It wasn't an easy first week with Spiffy...we'd gotten him flea-free the first night (thanks to Capstar!), but we still had an eye infection, URI (upper respiratory infection, basically a cat cold), an infected wound along the bottom edge of his ear, and constipation to deal with. We diligently kept his eyes wiped clean and applied terramycin ointment 2-3 times a day and also constantly wiped his nose and put him in a steamy bathroom about twice a day. We cleaned out his ears and applied some NFZ Puffer once a day. To get his bowels moving again, we mixed some plain pureed pumpkin with wet cat food, along with some milk and a small amount of mineral oil. We worked hard to help Spiffy get better using our knowledge. (Just a note...had Spiffy not been eating like a pig, drinking plenty of fluids and had his bowel movements not begun and if he'd been lethargic, we would have taken him to the vet immediately. Since none of this was an issue, we did what the vet would have told us to do if we'd taken him).

Today Spiffy no longer has an eye infection, his ear is almost completely infection-free, and he is not constipated. My husband laughed at me when Spiffy did his first big poop after we began treating him for constipation...I don't think I've ever been so excited about cat poop in my entire life! The URI is hanging on, but is nowhere near as bad as before.

He is my fluffy little baby!!! Right now he's sleeping in the hanging house on the cat tree just 2 feet away from me. He's such a beautiful little kitten; if you had no idea what he looked like when we found him, you'd never believe he could have looked that bad.

He truly is a little kitten with the heart of a lion!

Smoky Salmon With Watercress and Bacon-Corn Couscous

2010-08-27T15:18:00.000-07:00

I was switching channels this afternoon and stopped on the Rachel Ray Show. She was getting ready to prepare what looked like a wonderful healthy recipe that fit into the Mediterranean diet concept: Smoky Salmon With Watercress and Bacon-Corn Couscous

For your pleasure, I am sharing it here :)

Smoky Salmon With Watercress and Bacon-Corn Couscous

Ingredients
    * 4 filets of salmon, skin removed
    * Salt and pepper
    * Old Bay Seasoning
    * 1 teaspoon smoked sweet paprika
    * EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for drizzling
    * 1 large or 2 small bundles upland cress or watercress
    * Juice of 1 lemon
    * 2 slices smoky bacon, chopped
    * 1 ear of corn, kernels scraped from cob
    * 1/2 small red bell pepper, chopped
    * 4 scallions, finely chopped or 1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
    * 1 cup chicken stock
    * A couple of tablespoons chopped fresh dill
    * A few dashes hot sauce
    * 1 cup couscous

Preparation

Season the fish with salt, pepper, Old Bay and smoked sweet paprika. Heat a drizzle of EVOO in a shallow nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. When pan is hot, cook fish a few minutes on each side until just cooked through or a bit pink at the center; you can gauge doneness very simply by looking at the side of the filets as they cook.

Meanwhile, dress watercress with lemon juice and a little EVOO, then season with salt and pepper. Heat a drizzle of EVOO in a saucepot over medium-high heat. Add bacon and cook to crisp, then add corn and peppers and scallions or onion and stir 2-3 minutes to tender-crisp. Add stock, dill and hot sauce and bring to a boil. Add couscous and turn off heat. Cover and let stand 5 minutes.

Top the fish with watercress salad. Fluff the couscous with a fork and serve along side the fish.

Yields: Serves 4

It's Been a Spiffy Month!

2010-08-27T15:09:00.000-07:00

And he's looking incredibly improved :) It's hard to believe that this adorable little kitten came to us in such horrible shape a month ago today! He still has a hint of an eye infection (as you can see from the dried gunk around his eyes) and the cold isn't quite gone yet, but other than that he's in great shape!

He's such a sweet little guy, too. He's very mellow and quiet, but can also be playful. We aren't quite sure of his age, but I'm guessing he's nearing 3 months old. It's more obvious that he's a boy and when I weighed him a few days ago, he was about 3 pounds.

Right now he's sleeping on the couch, and is looking so adorable that I thought I'd share that photo here as well:

For those who are new to this blog, you can click here to see what Spiffy looked like after we cleaned him up the day my husband brought him into the house.

You can see more adorable animal photos at this Friday's Ark over at The Modulator. You can also visit Meowsings of an Opinionated Pussycat for this week's Carnival of the Cats, and Weekend Cat Blogging which is also being hosted at Meowsings of an Opinionated Pussycat this week.

What a Surprise!

2010-08-27T14:54:00.000-07:00

Not really, but it's good to see information confirming that drinking water before meals helps with weight loss:

DRINKING WATER PROVEN TO HELP WEIGHT LOSS

It's a popular dieting secret: Drink more water, and you'll shed more pounds. Finally, science is adding weight to the practice.

After about three months, a new study found, obese dieters who drank two cups of water before each meal lost 5 pounds more than a group of dieters who didn't increase their water intake. A year later, the water-drinkers had also kept more of the weight off.

The study included only middle-aged and older adults, but other studies suggest that drinking water might help dieters of all ages, said Brenda Davy, a nutrition researcher at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg. After years of folklore, she added, this may be the first hard evidence that pounding water is viable weight-loss strategy.

"It's this popular idea that, oh yeah, drink more water -- that's what you have to do when you want to lose weight," said Davy, who presented her new findings today at a meeting of the American Chemical Society in Boston. "It seems to be logical, but it had never really been investigated."

Davy and colleagues reported one of their first findings in 2008 in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association. That study found that older adults who drank two cups of water half an hour before breakfast ate about 75 fewer calories -- or 13 percent less -- than a comparable group who hadn't drunk water before the meal. People in both groups were overweight or obese, and all were allowed to eat as much of the food as they wanted.

To see if that behavior would lead to actual weight loss, the researchers started by putting more than 40 overweight and obese adults on a diet. The dieters, all between the ages of 55 and 75, were instructed to eat healthy meals that totaled no more than 1,200 to 1,500 calories a day.

Half of the dieters were randomly assigned to drink a 16-ounce bottle of water before all three meals. The others received water but were not given any instructions about when or how to drink it.

Twelve weeks later, the water drinkers had lost an average of 15.5 pounds, compared to an average 11-pound loss in the other group. That's a 44 percent boost in weight loss, just from drinking water.

Davy's experiments have failed to find the same effect in younger adults, possibly because the gastrointestinal tract empties more slowly as we age, so water might lead to a longer-lasting feeling of fullness in older people.

But water might still work as a diet aid for younger people -- just in different ways. One year-long study, for example, found that younger dieters who reported drinking more than a liter of water a day lost a little more weight than dieters who drank less water.

The reason could be physical. According to some research, water consumption might spark the body to produce more heat, boosting metabolism and burning more calories. Or, drinking more water might simply make people less likely to drink a lot of high-calorie sugar-filled beverages, said Barry Popkin, director of the Interdisciplinary Obesity Program at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

In hundreds of studies, Popkn said, people eat just as much food no matter how many calories they drink. And Americans are now drinking an average of 235 calories a day -- far more than ever before.

Davy's findings need to be repeated, Popkin added, before doctors can confidently tell dieters that downing water will boost their efforts. But it can't hurt to keep a water bottle nearby, especially if that helps you take in less soda, juice, energy drinks and other caloric beverages.

"Water is by far the healthiest beverage, and if you can't drink water, then drink unsweetened tea, coffee, diet beverages or for kids, low-fat milk," Popkin said. "The fewer calories we get from beverages, the healthier we're going to be."

Spiffy the Wonder Cat

2010-08-13T10:47:00.000-07:00

It was two weeks ago today that my husband rushed into the house after work, holding a kitten. When I saw the kitten, I gasped and began crying. I was sure it was going to die. It was in awful shape...filthy, skinny, a horrible eye infection, covered in fleas, runny nose, and weak. I was angry that someone would allow a kitten to get into such a horrible condition.

We immediately ran warm water in the kitchen sink and began the long process of bathing the kitten, getting the fleas off, and gently soaking and prying the dry crust covering one eye off. That crust was so dry and so huge it looked like the kitten didn't have an eye anymore, but instead had a huge tumor where an eye should be.

He was also covered in fleas, which swarmed all over him as we washed him. We didn't have any soap that was suitable for kittens, so I made a quick run to a nearby pet store, Incredible Pets. I bought some canned and dry kitten food and a flea comb, and after talking with a couple of the clerks I put the shampoo I'd intended to buy back and stopped at a grocery store to buy some blue Dawn dish soap.

When I got home, we used the soap to wash the kitten, then gave him half a Capstar pill to kill the remaining fleas. We also offered him some food, and he began eating it.

I named the kitten Spiffy, and as you can guess I was in love with him. We had 4 cats, now we have 5. My husband told me this kitten was my blue-eyed gift from God :)

For the first few days, I was worried that Spiffy wouldn't make it. The upper respiratory infection (URI) was pretty bad, and he was so skinny. On the plus side, he had a voracious appetite and was drinking plenty of water, and was using the litterbox regularly. We did deal with a bout of constipation, which we treated with by mixing his canned food with milk, mineral oil and pureed pumpkin.

In this two weeks, Spiffy has gained weight; you can't feel his spine or ribs as clearly as before. His URI is nearly gone, he's no longer constipated, his eyes are clearing up and the fur around his eyes is growing back (it came off when we were cleaning the dried discharge off). He has no fleas, he's playful and curious, and is sweet as can be. We think he might be part Ragdoll...he has the longest legs and whiskers I've ever seen on a kitten, and his chest is also broad. He has gorgeous blue eyes and he loves to sleep on me.

The improvement in one week is amazing! He looks even better today :) As I type this post from my living room couch, Spiffy is laying down on my right, watching me type as he purrs.

So begins the story of Spiffy the Wonder Cat...he really is a wonder! Such a huge fighting heart inside a teensy kitten body :) I hope to share many more stories and photos over the coming years.

It's been a long time since I've boarded the Friday Ark...it's good to be back again :) Be sure to visit the Friday Ark for more animal photos and stories, it's a fun place to visit!

Daily Links

2010-08-05T18:08:00.000-07:00

I thought it would be interesting to keep track of the links I visited each day that aren't a part of my regular browsing, kind of like a virtual history of my day-to-day life. Here are the links I visited yesterday:

Barbecued Pork Sandwich Recipe featured on Martha Stewart - I don't usually watch her show, but stopped on it today and saw this absolutely delicious looking recipe that I want to cook one day.

Cats 101: Ragdolls & Tonkinese Kittens - some friends and I are trying to decide what breed my new kitten may be, Tonkinese came up as a suggestion, as did Ragdolls.

Ted Dekker Library - A friend asked about Ted's books, so I looked up descriptions to suggest which would be good first reads.

Orijen Cat & Kitten Food - I bought a small trial size bag of their kitten food for Spiffy (I will be blogging about him soon) and was curious about the company.

Harvie's Catio - An online friend's catio was featured on this blog...it's gorgeous!

The Benefits of Brown Rice

2010-08-04T09:53:00.000-07:00

One way to choose to live a healthy life is to add whole grains to your diet, and avoid the processed grains. Brown rice is an excellent example of one way to make a healthy change to your diet.

Brown rice has a wonderful nutty flavor and a chewy texture. It takes a bit longer to cook, but once you've tried it, white rice seems bland and mushy. I'm including an easy recipe to make brown rice after the following article.

This article from QualityHealth.com explains some of the benefits of brown rice:

Brown Rice for Diabetes

Here, a primer on brown rice to help you beat diabetes.

Next time you whip up some stir-fry, you may want to reach for the brown rice rather than the white variety. Doing so could reduce your risk of getting type 2 diabetes, according to a new study from the Harvard School of Public Health that was published in the Archives of Internal Medicine

Eating five servings of white rice each week was linked to a higher risk of getting type 2 diabetes, while eating two or more servings of brown rice was linked to a lower risk of the condition. The researchers who conducted the study said that replacing 50 grams of white rice (that's one third of a typical daily serving) with an identical amount of brown rice could lower the risk of type 2 diabetes by 16 percent.

A new study, published online in the June 14, 2010 journal of Archives of Internal Medicine, is thought to be the first to look at white and brown rice consumption as it relates to diabetes risk in Americans.

Noting that U.S. rice consumption is on the increase, Qi Sun MD, who did the research while at the Harvard School of Public health, said, "We believe replacing white rice and other refined grains with whole grains, including brown rice, would help lower the risk of type 2 diabetes."

The Benefits of Going Brown

Brown rice, like other whole grains, is more slowly absorbed into the body than white rice, explains Brian Tulloch, MD, of Park Plaza Hospital in Houston, Texas and a past president of the American Diabetes Association. "And anything that reduces the rate of absorption of sugar will reduce the big swings in blood sugar," he says. "Rapid blood sugar swings have contributed not just to our increases in weight but in our diabetes rate."

Brown rice isn't the only whole grain linked to a lower diabetes risk, of course. The study also found that replacing white carbohydrates with whole grains like barley and whole wheat was linked to a full 36 percent reduced risk of type 2 diabetes.

Brown rice not only takes longer to raise the blood sugar, but it's just generally better for you, says Kent Holtorf, MD, medical director for the Holtorf Medical Group in Los Angeles and San Francisco.

"Brown rice has so many beneficial properties," he says. "White rice is stripped of all its good properties. Anytime you eat brown instead of white, you're doing yourself a favor."

One cup of brown rice, considered a 100 percent whole grain, contains two of the three recommended daily servings of whole grains and is made of complex carbs, according to the USA Rice Federation. Like white rice, it's sodium and cholesterol-free, it's gluten-free, and it's the least allergenic of all the grains. Among its wonderful vitamins and minerals are folate, iron and zinc. So lose the white rice, and say hello to healthful, nutty-flavored, nutrient-loaded brown rice.

Here is a recipe for baked brown rice from Alton Brown:

Baked Brown Rice
1 1/2 cups brown rice, medium or short grain
2 1/2 cups water
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place the rice into an 8-inch square glass baking dish. Bring the water, butter, and salt just to a boil in a kettle or covered saucepan. Once the water boils, pour it over the rice, stir to combine, and cover the dish tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 1 hour. After 1 hour, remove cover and fluff the rice with a fork. Serve immediately.

The reviews of this recipe are great, and Jackie from Columbus, Ohio, made the following modifications to the recipe:

This is an amazing recipe! or as one might say, "fool proof"! I made a double batch .I added cooked chicken cubes (used the broth instead of water) added green peas,cooked chopped carrots and a little dried dill to the dry rice . mixed the chicken broth with a 3 chopped olives,2 cloves of garlic,1/4 C crushed tomatoes,touch of tomato paste,saffron ,salt,black pepper,garlic powder,1 tbs butter and 1 tbs EVOO . There is no limit to what you can do with this recipe.My add ins might sound like a lot but I was following my middleeastern senses and this is where I was taken! the rice was perfectly cooked ,the grains where seperate from one another ,no mushiness or stickiness in sight! Unlike that one time when I made brown rice pudding without intending to or the other time when I made the brown rice mush into soup ,had some and hid it from my husband!you know how it is! or maybe not! haha .anywho if you're still following me! don't hesitate to try this recipe,use your instincts and creativity and you shall not be sorry! happy cooking!

If you try this recipe, let me know how it turns out for you :)

Lentil and Spring Greens Salad with Cranberry Apple Cider Vinaigrette

2010-07-16T10:40:00.001-07:00

The salad was wonderful! I made it with my changes and loved it. I'm going to post the modified recipe here along with its new name:

Lentil and Spring Greens Salad with Cranberry Apple Cider Vinaigrette

Ingredients
3/4 cup green lentils (or 1 cup already cooked lentils)
7 tablespoons unfiltered apple cider vinegar
6 ounces diced pancetta
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup finely chopped shallot
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup dried unsweetened cranberries, about 3 ounces
2 tablespoons sugar
3 1/2 cups spring salad mix
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese, about 2 ounces (can use plain or mediterranean flavor feta)

Directions
In a heavy saucepan cover lentils with water by 2 inches and simmer until just tender but not falling apart, about 15 minutes. Drain lentils well in a sieve. Rinse lentils under cold running water to stop cooking and drain well. Skip this step if using already cooked lentils.

In a bowl toss lentils with 2 tablespoons vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. (Lentils may be made 2 days ahead and chilled, covered. Bring lentils to room temperature before proceeding.)

In a skillet cook pancetta over moderate heat until crisp.

In cleaned saucepan heat 2 tablespoons oil over moderate heat until hot but not smoking and cook shallot, stirring, until golden brown. Stir in water, cranberries, sugar, and remaining 5 tablespoons vinegar and simmer, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced by about half, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low and whisk in remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a slow stream until emulsified. Season vinaigrette with salt and pepper.

Add half of vinaigrette to lentils and toss well. In another bowl toss spring greens with half of lentil mixture, half of pancetta, half of cheese, remaining vinaigrette, and salt and pepper to taste.

Divide remaining lentil mixture among 6 plates and top with spinach mixture. Sprinkle salads with remaining pancetta and cheese.

A Salad for Tomorrow

2010-07-13T19:50:00.000-07:00

I received an email newsletter from LiveStrong.com with a recipe for Lentil and Spinach Salad with Blue Cheese and Tart Cherry Vinaigrette. The recipe looked intriguing, and I plan to make it with some changes, which I'll note in parenthesis:

Ingredients
3/4 cup green lentils (I bought steamed lentils from Trader Joe's)
7 tablespoons red-wine vinegar (I'll be using unfiltered apple cider vinegar)
8 bacon slices, about 6 ounces (This will be replaced with diced pancetta)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup finely chopped shallot (Trader Joe's has diced shallots, garlic and onion which I'll be using)
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup dried unsweetened tart cherries, about 3 ounces (dried cranberries are cheaper, so I'll use those instead)
2 tablespoons sugar
3 1/2 cups baby or regular spinach leaves (I have a bag of spring salad mix to use instead of this)
1/3 cup blue cheese, about 2 ounces (I hate blue cheese, so I'll be using feta instead)

Directions
In a heavy saucepan cover lentils with water by 2 inches and simmer until just tender but not falling apart, about 15 minutes. Drain lentils well in a sieve. Rinse lentils under cold running water to stop cooking and drain well. In a bowl toss lentils with 2 tablespoons vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. (Lentils may be made 2 days ahead and chilled, covered. Bring lentils to room temperature before proceeding.)

In a skillet cook bacon over moderate heat until crisp and with tongs transfer to paper towels to drain. Crumble bacon.

In cleaned saucepan heat 2 tablespoons oil over moderate heat until hot but not smoking and cook shallot, stirring, until golden brown. Stir in water, cherries, sugar, and remaining 5 tablespoons vinegar and simmer, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced by about half, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low and whisk in remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a slow stream until emulsified. Season vinaigrette with salt and pepper.

Add half of vinaigrette to lentils and toss well. In another bowl toss spinach with half of lentil mixture, half of bacon, half of cheese, remaining vinaigrette, and salt and pepper to taste.

Divide remaining lentil mixture among 6 plates and top with spinach mixture. Sprinkle salads with remaining bacon and cheese.

Healthy Breakfast Ideas

2010-07-12T15:05:00.000-07:00

I'm always keeping an eye out for some quick, easy and healthy breakfast ideas. Here are a few:

A favorite of mine is a yogurt parfait...take a container of your favorite low-fat yogurt, empty it into a bowl and top it with your favorite fruit and 1/4 cup of Kashi Go-Lean Crunch. Very delicious!

I also enjoy low-fat, large-curd cottage cheese mixed with a variety of chopped vegetables (Some stores sell chopped mixed vegetables in their produce department) and chopped nuts such as pecans, almonds or walnuts. Another tasty and easy breakfast :)

Here are more ideas from Fitness Magazine:

Spinach & Bacon Omelet
    * 1 egg plus 2 egg whites
    * 2 slices cooked turkey bacon, crumbled
    * 1 cup baby spinach
    * Cooking spray
    * 1 slice whole-grain toast
    * 1 teaspoon butter

Whisk together eggs, bacon and spinach. Coat a skillet with cooking spray; cook egg mixture and serve with toast and butter.

Pumpkin & Granola Parfait
    * 1 container (6 ounces) plain low-fat yogurt
    * 2 teaspoons honey
    * 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin-pie spice
    * 1 whole-grain crunchy granola bar, crumbled
    * 1/2 cup canned pumpkin

Mix together yogurt, honey and pumpkin-pie spice. In a bowl, layer yogurt mixture, granola-bar crumbs and pumpkin.

Peanut Butter & Banana Pancakes
    * 1/2 small banana, chopped
    * 2 teaspoons peanut butter
    * 1/3 cup prepared whole-grain pancake batter
    * 1 teaspoon honey

Add banana and peanut butter to batter. Cook pancakes and serve with honey drizzled on top.

Vanilla Spice French Toast with Apple
    * 1 egg plus 2 egg whites
    * 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    * Dash each of cinnamon and nutmeg
    * 2 pieces whole-grain bread
    * 1/2 medium apple, sliced

Whisk eggs, vanilla, and spices together. Dip bread into egg mixture. Spray skillet with cooking spray and saute bread on each side until brown (about 3 minutes). Top with apple slices.

Honey & Peach Oatmeal with Almonds
    * 1 medium peach, diced
    * 2 teaspoons honey
    * 1 packet instant plain oatmeal
    * 1 tablespoon almonds, chopped

Microwave peach and honey until warm (about 3 minutes). Prepare oatmeal with hot water and top with peach and honey. Sprinkle with almonds.

Santa Fe Egg Scramble
    * 1 egg plus 2 egg whites
    * 2 tablespoons canned green chilies, dried
    * 2 tablespoons cheddar cheese
    * 1 whole wheat tortilla, heated
    * 1/2 grapefruit

In a pan over medium heat, scramble eggs, chilies, and cheese together. Once cooked, place egg mixture in tortilla and fold. Eat with grapefruit.

Blackberry and Nectarine Yogurt Parfait
    * 6 ounces nonfat plain yogurt
    * 2 teaspoons honey
    * 1/2 cup blackberries
    * 1/4 cup chopped nectarine
    * 1 granola bar, crumbled

Mix honey into plain yogurt. Layer yogurt, fruit and granola in bowl.

Black Bean Breakfast Burrito
    * 1 egg and 2 egg whites
    * 1/4 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
    * 2 tablespoons salsa
    * 2 tablespoons shredded low-fat cheddar cheese
    * 1 small whole-wheat tortilla

Scramble eggs, beans, salsa and cheese. Fill tortilla with egg mixture.

Scale Junkie also has some great suggestions for quick and healthy breakfasts.

Eating a Big Breakfast is Good for You...

2010-07-11T16:26:00.000-07:00

Big Breakfast' Diet Helps Shed Pounds
Study Shows 600-Calorie Breakfasts Reduce Food Cravings Later in the Day
By Kathleen Doheny, WebMD Health News
Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

June 17, 2008 -- Eating a 600-calorie breakfast rich in carbohydrates and protein helps dieters lose more weight long term than eating a modest breakfast and following a lower-carb eating plan, according to a new study.

Breakfast and weight loss have long been linked, but the new research zeroes in on how to help dieters stick with a plan and not regain the lost weight by adjusting the amount of carbohydrates, protein, and calories eaten early in the day.

"Those on the 'big breakfast diet' feel less hungry before lunch and all day," says Daniela Jakubowicz, MD, an endocrinologist in Caracas, Venezuela, and a clinical professor at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, who led the study. She is presenting her findings this week at ENDO 08, the 90th annual meeting of The Endocrine Society in San Francisco.

Breakfast and Weight Loss
With colleagues from Virginia Commonwealth University, Jakubowicz assigned 94 obese, physically inactive women, on average in their 30s, to two groups:

The low-carb diet group of 46 women was instructed to eat a small breakfast totaling about 290 calories that was low in carbohydrates and typically didn't include bread. A sample breakfast might have included a cup of milk, one egg, three slices of bacon, and two teaspoons of butter. When they visited the study center, these women ate breakfast there and their food was monitored. They ate an average of 1,085 calories a day.

The big-breakfast group of 48 women was told to eat a breakfast of about 610 calories. A sample breakfast: a cup of milk, turkey, cheese, two slices of bread, mayonnaise, 1 ounce of chocolate candy, and a protein shake. They could eat the breakfast in stages from the time they got up until 9 a.m. This group averaged 1,240 calories a day.

Both groups stayed on the diet for four months to lose weight, and then shifted to maintenance mode for the last four months.

At the four-month mark, the dieters eating the modest breakfast dropped about 28 pounds, while those on the big breakfast plan lost 23 pounds.

The real differences showed up at the eight-month mark, when the low-carb dieters had regained an average of 18 pounds and the big-breakfast eaters continued to lose, dropping another 16.5 pounds on average.

In all, members of the big-breakfast group lost more than 21% of their body weight; low-carb group members lost 4.5%.

A bonus, says Jakubowicz, is that the big-breakfast dieters reported less hunger and fewer cravings for carbohydrates than the other group.

Big Breakfast Diet
Some of the study findings make perfect sense and are well known to nutrition experts, says Joan Salge Blake, RD, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association and a professor of nutrition at Boston University, who reviewed the study for WebMD.

"We know women who don't eat breakfast are more likely to do impulsive, unplanned snacking," she says. "It's no big surprise that having breakfast and having protein is a good thing when it comes to weight loss."

"We know protein will have the biggest effect on the feeling of fullness," she says. "It's always important to have protein at each meal."

But she has some misgivings about both diets, contending that the daily calorie allotment and the carbohydrate intake was too low in both groups. "One hundred thirty grams of carbohydrate are the minimum for our brain to keep working," she says, citing guidelines from the National Academy of Sciences.

To achieve weight loss, she advises eating breakfast every day, including protein at each meal, and also focusing on eating fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

While the participants in the study were all obese, Jakubowicz says she thinks the plan will work for those with less weight to lose, too.

"I think this is the right way of eating, even if you are thin. I think it works for everybody and especially for obesity."

New Look

2010-07-11T10:10:00.000-07:00

I found a blog layout that I love What do you think of it?

What I've Been Doing This Last Year

2010-07-10T22:45:00.000-07:00

Hi As you can see, it's been a few months since I last posted on this blog and just over a year since I last tracked my progress with living a healthy life. A lot has happened since then.

My temp assignment at Vision Service Plan ended on July 31st, and I went on unemployment. Finding more work was difficult, so I decided to try and go to school while on unemployment. God had His hand all over that and blessed me in a tremendous way :)

I had no idea what the procedure was for starting school and being on unemployment, so I searched the California EDD website and found a pdf file about the California Training Benefits program. In that pdf file, I read something about going to a Sacramento Works office to be approved to go to school while on unemployment, so I made my way to the nearest office and began the process.

Little did I know what lay in store for me...I went through the long, laborious process of trying to get my schooling paid for with a government grant, filling out paperwork and attending training classes at the Sacramento Works office. I had to research the field in which I wanted retraining, see what the employment outlook was for it, and fill out a scholarship award packet. I had to find someone who was an employer or employee in the field I had chosen and interview them as well.

God guided me every step of the way...it was awesome! For the interview I had to do, I thought of a friend in my small group bible study. I asked him if I could interview him and he was very kind and gracious in saying yes. When I did the interview, one of the first questions I asked him was his title. At that point I discovered that he was the chief financial officer for the Sacramento SPCA! I found a big dog to interview!

My job history was pretty free-flowing...I took whatever jobs came along while working as a temp, and had never aimed for something specific before. During the first couple of weeks after my temp assignment ended, I evaluated my career and looked at what made the most sense for me to pursue. I chose accounting for a few reasons...numbers do what they're supposed to do, and if they don't, it's a mistake that can be tracked down. I was also tired of being stuck with only a few career choices. I've been a secretary, an admin assistant, I've done data entry in accounting departments, I've been a proofreader at a title company, a proofreading team lead there, and was a title examiner when I quit. Accounting would fit into those job experiences quite well.

