Investment cooking is a term I use for cooking in advance. Today I took a frozen package of tilapia and stuck the fish in a baking dish. Then I put some pats of Smart Choice butter blend and some cajun seasoning on it. The salt in the cajun seasoning is a no-no, but i figured that just a sprinkle wouldn't hurt. I don't have high blood pressure issues so I think it's ok. Maybe I should look for a cajun seasoning that has low or no salt. Anyway, I set the oven for 325 and let it bake for about 45 minutes, until the fish looked done. It takes a little longer when it is frozen to start. This made 6 filets, which by weight, is about 3 servings. After baking, I let them cool a little, then put them by serving in Ziploc containers and put in freezer.
Now I am doing the same with a large package of frozen chicken breast tenders. This is just chicken breast meat cut into smaller pieces. I washed the same baking pan that I used for the fish, and put the frozen chicken in it. Then I dumped a jar of Soy Vay teriyaki sauce on there and stuck it in the oven for about 45 minutes to an hour. When the chicken is cooked, I will bag it into 3 tenders per bag, and freeze. I weighed it raw to make sure I had the appropriate serving size. For my Slimgenics Diet, 6 oz of chicken is the right amount. The teriyaki sauce is NOT on plan, but what's a girl to do???
Next I am going to make a large pot of brown rice in my rice steamer, and bag that in 1/4 cup portions and freeze.
I love to take a frozen bag of cooked fish or chicken, and a frozen bag of brown rice, and some fruit and maybe a cut up cucumber for lunch. It is so fast and easy when I am so rushed in the morning. Sometimes I will throw an entire bag of frozen veggies in my lunch box with an empty storage container. I cook the veggie at work, and put half in the container for the next day. Luckily, i have a mini-fridge at work.
Another benefit to investment cooking is that I can do other things while baking. I cleaned my kitchen, and did a couple loads of laundry all while setting myself up to SUCCEED on my diet.
Hugs,
Maria
PS. My goal is to lose 3 pounds this week. I think I can do it with all my foods cooked in advance. :o)
Weight Loss Ticker
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Losing More Than Weight, Part 2
A week ago today we had an open house. We have to sell our home because neither of us can afford it by ourselves. Our realtor is so amazing!! He advertised in the paper, put up signs, etc. It was a very well-trafficked open house. Unfortunately, some time in the course of those well-attended 2 hours, my rings were stolen. I lost my wedding ring from 1986 and my 20th anniversary ring. They also stole some gold religious medallions. How stupid of me to leave them in my jewelry box. UGH!!!!!!!!
I had to file a report with the police and it was horrible. If I was happily married right now, I would be seriously grieving that jewelry. Even though it was a traumatic and horrible experience, I realize that those rings were just a source of money for me now. Or something to pass on to my grandchildren. But who wants to pass on rings from a broken marriage? So maybe this is a fitting end to my wedding jewelry.
So much going on right now!!! STRESS!!! How do I keep track of the diet? I have had a bad week. But here is what I know:
1. I have my children and a grandbaby on the way!!
2. I have my pets.
3. I have a wonderful job and students that I love.
4. I am nearing the big mid-life 50 in age and I want to be healthy.
5. In order to enjoy numbers 1-4 for as long as I can, I MUST lose weight. There are too many risk factors that come with obesity. I absolutely MUST put my health first, no matter what chaos is swirling around me. God help me, I MUST lose weight.
Hugs to all!!
Maria
I had to file a report with the police and it was horrible. If I was happily married right now, I would be seriously grieving that jewelry. Even though it was a traumatic and horrible experience, I realize that those rings were just a source of money for me now. Or something to pass on to my grandchildren. But who wants to pass on rings from a broken marriage? So maybe this is a fitting end to my wedding jewelry.
So much going on right now!!! STRESS!!! How do I keep track of the diet? I have had a bad week. But here is what I know:
1. I have my children and a grandbaby on the way!!
2. I have my pets.
3. I have a wonderful job and students that I love.
4. I am nearing the big mid-life 50 in age and I want to be healthy.
5. In order to enjoy numbers 1-4 for as long as I can, I MUST lose weight. There are too many risk factors that come with obesity. I absolutely MUST put my health first, no matter what chaos is swirling around me. God help me, I MUST lose weight.
Hugs to all!!
Maria
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Learning to Lose more than just weight
I have been gone for a while. Sometimes life just slaps you hard in the face and you have to pick yourself up and move on. I thought it was only in the movies when the unsuspecting wife receives the fateful phone call from a stranger: "Would you want to know if your husband was having an affair?" But I was wrong. It happened to me, and since that day, I have been living a nightmare, just trying to wake up. 25 years of marriage, gone.
So I apologize for not blogging. I have a hard time blogging about weight loss when I am not losing weight. Some people lose weight when they are going through a divorce. I have read memoirs about women who CAN'T eat. I have always been a stress eater, so since late July, I have been stress eating. I have gained 17 of my 34 pounds back. I wish I was the type who can't eat, but instead, I lose control.
Today I am back on track. I have tried to get back on track with my diet for weeks, and I keep messing up. But now, for certain, I am taking back my health. I think I just had to get to a certain point before I could think about dieting again. I didn't think this would ever be a divorce blog, but that is part of my life now, so i may mention it in this blog.
Anyway, I am happy to see you here again, and I am happy to be losing again. Since I got back on my diet this past week, I have lost 1.25 pounds. Not a lot, but much better than gaining. :-)
So I apologize for not blogging. I have a hard time blogging about weight loss when I am not losing weight. Some people lose weight when they are going through a divorce. I have read memoirs about women who CAN'T eat. I have always been a stress eater, so since late July, I have been stress eating. I have gained 17 of my 34 pounds back. I wish I was the type who can't eat, but instead, I lose control.
Today I am back on track. I have tried to get back on track with my diet for weeks, and I keep messing up. But now, for certain, I am taking back my health. I think I just had to get to a certain point before I could think about dieting again. I didn't think this would ever be a divorce blog, but that is part of my life now, so i may mention it in this blog.
