After completing my first week on Sparkpeople, I lost a total of 1 pound. I consider this to be a great accomplishment because the week before I had lost 6 pounds, and generally I had been gaining or not losing at all after a huge loss like that. So I feel good about that.
I was concerned at first because I felt like I was eating more than when I was counting points on Weight Watchers, but apparently that did not hinder my weight loss for the week, as it must have been the right amount of food and calories.
I also had reached my goal of burning at least 840 calories with cardio. I have strength training scheduled for three times a week, but I must admit I only got one days worth done last week. The fact I had cardio workouts three days last week is huge, so I'm not going to be too hard on myself at this point.
Another neat thing about the Sparkpeople website is that you earn points by doing certain things each day. You earn points by reading informative articles, reading their e-mails, logging your food and activities, etc. The concept is that the more you are connected with their site the more success you will have on your weight loss journey. I earned a total of 284 points last week.
Have a wonderful week everybody!
10 More Observations Since I Lost 60 pounds.
Okay...I am currently at 59.7 pounds lost, but I figured it would be OK to round up for simplicities sake....LOL
1. My glasses don't fit tight on my face or make a mark along my temple like they used to.
2. Even my nose seems slimmer and more chiseled.
3. I am noticing more definition in my arms, finally.
4. My stomach is flat when I lay on my back. Still working on it being flat while I'm standing. ;)
5. My hair seems to behave better, maybe due to the change in diet.
6. I love all the compliments I get from people I haven't seen in the while, like from the clerk at a clothing store, or some other place I frequent.
7. Still can't get over how much better my moods are, in general.
8. It's easier to get up early and exercise before work....doesn't feel like such a chore.
9. I don't mind having my picture taken now.
10. I am actually looking forward to going on vacation next month and planning more physical activities while we are there.
You can view my previous observations here.
1. My glasses don't fit tight on my face or make a mark along my temple like they used to.
2. Even my nose seems slimmer and more chiseled.
3. I am noticing more definition in my arms, finally.
4. My stomach is flat when I lay on my back. Still working on it being flat while I'm standing. ;)
5. My hair seems to behave better, maybe due to the change in diet.
6. I love all the compliments I get from people I haven't seen in the while, like from the clerk at a clothing store, or some other place I frequent.
7. Still can't get over how much better my moods are, in general.
8. It's easier to get up early and exercise before work....doesn't feel like such a chore.
9. I don't mind having my picture taken now.
10. I am actually looking forward to going on vacation next month and planning more physical activities while we are there.
You can view my previous observations here.
Recipe - Scallops with Spinach
Print a 3x5 card version of this recipe by clicking here.
Serves 2 people
8-10 Bay Scallops or 20-40 Sea Scallops
6 slices of center cut bacon, chopped
1 small Vidalia onion, sliced
4 cups of fresh baby spinach, washed and chopped
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Cook the bacon until crispy. Reserve some of the bacon grease to cook the scallops in. Add the onions to the bacon and cook for 5 minutes. Add the spinach to the pan and allow the spinach to wilt. Once the spinach is wilted, quickly add the mustard and apple cider vinegar, stir and remove from heat.
In a separate pan, on medium high heat, warm the reserved bacon grease, add the
scallops to the pan, browning them on each side. If you are using frozen scallops, the grease will splatter quite a bit, so watch out for that. If you can find dry packed scallops, that would be best.
Cook the scallops for about 2-3 minutes per side or just until they are browned nicely.
To serve, split the spinach mixture in half and surround the spinach with scallops. Serve immediately.
You can also substitute dandelion greens, arugula or watercress for the spinach to change it up a bit.
Can be served alone for a light dinner or lunch, or served with rice for a more filling meal.
Serves 2 people
8-10 Bay Scallops or 20-40 Sea Scallops
6 slices of center cut bacon, chopped
1 small Vidalia onion, sliced
4 cups of fresh baby spinach, washed and chopped
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Cook the bacon until crispy. Reserve some of the bacon grease to cook the scallops in. Add the onions to the bacon and cook for 5 minutes. Add the spinach to the pan and allow the spinach to wilt. Once the spinach is wilted, quickly add the mustard and apple cider vinegar, stir and remove from heat.
