Salt: Taste Bud Thriller or Silent Killer?

By Joe Wilkes

Salt: No fat. No calories. Not to mention it's delicious! What's not to love? Well, as most of us know, too much salt can be a major contributor to high blood pressure, which can lead to heart disease, stroke, or kidney disorders. But our bodies also need a certain amount of salt every day, because it's required by all cells to maintain fluid balance and it's vital for proper nerve and muscle function. And because salt is excreted mainly through urine and sweat, the most intense exercisers need even more of it to maintain a proper balance. So how much salt should we be consuming? Read on to find out how much salt you should consume, plus where extra salt gets hidden in food, and some tips on how you can reduce your sodium consumption.

Salt Shaking

How much salt do we need?

While how much salt we need on a daily basis varies with each person, depending on age, size, activity level, etc., it's generally agreed that our bodies each need about 500 milligrams of sodium a day to function properly. That's about a quarter of a teaspoon of table salt (sodium chloride, the most typical source of sodium). The federal government recommends a daily maximum of 2,400 milligrams of sodium. Most of us average about 5,000 milligrams of sodium per day—10 times as much as our bodies require and more than twice the recommended maximum. So unless you're working out a lot and excreting excess sodium, you may be getting way more than you need, which can lead to the myriad health problems associated with high blood pressure. The American Medical Association has estimated that a 50 percent reduction in sodium usage in processed and restaurant food could save 150,000 lives every year. But even if you don't believe in or care about the medical repercussions of excess salt consumption, how about this little tidbit? It's estimated that most of us are carrying around an extra 5 pounds of water weight, retained simply because of the excess salt in our bodies. Drop 5 pounds of water weight just by passing up the salt shaker? Sounds like a good deal to me!
Where salt hides . . .

But passing up the salt shaker may not be enough. Almost all processed foods contain high levels of sodium. For example, that Quarter Pounder® with Cheese at McDonald's® will pump you full of almost 1,200 milligrams of sodium, more than twice what your body needs and half of the government's daily recommended maximum. But even if you eschew the burger for its fat and calories, there's salt in other places, too. One cup of Cheerios® contains 200 milligrams of salt, so you're kicking off your day with 8 percent of your recommended sodium allotment.

Nutritional FactsWhy so much salt? Salt has been used as a preservative for centuries to cure meats and pickle vegetables, among other uses. And while we've developed new preservatives over the years, salt has other advantages as a food additive. It can thicken soups and sauces. It can make breads, cookies, and crackers more moist. It can enhance certain flavors (like sweet and sour) and mask other tastes, like the chemical additives in soft drinks. So even if you're steering clear of salty treats like pretzels, pickles, and popcorn, if you check your labels carefully you may find you're getting a fair amount of sodium from food items that don't even taste salty.

Also, if you tend to purchase a lot of foods labeled "diet" or "light," you may find that they have pretty high sodium levels. Adding extra salt can make food taste better while still allowing them to be advertised as low-calorie, low-fat products. Manufacturers can also sneak extra salt into the ingredient list under different names, like monosodium glutamate (MSG), sodium caseinate, trisodium phosphate, sodium ascorbate, or sodium bicarbonate (baking soda). So even if salt isn't in the ingredient list or is spread out throughout the ingredient list under different names, it's worth checking the overall sodium content on the nutrition label to determine the total sodium content. And don't forget to take the serving size into account. Many food manufacturers will say that their product contains several tiny servings of salt instead of a couple of regular servings to minimize the less savory elements of the product's nutritional profile.
How to avoid the salt traps

