Atkins: A Review

The Man swears by Atkins. He lives and breathes telling me what carbs are, where they're hiding, and how many there are in my Hostess Powdered Mini-donut pack. I get it. They're everywhere. This post is brought to you by my osmosis learning from him. I have not read any of the Atkins books, but I have read a lot about Atkins and we all know their premise.

The gist: Carbs are bad. Fat and protein are good. The more detailed explanation is during the Induction phase, you are to consume approximately 20-30 grams of carbohydrates a day. This goes on for 1-2 weeks (or longer, if you wish), and then you begin Phase 2 which allows for the slow addition of carbs back into your diet so long as you continue to lose weight. If you gain, back to Induction. For reference, 1 small apple has approximately 20 carbs. Therefore, the majority of your carbs should come from vegetables; non-starchy such as kale, spinach, lettuce, tomato, broccoli. No carrots!

Pros: If you stick to you, you lose. Typically. I have heard that you feel better; less bloated, more clear headed, less acid reflux, improved sleep. All good things. And, cravings will slowly wane. Atkins meals, shakes, and desserts are available widely as well as online support groups and recipes. Creativity abounds as you try to bring about new techniques to enjoy "normal" foods, but 'Atkins-style'. A la 'protein style' burgers, or cauliflower crust pizza (not bad), cauliflower mashed 'potatos' (delicious), lettuce-wrapped fajitas, the list can go on and on!

Cons: Who can really stick with this forever?! Pizza, pasta, garlic bread, In N Out, tacos, mmmmm. You have to be very meticulous when using Atkins because carbohydrates are in a lot of foods. Ranch dressing has approximately 1 carbohydrate per 2 Tb serving. Most fruit (with the exception of berries, citrus and some melon) contain too many carbohydrates.

Conclusion: The diet consists of high protein and fat. Oil, cheese, cream, and butter are all allowed, but within moderation. It is possible to lose weight with this diet, but I doubt the long-term viability. My personal experience was I felt I was constantly eating protein and fat. Carbs are sneaky and there are everywhere! The more I avoided, the more I craved!

Final grade: C+--short term results, difficult long term. 

Nurse Practitioner

I'm a Nurse Practitioner. In the small, rural town in Central California that I work in, I have learned a lot about myself and about what patients what and what providers want. Below you will find a few tips that may help you make the most out of a visit with an NP or Dr. Good luck!

 1. Be specific
We are medical detectives and so we will ask the 'who', 'when', 'where', 'what', 'how', 'why' questions. "A few weeks ago" doesn't count! 1 week? 3 weeks? The more details you can offer us the better! For example: I noticed this rash on my legs 3 days ago after being at my Grandma's house". Perfect! The rest of the interview will consist of more details, but the more you give, the better diagnosis we can make!

 2. Bring your medications
Most medications are "small, white pills". There are apps to help me elicit exactly which small, white pill you're taking, but it would be immensely more helpful if you bring them in with you. There is a lot of information we can obtain from the label; who wrote the prescription, where it was filled, the name of the medication, dose, frequency, side effects, etc. Additionally, "I take a blood pressure pill", isn't helpful. There are hundreds of blood pressure medications!

 3. Know why you're here
I have seen a few patients who have absolutely no clue why they're here to see me. One was a man who said, "My wife told me to come back, so I did"! A man who does what he's told, I like that! Seriously though, tell us (and by 'us', this includes the medical assistant who is taking your vitals). And, please, tell her the real reason you're here. She brings me the chart and before I even walk into your room, I'm already thinking about our plan based on your reason for the visit. It makes things much easier for all of us. Along this same line, no problem is embarrassing for me. I know you may be shy about that rash or odor, but trust me, I've seen, heard, smelled it all.

 4. Know what you want
A referral? An antibiotic? An x-ray? Please be specific! If you tell me what you want and it works out, then we're great! If you can articulate what you think is going on and I can help/direct/guide you in that process, then we will have a really good working relationship. Your healthcare is important to me, but I can only do so much. You have to meet me halfway. I have patients come to me with a problem, I prescribe medication and ask them to return in a week or two. They come back a month or more later only to tell me the problem was never resolved and is now worse. Well! Come back and tell me that! Or, they won't have taken any of the medication I prescribed and are wondering why their rash hasn't resolved (true story).

