When you are battling any addiction, having milestones is essential. Each benchmark passed is an encouragement to keep going. It is kind of like those auto-save features on a video game. The goal is that if you slip a little, you never go back past that point. It gives you an extra push to keep moving forward. That is why recovering addicts mark the days, months, years of sobriety. It is a way to celebrate how far they have come. But it also is a way to provide strength in weaker moments. Sometimes the only thing that stops you from snarfing down a jelly donut is that it will ruin a benchmark.
I've had tons of these during this process. For me, losing 50 pounds, hitting 300 pounds, hitting 280 were all personal victories for me. But there was one benchmark that was the most important to me. 100 pounds. That truly was my only goal. I wanted to lose 100 pounds in the first year. And honestly, if that was all I could lose, I would be happy. It was more important than hitting 250 or 220 or even 200. If I lost 100 pounds, then I would have truly accomplished something incredible. I've been drifting downward lately. And, frankly, I was worried that I would actually meet my goal.
Today, though, I hit it. We were traveling yesterday, which was my usual four week check-in day. So this morning I had to weigh at my in-laws' house. I hate using different scales because they all seem to weigh in their own unique style. So when the scale popped up "254.6" I was dubious. I got off and walked around and then got on again. "254.6" I went out and asked my mother-in-law how accurate her scale was. I had used it once before and it was pretty close to ours. She said it was comparable to her doctor's scale. I was still nervous. It wasn't just 100 pounds that it hit; it actually was 101 pounds. Heather and her mom tried to convince me that it was probably right. I couldn't believe it because that meant that I had dropped over five pounds in the last four weeks.
Five pounds?!? Over the holidays? While driving 800 miles in the last five days? That doesn't compute. Sure, I'm not eating holiday goodies. But I have been having the occasional latte. However, one thing I have learned over this process is to not try to figure out the weight loss. It comes in spurts. It stops and starts. No rhyme or reason. So I figured that even if the scale was off by a pound - or even a pound and a half - it would still be 100 pounds.
I'm not gonna lie to you, I threw my arms up in the air and was very very happy.
But, this is far from over. So, what's next? I reached my goal almost a month early (28 days to be exact). My game plan had been to hit 100 pounds on diet alone, if possible. Then I would add in exercise. So that is that next step. When we get back to Tallahassee at the first of the year, I will start walking and using the Wii Fit again. I'll see how that goes and if I can find a way to work more stuff into my tight schedule. People have asked what my ultimate goal is. I don't really know. The only number I had in my head was 100 pounds. I am going to go as far as I can take this. My diet is set. I am not going to make small alterations just to drop a pound or two. I am very comfortable with how I am eating. It is easy to maintain and it is pretty healthy. So now I will see how much I can drop by adding in exercise. The number floating around in my head is 220. If I can drop another 30 pounds in the next year, I would be happy. If I could hit 200, I would be ecstatic. I know the BMI charts say 180 is ideal - but I am not going to be ultra-restrictive and regimented to get there. Today, though, is a day for celebrating. 100 pounds. Thank you God.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Monday, November 29, 2010
Nothing for Thanksgiving
I watched a lot of football this past Thanksgiving weekend. A LOT of football. One of the things about football is that while you may see the big highlights on ESPN, there are dozens of small plays that really determine the outcome of the game. It may be a dive over tackle on a third and one that keeps the play going. It could be a receiver stretching out for an extra yard. Or a linebacker stopping a running back from going out of bounds - keeping the clock running. The games are usually won and lost on those small plays. The big ones may get the attention. But the small ones make the difference.
I was stressing a bit about Thanksgiving. It is probably the worst four or five days of the year for dieters. Sure, there are bad individual days out there. But Thanksgiving has basically become a holiday about eating. And it lasts the whole weekend. Thursday is the big day to stuff yourself. But the leftovers last all weekend. Pies hang around to be snarfed. Everyone's reheating all the stuff you aren't supposed to eat. So it is a ton of consistent fighting off trouble.
When I weighed last Monday, I was 260.2. That marked 95 pounds and put me within shooting distance of hitting 100 by my one year mark. Today, after all the holidays, travelling, overeating, I weighed 260.2. I actually raised my arms to the ceiling and cheered. It was one of those small plays that won't make the highlight reel. But it was huge to me. I managed to make it through the whole weekend and not gain anything. Even with all the travelling - which usually makes me retain water - and eating out on the road yesterday, I was still the same.
That was a massive victory for me. I didn't sit there all weekend and refuse to eat anything. I ate quite well. We grilled chicken and sausages on Wednesday with baked beans, peppers, roasted sweet potatoes, and roasted regular potatoes. We had pumpkin oatmeal for breakfast. Thursday, I had ham, turkey, pumpkin risotto, cranberry conserve, green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole. We had grilled food again on Friday. I had leftovers here and there. Saturday I had a Mexican rice bowl I made with guacamole, chicken, steak, beans, salsa, and rice. We even ate at McAllister's Deli - twice. In short, I ate more than my share of good yummy stuff.
I had to forego some stuff. I avoided the mashed potatoes, corn casserole, dressing, chips, pizza, pies, cookies, cheeseburgers, more pies, and cheese that other people ate. And I had frozen yogurt when everyone else was diving into baked goods. But I really enjoyed myself. And I gained nothing. Plus zero, minus zero. But it felt like a major win. It certainly gives me hope for the month of December and the mine field it presents. And it also gives me more encouragement to work hard these next three weeks before the madness really begins. I figure I could really make some progress in that time. If I was able to make it through Thanksgiving without any damage, I am sure the next three weeks at home should be easier to maintain.
On other thing. I posted this on Facebook the other day, but I'll put it here too. This picture was taken last Thanksgiving at our family get together.
When I found that, I could hardly believe it. How did I let myself get to that point? What I posted on Facebook is true. Every year at Thanksgiving, I thank God for my family, friends, and freedom. But this year, I am the most thankful that I finally allowed God to free me of being the guy in that chair.
I was stressing a bit about Thanksgiving. It is probably the worst four or five days of the year for dieters. Sure, there are bad individual days out there. But Thanksgiving has basically become a holiday about eating. And it lasts the whole weekend. Thursday is the big day to stuff yourself. But the leftovers last all weekend. Pies hang around to be snarfed. Everyone's reheating all the stuff you aren't supposed to eat. So it is a ton of consistent fighting off trouble.
When I weighed last Monday, I was 260.2. That marked 95 pounds and put me within shooting distance of hitting 100 by my one year mark. Today, after all the holidays, travelling, overeating, I weighed 260.2. I actually raised my arms to the ceiling and cheered. It was one of those small plays that won't make the highlight reel. But it was huge to me. I managed to make it through the whole weekend and not gain anything. Even with all the travelling - which usually makes me retain water - and eating out on the road yesterday, I was still the same.
That was a massive victory for me. I didn't sit there all weekend and refuse to eat anything. I ate quite well. We grilled chicken and sausages on Wednesday with baked beans, peppers, roasted sweet potatoes, and roasted regular potatoes. We had pumpkin oatmeal for breakfast. Thursday, I had ham, turkey, pumpkin risotto, cranberry conserve, green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole. We had grilled food again on Friday. I had leftovers here and there. Saturday I had a Mexican rice bowl I made with guacamole, chicken, steak, beans, salsa, and rice. We even ate at McAllister's Deli - twice. In short, I ate more than my share of good yummy stuff.
I had to forego some stuff. I avoided the mashed potatoes, corn casserole, dressing, chips, pizza, pies, cookies, cheeseburgers, more pies, and cheese that other people ate. And I had frozen yogurt when everyone else was diving into baked goods. But I really enjoyed myself. And I gained nothing. Plus zero, minus zero. But it felt like a major win. It certainly gives me hope for the month of December and the mine field it presents. And it also gives me more encouragement to work hard these next three weeks before the madness really begins. I figure I could really make some progress in that time. If I was able to make it through Thanksgiving without any damage, I am sure the next three weeks at home should be easier to maintain.
On other thing. I posted this on Facebook the other day, but I'll put it here too. This picture was taken last Thanksgiving at our family get together.
When I found that, I could hardly believe it. How did I let myself get to that point? What I posted on Facebook is true. Every year at Thanksgiving, I thank God for my family, friends, and freedom. But this year, I am the most thankful that I finally allowed God to free me of being the guy in that chair.
Monday, November 22, 2010
WEEK 44: Prepping for the Gauntlet
First, the dirty details. I am at 260.2 pounds. That is about a 2.5 pound drop from last checkin. Of course, that all happened in the last week. For most of this cycle, I actually had been up a couple pounds. Friday was the first drop I saw, and then it went down a little on Monday as well. I just bought a few warmer shirts for the winter. I was very comfortably in XLT shirts. If I don't have the tall option, XXL works - but the length is hit or miss. I went to American Eagle the other day just to see what happened. There were several clearance XXL shirts that I loved. They fit great - when I was standing. But they spread when I sat. And they were a little too short. This is the problem with stores like Gap, Old Navy, AE, A&F. They use a smaller sizing system than they used to - and smaller than other companies. A XXL at Old Navy may be equal to a XL at Sears. Kind of frustrating. That usually means I'm still stuck in the Big and Tall section and their limited options. Oh well, I can't get shorter.
We have a night wedding this December to go to. Since it is customary to dress nicer for those, I tried on my suit. This is the same suit that I had to get altered to be able to wear it to Heather's gala in April. It was ridiculous. The shirt was billowing. I had to pull the pants up to my chest to have them stay up. The jacket wasn't bad, but you could tell it was too big. I had lost like 45 pounds since April! So I'm not sure what to do about that. I don't know if it can get taken in as much as it needs. If not, I may have to find a suit deal. And then hope it still fits come April for this year's gala.
So far, the grand total is 95 pounds. I really have wanted to lose 100 by the end of the year, but I'm not sure if that will happen or not. At the rate I've been losing, five pounds in six weeks is a pretty tall order. I haven't seen that kind of drop in months. Technically, I don't hit the one year mark until January 18. So if I don't hit 255 by December 31, if I can do it by January 18 I will be happy. I really believe that this is the worst time of year to try to lose weight. It is like a perfect storm of diet crushing. There is travel, staying at other people's houses, losing your safe routine of foods and restaurants, baked goods, holiday feasts. It is a real challenge.
For me, this is my favorite time of year. All year I look forward to Thanksgiving week through New Year's. It just makes me happy. I love seeing family, getting presents, eating holiday food, getting presents, the cooler weather, getting presents, the general feeling and excitement of the season, getting presents, and - of course - getting presents. The food is a very big part of the holiday. Shoot, in America we almost define these holidays by what is served. Thanksgiving has become Turkey Day. There's the Christmas Ham or Roast Beast and Christmas Cookies. New Year's comes with copious alcohol and buffet spreads - or more ham.
I loved this in year's past. It seemed like all my favorite foods were located in this season. Pumpkin stuff, pies galore, turkey, cranberries, ham, cookies, holiday breads, pecan pickups, sour cream cookies, chocolate cool whip cookies, shortbread. Snacking was accepted. No one got on your case when you wander through the kitchen and snag a couple cookies. In fact, if you didn't eat those things, people wondered what was wrong with you. What other time of year is is perfectly acceptable to give people a plate of food as a present?!? I remember working at churches and the staff area was always jammed with snacks the entire month of December. As a teacher, I would get a ton of baked goods. And then there are the Christmas parties. We haven't been to those since we moved, but before that it seemed there were several each year. Those were just a green light to snarf snacks of all kinds. It was awesome. Food and holidays go hand in hand.
This year, I now stand at a kind of gauntlet. I have made it through ten months. So far, every holiday or celebration I was worried about has been conquered. I've survived traveling, cookouts, birthdays, Halloween, Easter. And I haven't cheated with any of my no-no foods. The next six weeks is going to be the biggest challenge. I don't think that I will cheat - I have too much invested in this. It is just going to be hard to watch and know what I'm missing. I don't think the cheating is the question. It is the mental struggle.
For example, at our house Friday night is often pizza night. We either get pizza or make it and watch tv. It is a nice little ritual. But I haven't been able to participate for ten months. Usually it isn't a big deal. There is no way I am eating the pizza. But there are times when it is very very hard. I have to go get the pizza or prepare it. Then I have to cut it and dole it out. And the whole time I can't have it. I have to smell it, touch it, watch people eat it. And then I go to my bowl of leftover beans and rice and whatever meat wandered into it. It isn't easy. People don't remember that.
That's what I'm worried about for the holidays. We have Thanksgiving, a wedding in South Carolina, Heather's birthday, Natalie's birthday, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve, New Year's Day. All of those bring with it their own collection of problem foods. But then there is also the constant presence of the holiday accessories. Usually if I am facing a tough challenge, once it is over I can just move on. With this, it doesn't end. It is just a continuing string of those days. I know it isn't possible to expect everyone else to forego their holiday celebrations because of me. So I am going to have to steel myself.
Josiah will come up to me on pizza night or at the movies and ask me if I am sad that I can't have the food or the candy or soda. I will usually respond with this. "For most of my life I never told myself no. I enjoyed those things enough in my first 36 years to last me the rest of my life." That goes for holidays too. I have had more than my share of good times on those days. I have eaten pies, cookies, candies, sausage balls, mashed potatoes, and holiday bread enough to last a lifetime. Now is the time to do it right - to be controlled. Yes, it is hard missing out on things. But I never did before - I never said no. It is time I learned that.