ActiVitShake the shaker. How many times have you seen yourself or someone you know be served a plate of food and mindlessly begin salting it, before even tasting it? I know I've been guilty of it. I love salt and can think of few meals that couldn't be improved by adding salt. But at least taste your food first before you add salt—especially in restaurants, where, for top chefs to fast-food flippers, salt is often the secret ingredient, and adding more of it is probably unnecessary. If you do think it needs a little salt, shake a little salt into the palm of your hand, so you can at least eyeball the amount you're going to eat (not to mention that it'll save your dish from the old unscrew-the-top-of-the-salt-shaker prank). At home, think about dumping the salt shaker and switching to a saltcellar. A saltcellar is a little covered bowl that holds salt. That way you can visually measure a little pinch and not shake out an unknown amount over your food. You might also consider switching to sea salt, or for the gourmets, one of the fancier fleur de sel products on the market. Sea salts generally contain trace amounts of minerals like iron, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and/or zinc. This doesn't boost the nutritional profile of sea salt (try nutritionals like ActiVit® or Core Cal-Mag™ for effective mineral supplementation), but it offers a more complex flavor, which may make less taste like more.

Take processed meats out of the process. I'm devastated to say that this includes bacon. Just two delicious slices contain about 400 milligrams of sodium. One beef hot dog contains 600 milligrams of sodium (a quarter of the recommended daily allotment) and a turkey dog is only a little less salty, at 500 milligrams. One slice of bologna gets you about 300 milligrams of sodium. Most turkey breast lunch meat is as salt-heavy as bologna. And if it's labeled "smoked," "oven-roasted," "mesquite-flavored," etc., it's usually code for "extra salty." Try looking for low-sodium varieties, or save money by roasting your own whole turkey breast so you can control the salt content.

SoupSoup's off. Soup is a great low-calorie meal or snack. Unless it's a creamy variety, it's usually low in fat and a good vegetable delivery system. But watch out for the salt content! One cup of Campbell's® Chicken Noodle Soup contains 1,780 milligrams of sodium. That's almost three-quarters of your recommended daily maximum. Their Healthy Request® version is better. A cup of that has 940 milligrams of sodium. You might think about making your own chicken broth from scratch using fresh vegetables for flavor instead of salt. Make a big batch and freeze it or can it for later.

Freeze out the frozen dinner. Men's Health® magazine recently published a survey about some of America's saltiest foods and found that Swanson® Hungry-Man® XXL Roasted Carved Turkey packed a whopping 4,480 milligrams of sodium. That's approaching 2 days' worth of the maximum recommended allowance. It also has 1,360 calories and 70 grams (more than a day's worth) of fat, so there're plenty of reasons not to eat this dish. But several of the lean frozen meals on the market also contain high levels of sodium to make up for the lack of fat or sugar for flavor. And frozen pizza? Fuhgeddaboutit! Two slices of pepperoni will run you about 1,000 milligrams of sodium.

VegetablesCan the canned vegetables. Or at least the ones that aren't low-sodium. Manufacturers add as much as 1,200 milligrams of salt to a can of vegetables for flavor and preservation. Try buying no-salt-added varieties or frozen veggies, which usually have less salt. Or at the very least, make sure to drain the canned veggies well and rinse them in water to try to get some of the salt out.

The usual suspects. I won't even bother depressing you with how much salt fast food restaurants put in their food, even the healthier ones. I found out that a single flame-grilled chicken breast from my much-loved El Pollo Loco® has 617 milligrams of sodium. Adding up the sodium from my sides of pinto beans, mashed potatoes, and trips to the salsa bar, and my "heart-healthy" grilled chicken meal has racked up over 3,300 milligrams of sodium. No wonder I have dry mouth all night when I eat there.
No salt? No problem.

So the most important thing to do is check the labels of everything you eat and make sure you're not getting more salt than you bargained for—or as I call it, committing to a life of bland, joyless eating. But with a little ingenuity, you can find ways to replace salt with other flavors, or at least maximize your enjoyment of the salt you do allow yourself. It's also important to remember that as you start to remove salt from your diet, your palate may miss it a lot at first, but if you stick with it, you'll be amazed how much better food starts to taste as you get the salt monkey off your back. Here are some ideas for replacing salt with flavor.

