Healthy snacks: Does eating this make me weird?

There's nothing like getting the side eye in the office to make you questions all life choices.

Maybe it's the stain on your pants from a toddler unwilling to use a tissue. It could be a rash decision to take leftover tuna casserole to work and heat it up in the communal microwave. Or, it might be the time you wore a shirt from the junior's department without a camisole or cardigan.

As for me, it's usually my choice in snacks, which - if we're being honest - I'm eating for a good part of the day.

SOY JOY | Dry Roasted Edamame
One of the things I always hated when I was doing Weight Watchers was everyone telling me that almonds were the healthiest of the healthy snacks. Yes, there are a lot of redeeming attributes about the tree nut but they were also a ton of points. I could eat four almonds or a mini bag of popcorn. Four almonds ... WHOLE bag of popcorn. Easy choice. Until one day when I found Seapoint Farms Dry Roasted Edamame at Marshall's. It's 130 calories per serving and offers protein and crunch like almonds without the calories.

Why eat it? It's high in protein - 14 grams per serving - and fiber (7 grams per serving). The ingredient list is also simple. For the lightly salted, it's soy beans and sea salt. That's it.

BITTER SWEET | Raw radishes
For most of my life, I disliked radishes - or at least said that I disliked the root vegetable. Then, one day, my grandma put them on a veggie tray and changed my life. The bitter vegetable was tolerable - maybe even good - dipped in ranch dressing. Since then, I've been noshing them regularly though my style has changed. The ranch dressing is gone, and I typically eat them apple-style at my desk. It's definitely turned some heads in the office but I hate to mask its bitter fire by slicing and dipping.

Why eat it? Radishes are low in calories (16 calories for a cup) and full of fiber and nutrients. According to this article, they have been known to eliminate toxins, ease sore throats and keep you hydrated.

SEA FARING | Roasted Seaweed Snacks
I first bought these on a trip to Trader Joe's when I was in Cincinnati. They were 99 cents a package, and I was antsy to fill my cart with something as I was underwhelmed with the offerings. I took them to work as that's where I do most of my snacking, figuring that I'd grab them from the snack drawer on a desperate day. Well, desperation came about 4 hours later. It would be easy to be put off by the smell and cellophane texture but I found the wasabi flavor to be palatable and liked the snack "melt" on my tongue.

Why eat it? I really, really liked that the snacks are 30 calories a serving. Oh, and it's a pretty awesome way to get in some minerals.

Other things I love: Cut vegetables dipped in salsa, dried cranberries + popcorn, cottage cheese + jelly, hard-boiled eggs with salt and pepper.

What about you? Do your snacks turn heads?

Three Things Thursday: Tales of a weight loss success

I was a puddle of sweat walking down the stairs at the YMCA, enroute to the locker room. It was slow going, tired after 5 miles, and so I fell behind another gal headed to the same place.

I had seen her before and, by before, I mean before I lost weight. I saw her before the gym was a habit and when I would try to make it to a strength class twice a week but usually made it twice a month.

"You used to come here a long time ago?" she asked.

I nodded.

"I thought you looked familiar."

I nodded and exchanged pleasantries as I wiped my face and unlocked my locker.

"You lost a ton, a ton of weight."

Yep. That's me. By the way, 120 pounds is only six-hundreths of a ton.

"How did you do it?" asked another gal, who was getting dressed in business attire and ready to head to work.

There - that was the part of the conversation that made me cringe. I get asked the question a lot, and I know it's because people want some insight. They want a clue as to how to do it, too. But, I always feel like such a disappointment because there's no gimmick or secret to share. I started exercising, I ate better more often than not and just got stubborn. I told her that albeit with a complete lack of enthusiasm but added that I did go to Weight Watchers for part of the journey. As a consolation.

The conversation made me think about the one thing people should ask: What helped. Everyone can do Weight Watchers or Paleo or South Beach but each person will find different things that helped. And this is what helped me.

1. A community. Whether it's Weight Watchers, a Diet Bet challenge or friends, a good support system substantially improves your chances of getting on track - and staying there. I found great help with my weekly meetings and, as I "graduated," in the blogging community. In addition, surrounding yourself with like-minded people helps reduce temptations, improves chances of engaging in a healthy activity and adds a bit of good-spirited peer pressure.

2. Knowledge is power. During my first attempts to lose weight, I thought you ate less, moved more - and it's true. However, I often focused solely on calories and not the nutrition of the food. I could eat a side salad and fries for lunch because it was 400 calories. And I did. OK, sometimes, I still do. However, I do so with a little more understanding and a lot less frequency.

As I immersed myself in Weight Watchers and blogging, I began to educate myself about what I needed to do and why. It made certain choices more obvious - like "splurging" on a grilled chicken salad with light dressing and skipping the fries - and it gave me permission to make different decisions.

Also, the process of learning about healthy eating, running and exercise, can make the information much more interesting and the journey less of a chore.

3. Get organized. I am a Type A person, through and through. I like planners, calendars, spreadsheets and, when it came to my weight loss, all of those things helped me immensely. I scheduled my workouts and posted a calendar on the fridge. I planned out a weekly menu and then, the night before, planned out a day's meals. I looked ahead to see when a night out or big event might require some padding, points wise, and planned for it. I carried my WW Points book and food log with me everywhere, and I set workout reminders on my phone.

After all, it's great to have information but you need to set in action and getting organized creates a system to make you accountable to the most important person in the process - YOU.

Five for Friday: On dieting

My work husband and I had returned to the cafeteria at work, anxious to fill our second (or third) bowl with mashed potatoes from the company's holiday lunch buffet.

"These are definitely not on the diet," I said to him as I grabbed the bowl, my admission flavored with guilt.

"Yeah. We need to talk about your definition of diet when we get upstairs," he said. To make sure I knew that he was calling me out, he added, "because for weeks you've been touting this new eating plan."

Eating plan does sound so much better than diet, though. Doesn't it? But I could lie no more. The guide I had been following, Dr. Ian Smith's "Shred: The Revolutionary Diet," is most definitely not an eating plan much less the lifestyle we've been coached to create. It is a diet, as the title most definitely announces.

