Shrinking Natalie

Blog reader, Susan, asked:

"Hi Natalie! Would you be willing to post a few sample menus inmaintenance so we could see them side-by-side with your losing-mode menus? I think that would be helpful and interesting to a lot of people"

Here you go!

                            Losing Menu                                 Maintaining Menu

Breakfast         Weight Smart Oatmeal               Plain Bagel w/1 tbsp of light cream cheese

                           Banana                                          Banana

AM Snack         Fat Free Yogurt                            All Natural Stonyfield Yogurt

Lunch               Turkey Sandwich w/Mustard      Turkey Sandwich w/Mustard & Provolone

                           Apple                                              Hummus & Veggies

                           Light Lay's Potato Chips            Cranberry Sauce

                                                                                    Kashi Go Lean Granola Bar

PM Snack       Kashi Go Lean Granola Bar        Apple & Tea

Dinner              Baked Chicken Breast                 Baked Chicken Breast stuffed with RF Feta

                          .25 cup of Rice                               .5 cup of Rice

                          Acorn Squash                                 Acorn Squash w/a sprinkle of brown sugar

Dessert           WW Giant Chocolate Bar             WW Giant Chocolate Bar

Not many changes. I eat a bigger breakfast (some days I still have oatmeal). I swapped natural yogurt for fat free. And I added cheese back on to my sandwich. My dinners look much the same, but my lunches are larger.

I also still work out 5-6 days a week (running, 30 day shred, yoga).        

Meg (Sunandsand7 on the WW boards) recently emailed me and pointed out that I have been neglectful of this blog. I was in England on a two week vacation with my husband (I added a picture to the album of us!), and then had family in town, and then just had to deal with getting back into my normal schedule.

Rest assured, I have been a decent WWer. I still attend my weekly meetings, and I still track my food - albeit with Spark People now since its free. I just updated "My Progress" page today. I also continue to run. I am currently training to achieve a Personal Record (PR) in a 5k in October. I am running the Goblin Gallop 5k on October 26th - this was the very first I ever participated in last year. I ran it in just over 35 minutes. My goal is to run it this year in less than 25 minutes!

But as my maintenance continues to go well, I find myself pulling away more and more from having weight be such an central part of my life. Hence, I think, my lack of things to say on this blog. I will try to be better and post more frequently, but I am not sure how much I have to say anymore. I still have good days and bad. I still track. I still attend meetings. I still measure my portions. I just keep on keeping on.

If you are interested in keeping up with me, I am keeping a more broad topic blog now, and that can be found at:

http://notingordinary.blogspot.com/

I do talk about body image & running on there every now and then, as well as post my favorite recipes.

I really thank all of you for your support and interest. I will try to cross post the above mentioned entries on this blog, too, about once a week.

I found this interesting post on the Runner's World website:

"Try High-Tech Meditation For Weight Loss

We allrecognize that we don't always eat because we're hungry; sometimes weeat for "emotional reasons," for lack of a more precise term. In thisstudy, Italian researchers used "new technologies" like mp3 players andvirtual reality systems to assist obese women with emotional eatingproblems. Some of the subjects were also taught more traditional"imagination" meditation techniques. All the approaches worked--ie, allthe women lost weight--but the high-tech approaches worked the best.Source: Journal Of The American Dietetic Association."

And the results are in, slightly late (ok, really late) to the question of how we take care of our selves:

• Spa/massage/salon (25%, 10 votes)
• Outdoor exercise (18%, 7 votes)
• Reading/writing/journaling (15%, 6 votes)
• Shopping - my personal favorite (15%, 6 votes)
• Listen to music (13%, 5 votes)
• Indoor exercise (5%, 2 votes)
• Meditation/yoga (5%, 2 votes)
• Long bath (3%, 1 vote)
  
• Other (3%, 1 vote)
• Movies/theaters/concerts AND Day trip/road trip received no votes

This week's question relates to a story in the news:

Do you support an extra tax on soda/sugary/fatty food?

