Living Now vs Waiting to Live

ooo...we're so quiet around here lately!!!  Well, I turn 45 this week, and I've been thinking (which is never a good thing, really)--but, as your elder, I've decided to impart some wisdom to the internet at large.  My thoughts.  Let me show you them.

How many of us waste YEARS on the idea that "When I lose this weight, I'll do X" or "I'll buy myself this as a reward!"?  Years, people.  Years.  I wasted years of my life on the belief that I wasn't allowed to have rewards or I couldn't wear sexy clothes because I was fat, and Fat Girls don't get to have nice things.
 
 I say, "Bullshit" to that idea of reasoning.

3x a Week Challenge Check-in: How You Doin’?

Greetings and salutations!  Sorry for my radio silence lately, but I've been sick with a medieval flu that has had me horizontal since Saturday.  I'm still not 100% yet -- this is my first time at the computer in almost 5 days, but I'm on the mend. So, yay for that.

But, I learned a lesson about procrastination and the 3x a week challenge, that's for sure. 

So, last week, I said I'd go to the gym 3 times a week. I figured that would be perfectly fine and I went on Monday.  I figured I'd do Monday - Wednesday - Friday and that would be that. But Wednesday came and I was really busy and Friday came and I was really busy and I thought, "That's ok, I'll go Saturday and Sunday, when I have a little more time."  Well, I went Saturday morning, after dragging myself out of bed to do so, only to come home and pass out for 4 hours and subsequently, have the flu.  So I missed my 3rd day.

I SO didn't want to be the one to miss my 3x a week. You can't lead a challenge and flake out, that's just lame.  I couldn't help it, obviously, there was no way I was lifting my head, let alone weights on Sunday. But, I did learn not to put off the challenge until the last minute.  So there's that.

This week, my 3x a week challenge has been devoted to resting and getting better by drinking plenty of fluids and taking my vitamins. I hope to pick things back up again physically next week.

How is the challenge treating you? Are you enjoying the 3x a week challenge?  How you found anything new you enjoy doing because of the challenge?  Are you developing any new habits?  Tell us about it! (And don't forget to update us with your progress by tweeting with #3xweek so we can follow along -- we try to reply back to everyone, I've been the sickly slacker on that lately.)

Soup Season is Upon Us, Y’all. Rejoice! (Wendy’s Super Fast 2 Point Chili)

It's nearly Fall, and Fall is always soup and chili season for me.  And, seriously, y'all--I love me some soup. (granted, I live in Alabama and it's frickin' 90 degrees outside right now, but I've decided to just IGNORE SUMMER.  Maybe it'll go away quietly then.)  Soup is filling, it warms my belly when it's chilly outside and it's really, really low in points.

One of my favorite things to do is to take use Weight Watcher's Zero Point Soup recipe as a base for all my other soup recipes.  I mean, hello?  ZERO POINTS.  That's fairly awesome for a bowl of soup in itself, and if you toss in a few extras--like Morningstar Farm recipe crumbles and a bit of chili powder--or curry power (YUM), you've got something totally different and delicious for just a few extra points or calories.

Food School!

I was telling an online friend the story of my own journey this year with Weight Watchers, and he mentioned to me that meetings weren’t really “his thing”.  I think a lot of people feel that way, and I’ve been trying to think of a way to articulate how completely important those first few months of weekly meetings were to me.  Another girl (Hayden, wherever you are—thank you!) and said the meetings were like “Food School.”  And, it just makes perfect sense to me now.  Because that’s what it was for me.  Attending weekly meetings with Weight Watchers was how I re-learned how to eat.  WW forever changed my relationship with food.

Check-In at the Gym, Earn Real Life Rewards!

I saw on Twitter this morning a new Foursquare add-on service at EarndIt.com.  Apparently, if you sign up for an Earnd It account, and integrate your Foursquare (and Twitter or Facebook, if you like), whenever you check in at the gym on Foursquare, you earn point, which you can then apply to actual merchandise.

That's pretty awesome!  My one trip on Monday already earned me 15 points. For 400 points, I can get a $50 gift card to Shoecrush.com.  You can also earn "trophies", which I'm guessing are much like badges.

I think this is a brilliant idea!  I've been meaning to set up a reward system for myself for pounds lost, but this is great, too, as it rewards your fitness efforts -- it gives you a reason to go to the gym if losing weight or getting healthy isn't quite enough to get your ass in the car.

Now I'm bummed I skipped the gym this morning (wasn't feeling well, did yoga instead), but will definitely be going in the morning. I want shoes!

