Skinny Tuesday!

This week I got back on track. Not that I was ever all that far off the track, but I definitely hunkered down this past week.

When I weighed in this morning, I was very pleasantly surprised to see that I hit a new milestone...one I've been anticipating for a few months now!

Here are my stats:

Start Weight (July 2009): 214 lbs. (BMI: 34, obese)

Present Weight: 155 lbs. (BMI: 24, within normal range)

Pounds Lost: 59 lbs.!

According to BMI calculations, I am now normal weight. That's not supermodel weight, or even contestant on the Bachelor weight. But it's not obese. And not overweight either.

Yahoo!!!!!!!!

I am still eating whole grains and a mostly vegetarian diet. I have gone from eating burgers and fries every day to very rarely eating fast food. My diet consists of a lot of veggies (squash, sweet potatoes), fruit, whole wheat pita, hummus, and avocados. My go-to sandwich is: whole wheat pita bread, stuffed with lettuce, micro-greens, pommegranate seeds, cilantro, avocado, and hummus.

I know I need to throw in some variety, but finding time to do that is tricky. As a result, I often reach for the pre-cut (bagged) veggies at the store. They cost a little more, but I find it is better to just go with those and eat them...it's still better for me and costs less than the alternatives (take-out).

One area I really need to work on is good decision making/impulse control, especially at restaurants.

Mr. Mustard told me about a piece he heard on NPR about good decision-making regarding food. In the study, people were asked to remember a series of numbers. Either two numbers or seven numbers. The participants were asked to go to a waiting room and remember their numbers, and they would be called in and asked to repeat them. While they sat in the waiting room, trying to remember their numbers, someone would approach them and ask if they wanted a snack: either chocolate cake or a bowl of fruit.

The people who only had to remember two numbers almost always chose the fruit. The people who had to remember seven numbers almost always chose the cake.

The theory is that the more you have to remember (especially short-term memory), the less able you are to make good decisions (healthy vs. high-fat/high-calorie).

Looking at my own life, I find that really rings true! When we go to restaurants, and we bring Paprika and Ginger, I often find that my mind is a million places at once. I am worried Ginger is going to start crying, or asking Paprika to not stand on her chair. I glance at the menu and invariably go for the least healthy thing on the menu. Is it habit? Or is it because I am overwhelmed and looking for some comfort food to calm me down?

When I go out to eat in a more relaxed setting, I often make good decisions. But when I'm overwhelmed, the first thing I do is reach for what I should not.



My lesson has been (and I know this is common sense): to shop for food when I am feeling calm, and buy things that will lend themselves to good decisions later. If I don't have it in the house, I can't make that bad decision.

Likewise, in the future, when I know I'm going to a particular restaurant, I will look up the menu online beforehand. I will check and see if there is nutritional info available. I will plan ahead. I will decide what I'm eating (and drinking) before I get there, and then once I'm there, I won't even have to open the menu. Problem solved.

My next big goal is one pound away when I will have reached the 60 pound mark. Hopefully next week! I also want to work in some regular exercise. My elliptical machine is still down in our garage, covered in brake dust. That deserves a whole other post. Hopefully by Spring I'll figure out a way to get it upstairs and put it to use.

How are you doing with your weight loss goals?