The Girl Who ate Bacon and Cheese at noon

I am a medical miracle. Yesterday I hit a low place - not in the scale, but in eating. I always, always, always bring my lunch to work. If for some reason I can't, I have a salad or a light soup - I'm always trying to do what's right. Yesterday, I was like eff it, I'm having a sandwich. With Swiss cheese, bacon, and bleu cheese. Oh, and some chicken, lettuce and tomato. I was having lunch with a colleague to help me get off the wah-mbulance and make some positive changes in my work life, and I just thought -I should get the salad - I don't want the salad. It also came with fries, of which I only ate a few - look at me, I am restraint personified! And I ate the whole damn thing. Sometimes I need to just eat what I want. Foolish? You betcha.

I was planning on a gym night anyway, but now knew that I had to step it up in the strength department. I did 20 min on the elliptical, my full strength routine, and then finished with some core stuff. The whole time, it was as though I was clicking undo over and over again in a frenzy. Also, I didn't do any strength training at all last week, and I expected to find the exercises super challenging - but I could still do it - hooray. I went home, ate my fabulous Asian coleslaw, and some melon and called it a night.

I am telling this long story because... I always weigh more the morning after a strength training workout. Always. This morning, I was 2 pounds lighter than yesterday. Oh the scale, she messes with me, everytime. And thus concludes the tale of the foolish girl who ate bacon and cheese at noon.

HYC Check In

Here's the week to get it together! Had a challenging weekend, celebrating my Mom's birthday, but I made the healthiest choice I could at dinner. My weight hasn't changed, alas. Oddly enough, I have had people at work ask me if I'm losing more weight - I wonder if my shape is changing? In any case, I'm happy to appear like I'm losing when I'm not. I've made myself a killer lunch, at 290 calories, and I'm toying with the idea of replacing a full meal with a green smoothie. But the experience of chewing is important to me. Does that sound dumb? I don't want to resort to a quick-fix, unhealthy choice like a Sl*m-F*st shake or something, but I'm thinking that instead of portioning out and weighing my dinner, perhaps I can just whirl it and sip it. Will ponder.

In other news, I started physical therapy, and my hip can now withstand a long walk without making me want to cry and take a bunch of ibuprofen! Progress! Tonight I want to do a really long workout so that I can conk out early, and be refreshed for my interview tomorrow. I'm already nervous, which is oh-so helpful. Nothing that 30 minutes on the elliptical can't dissipate!

HYC Check In

Miami left me sun-drenched, and soggy! Thunder and lightning storms every night - but warm. It was a strange sensation for this Seattle girl. But now I'm tan and heavier than I was when I left. We swam and sweated and ate fresh foods, but no "formal" exercise, and had some cocktails and one of the best meals of my life at Joe's Stone Crabs. I had a wonderful time, I don't regret it for a minute!

I'm back on the straight and narrow - went to the gym last night, whining all the way, but I felt great when I was through. I'll get back to normal soon. This week, I'm not ready to kick sugar altogether, but I have to stop eating candy. I love candy. I love junky, fruity, gummy candy. It is horrible for me. I especially love fake watermelon and apple flavors. There's no value in eating it, and it takes away valuable calories from my daily budget. I love black licorice. That stuff, I get the good kind, the really dark Australian stuff. So this week, no more candy. It's a small step. So far, I've got 2 days behind me. Yahoo!

HYC Check In

If last week I felt like the personification of "I'm fine, same old, same old." This is the week of the "WhatcanIeatnow?" monster. Mostly I was a sugar monster. (Who is shaking their head in pity saying "Oh Sara, just give it up completely!") I know, I know, when you eat sugar, you crave sugar, and I should just go cold turkey. (mmm...turkey). I'm still at the "everything in moderation" point, and I really should probably work on eliminating foods that don't bring me nutrition.

I think I also suffer from just not wanting it to count. I want to have 5 great days so I can have 2 eat what I want days, and then hope my body does not notice. A virtual "nothing to see here, folks, let's move along.". Because the reality is, everything counts, even when you exercise. See also: Why didn't I take care of this healthy weight thing when I was in my twenties? Sheesh. Now I'm headed to the land of the South Beach diet, so I imagine the worst thing I'm going to have is a slice of Key Lime pie, a mojito and pork. I'm glad to know that I'll have easy access to salads and fresh fruit. Hope everyone else had a great week!

