You know, we all want to be loved. And I think, deep down, we all want to know how to love someone in a way that is deeply cherished by that person. So many times we do that by taking them out to fancy dinners, buying them expensive gifts, saying all those things we know we're supposed to say... but then it happens... the food isn't very good at that restaurant or the waiter spills a drink on your date. You lean in for a kiss after dessert and they have food in their teeth. That gift you bought? They have the exact same thing sitting at home already... or they think it's just plain ugly. And you think, well this date went horribly... it must not be love. Or you try to say something romantic, and it sounds like you're quoting a movie... oh wait, you probably are! Let's hope they didn't notice. And all the while they're wondering... why are they saying those things? Do they really love me or are they just saying that to get what they want???
We all want something more genuine than that. Not everyone will admit it. And many are probably happy enough with fancy dinners and expensive gifts, at least for now. But I honestly believe that everyone wants a real, deep connection and love. And I'll tell you how you know you have it:
When, after a nice (but not over the top) dinner out to celebrate your wedding anniversary (or any other special occasion), you can finish off the night by going to Home Depot and buying a porch light - And be just as happy doing that as you would be sharing dessert at a four star restaurant!
Let's be honest here - you can find yourself "in love" with just about anyone who takes you out to nice dinners and buys you expensive gifts. But you know you're really with someone who's right for you when you are just as happy going to Trivia Night at the local Bar & Grille, picking out light fixtures at a home improvement store, or trying to chase your cat back indoors.
It's when you're happy doing the simple every day things. And not just happy doing that stuff most of the time... but happy doing it anytime, even on your anniversary.
Congrats Gretchen and Justin, on finding that extraordinary love, that to many seems so simple and mundane, but we know is the most extravagant love two people can share. Happy Anniversary!
That's my life!
Friday, August 26, 2011
Friday, August 19, 2011
Quick Fix Day 15
Update: I couldn't find oatmeal breakfast bars at the store so I bought a different kind - Only to remember this morning, I can't eat the nuts on top! I don't know why I keep forgetting that. I really need to get some farm-fresh eggs from my mom and make those for breakfast!
Moving on:
Just two more items on the list, and one of them I don't think I need to worry about too much. It is: eat smaller ice creams. Unless I go to my mother-in-law's house and she makes me a bowl of ice cream (fit for the King of Prussia I'm not kidding) I tend to only eat one or two scoops. I'm just not a big ice cream eater. And lately I prefer sherbet to ice cream any way.
So my last addition. Number 15: "Pay attention to the number of servings". No matter how few calories are in a serving of something, if you eat 7 servings, you're taking in more calories than you realize. I'm majorly guilty of this one. "Oh!" I think "only 120 calories in this. Awesome!" but then, after eating a bunch, I realize... I've eaten 4 servings worth! I also tend to serve multiple servings at dinner time. Just last night I served chicken breast and I'm pretty sure each piece was 2-2.5 servings! Yikes! I really need to be better about this one.
Well, this is my complete list. 15 things I'm going to keep trying to do over the next few weeks. We'll see if I see any weight/inch loss results. I'll post updates every so often. In the meantime, you can check out the original article I've pulled these items from. I'll keep working at it, and let you know how it goes!
That's my life!
Moving on:
Just two more items on the list, and one of them I don't think I need to worry about too much. It is: eat smaller ice creams. Unless I go to my mother-in-law's house and she makes me a bowl of ice cream (fit for the King of Prussia I'm not kidding) I tend to only eat one or two scoops. I'm just not a big ice cream eater. And lately I prefer sherbet to ice cream any way.
So my last addition. Number 15: "Pay attention to the number of servings". No matter how few calories are in a serving of something, if you eat 7 servings, you're taking in more calories than you realize. I'm majorly guilty of this one. "Oh!" I think "only 120 calories in this. Awesome!" but then, after eating a bunch, I realize... I've eaten 4 servings worth! I also tend to serve multiple servings at dinner time. Just last night I served chicken breast and I'm pretty sure each piece was 2-2.5 servings! Yikes! I really need to be better about this one.
Well, this is my complete list. 15 things I'm going to keep trying to do over the next few weeks. We'll see if I see any weight/inch loss results. I'll post updates every so often. In the meantime, you can check out the original article I've pulled these items from. I'll keep working at it, and let you know how it goes!
That's my life!
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Quick Fix Day 14
Update:
We're almost done. Today and tomorrow and then I'll have added each item to my list of dos and don'ts. Then it's just a matter of sticking with it for another few weeks, and seeing if there's a pay off!
I had a drink with whipped cream on it last night, but I only drank the bottom half (no whipped cream) and gave the rest to Ryan. But now here I sit with an entire bag of chips, just munching away.
Moving on:
There are a couple items on the list I'm already good at. They are:
-No buttered popcorn. I don't know what happened, but lately any time I eat popcorn, it feels like I've swallowed shards of glass. So, I don't eat popcorn at all, butter or not.
-Stop eating when full, not when food is gone. Other than potato chips, which I could easily eat until the bag is empty, I tend to be pretty aware of how much I'm eating, and how full I am. My stomach doesn't tolerate over eating well at all. If I'm full, I stop. Otherwise I get very sick feeling!
