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Diet Diary

Day 92: Do Children have internal Radars?

June 3, 2010 – 12:34 PM

Am I just lucky, or are all children born with a radar system that tells them when Mommy is not available? Mia and I had just finished our workout this morning, Alexandra was down for a nap & Mia was happily looking at her books when I decided I’d try to get a little work done. I’m not even kidding – the MINUTE I picked up the phone Mia decided that she needed something to eat or she was just going to DIE! So, I got her a few apple slices and a drink, got her situated & sat back down to work. I had no sooner gotten on the phone with the office when Alexandra starts crying, and I’m not talking about the little whimper that says “I’m awake Mom” – I’m talking full-blown someone-poked-me-with-a-pin hysteria. Of course, I told the person on the phone that I would call back later & ran upstairs to find Alexandra lying in her bed pulling her own hair & screaming hysterically. As soon as I got her fingers untangled from her tender little baby hair she quit crying & after a few minutes I managed to get her back to sleep. PHEW!! “Okay” I thought, “NOW I’ll get downstairs & get some things done.” Riiiiight.

I sat down at the computer, had just gotten “in the groove” writing an article which was already very late, when I heard these little feet sneaking up behind me. I ignored them and kept on writing – I mean, I just HAD to get this done!! Pretty soon, I felt little hands pulling a three-year-old body up on my lap. “Fine,” I thought, “I can type with Mia on my lap – no big deal, I’ve just got to finish this page.” But of course, Mia has to sit with her head right in front of mine, effectively blocking my view of the keyboard, the bottom of the screen, or anything really useful for that matter. After trying repeatedly to resituate her so that I could actually see what I was doing I totally lost my cool when she started “typing” with me. All of a sudden little aowihehaej a;lk  iht words started appearing in my perfectly crafted article. “MIA!” I shouted, “What are you DOING?! Why can’t you go play for five minutes?!”

Denim blue eyes framed with long black lashes looked back at me with a mixture of shock, fear and hurt. “Mommy, I just want to be like you.” Ouch.

The article can wait. Today we’re blowing bubbles.

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Featured Articles

From Instinct to Extinct

May 20, 2010 – 1:23 PM

The great, liberating thing about losing weight and getting healthy is the fact that it is 100% done by you.  The worst thing also happens to be that the problem is created 100% by you.  For most of us, the health and physical shapes of our bodies is one of the only things in our entire life that we have 100%, total control over….pretty hard to make excuses when you look at it that way though!

The goal is take FAT from (seemingly) instinctually “wanting to be there” to “wanting to be EXTINCT.

So you know, excess fat only grows where your brain tells it to. Your brain only wants it to be there because it is confused- this can happen for a lot of reasons. Sometimes we learn bad food habits growing up (the standard “I don’t care if you’re full, finish what’s on your plate!” comes to mind). Sometimes the bad habits are cultural – my grandma (who was from Germany) used to tell us about eating “goose-grease sandwiches”. Yep, goose-grease. As in goose fat smeared on bread. Yummy! While other food patterns are picked up who-knows-where. Either way these bad habits only serve to make the situation worse. Sometimes we don’t even realize we have a habit and that’s the hardest one of all. Anyway, these habits progress with time, sometimes fading out, or trading places and other times just getting worse.  Makes you think about your kids, doesn’t it?)

In order to achieve any goal, you have to set one.  This is one of the easiest things to do and doesn’t require a date of December 31st to begin to take effect! So today I am going to set a goal to try to identify all of my food habits, figure out the good from the bad & try to eliminate the bad ones from my life so my daughters won’t be plagued by them when they grow up. Okay, is that one goal or three?

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Diet Diary

Day 83: Truth or Dare

May 19, 2010 – 10:03 AM

I would much rather live in a state of ignorance than have to look at who I really am…the “me” that no one else sees. But if I do that, where will I get the challenge, or confidence I need to improve and progress? The me that hides behind my jokes or sense of confidence or even clothes is the real me I have had to learn to see.
You have to find a way to do this yourself and it is hard. No one is perfect and we all want to be. There you have it. A truth that we all run from and often deny, but that we all understand.
For me, I got honest with myself when I decided to put up a blog on the internet. At first it was just for fun and then I realized that writing something public that others would see was actually liberating – the possibility that someone would read it and decide they didn’t like me anymore became something I was less and less afraid of…until it just went away completely! The more I wrote, the more public I became about what I was going through (perfect or not! – ideal or completely screwed up) – the easier it was to become really honest. And once you get there…there’s no turning back. Once you tell your family you are on a diet, you are disgusted with your weight, you hate the way you look and you are going to do something about it (not, how I usually would pose this…Typically, these statements would be accompanied with some sort of – it’s-really-not-my-fault-and-I’m-starting-next-week-bit – as I reach for another handful of skittles) – you will be amazed how ridiculously stubborn you will get with yourself in making sure you don’t upset the game!
I was my own coach and cheerleader and opponent, and I would bet that you are too (whether you realize it now or not). What happens next is… you invite people to the game – but the only person they see is you, “the home team”…(you are also your own opponent – your worst enemy)…so, are you going to win or lose?

