How To Cook And Still Stay On Plan

April 26, 2010 By

We are a family of nine, and not surprisingly everyone likes to eat. Whereas I used to be a drive thru queen, these days we rarely eat out. That leaves two options – either everyone is one their own, which isn’t practical, or someone has to cook. Fortunately, over the years I have moved from being ambivalent about cooking to finding joy in preparing meals for my family. I collect and adapt recipes like other people collect shoes, and often try new recipes, even if we are having company. (Sometimes with less than stellar results.)

This begs the obvious question. How do you prepare healthy, appealing meals while either losing weight, or maintaining a healthy weight? There are several strategies you can use to prepare food for other people or for your own family while watching what you eat. Here are some simple ideas that I used while I was in process of losing 150 pounds and still use today.

Plan your meals- By simply planning what you and/or your family will eat for all meals during the week you will have taken your best first step at controlling your food and calorie intake. I got in the most trouble when I didn’t know what we were having for dinner. That is when we would order pizza, run through a drive thru or pick up something quick to prepare from the grocery store, like fried chicken nuggets, etc. (Here’s a meal planning worksheet you can use)

Adapt your recipes – Are there family favorites you don’t want to kick off the menu? In most cases you don’t have to. By looking at each ingredient you use and changing them or adapting them when necessary you can still enjoy your family’s favorites without blowing your weight loss plan. I’ve put together a tip sheet you can print for adapting recipes. As long as your portion size is appropriate you can eat without guilt.

Involve your family- Family support is one of the greatest gifts. My class participants who have support from family and friends undoubtedly have an easier time than those who don’t. Before changing everything you eat, sit down with the people who you are cooking for and discuss the changes you’d like to make. This could involve the cessation of purchasing high calorie/high sugar snacks, etc. By gathering input from everyone, it will make transitioning from fatty foods to healthier foods easier. This is what I did when I started losing weight. I explained my plan and asked for input. We decided together on a plan of action. We gradually changed some of our snacking habits, choosing to attack one thing at a time rather than changing everything at once. This worked well for us.

Believe me, I cook for a lot of people and I don’t always make everyone happy. (Especially the little guys!) By planning meals, adapting recipes and involving the family I think you will find that you are able to successfully cook meals that everyone appreciates – and usually likes!! 

Question: What techniques do you use when cooking for other people?  Diane

I came across this great article, Healthy Eating Begins at the Supermarket that you might find interesting.

Filed Under: cooking, Meal Time, Weight Loss Tagged With: , ,

Today Would You Please Thank A Friend?

April 19, 2010 By

I’ve talked before about friends who aren’t supportive of weight loss efforts, and how relationships can change for the worst after one person in the relationship makes a change in their appearance and lifestyle.

I realized that although that can be reality, there is another type of friend that I wanted to applaud, and that’s the friend who stays true to the relationship even in the midst of turmoil.

I had a friend like that during my time of obesity. I had a friend who stuck with me through weight gain, pregnancy, more weight gain, and finally weight loss. She saw me on both sides of my weight journey and her attitude and opinion of me never wavered. Her name is Joy. (She is on the far right in case you were wondering. I seemed to always put bows on my head when I was heavy. I don’t know why.)

I appreciated her support and friendship more than she will ever know. She never made me feel bad when I needed to sit down at the mall. She never said anything about my homemade jumpers, and was just my friend.

When I started losing weight she was one of the biggest cheerleaders I had. She noticed every new item of clothing I wore and even complimented me on my new healthier food choices. When we went out to eat she never encouraged me to eat more than I wanted to eat, rather she and I ate similarly (for a change!)

It’s sometimes tempting for me to focus on the friends who weren’t nice and said mean things – or said nothing at all to the exclusion of applauding those friends who were consistently there and unchanging.

I think it’s so important to surround ourselves with people who are positive and life affirming. It’s easy to get sucked into the vortex of unhealthy living when all your friends are “doing it” too. Supportive people who genuinely care for you and don’t judge you regardless of your size are treasures.