So, Number 14: Sugar-free drinks. Like I said earlier; I don't drink pop. But I do drink V8 Splash, and I'm not sure if that has sugar in it. And I put about a tablespoon of sugar in my fruit smoothies. I also put quite a bit of sugar in my coffee. So I'm going to have to be more careful about what I'm drinking, and what's in it!!
That's my life!
We're almost done. Today and tomorrow and then I'll have added each item to my list of dos and don'ts. Then it's just a matter of sticking with it for another few weeks, and seeing if there's a pay off!
I had a drink with whipped cream on it last night, but I only drank the bottom half (no whipped cream) and gave the rest to Ryan. But now here I sit with an entire bag of chips, just munching away.
Moving on:
There are a couple items on the list I'm already good at. They are:
-No buttered popcorn. I don't know what happened, but lately any time I eat popcorn, it feels like I've swallowed shards of glass. So, I don't eat popcorn at all, butter or not.
-Stop eating when full, not when food is gone. Other than potato chips, which I could easily eat until the bag is empty, I tend to be pretty aware of how much I'm eating, and how full I am. My stomach doesn't tolerate over eating well at all. If I'm full, I stop. Otherwise I get very sick feeling!
So, Number 14: Sugar-free drinks. Like I said earlier; I don't drink pop. But I do drink V8 Splash, and I'm not sure if that has sugar in it. And I put about a tablespoon of sugar in my fruit smoothies. I also put quite a bit of sugar in my coffee. So I'm going to have to be more careful about what I'm drinking, and what's in it!!
That's my life!
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Quick Fix Day 13
Update: I've been eating my oats and honey cereal for breakfast in the mornings. Wholegrain flakes, oat clusters, honey and cinnamon. It's healthy and delicious. And, I just realized this morning, contains almonds, which I'm not supposed to be eating. Whoops! I'm also drinking a smoothie this morning instead of coffee, I used big plates at dinner last night, and served it family style instead of dishing it up in the kitchen. In my defense though, we had company.
Moving On:
Rather than dwell on yesterday's failures.... let's add another item to my list today: #13 - Eating 2 boiled or poached eggs for breakfast makes you feel fuller all day, and you'll eat an average of 416 fewer calories. Ryan and I learned a boiled egg recipe in India. They hard boil the eggs, then batter them with gram flour. It's delicious! I might try making up a few of those for breakfasts on the go. Boiled eggs are easy to eat even when you're rushing off to work! This should be much easier than the recommended oatmeal for breakfast.
That's my life!
Moving On:
Rather than dwell on yesterday's failures.... let's add another item to my list today: #13 - Eating 2 boiled or poached eggs for breakfast makes you feel fuller all day, and you'll eat an average of 416 fewer calories. Ryan and I learned a boiled egg recipe in India. They hard boil the eggs, then batter them with gram flour. It's delicious! I might try making up a few of those for breakfasts on the go. Boiled eggs are easy to eat even when you're rushing off to work! This should be much easier than the recommended oatmeal for breakfast.
That's my life!
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Quick Fix Day 12
Updates: I've begun remembering to count chips. Now I count out a serving, eat them all, and count out a second helping. At least I know how many calories I'm eating. If I can remember to fidget all day long, I end up coming out even in the end. I had another smoothie last night - sans whip! yay! And I left 25% of my food on my plate. Not because I wanted to, but because my throat hurt too badly to swallow anymore.
Moving on:
No pop! This won't be too hard for me most of the week. We don't buy pop, I never have it at home. Really the only time I drink pop is at my mom's house. Every Sunday we go to my mom and dad's for lunch and I have a can of Mountain Dew. I can't go this Sunday because I have to come into work.... so I'm good for a week and a half. Shouldn't be too hard to stick to this one. Which is good, because all of a sudden I'm finding less pasta and no whip on my smoothies really tough!!!
That's my life!
Moving on:
No pop! This won't be too hard for me most of the week. We don't buy pop, I never have it at home. Really the only time I drink pop is at my mom's house. Every Sunday we go to my mom and dad's for lunch and I have a can of Mountain Dew. I can't go this Sunday because I have to come into work.... so I'm good for a week and a half. Shouldn't be too hard to stick to this one. Which is good, because all of a sudden I'm finding less pasta and no whip on my smoothies really tough!!!
That's my life!
Monday, August 15, 2011
Quick Fix Days 9, 10, and 11
Update: I didn't blog over the weekend. So sorry to those of you who really missed it. I had a busy weekend, and I'm still sick, so I figured I'd just do three days in one blog today.
I'm still following most of my new guidelines, but I DID have whipped cream on top of a smoothie Saturday night. My mother-in-law made them for us, so who was I to say no? It was delicious by the way.
Still no nuts, and I bought all natural peanut butter to try. Although, the "natural oil separation" is a big turn off, so I haven't even opened the jar yet. I keep forgetting to count my chip servings... so approximately 5-7 chips in I think "oh no!" and stop eating them all together... which I think is even better than counting out 15 chips and eating them! Who knew forgetting to do something healthy could be even healthier?? I have not yet, however, left 25% of my food on my plate. I just can't come to grips with that one.
Moving On:
9. Beware healthy items on menus - this seems counterintuitive. But what they're saying is that when something on a restaurant menu is marked with some form of a "healthy for you" icon, people tend to underestimate the number of calories by 35%. That's why, when I went to olive garden this weekend, I had the cream based soup. It wasn't marked as healthy, and I knew it was full of calories! No underestimating here!
