Deprivation

It boils down to whether you view life in general as a cup half full, or a cup half empty.

It seems to me, that when we have so many foods that were created for our enjoyment, how can I ever feel deprived if I make an effort to explore this world full of tastes and textures? Falling into the rut of eating the same ol' same ol' is impossible if I allow myself to indulge while shopping the "edges" of the supermarket! What can be better than strawberries in February, corn on the cob in January?

You don't have to be a millionaire to be inventive with what is at hand. Take risks. Even if it doesn't turn out great, at least it will be a change! It feels so good to indulge myself by buying the 'good' stuff - in the long run, it isn't nearly as expensive as fast food meals, or the medical issues that follow eating poorly.

Here is my plan for the day!


Morning
Omelet, consisting of:
1 item egg
2 item egg white(s)
1/2 oz German Swiss Cheese
1 cup mushroom(s)
onions

1 serving Safeway Stone Ground Thin Bread 2 slices
2/3 Tbsp butter
1 cup fat-free skim milk


Midday
8 oz plum(s)
Chicken Sandwich


Evening
green leafy salad, with Creamy Caesar dressing
3 oz Pork, tenderloin done on the barby - it looks like another scorcher here

1 cup of steamed potatoes

1/2 cup cooked carrots

barbecued zucchini sliced and sprinkled with
1 Tbsp shredded Parmesan cheese

Diet Jello, 2 T cool whip

total points use? 22

This is hardly deprivation in my books!

When things come together....

in a natural progression, it makes life so much easier, doesn't it?

I have been thinking about joining Curves, and this weekend, I stumbled into a lovely woman that told me all about it...first hand. She works for curves! This lady was not shy about saying she was sixty five, and man! Did she look good! She wasn't a skinny minny, but she was stylin'!

My fear of physical activity started when I was a child. I have two eyes that don't cooperate, so I found PT to be one painful experience after another. Baseball meant being repeatedly bashed in the face by the ball while my usually protective limbs were engaged in a futile attempt to catch it. To this day, when I hear a the hollow boinking of a dodge ball on pavement, I assume the fetal position. I don't want to even discuss "hop, skip and jump". As one specialist explained, I see well, but slowly! So, of course anything that requires my eyes to focus quickly results in the same predictable outcome ...pain.

Curves doesn't sound painful. Unless you count the walls I will inevitably walk into.

Now, moving forward. My adventures in food land this weekend included a trip to MacDonald's. We never go there, but for some reason, it was just the thing to do on Friday. Did you know that it is completely possible to have a Big Mac and Fries, and stay on program? Who knew. No wonder people love Weight Watchers! Before, I would have eaten the burger, and beaten myself up for days about it. This time? No guilt. And I still have Flex points left for emergencies before I lose them on Wednesday. Life is good.

I think there are two ways of approaching point counting. One, is to never take your Flex Points but be lenient with yourself when it comes to counting, or the other is to be miserly with your points, counting down to the last fraction. Well, I am a natural when it comes to bean counting, so I choose to track every morsel that goes into my mouth. How many points is that tiny tip of the pie wedge you steal from your husband? I mean tiny, not a fork full. 1 point. It had better be good for that, is all I have to say! Most of the time it isn't, but I still need to steal it!

Often I find myself dishing out my food, eating what I can, then passing it over to my husband to finish. He informed me this morning, that he has lost four pounds this week. Life is not fair.

There is definitely something to be said for eating every three hours. I am eating much the same kind food, but eating more of it, more often. It has never made sense to me, why Weight Watchers works. I found a couple of articles written about this, and apparently, your body does better with frequent feedings. I have found this great for my sugar levels, although it is a nuisance to be eating so often. Eventually, I will get used to it, I am sure. Tough job, but somebody has to do it! The upside is, that I am never hungry, and the down side is that I find myself working out food values for fractions of servings that I need to fill my point requirement for the day.

After almost one month on program, I am amazed that I am still so enthusiastic about this process, perhaps even more so than at first. It has not been difficult, but the progress is slow. It seems that this is just right, right now.

McDonald's

It was one of those days. There I was, minding my own business, on my way to do grocery shopping at four thirty, when wham! A Big Mac attack.



For the first time in my life, I gave in gracefully and just enjoyed the splurge. Actually it really didn't taste as good as the craving led me believe it would, but you know cravings...they promise you the world, and never deliver...much like a handsome man with an IQ of 96. In hindsight, eating a Big Mac in a parking lot really isn't worthy of the cost - 23 points. Next time, I want candlelight and wine before I put out like that!



