Big Day

So, I guess I now get 35 points.

Weight Watchers began a new diet plan today that ups the number of points we get, and ups the number of points foods are worth. The new plan is great because it factors in carbs, protein, fat, and fiber instead of calories, fat, and fiber. I like the idea of doing a better job accounting for my carb intake, but I do have some work to do to ween myself off of bagel thins and lite English muffins. Those went from 1pt to 3pts.

Tomorrow will be my first opportunity to test the new wine points. Of course, those points went up. Rats!

Day one was successful for me in keeping within my allotted points, but I am still two points shy at 10pm. I'm not hungry, but I have to eat something. I have lots of fruit, but fruit is now free, so that won't help me fill up those points. It's amazing. If this really does lead to weight loss, then I guess I should be happy. More food, less weight?

The only downside I can foresee so far (besides my general anxiety about change) is that it is very difficult to estimate points easily. With the old system, it was easy to figure based on calorie count and fiber, but now there are too many factors, not including calories. I hope before long it will become as second nature to me as the old way, right?

I'd love it if any fellow WW people out there would be willing to let me know what they think of the changes.

Happy Thanksgiving

We're eating out for Thanksgiving this year. Yippee. But at least I've prepared by eating a very low-cal breakfast. That way I can indulge a little more at lunch without screwing things up too much. On the other hand, I saved all my flex points and activity points so that I can go a little over the top!

My food-related thanks list:

1) I am thankful for having enough food so that my burden is overeating and not going hungry.

2) I am thankful that I have learned how to be a healthy eater. More particularly, I'm grateful that I'm learning how to allow some indulgences without returning to a life of 90% indulgence and 10% healthy.

3) I'm grateful that I have learned to love healthy foods that I used to hate.

4) I'm grateful to be 60 pounds lighter and for all the related benefits that brings me.

5) And I'm grateful for my family, who tries to be supportive of my healthy eating decisions and who doesn't try to push bad food on me.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Small Victories

The other night, I spent a few hours as an emotional wreck. Just really freaked out for a variety of unsolvable and overblown reasons. It happens sometimes, right?

I had just got home from an evening of eating and visiting with some friends, and I had really overdone it on the calorie front. That wasn't one of the reasons I was upset, though. I am figuring out how much indulgence I can reasonably work into my life, and this was all within the range.

But when I hit that period of emotional craziness, I of course thought of food. I thought how I might as well just go schnarf down whatever is in the kitchen (which is pretty low on junk as a rule, anyway). I thought it would make me feel better to have something delicious to eat.

Then I said, "No." I thought about my stomach. It felt full from the dinner I had with friends. It didn't want or need more food in it. I thought about my emotions, and whether food would really make my sadness less intense. I knew it wouldn't--it would make it worse, in fact, because I'd feel guilty for behaving foolishly. Even in the midst of bawling my eyes out, I knew. Food would be of no use to me, so why go to it for some kind of false sense of security? Why do that to myself? Don't I deserve better than that?

So I just sat and bawled without food. When I got done crying I felt the same as I would have if I had bawled and eaten. But I didn't have the calories in me to go with it, making things worse.

This is another of my series of little victories. I'm making things work. I'm becoming better at being conscious of my patterns and impulses, and I'm fighting them to be healthy. We all need to be conscious of what we're doing all the time, but most especially when we're feeling unhappy, out of control and vulnerable. Each time we pay attention and combat the bad tendencies, we win. And winning feels good, even when the rest of you feels bad.

Finally...a little home cooking

Of course I still have plenty to do, with grading, laundry, and the like. But it's cold out, cloudy, and there's freezing rain falling. My work can wait for a little time in front of the stove. I've earned the right to cook a little for myself! I had bought some lentils awhile back to make soup, and there was a good sale on canned corn the other day, so I thought I'd do a little Google search for a recipe that called for those two items.

I came up with a corn and lentil soup! One recipe was listed on multiple web sites, so I thought it must be good, and even better, I actually had everything in it already in my cupboards. According to my calculations, it's only 3 points for 1/8th of the batch, though, it's looking more like there could be 10 servings in it. I have yet to measure it all out. If there are ten servings, it's only 2 pts.

