Eating too fast

Eating too fast is by far my biggest struggle when it comes to listening to my body. I eat too fast. I am not just talking about finishing before the person across the table does, I am talking, about the eat so much so fast your gut is screaming and you feel like you could throw up fast.

Conventional wisdom says that we should put our fork down between bites, or make sure we have a glass of water before we eat, chew every bite 24 times. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know all of these things. The problem is that as soon as I sit down with my plate, I immediately go into this trance like state and all external stimuli just fades away until the plate is empty and I feel like I am going to be sick. They also say make sure you sit down to eat, don’t watch TV while you eat. Hello! Eating / TV, not sure that one should happen without the other. I will admit that I eat all my meals sitting on the couch (surrounded by at least 5 begging dogs) watching TV.

Mind you I don’t go over my points. All of my food is carefully measured and portioned out on my plate before leaving the kitchen so this is food I am allowing myself to eat. I just inhale it too fast to comprehend.

I know some of it has to do with being a recovering binger and sneak eater. I remember thinking that as long as I ate something quickly and no one else saw me eat it, I can eat again and they won’t judge me because they don’t know that I already had a candy bar (or three). They think this is my first one. That makes it okay…..doesn’t it? Boy, nothing like having a multi pronged eating disorder.

P.S. Have no idea who the guy in the picture is, just a pic I found on a competitive eating sight where speedy eating is worshiped!

New habits become ingrained

One of the best places for a sneak eater to sneak eat and binge is in their car (other than a dark closet). I would take care to plan special binges for my commute home from work. Often the plan would include hostess cupcakes or ding dongs out of the vending machine in the break room that I pass on the way to my car … oh who am I kidding, anything chocolate sufficed. I would start planning what I was going to eat on the way home from work while I was still driving TO work in the morning.

Well, I still like to have something to eat while driving home from work so that I don’t arrive home malnourished (yeah right…malnourished…….in my lifetime?). I don’t want to use too many points because I still get that panicked feeling from the thought of running out of points at the end of the night, but need something. So I have turned to apples. I am pretty fussy about my apples. I only like a couple of varieties. Top honors go to the Honey Crisp apple. Tied for a close second are the Fuji and Brae burn apples.

Yesterday I did not have an apple to eat and I thought it was going to drive me bonkers! So much so that I took and extra long lunch today and ran to Meijer’s to buy apples for the commute home before I did my lunch time workout. I feel great that some of my new habits are becoming second nature. Running out of apples didn’t give me an excuse to return to the vending machine. Returning to the old eating patterns actually never entered my mind. Yeah me!
What new habits are you thrilled about?

New Favorite Lean Cuisine

I admit, I am a creature of habit. I eat a 4 or 5 point Lean Cuisine every day for lunch.

They are a much quicker option than going to the local subway, relatively cheap and overall pretty good tasting. I love the Salmon with basil and orzo (4 points) and the Chicken with Almonds (5 points). John loves the Panini’s and so I have always bought them for him, but never actually looked at how many points they contain. I just assumed they were 8 points like the pizza's are. I was shocked when it was only 5 points.

Well, the freezer needs restocked so pickings were slim this morning when I left for work so I grabbed one of his Panini’s. I just devoured the Chicken, spinach and mushroom Panini (5 points). I ate it as an open faced sandwich. I am in love!I even used my fingernail to scrape any wayward cheese off the “revolutionary” grill plate. I will be buying many more of these this week on grocery day. Poor John, now he will have to share them with me.

Confessions of a Binger

This post took me days to write. This is really a lay it all out for everyone to see what a freak I am/was when it comes to food post. Bear with me, this one’s long and ugly.

I used to be a binger, sneak eater, closet cheater. Yep, I am a charter member of the bingers club. I still fight tendencies to binge eat. Just yesterday, I had a fiber one bar (oats and chocolate….heaven!!!!!) Once I finished it, I wanted another, heck; I wanted to eat the entire box right then. I had the points to cover it, so everything would have been “legal”, but now I understand that binging isn’t what is best for me anymore.

I used to binge on everything. My biggest down falls were meat and sweets. I love meat. I would be happy with just pork chops and cottage cheese for dinner (no veggies….why take up valuable plate real estate with something other than meat?). Quick, cut a little piece off that one before anyone sees. I cook everything on the grill, no one knows how many steaks I grilled, and once I cut them up, no one will ever know that I had one and a half. What the hell does that matter? (That no one knows) It’s my body consuming the fat and calories. It’s my arteries that are filling with so much goo that my blood can’t flow thru them. Sneak eating hurts no one but myself. So who do I think I am fooling? And let’s not forget the guilt and remorse after the binge. Anorexics purge after their binge (not making fun or disrespecting the disease of anorexia, no offense is intended). Fat people just feel guilty and binge some more.

Binge examples: I would buy a Sara Lee Chocolate Cream Pie on Friday on my way home from work and have it gone midday Saturday. The thing is, John would usually never even know there was a chocolate pie! I would have two reasons for the secrecy. One I would have to share (I can’t share my relationship with Sara Lee!) and two, I would have the embarrassment of admitting to him that the entire pie was gone when he wanted another piece the next night.