I'm not saying it's a bad thing, necessarily, but I think with many things, we too often hope to find the next big thing and fool ourselves into thinking that we've unlocked the secret to forever happiness, fitness, skinniness. If we can't recognize that what we're doing is a stop gap, we're setting ourselves up for failure.

Breaking free: A non-Shred lunch of mixed green salad and chicken and rice soup with a side of bread.

Here are five signs that your plan is not a lifestyle:

1. The list of what you can not eat is longer than what you can eat. Shred is the first program where I have been told to eat and when. Meals - all four of them - and the snacks in between are well dictated with little wiggle room. There are good foods, such as vegetables, smoothies and soups, but there are no free foods. Bad foods, though, do exist - white potatoes, white carbs, COFFEE. Let me say that again: Coffee is bad in this plan.

When the foods are limited, it's suffocating. A person will feel limited, obsess over the naughty list and more likely to binge. Hence the mashed potatoes. It also fails to teach a person what to do when a standard meal, like the smoothie for breakfast in Shred, is unavailable.

2. Family/social functions create crippling anxiety and worry. This time of year can be difficult to navigate with parties and family obligations, and it can create its fair share of anxiety among even the healthiest. However, parties should not leave someone incapacitated because she cannot eat what's dictated by a plan selected somewhat arbitrarily.

Case in point: Mark and I went to Louisville three years ago for a fun weekend to be filled with bourbon and rolling hills. I was at my lowest weight, having found success with Weight Watchers, and was feeling confident. However, at that time, I had so narrowly defined how I was allowed to eat that I spent nearly a half-hour staring at the menu of a small town cafe trying to find something safe. My stomach growled and I was near tears but could not let go enough to order something that was off my plan. Not only was I frustrated but so were the waitress and, more importantly, Mark. My eating was creating undue stress and havoc on our vacation.

Note: I firmly believe that Weight Watchers is and can be a lifestyle but I had taken it too far at that point in time.

On the Shred Facebook page, I've seen people post photos of suitcases with Shred-branded popcorn, protein bars and smoothies so they can stay on plan during vacation. While a trip should not be an excuse to binge or eat poorly, it also seems a bit much to pack things that seem "safe."

3. The way of eating becomes a fixation, rather than a facet, of life. It's one thing to casually look at a plan but if you feel compelled to take your book with you to work, to dinner, to bed, it might be more than a resource. It could be a crutch. When making changes, we should make them a part of life so that it becomes intuitive and not the be all, end all.

4. It becomes more about the numbers than it does about how you feel. The scale, calories taken in, inches lost - they are all important to weight loss. However, if they are the only things you are measuring, it could be an equation for disappointment. When I was losing weight on Weight Watchers, I did weigh myself weekly. I did count points. However, I also tracked activity and challenged myself with running. I began to focus on how my body felt when I did things and ate certain foods rather than eating a treat with 10 points.

5. It doesn't get easier. The first week of Shred was deceptively easy. I fell into a rhythm with the meals and snacks, happily drinking protein shakes at 10 a.m. and lunch at 2 p.m. Grilled chicken didn't seem so bad at dinner, and I came up with the best salad ever - greens, red onion, edamame and tuna mixed with 1 teaspoon low fat mayonnaise and wasabi. The second week came and went, and I took a reduction in calories OK. But the third week plan, nearly a liquid diet, was scary and I was stressed just looking at it. I skipped to the fourth week but protein shakes for meals one and two were hard to stomach.

When I have done other things, such as Weight Watchers and sugar detoxes, the plans got easier by the week. I learned how to work with it and live with it. I could go out, I could enjoy things, without guilt. And that's the thing about diets - they are designed with such rigidity that they set us up to associate food with guilt.

By the way, in case you were wondering, as of today I am done with Shred. I cannot nor do I want to live a day where three out of four meals are shakes/smoothies or soup.

Note: These points are observations I have made while adhering, mostly, to the Shred diet. I am not a registered dietitian or health coach.

Sweet nothings

Sacrifice.

When embarking on a weight-loss journey, it is nearly inevitable that a person is going to have to make sacrifices - especially when it comes to food - because, last time I checked, a large Mint Oreo Blizzard wasn't in most eating plans. There's cutting things out entirely, reducing portion size (though a mini Blizzard still clocks in at xxx calories) or finding innovative ways to enjoy the qualities of certain foods without the calories.

And we've all seen those innovative ways. "Guilt-Free" Hazelnut spread, black bean brownies, protein pudding. But those innovations can sometimes (or) introduce artificial sweeteners and ingredients.

When I was in the thick of Weight Watchers, I was an "innovation queen." I would whip up Pumpkin Fluff that had sugar-free pudding and low-fat whipped topping, each carrying a long list of ingredients. Low-fat ice cream was a favorite but some of he treats have high fructose corn syrup. I made oatmeal variation after oatmeal variation that included my new favorite ingredient, stevia. And, of course, there was the Diet Coke.

I thought that the swaps I was making were what I had to do - and it probably was - and in the beginning, didn't think much beyond that. As I became successful, I told myself and touted that they were healthy. They were such a part of my daily eating habits that I couldn't imagine giving them up.

And then, in November, a co-worker posted a link to Dr. Fuhrman's Healthy Holiday Challenge. The 60 day challenge was a way for Eat to Live followers to reconnect with their lifestyle, which eschews oil, salt, white flour and sweeteners of all varieties among other things. For me, it was a way to disconnect from habits that I was beginning to think weren't so healthy and sever ties with Diet Coke.

I didn't make it the whole 60 days (hello, Christmas) but I did manage to kick my Diet Coke habit and rid my diet of artificial sweeteners. It is true. The girl who put stevia in everything has not touched a substitute intentionally since November (save for the diet soda I had when I had food poisoning).

I was eating sugar, though - and lots of it. But sugar had to be healthier, in moderation, than the substitutes, I reasoned.

Don't worry, the irony wasn't lost at me.

And so I found myself at a cross-roads. Just what kind of sweetener is OK? Honey and maple syrup are natural but still provide a sweet taste that I crave and pack some calories. Traditional sugared treats often send me into a tailspin of indulgence that leaves me feeling guilty. Stevia is "natural" but I find that people use it too frequently to make these faux desserts that are often not solving the need or addiction but putting a bandage on it.