After I turned in the scholarship packet, all that was left was to wait and see if I got a scholarship. One day I got a message from Jackie...I was approved! The American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) was funding my entire tuition to attend MTI College and go through their accounting technician program! $16,000! Wow!

I began school in October, and through the entire 36 weeks I managed to maintain a 4.0 GPA and graduate at the top of my small class My last class was on Thursday, July 1st, and I've been job-hunting since.

It's time for me to trust that God will bring me to the right job. Most of the time I'm not worried about it; I keep searching online and applying, trusting that He will lead me to the right position and open the door to the job He has lined up for me.

As for my working on losing weight, I didn't do much at all during this last year. The good news is that I didn't gain any weight; I've been fluctuating between 232 and 237 lbs. I can maintain my weight, which is good to know.

Along with looking for a job, I need to begin working on a healthy lifestyle again, that's my next challenge. I have two options for exercise...walking and riding my bike. Both are good, and doing either or both on a daily basis is my goal, as is keeping a food diary.

I'm not going to be following a rigid plan right now, although it might be better for me to do that. At this point our budget is tight, so doing something like South Beach isn't an option. Focusing on healthy food choices is the most important thing I can do, and that's something I have to do for the rest of my life.

The area I struggle with the most seems to be allowing myself splurges. I find a reason to let myself have some type of splurge nearly every day, and that's not good. If I want to lose weight and be healthier than I am now I can't keep doing that.

This brings me to this blog...writing about my efforts here will help me stay focused. I need that :) I'll be writing about all of that as well as the rest of my life. Choosing to live a healthy life involves every aspect, not just diet and exercise.

I hope you enjoy reading here, and that you share your thoughts and comments as well. Those comments will be an encouragement to keep blogging away :)

Tying a Scarf

2010-01-06T16:40:00.000-08:00

If you're like me and don't know creative ways to tie a winter scarf, check out this video

Menu for Monday

2010-01-03T20:29:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow's menu is nearly complete..

Breakfast will be some steel-cut oatmeal with strawberries (frozen) and sugar free vanilla soymilk.

Lunch will be 3oz salmon sauteed with a dab of olive oil, seasoned with pesto and served with 3/4 cup brown rice/Kashi pilaf blend and 1 1/2 cups cooked frozen sugar snap pea mix vegetables.

Snacks will be an apple and later a slice of toasted sprouted whole grain bread with either some peanutbutter (natural) or a small wedge of white cheddar with sage.

Dinner? Don't know yet. I'll worry about that when I get home from school :)

What to Do When You're Not Hungry

2010-01-02T13:27:00.000-08:00

I found a great refrigerator poster at the Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat blog.

Be sure to go to the link, print it and put it on your refrigerator.

I'm also going to start my own list of 101 things to do besides eat beginning here. Feel free to add suggestions in the comments:

1. Clean out a junk drawer.

The One Day Way - Chapters 1 & 2

2009-12-31T11:32:00.000-08:00

Excerpts from chapters 1 and 2 of The One Day Way:

Chapter 1: Old Habits Are Hard to Break - Let's Make Better Habits That Are Hard to Break Too...

If your desire to change is not intense enough to push you past the point of no return, and if you don't have a fearless attitude, you will give up.

We think if we can't achieve tremendous levels of success overnight, then we may as well give up.

Success has nothing to do with someone else's expectations or your getting into the same size jeans as your best friend wears. The truth is this: success is personal. No one else can dictate how you have to measure your own success. For the women who has been eating Oreo cookies and potato chips every afternoon for as long as she can remember, going one day without either is a huge deal! That day is a success. Whether or not anyone else struggles with cookies and chips doesn't matter. You'll be amazed how far your small steps, taken consistently, will get you.

I like the points she makes in this chapter. We can't keep comparing ourselves to others, we need to make this personal and measure success in a way that is meaningful to ourself. We also need to stop looking for instant results and fad diets. Those don't work. We need to make lifestyle changes, a little at a time and as we make those small changes and maintain them, we'll see results over the long haul.

Chapter 2: Are You at Your Point of No Return? First Change How You Think

In order to lose weight, live well, and love your life, you first have to reach a point of no return. If you don't pass that point, chances are good that you will eventually return to your old way of living. To make change last, you nee to decide that you're not just going to try a diet, but you are going to change your entire lifestyle, permanently. Going back to your old life is no longer an option.

The One-Day Way celebrates only the successes of today, so ditch the long-range dieting mind-set, and forget about the hourlong walk a week ago. Instead, shift your focus to the success you can achieve in one day - today.

I like what I bolded in the above paragraph. PERMANENTLY.

Guess What Came in the Mail Today?

2009-12-30T16:41:00.000-08:00

I like Facebook :) One of my favorite Christian romance authors, MaryLu Tyndall, is on Facebook and I joined her Facebook fan club. Not too long ago she was asking for what she called influencers for her new release, The Raven Saint. Those who were chosen would receive a free copy of her newest book and all they have to do in response is to blog about the book, talk about it on message boards and tell people about it in person. No problem! I can do that :)

It came in the mail today! I'm excited :) Here's the cover:

Here's the description of the story:

When Grace Westcott is kidnapped by a French mercenary, tossed aboard his ship, and told she will be sold to a Spanish Don in Columbia, she cannot imagine what she has done to deserve such a horrid fate. She has spent her entire life serving God and helping the poor, not to mention trying to save the souls of her two wayward sisters. Thinking perhaps God has sent her to preach to the vile captain and his crew, Grace's every attempt to correct their sinful ways is rewarded with only mockery. When Grace's situation grows far worse than she could imagine, she is forced to face her own human weaknesses. But she isn't prepared to face her biggest weakness of all-falling in love with the nefarious captain, Rafe Dubois.

I haven't read the other two books in this series, so that'll be something I'll be doing as soon as I can. I've read some of her other books and can recommend them highly.

The Falcon and The Sparrow was a wonderful Regency romance full of intrigue and drama. The heroine is forced to spy for France against her will and she falls in love with the man she's sent to spy upon.

Mary Lu's Legacy of the King's Pirates series was amazing. If you loved Pirates of the Caribbean and pirate romances, these are for you. First we have The Redemption, followed by The Reliance and ending with The Restitution.

Be sure to check out Mary Lu's books, you can buy them at Amazon.com or at CBD.com. I'll be reading The Raven Saint soon, so be sure to come back here for the review :)

The One Day Way - Introduction

2009-12-30T08:56:00.000-08:00

I started reading "The One Day Way" by Chantal Hobbs last night. I'd begun it earlier, but wanted to start over, this time with a highlighter :) The subtitle of the book is "Today Is All the Time You Need to Lose All the Weight You Want".

The best way to share my thoughts about this book is to share some excerpts and comment on them, so let's begin.

Introduction - Today Really Can Be Different From the Rest

You want to break free from the habits that have held you back, but you're beginning to realize that the changes won't last unless you look below the surface.

Your opportunity to change happens today - not yesterday or next week.

Most diets fail because the dieter fails to first change the way she thinks.

Your life won't change as a result of setting fantastic and lofty long-range goals. Your life will change because of what you do today and the next day and so on.

Your thinking always controls your actions. Both negative and positive thoughts have the ability to dictate your actions at any given moment. What gives you the upper hand is that you have a choice: will you make sure that positive thoughts control your mind, or will you give in to negative thoughts? The ability to choose your thoughts and actions gives you tremendous power. You can decide which thoughts will rule your actions, and those decisions will dictate whether you succeed or repeat a past failure.

You can change your life in some way, starting today!

Grasping the truth of how to lose weight permanently and gain a new life of passion is a day-to-day process. Losing one pound at a time, strengthening one muscle at a time - that is how you can free yourself from frustration and failure. You're not preparing to embark on a new diet but rather a new way of thinking and living.

If you want to really change your life, you have to understand that you change it in one day. And that day is today. What you did or failed to do yesterday is in the past. Don't let it drag you down. And what you hope to do tomorrow doesn't matter either. Tomorrow is beyond your reach. What you can control is to choose the best actions today. You change your life with what is immediately in front of you. You have been given today, so use it well.

The way to get a new life is to do things today that will propel you to change in small, measurable pieces...you take a step toward the life you want today, and then another step tomorrow...don't be interested in perfection; instead be committed to progress.

These were the portions I highlighted from the introduction.

All I can do is what's immediately in front of me right now.

In the past, I've tended to suffer from having lofty goals and constantly falling short. That's been very frustrating and I give up because I feel like I'll never be able to lose all the weight and get to the goal.

Looking back, I can see that focusing on small changes and maintaining them does work. Granted, it works s...l...o...w...l...y, but it works! Without being completely and totally dedicated to losing weight, I've lost nearly 70lbs over the last 7 or so years. That was simply by making small changes to what I ate, drank, and my activity level. We are talking small changes, not big ones.

I can do this, and so can you!

Getting Back on Track

2009-12-29T20:57:00.000-08:00

I haven't officially begun my healthy eating yet.   I've done my shopping and have purchased fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables, chicken breast and salmon fillets. Whole grains, sprouted whole grain bread and some additional seasonings also made their way into my shopping basket.   There were other items as well.

I'm not following an official plan this time.   I need to develop a habit of healthy eating that's realistic and fits into the lifestyle of me and my husband. I'll be working on portion control and proportions with my meals. I'm using the portion guide at WebMD.com to help me determine proper sizes and amounts.

Tonight's dinner is chicken breast sauteed in a small amount of olive oil then I added some pesto. I've also prepared a mixture of brown rice and Kashi's whole grain pilaf cooked in chicken broth and will be adding a bag of an asparagus vegetable mix.   I'll be heating that up in the pan in which I cooked the chicken so that the vegetables pick up that flavor.

Breakfasts will vary from 2 slices of sprouted whole grain toast spread with 1 1/2 tablespoons natural peanutbutter and topped with a sliced banana; steel cut oatmeal with fresh or frozen fruit and unsweetened vanilla soymilk; Yoplait yogurt with some granola and fresh fruit.

Lunches will be soups or stir-fries. Dinner will be something like what I made this evening.   I still need to figure out snacks for me.   My husband will be snacking on things like cheesesticks and peanuts. He needs to maintain or gain some weight, he's 6 feet tall and barely 150lbs.

Hmmmm...fresh cucumber with a lite cheesestick, or carrots and bell peppers with hummus.   Those are good snack ideas :)

Please feel free to share snack suggestions in the comments, I could use some help!

The One Day Way

2009-12-29T13:35:00.000-08:00

I won a copy of Chantal Hobb's latest book, "The One Day Way" in a Facebook contest and it arrived in the mail a week or so ago. I've just begun to read it and am going to share portions of it here along with my thoughts.

This looks to be a very good book.

New Beginnings

2009-12-29T11:03:00.000-08:00

It's great that we can always begin again when we fall off the wagon. The good news is that I haven't gained any weight, I've been stable. But now it's time to work on the next batch of pounds.

I'm aiming to get down to 160-170lbs by the end of 2010, and now's as good a time to begin as any.

I'll be posting more later today, right now I need to make a run to Super Walmart and get a few things I forgot to buy yesterday.

Greetings!

2009-11-30T18:30:00.000-08:00

Another long break....how time flies! I've been in school since October 5th and am halfway through my second term. It's been a busy time for me, and since Christmas is just around the corner I've changed my blog's look to reflect the holiday season.

I hope that all of you are doing well, and that a wonderful Christmas is in store for you. I want to share some of my school work here and I hope that it's motivating to you.

Look for new posts to come in just a bit.

Toasted Israeli Couscous Salad with Mint, Cucumber, and Feta

2009-09-28T11:51:00.000-07:00

I made this for a BLOOM women's ministry meeting last week, and it was a hit :)

Toasted Israeli Couscous Salad with Mint, Cucumber, and Feta

Kosher salt
1 cup Israeli couscous
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
1 medium English cucumber, peeled and finely diced (2 cups)
1/2 cup diced bell peppers (red, yellow and green)
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh apple mint leaves; additional sprigs for garnish (can also use spearmint or pineapple mint)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice; more as needed
1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup small-diced feta cheese

In a large saucepan, bring 2 quarts vegetable broth to a boil. (Vegetable broth adds more flavor to the couscous, can also use chicken stock)

Meanwhile, in a medium killet over medium heat, toast the couscous, stirring frequently, until golden-brown, about 7 minutes.

Cook the couscous in the boiling water until tender, about 10 minutes. As the couscous is boiling, toast the pine nuts in the skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently. Be sure not to burn the pine nuts. Remove from heat immediately.

Drain and rinse couscous under cold running water until cool. Pour the couscous into a large mixing bowl. Stir in the cucumber and mint.

In a small bowl, mix the oil, lemon juice and zest, 3/4 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Stir in the feta. Add the feta mixture to the couscous, season to taste with salt, pepper, and lemon juice, and mix well. Transfer to a serving bowl. Refrigerate for a few hours or overnight and serve. Garnish with the mint sprigs before serving

Goals for Today

2009-09-28T11:45:00.000-07:00

Since school is starting a week from today (yay!) I'm trying to get some autumn cleaning done around the house. I began on Friday by reorganizing the back bedroom and getting rid of a lot of junk. I also set up a study area in there.

Today I'm getting the living room and dining room organized and cleaned up, and I also need to wash the dishes.

Once the living and dining rooms are done I'll take some photos and share them here. Motivation! I'll also take a photo of my study area in the back bedroom :)

Cat Photo of the Day

2009-09-27T19:41:00.000-07:00

What Can I Learn From My Healthy Friends?

2009-09-27T16:12:00.000-07:00

I need to teach myself new habits in my quest for a healthier life, and observing the habits of those around me who are healthy - not necessarily fitness and exercise fanatics, but normal, healthy people - can help me see habits I need to develop.

10 Secrets of the Effortlessly Thin
By Sally Wadyka for MSN Health & Fitness
The majority of thin people—whether they have been lean all their life or managed to lose weight and keep it off—share several healthy strategies that help them stay thin and healthy with seemingly little effort. Here are 10 secrets you need to know in order to join the ranks of the thin.

1. They don't diet
Or at least not in the traditional, all-or-nothing, deprivation sense of the word. "You need to get rid of that diet mentality and realize that what you are doing is making a permanent lifestyle change," says Anne Fletcher, M.S., R.D., author of the Thin for Life book series. She adds, "You do have to cut back on calories if you want to stay thin, but it's about reassessing what you eat and being more sensible in your choices, not about a quick-fix, crazy diet." Research has also shown that thin people tend to have a better quality diet than those who are overweight. They eat more fruits and vegetables and more fiber, and drink more water—all healthy things that provide more food volume for the number of calories.

2. They keep track of their weight
Thin people know how much they weigh, and they monitor that number by stepping on the scale frequently. It's not about a having an unhealthy fixation on that number on the scale, but it's a way to catch a 5-pound gain before it suddenly turns into a 20-pound gain. "Aim to keep your weight within a five-pound range, and if you see it go above that buffer zone, make sure you have an immediate plan of action for how to address it," suggests Fletcher.

3. They exercise regularly
"In my research, nine out of 10 people who've lost weight and maintained it exercise regularly and make it a critical part of their lives," says Fletcher. Even if you've never been a fitness fanatic, it's not too late to get moving. Even taking a few 15-minute walks throughout the day will be a move in the right direction. Once you start to enjoy the mood-boosting and calorie-burning advantages of exercise, start looking for ways to keep your workouts interesting. Join a local gym and try a variety of classes and cardio machines, find friends to walk with, or experiment with at-home exercise DVDs.

4. They don't solve problems with food
Almost everyone is guilty of occasionally drowning their sorrows in a pint of Ben & Jerry's or taking out frustration on a batch of brownies, but thin people definitely don't make it a habit. "They tend not to eat purely for emotional reasons," says Fletcher. When you are upset (or bored, lonely, frustrated or angry), she suggests asking yourself: Is food really going to solve the problem, or will it just end up making you feel worse after you finish eating? Chances are, the food won't fix what's bothering you, so it's important to come up with a list of other small pleasures you can turn to instead of food. Some ideas include going for a walk, watching a movie, calling a friend, playing with your kids or taking a bubble bath.

5. They stop eating when they're full
Most thin people are not members of the clean-plate club. Instead of mindlessly eating however much they are served, they pay attention to internal hunger cues and satiety. "Thin people are tuned into noticing when they are satisfied, and they stop eating even if there is food left," says Jill Fleming, M.S., R.D., author of Thin People Don't Clean Their Plates (Inspiration Presentations Press, 2005). "They often report that they don't like that feeling of being uncomfortably full, so they've learned how to stop before they reach it."

6. They don't surround themselves with temptation
Rather than stocking the cupboards with junk food, thin people's kitchens tend to be filled with healthy foods. That doesn't mean you can never have any indulgences in the house, just that you shouldn't have so many that you're likely to overeat them. For example, if you love to bake, give most of your sweets away to friends, or have your kids bring them to school or soccer practice, leaving just a few behind to enjoy yourself.

7. They allow themselves treats
It's the opposite of the deprivation mentality that many overweight (but dieting) people espouse: Thin people let themselves eat what they crave, sometimes even indulging in a treat every day. "The difference is that they do it consciously, choosing exactly what they really want to eat and then eating slowly and enjoying it," says Fleming. So if it's chocolate you want, don't try to eat around the craving with an array of foods that don't really satisfy you. Instead, allow yourself to have a small but really delicious chocolate bar and put the craving to rest.

8. They eat breakfast
According to the National Weight Control Registry, which tracks the habits and strategies of more than 5,000 people who have maintained a significant weight loss, nearly 80 percent of these successful losers eat breakfast every single day. And most of their naturally lean counterparts do the same, and make sure that they eat within about an hour of waking up. "Breakfast is literally breaking the fast of the night," says Fleming. "Until you send food into your system, your metabolism doesn't really start to kick in."

9. They move, stand and fidget more
"Thin people are rarely sitting," says Fleming. Beyond their regular fitness routines, they simply move around more—and consequently burn more calories—throughout the day. And a study at the Mayo Clinic confirmed this: Researchers found that on average, a group of lean subjects sat for two hours a day less than the obese subjects, potentially burning up to 350 additional calories.

10. They don't skip meals
There are two problems with skipping meals—and thin people are careful not to fall prey to them. Going more than six hours without food will slow down your metabolism, plus you'll likely get so desperately hungry that you'll grab anything (as opposed to something healthy) and eat too much of it. "Thin people keep their gas tanks [i.e., their stomachs] between one-quarter and three-quarters full all the time," says Fleming. The best way to do that is to eat frequent mini-meals every three to four hours.

I don't know about you, but I know I am far from following most of these habits. I can see that I have work to do.

Sunday Thoughts

2009-09-27T15:53:00.001-07:00

Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything.

~ James 1: 2-4 (New Living Translation)

Trials and troubles, troubles and trials. Ugh. Sometimes it seems like life is filled with nothing but trials and troubles, and we struggle with that. Why? Why do we always need to deal with troubles? Why isn't our life easy and trouble free now that we've given our hearts to God and have chosen to follow and obey Him? Why isn't the road smooth and level, with no obstacles?

The answer lies in growth. A life without obstacles, trials and troubles has no opportunity to grow deep roots. Without troubles, we never learn to rely on God, to find our strength in Him, and so our roots remain shallow. And when troubles do come along, those with shallow roots are easily uprooted and swept along in a flood of fears and worries. We lose sight of our anchor and our rock, and it's a scary place to be.

Each trouble we face is a chance to cling to God, to trust Him for deliverance, and for our faith to grow. As our faith grows and the roots grow deeper into the Rock of Ages, we are able to stand when the inevitable troubles come our way. And the joy to be found in the assurance that our faith lies in the One who will never fail us can carry us through anything.

Lord, today we come before You asking for Your help in whatever we are facing. Many of us are facing trials and troubles, and are overwhelmed. Remind us, Lord, that You are our anchor, our shelter in times of trouble, and help us to find our peace in You. Provide for our needs in miraculous ways, as a testimony to your saving power and grace. Help us to be examples to those around us, and let them always see You in our lives.

In Jesus' name,
Amen!!

Quick Dinner Ideas

2009-09-26T02:37:00.000-07:00

With school starting in just over a week, I need to come up with ideas for quick and easy dinners. I'll be attending school full-time, Monday through Thursday, and that means there'll also be homework. Cooking a dinner that's complicated and takes a long time is not going to be on the agenda.

Kathleen Zelman from WebMD has some great suggestions:

What's for Dinner?
A dietitian's own strategies for fast weeknight meals.
By Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH
WebMD Weight Loss Clinic - Expert Column

It's late afternoon; I'm busy working in my office, and have no idea what I am making for dinner tonight. Sound familiar?

I wish I was one of those people who spend Sunday afternoons prepping and freezing dinners for the week. But frankly, after a long week, cooking is the last thing I want to do. Sundays are my day of rest.

Now that both of my children are off at college, I only need to prepare dinner for two. Luckily, my husband is happy to eat whatever I put in front of him and, more important, he does the dishes!

In my house, we always try to eat healthy food and keep the calories in check. I never put butter on veggies, and "fried" is a foreign word in my kitchen. Meals are straightforward and simple because it takes less time, and because we would rather enjoy a glass of wine or a scoop of low-fat ice cream instead of a fancy cream sauce.

Grocery Smarts

My strategy for quick and easy dinners starts in the grocery store. The produce bins in my refrigerator are always full. In addition to fresh fruits and veggies, I load the refrigerator with low-fat yogurt, fat-free half-and-half (a cooking trick I learned from our "Recipe Doctor" Elaine Magee), a variety of cheeses, hummus, eggs, and skim milk.

Depending on what is on sale, I stock my freezer with items such as pork and beef tenderloin, salmon, tilapia, boneless chicken breasts, and lean ground round. When I get home from the market, I divide these foods into portions for two so I can easily defrost them a few hours before dinner. Also in my freezer is a supply of whole-wheat rolls, ciabatta rolls, Lean Cuisine dinners, chicken pot stickers (I toss them into chicken broth with mushrooms and scallions to make soup), and bags of frozen veggies.

Staples in my pantry include cereal (Kashi Go Lean Crunch and Special K are our favorites), brown rice (Uncle Ben's ready rice), whole-wheat blend pasta, canned petite diced tomatoes, Mandarin orange segments, sweet potatoes, nuts, a variety of canned beans, soup, coffee, and assorted teas (my afternoon pick-me-up).

In the Kitchen

My favorite equipment for quick meals includes the grill, grill pan, microwave, and toaster oven. Most fresh veggies are simply washed and lightly steamed in the microwave, followed by a squeeze of fresh lemon and a sprinkle of lite Cajun seasoning. The exception -- asparagus, red peppers, zucchini, and eggplant are pure perfection when grilled on the barbeque or in the grill pan. Grilling these vegetables caramelizes the natural sugars so they melt in your mouth. I have converted many a veggie-hater with these grilled delights.

Meat, poultry, and fish used to be considered the center of the plate, but in my house, they are treated more like side dishes. The easiest and quickest way to prepare meats and seafood is on the grill, in the grill pan (during inclement weather), or in the toaster oven.

I am also a huge fan of the store-bought rotisserie chicken. I used to roast chickens until I discovered how inexpensive and delicious they are straight from the grocery store (Costco is my favorite). For just the two of us, we get at least two meals from one chicken. One night, we eat roasted breasts. Then, I pull off the remaining chicken and either toss it into a pasta dish; serve it cold over a bed of broccoli slaw; or make a fruity chicken salad with red grapes, slivered almonds, and light mayo, plus a touch of honey and tarragon.

We enjoy small portions of our entrees and fill our plates with vegetables and a whole-grain side dish. And dinner would be incomplete without some kind of side salad! I usually have field greens, romaine lettuce, and a bag of broccoli slaw on hand. Sliced fruit, dried cranberries, Mandarin oranges, canned beans, nuts and a little cheese are typical salad add-ins. Dressings are homemade or store-bought light vinaigrettes or Caesar. Sometimes, I just add a little water to the bottle of dressing to lighten it and make it go further without adding extra calories.

My goal is to make sure the pantry, freezer, and refrigerator are always stocked for quick and easy meals. I try to prepare five meals a week; the other nights we go out to eat, order in pizza or Chinese food, or nosh on leftovers. I sometimes make big pots of split pea or vegetable soup and freeze portions for future meals, but most days, we enjoy quick, healthy meals that are a cinch to prepare.

I am no Rachael Ray, but here are some of my favorite meals that I whip up in less than 30 minutes:

Quick Meal No. 1: Greek Salad Wrap and Brown Rice Salad

For the Greek Salad Wrap, load up tortillas and then roll them up for a refreshing vegetarian entree. Into your whole-wheat tortillas, place:

* Fat-free feta cheese
* Sliced cucumbers
* Chopped tomatoes
* Hummus
* Sliced olives

Drizzle with salt, pepper, red wine vinegar, and olive oil, then roll and serve.

For the Brown Rice Salad, mix the following ingredients, toss, then chill or serve at room temperature:

* Small can of Mandarin oranges, drained
* Uncle Ben's brown ready rice, cooked and cooled
* Toasted, slivered almonds
* 1/2 to 1 package of broccoli slaw
* Ginger salad dressing to taste

Quick Meal No. 2: Chicken Breasts

Your menu for this meal includes:

* Grilled chicken breasts
* Baked sweet potatoes (you can make these ahead of time and reheat in the microwave)
* Mixed salad greens with goat cheese, pears, and toasted pecans with light balsamic vinaigrette
* Ciabatta rolls with a few teaspoons olive oil for dipping

If you think ahead, defrost the chicken breasts, then lightly pound to tenderize them, and toss them into a Ziploc bag with some light salad dressing or a mixture of citrus juices plus a few herbs.

If you haven't marinated the breasts, baste them with barbeque or grilling sauce before grilling. Slow-roasted sweet potatoes are so sweet and delicious they need nothing more than a sprinkle of salt and pepper.

Quick Meal No. 3: Roasted Pecan Salmon

This menu for this healthy meal includes:

* Roasted pecan salmon
* Grilled asparagus
* Steamed new potatoes with parsley and a dollop of fat-free sour cream
* Mixed greens with avocado, grape tomatoes, black beans, and a light dressing

This is a company-worthy menu, but salmon is so readily available, so healthy, and freezes so well that we eat it at least once a week. Here are some other ideas for salmon or any fish: Top with a salsa, or make a teriyaki or balsamic glaze to pour over the fish after it is cooked.

Quick Meal No. 4: Grilled Pork Tenderloin

Here's the menu for this speedy but satisfying meal:

* Grilled pork tenderloin
* Sugar snap peas (you can steam or microwave)
* Couscous with veggies
* Caesar salad with chopped apples and a light dressing

As with the chicken, you can defrost the pork tenderloin ahead of time and marinate it in a teriyaki or any kind of light salad dressing. Otherwise, baste it with equal parts honey and mustard or a store-bought marinade before you grill.

For the couscous, I saute whatever vegetables I have on hand (mushrooms, red peppers, and squash are a yummy combination) and toss into the couscous when cooked. Voila! Another easy meal.

Quick Meal No. 5: Pasta With Vegetables

This just might be the fastest and easiest option of all:

* Pasta with veggies and optional meat
* Broccoli slaw salad with toasted sesame seeds, slivered almonds, scallions, Mandarin oranges, and a light vinaigrette.
* Whole-wheat rolls

For this weekly empty-the-vegetable-bin dish, I toss a variety of lightly steamed veggies with pasta or Israeli couscous (pearl pasta). Sometimes I also add leftover chicken or fish. Then I top with a little goat, feta, or Parmesan cheese. The sauce is either a simple drizzle of olive oil or a dry-packaged sauce (such as Knorr garlic cream sauce) that I make with skim milk and no any extra fat.

She has some great menu ideas.

