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"The biggest seller is cookbooks and the second is diet books—
how not to eat what you've just learned how to cook."

Andy Rooney

5 Diet Myths . . . and Why You Shouldn't Believe Them
By Denis Faye

At last count, there were about 50 billion, trillion, gazillion different diet books out there, all touting new, miraculous ways to shed the pounds. At first perusal, it can seem downright baffling, so let me let you in on a little secret. At the core, any reputable eating plan is going to basically consist of these foods, eaten at a slight calorie deficit: mostly fresh fruits and veggies, whole grains, and lean protein.

And yet, we still manage to screw it up.

Don't feel bad about it. Between old wives' tales and people who just read the back covers of diet books and decide they're experts, there is more disinformation floating around out there than across the desk of a White House Press Secretary. (Get off your high horse. I didn't mention which party I was talking about.)

In an attempt to cut through some of these falsehoods, we've collected a list of some of the bigger flubs:

1. It doesn't matter what you eat, as long as you eat less. All food isn't made the same. If it were, surfing champion Laird Hamilton would live on Twinkies and Dr. Pepper. No, the complex human body needs a variety of nutrients to work at its best. When you're eating at a deficit, you have to make especially sure you're covering all your bases. This becomes more important still when you're on an exercise regimen, because your body is going to be burning extra nutrients, so if you don't give it what it needs, it won't function as well and that will hurt your results. So remember to take a daily multi-vitamin in addition to an effective diet and fitness regimen.
   
   
2. The less you eat, the better your results. This is sort of true, but the theory has its limits. True, if you're not getting enough calories, your body will use fat as fuel, but it can only do so much of this before serious breakdown happens, so you really need to stay above 1,200 calories. Second, your body has a mind of its own, of sorts, so if you deprive it of food long enough, it's going to panic and hold on to its emergency fuel supplies (we call it fat) in hopes of riding out this difficult period. It's called "starvation mode," and when you suddenly stop losing weight but you're only eating 1,500 calories a day, that's probably why.
   
   
3. Limit yourself to fats and proteins. "Low carbing" can be okay in moderation. "No carbing"? Not so okay. Yes, there is some benefit to upping the protein for a while, but you still need some carbs. They are your primary fuel source. Using anything else for food is extremely stressful, especially for your body's fuel processing center, the kidneys.
   
   
4. Bananas and carrots are bad. This comes from the whole glycemic index (GI) craze. GI proponents say that carrots and bananas are low in fiber but high in sugar, so they should be avoided. Nonsense. First off, eating fresh fruits or veggies is a little different from eating, say, jelly beans, because fresh produce is loaded with vitamins and minerals and it does have some fiber. We dare anyone to find us an overweight person whose biggest indulgence is a banana.
   
   
5. Just look for "fat free" or "sugar free" products. This is just the sneakiest marketing ploy in the world. Simply put, "fat free" doesn't mean "sugar free" and vice versa. Cotton candy is fat free. Is it a diet food? Butter is sugar free. Is it a diet food? In the rare event that you find something that's fat AND sugar free, it might be okay, like some fat-free cheeses. But odds are it's going to taste like cardboard.

Of course, as soon as diet number 50 billion, trillion, gazillion and one comes out, there'll surely be another set of myths to dispel. This is a good starting point, though. But if all else fails, just remember our mantra: "Create a diet consisting mostly of fresh fruits and veggies, whole grains and lean protein. Eat those foods at a slight calorie deficit."

Fancy Dresses Revisited

Well..  the dresses that I ordered came in... and I don't really like them as well in person as I did in the catalog.   So I am returning them.  I want to wear something that I am going to love being in.

So.. here are my two new candidates.  I really like these ones and I am hoping that they arrive looking the same in person as in the pics. The darker one is a size 18 and the lighter one is a size 13.

Re-Aligning for a New Week

Weigh-in : 212.7

that is minus 5.7 pounds since last Monday!!!!

Fat percentage:44.4  (-.5)

Fat pounds: 94 (-4)

So, overall it was a pretty good week.  I'd definitely put it in the "win" column.  My percentages were pretty good.. ranging very nicely in the 50/25/25 that I've been trying to follow, with the exception of Saturday, when the carbs eeked up to 60%.   And on Sunday evening I got together with friends and had two rum and cokes.  After seeing how those calories played out (ouch) I think I'll be saying "No" in the future to mixed drinks.

My goal for last week was to stoke up the weight loss after having a week of illness.  I think I accomplished that.

