The Great Tom's Latte Challenge of 2012

Dear Angela,

I agree, small changes can make a difference. It is all about adjusting your eating/lifestyle habits so that over time you have developed a new approach to living. I know readers of this blog can't see actual photos here but you have been looking thinner lately. And beautiful. And happy, which is far more meaningful than the numbers on a scale.

In the past week I have made a rather shocking lifestyle change. I gave up... my daily lattes. Now, a bit of back story here: I was having about one latte a day. Every day. Sometimes I would make them at home courtesy of the amazing home espresso machine (thank you Chris!). Sometimes I would go through Starbucks or a hip indie cafe. It became a habit, a great love but nothing about it said "healthy lifestyle." I have replaced it with drinking iced tea instead or the occasional skim Chai. My goal is to keep this up until my birthday and if I can do this I will treat myself to a reward...



Pictured: Tom's Fuchsia Crochet Women's Classics

Please note: For every pair of Tom's you purchase a second pair of shoes is given to a child in need. This is another reason to heart Tom's. No, they are not paying me to say this. I just like the product.

Now, I could just go out and spend the $58 to get this pair myself without any kind of sacrifice or planning. However, where is the fun in that? Would I even appreciate the shoes in the same way? I think not! So, for me I am giving up a naughty habit, giving myself one pair of shoes that says "I made it" and buying a second pair of shoes for a child in need. And I really hope that child in need receives a pair of Tiny Tom's because nothing is more adorable. I also get the great pleasure of BLOGGING ABOUT IT HERE. So, yes, I will keep the Internet updated as I take on this great endeavor. While some bloggers might write about reaching the top of Kilimanjaro, I will write of no longer having a daily latte...

I realize some people may turn up their nose at the idea of using a reward system for healthy changes. Well, good for those kind of people. I am actually a fan of this technique because it makes it into a kind of game, a challenge, and if I start to think about getting my usual latte then I can visualize these waiting for me in a size eight:



In the future I may even expand my system of rewards to other areas. Food will never be the reward but instead maybe a new outfit, a glitzy watch, or maybe something like a small vacation. I will have to brainstorm further.

Until next time,
Rachel

Small Changes...Big Difference?

Dear Rachel,

I feel as though I've fallen off track a little bit...but also I feel great. By falling off track, I almost mean literally, I have not been to the gym nor weighed myself in about a week or more...I don't know I haven't been keeping track.

It's because the weather has affected me as well! As the sun is now shining in the evening of the new found spring, I find myself driving right past the dreary gym on my way home from work. I really just don't want to spend time in there...

Instead, I will text a friend to go for a walk and the results are beautiful. I've been to more parks and on more trails this year than I've made it to in the past two years. One had like a million garden snakes...gross...but adventurous at the same time.

It was also getting a little too hot for soup for dinner every night and I still can't bring myself to bring salads for lunch anymore after I did it everyday for a while...bleh so sick of them.

So I guess what I'm saying is only the small changes have really stuck...I still drink mostly water, juices with less sugar or unsweetened ice tea, I still watch my portion sizes more than I used too and eat healthier snacks and I still have substituted many of my regular foods at home with healthier Greek yogurt instead of regular, less sugary cereals, more whole grains...no sweets in the house unless they are homemade that kind of thing.

Like I said I haven't been on the scale so I may be completely delusional...but I feel like I look thinner. I have had like three people say so...so I know it's not a big difference, but still its a difference. My jeans seem to be fitting nicer and I'm not as mad at how my clothes look.

All and all I'm pretty happy right now. Maybe I will be happy with what the scale says if I do make my way back into the dreary gym on a rainy day and maybe I will be happy with the result and maybe not, but for right now it seems as though the small changes have made a difference and this healthy lifestyle isn't for nothing after all.

So yes I would say that small changes over a longer period of time DO make a difference...

