Homemade Favorites

As most everyone in the world, I'm in love with pizza. But those pizzas you get from Pizza Hut and Donatos just won't fit in to my diet or budget. So Chuck and I decided that it was time we started taking matters in to our own hands... literally. I spotted some Trader Joe pizza dough on a visit there a couple of weeks ago and grabbed it. Here's a nice little review: http://www.yumm.com/2009/trader-joes-pizza-dough/. We picked up the herb dough and some toppings like pizza sauce, onions, tomatoes, banana peppers and mushrooms in addition to 2% italian blend cheese and turkey pepperoni. I love turkey pepperoni. We decided that because our tastes are so different in pizza, we would make our own personal-sized dishes. It was hilarious watching us both flour our hands and half of the kitchen as we stretched the dough in to not-so-circular shapes. They only took about eight minutes to bake. However, with all of the toppings, the crust on that side had some difficulty baking.

Because we split the bag for the first batch, we decided to have pizza again the next night. I baked the pennant-shaped pizza for a couple of minutes before we topped it to get that top side good and done then brushed on a little olive oil. It was so good. I'm craving it right now.

Keeping in the swing of things, we make homemade egg rolls last night using chopped grilled pork chops left over from Monday nights dinner, cole slaw veggies and onions. Again, slam-dunk. We deep-fried them but because the wrappers aren't grease-soakers, it keeps this meal low in fat. They were done in 20-30 seconds and it was hilarious watching Chuck throw stuff in there like banana peppers.

I really recommend making things like this at home because not only is it more healthy than store-bought varieties, it's less expensive and you get to do something fun with the people you love... or people who don't mind you throwing flour on them. Same dif.

Candy K.
My clothes smell like fried food today. Gross.

Today is the Day! Boot Camp!

I will be keeping a journal of our days at camp. Complete with the pre- and post-feelings of the day and the workouts. We are SO looking forward to this. I NEED this.

11:25 am - The girls and I are starting the Columbus Fitness Boot Camp today. We will be taking some before pictures during lunch. I am personally quite freaked out because Terra saw Desperate Housewives this weekend and they went to boot camp. I guess they had some sort of a drill sergeant... We have a personal trainer running this. I met her Tuesday. She's very nice, but she's there to push us so I hope I don't bring out the mean in her.

On the agenda for today: Chest/Back/Arms along with a timed mile run/walk/jog and counted push-ups. This will be fun b/c I totally have NO upper-body strength. I'm pretty sure my arms are fat attached directly to the bone... no muscle in there... just fat. Fat that jiggles whenever I wave, laugh or have a good idea. Doesn't take much.

I'm ready and equipped with my Tylenol Back and Body. Let's see how this goes.

Candice K.
251 lbs.
Ready to Rock and Roll... lots of rolls; belly rolls, crescent rolls... I must resist the crescent rolls.

Where Have All the Good Salads Gone?

First, let me say everyone needs to get hip to Eat This, Not That: http://www.menshealth.com/eatthis/index.php. It's astonishing how much saturated fat, calories and sodium is in the food served up by many leading restaurants. For example, it is better to eat a Big Mac than a Whopper. Save yourself 220 calories and 18 grams of fat by making this swap.

Now begins my story followed by RAGE! Last week, Ashley, great friend and fellow dieter, sent me the Salad Hall of Fame according to Eat This, Not That as seen here:

Salad Hall of Fame

- McDonald’s Premium Asian Salad with Grilled Chicken

300 calories

10 g fat (1 g saturated)

890 mg sodium

- Panera Classic Café Salad

400 calories

11 g fat (1.5 g saturated)

270 mg sodium

- Au Bon Pain Butternut Squash Salad

280 calories

6 g fat (4 g saturated)

570 mg sodium

- Jack in the Box Southwest Chicken Salad with Grilled Chicken Strips

310 calories

12 g fat (5 g saturated)

840 mg sodium

-Carl’s Jr. Charbroiled Chicken Salad

330 calories

8 g fat (3.5 g saturated)

580 mg sodium

-Denny’s Grilled Chicken Salad Deluxe

290 calories

10 g fat (5 g saturated)