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Tid Bits Articles

Corporate Rat Race

May 18, 2010 – 8:14 AM

I’ve talked with a lot of women who speak of my “old world” (the corporate rat-race) with a sort of romanticized terror – they love the idea, but are terrified of the hard, cold reality that life entails. For me, that love/fear combination perfectly fits my thoughts about turning into a house wife and stay at home mom. Something I dreamed about but would wake me up in a cold sweat. I mean, talk about NO CONTROL!!!!   However, I’ve noticed that since I started applying a new philosophy in my life (focusing on health and LONGEVITY rather than my typical “I need results TODAY – no matter what!”), I have put aside some of my insecurities & related stress…and life is more fun, and easier….so far.  But there’s one thing that’s for sure, I have managed to stay challenged

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Real Life Diary Recipes

Day 79: Favorite Quick Bread Recipe

May 11, 2010 – 10:26 AM

Here’s my favorite baking recipe!…with some healthy modifications :)

Monica’s “Whatever you have In the House” Semi-Healthy Quick Bread

-4 eggs (substitute 4 egg whites & beat them separately before adding to the rest of the wet ingredients)

-16 Oz. Fruit or Vegetable puree (use a can of Pumpkin for Pumpkin bread, or 4 mashed bananas for outstanding banana bread – or whatever you want…see below for more suggestions)

1 ½ C. Vegetable Oil (use Canola)

2 C. Sugar (use Splenda in the bag – it works perfect and cuts your calories down by a landslide!)

2 t. Baking Soda

2t. Baking Powder

1 t. Salt

3 C. Flour

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and mix the eggs, puree, oil and sugar well.   Next, add the rest of the ingredients and mix each in well.   If you want an impressive dessert like muffin (or make it in a bunt tin with glaze) – then add chocolate or butterscotch chips.  Of course, this is NOT healthy…but will make this recipe unbelievably YUMMY!!!!  Here’s the exact measurements:

1 ½ C. Chocolate Chips (if you are making Pumpkin bread) OR 1 ½ C. Butterscotch Chips (for Banana Bread…I have used chocolate with Banana before and butterscotch is 100% better)

I have also served these muffins at events as a dessert because they are fast, easy, not messy, and delicious.  Frosting muffins with a cream cheese frosting offers a nice combo as well.  They present as an impressive dessert because it is surprising to bite into and see it is not just yellow or chocolate cake.  Plus an added bonus is that no one would guess that the “secret ingredient” was actually Butterscotch chips!!  These melt into the mixture and add more moisture – wowing your taste buds with flavor!  Even people who claimed to “hate butterscotch chips”, loved these treats!

Bake at 400 for about 20 minutes and lower this to 375 if you are making traditional bread loaves.

Now…here’s the best part about this recipe:

You can literally use just about any fruit or vegetable you want – and it still comes out wonderful!  I have used canned pumpkin, blended apricots and pineapple with bits of dried cranberries, shredded zucchini and raisins, shredded carrots and dates, peaches and raspberries, poppy seed paste, almonds and coconut milk pureed, and more!… I use a food processor for ingredients like apples or carrots and really knock them down so they are like chunky applesauce – or carrot puree), and then I add some extra cut up apples or shredded carrots. Etc. to give it a little more texture.  Nuts go excellent with this as well!

From what I can figure, estimate about 100 calories for one large muffin (without frosting of course!).  Enjoy :)

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Diet Diary

Day 72: Triathletes are just like us…

May 1, 2010 – 12:53 PM

We went to dinner with a beautiful couple the other night…they were both in their thirties, in great shape, and had just finished triathlons – impressive!  I couldn’t resist asking, when I noticed they didn’t each order chicken breasts, vegetables and a salad; “Do you always eat healthy?”

