2008 Weight Ticker

I am posting my weight ticker since beginning this blog earlier this year. I will still have a weight ticker, but it will start with the first week of the 2009!

October 31: 15
October 25: 16.5
September 27: 15.5
September 20: 16.5
September 12: 16.5
September 6: 18
August 15: 15
August 9: 15
August 2: 15.5 lbs (whoops)
July 26: 14 lbs
July 19: 12.5 lbs
July 12: 16 lbs
July 4: 15.5 lbs
June 28: 16.5 lbs
June 22: 17.5 lbs
June 14: 18.5 lbs
June 6: 20 lbs
May 30: 20 lbs
May 24: 18.5 lbs
May 17: 22 lbs
May 10: 20 lbs

Willing to Put A Price on Your Weight Loss?

I found a great end-of-the-year article. It includes money and health, a combination I always love.

What would you be willing to pay to reach your weight goal?

Would you be willing to money down to help motivate you to lose weight?

Putting A Price on Procrastination

Hm... How much would I be willing to put up to finally reach my goal... will have to think on it.

Top Diets and New Years Resolutions

For anyone thinking about their health goals and looking for a new diet in the new year, I found an article on the top 10 healthiest diets:

The Top 10 Healthiest Diets in America

Part of what interests me about this article, is that I do not recognize six of the top ten diets:

The Structure House Weight Loss Plan
The Step Diet
The EatingWell Diet
The Best Life Diet
The Solutions
The Spectrum

I do not particularly believe in making diets a part of my New Years resolutions. (I think they should be ongoing goals...) However, I do think that at least a couple of times a year it is good to look back and see if I am meeting my continuing goals (whether financial, health, career, etc.). And, why not have a review at the beginning of the year?

Good luck in your health goals in 2009!

Back from My December Vacation

I didn't reach my diet goal before leaving for my December vacation this year, but I had fun anyway. I left a few pounds lighter for vacation than when I first started this journey last April, and probably felt better during the vacation because of it. And now... continuing on in 2009 toward my goal. :)

The Enemy in Fast Food: Corn

It turns out that corn is in almost all fast food meals. An article that came out this week highlighted that out of hundreds of samples, only 12 were not traced back to corn. Yikes. For someone allergic to corn like me, the article is a nice reminder to avoid fast food meals.

Inspiring Weight Loss Stories

I found a nice set of inspiring weight loss stories. I always find them motivating, so I hope that you enjoy!

FDA Now Admits It May Have Been Wrong

In a follow-up to the last post, the FDA has now admitted that the recent criticism "raises important questions" about BPA.

Of course, as I write this, I am at the airport and relegated to drinking water from a plastic bottle, which I am sure is riddled with chemicals... I like to think, if I had an option for a glass container I would choose it.

Busted! The FDA, Not Me. I Have Been Good.

Reports came out today indicating that FDA ignored the damage that BPA (bisphenol A) can do to babies. Worries me that this is in addition to Canada's restricting its use in baby items earlier this year and reports about increases in breast cancer associated with the chemicals in plastic.

Experts: FDA ignored evidence when calling BPA safe

I, other than drinking out of a plastic bottle as I type this, have been good today. I chose the right option at dinner with a colleague, going for a healthy salad instead of the special (fillet topped with shrimp and scallops). Was tough, but I won.

I also managed to sneak in a couple of miles of walking and a wee bit of strength training.

Hearts Like Greens; Meat, Salty, and Fried Foods, Not So Much

A "Western" diet, and even some Asian diets that are high in salt are bad for the heart. A new study, very large in scale (multi-continent, 16,000 people) made a big splash in the news today with that headline. While the conclusion about the Western diet is not new, incorporating many cultures to test the results is interesting.

Greens, Greens, Greens, They're Good for Your Heart: Study

The articles on this same subject did not mention exercise.

I have been a bit delinquent in my posting and in my food journaling, too. However, I have managed to get in exercise at least twice a week (usually four times a week) with my heavy travel schedule. Today, I took a nice stroll in a park near my hotel in Houston. I find travelling weekly (Monday through Thursday every week) tiring, but am trying to find ways to keep my energy up.

Finances and a Happy Heart

The news is blooming with my favorite topics, health and finance. Perhaps, the financial crisis is driving some of the analysis around financial health? I came across an article today about how financial stress can translate into health distress.

How the Financial Crisis Could Break Your Heart, Literally on Health.com

In honor of being healthy I managed to eat pretty well today and made myself walk on the treadmill at the hotel gym (tiny) and do some yoga back in my room.

Debt and Weight Loss

Today, I found an article that describes the similarities between weight loss and getting rid of debt. My two favorite news items to read involve health and money (followed closely by jewelry and energy industry news), so I was very excited to come across an article that combined both topics!

The author of the article says that changing both debt and weight require a conscious lifestyle change, belief, and forming good habits.


Weight loss and debt seem to be two top-of-the-mind problems for most Americans. Perhaps, treating both issues in a similar way and attacking both at once may work for people.

Walking!

I found another article on one of my favorite exercise activities: walking! This is an interesting article on how to use walking for weight loss - with a few tips to spice up your walks.

Fitbit - A New Fitness Gadget!

The hubby, who knows my love of fitness gadgets like the Nike+ Ipod Sensor, found the Fitbit!

It is not out yet, but I am tempted to pre-order one. It can measure the calories you burn all day, including while you sleep.

Skinniest Counties

I found a ranking of the skinniest counties in the US! I may have mentioned my interest in obesity broken out by geography in a previous post.

What surprised me the most about this list is that I have lived in 3 of the 25 skinniest counties and would not have guessed that!

CNNMoney.com Best Places to Live - Skinniest

Keeping a Record

I was very good last week, landing very close to my target. Journaling definitely keeps me in line. I will update this post later to put in the food I consumed and the exercise, but must grab some zzz's. Has been a long day, as I traveled to Houston for work.

Last Week's Review

This post is a bit late... I went from Houston for work to an out-of-town outing with the family for the long holiday weekend within 36 hours. I ended the week last week quite a bit over plan. Around 1000 over. I had a lot of work lunches and dinners out, and did not do super hot in moderating my food intake. I missed my weigh-in, too. Here is the review:

Sunday:
Coffee with agave nectar
Rice cereal w/rice milk
banana
Toast with cheese
Olives
Cheese Snack
Mashed Turnips
Aubergine with lamb
Wine

Monday:
Coffee with half and half
Rice cereal w/rice milk
Banana
Ropa vieja with rice and black beans
Grapes, bit of cheese

Tuesday:
Coffee with agave nectar
Oats with raisins
fruit (Papaya, berries, banana)
Rice, etouffee, pickles, cheese
Cucumber salad, Mozzarella & Tomato salad, marinated mushrooms, hummus, wee bit of manchego cheese
Banana
Chocolate

Wednesday:
Coffee with half and half
Oats
Fruit
BBQ with beans
Bacardi and Diet Coke
Sushi
Sliced sirloin
Dessert
Wine

Thursday:
Coffee with half and half
Oats
Banana
Vegetarian Southwest Salad
Carpaccio with salad greens
Seafood risotto
Sample of desserts
Wine
Chocolate

Friday:
Coffee with agave nectar
Rice cereal with rice milk
Bread with Cheese Spread
Sliced tomato with salt
Vegetarian Green Curry Eggplant
Banana Custard

Saturday:
Coffee with agave nectar
Mixed green salad with sliced turkey
Watermelon
Sliced beef
Souffle with okra and squash
Bake with heart of palm
Wine

Exercise:
Sunday: Ran 3 miles, walked 3 miles
Monday: Walked 45 minutes
Tuesday: 30 minutes stationary bike, 30 minutes strength
Friday: Walked 2 miles
Saturday: Walked 2 miles & Strength

No Slackin'

No slackin' this week. Interim Report below.

