Self-preservation amongst the Unhealthy…

The internet has been on the blink lately, so this week has been a bit sporadic post wise.  In the future, however, I’m aiming for new posts every Tuesday and Thursday!

I’m dedicating this week’s second entry to my friend Ashley who is attempting to live a healthier lifestyle amidst her treat-loving husband and kids.  Getting healthy is definitely an easier task to accomplish when you only have to look out for yourself—you don’t have to worry about cooking for other people, you don’t have to worry about other people bringing unhealthy foods into your home, and you can set your own schedule for eating and exercise that works for you.  If only life were so simple, right?  For most of us, however, it’s not.

I too have a special someone who makes bad food choices; in fact, he vehemently stands against healthy eating and eats at all hours of the day (and night!)  So, I’m right there with you Ashley.  It can be twice as hard, especially when you’re fist starting out, to make the right choice when your spouse always goes for the wrong one.  Since this is a truthful blog about my own personal story, I will tell you, there were many arguments between the two of us about dinner choices and exercise those first few couple of months.

Here’s the thing, you’re probably not going to be able to change your spouse’s eating or exercise habits.  Just as time and again we all hear that certain things aren’t good for us—greasy foods, smoking, drinking, etc.—I don’t see

McDonald's, R.J. Reynolds, or Anheuser-Busch going out of business anytime soon.  People do what they want.  Save yourself the arguments, and do what you want.  Yes, you will be angry that he gets to eat a piece of pizza and you’ve ordered yourself a garden salad—but eventually, the anger (or jealousy?) disappears and you’ll lose weight, feel better, and forget all about that pizza.  Likewise, healthier choices will start to come naturally. 

Secondarily, if you continue to make smart choices and try to get daily exercise, it stands as an example to those who live with and around you.  Without trying, which can lead to arguments, you might just make your family think twice about what they’re eating too.  Or if you’re starting to look damn good, you just might make your husband think he better get his act together as well! Also, if you do the cooking, as I do in our household—what you make, is what they eat.  Make your meals healthier because that’s what you want to do, and they’ll have to go along with you or suffer the consequences!  If you can’t deal with snacks and sweets in the house, get rid of them!  I still try not to keep too many quick fix sweets in the house—if I want a cookie, I have to make cookies…is it worth the effort?  Seldom.

I usually grocery shop alone as well.  At first, I preferred to have company, and took hubby along for the ride, but I found things I wouldn’t normally eat—M & Ms, chips—somehow ending up in my cart.  And if they’re sitting around at home, they’re all too easy to snack on alongside your spouse.  Tell your spouse to keep his treats elsewhere, if you can’t control yourself (though control gets easier the longer you stick to healthy living, trust me).  Tell him to keep a snack at work, in his car, or stop before he gets home if he just has to get a cookie or a doughnut—and to NOT bring you one.  Likewise, a “treat” for doing a great job being healthy is a slippery slope.  Why not tell your spouse you’d rather have a gift card to a spa? Or maybe a date night, instead?  Reinforcing good behavior with bad food, just doesn’t work for people—for Fido, maybe. 

Finally, as I’ve eluded to before, all things in moderation.  This is not a diet--it's a lifestyle.  If you can’t live without a taste of key lime pie, or even a whole slice, every now and again, then have one, but make this treat few and far between.  Or try to find a healthier version of your favorite treat, then you won't feel so bad when you indulge.  Try out my version of key lime pie below!  Since I don’t like to keep sweets in the house either (my downfall, as well), I find that if I make something, I give at least half of it to someone else.  Cookies? Send half to the office with the husband.  Cake? Have your in-laws over for dessert too.  The key here is not to completely eliminate those things you enjoy from your life, but to limit their intake.  Additionally, if I really want a cookie, but don’t want to risk making a whole batch (and eating like 20 cookies—hey, it happens…) I go somewhere, like Tim Hortons, and get a cookie.  Just one.  That way, you don’t have a dozen more left at home to eat.  Yes, they’re more expensive than making your own, and usually not as good, but again, it’s a method of limiting your access to such things, when you might not be able to control yourself.  

