Perpetual Healthy Eating and Fitness Rant & Rave thread

[Bolloxd]

http://www.skinnytaste.com/2012/01/baked-oatmeal-with-blueberries-and.html  I've been eating this for breakfast the last few days, it is really yummy and even the kids like it.

I need to get my run in sometime today but I've got other things to do too.  Parents are coming over later for food....burgers, salad, baked potato bites made as healthy as I can make 'em.  I need to get the fondant & cake made today so it can rest before I decorate it.  I also need to get myself dressed & ready for the day all while being frustrated with this head cold.

I've been slacking on my abs/push-ups routine so I really must get that done too.  Gah.  I need my butt kicked to move.

[harmony]

3.5 miles this morning, just no motivation to go longer, but it felt good.  Yogurt for breakfast, salad for lunch, who knows for dinner?  Still making good choices and still losing a little bit each day, so all is well.

[merigayle]

I got on the TM at nap for an extra hour!

[Ice Cream]

I got on the TM at nap for an extra hour!

an hour on the treadmill is like an ultra in the woods.

[MiniDriver]

I did my run... with Natalie! It was so much fun. I actually ventured into the running forum to post about it.

Woo Hoo!   Good for you and good for Natalie!



In retrospect, the Cauliflower crust pizza was an epic fail.   We both got horrible gas and bloating.  Just too much cauliflower.   We fed the leftovers to the chickens and vowed never again.

[merigayle]

DD asked for fries, so i made some oven baked ones from the potatoes we have. They turned out really good! I cut them like fries, sprayed a baking sheet and cooked them at 400F for 20 minutes, turned them and cooked them for another 15 or so minutes, then seasoned with salt and pepper. They were perfectly crunchy!

[Run Amok]

But the last sentence is kind of sad to me. I guess I just don't want to get to the point where I don't enjoy good food and am satisfied with mediocre "low fat" stuff. I don't mean this to sound snarky or anything. I guess it's just something I think about when I'm trying to change eating habits (cos I really try not to diet since that usually doesn't last once the "diet" is over.)

Not snarky at all! I think it's an important discussion. I read this a while ago but was too busy to construct a thoughtful answer- but I *have* been thinking about it a lot, so I did want to continue the discussion.

I think of it less as being satisfied with mediocre food and more as being a combination of a reduced reliance on the high density "good" food and recalibrating my taste/tolerance for the super rich things that, realistically, can only be a rare addition to my diet.

The reality is that, at my height, to maintain a weight of 120lbs- I will need to eat no more than about 1500-1700 calories a day (depending on how active I am). There just isn't a lot of room in 1500-1700/calories a day for butter, full-fat cheese, rich desserts, and so forth.

Before trying the i-diet eating plan- although I don't think I was drowning things in butter and cheese- they did feature prominantly in all of my favorite meals. Also, although I think our vegetable consumption was on the higher end- it's no where near what it is now. Rice, pasta/noodles, or potatoes were a part of every meal.

I think of low-fat cheese as a way to wean off of the need to add cheese to everything. I did the same thing with stevia/sugar. I liked my coffee and tea sweetened (I drink quite a bit of both). After a few days of stevia I stopped sweetening things and it's really been no big deal. Same kind of thing with the LF cheese. Initially it helped out where I wanted a volume of melty cheesy yuminess- a grilled cheese sandwich; an omelete; etc. I still sometimes eat LF cheese (LF string cheese is a snack staple, and I still use it for grilled cheese) but more often I use a tiny bit of parmesan (we're talking teaspoons here). I still measure it- because it's too easy to overdo it.

What I find surprising is that I am *just* as satisfied now (probably more so) with a tsp or two of parmesan than I was before, with heaping spoonfuls. So, it's very easy for me to walk by it most of the time and when I do have it- it feels like the real indulgence it should be. Does that make more sense? DH ordered pot de creme at  a restaurant a while ago. I had one bite. That bite was silky and rich and sooo sweet- very yummy. But I really wasn't interested in more. The intensity satisfied me. I don't need to eat the whole dessert. Indeed I *can't* eat the whole dessert (with any regularity) any more, if I want to stay at a smaller size.

As far as dieting goes... meh- as far as I'm concerned it's an issue of semantics. Whether you call it a diet or not, if you go back to what you were doing before, you'll gain the weight back. If you can find something that gives you the tools to eat few enough calories to maintain the size you want to be, without leaving you feeling bitter and deprived- you've won at least half the battle. I don't think about "cheating" because the food I'm eating leaves me happy and satisfied. The breakfasts, lunches, snacks, and "most of the time" dinners are things that fit right in with my normal style of eating (with a few tweaks) and the extra 300-400 calories a day will leave me room to incorperate my favorite recipes in from time to time. Time will tell, of course, but the diet I'm on has exposed the weaknesses in what I was doing before and given me the tools to be successful in a completely reasonable way.

In turn, I hope that didn't come accross as snarky at all. I think this kind of discourse is fun. 

