i will end my plateau by ending "I blew it syndrome"

although it is too soon to tell, judging from weighing myself at home, i should enjoy a weight loss this Friday at weight watchers. I have been faithfully following the program. Today for example, my job requires sampling customers various (fattening!) foods. I have to be knowledgeable about our items, and since we carry over 6500 items, i have to take advantage of any opportunity to try any samples i can so i can speak confidently about the taste and sell it to my customers. Trust me, everything has a lot of points or else i do not need to try it. For example, i sell tons of fresh produce, but we rarely offer samples of it because it is a commodity item. So in my dining out and at home meals i eat a lot of produce, but in the majority of the "cuttings" i conduct with customers, it is fattening stuff. Today was genuine Italian link sausage and meatballs, Thursday is all deep fried appetizers such as onion rings, battered mushrooms, mozzarella sticks, battered mixed veggies, french fries, corned beef, etc. But despite this challenge and budget-busting amounts of points i need to consume, i still have lost 55lbs in less than 2 years! I make sure to keep my tastes and portions small. Also, if i have already tried an item and thoroughly remember what it tastes like in comparison to other like items, i do not allow myself to taste it again. (Unless i truly forgot what something tastes like and i feel it would help my product knowledge to study the item with another taste. ) But these samplings are not every day. It is about once a week or less i am in these sampling situations. So i have learned not to fall into the "I blew it syndrome". I blew it syndrome was discovered Dr Steven Gullo, author of my all time 2 favorite diet books, "thin tastes better" and the "thin commandments diet." This syndrome is when you consume a lot of something you are not supposed to have and then convince yourself the rest of the day is your opportunity to devour everything in sight because you want to "get it out of your system" because you "blwe it already" and will have "a fresh start tomorrow". Try today's tip not only from dr Gullo but also from Fergie (Sarah Duchess of York). Fergie says, when she thinks she's blown it, she gets back on track at the very next meal or snack. She does not wait until "tomorrow" and neither should you. Just see how many points you will save sand how much more successful u will be if you put an end to i blew it syndrome today.

what i ate on WW July 31 2007

Morning
4 oz Breakstone's 4-Pack Fat-Free Cottage Cheese
2
1 small mango(es)
2
1 serving muffin mix carrot raisin muffins
4
Subtotal
8
Midday
3 oz italian sausage
8
1 1/2 oz meatballs without sauce
4
2 tsp olive oil
2
2 serving Gazpacho with Roasted Red Pepper & Fresh Dill
.5
Subtotal
14.5
Evening
chicken fattouch salad rockets cafe
10
Subtotal
10
Snack
2/3 cup sweet red pepper(s)
0
Subtotal
0
Total Food POINTS values used
32.5
Food POINTS Balance over (-) under (+)
-12.5
Exercise

what i ate on WW July 30 2007

Morning
1 1/2 cup watermelon
1.5
1 serving muffin mix carrot raisin muffins
4
Subtotal
5.5
Midday
1 Tbsp olive oil
3.5
2 Tbsp peanut butter
4.5
2/3 cup celery
0
1/4 cup raisins
2
1 serving Gazpacho with Roasted Red Pepper & Fresh Dill
0
Subtotal
10
Evening
1 medium sweet potato(es)
2.5
2 tsp olive oil
2.5
2 serving Gazpacho with Roasted Red Pepper & Fresh Dill
.5
Subtotal
5.5
Snack
2 cup watermelon
2
Subtotal
2
Total Food POINTS values used
23
Exercise
30 min strength training--free weights
2
20 min jogging
3
Total Activity POINTS values earned
5

