Thursday, June 30, 2011

Week Something - DairAir

Didn't gain, didn't lose. I believe that is called miraculous. Allergies have been terrible and ice cream makes it feel so much better, so I've had a cone every day this week. Luckily I was super sick one day and couldn't eat anything - that is probably what spared me the weight gain.

Stressed out, busy, pressing forward. Eating whatever I can throw together, but making sure I have a big pile of greens on the plate with it. No exercise, just trying to get stuff done around here.

Monday, June 27, 2011

Week 4 - Bacon

This week's progress:
Weight: up one pound from last week, down 1.2 pounds so far.

I don't want to talk about it.

I'm bitter. I was a champ all week. I went out with friends one night, and I ate popcorn once, but I really ate well otherwise.

COME ON!!!

Got some good walking in on Saturday because I was given the wrong location for a ward activity and then had to walk to the new one, but other than that, no real exercise to speak of. The knee bothered me for 36 pretty scary hours where I thought things were about to be really bad again, but then it turned around and got better, just in time for my dyshidrotic eczema to appear all over my feet. Nice. But that appears to be on the mend today, so I'm feeling optimistic.

This week's menu:
Who are we kidding? I just heat up something from the freezer every night. Right now, all that's in the freezer is chicken black bean burritos and BBQ chili, so it'll be one of the two probably every night.

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Week 3 - Bacon

Well, another week has come and gone. I felt like I did a pretty good job of not eating inappropriately. I did go out with a friend from my ward last night to have dinner (at a mac & cheese restaurant--YUM!) and treats at a patisserie. It was yummy, but I need to not make too many exceptions. I did get some freezer food cooked, so I'm ready again for another week of not eating junk. One day this week, I desperately wanted a hamburger, but I didn't go! I was a rockstar, I know.

This Week's Work
Weight: down 1.2 pounds from last week, 2.2 pounds overall. I'm glad to be down this week, but wishing I was down more! I want to just magically be much thinner. So far, that isn't happening, but I like to imagine...

It was a hard week because I'm working long hours, but I'm still making it through okay. One day I left my apple at home and had to go buy a wrap for lunch. Lame. Expensive, and not nearly as good as my apple and peanut butter.

Exercise: I'm a hoser. No real exercise to speak of again. And really, this week, I haven't even been doing my knee exercises. I know!! Crazy. My knee has been feeling much better this week, so I have a harder time remembering the exercises. I walked a little over a mile yesterday in running some errands, but I don't know if I'll get to walk more this week. I want to very much, but between heat and long hours, I'm struggling to fit it in. When I get home from work, I'm just tired and ready to eat and go to bed.

This Week's Menu
Monday: BBQ Chili
Tuesday: Dinner with RS Presidency & Sister Missionaries (I'm bringing salad)
Wednesday: Grilled chicken & veggies
Thursday: Chicken Black Bean Burrito
Friday: ?? I dunno...what do you gals think?
Saturday: ??
Sunday: Puff pancake

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Week 2 - DairyAir

Well, ladies, I was down another 2.8 this week, 4.2 total, though I'm not sure how. I'm super stressed out and working really hard to control the stress eating, focusing on small portions of whatever we happen to eat (we've had to do pizza a couple of times, but I limit myself to a small serving and then veggies and lots of water). I've been doing a TON of gardening and yard work, heavy duty stuff that, apparently, burns some calories. So I've only got 28.2 more pounds to go!

As for exercise, it has either been cold with horrible weather or I've been doing yard work and housework. I need to get back on the elliptical, but probably not going to get there this week. I've also been too busy for the computer, so I haven't really spent any time sitting, which is good. Keeps the metabolism up.

Food plan:
Wed: French Dip Sandwiches
Thurs: BBQ Chili
Fri: Salmon

...and other meals using up freezer foods that I haven't planned yet. I just found out my lettuce is all moldy (ew) so I need to go get more. I'm going to really try to have big servings of frozen veggies at every meal this week, since JC went to the store for me last night and I didn't know I needed lettuce. Should I need to pop over to Walmart for something else, I'll get some more romaine too.

There will be weeks when the progress is slow, or non-existent, in spite of our efforts. There will be weeks (like this one) that surprise us. The important thing is that we stick with it and keep on keeping on. :-)

Monday, June 13, 2011

Week one- Somebody's

Let me just say how awesome you girls are doing. So pleased!!! And now let me catch up.