It's a meatless soup, but it would be easy and delicious to add some turkey or chicken if you wanted. In fact, I purposefully didn't call it a vegetarian because one of the alterations I made was to use part chicken stock instead of water. The recipe calls for seven cups of water. I did three cups of water and four cups of chicken broth. I feel that will make it more flavorful.

I also used a whole can of corn instead of just one cup (a can is about 2.5 cups) and I used a can of diced tomatoes instead of two fresh ones. I don't keep fresh tomatoes around, typically, and canned was easier. I strained the liquid from the corn but put the whole can of tomatoes in, juice and all. I also had a little bit of spinach in the fridge that needed to be used, so I threw that in as well.

I also added a little of my Trader Joe's Everyday Seasoning to my bowful, just for added flavor. It's not a strongly flavored soup, but I don't like adding too much salt to stuff. Overall, it's a great, healthy soup and very very easy. I spent maybe 10-15 minutes prepping it in total, and then you just have to wait for it to simmer for 25 minutes. I can do other stuff while I wait. Easy!

So there you go. A little winter warmth in no time at all. Best of all is that soup always tastes even better reheated, so I'm stoked to see what the coming days' servings bring!

Best Life Resource

Now that I carefully look over nutrition labels at the grocery store, I've noticed an increasing frequency of the "Best Life" label on various canned and boxed items. I got curious and looked it up the other night after a trip to the store, and I found out it's all part of the Queendom of Oprah. Of course it is.

I admit to a little eyebrow raising on realizing this. I have no significant problem with Oprah, but I always feel like she's just inundating our lives with her Awesome Answeryness. And when it comes to health and food, I can't decide whether she's a great role model (she's struggled with weight just like we have, so she knows what it's like) or less great (she can't seem to keep it off). I do admire her for making herself such a success, but I also get the sense that she Knows She's Successful. All caps.

Anyway. Digression over, I dug a little deeper and found out that Best Life is a subscription diet program by Oprah's Current Favorite, Bob Greene. (See? Everything about her seems to require All Caps. It just happens that way. It's weird. Scary.) It seems like a decent program, encouraging healthy eating and exercise. I don't think an all-online thing would work for me in the social support sense, but more power to people who can make that work.

What I found most useful was a list of the products that have the Best Life label on them. They are all foods that are considered high in various nutrients like fiber, vitamins, minerals and low in nasty saturated fats and sugars. This is a nice, easy way of being sure you're getting something good when you're in a hurry.

However, I have gripes. Of course I do. Some of the products I see on the list are ones I've noticed have hydrogenated oils (i.e., trans fats) in them and chemical ingredient lists. I'm not sure how those are really consistent with a "Best Life." I mean, obviously, I don't 100% avoid those things myself, but it does seem inconsistent to me at a programmatic level. And, honestly, Weight Watchers does the same thing, so I can't claim superiority of my method or anything. But I would like to see a program that's a little more careful about that.

The other gripe is one that has no real fix, but I have my suspicions that there might be a connection of brands on the list and a little under-the-table support for Mr. Bob Greene. I can't prove it, but I'm enough of a cynic to wonder what kind of ties there are. One way around this is to compare other brands at the store to the brands listed as Best Life to see if there's anything different or cheaper that has the same nutritional stats. Barilla pasta makes the list, but that doesn't mean other whole-wheat pastas won't be as good. Same for the soups and yogurts.

In the end, I just thought the label was worth mentioning as a decent shortcut when you're at the store looking for something fairly nutritious. Nothing replaces careful consideration and label reading, but when time doesn't allow, go for quick and easy, right?

A New New Orleans Dinner

As I write, my stove top is cooking Red Beans and Rice. I found it in my cupboard. It's Tony Chechere's brand. I apparently bought it awhile ago and forgot about it. It's a couple months past the "best by" date, but I'm sure it's fine. If I croak, you'll know why. What made me think to cook it, in spite of the fact that it will likely make my current upset stomach worse, is that the nutritional label kind of appealed. Each serving (two per box) contains 150 calories, 1 gram of fat and 5 grams of fiber, which adds up to only 2 pts! With that low a point count, you could add some meat and still have a very reasonable meal! Even without meat, the beans give it a good amount of protein (8 g) on its own, which is how I plan to enjoy it. It would also be good with some bell pepper, onion, or broccoli if you wanted to add an additional healthy punch. In fact. Excuse me while I go add some peppers and onion to the mix.

