Will I ever be the biggest loser?

Yep, you got it. Just watched another awesome episode
of Biggest Loser. I have to watch "my shows" on a DVR
(digital video recorder) or I would never see anything
but those late night infomercials.

I don't know if any of you watched tonight, but I wanted
the biatch, Vicky, OFF THE SHOW! That woman is totally
insane and needs some anger management classes. Oh well.

So a big thing for me is changing my lifestyle and being
comfortable with the changes. It's hard to compare a
chicken fried steak with a handful of almonds. I get
hungry in the evenings and I want to eat. And I would
go to the trouble of making something if it was something
I really wanted or liked. I liked/wanted ALL the wrong
things each and every time.

So tonight I'm sitting there watching Biggest Loser and
instead of eating oreos and ice cream sandwiches, I'm
nibbling on some black olives, a couple of almonds and
a little celery with some hummus. And I was totally
satisfied with it. That's when I realized I might have
crossed that point where I am starting to accept
the new lifestyle. At least I hope so, because that will
make this whole thing so much easier.

If you're not watching Biggest Loser, I suggest you
record it and watch it when you can. It's great!

Healthful Winter Foods

The cooler weather is upon us and we
start reaching for comfort foods.

What's a better feelng than to sit on
the couch under a soft throw, watching
a movie on the new HD Widescreen TV and
munching down a big bowl of chili?

One simple change can make that steaming
hot bowl of comfort a healthy choice.

Substitute ground turkey for the ground
beef or ground chili meat you usually
use and cut out 99% of the fat content.
Reduce the calories by more than half,
and feel guilt free to have a second
bowl if you feel like it.

Being a Texan, I think I know about
making chili. Even die hard fans have
found my turkey chili to be satisfying!

Here's a basic recipe that's so easy
to make:

1 pound 99% fat free ground turkey
1 bell pepper chopped
5 to 6 cloves garlic finely minced
1 small yellow or white onion chopped
(I like the yellow onions because they
tend to be a little bit sweeter)
1 small can of kernal corn (optional)
1 large (28 oz) can of chopped tomatoes
1 can of Original Rotel's chillies and tomatoes
1 can of your favorite chili beans ( I like
the Ranch Style Beans w/jalepeno
1 TBL. Cumin
Chili Powder to taste (at least 4 Tbl.)
Pinch of Cayenne Pepper (optional)
10 to 20 jalepeno slices
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

Brown ground turkey in a large pot.
Chop up with edge of wooden spoon to
crumble the meat.

I like to season the meat while it's
cooking with a little garlic powder,
salt and Chili Powder.

Add all of the rest of the ingredients
except the beans and corn and heat to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer about 45 minutes.
Add the beans (and corn if you like) and
simmer about another 5 minutes to heat
up the beans.

Scoop into bowls and enjoy!

It's low in fat, low in cholesterol, low
in calories and loaded with veggies!

Emotional Eating and the Upcoming Holidaze

When I think back on the happy days of
my younger years, I remember many specific
times when food was the center attraction.

I believe it's a world wide custom that
people celebrate the happy times with food.
We also memorialize the sadder times in
our lives with food. Surely we have all
whipped up a casserole, or baked a
cake to take to a grieving family.

I remember so many great Thanksgivings
when I was growing up. That golden
brown turkey, The Cherb dressing.
FYI: Cherb is the family name

Cranberries, mashed potatoes, giblet
gravy, warm rolls and of course,
pumpkin pie.

Christmas was pretty much the same
thing. Maybe a ham instead this time,
but mountains of food everywhere. And
we all ate like there was no tomorrow.
Gifts had long been opened and we were
there for the food and we were
going to get our fill!

Same thing for Labor Day, 4th of July,
Veteran's Day and Memorial Day. The
only difference is the bulk of the
cooking was done outside on a grill.

Brings back very happy memories for
many people. And I think for me,
with life's strange twists the past
few years, I have used food to make
me feel better. To transport me
to that better time in my life.

Food seems to fill a void, a hole that
has been left in my life. I won't go
into the details of all that, but we
have, most of us, had tragic events in
our lives that have left us feeling
empty inside. Like there is a hole
that needs to be filled.

I realized that I have been trying
to fill that hole with food.

Does anyone else out there find that
they have this same relationship
with food?

Down 10 Pounds 1000 to Go!

Well, I might be exagerating here.