Sunday Grubs:

English muffin
Coffee with Sugar
Crabs
Potatoes
Mixed fruit
Sunflower seeds
Nectarine
Mac & cheese
Peach

Sunday Moves: Walked 4 miles

Monday Grubs:
Coffee with agave nectar
Peach
Gluten-free Amy's Pizza
Mixed fruit (cantaloupe, watermelon, peach, mango, blueberries)
Squash
Pickle
Aubergine stuffed with tomatoes, shallots, and chickpeas (mmmm)
Monday Moves: Walked 4 miles

Making Weight Loss a Permanent Habit

I read an article today on bad and good eating habits. The article describes how you can turn eating healthy into a habit, resulting in weight loss. The article was sent to me by my wonderful Moma. It is worth a read: Behavior Modification

The article strikes a cord with me, because I have seen that my body does get used to (after 5-6 weeks of consistency) good eating behaviors, and it also lets me know when I am changing the good behaviors into bad ones. One of the reasons I have found traveling so difficult this summer is that I have been traveling to new cities, with coworkers who typically choose the restaurants, and have been working a hefty number of hours (resulting in snacking).


I do think, though, that I am the one that controls how much goes into my mouth and should be tracking and adjusting a bit better than I have been, and don't want to make excuses for situations that are not likely to change. I do think my health is and always will be more important than my job over the long term... I just need to remember that each time I am going out to lunch and din din while traveling.

I Am Still Slacking

I am still slacking at tracking my calories. I have only tracked about half my calories over the past few weeks, but am trying to turn a new leaf again starting this week as far as journaling goes. I have maintained/dropped about 1/2 a pound of weight over the past couple of weeks. I have also kept up my exercise, managing to get in at least four days a week, even with traveling each of the past four weeks to a few different cities.

Sending props out to my mom, who has stuck to using her personal trainer while working an outrageous amount this summer, and to Miss Piggy for winning the personal battle and hitting the gym today.

Pole Dancing, Anyone?

Pole dancing for weight loss?

Pole dancing helps strip off pounds

Not my thing, but entertaining to read.

The Exercise Pill

Have any of you read this about this crazy new pill that could make people fit like marathoners? I wonder if it will make you grow an extra arm too, to help you swim faster.

Oral Pill Turns Slacker Mice into Marathonists: Study

This both sounds promising (perhaps to help people with serious metabolism problems...not slackers) and makes me suspicious (in light of potential abuse by superstar athletes).

I am glad that they have already created a test so that athletes could be checked for use of the pill. No cheating.

Fessing Up!

Okay. I admit it. I put up a post about how tracking food is good and how it works for me... and then I don't track my food for two weeks while traveling.

Even though I am traveling again this week in hurricane territory, I am back to tracking my food and exercise. I had a weight reversal (regaining a couple of the pounds of my mysterious three pound loss a couple of weeks ago), but am back on track. You may yell at me or provide encouragement. :)

Food Diaries = 2x Weight Loss

My mother passed an interesting article to me this morning. The article noted a study where the impact of keeping a food diary led to double the weight loss of not keeping a food diary.

Keep a Food Diary, Lose Twice as Much Weight

You can probably tell from my previous posts that I am pretty religious about keeping a food diary and tracking my calories. It worked the first time I dropped pounds, and, hopefully, it will get me to the finish line.

Hefty US States

I love when new data on hefty states is published each year. Do you notice the % of people who are obese? Does your mind register that (in most US states) 25% of the people you meet are obese and more than 50% of people are overweight!? That is huge (literally).

Sometimes I think that people's perception of weight can change because everyone else around them may also be chubby, so it becomes "okay" and even "normal." I relayed this in a previous blog post, as I have seen noticeable differences in the average weight of workers across different clients and mentioned a study that came out last year discussing how individuals' networks of friends can influence weight.

I was curious whether or not (mis)perception of weight had any more data behind it, so I did a little more research on the tubes and found a study that came out recently indicating that over the past ten years people's perception of weight has been changing. Obese and overweight people are less likely to identify themselves as being overweight or obese. That sounds like a dangerous trend.

Getting Closer to the Half-way Point (Weekly Summary July 13-19)

My weight dropped an amazing 3.5 pounds this week. I didn't do anything special, compared to prior weeks, but I did follow my plans pretty closely.

I was only 150 calories over my goal of averaging 1200 calories per day, but feel pretty good that I was able to keep that close to my goal, having gone out to dinner and to an engagement party. I hope to keep this weight loss rolling to hit my skinny by December goal. :)

Weekly Summary July 13-19:

Sunday:
Left over turkey bacon and cheese souffle
Rice crackers & cheese
Watermelon
Chicken & stuffed eggplant (onions, tomatoes)
Wine
Plum
Exercise: Walked 6 miles

Monday:
Rice and Shine with cheese (grits-style)
Watermelon smoothies (2 glasses)
Stuffed eggplant (onions, tomatoes)
Cheese
Stuffed eggplant (ground lamb, onions)
Coconut ice cream & chocolate sauce (no corn syrup, woohoo)
Wine
Exercise: Yoga and walking, I think. Forgot to record it in my tracker and presidentschallenge.com.

Tuesday:
Coffee with agave nectar
Banana
Yogurt
Salad (spinach, chick peas, olives, blue cheese dressing)
Cheese and crackers
Plum
Coconut ice cream
Exercise: Walked 6 miles

Wednesday:
Coffee with agave nectar
1/2 container of 0% Greek yogurt, sprinkle of gluten-free cereal for crunch, and 1/2 banana
Salad (spinach, chick peas, olives, blue cheese dressing)
Sparkling water with spash of orange juice
Cucumber, 1.5 cups
Crackers with cheese
Broccoli
1/2 chicken breast
Exercise: Walked 6 miles

Thursday:
Coffee with agave nectar
1/2 container of 0% Greek yogurt, sprinkle of gluten-free cereal for crunch, and 1/2 banana
Salad (1/2 chicken boob, 3 olives, spinach, chipotle ranch dressing)
Jicama
Artichoke
1/2 cup broccoli
Talapia fillet
Chocolate pudding and dab of coconut ice cream
Exercise: Ran 2 miles, walked 2 miles

Friday:
Coffee with agave nectar
1/2 container of 0% Greek yogurt, sprinkle of gluten-free cereal for crunch, and 1/2 banana
Yogurt beet salad
Jicama
2.1 glasses of wine
Muscles
Fries, 15 strips
Exercise: 1 hour yoga, walked 6 miles

Saturday:
Coffee with agave nectar
1/2 container of 0% Greek yogurt, sprinkle of gluten-free cereal for crunch, and 1/2 banana
Yogurt beet salad
Tuna
Jicama
Chicken & beef at dinner
Hummus & similar
Lima beans
2 stuffed grape leaves
Custard dessert thing
Exercise: Walked 6 miles

I am slowly starting to build running back into my routine to be prepared for the 10 mile race I am in October.

I am also starting to think of self-reward presents for making it 1/2, 3/4, and 100% to my goal weight. Perhaps a new 3G iPhone? Any other suggestions of mile marker gifts? I hope to stay on track, even though I will be traveling for the next three weeks in a row.

Hunger Can Make You Happy?

I came across an article that says hunger can make you happy. The article is pretty interesting... although they push some of the rats in their study into deep water! What is with that!? They couldn't figure out another way to test?

Hunger Can Make You Happy

Quick Little Food Quiz

I came across a fun little food quiz this morning on CNN Health. I scored 4 out of 6. Let me know if you beat my score!

Quiz: How Much Do You Know About Nutrition and Fitness?

Atkins and Mediterranean Diets Trump Others

All over the health news yesterday were the results of a large studying comparing the Atkins Diet, Mediterranean Diet, and a low-fat diet. The results were that those on the Atkins diet had the best results in terms of lowering cholesterol and losing weight, followed closely by the Mediterranean Diet. Sounded like the Mediterranean Diet seemed to work well for the women in the group. Here is one of the many articles on it in yesterday's news:

Low Carb Plan Best in Study

This article finds a slightly different conclusions - that losing weight is difficult - based on the study:

Healthy Diets Shown to Have Benefits Despite Modest Weight Losses

And, and this article questions how good the study was:

Never Ending Diet Wars

While, I have not tried the Mediterranean Diet, I have tried the Atkins Diet and found that it worked pretty well for me. I got really tired of having meat, but generally felt much better and did lose the pounds. But now, looking back, I wonder if I felt so much better because I was eliminating things I am allergic to (wheat, corn, soy) on the Atkins Diet, but didn't know that I was allergic to them at the time. That could account for why I felt so much better.

