Week 1 of 4

On Wednesday's weigh in, the results were:
Me = Down 1 pound
My sis = Up 1/2 a pound
Mom = Up 2 pounds

Just a few weeks to go.

Not the Best Week

Last week mom stayed steady. She had the flu, unfortunately.

I went up 1.5 pounds. Yikes. I did get in my exercise.

I am starting this week off on a much better foot and am rapidly hoping to turn things around. :)

Weight Loss Blogs

Mom's favorite weight loss blogs:

theantijared.blogspot.com

zeusmeatball.blogspot.com

mcc394.blogspot.com

My only comment on my mom's favorites, is that they are all men's blogs! Where are the women?!

Strategic Grocery Shopping

I received a request for tips on how to have enough healthy food at home to last through a work week. Here is my shopping strategy (when I am not traveling for work):

1. Figure out my meals for the entire week.
2. Check that planned meals meet my fruit and veggie quota.
3. Count the number of snacks I will need (e.g. 5 fruits, 7 yogurts for snacks, small bag of carrots and hummus).
4. Make a grocery list.
5. Go shopping at least once a week, with the list. Make it quick, just going to what I need.
6. Prepare meals as much in advance as possible, including pre-packing lunches and dinners for the week (such as on Sunday).

In my opinion two well-planned trips in two weeks is better than one long trip once every two weeks. The more often you shop, the more fresh food you are likely to have. I started to do more frequent grocery shopping while I lived in France. My husband is also good about picking up food for dinner on the way home if there was a gap in the planning.

For a second opinion, try this article on 10 Tips for Healthy Grocery Shopping.

Mom Is Kickin' Butts and Not Takin' Names

Mom lost a whopping 2.5 more pounds this week! She is down a total of 6 pounds already. She fit in her exercise, but she may not hit 3 workouts this week due to a virus that is keeping her down.

I maintained my weight this week. I am pretty proud of myself for fitting in my four workouts, when I worked an outrageous number of hours between Monday and Friday.

I have 10 weeks left to lose 6 pounds. Mom is making me nervous... she has just 4 pounds more to go.

Fast, Safe Weight Loss

If you are kick-starting your year with a diet, I came across a good, down-to-earth article on what it takes to lose weight rapidly and safely.

Lose Weight Fast: How to Do It Safely

The bottom line is that you really have to cut back on calories (not below 1050/day), and you will have to exercise at least an hour every day. It can result, depending on your current weight in 3-5 or more pounds of weight loss per week.

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.