This week I'm going to start rotating calories between High days and Low days.  I will continue my exercise plan of doing something daily. 

 

 

 

Umleitung- (ing) in Germany

  I've actually been amazed at how easy it is to assimilate in a new country.  My German is good enough...I can converse with sales people, I can order food from a menu MY WAY and (more importantly) not feel that I am eating "meat surprise."  I can decipher most road maps (and signs) and generally feel pretty comfortable that I am not going to be lost in some alternate universe. 

That is.. until I run into an UMLEITUNG sign.  Now I don't know what the literal translation for this sign is.. but to me it means "all systems stop, you've now entered the alternate universe"... in plain english, it means DETOUR.   Now, frankly a detour in the United States is usually  pretty straight forward (I can remember an exception in New Mexico, where I had to go almost an hour out of my way to continue my journey to Phoenix along the I-10), but hey if nothing else.. everything is in my native language, so "no worries".

In Germany, the UMLEITUNG is a force to be reckoned with.  Actually...  when it's just a simple UMLEITUNG (like having to use a different road to get to Wuerzburg), it's not any bigger a deal than it is in the states.  However, when I know where I want to go,  the U.S. Army in Schweinfurt for example,  but the UMLEITUNG doesn't know where I want to go, I begin to sweat.  This is when full knowledge of the basic principles of geography would come in handy. This is not an area I'm particularly good at... hence the sweat.

Recently I found myself in the city of Schweinfurt, looking for the Army base there. I took an exit off the autobahn and was trying to find the base. I had to get film developed at the two hour photo store and this was the closest one THAT WAS WORKING to where I live (roughly 1.5 hours away) and of course I had to have them THAT day for Mac's Science Project (a whole nother journal entry, LOL). So.. having never been to this particular Caserne (barracks), I trustingly followed signs saying "U.S. FACILITIES".  Things went well until I hit the UMLEITUNG.  A large barrier had been erected to prevent people from turning onto the street that my U. S. FACILITIES arrow was pointing down! ARGH!!.. I spent several minutes trying to figure out a way to get down that street.   Streets in Germany do not necessarily run parralel nor do they necessarily intersect with the same cross street.  I was so frustrated AND LOST that I wanted to cry.  I drove around, looked down various streets.  Finally I thought "maybe if I get back on the autobahn and take a different exit...." Schweinfurt had three exits off the autobahn.

So.. I got back up on the autobahn... The first time through I took the last exit because there were no specific exits marked with the Army post information on the autobahn.  Once I had gotten off, suddenly direction signs had appeared, which was great, until I hit the umleitung.  Okay.. .so back up to the autobahn and I went back to the first exit into Schweinfurt. Again, almost as soon as I got off there were signs to the Army base.  No Detours to force me off the path this time... and in just a few minutes I arrived at the main gate.  I found the shop, parked and dashed in, because at this point it was late enough in the day I was concerned they wouldn't be able to get them done before they closed.

My description of how my day went tickled my kids so much that we now have a new phrase in our house: "Umleitung-ing".

Are you eating intelligently?

"To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art." -La Rochefoucauld

Interesting words. Certainly something to ponder as we pick ourselves up for another day of working our plans.  Eating intelligently to me means making a conscious choice.  Choosing healthy foods, choosing to forego the temptations that we run across every single day.  Choosing to make time for the exercise our bodies truly need.

Since I currently am a SAHM, I can most definitely keep control of the items that enter my house.  I can make good choices at the grocery store, for both the kids and me. I plan the menus that we eat.  I can say "no" to eating out.  With Paul currently deployed.. I definitely have all the VETO power.

When we step out into the world, we find ourselves accosted at every turn to make choices that can keep us moving towards our goals or cause us to stumble along the way.

Yesterday I had to run up to the big PX in Wuerzburg to pick up my son's birthday presents (I had them on lay away).  I took the two younger kids with me because it was going to be a pretty quick trip. They wanted to eat lunch at Burger King.

At Burger King, as I stood in line I was tempted.  I've been doing soo good this week.  I wanted to believe that a whopper jr and a medium fry would not damage what I have accomplished thus far. Then I thought.. I could get the side salad instead of the fries and save some calories that way, but still have the burger.

When it was finally my turn to order, I went with the grilled chicken garden salad and diet coke.  I passed up on the fries and burger.  I made the intelligent choice.  I didn't even sneak a fry from one of the kids' kid meals. 

It's good to know that this time, I was able to stand up to the temptation and make my plan work for me.

