Sparkpeople.com has been the greatest aid to my nutrition awareness. Although it's primarily a free website to help folks lose weight, it's been the one way for me to track how much sodium, calcium, fiber, and other nutrients we're getting each day. It gives recommendations on amounts, and I try to keep in their ranges.
I don't use Ragu or Prego these days because of the sodium content. I use the Better Homes and Gardens spaghetti sauce recipe, using no-salt-added tomatoes and tomato paste, and not adding additional salt. So that recipe, with nutrients (as listed in the cookbook), is typed into Sparkpeople. So I'm listing exactly the spaghetti that we use, when I enter it. I have to adjust the nutrients given by the cookbook, since I'm using no-salt ingredients. It takes some brainwork and figuring, but I believe I have it pretty close to right.
Thanks to Sparkpeople, I was made aware that we weren't getting even ten percent of the calcium we need per day, and I added a calcium pill to our daily regimen. We usually do fairly well getting enough fiber, but toward the end of the day if I see I'm lacking in fiber for that day, I'll eat a raw carrot or two and perhaps mix up a glass of Metamucil and drink it.
Thank you, sparkpeople!
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
Monday, April 2, 2007
I'm not as by-the-book as I was at the start
I can honestly say that we keep our cholesterol intake well below the limit. It's easy to do if you limit meat to 4-ounce servings, and have very few egg yolks. We don't drink much milk, but what we use is non-fat. We both take a calcium pill because we get so little calcium in our food. Once in a blue moon we'll have Pizza Hut pizza.
If we only ate at home, sodium would never be a problem for me; Cliff does go somewhat over because he loves Ritz lower-sodium crackers and vanilla wafers; not that many, but the sodium in those adds up. Eating out is the number one way to take in a ton of salt. When we split a meal, that, of course, cuts the sodium intake in half. But I'm sure there's still far too much.
I'm still buying no-salt-added tomatoes, ketchup, tomato sauce and tomato paste; read those labels, it's unbelievable how much salt they pack into tomato stuff. Cliff gets spaghetti almost once a week (his favorite), and the only salt in the sauce comes from the half-pound of Italian sausage I put in it, which gives each serving about two ounces of sausage.
My ideas on caffeine have changed. Since the medical community can't make up their collective minds whether coffee is good or bad for us, and after talking to Cliff's doctor, I don't buy decaff coffee any more. I still buy decaffeinated tea and Diet Coke, so the only caffeine Cliff gets is in the five or so cups of coffee he drinks each day (three in the morning, two at noon).
If we only ate at home, sodium would never be a problem for me; Cliff does go somewhat over because he loves Ritz lower-sodium crackers and vanilla wafers; not that many, but the sodium in those adds up. Eating out is the number one way to take in a ton of salt. When we split a meal, that, of course, cuts the sodium intake in half. But I'm sure there's still far too much.
I'm still buying no-salt-added tomatoes, ketchup, tomato sauce and tomato paste; read those labels, it's unbelievable how much salt they pack into tomato stuff. Cliff gets spaghetti almost once a week (his favorite), and the only salt in the sauce comes from the half-pound of Italian sausage I put in it, which gives each serving about two ounces of sausage.
My ideas on caffeine have changed. Since the medical community can't make up their collective minds whether coffee is good or bad for us, and after talking to Cliff's doctor, I don't buy decaff coffee any more. I still buy decaffeinated tea and Diet Coke, so the only caffeine Cliff gets is in the five or so cups of coffee he drinks each day (three in the morning, two at noon).
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Still cooking healthy stuff here!
So, I'll bet the few readers of this journal thought I was back to a diet of pizza, French fries and apple pie. And gaining weight like crazy. Otherwise, why would I neglect this little bit of cyberspace, right?
Nope, I'm still keeping only the right things in the house to eat, still buying no-salt-added canned tomatoes (and other veggies) and making things from scratch. Cliff and I get an overdose of sodium on our Tuesday visits to Subway (hooray for Tuesday), but we're so good the rest of the time, that indiscretion is surely canceled out. I haven't had a French fry in months. Although I long for Kentucky Fried Chicken, I made a vow with myself over two years ago that I would not partake of the Colonel's delights unless I got down to 145 pounds. I do have the occasional dalliance with Pizza Hut pizza, simply because life without pizza isn't life at all.
I have not lost the five pounds I put on during the winter. But at least I put on the weight eating healthy things.
