my-diet-blog

Anger

Fri, 20 Jul 2012 08:34:04 +0100

The more weight I lose, the more people I consider to be "normal" are including me, and It makes me more ticked off than happy.

For all the habits that have changed, I'm the same person I was at nearly 300 pounds. If anything I'm weirder. I've been an outsider since my teen years, and I lost the weight to be healthy, not to fit in. When you're morbidly obese, but not "talk show fat" you're pretty much invisible. Since you're not competition to other women or a potential partner to men, they actually act like themselves around you. In some ways, that's great. You actually get to know men as friends and they're honest with you in a way that they'd never be with "girls". Since I started to approach "normal", things are changing. It's made me spend a lot of time looking how people relate to each other. I can accept that are a lot of people are too shallow to bother treating someone who isn't conventionally attractive (Not just weight, people can be just as spiteful towards people they consider ugly, or poor, or anything they consider inferior) like a person that deserves kindness and compassion, but it doesn't mean I'm ever going to understand it, or want anything to do with people that act that way. The bright side of this is the people that have been my friends all along, I value all the more.

Steenky Feesh

Fri, 20 Jul 2012 08:38:26 +0100

Sardines.Mackarel.Herring.
Are you gagging yet? If you are, it's a shame.They're fairly cheap, high in alll sorts of good stuff, more plentiful, and less polluted than salmon and tuna. After trying out a variety of brands I've found lots of varieties I love. Since I can't take them to work and stink up my cubicle, they're usually what I eat when I get home starving, and theres no leftover protein in the house. Most of the time, I pop oven a can, throw some mayo on it, and a little sugar free pickle relish and eat it out of the bowl, but here's what I do if I can wait to actually cook it first:

Mackarel: mush up with an egg, make patties, fry in a little coconut oil. Serve with avacado. Even my parents thought this was disgusting over the phone, but I really like it. Macakarel isn't that much more fishy than tuna so I don't get the gagging.

Sardines with the heads on: I bake at 400 in the air grill until they get crispy. My version of a fish stick!

Ok, Now where to get it:
1.) The local Russian grocery store: man, I love this place! If you're In Salem, Oregon, Privet Foods is awesome. Best swiss cheese ever, but back to the fish- they have dozen of varieties of canned fish some in sauce, some in oil. I have never found a variety here I didn't like, even salmon in tomato basil sauce.It sounds weird, but tastes terrific. This place is more expensive but it's a great treat that I can stock up on when i'm flush then rely on when I'm broke. They also carry a brand called Ahmad Tea that I reccommend.

2.) health food / gorumet stores. The one I go to occasionaly carries locally caught (Oregon coast) Alder-smoked canned tuna. Om nom nom. Problem is, it's like $7 a can. Worth it? Definitely, but ouch! Something I'd treat myself to for a road trip or special picnic.

3.) Big Lots/Canned Food Warehouse: a bit of a risk, so don't buy a large amount until you've tried the variety/brand first. Founds some great stuff here, and some that was just "meh".Canned foods at least in my area has a guarantee, so of it's really bad, you can get your money back.

3.) Costco: A lot of people like their albacore tuna, but I think it's bland. They sell Chicken of the Sea chunk light for a pretty decent price, so it's one of my staples.

4.) Trader Joe's. Doesn't everyone know this place ROCKS? No Bht in the cans, reasonable prices and all sorts of canned fish. While you're there, the frozen asparagus is the BEST!, and they sell some of the best Greek yogurt on the market.

