Rising from the ashes

Where have I been?
I've been right here, even though I've been away from my blog for over a week. It wasn't a planned or intentional time away. It just sort of happened.

It started out with thoughts that maybe I was becoming a little too obsessive about my food and exercise. I was tired of constantly worrying about it, thinking about it, and condemning myself for my bad choices. I was even more tired of writing about it. Surely this couldn't be of any value to anyone who might read  this blog. Failure after failure. It was disheartening to say the least.

I decided to "relax" a little on the food front. That didn't mean I would go crazy, eating whatever and whenever I wanted. Instead I thought I could take a step back and try to figure out exactly what was wrong with me. Why do I have the compulsion to overeat?

I stuck with the exercise all last week, but Thursday and Friday were difficult days. I had to really push myself at the gym. When I was on the StairMaster Friday morning I felt like my legs were stuck in mud. Every step was torture. My lungs felt like they were on fire and going to explode. It felt about ten times worse than ever before. I couldn't figure out what was wrong with me. Late Friday I knew what was causing the problem. I had a cold.

It's not the flu, and I don't even have a fever. It's just a simple cold. Sneezing, painful sinuses, and coughing, and I feel like hell. Today is day three so I'm started to feel a little bit better. It's the first day I actually got up, showered, and put on real clothes.

I felt a little better after the shower, but now I'm exhausted and just want to crawl back into bed. I'm going to try to stay awake for most of the day because I had a terrible night of trying to sleep last night. Apparently my body had enough bed rest. At 1 a.m. I was tossing and turning, going in and out of various nightmares. It was a very bad night.

Zicam doesn't work for everyone
I tried Zicam for the first time because my girlfriend said it wonders worked for her. Every three hours for the last three days I've put one of those icky mint Zicam melt-away lozenges on my tongue, let it melt, then waited fifteen minutes before I could have a drink of water. Each time I was practically gagging at the chalky, icky, sickly sweet mint taste. I can't tell that I felt any better. In fact, I almost think waking up every three hours to take the lozenge may have made me feel worse. I expected a miracle. I didn't get one. I was still just as sick as the last time I had a cold.

A&E Heavy and rising from the ashes
This morning I watched two old episodes of "Heavy" On Demand. These were episodes I had missed. There was one line that has stayed in my head. One of the guests on the show, Sharon, said she realized she'd "have to be stringent about what she put in her body for the rest of her life".

I realized that's me. I'm not being obsessive when I track my food and worry about what I'm eating. I'm just trying to be healthy. There's nothing wrong with being "stringent". Because of my past and my compulsive tendencies with food, I have to try to be in control all the time.

It's really not such a bad thing to be vigilant about what I'm eating. Not everyone has to live like this, but just like the crack addict or the alcoholic, I have to be careful of what I'm putting in my body.

Stringent: rigorous: demanding strict attention to rules and procedures.

That pretty much defines what works for me. Following the rules, paying strict attention to what I eat. As far as what's driving me to overeat, I know what it is but it's not something I want to share here, at least not yet. It's deeply personal, and a little sad to admit. For now, I prefer to keep this part of myself private.

Even though I know why I overeat, it's still a challenge to stop it. It's something I've been doing for a very long time, and changing an old behavior is difficult, but not impossible.

My plan for my week is to gently ease back in to exercising tomorrow. It's been three days, and I'm itching to get back to the gym. Tomorrow morning will be a light workout.

On the food front, "stringent" will be my keyword. Weighing, measuring, tracking every bite. It's really not that hard. I've been doing it for over three years now. What's another twenty or thirty years? :)

Fun day tomorrow
Tomorrow I get to do something fun at work. Most of you know I work for an airline. Tomorrow I get to ride on a brand new Boeing 737-800 as it's flown from Boeing Field to Sea-Tac airport, and the airline takes delivery of the new aircraft.

We usually get a few new aircraft each year. This year there will be three new 737-800's added to the fleet. It's a very big deal when we get a new aircraft. The price is somewhere in the range of $80 million, and there's a lot hoopla surrounding the delivery. It means the company is doing good and growing. 

As a special treat for working on a difficult project, myself and 107 of my closest coworkers (kidding, I only know a few of them), will get to ride around for a couple hours, sightseeing Mt. Rainier and the Cascades. Of course, after two gorgeous sunny days here in the Northwest, the forecast is rain for tomorrow (darn it!).

It will still be fun to fly on a brand new aircraft and be part of the festivities. After 28 years with my company, I'm still very excited about a new aircraft.

