I'm Just Big Boned

I frequent the WW message boards probably a little more than I should and every one in a while, there is someone who chimes in about being Big Boned. Before I answer the question with some smart remark, I always take a step back and realize that there was no way I would have dreamed one year ago that I would weigh an "ideal" weight. Today marks "ONE YEAR" since I began my weight loss journey. In this year, I have come to realize that being big boned, is just one of those excuses to stay fat along with "I can't."

Working with smaller goals and focusing on being healthy instead of worrying about a number on a scale has made me appreciate my journey much more. Thanks to everyone who stops by to lend support and maybe gain a little as well. I appreciate the support of everyone and it is definitely a big part of my success. Here's to the next year living healthy and with big bones.

In Praise of: Tea

I know I've mentioned, News Currents before, but I really do enjoy reading this weekly news subscription with the residents that I work with. This week, there was an article about "TEA." I have not really been a tea drinker in the past, but I have started drinking it a little more often lately. I brought some Lipton's Green Tea. I have been enjoying it in the evening with a splash of milk. I never would have thought to add milk until I saw one of the residents in the dining room add milk to her tea. After reading NewsCurrents, I came to find out that adding milk to your tea is an English tradition.

I had know idea that tea was the second most popular drink in the world. Wow! I found this quick read about the benefits of drinking tea. Tea has the potential to combat Type 2 diabetes, help boost your immune system, build bone strength, help your heart's health. It also has the ability to build and improve memory power.

I had know idea what the difference between green tea and black tea was either before today. I now know that they come from the same plants, but are prepared in different ways. Black tea comes from leaves that are dried while green tea comes from leaves that are steamed or heated to keep their green color.

An interesting fact from NewsCurrents: "Each day, people around the world drink about two and a half billion cups of tea. WOW! It's one of the 0 point beverages as long as you don't add anything to it too;)

Fun Picture Meme

Kathy had a lot of fun with this Meme and I did too.

Here are the rules:

1. Go to www.flickr.com.
2. Type your answer to each question in the “search” box.
3. Using only the first page, pick an image. ((I'll admit cheating))
4. Copy and paste the html into your blog.


So, here I go:
What is your first name?
((You thought my name was really TB ;)


What is your favorite food?
((For breakfast everyday))


What high school did you attend?
((Wondering why the heck anyone would really have or NEED a map of Mayville))


What is your favorite color?
((Heliotrope, it was the first thing that came to mind))



Who is your favorite celebrity crush?
((Duff Goldmann, Ace of Cakes))


What is your favorite drink?
((Ice Mountain Water))


What do you want to be when you grow up?
((I want to be remembered))


What do you love most in life?
((Singing Soothes the Soul))


What is the one word that would describe you?
((With a wife who answers questions two days after they are asked, it's gotta be: PATIENCE!!))

Another Super Food

Another Super food: Orange Foods

Lots of super orange foods packed with tons of vitamins. Apricots, squash, cantaloupe, carrots, mangos, peaches, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, sweet corn, oranges, nectarines, mandarins, tangerines just to name a few.

A single carrot has enough beta-carotene to provide enough of this important antioxidant for the day. Beta carotene reduces the risk of cancer and heart disease; maintain good vision, increased infection fighting ability. Oranges are a great source of vitamin C, potassium and iron, but they also provide folic acid, which plays a role in the formation of oxygen-carrying red blood cells.

I have proudly tried each on of these orange foods, but don't quite get why sweet corn is in this group. I eat tons of carrots and have really come to like sweet potatoes. The rest of the orange group, I eat on occasion, but not regularly.



Picture of the Day:
Went to visit my Brother SB today. He and my SIL had a brand new baby boy on April 15, Braxton Harold. This was our first meeting. Picture is me (TB), my son Alex, Brother Steve and Braxton. He definitely looks like a boy!

What's Good about High Numbers?

