South Beach...

Well, I found a friend who has the South Beach Diet book and is willing to lend it to me. So I think when I get back from TX I will try that.

I've never done a "diet" before, only ever watched my calories and exercised. So... I'm sort of skeptical. But I'm willing to give it a shot once. And from what I've heard, South Beach is one of the better ones to try if I'm going to try it.

Mostly I'm just sick of micromanaging right now. Sick of counting every little calorie. Sick of weighing every gram. I want guidelines I can follow without obsessing.

So... perhaps we'll try the South Beach Diet when I get back.

But while I'm in TX, I'm just going to enjoy the wealth of Mexican food we don't have here. ;D

128...

... and that's progress! Maybe not much progress, but at least some! I've been here for 2 days, which is good and stable. =D

I realized that I've been seriously lacking in the fresh fruits and veggies department for the last couple months. Things haven't been in season so I haven't been buying them. Instead I've been munching on other things which are wholly unhealthy for me, both physically and emotionally. So the other day at Costco I stocked up on fresh fruits and veggies. Celery, lettuce, carrots, apples, strawberries (even if they were about twice as expensive as I like to pay in the summer), bananas... Now I'm pretty much in fresh fruit and veggie heaven. And I have been eating them, too! Turns out I am much happier that way. Go figure!

MUFA

So... the MUFA post. I really thought I already wrote one, but I can't find it, so maybe it was just in my head!!

MUFA stands for MonoUnsaturated FAts. Supposedly "good" fats. The rumor is that if you eat a MUFA rich food with every meal (at least 4 each day) it will somehow magically help take the fat off your midsection. I'm skeptical about it, but it really can't hurt I guess. I'm still keeping my calorie levels the same, I'm just making sure to have a MUFA with every meal or snack. There are 5 sources of MUFA:

1. Avocado
2. Nuts and Seeds
3. Dark Chocolate
4. Vegetable Oils
5. Olives

I'm not big on avocado, but it's pretty easy for me to incorporate olives, chocolate chips, nuts, and olive oil into my diet. They're higher calorie foods, so you do have to compensate for them, but for me that pretty much means I just need to eat more vegetables. Not a bad thing!

So that's the scoop on MUFA. I'm giving it a try. Like I said, I'm skeptical (perhaps I should measure my midsection now and 6 weeks from now, as well as other areas to compare?) but so far (in the 2 days I've been doing this) I have noticed that when I eat a MUFA with every meal, the meal tends to stay with me longer and I'm not as hungry as soon. So, if nothing else, it's good for staying power.

I'll keep you updated on how the MUFA diet goes, but that's at least a general overview and enough to keep you in the know of what I mean by MUFA!

Cube Steak with Feta

It sounds gross. It really does. But.... it was really good!

I ordered the menu mailer a while back and haven't really used it since my subscription expired. I got a year's worth of recipes (including nutritional information) and I printed them all out and put them in a binder. Some of the recipes I liked, and some I am just too lazy to make. But this one was easy. I didn't follow it exactly, but here's what I did...

I seasoned two cube steaks with paprika (both sides) and pan fried them in some garlic oil. Then, when they were cooked through, I pulled them off the heat, sprinkled feta over the top, and put the lid on the pan to keep the heat in while the feta melted.

Like I said, it sounds gross, but it was pretty good. I'm glad, too, because I'm sure there's another couple cube steaks in our freezer from the portion of a cow we purchased a couple months ago.

As a side dish I made mashed sweet potatoes. I wanted regular mashed potatoes, but we didn't have any white potatoes and we DID have 2 sweet potatoes that were going to go bad if I didn't use them soon. Not a bad side! I did put butter and salt on mine (as I would have done with a regular potato, though perhaps not as much since these had their own flavor already) and it was good! Full of vitamins, too, which is always good.

So that was our dinner tonight. We followed it up with some hot chocolate, which was just perfect for a cool fall evening. Yum!

I don't think I realized...