Favorite Health TV Show

On Saturdays my ideal activities include:

• Waking up,
• Eating breakfast while watching HGTV,
• Taking the dog out for a long walk or run,
• Returning/showering in time to watch my favorite Saturday morning TV show,
• Watching my favorite Saturday morning show on BBC America (12EST and 12:30EST)

You Are What You Eat is hosted by Gillian McKeith, a holistic nutritionist, who works with overweight and/or otherwise very unhealthy Brits. She coaches them for eight weeks.

What I like about this show:

• They do before and after body overviews of the people (difference in 8 weeks)
• She has people record what they eat (or their friends record it) over a week, and then shows it to them all on one table (usually disgusting)
• She gives people the equivalents of what bad food equals in good food (e.g. how many cups of sugary, milky coffee a week equal how many eggs you could eat for breakfast with those calories)
• She analyzes people's poo and even smells it (really)
• She has the participants blood work done which often leads to finding interesting deficiencies due to participants' unhealthy ways
• She makes people eat vegetables and fruits and exercise
• Entire families are often involved

This is a fun show to watch, and I am excited to get my Tivo hooked up soon so I can record it on the Saturdays when I have less domestic plans.

Anyone want to come over, have lunch, and watch some You Are What You Eat on Saturday?

Turkish Inspired Almond and Banana Dessert

My hubby just returned from a trip to Turkey, and I was inspired by some of the pictures of food that he took. (We both take pictures of interesting foods we eat when we travel.) The Turks use quite a lot of honey, almonds, and other nuts in their desserts, so I decided to use some of the almond meal and honey I have at home.

Ingredients:
Almond meal
Honey
Little pat of butter
Salt
Banana (optional)

I put the almond meal in a pan and began to heat it for a minute. I tossed in a little bit of salt. I then added a honey in slowly mixing it in until my almond meal formed one solid clump. I then began to wrap it into a log shape and added a pat of butter to the pan. I kept turning the log in the pan until it was a little browned on the outside. I then took it away from the heat, sliced the almond/honey log and served it with part of a sliced banana. I actually found that the banana was almost too sweet with it. But the log was tasty, and the husband doled compliments.

Egg, Cheese, Turkey Bacon Souffle

One of my creations this weekend included an egg souffle with cheese and turkey bacon. I used a recipe straight from mamashealth.com.

I substituted regular bacon with turkey bacon. (My turkey bacon is also nitrate and other bad things free.) I also substituted regular flour with gluten-free flour.

This is the second time I have made this recipe, and it has been tasty both times. The hubby approves as well. It is a good way to use several eggs if they are nearing their expiration date, as was the case with a batch I had in my refrigerator.

This recipe does "de-poof" as soon as it starts too cool, so it is fun to serve it right away. It also still tastes great when reheated later.

Weekly Summary (July 12) - The sweets monster on the prowl

This week my weight climbed by half a pound. The sweets monster came out toward the end of this week. There is no denying. I also wasn't tracking my calories at the beginning of the week when I wasn't feeling well, and when I started counting I was already well over for each day. I feel confident that I can do better this next week because I was able to do a bit better yesterday and am not feeling the cravings today. I also have my kitchen nicely stocked with veggies and have my hubby's support.

Very importantly, the hubby helps my motivation by telling me I look skinny and good and is very tolerant of the days when I need to cut back on calories because I realize I have some making up to do. :)

I did manage to get in my exercise, walking 2-6 miles every day with some weight training and yoga mixed in, but I did take it easy toward the beginning of the week (slower pace). I also had some fun experimenting with recipes and will be posting a few more later this week.

Weekly food summary (Sweets monster on the prowl late in the week)
Sunday (Yikes, mainly sugary, useless carbs):
Gluten-free pancakes
Mac and Cheese
Apple slices and cherries
Sparkling Pomegranate- Apple Juice

Monday (Pretty good day):
Gluten-free pancakes
Apple
Yogurt with black currant jam
Sparkling Pomegranate- Apple Juice
Egg ranchero (egg, cheese, dab of sour cream, fresh salsa) with 2 slices of turkey bacon
Figs with Greek yogurt, honey, and caramelized pecans

Tuesday (Pretty good day):
Sparkling pomegranate apple drink
Soup
English Muffin
Soup
Figs with Greek yogurt, honey, and caramelized pecans

Wednesday (Uh ohs, I bring home ice cream from the store...):
English Muffin
Rice & Shine made with water, sprinkle cinnamon and sugar
2% yogurt & jam
Soup
Chips
Ice cream
Strawberries

Thursday (...and rice pudding):
Strawberries
2 rice puddings
Ice cream
Plum
Chips
Hummus
Rice Crackers
chocolate pudding
Mango

Friday (...and chocolate pudding...thankfully child sized, but still):
Rice pudding and Strawberries
Banana
Cucumbers and Rice crackers with hummus
2% Yogurt
Chocolate pudding

Saturday:
Rice and shine
Egg, cheese, turkey bacon souffle
Watermelon
Mango
Banana, almond meal and honey dessert
Tom yum soup with shrimp
Plum wine

Exercise:
Sunday: Walked 6 miles and strength
Monday: Walked 6 miles
Tuesday: Walked 6 miles
Wednesday: Walked 2 miles and strength training
Thursday: Walked 6 miles
Friday: Walked 6 miles
Saturday: Yoga, ran 4 miles, walked 2 miles

Impromptu Summer Stew

While I was raiding my kitchen cabinets yesterday, I decided to make a stew. I wanted something that wouldn't be too rough on my tummy (still recovering from last week's bug), contained some veggies, and that I actually already had ingredients to make. I was very loooow on food stuffs in the house yesterday (which has now been rectified by a trip to Whole Foods).

I created an easy, impromptu stew that turned out quite nicely.



Ingredients:
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can water
1/2 can chick peas (drained)
1/2 can yellow squash (drained)
1/3 of a package of gluten-free rice noodles
Olive oil
Garlic
Salt
Parsley, onion powder, coriander, pepper to taste

I coated a little bit of the pot's bottom with olive oil and began cooking a little bit of minced garlic until it started to brown. Then I poured in the can of tomatoes, the water, the chick peas, the yellow squash, and added salt. I brought those to a boil. Once they were boiling I added the rice noodles and cooked the soup based on the rice noodle's timing (8 minutes for my noodles). I added parsley, onion powder, and coriander (only a little dash of each).

After pouring the soup in a bowl, I added some black pepper. Turned out to be quite yummy and approximately 3 servings. I love the days when I am not traveling for work and get a chance to experiment with cooking.

Figalicious

While grocery shopping last week, I spied an unusual fruit. A fig. I thought about it and realized I had never made anything with fresh figs before. I decided to purchase the pack and, yesterday, made my first fig dish.




Ingredients:
6 fresh figs
Honey
Greek yogurt
Pecans or other nut
Brown sugar
Salt
Butter

The recipe was very easy. Turn the oven to 350F. Next, make a tinfoil pouch for the figs. Then, cut off the stems and cut a cross deep into the figs. Put the figs upright in the tinfoil pouch. Pour honey across the tops. Put pouch, tightly sealed into oven for 45 minutes.

While that is cooking, I caramelized the pecans by heating them on a skillet for 2-3 minutes, then added the butter (just enough to coat the nuts), some brown sugar, and salt. I let them cool as the figs finished baking (and, of course, sampled the product).

When the figs came out of the oven, I topped them with Fage Greek 2% Yogurt and the caramelized pecans. This makes approximately 2 servings.

Enjoy some figs!

Frozen Summer Treats!

