Great "Practical" Post from Diet Blog

Ah, just read it. Even if you only apply one or two of the tips, it's gonna help, right?

Mal's Cobb Salad Has Me Salivating

Ack, I ate crap today. Been craving salty crap, sweet crap, crap.

So, I went browsing to find healthy food ideas to get my mind out of the crapper. :)

Tina of CarrotsnCake.com left a comment, so I dropped by. (Hey, congrats on the upcoming nuptials!) At her site, I came across a recipe for Mal's Cobb Salad.

Oooh. Now, I have a craving! MMMmmmmm. Some of my fave fats and proteins--egg, chicken breast, avocado, bacon. (I really like the Applegate Farms Sunday Pork Bacon, though I keep it to a rare treat, given it's, well, BACON!) I guess I'll get the fixings this weekend and make some.

So, for those of you who like Cobb salads, too--and why wouldn't you? Nummy!-- drop by and get the low-down on how to make your own, including the dressing recipe. This is low-carb friendly, even!

What Healthful Foods are in Season?

Well...these:

Artichokes, Asparagus, Avocado, Cabbage, Carrots, Celery, Chicory, Chives, Citrus Fruits, Collards, Fennel, Green Beans, Greens, Horseradish, Kale, Leeks, Lettuce, New Potatoes, Peas, Radishes, Rhubarb, Scallions, Shallots, Spinach, Strawberries, Turnips, Watercress

And if you want to maximize your shopping bucks while minimizing your exposure to pesticides, take a look at THIS LIST. Save money and buy conventional onions, kiwi bananas, pineapple, frozen corn, frozen peas, cabbage, broccoli, and mangoes. Spend extra for organic peaches, nectarines, bell peppers, cherries, raspberries, grapes, potatoes, celery, apples, greens.

hat tip to Cheap Healthy Good blog's sidebar

Dragonfire Factoid: Ditching the Bottle

In reality, bottled water is just water. That fact isn't stopping people from buying a lot of it. Estimates variously place worldwide bottled water sales at between $50 and $100 billion each year, with the market expanding at the startling annual rate of 7 percent.

Bottled water is big business. But in terms of sustainability, bottled water is a dry well. It's costly, wasteful, and distracts from the brass ring of public health: the construction and maintenance of safe municipal water systems.

--from "5 Reasons Not to Drink Bottled Water"

Frugal Dieting

I was reading a blog on the housing crisis where the blogger broke down a California family of four's budget to show why expensive housing puts a family making 100K in a bind. Yes, 100K. What most would consider a really, really nice family income doesn't go as far when buying a house means paying 500K to be in a decent neighborhood. One really harsh commenter mentioned how she and her family ate on 200 dollars a month. She said she kept to a size 0 by eating small, and that saved money. Basically, she told the family of four to cut back on food and stop being "blimps."

How nice. The tyranny of the skinny chick on display.

And yet, there is something there. Not in the pride and harsh attitude of the small eater, but in the idea that if we cut back on junk, we can maximize our dollars on good food.

Soda, fancy-schmancy energy drinks, packaged convenience snacks, worthless candy. Preservatives. Sugar. Junk. Fake colors. We don't need them. That's wasted money which could have been better spent on fruit and vegetables and "clean" protein-sources and, in terms of sweets, an antioxidant rich dark chocolate.

Dieting can often be expensive in America, whether it's diet systems like Jenny Craig or Nutrisystem or Diet-To-Go or Bistro MD or The Zone Delivery or the Frankenfood type diets dependent on protein shakes and protein bars and other non-food foods. Any time someone cooks for you, portions for you, weighs for you, and wraps food for you in plastic or foil or paper--you pay more. Yes, it's easier. But it's costlier. And it's not always more healthful if it's loaded with fake nutrition and salt and fillers.

Let's face it. Those of us who are stay-at-home wives and/or moms have no excuse. We have the time to prepare fresh, wholesome meals from scratch. We don't need the convenience stuff, though we may have come to rely on them.

I think convenience plans have their place--say, you're in a stressful job and on deadline and having food delivered, ready-to-heat, let's you have more time doing what's needed beyond grocery shopping and cooking.

In general, making your own breakfasts of eggs and whole grain toast, or oatmeal and fruit, or leftovers and veggies in a whole grain wrap--instead of danishes or sugary cereals or oversized bagels at some take-away place--are gonna help you get your nutrition and fiber and keep the calorie levels under control. Taking a brown bag or bento lunch is going to help you watch what you eat and keep your dollars IN your wallet.

But what about those of us already eating breakfast before heading out, already making low-calorie lunches for work, already planning healthful dinners to cook at home? How can we save even more?

