Tag Archives: nutrition

Jul 05 2012
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Size 18

Breaking In

Well folks, it finally happened.  This morning, I broke into the 230s!  What a pleasant morning surprise to see a three.  Between my toes.  In the 10s place.

I’m telling you.  South Beach works for me.  I’m not going to say, “Go try it!  Right this minute!”  I’ve been at this game long enough to know what works for me may not work for everyone.  And, I also know that for some, what works quickly un-works itself.  South Beach just happens to work well for me and I’m just so excited to see it in numbers.

I got to thinking today – how odd is it… all these diets?  It’s been established that low carb diets work (at least temporarily).  And then a guy friend of mine did well on a Sonoma/Mediterranean diet, which apparently is lots of bread and olive oil, but little meat and especially red meat.  Then some church friends of mine have lost a ton of weight on the Four Hour Body diet, which is like… no dairy (and other things).  The thread here is that all of these diets remove some key food group, at least in large part.

So, riddle me this – our bodies can have any food type and lose weight, so long as it is not all food types at once?  Protein without carbs, carbs without proteins, meats and veggies without dairy?  I feel like Dr. Oz should have touched on this at some point (maybe he did?).

In any case, I will keep truckin’ on South Beach.  I realize I’ve been much less hungry – more than I’ve noted in the past.  On Wednesday (day 2), I had a very late breakfast, a bigish lunch, and a tiny dinner.  Usually I healthy snack all day.  Today, it was chicken and broccoli for breakfast, which I had to force feed myself, popcorn in the middle of the day, and then some egg rolls for dinner.  Lots of water drinking, for sure, but still, this is very little food.  I guess that’s the whole idea of SB – the carbs cause hunger, and removing them prevents hunger, which prevents the consumption of calories.

Cheers to progress!

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Jul 01 2012
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Size 18

No Proclamations

I have had a habit of making proclamations on this site: “I declare I will not eat queso until labor day,” for example.  And while some of these are good, if not all of them, the way in which I decide upon them isn’t.  I can’t make a bad decision Monday morning and then commit to never making it again Monday night.

It is not realistic, and it likely isn’t sustainable.  I’ve made a few little commitments to lose X pounds by X date.  But at the end of the day, my original schedule is as follows:

By December 31 2011: Size 20 – ACHIEVED
By April 30 2012: Size 18 – ACHIEVED
By August 30 2012: Size 16
By December 31 2012: Size 14
By April 30 2013: Size 12
By August 30 2013: Size 10
By December 31, 2013: Size 8 (Single digit… get it?)

Of course, this is very slow weight loss.  Very, very slow.  Still, it is my original, reasonable commitment.  I have beat the schedule for both size 20 and size 18.  I have a couple of months to get down to size 16 still.

But where this post started in my head is here: I’m thinking about doing South Beach again.  It is more affordable than My Fit Foods (which is not a good idea while my salary is fluctuating).  I have been very successful on this plan, as it is easy to understand, doesn’t require calorie counting or other documentation, and requires minimal pre-planning.  Finally, this builds on my last point, but I will lose weight and keep it off (not a declaration – #truthbomb).

So, I must carve out time to plan this weekend, and get to the grocery story on Sunday for some low glycemic index foods and snacks.  Wish me luck :)

 

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Jun 30 2012
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Size 18

What the…

How did I do this?  On Friday, in an effort to lean on the more healthy side of eating, I had cereal for breakfast.  Then, on the way to work, completely out of about a two-week habit, I made my way way to pick up breakfast tacos.

Two breakfasts in a matter of an hour.

Obviously, I’m not listening to my body this week.  If I had been, I would have realized, prior to picking up breakfast tacos, that I wasn’t hungry.  I would have realized prior to that, that I felt perfectly full from cereal.  And, if I wasn’t so slammed with work and social activities this past week, I would have just paid more attention to what I was doing.

It is a constant reminder I must make to myself to be mindful with my eating.  Don’t eat out of convenience or habit.  Don’t eat just to eat.  Don’t eat just to socialize.  Eat to sustain, to nourish.  That is the real purpose of food.

 

 

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Jun 12 2012
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How I do Cereal

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Jun 07 2012
2 Comments
Size 18

23_

23.  These are the first two numbers I would like to see on the scale very soon.  I don’t even care what the third number is, or the number after the decimal.  All I want is a two, followed by a three.

I have been stuck in the 240s for what feels like eons.  I finally broke into the low 240s on my short-lived experience with MyFitFoods, and the weight has stayed off.  But, I’m ready for a new 10-pound range.  For reals.

