The Truth About Calories

The Truth About Calories

wanted to share this cool article on "the truth about calories." it offers great perspective on how our body needs and uses fuel that comes from food, and how not all calories are created equal.

it also helps to explain why weight watchers changed their weight loss plan (points plus), and why it may actually be more effective if you use it properly.

two big things i got out of this article (though there are several really great new ideas/tips!):

1. foods high in fiber can help to block calories from being absorbed by your body.

2. increasing activity throughout the day actually can help you to burn more calories than exercising for 30-60 minutes one time during the day. (ie - don't go to the gym and be a couch potato at the same time).

This is really cool advice for the summer, since a.) I'm trying to get out more to enjoy what DC/Baltimore have to offer, and b.)fresh fruits and vegetables are great summer meal ideas anyway!

off the blog, but not off the wagon

I haven't posted in almost a month...and with good reason! Actually, I have no valid excuse at all, so let me jump right in and i promise I'll try to keep up with my 5 fans :):

Right after my last post, I gained 2 lbs. Yes, this is a rollercoaster so I expect not to be perfect every week, but when you think about how weight loss works (3500 calories = 1 lb), its actually pretty ridiculous that I gained 2 lbs in one week. that means I consumed 7000 more calories than I should have. YIKES! actually its more than that...because i could've maintained without those 7000 calories, but not lost. I sort of know where I fell off (damn work birthday party + calzone + slippery slope).

Then - amazingly, I lost those 2 lbs the next week and then lost ANOTHER 2 lbs the week after that!! I am amazingly impressed because 1.) I went out of town (rest stop food = NOT healthy; mom's house = NOT healthier!) and 2.) I didn't exercise much (I did dance with my Wii!).

This week though, I maintained. I guess its not bad....and I certainly know WHY it happened (6 cans of POP - I KNOW! in 2 days...plus another day that my memory has apparently blocked out - I just remember it was bad). Nonetheless, I'm committed to this process so I'll continue to be mindful of what I am putting in and doing to my body.

My goal is to lose 10 lbs in the next 5 weeks. Totally doable, I think. Why 5 weeks? I'm trying to be 174 by the 4th of July. I'm going home to Detroit, and would LOVE to show my parents and weight loss challenge partner my amazing transformation.

YAY to progress, even with its setbacks...

What new goal have you set? I encourage you to push yourself!! Test those limits!

move your body!

Inspired by my step 2, and my love for beyonce...i wanted to share her latest video, move your body. its a remixed version of one of my favorite B songs, get me bodied.

the video and the song are a GREAT message on so many levels:

- its patriotic (wave the american flag!)

- it encourages kids to get up and MOVE - as an obese society, we need to get our kids up and active

- dancing is fun and a great way to stay active

- i love teach me how to dougie and beyonce dougie's in the video

- healthy eating - she's in a school cafeteria eating an APPLE!

- michelle obama has seen it (there's a video somewhere out there showing FLOTUS doing the moves!)

ENJOY! http://youtu.be/mYP4MgxDV2U

get up (and running)

Step 2 in my journey toward fitness is exercise - specifically running. I ran track in high school, but wasn't very good. I am determined to become a runner, or at the very least, a person who can jog as a workout. I'd like to start running for two main reasons:

1. I think it'd be cool to run a race for a cause (or even just the accomplishment!).
2. All the people I know who started running were able to lose weight quickly.

That being said, I'm sure you've heard of the Couch Potato to 5K running plan. If you haven't, it's fairly simple. Slowly increase your jogging/running ability through interval training for 8 weeks. I tried it about a year or two ago, but was clearly unsuccessful. Based on my current strategy for fitness combined with the fact that I ran a bit today(!), I think I can be successful.

Here's the link to the Couch Potato to 5K running plan. http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml

They have a download that you can use to track your progress online, but I don't want to pay for it. So I'll try to do it on my own...I'm looking for 5K's online that are around the 4th of July. Here's a cool website to help find races all around the country: http://www.runningintheusa.com/Default.aspx

one step at a time....

