This one’s a doozy (for me at least). My December Challenge: 12 boot camps before the end of the year! I’m shakin’ in my Nikes!
Monthly Archives: November 2011
Lessons Learned from a Month of Eating In
November has (finally) come to an end! Tomorrow, I can once again partake in the convenience and enjoyment of restaurants, and I. Am. Ready.
Despite my eagerness to enjoy some sushi, or a burrito, this month has been incredibly rewarding and a great shove in the right direction. It vaguely reminds me of the time I gave up cheese for Lent, however this time I did not seek out artificial cheese.
As I reflect on the past month, some great strides have been made in my habits and health – the whole point of the exercise. Here are some lessons learned, habits formed and general notes.
1.) My meal planning got better. I don’t mean. Specifically, my groceries did not spoil before I got to them. When your only option is what’s in your kitchen, you find yourself going for the things you don’t want to go to waste. Before, if I knew all I had in the fridge was some broccoli, OF COURSE anything else that I can pick up on the way home sounds far better, and allows me to convince myself it’s more convenient.
2.) My grocery bill went up. Way up. I found that I went to the store every 2-3 days. I like this more. It meant that I finished the broccoli before I purchased the cauliflower. It meant that I never had to eat out, because at the very minimum, there was a lean cuisine in the fridge. See – take away your options and you will find another way….
3.) It takes a tremendous amount of willpower. ‘Nuff said.
4.) It can get a little awkward on a date. Thankfully (or depressingly), I only had one date all month. We had beers instead, which kept the date casual.
5.) It’s empowering. Taking on this challenge felt like removing training wheels, cutting the umbilical cord, or moving out of your parent’s house. To say I don’t NEED that food was so different than I can’t HAVE that food. To want something, but recognize that it’s impractical for whatever reason, and not get it, makes me feel like a grown up.
6.) It’s totally doable. I challenge you to do it for just one week.
7.) It can make you ill – like if you’re locked in a conference room full of fragrant sandwiches. Yes, this happened. We had a company meeting over lunch. Deli sandwiches and chips were brought in and the doors were shut. All I remember is how strong the smell of the sandwiches was, and how odd it is to be slightly hungry (it wasn’t yet my lunch time), be exposed to food both visually and through scent, and to not eat. It made me feel like one of Pavlov’s dogs. I had to excuse myself, throw up in the rest room, and then I felt fine. This never happens to me.
8.) There were definitely some loopholes to look out for, such as drinking out (beers, milkshakes, starbucks), grocery store prepared items (roasted chicken, prepared chicken/tuna salads), and there was plenty of grey areas (chips & salsa, cookies, cupcakes).
9.) This one is the most important. It really encourages healthy habits, such as cooking your own food, knowing where your food comes from, and planning your meals. There were more than a few times, particularly when I left work really late, where I wished I could pick up some food on the way home – nights when I left work 2-3 hours before I was supposed to go to bed. But, it was a lesson in preparedness. Even as I write this, I can recall reading this sort of tip in any slew of weight loss articles – “have healthy snacks all around you,” “keep the following in your pantry at all times….” Only now does it really resonate with me. WHY on why did it take so long?
Meal Planning
A couple of months ago, I would make meal plans for the week and I would not look at them beyond the grocery store (perhaps you can relate?). For the most part, I probably ate the items on the plan, just not necessarily on the same days or times I’d laid out. Lately though, I’ve really stuck with it, without really trying.
I *think* this means one (or both) of the following: (1) I know myself better and/or (2) I was making unrealistic meal plans before. Earlier this year, I used the South Beach Diet meal plans to help me plan, but quickly realized those don’t take into account being single (and thus not having someone to eat the unused groceries). I’ve become more efficient with my grocery shopping (though I always blow my budget on “food” despite my no-eating-out, according to mint.com). Ultimately though, to feel as though I’ve got this meal planning skill down makes me feel pretty good.
So here it is (for the next 3 days):
Wednesday, Nov. 30th
Breakfast 1, 7 AM: Toast with goat cheese, fried egg, spinach
Breakfast 2, 10 AM: Pineapple Chobani Greek Yogurt w/ Grapes
Lunch 1, 1 PM: Gardenburger Salad
Lunch 2, 4 PM: Frozen meal under 300 calories
Dinner 7, PM: Home-made food, made by the host of a Magazine discussion
Thursday, Dec. 1st
Breakfast 1, 7 AM: Toast with goat cheese, fried egg, spinach
Breakfast 2, 10 AM: Plain Chobani Greek yogurt w/ black berries, Wasa cracker with Laughing Cow cheese wedge (the spicy one)
Lunch 1, 1 PM: Gardenburger salad
Lunch 2, 4 PM: Frozen meal under 300 calories
Workout: Elliptical – 40 min/400 calories
Dinner, 7 PM: Low-cal Grilled Cheese w/ low-cal soup
Friday, Dec. 2nd
Boot camp, 6:30 AM
Breakfast, 8 AM: Toast wih goat cheese, fried egg, spinach
Snack 1, 10:30 AM: Wasa cracker with Laughing Cow cheese wedge
Lunch, 12:00 PM: Vendor lunch at Bartlett’s!