Anyway, I am happy to see you here again, and I am happy to be losing again. Since I got back on my diet this past week, I have lost 1.25 pounds. Not a lot, but much better than gaining. :-)
Monday, June 6, 2011
Frustration
Today I am frustrated. First of all, I can't breathe and I have no energy. I berated myself last night for practically wasting all of Sunday just laying around, reading, and not doing much of anything. There was sooo much to get done but I felt like a sloth-woman. So today I had a meeting at work all day and my allergies were TERRIBLE. At least I thought it was allergies. Now I think it's a debilitating summer virus that is sucking my will to live. In hindsight I realize I had NO energy yesterday because I was getting sick. Do you ever sometimes worry that you are lazy just because your body is telling you to rest? That's how I felt yesterday!! Wow. If I had known I was about to be sideswiped by this horrible cold, I would have been a lot kinder to myself yesterday.
Which leads me to another frustration. If I weigh myself every day and there is a slight discrepancy from one day to the next... Guess what I do? I get mad at myself. I am trying to stop doing that, but here's what happened. Saturday I went to the fancy diet place and weighed in and was pretty happy that I managed to maintain last week after dropping 2 pounds last Monday. When I weighed in on Saturday I was wearing some light weight shorts and a tshirt, and it was around lunch time. Today I was wearing a denim skirt and weighed in late in the afternoon. Well, I showed a 1.25 pound gain. The counselor lady scolded me for not eating all of my foods. I told her that i haven't been feeling well. She told me that my body is holding on to fat and won't burn any because I am not eating enough. I should have told her that today's weigh in was later in the day. I should have argued that today I was wearing a heavy skirt. She probably wouldn't have listened. Just for **its and giggles, I came home and weighed myself with my skirt on and then off. The skirt weighs exactly 1.25 pounds. Sigh...
How do we steer away from this habit of putting ourselves down for the stupidest things??? I deserved to be pampered and taken care of on Sunday and instead I was angry with myself for not getting enough done. This morning when I weighed, my scale showed a loss. At the diet place I got scolded for a gain. I didn't defend myself. Instead, I was berating myself. (This leads to the whole debate about whether you should weigh yourself daily or not, but I am saving that for another blog.)
Tonight I feel horrible, with every tube in my head burning from this cold. Tonight I am going to be okay with not taking care of any chores. I am gonna be nice to myself. And proud of my 32 pound weight loss. Tonight, if I sit on my couch in a cold-medicine stupor, I am gonna sit there and enjoy the time spent resting. Peace.
Which leads me to another frustration. If I weigh myself every day and there is a slight discrepancy from one day to the next... Guess what I do? I get mad at myself. I am trying to stop doing that, but here's what happened. Saturday I went to the fancy diet place and weighed in and was pretty happy that I managed to maintain last week after dropping 2 pounds last Monday. When I weighed in on Saturday I was wearing some light weight shorts and a tshirt, and it was around lunch time. Today I was wearing a denim skirt and weighed in late in the afternoon. Well, I showed a 1.25 pound gain. The counselor lady scolded me for not eating all of my foods. I told her that i haven't been feeling well. She told me that my body is holding on to fat and won't burn any because I am not eating enough. I should have told her that today's weigh in was later in the day. I should have argued that today I was wearing a heavy skirt. She probably wouldn't have listened. Just for **its and giggles, I came home and weighed myself with my skirt on and then off. The skirt weighs exactly 1.25 pounds. Sigh...
How do we steer away from this habit of putting ourselves down for the stupidest things??? I deserved to be pampered and taken care of on Sunday and instead I was angry with myself for not getting enough done. This morning when I weighed, my scale showed a loss. At the diet place I got scolded for a gain. I didn't defend myself. Instead, I was berating myself. (This leads to the whole debate about whether you should weigh yourself daily or not, but I am saving that for another blog.)
Tonight I feel horrible, with every tube in my head burning from this cold. Tonight I am going to be okay with not taking care of any chores. I am gonna be nice to myself. And proud of my 32 pound weight loss. Tonight, if I sit on my couch in a cold-medicine stupor, I am gonna sit there and enjoy the time spent resting. Peace.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Map Your Walk!
If you have never visited Sparkpeople.com, I highly recommend it. One of my favorite things to do there is to map my walks around my neighborhood. I have a one mile walk mapped out as well as a 1.5 mile, a 2 mile, and etc. This is so I can gradually increase my distance. The purple link below is the page where you can map your walks. You can also search your zip code for walks in your area that are already mapped. Just be careful!!! This website is totally free and very addictive. I absolutely love it.
sparkpeople.com
http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/fitness_maps_home.asp
sparkpeople.com
http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/fitness_maps_home.asp
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Walking tips
Well, folks, I did it! I am now down 32 pounds! I may have mentioned here before that I have never lost 30 pounds before. I have lost 25 pounds a couple of times and for some reason, always gave up after that and ended up gaining it back. This time I am in it for the loooong haul. And I am so happy about that!!!
I have recently read a little publication that I wanted to write about. It is called, Walk It Off. It's a little magazine-like book that I found on the check-out stand at the grocery store. It's by Readers Digest, part of a series called "Best You". Anyway, I learned a few snippets from this publication that I thought were worth sharing. First of all, there was an article about using a pedometer. The authors decided to do a study on themselves and see how much walking they did each day. They noticed that their definition of exercise quickly changed. They used to see exercise as something one did in a certain place at a certain time, like going to the gym, or taking aerobics at the rec center, or whatever. Now they see it as a part of regular life. They don't call it "exercise" anymore as much as they call it "activity". They challenged themselves to get in 10,000 steps each day and kept looking for ways to get in more activity. There lives, overall, became more active. I like this idea!! I think they are really on to something here.
I am now looking for ways to put more activity into my life. I planted a lot more flowers and an herb garden this year. I know the upkeep of these beauties will keep me more active, and the herbs will continue to improve my cooking!! Another great thing: the coffee shop in our neighborhood has finally reopened!! It's about a mile round-trip to walk there and back. I am gonna strap on my pedometer and head over there right after this post. I will now take the long way to the mailbox, staying on the sidewalk instead of cutting across the back yard. I could also walk my dogs more often, and walk around my whole house looking for stray weeds to pull. A few extra steps here and there can add up to a lot!!
