I read this Daily Dose article a few days ago and it got me thinking. We all focus so obsessively on the scale that sometimes we don't even notice other things, I think. Or maybe I was just being obtuse. Despite the fact that the number on the scale has been steadily going down since I started Nutrisystem, I haven't really noticed any physical differences in myself. I still look fat. I still feel fat. Some days I wondered if the scale is lying to me and I hadn't really lost any weight at all.
Then I met a friend and we went out shopping for a wedding gift, and I noticed when I was sitting in his car that my pants were bagging around my waist. I hadn't even noticed it before but they were way too big! I'm a little embarrassed to admit it, but my son is six months old and I had been afraid to try on my pre-pregnancy clothes. Today, after seeing how my clothes were fitting, I tried on my "fat" jeans. I was pleasantly surprised to find that not only did they fit, but I had room to stick my fists in the waistband! I think my weight has redistributed a little because they fit properly in the butt and thighs but are loose everywhere else. That's OK though- it's a start! It's exciting to be back in my old clothes.
I'm going to a wedding May 14 (the one I was out buying the gift for) and I am really hoping that I won't have to buy a new dress for just one day (since hopefully I'll never be this size again!). I have some lovely formalwear that I haven't worn in a while but I am not sure it will fit me anymore- I haven't worn it since before I got pregnant. That's the next non scale victory I am hoping for!
Please feel free to share your non scale victories with all of us! The number on the scale is important, but so is how we feel about ourselves, how our clothes fit, and how healthy we are- and those aren't things you can count with numbers.
Friday, April 16, 2010
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Eating at Restaurants
Sometimes I think that restaurants are deceptive on purpose! Over the weekend I went to Toronto to spend time with my mother, and she told me we were invited to dinner on Monday night with some friends. OK, sounds good so far. Then she tells me it's at a pizzeria. Well, I'm a big fan of not letting weight loss interfere with your life, but there are limits. I took a look at the menu and there was absolutely nothing I could eat that wasn't a zillion calories. I called the friends and asked if we could change the venue to a place that at least had some salads. So we settled on Jack Astor's.
I highly recommend at least checking out the menu before you dine out so you can make good decisions. In a lot of cases, you can eat your Nutrisystem dinner before you go out to reduce the odds of being too hungry and ordering something you really shouldn't have. Then just save a protein serving and order a nice plain salad with chicken or shrimp or fish.
However, some entrees can be misleading. I looked up the stats for Jack Astor's six dinner salads, and one clocked in at a whopping 1100 calories and 85 grams of fat! Now that's scary. People choose salads thinking that they are healthy, but they're not always as good as they sound.
I chose to order the Asian Salmon Salad, which if served normally, contains 600 calories and 37 grams of fat. Why on earth do restaurants have to wreck a perfectly good meal? The description says they butter the salmon and top it with toasted sesame seeds and candied pecans. I asked for no butter, seeds, or nuts, and dressing on the side. The salad was wonderful without those things and I am sure I reduced a significant percentage of those fat grams and calories.
Don't be afraid to ask a restaurant to customize things for you! Most of the time, they are happy to make whatever substitutions or changes that you ask for. It's 100% OK to want to be healthy- you don't need to just eat whatever they put in front of you. You're in charge of what goes in your mouth.
I'm doing a 6 week mini weight loss challenge with a friend, and we weigh in on Tuesdays so I've already got an inkling of how things are going this week. Let's just say that I am glad that I didn't let myself get derailed by going to a restaurant! Are there things I could be convinced to break program for? Absolutely. But fast food or mediocre chain restaurant food is definitely not one of them. When you're tempted, ask yourself; is it really worth it?
I highly recommend at least checking out the menu before you dine out so you can make good decisions. In a lot of cases, you can eat your Nutrisystem dinner before you go out to reduce the odds of being too hungry and ordering something you really shouldn't have. Then just save a protein serving and order a nice plain salad with chicken or shrimp or fish.
However, some entrees can be misleading. I looked up the stats for Jack Astor's six dinner salads, and one clocked in at a whopping 1100 calories and 85 grams of fat! Now that's scary. People choose salads thinking that they are healthy, but they're not always as good as they sound.
I chose to order the Asian Salmon Salad, which if served normally, contains 600 calories and 37 grams of fat. Why on earth do restaurants have to wreck a perfectly good meal? The description says they butter the salmon and top it with toasted sesame seeds and candied pecans. I asked for no butter, seeds, or nuts, and dressing on the side. The salad was wonderful without those things and I am sure I reduced a significant percentage of those fat grams and calories.
