Last week's weight: 181.6
This week's weight: 179.8
Difference: -1.8
Total weight lost since Jan. 1, 2013: 1.6 pounds
I feel like I've been writing the same posts for a year now. I have a good week, then a bad week, then a good week. And, unfortunately, I've gained 10 pounds in the past few months. While the weight gain has been depressing and disappointing, there's good news. I still know what I need to do to be successful again. The hard part is doing it.
Every time I'm around food lately, I'm tempted to over do it. When I'm hungry, I don't think about eating healthy snacks. I think about chips, cookies, candy, pizza, etc. I've made slight progress in the past week, though. For months, I've been giving in to my cravings. This week, I found a way to satisfy them without overdoing it. I had a few pieces of candy when a sugar craving hit. I had whole wheat pasta with lowfat cheese and broccoli when the urge to gorge on carbs came over me. And, in my lowest moment, when I was craving potato chips, I bought baked chips. I still ended up eating half the bag, but, trust me, that's progress.
The other good news is that I exercised five out of seven days last week. I can't stress enough how important this is to my success. Riding my exercise bike isn't even physically that difficult anymore. The reasons I don't do it more are all mental. I really hope I can stick with it this week.
The final breakthrough came last Sunday after I wrote about how terrible last week's weigh-in made me feel. For more than three years now, there's been a constant battle waging inside my head. Luckily, the side that wants to be healthy has been winning. (I think that's obvious because I have actually lost more than 90 pounds total.) Of late, though, the side that doesn't want to focus on food all the time has taken over. The healthy side seemed drastically close to throwing in the towel, but now I don't feel that way. Instead, I know I'm going to keep fighting.
I've come to far to give up now.
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Weekly weigh-in: The downward spiral continues
Last week's weight: 177.6
This week's weight: 181.6
Difference: +4
Total weight lost since Jan. 1, 2013: Sadly, I've gained 0.2 pounds.
Every time I think I'm finally going to return to my healthy eating habits, something happens and I make the wrong choices. It's gotten so bad that I'm pretty much not even paying attention to what I'm eating. And all I want to do is eat.
My lack of progress has become quite depressing and I find myself slipping into bad habits in a lot of ways. I start every day vowing to do better. Then I stuff myself with candy or pretzels. The junk food is the real problem because my main meals are generally healthy and good for me. If I could just stop snacking between meals, I'd be losing weight again.
What's most confusing is that I don't understand why it seemed so easy before and now it seems so hard. I simply don't feel motivated to plan everything I eat or to exercise as much as I used to. It's frustrating and concerning.
And that's really all I have to say about that.
This week's weight: 181.6
Difference: +4
Total weight lost since Jan. 1, 2013: Sadly, I've gained 0.2 pounds.
Every time I think I'm finally going to return to my healthy eating habits, something happens and I make the wrong choices. It's gotten so bad that I'm pretty much not even paying attention to what I'm eating. And all I want to do is eat.
My lack of progress has become quite depressing and I find myself slipping into bad habits in a lot of ways. I start every day vowing to do better. Then I stuff myself with candy or pretzels. The junk food is the real problem because my main meals are generally healthy and good for me. If I could just stop snacking between meals, I'd be losing weight again.
What's most confusing is that I don't understand why it seemed so easy before and now it seems so hard. I simply don't feel motivated to plan everything I eat or to exercise as much as I used to. It's frustrating and concerning.
And that's really all I have to say about that.
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Recipes: Sunday brunch
After running a few errands bright and early this morning, I was in the mood for a big breakfast. I decided to make sweet potato muffins and mini ham and spinach frittatas. Since it ended up being about 11 a.m. before I ate, I'm calling it brunch. And the best part is that the recipes made enough for leftovers for the entire week.
Sweet potato muffins
1 large baked sweet potato, peeled (I had one leftover from dinner the night before, but you could cook one in the microwave.)