[bootsie]

First I can't find a 32D (or 32C) bra anywhere.  I don't think it exists....what a ridiculous size. 

FYI - I know they are $$, but Victoria's Secret has 32D. It's usually the only place I can find them. They aren't available in all the styles, but there are several good choices - at least for me 

[Run Amok]

Had a pretty good day. I was a little off plan- although I think calorie-wise I did ok. Plus, we spent 4hours at the dog beach and at least 3 of that was walking (not very fast, mind you). I knew food was going to be an issue so I had a big breakfast- 2 eggs, a slice of bread, 2tsp of parm and some sauteed broccoli, green onions, spinach and zuchini. I packed a lunch of a pb & j (1 slice of bread, 2tsp each of pb and jam), a mandarin orange and a cheese stick. The water was shut off at the park so we needed to stop in town so Sally could get a drink, and I was still hungry so I had a hardboiled egg with my coffee (I ordered two, asked dd if she wanted one and she said no, so didn't order a third- guess who ended up eating one of my eggs?  ). When I got home I made myself a big arugula salad with 4 chopped hazlenuts, 1tsp of parm, a little olive oil and the juice of half a lemon. Yummy! I think I'm going to have 1/2 cup of (homemade) baked beans and half of a field roast frankfurter for dinner in a little bit.

Here's a picture from when we stopped for lunch.

In retrospect, the Cauliflower crust pizza was an epic fail.   

Oh no! I had the same thing happen with onion soup a while ago. Good god, it was so awful! I tried the cauliflower pizza and thought it was pretty tasty. I told the family it was "vegetable pie" though because I knew that the only resembelence to pizza would be the way it looked and calling it piza was sure to dissappoint. Although it was pretty yummy the calories and the fact that I was hungry again in pretty short order mean this one would go in the "special occassion" category and I'm not sure it was good enough to fit there.

[Clementine]

FYI - I know they are $$, but Victoria's Secret has 32D. It's usually the only place I can find them. They aren't available in all the styles, but there are several good choices - at least for me 

I've also had good luck with Soma Intimates for difficult-to-find sizes (uh... 34DD anyone?). Even their stores are pretty well-stocked with things on the crazy ends of the sizing spectrum. http://www.soma.com/store/home.jsp

[Run Amok]

First I can't find a 32D (or 32C) bra anywhere.  I don't think it exists....what a ridiculous size. 

I am the same size! I can never tell if the other 32d in town gets there first & cleans 'em out before I get a crack at them or if they just don't make this size. 34 really is too big and,no, a 34 B doesn't fit (why do they love to make this suggestion)? I have found them at target from time to time and moving comfort also makes this size (again, $$$). I think I have a couple of playtex bras in this size also. Not sure where I got them- they are all old! Oh, and Nordstrom too. You do have to seek them out. Sometimes I find them in styles that don't work for me (demi-cup, push-up, front closure & heavily padded styles- I'm looking at you!). I need something that is very full coverage, underwire, and has good headlight control. Oh- and nice wide straps, a nice wide band and back closure. You wouldn't think that would be so much to ask for.

[BonitaApplebum]

I logged all my superbowl snacking and I did reasonably well. I'm fairly pleased with myself.

[Bolloxd]

Thanks for the bra searching tips!  I will check out a few of those places.

I managed to get 2 miles in earlier along with my other exercises.

I'm only up this late at night because I baked a cake and have mixed together 7 colors of fondant....something I've never done before.  I may have eaten some extraordinarily fantastic cake batter during the process.

[orzabellle]

I am buying beano. I want to make that cauliflower pizza.

[blue sleep]

Rough work week last week and crappy eating.

Back to it today, though.  Sitting here with my coffee.  Glad to see everyone is here is still making progress.

[Run Amok]

Up about 2lbs today. Meh. Not worried, I know, by now that it'll be gone by mid week.

[MiniDriver]

I'm up a pound today, but I'm down 3 from last week so I'm cool with the bump.

Up to 3 sets of 20 pushups/pullups.  Decided to try to get into the shoulderstand position so I can do reverse squats.  I have been trying for 3 days and still can't get into shoulderstand position unsupported.

[debbatx]

Holding steady. Did pretty well over the weekend, with the exception of lunch on Saturday. Battling allergies and crappy sleep right now.

[onawhim]

I made the cauliflower crust pizza and I thought it was pretty decent.  My SO who is total meat/potatoes guy even ate it so that was a nice surprise.  I  think I will cook the crust longer next time though for 25 mins like meri suggested instead of 15 like in the recipe.  I did not put cheese in the crust either. 

[harmony]

I am buying beano. I want to make that cauliflower pizza.

Ha!  DH and I had no issue with it at all, just depends! 

Up a bit from yesterday but Superbowl indulgence was worth it.  Black bean brownies are really, really good.  Hit the treadmill this morning and had no go, so only did 1.5 miles.  Perhaps I'll try later.  working from home, hoping to stay out of the kitchen.

Edited to add the second half of the post, duh.