Here's a list (from the same publication) of 17 things you can do while walking (besides chew gum):
1. Window shop (at the mall or a place like Loveland's Centerra, or outlet malls, etc)
2. Bird watch (we have the Poudre trail nearby which is even home to bald eagles)
3. Knit (the article suggests practicing while walking around the house before trying this one)
4. Yoga (with the arms, like the sun salutation move, while you keep walking)
5. Reconnect (walk with a friend and I see lotsa people walking while talking on their cell!)
6. Read (well, listen to an audiobook at least)
7. Meditate (I guess the rhythm of walking helps with this)
8. Grow your brain (one walker works on math problems in her head while walking)
9. Learn a language (I love this one! I need to work on my Spanish.)
10. Spread happiness (wave and smile at everyone you see. I like to do this one!)
11. Write a novel (use a voice recorder)
12. Collect stuff for "found art" (ya know, pick up little things you find and make art out of 'em)
13. Get smarter (listen to ted.com/talks, speeches by intellectuals or non-fiction books on tape)
14. Rehearse a speech (take your notes and use lots of hand gestures)
15. Hold a meeting (take a co-worker with you or do a phone meeting)
16. Solve your problems (ponder the problem before you leave and while walking, your brain will keep working on the problem. The solution might just pop into your head!!)
17. Beautify the neighborhood (pick up trash along the way. i have often thought of doing this with dog poop. It's make me very irrate that people don't pick up after their dogs!!!!)
18. Bonus item not in the article: Walk to your neighborhood coffee shop to get a pick me up and energy booster so you can do housework and yard work when you get home!!! YAY!!
So that's it for me today. I am gonna go get my pedometer on. Have a great day!! The weather is finally starting to act like summer around here. :-)
I have recently read a little publication that I wanted to write about. It is called, Walk It Off. It's a little magazine-like book that I found on the check-out stand at the grocery store. It's by Readers Digest, part of a series called "Best You". Anyway, I learned a few snippets from this publication that I thought were worth sharing. First of all, there was an article about using a pedometer. The authors decided to do a study on themselves and see how much walking they did each day. They noticed that their definition of exercise quickly changed. They used to see exercise as something one did in a certain place at a certain time, like going to the gym, or taking aerobics at the rec center, or whatever. Now they see it as a part of regular life. They don't call it "exercise" anymore as much as they call it "activity". They challenged themselves to get in 10,000 steps each day and kept looking for ways to get in more activity. There lives, overall, became more active. I like this idea!! I think they are really on to something here.
I am now looking for ways to put more activity into my life. I planted a lot more flowers and an herb garden this year. I know the upkeep of these beauties will keep me more active, and the herbs will continue to improve my cooking!! Another great thing: the coffee shop in our neighborhood has finally reopened!! It's about a mile round-trip to walk there and back. I am gonna strap on my pedometer and head over there right after this post. I will now take the long way to the mailbox, staying on the sidewalk instead of cutting across the back yard. I could also walk my dogs more often, and walk around my whole house looking for stray weeds to pull. A few extra steps here and there can add up to a lot!!
Here's a list (from the same publication) of 17 things you can do while walking (besides chew gum):
1. Window shop (at the mall or a place like Loveland's Centerra, or outlet malls, etc)
2. Bird watch (we have the Poudre trail nearby which is even home to bald eagles)
3. Knit (the article suggests practicing while walking around the house before trying this one)
4. Yoga (with the arms, like the sun salutation move, while you keep walking)
5. Reconnect (walk with a friend and I see lotsa people walking while talking on their cell!)
6. Read (well, listen to an audiobook at least)
7. Meditate (I guess the rhythm of walking helps with this)
8. Grow your brain (one walker works on math problems in her head while walking)
9. Learn a language (I love this one! I need to work on my Spanish.)
10. Spread happiness (wave and smile at everyone you see. I like to do this one!)
11. Write a novel (use a voice recorder)
12. Collect stuff for "found art" (ya know, pick up little things you find and make art out of 'em)
13. Get smarter (listen to ted.com/talks, speeches by intellectuals or non-fiction books on tape)
14. Rehearse a speech (take your notes and use lots of hand gestures)
15. Hold a meeting (take a co-worker with you or do a phone meeting)
16. Solve your problems (ponder the problem before you leave and while walking, your brain will keep working on the problem. The solution might just pop into your head!!)
17. Beautify the neighborhood (pick up trash along the way. i have often thought of doing this with dog poop. It's make me very irrate that people don't pick up after their dogs!!!!)
18. Bonus item not in the article: Walk to your neighborhood coffee shop to get a pick me up and energy booster so you can do housework and yard work when you get home!!! YAY!!
So that's it for me today. I am gonna go get my pedometer on. Have a great day!! The weather is finally starting to act like summer around here. :-)
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
I am still here!
Hello, everyone!!
I weighed in today at the diet place and I have ONE FOURTH of a pound to lose to be at the 30 pound mark. They have this dry-erase board in the weighting room of the place I go, and your name goes on the board if you lose more than 3 pounds in a week, or if you meet a 5 pound milestone. I want to be on that board every single week from now on. I know that seems a little unrealistic, but it's a good GOAL!!! If my name can't be up there EVERY week, then at least I KNOW I can be there every other week. School is out now and I have time to concentrate on ME!! Watch for more updates coming soon!!!
I weighed in today at the diet place and I have ONE FOURTH of a pound to lose to be at the 30 pound mark. They have this dry-erase board in the weighting room of the place I go, and your name goes on the board if you lose more than 3 pounds in a week, or if you meet a 5 pound milestone. I want to be on that board every single week from now on. I know that seems a little unrealistic, but it's a good GOAL!!! If my name can't be up there EVERY week, then at least I KNOW I can be there every other week. School is out now and I have time to concentrate on ME!! Watch for more updates coming soon!!!
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Exercise Progress
It has been a while since my last blog post. Sorry about that!!
I wanted to blog about exercise as I know it today. Believe it or not, exercise looks different from this weight than it did when I got started on this adventure. For one thing, it is easier!!! So let me back up:
Before Christmas break just a few months ago, I started exercising at the gym. I was doing mostly treadmill and a little bit of the elliptical. I couldn't go very long on the elliptical, it was too hard!! My heart rate would shoot up too quickly. Then I had a physical and discovered that i weighed more than ever before in my life. I also was starting to develop high cholesterol. On top of all that, I had a stress fracture in my left foot probably due to the pounding I was giving it on the treadmill. I take after my dad's side of the family, with small bones. My wedding ring is 5.5 (and it is now too big!). My foot bones are these tiny little things bearing the weight of an obese woman. So! For me, that one-week period of time was my "hitting bottom". I knew things had to change. I was 100 pounds overweight!!
One day during that winter break, I went to lunch with my best friend. She had had great success with the particular weight loss place that I go to now. I talked to her about it and made the decision that I was going to check it out. Right after lunch, i went there and ended up signing up! Since that fateful day, i have lost 28 pounds, my cholesterol dropped a huge amount, and I have more energy.
