What I Ate

Well, how was your week? Are you back to your normal routine and eating with the holidays behind us? I hope it was an easy transition back for you.

I don't have much for you this week but I do have one tip for you.

**Before I continue, let me say I am not a Dr. (duh) or healthcare professional in the least. This is my opinion and I have NO scientific evidence to prove what I have to say.**

Now that that's out of the way - I find taking a vitamin D supplement really helps me. I think it boosts my metabolism and helps me lose weight faster. I don't know this for a fact but I'm pretty convinced. Besides that, vitamin D boosts your immune system, prevents things like diabetes and cancer, and helps beat the winter blahs. Living in Wisconsin, most of us do not get adequate amounts of vitamin D which is naturally given to us by the sun.

Check it out. Talk to your doctor. Don't do anything crazy but try seeing if a supplement helps you to feel better overall. And if it boosts your metabolism, all the better.

If you take too much vitamin D, you can make yourself sick. Be smart and be careful.

Have a super-Duper week!

What I Ate ... and Ate ... and Ate

I struggled the week between Christmas and New Year's. I really thought I'd do ok but it was HARD!! The worst part was the mindless, nervous eating. I didn't anticipate that but I should have. Eating has long been my biggest coping mechanism. I thought I had conquered that but I realized that, most likely, this will be something I will struggle with forever.  

Thankfully, though, this past Tuesday we went back to real life and I went right back to sticking tightly to my points. 

I was disappointed that I was unable to resist snacking on all of the yummy goodness that the holidays bring but I realized that I did WAY better than I have in year's past. So even though I slipped a little, I made better choices this year than I did last year. I hope that next year I make better choices than this year. 

Weight loss is a journey. A long, slow journey full of ups and downs. As long as you ultimately head downward, you are doing great. Even if you stay horizontal for a while, you are doing a good job of keeping yourself from climbing back up. 

This year is going to be an exciting year!  Commit to making good choices. Set mini goals for yourself. I concentrate on 10 lbs at a time. That's all I can handle thinking about. :) Even if you don't meet your goals or things don't go as you want them to, be happy knowing that you have tried your hardest and have made healthy choices. 

I'm so excited for all this year is going to bring. Get excited about your journey, too. Don't just focus on the goal, enjoy the journey as well. Be proud of your accomplishments and hard work. Celebrate (in a non-food way) each loss! 

You deserve to be healthy, happy, and whole! Keep on keepin' on!!! It's all worth it!!

What I Ate: Surviving the Holidays

Surviving the Holidays

This is my last What I Ate post for the year. My last chance to be your cheerleader for the holidays. 

So here goes:

 Ok.
 
Give me a U ...

YOU can do it! YOU can make it through the holidays without eating yourself sick. Concentrate on what the holidays mean and are for, instead of the food. 

God sent His son as a baby for YOU! Because He loves YOU! Because YOU're worth it. YOU are worth the sacrifice. The sacrifice of His only son. The sacrifice YOU are making with YOUr new eating habits. YOU are worth it!

It's ok to enjoy food. It's ok to consume food. It's not ok to let food consume you. 

That's what I did for years. Food was on my mind a lot. I was always thinking of what my next meal was going to be. I was thinking of what food was going to cheer me up when I was sad or lonely, relieve my stressed day, celebrate my happiness. The sad thing was that my emotions were still there after I ate. The food did not take them away. 

Sorry, I got off on a tangent ... 

Give me a P ...

If I've said it once, I've said it a million times, make a plan. Go into your day knowing what choices you are going to make. Make your plan as specific or generic as you want. Try not to rely on spur of the moment decisions - they'll almost always steer you wrong. 

Give me a B ...

Bring food with you, if you can. Either something healthy to share with everyone or something of your own to eat. Having that little bit of control will help you make healthy choices. 

Give me an H ...

Have fun! Food does not equal fun. Don't make the food the focus of your celebrations. Focus on your family, your friends, your blessings ... 

Play games, watch movies, make crafts, have fun!! 

What does that spell? ... Well, nothing, but hopefully it will be the cheer that gets you through the next couple of weeks! You can do it. I have faith in you. Every small healthy decision you make is a big step toward a new, healthy you!!

