Made the right choice?
Tuesday, my son and I headed to St. Cloud to pick up a pair of "throwing" shoes for him. He's throws shot put and discus in track. On the way, my car broke down. Fortunately, it was five minutes from an exit. It was my water pump - it seized up causing the belt the get all mangled up and the tensioner pulley to melt. I was not a happy camper.
Luckily, they had a loaner car that we could take to finish our trip to St. Cloud. After we were done in Scheel's, my checking account $85 lighter, my mood was still less than great. My son had mentioned earlier that he wanted to go to PretzelMaker, one of his favorite places. I started heading there and he said we didn't have to, but I told him that after what had just happened with my car, I was definitely in need of a treat.
I usually get the pretzel bites with parmesan cheese sprinkled on them and then cheddar cheese for dipping. I knew I was really not in the right mind set to be going somewhere so tempting, but at that point, I didn't really care. I ordered the small bites with parmesan and the cheddar cheese and then at the last second, right before she grabbed the cheese, I switched it to the plain red sauce instead. I knew that the cheese was at least three WW points and that the sauce was zero WW points. Although I still got the parmesan bites, I was happy that I switched to the red sauce instead of the cheese.
The next day, I had to go back to Albany, where my car was being fixed and pick it up. Work was stressful that day and I was still kind of in a rotten mood because of my car. As I was driving out of town, I really, really, really wanted to stop at the Dairy Queen for a hot fudge malt. But I didn't. Then, I thought I would just stop at McDonald's for a Shamrock Shake. But I didn't. I drove right by both places and made my way to Albany.
After I picked up my car and paid the bill - OUCH! I was told it would be about $375 and it ended up being $438! - I really, really, really wanted ice cream. Bad. Again, I was going to go to the Dairy Queen. I had a pretty intense conversation with myself. Seriously. I didn't go to the DQ, I made my way back on the Interstate.
When I got back to Alexandria, I made my way to Walmart and drove past Wendy's. I really, really, really wanted to stop and get a chocolate shake and French fries. But I didn't.
Instead, I went into Walmart and bought a bag of sugar snap peas, an apple and the new red velvet cake flavor of Yoplait light yogurt. I crunched on those peas all the way back to the office and gosh they tasted awesome. Poor peas, I took my frustration out of them! I worked for about an hour and a half. I finished off the bag of peas, ate my apple and savored every bite of the yogurt.
I was so happy and proud of myself. Really, I was. I knew the ice cream would have tasted great, but it definitely wouldn't have made me feel any better about my stupid car. And after eating the peas, yogurt and apple, I did feel better....because I made the right choice.
Now that's not to say I will always make the right choice, but this time I did and I was very happy about it. Although I am still not happy about the $438 car repair bill!
P.S. Don't forget, you can get more of the Fat Girl by looking me up on Facebook! Become a fan!
Posted by: Confessions of a Fat Girl on 3/11/2010 at 6:30 AM | Comments (2) | Permalink
Tags: alexandria, choices, eating, food, health, weight, weight watchers
A weight loss snob?
Am I turning into a weight loss health snob? Because I sure feel like it. Sometimes.
First off, I am by no means uber fit and trim. I still have plenty of belly jiggle and wiggle and fly-away flabby arms, but I feel good. I feel healthy. Or at least a lot healthier than what I used to be. I am actually pretty darn happy where I am at...for the most part anyway. Yeah, that whole toning up thing is what I am aiming for now. Less flab and more firm. I would love to be toned and a little muscular looking. But not Jillian Michaels muscular. That's too much for me.
Second of all, I am by no means an expert when it comes to health and fitness. Although at times, people may think I am and I would love to be, but I am so not. I have come a long way in the last year and a half and I have learned plenty about portion control and eating the right foods and exercise, but I still make mistakes. Often.
But see, here's the thing. When I watch TV and see ads for weight loss programs or God forbid, quick-fix diets, I cringe. Bad. Sometimes, I even talk back to the television. For instance, when Sara Rue comes on and talks about how much weight she lost in such a little amount of time, I sneer and wrinkle up my nose. I ask her, like she can really hear me, "Yeah, so what's gonna happen when you get off the plan? When you have to eat real food?" Seriously, like she's gonna answer me.
