Wednesday diet report

Cliff weighs 228 today; I'm 151.5!  When I first started this weight-losing thing in December, my rather hazy goal was to get "anywhere under 150".  It's hard to believe I'm so close, now, to that goal.  I finally selected an exact weight to shoot for:  145 pounds.  I'm actually pretty content with how I feel right now, but any weight I lose is that much that my very compromised knees won't have to carry.  If I should happen to drop below 140, I think I'd actually eat a few fattening things to keep from losing more.  There's such a thing as being too thin..

Now that we're both eating for Cliff's health, it's much easier not to cheat on our diets.

Any time a recipe calls for one egg, I use two egg whites and dispose of the yolks, which is where all the bad stuff is.  They aren't wasted, though:  Sadie gets them!  And now she's learned to detect the sound of an egg cracking from in the other room, and shows up at my side as fast as the speed of light.

Cliff seems so very back-to-normal now that it's almost as though he never had open-heart surgery.  He tells me his chest hurts "a little less every day".  He's incorporating a couple of our steep hills into his morning walk now, and building up strength fast.

We'll see the heart doctor next Tuesday, before noon.  I'm anxious to hear their report.  I expect good news.

cholesterol 101

When it comes to counting calories, I'm good at it; I've done it, off and on, for so many years.  And of course, everything that comes pre-packaged has the calorie count right on the label (although you have to watch the serving size, making sure your idea of a serving is the same as the company's that processed the food).  I learned long ago that you can consider most any piece of fruit to be 100 calories, on average.

Cholesterol was something new to be learned, because it really had nothing to do with weight loss; but it isn't too hard to figure out:  If it comes from an animal in any way, it'll have cholesterol... i.e. milk, eggs, meat, poultry.  The more animal fat in a food, the higher the cholesterol content.  Poultry is preferable to red meat; fish is preferable to poultry.  I might add that, in this house, we lean toward skinless poultry simply because of the high price of fish. 

I found some good resources here and here.  Thank God for the Internet; I can't imagine trying to make all these lifestyle changes without being able to Google up the information I need.

To see how cholesterol affects the arteries, click here.  Here's a quote from this site:  "Typically the body makes all the cholesterol it needs, so people don't need to consume it. Saturated fatty acids are the main culprit in raising blood cholesterol, which increases your risk of heart disease."

Well, that's just dandy.  Now I have to attend "saturated fatty acids 101" and learn how to limit those.

Wednesday diet report

I'm a pound lighter than last week:  154.5.  It's really coming off slowly now.

Cliff and I were both a little concerned with his weight.  He has to weigh every morning, first thing.  One thing we were to report to the doctor was any weight gain of more than three pounds in a day, or five pounds in a week, because such a gain might signal congestive heart failure. 

He had hovered within a pound of 229 ever since coming home from the hospital, for over three weeks.  Then, after a day in the hot sun with the haying, Saturday morning he weighed 225.5.  That would have been a good thing, except that the next day he weighed 232.  We debated on whether to call the doctor, since maybe the weight loss was a fluke.  We decided to give it one more day; it was 232 again.  He didn't feel as well for a couple of days, either.

This morning he's back to 229.  Whew.  And take my word for it, he's feeling frisky.

My theory is that he was trying to exercise too hard.  He'd decided to go back to walking in the pasture instead of on the boring track at the park, and was doing some of the extreme slopes at a much faster pace than he'd been walking on the track.  Too much, too soon, I'd say.  So his heart rebelled.  We're back to walking at the park for awhile.

Actually, he ought to be losing weight, and I'm sure he will before long.  He isn't getting more than 2,200 calories, most days. 

A week from Tuesday we'll see his cardiac doctor.

Wednesday weigh-in day

Cliff and I both seem to be at a stand-still with our weight loss.  I actually gained a half-pound, up to 155 1/2.  Cliff has been stuck at 229 for over a week.

We've probably both lost enough weight that we need to reduce our caloric intake a little more in order to lose, or else exercise more; but so far we haven't had the resolve to do that.  Cliff feels like he'll lose more when he's able to be more active, and he's probably right.

