Cottage Cheese

Today I realized that cottage cheese has so much great protein. There is a note on the new design that highlights 16g of protein in on serving. Wait 16g of protein in 1/2 cup of cottage cheese!?!? How did I miss that? This coincides well with the disappearance of Chobani Vanilla. Cottage cheese has become a great pre-workout snack! It just requires me to go to Fairway to get it... :)

Non-carb snacks - Part II

Edadame: Not too bad. I will definitely have to play around a bit with how to cook this. There's the option to cook the entire pod and eat out of the pod or remove from the pod and just cook the beans (seeds?). I boil the whole pod first but I think I overcooked it. Next time I am going to try roasting just the beans to see how that is. I think I'm going to prefer eating out of the pod. It's just a more enjoyable eating experience.

Snap Peas& Hummus: This was pretty good. Just like when I started to eat more veggies, it takes a bit of getting used to. It's not as satisfying as a pita chip would be. I definitely have to be very picky with the hummus quality. I got TJ's roasted red pepper hummus, the consistency is a bit mayonaise-y for me. I'll have to make sure I get a really good hummus, usually the pita chip is so good that it covers if the hummus taste isn't the best. I really like the crunch of the snap peas though. Plus if I can bring snap peas & hummus and celery & PB it adds 2 more veggies to my daily routine!

The more I eat these, the more I enjoy them. Ana says it takes 10 times to really determine whether I like them and with each day, they become less of a choice and more of a daily routine!

Mixing up the snack routine: Non-carb options

I finally took some of Ana's suggestions on non-carb snacks:

- Replace apple & PB with celery & PB

- Sunflower seeds

- Edadame

- Sugar snap peas with hummus

I'll post separately about my edadame and sugar snap pea adventures when I try those. For now, let's talk celery and sunflower seeds:

The celery is okay - not nearly as satisfying as apples. I am sure I'll treat myself to apples a couple times a week when they are at their peak this fall. However, the celery is do-able. It has a nice crunch to it. I depend on the taste of the PB more with celery than apple for sure. Another trick - cut the celery longer. When I ate celery with dip, it was mainly about the dip. You have to eat celery b/c then it will at least look healthy. The celery was the "vehicle" (as Ana puts it) to the dip. It should be that the dip is the vehicle to eat the celery, more celery than dip. Definitely not the case for 20's Rebecca. I discovered if I cut the celery longer, I use the same amount of PB but I eat more celery. Fun discoveries as I return to my life as a healthy eater.

Sunflower seeds are much smaller than I expected. These sat in my kitchen for several days before I tried them. It was a mental thing, I had to leave my preconceived notions of the "seed" at the door. When looking at the nutrition facts, I was shocked at how high the calories are! I have to say, good thing I didn't check in Trader Joe's I might not have bought them. I have to be very careful with these bad boys! Definitely measure out, not in a cup either - in the shot glass measurer. However, these should be filling even in small quantities. I had to buy the seasoned kind. I am all about baby steps! They were surprisingly good. Definitely perfect for a small snack. Not need for me to get into eating whole almonds, these are perfect replacements for that. Now I just have to find a baggie small enough for them... Annie carries around almonds just in case she needs something, I think these will be my "just in case" snack. Perfect since they don't add bulk or weight to an already ridiculously large workout bag :)

Two down, both passed the test. Onto the final two....

The relapse and the recommitment

Clearly it's been a while since I've been here. I hit my goal and was in "maintenence" phase. This summer I went a bit off the wagon on vacation (aka limited to zero reserve in my eating - you could call it a 'see food' diet). Now I'm back. For the first time in 18 months I actually have to look at my closet and ponder my wardrobe based on whether I'll fit into it. It's a horrible reality. So after the Iowa State Fair last week (who can eat healthy there?!?!) I came home and returned to my smart eating.

The new goal - to get to 160 by Dave's wedding. It may not happen but I won't let weakness and bad eating choices be the barrier to it. Back on the wagon and focus on the end goal.

