Category: Food and Nutrition

Mindful eating experts might agree in order to enjoy food and slow down, you should not eat and watch TV, read a book, or be distracted in any way.  This often leads to eating beyond full. I did google it again and it looks like expert bloggers and food experts still agree on this.

I am no expert so we will start with that. I do however, disagree with this philosophy.  When possible, I do like to eat with my family. My husband and I have a fifteen-year-old son, so any family table time is essential since our time is limited. Since he has returned to school full time and now in the summer he is gearing up for Football, I don’t want to miss those precious moments.

When they are not available or want to watch a sports game, I enjoy a meal by myself. I start with a very small portion on my pretty little plates. After bariatric surgery we are asked to maintain food portions to one cup or less. Depending on the food I do about ¾ to full and sometimes a little more depending on my hunger level.

This morning, we still had a cool breeze and I cannot pass up a chance to sit outside. I bought new windchimes yesterday and hung them on my covered patio. Chimes dancing softly in the wind, the breeze with the whispers of the wind, and my homemade waffle with whip cream. I have a tablet loaded with three games I enjoy playing. One of my new ones is frustrating at times, but oh so fun. One of those cook the food and serve the customers before they get angry and leave. I start with a small bite of food, start my challenge, requiring my full attention. Then another small bite and another challenge. You can still enjoy each bite of food in between. The time it takes to complete the challenge before taking another bite allows my food to settle.

Give it a try and see if you fill up faster when you eat more slowly and more mindful of those bites. Reading has always been a favorite when I’m eating too. You should see some of the stains in my favorite books. I know die hard book fans will gasp at that because even turning an ear on the page is sort of taboo. That said, popcorn and a good paperback are hard to turn down. Truthfully, I have migrated to the use of digital for most of my media these days to keep our small home tidy.

I admit before I took this picture this morning, I cleaned my tablet, because of a butter smudge. I heard a radio jockey say this morning he lost eighteen pounds and felt better although finds eating really is entertaining. I agree and that is why my favorite games and eating go hand in hand. It’s relaxing and enjoyable to me. Reading is a little harder for me, but can be done if you put down your fork or spoon after each bite and read a few pages before another bite.

Find what works for you because you know yourself the best. If you find eating while reading or playing games is too distracting, forego it. I cannot say enough that I’m not an expert. I hold a registered nursing license, but do not give medical advise here. I share what has worked for me as I continue my journey after bariatric surgery.

I re-joined WW a month ago and I’m still struggling to stay on point (pun intended). What I have done on WW this last month is decrease my sweets, increase protein, and lose about 4 of the pounds I put on. My body seems to want to gain weight even while eating the same as when I was losing it. My guess is right now my age and my hormone levels. I always hope to share what I’ve learned in the chance it helps others. Perfect is not the goal here.

Oh, and one last piece of advice is some of these games allow in app purchasing which can lead to another problem. Therefore, I set limits for myself and have a few games loaded for when one is re-charging lives rather than spending money to get them instantly. Let’s just say this used to be an issue that I worked out and am feeling good about now.

May you all be well.

Mandy

This weekend my husband and son built me a raised garden bed for mother’s day. I am so excited to begin this adventure. Now, I have given this a try before and it was truly an epic fail! When my son, Samuel was little, I would buy him a cheeseburger meal from a local restaurant. They offered sustainable items for kids as a prize instead of a toy. It really was neat. One time we planted radish and carrot seeds that came with the meal. I planted them and waited and waited and nothing. I plant flowers every year on my patio, but most everyone knows I am not a green thumb. My grandfather was an amazing gardener. I remember raspberries, fresh green beans, tomatoes, and so much more from his lush garden. I hope he is smiling down on me as he saw me putting good rich compost soil in the new bed and planting. I planted yellow beans, green onions, cucumbers, and spinach to start. I will let you know how this goes.

