It's Safe To Be Slender

Days 7 to 10 of the drinking water rather than soft drinks experiment

2013-05-25T08:48:00.000-07:00

May 21 to 24, 2013 (Tuesday through Friday)

It is getting easier and more enjoyable to drink water with my meals and snacks and sips throughout the day.

The other night, I had that Chia Seed, lemon juice, and water mixture and got acid reflux that lasted well into the next day. That confirmed for me even more the advisability to mostly make my drink pure water.

I started also drinking milk with some of my meals. That also was enjoyable as long as I add ice cubes to make it truly icy cold.

I don't think I am eating as much as I used to as the water does not precipitate any sugar cravings like soft drinks did. That is a good thing.

If I do drink soft drinks occasionally, I am going to make certain that they do not have caffeine. So, the experiment is succeeding very well. I am so pleased!

Days 4 to 6 of the drinking water rather than soft drinks experiment

2013-05-21T00:49:00.001-07:00

May 18, 19, and 20, 2013 (Saturday through Monday)

On Saturday, I was still battling some vestiges of withdrawal from caffeine and some sleepiness. I went to bed way earlier than normal for me. Normal, by the way, is between 2 to 4 am, as I am a bit of an insomniac. I was asleep by around 1:30 am. I enjoyed very much the clean feeling in my stomach as I drank water all day.

By Sunday, I appeared to be over the withdrawal symptoms. I still had to go to bed earlier than my previous norm. But otherwise, drinking water became easier and easier.

On Monday, I awakened longing for a drink with a little more cutting edge to it like lemonade. We did not have lemonade in the house, plus, that is a strong sugar-based drink. My compromise, which worked out beautifully, was to make my Chia Seed, lemon juice, ice cubes, and water concoction. To me, it tastes similar to Fresca and it is way healthier. I really enjoyed consuming this as I ate my bowl of cereal. The rest of the day, drinking pure water felt natural and just what I wanted. I am very pleased that my food tastes better and my appetite has decreased somewhat.

By the way, Chia Seeds have lots of fiber. The drink is something that I will probably repeat often. In a large glass, I mix 2 tablespoons of Chia Seeds, a bunch of ice cubes, 15 squirts of lemon juice, and about 24 ounces of water. It makes a thickened drink that is similar to a slushy drink. Since the seeds tend to settle, I give the mixture a good stir prior to taking a drink. I ended up drinking every drop. Yum!

Days 2 to 3 of the drinking water rather than soft drinks experiment

2013-05-18T13:00:00.000-07:00

May 16 to 17, 2013

This blog is documenting days 2 and 3 of my drinking water versus soft drinks experiment. Mostly, it is my effort to kick the caffeine addiction habit.

Through the years, I have attempted to kick the caffeine habit. Once, I managed it for two whole years. Then, when life got stressful, I returned to drinking caffeine like an alcoholic feels the need to return to drinking alcohol.

I kept up drinking Diet Coke for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack for a few years. Then, when I went through breast cancer in 2010, I stopped for two reasons. One, it was suggested that Diet Coke might possibly be a contributor to breast cancer. The second reason was that when I went through Chemo, my taste buds made a drastic change. Diet Coke tasted absolutely horrid. So, from that time period to this, I have not felt tempted to drink Diet Coke. Twice, I took a sip of my husband's Diet Coke to see if I might like it again. Nope! I couldn't stand it. That is funny because for several years, I absolutely adored the flavor.

During my chemo sessions between February and July of 2010, the only drink I could fully taste, other than water, was lemonade. So, there came a time after I recovered from breast cancer when I decided to return to drinking caffeinated drinks. My drink of choice, a rather natural transition from lemonade, was Diet Mt. Dew. I also enjoyed regular Mt. Dew. I didn't much taste a difference between the two. I preferred the diet as I am such a drink guzzler that I wanted to limit my drink calories.

So, that is the background information. By the way, alcohol has never been a temptation for me. I don't like the taste or smell of any of them. Plus, drinking alcohol gives me the side effect like I have a horrible case of menstrual cramps and heavy legs. Therefore, more from this factor rather than scruples, I do not drink alcoholic drinks. Plus, I don't like the idea of chemicals messing with my health or brain matter. My only 'drug of choice' has ever been caffeine and sugar. I am not a smoker, as well.

So, back to Day 2. I noticed that on the second day of not drinking caffeine, I was sleepier and battling a headache. I was drinking a lot of Dasani purified water. That is my favorite brand of bottled water to drink. My sugar cravings for lessening, as well.

On Day 3, I tried Aquafina bottled water which does not taste nearly as good to me as Dasani. My husband had bought me a 12-pack of both brands. So, I added some lemon juice to the Aquafina to make it a bit tastier. That helped some; however, I had the feeling my body would have enjoyed it better minus the lemon juice.

That night, my husband and I tried out a new, to us, restaurant, called 'The Farmer's Daughter'. It is on Erwin Highway between Greeneville and Jonesborough in Tennessee. You pay $12.95 per person. With tax, it adds up to $15 even. It is a family-style restaurant. It is all you can eat to a point. Your table gets the choice of two meats. Then you are served ten vegetables. You also get your drink and one dessert included. They did not have lemonade. I don't enjoy tea or coffee. So, my options were water or Sierra Mist. I chose Sierra Mist. I like it okay, but I am not a great lover of Sprite, Sierra Mist, or 7-Up. I do love Ginger Ale, however. The food was pretty good. It was really fun to try all these new flavors. But I noticed that I experienced a strong case of Cotton Mouth that evening. It could be because I drank a soft drink rather than water. It could be that their food was extra salty because even my husband had a bit of that dry-mouth condition. Or it could have been a combination of the two. So, should we go back, I will elect to only drink ice water.

So, to help alleviate that, I ate a bunch of green grapes and drank water after returning home.

As for the food, here is what we experienced at 'The Farmer's Daughter Restaurant':

Meats: Steak-n-Gravy (pretty good) and Friend Chicken (we both found it quite bland and boring)

When the manager learned it was our first visit, he gave us a plate of Barbecued Pork Ribs at no extra charge. They were very tasty but really on the sweet side.

There was a Grilled Haddock option. We were both wishing we had tried that. If we go back, we will probably order the ribs again plus Grilled Haddock.

Vegetables: Mashed Potatoes (good), Carrot Souffle (like a dessert and very tasty), Soup Beans (my husband didn't much care for them and he loves that kind of thing - I don't eat them), Steamed Cabbage (very flavorful), Cornbread Salad (pretty good), Potato Salad (good), Cucumbers with some kind of tasty dressing (good), Fried Green Tomatoes (really good), Macaroni and White Cheese (good), Broccoli with cheese (delicious), and Strawberries and Cream (yummy). They also served gravy that was didn't need.

You get Corn Bread and rolls. They were both tasty.

For dessert, I tried the Butterscotch Pie served with whipped cream. It was really good. My husband had the Banana Pudding. He liked the fact that it had big chunks of banana. He did not like the fact that it lacked Vanilla Wafers. He likes an even amount of both. His was served with whipped cream, as well. We turned down the Chocolate Cream Pie and Hot Fudge Cake. We might try them a future time.

You can check out the website to see what other food options they have. They also serve breakfast. By the way, they are only open on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

Day 1 of the drinking water rather than soft drinks experiment

2013-05-15T20:00:00.001-07:00

May 15, 2013

Today marks day one of my experiment to drink water rather than drinking soft drinks. Up to this day, I was drinking multiple Diet Mt. Dew cans each and every day. I was addicted to the caffeine and the Aspartame. Aware that, as a breast cancer survivor, I might have been playing with fire, so to speak, I am beginning this experiment.

I've noticed that when I drink soft drinks, I am able to eat more and I have greater sugar cravings. Today, when I ate breakfast, I was not able to eat nearly as much when I only had ice water to drink. I enjoyed the water and did not seem to miss the soft drink.

As the day progressed, I did find that I was battling a bit of sleepiness. I also had a very small headache since I was going through some caffeine withdrawal.

I enjoyed my dinner very much. I seemed to be able to taste more flavors in the food with water as an accompaniment. The big drawback was when I had to make the 45-minute drive from Kingsport to my home in Mosheim, it was all I could do to stay awake. I had to run the air conditioner full blast, sit up straight, and try to distract myself from visions of taking a nap by listening to upbeat songs on the radio.

I did have to take a power nap upon returning home. I did a lot of yawning after awakening. I feel fine currently.

