If only shopping walked off enough calories to make it through this weekend, weight-free!
It doesn't.
BUT....
Who cares? It's one weekend. So for this one weekend we relax with family, eat, drink and be merry and shop... hang lights.... decorate... Chill-lax.... rock babies....visit shut-ins.... Take cookies or candies to others....
And Monday we dig in with PRE-EMPTIVE STRIKE!
Pre-emptive strike is my way of pre-dieting for the holidays. The first day or two seems tough after a weekend of languishing around the refrigerator, but I promise: THIS WORKS....
I go lo-carb. You can co low-calorie if you prefer. That all comes down to body type, metabolism, etc.
Remember my bowl of pre-mixed salad that I keep in the fridge at all times?
 |
| broccoli slaw, cole slaw, celery make the base... this doesn't get soggy or weird if refrigerated, covered for days. That makes grabbing some out, easy... I use my big, covered Pyrex bowl and then add fresh cukes, apple chunks, sunflower seeds, almonds, and lots of cheese... I like extra sharp cheddar... and sometimes grilled steak or chicken... |
Diet Sierra Mist Cranberry Splash soda is the BEST SODA EVER at holiday time because it tastes like a party and no calories. I don't drink water, so this is a great substitute...
I use the salad during the day. All day. Eat as much as you want because it's mostly cabbage and broccoli and it's really good for you! Literally NO CARBS... So few as to be uncountable. And because oil/fat doesn't count on low-carb (no carbs in mayo/oil/butter) I use as much of ANY DRESSING as I want because it's not about calories... it's about tricking your "bod" into harvesting fat patches instead of the harder to break down proteins and veggies. I do avoid the high sugar veggies: corn, peas and carrots.
Supper.... I eat what everyone else is eating (on the nights I cook, some nights I don't and white tuna with celery and mayo on lettuce is the best game in town! I buy the gold label Bumble Bee because it does not taste like cat food. 'Sall I'm sayin'...)
It's amazing how much more in control you feel by December 20th if you've done this for four measly, easy-peasy weeks. (Okay, there are some not so easy-peasy days, but we're tough! We'll get through them together!)
I always figured if you're in a sit-down job, you need to be twice-careful with weight gain. It's sneaky! So if we do little things to thwart it here and there, it never catches us full unaware with a surprise! surprise! twenty-five pounds we found along the way.
It's always easier to shed five than fifty.
Baby steps, right?
So have fun this weekend, then bite the bullet. Or the cabbage. Grab the Splenda. Stock up on high-bulk, low-cal or low-carb. Being careful doesn't work for me if I feel hungry. I'm a grazer. I nibble all day. But if I've got fresh greens (very rabbit-like!!!) in the fridge, then I'll nibble them.... NOT CHOCOLATE.
But I'm not afraid to reward myself with the occasional little scoop of ice cream or chocolate piece as long as I'm being good.
Tell me what you do to stay on top of things... Share your ideas, your methods. Anything that helps us enjoy life and still be healthy, well... I'm all for it! Then we can gather 'round the tree together with a little less guilt!
Oh, I love this salad recipe!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI only eat three bites of something decadent. But mainly I have very small servings of whatever is served at holiday parties. I don't deprive myself but don't go "hog wild".
It is all about portion control. Except when it comes to that salad of yours.
Peace and Advent blessings, Julie
Well I bought kale to bake from Missy's recipe. The carbs have all been banished from the house and nothing but fruit, veggies and fish and chicken is allowed in.
ReplyDeleteWow, I read the title and thought Tina was guest-blogging today. :)
ReplyDeleteRuthy, I so agree about the type of food for your body type. I have to go lo-carb to lose. If I eat lots of veggies, the pounds literally fall off. If I start in on the cranberry bread :( or muffins for breakfast, it's impossible to lose no matter how much I'm walking all day.
So, alas and farewell to the carbs. A friend of my husband's jokingly said that Ireland gave him his shape - a potato. Seriously, no joke, carbs make me look like a potato.
Happy, healthy eating.
I went to COSTCO this morning and stocked up on chicken and salmon. Now it's off to the farmer's market. But since it's still the holiday weekend, I can get the scrumptious pumpkin cranberry muffin, right?
Oh, and if you're looking for healthy cranberry recipes, that was my topic du jour over at healthywriter today.
Mmm... That turkey looks heavenly! Makes me want to run to the fridge for leftovers. :D
ReplyDeleteI don't have a diet plan. Maybe someday when I'm not so busy trying to keep four boys and a hubby fed. :D Actually, I need a healthy eating plan, but every time I think I have one, life come in and messes it all up.
As to that punch? Mmm... I can feel the coolness, taste the fruitiness sliding down my throat even now...
Sounds great! Since we had our Thanksgiving last month, I have no excuse for sitting around this weekend. I don't like celery mixed with anything, however, so I'd leave that out of your salad. The rest sounds good though.
ReplyDeleteI have a similar plan, but it's lo-cal and not lo-carb. And I love raw snap peas.
To lose weight, here's what I do:
BREAKFAST - a RED Texas grapefruit followed by a banana. Texas red are the sweetest we can get up here and the banana takes away the grapefruit after-taste. This combo also fills me for 5-6 hrs.
LUNCH - veggie plate (1 c each of broccoli, cauliflower, snap peas as well as 1 cut up red/yellow/orange sweet pepper, and 2 celery stalks)
- 1 cup no-fat probiotic yogurt (Source) as veggie dip
This meal takes me 2 hours to chew and I don't even thinking about snacking until it's near suppertime and then a glass of water does the trick.