Be praying for me this holiday season - and for all those people close to you with weight problems. Understand just how hard it is for them. Every tray of baked goods that comes into the office, every party, every gift exchange. They all are stressful. Each one comes with the battle. Each time they give in they get crushed with guilt and shame and anger. And that just makes the process worse later. I know it is impossible to change the holiday. People are not going to go for a celery swap any time soon. But maybe you can be an encouragement to those people who struggle during this season. Be sensitive to them and find a way to include them - without making it super obvious. "HEY FATTY! I brought salad for you!!!" Not what I meant. Just be thoughtful. And if you don't struggle, well there is something else to be thankful for on Thursday.
We have a night wedding this December to go to. Since it is customary to dress nicer for those, I tried on my suit. This is the same suit that I had to get altered to be able to wear it to Heather's gala in April. It was ridiculous. The shirt was billowing. I had to pull the pants up to my chest to have them stay up. The jacket wasn't bad, but you could tell it was too big. I had lost like 45 pounds since April! So I'm not sure what to do about that. I don't know if it can get taken in as much as it needs. If not, I may have to find a suit deal. And then hope it still fits come April for this year's gala.
So far, the grand total is 95 pounds. I really have wanted to lose 100 by the end of the year, but I'm not sure if that will happen or not. At the rate I've been losing, five pounds in six weeks is a pretty tall order. I haven't seen that kind of drop in months. Technically, I don't hit the one year mark until January 18. So if I don't hit 255 by December 31, if I can do it by January 18 I will be happy. I really believe that this is the worst time of year to try to lose weight. It is like a perfect storm of diet crushing. There is travel, staying at other people's houses, losing your safe routine of foods and restaurants, baked goods, holiday feasts. It is a real challenge.
For me, this is my favorite time of year. All year I look forward to Thanksgiving week through New Year's. It just makes me happy. I love seeing family, getting presents, eating holiday food, getting presents, the cooler weather, getting presents, the general feeling and excitement of the season, getting presents, and - of course - getting presents. The food is a very big part of the holiday. Shoot, in America we almost define these holidays by what is served. Thanksgiving has become Turkey Day. There's the Christmas Ham or Roast Beast and Christmas Cookies. New Year's comes with copious alcohol and buffet spreads - or more ham.
I loved this in year's past. It seemed like all my favorite foods were located in this season. Pumpkin stuff, pies galore, turkey, cranberries, ham, cookies, holiday breads, pecan pickups, sour cream cookies, chocolate cool whip cookies, shortbread. Snacking was accepted. No one got on your case when you wander through the kitchen and snag a couple cookies. In fact, if you didn't eat those things, people wondered what was wrong with you. What other time of year is is perfectly acceptable to give people a plate of food as a present?!? I remember working at churches and the staff area was always jammed with snacks the entire month of December. As a teacher, I would get a ton of baked goods. And then there are the Christmas parties. We haven't been to those since we moved, but before that it seemed there were several each year. Those were just a green light to snarf snacks of all kinds. It was awesome. Food and holidays go hand in hand.
This year, I now stand at a kind of gauntlet. I have made it through ten months. So far, every holiday or celebration I was worried about has been conquered. I've survived traveling, cookouts, birthdays, Halloween, Easter. And I haven't cheated with any of my no-no foods. The next six weeks is going to be the biggest challenge. I don't think that I will cheat - I have too much invested in this. It is just going to be hard to watch and know what I'm missing. I don't think the cheating is the question. It is the mental struggle.
For example, at our house Friday night is often pizza night. We either get pizza or make it and watch tv. It is a nice little ritual. But I haven't been able to participate for ten months. Usually it isn't a big deal. There is no way I am eating the pizza. But there are times when it is very very hard. I have to go get the pizza or prepare it. Then I have to cut it and dole it out. And the whole time I can't have it. I have to smell it, touch it, watch people eat it. And then I go to my bowl of leftover beans and rice and whatever meat wandered into it. It isn't easy. People don't remember that.
That's what I'm worried about for the holidays. We have Thanksgiving, a wedding in South Carolina, Heather's birthday, Natalie's birthday, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve, New Year's Day. All of those bring with it their own collection of problem foods. But then there is also the constant presence of the holiday accessories. Usually if I am facing a tough challenge, once it is over I can just move on. With this, it doesn't end. It is just a continuing string of those days. I know it isn't possible to expect everyone else to forego their holiday celebrations because of me. So I am going to have to steel myself.
Josiah will come up to me on pizza night or at the movies and ask me if I am sad that I can't have the food or the candy or soda. I will usually respond with this. "For most of my life I never told myself no. I enjoyed those things enough in my first 36 years to last me the rest of my life." That goes for holidays too. I have had more than my share of good times on those days. I have eaten pies, cookies, candies, sausage balls, mashed potatoes, and holiday bread enough to last a lifetime. Now is the time to do it right - to be controlled. Yes, it is hard missing out on things. But I never did before - I never said no. It is time I learned that.
Be praying for me this holiday season - and for all those people close to you with weight problems. Understand just how hard it is for them. Every tray of baked goods that comes into the office, every party, every gift exchange. They all are stressful. Each one comes with the battle. Each time they give in they get crushed with guilt and shame and anger. And that just makes the process worse later. I know it is impossible to change the holiday. People are not going to go for a celery swap any time soon. But maybe you can be an encouragement to those people who struggle during this season. Be sensitive to them and find a way to include them - without making it super obvious. "HEY FATTY! I brought salad for you!!!" Not what I meant. Just be thoughtful. And if you don't struggle, well there is something else to be thankful for on Thursday.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Twinkie Diet
Now, due to the bizarre nature of the trial, it has gained a lot of attention. And, with that, there is going to be more ammunition for people who are struggling with weight to show they aren't doing anything wrong. It also will probably lead to numerous misguided efforts by people desperate to lose weight. There are some important lessons to be learned from this experiment - and none of them are "go eat twinkies."
First of all, look at what he ate. He had a very limited caloric content. He took vitamins. He also ate cans of green beans. Basically, he eliminated meat and bread and put snack foods in the place of those foods. Instead of having chicken, rice, and veggies, his dinner would be twinkie, brownie, and veggies. So, this wasn't eating meals PLUS twinkies. Twinkies were his meals.
Second, the thing he was trying to prove was that in losing weight, it is a matter of controlling calories more than what you eat. This is entirely true. From all of my years of efforts to lose weight, I can verify that calorie control can definitely make you lose weight. On Weight Watchers, I was able to lose fifty pounds in four months due to being very regimented on their point system. I rarely went over my allotted calories. I was very restrictive with things like breakfast (grits or oatmeal) and snacks (fruit). That way I could be a little flexible with lunch and dinner. By flexible, I mean that I still found ways to eat pizza, cheeseburgers, cookies. You could work those into the structure. So, on the surface that theory is sound - limit calories and lose weight.
BUT!!! (You knew it was coming.) For me, and I would wager for most people, that did nothing to break the addictions that were actually behind my struggles. There were certain foods that I couldn't say no to. And as long as I could still find ways to have those foods, I never would really have victory. If there was still a way to work those things into my diet, I found a way. With Weight Watchers, for example, I would have my grits in the morning (4 points), a banana for snack (2 points), and then a salad for lunch (5-7 points). That would leave me 24 points for dinner. That approximately is 1200 calories for dinner! You can get away with a lot for 1200 calories. Double cheeseburgers. Soda. Pizza. Was I really learning to eat right? Or was I just learning how to rig the system. For me, I couldn't maintain the loss. That is why we see so many people yo-yo on diets like Jenny Craig and Weight Watchers. They market themselves as "able to eat whatever you want" diets. So you never learn to break dependence on those foods.
Who would be attracted to the concept of a Twinkie Diet? Probably someone who has a strong affinity to sweets and baked goods. Would that person really be successful in this? Sure, they may lose weight like Professor Haub did. They may even keep it up for months. But, I think at some point they would tire of eating Ding Dongs and want other food. And that is where Haub's diet has a big problem. If you were to try to add in even healthy food, you go over your limits. The whole thought of "I think I'll have an apple - that's healthy" would actually hurt you. The calories in fruit would throw you off. Not good.
The third thing to learn - which I think is a valuable lesson - is that there is indeed freedom in how you attack your weight issues. I know that my approach is something that would not work for everyone. And there are people who don't think I'm doing things right. "BBQ? That's not healthy! Frozen yogurt? That's just splitting hairs about ice cream." But, for me, I have lost 93 pounds. More importantly, I have maintained the loss and the lifestyle for ten months. Why? I have eliminated the addictive foods. I'm not trying to figure out how to work those things back in. I found better options and use those. I'm not measuring and religiously monitoring calories. But, by the very elimination of those fatty, starchy, high calorie foods that used to make up the bulk of my diet, I have greatly reduced my caloric intake. For months, I was only taking in 1200-1400 calories a day. Now, I usually am taking in about 1800 calories.
I think that what Haub was trying to prove is that you don't have to just eat lettuce and boiled chicken to lose weight. The true issue is control. Can you be controlled in your food intake? Haub was controlled - very regimented on his exact daily diet. He just happened to use junk food as his controlled food options. The problem is that the media is going to seize onto the sensational elements of the experiment. The headline is always "Man loses 27 pounds on twinkie diet." That gets you to click on the article (I did). I'm afraid that some people are actually going to try this and get into worse trouble. Instead of finding the control they need, they are actually going to further unleash their addictions. Unless they just get nauseated by sheer quantity of Twinkies. Maybe it could be like immersion therapy.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Coffee
One food that is a bit of an unclear area to me is coffee. I know some people are major big time coffee addicts. You know the type. "Don't talk to me until I've had my coffee!" I am NOT this time of person. I have never drank very much coffee. It never was a part of my daily life. This may seem odd, since I usually gravitate towards addictive and destructive foods. But, for some reason, I never really got that attached to coffee. My dad drank it every morning and during the evenings. But I never did.
The really strange thing is that I love the flavor of coffee. I adore the smell of coffee. From when I was a little kid, one of my favorite ice cream types was coffee. Breyer's coffee ice cream was the epitome of ice cream perfection. I got waylaid by Ben & Jerry's Coffee Heath Bar Crunch for a while, but eventually went back to Breyer's. (Until Publix introduced their Barnie's coffee - which was just as good as Breyer's and much less money.) My mom used to make me coffee chocolate chip cookies. I ate chocolate covered coffee beans. I got jamocha shakes at Arby's. I like mocha truffles. If you got me something coffee flavored, there was a very good chance that I would like it.
So my lack of addiction to coffee itself is a bit of mystery. I have tried to figure this out over the years. I know that I don't like the bitterness that comes with coffee. I like the flavor, but the bitterness pushed me away. The only way I could get rid of it was to load it full of milk and sugar. And that could be why I like coffee flavored things so much - they used the essence of coffee but loaded it with sugar and cream and chocolate. As I got older and discovered other kinds of coffee, I liked some of them. Things like cappuccinos, lattes, and mochas were very good - largely due to their cream/sugar content. But, since I hadn't developed the coffee habit early on, I didn't adopt it later.
Another big problem is the fact that I live in Florida. It is freaking hot here. All. The. Time. I don't find it very pleasant to be sitting in 95 degree heat, suffering through 95% humidity, and then pour boiling hot coffee down my throat. During the milder winter months, it is a pleasant thing. I love being out in the evening in December with a hot chocolate or coffee drink. But, we are talking about a very small percent of the time that this can be pulled off. It is a niche product.
So, when it comes to my current weight efforts, coffee was a non-player. Soda? Oh hecks yeah. That was a big deal. But coffee didn't even come into play. I had to give up coffee ice cream, but can usually find coffee frozen yogurt somewhere if the urge strikes me.
So, why even bother with this post? Well, it is actually because I have been wondering about adding coffee to my life. Here's my conflicting thoughts on that idea. First of all, when I gave up soda, I lost caffeine. I don't have any caffeine any more. That is good, I feel. There is not really a good reason to try to add caffeine into my life now that I have kicked it. So that has kept me from drinking coffee. BUT, at the same time, with Gabers going to preschool now, we have to leave earlier and there are times when I am just dead tired. It would be nice to have a caffeine option on those bad days. I don't want to get into caffeine hardcore again, because I don't think it is good to do that. BUT, Heather has said there are no studies that show a little caffeine is bad. A responsible level of coffee consumption is not harmful.
Second, one of the flavors of the season I love is pumpkin. Starbucks' pumpkin spice drinks are awesome. I usually would get the pumpkin cream frappuccino, but those are just glorified milkshakes. I have tried to stay away from the pumpkin flavored stuff since they usually come packaged in pastries or sugar laden drinks. BUT, there are some ways to get that flavor profile in a (relatively) harmless manner. Is that wrong?
The other day, we were driving back from Orlando. Well, I was driving. The kids were in the back doing their thing and Heather was studying/napping in the front seat. I was exhausted from the weekend - driving, sick kids, 2am breathing treatments. So we stopped at a gas station in Gainesville and I decided to get a coffee. They had pumpkin spice cappuccinos - so I got one. It had the steamed milk in it, and I added three splenda. The smell was heavenly. And it tasted great - plus it had a little jolt to help me driving the rest of the way. I had wrestled with my decision to get the drink for literally an hour and a half. I felt guilty buying it. For some reason, I just kept thinking I was doing something wrong. But I analyzed what I actually had in the cup. It was coffee, some flavoring, milk, and fake sugar. Where exactly is the problem? I didn't put whipped cream or caramel or sugar in it.