But it seems that once the doc told me
the bad news about my cholesterol and
triglycerides, I got a little more serious
about this.

So 3 weeks after getting the news, I started
watching more what I was eating and how much
or it I was eating. And in the past 3 weeks
I lost that much needed first 10 pounds.

I feel at this point I might grow feathers,
or possibly gills. Chicken and fish, chicken
and fish, ooooh, turkey, chicken and fish.

Here's a tip:

If there is something (in the way of diet food)
that you like to eat, eat it often.

Part of changing the way one eats is the never
ending quest for more healthful recipes. I
personally can't try to come up with something
new all the time. That would just sabotage my
efforts. But I have a few fish and chicken
recipes that are staples now and I eat them
often.

Another Example:

I eat oatmeal and Cheerios for their cholesterol
lowering effects. I like both of them. So,
instead of trying to come up with a new
breakfast plan, I just alternate between
these two.

I add a banana to my Cheerios, so that I
get in one serving of fruit right of the bat.

I add frozen cherries, or blueberries (or
any frozen fruit that you may like) to my
oatmeal. I also add a little bit of crushed
walnuts. And a little cinnamon...This gives
me something to actually
chew on and makes that bowl of oatmeal a lot
more satisfying.

NOTE:

1. Measure our the fruit first. Don't just eyeball
it thinking you know what one serving is.

2. Put the fruit in a microwave safe bowl and
nuke it on a low setting while the oatmeal is
cooking. This way the fruit is nice and warm
and doesn't cool off the oatmeal too quickly.

Be back tomorrow with a few more tips.

Ahhhhh...Tasty Treats - No Tricks!

Chocolate Pudding!

Who doesn't like that?

Jello makes a sugar free chocolate
(and probably other flavors)pudding
that you can make with Fat Free (skim)
milk! It's not bad at all.

30 calories per serving
4 servings to a box
(heck you could eat all 4 and not have
to worry)

0 calories from fat
0 fat period (and no trans fats)
0 Cholesterol
110mg Sodium
Total Carbs 7g
Sugar 0g

This helped me get over a craving.

Also found out that I love celery and
hummus. Together! Better than stuffing
the celery with peanut butter or cream
cheese. Well, better for you. Low calories,
lots of chewing, very satisfying.

Just a couple of things I thought I would
share.

It Gets Easier

One thing I have found is that it is almost
impossible to keep up with what you eat if
you don't keep a food diary.

I highly recommend Spark People for their
diary that not only tells you how many
calories you are eating, but fat content,
fiber, vitamins and so much more. It's a
great way to plan your meals and keep within
the bounds of your dietary needs.

Hop on over to Spark People and tell 'em
CowgirlBlues sent ya. I don't get any money
for this, just fun points.

I cannot say enough great things about this
FREE program. Tons of wonderful recipes,
exercises and a lot of inspiration. It's
a winning (er uh losing) combination!

I'm a Big Weenie

Can't eat one, but I am one. LOL

Ok, I had my little fit about losing
weight because it happens more slowly
than I would like. I'm impatient. I'm
an "instant gratification" kind of girl.

Probably a shared trait with others trying
to lose weight. Just my own mind making me
stronger in number probably.

After about 5 hours at my cardiologist office
yesterday, I came out with initially good
news. My cholesterol and triglyceride levels
were about 40% better than my last visit 2
months ago. And I had lost 7 pounds. Not
as much as I would have liked, but I didn't
do any exercise, just food changes, ie: diet.

Gotta say, this does make me feel a little
better about losin' the weight. Now to step
it up a little, right?

Is Losing Weight The Hardest Thing In The World?

I let this keep getting away from me.

Time has never seemed to move so quickly.

It's as though I am trying to fail at this
sometimes.

I got an injury that set me back a year just
because walking, moving, even just sitting up
became extremely painful.

I'm watching another season of Biggest Loser
go by and I'm still sitting on my couch in a
fog of Vicodin half the time.

Blood tests reveal horrid levels of triglycerides
and cholesterol. I can't seem to stay awake
most of the time...medical tests are coming
next Monday to begin the process of seeing
just how bad I've let food destroy my health.

I know that in order to be any kind of healthy
I must diet and exercise. And still I sit here
not doing anything about it.

Anyone else out there have this sort of experience?

Sleepless in Dietland

Sleep is very important to losing weight!

The Big 3 in Dieting:

1. Eat right (we'll get into that)
2. Exercise (YES we know!)
3. Get a good night's sleep

There have been a couple of studies that show a link
between sleep and the hormones that affect weight loss.

