Did You Know?

There are many helpful food and weight loss facts that I have discovered while gathering information for this personal journey. Many facts are valuable for everyone, so I decided to share some of my favorites-

1.Butter is better. Margarine isn’t always a better choice than butter. Most margarines contain just as much fat and as many calories as butter so they do not offer any real weight loss benefits. Worse still, they may also contain hydrogenated vegetable oils, which are thought to be harmful to the heart. If you like the taste of butter, there’s no reason why you can’t include it in your diet, providing you count the calories. Since I am a butta-lover, this is really great news for me!

2.Cereal bars and fiber bars aren’t always the best snack choices. Some ‘healthy food or fiber bars’, have as high a calorie count as candy bars. For a sweet snack, you’d be better off choosing fresh fruit. But if you must have chocolate or a sweet treat, check out the nutrition and calorie information on the label first. Small chocolate bars or treats, like Hershey Kisses, contain fewer calories than some healthy sounding cereal bars- and many are less expensive! Candy bar instead of fiber bar? Fine with me!

3.Low fat foods do not always help you lose weight. Foods that are described as ‘low fat’ or 'fat-free' aren’t automatically low in calories. In fact, some low-fat products may actually be higher in calories than higher fat products. Some low fat foods contain extra sugars or additives to enhance flavor or texture. Low fat does not mean low calorie.

4.Honey is higher in calories than sugar. 1 tsp. of honey contains 25 calories, compared with 16 calories in 1 tsp. of sugar! Plus, it’s just as likely to cause tooth decay. I like both, so no problem.

5.Potatoes, bread, pasta and rice do not make us gain weight any more than other foods. There is no proof that foods high in carbohydrates are worse than other foods. Extra calories will add pounds, regardless of where the calories come from. It’s usually the fat that we add to carbs that raises the calorie content, such as butter on toast, creamy sauces on pasta,or sour cream on potatoes.

6.Spinach is great. If you could eat only one vegetable for the rest of your life, eat spinach. It’s one of the highest ranking vegetables as far as overall antioxidant capacity. It can easily be added to many recipes, meals and salads. Popeye always was my hero.

7.Diet soda does not automatically contribute to weight loss. In fact, it’s been shown that diet sodas actually increase hunger. I don't drink many carbonated beverages, so I can avoid these without too many struggles.

8.Red meat is OK. Red meat is much leaner now than ever before. Around half the fat in red meat is actually heart-healthy monounsaturates. In particular, red meat contains oleic acid, which is the same type of fat that’s found in olive oil. Red meat is also packed with a wide range of vitamins and minerals, especially iron. It is easy to choose lean cuts of meat and to use cooking methods that do not add fat. You don’t have to limit yourself to chicken anymore. Bring on the filet mignon!

Bottom line on most of these tips:
First and foremost-count your calories!

Steady Limit

Today I found a definite 'speed limit' for my journey.

My plan is to lose 1-2 pounds a week. Although I have been cutting back on the foods and calories I am eating, I have not focussed on an actual number of calories to eliminate from my diet each week. Today I found my limit:

To lose 1 lb. of fat, you need to burn 3,500 calories more than you consume. Therefore, I need to reduce my calorie count by 500 calories a day. By reducing my calorie intake each day, it should be easy to lose 1 lb. a week.
If I take in fewer calories than I need, my body will start to use up its extra fat to get the extra calories it needs to keep functioning properly. Over time, this will result in weight loss. Bingo!

Exercise can help me burn off some additional calories too. It is important not to eliminate my favorite foods or starve myself.
Regardless, the basic weight loss rule still applies:

Extra calories means extra pounds.

Crash!

Ordered deep dish pizza tonight.

EPIC FAIL!

No point in discussing it further.

Wrong Way!

I’m going in the wrong direction. Today was the first time since beginning this journey, that I discovered my scale is going up- instead of down.

I am still counting calories faithfully, but I have been eating too many of the wrong kind of calories and it shows. In recent days, I have wrongly convinced myself that sugar is OK as long as I count and limit the calories. In another lapse of judgment, I stopped paying attention to the fat content in foods.

I need to get back to eating pure unprocessed foods. Eating organic foods like fruits, vegetables and meats is very different from taking in processed or high sugar foods. My attempts to steer clear of processed foods are failing. I started to enjoy too many of the delicious 100 calorie (although processed) foods that lure me into defying my diet rules.

The result of my bad choices is obvious. My forward momentum and progress on this journey has stopped. The worst part is that I am now going in the wrong direction.

I plan to get turned around soon and get back on my way to Thinville.

Sightseeing

It seems that ALL the best recipes and food shows are on T.V. right after I get home from work. This is, of course, the hungriest part of my day.

Today, I watched Paula Deen making a 'melt in your mouth' pot roast and frozen chocolate mousse pie. It was more than I could handle.

These T.V. temptations taunt my taste buds too much.

I am well aware of the fact that I need to guard myself from the perils that lie deep within the flat screen. I don't know why, but I just can't look away when I see delicious food preparation staring back at me from the square glare.

There can be no more sightseeing on the Food Network or the Cooking Channel for me. From now on, I've got to respect the stop sign when tempted to view tasty cooking techniques and recipes.

It will be difficult to give up my food watching fascination cold turkey. I'm thinking that maybe I can watch a little of my favorite food shows - as long as it is after I eat a good meal,
but never before I fill my tummy with food first!

Hitchhiking

I really need a lift. If only someone could pick me up and carry me the rest of the way to Thinville. Some days the road seems too long to endure. Lately, it seems that I am spinning my wheels and not getting anywhere.

Encouragement makes the road so much easier to travel. Recently, a friend who I hadn't seen in a while, noticed that I looked a little thinner. Actually, she said my butt looked tiny! She carried me a few miles with that comment!! It was so nice to receive validation that even 10 pounds can make a difference. I am noticing that all my pants are fitting better these days. Additionally, it doesn't seem that my belly sticks out quite as far as it did a month ago (of course, my perspective may be different from that of others). Successful results have a positive impact on my journey and carry me further down the road.

Sometimes discouragement makes me feel like a hitchhiker waiting on the side of the road. For now, I plan to stay on course and keep following my road map-
I just wish I could find some shortcuts!

Road Block Ahead

It’s too early to hit a road block. Seven weeks into this journey and my weight is holding steady at a 10 pound weight loss. The good news is that I am not gaining weight. The bad news is that I am not losing any either.

I’ve heard about people hitting a plateau, but not this early in the process. 10 pounds will simply not do. It won’t get me into skinny jeans or skimpy summer dresses.
It definitely won’t get me into the bathing suit of my dreams.

So where do I go from here? I had hoped to average a loss of at least 7 pounds a month. Right now, I have less than a week to lose 4 more pounds. My options are clear. I have to ramp up the exercise and buckle down on my diet. Both options are challenging with the weekend approaching fast.

Getting beyond road blocks is always a challenge. Sometimes we have to go around and sometimes we have to just break through. Either way, I have to ask myself how badly I want to reach my destination. Where there's a will, there's a way.
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