When I weighed in on the 5th I was only down 0.8 from my weigh-in on June 1st (curse you, macaroon recipe testing project). Today, I am down 2.0.

I haven't exercised at all because of the plantar fasciitis and because I've been so busy trying to get Girls' Camp pulled together. And because I'm kinda lazy and don't do any crunches or curls in the morning when I used to be walking. It just seems like there are so many other things I could be getting done. Must repent. After Girls' Camp.

So what have we been eating for the past two weeks?

Lots of salad. The garden lettuce is all ready; we have salad every day and can't keep up. In addition to green salad as a side dish every day, we had Crispy Chicken Salad once.

We've also eaten:
Chicken and Dumplings
Bacon, eggs and hash browns with juice and fresh fruit
Brisket, baked potato (w skin)
Salmon with brown rice
French dip sandwiches (testing out an idea for last minute extra day at camp)
Sloppy Joes (tasty recipe made w lean beef, brown rice, etc)
Grilled lamb steaks (garlic/mint pesto rubbed) with experimental sweet rice (another camp test recipe)
Sunday we had waffles, Canadian bacon and fruit.

This week we plan to have:
cashew chicken
soup and biscuits
salad bar
grilled chicken w brown rice
tacos
meatloaf, potatoes
and something else, to be determined
(all of those with green salad and maybe another veggie)

For our breakfasts, we have hot cereal twice, pancakes once, cold cereal on days that I work and eggs and toast once. We usually have fruit along with breakfast and sometimes at dinner.

My plan is to get new walking shoes when I'm back from camp and start walking again. I'm supposed to walk a lot slower for a few weeks. And I'm supposed to take smaller steps. If all goes well, I'll be back to walking 3-5 miles by the end of summer. Somebody's Father has the bug to go through the canyon again. We'll see. It depends on if/when/what new job. If I can't go with him, he'll probably do a all-in-one-day crossing without me.

As for the breakfast dilemma, I suggest whole or multi-grain muffins that you can microwave as needed. Add a piece of fruit to that and call it breakfast. If it isn't too much like a cold cut, add 2-4 slices Canadian bacon for lean protein.

We tried something new for breakfast and liked it:

Oat and buttermilk snack cake

1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup steel-cut oats
1/2 cup oat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg
Cooking spray
1 tablespoon powdered sugar (optional)
Preparation
Combine buttermilk and oats; cover and refrigerate 8 hours.

Preheat oven to 375°.

Lightly spoon flours into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk.

Place sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and egg; beat until well blended. Stir in oat mixture; beat until well blended. Add flour mixture, beating just until moist.

Spoon batter into a 13 x 9-inch baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack. Cut into squares. Garnish with powdered sugar, if desired.

I cut the recipe in half and substituted whole wheat flour for half of the white flour. I put quick oats in the food processor to make oat flour and you could do the same thing with a blender.

When I make it again, I am going to pour 1/2 cup boiling water over the steel-cut oats and let them sit until cool, then drain and add the buttermilk for the overnight soak. I might also substitute canola oil for the butter and see what happens.

It was pretty convenient because I mixed the dry ingredients, the wet ingredients and greased my pan before I went to bed. My oven can start itself, so it came on and was preheated when I got out of bed. All I had to do was pull the oats/buttermilk and the egg/sugar/butter mixtures out of the fridge and mix it all together. By the time I was all dressed and ready to eat, it was ready, too. Tasty, warm and just a hint of sweetness instead of the cupcake-style sweetness of most muffins and snack cakes. I served it with with fruit and it made a nice breakfast.

I think you could reduce the sugar and oil in most muffins, substitute wheat flour for part or all of the white flour (might have to do that gradually) and have a healthy breakfast bread. Portion control is the secret to having whole grains in your diet.

So there is my tip for the week.

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Week 2 - Bacon

This week's work
Weight: up .4 pounds from last week; total lost: one pound

Exercise: none to speak of. Walked back and forth to court at least once most days (about 10 minutes each way), walked a couple of miles yesterday running errands; maintained my knee exercises but didn't add anything else to my strength training.

