I love food more than the next person. I always have. Salty and crunchy win over sweet and savory any day. I especially love crackers, chips and cheese. They speak to me. I also love red meat - the rarer the better.
This love of food was never really a problem growing up. I started competitively swimming at the age of 8 or 9, so I swam every day after school, burning hundreds of calories each practice. I could eat whatever I wanted and remain lean and muscular. In fact, I needed to eat often to fuel my body so that it could work efficiently for me. I swam every day until I was 17 years old, when a shoulder injury sidelined my dreams of being a collegiate athlete. But I continued to work out on a somewhat regular basis and maintained a slim figure.
In college I was quite vain and went to the "Ramsey Center" on a regular basis to work out. I started running and became a pro at the eliptical and stairclimber. Somehow I was able to counteract all the beer I was consuming. Although, if I did take a hiatus from working out, I easily could gain 5 pounds. But it was never a "problem." And then in law school I really started running and worked out as a way to stay sane. Also I'm convinced that the constant stress helped me to keep any binge eating at bay.
But then I started working a 9 to 5 (or 6 or 7) job and spent most of my day sitting at a desk. Slowly, weight started creeping on. Most people haven't noticed, but my clothes haven't fit quite right for some time. I have a closet full of clothes and can't fit in about a third of them. I've gone to a nutritionist, trained for a half marathon and tried to watch what I eat. But nothing has been very successful. I've been working out again on a regular basis and am in a place of loving my body again, but I still want to drop a few pounds.
So I joined Weight Watchers online. And in 4 weeks I've lost over 3 pounds! Which is huge for someone who doesn't have more than 10-15 to go in the first place. So it's really encouraging! And yesterday I wore a pair of jeans that 2 months ago made me look like a sausage...and not in a good way (if there is a good way...).
I like the way WW works. All food and recipes are given a point value. You're allotted a certain number of points per day, with an additional amount of weekly flex points and you get more points if you are active. No food is off-limits - so you are not depriving yourself! If I want chips, I can eat them - then I just have to give somewhere else in the day, or week or run an extra mile. So far, I'm loving it and am encouraged to keep going. I think the main thing is writing down everything you put in your mouth, which can be a challenge, but it makes you think before you take a bite.
Last week was the first week that I ate more than my allotted points. I was over by 10. And there's one reason for this - chips. On Saturday, mom and I were painting the living room and working hard all day but I hadn't eaten enough in the morning. So the afternoon came and I was hungry. I said I'd just have one chip. One turned into about 30. And mom hit it right on the head when she noticed, when I'm hungry, I unconsciously eat whatever I have around the house. It's a problem. Always has been, always will be. I love food. And then Mr. Cob and I went out to Mexican...more chips. And then we went out for a few drinks that night and came home and had a late night snack of, you guessed it - chips. Needless to say, I ate 3 times my allotted points on Saturday alone. Which is gross in retrospect. But Sunday I woke up and started the healthy eating again and felt no regret for my binge the day before. Because one day is not going to derail me. And if I don't allow myself gluttonous days every now and again, I'd go crazy.
I am also trying to let go of the number on the scale. I know that I'm a healthy person and not "overweight." I just want my clothes to fit. And it did hit me the other day just how proud of my body I should be - not everyone can go out and run 9 miles. My thighs might be bigger than yours, but odds are, they're more muscular.
I also like WW because they have some AMAZING recipes - seriously. Everything I've cooked off their site so far has been great. The biggest hit has been the Shepherd's Pie. I've made it twice in 2 weeks. Mr. Cob told me I could milk it for 6 months straight and he'd keep eating it with joy. So I thought you all might like the recipe. And for those of you WW folks, it's just 5 points a serving :) Happy eating!
SHEPHERD'S PIE:
Ingredients:
2 large potato(es), peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces (or I've been using 4-6 small potatoes)
1/4 cup(s) fat-free sour cream
1 Tbsp reduced-calorie margarine
1/8 tsp table salt, or to taste
2 tsp olive oil
1 cup(s) onion(s), chopped
2 medium carrot(s), diced (I've been using 4-6 carrots - more veggies can't be bad)
2 medium stalk(s) celery, diced (I've been uping the celery count too)
1 pound(s) uncooked ground turkey breast
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp rosemary, fresh, chopped (or 1 tsp dried) (dried has worked just fine)
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 cup(s) canned chicken broth, or beef broth
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400ºF.
Place potatoes in a large saucepan and pour in enough water to cover potatoes. Set pan over high heat and bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium and simmer 10 minutes, until potatoes are fork-tender. Drain potatoes, transfer to a large bowl and add sour cream and margarine; mash until smooth, season to taste with salt and set aside.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrots and celery; cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add turkey and cook until browned, breaking up the meat as it cooks, about 5 minutes. Add flour, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper; stir to coat. Add broth and bring to a simmer; simmer until mixture thickens, about 3 minutes.
Transfer turkey mixture to a 9-inch, deep-dish pie plate. Spread mashed potatoes over top and using the back of a spoon, make decorative swirls over the top. Bake until potatoes are golden, about 30 minutes. Slice into 6 pieces and serve.
You are inspiring me to get back on track with Weight Watchers.
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