Editor's note: This could be my own issues speaking and is merely my perception.

It's something I have been struggling with for the past couple months. I wanted to eat dessert but I wanted to eat clean and I wanted to control my weight. I thought I could do it with portion control but after a particularly bad bender last week, I found myself revisiting some of the foundations of Dr. Fuhrman's Eat to Live protocol. It's almost as if it's a cleanse, ridding the body of addictive, artificial ingredients and introducing control and willpower.

It's been nine days since I've intentionally eaten anything with added sugar and I plan to continue with it for at least the month of April as Laura at Mommy Run Fast posted a Sugar Detox Challenge for the month. Her initial post had some really interesting things to say about sugar and today she offers tips for overcoming sugar cravings. (I'm a big fan of the sweet vegetables as this weekend I added sweet potato and carrots to my wheat pancake mix, skipped the sugar and enjoyed every bite.)

I love the accountability of the challenge but, more importantly, I'm hoping to find a middle ground where I can eat a dessert here and there without a tail spin and find a definition for my healthy.

What is your relationship with sugar? Do you think certain sugar substitutes are OK? Do you think you are up for the challenge?

Take recipe to heart: A recipe

It seems like these days there's a special designation for every thing. January is Hot Tea Month and National Oatmeal Month. Today is National Bubblegum Day and April 17 (my birthday) is Ford Mustang Day.

But there's one observance that I can get behind, especially as a woman: National Heart Health Month. It's February, hence the post today, Feb. 1.

According to the American Heart Association, heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women, and is more deadly than all forms of cancer combined. An estimated 43 million women in the U.S. are affected by heart disease, and 90 percent of women have one or more risk factors for developing heart disease. It doesn't have to be a death sentence, though. A healthy lifestyle that includes exercise and good nutrition can offset many of the risks and improve health.

Though I'm still trying to figure out the definition of good nutrition for me, WomensHealth.gov said you should eat mainly:

• Fruits and vegetables 
• Grains (at least half of your grains should be whole grains, such as whole wheat, whole oats, oatmeal, whole-grain corn, brown rice, wild rice, whole rye, whole-grain barley, buckwheat, bulgur, millet, quinoa, and sorghum) 
• Fat-free or low-fat versions of milk, cheese, yogurt, and other milk products 
• Polyunsaturated (pol-ee-uhn-SACH-uh-ray-tid) and monounsaturated (mon-oh-uhn-SACH-uh-ray-tid) fats (found in fish, nuts, and vegetable oils)
• Fish, skinless poultry, lean meats, dry beans, eggs, and nuts 

Did you catch that last part, the one about lean meats? To maintain heart health, you don't have to eat grilled chicken with steamed broccoli and brown rice or unseasoned pork loin with sweet potatoes and steamed spinach.

Nope. You can have something like Slow Cooker French Onion Meatloaf.

The key is to select a quality, lean protein (chalk one up for Weight Watchers' lessons) like Laura's Lean Beef.

Laura's Lean Beef is at least 92 percent lean (some products are 96 percent) and it's free of hormones and antibiotics.

And it's the star player in this flavorful and hardy dish, which Mark enjoyed for dinner two nights in a row and I enjoyed not really having to cook.

Note: This recipe is also toddler tested and approved.

Slow Cooker French Onion Meatloaf

1 pound Laura's Lean Beef
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 egg, beaten
1/3 - 1/2 cup whole-wheat Panko bread crumbs
1 onion, sliced
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1 cup beef broth
1 bay leaf

In a bowl, gently combine beef, Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, garlic powder, pepper, egg and bread crumbs. Form into a loaf and place in the crock of a slow cooker. Arrange onions and mushrooms around the meatloaf. Pour broth over onions and mushrooms; toss in bay leaf. Cook on low for 8-9 hours or until cooked through. Makes 4 servings.

Disclosure: Laura's Lean Beef provided me with product vouchers but all opinions and commentary expressed are my own. I was a consumer of Laura's Lean Beef before the opportunity. For more recipes, visit the their website.

Healthy attitude

I stepped on the scale this morning, and I was happy to discover that one of my favorite mother runners was right. My little 5-pound present was, at least, in part water weight. I was down three pounds and back below my "panic" number.

The shock of the scale last week was enough to throw me into full "diet" mode (though I hate to use the term). I have been snacking on carrots, savoring sugar-free pudding cups and counting out Garden of Eatin' Sprouted blue corn chips. My egg scrambles feature Southwest Egg Beaters and my toast is not the Ezekiel flax I've grown to love but Healthy Life 35-calorie wheat.

My food diary feels reminiscent of my Weight Watchers days and old feelings of control and willpower are resurfacing. My mood is positive, and I feel "on track."

But as I settle into lose mode post-marathon, the thing I struggle with the most is not passing up copious amounts of Halloween treats but whether my efforts are making me healthier. I find myself questioning the foods that I relied on to help me achieve a healthy lifestyle - if that's what I've done. The ingredients in my light bread are lengthy and hard to pronounce. The sugar-free Jell-O, a low-calorie, portion-controlled treat, features its own long list of hard to pronounce words on the packaging and hydrogenated oil. The best of the bunch is the Egg Beaters, which has actual nutritional value - providing 4 grams of protein and a small amount of some vitamins.

Looking for inspiration and guidance, more and more I've been comparing my meals to those of other healthy living bloggers but some seem to eat a diet that is vegetable and nut butter heavy and carbohydrate and meat light, with the complementary pumpkin ale on the side and calcium "chocolate" disk for dessert. Soy is the bee's knees, for beverages and burgers. Nonetheless, I've whipped up extravagant batches of oatmeal, done Meatless Mondays and tried as many nut butters as my limited access and budget allows.

My perception of the HLB diet, I've learned, isn't conducive to weight loss, though. I can't eat 500-calorie bowls of oatmeal, and I don't have time to put together ginormous salads before heading to work. Furthermore, some of them have been accused of restriction and disordered eating - definitely not healthy things.

To look elsewhere - Twitter, Facebook, friends, websites - one is bombarded with things labeled healthy. There's gluten free products, protein-packed goodies. Dr. Oz touts a raspberry pill, and fitness gurus such as Jillian Michaels have their faces on diet supplements. My trainer for BODYPUMP, a role model for health, is a representative for AdvoCare. Books promote eating plant-based, others meat heavy. Seeds are OK but peanuts aren't.