Just how caloric almonds are. I recently bought the prepackaged nuts from Costco thinking they'd be a nice way to get some protein and variety in my diet, and give me something salty and crunchy to snack on when I get a bit peckish. They do, but a little bag of 2 oz of nuts is almost 400 calories! not exactly a "little" snack!

Here I am,

eating lunch with the kiddos. They are having macaroni and cheese and you cannot believe how badly I want some. Instead I had a large bowl of peas and some grapes. It's just not the same, LOL! But tonight for dinner I think I'm going to make spinach lasagna. I've not made it before, but I've wanted to since we have all that spinach in the fridge. I've been putting off making it because we don't have any ricotta cheese, but we do have a big tub of cottage cheese, so I think I'll puree the curds and use that. I have texture issues with cottage cheese, but maybe if I puree it I'll be okay with it. I made an alfredo sauce that way once and it was good, so I'll give it a shot. Now I just have to figure out points on it, but it's low fat and I can add fiber to it if it needs, so it should be okay.

Things that I love while I'm watching the calories...

New Costco Favorite

Ever since Costco got rid of their soft pretzels, I've been sort of at a loss for what to eat there. With hot dogs at 500+ calories, and a slice of pizza at 700+ calories, it's been sort of difficult to do dinner there since I started tracking calories again.

But then a couple weeks ago they introduced a new menu item: Turkey Wraps.

They haven't yet released the nutrition information for it yet, but I did some of my own figuring on Spark Recipes, and came up with the following information, which I feel is fairly accurate:

Calories: 527
Fat: 24 g
Carbs: 41
Fiber: 0.5
Protein: 36

Now, 527 calories is a lot, but the wraps are nice and big and a half wrap fills me up. So I end up with a 265 calorie dinner that is filling, and high in protein. They come sliced in half, so the guesswork is eliminated (you know, the "I'm just going to eat about half of this" when you really end up eating about 3/4.) and it's just as good the next day after it's been refrigerated.

So the Turkey Wrap is my new favorite. I will get that every time we eat dinner at Costco now. And at 265 calories, I may even end up with room for dessert.

Well... that wasn't so good....

I didn't go completely over my calories yesterday, but I came close. And none of it was healthy. 2 slices of pizza (one of them a giant slice from Costco!) and two Costco cookies. Not good! Very high in fat, very little fiber, and pretty much nothing for vitamins!

Really I was fine (at least calorie wise, even if they weren't the best calories) until I had those two cookies. I sort of figured they were around 100-150 calories each, but it turns out they were over 200 each. Ack! AND they have 4 grams saturated fat and 2 grams TRANS fat each!

I think that means Costco cookies are off limits from now on, too. It was especially frustrating since I can make oatmeal cookies at home that have less than 100 calories each and that would have been so much more satisfying! But this was completely an impulse purchase (that Leif and I both made - it wasn't just me! That's when I fall into temptation the most - when we both want it!) and then the first cookie wasn't very good, so I ate another (white chocolate chip... mmm....) to get that taste I was really after.

So I ended the day at...

1500 calories
71 g. fat (after days of only 25 or 15 g.!)
12 g. fiber
and pretty much ZERO for vitamins!

I'm hoping this doesn't become a pattern now that my weight loss buddy is on vacation! Today I'll be working harder to stay on track and eat well. On the plus side, I weighed myself and I'm down to 119.2, so that's encouraging at least!

Really, Why??

Why??? Why would you put high fructose corn syrup in applesauce? My inlaws brought some applesauce when they came to visit last weekend and they left it here. Now, we feed Ellie applesauce all the time, and I even eat it from time to time when calories allow. We get the all natural unsweetened stuff from Costco. It's delicious! And if you want a little more flavor to it, we add a little cinnamon. Mmm... So I pulled out the applesauce my inlaws brought, thinking we should use it up before I open another one from Costco. The second ingredient? HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP!! What?!

I hate throwing food away, but I just don't feel good about feeding it to Ellie. And I don't feel good about eating it myself. So unless Leif wants to eat it, I hope it stays good until they come back. Just wish it didn't take up space in our fridge while we wait.