On Friday, we had a full roster of school activities for all three kids. But there were gaps between our events. We had a half hour in between dropping the kids off and Gabe's parade starting. So we went to Starbucks. I got a pumpkin spice latte. I put three splenda in it - although they did unknowingly put whipped cream on it. It was, again, really good. I finally came to the place where I decided I wasn't going to feel guilty about drinking it. It isn't something that I am going to drink all the time. But it is something that I will drink occasionally, when the opportunity arises. As the weather gets cooler here, it will be nice to be able to have that drink. Plus, it gives me a chance to have the flavors of the winter that I really like - pumpkin, peppermint - without eating stuff I shouldn't have. Now THAT'S a backwards concept for you. A 36 year old man starting a coffee habit to get healthier. Ha!
The really strange thing is that I love the flavor of coffee. I adore the smell of coffee. From when I was a little kid, one of my favorite ice cream types was coffee. Breyer's coffee ice cream was the epitome of ice cream perfection. I got waylaid by Ben & Jerry's Coffee Heath Bar Crunch for a while, but eventually went back to Breyer's. (Until Publix introduced their Barnie's coffee - which was just as good as Breyer's and much less money.) My mom used to make me coffee chocolate chip cookies. I ate chocolate covered coffee beans. I got jamocha shakes at Arby's. I like mocha truffles. If you got me something coffee flavored, there was a very good chance that I would like it.
So my lack of addiction to coffee itself is a bit of mystery. I have tried to figure this out over the years. I know that I don't like the bitterness that comes with coffee. I like the flavor, but the bitterness pushed me away. The only way I could get rid of it was to load it full of milk and sugar. And that could be why I like coffee flavored things so much - they used the essence of coffee but loaded it with sugar and cream and chocolate. As I got older and discovered other kinds of coffee, I liked some of them. Things like cappuccinos, lattes, and mochas were very good - largely due to their cream/sugar content. But, since I hadn't developed the coffee habit early on, I didn't adopt it later.
Another big problem is the fact that I live in Florida. It is freaking hot here. All. The. Time. I don't find it very pleasant to be sitting in 95 degree heat, suffering through 95% humidity, and then pour boiling hot coffee down my throat. During the milder winter months, it is a pleasant thing. I love being out in the evening in December with a hot chocolate or coffee drink. But, we are talking about a very small percent of the time that this can be pulled off. It is a niche product.
So, when it comes to my current weight efforts, coffee was a non-player. Soda? Oh hecks yeah. That was a big deal. But coffee didn't even come into play. I had to give up coffee ice cream, but can usually find coffee frozen yogurt somewhere if the urge strikes me.
So, why even bother with this post? Well, it is actually because I have been wondering about adding coffee to my life. Here's my conflicting thoughts on that idea. First of all, when I gave up soda, I lost caffeine. I don't have any caffeine any more. That is good, I feel. There is not really a good reason to try to add caffeine into my life now that I have kicked it. So that has kept me from drinking coffee. BUT, at the same time, with Gabers going to preschool now, we have to leave earlier and there are times when I am just dead tired. It would be nice to have a caffeine option on those bad days. I don't want to get into caffeine hardcore again, because I don't think it is good to do that. BUT, Heather has said there are no studies that show a little caffeine is bad. A responsible level of coffee consumption is not harmful.
Second, one of the flavors of the season I love is pumpkin. Starbucks' pumpkin spice drinks are awesome. I usually would get the pumpkin cream frappuccino, but those are just glorified milkshakes. I have tried to stay away from the pumpkin flavored stuff since they usually come packaged in pastries or sugar laden drinks. BUT, there are some ways to get that flavor profile in a (relatively) harmless manner. Is that wrong?
The other day, we were driving back from Orlando. Well, I was driving. The kids were in the back doing their thing and Heather was studying/napping in the front seat. I was exhausted from the weekend - driving, sick kids, 2am breathing treatments. So we stopped at a gas station in Gainesville and I decided to get a coffee. They had pumpkin spice cappuccinos - so I got one. It had the steamed milk in it, and I added three splenda. The smell was heavenly. And it tasted great - plus it had a little jolt to help me driving the rest of the way. I had wrestled with my decision to get the drink for literally an hour and a half. I felt guilty buying it. For some reason, I just kept thinking I was doing something wrong. But I analyzed what I actually had in the cup. It was coffee, some flavoring, milk, and fake sugar. Where exactly is the problem? I didn't put whipped cream or caramel or sugar in it.
On Friday, we had a full roster of school activities for all three kids. But there were gaps between our events. We had a half hour in between dropping the kids off and Gabe's parade starting. So we went to Starbucks. I got a pumpkin spice latte. I put three splenda in it - although they did unknowingly put whipped cream on it. It was, again, really good. I finally came to the place where I decided I wasn't going to feel guilty about drinking it. It isn't something that I am going to drink all the time. But it is something that I will drink occasionally, when the opportunity arises. As the weather gets cooler here, it will be nice to be able to have that drink. Plus, it gives me a chance to have the flavors of the winter that I really like - pumpkin, peppermint - without eating stuff I shouldn't have. Now THAT'S a backwards concept for you. A 36 year old man starting a coffee habit to get healthier. Ha!
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
WEEK FORTY: Old Friend, New Sacrifices
I haven't been posting much, as I've said the last few months. There just hasn't been a ton to report. Things are moving along. The weight is coming off much slower - only three pounds in the past four weeks. I really need to start working out to get it going again. But the thought of that is not too pleasant. Part of it is that I hate exercise. Part of it is that my rheumatoid arthritis is getting to be very painful. Walking is not my friend most of the time. I am supposed to be starting on some medicine soon for the RA. Hopefully that will make things easier for me physically.
The doctor's visit I mentioned in my last monthly update finally yielded my blood test results. Everything looked good - except for the raging rheumatoid factor. Years ago when I first was diagnosed with RA, one of the things that threw off my treatment was that I had an elevated ALT liver enzyme. It was "mildly" inflated, but enough that doctors were worried that I had liver damage already - and that the RA treatments would further hurt it. The liver enzyme could also have been attributed to damage, alcohol (never had any, so that wasn't it), or fatty liver. The fatty liver could have been genetic or due to obesity. Turns out that it must have been the obesity. The number is now 21 - it's dropped like 40 points. So that allows me to start milder treatments. Yay!
Last weekend we went down to Orlando. I had some meetings on Friday and the kids were out of school, so we all went down for the weekend. It was good to see our old friends down there and hang out with them. (The kids getting sick wasn't so great.) Several of these people hadn't seen me since we moved, so the weight loss was pretty startling to them. So often, I am just doing my thing that I forget just how much has been accomplished. I don't see the change much because it was so gradual. I'll see it if I look at old pictures. But I don't think about it every day. When you are around people like that, though, it is a real reminder.
The crazy thing is that several people told me they have been reading the blog - and that they actually have started working on their weight. That is always stunning to me. After being the human weight gain machine over the last fifteen years, I am never prepared to hear someone is losing weight because of me. It is pretty humbling to hear that.
This trip was different than most of my trips to Orlando. I wasn't alone, so I didn't just get to hang out in Mexican places and BBQ joints. I had to take into account Heather and the kids - and the people we were meeting. I try to avoid places that have been big sources of failure for me over the years. But, to other people, those don't have the same stigma. This trip, it ended up that we went to many of those places I usually avoid. On the way down, we stopped at Denny's. In years past, Denny's made me do baaad things. I loved their cheese sticks. I usually got chili cheese fries with my meal. And their breakfasts were always a huge problem for me. Thank God I already developed the egg allergy ten years ago or who knows how many Grand Slams I would have devoured. This time, I was able to find a pretty good option: bbq chicken breast with vegetable rice pilaf and corn. It was tasty and very good for my efforts.
The hotel provided breakfast. This means that it has tons of stuff I can't have: donuts, cereal, yogurt with aspartame, bagels, muffins, danishes. I didn't get to go by Publix on our way in since we arrived so late, so my breakfast was just some nuts. Lunch we ended up going to Macaroni Grill - a minefield what with all the pasta and cheese running through the place. But my kids love the place, so we went there. (And someone else was paying, so who was I to complain?) I was able to find their grillers menu items and had Italian sausage with roasted veggies and some marinara sauce. For dinner, friends of ours invited us join them at Mimi's and use their coupons for free kids meals. If you haven't been to Mimi's, well I'm sorry for you. That was one of those places I loved going - their food was incredible. BUT most of it was sooo bad for me. They bring out fresh bread to every table - including unbelievable pumpkin and carrot bread. I decided to be a little more lenient there and had fried pickles with my meatloaf, veggies, and brown rice. (I ate too many pickles - the next day my fingers were so swollen I couldn't get my ring off.)
On Saturday, we had a birthday party to attend. My dear friends, the Sharps, were throwing the bash for their three year old. They were very sensitive to me, so they had chicken breast and fruit for me to eat. I just had to steer clear of the cake and sugar cookies and cheeseburgers. For lunch, the ultimate struggle appeared. We had gone out to Downtown Disney - one of our favorite places to go when we lived in Orlando. You get a taste of Disney without paying admission - and they have a Lego store! Well, dinner time rolled around and we decided to go to Pizzeria Uno. You got to understand something - the only way this place would be harder for me would be if they served donuts. It is one of the biggest sources of failure in my life. In my last serious weight loss effort, my birthday lunch at Uno began the destruction of my diet. So for me to go was tough. The added problem was that this Uno has jacked up prices due to its proximity to Disney (on top of their already jacked up normal prices).
I looked all over the menu. Avoid the pizza pages. Avoid the pasta pages. Avoid the appetizers and sandwiches. There wasn't much. And my usual bailout foods were ridiculously priced. The chili was $6.29 for A CUP!!! I was getting frazzled and did the only thing I could do. I ordered nothing. I couldn't find an option and just didn't order. Then I watched my kids and wife eat my favorite pizza in the universe. I was starving, but it wasn't worth messing up or paying exorbitant prices for something I didn't want. I have had to resort to this before. Just the week before at the Corn Maze we went to, I had to go without lunch because they didn't have anything I could eat.
This time, it was painful, but it was the right thing to do. On the way back to the hotel, I drove by a Del Taco and got two "Big Fat Chicken Tacos" and ate those at the hotel. I just dumped the innards onto a plate and ate them. Turns out, the next day after church, we joined several friends at a different Del Taco. I got the same thing and added a bowl of refried beans. [Side Note: I wish their was a Del Taco in Tallahassee. Their food is really good, really cheap, and an AWESOME option for me on the run.]
I know this post isn't that deep or thoughtful. It is just some of how my life has changed. Things have gone well enough that I just don't think about things most of the time. But there are those times when I have to really make hard choices to do things right. In years past, I never would have done that. I would have justified making a bad choice. There is no way I would have sat there at Uno and eaten nothing. But I can't afford to make that mistake any more. I know that now. I just can't buckle. And that is the mindset I have to have coming up here for the holidays. This is a tough time of year - very easy to mess up. There is the Halloween candy, the Thanksgiving pies and sides, the Christmas cookies and baked treats. It is a good thing I've had to strengthen my resolve now. I really want to lose 100 pounds by the end of the year. It is going to take that kind of commitment.
PS - I posted a new picture of me now. Thanks to Rich Blann for the shoot.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
BBQ
I haven't been very active posting on this site for a little while. It is NOT because I'm doing anything wrong. The real reason is because the whole process has become very routine to me. I haven't had a whole lot to document. But I know that this has become a source of inspiration or strength or diversion (or ridicule) to many of you. So I wanted to still toss some stuff up.
Today, I wanted to write about why I love Bar-B-Que. As I've mentioned several times in this blog, BBQ has been one of my saving graces through this whole process. It is a great resource to me. I can get meat, beans, and usually a vegetable. I don't have to worry about bread or breading or cheese. It is an easy, no-thought option. Plus, I have always loved BBQ. It was something that I ate even when I was eating like I wanted to be classified as a Ticonderoga Class battleship. One of the fun things about traveling in the South for Defender events was trying different BBQ joints.
Over the past nine months, it has been at hard at times seeing so many of the things I used to love being lumped in the "NO WAY BUDDY" category. Each season brings its own list of items that I used to enjoy that I no longer can. Apple pie, cheeseburger on the grill, pizza on Friday nights, pumpkin pies, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin donuts, and soon Christmas cookies. So I take some comfort in being able to still partake of something from back then.
Take yesterday, for example. We were out at a giant corn maze in Hilliard, Florida. They had food booths - and both of them had BBQ options. But, they also had ridonkulously long lines. All that was available that didn't involve a thirty minute wait was homemade ice cream and boiled peanuts. I can't have either of those things, so I wasn't able to eat at the event. I'm used to that kind of difficulty at events. On the way back home, we found Jack Stack's Smokehouse in Baldwin. It was one of those places that - if it was a deli or diner - a normal person would never risk eating at. But, in the world of BBQ, that is the sign of a good place. One of the best BBQ places I ever ate at was in Spartanburg, SC. I swear, they should have given out tetanus shots complimentary after your meal. There was a place down in West Palm Beach when I was growing up that had this for its motto: "Best BBQ in a place that isn't condemned."
Jack Stack was awesome. I don't just get turkey and green beans - although at this place that would have been a good option. Their turkey was incredible. I had pork, sausage, baked beans, sweet potato fries, and fried pickles. True, it was not "healthy" according to diet books. But for me, it was great. I don't eat BBQ all the time. So, when I do, I can be a little lenient without wrecking everything. If I do eat something that isn't perfectly right, at least it errs in a mild way. I don't eat cheese or sugary stuff. I don't scarf down breads or lots of starch.