Have a very Merry Christmas and a blessed and healthy New Year!!

What I Ate: Holiday Party Edition

Holiday Party Edition

This one month is probably the most difficult time of the year to be watching what you eat. There are SO many delicious foods brought out in December.

There are lots of parties to go to and what is at these parties? Food, food, and more food. 

We need a plan. What are we going to do? Avoid the parties? And miss out on the fun? No way. Eat to our heart's content? No, that's not an option, either. 

What to do ... 

First, do a self-evaluation. You know if you are the type of person who can eat before you go and be ok with choosing one small snack or dessert to eat at the party. Or maybe, you know that you are unable to resist partaking of the party food and should eat lightly all day in order to compensate for the slight indulgence later. 

As long as you stick to your points, you can do what you want. You can choose the plan that works best for YOU!

But please, make a plan! You have a better chance of sticking to your plan if you actually have one, right?

If nothing else, make better choices this year than you did last year. It's all about the journey. Even baby steps will get you there eventually. 

Set your mind on victory! Focus on the people and activities of the party. 

Try to avoid your typical pitfalls you fall into. Don't stand by the food table while you're talking if you are a muncher. Pop a piece of gum into your mouth as soon as you've finished your plate if you normally head for seconds.

You can do it! Make it a game. Reward yourself with a non-food reward if you make it through the party and stick to your plan. A bubble bath before bed, yes please!

There will always be more parties. If not this year, then next year they'll all be back. This will not be the last time you'll ever get a chance to eat a piece of fudge or fruitcake. Skip it this year, you'll never miss it. 

I know how it feels to have food call your name! Don't listen! Thinner feels way better than a bite of any food on the planet. A taste lasts all of maybe 15 seconds; thinner lasts a lot longer. 

Foods that are your best bet at a party:
Fruit (yeah, baby)
Veggies (another obvious one)
Shrimp cocktail
Gingersnaps
Salsa with baked tortilla chips
Baked potato chips with dip made from fat free sour cream

Contribute to the food table to ensure that you have one healthier option to eat. 

Party on!  

What I Ate: Breakfast Edition

Breakfast edition

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day - we've all heard it. 

There are some days when breakfast does not happen for me until 9:30 or 10:00 am. I try to eat as soon as I can, though, to get my body (and metabolism) going. 

I've mentioned before that I typically eat a 4 points plus meal for breakfast. That number just seems to work for me. Everyone's different, though, so I suggest finding what works best for your lifestyle and going with it. 

Here are my most favorite breakfasts:
-1 cup plain Cheerios with banana and strawberries and 1/2 cup skim milk (4)
-Walmart brand regular yogurt with fresh fruit (4)
-1 package instant oatmeal (pretty much any kind) made with water (4)
-3/4 cup Life cereal and 1/2 cup skim milk (4)
-2 frozen waffles with fresh fruit and a squirt (or 2) of light whipped cream (5)

These are my go-to breakfasts. But there are so many other options: egg white omelet, toast using light bread, pancakes, the list goes on and on. 

Figure out what you love, what you have time for, and what makes sense. My small list is perfect for me. They are all easy to fix, I enjoy eating them, and I usually have the ingredients on hand. 

That's not to say that every once in a while I don't partake in a yummy, delicious bowl of Cocoa Puffs or Frosted Flakes to spice things up ... But the beauty is - I can. It's all about choices. Will I get more cereal if I pick plain Cheerios? You betcha. Do I sometimes just need to be adventurous and have a bowl of Fruit Loops? Oh, yeah.

Keep it real, people. It's the only way to stick with it. If I told myself I would never again eat ___________ (fill in the blank), I would go crazy and start obsessing about that one thing I couldn't have. When I tell myself, it's ok, I could have it if I really want it, there is no obsessing. 

It's weird, but it works. 

Happy breakfasting!! 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JdfiJ60DNg&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Newsboys "Breakfast Song"
It's a crazy song but here's a piece of trivia for you: at the end of the song, when there is a crowd of people singing, I was in that crowd. They taped that at a concert I was at many, many years ago ... Could you hear me? ;)  

What I Ate

So, how did you do? Thanksgiving went well for me. I had my plan and pretty much stuck to it.

