Chicken Wally Salad

October 21, 2012 //
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Last weekend I grilled a whole bunch of boneless, skinless chicken breasts for the week. I was afraid it might be the last good grilling weekend, plus, I wanted lots of chicken for us to have for the week so we didn’t fall back on take-out.

I love a good chicken salad–you know the kind, with creamy mayo and crisp celery…yum. I wondered if I could make a lighter version, and ended up with a cross between a chicken and Waldorf salad.

Chicken Wally Salad
Serves 2-4, depending… :)

2 Cups Chopped skinless, boneless chicken breast
1 Cup chopped celery
1 Cup chopped apple (I love a Honeycrisp or Fuji apple)
Curry powder, salt & pepper to taste
2-3 tablespoons plain, non-fat Greek yogurt (the salad should be moist, but not overly dressed or runny)

Serve on its own, on top of lettuce, sprinkled with a few chopped almonds and/or raisins.

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No Gastric Bypass

October 18, 2012 //
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I was talking to a woman who knows me professionally. She has a few pounds to lose, and was telling me she feels she’s lost jobs because of her “stature and size.” I never thought of her as overly heavy and told her so. Our discussion eventually touched on my obesity when I said, “You knew me back when I was at my heaviest. I was BIG.”

She asked what prompted me to “take the plunge” and I gave her my usual answer of being tired of being out of shape, unhappy with my body, and painful knees.

She said, “Yeah, well, I can’t afford gastric bypass,” with the implication that I’d had it.

When I told her that it was through Weight Watchers and exercise she seemed surprised–not at the success of method, but that it hadn’t been a surgical procedure.

I still have 30 more pounds to lose. Sure, I’d love a magic pill/procedure/fairy dust to take it off instantly…but there’s nothing out there that will instantly change my behavior, habits and thought patterns.

Because of that, I’ll keep plugging away at it my own way. No bypass, no pills, no fairy dust.

Categories Food/Diet

I Hate Trainer Paul

September 28, 2012 //
1

I hate you Trainer Paul. At least, that’s what I was thinking at the end of my session last night. I wanted to hurl the $#*&!@! heavy weight (three pounds) I’d been waving in front of me in figure eights for hours (thirty seconds).

Three pounds? What? That’s nothing.

Yep. After not working out for three months I’m basically starting over. Sure, the figure eights were at the end of the session, having done push presses and L raises and lateral lifts etc., but these were just 30 seconds of figure eights. I had to go down from an eight pound weight to a five pound weight to a three pounder.

I’ve never used a three pound weight. When he handed it to me I just laughed. And struggled to keep it up. I gritted my teeth and breathed hard. When he said “ten seconds” I tried harder.

At the end of the session I was wiped out. Sweaty. Surprised at the amount of strength I’ve lost.

But not defeated or depressed. Instead, I’m determined. I’ve had a glimpse at what I can do when I work hard and am in control. I liked what I saw. Confident. Healthy. Fit.

At the end of the session Trainer Paul put the puny weights away for me and smiled, “Welcome back.”

Categories Training

The Ups and Downs of Weight Loss

September 25, 2012 //
2

There are lots of weight loss inspiration stories in the media. Valerie Bertinelli. The Biggest Loser. Kirstie Alley. Jennifer Hudson. Jack Black. Kirstie Alley. Okay, that last one was mean. But was it?

NPR recently posted some pictures about a woman who lost 160 pounds and her dressing room photos that show the journey. What I didn’t see were the up and down photos–just the constantly shrinking woman. And those photos are great inspiration for “this is what you can do”. Yes, I too, can lose 160 pounds. But in two years? Six months? Not me.

It’s been three years, three months since I started this go-round with getting healthy. Year one was a lot of weight lost. Year two was the maintenance year. Year three was 25 pounds lost, going to a gym, getting a trainer, and then sliding back to where I was at the beginning of the year.

Now I’m in year four, and I’m working on the mental side of it.

It was depressing to see just how fast the bad habits and lack of self-control came back. One week of vacation and poof…I was on the downward spiraling slide of laziness and gluttony.