I like to keep frozen vegetables on hand along with couscous and brown rice that I've cooked ahead of time with either chicken or vegetable broth. I make it ahead of time and freeze it in smaller portions so that when I need some rice for a recipe all I need to do is pull a small bag out of the freezer and heat up the rice in the microwave. Voila! Quick and easy :)

I buy bags of frozen chicken tenderloins, making smaller portions of meat easy and it also cooks faster than a whole chicken breast.

One of the typical things I do is saute some meat in my cast iron skillet - sometimes it'll be a nice chicken apple sausage, but it can be whatever lean meat you like - or I bake some chicken or fish with a favorite seasoning blend, usually salt-free.

While the meat is cooking, I get a bag of frozen rice out of the freezer and run hot water over the bag for a minute or two to start the thawing process. If I'm cooking the meat in the cast iron skillet, I finish that and remove the meat from the skillet. Either way, once the meat is out of the skillet or if I'm baking the meat, I make sure the skillet has heat on the stove with a tablespoon or so of olive oil. If I've cooked the meat in it, I don't clean the skillet so that the flavor of the meat enhances the rice and vegetables. I empty the bag of rice into the skillet, and then add a bag of frozen vegetables and saute until done, adding seasoning to taste. Once it's cooked I mix the meat back in and serve. Delicious!

I would like to note that I choose lean meats and add a little olive oil when cooking them in the cast iron skillet. I love the way meat browns in it and refuse to give it up.

What are some of your favorite quick and healthy meals?

Cat Photo of the Day

2009-09-25T07:40:00.000-07:00

Getting Organized

2009-09-25T06:37:00.000-07:00

I've had nearly 2 months off, and what have I really done? Almost nothing!   Now with one week left before the start of school, I want to get a few things done around the house.

My sweet husband comes from a family of pack rats, and I've accumulated a lot of stuff in the 18 years I've lived in this house. When he moved in after our wedding, we were overflowing with stuff.   Too much stuff.

Today I am tackling our 'junk room'.   It's the same concept as a junk drawer, but it's a whole room! Yikes!   So I'm getting that organized today and getting rid of all the stuff we don't need...empty boxes, useless papers, stuff like that.

Once I've accomplished that, I can start organizing the living and dining rooms more effectively, and will finally be able to have friends over without feeling embarrassed by all the stuff piled here and there.

Getting the house organized and serene is part of living a healthy life.   I firmly believe that your surroundings influence your mood and attitude, and a messy house causes stress and even anxiety.

My sister-in-law forwarded a Fly Lady email to me that I want to share here.   I've highlighted some things that really spoke to me in my situation:

Eviction Notice - Clutter Pack Your Bags!

Dear Friends,

Clutter has a way of taking over our lives. Clutter becomes that unwanted houseguest that you can't get rid of. It robs us of peace while we are home and it also steals any bit of joy when we leave home; the dread of returning to that mess. What about those of you that will not even go anywhere because of the chaotic state of your home.

We received a message today from a member that gave up their family vacation to clean and declutter their home. "Thank you for the God Breeze." I realize that it had to be done for the safety of a crawling baby, but I felt that I needed to address this inconsiderate squatter, so you could see what he is doing to you and your family.

When a home is filled with clutter, it takes on a life of its own. Your whole day is spent giving it attention, instead of your family and yourself. Let's look at some of the things we give up so we can devote our lives to this inconsiderate houseguest.

1. Clutter filled homes are not welcoming to friends or family, so we do not invite them over often. When we do, we almost kill ourselves trying to get the house presentable so we will not be embarrassed. You know the drill. Major Crisis Cleaning until 3:00am and they are coming the next day. As a result of not wanting to make the preparations, we alienate ourselves from our friends and family by closing our doors and throwing away the key. Clutter is a very selfish housemate. It wants you all to itself. This is another way for the Evil One to attack families. When the structure of the family is broken down, he wins. Clutter is his most effective weapon.

2. Clutter in your home does not allow your mind and body to rest. The guilt of all the clutter keeps you working non-stop. You can't organize clutter; you can only get rid of it, like a diseased cancerous tumor. Purge it from your life and you will find out what living is all about. Clutter causes you to turn down invitations to lunch or weekend getaways with your husband. It will also get in the way of you taking time for yourself. It yells at you, you don't deserve to have any fun; you have not taken care of ME yet. Oh selfish clutter. Like a spoiled child, it requires all your
attention.

3. Clutter tells the world that you are not worthy. We have all heard it. If you can't take care of this, you can't have it. We have been brainwashed by this clutter to believe that we do not deserve to have nice things since we can't keep our home looking presentable. So we only buy more clutter at yard sales and junk shops, because it only cost a dollar. Now don't email fussing about this. I love yard sales as much as the next person, but think about this mentality for a few minutes. Don't we deserve to be surrounded by pretty things that we love, instead of someone else's cast-offs? When we quit wasting our money on more clutter to feed the already growing demon in our home, we can save to purchase things that make us smile. (I disagree with this one, I've found some perfectly wonderful things at thrift stores and yard sales, it's about the quality, not the source.)

4. Clutter never wants you to leave home. This is why he make is so difficult for you to pack and go on vacation. Laundry has to be done, you have to get people to come to the house to feed your critters, or worse yet, you need someone to house sit for you. Clutter will never allow strangers in his domain. He wants you all to himself. The bills have to be paid, so you can go, clutter invades your finances and family responsibilities. You don't have wills done, because it is just too much trouble. So you stay home, so you won't have to make the decision of who will care for you children in case of an accident. Clutter loves to keep you home, so he has your full attention. He throws every obstacle in your path.

5. Clutter loves to make you sick. This way you are totally dependent upon his way of life. He robs you of your health, so this gives you an excuse to give him more clutter. The more there is the happier he becomes and more sick you get. Sometimes you will not allow people to come into your home to help, because clutter has quarantined you. Or shall we say imprisoned you in your dungeon.

6. Clutter's main sustenance is chaos. So when you are running around your home searching for something in all the mess, clutter is celebrating with a feast. Trying to find a document on your desk is not fun for you, but clutter begets clutter. You end up making an even bigger mess during the search.

7. Clutter loves ignorance, because you know no other way to live. If you did, he would not have a home that provides him of all the undivided attention that you give his needs. You have never enjoyed a peaceful afternoon without clutter vying for your every thought and deed. He knows that if you ever feel one ounce of peace, you will tell him to hit the road, because that peace is so contagious.

It is time to put clutter in his place and send him packing from whence he came. So where does clutter belong and how do you get rid of this unwanted houseguest? It is not easy. He keeps pleading with you that "you need me", and laying many guilt trips on you for what relatives will think if you put him out into the cold. (You know those gifts and inherited clutter you have been saddled with over the years.)

Your clutter did not accumulate overnight and it is going to take days, weeks and sometimes several months to rid yourself of this squatter. We do it in small steps to make it easy on you. This way, your houseguest has no clue that you are evicting him. Slowly but surely the clutter will leave one boogie or one room rescue at a time. Some of you may need to take a "get tough" approach and order a dumpster or set up regular pickups from charity thrift stores. What ever you decide to do, consistency is the ticket to getting him to vacate your premises. Just 15 minutes a day is all you need to set him on the road. When you kick his bottom out your door, you will begin to have your home to yourself again.

Peace is just a boogie away.

It is time to pack his bags and send him out into the world to fend for himself. You have wasted enough of your time on him. From now on, you are going to become very particular about whom you bring home to reside with you and your family.

Are you ready to evict this squatter, so you can FLY?

FlyLady

P.S. Are your special clutter friends taking you from your children? One day after you are gone your children will have to evict clutter once and for all: a dumpster is a proper coffin. Clutter took you away from them. Don't let clutter become your only loved one. You have flesh and blood precious souls around you.

Cat Photo of the Day

2009-09-24T09:31:00.000-07:00

Here you go :)

All-or-Nothing Thinking

2009-09-24T07:29:00.000-07:00

Are you guilty of this? I am! It makes healthy living such a challenge sometimes. When I fail, my tendency is to give up completely, but I'm getting better at overcoming this challenge.

I recently read an article with some good tips on overcoming this:

5 Steps to Banish All or Nothing Thinking

All or nothing thinking can negatively affect your weight-loss efforts in ways you don't even realize. For some, the idea of either doing things to "perfection" or not at all may even keep them from losing weight altogether. This article will help you understand the connection between weight-loss difficulties and this mind frame and provide steps on how to lose weight and avoid all or nothing thinking.

Step One: Get a Life (Change)!
The first way to avoid all or nothing thinking is to shake the idea that losing weight is something you do "right" just temporarily and then the work is done. The fact is, most people who successfully lose weight -- and more importantly, keep that weight off -- make healthy, permanent lifestyle changes such as getting regular exercise, consciously practicing portion control and finding ways to prevent emotional eating.

If you look at your weight-loss efforts as something you're only doing "for now," those new, healthy changes won't be permanent. But if you try to do too much too soon, the changes will last only days. Small, gradual changes are what will work. And seeing the big picture -- that little slip-ups don't count, but long-term changes do -- helps keep things in perspective.

The truth is, step 1 sucks. But it's the reality I have to face. This is a lifestyle change, and I need to view it that way. The good news is that I don't need to do it all at once :) And I can attest to that...I've been making small changes over the last 10 years, and the weight is coming off...slowly, but it's coming off. Before that I was gaining about 10 pounds every year. Scary!

Step Two: Give In Now and Then
Severely limiting your food intake or completely cutting out your favorite foods sets you up for a binge. That ever-present sense of deprivation not only makes overeating a risk, it also makes life downright miserable. Temptation becomes much less powerful when you know it is fleeting and can be quelled with less than you think. So, allow yourself a small portion of something "bad" that you really love now and again instead of telling yourself it's off-limits for good. While this can be daunting at first, you will become accustomed to satisfying your craving with a small treat and you'll learn when to say "when" and in turn feel more confident in your weight-loss efforts.

This does help me :) Small amounts can be even more satisfying, not only because the amount is small, but because I conquered and controlled the urge to binge. I don't feel guilty or bloated.

Step Three: Stop Saying the "D Word"
D for diet, that is. Following a strict diet naturally lends itself to giving in to all or nothing thinking: You're either "on your diet" or you've "blown your diet" and if you've done the latter ... well, you might as well quit altogether and eat whatever you want, right? That kind of "black and white" thinking can make your weight-loss efforts much more difficult and may even prevent you from losing weight at all.

Few of us can stick to a diet plan that restricts entire food groups or relies on one type of food -- such as freeze-dried, pre-prepared meals -- as its mainstay. (Honestly, how long do you really think you will be able to eat those for each meal?) Believe me, I've been there: Go on a diet that requires you to eat foods you don't like and you will eventually dread every meal. Find the middle ground: Somewhere between following that overly-strict diet and eating everything you want, there is a point at which you can be both happy and healthy.

Being on a diet is a surefire way to fail. I need to view this as a lifestyle change. Find healthy foods that you like, and use those as the core of your eating plan.

Step Four: Forgive Yourself
So, you decided to follow that "give in" step last night and allow yourself a cookie. But before bed you enjoyed a few more. And then this morning ... you polished off the package for breakfast. Does that mean it’s time to go off the rails the rest of the day just because you blew it this morning? No way!

Not allowing yourself to make mistakes is the worst mistake you can make. Here's some food for thought: All or nothing thinking is a way to let yourself off the hook. Subconsciously you think: "Oh, now I've screwed up. Glad I don't have to bother anymore!" ... for some of us, quitting something just because we didn't do it perfectly is an easy escape route.

There's an old saying: "No matter how far you've gone down the wrong path, it's never too late to turn back." and that is true in every aspect of life. So don't think just because you made less-than-ideal choices today, you can't start over tomorrow. It sounds trite, but every day truly is a new beginning. You can't erase last night's binge, but you can aim for a much healthier today!

Guilty as charged. And realizing that it's a way to let myself off the hook is essential to stopping this way of thinking. It's a sneaky way of giving in to my cravings and pretending that I'm a failure. I do have the choice and the ability to make it, I need to keep my goal in mind.

Step 5: Celebrate Small Victories
Reward yourself for the small challenges you surmount. Acknowledging your achievements -- no matter how insignificant they seem -- with non-food rewards will help you stay motivated throughout your weight-loss journey. Yes, brown bagging a healthy lunch four days in a row instead of getting fast food is a victory. Doing an exercise video a just twice this week is a triumph if you didn't do it at all last week. Rewards don't have to cost a dime -- they can be as simple as allowing yourself time to read a chapter of a favorite author or enjoying a long bath.

Take it easy on yourself as you learn how to be a new, improved, healthier you. After all, you're only human ... a soon-to-be much lighter human!

This is the best part of all :)

Changes

2009-09-24T07:14:00.000-07:00

Nearly two months have passed since my temp assignment at Vision Service Plan ended. In that time, I haven't received a new temp assignment or found a job. It's been an interesting time, and has given me the chance to stop and think about my career path and what I'd like to do.

I've done a lot of drifting with my career, basically taking whatever job came along. I'm tired of that after doing it for nearly 20 years. I've gained some great experience with data entry, administrative assistant work, and have learned title examining. It's time to take control, though.

The unemployment rate in California is over 10%, and employers have their choice of employees. I'm a good employee, but there is no demand for title examiners, I can't keep doing data entry, and my secretarial skills are over 10 years old.   As you can see, it's not going to be easy to find a permanent job.

Over the last year I've had plenty of time to think about this, and after my assignment at VSP ended, I gave my career future serious consideration.   I also filed for unemployment benefits because I wasn't sure I'd get a new assignment right away. Good thing I did that, because I didn't :)

Working with the California EDD is a royal pain in the patoot.   You might as well give up calling them from your home phone, you won't get through. I did some research on their website to find out about going to school and staying on unemployment, which led me to their flyer with information about California Training Benefits (CTB). From reading that I learned that I needed to go to a Sacramento Works One Stop Career Center and see if I could qualify for WIA in order to take advantage of the CTB program (you can also qualify if you haven't worked for4 weeks and meet other criteria).

My adventure continued as I went to a one stop career center a few miles from where I live. I met with a couple of career coaches who were very helpful and found out what I needed to do. I had to attend some workshops at the career center, and then fill out a scholarship application.   One of the criteria was that I had to choose a course that was approved by WIA and then do research about the job outlook, pay rates, demand, etc. I also had to interview an employer or employee in the job I was choosing.

Again, I was very fortunate. It turns out one of my friends from church is not only in the career field, but is a Finance Director/Controller!   I didn't know his job title, and when he told me I said, "OOooohhhh, I got the big guy!"

I did a lot of research, and it culminated with the news that not only did my application get approved, but this course was also qualified under ARRA (The American Reinvestment and Recovery Act) and my tuition would be paid 100%!!!

So here I am, less than 2 weeks away from my orientation and the beginning of classes at the school of my choice, and ready for a new stage in my life, that of student!

I have a new laptop with the appropriate software, wireless internet connectivity, and the drive to get good grades and make the Dean's List.   Woohoo!!!

I am taking an accounting clerk course at a nearby business college, and will graduate on July 2,2010.

I am blessed :)

I'm Back!

2009-08-17T02:20:00.000-07:00

And I'm ready for more blogging :) Life has taken another change this last 2-3 weeks...I was working as a temp for Vision Service Plan (VSP) up to the 31st of July. I'd been there for a year, and I knew the end of the assignment was coming. It wasn't a surprise or a shock. It had been a good year, and VSP is rightly named as one of the 100 best companies to work for in the United States.

After my temp assignment ended, I assumed that my agency would have another assignment for me rather quickly, but that hasn't materialized yet. As a precaution, I applied for unemployment and found out last week that I'll be receiving a regular check. That's a huge relief :)

I decided to take advantage of this opportunity and look into whether or not I qualify for taking classes while staying on unemployment, and am still waiting to find out. If I do qualify, I plan to take a course in bookkeeping and office management to enhance my skills. I have almost all the experience I need to be an office manager except for the bookkeeping skills, so this would be a good move for me.

Meanwhile, I've been in a waiting mode this last two weeks, and everything has been put on hold, including this blog. It's a bad habit of mine, doing nothing while in waiting mode. I need to stop that.

This blog will still be about my journey to a healthier life, but I'm going to expand the focus to include thrifty living and my experiences with that. I'll be sharing great websites and resources, as well as my experiences.

Oh, I'll also be posting about our new kitten, The Mighty Diesel Thunderpurr. I think you'll like him :)

Happy Monday!

ZZzzzzzzzzz.......

2009-07-28T06:59:00.000-07:00

Sleep that knits up the ravell'd sleeve of care,
The death of each day's life, sore labour's bath,
Balm of hurt minds, great nature's second course,
Chief nourisher in life's feast...
~ Shakespeare, Macbeth, Act II, Scene II

And if tonight my soul may find her peace
in sleep, and sink in good oblivion,
and in the morning wake like a new-opened flower
then I have been dipped again in God, and new-created.
~ D.H. Lawrence

O bed! O bed! delicious bed!
That heaven upon earth to the weary head.
~ Thomas Hood, Miss Kilmansegg - Her Dream

The best bridge between despair and hope is a good night's sleep.
~ E. Joseph Cossman

Even thus last night, and two nights more I lay,
And could not win thee, Sleep, by any stealth:
So do not let me wear to-night away.
Without thee what is all the morning's wealth?
Come, blessed barrier between day and day,
Dear mother of fresh thoughts and joyous health!
~ William Wordsworth, "To Sleep"

Finish each day before you begin the next, and interpose a solid wall of sleep between the two. This you cannot do without temperance. ~ ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Come, cuddle your head on my shoulder, dear, your head like the golden-rod, and we will go sailing away from here to the beautiful land of Nod."
~ Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Sleep. That most wonderful time of the day when you get to lie down on your bed, snuggle up with your pillow and blankets, cozy up to your spouse and cuddle with your cat....it's wonderful :)

But did you know that a good night's sleep also helps with weight loss?

Check out this article:

Lose Weight With a Good Night's Sleep?
Sleepers Getting Less Than 6 Hours of Sleep a Night Tended to Be Heavier Than Longer Sleepers in Study
By Caroline Wilbert
Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

If you are trying to lose weight, a good night’s sleep might help.

A new study found a link between sleep and weight. Study participants who were so-called short sleepers (meaning they got less than six hours per night) tended to have on average a higher body mass index, or BMI, than long sleepers.

The small study, presented at the American Thoracic Society’s International Conference in San Diego, was conducted with 14 nurses at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Nurses received counseling on nutrition, exercise, stress management, and sleep improvement through the program.

The participants wore armbands that measured total activity, body temperature, body position, and other indicators of rest and activity.

The average BMI for short sleepers was 28.3. That compares to an average BMI of 24.5 for long sleepers. The BMI range for normal weight is considered to be 18.5-24.9 and for overweight 25.0-29.9. BMI is calculated from a person's weight and height and is an indicator of body fat.

Surprisingly, the overweight participants were significantly more active than their normal-weight peers. The overweight participants took an average of 13,896 steps per day, compared to 11,292 for normal-weight participants. The overweight participants also burned nearly 1,000 more calories per day on average than their normal-weight peers.

“We found so many interesting links in our data,” lead researcher Arn Eliasson, MD, says in a written statement. “Primarily, we want to know what is driving the weight differences, and why sleep and weight appear to be connected."

There are several possible reasons, Eliasson says. Lack of sleep may disrupt natural hormonal balances, triggering overeating. Stress could also be a factor -- contributing to less sleep and more eating in the same people.

He says that "higher perceived stress may erode sleep. Stress and being less rested may cause these individuals to be less organized than normal-weight individuals, meaning they would have to make more trips and take more steps to accomplish the same tasks. This might add to their stress and encourage other unhealthy behaviors, like stress eating."

Eliasson and colleagues are planning more studies to investigate the link between stress, sleep, and metabolism.

So make it a priority to get to bed a little earlier and get 7-8 hours of sleep a night. You'll not only feel refreshed, you'll also be healthier!

Salads! Yummy, Delicious Salads!

2009-07-27T04:41:00.000-07:00

I love salads! Red and green leaf lettuce, Romaine, asparagus that's been lightly blanched, carrots, red, green, yellow and orange bell peppers, jicama, red onion, kidney and garbanzo beans, black olives, fresh peas and corn, lemon cucumber, basil and tomato feta cheese, pecans, avocado, all topped with a delicious vinaigrette...summer doesn't get much better than that :)

Salads are also a great option on those hot summer days. You don't have to turn on the oven and make the kitchen even hotter. Instead, just pull the ingredients out of the refrigerator and the cupboard, assemble everything, add a whole-grain roll on the side, serve this with your favorite drink, and voila! A refreshing dish that's good for you.

You can also bake or grill chicken ahead of time and have it ready to add to your salads. Just marinate the raw skinless and boneless chicken breasts with a low-fat Italian dressing or vinaigrette for a few hours, cook thoroughly, chop then place into a container and refrigerate. When you're preparing your salad, just pull this out and add it to the salad for a filling meal.

Be adventurous. If you're used to iceburg lettuce, try some of the other lettuces instead. Red and green leaf lettuces are particular favorites of mine. The ruffled edges of both and the dark red color of the red leaf lettuce add wonderful color and texture to a salad. Fresh spinach doesn't only add iron, it adds another layer of flavor. The bagged lettuces are another great option. It's usually easy to find a bag of spring greens. Adding those to your salad makes for a gorgeous visual treat. The different shades of green, the frilly edges, the unusual shapes...mmmmmmm....it's a feast for the eyes!

I also like to experiment with fresh herbs. Watercress is delicious on a salad, and if you like cilantro (I don't) try that. If you're making an Italian flavored salad, add some fresh basil. Let your imagination run wild!

Fresh and dried fruits can be a tasty addition. Fresh strawberries, grapes, peaches, oranges, or dried cranberries, raisins, dates...again, the possibilities are endless.

Experiment with some of the unusual store-bought salad dressings. Look in the health-food department of your favorite grocery store or be bold and daring and venture into a health-food store. You can also do a search on your favorite recipe website and make your own dressings. This is particularly handy if you need to have sugar-free dressings.

Here are a couple of delicious looking sugar free salad dressing recipes to get you started:

Strawberry Vinaigrette

Ingredients:
½ cup olive oil
½ cup sliced strawberries
1 teaspoon mustard
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar (balsamic is even better, but carb counts vary, so be careful)
Salt and pepper to taste
Sweetener to taste (depends on sweetness of strawberries; you might not need it)

Preparation:
Puree strawberries in a blender or food processor. Add vinegar, mustard, and seasonings. Blend, then add olive oil. Blend until creamy. Taste and adjust seasonings.
Makes 8 servings of about 2 tablespoons each.

Sweet and Sour Lime Dressing

Ingredients:
1 T lime juice (from a bottle is fine)
1 t water
2 T extra virgin olive oil
Seasonings to taste
Sweetener to taste

Preparation:
1. Put lime juice and water in bowl. Add sweetener to the tanginess level you want. (I like using liquid sucralose.)
2. Add salt and pepper. Or use a blend, like homemade seasoning salt. Whisk together to dissolve the salt.
3. Whisk in the olive oil.

Get even more daring and try edible flowers. You can find these at farmers' markets and at specialty gourmet grocery stores, or do some research online and grow your own.

We've always known that a healthy salad is good for you, but the latest research shows that salads are an essential part of a healthy life:

4 Healthy Reasons to Eat a Salad Today
Making one simple change to your diet – adding a salad almost every day – can pay off with plenty of health benefits.
By Elaine Magee, MPH, RD
Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

Have you had your salad today? Eating salad almost every day may be one of the most healthy eating habits you can adopt -- and one of the simplest, experts say.

Eating salads is a super-convenient way to work in a couple of servings of vegetables and/or fruit. Green salads are on the menu of almost every restaurant. You can even buy a side salad (with Romaine lettuce, carrots and tomatoes, available with fat-free or reduced-calorie salad dressing) for a buck at many fast food chains these days. And you can make a green salad at home in 5 minutes, armed with a bag of pre-washed salad greens, a few carrots or other veggies, and a bottle of light salad dressing.

Not only that, but salads are cool, crunchy, and fun to eat (lots of textures, colors, and flavors). Most people enjoy eating salads--even kids! You can customize them to include the fruits and vegetables that appeal to you the most, and whichever ones you have on hand.

Here are four health reasons to reach for a salad today:

1. Eat Salads for the Fiber
It's hard to believe that something we can't even digest can be so good for us! Eating a high-fiber diet can help lower cholesterol levels and prevent constipation.

Not only that, says Barbara Rolls, PhD, author of The Volumetrics Eating Plan, eating more fiber can help you feel fuller, eat less, and ultimately lose weight.

2. Eat Salads for the Health Benefits of Fruits and Vegetables
Many experts agree that Americans need to eat more fruits and vegetables (especially dark green and orange vegetables) and legumes -- all popular salad ingredients. David Jacobs, PhD, professor of Public Health at the University of Minnesota, says in an email interview that there is plenty of evidence that nutrient-rich plant foods contribute to overall health.

If you frequently eat green salads, you'll likely have higher blood levels of a host of powerful antioxidants (vitamin C and E, folic acid, lycopene, and alpha- and beta-carotene,) especially if your salad includes some raw vegetables. Antioxidants are substances that help protect the body from damage caused by harmful molecules called free radicals.

For years, researchers have noted a link between eating lots of fruits and vegetables and lower risks of many diseases, particularly cancer. A recent study from the National Cancer Institute suggests that people whose diets are rich in fruits and vegetables may have a lower risk of developing cancers of the head and neck -- even those who smoke and drink heavily. Foods found to be particularly protective include beans and peas, string beans, peppers, tomatoes, carrots, apples, nectarines, peaches, plums, pears, and strawberries.

3. Eat Salads to Cut Calories and Increase Satisfaction
If losing weight is your goal, you may want to start your meals with a green salad. Studies have shown that eating a low-calorie first course, like a green salad of 150 calories or less, enhances satiety (feelings of fullness) and reduces the total number of calories eaten during the meal.

Rolls, lead researcher of the study, suggests that "bigger is better" as long as the salad is bigger in volume, not in calories - which means more veggies and less dressing and other fatty add-ons.

"We saw reductions in consumed calories when people ate salads that were 1 1/2 cups and 3 cups in volume but around 100 total calories," she says. The 3-cup, 100-calorie salad reduced the total calories consumed at the meal by about 55.

4. Eat Salads to Get Smart Fats
Eating a little good fat (like the monounsaturated fat found in olive oil, avocado and nuts) with your vegetables appears to help your body absorb protective phytochemicals, like lycopene from tomatoes and lutein from dark green vegetables.

A recent study from Ohio State University measured how well phytochemicals were absorbed by the body after people ate a salad of lettuce, carrot, and spinach, with or without 2 1/2 tablespoons of avocado. The avocado-eaters absorbed eight times more alpha-carotene and more than 13 times more beta-carotene (both of which are thought to help protect against cancer and heart disease) than the group eating salads without avocado.

If you dress your salad with a little olive oil, there may even be some additional years in it for you. Italian research on people aged 60 and older has suggested that a diet that includes plenty of olive oil and raw vegetables is linked to reduced mortality.

Sabotaging a Healthy Life

2009-07-24T00:47:00.000-07:00

I got this article in my email today and thought it worth sharing.

It's so easy for me to make some of these mistakes. I think that right now I'm most guilty of gulping down extra calories - those sugar free chocolates do add up if I have more than 1 or 2 a day - and lots of meal-skipping on the weekends. Oh, I'm so guilty of that! I find it easier not to eat at all over the weekend. How crazy is that???

I have to seriously address my weekend eating habits. One of my solutions has been to buy an electric timer. After eating breakfast I set it for a 2 hour countdown, and when it goes off it's time for a snack. I set it for another 2 hour countdown, then it's lunchtime. I do that the rest of the day, making sure I'm eating appropriate meals and snacks.