I support an extra tax on junk food, if and only if, the government takes measures to make healthy food (produce, whole grains, and organic products) more widely available and affordable. Its not just about making people eat better. Some families cannot afford to eat healthy when you can get a filling meal at McDonald's for less than $15 for a family of four. It would cost more than $15 to feed the same family a well-balanced home cooked meal consisting of a lean protein, fresh produce, and brown rice. I am a big fan of taxing unhealthy behaviors (i.e. cigarette smoking) but I also think that you should encourage good choices - and make those good choices accessible to everyone.

What are your thoughts?

The stories of Mischa Barton being hospitalized then committed to the psychiatric ward have been circulating around the internet for almost a week now. What's new is that according to People.com, a major contributing factor to whatever is troubling her was the scrutiny she faced about her weight - and her own dissatisfaction with her body.

I feel so much empathy for her. She's a beautiful girl but, if reports are to be believed, she is deeply unhappy and has a poor body image - contributed in-part by the media and tabloids. After reading the People story, I immediately thought:

1. Thank goodness I am not famous and didn't have to deal with the spotlight when I was obese, and
   
2. I can only imagine how screwed up I would be if I had to hear people speculating about my weight/cellulite.

I would have come unhinged if I could hear or read what my friends and family thought every time they saw me and I had put on that next 10 lbs. Or seen a picture every time an outfit was just too snug or unflattering.

Now Mischa, in NO WAY, needs to lose weight. And the media has NO RIGHT to criticize her this way. I think of other celebrities who, like myself, need to get healthier and endure a huge amount of ugliness because of it (Kirstie Alley and Oprah come to mind). Why is it permissible to make fun of people with weight or other body issues? Should (or is it even possible) the media be held accountable for their actions? After much hard work, blood, sweat, tears, and therapy I have come to a place where I feel comfortable and happy with my body. I probably would not feel this way at all if I was under a media microscope. The stories aren't just damaging to the celebs mental health, either, they impact everyone who reads them. Disparaging comments and ridiculous standards set by the media and Hollywood are toxic.

I have not been globe-trotting. I have not been sick. I was not locked up in jail. Nor did I break all my fingers in a freak fly fishing accident.

So, why in the hell, do you ask, have I neglected this blog?

I do not have a good excuse. I have been delinquent; enjoying the summer with friends and family. The weather has been gorgeous here so I have seized the opportunity to:

• shop at the Farmer's Market
• go for long walks
• bike around my neighborhood
• eat leisurely on my deck with my husband
• go to the movies
• hike
• meet friends for alfresco lunches
• cook huge, healthy, inventive meals
  

Basically, enjoying life! Which means I find myself in front of the computer a little less these days. Does anyone else experience this in the summer time? It must be something ingrained in us from childhood. When that last school bell rings in June, we all lose focus a little bit. We all just want to curl up under a tree in the summer heat and daydream all afternoon.

But losing focus has not equaled going off-track. I have found it far easier to eat healthy this summer with all the wonderfully fresh produce available. I have taken to biking to our local Farmer's Market (10 miles round-trip) on Sunday mornings to pick-up something fresh for Sunday dinner. Yesterday I made Garlic Balsamic Beef Kebabs (beef, bell peppers, zucchini, & onion), fresh corn on the cob, and broccoli cheddar couscous.

And I do have to say, I am enjoying maintenance and that little extra cushion you have when it comes to tracking your food. When things pop-up like a sunset trip to Robek's for a smoothie, with the windows down in the Mustang, I don't feel guilty.

I finally have a feeling of peace. Who knows if its the summer lulling my senses, but I am happy with my life. I am confident in myself and my ability to maintain. For the first time in a long-time, I am not obsessing about my weight every minute of everyday. Could it be true? Have I beaten the monster I have wrestled with my whole life into submission? Sure feels like it. Sure feels like I am finally living life as I was meant to.

So, I apologize if my new found sense of peace drags me away from this computer screen a little more often.