My I heart Seattle weekend

Best. Weekend. Ever. My glorious weekend kicked off with some much needed good news. My husband got a job. At a big Pacific Northwest company, I love having major employers here. He starts next Monday the 24th. This is significant, because he has been out of work for 354 days (but who's counting?). I never wrote about it publicly here, because I just didn't want to talk about how my insides were a mess of goo and running mental financial calculations every 2 minutes. Now, we have two incomes! We can eat out and not feel guilty! We can dump money into savings, and then blow it on a vacation. To say I am relieved and excited is an understatement. I would also like to say that I am pretty proud of how well we handled this - I still managed to contribute to 2 retirement accounts, and even socked away some cash while only using a meager amount of the severance package to pay the mortgage. This was possible a) because we don't have any debt except the mortgage and b) the unemployment money and lovely Obama administration that extended unemployment payments. Thanks, Mr. O! Okay. Enough money chat.


Seattle gave us beautiful 70+ degree days this weekend. I know elsewhere it is probably even hotter, but here, this is a big deal. Friday I picked up all my groceries, and we had a very healthy rice, asparagus, cashew and Asian vinaigrette dinner. Delicious. Followed by a nice glass of wine while laying in the hammock. Does it get better than that?


Saturday brought more sunshine and dinner with friends - which always does my body good, no matter what we eat. We had a delicious dinner - outside (!) and chocolate fondue for dessert. It was so fantastic, good friends, good food and kids and dogs and laughing. I ate very well - a bonus!


On Sunday, I had plans to exercise and do my chores. But then we were seduced by the call of the Seattle Cheese festival. Two words: Free. Cheese. How can I say no? Our new favorite is little blocks of smokey sharp cheddar, and a Camembert that was so creamy delicious. And who knew that there was a Parmesan that I would consider eating by the slice? Walking around the market, snagging toothpicks of cheese to sample, people-watching, and buying a famous Pike Place Market bouquet, it was enough to make my heart soar, especially side by side with my sweet (employed!) husband. Plus - the samples were tiny, tiny - I estimate that at the most, I had 4 ounces of cheese total. And that's giving me some wiggle room. We headed home, and I was full of good intentions to go to the gym. BUT - it was sunny, and the floor needed mopping, and I needed to pay bills and stamp them, and paint my toes and make dinner, and I skipped my workout. I didn't even make dinner. We cobbled together something to eat out of what was in the fridge. And I am religious about making Sunday dinner. It felt kind of freeing, and I'm learning to realize that just because I don't get all my fruit and veggies in on one day, I'm not going to die of scurvy, or gain 50 pounds.


Oh! And I watched Geneen Roth on Oprah, talking about her new book, Women, Food and God. It cracks me up how the guest is supposed to be talking, but really it was a chance for Oprah to dump out all her a-ha moments. I found myself thinking a few times - hey, Oprah, let her tell us about that chapter, rather than just your reaction and interpretation. But I know what it is like to be excited and you can't stop talking about it. (see paragraph 1) Would love to hear if anyone else has read it.


That is my super duper fun and productive weekend. Mostly I'm just excited that I had a combination of doing fun things but still eating on plan. Gooooooooo...lifestyle change! Ha! I crack myself up.

Home again!

I would rather gather with family for a wedding than a funeral, but it is still wonderful to be welcomed. I don't see my husband's family very often, but when I do, they are some of the warmest people I have ever met. All of my husband's siblings and cousins shared their memories of spending summers at Papaw and Mamaw's ranch, and the trouble they would get into, and I had forgotten what a talented painter she was - her artwork is everywhere in my mother in law's home. In the understatement department, funerals are sad. It was a lovely/sad/weepy/uplifting all at once service, with a 90-something year old reverend who led the sermon so eloquently and with comfort, her nephew played she and her husband's favorite songs on the violin, and then we all went to the cemetery, where the wind kicked up a dust storm so violent that all the women were having to hold their skirts down. We then returned to church for the church lady pot luck lunch. I have never seen such a tempting spread. And I am grateful that I do not live there, I would surely be 400 pounds. Fried chicken, enchiladas, pot roast, fried okra, broccoli casserole, green chile rice casserole, spaghetti, beef and noodle bake, and myriad of desserts. My vegetable options were iceberg lettuce, tomato and baby carrots, or coleslaw. I think I gained 5 pounds this week - I am terrified to look. But I know that at my service, (knock wood, god forbid and all of that) I want people to eat and laugh and remember the good times. And in the avoiding untimely demise department - I walked early in the mornings on most days, before it got over 80 degrees. I even did some lunges and squats, um, once. But alas, it was no match for the donuts and lasagna that called to me from the kitchen. So I am back to planned meals, regular exercise, and trying to cancel out the damage done last week. So no weigh in today - and more thoughts on that later. I may give up the scale for a while.