The Percentages Work!

At the beginning of this year, when I started back at dieting, I was trying to find something that worked for me.  I tried Weight Watchers before and while I do like the program, I found it was a bit time consuming to be constantly having to convert calories/fiber/fat to points.  I know it's a great program and works great for lots of folks.... but I was just having to work too hard at that.

After mulling things over, I decided to go with calorie counting.  It's just quicker for me.  I have the same amount of freedom as far as food choices, but I have eliminated the step of converting everything to points.

I use my Fitday program to track my calories and my exercise.  I can set this up to track the nutritional information that I need to really stay on top of my game.

In January I picked up Prevention Magazine's Lose Fat Fast mini-mag to help kick start things.  This booklet featured Denise Austin's Eat Carbs and Lose Weight program.  After reading the sounds bites in this mag, I ordered the book by Denise Austin.  This is what I've been trying to tailor my eating program around.

Denise and her nutritionist co-writer advocate a diet that is 50% carbs, 25% fat, and 25% protein. Some of the reasons for striving for this combination is that you will feel less cravings and more satisfied than with either no carbs or with too much fat.

I've now had two good days where the percentages are falling just about where they should be.  And I think it's working.  I don't feel deprived.  I do feel full and I'm not craving sweets in the same way that I used to.

My goal for the rest of this week is to try and keep those percentages working for me.

Having a great week

My week is going well.  I have been on plan for calories and yesterday's calories divided very nicely along the percentages that I am striving for (50 carb/25 pro/ 25 fat) with 43/27/22 respectively.

I have walked a total of (drum roll please) 16 miles so far this week. 

The kids are home sick this week.  They seem to be suffering from the cold I had last week.  They will be doing major homework makeup this weekend... poor things.

Other than that .. all is quiet on the homefront here (providing you ignore the coughs that erupt now and again).

Monday Morning Confessions

Well, it's Monday morning and it's time to start again.  Last week I was sick and I was not watching my food.  I was drinking a lot of fluids.  Thankfully, I'm feeling better now,but all three of my babies are now sick with the same dang thing.

So, with a March 17th deadline looming in my future (a challenge from the chubclub) and a May 20th Ball just ahead of that it is time for me to get serious and to start making (and keeping) some serious progress. 

Weigh in: 218.4

Fat percentage: 44.9

Fat lbs: 98

This is as bad as it's ever going to get for the rest of 2006 and this challenge period.  I have two dresses in the mail, one a size 18 and one a size 14.  I will be wearing one of those two dresses to the ball.

 

 

In praise of the Apple

 

Tammi Flynn is the creator of the www.3appleplan.com diet.  By having dieters include an apple at each meal, she increased the fiber intake painlessly and the resulting weight loss has been amazing.  While I have not used this particular diet, I thought I'd mention it in passing during my essay on apples.

The apple is a small round fruit with crunchy flesh.  This is one of the earliest fruits to have been cultivated, originating in Kazakhstan and carried by traders on the Silk Road.  As early as the second century B. C., people were producing apples of a consistent variety by taking cutting of a tree and grafting them onto suitable rootstock.  This must be done because the exact same type of apple won't grow from a planted seed.

Immigrants to America brought apple seeds, which gave rise to entirely new varieties further diversified by breeding with native American crabapples.  The spread of American apples was encouraged by the aptly monikered folk hero Johnny Appleseed, born John Chapman in Massachusetts in 1774, who collected large amounts of seeds from cider mills and planted them on his travels.

About 2,500 known varieties of apple are grown in the U. S. and more than 7,500 are grown worldwide- all of which must be picked by hand.  Apple varieties are categorized as eating (or dessert), cooking (or baking), cider, and crab.

Most apples are available year-round.  Crab, Jonathan, and Macoun are generally available in the fall and winter.  Cortland, Crispin, Jonagold, McIntosh, Pink Lady, and Winesap are available September through April or May.  Later season apples (from October through June or July) are Empire, Idared, Rome Beauty, and York

Choose apples with smooth, clean, shiny skin and good color for the particular variety.

Over mature fruit will be unpleasantly mealy without firm crunch.  Avoid apples with dull skin, bruises, or punctures (which results in decay spots).

Store apples in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.  Apples may be left out for u to 48 hours before they turn mealy.  For long-term storage, apples must be absolutely sound with no blemishes or bruises, and must be kept in a dry, cool place without touching each other.