Another example, and I'll be the first to admit it, tonight I went out to Buffalo Wild Wings with the FSARC crew after running.  Dessert sounded like a good plan--and hey, I just ran five miles in 80-plus degree weather and humidity!  So, I ordered the chocolate cake.  No doubt, it was delicious, and I ate about half of it--but only  half.  Then I pushed it toward my friends and let them finish the rest.  If you deny yourself everything, you might gorge--then you'd really fall off the wagon!  So my advice is to take it easy--this is a gradual adjustment to a new lifestyle, which hopefully includes your family as well, but just keep plugging along and eventually, you'll get there too!

No Need to Deny (Yourself) Key Lime Pie

Ingredients:

2/3 C. boiling water

1 pkg. (.3 oz) Jello sugar free lime flavor gelatin

Ice cubes

1/2 C. cold water

1 tub (8 oz) Cool Whip Lite whipped topping, thawed

8 full sheets low fat honey graham crackers, crushed

4 T. Land O'Lakes Light  Butter and Canola Oil, melted

1/3 C. Stevia in the Raw

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400' F.  Combine Stevia, graham cracker crumbs, and butter in a small bowl, mix until ingredients are evenly distributed.  Press moistened crumbs into bottom and up sides of a 9" pie plate.  Bake in preheated oven ten minutes--do not let brown.  Let crust cool completely.

In a large bowl, add boiling water to gelatin; stir 2 min. until completely dissolved. Add enough ice to cold water to measure 1 cup. Add to gelatin; stir until slightly thickened. Remove any unmelted ice. Whisk in Cool Whip until blended. Refrigerate 15 to 20 min. or until mixture is thick enough to mound. 

Poor jello mixture into cooled crust.  Refrigerate at least four hours.  

per slice (1/8 of pie) = 147 calories

Holiday Food Indiscretions...

Well another week back in the work-a-day world, only now we can wear white pants!  Though, the focus should be on the remembrance of those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our country and those "left behind," Memorial Day weekend also marks the unofficial start to Summer for many families across the United States.  With the end of the school year just a week or so away and the weather heating up (Michigan, get your act together!), vacations and camping trips are well within sight.  Unfortunately, the Memorial Day summer kick-off usually starts with a plethora of unhealthy food choices that leave us wondering how we're going to squeeze into those white pants--let alone a swimsuit for the annual family camping trip!

Despite the overall healthy lifestyle I try to live up to, my weekend was no different from that of the average American, and I too suffered from several "food indiscretions."  American society and culture is a funny thing--always on the go, our nutrition suffers, but given time off, a "holiday," we likewise celebrate with generally unhealthy food.  

Though I try to eat healthy every day, I am by no means on a "diet."  This is 
an impossible concept for some to grasp--inundated with images of Jennifer Hudson and advertisements for Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, Medical Weightloss, Sensa, and something known as Zagorra "hot pants" (which allow

you to lose up to 2 jeans sizes in a week!), it is far too easy for Americans to assume that if you're eating healthy or trying to lose weight you're "dieting."  My friend Howard recently posted a meme on Facebook to this effect, and it got me thinking.  The word "diet" has somehow taken on an entirely different connotation in this modern era of consumerism, instead of its once simpler meaning "The kinds of food that a person habitually eats."

I eat healthily, yes, but I couldn't imagine going to my best friend's wedding and not eating a piece of wedding cake or having a Memorial Day cookout and not eating a hotdog and baked beans.  I once read an interview with Victoria Beckham--"Posh Spice" of the Spice Girls to all my 1990s counterparts--where she stated that she doesn't even allow herself to indulge in a single cookie, ever. Really? How freaking unnatural is that?  You don't have to avoid all sugar, all calories, all fat, altogether to be healthy--in fact, while that sounds really "healthy," it seems more realistically unhealthy given the role of food in American culture.

Yes, I know, 36% of all American adults are overweight and the average female size is a (socially-imposed unhealthy) 14 these days--but as Jack McCoy often notes on Law and Order, "you can't unring the bell."  The same saying goes for American society.  All one can do is give eating healthy a shot, make better choices, as I've discussed in earlier entries, and get back on the wagon when you fall off--one weekend of food indiscretions shouldn't ruin your entire "diet" plan.