Flash forward to a couple of weeks ago.
I got on the elliptical again. I went for 10 minutes, rather slowly, and checked my heart rate. It was too low!!! I picked up the pace and was able to work out.. HARD. I got nice and sweaty and kept my heart rate at a healthy level. My muscles were screaming at me, but I kept going and I learned something important. I looked around me and saw skinny people working out everywhere. I realized, exercise is soo much EASIER for skinny people. I used to think that most people at the gym were skinny because they worked out. Now I know that most people at the gym are skinny because they CAN work out, and they can do it much easier than morbidly obese people. Just after losing 25 pounds, the whole exercise experience is sooo different.
Now don't get me wrong! I am not saying that fat people should not work out. Obese people need to work out and CONSUME WAAAY LESS, but you don't see them at the gym because it isn't reasonable. At that time, i could NEVER (and still can't) fathom myself doing a "boot camp" workout, or even yoga class, for that matter. But we have to start somewhere. For me, I fixed my diet first, then found that exercise felt a lot different.
So! My thinking about exercise has changed. Fat people don't go to the gym because there is nothing there for them. Just a lot of skinny people and stuff they can't do without injuring themselves. I used to think the reason you only saw skinny people at the gym was because only skinny people exercised. I had no idea that exercise is a completely different experience for a skinny person. I look forward to watching it get even easier for me as I continue to lose weight and get in shape. Live and learn!
I wanted to blog about exercise as I know it today. Believe it or not, exercise looks different from this weight than it did when I got started on this adventure. For one thing, it is easier!!! So let me back up:
Before Christmas break just a few months ago, I started exercising at the gym. I was doing mostly treadmill and a little bit of the elliptical. I couldn't go very long on the elliptical, it was too hard!! My heart rate would shoot up too quickly. Then I had a physical and discovered that i weighed more than ever before in my life. I also was starting to develop high cholesterol. On top of all that, I had a stress fracture in my left foot probably due to the pounding I was giving it on the treadmill. I take after my dad's side of the family, with small bones. My wedding ring is 5.5 (and it is now too big!). My foot bones are these tiny little things bearing the weight of an obese woman. So! For me, that one-week period of time was my "hitting bottom". I knew things had to change. I was 100 pounds overweight!!
One day during that winter break, I went to lunch with my best friend. She had had great success with the particular weight loss place that I go to now. I talked to her about it and made the decision that I was going to check it out. Right after lunch, i went there and ended up signing up! Since that fateful day, i have lost 28 pounds, my cholesterol dropped a huge amount, and I have more energy.
Flash forward to a couple of weeks ago.
I got on the elliptical again. I went for 10 minutes, rather slowly, and checked my heart rate. It was too low!!! I picked up the pace and was able to work out.. HARD. I got nice and sweaty and kept my heart rate at a healthy level. My muscles were screaming at me, but I kept going and I learned something important. I looked around me and saw skinny people working out everywhere. I realized, exercise is soo much EASIER for skinny people. I used to think that most people at the gym were skinny because they worked out. Now I know that most people at the gym are skinny because they CAN work out, and they can do it much easier than morbidly obese people. Just after losing 25 pounds, the whole exercise experience is sooo different.
Now don't get me wrong! I am not saying that fat people should not work out. Obese people need to work out and CONSUME WAAAY LESS, but you don't see them at the gym because it isn't reasonable. At that time, i could NEVER (and still can't) fathom myself doing a "boot camp" workout, or even yoga class, for that matter. But we have to start somewhere. For me, I fixed my diet first, then found that exercise felt a lot different.
So! My thinking about exercise has changed. Fat people don't go to the gym because there is nothing there for them. Just a lot of skinny people and stuff they can't do without injuring themselves. I used to think the reason you only saw skinny people at the gym was because only skinny people exercised. I had no idea that exercise is a completely different experience for a skinny person. I look forward to watching it get even easier for me as I continue to lose weight and get in shape. Live and learn!
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Weight Loss FRAUD
I sooo don't want to write this post.
I am a fraud. I have spent several days this week eating foods that are not healthy for me. I was down 28 pounds according to the weight loss place, and now I am only down 25.
I am not sure why I have fallen off the wagon this week. I certainly did TRY, but when temptation came my way, I totally, and without hesitation, gave in. I wanted to write a highly motivating and revealing post about how I figured everything out. But I can't because I didn't.
Maybe it had something to do with the fact that I was feeling sooo skinny, but then I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror and noticed that I am still fat. Maybe it's because when one of my students asked me how much I lost and I told him, another student said, "Then why are you still chubby?" Maybe it's because i have been working my BUTT off to lose weight, but I am still fat. After all of that work. I. am. still. fat.
Ok, so i lost 25 pounds. That is 1/4 of the 100 pounds I need to lose. But I am still over 200 pounds. Maybe I am losing the heart and the resolve it takes to lose weight.
Recently, I told one of my counselors of my trouble passing up the delicious peanut M&M's that my secret pal gave me. He told me these words: "We can't help you." This made me cry. Why am I going to these people if they can't help me? Am I hopeless???
But then I thought about it and I think I know what he meant. My fancy diet place can't follow me around and slap my hand when I reach for the microwave popcorn. They can't be there to talk me out of eating that delicious peanut butter cookie. What they CAN do, is look at what I wrote on my food journal. They CAN give me ideas for making my diet easier and more convenient. They CAN help me see patterns and give me suggestions, they can even put me on an "Omit and Flush" designed to get rid of that occasional accidental bad choice. But, they just CAN'T do it for me. This is a cruel thing to learn. It broke my heart.
So now, it's time for me to quit putting faith in my fancy diet program, and start taking care of myself. They CAN'T do it for me, but I CAN. and I WILL. With their help and with God's help, I WILL.
Thanks for sticking with me. I will try not to be a fraud anymore.
Until next time!
I am a fraud. I have spent several days this week eating foods that are not healthy for me. I was down 28 pounds according to the weight loss place, and now I am only down 25.
I am not sure why I have fallen off the wagon this week. I certainly did TRY, but when temptation came my way, I totally, and without hesitation, gave in. I wanted to write a highly motivating and revealing post about how I figured everything out. But I can't because I didn't.
