Lost 100

The Shamrock Shakedown

We had a big snowstorm the other day here in suburban NYC (aka New Jersey).  Everything was closed (even the gym!).  I unfortunately needed to take my brother to pick up a rental car & the weather was only going to get worse.  I knew this storm was coming and had prepared.  I got in a great workout on Tuesday & hit the grocery for a houseful of healthy food, plenty of grab and go veggies and fruit.  

Ah, the stress.  Never underestimate the stress.  What stress?--bad drivers, bad roads, screaming toddlers.  Ugh.  

And then I saw it.  The big green sign.  My old salvation.  Should I, could I?  What does it say about me if I do it?  Fuck it (sorry mom).  I pull in, drive up to my former nemesis and say those three little words:  shamrock shake please.  

Okay, yes, I ordered a shamrock shake.  And I ordered the kids one too.  But you know what.  I've been thinking about it and it was one shake.  I didn't order a 'large' or a bunch of fries or a 20 piece mc-fake-chicken.  I didn't obsess about getting another one.  I drank my shake, yum, it was tasty and I moved on.  I haven't considered going back and I doubt I will.  Fast food is not a part of our regular diet.  I hadn't had something from McDonalds in probably 4 months.  I doubt I will have McDonalds again for another 4 months.  The old Jennifer ate there a couple times a week.  The old Jennifer would be racked in guilt and would then go buy ice cream and whipped cream and a huge package of reeces pieces to console herself (ya, pretty smart, right?!). 

It was a shake, I craved it, I bought it, I drank it, I enjoyed it, and now it's done.  It's almost not worth mentioning.  Maybe I feel guilty for giving into a craving.  Maybe I should feel guilty.  But then again, maybe I shouldn't.  

If anyone asks, I'll just tell the truth, it was a case of a shamrock shakedown! 

There's Always a Choice!

Today we're going to pizza party at Sarah's preschool.  I am on the 'pizza party committee' (who knew such a thing existed?!).  All the committee members were asked to bring desserts...I'm bringing fresh cut-up veggies & fruit.  You see, instead of being a 'victim' & saying to myself there are no healthy choices and a girl's gotta eat; or worse not going--I'm bringing something I know I can eat and that I like.  I'm so excited to bring the red peppers, cauliflower, broccoli, cucumbers, carrots, grapes, bananas & apples!  Sure, I'll eat pizza, but maybe 1 piece instead of 3 or 4...and I'll fill my plate with fresh veggies, plus I'll give other people that option. 

You see, there's always a choice!  Just because someone says, 'you don't need to bring anything' doesn't mean you must show up empty-handed.  Planning is the name of the game folks :-)

Musings of a Foodie...Why am I blessed with food choices while others go hungry???

So I'm sitting here at a little cafe in NYC, I just dropped my kids at their educationally adept daycare (you know, age appropriate toys, little stations, caregiver ratio of 2 to 1, bright colors, sleek furniture, fish to feed, puppets that come to life--it's like a freaking wonderland for a 3 year in that place & somehow when I pick them up at the end of the day they are perfectly clean and the women are not harried and all the toys are picked up and placed in their perfectly labeled containers and my kids have both taken naps and used the potty and not eaten any boogers--pretty much a complete 180 from what happens at a day at our house, which is why I never let my husband pick up the kids, lest he actually come to think this kind of irrational behavior is normal?!)...Anyway, yikes, where was I?  Oh yes, the kids are not my responsibility for an entire 8 1/4 hours--yippee!  The weight of world is off my shoulders!  I can do anything, be anyone 1/3 of a whole day.  Wow.

So what do I do?  I go to this little cafe on the ground floor of the Time Life Building (where the kids are in their educationally adept, company paid for daycare--to be read 'expensive').  I am going to get so much done.  I check my e-mail, balance my checkbook online, and begin working on an on-going project (a ridiculously complicated chart plotting the weights and BMI's and loss percentages of Biggest Loser contestants and comparing it to past seasons).  Finally, with the din of radio and the random conversations around me as background noise I am able to work and start feeling 'in the zone' (I hate phrases like that, but sometimes they just describe it).