And it happens when I hear people talk about other plans, like the kind where they drink stuff and take pills. I try to be upbeat and not question their enthusiasm or commitment. I try to be positive and congratulate them for doing something, although I may disagree wholeheartedly. I really hope I don't come off as some kind of know-it-all-snob, because I really don't want to. I am just so excited about everything I learned and how it worked for me.
And the thing is, I have done those things. I have been in their shoes. And yes, it does work. Temporarily. That's the whole kit and kaboodle. It is always temporary. Always. I wish I could scream from every mountain top that people need to learn how to eat in the real world, in real situations, with their family, their friends, their co-workers, at home, at a restaurant - whatever and wherever.
I am not saying I am perfect or that what I am doing is the "right" answer. I realize that everyone has to find what works for them, but really, come on, you can't live on pills and shakes or prepackaged foods forever. But you can live on real food...healthy food (of course you have to mix in a little naughty food from time to time!). Foods from the basic food groups, you know, the ones you learned about in elementary school.
Okay, so maybe I am turning into a weight loss health snob. But you know what, maybe deep down inside, I kind of like it. Maybe this is my calling. Maybe.
Posted by: Confessions of a Fat Girl on 3/08/2010 at 8:18 PM | Comments (5) | Permalink
Tags: alexandria, eating, exercise, food, health, weight, weight loss
I wanted to run out of the store
Yesterday, my hubby and I were doing a little grocery shopping and about halfway through, I wanted to run out of the store - literally.
We stopped there after work and before we had supper. Yes, my stomach was empty and yes, it is always a bad - very bad - idea to go to the grocery store when you are hungry. We had to pick up some provolone cheese for our French dips we were having for supper. Did you know that Sargento cheese (my sister will love me for this one - she works for Sargento) makes a reduced fat provolone cheese that is only one WW point per slice. I was pumped. Also, did you know that making French dips on Arnold Sandwich Thins are really, really good! We used a very lean sirloin roast, which was also very tasty.
While we were at the grocery store, we also picked up items for our fondue night tonight with our friends, Brad and Linda. About once a month, we have them over for food, fun and games. They are way cool and we always have so much fun with them.
Anyway, as we were making our way around the store, all the bad-for-you-foods started jumping out at me and tempting me. Seriously, it was awful. I was starting to get really hungry by now; it was nearly 6 p.m. We happened to go down the chip aisle - my husband wanted to get some pretzels. The caramel puffcorn nearly jumped into our cart. The Doritos were begging me to take them home. And the Cheetos, seriously, it was like I had to quit staring at them (I think I may have drooled a bit) because it was like they had these puppy dog eyes and and they were so sad and needed a home. No chips came home with us. Thankfully.
I told my husband it was time to go. I didn't tell him I thought I was maybe going a little crazy. Then, my cart turned down the ice cream aisle. Not sure why. Again, this feeling came over me and it was almost like I was starting to feel a bit panicky. I didn't like it. I could seriously feel all my willpower starting to fade away. I felt like a drug addict in search of one more hit. It wasn't the best feeling in the world. And it was a feeling I haven't felt in a really long time. The yearning for fattening foods.
We made our way out of the ice cream aisle free and clear. Now, it was onto the bakery department, well, actually the bread section of the bakery department. We needed to find some kind of bread for the cheese fondue we would be having tonight. I got seriously excited when walking down the bread aisle and I found the Thomas Bagel Thins I knew would be coming out. They are like the Arnold Sandwich Thins, but are bagels. I tried them a couple of weeks ago and have been waiting very patiently for them to hit our stores and there they were. I was ecstatic! By the way, they are also only worth one WW point.