Cliff has maintained his weight well. The other day he was complaining that he isn't losing any more weight. After telling him that I really don't care whether he loses more weight, I pointed out a few things that might be the cause of his problem. For instance, he insists on eating Ritz (low-sodium) crackers with almost every tomato-based dish I make. By the handful. I pointed out that five crackers are 80 calories, and some days he's eating twenty crackers. When he was done shooting the messenger who gave him this bad news, he decided to limit his intake of crackers.
If we have our half-cup serving of ice cream, or some sugar-free pudding, Cliff feels it's necessary to have a few vanilla wafers afterward. I guess he has the need to crunch something.
So, if I'm such an expert, why have I gained weight?
Because although I know what I'm doing wrong. It's just hard to stop nibbling in the evening.
Case closed.
Nope, I'm still keeping only the right things in the house to eat, still buying no-salt-added canned tomatoes (and other veggies) and making things from scratch. Cliff and I get an overdose of sodium on our Tuesday visits to Subway (hooray for Tuesday), but we're so good the rest of the time, that indiscretion is surely canceled out. I haven't had a French fry in months. Although I long for Kentucky Fried Chicken, I made a vow with myself over two years ago that I would not partake of the Colonel's delights unless I got down to 145 pounds. I do have the occasional dalliance with Pizza Hut pizza, simply because life without pizza isn't life at all.
I have not lost the five pounds I put on during the winter. But at least I put on the weight eating healthy things.
Cliff has maintained his weight well. The other day he was complaining that he isn't losing any more weight. After telling him that I really don't care whether he loses more weight, I pointed out a few things that might be the cause of his problem. For instance, he insists on eating Ritz (low-sodium) crackers with almost every tomato-based dish I make. By the handful. I pointed out that five crackers are 80 calories, and some days he's eating twenty crackers. When he was done shooting the messenger who gave him this bad news, he decided to limit his intake of crackers.
If we have our half-cup serving of ice cream, or some sugar-free pudding, Cliff feels it's necessary to have a few vanilla wafers afterward. I guess he has the need to crunch something.
So, if I'm such an expert, why have I gained weight?
Because although I know what I'm doing wrong. It's just hard to stop nibbling in the evening.
Case closed.
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Interesting information on statins
I have hated to see Cliff taking Lipitor, since his CABG; after all, it's been known to do damage to the liver. That's why people taking that particular prescription, or other statins, have blood tests every three months: to make sure the liver is doing OK.
But today I was reading a medical blog I follow, "The Examining Room of Dr. Charles", and was directed to a National Geographic article, Mending Broken Hearts.
Here's the part that grabbed my attention:
Eric Topol, a cardiologist.... is as lean as a greyhound and weathered in a cowboyish way. He talks slowly and eats minimally: salads for dinner and high-fiber cereal for breakfast. He doesn't eat lunch at all. Like almost every cardiologist I've talked to, he takes statins preventively, and his cholesterol count is a low 135. His children, 22 and 25, also eat uncommonly well for their ages.
I think I'll stop being so concerned about Cliff's Lipitor.
But today I was reading a medical blog I follow, "The Examining Room of Dr. Charles", and was directed to a National Geographic article, Mending Broken Hearts.
Here's the part that grabbed my attention:
Eric Topol, a cardiologist.... is as lean as a greyhound and weathered in a cowboyish way. He talks slowly and eats minimally: salads for dinner and high-fiber cereal for breakfast. He doesn't eat lunch at all. Like almost every cardiologist I've talked to, he takes statins preventively, and his cholesterol count is a low 135. His children, 22 and 25, also eat uncommonly well for their ages.
I think I'll stop being so concerned about Cliff's Lipitor.
Tuesday, February 6, 2007
McDonald's, it's about time!
McDonalds finally got on the bandwagon and is replacing their unhealthy oils with trans-fat-free cooking oil.
" A Harvard study also found that eating just 5 grams of trans fat a day could increase the risk of heart disease by 25 percent. Researchers concluded that eliminating trans fat from the American diet could prevent between 6 and 19 percent of heart attacks and related deaths each year."
"The new McDonald's oil will consist of a mixture of canola, corn and soy. The new oil has already rolled out in 1,200 of the chain's 13,700 U.S. restaurants, he said. More will receive the new supplies as they become available."
The entire article is HERE.
" A Harvard study also found that eating just 5 grams of trans fat a day could increase the risk of heart disease by 25 percent. Researchers concluded that eliminating trans fat from the American diet could prevent between 6 and 19 percent of heart attacks and related deaths each year."
