Picky Eaters Rejoice - You can still be healthy!!

THIS JUST IN... Just because something has been determined to be a healthy food and other people like to eat it, doesn't mean I have to like it too!!  You just don't hear folks talking about how "healthy" food tastes compared to the fattening junk food that so many people (including me) enjoy.  It seems like when we decide to change and become healthier people, living healthier lives, eating healthier food, our tastebuds should just automatically fall in line.  Well, that doesn't always happen, does it?  

My dad and mom accidentally raised a picky eater - me.  When I was a child, I could not STAND a number of foods cooked in our house - certain foods would literally make me gag - at the dinner table - while my parents were trying to eat.  Meatloaf, boiled squash, stew, peas, carrots, were just some of the foods.  My dad would get so tired of hearing/watching me try to eat that he'd finally just yell "JUST LET HER EAT CEREAL!!!!"  I wasn't faking the reaction - not even a little, but looking back, I feel so bad for doing that because I'm sure it made my mom feel like crap.  I know when my kids would turn their noses up at meals I just spent time cooking, it would definitely get under my skin <mild understatement there>.  

Don't get me wrong though, my mom also cooked really great meals too.  My absolute favorite was her chicken and rice.  But of course as we get older and have families of our own, we bring our own tastes to the table.  So, oddly enough, I never fed my kids meatloaf, boiled squash, stew, peas, carrots, etc.  Turns out, my kids love meatloaf AND peas AND carrots!! Ewwww!  They found this out by hanging out with friends, school lunch, etc.  But one ended up being a picky eater anyway, just like her mom.  So, I made the rule that everyone has to try a couple bites of something "new" (even me).  Most of the time we like it well enough to finish the meal.

I continue to test my own taste buds on previously detested foods.  I keep trying different friends' meatloaf because EVERYONE says I'll LOVE THEIR meatloaf.  But I don't.  I learned how to control the gag reflex for the most part now, but meatloaf still doesn't taste good to me.  I try peas every 5 years or so, same with carrots.  Stew is ok now - as long as I don't eat the mushy carrots!  And I have yet to try squash again because I have no idea how to cook it outside of boiling it - and I already know that way doesn't taste good.  

I realize the "healthy" foods I don't care for are indeed good for me and the junk food I used to crave is not.  So I do keep an  eye open for new recipes, websites, and blogs to keep pushing those tastebud boundaries.  

Finding Katie's site was sooooo cool!  She does so much with so many healthy foods (that actually taste good too!).  Recently, I read one of her posts that was of particular interest to the picky eater in me.  She was talking about how when she tried first tried chia seeds...   Turns out she didn't really care for them, but later, she came up with a recipe that she really did like.  And like her post says "...eating something just because it's good for you?  Ridiculous!"  

"If you aren't big on a certain food, there are plenty of ways to get all your nutrients somewhere else. For example, my sister hates bananas. So she gets her potassium from foods she does like, such as yams, spinach, and broccoli. No big deal. Remember that mental health is an important component to overall health, too. If you're choking down foods you detest, your mental health will suffer!" (from Chocolate Covered Katie:  http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2011/07/07/never-ending-oatmeal-bowl/ )

So there it is.  The light has finally dawned on my and my tastebuds. While I truly wish that I could automatically enjoy every single healthy food, it's ok if I don't and it's ok if you don't either.  It's ok if I don't like peas or cooked carrots or even meatloaf.  Rest assured those nutrients can be found elsewhere.  I will keep trying new recipes to cook and I will continue to try new foods.  I'm just not going to force myself to eat something just because it's "healthy".  (quietly stepping off my soapbox now...)

I hope you had an excellent day!

It's a Hungry Weigh-in

Woo-hoooo!  Down 3 pounds last week and lookin' forward to this week!!  This past week has been odd - I don't know why, but I was more hungry than usual.  I'm eating good portion sizes, with healthy snacking between meals, but for whatever reason, I'm hungry.  Usually everyday around the same time - 3-4pm.  That's not good because if I don't really want to cook (which I rarely ever really want to) that could lead to "my irritable hunger" which can trigger me to just saying to heck with dinner and then eat out.  I don't want to eat out, ok, well, maybe sometimes I do.  But eating out would be counter-productive at this point, so I just can't do it!