First things first: I just lost another two lbs! I am officially on the get right path! At 186lbs, I am close to where I was when I first moved out to DC. I've been losing about 1 lb per week, which is fantastic because I abhor diets. I don't believe in going on diets or doing temporary fixes for two main reasons:

1. Once you start to eat "regular" again, you gain the weight back!

2. I refuse to deprive myself and be hungry.

I am living proof that there is another way. I have a few friends who are losing weight (or wanting to), and while I'm not AT my goal, I can confidently share that my experience is no accident. I have been deliberately changing the way I think about food.

My secret? One step at a time. I am not trying to stop eating fried food, exercise 5 times a week, no carbs, lean meats, no sweets, etc. I have to live and enjoy my life.

Step 1: WATER. With [very] few exceptions, that's all I drink. I didn't have my first non-water drink for 6 weeks, and since then have only had limited interaction with those carbonated or juice alternatives. A friend of mine doesn't like water...so here are some tips to transition to it:

- crystal light (or some other target/walmart/store sugar free drink mix brand): its not kool-aid, but can definitely be helpful when weaning yourself off of pop or juice. overtime, you won't even need to "juice it up"

- lemons, limes, oranges, cucumbers, etc. no one said that water had to be boring. i'm not talking about flavored water, but throwing a few pieces of citrus fruit (or spa veggies!) in the water can help give it a bit of flavor. i promise it'll taste delish! find the thing that works for you!

What doesn't work? Vitamin Water. If you actually check the sugar and calorie content, its not much better than pop. If you're gonna drink it, you might as well enjoy a Pepsi (maybe that's just me :) ).

Step 2: Gotta step up my gym game...I'll check in to share how that goes. I have to get to the gym at least 3 times per week. I started off strong and have been slacking off since my big Convention 4 weeks ago. I'm back on it. Hopefully I'll lose at a rate of 1.5 to 2 lbs. I can't wait to get out of the 180's. The 190's went by so quickly.

That's it. I'm not going to go crazy on anything else...YET.

8 Best Supermarket Sweets

I know first-hand how much sugar can impact your diet and overall health. Since removing pop and juice from my 'diet' (among other healthier lifestyle choices), I have been able to drop 13 lbs. I once watched an episode of Thintervention (does that still come on?) and the trainer talked about limiting foods that had more than 15grams of sugar per serving. This article talks about the same thing...it suggests that 25 grams of sugar per day is advisable for women, and 37.5 for men.

Even if you can't get that low immediately, reducing your sugar intake can drastically change your life. Here's a way to still indulge while thinking smarter. While some of the items on this list are not my personal cup of tea (what does Gluten Free cake taste like?), it definitely provides some perspective. 8 Best Supermarket Sweets

A great "eat this, not that" article.

men versus women

i'm progressing well. better than i ever have. i've lost approximately 13 lbs in the last 11 weeks. while to some, this may not seem extraordinary, let me share a key fact: i have NEVER lost weight. (well, technically i lost baby weight shortly after my now 3yo daughter, but that was due to breast feeding and simply not being pregnant. oh - and i gained it right back.) i also had never seriously decided to lose weight. i wanted to lose weight, but hadn't committed any time or energy into thinking differently about food, exercise, and my overall health.

i'm sharing this wonderful, exciting news about losing 13 lbs because i was a bit envious (read: INSANELY JEALOUS) that my husband called me from the gym and informed me that he had lost another 10 lbs. ANOTHER TEN POUNDS. aside from the fact that he doesn't weigh himself each week like i do, it seems unfair that he gets to lose weight so quickly. he's also larger than i am and therefore has more weight to lose. i also understand that it can be easier for men to lose weight. while i am completely happy and excited about his progress - i can't help but think how unfair it is for the universe to make weight loss more difficult for women.

i've come to realize that some of it is our own fault. men and women have different eating and different weight loss habits. i read an article once on this, and found some really interesting ideas. you can read the article for all of the habits, but these really resonated with me.