HYC Check In

This morning my scale said L o - alas, I don't think its talking about me. I think it means low battery. Which is fine with me, since this is my TOM weigh in - I'd rather not see that higher number today!

This weekend was delightful - I was able to be distracted from feeling lonely because my dearest friend and her hubby and baby were in town from Chicago. Making googly faces at a 15 month old, and walking around the zoo were far more fun than wishing my husband was home. Hooray! My food choices were not the best - but I walked and walked and walked every day - and even made it to the gym on Saturday. I am definitely feeling like I've got a handle on my eating, despite taking a detour through Dick's. I know exactly what I ate, and made sure to make my other meals as good for me as possible. I had the strangest phenomenon - in the TMI department - this is the first menstrual cycle that I've had in months where I didn't want to eat 16 pounds of sugar every day. I can't tell if it is because I'm eating less sugar in general, so maybe less sugar in, less sugar craved, or something else? Whatever made me sugar free is fabulous so I hope I figure it out!

This week I want to focus on doing more arm exercises at home, even though I'm unable to hit the gym, being on puppy duty. I can do more, that's for sure.

Back next week with fresh batteries and a real weigh in.

What I'm Eating, and What I'm Not

I cannot eat oatmeal for breakfast any more. I am putting my foot down. I know it is high in fiber, I know it is cholesterol lowering, I know it is filling and mostly delicious. But not even with applesauce, with raisins, with dried apricots, nor with nuts, can I enjoy it anymore. I even considered making it in a savory fashion with soy sauce and green onion, like a Chinese pancake, as I read about here but alas, we’ve been together every weekday morning for about 8 months now, and I’m done. I think what I’ll miss the most is that nothing is cheaper for breakfast than steel cut oatmeal, bought in bulk, and cooked with apples that I chop myself. I am now spending my mornings with the high falutin' and very expensive fresh blueberries and yogurt. They are a creamy, tart, and sweet dynamic duo! Antioxidants, fiber, protein and calcium, not too shabby on the nutrition front. I cannot stress how important it is for me to enjoy what I’m eating. I cannot eat purely for fuel. I want to eat the best fuel I can, but it also has to appeal to my palate. Has anyone else broken up with a healthy food because they were simply tired of it?

I haven’t posted a recipe in a while, so here’s what I ate for lunch this week. Because I loves me the fiber, that I am now missing from my oatmeal, I am having delicious black bean and sweet potato cakes for lunch this week. With lime sour cream. They are awesome, cheap, easy and I would make them again in a heartbeat.

Black bean and sweet potato cakes

2 TBS vegetable or olive oil
1 cup dried beans, cooked according to directions or 2 14.5 oz cans, rinsed and drained
1 medium sweet potato, scrubbed and grated – about 2 cups
½ cup rolled oats (quick cooking is fine)
1 onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 egg, beaten
1 TBS chili powder
2 tsp cumin
salt
pepper

Lime Sour Cream

½ cup sour cream
Juice of half of one lime
Salt

Mix everything together, add more lime juice as necessary.

Set the oven to broil. Spray a broiler pan with non-stick spray.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute onions until soft, about 5 minutes. Add sweet potato shreds, and cook for 2 minutes more. Add garlic and seasoning, cook for 1 more minute, then remove from heat. In a large bowl, mash up your black beans a little, leaving them mostly whole. Stir in the potato mixture, oatmeal and add salt and pepper to taste. Allow the mixture to cool a bit before you add the egg. Stirring will help. When it is not so hot that it will cook all the egg, pour the egg in, and mix well with your hands. Shape into 7 patties – they are gonna be a little messy, just move them nice and gently to the broiler pan. Spray them with cooking spray, and place in the oven. Broil for about 7 minutes, and then gently, gently turn them over to cook the other side.

