Healthy Eating » Skippermark

Happy Losing Only a Little

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Nov 182011

Weight-wise this was a mixed week. I didn’t eat very healthy, but I still managed to lost .2 pounds. Yay!

I’m not sure how they got there, but somehow some super sweet and fatty junk food made its way into our cabinet. Normally, it wouldn’t be a big deal, but we slacked off this week and hadn’t done any healthy shopping for “snacks,” which usually consists of fruits, nuts and things like that. I was really hungry one night and saw the junk food and ate a package. Then, I did it again…two more times.

We also had pizza during the week, and I ate a lot. On top of that I didn’t walk because it rained almost everyday.

When I got on the scale, I was surprised to see that I had managed to lose something. I felt guilty about the junk I ate, but then I felt a little better that I was still able to lose something. This coming week will be different. I can’t slack off again.

I’ll eat better and will hopefully have a better weight loss report next week.

The Power Is Back!

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Nov 072011

After over 5 days of living without electricity, our power was restored. For those not from New England, we were hit with a freak snow storm on October 29-30 that dumped a foot of snow on Connecticut and over 30 inches in parts of New Hampshire and other states. It was really bad because the leaves were still on the trees, and the weight of the heavy, wet snow caused tree limbs to break and take out power lines, knocking out the electricity to over 3 million people along the east coast and over 800,000 in Connecticut.

We were fortunate because we had purchased a small generator before Hurricane Irene hit earlier this year and could keep the food in our fridge cold, but we couldn’t cook and only had one light to live by. I knew this would be a challenge to my Weight Watchers weight loss and healthy eating plan, but we made do. Without a computer or internet, I had no way to track my food online, so I guessed at the amount of total points I was eating. Yes, I could have written things down and done it manually, but that would have been a pain and taken a lot of time, which I didn’t have a lot of since I had to drive around and find an open gas station that didn’t have an hour long wait to buy gas.

Turns out I ended up doing okay and lost a total of 1.6 pounds, not bad considering we ate out a couple times, once at a fast food burger joint where I stuffed myself with fatty burgers. For lunch I ate nitrate free turkey and ham sandwich meat, yogurt and salads. For dinner we ate salads and other foods that didn’t require cooking. The first couple days without power were fun, but I was thankful when it came back on.

What did I learn from this? I learned that because I have eaten eating healthy for a couple months, I knew what to buy even though I couldn’t track the foods I was eating. I learned that it still comes down to portion control and choosing carefully. I was tempted to give up and eat out more than we did, but I knew I’d regret it in the end, and I’m so glad I listened to my heart and held strong because I was delighted when I got on the scale on weigh-in day and saw a loss.

I’m not saying that snacking is bad (see my post about splurging once in awhile), but if you get discouraged and want to give up, be strong and think of the long term rewards. They far outweigh the short term satisfaction of giving into temptation.

First Annual Food Day

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Oct 252011

Coming up on October 24, 2011 will be the first annual Food Day event. Food Day is a day to promote healthier eating and push for healthier food standards and for foods that are produced in a sustainable and affordable manner. To commemorate this day, hundreds of companies will be hosting local events, making donations to charities and encouraging local residents to get involved. Food Day is being supported by members of the senate and congress as well as churches, schools, farmers and local and state governments.

More Americans are overweight than ever before. The foods we eat are being genetically modified and inundated with chemicals and pesticides. The animals we eat are treated inhumanely, and food-related illnesses like e coli are reaching frequently in the news. Are you ready to help make a difference? I encourage everyone to check out the Food Day site or the Center For Science In The Public Interest for more information and to see how you can get involved.

Does Eating Healthy Cost More?

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Oct 222011

Since wanting to eat healthier, we’ve totally changed what we eat as well as where we shop. We used to shop at regular grocery stores, but we’re trying to eat organic as much as possible and avoid artificial additives and colors and have switched to shopping at Whole Foods Market.

People have asked how we can afford to shop there because everything is so much more expensive, but from what we’ve seen, that’s not the case. Sure, you can buy expensive things, but you can do that at a regular grocery store too. We did a direct comparison of 10 items that we regularly buy, including chicken broth, fruit, chicken and more and found that, not only did we spend less, we’re eating healthier because many of the items are organic, meaning they’re free from pesticides and aren’t genetically modified. If they aren’t organic, they’re still free of artificial colors and things like like nitrates & nitrites because Whole Foods won’t sell foods with that in it. For more information, check out Whole Foods Unacceptable Ingredient List.