SUPPER - 1 serving of whatever the family is eating
6-8 classes of water throughtout the day to aid in the digestion and clear out my system. No problem moving stuff through between the roughage and the water.
Following this regime, I lost 50 lbs in 1 year however, I made one error by not eating enough protein. I've had to add eggs or tuna/salmon to one meal a day plus additional legumes (usually during the evening meal) to make up for it.
I started doing Weight Watchers a few months ago, the on-line version, so I keep zero and low-point foods around the house: fresh fruits and veggies, whole grains, yogurt (or milk), and reasonable portions of meat, poultry and fish. Lots of water, tea, and an occasional diet pop.
ReplyDeleteOne of the best secrets I've found is low-fat chicken or beef broth (I buy the MSG-free kind in the box at the store). I heat up a cup in the microwave about thirty minutes before lunch or supper, and it takes the edge off my appetite. It also adds protein and is zero points.
My downfall is sweets. Big time. There can be a package of cookies or candy in the house, but it can't be opened. If it's opened, then I'll have a few, and hopefully the boys will finish it off before I get back to it!
My daily treat(s), though, are chocolate, of course. I have 16 Ghiradelli chocolate chips a day (once they're gone, I have to wait until the next day for more, so they're for emergencies). The other treat is a Fiber One chocolate brownie - if I've met my point goal and I've done my walking for the day.
Four weeks? Four measly easy-peasy weeks? I'm with you, Ruthy!
I almost forgot!
ReplyDeleteCongrats Anita Mae! You and Tina are my inspiration!
So all this talk about dieting has me wondering, have any of you read/heard anything about the Paleo diet?
ReplyDeleteI had written it off as nonsense just by the name, but then I saw a video series done by a Doctor/Reporter in San Francisco and her results were amazing. Her cholesterol dropped something like 50 points in 2 weeks.
As best I can tell, the diet entails eating all the fruits, vegetables, lean meats, poultry, fish, nuts and seeds you want. You can't eat dairy or sugar or any grains. Cheating once in awhile is fine - doesn't seem to cause a problem.
What intrigues me about this is that it seems to reflect what I've noticed about my weight loss. The veggies/fruits/nuts/etc. are great. Add in the sweets and grains and I'm done for.
I'll link the video in case anyone is interested in exploring more. I'm definitely curious.
http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/video/6418536-healthwatch-whats-in-the-paleo-diet/
Hey!! I'm in! Although what am I going to do with the leftover pumpkin cake with cream cheese icing that's in the fridge calling my name as I sit here writing?! :)
ReplyDeleteI, too, have to do low carb to have any success. I'm actually looking forward to getting back on my plan. While I was at my inlaws', I looked at photos from two Thanksgivings ago. I was horrified. I've made progress and don't want to go back to that weight!
Way to go, Missy! and thanks Jan although I have to admit I need a whole lot of encouragement to keep going... when my muscles started starving for protein last year I couldn't stay warm and this year my head is battling with my want to restrict myself again. It's cold enough up here as it is never mind with self-induced empty muscles. Brrr.
ReplyDeleteFirst off, Tina and Anita, you guys rock! Because we all know it's not about 'self-control' it's about figuring out body type/metabolism/eating patterns and then tricking your body into being happy lo-cal or low-carb.
ReplyDeleteThe Paleo diet sounds like the South Beach diet, doesn't it? Eat the healthy stuff, but toss the carbs into the waste-basket, not the "waist-basket"....
Grains start off as grain but convert to carbs in your body... So even whole grain breads are still carb-based, they just have more seediness and fiber to round things out. But still carbs...
Wraps are a fooler. If you read the label on lots of wraps, they're high-carb. They look so THIN... but the carb count is like a day's worth.
So nixing the carbs while keeping protein and veggies high (Anita, thank you for sharing that because you're right, our bodies need a balance!)seems to be clutch for most of us. And Jan, I do the Ghirardelli dark chip thing too. If I need something chocolate, two of those make me feel like I'm not an orphaned waif longing for home....
And then I'll have a few later, too. And because I've been shopping for Christmas goodies, I hide the candy, etc. upstairs, in a cabinet, and taped shut if it's been opened. That way I can't cheat easily. I mean I have to REALLY THINK all the way upstairs, and while I'm ferreting out whatever... And during the day the babies keep me downstairs, so that's a plus!
Holiday cookies: We freeze 'em ASAP. And then I have a ton done for Christmas week, but I'm not gorging myself. And I love cooking with the babies, so I can't stop that, but I just promise myself that they're going to taste lovely on December 21st... ;)
Anita, we all go through that initial mental denial. But you can do this if we're all in it together. I love company when I'm doing something like this. My friend Stacey (who has lost 50 lbs. as of this weekend) is doing this, too. If we act ahead of time and then go into the New Year no worse off for having indulged a little on Christmas week, then that's good, right?
Then we'll hard-tackle a January regimen to sail us into spring. I'm totally in!
You gals sound great. I lost 37 pounds about five years ago--and found them again. I've had some other major health challenges this year, but need to get back on the wagon.
ReplyDeleteThe GI-diet was how I did it (glycemic index) where the carbs are rated. It wasn't too horrible other than sweets. I really crave them, and I went splenda last time. Won't do that again, even if it works.