A week in the life of...me

From time to time, members ask me to share my menus/daily log. I am always happy to do so- and figure if I post a week's worth of my meals here, this can be an easy place to access the information. However, before I do that, I have a few things first to get out of the way. Deep breath. Okay- here goes:

1) I eat very little to no animal products. I am a long time vegetarian who eats very little (if any) other animal products (dairy, eggs, etc.) at home, and try to avoid them when I'm out and about. Now, why was the deep breath needed? Well, because I recognize that the way that I eat is different, and sometimes people make assumptions about vegetarians (i.e. we are all a bunch of hippies preaching about the evils of eating meat). Those of you who know me from meetings know that I'm not this way. 1) I'm not a hippie :) (though I have a funny picture of myself from a few years ago when I pulled off the look pretty well for a Halloween costume...). 2) I have some really strong convictions about respecting the ways that others eat- and as such, I do not judge others for their food choices (meat or otherwise), and hope that others will extend this same respect to me about my food choices. The other main (and false) assumption that people sometimes make about vegetarians are that we are all skinny. This is simply not true. I was a vegetarian when I was overweight, and I was overweight before I became a vegetarian at the age of 15. In short- my vegetarian diet didn't do squat for my weight-- one way or another. Consider that french fries, chocolate, ice cream, mozzarella sticks and fettuccine alfredo are all vegetarian foods-- now do you see why all vegetarians aren't skinny?? Seriously though--- I sometimes worry that some members may be less inclined to relate to me as a leader if they have different food choices than I do. Lastly, I just want to clearly state that I am not opposed to others eating meat. In fact, my husband is a classic meat and potatoes guy- who doesn't cook. I love to cook, and love to cook for others, so certainly am well versed in meat cooking and preparation techniques-- just not the eating side of things. To each their own.

Now that I got that one out of the way, (phew...I really did feel somewhat nervous about that...)the other items that I want to disclose may all make sense.

2) I eat a lot of stuff that others may consider "weird". For dinner last night, for example, I had a kale and miso stir fry. I love tofu, tempeh and seitan (no, not the devil... seitan is a "wheat meat" of sorts made with wheat gluten- it is actually really tasty). As you can imagine, I also eat a lot of different vegetables. I think that it is safe to say that I like them all (even the unpopular brussel sprouts)-- though something about cooked green peppers makes my stomach turn (raw and crunchy I love them, and yellow and red peppers I can do cooked).

3) Although I eat "weird stuff", I am pretty boring when it comes to variety. Consider that I am cooking batches of food for me (and separate food for my husband). See my note about his eating style above, and you will understand that a kale and miso stir fry isn't going to fit into his meat and potatoes pallet. Hence, I eat a lot of leftovers. Often I'll cook a big batch of something (i.e. soup or a casserole) on the weekend, and eat it for lunches (and sometimes dinners too) throughout the week.

4) I now use e-tools for my POINTs calculations. Whenever possible, if I have the nutritional information in front of me, I'll pull the cal/fat/fiber off that and 'save' the particular brand/item in my tracker for future reference. So, for example, if I say "wheat bread- 1 POINT", this doesn't mean that ALL wheat bread is 1 POINT- just so happens to be for the particular type of bread that I'm eating that day. I also really rely on the "recipe builder" tool. That said, when I joined Weight Watchers and was loosing weight back in 2002, e-tools didn't exist! Point being--- you can track as diligently as anyone with e-tools, assuming you've got your POINTs Finder, a calculator, and tracker (though e-tools is really, really nice for convenience sake)!

5) Lastly, please know that although I'll post my daily menus here for a week, this is just me and my one week. Weight Watchers is about YOU and your preferences and lifestyle. I hope that my postings expose you to some new ideas and help you see an example of Weight Watchers in action-- but please don't allow you to limit yourself to eating 'my way'. I've seen so many members have success in different ways-- and I'm pretty sure that most (all?) of them don't eat the same "weird" way that I do! :) You can work the program with convienience foods, you can work the program with restaurant foods, you can work the program if you love to cook, and you can make it work if cooking is the last thing that you want to do. So long as you are following the program- using your daily POINTs target, using (or not) your Weekly POINTs Allowance, and adhering the the Good Health Guidelines, the program works! Isn't it amazing how different our actual food selections can be-- and yet we can all be sucessful on the plan?