"The new McDonald's oil will consist of a mixture of canola, corn and soy. The new oil has already rolled out in 1,200 of the chain's 13,700 U.S. restaurants, he said. More will receive the new supplies as they become available."
The entire article is HERE.
Friday, February 2, 2007
Eat food
I was directed, by way of a medical blog I was reading, to a quite long article online explaining what's wrong with American thinking as regards to what we eat. It was a lot more reading than I wanted to do, so I did some skimming. But on the next-to-last page, I found these nuggets of wisdom:
Again, the article is HERE.
1. Eat food. Though in our current state of confusion, this is much easier said than done. So try this: Don’t eat anything your great-great-grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food. (Sorry, but at this point Moms are as confused as the rest of us, which is why we have to go back a couple of generations, to a time before the advent of modern food products.) There are a great many foodlike items in the supermarket your ancestors wouldn’t recognize as food (Go-Gurt? Breakfast-cereal bars? Nondairy creamer?); stay away from these.
2. Avoid even those food products that come bearing health claims. They’re apt to be heavily processed, and the claims are often dubious at best. Don’t forget that margarine, one of the first industrial foods to claim that it was more healthful than the traditional food it replaced, turned out to give people heart attacks. When Kellogg’s can boast about its Healthy Heart Strawberry Vanilla cereal bars, health claims have become hopelessly compromised. (The American Heart Association charges food makers for their endorsement.) Don’t take the silence of the yams as a sign that they have nothing valuable to say about health.
3. Especially avoid food products containing ingredients that are a) unfamiliar, b) unpronounceable c) more than five in number — or that contain high-fructose corn syrup.None of these characteristics are necessarily harmful in and of themselves, but all of them are reliable markers for foods that have been highly processed.
4. Get out of the supermarket whenever possible. You won’t find any high-fructose corn syrup at the farmer’s market; you also won’t find food harvested long ago and far away. What you will find are fresh whole foods picked at the peak of nutritional quality. Precisely the kind of food your great-great-grandmother would have recognized as food.
I was very disappointed to learn that the American Heart Association charges for their endorsement. So much for their advice, eh?Again, the article is HERE.
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
bad news
I've gained three pounds. No, not another three pounds on top of the last I mentioned; it's the same three I keep losing, then putting back on. I know why it happens, and I know what I could do to stop it. I just don't. It's wintertime, I'm house-bound, and I feed my pouty self snacks at night to make up for it. Hurry up, springtime!
If I stayed at this weight, it wouldn't be a big deal; but if I gain three now, then another two or three next week, it's going to matter a lot.
Cliff is up two pounds from last week, although he's really doing well at watching how much he eats. I'm the one having the problem here! We couldn't take our walk for over a week, and that makes some difference.
Now that I'm used to watching for trans-fats on labels, I took the advice from Sparkpeople to heart and started reading ingredients. In an article called "The Loopholes of Labeling", it's explained this way:
"Experts recommend that people avoid trans fats, which are created when oils are hydrogenated during food processing. But you can't trust a product's claim of zero trans fats, nor can you trust the nutrition facts label on this one. Always read the ingredients
This may seem insignificant, but it does add up. Think about a box of cookies. It says "zero trans fats" on the front of the box and on the nutrition facts label, but it lists "partially hydrogenated oils" in the ingredients list. This food can contain up to 0.5 grams of trans fats per serving, yet the labeling is legit. Over time, when you consume the 6, 10, or 20 servings of cookies in the box, you'll consume 3, 5, or 10 grams of trans fats." list. If the words "partially hydrogenated" appear in it at all, then the food DOES contain trans fats. But thanks to labeling guidelines, any food that contains 0.5 grams or less of a nutrient can be listed as zero grams on the nutrition facts label. "
If I stayed at this weight, it wouldn't be a big deal; but if I gain three now, then another two or three next week, it's going to matter a lot.
Cliff is up two pounds from last week, although he's really doing well at watching how much he eats. I'm the one having the problem here! We couldn't take our walk for over a week, and that makes some difference.