 Apples have no sodium, saturated fat, or cholesterol.  Eating an apple can also reduce the level of cholesterol already in your blood and lower your blood pressure according to studies at Yale University.  Apples elevate your blood glucose level safely and gently- and then keep it up for a longer period of time than most foods.  The practical effect of this is to leave you feeling fuller longer.  Apples constitute one of the riches sources of soluble fiber in the supermarket.

New Age Candy AppleIngredients:
1 granny smith apple peeled
1/4 teaspoon sugar free cherry flavored gelatin
2 tablespoons diet cherry cola
2 tablespoons thawed frozen reduced fat non dairy whipped topping

Directions:
Slice apple crosswise into 1/4 inch thick rings; remove seeds. Place stack of apple rings in small microwave bowl; sprinkle with gelatin. Pour cola over rings. Cover loosely with waxed paper. Microwave at high 2 minutes or until liquid is boiling. Allow to stand, covered, 5 minutes. Arrange rings on dessert plate.

Serve warm with whipped topping.

Makes 1 serving.

Nutritional information per serving:
Calories: 102
Fat: 2g
Protein: 1g
Carbohydrate: 23g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 1mg
Fiber: 4g
Exchanges 1-1/2 fruit

Folly or Temptation to succeed

 

 

I think I mentioned that we have a Welcome Home Ball in May. Well.. today I took advantage of a one day sale and ordered the two dresses above.  The one on the left is a XL (18) and the one on the right is a size 14.  Huge leap of faith that I will be ready to wear one or the other AND LOOK SMOKING HOT by May 20.  :)

 

Worth Thinking About

Things that make you think a little.......

1. There were 39 combat related killings in Iraq during the month of January.....In the fair city of Detroit there were 35 murders in the month of January. That's just one American City, about as deadly as the entire war torn country of Iraq.

Side note by Journal owner:  We've lost more soldiers in after action accidents than we have in both Iraq and Afghanistan.  When our soldiers come home, they tend to be a bit reckless, resulting in loss of life at home.

2. When some claim President Bush shouldn't have started this war, state the following .

- FDR...led us into World War II. Germany never attacked us: Japan did. From 1941-1945, 450,000 lives were lost, an average of 112,500 per year.
- Truman...finished that war and started one in Korea. North Korea never attacked us. From 1950-1953, 55,000 lives were lost, an average of 18,334 per year.

- John F. Kennedy....started the Vietnam conflict in 1962. Vietnam never attacked us.

- Johnson...turned Vietnam into a quagmire From 1965-1975, 58,000 lives were lost, an average of 5,800 per year.

- Clinton...went to war in Bosnia without UN or French consent, Bosnia never attacked us. He was offered Osama bin Laden's head on a platter three times by Sudan and did nothing. Osama has attacked us on multiple occasions.

3. In the two years since terrorists attacked us President Bush has liberated two countries, crushed the Taliban, crippled al-Qaida, put nuclear inspectors in Libya, Iran and North Korea without firing a shot, and captured a terrorist who slaughtered 300,000 of his own people.

The Democrats are complaining about how long the war is taking, but...It took less time to take Iraq than it took Janet Reno to take the Branch Davidian compound. That was a 51-day operation.

We've been looking for evidence of chemical weapons in Iraq for less time than it took Hillary Clinton to find the Rose Law Firm billing records.

It took less time for the 3rd Infantry Division and the Marines to destroy the Medina Republican Guard than it took Ted Kennedy to call the police after his Oldsmobile sank at Chappaquiddick killing a woman.

Wait, there's more......................

Some people still don't understand why military personnel do what they do for a living. This exchange between Senator John Glenn and Senator Howard Metzenbaum is worth reading. Not only is it a pretty impressive impromptu speech, but it's also a good example of one man's explanation of why men and women in the armed services do what they do for a living. This is a typical, though sad, example of what some who have never served think of our military.

JOHN GLENN ON THE SENATE FLOOR Date: Mon, 26 Jan 2004 11:13 (this conversation actually took place during a 1974 debate for the democratic seat for Ohio)

Senator Howard Metzenbaum to Senator Glenn: "How can you run for Senate when you've never held a real job?"

Senator Glenn: "I served 23 years in the United States Marine Corps. I served through two wars. I flew 149 missions. My plane was hit by antiaircraft fire on 12 different occasions.I was in the space program.