Serve hot with a dollop of sour cream, and fresh cilantro. Delicious! I estimate these to be about 250 calories a pop. I have a salad on the side, and a happy tummy. I made this according how I like it - but the original recipe that inspired me was on Allrecipes.com - but it has a lot more spice than I can normally handle. And I made one less cake, because I wanted bigger ones for lunch.

Happy weekend!

Frisco Fun!

I had another great day yesterday. Went outside of my calorie limits, (pot luck at work) but I was really careful with portions, pushed myself at Pilates, and then walked the dog. Good job!

A fantastic weekend looms ahead of me - another work trip, and this time I'm heading to San Francisco! And basically I am like can'twaitcantwaitcantwaitOMGcantwait. I am soooo excited about this trip because I haven't been there in years. Sadly, Mr. Black can't join me, but my brother is coming up to meet me. Two crazy siblings painting the town red! Or, maybe recession orange. I'm so looking forward to a some little brother time. Time to laugh until we pee. Awesome. I'll help stimulate California's economy without trying to sniff out and glare at all the Proposition 8 supporters and the court justices who made an error this week. Ahem. Moving on, I also want to take a moment to pause at the bay, that's where our father's ashes are, so we can say a little prayer in the sunshine.

Here's the pitfall - our visit will involve eating and drinking. What do I want more? An indulgent weekend? Or, a healthy weigh in? Well of COURSE the obvious answer is that I want BOTH. But my body absorbs rich food like a sponge. All I can do is ask myself these questions with every bite and sip. Thankfully, I'll be on the same time zone, so getting up to work out before work won't feel like I've got lead weights attached to my eyeballs. I'll meet you back here on Tuesday with a full report, but no weigh in. Wish me luck! No, don't. I know what to do.

My DC Experience: AMAZING!

I’m finally home from my trip, and fantastic doesn’t even begin to describe it. That town is amazing. I am not much of a history buff, and when I have been to Europe, I visit the ruins and am impressed and adequately awed, but tend to maintain some distance. This week, to be in that city, where history is all around me, it was exciting and moving, because it is my history. These lessons that I have heard over the years aren’t just legends, they are real, and here in front of me. It was just amazing, and yet I found myself feeling a little cyncical. That couldn’t possibly REALLY be the coat that Lincoln was wearing when he got shot, could it? It seems too far away, to difficult to imagine that artifacts have been preserved for so long. But I guess it is true, yes? I can't wait to go back with my family - I think we need at least a week just to see 4 museums. Basically, I spent the time alternating between being moved to tears by the monuments, and working a lot harder than I expected.

Thursday night, we had dinner with the local office team that we were visiting, and then a few members of my team wanted to go to the National Mall. It was 8:15 and I was exhausted, trying to not fall face first into the table, still trying to adjust to East Coast time, but if I have an opportunity to go with a group, I figure I should go. Seeing the monuments at night was incredible. The weather was so warm, the crowds were smaller and the monuments were so beautiful. We also got shooed away from the White House, so we watched the sky for Mr. President’s helicopter, but we never saw any arrivals. Unfortunately, I was on my own Friday evening. I was actually staying in Arlington, Virginia, so after I wrapped up work, I headed out to the Arlington National Cemetery, and now I want to honor everyone who has had the courage to go to battle and fight for our country, because it really is a sacrifice, one that I could never ever make. I wish that there would be no more wars for servicemen and women to fight in, however. After a good cry, I took myself to Georgetown for dinner. It was nice to have the pick me up of being on a busy street with college students and other tourists to distract me. My legs were getting tired from the walking, and I spied a Lush store. Perfect! I bought a bath bomb and some solid bubble bath and proceeded to have a nice dinner by myself in an Italian place along an open window, then went home and took a nice hot bath, painted my nails and slept like a log.