Meanwhile, we are eating the right things, single portions.  So we can't go wrong.  We may not lose weight for awhile, but we're being good to our hearts and our bodies.

Excuses

It’s always fun to see weaknesses or problems that I don’t happen to have in other people. Somehow it makes one feel so superior, so much stronger, never mind that I have a whole set of weaknesses of my own.

When it comes to gaining unwanted or un-needed weight, I’ve never felt the need to make excuses. I knew I was gaining weight for the simple reason that I want to eat what I want, whenever I want. I’m undisciplined and spoiled, and I am the first to admit it.  I like immediate gratification.

Since I don’t do the "excuse" game, I find great pleasure in watching others play it.

"Oh, my blood sugar gets low and I simply have to eat or I’ll get sick."  (It isn't a diabetic saying this, by the way.)

"It’s stress! When I’m under stress, I gain weight."

"I don't lose weight on my diet, but I lose inches."

Here’s one that cracks me up, and I’ve heard two different women say it: "My doctor says the reason I’m overweight is that I don’t eat enough." Well, alrighty then; if you say so.

"I can’t eat potatoes; they make me fat."

Come on folks, do some research. The only thing that makes a person gain weight is taking in more calories than she burns, whether those calories come from a candy bar, bacon, or fresh fruit.

I know lots of people who have had great success with the Atkins diet; many of them seem to think calories don’t count. But if they were to do the research and write down calorie content of everything they eat, they’d find out it’s still about calories.  I do think it's great how well Atkins works for certain people, though.

Click here for an excellent website on calorie control.  Get educated, folks.  Throw out the excuses. 

 

Spicy Lentil Stew

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup diced onions, a clove of chopped garlic if desired
1 ½ pounds (4 cups) drained cooked lentils (reserve 2 cups cooking liquid)
2 cups drained canned tomatoes, chopped
1 cup tomato juice, or one can tomato sauce
1 tablespoon chili powder, or to taste
1 teaspoon salt (I don't add salt these days)
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 bay leaf

In 2-quart saucepan, heat margarine until bubbly and hot; add onions and saute, stirring occasionally, until tender.  Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine; bring mixture to boil.  Reduce heat and let simmer, stirring occasionally, until mixture thickens and flavors blend, 45 minutes to 1 hour. 

Remove and discard bay leaf before serving.  This makes four 1 1/2 cup very generous servings, 401 calories each (counting 1/2 cup rice). 

The worst thing about this recipe, which I found in a Weight Watchers cookbook, is that it requires you to cook the lentils first, then measure them.  Because a one-pound bag of lentils costs less than 90 cents, I just cook the whole bag and either toss what I don't need, or adjust the ingredients a little to make up for the one cup or so extra. 

You won't find a recipe much lower in fat than this one.  It's a sort of vegetarian chili that Cliff and I enjoy served over a half-cup of cooked rice.  It's what we're having for lunch today, along with a baked sweet potato.  It freezes well, I've found.  Of course I use salt-free tomatoes and sauce nowadays and add no salt, so I'd assume it's low in sodium.

Cliff needs a new belt!

Both granddaughters were very excited, seeing how loose Cliff's belt is. 

It's that much less weight to burden his heart!

Almond Strips

This is way too high in sodium, and it really requires more effort on my part than I like, early in the morning.  But I'll do it as an occasional treat for Cliff, who considers this recipe "sinfully good".  Eat while warm, because it's not good after it's been cooled and stored.

Almond Strips

This is a reduced-calorie versioin of an old favorite, the Danish Puff. 

4 graham cracker rectangles, 5x2-1/2 inches each
3 tablespoons reduced-calorie margarine
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 egg
1 egg white
2 tablespoons chopped toasted almonds

Heat oven to 350.  Arrange graham crackers with long sides touching on ungreased cookie sheet.  Heat margarine and water to rolling boil in 2-quart saucepan; remove from heat.  Quickly stir in almond extract and flour.  Stir vigorously over low heat until mixture forms a ball, about 1 minute; remove from heat.  Add egg and egg white; beat until smooth and glossy.  Carefully spread over graham cracker rectangle, being certain topping comes to very edge of graham crackers.  Sprinkle with almonds.  Bake until topping is crisp and brown, about 30 minutes; cool.  (topping will shrink and fall, forming a custardy top.) 