I've skipped my regular meeting the last few weeks. It's just been too darn nice out. Last week, I knew I was a little up, so I just plain skipped. The two weeks prior to that I did go to weigh in, but then left. Tonight, I told my wife that I had to go since I just got done with my "Perfect Day." I was pleasantly surprised at the number. 187 is the lowest that I have been at an evening meeting. I still would like to get down to 180 and settle in there for a while.

Since I skipped last week's meeting, I had no clue how many people had attended. When I got to the meeting tonight, I found out there was a good crowd. Tonight, there was another good crowd. So what's the big deal about "high numbers?" Seems there needs to be at least 33 paying members each week to have a second receptionist. So next Wednesday will be my first official meeting as a receptionist. I hope I remember everything that I was taught during my training. Our leader made a big production of embarrassing me, which she has done on numerous occasions. I don't mind as I am mighty proud of the fact that I've lost over 80 pounds in a year.

Just a little Wednesday humor for you...

Wedding Anniversary

Ed was in trouble. He forgot his wedding anniversary and his wife was really angry.
She told him, "Tomorrow morning I expect to find a gift in the driveway that goes from 0 to 200 in less then 6 Seconds AND IT BETTER BE THERE!!"

The next morning Ed got up early and left for work.
When his wife woke up she looked out the window and sure enough there was a box
gift-wrapped in the middle of the driveway.
Confused, the wife put on her robe and ran out to the driveway, and brought the box back in the house.
She opened it



and found a brand new Bathroom Scale.

Ed has been missing since Friday. Please pray for him.

Who's Idea Was This?

Well now, this is a challenge. I admit that it was my idea to put the frig and most of our food within view from my favorite chair. It has and will be the biggest challenge in remodeling our kitchen. When I was young, I remember going to the frig just to open it. I was never really hungry and always knew exactly what was in the frig, but it was a habit. Since getting married, I am the one who has done all the shopping and I still know exactly what's in our very, very soon-to-be SUPERSIZED frig. I have never gone to the frig out of habit. I have however gone to the pantry to gaze at the food. Most of the time I shut the door without grabbing anything, but now my pantry and frig are staring me smack in the face. I'll be fine as long as I continue to realize that I am accountable.

I have noticed another staring match that I take on daily. Each day, I bring my own lunch to work, but it has not stopped me from staring down the fried foods that cover the employee cafeteria. I have handled it fine, but still continue to have the daily staring match with the fried mozzarella sticks, fried veggies and other assorted cakes , cookies and pies.

I am so glad that the frig does not reside permanently within eyesight from my favorite chair.

One Perfect Day

Kathy, at Kathy Calculates Weight Loss challenged us to have "One Perfect Day." I did my best and have done well on the food front. I've gotten everything in, but my vitamin, which for some reason has not become so important lately. I'm sure I'll get back into the habit of taking them once our kitchen is complete and they once again have a "place." Besides my vitamin, I need to get some exercise in. I am still debating about either hopping on the elliptical quick or going for a late night walk. I will get it in. It was a perfect day here.



Kitchen Update:
This is what it looked like yesterday and now today when I got home.

"The Journey Begins with One Step"

I was tagged...D from D's Health and Weight Loss Journey
Word Meme

1. Write your own Six-Word Memoir
2. Post it on your blog and include a visual illustration if you want.
3. Link to the person that tagged you in your post and to the original post if possible so we can track it as it travels across the blogosphere.
4. Tag at least five more blogs with links.
5. Leave a comment on the tagged blogs with an invitation to play.

I don't mind playing along, but rarely take the time to tag anybody else. So if you haven't done it yet, you're welcome to join in.

"The Journey Begins with One Step"

Walking has been a huge part of my weight loss journey. Looking back at this winter, I have missed my daily walks. This week, my 3 yr. old asked to go for a walk. I obliged and am so glad that I did. I now remember why I enjoy walking so much. Even when I push the double-stroller with two kids coming with me to search for bunnies or count puppies, it is a relaxing time that I don't have during other parts of the day. I often think about how I could burn so many more calories by riding the elliptical, but when I ride the elliptical, I am always watching the display to see how close to "DONE" I am. When I walk, there is no "DONE." I can walk as far as I want, where ever I want. I am so grateful for the Springtime and happy to be walking once again.

