on craving cake

I have been fantastizing about cake since yesterday. Yesterday was mainly a cheesecake fantasy day. I don’t even eat cheesecake. I am too lactose intolerant of it. Today, I have the strange desire to bake a cheesecake, but to eat chocolate cake.  This seems like a good Saturday plan to me.

on manufacturing motivation

You know that burst of motivation you get when you signed up for WW or decided to adhere to a fitness or nutrition regime? Well, apparently you don’t automatically get that the second time around. (Or at least this has been my experience.) Happily, with WW, I can just go through the motions. Plan. eat. track. move. repeat.

MEANWHILE

I’ve been attempting to get back into running since like October. I run a few days, then abandon it for a few weeks. The thing is, I just don’t want to. Not even a little. I do, however, really want to catch up on all the podcasts I am behind on. And, I pretty much only listen to podcasts when I am out for a run (or on a roadtrip). Earlier this week I put out a call for suggestions on new podcasts to download and spent about an hour on itunes updating my ipod. So now I have to run. (Or go on a roadtrip. My lack-of-car will make running more likely. w00t.)

a lack of food hangover

My brain feels like burning.

Last night I anticipated going out for a delicious meal with some friends and had left points enough for dinner. And then they decided not to go for dinner. Or anywhere with food. (Who does that?)

Anyway. I ended up being grumpy and incommuncative most of the night due to my rumbly tummy AND woke up this morning feeling hung over despite not drinking alcohol. Bleh. I don’t even want to shower right now because I don’t think I can handle water beating down on my head.

easy pulled fajita chicken in the slow cooker

Serves 4-6, or keep around for awesome leftovers.

You need:

• 4 chicken breasts (skinless w/ or w/o bones)
• 2 limes (quartered)
• 1 medium red onion (roughly chopped)
• 1 fajita spice pack or ground cumin, smoked paprika, salt, pepper (to taste)
• a little chicken broth

Add all items to your slow cooker. Cook on high for 4 hours, or on low for 8 hours. Drain contents in a collander and remove limes. Fork chicken till it’s in shreds (like you would pulled pork). Taste the chicken for flavour, and adjust accordingly (I often add a little more cumin, salt, and pepper after draining). 3 pts per 3 oz of chicken. Enjoy!

Try it with some delicious 0-point salsa.

how to make delicious fresh salsa

You need:

• 1 lime
• 1 package of cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 a red onion (roughly)
• fresh or frozen cilantro (roughly chopped with stems removed)
• 1 fresh pepper (to hotness taste) or a sprinkle of dried chilis (like the kind you can put on pizza)
• salt and pepper to taste (the salt helps take the juice out of the tomato making more liquids happen)

Roughly chop up cherry tomatoes and put into bowl. Halve lime. Squeeze in lime juice.  Add other ingredients. Let sit 1 – 2 hours. Enjoy.

* I added a chopped up pear to this last week. To die for. Recommend.

things for lunch (and their corresponding PointsPlus points)

I eat lunch! Often I have to pack it and bring it to work. Other times I come home. In no particular order, the following is for my reference and yours.

• caesar salad (3 Cups) = 7
• turkey or chicken sandwich = 7
• vegetarian chilli = 7
• tuna sandwich = 11
• lunch meat 1 oz = 2
• fat free lunch 2 oz = 1
• 1/4 cup guacamole = 2
• brie = TBD
• 1 mini baybel light = 1
• 2 mini baybel light = 3
• skinny cow ice cream sandwich or cone = 4
• cookies 2 small = 3
• 1/4 cup hummus = 4
• pizza pizza panzarotti (guestimate based on 2 x-large slices pep and cheese) = 14

FROZEN SINGLE SERVING ENTRES

(I leave some of these in the freezer at workfor days when I can’t/don’t bring lunch.)

