Week 3

I’m a bit slow in posting this week. The good news is, I’ve lost 2 pounds! Go Me!

The other news is I’m not sure how. I still have the horrendous head cold. When I’m sick and it’s in my throat, the only thing I drink is Mt. Dew.

With the cold, nothing has tasted… good, bad or otherwise.
I’m still not back to optimum health but I’m not coughing and sneezing with every breath. It’s a start. The week can only get better.

The journey continues…

181/179/125-130

Week 2

It’s been one of those weeks. I’ve not eaten things I shouldn’t… I just haven’t eaten as much as I should nor as regular.

I started the week out with an upset tummy. I think it was just a 24-hour bug but I couldn’t bring myself to eat or drink anything except small amounts of Mt. Dew. It’s the only thing that settles my stomach. Mt. Dew today will usually show me 2 pounds heavier tomorrow. I was amazed to find out I’d not gained any weight afterwards.

The other thing that amazed me was how bad I wanted to eat salad. I was sure I’d be burned out by now but I still find myself figuring out a way to incorporate a salad or lettuce into at least one meal a day. It just wasn’t going to happen Sunday or Monday. The bug also dampened my spirits about getting on the treadmill.

I was back on track by Tuesday in time to wake up this morning with a nasty head cold. At least I feel like eating, but the sinus drainage irritates the throat. I’m trying not to breathe on the toddler too much but I think she’s feeling a bit of it herself. She’s still pretty run down after her travels to Nashville and New Hampshire last week. Maybe we’ll just spend this week catching up.

Not so careful

Yesterday I gave into a craving for KFC. I was just hungry for fried chicken. Now remember, I said everything in moderation. I know KFC is high in fat content so I was careful to only have 2 chicken legs and a serving of green beans. I also ordered one of their new boneless filet's to go. Those are really good. I've not tried the grilled ones because our KFC doesn't have the grilled options on anything. However, hubby tried one up by Chicago and said they were nasty dry. LOL So I will enjoy them in moderation. I'm thinking no more than 1 every couple of weeks on a big salad.

Anyway, I ate the KFC and felt AWFUL! So won't be making that mistake again any time soon. I think part of it came about because it was the only thing I'd eaten since my 1/2 of mini bagel with peanut butter at 6 a.m. Not a lot down there to absorb the grease, ya know.

I did enjoy the filet chunked up on top of a large chef salad for supper and felt much better.

I am eating more salads. I worried I might burn out on them so I keep mixing them up a bit, adding different toppings. I always have lettuce and tomato. Sometimes I'll add diced cucumber, chicken breast, ham, mixed greens and hard boiled egg. I can't wait to plant the garden and have lots of FRESH vegetables to choose from.

What do you like on your salads? Share your suggestions and help keep me on track. ;-)

Enjoy the journey
Kelly

Portion Reality Check

It’s no secret we’ve become a wasteful society. The way we eat is no exception. Some people tend to eat and eat until they are in agony, have to unfasten a button on their pants or just know they don’t dare take another bite. I’ve been guilty of all three at one time or another.

In today’s economy, we all want more for our buck. A trip to a buffet offers us the opportunity to get more for less money and experience any of the above-mentioned aftermaths. And at the end of the day, anything that wasn’t consumed gets tossed out. A mother of the 1950’s and 60’s would have been horrified at the thought.

Periodically I get stuff in the mail trying to sell me something. One of the repeat mails I get is from PREVENTION magazine http://www.preventionmagazine.com/ by Rodale Publications. If you’re not familiar with them, they also publish Organic Gardening, Bicycling, Women’s Health, Runners World, Mountain Bike and Men’s Health. They know health.

One of the Tip sheets I recently received gave an inside look at how our conception of PORTIONS has changed over the past sixty years. Take a look:

A HOMEMADE SANDWICH

1960 – 2 slices of bread + 1 slice of bologna = 380 cal.

2010 – 2 slices of hearty bread + 10 slices of deli turkey = 820 cal.

BAGEL

1960 – 2 oz. = 140 cal.

2010 – 4-6 oz. = 320-400 cal.

MUFFIN

1960 – 1.5 oz. = 150 cal.

2010 – 5-6 oz. = 500-600 cal.

ICE CREAM

1960 – ½ C. = 150 cal.