In a separate pan, on medium high heat, warm the reserved bacon grease, add the
scallops to the pan, browning them on each side. If you are using frozen scallops, the grease will splatter quite a bit, so watch out for that. If you can find dry packed scallops, that would be best.
Cook the scallops for about 2-3 minutes per side or just until they are browned nicely.
To serve, split the spinach mixture in half and surround the spinach with scallops. Serve immediately.
You can also substitute dandelion greens, arugula or watercress for the spinach to change it up a bit.
Can be served alone for a light dinner or lunch, or served with rice for a more filling meal.
Scorecard Update for the Week of 5/10-5/16
For all my struggles last week, I lost 6.4 pounds when I weighed in on Sunday. How? I have no clue. I really thought I was going to gain or stay the same again. I guess my worrying about it may have subconsciously made me watch what I was eating more since I had not been exercising like I should have been.I started logging my food and exercise in Sparkpeople yesterday and I think I may like this better. I like that I can also track my protein, sodium and fiber intake which is not something I could do by counting weight watchers points. I had no idea just how many calories I was taking in since some foods may be 100 calories, but because of the high fiber content, they may only be calculated as 1 point rather than 2 points. If I have too many of these foods in a week, that may have been throwing off my weight loss as I would be eating more calories as a whole.
I also like how the website will calculate how many calories you may have burned during any one activity and it will put it towards your weekly goal. Right now I only need to burn 840 calories a week. If I walk three days, at 30 minutes a day, for a total of two miles each time I walk, I can just about burn that alone. Add in strength training and other activities, it seems more easily attainable to me to do that when I have it all laid out like it is on their site.
One problem I have with Weight Watchers is that it really doesn't teach you to eat healthier. It just gives each food a points value. Don't get me wrong, I think it is a GREAT starting off point for most people, but now that I am more knowledgeable about food and what it can do to your body, I need a little more. I have not tried the new Momentum program, so maybe these issues are addressed today, and I have never signed up on their site, so maybe they have some great tools on their site as well, but Sparkpeople is free, and free is good...LOL.
I was going to keep track of points as well as my food list on Sparkpeople, but I forgot my notebook today, so maybe it's a good time to drop the points counting all together. I was a little afraid to stop counting points....it was becoming a crutch for me. Like if I counted points and stayed within those points I was in control. But I just have to get it through my head that I am still tracking my food just in a different way, and in fact, more accurately than before.
At the end of the day, when you have finished logging all the food you have eaten, it can graph out what you've eaten, so you can see just how many carbs, protein and fiber you've eaten as well as other graphs based on what you want to track. Yesterday, I was a little over on sodium. I will track for a few more days and see how the sodium intake looks. If it is still too high on a day to day basis, I will probably have to cut out even more of these frozen meals that are so convenient for me to take for lunch. I may be forced to make time and make up my own meals. I know I said I was going to do that anyway, but I just haven't had the time to really spend on meal planning and cooking ahead.
I've also modified my goal a little bit. My initial goal was to lose 100 pounds. That would have brought me to just under 200 pounds. I really didn't feel like I could maintain anything lower than that, but I am going to shoot for a final weight of 170 pounds by the end of 2010. It's a slow enough weight loss, that I think I can handle it and maintain it for the long term. That would probably bring me to a weight that I was in high school. That would be wonderful! I'd love to be able to fit into a size 16 comfortably, or even lower. When I started Weight Watchers in November 2008, I was a firm size 26 with some clothes a 28 and now I am in a size 22 with some brands of clothes being a 20 or even an 18. I wish all the brands fit the same. Now I need to try on just several sizes because I never know how one brand will fit next to another. I guess I could have bigger problems...LOL
I've updated the tracker at the bottom of the page to reflect my goal change. If it is not updated automatically, you may need to refresh the page.
Have a great week everyone!
Struggles
I feel like I am struggling this week. Struggling to maintain, struggling to fit in exercise and struggling to get anything done on the blogs and websites. I'm in a rut. What can I say?
