Reasons why Losing Weight is NOT an Olympic Sport...

1. With all the size changes, the uniforms wouldn't fit by the time we were competing.

2. Because no one finds watching "salad eating" as interesting as, say, discus throwing.

3. Because without a court order, none of us are climbing on scales in front of NBC and the world to show our losses. I speak for myself here but believe not everyone wants the world to know JUST how heavy we were to start.

4. Because the Olympics don't last forever but keeping weight off does.

5. Because, let's be honest, certain countries/cultures simply have more to lose and therefore it's not an internationally fair playing field.

6. Because most of the Olympic athletes I've seen are already thin BECAUSE of their insane exercise habits.

7. Because most of us who need to lose weight in significant amounts wouldn't make it through the Parade of Nations march without an oxygen tank. Or, in my case, a wagon.

8. Because we would need our own flag for MFP. And who wants to design THAT?

9. Because there are too many competitors.

10. Because the winning medals would add to the scale.... who wants that!?!?!?!?

My Dirty Little Secret- A Confession of the Highest Order

In some respects, I think of the Food Network as the voyeurism industry for the food-indulgent. Yeah, I'm talking Food Porn.

I watch them all. From the shows where the chef yells at the contestants and every other word is bleeped to the scientific approach to food and its ingredients to the bakery battles, to the contests.

I'm hooked.

And it's not about the people, or their personalities, that gets my groove on. No, it's the food.Even when food is badly prepared and Chef throws it at the contestants or the garbage, it STILL looks prettier than anything I've ever prepared. Somehow, my cakes don't ever turn out even and my meals are as likely to be burnt as they are to be raw.

Somehow, the ground turkey tacos that come out of my pan are not as appealing or appetizing as the multi-course meals that these winningist chefs toil over. BUT, in my house, those turkey tacos are all the rage. Really.

I think if I actually spent the time dicing, chopping, slicing, sauteeing, stirring, broiling, baking, and grilling the food these fabulous cooks prepare in their professional kitchens, I'd never have time to blog or write resumes or teach Taekwon-Do. And there would be SO many dishes. And either one (or both) of my children wouldn't eat it.

So, for now, I'm a boxed mac&cheese mom. With a staple of dishes ranging from lasagna to tacos to stir fry...

But at night, when everyone else is asleep, I turn on the Food Network and watch the chefs at work. And then I dream of a stainless steel kitchen (with a robot dishwasher that removes and handwashes every implement and utensil).

And in that dream kitchen, in my apron and mitts, I become FANTASTIC CHEF. Able to produce low-cost healthy tasty meals with little or no prep work or dishes. Consistently creating meals that the entire family can enjoy. Supplying a range of spices, and flavors, and textures, and tastes galore.

Then, of course, the next morning, when I wake, I realize that it's just me. And I face my kitchen demons with a new smile on my face. At least, once I have my coffee. And I make the meals, and I know that after my family goes back to sleep, I will turn to my secret obsession and enjoy a visual smorgasbord.

Revenge of the Scale

You all remember that little conversation I shared with you last week between me and the scale, right? Well, let's say this... apparently he (and yes, I'm sure it is a HE) read it and was not thrilled with me.

So I went in this morning. First, he wouldn't turn on. I had to cajole him a couple of times gently with my foot.

Finally he yawned and half flickered his numbers at me.

But I am persistent, and stood on him anyway.

I could hear him saying "you think I didn't notice that you shared our intimate moment together?" All the neighborhood scales on MFP are making fun of me now."

And then I saw a number that was... HIGHER than last week. And I swear, he chuckled.

"Remember that movie popcorn you enjoyed a couple days ago? Yeah.... I heard about it. From the dishwasher."

Now, I admit I enjoyed that popcorn. And I KNOW it had sodium. So while I refuse to accept him
talking back to me, I have decided how I am going to handle this little road bump.

I'm not recording it on MFP. Now, wait... before you go jumping up and down warning me that if I don't it will turn back into a camel bump, hear my logic on it. I admit you MAY be right. And I will have to closely monitor things. But the fact is.... I don't want to get complimented on the same loss twice. I don't want to go up and then come back down and feel like I did something good. I want to only focus on positive progress. I have a new LIFE goal to get back to the weight I was last week (which by the way is only a couple of pounds and I know will be gone... probably tomorrow morning). But this way, my journey is a lot cleaner.