To my surprise, an honest answer!  He said he only drinks “Diet Cokes” now and recently cut out “Regular Coke” – but he still gets cravings for chips at night and loves junk food.  She started laughing and said that the only thing that kept her going was thinking of what she was going to order at Dennys, as soon as she finished the Marathon!…the “order” was pancakes, sausage, bacon, biscuits and coffee J

Needless to say, I just fell in love with these two immediately.  Staying healthy is a something that has to be part of your constant though, right there with striving to be a better person each year.  It doesn’t come easy to anyone and I was glad to hear a real answer, as opposed to the “I eat chicken and vegetables and just stay looking like this naturally.”

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Diet Diary

Day 70:Three Hidden Diet Killers

April 29, 2010 – 9:41 AM

It has been almost 6 months since resolving to really get (and KEEP) my body healthy and fit. Being the Adrenal Body Type, I know I have a weakness for accumulating unnecessary stress. Dealing with this in a way that doesn’t involve food has proven to be just about the only thing I CONTINUE to struggle with.
Yesterday was a prime example of that…(enough said). As the adage goes, “the first step is denial” – I must be doing pretty well to be acknowledging the fact that my number one weakness is STRESS. And yes, I have been in denial for quite some time. Stress has remained hidden from being a “Diet Killer” because in order for me to admit I have this as a weakness, I’ve had to admit I that I am not as good as I thought I was (kidding!)
These three things are my “Hidden Diet Killers” (and sure enough, they all relate to a type of STRESS!).
1. Financial stress (finishing our taxes, paying too many bills, arguing with the insurance company)
2. Physical stress (too tired, no energy, not eating enough and then getting starved!)
3. Role stress. I’ve worked at least two jobs since I was nine years old (no, child labor laws weren’t enforced where I grew up!). Yet here I find myself a stay-at-home mom part of the time and in the office workplace part of the time. Talk about a constant tug-of-war!! I am totally at home in a professional setting, but put me home alone with two small children and two big dogs & I am totally out of my element! Not that I don’t love my kids – quite the opposite – the problem is that I’ve spent so much of my life running ragged with adults that I’ve never learned to just sit back & enjoy the moment (which is an essential skill with little kids!). Often, this anxiety gets interpreted (by me) as atypical “boredom”. “Fun” and “exciting” to my three-year-old is usually neither “fun” nor “exciting” for me, so while she’s having fun, I stress about my perceived inadequacies and end up with – hand-to-mouth-disease :)
A few things to think about while I go to bed tonight….what do I do about this epiphany now?

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Diet Diary

Day 67: Stress = Bad Day

April 26, 2010 – 6:06 PM

I have reached the conclusion that the single hardest barrier to staying on a good diet and resolving to “stay healthy” (not just thin) – regardless of how “easy to follow” your diet and exercise plans are…is STRESS.  Someone told me a long time ago that good (and bad) things always happen in threes. Today was proof positive.

It all started when I opened up a letter from the hospital and nearly had a heart attack over the fact that my insurance company was refusing to pay for the birth of my daughter from November of last year!

Envision opening your mail over your morning tea, subconsciously planning out your semi-relaxing day when your mind is jerked full-throttle to the present after reading a legal threat over “nonpayment of your bill” (emphasis added). This 9:00AM  “wake-up call” demanded that I send the hospital over $7500 in two weeks. Thirty minutes later, one bag of crackers gone, and still on the phone with the so-called “help desk” (anything but), I finally resolved to wait for another claim submission (note to self:  don’t hold your breath).

By noon I had settled down and resolved to have a good day after all, by restricting myself to plain salad for the rest of the day….Remember that kid in grade school who was always chewing on the collar of his tee shirt? Well, by 2:30 my collar was looking pretty tasty! The mere thought of having yet another helping of PLAIN salad (I mean, let’s face it, we all know that the only reason we even EAT salad is so we have one more excuse to eat nuts, bacon bits, cheese and dressing) caused a complete physical revolt.  Well, sad but true, I lost control (again).  This time, I would add about 600 calories of leftover fried chicken (which, by the way, didn’t even taste good).  But the icing on the cake was the ice cream cone I added because I knew that my breast-feeding infant daughter would “want one” (good reason, right?).

