Friday, April 20, 2012

SATW Q & A

Here's the 3rd installment of Success Along the Weigh Q & A.  I hope you've had fun reading the 1st and 2nd versions so let's get to the third!


Do you think you would be doing this, or doing as well, if the Mr wasn't working towards the same goal?

I think it would be much harder to motivate myself to go down and do the workouts if I was single or if he wasn't on board with living healthy.  I can see the nutrition being fairly easy to maintain but when you know there is someone there that depends on you to be their workout buddy (whether a spouse or a friend, co-worker, etc), it tends to motivate you to just do it.  It wasn't always like this for us.  We spent more years than not sabotaging our efforts so just as people can be supportive, they can also be detrimental if you're not on the same page.  Thankfully we got on the same page 3 1/2 years ago and have been ever since.  While it is easier, it's not impossible to do it on your own.  If you need support, online communities can be a good source of support and accountability like Livestrong.com, Sparkpeople.com and MyFitnessPal.com

What really odd changes have you noticed about yourself (physical or mental/emotional)?

Most people might argue I couldn't get more odd but that's another story.  I think physically the really weird thing is that I seem to be losing "chunks" in places.  A big weird dent in the calf here, a hollow spot in the gut there, a dip in one thigh and not the other.  I expect to be a big loose skin mess for a while but hopefully the swiss cheese look won't be permanent!  As far as mentally, I am finding that I don't "emotionally brace" as much in public.  When I was at my heaviest or the first 100-150 lbs lost, I was convinced people were going to scream insults out the window at me or from the patio at a restaurant, etc.  Despite this never having happened, I'd read plenty of horror stories about obese women who had this happen to them and it terrified me.  I'm a dweller and I would replay that tape in my head forever if some idiot thought they had to the right to scream at me just because I'm fat.  But as the weight comes off and I'm more in the realm of 'normal fat' as I call it, I feel like I can walk a little taller and a little more confidently without as much fear that everyone is looking at me.  


How much time per day/week do you spend on food prep, etc? It looks like you have home cooked dinners most nights, plus your fruit salads.


 Yes, I cook 6 days a week and our high cal day is the one day I get a break which after 6 days of cooking 3 meals a day and prep, I desperately need!  I never actually thought about how much time I put into prep but I might have to write that down for a week just to see!  Every other week we go to the grocery and that night we (okay, the Mr) sits down and cuts the fruits and veggies for the week.  I get celery, radishes, broccoli and cauliflower without fail and he cuts them and puts them into a relish tray for me to keep in the crisper drawer.  Then he'll use the melon baller on my watermelon and cantaloupe and I'll cut the pineapple if we get it because he HATES cutting pineapple.  So that takes about an hour.  Many people have asked if my fruit salad is fresh or from the deli/pre-made.  I always use fresh ingredients when making my fruit salad.  Watermelon and cantaloupe are almost always present and add in's are grapes, half a navel orange or clementine when in season or pineapple.  I always use a Fruit/Veggie wash on the grapes, apples or anything with an edible skin.  Think of how you look through apples.  Pick one up, look at it, it's not right for you, you put it back.  10 people could've touched that same apple you decide to buy and they've all coughed in their hand, blown their nose, gone to the bathroom without washing their hands, etc.  Not to gross you out but I think produce washes are a really important habit to get into.  When I'm on top of things, I'll plan out the menu at least a night in advance (I've been trying to plan a week in advance lately though) and when I'm REALLY ahead of the game, I'll do all of my prep during the day so that when it's time for dinner after a hard workout, I'm not having to do 15 minutes of cutting and chopping in addition to the cooking.  I really like to have stuff like onions, zucchini and pepper pre-cut so I can just grab them and throw them in dishes.  I love to have a bunch of caramelized onions on hand when I'm feeling ambitious because it's an hour of babysitting but I'll usually do that if I'm making a recipe to share on the blog since I'll already be in there.  (Earlier in the week I was baking banana bread and making a batch of chipotle jalapeno refried beans at the same time and still had the energy to make filet mignon and twice baked potatoes for dinner that night!)  So prepping things ahead of time is key if you're cooking every night to save yourself some time and I usually dedicate Sundays to that or if I have an hour or so on Monday after I have a menu in my head for the next few days.