Saturday I connected with an old friend from college, who was kind enough to pick me up in the morning and we spent the day together. We walked around the tidal basin (no cherry blossoms) and then went to the holocaust memorial museum. The way the exhibits are set up you are gradually so immersed in the graphic nature of the takeover and murders that it is impossible to walk away without being so grateful for the life you have, and heartache for those who lost theirs, and disgust for the fact that it went on for years. Naturally, you think about what is happening in Darfur. My friend and I had spoken about it, wondering what I could do, because it is so easy to shrug it off and say that it is not our problem, it is not something I can help with, and to accept feeling hopeless, and then moving on to the next task in your life. Luckily they had a brochure, called “What can I do?” I will put it to use. We went up to Maryland and had a seaside dinner outdoors, and don't even ask about what is better Atlantic Maryland crab, or Pacific Dungeness crab - it can get pretty heated, which is hilarious to me.

Here are the best weight-loss parts. I fit into the hotel robe! That was so exciting. I feel like I’ve joined the secret club of people who fit into one-size-fits-all stuff, that for so long did not fit me. On the exercise front, I did not do so hot. I could never get up before work to get to the gym, being up late and the time zone were killing me. I did do a lot of walking, that's for sure. Food-wise I did much better. When I was on my own, I ate vegetarian, and small meals, because in the office, there is crap available from dawn until dusk. Bagels and sweet breads in the morning, and then heavy lunches, afternoon cookie trays and a fancy dinner. One of our lunches was ordered in from a place called Big Buns. I had to chew on my tongue to not laugh out loud when they announced it. Now it is back to basics and we'll see what my weigh-in brings tomorrow. I am anticipating a gain, only because I didn't do any formal exercise, visited the cookie tray, and had some alcohol. I feel like it will be minimal, and definitely worth it. No really, it will be. I know that I didn't go hog-wild and that's a great improvement from my former vacation attitude to eat anything that comes my way.

Traveling Wo-man

I have an exciting opportunity at work that is presenting a new challenge in my weight loss efforts. Am I now a cheese tester? No, but if that position is available anywhere, please consider this my application, because I would be an expert.

My new responsibility means traveling. Going to 4 of our national offices and auditing their files to make sure they are properly documented, in case our consulting advice was ever called into question, or litigation. Boring? You bet. BUT I get to fly on the company dime and see some great cities, and earn some points with my boss, so it is a win-win as they say in the bizness world.

The challenge? Eating out, and not having my familiar YMCA to work out in. As soon as I set foot on a plane, I'm all about I'm on vacation! Let's eat what we feel like and claim that I'm walking all of it off. But I saw what un-tamed birthday eating did, (8 pounds!) so I know that isn't going to work. Also, I am a freak about not having food nearby. I already went on a training session, and ate so much at breakfast because I wasn't sure when I was going to have lunch and what if I get hungry and oh my are those hash browns and granola bars? Move over! It was silly. Here are some strategies that I've laid out for myself:

1. Protein at breakfast makes me stay fuller longer s0, eggs and fruit are my best choice at breakfast.
2. Exercise! Every hotel we're staying at has exercise facilities, so there's no reason to not have some sort of movement.
3. Portion control - our team will be taken out on a big fancy dinner one night, and so I must remember that rule of only eating half of what is on the plate.

Practical, yes? Not too hard to follow? Yes. I just have to put them into play!

Tomorrow, I'm off to Washington DC and I'm so excited! I am pretty overwhelmed by the sightseeing options, and I only have Friday evening and all day Saturday to see what needs to be seen. I'll be back Sunday, exhausted and hopefully full of good memories, not cheese.

Food, glorious food!

I am in shark-mode this week. My period is in full swing, and I can’t get enough to eat. Last night I asked my husband to go get me angel food cake, whipped cream, strawberries, and/or brownies, and/or cookies and/or French fries. Luckily for me, he didn’t. So, I ate a bagel with butter and jam. I never understood people who put jam on bagels, because why waste an opportunity to eat cream cheese with jam, but good grief, that is good. Dangerously good, Will Robinson. Today I have a lunch meeting and I ordered a falafel sandwich for myself. Should I have gone with a salad? Yes, but I didn’t. I am so excited for that dang falafel! And tonight, I’m going to an event put on by a local fancy pants chef, where we get to eat tasty little samples of my favorite bad-for-me-but-I-can’t-break-up-with-him-lover, bacon. Baconopolis! My palms get a little sweaty when I think about the bacon carbonara – and the dessert bacon, and sampling bacon by different farmers. All in a lovely venue with my husband and a friend, and a glass of wine. Oh, loveliness.