Oh- one more thing. I am not perfect. I'll post my good days- and my bad. This will be the 'uncut', 'uncensored' version of my Weight Watchers week. Enjoy!

A little something sweet...Chocolove

I am definitely one of those people who feels that dinner is "complete" with dessert. Unfortunately for my Weight Watchers program, I don't always have the points for a full fledged dessert after each dinner (though I do budget for those from time to time...). For me, a sweet treat is both a physical and mental signal that dinner is done. In the summer, oftentimes a great piece of fruit can do the trick- but come winter, that isn't always a viable option. Instead, I opt for hot chocolate (lots of 1 POINT options out there), tea (see an earlier post for my favorites), or, in other instances it chocolate to the rescue.

I am a firm believer that good, high quality chocolate is a worthy purchase. If I have iccky leftover Halloween style candy (not typically great quality...), it somehow just doesn't do the trick. I think that it has to do with the sweetness of the chocolate overpowering the actual flavor, or something like that and I end up eating more. Instead, I love a very small piece of high quality dark chocolate. Not too sweet- but a strong and rich true chocolate flavor that effectively signals that dinner is done. The high test stuff really is different (better) than Nestle or Mars.

I went through a Lake Champlain Chocolate phase (a nod to my New England roots), but recently have discovered Chocolove- made right here in Colorado! Not only is the chocolate itself the decadent dark chocolate that I love, but there are several varieties with blended fruits/spices. Right now I have a bar of it with orange peels melted in; last week it was crystallized ginger. They also have a raspberry and cherry/almond one. The 3.2 oz bar lasts me a week-- there are 18 little mini squares that you can break off the bar. I've been savoring 2 squares/night, as my little "nightcap". I just love the name too---and, BONUS: there is a love poem on the inside of each wrapper! The one on the bar that I have now is a part of a sonnet (I think...). How cute is that? Check out their website for more information- www.chocolove.com. I've seen them at Sunflower Market, King Soopers, and Whole Foods. Love that it is a local company, love the chocolate, and I love that this little something sweet helps me stay on program each night after dinner!

Handling Halloween

Well, this post may be a bit late for some-- however, I think that a lot of it applies to the other upcoming holidays (we certainly aren't in the clear yet...). As I'm typing I'm waiting for Trick-or-Treaters at home, hoping that we get a good number, since we certainly have plenty of candy! We didn't live at our house last year, so we never know...

Here are my tips for handling Halloween:

1) Take time to enjoy the season- the flavors, the traditions, etc.- this doesn't necessarily mean over indulging in the treats- but it does mean not depriving yourself. I have a "Trick-or-Treat" scented candle burning in my kitchen right now, which somehow just makes it feel like a holiday!

2) In regards to the treats, have some- have your favorites, and enjoy them! Be sure that your are intentional and conscious of your choice, and I'll bet that you'll enjoy them just that much more.

3) That said, pick your POINTs- don't waste POINTS on the stuff that you don't really love. For me, candy corns are just "meh" when compared with some of the other options. So, I'm picking other ways to use my POINTs. Now a Heath on the other hand... yep, I'll pick those POINTs!

4) Know what you are getting yourself into... This goes back to the basic tool of preparing yourself. Consider in advance the types of things that will be available at your parties, know the POINTs of common candy (as a side, here are a few that are relatively low: Twizzlers, York Peppermint Patties, 3 Musketeers, and some of the basic 'sugar' candies- i.e. Runts, Laffy Taffy, etc.), and plan for your success.

5) Enjoy the holiday and celebrate your accomplishments along with the holiday itself! What did you do differently this year? How have you changed your behaviors since last year's Halloween? What did you choose to do well? How did that feel? Don't be scared to celebrate the small accomplishments--- remember that it is the culmination of many small changes that ultimately bring us the overall success.

Allright, it is now 6:17pm, and no Trick-or-Treaters yet. I'm adding one more tip:

6) Have a plan of how to dispose of your leftover candy! Whatever works for you- but don't let it sit around and haunt you past the holiday.

Center is Closed due to snow

Hi all,
Just a quick post for any meeting members out there-- the Westminster, CO Center is closed this evening (Thursday 10/29), as it was last night, due to the snow. Stay warm, dry, and committed to your plan this week! If you must go out, drive safely.

I'll see everyone next week. In the meantime, I'm off to enjoy some low POINT soup to keep me warm as I start a movie-marathon. This is my kind of snow day!


