Hunger in a Time of Fullness...and Not in the Way That You Think

Some days should inherently be good. Good things happen. Heck, maybe even joyous things happen and that day should be inherently good. But it isn’t. Your mind tells you, “BE HAPPY!!”

But you can’t. For me, today is one of those days…

It started out well. I woke up this morning early enough to have a conversation with my husband, a rare treat in my household. I did a little cleaning. I had a long, delightful conversation with my mom. I went to my weigh-in and was down 3 pounds, the most I’ve ever lost in one week in the history of ever. I went to choir practice and was welcomed by a group of people who praised my abilities. One of my best friends received a high honor today that she deserved. This is a textbook good day.

But I’m not happy.

I feel guilty, under the circumstances, for not being happy and for how it affects me. I want to call my friend and tell her congratulations and that I’m happy for her, but I can’t. I can’t be happy for her because, right now, I can’t be happy at all. I send a text message instead. It’s amazingly frustrating, particularly because I know that either tomorrow or the next day, I’ll be absolutely filled with joy for her.

But today, I am emotionally impotent and it frustrates the hell out of me.

Currently, the only solace that I take from this is that when I look back at this day, I can say that my happiness is not completely tied to whether or not the scale shifts down. If I can be sad on a day where I lose, I can be happy on a day when the scale isn’t to my liking.

And at least that’s something.

The Cards Principle

You know, the last time I did this program I got thin. Really thin. But I always had this lingering thought in my head…

“Do I have to count Points forever?”

I mean, my friends don’t have to count points. Most of them can spend some extra time at the gym or cut back a little on their food intake and drop whatever they need.

“If I can just get thin enough, I won’t have to worry about it anymore. I’ll be like them, right?”

Most of you already know the answer to that question. No, I can’t. But I tried to. I stopped counting points. I stopped losing weight. Slowly Within six months, I gained 30 pounds. Ouch. That should have been my wake-up call. It wasn’t. I was pissed off. Pissed off because I thought I deserved to be like “them”, that I shouldn’t have to work harder than everyone else just to be an average size. I was pissed off because I thought I deserved better than what I’d been given. It wasn’t fair.

“It isn’t fair.”

It isn’t fair. That’s the point. We’re dealt cards in life. In my hand, I held Wit, Intelligence, Loving Family, and Creativity. I had some great cards, but couldn’t get past the fact that I wasn’t dealt Naturally Thin. The thing is, I have a skinny cousin who would have killed for my ability to get A’s without studying. I think we should have been allowed to switch cards, but it’s against the rules of the game.

We’re dealt cards in life. They’re not fair. They’re not unfair. They’re just what came off the top of the deck. They’re completely neutral.

So, I guess it’s not the cards in my hand that matter. It’s how I play them. Hmm…

I wish I had drawn the Realization About the Fairness of Life card a few hands earlier.

Right now, I'm looking at points completely differently. It's a way to stay in control, not just of my food intake and weight, but of my life. I know exactly what's going into my belly, what I'm doing with my workouts, and how they fit into my life. I know my schedule better than I ever have because I’m planning for what foods I will have within it. I’m in control. I like “in control”. Which brings me back to my original question:

“Do I have to count Points forever?”

No, but I choose to.

Tastebud Lust and the Mighty Keen Quinoa

Variety on the palette is perhaps one of the most important aspects to maintaining a healthy dietary lifestyle. Being a frequent dieter in the past, I am familiar with the feeling falling into a rut with groceries, eating mindlessly to try to fill the desire for something new. The seven week itch hits my tongue. My mind wants to be faithful, but my taste bud lust is insatiable. For me, getting bored with my food almost always results in judgment catastrophes, not the least of which is ordering a pepperoni pizza and eating the whole thing. Heck, I don’t even like pizza for the most part and yet boredom sends me there every time. Knowing how easy it is to fall into the trap of Plan Infidelity, I’ve reconnected with some of my old food favorites and some new ones to keep things fresh.