My husband is not thrilled that I am trying this experiment as he fears I will fall asleep when we watch our late night television shows. Nevertheless, I feel the need to improve the way I am eating and drinking. Losing weight would be a perk of this experiment. Staying hydrated and healthy would be another perk of this experiment. We will see how long I can maintain this process.

'Your Last Diet': table of contents of my weight loss articles

2012-02-06T12:05:00.000-08:00

I've lost 15 1/2 (fifteen and a half) pounds so far using 'Your Last Diet' by Kathleen DesMaisons. Here are the article links giving the details.

Please note: Check back as I will continue adding article links to this particular blog page every few days.

STEP ONE:

1. ‘Your Last Diet’: Working Step 1 : Do you consider yourself to be overweight? Have you tried all kinds of diets only to have them all eventually fail? That is certainly the case with me. Join me as I work step one of ‘Your Last Diet’ created by Kathleen DesMaisons.

2. ‘Your Last Diet’: Step 1’s Breakfast Adventure Part 1 : In my efforts to work step one of ‘Your Last Diet’ developed by Kathleen DesMaisons, I began experimenting with several recipes in my effort to create the most ideal sugar-free breakfast cookie filled with protein and carbohydrates. Read what happened.

3. ‘Your Last Diet’: Step 1’s Breakfast Adventure Part 2 : In my efforts to work step one of ‘Your Last Diet’ developed by Kathleen DesMaisons, so far, I’ve found 3 nourishing breakfast combos that work for me. Read about liquid protein and steel cut oats.

4. ‘Your Last Diet’: Step 1 plus Breast Reconstruction Surgery: The timing couldn’t be better. Protein is needed for Step 1 and to help my skin heal after Breast Reconstruction surgery using tummy fat. I’ve lost 10 lbs.

STEP TWO:

5. ‘Your Last Diet’: Starting Step 2 plus why I am overweight: As I continue polishing Step 1 of ‘Your Last Diet’ by Kathleen DesMaisons, I’m ready to start Step 2. Read all about it and why I am overweight.

6. ‘Your Last Diet’: Continuing Step 2 plus a focus on ‘Sugar Sensitives’: I am currently working Steps 1 and 2 of ‘Your Last Diet’ by Kathleen DesMaisons. My current focus is to explore whether or not I am sensitive to sugar.

7. ‘Your Last Diet’: Step 2 plus starting to exercise: In addition to working on Step 2 of ‘My Last Diet’ by Kathleen DesMaisons, I’m beginning to exercise as well. I’ve lost 15 pounds.

Random thoughts about my food issues and Chapter 1 of 'Potatoes not Prozac'

2012-01-06T17:57:00.000-08:00

As of January 6, 2010, I am now reading Chapter 1 of Kathleen DesMaisons' book called "Potatoes not Prozac."

Potatoes not Prozac by Kathleen DesMaisons (2nd edition, copyright 2008)

I bought my copy from Amazon. I have included the link above.

I processed the Introduction and am eager to hear how she explains Chapter 1 which is entitled "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde."

Interesting Tidbit #1: I Googled Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde as I could not quite recall the original author. It was Robert Louis Stevenson. He wrote it in 1886. Dr. Jekyll is the "nice" character. He occasionally transforms into the "bad guy" character of Mr. Hyde. I certainly have served my time of transforming into [Mrs.] Hyde in my 53 1/2 years of life. I am all too human in that respect. How about you?

Memory Recall #1: On page 7, the author talks about "You lose energy and get tired. You crave sugar and turn to sweets and snack foods to get yourself going again."

Man! I cannot count the times that I have done that. I snack when I drive on long trips to keep myself awake. I have snacks set up by my computer when I'm writing to keep myself going. When my husband wants to watch our shows late at night and I find myself drifting off to sleep, I use snacks to wake myself up.

I think I should describe our rather strange schedule. My husband is a sports writer covering the Vols. He mostly works at home except when he has to drive to UT Knoxville to cover a home football or basketball game, go to a press conference, interview a coach or player, etc. Otherwise, he spends hours everyday writing sports articles for Inside Tennessee.com and for their sports magazine called "Rocky Top News." To see more, here is their website link: http://tennessee.scout.com/. My husband is Randy Moore. He is the editor-in-chief and a senior sports writer for this site.

On typical days when I do not have a storytelling gig, we both get up around 10 a.m. We each retire to our respective offices. He writes, writes, writes all day long, rarely taking a break. He may or may not eat lunch. He will have a couple of cookies or so for his breakfast and a caffeinated drink. Around 5:30 to 6:30, he goes to the nursing home to feed his invalid mother her dinner. She has Parkinson's and other disorders that prevent her from being able to take care of any of her personal needs. Randy is a very loyal and wonderful husband to me and son to his mother. He gets home around 8:30 to 9:00 and continues writing. Sometimes, he will take time to eat his dinner when he gets home. More often than not, he will eat his dinner around 10:00 to 11:00 to even 12:00 when he is done writing for the night. I vary my eating schedule. Sometimes, I go ahead and eat dinner while he is gone and leave him a plate to warm up. Sometimes, I'll eat as late as 10 pm.

We then watch our pre-recorded favorite shows until 1:30 to 2:00 am. We sometimes watch as late as 3:00 a.m. Sometime during that time period, I take a power nap on the couch. We will both snack during this time. He goes to bed first. I usually stay up longer. When I finally get to bed, it often takes me a long time to turn off my brain enough to go to sleep. Then I sleep for 5 to 6 hours or so. He usually gets his 8 hours.

So, my eating habits definitely have many needs-improvement opportunities built in to our rather odd schedule.

Question to Explore #1: The author mentions a number of factors that she attributes to the possibility of being sugar sensitive. Some of these seem to apply to me and some don't. I will list them below.

These apply to me:

I crave sugar and/or snacks to get myself awake and alert enough to work, stay awake driving, stay awake watching TV with my husband, etc.
I do sometimes eat compulsively.
I sometimes appear to lack self-discipline when it comes to my food intake: quantity plus nutritive quality.

These do NOT appear to apply to me:

I have been moody in the past; however, I am usually a glass half-filled kind of a girl. I don't often suffer from depression and haven't in a long time.
As to being overwhelmed, I do not always balance my do list, but I'm not really what you would call overwhelmed.
I feel no need for being on an anti-depressant.

Then my question is: How many of those have to apply before I should or could describe myself as being sugar sensitive?

The author, Kathleen DesMaisons, states on page 8 that "Your body chemistry may respond to sugars and certain carbohydrates (such as bread, crackers, cereal, and pasta) differently than other people's bodies do." She mentions that this could effect mood and behavior. She also states that "How you feel is physiologically linked to what you eat - and when you eat it."

I am hoping to figure out whether that status applies to me.

By the way, I have never been addicted to alcohol or drugs or nicotine. I am a non-drinker, a non-drugger, and a non-smoker. My only real chemical vice was Diet Coke. Prior to getting breast cancer and going through chemo, I drank Diet Coke for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and during snacks. I now cannot stand Diet Coke or any kind of cola due to chemo. I have not had a caffeinated soft drink since October 26th. I don't miss it. I have only had a non-caffeinated soft drink like Ginger Ale or Sierra Mist a couple of times since that date. I mostly drink water and do not miss the soft drinks at all. I also enjoy juice, lemonade, and Cappuccinos made with 1% milk.

My other chemical vice is sugar.

I will have to read further to discover if I am sugar sensitive and whether my body reacts differently to sugar than the norm. So far, I am thinking this book may not fully apply to me or only apply to me a little bit. Stay tuned.

The reason why I think perhaps this may not apply fully to me is that I am rarely moody, I mostly am not irritable, I have a pretty good self-esteem, and I am more hopeful than hopeless. I also am optimistic about the future.

I would like to lose weight in a permanent safe kind of a way. I want to do it as a life-style change that I can live with. I am definitely overweight; however, I mostly embrace my being Rubenesque, as i like to call it. My husband loves my curves and makes me feel beautiful. So I am not feeling desperate. Instead, I am curious to see if there are practical measures I can take to be less dependent on sugar. That is part of what I am hoping to learn from this book.

I am, as mentioned on page 10, often guilty of "self-medicating with sugars and simple carbohydrates." So, I feel certain that there is quite a bit I can learn from this book even if I am not fully sugar sensitive.

Interesting Tidbit #2: I am grateful to state that other than a step-grandfather, no one in my family is really a drinker and those few who do enjoy the occasional drink are definitely not alcoholics. So that disease has never touched me. That seems to be the partial focus of this book so far.