BBQ also quenches my enjoyment of discovering new places. I can compare the different restaurants, sauces, rubs, cooking techniques. And it also is something that eventually I can try at home. I don't have a grill right now because we live in a little apartment with a ridiculous "no huge open fires on the back screen porch" rule. But I have started working on some of the techniques when I have a chance. At my in-laws' house I use their grill and have learned how to cook chicken, sausage, and red meat really well. I also make pulled pork in my oven. Admittedly, it is a poor replacement for real pulled pork. But it works for right now.
Every person is different. And there are hundreds of different approaches to weight loss. I have said all along that my way is not the only way - or the best way. The best way is what works for each person. For me, this has been a great approach. I have lost a lot of weight and cleaned up my act. And I still am able to have foods I really enjoy. One of those is BBQ. It is a "guilty pleasure" without doing anything wrong. It gives me an outlet when I don't have other options. And it brings enough variety to keep it from being dull. Good stuff.
Today, I wanted to write about why I love Bar-B-Que. As I've mentioned several times in this blog, BBQ has been one of my saving graces through this whole process. It is a great resource to me. I can get meat, beans, and usually a vegetable. I don't have to worry about bread or breading or cheese. It is an easy, no-thought option. Plus, I have always loved BBQ. It was something that I ate even when I was eating like I wanted to be classified as a Ticonderoga Class battleship. One of the fun things about traveling in the South for Defender events was trying different BBQ joints.
Over the past nine months, it has been at hard at times seeing so many of the things I used to love being lumped in the "NO WAY BUDDY" category. Each season brings its own list of items that I used to enjoy that I no longer can. Apple pie, cheeseburger on the grill, pizza on Friday nights, pumpkin pies, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin donuts, and soon Christmas cookies. So I take some comfort in being able to still partake of something from back then.
Take yesterday, for example. We were out at a giant corn maze in Hilliard, Florida. They had food booths - and both of them had BBQ options. But, they also had ridonkulously long lines. All that was available that didn't involve a thirty minute wait was homemade ice cream and boiled peanuts. I can't have either of those things, so I wasn't able to eat at the event. I'm used to that kind of difficulty at events. On the way back home, we found Jack Stack's Smokehouse in Baldwin. It was one of those places that - if it was a deli or diner - a normal person would never risk eating at. But, in the world of BBQ, that is the sign of a good place. One of the best BBQ places I ever ate at was in Spartanburg, SC. I swear, they should have given out tetanus shots complimentary after your meal. There was a place down in West Palm Beach when I was growing up that had this for its motto: "Best BBQ in a place that isn't condemned."
Jack Stack was awesome. I don't just get turkey and green beans - although at this place that would have been a good option. Their turkey was incredible. I had pork, sausage, baked beans, sweet potato fries, and fried pickles. True, it was not "healthy" according to diet books. But for me, it was great. I don't eat BBQ all the time. So, when I do, I can be a little lenient without wrecking everything. If I do eat something that isn't perfectly right, at least it errs in a mild way. I don't eat cheese or sugary stuff. I don't scarf down breads or lots of starch.
BBQ also quenches my enjoyment of discovering new places. I can compare the different restaurants, sauces, rubs, cooking techniques. And it also is something that eventually I can try at home. I don't have a grill right now because we live in a little apartment with a ridiculous "no huge open fires on the back screen porch" rule. But I have started working on some of the techniques when I have a chance. At my in-laws' house I use their grill and have learned how to cook chicken, sausage, and red meat really well. I also make pulled pork in my oven. Admittedly, it is a poor replacement for real pulled pork. But it works for right now.
Every person is different. And there are hundreds of different approaches to weight loss. I have said all along that my way is not the only way - or the best way. The best way is what works for each person. For me, this has been a great approach. I have lost a lot of weight and cleaned up my act. And I still am able to have foods I really enjoy. One of those is BBQ. It is a "guilty pleasure" without doing anything wrong. It gives me an outlet when I don't have other options. And it brings enough variety to keep it from being dull. Good stuff.
Monday, September 27, 2010
WEEK THIRTY-SIX: What's Up Doc
First of all, let's dispense with the regular updates that I know everyone is craving for. Today I weighed 265. Friday it was 264, but this was Gabe's birthday weekend. So, I had a few too many meatballs at the party. That means I've lost 90 pounds (or 91). I bought some new pants the other day - they were all 38" long pants. But I have gotten into 36" shorts. Trying to gauge actual waist size by using Old Navy is pretty stupid. None of their pants are consistent. Even different colors of the same pants run differently.
The food efforts continue to go very well. This past month I endured two birthdays. That means I had to ignore cake multiple times - three to be exact, since Gabe actually had two cakes. And I had to reject birthday muffins once and birthday donuts twice. Today, we actually have a half a cake in our house, along with bags of rolls, and bags of chips. These are all left from Gabe's party yesterday. I really don't even want to mess with those things.
My food does get boring at times. Eating the same rotation of foods gets a big monotonous. The biggest challenge, I think, has been the eating out one. Heather's schedule this semester has been awful, to say the least. Plus the kids started gymnastics back up. This time, their classes are in the evening - which wrecks havoc with dinner. The big problem is that fast food is just not an option. It becomes very difficult to find a quick place on the run. So we usually have to pick between a small set of choices. (Boston Market wins frequently.)
I have been experimenting with pumpkin options - trying to find something that I can have this fall. So far, we tried pumpkin oatmeal. It was phenomenal. But I don't want to have that too often, due to the insane carb total. I also made a pumpkin chicken chili the other day. It was super and even the kids devoured it. Big problem, though, was that it was pretty bad warmed up. I'd never had a chili that did not reheat well. It's weird - the pumpkin butternut squash soup I made last Spring had the same problem. It was horrible reheated. I wonder if that is common with pumpkin soups. I tried to make my own pumpkin yogurt - but it was horrific. My guess was that it was a no go, until I found out one of the yogurt shops in town has that flavor and it rocks. I guess it was just my version that was terrible.
The big event from this past month is that I went to the doctor last Friday for a physical. I hate going to doctors. Over the years, I have been treated by some of the biggest morons to bribe someone into getting a med school degree. I had one guy who accused me of creating an illness for attention - when I was in middle school. When my mom and I figured out that the problem was my inability to break down Aspartame (Nutrasweet), he refused to believe it was the real reason. "There is no evidence that people have trouble with that. But I'm glad you found something that helped you to make yourself feel better." He was a gem.
When my rheumatoid arthritis was first flaring up, I went to a doctor in Jacksonville. He didn't do any of the tests to determine if it was RA. Instead, he told me it was my weight that was causing all of the pain. I was confused how my weight made my hands hurt so bad - maybe lifting the fork was the issue. The weight card was a common tool by doctors throughout my life. In Orlando, one of my doctors was bigger than me - significantly bigger - and he used to lecture me every visit about my needing to slim down. It was kind of hard to take him seriously.
After all of the ridicule I received for my weight, it got to be that I hated to go to the doctor. I hated the usual routine. They would see me come in, and then try to work the weight into the diagnosis. "Well, it appears you have an egg allergy. Maybe if you weren't so fat. Avoid eggs." Or it would be, "I am aware you fell down wet stairs and sprained your knee and ankle. If you weren't so fat, it would be better. Here are crutches. I hope they don't buckle under your bulk." It was an easy out for physicians. And I constantly felt judged. So, I just started avoiding doctors unless I could not help it.
Last November I got the Andarian Death Flu - at least that is what it felt like. That is something you have to see a doctor about. I would go if I hurt myself badly, or contracted some horrendous respiratory issue. Even when I was in obvious severe discomfort - like with the RA or Acid Reflux or back pain - my wife had to force me to go. Yearly physicals? You have to be crazy. There was no way.
As I recently posted on the other blog, my RA is flaring up again. So I need to begin some kind of treatment. That means I have to see some kind of doctor. I finally relented and made an appointment with one of the professors at the FSU Med School that Heather has become friends with. One of my biggest fears had been going to a new doctor and having them lecture me on my weight - after I had come so far. That was why I picked someone who knew what I had done. It was a strange feeling, to be in a doctor's office knowing that I actually was doing something right about my weight. Usually I'm so ashamed and embarrassed that I want to hide under the table.
The nurse took my vitals. Their stupid scale was higher than ours. [Why is it that all doctor's scales are wrong? Shouldn't they be the ones that are always right? Isn't there some way to make a scale that is always right - like the atomic clock?] While she was taking my records, I asked what I had weighed last year when I was there. "Um, it says here 350." She went back to typing for a second, and then her head popped up and she looked at the computer again. I knew that she had done the math in her head. "Oh my gosh. That's amazing." Then she gave me five. I was probably stupid for being so happy about that. But a medical professional had actually been impressed with the weight loss. She said that what I had done was incredible. Later she asked what I had been doing, and she was very complimentary of my process. According to their records, I had lost 79 pounds. That was impressive enough, even thought it was wrong. The last time I weighed there I was being devoured by alien flu germs and dropping weight - and I exploded over the holidays into new realms of fatness.
When the doctor came in, we talked about the medical history and stuff. Then she asked about the weight loss - to get the numbers. I told her about the stupid scale at the office. She said they go by our scales at home. We've been tracking the whole process, so we know exactly what has been happening. Multiple times she encouraged me. When the issue of exercise came up, it wasn't with a "you haven't done enough, here's what you need to do" attitude. It was merely as a suggestion for how to strengthen my spinal column to fight the RA. It felt good to actually be in a place where my efforts were praised by a doctor. It had been a long time since I felt good at an appointment.
So much of this is mental - I've made that clear over the last eight months. We convince ourselves that we are fat. This is reinforced by other people, by the mirror, by media and entertainment sources, by doctors. So we get into this spiral we can't get out of. It feels hopeless. And, unfortunately, many doctors feed this instead of offering hope. They offer judgement and disdain. They know that we are hurting our bodies. They know the facts about how bad obesity is for a person. But they want us to know that too - and they try to scare us into changing. They don't take into account the fact that every hour of every day, we already are beating ourselves up and scaring ourselves. The only way we can function is to tune out those inner hateful voices and just ignore the problem. So we act like we don't care. We joke about it. Then a doctor comes along and thinks we are just another lazy stupid fat turd that is killing ourself. They think we don't care - not realizing that we care so much that we can't function. And it just becomes another reinforcement of the belief that we are useless because we are fat.
I'm not sure what the option is. Part of me believes that until some of these older, less caring doctors leave the business things won't change. I am glad for schools like FSU that emphasize training their students in really CARING for people. And I am not blaming doctors - they are trying to give someone as much information as they can in a short period of time. Taking care of my body is my responsibility - no one else's. I just know how amazing it was to have an encouraging appointment - like teammates cheering me on. It made me more resolved. Mentally, it was a boost. And in this mental battle, that is the best kind of help someone can offer.
The food efforts continue to go very well. This past month I endured two birthdays. That means I had to ignore cake multiple times - three to be exact, since Gabe actually had two cakes. And I had to reject birthday muffins once and birthday donuts twice. Today, we actually have a half a cake in our house, along with bags of rolls, and bags of chips. These are all left from Gabe's party yesterday. I really don't even want to mess with those things.
My food does get boring at times. Eating the same rotation of foods gets a big monotonous. The biggest challenge, I think, has been the eating out one. Heather's schedule this semester has been awful, to say the least. Plus the kids started gymnastics back up. This time, their classes are in the evening - which wrecks havoc with dinner. The big problem is that fast food is just not an option. It becomes very difficult to find a quick place on the run. So we usually have to pick between a small set of choices. (Boston Market wins frequently.)
I have been experimenting with pumpkin options - trying to find something that I can have this fall. So far, we tried pumpkin oatmeal. It was phenomenal. But I don't want to have that too often, due to the insane carb total. I also made a pumpkin chicken chili the other day. It was super and even the kids devoured it. Big problem, though, was that it was pretty bad warmed up. I'd never had a chili that did not reheat well. It's weird - the pumpkin butternut squash soup I made last Spring had the same problem. It was horrible reheated. I wonder if that is common with pumpkin soups. I tried to make my own pumpkin yogurt - but it was horrific. My guess was that it was a no go, until I found out one of the yogurt shops in town has that flavor and it rocks. I guess it was just my version that was terrible.
The big event from this past month is that I went to the doctor last Friday for a physical. I hate going to doctors. Over the years, I have been treated by some of the biggest morons to bribe someone into getting a med school degree. I had one guy who accused me of creating an illness for attention - when I was in middle school. When my mom and I figured out that the problem was my inability to break down Aspartame (Nutrasweet), he refused to believe it was the real reason. "There is no evidence that people have trouble with that. But I'm glad you found something that helped you to make yourself feel better." He was a gem.
When my rheumatoid arthritis was first flaring up, I went to a doctor in Jacksonville. He didn't do any of the tests to determine if it was RA. Instead, he told me it was my weight that was causing all of the pain. I was confused how my weight made my hands hurt so bad - maybe lifting the fork was the issue. The weight card was a common tool by doctors throughout my life. In Orlando, one of my doctors was bigger than me - significantly bigger - and he used to lecture me every visit about my needing to slim down. It was kind of hard to take him seriously.
After all of the ridicule I received for my weight, it got to be that I hated to go to the doctor. I hated the usual routine. They would see me come in, and then try to work the weight into the diagnosis. "Well, it appears you have an egg allergy. Maybe if you weren't so fat. Avoid eggs." Or it would be, "I am aware you fell down wet stairs and sprained your knee and ankle. If you weren't so fat, it would be better. Here are crutches. I hope they don't buckle under your bulk." It was an easy out for physicians. And I constantly felt judged. So, I just started avoiding doctors unless I could not help it.
