Thursday, May 29, 2003
Saturday, May 24, 2003
Wow. Bow!
All hail, and bow to the glory that is Skinny Cow. Just had my first one thirty seconds ago. Man oh man oh man.
All hail, and bow to the glory that is Skinny Cow. Just had my first one thirty seconds ago. Man oh man oh man.
Progress Prompt
From this week's Progress Prompt:
"Are fresh vegetables and fruits on your food plan? How many servings do you consume every day? Do you think you're eating enough? We know how vital vegetables and fruits are to our weight loss program, yet we have a hard time getting in all our recommended amounts in. Why? Were they part of your diet as a kid? Any tip or trick on getting all our vegetables and fruits in?"
Fresh vegetables and fruits are on my food plan, but I know that I don't eat as many servings of each as I should. The problem with eating fruit, for me, is that it always leaves me hungry. Which is my fault, since it's recommended that you eat fruit with a bit of protein (an apple with cheese, or peanut butter; berries with cottage cheese, etc.) to slow down the sugar development and help the body to process it. I don't have issue with veggies - I love 'em and often have just a big-ass salad for dinner - but during my busy days at work they're just not as easy to choose as, say, a bag of chips.
I'm really hoping to get myself in gear this summer, with respect to my eating habits. I'll have all the time in the world to prepare meals. Hee!!!
Fruits and veggies were definitely a part of my upbringing. My grandmother had a vegetable garden each year (zucchini, tomatoes, snap peas, strawberries, squash, pumpkins, string beans, brussel sprouts, cucumbers, and on and on), and the entire State o' Maine is very much focussed on harvests, harvest fairs, apple orchards, blueberries and raspberries, roadside farm and produce stands, and the like. Thing is, it's the *preparation* of fruits (in the form of pies, cobblers, muffins, ice cream, etc.) and veggies (in the form of cream sauces, baked casseroles, etc.) that didn't really lend itself to healthful eating. So when I started actually paying attention to the fruits and veggies I was eating, I really tried to go for the raw form whenever possible. And found it to be rather difficult. I mean, raw cauliflower is one thing, but cauliflower drenched in my grandmother's cheddar cheese sauce is something quite different.
I find that the best way to ensure that I get the most fruits and veggies into my diet is to go specifically to Sprouts or Trader Joes on the weekend to stock up on the "good stuff", then plan out my meals each day, thinking about balance and nutrition. I also tend to choose the stuff that is the lowest difficulty to prepare - apples over oranges (no peeling!), or a bag of baby carrots as opposed to a bunch of regular carrots (no cutting). A bag of celery hearts instead of a bunch of regular celery, grapes as opposed to cherries (no pits or stems)... you get the theme.
I resent the fact, sometimes, that I have to put SO MUCH thought into what I eat in order to stay fit, instead of being able to grab any old thing to stuff into my pie hole, like *some* people (cough::Marie::cough) are able to do, without gaining an ounce.
From this week's Progress Prompt:
"Are fresh vegetables and fruits on your food plan? How many servings do you consume every day? Do you think you're eating enough? We know how vital vegetables and fruits are to our weight loss program, yet we have a hard time getting in all our recommended amounts in. Why? Were they part of your diet as a kid? Any tip or trick on getting all our vegetables and fruits in?"
Fresh vegetables and fruits are on my food plan, but I know that I don't eat as many servings of each as I should. The problem with eating fruit, for me, is that it always leaves me hungry. Which is my fault, since it's recommended that you eat fruit with a bit of protein (an apple with cheese, or peanut butter; berries with cottage cheese, etc.) to slow down the sugar development and help the body to process it. I don't have issue with veggies - I love 'em and often have just a big-ass salad for dinner - but during my busy days at work they're just not as easy to choose as, say, a bag of chips.
I'm really hoping to get myself in gear this summer, with respect to my eating habits. I'll have all the time in the world to prepare meals. Hee!!!
Fruits and veggies were definitely a part of my upbringing. My grandmother had a vegetable garden each year (zucchini, tomatoes, snap peas, strawberries, squash, pumpkins, string beans, brussel sprouts, cucumbers, and on and on), and the entire State o' Maine is very much focussed on harvests, harvest fairs, apple orchards, blueberries and raspberries, roadside farm and produce stands, and the like. Thing is, it's the *preparation* of fruits (in the form of pies, cobblers, muffins, ice cream, etc.) and veggies (in the form of cream sauces, baked casseroles, etc.) that didn't really lend itself to healthful eating. So when I started actually paying attention to the fruits and veggies I was eating, I really tried to go for the raw form whenever possible. And found it to be rather difficult. I mean, raw cauliflower is one thing, but cauliflower drenched in my grandmother's cheddar cheese sauce is something quite different.