So far, my two addictions that I know of:
1. Caffeine (not true as of around January to February of 2010)
2. Sugar (still true today)

What intrigues me is that the author, on page 14, seems to be implying that her food issues did not really have "its roots in emotional wounding." If that is the case, it makes me wonder. I have always thought a lot of my food issues has to do with my past history. What if that is not the case after all? Hmmmmm!

However, as I continue to read her back story, on page 16, maybe I am misunderstanding what she identifies as the root cause. Maybe it does have to do with our reaction to our past history after all. Obviously, I need to keep reading.

To be continued ...

Some random thoughts about my food issues and the Introduction to 'Potatoes not Prozac'

2012-01-06T16:31:00.000-08:00

As of January 6, 2010, I have just started reading Kathleen DesMaisons' book called "Potatoes not Prozac."

Potatoes not Prozac by Kathleen DesMaisons (2nd edition, copyright 2008)

I bought my copy from Amazon. I have included the link above.

As I read the book, I can imagine that it will inspire memories and connections between what she writes and what I have experienced. I think best when I write out my thoughts, so I will include some of those thoughts in this blog. Follow along if you so choose.

The thrust of her book is to beat out sugar addiction. In fact, the front cover of the book says, "A Natural Seven-Step Program to (1) Balance your sugar sensitivity and come alive! and (2) Lose weight, heal depression, and and stop cravings."

Given that I am soon to have my bilateral breast reconstruction surgery (I am a breast cancer survivor and thriver) that will utilize my tummy fat to form my breasts, I would like to start focusing on losing weight in the rest of my body in a life-style change kind of a way. I plan to see if this book will prove to be helpful.

Memory #1: My parents would often state, "No dessert until you finish your dinner." I think many parents have found themselves making the same statement. This makes me question the fact that the whole value system is built around if you will eat this boring stuff, you can have something sugary as a reward. It occurs to me, for the first time ever, that parents actually teach us to place great value with eating something that contains sugar.

The currency is the sugary dessert.

The parent basically is stating, "I will pay you to eat this boring dinner with something sugary and wonderful." Therefore, we children are taught that a sugary dessert is worth great riches. Interesting!

I had never thought about it that way before. Hmmmmmm! It makes you think, doesn't it?!!

Interesting Tidbit #1: It intrigues me when the author states,
"Sugar addiction is caused by a chemical imbalance, not a character defect."

That is indeed comforting, if it is true, that the fact that I have a love affair with sugar is not due to me not being as good or as disciplined of a person as I can be. Instead, it could be attributed to that perhaps I am harboring a long-standing chemical imbalance in my body. This will be very interesting to learn more about how to monitor and possibly fix this.

Questions to Explore: On page 5, the author talks a lot about that children who are born "sugar sensitive" behave the way they do due to that factor more than any other factor. This makes me wonder:

How do you figure out if you were born sensitive to sugar?
When I decided in late elementary school that people only liked you if you were happy and laughing and smiling; and thus, I put on a shield that I perfected by the ninth grade, could any of that behavior been influenced by being sugar sensitive, if that is what I am?
For the author states on page 5, "What you thought was your personality is not who you are at all. It was a result of your sugar-sensitive biochemistry, your imbalance, and your old way of eating." How can I figure out whether this statement applies to me?
The author claims, on page 6, that "You do not have to master your blood sugar and your serotonin and your beta-endorphin, you just 'do the food'." So how do I 'do the food' as she states?

I will be reading and digesting this book, pun partially intended, with great interest.

Weight loss versus Healthy and Whole: November 10, 2011

2011-11-09T23:08:00.000-08:00

Grains: 6 ounces
Vegetables: 2 1/2 cups
Fruit: 2 cups
Proteins: 5 1/2 ounces
Dairy: 3 cups

November 9, 2011 meal plan:

Breakfast: Blueberry Pop Tarts, Apple, Water

Snack: Goodearth Sweet & Spicy Red Tea with Cinnamon Orange (Red Rooibos, Chicory Root, Natural Flavors, Rosehips, Cinnamon, Peppermint, Panax Ginseng Leaves, Orange Peel, Anise Seed, Dandelion Root, Lemongrass, Papaya, Chamomile, Ginger Root and Orange Oil.)

Grains: 6 ounces - 1/2 ounce = 5.5 ounces to go
Vegetables: 2 1/2 cups- a small amt. of this = <2 1/2 cups
Fruit: 2 cups - 1 = 1 to go
Proteins: 5 1/2 ounces
Dairy: 3 cups

Lunch: Creamed Spinach and Ranch Dressing over Whole Wheat Pasta (about 1 cup). One slice 15-grain bread toasted with Laughing Cow Cheese and Avocado. Water. Two chocolate chip cookies with walnuts

Bread = 1 ounce

1 cup Pasta = 2 ounces

Grains: 6 ounces - .5 ozs = 5.5 ozs to go - 3 oz. = 2.5 ozs.
Vegetables: 2 1/2 cups - 1/2 cup = 2 cups
Fruit: 2 cups - 1 = 1 to go
Proteins: 5 1/2 ounces - tiny amt. of walnuts = <5.5 ozs.
Dairy: 3 cups - 1/8 cup = 2 7/8 cups to go

Snack: 3 cups of Hazelnut Cappuccino

Dinner: Crab Cakes with Dill Sauce made with dried dill, white wine, butter, salad dressing mayo, and yellow squash. Salad with romaine lettuce, grated carrots, grape tomatoes, and grated sharp cheddar cheese.

Snack: 2 Blueberry Pop Tarts, Apple, one piece of Dove Dark Chocolate

Grains: 6 ounces - .5 ozs = 5.5 ozs to go - 3 oz. = 2.5 ozs. -.5 ozs. = 2 oz. left
Vegetables: 2 1/2 cups - 1/2 cup = 2 cups - 1.5 cups = .5 cup left
Fruit: 2 cups - 1 = 1 to go - 1 cup = 0 cups left
Proteins: 5 1/2 ounces - tiny amt. of walnuts = <5.5 ozs - 5.5 oz. = 0 oz. left
Dairy: 3 cups - 1/8 cup = 2 7/8 cups to go - 3 cups which translates to 3 cups + complete

November 9, 2011 exercise plan:

About 1:30 pm - Trampoline walking and jogging plus hula hoop attempts (2 revolutions)

About 5:00 pm - Trampoline walking and jogging plus hula hoop attempts (occasional 3 revolutions)
While watching late night TV: Stairstepper & Shake Weights used as Bar Bells

Weight loss versus Healthy and Whole: November 9, 2011

2011-11-09T08:16:00.000-08:00

Here is my update on November 9, 2011. I think it boils down to the issues of weight loss versus being healthy and whole.

Grains: 6 ounces
Vegetables: 2 1/2 cups
Fruit: 2 cups
Proteins: 5 1/2 ounces
Dairy: 3 cups

The above list is the food pyramid diet advocated by the USDA for a 2000-calorie diet.

My only drinks since October 27th have been water and cappuccinos. Today, November 9, 2011, I am going to add hot tea to that mix. Right now, I am drinking a Red Tea that my father gave me. It has cinnamon and orange in it. It is fairly tasty.

What I've noticed is that my sugar cravings have lessened to a large degree now that I am no longer drinking soft drinks. Those drinks seemed to keep my sugar cravings going. I no longer seem to crave Red Hots as a snack of choice. I was consuming one bag a day. I don't gravitate toward desserts like I formerly did. So, drinking water is really working for me.

Plus, drinking cappuccinos satisfies that sweet craving. I easily get in my 3 cups of dairy daily by drinking the cappuccinos. As an experiment, I tried drinking double macho. It was way too sweet. I don't seem to enjoy hot chocolate that much any more. It was like a very sweet hot chocolate. I would have liked it to have a much stronger coffee taste and more subtle chocolate taste. So that purchase was a wash as my husband, who does enjoy hot chocolate, was not impressed by it either. I also purchased English Toffee. It was fairly good. The one I love the most is Hazelnut Cappuccino. I will mostly stick to that.

The other day, I went to the grocery store and purchased a yellow squash, Romaine lettuce, a red pepper, celery, grape tomatoes, and a broccoli and cauliflower floret mix. I washed and cut them all up and put them in five forever bags. Last night, as Randy and I watched TV, I munched on all of that sans dressing. It was a hand-to-mouth motion. I enjoyed it very much. I may add cucumbers and zucchini to the mix next time. I also ate an apple and one piece of Dove Dark Chocolate.