We’re also saving because we’re not buying junk. In the past we’d have no idea what we wanted to buy and would buy whatever looked good to us, which was usually sugary junk food, but now we have a list and buy only what will be used for meals. We usually go twice a week so that we’re getting the freshest foods and not buying more than we can eat and will spoil.

It may seem like a small amount, but Whole Foods gives everyone a 5 cent credit for each bag they reuse, so if we get 5 bags of groceries a week, that’s $13.00 a year additional we save. Not bad!

Also, think about how much eating out costs. A fast food breakfast and coffee is $4-$5. Most quick lunches cost $5-$10. If our family of 3 goes out for dinner, we spend around $45 each time. A main course is $10-$13. Non-alcoholic drinks are $2.50ish and then tip. It’s even more if we get an appetizer. Yes, we’ll usually be able to bring half of the meal home to eat another day, but that’s still $22 per meal.

To compare, an antibiotic-free, roaster chicken from Whole Foods cooked with organic potatoes, peppers and onions will cost around $20 or $10 per meal or a little over $3 per person. Not only are we spending 50% less, we’re also eating healthier because many restaurant meals are loaded with salt and other ingredients. By cooking at home, we have control over what’s being added.

You Can Do It!

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Oct 212011

Last week was a bad week when I got on the scale and had gained weight, but I put it behind me and looked forward, which brings me to my thoughts for today. The key is that to lose weight, you really have to want it.

Yes, it’s easy to say you want it, but if you don’t put your desires into action, it’s not going to happen. I don’t mean you have to do anything crazy, but you have to be aware of what you’re doing and eating. Last week, for instance, I realized I didn’t eat right and wasn’t really thinking about losing weight, but this week I was very conscience of everything I ate, which helped me turn my 1.2 pound gain into a 3 pound loss this week.

When planning what to eat, I thought about it carefully. If I had 6 Weight Watchers points remaining for the day on, I had to decide what I wanted to eat. I could have a handful of candy, or I could have a baby spinach and lettuce salad with onions, peppers, walnuts and a light dressing, or a bowl of oatmeal, with skim milk and a teaspoon of brown sugar.

Candy is very tasty, but to me nuts are as well, so the salad would be a healthier option than candy. The oatmeal is also a good option because it’s filling, and it with a little brown sugar on top, it would be satisfy that desire to have something sweet.

To lose weight, I’m not saying to take drastic or crazy measures but be aware of what you’re eating and doing. Make conscience decisions to eat carefully.

That goes for exercise too. When I get home from work I’m very tired and often want to sit down and loaf on the couch, but I know that’s not going to help me lose weight and get in shape. This is one area that I need to work on because I don’t really like to exercise, but I know I need to do it. The question is how bad do I want it?

In my mind I want it, but I have to put my desires into action, which is something I’m going to do starting tonight. Taking a walk with my wife and dog in the evening can be relaxing. It’s a good way for us to bond. We can talk, share things and be together without being distracted by things going on at home, plus we get to see things we’ve noticed before while driving past them at 30 miles per hour.

So, that’s my challenge for the next week, to be more aware of what I’m eating and doing and to put my desires into action. What challenges are you working on?

A Brief History

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Oct 202011

This past June I realized I needed to lose weight, and, after talking to my sister, I signed up for Weight Watchers Online for Men. I’m in my 40s, stand 5′ 3″ tall and weighed 198 pounds. People who saw me said I didn’t look fat, but the truth is I was obese.

Like many people wanting to lose weight, I had tried a lot of different things, but nothing seemed to work. I had the best success with an online calorie tracking program, but it was difficult to use. When my sister suggested Weight Watchers, I figured it was worth trying, and I’m so glad I did. I love it! Since the middle of June I’ve lost 30 pounds. I still have more to go, but I’m making progress towards my goal.

A lot of people have asked how I’ve done it, and it all comes down to eating fewer calories than you burn. For me, that meant I needed to to stop drinking soda and start drinking water. In the past it wasn’t uncommon for me to drink 3 or 4 cans of soda a day and at night have a “snack” of 3 or 4 bowls of sugary cereal. Yikes!

Between breakfast, lunch and dinner, we’d eat out several times per week, but we stopped that and now eat out just once or twice a week for a special treat. I’ll talk more about giving yourself special treats as rewards for sticking to your goal in a future post.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope my site gives you inspiration to lose weight, take photos and pursue your goals and dreams, and if you have any advice to share, please feel free to reply to any of my posts or contact me directly.

Thanks!