Wednesday Weigh-In: Carrie -1 (-9 total); Amanda +2 (-2 total)

Carrie: I know I’ve stayed on the diet (reasonable well, anyway), but each time I step on the scale I fully expect to have gained weight. What is this? Pessimism? Learned behavior? Weird.

Amanda:  I have nothing to say for myself.

Easter, Cake, and Scaleophobia

At the age of 27, I still get visits from the “Easter Bunny.”  I can’t decide if that is weird or awesome, but, if anything, it is a fact.  This year I made a special request for the EB to not bring me tons of candy, which he/she usually does.  This was a difficult request to make, considering that my favorite candy of all time is the Reese’s Peanut Butter Egg. When I arrived at my parent’s house on Saturday night, the EB had already visited (how did he/she know?!), and as I perused the contents of my basket I had to laugh: one bag of Weight Watchers Pecan Crowns, one bag of Weight Watchers English Toffee Squares, one box of Weight Watchers Chocolate Snack Cakes, and a giant insulated cup with a big “A” on it, for getting in my alloted amount of water.  Okay, there was also a Cadbury Creme Egg and a plastic egg full of Peanut M&M’s, of which I am guilty of consumption.  Sue me.  Thanks, EB for being (somewhat) Recession Diet friendly.

Despite the fact that someone else was looking out for me this Easter, I certainly didn’t do a good job of looking out for myself.  When Sunday was over I was feeling quite guilty for all of the food I consumed over the weekend, which included more than one type of cake, brownies, and a fair amount of non-Weight Watchers candy.  I want to lament my lack of self control, or throw the balme on holidays and the evils of consumerism, but in reality, no one makes me eat but me.  There are no excuses.  So, I am a little fearful of stepping on the scale tomorrow, and don’t expect the numbers to be in my favor.  But as soon as I finish writing this I am going to the gym.  That has to count for something.

amanda.

It’s Working! It’s Working! But Why?

As an American girl, I’ve done my share of dieting. In fact, I’ve done my share of the exact same diet I’m following now. I’ve chosen this plan again because, about five years ago, I lost 25 pounds following it. Sure, I gained some back. But I only gained 10 pounds back.* I think gaining only ten pounds in five years is pretty good, actually.

So I don’t find it surprising that this food plan is helping me to lose weight. **  What shocks me is that it hasn’t been that difficult, at least not compared with five years ago, when I basically white-knuckled it for a couple months before I saw any difference.

Here’s a list of what I’m doing differently this time around. Maybe it’s helping, maybe it’s not. Maybe it’s placebo. But if a placebo helps me lose weight, I’ll take it.

• Honegar: I crave sugar more than most people. I never realized this, but due to some unscientific polling I have discovered that most people don’t crave straight icing, rock candy, or spoonfuls of sugar. At least not after age six. Eating a tablespoon of honey three times a day seems to regulate my sugar level without giving me the high/crash that refined sugar does. See our recipes section to try it yourself.
• Not Journaling: Obviously, this blog is a form of journal. But, instead of writing down everything I eat, I’ve been keeping track of it in my head. I’m pretty honest with myself, so this approach seems to be working. It doesn’t feel like as much of a chore.
• Snacking: Every afternoon, I have either a biscotti or a few squares of dark chocolate. Either snack totals 100 calories, and it makes me feel like I’ve had a treat. I don’t feel like I’m depriving myself, so I’m less likely to “cheat” later.
• Thinking positively: I feel like such a nerd saying this, but I make myself list five things every day that made me happy. I’m enough of a pessimist that I have to conciously train myself think differently. There are many things that drive me to eat unhealthy food, but one major reason is depression.
• Eating early in the day: I used to save all my “favorite” food (dry carbs like bread and potatoes, and some protein) for the evening. Now I realize I function better if I give my body fuel like carbs and protein early in the day. If I eat throughout the day, I’m not really hungry at night. This probably wouldn’t work for “refrigerator in the middle of the night” types, but it works for me.
• Eating real food: I’ve had a couple diet sodas as kind of a treat, but mostly I’ve been eating real (not skim) milk and yogurt, and opting for a little bit of good fat (olive oil, avocados) when I’m craving it. I think giving my body a little of what it really wants has a better lasting effect than eating diet food that has been stripped of its calories, but also its nutrients.
• Not hating myself: I might go into this more later, but this is the first time I’ve started a diet knowing that, even if I never lose weight, I can still be happy with the way I look. I can enjoy life and feel pretty at my current weight, so I don’t feel an unhealthy urgency to lose it.

This is what I’ve thought of so far. It’s not exhaustive, and some of it might not even be working. But, for now, it’s my best guess.

* I’m not counting the ten more pounds I gained in ONE MONTH due to weird medication in this total.

** I do find the speed surprising, but I think this is mostly due to my body finding its way back to its pre-medication weight, and I fully expect to plateau after a few more pounds.