I planted the garden for a few reasons. I want to see if I can grow my own food. I also want Samuel to know how to take care of himself and grow his own food too. This time in our lives has taught me that I need to be more reliant on myself and focus on what I can provide for myself and my family vs. relying on the store to have it fresh for me. That said, we have had no trouble getting fresh food, just something I’ve given a lot of though to. The other is even though I’m going to work everyday, I am finding I need something to occupy my time in the evenings and weekends.

I recognize many families are facing challenging financial times right now. I’ve been shocked the last several weeks at our grocery bill for three people. While we are fortunate to still have our jobs, spending money like this on groceries is not sustainable forever. It takes me back to my grandma’s stories about the depression and what it was like to put food on the table. Growing my own garden fits in with ideas about saving money and getting more vegetables in our diet. We’ve been buying a lot of junk food. I took a long look at our grocery items over the last several weeks and come up with some ideas and tips. This to reduce money we are spending so we can put more money aside for the future and to reduce the amount of calories and sugar we are putting in our body. I have some recipes to post over the next few weeks that focus on low cost, but high yielding quantities to feed our families.

• Make your own treats – we made a homemade cake from a simple box cake mix, pineapple, and whipped topping for about $5.00, sliced into 16 small slices which is a good serving size, this week we did not buy any candy
• Cereal – buy what is on sale and aim for something with protein and whole grains, does not have to be a name brand to taste good
• Peanut Butter is a great filling food with protein and makes a great addition to a few crackers or celery
• Cheese – I have been shredding my own cheese which guarantees it will be fresh and saves money too
• Frozen Pizza and Salad over take out – I am totally in favor of supporting our local restaurants and we do eat out 1-2 times a week. Personally though pizza is very expensive and I really like frozen pizza. We made a pizza and salad for less than $10 for the three of us.
• Eating out – When we do eat out, I’ve been looking for local places offering good deals, some places have smaller versions of the meals for only $10. Friday we got a platter of Street tacos, rice, beans, chips and salsa for $45 and it lasted for two meals.
• Leftovers – growing up I do not remember eating leftovers, but as an adult we do eat our leftovers in this family. I’ve shared before on Sunday’s I usually cook double so we have dinners throughout the week. I re-imagine leftovers too. If I make spaghetti sauce, sometimes I use the leftovers to make lasagna
• Plan your food day ahead of time – A few people have asked me how to manage eating when they are working remotely. I recommended planning your food day as if you were going to work and said go ahead and pack a lunch for yourself. Allow yourself to eat what you rationed out for the day. I use Tupperware rather than plastic bags to save money and the environment.
• Pack a lunch for your kids – when I told a co-worker what I was recommending for people working remote she said she packs a lunch for her son, gives him a routine and helps with appropriate portions of food
• Package up purchased chips, treats, and snacks after purchasing them – someone told me this week she heard about this idea and I think it’s a great one. I often way over indulge on a serving and then later realize the serving size is much smaller than I would imagine.
• Get your family involved with food prep and meal planning, teaches them life skills and helps them budget too.
• Now might be the time to teach your age appropriate children to cook. Samuel has been cooking and baking and I’m really impressed with his talent and independence with it.
• Storing food away – I used to hide food when I was a kid, but the truth is putting the extra food in a safe space out of reach is a good reminder to eat appropriate portions and make it less available for grabbing – It’s important to feed ourselves and our kids enough food, but I’ve learned these last few weeks, my son has too much access to food while I’m out. We are going to try the idea of planning out his meals ahead of time
• Reduce meat in some recipes – I have recipes like my Chili that I can reduce the meat by half and add more beans to save money and still get the protein

These are just a few tips and tricks, but I’m sure many of you have much more to offer. I would love it if you would share ideas with me too. I’m thinking of all of you. Stay safe and healthy.

