175.6 Charlee Chooses Healthy!

I've decided that when Jeff and I leave our little dog Charlee home alone, she listens to Jennifer Scott's hypnosis CDs. She must! Today when we came in from church, plant shopping, and grocery shopping, I was starving. I opened up a small bag of sugar snap peas, a favorite snack food of mine, and took out a heart shaped chicken dog treat (Newman's finest) for Charlee. She wanted the peas. I put one of each on the floor and she ran off with the pea pod. I knew she liked them, but not to the exclusion of the organic chicken flavored dog treat! She's into healthy eating, obviously!

And so the salt saga continues. I dropped down again this morning, and was glad to see that. And, so it goes!

177.0 True Food!

There's a new restaurant fairly close to where we live (nothing is really very close) called True Food. Rumor has it that Dr. Andrew Weil, the noted expert on natural health and wellness, is the brains behind the menu. I love this restaurant. Jeff thinks its way too healthy and never feels satisfied no matter what he orders. Last night we both had a fresh kale salad with a delicious lemony, parmesan cheese dressing, and I fear it was loaded with salt! So maybe this place isn't way too healthy after all. I also had salmon and quinoa with diced beets. It was so good, but why the bump up in the weight? Oh well, lots of water and I'll be fine by tomorrow, I hope!

Cactus flowers on my walk yesterday. Click on the photo twice to get the full effect!

173.2 Imagining and Asking

Once in a while, my walking buddy and I end up at our golf course grill for breakfast. And once in a while, we do that instead of walking, but only if it is really cold! Yes, I'm laughing because we are soooooo spoiled, so that what seems cold to us may not seem cold to many of you. But anyway, when we sit down, Linda is immediately served ice tea because every server there knows what she likes. And, they are beginning to know what I like! I like one or two egg beaters, scrambled and then mixed with portobello mushrooms, fresh tomatoes and fresh spinach that have been grilled. It's beautiful, tasty, filling and very healthy! It's not on the menu yet, but there is conversation that they may add it. (Click on the photo and it will get larger and look even more delicious!)

The servers at the grill are willing to make substitutions, etc., and so I just started asking about possibilities and voila! But isn't that what life is about on some level? Imagining, asking about the possibilities and then finding out if you like it or not. I love this breakfast!

176.2 No Whining!

Yesterday I was really feeling bad about not being perfect. I've always known I'm not perfect, but somehow with the weight loss journey I really wanted to have it all down pat, easy, without ever getting off track like I did the other night. What I did re-learn is that wine and food are not a good combination for me. I just lose all my inner governance, or what ever you want to call it.

This party also came on the heels of going out with neighborhood friends a little more often than usual, and then all the going out and special food that accompanied our having house guests. And so now we plan to eat all our meals at home during the next week and longer if possible, and to really focus on healthy food, small portions, no wine, and no whining!

173.2 A Salmon and Spinach Kind of Night

Click on the picture so you can really see the snow! I took the picture at about 8:15 this morning and it's now 12:45 pm and it's gone! The snow is gone, except on the mountains to the north and east of us. It's still very beautiful, but not so close to home.

And, the sun is shining and I don't think I have a good reason to indulge in comfort food, especially looking at my weight. Lynsey commented with some healthy, great tasting ideas that I really appreciated, but I think it's going to be a salmon and spinach kind of night. I want to see that 170.0 again.

177.8 Breaking Away!

I've been doing self hypnosis on a regular basis now and find it quite amazing. While doing it, things come into my mind that I haven't previously given any conscious thought to, and it's in some ways startling.

For example, today it came to me that I would no longer eat anything after dinner. I've been writing about night time hunger in this blog forever and yet I have never really found a good solution to it. The message is simple - after I finish eating dinner I won't eat anything until breakfast the next day. Then I won't have to deal at 9:30 at night with decisions about what to eat, how many calories the alternatives contain, and how will it affect what I have eaten all day. What I really believe will happen is that I will break away from an old, bad habit! I think I've always eaten "a little something" before bed almost every night for much of my adult life.

It also came to me while doing this hypnosis today that I didn't need to fear hunger, that if I eat a healthy amount of food every day, I don't need to fear hunger. Hmmm, another novel thought.

Yes, I will probably be hungry for several nights in a row once I start this new regimen, but soon it will disappear like the desire to bite my finger nails or drink wine. What an exciting and liberating thought!