Church Picnic

We had an indoor picnic at church today, and I think I did really well! I am proud of myself, at least. I had a hamburger with no bun (I did have pickles and mustard with it, though!), strawberry spinach salad (that I brought, so I know it was healthy!), half a slice of banana bread, and a cupcake. I stayed away from everything else... all the jello salads, pasta salads, brownies, puddings, desserts... even though they looked GREAT! I even brought my own water so I wouldn't be tempted to drink the pop or juice they had there.

I am left with 600 calories left for the day, so I should be good. We'll see!

12 Rules for Improved Nutrition

I borrowed the book Fertility, Cycles, & Nutrition by Marilyn M. Shannon from Erika a few months ago, but have been so discouraged in trying to conceive that I just didn't want to think about it anymore. So the book just sat on my bed stand until Erika asked if I'd read it the other night. I decided to pick it up and at least give it a try. I have only read the first chapter so far, but have been pleasantly surprised at how practical the information in the first chapter was, not only for those who have fertility issues they hope to resolve through diet changes, but for everyone who wants to be healthier. I will not follow everything she puts forth, but I think her 12 Rules for Improved Nutrition are a good place to start for healthier eating habits.

1. Eat more complex carbohydrates, less saturated fats, and adequate, not excessive, protein.

2. Substitute more nutritious ingredients for less nutritious ones.

She suggests limiting these foods:

• sugar
• white flour
• fruit juices
• soft drinks
• prepackaged foods
• fatty meats
• bacon, sausage, lunchmeats, ham
• shortening
• processed peanut butter
• artificial food additives, especially aspartame
• processed cheese
• margarine
• excessive or uniodized salt
• coffee
• chocolate
• caffeinated tea
• excessive dairy products
• coconut

And emphasizing these:

• fresh fruits
• fresh vegetables
• whole grain breads
• whole grain pasta
• brown rice
• millet
• whole grain flour
• dried beans
• natural peanut butter
• nuts and edible seeds
• olive, peanut, soy, and safflower oils
• lean meats
• poultry
• ocean fish
• milk (in moderation)
• yogurt
• eggs (in moderation)
• herbal teas

For the most part I already follow these, with the exception of margarine, soft drinks (working on that), and coffee.

3. Eat more raw foods, and cook other foods gently.

4. Eat a greater variety of foods.

5. Sharply limit sugar and caffeine.

6. Chew your food thoroughly.

7. Store natural foods carefully to minimize nutrient loss and spoilage.

8. Beware of eating out.

9. Obtain pure drinking water if possible.

10. Prepare your meals thoughtfully.

11. Enlist your family's cooperation.

12. Use the 80-20 rule. (80% ideal diet, 20% imperfect)

Bold rules are ones I want to work on more.

The ABCs of Vegetables.

I would be happy as a clam if I never had to eat vegetables. I just think they're yucky. But aside from my desire to be healthier, I am also married to a man who loves them. When I ask what he wants for dinner, Leif will often reply, "How about a big bowl of spinach and broccoli?" or "I don't know... vegetables sound good." And I'm usually thinking that pasta sounds good. So in attempt to become healthier and make vegetables for my husband I have been trying to find vegetables that I like and ways that I like them prepared. So far, here's what I think about the vegetables I've tried:

Asparagus - We had this once at Sam and Catherine's house and I really liked it! But it was cooked in butter and wrapped in bacon, so I'm pretty sure the redeeming qualities of the vegetable were overridden. Haven't found another way that I like it yet.
*Bean Sprouts - I really like these when they're mixed with eggs and made into pancakes. My mom used to make them and they were really good. They go well with Asian food. I've only ever made them with canned sprouts, though.
*Bell Peppers - I don't like them crunchy and raw, but stir fried or in fajitas or in chili I like them a lot.
*Broccoli - Steamed broccoli is good, especially if it has a little cheese melted over top. It's also good in baked things, like a creamy chicken dish or a quiche.
*Cabbage - Gross. I really don't like cabbage at all, though I did have some ramen salad once that was okay with it, and I made a thai chicken dish (a menu mailer recipe) that was served over a bed of cabbage and that was good, so maybe there is hope for cabbage in my life yet.
*Carrots - I love cooked carrots with a roast. And carrots are good to munch on if they are served with ranch dip. I'm a personal fan of the Hidden Valley ranch packet stirred into sour cream. Carrots in soup are good, too.
*Cauliflower - Really nasty. Not only does it taste bad, but it gives my husband digestive woes, so it's banned from our house forever.
Celery - Celery is a good snack item with a little peanut butter. Emphasis on the word LITTLE.
Corn - I LOVE corn on the cob in the summer, slathered with butter and salt. But it turns out that corn is more starch than anything and when you add the butter and salt, well, this isn't the best vegetable choice. Good for once or twice a year and that's about it. Canned corn I like in chili.
Cucumbers - I like eating cucumbers. They're a good munchy food. Not a lot of calories, but one cucumber cut into spears will keep my mouth busy for a good while until the munchy urge is gone.
Eggplant - I've only had eggplant one way that I like it, and that is breaded and fried in eggplant parmesan. Pretty sure it loses all vegetable value at that point.
*Garlic - I've never really thought of garlic as a vegetable, but I suppose it is. It's a good flavor to add to a lot of things, especially italian food. I should use more fresh garlic and less of the powdered.
Green Beans - I eat canned green beans. I know they're full of salt, but I like them. I especially like them mixed with some roasted almonds. I don't really like fresh bean.
*Green Onions - About the only way I really like green onions is in soup. There they add a wonderful flavor.
*Green Peas - I like peas. We buy the frozen peas and all I add to them is salt.
Kidney Beans - A chili staple.
*Lettuce (Romaine) - I like romaine lettuce in a salad with apples, feta, and oil and vinegar dressing. That's a good salad.
Lettuce (Iceberg) - It tastes fine (if it does indeed taste, that is... I don't get much flavor off of it.) but has very little nutritional value. We don't buy it, and substitute Romaine for Iceberg any chance we get.
Mushrooms - I detest mushrooms. Enough said.
*Onions - I like cooked onions, if they are cooked to the point that they are no longer crunchy. I have texture issues with crunchy onions. I like the flavor, though.
Potatoes - I love potatoes! I love them in pretty much any form... baked, fries, scalloped, roasted... Turns out they don't have much nutritional value as a vegetable, but they're still a good option for lunch (or eating at Wendy's).
*Pumpkin - I love pumpkin bread, but I'm not so fond of it by itself. I've heard pumpkin soup is really good, so maybe I'll try that some time.
*Soy beans - Edamame soybeans are really good in stir fry. They store in the freezer, so you don't have to worry about them going bad, either.
*Spinach - We buy the tub of organic baby spinach leaves from Costco. It's perfect for salad. My favorite salads with Spinach are Mandarin Almond Salad and Spinach Craisin Salad. Now that it's getting to be summer we can start enjoying Strawberry Spinach Salad again, too.
*Sweet Potato - My favorite way to eat sweet potatoes is my mom's Thanksgiving yambake. It's basically butter, brown sugar, pecans, and yams. MMMMMmmm. Sound healthy? Yeah, it's not. But Costco does sell some french-fry cut sweet potatoes that are really good if you spray them with olive oil and sprinkle them with cajun seasoning, then bake until crispy. Those ARE healthy, but good like french fries!
*Tomato - I like tomato a lot of ways. I'm a big fan of fresh tomatoes and grape tomatoes, but Leif doesn't like them, so a lot of times our tomatoes come in the form of spaghetti sauce or in dishes like chili.
Water Chestnuts - Not really any nutritional value, but they're pretty good in stir fry.
Zucchini - I really like breaded fried zucchini dipped in ranch. I'm not saying it's good for me, I just like it. I also really like zucchini bread.

So there you have it. My thoughts on vegetables, from A to Z. The ones with asterisks next to them have the highest nutritional value according to this website. Those are the ones I should make a point to eat the most of.

You know you've started off on the wrong foot...