Prices for homes are coming down, but food prices are going up. So, somehow, cutting back is in order for many of us, even those of us wanting to keep to fresh and healthful organic fare.

What are you doing to save on groceries but not skimp on nutrition?

You may want to get inspired by the thrifty cooks involved in the Frugal Cooking Carnival. Maybe you can get an idea for how to tweak their offerings to make low-cost, diet-friendly fare.

One of the participants cooks vegetarian and healthfully, and her menu looks scrumptious.The three-day menu below came out to $7.35 per person. My hubby would hate it, but I grew up eating legumes every day, and I think it looks fabulous. Hey, maybe it will work for you:

Day 1
Breakfast: Oatmeal with apples, raisins, cinnamon, and pecans
Lunch: Black Bean Soup with blue corn tortilla chips
Dinner: Red Lentil Curry with brown rice
Snacks: Oranges, apples, sweet potato, raw carrots.

Day 2
Breakfast: Whole grain pancakes with homemade strawberry syrup
Lunch: Red Lentil Curry with brown rice (leftover)
Dinner: Split Pea Soup with homemade whole wheat bread
Snacks: Hot air popped popcorn, celery, pancakes w/syrup

Day 3
Breakfast: Oatmeal with three berries and flax
Lunch: Split Pea Soup with homemade whole wheat bread
Dinner: Red Lentil Curry with brown rice
Snacks: Sweet Potato, oranges, bread with applesauce

Anyone could lose weight on that high-fiber, vegetarian menu, I think, if the portions weren't binge-worthy.

I know I made some lima bean soup at home where my cost per two-cup serving came out to far, far less than what I'd pay in a restaurant, and I made it all organic, in the slow cooker. Today, I'm gonna make an organic vegetarian lasagna with the veggies I have on hand in the fridge. But I still need to examine where I can cut back here and there to maximize what we enjoy. Meatless, we cannot go. I could, but hubby is not a veggie-fied type, and he's got lactose issues. He won't eat tofu or beans; eggs don't agree with him. That leaves me having to get chicken, pork, beef (what he likes). I buy lean (tenderloin, breast) and that's expensive when bought organic. (I wish the man would eat beans!)

How do you stretch meat in dishes that are low-cal and high-nutrient?

If you have suggestions, let me know.

Onward and DOWNward!

The Odd Comfort of Statistics...and of Good Company

It will soon be a year since I started this blog. My initial weigh-in was 289. That was after already losing 10 pounds from my 299 high. (I probably did go over 300, but since I was avoiding the scale some weeks, can't confirm this. I did weigh over 300 at the doctor's twice, but with clothes and shoes on, well, that 303 was probably 299. Hah.)

Since May 9 of 2007, I've lost 20.2 pounds.

Not a whole lot measured against a year.

It's a lot measured against previous efforts.

Normally, I'd lose a bit, dieting for 3 months, then I'd have regained it by the end of 8 or 12 months.

I may have only lost a total of 20 in the last year, but I haven't regained it in that year. And that makes me feel good. I have a long way to go, but if I lose 20 pounds a year, I'll be at goal weight in 5.5 years. I see that as something positive, not negative. A year of loss, instead of a year of gain.

I got a critical comment some months back about my statistics box in the sidebar. I considered whether it was a good thing or a bad one. Today, looking at it, I find it comforting. I really do. It shows how I made progress, had setbacks, made progress, had setbacks, but ultimately ended up consistently making progress, no matter how slowly.

I read the story once of a woman who reached her goal weight from obesity. It took her a long time, losing at a rate of roughly 6 pounds a year. SIX. A year. But that snail's pace of hers added up. The time it took allowed her to gain new habits in eating and exercise, and ingrain them. (It probably allowed her skin time to adapt, rather than a zooming fast weight loss leaving a bunch of saggy skin, too.) She was mighty patient, but it worked.

Maybe I'm not a rabbit. Maybe I'm a tortoise. It'll take me a while to shed some really bad habits and gain new healthy ones (I'm still avoiding exercise, which is nuts, I know, but I'm slothful when it comes to the sweaty stuff.)

But I'm keeping my stats sidebar. It shows me that progress is not impossible, even for someone with decades of bad habits to shed. And if putting up your own stats bar helps you, don't let naysayers stop you. I find it's an accountability thing. When I don't want to post numbers, I know I'm doing badly, want to hide. Simple as that. A little alarm. (Lately, I just haven't been around, but I had some good days and didn't post.)

Posting the good and the bad are part of seeing my path and facing up to my weaknesses. So, I do it. I leave it there, to the left, for all to see where I moved forward and lost my way and regained for whatever reason (salt bloat, overeating, PMS).

