Quote to Live By... #5

The most effective way to do it, is to do it. - Amelia Earhart.

Quote to Live By... #4

To change one's life:  Start immediately.  Do it flamboyantly.  No exceptions.  ~William James

Things I Love Today... Portobello Mushrooms

I have stuffed a couple of portobello mushrooms lately and tonight's was a particular treat! See this recipe for stuffed portobello mushrooms.

I find they are substantial enough in texture to replace meat where needed, are a teriffic base to many other dishes (yesterday I served my chili over a plain roasted cap), and a great treat stuffed with - it seems - anything mixed with soft cheese.

A versatile and satisfying addition to a meal!

Recipe for Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

I am quite certain that anything quick-cooking mixed in with soft cheese (cottage cheese, cream cheese, mascarpone) would make a delicious filling for a portobello mushroom so go crazy, experiement! But this one done tonight was a real treat.

Servings: 1

Ingredients:
- 1 portobello mushroom
- 2 green onions, finely diced
- 1/2 cup roasted beets, finely chopped
- 1 kale leaf, stemmed and finely chopped
- 2 tbsp cream cheese

Method:
- preheat oven to 350
- scoop out the 'gills' inside the mushroom cap and the stalk, keep 1/2 of this
- dice up the kept mushroom bits
- mix with all other ingredients, the cream cheese should soften up as you stir and it will mix into a thick paste
- pile it all into the cap, place into baking dish / small casserole, ensure high sides as there may be lots of juice

Possible Alternatives / Things to Try:
- Zucchini/courgette, spinach, arugula
- Left-over tomato pasta sauce
- Cottage cheese, mascarpone
- Sprinkle with light parmesan

Quote to Live By... #3

Enjoy yourself.  It's later than you think.  ~Chinese Proverb

Appreciation

I have received such warmth and support in response to the 'new me' from people in my home-life, at work, and even acquaintances. Their willingness to share their reactions with me - surprise ("You look so different!"), puzzlement ("Have you lost weight?!"), amazement ("How much?!").

My dad described in an email how he didn't recognise me:

when I walked into the school, there were 3 women talking in the lobby, I looked at all three and proceeded to walk right by them heading to Robbie’s room when one of these women said hello.  I didn’t recognize her at all for a moment, until she smiled.  I think I would have walked right by and not even have seen her if she hadn’t stopped me.  She was dressed very stylish, had on makeup, including lipstick, looked lithe and poised, even seemed taller and had a different posture.

My cousin kindly commented in a group email after a family get-together:

I also want to see if anyone noticed that approximately 1/2 of Lisa was
"missing", that's an impressive transformation.

One colleague said I was unrecognisable from behind, even my walk was different. My family thinks I'm thinner AND taller. Another colleague congratulated me with a card and gift having recognised the extent of my achievement. And yet another has been my cheerleader and comfort on almost a daily basis.

My family have been an invaluable support. Especially those in my house allowing me to cook us new and sometimes "interesting" food, no longer cooking some of our less-than-healthy favourites, and making time for me to fit in my running no matter the inconvenience.

So the point of this rambling is in part just to serve as a memory bank for me. But more importantly it is an opportunity for me to express how grateful I am for this support and encouragement. It has aided my efforts, buoyed my resolve, and boosted my feelings of success which I believe will all be key to maintaining my new-found self.

Warning: Slippery Surface!

I have discovered this week how very VERY easy it would be to slip into old habits with only the slightest change of focus.

I went out on Saturday night with a couple of girlfriends - a very rare occasion in my world of little kids and work. We had a great time: lots and lots of laughs, some wine, some yummy food. Well the laughs are free, maybe even Activity Points when they get really big. But the wine and food were certainly not free. I was reasonable, I recorded my points, I left some food on my plate.

For me that isn't my concern. What surprised me was how easy it was to get distracted and eat more than I intended. How I could so easily have drank more than expected. I was caught up in the conversation and enjoying myself. I then returned to old habits of eating and drinking without being mindful. Here's the crux of the matter. Since starting WW and succeeding on my journey, I have been very mindful of what I'm eating both before choosing to eat it and during the meal.

The change is significant for me. I am an eater. If left to my own devices, I will eat whenever I am presented with something I even 'sort of' like. I will seek out food when bored, tired, uncomfortable, happy, or when I'm hungry. Hunger is not a necessary state for me to reach for food.

Now that I am being mindful, I think ahead about when I will need to eat and what would be a good choice. I think about quantity and decide ahead of time how much to have. This is intentional because I know if I don't pay attention, I will keep eating long after I am satisfied physically and mentally. I will make unwise choices and even end up eating without really making the choice, just on auto-pilot.