Wednesday Weigh-In, Carrie -3 (-8 total); Amanda -0 (-4 total)

Carrie—Weird. I don’t FEEL any thinner. And my clothes seem to disagree with this number. But I’ll take it!

Amanda – I stayed the same this week, which I am semi-happy about considering the “gift” I received from Mother Nature (too much information?).  On more than one occasion I stood at my kitchen counter eating frozen yogurt straight from the container, so not gaining this week was a small triumph in itself.  I am finally feeling better, so this week I’ll have more energy to exercise and not feel like I will pass out just walking into the gym.

Delicious Dairy

Getting in the recommended two servings of dairy for Weight Watchers is one thing that always slips my mind, so I am making an extra effort lately to hit the cow juice.  Since I am not a big milk drinker, and, as a Barista, the thought of actually drinking a latte often makes me want to vomit, I often turn to yogurt and cheese.  I am picky about my yogurt.  To be satisfactory it has to: 1)  Be creamy; 2) Be thick; 3) Not be too tangy; 4) Not be loaded with artificial sweeteners; 5) Not be in a tiny cup; and 6) Not be high in fat or calories.  That’s a lot of criteria for a poor little yogurt to meet.  I’ve tried several kinds, and below are the ones that pass the test:

• Publix Fat Free Light.  This store brand puts other yogurts to shame.  It was on sale at my local Publix this week, so I bought eight containers and prayed that I’d like it.  To my surprise, it just might be one of my favorite yogurts ever, especially for the low price.  They have a large variety of flavors (so far I’ve had Cherry Vanilla and Coconut Cream Pie and both are delicious), are creamy and thick, and, while they do contain artificial swetener, it is the last ingredient listed (which means it was used the least in preparation) and the taste isn’t detectable.  100 calories and 0 grams of fat for 6 ounces (WW Points of 2).
• Aldi Foods Fit & Active.  For only 39 cents per cup, this yogurt was pretty good.  I tried Lemon Chiffon and Cherries Jubilee, and loved both.  The consistency was somewhat thinner than the Publix brand, but still good.  I don’t have a container anymore, so sorry for the lack of stats.  This probably won’t be in my fridge too often since Aldi is far from my house, but it is worth a shot.  (WW Points of 2)
• Yoplait Fat Free Thick & Creamy.  This is the thickest of them all, and is really, really tasty.  I tried Lemon Meringue, Key Lime, and Vanilla and all were great.  Eating the Lemon and Lime was almost like eating a pie filling because of the thickness.  (WW Points of 2)

Also, here are my favorite topppings for making an average cup of yogurt not-so-average:

• One tbsp of wheat germ for a little crunch.  This can be found on the cereal aisle and is usually in a glass jar.  It is about $4, but I’ve had the same jar for over a month and haven’t even used 1/4 of it.  Well worth it.
• One tbsp chopped pecans (or your favorite nut) for crunch, flavor, and added protein.
• One tbsp mini semi-sweet chocolate chips (especially good with vanilla, cherry, and strawberry yogurts).
• One tbsp light whipped topping.
• Your favorite cereal (ones that adults are supposed to eat … using Reese’s Puffs kind of defeats the purpose).

amanda.

Carrie Attempts Kale Chips

I am a vegetarian, but I don’t like vegetables.

I guess it’s not entirely accurate to say I dislike veggies. I just don’t like them unless they’re covered in butter or cooked into something else that is delicious but nutritionally dubious.

Eating lots of vegetables is an important part of my version of Recession Diet, so I’m always looking for ways to incorporate them into my meals. Of course, I can add spinach to my eggs or chop up some zucchini for the spaghetti sauce, but to hit my goal of at least four vegetable servings each day, I have to find ways to eat them separate from a serving of bread.

When I read a recipe for Kale Chips from The Kitchn (an amazing site, by the way), I was intrigued. I had to try them. A whole bowl of veggies that tastes like chips? Awesome!

Even better: My grandpa grows lots of kale in this secret garden that he carefully cultivates and hides from the status-obsessed neighborhood association. The garden is pretty amazing, including onions, radishes, and tons of other vegetables in addition to the kale. Kale from Poppa’s garden = free = recession friendly!

I enjoyed the adventure of making kale chips, but they looked totally weird (see photo). Also, they were so salty! I’m planning on trying the recipe again without adding salt to the marinade, just salting the chips when they’re finished cooking.

All in all, it was a good diversion on a hellishly busy week (my other blog, a free novel, launched its first chapter today … check it out at www.somenewtrend.com). Sometimes, taste isn’t the most important part of a meal, at least one that’s fun to make, totally FREE, and gets me to eat a freakishly large amount of vegetable in one sitting.

Falling off the Wagon … and Getting Back on

This potato wants to make me fat!