Use the tools that help you. And keep at it. Find new tools as you need them.

It's like getting a degree. We just keep reading, trying, working. I see that learning process in some of your blogs--how you're dealing with buried emotions, with problem foods, with childhood traumas, with learning to cook, with learning to exercise, with friends and family who set landmines in our dieting fields, with adapting to changes in diet and in one's own body shape. A lot of things come into play when we face up to where we've gone wrong, and how to get it right.

For those who are zoom-losers, I do envy you a bit, but I'm just not one of you. I wish I was. To those who are snails like me, let's keep at it. We'll take longer, but we can get there. Whether it's 2 years, four, five, ten. If we keep at it, don't give up, keep open to learning and changing, we can do it.

And if blogging is a tool you can use, use it. Really. It's free.

If other bloggers inspire you, take advantage of their wisdom, their stories, their successes, even their setbacks. We need one another. It's hard. It's worth the effort, but it's damn hard.

But it's possible. The bloggers making great progress prove it. Case studies, right there, taking our questions, offering us wisdom. We can do it. Look at all the successes lighting the path before us.

For those of us with a lot of weight to lose--forty pounds, 100, 200, 300, more--it's a daunting marathon ahead. Gosh, some days, it's enought to make a gal weep.

The Bible talks about the life of a disciple as a race--we run to win, to achieve our purpose, our mission, and give glory to God in doing so. We want the winner's crown, the proof we completed our work.

The benefits of winning the weight loss race are many: becoming healthier, looking better in clothes, gaining mobility, lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, improving diabetes, improving our chances of a good job, diminishing the social stigma we deal with, improving our social life, saving money on food and medicines, living longer with better quality of life, etc. So many reasons to run the race.

Mostly, though, I think it's about finding our best selves. It's about becoming who we are, really are, who we're meant to be when not trapped in adipose tissue, that fat that hinders our ability to do what we need to daily, yearly, in a lifetime. Yes it's a long, long race. A marathon.

With all the blogs around us, those fatfighter blogs, we can start our journey like this:


Lots of company. Lots of excitement at the start of the race. All spiffy and motivated.

But we know that doesn't (usually) last. We get tired. We get injured. This is why I refuse to ditch the blog, because, sometimes, I need the support of other fatfighters, like Heather, Lyn, ScaleJunkie, Honi, Grumpy, CCC, Teale, Lady, T, CC, and others. I need to be in the company of folks who know what I'm going through. Because, sometimes, we're like this:



While each runner is at times uniquely alone in the struggle towards their prize, and can even enjoy days of being someplace quiet and fine and full of peace of mind and deep breaths...



It's good to know that a fellow runner is right at hand when needed.

That's why I blog. That's why I have tools here. Why I keep my sidebar. Why I had a total loss, not gain, for the last year. I'm not doing it alone.

There's good company on the internet.

Thank you. God bless you all.

Onward and downward.

Been THAT Long?

To all those who dropped me a comment in the last month (and yeah, it's been just over a month since I've posted), thanks!

Life sort of intruded, and ALL my blogs--this one, the writing one--not to mention other online activity has suffered.

The week after my last post, hubby got his lay-off notice. So, since then, it's been a bit tense. He's got work until the end of May, then he needs to start something new. Fortunately, we have a cushion in the severance and health insurance through the end of the year.


Looks like, barring some nice divine intervention--which I never rule out--we may need to relocate to another state. This has been the number one source of stress for me. All my family (except the ones in Cuba) are here in Florida. I am emotionally conflicted.

Plus, with the housing woes in the US, trying to sell our house now is a nightmare. And if we relocate, we pretty much have to do something! Sell--while Miami is the WORST city for sales at the moment. Or rent--and try to keep up with stuff from across a continent. Sigh.

But, I have also been preparing--researching housing and other costs in the states we might end up in. Considering how to start going through our 25 years of amassed stuff (since we can't move it all!)

There's also the matter of making repairs and renovations in order to be able to sell. The money is staggering.

I want to stay!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Okay, whine done.

Fortunately, I've not veered too far off in my eating plan. Maintaining has been my mantra (in other words, not stuff my face to comfort myself emotionally and regain), rather than losing.

But I have lost. Hurrah.

Today, I weighed in at 268.8. The last few days I was at 269.0. Sunday, I got as low as 268.4.

So, I am in a slightly lower range, and what I had regained previously is gone.

I've lurked the last week at some old haunts--Chubby Chick's and Lyn of "Escape from Obesity" mainly, just to not lose total touch. I want to congratulate Lyn on her amazing progress, her steadfast commitment to change, her behavioral modifications, and just having lost a honking lot of weight. Her posts are fabulous.