HerbsHerbs. And let me say for the record, I know every article about sodium talks about Mrs. Dash®, but I don't think it tastes very good. I'd much rather have fresh herbs, either from my local farmers' market or my balcony garden. With herbs like basil, rosemary, oregano, thyme, chives, etc., I chop a bunch of my favorites on Sunday and keep them in a zip-lock bag in my fridge for when I want to sprinkle a little flavor on something. Fresh herbs give foods a lot of zing, and it's fun to experiment with different flavor combinations. Some of the herbs even have their own beneficial properties.

Heat. As much of a salt addict as I am, I'm even more of a "hot tooth." And the good news here is that most spicy peppers and hot sauces are actually good for you, or at the very worst not bad for you. Some hot sauces add too much salt, so it's label-reading time again, and the peck of pickled peppers are better left to Peter of the rhyme. Besides, once you start enjoying chopped fresh (not pickled) jalapeños, you'll wonder why you ever liked those salty old pickles. If you're lucky enough to live in a city with a Penzeys® or a similar spice specialty store, they're a great resource for coming up with salt-free seasonings, rubs, and exotic paprikas and curries to give your dishes flavor without a side of hypertension. Another tip while you're weaning yourself off the salty stuff is to make your own seasoned salt blend. Mix a batch by combining a small amount of salt with a variety of your favorite herbs and spices. Every time you make a new batch, decrease the ratio of salt to spice more and more, until one fine day you're not including any salt at all. It's like a nicotine patch for saltaholics.

CitrusCitrus. While your salt-loving taste buds may be crying foul, you can delight the sour part of your palate by adding more tart flavors to your food. I'm a big fan of those little plastic lemons and limes (Sicilia® is a good brand) full of juice that you can keep in your fridge for a little squeeze of flavor when you don't feel like chopping up the whole fruit. I avoid the reconstituted juices, though—they taste a little funky to me. Think about what other veggies, sauces, or dishes could benefit from a little bit of juice. I love lemon juice on rice or couscous. It makes me totally forget about high-sodium soy sauce.

Other condiments. Other good options from the condiment aisle include mustard, vinegar, and no-salt-added ketchup to make your sandwiches perk up when you're using low-sodium lunch meat and bread (yep, you gotta check the bread labels, too). You can get out the blender and make your own spreads by grinding up ingredients like roasted red peppers (low-sodium variety, of course), chickpeas for hummus, or whatever other foods your imagination can come up with. Who needs the salt?

Workin' it Out--Michigan Motherhood

I'm a Michigan Mom. What's a Michigan Mom, and why should I care you ask? A Michigan Mom is from the Great Ol' Mitten State, where it's freezing from October to April, rains from May to July, and is mild for August and September. Which leaves approximately 100 days out of 365 for me to get outside. Which is approximately 27.39726% of the year. That's just not conducive to weight loss. Life is hectic, with work, kids, husbands, and maintaining a household, you can always find something else to do instead of workout. Which sadly leaves me looking like this:

As you can see, it's not pretty.

I wish there was a way for me to lose weight in Michigan, because let's face it, moving costs a lot of money. Money that I don't have.

But why not join a gym?
I'm a excercisethatmakesmybuttjiggleonatreadmillinfrontofmajorhottiephobic. Well, not really, but I never have liked the gym. I bought a membership in the past, and went 3 times. And of course I got fatter. I think every woman can agree that you have to find a type of exercise that you can enjoy, or you won't stick to it.

My favorite exercise is actually free. I love to walk and run outside. Love it. But Michigan weather just isn't predictable enough to get a good workout in regularly, well, at least to get in a workout that I actually enjoy. Not to mention I live in an apartment. There aren't any stairs for me to do, and it's too small to really walk around to get exercise in. It's about 5 steps wall to wall. Talk about claustrophobic!

Enter my knight in beautiful brushed metal frame, pulse monitor hand grips, and AeroSoft cushioning system:

The Horizon Fitness T100 Treadmill from Hayneedle.com!