Ingredients

1 flour tortilla

1/8 cup reduced fat, shredded Mexican Cheese

1/4 cup chopped mushrooms

1/4 cup chopped sweet onion

1/8 cup chopped poblano pepper

1/4 cup sweet corn kernels

1/8 cup chopped avocado

1/4 cup black beans

1/4 cup salsa

1 tbsp of sour cream, fat free

1 tbsp of cilantro

1 tbsp of garlic seasoning

Parkay Spray butter

1. Sautee mushrooms, onions, and peppers in spary butter with cilantro and garlic until soft.
2. I buy frozen corn, and steam it in the bag in the microwave. You can use canned, too. Once heated, then add it to the mushroom mixture. The mushroom mixture should be covered and kept warm on a low setting.
   
3. Meanwhile, turn oven to broil. Spray tortilla with butter on each side. Broil each side 1-2 minutes. Then top one side with cheese, and broil until melted.
4. Heat black beans in the microwave.
5. Top tortilla with mushroom mixture, black beans, avocados, salsa, and sour cream. Serve!

This makes one serving, that is 7 points. It is very filling! My husband loved this recipe - we just added some grilled shrimp and fire sauce to his tostada to make it more "guy friendly."

I got my butt out of bed at 4:50am today to go for a hard and fast 2 mile run. Here is the conversation I had about 1.5 miles in....

Mind: Alright, now do a hard sprint to that street sign, then I will let you easy jog the rest of the way home.

Body: You will "let" me easy jog, huh? Look at you all high and mighty -

Mind: Just run already.

Body: Run? I am flying! And you know what? You are the one who holds us back, not me. You are always second guessing and doubting and hitting the snooze button. I can probably run all the way home at this speed.

Mind: Alright, proove it.

1/2 mile of sprinting later....

Body: Told ya I could do it.

Mind: Whoever said reverse psychology couldn't work on yourself? And, by the way, its your errant arm that hits the snooze button - I'm not even fully awake yet.

Errant arm then lifts a defiant middle finger.

The results from last week's poll: Do you regret being overweight?

• Yes, but that's ok, it motivates me (38%, 16 votes)
• Yes, all the time (35%, 15 votes)
• Sometimes (17%, 7 votes)
• No, I've come to terms with it (10%, 4 votes)

Thank you for all your honest answers and feedback! I think this is an issue we all struggle with.

Onto a less dreary topic this week! I am definitely in need of a pick-me-up. And, as I mentioned in my last post, my friends have helped me plan a self-care/retreat day - which is happening this Saturday! Its giving me something to look forward to this long week back from the July 4th Holiday Weekend.

So, what are your favorite activites to de-stress/self-care?

There is an interesting article in the Daily Mail today about Body Dysmorphic Disorder - when you can't see your body the way everyone else does. I would argue that everyone, to some extent, cannot see their body in a true light. But this article higlights the severe end of this disorder.

I think many of us struggle with this issue during the process to lose weight. That's why I tell everyone beginning their weight loss journey to document their progress in pictures. You might not like the first few progress pictures (not even mentioning the "before" pictues), but down the road they will be instrumental in demonstrating how far you have come. They also help you wrap your mind around your new body. Even though my body changed at a fairly slow rate (over a year), it has taken even longer for my mind to catch-up.

Read the full article and here is a picture demonstrating what a real woman dealing with this issue sees.

I have been slacking on the job, and have not changed up the poll in awhile. My apologies!

The results from the last poll, what is your favorite summer fruit, are:

1. Watermelon (24 votes, 39%) - I love mine with salt! Which I thought was normal (because my whole family eats them with salt) until friends pointed out I was an odd duck.
   
2. Strawberries (19 votes, 31%)
3. Raspberries (4 votes, 6%)
4. Cantaloupe (3 votes, 5%)
5. Blackberries (2 votes, 3%)
6. Cherries (2 votes, 3%)
7. Honeydew Melon (2 votes, 3%)
8. Mangoes (2 votes, 3%)
9. Peaches (2 votes, 3%)
10. Nectarines (1 vote, 2%)
11. Other (1 vote, 2%)
12. Sadly, grapes and plums got no love.
    