770 mg sodium

- Arby’s Martha's Vineyard Salad

272 calories9 g fat (4 g saturated)

609 mg sodium

No surprise to me that McDonald's Asian Salad with Grilled Chicken tops the list with a scant 300 calories and 10 grams of fat. This is a salad that I've lived and died by; delicious edamame, sliced almonds, mandarin oranges, mixed greens, snow pea pods, bell peppers and Newman's Own Sesame Ginger dressing (not included in the fat and calories but one packet at 90 calories and 2.5 grams of fat is more than enough to drench the salad). That is, until McDonald's DISCONTINUED the Asian Salad in the Columbus market. I've already emailed McDonald's for some sort of explanation. Just tell me the ingredients are too expensive and I'll pay MORE. Tell me the demand isn't high enough and I'll advertise! No, all I received (and why would I expect any more) was a form letter explaining how they cycle out the old for new, exciting product and they will contact the manager of my region. Who is this manager? Where is his office? Can I make an appointment to visit him? I've got the time. So my plan for bringing back the asian salad is in the works. Stay tuned for that. I might need your help.

Ashley and I were planning another one of our Sunday Bloody Fundays aka SBF. The plan: get in a good workout and do a good lunch to follow up. The only other salads that are available to us here in Columbus is the Panera Classic Cafe and Arby's Martha's Vineyard. So we planned on the Martha's Vineyard. We get to Arby's... NO MARTHA'S VINEYARD! What is going on? Am I in an alternate universe and I am receiving Salad Hall of Fame's from the other universe I'm not a part of? I feel like I'm taking crazy pills! Thus, left with no option, I ordered the *NEW* Italian Chopped Salad and Ashley, the *NEW* Turkey Chopped Salad. I find that my salad comes filled to the brim with pepperoni, salami, banana peppers, tomatoes and a balsamic vinaigrette. Awesome dripping with sarcasm. Looking at the nutrition info, it's way more fat and calories than I wanted to take in. With 282 calories and 18 grams of fat before dressing, I could have gotten a regular roast beef and been happier. Ashley did smashingly with her 95 calories and 11 grams of fat and using fat-free dressing she had at home.

All I know is that I've been burned. The great loves of my belly are disappearing and a few of them I really need. I lost 30 lbs. with the help of that asian salad. Every person I know who tried this salad fell in love instantly. Damn you, McDonald's! You broke my heart... and my diet.

Candice K.

Applebee's Got Served and a Little Soapbox Action

Is it REALLY four points?

The truth shall set you free! OR cost you several million dollars. As is the case with Applebee's and Weight Watchers. A lawsuit has been filed against Overland Park, the parent company of Applebee's and Weight Watchers for allegedly conspiring to dupe consumers in to eating from the former's Weight Watchers menu that advertised considerably less calories and fat than they actually contained. Analytical Labs of Boise, Idaho found that the Garlic Herb Chicken advertised as having six grams of fat actually contained 18 grams of fat. See this link for the full story and details on becoming part of the class action suit: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28586980/

I am a Weight Watchers customer and advocate. However, to hear this news saddens me. I am always scouring the "Eat This, Not That" website and Weight Watchers Online points tracker for acceptable meals to fit in to my diet. With the Applebee's Weight Watchers menu being backed by Weight Watchers, I always considered it a reliable menu that will fit into my diet. With the way Weight Watchers point system works, the fat content being tripled in some cases would only make a 1-2 point difference. However, when you are only dealing with 29 points, that can be a HUGE blow to your day. That could be my mid-day or evening snack; the two Oreo's that I allow myself to indulge in on a given day.

When one is losing weight not only to look and feel better, but to improve their health, this type of thing can shatter someone's outlook on dieting. As we all know, I have been struggling with a serious plateau. It's been very difficult to take off my honeymoon/holiday weight. This sort of thing makes me so angry. Twelve "hidden" grams of fat that is in the Applebee's Garlic Herb Chicken are 12 grams that I didn't even know I had to burn. It's ridiculous. I know it's hard to make things taste good without a little butter here or a little sugar there, but as dieters we've learned to sacrifice some taste for a smaller waistline. Just be honest, Applebee's. That's all we want. America is the fattest country in the world bar-none and it's not ok. But no wonder with the serving sizes that have become the norm. We have to stop this, people. Seriously.