179.9 So, There You Go!

My dog Charlee wants me to share my raw carrots with her. I do give her snap peas, but raw carrots? I don't think so. My kids used to choke on raw carrots when they were little, and Charlee is very little.

It was the salt! That's all I can think of that caused my weight to jump up again. Last night we took Greek olives, marinated mushrooms, artichoke hearts, etc. for an appetizer at the party we went to. The platter looked gorgeous and it all tasted great, and it was all low calorie, but not low salt. Since the other appetizer was brie with fig jam, I stuck to the salt laden foods that we brought.

Night before last, we took a platter of all fresh veges to another party. You know, sometimes, I just want something different, and so there you go! Don't you think salt is better than fat over the long haul?

So that's why I am crunching on raw carrots tonight, and no Charlee, I'm not giving in.

180.2 Is This Hilarious?

I received this email recently that came with the by-line that it is hilarious! Maybe I'm just in a grumpy mood, but I don't find anything hilarious about this. I think that it outlines a terrible trend away from healthy food that has caused tremendous health problems for folks around the world and among all age groups. Check it out and see what you think. You can copy and paste the address below into your browser.

http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=gmail&attid=0.1&thid=12a816a1747699b7&mt=application/vnd.ms-powerpoint&url=http://mail.google.com/mail/?ui%3D2%26ik%3Dd824d6acb6%26view%3Datt%26th%3D12a816a1747699b7%26attid%3D0.1%26disp%3Dattd%26zw&sig=AHIEtbR3LKPDpip5wAkwYs5ZkQ3mEWEnLw

I just looked at it again. There is some cleverness at work in it, but it still rankles me. Good thing tomorrow is another day!

179.0 Everyone Has Gained Weight!

Last night we had dinner with dear friends who have just moved to a "resort life style" retirement center. It's new, it's gorgeous, and has every amenity you could ever wish for in a resort or a retirement community.

After they took us on the grand tour and shared all of the wonderful aspects of the place including physical therapy opportunities, dance classes, balance workouts, a cocktail lounge, (very popular as we walked through at about 5:30 pm :)), a workout room with personal trainer on staff, etc., we went to the dining room. The menu was encased in a beautiful holder and we did feel like we were in a lovely resort.

As you can imagine, I combed through that menu very carefully looking for options that I was comfortable with. And I did find some. I ordered a romaine and tomato salad with oil and vinegar on the side as well as the blue cheese crumbles (at least a half a cup!) on the side, salmon without the barbeque sauce as offered, and a side order of sauteed spinach, and a side of asparagus. The others ordered the prime rib, and the cheesy mashed potatoes. For dessert I ordered fresh berries, while they ordered creme brulee, low-sugar blueberry pie and a chocolate sundae. By the way, I'm not criticizing what they ordered, but am including their orders to give you an idea of the selection.

So why am I writing this? I'm writing this because there weren't a lot of healthy options. There wasn't a plain potato option, there were no low salt options, and after we ordered dessert, the waiter returned to our table to say that there weren't anymore berries available. And, when my dinner arrived at the table, the spinach was less than half a cup, and the asparagus side order consisted of 4 very skinny stalks.

When Jeff complimented our hosts on the food, they agreed that it was delicious, and said that everyone who has moved there has gained weight. It's hard for me to wrap my mind around the fact that this place has obviously spent a huge amount of money on the facility, has a wonderful philosophy of engaging the folks in all sorts of activities and opportunities, and provides equipment and staff to help people stay healthy, but hasn't put that same care into the food they are serving the residents.

I woke up this morning thinking about that big dollop of cheesy mashed potatoes that Jeff had eaten. And, there must have been at least a cup and a half of ice cream supporting the chocolate sauce that made up the sundae. As I am writing this I am thinking about "the kitchen conspiracy" that I could center a novel on...namely that you cut back on the healthy items in terms of serving size and options, and go heavy on the comfort food. Maybe that's what folks want, but it makes me wonder!

184.0 5%, Only 5%?

I was watching the Today Show this morning and was delighted to see the segment about dieting with Dr. Nancy Snyderman. She and the nutritionist talked about the fact that only about 5%, yes 5%, of the people who lose weight are able to maintain their weight loss. The most important part of their message was that you have to make the commitment to lose weight because it matters to you rather than any other reason, and that it has to become a lifestyle rather than a short term diet. I smiled when Dr. Snyderman said she thinks the word diet is a 4 letter word.