I’m not good at cheating. The “all or nothing” aspect of many diets is attractive to me, since I really enjoy getting obsessed with a new idea and going after it 100%. The trouble starts when I make a mistake. One pitfall leads to the complete destruction of my carefully built diet plan.

This time around, I wouldn’t exactly say I’m building in mistakes, but I’m certainly trying to use them as learning experiences.

On Tuesday, a hellish day led to a baked potato. That might not sound so bad, but, I assure you, it was loaded with butter and cheese. Potatoes are a bit of an Achilles Heel for me, whether they’re baked, chipped, or french fried. They immediately become less “root vegetable” and more “vehicle for eating a bottle of ranch dressing.”

The point is, I ate the potato, and three chocolates. And then … I stopped. I picked up drive-thru McDonalds for a friend, but I ate grapes. For the past few days, I’ve been back in the saddle.

So far, this is my greatest victory with Recession Diet. I fell down, but I got back up immediately. The potato death grip loosens as we speak.

Wednesday Weigh-In: Carrie -5, Amanda -4

Carrie: Um, so, yeah. It seems very impressive, but I’m pretty sure this is a fluke. Unfortunately for Amanda, my body seems to be normalizing by divesting itself of all the water its been retaining since I took those weird wisdom teeth meds. It’s true that I’ve been sticking to the diet, but, in my long history of dieting, losing five pounds in one week is completely unheard of. Either that, or God is finally listening to all those “please oh please help me lose five pounds this week” prayers.

Amanda:  I, likewise, am surprised by my weight loss this week … 4.4 pounds!  I have been sick, so that could have something to do with it.  In that case, I hope I never get over this cold.  Three cheers for snot, cold medicine hangovers, loss of appetite, and weight loss!  But I still owe Carrie $5.  Dang it.

“No” to Peer Pressure, “Yes” to Carrots

I’m big on eating out of guilt.

I eat brownies because my coworker brings them. Someone orders bread for the table and I think, “If I don’t eat the bread, everyone will feel guilty about eating the bread and I don’t want everyone to feel guilty, so I’ll eat the bread.” My dad stocks the coffee table with mini candy bars, and I feel like I’ll break his heart if I don’t eat one or two or seven.

For some reason, when I turned thirty, I decided this guilt time is over. I struggle enough with my own desire to eat, and I don’t need to worry about pleasing everyone else, too.

So far, this has been going pretty well. Last week, a group of coworkers were going to lunch. I had brought carrots and hummus for lunch and, oddly, was looking forward to eating them. So I actually said no. For the next half hour or so, I felt bad about it.

You know what? I got over it. I knew that I wouldn’t eat healthy food if I’d gone to lunch, and I’m pretty sure Josh and Lauren and Amber and Leslie still like me, even though I didn’t join them at Nabeels.

And I haven’t eaten a single candy bar since I’ve been home, but I think my dad still likes me. (He’s waxing eloquent about sunrises and Kumbaya as I write this, if that’s any indication.)

Shop Smart, Buy Fresh

I can’t count how many times I have watched items on the supermarket conveyor belt lurch by and the numbers on my total creep higher and higher above my budget.  Every time I think, “I have got to do better next week.”  Next week never gets better.  I love food and love to cook, and view time in the kitchen as an adventure.  I like to try out new recipes or use new ingredients, and often don’t check prices when buying from a recipe list, especially with produce.   As my budget has become overwhelmingly smaller, I have had to plan more carefully when selecting recipes.  Thankfully, that doesn’t have to mean culinary enslavement to those silly five-ingredient cook books.

Produce is my downfall at the supermarket, and as many diets call for higher consumption of fruits and vegetables, this is definitely a problem.  Below are some helpful tips to keeping prices in check in the produce aisle.

Buy seasonal. Buying produce its peak growing season does more than save your wallet.  In season foods are fresher, better tasting, and more nutritious than ones that are force grown or flown in from other areas of the world.  I have also found, for example, that I enjoy blueberries so much more when I’ve had to wait all year for them to be at their peak.  It is worth waiting to not buy a pint of sour blueberries and be disappointed.  Check out this handy Peak-Season Map from Epicurious.com to determine what you should pick up this season.

Use the scale. When shopping for produce, my biggest mistake is that I don’t weigh things.  I see a price and guesstimate how much I’ve put into the bag, and am always surprised by what a terrible guesstimator I am.  The result is spending way too much and buying much more than I need or can use before it spoils.

Do some work. As tempting as it is to buy items that have already been prepped for you (carrot sticks, celery stalks, diced onion, etc.), it is much more economical to buy the produce in it’s whole state and prep it yourself.   It takes extra time and effort, but you will be glad you did.

Preserve the booty. What good is having produce if you let it spoil in your fridge?  Do some research to find out how long items last and how they should be stored.  Check out this blog for a helpful “Periodic Table of Produce” from Real Simple.

amanda.