See ya later,

Angela

Spring Changes Everything

Dear Angela,

Spring is here... and with it my mood has improved 100%. I don't know what it is about the sunshine but now I find myself wanting to be outdoors as much as possible. I am not planning on dramatic weight lose to follow YET because my eating habits have not exactly been stellar. I will spare you the details of what foods have been making their way into my body. You don't need that horror. Not right not anyway. HOWEVER, if I keep making it a habit to stay outdoors, if I do get back to making healthier eating choices and resisting old habits... then you might find me wearing this shimmering black number around town sometime soon:


Dress Source

Or not.

Maybe I'll be the girl wearing a cute swim cover up at the pool, or the girl trying out a new flavor of fresh Raspberry ice cream, or the girl pulling on her work dress pants and asking herself, "Wait, are these pants somehow more snug than usual?" God, I hope not!

The only thing I can say is: I am going to keep trying. What a boring, predictable thing to say, I know. But for now it is where I am. I know I have a long way to go.

I have also been collecting links to share. If you are interested continue reading. This is just from my random surfing around the web.

The Shape of a Mother. A website with the goal of showing a woman's post-pregnancy body. Our bodies often change dramatically after having a baby. Meaning, don't bother having a baby. Just kidding!

New Israeli Law Bans Underweight Models In Ads, Undisclosed Airbrushing. Will this be a new trend elsewhere?

Colleagues Who Can Make You Fat. All about the extra calories associated with work life. Damn that coworker who brings in that pan of brownies. Or the one with that amazing recipe for lasagna.

Also, work related: How to Bring Your Lunch to Work: A Guide. I should probably take careful notes from this article. I appreciate Step 8.

Until next time,
Rachel

Hypertension

Hi Rachel,

As you've been doing better with your healthy lifestyle, I have sloped completely down. It all started with minor things, like getting ranch dressing on a restaurant ordered salad and before I knew it I was craving hot meals from the drive-thru. Then...and I completely blame the warm weather for this...I had ice cream three days in a row :(

I push and pushed myself to be unhealthy and well here I am now...feeling like crap, not just because I went downward on my healthy slope, but because I am a hypertension victim, which up until now was improving.

This morning I woke up with a throbbing headache, fatigue, a tiny bit of dizziness and a tiny bit of weakness. I didn't call into work because I am sincerely hoping this goes away. I am hoping to take how I am feeling in this moment and remember it, so that I don't fall off track again.

On the plus side, due to the warm weather I did do a lot of walking outside. Although, the elliptical at the gym is probably a more intense work out, walking with a friend is great.

I am going grocery shopping TONIGHT. I am going to plan healthy meals and lunches and buy fresh fruit and vegetables. I'm going to start eating oatmeal and fruit for breakfast. I haven't quite figured out lunch yet, but dinner will not have red meat in it and I am not buying anything full of sugar.

I hope I can get back on track....

Trying again,

Angela

Just Add on the Bacon

Dear Angela,

I am sorry to hear that your amazing, nutritious, life-changing salad ended up in the trash! I hope my previous blog entry did not inspire you. Did you maybe consider covering it with bacon or selecting the deep-fried salad options instead?

I am joking, don't worry! Besides, deep-fried salad can only be found in the South. But as for bacon...

I can relate to your feelings on emotional eating. Sometimes I might feel so exhausted or stressed out during the day(!) I find myself going through the Starbucks drive-thru. And on super stressed days I sometimes utter the words, "Venti."

"Venti" translates to: DID YOU REALLY JUST ORDER THAT? I am slightly scared that in some places Starbucks also offers the Trenta. Thank god my city does not. (For readers who are wondering: I always limit the amount of espresso to only shot in my coffee drinks. But as for the milk... well, I love the milk.)

I should also add: drive-thrus are sooo friendly to the life of a new parent. Your baby can be napping peacefully in the backseat and you can just drive and drive and drive- pull over for a Starbucks latte and then keep going. NPR on the radio. Sunglasses on. It is a bit like wrapping yourself in absolute bliss. Of course I do realize the dangers here. And drive-thrus are not exactly designed with a healthier lifestyle in mind.