Now the one brand I would advise against: Bumble Bee. Every product I've tried of theirs has been bad. The sardines were disgusting ( even the neighborhood alley cat refused them) and their so called "chuck white albecore" is a pathetic amount of flakes that looks like cat food. Don't waste your money

A great place for reviews for sardines: http://www.sardinesociety.com/

My cubicle in Carb Hell

Fri, 04 Feb 2011 21:45:02 +0100

I saw this blog post and it reminds me so much of my job- maybe most jobs are like this :
http://whyareyousofat.wordpress.com/2008/08/05/more-fun-co-worker-stories/

I can't believe how much unhealthy food is used as a reward where I work. Today, someone brought Amaretti cookies. This is the first time I've been tempeted in a long time - I actually had to smell them , LOL I'm an almond junkie. However, as hard as it is to keep losing weight this time of year, cheating is one big, flashing, neon NO sign! It would take me a month to get back from that one cookie.
The rest of the time, it's not big deal. Donuts make me sick, so not tempting one bit.
"Better than Sex" cake- yeah, if you really think that a boxed cake mix and cool whip is better than sex, I feel sorry for you- that's not even as good as shopping, never mind sex!
Cinnamon rolls - tempting because my boss' cinamon rolls are amazing, and I'd probbably eat a rock if you put cinnamon on it, but I usually escape those with well planned treats or taking the day off.
A lot of rewards here are fresh baked cookies - the smell would drive anyone crazy.
For a while I rewarded myself with cash every time I turned down the "free" food at work- I couldn't afford to keep up with it!

I love what McBloggenstein says here:
http://whyareyousofat.wordpress.com/2008/06/09/office-politics-get-your-own-yummy-food/

I can't help it- I'm always looking for ideas. If I see someone putting something yummy and healthy in the microwave at work, I'm probbably going to ask about it, because it looks like a good idea to copy ;-)

Cartman VS Bike Grrl

Mon, 08 Nov 2010 05:55:23 +0100

I've had two sides of me battling it out for a long time, It helps me to mentally picture them:
1.) This is Cartman, AKA the old me:

This is the part of me that wants to eat the wrong things. I've heard from this part of me so little these days, I think it's dormant.

And then there's who I want to be:

I'm starting to wonder if this girl's taking over- though she looks like she's up to the job! For example tonight, I overate at Hometown Buffet.Are you ready to hear what I ate 3 plates of ?
SALAD!
They have this new Blue Cheese wedge salad that is CRAZY good- especailly with their baked chicken and red onions on top. I might have given the carrot cake a look on the way in, but the minute I tucked into that salad, it was off my mind.This is actually happening a lot lately. I'm a little more used to it these days but the first time I actually wanted to eat broccoli it was a little surreal.
And then there's what I caught myself saying today - "You want to finsih this ice cream,Mom?" Ok, it was low carb ice cream and not NEARLY as good as frozen greek yogurt but still- did I just say that? LOL!

Once again- I don't get it!

Sun, 07 Nov 2010 06:12:18 +0100

Well, the holiday advertisements have started, and it seems that in a lot of health web sites, there's a huge amount of ainxiety over gaining weight over the next 2 months.
Christmas, I completely understand. The food pushers go into hyperdrive with tons of sweets- it's so annoying!
But Thanksgiving? I don't see any reason Thanksgiving can't be one awesome healthy meal!
Most of the major components of the thanksgiving dinner are in fact, superfoods:
1. Turkey:
http://www.superfoodsrx.com/superfoods/turkey/
2. Pumpkin:http://www.superfoodsrx.com/superfoods/pumpkin/pumpkin-as-a-super-food.html
No, not in pie! It's easy to make a pumpkin custard (no crust) I bake them up in heatproof coffee mugs and even eat it for breakfast.It's also great :
In a protein shake ( add a little chai spice/ sugarfree chai syrup with it - awesome!)
As a soup with chicken broth, a little curry powder and a little cream. fantastic on a cold day and takes minutes to make

3. Cranberries http://www.wellwire.com/food/superfoods-food/cranberries just don't load them with sugar.
I made my own cranberry sauce recently with 3 bags of fresh cranberries, a jar of Walden Farms Strawberry spread, and about 1/3 of a cup of pineapple flavor Da Vinci Syrup (I was finishing off a bottle in this situation but orange,rasberry, or any combination of them works well, too) I threw them all into the Crockpot and went to bed. Normally Walden farms products are useless but in this case it gave a nice, jellied consistency. It turned out wonderful!