"Can anyone help me out?'  That's what he said.  Who's he talking to?  Does he think I work here?  I don't have on a uniform...I don't have a name tag on.  Do I somehow look official?    He, for the record is a man in his 30's, light skin bi-racial guy with a face covered in freckles and a ruddy orange sweatshirt.  To be honest, I don't want to be bothered.  I want to go on working on my project and being an anonymous person in the corner of the cafe hogging a table that happens to have an outlet next to it and drinking the water and coffee I bought and the sunflower seeds and dried prunes I brought.  But maybe he's lost and just doesn't know where to order? Or he's not sure where the subway is? 

I say, rather naively (especially for a girl whose lived here more than 2 minutes), 'what do you need help with'?  'Something to eat' is the curt, loud response carried with an intense, audacious stare. 

Oh shit.  What if this is the 2nd coming of Christ?  What if I say no and then when I go and meet with my accountant later he tells me there was a mistake on my taxes and I owe $5000?  What if I say no and then get hit by a taxi on my way out?  What if that Hawaiian guy from 20/20 pops out and tells me I was actually being secretly taped for the 'What would you do' segment and failed miserably?  What if my grandpa was watching me from heaven and shook his head sadly at his snotty granddaughter.  How could I say no?

'I have an apple' I say.  'Okay!' he says.  I proceed to look voraciously through my bag, glad to know he's hungry and didn't say, 'no thanks' like most people do when they ask for money and I offer them the perennial apple that I usually have in bag.  My papers fall on the floor.  My pen falls on the floor.  My freckled-faced caller picks up the papers and pen dutifully.  I can't find the frickin' apple--I took it out this morning because I wasn't going to eat it and needed the room in my bag for the organic carrots and organic cheese and organic rolled up turkey I packed instead. 

'You know what, just go up and order something for yourself' I find myself saying.  A bewildered stare meets my eyes.  'You paying?' he says suspiciously.  'Of course' I say quietly.  Shit, what if he orders $50 in food I think.  I should have just grabbed a gift card and put $20 on it.  He orders and I meet him at the register with my Visa Marriott Rewards card that I use so I can get points toward the Fiji vacation I want to take. 

Fiji vacation.  Organic cheese.  Organic carrots.  Who have I become?

Why on earth do I deserve these things?  For God sakes there are people dying of starvation all over the world.  And I discuss the differences between the Jewish preschool and the YMCA preschool and if we can afford the $5000+/year pricetags.  And when we will be renovating our perfectly fine (albeit out-of -style & out-of-date) kitchen?  And do I like this paint shade from Benjamin Moore or this other one? And shouldn't we hire an arborist? 

$50?  What would it have hurt?  Sure, I couldn't have made a huge difference, really I couldn't have.  But, what if that act of kindness inspired Mr. freckles?  What if it inspired the check-out clerk as she puts herself through college?  What if it inspired someone else?  One small act is sometimes the catalyst of something big. 

I'm glad the orange sweatshirt guy was able to eat his bacon, egg & cheese on roll with a large orange juice.  I wish I hadn't muttered under my breath 'your welcome' as I walked away after paying and saying, 'I hope you have a nice day'.  Afterall, why on earth would manners be important to someone who is told to fuck off by the world probably 500 times a day.  Maybe this meal will be the only one he eats all week.

 I wish I had done more.

Maybe by writing this I have.

Be grateful.  Be inspired.  Do something for someone today.  Even if you think they don't deserve it.  Even if you are feeling bad for yourself.  Do something.  Do something and expect nothing in return.  Not even a thank you.  Be that catalyst.  Please.  Pay it forward for Mr. Freckles sake.