Randy and I went to Ryan's for an early dinner. I had meat loaf, mashed potatoes, cauliflower au gratin, a raw cucumber and tomato mixed with Italian dressing, and a large salad with lettuce, grated carrots, broccoli, sunflower seeds, and Ranch dressing. It was yummy. For dessert, I had fresh pineapple and Waldorf Salad. I drank water. It was a very satisfying meal. Neither Randy nor I felt the need for dessert since the Waldorf Salad was on the sweet side.

For lunch, I ate at Panera Bread. I got this sandwich that had turkey, red peppers, caramelized onions, and a Parmesan Artichoke dip. The sandwich was not wonderful. I only ate half. I ate a small bag of chips with it. Then I got a Walnut Carrot muffin that was very good. I drank water.

For breakfast, as I was driving to my doctor's appointment in Johnson City, I ate an apple.

Grains: 6 ounces
Vegetables: 2 1/2 cups
Fruit: 2 cups
Proteins: 5 1/2 ounces
Dairy: 3 cups

So, I got my grains in with the bread on the sandwich. I definitely ate at least 2 1/2 cups of vegetables. I ate more than 2 cups of fruit. I more than consumed 5 1/2 ounces of protein. I also consumed 3 cups of dairy. So that means I got my nutrition in.

As for weight loss, I far exceeded a 2000-calorie diet. So, I suppose, that my need to be healthy and whole nutrition-wise is far exceeding my follow-through motivation to actively work toward weight loss. That is my goal, but I don't want to be extreme about it. I am trying instead for a life-style change that I can consistently live with.

I am pleased though that I am taking positive steps in the direction for both being healthy and whole and for losing weight. Cheers!

How am I doing with the Food Plate method?

2011-11-02T12:03:00.000-07:00

My source for the plate portion of this picture is: http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/Publications/MyPlate/GettingStartedWithMyPlate.pdf

My source for the food measurements found in this picture came from: http://www.choosemyplate.gov/foodgroups/downloads/MyPlate/mini_poster_English_final.pdf

So, how am I doing with the Food Plate method? I am making progress forward.

I weighed myself this morning for the first time in a long time. That way, I have kind of a starting basis to know where I stand. According to my scale, I weigh four pounds more than my heaviest weight ever. I might have weighed more than that as I have already started some of my life style change practices.

For example, my last soft drink was consumed on October 26th through lunch. I drank Mellow Yellow at Olive Garden in Johnson City, TN. Since then, I have only been drinking water or milk.

On October 31st, I purchased Apple Cider Vinegar tablets. I took my first one that evening. I plan to consume two a day. My husband is going to join me in that effort. A woman at Health Barn in Greeneville, TN told me that one of her customers lost 60 pounds by doing this. Apple Cider Vinegar is supposed to help with joint pain as well.

I called my nutritionist at Laughlin Hospital. She supports the Food Pyramid method that has transformed, as of 2010, to the Food Plate Method. She actually has research that shows that apples can help you digest some proteins. I guess I am going to forget about the "Fit for Life" method co-created by Harvey and Marilyn Diamond. I may still use some of the recipes. It got me totally confused when I tried to reconcile it to the USDA approved Food Pyramid aka Food Plate method. I'm sure that a lot of very knowledgeable people carefully researched the most recommended diet. So I will align myself with that and end my state of being confused and conflicted by trying to follow two contrary diets.

So, given all that, how am I doing?

Grains: 6 ounces
Vegetables: 2 1/2 cups
Fruit: 2 cups
Proteins: 5 1/2 ounces
Dairy: 3 cups

Yesterday and today, I had whole wheat pasta mixed with Creamed Spinach and a bit of Ranch Dressing. It was my dinner yesterday and my lunch today. So I've had already had sufficient grains for the day. Anything else I eat with be extra. As for Vegetables, I've probably had the equivalent of 1/2 cup today. At dinner tonight, I will be joining my parents for a meal at Golden Corral. I plan to consume 2 cups worth or more of vegetables while there.

For the last several days, I have been using my Cappuccino machine to make 2 to 3 cups (usually 3) of Hazelnut Cappuccino. So I have definitely getting my daily quota of dairy products. My husband will only drink 2% milk, so I had been using that. Today, I bought some 1% milk as I would prefer to use that from now on. That will help cut some of the calories.

I will be eating some meat at Golden Corral, so I will get the rest of my proteins quota there.

As for fruit, I will easily eat 2 cups of fruit in the form of Gala Apples and fresh frozen berries and peaches that I chop up in my food processor. I probably will be exceeding 2 cups worth, but it is all sweet enough that I am not as tempted to eat dessert.

My nutritionist urges me to eat several smaller meals, so the fruit comprises one or more of my smaller meals. For example, right now, as I am typing on the computer, I am having a chopped-up berry mixture that is quite yummy.

I suppose limiting myself to a 2000-calorie diet which is what the above quota list measures will be a work in progress. I know I will be eating way over that calorie-wise.

For now, my focus is going to be making certain I fulfill these quotas to make certain I am getting a well-balanced diet.

Grains: 6 ounces

Vegetables: 2 1/2 cups

Fruit: 2 cups

Proteins: 5 1/2 ounces

Dairy: 3 cups

It feels simple to do at least that without feeling a bit deprived or punished. Down the road, as I feel so inspired, I will strive to lessen the calorie-consumption. I also would like to feel motivated to get in a bit of exercise as well. That also will be a work in progress.

Food Pyramid is now the Food Plate method

2011-11-01T00:14:00.000-07:00

The Food Pyramid system has now been changed to the Food Plate method. In 2010, the USDA decided to simplify the method of how we should approach eating food from each of the five main food groups. If you check out my pictures of the Food Plate Kids that I drew based on this Food Plate method, you will get an idea of what I am talking about.

My source for the plate portion of this picture is: http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/Publications/MyPlate/GettingStartedWithMyPlate.pdf

Notice that eating fruit and vegetables should make up half of our daily diet. Eating sufficient grains is our next priority over eating sufficient proteins. Daily consumption is also a priority. Here is how the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) divide up the amount of food we should consume from each food group based on a 2000 calorie diet:

My source for the food measurements found in this picture came from: http://www.choosemyplate.gov/foodgroups/downloads/MyPlate/mini_poster_English_final.pdf

This is how this should work.

The USDA would have us consume a 6-ounce equivalent of Grains. Half of those grains should be whole grains.

The following grains count as one-ounce grains:
* one-half cup of brown rice.
* one-half cup of oatmeal
* 3 cups of popcorn
* one cup of whole wheat cereal flakes
* one slice of whole wheat bread
* 5 whole wheat crackers
* one cup corn flakes
* 7 Saltine Crackers

The following counts as two ounces of grain:
* one piece of cornbread 2 1/2 inches by 2 1/2 inches by 1 1/4 inch high
* one 8-inch in diameter flour tortilla
* one cup of white rice

The following counts as 2 1/2 ounces of grain:
* one Kaiser Roll

Of the above list, the Whole Grain options include brown rice, oatmeal, popcorn, whole wheat cereal flakes, whole wheat bread, and whole wheat crackers. The Refined Grains options include cornbread, cornflakes, crackers, flour tortillas, kaiser roll, and white rice.

My source for the above information on Grains is: http://www.choosemyplate.gov/foodgroups/food_library/grains/rice.html#

For more Grain options, please click on the following link:
http://www.choosemyplate.gov/foodgroups/grains.html#

From their whole grain list, I would enjoy eating popcorn, whole wheat bread, whole wheat crackers, whole wheat pasta, whole wheat sandwich buns and rolls, and wild rice.

From their refined grains list, I would enjoy eating cornbread, grits, noodles, spaghetti, macaroni, pitas, pretzels, white bread, white sandwich buns and rolls, and white rice.

The USDA would have us consume 2 1/2 cups of vegetables daily.

