I Dunno...

...That this gluten free thing is working out.  I'm worried about everything having something hidden in it.  Like, I had a bite or two of a potato casserole today.  I know there is a can of cream-based soup in it, therefore there was wheat in it.  I did go for lunch at a Mexican restaurant today and had a salad (not a taco salad) with no dressing (which was quite good). 

I'm back to 215, where my weight seems to have been relatively steady for this month.  I'm not sure what the deal with this is.  Have I slipped?  Is gluten free wrong for me?  Maybe Mostly Vegeterian is better?  *sigh*

I'm going to give it a few more days...at least another week.  See if I can't improve.  Need to get moving.

Not So Sure...

How I'm doing with this.  I had a taste of the batter of the cake that I've got in the oven for this reception that's being held at school.  That's my gluten for the day that I shouldn't have had.  I'm going to work towards making one that is gluten free this weekend, though.  I'd like to make a pound cake, but have to figure out how to do it with the gluten free flour. 

We went out for Mexican Wednesday night.  I think I did okay, but it's really hard to say when you don't know what's what.  Mexican is supposed to be more corn and less flour, so maybe I'm alright there.

Must reread book...

Since Wednesday the intuitive eating thing has sorta gone downhill quickly. Wednesday is my busiest day. I have 7 15-30 minute classes during the day and barely have time to stop for my scheduled lunch time. The whole premise behind the intuitive eating is to not eat at "scheduled" times, but to only eat when one is hungry and to actually take enough time to sit and enjoy the food while it is being eaten. This is a problem that I must solve in order to prevent a disastrous end of the week like this one. It's hard to plan to not plan and eat when hungry when that might not happen because you can't eat in the middle of a Kindergarten library class... (Mr. Wiggle wouldn't like you reading and eating at the same time -- I can't be a hypocrite in front of the Kindergarteners! LOL)

This next week, I hope to solve my Wednesday problems. I just felt so discouraged after Wednesday being a total failure and being STARVED that I ate just about everything in sight. And yes, I shouldn't have felt discouraged and just stopped completely. I tried picking back up, but I realized I needed to motivation of rereading the book, but yet again finding the time just wasn't there... yet. Today/tonight seems like a great opportunity to reread and refocus. I do feel like I was at least successfully maintaining the weight loss without starving while practicing the intuitive eating, but I need to be more focused on LOSING not just maintaining the loss at this point...

On another note, haven't walked since Tuesday of last week. Been feeling crappy still with sinus infection, taking antibiotics, etc... Just run down. 5K is in about 3 weeks, and I'm feeling negative about it. Not sure if I am really ready to do this right now. Doubts that I really shouldn't be feeling.

I type this as I am thinking about making no-bake Nutella cookies... found this great and AWESOMELY delicious blog post about these beauties. They have to be less calories than the regular boil/drop cookies with peanut butter in them, but I do need to figure the calories.

Lost in Cyber Space

I had a fairly long post about the gluten-free book I've got, etc.  And the Internet ate it.  *sigh*

Anywho...

Going Gluten-Free
Day One Stats:

Weight: 214  (it was actually 213.x when I originally weighed in, but I can't remember what the x was.  It said 214.0 when I went back.)
Plan for the day: Fast.  Fruit juice, water, and fruit.  Did have a cup of coffee that (for me to drink it) must come with creamer, but at least it is Coffee Mate Natural Bliss made with 4 natural ingredients.

Blood oranges are currently available at Walmart.  Pretty good.  :)

Tomorrow is Fat Tuesday

I've been a little discouraged lately.  I haven't been as good as I started out the year, although I've been better than I was last year.  I have watched my weight fluctuate back up to almost 217 (around 216.8, I think, which might as well be 217.)  For several days, the fluctuation has been between 214 and 216.something, which, yeah.  I know that's pretty darn normal.  I've tried not to stress over it, but when you're getting used to that downward trend of at least a pound per week, it is discouraging to have an off week.

Now, if I haven't mentioned this, I've been reading a lot lately about how Celiac's and/or gluten insensitivity go hand-in-hand with autoimmune disorders like Hashimoto's.  So this year, for Lent, I'm giving up gluten.  (And if you don't know, Lent starts on Ash Wednesday, which is the day after Fat Tuesday (aka Mardi Gras, aka Pancake Day  -- and nevermind that IHOP is now picking the WRONG day to do pancake day!)