Now that I'm used to watching for trans-fats on labels, I took the advice from Sparkpeople to heart and started reading ingredients. In an article called "The Loopholes of Labeling", it's explained this way:
"Experts recommend that people avoid trans fats, which are created when oils are hydrogenated during food processing. But you can't trust a product's claim of zero trans fats, nor can you trust the nutrition facts label on this one. Always read the ingredients
This may seem insignificant, but it does add up. Think about a box of cookies. It says "zero trans fats" on the front of the box and on the nutrition facts label, but it lists "partially hydrogenated oils" in the ingredients list. This food can contain up to 0.5 grams of trans fats per serving, yet the labeling is legit. Over time, when you consume the 6, 10, or 20 servings of cookies in the box, you'll consume 3, 5, or 10 grams of trans fats." list. If the words "partially hydrogenated" appear in it at all, then the food DOES contain trans fats. But thanks to labeling guidelines, any food that contains 0.5 grams or less of a nutrient can be listed as zero grams on the nutrition facts label. "
Friday, January 12, 2007
First entry of 2007
I never worried about trans-fats until after Cliff's surgery. That's when I learned how bad they are for us. Eating them increases the risk of coronary heart disease. While they occur naturally in the milk and body fat of ruminants, most trans-fats we encounter are from good old Crisco, and from all sorts of store-bought baked goods.
Vanilla Wafers are great for folks watching their calories; five or six cookies are 100 calories, something like that. I used to buy the off-brand cookies at Dollar Store, though; and those are loaded with trans-fats. I found out that even most brand-name cookies have the little killers, too. Finally I found Nilla Vanilla Wafers, at $3 a box, had none. I bought those, and kept them as Cliff's private stock.
Imagine my delight the other day when I discovered that Dollar Store's cookies are now trans-fat free, all of them! I can get Cliff three boxes of cookies for the price of one, and I can afford to let the granddaughters eat them too!
Oreos have become trans-fat free in the last few months. Crisco makes a shortening now that's rid of them, although I've had trouble finding it in some stores. It works as well as the ordinary stuff, so I'm patiently awaiting the day when all Crisco is trans-fat free. This isn't a biggie, though; I only use it for pie crust, and pies are a rarity around here. For everything else, I cook and bake with olive oil.
Eating out is getting somewhat safer, too. Even Kentucky Fried Chicken booted trans-fats out, except for their biscuits.
Yes, the world is getting a little more heart-friendly all the time.
Vanilla Wafers are great for folks watching their calories; five or six cookies are 100 calories, something like that. I used to buy the off-brand cookies at Dollar Store, though; and those are loaded with trans-fats. I found out that even most brand-name cookies have the little killers, too. Finally I found Nilla Vanilla Wafers, at $3 a box, had none. I bought those, and kept them as Cliff's private stock.
Imagine my delight the other day when I discovered that Dollar Store's cookies are now trans-fat free, all of them! I can get Cliff three boxes of cookies for the price of one, and I can afford to let the granddaughters eat them too!
Oreos have become trans-fat free in the last few months. Crisco makes a shortening now that's rid of them, although I've had trouble finding it in some stores. It works as well as the ordinary stuff, so I'm patiently awaiting the day when all Crisco is trans-fat free. This isn't a biggie, though; I only use it for pie crust, and pies are a rarity around here. For everything else, I cook and bake with olive oil.
Eating out is getting somewhat safer, too. Even Kentucky Fried Chicken booted trans-fats out, except for their biscuits.
Yes, the world is getting a little more heart-friendly all the time.
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
downright amazing!
Cliff and I spent Saturday and Sunday pigging out the way we used to. I ate ALL the brown sugar fudge that was left in the house. We had plates piled high with food at our family holiday dinner, and ate too many nuts and sweets afterward.
I weighed 152 when all was said and done; Cliff weighed 216.
We agreed that it really hadn't been all that much fun, the mindless eating.
When we have a steak dinner out... that's fun.
Or when we buy a medium pizza and each eat half... that's fun.
Because then we're aware of every bite and what a rare treat it is.
But when we saunter through the kitchen thinking, "What can I eat now," it's a bummer. And even worse is the over-stuffed feeling afterward.
Monday we were back on track. We agreed to limit even healthy snacks until we got our weights were they were before.
Today, for our Wednesday weigh-in, Cliff weighs 211 and I am at 147 1/2. Only four days after all that brown sugar fudge???? WOW!
We will keep pursuing our latest goals, which is 200 for Cliff and 145 for me. Hopefully we'll get there by our birthdays.
By the way, ideal weight for Cliff on the charts, counting him as "big-boned", is 161 to184. I can't imagine him weighing so little; it seems like he'd be nothing more than a skeleton. But the less he weighs, the less burden it is on his slightly-damaged heart.
My ideal, according to insurance company charts, is 134 to 151, if I am considered big-boned. Which means I'm pretty much "in the zone". The less I weigh, though, the easier it will be on my knees.
We're getting there, thanks be to God.