I could do so many things with this bad boy! There's six workout modes, so that takes up six out of seven days a week! I already have my apartment mapped out as to where I would put it. Right in front of the doorwall, the baby's playpen is going to have to take a back seat to this stellar piece of machinery. I'll feel like I'm running outside, with the climate control of the indoors. The only rain would be my sweat raining down! Not to mention, I won't worry about anyone staring at me and won't need to hire a baby sitter just to get a work out in, that means being able to workout at a moments notice! Who knew a treadmill could do so many things!

This treadmill, would change my life. Here's an interpretation of what I could look like after using the The Horizon Fitness T100 Treadmill from Hayneedle.com.

What an extreme transformation! But that's the transformation I intend to have. I firmly believe that with the right tools, and hard work, anything is possible. I've got the drive, I just need the right tool! And I know that the right tool for me is a treadmill from Hayneedle!

I wrote this blog post while participating in the Bookieboo and Hayneedle Treadmill blogging program, making me eligible to win a treadmill. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Mamavation Monday-- Where's My Motivation?

Well folks, my motivation is gone. I can't find it. I think I ate it with the paczkies last night. If you can help me find it, that would be wonderful, because I gained 0.2 lbs this week. And after a week of being stagnant on the scale, this is not a good sign.

Because I have to want to help myself, before I can actually receive help. I thought I'd share how I'm going to get back on track. It's something that I've fallen short of doing lately, about the time my motivation went missing, and is an excellent time management too as well. I haven't been getting much done without it either. Because it's no secret, being a mom is tough!

That excellent tool is my To-Do List. And I'm putting it back into effect today!

I learned how to make To-Do lists from Chalene Johnson when I took part in her 30 day challenge . And my life changed dramatically. I was able to see exactly what I needed to do! And knowing exactly what I needed to accomplish that day, gave me the push I needed to get things done.

Every time I was giving myself Twitter Butt, I referred back to my list, and found something that I could be doing instead. My to-do list is my little reminder to make sure I'm using my time effectivly. And of course reminds me of things when I'm suffering from the dreaded mommmy brain.

As a matter of fact, by writing this, I just checked off Mamavation Monday Post on my to-do list! Yahoo!

This post is sponsored by Earth Footwear and I’m writing this to be entered into a giveaway.

Groupon--Saving Money on New and Old Favorites

I've fallen in love. But I'm not cheating on my husband. I LOVE GROUPON!

Groupon is a fabulous site that is saving people like you and me buku bucks every day! And who doesn't love a good deal?! Groupon serves a bunch of states and territories across the US and Canada.

Groupon is a name derived from the words "Group" and "Coupon", and that's exactly how the site opperates. A given amount of people, a group, if you will, purchase a coupon, and once that amount is reached, the deal is active. And everyone who purchases the groupon recives the Groupon. I have never seen it happen, as the daily groupons are very popular, but if a groupon fails to sell the set amount, those that purchased it before it was active are not charged. Groupon even offers the convience of sending "The Daily Deal" to your inbox, so you wake up to a new bargain every day! You can even buy the bargain for someone else as a gift if it's something you think they might enjoy.

I cannot even begin to tell you how much money Groupon has saved me. These are just some of the deals I have bought:

$15 for $30 worth of Groceries at Plum Market
$24 for $285 worth of yoga classes at Yoga Shelter
$5 for $10 worth of frozen yogurt at Swirlberry (I got one for a gift as well)
$16 for $33 worth of organic produce from Door to Door Organics
$15 for $30 worth of spices from Milford Spice Company
$39 for $179 worth of excercise classes at Jazzercise
$10 for $20 worth of merchandise at Barnes & Noble
$20 for $40 worth of merchandise at The Body Shop

As you can see, there are groupons for just about anything! And these are just the ones I have bought myself!

If you'd like to sign up and what you can save, click here! It's a great way to afford something that you may not have otherwise been able, try something new, or treat your family to some fun family time together. So check it out! You can thank me later! ;)

Lady Luck

I've never thought that I was lucky. It seems that I was always on the "poopy" end of the stick, up a crick without a paddle, you name the euphemism and that was me. I was a glass half empty kind of gal, I never saw the good that was around me. And I felt as unlucky as they came.