Maybe it had something to do with the fact that I was feeling sooo skinny, but then I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror and noticed that I am still fat. Maybe it's because when one of my students asked me how much I lost and I told him, another student said, "Then why are you still chubby?" Maybe it's because i have been working my BUTT off to lose weight, but I am still fat. After all of that work. I. am. still. fat.
Ok, so i lost 25 pounds. That is 1/4 of the 100 pounds I need to lose. But I am still over 200 pounds. Maybe I am losing the heart and the resolve it takes to lose weight.
Recently, I told one of my counselors of my trouble passing up the delicious peanut M&M's that my secret pal gave me. He told me these words: "We can't help you." This made me cry. Why am I going to these people if they can't help me? Am I hopeless???
But then I thought about it and I think I know what he meant. My fancy diet place can't follow me around and slap my hand when I reach for the microwave popcorn. They can't be there to talk me out of eating that delicious peanut butter cookie. What they CAN do, is look at what I wrote on my food journal. They CAN give me ideas for making my diet easier and more convenient. They CAN help me see patterns and give me suggestions, they can even put me on an "Omit and Flush" designed to get rid of that occasional accidental bad choice. But, they just CAN'T do it for me. This is a cruel thing to learn. It broke my heart.
So now, it's time for me to quit putting faith in my fancy diet program, and start taking care of myself. They CAN'T do it for me, but I CAN. and I WILL. With their help and with God's help, I WILL.
Thanks for sticking with me. I will try not to be a fraud anymore.
Until next time!
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Cooking Chicken Late at Night
IT's 10:27 at night. Usually, at this hour, I am sleeping like a log. But! Tonight I am cooking chicken. You see, I am learning that I have to be prepared in order to eat healthy. Unfotunately, I ate the last of my pre-cooked tilapia today for lunch, and I am out of pre-cooked chicken, too!! So here is how I prepare and freeze chicken which I try to always have on hand.
Every time I cook chicken I try to do something a little different because i eat a LOT of chicken and I don't wanna get sick of it.
Tonight's recipe:
Well, this is not officially a recipe, just kind of a "how to".
I started by buying 2 packages of chicken breast tenders a few weeks ago. Then I froze it. Tonight, when I came home from work I stuck the chicken in the microwave and defrosted it. (I forgot to put it in the fridge ahead of time.) (Which makes me wonder, how do absent-minded people EVER lose weight??? Is there any hope for me???)
Anyway, while the chicken was defrosting, I multi-tasked. I preheated the oven to 350 degrees and checked Facebook. All at the same time!!! I put the chicken in a baking dish, sprayed it with butter-flavored Pam, and sprinkled a nice layer of ground red peppers on there. I put it all in the oven and set the timer for 30 minutes. VOILA! The chicken was almost done. So i set the timer for 10 more minutes and VOILA! It was finally done.
That's the basic recipe.
Sometimes I put different types of Mrs. Dash on my chicken instead of the red pepper. I like the Onion and Herb, and the Extra Spicey varieties of Mrs. Dash. But i never add salt!! My blood pressure is nice and low and I'd like to keep it that way. Besides, too much salt causes bloating and water retention. Ick.
While I write this, I am multi-tasking AGAIN!! This is amazing for me. I am multi-tasking more than once, in ONE night, AND at 10:30 at night when I am exhausted!! Wow!!
I am blogging and letting the chicken cool all at the same time!!
Next, I will divide the chicken into about 6 oz portions, roughly 3 tenders a serving, put the portions in baggies, and place them in the freezer. This provides a perfect serving of protein for my lunches, or for dinners too, sometimes. I usually take one baggie out of the freezer in the morning and pack it in my lunch box with a couple of fruits, a veggie of some sort, and some melba toast or Akmak crackers. I can usually get about 10 portions from 2 packages of chicken breast tenders. By the way, if you don't know how much is 6 ounces, weigh it (raw). I had to do this several times before I could finally "eyeball" six ounces of chicken.
So! That's basically how I cook chicken. Do you have any other fat-free, salt-free chicken recipes to share? I would love to hear them!! Please share!!
Good night! I am off to put chicken in baggies and then go to BED!!! HUGS!!!!
Every time I cook chicken I try to do something a little different because i eat a LOT of chicken and I don't wanna get sick of it.
Tonight's recipe:
Well, this is not officially a recipe, just kind of a "how to".
I started by buying 2 packages of chicken breast tenders a few weeks ago. Then I froze it. Tonight, when I came home from work I stuck the chicken in the microwave and defrosted it. (I forgot to put it in the fridge ahead of time.) (Which makes me wonder, how do absent-minded people EVER lose weight??? Is there any hope for me???)
Anyway, while the chicken was defrosting, I multi-tasked. I preheated the oven to 350 degrees and checked Facebook. All at the same time!!! I put the chicken in a baking dish, sprayed it with butter-flavored Pam, and sprinkled a nice layer of ground red peppers on there. I put it all in the oven and set the timer for 30 minutes. VOILA! The chicken was almost done. So i set the timer for 10 more minutes and VOILA! It was finally done.
That's the basic recipe.
Sometimes I put different types of Mrs. Dash on my chicken instead of the red pepper. I like the Onion and Herb, and the Extra Spicey varieties of Mrs. Dash. But i never add salt!! My blood pressure is nice and low and I'd like to keep it that way. Besides, too much salt causes bloating and water retention. Ick.
While I write this, I am multi-tasking AGAIN!! This is amazing for me. I am multi-tasking more than once, in ONE night, AND at 10:30 at night when I am exhausted!! Wow!!
I am blogging and letting the chicken cool all at the same time!!
Next, I will divide the chicken into about 6 oz portions, roughly 3 tenders a serving, put the portions in baggies, and place them in the freezer. This provides a perfect serving of protein for my lunches, or for dinners too, sometimes. I usually take one baggie out of the freezer in the morning and pack it in my lunch box with a couple of fruits, a veggie of some sort, and some melba toast or Akmak crackers. I can usually get about 10 portions from 2 packages of chicken breast tenders. By the way, if you don't know how much is 6 ounces, weigh it (raw). I had to do this several times before I could finally "eyeball" six ounces of chicken.
So! That's basically how I cook chicken. Do you have any other fat-free, salt-free chicken recipes to share? I would love to hear them!! Please share!!
Good night! I am off to put chicken in baggies and then go to BED!!! HUGS!!!!