Now, before WW I would have totally berated myself for this splurge for days. But yesterday? Breakfast was 3 points, and lunch was also 3 points, so it was an absolutely guilt free indulgence! Before WW I would have eaten the same thing, but the mental attitude would have been so much different. I really wonder if following this program faithfully does something chemically to your brain, because it seems to me that I am eating much more than I ever did, and basically cooking the same things the same way. But, on the other hand, even if you make one small 'mistake' a day, the pounds can creep up and pounce! And I do notice that the level in the olive oil bottle has not gone down as much this month! There haven't been any notable sacrifices. Just small changes, barely noticeable.



So, today I started off "large" with a one egg + one white mushroom omelet. Lunch will be a smoked turkey sandwich, and tonight we have an invitation to dine with friends, so I have no idea what we will be eating, but my guess is "well"! After a month on program, I think I can manage "guesstimates" for one evening. I always overestimate to be on the safe side though, and when push comes to shove, having diabetes makes a reason for my idiosyncrasies at the table. So, my 'no thanks' to seconds is taken seriously the first time, and not eating my pie crust won't raise a single eyebrow! You have to make everything work for you in this life!

Friday

The trouble with doing the weekly food shopping, is that it isn't about food anymore. When you look down the aisles, there is a sea of products that are non-foods. My system has a low tolerance for things of this nature, it is always a disappointment when I try a convenience food or the newest "no-sugar, no-fat, no-flavour" item. Case in point? No Fat Mayo. Now, the last time I made Mayo, it was oil and egg. Pretty fat based! But they are now marketing what I presume to be an old fashioned boiled dressing. Which by the way, is very good. It is one of those "Depression" recipes that inventive women used when supplies were low, and appetites high. The following recipe has many faces, and all come in with more flavour and fewer calories than the stuff in the store, not to mention a huge savings dollar wise!

The basic recipe is as follow:

• 1 T flour
• 2 T sugar
• 1 1/4 tsp salt
• speck of red pepper
• 1 tsp prepared mustard
• 1 T salad oil (corn oil for best flavour)
• 1 Cup of water
• 2 medium eggs
• 4 T vinegar

Blend flour, sugar, salt, pepper, mustard, oil, and water in top of a double boiler. Cook over hot water, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened. Beat eggs slightly in a small bowl, then add vinegar gradually, so as to not to curdle. Slowly add half of the hot sauce to egg mixture, stirring constantly. Return to double boiler, stirring over hot water (not boiling) until mixture coats a spoon. Overcooking will cause eggs to curdle. Remove, and pour into a jar. When cool, cover and refrigerate.

For a Sandwich Spread, increase the flour to 2Tablespoons, and increase entire recipe by 25 calories.

Russian Dressing: to 1/4 cup of cooked dressing add 1 T ketchup 1 T 14 calories

Gourmet Dressing: add 1/2 tsp horseradish, dash of Worcestershire sauce added to Russian

Thousand Island Dressing: to 1/4 c cup of cooked dressing, add 2 T chili sauce, 2 T chopped green pepper and 1/2 cooked egg, finely chopped. 1 1/2 T = 20 calories.

Making the dressing is my task for today!

Menu Planning

I do so much better when I know what is in the house to eat! Before joining WW, I always made my weekly menu plan on "Desk Day" (usually Tuesday) so anything I needed for the following week could be purchased when out shopping on "Errand Day". This good habit fell by the wayside in the blur that was June. I love reading what my favourite bloggers out there are having for dinner, so I thought I would return the favour today! Now I ask you, does this look like I am going without?

Breakfast

2 Eggs, scrambled with Mrs. Dash

Whole Wheat Toast

(2 for 90 Cal - 1 point)

1/2 T Cheeze Whiz

1/2 T Peanut Butter

Skim Milk

Lunch

Sliced Smoked Turkey, FF Swiss Cheese & Tomato Sandwich

with 1 T Hellman's Light Mayo

16 rice crackers

2 T of Roasted Red Pepper Dip

Dinner

Chicken Stir Fry made with:

2 oz breast meat

Veggy mix from Costco

Stir fried in chicken broth, seasoned with Garlic, Ginger, Soya sauce and Hot Chili Sauce

(I toss the package stuff that comes with the veggies...mine is better, and POINT FREE!)

Ice Cream Bar

Snackage to use up the rest of the points for the day:

McDonald's Ice Cream Cone

Werther's Candy