Not a sprint

This week was a good week for us! In total we lost 5 pounds - and no one gained anything!

I know when you start a weight-loss routine, you want to see big numbers, fast. Biggest Loser seems to be all about that - but I'm not.

For most of us, we aren't talking about losing 5 pounds. Each of us wants to lose much more than that. When we embarked on this journey, we started a marathon. Not a sprint.

Studies (and those pesky doctors!) show that the key to life-long weight loss and maintenance is slow and steady loss - at 1-2 pounds a week.

Anything more than that, and I worry.

Remember the week I lost 3 pounds? Gained one back the following week - just sayin'!

Sure, I'd like to up my weight loss to two pounds a week for a bit - to get back on track with the overall goal, but I'm not stressing over it. A pound a week is healthy and maintainable - and that's what this is all about!

Operation Muffin Top.

One of my running friends Taolo told me today that she was beginning "Operation Muffin Top." She made a list of things she was no longer doing: dinner after 8pm, no ice cream, no double bacon BLT's... basically it was a list of what she was giving up. I laughed out loud.

Taolo runs marathons. She's probably 5'4" and weighs around 115-120lbs. She's thin, she runs, but lately apparently she has been indulging a little too much. I doubt if I saw her today I would notice the difference but this new kick of hers is getting me thinking.

I also want to get rid of my muffin top. And that gross overhang that happens under your arms/top of your chest when you have tank tops on.

In that vein here are the strides I took this past week:
-Had no soda even though I was dying too.
-Drank only 1 beer all week. (This is huge, since I normally drink at least 10)
-If I got a fancy coffee I did non-fat. Only did it once.
-Walked away from a 6-pack of chocolate frosted donuts despite that they were calling my name outloud.
-Included non-running workouts this week: Yoga, an hour at the batting cages, etc.

Of course this past week has also been that awesome time of the month. So I'm craving everything in sight and am cramping an miserable. Not to mention after my hour at the batting cages my back is super sore. Josh and I couldn't figure out why we were sore all day yesterday. Oh yeah, its because we are old.

So in honor of Taolo I shall join her in "Operation Muffin Top." Just makes me laugh saying it.

I just wanted some flavor!

I spent most of last week trying to cook tasty, healthy meals and had a a lot of fun doing it. But I was really looking forward to Date Night on Friday so that I could take a rest from the forced creativity and try new foods that could inspire me for more dishes. I told Kevin I wanted something "ethnic" mainly because I was craving "exotic" flavors that I don't normally use to cook.

Apparently, he wasn't feeling the same cravings. After a drawn-out hunt for a restaurant, we finally ended up at some bar and grill. Bratty Natty reared her ugly head and, though I should be more grateful since Kevin was paying, I was pissed that he won the "what should we eat for dinner." In my defense, I cooked him dinner all week - at my expense. I don't think it's asking too much to take my desires into consideration.

Anyway, I was too tired to fight and starving so I gave in and we ate at "Harpo's," a cool patio bar and grill that would have been fine with me last summer, but just upset me this time. I looked at the menu and pretty much started crying.

It was your usual bar and grill food: nachos, burgers, chicken tenders and dinner salads. There was nothing exotic and nothing healthy. Maybe I'm just bored with the usual food at places like that, or maybe my taste buds are maturing, but nothing on the menu looked appetizing. Nothing. I had saved almost 1000 calories for that meal and I was going to waste it on a patty melt? No, thank you.

I've decided (and I know this is hardly a food revelation) that restaurants have us "addicted" to grease. They take food - normal, yummy food - fry it, and tell us it's tasty. For some reason we believe them. But, after several months of no fried foods, I am over it. Potato cut up and dripping with grease? It's just gross to me now. I tried one of Kevin's fries. It tasted familiar, but was so close to the roasted potatoes I'd made a couple of nights before that it just wasn't worth it. Plus, it was boring. There was nothing creative about it. No hint of rosemary or taste of basil to be had.

I ordered a chicken taco salad, no sour cream and skipped the (FRIED) taco shell that it came in. I asked for extra salsa and it came with jalapenos. At least it had some flavor. But it's a food I serve myself at least once a week at home. Sigh.

Part of me feels bad. I never wanted to change my eating so much that it affected Kevin and made it difficult for me to enjoy a night out. But after cooking things with real flavor I just can't justify asking Kevin to spend his money on such gross foods.

Whose idea was it, anyway, to take wonderful foods, slap them together, fry them and call it dinner? With a side of fries?

