January 30, 2012
The Curtain, George Segal 1974
Photo by Theresa
A few nights ago I heard something on the news that has stayed with me for a few days:
"It's that time of year, when New Year's resolutions begin to fade away.  Stay tuned to find out how to keep your New Year's resolution to stick to your diet."
I didn't need to stay tuned. I realized right then and there how great it is that I no longer worry about keeping a New Year's resolution to stick to my diet. I no longer worry about about giving up on a diet. I  no longer worry about what diet I'll do if this diet fails or what else I'll I try.

This program is a life-changer for me. There's nothing to give up. There's no resolution to chase after. I have changed the way I eat and how I think about food. One of reasons I didn't journal for the first seven months on this program is that I don't spend time thinking about a diet.

That's one of the great things on this program--seven whole months passed before I realized I hadn't taken a before photo or even measurements. This leaves a whole lot of time to focus on other things in life and also takes away a lot of stress.

I know I'm not the only one following this program who feels this way. In a recent blog entry, Linda wrote:
"I haven't given up. That is a big success for me! Usually I have cheated or given up on a 'diet' by now after being on it this long especially when it feels like I am not losing."
There are times, of course, that I think about the program; mostly when I feel like I'm not losing weight. Karen recently blogged about what she does when she feels like she isn't losing weight:
"I just buy something smaller or tighter clothes and that helps me get motivated to lose more weight and reach the size I want."
When I'm feeling like I'm not losing weight, I too open my closet and try on clothes. It's wonderful to find items that fit me now and didn't fit me last year, or even just a few weeks ago. Or to discover I fit into some of the hand-me-downs I had set aside because they were too small.

Speaking of clothes, I was thinking about the plan I had for my wardrobe as I dropped sizes. My plan was to avoid spending money on smaller clothes along the way, to get by with clothes that I outgrew years ago and the hand-me-downs from my friends.

This is a good plan, but my body has changed. Those clothes that haven't fit me in years may fit now, but not always in the best way. My body is shaped differently than when I was this size before. Sometimes I look in the mirror and I see me in clothes that my friends gave to me and I think "I would never buy this!" I wear them anyhow, because they fit.

I have a better plan that I'm following now. In December, I bought three pairs of pants and they look so much better than the older ones I have in this size. I bought pants that compliment my body by fitting in all the right places. While I'm still losing weight, I don't need an extensive wardrobe, so I don't rush out and buy a ton of clothes. I have to say, I can't wait until I get to go to regular stores, instead of large women's store, to buy smaller sizes and new styles. I'm not there yet, but that day will come.

Meanwhile, I gratefully accept all hand-me-downs. Especially the wonderful winter jacket Aime gave me. I never would have gone for this style jacket if I was looking to buy a new coat, but I love this hand-me-down coat. It's not always a bad thing to I realize I would not have bought an item that was a hand-me-down.

Size 30/32 tops
For sale on eBay
Also part of the plan, is to sell my larger clothes on eBay. I did this with most of my coats in November and those that didn't sell I donated.

Today, I went into my closet and pulled 20 of my size 30/32's, photographed them, and put them for sale on eBay. If they don't sell, they go into a bag for Goodwill. Time to be rid of those sizes. Amazing, the closet is still full of clothes that are too big.

Up next: size 26-28 later this week.

There was mention of a clothing swap, but I haven't heard any ideas about how we can do this. Ideas?


January 29, 2012
Chicken with Red Pepper & Goat Cheese 

Sticking with my promise to mix my menus up and try new recipes, I'm happy to report I added two new items to my repertoire this week. The first item is arugula, a veggie that's high in vitamins A and C. I haven't had arugula in ages and it is wonderful to have this back on my menu. I placed it under my main courses this week, which included chicken, chicken salad, hamburger, and steak.
Sliced chicken on arugula and topped
with red pepper and goat cheese sauce.

From Whole Foods
The second new item I tried this week was a sauce that Whole Foods markets as a dip: Fire Roasted Red Pepper and Goat Cheese Dip. My intent was to dip carrots and celery into it as a compliment to my chicken, but when I opened the container and tasted it, I decided to use it as a sauce instead. This is my new favorite dish.

If you're looking to change up your menus a bit, give this a try and let us know how you used the dip.

Has anyone tired new recipes this week that you'd like to share? 

While we're on the topic of water, I drink tons of seltzer and about six months ago I bought a SodaStream, which makes seltzer from tap water. I drink my seltzer plain on ice, but most of the time I add lemon and lime. It also is good to use when making a vodka drink.

I love that I no longer have to carry heavy bottles from the grocery store or deal with recycling bottles. I like it so much that I bought one for my office. They vary in price, but you shouldn't have to pay more than $99. Also, it's best to buy the smaller size (60-liter), as a sales rep told me it's harder to get refills for the bigger size. They sell them at Amazon, Macey's, Bed Bath and Beyond, and even Sears. The easiest place to exchange the cylinders is at Bed Bath and Beyond because you make the exchange at the customer service counter, which is right near the front door.