After watching this, I immediately sat down at my computer and wrote a comment to Dr. Snyderman basically saying that I agreed with what she had said but that she didn't go far enough. Until you understand why you are using food to the extent you are so that you gain weight, you can't possibly take it off and keep it off long term. It's everything I have been blogging about during these past 10 months. And, it's what Geneen Roth speaks to in her book "Women, Food, and God". Permanent weight loss is not a matter of simply eating less and counting calories and exercising. If that were true, there would be a lot higher percentage of success stories out there of people losing and maintaining their weight loss. Let's hear it for self examination and understanding, healing that inner pain, and moving into the healthy person we are each meant to be.

185.8 Yum!

Sometimes when I am eating something yummy that I have designed (do you like that word?), I think that what I have come up with is so delicious I should pass it on to you all. So here are a couple of things I really enjoy eating. No, I will not repeat my wonderful recipe for salad greens with beans and fruit for breakfast!:)


Lately I have been treating myself at breakfast time to healthy grain toast onto which I spread a thin layer of peanut butter. Then I add fresh blueberries, blackberries, or pitted fresh cherries! Depending on the sweetness of the fruit, I may sprinkle a little sugar or sweetener on top of the fruit. The textures and tastes of the toast, peanut butter and berries are so much better than when jam or jelly are added and it is a lot healthier.

Another thing I do when I make a salad is to start with low fat salad dressing, usually Ranch or Blue Cheese, and then add balsamic vinegar to it. The proportion is up to you, but I probably use about 1/3 vinegar to 2/3s dressing. It makes the creamy dressing easier to disperse within the salad ingredients and less of the heavier dressing is used. And, I love the the combined flavors! Yum!

188.2 What's Going On?

What's going on here? The scale just sort of rocks back and forth rather slowly in the same arc of about a pound. Why doesn't it want to cooperate and go down a little farther once in a while? I don't have the answer but I am going to continue to ride the arc and see if I can't get it going downward. It does seem obvious that I must be eating too much. What used to be cutting back to half was cutting back enough to cause weight loss along with the exercise, etc. when I first started this weight loss program. Now I think I have to cut back even more. It's sort of like physical therapy. Once I master a certain level of an exercise, the physical therapist makes it more challenging, by either extending the amount of repetitions or making it more difficult by adding more weight, raising the level of the step, etc.. I guess I shouldn't expect weight loss to be any different.

To be honest, I haven't wanted to eat less because I don't like to feel hungry. But maybe I will just have to put up with a little hunger for a while until my stomach shrinks a little more. I don't intend to do anything outrageous or untenable, just cut back a little and see how it goes. Listening to my hypnosis CDs, and engaging my inner spirit to encourage me and guide me will help me stay on track. And, there's always sugar free gum when the hunger sets in and it's not time to eat a meal... and apples, and carrots, and celery, all kinds of good things that are healthy and taste great.

187.2 Freshly Squeezed What?

How can I live in Arizona in late April and be "under the weather"? Well, I am. I have experienced the return, in less than 3 weeks, of that plague like condition I was suffering from during my visit to Memphis and Arkansas last month. I feel as if I am living underwater with no energy, nasal congestion, and the sense that I must be 95 years old, and not doing very well. So I went to my doctor this morning (last time I waited about 3 weeks before realizing I was in trouble) and he diagnosed me with the same situation, namely allergies causing a bacterial infection.

But yesterday, after hearing about it, I stopped at a health store and drank 2 ounces of freshly squeezed... Wheat Grass juice! I was hoping that that would be exactly what I needed to get rid of this pressurized head and runny nose. It didn't take care of that, but I felt absolutely great for about a half hour after drinking it.



So today I went on line to read about it and there is quite a bit written about it. It was noted that you do feel great immediately after drinking it because of the boost it gives your blood. It is loaded with chlorophyll, which has a molecular structure very close to that of hemoglobin. Anyway, now I know what to do when I want a healthy pick me up! It didn't taste bad, either. Remember when you were a kid and would nibble on a blade of grass? It tasted like that, but in case I didn't like it, I was given a chaser of pineapple juice to drink immediately after drinking the Wheat Grass juice. If you have a place where you can watch them put the grass through a juicer so it is very fresh, try it! I really liked it!