Now I know -what's thanksgiving without mashed potatoes? Try mashed cauliflower instead!
http://www.wellwire.com/food/superfoods-food/superfood-of-the-week-cauliflower
One More I have to add: Brussel Sprouts. They're in season right now and they're so cute! Somebody should re-name them "baby cabbage" to lose their un-deserved bad reputation. Of course if you overcook any of the cabbage family vegetables they turn out limp, bownish and sulfur tasting. Ugh, disgusting!
However they're so delicious roasted: cut them in half , drizzle with olive oil, add a little garlic salt and chili pepper flakes. They're wonderful - this is one vegetable I could easily use up all my carbs on!

Things I love about Atkins.

Sun, 07 Nov 2010 06:10:01 +0100

There's more to the Atkins diet than bacon, LOL!
If you're familiar with the Atkins diet, you know that you get to eat things that other diets can't - but there's a lot more benefits.
1. A lot less hunger. One thing that really stinks about dieting is bieng hungry all the time. On Atkins, I get hungry only if it's been 5-6 hours since I last ate, so I can concentrate on other things. I can't tell you how much I love that freedom! My energy stays nice and steady, even when I'm on my bike all day.
2. The fat comes off in the right places. I can't say if this is the same for others, but this has been my experience: On Atkins my stomach and thighs shrink first! WOO HOO! Last time I was on a low cal/low fat diet, my bra was suddenly empty. Not on this diet! :D
3. Hair/Skin/Nails. I love this! Within a month of bieng on Atkins, my skin clears up, my nails grow faster and stronger, and my hair grows in better.

Low Carb Skillet

Thu, 04 Nov 2010 08:25:21 +0100

This, like my post about salads is more an idea than a recipe, since I rearely make this the same way twice. I tend to cook a large amount of protein, like a value pack of chicken/ ground beef or a big pork roast on my day off , then use it it during the work week. I suppose the following would also work for fish or shrimp, but I'd prefer to really do something special with a nice piece of fish if I can afford it! It's kind of an American comfort food version of a stir fry.

For this, I always use my big, well-seasoned cast iron frying pan :
1. Fat: Sorry if you're on a low fat diet, but I usually start with either a tablespoon of some kind of fat or oil first, or a strip of bacon. I start the fat with any spices I feel like using. For me that's either garlic, ginger,chili flakes or chili powder

2. Vegetables part one: Since I like them all carmelized, this is when I chop up some onion and/or mushrooms if i'm using it and add it. If you're on Atkins,onions are one thing you have to watch but they're so worth a few carbs . If I'm including them, this usually means 1/4 of a medium sized onion.

3. Protein: For me this means roasted chicken, pork, or precooked haburger from one of my day-off cookfests, diced up and added to the fat and spices. Give this a chance to brown a little bit before adding the veg.

-if you used a strip of bacon, take it out at this point, chop it up and re-add-

4. Vegetables, part 2 :It's a worknight and I'm tired, so I'm going the easy route with those bagged veggie mixes: Spinach (if it's not an arm and a leg at the grocery store), and more often Cole Slaw mix. Spinach really cooks down, so pile it on if you're using it!

Form there just let it cook: Spinach cooks within a minute and cabbage takes about 10 (I like mine a little burned)

Tonight's version was butter+garlic+chicken+spinach+pepper+lemon juice. So good and so easy!

BRRRR!

Sat, 30 Oct 2010 02:58:14 +0100

    Well, Fall showed up and changed the weather in a hurry.I don't know if it's the loss of the extra paddding or my metabolism is slowing down, but I'm FREEZING! I used to run aound in the snow in jeans and a tshirt - now if gets below 60 degrees I have to bundle up. I feel like such a wuss!
     My weight loss has slowed to a crawl, lke it always does when it gets cold. I don't expect to lose more that 2-3 lbs a month between now and May. I'm not going to drive myself crazy trying to force a weight loss that will come easily next spring. Like Tom Naughton in Fat Head, Mother nature is not stupid.
     I'm already starting to feel the "winter blues"   because of the shorter days, So I'm going to start taking Vitamin D3.