I was reading magazines at my doctors office yesterday and I read a brief article about diet soda that supports concepts we hear from Julie:

Dump the diet Soda
It might now have any calories, but that doesn't make diet soda a weight-loss bullet. In fact, in a nearly 10-year study of 474 people, researchers at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio found that folks who drink two or more diet sodas a day experienced a 70% greater increase in waist circumference than soda shunners. Reason? The jury is still out, but a study from the universities of Bristol and Bangor sound that drinking the diet beverages make your taste buds less sensitive to sweets so you actually crave sugary foods.

I took a photo of the article, but failed to note the name of the magazine. I found a similar article from CBS News New study is wake-up call for diet soda drinkers that indicated similar findings; here's an excerpt:

"Artificial sweeteners could have the effect of triggering appetite but unlike regular sugars they don't deliver something that will squelch the appetite," Sharon Fowler, obesity researcher at UT Health Science Center at San Diego and a co-author on both of these studies, told the Daily Mail. She also said sweeteners could inhibit brain cells that make you feel full.

So if sugar soda is no good, and diet soda isn't either - what should we be drinking?
Dr. Hazuda told the Daily Mail, "I think prudence would dictate drinking water."

None of this comes as a surprise.

January 28, 2012
It's been a year that I've been on Julie's weight loss program and this week I've been thinking about the ways my life has changed since the last week of January 2011....

I am no longer consumed by thoughts of when I'll begin a diet or feeling like a failure because I started a diet and gave up after a few days or a few weeks - or I never started at all. I no longer think about the infamous "tomorrow" when I'll begin to eat right and exercise. Eating right and exercising are now part of my lifestyle. I'm not sure when those all consuming thoughts left me, but I'm happy they are silenced.

I am confident that I will reach my ideal size. I've never felt this way before. I don't know how long it's going to take me, but I don't need to focus on that anymore either. Last January I thought I would have lost a hundred pounds by now. I'm really okay with the fact that I haven't lost a hundred pounds. The weight has come off at a pace that feels natural. Some days I don't feel like I've lost over fifty pounds, because it has come off slowly. I only need to look into my huge closet full of clothes that are too big to realize how much smaller my body is than it used to be. This week I'm wearing a coat my friend Aime gave to wear in Alaska in June. At that time I could zip it up, but I couldn't move for fear it would rip open. It's my new favorite coat and there's room inside for a heavy sweater inside. Time to sell off my favorite red coat that I had altered in October--it's too big.

I used to think "If I lose x amount of weight per week, then by such and such a date, I will weigh XXX." In fact, last night I heard myself trying to work this equation aloud with a friend. "I'm this size now and if I keep going as I have been going, by my vacation in April I'll be a size.... Wait! This formula doesn't work any more!" In April, I'll be whatever size I am and there isn't a formula that's going to project what size I'll be by then.

At my recent refresh class, I was reminded that  plateaus are not only a part of the process, but that we should embrace them. When we're in a plateau, our body locks in our weight  so that it becomes our new high, which helps us in the end to maintain our weight. At the same time, I need to assess if I'm in a rut vs a plateau. A rut is when I'm eating the same foods with no variety. A rut is when I am sliding, eating too much cheese, an imbalance of protein to veggies, or anything else that I "allow" that is a slippery slope and if I keep it up the plateau will turn into a weight gain. Although some weight gain is also part of this process, I need to be aware if I'm doing something to cause that or if it's just part of the ebb and flow.

I've learned that the longer I'm on this program, the stronger my resolve is to stay the course. Exercise helps take the weight off faster, which is the reason I began to exercise, but I didn't start exercising until October. I love how I feel when I exercise, which makes me happy to have this be a part of my lifestyle.

Like many of you, I often struggle staying off the scale. However, I really get how knowing numbers can mess with my head, so I continue to stay away from knowing how much I weigh. In a recent blog post, I commented on my thoughts about the scale:
  • Think about the scale as old technology: outdated an obsolete. 
  • It no longer fits our needs. 
  • It does not measures our success. 
  • It does not define who we are. 
  • Using the scale sets us back. 
  • We are more than the sum on the scale.
I've learned to measure my weight loss success in new ways. I have more energy than I did a year ago. I'm five sizes smaller than I was a year ago. I can run a 5k in under 45 minutes. I bought binoculars so I can take up birding this year.  My creative juices are flowing once again.

When I put together my year of photos, I realized I hadn't taken that many photos of myself over the past year. Most of the photos I found were from previous times I had started a diet and wanted before and after photos. I didn't take a before photo in January 2011. My first photo on this program was in April when I was on vacation. All the photos I took last year were from vacations with the exception of Aug. 2011 and my Jan. 2012 photos. The one in August was when I was in a store and tried on a new outfit and wanted a second opinion, I took a photo and sent it to a friend. I bought the top, but took it back a few days later.  I took the January photo so I could have something to compare to the older photos. In taking that photo and adding it to all the others - I was then able to really see how much weight I've dropped.