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Out with the Old
Out with the old, and I am not talking about my husband who had a birthday last month. ;-)
I am talking about clothes. I have now lost 26 pounds and needed to purge my fat clothes, big time. This was kind of a scary task! Letting go of my fat clothes was very final. I will NEVER be 100 pounds overweight again. EVER. But there were sooo many clothes! I filled up 3 large black garbage bags! Some of them had hardly been worn.
For YEARS I have had several boxes of too small clothes on a shelf in my closet. Today I tried on every single item in those boxes. I was amazed at everything that fit!! Now several times as I tried on piece after piece, I had tears rolling down my cheeks. I haven't fit into these clothes for a very long time. Some of the items were newer, purchased the last time I lost some weight. Some of them had never been worn because I bought them right before I started gaining back that weight. But NEVER have I been able to wear so many of them, until today.
So today was a big day for me. I purged all of my winter clothes that are too big, and just kept a very few things that still fit. This makes me nervous because some of those self doubting thoughts crossed my mind, like, "What if you are fat next winter? What are you gonna wear?" But I kept focused. The few winter clothes that I kept got put into boxes and went back up on the shelf. Then I went through all of last summer's clothes and got rid of lots of them that are now too big. That felt great going through those things that I had worn, and in some cases, outworn, and throwing them in the big black bags!! Finally, i went through all of the boxes of too small clothes. Several weeks ago, after I lost 15 pounds I had gone through these boxes and was only able to find a couple of shirts that I could wear. This time was a different story. I have a whole new wardrobe!!!
I don't know what the future holds for me and my wardrobe. I am on Spring Break this week. What will it be like to wear completely different clothes to work every day? Will I be able to put together outfits? I am kind of nervous about that, but I will keep you posted. Deep down inside I can't wait for the adventure!!!
I am talking about clothes. I have now lost 26 pounds and needed to purge my fat clothes, big time. This was kind of a scary task! Letting go of my fat clothes was very final. I will NEVER be 100 pounds overweight again. EVER. But there were sooo many clothes! I filled up 3 large black garbage bags! Some of them had hardly been worn.
For YEARS I have had several boxes of too small clothes on a shelf in my closet. Today I tried on every single item in those boxes. I was amazed at everything that fit!! Now several times as I tried on piece after piece, I had tears rolling down my cheeks. I haven't fit into these clothes for a very long time. Some of the items were newer, purchased the last time I lost some weight. Some of them had never been worn because I bought them right before I started gaining back that weight. But NEVER have I been able to wear so many of them, until today.
So today was a big day for me. I purged all of my winter clothes that are too big, and just kept a very few things that still fit. This makes me nervous because some of those self doubting thoughts crossed my mind, like, "What if you are fat next winter? What are you gonna wear?" But I kept focused. The few winter clothes that I kept got put into boxes and went back up on the shelf. Then I went through all of last summer's clothes and got rid of lots of them that are now too big. That felt great going through those things that I had worn, and in some cases, outworn, and throwing them in the big black bags!! Finally, i went through all of the boxes of too small clothes. Several weeks ago, after I lost 15 pounds I had gone through these boxes and was only able to find a couple of shirts that I could wear. This time was a different story. I have a whole new wardrobe!!!
I don't know what the future holds for me and my wardrobe. I am on Spring Break this week. What will it be like to wear completely different clothes to work every day? Will I be able to put together outfits? I am kind of nervous about that, but I will keep you posted. Deep down inside I can't wait for the adventure!!!
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Weight Loss Sabotage: What am I afraid of??
Today's post is a personal one. But it's good for me to write about it, and i hope it is good for you to ponder and apply to your own struggle.
I have never lost 30 pounds. I have gained 100, lost 20, gained it back, lost 25, gained it back, but never lost 30 pounds. Now I am on my way to losing 30 pounds. I don't know what that is going to look like or feel like. And I am starting to get a glimpse of my skinnier self. All of this is terrifying to me, and as a result, i keep sabotaging myself.
Last night I found out that one of sisters-in-law has cancer (we'll call her Katie). Although Katie is one of the strongest women I know, and she has a wonderful, supportive family, I was very sad and concerned for the family last night. So I ate a half bag of almond M&M's. Or so that was my excuse. I can't deny that i am a HUGE emotional eater. I eat when I am stressed. But guess what??? There is always going to be stress. There are always going to be things that life throws at me. This is not a reason to abuse myself. I must learn to take care of myself no matter what the circumstances!!!! I could have gone for a walk, or played with my dogs, or crocheted something, or made her a card. Instead, I ate candy. Today I have a little headache in the middle of my forhead. Part of it is from crying, but most of it is from the dang sugar I poisoned myself with.
Now the other issue. The issue of losing 30 pounds. Another excuse!! The FEAR FACTOR. I am afraid of the unknown. Who isn't??? But I know that Faith and Fear cannot coexist, first of all. And secondly, what am I afraid of??? Well, I'll tell you what I'm afraid of if you promise to not spread it around.
I am afraid of shrinking.How will I be fully respected by my peers and my huge 5th graders if I am tiny? How will I be heard?
I am afraid of what people will think. (I know, but bear with me). Will people think I am a snot? Will they perceive differences in my personality as a result of my weight loss? Will I become less friendly?? (DO I THINK THIN PEOPLE ARE LESS FRIENDLY?????) What the heck??
When I was young and thin, I was not very virtuous, if you know what I mean. Will I slide back into those horrible behaviors? This is such a ridiculous fear, now that I see it in print. I am not the person I was 20 years ago. I am nothing like her. Even if something should happen and I would end up single, I would not ever be able to behave like that again. I am so much more than I was.
And finally, what does life look like as a thin person? Looking at the world from the inside out. I know my place as a fat person. I know what to expect when i pass my reflection on the street. Will I recognize myself? I have very small bones, so when I look at my wrists and hands, I see those of a thin person. My legs from the knees down are those of a thin person. What happens when I look at my thighs and they look thin?? Or my waist?? It's like going through a huge growth spurt but backwards. Adolescents have to learn to adjust their balance and their personal space as they grow. I will have to also, as i shrink.
For lots of these fears, I have no answers. I must forge ahead and find the answers as I go. For some of them, I have started to think through them and realize they are unfounded. As I continue on this journey, I hope to keep growing and learning and getting stronger and thinner, and less afraid. If you have discovered the antidote to any of the fears mentioned, please comment!! I could use the support. :o) I will be sure to do the same.
Hugs to all!!