... when breakfast is a ding dong. I raided the secret stash that, until today, hasn't been a temptation. But today started with it and didn't get much better in the food department. I started counting calories, but forgot to measure and record after lunch, so we'll just call it a wash and do better tomorrow.

Aspartame...

Right now I am drinking a Diet Dr. Pepper. Mmmm. The taste of Dr. Pepper without the calories. It's glorious. And it's all because of aspartame. Actually, most of my "diet" foods contain aspartame. That South Beach drink mix with fiber I bought? Sweetened with aspartame. My sugar free jello? Aspartame. Fat free / sugar free pudding? Yup, aspartame. It's what keeps me eating the "cheater" foods I like without cheating on my calories. It's what gets me through my diet.

And then I read this.

WOW. That might just convince me to quit consuming aspartame. Maybe it's worth the extra calories to eat the sugared pudding and jello. Maybe it's worth adding my own fiber powder to our standard drink mix instead of using the South Beach stuff. Maybe it's worth changing my tastes to drink a diet drink sweetened with Splenda instead of aspartame.

And maybe it's worth being a little more careful about what I put on my daughter's plate, my husband's plate, and my own.

5 Foods to Flatten Your Belly

From the Today Show:

6 oz. lean beef
Small handful of nuts or seeds
1/4 avocado
Small serving of olives (black or green)
Olive and seed/nut oils (use in moderation)

Step Away from the Candy...

... My name is Elizabeth and I love candy.

Especially half price Halloween candy that I bought to use as stocking stuffers. Yes, I've been eating candy I bought for someone else. And not in moderation. It's bad. And I'm pretty sure I gained a pound from it. Ack!

... stepping away from the candy...

Weigh Day - Week 9

I have done it. I have dropped my weight below 120 lbs and boy does it feel good! I've still got 4 lbs to go to reach my intermediate goal, and 9 lbs to reach my September goal, but this morning when I weighed my scale said 119.2.

WOW.

I've officially lost 12 lbs. I'm still making progress 2 months after I started trying to lose weight. I'm still losing 1-2 lbs a week, and I lost 2 lbs this week even after 3 days of not recording over the weekend. Hey - it was my daughter's birthday party and a day at the lake. Who wants to count calories for those? But my habits are changing and I'm finding myself more moderate even when I'm not counting. I didn't eat 16 cookies and 3 cupcakes at the party. I ate 1 or 2 cookies and 1 cupcake. And half a hamburger and some fruit salad. I would have eaten the whole hamburger, but I got distracted with the party and found my hamburger half eaten a couple hours later. Ooops.

Anyway... I can see things changing, both inside and out of myself. And it feels good.

Weigh Day - Week 7

It's weigh day again ... or should I say "stay" day. I've stayed at 123. STILL. *sigh* But my parents are here, so I'm focusing on that wonderful thing. We had scramburgers for dinner. Mmmmm. And then we went and hiked Ousel Falls (I carried Ellie in the pack) and watched fireworks in Big Sky. It was great. We didn't get home until midnight, though, so I really hope Ellie sleeps in tomorrow. I know I want to.

Still goin' down...

... even after eating out yesterday. For Father's Day we met Leif's family in Billings and ate a Red Lobster. Leif and I split a lunch and we didn't go over on calories for the day!! I had 1/2 a cheese biscuit, a baked potato with 2 T. sour cream, and 1 and 1/2 breaded chicken strips. It was the perfect amount of food for lunch and I didn't have to sacrifice eating what I wanted. I just ate smaller portions and savored every bite.

This morning I weighed myself and I am down another pound! I am also down another 1/2 inch in my waist. WOOOHOOOO! 124 lbs and 29.5 inches. I love seeing progress.

Today Ellie and I are going to Billings again to meet the Babyfit moms. We'll be going out to eat, so I'll need to choose carefully again, but after yesterday's success in eating out I am hopeful that I can do it responsibly. Here's to the challenge!

And here's a picture from the weekend... I'm starting to see a difference in how I look! I'm on the last hole in my belt, so I know there is a difference to be seen! It's exciting.