Am I recommending you ditch your unsupportive friends? Not necessarily, although they may ditch themselves. But rather I would like to encourage you to use this day as:

That’s right – email, call, or mail a letter to a friend of yours who is supportive of you in your life journey. They will be glad you did, and so will you! 

Who is your most supportive friend? Will you tell them thanks?  Diane

By the way – I did email Joy and tell her thank you!

Filed Under: Appearance, Choices, emotions, Weight Loss Tagged With: ,

What My Kids Think

April 14, 2010 By

People ask me all the time what my kids thought about my weight loss and what they think of me now. They really are two separate questions.

When I lost 158 pounds over 12 years ago, my oldest child was only seven. And as such, she was a little bit aware that I was changing in front of her eyes, but not 100% aware. I’ve asked her what she remembers from that time period and she says she was a little worried I wouldn’t be the same mommy anymore. She also remembers me taking her on lots of long bike rides – something I had never done before that time.

I remember very vividly coming out of the bedroom dressed for church one morning and her saying, “Mommy – that’s the prettiest you have ever looked.” I had lost about 80 – 90 pounds by then and I felt so grateful that she noticed and could articulate the difference she saw in me.

My other two children were only 3 and 1 at the time, so they weren’t aware of the changes.

Now, with seven children, the youngest four being born after I lost all the weight, they have no concept of what I used to look like, or act like! When they see pictures like this one below they say, “Who is that lady?”

Me and the Cow

I laugh and tell them it is me in the picture and then silently thank God that I don’t look like that lady anymore.

My kids are very proud of my accomplishments, but more important than that, I think they take to heart the message of good health and healthy living that I try and model for them.

They were one of my primary motivators to get healthy. I didn’t want to die from a complication of obesity and leave them motherless when I could change my health status. I wanted to be around for a long time. And I wanted to be an active part of their life – not just sitting on the couch trying to muster up enough energy to get up and see something they had made in another room.

I look back and am so thankful that I lost the weight, got healthy, and have kept it off. My kids think it’s great to have a mom who blogs, speaks about weight loss, and interacts with them. I think it’s great to have kids who are fun, active, and full of life!

So there you have it – an answer to one of the many questions I get through email, etc.

Do you have someone in your life who thinks you are doing a great job? Or someone who motivates you to never give up?  Diane

Filed Under: Weight Loss Tagged With: , ,

Procrastinators Unite!

April 13, 2010 By

Are you a procrastinator? If you are you are not alone. I live with several procrastinators, all of whom I love dearly but sometimes make me a little crazy!

You see – I am not a procrastinator  in most areas of my life, but when it came to getting started losing weight, procrastination was something I did very, very well. I put off for tomorrow what should have been done today.

It’s funny for me to look back and realize that in very few areas of my life did I ever procrastinate. When I worked in an office, I got things done on time and didn’t wait until the last minute. At home I got dinner to the table on time and didn’t stand around and wonder what we should have. And when I was in charge of something at church, it got done.

Not so with weight loss.

I found lots of reasons to procrastinate, like:

♦It’s too close to a holiday.

♦I like to start these kinds of things on Monday

♦I just put it out of my mind when the chocolate bell rang for me.

♦I really hadn’t outgrown my clothes – really.

♦I just made a cake and who’s going to eat it if I try and diet now?

♦We might be going out to dinner and it was too hard if you went out to eat.

♦I didn’t feel ready.

♦We were having out of town company come next month.

And on and on.

I realize that I kept procrastinating about really getting started because of many different reasons. I was fearful of failure, I didn’t want to deprive myself, diets never worked for me, I was too tired to exercise, I thought of the journey as all or nothing. There were so many reasons I couldn’t even begin to list them.

What finally got me off the procrastinator merry-go-round and on the right path? A visit to my doctor. I stood on his scale and realized, perhaps for the first time, that if I didn’t do something RIGHT THEN, I could easily keep gaining weight until I weighed 400 pounds or more. And I started that day.

Were you a procrastinator? And if so, what finally got you moving again?  Diane

Filed Under: Choices, Weight Loss Tagged With: , ,

The Benefits of Organization

March 20, 2010 By

When I first got married I was a “messy.”