The more I look, consider, think ... the more I get confused. The more this post rambles, gets rewritten, deleted. There might be a larger consensus on what constitutes unhealthy or bad ways to lose weight but the best way to live is a gray area. One isn't inherently healthier for snacking on almonds over peanuts. Granola topped Greek yogurt isn't better if there's 30 grams of sugar. There isn't necessarily an advantage to drinking a smoothie for breakfast rather than eating an egg white scramble with sliced tomatoes on the side.

Healthy has to be a personal definition. It's something that cannot only be defined by ideals but lifestyle and finances.

As I continue to monitor my weight and habits to avoid the winter bulge, I've decided that I'm not going to get caught up in defining the things I'm doing as healthy or unhealthy. Good or bad. Right or wrong. I'm going to make decisions on how I feel.

What does healthy mean to you?

Food Friday: Snack finds

I've been snacking. A lot lately, so it seems. And while I have my go-to snacks - sliced cucumbers, fresh fruit, 100-calorie packs of almonds - I've come across some new (to me) things that I thought I'd share.

Seapoint Farms Dry-Roasted Edamame,  Spicy Wasabi flavor. I first discovered dry-roasted edamame in a Go Picnic! pack but have since seen it at Marshall's and niche grocers. I love it as a salty snack alternative to nuts or crackers with a punch of protein. A quarter-cup serving has 130 calories, 4.5 grams of fat and 14 grams of protein. And if you get the Spicy Wasabi flavor, I promise you that it has enough POW! that you won't be going back for seconds. I am a wasabi lover - it's a good part of the reason I like sushi - and this did not disappoint. Some pieces can have more wasabi powder than others so if you have a sensitive tummy, I would go with the traditional flavor.

Yoplait Greek 100. Greek yogurt for a dairy free gal? I know, I know. The company had contacted me before my decision to limit my dairy so when it came to my door, I thought I should at least give it a try.

{what I love about it} It's only 100 calories, still thick like fuller fat Greek yogurts and just 2 Points Plus if you are following Weight Watchers. I had a hard time finding plan-friendly yogurts when I was regularly attending WW and it's even tougher with Points Plus. It's also a bit more affordable than some of the other brands such as Chobani and Fage.

{what I didn't like about it} It is sweet. Almost sickeningly sweet. So much so that I felt an insane sense of mother's guilt giving Miles bites of it. I will say that I had been accustomed to eating Fage 0%, which I get ridiculously cheap at my butcher, and has about 16 grams of sugar from fruit. Yoplait Greek 100 is sweetened with sucralose (brand name Splenda), which explains the sweetness.

Earl Grey Latte with soy. OK, it's not so much a snack as a beverage - sue me. I picked up one of these the other day at Starbucks, and I fell in love.

Since I got my Keurig Vue, I've been obsessed (to say the least) with coffee, and I'm trying to balance it with something I can pretend is a bit better for me. The tea latte is just that. I got mine unsweetened (later added stevia) and was singing its praises for the three-block drive to work as I listened to a podcast of "This American Life" (also an obsession). It is a bit of a calorie-buster at 140 for a tall but it's a nice treat.

Snack drawer. I made a pit stop at Target this week to replenish my snack drawer (that's my reason, and I'm sticking to it), and I picked up a few things for the afternoon munchies - mandarin oranges in light syrup, 100-calorie packs of raisins and Fiber One Strawberry PB&J bars.

And maybe some fun-size Snickers Almond. Maybe ...

Anything else you would add to the drawer? I may or may not need another reason to hit up the Target.

Top it off: Vita review (+giveaway)

I was in a Weight Watchers meeting the first time I heard about them .

Them, the magic treat that promised to keep on my plan and within my points. Them, a 1-point wonder full of chocolate. Them, tasty enough to be a treat but healthy enough to call a pre-run breakfast.

Them being the VitaTop.

About VitaTops:

VitaTop muffin tops have all of the healthy benefits of our delicious VitaMuffin – now even more convenient to carry and eat on-the-run. The VitaTop, a "one-hand" satisfying snack food with the portability of a bar, is easy to eat anywhere, anytime. At your desk or on the road, these handy muffin tops fit conveniently into a purse, briefcase, work out bag, backpack and lunchbox.

During my Weight Watchers' days, I would finish lunch (sandwich thin or taco soup, anyone?) and pop the VitaTop in the microwave for 30 seconds and refresh my coffee. I would sit at my desk and for 5 minutes, I would slowly enjoy the VitaTop and my coffee as if I was eating a sundae. Not in a "let me pretend this banana puree is ice cream" way but it in a "ohmygod I love chocolate" way. I was able to do it all without the guilt.

I have since left Weight Watchers but my VitaTop love remains. So much so that I found myself "virtually" stocking up on my favorite flavors - Chocolate Mint, Fudgy PB Chip and Apple Crumb. When my cart hit $100, I thought I'd reach out to VitaTop and see if I could share the love.

The company was generous enough to send me a sampler pack. It included

• Deep & Velvety VitaBrownies
• Banana Nut VitaTops 
• Triple Chocolate Chunk VitaTops
• Deep Chocolate VitaTops
• Fudgy Peanut Butter Chip VitaTops
• Golden Corn VitaTops
• CranBran VitaTops
• Apple Crumb VitaTops 
• Banana Nut VitaTops

In the couple weeks since I received the samples, I've enjoyed them as an evening snack, an afternoon treat and slathered in peanut butter before a run.

I have to (try to) limit myself to one a day even though there's no reason to. The VitaTop won't break the calorie bank (100 calories per top) and has enough protein (5 grams) and fiber (9 grams) to take it out of true dessert range.

Dessert for breakfast? Try an Apple Crumb VitaTop with cooked apples and stevia-sweetened yogurt

I honestly don't think there's a flavor I don't like but I am partial to the brownies and Apple Crumb. Seriously, the apple can be for breakfast or add a drizzle of honey and whipped topping for some strudel-like action. As for the savory, corn muffin variety is great with taco soup or chili and is far lower in calories than traditional corn bread.