Tra la la. I also added some fresh mushrooms.

I think I'll save this post and come back to it after I eat it to make sure it's good. Of course, I could have done this whole post after getting done, or edited for past tense. But what fun is that? Isn't this semi-live blogging so much more exciting? Aren't you just all anticipation right now, wondering what I'll write after the taste test? Egads, how can you stand it?

The suspense is over, and the verdict is: delicious. It's a bit too saucy (not in the "oh, you saucy minx" good kind of way). I think next time I will reduce the amount of water. It calls for 2.5 cups, but I'll probably put in 1.75. It's that soupy. However, the taste is fantastic. I'm very glad I added the peppers, onions, and mushrooms. Go Veg!

There are two caveats here. One is salt. It's...not low (830 mg). The other is that, like any packaged food, it's got artificial ingredients aplenty. That means I'll use this as an occasional meal rather than for a frequent solution. But you know what? I'm good most of the time, so I don't feel too guilty enjoying a little simple boxed meal now and then.

We Are Worth It

I'm home from my conference adventure, with good and bad news. The bad news is that the conference was completely, perpetually stocked with food...just, literally, all the time. And I'm a sucker for free food. Well. For free anything, let's be honest.  The good news is that the perpetual stash always contained fresh fruit, lowfat yogurt, nuts and other moderately healthy snacks (along with croissants, sugary cereals and ice cream).

I can report that I made some really healthy decisions--lots of fruit, lots of yogurt, lots of salads. I can also report that I made some really less healthy decisions. Ha! It's hard to say no to a croissant or warm cookie. It's virtually impossible to say no to a free croissant or warm cookie. But in the end, my decisions this time definitely were much better than they would have been one year ago, and so I am counting this as an overall victory. I am still learning to say no, but I'm not refusing to say no. I occasionally wasted time beating myself up for the bad decisions, but I really have to focus on the good things I did. That's what will keep me motivated in the future.

This morning, my scale indicated little damage was inflicted anyway, and I know that part of this is that I exercised every day that I was gone except Saturday. I went to the hotel gym, took a walk with a friend, and then of course we did lots of walking around the Duke and UNC campuses as a bonus. All of this bodes well for the holidays! Moderation and exercise will keep me in check without forcing me to completely deny myself anything.

Before I go back to regular blogging about food ideas and recipes, etc., I wanted to post something else that caught my eye this morning. My college friend, Sara, posted to her blog about her successful weight loss. She's always been thin to me, but I understand her motivation to push for her ideal, and I wanted you all to see it. It just shows that we all are capable of doing whatever we choose, so long as we have the motivation to do it! Sara is a devout Christian, and her faith has been part of her plan, too. That's pretty great. I support using whatever resources you have in your life to make things happen!

We are worth the effort, and we will be rewarded according to the effort we put in!!

Travel Eating

This week, I am going to be traveling a bit, which is always an adventure in healthy eating. What's worse is that this is a conference where meals are often provided, so I'm kind of stuck with whatever they're putting on offer for that. I can control how much of it I eat, but if I don't eat enough I'll be hungry, and then I'm more likely to eat whatever I can get my hands on. So, I've learned to do a bit of strategic planning for these kinds of events. Here are some of the things I've learned to do.

1) They have yet to decide to take away food from our carry-on, so I always have some snacks with me on the plane. I get bored and nervous when I travel, so I like to have a snack to keep me calm and rational. Plus, if you get anything at all on the plane, it's usually junk like cookies that are no good at all for you. Not to mention a total mystery in terms of calories and fat. If I eat what I know, it's all accounted for.

I usually get pre-packaged stuff like granola bars, 100-cal packs of cookies and crackers, some Just Fruit snacks (apples, mostly), little boxes of moderately healthy cereals, maybe an energy bar. I try to make it exciting by having things I don't normally buy (read: expensive stuff) because it makes me feel more excited to fly...I hate to fly. That way I get something healthy but also fun and rewarding.

I try to take enough in my carry-on to last through the flight out, and then I pack extra in my suitcase that I can eat while I'm away and for the return flight.