I dished up my food and was somewhat disappointed at the little amount on my plate but I felt so good later that I didn't pig out and make decisions I would regret.

No matter how your Thanksgiving went, it is in the past. You can't change anything that happened but you can decide to make good decisions today.

This next month is going to be tough and full of temptations but just take one day at a time and make a plan. No matter what, determine to make better choices this year than you did last year. It's all in the baby steps.

What I Ate on Thanksgiving:

Breakfast
8 - cinnamon roll with icing (oh, yes, I did)

Snack
1 - WW string cheese
0 - banana, strawberries, raspberries

Lupper (we ate around 3:00 pm)
1 - punch (recipe coming soon)
4 - 4 oz turkey
3 - gravy
4 - stuffing
3 - mashed potatoes
0 - green beans

Dessert
6 - 2 pieces of pumpkiny pie

You can see where my priorities were but that's what I chose. :) It's all about the choices ... That's what makes it work in real life.

What I Ate

THANKSGIVING EDITION

Thanksgiving is coming! Are you ready?

This is the first BIG holiday I'll be celebrating since I've joined WW. I need a plan of attack.

I'm determined to stay within my daily points and I'm hoping not to dip into my weekly points. I do realize, however, that this is a special occasion and if I use a few of my weekly points, it will be ok. It's good to treat yourself once in awhile - as long as you don't go overboard and give yourself permission to overindulge.

I think my plan is going to be to eat a light breakfast with some fruit and vegetable snacks in order to save the majority of my points for the big meal. In our family, we typically eat one big meal about 3:00 pm, so that will work out great.

For those of you who celebrate Thanksgiving more than once in the same day, God bless you. That will be a challenging day.

My biggest piece of advice is to have a plan.

If you can, try to find out what they will be serving ahead of time. If you are bringing a dish, bring something that is points-friendly. For example, a vegetable dish or a lightened up dessert. Make sure it is something you like, so that you'll know there will be one thing there you can eat with little guilt.

Plan out your meals ahead of time. I use to do this everyday when I first started WW. Every morning I would plan out what I would eat for the day. Then I stuck to it. When you are constantly making food decisions all day, your resolve can wane and temptation can hit. If it's already mapped out, you don't even have to think about it. Dish yourself up and ENJOY every bite.

Don't try to make your plan too strict. If Aunt Bernice makes a to-die-for dessert every year, incorporate it into your plan. Try to figure out the points or guesstimate if you have to. Realize your portion may not be what it was in years past. Then make it work. Skip the mashed potatoes. Omit the gravy. Do what you can to still enjoy your meal and end with your heavenly dessert.

Lastly, realize that the progress you've made so far, is going to feel so much better than a full-to-bursting stomach. It's worth it. It's worth giving up the stuffing to fit into those pants you haven't worn for a year or ten. It's worth feeling good about yourself because you made wise decisions and didn't let the turkey talk. You are worth it! Don't forget that. You are worth the sacrifice, the hard work.

A couple of miscellaneous tips:
Chew gum. When you aren't eating your meal or as soon as you're done, pop a piece of gum in your mouth.
Find someone to talk to - away from the food, preferably.
Go for a walk. Grab cousin Mary and take a walk. You'll get your exercise in, you'll get away from the food, and you'll catch up with your beloved relative.

Here is a list of Thanksgiving foods and the points WW has assigned for them (figuring out your own points plus value is best but if you truly don't know, use these values to plan your meal):

*Stuffing - 1/2 cup = 5
*Gravy:
cream - 1/4 cup = 4
canned turkey - 1 cup = 1
brown - 1/4 cup = 3
*Roast turkey - 4 oz = 4
*Mashed potatoes - 1/2 cup = 3
*Candied sweet potatoes - 1/2 cup = 5
*Green bean casserole - 1 cup = 6
*Cranberry sauce - 1/4 cup canned = 3
*Pie
pumpkin - 1 slice = 8
apple - 1 slice = 11
pecan - 1 slice = 14

Here are some yummy recipes I've posted previously on my blog if you are looking to make a lighter dessert:

*Pumpkiny Pie
*Pumpkin Chocolate Chip muffins
*Pumpkin Bars
*Caramel Apple Tart


Happy Thanksgiving!!