If I’d taken dressing room pictures last weekend you wouldn’t see a smile or a proudly tilted chin. You’d see annoyance, frustration and the beginning tinges of depression. No more size 14. No more clothes fitting well. Hello size 16 and shlumpy lumpy fit.

I started to slide into depression. I fed it. It grew. And I finally snapped out of it. Ham croissanwiches from Burger King with my morning commute weren’t going to make me feel better (in fact, they made me slightly ill.)

So I’m back to tracking, measuring and weighing. Back to the gym–that was hard. Back to Weight Watchers–weighing in and seeing the giant weight gain since July was harder.

17.8 pounds.

Ouch.

I’m owning those 17.8 pounds. If I don’t I won’t remember it the next time I slack off with tracking, measuring, and working out. Kirstie Alley understands what I’m talking about.

Categories Food/Diet, Missions failed

Advice from Sweden on Weightloss

May 28, 2012 //
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Last weekend I got a message via Twitter from @locust9 who lives in Sweden–a country where less than 10% of adults are obese:

switch out grains, only protein, no sugar. Weight will go away.”

At first, I thought, “Yes! That’s it. That’s what I need to be doing. It’s that easy. I can do that.”

A few hours later I thought, “Hell, I’ve been working at this for three fucking years. It’s not that easy. If it was, I’d be super-hero fit….”

A day later I found myself grumbling, “Who does he think he is, saying how easy it is to lose weight? What does he know, living in Sweden, the thinnest country in Europe?”

And then it hit me. He never said it was easy. Suzi Storm doesn’t say it will be easy. Weight Watchers doesn’t say it’s easy. I don’t say it’s easy. Losing weight is hard, no matter how much you have to lose.

But, when you’ve got a large amount of weight to lose, it’s even harder, because you’re also having to change habits, mindsets, and attitudes towards food that are obviously problematic. When I hit rock bottom I was fat. REALLY fat. I needed to lose about 120 pounds. Now I have about 20-30 pounds to go, and I battle a lot of the same crappy lazy behaviors I had three years ago.

Last weekend I saw friends of the family for the first time in about five years. One of them is a woman who has struggled with morbid obesity for 30 years. She’s been going to Weight Watchers for a year and has lost 40 pounds–and whined at me that it was taking too long.

“Don’t worry about how long it takes,” I said,’Just work on changing habits day by day. Start trying not to think so much about food all the time. Work on changing your thought process so the weight doesn’t come back. It’s hard, but it’s worth it.”

She continued whining about how hard it was (and then ate about 20 really fattening cheese & pastry rolls that were about 5 points a piece…I know because I made them). Maybe I thought, maybe she would be happier to just do what she wants: eat. She’ll die a lot sooner, but maybe she’d just be happier living a shorter life as a fat woman enjoying her food.

Is that what I want? To die at 60 because I wanted to swill wine, shovel popcorn, and chow on hot fudge and frozen yogurt? Or do I want to be one of those serene people, waking up to practice yoga at dawn, go for a quick run at lunch, lift some weights before dinner? Someone who fuels their body so it can be strong and healthy, not eating for “fun”?

Yes, that’s what I want. I’m happiest when I’m healthy. Therefore I need to be healthy. It’s that easy.

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Categories Food/Diet

Workout Time

May 7, 2012 //
0

It’s time to get serious with my workouts. I’ve got another 15-20 pounds of fat to burn, and I want to burn it off by the end of June. I know I can do it, but I have to work hard to do it. There are  some general rules to keep if I’m to be successful:

1) Weigh, measure, track: every bite and morsel needs to be tracked. I’ll stay within my points, aiming for average days of 1,300 calories.

2) Eat mostly fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans & lentils. Meat, sweets and alcohol will be consumed sparingly.

3) Be dedicated to exercise and strength training. That means running, abdominal work, and getting to the gym daily.