Here's a list of the current Earnd It rewards.  I must admit, the rewards are pretty slim pickins as of now, but that's likely because they're new.  Hopefully, over time, the rewards catalog will become a little more robust or I can't see it being very motivational. 

It looks like in addition to Foursquare, it works with Nike +, Garmin and soon Fitbit! I wonder if I can get double points by checking in at the gym while wearing my Fitbit...

What do you think?  Does this motivate you? Would Earnd It be something you would be into... assuming they had more reward options?

T-T-T-T-T-T-Trigger, Of Course

So there I was, sitting in front of the toaster thinking, "This really isn't a good idea. You know this is just a vehicle for melted butter. Nothing good comes of melted butter. Stop. Don't Do It. No. Wait. You'll regret this." but still I went about the business of flipping the toast over and toasting the other end. See, it's that good sourdough bread -- the kind that's a round loaf with the slightly elongated slices that never quite fit in your toaster -- that is my trigger.

I didn't know this about myself -- I always thought I could have anything I wanted in moderation. I thought trigger foods were for sissies -- anyone can handle anything they put their mind to. But, I was totally wrong. As I stood there, having my 3rd piece of hot, melty-buttered toast for the day, I realized I had a problem. I was skipping alternate, more nutritious forms of food, skipping meals, rationalizing that skipping those other meals freed up more calories for hot, melty toast.  I would find myself simultaneously doing delusional calorie math and berating myself for eating one of the most basic foods: toast.

This sounds utterly ridiculous, doesn't it? It's freaking toast.  But the bottom line is, I can't keep sourdough bread in this house. Deli thins? Bagel thins even? Sure -- those don't cause me to lose my mind. I can have handmade full-fat tortillas in my fridge and never touch them. Bags of chips, crackers, cookies... most any bready item -- totally fine. But it's clear to me now -- not sourdough bread.

It's rather embarrassing, kind of. But it's reality -- I guess many people who have issues with food also have trigger items. I know for Wendy, it's pork. Girl loves her some pork. (I hope she doesn't mind me sharing that -- she posted it in the comments one day.)  But I bet she could walk away from my melty buttered toast without issue.  It's just strange how triggers work. What is it about that one thing that can send us into a delusional tizzy?  It's not like I sit there and eat the whole loaf in one shot, toasting piece after piece until I burst.  That, I think, would be fairly sad.  It sneaks up on me... but probably isn't any less sad, come to think of it.

I don't normally buy this kind of bread. I always buy "diet bread", so I don't know what compelled me, but recently, I really wanted toast. I kept craving it -- I wanted toast.  So I bought a loaf and made some toast. No big deal. Then I made more toast and more toast... it was 24 hour toast, live nude toast, all toast, all the time. Within a few days, the loaf was gone. I had toast for breakfast, toast for lunch, maybe two pieces for dinner -- and I'd skip everything else.  That's, uh... not healthy, so I just have to come to terms with the fact that I can't have it in the house.

I know that Weight Watchers teaches you everything in moderation and you don't have to deprive yourself of anything to be on their plan -- but this isn't about Weight Watchers. I can do that with 99.9% of foods, just not sourdough bread.   Are there foods that even if you count the Points and log them, you know you probably shouldn't go there or you might derail? Is there anything you feel you shouldn't have?

Checkin’ In on the 3x A Week Challenge

I've seen some of you tweeting away about the 3x a Week Challenge this week and I have to say I am so proud of us!  Many of you came through and did your "thing" 3 times this week (or are almost there) and I have to applaud everyone for joining in!  It was way more fun doing the 3x Week Challenge with people instead of alone.  This week I chose to add Weight Training 3 times this week.  I completed my mission - but not in the way that I anticipated initially.

Joelle and I were talking and she observed that I do a lot of cardio but no weight training which might help me shed some inches and get my butt into the next jean size I'm after.  Let me preface this by saying I am very happy with my body at the present time.  It's not perfect and it has created two children so I give it a pass in some areas but I am always working towards improvement and would love to get rid of those last nagging pounds that never seem to come off.  So I thought, "She's right... some weights might be just what I need."

So I started the week out with the best of intentions but swore it wouldn't interfere with the spinning classes I'm now addicted to. Monday I went to spinning.  Tuesday, I ended up missing the gym due to a kid rash and a trip to the pediatrician. Plan derailed.  It was clear I was running out of opportunities to "lift" and I wasn't sure how I was going to lift weights 3 days consecutively without injuring myself.  So I made an executive decision.  Substitute weights with something I've never done before.

So instead of lifting weights on Wednesday I tried a Group Step class.  My first ever.  It was confusing and hard and kind of frustrating (I think I felt like crying at one point - how lame is that?). But when it was over I was wildly hyped up.  It challenged me... it was something I couldn't do 100% because of being a rookie and I needed to do it again. I had to do it again to prove I could do it.