Quinoa is somewhat new to me. I discovered it last year in the natural foods section of my grocery store. Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) is a grain typically associated with the people of South America. It’s tiny and has the dry consistency of coarsely ground cornmeal and is just as versatile. However, quinoa is much higher in fiber and protein content, making it the better PointsPlus choice at 4 PointsPlus per cooked cup (1/4 cup dry). When cooked according the instructions (two cups liquid to one cup quinoa), quinoa is like couscous in texture, making it great for tabbouleh-like salads or as a rice substitute. If you add more liquid to the mix, you get a quinoa mush which is about the consistency of polenta or cream of wheat. It’s slightly nutty in flavor, so it doesn’t take much seasoning to make it tasty. It also doesn’t take much to fill you up. I often use it to bulk up stews or as a rice-like side dish. Here are a couple of my favorite ways to prepare it:

Quinoa Curry with Vegetables

This meatless dish is super hearty and deliciously low on points. You’ll never know it’s vegetarian! Prepared as written, this is a pretty spicy meal which encourages eating smaller portions. However, if you have a wimpy tongue, you can always lessen the amount of curry paste that you put in until you find something right for you.

4 Tbsp Red curry paste

1 Tbsp Yellow curry powder (the kind you find in the spice aisle)

1 cup Vegetable or Chicken Stock, if you prefer

1 ½ Light coconut milk (if you don’t like coconut milk, substitute with either evaporated milk or cow’s milk. Just be sure to adjust the PointsPlus values)

1 cup Uncooked quinoa

2 cups squash, sliced

2 cups Uncooked potatoes, coarsely chopped

1 can Chickpeas, drained

½ cup Golden seedless raisins

Salt and Pepper to taste

Pour coconut milk into a medium-sized pot on a medium high stovetop (I use a cast iron dutch oven). Whisk curry powder and paste into the milk until thoroughly blended. Add broth, squash, potatoes, and chickpeas. Sauté until potatoes are soft. Add quinoa. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the quinoa pops off its hull and becomes al dente. Add raisins and simmer until it reaches desired texture.

Yields 6 servings at 8 PointsPlus per serving

The Many Faces of Chicken Thighs with Quinoa

This is a quinoa mush recipe and it changes to the seasonings you add. Add basil and oregano for an Italian feel. A packet of taco seasoning and some chopped peppers make for a fun Mexican flair. For a creamy comforting dish, replace the tomatoes with cream of mushroom soup, milk, broccoli, and roasted garlic, using Herbs de Provence for an aromatic bouquet. Versatility, thy name is Quinoa!

8 Boneless skinless chicken thighs

16 oz. Crushed tomatoes (or cream of mushroom soup)

1 ¼ cup uncooked quinoa

3 cups Chicken stock or broth

Salt and Pepper to taste

Seasoning to taste

Toss all ingredients in crock pot. Cook on High for 4 hours or until chicken is cooked through and quinoa is cooked to preference.

Yields 5 servings at 8 PointsPlus per serving

A note on Quinoa:

If you don’t know where to look, quinoa can be quite expensive. The best way to get it is to buy it in bulk. I get mine at Costco ($9 for 4 pounds). You can also find it in many organic and natural foods stores. Good luck and happy cooking!

Still Here. Still Working

It’s hard to blog regularly. Blogging doesn’t pay money and sometimes finding the time to indulge the inner health writer is hard to do, particularly when going to work and rehearsals and all those other bits and pieces that seem to hold my life together so beautifully. However, despite what my absence might imply, I’m still doing it. I’m still doing WW and doing it successfully. I’ve also started working at Curves gym for women again which has fulfilled my need for exercise pretty perfectly. Despite being sadly low on funds, I’m doing pretty well.

“How well?” You might find yourself asking.

Weeeeeelll…in the 13 weeks I’ve been doing Weight Watchers I’ve:

· Lost 17.4 pounds.

· Lost 16+ inches.

· I've been regularly meeting my daily healthy foods guidelines.

· I’ve been working out 3+ times a week.

· My clothes are looser.

· My life is more organized.

I have more energy than I’ve had in 5 years.

So, I guess what I’m saying is that this is working for me. I’ve not expected miracles. What I have expected is that being a better me requires hard work to yield substantial results. Thus far, my expectations have been met. What I’m doing right now is not unsustainable and I can continue to do it for the foreseeable future. Win-Win.

Speaking of the foreseeable future, I do have something to work towards. My husband and I have scheduled a cruise for January 2012. That’s 290 days and 41 weeks to get into the best shape that I can for that vacation. In the next few days, I’m going to set some goals and make a plan to reach those goals. Nothing unreasonable, though. This is about me getting healthy, not about dropping pounds as fast as I can. As Aesop’s famous tale once said, “Slow and steady wins the race.”