Mandy

Finally, I am getting a chance to do some writing. For the last few weeks, I have thought about the blog posts I would write. I thought I would have much more time to focus on my blog. I am still reporting to work as an RN Manager and trying to help my teenager stay on top of his schoolwork. So, life has been busier than I imagined.

I hope you are all doing well although I’m sure some of you have been impacted by COVID 19 more than others. I am sending good thoughts and prayers your way for good health and peace. This has been a time like no other. I wrote a few weeks ago about going into a sort of preservation mode if you will. I stopped worrying about losing weight and just focused on staying at my current weight.

I have worked hard though to get my protein up more than ever and I’ve been really successful over all. Not perfect, but no need for perfection. I recognize if I let my body get run down and fill it with fuel it does not need, then I might weaken my immune system. I am still tracking on my Lose It app. Last night I even discovered that it tracks my habits. This is a really handy feature and I learned sort of odd facts about my diet plan. On the days I eat sour cream and yogurt, my overall calories are lower. For bread and pasta it told me I seem to have a good balance of carbohydrates vs. protein. When I eat lean protein for breakfast I have done better in my day. I was really fascinated that it had this feature. I was looking for something to do and spent about 3o minutes reading through this feature and learning about my habits that I would have never known.

Many people in my personal life and co-workers talk about working remote or even still working at the office or clinic and wanting to snack all day long. Some have asked me how I manage this. Although my bariatric surgery was successful and I’m now at a 95 pound loss, it is a tool. I am not immune to the stress of the world right now and some days I find myself wanting to consume more. Here is what I’m doing to stay on track, but not being focused on weight loss right now.

First, I am tracking daily very faithfully. I do not stick to the calorie recommendation of the Lose It app. I changed my daily intake to increase slightly right now because I am wanting to snack a bit more. I found a balance of what I could eat staying within my protein and carb intake while staying at the same weight. Also, some days it’s really okay to eat more. Your body is really designed to work better when you alter your calories from day to day and in fact this could help you out of a stall. I’ve been doing this for most of my weight loss journey this last year and it works! I first read about this from fitness expert Jillian Michaels a few years ago. Looking at my fitness tracker last night I recognize that I’ve been doing this pattern for a while and without realizing it. This has come from some part of intuitive eating though and even though I am tracking my calories I am allowing my body to set it’s hunger and full limits on its own. I am learning to trust my body with hunger and fullness. You can read more about zigzag dieting here if you are interested: https://www.openfit.com/how-zigzag-dieting-can-break-your-weight-loss-plateau

Second, I have been taking my vitamins faithfully as I can. I have missed a day or two here and there, however make it a daily habit. My dietitian and surgeon have me on a specific combination.

Third, if I do have a day where I let my body decide in favor of what I felt was too much food, I forgive myself. When I get in bed for the night I glance at my full day on my app and then say a quick prayer the next day will be better. Right then I take time to journal my food for the next day focusing back on my protein. Last week I had a day where I felt kind of sick from too much food. I made a plan and journal-ed ahead for the next day. I made my day to include peanut butter with an apple, low sugar high protein yogurt, nuts (Cashews and peanuts), Taco soup with cheese for lunch and dinner. Then I rewarded myself with some air popped popcorn. Just like that I was back feeling good again. Part of my battle is staying out of my head, staying focused on what I have accomplished, forgiving myself when I have overindulged, and reminding myself I have more control than I give myself credit for.

Lastly, I really miss my swim classes. With my Charcot Foot, swimming is really the only aerobic activity I am able to do. I have been trying to walk a little bit with my CROW boot on the weekends. I also walk my dog in the yard every evening. So, I am at least trying to move some. I am walking a lot at work which is where I am allowed to take the most steps. I do have chair exercises I can do and need to focus on doing these again. Many of my neighbors are taking advantage of walking daily with their family recognizing not only does exercise help us, but really helps our kids.