I weighed 152 when all was said and done; Cliff weighed 216.
We agreed that it really hadn't been all that much fun, the mindless eating.
When we have a steak dinner out... that's fun.
Or when we buy a medium pizza and each eat half... that's fun.
Because then we're aware of every bite and what a rare treat it is.
But when we saunter through the kitchen thinking, "What can I eat now," it's a bummer. And even worse is the over-stuffed feeling afterward.
Monday we were back on track. We agreed to limit even healthy snacks until we got our weights were they were before.
Today, for our Wednesday weigh-in, Cliff weighs 211 and I am at 147 1/2. Only four days after all that brown sugar fudge???? WOW!
We will keep pursuing our latest goals, which is 200 for Cliff and 145 for me. Hopefully we'll get there by our birthdays.
By the way, ideal weight for Cliff on the charts, counting him as "big-boned", is 161 to184. I can't imagine him weighing so little; it seems like he'd be nothing more than a skeleton. But the less he weighs, the less burden it is on his slightly-damaged heart.
My ideal, according to insurance company charts, is 134 to 151, if I am considered big-boned. Which means I'm pretty much "in the zone". The less I weigh, though, the easier it will be on my knees.
We're getting there, thanks be to God.
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
back to the plan
Cliff
and I went back to our old, pig-out ways for two days, thanks to Christmas. My weight had
already begun creeping up from a low of 147 a few weeks ago, as a
result of evening snacking. And alas, yesterday after the holiday
feasting, I weighed 151.5. (This morning, though, it's 149. Whew!)
Cliff had gotten as low as 211, very briefly. Yesterday he weighed 215.
It amazes me how we enable one another when it comes to over-eating. It's as if I say to myself, "Oh, he's eating chips? I should get some too!"
Anyway, we now have new motivation after being reminded how easily we slip, and I am aiming for 145. Cliff is going for 200.
We've decided to forgo our Tuesday Subway meals for now. The calories really aren't that bad, but the sodium is. And there's a certain mindset that comes with eating out, anyhow, that's conducive to overeating. Oh, we'll still have a Subway when we're on the road going somewhere. Just not that every-Tuesday lunch-and-dinner-both thing.
Cliff had gotten as low as 211, very briefly. Yesterday he weighed 215.
It amazes me how we enable one another when it comes to over-eating. It's as if I say to myself, "Oh, he's eating chips? I should get some too!"
Anyway, we now have new motivation after being reminded how easily we slip, and I am aiming for 145. Cliff is going for 200.
We've decided to forgo our Tuesday Subway meals for now. The calories really aren't that bad, but the sodium is. And there's a certain mindset that comes with eating out, anyhow, that's conducive to overeating. Oh, we'll still have a Subway when we're on the road going somewhere. Just not that every-Tuesday lunch-and-dinner-both thing.
Saturday, December 23, 2006
true confessions
Cliff and I have spent a whole year staying on track with our eating habits. Oh, we'd go off the deep end once in awhile by eating out, and eating too much: But it all worked out, we'd get back on the straight-and-narrow, and everything was fine.
Cliff has maintained perfectly. I, on the other hand, have gained three pounds; it might even be five by now, after yesterday's indiscretions.
I blame my weight-gain on the long, dark evenings spent sitting in my Lazy-boy, snacking on popcorn or almonds or Simply Naked Pita chips. All of those are good choices, but they aren't meant to be eaten every day, two or three servings at a time, after supper.
Yeah, I've been a bad girl.
Yesterday Cliff had "goodie day" at work. That's the day everyone takes their finger foods, candies, and snacks of all kinds to work to share. As I thought of him indulging in those "goodies" (remember, he is not the one who has gained weight) I began to feel sorry for myself. Here it is almost Christmas, and I haven't even made my favorite brown-sugar fudge once!
So, with the granddaughters cheering me on, I made one batch of marshmallow fudge and one of brown sugar fudge. They licked the pans for me.
Then I got out the summer sausage that was given to us by a neighbor, and started on it. Of course, it needed some cheese to go with it. Oh yeah. When my daughter came for the girls, she brought me the smallest bag she could get of cheese-flavored Topsy's popcorn. I can't believe I ate the whole thing. Dear Lord, I'm glad she didn't get a big can of it!
What I'm saying is, my eating has been totally out of control for the first time in a year. And to think this is how I used to eat every day!
I'm fixing the Christmas dinner today: turkey, green rice, mashed potatoes, home-made noodles, home-made yeast rolls. I doubt I'll be in control at suppertime.