 5. I'm the Nurse Practitioner; you're the patient
Unless you did in fact go to medical school or nursing school, please don't argue with me. You have come to me for help and I am trying to help you. Antibiotics will not be effective against a virus. I apologize to every 30+ year old who received an antibiotic every time you went to the Dr growing up. I did, too. I know how it went: you get sick, you go to the Dr, you receive an antibiotic (Amoxicillin), you take it for 7-14 days, you feel better. I get it! But, we now know that viruses will not die with antibiotics. Typically, a cold is viral (wash your hands!) and will generally resolve on it's own in 3-5 days. Those 3-5 days will be miserable (stay home!), and you can use OTC medications for symptom relief, but coming to me asking for an antibiotic will not work. I will not write that prescription. Some Dr's may; I will not. Finally, I'm trying to educate you. Educate me about yourself. Listen to me and I will listen to you. Respect my education and training, and I will respect your situation.

 Bottom line: Help me help you.

Hiatus vs Cancellation

I'm back. For good? Who can say? There is a sudden burst of desire to blog lately. Maybe 'blog' isn't the right word. Online journal? Perhaps this is more in-line with what my expectations are currently. Stagnation has absorbed the majority of the past 2 years. Let me rephrase, weight stagnation. Plateau. Boredom. Whatever. Life certainly hasn't been stagnant. Graduation, moving, break-ups, new job, new family members, loss of family members, travel, new relationships. Hardly stagnant. But, in the midst of all the mountains and valleys, the weight has remained within about 20 lbs. That sounds outrageous to some and even writing it makes it seem like a huge number. However, it is the truth. And, it hasn't been pretty. I have been able to lose 10 here, gain 5, lose 15, gain 10, etc., etc. Seriously, I've lost over 100 lbs; it's just the same 5-10 over and over! I say that lightly, but there is nothing light about the reality. It's extremely disheartening. Being honest, there were periods of extreme determination (loss) and then periods of apathy (minimal loss to gains), times of semi-determination (slight loss). But, nothing lasting. Nothing to get past the hump. Past the set-point. Ah. The Set-Point. I first heard this term in a nutrition class in 2007 and it has stuck with me. At that time, I was having great success with WW and hadn't reached my lowest set-point. It wasn't until I gained quite a bit of weight back that I realized no matter what I did, what I ate, how much I worked out, how many carbs I did/n't eat, etc., the weight wouldn't push past a certain number. I couldn't break the ceiling. Floor? You know what I mean. How have things changed? Have they changed? Let's wait to find out!

The NP becomes the patient

After seeing hundreds of patients over the past few months, it was finally my turn to go to the doctor.

There have been three weeks of working out, eating right, and then gaining at the scale on Saturdays. I'm over it.

While I haven't given up, I'm discouraged.

At the doctors office, we did some blood work to rule out anything metabolic.

Now we wait. And continue to work out.

Fresh

Can you tell I've been on a food-movie kick lately? :) I'm watching this movie as I type and I had to pause it because this woman just said, "The raising of chickens now is totally different now than back when I was growing up". Ok, keep going. "The type of feed that was given to them, they didn't grow as fast". Ok, she's right. Keep going. Her husband pipes in with, "We're controlling the air temperature, the type of litter they're on", ok...and then she chimes back in with, "I don't believe there's anything unhealthy in these chickens just because they grow as fast as they do, I just think these chickens are genetically bred to do this. It's not steroids, they just eat. They're comfortable so they eat". Then her husband comes back with, "It's good, quality feed, but I don't know what's in it".

Alrighty then. I pray she's not as ignorant as she just came across.