Walking through the bread section of the bakery, the baked goods, of course, caught my eye. The drool started again when my husband showed me some kind of chocolately, fudgey, cake thing. I did almost kick him for doing that, but I didn't. After he set it back down and walked away - easily, I might add - I picked it up and starred at it for awhile, examining it, drooling over it, really wanting to put it in my cart. At that point, it would have been very interesting to see what my blood pressure would have been. I bet it was high. The dessert stayed on the shelf. Thankfully.
I told my husband again, for probably the third or fourth time, that it was time for me to go. NOW. I had to get out of the store before our cart was filled with foods I know I would have regretted buying. It really wasn't his fault that we hadn't left the store yet, I kept finding things to look at as well. But I knew this time, it really was time to go. My willpower was almost down to nothing.
We made our way to the checkout and of course, what is at every single checkout lane? Candy bars and other tempting junk foods. Seriously, does that stuff have to be there? I don't think so. One item did jump - almost leaped - into our cart. But it wasn't that bad. Actually, it was really good. It was a small bag of smoked almonds. And, yes, I shared the bag with my husband.....although I really wanted to hog it for myself. By the way, nuts are a good source of protein and when eaten in small portions, are good for you.
Other than that, we, or should I say I, made it out without any bad-for-me-foods. I was happy and proud. And as I walked out of the store, almonds in hand, my willpower skyrocketed right back where it needed to be. Thankfully.
Posted by: Confessions of a Fat Girl on 3/06/2010 at 10:05 AM | Comments (3) | Permalink
Tags: alexandria, eating, food, grocery store, shopping, weight, weight watchers
And people thought I was bold, brave
When I started my blog more than a year ago, many people - friends, co-workers, family, strangers - thought I was brave for sharing my story. But I didn't think so. First of all, when I started my blog, I was an anonymous person. I didn't tell anyone who I was. Yes, there were a few people who figured it out, but I never revealed my identity. I wasn't brave because I hid behind the title of my blog.
It wasn't until August 9 of last year when my readers learned who the real "Fat Girl" was. It's me, Celeste Edenloff, a 37-year-old woman who lives in Alexandria, Minnesota, who is a reporter for the Echo Press newspaper (my name in the paper is Celeste Beam - it's a long, complicated story!), a mother to Brandon and a wife to Al. So really, was I that brave when I first started?
I don't think I was/am as brave as Karin L. Nauber, who also happens to be a reporter. Karin works for the Independent New Herald, a newspaper based out of Clarissa, Minnesota that covers news in Todd County.
A co-worker of mine gave me the newspaper and told me to check it out because there was an article in it she thought I would be interested in. She was right, there was. In the March 3 edition of the paper on page 5 was an article written by Karin about herself. It was titled "Be a loser with Karin."
Karin recently began the "2010 Be A Loser With Karin" weight loss challenge. She did the same challenge in 2009. In the article, Karin listed her weight at the end of the 2009 challenge and then her starting weight at the beginning of this challenge. I liked the way she admitted that she gained weight, "It seems I have gained a bit. Nah, let's be realistic. I gained a lot." I like her approach, her humor and her honesty.
I also liked how she set her goal. She said her plan is to lose 25 pounds in the next 12 weeks. Although it is a little lofty or as she put it, hefty, it is definitely better than her original goal, which was to lose 40 pounds. Yikes! That would have been probably a little more than she could have handled. Karin said her friends told her she needs to be more realistic and I couldn't agree more.
It happens for so many people when they decide they need to lose weight. They set this unrealistic goal and when they can't reach it, they are frustrated and disappointed and most often, they give up. I have seen and heard it so many times. I've even done it. Several times. Anyway, in her article, Karin challenges her readers to set a realistic goal with some good, healthy ways to achieve that goal. Again, I couldn't agree more. One of the ways she is going to try and achieve her goal is by watching her portion sizes. Karin said she is going to try to attempt eating portion sizes that are more suitable for one person instead of three. Seriously, she couldn't be more right. As a society, we eat WAY too big of portions. It truly is ridiculous. Really.
Karin is going to be writing about her progress in her newspaper, as well as in a blog. I am going to be honest here, I wasn't going to write about her because I didn't want to lose my readership. I wasn't going to give you her blog website address because sometimes, I am little selfish and I can admit that. But there is something about this woman, who by the way, I have never met in my life, that I find fascinating.
