Hey Folks -
My New Year's Resolution last year included goals for mental and physical health and one for reading. I didn't make my reading goal, but my mental health did in fact, improve.
I took a different approach to my physical health than I have before. In the past, I have focused on running, belt attainment in a martial art, weight lifting, or yoga. This year, I felt the need to focus solely on my weight. Later I figured out that it meant addressing my terrible nutritional habits, specifically weight that I put on during the pandemic. One cannot eat salt and vinegar potato chips for breakfast and expect positive results. To be clear, they were delicious. But ultimately, that was deleterious.
So, over the course of 7 months, I worked with a health care provider and lost almost 50 pounds. I met my goal in September and have maintained pretty well since then.
In this post, I'm going to discuss the top things I had to change and then offer some simple recipes to get started.
Top things I had to do to get healthier:
1. Be accountable. I weigh in every week with my provider. They keep track of it for me. Because I can, I get a Vitamin B shot too. It helps with my energy levels.
2. Cut carbs but don't cut out ALL of the delicious stuff. I especially love blueberries, apples, and watermelon.
3. Change the way I shop and cook. I can lay down some cooking that will get you full and make you feel comforted, but it will also make you fat. So I had to make some real changes here. I didn't have a lot of time for cooking and cleaning. Now I MAKE time for those because it's self care.
4. Ima say it again: Cooking and proper cleaning are self care. They are not optional. I vacuum a lot. I iron stuff because I enjoy it. I am a little obsessive about dog and cat hair. And if I don't know exactly what I'm putting in my mouth, I will mess up.
5. Enjoy my food, but measure/approximate calories, carbs, and protein. I use https://www.nutritionix.com/ to help. I write down everything that goes into my mouth. I show it to the appropriate people.
So, here is the starting point. Me at about 190-195 pounds. I'm 5'8" tall. It doesn't look bad on me. I'm also heavily muscled. My boobs were amazing. My goal was around 145.
When losing weight, my provider gave me a calorie range. I'm not going to share it because yours will be different. Men are larger and need more calories than women. I'm a tall and strong woman so I needed a few more calories than a shorter or smaller woman. I will say that I had zero days over 2,000 calories.
I went for the calorie range and used lean proteins and low carbs to get there. Here is where you may differ: I had a medically supervised appetite suppressant. You might consider it, but talk to your provider. It isn't necessary but sped up the process for me.
I did not drink insane amounts of water. I drank what I always do: black coffee, water (fizzy and still) and in the evening, a 4 oz glass of wine or a lite beer, depending on how many calories I had had. I like to have a cup of lemon water in the morning before my coffee now.
If I wanted some pie, I had a couple of bites. I LOVE pumpkin pie and just kept it to the filling when I had some at Thanksgiving and skipped the crust. I wrote down what I had eaten. And this is important: I was honest with my provider.
I developed and have kept some simple recipes, which I'm going to share here. No long story, I promise. Hot tip: Tajin is your friend. Avoid the hell out of starch, gluten, and sugar. Try monkfruit sweetener and paleo pancake mixes for a sweet breakfast treat. My go-to breakfast is two eggs poached or lightly fried in a lo-cal cooking spray and a piece of Keto toast with butter. Eggs are SO good for you and until lately they have been super cheap!
1. Nonfat Greek Yogurt Dip. Take Nonfat Greek Yogurt and stir in some lemon and Greek seasoning to taste. Stir. Let sit 20 minutes in the fridge. Use as a dip for raw vegetables like carrots, jicama, sliced bell peppers, and cucumbers. I don't like eating celery, btw. It tastes like watery hair. This can also be used as a marinade for meat.
2. Omelettes. I make a huge "omelette" every week on Sunday. Here is the recipe.
10 eggs
1 package of sausage (cheap!)
1/2 package of cream cheese, though any cheese will do. Use enough to taste.
1/2 onion
1/2 bell pepper
Olives
I dice the onion and cook it in the sausage. I do drain about 2/3 of the fat from the sausage but that's optional. I add in the bell pepper and olives and cheese and stir up the eggs with seasonings and a bit of water to make it fluffy. Milk makes it creamy, but water makes it fluffy. I cook it on the stovetop on medium until it's cooked on the bottom and still soupy on the top. Then I turn on the broiler and broil it for 3 minutes till the cheese is melty and the eggs are firm. I cut it into 5 servings and refrigerate. It's about 250 calories per serving. I'm not sure it's a real omelette but I like it and now my husband eats them. You can substitute in any veggies you like and that are cheap. Make sure you have colors. I like tomatoes, cauliflower, and broccoli. Others like spinach and zucchini. You do you. No more than 4 veggies or it gets weird in the mix. You don't have to have meat, but make sure you have an oil otherwise it will stick. Last week I put in leftover pesto, leftover gorgonzola, some old steamed cauliflower, and yellow bell pepper with tomato. Pretty good. You can substitute canned veggies for anything, especially canned tomatoes.
3. Chicken! I marinate the shit out of chicken. Any chicken on sale. I buy whole chickens or chicken breasts when I can. I will work with thighs or whatever. Here is the simplest marinade.
