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What Is YOUR Goal?

Oh, I know what “the goal” is. You want to reach a specific body weight, or have a certain body fat percentage. 

But what do you want to do after the goal is reached? What future plans do you have that will keep you focused on the challenge of staying at goal weight? You need to do two things (in my opinion) when you reach your goal. First, you need to set a new goal, and second you need to find something to plan for the future.

I’ve written about it here before, but I’ll say it again for anyone new. When I reached my goal weight, I became depressed. My entire focus for eight months (losing weight) was gone. I felt lost. When I decided to make a new goal of running the 10K Bellin Run that helped me get out of my funk. (The fact that my knee has stopped cooperating has not changed my attitude. If I can’t run it–and right now, running is not an option–then I will walk it.) That goal helped me create a new focus, greater physical fitness, which in turn helps me stay at goal weight. This is a goal that will never really end, just as my goal of staying at goal weight has now become my everyday life. Those two goals complement each other, each making the other easier.

But the second part is different. I think it is important to have a future plan, something to look forward to with anticipation, to keep the motor of motivation running fast. I have two such plans. The first is my hike of the Mountain-Bay Trail, from Green Bay to Wausau and back (about 180 miles round trip.) That is my first solo hike.  Hell, let’s be honest. It is my first hike, alone or in a group. This is a test run, and if the hike is not horrible, it will be repeated next year with my wife. And some day down the road, probably after retirement, we will walk the Wisconsin Ice Age Trail.

I have another future plan. My wife and I are taking a driving trip to the east coast later in June. For about two weeks, we’ll hit multiple points in New England and along the Great Lakes. That is another reason to keep my focus on health, fitness and weight maintenance, because I intend to enjoy the foods available on the east coast. Seafood, in other words. We will do a lot of walking on that trip, but a lot of eating, too. I’ve never been to that part of the country before, and I want to completely enjoy it.

On both trips, I will continue to make blog posts so you can keep up with my activities, and my meals. It will be a BLAST.

So, what is YOUR goal? What special plan have you made?

Good luck in all your goals. You CAN achieve them, because like Smokey the Bear says, “Only YOU can prevent goal achievement!”

Rain In The Morning …

But it was sunny and nice in the afternoon. I was able to get my lawn mowed for the second time this season. I finished about half of it with my reel mower, but I found that most of the backyard was far too long and the mower just wouldn’t roll through it. I needed to fire up the rider to finish. Now I will start my summer schedule for mowing with the reel mower, which is to cut it every four days. When I cut it that often, it rolls easily and keeps the lawn looking great.

If you have a lawn that is a quarter acre or less, I would suggest using a reel mower. Frequent cutting is best for a healthy lawn. They are inexpensive and use no gasoline, so consequently they add no carbon to the atmosphere. They are quiet. You can mow your lawn early in the morning while your neighbors sleep. (Then they can wake up to the sight of your newly mown lawn, which could drive them crazy. Fun!)

And, last but not least, it is a great workout. This is another case of using routine activities to increase my calorie burn. One hour using a hand mower burns about 430 calories (for a person of my build.) That is a nice workout and does not take any extra time away from anything else. Like parking in a distant parking spot at work or never taking the elevator, these are all ways of slightly modifying my daily routine to maximize my exercise level.

After I finished the lawn, I made dinner for the family. I fired up the grill and made one of my flank steaks. But when I was serving it, I sliced it very thinly across the grain and prepared all the ingredients for a taco bar. We had tomatoes, Vidalia onions, fresh cilantro, avocado (both in slices and mashed into guacamole), black olives and cheeses. For taco shells, I used 6 inch La Tortilla Factory Smart and Delicious tortillas. We also had plain Greek yogurt, fresh limes and salsa for toppings. 

I served them with a new version of Mexican Corn, with much less sodium than my first recipe. And it tasted even better. (Recipe to follow in a separate post.)

Weight Loss Does Not Mean Flavor Loss!

I like desserts. I am not big into cakes, but torts, pies, brownies and other bars are one of my guilty pleasures.

Of course, when trying to find a healthy weight, many times those are the foods that eliminated first in the quest for lower calorie consumption. But that can backfire, because denying yourself the treats that you really want will only lead to irresistible cravings, which can lead to uncontrolled binges when you finally decide to satisfy your needs.