1 ripe banana
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 egg whites
Cooking spray
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, mash the sweet potato and banana with a fork. Stir in flour, baking powder, vanilla, and cinnamon. In a large bowl, beat egg whites with an electric mixer until fluffy. Gently, fold in sweet potato mixture with eggs. Spray a muffin tin. Spoon in mixture until cups are about 3/4th full. Bake about 15 minutes (or until middle is firm and edges are golden brown). Makes 12 muffins.
Ham and spinach frittatas
4 oz. ham, finely diced (I bought a thick slice from the meat case and used half.)
1 box frozen spinach
1 pint egg whites
2 slices reduced-fat cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray large muffin tin. (I have a pan with six large spaces, but you could use a regular muffin pan or even a pie plate.) Thaw spinach in microwave according to package directions. Squeeze to remove excess water. Place 1/6th of the diced ham in each muffin cup. Top with 1/6th of the thawed spinach. Pour equal amounts of egg whites into each cup and top with salt and pepper. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until middle is firm. Add 1/6th of cheese to top of each frittata and return to oven. Continue baking until cheese is melted. Makes 6 servings.
1 large baked sweet potato, peeled (I had one leftover from dinner the night before, but you could cook one in the microwave.)
1 ripe banana
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 egg whites
Cooking spray
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, mash the sweet potato and banana with a fork. Stir in flour, baking powder, vanilla, and cinnamon. In a large bowl, beat egg whites with an electric mixer until fluffy. Gently, fold in sweet potato mixture with eggs. Spray a muffin tin. Spoon in mixture until cups are about 3/4th full. Bake about 15 minutes (or until middle is firm and edges are golden brown). Makes 12 muffins.
Ham and spinach frittatas
4 oz. ham, finely diced (I bought a thick slice from the meat case and used half.)
1 box frozen spinach
1 pint egg whites
2 slices reduced-fat cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray large muffin tin. (I have a pan with six large spaces, but you could use a regular muffin pan or even a pie plate.) Thaw spinach in microwave according to package directions. Squeeze to remove excess water. Place 1/6th of the diced ham in each muffin cup. Top with 1/6th of the thawed spinach. Pour equal amounts of egg whites into each cup and top with salt and pepper. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until middle is firm. Add 1/6th of cheese to top of each frittata and return to oven. Continue baking until cheese is melted. Makes 6 servings.
Weekly weigh-in: Sick of being sick
Last week's weight: 180.6
This week's weight: 177.6
Difference: -3
Total weight lost since Jan. 1, 2013: 3.8 pounds
You may have noticed that I didn't blog last week. I was sick that Friday and pretty upset about gaining so much that week. But the weight listed above is what I weighed last week. When I weighed in this week, all I could think about was the scene in "The Devil Wears Prada" where Emily says she's just one stomach flu away from her goal weight. I didn't have the flu this week, but I have been sick with a cold for 10 days now. I guess that stopped me from overeating, which meant I actually lost weight. Plus, I'm still about 25 pounds from my goal weight so I think it would take more than one stomach flu.
And I really hate being sick. I even took a sick day this week and by the end of the day, I was bored out of my mind. I love watching TV, but there's only so many hours of it I can take in one sitting. Usually, I'm doing something else while the TV is on. While I was sick, I just sat there and felt blah all day. I feel like I've turned the corner and am getting well. But it seems to be taking forever. I am at least feeling up to going for a walk today and I'm doing a lot of cooking. I hope that will keep me on track for the rest of this week.
This week's weight: 177.6
Difference: -3
Total weight lost since Jan. 1, 2013: 3.8 pounds
You may have noticed that I didn't blog last week. I was sick that Friday and pretty upset about gaining so much that week. But the weight listed above is what I weighed last week. When I weighed in this week, all I could think about was the scene in "The Devil Wears Prada" where Emily says she's just one stomach flu away from her goal weight. I didn't have the flu this week, but I have been sick with a cold for 10 days now. I guess that stopped me from overeating, which meant I actually lost weight. Plus, I'm still about 25 pounds from my goal weight so I think it would take more than one stomach flu.
