Weighty Matters

For years, I have collected those little mini-books of quotes and inspirations that you sometimes see at or near the checkouts in bookstores. I have a slew of them. Well, for years, I used them at the church whenever I'd need filler for the bulletin or newsletter, and I still use them today .... in addition to the quotes found on the 'Net. One such book is called Moments of Greatness by Denis Waitley . This is a gem that I've used many times over. I was re-reading it this morning before church, and these quotes especially stuck out for me: "It's not what you are that holds you back -- it's what you think you are not." "Self-discipline means doing within while you do without." "Millions of people actually believe that they fail to reach their goals because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time." I know that I tend to be a drill sergeant rather than a hand-holder. But I also am so passionate about taking care of yourself, so tha...

In the everyday, non-weight-centered portion of my world, I embarked on something I called a Gratitude Adjustment . I realized I had a crappy attitude about some things, and I needed to readjust. Either the day of my epiphany or the day thereafter, I saw a church sign that said, "Thanksgiving is one day; thanks-living is every day." True. Very, very true, and a portion of that applies to the weight-focused realm as well. It isn't any specific special occasion that immediately puts 15 or 20 extra pounds on us. It isn't even the 6 weeks between Turkey Day and New Year's (or even that extra Bowl Week) that pads an extra 50 on our frame, although it has been said that the average American gains 17 pounds in that time. (YOW.) It's the day-in, day-out nibble here and nibble there, and the BLT's and the extra can of soda....... It's not Thanksgiving Day, or Christmas Day or even the Easter ham that piles it on. So how do you get it off? Same way -- a little ...

Pride goeth before a fall..... but while I'm still standing...... Today was a good day. I hit the gym at 5:20 AM, did 20 on the elliptical and would have gone longer but I felt a little cramping (not a pull or sore muscle but it just didn't feel right, so I took it easier). Did some legwork on the weight machines too. Then for lunch, I had a work/lunch meeting. We met at a nearby deli with a really good grilled chicken salad. I had them take off the almonds and cheese -- just chicken & veggies. I also had a cup of their veggie beef soup; really tasty AND had blackeyed peas in it. While I don't like BEP's by themselves, they weren't bad in the soup, and gave me some extra fiber. I guesstimated the soup and salad as best I could, and had a nice, very filling 5-point lunch (at least by my best guess). By the time for my afternoon popcorn break, I was still not starving but knew I'd need something for the ride home .... and surprisingly, it didn't hold me. N...

If you're on a weight-loss program, the holiday season can be the equivalent of The Robot screaming, "Danger, Will Robinson!" So what are you going to do to handle it? One easy thing that you can do is make your recipes healthier. There are plenty of ways to substitute ingredients to cut fats, sugars and other empty calories, or add fiber. If you are a Weight Watchers member with access to eTools, please, please tell me you're using the Recipe Builder, because (seriously) that alone is worth the price of your Monthly Pass or eTools access. If you are not a WW member, fret not -- there are online ways to tweak your favorite recipe and make it healthier. First, try substituting lower-fat, lower-calorie, lower-sugar ingredients within a recipe. The Mayo Clinic has this great list of ingredient substitution ideas -- both for baked goods and other items as well. The Heart Center of the Rockies offers these heart-healthy substitutions . In fact, the one item where I wouldn...

see more dog and puppy pictures This just SLAYED me.......

but I believe with all my heart that negative emotions really do weigh us down, physically speaking. My first night with Weight Watchers, I was shocked by how much I'd gained in just 8 weeks (from the Doc's office to then). I felt tremendous guilt, shame, despair, anger, sadness, desperation, you name it. I couldn't believe I'd let myself go so long and not cared for myself. I lost 12.2 pounds that first week, and I truly believe that a third of it was getting rid of some of those feelings. In the same vein, positive emotions don't make us lose physical weight but they surely make us feel lighter ... and maybe we do lighten up (really!). For instance, this week, I've been working on a project that I'm calling a " Gratitude Adjustment " .... when I stepped on the scale tonight for a courtesy weigh-in, it was about a half-pound less than my actual weigh-in last week. And while I might not have physically lost weight simply because of a change in my o...

Apple Butter Recipe (Crock Pot) This is the recipe that I mentioned briefly here, and on my "regular" blog (Snort! Regular.....), Meanderings and Musings. I am not joking : this is the easiest recipe ever -- the only change I would make is that you don't need that much sugar unless you're using an extremely tart apple. For slightly tart ones (like I used), I used 1 to 1-1/2 cups of Brown Sugar Splenda. For really sweet ones, like Honeycrisps, you could omit the sugar/Splenda altogether. Great, easy, etc. If you have really juicy apples, you may also want to extend the cooking time. In my last batch, I used Arkansas Blacks (again), and ended up letting liquid cook out for around 20 hours. I like apple butter with substance, you know! And this group of AB's were very juicy!! Some of the variables (time, sugar, etc.) can change depending on your specific tastes. Bon appetit!

Another month free! I am up a bit (1.4 pounds over goal), and that's partly due to the incredibly good potluck last week at work, and all the leftover Halloween candy. What's important is that I'm still within range for the month. And so, now my task is to work hard to get back down to a more reasonable margin. I'm also retaining water a bit, so I'm going to have to watch my sodium a little more closely, and keep up with water intake. I've done good but I did have a couple of days where it took some doing to get in 2 liters. *** At last night's meeting, we talked about how to control what you can during the holidays. One member mentioned accurate measuring and portion control. Generally, I have no problem with this: except at potlucks. It's still hard for me to really visualize portions of casseroles and such. Pieces of meat? I have the palm guide and the deck of cards (or checkbook for fish). Veggies & fruits? Yeah, I can visualize a computer mouse ...