I do somewhat object to calling these 'dieting' mistakes...I'm not on a diet, I'm choosing to change my lifestyle, so I'd rather look at these as ways to sabotage a healthy life.

How to Avoid Six Dieting Mistakes
By Jennifer R. Scott, About.com

Diet mistakes can keep you from getting to your goal weight. But you're not alone; many of us are guilty of one -- if not several -- of these dieting faux pas. Here is some simple advice on how to avoid six common diet mistakes.

Mistake: Gulping Down Extra Calories
Do you start each morning with a couple glasses of orange juice? How about a frothy coffee drink on the way to work? Was that you hitting the vending machine for a sports drink at the gym?
If this sounds familiar, take note: What you drink can be as important to weight loss as what you eat.

Some beverages provide as many -- if not more -- calories than a full plate of food. Liquid calories don't satisfy you like food does, and many beverages bring no nutrition benefit. Even if you were to drink 1,500 calories of beverages a day, you would still feel hungry and then overeat.

Solution: Cut Liquid Calories
Just say no to the followng: sugar-sweetened sodas and other sweetened canned and bottled drinks; flavored and sweetened coffee beverages, such as frappes, lattes and frozen coffee; sweetened tea (hot or iced); and smoothies.

While juice is healthier than all these choices, whole fruit is preferable to a glass of juice; it has fewer calories and more fiber and is more filling. Water and herbal tea (without adding sugar) are ideal replacements for high-calorie beverages.

Mistake: Depriving Yourself
So you've sworn to lose weight this time around. You rid your pantry of your favorite fattening foods. You sweep the fridge and all bad foods make their way to the trash can. You do okay for a few days. Then, one night, you lose it and eat everything left in the house that isn't a fruit or vegetable.

No matter how resolved we are to lose weight, we crave treats (especially sweet ones) we are accustomed to. You will eventually get the urge to indulge no matter how well those first few days go.

Solution: Giving in ... a Little
Swearing off foods you enjoy is a surefire way to set yourself up for failure. It's like a form of torture: Everyone else can eat the things you love while you can't even taste them. How's that going to help you stick to your diet? It won't. Allow yourself a special treat every now and then. Keep your portion sizes in check and you can still have your favorite foods in moderation.

Mistake: Believing Your Genes are to Blame
You take a look in the mirror and you see your mom. It's not her hair or even her eyes. It's your body. And there's nothing you can do about it. After all, it's hereditary.

The Solution: Get Real!
Genes do play a role in some cases of obesity. Often you will see family members who share the same body type. But for many of us, the most important factor in weight loss is calories in vs. calories out ... how many calories we eat and how much exercise we get. Even if family members are heavy, there are steps you can take so that you do not share their fate. Working out and strength-training will build muscle and give your metabolism a boost, both of which will help you head off the propensity for weight gain your genes might bring.

Mistake: Meal Skipping
It only stands to reason: If the key to losing weight is cutting calories then why not cut a bunch at once by skipping a meal? If you skip meals when you're trying to lose weight, you're doing yourself more harm than good. Meal-skipping can cause your metabolism to nosedive. That will set you up for sluggish calorie-burning all day long and ravenous hunger and overeating at night.

Solution: Don't Be a Skipper
Most meal-skippers forgo breakfast. It seems to be the easiest meal to do without. But in reality, breakfast may influence weight loss more than any other meal! If you aren't hungry first thing in the morning, have something small. Do you actually forget to eat in the a.m. hustle and bustle? Set an alarm to go off some time after you normally rise to remind you to stop, take a breath ... and eat.

Mistake: Giving in to a Food-Pusher
You've met her. She pushes doughnuts on unsuspecting office mates. She brings cupcakes for the bookgroup while only tasting the icing herself. She hands you the takeout menu when you've already told her you brought a brown bag. Who is she? She's a pusher! A food pusher, that is.

Solution: Put Yourself First
Whether office baked goods temptress or the well-meaning Mom who suggests seconds of her best dishes, some people just refuse to take "no" as an answer. They probably don't even realize they are making your weight loss efforts that much harder. Learn how to say no in a way that works. You may have to distance yourself from the "pusher" for the time being. Sometimes it's better for all parties concerned.

Mistake: Giving Up On Losing Weight Your Way
Sometimes, telling your friends and family you are on a diet can actually backfire. If they don't understand your diet or think they know a better way to lose weight, it can lead to unwelcome input or even arguments. You get to the point that you want to throw in the towel.

Solution: Keep it Under Wraps
Only you know what works for you. So keep doing what works for you. There's no rule that says you have to tell friends or family that you're trying to lose weight. Weight is a personal issue. It's your prerogative to keep it that way.

Why Isn't This Working???

2009-07-21T06:35:00.000-07:00

I subscribe to Family Circle magazine. It's one of my favorites along with Better Homes and Gardens. I've never been into entertainment and gossip rags, I don't particularly care who's dating who, who's pregnant, who's cheating, what the latest scandal is, or anything else like that. Now, I will admit that an infrequent guilty pleasure is Weekly World News. Is that still being published? I enjoy the hilarious stories about aliens and the like, the writing is quite clever and is littered with puns.

But back to Family Circle...in the August edition I came across a very interesting article: "8 Reasons Your Diet Isn't Working". Here are some excerpts (Be sure to buy the magazine for the full article):

Reason 1:
You follow the plan that worked for your friend.
Forget about the latest fad diet. Even if your best friend swears she found the secret to weight loss, it might not work for you. Truth is, different methods work for different people.

"The trick to losing weight and keeping it off is finding a diet you like - that way you'll be able to stick with it," says Elizabeth Ward, M.D. author of "The Pocket Idiot's Guide to the New Food Pyramids".

Reason 2:
You eat a small breakfast.
When it comes to your morning meal, size matters - a lot. A recent study found that eating a substantial breakfast can help you lose some serious weight. Ninety-four women were put on a low-calorie diet. But half the women had a big breakfast (610 calories) and the other half a more modest (290 calories) morning meal. The surprising discovery: in just eight months the larger-breakfast group shed, on average, 40 pounds, while their smaller-breakfast counterparts dropped a mere 10 pounds.

Aim for roughly 500 calories. A breakfast made up of a whole-wheat bagel with a tablespoon of trans-fat free margarine, a scrambled egg and an 8-ounce glass of calcium-fortified O.J., or two slices of whole-wheat toast topped with 2 tablespoons of peanut butter and a sliced banana fit the bill. Not hungry in the A.M.? It's likely you're eating too much or too late at night. To get your appetite in sync, close your kitchen by 8 P.M.

Reason 3:
You're clueless about calorie counting.
Overeating during meals isn't the only way to pack on weight. Did you know that nibbling on just one extra slice of cheese a day translates to 10 extra pounds a year? Add on that one can of regular soda you treat yourself to every afternoon (just for a quick pick-me-up) and you're up another 15 pounds. Every bite and swallow counts, not just the ones you take when you're sitting down to a meal.

Get a grip on what you're really eating by keeping a food diary. "Food logs are perfect for people who are all-day snackers," says Sari Greaves, R.D., a spokesperson for the American Diabetic Association in New York City. "When you write down what you eat you become much more aware of what you put in your mouth, helping you identify problem areas in your diet." In fact, a 2008 study found that recording what you eat can double the amount of weight you lose.

Reason 4:
You skip meals.
"Many women go without breakfast or lunch because they have a special occasion later or overindulged the night before," says Ward. "Then by 3 P.M. all hell breaks loose." The proof: A USDA Economic Research Service report released earlier this year found that stretching the time between meals from four to five hours causes you to overeat. Waiting six hours makes matters even worse. When you finally do eat, you'll consume substantially more and also choose less healthy options.

"Try to go no more than four hours without having a little something to keep you satisfied," says Elizabeth Smythe, R.D., president of the New York State Dietetic Association. "That way you're not setting yourself up to overdo it at the next meal."

Reason 5:
You load up on superfoods.
Don't be duped. Even good-for-you items like nuts, avocados and dried fruit can undo your diet if you consume too much of them. "To lose weight you must eat fewer calories than you burn," says Greaves. "It's that simple. It's total calories - not the type of calories - that makes or breaks your weight loss efforts.

No matter how carefully you choose your foods, you still must practice portion control.

Reason 6:
You're cancelling out the benefit of your workouts.
Think that hour-long run entitles you to a couple extra slices of pizza? Not so fast. "So many of us rationalize, 'I just did all this exercises, and now I'm entitled to a little splurge,' but it doesn't work that way," says Smythe. The reason? We underestimate how many calories we eat yet overestimate the number we burn exercising. So if you think you've earned a snack after your workout, think again.

If you're genuinely hungry after the gym, by all means go ahead and grab something. The ideal foods for refueling combine protein and carbs, such as 8 ounces of low-fat yogurt with fruit, or 2 tablespoons hummus with 3 whole-grain crackers. "Reward yourself for exercise but not with food," suggests Smythe. Instead, after a certain number of workouts, schedule a manicure or movie marathon Saturday.

Reason 7:
You watch what you eat only Monday to Friday.
"During the week our lives are usually scheduled and organized and so is the way we eat," says Greaves. On Saturday and Sunday that structure goes out the window. And so do our diets, according to a 2008 study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. When researchers tracked dieters' eating habits, they found that people ate the most on Saturday and Sunday (at ate more fat on Saturday than any other day of the week), bringing their weight-loss efforts to a screeching halt.

Make a game plan that allows you to sensibly splurge. Before the weekend starts (say, Thursday night), think about what you'll be doing and where you'll be eating. Then plan where you want to spend your calories and where you want to save. That does not mean skipping some meals. Rather, cut here and there to leave some wiggle room for your favorite weekend indulgences.

Reason 8:
You don't plan for stress.
Even the best diet doesn't account for insane deadlines, fights with your husband or run-ins with your teen. Yet for many of us, eating is the way we unwind at the end of a hard day.

Go ahead and indulge. "The stress of trying to fight it is worse than just giving in," says Ward. Having a small treat like a mini candy bar, single serving container of pudding or low-fat ice cream bar right after dinner can keep you from spending the whole night fighting the urge to splurge. But that's only half the battle. You need other outlets for stress too. Make sure you get some exercise during the day or talk to a friend when you're frazzled - you'll burn off steam and be less likely to want to soothe yourself with snacks.

Criminey! I need to get back on track!!! Talk about a huge eye-opener!

All-or-Nothing Thinking

2009-07-20T07:45:00.000-07:00

As I've gotten older, I've come to realize that I suffer from all-or-nothing thinking. A friend of mine once told me that I was a perfectionist, and I laughed until she explained that I was the type of perfectionist who completely gave up trying at all if I couldn't do it perfectly.

What a bondage! Perfection or nothing at all...and so I ended up doing nothing at all, seemingly giving up while anger and frustration seethed deep inside.

This thinking has affected every area of my life, keeping me from trying new things (if I can't do it right the first time, I wasn't going to do it at all), keeping me from being myself with people I didn't know well (hey, if they don't know who I really am, their rejection won't mean as much), keeping the house clean (it didn't stay clean, and I was easily overwhelmed so it was easier to ignore it than to fight what seemed to be a losing battle), and more obviously, this thinking kept me from living a healthy life.

All or nothing...I didn't give myself room to make mistakes, to recover from those mistakes and move on, learning from them. I buried my anger and disappointment in food and an attitude of "why bother?" It wouldn't make a difference anyway.

Over the past few years I've slowly been learning to let go of this and to take those risks and make mistakes. The truth is, I don't have to be perfect to be liked, and even to be loved. I simply need to do my best and give myself grace when I mess up.

Applying this truth to my physical health is giving me the room to live my life and the freedom to make those healthy choices.

I found this article on About.com's Weight Loss Channel. I found it to be extremely helpful and hope it's the same for you :)

5 Steps to Banish All-or-Nothing Thinking
Take the middle ground when it comes to losing weight.
By Jennifer R. Scott, About.com

When you want to lose a significant amount of weight, it's easy to fall into all-or-nothing thinking ...

You rationalize: 1. ) You have to follow a super-strict diet to succeed and/or 2.) If you fall off the wagon and eat junk for a day or two, you've blown it altogether.

This train of thought can be very detrimental to your weight loss efforts, but it's all too easy to fall into. So what's a "loser" to do?

Step One: Loosen Up
The first way to avoid all-or-nothing thinking is to shake the idea that you must follow an extremely restrictive diet to lose weight.

The fact is, most people who successfully maintain weight loss don't diet. They make healthy, permanent lifestyle changes, such as cutting back on calories, practicing portion control, and reigning in emotional eating.

Successful "losers" focus on weight management, not just weight loss.

Step Two: Give In... Just a Little
Severely limiting your food intake or completely cutting out your favorite foods sets you up to binge. Temptation becomes much less powerful when you can have just a taste of something "bad" now and again instead of telling yourself it's off limits for good.

This can be daunting at first. But you will become accustomed to satisfying your craving with a smaller amount of your trigger foods and you'll learn "when to say when".

Step Three: Stop Saying the "D Word"
We "go on" and "go off" diets after every holiday season; we say "I start my Monday." only to be off it by the weekend. Nobody says "I start my new way of life Monday." But that's exactly what we need to do. An effective diet isn't just for Christmas, it's for life.

To find a way-of-eating that works for the long haul, be leery of any plan that restricts entire food groups or that relies on one type of food (e.g. soup, pre-prepared entrees) as its mainstay.

We need variety not only for nutritional reasons, but also to satisfy ourselves. Believe me, because I've been there: Go on a diet that requires you to eat foods you don't like -- or completely omits your favorites -- and you will eventually dread every meal.

Step Four: Forgive Yourself
So ... you've decided to give Step Two a try and allow yourself your favorite treat, chocolate chip cookies. But you don't stop at a couple ... you eat half the package. Then, for breakfast tomorrow morning ... you polish off the other half.

Have you completely blown your diet again? Does that mean it’s time to give up altogether? Do you think, "Maybe I'm just not cut out for this." and go back to old eating habits?

Not allowing yourself to make mistakes is the worst mistake you can make. Seriously.

Here's some food for thought: All-or-nothing thinking is a way to let yourself off the hook. It's an escape route. ("Oh, now I've screwed up. Glad I don't have to bother anymore".).

There's an old saying that goes, "No matter how far along you are down the wrong path, it's never too late to turn back.". So don't think just because you made bad choices today, you can't start over tomorrow.

It sounds trite, but every day truly is a new beginning. You can't erase last night’s binge, but you can aim for a much healthier today!

Step 5: Celebrate Small Victories
Go ahead: Praise yourself for the small challenges you surmount; you won't give up so easily if you do.

Yes, choosing 2-percent over whole milk is a victory. Doing an exercise video on Friday is a triumph, even if it’s the first day you've exercised this week.

Take it easy on yourself as you're learning how to be a new, improved, healthier you. After all, you're only human... a soon-to-be-much-lighter human!

Introducing....

2009-07-20T06:41:00.000-07:00

our new kitten, The Mighty Diesel Thunderpurr! So named because his loud purr is remiscent of a diesel engine :) We'll be calling him Diesel.

I don't have any photos handy, but here are a couple of videos:

I hope you enjoy his antics as much as we do :)

Moving Forward

2009-07-14T02:29:00.000-07:00

It's been a difficult couple of weeks dealing with Riley being sick and then having him put to sleep. I put my focus on following South Beach, exercising and blogging aside so I could spend time with Riley and then give myself room to mourn his loss.

Friday evening I went to look at a kitten and ended up taking him home with me. He's an adorable little guy, still nameless as my husband and I debate different names, but we're getting closer :)

I still miss my Riley, but this kitten is helping to ease that loss and bring my focus onto the present. I know this might sound a bit extreme to some of you, but Riley was that one special pet so many people dream of having, my loyal and loving companion. I'd had him since he was 3 weeks old, and he bonded with me as his mom. He would sleep on my back at night, lay on the computer desk in front of me when I was online, come running when I called him, play fetch with me, sit at my feet and meow at me to pick him up and then let me carry him around the house as he observed everything from this new vantage point with a lively curiousity and intelligence. He would begin to purr the moment I touched him, and when I came home he would almost always come to greet me. Riley was sweet-natured, loving, playful, curious, intelligent, soft and cuddly, gentle, and so affectionate with me. He really was my baby cat, and a true gift of love from God.

My husband and I are having a time of it trying to come up with a name for the new kitten, but we'll find one eventually.

I began walking again last night after work, and will be continuing to walk on a daily basis at least 5 times a week. As soon as we get our living room uncluttered this weekend, I'm going to begin the core exercises outlined in "Never Say Diet" by Chantel Hobbs, using an exercise ball. I'll begin doing those 2-3 times a week for 20 minutes a day.

I haven't done too poorly with healthy eating choices, but I wasn't following my plan very closely. I allowed myself some less healthy choices here and there, and am actually quite pleased that as of today I'm at 233.2 lbs! That's great news, all things considered :)

I do have some recipe reviews which I'll be posting in a few days, as well as an article I've found about how pets contribute to our emotional and mental well-being. Yep, they're part of a healthy life as well!

A Sad Day

2009-07-08T02:55:00.000-07:00

We had to have Riley put to sleep this morning. He was unable to walk and seemed to be in pain. I'm going to miss my little cat so much!

Beloved Riley
May 1999 - July 8, 2009
My gift of love from God

My husband purchased this memorial photo frame from the pet cemetery where we had Riley buried:

A Rainbow of Color

2009-07-07T04:52:00.000-07:00

One of the joys of healthy eating is the wide variety of colorful and healthy foods. Nothing is more appealing than a plate filled with nutritious brown rice, colorful vegetables and a lean meat cooked in a light sauce, then covered with a light sprinkle of sesame seeds....mmmmmm!

A wide variety of colorful foods is essential for a healthy diet, and as this article shows, it's easy to do.

The Color Me Happy Diet
How can you make sure you're eating a balanced diet? Forget frantically calculating the relative benefits of bananas, tomatoes, spinach, and kale. Just think in technicolor. The compounds that give fruits and vegetables their color also have unique nutritional properties, so by eating a wide array of colors, you can maximize these benefits. A colorful diet protects your body against a multitude of ailments: cancer, heart disease, arthritis, and vision loss, among others. Here's a handy color-coded food guide:

Raging Red
Fruits with a red hue, such as tomatoes, guava, and papaya, contain lycopene, a reddish pigment and nutrient. Large studies indicate that this substance protects against a variety of cancers, including that of the prostate, stomach, and lung. As an antioxidant, lycopene protects cell structures and DNA against the nefarious effects of free radicals—small particles that damage healthy cells and allow tumor cells to develop. Indeed, one study in Nutrition and Cancer showed that lycopene was better than two other antioxidants—alpha and beta carotene—at stopping uterine, breast, and lung cancer cells from developing in test tubes.

Orange Crush
Carrots, mangoes, apricots, pumpkins, and sweet potatoes, are brimming with cryptoxanthin and beta-carotene—two substances that reduce the risk for a variety of mental and physical ailments. For example, cryptoxanthin protects against arthritis and cancer, while beta-carotene keeps the mind sharp. In a 2005 study from the Archives of Internal Medicine, cryptoxanthin protected individuals from developing rheumatoid arthritis, even as other antioxidants did not; other studies suggest it reduces risk for lung cancer. Beta-carotene, for its part, kept cognition and memory from declining in a group of doctors who took part in an 18-year study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

Green Giants
Spinach, salad, and other leafy vegetables protect the eyes and the heart, among other important body parts. Lutein and zeaxanthin, two nutrients found in these foods, keep us from going blind by reducing the risk of cataracts in old age. Even better are the effects that greens have on the heart. For every daily serving you eat, you reduce your risk for heart disease by 11 percent, found a study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Leafy greens also contain vitamins A and C, which help keep the body from creating oxidized cholesterol—the stuff that sticks in the arteries and clogs them.

Healthy Shade of Berry
The dark red-purple hues of berries, beets, and purple cabbages are derived from anthocyanins. These prevent tumor growth and may have anti-inflammatory properties that reduce pain from arthritis and protect against heart disease. Even in individuals undergoing cancer treatment, berries may be helpful—there is some evidence they aid in chemotherapy by diminishing cancer cells' ability to survive the onslaught of poison contained in anti-cancer drugs, noted Navindra Seeram, MD, in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

Full of Brown Beans
Although not technically fruits or vegetables, beans can play an important role in maintaining a healthy diet. Lentils, black beans, and chickpeas are an excellent source of folate, a B vitamin that helps to prevent damage to arteries by reducing homocysteine. Homocysteine, an amino acid, can cause harm to arteries and allow clots to form more easily, which in turn ups the risk for heart disease, heart attack, and stroke. By reducing blood levels of homocysteine, folate keeps blood vessels pristine.

and some excerpts from this article: Nature's Bounty: Color-Coding Your Menu:

The foods you eat every day—fruits and veggies, meats and meat substitutes, dairy products and bread—all contain vital nutrients that contribute to a healthy diet. But some—particularly, deeply colored fruits and veggies—are superstars. Not only are such foods rich in nutrients needed in specific amounts, they also contain phytochemicals and other functional ingredients for which no minimum amount has yet been established.

Your best bet is to think: color. The natural color of a food can be a reliable indicator of the vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients it supplies. For example, dark green veggies such as broccoli, spinach, and sugar snap peas are high in vitamin C. Red, yellow, and orange fruits and vegetables such as carrots, sweet peppers, and sweet potatoes are known for their high beta carotene, or vitamin A, content, but they can also be rich in vitamin C.

White fruits and veggies, like mushrooms, potatoes, and bananas, supply B vitamins and many minerals, while white dairy products—milk, yogurt,cheese—provide ample amounts of calcium (and are usually fortified with vitamin D).

Purplish-blue foods, like grapes and blueberries, are best known for their anticancer and heart-helping antioxidants. But like most other fruits and vegetables, they are also high in vitamin C and fiber.

Brown foods in the form of grains, nuts, and seeds supply vitamins E and B, which include folic acid. Brown and white foods like meat, fish, poultry, tofu, and legumes stand out as defining sources of protein and minerals like iron and zinc.

The more colors you toss into your shopping cart, the better chance you have of meeting all your nutritional needs. Choose a variety of superstars from every food group—mangoes and blueberries from the fruit group; spinach, broccoli, and potatoes from vegetables; oatmeal, wheat germ, and a multigrain roll from the grains; skim milk and yogurt from dairy; salmon and lentils from the protein group—all packed into a single day.

Riley Update

2009-07-07T04:47:00.000-07:00

It looks like Riley may have fatty liver disease. It's not fatal as long as we can get him to eat. Taht's not been easy, however, because he has no appetite and little interest in eating.

I've resorted to buying baby food and am spooning it onto his mouth so he'll lick it off. We're getting some food into him that way.

Thankfully he's still drinking.

Your thoughts, prayers and kind words are appreciated. This is my baby cat, and I love him so much. It's been hard on me this last week, and I'm taking somewhat of a break from walking and disciplined eating. I'm not going overboard with poor choices, but I'm giving myself some leeway.

Riley will be going back to the vet this next Saturday, so hopefully I'll have good news then.

Update

2009-07-02T04:29:00.000-07:00

It's been a couple of days since I posted. I've been doing ok with my eating, not so consistent with my exercise, and it's pretty much due to stress.

My beloved cat Riley is sick, and I'm afraid this is it for him. My sweet husband is taking him to the vet tomorrow morning as Riley hasn't improved much at all, and I'm prepared for the worst. I'm hoping for the best, though.

I'm so thankful for my husband...Riley has been in my life for over 10 years, and he's that one special pet of a lifetime. We bonded when I found him at 3 weeks old, and he's my baby cat. He's been with me through so much and has always been such a sweet and delightful companion. I can't face taking him to the vet and hearing bad news, so my husband is doing that for me. If this is the worst, my husband has promised to hold Riley and love on him while he's being put to sleep. That's a huge comfort to me. I know my husband loves Riley and will make his last moments full of love.

I won't be walking tonight, just in case. I plan to spend as much time as I can with my baby cat, holding him and loving on him. I've done so much crying over the thought of this the last few days, and I'm tearing up now.

If this is the end of the road for Riley, my husband and I are going to have him buried at a local pet cemetary in their country garden area. I've never wanted to do this for any other pet, but Riley deserves this. If we owned a house, I'd bury Riley in the backyard, but we rent, so that's not an option.

I'll be back posting tomorrow with news one way or the other.

Regrouping and Exercising in Blazing Heat

2009-06-29T04:44:00.000-07:00

From the potluck on last week, I didn't do so well and gained a few pounds back. I still suspect that some of that is water weight due to a large amount of salt, and also due to that time of the month (sorry to any guys who might be reading, but that does factor in).

Sometime last week I posted the portion list for phase 2 of South Beach, and I made food choices for this week based on that. One thing I realized is that I needed to up my vegetable quantities for lunch and dinner.

I'm solving that problem by having steamed vegetables for lunch with some sweet Italian chicken sausage and adding different seasoning blends.

Breakfast is some chicken and apple sausage mixed with scrambled eggs and a bit of queso fresco, sautéed squash (mostly from our garden), bell peppers and black beans.

I'm also going to make a really thick and chunky spaghetti sauce with ground turkey and lean ground beef, squash (also mostly from our garden), asparagus, bell peppers, fresh tomatoes from our garden, mushrooms and onions. It'll actually be less like a sauce with some vegetables mixed in and more like a vegetable dish with some sauce added. I'll add a little whole wheat pasta to that and bake it.

The weather here is getting really hot. We're supposed to top 100° again today. Bleah. I hate stinking hot weather. It’s even worse when you live in a house without air conditioning.

I’m still planning to walk this evening. Fortunately, McKinley Park has a lot of trees, so that keeps it from feeling so hot. I did find some tips on exercising in the heat that I wanted to share:

Hot-weather exercise: How to keep cool
Outdoor exercise can be challenging when the temperature soars. Stay safe during hot-weather exercise by drinking enough fluids, wearing proper clothing and timing your workout to avoid extreme heat.

By Mayo Clinic staff

In the excitement of a pickup basketball game or the relaxation of a friendly round of golf, you might not notice the temperature rising — but your body will. If you exercise outdoors in the heat, use caution and common sense to prevent heat-related illnesses.

How hot weather affects your body
Exercising in hot weather puts extra stress on your heart and lungs. Both the exercise itself and the air temperature increase your body temperature. To dissipate heat, more blood circulates through your skin. This leaves less blood for your muscles, which increases your heart rate. If the humidity is high, your body faces added stress because sweat doesn't readily evaporate from your skin — which only pushes your body temperature higher.

Under normal conditions, your skin, blood vessels and perspiration level adjust to the heat. But these natural cooling systems may fail if you're exposed to high temperatures and humidity for too long. The result may be a heat-related illness, such as heat cramps, heat exhaustion or heatstroke.

To keep it cool during hot-weather exercise, keep these basic precautions in mind:

~ Take it slow. If you're used to exercising indoors or in cooler weather, take it easy at first. As your body adapts to the heat, gradually increase the length and intensity of your workouts. If you have a chronic medical condition or take medication, ask your doctor if you need to take additional precautions.

~ Drink plenty of fluids. Your body's ability to sweat and cool down depends on adequate rehydration. Drink plenty of water while you're working out — even if you don't feel thirsty. If you're planning to exercise intensely or for longer than one hour, consider sports drinks instead. These drinks can replace the sodium, chloride and potassium you lose through sweating. Avoid drinks that contain caffeine or alcohol, which actually promote fluid loss.

~ Dress appropriately. Lightweight, loosefitting clothing promotes sweat evaporation and cooling by letting more air pass over your body. Avoid dark colors, which can absorb the heat. A light-colored hat can limit your exposure to the sun.