Eating: had a couple of treats (popcorn once, a lemon bar after temple night, etc.), ate dinner out one night, but otherwise ate well.

On the whole, I'm discouraged this week. I didn't feel like I was particularly indulgent, but I actually gained a little bit. Argh! I can't really give up much more. I'm hardly eating any grains, and all whole grains and brown rices. I don't really feel like I can give up my fruits. I know I need to exercise more, but I've had a lot of extra knee pain this week. I need to just walk anyway since my knee hurts no matter what I do, apparently...

Menu for Next Week
Monday: FHE picnic (so I'll pick up some crackers/cheese/fruit at the grocery store on my way home)
Tuesday: Breakfast burrito & some vegetable (what veggies go with a breakfast burrito??)
Wednesday: Balsamic chicken & frozen veggies
Thursday: Meatballs & frozen veggies
Friday: Chicken tenders (from freezer) and green beans
Saturday: BBQ Chili
Sunday: Black Bean Salsa Chicken

On the whole, I'm frustrated, but whatever. It's mostly frustrating because I know plenty of skinny people who are eating these fast food lunches every day, going out at night, eating all kinds of treats, and I'm eating so healthy and getting nowhere. Ugh. But I'll hang in there...I'll be bitter, but I'll hang in.

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Week 1 - DairyAir

Well, ladies, I did ok. I was also down by 1.4 when I weighed in (how about that, my twin? I weighed in on Wednesday when I remembered, and then came down and saw that you were 1.4 this week too -nice!! Of course, it took me 3 extra days to get there, but still...)

My biggest struggle is breakfast. I hate hate hate most breakfast foods and I can't stand the smell of reheated meats, so I could use some suggestions about what to do in the morning. I can't reliably eat eggs, but I can gag one down from time to time in a pinch. Dairy doesn't always agree with me, so I try not to eat too much of it, especially in the morning. When I'm doing a good job eating healthy, I have a few slices of lowfat deli lunch meat and a V8, but I really don't like lunch meat all that much, so it is hard to maintain that for more than a few days. What do I eat in the morning??

As for the exercise, I've done terribly at that one. I walk the kids around a bit, but it typically isn't very aerobic. But I guess at least I'm not sitting on my duff eating snacks, so the walks are good for something. I've done no stretching or pilates or yoga or strength training. Lots of things are very jiggly still.

But today I am doing taxes (by hand!) for the in-laws (can you say filing late? I can!) and I haven't had a single treat. I wanted to get out some Rolos I have left over from cookies I made awhile back, but then I had one dark chocolate covered almond and a can of V8 instead. I am inspired and encouraged when I read about the good choices you guys make, so keep posting!

Food plan:

Not a very good plan this week, I'm using up stuff that we have in the freezer, as they're getting to be a little overstuffed. But I'm serving veggies at every meal and filling half my plate with veggies, and I have a bunch of lettuce so that I can have salad every day. I need to get my act together and open the freezer and make a plan, rather than just reaching in, pulling out a mystery meat and serving that up for dinner. My to-do list is now 5 pages long, so I'm not sure my act will get together any time soon.

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Week One - Bacon

This week's work
Weight: down 1.4 lbs from last week; 1.4 lbs total

Exercise this week: minimal. Walked about a mile yesterday running errands, but haven't been doing any big exercising because of my knee. Have been doing my knee exercises and stretches; switched into my new shoes, so hoping that helps.

Eating: A bit of emotional eating, but think I've set things up better for this coming week. I just don't do as well with my eating when I'm just home, alone, bored. I will do better when I'm working and have something to keep me busy--it's just too easy to sit around and eat when I don't have anything else to do!

Menu plan for week 2:
Monday: Meatballs & rice, green beans
Tuesday: Balsamic Chicken, frozen veggie
Wednesday: BBQ Chili
Thursday: Breakfast burrito
Friday: ? Temple night...
Saturday: Indian food lunch (restaurant) with JoAnna and Lindsey, so apple or small snack for dinner instead of for lunch
Sunday: Puff pancake if not too hot, otherwise, leftover from some other meal (if I have something, otherwise, something from freezer)

Anyway, I'm hoping that this week is better than last week. Writing down the menu, I realize how little I have in the way of quick things planned to eat. If I'm going to eat something from the crockpot, I really need to cook it on the weekends and freeze it, because I will be at work for too long to leave something in the morning and come home to it, I think.