If you are feeling incredibly sassy, you could also cut one in half and cook it French toast style. It would work with the corn muffin, too. With an egg and salsa on top. Just saying.

And you can try it. On me.

The folks at Vitalicious are giving me a Super Sampler pack to give away. In it, you'll find:

• 4 Deep & Velvety VitaBrownies
• 2 Chocolate Mint VitaTops
• 2 Banana Nut VitaTops
• 2 Triple Chocolate Chunk VitaTops
• 2 Deep Chocolate VitaTops
• 2 Fudgy Peanut Butter Chip VitaTops
• 2 Golden Corn VitaTops
• 2 CranBran VitaTops
• 2 Apple Crumb VitaTops
• 2 Banana Choco Chip VitaTops
• 6 Fudgy Chocolate mini VitaCakes 

To enter, leave a comment telling me which Vitalicious product you would most like to try.

Fine print: This giveaway is open to residents of the United States. It begins on 6/29/12 and ends on 7/6/12; the winner will be announced on 7/8/12. One entry per person. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning.

Lessons unlearned: Frustrations with daytime talk

A too hot Memorial Day =  Too much daytime TV.

Monday, as I waited for the stroke of 5 to cook dinner, I found myself with a rare free moment. Miles was playing Peek-A-Boo with the 3-year-old neighbor who likes to stand in front of our front windows; Mark was grading papers; and Denali was taking a nap. I played on my Kindle for a bit, bemoaning the fact that no one was taking their Words With Friends turn, before I found myself aimlessly flipping the channels in an effort to keep myself occupied.

Dr. Oz was talking to curvy women about, well, curvy clothes and curvy exercises and a curvy diet.


The Doctors were discussing laughing your way to weight loss. And, no, I'm not joking - though I wish I were.

For an entire hour, I learned about what to eat and how to exercise in order to lose weight. What I didn't learn about was what to do once I lost the weight. These shows love to tell you the secrets to weight loss and offer tips and tricks but rarely - and I mean rarely - do they offer you a picture of what's next after weight loss.


They don't tell you about that there are parts of your old body that refuse to leave. I know I've talked about this before but this girl has got some skin - and not the good kind. I have extra skin from knee to rib cage and while it doesn't bother me most days, it does keep me from getting good race photos and wearing a bikini. Sure, neither is important but when you lose 115+ pounds, it would be nice to have both.

They don't tell you that weight loss does not equal confidence. I was watching Rachael Ray this week (I may have to check myself into some sort of program), and these teen girls who lost weight talked about how much confidence they found in their new bodies. Maybe it's related to above but I didn't feel a surge of self esteem because I looked different. Even today, I struggle with physical confidence. I only found a positive image through accomplishing goals and, mostly, running.

They don't tell you about just how hard it is to keep up the good habits. I'll be honest: If I don't track what I eat, I can easily eat too much. A Hershey Kiss here, two plates piled high at the Indian buffet there. It's like the food doesn't count unless I see it on a screen or in a notebook.

They don't tell you that, if you lost a significant amount of weight that you'll never be able to eat like other people. According to the HBO documentary, "The Weight of the Nation," if a woman who weighed 180 pounds lost 40 pounds, she would have to eat 20 percent fewer calories per day to maintain her weight than a woman who weighed 140 pounds her entire adult life. It's no wonder that people struggle to keep off excess weight.


They don't tell you that losing weight opens the door to intensely personal questions and criticism. I have a blog and shared with my story with Woman's Day so it should be no surprise that I am open with my weight loss. However, I can't tell you how many times I've had random people ask me how much I used to weigh and how much I weigh now. People often like to tell me that I was too thin pre-baby or I looked a certain way when I was heavy. While I enjoy people's interest in my story, I think there's a time and a place - and it's not usually while I'm hitting up the community coffee at work.

They don't tell you that people will always question your methods. When people hear that you have lost weight, they want to know how and usually it's because they want to know a secret. They want you to tell them that you can lose weight and eat cookies all day, every day. They don't want you to tell them that you ate less, worked out more or followed a specific program. Why? Because they hate running, they tried Weight Watchers, they can't eat a certain thing. I'll admit that I've judged people for following plans that I couldn't but I never scoff at their choices. I merely say that I admire them for doing something I can't.


They don't tell you that you can find support in the unlikeliest of places. I would have thought that my family and friends would have been the most excited and encouraging of my results - but they weren't. But I haven't been alone. I have found the blog world to be incredibly fantastic, and I thank you all - especially if you have read this far.

So ... what are your thoughts on all the "lose weight now" segments on TV?

Powder-coated truth

I am not sure who thought of powdered peanut butter.

Actually, I'm not sure who thought of powdered peanut butter as a profitable enterprise.

Wait. Yes, I do.

It's the person - company, really - who knew there would be loads of calorie-conscious women salivating for a way to enjoy their favorite nut butter without the guilt. Women who, apparently, include me.

Yes, folks. I am guilty of procuring a jar of PB2. And guilty I should be. Why? Because I used $7 of an Amazon gift card on a plastic jar of powdered peanuts that will never ever be peanut butter. Not in a million years.

I'll admit that I've been interested in trying PB2 for years - years, I tell you - when I first joined Weight Watchers. PB2 is WW friendly and it would have been great for this gal, who ate PB every morning pre-workout. However, it wasn't easily accessible and I had no interest in spending Internet dollars on PB2. Those were, after all, devoted to VitaTops.

I had almost forgotten about the stuff until a co-worker, who is participating in a weight loss competition, mentioned that the product was suggested by his nutritionist. I had just happened to have a $35 Amazon gift card from Crowdtap that was burning a hole in my email so I decided to take the plunge and try it.

I thought I'd ease into the waters a bit by adding it to a packet of oatmeal. In a time crunch, I bought over-sugared packets at Aldi and, I will say, the PB2 helped mellow the sweetness by adding a slight - and I mean slight - peanut flavor.

Next up, subbing the PB2 for PB in my favorite "let's pretend it's healthy" sandwich, the Adult PB&J. Peanut butter, berry all-fruit spread and ... wait for it ... NUTELLA! Yeah, my once favorite sandwich was a favorite no more. The PB2 has to be mixed to just the right consistency to make it spreadable but not watery, which, despite the instructions, I failed to do. Let's just say there was a bit extra as I fine-tuned the consistency. As with the oatmeal, it did balance the sweetness of the sandwich but failed to complement the flavors (if that makes any sense).