We've been spending most of our free time trying to get prepared for the craft sale we are having on May 30th at our home. You don't burn too many calories painting...LOL. One good thing is that my hands are busy and I don't feel like snacking like I usually do, but even that is a struggle at times. I feel like I need to really kick start my metabolism again and get out of this rut I am in.
So I've been re-reading some eBooks I've purchased on weight loss and working out. I'm thinking about cutting out wheat from my diet and only eating complex carbs after a workout to see if that will help boost my metabolism.
I've also given www.sparkpeople.com a second look. I joined their site quite a while ago, but never did anything with it. I plan on taking the next few days to get familiar with it so that I can start fresh with their program on Sunday. One thing I noticed that I really like, is that you can log your exercise and they will tell you how many calories you have burned doing that exercise and it will be logged so that you can see how you are progressing with your weight loss goal. That gives me the visual encouragement that I need where my Scorecard idea seems to be falling short.
So for the next two weeks or so, I may be scarce and may not be writing more than a post or two a week. I invite you to take a look at some of my favorite weight loss blogs that I like in the meantime. They can be found to the right on the sidebar.
If anyone would like to be a guest writer on my blog, please e-mail me. I think it would be a wonderful idea to hear someone elses point of view for a change.
Have a good weekend everyone!
We've been spending most of our free time trying to get prepared for the craft sale we are having on May 30th at our home. You don't burn too many calories painting...LOL. One good thing is that my hands are busy and I don't feel like snacking like I usually do, but even that is a struggle at times. I feel like I need to really kick start my metabolism again and get out of this rut I am in.
So I've been re-reading some eBooks I've purchased on weight loss and working out. I'm thinking about cutting out wheat from my diet and only eating complex carbs after a workout to see if that will help boost my metabolism.
I've also given www.sparkpeople.com a second look. I joined their site quite a while ago, but never did anything with it. I plan on taking the next few days to get familiar with it so that I can start fresh with their program on Sunday. One thing I noticed that I really like, is that you can log your exercise and they will tell you how many calories you have burned doing that exercise and it will be logged so that you can see how you are progressing with your weight loss goal. That gives me the visual encouragement that I need where my Scorecard idea seems to be falling short.
So for the next two weeks or so, I may be scarce and may not be writing more than a post or two a week. I invite you to take a look at some of my favorite weight loss blogs that I like in the meantime. They can be found to the right on the sidebar.
If anyone would like to be a guest writer on my blog, please e-mail me. I think it would be a wonderful idea to hear someone elses point of view for a change.
Have a good weekend everyone!
Scorecard Update for the Week of 5/3-5/9
Well, this past week's weigh-in was just OK. I gained a pound. I hope it was a pound of muscle....LOL. It was also a busy week and I did not get in as much cardio as I would have liked. That's the way it goes, I guess. I am still finding clothes are getting big on me and I have to buy smaller ones, and that feels great. I am starting to notice my stomach getting a little smaller and firmer looking, and that feels great also. All in all, I am happy. Not sure if I will meet my weight loss goal of 10 pounds by June 7th, but I will give it a shot.
We broke down and purchased an adjustable dumb bell set that goes up to 50 pounds for each dumb bell. Now I'd like to find a book or DVD with a lot of different exercises in it. I have a few exercises from some eBooks I have purchased, but it's not a complete workout. I've heard that you can pretty much replace any traditional cardio if you do a proper dumb bell workout. I'll let you know how that goes.
Weight Watchers Giveaway
I just stumbled upon a Weight Watchers Membership Giveaway being put on by Gina's Weight Watchers Recipes. Gina has a great blog for all kinds of low point Weight Watchers recipes. I already have her site linked to this one on the sidebar at the right. I recommend you stop by her blog and enter. There is no obligation and you have until May 19th to enter as she will be drawing the winner on May 20th. Here is the link to her blog, and don't forget to tell her what your favorite recipe is in your comment (that is her only requirement). Have a wonderful day!
http://weight-watchers-points-recipes.blogspot.com/2009/05/weight-watcher-membership-giveaway.html
http://weight-watchers-points-recipes.blogspot.com/2009/05/weight-watcher-membership-giveaway.html
Healthy Alternatives to Processed Foods
As I've stated previously, even we have a hard time cutting out all processed foods from our diet, but I believe that if you cut out at least 50% of the processed foods that you currently eat, you will begin to feel better. Once we got acclimated to the change, we've found that it was easier to cut even more out of our diet, and because we were planning our meals better, it was easier to incorporate the extra time that might be required to prepare the meal. It was just a natural progression for us, and it really doesn't take that much more time to prepare a meal from scratch then it is to pop a frozen meal in the oven or prepare a box of macaroni and cheese.