How do I compensate for bad food choices?  Run MORE if possible!  This weekend I ran in my first 10k race at the Alma Highland Festival.  It was a blast!  I ran the 6.2 mile course in just under 57 minutes and burned off somewhere around 640 calories.  I then ate pizza for lunch, hamburgers for dinner, and s'mores and sangria by the campfire that night--but most importantly, I was conscious of it, knew that the morning race helped, and then I ran another nine miles the next morning as well.  Did it all even out? Probably not.  But all you can do is stick to it, and get back to eating healthy and regularly exercising once the festivities are over.

Likewise, if you can't eat healthy, eat smarter.  Yes, I ate pizza--but I opted for cheese only, instead of adding on calorie-laden pepperoni, sausage, etc.  Even better, if you're at home, try making your own pie.  I included my favorite recipe below.  Yes, I eat hotdogs on occasion--but opt for a lower-calorie choice of dog and bun, like Ball Park's lean pork franks (70 calories each in comparison to 150 for a regular dog--I can't deal with turkey dogs, but they are another smarter choice) and Meijer brand light hot dog buns (70 calories each as opposed to 110-120 for a regular bun).  Finally, enjoy all the delicious foods you love, but enjoy them as treats.  S'mores, sangria, baked beans, potato salad, hamburgers--should not be part of an every day meal plan, but are fine on special occasions.  And if you try not to overindulge, you won't hate yourself too much the next day. :)

I mean, you just can't celebrate summer with a carrot stick!

Smarter Thin Crust Garlic-Herb Pizza

Ingredients:
For Pizza Dough:

• 3/4 C. warm water (110 degrees F)
• 1/4 t. garlic salt
• 2 cloves garlic minced fine or crushed
• 1 t. dried basil leaves
• 1 t. dried oregano leaves
• 1 1/2 C. bread flour
• 1/2 C. whole wheat flour
• 1 pkt. instant active dry yeast (or 2 teaspoons)
• Canola Oil Spray

Directions: 
In a small bowl or measuring cup, add yeast to warm water and stir to combine.  Let sit for five minutes while you prepare the other ingredients.  In  a large bowl, add flours, oregano, basil, garlic salt, and minced garlic, stir to combine.  Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture, add the yeast mixture and stir to combine.  

Once mostly combined, dump dough onto floured work surface and knead until fairly smooth and elastic (about 8-10 minutes for beginners), adding flour as needed so dough is not too sticky to work with.  Spray another large bowl lightly with canola oil and place dough ball in it to rise.  Spray top of dough lightly with canola oil as well and cover bowl with plastic wrap.  Place in warm area to rise until ready to make pizza or rest at least 10 minutes.

Preheat oven with pizza stone at 450' F. for at least 30 minutes.  

To make your pizza, place dough onto a piece of parchment or pizza peel and roll out with a rolling pin until about 16" in diameter (I don't recommend stretching this one by hand due to the herbs and garlic in it, which can tear the dough when stretched).  Place uncooked pizza crust on the pizza stone (using peel or a flat stiff surface to transfer).  Cook for 4 minutes.  Remove from oven, pop any air bubbles with a fork, and let cool completely before topping (this will give you a crisp, yet chewy crust).

Top with your favorite sauce and toppings.  Place back in oven, directly on pizza stone and let bake for another 10-15 minutes, until desired doneness.  Enjoy!

I like to top my pie with homemade spaghetti sauce (1/2 C.), a combination of 2% shredded mozzarella cheese and sliced fresh mozzarella (6 oz.), a few shreds of deli ham (1/2 oz), and marinated artichoke hearts (4, drained and sliced).  Likewise, I spray the edge of my crust before topping it, with a little canola oil and sprinkle it with fresh grated Parmesan cheese and garlic powder (1/8 C. cheese).

Per slice (1/18 of 16" pizza) with my toppings = 191 calories.

Per slice (1/18 of 16" pizza) crust only = 102 calories.

RUNgry?

I’m typically a morning runner, and today was no different.  With a 10k tomorrow, I ran a rather short 4 miles today.  Mostly I run in the morning because I don’t want to take a bunch of unnecessary showers—redo makeup, hair, etc.  It's hell being a woman!   

