The Shark and the Aristocrat

I didn’t think it would be possible, but I think I’m getting use to eating treats in moderation.

If you have read my blog in the past, you would know that I like to use analogies about me and my snack attacks. And one description I have of myself when I snack is one of a shark. Mostly because I seem to engulf everything with my eyes closed. Lately, I’ve been doing the exact opposite. I’ve been eating like an aristocrat. When I have a treat, I would savor the flavor, and then move on. I feel so proud of myself!

Let’s hope that this will last.

Badminton, Indian Buffet, and Awards Earned

Last weekend I played badminton with my hubby. I didn’t even play for the whole time, and I ended up being sore for three days after! It was fun, though. The type of exercise that you look forward to. I plan to play badminton whenever my husband’s guy friends drop out and whenever my mom can take care of the kids. We’ll be playing again tomorrow.

On Tuesday, my supervisor took me out to an Indian buffet. I knew a week ahead of time, so I researched it on the Internet then took the notes with me. Indian food is truly a mystery to me, and I didn’t want to make any mistakes. Although, I felt like I was cheating on a test, pulling the notes out whenever my supervisor was distracted with the phone or whenever she went to the buffet. My supervisor, however, caught me taking notes. She must think I’m really weird. In the end, I went over my calorie range, but it was all so worth it. If there’s any consolation, I think I only ate the vegetarian dishes. Which is good for the environment. Right?

On other news… I have added an “Awards Earned” on my side bar. I will earn money the more days I stay within my calorie range. Then the first of the month, I can use that cash to buy a weight-loss related reward for myself. Even if I earn no money, I will still give myself an award for keeping track of what I eat, albeit it’s worth should not cost any money. I’ve set up an award system before which didn’t pan out. Hopefully it will work out this time.

Procrastination and Skipping Dinner

Why can’t I focus on more than one thing at a time?

I’m totally procrastinating on my special project, and I think I’m using my weight loss efforts as a way to procrastinate. It’s always something. If it weren’t that then it would be snacking, so this way is better. I’m trying to set a timer so that I only spend an hour a day online doing non-school stuff. It hasn’t worked so far.

Counting calories is going well, now that I track them on-line. I can save previously entered food, so I can use it another time. Additionally, it’s much more fun to do it on line. Looks organized and creates graphs.

Now that I track calories, I know when I eat too much. Last Tuesday, my internship had a big potluck, and I ate a lot! I felt full, but I also thought that it would still be okay. Calorie-wise that is. Well, I was wrong. When I went home to record my calories, I discovered that I went over, and I haven’t eaten dinner yet! So I thought to eat a small dinner, so that the damage wouldn’t be so bad… Then another thought hit me. Can I skip dinner? I’ve seen people do it before. A friend, sister, cousin, husband says, “I ate a big lunch and ended up not eating dinner”. And they were okay. A part of me was afraid I would crash. I still had to co-facilitate a support group, so that means I will be separated from food for about 3 hours! with no opportunity to get to my snacks. Can I do it? I decided to “test” it out. If all didn’t go well, then I would know better next time. If the co-facilitator or members noticed I was looking famish, I can just tell them what I have heard others say, “I ate a big lunch and I didn’t eat dinner”. And you know what. I was okay. I didn’t crash and I wasn’t famished. I just felt mildly empty by the middle of the group, and that was okay.

What is the moral of this story?

Trust the BMR. Those scientists know what they’re talking about.

The Great Outdoors

I went biking with my sister again! I love it! I love being outside.

My husband and I are planning to move sometime in the future. We had wanted to move last year but chickened out. We were looking to move either between my parents’ and his parents’ house or in-land where house prices are cheaper, schools are better, and weather’s crapper. My husband recently discovered that homes inland were decreasing and asked me if I wanted to move there. I told him that I wasn’t too thrilled with the weather aspect. He reassured me that air-conditioning would make it bearable, but I told him I was spoiled by the pleasant weather near the bay were I can go outside on a whim and be reassured I be comfortable. He looked at me as if I was crazy and said, “You hardly go outside anyways!” I was shocked by his lack of knowledge of me. Don’t I go walking around the neighborhood and know the activities of the children going to and from school? Don’t I take my kids to the park every chance I get? Don’t I force him to go with me hiking? I think he was confusing me with himself who abhors low-technology environments. The matter of fact is, I totally love the outdoors. The number one reason I chose my undergrad college was its remote location in the wooded mountains. We met in that undergrad college and I have memories of how miserable he was, so I try not to subject him too much to the things I enjoy. Kind of like how other women don’t force their husband to go shopping with them. Unfortunately for him, I’ll be finishing with school and will have more time to force him to enjoy the outdoors.