I love frozen treats in the summer time. However, I avoided many of them until recently due to their high sugar and sometimes high-fat content. Trader Joe's has a few great options... Caribbean Fruit Floes are one of my favorites... though I would have to check the ingredients again before purchasing.

I also have taken to making pops by freezing ripe bananas this summer. They make a creamy treat after they are frozen and only contain their natural sugar. You can coat them with chocolate or yogurt too before freezing for a fancier treat. I also came across a recipe that calls for rolling them in honey and then Rice Crispies on bakingbites.com.



I may try watermelon pop next. A few of the recipes call for blending and then freezing:
1 cup of watermelon
1 cup of orange juice
1 cup of water

Mmm... even a watermelon smoothy.

My favorite gluten-free/homeopathy blog also has a pops (or "lollies" as I guess they call it in the UK) recipe that looks delicious that I will have to try in the not too distant future:

Rose Pink Ice Cream Lollies

I will be grocery shopping again in the next day or two and looking forward to creating my next frozen treat! Please send any other frozen treat suggestions my way!

Continuing on the Path

I managed to lose another pound last week, so I am down 4.5 pounds into my weight loss. Closing in on 25% of my goal. The reasons for my weight loss last week are a toss-up. I got a bit of a stomach bug/ache that may have helped me more easily keep within my calorie goal. Hopefully, this week my stomach will repair itself, and I will be back on the path. (I think it was a stomach issue resulting from eating something I am allergic to without realizing it because it also came with hives...)

With the stomach issues, I didn't get in quite as much exercise as I normally do, but did get in several 6 mile walks early in the week. I also got in a 4 mile walk on Thursday and a bike ride on Saturday.

Yesterday, I started this week off right (joking a bit) with some gluten-free Trader Joe's pancakes. I mixed in real cocoa and a few of the allergen free chocolate chips, too! :)

I also walked 4.5 miles and a little strength training. I am still a bit in recovery, so I snuck in a late afternoon nap. As my stomach recovers, I am going to try to work back in more vegetables (which have been making my stomach queasy on sight) and less pure carbohydrates.

Three Week Roll! (Weekly Summary)

I am on a three week roll now with losing weight, so I am very pleased. I am 3.5 pounds into my 20 pound weight loss. My start was slower than I wanted, but I hope to keep on moving down the scale.

I was especially pleased with my weight loss this week, because I was traveling for work and attended several lunches and dinners with coworkers. I managed to stick to my calorie plan and still get in plenty of fruits and some veggies. I also worked out in the hotel gym two of the four days I was travelling. I did not keep an extensive list this week of foods consumed, so no reports for you there.

Breast Cancer Risk Increased by Drinking and Food Containers

I heard an interesting news story on my way to a museum exhibit with the hubby today. The news story discussed the growing body of research linking estrogen mimicking plastics and chemicals to increased risks of breast cancer.

Breast Cancer Link to Estrogens in the Environment

The article above also includes some simple steps to lower breast cancer risks: not drinking from certain types of plastic containers, avoiding makeup and cleaners with certain ingredients, etc.

June 15-21 Weekly Diet Summary

This week was successful! I lost another pound and was very close to my total calorie goal for the week. I am pretty pleased with the food consumed (other than it being a little higher calorie at the beginning of the week than I wanted). I changed my breakfasts this week, and stayed away from oats. I mainly ate Rice and Shine in the mornings.



Monday's Summary:
2 cups coffee with agave nectar
Rice & Shine made with water, sprinkle cinnamon and sugar
2% Yogurt
Indian Lentils
1.25 cups jicama
Salad (radish, fennel, apple, carrots all finely sliced; dressed with tahini and sesame seeds)
Chips
Walked 2 miles (instead of 6 due to a storm)

Tuesday's Summary:
2 cups coffee with agave nectar
Rice & Shine made with water, sprinkle cinnamon and sugar
Salad (radish, fennel, apple, carrots all finely sliced; dressed with tahini and sesame seeds)
1 frozen banana pop (1 ripe banana, on a skewer, wrapped in plastic wrap, frozen)
2% Yogurt
Chips
Turkey bacon
Orange
Walked 6 miles

Wednesday's Summary:
2 cups coffee with agave nectar
Rice & Shine made with water, sprinkle cinnamon and sugar
2% Yogurt & 1.5 cups of cucumber with salt and pepper
1 frozen banana pop (1 ripe banana, on a skewer, wrapped in plastic wrap, frozen)
Gluten-free pasta with shrimp & sauce
Appetizers
Walked 6 miles and did yoga

Thursday's Summary:
2 cups coffee with agave nectar
Rice & Shine made with water, sprinkle cinnamon and sugar
Salad with chickpeas, salad olives, blue cheese dressing, cucumber
1 banana
2% Yogurt and Cereal
Chips
Chicken breast
Vegetables cooked in chicken breast juices
White wine
Walked 6 miles

Friday's Summary:
2 cups of coffee with agave nectar
Rice & Shine made with water, sprinkle cinnamon and sugar
0% Greek yogurt with 1/2 banana
1 medium peeled apple
Large Greek salad with gyro meat
Walked 2 miles, Ran 4 miles

Saturday's Summary:
2 cups coffee with agave nectar
2% Yogurt
Cereal
Banana
Salad with left over chicken breast, blue cheese, radishes, olives
English muffin with tahini
Crystal Light Cherry Limeade Slurpee
pickle
2 glasses white wine
Walked 6 miles and did strength training

I am only 2.5 lbs into my 20 pound weight loss, but am feeling hopeful that my weight loss will continue. I am traveling four days this week for work, but will try to keep to my weight loss plan.

Big Breakfasts Can Aid Longer-Term Weight Loss

A study that indicates that eating big breakfasts can aid weight loss is all over the news today. Here is one of many links that can be found to the story:

'Big Breakfast' Diet Helps Shed Pounds

Good News! (Weekly Summary)

I am finally down a little bit of weight - 1.5 pounds lost! Both weigh-ins yesterday and today were the same weight. I am looking to keep on going with my weight loss. I feel like I finally have a rhythm, helped by improved grocery shopping, but I am wary of making any predictions with the little plateau I hit over the weeks before this most recent one.

I ended up only a bit over my calorie target for last week and was able to successfully fit in a great anniversary dinner at a restaurant friendly to people with food intolerances and allergies, Cafe Atlantico (http://www.cafeatlantico.com/). For brunch yesterday, my honey also made gluten free pancakes with Trader Joe's Gluten Free Pancake Mix with allergen free chocolate chips from Enjoy Life mixed into the batter. The chocolate chips and pancake mix are two of the very few types of these items that I can find that are gluten, soy, and corn-free.

Today, I went a bit overboard with useless carbs, having left over pancakes for breakfast and then gluten-free pizza with fresh basil and mozarella with tomato sauce. I also had a few chips today, too! I will have to drop my calorie totals for a few days to even out of my calories over the week to make up for today's carb bonanza. I will also need to eat a lot of veggies tomorrow to make up for the lack of veggies today.

Today's Food and Beverages Ingested:
2 cups coffee with agave nectar
Gluten free pancakes from Trader Joe's mix with chocolate chips from Enjoy Life. A little bit of pure maple syrup on top
1/3 peeled apple
cherries
1 serving of chips with salsa
Gluten-free pizza
1/2 orange
2.5 liters of water
Crystal Light Cherry Limeade Slurpee

Exercise: I walked 6 miles today. Yesterday, I also walked 6 miles and did yoga for 30 minutes.

I am planning on switching to doing calorie/food summaries once a week or twice a week. I may, however, continue to post interesting food adventure and health news throughout the week.

Indian lentils. Mmm. (Daily Summary June 13)

I am a big fan of lentils. I particularly like them when they come prepared in ready to eat, Indian spiced in lunch-sized packages. They are high in fiber and yummy. Today,I was able to keep to my planned calories and save up a few for tomorrow's planned dinner out. I also got in my 6 miles of walking, and may do a bit of stretching or yoga before I get myself tucked in for the night.