190.0 Always On My Mind

Those of you who have been reading this blog for a long time know that I was obsessed with Willie Nelson for a while, singing along with his music as I was first beginning to be able to walk for exercise, about a year ago. Now I am obsessed with the music from Mamma Mia and listen to it every time I get on the elliptical.

My daughter Alee recently told me that she wanted to lose some weight but didn't want to be obsessed with food while she was in the process of trying to lose it. I talked with Jennifer about what Alee had said, and her response was that when we are heavy and not purposeful about what we are eating, we are still obsessed, to use Alee's word, about food, weight, etc., and, isn't it better to be obsessed with losing weight and becoming more healthy than being obsessed with feeling fat and unattractive and thinking about eating to numb the feelings of sadness and unhappiness related to weight issues.

I've been giving this a lot of thought and think food and weight will always be on my mind, and they have been on my mind ever since I was a young teenager and realized that food and weight are intrinsically intertwined with the other.

So yes, you will be obsessed with food as you undertake weight loss, but it will be associated with becoming healthier, feeling more energetic, and having more confidence about how you look, and move. And, the obsession becomes a good thing, like someone you love very much who is always on your mind, rather than a curse.

190.2 Losing It and Gaining Weight!

We are home from a great time in Las Vegas. Miranda had never been there and she was happily surprised at how much it appealed to her. Alee and I had been there together a couple of years ago and she knew she loved it...especially the Bellagio and the gambling. We had a lot of great luck and some not so great luck, but we shared our fortunes (?) and laughed and felt so happy to be together in such a fun place. The several pools were as enticing as the slot machines and we had some great pool time, also.

And the food...it was so delicious and plentiful, and I have to admit I just sort of lost it. That's putting it nicely! I lost it! We all went over to the Y this morning to workout. It was really fun to look around the workout area and see Jeff, and the girls working out with me. I don't think we had ever done that before. Even with that newly gained weight, I was able to do the elliptical for 30 minutes and so I am already feeling like I am getting back into the swing of things. The adorable sculpture that is at the top of this post is in front of our new YMCA. Remember the song with the arm motions, "YMCA"? That's what this sculpture represents.

So I've thought a lot about the 2.5 pounds I put on while away. It wasn't hard to do! Eating out every meal is just plain full of temptation, hidden salt, and delicious choices. So I am back doing my hypnosis, surrounding myself with healthy food, and drinking lots of water. I'll lose it and since we don't get together like this very often, I'm not being too hard on myself.

189.0 Thinkin' About Things

A couple of days ago I wrote that it has taken changes a lot of areas in order to make a significant change in my life. And then yesterday I gave lentil soup all the credit for my recent weight loss. I was kidding when I declared lentil soup the key to weight loss, but I have been enjoying it while not feeling good. Even though I haven't been exercising since I came home from visiting my grandsons because I have felt so yucky, I think that my metabolism has speeded up which has allowed me to handle the inactivity pretty well.

Doing lots of things that you know are good for you is key. Even though I like to carry on about a specific thing I have done (um, salad for breakfast!?), I know it is a juggling act involving fooling our bodies with variations in exercise, variations in food, and working on dealing with all the reasons we'd rather eat than deal with weight issues.

My friend Kathleen wrote recently in her blog Among The Savages that her cholesterol had dropped significantly and she was thinking about what had caused that. Since she had been making careful dietary choices and upping her exercise, and added flax to her diet, there have been lots of factors at play. And then there's Vegie Night! I really got a kick out of reading her post about adding a "vegies only night" once a week and how her three little boys reacted to that change.

Hope you are having a great weekend, and check out Kathleen's blog listed on the right if you aren't familiar with it. It reminds me of all sorts of craziness and fun that I experienced raising three kids years ago. How did I do it?! You go, Kathleen, and thanks for sharing your stories.

199.6 What's Up!

It's hard to control weight when you travel. Travel often involves gatherings (around food) with friends and relatives, and sometimes the food options that are presented to me cause me to feel uncomfortable. I have blogged about this before, since this year in particular has involved a lot of travel for me. But something is at work within me that has enabled me to travel without gaining much weight at all.