From the Dark Green Vegetable category, this counts as one cup of vegetables:

* 1 cup of chopped broccoli or 1 cup of florets

* 3 spears 5 inches long raw or cooked broccoli

* 1 cup of cooked Greens or Spinach

* 2 cups raw Greens or Spinach

* 2 cups raw leafy greens such as Spinach, romaine, watercress, dark green leafy lettuce, endive, and escarole

From the Dark Green Vegetable category, this counts as one-half cup of vegetables:

* 1 cup raw Greens or Spinach

* 1 cup raw leafy greens such as Spinach, romaine, watercress, dark green leafy lettuce, endive, and escarole

From the Red and Orange Vegetable category, this counts as one cup of vegetables:

* 1 cup raw or cooked carrots

* 2 medium carrots

* 1 cup baby carrots (about 12)

* 1 cup mashed or cooked pumpkin

* 1 cup chopped raw or cooked Red Peppers

* 1 large Red Pepper that is 3 inches diameter, 3 ¾ inch long

* 1 large raw whole 3 inch tomato

* 1 cup chopped raw, canned, or cooked tomatoes

* 1 cup Tomato juice

* 1 large baked Sweet Potato 2 ¼ inch or more diameter

* 1 cup sliced, mashed, or cooked Sweet Potato

* 1 cup cubed or cooked Winter Squash (acorn, butternut, hubbard)

From the Red and Orange Vegetable category, this counts as one-half cup of vegetables:

* 1 medium carrot

* About 6 baby carrots

* 1 small Red Pepper

* 1 small raw whole tomato 2 ¼ inch diameter

* 1 medium canned Tomato

* ½ cup Tomato juice

* ½ acorn squash, baked = ¾ cup

From the Beans and Peas Vegetable category, this counts as one cup of vegetables:

* 1 cup whole or mashed or cooked dry beans and peas such as garbanzo, kidney, pinto, soy, black eyed peas, or split peas

From the Beans and Peas Vegetable category, this counts as one-half cup of vegetables:

NONE

From the Starchy Vegetable category, this counts as one cup of vegetables:

* 1 cup yellow or white corn

* 1 large ear of corn (8 inches to 9 inches long)

* 1 cup green peas

* 1 cup diced or mashed white potatoes

* 1 medium boiled or baked potato (2 ½ inches to 3 inches diameter)

* French fried potato: 20 medium to long strips (2 ½ inch to 4 inches long) [Contains added calories from solid fats]

From the Starchy Vegetable category, this counts as one-half cup of vegetables:

* 1 small ear of corn (about 6 inches long)

From the Other Vegetable category, this counts as one cup of vegetables:

* 1 cup cooked bean sprouts

* 1 cup chopped raw or cooked green cabbage

* 1 cup pieces or florets raw or cooked cauliflower

* 1 cup diced raw or cooked celery

* 2 large stalks celery (11 to 12 inches long)

* 1 cup raw sliced or chopped cucumbers

* 1 cup cooked Green Beans or Wax Beans

* 1 cup chopped raw or cooked Green Peppers

* 1 large Green Pepper (3 inches diameter, 3 ¾ inch long)

* 2 cups raw Iceberg or Head Lettuce

* 1 cup raw or cooked mushrooms

* 1 cup chopped raw or cooked onions

* 1 cup cooked sliced or diced summer squash or zucchini

From the Other Vegetable category, this counts as one-half cup of vegetables:

* 1 large stalk of celery (11 to 12 inches long)

* 1 small Green Pepper

* 1 cup raw Iceberg or Head Lettuce

The source for the vegetable lists is: http://www.choosemyplate.gov/foodgroups/vegetables_counts_table.html

The USDA would have us consume 2 cups of fruit per day.

The following fruits count as 1 ½ cup of fruit:

* 1 medium bunch of Grapes (about 50 grapes)

The following fruits count as 1 cup of fruit:

* 1 large 8 inch long banana

* 1 small Gala Apple

* 1 medium Mango (about 4 ¾ inch wide)

* 2 large Plums (about 2 ½ inch wide)

The following fruits count as ½ cup of fruit:

* ½ cup of fruit cocktail

* ½ medium (4 inches diameter) Grapefruit

* 1 small Orange

* ½ cup Orange Juice (about 3 7/8 inch tall and 2 5/8 inch wide)

* ½ Peach

* ¼ cup Raisins

* ½ cup Strawberries

The source for the fruit list is: http://www.choosemyplate.gov/images/nav_food_gallery_fruits.jpg

Other fruit that I also enjoy includes Raspberries, Kiwi Fruit, Lemon Juice, Cantaloupe, Honeydew, Watermelon, Pears, Pineapple, Prunes, Grape Juice, and Apple Juice.

I pulled these from their list on this link: http://www.choosemyplate.gov/foodgroups/fruits.html#

The USDA would have us consume 5 1/2 ounces of protein per day.

The following proteins counts as 8 ounces cooked weight:

* Salmon Steak

The following proteins counts as 5 ounces cooked weight:

* Beef Strip Steak

The following proteins counts as 4 ounces cooked weight:

* Pork Chop minus bone

The following proteins counts as 3 ounces cooked weight:

* 1 small breast half

The following protein counts as 2 ounces:

* 6 thin slices of Ham

* 7 medium shrimp

* About 25 almonds (plus 2 tsp oil)

* About 13 cashews (plus 2 tsp oil)

* one ounce mixed nuts (plus 2 tsp oil)

* one ounce walnuts which is about 9 walnuts (plus 2 tsp oil)

* one-half cup cooked black beans**

* one-half cup cooked kidney beans**

* one-half cup cooked pinto beans**

** This also counts as ½ cup toward the Dry Beans and Peas Vegetable category

The source for the proteins list is: http://www.choosemyplate.gov/images/nav_food_gallery_proteinfoods.jpg

Some other proteins that I enjoy comes from the following list: http://www.choosemyplate.gov/foodgroups/proteinfoods.html

* Leans cuts of beef

* Lean cuts of lamb

* Lean ground beef

* Turkey

* Ground chicken or turkey

* Chicken Eggs

* Hazelnuts

* Peanuts

* Peanut Butter

* Pecans

* Pistachios

* Pumpkin Seeds

* Sunflower Seeds

* Salmon

* Trout

* Canned Tuna

* Lobster

* Mussels

The USDA would have us consume 3 cups of dairy per day.

The following dairy items counts as one cup of dairy:

* Milk or Soymilk (8 ounces)

* Yogurt (made with milk or soy – 8 fluid ounce carton)

* 1/3 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese

* 2 slices Swiss Cheese, ¾ ounce each

The following dairy items counts as one-half cup of dairy:

* Chocolate Pudding (½ cup)

* Frozen Yogurt (made with milk or soymilk – ½ cup

The source for the dairy list is: http://www.choosemyplate.gov/images/nav_food_gallery_dairy.jpg

Other dairy products I enjoy include:

* Ice Cream

* Cottage Cheese

* Parmesan Cheese

* Mozzarella Cheese

This was pulled from the following link: http://www.choosemyplate.gov/foodgroups/dairy.html

I know I will need to refer back to this blog over and over as I work on refining my diet as part of a life style change to be healthy and whole.

Which foods do you particularly like and enjoy?

Cutting out soft drinks currently feels easy

2011-10-30T16:53:00.000-07:00

Currently, cutting out soft drinks feels easy. The last soft drink I had was in the first half of the day on 10-26-2011. Since that time, I have only been drinking water. I do not feel deprived at all. It tastes really good.

The perk to this is that I am noticing that my appetite seems less. It appears to be acting like an appetite depressant as I am filling up a lot faster. I am a drink guzzler. I did that with soft drinks. I am doing that with water. When I eat, which is the main time that I drink, I don't just take sips between bites, I gulp. I usually down 2 to 4 glasses of a drink with lots of ice. So it appears that the main factor in seeming to have a smaller appetite for food is the water versus soft drink factor. The jury is still out on this, but it seems to be the case - so far.

My current treat that I am greatly enjoying is Hazelnut Cappuccino made with milk. I have a Cappuccino machine that heats and froths the drink for you. I usually make 2 cups; although, this late Sunday afternoon, I made 3 cups. It tasted yummy!

Now, the question is, do I go with the nutrition experts that state that milk is good for you and therefore, I am doing myself a favor nutritionally?

OR

Do I go with the other nutrition experts is state that milk is bad for you once you get past the age of 3 and it actually leaches calcium from your bones rather than adds or aids this factor?

That is one of my great challenges is knowing who I should believe. Part of why I ended my attempt to make a lifestyle change toward being healthy and whole last spring was the fact that I got myself all confused by trying to follow two different theories and not knowing which one was the one that is accurate. I still am confused. I probably will try to make an appointment with the hospital nutritionist I met with when finishing up my cancer treatments to try to get some clarification.

I just figure that drinking milk flavored with Hazelnut is going to beat drinking soft drinks. Plus, it makes me feel really full and satisfies my sweet tooth. As a result, I am not as tempted to snack on cookies or other sugary desserts.