10. Use stock instead of oil when cooking - I don't do this. Ever. Need something in the pan? Olive oil. Always. I have stock. I use stock in some things... but I never use stock when oil will do.
11. Three hours spent grocery shopping, putting the food away, and cooking/serving dinner burns 640 calories! - well that's fantastic. really. but who has that kind of time?? I don't know how much I'll get into this one. Unless I can put my month's calorie burning into one day - because my mom and I go grocery shopping once a month now. We buy an entire month's groceries at once. It usually takes us about 6 hours to do the shopping... then it takes me another hour and a half or two hours to put it all away, separate things for freezing, etc. So that one day a month I do really well!!
That's my life!
I'm still following most of my new guidelines, but I DID have whipped cream on top of a smoothie Saturday night. My mother-in-law made them for us, so who was I to say no? It was delicious by the way.
Still no nuts, and I bought all natural peanut butter to try. Although, the "natural oil separation" is a big turn off, so I haven't even opened the jar yet. I keep forgetting to count my chip servings... so approximately 5-7 chips in I think "oh no!" and stop eating them all together... which I think is even better than counting out 15 chips and eating them! Who knew forgetting to do something healthy could be even healthier?? I have not yet, however, left 25% of my food on my plate. I just can't come to grips with that one.
Moving On:
9. Beware healthy items on menus - this seems counterintuitive. But what they're saying is that when something on a restaurant menu is marked with some form of a "healthy for you" icon, people tend to underestimate the number of calories by 35%. That's why, when I went to olive garden this weekend, I had the cream based soup. It wasn't marked as healthy, and I knew it was full of calories! No underestimating here!
10. Use stock instead of oil when cooking - I don't do this. Ever. Need something in the pan? Olive oil. Always. I have stock. I use stock in some things... but I never use stock when oil will do.
11. Three hours spent grocery shopping, putting the food away, and cooking/serving dinner burns 640 calories! - well that's fantastic. really. but who has that kind of time?? I don't know how much I'll get into this one. Unless I can put my month's calorie burning into one day - because my mom and I go grocery shopping once a month now. We buy an entire month's groceries at once. It usually takes us about 6 hours to do the shopping... then it takes me another hour and a half or two hours to put it all away, separate things for freezing, etc. So that one day a month I do really well!!
That's my life!
Friday, August 12, 2011
Quick Fix Day 8
Update: I'm still sick. I seriously ate three bowls of ice cream yesterday because it was the only thing that soothed my throat. It seems I'm getting a little better today.... time will tell.
Other than my ice cream binge, I haven't broken any of my new rules... or rather guidelines. I've been fidgeting a little less, as I said yesterday... but I'll try to work on that today.
Moving On:
Next on the list is one I don't struggle with. - The list recommends that when you go out to eat, you search the menu for "mini desserts" which are smaller versions of common desserts. I don't go out to eat often, and I rarely get dessert when I do. I'm just not a big dessert eater. In fact, I eat lunch at my mom and dad's every Sunday... and my mom (or sister-in-law) always make dessert. I'd say I only eat it about half the time. It's nothing against their cooking (they both make fabulous desserts!!).... I'm just not a big sweets kind of person. If you were to put chips in front of me, I'd eat them all! So I understand the recommendation to try to eat smaller desserts... but for me, I'm just as happy skipping it all together.
So the next item to add to my list is: No smoothies for breakfast, eat oatmeal and drink black coffee instead. I don't drink smoothies for breakfast. But I just discovered Wendy's wild berry milkshake (yum!) and I just found two recipes for making yogurt smoothies at home. I was going to try to make a yogurt smoothie that was similar to Wendy's wild berry milkshake and have those. But I guess now I better just not even bother. Most of the time I skip breakfast entirely. I get into work around 8, and by 9:30 or 10 I'm hungry so I snack (yes, usually on chips). I would say I drink coffee about 50% of the days I'm at work. I've always heard eating breakfast, even though it's more calories by adding that third meal, is healthier b/c it jump starts your metabolism. I'm not a morning person... so it's highly unlikely I'm going to get up early enough to make myself oatmeal and coffee at home. But I'm thinking of finding some oatmeal equivalent breakfast ideas that I could prepare at work (I don't really care for oatmeal all that much. Once in a while is ok, but every day would be awful). Then maybe I'll start eating breakfast at my desk when I first get in.
I'm proud of myself because I've been trying to drink my coffee a little closer to black. It's still not even close... but at least now it's sort of a dark brown, as opposed to eggshell white. I'm going to keep working on this idea of breakfast. Tomorrow I get groceries, so I'll be on the lookout for healthy "breakfast to go" items. I think I've seen oatmeal breakfast bars advertised... I'll have to see if they're as good for you as a bowl of real oatmeal.
That's my life!
Other than my ice cream binge, I haven't broken any of my new rules... or rather guidelines. I've been fidgeting a little less, as I said yesterday... but I'll try to work on that today.
Moving On:
Next on the list is one I don't struggle with. - The list recommends that when you go out to eat, you search the menu for "mini desserts" which are smaller versions of common desserts. I don't go out to eat often, and I rarely get dessert when I do. I'm just not a big dessert eater. In fact, I eat lunch at my mom and dad's every Sunday... and my mom (or sister-in-law) always make dessert. I'd say I only eat it about half the time. It's nothing against their cooking (they both make fabulous desserts!!).... I'm just not a big sweets kind of person. If you were to put chips in front of me, I'd eat them all! So I understand the recommendation to try to eat smaller desserts... but for me, I'm just as happy skipping it all together.