~ Avoid midday sun. Exercise in the morning or evening — when it's likely to be cooler outdoors — rather than the middle of the day. If possible, exercise in the shade or in a pool.

~ Wear sunscreen. A sunburn decreases your body's ability to cool itself.

~ Have a backup plan. If you're concerned about the heat or humidity, stay indoors. Work out at the gym, walk laps inside the mall or climb stairs inside an air-conditioned building.

Know when to call it quits

During hot-weather exercise, be on the lookout for heat-related illness. Signs and symptoms may include:
~ Weakness
~ Headache
~ Dizziness
~ Muscle cramps
~ Nausea or vomiting
~ Rapid heartbeat

If you suspect a heat-related illness, stop exercising and get out of the heat. Drink water, and wet and fan your skin. If you don't feel better within 60 minutes, contact your doctor. If you develop a fever higher than 102 F (38.9 C) or become faint or confused, seek immediate medical help.

Regular physical activity is important — but don't let hot-weather workouts put your health at risk.

Why I Love Cats - Reason #153

2009-06-28T06:12:00.000-07:00

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Focus on Mini-Goals

2009-06-27T12:37:00.000-07:00

The big picture of how much weight I need to lose can be overwhelming. It's much easier if I look at this 5lbs at a time. That I can do, and I can see the progress quickly, within a month or so. It's like eating an elephant...how do you do it? One bite at a time (by Hunter Nuttal):

It’s not just about big goals

Many people make a major mistake in being entirely focused on big goals. If your goal is to become a best-selling novelist, great. But that’s a really big goal. If you base too much of your life satisfaction on achieving it, you’ll be unhappy for a very long time (possibly your whole life).

Long term goals are great, because aiming high lets us strive to be the best we can be. But for every long term goal you have, you want to have many short and medium term goals. If being a best-selling novelist is your long term goal, what smaller goals can you come up with that you should achieve along the way? Maybe for now, you’d be happy to come up with an idea for a character you want to include in your first novel.

The beauty of small goals

When you have small goals like that, there are a couple of advantages. First, a small goal gives you something concrete to focus on. If you want to become a best-selling novelist, how will you make that happen? You can easily be overwhelmed by such a huge task. If you don’t know specifically what to do, you’re only going to get frustrated. As time goes by, you notice over and over that your goal still hasn’t been achieved, yet you’re not sure what to do about it. But it’s a lot easier to come up with an idea for a character. When you know exactly what to do, you’re much more likely to take inspired action.

Second, you enjoy the satisfaction of achieving a goal and enjoying the benefits. Even if it’s a small goal, you feel good for checking it off your to-do list (whether it’s on paper or just in your head). You also get to have something that brings a little satisfaction right now. When you have your idea for a character, that in itself means something, even though you have a long way to go to your ultimate goal.

Life is a journey, not a destination

Your life satisfaction will probably be a lot higher if you view your life as a series of many small milestones, instead of one huge milestone that you may or may not ever achieve. That’s not to say that you shouldn’t have big goals, only that you should also have smaller ones to focus on along the way.

If you want to lose 40 pounds, great. But don’t just focus on that one huge goal. If you do, then every time you get on the scale, you’re only going to notice that you haven’t achieved your goal yet, and so you continually reinforce failure in your mind.

So break it down into smaller goals. There are plenty of goals you can try to accomplish even before losing 1 pound. Maybe you want to read a book about weight loss, or find a support group, or learn a new healthy recipe. A series of small accomplishments will keep you on track and make you feel good about your life, whether or not you eventually go on to accomplish your ultimate goal. If you end up eating the whole elephant, that’s wonderful. But don’t forget to enjoy the bites along the way.

To explore this a little further, this article also emphasizes the importance of setting realistic weight loss goals:

Setting Realistic Weight Loss Goals
Realistic weight loss ambitions can help you stay on track—and reach your diet goals.
By Kathleen Doheny
WebMD Feature
Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

Turns out, it's not the occasional piece of Death by Chocolate Cake that does in our weight loss efforts. It's the universal wish to lose a lot of weight ASAP and the expectation that we can simply diet it away easily.

Weight control experts call it the false-hope syndrome -- when dieters have unrealistic expectations about exactly how long it will take to shed excess pounds.

Unfortunately, research shows that unrealistic expectations boost the risk of dropping out of a weight loss program. And though at least one study has found that dieters may temporarily eat less if their expectations are too high, that undereating may be replaced by overeating at the very next temptation.

Overall, experts concur, unrealistic weight loss objectives are not productive, and can trigger failure. The best way to go: smaller, realistic goals, says Janet Polivy, PhD, a psychologist at the University of Toronto at Mississauga, Canada.

The question is: How do you set realistic weight loss goals?

5 Ways to Set Sensible Weight Loss Goals

When WebMD asked the experts for their tips on setting realistic weight loss goals, their recommendations came down to a few simple strategies. But before you put these to use, remember to talk your weight loss plans over with your doctor.

* Resolve to lose slowly. "Medically, most clinicians would say goals of losing five to 10 percent [of your start weight] are achievable," says Jennifer A. Linde, PhD, assistant professor of epidemiology at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.

So if you weigh 200 pounds, a reachable target would be to lose 10 to 20 pounds.

* Do the math. "A realistic goal is losing 1 to 2 pounds a week to stay healthy," says Linde. That means being realistic about your time frame. If you need to lose 25 pounds, figure you are embarking on at least a three-month program. Fifty pounds? Assume a time frame of at least six months. Aim to burn 500 to 1000 calories a day either by eating less, exercising more, or both.

* Set short term goals. Reach for minimilestones. Instead of focusing on just losing 25 pounds, go for -- and celebrate -- that first 5-pound loss.

* Track your progress. Record your successes in a way that works for you. Take advantage of online programs, use a notebook, or keep a journal. Whatever keeps you on track.

* Think about long-term goals. "It's OK to think big, Linde says, "but it may mean starting small and working towards a big goal."

So if your long-term goal is losing 50 pounds in a year, for example, maybe your short-term goal is getting through the day without eating too much.

There's an old saying: Lose it slowly, keep it off. This adage makes sense for at least one reason: Losing weight slowly means you've had time to adopt new behaviors, like eating less and exercising more.

And when you focus on the process of changing your habits --- not just on losing weight -- those new and healthier habits will be a big boost in helping you attain your weight loss goals.

Exercise - A Vital Part of a Healthy Life...In More Ways Than The Obvious

2009-06-26T11:54:00.000-07:00

Last night I didn't go walking at McKinley Park with Amy because she'd had a root canal and didn't want to aggravate it. I stayed home, and when my husband got home from work I was in a funk.

Eating poorly at the potluck and the subsequent weight gain had me discouraged, and I had eaten about 50 cashews and a pumpkin oatmeal bar after getting home from work, so that wasn't helping me feel as if I was doing well.

My husband is very pleased about my new habit of walking on a daily basis, and when I don't meet up with Amy he knows I'll walk around our neighborhood with him. He was expecting that last night, and I didn't want to go. He was very sweet and didn't say much, but did make a suggestion about walking by a house that's for sale which has been intriguing us.

I finally got ready and we left. It was a good walk. It helped me leave my despondent mood behind and got me out into the fresh air. I needed that walk, and I'm glad :)

Exercise is a vital ingredient in a healthy life, not only physically, but mentally AND spiritually.

The physical benefits of exercise include weight loss, better sleep, more energy and better health. The mental benefits include relaxation, less stress, improved memory, reduced anxiety and depression, and emotional well-being. The spiritual benefits include time to enjoy God's creation and communion with Him through prayer, talking to Him, even listening to a good sermon or some worship music on your MP3 player.

Here are some suggestions on how to make exercise a habit in your life:

10 Easy Ways to Make Exercise a Habit
Try these tricks to become one of the fitness faithful
By Leanna Skarnulis
WebMD Feature
Reviewed by Matthew Hoffman, MD

Let's face it: it's not all that difficult to start a fitness routine. After all, most of us have done it more than once.

The trouble, of course, comes with sticking with it. All too often, our initial enthusiasm and energy wanes, we get distracted by other things going on in our lives, or we don't think we're seeing results quickly enough -- and we throw in the towel.

Yet many people do manage to hang in there, and would no sooner skip their regular workout than their morning shower. What's their secret?

A recent study by researcher Diane Klein, PhD, shed some light on the subject. Long-term exercisers (who had been working out for an average of 13 years) were asked to rank what motivated them to keep up with their regimes.

Their answers might surprise you. The exercisers were not as concerned with powerful pecs and awesome abs as they were with feeling good and being healthy.

Here's how the study participants ranked their motivators:
~ Fitness
~ Feelings of well-being
~ Pep and energy
~ Enjoyment of the exercise
~ Making exercise a priority
~ Sleeping better
~ Feeling alert
~ Being relaxed
~ Weight management
~ Appearance

So, once you have your priorities in the right place, how can you become one of the fitness faithful?

WebMD has compiled 10 tips for making fitness a habit in your life. To create the list, we sought the help of Klein, along with long-term fitness buff Roy Stevens and his wife, Wanda, who is transforming her hit-and-miss exercise schedule into an almost-daily habit.

1. Do a variety of activities you enjoy. And remember, there's no rule that says you have to go to a gym or buy equipment.

"We've shifted our perceptions from regimented exercise to physical activity," says Klein, assistant professor of exercise, sports and leisure studies, and director of gerontology at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Having a variety of activities -- weight lifting, walking, running, tennis, cycling, aerobics classes -- will ensure that you can do something regardless of the weather or time of day.

2. Commit to another person. "The social aspect of exercise is important for me," says Wanda Stevens, a stay-at-home mom in Austin, Texas. "I'll let myself off, but if I've agreed to walk with a friend after dinner, I won't let them down."

She is six weeks into an exercise program, thanks in part to her husband's support. Roy Stevens, who works as a management consultant, has become her "in-house personal trainer." They work out together every morning, doing a combination of aerobics, strength training, Tae Bo, and stretching. If he's out of town, he gives her a wake-up call, and she takes the dog for a walk.

3. Make exercise a priority. "It has to be a non-negotiable," says Roy Stevens. He began exercising to manage his weight when he was in the Air Force band some 20 years ago. "We'd travel, and other guys would get off the bus and go eat wings and drink beer. I'd go running." He's maintained the exercise habit even during his years working 70 hours a week as a restaurant owner.

There's another advantage to making exercise non-negotiable. Friends and family members learn that it's part of your identity, and give up saying things like, "Why don't you take it easy today?"

4. Exercise first thing in the morning. With two preschool children, Wanda Stevens couldn't find time to work out except on a hit-and-miss basis. Any number of things could sabotage her good intentions to walk or go to Pilates class after dinner. But all her excuses vanished once she started getting up before the kids so she could work out.

"I didn't think I was a morning person," she tells WebMD. "But it's working for me."

Experts agree that a morning schedule is best. "If you go to a gym, it should be located between your home and work," says Klein. "Exercise, take a shower, and you're energized for the day."

5. Or, exercise on your way home from work. The next best thing to exercising first thing in the morning is to do it on your way home from work, Klein says.

"Don't go home first," she says. "I learned that the hard way. There aren't a lot of people who are so motivated that after they go home and change clothes will go back out again and exercise."

6. Exercise even when you're "too tired." Chances are, you'll feel better after exercising.

"It energizes us," says Klein. "You breathe deeply, and your body makes better use of the oxygen exchange. You'll get an exercise-induced euphoria during the activity and for some time after."

If Wanda Stevens thinks she is too tired to get up and exercise, Roy shows her no sympathy. "She gets mad, but then she feels better afterwards," he says.

7. Log your activity. Write down the things that are important to you. It could be how much time you exercise each day, how many steps you walked, how far you ran or cycled, what you weighed, etc.

Some people make a game of it. You may have heard of runners calculating the miles it would take to run from their homes to Boston (home of the famous marathon), figuring how far they run in an average week and setting a target date for "arriving" in Boston.

8. Be aware of all the indicators of progress. It's great when your clothes fit better and you can lift heavier weights or work out longer without getting exhausted.

But there are a slew of other progress indicators, such as:
~ Getting a good night's sleep.
~ Thinking more clearly.
~ Having more energy.
~ Realizing your muscles aren't screaming after you've helped a friend move furniture.
~ Seeing your resting heart rate drop over time. ~ Hearing your doctor congratulate you on improved cholesterol, blood pressure, bone density, triglycerides, and blood sugars.

9. Walk -- with a pedometer (or a dog). "If you enjoy walking and haven't exercised for awhile, 10 minutes three times a day will give you 30 minutes," says Klein.

Use a pedometer, and work up to at least 10,000 steps a day. "Nobody starts out with 10,000 steps," Klein says. Find out what your daily average is, and, the next week, strive to walk 300 extra steps each day. Increase your steps each week.

"Better yet, walk the dog," Klein says. That's how she motivated her sister to exercise. "Twice a day she walks her dog, which is good for them both and provides companionship."

Wanda Stevens also enjoys walking her border collie and finds there's another benefit: "It relieves the guilt I felt over not giving her enough attention now that we have kids."

10. Reward yourself. Are you telling yourself that you don't deserve a reward for something you should be doing anyway -- or that once you can zip your jeans without lying on the bed, that will be reward enough? Well, honestly, how inspiring is that?

Experts say that making behavior changes is hard, and rewards motivate. So decide on a goal and a reward, and work toward it. You might buy yourself a video you've wanted after you stick to your fitness plan for one month, or buy new walking shoes when you achieve 5,000 steps a day. Do whatever works for you.

I Am In Control

2009-06-26T00:41:00.000-07:00

I am in control of my choices. If I eat too much, it was my choice. The food didn't make me do it, my cravings didn't make me do it, heck, that time of the month didn't make me do it. It was me. Completely, totally, solely me.

I ate off plan Wednesday, and I ate too much. It was the fault of the potlucks. Ok, it was me :P I was tempted, and I gave in. Not only did I have a potluck in the evening, but there was a potluck at work as well.

The food was good, and I realized while eating it that I was making poor choices, but I decided to indulge.

Beating up on myself is not an option...today is a day of re-evaluation of my eating plan and creating a better structure for myself. We'll see how this impacts me over the next few days; right now I think most of the gain is water retention from too much salt yesterday.

Did I lose the war? Nope, just a battle, and I can learn from that :) I WILL win this war, I have the determination, the courage, the will power and the ability.

I WILL DO THIS

Planning for Potlucks

2009-06-23T23:08:00.000-07:00

I'm facing what's one of the most difficult things for me tonight....the dreaded potluck, full of yummy goodies. I don't want to overeat, but I do want to enjoy it and not feel deprived.

How am I going to do this? I've been thinking about some strategies and have come up with the following:

1. Eat something beforehand. Choose something that's filling so I'm not as hungry at the potluck. Dr. Laura recommends eating an apple

2. Take my time deciding what I'd like to eat. See what's available and prioritize what's most appealing to me.

3. Make mostly healthy choices.

4. For the less healthy choices, have a small amount and take my time eating those. Enjoy the flavors.

5. Instead of feeling deprived, think about the progress I've made and am continuing to make.

6. If healthy vegetables are available, load up on them.

7. Drink lots of water.

8. Focus on my friends and not the food. Don't make the food the center of the event, but instead enjoy my friends.

9. Don't restrict myself from enjoying the less healthy foods. A little indulgence once in awhile is actually healthy and helps me stay on track with my journey to a healthier life.

If I keep all of this in mind, I think I'll do just fine :)

Computer Password?

2009-06-23T07:04:00.000-07:00

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Cooking in the Good Old Summertime

2009-06-23T04:37:00.000-07:00

I live in Sacramento, California in a house with no air conditioning and no insulation, so cooking during the summer isn't my favorite thing to do, especially on 95°+ degree days, and we have lots of those. The house is like an oven, oppressive and stifling. Thankfully we have a backyard where we can retreat on those evenings and enjoy the open air. We also have a small air conditioner in our bedroom and computer room, so those rooms are liveable.

Trying to come up with quick and easy meals without using the oven can be challenging, but this article from WebMD.com has some great ideas:

Some Assembly Required: No-Sweat Summer Meals
Tips and recipes to help you keep your cooking cool
By Elaine Magee, MPH
WebMD Weight Loss Clinic - Expert Column

The last thing you want to do at the end of a hot summer day is stand in front of the stove, stirring something, or fire up your big oven. It's summer, for Heaven's sake! There are other things we'd rather be doing. There are movies to see and swimming pools to dive into. And the higher the mercury climbs, the less energy we seem to have for preparing dinner.

Sounds like a job for (drum roll, please) ... convenience foods! But many convenience products add a heap of calories, fat grams, and sodium to your daily nutritional totals. Besides, to many of us, these products just don't taste as good as freshly prepared meals.

What's the answer? I like to call it "some assembly required" -- not so much cooking as putting together a meal, using some of the better-for-you convenience products. We're still whipping up a "made-fresh" meal, but without spending too much time in the kitchen.

None of the following tips or recipes calls for using the big oven, though some involve the toaster oven or microwave. Both appliances are great for summer because they let us cook without heating up the whole kitchen.

10 Tips for No-Sweat Summer Meals

1. Frozen pesto is one of my all-time favorite convenience products (I like Armanino Pesto, from the freezer section. It's made with canola oil, which is high in healthy omega-3 fatty acids and monounsaturated fat, and has a bit less fat than other brands). Use it as a dressing for hot or cold pasta, a spread for gourmet sandwiches, or a sauce for fish (see recipe below). Just keep your serving to about a tablespoon, because each tablespoon has 47 calories and 4.5 grams of fat.

2. Using the outdoor barbecue keeps the kitchen cool, and all you need is a piece of meat or fish (or some vegetables) and a good sauce or marinade. Any bottled, reduced-fat vinaigrette can serve as a quick marinade. Keep in mind that meats and poultry should marinate for at least two hours while fish and veggies only need one hour.

3. The sandwich, the epitome of easy-assembly food, makes a great summer dinner entrée. Think beyond peanut butter and jelly and try some new sandwich ideas! Choose whole-grain breads and reduced-fat fillers and spreads whenever possible. Double up on the lettuce and tomato to boost the nutritional value and fiber.

4. Prewashed salads in a bag are great, especially when they go on sale. Just cut (the bag), dump (it in the bowl), and drizzle (the dressing). I like to spruce them up by tossing in canned beans (kidney, black, edamame, or garbanzo, rinsed and drained); more veggies; cubed or shredded reduced-fat cheese; and cooked, shredded lean beef or pork, skinless chicken breast filets, or shellfish; fruit; toasted nuts; and/or fresh herbs.

5. Preboil or grill a few ingredients in the morning or the night before, and they'll be chilled and ready to assemble into a cool dinner dish when you get home from work. For example, boil pasta in the morning, let it chill all day in the fridge, and a pasta salad can be yours in just a few more minutes. Toss in some light bottled salad dressing or a couple tablespoons of olive oil and whatever other ingredients you desire (chopped tomato, lightly cooked vegetables, cubed reduced-fat cheese, sliced lite salami, drained olives, etc.) Use whole-grain pasta or a whole-wheat pasta blend, and you'll get more fiber and phytochemicals, too.

6. Dash to the supermarket deli for a whole rotisserie chicken or some sliced roasted turkey. Suddenly, you have your featured ingredient for salads and sandwiches (either meat) or quesadillas and enchiladas (the chicken). The turkey is ready to go, and it only takes five minutes to remove the chicken's skin and shred or cube the breast and thigh meat.

7. It's a wrap! Start with a soft tortilla (choose higher-fiber, no-trans fat tortillas when possible) and lightly coat the top with light cream cheese, Dijon mustard, sun-dried tomato pesto or green pesto, or light mayonnaise. Layer on lean sandwich meats, vegetables, and sliced or shredded reduced-fat cheese, roll, and you've got dinner wrapped up.

8. Make quesadillas for dinner, and you'll only need your stove for a few minutes. Experiment with filling ingredients and garnishes. Try some of these options:

~ Roasted chicken
~ Cooked shrimp
~ Mango or roasted garlic salsa
~ Reduced-fat cheese
~ Roasted vegetables
~ Beans (try fat-free refried beans)
~ Avocado strips
~ Jalapeno jelly

9. Microwave nachos make a fun and light dinner, if you use reduced-fat or low-fat tortilla chips and top them with beans, extra-lean meats, reduced-fat cheese, and chopped tomatoes and other assorted vegetables. Prepare your plate of nachos, then microwave on high for a couple of minutes. Dab a dollop of salsa or fat-free sour cream on top.

10. Toast up a mini pizza. Spread bottled pizza or marinara sauce on pita bread, flatbread, tortilla, or a bagel cut in half (the more fiber your "crust" contains, the better). Top with shredded, reduced-fat cheese and any vegetable or lower-fat meat. Pop into the toaster oven, and cook at 400 degrees until the cheese melts.

'Some Assembly Required' Recipes

Insalata Caprese (Pasta Salad)
If you boil the pasta in the morning, drain, and let chill in the refrigerator, all you have to do is toss the ingredients together and dinner is served!

4 cups cooked whole-grain pasta blend, cooled
2 cups ripe cherry or grape tomatoes cut in half
8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/3 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves, cut or torn into bite-size pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt to taste
Ground black pepper to taste
16 slices reduced-fat salami, quartered (optional)

~ Place all the ingredients in a medium serving bowl and toss to blend well.
~ Cover and chill in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Yield: 4 servings
Per serving: 360 calories, 19 grams protein, 42 grams carbohydrate, 14 grams fat (5.5 grams saturated fat, 7.1 grams monounsaturated fat, 1.2 grams polyunsaturated fat), 24 milligrams cholesterol, 6 grams fiber, 195 milligrams sodium. Calories from fat: 35%.

Toaster-Oven Pesto Salmon
1 1/4 pound salmon filet, cut into 4 pieces
1 lemon, halved
2 tablespoons white wine (or substitute non-alcoholic beer)
2 tablespoons pesto (I like Armanino Farms frozen pesto), thawed
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts (optional)

~ Cover the toaster oven pan with foil, and then coat the foil with canola cooking spray. Place salmon filets, skin-side down, on the foil-lined pan.
~ Squeeze one of the lemon halves over the salmon, then drizzle the white wine over it. Let it marinate for 15 minutes while you preheat the toaster oven's broiler.
~ Spread 1/2 tablespoon of the pesto over each serving of salmon. Broil until fish flakes and flesh is opaque and light pink (about eight-10 minutes per inch of thickness, depending on your toaster oven; cooking time was about 15 minutes total with my toaster oven). The pesto will form a nicely browned crust.
~ Cut the remaining lemon in thin slices. Garnish each salmon piece with toasted pine nuts (if desired) and a couple of lemon slices.

Yield: 4 servings
Per serving: 230 calories, 29 grams protein, 2 grams carbohydrate, 11 grams fat (1.8 grams saturated fat, 3 grams monounsaturated fat, 3.6 grams polyunsaturated fat), 79 milligrams cholesterol, 0.2 grams fiber, 111 milligrams sodium. Calories from fat: 46%.

California Roll Wrap
If the popular California Roll type of sushi were a sandwich, this is what it would be. I used fresh crab meat because it was on sale, but use imitation crab if you prefer.

3 tablespoons light cream cheese
3 tablespoons fat-free sour cream
4 green onions (the white and part of the green), chopped (about 1/4 cup)
1/2 pound fresh crabmeat (free of bones)
Pepper to taste
6 whole-wheat 8-inch tortillas (or the tortilla of your choice)
1 cucumber, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon wasabi powder, combined with 1 tablespoon cold water
1 large avocado, quartered, pitted and sliced

~ Add cream cheese, sour cream, green onions, and crab to food processor and pulse until well blended (about five seconds). Add pepper to taste.
~ Soften the tortillas by wrapping in a slightly damp cloth and microwaving on HIGH for about a minute.
~ Spread one-sixth of the crab mixture on each tortilla. Then top each with about 12 thin slices of cucumber. Spread a small line of the wasabi mixture down the center of each tortilla (use more or less depending on your taste). Top the wasabi with the avocado slices.
~ Fold one end of each tortilla up toward the center, then continue to roll until you have a wrap (with the avocado in the center of each wrap).

Yield: 6 wraps
Per wrap: 200 calories, 13 grams protein, 26 grams carbohydrate, 7.5 grams fat (1.8 grams saturated fat, 3.4 grams monounsaturated fat, 1.2 grams polyunsaturated fat), 42 milligrams cholesterol, 4 grams fiber. Calories from fat: 30%.

Recipe Reviews

2009-06-23T00:58:00.000-07:00

Flank Steak Fajitas

This is easy, and the marinade is fantastic. I wasn't able to find a flank steak so I bought another cut of beef which worked just as well.

Flank Steak Fajitas
Easy to make: yes
Rating: *****

Marinade
1/3 cup canola oil
3 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
2 1/2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pound flank steak

Place flank steak in a freezer bag and dump marinade in and let it sit for about 5 - 6 hours. (I let it marinate for about 30 hours because of my schedule, it was great. I recommend marinating it for 24 hours.)

When steaks are almost ready, prepare the following:

1 onion, sliced thin
Bell peppers (as many as you'd like), sliced thin (I used red, yellow, orange and green to make this a very colorful dish)

Next, heat a cast iron skillet to medium high. Add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil. Reserve 1 tsp of marinade and mix with 1 tbsp of water. Place steak in the pan, sear on both sides (about 5 minutes each) then cook of medium low heat until desired doneness is reached.

Let the steaks rest for a few minutes, then slice against the grain (however thin you want the meat to be) Stir-fry the veggies in the skillet until onions get a little burnt, add the reserved marinade-water combo, then add sliced steak and stir-fry for another minute.

Serve with whole wheat tortillas, guacamole, salsa, Queso Fresco cheese, shredded lettuce or any other favorite fajita toppings.

Lazy Cabbage Roll Casserole
I don't know what happened, but this was nasty. Greasy and slimy and an ugly color. Don't make it. I think the crockpot isn't the ideal way to cook this. There are other better lazy cabbage roll recipes out there, I have one stashed away somewhere.
Easy to make: Pretty easy
Rating: *

Lazy Cabbage Roll Casserole
1 lb ground turkey
1 chopped onion
1 chopped green pepper
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. salt
11 – 19 oz. can of tomatoes, crushed
3 c. coarsely shredded cabbage (I slice it crosswise in scant
1 inch slices)
6 Tbsp. uncooked brown rice (Phase II or III only)
Grated parmesan cheese (optional)

In a frying pan, brown meat, stirring to break up. add chopped onion, cook till golden, drain well. Add bell pepper, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, garlic powder and salt, and stir in crushed tomatoes & uncooked brown rice. Heat until bubbling.

Scatter shredded cabbage loosely in slow cooker, pour meat mixture over top.

Cook on low 8-9 hours, or high 5-6 hours.

Top with grated parmesan cheese just before serving if desired.

Asparagus-Apple Salad with Feta Cheese Vinaigrette
This is very yummy, a beautiful salad. I used green and purple asparagus. When cooking purple asparagus, be sure to only boil it for 1 minute as it begins to lose the purple color when it's cooked too long.
Easy to make: Yes :)
Rating: ****

Asparagus-Apple Salad with Feta Cheese Vinaigrette
1/4 cup (1 ounce) crumbled feta cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon splenda
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon extravirgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups (2-inch) diagonally cut asparagus
4 cups torn butter lettuce
2 cups thinly sliced Gala apple

Combine first 9 ingredients, stirring with a whisk.

Cook asparagus in boiling water 1 minute. Drain and rinse under cold running water; drain. Combine the asparagus, lettuce, and apple in a large bowl. Drizzle with vinaigrette; toss gently to coat.