I don't think it will be that difficult.  I've pretty much done without bread since the first of the year (and the couple of times I've had bread, it hasn't been that great, to tell the truth.)  I've also already swapped to brown rice-based pasta.  I will pack up a couple packages of Girl Scout cookies for consumption after Easter (although, if it turns out that this needs to be a permanent lifestyle change, is that really a smart thing to do?)

Reading labels is definitely a must for this, because there are hidden wheat-type ingredients everywhere.  Luckily, regulations on allergy warnings require some sort of statement about wheat, barley, and rye, even if there is possibility of cross-contamination because this gluten free product is made/processed somewhere that also processes wheat/gluten-containing products.  Of course, I've started trying to check for high fructose corn syrup and trying to avoid products containing that for the last couple of years. 

Interesting things I've learned lately by reading labels:

• Most, but not all, jarred spaghetti sauces contain sugar.  Now, I do a semi-homemade spaghetti sauce.  [Brown hamburger or ground turkey, toss in a chopped onion, and season appropriately with oregano, salt, pepper, basil, garlic, and whatever other appropriate spices are at-hand.  Add in a can or more of tomatoes (I usually do petite diced, but anything will do) and a jar of prepared spaghetti sauce.  Simmer at least until heated through.  Check periodically for appropriate spiciness.]  However, it's never really occured to me that they put sugar in the sauce.  Tomatoes NEED some sort of spice (sugar or salt) to cut the acidity, but you're gennerally better with a little salt.  I added sugar to a spaghetti sauce one time, and it ended up tasting like Chef Boyardee (which, btw, adds high fructose corn syrup to its sauce.  The HFCS is pretty addictive, and tends to make the kids LOVE it.  Hrmph.)
• Swanson Vegetable Broth has HFCS in it.  I'm still trying to get over this.  A lovely vegeterian broth, and they have to go and ruin it with HFCS.  (Maybe I'm wrong, but I'm in the camp that believes a good portion of the reason Americans are getting fatter is because the government provides subsidies to corn farmers, making products made with corn cheaper to produce.  I was told a way long time ago that HFCS is NOT naturally produced and our bodies don't know what to do with it, so it doesn't metabolize appropriately and is more likely to be turned into fat that cane sugar.  It's also addictive -- as I stated above -- and can help make you crave MORE sugar.  There are studies that show how our weight started going up as the use of HFCS started going up.  Note that other countries don't use HFCS -- get a Coke that was "heche en Mexico" and note the sugar.  If you do a taste comparison between a drink made with HFCS and the same drink made with sugar, the one with HFCS generally has a more syrupy consistency and will linger in the mouth longer.  Or maybe it's just me.  YMMV.)
• My favorite Campell's Condensed Soup, Fiesta Nacho Cheese, has wheat flour in it.  Okay, fine.  Noting that it's a cream-based soup, I should have known that.  And, yes, I thought about doing the homemade Velveeta and using it, but then it dawned on me that the Rotel and the cheese should be fine, and if I need some thickening, I now am the proud possessor of some brown rice flour.  (Besides, it's over $4 for a pound of colby cheese, plus $1.25 for plain gelatin, over $3 for the powdered milk....One day, I AM going to try it, though.)

Is there more?  Sure...but it can wait.

Next up, posting about what to look for if you're wanting to go gluten free.  (Because this post is getting long....)

2.21 miles, not quite 3.1, but closer...

I walked 2.21 miles today at my best pace! Woo, I am so excited. Not much to this post, but thinking positive thoughts from this. 5k is March 10th, that is roughly 3 weeks away. So much more walking to do to get to that comfortable pace.

:D On the weight front, down another pound. Now 290 and holding for the last couple days. Still working on the I.E. philosophy. I realize that Wednesday is not the best day for I.E. My schedule at school is so jam-packed I barely have time to eat when it's "scheduled"! Whew, makes it nearly impossible to eat when I'm hungry and actually enjoy the food I'm shoveling down my throat. I've got to work on this I.E. stuff at school.