Don't be afraid to ask a restaurant to customize things for you! Most of the time, they are happy to make whatever substitutions or changes that you ask for. It's 100% OK to want to be healthy- you don't need to just eat whatever they put in front of you. You're in charge of what goes in your mouth.
I'm doing a 6 week mini weight loss challenge with a friend, and we weigh in on Tuesdays so I've already got an inkling of how things are going this week. Let's just say that I am glad that I didn't let myself get derailed by going to a restaurant! Are there things I could be convinced to break program for? Absolutely. But fast food or mediocre chain restaurant food is definitely not one of them. When you're tempted, ask yourself; is it really worth it?
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Weighed in a day early this week...
I'm going to Toronto to visit my mother this weekend so I weighed in a day early since I wanted to keep it consistent and use the same scale. I am down another 2.6lbs for a total of 23.6lbs in ten weeks! That is great, especially since it includes one week of zero weight loss, when I was in Niagara Falls. But although I didn't lose, I didn't gain either, so I see that as a minor victory.
I have yet another challenge on Monday- we're going out to dinner with some friends of the family who haven't met my son yet. My mom called and said they had picked a pizzeria! Well... much as I am in favour of not allowing diets to disrupt your life, there are certainly better choices of places to go. I looked at the menu for this place and I couldn't even get a plain garden salad! I suggested a few other places so now we've changed the venue to somewhere the other guests will enjoy, but there are also things that I can eat without disrupting my program.
I plan on eating a Nutrisystem dinner before I go out to reduce the cravings for the kind of junk that I used to eat and to prevent myself from overeating. I'm going to save up a couple of protein servings from earlier in the day and I plan to order a garden salad with salmon. I really miss seafood on Nutrisystem since there are no seafood options available in the standard plan, and Canadians can't order from the frozen meal menu.
There's no reason you can't go out with friends and family and enjoy yourself while losing weight, but it's definitely important to distinguish between a special occasion and just eating junk all the time since you're at a restaurant. You can still make healthy choices at your favourite restaurants! After all, really- it tastes good for the length of the meal, and then it's forgotten. Is it really worth it to set yourself back maybe a week?
People tell me they can't believe all the sacrifices I'm making, but it's hard for me to explain to them that I don't feel like I'm giving anything up at all- not only will I be smokin' hot when I'm finished losing weight, but I'll be a healthier, happier person. Like someone on the Nutrisystem boards said, "I'd eat cardboard for that, and this food is much better than cardboard!"
I have yet another challenge on Monday- we're going out to dinner with some friends of the family who haven't met my son yet. My mom called and said they had picked a pizzeria! Well... much as I am in favour of not allowing diets to disrupt your life, there are certainly better choices of places to go. I looked at the menu for this place and I couldn't even get a plain garden salad! I suggested a few other places so now we've changed the venue to somewhere the other guests will enjoy, but there are also things that I can eat without disrupting my program.
I plan on eating a Nutrisystem dinner before I go out to reduce the cravings for the kind of junk that I used to eat and to prevent myself from overeating. I'm going to save up a couple of protein servings from earlier in the day and I plan to order a garden salad with salmon. I really miss seafood on Nutrisystem since there are no seafood options available in the standard plan, and Canadians can't order from the frozen meal menu.
There's no reason you can't go out with friends and family and enjoy yourself while losing weight, but it's definitely important to distinguish between a special occasion and just eating junk all the time since you're at a restaurant. You can still make healthy choices at your favourite restaurants! After all, really- it tastes good for the length of the meal, and then it's forgotten. Is it really worth it to set yourself back maybe a week?
People tell me they can't believe all the sacrifices I'm making, but it's hard for me to explain to them that I don't feel like I'm giving anything up at all- not only will I be smokin' hot when I'm finished losing weight, but I'll be a healthier, happier person. Like someone on the Nutrisystem boards said, "I'd eat cardboard for that, and this food is much better than cardboard!"
Friday, April 9, 2010
It's Here Again!
It's always exciting when the UPS man is lugging a 50lb box up my steps! This time I was especially waiting for my 10lb bear which was supposed to be in the box and I was a little disappointed to see that it was out of stock and would be mailed next week. But the good news is, Nutrisystem said they'd put my 20lb bear in the same box so I'll have them both soon.
I also ordered some new things to try instead of just sticking to food that I was pretty sure I'd like. After all, you never know if you will enjoy something or not until you try it! I also got a free week of food with this order and I love the chance to try things that I might not have considered ordering. I'm still not really interested in the breakfast cereals or the salty snacks but at least they are here if I change my mind.