Candice K.

253 lbs.

Weigh-in Wednesday

A Month Older.... A Pound Heavier

I am still having issues getting out of this plateau. I've worked out 4-5 days per week for the last three weeks and sticking to the Weight Watchers diet as stringently as possible. Because of this, lots of things have been running through my head;

"I've been on a diet since I was 10"

"Should I get bariatric surgery?"

"I don't want to be this way anymore."

"Will I ever lose this weight?"



It's a rough place to be and I can either decide to quit or keep on truckin'. It is so easy to quit. I really want to get on with my life without worrying about every little thing that passes my lips. The only problem with that instant gratification is I'll just come back to this place. So I really don't have a choice.

Losing weight is the most difficult thing I've ever had to do... That's not saying much as I have led a fairly sheltered life.


But no one said it would be easy. I know that just as well as anyone.

Candice K.

252 lbs

I'm SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder)

Recently, I've been extremely exhausted to the point of almost passing out in the middle of a work day, I've been sleeping for 9-11 hours a night and I have had frequent headaches. Oh, and I CAN NOT STOP EATING! This is really putting a damper in the progress I have made in my diet. People would ask, "are you pregnant?" I would answer with, "No, Mom. I'm not." There is another explanation, however. During the winter months, a lot of us mid-western folks are prone to suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder or "SAD."

SAD is a form of depression brought on by the shortening of autumn days in to the dark days of winter. More information on the different types of SAD can be found here. Traditional SAD symptoms as stated by the Mayo Clinic include: fatigue, oversleeping, headaches, carbohydrate cravings, loss of interest in activities one once enjoyed, and weight gain.

This article is VERY helpful in understanding SAD from a woman's perpective.

Now, how does one get over the winter blues? Well, we begin with what we are lacking when the sun isn't shining as much; Vitamin D. Our body produces vitamin D with the help of ultraviolet rays. When we aren't getting UV rays, a vitamin D deficiency can develop. Most people who get a good amount of sun during the summer months usually stock up enough vitamin D to make it through winter. But sometimes, we don't. One way to replenish your vitamin D "stock" would be to eat foods rich in vitamin D such as pink salmon, sardines and mackerel. This would explain why my husband doesn't have this problem; he loves salmon. I hate fish, so let's move on. Getting some sun can help. I could start tanning again... hmmm. But the most realistic option for me would be to pick up some vitamin D supplements from my local GNC/grocery store/pharmacy.

Another cause of SAD is the pure fact that our days are shorter and thus, throws off our sleeping pattern. Light therapy is used to treat seasonal affective disorder. It simulates sunlight to allow your body to realign with its natural patterns.

Exercise is also recommended. This is extremely difficult for me right now as I can barely find the energy to roll out of bed in the morning. But if I'm going to get down to 165 lbs. and take that trip to Vegas, I need to get on it.

Candy K.
251 lbs., 86 lbs. to goal weight.
Weigh-in tomorrow.

Fit Mag's Body Type Analysis and Diet

I subscribe to fitmagazine.com and they are always sending me some GREAT articles on fitness.

This article covers the body types that there are, their benefits and drawbacks, and a diet and fitness plan geared toward getting rid of pounds where you want to get rid of them.

I am a "pear" shape. I wear a 12 or 14 top but I wear an 18-20 in pants. This is a rough spot to be in because I can't typically shop in the same section or even the same store to find an outfit. Most plus size stores such as Lane Bryant only go down to a 14/16 which is too large for me, and regular stores, such as Old Navy or the Limited, have an 18 or 20 but they usually run small. I guess you could call me a tween... just on the larger side of the spectrum.

I am pretty much on the low fat diet that they recommend and the majority of my workouts are done on treadmills and ellipticals. However, the education they provide on the body types are pretty fascinating to me.

Apparently, being pear-shaped isn't as bad as I thought it was.

Candice K.
249 lbs.
Today, I will play Wii Sports for an hour.