Long-Term Weight Loss

I wondered if long-term weight loss was impossible as I ride on this roller coaster that is my weight loss journey. As I deprive myself of foods that I love and as I sacrifice time that I need, I have this shadow of doubt in my mind that it’s all worth it. And maybe even detrimental towards really losing weight. So I did a search on the Net and I found this study written by R. R. Wing and S. Phelan (2005). It said that 20% succeed in keeping the weight of for at least a year and that the longer you keep it off the easier it gets.

So there is gold at the end of the rainbow.

Cutting the Calories

The neat thing about Spark People. is that they not only track calories but they track fat, carbohydrates, and protein. What I have discovered is that I’m good with carbohydrates and protein, but fat I often have more than I should. Looking at the food I eat, I find that I rely on fat to enjoy my vegetables. I’m afraid that I don’t think I would be eating vegetables if it weren’t for the Ranch dressing. I know I can always do stir fry, but I seem to be lazy. I heard a doctor on the radio say that in order to lose weight you should cut refine carbohydrates and that everything else doesn’t matter as long as you cut the calories. I think fat in itself is the not problem, but the fact that it pushes my calorie intake over what I should be consuming is the problem.

I’m thinking of replacing some of the ground beef I make with ground turkey to cut back on calories. I have no issues with the taste of ground turkey, but my husband does. He’s a big meat eater and can taste the difference between ground turkey and ground beef and makes a big stink whenever I replace one for the other. Last week I told him I was thinking of giving turkey a try again, and he didn’t argue so I think it will be okay. I know it will be a sacrifice for him, and it makes me feel bad. I’m thinking of maybe using half turkey and half beef in my dishes that call for beef. Maybe that won’t offend his taste buds.

Enjoy the Journey

I read a magazine article called “The Secret to Satisfaction”. It explained that satisfaction was not in obtaining the goal but in the process, planning, and practice towards the goal. At times I get obsessed with my weight loss goal, believing that it will give me the ultimate satisfaction that I forget about the little satisfactions along the way. I listed them here to remind me, so that I can remember that the journey is just as good (if not better) than the destination.

1. The feeling I get when I start to enjoy exertion.

2. The sense of peace I get after a workout.

3. Better posture and increased strength from weight training.

4. The increase of energy from good diet and exercise.

5. A sense of balance from eating well, exercising regularly, and giving time for myself.

Spring and Weight Loss

Spring is in the air, when I went biking with my sister. The hills were green and the fields were covered with yellow flowers. All kinds of people were out on the bike trails yesterday, along with some bugs that we took home with us on our clothes. My sister and I are thinking of making it a habit. It’ll probably have to wait though until she repairs her rear tire.

With the warm air and sunshine, I’m even more inclined to procrastinate on my Special Project. Although I have decided that it would be okay if my procrastinating resulted in some needed exercise.

I just weighed myself. 144.1 lbs. After two weeks of gaining, I ended up losing 4 lbs in one week. The only difference is that I’m recording my food intake. Also, 144.1 mean that I have achieved my first milestone. Normally this should be something to celebrate about, but half of me believe it’s a fluke. Additionally, I had already reached this milestone when I first started this blog. Reaching this milestone again just reminds me of how fickle weight loss is.

Counting Calories Day 5

Day five in counting calories, and I am finding it hard to keep in my calorie range. The last two attempts at counting calories I was breastfeeding so my range was higher. During that time I was eating salad with Ranch, while keeping in the range. Now I’m seriously re-considering my Ranch habit.

I’m gritting my teeth when I make food decisions. I’m trying to be conscious of it and relax my jaw.