I focused on the things that shaped me. I lost my mother at age 8. Which lead me to a life of rebellion, because god knows, that I was screwed, and nothing was ever going to change that, so I might as well make my life into a non-stop party. I dated the bad boys, which lead to smoking, drinking, drugs, and sex. All by the ripe old age of 13. And I got away with it, while I know my dad cared about me, I think he turned a blind eye because I was the "All-American" teenager on the outside. I got good grades, participated in extra curricular activities, and was responsible despite the life I was hiding. I had, and still do have, the most immense desire to please people.

Most of my teenage years are a blur. School in the morning, parties on the weekends. I had a really good time, at the expense of my self esteem. My partying got more and more raucous and love blinded me from the emotional turned physical abuse of my then fiance. Yes, I was engaged to this guy and that lifestyle by the age of 18.

Once I moved to college, I developed the notion that since I was paying for my schooling, I should probably take things more seriously. I studied profusely, as I was in Nursing school, yet I still partied on the weekends. This lead to laziness, skipping classes, and passing classes by the skin of my teeth. I moved back home, and left school.

Once home, I landed a little library job as a Circulation Clerk at my local library. I was working with my best friend, and made several new friends. Friends that were not part of the group I was running with. However, within the first week, I called into work sick.

That fiance of mine and I got into a fight. A bad fight. A fight in the middle of the street from 12-3am. The kind of fight that wakes up the neighborhood. It was bad.

While I was at home, nursing the emotional wounds of the early morning (it didn't get physical). I got a phone call from my best friend. It turns out that a guy that I worked with (the security guard nevertheless), that I barely knew, was really concerned about me. After getting permission from my BFF, he got in contact with me just to make sure everything was alright, and offered to help in any way he could.

It was the first time that I felt that kind of kindness from a stranger. And it changed my life--my luck had changed in a moment. I let that guy into my life. He became my friend. I quit my "wild ways" and most importantly, I broke up with my fiance. Yet, I still didn't know that this "stranger" who entered my life would increase my luck infinitely.

That stranger, Phil Vanstone, became my husband October 11, 2008. And on March 25, 2010 we welcomed our first child, our son into this world. The love I receive from both of these blessings is a high that my previous life can never compare to. I can definitely say that I am the luckiest lady in the world to have both of them in my life.

Phil and My Wedding Day

Our First Family Photo

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention. With the love and support of my husband, I made it back to school and got my Bachelor's Degree. Not in Nursing, but in my real passion, English, with Honors. :)

"I wrote this blog post while participating in the Bookieboo and "Earthies Wants You to Feel Lucky" blogging program, making me eligible to win a pair of Earthies shoes and American Express Gift Cards. For more information on how you can participate, click here

PB2 Peanut Butter--a Multitasking Miracle Worker

Last night I recived my first ever jars of PB2 Dried Peanut Butter. I've been wanting to try it forever, and I'm elated that I finally get to try it!

What it is:
PB2 is peanut butter powder. It's made by Bell Plantation. Basically, it's peanut butter with the oil wrung out of it, so it has 85% less fat than normal peanut butter, and only 45 calories in a 2 tablespoon serving! That equates to 1 Weight Watchers Points Plus value for all of my weight watchers friends! Awesome!

However, if you prefer "classic" peanut butter flavor and texture, Bell Plantation also sells oil to reconsitute the powder with as well. Then you can have "classic" peanut butter, but also be able to use the powder in different ways! 2 ways to use one product, is 2 thumbs up from me!

What to do with it:
On the package, it says to reconsistute 2T of the powder with 1T of water to turn it into a low fat peanut butter. And you do get peanut butter. It's not greasy like normal peanut butter, and tastes pretty good for 45 calories.
However, I've used it in several different ways already. I've put it in my oatmeal with some apple slices, making peanut butter apple oatmeal.
You can also put it in smoothies, I put it in my chocolate Weight Watchers smoothie to make it chocolate peanut butter flavored. You could also put it in your daily Shakeology (I recommened Chocolate), to make a Chocolate Peanut Butter flavor, it's a favorite of Coaches and Beachbody customers alike.
I also think it would be excellent to use as part of a breading for chicken, making a lower fat, lower cal, version of peanut chicken.
There are so many ways to use this product, I can't even count. So I must say, this product is definately worth the money.