According to Wikipedia, "Whole Foods are those that are unprocessed and unrefined, or processed and refined as little as possible before being consumed. They typically do not contain added ingredients, such as sugar, salt, or fat. Examples of whole foods include unpolished grains; fruits and vegetables; unprocessed meat, poultry, fish; and non-homogenized milk".
Keep this in mind if you are unsure if a food is processed or not.
Beverages to Avoid
Soda
Diet Soda
Artificially Flavored Juices
Juices that are not 100% juice
Healthier Beverages
Fresh Brewed Tea (all types, green, white, black, oolong)
Water
Lemonade sweetened with Stevia instead of sugar
Limeade sweetened with Stevia instead of sugar
Freshly squeezed juices
Breakfast foods to avoid
Frozen breakfast items
Pre-cooked breakfast items
Most cereals
Bacon
Healthier Breakfast Items
Fresh eggs, in moderation, from free range chickens
Low fat, low sugar, high fiber cereals
Whole grain bread
Fresh fruit
Organic yogurt
Oatmeal, made from scratch
Side dishes to avoid
Anything that comes in a box
Anything that is deep fried
Anything that comes in a bag (like potato chips)
Canned Soups
Healthier Side Dishes
Fresh fruits and vegetables
Steamed vegetables seasoned with fresh herbs and sea salt
Baked potato chips (see my recipe here).
Rice prepared yourself (not from a box) See a recipe here.
Couscous prepared yourself (not from a box)
Homemade or organic pasta, in moderation
Dried or canned beans, seasoned yourself
Meats to avoid
Processed meats like hot dogs, kielbasa, and ham
Anything fried
Anything coated
Healthier Meats
Fresh lean meats like pork, beef, and poultry, preferably grass fed, grilled or broiled
Fresh wild caught fish, grilled or broiled
Fresh wild caught shellfish, grilled or broiled
Wild game such as venison, duck and rabbit
Desserts and snacks to avoid
Anything you haven't baked yourself
Anything high in corn syrup
Healthier Desserts and Snacks
Fresh fruit
Baked items you have cooked yourself, in moderation
Ice cream that doesn't have any artificial ingredients
In general, when choosing organic certified foods, you will cut out all the harmful additives that are common in processed foods. But read the labels, because some items that are not in the organic section, are still safer to eat than most processed foods. If you can't pronounce an ingredient on the label, then maybe you shouldn't put it in your body.
Whole foods are not necessarily diet foods. Moderation is the key. It's really the total calories that we eat in a day that makes us fat. We need to burn more calories than we take in to lose weight, so remember that when choosing your foods also.
According to Wikipedia, "Whole Foods are those that are unprocessed and unrefined, or processed and refined as little as possible before being consumed. They typically do not contain added ingredients, such as sugar, salt, or fat. Examples of whole foods include unpolished grains; fruits and vegetables; unprocessed meat, poultry, fish; and non-homogenized milk".
Keep this in mind if you are unsure if a food is processed or not.
Beverages to Avoid
Soda
Diet Soda
Artificially Flavored Juices
Juices that are not 100% juice
Healthier Beverages
Fresh Brewed Tea (all types, green, white, black, oolong)
Water
Lemonade sweetened with Stevia instead of sugar
Limeade sweetened with Stevia instead of sugar
Freshly squeezed juices
Breakfast foods to avoid
Frozen breakfast items
Pre-cooked breakfast items
Most cereals
Bacon
Healthier Breakfast Items
Fresh eggs, in moderation, from free range chickens
Low fat, low sugar, high fiber cereals
Whole grain bread
Fresh fruit
Organic yogurt
Oatmeal, made from scratch
Side dishes to avoid
Anything that comes in a box
Anything that is deep fried
Anything that comes in a bag (like potato chips)
Canned Soups
Healthier Side Dishes
Fresh fruits and vegetables
Steamed vegetables seasoned with fresh herbs and sea salt
Baked potato chips (see my recipe here).