Peanut oil (Canola is.. eh. But if that's what you've got use it.) or Olive oil. I get mine from anywhere I can. I haunt Ross (yes, the clothing store. They have cheap spices too), the dollar store, Big Lots, and Cost Plus World Market.
Lemon juice. I sometimes use fresh lemons too, but that's extra when they are in season.
Smoke flavor. It's really inexpensive and a few drops will add a nice depth. Let's face it, if my husband isn't smoking it, I'm not making it. But I WILL fake it.
Spices - I like Lawry's, salt, pepper, garlic, onion salt or just powdered onion, smoked paprika, and blends specific to chickens.
** Optional** I grow kitchen herbs and they are easy to maintain. I keep them by the back deck. I grow rosemary, sage, thyme, and chives. I randomly cut some and add it to.... everything. Fresh herbs never hurt. In the summer I also have basils and mints and other stuff but gardening is a way different, if obtusely related, topic. A lot of my garlic comes from my garden these days too.
Next, I pick 1: Mustard, amino acids, Cajun or BBQ sauce, ranch seasonings, or soy sauce. Not more than one per marinade. I just throw everything in a one gallon freezer bag and mix well. Good combos include lemon and mustard with rosemary and thyme, peanut oil and soy sauce (Ok to add aminos to this), and ranch with mayonaise.
Special note on BBQ sauce: If you choose BBQ sauce, try the no-sugar ones. You can make your own too. But skip the other seasonings because the BBQ flavor will overpower everything else.
I marinade a minimum of 20 minutes, and preferably for two hours, then bring the whole thing to room temperature. I cook covered usually between 350 and 375. How long you cook it depends on how much chicken you have. No harm in putting a little butter on there too. If you're using a whole bird, save the carcass once you have the meat off of it. Pop it in the freezer until you're ready and then boil it in water and whatever seasonings you have (see above but add bay leaf), strain, and freeze the broth for reuse in soup.
4. Vegetables. I wish I was better at this. I love them raw, especially tomatoes. That's why I grow tomatoes. Only about 2/3 make it into the house. BUT I usually have 4 types of raw veggies on hand every week. It's a good rule. Carrots, cukes, tomatoes, and bell peppers. I almost always have onion, broccoli and cauliflower too. To cook most veggies, cut into bite sized pieces, heat your oven to 425 and lightly drizzle olive, peanut, or sunflower oil on them. Add in a bit of salt and just bake for 20 minutes. Delish. Do try to stay away from potatoes and sweet potatoes, though a small packet of chips once in awhile satisfies a yen. All of your vegetable waste can do into a gallon bag in your freezer. When it gets full, put it in a large stock pot and add water and your favorite seasonings and bring it to a slow rolling boil for 20 minutes. Strain out the old veggies and voila, vegetable stock. Free. FREE. I even put that back in a bag in the freezer until I want to use it.
However.
Canned vegetables are just as healthy and much cheaper than fresh. We'll talk about that in a minute.
5. Low Carb Higher Protein Hazelnut Spread. No sugar added. I like a little sweet once in awhile, so this hits the spot. It's vegan and only has a few ingredients.
1 can Chick peas or Garbanzo beans, whatever you call them. They're like $0.75 each can.
6 Medjool dates. Not cheap but there are a lot of them.
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa which you probably have in your cupboard
1 cup of hot water
Drain and rinse the garbanzos, pat dry and put on a baking sheet. Cook them in the oven at 425 for 30 minutes. Add the crunchy garbanzos to a food processor, add the dates, cocoa, and water and blend until it's super smooth. It is SO good. It's like Nutella, only without the really bad for you shit.
6. Easy Easy Vegetable Soup. Canned vegetables are super cheap and I am super lazy. I just take seven cans of veggies, including peas, carrots, potatoes, corn, two kinds of beans, and whatever noodles you have lying around. Maybe some canned tomatoes too. Drain them and put them in a pot to boil. Remember that chicken broth you saved? Use that for the base. Add water and whatever seasonings you want. Some people do not drink but others add in either red or white wine, depending on taste. It's pretty fast and very filling.
Outcomes.
I don't have a lot of pictures of myself. I like to take photos but don't always like to be in them. I especially didn't when I was heavier. So here is a more current one of me taken at Stonehenge this last winter Solstice.
My nutritionist says that I've hit the mark. My visceral fat is at 4, My BMI is in a good range, I am well hydrated with good muscle tone, and with the supplements that my medical provider gave me based on blood chemistry, I've been doing really well. I weaned off of the appetite suppressant, starting in November, and feel pretty darn good. But I'm still weighing myself every three days and weighing in at the medical office weekly. And I still write down what I eat. High protein, low(er) carb, and lower-ish calories.
My husband is a big guy. He also went to see his medical provider and the same nutritionist that I see. In the last two months, he has gone from pre-diabetic (it's familial and he's had high trigylcerides for most of his life) and a bit overweight to reaching 1/3 of his goal. He's lost 20 pounds so far and he is on his own path. I'm glad that it intersects with mine.
Here is me today, up shooting in the woods. (Side note: the garbage and ridiculous fire pit do not belong on this land. Someone is a complete jerk.)
Don't forget that lemon zest is your friend too! 🤗🙃😁
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