For the past two weeks I have led a pretty vegetarian/vegan diet. Nuts, fruit, veggies, hummus, lentils, water, oatmeal. Very little to no animal product. I gave up beef for Lent, so yesterday was the day to break my fast. I hadn't intended to eat beef yesterday, however, instead of ham, my BF's mom had tri-tip. I love me some tri-tip but I was a bit hesitant. I had just succeeded in not consuming beef in 40+ days, did I need to eat it? Was it worth it? What was my real rationale for giving it up originally? Let me answer that last one. I gave it up to see if I could. Plain and simple. However, over the past 6 weeks or so, I began to realize how much beef I did eat and how it made me feel. Don't get me wrong, I love the taste and flavor, but it wasn't providing me with much beyond that. I was still alive after 40 days with no beef. I didn't need it to survive. So, I broke my fast. and I paid the price. I also was more relaxed on what I ate yesterday and I felt horrible last night. I woke up gagging after I almost aspirated on some acid reflux. This has not happened in months. And I attribute it to diet. So, today, I am back to low-to-no animal product.

I feel like I need to humble myself for some reason. I am not a PETA supporter, nor am I pro-slaughter. I believe God gave us dominion over animals, but the way we do this in America, is not conducive to what I believe God planned. Maybe going back to a biblical diet isn't such a bad idea, after all.

Biblical eating

What is that anyway?

I am by no means the first person to come up with such a concept. In fact, I googled it and found a lot of people have their own ideas, theories, diets, programs, etc., all claiming to be "the way Jesus ate".

So, what did he eat? Fruits, vegetables, nuts, herbs, meat, bread, milk (and honey!) were probably included in his diet and those of his contemporaries in the Bible. While some did keep kosher, the gentiles may have eaten meat that was considered unclean (crab, lobster, pork).

I didn't see anything that said Jesus (and by Jesus, I also mean people in the Bible times) ate Twinkies, donuts, chips, etc. These people were afflicted with cancer as early as 1500 B.C. as breast tumors were recorded on papyrus in Egypt (who knew you were getting a history lesson today?!) just as we are now. The prevalence may be increasing and what can we atribute that to? Diet. Exercise. Lifestyle.

We no longer walk to school, walk to the store; heck! We barely walk the dog! People didn't have to deliberately exercise as their lives were simply more physically active than ours. I remember playing outside at the park, in the back yard, with a friend, running, riding bikes, and swimming with my friends as a kid. Now kids watch TV and play video games at alarming rates and this cause contributed to the obesity epidemic facing the youth today. (Am I on a rant or what?!)

Basic nutrition states burn more calories than you consume and you will lose weight. Great. How is that possible when the food of today consists of burgers, pink slime, pizza, Ranch dressing, sugary coffee drinks, and hormone-antibiotic-dye laced meat products? It is near impossible to consume these foods and maintain a healthy waist. Therefore, we come back to Biblical eating.

More fruit. More vegetables. More whole grain. Less processed foods. More home cooked foods. Less meat. More legumes.

This is my goal. More to come.... :)

Whole food

No, this isn't a post about the grocery store; rather, what is a whole food? What is whole food eating?

These are questions I've been pondering for the past few weeks. If you're anything like me, you've considered many different 'diets' or eating plans, nutrition options, good food vs easy/convenient foods.

Over the last six months or so I have watched several movies about food, nutrition, and health. Forks Over Knives; Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead; and Food, Inc are all wonderful! They are available on Netflix, too! Each has a different agenda and point of view, but each spoke to me in it's own way.

As a result of watching Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead, I drank fruit and vegetable juice for four days. I noticed more stability over my mood, emotions, which lead me to conclude my blood sugar was more stable throughout the day as a result of not eating refined sugar and processed foods. Food, Inc challenged me to buy protein (beef, chicken, eggs, pork, etc.) that is hormone-free, free-range, grass fed, antibiotic free, etc. And to the best of my ability, I have done just that. Finally, Forks Over Knives challenged me to do something I don't want to do. FOK promotes a vegan lifestyle citing meat as a leading cause for cancer and many other health problems. As an RN, I know (and teach my patients) that fruits and veggies are best. Whole grains over white grains are a better choice. Soda is poison, and on and on. I like meat. I like Filet and chicken. I believe God gave us dominion over animals and provided them as food for us.