So the next item to add to my list is: No smoothies for breakfast, eat oatmeal and drink black coffee instead. I don't drink smoothies for breakfast. But I just discovered Wendy's wild berry milkshake (yum!) and I just found two recipes for making yogurt smoothies at home. I was going to try to make a yogurt smoothie that was similar to Wendy's wild berry milkshake and have those. But I guess now I better just not even bother. Most of the time I skip breakfast entirely. I get into work around 8, and by 9:30 or 10 I'm hungry so I snack (yes, usually on chips). I would say I drink coffee about 50% of the days I'm at work. I've always heard eating breakfast, even though it's more calories by adding that third meal, is healthier b/c it jump starts your metabolism. I'm not a morning person... so it's highly unlikely I'm going to get up early enough to make myself oatmeal and coffee at home. But I'm thinking of finding some oatmeal equivalent breakfast ideas that I could prepare at work (I don't really care for oatmeal all that much. Once in a while is ok, but every day would be awful). Then maybe I'll start eating breakfast at my desk when I first get in.
I'm proud of myself because I've been trying to drink my coffee a little closer to black. It's still not even close... but at least now it's sort of a dark brown, as opposed to eggshell white. I'm going to keep working on this idea of breakfast. Tomorrow I get groceries, so I'll be on the lookout for healthy "breakfast to go" items. I think I've seen oatmeal breakfast bars advertised... I'll have to see if they're as good for you as a bowl of real oatmeal.
That's my life!
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Quick Fix Day 7
Update: I'm noticing a trend. I start to do something healthy for myself (like my first attempt - jogging, or this - 25 ways to cut 500 calories a day) and I start to feel worse. I've come down with some sort of illness. Not sure what it is (a weird cold? strep throat? some other kind of infection?) but I feel terrible. As such, my blog will be short today. As an update - I'm still doing all the stuff on my list. Though yesterday (and so far today) fidgeting has decreased as I'd much rather curl up into a tiny ball and not move at all.
Moving On:
-Next on the list is: Eat with 6 or fewer people. It seems if you're in a group of 7 or more, you tend to eat more. I don't really understand that, but I can think of only 2 or 3 times in the last year I've been in a group of 7 or more where food was also included. All except one were work functions. So I'm not too worried about this one.
So #7 for me is - Leave 25% of your food on your plate. This one upsets me a little. I'm already using smaller plates. And I'm dishing my food up in the kitchen so I don't go back for seconds as easily. And now you want me to leave 25% of the little bit I take on my plate? I've always heard you should always leave some food on your plate (from a dietary perspective. Mom always said "it's rude not to clean your plate") but 25% seems like a lot to me. And let's be honest... if I know I have to leave 25% on my plate, won't I just take 25% more to begin with? We'll see how it goes.
That's my life!
Moving On:
-Next on the list is: Eat with 6 or fewer people. It seems if you're in a group of 7 or more, you tend to eat more. I don't really understand that, but I can think of only 2 or 3 times in the last year I've been in a group of 7 or more where food was also included. All except one were work functions. So I'm not too worried about this one.
So #7 for me is - Leave 25% of your food on your plate. This one upsets me a little. I'm already using smaller plates. And I'm dishing my food up in the kitchen so I don't go back for seconds as easily. And now you want me to leave 25% of the little bit I take on my plate? I've always heard you should always leave some food on your plate (from a dietary perspective. Mom always said "it's rude not to clean your plate") but 25% seems like a lot to me. And let's be honest... if I know I have to leave 25% on my plate, won't I just take 25% more to begin with? We'll see how it goes.
That's my life!
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Quick Fix Extra Entry
Perhaps instead of cutting out nuts, chips, and whipped cream from my diet, I should just use this work out plan:
http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1xeZsT/www.patrickmoberg.com/workoutplan/
http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1xeZsT/www.patrickmoberg.com/workoutplan/
Quick Fix Day 6
Update:
The fidgeting continues. I wish I could know how many calories I'm actually burning.
Still no nuts. We are having an ice cream social at my office today, I love peanuts on my ice cream. I hope no one brings them.
I ate some ice cream in front of the tv last night, but I was careful about how much I put in my bowl. I took less than usual, oh, and it was sherbet not ice cream (did you know it's 'sherbet' and not 'sherbert'? I didn't until last night).
I haven't eaten a salad, so toppings aren't an issue. And we continue to use smaller plates. I haven't had any whipped toppings either.
Yesterday I was counting out a serving of chips with my lunch and I found myself trying to piece whole chips back together. It's rare that you find a whole chip toward the bottom of the bag you know? And I'm not going to eat 15 pieces instead of 15 chips... so there I was thinking, "well, these two pieces look like they could form a whole chip". I tried not to cheat and make jumbo chips. But I wish they would just say "an 1/8 of a cup" That'd be easier. As it turned out though, I didn't even eat my whole serving... I was eating them slowly, and I got full before I had all 15 chips. The secret was to eat the rest of my lunch first, instead of eating chips first like I normally do.