Here’s my workout plan for this week, Week 1:

Sunday
Jog 2 miles (20 minutes)
Legs:

Plie dumbbell squat, 3 sets of 15 reps, 45lb weight
Alternated with Dumbbell lunges, 12 reps, 15lb weights
Leg press, 3 sets of 12 reps, 100lbs
Leg curls (machine), 3 sets of 12 reps, 70lbs, alternating “toe positions”
Standing calf raises, 3 sets of 15 reps, 70lbs

Abs: Day 1

Monday
Jog 2 miles (20 minutes)
Chest, Triceps:

Pushups, 2 sets of 15 reps
Machine bench press, 3 x 12-15*
Incline dumbbell press, 3 x 12-15*
Butterfly machine, 3 x 12-15*
Tricep dips, 3 x 12-15*
Stability ball overhead tricep extensions, dumbbell, 3 x 12-15*

Abs: Day 2

Tuesday
Jog 2 miles (20 minutes)
Back, Biceps:

Prone trunk extensions, 2 x 15
Floor bridges, 2 x 15
Wide-grip lateral pulldown: 3 x 12-15*
Assisted chinups: 3 x 12-15*
One-arm dumbbell row: 3 x 12-15, 20lb weight
Lying T-bar row: 3 x 12-15*
Back extension: 3 x 12-15
Alternating dumbbell curl: 3 x 12-15*

Abs: Day 3

Wednesday
Jog 2 miles (20 minutes)
Shoulders: ….I need to work out this routine.

Abs: Day 4


Thursday
Jog 2 miles (20 minutes)
Legs:

Plie dumbbell squat, 3 sets of 15 reps, 45lb weight
Alternated with Dumbbell lunges, 12 reps, 15lb weights
Leg press, 3 sets of 12 reps, 110lbs
Leg curls (machine), 3 sets of 12 reps, 70lbs, alternating “toe positions”
Standing calf raises, 3 sets of 15 reps, 75lbs

Abs: Day 5

Friday
Meet with Trainer Paul

Abs: Day 6

Saturday
Jog 2 miles (20 minutes)
Depends on what I do on Friday.

Abs: Day 7

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Categories Super-Action Hero Tips, Training

Feaster…and Suzi Storm

April 24, 2012 //
0

On April 16th Weight Watchers star Suzi Storm had an online melt-down. I was a little surprised at the force of her meltdown, and that it came seemingly from no-where. But as I read back through Tweets and blog posts I saw it there…the strains of snuggling up to complacency. The slipping back into comfy old habits of too much beer, comfort foods, couch sitting.

And the resulting feeling of feeling like crap.

This morning that’s where I’m at. I feel like crap. On the day before Easter (17 days ago, but who’s counting?), I celebrated a 100-pound weight loss.

This morning I’m up six pounds.

And I feel like crap. Not because of the six pounds–that just annoys me–but because I’ve been eating dirty. Giant burritos with flour tortillas and carnitas. Tortilla chips and beer. Oreos. Ice cream. Bagels with cream cheese. Wine. Blueberry tarts. Frozen yogurt. You name it, I thought about it and ate it. A jelly donut.

I’ve gotten to the gym about twice a week, with insistence that I’ll exercise at home if I don’t go to the gym…but I haven’t exercised at home.

And to top it all off, I’m not sleeping much. Oh, six hours a night maybe. But I’m tossing and turning, worrying about the future, and my children’s future, etc. And I wake up…feeling like crap.

That momentary elatedness of “I lost 100 pounds!” has evaporated. I’m left with my normal, grouchy self.

What to do? Remember all the tools I’ve used on the path to 100. Visioning. Planning. Tracking. And reminding myself that nothing tastes as good as thin feels. Really. The physical impact of eating crap and being a lazy lump is HUGE.

So–back to clean eating and exercise. I hope sleep and positive thoughts will result!

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Categories Food/Diet, Missions failed

How to Lose 100 Pounds

April 10, 2012 //
0

This week I celebrated losing 100 pounds. I didn’t do this by taking pills or following a fad diet. I’ve eaten chocolate, pizza, drank wine & beer, and have completely skipped exercising. How is that possible?