I find that the best way to ensure that I get the most fruits and veggies into my diet is to go specifically to Sprouts or Trader Joes on the weekend to stock up on the "good stuff", then plan out my meals each day, thinking about balance and nutrition. I also tend to choose the stuff that is the lowest difficulty to prepare - apples over oranges (no peeling!), or a bag of baby carrots as opposed to a bunch of regular carrots (no cutting). A bag of celery hearts instead of a bunch of regular celery, grapes as opposed to cherries (no pits or stems)... you get the theme.
I resent the fact, sometimes, that I have to put SO MUCH thought into what I eat in order to stay fit, instead of being able to grab any old thing to stuff into my pie hole, like *some* people (cough::Marie::cough) are able to do, without gaining an ounce.
Friday, May 23, 2003
Carbs de-mystified
Here is an article about carbs that's so good I even printed it out for reference. Really gives you a good breakdown regarding "good" and "bad" carbs, how they're used by the body, the truth behind some common "myths", and how they contribute to a person's weight. And it's from a source *I* trust, anyway - The University of California at Berkeley.
Here is an article about carbs that's so good I even printed it out for reference. Really gives you a good breakdown regarding "good" and "bad" carbs, how they're used by the body, the truth behind some common "myths", and how they contribute to a person's weight. And it's from a source *I* trust, anyway - The University of California at Berkeley.
Tuesday, May 20, 2003
Determined
I've been going overboard on the amount of fat and calories I've been consuming over the past two weeks. So starting tomorrow (I have to go grocery shopping), this is going to be the tedious yet nutritionally sound menu I will be following, at least five days a week, for the next two or three weeks. Drastic measures have to be taken, since I seem to lack discipline when I'm given any kind of choice or variety. I'm going to weigh myself before, weigh myself after, and see if it makes a difference. I am, by the way, still doing quite well with the workouts - averaging five days a week, and never doing less than 30 minutes of cardio. The weight training is starting to make a difference, too! Less flab!
Anyhoo, the menu:
Breakfast: The "new favorite breakfast" I spoke about before. Fiber One, Total, strawberries, milk.
Lunch: Tuna salad made with water pack tuna, fat free mayo, mustard, a spoonful of sweet relish, chopped celery, chopped onion. Served up with some reduced fat whole wheat crackers.
Dinner: At least two cups of mixed salad greens with a cup of diced chicken breast, and light dressing.
Snacks: An apple at some point, a container of yogurt at some point.
Liquids:At least 80oz of water, at least 32oz of green tea.
The grand total is 1225 calories, 25 g's of fat (19%), 181 g's of carbs (50%), 89 g's of protein (31%). More than the RDA of fiber (36 g's), and 100% or more of the RDA of all the vitamins and minerals *except* for Vitamin D, so a supplement there would be good.
It's a good thing that I *like* healthy food (even if I don't always choose it). Sigh. My kingdom for a buffalo wing. (chanting...) Hawaii. Bathing suit. Hawaii. Bathing suit. Hawaii...
I've been going overboard on the amount of fat and calories I've been consuming over the past two weeks. So starting tomorrow (I have to go grocery shopping), this is going to be the tedious yet nutritionally sound menu I will be following, at least five days a week, for the next two or three weeks. Drastic measures have to be taken, since I seem to lack discipline when I'm given any kind of choice or variety. I'm going to weigh myself before, weigh myself after, and see if it makes a difference. I am, by the way, still doing quite well with the workouts - averaging five days a week, and never doing less than 30 minutes of cardio. The weight training is starting to make a difference, too! Less flab!
Anyhoo, the menu:
Breakfast: The "new favorite breakfast" I spoke about before. Fiber One, Total, strawberries, milk.
Lunch: Tuna salad made with water pack tuna, fat free mayo, mustard, a spoonful of sweet relish, chopped celery, chopped onion. Served up with some reduced fat whole wheat crackers.
Dinner: At least two cups of mixed salad greens with a cup of diced chicken breast, and light dressing.
Snacks: An apple at some point, a container of yogurt at some point.
Liquids:At least 80oz of water, at least 32oz of green tea.
The grand total is 1225 calories, 25 g's of fat (19%), 181 g's of carbs (50%), 89 g's of protein (31%). More than the RDA of fiber (36 g's), and 100% or more of the RDA of all the vitamins and minerals *except* for Vitamin D, so a supplement there would be good.
It's a good thing that I *like* healthy food (even if I don't always choose it). Sigh. My kingdom for a buffalo wing. (chanting...) Hawaii. Bathing suit. Hawaii. Bathing suit. Hawaii...
Sunday, May 04, 2003
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