My Homemade Asian-Style "Lean Cuisine" Dinner!

Here's your healthy recipe for the day! I made this the other night and I must say, it's delicious!

Ingredients:
2 6 oz Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
2 cups rice, you can use either white or brown
5 green onions
2T Sesame Seeds
Lawry's Sweet and Sour BBQ marinade

Prep:
Cut chicken into 1 inch cubes
Once cut up, marinade in the Lawry's Sweet and Sour BBQ marinade for 30 mins.
Chop up green onions, I just cut mine with kitchen shears, and set aside.

Cook:
Cook rice according to package directions, or in your rice cooker.
While rice is cooking, cook chicken until cooked through, or 165 degrees farenheit for food safety.
When rice is done cooking, add in the chopped green onions and sesame seeds, and mix throughout. Let sit about 10 mins for flavors to infuse.

This recipe makes approximately four servings, 3 oz of chicken and 1 cup of rice per person. You may end up with more than enough rice though. I had about one serving extra. I haven't quite figured out the calories, but it is 9 Weight Watchers Points Plus. I usually eat mine with a little fresh fruit, tonight is cantaloupe, so the meal is extra filling and satisfies my sweet tooth (so I'm not running for chocolate and hour later) and the BEST part is the the fruit is FREE on WWP+

Enjoy!

Sigh of Relief!

This week was a tough one. I was really bad, as shown by my last post. However, I burried my "bad week" last night. I had some healthy Jimmy John's for dinner--didn't get my favorite -- The Vito. But my NEW favorite, Tom Turkey. And I made a decision that tomorrow was the day that I was getting out of this rut.

For those of you that don't already know this. Sundays are my weigh in day at Weight Watchers. I weighed in this morning and didn't gain! I'm counting that as a success after last week! But it's definitely NOT an excuse to quit getting closer to my weight loss goals!

This Weight Watchers meeting also couldn't have come at a better time. I figured out that one of my main problems is that I'm bored with eating healthy. And that was the theme of this week. My leader gave us all kinds of ideas for new and different foods to change it up a bit. I remembered that I LOVE these veggie burgers that I get as Costco, so after my meeting I went and picked some up.

This past week and the coming weeks, I'm going to heed Leah's advice. She posted a Facebook post about lifting weights and how much easier it was to lose weight after she did. So I'm restarting ChaLEAN Extreme. AND I'm excited about it! Some of you might already know that she's my FAVORITE trainer EVER! And lifting weights is giving me an outlet for my stress, instead of eating my stress. (If you want to see what ChaLEAN Extreme is all about here's a video: http://beachbodycoach.com/esuite/home/TurboGirl23?bctid=25219364001)

That said. I am officially back on the wagon. I'm taking the time tonight to go through my cookbooks and find some new healthy recipes. And update on the family: Aunt-doing okay, for as sick as she is. My cousin is in remission. My grandpa is home from the hospital. My grandma's shoulder is much "better" than originally thought, she'll heal just fine, and will just need physical therapy. And my good friend just had a traumatic brain injury, which is quite possibly the best case scenario for him and he's recovering well.

I look forward to seeing what the future holds for all of us! Thanks for all of the support Sistas!

Disappointed and It's Starting to Show.

On Valentine's Day I ate an entire small deep dish pizza. And that was bad news. Then a ton of horrific things happened the next day (familywise), all at once. Here's a breakdown.

It was my dad's birthday.
Grandpa ends up in the hospital with pneumonia.
Aunt starts getting 3 hr long chemo treatments for terminal lung cancer.
Cousin finds out she has Hepatitis A.
Found out one of my good friend's Humvee hit a roadside bomb in Afghanistan.
Bad day don't you think. This time I didn't have the will power to fight the emotional eating.