The day had all but been ruined and I was just feeling awful, waiting for it to end.  So there I was, waiting, and waiting, and … waiting …

My husband was late coming home – so since the house was clean and a “healthy dinner” was already made…I agreed to let Mia watch her favorite “Veggie Tales” – which we can both recite word for word….so, despite yesterday’s efforts, I slipped back into “boring mode”. Yes. I got bored. I wasn’t really even aware that a stay-at-home mom could BE bored, but it happened anyway.  I didn’t want to read a story  -  I was too tired.  I didn’t want to get out anything that would take effort to put away – I was too tired.  I didn’t want to make a phone call – I was too tired.  How then, I ask myself now, was I “not too tired” to find the “energy” to snack on a couple handfuls of chocolate chips (that I was saving for baking cookies next week!)?  The answer?  I wasn’t really “Tired”, I was merely over-stressed and my healthy coping system had totally shut down for the day. When that happens, without fail it’s “off to the pantry/freezer/fridge/snack bar we go” My only saving grace is that tomorrow is a new day, and I DID make it through this one in one piece (even if the “pieces” are somewhat larger as a result).

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Diet Diary

Day 66: I Am Boring?

April 21, 2010 – 7:48 PM

Today I was asking my husband how he would describe the word “boring”.  After ten minutes of explaining why I couldn’t just look it up in a thesaurus he quipped, “The definition you are looking for is you.”

Ouch! …He was right!  I hadn’t even checked to see if he was at all interested in hearing what I had to say  (though the thought of checking his pulse did occur to me after noticing a blank, seemingly breathless stare for at least half of my soap box episode).  To me, I was sharing an exciting, brilliant, fun “discussion”… yet the “discussion” was (I admit) more of a lecture.  To him, the words weren’t even bouncing off (like the great sounding board I am used to) – nope. Just hitting the wall of his conscious & flopping, lifeless, to the floor.  For the last ten minutes he had been as receptive as the proverbial dead horse while I was energetically convinced that the next witty and clever sentence would lash his conscious into a state at least have as lively as my own. Instead, my reward for the quick thinking and educated repartee` was a blunt and unfeeling “You are BORING!!!”   But what’s better?  A man who won’t hurt your feelings, who will listen and at least nod (regardless) all the while feigning interest and deluding you into thinking you are the queen of cleverness; or a man who will honestly tell it like it is, even if that means he ruins your otherwise great day?…(ugh…I’m calling my mom)

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Diet Diary

Day 59: Are you Enduring or Enjoying?

March 30, 2010 – 8:10 PM

I was just remembering my life before children…To imagine I actually thought I was busy (most of the time).  Trying to balance the no-me-time with the not-spending-enough-time-

playing-with-the-kids problem is challenging, to say the least. I’ve found that most of the time, this balancing act quickly becomes an internal battle with guilt as the heavy artillery.  Funny, when I was single and childless, if I was late somewhere, there was no excuse.  In fact, there really were VERY few “excuses” that were acceptable reasons for me not following through with anything.  But once you become a parent you get automatically enrolled in the “fail-safe excuse” benefit program (simply stated:  the ‘kids’ excuse never expires and works every time – even with weight loss goals…but make no mistake…you do pay a price :) .

Winston Churchill once wrote:  “You make a living with what you get.  You make  a life with what you give.”  So, while giving the gas pedal a workout this morning I ran errands in between the non-stop whining of two little girls and Mia doing her near-perfect flubber imitation. We finally finished our errands and arrived back home for ‘nap time’.  Two hours, ten stories, fifteen chases, and countless times answering the same ‘why’ question – I took one hour of ‘me time’.  And for a minute (okay, a little longer) :) I caught myself wishing I was alone on an island with big, fluffy feather pillows, cool white sheets on the bed and only the sound of the fresh breeze outside my room. No kids, no husband, no phone, no obligations, no responsibility. . . nothing but me and a bed and a cool breeze crossing a blue sky. Then the thought struck me…Am I just enduring my kids, or really enjoying them?

I can barely remember when my three year old was a baby.  Now her and I have actual conversations. Of course most of these involve her asking me why she shouldn’t suck on her little sister’s pacifier – but that’s beside the point. Life is short. As I’m writing this, craving some Sorbet and a peanut butter-chocolate chip sandwich (something I discovered during one of my pregnancies) I am struck with another insight – I am definitely guilty of self-medicating with food. Think about it, how many times do you use food as a way to just get through a stressful day?  Well when you can find a way to put all that stress aside and decide the most important thing is not necessarily ‘enduring’, but ‘enjoying’…everything seems to change :)  ….now that’s food for thought!
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