Weighty Wednesday -- Eating Out

YAY! I'm back to within my +2 over goal weight--133.6 lbs! I still have a few pounds to go to be in the comfortable range.

I can honestly tell you that I feel so much better now! Healthy and happy, yanno!

So onward to the topic at hand -- eating out.

If you are like a large part of America, you are eating out numerous times a week and not just for special occasions.

Now the problem arises when we eat out like it is a special occasion numerous times a week.

Make sense?

There's a reason obesity has tripled in the US since 980.

sedentary lifestyle + high caloric/high fat diet + fewer fruits/veg = obesity

 

It all comes down to choosing your meal wisely and moderation.

 

We can't always order the chicken fried chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy, but we can order that on occasion while eating a healthier diet the rest of the time.

 

So the key to eating out is in the preparation. Here are a few ideas:

• go online and look at the menu of various restaurants and check the nutritional information
• have the sauces, gravies or salad dressing on the side
• Substitute. For example: instead of eating Chicken Piccata on a bed of pasta, ask for the Chicken Piccata to be placed on a bed of spinach.
• Order a smaller portion of steak or other protein. Ask for it grilled, but hold the butter basting.
• Find out what's in that salad before you order it. You might do better splitting a meal with your loved one and ordering a side dinner salad.

I've had numerous friends lamenting about their weight, and yet when I suggest they start tracking their food, or measuring portions, they become irate and complain that they don't want to think about food all the time.

 

Well, you know what?

 

NOT thinking about food has caused them to eat indiscriminately -- anything and everything, and it put them in the place they are currently are--OBESE.

 

Harsh words, right?

 

But I want to be harsh, because I don't want to lose my friends simply because they didn't care enough about themselves to start getting healthy!

 

Okay, deep breath . . . I'm back under control  and off my soapbox now. You can eat out and lose weight. It's all a matter of how you approach the eating out.

 

When we go on vacation, we usually do the meal plan at WDW. One of the benefits of the meal plan is that you can make reservations ahead of time, which in turn, allows me to peruse the various menu items ahead of time. I can decide what I might eat two weeks prior to eating the meal. This is a good trick even at home. If you have a smart phone, you can look up a restaurant's menu.

 

Another biggie for me was giving myself permission to leave food on the plate. This was probably the hardest technique of all, since we've been programmed to clean our plate. You don't have to do this.

 

If you splurge for lunch, then consider a light salad for dinner. Do not have two big meals the same day.

 

Salads are good if you know what is on them. So many salads are more calories than the high calorie meal your spouse orders! Be aware of cheeses, corn, peas, croutons, tortilla strips, nuts, bacon bits, black beans, etc. High calorie is high calorie even if you call it a salad! In fact, one of the worst offenders, calorie-wise is the Cobb Salad. Salad dressing on the side is good, but vinaigrettes are better than cream dressings. It's all about your choices.

 

Many restaurants offer a 'light' portion. Ask them what it means. Is it a smaller portion, or is it truly 'lightened'? Appetizers are a good way to get a nice meal without splurging too much. I've been known to order grilled shrimp appetizer and have my hubs order a side salad with his meal. . . . I get the salad.

 

Take your time when you order out and choose wisely. You can lose weight by eating out, you just have to be smart about your choices.

 

Later, Peeps!

 

 

 

Weighty Wednesday -- What is YOUR Goal?

For the last two weeks, I've missed my Weight Watcher's meetings. The first week was simply because they were closed for Christmas Day, and yesterday, well, they were open for business on New Year's Day, but I managed NOT to be able to attend.

Why?

A couple of reasons, really.

One, I gained a serious amount of weight over the holidays. I'm pushing the top end of my +2 pounds above my goal weight--without the added weight of clothing. And I was almost 4 pounds BELOW my goal when I started the holidays!

Two, I haven't had a chance to exercise. Bronchitis, you know.

And to tell you the truth, it wasn't the horrible eating habits that I reverted to so much as the lack of exercise that packed on the pounds. Again, this is one of my constant observations about my weight gains over the years--when I'm active, my weight is held in check. When I'm NOT ACTIVE, the weight coats my body like an extra layer of fat on a Harp Seal. Yes, I'm that pale during winter.