Auto Pilot

Sat, 30 Oct 2010 02:18:46 +0100

If I haven't posted much, It's because there not much to tell, really. My diet is what I call on "auto pilot": I know what to do, I'm used to it so it just goes along. If I go off my plan I don't feel well so it's not worth it. So far I've lost 45 lbs. It's slowed down but still going. It's also coming off in the weirdest places - my feet and fingers are narrower!
The biggest change is how I've learned to handle stress. I mean the crushing stuff that used to make want to go "face down in a cheesecake" I never did this by the way. I just wanted to, and would sit around feeling miserable. I knew I didn't want to eat, knew it wouldn't make me feel any better - but what on earth would?
The answer: Bicycling until I'm nearly ready to collapse, and lots of British Rock. Hub's getting used to me coming home 2 hours late at night it beats me crying and bieng stressed out ( job stuff - blame the economy) .

Oh for pity's sake- is eating healthy that much of a chore?

Sat, 30 Oct 2010 03:10:03 +0100

I just read this article on a fat acceptance blog and it gave nearly gave me a headache :http://biglibertyblog.com/2010/07/24/the-dieters-clusterf/

Sigh. I dunno, maybe it's less fun to be a low fat dieter - Susan powter seems to enjoy it, though. Seriously, I do not miss the way I used to eat one bit - of course it may be because it's summer and I have easy access to incredible local produce. I'd take a basket of Oregon strawberries over chocolate chip cookies any day!

"And praising each other for only finishing half, or for being ‘better’ than they by having a nonfat fiber-stocked twig salad or heavily processed frankendairy sugarfree nonfat yogurt substitute."

Umm, twig salad, seriously? Actually some healthy fats/oils help you absob the nutrients in those veggies. But point taken . I hate lame salads, emphasis on the lame: nothing but iceberg lettuce, hothouse tomatoes, ewwww. This is why I switch to soups in the winter. However, we're in the middle of summer!

So here it is : My salad suggestion list:

1. The lettuce - hundreds of varieities out there and most people pick the one with nearly no taste and nutrients- iceberg.Personally, I'd rather have spinach anyway. Butter lettuce and romaine are great choices too. Look for "greenleaf" lettuce too -it makes a great bread alternative for sadwiches and tacos!

2. the veg- go nuts here.It's kind of fun to use all the veg you have in your fridge as your own personal salad bar. I can't think of one veg I don't like on a salad exept maybe those really tough leafy greens like chard and kale.

3. Protein - here's where it's good to be an Atkins chick! Leftover meat from last night's dinner, crumbled up bacon, shredded cheese, even cold cuts, anything goes here as long as there's no sugar in it. You can put hard boiled eggs on it too, but that's not very appetizing to me. Eww, cold eggs (shudder)

4.) Fats: I personally like ranch but once in a while make my own dressing. There are very few good ones that don't use sugar, especially if you want an asian dressing. They're pretty easy to make and fun to experiment with! Avacados are also a good source of healthy fats and such a great addition to a salad. I also like to add nuts ( walnuts are wonderful in a salad with chicken) , Seeds like sunflower and pumpkin, soynuts, even crumbled up flaxseed crackers add healthy fats, fiber and crunch

So there you go - directions for a salad that'll make all your coworkers jealous! Do I normally do this? Not really, salads don't travel well on the back of a bike. Salads for me are more of a dinner thing at home.

What do I normally take? Cole slaw or marinated cucumber salads.Marinated cucumber slices are my replacement for potato chips. They're a bit like the ones you get at a sushi bar, but I add red onion.

About that frankendairy? EWWWWWW! I love full fat Greek yogurt, so forget the fake stuff! By the way yogurt is not a meal. It's dessert!