1)  Give it time. I started this journey the first week of June 2009. It’s been two years, ten months. I spent most of 2010 gaining and losing the same 10 pounds–and a lot of the reason behind that is because I was getting comfortable with my first 70 pounds of weight loss.

2) Be honest with yourself. If you really want to lose weight you’ll have to commit to this. Do you want to lose weight, or do you want that Venti Frappuccino? Keep track of what and how much you eat. It’s important you be aware of your daily consumption of food–whether you’re tracking calories, fat or Weight Watchers points. It’s because you haven’t been honest with your eating habits that you’re fat.

3) Feed your family what you eat. Do you have a family that you think you need to feed pizza, fried chicken and gravy to? Do you really need to feed them this, or is it easier for you to give them this food? If you change the habits of how you cook, you and your family will be better off. And, you won’t be tempted to finish off a slice of uneaten pizza as you’re cleaning up.

4) Eat lots of fruits and vegetables. I’ve increased my fruits and vegetable intake these last few months–which has made it easier to lose weight. Apples, oranges and bananas are daily staples. Cauliflower, bell peppers and carrots also show up with great frequency. If you don’t like most vegetables find ones you do like. If you like celery, but don’t like eggplant, try other crunchy vegetables like jicama.

5). Exercise. This is important. Even if you can’t do much more right now than walk to your car, try walking to the corner. If your knees bother you, try crunches or arm circles. It’s true that just moving more can make a difference, especially at the beginning, when it seems like 100 or more pounds is insurmountable.

6) Support. There are plenty of people out there who have lost 200, 300, even 400 pounds. They gave it time, and I wager they had people who supported them. If you live alone, join Weight Watchers. Use weight loss forums, or start following people like me on Twitter. I guarantee there are people out there in the “Fitfluential” world who have lost weight or are losing weight, and want to help you reach your goals, too!

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Categories Food/Diet

Victory Log #5: Hitting 100

April 10, 2012 //
0

Drumroll….!

I hit 100 pounds lost on Friday night.

I hate to say it, but I’m sure I bounced up a bit after too much Easter candy, tortillas, etc.

My next goal is to make sure I get back to that 100 pounds lost, and lose 7 more.

Why seven more pounds? Because at 160 I’ll be in the “Normal Weight” BMI zone. At that point I’ll get my fat tested with skin calipers to determine how much more fat I need to lose, and I’ll decide what I want my goal weight to be.

I started out saying I wanted to lose 120 pounds. That may not be the case now. I might lose 120 pounds of fat, but gain muscle. If I’m a lean 157, that’s great. Then again, if I need to get down to 145 to be healthy, I’ll keep at it.

 

 

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Categories Food/Diet, Victory Log

Five Ways to Increase Fiber

March 23, 2012 //
0

I’m taking a nutrition class at the local community college, and I’m really shocked at the foods that people say they eat. Not only is fast food a large component of their weekly menus, but so is over-processed, refined, sugary crap. In addition to that, most people get fewer than 10 grams of fiber in their daily diet. It’s really hard to eat such little fiber–at least I thought.

Since it appears I’m wrong, here are:

5 Easy Ways to Increase Your Fiber Intake

1) Don’t peel it. Eat your apple, peach and potato peels. You’ll double your fiber intake this way.

2) Go brown. Stay away from white food. No white rice, bread, or pasta. Instead, have brown rice, whole grain bread–look for whole wheat!–, and whole wheat pasta. Look at the amount of fiber on the nutritional panels to make sure you’re getting a decent amount of fiber per serving, more than three grams. If not, see if you can find another brand.

3) Have beans or lentils every other day.  That’s a simple way to increase your fiber intake!

4) Sprinkle flax seeds on it. Try sprinkling “nature’s broom” into your cereal, on top of soup, into pasta, in stir fries. They are crunchy and have a mild flavor, and are a nutritious form of fiber. Do know they are *not* fat free!

5) Have high-fiber cereal in the morning. Don’t like it? Try swapping out a quarter of your cereal for high-fiber cereal for a few days, then increase it to a third of your cereal, etc.

Categories Food/Diet, Super-Action Hero Tips
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