1. have a one track mind - essentially this describes how women try to do it all when trying to lose weight. men decide to drink less beer or hit the gym hard. women try to do 50 different things...i learned in business that its better to do a few (or one) thing amazingly well than to do a bunch of things mediocre. so pick one thing (no pop/juice) and give it a go...you can always add things later. don't try to do it all at once.
2. grunt, groan, and sweat - to me this one and number 4 (see below) are seriously indicative of what i see at the gym AND what i used to do. we don't push ourselves. in my last post, i talked about how i pretend like i have a personal trainer. in my old days of non-weight loss, i would moderately walk and complain about why i wasn't losing weight. clinical studies show that increased intensity (even with less time) exercises were more effective in overall fitness. get that heart rate up and make your own bootcamp!
3. ditch the dinner drama - simply put, don't trip when you are tempted. sometimes you'll be tempted by foods that are delicious. that's life. you can't live in a bubble. if you could, we'd all be on slim fast, jenny craig, and nutrisystem forever and weigh 120 lbs. men don't obsess over that pizza they shouldn't have eaten or that amazing steak that will give them thunder thighs. instead, they eat the pizza and realize that they have to work it off later. emotional eating will make you lose every time. think like a man, if the food is good, eat it, but don't let it be defined by your mood...
4. pump iron - before my husband hurt his knee, we had gotten into a groove where we worked out together - and it was nice. he got to see how strong i was, and i got to do a man's workout. between russian deadlifts (or whatever its called), squats, and other weights i had never really lifted before, i was working things i hadn't. in my nice women's gym, i used to pick up 8 lb dumbells and do a few leg machines. now, i'm stronger and leaner for it. i lift what's appropriate for me, but realizing how important strength training is really helped me up my fitness game. technically muscle weighs more than fat, but you'll burn off the fat too, if you are doing it right. you don't see fat body builders - do you?

http://www.self.com/fitness/workouts/2010/11/lose-weight-like-a-guy

bottom line, i'm happy for his weight loss, and will try to think more like a man, when it comes to my own health and fitness goals.

weight watchers - sorta...

i have several friends who have done weight watchers with tremendous success, so i wanted to sort of try it out. by 'sort of' i mean i don't want to pay each week or go to meetings, but i want to follow the plan. what this ended up meaning was that i wasn't officially doing weight watchers, but since i'm watching my weight (pun intended), i think the spirit of it is there. at the end of the day, what's most important is that you find something that works for your life and change your lifestyle. so here's a brief overview of what i've been doing since january 2011:

- no pop or juice: a major source for [empty] calories. i was addicted to pepsi and indulged in juice more than i should have, so for me, there was no moderation. this was more difficult than i expected at first, but i started off substituting crystal light (and the sometimes more delicious target and walmart varities) but very quickly realized that water could be delicious. my secret? buying a new water bottle that i thought was cute and chic! i use it at work, when i work out, even when i travel! now i drink at LEAST 2-3 30 oz containers a day (more if i work out).

- workout at least 3 times per week: i am a wife and mother and have a 3hr round trip commute to and from work most days, so i don't have the luxury of working out everyday. my husband works and goes to school full time, i want my daughter to go to bed at a decent hour, and i need my sanity (read: sleep). while i strive to workout as many days as a can, i do force myself to get the gym at least 3 times a week.

- workout like i'm with a trainer: i have never actually had a personal training session, but i can see why they are tremendously valuable. i will observe other people's sessions and try to imitate the things that they do in terms of exercises and workouts that i don't think about doing. what's more important, however, is that i push myself in my workouts. the old me used to walk at a moderate pace for 30 minutes, do some light weights, and call it a great work out. NO WONDER i wasn't losing any weight! i was at a plateau before i had even started! now, i push myself harder than i think i can go. if i'm not breathing hard or sweating, i haven't pushed it to the limit. i make sure that i up my resistance/speed/weight/level on whatever machine/exercise i'm doing at least once per week...if i find its too difficult - i simply do intervals to alternate between my max and something more comfortable. that's supposedly better for weight loss anyway. i also make sure that my cardio is at least 45min-1hr. i want my body working as hard as it can for as long as it can. i'd love to do the 4 hr workouts that i see on "biggest loser" or mtv's new "i used to be fat", but remember - i have a real life. i WISH i had 4 hrs a day to workout. also, its not exactly a maintainable lifestyle.