Food POINTS Balance over (-) under (+)
-3

powering past my plateau

I am determined to weigh something other than the 156.4 i have weighed for the past 3 weeks at WW. (And I dont mean a higher weight!) I weigh in this week Friday august 3, and i will be showing my WW leader Sarah my journal, and possibly this blog if i feel ready to share with her what i am doing. Anyway, just knowing that Sarah will be going over it looking for any hidden points is helping me stay honest. I will be eating in restaurants as usual, but probably later in the week. If you follow this blog and the interesting (i think!) reality show of what i eat, U will notice that the restaurant diet queen eats more frequently in restaurants late in the week and into and over the weekend. This is because i work long days M-F on the road. Then on Saturdays i shop and cook sat n Sunday. I like to make some type of zero points soup such as gazpacho or WW cabbage veg soup. I also stock up on fresh fruit n veggies so M_T_W i usually pak a lunch. But since i make fresh foods i usually am out late in the week and the restaurant eating kicks in. And still, often on Mon n Tues i will grab hummus or grape leaves at one of my fabulous restaurants i visit during my job. (See my weekly posts on what Toledo restaurants have been very diet friendly and i highly recommend.)

what i ate today on weight watchers July 29 2007

Morning
10 oz watermelon
1.5
2 serving muffin mix carrot raisin muffins
7
Subtotal
8.5
Midday
1 Tbsp olive oil
3.5
1 large cooked sweet potato
3
2 serving Gazpacho with Roasted Red Pepper & Fresh Dill
.5
Subtotal
7
Evening
1 cup mixed baby greens
0
2/3 cup shredded carrots
0
1/2 cup Ocean Spray Craisins Dried Cranberries
3.5
3/4 cup watermelon
.5
1 oz Sardo Sundried Tomatoes in Oil
2
1 tsp olive oil
1
Subtotal
7
Snack
Subtotal
0
Total Food POINTS values used
22.5
Food POINTS Balance over (-) under (+)
-2.5

what i ate on WW July 28 2007

Morning
1/2 cup Breakstone's Low-Fat 2% Milkfat Small Curd Cottage Cheese
2
1/4 large cantaloupe
1
Subtotal
3
Midday
2 Tbsp peanut butter
4.5
1 cup mixed baby greens
0
1/2 cup carrot(s)
0
1/4 cup Ocean Spray Craisins Dried Cranberries
1.5
1/2 cup celery
0
1/4 cup raisins
2
1 oz Sardo Sundried Tomatoes in Oil
2
2 tsp olive oil
2.5
balsamic vinegar
0
crumbled blue cheese
2
Subtotal
14.5
Evening
1 cup watermelon
1
1 large corn on the cob
2
1 tsp olive oil
1
2 serving Gazpacho with Roasted Red Pepper & Fresh Dill
.5
Subtotal
4.5
Snack
2 Tbsp peanut butter
4.5
1/4 cup raisins
2
1/2 cup celery
0
Subtotal
6.5
Total Food POINTS values used
28.5
Food POINTS Balance over (-) under (+)
-8.5
Exercise
20 min walking, brisk
1
Total Activity POINTS values earned
1

what i ate today on weight watchers July 27 2007

Morning
1/2 cup Breakstone's Low-Fat 2% Milkfat Small Curd Cottage Cheese
2
1/2 large cantaloupe
2.5
Subtotal
4.5
Midday
2 1/2 Tbsp peanut butter
5.5
1 cup celery
0
grilled veg
1
Subtotal
6.5
Evening
3 Tbsp T. Marzetti Bistro blue cheese dressing
8
1 cup mixed baby greens
0
2/3 cup tomato(es)
.5
4 oz roasted chicken
6.5
10 large shrimp
1.5
Nick & Jimmy's 7309 Lewis Temperanc
0
cauliflower
0
Subtotal
16.5
Snack
Subtotal
0
Total Food POINTS values used
27.5
Food POINTS Balance over (-) under (+)
-7.5
Exercise
40 min jogging
5
Total Activity POINTS values earned
5

My Weight July 27, 2007 156.4

I stayed the same but I am refocusing and hope to do better next week. It is frustrating because of all the treats i have walked away from. The birthday cake i did not touch, the chips i never grabbed, the extras i omitted. But it often takes a while for our efforts to pay off so i wont give up now. At least i look fab and i know if i eat the way i am eating, i WILL lose weight. Maybe not as much as i like. definitely not as fast as i like. But for sure i wont gain weight, and if i don't give up i will lose weight!

Todays restaurants Summit Diner and El Camino Real

Yum and Yum! The restaurant diet is fun!

