My dieting blog....

[politicat]

Link: http://platewatch.blogspot.com/

I've never had an easy relationship with food, I'll admit. In my own mind, I've always been overweight, even when I was on target. While I've never been clinically anorexic and never been bulimic, I've always been somewhat compulsive about counting calories, fat grams, cholesterol and protein grams. I've always been a bit compulsive about making sure I hit the balance between Resting Metabolism and caloric consumption, because I really hate sweating with lots of other people around. So while I've been obsessive (and there's a reason I do the work I do) the obsession has always been to get it just right, a probable legacy of my status as first born and Mother's Little Helper. For most of my life, it's been a functional relationship, one that kept me fit enough.

The past year, however, has been really, really bad, as my endocrine system has gone wonky and I've gained pounds on a diet that should be less than maintenance. The endocrine system issue is a genetic issue, one that I knew was coming and feared (which was part of the motivation for the earlier obsessions that I'd just about gotten broken.)

Now, knowing the problem is there, but not having a family doctor with a long history with the family (the price of living 1000 miles from any family member), getting the medical profession to realize that no, I'm not crazy and no, I don't live on chips, soda and cake, and no, I do in fact exercise quite a bit, means that I must go back to my obsessive noting down of every bit of food and exercise.

But... I love good food, and that's not something easy to change. Scaling portions has helped: I make mini muffins, and limit myself to one; I am in love with Pepperidge Farms' very thin sliced bread (since I can't seem to cut it that thin myself); my portion sizes have my clients looking envious. Substitutions help, too. Rice paper for tortillas is one such, light sour cream or plain yogurt for mayo is another. And weighing everything on the digital scale....

So in the interest of public service, I'm sharing my menus and my progress. I'll publish to the blog if anyone's interested (this also makes it easy for me to let the physicians know that I'm not entirely crazy.) in my low-fat, low calorie, (hopefully) high flavor recipes and such.

And thanks for your support in advance. This diet is driving me slightly crazy, and I hate having to go back to my old, obsessive ways.

[NMDemDist2]

1. you are a brave woman

I'd go nuts writing everything down

I never gained a pound til I was 45 and hit menopause, now I've put on 30 pounds in 5 years!

:argh:

but I have to start to do SOMETHING soon and have no idea how.......

your blog may be just the thing to get me going :hug:

[politicat]

4. Not brave, just frustrated.

I'm 29, I've lost 2.5 inches in height (osteoporosis), gained a significant amount of weight, and am supposedly "normal". I'm really, really frustrated. I want someone to listen to me, and if this is what it takes, then this is what it takes, I'm also thinking I might be starting perimenopause (due to the endocrine imbalance); other symptoms are there.

This rebellious body is getting out of control. While writing everything down is obnoxious, it's better than the alternative.

I'd be glad to be a cheerleader!

[eleny]

2. I admire your tenacity and dedication

Did you know that there's an "Exercise and Fitness Group" here at DU? I bet they'd like to read your blog, too. One thing I will get next shopping trip is the rice paper. I liked seeing the wrap you made with it for your chicken salad. The texture of the rice paper must be so nice and light and not interfere so much with the flavors within!

P.S. I'm not very fit at all but I love using plain yogurt for salad dressing, too - by itself or with herbs added. All the salad dressing on the store shelves and I still like something fresh and different. My folks used to use the yogurt and I guess it just makes sense. In fact, I like my own homemade yogurt chilled in a bowl with a plain hot baked potato on the side.

P.P.S. I was going to leave a note on your blog but I don't belong to Blogspot.

[politicat]

3. Thanks, Eleny.

The rice paper- it's available at the asian grocery on Larimer and 19th? (something like that) in downtown. I'm taking the morning and getting more tomorrow because I'm out.

It's very slightly salty, and it has a chewy "bite" to it. You have to soak it in water to make it pliable, and the first package is generally a wash because it's delicate when wet (Think wet toilet paper). But mostly, no, it doesn't interfere with flavor at all, and it's about 20 calories a sheet. (If I did my math right.)

King Soopers carries the rice paper over in the produce section, over by the bag o salads and wonton wrappers, but they charge $4 a package, when the asian groceries charge $2.