My other thing that I am really enjoying is eating Gala Apples again. I am loving their crisp sweet flavor. Once again, I am confused on that score as well. The Fit for Life Diet states that you should never eat raw fruit with anything but leafy greens as they feel that eating apples in combination with meat or starch or anything else will allow the apples or other fruit to go rancid in your stomach. They feel that you should eat an apple by itself and let 30 minutes go by before eating anything else. Or if you have had a non-fruit meal, you need to allow a minimum of 3 hours go by (for digestion reasons) before you can eat fruit again for the same reason. In other words, they state that you should only eat raw fruit on an empty stomach. If you must combine it with food, it should only be leafy greens or celery.

If this is true, this is sad as I find that eating one of these sweet crispy apples makes a great-tasting dessert or snack. I want to consult my nutritionist on this factor as well.

Does anybody have any clarifying thoughts on the matter? Thanks in advance for your help.

Latest progress report - late October 2011

2011-10-28T13:12:00.000-07:00

I am pleased to report that I only drank water yesterday and today. I do not want to make a definitive statement that I am cutting out soft drinks as that seems too drastic. I will simply take it one day at a time. Yesterday, it felt easy to only drink water. Of course, today is not yet over; however, I did not feel at all deprived by drinking ice water only with my lunch at Pizza Plus.

I feel that I could make a significant improvement to my weight situation by no longer drinking soft drinks. One day at a time will be my key.

I called my oncologist today to get more details about the whole soy situation. I had forgotten to ask when I had my quarterly check-up. If you have not read my other blog, then you may not know that I am a breast cancer survivor and cancer-free aka 'in remission'. I had already learned that I should not take 'One A Day' Menopause for hot flashes as it had soy in it. Soy, in the form they utilize it in those vitamins, contributes to cancer. That made me wonder about soy milk, etc. So today I called to request clarification. This is what I learned.

Soy is an artificial estrogen. In case you are not aware, estrogen feeds cancer. Therefore, they recommend that I do not drink soy milk or take soy in any form. I was not actually drinking soy milk, but I sometimes used it as a milk substitute in recipes. I will no longer do that.

My other aim is to work on portion control. I did fairly well on that yesterday and not so good at it so far today. I can certainly see this will be a one-day-at-a-time effort.

A strange dream and a new beginning

2011-10-26T23:24:00.000-07:00

This morning of 10-26-2011, I woke up thinking about my very strange dream. I dreamed that a woman and I were either undercover or in hiding. The two of us had somehow borrowed or temporarily traded bodies with two other women who were also in hiding or undercover in their location.

The woman I was with was deeply depressed and wanted to do heavy drugs to escape. I did my best to dissuade her from taking this course as the body she was currently inhabiting was only on loan to her. I was certain that the owner of the body would not want her body ruined in this way.

I awoke wondering if I was also doing harm to this borrowed body I currently inhabit due to my over-eating and lack of exercise. Was that the message of the dream?

* * * * * * * *

When I went through chemo over a year ago, I lost 17 pounds without even trying. Then through exerted effort, I lost an additional 8. So all told, over the course of a year plus, I lost 25 pounds. Since that time, I have gained all 25 of those pounds back plus more. I weigh more now than I have ever weighed before.

Why?

Well, part of it is that I turned rebel. Some aspect of me resented the fact that for 6 months, I couldn't taste a good portion of the food I put in my mouth. Then I put myself on a rather strict diet for an additional 6 months. Last spring, some aspect of me - an inner child or some other aspect rose up in rebellion. So I have indulged myself since then - eating whatever I felt like.

Another reason is that I got myself totally confused. I was following the Food Pyramid Diet. Then I started reading the "Fit for Life" material that contradicts some of that. I got to the point that I didn't know what to believe is the true correct course to follow nutritionally.

I have noticed that lately, I cannot eat very much without feeling overly full. I am kind of turning off food a bit. As I told my husband tonight, I am not fully trusting that this is going to be a long-lasting phase. I don't really trust myself per this endeavor to eat better and less and perhaps try to get some exercise as well.

So I will simply take this one day at a time and see where I am at.

I met one of my best friends for lunch at Olive Garden in Johnson City. It tasted really good; however, I went away from there feeling really bloated. I drank a Mellow Yellow.

Here are the steps I took for the rest of the day:

1. I drank only water for the rest of the day. I am thinking that I may try to cut out soft drinks altogether. I had been drinking Diet Ginger Ale, Ginger Ale, Mellow Yellow, Mountain Dew, and Diet Mountain Dew fairly often. I think if I cut out all of those, I may notice some weight loss from that effort alone.

2. My husband wanted to go out to eat. We went to China Chef in Greeneville. I wasn't really hungry, so I just ordered an appetizer of Potstickers dipped in Plum Sauce. I ate 5 - I think. I drank water. I brought the rest home so Randy, my husband, can bring them to the nursing home tomorrow to offer the rest to my mother-in-law and her roommate. I bet they will love the sweet plum sauce. They adore sweet things.

3. I made Lemon Cottage Cheese Whip at Randy's request. We each ate a dish of it. You mix together Lemon Jello powder, Cool Whip, Cottage Cheese, Crushed Pineapple, and crushed walnuts. It was pretty yummy! You can use any flavor Jello.

4. I made some Red Pepper Soup that I learned about when telling stories at Historic Rugby in Tennessee last weekend. I had about half a cup. It was yummy! I would like to eat more soup. This is kind of the time of year for that.

5. While grocery shopping, I bought a bag of Gala Apples. Those are my favorite type of apples. I ate one apple later on. It was sweet and delicious.

6. I had one piece of Dove dark chocolate.

7. I ended the evening having 2 mugs of Hazelnut Cappuccino made with 2% milk.

So, we will see how tomorrow goes. I feel pretty good about today.

Spiritual Guidance Diet - Align Yourself with Your End Goal

2011-01-10T17:57:00.000-08:00

Introduction: One method to more easily reach your weight loss goal is to fully align yourself with the part of you who already weighs that magic number. The more you align yourself with that being, the more you can activate the fruition of your dream.

Words of wisdom for today from the Guardians of your Body Temple

Good day to you. And this is truly a good and blessed day.

Click WEIGHT LOSS to read the entire article on Associated Content.com.

First 7 stories for Spiritual Guidance Diet with Portion Control Kid

2010-12-31T08:48:00.001-08:00

To read the introductory stories, please read:

* Spiritual Guidance Diet #1: Introducing Portion Control Inner Kid

* Spiritual Guidance Diet #2- See myself as Jesus would see me

* Spiritual Guidance Diet #3- Getting Down to Brass Tacks

* Spiritual Guidance Diet #4: A Healthy way to start your day with Healthful Breakfast Muffins

* Spiritual Guidance Diet #5- Celebrate Each Sign of Success Along Your Path

* Spiritual Guidance Diet #6- Can you turn healthy food into comfort food?

* Spiritual Guidance Diet #7- The Rapunzel Diet Adventure

Introducing the Spiritual Guidance Diet

2010-12-13T15:47:00.000-08:00

Meet the imaginary inner child named Portion Control Kid. I am composing a series of articles based on following the 1600- to 1800-calorie diet using the Food Pyramid model. Added to this will be what I feel is the missing component, the Spiritual Guidance component.

Here are links to the first three articles:

Spiritual Guidance Diet #1: Introducing Portion Control Inner Kid

Spiritual Guidance Diet #2- See myself as Jesus would see me

Spiritual Guidance Diet #3- Getting down to brass tacks

Based on these ideas, I plan to blog here about my personal strategy for following this model in a balanced way.

For today, December 13, 2010, my goal is to exercise at least thirty minutes, drink at least 8 glasses of water, and strive to have 5 to 6 ounces of grains, 2 to 2 1/2 cups of vegetables, 1 1/2 cups of fruit, 3 cups of milk or milk products, 5 ounces of foods from the meat and beans category, and 4.6 to 5 teaspoons of oils.

Since snow is covering the ground outside, I will do my exercising inside. I will burn calories by doing laundry, using my Walk Away the Pounds DVD with Leslie Sansone, and using my 5-pound Shake Weight for Men (both by shaking it and using it as a bar bell). I have laundry going right now.

Drinking at least 8 glasses of water is an easy task for me as I am a drink guzzler. I keep a 64-ounce jug close by and drink from it occasionally. As long as I empty the jug by bedtime, I’ve at least got in my 8 glasses.

So far, this has been my menu for the day. Using My Food-A-Pedia, I am able to roughly calculate the results of how closely aligned I am to the Food Pyramid model.