Scales and Weight

2009-06-22T06:51:00.000-07:00

I have a new scale. It's much more accurate than my old spring-dial scale. I actually weigh about 2 lbs more than the old scale indicated. I'm going to just begin recording the new weight and not make any adjustments for the change, so this week I'm up 1.4 lbs to 236.4. If I use the old scale, It has me at 234, but I'm not going to use the old scale any longer as it gives me different readings each time I step on it.

Since it looks like I didn't lose much weight this last week, I need to evaluate what I'm eating against the following guidelines for phase 2 of South Beach:

BREAKFAST
Protein: Quantity is not limited. (it may be unlimited, but I plan to stick with 1 serving, which is about the size of a deck of cards)
Vegetables: Minimum 1/2 cup.
Fruit: 1 fruit serving allowed daily (with this meal or other). Gradually increase to 3 total servings for the day.
Starch: 1 starch serving allowed daily (with this meal or other). Gradually increase to 2 or 3 total servings for the day.
Milk/Dairy: 2 cups allowed daily (including yogurt)
Fat: 1 tsp mayonnaise or oil (optional)

LUNCH
Protein: Quantity is not limited.
Vegetables: Minimum 2 cups.
Fruit: 1 fruit serving allowed daily (with this meal or other). Gradually increase to 3 total servings for the day.
Starch: 1 starch serving allowed daily (with this meal or other). Gradually increase to 2 or 3 total servings for the day.
Milk/Dairy: 2 cups allowed daily (including yogurt)
Fat: 1 Tbsp mayonnaise or oil

DINNER
Protein: Quantity is not limited.
Vegetables: Minimum 2 cups.
Fruit: 1 fruit serving allowed daily (with this meal or other). Gradually increase to 3 total servings for the day.
Starch: 1 starch serving allowed daily (with this meal or other). Gradually increase to 2 or 3 total servings for the day.
Milk/Dairy: 2 cups allowed daily (including yogurt)
Fat: 1 Tbsp mayonnaise or oil

SNACKS AND DESSERT
Snacks and dessert are optional. Choose a protein, vegetable, fat-free plain yogurt, artificially sweetened non-fat flavored yogurt, nuts/seeds, or a Sweet Treat.

BEVERAGES
Diet, decaffeinated, sugar-free drinks are not limited. You can enjoy caffeinated coffee or diet sodas with caffeine added, but limit to 1 - 2 servings per day.

To sum it up:

Protein: Quantity is not limited, but I want to stay with 3-4 servings a day
Vegetables: 5 cups a day
Fruit: 1 fruit serving
Starch: 1 starch serving
Milk/Dairy: 2 cups allowed daily
Fat: 3 Tbsp
Snacks/Dessert: a protein, vegetable, fat-free plain yogurt, artificially sweetened non-fat flavored yogurt, nuts/seeds, or a Sweet Treat.

I am definitely falling short on the vegetables, I need to add more to my menu for the day.

Twittering

2009-06-21T15:29:00.000-07:00

I've begun to Twitter, and have added it to the sidebar of my blog. I have a pretty ordinary life, but if you want to see what's going on throughout my day, now you can :)

Is This Too Much?

2009-06-19T08:05:00.000-07:00

One of the many reasons I believe I've gained weight is that I have no idea what constitutes a healthy portion size. My husband has commented in the past that I'm putting too much food on his plate, and has also mentioned that I'm eating too much at one meal. Basically (and sadly), I blew him off. Most of what I served was healthy, what was the big deal?

Research has shown that Americans often underestimate how many calories they are consuming each day by as much as 25%.

~ WebMD.com

I suspect I was underestimating it by a larger amount as well as eating past the point of being full. Frankly, I was being a gluttonous pig :( I'm not proud of that, but it helps me to face the reality. I could ponder on the reasons I was doing that, but doing so won't change a thing. I need to take action, not indulge in months of staring at my bellybutton and not making any changes until I know why I'm doing this.

Taking action includes doing research online and sharing my discoveries here in my blog, not only to get this ingrained in my brain, but to share it with others who may be where I've been and hope they find it helpful.

Even if a food is healthy, too much of it at one meal can still result in a weight gain. Learning about correct portion sizes is essential in living a healthy life.

So what is a correct portion size? Do I have to remember a bunch of numbers and try to do math everytime I have a meal or a snack? That's a LOT of work! Help!

MealsMatter.org comes to the rescue :)

If you are confused when reading a food label, try relating the portion size of a serving to everyday items. It is an easy way to visualize what a true portion size looks like.

Woman's fist or baseball - a serving of vegetables or fruit is about the size of your fist

A rounded handful - about one half cup cooked or raw veggies or cut fruit, a piece of fruit, or ½ cup of cooked rice or pasta – this is a good measure for a snack serving, such as chips or pretzels

Deck of cards - a serving of meat, fish or poultry or the palm of your hand (don't count your fingers!) – for example, one chicken breast, ¼ pound hamburger patty or a medium pork chop

Golf ball or large egg - one quarter cup of dried fruit or nuts

Tennis ball - about one half cup of ice cream

Computer mouse - about the size of a small baked potato

Compact disc - about the size of one serving of pancake or small waffle

Thumb tip - about one teaspoon of peanut butter

Six dice - a serving of cheese

Check book - a serving of fish (approximately 3 oz.)

Eyeball it! Take a look at the recommended serving sizes on the new USDA MyPyramid Food Guidance System. Get out a measuring cup or a food scale and practice measuring some of your favorite foods onto a plate, so that you can see how much (or how little!) a ½ cup or 3-ounce serving is. This will help you "eyeball" a reasonable serving!

That's pretty easy to remember, especially for those of us who do better with visuals than with math.

WebMD.com has some more useful information:

Other ways of developing and maintaining proper portion control include:

At home
~ Use smaller dishes at meals.
~ Serve food in the appropriate portion amounts and don't go back for seconds.
~ Put away any leftovers in separate, portion-controlled amounts. Consider freezing the portions you likely won't eat for a while.
~ Never eat out of the bag or carton.
~Don't keep platters of food on the table; you are more likely to "pick" at it or have a second serving without even realizing it.

At restaurants
~ Ask for half or smaller portions.
~ Eyeball your appropriate portion, set the rest aside, and ask for a doggie bag right away. Servings at many restaurants are often big enough to provide meals for two days.
~ If you have dessert, share.

At the supermarket
~ Beware of "mini-snacks" -- tiny crackers, cookies, and pretzels. ~ Most people end up eating more than they realize, and the calories add up.
~ Choose foods packaged in individual serving sizes.
~ If you're the type who eats ice cream out of the carton, pick up ice cream sandwiches or other individual size servings.

Finally to get an idea of what a serving looks like on a plate, as well as the comparisons mentioned above (and more), check out this portion plate size guide at WebMD.com

This page has some helpful downloads you can print and carry when you go shopping or are meal-planning.

I also discovered another neat site - The Portion Plate. I may be purchasing that plate to help me as I'm learning.

I need to begin implementing this. I'm following the South Beach diet and am eating lean meats, lots of vegetables, some fruits, nuts and whole grains. I've cut out white flour and refined sugar. I'm doing well but I think I'm eating too much of some things and not enough of others.

That means I need to learn about serving amounts as well as sizes.

Recommended servings a day:

Bread, cereal, rice and pasta - 6-11 servings a day
Fruit - 2-4 servings a day
Vegetables - 3-5 servings a day
Meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs and nuts - 2-3 servings a day
Milk, yogurt, cheese - 2-3 servings a day
Fats, oils, and sweets -sparingly

What's On My Mind

2009-06-18T06:51:00.000-07:00

I haven't gone walking the last two days due to my schedule. Every other Tuesday I visit an independent living center to sell Avon to the residents, and this was that week. Usually I'm too busy in between getting home from work and leaving for the center to fit a walk in, and I'm there for at least an hour, so by the time I get home it's too late to walk. It's almost dark and the neighborhood I live in doesn't have many street lights. It's also an older neighborhood with uneven sidewalks.

Last night I could have walked, but didn't. I usually meet my friend Amy at McKinley Park to walk, but last night she had a dentist appointment so I didn't want to use the gas to drive out there when I could walk in my neighborhood. The thing is, I didn't walk. I knew I should, but I wasn't motivated enough.

Tonight will be different. I'm meeting Amy (and anyone else who shows up) and will be walking around the park 3 times. I'm really looking forward to that.

What's really neat is that now that I've been exercising regularly my body is craving the activity. If I don't get out and walk I feel like a racehorse that's being restrained. Not that I'm as fast or as sleek or as athletic as a racehorse, I'm more like a Shetland pony, (a cute one!) but that description fits the feeling best :)

I stopped at Trader Joe's last night...I love, love, love that store! If we ever move someplace where there's no TJ's, I'm going to be majorly bummed. MAJORLY. I bought some dry roasted unsalted almonds and some lightly salted cashews (bless you! The word 'cashew' sounds like a sneeze to me :P ) that were packaged in single serving bags. It makes it easy for me to take just one to work each day and not overeat.

I also bought a package of dutch goat cheese in slices. I so love cheese. I'm a cheese fanatic. I'll browse the cheeses at TJs for nearly 10 minutes sometimes trying to decide which variety to buy.

Cheese is one thing I don't skimp on, and I rarely buy low-fat cheeses. I just make sure to eat a smaller amount. I know this means I won't lose weight as quickly but it's a small amount and I don't think it's going to affect the weight loss too much. If it does, that's a sacrifice I'm willing to make at this time.

A favorite snack of mine is steamed string beans. I bought a package of green and yellow string beans at TJs, microwaved them in the bag and am now enjoying them as a snack along with a Baby Bel cheddar round and some of the lightly salted cashews.

What I'm drinking at home right now is an iced tea blend of green tea and passion fruit tropical tea. It's refreshing and naturally sweet with just enough passion fruit flavor. It's not overwhelming, I can still taste the tea. I don't like teas with strong fruit flavor, so I usually avoid them. I especially avoid raspberry teas because I don't like raspberries. However, the first time I was at Panda Express I ordered an iced tea and didn't know it was flavored.

When I tasted it I fell in love, and ever since I've made my own at home. It took some time to find passion fruit flavored tea, but I did it. I make it in a 1 gallon jug of water, adding 3 green tea bags and one pitcher-sized passion fruit tea bag. It's great for summer.

Thinking About Food

2009-06-16T09:53:00.000-07:00

One of the things I've been thinking about lately is that in order to make healthy choices you have to change the way you think about food.

My old way of thinking about food was basically to eat whatever appealed to me at the time, not considering calories, the health value, how much fat it contained or anything like that. I know how to make healthy choices, but I totally ignored that in favor of my appetite.

The result of that thinking has been a weight gain throughout my adult years, resulting in a high weight of 290 or so pounds.

Over the years since that time I've been retraining my way of thinking about food. Overall I've done well, although at times I've backslidden into old habits.

It's not that you need to completely eliminate the less healthy foods, you can have them, but in moderation. However, the majority of your diet should be healthy foods...whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats, healthy oils.

There are some food that should be almost, if not completely eliminated. This would include most fast food, processed foods, fried foods, candy, and the like. Doritos taste yummy (trust me, I love them) but they offer no real nutritional value, and a steady diet of McDonalds, Doritos, Snickers, Coke, ice cream and Burger King offers little in the way of health and too much in the way of fat and empty calories.

It's important to get hold of that concept, and to learn to view healthy foods as the more desirable. In a previous post about the importance of enjoyment, I mentioned that it's vital to learn to enjoy healthy food. Sometimes that's not easy. In the past few days I've had cravings for pizza and fried chicken. It's not that I can't have those ever again, it's that right now if I did have some I'd likely have too much, and I'd lose some of the progress I've been making.

Sometimes a craving strikes and won't go away. What I do is wait and see if it goes away by distracting myself with an activity...not food. If the craving vanishes, I didn't eat other stuff to try and fill that craving. Sometimes the craving just won't go away. Satisfy it by having a small portion of what you're craving. If it's fast food, go through the drive through and get a small burger and a salad, no fries, no soda.

You really do have to retrain your brain and your taste buds. Experiment with new seasoning blends and fresh herbs. Find healthy recipes and try them out.

If white bread is your thing (or that fake wheat bread), be bold and try a sprouted whole grain bread. Replace your normal pasta with whole grain pasta, and use brown rice instead of white rice.

Add fresh vegetables to your diet. Explore vegetarian recipe websites for new and interesting ways to prepare vegetables.

Look at this new way of eating as an adventure, something new and exciting with fantastic side benefits of better health and feeling great.

And do set aside a meal or two here and there (not regularly, just occasionally) to enjoy an old favorite. I've already decided that I will be going to The Squeeze Inn once a quarter to have my favorite Squeeze with cheese (pictured at the top of this post) and an order of fries.

Bleah! Too Much Salt!

2009-06-16T02:31:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I didn't do as well with my eating as I'd planned. The beans I had for lunch had way too much salt, and last night I ate a whole rotisserie cooked chicken breast (no skin). I didn't have enough vegetables or water. This morning I weighed 2lbs higher than yesterday. I'm hoping most of that was water weight.

I have a couple of choices...I can beat myself up and then give up with making healthy choices, because I screwed up and what difference does it make anyway? I might as well eat what I want since I can't do this long-term.

Orrrrr....I can look at yesterday as a small stumble on this journey. I didn't fall, I didn't overeat, I didn't mess everything up. I can regroup and plan for days like yesterday.

So, what am I doing? Today's food isn't as salty, and I'll be sure to have lots of vegetables and drink lots of iced tea. (I don't make a strong iced tea. 3 teabags to 1 gallon of water makes for a very light and delicate drink with very little caffeine).

Keeping the journey in mind!

The Best Brussels Sprout Recipe Ever!

2009-06-15T13:53:00.000-07:00

This really is one of the best recipes for Brussels Sprouts ever!

Pan Roasted Balsamic Glazed Brussels Sprouts

2 cups Brussels sprouts, steamed, then cut in half lengthwise
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400°F. While the oven is heating, steam the uncut Brussels sprouts in a steamer bag (like Ziploc's Zip and Steam bags) for 3 minutes, then let cool for 10 minutes. Slice in half lengthwise.

Slowly heat the olive oil in a cast iron skillet, then add the sprouts, cut-side down. Don't move them, let them brown and develop a crust.

Transfer the cast iron skillet to the oven and roast for 4 minutes.

Remove from the oven. Using tongs, turn each sprout over carefully, then add the balsamic vinegar to deglaze the pan, gently shaking and tossing the skillet until there is no excess vinegar in the pan.

Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve immediately.

What Does It Take to Lose Weight?

2009-06-15T07:09:00.000-07:00

What does it take to lose weight? I've tried many times before and have failed miserably. I've envied those who have lost weight and kept it off. How did they do that??? Why can't I do it?

Losing weight and getting healthy begins and ends in the mind. This article on About.com explains (I've bolded and underlined parts I want to emphasize and have also added some notes in red):

Successful Weight Loss
Ingredients for Success
By Paige Waehner, About.com
You already know how to lose weight...At it's simplest, you need to burn more calories than you eat, right? And exercising and eating healthy is the healthiest way to do that, right? But, successful weight loss doesn't start with your body--it starts with your mind.

As we've all discovered, the mind is a powerful thing--it can take you to success or failure, depending on your attitude. What you think about yourself can make the difference between reaching your goals and quitting before you even get close. (This is so true!) So how do you get your mind right to make exercise and healthy eating a part of your life? Below are some key ingredients you can rely on to reach your goals.

Commitment
You already know you have to commit to being healthy, but what does that actually involve? It's more than just shouting from the roof tops "I'M COMMITTED TO BEING HEALTHY!" Being committed means you have to wake up every day and decide you're going to make healthy choices. (Bingo!) Being committed is a choice and something you have to reinforce each day. So how do you do that? Use these tips to help you commit to your goals:

Plan and Prepare. The night before, plan your workout for the next day and get all your stuff (gym bag, clothes, etc.) ready to go. Decide what and when you'll eat and get your meals ready. Make it as easy as possible to follow through with your plans.

Motivate Yourself. Remind yourself throughout the day of your workout plans--send yourself a reminder or have a friend call and ask about your workout, so it's always in the front of your mind.

Hold Yourself Accountable. What will happen if you skip that workout? You need to have consequences so that missing your workout isn't an option--maybe you can't watch your favorite TV show until you exercise. On the other side, you can also reward yourself for working out--just make sure you don't reward yourself with food.

Remember Your Goals. As you're getting ready for the day, remember what your goals are. Weight loss? More energy? Whatever it is, that workout is an important step in reaching it. Remind yourself of the big picture--what you do today counts!

Discipline
Such an ugly word, I know, but discipline is a part of successful weight loss and just another way of saying self-control. Think of how you practice self-control in the other parts of your life. Each day you fulfill your obligations to work and family, even when you'd rather just lie in bed and sleep late. That takes discipline. The same can be true of exercise. Of course, it's easy to make yourself go to work because there are consequences if you don't--you won't make as much money or you could lose your job. But if you don't workout, the consequences aren't as immediate, are they? Try these ideas to get more disciplined with exercise:

Make Exercise a Habit. Part of being disciplined is creating a habit. You may not want to brush your teeth every night, but you do it anyway because you always do it right before bed...it's a habit. You can do the same thing with exercise by keeping your workouts on specific days and times each week (if you can). Knowing that every Monday at 6 a.m. will find you at the gym will make it that much easier to show up for your workouts.

Know the Consequences. You already know what happens if you don't brush your teeth--cavities, gum disease, painful dental experiences, etc. But what are the consequences of not exercising? Make a list of all the things that could happen to your body and mind without exercise such as weight gain, increased risk of heart disease, diabetes and cancer, to name a few.

Get Some Help. One sure way to show up for your workout is to have someone waiting for you (this really does work...I've committed to meet with one of my friends at a local park 3-4 nights a week and go walking with her). One option is a personal trainer--someone who will hold you accountable for your workouts while educating you all at the same time. Another option is to get a workout buddy and have consquences if you don't show up. Having that support will make exercise more enjoyable AND keep you on track.

Make a Deal With Yourself. Don't feel like working out? Promise yourself you'll just do a warm up. If after 10 minutes you still don't want to workout, you can quit and go home. The majority of the time, you'll keep going...trust me (with the walking, we've agreed that if either of us doesn't feel like walking to at least walk around the park once and go from there).

Honesty
Being honest with yourself about what you'll really do is a tough one. Many people fail at weight loss because they set their sights too high, planning so many workouts and diet changes, it's impossible to follow (Exactly! You're setting yourself up for a fall. Be realistic, and only make one big change at a time). This is where a little self-awareness comes in and what that means is figuring out what you'll really do to reach your goals. Take some time to ask yourself some crucial questions before embarking on another failed journey. Ask yourself:

How much time will you really spend exercising? Forget the guidelines and decide what you'll actually do...then plan your workouts accordingly. If you're not going to spend an hour doing cardio, don't set that as a goal--set a goal you can reach!

Are you willing to do what it takes to reach your goals? If you want to lose weight, are you willing to change your eating habits? What if that means spending more time cooking and shopping? Preparing your meals in advance? (This point is an absolute essential to my success!) Saying no those daily lunches out with co-workers? What if it means you have to keep track of what you're eating and work on your bad habits? Decide if you're really willing to commit to doing that every single day.

Can you accept failure? A big part of weight loss is falling off the wagon...and it WILL happen. It happens to all of us! What happens if you flub up one day and give into those pizza cravings? What if you eat that extra piece of pie? Are you willing to accept your slip-up and get back on track or will you just quit at the first mistake? Be honest with yourself about this one because willingness to persevere in these circumstances can mean the difference between success and failure (like my quote at the top of my sidebar says, NEVER, NEVER, NEVER GIVE UP!).

Flexibility
Maybe this has happened to you: You start an exercise program--you're working out, eathing healthy and feeling great. Then, Something Happens--an injury, an illness, a mean boss heaping more work on you. Whatever it is, it throws you off and before you know it, you've completely stopped working out.

It's important to realize that these kinds of things will happen on a regular basis. Your job is to be prepared and, to do that, you have to be more flexible. You need to be willing to...:

Change your workouts when necessary. If you suddenly have to work late, decide you're still going to exercise...just in a different way. This might mean squeezing in some stair walking or short, brisk walks whenever you can. Decide you'll do something, even if it's just a quick walk.

Do shorter workouts. Many people quit exercise when they don't have time to do a full workout. Remember this: Something is always better than nothing. If you only have 10 minutes, use it! It might mean getting up early and lifting weights for 10 minutes before work. Stay committed, but give yourself permission to do what you have time for until things calm down. Try these 10-minute cardio ideas and don't forget strength training too.

Be creative. Yes, there are guidelines for exercise, but when time is short, stop worrying about the rules and do what you can. This might mean combining cardio and strength workouts, spreading out your workouts throughout the day or making your household chores a workout, if that's all you have time for. I have one client who runs around the ball field while she watches her son play baseball--now that's creative!

Consistency
Consistency is what comes from all that discipline, commitment, honesty and flexibility we've been talking about. Why? Because being consistent with your eating and exercise is the only way to reach your goals. Exercising heavily for 3 weeks and then quitting for a month isn't going to work. Your assignment?

Find a program that you can live with for the rest of your life. Do something you enjoy and that fits into your daily schedule.

Create, through trial and error, a workout routine that fits with your life, your goals and your needs.

Find a way of healthy eating that you can live with for the rest of your life. You already know that diets don't work--at least for the long-term.

Give yourself a little leeway to make mistakes and, above all, don't expect perfection. Be ready to screw up from time to time, acknowledge it and then use it to do better.

Don't be afraid to experiment. Try different workout activities and times. Try different ways of eating and preparing your food. Find what works for you!

In the end, losing weight requires you to draw on all of your strengths while acknowledging your weaknesses--not an easy thing to do. The good news is, you have many resources to rely on, most of them readily available right there in your own mind. And it helps to have some outside motivation as well. Don't forget to reward yourself for your successes and don't be afraid to count on yourself...you know what to do.

Official Weigh-in Day...Woohoo!

2009-06-15T04:34:00.000-07:00

I've designated Mondays as my official weigh-in day, so while I watch my weight all week, I record it on Monday mornings.

This morning I was very pleased to see that I'm at 235 :) That makes 10 lbs I've officially lost in 3 weeks, and adding a slice of whole grain bread for breakfast as well as a fruit drink (I'll be posting about that drink more later) isn't having a negative impact. I'm also adding some brown rice to other meals.

Beginning this evening I'll be walking 3 miles a day, then in July I'll be adding 20 minutes of core exercises to my evenings. To do that I'll be buying an exercise ball and a yoga mat, and doing the exercises in Chantel Hobb's book "Never Say Diet".

I'm developing a lifestyle that works for me by taking items that I like from different sources. The majority of my eating plan is based on South Beach, along with a few daily supplements such as psyllium husk and a glass of water with some unfiltered apple cider vinegar included. I'm also taking a fruit/vegetable supplement , but I can't recall the name so I'll write about that later.

I pulled some of my exercise plan from "Never Say Diet", which advocates slow changes. Chantel's plan recommends 30 minutes of exercise a day for the first month, and not working on anything else. In the second month she has readers start with focusing on eating better.

What I'm taking from her book is doing one big change at a time and doing it for a month before adding another. This first month I'm walking regularly and then next month I'll be adding her core exercises for an additional 20 minutes a day.

Meanwhile (back at the ranch :P ) I'm keeping my eating habits in focus and am constantly evaluating my meals and snacks along with my weight on a daily basis.

All of this along with the encouragement and support of my husband and friends is making this very doable, and I'm seeing progress :)

Making Progress

2009-06-13T01:37:00.000-07:00

I weigh myself every morning so I can stay motivated and keep focused on my goal. Mondays are my official weigh-in day. That's the weight I use on my tickers and to mark my progress.

I was very pleased this morning to step on the scale and find that I weigh 235 :) I'm using an old type spring-dial scale, so it's not giving me the most accurate weight. I went ahead and ordered a really cool Weight Watchers scale online and am waiting (heh!) for it to get here. I'm pretty sure it'll show a different weight than the current spring dial scale.

I'm also gathering recipes for next week and am putting together a shopping list for today. I'll be heading out to Super Walmart to get most of my shopping done, and will also be going to Home Depot to buy some dirt and manure. Lastly I plan to go to Berean Christian Book Store and buy a book for my niece.

A busy day ahead of me, but the weather is beautiful, I'm making progress, and my sweet husband loves me :) It doesn't get much better than this.

Recipe Reviews

2009-06-12T13:47:00.000-07:00

Chicken Cheesesteak Saute
I ended up marinating this all night, and it was tasty. One note, be sure not to cook it on too high a heat in the frying pan as the dressing tends to burn.
Easy to prepare: easy
Rating: ***

Chicken Cheesesteak Saute
1/4 Cup Light italian dressing, sugar free
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 6 chicken breast tenderloins
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 cup sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup sliced onions
1/4 cup sliced bell pepper (red or green)
1 TBSP olive oil
2 slices light provolone cheese

Marinate chicken breasts in italian dressing, in a plastic bag, for at least two hours; drain well. After marinating, heat olive oil in a skillet on medium high heat for about two minutes. Sprinkle chicken with garlic and onion powder. Add chicken to skillet, and sear chicken until brown on both sides (about 2 minutes per side). Add mushrooms, onions, and bell pepper. Cook for 5 - 7 minutes longer (7 - 8 minutes if using thick breasts). Tear cheese into small pieces and place on top of mixture. Place top on skillet and let sit for one to two minutes.

Mexican Chicken Casserole
My husband loved this dish :) It's a little on the spicy side, but is easily handled for those with less adventurous palates by adding a little extra cheese or sour cream.
Easy to prepare: easy
Rating: ***

Mexican Chicken Casserole
4-5 chicken breasts, sliced into strips as if for fajitas
1 T olive oil
1 package taco seasoning
1 T garlic
dash cumin
1 green pepper
1 red or yellow pepper
1 onion
1/2-1 C salsa
6 oz lf cheese (cheddar or monterey)

Heat oil in skillet and brown chicken. While chicken is browning cut peppers and onion in strips. Then add your taco seasoning, garlic & cumin. Saute for a min or so to mix seasonings. Add peppers and onions and saute for about 5 min. Transfer mixture to a greased 9x12 casserole and top w/ salsa then add cheese. Bake at 350 til cheese is melted.

Barefoot Contessa Grilled Lemon Chicken
This is a great dish for those who like lemon and chicken together. I marinated this overnight, and the chicken was tender and juicy.
Easy to prepare: easy
Rating: ***

Barefoot Contessa Grilled Lemon Chicken
¾ cup lemon juice
¾ cup olive oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves (or ½ tablespoon dried)
2 pounds boneless chicken breasts

1 Whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper and thyme.
2 Pour over chicken in nonreactive bowl and marinate 6 hours or overnight.
3 Heat grill and cook 10 minutes per side until cooked through.
4 May be served over green salad with Lemon Vinaigrette, below.
Lemon Vinagarette
1 Whisk together ¼ cup lemon juice and ¼ cup olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste, if desired. Serve immediately

Chocolate Breeze Cups
These were ok, not that great and too sour for my taste. Maybe if I used more Splenda...
Easy to prepare: easy
Rating: **

Chocolate Breeze Cups
8 oz FF Cream Cheese
1/3 Cup Splenda
1 cup FF Sour Cream
1/2 cup SF Chocolate Syrup
2 tsp Vanilla extract
2 cups Cool Whip

1. Beat the cream cheese and Splenda until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and SF Syrup.
2. Add FF sour cream and then Cool whip.
3. Pour into 8 custard cups and garnish with 5 mini chocolate chips.

Changes

2009-06-12T02:34:00.000-07:00

It's exciting and motivating to see the changes in my body as I begin to lose weight. I can fit into some clothes that were too small, and some clothes that fit a month ago are beginning to be too big.