A side note:


If you've ever had problems commenting here, please give it another shot.  I believe I may have fixed the issue and the comments are now embedded so comments can be directly replied to as well.  (Hallelujah!)  I hope this will encourage people who tell me they lurk to jump on in and comment!  :-)


I hope you liked this installment of SATW Q&A.  If you have any questions for future editions, you can leave one in the comments or contact me at mrs {at} successalongtheweigh {dot} com!


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23 comments:

  1. Unrelated to this post, but I finally was able to find/try the Mrs. Dash Fiesta Lime and I'm loving it like crazy.

    I have wavy belly as well from losing in some spots and not the other.

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    1. Isn't that stuff awesome!?! I ALWAYS have it on hand and love to use it on fish tacos, potato wedges, etc. YUM!

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  2. I really need to start doing all my cutting at once. That would make my life so much simpler. I'm going to make that my goal after my next big shopping trip. I think the kids would be more like to snack on veggies if they were all cut up and ready to go. I strive to be like you :) My idol :)

    the_new_melissa

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    1. It really does help SO much! I have to thank my Mr because all the cutting he does is only for my stuff. His fruits are grab and go. You could even do little bundles for the kids and group up some carrots, celery, pepper slices and maybe a toothpick with a piece of cauliflower and/or broccoli stabbed into each end then tie them together with a green onion. Damn, I sound like Martha! :-) Aww, you are too sweet!

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  3. I don't do all my prep initially, but I may try it one week! However I do plan our weekly meals ahead of time and make sure I have standard lunch staples on hand for my husband and myself so we can take our lunches to work (lots of fruit, mini cottage cheeses, deli flats, certain low-sodium, low fat cold cuts, hummus, etc). On Sundays I try to plan our dinners and cook a couple of things. I usually make a big pot of turkey chili weekly with lots of beans. I also make brown rice in the rice cooker so it will be on hand for stir frys and then also make some type of meal in the pressure cooker - maybe a beef stew or cook a chicken. And I might bake some potatoes to have them on hand. That way when I get home from work I've got options and I only have to cut up some veggies for stir fry, etc. But as you know - it's a LOT of work and sometimes I get annoyed at my husband who isn't much help with this kind of stuff. It's easier to be lazy and sloppy and eat a bag of Doritos for supper but I know where that got me! Eating good, healthy meals is MUCH better for both of us. We are losing weight slowly, but we are losing!

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    1. Wow that is a lot of prep! But it does make it so much easier during the week, doesn't it? I love just being able to grab stuff from containers and throw it in this or that dish! Healthy eating is time consuming but way worth it! Congrats on continuing to lose! Woo hoo!

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  4. Great info! Thanks for posting. I agree that I need to do more veggie and fruit prep once I get it. I find it hard to know what to buy every two weeks. I'm at the grocery store more like every couple of days because I plan something and then it doesn't sound good anymore. Although I can see how this could be a problem as I'd be more likely to grab high calorie impulse items. I'll have to work on this but, you're right, all those meals can totally be a full time job!! Also, I feel you on the 'emotional brace' and can't wait to get out of that stage. Thanks again!

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    1. Yeah, I can understand that. Sometimes what sounds good on Monday for the end of the week doesn't sound as good Thursday or Friday. I think the key might be to have stuff on hand that you can turn into a few different things. Like chicken and veggies for either stir fry or kabobs or fajitas so you have a few different genres to choose from. I'm not fully out of the emotional brace (I almost wonder if you ever completely get over that?) but I have no bigger wish than for anyone who knows what that feels like to be able to one day walk with confidence.

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  5. I am here to comment on the not being able to comment. I have had trouble posting comments, so I just quit trying. I have so little extra time that I cannot keep trying, sorry. So this is a test to see if it will work for me. Thanks for mentioning it. Debs

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    1. LOL...well test successful! I've had problems with 2 different ways I was doing comments but Blogger has appeared to fix it so yay for that. Now it's up to you to decide if its something worth your time going forward. I love hearing from you! :)

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  6. I'm really surprised that you eat so much fresh produce and you only go grocery shopping every other week!