Updated Menu
Next up, there's an updated menu plan for this week. It's "Week 2" on the Meal Plans page and includes a couple of recipe links.  I'm enjoying trying different recipes (especially when they're quick and easy!).  I find that my teen will at least try everything I cook - she's still a picky eater (as am I), but at least she tries stuff.  Huge step in the right direction! HUGE!!

Free Day
For the past several weeks, I've been paying attention to how I feel on my free days.  Now keep in mind that I eat whatever I've been craving all week and sometimes, it's excessive.  Anyway, I've noticed heartburn, nausea and a general lousy feeling on these free days.  Am I going to stop?  NO!  I'm just making a mental note that I feel like crap when I eat crap - and not due to some kind of weight loss guilt either.  I literally feel bad - physically.  Yuck.  Noted.  Moving on...

Thank You!
Big thanks to Sheryl for writing about another blog - 300 pounds down.  I was checking it out the other day and read the post from July 10th.  Without spoiling the amazing story, I'll just say I had the same problem Holly did minus the time and abuse.  Six weeks after having my son, I was hospitalized.  But what was truly serendipitous was in the comment section of the same post - someone named "Faith" said she also had this procedure and even so many years later still has "phantom pains".  I almost cried out when I read that!!  I've had these inexplicable mind-blowing abdominal/chest/back slicing-me-in-half pains a few times a year for over a decade and I had no idea what it was.  After some research, I now know what it is and it won't be near as frightening next time and I'll be able to just hang on knowing it'll pass.  And before any of my friends yell at me for not going to the doctor, this pain goes away after a half hour to an hour so by the time I could get to the doctor, they would have nothing to diagnose.  I've mentioned the pains before and they've been dismissed as indigestion.  But know I know exactly what it is medically and even what to do to calm it faster.  So all I can say is THANK YOU SO MUCH Sheryl and Holly!!!!

Lots of stuff going on...

Posted pictures on the "Pictures" page

and created my

New FaceBook page!!

and finally...

I typed up a sortable shopping list for every ingredient in this week's meal plan.  It's an Excel spreadsheet.  If you'd like a copy, just email me and I'll send it to you.  I know, I'm such a dork for making a sortable grocery list, but what can I say?  =P

Have a great week everyone!  Just keep moving!!

And now I leave you with a picture I took the other day - can you see the "smiley face" in the clouds?  HINT:  It's just shy of the center of the pic.

Gluten allergies anyone?

I was reading an article online today about gluten allergies and the symptoms.  It seems that outside of celiac disease, some doctors don't subscribe to gluten intolerance.  The supermarkets sure do though.  I do have most of the symptoms, but I'm not sure to what degree since the article didn't really get into detail.  Anyway, I was looking over my meal plans just to see how much gluten is in my average day.  Wow!  It's like half the meals.  Anyway, I'll ask my doc at my next checkup to test me.  I read that you shouldn't go on a gluten-free diet before getting tested because it can jack with the results.  But here's a list of the symptoms in case you were curious too:

Dysfunctional Digestion*
Intractable Dandruff*
Itchy, Scratchy Rash?
Foggy Brain*
Pounding Headaches?
Pins and Needles?
Attention Deficits?
Depression, Anxiety and Irritability*
Infertility or trouble conceiving

*=yes I have that symptom
?=maybe I have that symptom but it's not all the time or very severe.

I mean it seems all these symptoms could be anything.  Like, I have itchy skin but no rash.  Well, I live in the high plains desert of Colorado for Pete's sake!  It's really dry here.  Same with dandruff - it's dry here.  Foggy brain?  Who has clarity all the time?  I have headaches but sometimes they're pounding and sometimes they're just aches.  And I'm trying to lose weight, so irritable?  YA THINK?!?