Intuitive Eating

Like my counterpart posted, it is cold -- seriously cold. We've been spoiled by these 60 and 70 degree afternoons where walking and exercising outside if a pleasure. Don't get me wrong, I don't want summer to get here -- I hate hot and humid weather, but if it could just stay between 60 and 70 degrees I would LOVE it.

I will admit that I did not exercise Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. I did not hit the 5 mile a week goal I had set for myself, but I did walk 4 miles last week. I can tell a difference in how I feel by exercising more -- this isn't news, but I just haven't got off my butt in a while to walk outside. I had been playing Dance Central on the Kinect, but that's not as fun as being outside in the fresh air sometimes.

I have lost down to 290.0 as of this morning. I am at home this afternoon with a sick baby -- Thomas might have pink eye. It is undetermined. So, hopefully, he will nap so I can get some work done and exercise later.

I am now starting week 5 of the 52 week journey. I am feeling good about this. I have read I Can Make You Thin by Paul McKenna. The book is about intuitive eating -- basically, reteaching your mind to listen to your body's signals for hunger. To people who have never been fat, it makes perfect sense:

• Eat when you are hungry.
• Eat what you want. (Theoretically, this should be healthy choices!)
• Enjoy every mouthful of food.
• Stop when you are full.

Sounds easy enough, but most of the time, I find myself shoveling in food at a constant rate just to be able to finish lunch, get Thomas and give him a bath. Our lives are so jam-packed of things to do, when is there time to sit and enjoy eating food. Here's the funny thing, I feel weird and self-conscious eating in front of people anyway, but it's natural we all have to do it. In order to "enjoy every mouthful" I find myself closing my eyes and chewing my food until it's like so beyond mush -- which is gross for you to read, but that's how it's supposed to be, right? Duh, it's like 25 years and I'm just now learning how to eat. The other thing I find myself doing that helps me savor the flavor: listing at least 5-10 adjectives about each bite of food I am taking. I say these in my head as I am chewing to make sure I am enjoying every mouthful. It seems to be working. I am getting full well before I usually would. I am eating foods that I enjoy, not just the cabbage soup that I cooked just to lose weight -- that really has no enjoyable qualities. 

Will this work? Sure. I just need to get up and move!

Cold, Cold, Cold!

Hey, did I mention it's cold??

Just a quick update because I should be in bed...

The scale was stubborn this week.  A day or two after I posted that I was down to 214.8, it went back up to 216.8, and it didn't come down until the end of this week.  The last couple of days, I took some vegeterian chili along with my salad for lunch.  Maybe that stuff really helps?  Another day or two, and I'll make more of my vegeterian taco filling and do some taco salads again (yummy!)  The scale this morning?  213.6. 

I'm hoping for under 210 by the first of March....and close to 200 (if not under) by the first of April...maybe more under by the first of May?

If I can get down roughly 5 pounds per month...  that would put me around 210 at the end of this month, 205 at the end of April, 200 at the end of May, and 195 at the end of June.  Only bad thing for June...Disney trip, with much rich food.  There may be a before and after juice fast...  Try to dump a few extra pounds before the trip, and then lose whatever gets gained afterwards.

I've read recently that people with AutoImmune disorders (like Hashimoto's) should stick to a gluten free diet.  Other than Girl Scout cookies, I've pretty much been there this year.  I have had bread maybe two or three times, and most of that I've had didn't taste very good.  I've started buying gluten free (aka brown rice) pasta.  By mistake (because I wasn't here when the pasta was boiled) everyone in the house tonight wound up eating the rice pasta.  I didn't hear any complaints.  (And actually, other than it all kinda became a sticky blob after being drained, it was pretty darn good.  Dip out pasta, add sauce, mix well...it was yummy.)

I've been looking into the gluten free breads -- about $6 per loaf!  I think I'll mostly do better just not eating bread!  I've got rice tortilla chips and have been munching on the Terra Sweets and Beets chips (yuuuummmmmmm!)  And my Talenti gelato?  Gluten free!  Woo!

I've got a book coming...

Success hasn't tasted sweeter

-11.2 pounds down total since beginning the 52 week journey on January 17th. Whew, I feel better. It's time to take a photo to "celebrate" the shedding of 10 pounds. I want to keep up the photos to see my progress not only on the scale but on my body as well.