Here are two ideas that are not bad (when you eat the correct portion size, of course.) The first recipe has a few steps and the second one is quick and easy.

You CAN eat delicious snacks and desserts, and still lose weight. Remember, the key is always portion control. And don’t make a lot at one time. And bring any extra for your coworkers, to prevent you from eating all of it.

Lemon Bars Serves 24

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
5 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
8 tablespoons cold butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
4 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups powder, divided
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
The grates zest of 2 large lemons (approximately 2 teaspoons)

To make crust:
1.   Preheat oven to 350F
2.   Mix flour and light brown sugar using a food processor or pastry blender until fully incorporated.
3.   Toss butter chunks in and combine with processor or pastry blender until the butter is cut into pea-sized pieces.
4.   Sprinkle crust into an ungreased 9×13 pan as evenly as possible. Press down with your hands or a spatula to create a packed surface.
5.   Bake 20 minutes or until golden brown.

To make filling:
6.   While the crust is baking, beat eggs with an electric mixer until well blended.
7.   Add vanilla extract and 3/4 cup of the powder sugar.  Mix well.
8.   Add lemon juice and remaining powdered sugar. Mix until all sugar is completely dissolved, then mix in the lemon zest.

To finish:
9.   As soon as the crust is finished, reduce oven temperature to 300F.
10. Pour filling over hot crust (it will smell incredible!)
11. Bake for 30 minutes, or until firm.
12. Cool and cut into 24 pieces.

Nutritional data (for one piece):
Calories:      112
Fat:              4.7g
Sat fat:         2.7g
Chol:           45mg
Sodium:       40mg
Carbs:       15.7g
Fiber:          0.2g
Protein:       1.8g

The next time I make these, I will use lime juice instead of lemon and make this more like a key lime pie.

Chocolate Crunch
Make 10 servings, 1/4 cup each

1 cup Wheat Chex (or similar breakfast cereal)
1 cup pretzel sticks (broken in half)
1/4 cup whole unsalted roasted almonds
3 tablespoons semi-sweet chocolate chips (Ghiardelli are excellent)

Combine first three ingredients in a bowl. Melt the chocolate chip in a microwave or carefully in a metal bowl over simmering water. (Do not get any water in the melted chocolate or it will seize and immediately develop a terrible–and irreversible–texture.)  Pour the chocolate over the other ingredients, and stir to coat.

Spread mixture onto wax paper-lined baking sheet and refrigerate until the chocolate is set.  (According to the original recipe, this can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days. I can’t vouch for that. It has never lasted for 5 days in this house.)

Nutritional data (for one piece):
Calories:      100
Fat:              4.4g
Sat fat:         1.1g
Chol:              0mg
Sodium:        40mg
Carbs:       13.9g
Fiber:          1.7g
Protein:       2.3g

My next variation will be to add mini-marshmallows, or use different nuts.  I also think a blend of semi-sweet and white chocolate would be nice.

Not Every Meal Needs to be Difficult …

… but hopefully every meal is delicious.

This morning I made a very simple meal, using my 5 quart slow cooker. I won’t give a specific recipe, because you can vary to fit your tastes this almost infinitely.

I lined the slow cooker with a plastic liner (which I think is one of the greatest creations because it makes cleanup effortless.)  I added one cup of red wine.  If you prefer, you can use white wine. Or beer. Or apple cider. Or orange juice. Or cola. Or any stock. Or water (if you want to be boring.) Then I added 2 pounds of baby carrots, which I had partially cooked in the microwave for about seven minutes. I peeled and cut an onion into wedges, and threw it on top of the carrots, along with three cloves of garlic (crushed and minced.) I laid a pork roast on top of the vegetables, and placed eight small Yukon Gold potatoes (skins on) around the meat.

I sprinkled Penzey’s Mural of Flavor on the pork, place the cover on the slow cooker and at 11am I turned it on low. It was done at 5pm.