Messy at work

Messy at home

Messy in the car

Messy pretty much everywhere!

It’s funny to think about because it was only John and I. Honestly – why was it so hard to be neat and organized? I’m not really certain, but I’m pretty sure it’s because I was lazy. After work I didn’t want to spend time cleaning the house or cooking so we’d just go out to eat and then see a movie. On the weekends vacuuming seemed like such a waste of time, and it was much more fun to go shopping or visiting with friends.

Once the children started coming along my organization skills picked up considerably, and by the time we brought baby number 5 home from the hospital I finally had my act together.

Why am I mentioning organizational skills on a weight loss/maintenance blog? I am mentioning it because I think it is important when working on such an important area of your life like losing weight to get healthy, it’s also important to think about other areas of your life that could help you in your endeavor to get healthy and fit.

And I believe that being organized in general can be helpful when attacking a weight issue. At least it has been for me.

Here are some things I do to stay organized, even with seven kids: (And although I TRY, I’m definitely not saying I’ve got it all together!! Definitely not!)

I try and only touch papers once. Whether it’s mail or papers the kids drag in, I look at it, file it, toss it, or handle it.

I loved the FlyLady website and daily emails. For a time I followed her plans and it really helped teach me how to keep my house cleaning without cleaning all day long! (And by the way – I don’t like cleaning!)

I have a set schedule for the big jobs – like cleaning windows, the garage, the game closet. That way if it gets messy I know that it will get clean shortly.

I involve the family. Even though I have a large family who can help, I don’t want them to feel as though they are constantly cleaning. So we have small things to do each day, and then have a Friday cleaning time, where I make a list of everything that needs doing and they pick what they want to do. We can clean our whole big house in about an hour. Then we are done!  Here’s what a list may look like:

  • dust everything
  • sweep all the wood floors
  • mop the kitchen
  • general straighten
  • organize library books
  • clean all bathrooms
  • vacuum house
  • straighten up pantry
  • clean your own room

As a reward, after we are done, we have homemade pizza and watch a little kid movie. It’s amazing how fast cleaning happens when something good is waiting at the end.

I make daily to-do lists. This helps a lot – even if I don’t get it all done.

I look at a room as I’m leaving it. When I leave the bathroom I take a quick glance over my shoulder and see if there is anything I need to take out with me, or something I should put away before I walk out. Training myself to do this has helped a lot. Now if only the kids did this too!

Being organized around the house has helped me with my weight maintenance. Because I don’t have to spend a lot of time and/or energy with the household chores I find it enjoyable to plan meals, precook foods, and fix healthy snacks for everyone. It also frees up exercise time without guilt.

How do you feel? Do you think that trying to be organized can help you in achieving your goals? Diane

One place I still don’t have any good organizational skills is the car. If you have any “keep the car clean” tips I’d love to hear them!

Filed Under: Meal Time, Weight Loss, Weight Maintenance Tagged With: , ,

Weekend Eating

March 19, 2010 By

I loved the weekends. Weekend food was fun. Cinnabons in the mall. (Yes, the plural was deliberate) Large buttered popcorn at the movie theatre, chips and cheese after the kids went to bed, special “just because” desserts and fast food restaurants were normal fare for me before I lost 150 pounds. Why is it that even when I was dieting, which quite frankly was often, would I throw all care and concern out the window just because the clock said 5:00 p.m. and the calendar declared “The Weekend Has Begun!”

Weekends throw us off our schedules. Monday thru Fridays are predictable for a lot of us. Weekday by weekday we go through our days knowing what to expect. Predictability helps with weight loss. So when the weekend comes around with its crazy kids schedules, get togethers with family, birthday parties and errand running, our predictable eating schedule is out the window. Unfortunately for me, also out the window would go any semblance of making good choices. I really wouldeat 2 Cinnabons, which I now know have 813 calories a piece, washed down with a diet coke.