Food and Beverages Ingested:

2 cups of coffee with agave nectar
Rice & Shine made with water, sprinkle cinnamon and sugar
Indian jodphur lentils
17 cherries
0% fat Greek Fage yogurt with 1/2 banana
1 large peeled apple
Salad (baby spinach, 1/2 can albacore tuna in water, 1 cup English cucumber, 2 tbl spoons salad olives, blue cheese dressing)
1 can Hanson's Calorie Free Ginger Ale with a dash of lime juice
1.5 liters of water

Props to my mother for getting in a bit of a walk today!

Slipped Peanut Butter in Again Today (Daily Summary June 12)

Why, oh why, do I keep eating peanut butter? Or roasted peanuts? Perhaps, even though I know that they make me feel gross, they taste so good? Take today's slipping in of peanut butter to have with my banana: 10 minutes later I am feeling queasy, within 30 minutes I need a nap and have a bit of a stomach ache, and now, hours later, my stomach is even more queasy on the verge of a coup d'etat, I have a bit of a headache, and I feel sluggish. Each time this happens, I tell myself I won't have peanut butter again, but something about its wonderful taste draws me back. I must stop!

It shouldn't be too much of a surprise that it bothers me. People with soy allergies can have problems with peanuts due to similar protein properties, but, alas, I still have to dip my spoon into the yummy bucket o' golden brown allergen periodically.

On another note, I have greatly enjoyed the nice change in the weather. It was easy to walk six miles outside today. Not too hot. I am doing strength training this evening.

Food & Beverages Ingested:
Breakfast:
2 cups of coffee with agave nectar
Enjoy Life Cinnamon Crunch Cereal with almond milk

Early Lunch:
2% Greek yogurt with 1 banana

Late Lunch:
Salad (1/2 can white albacore tuna in water, cucumbers, iceberg lettuce, blue cheese dressing)

Evening Snacks:
Banana with 1.5 tbl spoons of peanut butter
Cherries
Pickle
Crystal Light Cherry Limeade Slurpee

Water - 4 cups so far, not including the limeade.

I am trying to save up a few calories today and tomorrow for my anniversary brunch and dinner plans on Saturday. :)

The joy of frequent grocery shopping! (Daily summary - June 11)

I love frequent grocery shopping. It is a nice thing I like to treat myself to when I am not on a tough work travel schedule. I had some interesting veggies and fruits in my diet today, and they made the food across the day quite satisfying. It is easier to stay within my calories when I have different low calorie options to try.

Jicama with Paprika and Lime Juice

Daily Food Summary
Breakfast:
2 cups of coffee with agave nectar
Enjoy Life Cinnamon Crunch Cereal with almond milk

Morning Snack:
2% Greek yogurt with 1 banana

Late Lunch:
Salad (baby spinach, 2 slices nitrate free turkey bacon, 1 cup English cucumber, blue cheese dressing)

Snack:
Jicama with lime juice and paprika

Dinner:
Parmesan crusted eggplant with goat cheese and red and yellow bell peppers
Cherries
1/2 spoon peanut butter
1 can Hanson's Calorie Free Peach Soda

Water: 1.5+ liters

Exercise: Walked 2 miles, ran 4 miles. 1 day overdue for some yoga/strength... caused by an unexpected work call that lasted from 6-8pm. Today, was a wonderful weather day. It was much cooler, so it was a good day to pick up the pace a bit and throw running back into my exercise mix.

Dedication: Today's daily summary is dedicated to someone whose birthday is today. She is an inspiration in her intellect, sweetness, and pursuit of continual self improvement. She inspires me to do well each day, with her own ability to try new recipes and fitness activities to live a healthy life and in her academic pursuits.

Yogurt and Beet Salad - Daily Summary June 10

Today, in desperation to figure out what to do with my remaining diced beets, I ended up making a yogurt and beet "salad." I roasted the remaining beet dices in the oven for 45 minutes (in a handmade tinfoil bag). Then, I marinated them in red wine vinegar for a bit. I topped the drained beets with a yogurt mixed with garlic, salt, pepper, and a little sprinkle of curry. The impromptu "salad" was not too bad. I was not revolted by yet another day with my endless beets. Now, what to do with the large beet root still sitting in my fridge drawer...

My Daily Food Summary:

Breakfast:

2 cups coffee with agave nectar
Enjoy Life Cinnamon Crunch Cereal with almond milk

Lunch:

Salad (beet, fennel, apple all finely diced; olive oil, vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper mixed to make dressing)
1 frozen banana pop (1 ripe banana, on a skewer, wrapped in plastic wrap, frozen)
2 cups decaf tea with a little bit of almond milk

Afternoon Snacks:

2% Yogurt & Beet Salad
Slice of chicken lunch meat with cheese

Dinner:

1 small chicken breast (eaten without skin)
Roasted veggies in chicken broth
Wine spritzer

Water: 1.5 liters so far

Exercise: I walked 6 miles in yet another scorcher of a day.

A note on my breakfast change up this week - For the past few days, I have been enjoying a break from my oats. I have been having Enjoy Life's Cinnamon Crunch Cereal. I find it a little difficult (sort of like Grape Nuts) to eat when cold because the chunks are hard, but 30 seconds in the microwave turns it into a tasty breakfast treat.

Daily Food Summaries (June 9)

Today was another scorcher! But that did not stop me from eating well or getting in my exercise. :) My pup and I walked 6 miles, and I kept to my goal calories. Woohoo.

Foods and Beverages Ingested:
2 cups coffee with agave nectar
Enjoy Life Cinnamon Crunch Cereal with almond milk
Salad (beet, fennel, apple all finely diced; olive oil, vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper mixed to make dressing)
1/2 gluten-free brownie
Fat free Greek yogurt with 1/2 banana
Salad (baby spinach, tuna, peppers, salad olives, blue cheese dressing)
Remaining 1/2 gluten-free brownie
2.5 liters of water

1 cup of thai coconut tea (not milk or sugar)

Tuna Salad

I have decided that I currently have mixed feelings about beets. They taste fine (not too rooty) after being marinated for a bit in the vinegary dressing. But, they are not a veggie I would snack on raw with nothing to help the taste. I have another large beet in my refrigerator. I will try roasting it and will sample the roasted beet with one or two of the dressing recipes I found online. For a picture of my beet, fennel, and apple salad, please see yesterday's daily summary.

I had a fantastic blue cheese dressing today, made by Cindy's Kitchen. This blue cheese is so much better than the awful one I had last week. I highly recommend it, if you can find a bottle.

Cindy's Kitchen Dressings (just a few of many)

Daily Food Summary (past three days, June 6-8)

Today was a good day; however, this past week I was significantly over my planned calories.

Room for improvement: I am starting to recognize some of my eating habits that are not so great... eating well over my planned calories... when I eat out or am at events. Something to think about.

Successes:
- Ate more veggies! I hope to do the same this week
- Ate less salt!
- Am still feeling buff

Today's Food Summary:
1 cup of coffee with hazelnut milk, sugar
Oats with hazelnut milk
1 medium banana
1 serving of chips
Salad (beet, fennel, apple all finely diced; olive oil, vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper mixed to make dressing)
2 rice cakes with 2 tbl spoon peanut butter
2% Greek yogurt with 1/2 banana
Lots of water

Beet, Fennel, and Apple Salad

Yesterday's Food Summary
2 cups coffee with agave nectar
Gluten-free English muffin with cream cheese (could have skipped the cheese, the muffin was great!)
2 bananas
Grilled shrimp, rice, beans, and salsa at a Mexican restaurant
Hamburger
Watermelon (a lot)
Grilled asparagus

Friday's Final Food Summary
2 cups coffee with agave nectar
Oats with water, sprinkle of cinnamon and sugar
Rice cakes with peanut butter
Fat free Greek yogurt with 1 medium banana
1/2 cup orange juice, 1/2 cup peach sugar free soda
1 nectarine
Five Guys little hamburger (I substituted a gluten-free bun for the normal one)
Five Guys fries

Exercise: It became so hot starting Friday, but I still managed to get in my exercise over the weekend. Saturday, even though it was 99 degrees Fahrenheit (felt 105+), I got in 40 minutes of kayaking with the hubby and sister-in-law. I also got in about 3 miles walking, but had to turn around because I thought it was too hot for my pup. Tonight I went for a walk at 8pm, and it was still 98 degrees Fahrenheit. My dog and I did manage to walk for 6 miles this evening, with relative ease. I did 30 minutes of power yoga when we returned home (in the air conditioning).