Sometimes the internet can give too much information.  Anyway, I'll ask my doc to run the tests.  Do you have an allergy to gluten?  Any insight?  I swear I'm not a hypochondriac - really.  Even after you read the rest of this post.  I'm really not. =)

In another online experience today, I had an epiphany.  I was reading a blog that lead me to another and then well, you get the idea.  This was my first time checking out this particular blog, but all I can say is wow - incredible.  Holly is amazing to say the least and if you want to check out this article first, please do, because I'm about to spoil the ending of that particular post, so I'm giving you fair warning to go read it now - right now - before I say what I am going to say - so click HERE now if you don't want ah never mind....

Basically, this woman lived for 18 months in excruciating pain because no one could seem to find the problem.  Her husband thought she was crazy and the ER was actually turning her away to the point she felt like she was losing her mind.  There's so much more to it than that, but that's the main idea I think.  Here's the thing - I had the same medical problem almost 22 years ago.  I was fortunate to be immediately diagnosed and had an operation that removed my gall bladder and hundreds of gall stones in and around the gall cavity.  Well, I'm telling you now that this woman found strength in her faith in God, because I know personally that's the ONLY way I would have survived 18 months in that kind of pain.  When telling my story, I have described the pain as worse than childbirth and it truly is.  But hey, that's not even my point.

My point is that in the comments section of her blog, "Faith" commented that she too had her gall bladder removed.  She goes on to mention "phantom attacks" a few times a year where "it feels like you are having a heart attack WHILE someone jams a knife into your diaphragm and out the other side of your back while twisting it simultaneously."  I was like THAT'S WHAT I HAVE TOO!  I had never heard of phantoms gall bladder pain.  And it always scares the crap out of me when it happens.  But now I know I'm not alone and although it feels like it - not dying.  Anyway, thank you Holly for having the courage to write your post and thank you Faith for posting your comment!  That was truly serendipity.

And finally, the token health and fitness part of my blog...  Weigh-in tomorrow!!  I did really well all week on exercise.  I changed up food for preparation reasons but nothing crazy unhealthy.  Water intake was very good.  Actually looking forward to the scale.

Hope you all have a fantastic weekend!!

Avoiding potholes

Being on a weight loss journey is like a road trip.  There will be lots of curves, hills and grand mountains to climb as we make our way toward our goal and sometimes we'll even be coasting. But no matter where we are in the journey - the beginning, middle or end - there always seems to be potholes along the way.

Conquering the curves, hills and mountains can make us feel AMAZING - like we can really do this!  But how we handle those potholes might be even more important than conquering those huge challenges.  They may seem small and insignificant when planning the journey, but if you hit one the wrong way, it can ruin your whole trip.

See, I'm thinking those bumps and potholes are like the small challenges we face daily in a journey to be fit and healthy.  Sometimes we can see these obstacles coming and then easily and smoothly avoid getting off track.  But take your eyes off the road for just a few seconds, hit that pothole, and suddenly you're in a tail spin.

So, how do we avoid what is inevitably going to happen?  How do we keep 100% focused on the goal and NEVER EVER take our eyes off the road?  Simple.  We can't.  Potholes happen.  All we can do is hope it didn't do too much damage and just keep going.  That's important - JUST KEEP GOING - no matter what.

Obviously, if the wheel went out of alignment (injury) or the tire went flat (food setback), you'd pull over, right?  But the important thing to remember is that it can be fixed.  Call for help.  Fix the flat.  But DON'T GIVE UP ON YOUR JOURNEY.  Get right back on your way.  I don't know where I saw this - probably fb, but it's so true - "Giving up on your goal because of one setback is like slashing your other three tires because you have a flat."  This is NOT an all or nothing journey!!