I would let the freedom of the weekend schedule be an excuse to “take a break” from my diet and every time I did that, I’d fail to start my diet back on Monday. The freedom of weekend schedules can be wonderful. It’s healthy emotionally to have some days during the week that you are able to catch up with friends and get some things done around the house. But with that freedom comes the pitfall and danger of letting down your guard with regards to your food choices. Year after year went by with me using the day of the calendar as an excuse to eat whatever I wanted. And year after year I got bigger and bigger.

The year I lost weight I realized that weekends were yet another thing I had to worry about.

Previously the different diets I had tried felt restrictive and rule oriented, so when I started losing weight using my own plan, I wanted to lose weight in a way that I could follow always, not just on the weekdays, and not just until I lost weight. I wanted something that really would become a new way of life for me.

So using my three steps, I started losing weight. Weekends which were previously a food free for all became less about the food and more about relaxing and enjoying the family being together. I consciously chose to not overeat, not buy the Cinnabon when we were at the mall, and bring my own snack to the movies. (I know, you’re not supposed to do that, but who is  going to tell?!)

Realizing and acknowledging that weekends were dangerous for me was one more step towards achieving my goals. As you head out for kids ball games, trips to mall, cookouts with family and friends, remind yourself that the weekends are about recharging your emotional batteries, and not about eating as much food as you possibly can! 

Even to this day, all these years into maintenance I am still deliberate about not overeating on the weekends. How do you do on the weekends now as opposed to before you started getting healthier?  Diane

Filed Under: Choices, excuses, obesity, Weight Loss Tagged With: , ,

Excuses, Excuses, Excuses – “I’m Not Ready”

March 17, 2010 By

In a previous posts I’ve talked about some excuses that I hear when people try to explain to me why they just can’t seem to diet and lose weight. There are a myriad of them, and I used them all at one time or another. Here’s one excuse that I hear very frequently – not only as a reason to not get started but as a reason peole quit before they reach their goals. And when I say “people” I’m including myself, because this is something I said over and over again!

It is:

I’m just not ready.

Like I said, I used this one myself for years, so I can come at this excuse from both sides.  From the side of having lost 150 pounds and kept it off, and the side of weighing 300 pounds and telling friends, “I’m just not ready to commit to a weight loss program.”  When people tell me this now, this is what I think: What are you not ready for:

High blood pressure? 

Bigger sized clothes? 

Diabetes? 

Difficulty with your joints? 

What?”  

When we use the excuse, “I’m not ready,” what are we really saving?  We are saying “I’d rather deal with all the problems being overweight brings, than try one more time to get my weight under control.” 

That’s what I said.  I’d rather not fit into the seat belt or develop a potentially serious health issue than try to get healthy.  This excuse really doesn’t make any sense does it?  After all, who would willingly choose the unfortunate consequences of obesity over the benefits of healthy living?  When you see it written like that, it may give you pause.  Has your doctor ever cautioned you about what lies ahead if your weight doesn’t improve?  Mine did, and I didn’t listen very well.  He told me that I was heading down a slippery slope that was going to be harder and harder to climb up if I kept letting my weight creep up.

He was right.  It was a lot harder to lose 150 pounds than to lose the 50 I needed to at that point in time.  I didn’t listen to him then, but rather continued to gain and gain.  If you are midway through your journey right now, don’t be tempted to give up and tell yourself “I’m not ready to finish,” and let it go at that.  Tell yourself, “I’ll never be READY, so I may as well continue/start right now.”  That’s what I finally did.  I realized there was no perfect month to start.  There was no perfect day to get started, and there was no magic to a certain program.  I started, and I didn’t completely stop until I reached my goal weight.  It’s not about how long it takes, but the fact that you continue to try that’s important.

Have you ever felt “not ready” to get started? Do you ever feel that way along your journey?  How do you keep on track?  Diane

Filed Under: excuses, Weight Loss Tagged With: ,

Don’t Go So Fast!

