Planing, it's just another baby step.

Thought for the day:

"In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable."

Dwight D. Eisenhower




Today was employee appreciation day at work. Although I love to be appreciated, I was not sure about the luncheon that was being provided. As usual, the offerings were pretty tempting and the menu we were given last week sure sounded good; Croissant Sandwiches, Chips, Pasta House Salad, and an assortment of cookies for desert.

Sounds yummy, huh? I thought so, but it's a little too very easy to get off program and I'm not that strong.

I needed a plan.

It started with last night's dinner. Fix something I love, that is a little extravagant, and plan enough leftovers to take for my lunch.

I made a pineapple-mango salsa to serve with broiled Ahi Tuna, served with butternut squash that I had sautéed with bell peppers and onions, and accompanied by fresh green beans with fingerling potatoes.

For dessert, I made pear and apple tartlets (only 50 calories each). Extravagant!

I left for work with a single portion of this meal in my lunch pail with some fresh fruit (strawberries and blueberries - my favorite) and a plan to have just a little of the Pasta House Salad, then go heat and eat my delicious, completely on program lunch.

Lunch time came and reality set in. The cookies smelled so good! I took my place in line and watched as plates were being filled with croissants, chicken salad, roast beef, ham, turkey, cheeses and lots of chips. In my mind I visualized all of the butter in the croissants, the Mayo in the chicken salad, and the fat on the roast beef and ham. It made it a lot easier to pass those things up. Then the moment of truth came. I saw someone lift the Pasta House Salad, dripping with salad dressing, onto a plate and I just couldn't take it anymore.

I turned around, went back to my desk, retrieved the lunch I brought, and warmed it in the microwave. I felt far more spoiled eating the great meal I had brought for myself than even one of the cookies that were previously beckoning me.

I learned a valuable lesson today; planning really does pay off!

Just another baby step...





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First Sweet Loss

Thought for the day:
"When there is no peril in the fight there is no glory in the triumph."
-Pierre Corneille


I went before the Judge today. Did I really want to step up and get the verdict? Did I want to stand naked and see what my weeks activities have wraught? I worked at staying on the program. I ate my 100 calorie snack packs even when work was stressfull and I really wanted a Snickers bar. Heck, I even exercised!

I stood on that scale, about to cry again, and sure that I had not done enough to budge even one lousy pound off of my fat ass. But, WOW! What a pleasant suprise! I am 3.2 pounds lighter than last week! Whoo! Hoo! 3.2 pounds off! Yipee! 96.8 more to go. Yipee! I lost 3 pounds! Naner-Naner Boo-Boo!
OK, so here's the week in review:

1. What I did right-

a. Ate Breakfast daily.
b. Kept a diary of every bite that crossed my lips.
c. Drank a minimum of 6 glasses of good old H2O daily.
d. Walked for 20 minutes, 3 days of the week.


2. What I can do better-

a. Try a couple of new recipes so I don't get bored.
b. Get in some additional kind of exercise at least one more day a week.

Motivated to Move

Thought for the day:



"There's no easy way out. If there were, I would have bought it. And, believe me, it would be one of my favorite things!"
- Oprah Winfrey


I feel the same way about exercise as Oprah. Actually, I think I'm allergic to exercise. My face gets red, I break out in a sweat, and get short of breath. All are symptoms of anaphylaxes and that can kill you! I have been telling myself this lie for years. I really HATE to exercise! Now, I know exercise is an important part of a weight loss program, but getting myself motivated to actually do it is more difficult than passing up a great designer handbag or pair of shoes at 50% under retail - it doesn't happen all that often. OK, baby steps, right?


So today, under duress, I walked two laps around the parking lot at work...and it didn't kill me. It was actually kind of nice getting some fresh air. I'll admit, it did clear my head and I did feel refreshed when I went back in to work. Maybe I can get in the habit of a daily walk.