But after today, I promise you, those extra however-many-pounds it turns out to be are history.
Cliff has maintained perfectly. I, on the other hand, have gained three pounds; it might even be five by now, after yesterday's indiscretions.
I blame my weight-gain on the long, dark evenings spent sitting in my Lazy-boy, snacking on popcorn or almonds or Simply Naked Pita chips. All of those are good choices, but they aren't meant to be eaten every day, two or three servings at a time, after supper.
Yeah, I've been a bad girl.
Yesterday Cliff had "goodie day" at work. That's the day everyone takes their finger foods, candies, and snacks of all kinds to work to share. As I thought of him indulging in those "goodies" (remember, he is not the one who has gained weight) I began to feel sorry for myself. Here it is almost Christmas, and I haven't even made my favorite brown-sugar fudge once!
So, with the granddaughters cheering me on, I made one batch of marshmallow fudge and one of brown sugar fudge. They licked the pans for me.
Then I got out the summer sausage that was given to us by a neighbor, and started on it. Of course, it needed some cheese to go with it. Oh yeah. When my daughter came for the girls, she brought me the smallest bag she could get of cheese-flavored Topsy's popcorn. I can't believe I ate the whole thing. Dear Lord, I'm glad she didn't get a big can of it!
What I'm saying is, my eating has been totally out of control for the first time in a year. And to think this is how I used to eat every day!
I'm fixing the Christmas dinner today: turkey, green rice, mashed potatoes, home-made noodles, home-made yeast rolls. I doubt I'll be in control at suppertime.
But after today, I promise you, those extra however-many-pounds it turns out to be are history.
Friday, December 15, 2006
A wonderful recipe for the holiday season
Do you love pumpkin pie as much as I do?
It's the healthiest holiday dessert that exists! But you can make it a PERFECT holiday, or any-time-of-the-year, dessert.
Forget the crust.
Take your favorite pumpkin pie filling recipe.
Substitute non-fat evaporated milk for the regular kind.
For every egg, substitute 2 egg whites.
Add 1/2 cup of flour (ideally 1/2 cup of whole-wheat flour) to the mix.
Spray a pie pan with Pam, and pour the filling in.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes.
Serve with a tablespoon full of lower fat Cool Whip.
You'll think you are sinning, but you aren't.
It's the healthiest holiday dessert that exists! But you can make it a PERFECT holiday, or any-time-of-the-year, dessert.
Forget the crust.
Take your favorite pumpkin pie filling recipe.
Substitute non-fat evaporated milk for the regular kind.
For every egg, substitute 2 egg whites.
Add 1/2 cup of flour (ideally 1/2 cup of whole-wheat flour) to the mix.
Spray a pie pan with Pam, and pour the filling in.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes.
Serve with a tablespoon full of lower fat Cool Whip.
You'll think you are sinning, but you aren't.
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Hmmmm
Today is weigh-day. Of course, I weigh almost every morning, but Wednesday is the one that "counts". If you have followed my Wednesday weigh-ins here in this journal, you might have noticed a trend upward in my weight.
Today I weigh 150.
I know what the problem is. Evening snacking while watching TV.
Thanks to sparkpeople.com, I know exactly why I'm gaining weight: I'm taking in over 2,700 calories per day. Good grief!!!!
I could tell you how I used to sometimes take in twice that many calories. I could pat myself on the back for only eating two pieces of home-made fudge every day, and doing entirely without fruitcake and cheese ball and hot hamburger dip and cranberry bread.
But none of that changes the fact that I am taking in more calories than I'm using.
Thank the good Lord New Year's Day is approaching, because I've always found new motivation at that time. Let's hope it works for me this year!
I find the polls on how much the average person gains throughout the holidays tend to disagree: there's this one , which says it's five to ten pounds (that's been my experience) and this one that says only one pound, and this one , which estimates seven pounds.
Looks like this year, even doing without my Christmas goodies, I've gained a couple. And Christmas isn't here yet!
Oh, did I mention Cliff weighs 213? He's still losing weight.
::sigh::
Today I weigh 150.
I know what the problem is. Evening snacking while watching TV.
Thanks to sparkpeople.com, I know exactly why I'm gaining weight: I'm taking in over 2,700 calories per day. Good grief!!!!
I could tell you how I used to sometimes take in twice that many calories. I could pat myself on the back for only eating two pieces of home-made fudge every day, and doing entirely without fruitcake and cheese ball and hot hamburger dip and cranberry bread.
But none of that changes the fact that I am taking in more calories than I'm using.