How I'm planning to avoid potholes:

1. Write down my goals and review them often - I don't need to go into the research that's been done on this, right?
2. Be realistic - slow progress, in the right direction, is ok because it's still progress
3. Plan ahead - pick one day a week to plan meals/shop AND be sure to plan exercise
4. Have a free day - I have one day a week where I eat whatever I want and don't do any exercise - only one day.  Any cravings I have during the week are put off until this day.  Then, if I even remember the craving, I eat it =D
5. Don't dwell on past mistakes.  I'm not going to beat myself up for having a setback - no matter now long it lasts.  Get back on track NOW, it's not too late.  Take things one choice at a time.
6. Push myself - everyday, I want to do at least ONE thing better than I did the day before.  If I can gain an extra .1 mile of speed on the treadmill, another pound on a dumbbell, another glass of water or just one better choice than yesterday, then I am one more step closer to my goal
7. Don't try to change everything at once - I'm all for baby steps - I've just gotta make sure the baby grows (see #6).  It takes at least 2 weeks for humans to form a habit - pick one realistic thing from each "area of fitness" and do it for 2 weeks.  Then add another for 2 weeks, rinse and repeat.  For me, in the beginning, it was:  Get 8,000 steps (physical goal), drink at least 64oz of water (water intake goal), and don't eat out (but if I do, I can ONLY eat at Subway).
8. Connect with people who are where I am on this journey - who knows the crap we're going through better than us?  Plus, we might see a "pothole" that someone else can't!!  (ok, have I totally worn out this road trip analogy now?)  I am always looking out for bloggers who are on this journey - I love reading stories and seeing new recipes and meeting new people.  So, if you're doing this too, let me know!!
9. Connect with people who are where I want to be on this journey- who knows the crap ahead better than them?  It is so amazing to see what others have done and how they're doing now.  I enjoy reading about these journeys and I learn so much.  Thanks to you all and I look forward to being one of you!
10. Encourage others often - it's just a really cool thing to do

Gettin' it done!!

I mentioned that I tried almond milk this week, but what I forgot to mention was the conversation between me and my teen in the grocery store...

Me:  I need to get almond milk
Her:  Almond milk?  I didn't know they could get milk from an almond
Me:  Well, they got butter from a peanut...
Her (looking at me funny):  they got BUTTER from a... oooohhhhh yeah

It's moments like those that make shopping so totally fun =D

Ok, moving on... this week is going pretty stinkin' great so far.  Eating according to my plan, drinking lots of water AND getting in all the exercise!!  I wish I could say that I notice a difference in the way clothes fit, but I guess I'm not quite there yet.  Soon I hope!!

Today's training was 30 minutes on the treadmill plus core and stretches.  I decided to do it all before dinner so I could work in the core exercises finally - and not feel like I was gonna... well, you know.  And oddly enough, I'm not sore from yesterday's mega-resistance training day - woot!

Hope you're gettin' it done too and having a great week to boot!!

Peanut Brittle Protein Shake (using almond milk)

I posted the recipe yesterday and today had it for my afternoon snack.  It is sooooooo good!  And quite filling too.  I hadn't tried almond milk before - I'm impressed.  I decided to plug in the numbers to check the damage - it is surprisingly... not bad:

Calories: 235
Fat: 12
Carbs: 13
Protein: 23
Sugar: 3

Today was a very good day.  Fairly busy at work, but not so much that I couldn't take a couple of walks during the day.  Eating and water intake was according to plan - YES!!  After I got home from work, I relaxed for a few (with my Peanut Brittle Protein Shake), then got right into exercise.

First up was a 10 minute warmup on the treadmill @ 3.0mph.  I hadn't reset the treadmill from last time, so the incline is still at 2.0.  It wasn't too hard, though next time I'm going to wear the HRM so I know where I am realistically at this level of perceived exertion.  Typically, I was around 125 with the treadmill level - I'm curious to see what it is with an incline.

After the warm-up, I did the normal training plan with some minor changes.  Instead of 8-10 reps, I was able to do 2 sets of 12 reps on all but one exercise (ball leg curls - made it to 9 in the second set).  I was really close to muscle failure on most of my second sets and I know I'm going to be sore tomorrow!

Other changes:

I switched some of the more difficult exercise of a muscle group to first instead of last in the hopes of working the muscle to the fullest.