Mexican Restaurant Healthy eating tips

when ordering in a Mexican restaurant, think of the delicious fresh flavors that do not need cheese or sour cream or excessive guacamole. Mexican food, properly seasoned and fresh, should taste every bit as good with NO CHEESE! That's right, try it. Cheese tends to be bland, and for the points you'll save you'll be able to avoid a points catastrophe. Also for sure skip the sour cream, unless you are trying to gain weight. I know it is a personal decision, but I avoid almost all liquid calories so i can eat more and avoid hunger. (Except i do indulge in a stomach coating smoothie or protein shake occasionally as a way to prevent overeating at the next meal. and it worked very week for me today. ) Grilled shrimp and fish are good choices. Try to avoid anything that is served already assembled or mixed. Fajitas are a good choice because you can pile them high with veggies. Other tips:

1. count your tortilla chips! (12 is 3 pts)
2. Use salsa instead of sour cream. cheese or excessive guac. Do have a 1/2 cup of guac to stretch out your veggies.
3. bring measuring cups.
4. order an extra salad, just make sure to say no cheese because they tend to throw it on everything
5. wear tight fitting jeans.

what i ate today on weight watchers July 26 2007

Morning
1 slices turkey ham
1
1 1/4 cups strawberries
.5
1 serving tofu pudding
3
Subtotal
4.5
Midday
Summit Diner 1039 Summit St.
0
grilled veg
1
3 serving Stuffed Grape Leaves
8
Subtotal
9
Evening
8 items tortilla chips
2
1/8 cup guacamole
1
1/2 cup refried beans
3
El Camino Real 3500 Sylvania Avenue
0
fajita veggies
0
2T oil
6
1/2 cup chicken breast
2
Subtotal
14
Snack
health smoothie at health club
3
Subtotal
3
Total Food POINTS values used
30.5
Food POINTS Balance over (-) under (+)
-10.5
Exercise
30 min strength training--free weights
2
20 min elliptical trainer, moderate intensity
1
Total Activity POINTS values earned
3

156.4 My weight Friday, July 20, 2007

Every Friday i will post my weight. I will weigh in either at my weight watchers meeting, or at home. My scale at home is a WW scale so it is usually close. I am on a bit of a plateau right now. To help combat this plateau i am going over some of my recipes and being brutally honest about the points. For example, my chocolate tofu pudding that i eat at least 4 times a week is 5 points instead of 3. Long a go i figured the points based on 6 servings. Yet lately i have been making a batch n deciding it into 4 bigger bowls. I never upped the points for the bigger servings but today i did. Also, as restaurant diet queen i eat A LOT of hummus in restaurants. In fact, i am also known as the hummus queen or at least that is what they should call me! But i was eating homemade hummus and deciving myself by counting it as store bought hummus, which counts as less points on WW. (6 points for 2/3 cup of store bought hummus vs 8 points for homemade). It is my sincere hope with this blog i will get more honest in my food journal and see the benefits at the scale.


Today I had the hummus at Rumors at 5205 Monroe St. Yum! hummus is a healthier and much better tasting choice to dip veggies into that (yawn) ranch dip! Go easy on the pita bread, although not a lot of calories or fat, it is not as filling as the veggies and causes you to overeat on the delicious hummus to boot. Eating hummus and many other Mediterranean foods on a daily basis has been one of the secrets to my success. Just watch your portions and stretch it out with as many veggies as possible. In fact, all day long whenever you eat, ask yourself "what vegetable could i be eating instead on ____?"

Log of what and where i ate July 25, 2007

Morning
1 medium nectarine(s)
1
1 3/4 cups strawberries
1
1 serving 4 servings recipe tofu pudding
5
Subtotal
7
Midday
2/3 cup homemade hummus
8
Rumors 5205 Monroe St., Toledo
0
veggies
0
Subtotal
8
Evening
1 tsp olive oil
1
1/2 cup zucchini
0
1/2 cup yellow summer squash
0
1/4 cup plain fat-free yogurt
.5
red pepper onion, greenonion,tomato
0
Subtotal
1.5
Snack
Subtotal
0
Total Food POINTS values used
16.5
Food POINTS Balance over (-) under (+)
+3.5
Exercise
20 min jogging
3
30 min strength training--free weights
2
Total Activity POINTS values earned
5