2) That leads to my second strategy, which is always to have stuff in my conference bag while I'm going to sessions and stuff. I not only have stuff in my bag, but if there's a little grocery nearby I'll go and stock up on some food that is harder to transport in a suitcase for the flight, like real fruit and vegetables. If there's not a fridge in the room, my options are slightly more limited, but I can usually find stuff to get me through. I'll also look for anything unusual that we don't have at home, so I can experiment. Even if it's something a little unhealthy, it's fun to try something new!

If there's no grocery nearby, I just make do with whatever I have in the bag, more carefully rationing for the whole trip.

3) When there's an option, I've recently started choosing a vegetarian meal for anything I'm doing as part of the conference. Usually (not always) that's healthier, though sometimes that means cream sauce. This annoys me, but what can you do? It's a risk that's worth taking. Then when I'm out with friends and have a choice of the menu, I can decide whether I want a meat-based entrée. I'm in better control then, so it's great.

4) I try to walk around a lot, too. Conferences are high on butt-chair intimacy, but I just do what I can to walk walk walk. If that's sneaking out for a bit for a walk around the block, that's great. If it's taking the stairs a bit, better. If it's going to the hotel treadmill, I guess that's okay. :)  Mostly, it's just a matter of doing the best I can without making a big stink about it. It's just that every little bit helps, so why not?

If possible, I also try to get a map of the surrounding area. If I can find a restaurant to walk to with friends, that's a great way to exercise while socializing and finding a fun little hideaway restaurant away from the craziness of the conference hotel.

5) Last, I try not to be too hard on myself. It's likely I'll go over my points. It's likely I will be too tempted by the cupcake place down the road to resist entirely. I'm sure a glass of wine will be just the thing to go with dinner. I'm positive that ice cream place just down at the corner will scream my name. It's okay!! I'm on "vacation." Work vacation, but whatever. I let myself be a little bit indulgent just so I don't feel deprived or that I'm missing some element of the place where I am. If I can be good most of the time, I don't have to worry about the occasional treat. If I come home a pound or two heavier, then I'll just take care of it when I get home! :)

So, there's my pep talk to myself. Dena, be good at this conference. Do your best to stay on track. But be a real person with joy in your life, too, and let a little bit of that joy be found in food. It's okay!  I hope you will do the same!

Boredom boredom, random random

So it turns out that this week has not been the adventure in cooking I had hoped. Surprise surprise. I've been home late every evening for one reason or another, so I end up coming home and just kind of snacking my way through dinner. And dessert (of course). Similarly, this blog entry is more of a collection of snack-sized bits rather than a coherent meal.

But then, you know. What's wrong with snacks (or random blog entries) so long as they're healthy?  Nothing, really, but guess what? I'm eating mostly the same, boring snacks, too! I guess that's what happens at midterm. I get bogged down in routine, in chaos (which is my routine), and in being too tired to put in the effort. Being too tired to want to stop at the grocery to get whatever it is I need to make something better.

The only real risk...really...is that I could probably end up snacking myself back into being unhealthy. I'm so far keeping it all tracked...keeping it mostly tracked...but. But. But. The risk is there that I could slip, particularly given the high percentage of sweets I've consumed. The holidays will be a danger zone!  I definitely find myself hungrier these days along with a higher point count too early in the day. So, yeah. The snacky patterns have to change, even though my schedule won't!

What am I?

I did buy a new kind of squash the other day, so at least I'm following my "new food of the week" rule. I actually have no idea what kind it is. I'm attaching a pic, in the hopes that someone can help me. That way I'll know what to do with it. I suppose regardless of type, there's the old, boring, predictable "bake it with butter and brown sugar" gambit. Given the theme of the thread, perhaps that is its fate anyway!

I also got a blog idea I wanted to point out. On the Blogs list to the right there, you'll see Debi and Terri's Recipes, which is a blog recommended to me by a friend who's in WW. The blog is written by two WW leaders, and the recipes look amazing. Pretty natural, too. Not too filled with artificial junk.

A friend very kindly gave me a tin of cookies that you must try! Pepperidge Farm makes petite Pirouettes, which we called "cigarettes" when I ate them in Lyon, France in 1998. The link you see there takes you to the regular size because I can't find an official bit of info about the petite ones, but if you buy the little ones you can have two of them for 60 calories (1pt)! Very satisfying. I have the chocolate hazelnut kind. 

I do have a few more simple recipes I've come across in the past few days. I plan to make a series of recipe entries in the coming days that will help me as much as anyone else. If you have some to share, let me know.