Food and NWCR

Sorry to interrupt the safari.  I gotta talk about regular stuff for a while!  First of all, I finally joined the National Weight Control Registry!  I know, a little late to the game.  I just never got around to filling out the form online.  Thanks to Debra SY for her encouragement.  I got the preliminary forms in the mail (it is actually a research project, so you have to sign a lot of stuff, which was a little intimidating.)  But I finished up, and they had you fill out a stats page and before and after pictures.  This was actually really encouraging to me, so I thought I’d share it here on the blog.

Current weight: 168

Date I first reached and maintained this weight: July 2006

Highest weight I have ever been: 262 pounds (I have never ‘claimed this weight on the blog before–always use 255.5, because this is the weight I was when I started this last trip down the scale.  But I did indeed see 262 on the scale for a bit of time…)

Lowest weight you have been: 155 pounds

Date you first reached this lowest weight: November 2006

Some of you might not know my recent history.  Since reaching 155 pounds I have gone back and forth between that weight and 168.  I made a decision to maintain at 168 in October 2010 and wrote about it here and here.  Gotta admit, its not easy to maintain at any weight.  And I am still thinking about going back down to that lower weight of 155.  We’ll see what the new year brings.

Anyway, along with the survey and the consent form, the NWCR asked for photographic proof of weight loss, and I scrolled through my millions of photos to find these two to share with them:

Now that’s encouraging.  Especially since I’ve been saying from the start of the Africa trip that I feel old and fat.

If anybody is not familiar with the National Weight Control Registry, they are a group of doctors who mostly gather information from successful weight loss maintainers, and share that information so that others might be able to successfully lose weight and maintain that weight loss.  Yes, the information is pretty basic, but I have used that information myself as the basis on which I lost the weight, believing I would have to make those changes permanent in my life in order to have permanent weight loss.  Some of their basic research findings are reported here. These are the findings that I took to heart.  They encourage me every time I read them, because I have embraced these changes, and these changes have helped thousands of people to successfully maintain a weight loss.

• 94% increased their physical activity, with the most frequently reported form of activity being walking.

• There is variety in how NWCR members keep the weight off. Most report continuing to maintain a low calorie, low fat diet and doing high levels of activity.

• • 78% eat breakfast every day.
  • 75% weigh themselves at least once a week.
  • 62% watch less than 10 hours of TV per week.
  • 90% exercise, on average, about 1 hour per day.

Eating breakfast:  Changed from being proud that I didn’t eat until 1pm, to embracing breakfast as my most favorite meal of the day!  Most days I eat 500 calories before noon.

Weighing:  Well, I’ve flip flopped on this.  After my scale broke, I did not replace it, which I believe is a good decision.  I weigh myself at the gym at leasst once a week, which for me is a good checkpoint.  Because sometimes I ‘feel’ fat and start to obsess in a not so good way.  For me this works.

Less TV?  Ha, didn’t remember this one, but I have NO television!  Of course, I have replaced that somewhat with the internet and movies.  But my time is more flexible now–not tied down to watching a certain show at a certain time every day (waving goodbye to Oprah…)

Exercise:  Every time I read that stat about most maintaining their weight loss through walking as exercise it cheers me up!   But the 1 hour a day really got me down in the beginning.  That is a serious investment of time.  Now, it just seems like it is part of my life.  I might not get in one hour every single day, but the average is pretty darn close.

As the Mary Richards song goes, You’re gonna make it after all!

And now for the foodie news.  Here’s some of my latest eats.  Will post recipes over on the other blog later today.

A great salad:  I made those great oat bran muffins, and had some chopped apples and carrots left over  (this was the first time I used my mini food processor to grate the carrots–whee!  very fast!)  so I added these to baby greens, that goat cheese and cranberry stuff that is so good, and just an ounce or so of chicken.   Used my usual combo of mustard/olive oil/syrup/balsamic vinegar for the dressing.  YUMMM!!!

One of the fun parts of checking out new blogs is that they lead you to other new blogs.  I have been enjoying Wendz’s healthy cooking blog.  I checked out one of her links, Snack Girl, and she had an interesting substitution for kettle corn.  While this was not exactly like kettle corn, it sure was good!

Its always hard to share picture that look like, well, stuff other than food.  But I love this spackle so much, and it is so filling, I wanted to share my version of this recipe.  Originally I saw it on Pubsgal’s eating blog, and I think Mizfit also has a version.  It is a little like The Fitnessista’s breakfast cookie.  Anyway, I’ll share my version here.

And finally, a slow cooker healthy version of one of my oldest most favorite comfort foods, beef stew! This baby came in  at only 320 calories for a 2 cup serving!

My sweet boy, tired out from his vacation at the trainer’s!

I promise I’ll get those recipes up later in the day.*  Right now I have to get out and get that one hour of required exercise in–gotta maintain this weight loss.  The NWCR has my number now!  (*links already added!)

BTW, honest opinions–does the dark background of this blog drive you nuts?  Is it too hard to read?