Food Journal

Best-laid plans

It turns out ol’ Robert Burns is right: The best-laid plans of mice and (wo)men often go awry. Such was the case for me at my writer’s conference last weekend. You knew there was a reason I’ve been silent this week, right? (Actually, I’ve still been super busy.)

I planned to get in my last two Best Body Bootcamp workouts on Saturday and Sunday mornings while everyone else was still sleeping, before conference sessions got under way. I even packed my gym clothes and tennis shoes. I scoped out the location of the hotel gym on the map … and then didn’t go anywhere near the darn place.

I did get quite a bit of walking in on the conference center grounds — more than 12,000 steps Friday alone. But I didn’t do my formal workouts. Is it coincidence that I didn’t win bootcamp’s big cash prize? I think not.

My plan also included staying on my low-carb diet. I packed Atkins bars and brownies to help me avoid temptation … and then, between sessions, I snatched a mini Reese’s cup from one of the bowls in the conference check-in area. (Writers love their chocolate, so it was present in abundance, and I’d foolishly left my Atkins snacks in my luggage … in the hot car.) One led to another, and pretty soon it was open season on sweets and carbs in general.

It didn’t help that there were no diabetic meals after all, and every chicken breast was breaded. Someone suggested Saturday that I ask for the gluten-free meal. No breading there … but by then I’d already devoured potatoes, white and wild rice pilaf, chocolate mousse, a heavenly chocolate cake with whipped cream and raspberry sauce and other assorted carby treats.

Oh, it was way too easy to slip back into my old, bad habits. We stopped at the swanky Scottsdale Fashion Square mall Sunday after the conference and I was still in a carb free-for-all. I got a dark chocolate milkshake from Johnny Rockets, crowned with thick whipped cream. It was dee-ee-licious.

But after I tossed the cup in the trash, I gave myself the old diet pep talk. You know the one: “One day — even one weekend — of out-of-control eating won’t cause you to regain all the weight you’ve lost. Continuing to eat crap will, though, so get back on track now.”

I took a deep breath, told myself that once I left the mall I was back on Atkins and then stepped through the doors. I didn’t look back.

After a weekend on carb overload, I felt blah and bloated. It’s also been tougher for me to say “no” to the things I usually have no trouble bypassing. But I’m doing it, and I know the desire for bread/sweets will go away.

I’m not looking forward to getting on the scale in the morning, though. It won’t be pretty.

At least I got in all my water each day. H2O was nearly as omnipresent as chocolate, with giant pitchers of ice water in each conference room and more in the common area.

Clean bill of health

I might feel like death, but my insides are doing just fine, thank you. That was the verdict from my company health screening this afternoon.

The numbers:

• Total cholesterol: 156 (anything under 200 is good)
• HDL (good) cholesterol: 50 (60 or higher is “desirable”)
• Total/HDL cholesterol ratio: 3.1 (less than 4.0 is acceptable)
• Non-fasting glucose level: 81 (less than 140 is desirable)
• Blood pressure: 132/80 (The top number puts me at borderline risk, but it’s lower than it has been in the past.)

The two numbers that didn’t look so good were, of course, weight-related. No surprise there, right?

• BMI: 32 (should be 25 or less)
• Waist circumference: 44 inches (a far cry from the 35 inches recommended by Dr. Oz and company)

Most of the numbers are decent. My blood sugar level is actually lower than it was last time I had it checked.

I’m already working to improve the ones that aren’t so great. Today, March 1, marked the start of Round 2 of Romance Biggest Winner. My starting weight, after not eating much at all Wednesday evening, is 228.6.

Weighing in this morning after skipping dinner Wednesday will probably come back to bite me in the butt next week, but it was our official WI day.

Delicious — even if I forgot to finish it.

If my stomach doesn’t feel better soon, I won’t have to worry. Today, I managed to eat just 13 carbs, because I felt fairly nauseous most of the day. The bulk of it was at lunchtime, when I had a 6-carb oatmeal cinnamon square (which I started eating at Starbucks, while I worked on the NARWA newsletter … and forgot to finish it. I looked down some time later and realized I still had a few bites left).

I also had an Atkins Cookies n Creme bar (3) at around 8 p.m. and, close to time to leave work, a pack of peanuts from the vending machine (4). When I got home, I had most of a chicken breast (0).

Secrets of the successful loser

Weight-loss know-how is like this cactus: Somewhat painful to crash into.

With Round Two of Romance Biggest Winner about to start, I thought it’d be a good idea to outline a few of my favorite proven ways to lose weight.

There’s no better way to get ready for a weight-loss competition, right? And it’s a timely reminder for me, especially after logging no progress in February.

Like Jen over at Prior Fat Girl, I know what to do to lose weight. It’s not exactly rocket science. The problem lies in applying that knowledge day in and day out … making not-so-fun choices more often than not.

Take Tuesday, for example. When I hit Starbucks to write before work, I chose not to indulge my Faux Frappuccino habit. Instead, I ordered a venti chai tea — just hot water with two tea bags, to which I added a packet of Splenda.

Was it fun? Not so much. I discovered I’m not a huge fan of the flavor of chai tea. But as a result of my choice, I had carbs left for a healthy, veggie-filled snack after work: A cup of grilled zucchini slices … followed by the small indulgence of an Atkins nutty fudge brownie. That brownie weighed in at 2 Net Carbs; I estimate the Faux Frappuccino at 5 (and that may be on the low side).

Ahem. Forgive that tiny tangent and let’s move on to the tried-and-true secrets to weight loss as I know them.

1. Find the plan that works for you. That means one you can stick to. For me, that plan is low-carb. I can follow Atkins without cravings and without constantly thinking about my next meal. I stick to it without starving myself or feeling deprived. It doesn’t work for everyone — no single diet does. Find the diet you’re most comfortable with, whether it’s Weight Watchers, NutriSystem or Intuitive Eating, and follow it.
2. Track every bite. As much as I wish it weren’t true, tracking (or food journaling) is a key to weight loss. Sure, it can be a pain to write down everything you eat. But every time I ditch the habit, I have little success losing. Tracking A) helps you get a handle on exactly how much — or how little — you’re actually consuming and B) makes you think twice about what you put into your mouth. (Do you really want to have to note that you just scarfed a package of Twinkies?)
3. Move more. Yeah, my couch potato self is even less thrilled by this one than No. 2. Unfortunately, exercise is another nonnegotiable part of the weight-loss equation. Calories in > calories out = loss of pounds. That is why I will most likely sign up for Tina’s Best Body Boot Camp on payday. I need motivation to move, beyond the knowledge that exercise leads to weight loss.

That’s all I have: Just three keys to successful weight loss. Like I said, none of them are rocket science.

It’s as simple as finding the diet that works for you, tracking what you eat and working out. Yes, as simple — and as difficult — as that.

Change happens one choice — one step — at a time.