But after that I got back on track. And I worked out. A LOT. To try and counter the binging I had embarked on.

So I weighed Sunday. And I gained .8lbs. I was pretty upset. I had been doing so well.

Then the next part of my life came crashing in. My grandma fell and shattered her shoulder. The woman who helped raise me and became my mother when my mother died. At 90, can only imagine what this can mean...my mind just keeps coming back to the bad. I'm praying prefusely that she comes out of this alright.

All that upset has led to a bad week this week. I've been trying so hard to get back on track, but I'm finding myself helpless when I have to pass a tray of cookies (I've even eaten an entire box of Tagalongs, I'm ashamed to say). I don't know what to do to re-find my motivation. HELP!

(Sorry this is so late, our internet died at home--we can just add that to the list)

Mamavation Monday- I win! I win!

This week has be riddled with setbacks and victories. The week started with the Superbowl. And I ate. I deserved a treat. So I had some Motzarella sticks and some pizza and some chicken wings. They were really good. However, my tummy didn't feel too good after eating them. So that was the end of that. I was mortified that I had consumed a derailing amount of calories though.

Monday, my son was sick. Hence not posting last week until Tuesday. And then this week, he successfully passed the torch to me! I had one horrific cold for the past 4 days, but I'm finally on the mend! Thank god too, because these little illnesses are feeling more and more severe as I get older!

All that said, as you can imagine. I didn't workout much this week. A little here, a little there. Breathing was quite taxing. But I lost 1.4 lbs this week taking me up to being down 11.6! AND I got my first weight watchers ribbon for a 10 lbs loss!

Next step, losing 10% and then 20 lbs! I can't wait!

Mamavation Tuesday- Losing myself

Sorry I'm late. As moms, we all know that things happen. For me, my son got sick for the first time. As you can imagine this killed me as a first time mom (I'm sure it doesn't feel any better for moms that have more either). So after a deluge of boogers and a doctor's appointment--here I am.

So this week I had a "BIG", well at least to me, loss. 2.2 lbs! Wooo hooo! I started using my Easy Sculpt that I won at the launch party. I didn't work out this week other than that. And I lost big.

I'm trying still trying to figure out what's up with this new Weight Watchers program and me. When I'm not very active, like this past week, I drop at least 2 lbs. When I am active, I barely lose if anything. I don't know what is going on!

I've never thought that I might have a high metabolism until now! That's about it for this past week! Wishing you all happy losing in the coming week!

Mamavation Monday-Busted My Kinda Sorta Plateau

This week I was BAD. I mean REALLY bad. At least according to myself. But I could have been way worse I suppose.

Because of my teeny tiny loss of 0.4 last week. I was discouraged this week--yet I was also determined to figure out what the heck was going on with my body. So I changed things up a bit.

This past week started with a piece of cake. As previously written about, that wiped out more than 1/2 of my weekly overflow points. Then I did well most of the week with a serious break in the chain on Friday. On Friday we had a staff in-service, which typically means lots of junky food.

The day started with good intentions. The night before, I packed my lunch for the next day. I ate my typical breakfast of oatmeal, diced apple, and cinnamon. All was going good, or so I thought.

Upon walking into the meeting room, I am smacked in the face with a wonderfull smell. A smell, I have not smelt in a VERY long time. DONUTS. Knowing that I was not going to be able to be satisfied with my Fiber Plus bar while staring down the barrel of the donut gun, I gave in. I ate 4 Munchkin donuts. 1 of each flavor. Down went a glazed, then a chocolate, then a powdered sugar, and finally the spiced. Portion control, I thought to myself. 4 little donuts are better than one big donut right? However, I was satisfied, and did not go back up to the table.

Then lunch time came. The Cookie Lady catered (if you can't tell trouble is coming just based on her name). I took my lunch that I had packed out of the fridge and started to get strange looks from my co-workers. To avoid looking like a freak, I decided that I would eat what they were having. We had a choice of meat or veg lasagna. I chose the veg and it was in tomato not cream sauce, so I felt like I scored a little. Ceasar Salad, tossed in dressing--I only ate about 1 cup. And then came the cookie. I only took one. A small one. And that was my lunch--and I felt like less of a freak.