Moving On:
-Put your dinner on your plate in the kitchen, rather than taking all the food to the table and serving family style. --I grew up eating family style. So when I got married that's how I served dinner to my husband. And he'd always ask me "why do you dirty all these extra dishes? Just put my food on my plate in the kitchen". After about 6 months of that, I started dishing up our food in the kitchen... and I found it saved me a lot of time and work. I also have found that Ryan eats less. I put food on his plate and unless I say "there's plenty more in the kitchen, can I get you a second helping?" he doesn't eat any more than what I give him.
-Use soda water or juice for cocktails instead of syrup or cream -- I don't drink cocktails very often, and I never make them myself at home.
New item for today (#6) - Eat less pasta. According to the article I read, they aren't saying not to make pasta at home. But I guess the average restaurant portion is 480% of a single serving, adding up to a whopping 1,056 calories! We all know eating out is heck on a diet. And I think we all know if you order a pasta dish, you're going to be taking left overs home. Well, most of us do any way. I don't make a ton of pasta at home either, but when I do, I try to be really careful to not make much more than 2-3 servings. I eat a single serving (often less) and Ryan has his serving plus what I leave, and I save a half serving or so for lunch the next day if I can. I think we do pretty well here... but just last night I made a huge 9x13 pan of a pasta casserole. thankfully we didn't eat it all, but I'd say we ate almost half. whoops! I'm going to try to be more careful about serving size from now on. And I think I might try switching to a wheat pasta. Has anyone tried it??
That's my life!
The fidgeting continues. I wish I could know how many calories I'm actually burning.
Still no nuts. We are having an ice cream social at my office today, I love peanuts on my ice cream. I hope no one brings them.
I ate some ice cream in front of the tv last night, but I was careful about how much I put in my bowl. I took less than usual, oh, and it was sherbet not ice cream (did you know it's 'sherbet' and not 'sherbert'? I didn't until last night).
I haven't eaten a salad, so toppings aren't an issue. And we continue to use smaller plates. I haven't had any whipped toppings either.
Yesterday I was counting out a serving of chips with my lunch and I found myself trying to piece whole chips back together. It's rare that you find a whole chip toward the bottom of the bag you know? And I'm not going to eat 15 pieces instead of 15 chips... so there I was thinking, "well, these two pieces look like they could form a whole chip". I tried not to cheat and make jumbo chips. But I wish they would just say "an 1/8 of a cup" That'd be easier. As it turned out though, I didn't even eat my whole serving... I was eating them slowly, and I got full before I had all 15 chips. The secret was to eat the rest of my lunch first, instead of eating chips first like I normally do.
Moving On:
-Put your dinner on your plate in the kitchen, rather than taking all the food to the table and serving family style. --I grew up eating family style. So when I got married that's how I served dinner to my husband. And he'd always ask me "why do you dirty all these extra dishes? Just put my food on my plate in the kitchen". After about 6 months of that, I started dishing up our food in the kitchen... and I found it saved me a lot of time and work. I also have found that Ryan eats less. I put food on his plate and unless I say "there's plenty more in the kitchen, can I get you a second helping?" he doesn't eat any more than what I give him.
-Use soda water or juice for cocktails instead of syrup or cream -- I don't drink cocktails very often, and I never make them myself at home.
New item for today (#6) - Eat less pasta. According to the article I read, they aren't saying not to make pasta at home. But I guess the average restaurant portion is 480% of a single serving, adding up to a whopping 1,056 calories! We all know eating out is heck on a diet. And I think we all know if you order a pasta dish, you're going to be taking left overs home. Well, most of us do any way. I don't make a ton of pasta at home either, but when I do, I try to be really careful to not make much more than 2-3 servings. I eat a single serving (often less) and Ryan has his serving plus what I leave, and I save a half serving or so for lunch the next day if I can. I think we do pretty well here... but just last night I made a huge 9x13 pan of a pasta casserole. thankfully we didn't eat it all, but I'd say we ate almost half. whoops! I'm going to try to be more careful about serving size from now on. And I think I might try switching to a wheat pasta. Has anyone tried it??
That's my life!
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Quick Fix Day 5
Update:
I forget to fidget sometimes, but I'm doing pretty well with it.
Still no nuts, though I watched a short 5 min video last night on diets that help trim belly fat, and they said two tablespoons of peanut butter (as long as it's the natural kind) is really good for you. So I think my pb&j sandwiches will be alright next week.
I haven't eaten in front of the tv yet, but I haven't really been given the opportunity either. If I measure out a regular serving size of a snack, and eat it in front of the tv, is that still a bad thing??? I think eating in front of the tv is taboo b/c you tend to not pay attention to when you're full and you keep eating. But if I only have so much ice cream in my bowl, I can't over-eat right????? :-)
No whipped cream for me so far! Again, I haven't exactly been offered any either.
Moving On:
This one is going to be even worse than no whipped cream:
Count chip servings.
At least it didn't say NO chips at all... I think I'd have given up right then. Chips are the one food I cannot live without. I mean, I could, but I'd be miserable to be around. I love chips!!!
so question is: Is it alright if I count out my servings of chips, then eat as many servings as I want?? obviously the answer is no. the article says: "A chip-bender to the bottom of a 9-ounce bag is 1,260 calories". So I'm supposed to limit myself to *GASP* 15 CHIPS!?!?!? That's like telling a shopaholic she can spend $0.35 on anything she wants. I mean REALLY!?!?!