Let me clarify. I do NOT believe the animals in the Bible are the same as they are now. A cow is and was a cow, yes. But, the cow and sheep and chickens were part of the family. They lived with other animals, grazed all day, were treated well, slaughtered responsibly and used to their fullest potential. They were not crammed in a feed lot, standing in feces all day, pumped full of hormones to create breasts larger than any poor chicken should have on their body.

So, that leads to me to my next thought about Biblical eating. Which, I'll save for another day!

Reality Check

So last week I was spot-on with my tracking. I measured, portioned, counted and weighed almost every single thing I ate. Convinced I was going to lose weight last week, I entered the meeting confidently. Only to find I was up 2 pounds. Really? Are you kidding me? I was so disappointed. That's putting it mildly. I tuned the meeting out after that. I was discouraged and unmotivated.

I know the body will do what the body will do. I know that it's about the journey and not about the destination. I know that it's more than what the scale says. I know all these things. It doesn't make it easier.

How do you maintain motivation? How do you pick up and continue when you don't see results? I know the answers to these questions too, so I'm just throwing them out there. Seeing what you think. What works for you? What doesn't work?

Good luck. Keep going. It's a marathon, not a sprint.

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step" ~Lao-tzu

Portions

When you think of dieting, what is the one consistent theme? Regardless of the plan or program, research or science, portion control is always near the top of weight loss strategies. Plates have gotten larger over the past 50 years and so we've continued to fill our plate when eating dinner. This has only added to the excess calorie intake.

WW meetings are so helpful because you get to hear all the tricks and tips that other people have learned. Sometimes I use them, sometimes I don't. One of the best ones is around Thanksgiving, they hand everyone a paper plate and you get to draw on your plate the foods you anticipate eating. My plate is always filled with special Thanksgiving foods that I only get once or twice a year. Am I really going to waste space on carrots? I get carrots all the time. Grandmas rolls on the other hand....! I always save space for those!

It comes down to portions and choices. I'm choosing the roll over the carrots. Yes, carrots are the better option, right? But, I only get the rolls once or twice a year so they win!

In the past week I've been very conscious of my portions. Measuring, weighing, counting. I love food so much that I will eat 2 or 3 portions rather than one, so I have to portion it out correctly. My coffee in the morning gets FF creamer but the serving size is one tablespoon. Not 3. I keep the tablespoon and the 1/2 cup measuring cup handy each morning. Since I'm using them for the same things (creamer, oats and soy milk), I just rinse and let it air dry and they're ready for the next morning. It sounds so OCD and Type A, but really, I have to do this. If I don't, my 1 Tb, becomes 3 and my 1/2 cup becomes 1 1/4 cups. I also feel more empowered. I know exactly how many Points+ I'm consuming. For this OCD, Type A girl, the control over my food and me is what I need to stay on track.

Pizza, pizza!!

Trader Joes is probably my most favorite grocery store, EVER! I love the atmosphere, variety and friendliness of the entire store. If you haven't been to a TJs, you need to pack your reusable grocery bags and head over there NOW!

Ok, now with that out of the way (!), dinner last week was an impromptu home-made pizza. After watching a food show about pizza, I had the bug for a Caprese pizza. So, to Traders I go!

They have dough (Garlic-Herb, whole wheat, and plain), pizza sauce and all the toppings one could dream up! Seeing as how I am trying to be more mindful about the products I purchase, the food I consume and how my food is created/fed/butchered, etc. I opted to buy my own basil plant ($2.99!!) and chose the whole wheat dough. Now, confession time. I. Do. Not. Bake. Have I discussed this before? I think I have. Yeast has a mind of it's own and I cannot control it. I do not like that. So, buying my own dough was a big step. Maybe someday I'll actually MAKE my own. Anyway...there were many worries in my mind about cooking my own dough, but I manned up and it was FABULOUS!