And I really hate being sick. I even took a sick day this week and by the end of the day, I was bored out of my mind. I love watching TV, but there's only so many hours of it I can take in one sitting. Usually, I'm doing something else while the TV is on. While I was sick, I just sat there and felt blah all day. I feel like I've turned the corner and am getting well. But it seems to be taking forever. I am at least feeling up to going for a walk today and I'm doing a lot of cooking. I hope that will keep me on track for the rest of this week.
Sunday, January 27, 2013
I need a do-over
If you read my post this morning, then you know I wasn't in a very good frame of mind. In fact, after I wrote it, I went back to bed and cried. The blubbering lasted only about 5 minutes (thankfully) and then I sat in bed and ate a peanut butter and jelly sandwich while I finished reading my book. At the time, I was suffering from a terrible migraine and I wondered if the pain would ever subside. Luckily, medication helped and within about an hour, I was formulating a plan for the day.
That's when I realized I needed a do-over. I really hate when I start feeling sorry for myself. This latest bout of self-loathing started a few days ago. And I finally gave into it this morning. I let all of the negative feelings come to the surface and they manifested themselves in a gloomy blog post and a tearful outburst.
I guess the emotional meltdown helped, though. Once I got back out of bed, I headed to the grocery store. I knew it wouldn't be easy to avoid the pizza I'd been thinking about since Friday or the carrot cake or the potato chips. But I had a plan for what I wanted to cook today -- a healthy roasted garlic and potato soup and lowfat mini cheesecakes with cherries on top.
I stopped briefly to look at the pizza, but I convinced myself not to put it in the cart. In the baking aisle, I almost bought a box of brownie mix. But I kept moving. When I found the pie filling, which I needed for the top of the cheesecakes, I was torn. The regular store brand was a lot cheaper than the name brand sugar-free kind. I did the right thing and didn't worry about spending an extra $1.50. I did have one slip ... I bought two individual-sized pieces of candy -- a chocolate-covered marshmallow heart and a chocolate-covered coconut heart. I rationalized that two pieces of candy would be a lot better than an entire pizza.
Once I got home, I walked two laps around the park and made a banana smoothie with almond milk for a snack when I was done. I'm ashamed that I let myself feel so bad earlier. There's really no excuse for it. I'm a big believer that we're all responsible for our own happiness. All-in-all, I'm feeling much better about myself now. Let's hope it lasts.
That's when I realized I needed a do-over. I really hate when I start feeling sorry for myself. This latest bout of self-loathing started a few days ago. And I finally gave into it this morning. I let all of the negative feelings come to the surface and they manifested themselves in a gloomy blog post and a tearful outburst.
I guess the emotional meltdown helped, though. Once I got back out of bed, I headed to the grocery store. I knew it wouldn't be easy to avoid the pizza I'd been thinking about since Friday or the carrot cake or the potato chips. But I had a plan for what I wanted to cook today -- a healthy roasted garlic and potato soup and lowfat mini cheesecakes with cherries on top.
I stopped briefly to look at the pizza, but I convinced myself not to put it in the cart. In the baking aisle, I almost bought a box of brownie mix. But I kept moving. When I found the pie filling, which I needed for the top of the cheesecakes, I was torn. The regular store brand was a lot cheaper than the name brand sugar-free kind. I did the right thing and didn't worry about spending an extra $1.50. I did have one slip ... I bought two individual-sized pieces of candy -- a chocolate-covered marshmallow heart and a chocolate-covered coconut heart. I rationalized that two pieces of candy would be a lot better than an entire pizza.
Once I got home, I walked two laps around the park and made a banana smoothie with almond milk for a snack when I was done. I'm ashamed that I let myself feel so bad earlier. There's really no excuse for it. I'm a big believer that we're all responsible for our own happiness. All-in-all, I'm feeling much better about myself now. Let's hope it lasts.