I think she should eventually write a book about it. Really.

Now you know where I've gotten off to. Dealing with life. Trying not to backslide and regain. Still working on bad habits. Still believing I can overcome the fat obstacle...and now the economic obstacle.

Yeah, I really do have faith I can. We can.

For now, I leave you with this blog's mantra...

Onward and DOWNWARD!

Alive Again--More than a Metaphor

To all celebrating the victory of the Lord Christ over death: Happy Resurrection Day!

I was going to wait to post tomorrow, but I'm feeling much better--finally--today, and as this is the day of joy and new life, it's fitting.

Having been sick for three weeks has derailed me,making a mockery of the "Easter Challenge" during which I did NOT challenge myself. It's time to start fresh and renew what has been ailing.

I stepped on the scale and it was 273. A gain of 4+ over my lowest weigh-in. So, definitely, I need to rise up and move on and get with it. I failed. All is forgiven: Move on.

There is no giving up. You and I succeed or you and I, eventually die, and die as non-losers. And I believe that would be very sad indeed.

There is no pity party here. Just a deep sadness that I got off track, a frustration at my body, and a self-reproach at my lack of self-control. Even sick, I should have made better choices.

Let's bury our self-destructive ways. Let's rise up with fresh resolve.

I've spent most of my life over-indulging. That doesn't give life. It robs life from me.

Scripture talks about dying to sin, and a resurrection into new life. Of walking in the Spirit, and not fulfilling the lusts of the flesh.

Overeating is a complex thing--some of us have physiologies that will not let us be easily satisfied, we have medical issues, we have longstanding bad habits when it comes to food--but for the person of faith, there is always the other component: the spiritual. Gluttony is sin. Overeating is wrong. Not just because it damages the body, but because it shows that something governs us other than the Spirit, something controls us other than our rational and godly will. Desire controls us. Pleasure controls us. Temptations control us.

This is, I believe, why it is so difficult to get to a healthy weight when one has become very overweight. We have developed a pattern of giving in to desires, to satifying "the flesh," and that's always hard to break--be it via sex, overspending, anger, gossip, vanity, complaining, worrying, sloth, etc.

Today's holiday reminds me that at the root of anything that harms us is, generally, sin. And it has to be dealt with, especially if we call ourselves people of faith. As a Christian, I don't get an out. Our traditions have always condemned overindulgence in food ( just go study the practices of some saints and Church mothers and fathers when it came to what they ingested.)

God gave us a beautiful planet full of amazing things to nourish us. But we abuse it. We abuse it when we eat foods that are not good foods as our "usual" staples. Cookies and cakes and candies are supposed to be treats--occasional, rarer than wholesome fare. We abuse the gift of good food when we eat so much of any of it (or all of it) that we distort our bodies from their sound functions. I have mobility issues because I am so heavy. I've distorted myself so that I can't function properly.

Granted, at the other end of the spectrum is the denier of nourishment or the person caught up in vanity, the excess self-absorption of size and appearnace, that causes people to obsess about food for another reason--to be sexually desirable and beautiful. It's a gift to be lovely. It's wonderful to be attractive for, especially, the person who is our lifemate. But spending inordinate time on beauty and fitness regimens for the purpose of looking "hot" is vanity, just as stuffing ourselves with food to make ourselves feel good is gluttony and displaced affection.

The New Testament, in the epistle to the Galatians, says this:

It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.

Obsession with eating is a yoke. Obesity is a form of enslavement. We know that, dont' we? It's so hard and it comes with a terrible price. We are not truly ourselves, because we aren't free to go and do as much as we'd wish. Our liberty is curtailed. We are not our masters, some days, most days, but rather food is.

For the believer, the remedy is supposed to be this:

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.

Why? Because the Spririt is power; because in the list of the "fruit of the Spirit" is...self-control. (see Gal 5:22)

A person doesn't get to 300 lbs (as I did) without a serious lack of self-control, no matter what other factors (medical, psychological, familial, cultural) come into play.

I want self-control. I want it bad. But do I want it enough to get past all the obstacles? Wouldn't it just be simpler to get the mechanical-surgical fix? (And, hey, I don't diss that. It's tempting to me, and it is a legitimate resource. But it still leaves me with a spiritual problem unresolved.)

I'm examining myself today--and have been all this weekend--because I've focused on groceries and food lists and weights and measures, but I've seriously neglected what, to me as a person of faith, is the most-pressing component, the spiritual aspect of overeating and of dieting and of health.

So, what I pray for and wish for all of us today, those who believe like I do and those who don't, is new life--inside and out. Renewal. So that we can live more abundantly.