Tuesday Morning Trial

Day Two


My thought for today is a quote:

"Only I can change my life. No one can do it for me." Carol Burnett



This morning there was a small trial while packing my Breakfast and Lunch; My Mother ate the last of the homemade Blueberry muffins(Hungrygirl.com recipe) and all but one of the breakfast cookies I had planned on for my breakfasts and coffee breaks this week. The situation came close to totally de-railing my resolve, mornings are busy and to get out of the house I have to be organized, everything was on the counter wrapped in cellophane set aside in a Tupperware container and ready to be packed, or so I thought. I had to think quickly to rescue myself from this near diet disaster. Grabbed a 100 calorie pack of rice cakes snacks and some string cheese for my coffee break, the breakfast cookie and a cup of Vanilla soy milk as planned to eat while commuting, and just packed the rest of my lunch as planned.




But I really wanted that muffin! Arggg!

Day one

Thought for the day: The journey of a lifetime starts with baby steps.

Today was the first day of the rest of my challenge. I think I did OK staying on track; I tried the "grab `n go breakfast cookie" recipe from hungry-girl.com, Yum Oh! This cookie is generous in size and flavor. Since I don't have a baby or baby food on hand, I did substitute the strained peaches in the recipe with no sugar added applesauce. I also came up with a new recipe of my own creation for Vanilla Latte'; I love St. Louis Bread Company French Vanilla Latte' and this tasted close, but came no where near the fat and calories, as my version weighs in at about 60.

Fat Momma's Vanilla Latte'

1 cup of strong black coffee
1/2 cup vanilla soy milk
2 tsp. non-calorie sweetener
2 tsp sugar free french vanilla flavored coffee creamer
Fat free whipped cream in an aerosol can
Sprinkle of ground nutmeg

Warm the soy milk for about 30 seconds in the microwave the put put it in your blender and blend on high until frothy. Pour into your coffee mug with the coffee sweetener and coffee creamer. Stir, Top with whipped cream and nutmeg.
This coffee and the breakfast cookie; Total Morning Decadence!

To quote Scarlett; " Tomorrow is another day."

The Challenge

03/21/10

While standing on the bathroom scale this morning, I saw the number, I cried, and I had an epiphany...

I HAVE GOT TO LOOSE WEIGHT!

Now, I have lost and found many pounds over the years, and every time I find a pound previously lost, it always has friend or two that find their way to my body as well. Truth is, I love rich fattening food, I love almost every thing about it, the way it smells, the way tastes, the texture, how it makes me feel satisfied; the only thing I don't like, is how I look and feel after years of overindulgence, and that number on the scale. I am 100 pounds overweight and bordering on morbid obesity.

You might ask, How did I get this big? Why haven't I done something about it before now? As a nurse, I know taking in more calories than you burn results in those calories being stored as FAT. Nurses in general, have notoriously poor dietary habbits, we grab and go often waiting untill we are totally famished and then eat what is fast, satisfying and usually fried. As a young little nurse needing rollerskates to keep up with my work-load, the fast food, the after work ice-cream or afterwork cocktails never seemed to find their way to my waist and hips. Oh! how age and a lower activity level changes things! Getting off the floors and an early menopause quite frankly has contributed to my becoming twice the woman I used to be.

I am a 50 something year old woman, a mom and grand-mom who can barely keep up with my grand kids. I cannot walk up one flight of stairs without being out of breath. My knees hurt when I walk for more than an hour, and I can't do that at a brisk pace while maintaining a conversation.

The challenge, over the next 365 days, I challenge myself to loose 100 pounds. My plan is to do this by utilizing a healthy diet and get off my butt activities.

My Long Term Goals:

1. Loose 100 pounds.

2. Establish healthy habbits.

3. Establish an activity program that will help my weight maintanance.

4. Learn methods of cooking and meal planning for weight maintanance.

My Short term goals:

1. Loose 10 pounds.

2. Drink at least 6 glasses of water daily.

3. Reduce my fat and calorie intake.

4. Engage in an aerobic activity 3-4 days a week for at least 20 minutes.

Monday March 22 will be the first day of my challenge.