No need to give up fast food

In my Hungry Girl newsletter yesterday, I saw where a recent study showed that women need at least an hour of exercise a day just to MAINTAIN their current weight.

Whaaa?

I didn’t have time to read much more than the summary of the study, but it did say it didn’t take into account any diet modifications.

Just goes to show that we can drag ourselves to as many exercise classes or onto the treadmill as much as we want, but if we don’t also cut our calories, we’re pretty much doing it for nada.

One way I’ve cut calories is by making smarter choices at the drive-through. (Remember Taco Bell?)

I still eat fast food for lunch sometimes because that’s reality.

And truth is, there are healthful choices … you just have to make them.

My latest favorite fast-food meal is from Wendy’s.

Used to, I’d get the Double with Cheese meal with large fries. That’s 1,290 calories.

These days, I like the Grilled Chicken Go Wrap (ask for no sauce) with a small chili.

Total calories for that meal: 400.

It’s very filling, which is important, and it’s downright tasty.

Mmm. I know what I’m having for lunch today …

It’s like I was training with the Colts (well, sorta)

Wow.

I’ve gotta tell you: I’m truly amazed today.

I was all set to talk about how plateaus are inevitable, especially after four weeks of weight loss in a row.

How I knew I probably wouldn’t lose considering two celebrated birthdays in one week (and especially the Bakery Bogart Catastrophe of 2010).

And how my trip to the Final Four threw off my routine, most notably my inability to maintain my normal water intake while traveling, etc.

Looks like I’ll get to save the excuses for another week.

Let me tell you a couple of things I did right, though.

I walked. And walked. And walked some more.

From our parking structure to Lucas Oil Stadium. And then once in the stadium, we walked even more.

We walked a ramp that I swear was at least a mile long, spiraling up to our nosebleed seats. (This picture is from our seats for the first game. We snuck down into some closer seats for the second game.)

I wasn’t really expecting all that walking, but I was so thankful that I have been working out for a month before having to do that.

By the time we made it to the top, I had thrown my hair in a pony tail and all my makeup had dripped from my face into my shirt. But I made it.

For lunch that day, we stopped off at Olive Garden for the unlimited soup, salad and breadsticks. I limited myself to 1.5 breadsticks and filled up on salad (we asked for the light dressing) and minestrone.

Our dinner was in the stadium. Trust me, the nachos, the pizza, the polish sausages with peppers and onions … they were all calling my name.

But I had a veggie burger and wheat thins. (My friend Karen will love that, considering I made fun of her for a similar menu choice a few years ago.)

Tonight, my best friend and her husband are using the second half of our Final Four tickets for the championship game. I hope they have a great time.

Oh yeah, since you asked: My Lucas Oil Stadium workout and veggie burger helped me lose 3 more pounds this week!

That’s 14 pounds so far.

I knocked out 2 miles on the treadmill this morning, and tonight I’ll head to kickboxing (heaven help me).

I’m starting to think it might just all be worth it.

It’s like I was training with the Colts (well, sorta)

Wow.

I’ve gotta tell you: I’m truly amazed today.

I was all set to talk about how plateaus are inevitable, especially after four weeks of weight loss in a row.

How I knew I probably wouldn’t lose considering two celebrated birthdays in one week (and especially the Bakery Bogart Catastrophe of 2010).

And how my trip to the Final Four threw off my routine, most notably my inability to maintain my normal water intake while traveling, etc.

Looks like I’ll get to save the excuses for another week.

Let me tell you a couple of things I did right, though.

I walked. And walked. And walked some more.

From our parking structure to Lucas Oil Stadium. And then once in the stadium, we walked even more.

We walked a ramp that I swear was at least a mile long, spiraling up to our nosebleed seats. (This picture is from our seats for the first game. We snuck down into some closer seats for the second game.)

I wasn’t really expecting all that walking, but I was so thankful that I have been working out for a month before having to do that.

By the time we made it to the top, I had thrown my hair in a pony tail and all my makeup had dripped from my face into my shirt. But I made it.

For lunch that day, we stopped off at Olive Garden for the unlimited soup, salad and breadsticks. I limited myself to 1.5 breadsticks and filled up on salad (we asked for the light dressing) and minestrone.

Our dinner was in the stadium. Trust me, the nachos, the pizza, the polish sausages with peppers and onions … they were all calling my name.