And may next year's holiday see us better in body, mind, and spirit. Happier and healthier. Set free of gluttony. Healed of diseases. Restored in all ways. Out of the tomb of obesity and amazingly full of life!

Onward and DOWNWARD!

Still Sick...

Sorry for the absence. I got worse, and my asthma exacerbated. I'm still pretty much snorting, coughing, gasping, and staying as still as possible. (When I move, the gasping gets way worse.) I have very, very low energy levels, and just poop out super fast, no matter what I do--even fix a something light like tea and soup and toast.

Haven't been shopping, cooking, or weighin-in. Have pretty much been sleeping odd hours (when I get tired, I drop off) and lying in bed or on the couch. The one day I got dressed and went out was cause there was a death in the family, and I went to visit and pay my respects. I ended up feeling worse and having a bit of a setback.

So, I'm in limbo until I get over this bug and my breathing normalizes.

Hope you all are doing much better than I am. God bless. Hope to have better health--and diet--news next week or so.

Easter Challenge: Weigh In, Finally

Sorry, y'all. I haven't posted since the day before my birthday. Birthday week was nice. Lots of enjoyment.

Then not so great. Two words for not blogging: I'm sick.

I tried real hard not to catch the bug that got my hubby, which he picked up at work. Because I have a wonky immune system, I"m a freak about handwashing and avoiding crowds and nose-runny kids and such. I had managed to go 8 months without a case of bronchitis or sinusitis, which is miraculous for me.

But, try as I might by avoiding kissing and cuddling and sleeping most nights on the couch, it still got me. (My grocery delivery guy says lots of his customers are sick, too. Ah, well.)

Anyway, I overindulged birthday week and went up FIVE pounds in one week (combo of too many rich meals with desserts and, probably the biggest scale-upping culprit, too many salty foods), then I got to work getting back down and was doing okay until I got sick and wasn't able to cook and started wanting comfort foods. Yesterday, two fried items and chocolate cake. Yep. I'm ashamed. But I got my organic foods delivery just a few minutes ago, and I have some fresh fruit and nice greens to make up for yesterday's oral debauchery.

So, I'm in the same place as last weigh-in:

269.4

Lost ground recaptured, but no progress.

I hope this doesn't turn into bronchitis, which would mean many weeks ill and steroids (I don't even wanna get into what that does to my appetite and holding-of-water).

I gotta go spit up and get rid of some sinus gook.

Hope everyone is doing well. I expect to post not at all or spottily until I'm over this.

Be well. Be happy. And may God give y'all and me the strength and grace to stay on plan toward a healthier us.

Onward and Downward...

Sparkly Factoid: Fruit Feeds Your Brain!

The reason for fruit's brain-boosting effect? It's all about the flavonoids, those amazing antioxidants that fight disease and might be one of your best defenses against cognitive decline. In a study, people who had the highest flavonoid intake performed best throughout a 10-year period on tests of verbal fluency, logical reasoning, and visual memory.

--from "Your Brain on Fruit" by RealAge.com

Easter Challenge: Small Progress Continues

Well, I did have a bit of a splurge at my Saturday birthday party. Some healthful stuff--chicken fajitas, organic fresh salsa, organic fresh guacamole, whole grain tortillas (low carb), fresh fruit salad, avocado slices, fresh pineapple juice, red wine Sangria.

But I also had fried corn chips and two birthday cupcakes--one orange, one lemon--that my niece and great-niece made for me. The apple pie I baked up was finished before I could get a slice, so a small mercy for my waistline. :)

Today, Mr. Tanita says:

269.4

It's been really nice seeing the 260's on the scale. Very nice. I can officially say I did lose, and am not just doing maintenance fluctuations.

I have really been enjoying my food. More than ever. I think because I've focused on eating WELL, and really have not obsessed about calories, I am doomed to small losses, but I am blessed by really just having oral Paradise. I'm buying top-notch fruits and just sighing over the juiciness. I'm buying top-notch vegetables, and finding better dressings to bring out the flavors. Yesterday, I munched four organic mini-peppers--raw--and they were so sweet and crunchy, it was a special treat.

My hairdresser (who hadn't seen me in almost three months) noticed my hair was looking better, my eyebrows looked great (no more bald spots, beautifully filled out), and my energy was improved. My hubby is enjoying the rediscovery of my waist, and having three home-prepared meals a day (you have no idea how revolutionary that is in our household, where we used to eat everything take-out or at restaurants, practically, including breakfasts.)

I hope some of my other chronic issues can be alleviated by just eating wholesome foods.