In closing, here is a resource that a dietitian I work with sent out this week. She came across this article and found it helpful. It is about eating while working from home and how to handle the day to day routine:

RD says staying at home can lead to “head hunger”Staying at home during the novel coronvavirus pandemic may lead to “head hunger,” where people feel hungry but may not be physically hungry, dietitians said. Registered dietitian Jennifer Kyser encourages people to practice mindful eating and track meals and snacks, while RD Alexandra Depriest suggests people use a rating scale to determine if they really are hungry or if they are eating for a different reason.Full Story: WLKY-TV (Louisville, Ky.) (4/17) 

Even if you are not working from home, this time is very stressful and therefore I think most of us can benefit from these tips. I also recognize for many of you thinking about food, how much or how little to eat is not a priority because many people are facing economic challenges and illness. I continue to be thinking of you and realize for many, first and foremost you just have to get through this. I hope you can all find the resources you need to ride out this storm. I read a great article this week that we are not all truly in the same boat. I recognize this and am not naive to this.

Please remember to check in with your healthcare professional or clinician about any questions you might have about intake and what types of nutrients or what types of vitamins. I wish you all the very best.

Mandy

Intuitive eating is a subject I’ve wanted to read and write about for some time. I first heard the term a few years ago from a co-worker. She described it as a new way of learning to eat, and a process. When she was describing it in relation to patient teaching, it really struck a chord with me. I recall her talking about intuitive eating as filling your body with what it wants to eat. She described it as having that piece of chocolate cake if that is really what you want in the moment. Eventually you are likely to get to that chocolate cake because that is really what you wanted in the first place. The average dieter though has proclaimed the cake as bad and will eat ten other things to avoid the cake and then in the end have the cake too. She said there is so much more to intuitive eating. That really over simplified the concept. As I’m beginning to research I’m realizing she is right about it being a process and I’m intrigued by it. I just used the example of the cake because I remember her describing that as an example of how chronic dieters assign labels to food and then try to avoid them because they feel they should not eat them.

I am going to give you some links tonight so you can do some reading as well. In the coming days to weeks, I’m going to continue my reading and get a better understanding so I can write more.

One website was recommended to me and that is a site called Be Nourished. The founders have many years of experience with body image and intuitive eating. The founders are Dana and Hilary and I am very fascinated with their work and cannot wait to learn more. Between them they are licensed therapist, counselors, fitness and nutrition experts, speakers, writers, and so much more. They have experience with body shaming, body image, weight bias, eating disorders, and chronic dieting. The Be Nourished site can be found at the following link: https://benourished.org/

They describe intuitive eating as an approach designed to combat years of chronic dieting and the side effects that go along with chronic dieting including rigidity. A chronic dieter often develops ideas of good and bad foods.

From my own personal lens, I completely understand this point of view. I’ve shared that I have been dieting since I was twelve years old. At least that is the earliest age I can remember going on a diet. My first diet was an exchange diet. I borrowed the book from my mom and it was called, “Eat and Stay Slim”. It was a really good book and the truth is mostly was a healthier way of approaching eating. The challenge though was I was so young and was already ashamed of my body. I then began to develop that exact mentality they describe on this site of a chronic dieter. I believed I had to be perfect on my diet. If I had a piece of chocolate or ice cream, I labeled it as cheating, which then led to more binge eating. Then I would start over the next day and try and be even more rigid. If I ate more than I should of, I would just keep eating more and more. In my head, I had ideas of good food vs bad food. I was stuck on counting calories and ignoring my own body signals. Intuitive eating is about trusting your own body and that I did not.