Lose Weight, Increase Wealth

Studies have now linked having a healthy weight to having higher wealth levels. I find these interesting, wanting to both lose weight and increase my personal wealth. An article from the New York Times discusses multiple reasons that higher weight leads to lower income. The article also closes with something that interests me: the study found that dropping from being overweight to being in the middle of a healthy weight range can lead to a big financial improvement for some.

Extra Weight, Higher Costs

An article going into more detail on the same study's findings that losing weight can cause increases in wealth. It does note that these findings applied only when significant amounts were lost (more than 5-10 pounds), and the impact varied by race and gender.

Lose Weight, Gain Income

Even in my own case, when I lost 25+ pounds in 2006 I also saw an increase in dough. Now, not sure if these two could be directly correlated, but maybe so. I hope to replicate that increase again with this next weight loss.

Daily Food Summaries (June 5 & 6)

A quick daily summary. I am off to the in-laws house for the weekend. For the week, I think I will end up a little over 1300 calories per day, instead of 1200, which isn't great. In general though I am not to displeased. I reduced the salt I was eating this week and increased the veggies (yum-o).

Yesterday, I felt I did pretty well... until I looked up how many calories are in steak, so I ended up at about 300 calories over where I wanted to be. In general, I am pretty pleased that I didn't order dessert or a second drink yesterday. Something, however, did really upset my system eating out yesterday. I tried to order something without any flour or other ingredients to which I am allergic. I looked up the ingredients in the gluten-free beer, and it was fine, so perhaps the steak I ate was cooked with something.

Food Ingested (June 5)
1.75 cups of coffee with agave nectar
Oats with water, sprinkle of cinnamon and sugar
1 bowl of Rachel Ray Green & White Lightening Chunky Chili (more like soup than chili)
2.5 cups jicama (morning and afternoon snack)
1 banana, 1 nectarine
2 3oz pieces of steak, medium fries
1 Redbridge beer

A note on the beer - Redbridge beer (gluten free) is not nearly as tasty as the New Grist beer that I had a week or so ago. I will not be trying the Redbridge again.

Food Ingested so far (June 6)
2 cups coffee with agave nectar
Oats with water, sprinkle of cinnamon and sugar
Rice cakes with peanut butter
Fat free Greek yogurt with 1 medium banana
1/2 cup orange juice, 1/2 cup peach sugar free soda
1 nectarine

I will be taking some food with me for the trip this weekend.

Exercise: I got in 6 miles of walking yesterday and 40 minutes of yoga. Today, I also got in 6 miles of walking.

PROPS! Big props out to my mom and miss piggy who have snuck some exercise into their schedules this week. Keep it up! I heard rumors that my sis might, too. If she has, props out to her as well!

Daily Food Summary (June 4 - Much Better!)

Today was a much better day than yesterday! Weather is still very bad (severe thunderstorms, tornado warnings, wind warnings), but I went to Whole Foods and refreshed my dwindling fresh (and dry) food supply.

Food and Beverage Intake:
Breakfast:
2 cups of coffee with agave nectar
Oats with water, sprinkle of cinnamon and sugar

Lunch:
Salad (1/2 can white albacore tuna in water, baby spinach, English cucumber, few jalapenos for spice, asiago ranch dressing)

Snack:
1.5 cups English cucumber with 2% Greek yogurt, posing as dip (mixed in dill, black pepper, salt, curry, cumin, and paprika)

Dinner:
2 cups sliced jicama with lime juice, salt, and cayenne pepper sprinkled on top
1 bowl of Rachel Ray Green & White Lightening Chunky Chili (more like soup than chili)
1 cup decaf tea

Water:
1.2 liters so far. Working on my second liter

Exercise: On the light side again here today. Managed to squeeze in ~1.8 miles walking between storms, but that is it. May do some yoga or stretching before retiring for the eve.

Inspiring Story - 310 lbs to a 6 pack

CNN.com posted another inspiring weight loss story this week. (I believe I have mentioned my affinity for inspiring weight loss stories and that CNN posts them periodically.)

This fellow went from 310 pounds to having a 6 pack.

College Professor Goes from Fat to "Mr. Low Body Fat"

The CNN story doesn't say whether or not he actually achieved his desired 6 pack of abs, but his blog has a picture that indicates he succeeded in reaching his 6 pack goal.

Daily Food Summary (June 3)

Today was a blah day. I worked a lot. My allergy shot appointment took a lot of time. It rained a lot. I did not walk a lot (at all). I ate a lot.

Food and Beverage Intake:
Breakfast:
2 cups of coffee with agave nectar
Oats, rice milk
1 medium banana

Lunch:
1/2 salmon piece (~100 grams)
Amy's Organic Low Sodium Lentil Soup (1 cup) with a little freshly grated Parmesan cheese on top
Orange

Snacks:
Non-fat Greek yogurt, one tbl spoon of currant jam
1 cup Thai coconut tea

Dinner:
Amy's Organic Low Sodium Lentil Soup (1 cup) with a little freshly grated Parmesan cheese on top & 1/2 Hot Italian turkey sausage thrown into soup

Uh Oh, I Go Snack Crazy:
1.5 inch block of cheese, 1 cup fruit
2 rice cakes with 1.5 tbl spoon peanut butter
1 wine spritzer (3oz wine, 5oz Perrier lemon flavored sparkling water)

Water: 2 liters

The last snacks I had definitely threw my calories for the day way over where they were supposed to be. I need to go to the grocery store tomorrow morning to get some veggies for salads, soups, and snacks. I am completely out... which is probably why I reached for the bad snacks today. The wouldn't be soo bad, if I had budgeted for them... or stuck to just one. Hopefully, tomorrow will be a renewing, vegetably pleasing day.



I need some new snacking veggies. Maybe jicama with some lime, pepper, and salt? (See the nice picture of sliced jicama above.) Perhaps fennel? I looked to my French Women for All Seasons book for inspiration and beets and fennel were there as spring/summer foods. Cucumbers and snap peas to dip into a homemade dill yogurt sauce? Hm. Hopefully, I will find my veggies tomorrow.

Exercise: Working late, then an evening thunderstorm pushed away my walking plans for the evening. I did, however, do planned strength training, even though I did not particularly feel like it. Glad I did now!

Drink Enough Water?

An article my mother sent me today helped answer questions I had about water consumption: How do I know how much water to drink per day? Does it really have to be 8 glasses?

Water: How Much Should You Drink Every Day

From the calculations in the article I may have been a little short some days with my hour long runs, but I have not been too far off the mark.

The article my mother sent through got me curious about whether or not there is a real link between weight loss and water consumption. Apparently so. The study discussed on WebMD found that drinking your eight glasses a day (if you are not already doing so) does increase your metabolic rate, which helps you lose weight. Bottoms up!

Drinking Water May Speed Weight Loss

Daily Food Summary (June 2)

Good day. Right around my target calorie range. Didn't feel too hungry. Got in my exercise and my water, per my momma's request.

Food & Beverage Consumption:
1.75 cups of coffee with agave nectar
Oats, rice milk
1/3 cup black beans
1/2 hot Italian turkey sausage
1 medium banana
1 fat free Greek yogurt
Cocoa Loco Snack Bar
1 tbl spoon olives
Salad (1/2 salmon piece (~100 grams), greenery, 1/2 tomato, olive oil and balsamic vinegar)
1 wine spritzer (4oz white zinfandel wine, 6oz Perrier lemon flavored sparkling water)
1/2 mango
2 liters of water

Exercise: I decided to take it easy on my knees and back this week and substitute in a good amount of walking for running. I walked 6 miles, averaging ~15 minutes per mile. My doggy enjoyed the slower pace (got more sniffing in, caught up on pee-mail).