• PC blue menu chicken korma = 10
• PC blue menu Indian butter chicken = 10
• PC blue menu chicken tikka masala = 7

What do you eat for lunch? For how many points?

on choosing the right meeting for you

Earlier this week I had a bit of a rant on moralizing food. It stemmed from a meeting experience that wasn’t right for me. If you’re new to weight watchers, or even if you are not, don’t be shy to shop around for the right fit (if you are lucky enough to live in an area with choice).  Avoid meetings like this:

I went to a different meeting with a different leader today. She was more my cup of tea. She didn’t moralize, and she created space for people to engage. Personally, I prefer a meeting where I can chat about my week (and hear about other peoples’ weeks), because I am in it for the community. What do you look for in a meeting?

things for breakfast (and their corresponding PointsPlus points)

I love breakfast! I wanted to figure out the PointsPlus Points of breakfast items so I would know on the go the points alotted to my favourite mealtime. This is for my reference and yours. Enjoy!

• poached egg (2) + 1 slice of toast (2) = 4
• 2 scrambled eggs = 5
• cereal, frosted (4) + a bit of milk (1) = 5
• quaker instant oatmeal, maple and brown sugar = (4)
• 3 slices of bacon = 4
• 3 slices of turkey bacon = 2
• 1 frozen hashbrown = 4
• 2 eggo waffles = 5 (+1 for each tbsp of maple syrup)
• 2 10cm pancakes from mix = 4 (+1 for each tbsp of maple syrup)
• 1 slice toast (2) + 1 tbsp peanut butter (3) + banana (0) = 5
• 20 sour cream glazed timbits = 45
• tim horton’s 12 grain bagel + light cream cheese = 11
• Fruit = 0!
• 11 Almonds = 2
• (jamie oliver’s) granola 1/2 cup = 4
• 1 tbsp peanut butter = 3
• 2 laughing cow light swiss wedges = 1
• tim horton’s chocolate chip muffin = 12
• tim horton’s blueberry doughnut = 6
• tim horton’s sour cream glazed dougnut = 10
• yogurt = TBD
• nutella = TBD

What do you eat for breakfast? for how many points?

on moralizing food

Are chocolate dipped strawberries good or bad food? Is the choice to eat them a bad one? No and no.

But this is not what the Monday WW leader told her group of hopeful weight losers. She warned them about keeping dangerous foods around.

The only dangerous food is poisonous food, or expired meat. Otherwise, it’s just food.

I find the moralization of food that happens at some WW meetings to be disconcerting. It leads to feelings of guilt and shame and exacerbates negative relationships with food.

Enjoying the shit out of chocolate dipped strawberries on Valentine’s day is a choice. And it’s not a bad or a good one. The WW plan encourages you to work out the points, maybe tapping into your weekly allowance for flexibility (which exists for a reason), and to plan the rest of your week accordingly.

The so-called “dangerous” foods the leader was talking about are more aptly known as trigger foods — foods that serve as a catalyst for overeating or unhealthy eating. They aren’t going to sneak around the corner and mug you. They may impede your weight loss goals. They could also facilitate you not going off the plan — you can use  your PointsPlus Allowance for them.

I wish I said something to this end at the meeting. There were like 7 other new people there that day, all nodding along with the damaging dogma, maybe not seeing it for what it is.

post-marathon blues

I ran a marathon October 17, 2010. What an amazing endeavour.  The physical and emotional ups and downs that you go through over the course of those few hours is something I never before experienced. At kilometer 38-ish I started crying. I kept trotting along. Crying. I can’t even explain why exactly. It was tough and I had to keep going. I guess? Then, from kilometer 40 till the end I was beaming.  I was all HOLY SHIT I AM ABOUT TO FINISH RUNNING A MARATHON. I cried when I finished. But they were happy tears.

I had read about post-marathon blues but holy shit. It’s like 4 months later and I don’t think I am over it. I haven’t been able to motivate myself to get into an exercise routine. And it’s so frustrating. Because I know I can. I trained for and finished a marathon and everything. And yet.

My work out buddy just moved away last month. I miss health related comraderie. I miss indepth disucussions about the optimal way to weight train or cardio or whatever. I joined weight watchers today in an effort to get that sense of community back.  And to get control over the eating of my feelings that has been escalating dramatically lately.

I’m not sure I will find a kindred spirit who will rant with me about running and swimming and all that jazz at my meetings. But maybe the internets could help.