All this hefty eating should keep the shark at bay, and if it doesn’t someone check me for a tapeworm, because I should not be this hungry. The other thought that lingers is “counting” all of these calories. I had a pleasant weigh in this week, and I know myself, and myself likes to slack off when I’ve had a loss. For some reason I think my diligence can wane, I can relax, because I’ve obviously got this weight loss thing covered. Um, no, you don’t, self. So to make up for yesterday’s and today’s indulgences, I have to be super strict on Saturday and Sunday. I truly believe that it is possible to eat bacon and satisfy a carb craving without guilt, and still lose weight. I can’t deny myself social eating all the time, and the hard part is that I am learning (still) to treat those situations as special, as an exception to the rule, and to re-dedicate myself to good health when that special event is over. Lather, rinse, repeat.

Everything, all at once

I've returned from from Chicago with baby oxytosin coursing through my veins, along with probably a lot of booze and day-glo orange cheddar and caramel popcorn. Nutritious, no? My friend's baby was beautiful, adorable, completely huggable and so sweet. The visit was far too short, but was just delicious.

I'm feeling sort of panicky, (can one be just a little panicky?) about losing weight, about being in rehearsal 5 days a week, working and not having time to work out, go Christmas shopping or hey, doing some blogging. Jumping back into the swing of things, I weighed 10 (!!!) pounds heavier than when I left. I know that wasn't really accurate since we had been on a weird flying schedule and then my cycle started. So I think by next Tuesday I'll be at a more accurate weight.

My schedule begs the question "Take a break from losing weight?" I know that mentally I need to take the pressure off of myself. It's so disheartening to post a gain - it is even more disheartening to even just see it on the scale, privately. I haven't even been on the scale since Saturday. I have planned my meals, I am exercising on the weekends, and that is all I can do. However, there are cookies in the office, and my director brought in dessert, and there were chips and cookies and fruit at the theater - I don't do well abstaining from everything. And when I eat it, I think - why are you making this so important? Why are you eating something that you know is not a good choice? And I know the answer is simply because I want to. I want the taste. I want to participate in the social aspect. I want to eat what tastes good, and not face the consequences. I want to think that eating healthfully 90% of the time deserves to eat something not so healthy. And I'm eating small quantities of the bad stuff - but still, I think there is something inherently wrong with putting something in your mouth and then feeling guilty about it. When I am exercising regularly, I can eat things that are not "on plan" and still see lower numbers, so I'm having trouble changing that habit. The answer? Don't eat it. That's been 50% of my problem my whole life, so why is it so hard for me practice it?

This rambling entry brought to you by the fear of gaining 20 pounds in December. And it doesn't help that I hear "Oh, people always gain weight during the holidays, don't worry." I don't want to undo everything I've done. Blah, blah, blah, make better choices, I am capable of success, and I need to stop whining about a rehearsal schedule because I put myself here! This whole acting experience is stretching me like crazy, which is a post for another day. Now I'm off to eat my healthy lunch - a chickpea curry and a salad. And no cookies!

HYC Check In

Here in the Trisaratops Lounge I’m grateful to see 219.4 on the scale this morning. That means new 70 pound loss bling! Hooray! I did pretty well this week, eating wise and exercise wise. How nice to feel as though I have been rewarded for that.

Last night I returned home from rehearsal and felt hungry. Not bored, what can I eat, but tummy growling hungry. So I ate. Today I logged my calories into FitDay, and I only went over my calorie goal by 150 or so. That’s a relief. My director is not going to be helping my weight loss efforts much; she’s a mean baker and brought Apple Cranberry Crisp to rehearsal. With diced candied ginger. Oh, it was heaven. I took the smallest portion possible.

Forget getting yourself to the gym. Forget counting calories. Forget writing down what you eat. The hardest part about losing weight is choosing when to say no. As a baker myself, I know how nice it is to make something, feel proud about it, and then have people refuse to eat it because it has sugar and fat in it. So there’s the social side of me that wants to be kind, at war with the sensible side of me that wants to be healthier. And it’s apple crisp for chrissakes, not a Twinkie, it practically counts as a serving of fruit, covered in oats, cinnamon and sugar. This will be a test for me. How to get past wanting to say yes to every delicious thing that comes my way.

Good luck to everyone – hope you are having a delicious and healthy week!

