Thursday, March 31, 2011

It's all about lifestyle change, stupid!

I get so frustrated when I see people on health sites asking 'how much should I eat?" or "What portion size should I eat?"  Really?  You need me or anyone else to tell you how much to eat?  If I tell you 4oz chicken breast will that make you happy?  Actually, if you did ask me, I'm going to say "How much do you ned to eat to feel satisfied?"

I've found that when told you can have a 4 oz chicken breast you're going to feel like that is a limit not be exceeded, therefore your "I'm still hungry"  rebellious mode is going to kick on, even if you aren't really hungry, and you're going to eat more.  Afterwards, you'll feel like a failure, blame the diet for being too strict, gain your weight back, and the viscious yo yo loop will continue.

Let's face it folks, none of us like limits because we feel like we're being denied something; so forget the limit/how much can I eat okay?  It doesn't work. 

Eat until you're satisfied not until you're full because your 'full' sensor doesn't kick on until it's too late, you've already over indulged.

I 'm also concerned  with your obsession  over 'how much food' ?  Are you worried you'll starve?  Is the food limitations a bellweather as to whether or not you'll even attempt the 'diet'?  If it is , don't bother with losing weight, you've already set yourself up for failure.

Maybe the question should be "How do I go about dieting?"  Actually if you're just dieting and you need portion control/limits placed on you so you can have permission to rebel against the limits, fine, diet. There are literally thousands of diet plans out there. Go find one to fail at and quit asking  questions like "How much am I allowed to eat?"   Food Junkie.....eeeesh!

When you're ready to commit, let me know.  But be warned, the second you ask "How much food...."  You're probably going to be smacked upside the head if I can reach you fast enough.

If you are serious about a committed lifestyle CHANGE to become a much thinner healthier person then do the work yourself.  Find what fits you and your lifestyle, your needs, wants, desires for your body and do it.

We all know what is and isn't good for us. We all pretty much know what is a calorie and fat laden food and what isn't. You don't need anyone to tell you how or what to eat, you need to exercise common sense and maybe do a little research, make some trial and error on your own to find what fits you and your lifestyle.

Lifestyle change is a serious no holds barred commitment to doing what it takes to get there. You take the successes with the hard knocks.  Get up, wipe the crumbs off your mouth, wipe off your knees or butt, depending on which way you fell, and get going again.

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Short Product Review + recipe

I have a new best friend.  Actually she's been around for a long time.  Mrs. Dash.  She comes in soooo many flavors thses days that it's hard to pick just one.  However, I cook a lot of poultry and fish so I narrowed the field to just one; Carribean Citrus.  The flavor is just right, just a little spicy, and no salt!  You just can't beat it.

Fast recipe

1/4 cup sherry
1 tbsp Mrs Dash Carribean Citrus  spice
1/4 cup GrapeOla

4 Boneless skinless chicken breasts

Mix the first 3 ingredients then pour over chicken breasts.  Let them marinate about an hour or overnight. Place the chicken in a nonstick skillet or coat a skillet with grapeola, and cover.  I usually use a n electric skillet. Or you can bake them in the oven, I just like to cook mine in an electric skillet with the lid on it for about 20 minutes total time. I have also been know to pour the marinade over the chicken while it cooks.  You can also use this for salmon or other types of fish.  It's yummy!

EDIT: WHAT IS GRAPEOLA:  It's grape seed oil.  It has lots of 'good for you' stuff in it, better than Canola or Olive (my opinion only) I buy it at Bi-Lo.  You can order it online at Amazon.com.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Is it summer yet?

I made a 1 mile run Sunday.  A very slow one mile run, but I did it!  and I havent' gone back to do a repeat.  I am once again becoming a professional self saboteur.  I can get a long long way, finally get good at what I want to do, then I get scared or performance anxiety, I'm not sure which and stop.  I'm not sure how to get past that mental roadblock.  I can just do it anyway, but I have to get in a position where I can just do it anyway.  If I don't have my running shoes on then I'm not going to run.  If I don't have my Pilate's stuff out and ready to go then I'm not going to exercise...sigh.

Interestingly enough, I have my running shoes on now, at 1:15 a.m.  and just where do I think I'm going to run exactly?

If I am going to run in the 5k on April 30th then I need to get my running groove on right?  Would someone kindly point me in the direction of my groove or point it in my direction?  We seem to have missed each other somewhere along the way these past 2 days.

I got to lay out in the sun today.  I actually fell asleep while outside. It's a thousand wonders I didn't get burnt.  It was just a taste of what's on its way and I'm hoping it will get me back in the mood to run and exercise again.

I seriously need a membership at the YMCA so I can swim or use the weight room or take some fun classes.
I seriously need a membership at a tanning salon to make use of the tanning beds and saunas and body wraps there.
I seriously need to get off my backside and get moving!