But I had a veggie burger and wheat thins. (My friend Karen will love that, considering I made fun of her for a similar menu choice a few years ago.)

Tonight, my best friend and her husband are using the second half of our Final Four tickets for the championship game. I hope they have a great time.

Oh yeah, since you asked: My Lucas Oil Stadium workout and veggie burger helped me lose 3 more pounds this week!

That’s 14 pounds so far.

I knocked out 2 miles on the treadmill this morning, and tonight I’ll head to kickboxing (heaven help me).

I’m starting to think it might just all be worth it.

Forgive me, readers, for I have sinned

What started out last night as a sweet gesture turned out as an all-out massacre on my tummy.

OK, maybe it wasn’t that bad. I sometimes exaggerate.

Yesterday was my husband’s birthday, so, in keeping with my philosophy that special occasions are OK for special treats, I went to a local bakery after work to pick up something for the occasion.

We had already planned to eat dinner out because we had a buy-one-get-one-free dinner coupon that we didn’t want to waste. We would have a small dessert at home, I reasoned.

I stepped into the bakery, and it was like an alcoholic stepping into a bar.

Beads of sweat popped out on my forehead as I perused the pies.

I got the shakes as I neared the iced cookies.

I swear one cake WINKED AT ME.

Instead of screaming and running out of there, I took a deep breath and considered what sane people would do in this situation.

I knew I didn’t want anything that would still be in the house the next day, so I wanted something small, not a whole cake.

I ended up getting three individual servings: one for each of us.

One little tiramisu tower, one little cupcake and one little key lime cheesecake serving.

I brought it home, and away we went to dinner, where we were very responsible, both ordering salads and water with lemon.

But because we used the BOGOF birthday coupon, the servers came out singing at the end, carrying with them a warm, giant brownie slice with ice cream, whipped cream and a cherry, all smothered in gooey chocolate.

Oh no! THAT wasn’t in my plan.

We felt bad just getting up and leaving it there, and after one taste, our son wasn’t about to let us leave anyway.

So I had a few bites … a few OH MY GOD HOW I’VE MISSED YOU bites … and left.

When we got home, the mini desserts were still in the fridge, too, calling my name.

I had two choices – eat ‘em or throw ‘em away – because either way, I wanted them out of the house.

Together, we ate them. They were every bit as delicious as I had imagined.

So, today, instead of wallowing in self pity about what a loser I am, I got back on the treadmill for another 1.9 miles. Tonight I’ll Zumba.

That’s all we can do, right? Make the mistakes we’re inherently going to make, and then get back up, brush ourselves off and keep going.

Just never stop.

Tomorrow morning, we’re heading to the Final Four, so this is my last blog for the week.

On Monday, I’ll weigh in and report back here. I hope you will, too.

Forgive me, readers, for I have sinned

What started out last night as a sweet gesture turned out as an all-out massacre on my tummy.

OK, maybe it wasn’t that bad. I sometimes exaggerate.

Yesterday was my husband’s birthday, so, in keeping with my philosophy that special occasions are OK for special treats, I went to a local bakery after work to pick up something for the occasion.

We had already planned to eat dinner out because we had a buy-one-get-one-free dinner coupon that we didn’t want to waste. We would have a small dessert at home, I reasoned.

I stepped into the bakery, and it was like an alcoholic stepping into a bar.

Beads of sweat popped out on my forehead as I perused the pies.

I got the shakes as I neared the iced cookies.

I swear one cake WINKED AT ME.

Instead of screaming and running out of there, I took a deep breath and considered what sane people would do in this situation.

I knew I didn’t want anything that would still be in the house the next day, so I wanted something small, not a whole cake.

I ended up getting three individual servings: one for each of us.

One little tiramisu tower, one little cupcake and one little key lime cheesecake serving.

I brought it home, and away we went to dinner, where we were very responsible, both ordering salads and water with lemon.

But because we used the BOGOF birthday coupon, the servers came out singing at the end, carrying with them a warm, giant brownie slice with ice cream, whipped cream and a cherry, all smothered in gooey chocolate.

Oh no! THAT wasn’t in my plan.

We felt bad just getting up and leaving it there, and after one taste, our son wasn’t about to let us leave anyway.

So I had a few bites … a few OH MY GOD HOW I’VE MISSED YOU bites … and left.

When we got home, the mini desserts were still in the fridge, too, calling my name.