You can vary this however you want. Use beef, venison or chicken instead of pork.  Instead of carrots, use green beans, pea pods, or bell peppers (they will not need to cook for the full six hours.)  Instead of onions, use chopped leeks. Add Brussels spouts. Add tomatoes. Add jalapenos and season the meal with a Southwest-style seasoning. Instead of potatoes, use turnips or cauliflower.

This is how my meal turned out:

So What Does Everyone Else Eat?

The meals in this blog are generally evening meals, our family dinner. Assuming our 16 year old son is at home (not always the case), we all eat the same thing.

Breakfasts are a different matter. I like eat a very robust breakfast, while my wife’s is smaller. And when it comes to eggs, I like more eggs for breakfast than she does and I have different preferences for what I add to the eggs. Our son, who likes to sleep as long as possible before arising for school, eats in the car or when he gets to school. Consequently, breakfasts are frequently more “made to order” for each of us.

I’m not going to give specific recipes for these pictures, just a description of the ingredients and their nutritional data.

Here is what I had for breakfast:

That is three whole eggs in one tablespoon olive oil, with sauteed jalapenos and sweet mini bell peppers and three tablespoons of natural peanut butter and 1/4 cup sliced fresh strawberries folded into it. (This is for the peanut butter lover.)

Calories:    733
Fat:            60.2g
Sat fat:       11.4g
Chol:          625mg
Sodium:      370mg
Carbs:        18.9g
Fiber:           5.2g
Protein:      30.4g

My wife enjoyed this breakfast:

Two whole eggs, sauteed mushrooms (4 ounces fresh) and one tablespoon shredded cheese. No olive oil, just cooking spray.

Calories:    192
Fat:            12.8g
Sat fat:         3.8g
Chol:          425mg
Sodium:      186mg
Carbs:         4.7g
Fiber:          0.6g
Protein:     15.3g

Our son, the late-riser, enjoyed this meal on the go:

Okay. It’s not gourmet. It’s not overwhelmingly healthy. But it isn’t bad. He likes yogurt, the fiber bars are good and filling, and the pop tart? Well, yeah, the pop tart isn’t healthy. This gets him out the door and started.  When he gets the lunch I pack for him, it gets a little healthier:

These meals take a little time to prepare (about 10 minutes.) I get up earlier than I need to so that I can make this meal, but I do have a few shortcuts. For the eggs, I saute the veggies the evening before so in the morning, I just need to warm them in the skillet and add the eggs. The lunch is simple to put together because I prep the veggies and fruit the night before, and only need to assemble the sandwich fresh in the morning. (Again, planning and organization are the key to enjoying life.)
We try to start our days with a meal together and end our day with another meal together. Life is too hectic to ignore the opportunity to start the day with a filling meal and some time with the important people in your life. It is relaxing to sit down to a nice breakfast and is quiet with only our dog whining a little (hoping that something will fall to the floor.)
Getting up a half hour early is worth it. I hope you are able to take the time to enjoy your meals, too.

The best laid plans …

Yesterday was the final beerfest of the season. My wife and I attended and poured beers that my Brewing Science students made on March 3. The event went very well. In one respect, it was MUCH better than the brewfest in February, because this time I did not lose my Fitbit!

We try to plan our day carefully when it comes to meals. My wife and I had planned to eat at a local restaurant only three blocks from the brewfest site. We were going to be at the venue early, set up, and go eat, so instead of eating a lunch, we had a simple breakfast in mid-morning. We arrived at 2:30pm and quickly unloaded. The brewfest didn’t start until 4pm so we had plenty of time to enjoy a meal.

And then we found out the restaurant doesn’t open until 5pm. (The joys of small town life!)

We were looking forward to our meal at the little place, and consequently, we did not bother to pack any snacks. Not smart. The brewfest was offering food, but bags of pretzels and popcorn were not going to work.

So we worked our table and poured a lot of beer. We even had a chance to sample some locally produced beers and wines. (My wife’s favorite wine was Parallel 44’s Frozen Tundra, and my favorite beer was a toss up between Titletown Brewing Company’s Busted Nut and O’so Brewing Company’s Dank.) And we waited for the event to end. We waited impatiently. When the clock hit 8:00, I had my gear disconnected and loaded in the van in eight minutes and were on the road. By now the place we were going to eat was open, but the quiet leisurely lunch was not an option anymore so we just drove home and stopped at a pub near our house.
That greasy bacon-cheese burger and the mound of steak fries was sooooooo good!