I have tried a couple of new things over the past week- here are my thoughts.
BBQ Sauce with Pork Wrap (Dinner):
I read lots of bad reviews on this so I was a little hesitant to try it, but it came free with my order and I love BBQ sauce so I figured why not. I decided to take my fat serving and fry up some red onion, green bell pepper, and tomatoes in a pan, and then I added the pork mixture to the pan instead of heating it in the microwave as the package recommends. The meat is shredded very finely- no big chunks or anything like that. The vegetables gave it much more texture. The meal also comes with a little tortilla shell which they recommend heating for ten seconds (probably so it doesn't crack along the fold lines). Honestly, I thought this meal was pretty good. The picture only shows about half the meat because I didn't want to overstuff the wrap, but there was plenty left over. I was very full after eating this and I will probably order it again. It was definitely good with the veggies and a little shredded mozzarella on top if you save a dairy/protein serving.
Milk Chocolatey Delight Bar (Dessert):
When I first bit into this, I was expecting something like a basic chocolate bar. I was surprised at how chewy it was- reminiscent of the Strawberry Shortcake Bar. It seems to be more of a chocolate soft toffee bar with a chocolate coating than anything else. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would, but don't chew the toffee for too long or you get a bitter aftertaste.
Double Chocolate Caramel Bar (Lunch):
This was really good. The lunch bars have all tended to be excellent! This is probably my least favourite of the three, but not because it's bad- just because the Fudge Graham bar and Chocolatey Peanut Butter bar are so good!
Beans and Ham Soup (Lunch):
I promised a photo of the finished product I described in the last post! As soon as my box came, this was the first item I grabbed out of it so that I could make lunch. It is going to be one of my favourites. Very filling and reminiscent of comfort food.
I'm also revising my opinion of the chocolate cake. I said before that I didn't think it was too great. Well, I tried it again today and I found it really hit the spot. I guess I just have to be in the mood for a cake-y texture instead of the density of the fudge brownie. I've also read a few tricks for improving the chocolate cake, and I'm looking forward to trying them! Some ideas have been to cut it in half and fill it with fat free Cool Whip to make a Devil Dog, or to blend a tsp of peanut butter (fat serving) with the Cool Whip to make frosting. But, it's still pretty good even plain!
I also ordered some new things to try instead of just sticking to food that I was pretty sure I'd like. After all, you never know if you will enjoy something or not until you try it! I also got a free week of food with this order and I love the chance to try things that I might not have considered ordering. I'm still not really interested in the breakfast cereals or the salty snacks but at least they are here if I change my mind.
I have tried a couple of new things over the past week- here are my thoughts.
BBQ Sauce with Pork Wrap (Dinner):
I read lots of bad reviews on this so I was a little hesitant to try it, but it came free with my order and I love BBQ sauce so I figured why not. I decided to take my fat serving and fry up some red onion, green bell pepper, and tomatoes in a pan, and then I added the pork mixture to the pan instead of heating it in the microwave as the package recommends. The meat is shredded very finely- no big chunks or anything like that. The vegetables gave it much more texture. The meal also comes with a little tortilla shell which they recommend heating for ten seconds (probably so it doesn't crack along the fold lines). Honestly, I thought this meal was pretty good. The picture only shows about half the meat because I didn't want to overstuff the wrap, but there was plenty left over. I was very full after eating this and I will probably order it again. It was definitely good with the veggies and a little shredded mozzarella on top if you save a dairy/protein serving.
Milk Chocolatey Delight Bar (Dessert):
When I first bit into this, I was expecting something like a basic chocolate bar. I was surprised at how chewy it was- reminiscent of the Strawberry Shortcake Bar. It seems to be more of a chocolate soft toffee bar with a chocolate coating than anything else. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would, but don't chew the toffee for too long or you get a bitter aftertaste.
Double Chocolate Caramel Bar (Lunch):
This was really good. The lunch bars have all tended to be excellent! This is probably my least favourite of the three, but not because it's bad- just because the Fudge Graham bar and Chocolatey Peanut Butter bar are so good!
Beans and Ham Soup (Lunch):
I promised a photo of the finished product I described in the last post! As soon as my box came, this was the first item I grabbed out of it so that I could make lunch. It is going to be one of my favourites. Very filling and reminiscent of comfort food.
I'm also revising my opinion of the chocolate cake. I said before that I didn't think it was too great. Well, I tried it again today and I found it really hit the spot. I guess I just have to be in the mood for a cake-y texture instead of the density of the fudge brownie. I've also read a few tricks for improving the chocolate cake, and I'm looking forward to trying them! Some ideas have been to cut it in half and fill it with fat free Cool Whip to make a Devil Dog, or to blend a tsp of peanut butter (fat serving) with the Cool Whip to make frosting. But, it's still pretty good even plain!