Intuitive eating is relatively new concept to me. When I started doing research though I realized this has been around since the nineties. I went to a website created by the original founders of intuitive eating. According to the authors the concept of intuitive eating has ten principles. As I continue my research we can explore those as we go along. The founders have extensive backgrounds in treating food disorders and are dieticians as well. They teach others how to train people in intuitive eating. What they state intuitive eating is not is a diet or meant to be a weight loss program. My understanding of what I’m reading is that it is meant to offer a natural approach to living with food and having a healthy relationship with food, trusting your own body to tell you what it needs. Helping people to get away from the concept of dieting to lose weight and getting out of that cycle. The link to this website is: https://www.intuitiveeating.org/

I realize as I write this that intuitive eating is not about counting calories, carbs, macros, fat, etc and that it is about letting your body do what it wants to do naturally. This is the exact opposite of what I’m doing right now. I’ve pondered that for a few days as I prepared to write this article.

Over the last several years I’ve tried just about every diet or weight loss program. As I’ve thought about this, the closest time in my life I came to intuitive eating was when I read a book about eating when you’re hungry and stopping when you’re full. It was getting back to the basics of trusting your body to let you know when it needed nourishment and when it has had enough. There were no good or bad foods listed, just seeing food as fuel. I think it’s fair to say one could not sustain eating chocolate cake for every meal, however these concepts are not meant to deprive the body of certain foods.

After years of dieting and years of diabetes, my body changed and I had metabolic syndrome. Years of dieting and losing and gaining weight added to my troubles. My way out was to have bariatric surgery. So although I am currently counting my calories and my protein, I believe in the Intuitive eating process. My goal in writing this blog is to tell you about my journey, but also present other concepts to my readers as well. I feel it is important to call that out. Although I am did have bariatric surgery to lose weight there are other approaches. Also, healthy can come in any shape or size. I chose surgery as an approach. Perhaps though I can learn something new as we go along about trusting my new body.

I hope you will consider finding out more information about intuitive eating if this intrigues you as well. If you have years of dieting and want to stop the cycle, consider reading more. Both websites offer multiple resources.

I am going to continue to read and will focus more on the ten principles in my next blog post. Until then, may you all be healthy and happy.

Mandy

As we are getting into the New Year, I want to write about choosing the right program for you. As you all know I had bariatric surgery last year to lose weight for my health conditions. I still use the Lose It app to journal all of my food that goes into my mouth and all of the activity I do. I list housework, small walks with the dog, bowling, swimming, etc. The app is free to use although I paid for a year so I could use the journal ahead feature and set my specific macro goals and get some extra data. I do not use the social message boards on Lose It, but am a part of the Facebook Bariatric Weight loss group where I had my surgery. I use this to check in, get advise, get motivated and encouragement, etc. My goal might be very different than your goal.

I believe this is step one in this process is figuring our your goal. Is your goal to exercise more, lose weight, maintain your weight, find out if you are eating balanced meals, focus more on protein or carbs, etc? The second step is to look at the programs out there and determine which one suits you better. I believe putting some time into considering options will work better in the long run and help you be more committed. Consider making a list of what is important to you in a program. Is it the cost, the time it takes, convenience, meetings vs online, something new or different? I’m going to outline a few basic types of programs and if you want more information I would encourage you to look online, connect on social media, ask your healthcare provider, or ask people you know.

I checked in with my Bariatric Weight loss Support group and many of them are using the free apps such as Lose it, My Fitness Pal, and some are using Baritastic. Most of these are free apps to download, but do have an option to upgrade depending on the features you want. Many of my support group report using multiple resources. For example, one person commented she uses the Lose it app to track food, uses the Baritastic app for the social/community chat, and the Fit-bit to track activity. Some of these will even sync up together. I believe I could use a Fit-bit to sync to my Lose it app. One person mentioned what she likes about My Fitness Pal is the ability to download recipes directly from the web rather than enter every ingredient for a recipe. The Lose it app let’s me enter all of my own recipes, but does take some added time. Most people do eat the same meals consistently though so once you have them entered they are always there. The one down side for me is that sometimes you get 100 results for one food and some of the information is not accurate. You can easily get around this by looking for the green check mark that means it has been verified. I also use the scanner for most of my foods. Again, I pay for the service because I do like to journal ahead when I know I have a special event. My goals on Lose it are the ones my dietitian set for me.