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful." - 2 Timothy 4:7

Shorts

I can't recall wearing a pair of shorts since high school (they just didn't work well for my size). I've been thinking about getting a pair, NY's been brutally hot this summer & my summer casual wardrobe is minimal - a couple dresses, a couple skirts. I'm in better shape with tops. Since I had no plans last night, I headed off to Macy's & Old Navy at 34th Street to check it out. I found a pair that seemed long enough to work - they can't be too short ... I'm not a 12 year old I've got hips and thighs. I wore them to church today & it worked out famously! I'll be grabbing another pair before Wednesday when the sale ends. Branching out in my wardrobe! :-)

Rewarding myself

Ana and Christy both expressed concern on my tendency to 'reward eat.' When I was talking to Christy, I wondered aloud what I could use as a reward. For her, a trip to the gym or just vegging in front of TV fora few minutes is a treat for her. Honestly, I lead a pretty selfish life. I have few responsibilities and pretty much can do as I please. A trip to the gym is basically a daily occurrence, I watch TV based on my schedule. Since I'm so cheap, I don't want to buy unnecessary things as a reward. Plus my weight loss is much less drastic now do it would be hard to choose a threshold. I've been thinking about this all week. How to encourage myself to make good choices? I decided a points system is best. For every good choice, temptation I don't give into to - I will reward myself a point. Then I'll accumulate points. Not sure what the threshold will be but when I hit like 50 or 100 then I'll allow something frivolous. This way it's like linking the cheap, saver in me with my need to make good choices in my eating!

Travel

This week was tough! Good food and no control of my schedule. I give myself a 7 out of 10. I stayed away from the empty calories for the most part but the desserts got to me. Oh sweets why do I love you so? I had several small victories, no fries with Chick-Fil-A, skipping the potato chips at lunch. However I didn't resist the cookies with lunch and had dessert with dinner. How often will I get a peanut butter mousse?!? I was good and worked out so that slightly offset it but it just reminds me why I'm glad I don't travel often for work. It's a landmine! I'll take my normal hours that allow me to control my food and hit my favorite classes at the gym. Occasionally it is fun & a treat. :)

I regress

So I celebrated my birthday for two weeks with totally off the wagon eating. Cake, Olive Garden, vacation... I had no self-control. It was really hard to stop. Today I talked to Ana who brought me back to earth. I worked hard for my deadline of 2/23 and without a goal I've floundered. My "reward" eating is back. "I've earned it", "it's vacation so it's allowed". Slippery little slope and I was back in my old (size 18) mindset. Amazing how easily it was to return to my old ways. So starting tomorrow I am back. It'll be tough this week as I'm traveling for work but small victories and control will dictate my life again. I go to my physical in a few weeks. Last year I told the doctor I was "working on" getting my weight under control. I have and I don't want a couple weeks to undo some of my hard work. March 29 is the new goal, I want to remain in the low 170's so my achievement is properly reflected. It's a hard road but I just must remember how fleeting the enjoyment is. "A moment on the lips, forever on the hips!"

It's a fake!

I have become quite the connoisseur of apples in the last 6 months. When fruit became more expensive in the fall I needed to replace my strawberries or grapes with something and apples were in season. So apples it was! Ana suggested adding peanut butter for some healthy fat and a new obsession was born. I tried out various types of apples (I like Pink Ladys, not so much for Galas) but settled on good ole Granny Smiths. Crispy and slightly tart they are a great match for the peanut butter. Now apples can be expensive. I started buying at Fairway (paying by the pound) until Trader Joes (henceforth known as TJs) started to stock Granny Smiths. They charge by the apple so it's much cheaper. I'm the crazy girl that stands examining apple after apple until I get the best deal, the holy grail - big and bruise free. I strive to get the most for my dollar at TJs. Now don't misunderstand me here. I LOVE TJs. There food is great, made in a healthy way and such a good deal. Typically I don't notice a difference in quality based on the price. Inexplicably, TJs can just make things cheaper without me noticing. However, that is not generally true in their produce. There is a noticeable difference in produce from Fairway or West Side Market and TJs. It's a real splurge for me to get Fairway or West Side because it's more money but I usually tell which grapes are from TJs. Apples sadly are no different. At times my Granny Smith is not a Granny Smith. It's a runt of the litter. Usually, the problem is the apple is not as crisp as it should be. It's just a huge mid-afternoon disappointment to bite into the apple and have it be a counterfeit Granny Smith. Today was one of those disappointing apples so I thought I'd share. Bring on the real Granny Smiths please - no compromises for me!