- stop acting like a fat girl: this will be different for every thickums out there, but for me, there were a few simple things. be more active, stop buying junk food for the family, no more movie theater food. the first two are probably obvious, but they are not always easy to do...especially when you have to buy groceries for a family. its one thing to limit your own food choices - but i realized that my family would benefit as well. and now we're all healthier for it. the movie theater food was a realization for me even though we don't go to the movies often. when i was growing up, we NEVER ate movie theater food, mostly because it was expensive and there were 6 of us. my husband introduced me to large cherry pepsi's and hot dogs and i grew hooked! i realized though, we were being the fat people at the movie theater. some people are happy being fat and fabulous - i am not. i started by moving to smaller sized drinks and no food, and now i am movie theater food free!

outside of these specific things, not acting like a fat girl meant no more free refills on beverages (except water), no more extra deserts, and MORE salads. i had always been averse to salad because i thought it was a side dish, but once i began to explore ways to make my own salads good (avocados, corn, etc. <-- ie things that I LIKE), i discovered that salads can be amazing AND healthy (salad spritzer instead of dressing PLEASE!).

- all in moderation: what's just as important as what i am doing, are the things that i am NOT doing. i am not doing a low carb, high protein diet. i am not drinking diet sodas instead of regular. i am not doing anything temporarily...i am changing my lifestyle, so it has to be something that i can manage given the constraints and realities of my life... i AM occasionally having a sangria (or 3!) or going out to eat with my husband for our anniversary. the difference is, i know think differently about food and don't even eat as much as i used to. no seconds for me, drink water before and after the meal...and i'm usually good.

- weight watchers: the remix: as i mentioned, i have lots of friends who do weight watchers. i like to call mine the spirit of weight watchers. here's what i think about every day:

- drink lots of water (read 2-3 30 oz containers each day)

- fresh fruits and vegetables are 0 points (this is from points plus!)

- eat breakfast each morning

- log your meals each day - i don't do this anymore, because i have a pretty good sense of how my food intake has changed...but i may start back up for the sake of the blog and to stay on top of my game. its more helpful than you realize in terms of understanding how much you eat and how many calories those items are. i recommend getting an app for your smartphone that calculates the calories so you can see how many calories you consume/burn versus how many you are allotted for weight loss.

there are several more things that i've done to be successful, but i'll share those as we go....the bottom line is this. i weighed 202 lbs january 15 and now weight 188 lbs on april 8. while a part of me does not feel comfortable sharing my weight, i am VERY comfortable sharing my weight loss, and for the sake of transparency, i want to show you that it can be done. and i was ALWAYS the biggest skeptic out there. my intermediate goal is 170 by august 2011 and as you can see, i am WELL on my way. i hope you'll find something useful in my experience.

welcome back...welcome back....welcome back!

the idea behind this blog was never about "dieting". we are simply two "thick" girls trying to get right for ourselves!

we haven't posted in a while but i wanted to share our progress because i know we have both been doing some amazing things! hopefully we can share our journeys to date and continue to share our success (and sometimes setbacks) on our way to fabulous! the ultimate goal is for us to have a FABULOUS 30th next year with amazing bodies!!

Make Me Strong Like Bull

So after signing up for my new online personal trainer yesterday, I got my full plan for April in my email box today. Let me say how happy I am with my plan!

In the initial questionnaire, I gave a lot of information about what I have done and my body type. Also she asked what I want to look like. I don't know what it's called...but I want to look like my body idol, Laila Ali:


That in my opinion, is a killer body. And that body requires some major work to achieve.

So when I looked at the program that was created for me, I was really happy to see that the stuff I like and the stuff she thinks will work for me are one in the same, woot! What is that you ask....lifting HEAVY weights. Sorry, but I can't do the bodypump situation...lifting 10 lbs 100 times. I like to lift 100 lbs 10 times. That makes me feel strong and I get muscle definition pretty fast that way. And since I would like to look like miss diva herself...well I need to lift heavy. And yes ladies, you can lift heavy. As long as you aren't on steroids, you will not end up looking like this:

Anyway, the mix of cardio and weights is fun and interesting and I'm really excited for workout #1, which will be tonight!

Moving On

So today, one day after ending my relationship with my trainer, I decided to get another one.

But I bet it's different than what you think!