Some big corporations or businesses offer weight loss or health programs within their own structure. This is also true of health insurance companies so this might be another option. I work for a large company and they offer wellness programs which include programs to lose weight or to exercise more. It’s paid for by the company. You might check into this to see what your company or health insurance can offer. Some companies also have wellness groups of people who simply come together to focus on health related goals. We have a walking club at work and another club that gets together and does Yoga. I once participated in a health program through work and I had a coach I talked to on the phone with scheduled calls. This was really helpful. Most primary care clinics also have dietitians on staff and your insurance might cover a visit to get started or set up. Your primary care clinic can also help you determine goals.

If you are looking to lose weight even if a small amount, a program like WW might be right for you, In the past I have been very successful on Weight Watchers, now WW. I loved the point system and did very well with it for many years. I struggled a bit with it when they changed the point structure a few years ago. In my personal life I’ve known many people who have done well and reached goal on this program. One of the people I am close to has lost over 80 pounds on this program in the last year. I’ve not done the program for a while, but I’m liking the advertisements about choosing the right program for you. They have options now for a few different point based systems and other ideas as well. You can also still go to meetings if connecting in person works best for you. The online feature has everything from support communities to recipes, exercise ideas, tips and tricks, and so much more. This program does have a cost so you will need to consider that when making the choice. In the end though, if you do decide to eat healthier, you may save some money and this can be used if you are interested in this concept.

I also talked with some people who have done meal replacements such as such as Medi Fast, or slim fast, etc. I have heard the recommendation is to get input from your provider before choosing this program or any program to get some guidelines. I did some meal replacements after surgery to get my protein intake up and for me I did not care for the mos of the flavors. Many people on my Bariatric support group do like the meal replacements and are using them under the advise of their dietitian. This option can be expensive, but again goes back to doing what you know will work best for you and depending on your goal of weight loss vs. just eating healthier in general. I do have some meal replacements such as dry soup packets and meal bars I use when I might be in a hurry and need some nutrition.

I’ve also met people who have been successful on other types of meal replacements such as Nutrisystem or like Jenny Craig. I thought about giving this a try if I was not able to have my surgery. I thought the pre measured food portions would work well for me until I lost enough to get used to eating smaller portions and more healthy. Some people are concerned about doing this when they cook for their family. I can say though at least for me and my family, I often eat different meals than I cook because of my surgery. It’s not as complicated as I thought. I would say though they are eating more of my meals now and doing okay with it. This is something to consider though if you feel you can cook too meals each day or if someone else could cook, etc.

When I was in my mid twenties I decided to stop trying to lose weight and I stopped weighing myself. I practiced healthier eating and tried to eat when hungry and stop when full. After 8 weeks I did weigh and had lost 16 pounds. I did maintain this for a while. I do know someone in my personal life who is doing this along with exercise and has lost some weight, but most important is overall healthier.

In conclusion I want to remind everyone that this is not a thorough review of all that is out these days. This also reflects my opinion and those I’ve spoken to. I am not here to make specific recommendations for my readers. I want to be here to offer choices, ideas, and my support. This was meant to give you all some ideas when trying to decide what is right for you. I wish you all quite well and am looking forward to hearing what is working for you. Also if you are finding a program successful that is not mentioned here, please feel free to comment.
Mandy

Happy Thursday and Happy Holidays to all of you! The Holidays can be an enjoyable time of year for many. It will always remain one of my favorite times of year. It is stressful though trying to get everything done in time and feeling satisfied with purchases and food choices.

Today I want to focus on both pieces of Holiday stress. I am sure most of your are finished or close to being finished with your Holiday shopping. This year we’ve taken a much more practical and frugal approach to Christmas. We try to focus on what people truly need. This year we are also throwing in some homemade gifts. To handle Holiday stress, I decide what my budget will be. I then make a list of family or friends that I buy for. I also include Holiday parties and gatherings where I must bring either food and/or gift. I then assign a number/portion of my budget next to the name of the person or event. I write some ideas out and then start my shopping.