As I feel like a role model in that group, I want to get a handle on this weight gain--well, actually, I want to put it in a choke hold and beat it into submission--before I face the reality of my meeting next Tuesday.

Weight gains happen. It's a part of the ups and downs of life, which is why we need to have a plan of how to deal with the inevitable.

I hadn't planned to gain weight, but then again, I hadn't planned to be coughing up lung puppies for over two weeks either!

Today is January 2. It's the perfect time to come up with a weight goal. Do you plan to lose weight or stay the same? Or for the one or two of my non-overweight blessed friends, do you plan to gain weight?

Whatever your goal, how do you plan to accomplish it?

I like to be on the leaner side of my goal weight, so I plan to go into weight-loss mode until I get to my natural size again, which means, I need to lose about 5 pounds. Then it's back to maintaining, which still has it's ups and downs. Walking figures heavily in this equation!

Here are the top two goals on my goals list for the year:  

• ·        Continue healthy lifestyle by portion control, more fruit and veg, and walking
• ·         Live in the moment--technology can wait, but family and friends can’t

My other goals are writing-related, so I won't bore you with them. Unless you want to see them, then I'll post them tomorrow.

As I once again discovered, exercise MUST be a part of my daily regimen. And no, I don't go to the gym if I can help it. I simply walk about 4 miles outside. But on those yucky winter days, I have a new toy to play with--actually, it's my daughter's toy but she'll be at school and won't know I'm using it--Just Dance 4 for the WiiU. I can try to match the moves and keep my body going for a great workout without even leaving the house. I can mess up, look like a goober, or whatever, I don't care because I'll be getting my moves on.

So, what about you?

Have you figured out your health related goals yet?

Weighty Wednesday -- Sizing it up

Before I get started on today's blog, I want to shout out that I finally reached my 50 POUND LOSS metal at Weight Watchers!!!! WhooHoo!! It's been a slow journey, but I'd never trade anything about it. I've learned so much about myself during this process. I've made new friends who have shared this journey with me while they are on one of their own. And I've succeeded while eating 'normal' food. 99% of the time I refuse to 'skinny-up' a recipe, I've learned to adjust my portions and eat better choices the rest of the time.

Here's another note that might clarify some things which might be confusing. Yes, I reached my Weight Watcher's goal in July. My goal was the number at the top of my weight range--132. Just because I reached and maintained that goal for 6 weeks doesn't mean I can't lose a little more weight. . . as long as I don't drop below the lowest number on my range--106. I haven't been 106 since Middle School, so that isn't happening! To reach my 50 pound loss mark, I had to weigh--127.2. Yesterday I was right on the money . . . with light-weight clothes. :-) I wanted to reach this goal by Thanksgiving. And just because I reached it, it doesn't mean my weight won't continue to fluctuate as I gently lose weight for my next goal--the weight on my driver's license -- 120 -- which has been erroneous pretty much since I originally got my driver's license 33 years ago!  I would like to reach this goal by my next birthday, August 29th. I'll be 52. If I don't reach it, I'm good because I'm happy to be at my current weight.

Which brings me to today's topic--sizes.

Jody made a comment last week wondering why I haven't addressed the issues of clothing sizes. Well, I am today.

In case you've wondered, clothing sizes are now larger--easily two sizes larger. What used to be a size 8 is now a size 4 or 6.

If you enjoy shopping--I don't. All the getting undressed/dressed is irritating--you'll discover certain brands or styles will fit your body type better than other brands. For example, many Gloria Vanderbilt jeans won't fit me because they tend to have skinnier pant leg than Lee jeans. Though I have thinned out my thighs, I can't get around the genetics of the issue--I have heavily muscled thighs. Period. It is what it is.

While manufacturers have their particular style they make, they have also been 'biggie' sizing the clothes. As we all know, America has gotten bigger, fatter, so manufacturers have followed the trend and have made their clothes larger. Across the board, pant sizes are two sizes larger even though the size number remains the same.