Walking....

So one thing that I started to do more diligently when I set my goal was walking to work. It's about 4.5 miles round trip and takes my commute from 20 minutes to 45 minutes. However, when I started in June it burned another 500 calories! Totally worth it. So as I've lost weight those numbers have gone down (it's now 385 calories) but still an impact. Another bonus of this is my commuting costs have gone down drastically! Now in NY I am spoiled with transportation costs, the most I'd pay is $104 to get an unlimited subway pass. Seriously, everything else is so expensive something should be cheaper! With all my walking, I just calculated (I still am an accountant) that I have spent an average of $35 a month on the subway since November. That includes all transportation, not just commuting. Not too bad! So those cold mornings that I just grit my teeth and walked were worth it for the calories and the cost savings! YAY!!!

It's finally here!

After nearly 11 months of hard work, some harder than others, my goal date is finally here. I not only met my goal but I shredded it. I'm 15 pounds lighter than the original goal and instead if just under 11 months, it took my just over 5 months to make my original goal. Yay for accomplishing the goal!

Fun thing from my heart rate monitor watch. It puts a cake on the display for my birthday. LOVE IT!

I started with size 12 but bought size 8!!!

The first time I've ever bought something in an 8! I remember being a size 11 in 7th grade but I have never bought an adult size 8 before. Now Ann Taylor Loft may run big in pant sizes but NOTHING can describe the feeling in the fitting room when I put on an 8 and it fit. I only grabbed it as a shot in the dark because they didn't have a size 10 in the pants I wanted. So to determine that 8 was the right size and to buy 3 pants in that size is just astounding. I STILL can't believe that I will be wearing a size 8 to work on Monday. It's just amazing. It's been such a journey for me and this is just another milestone! Woo hoo!!! This is as exciting as the moment I hit 185. Just speechless with excitement!

The 160's

It may be just a brief foray into the 160's but as of my weigh-in this morning I was in the 160's! 169.6 I was sick yesterday with the flu/stomach bug so I literally ate about 100 calories all day (as Emily says in Devil Wears Prada, "just one stomach bug from my goal weight"). I thought that would help my weigh-in but it's still a great feeling to be in the 160's, as brief as my time here is. Just another motivation to keep hitting the gym.

I can see the changes. Even when it doesn't show on the scale my waist is getting smaller. My stomach is nearly flat in pants now! I was able to wear the Express size 12 pants to work this week for the first time. Still no luck with the Brooks Brothers size 12 skirt so I must keep at it. I WILL wear that skirt!

"Skinny" jeans

So I've held off getting new skinny jeans but I recently bought knee high boots. Naturally, I wanted skinny jeans to wear with them so off to Salvation Army I went. $5 later, I had the perfect jeans. I have to say the calfs are tight but I think I just have big calfs. My date with Mr. Speed Dating was the perfect occasion to debut the look. I have to say I felt really skinny! My stomach appeared flat! (It's not yet but the jeans were tight enough to create the illusion). Here's a pic. Another example of why, day by day, I am making healthy choices. This is what a girl who eats brussel sprouts gets to wear! I felt like a hottie :)

Post Christmas Weigh-in

I decided that after my undisciplined Christmas I wasn't going to weigh in the first Friday back. So today was the second Friday - time to face "the number." I didn't get a chance to work out last night, Diane had a spare ticket to a Broadway show (Harry Connick Jr.'s show) so I couldn't pass that up. That didn't help my feeling about this weigh-in. I just didn't want to be back in the 180's! So on the scale I climbed and took a deep breath. It is what it is. I couldn't change reality. The number came back... 171.6 - I didn't gain ANYTHING! That is amazing! Just inspires me to continue to work hard. Six more weeks until my birthday!