March 9, 2010 By

At the end of one of my classes two friends and I were talking about the fact that sometimes we don’t really take the time to enjoy the food that we eat.  I was reminded of a talk show where I heard a woman speak on really taking the time to taste the food we eat.  Why should we have to be reminded to take the time to taste our food?  For me, when I was overweight, the food choices I was making weren’t about health and nutrition.  The food choices I was making were about instant satisfaction and feelings.

As I migrated to the pantry numerous times throughout the course of the day, I usually wasn’t hungry.  Most often I was bored, stressed, or anxious.  When I reached for my hidden cache of cookies or candy, the last thing on my mind was what do these M&M’s taste like?  I never sat down with the big yellow bag and thought, “I’m going to savor these M&M’s and really experience the taste.”  No, I grabbed a big handful and dropped them in my mouth.  Then I grabbed another handful, and another, until I was “full.”  Unfortunately a few hours, or sometimes just a few minutes later, I was back at the pantry again, looking for more.  As I’ve often said, “I didn’t get to be obese by eating a lot of healthy food.” 

During the year that I lost over 150 pounds, I gradually came to the place where those M&M’s (you fill in your favorite food,) or whatever I was inhaling at the moment just weren’t worth the pounds gained and the guilt experienced.  Over time I stopped overindulging in high-fat, high-sugar foods.  However, there were times during that year when I really wanted to have M&M’s, or whatever.  I worked hard to develop a habit of really thinking about my food and slowing down the eating process.

Rather than pouring the candy from the bag right into my mouth, I would just have a few.  And rather than chewing them up so fast that I almost didn’t realize they were gone, I slowed way down.  Have you ever eaten just one M&M, or one chip at a time?  Have you ever really tasted a Dove chocolate?  Can you describe the salty explosion of chips when you first taste them?  I couldn’t.  But during my weight loss year, I learned how to really taste and enjoy the food I was eating. 

I would encourage you to (1) stop migrating to the pantry or break room vending machine, and (2) to stop and experience your food.  You may find, as I did, that a little taste of that food you are craving is enough to satisfy the longing for the food without breaking your “calorie bank” for the day.  Even to this day, with my weight under control, I still take the time to really enjoy the food I eat.  I don’t always sit down at the table because with seven kids, I’m often running in twelve different directions.  But I no longer guzzle candy like it’s water.  If I choose to eat some candy, or cookies, I eat them with deliberate intent.   And I really taste them, and I subsequently really enjoy them. 

Have you found that slowing down and really tasting your food helps you control your portions?  Diane

I’m going to be in and out over the next few days for personal reasons. If I don’t get to your blogs please forgive me! I’ll catch up as soon as possible! Stay strong.  Diane

Filed Under: Choices, Weight Loss Tagged With: ,

What About Fat Acceptance?

March 3, 2010 By

When I was overweight I struggled greatly with self-confidence and with self -esteem. Maybe they are one in the same. I never felt comfortable in my new bigger body and winced every single time I actually looked at myself in the mirror. I have given a lot of thought over the past months to the concept of self-acceptance. On one hand you read about people who have accepted their body shape and size exactly where they are and don’t want to change anything about themselves. On the other hand, there are people like me, who just couldn’t accept my new body and tried valiantly to change.

In thinking about acceptance and self-love, I was very curious what you think about the concept of accepting your body where it is and not feeling the need or desire to change anything. Perhaps even accepting your body at an unhealthy weight, thus opening yourself up to the myriad of diseases that often accompany obesity. Is this wise or even possible?

I’ve counseled a lot of people who struggle with their weight – in person, over the phone, through email, and with the class I occasionally teach. One thing I’ve rarely found is the person who doesn’t desire a change. The change may be losing 20 pounds, or if may be losing 100 pounds, but the desire is still there. What isn’t there is the acceptance and happiness of how their body appears and functions right then. And for them, that unhappiness is often the impetus that drives them to make hard choices.

Choices concerning their food habits, emotional eating patterns, activity levels, and more. They make those choices to try and change the course of their current path and hopefully improve their health at the same time. Sometimes those new choices are lifelong, and sometimes not. But generally they don’t give up completely.

What of the individuals who don’t really see the need to change their lifestyles to improve their health and appearance? Are they wrong? Are they being truthful?