Last November I got the Andarian Death Flu - at least that is what it felt like. That is something you have to see a doctor about. I would go if I hurt myself badly, or contracted some horrendous respiratory issue. Even when I was in obvious severe discomfort - like with the RA or Acid Reflux or back pain - my wife had to force me to go. Yearly physicals? You have to be crazy. There was no way.
As I recently posted on the other blog, my RA is flaring up again. So I need to begin some kind of treatment. That means I have to see some kind of doctor. I finally relented and made an appointment with one of the professors at the FSU Med School that Heather has become friends with. One of my biggest fears had been going to a new doctor and having them lecture me on my weight - after I had come so far. That was why I picked someone who knew what I had done. It was a strange feeling, to be in a doctor's office knowing that I actually was doing something right about my weight. Usually I'm so ashamed and embarrassed that I want to hide under the table.
The nurse took my vitals. Their stupid scale was higher than ours. [Why is it that all doctor's scales are wrong? Shouldn't they be the ones that are always right? Isn't there some way to make a scale that is always right - like the atomic clock?] While she was taking my records, I asked what I had weighed last year when I was there. "Um, it says here 350." She went back to typing for a second, and then her head popped up and she looked at the computer again. I knew that she had done the math in her head. "Oh my gosh. That's amazing." Then she gave me five. I was probably stupid for being so happy about that. But a medical professional had actually been impressed with the weight loss. She said that what I had done was incredible. Later she asked what I had been doing, and she was very complimentary of my process. According to their records, I had lost 79 pounds. That was impressive enough, even thought it was wrong. The last time I weighed there I was being devoured by alien flu germs and dropping weight - and I exploded over the holidays into new realms of fatness.
When the doctor came in, we talked about the medical history and stuff. Then she asked about the weight loss - to get the numbers. I told her about the stupid scale at the office. She said they go by our scales at home. We've been tracking the whole process, so we know exactly what has been happening. Multiple times she encouraged me. When the issue of exercise came up, it wasn't with a "you haven't done enough, here's what you need to do" attitude. It was merely as a suggestion for how to strengthen my spinal column to fight the RA. It felt good to actually be in a place where my efforts were praised by a doctor. It had been a long time since I felt good at an appointment.
So much of this is mental - I've made that clear over the last eight months. We convince ourselves that we are fat. This is reinforced by other people, by the mirror, by media and entertainment sources, by doctors. So we get into this spiral we can't get out of. It feels hopeless. And, unfortunately, many doctors feed this instead of offering hope. They offer judgement and disdain. They know that we are hurting our bodies. They know the facts about how bad obesity is for a person. But they want us to know that too - and they try to scare us into changing. They don't take into account the fact that every hour of every day, we already are beating ourselves up and scaring ourselves. The only way we can function is to tune out those inner hateful voices and just ignore the problem. So we act like we don't care. We joke about it. Then a doctor comes along and thinks we are just another lazy stupid fat turd that is killing ourself. They think we don't care - not realizing that we care so much that we can't function. And it just becomes another reinforcement of the belief that we are useless because we are fat.
I'm not sure what the option is. Part of me believes that until some of these older, less caring doctors leave the business things won't change. I am glad for schools like FSU that emphasize training their students in really CARING for people. And I am not blaming doctors - they are trying to give someone as much information as they can in a short period of time. Taking care of my body is my responsibility - no one else's. I just know how amazing it was to have an encouraging appointment - like teammates cheering me on. It made me more resolved. Mentally, it was a boost. And in this mental battle, that is the best kind of help someone can offer.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Retreat and Advance
RETREAT
This past weekend, I was leading the high school retreat for International Community School - the school I worked at before we moved from Orlando. It was an honor to be asked to serve in the role of camp speaker. We've done tons of Defender events over the years. But this was the first time I had been a camp pastor. There was a lot of stress involved in preparing for it - mostly putting too much pressure on myself to make things perfect. It turned out to be an amazing weekend. I got to see my old students and spend time catching up with them. And I also had plenty of time to interact with my friends there - both fellow teachers and parents. Plus, as an added benefit, I actually got some quiet time (as documented on my other blog).
Honestly, the thing I stressed about the most once into the event was the food. When I travel, I have learned how to make things work. I bring nuts and water for in the car. I time my trips so that I can eat meals at places that will work. And I have a list of "go to" entrees when we do stop. This time, though, I was at the mercy of other people. I couldn't run to the store or drive down to the local bbq place to get what I needed. We were at a retreat center - and at the mercy of the camp cafeteria. That is a scary prospect even when you have NO dietary restrictions. I've been at retreat centers all over the place and experienced some truly awful food. So, I braced for the worst.
Before we even left the school, the first obstacle was encountered - lunch there was pizza. Gooooo. I ended up stopping with my carful of students at Chick Fil A on my way out of town to grab two grilled chicken fillets and a yogurt. [Side Note: While I appreciate the fact that CFA offers this option, it is ridiculous that it costs NINE BUCKS for that meal. That's right. NINE! For two grilled chicken patties and a yogurt with a strawberry in it. This is why America is fat. It is cheaper to be.] The next three meals, though, would all be on the retreat grounds.
First came dinner. I had been worrying for hours about this. I asked what was for dinner and got, "Spaghetti and meatballs. Or you can have alfredo sauce." Dang. I had figured I would be living on the salad bar all weekend. When we got to the buffet, though, I was pleased to see that all the menu items were in separate chafing dishes. So I was able to get a plate of just meatballs with sauce and broccoli. Then I fixed a salad. They even had raisins, dried cranberries, and sunflower seeds on the salad bar!
I didn't have my usual frozen yogurt dessert, so I just had to eat some nuts instead. The kids all made s'mores at the campfire. I, naturally, had to decline. For breakfast, I again was stressing. This is my most regimented meal. I just have a container of Greek yogurt and that's it. The buffet was loaded with sausage and biscuits. But, over on the salad bar, there was a huge container of vanilla yogurt. There also was granola, strawberries, and pineapple. So I was able to make a good breakfast. Lunch was the last hurdle. They went with an old standby: tacos. DOH! But, again, they had everything split up. I was able to bypass the tortillas and lay down a bed of romaine lettuce. Then I scooped taco meat, refried beans, and salsa on top. Instant taco salad.
I was really pleased with the whole food experience. The food was really good, too. And it seemed like the camp was very sensitive to the needs of its attenders. I must throw out some props to Warren Willis Camp outside of Leesburg. It is a really beautiful facility and it is very well run. And they actually make an effort to provide good meal options - something that most camps neglect in favor of saving money.
ADVANCE
While at the camp, I had a lot of comments about my weight. Some of these people haven't seen me since we moved. They would ask what I had done, and then seem quite surprised that I had lost so much just by changing my diet. To date, that really is all I've done. There was maybe a month where I used the Wii Fit each night. But for most of the last eight months, this has all been diet related. I guess I had not realized how strange that was.
I have actually been pretty stubborn about keeping it all diet related. I don't know why, but I wanted to get to 100 pounds lost without exercise. There isn't a good reason. But I was aiming for that. Really, I figured I would ride the diet option as far as I could, until it bottomed out and I plateaued. It looked like that would be around 255 - which would be the 100 pound mark. However, this past month it is pretty apparent that I am not making much progress. So far, I have only lost three pounds in the last three weeks. I bounce around a lot at 267 or 268. I'm not going to get much further without some sort of exercise - and I am NOT done yet.
I'm one of those people that goes as far as I can on one track before switching. When I am running low on gas on a trip, I stupidly keep driving. "I can make it to the next exit." I'll pas gas stations if they are on the left side of the road or if they don't have a nice enough appearance or if I think I can save a few pennies later. It really is a stupid habit. That is the same way I have been approaching the diet. I keep on driving down the diet change road and don't want to switch to the exercise one.
I hate exercising. I hate getting hot and sweaty. I hate having to come up with time to do it. The thought of having a nicer body is nice. But I sure don't want to do anything to get there. I really don't even know where to begin. I have absolutely no understanding of weight machines or the right process to muscle building. And, frankly, I don't want to learn. But, for me to see this through to the end, I am going to have to start exercising and working out.
I also need to do that for my body's sake. My back problems are not going to be fixed without strengthening the muscles. My rheumatoid arthritis is going to rob me of mobility and strength if I don't fight. So, the time has come to move forward. I must start exercising and working out. I will start small. Walking. Using the Wii Fit again. I hope that will kick start the weight loss again. It's time to switch roads.
This past weekend, I was leading the high school retreat for International Community School - the school I worked at before we moved from Orlando. It was an honor to be asked to serve in the role of camp speaker. We've done tons of Defender events over the years. But this was the first time I had been a camp pastor. There was a lot of stress involved in preparing for it - mostly putting too much pressure on myself to make things perfect. It turned out to be an amazing weekend. I got to see my old students and spend time catching up with them. And I also had plenty of time to interact with my friends there - both fellow teachers and parents. Plus, as an added benefit, I actually got some quiet time (as documented on my other blog).
Honestly, the thing I stressed about the most once into the event was the food. When I travel, I have learned how to make things work. I bring nuts and water for in the car. I time my trips so that I can eat meals at places that will work. And I have a list of "go to" entrees when we do stop. This time, though, I was at the mercy of other people. I couldn't run to the store or drive down to the local bbq place to get what I needed. We were at a retreat center - and at the mercy of the camp cafeteria. That is a scary prospect even when you have NO dietary restrictions. I've been at retreat centers all over the place and experienced some truly awful food. So, I braced for the worst.
Before we even left the school, the first obstacle was encountered - lunch there was pizza. Gooooo. I ended up stopping with my carful of students at Chick Fil A on my way out of town to grab two grilled chicken fillets and a yogurt. [Side Note: While I appreciate the fact that CFA offers this option, it is ridiculous that it costs NINE BUCKS for that meal. That's right. NINE! For two grilled chicken patties and a yogurt with a strawberry in it. This is why America is fat. It is cheaper to be.] The next three meals, though, would all be on the retreat grounds.
First came dinner. I had been worrying for hours about this. I asked what was for dinner and got, "Spaghetti and meatballs. Or you can have alfredo sauce." Dang. I had figured I would be living on the salad bar all weekend. When we got to the buffet, though, I was pleased to see that all the menu items were in separate chafing dishes. So I was able to get a plate of just meatballs with sauce and broccoli. Then I fixed a salad. They even had raisins, dried cranberries, and sunflower seeds on the salad bar!
I didn't have my usual frozen yogurt dessert, so I just had to eat some nuts instead. The kids all made s'mores at the campfire. I, naturally, had to decline. For breakfast, I again was stressing. This is my most regimented meal. I just have a container of Greek yogurt and that's it. The buffet was loaded with sausage and biscuits. But, over on the salad bar, there was a huge container of vanilla yogurt. There also was granola, strawberries, and pineapple. So I was able to make a good breakfast. Lunch was the last hurdle. They went with an old standby: tacos. DOH! But, again, they had everything split up. I was able to bypass the tortillas and lay down a bed of romaine lettuce. Then I scooped taco meat, refried beans, and salsa on top. Instant taco salad.
I was really pleased with the whole food experience. The food was really good, too. And it seemed like the camp was very sensitive to the needs of its attenders. I must throw out some props to Warren Willis Camp outside of Leesburg. It is a really beautiful facility and it is very well run. And they actually make an effort to provide good meal options - something that most camps neglect in favor of saving money.
ADVANCE
While at the camp, I had a lot of comments about my weight. Some of these people haven't seen me since we moved. They would ask what I had done, and then seem quite surprised that I had lost so much just by changing my diet. To date, that really is all I've done. There was maybe a month where I used the Wii Fit each night. But for most of the last eight months, this has all been diet related. I guess I had not realized how strange that was.
I have actually been pretty stubborn about keeping it all diet related. I don't know why, but I wanted to get to 100 pounds lost without exercise. There isn't a good reason. But I was aiming for that. Really, I figured I would ride the diet option as far as I could, until it bottomed out and I plateaued. It looked like that would be around 255 - which would be the 100 pound mark. However, this past month it is pretty apparent that I am not making much progress. So far, I have only lost three pounds in the last three weeks. I bounce around a lot at 267 or 268. I'm not going to get much further without some sort of exercise - and I am NOT done yet.
I'm one of those people that goes as far as I can on one track before switching. When I am running low on gas on a trip, I stupidly keep driving. "I can make it to the next exit." I'll pas gas stations if they are on the left side of the road or if they don't have a nice enough appearance or if I think I can save a few pennies later. It really is a stupid habit. That is the same way I have been approaching the diet. I keep on driving down the diet change road and don't want to switch to the exercise one.
I hate exercising. I hate getting hot and sweaty. I hate having to come up with time to do it. The thought of having a nicer body is nice. But I sure don't want to do anything to get there. I really don't even know where to begin. I have absolutely no understanding of weight machines or the right process to muscle building. And, frankly, I don't want to learn. But, for me to see this through to the end, I am going to have to start exercising and working out.
I also need to do that for my body's sake. My back problems are not going to be fixed without strengthening the muscles. My rheumatoid arthritis is going to rob me of mobility and strength if I don't fight. So, the time has come to move forward. I must start exercising and working out. I will start small. Walking. Using the Wii Fit again. I hope that will kick start the weight loss again. It's time to switch roads.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Awww Nuts
One of the most interesting side effects of this whole food thing has been how my tastes have changed. I have been trying to document that a little bit in some of these posts. I am amazed how there are food that I used to avoid that I eat now. And then there are tons of foods I adored that I completely avoid - some due to the addiction stuff, some for other reasons. One of the strangest examples has been nuts. Literally - nuts.