Another biggie would be when I made No Bake Cookies, my absolute favorite cookie. I would have to make a double batch just so that there were a few left to make it look like I didn’t eat them all. I literally ate them until I was sick and in the bathroom resolving to never make no bakes again.

Oh and how about how I could rationalize binging on brownies and cookies for breakfast? This reationalization especially applied to no bakes cookies. They have oats in them. Can’t they be considered similar to cold oatmeal? Yeah, I would tell myself that brownies and cookies aren’t that different than muffins or donuts. Plenty of people eat muffins and donuts in the morning. Here is the caveat, one, they don’t eat half a dozen in their dark car on their way to work, and two it really isn’t the best way for anyone to start their day.
There is a gas station near my house that carries freshly made donuts from our very best bakery in town. I would always get two, usually the big ones about the size of your head. Of course I didn’t want the guy at the cash register to judge me, a fat girl buying donuts. So when I got to the register I would say “Two donuts in the bag, one for me and one to make my boss happy.” Like the guy at the counter cared who the hell I was buying donuts for!!!

So there. It’s not pretty, but this was a little window into my former binging behaviors. I know some of you reading this are nodding and smiling because you have been there. I can’t say I have the answers, but getting it out into the open certainly feels good. Thanks for listening.

Just like the boyscouts say, Always Be Prepared

The boy scouts had it right. Always be Prepared.

I really think being prepared is the key to being successful in pursuing a healthy lifestyle. I know that preparing things on the weekend will make my entire week run more smoothly. It is one small variable I can take out of the equation.

I am referring to my weekly cooking. At some point during the weekend, I cook off more than enough food for dinners all week. If I skip this, I know that I am setting my self up for opportunistic hunger pangs to sabotage my eating. The following is a list of what I do.

Each week, I cook off a family pack of chicken breasts. Sam’s club’s everyday price is 1.97 for boneless skinless chicken breast and that is usually the best price you find it on sale at any of the local grocery stores. I just spray a frying pan with pan spray, and fry them all. When they are cooked, I transfer them to a Rubbermaid container and stick them in the fridge.

Next, I boil a box of whole wheat pasta; I am not particular on a brand, just what ever is on sale (gotta be careful to stick to the grocery budget….). After that is cooked and rinsed, I pop it in the fridge as well. Those two things start me on my way to success. Like most, I am hungry when I get home from work even though I eat an apple on my commute. This way, I have the makings of a great dinner waiting for me.

Now, each night when I first get home, I need chocolate. So I also make up a double batch of Jell-O brand cook and serve, fat free, sugar free pudding mixes. (It is chilling as I type) I often grab a ½ cup of that and top it with a couple of Tbs of fat free whipped topping, and sit and enjoy it as I plan my next step for the evening. I am fussy with the brand of my pudding. Jell-O is the only way to go. Even with both of us eating it, it will usually last us thru Friday.

John and I both like pizza. Who doesn’t? I keep the fridge stocked with Flat Out bread to use instead of a regular pizza crust, spaghetti sauce, turkey pepperoni and low fat mozzarella cheese. This makes a great, satisfying pizza for only 9 points.
So these are just a few of the things I do to prepare myself for the coming week. I know that they are instrumental to my weekly success.

Totinos Party Pizza

Let me tell you, I am/was a Totino’s pizza freak! I mean these little pieces of heaven were the perfect comfort food for me. Oh, and don’t even tell me that is really 2 servings! In what world?

Totino’s was the total package for me. Usually only a buck at the grocery store, fit nicely in the freezer for storage, and are ready in about 15 minutes.

There was nothing I liked better than coming home from work, popping one of these bad boys in the oven and then waiting for the crispy, greasy goodness to be done. Oh and of course I would pair it with a nice cold diet coke.

Well, that little piece of heaven has now been recalled due to a possible e-coli contamination. Something about the pepperoni made in some Ohio plant. E-coli….that will get you to your goal weight fast!

Now that I have a different outlook on food, I can’t believe that I would eat these a few times a week! One of these pizzas has 760 calories, a whopping 42 grams of fat and 2 grams of fiber. That equals 18 WW points! 18 points for that little pizza! You could eat 6 chicken breasts for 18 points. Those pizzas are so not worth it.

So….. Goodbye forever, Totinos combination party pizza. I always knew you were bad for me, but now you are literally deadly.

Measuring is Necessary!

John (my husband) has been following the weight watchers plan with me even though he hasn’t been going to meetings or doing the official weigh ins.
I did notice that he was not journaling and I saw him using the peanut butter the other day and noticed that he did not use a measuring spoon, rather, he just used a regular eating teaspoon to scoop out the peanut butter he was putting on his toast. I cautioned him that if he isn’t measuring, he is lying to himself.


He poo pooed me that he knew what he was doing and to stay out of his business. Typical man. Well, as usual, I was able to prove my point when I went to use the peanut butter myself. A jar of peanut butter contains 32 Tablespoons which equals 96 teaspoons. The jar was mostly gone when I got into it 7 days after it was opened. For once I can say confidently that the dogs were not counter surfing and ate some of it. No chew marks on the lid. I would say that he was eating more than he thought. He was amazed when I told him how many servings were in the jar and how many were gone. So he swears he is going to actually use measuring cups and spoons and be better about journaling.