The dough was sweet and cooked just perfectly. I did spray the pan with a tiny bit of cooking spray and the flour from rolling it out was just enough. I used the entire container of sauce and it wasn't over powering for this pizza. The mozzarella was amazing, the fresh basil was

a bright flavor and the tomatoes were perfect! It was an all-around wonderful dinner!

Cook vs. Baker

I'm definitely the former as opposed to the latter. Baking terrifies me. There's chemistry involved. Your measurements have to be a lot more exact and precise than in cooking. You can't 'ad-lib' as much in baking as cooking. If I don't have a shallot, I can add an onion; but in baking, if I only have 1/4 cup of flour, I can't sub baking powder. When I try a recipe for the first time, I try to stick to it and not interject my own opinions, however, once the trial run is complete, I'm off and running! One of my favorite recipes doesn't call for a red onion, but hello? It totally needs it. I've added it since day one.

There's a popular WW substitution in baking that involves a can of pumpkin instead of oil and eggs. I like the cookies, other people aren't such a big fan. But if I can have 3 WW cookies over 1 normal cookie, I'll take the 3, thank you very much. The cookies don't taste like pumpkin at all. I've used a spice cake mix as well as a chocolate and no pumpkin flavor. They're of a more cake-y consistency than a crispy cookie which suits my chewy preferences.

Anyway, baking. Today, I applied the pumpkin substitution theory to an Apple Bread mix from Trader Joe's (which is my fav store, btw). The first time I made it a few months ago I totally spaced on putting the eggs in! I don't bake, I'm trying to tell you this. The bread was fine though. I was a bit apprehensive today, but then I figured I couldn't mess it up more than not putting eggs in it, so what the heck? The verdict? It's delicious! The sub was pumpkin minus the butter, eggs and milk! Very moist and full of flavor. I like pumpkin, so if it did taste pumpkin-y, I didn't mind, but some people may be hesitant. Don't be!

Applesauce is another popular sub for oil or eggs. There's a great slow-cooker chocolate cake recipe that uses applesauce. As far as baking goes, those are the only tricks I know. Cooking, I can hook you up! My most popular subs are ground turkey for beef, low sodium sauces/soups, FF soups (unless you're making a casserole, in which case, you do need some of the fat to hold it together), a butter flavored yogurt instead of actual butter, PAM as opposed to coating the pan with olive oil. One sub that I refuse is turkey bacon for real bacon. I read or heard somewhere that turkey bacon actually has more sodium because they have to add it to the turkey to preserve it whereas real bacon has salt naturally. If I'm going to splurge on bacon, give me the real stuff!

Sick exercise

The BF was really sick a few weeks ago and of course, it came about 3 weeks into his consistent gym workouts. This was a major wrench in his program. I was sick with a 24 hour bug this past week, and it fell on my Couch-to-5k run day. Of course. This sparked a good convo with the bf:

When you're sick, should you maintain your normal workout regimen?

I'm sure you've heard of people who run every day and haven't missed a day in 5 years. I heard of one woman who only missed 3 days in 5 years and those were the days she was giving birth. What the heck?!

I am not one of those people.

Not that I look for excuses, but I am a firm believer that the body needs rest. However, if I was the birth-runner lady, that amount of physical activity is normal for me and my body is used to running every day. In this instance, I do believe she should maintain her running. For all I know, she only ran for 5 minutes a day while she was pregnant (although, probably not).

In the case of the bf, he was just starting his work-outs and therefore, taking a day or two (or week) off, wasn't the worst thing for him. Once he builds up, I think he will miss his walks and work-outs. I miss my work-outs when I'm sick. Although, I did not miss my run yesterday. I could barely walk and think. I needed the time off.

Do you work-out when you're sick? Does the intensity vary? I'm really curious about this.

Sick

I hate being sick. It's like a full-time job to recover. Meds every 4-6 hours, drinking water, sleeping, peeing...so much! This sick is different. All intestinal. Even worse.

When I'm sick, I don't feel like eating. I have to force myself to eat and try to recover. For example, today I have had the following: Sprite, Saltines, soup and some oatmeal. Water, of course. I have no desire to eat.