I have been thinking about this all day and I think I know what's up! Portion control and staying present are keeping me from doing too much damage. Staying present is tricky for me, especially when I am facing high stress, anxiety provoking situations. It is easy for me to become unaware, to go inward into my own little world that is far removed from how much I am eating, how fast I am eating, and what I am eating. Portion control is easier, especially if I check in with myself beforehand about how I am going to deal with the immediate challenges faced by a long buffet of all kinds of good looking food, or even a menu that offers very little in the way of healthy eating choices. One of the nights when we were in Indiana the waitress asked me if I wanted a small house salad with my order and, thinking that would fill me up and be healthy, I said yes and automatically asked for the dressing on the side. Well, the salad came so heavily covered with grated cheese that I could not possibly remove it. I apologized for not asking more questions before I ordered it and then asked for a salad without cheese. This is a new behavior for me because in the past I would have felt that I shouldn't bother the waitress about it and I would have just eaten it, including the cheese. When she returned with the new salad, I was delighted and surprised to see that there were several cherry tomatoes on the salad that weren't even visible because there had been so much cheese.

So now I am back home for a while, totally in control of all that I eat. Let's see if I can't knock some more of this weight off. Or, should I say, let's see if I CAN knock some more of this weight off!

202.0 Wisdumb!

Here's what I wrote yesterday in all of my wisdumb. "I want to go out with him and I know exactly what I will order without even looking at the menu and it will all work out fine." Not...! I did order very carefully and had a delicious dinner and then life got in the way again! I should have known when the waitress set down a spoon at each of our places after clearing our dinner plates. But we were busy talking about how Jeff didn't want dessert and that we would stop at the grocery store on the way home and get him his favorite Weight Watchers Ice Cream Bars. And then the waitress reappeared with a platter, a huge plater containing a huge dollop of whipped cream, a huge scoop on vanilla ice ream with pecans in it, and a butter rum cake about 5" in diameter covered with caramel sauce, and bananas in a flaming liquor! My first mistake was to take one bite. This first mistake was followed by many more mistakes. OMG, it was so good.

And the irony is that I was down a pound from yesterday. I am afraid it will catch up with me tomorrow. We shall see. We don't have any events that include eating out for several days so maybe I can get back to home and healthy. That does make it easier, but last night was soooo good.

207.8 Just Do It!

You know how sometimes something just clicks and you didn't even know you were thinking about it?  That happened today for me. I was coming home from doing errands and started thinking about what I still had to do today, and taking my walk immediately came to mind.  But, on the heels of that thought came the very welcome realization that I had already taken my walk today.  In fact, I had walked further than usual in the same amount of time.  I had walked faster!

What I have figured out is that once I just do something that is good for me, I can let it go and live my life without it hanging over me.  It is sort of like ordering that meal that is a healthier choice than the rest on the menu, and then adding that I don't want any potato.  Once I do that, all the tension is gone, the meal is satisfying and I don't have to focus on it anymore.  (And, I don't ever remember wishing I had had the potato or whatever.)

So tomorrow when I get up and start thinking about when I will walk, I will open that front door and go!

209.6 Food, Healthy Food

Today I went to Sur la Table.  For some reason, I'd never been in that store, but for years, I had heard how wonderful it was. The store was wonderful.  Everywhere I turned, there was something that I thought I really needed, well, wanted.  This is a store for cooks, serious cooks.  What was I doing there?  I was looking for a mandoline, so I can make a special appetizer that we had enjoyed in Italy. I ended up buying a different contraption that I am hoping will slice the zucchini even thinner and more easily than using the mandoline.

This morning before I went to Sur la Table I was reading the latest copy of Food and Wine magazine.  Those of you who have read this blog for most of its history know that I don't drink wine anymore.  So what am I doing, shopping at Sur la Table and reading a foodie magazine?

I am determined to still enjoy food even though I am eating smaller portions and healthier food.  I never would have ordered the zucchini platter in Cortona had I not been interested in healthier options.  After I master this new tool, and figure out how to put this appetizer together so that it is reminiscent of the dish we were served in Cortona, I will share the recipe with you.  Besides tasting delicious, this was beautiful to look at.

My sister Priscilla has been able to maintain her weight where she wants it, while cooking and eating an interesting and elegant array of food.  She is my role model and cheerleader.  Thanks, Prill.