Well I saw a glimpse of these old tendencies on Saturday night. I didn't do too badly. And I am strong enough now to know that I don't have to abandon my entire endeavour just because of one "slip". And I will now learn from it:
- I am still likely to keep eating
- I must remain mindful of what I am going to eat
- I must plan ahead, visualise, be prepared so that I don't set myself up to overeat
- I know that when in a busy situation I need to pause when my food arrives and be mindful

I guess I am better than I used to be since I realised before polishing my plate. And I've learned my lesson: I had an upset stomach from overeating and have maybe not done as well this week because of the indulgence.

Gone for Good!

A great point made by a fellow WW success story:

You will never hear me say that I lost the weight, but "got rid of it"! When you lose something it implies that you want to find it at some point again! I don't ever want any of the weight back and am working every day to make sure I never find it again!

- Lisa, WW online user, http://www.weightwatchers.ca/success/art/index.aspx?SuccessStoryId=6821&sc=600

Up Off the Couch - It's a Big Climb

I am so active now and love it - but why wasn't I before?

It is not like I was unaware that physical fitness was good for me, body and mind. I was fully aware that it would enable me to lose weight, live longer, be happier. So what was stopping me? What is this laziness that so restricted me?

I guess solving that is a bit of a grand desire and I should just be pleased that I have become active. The things that seem to have a positive impact for me:

• Working towards a goal. So far I've had a race planned ahead of me all the time and that has provided the focus to my training.


• Having a routine. From the beginning of my running with the Couch to 5K program (NHS Choices), I have been running three times a week. This is the expectation I have maintained and I think in my mind it is set as an immovable task.


• Setting the priority. Right from the start my husband and family enabled me to make my running a priority and have supported me as it often trumped other activities.


• Varying the route. I know my boredom threshold and have put effort and thought into keeping my routes varied to try to avoid a rut. Running with friends or a group helps as they show me new routes. It's worked so far!


• Having company and sometimes not. I find I can run very long distances without really thinking about it as long as I have someone chatting with me, or even better chatting to me!
• Commitment to others. Making plans to meet makes me feel at the time like it's a done deal, no question.



• Welcome distractions. Some people like the sounds of their surroundings. Some like music and as I find better running music so do I. But my favourite distraction when running alone is audiobooks. Find a good one and it's so easy to get absorbed in it and the running slides into the background!


• Stick to what works. I really did pay attention early on to my training by keeping a log. This enabled me to identify nutrition and personal routines that have a positive or negative impact on training. Now I put that knowledge to good use!


• The rush of accomplishment. I've been setting and realising goals all along and the rush of that success lasts for ages propelling me on to the next one. Recently I ran over the Lions Gate Bridge on my own, a feat that had felt big and difficult to me. At the top of the bridge I cried a little and almost did the Rocky air-punches in sheer delight. I was smiling so much on that run I practically had bugs in my teeth! What a rush!!! And sometimes I get the same buzz from hill work: conquering a big hill feels great! Who wouldn't want to get off the couch to feel like this great?

Having said all of this I can only think of a couple if times when getting out was a struggle. Perhaps I know well enough now what a benefit it will be so find it easier to get moving.

Holy Skinny Jeans, Batgirl!

Well, the big day came: I hit my WW goal!  When I finally reached & dipped below the coveted 164lb mark, I had lost a total of 52.3lbs.  Wow.  (I say "wow" a lot now, there seem to be very few expressions to choose from that really hit the mark.   "Wow" works.)

At the Weight Watchers meeting they asked me to talk a bit about hitting this huge milestone and I was really rather ineloquent, a lot of blabbering.  But on reflection, it is very hard to pinpoint any specific changes that "made all the difference" and it is even harder to be precise about what has changed. 

I do not think it is an overstatement to say the whole journey has been "revolutionary".  My new found self is so profoundly different on so many levels.  I have this new physical self to dress and touch and navigate through small spaces (catches me by surprise how easy it is to navigate now!).  I also have this self-image that has yet to catch up with the changes.  I still picture myself bigger than I now am.  It is a very vague sense, it's not like I was really aware of how big I was in that self-image either.  All I know is that I do not yet envision THIS self without a mirror to remind me.

I am consistently surprised at the clothing that now fits.  I hold something up and just assume it won't fit because, well, just look how small it is.  Then I slip it on and it fits.  Huh!  My mental concept of how wide I am is clearly behind the times.

As I mentioned earlier, there is the navigation issue.  I turn to <i>squeeze</i> through an opening and find there was no need to squeeze!