Snack 2, 3:30 PM: Greek yogurt w/ fruit on the bottom
Dinner, 6:30 PM: TBD (but there will be beer involoved)
Gardenburger Salad
At my friend Devin’s request, here’s my recipe for one of my favorite low calorie salads. It’s easily modified to fit your tastes, and really requires no recipe.
Ingredients:
Frozen Gardenburger patty (or any 100 cal or less veggie burger patty) – These come in many flavors, but my fav. is black bean chipotle
Dark green lettuce (I like Romaine)
Dried Cranberries or Sun-dried tomatoes (for some sweetness)
Salsa (I personally like Frontera mild tomatillo)
So here’s the easiest part: the instructions: cook the frozen patty in the microwave. Meanwhile, wash as much lettuce as you want and tear it up on a plate. Finally, top the salad with all the other ingredients, breaking up the patty with a fork. The salsa is a replacement for salad dressing. Yum!
Sometimes, I sub the Gardenburger for some lean ground turkey; it adds calories, but protein.
Making Plans
I know “they” say to do it for a week at a time, but I like to meal plan 2 – 3 days at a time. The reason: it’s more efficient for me. I can decide what to put in the plan based on what remains in the fridge or cupboard. Before, I had so much wasted food. So, here it is…
Monday 11/28:
5:30 AM: 1 slice of toast w/ fried egg, goat cheese (grapes if necessary)
5:45 AM: Warm-up at gym
6:30 AM: Boot Camp
7:45 AM: Spicy Southwestern Egg Roll (modified) with Grapes
10:00 AM: 4oz. plain Greek yogurt w/ ½ cup fruit
1:00 PM: Salad w/ Gardenburger, goat cheese crumbles and salsa (no dressing!)
4:00 PM: Mediterranean Grilled Cheese (pita half, feta, sun dried tomatoes – skip the olives)
6:30 PM: Shredded chicken over roasted potatoes and green beans
7:30 PM: Tennis
Tuesday 11/29:
5:30 AM: 1 slice of toast w/ fried egg, goat cheese, half a banana
6:45 AM: Cardio workout at gym (recumbent bike or treadmill)
7:45 AM: Veggies (brusell sprouts and potatoes)
10:00 AM: 4oz. plain Greek yogurt w/ ½ cup fruit
1:00 PM: Salad w/ Gardenburger, goat cheese crumbles and salsa (no dressing!)
4:00 PM: Lean Cuisine
6:00 PM: Workout with Nicole – elliptical
7:30 PM: Chicken breast and brusel sprouts
Looking ahead this week:
Wednesday: morning boot camp
Thursday: morning cardio
Friday: morning boot camp, corporate lunch
Goals for the Week of 2011-11-27
My only (unpublished) goal for last week, the week of Thanksgiving, which was to enjoy it. While I did do that, I obviously had some struggles, as mentioned in my desolation. If I’d had the foresight, I would have made a meal plan, and set some goals about sweets.
Sweets are rarely a concern of mine (I’m more of a salty snacks kinda gal). So I’m not making any more sweets goals until the week of Christmas.
This week is about salt. I don’t really understand salt or why I should care about it with regard to weight loss. I know it causes water retention, but if I always eat salt, then I’m always retaining some water, so I’m always a couple of pounds heavier. But if it’s consistent, I’m not sure why it matters. Perhaps someone else can enlighten me?
BUT, my goal for the week is no salt shaker. When I have the option (such as at a restaurant) to have them prepare without salt, I take it. When I make my eggs – no salt. When the recipe says ‘salt optional’ it’s an option I decline.
I’m basically blindly accepting that someone more informed than I has determined salt is bad when trying to lose weight, and faithfully preventing it to ‘see what happens.’ Wish me luck!
November goal continues for a few more days: no eating out!
Consolations and Desolations
Something I’d like to do on Sunday’s moving forward: Consolations and Desolations. What was your Consolation – high point – of the week, and what was your Desolation – low point – for the week. It doesn’t have to be weight or health related – but it can be.
For me, my consolation of the week was yesterday’s boot camp. It was my 3rd boot camp ever, and since it was a Saturday (or maybe because it was a holiday), the trainer(s) were new to me. And, because it was raining, there were only nine of us. The two trainers were right there next to us, adjusting our planks, and showing us what “parallel” looks like in a wall squat. I’m more sore than I’ve ever been and though I can only move slowly, I’m proud of how hard I pushed myself.
