I made a non-resolution that I was going to rock a new healthstyle in 2010, so here I am, being accountable and writing an update about how things are going.
If you’re totally lost, you may want to go back and read these posts first:
- What Will You Look Like at GenCon 2010?
- Get Fit By Becoming A Food Geek (guest post by Darya of SummerTomato)
- E’s Journey To Food Geek and Fit4GenCon: Part 1
- Geeks Can Cook: Apple Pie Breakfast (#fit4gencon)
- E’s 2010 Goal Word (Not Resolution!)
- The First Rule of Salad Club
- The Salad Club Starter Kit
- E’s Healthstyle Progress Update #1
- The Continuing Saga of Salad Club
- Why I Love WeightWatchers But Would Never Go Back (guest post on SummerTomato)
Food Journaling
I’m still journaling everything I eat on Google Wave. Funny story. When I first started working with Darya, I used to laugh at her food journal because it was always “amazing” this and “delicious” that. Now, I’m the one gushing about farm fresh eggs and goat cheese and asparagus. The mere thought of the local farmers markets and orchard stores reopening is making me positively gleeful!
Meals
I still eat out more than I’d like, but I’m getting to the point now where other food just doesn’t taste as good as the stuff I make at home. I still eat homemade hot pockets for breakfast (it’s the only way I can do breakfast). Probably the tastiest thing I’ve made recently was Asparagus & Goat Cheese Quesadillas. They tasted like Spring! The next day, we made omelets with farm fresh eggs, goat cheese, and fresh cilantro. So good!
Eating at Work
The ThinkGeek Salad Club is still going strong. We even hired a new guy who has joined the club – woot! We’re all looking forward to the farmers markets re-opening so we can get some fresh local produce. I rarely go out with the lunch crowd now, because there’s not much better than my giant pile of fresh veggies. I miss the company, but my food is way yummier! (Not to mention cheaper!)
I’ll still head out if the lunch option seems extra enticing (the last time I went out was for the local BBQ place – gotta indulge that 20% carnivore left in me!).
Working Out
I’ve been a little crappy with getting to the gym every day recently. Between traveling and being crazy busy, I made a lot of excuses to not go. And man, do I feel it when I’m on the weight circuit! I’m going to kick my ass into going every single day this week – bug me on Twitter about it, okay?
The gym was closed for Easter, so I went to check out the walking/biking trail at the local park. It was great – and it’s paved and well-maintained, which means I can bust out my rollerblades on the weekends! I’m pretty excited about that. I know I look stupid rollerblading at my size, but it’s fun and burns calories like mad and I don’t care if I look stupid.
Reading
Darya suggested tons of books for me to read on my quest to becoming a food geek.
Already read:
- Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual by Michael Pollan
- The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite by David Kessler, M.D.
- The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan
- In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan
- Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy by Walter Willett, M.D.
- Good Calories, Bad Calories by Gary Taubes (PARTIALLY READ – It’s tough!!)
- Mindless Eating by Brian Wansink
- Wow! You always think that you can’t be tricked into eating more than you want, but this book shows you exactly how you’re tricked into eating more every day. What’s cool is that he gives tips on how to trick yourself into eating less and losing weight without even trying.
Currently Reading:
- What To Eat by Marion Nestle
- I’ve learned so much from this book. Nestle goes through every aisle of the supermarket, exposing all the crazy marketing tricks, health concerns, dangers, and politics surrounding every kind of food. I also recommend following Marion Nestle on Twitter and checking out her blog, Food Politics.
Coaching
I’m so happy to have Darya of SummerTomato as my healthstyle coach. She’s always there when I have questions, she pops into my food journal on Google Wave to cheer me on or give me tips, and her regular progress reports help keep me on course!
Also, if you’re in the San Francisco area, Darya does in-person coaching where she takes you shopping and teaches you how to cook! Seriously, if I could afford to fly the girl out here to the DC area, I would! Everything she talks about eating sounds delicious.
Weigh-In
My weight loss has been slow, but regular. Since January 1st, I have lost a total of 13 pounds.
After giving up several vials of blood for science over the past few months, I was diagnosed with PCOS, which explains why I’m having a hard time losing weight despite eating much healthier than I did while I was on WeightWatchers. (Female readers of the blog who’d like more details about my saga can feel free to write me. It’s a lovely tale involving birth control pills and the Mirena IUD.)
While some folks could be like “Screw it, I’m doomed,” I’m not. Women with PCOS have a higher risk of getting diabetes, so getting my weight down is still very important, even if it takes me longer to do it. Even if it takes me three GenCons to get down to my goal weight, that’s fine by me. I’ll get there eventually!
How About You?
Are you getting #fit4gencon? Tell me about it in the comments!
Also: Want a Google Wave invite? I got a bunch. Leave a comment and I’ll send the invite to that email address.