I used to think that nuts were just about useless. Sure, peanuts were useful once in a while - for peanut butter, or to cram into a Snickers. But in general nuts were just something to ruin a good brownie or cookie. One of the most disappointing things was when someone gave me a can of chocolate chip cookies or brownies. Only when I went to bite into one, it was littered with walnuts or some other crunchy teeth cracker. There were so many potentially great desserts that got ruined by a chef with a nut fetish. I remember that Ben & Jerry's had this problem frequently. Their Chunky Monkey ice cream had so much potential. It was banana ice cream with fudge swirls and chocolate chunks - and freaking walnuts. Then they actually came out with a flavor called Totally Nuts and another called Rainforest Crunch. Since I was a pathetic loser and was trying to eat all of their flavors, I tried both of them. Crammed with nuts. Why would you ruin a good ice cream like that?
There was a brief flirtation with almonds when I was younger. Blue Diamond put out these smaller cans of different almond flavors - smokehouse, bbq, stuff like that. And I got those for a while. But eventually I got burned out on them. Later on I discovered macadamia nuts and was quite fond of those. From time to time I would get a jar of them. But they were far from something I really wanted too often - something my mother found out when she had the nerve to get me chocolate covered ones instead of cordial cherries one year for Christmas. In short, nuts were useless to me.
I used to think that nuts were just about useless. Sure, peanuts were useful once in a while - for peanut butter, or to cram into a Snickers. But in general nuts were just something to ruin a good brownie or cookie. One of the most disappointing things was when someone gave me a can of chocolate chip cookies or brownies. Only when I went to bite into one, it was littered with walnuts or some other crunchy teeth cracker. There were so many potentially great desserts that got ruined by a chef with a nut fetish. I remember that Ben & Jerry's had this problem frequently. Their Chunky Monkey ice cream had so much potential. It was banana ice cream with fudge swirls and chocolate chunks - and freaking walnuts. Then they actually came out with a flavor called Totally Nuts and another called Rainforest Crunch. Since I was a pathetic loser and was trying to eat all of their flavors, I tried both of them. Crammed with nuts. Why would you ruin a good ice cream like that?
There was a brief flirtation with almonds when I was younger. Blue Diamond put out these smaller cans of different almond flavors - smokehouse, bbq, stuff like that. And I got those for a while. But eventually I got burned out on them. Later on I discovered macadamia nuts and was quite fond of those. From time to time I would get a jar of them. But they were far from something I really wanted too often - something my mother found out when she had the nerve to get me chocolate covered ones instead of cordial cherries one year for Christmas. In short, nuts were useless to me.
- I'd eat them in a Snickers - but I far preferred Milky Way.
- I never got them on or in ice cream, in cookies, or in brownies. If I got one of those things with nuts, I would pick them out.
- The only way I would have chocolate with nuts in it was if all the good flavors were gone. Like when a bag of Hershey's minis was out of Special Dark and Krackel and all that was left was Mr. Goodbar.
- I ate peanut butter - but not the crunchy stuff.
- I would eat pecan pie if there was nothing else to pick.
- Plain nuts were for airplanes and that's it.
Fast forward to today. Through necessity, I started eating nuts as a snack or a topping for salads and/or dessert. At first it was peanuts, since they were the least traumatizing. But once I started having weird issues with peanuts, I started to switch to almonds and cashews. Now, I go to Sam's and get a big container of Planter's Cashews and go through it in about three weeks. This last time, I also got a container of deluxe mixed nuts. It came with cashews, almonds, brazil nuts, filberts, and (gasp) pecans. The mix is awesome. At first, it was something I had to do - I really didn't have a lot of options. But now, I really do like them.
I have no idea what caused the taste change. I suspect necessity helped. But I really enjoy them. Pecans were always my second least favorite nut - right before walnuts. (Man, I hate walnuts.) Now, though, pecans are one of my favorites in the mix. They have a totally different texture than they other harder nuts. They are less dense. Cashews have rapidly become my favorite - even though I hated those most of my life. And it isn't like I'm relying on macadamia nuts or flavored nuts. They are just roasted and with sea salt. (I ate the plain kind at the beginning when I was avoiding a lot of salt - but now I stick with the salted ones. They are lots cheaper.)
It certainly has been interesting. And it has actually pushed me to explore some of the other foods on my hit list. I detested sweet potatoes. Now, I rarely eat potatoes. But when I do, it usually is some kind of sweet potato concoction. I have ridiculed avocados for years. But now I realize I was just eating them wrong. They are much better hot. (Although Heather would disagree.) Not only have I not been saying "no guacamole" on my food - I actually ordered it on purpose the other day! It is a strange turn of events for me. I've been so taken aback by this change, I even have considered trying . . . (wait for it) . . . mushrooms. Then again, maybe that is too far.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Toss the Salad
Anyone who has spent much time with me over the years will not be surprised by this statement. I don't have much use for salads. I know they are the meal of choice for many dieters. But, even when I was on relatively successful diets - like Weight Watchers - I never cared for salads. This is something I was thinking about because I had salads the last two days at lunch. Both times, I left the meal feeling unsatisfied and a little frustrated. This resentment of salads has existed for a long time. Originally it was based on the fact I wanted to eat more destructive foods. (And I had a bizarre inability to process lettuce. It gave me some of the worst indigestion I would get. But that has gone away.) Now, though, I still don't care for them.
- They are not filling. Unless you are getting one of those salads that have no nutritional value at all - the ones that have quesadillas and sweet and sour chicken on them - most salads you get are horribly unsatisfying. You may get this huge bowl, full of lots of green stuff. You may even walk away full, thanks to the quantity of food. But it burns off so quickly it is almost a joke.
- The toppings are a minefield. The standard salad now comes loaded with cheese and croutons and other stuff. But they skimp on the good stuff. The one I got today, for example, had four cherry tomatoes and two slices of cucumber. If I hadn't spent and extra three bucks for chicken, it would have been a disaster. Ordinarily, people wouldn't notice the dearth of toppings due to the avalanche of cheese and croutons - but I don't get that on mine.
- Their health claims are dubious. By the time they get to taste great, they have been slathered with dressing and all other stuff. Sure, you can make a great salad. But what do you have to add to do that? Oriental noodles, bacon, eggs, cheese, chili, sour cream, dressing. How healthy is that, actually? Take a chef salad - by the time you load it up with everything, it isn't much of a health food.
- The meat on top is often wimpy. Three bucks for a chicken patty. It was probably four ounces of chicken. That is pretty standard at most places. If they put chicken or mahi mahi or shrimp on a salad, it is a dinky amount. That is in stark contrast to the fact they'll cram a bag of lettuce into a bowl for these things. There have places I got salads where I actually ate the top layer of toppings and lettuce and left half the rabbit food in the bowl.
Now, admittedly, there are some places that offer great salad. Steak and Shake actually had one that was amazing. It had chicken and fruit and all that. I like dried fruit, apples, oranges, nuts on my salad. So places that have something like a harvest salad with all that stuff is great. But they often still rely on some of the cheaper and easier ingredients. I tried Wendy's salad the other day with pecans, chicken, apples, cranberries (without the bleu cheese). They had a ton of dried cranberries in the bowl. They were everywhere. But the bag of pecans they gave me was pitiful - as were the apples. And the chicken breast was predictably tiny. McAllister's Deli has some great salads - they are always well proportioned in their toppings, dressing, lettuce. Plus you can do the whole "Pick Two" option and pair it with a big cup of soup or chili.
I have found that salads are actually a terrible option for me. I am always hungry afterwards, which then puts me in the place where I have to fight the urge to snack all afternoon. Today was no exception. I had a big peach, a banana, cashews, mixed nuts, and then another half banana. The salad doesn't stick with me very long. It almost seems like the lettuce just vaporizes and I'm left with whatever was on top - which in many cases is not much. There are times where I get a salad because it is just easier than trying to find something on a menu. That was the case at Wendy's. But I would far prefer to eat soup than salad at a meal. Thankfully a lot of places are offering a soup and salad option. Chili's, Olive Garden, Red Lobster, Jason's Deli. The first three have all you can eat of both, so you can fill up on the heartier soups. (Boston Market just bypassed the salad route all together and do all you can eat soup - for three bucks. Heck yeah.)
I'm sure a ton of people love salad and have benefitted from eating them. And I have found them useful over the years. I just don't think they are actually that great.
Saturday, September 4, 2010
I Lost a Desk
We've been looking for a desk for Heather for a little while so she can study at home more instead of having to stay banished up at the school. We have one desk, but it is already full of computers and such. So we've looked around for a little while. Finally, today, we found one at HH Gregg. [This also answered the question of what the heck they sold at that store.] It was one of those high quality Sauder put-it-together-yourself units. Happy happy joy joy.
The sales dude went and got it out of the back and pushed it out on a dolly. I helped him lift it into the van. I said to him, "Man. How am I going to get that upstairs?' After we drove home, I went to the back of the van and opened the door. The desk had been leaning against the door in its box, and when I opened the door it fell out onto the ground. Smoooooth. Anyway, I figured out how to pick the sucker up and started to walk upstairs.
It was stinking heavy. I kind of got one of those momentum things going and rushed it up the stairs before setting it down in the living room. I was kind of amazed I had gotten it up the stairs without dropping it, breaking it, or suffering a crippling injury. Out of curiosity, I looked at the box to see how much it weighed. "THIS BOX WEIGHS APPROXIMATELY 84 POUNDS."
Huh?!? I looked at Heather and said, "I've lost a DESK!!!" At my last weigh in, I had lost 86 pounds. So I had lost more than that desk weighed. It really hits home when you see something like that. I barely could get this monster of a box up the stairs. But back in January, I had been toting that much extra weight around every minute of every day. Crazy, isn't it?
The sales dude went and got it out of the back and pushed it out on a dolly. I helped him lift it into the van. I said to him, "Man. How am I going to get that upstairs?' After we drove home, I went to the back of the van and opened the door. The desk had been leaning against the door in its box, and when I opened the door it fell out onto the ground. Smoooooth. Anyway, I figured out how to pick the sucker up and started to walk upstairs.
It was stinking heavy. I kind of got one of those momentum things going and rushed it up the stairs before setting it down in the living room. I was kind of amazed I had gotten it up the stairs without dropping it, breaking it, or suffering a crippling injury. Out of curiosity, I looked at the box to see how much it weighed. "THIS BOX WEIGHS APPROXIMATELY 84 POUNDS."
Huh?!? I looked at Heather and said, "I've lost a DESK!!!" At my last weigh in, I had lost 86 pounds. So I had lost more than that desk weighed. It really hits home when you see something like that. I barely could get this monster of a box up the stairs. But back in January, I had been toting that much extra weight around every minute of every day. Crazy, isn't it?
Friday, September 3, 2010
Pumpkin Project
So, can you see my problem? There isn't a thing on that list that I can have any more. I am crushed. This is a worse blow than losing birthday cake or Super Bowl pizza or July 4 cheeseburgers. I'm serious. The very thought of having to go through the Fall without pumpkin flavored awesomeness is seriously bumming me out. I don't want to look at this last stretch of the year with dread. I want to finish the year strong, hit the 100 pound mark, and still have some pumpkin stuff.
So, this is where I am asking you - my faithful friends and readers - to help me out. Can you help me come up with some pumpkin menu items that WILL work for me? Feel free to put them in the comments section on this post. I read all of those. And then, as I experiment with them, I will post my results on this blog. I'll even give you credit.
Here are some helpful guidelines. First of all - here are some foods that I can't have involving pumpkin. So don't post recipes for those. It won't help.
- Pumpkin pie
- Pumpkin cookies
- Pumpkin bread
- Pumpkin cheesecake
- Pumpkin ravioli
- Pumpkin bagels
- Pumpkin mixed drinks
- Pumpkin ice cream
I have tried to do some rudimentary searches and have found some stuff that might be worth trying. I found a pumpkin chili, stuffed pumpkin, pumpkin soup, and baked pumpkin. Aarti - the next Food Network Star winner - also has a pumpkin oatmeal recipe that I want to try. (Even though I'm avoiding oatmeal as a starch, I thought it could be a great breakfast on Thanksgiving.) I want to try something like a pumpkin yogurt or yogurt dip or frozen yogurt. If you have read this post, you should know my guidelines. I appreciate your help. This could be fun - and TASTY!
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
WEEK THIRTY-TWO: Charting
I have been charting my progress through all of this in four week increments. I'm not really sure why I chose that. It is easier to track than a monthly update, since the 18th of each month falls on different days. Since I weigh on Mondays and Fridays, keeping it consistent on Mondays helped me. I have a white board in our "dining room." On it, I have been updating my weights in four week intervals. That helps me to keep track of the progress - and to see if I am actually moving forward or plateauing.
Anyway, today was the 32 week mark. First, the basics for both of you loyal readers out there. I am now 269 pounds (net loss of 86 pounds), can wear a 36" waist (down 14 inches), and find 2XLT shirts on the big side. But I have also noticed that there is not a uniform difference between sizes in shirts - nor is there a uniform system of clothing measurements. The difference between XLT and 2XLT is much bigger than between 2XLT and 3XLT or 3XLT and 4XLT. It is kind of frustrating. Also, the waist listing of pants is completely random. I have Old Navy and Izod shorts and Lee jeans now. When I tried on Old Navy 36 shorts, they fit just fine. But, the other day I went to Kohls and tried on a 36 Chaps shorts and a 2XL Hawk shirt. Neither of them even fit over my body. So, there is not a set standard. Again, frustrating.