I'm down with a sinus infection. Went to the doc and received two shots, one in each hip (lovely). Steroid and antibiotic shots. I fear the steroid shot will make me want to eat everything in site -- so far, I haven't had a problem. I have chicken soup in the crockpot for later (no noodles, just chicken and veggies).

I'm going to for a walk later -- in hopes of walking at least another mile at a decent pace for being sick :P

Later that day...

I went for my daily walk right after originally posting this blog, but I decided to update it.

I walked 1.59 miles in 35 minutes for a 22 minute mile pace -- I'm getting better (even sick!). I did a different route than before -- used some of the same roads, but I thought I was taking a "short cut" and not walking as far or long, but I really did surprise myself by walking the distance I did. I am by no means up to the 3.1 miles required for the 5K in March, but I am getting there. I have found out there isn't a time limit and the course for the 5K. I don't want to "chicken out" and just do the 1 mile fun run/walk. I think I can get to 3.1 miles in a decent time by March 10th.

For dinner I did eat the 2 cups of chicken soup -- I could actually taste and smell the soup by the time I went to eat it (THANK YOU STEROID AND ANTIBIOTIC Shots!). And for dessert I realized I could enjoy something that is healthy and yet sooooo delicious! 3/4 cup honey nut Cheerios and 1 cup Silk Vanilla Soymilk. LOVED every bite. I was like 200 calories, which is way better than chocolate cake!

The Scales don't lie, or at least I hope not!

I did end up weighing myself on Sunday after the weekend at "home." I weighted 292.4 -- that's just 2/10ths shy of 10 pounds! A great accomplishment considering my forays in the 'Ville.

Today is another day. I ate too much at lunch (which was a day out of the office from the "normal" lunch of cabbage soup) Steak Fajita Quesadillas. Ate waaaay too much. I should've stopped at 2 slices instead of eating all six. Live and learn, correct? I learned at dinner. I fixed a special sized hamburger steak and then watched my portion size. I made sure to eat on my "special" dinner plate which is really a salad plate. It makes me feel like I have ate a ton -- which is a good psychological trick that works for me.

Mama said there'd be days like this...She just didn't know she'd cause 'em.

I'm "home" for the weekend visiting my mom in the 'Ville. So, that usually doesn't spell as much trouble as you would think because my mom is also a bigger lady and usually "diets" with me when I do -- even though it's from afar. I thought this weekend wouldn't be so hard, but I realized it is hard -- when there are snacks in the cabinet--which are healthy, but obviously only in moderation. Birthday dinner for my cousin who is turning 12 -- that includes a oh-so-healthy meal of grilled chicken (which is healthier) and Fetticini Alfredo (not so healthy with the 2 quarts of whipping cream used to cook the damn sauce...) that's not to mention the MAYFIELD chocolate ice cream (which is right up there on my favorite ice cream list) and chocolate cake to boot -- at least the chocolate cake had dark chocolate shavings? Okay, I'm not pulling myself out of this one EXCEPT: I did eat a small portion of the noodles (and a second helping of that small portion--so it's really a bigger portion) and grilled chicken and a green salad sans croutons, cheese, or Caesar dressing, but to top it off I had a SMALL slice of cake but a nice-sized scoop of ice cream. That's the beside the point, I had Mexican for lunch. I probably failed miserably on Saturday. I haven't even weighed myself yet because I fear what I am going to see on the scale, but I realize this can't set me back. I have to chalk this up as a loss, or as a gain?, whatever, and keep on going forward.

This is 2 weeks of calorie counting. 21 days makes a habit, so 7 more days of counting, tracking, exercising, etc and I think I can have my brain retrained to think in a way that is positive towards meeting my 52 week goal. I only have 49 more weeks left in the journey. I can do this.

On a more positive note, I did go walking/jogging (as best I could jog) it wasn't even a full mile, but

Oops?

So I haven't been posting like I should have been. 

However...

On January 1st, 2012, the scale said 226.8.  Wednesday, February 1st, it said 216.8.  At the doctor's office, I'd had an 8 pound loss since my last visit.

This morning, it says 214.8. 

The trend is going down, and I'm satisfied with what I'm doing for it to go down.

More later when there's more time.  :)