2010 – 1.5 C. = 350 cal.

COLA

1960 – 6.5 oz. (remember those little coke bottles?) = 85 cal.

2010 – 24 oz. = 300 cal.

FRENCH FRIES

1960 – 2.4 oz. = 240 cal.

2010 – 6.2 oz. = 540 cal.

HAMBURGER

1960 – 4 oz. = 320 cal.

2010 – 12 oz. = 920 cal.

As you can see there is a BIG difference in our perception of what a serving size really is. But how do we know? I mean, isn’t what they serve us in a restaurant - a ‘serving’? Yeah! For at least two of you at the table.

How do we really know what a serving size is? I mean, we can’t cart the food scale with us everywhere we go. Actually, we do. It's our HAND. Here are some tips to keep in mind next time you are at home or eating out. The same visuals will apply.

A CLOSED FIST = 1 C or 1 serving of Carbohydrates

AN OPEN PALM = 1 serving of meat

TIP OF YOUR THUMB (between tip and first knuckle) = 1 tsp. fat.

If you want to make it look like you’re getting more for your portions, DOWNSIZE YOUR PLATE. Use a 9" plate instead of the traditional 11" plate. You’ll eat 18% fewer calories.

As a parting thought… if this makes you feel deprived, a recent study shows that drinking hot cocoa may lower your blood pressure. But you might want to make it sugar free. J

Enjoy the journey!

A New Week Begins

Today is truly the beginning of this journey.

I've started by eliminating my low-cal fluffy coffee which usually starts my day. It hasn't been as hard as I thought it would be. And don't get me wrong, I'm not giving up my fluffy coffee. It will be my night-time power-writing beverage of choice if I've drank my water for the day. I've also added green tea with honey as my lunch drink.

I'm still planning out my meals. So now is a good time to talk about my plan.

Through lots of reading, TV watching (both infomercials and health shows) I've learned there is a few basic concepts to follow for optimal weight loss and good health.

3 meals and 2 snacks spread evenly throughout the day.
This constantly feeds the body to keep the metabolism in it's peak performance. Think fueling the car at regular intervals during a road trip to keep from running out of gas somewhere along the way.

Low-fat, Lean Protein
Lean meats are just better for you. If you've ever read Dr. Oz's book You On A Diet or seen his TV special documenting what the body looks like on the inside from years of abusive eating, you'll never eat red meat again ... or at least think twice before making it part of every meal.

Now I'm not saying - NO Red Meat. Hey, I'm not giving up a good cheeseburger now and then. But I do want to suggest that it's always best to know where the meat came from and what it's been eating. The earlier onset of puberty and development in young girls (as well as many health issues) are being traced back to the hormones these animals are being fed. Think about it. If the hormones are used to 'bulk up' the cow, what do you think they're going to do to the body consuming it. Okay... not preaching.. just 'food' for thought. :-)

Regardless of what plan you are on, EXERCISE is still a major player in the equation
Even those wonderful weight loss supplements tell you they work in conjunction with a healthy diet and exercise! Exercise pumps blood and oxygen through your body, rejuvenating your whole system so it can breathe better and perform at an optimal level. Exercise will also help to tone up the skin as the weight goes down. It takes time. Find something you enjoy! Exercise shouldn't be a death sentence. But life without exercise can be.

So my plan encompasses all of those things. I first got started on the 3 meals/2 snacks after reading The 3-Hour Diet by Jorge Cruise. His plan is the same as all the other big names out there... he's just putting it in a context people can understand. Eat the foods you enjoy and learn to do it in moderation. There is no 'giving up' (for the most part) as long as you eat Regular Servings.

Tomorrow I'll show you some comparisons in how quantity has changed over the years. Until then...

Enjoy the Journey!

Still hangin' in

It's been a really crazy week. The last week hubby is home usually is. Add to that my daughter made a trip home from Nashville on Monday to pick up her daughter (who we care for until she can find a place) and take her for a week. They left on Wednesday. Keep in mind, this is the first time our house has been toddler-free in exactly one year after being empty nesters for almost 5. We've taken advantage of the opportunity to get some stuff caught up around the house.