It also hit me the other day that I'm about to be in some trouble. The last few days, I have noticed that it is getting a little more mild in the mornings and evenings. I was stunned last year by how cool it got in Tallahassee during the winter. We even spent a good amount of time in the winter with lows below 20. As I analyzed my closet yesterday, I noticed that I don't have cold weather clothes. I have a few things here and there, but my stock took a severe hit as I lost weight. It will be interesting to say the least.
I thought that today I would show you my chart as far as weight loss goes. I find it interesting to track this. I know that some people have been frustrated that they haven't replicated my exact rate of weight loss. But, I think by seeing this, you will see that it really hasn't been that dramatic after all.
Anyway, today was the 32 week mark. First, the basics for both of you loyal readers out there. I am now 269 pounds (net loss of 86 pounds), can wear a 36" waist (down 14 inches), and find 2XLT shirts on the big side. But I have also noticed that there is not a uniform difference between sizes in shirts - nor is there a uniform system of clothing measurements. The difference between XLT and 2XLT is much bigger than between 2XLT and 3XLT or 3XLT and 4XLT. It is kind of frustrating. Also, the waist listing of pants is completely random. I have Old Navy and Izod shorts and Lee jeans now. When I tried on Old Navy 36 shorts, they fit just fine. But, the other day I went to Kohls and tried on a 36 Chaps shorts and a 2XL Hawk shirt. Neither of them even fit over my body. So, there is not a set standard. Again, frustrating.
It also hit me the other day that I'm about to be in some trouble. The last few days, I have noticed that it is getting a little more mild in the mornings and evenings. I was stunned last year by how cool it got in Tallahassee during the winter. We even spent a good amount of time in the winter with lows below 20. As I analyzed my closet yesterday, I noticed that I don't have cold weather clothes. I have a few things here and there, but my stock took a severe hit as I lost weight. It will be interesting to say the least.
I thought that today I would show you my chart as far as weight loss goes. I find it interesting to track this. I know that some people have been frustrated that they haven't replicated my exact rate of weight loss. But, I think by seeing this, you will see that it really hasn't been that dramatic after all.
- WEEK 0 - January 18 - 355 pounds
- WEEK 4 - February 15 - 327 pounds - 28 lbs loss
- WEEK 8 - March 15 - 314 pounds - 13 lbs loss
- WEEK 12 - April 12 - 300 pounds - 14 lbs loss
- WEEK 16 - May 10 - 291 pounds - 9 lbs loss
- WEEK 20 - June 7 - 286 pounds - 5 lbs loss
- WEEK 24 - July 5 - 278 pounds - 8 lbs loss
- WEEK 28 - August 2 - 274 pounds - 4 lbs loss
- WEEK 32 - August 30 - 269 pounds - 5 lbs loss
Initially, I had these huge weight drops. The first month was awesome, but that included a 16 pound drop in the first week, when I was on a juice fast. Lately, things have trickled off to where it averages about a pound a week. I would love to keep on the faster pace, but my body has adjusted. I've lost a lot, so there isn't as big of a reservoir to pull from. Plus, my body's calorie burning total is getting closer to my intake total.
When I first started, if you remember, I was much more strict with my food choices. Now, I am not so much worrying about the rate of weight loss, the strictness to break food addictions, or anything like that. I have moved into the "I need to be able to maintain this forever, so what do I need to do?" phase. As a result, I have added in brown rice (and other rice once in a while). I also eat sweet potatoes on occasion and rarely I will have roasted potatoes. And I eat frozen yogurt at night. From the very beginning, I had two food lists. There was the addiction list, which meant I would never eat those foods. I still have never had those foods. There was another list - the avoidance list. Those are foods that I try not to eat due to the high carb content. Rarely I may have something off of that list. I still don't eat them regularly.
I know that I could probably accelerate my weight loss if I was to eliminate some of those things - like the frozen yogurt, the cashews, the rice. But I realize that it is not feasible to live that way forever. I am still losing weight. And the fact that it is happening even with the less strict diet makes me happy. I know at some point - probably not too far from now - where I am going to have to do something different to keep losing weight. I will hit an equilibrium with caloric intake and burning. My guess is that it will be when I hit 250 pounds. For me to drop below that, I will HAVE to be more strict with amount of food I eat or start exercising or be satisfied to stay at that weight. I'll probably start with exercise and go from there.
My goal is to be at 250-255 by Christmas. That would put me at 100 pounds lost in a year. Not too shabby, I think. It is kind of amazing to me that I am only 14 pounds away from that total. And I have three and a half months to get there. Looking at the chart, I haven't lost less than four pounds in a month. So I think I will make it. That will be my Christmas present to myself - that and some warm clothes.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
My Kids
One kind of unexpected side effect of this whole food battle is the impact it has had on our kids. Weight is not something you can hide, so my kids were very aware of my size. They knew that I was fat - they even told me so. They weren't trying to be mean. But to them, it was pretty cut and dry. When I started this, I had to explain what was going on. It would have been too tough to hide things. They saw me doing the juice fast and wanted to know why Daddy wasn't eating. They wanted to know why I couldn't eat pizza with them. And I have my progress charted on a white board - so they see that all the time.
I have tried to explain to them about it all. It is a tough balancing act. I want them to be careful with their food choices. But, at the same time, I don't want them to hold themselves to some unrealistic body image. The fact of the matter is that God made everyone different. And I believe that some people are just going to be bigger. I doubt I will ever be a "skinny guy." I have a big bone structure. I am taller and broad. I will always have to shop in a Big Man's section, just because of the length of my torso. And I am okay with that - now. I don't want my kids to see themselves as something less than good because they don't fit into a society-ordained body shape.
With the battle over childhood obesity raging, kids are confronted with messages about weight and body image in mainstream media. It is a very important issue. I can't imagine how obese I would have been as a kid if I was growing up today. It was bad enough then, without the constant presence of Kids Meals and soda and processed food. My kids are just like your kids - they love those things. The first restaurant out of their mouth is McDonald's. Even the youngest one - not even three years old - can spot the Golden Arches from a mile away. They are suckers for desserts. They beg for Kids Cuisine and Lunchables. The older two would drink soda every meal.
On the flip side, how does a parent make kids aware of their food decisions and body without giving them a complex or making them hyper-sensitive of their weight. The last thing I want to do is give them an eating disorder (anorexia) trying to stop them from having an eating disorder (gluttony). My daughter is getting into gymnastics. She has been bumped up into a more advanced class to prepare them for team gymnastics. And she is loving it. My wife showed her the old movie Nadia about Olympic gymnast Nadia Comaneci. The girl would watch that every day. Except we won't let her. Several of the scenes talk about how Nadia started "getting fat" and how she "ate bad." Between the movie and watching me, my daughter started to stress about getting fat. We finally sat down with her and talked to her about the weight/eating thing. We told her that she can make healthy choices, stay active, and do her best. But she doesn't need to go down that road. She's six. Six year olds don't need to have that stress in their lives.
So, I have had to walk a tough road - knowing how much to project onto the kids in this weight loss and food change effort. Obviously, there are going to be some major changes in our home - since I won't be introducing problematic foods any more. I would guess I was responsible for 95% of the bad foods coming into our lives. The kids have had to get used to a different menu of foods. We don't have cookies or brownies or cake or ice cream. Mini rice cakes and frozen yogurt have taken those spots. We don't have Italian food or casseroles or pasta any more. We have changed our restaurant choices. They get told "no" a lot at the store when they beg for stuff. They have gotten used to this concept.
But, at the same times, they are still kids. I don't want to take away McDonald's forever - aren't McNuggets a rite of passage? I think Friday Night Pizza and Movie Night is still something worth having at our house. I still want them to have candy at the movie theater and chocolate Mini Wheats and the occasional Pop Tart. And I still think the very infrequent donut surprise is worthwhile. Let's face it - you can't escape childhood without hot dogs or mac and cheese. I just don't want those things to be the sum total of their food intake.
This is completely new ground for me. I have NEVER been the health conscious parent. I used to ridicule the snack box lists at our kids' preschool. Everything had to be healthy. It was crazy. Even this past year, Natalie couldn't bring cupcakes for her birthday. We had to bring blueberry muffins. Seriously? Muffins!?! [Ignoring for a moment Jim Gaffigan's assertion that muffins are just bald cupcakes.] Now, though, I have to be careful for myself - and I have to be careful with them and for them. I can see some of the same bad habits in my kids as in myself. I see their draw to fatty, greasy, fried, sugary foods. They also would be glad to just sit and watch tv and play video games. That combination should be adding up to fat kids. (Praise God for my in-laws' genetic disposition to svelteness.)
I have sat my older two kids down to explain the situation to them. Honesty was key - but not in a way that would make them feel bad about their own bodies. "Daddy made a lot of mistakes with food. He liked to eat the things that were bad for him and he did NOT eat the things that were good for him. He did this for a long time. And there are consequences to our choices. So Daddy got very fat. It made it hard for him to play with you and to feel good. So now he has to change the way he is eating. There are some foods he cannot eat. That does not mean those foods are bad for everyone - it means that he cannot be in control when he eats them. The key is to learn to be careful about the foods we eat. We need to eat more of the food that are good for us. And we need to let those other food be for special times - something we control and don't have all the time."
They seem to understand and have jumped on board. There are times where I point out something about food - especially when I tell them "no" at the grocery store. I explain why frozen yogurt is better than ice cream. We try to find healthier foods they like. I force them to exercise - all of them are enrolled in gymnastics. Their tv, computer, and video game usage has time limits. We discuss this stuff. And I stress the importance of establishing good habits now so that it will be easier later for them.
Overall, I think one of the harder elements about this whole effort has been the reversal of direction with my family. I was leading them all down into the destruction of obesity. Now, I have had to completely change how I am doing things - and how we are doing things. I am the main food preparer, so I am the one who is going to control what is served. It hasn't been easy to totally alter the way we eat - the kids have wanted to be supportive. But there are times they don't like the changes. They miss certain things. There are times when I feel very bad about the example I set for them for so many years. It is tough for a parent to stand there and say, "I was wrong. Ignore everything I showed you and did for the last x number of years. This is the right way, now." But I figure that is an even better example - a grown up who is not afraid to admit their mistakes and try to do things right. I hope they learn the lessons well.
I have tried to explain to them about it all. It is a tough balancing act. I want them to be careful with their food choices. But, at the same time, I don't want them to hold themselves to some unrealistic body image. The fact of the matter is that God made everyone different. And I believe that some people are just going to be bigger. I doubt I will ever be a "skinny guy." I have a big bone structure. I am taller and broad. I will always have to shop in a Big Man's section, just because of the length of my torso. And I am okay with that - now. I don't want my kids to see themselves as something less than good because they don't fit into a society-ordained body shape.
With the battle over childhood obesity raging, kids are confronted with messages about weight and body image in mainstream media. It is a very important issue. I can't imagine how obese I would have been as a kid if I was growing up today. It was bad enough then, without the constant presence of Kids Meals and soda and processed food. My kids are just like your kids - they love those things. The first restaurant out of their mouth is McDonald's. Even the youngest one - not even three years old - can spot the Golden Arches from a mile away. They are suckers for desserts. They beg for Kids Cuisine and Lunchables. The older two would drink soda every meal.
On the flip side, how does a parent make kids aware of their food decisions and body without giving them a complex or making them hyper-sensitive of their weight. The last thing I want to do is give them an eating disorder (anorexia) trying to stop them from having an eating disorder (gluttony). My daughter is getting into gymnastics. She has been bumped up into a more advanced class to prepare them for team gymnastics. And she is loving it. My wife showed her the old movie Nadia about Olympic gymnast Nadia Comaneci. The girl would watch that every day. Except we won't let her. Several of the scenes talk about how Nadia started "getting fat" and how she "ate bad." Between the movie and watching me, my daughter started to stress about getting fat. We finally sat down with her and talked to her about the weight/eating thing. We told her that she can make healthy choices, stay active, and do her best. But she doesn't need to go down that road. She's six. Six year olds don't need to have that stress in their lives.
So, I have had to walk a tough road - knowing how much to project onto the kids in this weight loss and food change effort. Obviously, there are going to be some major changes in our home - since I won't be introducing problematic foods any more. I would guess I was responsible for 95% of the bad foods coming into our lives. The kids have had to get used to a different menu of foods. We don't have cookies or brownies or cake or ice cream. Mini rice cakes and frozen yogurt have taken those spots. We don't have Italian food or casseroles or pasta any more. We have changed our restaurant choices. They get told "no" a lot at the store when they beg for stuff. They have gotten used to this concept.
But, at the same times, they are still kids. I don't want to take away McDonald's forever - aren't McNuggets a rite of passage? I think Friday Night Pizza and Movie Night is still something worth having at our house. I still want them to have candy at the movie theater and chocolate Mini Wheats and the occasional Pop Tart. And I still think the very infrequent donut surprise is worthwhile. Let's face it - you can't escape childhood without hot dogs or mac and cheese. I just don't want those things to be the sum total of their food intake.
This is completely new ground for me. I have NEVER been the health conscious parent. I used to ridicule the snack box lists at our kids' preschool. Everything had to be healthy. It was crazy. Even this past year, Natalie couldn't bring cupcakes for her birthday. We had to bring blueberry muffins. Seriously? Muffins!?! [Ignoring for a moment Jim Gaffigan's assertion that muffins are just bald cupcakes.] Now, though, I have to be careful for myself - and I have to be careful with them and for them. I can see some of the same bad habits in my kids as in myself. I see their draw to fatty, greasy, fried, sugary foods. They also would be glad to just sit and watch tv and play video games. That combination should be adding up to fat kids. (Praise God for my in-laws' genetic disposition to svelteness.)