But it's nice to have the pleasure. I think all those pre-packaged, preservative-doused, frankenfoods are convenient and, in some cases, easy to count pointswise, but they shouldn't be the mainstay of a diet. I shudder at some of those WW items (I rarely bought them even when I did WW formally) with a gazillion weird items in the ingredients list that are just not food. FOOD.

Today, I"m craving an arugula salad. I have none, and my car is at the mechanic's (since Thursday, she may be on her last legs), so I'll make do with some nice watercress. But man, I really WANT arugula.

The fact that I'm craving that and not cookies or pie or a pizza is pretty amazing.

Oh, and I was craving pizza Sunday. So, I got an organic whole wheat crust (with flax seed oil and olive oil) and made my own with part-skim mozzarella. I couldn't eat as much as if I'd ordered some large one, but I got that lovely pizza taste.

Yesterday I ate vegetarian: egg white omelette with a sliced organic tomato with olive oil for breakfast (fresh-squeezed juice and a pear on the side). And rice and beans (organic) with steamed vegetable dumplings for lunch (with a whole egg on top for protein). I had a red plum (organic) and organic vegan chocolate-covered raisins and almonds for dessert. I also made a vanilla egg cream with club soda, organic milk, and Starbuck's sugar free vanilla syrup. (Yeah, it's a fake crap food, but it's part of the "treat" factor.) That was one yummy "egg cream."

Tonight we're having cajun pork tenderloins (organic pork, organic spices) for supper. Maybe organic potatoes (mashed with organic oil and milk or baked with organic low-fat sour cream) and green beans and carrots (organic all). I've got gorgeous organic Ambrosia apples and organic Bosc pears that we can munch on for dessert.

And I"m gonna feast and enjoy it like nobody's business.

Onward and DOWNWARD...with joy and the pleasure of real food at all times!

Yeah, Baby! And a bit of a PSA...

Those raw lunches must be helping. Today, the scale said: 268.4

My lowest yet. I won't officially call my mini-goal of 269 met (and surpassed) unless I can stay in the 260's. I'm too familiar with ups and downs due to dehydration, hormonal changes, etc.

I better enjoy it before those salty food fluctuations sneak in. ; ) Especially since it's my birthday week coming up with dining out and feasting in the works. (My party is tomorrow, to facilitate family attendance, but it's not until next week. Still bummed I couldn't get a chocolate banana tiramisu raw cake.)

Just to clarify, btw, because of my previous couple posts: I'm not on a raw foods diet. I simply add raw foods now more consciously to my diet. I've always liked having something raw at every meal, just cause, but now I am doing it mindfully, in order to maximize eating "clean."

I still eat meat, eggs, and dairy. In fact, I am a bona fide cheese junkie. Me loves the stuff. I just eat organic cheese, eggs, and meats now. Although, I really don't like the grass-fed beef, so, I may try to find a "wellness" category beef (ie, humanely raised, no antibiotics or hormones, etc.) I do very much like the organic chicken and pork. Lovely. And I'd been buying (and paying more) for cage free, vegetarian diet, omega eggs for years. I simply now focus on ORGANIC fed ones, too.

I will say that the low-heat pasteurized, grass-fed, organic milk is very nice. It spoils faster (a week in the fridge, pretty much), but it has a very nice flavor, and, hey, happier cows. I'm a latte fiend, so I've been using this organic milk for those coffee treats.

I do notice my appetite is calmer (post period), which is the norm. Crazy hunger pre-period, nice and calm with no chocolate cravings after. I walk right by those truffles and organic choco-covered almonds without so much as a sigh. Give it two weeks and I'll be insane for 'em.

I hope y'all had a satisfying and healthful Valentine's Day. Impress on your loved ones to buy you non-food treats, when possible, on such occasions. Or, if chocolate is in the cards or stars, to buy fair-trade treats and flowers, and organic when possible. Better for communities globally and better for your body, er, locally. :)

I've long supported aid to third world communities via donations, but I figure it's time I buy more consciously, too. I shouldn't support slavery or abusive pricing just cause I want something to eat. I shouldn't support poor farming techniques that ruin the land just cause I want roses in my vases.

Just like I watch my water usage in and out of the house. (I pretty stopped watering my lawn when we got into a drought. I maybe add water once every 8 weeks if the grass is very yellow.) And just like I try to remember to switch off lights, etc. Every little bit helps overall.

It costs more to buy fair trade and organic, but it's easier on the conscience...and the world. And if your budget only allows partial "conscience" buying, then that's better than nothing. (If you eat berries, pears, an any other fruit or veggie where you consume the skin/husk/outer, focus on those. If you have kids, don't give them meats and milk with hormones. It's just really bad for growing bodies. It's not evolution that girls are getting their periods years and years sooner than their grandmas. It's hormones in food.)