The two hormones Ghrelin and Leptin have been identified
as those that have an impact on our eating behavior.

Ghrelin affects our feeling of being hungry. Leptin
has the important job of telling us when to stop eating.

Being sleep deprived results in an increase in both
hormones that leaves us feeling hungry and never
feeling full. Sounds like a recipe for disaster!

I have been plagued with insomnia for years. Both
the problem of "falling to sleep" and "staying asleep".
I've also had sleep apnea for a long time, but the
weight gain has made that worse.

Last night I completed a sleep study for the apnea
where I was fitted with a mask for a CPAP machine
(Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) I wore one
of these at the sleep lab last night. At first it
seemed very uncomfortable and I thought "no way",
but I slept better last night than I have in years!
I'm hoping that my own CPAP gets here soon so
I can start getting more rest.

Now if I could just find a way to lose weight
in my sleep. Dream on!

Time Marches On

Ok, so I was in Physical Therapy A LOT
longer than I expected, but it's almost
over.

This exciting season of "The Biggest
Loser" has come and gone. Are you as
pumped up as I am?

It was great to have a woman become the
Biggest Loser this year. Go Ali!

There is certainly a lot to be learned
from watching the show not to mention
the TONS of inspiration one gets by seeing
that WEIGHT LOSS is possible.

Granted, not all of us get to go to a
Biggest Loser camp where we have expert
trainers and the right kinds of foods in
the house. Nor do many of us have 4 hours
a day that we can devote to working out
like maniacs. But that doesn't mean that
we can't still take off the pounds, get
healthy again and begin a new journey to
an overall healthier lifestyle. We CAN
do all of that and more.

One would think that just being FAT would
be motivation enough to get started, but
for me, it's taken finding out I have obesity
related health problems to get me going.
I'm pre-diabetic, (what they used to call
borderline) and my Cholesterol levels are
whack, not to mention that my Triglyceride
levels are Off The Chart! Pretty scary stuff.

Years of a sedentary lifestyle have made it
nearly impossible for me to just "get going".
I'm having to start of slowly and build up
as I slim down. No way I could just jump
in and do 30 minutes of cardio training.
I had to start with 10 minutes and I'm doing
that 2 times a day. I know it doesn't sound
like much, but it's a start and sometimes just
getting started is the hardest part.

I'd like to share a site with you that will
help you trememdously no matter what shape
you are in, or what your fitness goals are.
Spark People is an AWESOME, not to mention
totally FREE site that can help anyone get
started, stay motivated and get fit.

I urge you to go there and sign up for a free
account and get yourself going. I don't make
a dime from referrals, but please feel free
to use COWGIRLBLUES as the one who referred
you. Yep, that's me!

Then please come back here and share your
experiences with me.

Anyone up for posting Before and After photos?
Let me know. I'll set it up.

It's NOT Too Late!

How did it get to be this far into February?

Doesn't matter, though, it's not too late to
to follow through on those New Year's Resolutions.

It's been a hard road for me due to some physical
problems such as Degenerative Disc Disease. The
pain makes it hard to even imagine doing exercise.

A recent hip injury has also slowed things down.
I'm now into my 2nd week of physical therapy
and hopefully healing and heading toward more
weight loss and a healthier lifestyle.

I welcome you to join me on this journey as I
study and learn the healthiest methods for losing
weight and keeping it off.

Your comments are welcome and we can help
each other with some support in this sometimes
overwhelming task.

I've been taking a great supplement that seems
to be aleviating YEARS of back pain, so stay tuned
for more information on that.

Please be sure and visit our Weight Loss Center
for information and products to help you.

Click Here To Visit The Weight Loss Center

See you again soon!

Too Late for New Year's Resolutions?

Ok, here it is, January 20. I have hardly begun
the work needed to be done on my resolutions.

That certainly doesn't mean "give up and wait
until next year. Just time to take a little moral
inventory here and get moving forward.

If you have ever watched The Biggest Loser on
television, you know what an inspiration it can
be. Overweight people of all ages and all
backgrounds go to the Biggest Loser camp and
change their lives forever.

It's not just about the weight loss, but about
becoming and staying healthy.

With so many weight loss plans out there, it's
sometimes hard to know exactly what to do.
I think we all know it involves hard work and
a lot of dedication to make a real change and
see it last.