If by trying this, the scale KEEPS going in the wrong direction, I will know that it is not working and I will go back to recording every week, rise or fall. But I'm willing to try something new. And I'm NOT going back to the scale to ask him to change his mind today.

He can bite me.

The Very Real Power of Social Media

OK, this blog post is not about sniffing chocolate or battling weight or dealing with the mentality of weight loss.... well, at least not directly.

Without going into detail or invading this family's privacy (because it's not my story to tell), I have a good friend who used the power of social media to address an injustice last week being done to their son by an institutional organization. This friend wrote a blog detailing his family's experience and disappointment with the system in hopes of effectuating change. He was careful, in my opinion, probably too much so, not to attack the organization and remained clearly hopeful that the decision would be reversed. After his blog was noticed and picked up and carried around the social media world, his family received a personal apologyfrom the person who acknowledged they had made a mistake.

The story, however, did not end there. His blog gained tons of comments ranging from supportive of him to attacking the organization to vilifying him for having made a public statement in any way derogatory and proclaiming that the institution which had a long-standing reputation did not deserve to be criticized.

The institution itself, which had remained silent, then finally made a statement online basically defending its reputation, and proclaiming its hard work over many decades. Fine. But then they decided to make a point about the use of social media and the sin of gossip. And my fingers started twitching.

See, here's the reality. Institutions have been allowed to protect themselves for decades with a web of silence and intimidation. Within that cocoon, objections can be raised and quashed, events can be cleaned up, and the spotless reputation of the institution is, to all outward appearances, shiny and clean. It's like when company comes over and all the clutter gets shoved under the bed so no one else sees it.

But the clutter is still there. And now, with the power of social media, matters of injustice and inappropriate behavior CAN be brought to light with a single individual's keystrokes. Of course, there is a responsibility there to be mindful that you don't abuse that power. But for decades, behind closed doors and institutional walls, there were plenty of individuals whose voices were never heard who suffered injustices. Now the tables have turned.

I don't advocate using social media to bash a business because you didn't have a great experience (i.e. you went out to dinner and the food was eh and the service was eh). You as a consumer still have the power to address that by choosing whether or not to return to the restaurant. BUT, when a restaurant (and this actually happened in our town) refused to let a seeing eye dog in with his master, in clear violation of state law, and that story hit the news and social media, that was an important and clear example of an individual standing up for his rights. That restaurant is gone now but the lesson learned remains.

We as consumers, as individuals, now have the power to shine a light on injustice, discriminatory action, and other wrongdoings by organizations, no matter their size. Organizations need to recognize and admit when they have made mistakes if they want their reputations to remain credible and believable. They need to respond to the individual. And, when they have done something wrong, or misguided, they need to be willing to publicly apologize and state how they are going to make a change if they want to be valued and viewed the same way. Had that happened in the original case, had the institution's post simply stated "we acknowledge our mistake and will work harder to ensure it doesn't happen again" I wouldn't be writing this post at all.

Social media has shifted the balance of power. Just like Spiderman says, "with great power comes great responsibility". So blog responsibly, folks. But don't allow injustices to be swept under the rug because you think you don't have the power as an individual to make a difference. You do. And when your cause is just, and your position clear, and your goal is to make the world a better place, if anyone gives you a hard time, they are in the wrong.

My "50 shades" of chocolate temptation moment....

I wandered in by accident. Really. We had gone for a healthy meditteranean dinner and swung by the movie theater to pick up some far less healthy but still delicious popcorn for a treat to bring home. I saw the giant teddy bear outside and wandered in to the store. I never expected what happened next.

First, as I opened the door, the smell hit me. That mouthwatering overwhelming aroma that only comes from chocolate made by people who understand its different types and textures. There was sugar in the air and all around. I had to take a moment and just breathe. There are no calories in air, right?