And this morning, the scale suggests that I gained 3.4 pounds since yesterday. So what happened? It was a combination of a few things, all striking at once. Our food choices were not a good as if we had cooked them at home, and everything was heavily salted. I drank very little water yesterday, and for four hours I was essentially standing still just pouring beer. Lack of large muscle activity, combined with low water intake and a high sodium infusion resulted in a lot of fluid retention. (almost two liters of water.)

I am not worried about that gain, because we all know it is temporary. But my point is that you can make careful plans for every meal of the week and sometimes your plans will fall apart. All you can do if that happens is to get going and get back on track. Every day is a new day, and a new chance to redefine yourself.

Don’t let yesterday’s problems pollute today’s attitude.

And when you are in an unplanned situation and do not have your usual meal choices, choose something really good and enjoy every bite.

Success is …

We all want success. We want to look good when we go to the beach, or the wedding, or just look good in general. We want to hit our weight loss goal (as fast as possible, of course) or maybe our body fat percentage goal. Maybe we want to run a mile just a little faster.

And, many of us will say, “Tomorrow I will … ” (Eat healthier? Start walking? Ride a bike? Start taking my own meals to work? Buy an exercise DVD?)

But what is everyone waiting for? Why did I need to wait until I was 45 to take my first steps along this journey, when I had been big for the previous 3+ decades, too.  Are we waiting for someone to become our cheerleader? Someone to encourage us, inspire us,  and hold our hands?  Someone to tell us “it’s okay” when we get weak and eat that Cadbury egg staring at us in the store?
 
Inspiration is nice. We all need it. But inspiration can only take us so far. With apologies to Thomas Edison, who was giving his definition of “genius”, I have altered his quote to read:

“Success is 1 percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration.”

In other words, get off your butt and get going! Don’t talk about getting started … just get started.  Don’t talk about eating healthier–just eat healthier. Get rid of those foods that are your major weakness. If you have recently loss weight and no longer fit into your old size, donate the clothes, right now! Don’t let that security blanket sit in your closet (“just in case”) because if you think like that, you WILL be wearing that size again (and probably soon.)

And when you have the moment (or day) of weakness, don’t throw your hands in the air, wail, and shout “I failed!” Start again. No one has every lost weight in a steady and unbroken line. And no one ever will. We are humans and our bodies and minds play nasty and evil tricks on us. Make sure you know your goal and keep working toward it.

If my words are inspiration to you, I am happy. That is most of the reason I put my thoughts out here. But if my words do not get you to accept your responsibility and log all your foods, to get off your butt and walk a little further, to not game the system (by taking credit for routine activities and counting that as exercise so you can eat that Cadbury egg) then that inspiration is wasted.

Nike refined Mr. Edison further. “Just do it.”

YOU are in control of your body. You can do it. Or not. Your choice.

Lobster Tails, Shrimp Cocktail and Rye Bread

Lobster (Four 4 ounce tails, with the shell on, serves 2)
Add 1/2 cup white wine to a kettle.  Heat to boiling, lay lobsters in the wine. Cover, reduce heat to simmer, and wait 7-8 minutes. Serve with melted butter.

Nutritional data (6 ounces of lobster meat from two tails):
Calories:      167
Fat:                  1g
Sat fat:          0.2g
Chol:           123mg
Sodium:       647mg
Carbs:          2.2g
Fiber:              0g
Protein:      34.9g

Shrimp Cocktail
Serves 4

1 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 pound shrimp (any size)  Buying them peeled and deveined makes the work easier.

1.  If the shrimp are frozen, thaw them. If fully cooked, move to step three.
2.  If raw, bring a kettle water to a boil. When boiling add the shrimp. Shrimp are done in 1-3 minutes, depending on how big your kettle is (bigger kettles with more water will cook faster.)  Shrimp will be bright white and orange when done. Do not over cook.  Drain into a colander and let them drip.
3.  Mix remaining ingredients.
4.  Serve.  Enjoy.