Weight Loss Before After

"Do a little more each day than you think you possibly can." ~ Lowell Thomas

"Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out." ~ Robert Collier
"Impatience never commands success." ~ Edwin Chapin
"To climb steep hills requires a slow pace at first." ~ Shakespeare
"Just Do It!" ~ Nike
"Do it or not. There is no 'try'." ~ Yoda
"Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going." ~ Jim Ryun
"Nothing was ever achieved without enthusiasm." ~ Emerson
"Success is the good fortune that comes from aspiration, desperation, perspiration, and inspiration." ~ Evan Esar
"Nothing happens until I make it happen." ~ Scott Wilson
"The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing." ~ Walt Disney
"People rarely succeed unless they have fun in what they are doing." ~ Dale Carnegie
"Happiness is more a state of health than of wealth." ~ Frank Tyger
"A desire can overcome all objections and obstacles." ~ Gunderson
"One way to get thin is to re-establish a purpose in life." ~ Cyril Connolly
"More die in the United States of too much food than too little." ~ John Kenneth Galbraith

Keep up the hard work. Who knows the next before and after picture might be yours?
Click here to return to the Weight Loss Before And After article.

Citrus Cheesecake

(makes 12 servings)

Ingredients:

• Non-fat cooking spray
  
  


• 2 tbsp brown sugar
  
  


• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
  
  


• 2 tbsp butter or margarine, melted
  
  

Ingredients for filling:

• ⅔ cup sugar
  
  


• 1 tsp vanilla extract
  
  


• ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
  
  


• 2 (8oz) packages non-fat cream cheese
  
  


• 2 medium eggs
  
  


• 3 medium egg whites
  
  


• ½ cup 1% low-fat milk
  
  


• ⅓ cup non-fat sour cream
  
  


• 1 tsp lemon peel, grated
  
  


• 1 tsp lime peel, grated
  
  


• 1 tsp orange peel, grated
  
  


• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  
  


• 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
  
  


• 1 tbsp fresh orange juice
  
  


• ¼ cup sugar
  
  

Preparation:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
  
  


• Prepare the crust: Coat a 9” springform pan with cooking spray. Mix crumbs, butter, and brown sugar in a medium-sized bowl, then firmly press mixture into bottom and 2” up the sides of the pan.
  
  


• Prepare the filling: In a large mixing bowl, combine flour and sugar then add cream cheese, vanilla, eggs and beat until smooth. Add milk, sour cream, citrus juices and peels and beat until smooth.
  
  


• In a separate mixing bowl, using clean and dry beaters, beat egg whites at room temperature at high speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add ¼ cup sugar, 1 tbsp at a time and beat until stiff peaks form. Gently fold egg white mixture with cream cheese mixture.
  
  


• Pour into prepared crust and bake at 300 degrees F about 1 hour or until set.
  
  


• Remove from oven and let completely cool on a wire rack. Cover and chill for 4 hours or overnight.
  
  


• Sprinkle with lime, orange zest, and grated lemon before serving (optional.)
  
  

Make 12 Servings:

Weight loss recipes Amount Per Serving(1/12 of recipe (89 g)): 118 Calories, 9 g Protein, 16 g carbohydrates, 0 g Dietary Fiber, 2 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 39 mg cholesterol, 285 mg sodium

Caramelized Pears with Toasted Almonds and Yogurt

(makes 4 servings)

Ingredients:

• 3 ripe pears, scrubbed, quartered, cored and thinly sliced
  
  


• 1 tbsp firmly packed brown sugar
  
  


• 1 tbsp unblanched almonds, sliced
  
  


• ½ cup low-fat vanilla yogurt
  
  

Preparation:

• Place a broiler rack about 3“ from source of heat. Heat the broiler.
  
  


• Arrange the pears in a shallow, flameproof dish in concentric circles, slightly overlapping each other. Sprinkle with the brown sugar.
  
  


• Broil until the brown sugar has carmelized and pears begin to brown, about 5 minutes.
  
  


• Sprinkle with the almonds and broil for about 1 minute or until almonds turn golden.
  
  


• Serve warm, topping each serving with a dollop of vanilla yogurt.
  