Now, for a slightly more serious poll. My mother asked me recently if I regretted being obese, and the first answer that sprung to my lips was "no" - which surprised the hell out of me. If I had never been overweight, I would never have traveled this journey. Maybe I wouldn't feel as confident as I do now. I probably wouldn't be as sensitive to other people's struggles with all kinds of addictions, not just food. And I know for a fact that I would not be grateful for my healthy and strong body. Finally, I have often talked about my emotional eating and addiction to food. I believe if it wasn't food, I would have been addicted to something else (alcoholism, drug, and gambling addictions all run in the family). Perhaps food is the lesser of the addiction evils that I could have been dealt.

So, what is your response to my mother's question? Do you regret being unhealthy?

We are all familiar with the scrutiny celebrities receive when they gain and lose weight. We are all probably guilty of reading these tabloid stories, and dissecting the accompanying photos. But is this obsession with celebrity weight a symptom of a larger social phenomenon known as weight discrimination - or weightism?

We are all (hopefully) familiar with the terms racism, sexism, and ageism and their accompanying social ills. There is debate, though, whether weightism is a form of discrimination, or justified. Those who are against acknowledging weightism as discrimination say its because personal choices lead to obesity, and you can't choose your race, age or sex. They also defend their stance by pointing out those who are obese cost society more in terms of medical expenses. In the words of columnist John Ridley:

"if they choose to get big...why in the world would we choose to mollycoddle with [anti-discrimination] laws which encourage the obese to continue to both live an unhealthy lifestyle and stick us with the bill?"

Those who support the idea of making weight a protected characteristic in anti-discrimination laws say that the practice of weightism prevents victims from getting jobs, raises, promotions, and more. They believe that discriminating based on weight is just like discriminating based on skin color.  Weightism advocates also believe that the discrimination swings both ways, with those who are underweight being treated differently, as well. And a recent Yale study suggests weightism is more widespread than racism.

I am not sure how I feel about weightism.  I am more apt to think about weight - whether you are over or under - as a mental health issue.  I have likened being overweight to struggling with the disease of alocholism.  In that sense, if having weight problems is a mental health issue, then I guess in a round-about way, weightism is discrimination and should be protected since mental health disabilities are protected in the ADA Act as long as they do not interfere with your job performance.

On an anecdotal note, I have become increasingly more aware of being treated differently by people I meet now because I am no longer severely obese. There have been hot debates on the boards whether this has to do more with how you carry yourself versus the weight BUT I have to say I felt like people (store clerks, waiters, random men) ignored me when I was overweight.  Now, I am always astonished when someone offers to help me with my luggage on a plane, or carry my groceries, or give me a random compliment (I am looking at you toll both guy).  These things NEVER happened when I was 200+ lbs, and now they happen on a weekly basis. I am sure part of it is confidence, but I believe its because I have lost the equivalent of a Tori Spelling in weight.

Wait - scratch that last comment; that was entirely weightist of me to talk about Ms. Spelling that way!

What do you think? What have your personal experiences been?

I made a great new food discovery: Healthy Choice meals with dessert!

So far, I have tried the Country Herbed Chicken with gravy, roasted potatoes, steamed vegetables, and a cherry crisp - for JUST 4 POINTS!!!!!!! Yes, all that food for just four little points. Yes, its a frozen entree - which means conveinence when you are running late to work but also a trade off on the sodium levels BUT I think as a meal 1-2 times a week, you can't beat this!

Today, I will be trying the Beef Portabello Tips with whipped potatoes, broccoli, and caramel apple crisp for 5 points.

There are a ton of other flavors - click here to see.