I'm going to do on-line personal training. I have researched this a lot, even before signing on with the trainer at the gym, and I think it's the way to go for me. The reason I vetoed this before was that I wasn't in a gym groove. I was trying to get back into the gym and wasn't feeling it. So I knew the motivation of an in-person trainer would be better, even if the cost was high. Now that I'm back into the gym groove and feeling good, I know I can handle an on-line trainer.

I'm sure you're asking what an on-line trainer is, right? They basically create a personalized program for you to do. After checking in on a regular basis (frequency depends on the program, but ranges from every other week to every month) the program is modified to give you the best results. You have to be self motivated - because there is nobody going to the gym with you, nobody yelling/cheering for you, and nobody to make sure you are there. But it does give you a great program to follow once you motivate your own self to get to the gym. This is why I think it's good for me now - my mindset is ready for it.

The pros to me for online training are fantastic. It's way less expensive ($30-50 a MONTH vs. $45-60 an HOUR) and you still get a great workout plan. Each program I examined asked for a pretty detailed client profile (actually more detailed than anything I was asked at the gym for in-person training) and most ask for pictures/measurements as well (eek!). I love the cost - because at $30-50 a month, I can afford to do this for a long time. It won't be a huge financial burden at all (less than $2 a day). I've heard other pros from my research online, but I'm reserving my judgment on those until I actually start the program.

The cons, well I don't know all the cons yet. I know that the big one is that you are not training with them in person. Nobody to correct your form, nobody to push you to one last rep, nobody to help you get through the workout. You have to be motivated from within for every workout.

Another big pro for me was that I could really research the people I was thinking about hiring. There were reviews online on the trainer's website as well as non-affiliated other sites. This was awesome. Reading blogs about how a trainer helped someone made me very aware of their skills and programs. This is something that is unique to this online world we live in.

So that's the whole thing for me going forward. I'm going to give this a try and see how it goes. I just signed up for one month and I'm getting my client sheets done today and submitted. Here goes nothing!

The Last Training Session

So this Monday was my last personal training session with Trainer Amy. I did 20 sessions spread out from Jan 18 through March 29th. This was spread out so much due to travel (both of us) and snowpocalypse 2010. So what was the final verdict?

Meh.

I mean at first, I was really excited about the training. But over time, I became underwhelmed. She started throwing more cardio in - which isn't all bad I guess. BUT - when I pay per hr and I spend the first 10, 20 and at one session, 28 minutes doing cardio on machines while she is no where to be seen - well I feel like I'm wasting money. I can do cardio on my own for free...I don't want to waste 1/3 of my session doing just a regular workout on a machine. And she was doing something else. I knew she was having some stuff going on..but you shouldn't be talking to your boyfriend in the gym office while I'm doing cardio during the hour I pay you for. Sorry but you should be standing right next to me. To the last session, she didn't know how fast I walked on the treadmill...because she was rarely around. I think I would have seen much bigger gains if she stuck around, pushed me to a higher level when I needed it, and was better able to assess my abilities.

Some of the other issues - she talked about money too much. About needing more clients, needing to make more money, how upset she was when ppl didn't show up because she lost money, clients that didn't pay, ect. It made me feel weird and I didn't like it. Combined with how I felt I was getting played for my own dollars during the sessions - well it just seemed like a bad deal I was getting. I don't mind paying for a good product...but this one seemed a little like a raw deal over time.

There was a lot of good though - don't let me make it sound all bad. When she was attentive and around, I got my butt kicked GOOD. I sweated it out, burned it off, and felt the pain the next day. I definitely think she knows her stuff - but I think she gets way too distracted, which affects my outcomes.

In general - I'm glad I did it. The benefits were that I have lost body fat, slimmed down, gotten back into a gym routine, and am on my road back to being in shape. I think trainers are excellent for anyone who needs motivation and a regular schedule at the gym, especially beginners. They can help you figure out where to start. Even a 10 session package is awesome. I think I will train again, but probably with a different trainer. Unfortunately, you can't really try ppl out...some of the issues I had with my trainer would never come up in a trial session. But I think that next time, I will ask to speak to some of their clients or try to figure out when they train so I can watch them.

2 weeks + 2 states = 5 lbs

So after a week in TX for work, I went on vacation for 5 days to Boston.

I know, sounds like a bad recipe for weight loss. And it was for half the time.