However, there are also some logistical reasons why I prefer to run in the a.m.   Foremost, there’s that “runner’s high.”  I feel good during and after a long run—so why not do it first thing in the day and keep the momentum going?  Secondarily, exercise in general burns off not only those calories expended while performing the activity, but also gives your metabolism an extra boost for hours afterwards.  Might as well let this metabolic uptick stretch into lunch, right?  A good idea—but when you consider that, on average, every mile a person runs burns around 100 calories—that nine mile run can leave you in serious calorie deficit—feeling pretty “run-gry!”  Time for lunch!

The days of enjoying a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on white bread are definitely in the past--and probably should be as I'm no longer 10 years old.  However, I do try to utilize the "eat the same thing" principle at lunchtime too--just with better choices than that PB & J.  For lunch, the goal is to eat the same things for a week at a time (i.e. every day for a week a sandwich, piece of fruit, chips...next week, every day a wrap, piece of fruit, chips, etc.).  I generally try to go grocery shopping once a week, so it all works out as a result and is not too monotonous from week to week.

Here, the goal is not to eliminate everything you've ever enjoyed about lunch, but to make better choices.  Buy lower calorie bread and swap it for your regular stuff.  I prefer Sara Lee's 45 Calories and Delightful whole wheat bread, which has just 90 calories for two slices, a great taste, and normal texture (I've found that textures can get weird on things when companies try to eliminate fat/calories--so shop around for your favorites).  Buy lower calorie salad dressing/mayonnaise and try it.  I don't recommend the fat free stuff--it simply tastes too strange, but can usually deal with a lower calorie variety.  Likewise, measure out your condiments!  You're used to slathering on mayo until your heart's content--but do you really need THAT MUCH?  Probably not--serving size is usually a tablespoon or two.  Measure it.  You'll save yourself hundreds of calories and still get the flavor! Not saucy enough?  Mix your mayo with a little mustard.

Now, I hate to use the phraseology “swaportunity,” but as part of a blatantly consumer economy we all know what this means by now.  Lunch is the perfect meal to look for these so-called swaportunities.  It starts with the basics—bread, condiments…but there are so many interesting food choices in today’s supermarkets that it could go on and on from there.

Instead of high calorie potato chips, try the baked variety.  Even better, try out Quaker’s Popped rice snacks in cheddar cheese, ranch, bbq and sweet flavors too (chocolate, caramel, and apple cinnamon).  They’re whole grain, right around 100 calories for a snack size bag, and super crunchy!

Instead of a white flour tortilla shell for your wrap (which can be very high in calories), try one of the new lower calorie or high fiber varieties.  The best tasting I’ve found is LaTortilla Factory’s Smart & Delicious Flour Tortillas Light.  You’ll never notice the difference.

Fruit cocktail in syrup?  Easy swap—eat a piece of real fruit!  Look for fruits that are in season for the best taste…but if it’s winter, look for those fruits that are at their peak of production elsewhere—they’ll be less expensive.

Cheese freak—and who isn’t?  Buy slices or shredded cheese made with 2% milk.  Again, avoid the fat free stuff—but that made with 2% will reduce your calories by a third and still taste good.

The ultimate swaportunity is really the decision to make your own lunch.  Recently, I was out and about and stopped into Burger King to grab something before an appointment.  Looking over the nutritional list (pick one up for your favorite fast food places—google it—or see if the restaurant has it posted somewhere), I opted for the “chicken, apple, and cranberry salad wrap”—something similar to what I often make myself at home.  BK’s version came in at 430 calories!  Ouch. The infamous Whopper without mayo is 470 in comparison!  Often times what we think sounds like the healthier option is not.  Lesson learned—make your own version and you are likely to save yourself several hundred calories (it will taste way better too)…and you can even enjoy a piece of fruit or other side item along with it!  Busy?  Make your lunch the night before.  On the go at lunchtime?  Keep a healthy snack in your car to tide you over until you get home—I like to keep a box of wheat thins around (watch the portion size though!)  Otherwise, learn the healthier options at your favorite stops and stick to those choices.

No Waddling Necessary Chicken and Fruit Wrap

A healthier and more delicious version of the lunchtime wrap featured at so many fast food restaurants these days.