Is it summer yet?  Though that's no excuse to not exercise if it's not summer.  I'm just feeling whiny again and I don't like when I get like this and it seems to come around more and more frequently of late. Maybe because I'm not outside as much as I need to be?  I've had to seriously cut back on good for me groceries because I refuse to pay that much for out of season fruits and veggies, maybe it's my body saying hey dummy the good for you stuff is expensive but so is a heart attack, stroke, and diabetes!

Maybe it's time to pay attention to me again?

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Four things that help

Lose Weight that is

1) Get enough sleep which is something I've been struggling with as I get older and my hormone levels fluctuate.  Especially when I get off track with my supplements.

2) Eat a good breakfast.  Protein and carbs get the day off to a good start and fuel your body. Seriously!  The 'experts' seem to be right on this one.  I usually have 2 scrambled eggs with torn up baby spinach and cheese mixed in on a slice of Pepperidge Farms 15 grain whole wheat bread, 4 oz milk and 4 oz orange juice.  I'm good to go til noon.

3)  HYDRATE.  Liquid is liquid.  You will see people say only water counts.  That is false.  If you have caffeinated drinks or sugary drinks, they are still liquid.  I counter my bad drink choices with extra water.  Don't have anything to drink with your food.  It dilutes your digestive juices and prevents proper absorption of the nutrients in your food.  If must have soemthing to drink with your food, only take small sips.

4) Get off your butt and move.  I didn't say exercise.  Get up and do something fun, start a new hobby that distracts you from sitting in front of the computer or t.v. and eating all the time. Or, hey, silly me, go for a walk and get soem exercise after all =)

Sunday, March 13, 2011

No subject

Readers, this is your fair warning.  A down in the dumps alert...Sometimes I just need to talk myself through the rough spots. I get afraid, sometimes, of what my life will be like when I get to my 'goal'.  I think part of that is from people saying they think I look great now.  Really?  I'm hovering at the 200 pound mark and I look great?  When I look in my mirror I see a fat woman who knows how to dress to hide weight.  What will I look like at 140?  Will I look great? Or will I have tons of loose wrinkly skin hanging all over like an elephant?  Will I look old and worn out?  Will I gain it all back plus some?

Sometimes I think I won't get to my goal and that I'm just wasting my time especially when I step on the scale and discover I've not lost a pound or worse yet GAINED!  What is wrong with me that I can't lose the weight all of a sudden?  Maybe the problem is that I sometimes feel content.  I think that's what my  husband is banking on. That I feel content and stop trying so I don't make him look bad.  Am I right or just paranoid?  When did I let paranoia creep into this equation?

I am so frustrated with my weight right now that I can't see straight.

Friday, March 11, 2011

Coupon links for the 'Good for you' Foods

Once upon a time I was not an organic food fan.  I thought it was expensive, and it is, if you don't know what you're doing.  A heart attack, stroke, diabetes is even more expensive so I started going for the good stuff.  You don't have to pay a lot of money, you just have to learn to shop smart.  Use coupons, join mailing lists, and keep a sharp eye out.  It's time to start paying attention to what you're putting in your body.  Garbage in is certainly GARBAGE OUT.  You're killing yourself eating all that processed JUNK.

I find cutting paper seriously therapeutic.  Couponing allows me to cut paper, but the thing I hate most about couponing is the general lack of good things for you.  I can find all kinds of sweetened cereal, pasta, mac n cheese, sodium laden pasta sauces and breaded appetizers a body could want, but what I find disturbingly missing is the good stuff.  Where are the organics, the low sodium, low sugar, not artificial stuffs located?  And besides that, just how much lysol and toliet paper do you really need?

First Up  Organic Valley Coop  They evidently haven't updated their list of grocers who carry their product, however, I have seen it a WalMart and EarthFare. Milk, cheese, eggs, cream, butter

Udi's Gluten Free Foods  Gluten free for those who have food allergies.  Friend them on facebook too for cool deals.  I got a coupon for a free item.  I tried the double chocolate chip muffins.  MMMMMMMMmmmmmm good!

Horizon Dairy  Organic Milk.

Egg*Land's Best  Cage Free organic eggs.  Watch the Sunday paper inserts they're in there frequently too.

Wild Harvest  Organic Ground Coffee, Organic Soy Milk, Natural Cereals,  Organic raisins, Organic Eggs,  organic maple syrup,  organic pancakes,  organic yogurt.  Usually $1 off coupons for different products.

Knudsen Juices  exactly what it says, different juices, just watch the sugar content...

Earth Bound Farm  Click products then the free stuff and more tab.  Also watch the fresh produce aisles in your local grocery story they often have recipe books with coupons in the back.  I picked up some last week with 2 75cent coupons on the back.

Eden Organics  sign up for their online newsletter to get coupons.  Flour and cooking needs




Hodgson Mill  I use their flour, cornmeal, ground flaxseed, wheat germ....you get the idea  You have to email them for coupons though

Bobs Red Mill  Flours and cooking spices.