-- I won't comment on shirts because I almost always have to wear a medium shirt due to my broad shoulders and don't know if those sizes have changed much. I do know that the styles are boxier than I personally care for. Heck, I've lost all this weight and I want to show off my curves. 

Twenty years ago when I weighed the same weight and my measurments were roughly the save, except my natural waist has gotten thicker--2 inches larger, probably due to age and pregnancy--I wore a size 8 jean.

Today I'm having to shop for size 4 jeans, and have been having a heck of a time finding a size to fit!
And let me just say that I am NOT a skinny Minny. I can still pinch more than an inch around my waist, and my hips are still 36 inches! I can wear a size 6 jean, but after 10 minutes on my body, I have to find a belt or I can yank them down without unzipping them!

Which is to say that I don't know how Jody finds any clothes to wear! Since I hate shopping my normal go-to places are Sam's Club, Wal-Mart and Target. Well, they don't have size 4's. If they do, they are sold as soon as they arrive.

Which brings me to the moral of this blog--don't get fixated on a number--clothing or weight.

In my closet, I have clothes that run the gamut of sizes that fit me. Anything from a small womens to an extra large juniors. I have size 6 shorts that I have sewn in an inch or more to fit me. I also have pants that I have safety pinned an inch off the zipper--if I wear a shirt over it who's to know? Well, you do, so I'll just have to kill you if you tell on me!

Time to put my homemade cinnamon rolls in the oven, because today is my baby boo's birthday. The Kidlet turns 12. Wow! Hard to believe it's been that long.

Later, Peeps!

And have a Happy and Safe Thanksgiving to all the peeps who celebrate. I have many desserts to make today, but my nephew is coming over to help! Yay!

Weighty Wednesday -- Same old, same old

And I had a ZERO gain/loss this week.

But I'm not too upset about it, considering I had a three pound gain during the week. Ugh!

I'm not thrilled that I haven't been able to shake these last few pounds, but I'm determined.

I have increased my exercise, but it isn't enough. I was talking to my leader and she suggested I use the Simply Filling technique. I'd heard of it, but I needed to read a little more thoroughly about it.

So what is Simply Filling?

Basically, it's unlimited amounts of Weight Watcher designated Power Foods. Lean meats, fruits and veggies, whole grains, and non-fat dairy products. Points are deducted from your weekly tally of 49 when you eat products that are NOT power foods (salad dressings, glass of wine, salads with black beans or corn in it), which means you have to be very, very frugal with your ppv products.
Use them well, padawan.
Here's a breakdown:

Lean meats--very doable for a week, especially now that it's grilling season. Seasonings of every type are available. Feeling a little Greek, then sprinkle on some Cavenders. A little Nawlins, then one of Emeril's selection. Caribbean? a little jerk seasoning. The seasoning supplies are endless and virtually all of them will take zero off your weekly point allowance.

Fruits and veggies--with a few starchy exceptions (corn, potatoes, green peas, etc) most fruits and veg are power foods. May is the perfect time to take on the Simply Filling challenge since there are so many fresh fruits and veggies available.

Non-fat dairy products--some of this is easy and some isn't worth it, namely non-fat cheese. That stuff is plain old nasty. I'd rather give up cheese for a week than eat the non-fat variety. I will eat non-fat Greek yogurt (more protein) and take a 1 ppv hit from my weekly points with a Tablespoon of Brown Sugar Splenda. Non-fat milk in a smoothie, I'm cool with it.

And the last one, Whole grains--this is more of a sticky wicket. Cooked cornmeal, quinoa, and whole wheat pasta are a power foods, but couscous is not. Reduced calorie bread--also known as cardboard--is a power food, anything with flavor is not. Again, I would rather not eat it instead of worry about it.

When I started looking at the power foods and thought back to the first part of my weight loss journey, a lightbulb lit up above my head.

Though I had counted all my points in the beginning, I had also focused my choices on the daily Healthy Checks--many of which include power foods. Ding, ding, ding, ding!

In general, I try NOT to use my weekly or activity points, which means when I do need them for various products they will be available.

I think I can do this.  I'll try it for a day or two, but if I seem to have a handle on it, I'll keep going for the entire week.

Of course, I'll let you know how it goes.

Later, Peeps!