My Food-A-Pedia - http://www.myfoodapedia.gov/Default.aspx

For a late brunch, along with my vitamins plus low-dosage chemo tablet that I take daily, I had one oatmeal raisin cookie that also has cranberries and nuts in it. Looking up oatmeal raisin cookie, My Food-A-Pedia calculates it this way:

Oatmeal Raisin and Cranberry Cookie = 89 calories

a. Grain group ½ oz.

For lunch, I made a Cream of Mushroom and Turkey Vegetable soup. The ingredients includes homemade turkey stock, cream of mushroom soup, 2% milk, shredded turkey, zucchini, broccoli, and asparagus stems. I also added a little Corn Starch to the mix for thickening. Here are the calculations:

1 can of Cream of Mushroom soup made with Milk

a. Grain group ½ oz. (times 2)

b. Vegetable Group ¼ cup (times 2)

c. Milk Group ½ cup (times 2)

The closest equivalent was 1 cup of Chicken Vegetable Soup.

d. Vegetable group ¾ cup (times 2)

e. Meat & Beans group 1 oz. (times 2)

This is 299 calories per serving. I had two bowls of this soup as it was so tasty. So the calorie intake would certainly be more than that listed above.

Since I began craving a dessert after that tasty lunch, I waited for about twenty minutes. Then I grabbed one piece of Dove Dark Chocolate. It takes 5 pieces to make one serving. I nibbled on that one small piece for a couple of minutes. That totally satisfied that chocolate craving. That piece of Dove Dark Chocolate did not fit the Food Pyramid at all. Five pieces equals 210 calories. One piece, therefore, would have 42 calories.

So far, I have had the following:

* 1.5 ounces of grains out of 5 to 6 ounces

*2 cups of vegetables out of 2 to 2 1/2 cups

* No fruit yet

* I’m certain I will more than fulfill the oils category without even trying

*1 cup of milk or milk products out of 3 cups

*2 ounces of meat, beans, & protein out of 5 ounces

Before the day is out, I know I will also be having:

* Fresh frozen peaches ground up mixed with 2 tbsp of ground flax and about ½ cup of fat free plain yogurt = 192 calories
a. 1 cup of chopped up peaches
Fruit group = 1 cup
b. 2 tbsp of ground flax seed = 80 calories
Meat & Beans Group 1 ½ oz.
c. Oils group = 1 tsp
d. ½ cup of Food Club fat free plain yogurt = 45 calories
Milk group = ½ cup

* Turkey dinner with stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes, and peas = 641 calories

a. Turkey
Meat & Beans group = 1 oz.

b. ½ cup of Turkey gravy (The closest they had was chicken gravy.)
Grains group – ½ oz.

c. 1 cup of bread stuffing
Grains group = 3 oz.

d. 1 cup of mashed potatoes made with milk and butter”
Vegetable group = 1 cup

e. ½ cup of cooked green Peas
Vegetable group = ½ cup

* 1 piece of pumpkin pie with Cool Whip = 279 calories
a. Grains group = 1 ½ oz.
b. Vegetable group = ¼ cup
c. Milk group = ¼ cup

* 2 cups of Hazelnut Cappuccino made with 2 % milk = 440 calories
Please note: Usually, I use 1% milk. I was temporarily out.

a. The milk alone counts this way:
2 cups of 2% milk = 260 calories
2 cups of 2% Milk = 260 calories
b. The cappuccino powder adds about 210 extra calories but no nourishment.

So, if I eat nothing else but what is listed above, this will be the final tally:

* Out of 5 to 6 ounces of grain, I will consume ½ oz + 1 oz. + ½ oz. + 3 oz. + 1 ½ oz.
Grand total of grains = 6 ½ ounces of grain out of the 5 to 6 ounce allowance

* Out of 2 to 2 ½ cups of vegetables, I will consume 1 cup + 1.5 cups + 1 cup + ½ cup + ¼ cup
Grand total of vegetables = 4 ¼ cup of vegetables out of the 2 to 2 ½ cup allowance

* Out of 1 ½ cups of fruit, I will consume 1 cup.
Grand total of fruits = 1 cup out of the 1 ½ cup allowance.

Note to self: If I need more food, I could have a small box of raisins to incorporate that other ½ cup of fruit needed. (1.5 oz. box = 130 calories)

* Out of the 4.6 to 5 teaspoons of oil, I will consume 1 tsp of oil
Grand total of oils = 1 tsp out of the 4.6 to 5 tsp allowance. However, it is possible that some of the other foods I eat will contain the rest from this category.

* Out of the 3 cups of milk or milk products, I will consume 1 cup + ½ cup + ¼ cup + 2 cups
Grand total of milk products = 3 ¾ cups out of the 3 cup allowance

* Out of the five ounces of meat and beans, I will consume 2 oz. + 1.5 oz. + 1 oz.
Grand total = 4.5 ounces out of the 5 ounce allowance. However, it is very possible that there is more turkey in what I ate than the portion mentioned above. So this category will be fulfilled.

As for calories, I probably went way over the 1600- to 1800-calorie diet. If the numbers are correct above, my total would be 89 + 299 + 299 + 42 + 192 + 641 + 279 + 440 + 130. This includes the box of raisins.

Drum roll, please. Grand total = 2411 calories. Gasp!

Well, …, uh, …, I guess I will need to do quite a bit more than 30 minutes of exercise today to compensate a bit.

This is part of why I am making this blog. I am trying to make myself more accountable. This will definitely be a work-in-progress.

Any words from the Guardian of my Body Temple? She got introduced in the 3rd article mentioned above. I ask this question with a bit of trepidation as I fully want to eat everything that I mentioned in this blog. I am committed to making the time to doing the 3-mile walk DVD of Walk Away the Pounds.

Guardian of my Body Temple: It’s time for you to eat your fruit, flax seed, and yogurt mixture. Do that first before we talk.

Me: Okay, thanks.

Please note: I have been working on this blog for most of the afternoon on and off. So several hours later, here are the words of wisdom I am gleaning from my inner guidance system that we all have within us.

Guardian of my Body Temple: This is indeed a work-in-progress for you. Go ahead and eat this delicious food. Eat slowly and savor each bite. Drink plenty of water with it. After some digestion time, do your walking via the Walk Away the Pounds DVD.

As the days go on, as you gain perspective, perhaps you can plan better food allotments so that you can more closely stick to the 1600- to 1800-calorie diet. As you keep documenting what you eat, you will figure out a better way to chart your course.

Enjoy your meal, enjoy your exercise, and enjoy the rest of your day.

Healthy Eating Tales #1: Gala Apples and other Foods

2010-12-07T09:26:00.000-08:00

After reading the introductory tale called “Healthy Eating Tales: Introducing Tommy, Tammy, and the Food Pyramid Kids,” please read Healthy Eating Tale #1: Gala Apples and other Foods.” This will detail what happened the next morning.

Click FOOD PYRAMID to read the entire story on Examiner.com.

Healthy Eating Tales: Introducing Tommy, Tammy, and the Food Pyramid Kids

2010-12-03T18:54:00.000-08:00

This is the introductory Healthy Eating Tale detailing the competition between two fraternal twins named Tommy and Tammy and a Food Pyramid Boy versus a Food Pyramid Girl.

Click FOOD PYRAMID to read the entire story on Examiner.com.

I went to play at the YMCA 3 days in a row

2010-11-10T17:03:00.000-08:00

10 November 2010

I sang my little ditty as I headed off to play at the YMCA today. The lyrics go like this:

I'm Off To Play At The YMCA
Alternate Title: Healing Seeker's It's Safe To Be Slender Song

© 2010 Song Lyrics by Debbie Dunn
Sung to the tune of "Hanky Panky"
learned in Girl Scout Camp years ago

I'm off to play at the Y, Hey!
The wonderful YMCA.
It's safe to be slender. Okay!
I'm losing weight the healthy way.

I'm off to play at the Y, Hey!
The wonderful YMCA.
No more excuses, come what may.
My inner wisdom I'll obey.

I'm off to play at the Y, Hey!
The wonderful YMCA.
I'm healthy and whole. Hooray!
Day by day, I pray and say ...

I'm off to play at the Y, Hey!
The wonderful YMCA.
It's safe to be slender. Okay!
I'm losing weight the healthy way.

YouTube song: I’m Off to Play at the YMCA or Healing Seeker’s It’s Safe to be Slender Song.

Now that I have completed 35 daily radiation sessions as of November 5, 2010, I have more time on my hands to go to the YMCA to “play” on the toys in the Wellness Center.

My goal is to make my weight loss efforts as playful and fun as possible. I learned the hard way that taking it all too seriously just does not work for me. I ended up self-sabotaging myself the last time I joined a fitness center.