CNN'S FIT NATION SUMMIT: RACHAEL RAY SPEAKS; CHILDHOOD OBESITY, ACCESS TO FRESH PRODUCE

More on my experience at CNN's Fit Nation Summit. Here's the video clip of the entire Rachael Ray interview. What really stuck out to me was the need for ALL people to have ACCESS to healthy FRESH PRODUCE. Think about it. I am very blessed that our family can afford fresh produce at the grocery store each week, but for millions of Americans this is not reality. Frozen veggies, or even whatever the food pantry has on hand in canned food are their only healthy options. WHY?! The farm industry is too heavily subsidized in some areas and not in others. Why not take money away from corn and soybeans (most of which goes to make items with 'high fructose corn syrup' instead of actually getting fresh corn/soybeans to market). When we look at the rate of obesity it's much higher in lower income communities...and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see the causal relationship between lack of funds for food (and perhaps a generational issue that has been passed down) and ever-expanding waistlines! And don't even get me started on the joke that is the school lunch...pizza boat? steak-ums? OH PLEASE! If you can't learn it from home, and you can't learn it from school what do we expect low income kids to do...hmmmm...that's just it, WE DON'T CARE! (Unless of course we have to raise taxes to pay for indigent medical care, then I can just hear the peanut gallery railing about 'fat. lazy, poor' people needing to 'pull themselves up from their bootstraps'....all the while counting the money in their portfolios because their mutual fund is highly invested in the corn industry!!!!!!).

MICHAEL PHELPS EATS 12,000 CALORIES/DAY; HEY ATHLETES: THIS MAY BE A CAUTIONARY TALE...

It’s been all over the news and the blogsphere, discussed ad nauseam, the fact that Michael Phelps, swimmer extraordinaire, resident hottie, and man who gives hope to folks with big ears everywhere, eats 12,000 calories per day (not a typo—you read it right—twelve THOUSAND calories).

Obviously as an elite athlete (really this term does nothing for him—there should be a classification for the super duper crème de la crème like Phelps, Lance Armstrong, Tiger Woods, Roger Federer, and hot French soccer phenom Henry) Phelps trains for hours everyday—really it’s a full time job. He says he trains for 30 hours a week, assuming he takes one day off, that means he is working his body to max 5 hours/ 6 days /week. And have you seen the muscles on him—muscles burn more calories than fat. So 12,000 calories seems completely reasonable.

Okay, so why am I writing about Michael Phelps on a weight loss blog (beside the fact that I am a woman in my early 30’s whose husband has been on a business trip for 3.5 weeks and this gorgeous specimen is paraded on my television every night)? Because there are a lot of former athletes who end up being fat, and not just 15 lbs. heavier than they want to be…

There are many, many examples of this out there. You need look no further than the Nutrisystem commercials starring Dan Marino and other retired athletes. Think about “The Biggest Loser”—Matt Hoover (former all-star college wrestler), and Roger and his former teammate from the last series.

And science backs this up too, a 2003 study by Dr. Gabe Mirkin published in the Washington Times shows that former athletes are more susceptible to storing body fat once they are no longer competing compared to a sedentary non-athlete. The good news the study reported is that former athletes who continue with an active lifestyle tend not to have the weight issues.

So what can a former athlete do? May I suggest NOT taking my approach (the basic do nothing, eat everything you did while playing high school and college sports, and ignore the 8-15 pounds your pack on every year while intermittently doing half-hearted attempts at Weight Watchers, et. al.). It’s just like anything else, if you body is moving less, it needs less food.

Maybe if we viewed our bodies more like gas tanks we would eat differently? I mean, could you imagine someone driving up to a pump, filling the tank full, then continuing to let the gas flow right onto the ground (“oh, don’t worry, the car thinks it tastes really, really good and we only do this on special occasions”). The gas is wasted, just like what all that extra food is—waste—if it doesn’t end up in the toilet, it ends up on your hips, thighs, belly, back (ugh—back fat is the worst!).

Are you a former athlete? Did you gain weight after you ‘retired’?

When you have been an athlete and you gain weight there are a whole host of issues you face. Embarrassment. Trainers and other fitness professionals talking down at you like you have no idea how to walk in a straight line. A feeling of defeat. Here you are, a once uber-competitive person now considered by some to be less intelligent, less able-bodied, less of a person than ‘average’.

You may have judged overweight people before….and now you find yourself one of them. You may have a distorted body image. Over and over again I hear how people see themselves as fat still, even when they’ve lost a great deal of weight; sometimes former-athletes have the reverse problem—they don’t view themselves as fat. I can think of so many times when I weighed over 250 lbs. and I thought I looked strong and athletic and really I was not. I would see a picture of myself and say—“wow that is an exceptionally bad picture”—I would argue with the scale—this scale doesn’t work right…I would even argue with the clothing’s lines—oh, this is cut small—I’m not really an 18, a 20, a 22, or gasp a 24. But I was.