I am also aware that people must see me differently than I expect them to see me.  I still assume people are observing an obese, or at least very overweight, woman.  I don't know that they are reacting to me any differently but it is a different experience for me.  Perhaps it is a confidence, or at least lack of self-consciousness now that I can shed the 'they are staring at the fat woman' feeling.  Not that I was aware of feeling that way but I now realise I must have been because I feel differently now.

Anyway, goal reached.  Success.  Now what?

Quote to Live By... #2

Get rich quick: count your blessings.

- Cheesy bumper sticker

Things I Love Today... Apples & Oranges

It may seem silly but easy to overlook: fruit is nicer chopped up.

It seems to me to be true of most produce, actually, that if it's cut up and presented nicely, it really is tastier!

As simple as slicing up an apple, I suddenly find it satisfying.

And I have rediscovered the standard fruit salad. In December with fresh fruit at a premium, I am really enjoying using the household faves - apples, oranges, bananas - to make a lovely fruit salad.

My Boots

In early December as the Christmas sales were just getting started, I bought myself a pair of gorgeous Clarks tall boots - beautiful.

The deal with myself was that they were for reaching goal. I bought them when I found my size at a good price. They were not the incentive as I was enjoying the losing enough that I did not need any external motivation. No, they were the prize, the reward, for the dedication and hard work.

They sat in their box in my bedroom egging me on but other than playing dress-up on the occasional evening they stayed in the box. Until this morning. Today I put them on with my size 12 Ralph Lauren jeans that have been waiting for me to fit in them. Today I got to wear my new Prize Boots because I am 50 lbs lighter.

50 pounds lighter

I just like to see it and write it and say it and wallow in the wonder of it.

Wearing my boots today allowed me to think about it all day long.

A Day at Work

I received so much support and encouragement and congratulations at work today, it really was just so lovely. There will not be another time when I will get such attention, such positive credit, and I am trying very hard to savour it completely.

People I see often and people I rarely see comment: how different I look. What have I done to change? Compliments and stunned reactions. It's so rewarding and so encouraging and heartwarming.

I think the process becomes gradual and while I am shocked when I think of 50 pounds I also believe the shock is no longer new, it sinks in as you near it. But when you see the amazement, the awe, when you tell people how much you have lost, you get to experience the astonishment of hearing it out of the blue.

Quote to Live By... #1

When what we are is what we want to be, that's happiness.

- Malcolm Forbes

In Loving Memory...

I Have Lost 50 Pounds. Wow.

50lbs.

23% of my starting weight.

Almost two of my son.

I have lost fifty pounds and feel amazed - and amazing. It's not like it's a surprise, I was close and it was coming. I am just really enjoying savouring the fact that almost a quarter of who I was at the start of the journey is gone now. Gone.

I feel like I should write an obituary: "In loving memory of Fifty-Pounds-of-Lisa. Always a trusted companion, Fifty-Pounds could be found hugging Lisa's hips. After a prolonged battle, Fifty-Pounds succumbed Tuesday to the diet. RIP Fifty-Pounds."

Recipe for Super-Simple Chicken, Cacciatore-Style

This chicken is simple, fast, tender, versatile, healthful, and delicious!

Ingredients

• 4 Chicken Breasts, skinned and boned
• Tin diced tomatoes, preferrably 'No Salt Added' (it's not needed so why add it?!)
• A coarsely chopped onion
• Handful of fresh basil leaves, torn and split into two halves

Method

• Preheat oven to 350
• Reserve one half of basil for garnishing finished dish
• Mix all ingredients in an oven-proof dish, cover, cook for 30 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked
• Use slotted spoon to serve chicken and other vegetables

Serving Suggestions
Serve over rice, pasta, steamed spinach, or perhaps winter squash. A lovely accompaniment to new potatoes.

The remaining tomato juice could be thickened into a sauce in its own right. However, using just the vegetables has usually suited us as it is such a wonderful way to keep the chicken tender. I have on occasion served just the chicken and used the juice and tomatoes as the tomato+stock base for a sauce for another meal.

Alternatives / Things to Try
Could try spinach, mushrooms, or peppers too.

Recipe for Curry Chicken Salad

A DELICIOUS salad that we originally enjoyed in a full-fat version but is really just as wonderful like this.

Ingredients

• 2 oz chicken, diced into chunks same size as apple
• 3/4 cup broccoli, diced quite small
• 3/4 cup halved grapes
• 1 tbsp cholesterol-free mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp fat-free sour cream
• 1 tsp - or to taste - mild curry powder

Method
Mix.
Yum.

Recipe for Waldorf-ish Salad

Waldorf salad - the original - is delicious but a real no-no on a diet. So, liking the combination of flavours but willing to sacrifice the nuts and full-fat mayonnaise to stick to my plan, I enjoy this version.