I Loaf You

As the day turned unseasonably and irritatingly rainy and cold last Sunday, (my calendar still says August but in Seattle, it is apparently October) it was clearly meat loaf weather. There are many comfort foods in the world, but none so quintessential for me as meat loaf, with sides of mashed potatoes and green beans. This meal embodies Sunday night dinner around the family dining table, talking about the week to come, and squirting ketchup, much to my Mother's chagrin. All the while anticipating The Muppet Show to come on after our baths. There is also something very satisfying about getting your hands in the bowl and mixing everything together. You have to be gentle, but thorough, much like we want our lovers to be, yes?

My Safeway recently had a buy one get one free sale on ground turkey. It was time to lighten up my Mom's classic recipe. This recipe is decidedly lower in fat and tastes really good! I used both pounds of turkey, so I could freeze some.

Sara's Mom's Lightened up Turkey Loaf

2 pounds ground turkey
16 oz frozen spinach, thawed
2 cups finely diced onions
4 cloves minced garlic
1 and 1/4 cups diced green peppers (or any other color you like)

3 eggs

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce (sodium, I know, but soooo good)
2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp seasoned salt
2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 - 1 cup bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a non-stick muffin tin with cooking spray or your favorite non-stick agent.

1. In a large bowl, crumble the turkey.
2. Squeeze dry your spinach. I like to wring mine in a clean dish towel - there's a lot of water in there that you don't want in your loaf! Break up the spinach with your hands (it will clump) and sprinkle over the turkey.
3. Dump in the onions, garlic and green peppers
4. Lightly beat the eggs, adding Worcestershire sauce, peppers, salt and thyme, pour egg mixture over all.
5. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs over the whole mixture, and get in there and get dirty! Mix everything together with your hands, gently so as to not toughen the meat.
6. Add more breadcrumbs if you don't think it will bind well. I can't think of a great way to describe this, but you just have to grab a handful, squeeze it, and see if it holds its shape.
7. Now, if you've over breadcrumbed, add more Worcestershire, or you can add a little vegetable oil.
8. Grab your greased muffin tin, and start grabbing balls-o-meat. Press them into the pan, mounding them tall a little bit, until you've filled the tin.
9. Whatever you have left, shape into a little loaf, and place in a suitably sized baking dish.
10. I prefer a browned loaf, but of course you can add the traditional tomato sauce or ketchup to cook on top.

Bake for 35 minutes, and check to see if it is browned, and the internal temp is 170 degrees. Your meaty muffins will most likely be done, but your full loaf may need some more time.

Allow your mini loaves to cool in the pan completely. Then fish them out, wrap in foil, and freeze them, for a meat loaf muffin any time. I've been weighing mine, and they come out to about 4 ounces apiece. A perfect portion, I think.

Steam some green beans, toss them with a little olive oil and roasted almonds, and mash up some taters, get your ketchup bottle ready, then dig in with someone you love, or just wait for The Muppet Show.

Note to self

When experimenting with reduced carbohydrate intake, do not use hand lotion that smells like sweet, buttery, yummy, forbidden lemon cookies. Oh la la! Not helping.

Of the Salt and the Crunch

At my office, we can't open an envelope without having it catered. Box lunches litter the conference rooms each week around here. And most come with the ubiquitous bag-o-chips. I have two bags in my desk. Potato chips are my nemesis. I would like to say that this journey to smaller sizes and better health has blessed me with the ability to always breezily pass by trigger foods entirely, or have JUST a single portion. However, potato chips are the exception. I will eat them by the handful, as many as I can, and love every single crispy, greasy, and salty bite. (hi, mouth is watering, now)

So today I got the salty/crunchy snacky cravings. And I thought - the chips are there - just get them! Then I thought "Yum!" and then I thought "You should go get your cherries from the fridge instead." And then I remembered that I could have an ounce of roasted and salted almonds instead of potato chips. They "cost" about 70 calories more than the chips, but add protein, heart-healthy fat and fiber. And they also give me a salty crunch. But the bigger question is why keep the TWO! Uneaten! Bags in my desk? They've been there for weeks, people, weeks, shouldn't I just get rid of them? I think I want them for PMS emergencies. Perhaps I'll examine this further at a later date. But today, they're still there, and I ate the cherries and almonds instead. The End.