So, if you are a former athlete who has packed away the pounds it’s time to start today to train for the biggest contest of your life—just that--your life! That’s right, you are in the a battle to save your life, why live half a life or be unhappy anymore—you certainly have a competitive side—pull that bad-boy out and put it to use TODAY! And if you still an athlete, remember, training does end and you won’t be working out 2, 3, 5 hours a day forever—the food is just fuel and your body needs less and less the less you do…trust me you don’t want to have your hopes hanging on the chance you can get on the The Biggest Loser, Former Athletes Edition .

JENNIFER LOVE HEWITT LOSES 18 LBS--IS THIS A GOOD OR BAD THING?

The latest US Weekly Magazine tells of Jennifer Love Hewitt's recent 18 pound weight loss.

You might remember Jennifer was targeted by slime-media TMZ and others after pictures of her were taken in Hawaii last fall (TMZ.com: "We know what you ate this summer, Love--everything!"). Jennifer vehemently and rightfully defended herself stating on her personal blog:

"Like all women out there should, I love my body, I know what I look like, and so do my friends and family. I've sat by in silence for a long time now about the way women's bodies are constantly scrutinized. To set the record straight, I'm not upset for me, but for all of the girls out there that are struggling with their body image. A size 2 is not fat! Nor will it ever be. And being a size 0 doesn't make you beautiful. … To all girls with butts, boobs, hips and a waist, put on a bikini – put it on and stay strong."

So, is Jennifer just the latest starlet to let down her fellow women and subscribe to an unrealistic standard of beauty? Maybe. My initial reaction was, "Shit! She is letting us down!" But I have to really think about why I reacted that way? Is it because I don't have a perfect body? Is it because I can point to this beautiful underwear model and say, "look, even she has cellulite"? Is it because if she can lose 18 pounds at a size 2, then what does that say about me at a size 14?

Perhaps Jennifer truly is an inspiration, the quote in the article references feeling healthier and having more energy. These are certainly things that anyone would want. I guess what disappoints me is all the bravado she is getting over losing 18 pounds. What if she was stronger and healthier and had not lost a single pound--would it even be worthy of blurb in any glossy?

What do you think? Are you happy she lost weight? Disappointed? Indifferent? Why? And is this post adding the the hysteria about weight and body image? Does talking about this give TMZ and Perez Hilton and all the other slime balls out there validity?

DON'T BE *OUT TO LUNCH* WHEN YOU'RE ON YOUR LUNCH BREAK!

Once upon a time the little brown bag was invented (no, not Bloomingdales' little brown bag--I'm talking lunch bags). 1950's housewives dutifully packed a healthy lunch with a sandwich, apple, etc. Then the lunch box was invented and children of the 70's filled the school cafeteria trying to out-cool one another with their Star Wars lunch boxes. Most moms packed a healthy lunch, but there was always that one kid you tried to trade with--"please I'll give you everything my mom packed for me if I can just have ONE, just ONE of your ho-hoes!" So begins the love affair with lunch. No matter what, what the other guy has is more appealing than what you have.

Sure, at 9AM after you've finished your coffee with skim milk and your sensible bowl of Kashi with berries you know for certain you will walk into the company cafeteria and buy a salad. Naked. NO! You aren't going to be naked and eating the salad, the salad will be without dressing, thus "naked." You walk into the company cafeteria and 9AM was apparently a fantasy world, because you smell it, you see it, and the 5'11" size 4 beauty in the stunning wrap around dress has her plate piled full of it. Certainly if she can eat it, you can too, right?!

Eating a healthy lunch is infinitely more difficult when you have to eat out everyday (little background--for nearly anyone in a big city like NYC this is reality-- I think I know 4 people who ever pack a lunch in NYC; sure when I was living Cincinnati or Savannah or Knoxville or pretty much anywhere else I packed--never have I done it in the big city...it's just not done). You see you have a few issues to deal with:

a. Boredom--how many salads can one eat? Okay, okay, sure there are people who love salads--most of those people are like my hubby, whose salad has more calories than a Big Mac.
b. The Office Waif--she is so sneaky, sly, mean, and we love to hate her--the girl without the eating disorder who just eats and eats and eats and never gains weight--she guzzles Stella's after work, she drinks the Venti (no, not tall, and not grande either--we're talking super-sized freak) Frappacino with extra whipped cream, she eats a bacon, egg and cheese on a roll for breakfast everyday--we see her do it and stay a "less than zero" and think we can too. Newsflash--she is an alien...she was secretly sent here by the makers of Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig as a way to drum up business. Seriously--spill a drink on her at the bar one day, she'll short circuit--I swear....come on, I double-dog dare you!
c. The company cafeteria--it's just a location. Really, it is. But walking into that location between the hours of 11:30 and 2:30 can strike fear in the heart of any dieter healthy eater! There are smells that subconsciously beckon you, and the sights (ie. presentation of the food) that are so stimulating.
d. The "anti-tourist/I belong here and I'll prove it" mindset--if you have ever lived in NYC you completely understand this; if you haven't you think this sounds ridiculous (and that is pretty much because it does). Sure there are Subway fast food joints, and Applebee's and both have healthy options, but see "A" and then try to find a co-worker who's willing to attend one of the places (see "D").

Solutions:

1. See if the company cafeteria has a weekly menu that is available the week before, if possible, find out if they provide nutritional information. Then you can plan out what you're going to eat before you get there. Plus you'll know it's "Indian Day" and you can plan to avoid the cafeteria because you're a sucker for Chicken Tikka Masala with Basmati Rice, extra Naan and a side of Samosas (um, not that I know anybody like this...).
2. Have a standard set of 5-7 meals that you know are healthy and you can get when you're will power is shot.
3. Find a lunch partner who is a healthy eater. This is where I would recommend that you avoid anyone you have heard of nicknamed things like 'the cleaner' 'hoss' 'meat' 'meatball' etc.
4. Find a lunch partner who is not "Susie I'm-so-perfect-and-trying-to-help-you-diet"--this is the one that likes to comment on every food choice you make and points out how perfectly perfect she is. Avoid her--head straight to meathead's table, you're much better off! Seriously, with a friend like this, who needs enemies? Eating should be an enjoyable, social occasion. After all, if you wanted criticism you would just have lunch with your mother, right?!
5. Buy your lunch before you get to work, most Bodega's are open for breakfast and have many of the lunch foods already prepared. That way you are buying the food when you are not actively hungry (this is sound advice for grocery shopping as well).
6. Make lunch your "big meal" of the day and eat a smaller dinner (just don't plan to do this and then eat the big dinner anyway, duh!).

Meal Ideas (beyond the standard salad):
1. Japanese: sushi, edamame
2. Mexican: 1/2 burrito, 2 oz. chicken, black beans, 1/4 c. brown rice, spinach, sprinkle of low-fat cheese, loaded with salsa (hold the sour cream, guacamole and pretty much everything else).
3. Tilapia with 1/2 c. brown rice and 1 c. steamed veggies.
4. Panini: Opt for fresh made where you can choose your ingredients, avoid cheese--try a small amount of chicken with some marinara sauce.
5. Egg-white omelet: Again, avoid cheese, but load up on onions, mushrooms, peppers, zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes, etc. If you are a sucker for "breakfast for lunch" and are a fan of the 'breakfast meat'--remember Canadian bacon--best choice, Ham, 2nd best, followed by low-fat sausage, bacon, standard sausage.
6. Pizza: Limit to one slice and opt for something with a whole-wheat crust, with lots of veggies (eggplant, onions, peppers, mushrooms, zucchini, etc.).
7. Italian: Eggplant (make sure it's not breaded and fried) parmesan (ask for lite/no cheese).
8. Falafel: Yummy and reasonably healthy and great for a budget conscious too.
9. Salmon: Loaded with omega-3's this is a great choice once a week for lunch (opt for pacific or wild caught salmon, avoid farmed).
10. Burger: Turkey burger, Buffalo burger, Veggie burger, Ostrich burger (avoid mayo, eat only 1/2 the bun, eat with a fork and knife, top with favorite veggies).
11. Soup: Gazpacho soup, White bean soup, Minestrone soup, Chili with lots of veggies
12. Middle-eastern: hummus with carrots (try to limit the flat bread--you can quickly eat up a ton of carb calories).
13. Greek: Lamb kabobs with lots of veggies.
14. Yogurt, apple, granola, & celery sticks (with a touch of peanut/soy/almond butter).
15. Sandwich: opt for lots of fresh veggies, limit cheese to one slice, limit lunch meats to small portions--obviously turkey is a better choice than ham which is a better choice than braunswagger which is better than bologna (did I need to tell you that, though?!).