PSA over. Let the lunch munching begin...healthfully!

~

MANGO MADNESS: Amazing Raw Fruit Pie!!!

I had bragged in a previous post about the Glaser Organic Farms raw fruit mamey pie.

Well, yesterday I had a delivery of their fresh, raw products (shipped next day in a cooler), and the mango raw fruit pie is UNBELIEVABLE!!! I wish I had ordered a whole bunch to have one EVERY DAY~~~!!!

Mango is my fave fruit. Unfortunately, it's not good every day and the crops seem to be iffy in the past years. Also--expensive. But it was a delight to have it made up in a raw pie. Gosh.

I had wanted to order a raw cake for my birthday party (this Saturday, though my b.d. is during next week), the chocolate banana tiramisu, but it wasn't possible to have it shipped. I'd have to get it at their farmer's market event. Oh, well. Maybe some other Saturday.

I also have tried their chocolate pudding (no dairy, raw, vegan, fabulous, but pricey) and their Spinach Pesto (soooooooo yummy). I wish their farm or farmer's market was close by. I'd be dropping by weekly for stuff. They sell out fast at Whole Foods.

If you're ever in a place with Glaser Organic Farms mango fruit pie (or mamey, or pineapple), try it. Especially if, like me, you go nuts for mango.

Mmmmm.

Big Bummer ....and HALLELUJAH!

Bad news: When I went to weigh-in today, there was a pool of water where my scale is. Leaking from heavy rains yesterday and last night. We've had a small leak since Hurricane Madness a couple years ago, but, apparently, it's worse. We had roofing guys come and check it out back when, and they kept saying it wasn't the roof. No building contractors were free (after the multiple hurricane whammies of two-year's running, it really was nuts here finding people to fix stuff). Now, money is tighter, and it's stressful thinking of going through that hassle. (I will not stress eat, I will not stress eat, I wil not...)

Good news: After hubby and I wiped up the wet mess and I moved my scale to a dry spot:

269.2

Dang. That's a relief. Clearly, sleeping 12 hours has its benefits. I was sure I was gonna be up after all that soy sauce in my macrobiotic-vegan supper yesterday. Well, okay, I added extra. (If you ever get to try one of the Macro-Vegetarian ready-to-eat bento boxes, I recommend the one with dumplings and brown rice with adzuki beans. Faboo.)Note: Each Bento Box has two servings, and I ate both. So, double the nutritional/calorie info at that link. Double the sodium, too. Yikes. But, hey, 12 grams of fiber!


There ya go: Good news, bad news.

If anyone's had a leak that wasn't the roof but some structural thing, drop me a comment on how you went about getting a contractor and what they did. Thanks. I'm all about gathering info now.

I need coffee. Lots of coffee to go with my organic fresh-squeezed OJ, organic splelt English muffins, eggs, and papaya.
~

Easter Challenge: Well, um...hm.

270.2

My lowest. Still "maintaining" though. Just a pound difference, which, really, is not significant other than it not being a gain. :) No breakthrough.

Eating too many calories to lose, but eating really fresh, really good food, mostly. Let's say 95% is high quality, organic, fresh, home-cooked, non-processed, nutritious food. The rest tends to be, er, chocolate or a piece of some desserty thing. Or coffee syrup, sugarless. I'm hooked on sugar-free coffee syrups now--caramel, cinnamon dolce.

So, well, nothing great to report, but nothing horrible to report, and the stasis pretty much continues.

It's allergy time here for me (and my hairdresser, sister, etc). Something in the air has me (and others) all sneezy and scratchy. Thank God for Zyrtec, even if it's not a diet-friendly drug (appetite increaser). I take one every day and have for years, and when I miss a dose, I know, because the itching becomes unbearable. Combined with Singulair and my steroid inhalers and Serevent , the drugs let me BREATHE and function. I remember the years of NOT functioning, cause my immune system is wonky. But, maybe part of the price is weight-related. It was when my immune system went totally whack and I had to quit working that I gained 130 lbs. Prior to that, I was reasonably active and worked, studied, walked, swam, etc.

So, yeah: 270.2

Goal: to break into the 260's by next weigh-in. Please, Lord. :)

What Four Habits Extend "Youth" and Life?

When healthy, middle-aged men and women in a study scored high on all four of these important health behaviors, the combined effect was a four-fold reduction in mortality risk -- an outcome equal to being 14 years younger!

The answer is HERE.

One of those Freaky Things

Yesterday, I had insane hunger and appetite issues. I think it's cause I'm trying to reverse from nite owl to day bird again cause of stuff coming up for which I need to be up in the sunlit hours! The weird strain of switching over, as I call it, does things to my appetite.