It wasn't my checkbook, Howard; it was my life on the line. It was not a nine-to-five job, where I took time off to take the daily cash receipts to the bank. I ask you to go with me ... as I went the other day... to a veteran's hospital and look those men - with their mangled bodies - in the eye, and tell THEM they didn't hold a job! You go with me to the Space Program at NASA and go, as I have gone, to the widows and orphans of Ed White, Gus Grissom and Roger Chaffee... and you look those kids in the eye and tell them that their Dads didn't hold a job.

You go with me on Memorial Day and you stand in Arlington National Cemetery, where I have more friends buried than I'd like to remember, and you watch those waving flags.

You stand there, and you think about this nation, and you tell ME that those people didn't have a job? I'll tell you, Howard Metzenbaum; you should be on your knees every day of your life thanking God that there were some men - SOME MEN - who held REAL jobs. And they required a dedication to a purpose - and a love of country and a dedication to duty that was more important than life itself. And their self-sacrifice is what made this country possible.

I HAVE held a job, Howard! What about you?"

For those who don't remember - During W.W.II, Howard Metzenbaum was an attorney representing the Communist Party in the USA

If you can read this, thank a teacher.... If you are reading it in English thank a Veteran.

I'm Sick!

 I woke up this morning with a very bad sore throat.  I knew this was coming, I've been having a scratchy throat lately.  And the late hours I've been pulling this weekend have not helped.

I did manage to get in a three mile walk yesterday, that is the plus side to all this. 

Here in Germany we get the SuperBowl in "real time"  which means if we want to watch it, we are up late into the night. 

Three of us got together at Laurie's house last night to watch.  The festivities began here at around 11 pm (pre game stuff) and the game concluded around 4 AM.  It was an exciting game.  I'm not a big football fan, but I managed to stay awake for the whole thing.

I'm going back to bed now.  All the water weight I gained while I was on TOM is gone and I'm at 215.2 this morning.   Be back tomorrow.

Dinner was a smashing success!

Dinner was pretty good.  The recipes all came from Cooking Light Magazine, either Nov 2005 or Dec 2005. 

The main course was Sweet Vermouth Chicken.  This was incredibly easy to make and the flavor was awesome. Definitely a new recipe that will be used over and over again. The per serving calorie count was 315.  For WW points it came to: 6.

Side dishes were Honey-Glazed Carrots. YUMMY!! Calories: 51 WW points: 0.

Basmati Rice (I had to substitute the rice, so I was not thrilled with the result... would not make this recipe again)

Mixed Salad with toasted walnuts  (cal: 55, WW points: 1) and Vanilla-Pear Vinaigrette( cal: 14, WW points: 0).  Another one that I would do again.

Flaky Dinner Rolls (cal: 160, WW points: 3).  I would definitely do this one again.

Winter Spiced Red Wine Sangria (the biggest hit of the night!) Cal: 149, WW points: 3.

Dessert was a hodge-podge affair, since I was unable to get all the ingredients I needed for my first choice.  We had cheesecake with raspberry sauce. Not a light dessert, but definitely good.

 

We spent part of the evening doing facial masks (cooling, invigorating, etc) and doing manicures.  It was fun and relaxing and I think everyone had a good time.  I also gave each guest a picture of the six of us from Halloween that came out nice (I think it was in a previous entry here) plus a small valentine sampler (chocolates).

 

Breaking the Surface

I've had a headache for the last few days.  One of those that kind of sits at the back of your head just letting you know it's there, but not actually making it impossible to function.

Last night I went to bed at 9:00 pm because I just couldn't take the pain of my children's voices anymore (yes, they talk loud and it was making my head pound).   But instead of making it better, sleeping seemed to make it worse.  I woke up about midnight and was really wishing it would just go away.  As I lay there thinking, I began wondering if it might be a dehydration headache. 

My water intake has been a bit off this week since I've been kind of busy.  Since I figured it couldn't hurt, I got up and drank 16 ounces of water.  As time passed it seemed the pain eased just a bit and I was able to go back to sleep.  I woke this morning without the headache and at this point.. I'm working to keep myself hydrated.  Now, it may or may not have been the answer, I'm just so grateful to finally feel better that I figure it can't hurt to keep up with the water drinking.

 

So... all systems are go again and I'm feeling much better.  

Ready to take on Linda's challenge to not cheat this month.  :)

And on a P.S. note with respect to the Valentine CD my hubby sent me.  The song "The Dance" while definitely a Garth Brooks song, was not done by him for my CD.  The singer was part of a Garth Brooks tribute album.  His name (I have since learned) is Tony Arata.