Remember when you first started your diet and everything you did seemed so strange to you ? Well, after doing those things for so long they have become second nature to me, but now is the time to make sure I haven't started to skip or change any of those things that have led to my success. Over the past few weeks I have found myself wanting to not log and not figure out my recipe calories counts because I didn't want to take the time. Huh-huh, call it what it is, diet fatigue, getting lazy, mental laziness, or whatever, I know this won't do if I want to lose those last 20 pounds. It was ok for maintaining as I proved I could do that just fine, but not for weight loss. So this week I am going back to basics and keeping my diet a little more simple so I can calculate and stay on course a little easier. Yea, that does mean no foods I can't find in the data base somewhere. For example, I could not find Bison hot dogs anywhere in anyones calorie guide for Sunday's meal count. Luckily, this meal treat is something my husband and I agree we will only eat every 4 - 5 months or so when we get a hot dog craving. The same thing with the shoulder lamb chops we had last night. Hubby wanted something different and I found these at Whole Foods. They grilled up pretty good, but they were something we won't be eating on a regular bases either if I want to get those pounds off. Nope, it is best to stick to things that I know I can weigh, measure, and count for the next few months. I have an arsenal of recipes and foods to choose from so I won't be lacking in variety. This said, I do allow one day every two months or so for foods like those bison dogs...the foods you can't find in the books, or restaurant foods. The key is to only allow these type of foods once every other month and not every week in your diet. If you eat restaurant food or hidden calories food as I call them every week you are asking for failure in my experience. I only go to restaurants where I know I can eat and stay on my diet. This has been my motto, My No CHOICE rule for the past 18 months. If I can't stay on my diet there, I won't eat there. Part of that is because I am a diabetic and don't want to blow my blood sugar. The other part is I want to eat healthy now. It is a choice now. I don't desire a lot of the places I used to eat at any more, nor do I miss them. I still like exotic and fine dinning, but I want great food that is good for me at the same time.
In todays paper a nutritionist to the Olympic diving team team was interviewed since she lives here in Houston. Her names is Katherine Kruppa. I enjoyed reading what she had to say as she like my dietitian reminded us that the best diet was one consisting of three small with two to three snacks. Here is what she said about traveling:
1.Bring food such as oatmeal, dried fruit, nuts, and tuna
2. Walk a lot
3. Watch the portions. Though they are often smaller outside the U.S., a low fat option is not always available.
Neat advise because I did just that when I went out of town recently and came back with no weight gain as a result. She also said " if you are going to splurge, eat a small portion. The food doesn't get better with each bite." Now that makes sense ! I loved it when she told the story of one of her divers sending her a picture of a cookie from the China...oh the temptation...that diver was Laura Wilkerson, even Olympic athletes have temptations !
The picture I am putting up is of the kids. They used this one on their wedding invitation. Aaron is holding up his bike he uses for his triathalons.