Texas was a disaster. I didn't gain a lot of weight, maybe 2 or 3 lbs. But I didn't work out most of the time, ate way too much Mexican food, and slept horrible hours. I also had the breakfast buffet. Oops. I had good intentions...I brought protein powders and bars, exercise clothes, and gym shoes. But it just never happened.

Then the Sunday after I got back I met with Nutritionist Dustin. My body fat was good, but the scale wasn't looking too good. We talked about more travel strategies and I went on my way, ready for another trip the following week. I was disappointed that my progress has been so slow...but I know that me + travel has been a bad situation lately.

This time for Boston, I had a mission. I again packed my protein powder, bars, and exercise gear. This time, I had massive follow through. I packed my bag daily with snacks, tried to follow the food plan to a T, and exercised 3 of 5 days. On top of the exercise, I did major walking, as me and the man are all about public transportation for $$ saving and really experiencing the city. I was really proud of my work, but nervous that I didn't do it "right."

Well yesterday I got back from Boston and this morning I checked the scale - down 5 lbs! Now granted..this makes my total loss from the two weeks only about 2 lbs...but it def means I traveled "right" this time. I know I did the best I could and am really proud of myself. The biggest challenge will be to keep this going for a while. It's hard to maintain momentum..but it must be done!

ugh

I've been doing ok, but I haven't lost any weight. I had planned to do two a days (morning and evening) for the next 3 weeks, but got sick on day 2. Need to figure out a method to this madness.

think like a man...

so i read an article sometime last week online (if i find it, i'll post here) about how men lose weight differently from women (duh!) and what women can learn apply from men. i don't remember all the elements, but a few things stood out to me:

1. lifting weights actually boosts metabolism: the article recommended that instead of the low weight, lots of reps, to do more weight and less reps. i'm not suggesting that you become a bodybuilder by any means, but it seems worth a shot.

2. its ok to cheat: i think this speaks precisely to what my blog partner is referring to here. not to beat yourself up when you fall off the wagon (or indulge in that delicious pizza - or in my case, girl scout cookies (damn samoas!)). the article said that men don't eliminate the good stuff from their diet, they simply eat less. i'm not sure if i agree that's what men do, but i think its a good approach. instead of saying no ice cream, know that you are going to eat ice cream, but make yourself half a cup instead of that giant bowl you usually make.

3. become a meat monster: the article didn't say it like this AT ALL, but i thought it was a clever phrase. the idea is that while women indulge on carbs (desserts, pizzas, cookies, etc.), men indulge on steak and manly meats. i am not sure i agree with this (i know at least 2 significant others that LOVE desserts), but i think this is a good idea. because proteins are more likely to fill you up and keep you satisfied, its better to have a second helping of chicken than more rice or potatoes. and you may eat enough to not want dessert at all.

i am, however, probably most surprised by the fact that the article said i could learn something from a man.

just kidding. maybe.

so i've been doing fantastic with my water and have been doing good with eating until (how do you make that suspenseful music sound in writing?) -- GIRL SCOUT COOKIE SEASON. i ate a little more than i should. and by a little, i mean 2 boxes in 2 days between me and my daughter (and she ate her fair share). but i'm going to put the 3rd box in the freezer, and am working out like hell and simply trying to offset with less carbs for the rest of the week, and more protein. beans, meats, and veggies are my friend.

also i've been working out and doing well! this weekend is my chance to push it and up to the next resistance level.

yay for progress! let's just hope i see SOMETHING on the scale this saturday.

My Cheating Ways

This weekend is where the inevitable wall hits. That place where eating right just seems stupid when there is delicious PIZZA to be had. See I don't know if ya'll know - I have a major issue when it comes to pizza. I love it. True story - I asked my fiance if we could have pizza delivered to the wedding reception . Or have caterers make a pizza buffet.

So you see - I'm a true fan of a delicious perfectly topped pizza.

And I totally gave in yesterday. Ugh. It's okay, as I'm allowed a cheat meal occasionally (and you don't get more cheat then Kim + PIZZA). But it's also hard because I'm the kind of person that usually takes a few days to get over a cheat meal. I'm trying to change that. And get back on the wagon ASAP. With my lunch I brought to work and my protein shakes and snacks. But it's hard, because having PIZZA reminds me of all the goodness I do *not* have in my very organic meals. Cooking with out all the processed sauces and salt (you don't realize how awesome salt is until you can't use it) is really bland. And having all that flavor is making me realize that because my lunch was just not hitting the spot today.