what i ate today on weight watchers

Some restaurant diet Queen! Ok, so i am not living up to my title on my first day. But i usually eat in restaurants once or twice a day. Today i packed my lunch and ate dinner at home because i had a lot of leftovers. But i stuck to Weight Watchers using some flex points but I stayed in control and ate delicious healthy food.
Morning
1 medium nectarine(s)
1
1 3/4 cups strawberries
1
1 serving tofu pudding
3
Subtotal
5
Midday
6 items Sardo Kalamata Olives
1.5
1 slice high-fiber bread
1
1 Tbsp butter
3
ww veg soup n gilled veg
3
Subtotal
8.5
Evening
1 cup mixed baby greens
0
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, with oil
1
1/2 cup tomato(es)
0
1/8 cup carrot(s)
0
2 1/3 Tbsp olive oil
8
rosenborg
2
1 serving Vegetarian Chili
9
Subtotal
20
Snack
Subtotal
0
Total Food POINTS values used
33.5

Also jogged for 30 minutes!

I am a nice Queen, and i say "Live in my Queendom and you will lose weight!"

Who wouldn't want to be Queen for a day? Or King for a day for that matter. Well, it is my royal duty as a very nice (not stuffy) Queen to tell you that you can feel like a Queen (or King) nearly every day of your life. All you have to do is make the decision from this point forward to start treating yourself like royalty. That's right. You need to concentrate on you. That's right. Whatever your lifestyle, budget, weight, or age, you deserve the health and happiness that comes from being in the best shape of your life. Not only do you deserve all of this, but your family desperately needs the best you you can be!

Now maybe you have heard the many experts out there with their advice telling you that "if you R not good to yourself, you R no good to your family". Maybe you have had many of the common excuses like a lack of time, money, or child care. While these are all valid excuses, each can be minimized and worked around if you make your health a priority. And even if there really is nothing you can do at the moment, you can put together a timeline of how you will get your life in order so someday soon you will have time to exercise.

Getting in fab shape like i have does not happen overnight. I have lost 55 lbs but it has taken 20 months. In fact, many of those months have been spent at the same weight. Some months i have been up. One of the things i am very proud to share (although you may find it depressing) is that i spent almost 4 years at 190-205lbs preparing for this journey" I had a job that i sometimes loved but the stress was making me overeat. True, nothing can "make" you eat, but something about the immense level of stress made it obvious that for my health i had to make a change. But I was stuck. I was afraid to job hunt in my size 18 -20 stretch pants and tent tops, and i did not really want to spend the money for a nice plus size interview outfit. It took me 4 years to find a job that is an itty bit less stressful but actually is almost as stressful as the one i blamed for making me fat. During those 4 years of despair, however, i was preparing for this journey as follows: I went to Weight Watchers at least once a month or more. Even though i was not losing weight, i was not gaining as much as i might have. Please, please, if you R in the same situation, please see it as a victory. Also, i worked out with a world class personal trainer (I could only afford a few sessions) Yet i only lost a little bit and gained it back. But still, i see that as preparation. i was not ready to really treat myself like a Queen. Now that i am living a life rich in health (not in dollars at least yet) i am doing the workout program designed by a former should-have-been Ms Olympia and getting the results she inspired me to achieve, albeit 4 years later.

Ok enough about me for now. This blog is dedicated to helping you not only find important tips to aid your weight loss, but to help you find the right frame of mind that you'll find more important to your success that what you eat today or what workout you do. Are you in it for the long haul? Good! Hope to see you soon. Upcoming topics to watch 4:

Restaurants: a dieter's best friend

There's nothing snobby about being a food snob

Making exercise a priority: consistency counts more than anything

It is my sincere duty as a weight loss Queen to be your royal inspiration so that you shall become a weight loss Queen or King of your own Queendom or Kingdom.

One more thing, plz excuse the no frills design to my blog. I am making jogging a priority, so here i go! Bye 4 now! RDQ