Ingredients

• One apple, diced into small chunks
• 2 oz chicken, diced into chunks same size as apple
• 1/2 cup celery, diced
• 1/2 cup halved grapes
• 1 tbsp cholesterol-free mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp fat-free sour cream

Method
Mix it altogether and I dare you not to gobble it all up!

Recipe for Crunchy Slaws

Endless varieties of slaw are possible but here are some basics that I can vouch for as very tasty, filling, and creamy enough to serve on a green salad without any further dressing.

Ingredients

• 1 cup finely diced purple cabbage (or green, I just think the purple is pretty)
• 1 cup finely diced broccoli
• 2 coarsely grated carrots
• 2 stalks finely sliced celery
• 1 tbsp Cholesterol-free mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp Fat-free sour cream
• 1/4 cup raisins (optional because makes it less diet-friendly but it is yummy!)

Mehod
Mix it all together and enjoy!

Uses
Great served on a green salad or on its own.

My Thoughts on... Fat-Free Sour Cream

Fat-free sour cream has probably been one of the most beneficial purchases for my diet. I use it to dilute everything creamy and as a main ingredient in other dishes.

Uses

• Cut cholesterol-free mayo with fat-free sour cream for a very low-fat and still tasty alternative to mayonnaise. See recipes for Curry Chicken Salad, Crunchy Slaws, Waldorf-ish Salad
• Beef Stroganoff: this delish classic is wonderful made with fat-free sour cream and oh so diet-friendly!
• Cut with hummus, make it go further for less

My Thoughts on... Cabbage

Cabbage is not exactly something that I would have thought of as a main ingredient in my cooking until recently. Now, it appears in various forms in all sorts of dishes.

Uses - or at least a few examples

• Diet-friendly slaw - see recipe for Crunchy Slaws
• Salad filler - add raw, finely-diced purple or white cabbage to green salad to add some crunch, a little peppery flavour, and when purple it's just plain pretty.
• Side dish. Boiled cabbage, especially curly green cabbage, is a great side for a cooked roast dinner as it picks up gravy nicely (made from granules is diet-friendly)
• Pasta-replacement. Boiled cabbage is a great substitute for pasta. I sometimes replace the pasta altogether but sometimes just mix them to reduce the carb intake.

As with all my "thoughts on..." foods, I do not presume to know or have tried all the variations of a food nor prepared it in all its fashions. I want only to share what I enjoy about it in hopes that it reminds me when I've forgotten and may occasionally spark a new meal idea.

My Thoughts on... Winter Squash

Acorn squash. Butternut squash. Spaghetti squash. Others whose names I don't know... Winter squash has been bringing great variety and enjoyment to our plates.

Preparation
Soooo easy. Slice in half lengthwise, scoop out seeds, place open-face-down in a baking dish, roast for 20 minutes or so at 350. Poke after about 15 minutes for a smaller squash, may take longer for a thicker-skinned variety. Ready when a fork sinks into flesh easily. Can be cooked at 450 when other roasting vegetables, for instance, just watch the length as it'll get done faster!

Uses

• In tomato sauce. As a healthful boost and thickener for tomato sauce: just stir fork-mashed squash into a tomato sauce or, ideally, use a hand blender to mix it in. Makes it fabulously thick and packed with goodness.
• As a side dish it can be served hot, as is, as any other vegetable. Acorn squash makes a very pretty side dish with its dark-green shapely exterior.
• Spaghetti squash earned its name because its flesh is very spaghetti-like when combed loose with a fork. It even has a nice firm "bite" so serves as a fabulous alternative to pasta with sauce. The sauce can be served directly in the shell for a very striking dish.
• With salad: left-over squash is lovely chilled with salad. Makes it very filling and oh so good for you. And of course, yummy!
• Mashed potato substitute: the texture is really morish and soaks up dressings really well so its a great filler in place of mash, i.e. wherever there is gravy or - as I enjoyed the other night - sauce made from cream of mushroom soup.

As an aside, the thinner skins can be eaten although some will be too tough.

As with all my "thoughts on..." foods, I do not presume to know or have tried all the variations of a food nor prepared it in all its fashions. I want only to share what I enjoy about it in hopes that it reminds me when I've forgotten and may occasionally spark a new meal idea.

My Thoughts on... Beetroot

Beetroot. Beets. Funny, rough-looking, stain-your-fingers vegetables that I confess until recently were not much eaten in our house. Occasionally the jar of pickled beets would grace our table but that was about it. Until recently...