  

Make 4 Servings:

Weight loss recipes Amount Per Serving(¼ of recipe (160 g)): 121 Calories, 2 g Protein, 27 g carbohydrates, 3 g Dietary Fiber, 2 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 2 mg cholesterol, 22 mg sodium

Blueberry Coffee Cake

(makes 8 servings)

Ingredients:

• 1½ cups fresh or frozen blueberries
  
  


• 1 cup lemon low-fat yogurt
  
  


• 2 medium egg whites
  
  


• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
  
  


• ½ cup sugar
  
  


• 2 tsp baking powder
  
  


• ½ tsp baking soda
  
  


• 1½ cup flour
  
  


• 1 tbsp grated lemon peel
  
  


• ¼ tsp salt
  
  


• Non-fat cooking spray
  
  

Preparation:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Spray a 9x9x2" square pan with non-fat cooking spray.
  
  


• In a large-sized bowl, beat egg whites, vegetable oil, yogurt and sugar. Stir in remaining ingredients except blueberries.
  
  


• Carefully stir in blueberries.
  
  


• Spread all ingredients in pan.
  
  


• Bake for 45 minutes or until cake springs back when touched lightly in center. Let cool.
  
  

Make 8 Servings:

Weight loss recipes Amount Per Serving (⅛ of recipe (110 g)): 184 Calories, 8 g Protein, 33 g carbohydrates, 1 g Dietary Fiber, 2 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 57 mg cholesterol, 108 mg sodium

49/365: Dinner on a Budget: Easy Chili

I love to cook and I especially love swapping tried and true recipes.  You know, the kind of recipes that always turn out, instantly satisfy and most of all, are easy. My favorite recipes are those that take a little while to cook so you have time to clean the kitchen while it's doing it's thing.  Nothing is more refreshing to the busy mom's soul than to have a clean kitchen after everyone leaves the table.  I'm instantly happy when it takes all of five minutes for everyone to participate in dinner clean up. 

Right now we are tightening up our budget and I'm on the hunt for meals that aren't only quick, easy and healthy, but are also cheap. It's pretty easy to find fast recipes, but if it involves cheese whiz, Velveeta or any other highly processed foods, I don't consider that reasonable to feed my family. Actually, I don't even consider that stuff food. It's a challenge to satisfy all four of my requirements, but even with a budget, I have standards.

This recipe was given to me from my dear friend, Staci. She and I share similar palettes, so I always get wonderful recipes from her. Here is one our favorite meals when it's chilly outside. ;)

Did I mention it's also low calories if you don't add any toppings? (I always enjoy the toppings though, I use a light hand when applying.) Yep, super filling and great for the weight loss efforts.

EASY CHILI
(I forgot to take a picture the other night--but it basically looks like...chili.)


1 lb. ground beef, lean
1 lg onion, chopped
6-8 garlic cloves
2-3 Tbs. dried basil
2 cans kidney beans, drained
1-15oz can tomato sauce
1-14 1/2 can diced tomatoes (seasoned or zesty are best)
1-6oz can tomato paste
>1oz chili powder (about 1/3 of a 2.5oz sized bottle)
2 Tbs sugar
2-3 jalapeño, chopped *optional
salt, pepper, garlic salt, to taste

-Brown beef, onion and garlic together is olive oil.
-Add remaining ingredients and cook on stove top, covered, for 1-2 hours on low.
-Top with:
  grated cheese
  green onions <--favorite part
  sour cream
  Fritos chips

Baked Rice Pudding

(makes 4 servings)

Ingredients:

• 3 medium egg whites, lightly beaten
  
  


• 1 medium egg, lightly beaten
  
  


• 1½ cups 1% low-fat milk
  
  


• 1 tsp vanilla extract
  
  


• ⅓ cup dates, chopped
  
  


• ⅔ cups cooked rice
  
  


• ¼ cup sugar
  
  


• Pinch of cinnamon or cinnamon
  
  

Preparation:

• Preheat oven at 325 degrees F.
  
  


• Combine egg, egg whites, milk, vanilla and sugar in a medium mixing bowl. Beat until combined but not foamy.
  
  


• Add cooked rice and dates and mix well.
  
  


• Pour rice mixture into a baking dish. Place baking dish in a large pan then place in oven. Pour boiled water into large pan around the baking dish to a depth of about 1-inch.
  
  


• Bake uncovered at 325° degrees for 45 minutes or until a knife inserted halfway between the edge and the center comes out clean.
  
  


• Serve warm or chilled with a sprinkle of cinnamon or nutmeg.
  
  

Make 4 Servings:

Weight loss recipes Amount Per Serving ( ¼ of recipe (180 g)): 184 Calories, 8 g Protein, 33 g carbohydrates, 1 g Dietary Fiber, 2 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 57 mg cholesterol, 108 mg sodium