I have never lost 30 pounds. I have gained 100, lost 20, gained it back, lost 25, gained it back, but never lost 30 pounds. Now I am on my way to losing 30 pounds. I don't know what that is going to look like or feel like. And I am starting to get a glimpse of my skinnier self. All of this is terrifying to me, and as a result, i keep sabotaging myself.
Last night I found out that one of sisters-in-law has cancer (we'll call her Katie). Although Katie is one of the strongest women I know, and she has a wonderful, supportive family, I was very sad and concerned for the family last night. So I ate a half bag of almond M&M's. Or so that was my excuse. I can't deny that i am a HUGE emotional eater. I eat when I am stressed. But guess what??? There is always going to be stress. There are always going to be things that life throws at me. This is not a reason to abuse myself. I must learn to take care of myself no matter what the circumstances!!!! I could have gone for a walk, or played with my dogs, or crocheted something, or made her a card. Instead, I ate candy. Today I have a little headache in the middle of my forhead. Part of it is from crying, but most of it is from the dang sugar I poisoned myself with.
Now the other issue. The issue of losing 30 pounds. Another excuse!! The FEAR FACTOR. I am afraid of the unknown. Who isn't??? But I know that Faith and Fear cannot coexist, first of all. And secondly, what am I afraid of??? Well, I'll tell you what I'm afraid of if you promise to not spread it around.
I am afraid of shrinking.How will I be fully respected by my peers and my huge 5th graders if I am tiny? How will I be heard?
I am afraid of what people will think. (I know, but bear with me). Will people think I am a snot? Will they perceive differences in my personality as a result of my weight loss? Will I become less friendly?? (DO I THINK THIN PEOPLE ARE LESS FRIENDLY?????) What the heck??
When I was young and thin, I was not very virtuous, if you know what I mean. Will I slide back into those horrible behaviors? This is such a ridiculous fear, now that I see it in print. I am not the person I was 20 years ago. I am nothing like her. Even if something should happen and I would end up single, I would not ever be able to behave like that again. I am so much more than I was.
And finally, what does life look like as a thin person? Looking at the world from the inside out. I know my place as a fat person. I know what to expect when i pass my reflection on the street. Will I recognize myself? I have very small bones, so when I look at my wrists and hands, I see those of a thin person. My legs from the knees down are those of a thin person. What happens when I look at my thighs and they look thin?? Or my waist?? It's like going through a huge growth spurt but backwards. Adolescents have to learn to adjust their balance and their personal space as they grow. I will have to also, as i shrink.
For lots of these fears, I have no answers. I must forge ahead and find the answers as I go. For some of them, I have started to think through them and realize they are unfounded. As I continue on this journey, I hope to keep growing and learning and getting stronger and thinner, and less afraid. If you have discovered the antidote to any of the fears mentioned, please comment!! I could use the support. :o) I will be sure to do the same.
Hugs to all!!
Sunday, March 20, 2011
HEALTHY foods to avoid
This blog is dedicated to my son's friend "Tick" (a pseudonym). Tick is a formerly skinny kid who wants to bulk up and build muscle and is doing a great job of it!! To his dismay, lately, he has been losing weight!! Now Tick is a healthy kid, too. So he doesn't wanna go and stuff his face with McDonald's in order to gain weight. So I told him I would blog about what healthy foods I have to avoid while losing weight. Maybe if he eats these things, he can GAIN weight and stay "healthy" at the same time. So this is for you, Tick!!
While I am losing weight there are certain foods which are normally healthy which must be avoided in order for the weight to drop off. Here are some that I can think of. Naturally, if you are trying to GAIN weight, you would eat more of these. Oh to be 20 years old again...
Bananas: This is one of the only fruits that I can't have. I am sure there is waaay too much sugar in them.
Carrots, Peas, Corn: Normally healthy vegetables that I can't eat because they contain large amounts of sugar and carbs, compared to other veggies.
Beans Great source of fiber, and very nutritious, but too high in carbs for me.
Pork Too salty. I can't have it. Ever.
Red meat: I can have lean red meat 2x a week ONLY, and not on consecutive days. Same with canned tuna. The latter is too high in salt.
Bread: For me, a serving of bread or any "starch" has to be under 50 calories. I can have one slice of 45 calorie diet bread for a starch serving. A couple of Melba toast rounds also works.
Rice: Only brown rice, 1/4 of a cup.
So, Tick, enjoy these healthy foods and see if this helps you to stop losing. To anyone reading this that wants to lose some weight, try cutting out some of these otherwise healthy foods, and see if it makes a difference to you.
While I am losing weight there are certain foods which are normally healthy which must be avoided in order for the weight to drop off. Here are some that I can think of. Naturally, if you are trying to GAIN weight, you would eat more of these. Oh to be 20 years old again...
Bananas: This is one of the only fruits that I can't have. I am sure there is waaay too much sugar in them.
Carrots, Peas, Corn: Normally healthy vegetables that I can't eat because they contain large amounts of sugar and carbs, compared to other veggies.
Beans Great source of fiber, and very nutritious, but too high in carbs for me.
Pork Too salty. I can't have it. Ever.
Red meat: I can have lean red meat 2x a week ONLY, and not on consecutive days. Same with canned tuna. The latter is too high in salt.
Bread: For me, a serving of bread or any "starch" has to be under 50 calories. I can have one slice of 45 calorie diet bread for a starch serving. A couple of Melba toast rounds also works.
Rice: Only brown rice, 1/4 of a cup.
So, Tick, enjoy these healthy foods and see if this helps you to stop losing. To anyone reading this that wants to lose some weight, try cutting out some of these otherwise healthy foods, and see if it makes a difference to you.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Exercise, The workplace challenge
We all know the importance of exercise. As a matter of fact, here is an article by the Mayo Clinic on 7 serious benefits of exercise!! http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/exercise/HQ01676
Here is another benefit to exercise that the Mayo Clinic forgot to tell you. When I was in the 7th grade, I was in the Catholic school spelling bee and didn't make the first round because i failed to spell the word "exercise" on the preliminary written round. The next year, I made 3rd place in the district after I figured out that there is ONE X, ONE C, and ONE S in the word "exercise" and each of those stands alone. So! If you are familiar with exercise, it could also help you win spelling bees.