What I Ate

As I mentioned last week, being prepared and thinking ahead really helps in those "help, I'm hungry NOW!" situations.  I keep a stock of snacks on hand and in my purse for those times when I want to reach for a candy bar or bag of chips or anything within reach.

Without much fuss, I can eat one of these snacks and calm the hunger raging inside or just tide me over until the next meal.

Snacks are a necessary part of dieting.  When you wait too long between meals, your empty stomach can take over your head causing you to overeat or choose unwisely at mealtime.  So, snack away!  Don't feel guilty if you are choosing healthy, low-point foods.

Here is my list of low-point, yummy, go-to snacks:

*fruit (you can't go wrong with 0 points plus)
*Special K 90 calorie fiber bars - 2 pp (chocolate and chocolate pretzel are my favorites)
*Kellogg's caramel coconut fudge fiber bars - 3 pp (think Caramel Delites girl scout cookies - yum!)
*100 calorie PopSecret kettle corn - 3 pp
*10 Special K multigrain crackers with a WW string cheese - 3 pp
*10 Snack Factory garlic parmesan pretzel crisps - 3 pp
*14 baked tortilla chips with salsa - 3 pp
*yogurt - 4 pp (I eat the non-diet variety but it is worth every point in my book)
*1/2 cup cottage cheese with raspberries or pineapple or canned sugar free peaches - 3 pp


A day of What I Ate:

Breakfast
5 - 2 frozen waffles with strawberries and cool whip free

Snack
2 - fiber bar

Lunch
5 - Smart Ones fiesta quesadilla 
3 - 14 baked tortilla chips and salsa

Snack
0 - apple

Dinner
13 Cousin's cheesesteak sub

Dessert
3 - Skinny Cow Heavenly Crisp peanut butter candy bar

What I Ate

This week I thought I would give you a quick overview of how WW works and little things I do that make it easier for me.

When you go to WW, they weigh you (big surprise) and then give you your points plus daily number depending on your weight, height, and age. This number is how many points plus you should eat in a day. (Eating less doesn't encourage weight loss; in fact, usually it slows it down.) In addition to your daily points, everyone is given 49 extra weekly points to use how they want during the week. It is your choice to use these points, if you want. You can also earn extra points by being active. They give you a chart to use to figure that out. (That definitely encourages exercise!) Every food has a points plus value and you can buy a nifty calculator to figure out this value using protein, carbohydrate, fat, and fiber information off of the packaging. All fruits and most vegetables are 0 points plus (Hallelujah!).

That is pretty much it in a nutshell.

As for myself, I try to never use my weekly points. Just knowing that they are there, oddly, is enough to keep me satisfied. But tell me I'm restricted and then that's all I think about. You can definitely use the extra points, but you will lose the weight at a slower pace. For now, my desire to drop weight quicker has outweighed my hunger or cravings. That may change.

Also, when I do exercise (I'm trying to be better at that!), I don't typically give myself extra points. Once again, my goal is to lose weight as quickly as possible. Besides, I'm not doing all that much physically, so I can't really justify it. Someday, maybe ...

I stick to my daily points target and try to eat all of my points everyday. It's not that hard to do, but there are just some days where the points really stretch and I find myself not eating them all up. Those days are few.

One other thing I try to do concerning my points is to keep myself in a similar rhythm everyday. I eat about 4 points of food for breakfast, about 8 for lunch, and leave about 12-15 for dinner (and dessert - can't forget dessert!) with some snacks in between. I am not able to do this everyday but it helps on most days to keep me on track and remembering how much I have eaten and what I have left. I started out tracking on my iPod (WW has a great app) but now just track in my head. (I'm a numbers person so this isn't all that hard, but staying with the same pattern everyday helps a lot, too.) Otherwise, I would be the type of person who eats 75% of her points for breakfast without realizing and then I would basically starve the rest of the day. I need to pace myself.

I also try not to eat past 7:00 pm. There are occasionally days when I end up eating a late supper but I really try to cut myself off by 7:00 pm. Most days I have my little dessert after dinner and that is like my grand finale for the day. After that, I know I am done eating for the day (and what a way to finish - yum!)