New York Times Food Critic - "What's Wrong With What We Eat?"

Go to the link below to see an interesting speech by a New York Times food critic (video):

"What's Wrong With What We Eat?"

Daily Food Summary (June 1)

Today was a decent day food and exercise day. As usual I went over my calories, especially by not keeping track of my calorie count while eating at the in-laws for dinner. I still weighed 1.5 pounds heavier than last week, so I recorded yesterday's weight, which brings me right back to my starting point. I have faith though and have noticed nice muscle changes in my arms and legs... now to just notice some changes in my hips and thighs... :)

Foods & Beverages Ingested:
Breakfast:
2 cups of coffee with agave nectar
2.5 left over pizza slices (gluten-free chickpea crust, fontina cheese, diced garlic tomatoes, gulf shrimp, tarragon butter)

Lunch:
1 medium banana
1 medium latte

Snack:
Grilled potatoes with hummus

Dinner:
2/3 cup cooked white rice
Part of a boob and some dark meat of a smoked chicken (no skin)
Salad (spinach leaves, tiny bit of tomato, olive oil and balsamic vinegar)
1/2 orange
3 oz white wine

Exercise: I ran 6 miles, averaging 9 minutes and 17 seconds per mile. I am back up to being a bit speedier than I was on Friday. I also did 30 minutes of power yoga.

Gluten-intolerance: Do you have it?

• 1 in 133 Americans is gluten-intolerant.
• 1 in 22 Americans is gluten-intolerant if an immediate family member is gluten-intolerant. (So, my family members, pay attention here.)

I have been thinking about writing a post on gluten-intolerance for a while and decided today is a good day since Spider63 asked me about gluten after my last post. (If you read my last post, I discussed my excitement at having an entirely gluten free restaurant meal, including beer.)

Typical Symptoms:

• There may be none!

I did however have symptoms, which is how I discovered my wheat allergy/gluten intolerance. My symptoms included:

• Diarrhea
• Bloating
• Gas (Stinky, too)
• Abdominal Pain
• Fatigue

I only found out I was gluten-intolerant last summer, because I was having all of the above, felt constantly lethargic and a little bit foggy in the brain. I also knew that something I was eating wasn't digesting quite right.

It was one lone day when I ate a 100% wheat pita and had the big D within a few minutes, then continued to have abdominal pain, the gas, bloating, and hay fever-like symptoms, too, that I decided that I should probably get some food allergy testing done for wheat.

I got tested a week later and did find out that I was allergic to wheat and corn and soy products (much to my surprise). My allergist, given the symptoms that I discussed with him, asked me to get tested for celiacs disease. I did get the blood test done, which came back negative. He is still encouraging me to get the more invasive test done (where they scope out your intestines), but I haven't gotten that done. (It takes on average 12 years for someone to be diagnosed with celiacs... I don't feel like waiting around for that!)

I have already found that when I get rid of wheat, soy, and corn products my digestive symptoms almost entirely disappear (including bloating, which is nice for the figure), and my allergies get better in general .

Most people who are allergic to wheat are actually allergic to the gluten (a protein) found in wheat and several other grains, including:

Wheat
Barley
Rye
Farina
Graham flour
Semolina
Durham
Bulgur
Kamut
Kasha
Matzo meal
Spelt (a form of wheat)
Triticale

I avoid all gluten products. There is some debate about whether people can have oats. Oats can often be cross contaminated with wheat and other gluten-containing items. I am an oat fanatic, so I haven't removed them from my diet. Maybe I should for a while and see if things get even better, but... we'll see.

Interesting Side Effects/Risk Factors:

Diabetes/Blood Sugar Sensitivity: Another reason I think people in my family should pay attention is that diabetes and sugar sensitivities are often linked with celiac's disease/gluten-intolerance. Several people in my family have one of the two of those.

Thyroid Diseases: A link has also been shown between thyroid diseases, such as Hashimoto's and Graves Diseases, and gluten-intolerance. Several people in my family are affected here, too. A few more links on this:

http://www.celiac.com/articles/1135/1/Connection-Found-between-Celiac-Disease-and-Hashimotos-Thyroiditis/Page1.html

http://www.denvernaturopathic.com/news/celiac.html

Lactose Intolerance: People who are gluten-intolerant, have celiacs disease, are allergic to wheat, etc., are often lactose intolerant due to the damage to their intestinal lining caused by the intolerance/disease/allergy. I was very lactose intolerant. One interesting thing, is that if you take gluten out of your diet, your lactose intolerance can go away as your intestines heal. I am no longer lactose intolerant! It is crazy! I can actually drink a latte made with normal milk and not pass out in pain from the effects.

PCOS and Gluten-sensitivity: Recently, people are finding that PCOS (disease that affects women's fertility) patients are often highly likely to be gluten sensitive. One nutritionist found that 85% of her PCOS patients were gluten sensitive.

If Left Untreated...

• Malnutrition
• Osteoperosis
• Lactose Intolerance
• Cancer
• Neurological Complications

Another complication for women:

• Miscarriages and Stillborn/Low Birth Weight Babies

If you think some of the items in this article apply to you, you may want to try a gluten-free diet for a month. It takes your body 2 to 3 weeks to begin healing, if you are gluten-intolerant. There are a ton of great sites for gluten-free recipes. I have one listed on my favorite blogs.

Here is a good British Web page from their National Institute of Health that discusses celiacs disease. The British are ahead of the curve on tracking the problem, because a good portion of their population appears to be affected.

Weekly Food Summary (and Friday and Saturday May 30 & 31)

As a weekly summary, I ended up at approximately 600 calories over my target for the week (which could result, mathematically, in a .18 pound slower weight loss). That said, I still should have lost some weight this week, and yet am back up to 0 total weight loss, as of this morning. I do cheat a bit and will take the lowest weight on either Saturday or Sunday for my weekly total loss/gain, so will let you know if tomorrow I am down some in weight. Would suck if I actually regained 1.5 pounds compared to last week, but I actually do feel fitter and have much more defined and thinner arms (at least they look and feel that way!).


Dietary Review:
I have a few goals for the next two weeks, looking across my food intake over the past two weeks:

1. Eat less salt (too many pickles and pickled items)
   
2. Eat less sugary stuff (even fruits... too high in sweet and sometimes useless carbs across my days)
   
3. Eat more vegetables (was definitely not getting in my 7 servings a day)
   
4. Try to better balance calories across the week
   
5. No more than 2 cups of coffee a day. Maybe (big maybe) just 1.5 cups per day this week.

So, this is probably a list that could benefit the general US population. I will try to more proactively eat my veggies this week.

Friday Food Summary: 2 cups coffee with agave nectar
Oats with rice milk
1 mango
BBQ Beef
Cocoa Loco Snack Bar
5 rice crackers, 1/3 serving of potato chips
Oat snack
Potato salad
3 oz wine

Saturday Food Summary: 2 cups coffee with agave nectar
banana
5 cherries
3 rice crackers
2 breakfast turkey sausages
1 fried tomato
Pizza (Chickpea crust free of gluten, soy, and corn, fontina cheese, diced garlic tomatoes, gulf shrimp, terragon butter)
1 New Grist Beer
1/2 flourless chocolate cake

Exercise: I did well on exercise yesterday, getting in my 6 miles, as planned. I was slower at 9 minutes 44 seconds per mile, but didn't do speed training and felt a bit slow anyway. The slowness may have been due to the fact that I played 9 holes of golf earlier in the day for a work event. I didn't do a whole lot of walking on the course, but definitely got some in. No exercise today as planned.

Favorite Food (Beverage) Find of the Week: Tonight, I was able to have an entirely gluten and soy free meal at a local restaurant. It was awesome. They had gluten-free pizza and even flourless chocolate cake (yeah, shouldn't have had it, but still think it might have been worth it... I only had half thanks to the hubby). Even better, they had gluten-free beer that was pretty tasty!