Thank the good Lord New Year's Day is approaching, because I've always found new motivation at that time. Let's hope it works for me this year!
I find the polls on how much the average person gains throughout the holidays tend to disagree: there's this one , which says it's five to ten pounds (that's been my experience) and this one that says only one pound, and this one , which estimates seven pounds.
Looks like this year, even doing without my Christmas goodies, I've gained a couple. And Christmas isn't here yet!
Oh, did I mention Cliff weighs 213? He's still losing weight.
::sigh::
Wednesday, December 6, 2006
Things I miss
I'm pushing the upper limits of my weight just now, what with the short days, snow-covered ground and frigid temperatures... not to mention my arthritic knees, which make me want to sit more than I should. So, I weighed 149 1/2 today. Yeah, you can say I'm still below 150, which was my original goal. But it wouldn't take much to put me over 150, and that rather scares me.
Cliff weighs 214 1/2, and is very happy to be wearing size 36 jeans today.
Now, if I'd gotten down below 145, I'd feel like I could splurge a few calories and have some of the Christmas goodies that I really miss. But pushing the limit as I am, I'm afraid to make any of that good stuff, because all those foods send me out of control quite easily.
Here's a list of foods I miss during the holiday season:
Brown sugar fudge, my mom's recipe.
Kraft cheese ball... the one where you mix three jars of different-flavored Kraft cheese spreads with some cream cheese, onion, and Worcestershire sauce, make it into a ball, and roll the whole thing in nuts.
Fruitcake. Yeah, I know, nobody is supposed to like it. But I do. Especially my mom's family recipe.
Nacho chips dipped in hot cheese dip, either the easy one where you mix simply mix Velveeta with Rotel, or the hot hamburger dip I've always made in wintertime.
Home-made caramel corn.
Oh, and I always crave Pizza Hut pizza, not just during the holidays. Once in a great while we indulge (or I should say Cliff indulges me, because he could live without pizza), but it isn't like the old days when we ran to the Pizza Hut buffet at least once a week. I know, you can make choices like having the cheese left off, and making it vegetarian. But that isn't what I'm craving.
OK, I'm going to go cry now. Hurry up, springtime... come on back!
Cliff weighs 214 1/2, and is very happy to be wearing size 36 jeans today.
Now, if I'd gotten down below 145, I'd feel like I could splurge a few calories and have some of the Christmas goodies that I really miss. But pushing the limit as I am, I'm afraid to make any of that good stuff, because all those foods send me out of control quite easily.
Here's a list of foods I miss during the holiday season:
Brown sugar fudge, my mom's recipe.
Kraft cheese ball... the one where you mix three jars of different-flavored Kraft cheese spreads with some cream cheese, onion, and Worcestershire sauce, make it into a ball, and roll the whole thing in nuts.
Fruitcake. Yeah, I know, nobody is supposed to like it. But I do. Especially my mom's family recipe.
Nacho chips dipped in hot cheese dip, either the easy one where you mix simply mix Velveeta with Rotel, or the hot hamburger dip I've always made in wintertime.
Home-made caramel corn.
Oh, and I always crave Pizza Hut pizza, not just during the holidays. Once in a great while we indulge (or I should say Cliff indulges me, because he could live without pizza), but it isn't like the old days when we ran to the Pizza Hut buffet at least once a week. I know, you can make choices like having the cheese left off, and making it vegetarian. But that isn't what I'm craving.
OK, I'm going to go cry now. Hurry up, springtime... come on back!
Monday, November 27, 2006
Our lowest-fat muffins yet
WHEAT BRAN MUFFINS
1 1/4 cups wheat or oat bran
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup applesauce
1/2 cup skim milk
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup Egg Beaters (I use egg whites)
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1/2 cup raisins, snipped dried apricots, or snipped dried apples
1. Spray bottoms of twelve 2 1/2-inch muffin cups with Pam; set aside. In a mixing bowl, combine bran, flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Make a well in the center of the dry mixture; set aside.
2. In another bowl combine applesauce, milk, honey, egg whites and oil. Add applesauce mixture all at once to dry mixture. Stir just till moistened. Fold in raisins.
3. Spoon batter into prepared cups, filling each 2/3 full. Bake in a 400 degree oven about 20 minutes. Makes 12 muffins.
126 calories, 2 g total fat (0 saturated fat) 0 chol., 138 mg sodium, 28 g carbs, 2 g fiber, 4 g protein. 6% daily calcium, 10% iron.