Measuring is necessary. Don't risk lying to yourself by eyeballing that serving.


The thing is, he can’t do this because I nag him, he has to do it because he wants it. He has to want to be healthy, want to be more mobile. You can’t win this battle doing it for someone else, you have to be hungry for it.

End of the Farmers Market

So sad to see the end of the farmers market already. I rely on my weekly trips there to stock my office with apples and buy squash from the Amish guy. I went today and there was one lone farmer there with apples and squash. No more tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers.

Now I am stuck buying the pesticide ridden, over priced, past its prime fruits and veggies from Meijer. I have over 20 squash to bake off yet for the winter, so hopefully that will hold me over until next fall. I bought two big containers of Fuji apples for only $3.00!

Speaking of apples, one of my many, many, pet peeves is that often when you buy apples at Meijer’s they are the size of a childs head! If I am being responsible and trying to get my fruit servings in, don’t punish me by making me count three points for it! Is there such a thing as a one point apple anymore at a grocery store? The farmers spoil me and let me pick out all of the small/medium apples for my bags.

Dinner at Lonestar

So I had to meet John and the in-laws for dinner when I got out of work yesterday. John’s family lives about 2 hours away, so we usually just try to meet in the middle for dinner occasionally. This time they came here and they all decided on Lone Star. There are sites that have compiled WW points for restaurants (Dotties Weight loss Zone, Boot Camp Buddies) but I like to see the nutritional information myself.
Lo and behold, Lone Star has all of the nutritional info on their website. It was wonderful to confidently walk into a restaurant knowing what I was going to order and how many points to count for it. I cannot believe how many points my former favorite meal had! How in the world are two pork chops 33 points? What kind of a pig do they come from? Their rolls are a big downfall for me as well, but they weren’t listed on the website.
So, I ordered the Salmon (6 points) and had the vegetables (0 points). No worry about the rolls, they never brought any. I ended up having to eat again when I got home because I saved too many points throughout the day for dinner!

P.S. Pic is of me at the Great Wall of China in 2002. Now that was a hike!!!

Stairmaster: Friend or Foe?

The Stairmaster certainly started out as a foe.

The Stairmaster in the gym at my work has a minimum setting of 5 minutes. When I started working out, I would set it for the 5 minutes and then have to stop at 2 ½ minutes. Not much to crow about, but I stuck with it. Every day I got on that damn machine and went as long as I could. That was 12 weeks ago. Today I had a new personal best of 34 minutes.

I am very fortunate to have a gym right here at my work with filled with great equipment. We have a treadmill, recumbent and stationary bike, weight machines, punching bag, free weights and benches. Plus we have a TV/VCR with cable. I take my “lunch” from 12:30-1:30 M-F and that is my work out time. I generally take the weekends off from structured exercise. I try to be active, but I don’t require a workout of myself.

I am a believer in interval training. When on the treadmill, I will walk at my normal pace (3.0 mph) but alternate minutes between an incline of 3 and 9. I do something similar with the Stairmaster. I hop on for 17 minutes, then move on to crunches and weight lifting and then I go back to the Stairmaster for another 17 minutes. So I have gone from 2 ½ minutes to 34 minutes in 13 weeks. The Stairmaster is my best friend.

I sure wish they would buy and elliptical machine to work out. Maybe I will ask for that to be part of my Christmas bonus package.

Top Signs that you are a Trick or Treating Weight Watcher

10. You know how many knocks it takes to earn an activity point.
9. You are the only Power Ranger in the neighborhood with a pedometer and a point finder.
8. You ask at each house if they mind if you step on their scale—just to compare.
7. You ask to trade candy corn for the real stuff.
6. When someone drops a candy bar in your bag—you yell out the number of points.
5. Your costume has a handy water bottle holder so you can meet your water requirements for the day.
4. You ask to use the bathroom every third house because of #5.
3. At the end of the night, you sort your candy by point value.
2. You ask for high fiber candy only.
1. Your goodie bag has a half filled out journal taped to it.

I found this in one of my message boards and thought it was just too cute not to pass along.

I hate the scale. Yeah, there is an earth shattering revelation for a woman….. I would be happiest to only weigh in once a month. I hate how that lifeless box (the scale) that we step on controls if we are happy or sad…..energized or defeated. I do not weigh myself other than at weight watchers. As I step on the scales each week, and they ask “flex or core” I answer “flex” and then they usually ask how my week was. My answer is always the same, “I don’t care what the “box” says, I had a kick ass week”.
My criteria for kick ass is that I worked out at least 5 days, drank all of my water every day and ate within my points every day. I mean, really, that is all I can control. I know that there are times that I can do every thing right and the scale will not agree. I HATE THAT! It’s not fair
I know, I know, no one said life was fair and that the effort put in will equal the results out. But that really sucks.
So to combat those feelings of inadequacy, I make sure that I have a kick ass week every week.
What do you do to make sure you have a kick ass week?