I have sat my older two kids down to explain the situation to them. Honesty was key - but not in a way that would make them feel bad about their own bodies. "Daddy made a lot of mistakes with food. He liked to eat the things that were bad for him and he did NOT eat the things that were good for him. He did this for a long time. And there are consequences to our choices. So Daddy got very fat. It made it hard for him to play with you and to feel good. So now he has to change the way he is eating. There are some foods he cannot eat. That does not mean those foods are bad for everyone - it means that he cannot be in control when he eats them. The key is to learn to be careful about the foods we eat. We need to eat more of the food that are good for us. And we need to let those other food be for special times - something we control and don't have all the time."
They seem to understand and have jumped on board. There are times where I point out something about food - especially when I tell them "no" at the grocery store. I explain why frozen yogurt is better than ice cream. We try to find healthier foods they like. I force them to exercise - all of them are enrolled in gymnastics. Their tv, computer, and video game usage has time limits. We discuss this stuff. And I stress the importance of establishing good habits now so that it will be easier later for them.
Overall, I think one of the harder elements about this whole effort has been the reversal of direction with my family. I was leading them all down into the destruction of obesity. Now, I have had to completely change how I am doing things - and how we are doing things. I am the main food preparer, so I am the one who is going to control what is served. It hasn't been easy to totally alter the way we eat - the kids have wanted to be supportive. But there are times they don't like the changes. They miss certain things. There are times when I feel very bad about the example I set for them for so many years. It is tough for a parent to stand there and say, "I was wrong. Ignore everything I showed you and did for the last x number of years. This is the right way, now." But I figure that is an even better example - a grown up who is not afraid to admit their mistakes and try to do things right. I hope they learn the lessons well.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Greek Yogurt Showdown
I feel bad. It's been two weeks since I posted anything. A lot of it is that there just hasn't been a lot to report. Things have been going well - kind of hitting a bit of a plateau right now. Well, that and I've been out of town almost non stop for two weeks now. I've been experimenting with allowing rice cakes into my diet. But I am eliminating them because they have had an adverse reaction on my weight loss efforts. I was actually debating something - which is why I tested them. Is it better to snack on cashews or rice cakes? Here's why I wonder. Cashews have 160 calories, 14 grams of fat, 8 carbs, and 5 protein per serving. The Quaker Quakes have between 60 and 90 calories, 0 grams of fat, 13 carbs, and 1 protein per serving. So is it better to have higher calories and fat or higher carbs? Turns out, for me at least, it is better to stick with the cashews. The rice cakes are almost empty calories - offering little other benefit. They don't fill me up like the cashews can. So I end up eating more of them, or adding a glass of milk, or even grabbing some cashews. So they kind of end up being pointless.
The other big food decision I have made is to switch my yogurt of choice - again. When I first started out on this, I was very strict with my yogurt consumption. I had Fat Free, Plain yogurt with berries in it. Slowly, I allowed myself to move to Fat Free Vanilla yogurt with berries in it. Eventually, I compared those yogurt choices to eating a small container of regular flavored yogurt and realized that I wasn't really saving myself much by being so strict. There was maybe a 20 calorie difference. So I was eating either vanilla or flavored yogurt in the morning, then I would use Greek yogurt for sauces or dips or sour cream substitution. But I never actually ate Greek yogurt for my breakfast. I had tried the plain Oikos stuff and it was pretty bad - like eating a spoonful of sour cream. And one time I tried Dannon's Greek blueberry yogurt and it was horrible.
One day, though, Winn Dixie was running a sale on Chobani Greek yogurt. So I went out on a limb and tried a peach one. I was pretty surprised to discover that it actually was very good. It was a lot thicker, so it took some getting used to. But, after a while, it became my normal breakfast food. Switching to Greek yogurt is a huge benefit to me. Here's why:
Stonyfield Fat Free Blueberry Yogurt - 120 calories, 0 grams of fat, 22 carbs, 6 protein
Stonyfield Fat Free Oikos Blueberry - 120 calories, 0 grams of fat, 16 carbs, 13 protein
You catch that? Same calories, same fat, less carbs, twice the protein. Basically, one 5.3 ounce Greek yogurt will carry me all the way from breakfast to lunch with little to no snacking - maybe a few cashews at 11am. After I started eating Greek yogurt, I basically abandoned regular yogurt. I would still get it to make peanut butter yogurt dip, but once I lost peanut butter - well, it seems silly to get it. I still had this differentiation in my head - Oikos was the best for dips, Chobani for eating. Well, I decided to just go ahead and try the different variations and compare them. Here's what I found.
OIKOS (by Stonyfield)
PLAIN: This is the original type that I used. My mom had it and I tried it at her house. It is a great product - especially as a replacement for sour cream or mayo in salads, dips, etc. I use it on chili, in tuna salad and chicken salad, as veggie dip. It has a thicker consistency so it really holds up well in recipes. That is its greatest benefit - and greatest drawback. Just like you wouldn't want to eat sour cream or mayo straight, you would not want to eat this straight. I would rank it first in the plain category for recipes, third for eating.
FLAVORED: Right off the bat, the vanilla flavor is awful. Imagine vanilla sour cream. There you have it. I was very hesitant to try the other flavors, but I have been surprised. The strawberry and blueberry are actually very good. This is Heather's favorite brand of flavored yogurt. I still am not sold on it. It is not very creamy - still has that solidness to it. It works in a pinch. It is the biggest brand of Greek yogurt, so it is the only one you can find at Walmart - if they have any at all (some of them don't carry Greek yogurt). The one we visited on our trip to Orlando only had the 4 ounce containers. I rank it third in the flavored category.
CHOBANI
PLAIN: The first time I ever had Chobani, my mother in law had bought a big container at BJ's. I used it half and half with regular vanilla with fruit - back before I started eating Greek yogurt for breakfast. I was surprised at how creamy and not gross it was. That is one of the biggest selling points for Chobani - its creaminess. While this may not be a big benefit for dips, it can be good for creamier salads. The other big benefit is for baked potatoes. It makes a super replacement for sour cream - and the creamier nature really is a benefit. For recipes, it is second best. For eating, it is also second best.
FLAVORED: There are two big advantages for Chobani in the flavored category - and neither of them have anything to do with taste. The first is availability and the second is variety. Sam's, BJ's, and Costco warehouse clubs all sell Chobani. BJ's even sells both variety packs of the flavored kind and big containers of the plain. That drops the price under a dollar per small container. Chobani also has twice the flavor options of Oikos. In addition to the normal strawberry, blueberry, peach, and honey - they also have pomegranate, pineapple, raspberry, and strawberry/banana. Their flavored yogurt is very creamy and good. It is a great option - but it is only second best.
FAGE
PLAIN: As I was buying my Greek yogurt at Publix, I noticed that they had the same setup in every store. The Oikos was on the third shelf - right at eye level, befitting the most popular brand. Chobani was on the second shelf. And then there was this weird brand with a stupid name and goofy looking cup on the top shelf. I ignored it. Well, then we went through this stretch of like two weeks where Publix had absolutely no Chobani available - and they had no Oikos either for like a week. I never figured out why. I needed something, so I tried this other brad - Fage (pronounced fah-yah). They had cherry flavored, which is my favorite flavor and one no other company had. By the time Chobani restocked the shelves, the damage was done. Fage is the creamiest of them all. It is ridiculously good. Even the plain is good - like I could actually imagine eating the plain. And I used it on a baked potato the other day. It was amazing. Plus, they have both 2% and Fat Free varieties of their plain. It ranks number one.
FLAVORED: Fage has containers that keeps the fruit and yogurt separate - instead of keeping the fruit on the bottom like the other brands. I don't know if that makes a difference or not. It is a little annoying to have to either dip into both containers each bit or scoop all the fruit into the yogurt and mixing it. But it is worth it. And, the fact that they have a cherry flavor - well that clinched it. But, to be fair, I did try the blueberry and strawberry and they are better also. (The peach is not. Chobani wins on that flavor.) The one caveat is that Fage is a 2% yogurt instead of a 0%. Oikos is fat free. Chobani is mostly fat free - but they have some 2% kinds. That adds like 10 calories to Fage. It also is the most expensive brand - $1.60 per container. And it is the least common - I haven't found it at any other store than Publix. But it wins the flavored competition anyway.
DANNON
FLAVORED: Awful. It is gritty and gross. I actually threw most of the container away. As a result, I have avoided it and the Yoplait brand just to be safe. Leave it to the experts, guys.
That's my humble assessment of the different Greek yogurt flavors. I really cannot recommend switching to Greek yogurt enough. It is a huge benefit to your weight and diet efforts. It provides a ton of protein without a lot of negative calories or fat. It gives you active healthy bacteria - which has done wonders for my family's digestive systems. And, there have been studies that have shown yogurt actually helps in weight loss. (Of course, there are studies that show lots of things.) My next showdown is going to be comparing frozen yogurt brands.
The other big food decision I have made is to switch my yogurt of choice - again. When I first started out on this, I was very strict with my yogurt consumption. I had Fat Free, Plain yogurt with berries in it. Slowly, I allowed myself to move to Fat Free Vanilla yogurt with berries in it. Eventually, I compared those yogurt choices to eating a small container of regular flavored yogurt and realized that I wasn't really saving myself much by being so strict. There was maybe a 20 calorie difference. So I was eating either vanilla or flavored yogurt in the morning, then I would use Greek yogurt for sauces or dips or sour cream substitution. But I never actually ate Greek yogurt for my breakfast. I had tried the plain Oikos stuff and it was pretty bad - like eating a spoonful of sour cream. And one time I tried Dannon's Greek blueberry yogurt and it was horrible.
One day, though, Winn Dixie was running a sale on Chobani Greek yogurt. So I went out on a limb and tried a peach one. I was pretty surprised to discover that it actually was very good. It was a lot thicker, so it took some getting used to. But, after a while, it became my normal breakfast food. Switching to Greek yogurt is a huge benefit to me. Here's why:
Stonyfield Fat Free Blueberry Yogurt - 120 calories, 0 grams of fat, 22 carbs, 6 protein
Stonyfield Fat Free Oikos Blueberry - 120 calories, 0 grams of fat, 16 carbs, 13 protein
You catch that? Same calories, same fat, less carbs, twice the protein. Basically, one 5.3 ounce Greek yogurt will carry me all the way from breakfast to lunch with little to no snacking - maybe a few cashews at 11am. After I started eating Greek yogurt, I basically abandoned regular yogurt. I would still get it to make peanut butter yogurt dip, but once I lost peanut butter - well, it seems silly to get it. I still had this differentiation in my head - Oikos was the best for dips, Chobani for eating. Well, I decided to just go ahead and try the different variations and compare them. Here's what I found.
OIKOS (by Stonyfield)
FLAVORED: Right off the bat, the vanilla flavor is awful. Imagine vanilla sour cream. There you have it. I was very hesitant to try the other flavors, but I have been surprised. The strawberry and blueberry are actually very good. This is Heather's favorite brand of flavored yogurt. I still am not sold on it. It is not very creamy - still has that solidness to it. It works in a pinch. It is the biggest brand of Greek yogurt, so it is the only one you can find at Walmart - if they have any at all (some of them don't carry Greek yogurt). The one we visited on our trip to Orlando only had the 4 ounce containers. I rank it third in the flavored category.
CHOBANI
FLAVORED: There are two big advantages for Chobani in the flavored category - and neither of them have anything to do with taste. The first is availability and the second is variety. Sam's, BJ's, and Costco warehouse clubs all sell Chobani. BJ's even sells both variety packs of the flavored kind and big containers of the plain. That drops the price under a dollar per small container. Chobani also has twice the flavor options of Oikos. In addition to the normal strawberry, blueberry, peach, and honey - they also have pomegranate, pineapple, raspberry, and strawberry/banana. Their flavored yogurt is very creamy and good. It is a great option - but it is only second best.
FAGE
FLAVORED: Fage has containers that keeps the fruit and yogurt separate - instead of keeping the fruit on the bottom like the other brands. I don't know if that makes a difference or not. It is a little annoying to have to either dip into both containers each bit or scoop all the fruit into the yogurt and mixing it. But it is worth it. And, the fact that they have a cherry flavor - well that clinched it. But, to be fair, I did try the blueberry and strawberry and they are better also. (The peach is not. Chobani wins on that flavor.) The one caveat is that Fage is a 2% yogurt instead of a 0%. Oikos is fat free. Chobani is mostly fat free - but they have some 2% kinds. That adds like 10 calories to Fage. It also is the most expensive brand - $1.60 per container. And it is the least common - I haven't found it at any other store than Publix. But it wins the flavored competition anyway.
DANNON
FLAVORED: Awful. It is gritty and gross. I actually threw most of the container away. As a result, I have avoided it and the Yoplait brand just to be safe. Leave it to the experts, guys.
That's my humble assessment of the different Greek yogurt flavors. I really cannot recommend switching to Greek yogurt enough. It is a huge benefit to your weight and diet efforts. It provides a ton of protein without a lot of negative calories or fat. It gives you active healthy bacteria - which has done wonders for my family's digestive systems. And, there have been studies that have shown yogurt actually helps in weight loss. (Of course, there are studies that show lots of things.) My next showdown is going to be comparing frozen yogurt brands.
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