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
More potatoes!
Oh my goodness, I think I need to revise my auto delivery again. I wish I'd put more than three Cheesy Homestyle Potatoes for this month because there are so many things you can do with them!
I got this recipe off the Nutrisystem website and it is amazing. I love creamy soups and this one was very satisfying and it also made a huge portion. The bowl that the soup is pictured in is not a regular soup bowl. That is actually my large pasta serving bowl! I had a hard time finishing it all and I was stuffed. My husband tasted it and he liked it so much that he asked me to make him some, too.
Creamy Potato Soup
1 pkg Cheesy Homestyle Potatoes
1 cup hot water
1/2 cup milk
1/2 oz shredded cheese
1/2 tbsp bacon bits (optional)
If chunky soup is desired, add 1 cup steamed cauliflower mashed in a blender (but still chunky) with a tbsp of fat free sour cream and black pepper.
Add 1 cup hot water to the Potatoes, which fills the cup nearly to the brim instead of the fill line. Stir well and transfer to a large bowl. Give the potatoes a few minutes to rehydrate- this is a good time to prepare the cauliflower if you want that in your soup. Pour in 1/2 cup milk (I found I actually needed a little bit more to thin the soup to my liking), stir in cauliflower if desired, and then top with the cheese and bacon bits. Serve warm.
I looked at the nutritional stats on bacon bits and compared it to the imitation bits and to turkey bacon. 1 tbsp of real bacon bits has about 35 calories and 2.5 grams of fat, with 5 grams of protein. I am personally comfortable with a little extra fat and treating them as a partial dairy/protein serving even though they slightly exceed the program requirements- after all, we're only using half a tablespoon. If you want to adhere strictly, I suggest cooking up a slice of low fat or fat free turkey bacon and using that for your crumble or skipping it entirely if you aren't a bacon fan. You could also try fat free ham cubes or something similar.
I've also got a few other ideas to share. Last night I followed a tip I was given about the Flame Broiled Beef Patty. I must revise my opinion of it upwards yet again!
I rehydrated the patty but didn't soak it to death in that little tray so it was still fairly firm and not crumbly. Then I took my fat serving, and fried it in a pan with olive oil. Wow. It was a million times better than just eating the rehydrated patty. It tasted like a real hamburger! I had it with a serving of shredded coleslaw and Calorie Wise Kraft Coleslaw dressing. Delicious!
I've also got an idea for a dairy/protein serving. If you're like me, sometimes you get tired of the same old thing for dairy/protein. Since you have to eat three a day, it can get repetitive if you are not creative. I saw an idea on the NS website for "crustless pumpkin pie" as a dairy/protein substitute, so I had to try it.
1 can pumpkin (15 oz)
1 can evaporated fat free milk (12 oz)
¾ cup egg substitute (or 3 egg whites)
½ tsp. salt
3 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. vanilla
2/3 cup Splenda® (or sugar), or to taste
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Combine all ingredients and beat until smooth.
3. Pour into 9” pan sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.
4. Bake for 15 minutes.
5. Reduce heat to 325 degrees and bake 45 more minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Cut into sixths- one sixth equals a dairy/protein serving.
I think a shallower pan would be better as my slices came out much softer than I was expecting. Perhaps I could have baked it longer but I didn't want the top to get too dry. I also think this could use a teensy bit more pumpkin pie spice and Splenda.
I like to have this for my afternoon snack dairy/protein serving. It's like having a dessert in the middle of the day! Top it with fat free Cool Whip and enjoy.
I got this recipe off the Nutrisystem website and it is amazing. I love creamy soups and this one was very satisfying and it also made a huge portion. The bowl that the soup is pictured in is not a regular soup bowl. That is actually my large pasta serving bowl! I had a hard time finishing it all and I was stuffed. My husband tasted it and he liked it so much that he asked me to make him some, too.
Creamy Potato Soup
1 pkg Cheesy Homestyle Potatoes
1 cup hot water
1/2 cup milk
1/2 oz shredded cheese
1/2 tbsp bacon bits (optional)
If chunky soup is desired, add 1 cup steamed cauliflower mashed in a blender (but still chunky) with a tbsp of fat free sour cream and black pepper.