HYC Check In

Time to check in again! This week was a little wonky, eating wise. I think it started with spending the weekend at my Mom’s house and then eating out Sunday evening, then returning to my regular schedule, but without having had the time to prepare my meals for lunch as I prefer. I’m learning that I crave the security of planning my meals. Which is odd, I think, because what is the big deal of going to the salad bar at lunch time, you know? I think I like knowing exactly what I’m eating and making the right choice. Then I had an additional two nights of eating out – and I had drinks at both. At least I made my exercise schedule, well, with the exception of the racquetball debacle. I’m staying off the scale until mid-July. A couple weeks after TOM is over and done with, and then I’ll be ready. I’m digging this weigh in schedule.

In other news, I went on a shopping trip this weekend and found 2 lovely dresses – both in a size 16! This is significant, being a former 26. Hooray for summer and smaller sizes!

My goal this next week is to not over-do the eating, prep my lunches and plan my dinners, and push my physical limits at the gym. Have a great week!

Ask the Nutritionist - the results

Is it wrong if I want to invite my dietitian to dinner? She was so, so lovely and positive and helpful.

The me report: We looked over my food journal together and she thought it was fine, just that I needed to increase my protein intake, and my fiber intake tends to wobble a bit, so I should keep that a bit steadier. She let me keep my half and half! We spoke about what times during the day I eat and how much I eat before and after exercising. She covered all aspects of wellness, asking about my exercise levels, my relationship with food and my relationship with my body. I'll be having lab work done at my physical next month, and she'd like to see the results of those. She's also not keen on the recommended height/weight charts, saying "They are ridiculous, there is no magic number that works for every body. Please throw that out the window." How fabulous is that? I told her about my body fat percentage experience, and how my eyes had been opened to using that as a guideline, rather than a number on a scale. She said that was great, because muscle is 2.5 times as heavy as fat, and that it is not uncommon for some women to have percentages in the low thirties as well. Then there was the flattery factor, which will get you everywhere with me. She's the second person who has recently told me that I don't look like I weigh over 200 pounds, adding that I carry my weight beautifully. Thus, I want to hug her and put her in my pocket, and then go eat some pasta with her.

Also confirmed - 30/30/40 diet works mainly because it is reduced calories - not because of the magic proportions. It does encourage people to make a balance between carbs/protein/fat.

Low fat diets don't work due to the lack of satiety factor. This is so true for me! Fat is not the enemy. Saturated fats are.

She too does not believe in only eating good-for-you-foods all the time, because many times it leads to a binge of stuff you've been craving. Loving her...

Eating too few calories will cause you to gain weight, as the body is protecting you from famine. Because of my activity levels, 1500 a day was too low for me.

Vegetarian protein sources

• Beans - an amazing food, eat them as much as possible
• Edamame
• Eggs
• Cheese
• Cottage cheese
• Nuts and nut butters
• Quinoa
• Seitan/field roast
• Soy products - like the soy sausage I'm having for breakfast

Finally, when I asked her what would happen at my next two sessions, she said that she didn't really think I needed to come back. She said that she'd be happy to answer any questions sent to her via email, but that I had a good handle on what I was doing for weight loss. I truly admire someone saying no to money because it is unnecessary.

This was a fantastic experience and and really helped me fine tune my meals and my map to a healthy weight. Viva la dietitian!

Ask the Nutritionist

I am taking my food journal to the nutritionist on Friday (the nutritionist - like there's only one, sheesh). If anyone has any questions they want answered, leave a comment about what you'd like to know, and I'll ask as many as I can.

This is my first of 3 sessions, so there should be time for lots of questions. Here's what I plan on covering with her:

• My personal diet, am I eating a correct amount for my activity level, do I need to be concerned about anything? (hi, half and half addiction!)
• Is there any truth to the 30/30/40 ratio I keep hearing about?
• What's all this hullabaloo about protein and strength training - do they really need to be in bed together?
• How can I get protein on a vegetarian diet besides soy? (I am not vegetarian, but I want resources to avoid the meats)
• Does eating an extra 3500 calories make you gain a pound in one weekend?
• If spinach and kale were to get in a fight - who would win? (I'm rooting for spinach)

I would like to ask about "superfoods" but there is a great website for that. The World's Healthiest Foods. So if anyone is curious about specific food's values, let me know. I aim to please.