Calf raises got a minor change.  Instead of simple "standing" calf raises, I did the first set "angled" and then moved to a stair with a  20lb dumbbell and did 12 reps on each leg separately.  Finally!! A challenge for the calves - my entire body weight plus 20lbs, on a stair.

Increased resistance by 5 on the Lat pulldowns and added a couple sets of "lawn mower pulls" to work more of my back.  I used dumbbells for each set.  This felt like it worked shoulders and triceps quite well, but I still need a back challenge... any suggestions?

Increased resistance by 5 on the bench press.  These became much harder, but still doable.

Increased db weight on bicep curls

Used db instead of BowFlex for Seated Shoulder press - FEEL THE BURN BABY!!

Speaking of BowFlex, I really like it, really, but I don't think the resistance rods are directly proportional to actual free weight.  I doubt it really matters as long as a good resistance is given and can be increased.  I mention this because I seriously doubt I'm be able to bench press over 100 pounds in free weight, but I can do 2 sets on the BowFlex.  I think I may be able to do 40.  Anyway, no way to know until I get back to the gym - which btw, may happen next month!  We shall see.

Hope everyone had a fantastically healthy and sweaty Tuesday!!

Ok, seriously? Who thought of this?!?

So there I was, mindin' my own, shopping at the grocery store and I see this...

Girl Scout Coffee Creamer!!!!

I call foul.

SATURDAY: 
Got over 8000 steps for the day, ate ok, drank about 100oz of water.  TOM showed up early (how rude!) and threw off my weigh-in.  I was 1 pound up from last week - ugh!!

SUNDAY:
Day off.  Went to church, then to the movies (and yes I had butter on my popcorn!).  We saw The Lone Ranger.  It was ok, but we got there right as the previews started and ended up in the front stinkin' row.  Ohhhhh my neck we hurting!!

TODAY:
It rained this morning, so no geocaching today.  I'm planning on taking the pups for a walk after I finish this post just to get some movement in today.  

Today has been mildly productive so far.  I updated my meal plan for this week because I decided to change it up a bit.  Next was grocery list making/coupon planning.  After all that I was hungry, so we headed to Jimmy Johns for lunch.  (That's almost a tradition now.)  After JJ's, we went grocery shopping - all set for the week now.  Cleaned out the refrigerator this afternoon to make room for all the fruits and veggies.

I don't think I mentioned this before, but I quit smoking back in October 2011.  I'd been smoking off and on since I was 16.  I had quit 3 times before, once for each of my pregnancies in my 20s and once for me in my 30s.  During the pregnancies, it was easy to quit because the smoking affected someone other than me.  The third time, I used patches and pills.  That time lasted about 6 months until a stressful situation made me just say to heck with it and I started up again.  Finally, in 2011, someone told me about a book that helped a family member quit.  I kind of laughed.  A book?  Really?  To get over an addiction?  Well, it took about 3 months, but I finally read that book and guess what?  It worked.  I quit.  The book was Allen Carr's "Easy Way to Stop Smoking".  I read the book and a couple days later, I quit.  It was that easy.  Well,  not really "easy" but still doable.

I bring up that book because Allen Carr wrote a bunch of "Easy Way" books.  One of which is "Lose Weight Now - The Easy Way".  I've been considering buying it for some time now and finally did yesterday.  It's less than $5 on the Kindle so I'm not losing a lot if it turns out to be a dud.  Anyway, I'll give a full review later and reserve judgment until after I've read the entire book, but so far, it's an interesting read.  I think I'm about halfway through it.  I know what you're thinking.  At least I know what I would be thinking if someone told me about an "easy way" to lose weight.  I would say, it takes hard work and dedication to lose those extra pounds - there's nothing easy about it.  But without giving too much of a review at this point, I think he's talking about a paradigm shift rather than a diet.  If we change the way we think about food, then I think it would be possible and perhaps even "easy" to make healthy food choices.  I'm still wary of that "easy" part though - just sayin'...

Ok, I'm off to walk my dogs!  Hope you had a great weekend.