Having Fun on the Journey

I am having so much fun being on this journey already. So many people are behind me and support my efforts. Thank you to everyone!

Last night I added 5 push ups to my exercise routine. Wow, they were hard to do with my weak muscles but I like the fact that I did them. I felt so energized when I was done that I asked myself "why didn't I start this sooner?" I guess I just didn't feel bad enough to make a change. I'm really aware of my body today. I know it's because of the exercising - finally. Just slightly tender but manageable.

I walked all around the grocery story on my lunch hour today gathering together items that would be found in the Mediterranean area - artichokes, olives, various vegetables, as well as the makings for chili for supper tonight. My Mom (Sue) came over for dinner so we all ate together: Aaron, me, my Mom and Aaron's Mom (Dolores). We all get along so well and that makes me very happy. I had a small bowl of chili with 7 oyster crackers and I'm still full.

Food Triggers:

I know Halloween is Saturday and normally I would have a house full of candy - Reese's Peanut Butter Cups! Not this year. I've ordered a couple bags of candy from Peapod.com and they will bring them on Saturday with the rest of my grocery order and I've vowed to not eat any. After Halloween, I'll take the left overs to work and it will be gone in 3 minutes!

Tomorrow at work we have a Staff Appreciation Luncheon planned (we have a great boss!), which I am coordinating. Our Oktoberfest menu includes Sauerbraten, Chicken Schnitzel, Spaetzle, Polish Sausage and Sauerkraut, salad, and for dessert - apple slices. This is going to be very difficult to get through because I am planning to eat some of this food. I've been thinking about it all week. I'm going to have some chicken, salad, sauerkraut and 1/2 of an apple slice. I will have 1 bite of the sauerbraten (marinated beef) and 1 bite of the polish sausage. That way I will not deprive myself but I won't overdo it either and I will be able to enjoy all of the flavors and still keep on track. Successful dieters are the ones who plan ahead.

We are encouraged to wear costumes for Halloween at work, so since I'm coordinating the FEAST, I've decided to dress as Julia Child. Since I'm 5'2 I'll have to stand on a box like Meryl Streep did in Julie and Julia. (Great movie!) Fortunately, I took french in high school with Madame Kathy Pondorff (now Kathy Mathews) so I'll be able to play it off pretty well!

Food Tips:

A good friend of mine (Joyce) gave me a tip on unsalted canned vegetables. She buys the Jewel brand whole kernel corn and stewed tomatoes and says they are really good. I purchased them today and will try them in a dish next week.

I bought a loaf of bread at Jewel today which looks, feels, smells and tastes terrific. It's made by "Today's Tempations." It's a big round whole grain loaf that comes sliced with grains all over the top of the loaf. It's fat free, sugar free, cholesterol free, lo carb/hi fibre and no preservatives added. 1 huge slice is 45 calories, 6 carbs, 4 grams of fibre and 5 grams of protein. It's a soft bread and the color is like a wheat bread. I tried the end piece tonight with a drizzle of olive oil and was very pleased. Bread without butter is a very important ingredient in the Mediterranean diet.

More on the Mediterranean Diet:

I've just begun reading a cookbook called "Mediterranean Cooking - a culinary tour of sun-drenched shores with over 400 dishes from Southern Europe" The authors are Jacqueline Clarke and Joanna Farrow. Hermes House is the publisher in London. I'm only in the introduction and am already learning so much. For instance, I did not know that Italian mozzarella was made from buffalo's milk - hence the name Buffalo Mozzarella. Layering it with fresh basil leaves and tomatoes represents the colors in the Italian flag. Don't forget to drizzle all three with olive oil and serve as an appetizer or in place of a salad.

I'm also learning about the benefits of this diet from the Mayo Clinic's website. Such as their suggestion to use extra virgin or virgin olive oils because they "are the least processed forms, meaning they contain the highest levels of the protective plant compounds that provide antioxidant effects." You can read all about the diet on their website www.mayoclinic.com

I also use olive oil to soften my hands in the cold weather months. Unlike some hand creams, there is no perfume or alcohol, it's all natural and my skin feels silky smooth.

Food For Thought:

Ok, I'm a little nervous about getting on the scale tomorrow morning but I'm in this for the long haul. And we're all in this together, right? I'm going to be saying my prayers tonight. Also, I've decided that my absolute curfew is 11pm lights out. I've read in several places that getting the right amount of sleep will help you lose weight and stay healthy.

Tomorrow I will tell you how I thought I was German and Norwegian for 44 years and then found out I was 1/2 Italian. It's a very interesting story so stay tuned.

(10:38pm) the time is off on the post so until I learn how to correct this, I'm going to write it in.