***Be aware of the food you *drink*--don't blow all your calories on Jamba juices, frappacinos, and "vitamin" water

Please, share your thoughts and ideas too!

SWEET! KEEP YOUR DIET ON TRACK & TRY THESE HEALTHY TOPPINGS FOR YOUR YAM OR SWEET POTATO OR HOT POTATO!

Are you a butter-holic? Addicted to salt? The more sour cream you eat the rosier the world seems? Well, maybe you need to get out more--I can recommend some good movies and running trails and even a couple of zoos. But in terms of healthy potato toppings I've got your ticket right here!

Hot potato, hot potato, hot potato hot: skip the salt, butter, sour cream, cheese, etc. and try SALSA (even better: fresh, homemade salsa)! Not only are you cutting out the fat, but you're adding veggies to boot. If you can't do the salsa thing, some people like ketchup (yes, it's salty, but it's probably better than 3 tsp of butter AND salt).

Sweet Potato/ Yams: If you are lucky enough to have a well cooked specimen (and by that I mean moist) this is my favorite thing: top that sucker with these tasty, full-o-flavor spices...nutmeg, ground cloves, ginger, & cinnamon--you'll never want butter again!

These still aren't making you sing Joy to the World? Try a butter substitute like Bummel & Brown or the I Can't Believe it's Not Butter spray. Salt a problem for you: Kosher salt/sea salt has less sodium than traditional table salt AND you can also buy reduced sodium or 1/2 the sodium salt.

Happy Root Vegetable Eating to you!

ZUCCHINI--3 GREAT WAYS: HEALTHY, HEALTHIER, HEALTHIEST!

So experimenting with my favorite Zucchini dish tonight I figured out an even healthier alternative & thought I'd share.

So, here's the original recipe:

Slice Zucchini length-wise place in single layer on broiling pan
Saute in Saucepan: Olive Oil, Garlic, Kosher Salt, Rosemary, Fresh Ground Pepper
Pour mixture over Zucchini and broil, turning once.

Very yummy--especially if you are a Zucchini lover like me.

So I tinkered with it, and made a Healthy versions--I used the grill--which cooks off more of the Olive Oil. GRILLING WITH OLIVE OIL ALERT: I keep a clean grill, really, I do. But for some reason whenever I use EVOO on the grill I end up looking like I just ran a marathon while watching the end of the movie Beaches (in other words, red faced, bawling my eyes out, and just looking like a Mack truck hit me)! So, if you think this could happen to you, might I recommend you do not use EVOO on a gas grill (it may have to do with olive oil burning at a lower temp than other oils?).

Healthier Version (from an old Weight Watchers bud):
Replace the Olive Oil with a few Tbsp of Bummel & Brown spread (this is a yogurt-based spread that really is the tastiest butter substitute I've found & 1 Tbsp is less calories than 1 tsp of butter & the fat is not even comparable).

Healthiest Version (my experiment from tonight):
Use a microwave cooker and steam the Zucchini, while spraying with just a hint of EVOO and still putting everything else in (you may want to replace the garlic with a sprinkle of garlic powder). Put on the 'fresh veggie' setting and cook away.

*Of course one can always steam any vegetable in your steamer, but the point is, this is essentially taking the same recipe, the same flavors, and cooking it in a healthier way.

ENJOY!

TRY THIS HEALTHY LUNCH OPTION!

Here's what I had for lunch today...and what's great is that you can 'make it your own' and really add what you want to it.

Egg-white Veggie Omelet:

1 egg
3 egg whites
1/4 Vidalia Onion
1/4 Green Pepper
1/4 Red Pepper
1/4 cup Green Onions
(you can add Zucchini, Eggplant, many other veggies)
1 tsp butter
low sodium salt
Italian Seasoning
fresh ground pepper

Melt the butter and add the veggies and seasoning, cook until tender. Mix egg and egg whites together and add.

I find that you don't need cheese and that with 1 complete egg you aren't really missing the 3 yolks at all. If you are on Weight Watchers I believe the points would be 4 (2 for the 1 egg, 1 for the 3 egg whites, and 1 for the tsp of butter).

Enjoy!