Air Your Wallet

It's been almost two weeks since my last blog and I am thinking about the animated movie, Finding Nemo. It is a scene where Marlin the Clownfish who is searching for his abducted son, Nemo, finds himself in the midst of a flock of seagulls in Australia, eyeing him and repeating, "Mine, mine, mine." Of course Marlin escapes and it is a humorous scene - the point is - "mine" writing takes me into a different direction today.

Economic woes have been the forefront of the news. Many people have lost their jobs. Companies are folding. Our spending confidence is shaken. As a result, there is a resounding swish all over the country as people vacuum close their wallets. A new plague of wallet moths are beginning to flourish as has never been seen since the days of comedic tightwad Jack Benny.

Capitalism depends on spending. If you have not lost your job, pay your bills and use your consuming power with forethought, sensitivity and common sense. Go to your neighbor's store, buy something you need and in turn, you will be helping him pay his employees and keep his business. Or buy one of those 2 for 1 sandwich deals nearby and give the extra to the friend who just lost a job.

If you were planning a vacation and have the means to proceed - by all means, get away and enjoy yourself. Frugality can still be exercised by buying fewer sourvenirs or cutting the trip short by one day. The cruiseship, airline, auto rental, hotel will benefit from the money you have spent.

Wouldn't be nice if dropping a dollar into the recession pool created a positive swing, the "Dollar Ripple?"

Happy Valentimes

It has been exactly two weeks and 2.5 pounds lighter since my last post . Progress has been slow with occasional setbacks to old habits. I know this is the road to a healthier lifestyle but it seems so slow; I can usually stay the course during the week, but the weekend routine is harder to master.

I know about incorporating exercise wherever possible in one's daily routine. I live in a 3 story condo where there is no escaping 2 flights of stairs each way to run a load of laundry down; or a flight to remove the garbage. I almost always take the stairs at work when I occasionally venture to the upper floors. Yes, the 2nd floor is where the snack machines beckon but I have been vigilant about making a beeline for the diet soda or rare cereal bar bypassing candy bars and potato chips.

The hubby and I have been walking a bit on weekends when we go into San Francisco. Mind you we are not Olympic athletes but we do walk for a good while. I guess it is time to breakdown and incorporate regular workouts and re-hook up the Wii to the new TV we purchased during the holidays.

We have a wedding during Memorial Weekend, which is no longer in the distant future. My calculations - only 3.5 months away. Hmm, maybe I will send myself positive reminders every weekend on my cell to keep me motivated. A wedding album will last beyond my lifetime and I must look good!

Foods rediscovered - miso, specifically Trader Joe's miso. It is the best miso I have ever had. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water. It's filling, only 45 calories per serving, 1G fat. Yummy. My husband's idea after we had Japanese one night; he noted that miso and petite salad fill you up before the main course.

I haven't planned for the rest of the day, it's Valentimes (pun intended) - a good day to give a little extra affection to my loved ones.

Who are We Kidding - Weight Reduction with no Rules?

So Monday was to be day one … but I was not prepared. By avoiding too many rules, I rode the pendulum the opposite way – a diet without a plan. The grocery store was busy, my husband and I went late in the day and tired; anxious to leave, we purchased a bunch of Lean Cuisine meals and fled.

There’s no escaping the hard stuff. Like a student writing “what I did for my summer vacation” as the perennial essay on the first day of school, I start this plan with “why I want to lose weight:”

1) Better health
2) More energy
3) more attractive appearance
4) to be more attractive in an uncertain job market
5) Make buying clothes more joyful and as a confirmed tightwad – everyone knows there are more bargains in “normal” sizes!

What do I want from a plan?

1) When I have been the most successful, I reduced my calories to a HEALTHY level either at a conscious by or unconscious level. Consciously by searching through a calorie guide or unconsciously by using a plan which provided food groupings of a similar calorie family and value and a plan formula for making choices.

2) I also want to track for my health’s sake – cholesterol, sodium and maintain a nutritionally balanced program based on established guidelines, nothing radical.

3) Tasty prepared foods to cut down on the shopping, planning and preparation time. (Did you ever notice when you start a diet, all that time spent on “s, p & p” mentioned above has you thinking about food MORE than before?)

4) To be able to seek information, see other people are doing - in essence, all the perks of joining a group without the pressure of being the slowest “loser” in the group.

So much for an anti-rule weight loss project. There will be more self realizations, successes, relapses and restructuring to come. Note: these are MY rules … WOOT (personal family success holler) - that feels good!

A Lifetime of Ice Cream around the Midsection

I love food. I adore it. I love preparing it, planning around it and eating it - especially desserts.

Over the years age, lack of exercise and cavalier ignorance of basic caloric principles have taken a toll. The worst part is the excesses can't be hidden. It shows in my pictures, clothes sizes, etc.

My mission is to work back into a healthier, more attractive body whilst still eating, cooking, and savoring desserts. Can it be done? A challenging goal, but I think it is achievable.

In order to come up with a plan, I decided to consider what makes commercial weight loss clinics successful.

I've been to Weight Watchers several times with limited, modest success. The biggest loss I had was time: Meetings, intensive menu planning & preparation according to provided guides, daily calculations of food and exercise. The most I lost was 10 pounds and I felt hungry, judged, and inferior to my meeting-mates who correctly chronicled every morsel of food, experienced writers' cramps writing out menus and shopping lists, and talked about their exercise injuries. All the right elements were in play, reduced calories, exercise encouragement, access to additional online information (for a price), free recipes as well as cookbooks (sold at the meetings.) Membership fees are reasonable but the optional sales can make this very expensive.

Nutrisystem and Jenny Craig seem easier. It is attractive because you receive individual counselling and the price includes all your meals. Very appealing and successful because it eliminates a lot of decisions & planning which means your mind isn't focused on food 24/7. As you get closer to your goal, more behavior modification is introduced to wean away from a diet of 100% prepackaged foods. I went in for a consultation once and was floored by the quote. That's the major negative of these programs.

Next blog - the program.