In the past I’ve done a lot of on line shopping. I did a little this year, but admit I went to a few different stores this year to pick up my goods. I honestly checked online prices before purchasing in store this year and found the in store prices with the coupons were better in most cases. Some items I had to order online though because I could not find it in the store. For example, I needed some spices and freeze dried items for a homemade gift and found those much cheaper and readily available online.

Once I start shopping I start crossing off my list. I did not take my own advise this year so I’m going to try for this next year. My suggestion is to take your list and budget and if you get an item on sale, subtract the difference and stick that money in a savings account. This is a whole different subject, however recently I have been researching apps that link to your checking account. It rounds purchases up to the next dollar, pulls it into an automated investing account. I have plans to sign up for this very soon and will let you know how it goes.

This plan really helps with the Holiday stress around sticking to a budget and getting gifts that truly mean something. Other stress relieving ideas include getting a massage, trying an audio book, soothing music, or trying some yoga or other relaxation. Find a counselor or someone to talk to if the Holiday’s present bigger challenges. The key for me is feeling prepared and knowing if I stick to the budget, I’m going to feel better all around. If you really don’t have a budget for gifts, then give family and friends a card for a service you can provide them. As long as it comes from your heart that is all that matters.

Around the eating stress, I say this time of year try all kinds of things. If you really want that chocolate cake or cookie, give it a try. Maybe try a smaller portion of it or accommodate for it in your daily plan. I’ve been sampling cheesecake and cookies and still slowly losing weight or maintaining pretty closely. I have increased my protein quite a bit the last several days and just like at Thanksgiving have my Christmas meal planned.

Some great sources of protein include tuna, eggs, tofu, chicken, pork, turkey, low fat lean meats, cottage cheese, low fat cheeses, protein bars and shakes, and low fat luncheon meats. I made a pumpkin cheesecake and had a very small portion and it was so tasty. And because it had eggs and cream cheese, I got some protein in my dessert. You can’t beat that!

Lastly, planning the Holiday meal can be stressful. This year I started buying ingredients several weeks ago and by the time this week has rolled around I am more than ready. I have one or two items left to purchase. I overheard a great idea the other night and want to share with you. I heard a couple telling a friend that the Holiday meal planning was so stressful, they simply invite each guest coming to bring an appetizer and dessert to share. Instead of the big feast on Christmas, they share in appetizers and desserts. It works for them and decreases the stress of planning. Consider an idea like this one if the Holiday is getting closer and the idea of cooking a large meal is overwhelming. I do feel the years have helped me fine tune what I call my Christmas dance in the kitchen. I enjoy cooking the large meal, but if you find it stressful take comfort in knowing you could try something new!

Enjoy the Holiday season and I’m wishing you all the best.

Mandy

Happy Thursday! I am starting to finally feel a little better. I’ve had a cold the past two weeks that was certainly no fun. Just a reminder as a public service announcement to have good hand-washing practices. Experts state this is the number one illness prevention technique. Also this time of year it is especially important to wipe down door handles to decrease the germ load. I wish you all a healthy Holiday season!

My focus today is on meal planning and grocery shopping. The last several months I have been doing large grocery shopping every two weeks and then on the in between weekend just picking up fresh fruit and vegetables. This has really helped my budget and made it easier to plan meals. Studies have shown the more times you stop at the grocery store, the more money one spends. It also saves time. I’m sure like many of you, both my husband and I work full time and we have a busy teenage son. When I had bariatric surgery I also made a commitment to eating much less fast food and eating out less in general.