I'm going to go pout in a corner... probably with a bag of chips.
That's my life!
I forget to fidget sometimes, but I'm doing pretty well with it.
Still no nuts, though I watched a short 5 min video last night on diets that help trim belly fat, and they said two tablespoons of peanut butter (as long as it's the natural kind) is really good for you. So I think my pb&j sandwiches will be alright next week.
I haven't eaten in front of the tv yet, but I haven't really been given the opportunity either. If I measure out a regular serving size of a snack, and eat it in front of the tv, is that still a bad thing??? I think eating in front of the tv is taboo b/c you tend to not pay attention to when you're full and you keep eating. But if I only have so much ice cream in my bowl, I can't over-eat right????? :-)
No whipped cream for me so far! Again, I haven't exactly been offered any either.
Moving On:
This one is going to be even worse than no whipped cream:
Count chip servings.
At least it didn't say NO chips at all... I think I'd have given up right then. Chips are the one food I cannot live without. I mean, I could, but I'd be miserable to be around. I love chips!!!
so question is: Is it alright if I count out my servings of chips, then eat as many servings as I want?? obviously the answer is no. the article says: "A chip-bender to the bottom of a 9-ounce bag is 1,260 calories". So I'm supposed to limit myself to *GASP* 15 CHIPS!?!?!? That's like telling a shopaholic she can spend $0.35 on anything she wants. I mean REALLY!?!?!
I'm going to go pout in a corner... probably with a bag of chips.
That's my life!
Monday, August 8, 2011
Quick Fix Day 4
Update:
Fidgeting continues to go well. I just keep thinking, 'I wonder how many calories I'm burning right now'
I haven't eaten a nut! Though, those peanut m&ms did make an appearance at my mom's house yesterday. Also, we're out of peanut butter, so until at least Saturday (when I get groceries) I don't have to worry about that.
I missed the first 3/4 of a show last night because we had a late dinner and I refused to eat in front of the tv. To be honest, I would have, but we were eating hot dogs and corn on the cob and I knew it would make quite a mess if I didn't eat at the table.
Moving on:
The next two items on the list are two I do well:
-Use fewer (or no) salad toppings. Salads are healthy, until you add the cheese, nuts, dried fruit, and bacon. Well, when I make a salad, I'm lucky if I can include cucumbers or carrots... usually it's just lettuce. The only time I eat salads with lots of toppings is at my mother-in-laws, which is rare. And I think her toppings are generally more healthy (broccoli, peppers, that kind of thing).
-Use smaller plates. I've heard this one before. If you use smaller dinner plates, you take less food. And it's true. We got HUGE plates for our wedding. I mean, we registered for them so it's not like I can complain... and I love them, but they really are huge (they don't even fit in my cupboard. the door seriously won't close all the way). And if you put a regular serving size of something on that plate, it looks like the amount you'd give a small child. So, about a year after we were married, my husband and I switched to the smaller dessert plates that came with the set. And, unless we're eating a bulky item (like corn on the cob) our food fits quite nicely on the plate. So we're good there.
New item for today (#4): No whipped toppings on beverages. That means no ice cap supreme or cafe mocha at time hortons, no wild berry smoothie at Wendy's, no hot chocolate made by my dad... unless I have enough will-power to order it without the whipped topping. I don't get them often... but when I do I really enjoy that whipped topping!
That's my life!
Fidgeting continues to go well. I just keep thinking, 'I wonder how many calories I'm burning right now'
I haven't eaten a nut! Though, those peanut m&ms did make an appearance at my mom's house yesterday. Also, we're out of peanut butter, so until at least Saturday (when I get groceries) I don't have to worry about that.
I missed the first 3/4 of a show last night because we had a late dinner and I refused to eat in front of the tv. To be honest, I would have, but we were eating hot dogs and corn on the cob and I knew it would make quite a mess if I didn't eat at the table.
Moving on:
The next two items on the list are two I do well:
-Use fewer (or no) salad toppings. Salads are healthy, until you add the cheese, nuts, dried fruit, and bacon. Well, when I make a salad, I'm lucky if I can include cucumbers or carrots... usually it's just lettuce. The only time I eat salads with lots of toppings is at my mother-in-laws, which is rare. And I think her toppings are generally more healthy (broccoli, peppers, that kind of thing).
-Use smaller plates. I've heard this one before. If you use smaller dinner plates, you take less food. And it's true. We got HUGE plates for our wedding. I mean, we registered for them so it's not like I can complain... and I love them, but they really are huge (they don't even fit in my cupboard. the door seriously won't close all the way). And if you put a regular serving size of something on that plate, it looks like the amount you'd give a small child. So, about a year after we were married, my husband and I switched to the smaller dessert plates that came with the set. And, unless we're eating a bulky item (like corn on the cob) our food fits quite nicely on the plate. So we're good there.
New item for today (#4): No whipped toppings on beverages. That means no ice cap supreme or cafe mocha at time hortons, no wild berry smoothie at Wendy's, no hot chocolate made by my dad... unless I have enough will-power to order it without the whipped topping. I don't get them often... but when I do I really enjoy that whipped topping!
That's my life!
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Quick Fix Day 3
Update:
I continue to fidget. It's pretty easy to do actually.... except in the car. I haven't quite figured out how to keep moving when I'm in a confined space.