So, I’ve been mindful (somewhat).  Ugh, I know, “somewhat.”  I have been, um, 90% good and 10% bad.  That aint bad, right?  I mindlessly had a candy bar.  Well, I knew what I was doing at the time, but when i came across the wrapper in my purse, I thought “when in the world did I last have a Twix?”

“Um, two days ago.  You bought it at Home Depot.”

“Oh.  Right.”

STILL, 23.  I’m like 241 and change right now and I cannot wait to see that little 3 peek at me from between my toes.  It may not happen for my Friday update, but I’m really, really hoping for it by next week.  I have been working out like a fiend (well, with unexpected time from work off, that is).  And, I’ve been eating less; I’m sure of it.  With the financial cuts to my budget, I’ve been very careful to plow through my cupboard, and only buy things at the store that supplement that (for instance, my cupboard has uncooked pasta, so buying the stuff for sauce, and by “stuff,” I mean a jar of sauce, is allowed).  I can also get fruits, veggies and milk.  Instead of the $1 per day Greek yogurt, I’m now having regular stuff to appease that sweet tooth I get around 8pm.  And, I’m finally eating the jello I bought I don’t know how long ago (well, I do, but I don’t wanna say!).

And by the way, cupboard is a weird word.  I may only be saying so because I didn’t know how to spell it until just now, and therefore may be biased.

Two thirties.  I recall being exactly 230 lbs the day I moved to Los Angeles in September 2005.  I lost a bunch of weight while in LA (South Beach), but I remember seeing that number and being shocked.  SHOCKED. at how much I weighed.  By the time I left, I was closer to 210, but then quickly entered a relationship that ended badly, and with a 40 (yes 40) pound gain that I’m still trying to lose 6 years later.

I have post-its up at the office, and intentions to put up little messages around my apartment to encourage me.  I chant in my head every five minutes “two-three-oh, two-three-oh” (ok, this part is a lie).

In my head, 230s mean that I’m past the 240s (duh), but on my way to the 220s, and I think size 16.  I’ll have to think long and hard about the last time I was a size 16.  Hrm…..

Send prayers or good vibes or whatever you belief system does my way, if you don’t mind.  I would greatly appreciate it!

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May 22 2012
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Size 18

My Fit Foods – Vitamins and Supplements

So, as you may be able to tell, I’m really enjoying the My Fit Foods plan!  And, though I haven’t really mentioned it on my little blog, but I’m pretty savvy on vitamins and supplements.  For years, I took a multi vitamin, supplemental Calcium with Magnesium and Vitamin D, Evening Primrose Oil and more.  On occasion, I also take folic acid and others.  But here is the plan for My Fit Foods:

The Essential Daily Supplements:

1.) Multi-Vitamin: for energy and metabolism support
2.) Fish Oil: improves metabolism and lowers triglycerides, prevents depression
3.) Antioxidant: daily detox, fights inflammation, prevents cell damage.  [my two cents: it also prevents aging (cell damage), but I feel like you get most of these from the multi...]
4.) Cinnamon: helps control blood sugar
5.) Milk Thistle: detoxification

Additional Supplements

6.) Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA): increases muscle to fat ratio, lowers cholesterol, supports healthy bone mass
7.) Green Tea: good for cardiovascular disease, cholesterol, cancer prevention and weight loss
8.) L-Glutamine: promotes the maintenance of a healthy digestive tract and promotes mental alertness and memory, may boost immune function and decrease sugar cravings
9.) Fiber: controls appetite, lowers blood sugar, keeps you regular, improves cholesterol and helps to eliminate toxins
10.) Whey Protein Isolate (Vanilla or Chocolate): helps build muscle mass

Though My Fit Foods offers all of these, I plan to take these on as I can.  Purchasing them all at once would break the bank.  For now, I’m taking the Multi, Fish Oil, Milk Thistle and Fiber.

And, I’ll get on my soap box now for NatureMade Vitamins – my favorite brand.  They used to be my client and I firmly believe they are a quality vitamin.  My general test for vitamins is the pee test – your urine should NOT turn bright yellow when you take vitamins.  If it does, either you are taking them too close together (or too many in one pill), or your body is not able to absorb them before they pass through your system.  Just my theory.

As I type this, I realize this is a boat load of pills.  And, if you take them all at once, are you even likely to notice the difference?  Hmmm.