Other experiments:

• Spread on homemade oatmeal jam bars. This was meh. The bars already tasted too healthy (if you know what I mean) and the PB2 enhanced that feeling.
• In pancake batter. I had high hopes for this one but the flavor was so mild that Mark didn't even know he was eating peanut butter and banana pancakes. He thought they were just banana.
• With cinnamon. Now this was a winner. For all my failed sandwiches, the cinnamon gave the PB2 a bit more depth without adding to the calorie content.
• Cold water vs. warm water. Cold wins. While I like a warm, drizzly peanut butter, the PB2 made with warm water is just gross.

While I've started to find more winners, I am not sure that I'd buy PB2 again. It's expensive and, after a week, I'm finding that a jar doesn't go very far. Like, I'm almost out. After a week. Boo!

Have you tried PB2? What are your thoughts?

W.O.W.: Getting started

Time.

It's amazing how it just slips away.

One minute, you're looking at a day (off) full of possibilities and the next minute you realize it's time to pick up the behb from day care. You aren't any more rested, the house isn't any cleaner and dinner isn't made. In fact, it seems that the only thing you have to show for yourself is a stack of homemade baby invitations.

Apparently invitations take 55 hours to do, and they are the precise reason I didn't write my W.O.W. post on my motivation at the start of my weight loss journey. I hope you don't mind if I give it to you now. (#twss)

If you have read my weight loss story, you know that I didn't just decide to lose weight and - BAM! - x amount of time later, I weighed 122 pounds. No. It took a long time, with a lot of up and downs. Along the way, there were a lot of things that motivated me to start, restart and to get serious. I'm going to talk about the moment (moments, really) that helped me get to the track in August 2009 and stay there.

My mom's death. As I've shared in the Woman's Day/Yahoo! story, watching my mom die - not just the moment she took her last breath - but the years of seeing her destroy herself, made me look at the way I was treating my body and myself. I was so mad at her for not caring enough about herself (and me to be honest) to do something. As I worked through those feelings, I realized that I had no right to them if I wasn't willing to do something.

However, as a commenter pointed out, having someone in your life to be an example of what NOT to do is not enough. If it was, I probably would have never let myself get to 245 pounds. There were other things - almost a perfect storm, if you will - to get me going.

Getting the picture. In my weight loss journey, I lost 50 pounds then another 25. Those 25 pounds were lost and regained through three cycles, the last loss cycle just before my wedding in December 2008.

When my mom died, I was under the delusion that I was looking good and far better off than she ever was.

And then I saw photos from a girls' weekend in Chicago. Not only did I not look good, I looked big. I tried to blame it on camera angles and unflattering clothes but there's no denying that my weight had crept up. I had to ask myself whether the person in those photos was who I wanted to be.

Buddy system. I mentioned it in my previous post by my BFF joined Weight Watchers just before I did. The program really clicked for her, and she was able to give me an example of what to do and what I could be.

Support system. Also, in that vein, it's important to surround yourself with people who will encourage the changes you make. I mean no offense by the following but you tend to surround yourself with people most like you. If you are fit and active, your friends are fit and active. If you are sedentary and unhealthy, your friends are more than likely the same. It's important to reach out to those - without alienating your friends - who will encourage you. Mark, a lifelong runner, joined me for my Couch to 5K runs and never grumbled about going slow with me.

Again, with the dog. Mark and I inherited Denali so to speak from my mom, and we brought him home in late July. I wanted so desperately to be a good dog owner, and I knew a key to that was exercising our Siberian husky. I also knew that it couldn't be just something I did when it was nice. Come rain, come sun, come snow - Denali would want to go out. I made it my goal to be able to run a 5K by winter as I knew running 3 miles would be less painful than walking 3.

Breaking it down. I never looked at the big picture when I started. With Weight Watchers, it was about losing 5 percent, then 10 percent. I then looked to getting in the 160s, where I had never been, and down "decade" by "decade." It would have been hard for me to be successful otherwise because I would have felt overwhelmed.

Exploring. It can feel limiting to take on a new lifestyle/diet. The things you like to eat might not fit into your program. I really went outside my comfort zone and tried things like vegetarian patties, faux sausage and low-carb tortillas. I searched for WW friendly recipes and heeded suggestions from members. Slowly, I began to find new tastes and textures that appealed to me and helped to bring excitement to planning my menu.

Splurge. Living healthfully can be expensive, and it was easy for me not to buy the things I needed to be successful. However, if you want to order a crap ton of VitaTops to help you stay on track, do it. If you need Laughing Cow wedges for a wrap but they aren't on sale, buy them anyway. You'll be motivated to eat better if you have not only what you need but what you want.

In it to win it. I am not sure how or why but so much of my success is because I decided that I was worth it and made the changes. I would no longer accept that I was just meant to be overweight. I would no longer sell myself short. I would treat myself how I wanted to be treated - with love and respect - and take action to do so.

Are you a weight loss success? What can you share with others?

Friday musings

Terrible. Just terrible. That was basically the forecast for this winter and yet, on Dec. 30, it was 37 degrees when I headed out for a 4-mile run this morning. It was glorious. The weather, that is. The run ... not so much. Two middle of the night feedings and a 4:45 a.m. wake-up call will do that to a girl.

By the way, if the late start to the terrible weather means that it is going to be cold for my April birthday, I may have to kill someone.

***

I got a Kindle Fire for Christmas, and I'm currently reading "Such a Pretty Fat: One Narcissist's Quest to Discover If Her Life Makes Her Ass Look Big, or Why Pie Is Not the Answer." It's a weight loss memoir of sorts by one of my favorite authors, Jen Lancaster. I'm about 49 percent in (thanks, Kindle) and I'm loving it. It's snarky and relate-able all at the same time.

 "But ever since I made the decision to drop a few pounds-way less easy than it sounds, by the way-I've become obsessed with my size and in so doing I've inadvertently allowed my inner critic to have a voice. And you know what? She's a bitch. Like now when I see my underpants in the laundry, I no longer think Soft! Cotton! Sensible! Instead I hear her say, 'Damn, girl, these panties be huge.'”