So I'm going to do some research - and treat myself to a food book on how to season food better. It's not easy seasoning food w/ no salt and marinade and I'm just getting bored - which is making that wall really hard to get over. I found a book called the Flavor Bible and I think I may have to snatch it up. If I'm going to eat clean for life - Ms. Dash isn't going to permanently cut the bill for my chicken and potato and rice flavoring. And definitely for fish - I'm about lemon peppered out.

Instead of beating myself up about my cheating ways, I'm going to instead learn from them. The fact of the matter is that I need to figure out how to add more flavor profiles to my food so I'm not so bored. And I need to kick some major behind at the gym. I'm on my own this week - my trainer is out of town. So she's sending me workouts via electrons so I can stay on track. My next scheduled workout is a DOOZY, but I'm excited to get it in. I actually think I *may* take tonight off though (I know, talk about talking out of both sides of my mouth) because I have my most awesome aunt in town from the D and this is really the only night I can meet up with her before she heads back home. And I have to go to pick up some crafty goodness from the other side of the county. She did say she was interested in working out though - so if she is still up for a butt kicking workout, I'll drag her with me. If not, then we'll just catch up as I haven't been home or seen her since AUGUST!!

The good, bad, and the ugly

Only two days in and I've already stopped writing in my food diary. What's worse, is today somebody brought a deep fryer to work and made fried chicken and fries for everyone (yes, i'm for real).

The good news is, I've been diligently sticking to my 2000mL of water per day. I've actually been doing more most days...

(gets back on the wagon)

If at first you don't succeed...

I apologize for my hiatus on here. It hasn't been intentional or due to the fact that I haven't lost any weight yet (more on that in a minute). I truly have been busy, and haven't gotten a chance to get on here...but part of this process is to make time for yourself and what is important, so I'm back and committed to staying back.

Now - back to my progress, or lack of progress would be more accurate. My plan was to eat right FIRST and then add the workouts. Unfortunately, I weighed myself my first day back at the gym and had not lost a single pound (well maybe one, but I attributed that to clothes weight variation and/or precision of the scale -- that's the engineer in me, sorry...). So as I sat for a minute within my frustration, I realized that it didn't mean it was the end, or that I couldn't do it. I am not a fat person by nature (nor am I a skinny person, for that matter), and that alone lets me know that I can lose this weight. I probably hadn't been eating as well as I should (there was a party in my tummy! - i have a 2 year old who loves Yo Gabba Gabba so don't judge me!)

So my new approach is as follows:

I have a large water bottle (32oz) that I am committing to drinking at least 2 - 3 full bottles a day. My premise is that you fill up on liquids, you don't eat as much food.

Removing all non-water beverages from my diet (with the exception of juice for breakfast on the weekends)

Substituting white rices, pastas, potatoes, for their "diverse" counterparts!

Eliminating red meat and increasing weekly fish intake

Weigh myself every week

Workout at least 3 times per week

Keep a food diary

While this list is not inclusive, it represents the CHANGES I am making.

I am a little jealous by my blog partner's weight loss, but also motivated and proud of her! You're the best!

Next week I'll check in with my progress on those things I've listed above.

Toodles!

Two Week Check In

Hola folks! I had my 2 week check in with the nutritionist this past Sunday. Drum roll please......I lost 8 lbs. Wow! I was super happy with that (obviously) and at the same time kind of sad b/c i know that won't continue forever. It'll just be a short term fast lost before I settle into the program more and start losing at a more normal/reasonable rate of .5-2 lbs/week. I still have hopes of losing at least 5 more lbs before I go to Boston - putting me at around 20 lbs lost in 2010.