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May 22 2012
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My Fit Foods – Avoid / Include

Oh man, so much to do to commit to the My Fit Foods plan!  It is a 21-day challenge (even though I’m not purchasing all my meals there due to $ constraints).  So here is what the next 21 days look like:

1.) No alcohol
2.) No artificial stimulants (including caffeine)
3.) No artificial sweeteners
4.) No high fructose corn syrup
5.) Avoid high Glycemic Index (GI) foods
6.) Avoid Saturated and trans saturated fats
7.) Avoid foods with little or no nutritional value
8.) Avoid added preservatives
9.) Avoid excess sodium

10.) Include all natural/non-processed ingredients
11.) Include lean meats and quality “good” carbohydrates
12.) Include heart-healthy essential fats
13.) Include colorful fresh fruits and vegetables with anti-oxidant spices.
14.) Drink lots of water, and where possible, water that is high in pH levels (includes Fiji water, Vitamin water and, lucky for me, Austin tap water!)

I don’t yet know what I will need to sweeten, but if I figure it out, here are my options!: Agave Nectar, Xylitol, or Stevia.

Straight-up quoting packet materials now: “The artificial sweeteners that you should steer clear of are acesulfame-K, (Sunett, Sweet One), aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal), saccharin (Sweet’N Low, Sugar Twin) and sucralose (Splenda).  Splenda, which is 600 times sweeter than basic sugar, is a chlorinated sugar molecule that was originally discovered in the 70′s when scientists were trying to find a new pesticide.  European studies show that aspartame causes accumulation of formaldehyde in the brain and lowers serotonin levels, which is our feel good brain chemical as well as appetite control.  When forced to choose, you are better off with the 15 calories per teaspoon in raw sugar than the “calories saved” using artificial sweeteners.”

So what will I be eating and drinking the next 21 days?  Well, lots of water for one.  I went ahead and picked up some Fiji water at the grocery store.  I already drink a lot of tap water, but these will be nice for grab-and-go type drinking.  I’ll also be drinking the liver cleanse cocktail each morning.  I can have herbal or green tea if I really want to, but I’m going to avoid it along with my regular brewed tea.  As for meals, their breakfasts 3oz of protein, 1/2c carbs and a fat.  I on the other hand will be finishing up my cereal stash.  Snacks are things like Greek yogurt (they recommend Fage), fruit (but not bananas), and trail mix.  Lunch and dinner I got from MyFitFoods – all kinds of fish, quinoa, beans, steak, etc. etc.  I even had one of my free meals tonight – a crab cake of sorts, over asparagus.  YUM.

Come back soon for the run-down of their Vitamins and Supplement recommendations!

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May 21 2012
3 Comments
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My Fit Foods – Post 1 of quite a few

Today, I had my appointment with My Fit Foods.  As a quick background, if you’re new to this blog, I recently decided that I really have a decent handle on working out, and food is where I’m struggling the most.  After looking into Jenny Craig, NutriSystem and a few other weight loss programs, I decided to try out My Fit Foods.

While I can cook a healthy meal with the ease of following a recipe, I had found that working out and cooking a meal in the same evening was proving unlikely.  I’d leave work by 6, leave the gym by 7:30, and would be starving by the time I got home.  Without the patience to cook a meal at that point, I turned to higher calorie convenience food (popcorn for dinner, anyone?).

My Fit Foods has prepared meals you pick up in a store.  They provide everything from soup to nuts if you want it – breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, vitamins, supplements, juice, high pH water, lemons (for the liver cleanse – I’ll get to that), and so on and so on.

I have a pretty limited budget, so soup to nuts was not in the cards, as it comes in at about $625 for 3 weeks.  Instead, I decided to go with two meals per day (lunch and dinner).  I figure I can handle breakfast on my own (though it may not be EXACTLY what they would have wanted me to eat).  And, when it comes to vitamins and supplements, I have my head wrapped around that pretty well, so the only sup I bought was Milk Thistle (which I realized after I got home was only a 2-week supply.  wah wah.).

Now, the liver cleanse.  This is a “cocktail” you make every morning and chug down.  It includes: juice from half a lemon, 4 oz. unsweetened cranberry juice, 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar.  An optional element is B-12 juice, but I passed on that this time around.  It tasted pretty rancid.  I might cut it with water in the morning to see if that improves the flavor.

So, with 13 meals (I decided to try 1 breakfast, one snack, and I received a free meal for trying out the plan), the Milk Thistle supplement, unsweetened cranberry juice, it came out to $89.  Not GREAT, but not ideal.  If you load up your account with money in advance (starting at $500), you get free money.  For instance, “buying” $500 gets you $525 in your account.  More if you pre-pay more.

Here is what I really enjoyed about the experience.  For starters, it was SO INFORMATIVE.  The girl walked me through this large packet of info that was NEW to me.  This really was the science I had hoped to get from the nutritionist.  There was information on caffiene, sleep, supplements, when to eat your carbs, etc. etc.  I truly learned several things today.  I also love that their meals have a 5 day shelf life – makes me believe them when they say they are low or no preservatives.  They are 90% gluten, soy and dairy free.  They focus on the Glycemic Index (great for someone who has diabetes in their DNA).