Of course, it's not all laughs. There are some inspiring moments in there, too.

“As I paddle along, I slowly become aware that it's been fear keeping me out of this pool for so many years. I never came here before because I was afraid I'd make a fool of myself by not having the endurance to complete a lap. The swimming wasn't what scared me; failure was. My fear locked me in a state of arrested development for so many years. Fear kept me from tackling my weight, which I understand has simply been symptomatic of my greater fear, growing up. I glide down the lane on my back and reflect on how good I feel right now. It's not because I've lost more than thirty pounds. I feel incredible because I've stopped being afraid.”

***

Salt and vinegar almonds are delicious. As is popcorn, grapes and my Unstuffed Green Pepper Soup. All of which I've nibbled on in the past hour. If I didn't know any better, I would think I was pregnant again.

***

Last night, I did week one of Jillian Michaels' "Ripped in 30" in my my sweet new workout space. Sure, it's in the basement, which happens to be unfinished, and it smelled vaguely of dog urine because Denali thinks it's his new toilet. Oh, and the concrete is a bit tough on the feet but it beats doing butt kicks in front of Mark as he plays Angry Birds on his iPad.

***

It's my Monday morning ritual: After I've finished nursing Miles, I plod upstairs to the bathroom and weigh myself. It's been a relatively pleasant experience since I've quit Weight Watchers but I was a bit nervous this week. You know, having eaten a pound of cheese and four 10 million Triscuits on Christmas. I was so nervous that it took me five days to finally step on the scale.

You know what? I lost a half-pound! Huzzah! I guess it goes to show that staying active is key to avoiding holiday bloat.

Now to just get through this weekend ...

Who has exciting plans to share with me? Really. Share. I beg you because this girl is certain to be in bed when the ball drops unless Miles decides it's time for a snack.

Breaking up is hard to do

I have a confession to make.

I haven’t counted a single Weight Watchers PointsPlus in more than a month and it’s been at least twice that long since I’ve weighed in.

And you know what? I’ve lost 5 pounds.

I had been struggling with the PointsPlus program since I returned to Weight Watchers after having Miles. Some of my go-to foods on the WW program were worth more and others were worth fewer. I didn’t know how to plan meals to fit in the program, and I struggled with eating to keep up milk supply. It just seemed that no matter what I did, no matter how closely I thought I was following the plan, the scale would not budge. I knew if I was going to meet my post-baby weight-loss goals that I was going to have to make a commitment to attend meetings or switch things up.

It was a tough decision. I felt a loyalty to the program as it provided me with the tools, support and inspiration I needed to be successful. However, I found it difficult to fit in the meetings near my house now that I’m back to work and I lacked the motivation to scout out times on the weekends. It became clearer and clearer that I couldn’t continue doing something that so obviously wasn’t working for me.

I began tracking my food choices and exercise on MyFitnessPal.com, a site I used while I was pregnant to make sure I wasn’t giving in to the “eating for two” line. The site “gives” me 1,250 calories a day, and I am able to make an adjustment to account for breast feeding bringing me to 1,750 calories. Any exercise I complete gives me more calories for my eating pleasure.

I set up my account to lose 1 pound a week and, with the exception of Thanksgiving week, I have done just that. My post-partum weight loss stands at 14.4, bringing me 2.2 pounds below my WW goal and just 5.8 pounds from my happy weight.

I have no timetable to lose those 5.8 pounds – I merely want to see the scale to go in the right direction and feel in control of the process.

Have you ever made a drastic change in an effort to lose weight?

Weighing in: Stopping by Wendie’s

Anyone miss last week’s weigh in?

Yeah, I did, too.

Actually, I didn’t miss it – I just wish I had. I was up nearly a half-pound at Weight Watchers and, to be honest, I wasn’t surprised. Mark and I ate out a lot while we were in Cincinnati – like every meal – when we were there for my brother’s wedding.

This week there seems to be no change, which is a bit disappointing. I felt pretty good about my efforts, getting in my four Huff training runs and having taken a stab at the Wendie plan to jumpstart things. The Wendie plan “uses your extra weekly points in a certain distribution to help increase your metabolism so you can start losing that weight again.” [source]

What’s working: The Huff training schedule. Last night, I went down to the basement at 9 p.m. for a treadmill run. It wasn’t necessarily because I felt exercise guilt but because I didn’t want to skip a run so early in the plan. The Huff will help me exercise for a purpose other than weight loss, which I find reduces stress and makes it more fun.

What’s not working: My recent re-discovery of the fabulousness that is the McDonald’s ice cream cone.

While I will tell nearly anyone that the McDonald’s cone is a reasonable indulgence, it is NOT a reason to makeup an errand in order to leave the office and get one. 

Plan of action: Different version of the Wendie Plan and do Jillian Michaels once this weekend.

Now, with all of that said, I’m beginning to realize, more and more every day, that 9+ months pregnant = 9+ months to lose weight. And you know what?

Seeing this guy smile is worth it.I think.

How has exercise changed your perspective on weight loss?

What I Ate Wednesday: The highlights

The big three: Breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Growing up, I thought you only needed big three. Snacking … well, snacking was bad. You didn’t need it.

It made you fat. It’s not to say that I didn’t snack – I did – but it wasn’t something that was encouraged.

Now, I couldn’t make it through a day without snacking. There’s the pre-exercise snack, the mid-morning snack, the 3 kajillion afternoon snacks and an evening snack. All day, I snack, snack, snack.

Mini-meals are often encouraged during weight loss as a way to stabilize blood sugar and prevent that insane hunger that makes you eat a bag of chips with a container of French onion dip and a sleeve of Thin

Mints for dessert. However, I couldn’t help but wonder whether I should be eating more at the big three to keep from snacking so much.

Hear me out. As a nursing mom, I get 43 Points+ a day (with a total of 49 Weekly Points+ to use at my discretion).

Yesterday, my breakfast was this Cauliflower and Feta Omelet.



It clocked in at 4 Points+.

Lunch was a mish mash of leftovers.



Spaghetti squash and salsa chicken, warmed up with two wedges of Chipotle Laughing Cow to make a creamy “pasta” and topped with 2% reduced fat Cheddar cheese. I had this at 8 Points+.