    I have weird dents in my calves too. Glad I'm not the only one!

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  7. The produce stays amazingly fresh but a good soak in ice water at the end of week one does wonders to revive the cut veggies. I do make sure that I drain the juices from the cantaloupe and watermelon containers so they don't get mushy and it seems to work. Lettuce for my 'tuna tacos' gets wrapped in foil and it can last a month in there if I let it!

    Dented calf girls unite!

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  8. Prepping fruits and veggies is so much work. I try, but usually don't manage it. Plus I don't have much fridge space - you'd think cut up ready to go veggies wouldn't take up more space than the un-prepped ones but somehow they do. I think it's because by the time I put them in separate sealed bowls the volume doubles or more.

    I hadn't thought to refresh stuff in ice water. I'll have to give that a try. I have a tough time with meal planning too. What sounds good for Thursday night on Sunday may sound awful by Thursday. Having a mix of multiple use items is definitely a life saver.

    I can personally speak to the difficulties of going it alone. Hubby supports the idea of me working to get healthy, and pays lip service to joining me, but his actions don't follow. It is very hard. I have to motivate myself, and talk myself out of bad choices, and it's really tough.

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  9. Your level of preparation is really inspiring for me. I do a lot of it myself, but I could definitely step up my game!

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  10. Your commitment to your good health and success is apparent in many ways, and today is evident in the time you spend making your awesome meals! I am so very impressed. You rock!

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  11. Question: what kind of blogs do you like to read? Who's blogs inspire, entertain or motivate you?

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    1. oh, that's a good one! There are so many great blogs out there.

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  12. Thanks for the info. I am enjoying the Q and A!

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  13. Love the new commenting feature! I'll admit, the previous issues stopped me from commenting more than once.

    So I was at a pampered chef party last night and was really close to buying the pineapple cutter thing they sell, but I'm guessing it can't be as easy as it looks. Any experience with one of those?

    Great blog, as always! :)

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  14. Great post. i was curious about your fruit salads and if you put them together yourself or not. Now I know--YOU DO! They look delicious. Or they looked delicious, back when you were posting pictures of your lunches. I was also curious as to how much prep time those wonderful looking meals takes. Sounds like it takes a bit. Maybe after I retire--I will spend more time making meals that look as good and seem to be as healthy as yours! Right now, I get home from work and they make fun of me for immediately starting on dinner. Actually what they make fun of is how early we eat! But I liked to get it fixed, eaten and cleaned up so that I get starting on my evenings. It's the only time of the day when I get to do what I want--without answering to anybody else, so I'm in a hurry to get to it!

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  15. I just stumbled across your blog from a comment you left on Gina's Skinny Taste blog, and I am so glad I clicked on your link! Two months ago, I switched to shopping every other week instead of weekly and have struggled with keeping all my produce fresh, so I will have to try the ice water trick. I am wondering now if I should start chopping/slicing produce all at once to make it more accessible for snacks for the whole family!
    Seriously, thanks for your refreshing honesty. I feel like I'm getting the kick in the pants I have needed for being lazy with my weight loss goals the last week. It's no wonder I have been stagnant at this weight for 4 weeks - I have not been nearly as intentional about tracking and planning my food. Seriously - thank you. I can do this even when I really don't think I want to - the goal is worth slogging through the work.

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    1. Sarah, thanks so much for stopping by! I'm so glad my blog struck a chord with you! Congrats on your weight loss up to this point and for that yet to come. I think keeping the veggies cut up would be a great way to keep the family grabbing healthy stuff. We do the same with the fruits. Tomorrow I'm going to throw together a fruit salad to go along with dinner too and it's just so nice to have it all ready to go!

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  16. Love the Q & A's!! I go in spurts with food prep, but I've noticed a pattern: when I do food prep in advance by a few days, I'm not only calmer and more motivated to cook this or that, but I don't feel any cravings to fight off. It's like the decision has already been made and the prep work is done, so I literally just have to cook it and eat it. So when I don't procrastinate, I feel no stress with staying on my plan.

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