Lakefront New Grist Beer (made with sorghum and rice).

Shoutout: My good friend, Miss Piggy, went to the gym for the first time in over a month! Props to her!

Daily Food Summary (Success! A Close One!)

I officially declare today a success. My resolve was sorely tempted because my hubby really wanted some Boston Creme Pie custard from our local custard shop, so I went with him. I managed to go into and out of the custard shop without having had ANY custard or other things that would not have been good for my calorie count today.

It was tough. I almost...sooo clooossee... ordered a cup of custard, but I remembered that I only have a finite time to meet my goal. I also remembered that I will be able to have custard at another time, when I have the calories budgeted. Just not today.

Food & Drink Ingested:

Breakfast:

2 cups coffee with agave nectar

Oats with rice milk

Lunch:

Salad (greenery, 1/4 chicken boob from Wednesday, tomato, 2.5 tbl. spoons of salad olives, blue cheese dressing)

Snacks:

4 cups fruit salad (2 for morning and 2 for afternoon snacking)
5 rice crackers

Dinner:
Gluten-free Whole Foods bread slice, buttered (posing as a hot dog bun for my turkey sausage)
1 hot Italian turkey sausage
Heinz Organic Ketchup (contains no wheat, soy, or corn products! Does contain sugar though...)
1/4 cup giardiniera
1 can Hanson's Ginger Calorie Free Soda

Exercise: Today was another good exercise day, much to my surprise. I was not sure how well I would run 6 miles after having run 8 yesterday. I ran 6 miles, with speed training the last two miles, for an average of 9 minutes and 2 seconds per mile. I also did 35 minutes of power yoga in place of strength training today. If I run another 6 miles tomorrow, I will be able to have Saturday off to do nothing.

Unpleasant Food Surprise of the Day:
Briannas Homestyle True Blue Cheese Dressing = Gross. I bought this dressing because I was at a store without the best selection of dressings and because it was the only one without soybean oil, wheat, and corn ingredients in the refrigerated section.

The unpleasant surprise: The Blue Cheese Dressing was SWEET!!! YUCK!!! I saw that the ingredients had sugar, but did not expect the dressing to be sweet. It was. Blue Cheese mixed with sugar. Yuck. I am tempted to throw the bottle away. The only thing it might mix well with is a battered, fried onion that my hubby tells me he has been craving for months. We'll see if he would use the dressing. If not... to the trash it is (well the recycle bin once emptied).

Tongue Defying Fruit

The hubby passed on an article in the New York Times about a fruit that messes with how you taste other foods for an hour after you eat it.

The Miracle Fruit, a Tease for the Taste Buds

The fruit can make hot and sour things taste sweet. Maybe it can trick my hubby's tongue and help me sneak fruits and veggies into his diet. (I am constantly worried he is going to get gout.)

For more info on the Miracle Fruit, check out the writeup on Wikipedia: Miracle Fruit.

Death of an Ugly Pair of Sweatpants

I was very pleased today to find out that I had two holes in an ugly pair of sweat pants that I have had since grad school. My first thought was "It is about time these things died," and my second thought was "Hope I didn't do any stretches outside with these holes in the thighs."

They were a pair of sweat pants that I purchased, because they fit and would do... not because I particularly liked them. Have any of those clothing items? The ones that you get, just because you need something, but haven't found something you really like?

This goes back to my earlier post on petite workout pants. I used to buy whatever would fit my length that I wouldn't need to alter. I bought the now dead sweatpants (a size too small) because they actually ran short... especially after being washed. I would only wear them as often as I had to, until I lost the 25-32 pounds a couple of years ago (i.e. when the muffin tops shrank a bit). I started to wear them more often, and now they are dead.

I am very pleased to be able to replace the dead pants, especially since there are a couple of decent options out there for petite workout pants. They will be replaced with the "Short" Nike Modern Workout Pants that were in stock in my size recently . (I just checked online to get the link above, and they again do not have my size. Glad I got them when I did!)

I have found that the cheap sweatpants cannot handle my running schedule. When I actually started running for the first time three years ago, I started to notice that there really can be a difference between poor and higher quality fitness clothing. I also found that I am more comfortable in material that breathes better, does not move into the nether regions when running (or during yoga), and can withstand logging a good number of miles each week.

So, I am excited that my sweat pants have died! I am slowly replacing my yucky work out clothes with better quality and better fitting workout clothes as I go along.

Now, next to help my blue running shorts retire... I am sure that my sister and mother are hoping that my ugly running shorts from high school will kick the bucket next. (They are the old school kind... with the big slit up the side and large white built in cotton underwear.) My mother and sister made more than a remark or two about my bringing the old blue running shorts with me on vacation several weeks ago.


(Ps. for those of you with green tendencies, you will be happy to note that the dead sweatpants will become newly minted cleaning rags. Less paper towels and less trees cut down.)

Daily Food Summary

Success! In great contrast to yesterday's dietary disaster, today was a good day. I made up for some calories lost and survived it.

Food Ingested:
3 cups of coffee
Oatmeal with rice milk
Open face toasted sandwich (One slice gluten-free Whole Foods bread, once slice all natural Swiss cheese, 2 natural smoked chicken slices)
1 pickle
3 cups fruit salad (cherries, watermelon, cantaloupe)
1 cup pickled veggie salad

Today's Calorie Savers: Fresh fruit and pickled veggies (often called giardiniera, see image below) were my two calorie savers of the day. They helped me make it through with their bulk and relatively low calories for volume. Giardiniera can be fabulous on top of hot sandwiches and sausages. Mmm. Perhaps that pair will make itself present in tomorrow's menu.

I love seasonal fruits and veggies. Watermelon is my favorite seasonal fruit, followed closely by various berries, mangoes, and other melons. A book by Mireille Guiliano (in addition to French Women Don't Get Fat), French Women for All Seasons, is another favorite of mine. The book discusses ideas for how to enjoy seasonal foods in great depth by season. If you feel like you are missing out on the enjoyment possible in any season, as I sometimes feel, this book provides great fodder for your seasonal enjoyment.

Calories In - Calories Out = Weight Loss or Gain

The simple formula above is the driver to my current fitness activities. My weight loss without running or other exercise would be too slow for me to hit my "skinny by December" goal. Consequently, I am running, strength training, walking, and stepping up my chore schedule now to help keep me on track to meet my weight loss goal.

I will burn only .8-1.2 lbs per week on my current diet and fitness schedule. That is even with running approximately 30 miles per week.

• Each mile run equals approximately 100 calories burned.


• Each pound of fat to shed equals 3,500 calories.


• Running 30 miles per week, burns 3,000 calories, so not quite 1 pound.

A couple of online calculators (such as the ones I have on my favorite links) have said that even keeping to a 1200 calorie/day diet and running 1 hour per day, I will only lose .8-.9lbs per week. The total lost will decline as I lose weight (as I will burn less calories hauling less weight around). My own calculations result in a slightly higher loss of 1.2lbs per week, so we will see how it goes.

Today's Exercise: The calculations above and my determination to meet my skinny goal (Motivation1) are what helped keep me going for today's (and each day's) run. I ran 8 miles, averaging 9 minutes and 22 seconds per mile. I am quite pleased with that time for such a long run. I will try to add some speed training into the rest of my running this week to see if I can decrease my time further as I go along.

Motivation 2: One thing that helped keep me going today was that I found an outlet to a local trail along the water than I can actually run to from my home. It is a mile from my home, but it made the long run so much nicer, not having to drive to some place where I could run four miles consecutively with minimal street crossings. (My shorter runs are all done in my neighborhood on streets that are not too busy.)

Motivation 3: A large study of people who lost and kept off 30 pounds or more found that they walk/run an average of four miles a day. The study done by the National Weight Control Registry is discussed in an article in Psychology Today:

"Fit for Life - Keeping the Weight Off"