I had two choices – eat ‘em or throw ‘em away – because either way, I wanted them out of the house.

Together, we ate them. They were every bit as delicious as I had imagined.

So, today, instead of wallowing in self pity about what a loser I am, I got back on the treadmill for another 1.9 miles. Tonight I’ll Zumba.

That’s all we can do, right? Make the mistakes we’re inherently going to make, and then get back up, brush ourselves off and keep going.

Just never stop.

Tomorrow morning, we’re heading to the Final Four, so this is my last blog for the week.

On Monday, I’ll weigh in and report back here. I hope you will, too.

Snack attack

(Editor’s note: Happy, happy birthday to my husband today!)

Even though I wrote yesterday about inedible rewards, we’ve still gotta eat, right?

I’ve learned that the best way to tame the beast in my belly is to eat every few hours.

I eat breakfast around 8 a.m. (yes, at my desk … probably not the best scenario, but for me, the most realistic).

Somewhere around 10, I snack. Lunch at noon, and another snack between 3 and 4 p.m.

Dinner is a crapshoot for us these days, anywhere from 6:30 to 8 p.m.

Our first priority when we get home is feeding our son. Sometimes we eat dinner before he goes to bed, sometimes after.

I’m not saying that’s the best timeline; it’s just mine.

So, about those snacks. They’re a must. Otherwise, I will go whole-hog on lunch and dinner. And I’ve been even more ravenous since I started working out.

The trick, as always, is to be prepared.

I have a mainstay of snacks that I buy/prepare each week to take to work.

Anything with a lot of fiber and/or a lot of protein is key for me. Those snacks keep me more satisfied.

I still cut up my vegetables each week and put them in individual baggies so I can grab and go. My favorites are: yellow, red and orange bell peppers, cucumbers and grape tomatoes.

I also like the BabyBel cheeses, though they’re pricey. String cheese is a more economical option.

I keep a huge bag of unsalted almonds in my office. My husband bought the unsalted, and I was disappointed, but I’ve now gotten to where I actually like those better. They are a little sweet.

My favorite new snack is pictured. It’s called Smart Food, which I was scared would translate into Stupid Cardboard Taste, but I looooove these popcorn clusters.

It’s cranberry almond, and get this … it even has real cranberry and almonds in it!

This snack is 120 calories and 5 grams of fiber. It comes in convenient individual servings (otherwise I’d eat a whole big bag, for sure).

Most importantly, it’s delicious.

What snacks get you through the day?

Snack attack

(Editor’s note: Happy, happy birthday to my husband today!)

Even though I wrote yesterday about inedible rewards, we’ve still gotta eat, right?

I’ve learned that the best way to tame the beast in my belly is to eat every few hours.

I eat breakfast around 8 a.m. (yes, at my desk … probably not the best scenario, but for me, the most realistic).

Somewhere around 10, I snack. Lunch at noon, and another snack between 3 and 4 p.m.

Dinner is a crapshoot for us these days, anywhere from 6:30 to 8 p.m.

Our first priority when we get home is feeding our son. Sometimes we eat dinner before he goes to bed, sometimes after.

I’m not saying that’s the best timeline; it’s just mine.

So, about those snacks. They’re a must. Otherwise, I will go whole-hog on lunch and dinner. And I’ve been even more ravenous since I started working out.

The trick, as always, is to be prepared.

I have a mainstay of snacks that I buy/prepare each week to take to work.

Anything with a lot of fiber and/or a lot of protein is key for me. Those snacks keep me more satisfied.

I still cut up my vegetables each week and put them in individual baggies so I can grab and go. My favorites are: yellow, red and orange bell peppers, cucumbers and grape tomatoes.

I also like the BabyBel cheeses, though they’re pricey. String cheese is a more economical option.

I keep a huge bag of unsalted almonds in my office. My husband bought the unsalted, and I was disappointed, but I’ve now gotten to where I actually like those better. They are a little sweet.

My favorite new snack is pictured. It’s called Smart Food, which I was scared would translate into Stupid Cardboard Taste, but I looooove these popcorn clusters.

It’s cranberry almond, and get this … it even has real cranberry and almonds in it!

This snack is 120 calories and 5 grams of fiber. It comes in convenient individual servings (otherwise I’d eat a whole big bag, for sure).

Most importantly, it’s delicious.

What snacks get you through the day?