Ingredients

1. 2 cups cooked whole wheat pasta (rotini, wagon wheels, or elbow)
2. Aidell's Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Sausage (3 links chopped into rounds)
3. 1 cup of sliced eggplant
4. 1 cup of chopped red bell pepper
5. 1/2 cup of chopped sweet onion
6. 1/2 cup of chopped portobella mushrooms
   
7. 1 cup of halved or quartered small tomatoes (e.g. cherry, grape, roma)
8. Parkay Spray butter
9. 6 tbsp of Red Wine Vinegar
10. 2 tbsp of Balsamic Vinegar
11. Basil, Parsley, & Oregano seasonings

Directions

• Cook the pasta according to directions.
• Combine ingredients 2-7, toss with adequate amount of spary butter and preferred seasonings, then sautee or grill until vegetables soften (Aidell's sausages come pre-cooked, if using a different, uncooked kind, prepare first before combining with veggies).
• Combine the cooked pasta and veggie-sausage mix.
• Toss this mixture with the red wine and balsamic vinegars, plus extra seasoning if needed.

Serves 4 (6 points per serving). Add reduced fat paremsan on top if desired.

Blog reader, Beth, is completely and utterly correct in her comment on yesterday's post. And it really helped me shift my frame of reference. I need to be thankful for how lucky I am. As much as the things going "wrong" in my life have bothered me this week, I am blessed beyond comparison. The five things I am most thankful for are:

1. My health, and my family and friend's good health.
2. A loving, supportive, handsome husband.
3. A beautiful, comfortable home.
4. A stable job that affords me a fairly worry-free lifestyle (mortgage is paid, healthy food is affordable, vacations are taken).
5. My support network is pretty freakin' fantastic - I don't ever feel alone when I am struggling.

I want reader participation on this post. What are you most thankful for today? Come on, everyone, I want lots of comments on this post. Let's share the positivity and make it as contagious as the swine flu. I want a Positivity Pandemic today!!!!!!!!!

How do you snap yourself out of a negative mood?

It all started yesterday at work. I write grants. I received not one, not two, not three, but FOUR declinations (a fancy way of saying "no") from foundations I had sent grants.

Then the sky opened up, and unleashed holy hell on earth during my commute home.

And when I arrived home, my usually loving husband was being a jerk, and failed to notice I was sending signals that I needed a little "pick me up" - if you know what I mean.

The Red Wings lost Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals.

Then I did not get up to run this morning because I was feeling sorry for myself - and now I feel even worse I didn't go running.

To top it all off, I am bloated and feel gross in every piece of clothing I own.

I need a way to snap out of this, and fast!

I was on vacation in Maine at the end of last week for a friend's wedding. It was the first real vacation I have taken since being on the Weight Watcher program. Up until now, I just had short business trips and holidays with my parents. Well, vacation is a whole other beast, for sure. My whole schedule was shifted, not to mention that it was a wedding with old college friends, so drinking was priority numero uno on everyone's list.

I ate indulgently this weekend. I had banana's foster, cheesecake, steak, sweet potato pancakes, fruity cocktails and more. But I also loaded up on veggies at every meal, had oatmeal & fresh fruit for breakfast everyday, went running & hiking, and even visited a vegetarian bistro for lunch so I could have a heavier dinner. But if I wanted something (like that handmade pinot noir raspberry sorbet - to die for), I had it! It was nice to realize I could balance healthier options and portion control, with splurging on things I really wanted.

The result? I am up about 1.5 lbs on the scale this morning. More importantly, I feel relaxed and rejunvenated from my vacation. And really, I know I can lose 1.5 lbs over the next couple of weeks.

Even better - I had a great time dancing the entire night away at the wedding with my husband & friends. I was able to keep my heels on the whole time (no blistering & achy feet from carrying around the extra weight) and my makeup didn't run down my face because of sweat (which I used to do profusely because of the extra padding). I swear, every time I do something now, its like experiencing it in a whole new way! This alone makes all the work over the last year worth it.

What things have you "re-experienced" after starting to get healthy?

I ran my second official 5k this past weekend: Tommy's Run for a Reason to benefit the Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood disease. It was the first annual race, so there weren't many competitive runners. So, guess what? I actually crackd the Top Ten! I had a personal record of 26 minutes 32 seconds and placed 9th overall in the women runners. I know the race wasn't competitive but it was nice to be in the front of the pack and feel the exhiliration of actually racing instead of just trying to finish.