But then the Pièce de résistance of my diet failure came in the afternoon. One of our board members owns Vicki's ice cream. So it was only natural that we have a make your own sundae bar. And who can resist homemade ice cream? Well, I couldn't at that moment. I took a pre-apportioned vanilla cup (had about 1c or 2 scoops in it) and topped it with Reese's peanut butter cups. I'm not going to lie. It was really good. Despite all of the guilt I was feeling.

And that was that. I left work, went home, and got back on track and stayed on track for the rest of the week. To my suprise when I weighed in yesterday, I had LOST 1.4 lbs! How the heck did that happen? I don't know, I just hope that it doesn't catch back up to me at the coming weeks weigh in!

As for excercise this week. I decided that I wouldn't do anything too intense this week, because I didn't think I was eating enough on WW for TurboFire, hence my crappy loss last week. So I only worked out 2 days this week. I took my son to the mall and mall walked with him in the stroller for an hour on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Until next week! Best of Loss to the Sistahood!

Mamavation Monday-The Incredible Shrinking Woman

This week was a long one. Riddled with victories and minor setbacks.

First things first. I lost 0.4 lbs this week. Kind of disheartened about that, I stayed on target (Weight watchers)all week and worked out (TurboJam and TurboFire Hybrid). So I'm down a total of 5.4 lbs in the last 3 weeks. Not nearly as much as I'd hoped. :\

All of this week, I've been really nervous. My unemployed husband was offered a job for less than half of what he was making before and he took it. Kinda peeved about that. He starts today. This now leaves me with the emotional turmoil of fearing for his safty (I don't want to disclose what he'll be doing, but it involves having to carry a firearm--and it's legal--[if you have to carry a gun, that makes me think that you are signing up to be shot at--worried]), and who is going to watch our son. But I have not turned to food. I'm a nervous wreak, but still have not sunk to emotional eating. I refuse to let this derail me from getting healthy. So I'm counting that as a victory.

Also, we spent yesterday meeting my husband's 1/2 sister, and her daughter for the first time. He comes from a long line up of illigimate children on his father's side (winner i know-he doesn't talk to his dad). Which of course lead to eating since we got together for lunch. What I had, wasn't the greatest for me, salad with FF Italian and LF Feta, chicken tenders breaded in RF Cheez-its, and tater tots, but I watched my portions. The down fall was the cake. I didn't check the calories on it before I ate it--I should have. 400 FLIPPIN CALORIES. I wanted to throw up. But I ate it, and got back on the wagon for dinner. The first time I haven't let one meal ruin my whole day. So I'm counting that as a small setback with a HUGE victory!

Today, I'm still on the wagon. Eating lots of high fiber fruits and veggies, oats, whole grains, and my FAV Chocolate Peanutbutter FiberPlus Bar for a snack! Yum Yum Yum! If you want to check out the Fiber Plus bars here they are

Wishing you all a fab week!

Disclaimer: I’m writing this post as an entry to a blogging carnival sponsored by Fiber Plus. I will be receiving free product in return.

1 Week Down and Still Going Strong!

Yay!!! I can finally share a victory with you guys! This week I lost 2.2lbs! Yahoo! Sorry, I'm really excited!

Anyway, I stayed on target all week this week. I even declined going to a party this past weekend, because I knew there would be heavy drinking going on there, and you know you can't be around sloshed people without being a little sloshed yourself! Hehe!

But the important part is that I did it. This week I'm working on scheduling my excersize. I bought a Groupon, DM me on twitter @LisaVFitness if you want to know what that is, for Jazzercise. 2 Months unlimited classes for $39! A steal! And I have a friend who is going to go with me! Support and Accountability!

So it looks like things are on the up and up on the weight loss front with me. Wishing everyone health, motivation and happiness in the next week!