Ingredients:

• 1 Boneless skinless chicken breast (about 6 ounces), fat trimmed, cooked (I just poach mine in water),cooled, and shredded.
• 1/2 C. red grapes cut in half
• 1-2 T. Miracle Whip Salad Dressing (I'm a nut for the "tangy zip" but try your favorite salad dressing here--Bolthouse Farms honey mustard made with yogurt is delicious too!)
• 1 t. mustard (I like the yellow stuff, but add your preference)
• 1/2 stalk celery (more or less to taste) chopped fine
• 1 C. fresh baby spinach leaves
• 2 T. healthier sugared pecans, rough chopped (optional)
• salt & pepper to taste
• 2 LaTortilla Factory Smart & Delicious light flour tortillas (8 count)

Directions:
In a bowl combine the shredded chicken, grapes, and celery.  Add salad dressing and mustard, and mix to combine thoroughly.  Add salt and pepper to taste, mix once more.  Place half chicken mixture in a line through center of one tortilla.  Top with half of the chopped nuts and spinach leaves.  Roll up wrap and enjoy with a piece of fruit and your favorite crunchy snack! Makes 2 wraps.

Up-size the recipe to have lunch ready at a moment's notice for several days! 

Per single wrap as prepared above, 330 calories, w/o nuts 258 calories.

 

Morning Rituals...

Well, it's another beautiful Michigan spring morning! <Insert sarcasm and an air of utter contempt here>.  

For those of you in on the joke, you know it's the end of May--practically summer--and yet it's fifty-two degrees outside, breezy, and raining.  Of course, this is all after having been nearly ninety degrees on Monday.  What a difference a day (or two) makes!

However, the inclement weather this morning has allowed me to stop and take a look at my daily rituals--the focus of today's blog entry.  If you've stood in line at a grocery store lately, you've noticed that Dr. Oz's smiling face is plastered on any number of magazine covers these days.  For some reason, America is suddenly obsessed with the good doctor and his valuable insights into the healthy lifestyle.  More likely, Americans are simply drawn into his quasi-celebrity status, which instantly makes him a credible source for information. (After all, it was only a few short years ago that President Obama sought to appoint CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta, of similar fame, to be US Surgeon General).

Though I haven't been lured into purchasing anything off the newsstands simply because of Dr. Oz's appearance on the cover, I do subscribe to several different magazines where he's also made an appearance as of late.  One of his biggest suggestions--and I've read it numerous places before--is to eat the same things every day.  Sounds boring, right?

Eating the same things every day could be boring if you choose to eat something you don't really care for, simply because it's "healthy."  However, when you stick to an assortment of foods that you genuinely like, which are also healthy, it makes counting those calories that much easier.  This was one of my original tactics for sticking to the calorie-counting scene when I first started out, and it's a wise choice.  Once you know how many calories are in your favorite breakfasts, lunches, and dinners, you no longer have to think so much about what choices to make--you just choose the healthier choice automatically.  

My morning ritual goes a little like this:  For breakfast (and I'm not much of a breakfast person), I eat a 5.3 oz container of nonfat Greek yogurt every day when I first get up.  I like Oikos and Activia's new Greek yogurts (they are both made by Dannon, and industrial conspiracy theories aside, I suspect they are the same blends).  Greek yogurt, which has the whey strained out of it, making it thicker, is higher in protein than regular yogurts, keeping you full longer.  So if you've tried eating yogurt in the past, and you're hungry an hour later, try going Greek!  You may even be tempted into it by the thought of John Stamos appearing in your kitchen, if you believe the marketeers at Dannon--just so long as Dave Coulier stays back in the Hollywood shadows.

Greek yogurt is higher in calories than other regular yogurts due to its density, but if you stick to a fat free variety, you're looking at around 130 calories per carton, which is still pretty reasonable in the scheme of things--and you'll feel more satisfied after eating this than after consuming an 80 calorie regular yogurt, which might prompt you to eat again in just an hour or two, adding in unnecessary calories to your diet.  If it's a particularly ravenous morning, I might also add a piece of fruit along with the yogurt (think 100 calories for a medium piece of fruit).  However, if you're a die hard pastry fan and simply have to eat bread, a muffin, etc.  I've included my recipe for lower-calorie banana bread below.  Each generous slice is less than 200 calories!  Pair it up with your morning coffee (sans sugar and cream, of course) and you're good to go.  Personally, I don't drink coffee (how did I make it through graduate school, right?), but I've recently become attached to Irish and English breakfast tea sweetened with a little Stevia/Truvia.  