By the time I could open my eyes, my brain was screaming "LEAVE" but my stomach was trying desperately to bargain with me "just look a little... I'm full, it's okay". And because I wanted to know more about what things could be done with and to chocolate, I stayed.

Twinkies. Deep fried, then dipped in caramel and chocolate. Apples dipped in so many different kind of sweets and savory treats that it was wholly unrecognizable as fruit. Salty snacks... everything from pretzels to potato chips and crackers covered in milky, white, and dark goodness. Toffee. Mmmmmmmm.

And then there were the candies. Brightly colored, enticing. Promising the taste of fruity goodness and chewy satisfaction.

I stood there, drinking in the vision of what I can only imagine Heaven must look like. And then, slowly, turned and walked away, taking one last delightful deep breath before walking out.

Cause no matter how good it seems, if it's not worth it to me, I'm not buying it. :)

My Conversation with the Scale

So as I was heading into the bathroom this morning to face my scale, hoping to see a slight budge in the numbers, I had this thought of what life must be like from the scale's perspective.... which turned into a dialogue that I needed to share.

Scale: Are you back AGAIN???? Sheesh, lady, I mean I know I'm important and all, but don't you think once a week is a little much?

Me: Yeah... it's Friday. Again.

Scale: Do you REALLY want to know?

Me: I think so?

Scale: Are you going to yell at me?

Me: I make no promises.

Scale: Well... I'll give you a hint. You've seen this number before.

Me: Sigh.

Scale: You want me to lie?

Me: No.

Scale: Are you mad?

Me: Well, not really. I mean, I know the number is the same as the last few weeks. Any chance you're broken?

Scale: Well you could try resetting me. But you did that last week and the week before (and I hate to point it out but you also did it just now before you got on me again). Here, step off and try again.

Me: Sigh.

Scale: Nope, I'm right.

Me: It's okay. I know you're going to change at some point. And I won't give up until you do.

Scale: I think that's great. I applaud your persistence. But, one question.... do you EVER wear clothes?

Me: Shut up.

A Sweet Summer Love Story (with a spicy kick...)

I have a secret love affair going on. My husband and kids know about it, but have agreed not to interfere because they know how much my health matters to me. And my need for crunchy sweetness can only be satisfied with an abundance of...
Peppers.

Sweet bell peppers. I eat them raw, grilled, roasted, sauteed with onions and zucchini, any which way I can.

I love 'em green, red, yellow, orange, and in all sizes from baby to Ancient Sweet. I eat em up plain, with salsa, low fat cream cheese, tzatziki sauce, and hummus.

I eat 'em more than once a day. They are cold, sweet, crunchy, delicious, and mouthwateringly satisfying. They meet my every snack need.

What's your guilty pleasure?

An a"DORY"able post

So for those of you who know me, you know I'm as likely to forget something as I am to remember it, if not more so. And although I have now been tracking and logging my food intake for 195 days (wow where did the time go), I have slowly been slipping away from my blog because, well, quite honestly, I forgot how much fun I have writing it.

Am I losing weight 195 days in? Yup. Is it fast? Nope. Is it even consistent? Not really. Am I considering my 13 or so lbs gone a success? You bet your 13-lb turkey I am.

Here's the thing. It's not a race to lose weight. And yeah, I'm sure I could have made better food choices along the way and lost quicker. And there have been a couple of times when I went back up and had to go back down again and there have been lots of plateaus when I haven't exercised as much as I should have... but despite those things, I am still DOWN 13+ lbs. That, in and of itself, motivates me to keep tracking (even when I know I'm going over my calorie goal for the day or when I know I have to make a best guess because there's no exact match) and logging in every day.

Getting healthier is NEVER boring. Improving my overall well being and managing my summer life with 2 kids and a part-time babysitting gig, a martial arts school to co-manage, a resume job to fill in the gaps, and occassional housework and hubby time... and KEEPING THOSE 13 lbs off despite all of those things? That's a win in my book.

It would always be easy to say "I haven't lost weight in 3 weeks so this doesn't work and I'm just going to give up". I'm POSITIVE that would swing the scale alright... but in the wrong direction.

So I'm just keeping on swimming, swimming, swimming....