Drizzle with Powdered Sugar Glaze:

1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/8 teaspoon almond extract
1 to 2 teaspoons warm water

Mix all ingredients until smooth and of desired consistency.

Divided into four servings:  230 calories   fat 8 g   protein 4 g    cholesterol 0 g    carbohydrate 32 g    sodium 250 mg

 

low-sodium breakfast

I've loved dry cereal since I was a child, and it seems to me to be the easiest way of controlling calories and fat at breakfast.  Since I've started watching sodium content, though, I found out most cereal is loaded.  A serving of Cheerios has more sodium than a serving of potato chips, for instance.  Dang it, I love Cheerios.

There are two breakfast cereals that are almost sodium-free:  Shredded wheat, and puffed wheat, either sugar-frosted and plain.  Cliff was never a big consumer of breakfast cereal, but he will eat spoon-sized shredded wheat.  However, I couldn't really picture him having it every single morning when we started this new way of eating.

Then I began keeping frozen fruit around.  Sam's Club has big bags of frozen strawberries, and also blueberries, for around $8.  Suddenly a plain old bowl of cereal is a gourmet treat!  I asked Cliff if he thought he'd tire of shredded-wheat-with-fruit for breakfast, and he said he couldn't imagine doing so.

So the only sodium in our breakfast comes from the skim milk...130 mg.

Hearty Rice Skillet

1 15-ounce can black or kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups loose-pack frozen mixed vegetables
1 14 1/2 ounce can of stewed tomatoes, cut up
1 cup water
3/4 cup quick-cooking brown rice
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed, or dried dillweed
several dashes hot pepper sauce, or a pinch of cayenne pepper to taste
1 can tomato soup
1/3 cup slivered almonds, toasted
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella or chedder cheese (2 ounces)

1.  In a large skillet stir together beans, vegetables, undrained tomatoes, water, uncooked rice, thyme, and, if desired, hot pepper sauce.  Bring to boiling.  Reduce heat.  Cover and simmer 12 to 14 minutes or till rice is tender.  Stir in soup; heat through.  Before serving, stir in almonds and sprinkle with cheese.  Makes 4 servings.

329 calories, 9 grams total fat (2 grams saturated fat) 8 mg. chol., 1,206 mg sodium (way too much, but we'll keep sodium low the rest of the day) 53 g carbo., 7 g fiber, 18 g protein.

This recipe is from one of the Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbooks.

This is another one of Cliff's favorites; we're having it for lunch today.

To toast nuts, seeds, or coconut:  spread them in a single layer in a shallow baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 5 to 10 minutes or till light golden brown, watching carefully and stirring once or twice so food doesn't burn.

BROWNIES

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

1 egg white

2/3 cup flour (I substitute whole-wheat flour for half the flour in all recipes)

1/3 cup cocoa

1/3 cup chopped walnuts

½ teaspoon baking powder

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Spray square 8X8 inch pan with Pam. Mix brown sugar, margarine, vanilla, egg and egg white. Stir in remaining ingredients. Spread in pan.

Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool and cut into 2" squares. Makes 16 brownies.

Calories, 105 Fat, 5g carbohydrate 14 g cholesterol 15 mg

I make these often; one brownie with 1/4 cup of ice cream is heavenly, and one of Cliff’s favorite desserts.

Wednesday diet report

Cliff and I started on a healthier way of eating in mid-December, 2005.  When we started, I weighed 188 pounds, and Cliff was 277.

Three weeks ago, our weights were 160 and 237.  On that day, Cliff was in the hospital, preparing for totally unexpected coronary bypass surgery. 

Now we've cut salt out of our diets as much as is humanly possible and eating red meat no more than once a week.  We're limiting cheese, and have switched from 1% milk to skim.  I read labels until I'm sick of reading them, watching for trans-fatty acids, sodium, and cholesterol.  We're eating more fruits and vegetables that we've ever done in our lives.

Today I weigh 155 pounds, and Cliff weighs 227.  Wow, he's lost 50 pounds in five months!

My knees appreciate the break I'm giving them, and I'm sure my horse does, too.