I always feel that after being sick is the best time for me to jump back on the wagon, because I'm not viewing food as anything more than fuel. It's not something I desire or use for comfort. It's strictly nourishment. This is how I know that I can change my mind about food. If I was sick and still craving and eating, I know I would have a deeper problem. I am aware of my food and how I feel towards it. Does this make sense?

How do you feel when you're sick? Do you eat? Part of it may be laziness, too. I don't want to cook anything therefore I'm not eating much because I have no energy. Do you have staple foods you eat when you're sick? Does your significant other help you or do they leave you alone?

Week one: Successful

The first two days were horrible. It did get easier.

And the scale showed the result. Down 2.8. Woo-hoo!! Now, don't get me wrong, I know deal is that when you start eating carbs again, you'll gain the weight back, but here's the deal: I'm cutting back, not out. I can't have too much or I lose control. I've cut back eating at the hospital and haven't even been to the cafeteria! It's been almost a month of working there and I've never purchased anything from the cafeteria!

I've been running too. Re-inspired by a few friends and my mom and the wonderful Couch-to-5k program, I'm trying to stay active despite not being able to see my trainer as regularly. We'll see.

Day 8 of almost carb-less....

One day at a time, one choice at a time...

Day 2 of the carb-less life

Yesterday I had a cookie.

Today I had an enchilada.

In the family of bread and pasta, those are the only two carbs I've had and of course, all I can think about now is how badly I want that darn cookie or granola bar! Coming from someone who didn't think she consumed a lot of carbs, I'm seeing just how many I did consume and what part they played in my diet.

I've had more fruits and veggies in the past two days and also more fat, I feel like. Because I've been in meetings for the past two days, I'm at their mercy for lunch. Yesterday I ate the toppings off of my pizza. Yes, that's right. I didn't even eat the pizza bread! I scrapped the toppings off! Who does that? And today, I had an extra amount of re-fried beans because I couldn't have another enchilada. Both days have been filled with salad and fruit. No bagels, muffins, toast or pizza crusts.

How am I feeling? Hungry. I'm sure it's more of a state of mind than an actual physical need. Telling your body you can't have something is a sure-fire way to get it to crave that thing! I'm not saying no to ALL carbs....just 99% of them! So far, so good. Also, I need to hit up the gym later today or tomorrow morning and run a bit. Just to get things stirred up, you know?

And finally. It has been brought to my attention that my mother is planning on participating in a 5k. Woo-hoo!! I have offered to do it with her as it will keep me motivated to run towards something (literally and figuratively). Don't we all need goals like that? I am so goal oriented/driven. Type A. I know.

Words of wisdom for today: Get a goal. Try to go carb-less (mostly. Well, at least for a little bit). Stay healthy so you don't have to come to the hospital.

Going totally (almost) carb-less...hopefully

So. We've all heard about Atkins, the no-carb diet. And we all know how NOT into these all-or-nothing things I am (which is funny, because I am a very black/white person...whatever). With that said....

My trainer and I have been discussing carbs a lot and he knows my feelings towards totally cutting something out of my diet. He is graduating with a degree in Kinesiology next week and we have good discussions between my gasping for breath during our workouts. As a pre-graduation gift, he received a book about eating for your blood type. Yes, I said that right. A book about eating right for your blood type. I'm talking A, B, AB and O. The positive/negative doesn't matter in this situation. Apparently, my O+ type needs a moderate amount of exercise in addition to a limited (read: scant) amount of carbs. Hmmmmm. This isn't good. Although, given the past few months, I'm inclined to believe it.

Today is my last day on carbs (for the week). Well, carbs as I know them. Most things have carbs but I'm talking bread and pasta. I had artichoke chicken sans pasta tonight for dinner. Fortunately this week will be mostly easy, I think, because I'm in meetings Monday through Wednesday. I can make breakfast at home, eat lunch there or bring it and then be good and sensible for dinner. It will also be interesting because I don't think I eat a lot of carbs in general, but I'm sure now that I'm being more conscious of them, I will realize how much I really eat.