Do you have any easy, healthy meals that I can throw together really quickly? What kinds of veggies should I be looking for as far as fresh produce goes? And where is the cheapest place to buy canned green beans (remembering that I'm a green bean snob)?

Friday, June 3, 2011

Celebrating Me

I read online this morning that today is National Donut Day, which made me instantly want a donut. I had to walk directly past a Tim Horton's today. I did not stop. I didn't even look in at the donuts. I also walked past a place with a yummy, yummy drink that I wanted (mora en leche, if anyone is keeping track), and walked past a place with DEEEEELICIOUS macaroons without buying anything.

Headed to the kitchen to open up a can of green beans and heat some meatballs and rice from the freezer.

I am so tough.

New Shoes

I recently went to the doctor because I've been having some knee problems. (I am an old woman now, and apparently, my future is full of joint failure. Sad.) I didn't think the doc could really do anything for me, but I went so that I could continue to whine to Somebody's Mother about my knee hurting.

Anyway, one of the things the doc told me to do was to buy new shoes.

I would've felt better about his instructions if he had been willing to finance those new shoes for me (unemployed + living in an expensive city + needing high-quality athletic shoes = OUCH!) but I survived. I ordered a few pairs online through Zappos, which does free shipping both ways (YAY!) so that I could try on the shoes and send back the ones I didn't like. After much deliberation, I finally committed to a pair of new shoes (it would take a whole different blog to talk about my commitment issues) and today, I wore them outside for the first time. Now, I'm committed and can't return them. I'm pretty happy with them. They are definitely much squishier than my last shoes, so they should make my knee a bit happier. Tomorrow, I'm going to ride the bus over to the park (not that the park is far away at all, but this way I can confine my exercise to a softer surface to be gentle with my knee for a bit).

When LL was visiting, we walked a LOT and I really enjoyed it, so I'm looking forward to being able to get out and exercise a bit more in my new shoes.

Moral of the story: even though it can be expensive, we have to do the things in our lives to facilitate being able to be the healthy women we want to be.

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

The Rules

Each week, we need to do a few things and check in with each other to make sure we're all staying on track. Here's what we discussed, but it could be altered, depending on what everyone thinks:

  • Three 30 minute cardio sessions per week (at minimum)
  • Two 20 minute strength sessions per week (at minimum - things like pilates, abs, weights, yoga, stretching, knee strengthening, etc.)
  • Email out meal plan on Friday night for the next week - plan to shop ahead and only keep the foods on hand that are good to be eating so that there's no catastrophe if someone (me) craves some emotional eating (this one is going to be extra hard for me, because I live in a city full of delicious food that can be delivered. I will be strong.)
  • Limit exception foods (refined carbs, dessert-ish things, potatoes, other cheater foods)
Thoughts?

Getting Serious! Again!

Time to get serious about this, ladies. Liz and I talked about getting a fresh start - I will let her post the rules/plans. I can't remember 'em all. :-)

But today is the starting day! Some people don't want to post their weight on a blog, which is fine, but I want to keep track of things here, so I'm going to post how much weight I am hoping to lose so that I can count down to my goal. To get down to my target weight (W), I need to lose 32 pounds, as of my weight today which I have written down in a secret location known only to me. Plus I emailed it to Liz. And maybe she forwarded it to Mom. So my weight today is W+32.

My food plan: I plan to bake up 2 cookies for myself on nights when I'm needing a treat. Other than that, no baked treats, no ice cream, no dessertish foods, candy, etc. I am going to eat 2 dark chocolate covered almonds every day with my cashews. Lots of fresh fruit, salad, whole grains.

My exercise plan: take a nice walk with the kids in the morning after school drop off and a nice afternoon walk when we pick up Javier. Once school is out we'll just go for a couple of walks every day. 30 minutes on the elliptical in the morning (missed that one today...). This is under development, as I do need to find exercise that fits into my day and helps me get things done (like heavy yard work substitutes for an aerobic session). Strength/abs.....I'm not feeling it, but I remember that Liz put that on the list of things we have to do. I guess that would be my Pilates DVD/chart. I have no idea what I will do for strength training. Carry laundry baskets up and down the stairs?