Plus Size… Style?

One of the reasons most of us are trying to lose weight is so that we never have to set foot in a Lane Bryant again. Nothing against the company at all, but I can tell you that the day I stop shopping there will be the happiest day of my life and I will run through the mall, giving sizes 14-26 the non-chubby finger.  But until that day, we still need to cover our ample asses and there's no reason we can't do it fabulously.

I've been overweight the majority of my life (ugh), save a handful of starving/purging teen years, so I honestly don't know what my own personal style is. I've never really cultivated a look for myself -- I just wear what makes me feel safe, my uniform -- black skirt and some sort of top.  In the last few years, I've branched out and tried more fun dresses and brightly colored looks. I even wore some leggings recently, which for me was sort of a big deal. I don't do pants in public, really.  But still... I don't know what my style really is since I've never had much option of wearing things outside of plus-size clothing stores.

I do know what my look isn't.   Lane Bryant is much better than most, and I do shop there, but it's not really my brand, per se. The majority of the clothing I find either too trendy (ergo, kinda ridiculous) or too old. Some might argue, but plus size clothing tends to run a bit more mature looking -- and I'm only 36. I'm not ready for that yet. In general, their clothes are cute, they just don't speak to my aesthetic... my aesthetic that I'm still figuring out.

The other mainstream option is Torrid, which on the flipside is too young for me. I like the vintage looks they have and I can find an occasional piece in there, but overall, the clothes are too youthful and a bit too pricey for what you get, in my opinion.  $45 for a printed tee?  No, thank you.  Their stuff is cute and I do believe that with the increase in plus-size teens, it's a good niche market -- but again, some trendy items just don't belong on bigger bodies. Taking a trend that looks great on a thin person and simply blowing it up isn't always the most flattering for someone with a fuller figure. It's not sizist, it's just a fact. They do have cute accessories, though and their employees have always been really sweet girls.

I did just notice that Lane Bryant has launched another division: Loop 18, which appears to be "junior plus". I don't really know what "junior plus" entails, other than younger looking clothes. It looks to still be in 'growth-mode' as the selection is pretty slim (they have 75 items in the entire shop) and it's pretty pedestrian stuff -- I've seen similar at Walmart. (Sorry, LB, I'm not looking to alienate advertisers -- I'm just calling it like I see it. It's all constructive.)

There are a few smaller chains, but nothing that speaks to my personal style -- places like Avenue, Fashion Bug or heaven forbid, Catherine's... where muu-muus go to die.

Thintervention with Jackie Warner (or Girl, Please Cut Your Hair)

Jackie Warner's new haircut makes me uncomfortable.  We'll just start with that.  It vexes me. She's pretty butch and I can, as a woman who appreciates the uniqueness of every woman, see her appeal. I can see why she's carried on the shoulders of lesbians near and far.  Her short 'do was pretty hot! But now... well, now it's like this thin Leif Garrett coif that just seems ill-proportioned with her long torso and very tiny, vajeen-daring hotpants.

It confuses me.... but we're here to talk about the show.  Potential spoilers ahead, so do not read further if you've not caught up on your DVR.

The Big Salad: Apple, Feta, Almond & Spinach

I've been absolutely terrible at this weight loss thing lately.  I've not been gaining, but I feel like hell.  I've eaten with total abandon, not caring that much if it was or wasn't a healthy choice.  I haven't necessarily eaten in volume per se -- relatively normal portions -- just normal portions of crap.  I've dined out a lot, I've indulged a sweet tooth until it kindly asked me to stop, it's... well, it been an epic diet fail, pretty much.

But, like Weight Watchers meetings and every weight loss/fitness magazine around says, "don't focus on your failures", so I'm trying to not beat myself up about it, just change tack. In fact, it's been kind of a blessing -- if I look at one more sweet thing, I may actually be ill. So like I said, I'm trying to not beat myself up about it -- I just look at it as immersion therapy. And I feel an intense need to detox. 

Now, I don't mean one of those trendy Hollywood juice fasts or a weekend at Promises. I'm talking about a good, old fashioned, everyday normal-people detox -- eating healthy food, drinking water and -- gasp! -- exercise.  I know, it's shocking. The very notion!

Have you ever indulged, be it in one sitting or over a few days, to the point that you body is actually begging you for something green and leafy?  Yeah, I'm there.  Mama wants a salad.  Only bigger, with lots of stuff in it. (Thank you, Elaine Benes.)