I sit down and take a few moments to cruise through my cookbooks. I found we were eating the same meals over and over, so I’ve also been incorporating new recipes into our grocery lists. I cook two or three meals on Sunday so that I do no have to prepare meals the first few nights of the week. This has worked with moderate success. I say that because on night two or three I do see frowns when they ask what’s for dinner and I say leftovers! We all agree though it has cut down on fast food which saves money, calories, and fat.

Cooking on one day for several days takes time and energy. I plan to continue this during the school year because of our busy schedules. When I cook for the week I try to go for variety but incorporate some of the same ingredients. I do this so if I’m chopping veggies I can use them for multiple meals. I used to buy the pre-chopped veggies but found them to be not as fresh and way more expensive. I also read an article from a blogger mom who makes meals ahead of time and stores the dry ingredients in meal jars so she can throw it together quick. I’m going to try this in the coming weeks myself.

I text myself my grocery list and this has worked well. I was thinking last night though back when I was in Weight Watchers, they shared a printable grocery list. Here is a link to that grocery list if you would like to give it a try: https://www.weightwatchers.com/us/blog/food/smartpoints-grocery-guide

I hope these ideas I’m sharing will help you all as well. I’m not always the most organized person. In fact, I used to go shopping with no list or anything and just by food. I’m being more mindfully organized which does take some time and patience to learn. I am being truthful when I say this has saved us money, time, and we are eating much healthier. Please feel free to leave me comments about your ideas or ways you’ve been successful. You can also reach me on Facebook at my attached link. Best wishes,

Mandy

Today is a day for giving Thanks and so I am going to spend some time today reflecting on this. Unfortunately I caught a bit of a cold this week. I have lost my voice which has been challenging because I do love to talk! My grandma used to say “This to shall pass” and she was right. So, although I’m starting the day with a bit of sniffles, I want to be thankful.

A year ago I was starting my new weight loss journey. I had made many weight loss journey’s in the past and have been successful on those as well. It was really only the last few years I felt like I could not get the extra weight off for my health. I made this new journey for my health and today I am thankful I have improved my health. My blood sugars are under control, my blood pressure is normal, I am off insulin now and a few medications. I could not be happier with how this has improved my longevity. Even though I still have a few battles, I have really evened the playing field and will continue to work towards improvement and total well being. Mind, body, and soul.

I read a quote this week from one of my Facebook support groups. A gentleman who has been through weight loss surgery said this is a journey not a destination. I take this to mean we still have to work at this each day and make it a priority. Surgery was a tool to help me lose weight and each day I still need to make choices. Some days those choices will be better than other days. It will not be perfect and I will make mistakes and I will move forward.

Today I am also so very thankful for my family and my extended family. My husband and my son are my life and although we argue just like any family, I am glad to have them in my life. They make me laugh and I love spending time with them.  I am fortunate to be close to my sister, my dad, my niece and nephew. Being a part of their lives growing up has been a true gift and we are still very close. I was also fortunate to marry into a wonderful family and we celebrated with them last Sunday.

I do hope you enjoy the Holiday today and get to sample a little of everything. I wrote last week about two different ways to handle the Thanksgiving meal.  Today I have already logged what I think I will eat and I’m feeling satisfied with it.

My recommendation the day after Thanksgiving is to eat a little more protein to recover from the carbs. I do plan to do some shopping tomorrow. I am a casual black Friday shopper though. No getting up at dawn to head out for me. I buy a few things, but mostly just enjoy looking and seeing what is out there for the season. We are having a frugal and thoughtful Christmas this year. For my food choices tomorrow though, I will likely start my day with a protein shake or bar to get it started right. I will likely eat a bite of lunch out and will go for some salad with protein like fish or chicken or perhaps some soup with beans and vegetables.

Whatever choice you make, please enjoy the Holiday and celebrate your reasons to be thankful and if you are feeling overwhelmed by this time of year, make a plan to reach out to someone you trust. The Holidays can represent a time of loss and talking to someone can help.

Be well and have a Happy Thanksgiving.

Mandy