So, check her out. Follow her like you follow me. But, now here's the selfish part of me, don't quit reading me. Don't give up on me. I love all my readers. I love that you take the time to read my blog and comment when you have something to say. I like - okay, thrive on - that feedback. But I think you should take the time to read her as well and let her know that she has followers, that she has supporters. So, here it is, check out Karin: bealoserwithkarin2010.blogspot.com/
Oh, and let me know what you think. And also don't forget, you can become a fan of Confessions of a Fat Girl on Facebook. Check it out, I think you might like it. Thanks again for reading...all of you are greatly appreciated!
Posted by: Confessions of a Fat Girl on 3/05/2010 at 7:15 AM | Comments (0) | Permalink
Tags: 2010 be a loser with karin, alexandria, beam, celeste edenloff, eating, echo press, exercise, food, karin l nauber, nauber, weight, weight loss, weight loss challenge
My average weight loss? .8 pounds per week
Why is it that when women decide they need to lose weight, they want - or expect - it to come off super fast and super easy?
We - as in women and men, too - need to get real about this. Most of us didn't put the weight on overnight. It slowly packed on and then one day, it seemed as though all of sudden we were 20 pounds heavier. In my case, it was 40+ pounds heavier. In my new healthier living journey - when I was in my weight loss mode - I only averaged a weight loss of .8 - yes, point 8 - pounds per week. Was it a little depressing? At times, but I knew in the long run it was better. I was okay with it. Yes, there were weeks when I had one or two pound losses and weeks when I didn't have any losses and of course, weeks when I had gains. But when averaged out over the 10 months it took me, the average was .8 pounds per week.
Women beat themselves up if they don't see weekly losses of 2, 3, 4 or even 5 pounds. But the thing is, they shouldn't see those big losses. It truly isn't good for your health. If someone loses 5 pounds in six weeks, that is AWESOME! Research has indicated that the slower it comes off, the more likely it is to STAY OFF and isn't that what we all want in the long run? There are countless articles on the Internet that stress the fact that people should lose weight slowly. Yes, there are also tons of ads for products and what not that scream about losing weight quickly. "Lose 30 pounds in 30 days!" Whatever. That is so not realistic - or HEALTHY! Ads like that are just a scam if you ask me.
I encourage all of you who are in the process of losing weight to take it off slowly. Aim for at least one pound per week, maybe two, but don't get discouraged, don't give up if it is less than that. Keep going. Keep trying. Keep doing what you are doing. After a month or even two months, take your weight loss and average it out and see what it is. Even .5 - yes, point 5 - pounds per week is still a loss. It is definitely better than a gain, right? Just be proud and happy of any loss you have, but don't give up if you have a gain one week. Be patient.
I seriously can't stress enough about that. I also can't stress enough about the fact that you don't have to completely give up the foods you love. You can still eat ice cream and lose weight. And I am totally serious about that. Seriously people, it's about portion control, self control, exercise and mind control. If you believe you can do it, YOU CAN. Plain and simple. But you have to want it bad enough to make the change - not for a month or two, but for the rest of your life. That doesn't mean eating salads forever either. You have to relearn how to eat, you have to incorporate fruits, veggies, lean proteins, grains, healthy oils and dairy and whatever else I may have missed. But you don't have to cut out chocolate or chips or ice cream or candy or cake and cookies. You just have to learn control.
I am not saying it is always easy, because as all you have read, I have my days. But as time goes by, I have more better days than I have crappy days. Did that make sense?
Alright, I am done ranting for now. But please, please don't get discouraged when you have only lost five pounds in seven weeks or whatever your numbers happen to be. Just be proud and happy it was a loss. And be proud and happy you didn't gain!
Posted by: Confessions of a Fat Girl on 3/02/2010 at 1:30 PM | Comments (1) | Permalink
Tags: alexandria, exercise, food, health, weight, weight loss, weight watchers
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