For me, there were times during my struggle with obesity where I outwardly “gave up” and professed contentment and happiness with myself. Personally, I wasn’t exactly being truthful with myself, John, or my friends. Inside there was still an internal struggle raging with regards to my weight. I said I was “happy” but I wasn’t. I said I felt “healthy” but I really didn’t. I said I didn’t “need” to change, but I did.

This is a touchy subject, because there is a fine line between accepting who we are but at the same time knowing there are positive changes that could be made, and accepting who we are period. I feel that although there are obese people who are healthy at the moment, over time, their obesity will begin to affect their health in a negative way.

What’s your take on accepting where you are even if your health may be jeopardized? Good idea or bad?  Diane

Don’t forget that today is the last day to enter the Gym In a Bag giveaway! The giveaway ends at midnight CST.

Filed Under: Choices, obesity, Weight Loss Tagged With: , ,

Working Out At Home (Gym In A Bag Giveaway!)

March 1, 2010 By

A few weeks ago I hosted a giveaway for a Gym In A Bag, and guess what? Jerry at Gym in a Bag was so impressed by your comments that he wanted to give another one away! Thanks Jerry! I’ve been using it consistently since I got mine and have enjoyed feeling stronger and more toned. As I told Jerry on the phone the other day, not only can I tell a difference in my shoulders and arms, but I feel that I’m standing up straighter, making me a little taller – which I love.

If you don’t remember what Gym In A Bag is all about, let me remind you. Instead of the traditional rubber bands, or round resistance bands that you just grab onto, the Gym in a Bag uses a patented system utilizing cuffs. Why cuffs? Because as Jerry said, “Using bands was never supposed to be about the grip, but rather about isolating and strengthening muscles. Whenever you grip something, part of your energy is going to the grip and forearm, taking away some of the effectiveness of whatever exercise you are doing.”

That makes a lot of sense to me. And although I’m not Kim Lyons, (who demonstrates their product) I think I’m looking better than I did before!

Here’s Kim demonstrating the cuffs – you can see she’s not gripping the cuffs with her hands, but rather letting them rest on her wrists. This is the big difference between this system and all other bands.

kim lyons start example

kim lyons finish exampleSo do you think you have to join a gym to workout? And how would you use Gym In A Bag if you won?

I have to admit a bias here, because I have never joined a gym in my life. I’ve visited them several times with friends who invited me along to see their favorite gyms, but I’ve never actually had my own gym card. I also have to admit that I’m not fit in the same way as MizFit or Jody, but I still want to improve.

I’ve known many people throughout the years who have had that gym card in their wallets but it never saw the light of day. They paid their fees, went a couple of times, and stopped going. And these weren’t obese friends, but rather average sized men and women who just thought that the financial commitment to a gym membership would make them exercise on a more consistent basis. For them, it didn’t. I have also had friends who joined a gym, loved it, and go very consistently.

What if you can’t afford a gym membership, or don’t feel comfortable in a gym, or just don’t want to join a gym. Can you still get a decent workout at home without all the fancy gym equipment. Of course you know what my answer is: YES! You just have to DO IT, and Gym In A Bag is a great way to start!

I’ve done a little bit of everything during my weight loss years and the 12 years since I’ve hit maintenance. I’ve gotten weights, rubber bands, stability balls, and kitchen chairs and I’ve used them all at different times. I’d encourage you not to let lack of gym membership funds stop you from working out and strength training. I’d also encourage you to visit the Gym in a Bag website and check out their product.

How can you win a Gym In A Bag of your own this week? Well, leave me a comment letting me know how you will use the Gym In A Bag, twitter this post using @fittothefinish, or write a little blurb on your site, linking back. For each entry, please leave a separate comment so I will be able to count you properly!! The contest will end Wednesday at midnight, CST, and is only open to US residents. Sorry to my foreign readers!!  Diane

Disclosure: I received a Gym in a Bag to try and now you can win one!

Filed Under: Exercise, Weight Loss Tagged With: , ,
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