Pretty much all my salads that I make are The Big Salad -- as long as it's in a big bowl (like big, like popcorn bowl sized), it counts. Any variety I choose to make -- savory, sweet, southwest, caesar -- it's always in a huge bowl and called The Big Salad.  You can go pretty much crazy with the amount of veggies you want (and most fruits), but make sure to measure out your proteins (if you use beans or chicken or tuna or whatever) and your fats (like cheese and most importantly -- the evil dressing!).

This is my favorite Big Salad, and while I do try to change it up since eating salad can get boring -- this is my go-to when I want a Big Salad.

• 1/2 bag of prewashed, pre-cut romaine hearts (I always rinse it again, just in case) (0 Points)
• 1/2 bag baby spinach (rinsed and dried) (0 Points)
• 1/2 Gala apple (or your favorite kind), cubed (0.5 Point)
• 3 oz of grilled chicken, cubed or strips (2.5 Points)
• 1 tbsp of reduced fat feta (I like Athenos), crumbled (0.5)
• 1 slice of red/purple onion, cut about 1/4 inch thick, ringed and then cut in half (0 Points)
• 1 tbsp raw slivered almonds (1 Point)
• 1 tbsp craisins (0.5 Point)
• 2 tbsp Newman's Own Lighten Up Raspberry & Walnut Dressing (2 Points)
• Cracked black pepper

Throw it all in a big bowl, drizzle with dressing (you may need less), then toss thoroughly.  Add cracked pepper (liberally, if you like it -- I do!) and then toss again.  Insert fork.

7 Points for a big salad. Big. Huge. And you could modify it by cutting back on the dressing (I often only need 1 tbsp) or removing a sugary item like Craisins (I often omit them if I don't have them in the pantry).  I'd keep the almonds and the chicken, as the protein in both helps keep me satisfied.

What are your favorite Big Salad combinations?  Any recommendations?

Introducing The 3x a Week Challenge

I don't know about you, but I have a hard time building new healthy habits, especially when I've fallen off the wagon. You do great for a while, then it's really, really hard to climb back on.  You do well a day or two and then ice cream happens or beer or you skip the gym and next thing you know you're up to your elbows in Popcornopolis, wondering what happened to your youth.

Kathy started going to a Spin class recently.  Admittedly, I thought she might not like it -- she's always been a walking sorta gal, but she totally did!  Then she made a commitment to make it to spin class 3x a week (after purchasing a padded seat cover!  VERY important!)... and she DID it.  Now, for gym bunnies this might not seem all that big of a deal, but I was impressed. Spin is hard -- or uh, at least I'm guessing it's hard. It looks hard. People sweat a lot.

So, yeah, ok, I've never done it.  But I've thought about it... In fact, there are a lot of different things I've wanted to try and/or stick to, but sometimes you need a little inspiration... like Kathy. 

After talking about it, Kathy and I decided we should make this 3x a week commitment an on-going, weekly challenge to share with you fine folks. So here we go!

The 3x a Week Challenge

Purpose:

• To build healthy habits by starting out with a managable commitment of 3x a week.
• To bring variety into your workouts/lifestyles/regimes by creating the opportunity to try something new.
• To participate in a group activity, which helps us stay accountable.

Requirements (this is easy!):

1. Pick a healthy habit you'd like to try to build (spin class, yoga practice, meditation, cooking healthy meals, taking your vitamins, drinking water, cardio -- whatever you need to work on or want to try).
2. Commit to doing it 3x a week for one week. That's it. If you pick something like underwater hula clogging class and it sucks -- well, you've only committed to 3x a week. By the end of the 3rd class, you've given it a fair shake and can decide if you want to return or re-up for a different habit the next week.
3. Share your commitment by leaving a comment here (or in any 3x-a-week post.) with your chosen healthy habit and/or tweet your accomplishments daily or weekly or whenever by using #3xweek so we can all follow along.

That's it!  3x week for a week.  It doesn't matter what days, as long as it's 3 of them. The next week you can change it up or keep going with your existing habit or even piggyback habits (i.e., week 1, try spinning 3x a week, week 2, try spinning and cooking healthy meals 3x a week, etc.).  It's entirely up to you what you choose and how you work it -- all you have to do is commit to 3x a week, be it one habit or five.

I'm excited about this!  Kathy's newfound love of spinning has inspired me to try some new things and reminds me that 3x a week is not going to kill me. Chances are if you start with 3x a week (like M-W-F),  you'll fill in the 'off-days' with your habit over time.  If I vow to take my vitamins, which I'm notorious for forgetting, 3x a week -- it's likely I'll take them daily.  But we all have to start somewhere, so whatever your healthy habit is going to be, 3x a week gives you chance a success -- and we're all about celebrating successes, even the smaller ones.  Eat healthy Monday, but bollocks it up Tuesday? That's ok!  You still have 2 more times to eat healthy -- and that's a success!