Monday, Nov. 8th, I rode the exercise bike for 30 minutes with a resistance level of fifteen. That translated to 2.4 miles. I felt like exceeding two miles was a good start for my first time there in a while.

It kind of surprised me that when I set the exercise bike for 30 minutes and a resistance level of fifteen the next day, it only translated to 2 miles that time. Perhaps I wasn’t pedaling the bike as fast as I had the previous day.

Today, I repeated the process. This time, it translated to 2.2 miles. I think I did end up pedaling faster than the previous day but perhaps not as fast as the first day. Feeling energetic, I then got on the tread mill and walked an additional 0.8 miles at a walking speed of 3.5 and 5% elevation. I was very happy that I walked and rode a total of 3 miles today. Woo-hoo!

Afterward, I played on two additional toys: the Lateral Pull and Compound Row. After getting ten lymph nodes removed during my double mastectomy, it feels important to regain full mobility of my left arm. Those two “toys” are tailored perfectly for that purpose. I am excited to say that my arm extension feels much improved. Fourteen days of physical therapy and several days of working out at the YMCA have really helped.

Now I am back home feeling energized and ready to continue on my various writing tasks. Have a great day everyone!

Best wishes to you and yours,

Healing Seeker aka Debbie

It’s Safe to be Slender: Diet Cola Dilemma

2010-11-10T12:50:00.000-08:00

Introduction: This is an exploration of whether cola and diet cola drinks contribute to the production of or the spread of cancer cells or other debilitating diseases.

Prior to being diagnosed with breast cancer on January 7, 2010 and going through chemo from February 4, 2010 through July 1, 2010, I drank Diet Coke, Diet Pepsi, or Diet Cola for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. I dearly loved this drink and felt that it made my food taste better.

Through the years, I had read that drinking soft drinks would dehydrate your body and that they were generally not good for you. I had also read that some of the ingredients in diet drinks actually promoted obesity as opposed to weight loss.

I wanted to be healthy in a vague sort of way; however, my motivation and willpower were not strong. I am not a person who has ever smoked. Drugs and alcohol are also not a temptation for me. More than once, I had been heard to comment that drinking Diet Coke was my only chemical vice.

I knew that I was addicted to the caffeine in Diet Coke. I would get headaches if I let too many hours go by without consuming at least one glass. If I went too long without drinking a caffeinated drink, I would even develop flu-like symptoms.

More than once, I would try really hard to kick the habit and drink only water, juice, or milk. Once, I even managed to avoid drinking caffeinated drinks for two years. Then life got stressful, and I fell off the wagon once again, so to speak.

Once I discovered the large tumor in my left breast in late December of 2009, the doctor indicated that I should not drink any caffeinated drinks for 48 hours before getting the diagnostic mammogram on January 4, 2010. They stated that the ingredients in diet colas would make the breasts extra sensitive during the procedure. They hinted that diet colas could even cause breast lumps or cysts.

Click WEIGHTLOSS to read the rest of the story.

It’s Safe To Be Slender: Vitamin & Mineral Supplements

2010-10-30T07:58:00.000-07:00

Introduction: As Healing Seeker affirms her declaration that it is safe to be slender, read her exploration of the health benefits of taking vitamins and minerals for weight loss and for maintaining a healthy body.

30 October 2010

I proclaim that it is indeed safe to be slender. I declare that I wish to lose weight the healthy way. Little by little, I am making life style changes that I can maintain long-term.

Starting on the 27th of August of 2010, I began taking vitamin and mineral supplements to help maintain my health. While getting chemo for breast cancer, the oncologist did not allow this as it would deplete the positive effects of the chemo. But after completing chemo treatments and having a double mastectomy on the 11th of August of 2010, I was declared to be in remission from breast cancer. In other words, there are no more cancer cells in my body.

As a result, it was now safe to start taking these health supplements to help my body and immunity level regain full strength.

Krill Oil vs. Cod Liver Oil vs. Fish Oil

Isabel De Los Rios of “The Diet Solution” strongly urges that people should take Krill Oil for weight loss. Knowing the value of Omega 3, I decided to follow at least that suggestion. I went to a vitamin shop in another city and found a number of brands. I settled on Krill Oil (1000 mg) from Mercola.com. Isabel suggested people should ideally take two caplets a day. I just took one as the capsules were rather expensive.

When that bottle emptied, I went to the Health Barn in my local area. The lady there felt that Krill Oil was not ideal. She suggested I take Cod Liver Oil instead. I bought a bottle of Rexall Norwegian Cod Liver Oil (415 mg) that states it helps promote bone, Immune, Eye, and Skin Health.

Click WEIGHTLOSS to read the rest of the story.

I'm Off To Play At The YMCA or Healing Seeker's It's Safe To Be Slender Song

2010-10-29T22:28:00.000-07:00

Check out my new YouTube video called

I'm Off To Play At The YMCA or Healing Seeker's It's Safe To Be Slender Song

It's Safe to be Slender: Flax Seed Benefits

2010-10-29T09:46:00.000-07:00

Introduction: As Healing Seeker affirms her declaration that it is safe to be slender, read her exploration of the health benefits of having a daily dose of 4 tablespoons of flax seed mixed with 4 ounces of yogurt. In addition, it pleases her taste buds.

29 October 2010

I find there is great power in the affirmation that it is truly safe to be slender. Those words really resonate with me more than any other weight-loss affirmations I have ever heard.

As I reach toward my goal of losing sixty pounds prior to getting reconstruction surgery in the late fall of 2011, I am striving to make life style changes that I can happily and easily adopt into my life rather than trying a few short-term measures that could put me on that yo-yo diet cycle. In case you are wondering, I am in remission from breast cancer after having chemo and a double mastectomy. In other words, there are no more cancer cells in my body. I wish to keep it that way. So for the first time in my life, I am extra motivated to make these changes to help benefit the second half of my life. I am 52.

My other very strong motivation is my strong desire to not have fake boobs attached to fat. They make you wait one year after completing cancer treatments before they authorize you to get reconstruction surgery. They want to make certain that the cancer does not return that could be hidden under those fake boobs. So I want my body size to be the size it is going to be from now on before I have the fake boobs attached.

Meeting with a Nutritionist soon

I will be meeting with my nutritionist as soon as I complete my last preventative radiation treatment. As of this morning, I have six more sessions to go. Both my oncologist and my radiation oncologist did not want me losing too much weight during my treatments. Without really trying, I have lost 20 to 22 pounds since being diagnosed with breast cancer on the 7th of January of 2010 depending on which doctor’s scale I use. Chemo reduced my appetite considerably. I generally only eat 2 meals a day. During chemo, I didn’t even manage that. So I still have the goal of losing an additional 60 pounds.

Click WEIGHTLOSS to read the rest of the story.

Declaration: It's Safe To Be Slender

2010-10-27T16:33:00.000-07:00

27 October 2010

Who am I?

I am Healing Seeker. I have already gone into remission from breast cancer. Hooray for that! For more information on the breast cancer I had (notice the past tense), please visit my other blog called:

Healing Seeker's Blog – My Journey Through Breast Cancer

As a quick synopsis, I was diagnosed with Stage 3A breast cancer on January 7, 2010. I had eight sessions of chemo between February 4, 2010 and July 1, 2010. I had a double mastectomy on August 11, 2010. I started preventative radiation treatments on September 15, 2010. I will most likely complete my very last radiation treatment on November 5, 2010. Then, other than taking the low-dosage chemo tablet for five years, there is nothing more that needs to be done. Doctors don’t like to use the term cancer-free. They prefer to use the term “in remission.” I prefer the first term since there is no more cancer in my body; however, we will be politically correct and use the latter term. Sigh!

From the very beginning, other than 9 pity parties, I have maintained a positive attitude and my sense of humor. I credit this all to God and the power of prayer. I had and have great doctors, a great treatment plan, and a wonderful and supportive husband, family, and friends. Thanks be to God for all that as well!

Chemo makes some people gain weight due to steroids or some other feature. It made me lose weight since I could not taste a lot of my food for almost six months. Both my oncologist and my radiation oncologist did not want me losing too much weight while still undergoing treatment. Once radiation is completed, my goal is to lose an additional sixty pounds the healthy way. I have lost 20 to 22 pounds so far, depending on which doctor’s scale I get on. Before having reconstruction surgery late in the fall of 2011, I want to have lost that additional sixty pounds so that I don’t have fake boobs attached to fat.

Click WEIGHTLOSS to read the rest of the story.