I'm curious as to see how my body reacts to the decrease in carbohydrates. I guess I should put off my interval running for a week so I can determine each result individually. Notice the power of positive thinking? "So I CAN determine each result individually"? I have to believe the decrease in carb intake will affect my body in positive ways and I have to think my interval running will affect my body in positive ways. Just like the Little Engine that Could...I think I can, I think I can. I know I can, I know I can.

More to come...eat some bread for me. :)

Moving day!

Today is moving day. I'm leaving my home of almost 2 years and packing up for the unknown, uncharted territory of ......the desert. Ta-da! What it really boils down to is that I'm having to go through everything I've accumulated in the past 22 months and either pack it, toss it or donate it. I very much dislike doing these things. I've found I'm much better if I just pack it all up and then when I'm unpacking it, I decide it's fate. But really, at that point, I've packed it and moved it and am then going to throw it out?! That doesn't make sense, but I've done it.

I have a food cupboard here with some things that will come with me, but mostly, I'm ready to start over with new stuff. I'm excited to go shopping and to start cooking again. I've gotten so lazy in the past few months and I believe I'm paying the price. Soreness, lethargy, lack of motivation. All symptoms that can be traced to diet and exercise. A few years ago, when I ran the Bay to Breakers, I was really focused on food as fuel for my body. What I put in it, I would expect certain things from it. Lately, more garbage in and definitely garbage out.

There are so many factors that play into general wellness (which is where I strive to be). Diet, sleep, hydration, exercise, community, sense of purpose, faith. I believe when these get off kilter, you see other areas of your life suffer. It's especially true in my life. Like I've said before, I have a tendency to throw myself down the stairs if I've slipped down a few. Where's the logic in that? It's something I've worked on and need to be reminded of weekly...almost daily, but not quite. So you slip up one day by staying up too late, sleeping in too late, rushing out the door without breakfast and then scarfing half a muffin three hours later. Lunch and dinner and tomorrow can be different. I didn't do that, btw. :)

Bring on the new zip code, new grocery stores and new bike paths! I would also like to take this opportunity to point out that moving or simply a 'major cleaning' is a good time to purge your cupboards of outdated food, foods you won't ever eat or the semi-squished can of beans that has fallen and you can't quite reach it but now that everything is empty, you realize that the can has expanded and may not be appropriate for human consumption. Toss it. Start over. Clean, newly filled cupboards and a game plan for how to move forward. You're set!

Back in the saddle....again

Not quite, 'out where a friend is a friend', because this is hardly friendly.

After taking a hiatus, we're back. And by 'we', I mean everyone. Back to working out, eating right, shopping right and general attitude tune-ups. New Years seems to be the time we all make our resolutions that last a few weeks and then peter out into good meaning intentions. You could try to have a new resolution every month, or at least get back on the wagon every month. But sometimes, it's more frequent than that, isn't it? Depending on what it is, it could be daily. And thats just fine.

I'm back from another mini vacay to Kentucky and Alabama. Both trips were great but I've been home for 4 days now and it's time to get back into the routine. I kinda like my routine; being a Type A, I know you're shocked by this. One of the things I didn't do much of while I was vacationing was cook. We ate out more often and enjoyed the locale, but I miss cooking. Today is a bit rainy and cool for May in So Cal, and I've got a pot of soup simmering on the stove. This baby will last me all week! Dinner may be lighter tonight, but I'm back in the saddle, again.

In my absence, I was introduced to www.e-mealz.com. It's amazing! For a small fee ($5/month) you can choose your plan! Store, low carb, points, vegetarian, low fat, etc. It gives you a shopping list, 7 meals (including sides) and recipe directions. I don't make all 7 meals each week, but it's a great jumping off point for us. I modify some of them, because really, who's going to eat fruit salad for dinner? C'mon.

Anyway, back in the saddle. Here we go...right?

Grab a shovel

One of my very wise friends gave me a metaphor the other day that I've been able to apply to various aspects of my life: "Slipping into a hole is easy and sometimes fun, but digging yourself out is hard and takes a lot of work".