Coat Closet

So I was hanging my winter coat a few weeks back recalling last winter. Last winter, I finally had to give in and buy a plus sized coat. I had no other option, we need a coat in NY winters and I couldn't wear an XL ski coat to work, just not right for a buttoned up accounting firm. It was definitely a low for me. I was always proud of that fact that I didn't have to shop in the 'Women's' section (not by much though!) So whenever I hung my coat up in the coat closet I tried to cover up the label so people wouldn't see that it said 18W. Mentally an 18 was very different than an 18W for me. I didn't want to go as far as cutting the label, that just screamed I'm ashamed, but really the impact was the same. I was hiding my size. I told myself, 'You don't look like a 16' (well really I was an 18 but people definitely weren't told that!)

This year, I hung my size 10 winter coat up with pride. Anyone can see that number, it's been hard earned! Wow what a difference a year makes! :)

Biggest Loser

So at the beginning of my weightloss journey my sister encouraged me to watch the Biggest Loser. She has mentioned in passing for years that I should watch the show. I'm sure it was a hope that it would inspire me to make a change. I never took the chance - someone I worked with put it very eloquently, "I never watch something that would make me feel bad about myself." So when I decided to take control, she said I should watch Biggest Loser as another form of support/inspiration and I did. I loved a couple people on the show (Olivia, Hannah) and I totally found it more inspiration. I am super behind so today I am watching a bunch in a row (I haven't liked the contestants as much this season so I didn't keep up). Some things they said really resonated with me.

One guy was talking about how people would respond to his weightloss at home. He acknowledged he would have to get used to the shocked expression. People will see you in a different light and it's so true! I have definitely experienced that. For the most part, I really enjoy the reactions (some are slightly offensive about the compliment). I think I blogged about it when I went to my cousin's wedding. I think it takes a couple times seeing me before people adjust to the "new me" - as my friend Sarah puts it, Rebecca 2.0. At this point I think we're at least at Rebecca 3.0 or 4.0, I've made some efforts to 'clean' myself up but not until these last 6 months did anything really stick.

Another girl commented on the milestone of going to the 100's from the 200's. I can't tell you how long I was over 200 lbs. It was just a fact of my life. I will never forget my call with Ana the week I broke 200. I was at my parents for my vacation this summer and she said "how does it feel to never see 200 on the scale again?" I'll never forget that moment. She just knew that this was real, this was forever - stated it as a fact. I am a different person, I can call myself skinny! Regardless of the contestants, this show shows the true story of weightloss. It's a lot of work, a lot of sweat, commitment, and determination but it's a great sense of satisfaction. The ghost that has haunted people for years (decades for some) is finally gone, you have conquered what so many in America struggle with. Today was just a moment that I could sit here today and identify with these folks. At this point if I don't lose another pound I did it. That's all that matters. I am in the 170's (well hopefully, the post Christmas weigh in hasn't happened yet...) and that is something I will forever celebrate. I know what it's like to be in the 230's. The work was tough, the food was not always as good but the reward is so worth it!

Christmas

I went a bit off the wagon. I didn't diary my food, didn't even really measure it. I stayed pretty on track with meals but the cereal consumption was much higher than usual. I justified it by eating out of small cups/mugs so I didn't eat a full serving each time. Christmas only comes once a year. It was way harder than my summer visits to the lake. In the summer, I'm out being active, enjoying the lake. In winter you are cooped up and the food was just calling me.

Back to reality, I won't weigh in till next Friday (1/13). I don't want to know what the damage was. I need at least a week to get myself back on track then we'll see. I just hope I didn't go over 180.... Time shall tell, I just need to be disciplined with my food and committed to my workouts.