It is because I am not consumed by this program/diet that I haven't taken photos along the way. Photos are a good way to measure success, so I'm committed to taking a photo at least once a month until I reach my goal size. This is a good way to measure success.

What about you? How has your life changed since you began Julie's program? How do you measure success? And what about a clothing exchange - how would this work?
January 25, 2012
I'm happy to say weight is coming off once again. It felt like I was maintaining for a couple of months, although my clothes indicate otherwise. I understand plateaus are a good thing and that they are part of the process, but still it's nice to be dropping weight again. I contribute the weight drop to my refresh class last week. I'm back to working the core of this program: lots of meat, equal portions of meat to veggies, and mixing up my menu plan.
I didn't realize I was stuck on the same foods week after week until I heard Julie ask someone in the group if they were eating the same foods all the time. I realized this was something I was doing; I had a few favorites that I made week after week. This week I broke out of the mold by eating shrimp, chicken, bacon, sausage, beef, and a wider variety of veggies. Variety is a good thing and I encourage each of you to work on varying your menus too. Boredom with food is never a good thing, as it can lead us to places we don't want to go and it can stump our weight loss progress. This is part of our journey too - keeping things from being boring. How are all of you doing with variety in your menus?

For me to mix things up, I started exploring new foods, such as Trader Joe's filet Mignon roast, shrimp stir-fry, and barbecued ribs.  I don't recommend the shrimp stir-fry, as it was bland. It did inspire me to buy frozen uncooked shrimp and ingredients to make my own shrimp recipes. I haven't had the ribs yet, but the roast was full of wonderful flavors and I highly recommend treating yourself. Here's how I cooked the roast:

Cooking the Filet Mignon Roast

If you have a grill, well when it isn't snowing out, that's the best way to cook it, but you may also cook it on top of the stove or in the oven. However you cook it, sear it first and then turn the heat down and let it cook.  See Wikipedia for more details on searing meat.

I cooked my roast on top of the stove. When the meat was almost done, I sliced it into smaller pieces so I could cook it all the way through; I don't like to see any red in my meat. At the same time, I tossed in onion slices.

When the meat was halfway cooked, I cut the meat in half, seared the newly sliced edges, and then pulled one of the pieces from the pan for another meal. This allowed me to warm it up the next day without overcooking the meat. When I cooked it the second time, I sliced all the meat and placed it on a hot (Teflon) pan with more sliced onions.

This roast was well worth the price (about $20). My only regret is that I didn't take a photo when I plated it to add to this blog! I'm sure I'll have this dish again and when I do, I'll add photos.

BTW, I'm sorry I wasn't able to blog recently. I'm in week four of a cold that just won't let go!


January 24, 2012
I am re-posting this for anonymous. This was posted as a reply to my post of strange compliment. I am re-posting this because I feel this needs addressing and we all know what it is like to need encouragement.

Also, I don't see those replies a lot of times inside the posts. Please don't be afraid to post a main topic. Those are easier to find, than those replies.

Anyway, here is her post:
Anonymous - Jan 24, 2011
Can someone please reassure me that the plateau that I am on is normal. I know it is and everything Julie said is coming back to me about your body loosing and then healing, but enough already! My body is plenty healed! I don't seem to have moved since Christmas and I have been following the program to the T. Just some words of reassurance and comfort would help. I don't feel that I need a refresher because I am doing all the right things. Help!
January 24, 2012
I received the oddest compliment yesterday! Not like one I have ever received before. But, it was a compliment, so I will take it.

A dear friend of mine, (who by the way lurks around on this blog :-), told me that someone commented to her that I was loosing weight. They asked her if I had had the stomach banding surgery. LOL!! I hope that means I lost a lot of weight fast. If that is what it means, I sure hope this plateau ends soon so I can continue on!!!

So I guess people are noticing. I am still chuckling over this one!!!
January 18, 2012
Meatloaf is another staple for me. It's quick to make and cooks in 30-40 minutes. I like meatballs more, but meatloaf is a lot less work and cooking time.
If I'm really hungry and I don't feel like waiting 45 minutes for dinner, sometimes I pull enough of the beef to make a hamburger while the meatloaf is cooking and then I have the meatloaf for lunch the next day.

Ingredients
  • one pound of beef
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 1/2 cup chopped celery
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1/4 cup bread crumbs (I use Progresso Italian) 
  • spices you like (garlic, salt, pepper. etc.)
Process
  1. Mix all ingredients with your hands in a bowl until well blended.
  2. Place into a baking pan (I use a standard size bread pan)
  3. Flatten top of meatloaf with the tines of a fork (optional)
  4. Bake in preheated oven for about 40 minutes until cooked as desired.
Optional: Serve with catsup or add your favorite tomato sauce to the top and bottom before cooking the meatloaf.

I also have small loaf pans that I sometimes use to make single servings, this way they are ready to fit into my lunch container.

Meatloaf makes about 4 servings
January 16, 2012