Rice prepared yourself (not from a box) See a recipe here.
Couscous prepared yourself (not from a box)
Homemade or organic pasta, in moderation
Dried or canned beans, seasoned yourself
Meats to avoid
Processed meats like hot dogs, kielbasa, and ham
Anything fried
Anything coated
Healthier Meats
Fresh lean meats like pork, beef, and poultry, preferably grass fed, grilled or broiled
Fresh wild caught fish, grilled or broiled
Fresh wild caught shellfish, grilled or broiled
Wild game such as venison, duck and rabbit
Desserts and snacks to avoid
Anything you haven't baked yourself
Anything high in corn syrup
Healthier Desserts and Snacks
Fresh fruit
Baked items you have cooked yourself, in moderation
Ice cream that doesn't have any artificial ingredients
In general, when choosing organic certified foods, you will cut out all the harmful additives that are common in processed foods. But read the labels, because some items that are not in the organic section, are still safer to eat than most processed foods. If you can't pronounce an ingredient on the label, then maybe you shouldn't put it in your body.
Whole foods are not necessarily diet foods. Moderation is the key. It's really the total calories that we eat in a day that makes us fat. We need to burn more calories than we take in to lose weight, so remember that when choosing your foods also.
Scorecard Update for the Week of 4/26-5/2
While my scorecard was not perfect, I definitely feel like I had more activity this past week because of it and I lost 4.1 pounds this past week so it must have helped. I found myself wanting to fit in some sort of exercise each day because I wanted to be able to have something to report. Thursday was the only day I had no activity at all. I think that's pretty good considering the week before I probably only exercised one day.
Here is my scorecard. You can click on it to make it bigger. And if you are wondering what all this scorecard business is about, check out my post from April 27th.
Here is my scorecard. You can click on it to make it bigger. And if you are wondering what all this scorecard business is about, check out my post from April 27th.
Why You Need to Avoid Processed Foods
The more I read about the dangers of processed foods and convenience foods, the angrier I get. Why would companies put all these harmful additives and preservatives in our foods if they are going to make us sick? For the all mighty dollar, that's why! They need a cheap way to process these foods, so they use chemicals and other substances that are cheap so that their profit margins are higher.
In small amounts, most people do not get sick from these additives but since we rely on them too much these days, they begin to build up in our system, our bodies start to break-down and then we become sick with cancers and other syndromes. Even I have a hard time avoiding everything, but since we started Weight Watchers, I'd say we have cut down on processed foods by 60% at least.
Here are some reasons why you should avoid processed foods and convenience foods. This includes eating at fast food restaurants.
1. High in sodium and MSG (Mono Sodium Glutamate). These things are added to foods to enhance their flavor since the processing takes out a lot of the flavor of the natural foods themselves. Too much sodium can cause high blood pressure and a load of other issues. MSG has been linked to all sorts of problems, though some say they have not been proven, but I'd rather not take a chance.
2. High in saturated fats and trans fats. To make some foods moister and more flavorful after processing and to increase shelf life of the product, different fats may be added. Trans fats raise bad cholesterol levels and triglycerides in your blood, which are all linked to heart disease. Research has found links between obesity, diabetes, cancer and infertility, to name a few. Who needs that?
3. High in sugar and high fructose corn syrup. High fructose corn syrup in large quantities has been linked to obesity, organ problems, has been known to stimulate cravings and causes developmental problems in children. Again, in small quantities, our bodies can handle it, but since they put it in everything these days, it gets to be too much for our bodies to take.
4. High in artificial sweeteners. Diet foods in particular are loaded with artificial sweeteners like splenda, aspartame, and saccharine. These have also been linked to some of the same problems as high fructose corn syrup.