Just a Busy Week

Noticing that there are still several people checking here daily for inspiration and a dose of reality, I want to assure you that I am still plugging away. I mentioned last week that I was going to try CORE for a while. My week starts on Wednesday and by Saturday, I had eaten all of my 35 weekly points. I know when you're on Maintenance, you are allowed more points, but it was clear to me that I am not quite at a point where CORE will work yet. Convenience foods, peanut butter and chocolate take up too many of my points to consider going CORE. I noticed myself regressing to bad habits of snacking with BIG snacks like a bag of popcorn and a bowl of oatmeal or peanut butter and carrots and a piece of fruit, instead of one or the other. All those are technically CORE foods, but they also add lots of points that I really didn't need.

So it's back to FLEX and tracking everything for now. I still have noticed that I tend to eat a lot of CORE foods, it's just that I eat too many non-core foods too;)

I shall return sooner than my last post...it's just been a busy week: WEEK OF THE YOUNG CHILD. Meant a few evening engagements at daycare and long nights that wore Daddy out faster than the kids.

Thanks for hanging with me and motivating me to keep going. I shall make it to a meeting this week, skipped my regular meeting "just because" and I don't want to get into that habit.

Back to the Super Foods: Blue Foods

Back by popular demand...thanks Katie! Here's another installment of Super Foods. Well, blue M&M's are about as close to blue foods as I had gotten in the past. Blueberries, grapes and plums are packed with antioxidants and phytoflavinoids. They're also high in potassium and vitamin C, making them a favorite on the list of "Super Foods." Not only can they lower your risk of heart disease and cancer, they are also an anti-inflammatory. Inflammation is a key driver of all chronic diseases, so blueberries have a host of benefits. The darker they are, the more anti-oxidants they have.

Reading on the GOAD message board last week, "real foods" were discussed. A regular to the message board mentioned not wanting to eat many "frozen" foods. Well, I agree with not eating many frozen dinners and other frozen treats, but frozen veggies and frozen fruits are fine. In fact, it was brought up that frozen fruit is usually frozen immediately after being picked, which keeps all the vitamins and antioxidants intact. I had never thought about that before, but it makes total sense. It takes a long time to ship the "fresh" fruits and veggies to where ever they are coming from. I have always loved going to the farmer's market as all the fruits and veggies are picked early in the day and brought to the market as fresh as can be.

I bought some frozen blueberries this week, haven't touched them yet, but I will.


On another note, I'm trying to start CORE this week. I have a feeling it may be a one week experiment for now as I'm having a hard time staying away from the junk. 35 points does not go far into a pan of brownies ;)

The Biggest Loser

I was so amazed at the amount of weight everyone lost this week...and then there were three. It's up to us to decide the final finalist. I was rooting for Mark early on, but halfway into the competition, he got a little too weepy and competitive for me. Roger has also been arrogant along the way, but he really seems like a down-to-earth normal kind of guy, so I'm leaning towards voting for Roger.

I really am rooting for one of the girls to win and I actually don't care which one. Ali has really kicked some booty since returning and Kelly also seems "real." I'm looking forward to watching a good finale and have really enjoyed the season.

Tuesday

No better title today. I did try the Flax Seed Meal in my oatmeal this morning. I wasn't sure how to use it, if I should add it before heating my oatmeal or after. I added it first and then nuked it. I will have to remember to add more water tomorrow as it made my oatmeal very thick. I like it a little more on the runny side. Noelle commented that it has a nutty taste, and I definitely agree with that. I may be able to take my Peanut Butter out of the oatmeal as I experiment with it a little more.

Off to choir and when I get home, I'll ride the elliptical while watching the Biggest Loser. Unfortunately, I had a little run-in with Girl Scout Cookies today. To say they least: The Girl Scouts Won!