One other thing I always try to do is drink lots  of water.  This is not, by any means, a natural instinct for me--I really have to be conscious of it on a daily basis and force myself to drink extra water.  Most Americans walk around dehydrated on a daily basis and mistake food pangs for thirst.  When I first get up in the morning, I drink a glass or two of ice water--wakes me up and helps fill me up too.  Same goes for before other meals and with snacks as well--drink an extra glass of water before you eat.  You'll be surprised that you're not really as hungry as you thought--probably just thirsty! 

A Bit About Me and My Story...

So, clearly I have revamped my "dissertation destination" blog into something new--don't be alarmed if you came here looking for my wisdom on dissertating and instead find yourself surrounded by cooking chatter.  I wasn't so great at keeping the other one up...and frankly, I finished the dissertation and have since moved on to the 'business of life' as it were. But I do have some fantastic suggestions for getting your Ph.D. in five years or less...so I may start something online regarding that angle as well in the near future.

You may wonder, what I'm doing here, now...cooking? recipes? That's been done, right?  Well, this is more about my personal ventures into the realm of getting healthy--in hopes of inspiring and helping those interested, who maybe don't know where to start.

For me, this blog is coming about at just about the one year mark from where I started--so I feel I can give some good beginner advice now.  A year ago, I was in graduate school.  I was overweight (and had been for a few years), stressed out, and in general just didn't feel very well--but I was used to it.  I knew how much I used to weigh, but I gained weight gradually, attributed it to getting older, and in general, put it out of my mind.  

My mom had suffered a heart attack the previous January, which came completely out of the blue.  In retrospect, it probably shouldn't have--but it was something no one in my family expected to happen.  Mom made it, thanks to a quick ambulance ride, an angioplasty, and a bunch of stents, but it made me wonder about my future health a bit as well.  My brothers and I all got our cholesterol, etc. checked out due to the increasing evidence that heart disease has hereditary links.  My numbers were great--but before I found this out, I had to listen to the doctor tell me during my exam that I "really should lose at least 20 pounds..."  As if I didn't already know this somewhere in the back of my mind.

Now, numbers on the scale don't lie, but nothing quite gets the point across like a visual.  So, at the beginning of June--I finally got that visual.  I had been in Kentucky for a week grading AP exams, and my roommate and I took a number of photos around Louisville.  Maybe it was the heat, maybe it was the bourbon, maybe it was just everything finally coming together in my life, but after looking at those photos, I decided it was about time to not only lose a few pounds, but more importantly, get healthy.  

The first step was figuring out exactly how I was going to do this.  I had done diets in the past...mostly South Beach/Atkins-type plans that worked in the short run and proffered a "low carb lifestyle."  The thing was--who wants to live their life without bread?  I knew from past experience these diets did, in fact, "work" but the weight (plus some) always came back, and they were impossible to stick to for the long haul.

I'm a smart person.  I knew it was all about calories in versus calories out--but how many did I need on a daily basis? How many calories were in things?  How does one "count calories" in a recipe, for instance?  First thing I did was join "LoseIt.com."  Why not use technology to my advantage, right?  I had a computer.  I had a smart phone.  What Lose It and other similar programs allow you to do, is set up a weight loss program, based on calorie counting and exercise, based off your personal weight-loss goals.  You type in your current weight, your age, your "goal weight," and how long you have to "lose it."  Seems simple enough...and it was very user friendly...gives you lists and lists (constantly updating) of foods (restaurant/processed too!) to make counting calories "easy."  However, I'm not going to lie, it was hard.

I'm all for a challenge, but I can see why nearly 90% of people fail in maintaining their weight-loss resolutions--what a hassle to keep track of every single thing you put in your mouth.  That being said, however, I'm also an ambitious person...and this was meant to be a "lifestyle change," not just weight-loss, so I stuck to it.  After the first couple of weeks, it got easier.  It even got "fun."  It was kind of a game to see how many calories were in something, what the better choice might be, or how many calories doing an activity burned off.  Most importantly, what this little program taught me, was to THINK about what I was putting in my mouth.

Adding up calories made it easier to see what foods were good for me and which were not.  Especially for those times when I was at a restaurant--come to find out, a salad is not always a lower calorie option!  After keeping track religiously for one week, two, a month, two months, etc.  I learned to make good choices.  Additionally, I learned that portion size matters.  Yes, I could eat potato chips with my lunch, but I needed to watch just how many I ate--and I found out that I really didn't need a whole handful of chips or 'seconds' for dinner.