I have discovered the wonder and versatility of this root and am thoroughly enjoying it lately.

Preparation
I find the easiest method of cooking to be roasting fresh beets. Boiling is certainly an option but the splashes are such a mess! Simple method: quick wash then peel (some save peeling until cooked but then you have to wait for them to cool...). Wrap them up in a loose package of tinfoil, roast at say 450 (perhaps at same time as roasting vegetables). When cooked to fork-tender they can be served in so many ways.

Uses for Cooked Beets

• Served warm as-is
• Diced or grated and chilled and served in a salad (can actually make a salad moist and flavourful enough to skip dressing altogether, same goes for in a wrap
• Grated and stirred into fat-free Greek yogurt for a delicious, sweet snack or addition to salad or filling for a wrap

As with all my "thoughts on..." foods, I do not presume to know or have tried all the variations of a food nor prepared it in all its fashions. I want only to share what I enjoy about it in hopes that it reminds me when I've forgotten and may occasionally spark a new meal idea.

Recipe for Roasted Vegetables

Seems obvious: Roasted Vegetables - what can be so hard about that? But I have found a formula that has worked great and I don't want to forget it so here it is:

Ingredients:
- one red pepper, diced into 1" chunks
- one orange pepper, diced into 1" chunks
- one yellow pepper, diced into 1" chunks
- one purple (could be white) onion, diced into 1" chunks

Method:
- preheat oven to 450
- line a baking tray with parchment paper
- spread all the diced veg out on the pan all mixed up
- put in upper half of oven
- turn at about 10 minutes
- will be done at about 20 minutes, start checking at 20, may need a few extra minutes for onions to caramilise, don't wait for crunch, just tender and juicy

Uses:
- these are wonderful mixed into a tomato pasta sauce, served hot as a vegetable side-dish, in any saucy dish to bulk it up, cold on a salad, in an omelette, added to a wrap with a meat or cheese... endless possibilities. They are really juicy so can go in a wrap just with lettuce or on their own.

Possible Alternatives / Things to Try:
Adding mushrooms, zucchini/courgette, squash, cabbage (roasted purple cabbage is nice)

Things to keep in the house...

I find that having good food readily available means I really can avoid the not-so-good-food. Here are some of my staples:

- Roasted vegetables: these are great hot or cold, see recipe
- Fat-free cottage cheese in the fridge AND the tin of crushed pineapple already opened and in a container in the fridge for easy serving. Better yet, pre-portion!
- Pepper slices: have them all sliced up in a big see-through tub ready for grabbing to munch or add to a hot or cold meal
- Carrots: I buy the little prepared carrots so I always have some to nibble on
- Babybel light cheeses: a great low-fat snack
- Schneiders naturals ham (or some such 'all natural' brand that is all the rage right now)
- Skim milk: try not to fall victim of higher-fat ones!
- Weightwatchers bread in the freezer: although I hardly eat bread anymore
- Cholesterol-free Hellmans mayonnaise
- Eggs: an easy and good-for-you option at any time of day
- Cornflakes (1.25 cups per serving), see Skim Milk above
- Bananas: I eat a lot of bananas
- Spinach: good cooked or in salad
- Lettuce: keep a variety on hand so that you can tear up a bit of each and have as a regular salad or just put a bunch next to a hot rice dish to bulk it up, the hot and cold / mushy to crunchy contrast is lovely.
- SmartOnes Chocolate Fudge Cake (or another low-fat dessert of your chosing): make sure there is something naughty but not too naughty available at all times so you don't resort to something really bad for you

Recipe for "Zucc-izza"? "Pizzini"? "Stuffed Zucchini" pizza style...

I'm sure there is nothing special about this stuffed zucchini but I am finding it to be incredibly versitile and satisfying AND, it manages to make me feel a bit like I've had pizza which one would hope would keep me from eating real pizza!

Ingredients:
(quantities will depend on how big your zucchini is... amounts given as a guide)
- medium zucchini, whole
- 4 mushrooms, diced
- handful of spinach, diced
- 2 green onions, diced
- 1/4 cup fat-free cottage cheese (use as little as needed to bind filling)
- 1 tbsp light paremsan cheese

Method:
- preheat oven to 450
- Split zucchini lengthwise
- scoop out middle to about 1/4 inch thick
- dice up half of pulp, discard rest
- mix diced pulp with mushroom, spinach, green onion
- stir in no-fat cottage cheese, just enough to bind
- stuff mixture into shells, mound lots in
- sprinkle with light Parmesan
- bake 450 for about 20 mins

Possible additions / things to try:
- use tomato sauce instead of cottage cheese to blend filling
- alternate cheeses on top / in filling