Oh, for the statistics on the relationship between salt and blood pressure, click HERE.

Chicken Jambalaya

1/3 cup chopped celery

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup chopped green sweet pepper

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 14 ½ ounce can of chopped tomatoes

1 ½ cups chicken broth

2/3 cup long grain rice

1 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 to ½ bottled hot pepper sauce, or ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 bay leaf

2 cups cubed, cooked chicken

1. In a large skillet cook celery, onion and sweet pepper in oil till vegetables are tender but not brown.

2. Stir in undrained tomatoes, chicken broth, uncooked rice, basil, garlic powder, pepper, hot pepper sauce, and bay leaf. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 20 minutes or till rice is tender. Stir in chicken or turkey; heat through. Discard bay leaf. Makes 4 servings.

354 calories, 12 grams total fat, 3 grams saturated fat, 68 mg chol., 610 sodium, 32 grams carbs, 2 grams fiber, 27 grams protein. 15% vitamin A, 37% vitamin C, 22% iron.

The sodium is high in this, but I imagine they assume you are using salted canned tomatoes and salted chicken broth.

I often buy the 10-pound cryovac bags of chicken legs and thighs and divide it up for later use.

I boil some of the chicken, remove the skin, debone it, and freeze that in 2-cup amounts for this recipe and others. I also save the broth and freeze it in freezer bags, because it’s so much better than the canned stuff, and I know it isn’t salted.

This came from Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook, one of the last two revisions; they've added lots of low-fat recipes in recent years. We’ve eaten it fairly often whether we’re dieting or not, because it’s so good!

I’m sure a true Cajun would laugh at the recipe, but since I’ve never tasted real jambalaya, I don’t know the difference.

good popcorn... with no salt!

That's my microwave popcorn popper.  I love it, because it lets me pop popcorn with no oil.  The bowl beside it contains the flavorings I'll pour over it before it goes in the oven.  Here's the recipe for Cliff's new favorite snack.

                                      SWEET AND SPICY POPCORN

Pam cooking spray

6 cups of popped popcorn, using no oil

2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons water

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

Spray a cold 13x9x2-inch baking pan with Pam. Place popcorn in the baking pan.

In a small mixing bowl stir together sugar, spices and water. Add spice mixture to popcorn in pan. Toss till coated. Bake in 350 degree oven for 15 minutes, stirring once or twice.

Transfer popcorn from pan to a large piece of foil. Cool popcorn completely. Store in tightly covered container (or put individual portions in baggies, like I do).

Cliff likes to eat a bag of this (1/4 of the recipe, 105 calories) while munching an apple.

 

Cliff's favorite muffins

TOPPING

3 Tablespoons flour
2 Tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
1 Tablespoon margarine or butter, cold

set aside.
************************************
1 1/4 flour (I use half whole-wheat flour, half white)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 1/2 cups Bran Flakes
3/4 cup skim milk
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 egg whites
1/4 oil (I use olive oil in all recipes now)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup seedless raisins
Pam

1.  In small bowl, combine the 3 tablespoons flour and the 2 tablespoons sugar.  Using a pastry blender, cut in margarine until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Set aside for topping.
2.  Stir together the 1 1/4 cups flour, baking powder, salt and spices.  Set aside.
3.  In large mixing bowl, conbine bran flakes and milk.  Let stand about 3 minutes or until cereal softens.  Add the 1/2 cup sugar, egg whites, oil, vanilla and raisins.  Mix well.  Add flour mixture, stirring only until combined.  Portion batter evenly into twelve 2 1/2 inch muffin pan cups coated with Pam.  Sprinkle with topping.
4.  Bake at 400 degrees about 20 minutes, or until lightly browned.  Serve warm.

Yield:  12 muffins    calories 180

Cliff loves these muffins; if you dip one in coffee a bite at a time, you'd almost think you were eating a donut!