Add 1 cup hot water to the Potatoes, which fills the cup nearly to the brim instead of the fill line. Stir well and transfer to a large bowl. Give the potatoes a few minutes to rehydrate- this is a good time to prepare the cauliflower if you want that in your soup. Pour in 1/2 cup milk (I found I actually needed a little bit more to thin the soup to my liking), stir in cauliflower if desired, and then top with the cheese and bacon bits. Serve warm.
I looked at the nutritional stats on bacon bits and compared it to the imitation bits and to turkey bacon. 1 tbsp of real bacon bits has about 35 calories and 2.5 grams of fat, with 5 grams of protein. I am personally comfortable with a little extra fat and treating them as a partial dairy/protein serving even though they slightly exceed the program requirements- after all, we're only using half a tablespoon. If you want to adhere strictly, I suggest cooking up a slice of low fat or fat free turkey bacon and using that for your crumble or skipping it entirely if you aren't a bacon fan. You could also try fat free ham cubes or something similar.
I've also got a few other ideas to share. Last night I followed a tip I was given about the Flame Broiled Beef Patty. I must revise my opinion of it upwards yet again!
I rehydrated the patty but didn't soak it to death in that little tray so it was still fairly firm and not crumbly. Then I took my fat serving, and fried it in a pan with olive oil. Wow. It was a million times better than just eating the rehydrated patty. It tasted like a real hamburger! I had it with a serving of shredded coleslaw and Calorie Wise Kraft Coleslaw dressing. Delicious!
I've also got an idea for a dairy/protein serving. If you're like me, sometimes you get tired of the same old thing for dairy/protein. Since you have to eat three a day, it can get repetitive if you are not creative. I saw an idea on the NS website for "crustless pumpkin pie" as a dairy/protein substitute, so I had to try it.
1 can pumpkin (15 oz)
1 can evaporated fat free milk (12 oz)
¾ cup egg substitute (or 3 egg whites)
½ tsp. salt
3 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. vanilla
2/3 cup Splenda® (or sugar), or to taste
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Combine all ingredients and beat until smooth.
3. Pour into 9” pan sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.
4. Bake for 15 minutes.
5. Reduce heat to 325 degrees and bake 45 more minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Cut into sixths- one sixth equals a dairy/protein serving.
I think a shallower pan would be better as my slices came out much softer than I was expecting. Perhaps I could have baked it longer but I didn't want the top to get too dry. I also think this could use a teensy bit more pumpkin pie spice and Splenda.
I like to have this for my afternoon snack dairy/protein serving. It's like having a dessert in the middle of the day! Top it with fat free Cool Whip and enjoy.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Week 9 Weigh In
After nine weeks, I have lost 21 lbs. I still don't really see that much of a difference in myself physically but then again I have a long way to go. But it makes me feel so good to see the number on the scale getting lower and lower.
I've also earned my second Nutribear! My first will be here in a few days when my auto delivery arrives- I can't wait to have a tangible reward and a reminder of my success. And I can't wait to start a collection of Nutribears!
I've also earned my second Nutribear! My first will be here in a few days when my auto delivery arrives- I can't wait to have a tangible reward and a reminder of my success. And I can't wait to start a collection of Nutribears!
Saturday, April 3, 2010
The most versatile food
If you like to be creative with your food, order a lot of the Cheesy Homestyle Potatoes. There is so much you can do with them! I made this recipe for lunch today and had to share it with you right away. It is very high in protein and so filling. It is high in sodium so if you are sensitive, you may wish to avoid it, but if not, have at it!
Crab Cakes
1 pkg Homestyle Potatoes
3oz crabmeat
1 green onion
Add about half the water you'd normally add to the potatoes and stir, then let them stand, covered, until they are ready. In the meantime, chop up your green onion into small pieces and mix it with the crabmeat. Add in the potatoes and stir well. Add your favourite spices (I like Old Bay seafood seasoning) and combine everything.
Pan fry in PAM spray until both sides are crispy. Serve with seafood sauce, horseradish, or eat them plain- they're good any way!
I definitely plan to add more of these to my next auto-delivery. I already have some more things to try with them.
Crab Cakes
1 pkg Homestyle Potatoes
3oz crabmeat
1 green onion
Add about half the water you'd normally add to the potatoes and stir, then let them stand, covered, until they are ready. In the meantime, chop up your green onion into small pieces and mix it with the crabmeat. Add in the potatoes and stir well. Add your favourite spices (I like Old Bay seafood seasoning) and combine everything.
Pan fry in PAM spray until both sides are crispy. Serve with seafood sauce, horseradish, or eat them plain- they're good any way!
I definitely plan to add more of these to my next auto-delivery. I already have some more things to try with them.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