So, I woke up at 8:30 pm Sunday, and then didn't go to be at all Monday. IN fact, went to bed this morning at 7:00 am. So, I was up for a day and a half. And I was hungry.

Then I wake up this afternoon and got on the scale, figuring I'd have a bit of setback from the switch-over binge-ies.

No: 270.8

Now, whether it's a delayed reaction thing, or a "awake burns more calories than asleep" thing (although I'm so sedentary I might as well be sleeping), I dunno. Or a dehydrated thing. Or just one of the freaky things of the human body.

C'est la dieting vie.

I'm hoping my appetite is not crazed today/tonight.

~

Easter Challenge: Pretty Much Holding

Last week was 272.0.

Today was 271.2.

Essentially, I'm still in the holding pattern. Yeah, that's .8 lb down, but that's still in fluctuation/maintaining range.

But, better that than up, I say.

So, along with some other bloggers who have stuck around the same numbers for weeks, I'm struggling to recapture momentum.

But I'm not gaining. And that's a plus in my book. Any week of a little down or the same is a minor victory.

This is my birthday month, so I'd really like to get some fire in my belly over weight loss again. I'll be praying on it.

I've been doing a lot more cooking, which is good. It was one of my goals to learn to make stuff both that I liked and hubby would eat. (I'm a pretty crappy cook.) Hubby was very happy with the boneless blackened pork chops I made last night. It was a nearly 100% organic meal--the meat, the potatoes, the apple, the carrots, and the onions and cajun spices were all organic. The extra-virgin olive oil was not. (Although I have purchased an organic one, the one I've used for years is Goya, a Spanish EVOO that has great flavor and terrific low price, not the high-priced gourmet sorts.) My iced tea was from "fair trade" tea. So, hey, a pretty virtuous meal in various ways. I had papaya and blueberries for dessert, with a homemade "specialty" coffee. (I love that sugar-free caramel syrup from Starbucks. I add some quality cocoa powder with the caramel syrup in the coffee, and some milk, and it's just yummy.)

Obviously, I have not been going hungry!!!

I have some organic spinach soaking for degritting. I'm in the mood for a spinach-strawberry salad for lunch. What protein, not sure. Maybe I'll add some sort of cheese. I have an organic Vegan bento box meal in today's grocery delivery that I can have for my supper.

I may make a pizza for Tuesday, when hubby and I watch American Idol (he's hooked on it, I could take it or leave it.) I have an organic crust, organic mozzarella, and organic tomato sauce and veggies. So, yeah, that's an option.

With the economy being really shaky, and hubby's employer being VERY VERY shaky, I figure I had better start learning to make things we enjoy and that can be easy on the budget. So, more "home economics" sort of thinking will be going on round here.

I suppose eating LESS is economical and would please the scale, too. :)

Happy week and FEBRUARY to all. And for those of you who follow the Christian tradition, enjoy your feasting tomorrow, since Wednesday is Ash Wednesday, and the start of Lent. Easter is getting close!

Onward and (one hopes) DOWNward!

Ever Eaten a Raw Fruit Pie? Ever Eaten Mamey Sapote?

If you answered no to one or both of the above questions, you're in for a treat.

If you can get hold of one at a Whole Foods near you, try the Glaser Organics raw fruit pies. I bought one because the colors were so fresh and beautiful--the intense deep pinkish orange of the mamey, the gold of the pineapple, the green of the kiwi. It was just a gorgeous looking pie.

And reading the ingredients was uplifting: all raw, all organic, all fruit and fruit juice and nuts. No white flour. No preservatives. No crap.

The one I bought was a Mamey Raw Fruit Pie. It has mamey, mango, pineapple, kiwi, dates, orange juice, bananas as well as almonds, pecans, walnuts and coconut (making up the really surprisingly delectable crust). Spices, too.

If eating raw tastes like this, sign me up for more raw gourmet food.

I'm gonna try their other flavors. I've already bought their spinach pesto raw sauce for pasta. (I'm so digging the Dreamfields lower-carb impact pasta. Hubby loves it, too.)

I try eating something raw at every meal and, ideally, at every snack. I figure that way I get the nutrients and enzymes undamaged. But I liked cooked food too much to be an all-raw enthusiast. (And I ain't eating raw meats of any kind ever!)

So, that's my food discovery for this week. Visit Glaser Organics site and see what other lovelies they have that you can order if your Whole Foods or organic gourmet shop doesn't carry this brand.

Try making one for yourself. Here's a beautiful array of raw food photos and recipes.

Happy healthful eating!
~~