Next, I had to figure out how to get some exercise into my daily routine.  Those who know me now, might scoff at this--but I HATE exercise...or at least, I used to.  I was never an athlete in school.  I never played any sports and felt entirely awkward if I tried (re: Cold Warriors softball team in grad school).  But I had chosen a profession that required me to sit for many hours, to read a lot, and occasionally stand in front of a classroom--not highly active, in other words.  What to do?

I knew that recommendations for a healthy lifestyle required 30 minutes of moderate exercise five times a week...or 150 minutes total for the week.  Gah!  I had attempted going to the gym in the past (I mean, I was a student forever and always got the requisite membership to the student rec. center on campus), but could never stick to it.  Too busy, couldn't find time, didn't like the environment (who wants to change, sweat, and "giggle" in front of your 18-year old students?), the list of excuses goes on...

I could walk, however.  In fact, I even enjoyed walking.  I thought that if I could just get outside and walk 30 minutes a day, this was a start.  So, I did it.  Eventually, I sped up my pace and began "power-walking."  I was averaging a distance of about 2-2.5 miles per 30 minute walk after several months of doing this.  My calorie counting program helped me factor in just how many calories I was burning off during all these walks too...so I was inspired to walk faster and burn more calories so I could have that "treat" every once in a while.

Then came the cold, hard, dreary winter.  I do live in Michigan, after all, and it was bound to rear its head at some point.  If the weather was tolerable, I kept up my walking outside (it was only 30 minutes)...but once the snow and winds came, I started riding a stationary bike inside, courtesy of my mother's wicked garage sale-ing skills.  I figured that I could burn a whole lot more calories on the bike than the 30 minute walk, so this became my daily activity.  

Exercise was hard--is hard.  It was perhaps the hardest part of making a change, but I learned how to use that time for my benefit too and stop thinking that it was "wasted time" or that I was "too busy" to get some exercise in for the day. It gave me a chance to listen to some great music on my iPod, which I missed being so busy with school.  It allowed me time simply to think about my dissertation and what changes needed to be made--which I think made for an overall better project in the end.  It made me feel good.  For the first time, in much longer than I realized, I felt legitimately good every day.  My mood improved, my spirits improved, and I wasn't so tired all the time. 

After six months of dedicated healthier eating and daily exercise, I finally reached my goal weight...and while it was much less than for some, it was a lot of weight for me.  Initially, my goal was (and I did) lose forty-six pounds.  This put me at the very top of the "healthy weight range" for my age/height.  It was still more than I used to weigh, but I felt like it was a safe number to be at.

As winter lingered on, I got really bored inside on the exercise bike.  If you know me, you know I get bored easily...and this was no different.  I was feeling pretty good about myself by then and thought--maybe I should try running?  My sisters-in-law and father-in-law had done a 5k for the first time back in November, so I figured, I should be able to do this too.  However, the biggest challenge for me that came with starting to run, was getting past the mental hurdles.  The first one was a biggie...though I kind of wanted to do it, I had tried in the past and it was so hard.  I don't think I even ran the "mile" back in high school for gym class.

However, Michigan in late December/early January was COLD...so I started by running a lap and power walking a lap--still for only 30 minutes at a time--around my high school track.  Eventually, I ran that mile.  Then I wasn't quite so tired after 1 mile...and I thought, maybe I should try for two?  And so it goes.  I ran my first 5k race (3.1 miles) in February and was a little ashamed to admit, I really liked it!  I ran a few more and am planning on running in my first 10k race this upcoming weekend.

Along the way, I picked up some great new motivational friends--the Freeland Saginaw Area Runners Club.  Initially, I didn't run with them very much because I couldn't run the same distance that these folks could, but I learned a bit about their stories and where they had started from through our online conversations and it kept me going, adding distance, speeding up--and now, I can honestly say, I feel like "a runner" and really enjoy running. I get it now.  I hope to run with them a bit more often when our schedules align--but I also maintain that running time is "me time" too and sometimes it's nice to just use that part of the day to think about things...

And I promise, future posts won't be this long. ;)