My most favorite oil in the world to cook with,  GrapeOla, manufactured by Kusha Rice, doesn't offer a coupon, yet.  However you can find it at Amazon.com in all sorts of sizes and prices ranges. 

If you haven't signed up at earthfare.com  you need to do so soon.  They have awesome freebie coupons every month.  We got a chicken dinner for free with a $10 purchase.  I have 2 teen boys so we just bought extra chicken and fixins which took care of the additional $10 purchase, might as well be practical right?

So there's my grocery finds for the week.  I'll have more next week.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Just To Give myself a good idea

Numbers are hard, unyielding truth tellers!


September Weight 208  Neck 15.5   Biceps 14  Bust 40 Waist 36  Hips 47    Thigh 27  Calf 17

October        205              15             14             36          36              45.5        24             17

November     203             15              13            34.5         36              45          24             17


December     Who knows?

January          Again, who knows

February     196!

March        196          15.5            13                    34            35          45          23              17


Not too shabby but those numbers should have been better had I kept up with my own program and not been on Facebook all hours of the day and night.  That place is just plain addicting and shold be avoided!

By the end of March My goal is 190 with an inch off each measurment that I'm starting with today.  There!  Goal for the month made.

How do I get there:  Run every day whether I want to or not..  Drink more lemon water (hate the stuff but it helps with bloat)  More fruits and veggies less carbs (I back slid help!), stay off of facebook, lift weights, Suzanne Deason...paging suzanne Deason! Pilates and Stability Ball STAT!  Go to bed at a decent hour.
MORE WATER!

And there ya go.  time to get off my backside to cook supper and do some laundry.

Mel

Fat Girls Can Run

Although I must say I'm insulted that I was told I needed a certain kind of shoe to runin because I weigh over 180 lbs.  I shouldn't be insulted.  The person who said was being nice and trying to be gentle when uttering those words.  So what to do when told I need a certain pair of shoes because I'm fat, I buy them.  I like them pretty well.  I want another pair, Brooks Ariel, a bit out of my price range, but that's okay.  I WILL OWN THEM EVENTUALLY!

Shin splints are still causing a problem though not as badly, probably where they haven't healed from where I ran in the not so good running shoes.  I made it nearly a mile today.  My cool down (where my breathing and heart rate return to normal instead of the omg I'm going to burst if you don't stop now!) took less than 2 minutes so I 'm taking that as a good sign.

I'm using Couch to 5K running program and I must say it works!  Find them on Facebook or google it.

My biggest problem with running is the voracious appetite that hits me about an hour or so later.  I'm countering with protein and water, but I'm not sure that's what I'm supposed to do?  I really really really want carbs!  Lots of Carbs.  ANY carbs lol!  Ignore ignore ignore!

Thinking Pilates with Suzanne Deason is on the schedule for tonight.  I need a good stretch to get my  bikini waistline 'on' . August is 6 months away and I have to make a very strong point about why we don't insult the wife no matter how angry and jealous we are.  Once said point is made, then I make sure the point is permanently ingrained by not gaining any of the weight back until I'm 80 and in a nursing home where I'll still look better than those other old bats in there with me. =)  How's that for a goal?  I figure if Helen Mirren can sport a stunning bikini body in her 60's so can I.

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

And I'm Back!

Life gets in the way.  I have some new pics of me and my new babies (shoes...not anything that has to be fed unless you count my growing need to run!)  Measurements will resume at the end of the month because I've been lazy of late, that's why!

My new products of the month are Shirataki Noodles ....interesting texture, sort of rubbery but then I think I didn't prepare them correctly so that might be my fault.  Anyway they're also called Konjac noodles, made from tofu, look like spaghetti, actually they come in a variety of noodle 'styles' and probably taste lke spaghetti when you cook them correctly, just add a little pesto or sea salt and garlic and yummy!

Also a product called NOoodle made from yam flour and water...NO CALORIES NO FAT NO NET CARBS NO SOY NO GLUTEN  the only thing that adds any of the above is what you personally add to it. they are yoummy with just a little pesto or with garlic and sea salt or your favorite pasta sauce.  You can register at their website for awesome recipes and like them on facebook for amazing deals.

I've tried both and don't have a preference of one over the other, just admitting that I'm not sure i prepared them correctly lol!  I'll eat them again and again though!

My shin splints issue is about to become a thing of the past with my new babies 

Saucony Omni Grid 3 maximum stability running shoes.  My next pair will be a pair of Brooks Ariel so that I have 2 pair to run in.  why?  hopefully they won't get worn out if I have 2 pair to alternate between.  running has become quite the passion of mine of late.






And as promised New Pics all made within the last two weeks or so.


Thursday, March 3, 2011

Blog will be back up on Monday

TEchnical difficulties. Science Fair projects, and life in general.  But I will be back on Monday.