Planning is really the key. Have a plan of attack. Know what make really great low point snacks and keep them in the house, or wherever you are, to eat when you need something. Snack. Don't let yourself get too hungry or you will binge when you get the chance. Eat a little now to keep yourself from eating a lot later. Find meals that you like and are lower in points and keep the ingredients in the house for those days when it's 6:00 pm and you're thinking "what are we going to eat?" It will save you from the drive-thru.

I'd better stop or I will be all out of incredible insight (yeah, right) come next week.

Just know that YOU CAN DO IT! If I can, seriously, anyone can. I believe in you, now believe in yourself.


Here is a day of What I Ate:

Breakfast
3 1 cup regular Cheerios with strawberries and bananas sliced on top
1 1/2 cup skim milk

Snack

Lunch
5 Smart Ones mini cheeseburger
3 10 Pretzel Crisps
1 single serving cauliflower with cheese sauce

Snack
0 apple
1 WW string cheese

Dinner
10 4 Stuffed Shells
3 New York ciabatta garlic bread with cheese

Dessert
4 Pumpkin bar (recipe coming soon!!)

What I Ate

You've all seen those ever-popular What I Wore posts, right? I've decided to start What I Ate posts on Saturdays. 

I know I've mentioned on here that I joined Weight Watchers (WW) last spring, and I post healthier recipes every week but I really don't talk much about it otherwise. I guess I didn't want to bore you and also I didn't want to jinx things for me. :) 

I've been asked a lot recently, though, about my weight loss and how I do it. Others who have also joined WW ask me "but, what do you eat?" This is where I will answer that question and share any tips I may have picked up over the week.

Please feel free to ask questions in the comments, or email me if you'd rather be anonymous, and I will do my best to answer them the following week. 

I apologize if this will be a total bore to some of you ... I didn't want to create another blog just on weight loss and yet I wanted to address some questions I've been getting without taking away from my usual mommy stuff.  So I added another day of posts ... because I'm crazy like that. :)

I hope this is helpful because I would love to help you or motivate you on this difficult journey called weight loss!

I'll start today with my weight loss story ...

I've ALWAYS struggled with my weight and my self image. Even at my thinnest, I thought I was fat. (I look back and want to slap my young self.) 

After I got married, I put on some newlywed weight. Ugh. Then I put on 50 lbs while pregnant with my 1st child. After having her, I lost 35 lbs of it. (Do the math ...)

With each pregnancy my weight yo-yoed (I usually ended up losing weight during pregnancy because of gestational diabetes but made up for it after when I could eat again). The biggest cause of my weight gain was due to some medication I was taking for my anxiety (that, and the fact that I would eat my emotions. Happy? Bring on the food! Sad? Bring on the food!! Stressed? Bring on the food!!!) And that is the quick version to how I became this person I didn't even recognize anymore. 

Thankfully, a dear family member got me started on WW and what a journey it has been!

I joined Easter weekend. As of last Saturday (my weigh in day), I've lost 54.2 lbs!!! Crazy! I haven't weighed this low since I was pregnant with my oldest. I still have a ways to go but I'm in it for the long haul. 

I take it a day at a time and realize I am much better off today than I was yesterday. 

When I started, I bought myself a charm bracelet with one bead on it (my birthstone). With every 20 lbs I lose, I buy another bead. It's something fun (because fun is good) and it marks my progress in a visible way. 

Everyone is different and different things work differently for everyone. But if you are struggling with your weight and can't seem to be successful in losing weight, I would recommend trying WW. (They are not paying me for my opinion, I just really believe in the program.) I have never been this successful at losing weight before. I have 3 close family members who have joined me and we've lost about 120 lbs combined. That's outrageous! It's like we've lost a whole extra family member. :)

God is good and He truly is the one who deserves all of the credit! I KNOW I could never do it without Him. 

I'll end with a day of What I Ate.

Breakfast 
4 - peaches n cream instant oatmeal  

Lunch
5 - Digiorno 200 calorie pizza 
3 - baked chips and salsa  

Snack 
4 - vanilla yogurt with strawberries and raspberries

Dinner
4 - 4 oz (93/7) hamburger
1 - slice of low fat provolone cheese
4 - sun chips
2 - single serving Green Giant corn with butter sauce

Dessert
4 - Skinny cow ice cream sandwich