My exercise for the week consisted of serious spring cleaning. I've done loads of laundry and hung them on the line, moved furniture, shampooed carpets. I took a trip to Springfield on Friday for an all day shopping trip. I wore my 'fat' jeans. These were jeans I wore at my heaviest. They were TIGHT! Crazy thing is... I'm 7 pounds less than I was when I wore them before! I'm still trying to figure out how that is even possible.

Tomorrow starts a regular work week. I have some cleaning to finish before the granddaughter comes back on Wed. I'm thinking some outside work is in order before spring rains move in.

and the journey continues...
Kelly

Spandex Doesn't Lie!

Yesterday was a prime example of living 'through' weight loss. As you can see, there wasn't a post yesterday. So much for the 'daily' aspect right off the bat! I am a creature of order and when things upset my order of balance, it throws everything off for me. What should have been a 'get up and duplicate Monday' turned out to be overtaken by my daughter visiting from Nashville. She was asleep on the hide a bed in the living room. Thus, no workout space. Then as everyone began to get up and around it was time to fix breakfast then the daughter, granddaughter and I went into town to get some things they'd need for their trip to Nashville and to New Hampshire.


We ate lunch at a Chinese buffet. I stuck to mostly proteins and drank ice water. For supper we had steamed chicken breasts in low-fat cream of mushroom soup (they'd been in the crock pot all day), rice, green beans and spinach. I shared a chicken breast with my 2 yr old granddaughter, passed on the rice and ate spinach.


The one thing that did go right yesterday was getting my vitamins in for the 2nd day in a row. We'll talk about them tomorrow.


Today I wanted to introduce you to the full 'picture' of me... literally. Nothing can motivate you to stay on track like a TRUE picture of what you've let yourself become. So here I am in all my workout spandex glory...















My starting statistics are:

Chest: 45 "
Waist: 45 "
Hips: 45"
Thigh: 24"

I've got my work cut out for me. Tomorrow I'll discuss how I'm going to take the weight off and get in better shape, how much I want to lose and a potential time frame.

Many Blessings
Kelly

Putting it all out there

I had never thought about it much until recently but I guess I've had a weight issue all my life. I'm not sure about as a teenager because back then you had to be really overweight before anyone called you the 'fat kid'. I never was. But looking back on how and what I ate, I couldn't have been healthy.

I was raised on fried foods, white bread and starches. We were poor. Leftover potatoes picked up from a field went a long way to stretch the meat Mom and Dad bought. Pasta and loaves of either store bought or homemade bread were a staple. All of this was supplemented with a lot of of home canned vegetables. Besides green beans, brussell sprouts and peas there were sweet/dill/ bread & butter pickles, jams/jellies/syrups, tomato sauce, homemade ketchup and anything else they could put in a jar. Day old donuts were purchased by the flat from a local bakery. We'd package them into 'serving' size and freeze them for Sunday morning breakfast. We might have been poor but we didn't go hungry.

Moving away from home at 17, I didn't eat much and was on the go constantly. I weighed 120 pounds but I'm not sure it was really a 'healthy' weight. A bad first marriage filled with alcohol and forced drug-inducements during this period didn't help.

After that I spent time recentering. Thanks to long walks or dancing in clubs in Baton Rouge followed by hiking in the mountains of Colorado, I finally found a healthy balance. I was at my best weight of 115, had toned legs and a butt I'd love to have again. I was 22 years old and truly healthy for the first time in my life.

Then came a second marriage. Finally someone who appreciated my talents in the kitchen. Twenty-five years later and I'm the second heaviest I've ever been. I FEEL healthy. I'm able to go about my day taking care of everything that needs doing. But at the end of the night I am exhausted.

I do have some health issues. Mostly muscle spasms in my lower back and tightening in my neck due to multiple injuries over the years. Getting my weight back in check will help alleviate flare-ups. I will be 49 in September. For now my life consists of keeping up with my 2 year old granddaughter whom I adore, trying to launch a writing career and taking care of our home - including 4 dogs, 3 cats and gardening. My husband, Bob, helps as much as he can when he is home. He is a riverboat captain, a job which takes him away from home for 3 weeks at a time and home 3 weeks.

I wouldn't trade my life for anything. We travel this road for a purpose. I just want to insure I'm the healthiest I can be on this journey. Tomorrow I'll tell you how I plan to do this. We'll look at the map together.