Overall, it was a great, great experience and I can’t wait to report how I do and how it works.  I also look forward to sharing some of the tidbits of information I uncovered!

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May 18 2012
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Size 18

Cut it Out

A while back, I wrestled with the idea of cutting things out of my diet completely, and semi-permanently.  At the time, I was pretty resistant, determined to find ways to lose weight while still having the occasional Egg McMuffin.  I am fully aware of how stubborn I am, and how determined I am to figure things out my own way and my own time.  Which is why I’m happy to report that I’m actually finding some pleasure in cutting stuff out completely.

At the beginning of the year, my resolution was to cut out soda (diet and all) for 2012 and I have stuck with it, where as cutting back never, ever worked for me.  And at the beginning of this month, I decided to give up beer, wine, and all liquors not involved in margaritas.  This too (albeit just 18 days in) has been a success.

Today, I had a flashback to a Weight Watchers meeting in Austin (yes, pre-Chicago!) where we talked about “trigger foods” – the foods that you just can’t have just a little bit of.  Attendees volunteered theirs, running the gamut from Wheat Thins to cookie dough.  I don’t recall what mine was at the time, but in the past few months, soda was definitely on the list (despite being a beverage, and not a food).

Today though, I definitely know my dear friend cheese, as a problem area and possibly a trigger food.  And so it is with bitter-sweet satisfaction that I give a swimsuit-season farewell to one of my favorite forms of cheese – queso.  For those of you in the far off lands of Canada and England, where you simply know “queso” as the Spanish word for cheese, know this: it is a bowl of cheese sauciness with Mexican flavors from peppers and onions to cilantro or guacamole.  Beans, chorizo, and cream of onion soup have also made an appearance in this yellow dip perfectly accompanied by a corn tortilla chip. It may not be a trigger food in the way that soda is, but it is certainly the menu item I find I can’t help but order.

And so in the words of Dave Coulier, it’s time to “cut it out.”

 

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May 04 2012
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Size 18

Friday Update

Well, this is disappointing.  I had a great week in terms of workouts, but my weight is up due to bad food decisions.  Working out is not enough.  If I could just eat decent (and not horrible), at least I wouldn’t be offsetting my workouts.

Here is the (not so) skinny:
Weight: up 2.8 lbs this week, lost 23 so far
Waist – up 1/2″
Hips – down 3/4″ (down!)
Neck – no change

I have been thinking about Weight Watchers, which I have done about 3 times in the past, and how much I didn’t give it my all.  The way I see it, WW is about as effective as tracking calories, which I struggle to do as it is.  It’s just switching calories for points.  In my mind, if I struggle with calorie tracking, I will also struggle with point tracking.

It is partly a commitment issue, part stubbornness, part whining brat.  Oh, and part lazy.  Not lazy on the tracking as much as lazy on the executing a plan.

And so with those two  core reasons identified, I don’t think I’m ready to drop money on WW.  I need to find that inner commitment, get over my stubbornness, etc.  In the meantime, I am contemplating a no counting plan (e.g., South Beach Diet, Paleo, etc.).

On May 1st, I decided to take a month off from any place with (1) a drive-through or (2) a “meal deal.” It is May 4th and I have broken this 4 times now that I think about it.  Judge away, I deserve it.  The first occasion, my boss offered to buy lunch to a few members on my team, and the team voted Schlotzsky’s.  The second time, I was about to get a Freebirds salad but remembered they had meal deals.  As I thought about other things that I could prepare and eat in under 30 minutes, the next best solution I came up with was a frozen pizza.  And so, I picked salad over pizza.  So sue me.  Third time was this morning when not until now, I realized I got a green tea from Starbucks (ok, this isn’t food…).  Finally, and most regrettably, I got dinner from McDonald’s (I KNOW).  The reason: I had a pitiful lunch, a busy work afternoon, and without thinking, 6 hours passed since I’d last eaten and my stomach was growling.  I wasn’t going to be home for a couple more hours.

Once again, ill prepared.  Planning is something I simply must work on.  I think I just need to carry cereal, a bowl and a carton of milk with me.  I know there are options like shakes, protein bars, etc.  The irony: I don’t buy these things because I believe it’s better to prepare my meals (and it is), but then when I don’t have something on me ready to eat, I end up at McD.  Ugh.

While I contemplate eating, I hope the rest of you are off to a great start to your weekend.  Enjoy your Cinco de Mayo, or just your average May 5th – which ever suits your fancy!

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