This is another treat the granddaughters love. Cliff especially likes to have one of these muffins with a teaspoon of natural peanut butter spread on it.
Oh, this is as good as home-made cinnamon rolls!
HEART-HEALTHY APPLE COFFEE CAKE
nonstick cooking spray
2/3 cup flour
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cups peeled cored & finely chopped apples, such as jonathan or granny smith
1/4 cup fat-free liquid egg product (I just use egg whites)
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1/4 cup applesauce
1 tablespoon flour
1 tablespoon whole-wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup walnuts or pecans
1/4 cup brown sugar
Lightly coat a 9-inch baking pan with cooking spray; set aside.
In a medium bowl combine the 2/3 cup flour, 1/2 cup whole flour, soda, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon, set aside.
In a large mixing bowl toss together the chopped apple and egg product; stir in the 3/4 cup sugar, the 1/4 cup nuts and applesauce; Add flourmixture and stir JUST until combined.
Pour batter into prepared pan; For TOPPING, stir together the brown sugar the remaining flour, whole wheat flour and cinnamon; Cut in butter until crumbly, stir in remaining nuts, sprinkle topping over batter in pan.
Bake in 350 degree oven 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean; cool in pan for 10 minutes, serve warm.
202 calories, 5 g fat (1 g sat. fat), 0 chol., 180 mg sodium, 37 g carbo., 2 g fiber, 3 g protein. 2% vitamin A, 2% vitamin C, 1% calcium, 8 % iron.
What a treat this was this morning! I do believe you could cut back a bit on the 3/4 cup of sugar. I'll freeze this in 2-serving amounts, saving out a couple of pieces for the granddaughters.
Friday, November 24, 2006
after-Thanksgiving weigh-in
Cliff had to get through a Thanksgiving dinner at work on his own, and he was rather proud of himself. He only had one plateful of food, not piled high, and one dessert... pineapple pie.
Then we ate an early Thanksgiving dinner at our daughter's on Saturday, and he did the same there.
Yesterday, on the dreaded too-much-food day, we escaped on the motorcycle. We had a light picnic lunch: tuna salad sandwich, carrot sticks, and those 100-calorie Chips Ohoy bags apiece.
For supper we each had a cheeseburger and small piece of Oreo dessert and later snacked on some cheese.
Cliff got on the scales this morning and yelled out, "These scales must be having a fit; something's wrong."
He weighed 211... that's 2 1/2 pounds less than he's weighed before on this journey to fitness. He got on and off the scales several times, to make sure it wasn't a fluke.
He gives me all the credit, but I say he should get at least half.
Thursday, November 2, 2006
Weekly weigh-in
Cliff and I are still maintaining our weights pretty well. We did a bad thing Saturday on the way to Iowa City, though... we stopped at Golden Corral for lunch. We should NEVER, EVER eat at buffets! I limited myself fairly well, but Cliff saw his chance and took it. I did not say anything to him about his second helpings or his three desserts because, in circumstances like that, he gets pretty edgy if I butt in.
My job from now on, as I see it, is to see that we avoid buffets at all cost!
Looking back, we agreed that the food wasn't even that good.
So, on our return home, Cliff weighed 220. He'd been under 220 for over a month, and was very disappointed. It's OK, though: yesterday on our official weekly weigh-in, he was at 217.
We have one of those digital machines that makes it easy to check blood pressure, and we use it often. Here's something we wonder about: The first time either of us checks our blood pressure, the reading is higher than on subsequent readings. Once we get past that first time, the readings are pretty much the same even if we do it three or four times, and the numbers are always good.
Do we tense up that first time, then relax for the next readings? And would this happen in a doctor's office, if they took more than one reading?
What's up with that?
Monday, October 30, 2006
Yippee!!!!!
Check it out: Kentucky Fried Chicken has decided to get rid of the trans fats!!! Click HERE.
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Weekly weigh-in
Cliff is at 215, I'm 147. I'd easily lose more weight if I'd stop snacking in the evening; that's a very hard thing to do in fall and winter.
Both of us can tell the calisthenics and weights are shaping us up quite a bit. Of course, Cliff does some real weight-lifting at work, so he's the one with major changes. But I can tell a difference in myself, even though it's only twenty minutes, three times a week.
Today we probably won't get a walk in, since it looks like it's going to be drizzly and cloudy. The days we miss our walk are few and far between. Cliff takes Sundays off, but I don't.
I haven't been updating this journal very much because I'm simply maintaining, and Cliff's loss is slow, but sure.
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