Wouldn't you know it, we were at the rodeo last night and my husband Ryan wanted peanuts, and asked if I'd share them with him. On the day I give them up. Figures. But since I'd already had french fries and pop, it was easy for me to say no.
Moving on:
3. Don't eat in front of the television. (One step better: go for an hour walk instead of watching an hour of tv)
I almost never eat a meal in front of the tv. I am incredibly guilty, however, of eating snacks in front of the tv in the evenings. It was a household tradition growing up. We had a tv show to watch each night of the week. Everyone went to the kitchen and chose the snack of their choice (usually chips) and found a spot in the family room. My brain now associates watching tv with being hungry... but I'm only hungry for junk food. So not eating in front of the tv is going to be torture. I think I might have to go on that hour walk instead of tv simply so I can resist the temptation to sit on the couch with a bag of chips.
That's my life!
I continue to fidget. It's pretty easy to do actually.... except in the car. I haven't quite figured out how to keep moving when I'm in a confined space.
Wouldn't you know it, we were at the rodeo last night and my husband Ryan wanted peanuts, and asked if I'd share them with him. On the day I give them up. Figures. But since I'd already had french fries and pop, it was easy for me to say no.
Moving on:
3. Don't eat in front of the television. (One step better: go for an hour walk instead of watching an hour of tv)
I almost never eat a meal in front of the tv. I am incredibly guilty, however, of eating snacks in front of the tv in the evenings. It was a household tradition growing up. We had a tv show to watch each night of the week. Everyone went to the kitchen and chose the snack of their choice (usually chips) and found a spot in the family room. My brain now associates watching tv with being hungry... but I'm only hungry for junk food. So not eating in front of the tv is going to be torture. I think I might have to go on that hour walk instead of tv simply so I can resist the temptation to sit on the couch with a bag of chips.
That's my life!
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Quick Fix Day 2
Update:
So yesterday I started fidgeting. I shook my foot side to side or bounced my knee up and down as much as possible while at my desk yesterday. I was so proud of myself. Then last night I remembered something... I used to fidget all the time in high school. Non stop. I was always shaking my foot or bouncing my knee. I also remembered why I stopped fidgeting... because my foot does't know to stop shaking at bed time! It becomes almost an involuntary movement after so long... and my foot just keeps on going. So there I lay in bed, foot shaking away, thinking... I wonder how many calories I have to burn before I'll be able to fall asleep.
Moving ahead:
Day 2 - I checked my list last night right before bed to see what I'd be taking on today. "Don't eat nuts". Easy enough. But wait... does that include peanut butter?????? That might not be so much fun to give up. I don't eat a lot of it, but I've been eating a little bit more lately in my lunches. Hmm...
And then it happened... I dreamt (dreamed?) last night about peanut m&ms. They were the size of golf balls and I was eating as many as I could possible fit into my stomach because I knew starting the next day I wouldn't be able to have any. Now, I don't mind peanut m&m's... they are probably my favorite m&m... but they aren't anything I ever really crave.... until the day I can't have them! Isn't that the way it always goes? It's the things we can't have that we want the most.
That's alright though. Anytime I start craving a peanut m&m, I'll just shake my foot or bounce my knee instead.
That's my life!
So yesterday I started fidgeting. I shook my foot side to side or bounced my knee up and down as much as possible while at my desk yesterday. I was so proud of myself. Then last night I remembered something... I used to fidget all the time in high school. Non stop. I was always shaking my foot or bouncing my knee. I also remembered why I stopped fidgeting... because my foot does't know to stop shaking at bed time! It becomes almost an involuntary movement after so long... and my foot just keeps on going. So there I lay in bed, foot shaking away, thinking... I wonder how many calories I have to burn before I'll be able to fall asleep.
Moving ahead:
Day 2 - I checked my list last night right before bed to see what I'd be taking on today. "Don't eat nuts". Easy enough. But wait... does that include peanut butter?????? That might not be so much fun to give up. I don't eat a lot of it, but I've been eating a little bit more lately in my lunches. Hmm...
And then it happened... I dreamt (dreamed?) last night about peanut m&ms. They were the size of golf balls and I was eating as many as I could possible fit into my stomach because I knew starting the next day I wouldn't be able to have any. Now, I don't mind peanut m&m's... they are probably my favorite m&m... but they aren't anything I ever really crave.... until the day I can't have them! Isn't that the way it always goes? It's the things we can't have that we want the most.
That's alright though. Anytime I start craving a peanut m&m, I'll just shake my foot or bounce my knee instead.
That's my life!