Recipe: Herbed ricotta frittata
Over the years, I've tried a lot of baked egg white dishes. They aren't exactly frittatas, but they are as close as you can get without using more oil or butter. Today's concoction was better than I expected and now one of my favorites.
Ingredients
1 pint liquid egg whites
1 box (10 oz.) frozen chopped broccoli
3 oz. Canadian bacon, diced
1/2 cups fat-free ricotta cheese
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried parsley
1 tsp. dried chives
1/4 tsp. onion powder
Salt and pepper
Cooking spray
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a baking dish with cooking spray. Thaw broccoli in microwave and spread into dish. Sprinkle Canadian bacon on top. In a bowl, mix egg whites, herbs, onion powder, salt, pepper and cheese. Pour over broccoli and bacon. Bake uncovered for 20-30 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges and firm in the middle. Makes 4-6 servings.
(Note: Fresh herbs would be great, but I didn't have those on hand.)
1 pint liquid egg whites
1 box (10 oz.) frozen chopped broccoli
3 oz. Canadian bacon, diced
1/2 cups fat-free ricotta cheese
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried parsley
1 tsp. dried chives
1/4 tsp. onion powder
Salt and pepper
Cooking spray
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a baking dish with cooking spray. Thaw broccoli in microwave and spread into dish. Sprinkle Canadian bacon on top. In a bowl, mix egg whites, herbs, onion powder, salt, pepper and cheese. Pour over broccoli and bacon. Bake uncovered for 20-30 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges and firm in the middle. Makes 4-6 servings.
(Note: Fresh herbs would be great, but I didn't have those on hand.)
Weekly weigh-in: I can't stop snacking
Last week's weight: 179.6
This week's weight: 177.8
Difference: -1.8
Total weight lost since Jan. 1, 2013: 3.6 pounds
I haven't been in such a bad place mentally about my weight loss in quite some time. I don't fully understand what's going on. I have no desire to exercise ... at all. And I just keep eating and eating. Of course, I'm glad I lost a little this week, but I'm pretty sure I've already gained it all back this weekend. And I'm a long way from where I was just a few months ago.
My biggest downfall in the past month has been the snacking between meals. I've done fairly well with eating healthy for breakfast, lunch and dinner. But in between, I can't stop snacking. Candy, cookies, pretzels, Wheat Thins, cheese, etc. I try making healthy snacks, but I just eat those in addition to the bad stuff.
It's frustrating. I think about it all the time. I don't like the habits I'm developing and I definitely don't like the weight gain I've experienced. But I don't know how to stop.
And my missteps of late are severely affecting my body image. Just when I thought I was starting to see how far I've come, I now constantly see all my flaws and that just makes me feel worse. I'm worried that there are too many days where I don't want to get out of the bed much less leave the house.
This week's weight: 177.8
Difference: -1.8
Total weight lost since Jan. 1, 2013: 3.6 pounds
I haven't been in such a bad place mentally about my weight loss in quite some time. I don't fully understand what's going on. I have no desire to exercise ... at all. And I just keep eating and eating. Of course, I'm glad I lost a little this week, but I'm pretty sure I've already gained it all back this weekend. And I'm a long way from where I was just a few months ago.
My biggest downfall in the past month has been the snacking between meals. I've done fairly well with eating healthy for breakfast, lunch and dinner. But in between, I can't stop snacking. Candy, cookies, pretzels, Wheat Thins, cheese, etc. I try making healthy snacks, but I just eat those in addition to the bad stuff.
It's frustrating. I think about it all the time. I don't like the habits I'm developing and I definitely don't like the weight gain I've experienced. But I don't know how to stop.
And my missteps of late are severely affecting my body image. Just when I thought I was starting to see how far I've come, I now constantly see all my flaws and that just makes me feel worse. I'm worried that there are too many days where I don't want to get out of the bed much less leave the house.
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