Weekend Cleaning

I've been cleaning out the basement this weekend, getting ready to move half the kitchen to the basement for awhile. It will be in boxes, but I still had to make some room for them. In doing so, I noticed that as long as I kept busy, I didn't think about eating at all. I came upstairs a few times for water, but never once thought about grabbing something to eat. I have a pile of stuff to donate or "Freecyle". It amazed me that I kept busy from about 9:30-1:30 without interruption and I wasn't even hungry. I ate a very light lunch and felt satisfied and actually kept on organizing. I shall remember this weekend as a victory.

My wife, read about my brat feast and I guess I was caught. She actually only saw me eat one! She also commented that she was quite impressed that a post about brats got more comments that those about super foods. Go figure! Actually, I would much rather talk about the greasy and delicious foods, but I know that I need to focus on the healthy ones. That being said, tonight I bought some flaxseed meal. I'll be adding a tablespoon or two to my oatmeal tomorrow morning and I'll report back.

Opening Day!

All was good in Milwaukee yesterday. We won the opener! Drinks all around! There's a old running joke that says if the Brewers "lose" the opener, no one can drink. Why? Because they lost the "opener." Bottle opener that would be ;)

It was a beautiful day yesterday and my wife decided to stop and the grocery store and load up on some traditional tailgate items. Brats, buns, baked beans, grilled potatoes and for dessert Angel Food Cake with strawberries and whipped cream. Seeming that I had a good day so far and plenty of points, I decided to partake in the brats. I had two! I'm sure my wife was a little more than surprised as she had specially grilled two chicken breasts for me thinking that there was no way I would have a brat.

I will not deprive myself. When I started this journey, I did not want to change what I ate, just how I ate. So I chalked up the damage and the points came out to be HUGE for my at home tailgate party, but I enjoyed every bite...and the best part: BREWERS WIN!!

Broccoli

30 calories in a cup of broccoli. I usually try to buy broccoli without much stem. Apparently, the stem has even more nutrients than the florets. Who knew? A great way to use the stem is to puree it and add it to other recipes. A little of the old: if it's pureed, nobody will know it's in there trick. I am fortunate to have three kids that absolutely LOVE broccoli. I am not a huge fan. I would rather eat peas myself.

Here's the low-down on Broccoli:
It is a true superfood as it is a great source of vitamin C and also contains beta-carotene, folic acid, iron, potassium and anti-cancer phytonutrients. Broccoli is now one of the best selling veggies in the U.S. If you would like to prevent colon cancer, broccoli is essential to include in your diet. Eating it regularly can cut your risk of developing cataracts or becoming a stroke victim. Packed with phytonutrients, broccoli can even help the body destroy breast cancer cells.

Flax Seeds

Flax Seeds are another super food that I have little to no experience using. I've heard a lot about flax seeds and flax seed oil as it is one of the healthy oils suggested to use daily through Weight Watchers. Apparently, Flax Seed Oil is an oil that is not good to cook with. Not exactly sure why? Flax Seeds are full of fiber. 3 grams per tablespoon. Flax seeds are not digested properly if eaten whole. The preferred way to serve flax seeds is ground or in a flax seed meal form. Something else to remember is that flax seeds and the flax seed oil should be kept refrigerated. If it's left out too long, it can become rancid.

Kale

Thought I'd share more about the super foods that I heard about last week. Today, I'll focus on Kale. I have to admit, this was the one food listed that I had no idea what it was. Kale is a relative of broccoli and cabbage. It has leaves like cabbage and a thick stalk like broccoli. When preparing Kale, it can be thrown it with most any other veggies. The only thing to remember about kale is to peel the stalky portioned away from the leaves. Much like broccoli, that stalky portion is very fiberous and difficult to eat. It can be chopped or left whole and added to soups, stew and stir-fry. It is tough and best cooked, not raw. When eating kale, you will probably burn more calories eating it than are in kale. I love foods like that!