I put on a skirt this morning and it almost slid off! Woohoo! Of course, that put me a bit behind schedule as I had to figure out what else to wear to work today, but that's the kind of problem I can happily deal with :)

The neatest part about all this is how good I'm feeling, and how motivating it is to be losing weight and to realize that I CAN do this!

It's wonderful to see results and to enjoy the excitement. It makes me look forward to getting below 200lbs. I can't imagine how excited I'll be then, and if I keep on this track, I should get there by October 10th or so. Wow! I'll be able to buy some really cute winter clothes at my favorite thrift stores!!!

But the thing I'm most looking forward to is being able to see my face again. It's been a long, long time since I've been able to do that.

Recipe Reviews

2009-06-11T12:30:00.000-07:00

Over the last two weeks I've had a chance to try out the following recipes and would like to share my thoughts:

Spinach, Sausage and Cheese Squares
This recipe was originally a meatless recipe, but since I love sausage I added some turkey sausage. This was soooo delicious, and is very filling.
Easy to prepare: Very easy
Rating: *****

Spinach, Sausage and Cheese Squares

2 10oz. packages frozen chopped spinach
1 pound small curd, low-fat cottage cheese
1/3 cup feta or cheddar cheese (I use low-fat)
8 large eggs
1 pound cooked turkey breakfast sausage
1/4 chopped scallions or small onion
3 Tablespoons melted margarine (without trans fat)
2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tablespoon whole wheat flour[In P1, just sub arrowroot to thicken]
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon dill

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Thaw, drain and press spinach in a sieve to squeeze out excess water. In a large bowl, mix eggs, cottage cheese, feta or cheddar cheese, and scallion. Add cooked turkey sausage, melted margarine, flour, pepper, and dill. Fold in spinach. Spray a 13 inch by 9 inch pan with non-stick spray. Pour mixture into pan and smooth out the top. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake for about 50 minutes. Allow to cool a bit and cut into 12 servings.

Butternut Squash Lasagna
This seemed like an interesting recipe, and it ended up tasting very good. One important thing, though...be sure to cook the butternut squash in the microwave until it's a bit soft. If it still seems raw when you slice it, it's not cooked enough.

I never thought that butternut squash in a lasagna would be that good, and was pleasantly surprised. I estimated the weight of the squash; I bought a 9lb squash and wasn't able to fit it all into the baking dish.
Easy to prepare: Fairly easy
Rating: ****

Butternut Squash Lasagna

Pierce a whole butternut squash with a cooking fork and microwave it for about 12 minutes. Let it cool for at least an hour. Then cut the ends off, cut the squash in half, and remove the seeds. Place it cut side down on a cutting board and slice each half into 1/2" thick slices, then peel the skin off each slice. It will come off easily.

a 6lb butternut squash
3 cups marinara sauce, sugar-free (I used Classico basil and tomato pasta sauce)
8 oz. LF ricotta
2 cups shredded LF mozzarella
16 oz. sliced mushrooms
shredded parmesan

In a 9 X 12" baking dish sprayed with Pam, put about 1/3 cup of the sauce. Place a layer of the squash over the sauce, filling in the gaps with pieces of the squash. Layer with the mushrooms, the ricotta, 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese, and 1 cup of the sauce. Top with another layer of the squash, then the remaining sauce. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella over all, and top with a sprinkling of the parmesan cheese.

Bake in a preheated 350* oven for about 40-45 minutes. This makes 12 generous servings.

Seattle Black Beans
I love this!!! This dish is going to be a staple of my menu for years to come. It has so much flavor, yet is so simple to make. I highly recommend using Better Than Boullion rather than a dry or cubed boullion to make the broth, I think this is key to the flavor.

Since I have a bacon addiction, I decided to buy real bacon bits and I sauteed those in a tablespoon of olive oil, then added the chopped vegetables so they'd get some of the bacon flavor. Instead of sprinkling the bacon on top, I added it to the beans and let it simmer for about 20 minutes. Yummy!
Easy to prepare: Very easy
Rating: *****

Seattle Black Beans

3 cups dried black beans
6 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth (I used Better Than Boullion to make the broth)
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 bacon slices
1 cup thinly sliced celery
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped carrot
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 garlic cloves, minced

Sort and wash beans; place in a large Dutch oven. Cover with water to 2 inches above beans; cover and let stand 8 hours. Drain beans.
Return beans to pan; stir in broth, water, pepper, and salt. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, 2 hours or until tender.

Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan; crumble. Add celery and remaining ingredients to pan; cook 5 minutes. Add to bean mixture; simmer 10 minutes. Sprinkle with bacon.

Lemon Breeze Cups
Ohhhhhhhhh....I fell in love! For those who love lemon pie and other lemony treats, you must try this! It's a perfect summer treat.
Easy to prepare: Very easy
Rating: *****

Lemon Breeze Cups

8oz FF Cream Cheese
1 cup FF Sour Cream
1 tsp Vanilla
2-3 tsp sugar free lemonade soft drink mix
2 cups Cool Whip Free

1. Whip FF cream cheese til light and fluffy.
2. Mix in FF sour cream and vanilla.
3. Add Lemonade mix.
4. Fold in Cool Whip Free.
5. Spoon into eight dessert cups.

Refrigerate and enjoy

~ His Sweet Gypsy Rose

Some straight talk on health

2009-06-11T09:41:00.000-07:00

Q: Doctor, I've heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life. Is this true?
A: Your heart is only good for so many beats, and that's it... don't waste them on exercise. Everything wears out eventually. Speeding up your heart will not make you live longer; that's like saying you can extend the life of your car by driving it faster. Want to live longer? Take a nap.

Q: Should I cut down on meat and eat more fruits and vegetables?
A: You must grasp logistical efficiencies. What does a cow eat? Hay and corn. And what are these? Vegetables. So a steak is nothing more than an efficient mechanism of delivering vegetables to your system. Need grain? Eat chicken. Beef is also a good source of field grass (green leafy vegetable). And a pork chop can give you 100% of your recommended daily allowance of vegetable products.

Q: Should I reduce my alcohol intake?
A: No, not at all. Wine is made from fruit. Brandy is distilled wine, that means they take the water out of the fruity bit so you get even more of the goodness that way. Beer is also made out of grain. Bottoms up!

Q: How can I calculate my body/fat ratio?
A: Well, if you have a body and you have fat, your ratio is one to one. If you have two bodies, your ratio is two to one, etc.

Q: What are some of the advantages of participating in a regular exercise program?
A: Can't think of a single one, sorry. My philosophy is: No Pain...Good!

Q: Aren't fried foods bad for you?
A: YOU'RE NOT LISTENING!!! ..... Foods are fried these days in vegetable oil. In fact, they're permeated in it. How could getting more vegetables be bad for you?

Q: Will sit-ups help prevent me from getting a little soft around the middle?
A: Definitely not! When you exercise a muscle, it gets bigger. You should only be doing sit-ups if you want a bigger stomach.

Q: Is chocolate bad for me?
A: Are you crazy? HELLO Cocoa beans! Another vegetable!!! It's the best feel-good food around!

Q: Is swimming good for your figure?
A: If swimming is good for your figure, explain whales to me.

Q: Is getting in-shape important for my lifestyle?
A: Hey! 'Round' is a shape!

Well, I hope this has cleared up any misconceptions you may have had about food and diets.

And remember:
'Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways - Chardonnay in one hand - chocolate in the other - body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming 'WOO HOO, what a ride!'

AND.....

For those of you who watch what you eat, here's the final word on nutrition and health. It's a relief to know the truth after all those conflicting nutritional studies.

1. The Japanese eat very little fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
2. The Mexicans eat a lot of fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
3. The Chinese drink very little red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
4. The Italians drink a lot of red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
5. The Germans drink a lot of beer and eat lots of sausages and fats and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

CONCLUSION

Eat and drink what you like. Speaking English is apparently what kills you.

Author: Unknown

I hope you enjoyed this bit of humor today :)

~ His Sweet Gypsy Rose

Silly Me

2009-06-10T09:28:00.000-07:00

As I've begun losing weight, I'm finding that I have a silly thought running through my brain. Let me explain...

I've always made it a point to buy pretty clothes even though I'm fat. I have a huge aversion to looking fat and frumpy; I've been there, I worked hard to get myself to stop doing that, and I don't ever want to go back (hmmmm...a revelation. I need to get this attitude going about being unhealthy). I get a lot of compliments about my clothing and jewelry, and I have a wonderful time rummaging through thrift stores looking for pretty things.

I'm going to miss some of my outfits. Today I wore one of my favorite tops, and in about 20-30lbs I won't ever be able to wear it again. That makes me sad. I love this top!

What I need to do is think about all the cute clothes I'll be able to find at thrift stores in smaller sizes instead of thinking "If I lose weight, I won't be able to wear this anymore." There's that silly thought :P

Here's what I'll do instead...I'm going to sell my clothes on ebay after I reach 'onederland' (hitting the 100s) and think about the women who will be able to enjoy these pretty clothes and feel good about themselves. And I'll even make some money :)

~ His Sweet Gypsy Rose

The Importance of Enjoyment

2009-06-09T09:56:00.000-07:00

In this journey to living a healthier life, it's important to enjoy it. Changing my eating habits isn't about putting myself into a prison, locking the door, throwing away the keys and then living on bread, water and overcooked vegetables for the rest of my life and being forced to do 5,000 situps a day. It's about finding enjoyment and pleasure in the healthy choices.

Yesterday I started phase 2 of the South Beach diet, and began adding a slice of sprouted whole grain toast to my breakfasts.

I love sprouted whole grain bread because it has a dense, slightly rough texture and a very nutty flavor. Toasting it enhances the nuttiness of the grains, and I eat it slowly, savoring each bite. It also smells really good when it's toasted. It's a wonderful sensory experience.

Another food I really enjoy is cucumber. I slice them into strip and have them as part of my snacks. The crisp cool sweetness is refreshing, and I feel healthier eating it.

It's important when changing your eating habits to choose foods you enjoy. If you're eating food you can't stand, you won't succeed. Make healthy choices and savor them, eating slowly, taking time to enjoy the aromas. Use new seasonings, try new vegetables and fruits, wander the health food section of your favorite grocery store or visit a local natural foods co-op and try something new.

Finding an exercise that you enjoy is also important. Again, if you're forcing yourself to do something that you don't like to do and that feels like hard labor, you'll end up quitting.

I enjoy walking. I love to be outdoors and to see the beautiful homes around my neighborhood. I live in a charming older neighborhood, not expensive, but with lots of cute homes. Seeing the different styles and landscaping is fun, and I also enjoy looking for neighborhood cats sleeping on porches, sitting in little nooks and crannies and lounging in odd little corners observing the world.

Sometimes I meet up with friends and we walk around one of the oldest and prettiest parks in Sacramento - McKinley Park. We laugh and chat, all the while enjoying the green grass, the beautiful trees, other people laughing, jogging, walking, playing tennis, all the things people do at parks. We walk by a beautiful rose garden (the site for many outdoor weddings) as well as a pond surrounding a small lush island where the ducks and geese congregate.

Being able to enjoy the walk keeps me motivated to continue and to stick with it. I look forward to those afternoons with friends, taking in the fresh air and lovely neighborhood.

If you'd prefer to stay inside and work out, join Netflix and try out different workout DVDs until you find one or two you really enjoy, then go buy them...and use them regularly :)

~ His Sweet Gypsy Rose

Water - The Elixir of Life

2009-06-09T09:41:00.000-07:00

Water is one of the most important parts of a healthy lifestyle. I'm glad that water is my favorite drink, it makes it easy to have enough each day.

The rule of thumb most of us have heard for years is to drink eight 8oz glasses of water a day, but...

How much water do you need?

Every day you lose water through your breath, perspiration, urine and bowel movements. For your body to function properly, you must replenish its water supply by consuming beverages and foods that contain water.

Several approaches attempt to approximate water needs for the average, healthy adult living in a temperate climate.

Replacement approach. The average urine output for adults is about 1.5 liters (6.3 cups) a day. You lose close to an additional liter of water a day through breathing, sweating and bowel movements. Food usually accounts for 20 percent of your total fluid intake, so if you consume 2 liters of water or other beverages a day (a little more than 8 cups) along with your normal diet, you will typically replace the lost fluids.

Eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day. Another approach to water intake is the "8 x 8 rule" — drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day (about 1.9 liters). The rule could also be stated, "drink eight 8-ounce glasses of fluid a day," as all fluids count toward the daily total. Though the approach isn't supported by scientific evidence, many people use this basic rule as a guideline for how much water and other fluids to drink.

Dietary recommendations. The Institute of Medicine advises that men consume roughly 3 liters (about 13 cups) of total beverages a day and women consume 2.2 liters (about 9 cups) of total beverages a day.

Even apart from the above approaches, if you drink enough fluid so that you rarely feel thirsty and produce 1.5 liters (6.3 cups) or more of colorless or slightly yellow urine a day, your fluid intake is probably adequate.

From Mayoclinic.com - Water: How much should you drink every day?

Did you know that if you add a few slices of cucumber to your water that you get a very refreshing drink? If drinking enough water is difficult for you, this is one way to add a hint of flavor.

You can also grow fresh mint (applemint is my favorite) and add a few springs to a pitcher of water for a cool thirst-quencher.

Other ideas include a few slices of lemon and/or lime, orange, some sliced strawberries, crushed cranberries, even some gently crushed blackberries. Water doesn't have to be boring!

And if you're craving the crisp crackle of carbonation (heh, I love alliteration) try sparkling mineral water. You can use plain sparkling mineral water and add any of the above to make a delicious cool summer drink - even dress it up with one of those cute little cocktail umbrellas - or buy the fruit-flavored sparkling mineral water and enjoy. Be sure to refrigerate it, serving it ice-cold is best.

~ His Sweet Gypsy Rose

It's Not a Diet, It's a Life Changing Commitment; Food Journaling

2009-06-08T09:54:00.000-07:00

An important thing for me to keep in mind is that this is not a diet, it's a life-changing commitment. It took years to get to this point, and I won't be seeing dramatic results overnight. It's vital that I keep this perspective in mind as I hit plateaus or don't lose as much as I'd expected in any particular week.

I also need to constantly evaluate what I'm eating as well as how much I'm eating and make adjustments as necessary.

One step in making this life change is keeping a food journal. I'd blown that idea off before, but after reading this article (The Single Best Way to Lose Weight) on WebMD.com I'm realizing it's something I need to do.

The article states:

Studies show that a journal doesn't just aid weight loss — it turbo-charges it. When researchers from Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research followed more than 2,000 dieters who were encouraged to record meals and snacks, they found that the single best predictor of whether a participant would drop weight was whether the person kept a food diary. It trumped exercise habits, age, and body mass index. The number of pounds people lost was directly related to the number of days they wrote in their log.

If keeping a food journal means a higher possibility of successful weight loss and maintenance, then I am going to do this.

Why this works? Check out these reasons from the above linked article (be sure to go to that article for more information, these are excerpts only)

Here are five more reasons to start a journal today — even if you swore off diaries in middle school.

1. You'll get a reality check about how many calories you consume.
Americans typically underestimate their daily intake by about 25 percent, reports nutritionist Carrie Latt Wiatt, author of Portion Savvy.

2. You'll cut back on between-meal munching.
Make a mental checklist of what you ate yesterday. Sure, you can probably remember breakfast, lunch, and dinner — but what about that mini Snickers you snatched from your coworker's stash? Or that spoonful of mashed potatoes you took off your husband's plate?

It's easy to overlook bites, licks, and tastes (known as "BLTs" to professionals). But that's a huge mistake — there are 25 calories, on average, in each mouthful. Translation: Six little bites a day add up to around 15 extra pounds a year.

3. You'll discover where your diet detours.
"I thought I ate a lot of vegetables — it seemed like I was constantly cooking spinach, broccoli, or Brussels sprouts," says Melissa Smith, a 32-year-old mom from Omaha who's been keeping a food diary for the past 18 months. "But looking back over a few weeks of my journal, I was surprised to realize that I was only eating veggies once or twice a week." So she made salads a regular part of dinner and noticed that it helped her eat less of her entrée. Her analysis and follow-up action paid off: She's lost more than 27 pounds.

A balanced diet is the key to weight loss, says Suzanne Farrell, R.D., who owns Cherry Creek Nutrition in Denver. "Whole grains, low-fat dairy, green vegetables, orange veggies, beans, nuts — science shows that we need to eat these regularly to reach a healthy body weight. So when I flip through my clients' journals, I always look for what I'm not seeing."

4. You'll learn why you pig out.
Experts suggest that, to help break bad habits, you record not only what you eat, but the circumstances that prompt you to eat. For example, maybe you indulge in more sweets at work because you sit close to the vending machine. Maybe you have a milkshake several times a week because you pass Wendy's on the way home. Or maybe every time you worry about money, you retreat into the kitchen for chips.

When you begin to notice these patterns, you can figure out ways to change them.

5. You'll see real results — quickly.
Your food diary can be as revealing as the one you kept in fifth grade. For example, to get a glimpse into how much you've improved your diet, compare the entries in week one (Twinkie-filled) to week four or five (ideally, veggie-filled). You can also discover which decisions translated into pounds lost — for instance, that week you had fish for dinner twice might've helped you lose weight.

How to keep a food journal? The article has some great ideas:

Choose Your Medium
If you're using pen and paper, buy a regular spiral notebook. Or go for a pre-organized book like the DietMinder. Computer addicts should check out online journals, such as myfooddiary.com ($9 per month) and nutrihand.com (free for a basic plan; $10 per month for extras). If you can't live without your PDA, visit weightbydate.com and download the software (starting at $19).

Start Recording
The crucial info to write down: the time you ate, what you ate, and how much you ate. Make a habit of jotting notes right after you eat. "If you wait until the end of the day, it's too easy to leave things out," warns Suzanne Farrell, R.D. Tracking your diet online? Remember to take paper with you to restaurants, so you can write down every ingredient and calculate its nutritional content afterward.

Get Personal
Customize your diary so it reflects the info that's most useful to you. For example, if you're someone who eats whenever food is in front of you, create columns in your journal to rate how hungry you were before and afterward. If you snack your way through hard days, add a column to describe how you were feeling when you ate. Trying to figure out when you're most drawn to junk food? Record where you were when you indulged and what was going on at the time. Also, if you're trying to break a specific habit, like scarfing down ice cream at night, create a column for that, so you can give yourself a star for each day you resist the urge.

Be Honest
Include every single bite, lick, and taste (anything larger than a crumb counts). And don't forget to keep track of your sips. Even the most diligent diarists often forget to include the glass of white wine they had at dinner (120 calories) and their 3 p.m. can of Coke (155 calories).

Find Your Favorites
Counting calories is easier for creatures of habit: If you have a bowl of cereal for breakfast almost every morning or a turkey sandwich three times a week, you won't have to look up the number each time.

Keep Your Diary Close
"I'm forgetful, so I always need to put the journal where I can see it — on my kitchen table, on my desk at work. I carry it a lot in my hand, too, as a reminder," says Melissa Smith, 32, of Omaha, who lost 25 pounds keeping a food diary.

Examine the Evidence
No matter how diligent you are, a food log won't help in the behavior-changing department if you don't analyze it. At night, sit down and calculate how many calories you consumed. Tally up what food groups you're eating, and make adjustments. (A big plus of online tools is that they do a lot of the analysis for you, totaling everything with a click of a button and often giving you charts to show what you can improve.)

Reward Yourself
"I read that it takes 28 days to build a habit," says Mealey. "So when I have a new goal — like eating veggies more often — I do it for a month, then treat myself by shopping or going to a movie with a friend. Rewards give me an incentive to keep going."

I'm convinced :) I am keeping a food journal beginning today. The way it's helping me is to make me stop and think before eating something, because if I do, I have to write it down in my food journal.

~ His Sweet Gypsy Rose

Keeping-It-Off Superfoods

2009-06-07T08:08:00.000-07:00

From WebMD.com:

Keeping-It-Off Superfoods
9 foods that can help keep the extra weight away
By Elaine Magee, MPH, RD

Are there really certain foods that can help you lose weight and keep it off? We're not talking about any so-called miracle food that "melts the fat" (does the cabbage soup diet ring any bells?). These are foods that really can help you lose or maintain weight, either by helping you to eat less or to burn more calories -- or, in some cases, maybe even helping to decrease your body fat.

Experts say there are two basic categories of foods that can be considered "keeping it off superfoods" because they fill your tummy without piling on the calories: fruits and vegetables. For example, two whole cups of steamed broccoli packs a measly 87 calories. Or how about two cups of strawberry slices? They'll add only 99 calories. Even a denser vegetable, steamed carrots, has only 140 calories per two cups. And two cups of a denser fruit, apple slices? That's only 130 calories.

If fruits and vegetables are the "keeping-it-off superfood groups," fiber may well be the "keeping-it-off supernutrient." (Incidentally, the two-cup servings of fruits and vegetables mentioned above all contribute from 5 to 9 grams of fiber.)

Protein is another supernutrient. It's becoming more scientifically accepted that protein may help to curb appetite. But whether we need more than 0.4 grams per pound of body weight is still up for debate among many researchers.

"Eating enough protein-rich foods of low energy density [calories per portion] is a good strategy for increasing satiety, especially if you are trying to lose weight," says Barbara Rolls, PhD, a researcher at Penn State University and author of the book The Volumetrics Eating Plan.

Protein can slightly boost metabolism, Rolls says. But, she explains, eating more calories than your body needs -- even in the form of protein -- will promote weight gain, not loss.

Before we get to the list of "keeping it off" superfoods, let's make sure we keep things in perspective. At the end of the day, weight loss is still about burning more calories than you take in. The advantage to these foods is that they may help you do just that -- if you eat them instead of some higher-calorie choices.

9 'Keeping It Off' Superfoods

1. Green Tea

Go out of your way to indulge in a tall glass of iced green tea or a mug of hot green tea when you get the chance. Here's why: In a recent study, volunteers who drank a bottle of tea (fortified with green tea extract) every day for three months lost more body fat than another group who drank a bottle of regular oolong tea. Except for the different teas, their overall diets were similar. Researchers suspect that the catechins (helpful phytochemicals) in green tea may trigger weight loss by stimulating the body to burn calories and mildly decrease body fat.

2. Soup (broth- or tomato-based, that is)

Calorie-containing liquids generally are less filling than solid foods, but soups are the exception, says researcher Richard Mattes from Purdue University. In Mattes' study, participants were fed 300-calorie servings of various soups before eating their lunches (they could eat as much lunch as they wanted). Mattes found that the study participants tended to take in fewer total daily calories on days when they had the soup, suggesting that eating low-calorie soups (the broth- and tomato-based ones) before meals may reduce hunger and increase feelings of fullness.

Kathleen Zelman, MPH, RD, director of nutrition for WebMD, agrees that lower-calorie soups (that is, tomato- and broth-based varieties) are highly satisfying.

"If you have soup before a meal, it helps control hunger and you eat less," she says.

3. Low-Calorie Green Salads

Having a low-calorie salad -- not to be confused with salads brimming with cheese, croutons, high-fat dressings, and so on -- as a first course can help you feel fuller and reduce the calories you eat during that meal, according to a study by Rolls. She found that eating a small low-calorie salad tended to cut calories eaten at the meal by 7%, and a larger salad by 12%. But the study found the opposite is true with high-calorie salads. These increased the calories eaten during the meal by 8% for a small salad, and 17% for a larger salad.

Just how low-calorie can a green salad be? Consider that two cups of fresh spinach leaves, 10 slices of cucumber, one medium tomato, and 1/4 cup of grated carrot has a grand total of 67 calories (along with a hefty 5.5 grams of fiber).

4. Yogurt

Yogurt is a dairy food, and several studies have found that including dairy products as part of an overall lower-calorie diet may give you a weight-loss advantage. Still, some scientists aren't convinced, pointing to other studies that show no strong effect between dairy and weight loss.

One study looked at a group of obese adults who ate three, 6-ounce servings of fat-free yogurt a day as part of a diet reduced by 500 calories from their normal intake. The study found that this group lost 22% more weight and 61% more body fat than another group of participants who ate the reduced-calorie diet without emphasizing calcium-rich foods. Even more impressive: the yogurt eaters also lost 81% more stomach fat.

More needs to be learned about the mechanism responsible for this increased loss of body fat, but in the meantime, consider giving yogurt a little more respect. At the very least, a light yogurt may help you stave off hunger due to its combination of protein and carbohydrate. Six ounces of plain, low-fat yogurt contains approximately 9 grams of protein, 12 grams of carbohydrates (from milk, not sugar), and 311 milligrams of calcium. It's also a great vehicle for healthy additives like fruit or omega-3-rich flaxseed.

5. Beans

Beans help you feel full longer, which means they may work to curb your between-meal appetite. They also give you a big fiber and protein bang for a minimum of calories. One-half cup of pinto beans or kidney beans has around 8 grams fiber and 7 grams of protein, all for about 110 calories.

6. Water

Water is a keeping-it-off superfood because it's a great alternative to other, calorie-containing beverages. When you drink beverages that have calories (say, fancy coffee drinks or sodas) you are not likely to compensate by eating less food. Mattes' research suggests that people who drink liquid carbohydrate (in the form of soda) are more likely to consume more calories than their bodies needs, compared with people who ate the same amount of solid carbohydrate (in the form of jelly beans).

Water is necessary for life, and you should be drinking it throughout the day. You can get your water via unsweetened tea, flavored unsweetened mineral water, regular water with lime or lemon, or cucumber. Even brewed coffee (especially decaf) counts if consumed in moderation.

7. Light Diet Shakes

While diet shakes are not the solution to weight loss or maintenance, research shows that they might help. Women who had lost weight on a reduced-calorie plan that included meal-replacement beverages maintained their losses after a year by drinking at least one diet shake a day in place of a meal, according to a study done by Clinical Research laboratories (and funded by Slim Fast Foods). The study authors concluded that the one-shake-a-day strategy might be helpful for people that have difficulty changing their eating habits.

Of course, it's hard to beat the convenience factor of diet shakes. If you go for a diet shake, choose types that have more fiber and less sugar.

8. High-Fiber, Whole-Grain Cereal

We've all seen those whole-grain cereal commercials ad nauseam. But the keeping-it-off potential value of a good whole-grain breakfast cereal is worth mentioning. Whole grains in general help boost fiber and the nutritional value of your meal, but many studies done on their relationship to weight loss have specifically involved breakfast cereals (many funded by cereal companies).

A Purdue University study suggested that having a portion-controlled serving of ready-to-eat cereal (with 2/3 cup skim milk plus a 100-calorie portion of fruit) as a meal replacement may promote weight loss. Other research that looked at data on over 27,000 men over an eight-year period found that as whole grain consumption went up, weight gain over time went down. Another study followed more than 74,000 women (aged 38-63) for a 12-year period and found that those with the greatest increase in dietary fiber gained an average of 3.3 fewer pounds than those with the smallest increase in fiber.

One of the easiest ways to give your daily diet a whole-grain boost is to have a bowl of higher-fiber whole-grain cereal as breakfast or a snack.

9. Grapefruit

Maybe there was something to the old grapefruit diet after all: A study found that grapefruit may help encourage weight loss and reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Study participants who ate a grapefruit at each meal for 12 weeks lost an average of 3.6 pounds (some in the group lost as much as 10 pounds), while a comparison group that didn't eat grapefruit lost 1/2 pound, according to a recent pilot study by Scripps Clinic in San Diego. The researchers noticed that after the meals, the grapefruit eaters also had reduced levels of insulin and blood sugar.

The American Institute for Cancer Research notes that "there's no scientific evidence to support that grapefruit enzymes burn away fat." And according to the American Dietetic Association, "if you lose weight when you add grapefruit to your eating plan, it's probably because you're substituting it for another food that has more calories."