I like the eating program, but obviously, I'm getting annoyed with some of the foods. Mainly the granola snack. I really don't like granola, LOL. Luckily after my 2 weeks, I get to play with the food plan a little. I'm going to keep it mainly the same, but I will start subbing out the granola with one of the cracker alternates. I heart crackers :)

It's been REALLY hard to stick with the diet though. I have to eat when I don't want to and I have to eat more/less than I want to when I do. Relinquishing my desires when it comes to food is really hard. But I guess the point is that I really don't know how to eat on my own, so I need to learn. So I'm learning. And I'll have to suck it up until I do. But yeah...I've definitely wanted pizza a few times over the last few weeks. I did talk to Dustin about travel and eating different stuff. He said cheat meals are occasionally okay, but not often. So I'm trying to figure out what that means for me. I know I'm going to Texas for work again in a few weeks and Boston at the end of the month. Both of those will probably have a cheat meal, simply b/c I'm traveling and you all know how life is at airports and on the road when you are not traveling by yourself (or having your own rental car in Texas!). It's hard for other people to understand what you are doing and why and since I won't have control over where I eat for every meal (in Texas company is bringing lunch in daily, don't have my own rental so kind of at the mercy of the woman who has the car), I'm very nervous about being able to stick to the program at all. I'm just going to play it by ear I guess, bring my protein powder, and try to maintain the status quo.

What say you - what are some ideas for when you don't have control over your diet to stick to the program and maintain the status quo?

Proccessing the Processed Food Industry

I've always known that healthy food and "healthy" food were two different things. I thought that there was the stuff that is natural and healthy because it came from the earth or from an animal. Then there is the stuff that is processed and "healthy", the low fat and low sugar stuff that helps you eat lower calories. In the past few weeks, my eyes have been opened to a new way of categorizing food - real food and engineered food. I'm not sure I like the revelation, ignorance has been bliss. But now that I know - I feel like I need to make some changes in my behavior.

This issue came to a head when I watched the movie Food Inc over the course of this week. The movie basically told you the story of industrial food and how the food industry has morphed and changed over the years. It's the kind of movie that makes you think a lot because it's about something we all have to have - food. I've also been reading The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan on and off for a few weeks. And I have In Defense of Food on my shelf for my many trips next month to read. And let me tell you, these facts are changing my mind and making me very conscious about some of my decisions.

For starters, not all the facts in the movie or book were new to me. I knew before that meat packing and chicken farms were both kind of gross places. Yes, organic meats are more easily accessible than ever before, but they still aren't plentiful and not in everybody's neighborhood grocery store. I knew high fructose corn syrup wasn't that great for you, but I also knew it was everywhere.

The eye opening facts for me was when the full picture was presented to me about our food and food system. What I knew and what I learned together put together a powerful image of a system that is corrupted and doesn't really allow for consumer choice. The amount of corn products in our food is amazing. It's no wonder I don't like to eat actual corn - I'm eating more of it in my food than I ever knew! It's absolutely amazing when you start to really read about food and realize that you have no idea what the machine is behind the box on the grocery shelf or in that burger from Wendy's.

I've always known fast food was bad for you and so was processed food. But it's not until recently that I can even grasp how bad it is for you. And for our children. The more I read and learn about the chemicals and processes that go into making some of these foods, the more I just feel compelled to make it all at home using better healthier, fresher ingredients. We can do it, even us busy working women. It's worth it for ourselves and for our families. When you actually take the time to read what's in this stuff and learn about the engineering that is done to create food cheaper and faster, I promise you, it makes it very easy to start making better decisions. It's already affecting me and making it very hard for me to imagine going back to all my old food habits.

I'm not being crazy here, I know that avoiding processed and non-organic foods and meats is an impossible task. Anytime you eat outside the house, you don't know what you are eating. This means eating with friends, trips to restaurants, or when traveling. But what I am committing myself to is making smarter, more educated choices like:

I will start using sites like Local Harvest and Happy Cow to try to find better options for restaurants.

I will buy organic food.

I will keep food cooked in the house to minimize the "i-don't-have-anything-to-eat-so-let's-go-to-Wendy's" cravings.

I think those are a good way to start taking myself in a much better direction. I know it's not going to be perfect. Some places I travel (or have lived) are quasi obscure and I know there aren't going to be options for organic foods. I'm not being oblivious to the society I live in. But I can do the best I can when I can, which is the point. Most of us can't quit 100% - but we can do our best.

So what is one easy change you can make to eat better?