3x a week. Can you commit?  Join us!  (and don't forget to hashtag your tweets with #3xweek!)

Lose for Good and Save a Buck!

As most of you know, I'm a Weight Watcher. Ok, so I'm more of a semi-practicing Weight Watcher. It's kind of like a Catholic who only goes to church on major holidays. But I'm really trying hard to find a work-life balance amidst the chaos that is my life right now (which is a bit of lingo I'm not a big fan of, but it exists whether or not I like the term) and want to recommit myself to being more diligent about my Points and activity.  I could be losing weight at a much more effective rate and I think I may have found the kick in the pants to do so.

Each year, Weight Watchers sponsors an event called Lose for Good to help fight world hunger. If you join Weight Watchers or are already a member, the pounds you lose from September 5th through October 23rd will help generate up to $1 million to feed children and families dealing with hunger, both around the world and here in the United States. There are various ways to help, in addition to pounds lost, including redemption of coupons and participation in social media.  Here is how the contributions will be tallied, per the fine print on their website.

Is There Such a Thing as Decent Green Cookware?

A few years ago, I bought a set of orange, Teflon-coated non-stick cookware by Rachel Ray.  I love the design of the pots,as they're a little higher on the sides and the handles are silicon. They're my favorite pots and pans I've owned, but when Kathy told me about how Teflon releases toxins in the air a while back, I've been hesitant to use them. When I do, it's on med-low to cook eggs, but otherwise, I kind of avoid them. Total bummer.

I decided to get a set of "green" cookware so that I didn't have to worry about toxins. Some of you may know I have a bunny, Lulu, and while some of those toxins may not affect me, small animals can be quite sensitive, I learned. So I bought a set of Cuisinart Green Eco-Friendly Non-Stick Cookware.

At first, I thought they were the best thing since Teflon -- things slid right out of the pan and clean-up was a snap.  But despite following every cleaning request (no dishwasher, let cool before cleaning), the thrill was gone after about a week or two.  I noticed during cooking that my food started to stick, especially my egg whites, even when I used my Misto olive oil mister liberally and cooked at a medium to medium-low temperature. Allegedly, the non-stick coating they use is not toxic, but only if you don't cook at high temperatures, which also kind of sucks because sometimes, well, you just need to cook things on high.

The S-Word

I've been thinking a lot about sabotage lately.  We had a really lengthy discussion in a Weight Watchers meeting regarding the way our loved ones sabotage our efforts to live a healthier lifestyle, and it was really shocking to me to hear the way some spouses/partners/etc (actually--MANY spouses, not just 'a few') were reacting negatively to their significant other's weight loss.  The general consensus is that it comes from insecurity and fear and, of course, the loving/nurturing way to deal is to be firm, but stand your ground.  Less politically correct, of course, would be leaving a flaming McDonald's bag of poo on your mother's doorstep or slipping a laxative into your husband's brownies, I suppose. 
 

Trader Joe’s Reduced Carb Tortilla

No matter what type of "diet" (excuse me, lifestyle) you follow, be it Weight Watchers, low carb, low calorie, or whatever blows your dress up,  a tortilla will set you back, in all arenas.  How something so flat can contain so many calories, carbs and points, is beyond me.   I know it's a better alternative to a giant kaiser roll (but come on, a kaiser roll is SO good, ahem.  I'm getting ahead of myself), or something else like that.  

I started Weight Watcher's three months or so ago.   This is the second time I've done it, and because I was so determined, I've had much better results.  However, now that I'm closer to goal, I got hit with a loss of a WHOPPING three points, which if you're a WW groupie, you know how much it stings.   I was going along, in my little groove, and then realized, I had to recalculate just about everything in order to make sure I wasn't going over my daily allotted points.   

I happened to hit up Trader Joe's one day, which isn't a normal stop of mine, and I came across their whole wheat, reduced carb tortillas.   I tend to be leary of low carb anything, because it tastes like sand and dust, in my opinion, but I decided to give it a shot, and here's why.   According to the WW calculator, it's ZERO points.  A zero point tortilla?  I'll bite.  

And lo, it was delicious!!  They're soft and chewy, with a great taste.   I can eat one as a snack, with a cheese wedge or make myself a nice little wrap and not have to sacrafice any points, and still feel satisfied.  They are a little on the small side, but this doesn't bother me, because my favorite?  Is the two point egg burrito:

I give this 4 donuts.