Nutritional data (6 ounces of lobster meat):
Calories:      100
Fat:                  1g
Sat fat:             0g
Chol:           140mg
Sodium:       135mg
Carbs:             0g
Fiber:              0g
Protein:         19g

Homemade Rye Bread
Make four 1 pound loaves, 10 slices per loaf

3 cups lukewarm water
2 packets of bread yeast
1/2 tablespoon kisher salt
5 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup rye flour

1.  In a 4-5 quart container (with a lid that you can loosely cover–I like to use a 5 quart ice cream pail) add the water, yeast and salt. Mix together to help the salt dissolve and the yeast rehydrate.
2.  Scoop and scrape all the flour (both types) and add into the water.
3.  With a wooden spoon, or a dough hook on a mixer or your bare hands, mix the flour into the water until everything is evenly wet. This will take 3-5 minutes, and will get stiff rapidly. When the dough is evenly wet, stop.  DO NOT KNEAD THE DOUGH.
4.  Loosely cover and place somewhere (room temperature) for at least 2 hours. (As long as 4 hours won’t hurt.)
5.  At the end of this time, the dough will have risen. DO NOT PUNCH DOWN OR OTHERWISE HANDLE THE DOUGH.  Place the container in the refigerator overnight. (The dough can be immediately made into loaves right now, but it is easier to handle when cold.)
6.  The next day, sprinkle flour on the surface of the dough and cut out 1/4. Liberally dust with flour, and shape into a ball.  Lay on a surface covered with corn meal and let it rest at room temp for 40 minutes.
7.  Place a baking stone in the oven, and a metal pan half filled with water in the over and pre-heat to 450.
8.  After 40 minutes of rest, slide the bread onto the baking stone (a pizze peel works best for this.)  If you remember, make some superficial cuts into the top of the dough for a nice pattern.  I rarely remember.
9.  Bake for 35 minutes. Remove, let cool and devour.

Nutritional data (1 slice, approximately 1.5 ounces):
Calories:      74
Fat:              0.3g
Sat fat:            0g
Chol:              0mg
Sodium:      117mg
Carbs:        15.2g
Fiber:             1g
Protein:       2.2g’

Note: the raw dough will keep in the fridge, covered, for up to 7-10 days. The longer it sits, the better then flavor as it will begin to pick up a sourdough quality. In other words, the last loaf of the batch will probably be the best loaf. And if you really want to make things easy, when you use the last of the dough, do not wash the bucket. Simply add all the ingredients for a new batch, stirring in any bits of old dough. In this manner, the sourdough character will develop faster.

Plan Your Day … But Have a Back-up Plan, Too.

The weekend was a nice one. On Saturday, I finally got my wife’s bike adjusted. I raised the seat for her and that really made her pedalling more efficient. I also inflated her tires (they were about 25 psi under-inflated.) I checked mine, and found that they were also under-pressured by the same amount. I filled them and found that–surprise!–it rides better. I also noticed that my front tire is a lot more worn than my rear tire. I told her that I would need a new tire soon. (If you can, try to imagine the theme music to “Jaws”.)

On Sunday, my wife and I took out eldest son back to college and did some browsing at bookstores before going home. I also picked up some bike riding gloves and was anxious to see how it changes my grip on the handle bars. So we planned to go for a nice ride before coming home and making our lobster dinner.

But those plans came to a screeching halt. I got my bike helmet and new gloves on, and walked to the bike only to find that my front tire was absolutely flat. The rubber on the sidewalls was shredding. Argh! No riding last night. (But, on a more positive note, can you imagine if the tire had catastrophically failed while I was rolling down the road?)

So our backup plan was activated. We took Ozzy for a two mile walk. Another enjoyable activity and Ozzy had fun sniffing at every tree, light pole and clump of grass. And by the time we got home, the oven was preheated for the loaf of homemade rye bread that we served with dinner.

Primary plans and back-up plans are needed when trying to change your weight, too. If you are using LoseIt, you are given a specific number of calories for your daily budget. If you are use Weight Watchers, you have your daily points. It all amounts to the same thing: your daily plan for success. But what happens when you have a flat tire in your plan? Maybe you unexpected gain some weight? Or maybe you develop joint pain that prevents you from running? Or maybe it is just that dreaded office “pig-out” that is happening today?