Now I have signed up for my workplace fitness challenge. Participants were required to select a fitness level to make the challenge more fair. Beginners have to exercise 2x a week to meet their goal, and intermediates have to exercise 4 times. Guess what I picked? Intermediate! I guess I will BE intermediate by the end of the challenge, but I really am a beginner right now. The reason I picked INTERMEDIATE is because I want to push myself to exercise 4 times a week!! Yes, I lost all my weight so far without really exercising. That's how bad my eating habits were!! Now I am starting to get flabby in some places, so it is TIME for me to exercise!!! If you are like me, you would be worried about setting yourself up to fail, as I am. But I got a free t-shirt and really cool pedometer out of the deal, so how could I fail??
I wanted to buy a STREET STRIDER for myself when I lost 40 pounds, but dh (dear husband) is not supporting that idea. Street Striders are elipitical bicycles that you ride outside! Problem is, they cost around $1300. But WOW!! NEWSFLASH! I just found something similar on Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=streetstrider&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=7987878099&ref=pd_sl_59bv45q24l_e
that is only $550!!! I bet dh would go for that!! Well 40 pounds is still 16 pounds away, so in the meantime, I am gonna get in shape for my elliptical bike. By the way, I also just learned that Sears is now selling Street Striders. Cool!
Here is the plan, if you want to join me: At least 4 times this week I am either going to the gym and/or walking my dogs. That's it. SIMPLE. I do want to succeed at my workplace fitness challenge. And I don't want to be embarrassed to wear the shirt that says TRIM in big letters on the back (which is the name of the challenge). How does one wear a shirt that says TRIM when one is filling very CHUBBY?!?! Therefore, I must exercise. Besides, if the Mayo Clinic says there are benefits, then you KNOW it's true!!! :o)
Here is another benefit to exercise that the Mayo Clinic forgot to tell you. When I was in the 7th grade, I was in the Catholic school spelling bee and didn't make the first round because i failed to spell the word "exercise" on the preliminary written round. The next year, I made 3rd place in the district after I figured out that there is ONE X, ONE C, and ONE S in the word "exercise" and each of those stands alone. So! If you are familiar with exercise, it could also help you win spelling bees.
Now I have signed up for my workplace fitness challenge. Participants were required to select a fitness level to make the challenge more fair. Beginners have to exercise 2x a week to meet their goal, and intermediates have to exercise 4 times. Guess what I picked? Intermediate! I guess I will BE intermediate by the end of the challenge, but I really am a beginner right now. The reason I picked INTERMEDIATE is because I want to push myself to exercise 4 times a week!! Yes, I lost all my weight so far without really exercising. That's how bad my eating habits were!! Now I am starting to get flabby in some places, so it is TIME for me to exercise!!! If you are like me, you would be worried about setting yourself up to fail, as I am. But I got a free t-shirt and really cool pedometer out of the deal, so how could I fail??
I wanted to buy a STREET STRIDER for myself when I lost 40 pounds, but dh (dear husband) is not supporting that idea. Street Striders are elipitical bicycles that you ride outside! Problem is, they cost around $1300. But WOW!! NEWSFLASH! I just found something similar on Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=streetstrider&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=7987878099&ref=pd_sl_59bv45q24l_e
that is only $550!!! I bet dh would go for that!! Well 40 pounds is still 16 pounds away, so in the meantime, I am gonna get in shape for my elliptical bike. By the way, I also just learned that Sears is now selling Street Striders. Cool!
Here is the plan, if you want to join me: At least 4 times this week I am either going to the gym and/or walking my dogs. That's it. SIMPLE. I do want to succeed at my workplace fitness challenge. And I don't want to be embarrassed to wear the shirt that says TRIM in big letters on the back (which is the name of the challenge). How does one wear a shirt that says TRIM when one is filling very CHUBBY?!?! Therefore, I must exercise. Besides, if the Mayo Clinic says there are benefits, then you KNOW it's true!!! :o)
Saturday, March 12, 2011
My first ever blog post
Hello everyone! Or just Tessa. LOL.
Today I learned how to cook fresh shrimp for the first time in my life. It's gray and ugly when it comes out of the package but it was so easy. I bought the de-veined and peeled kind, but the tails were still on. I defrosted it in a strainer with cold water from the sink. Then i heated up my little saute pan and added about a tsp of minced garlic and about a tbsp of diet margarine. I put the shrimp in the pan and flipped it around with a spatula until it turned pink and started to curl up a little. Then I took it out of the pan and ATE it!!! YUMMY!!!
I am not a very good cook. Or maybe I should say, not very confident. But let me back up a little. I have enrolled myself in a diet program that has counselors available to me 6 days a week. I bought the shrimp because it is one of the things on the food list that I am allowed to have. (But not the kind that's already pink cuz it is supposedly full of sodium). So I was determined to figure out how to make it. My counselor told me what to do. She gave me the boost to get over my fears and just try it. I think it came out great!!
I don't think the fancy diet program is a must for everyone, but for me to lose weight, it definitely IS a must. I need the structure and accountability. I have to go in to the center at LEAST 3 times a week and show them my FOOD DIARY!!! Oh, the horrors of it all!! Anyway, it is working for me. :-)
I am learning sooo much about how to eat healthy and how to lose weight and how to help myself with my addiction to food that is bad for me. I know this blog will help me to keep track of my thinking about all of this. I hope this blog will help you, too.
Today I learned how to cook fresh shrimp for the first time in my life. It's gray and ugly when it comes out of the package but it was so easy. I bought the de-veined and peeled kind, but the tails were still on. I defrosted it in a strainer with cold water from the sink. Then i heated up my little saute pan and added about a tsp of minced garlic and about a tbsp of diet margarine. I put the shrimp in the pan and flipped it around with a spatula until it turned pink and started to curl up a little. Then I took it out of the pan and ATE it!!! YUMMY!!!
I am not a very good cook. Or maybe I should say, not very confident. But let me back up a little. I have enrolled myself in a diet program that has counselors available to me 6 days a week. I bought the shrimp because it is one of the things on the food list that I am allowed to have. (But not the kind that's already pink cuz it is supposedly full of sodium). So I was determined to figure out how to make it. My counselor told me what to do. She gave me the boost to get over my fears and just try it. I think it came out great!!
I don't think the fancy diet program is a must for everyone, but for me to lose weight, it definitely IS a must. I need the structure and accountability. I have to go in to the center at LEAST 3 times a week and show them my FOOD DIARY!!! Oh, the horrors of it all!! Anyway, it is working for me. :-)
I am learning sooo much about how to eat healthy and how to lose weight and how to help myself with my addiction to food that is bad for me. I know this blog will help me to keep track of my thinking about all of this. I hope this blog will help you, too.
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