Prescription medicines scare me

Here's what I found on the Internet about Pacerone, one of the drugs Cliff is taking because he had an irregular heartbeat a couple of times while he was in the hospital:

"What is the most important information I should know about amiodarone?
•  In some cases, amiodarone has been associated with serious and even fatal side effects such as lung problems, liver problems, and new or worsening irregular heartbeats. Discuss with your doctor the risks and benefits associated with the use of amiodarone. 
•  Do not skip doses or change the dosing schedule without talking to your doctor. Missed or delayed doses could be harmful. 
•  Do not consume grapefruit or grapefruit juice during treatment with amiodarone. Amiodarone can interact with grapefruit and grapefruit juice, and the interaction may have dangerous effects. You should discuss the use of grapefruit and grapefruit juice with your doctor. 
•  Use caution when driving, operating machinery, or performing other hazardous activities. Amiodarone may cause dizziness, drowsiness, or blurred vision. If you experience dizziness, drowsiness, or blurred vision, avoid these activities. 
•  Avoid prolonged exposure to sunlight. Amiodarone may cause the skin to turn a bluish-gray color. This reaction is worse with exposure to the sun. Use a sunscreen and wear protective clothing when exposure to the sun is unavoidable."

I hate reading stuff like that!  I'm going to ask the doctor if there's a chance Cliff can get off that one.

TEX-MEX BEANS AND DUMPLINGS

preparation time 20 minutes; cooking time, 12 minutes

1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup yellow corn meal
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 beaten egg white
1/4 cup skim milk
2 Tablespoons cooking oil
3/4 cup water
1 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 15-oz can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 15-oz can of kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 15-oz can of tomato sauce
1 4-oz can of diced chili peppers 
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 ½ cornstarch

In a medium mixing bowl stir together flour, cornmeal, and baking powder.  Set aside.  In a small bowl combine egg white, milk and oil.  Set aside.

In a 10-inch skillet combine the water, onion and garlic.  Bring to boiling; reduce heat, cover, and simmer for five minutes or till tender.  Stir in the garbanzo beans, kidney beans, tomato sauce, chili peppers, and chili powder.

In a small bowl stir together cornstarch and 1 Tablespoon water.  Stir into bean mixture.  Cook and stir till thickened and bubbly.  Reduce heat.

For dumplings, add milk mixture to cornmeal mixture; stir just till combined.  Drop dumpling mixture from a tablespoon to make 5 mounds atop the hot bean mixture.

Cover and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, or till a toothpick inserted into the center of a dumpling comes out clean.

Makes 5 servings.

(This recipe is from Better Homes and Gardens New Dieter's Cookbook)

cookbooks and heart-healthy recipes

In one way, I was prepared to cook in heart-healthy ways.

The three most modern versions of Better Homes and Gardens cookbook (my favorite) include many, many low-fat recipes which I've used when we're on a "weight-loss kick"... and other times too, since the food is delicious!

I also have recipes gleaned from various weight-loss cookbooks, which I'll share here from time to time.

Cliff isn't a picky eater, and he loves most of the things I fix for him.  It's up to me to limit portions, so when we were dieting, I filled his plate and no seconds were allowed.

All of that turned out to be a little preview of what we're going to be doing for the rest of our lives.  I'm thankful for that.

I omit the salt called for in any recipe.

I'll be using mostly olive oil in cooking.

Fruits and vegetables are our friends!  It seems they are all low in sodium... not to mention cholesterol-free, since cholesterol only comes from animal sources.

Cliff has always had a fondness for canned pineapple, so he's getting that for dessert quite often.

We grow too soon old, too late smart

Cliff's surgeon is very big on "the body healing itself".

He's very much an advocate of using as little salt as possible... not just for people with high blood pressure, but for everyone.

The nurse who accompanied Cliff to the car when he was released said she got rid of all the salt in her home years ago, due to Dr. Gallion's influence.  She's a believer.

To see the reasons behind reduced-sodium diets, click here.

I was shocked to find that one six-inch Subway sandwich (one of our favorite treats) has all the sodium that Cliff should consume in one day.

Canned vegetables are another trouble item.  My Better Homes and Gardens cookbook tells me that rinsing and draining beans (kidney, garbanzo, pinto, etc.) removes half the salt in them.  However, I'll be buying salt-free canned goods whenever possible.

Ketchup and tomato products of all kinds are among the worst!  Cliff is a ketchup junkie, so thank God that both Hunts and Heinz make a salt-free variety.