Successful people always have options, and they never quit. Unexpected weight gain? (Drink more water, make sure the scale doesn’t need a new battery, walk a little extra.) Joint pain? (Start riding a bike, go swimming, lift weights.) Office pig-out? (Bring something that you know you can safely eat, eat a bigger breakfast so that maybe you won’t be as hungry, grab the smallest plate you can find and only put one layer of food on it.)

My contribution to today’s office pig-out: Caramelized Onion Hummus and Pita Chips

Choices, Responsibilities and Anticipation

Wow! I am nine weeks into my  “target weight range” phase of my life. My eating practices are becoming well-entrenched habits. I am eating up to (or close to, or even slightly over) my budgeted calories everyday. And I am incorporating new exercises into my routine (walking, biking, and light weight lifting is my routine.)

When I read the posts that others make on LoseIt.com, many people stop logging when they enter their maintenance phase. So I wonder, should I stop logging my food? Do I really need to keeping going to LoseIt.com every day and check my friends’ progress? Do I need to keep posting on the threads, providing helpful answers (well, I hope they are helpful) to others? I spend time everyday doing that. Is it time well-spent?

In my mind, yes, that time is very well-spent. I’ve been fat (a less politically correct statement–but more direct–than “I’ve had excess stores of fat in my body”) since I was a child. I never had the ability to control how much I ate. I was good at sneaking food. As a teenager, I would walk to the local grocery store (well, at least I walked the one mile round trip) and come back with a pint of sour cream, a large bag of potato chips, and a one pound bag of mini-Tootsie Rolls. Then I would go into my room, turn the TV on, and eat all of that as an evening snack. When I have no accountability, that means I can do what I want.

Life is about choices. I chose to eat those Tootsie Rolls. No one was forcing me to buy the sour cream and chips. But if I choose to stop logging my food and stop interacting with my friends and supporters, I fear that my success will be short-lived. Based on the many attempts at weight management in the past (including Nutri-System in the 80’s, “medically controlled” at a Phen-Fen clinic in 1997, hypnosis in 1995 and again in 2001, as well as several diet plans in the 2000’s) I never was able to reach my target goal, let alone stay at that goal. But now that I am at goal, I realize that I need to take responsibility for my continued success. I need to keep doing the actions that brought success.

Others may have lasting success without logging their food, and to them I say “Congratulations, you have reached your goal and changed your life!” But I believe that I will be logging my food for decades to come, if only because for the past five decades I never really took responsibility for the food I ate. And as many people say in the forums “The weight didn’t go on in a month, and it won’t leave in a month.” I think that LoseIt will be my activity for the remainder of my life, and that is okay with me. It is my continued acknowledgment that my actions have consequences, and a reminder that success is not guaranteed without effort and focus.

But I also have learned the joy of anticipating future events. Tonight, my wife and I will enjoy a meal at home, alone except for Ozzy.  Our eldest son will return to college by noon today and our youngest son is traveling with his high school band on a spring break trip to Tennessee. We will have a dinner featuring four ounce lobster tails, some drawn butter, wine and side dishes yet to be decided. And that meal, while serving as a celebration of some rare alone time, also acts as an appetizer for our upcoming summer vacation.

We (just the two of us–no kids, no dog) are driving to Boston, Maine, Niagara Falls and the wine country along Lake Erie this summer. And especially while in Maine, we will enjoy seafood. Real lobsters, fresh of the boats, drowned in butter and served with locally brewed ales. Steamed clams, fried clams, and lobster rolls will also be enjoyed. (And more beer.) It has been 12 years since my wife and I have taken a vacation without the children (and that was a short four-day cruise) and more than 20 years since the two of us have taken a vacation of more than a week’s duration. And I can’t wait! We chose these stops for historical, visual and cultural experiences. And for the food.

The trip is three months away. While on vacation, I will post pictures of the meals we enjoy, as well as any exceptional sights along the way. And I will log my food into LoseIt every day. We might be “free eating” but I will still take responsibility for my actions and log everything.

Life is about making a series of choices. Accepting responsibility for your actions. And anticipating life each day upon awakening.