Thinspiration

One of my coworkers mentioned a growing trend in the online world. It’s called ‘thinspiration.’ Since Kristen and I are researching for weight loss trends and tips, I decided to look into it. I was a bit shocked at what I found there. Sure, some of the pictures were of nicely proportioned physiques and inspirational quotes, but most of the rhetoric involved a pro-Ana (anorexia) agenda. There were also pictures of sickly looking girls, rib cages protruding, looking like concentration camp survivors. This is their idea of beautiful. And people wonder why insecure teens grow up to be neurotic adults. They’re not taught that being healthy is beautiful. They’re being taught that being thin is beautiful. I’ve been exposed to the ‘model beauty’ propaganda. I just didn’t buy into it. I decided that I’d rather be fat then have to starve myself to be ‘pretty.’ Now that I’m older, I understand the difference between being thin and being healthy. I could care less about conventional beauty. I just want to be healthy.

This is NOT healthy!

Part of being healthy is learning how to lose weight responsibly. I found this neat little tool online at www.fitbie.msn.com. You plug in your height, weight, age, gender and activity level and it tells you how many calories you need to eat to maintain your current weight and how many calories to cut from your diet to lose weight sensibly. They suggest that you should cut 500 calories every day to lose weight. 200 of those calories should come from your food and 300 of those calories should come through exercise. The website also warns that no diet plan should go under 1200 calories per day.



Cindy-
2/3/11 – 233 lbs
2/10/11 – Pounds lost – 1 lb
Current weight – 232 lbs
Total pounds lost – 16 lbs

Kristen-
2/3/11 – 298 lbs
2/10/11 – Pounds lost – .5 lb
Current weight – 297.5 lbs
Total pounds lost – 12.5 lbs



Recipe of the week:
Weight Watcher’s cauliflower with tomato curry sauce

1 tsp olive oil
1 medium onion(s), finely chopped
2 tsp ginger root, fresh, peeled and minced
2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
1 cup(s) canned tomato puree
1 1/2 cup(s) water
1 pound(s) cauliflower, florets, cut into bite-size pieces and steamed
1 Tbsp parsley, fresh, chopped


Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and ginger; cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is softened, 4–5 minutes. Stir in the curry powder and cumin; cook, stirring constantly, about 1 minute.

Stir in the tomato puree and water. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.

Place the cauliflower in a serving bowl, top with the sauce, and sprinkle with the parsley. Yields about 1 cup per serving.

The fat just walks away...

There is a sci-fi show that I watch called Doctor Who. One of the episodes is about these little alien creatures, aptly named “Adipose” (the scientific name for fat) that come into existence by feeding off of people’s fat. The people take this ‘weight loss’ pill and during the night, the aliens pop up out of their skin and leave to go back to their space ship. The slogan for these ‘weight loss’ pills is “the fat just walks away!” Ever since I saw that episode, I wished there was a way that the fat could just walk away from my body. But it doesn’t. So the next best alternative is to find some exercise to help you lose weight that doesn’t make you bored to tears.

Enter Zumba. The Spanish dance craze that’s been ruling the exercise world for the past few years. I was reluctant to try it at first because I have about as much rhythm as a dead horse. But Kristen dragged me in the room, kicking and screaming anyway, and we began shaking our butts off (literally). I was surprised at how much I liked it. The music has great energy and the moves, while not always easy to follow, were somewhat repetitive so I picked them up by the third try. The teacher has a motto: “There is no wrong and there is no right. As long as you’re moving and having fun, you are doing Zumba!” I’ve been three times already and it’s been a fun experience every time. That’s not to say that it’s not hard work. I’m so grateful for the 30 seconds or so in between each song change to catch my breath, drink some water and wipe the sweat from my face. I’m not usually into the group exercise scene, but it was great to have a break from the monotony of the treadmills and elliptical machines. I know that it’s not everybody’s cup of tea (it sure didn’t seem like mine at first), but if you have access to these types of classes, please try them at least once. You just might surprise yourself.

Cindy-
1/27/11 – 332 lbs
2/3/11 – Pounds gained – 1 lb
Current weight – 333 lbs
Total pounds lost – 15 lbs lost

Kristen-
1/27/11 – 299.5 lbs
2/3/11 – Pounds lost – 1.5 lbs
Current weight – 298 lbs
Total pounds lost – 12 lbs



(Weight Watchers inspired) Chicken Pita Pizza’s

We took this recipe from the Weight Watcher’s cookbook, but we’ve tweaked the recipe to suit our tastes.

Ingredients:
4 oz. cooked chicken breast chopped or shredded – 110 cals.
garlic powder, oregano, and basil (to taste)
2 medium whole wheat pitas – 300 cals.
1/4 cup low sodium tomato sauce – 20 cals.
¼ cup 2% shredded cheese (Italian blend is preferred) - 60 cals.
1/2 oz. finely chopped (or julienned) sundried tomatoes – 40 cals.
veggies and fruits of your choice (just add in the extra calories) - we've used onions, avocado, Roma tomatoes, bell peppers, olives, arugula, etc.
Servings: 2
Calories per serving: 265


- Spray a pan with nonstick spray and cook the chicken until done. If the chicken starts to burn in the pan, add a couple of tablespoons of water. This cuts down on the calories that using oil would add.
- Spoon low sodium tomato sauce onto the pitas
- Add sundried tomatoes and veggies of your choice
- Top with cheese

Bake at 400 degrees for 5-10 minutes (until cheese is melted)