I can't possibly go into all the details about each item listed above...there are hundreds, if not thousands of articles on the internet about this subject, but I will say this. When foods are subjected to high temperatures and other processing procedures, their nutritional content changes. You lose a lot of the vitamins and minerals of the foods and then they try and add some of that back in with chemicals. Some foods have even been found to be carcinogenic after being exposed to high temperatures for too long of a time. If the food you are eating is not nourishing your body and providing you with all the vitamins, minerals, proteins, complex carbohydrates, healthy fats, fiber and calcium needed for your body to function properly, then what is the point of eating it in the first place. It's just an empty calorie at that point and usually ends up being stored as fat rather than being used as fuel for the body.
No wonder our society as a whole is getting fatter and fatter. We think we are making better choices by buying lower calorie diet foods, but then the additives they are using are causing us other problems instead. Life has gotten too busy for many of us, and our health is being affected, whether we notice it today, tomorrow, or 20 years from now, we will notice it. I suggest we all just slow down, take a simpler approach to life and take the time to feed our bodies naturally so that we can actually enjoy our golden years without the worry of obesity and other serious health problems.
In the next few days I will post about some healthier alternatives to some of the processed foods we've grown to love, that, surprisingly, I have begun to prefer. I never thought my taste buds would change the way they have, but they have, and I will write about that as well. I would have never of believed it if I hadn't experienced it for myself.
In small amounts, most people do not get sick from these additives but since we rely on them too much these days, they begin to build up in our system, our bodies start to break-down and then we become sick with cancers and other syndromes. Even I have a hard time avoiding everything, but since we started Weight Watchers, I'd say we have cut down on processed foods by 60% at least.
Here are some reasons why you should avoid processed foods and convenience foods. This includes eating at fast food restaurants.
1. High in sodium and MSG (Mono Sodium Glutamate). These things are added to foods to enhance their flavor since the processing takes out a lot of the flavor of the natural foods themselves. Too much sodium can cause high blood pressure and a load of other issues. MSG has been linked to all sorts of problems, though some say they have not been proven, but I'd rather not take a chance.
2. High in saturated fats and trans fats. To make some foods moister and more flavorful after processing and to increase shelf life of the product, different fats may be added. Trans fats raise bad cholesterol levels and triglycerides in your blood, which are all linked to heart disease. Research has found links between obesity, diabetes, cancer and infertility, to name a few. Who needs that?
3. High in sugar and high fructose corn syrup. High fructose corn syrup in large quantities has been linked to obesity, organ problems, has been known to stimulate cravings and causes developmental problems in children. Again, in small quantities, our bodies can handle it, but since they put it in everything these days, it gets to be too much for our bodies to take.
4. High in artificial sweeteners. Diet foods in particular are loaded with artificial sweeteners like splenda, aspartame, and saccharine. These have also been linked to some of the same problems as high fructose corn syrup.
I can't possibly go into all the details about each item listed above...there are hundreds, if not thousands of articles on the internet about this subject, but I will say this. When foods are subjected to high temperatures and other processing procedures, their nutritional content changes. You lose a lot of the vitamins and minerals of the foods and then they try and add some of that back in with chemicals. Some foods have even been found to be carcinogenic after being exposed to high temperatures for too long of a time. If the food you are eating is not nourishing your body and providing you with all the vitamins, minerals, proteins, complex carbohydrates, healthy fats, fiber and calcium needed for your body to function properly, then what is the point of eating it in the first place. It's just an empty calorie at that point and usually ends up being stored as fat rather than being used as fuel for the body.
No wonder our society as a whole is getting fatter and fatter. We think we are making better choices by buying lower calorie diet foods, but then the additives they are using are causing us other problems instead. Life has gotten too busy for many of us, and our health is being affected, whether we notice it today, tomorrow, or 20 years from now, we will notice it. I suggest we all just slow down, take a simpler approach to life and take the time to feed our bodies naturally so that we can actually enjoy our golden years without the worry of obesity and other serious health problems.
In the next few days I will post about some healthier alternatives to some of the processed foods we've grown to love, that, surprisingly, I have begun to prefer. I never thought my taste buds would change the way they have, but they have, and I will write about that as well. I would have never of believed it if I hadn't experienced it for myself.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