A few of this week's meals

A culinary experiment now dubbed "Yin Yang eggs" ... I made 'em twice this week. The first time, like this, but I scrambled them after the photo. They second time I "fried" them (really just put a lid on the skillet and let them steam themselves. I left the yolk runny the second time and just LOVED the rich yolk taste. I added a bowl of Quaker Oats High Fiber Cinnamon Swirl oatmeal both days, but will be switched back to reduced-sugar instant oatmeal (subtract 50 calories!). 265 calories, 35 carbs, 7 fat grams, 16 grams of protein


Monday's dinner was a grilled lemon pepper fish fillet, cooked green beans and carrots, red pepper "chips" (just chopped red pepper) and salsa, 2/3 cup of milk, and a bowl of fruit for dessert. Oh, and a side of Legal Ethics, of course! 399 calories, 63 carbs, 4 fat grams, 30 grams of protein


I wasn't feeling very creative for last night's dinner, but I'm pretty pleased with the final result. I challenged myself to do a creative take on buffalo wings (super low-cal themselves!) so I made buffalo drumsticks, cream of celery "risotto" and cheese bread (next time I need a bleu cheese element, but I didn't have any in the fridge). 350 calories, 59 carbs, 5 fat grams, 16 grams of protein



This morning's breakfast: A main dish of Legal Ethics (exam tomorrow!), 1 cup egg substitute, green onions, 1/8 cup reduced fat cheese, 1 tbsp Hormel Bacon bits, 2 slices of Wonder Lite wheat bread and a tsp sugar-free preserves. 278 calories, 22 carbs, 3 fat grams, 33 protein

Other meals this week included:
- Pork chops served on a bed of steamed cabbage and raisins
- Tomato Lima Bean Parmigiana from my new bean cookbook (recipe still needs work, and I revamping the leftovers for lunch today)
- Pulled pork tenderloin made from a recipe I got in Taste of Home magazine - SO GOOD!

Food changes

Something is off this week ... I've been limiting my calories to 1300 for months, but lately it's not working for me! In fact, I have exceeded my daily calorie allowance every day this week. No bueno.

Thank goodness for my calorie tracker! Thanks to the daily journal I keep online, I can study my eating habits and see if there are any applicable changes that could possibly be the culprit. And I found a suspect!

This past week I shifted to a new oatmeal for breakfast. Previously, I ate reduced-sugar instant oatmeal (can't stand the "real" stuff - sorry oatmeal snobs). Last time I was at the grocery store I found a high-fiber instant oatmeal and thought I'd give it a swirl. Fiber keeps you fuller longer, right? It has 50 more calories but I figured the trade off would be worth it. Time to go back to the reduced sugar.

Also, I ate a REAL egg a couple of times this week. I've been having a hard time getting the right amount of fat so I figured shifting to one real egg a day would work (eggs are our friends again). I will say, eating a yolk in my eggs was pretty wonderful - so rich and yummy. No idea I missed it that much.

Weigh/Measurement Day.

So the last 7 weeks I've been in medical limbo. Several tests and procedures later I am happy to announce that I don't have cancer. My last biopsy stated that I was the stage directly prior to actual cancer but they cut it out so hopefully we took care of it. Of course with the advent of a procedure that burns out 1/5 of my cervix I was sort of out of commission... and a little depressed. I wasn't allowed to work out for two weeks, didn't actually work out for 3. And then of course, I'd eat my feelings. Not to mention since I work for a beer company I drink a lot. So my weight went up a tad. I'm not proud of it.

My clothes still fit. I still wear a 10. Just not looking as good as I used to when we started this business and I didn't take it seriously. So today I took my measurements (as recommended by rockstar Natalie) and weighed myself for the first time in months. Ugh. It's gross, really.

So here they are (I only did 5):
Arm: 12 inches
Thigh: 25 inches
Waist: 34 inches
Hip: 43 inches
Bust: 42 inches
Weight: 182.5

Wish me luck as I actually start to take this seriously. I need to catch up with Natalie!! :)

Weigh Day ...

Well, here we are - hoping to find ourselves another pound closer to our goal!

I weighed in at 169 today. But, I will not judge this week until I see next week's number. :-) I have added strength training to my routine and have been doing A LOT of muscle work this week.

Today was also Measurement Day for the month ... which is why I'm not too bummed about not losing any weight this week.

My Measurements:
Waist: 31.5 ... overall decrease of 8.5 inches
Hips: 42.5 ... overall decrease of 4.75
Thigh: 22 ... overall decrease of 6.5 inches
Calf: 15.5 ... overall decrease of 1.75
Upper Arm: 13 ... overall decrease of 2.5 inches
Push ups: TBD
Crunches: TBD

Last Month:
Waist: 33 inches
Hips: 43.5 inches
Thigh: 24.5 inches
Calf: 16 inches
Upper Arm: 13 inches
Push ups: 9
Crunches: 20

Starting Points:
Weight: 195 lbs
Waist: 40 inches
Hips: 47.25 inches
Thigh: 28.5 inches
Upper Arm: 15.5 inches
Calf: 17.25 inches
Push ups: 4
Crunches: 15

I have included a photo of myself taken when I was 14 ... 13 years ago, the last time I was this size. Please, don't judge the glasses.