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Does a quick fix ever really work? (day 1)
I know weight isn't something most women like to talk about. And I'll be honest, I don't like talking about it either. But here's why: all my life I've been naturally skinny. So anytime I talk about how my butt and thighs are too big to fit into clothing, I get lots of eye rolls. I'm not trying to say I'm fat, I know I'm not. But for my height, my thighs and hind end are a bit big proportionally speaking. I'm not trying to complain about the way I'm built, but my proportions do make clothes shopping difficult at times. If I find jeans that aren't 3-4 inches too long (no exaggerations here) I seriously can't pull them up over my bottom half! If I find dress pants that fit around my thighs, they are much too long. It's something I've always struggled with, but get very little sympathy for b/c of my naturally slender build. It's ok, I'm not asking for sympathy. But that's just a little background for you before you read the following statement: I'm going to talk in this blog about my weight. I realize I'm a small girl, but please don't roll your eyes at me. Well ok, you can roll your eyes, b/c I can't see you. But please no comments along the lines of "oh please sarah... you are like SOO skinny!!" I realize I'm small... that doesn't change the fact I'm quickly approaching the limits of my closet. Here's the story:
I've noticed over the last several months that the new clothes I bought in January (because I had outgrown the clothing I then owned) has been getting tighter and less flattering. Suddenly jeans I used to opt out of wearing b/c they were too big, have become a bit tight. Skirts I was nervous to wear b/c they might fall down, were too tight to zip closed. Shirts that used to flow nicely were tight around my middle. Clothing I purchased in January already looked a size too small on me.
It seems I'm getting bigger by the day. I have absolutely no idea why... lifestyle, slowing metabolism, stress, who knows. All I can say for sure is if I don't turn this around really quickly, I'll be buying a whole new wardrobe... for the second time this year!
So I started jogging. I was getting up a few minutes early each morning (ok ok, every other morning) and jogging around the block. About a week in though, and I noticed I had a headache every day... my stomach was upset... my chest hurt. Maybe jogging was bad for my health? So I took a break, and felt better. Alright, jogging is out. But what next? Something needs to be done!
Then today I see this article posted on twitter that talks about how you can lose 10 pounds in 5 weeks by doing simple little things that cut 500 calories a day. Sounds like a quick easy fix to me! So, question is... can it possibly work. Well, I read through the list and I have to say if I was a serious offender on all 25 counts, and cleaned up my act on all 25, I think it could work. But the truth is I already do at least half of them.
Nevertheless, I've decided to work on the second half of the list for the next 5 weeks. And we'll see what happens to my waistline. I've got 25 things to try, so I figured I'd take on one new thing each day. Subtracting some of the things I already do pretty well, I estimate I have 15 things improve on. So it'll take me two weeks before I'm doing all 25 each day. So expect lots of blog updates, as I go through the list, and let you know which ones I'm taking on new each day, and which ones are on the list but I think I already do really well. I don't have a scale so I can't tell you how much weight I gain/lose, but I will do my best to let you know how my clothes fit and I have a sewing tape I can use for measurements (so I can tell you if I've lost inches).
So starting tomorrow I'm going to:
FIDGET - apparently you can burn over 300 calories a day just by tapping your foot or pacing when you're on the phone. I have an office job and I sit in my desk chair all day. Sometimes I'm too lazy to get up and get a glass of water! Surely I can do my best to get up out of my chair a bit more... and tap my foot or swing my leg when I'm sitting in it.
This should be easy tomorrow especially, as I'm only working a half day, then meeting family for a fun day with my nieces. The next two days are weekends... so my first three days of toe-tapping should be a breeze!
That's my life!
I've noticed over the last several months that the new clothes I bought in January (because I had outgrown the clothing I then owned) has been getting tighter and less flattering. Suddenly jeans I used to opt out of wearing b/c they were too big, have become a bit tight. Skirts I was nervous to wear b/c they might fall down, were too tight to zip closed. Shirts that used to flow nicely were tight around my middle. Clothing I purchased in January already looked a size too small on me.
It seems I'm getting bigger by the day. I have absolutely no idea why... lifestyle, slowing metabolism, stress, who knows. All I can say for sure is if I don't turn this around really quickly, I'll be buying a whole new wardrobe... for the second time this year!
So I started jogging. I was getting up a few minutes early each morning (ok ok, every other morning) and jogging around the block. About a week in though, and I noticed I had a headache every day... my stomach was upset... my chest hurt. Maybe jogging was bad for my health? So I took a break, and felt better. Alright, jogging is out. But what next? Something needs to be done!
Then today I see this article posted on twitter that talks about how you can lose 10 pounds in 5 weeks by doing simple little things that cut 500 calories a day. Sounds like a quick easy fix to me! So, question is... can it possibly work. Well, I read through the list and I have to say if I was a serious offender on all 25 counts, and cleaned up my act on all 25, I think it could work. But the truth is I already do at least half of them.
Nevertheless, I've decided to work on the second half of the list for the next 5 weeks. And we'll see what happens to my waistline. I've got 25 things to try, so I figured I'd take on one new thing each day. Subtracting some of the things I already do pretty well, I estimate I have 15 things improve on. So it'll take me two weeks before I'm doing all 25 each day. So expect lots of blog updates, as I go through the list, and let you know which ones I'm taking on new each day, and which ones are on the list but I think I already do really well. I don't have a scale so I can't tell you how much weight I gain/lose, but I will do my best to let you know how my clothes fit and I have a sewing tape I can use for measurements (so I can tell you if I've lost inches).
So starting tomorrow I'm going to:
FIDGET - apparently you can burn over 300 calories a day just by tapping your foot or pacing when you're on the phone. I have an office job and I sit in my desk chair all day. Sometimes I'm too lazy to get up and get a glass of water! Surely I can do my best to get up out of my chair a bit more... and tap my foot or swing my leg when I'm sitting in it.
This should be easy tomorrow especially, as I'm only working a half day, then meeting family for a fun day with my nieces. The next two days are weekends... so my first three days of toe-tapping should be a breeze!
That's my life!
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