I've applied this to weight loss and in my personal life. Both areas I've slipped and fallen deeper into a hole and while I may not have hit rock bottom, I'm far enough down that I don't want to slip farther into the unknown abyss.

So, what's the plan? How do you start to dig your way out? How do you maintain your trajectory and not lose momentum? How do you not become discouraged? If you find out, let me know! There are a few things I've learned and most of which, I need to be reminded of daily and sometimes, hourly.

Have a plan. Make realistic goals. Recognize your accomplishments, no matter how small. If you make a mistake, it's not the end of the world. You may backslide a little bit but you haven't slipped all the way back down. Make small changes daily. Persevere.

Like I said, I have to be reminded of these things daily. It's been very hard for me to not let the negative talk seep into my thoughts. I have a mantra I've been trying to recite every day since January 1st. I have to say it out loud and throughout the day, just to remind myself that it's worth it and so am I. It sounds silly, but it does help. Even when I'm running (which I hate to do), I keep saying "You can do it, you're doing it, just a little bit farther, push a little harder".

I think part of it is just bucking up and dealing with it. My dad always says that you need to feel the emotion, cry, yell, do whatever you need to do. And then move on. Don't dwell on it. Experience it, feel it, move beyond it. Sometimes I have to stop, take a deep breath, remember this and do it.

So, buck up. Tell yourself you can do it and DO IT. Make the right decisions and DO IT. You can do it. I can do it. Dig yourself out of the hole and don't look back.

Va-cay!!!

I look forward to vacations as much as the next person. When you think of vacations, you typically think of relaxing, sightseeing, lounging, drinking, eating....definitely not exercising. That said, when you travel, you typically walk. A lot. I'm a lot more adventurous when I'm abroad than when I'm home, too. Why on earth would I use the Metro in LA?! Put me in New York, though, and I will walk or ride the subway before I even think about hailing a cab. I would never stick my thumb out for a ride in CA, but I've even been known to hitch-hike in Israel! In Mexico this summer, my sister and I went para sailing! There's something about being somewhere new and exciting that ignites a fire within me to try new things.

That all being said, I've tried to incorporate more activity into my vacations. In New Hampshire this past Fall, we went apple picking and I walked a little farther up the hill than I normally would've. When my BFF came out to CA for Thanksgiving, instead of sitting in a coffee shop and gabbing, we got our joe-to-go and strolled the streets. I'm leaving on Thursday for a long weekend in the South and am already planning on taking a couple runs and trying to stay active. You have to plan ahead and be deliberate (and by 'you', I really mean 'me'). That's step 1.

Step 2. Food. I've really tried to only eat foods that I've never had before, are specific to the locale or are the most-amazing-at-this-place kind of thing. For example, my friends in New Hampshire make amazing home-made Mac N Cheese. I rarely cook Mac N Cheese and even more rarely see them, so it was mandatory to eat their one-of-a-kind Mac N Cheese. I also feel obligated to try food that the place is known for; cheesecake in NY (even though I don't even like cheesecake!), deep-dish pizza in Chicago, cheese steaks in Philly, falafel in Israel, beer in Germany....you get the idea. I'm not going to waste my time on pizza in Mexico or Israel, but bring on the deconstructed enchilada casserole in Mexico! I suppose part of this logic is that I know I will only get the Hall's Mac N Cheese when I'm in NH, so I look forward to sharing that with them. When you connect a food/drink to an event or place, there are special memories that you create and isn't that part of what holiday celebrations are about? Elizabeth has a certain home-made snack mix only on New Years. She enjoys it that one day and looks forward to it and that, makes it special.

Step 3. Have a plan. I have to plan ahead. Don't get too hungry, take a few extra steps, make me-time, make the most of moderation. I suppose my trip this weekend may include some good 'ol Southern faire and I know beer is on it's way, but I'm also anticipating running. Must run. Or at least walk. :) Either way, I'll have a good time, be in good company and will get my butt in gear.