~Braelin

An A+ Apple

Apples don't typically top my list of favorite fruits. I think that in many instances, apples are sort of overdone (along with oranges). My exception to this used to be a crisp Macintosh that I picked off the tree while visiting an orchard in New England. I grew up in New England, and a great Mac. was a true seasonal treat. Since moving to Colorado however, I've had just a few too many mealy macs. to even consider reaching for an apple. I don't dislike apples-- just don't tend to choose them when other fruits are readily available. However, this fall I've seen lots of people blogging and tweeting about apples... and not just any apple mind you, the Honeycrisp apple.

So, I figured I'd give it a try to see what all the buzz was about this year. Let me tell you--- apples have rocketed to the top of my fall fruit list! I got a bag (think that it was 5 lbs) of relatively small organic Honeycrisps on Saturday. Today is Monday. I am going to the store on my lunch break to pick up another 5 lbs. Seriously! I ate 5 (small) Honeycrisps from Saturday night to this morning. I think that Mike beat me- and so another bag is needed. Wow- that's a lot of apples! What I am enjoying most about the Honeycrisp, is well... exactly what the name implies. They are super sweet, but super crisp. Crispyness is my most important factor when it comes to apple consumption, and the Honeycrisp certainly lives up to the name.

When I first got into cooking a lot, I'd ask Mike to "grade" the food that I was cooking-- so I could get some feedback from him about if the meal was worth repeating (otherwise I got a lot of "this is good"-- hard to discern good from good). I earned lots of As, Bs, and a few Cs, but the A+ was reserved for truly stellar food-- not a grade that was given loosly. These organic Honeycrisps deserve that rating: A+ apples!

3 months out

Tomorrow is October 1. That's 3 months out from January 1. Many members make new year's resolutions. Consider however for a moment how it might feel to look both forward into 2010 and backwards at 2009 on 1/1. What will you feel like 3 months from now if you are following the program during October, November and December?

Consider setting some early nearly new year goals for yourself over the next few months. How about picking up a 3-month journal and recommitting to tracking daily? If you do this, you'll certainly have reason to celebrate come 1/1. What about a commitment to moving more? Reframing an old habit and replacing with a healthier alternative? Even a commitment to attending weekly meetings- and staying for the meeting- will help you preempt your new year's resolutions.

Weight Watchers is about making the plan work for you. Find fitting things now that you can (and will) do over the next 3 months to ensure that you wake up with a sense of satisfaction and forward momentum on January 1, 2010.

Shifting with the Season

Yesterday was certainly a fall-feeling day. Although I typically love the fall season best of all, yesterday's dreary day wasn't exactly the kind of fall day that I enjoy. That said, it did get me thinking about the shifts that I make when the season changes. Everything from the linens on my bed, to bringing sweaters out of storage, and yes, to the food that I eat and the way in which I exercise too. Here are a few of my fall favorites:

I posted about soup earlier, and soup definitely tops my list of important seasonal shifts. In fact, I'm up early now preparing a new black bean soup to pack for lunch today!

In addition to soup, hot tea (usually herbal) is another fall favorite. A few of my favorite flavors include Celestial Seasonings Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride (available only during the December holidays, so I stock up), and this year the Republic of Tea's Pumpkin Ginger Spice. I also like Tazo's Passion tea and Stash's Licorice Spice ('gotta be a licorice fan, but if you are...wow!). A cuppa' tea (or three...) in the evening is just a cozy and tasty sign of fall for me.

So the pumpkin spice tea is tasty, but this time of the year I also love incorporating pumpkin in my cooking in creative other ways. This high fiber squash makes a tasty substitution for oil in baking, and adds a hearty texture to savory dishes too (pumpkin soup anyone?).

On a beautiful crisp fall day, a brisk walk outside is a perfect way to get in my activity. I'm not necessarily a huge fan of walking just for the sake of exercise, but add a nip to the air and perhaps the faint aroma of wood fireplaces starting up for the year and I am practically prancing!

Lastly, as I make the classic closet switch from my spring/summer to fall/winter clothing, I have the chance to evaluate my weight from a non-scale perspective. How did those stiff jeans fit last spring when they went into storage? What do they feel like now? This is a good chance to gain perspective and enjoy the things that I haven't worn in several months. Even just having the "new" clothes out is inspiration for me to stay on track.

Here's to a fabulous fall for all this year!