Of course, there's nothing wrong with that. One pink/red grapefruit takes a bit of time and effort to eat, and it adds 3.5 grams of fiber with only 74 calories. Keep in mind that grapefruit can interfere with the effectiveness of some medications, so check with your pharmacist if you're taking medication.

~ His Sweet Gypsy Rose

Moving On to Phase 2

2009-06-07T07:32:00.000-07:00

Today marks day 14 of Phase 1, I'll officially weigh myself tomorrow morning to determine my loss for the last 2 weeks.

This afternoon I'm preparing food for the coming week, and am introducing some whole grains. The recipes I've chosen are:

Breakfast
Spinach and Cheese Squares with Sausage
Sausage and Cheese Breakfast cups
1 slice of sprouted whole grain bread each morning

Lunch and Dinner
Butternut Squash Lasagna
Spinach and Bulgur Warm Salad
Brown Rice, Sausage and Apple Stuffing
Seattle Black Beans
I'll be supplementing each meal with fresh summer squash from our garden. It's beginning to ripen at a fast pace, so we'll have plenty :)

Desserts
Orange Dream Cheesecake
Strawberry Rhubarb Dessert

Snacks
Dry roasted unsalted almonds
Cucumber
Celery
Bell Pepper
Cheese Sticks
Natural Peanutbutter
Laughing Cow Cheese

I have some cooking to do this afternoon, but not as much as last week. I'll be reviewing a few recipes in the coming days.

~ His Sweet Gypsy Rose

Diet and Exercise Blinkies

2009-06-06T11:47:00.000-07:00

I wanted to dress up my blog a bit with some fun diet and exercise blinkies, so I just spent a couple of hours looking online to see what I could find. I've included the ones I like the most on my side column, feel free to copy these and use them on your own blog.

~ His Sweet Gypsy Rose

Map Your Walk

2009-06-06T06:51:00.000-07:00

Prevention Magazine has a really neat tool where you can map your walk and see exactly how many miles it is.

With My Walking Maps, "you can find a walking route in your neighborhood, share it with friends, or you can create a personalized route just for you. Plus, you'll be able to keep records of your distance, pace and calories burned." (from Prevention.com's website)

Check it out! I discovered that the distance around my block is actually 1.17 miles, so I'm walking just a little further than I realized. Very nice :)

~ His Sweet Gypsy Rose

Thoughts on Day 12 of Phase 1

2009-06-05T11:03:00.000-07:00

Today marks day 12 of South Beach Phase 1. I'm feeling pretty good, and have also begun getting into the habit of walking regularly.

Not only is this helping me physically, but I think it's helping me mentally as well. I think I have a better overall attitude, and that I'm feeling happier.

I'm also beginning to see small changes in my shape. It's amazing how even a few pounds can have such an impact. It makes me excited to see other positive changes over the coming months :)

~ His Sweet Gypsy Rose

Perseverance Quotes to Ponder

2009-06-04T12:26:00.000-07:00

I'm pooped at the moment...last night there was the strangest thunderstorm...I woke up around midnight to nonstop thunder and lightning that went on for well over an hour if not longer. I didn't get good sleep last night.

Earlier this evening I met up with my friend Amy at McKinley Park and we walked around it twice. It was hard tonight. I was so ready to be done once we got back to my car. I think part of that is being so tired. Tomorrow night I'll be walking once around my block.

I decided to look up a few quotes about perseverance and share them here:

The difference between perseverance and obstinacy is that one comes from a strong will, and the other from a strong won't. ~Henry Ward Beecher

Perseverance is the hard work you do after you get tired of doing the hard work you already did. ~Newt Gingrich

You can't go through life quitting everything. If you're going to achieve anything, you've got to stick with something. ~From the television show Family Matters

Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Most people never run far enough on their first wind to find out they've got a second. ~William James

Don't let the fear of the time it will take to accomplish something stand in the way of your doing it. The time will pass anyway; we might just as well put that passing time to the best possible use. ~Earl Nightingale

"Never, never, never give up!" ~ Winston Churchill

"Never Quit. "Don't ever, ever quit. Recognize that stopping now, regrouping to try a new approach isn't quitting. If you quit you'll regret it forever." ~ Rudy Ruettiger

"It's not whether you get knocked down; it's whether you get up." ~ Vince Lombardi

"It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop. " ~ Confucius

"When things go wrong as they sometimes will;
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill;
When the funds are low, and the debts are high
And you want to smile, but have to sigh;
When care is pressing you down a bit-
Rest if you must, but do not quit.
Success is failure turned inside out;
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt;
And you can never tell how close you are
It may be near when it seems so far;
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit-
It's when things go wrong that you must not quit."
~ Unknown

I bolded the parts that really spoke to me. Here is my goal....never quit, rise up whenever I fall, and STICK WITH THIS!

~ His Sweet Gypsy Rose

Time to 'reclaim the night' for sleep

2009-06-02T23:28:00.000-07:00

From BBC News:

We all know the health risks of smoking, drinking and eating too much. But sleep expert Neil Stanley says we don't pay attention to the risks of having too little sleep.

In this week's Scrubbing Up health column, he warns it is time to "reclaim the night".

Good sleep is vital for good physical mental and emotional health - but unfortunately we seem to live in a society that has forgotten this fact.

In terms of healthy living, sleep is as important as good diet and exercise.

Poor or inadequate sleep can have serious consequences on overall health and wellbeing and has been shown to lead to lower immunity, poor performance and mood changes.

In the longer term, inadequate sleep is associated with a greater risk of a number of diseases, such as heart disease, depression and diabetes.

There are also important consequences of poor or inadequate sleep which negatively affect the way we feel and perform during the day.

Round the clock
We are living in an increasingly "tired" society. Think about how you feel at the moment with one as very tired and 10 as feeling wide awake.

I reckon very few of you are a seven, let alone a 10. Why do we go through life feeling this tired?

One reason is the increasing extension of the daytime activities into the night.

When I was growing up in the 1970s, Tomorrow's World each week promised us a future where, due to advances in technology, there would be so much leisure time that we would have to come up with new ways of amusing ourselves.

Unfortunately what was created by all this new technology was the 24/7 society.

Technology never sleeps, and thus people can work around the clock - whether they are in the office or at home.

The long hours, information overload and stresses associated with 21st Century living negatively affect our sleep which, in turn, is detrimental to our health, work performance and even our relationships.

Convenience brings risks
As a society we need to give much more serious consideration to our work/life balance particularly with regards to sleep.

For example it has been estimated that in future a third of the workforce will be working shifts, mainly in the service sector.

However there is a large body of evidence which shows that working shifts is bad for health and increases accidents at work.

So, whilst it is of course important for some workers to work around the clock, does the convenience of paying a bill at 2am really outweigh the health risks of having so many people doing shifts?

It has been reported that tired drivers now cause more deaths on European roads than drunk drivers, and yet whilst it has become socially unacceptable to be drunk behind the wheel or in the workplace it is almost a matter of pride that we believe we can function properly when tired.

Yet you would not want a drunken surgeon operating on you or a drunken train driver taking you to work, so why would you accept a tired one?

The problem of poor sleep is perhaps even more important in children as it has been linked with increased risk of - amongst other things - obesity, diabetes, poor academic performance and behavioural problems.

You only have to watch an episode of Supernanny to see how profound the positive effect of a good night's sleep can be on the behaviour of children.

Over the past decade there has been an increasing body of evidence that shows that sleep plays an important role in regulating weight and controlling appetite, and so I find it surprising that when earlier this year the government started its Change 4 Life healthy living campaign there is no mention of the importance of good sleep.

Isn't it about time we reclaimed the night for sleep?

~ His Sweet Gypsy Rose

Is Walking Enough?

2009-06-02T14:12:00.000-07:00

From the American Diabetes Association:

Is Walking Enough?

Walking has proven to be the key to a successful weight loss and fitness plan for many. For example, the Diabetes Prevention Program enrolled subjects who were at high risk for developing type 2 diabetes. Participants lost approximately 10-15 pounds each and started a program of 30 minutes of moderate physical activity, five days a week—and most of them relied on walking as their primary activity.

The results were dramatic: participants in the study reduced their risk of developing diabetes by nearly 60 percent during the course of the study. And walking is a natural—it's free, requires no special equipment and people of all ages can enjoy it all year long.

So get your shoes on and get walking!

~ His Sweet Gypsy Rose

Tips for Living a Healthy Life

2009-06-02T14:02:00.000-07:00

Whenever I run across interesting tips about healthy living, I'll be sharing them here on my blog.

From the American Diabetes Organization:

EATING RIGHT: GIVE YOUR BODY WHAT IT NEEDS

Portion Control: How Much Food is Enough?
Since 1990, obesity has increased by over 60 percent in the United States, and type 2 diabetes—which is closely linked to obesity—has increased by nearly 50 percent. In an era of super-sized food, we are indeed becoming supersized ourselves.

Whether your goal is to lose weight or to maintain it, calories count. The good news is that, when you limit the number of calories you consume each day, you don't need to cut out your favorite foods, you just need to know how much to cut back on the serving size. This is known as “portion control.”

Many people find portion control an important part of the solution to losing weight. By monitoring the serving size of the foods you enjoy, and by combining it with regular exercise, you can enjoy a wider variety of meals—including your favorite foods and ethnic dishes—and still lose weight. Another bonus is that you'll find your meals more interesting and satisfying.

Portion control can also help you overcome the biggest challenge: maintaining your new healthy weight. If you have diabetes and are overweight, shedding those extra pounds by trimming serving sizes and calories can help lower your blood glucose levels. You may want to refer to the following tips that offer an easy way to “eyeball” your food to determine portion size.

How much is a portion?
Many meal plans include a certain number of servings of the different food groups. But estimating a serving size can be a challenge. Here are some useful tips to help you size up your meal:

~ A one cup serving of carbohydrates, including fruit, vegetables, pasta or rice is about the size of your fist.
~ One three-ounce serving of protein, such as meat, fish or poultry, is equivalent to the size of a deck of playing cards or the palm of your hand.
~ A one-ounce serving of cheese is equal to the size of your thumb.
~ A one cup serving of milk, yogurt or fresh greens is about the size of a tennis ball.

Does your diet measure up?
When you monitor portion size, understand calorie content and get regular physical activity, you can choose just about anything. First, talk to your health care team so you know when and how much to eat. Then arm yourself with a few facts that can help you use your meal plan more faithfully:

~ Eat a total of five servings of fruits and vegetables every day, including a variety of colors: green, yellow, orange and red.
~ Aim for at least six daily servings of unrefined starches like bread, cereal and starchy vegetables. Starchy vegetables include peas, dried beans and lentils as well as potatoes. Try replacing white rice and white bread with brown rice and whole-grain bread (read bread labels carefully; many breads that appear to be whole grain actually contain mostly refined white flour).
~ Eat sugars, sweets and desserts in moderation. These foods tend to be high in calories and fat and contain few vitamins and minerals.

Even a small weight loss can be a big boost to your health. For example, the Diabetes Prevention Program study looked at a group of people at high risk for developing type 2 diabetes. The study showed that losing just 10-15 pounds and getting 30 minutes of moderate exercise a day, five days a week, reduced their risk of developing diabetes by nearly 60 percent during the course of the study!

Choose Heart-Healthy Foods
You can protect your heart and blood vessels by eating less saturated fat and choosing the types of fats that help your cholesterol levels. The ingredients you use and the way you cook can make a big difference. Try these tips:

~ Cook with less fat. Use a low-fat or fat-free way to cook. You can cut down on total fat by broiling, microwaving, baking, roasting, steaming or grilling foods. Nonstick pans and cooking sprays also work well.
~ Boost the flavor with seasonings and sauces instead of fats. Look for recipes that use herbs and spices for flavor instead of fat. Try using these seasonings on foods:
- Squeeze fresh lemon juice on steamed vegetables, broiled fish, rice or pasta.
- Try lemon pepper or mesquite seasoning on chicken.
- Use onion and garlic to liven up meats and vegetables.
- Try baking chicken or pork with barbeque sauce or low-fat Italian dressing.

~ Trim the fat when possible. Cut away visible fat from meat and poultry. Roast food on a rack to let the fat drip off. Make soups a day ahead so you can chill them and then remove the fat that has risen to the top.
~ Choose lean cuts of beef, pork and poultry. To help keep your cholesterol on target, choose lean cuts of meat and poultry. Try some of your favorite recipes with these lean choices.
~ When selecting beef, choose lean cuts of beef such as round, sirloin and flank steak; tenderloin; rib, chuck or rump roast; T-bone, porterhouse or cubed steak.
~ Select lean types of pork such as ham, Canadian bacon, pork tenderloin and center loin chop.
~ Choose poultry such as chicken, turkey or Cornish hen without the skin. The white breast meat is lower in fat than the darker meat in the thigh and leg pieces.
~ Choose low-fat dairy products. Diary products can be part of your meal plan. To cut back on saturated fat, choose items made with non-fat or low-fat milk. Some low fat choices are listed below.
~ Milk: Fat-free, .5% and 1% milk, low-fat buttermilk.
~ Yogurt: low fat or fat free yogurt.
~ Cheese: cottage cheese, grated Parmesan, any cheese with 3 grams of fat or less per ounce.
~ For a frozen treat, try low-fat ice cream or frozen yogurt instead of ice cream. You can also freeze regular yogurt for a treat.

~ His Sweet Gypsy Rose

Reasons to Lose Weight

2009-06-02T13:47:00.000-07:00

I'd like to wear clothing without binding waistlines when they're not elastic

I'm tired of feeling fat and bloated

Do I really have cheekbones??? :)

~ His Sweet Gypsy Rose

Pages on this Blog

2009-06-01T12:37:00.000-07:00

I've added a page for the tickers and another page where I'm logging my progress. You can find links to them at the top of the column to the right :)

~ His Sweet Gypsy Rose

Small Changes Make a Difference!

2009-06-01T12:34:00.000-07:00

They really do. I can point back to over 5 years ago when I weighed close to 300lbs and then show you today when I weigh 239. Most of that loss was due to changes in my lifestyle. I walked more, took the stairs rather than the elevator, began drinking lots of water, and most importantly, stopped eating fast food all the time. I made healthier choices and healthy food became more of a staple in my diet.

I've slipped up many times but have learned that when that happens I need to let go of beating myself up and simply get back on track.

Now that I'm focusing on this again, some of the small choices I'm making include parking on the other side of the parking lot at work (not only do I have to walk across the lot, but I get one of the shadiest spots which is wonderful on one of our hot Sacramento summer days) and taking the stairs instead of the elevator (well, except when first thing in the morning when I have all my stuff to carry).

The small changes do add up over time and make a difference.

The big changes are often quite easy, but the small changes take dedication and discipline. I think those small changes also determine the outcome of attempts to be healthy. If you're not willing to change the small things, I think you're ultimately doomed to failure.

~ His Sweet Gypsy Rose

Struggles

2009-05-29T15:01:00.000-07:00

I faced a couple of struggles today, and ate too many almonds and cashews. I don't know how that will impact my weight tomorrow, but I'm not expecting a loss.

I'm not quite sure why the nuts were what I wanted to eat...cashews at work this morning, and the almonds at home this evening...but I will be making that garbanzo bean recipe where you bake them in the oven and they get crispy. I think that was part of the problem.

My husband went on a walk around the block with me this evening. I do enjoy walking with him, although he's a much faster walker than me. He's gotten much better at staying at my pace even though it's a challenge for him. He's 6' tall, lean and lanky, and was a runner, so it's like hitching a thoroughbred to a drafthorse when we walk together :P

Progress:
South Beach Phase 1, Week 1
5/25/09 - 245
5/26/09 - 243 (-2)
5/27/09 - 241 (-4)
5/28/09 - 240 (-5)
5/29/09 - 239 (-6)

Exercise:
5/26/09 - 2 miles (twice around McKinley Park)
5/28/09 - 1 mile around the block
5/29/09 - 1 mile around the block

~ His Sweet Gypsy Rose

Eating Out

2009-05-28T10:11:00.001-07:00

Tonight I have a meeting at a local cafe. Eating out can be a challenge because I want to stay on plan and still enjoy my meal. This cafe has their menu online, so I was able to check it out and I know what I'll be ordering before I get there.

It's all in the planning :)

~ His Sweet Gypsy Rose

A System of Support

2009-05-28T10:11:00.000-07:00

One of the most vital ingredients to success in weight loss is a support system. It's important to choose people who are encouraging and good cheerleaders who will also be honest with you about your choices. One of the best online resources is the 3 Fat Chicks forum. It's full of great information and very friendly people, but you will also need to develop in-person support.

I'm thankful I found the 3 Fat Chicks forum, and I've also been blessed with some wonderful friends who are supporting me on this journey to a healthy life. Beside my wonderful husband (who loves me and finds me wildly attractive right now) I can count my friend Amy. She's straight-talking in the nicest way, encouraging and fun. I can talk to her about my struggles and she's there to encourage me to keep on going, that it's worth it.

If I didn't have this support, I don't know if I could stick with this. I am very thankful :)

~ His Sweet Gypsy Rose

Goals

2009-05-28T09:37:00.000-07:00

I think an important part of successful weight loss is to have goals. My current weight loss goal is to reach 165 lbs, and to walk 7 miles a week.

To reach 165lbs, from today's weight I'd need to lose 75lbs. If I lose 2 pounds a week, it would take me 38 weeks to reach my goal. From today's date, that would put me at goal on Valentine's Day :) What a great date!

I am planning to walk faithfully after work each evening, beginning with 1 mile each Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and 2 miles each Tuesday and Thursday. On Tuesdays and Thursdays I'll be meeting with at least one friend at a local park in the evening and we'll walk around the park twice, and on the other evenings I'll walk around the block I live on once after work.

As I get used to walking again, I'll do 2 miles on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and 3 miles on Tuesday and Thursday.

Eventually I'll be adding some other exercises to the walking, but for now getting active again is enough.

Progress:
South Beach Phase 1, Week 1
5/25/09 - 245
5/26/09 - 243 (-2)
5/27/09 - 241 (-4)
5/28/09 - 240 (-5)

Exercise:
5/26/09 - 2 miles (twice around McKinley Park)
5/28/09 - 1 mile around the block

~ His Sweet Gypsy Rose

Menu Planning for Week 2

2009-05-27T11:15:00.000-07:00

So now that it's Wednesday, I'm looking at recipes on the 3FC forums to choose what I'll be preparing this weekend.

Right now the recipes I'm considering are:

Breakfasts:
Sausage and Cheese Breakfast Cups
Ricotta Muffins
Southwestern Breakfast Scramble

Main dishes and sides for lunch and dinner:
Main - Chicken Cheesesteak Saute
Side - Parm Roasted Broccoli

Main - Mexican Chicken Casserole
Side - Seattle Black Beans

Main - Barefoot Contessa Grilled Lemon Chicken
Side - Slow-Cooked Zucchini Coins with Chopped Herbs and Crumbled Feta

Desserts:
Lemon Breeze Cups
Pecan Roll Dessert
Chocolate Breeze Cups

~ His Sweet Gypsy Rose

Phase 1 - Day 3

2009-05-27T11:02:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning feeling really good! I'm still a bit tired, but I'm positive that being back on a healthy diet and getting regular exercise will take care of that, as long as I'm getting enough sleep. I was ready for bed by 915 last night, so I went and laid down, then read a book for about 30 minutes. I'm finding it easier to get up on time.

Losing weight during phase 1 of South Beach seems to go quite well for me. I think it's because I've been eating so poorly before beginning, too much sugar and processed foods. It's scary how much that bad stuff contributes to my weight gain. This is actually the second time I've done SB. The first time was about 5 years ago, and I lost approximately 16lbs the first two weeks. It's like a detox period where the body flushes all the bad stuff, but it doesn't continue to be so dramatic as you enter phase 2.

Tonight after work I had planned to walk around the block, but I took too much time at the grocery store. I'm also making the Canadian bacon egg cups for breakfast for the rest of the week. I have a small group bible study on Wednesday nights, so I can't get much more than that in if I have other things I need to do before leaving the house at 630.

My official weigh-in day is Monday morning, and my sweet husband will be taking progress photos every Sunday evening. I'll be sharing those here eventually.

Progress:
5/25/09 - 245
5/26/09 - 243 (-2)
5/27/09 - 241 (-4)

~ His Sweet Gypsy Rose

Recipe Reviews

2009-05-26T12:24:00.000-07:00

As I continue on this lifestyle change, I'm going to evaluate the recipes I choose on their ease of preparation and taste.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Garlic and Pancetta
This was fantastic! I love brussels sprouts, and I'm always up for new ways to serve them that don't involve cream sauce. I made sure the brussels sprouts were cooked through by steaming them a bit first to begin the cooking. I purchased two 1lb bags of brussels sprouts at Trader Joe's and cooked each of them in the microwave for 2 minutes each, then I trimmed the ends, sliced them in half and mixed them with some olive oil, minced garlic and pancetta (which I also bought pre-diced at Trader Joe's). I baked them for 30 minutes until they began getting brown and the pancetta was crisping. Delicioso!!! :P
Easy to prepare: Very easy
Rating: *****

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Garlic and Pancetta
Preheat Oven: 375-400 F.

1-2 lbs. Brussels sprouts
2-3 tsp crushed or minced garlic
3-4 tsp diced pancetta (or proscuitto)
3 tsp olive oil or to taste

Preheat oven to 375-400. Clean brussel spouts, cutting large ones in half. Put in a 9x13 pyrex dish and toss with garlic (I use jarred for convenience), pancetta (can buy diced at Trader Joes) and olive oil. Roast in the oven for 25-30 minutes, until brussel sprouts get a bit browned.

Orange Dream Cheesecake
I followed this recipe exactly, and am not that wild about this. It's too tart and tastes a bit dry. I'll make this again, but instead of the cream cheese I'll replace it with fat free ricotta and add some Splenda to make it a bit sweeter.
Easy to prepare: A little involved but still easy
Rating: **

Orange Dream Cheesecake
1 package sugar-free orange jello
2/3 cup boiling water
1 cup fat free cottage cheese
1 small tub 97% fat free cream cheese
2 cups 97% fat free Cool Whip

Dissolve jello in boiling water and let cool for 5 minutes. Place in blender with cottage cheese and cream cheese. Blend until well mixed. Place in a bowl and fold in the Cool Whip. Refrigerate

Goat Cheese and Basil Chicken Breast
Oh, yum :) If you love goat cheese and fresh basil, this is a great recipe. It was getting late in the afternoon when I began working on this recipe, so instead of slicing a pocket in each breast, I completely butterflied them and layered them with the goat cheese and basil. I sprinkled the bottom of the baking dish with the garlic powder and lemon pepper, then laid half of the butterflied breasts on top of that. Afterwards I cut up a log of goat cheese and placed that evenly on top of the chicken breasts, then tore fresh basil leaves and layered those onto the goat cheese. I then took the remaining chicken breasts and put those on top, then sprinkled them with more garlic powder and lemon pepper.
Easy to prepare: Fairly easy :)
Rating: ****

Goat Cheese and Basil Chicken Breast
Chicken breast, skinless, boneless
Goat Cheese, sliced
Fresh basil leaves, sliced or torn
Garlic powder
Lemon Pepper seasoning

Take the chicken breasts and butterfly (slice through the width, but not all the way, as you are creating a pocket).
Stuff a slice of goat cheese and about 1-2 T. fresh basil into each breast. Close up with some toothpicks so filling does not fall out. Season breasts on both sides with garlic powder and lemon pepper.
roast in the oven for probably 20-25 minutes at 375 degrees.

~ His Sweet Gypsy Rose

Phase 1 - Day 1 and 2

2009-05-26T12:20:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was day 1 of phase 1. It was an interesting day since I was home due to the Memorial Day holiday. We had one of our friends over, and she helped us with some light gardening. We also watched 'Fireproof' and some of the Jon & Kate Plus 8 marathon.

I find it difficult to follow an eating schedule when I'm not at work. At work, there are clearly defined times for breaks and lunch, so it's easy to stay on track. At home, it's not so clearly defined. I may need to get a timer to set for the next snack/meal so I don't forget.

Tonight I need to cook the canadian bacon cups tonight since I didn't get them done on Sunday. I won't have time the next two nights due to other commitments, and I'll run out of breakfast for me and my sweet husband before then, so tonight it is.

I'm going to have to adjust my beginning weight on the 3FC forums. It's actually 245, not 251. That's a happy thing :D

Today I'm very sad about Jon and Kate. I've been watching their show for a couple of years, and feel like I know them. It's heartbreaking to see that they seem to be on the verge of a divorce. I hope and pray that this is a wakeup call for both of them, and that their desire to put the kids first motivates them to work on their marriage, as that's the best for the kids. This sadness is coloring my day :(

Thankfully breakfast seems to be quite filling. I stopped by McDonald's this morning to get a large unsweetened iced tea and will be reusing the cup all day.

I seem to be in the right frame of mind for phase 1. I have no desire to cheat (well, except for last night when I was putting the leftover couscous into a dish for my husband to have with his lunch today...that was a little tempting) and am not feeling ravenous. It's good :)

Eating at work today went quite well. When I started feeling munchie between snacks/meals, I'd grab one almond from the can of smoked almonds I have at my desk. Throughout the day I had about 5 almonds. That seemed to tide me over :)

Once I got home I had the goat cheese and basil chicken breast, along with a small wedge of cheese, then I met up with my friend Amy to walk around McKinley Park. We did that twice, and now I'm home and feeling wonderfully worn out. It's warm today, and I live in a house with no air conditioning, so the bedroom door is closed and our portable window air conditioning unit is running in there.

Progress:
5/25/09 - 245
5/26/09 - 243 (-2)

Exercise:
5/26/09 - 2.2 miles (twice around McKinley Park)

~ His Sweet Gypsy Rose

Tomorrow is the Big Day!

2009-05-24T13:04:00.000-07:00

I start day 1 of Phase 1 of the South Beach diet tomorrow!!! I nearly can't wait :D

I didn't splurge much this weekend, but I did go to The Squeeze Inn after work on Friday to get a Squeeze with cheese (The Squeeze Inn is a local dive that's been featured on 'Diners, Drive Ins and Dives' on Food Network). I just love that burger, but it's a once a quarter or so thing.

Surprisingly, I'm not having any cravings or misgivings about starting this way of life again. I think part of it is that I remember how good I felt when I lost 40lbs before, and how neat it was to not have that double chin and how pretty I felt in clothes that weren't 'fat girl' clothes.

I've spent the afternoon leisurely cooking food for the coming week, and since tomorrow is a holiday I'll finish up the last couple of things tomorrow.

I was quite disappointed to see that Trader Joe's didn't have the mini snack packs of celery and natural peanutbutter, perhaps they were just out of stock. I sure hope they haven't discontinued them. For this week I'll be making my own packs of those.

Tomorrow I'll be asking my cute husband to take some beginning photos of me so that I can keep track of my progress visually as well as on the scale. Monday mornings will be the official weigh-in day, and Sundays after church will be when my cutie pie husband takes my weekly progress photos. My plan is to make a video of them eventually once I reach my goal weight, just to see the progress.

~ His Sweet Gypsy Rose

Exercise

2009-05-23T13:42:00.000-07:00

I think that along with changing my eating habits for the better that I need to be sure to include exercising. I'm going to begin with getting back into walking regularly.

On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays I'll walk around the block once after work, that'll be just over 1 mile. On Tuesdays and Thursdays I'll be meeting one of my friends at McKinley Park and we'll walk around it 2 times, that'll be 2 miles. I may not be able to make it around 3 times at first, but I'm going to be working up to that.

I'm also going to begin taking some psyllium husk each day, and will also begin my regimen of some unfiltered apple cider vinegar each day.

I'm really looking forward to beginning this again...I'm glad!

~ His Sweet Gypsy Rose