As for a desolation, it involves a tube of cookie dough, one of my “trigger” foods. This is a term I learned about back in my Weight Watchers days. Trigger foods are the things you should never purchase, because once you have a bite, you have twenty. I lied to myself when I bought the stuff – told myself that I would be making some cookies for Thanksgiving, all the while knowing I would munch on the dough alone. I ate that whole tube of cookie dough in a matter of 2.5 days.
So what is your consolation and your desolation of the week? And while we’re at it, what are your trigger foods? You can comment, or you can let me know in 140 characters on twitter: @1digitdenim
Dating while Fat and Trying to Lose
I have been online dating. For a long, long time. I don’t get hit on at bars or church, and so this has been a long-term solution for meeting men.
For those of you less experienced in online dating, let me enlighten you. It is a very judgemental place. Once you filter potential guys on some criteria you set, you basically scroll through pictures until someone strikes your fancy. You may or may not read their entire profile before reaching out to them (through a wink, nudge or whatever cutesy word the site has come up with). Guys are no different. Guys are MUCH more visually driven, and so picture is everything.
For me, this poses a slight problem. My picture shows off my chubby cheeks and collar bones. Yes, I am a fat girl looking for love. BUT, I’m also a fat girl who is TRULY working to improve herself. That part – the part that’s not immediately visible, gets lost in the details. Literally. If you look at my profile, you will see I’m active…. way, way down – after my age, race, marriage status, kids status and religion.
So, the guys I typically hear from are big guys (because why would an athletic, fit guy reach out to a chubby girl?) But, they are not always on the same page as me in terms of health. Here’s what I can expect of the guys I hear from:
- 70% of them are big guys who “wink” at every chubby girl (or every girl for that matter). They may have a glint of an idea to lose weight “some day”, but there’s no immediate steps being taken. These guys also think they work out 3 times a week, but when you talk to them, they haven’t been to the gym in a couple of weeks, or don’t even have a gym membership.
- 25% of them think they are working on their health (me a year ago), and think they want to be with a girl who will encourage them. They think that by dating a fit (or getting fit) girl, they will magically absorb her good habits, but God forbid you encourage them – that makes you pushy. These are the guys that despite their aspirations, order queso at every meal.
- 5% of them are in my boat – I’m guessing. I haven’t truly met one of them, that I’m aware of. They may be big now, but they have made strides recently and continue to see progress. These are the ones I’m looking for!
This leaves me with precious little to work with. What’s a girl to do? Of the golden 5% of the big guys, there’s a needle in a haystack chance that I also get along with them, or we find each other mutually attractive, or have the same religious values…
All I can do is keep doing what I’ve always done and put myself out there. I don’t plan to ‘wait for skinny’ before I start looking.
Doubters & Self Doubt
I am pretty shy about this blog. I shared it slowly with friends and family members. There were (and are still) family members I purposely did NOT share the blog with because I feared what they said. Well, as it is human nature to talk, they talked. Within two days of starting the website, word had gotten to someone I had purposely not shared the blog with.
This person has always been a straight-shooter. It’s rare you see a tender side to her, because she grew up surviving. When she told me she’d heard about the site, she thought it was great, great, great. BUT, she told me I will never be a size 8.
My heart sank.
She hadn’t actually SEEN the site at that point, so she asked if I’d sent her the link. I hadn’t. When she asked why I hadn’t included her, I told her it was because I’d figured she would say something like she had. She started to wheel back and explain herself and blah blah blah.
I get it. Granted she doesn’t think I can do it, what she was TRYING to say was that I should be happy to get to a size 12 or so. I shouldn’t be disappointed if only I get that far.
What really irks me is what I said next. I said that a size 8 was a goal and once I proved to myself I could do it, I’d probably go back to a comfortable 10 or 12. Why? Why would I say that? Do I have doubt in myself? Do I not think I can maintain a smaller size? If anything I should have said Oh Yeah? Watch me! But just like she was trying to forgive me ahead of time for not reaching my ultimate goal, I was giving myself an out as well. I really don’t know what to make of this though I continue to ponder. Thoughts? Wisdom? Experience?
My favorite “thin” things
Today, I came across this post from one of my favorite weight loss bloggers. She lists the “thin” things she loves. Since I’ve had a rotten diet day, and could use some positive thinking, here are some “thin” things I’m looking forward to:
- Not getting winded when I run
- Having more options at Ross, Marshalls and TJ Maxx
- fitting into knee high boots
- Pulling off skinny jeans
- fitting in chairs with arms
- crossing my legs comfortably
- lasting longer in heels
- Getting hit on at a bar – or anywhere
- Belts
- The regular sizes departments at department stores
- Skinnier thighs (obvious, but still highly sought after!)
- Feeling comfortable in a swim suit
- No more foot and knee pain
- More energy
I feel like I have written this list before…