Note: I am not one of those people who think you can just sub out noodles with spaghetti squash. Spaghetti squash is NOT pasta. It’s just not. I just like the taste and texture of spaghetti squash.

For dinner, I made tilapia seasoned with Old Bay, turnip “chips” and lima beans.


My meal came to 8 Points+.

All together, the big three came to 20 Points+ – less than half my daily allowance – giving me room to eat a Pumpkin Banana Muffin, popcorn and … I don’t remember and I’m too lazy to get my tracker.
So what about you? Do you eat big meals and few snacks or smaller meals and lots of snacks?

Weigh in Thursday: I’ll take it

I didn’t have high hopes when I stepped on the scale at Weight Watchers this morning. Last week’s mediocre loss (0.4) and no loss the week before had shaken my confidence in my efforts and the program.

But there it was. 135.8 – a lost of 2.6. The loss puts me at 9.4 down since having Miles and 13 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight (although I think I’d be happy with anything in the 120s).

Say it with me: Huzzah!

What’s working

I spent a lot more time on my feet this week. I walked or ran with Denali all but one day and then there was some epic mileage with Saturday’s Fort-4-Fitness. I walked to and from the car, ran the 4-mile race, walked to the half-marathon course and ran a few intervals with L. By the way, L had an epic PR for the half. Just had to put that out there.

Food-wise, I made White Chicken Chili in the slow cooker, giving me something healthful to take to work every day.

What’s not working

This hole motherhood thing. Kidding. Sort of. I feel like I can either walk/run with the dog or do weights – I can’t do both, even if I do one in the a.m. and the other in the p.m. I really want to make time to do Jillian Michaels’ “Ripped in 30” at least twice a week. Or even once.

Goals for the week

We’ll be on the road this weekend for my brother’s weekend – a weekend that will be full of family, food and fun. I am taking my sneakers in the hopes that I will run but more than anything I want to make the best choice in each situation.

What’s working for you this week – it doesn’t have to be healthy related – and what’s not?

Weekly weigh in: Slowly but surely?

Irritated. Frustrated. Pissed, even.

That's how I felt when I saw the number on the scale at Weight Watchers this morning. 138.4. I lost a whopping four-tenths of a pound. And while I'm the first person to tell someone that a loss is a loss, a move in the right direction, I was unhappy. I had been expecting better as I lost nothing last week and saw 136 on my bathroom scale on Tuesday.

I know this is how it goes, though. You have a couple good weeks and then a couple less than stellar weeks. You just kind of have to stay vigilant and ride it out. You definitely don't want to wallow. Or get the gun out of the safe.

If I'm feeling particularly desperate, I'll take a look - a good look - at the good ole tracker and see what's up. Am I underestimating the Points Plus values of food? Overestimating? Am I using my points for filler foods or filling foods?

What do you do when your weight loss slows?

The week in numbers

Weight this week: 138.4 pounds
Weight last week: 138.8 pounds
Weight loss this week: 0.4 pound
Total post-partum weight loss: 6.8 pounds

What's working

I've started tracking poor food choices in red pen so that they pop out from the good stuff. Instances when I write in red: when I eat foods lacking nutritional value; when I choose something despite a better choice being available; and when I eat just to eat.

What's not working

I think I need to get in a few more walks. I've done well with getting in three runs a week, and I've added in Jillian Michaels' "Ripped in 30." However, I haven't been doing much else. Cardio = calories burned. Calories burned = weight loss. Mark and I have discussed carving out an hour of me time for each of us each day, and I hope that focus will get me out of the door.

Note: I understand that me complaining that I weigh 138.4 (and not 122) might irritate some people. After all, at 5-foot-3, 138 is a healthy weight. However, 138 is not my happy weight and living a healthy lifestyle will always be a work in progress for me. I think it is important that those losing weight choose a goal that is not only attainable but for them and them alone. I do not believe that one weight fits all and only seek to encourage people to carve out their own happiness through a healthy lifestyle, regardless of a number. 

Numbers game

I’m not sure if you knew this but I had a baby 10 weeks ago.

A cute, adorable little baby who stole my body.



It was a body I worked really hard to get.

And now it’s time to get it back. Actually, it was time to get it back about 4 weeks ago (when I got the official OK to run) but now I’m going to share the journey – and the numbers – with you.
Every week, after my Weight Watchers meeting, I’ll share my weight, what worked – and what didn’t – and my goals for the week. I’ll also snap some photos each month to document the physical changes.

But before we get into all that, we need to see where we – I mean I – started.

122 pounds: Pre-pregnancy weight (My Weight Watchers goal weight is 133.)



160 pounds: Weight on birth day

Going out for my second to last preggo walk the night before Miles was born.

38: Total pounds gained during pregnancy weight gain



145.2 pounds: Weight three weeks post-partum
 


138.8: Current weight

Pounds to goal: 5.8

Pounds till I fit in my pre-preggo skinny jeans: 16 or less

Have you ever embarked on a weight loss journey? Were you successful?

Dear diary

The minute Miles was born, I became officially uncool. Or so my boss says. But nonetheless, I am going to try. And try I will today, joining the community of bloggers for What I Ate Wednesday.

I figured this week was a good week, joining WW and going dairy free, to show you just what I’m eating. Let me rephrase: What I can eat.

Breakfast

Oatmeal made with 1/2 cup oats, 1 cup unsweetened vanilla Almond Breeze, banana, pinch of salt, Truvia and 2 tablespoons Kashi Summer Berry granola (though the granola added nothing to it).

Snack

 

1 cup cherries and a decaf soy latte from Starbucks (unpictured)

Lunch

Flour tortilla (gasp!) with spinach and garlic hummus and assorted veggies, carrots and mixed nuts.

Snacks

1 serving Wheat Thins, a half banana (unpictured and only because it was sitting on the counter next to the Wheat Thins) and PB&J bread – my fave “dessert” of late.

Dinner

Veggie skillet with one egg and Cornmeal Pancakes with light syrup.

Snack

Stonyfield soy yogurt with 1/4 cup Kashi granola (it actually added something here). BTW, I thought the soy yogurt would be nasty – I bought it only because it was BOGO – but it was surprisingly not repulsive.

What have you been eating lately? Should I do WIAW again?