I also have the fear I might be SPOTTED at a drive-thru, which is a kind of shame I don't think I can just casually brush off. I read today in the New York Times about college students "toning down" their Spring Break wildness because of the fear such photos or videos can be uploaded on Facebook or other social media websites. Well, I have a similar fear: it just involves myself caught with a Venti latte and looking like I should obviously be at the gym instead. I don't exactly know who are these people who might "catch me" either.

Wait, I do know. But all names will remain unidentified on this blog.

I have also found myself using food as a reward system. "You made it through the work week, today is Friday, you deserve a chocolate covered donut for all your efforts! Great job!" But after I devour whatever forbidden tasty treat it is- I never feel a sense of happiness follow. Usually that donut is followed by deep, empty regret. And the question, "Why did I just eat that?" I don't have these feelings when I put something more nutritional into my body. I feel empowered, strong, like I am making all the right choices for my future.

So why the attraction to sugary delights in the first place? I know my BFF Gwen might suggest sugar addiction and there are a million other possible explanations out there. I just know: I might be drawn to that donut or that cupcake or strawberry shortcake or warm rhubarb pie but I do not have those same pulls toward broccoli. I do have an educated mind that sometimes kicks in and says, "Hey, eat this piece of broccoli. Good. Keep going. Don't look back," which makes all the difference.

Until next time,
Rachel

Emotional Eating

Hello Rachel,

I'm so proud of you for setting those goals. They are realistic baby steps to a healthier lifestyle, it's good that you didn't go above and beyond what you think you can do. In fact, I feel like we should celebrate with ice cream sundaes or something...just kidding, but maybe we can go for frozen yogurt again.

I gotta tell you that the same thing happened with me that happened with you and your healthy sandwich. I had to buy lunch today since I still have been to lazy/cheap to grocery shop. There was the glorious smell of pizza and chicken wings presenting themselves as choices...screaming "Pick me! Eat me!" I even walked over to get them and then I found myself unable to do it...I mean I'm unhappy enough with my body.

So instead I picked out this nice garden salad with vinaigrette dressing. I got about half way through it, decided it tasted disgusting and threw it away. The space in my body for hunger filled with guilt of the wastefulness as you expressed, but oh well food isn't everything and I'm so glad I can think of it that way now.

I used to be such an emotional eater...I'd eat when I was stressed out. I used chocolate as a quick fix when I was sad and baking was a way to pass the lonely time, but now I find myself doing other things.

I can't find the link, but one day I was listening to NPR and a guy was talking about "sugar cravings" and whether or not we actually have them. He said that everyday around 3pm he would start to crave a cookie and so he'd walk down to the cafeteria and grab a cookie. However, he then realized it wasn't the cookie he was looking forward too.

It was getting up and leaving his desk, saying hello and gossiping with coworkers. So, one day he decided to get water instead of the cookie. He would crave a cookie around 3pm, and he'd get up from his desk, pick a coworker to gossip with and go get a water. By the time he returned to his desk his cookie cravign was gone, even though he never ate a cookie. Eventually, he didn't crave the cookie anymore, but looked forward to his socializing time.

He discovered that it wasn't the cookie he actually wanted, but the food was an excuse for something else he needed.

Do I 100% buy this? I'm not sure, but I have been trying to follow it a little bit. When I start wanting chocolate really bad or a mocha latte, I ask myself is it the mocha I want or the coffee shop environment? When I go to the coffee shop and get tea I'm usually pretty satisfied. When I go for a walk with a friend instead of getting pie or chocolate with them, I'm usually satisfied.

So when I feel like eating a whole bag of potato chips or making a milk shake because I couldn't find someone to hang out with on a Saturday night...or I'm in a stubborn mood where I don't feel like going out and yet I still feel lonely even though I CHOSE to stay in...if I create something else, like a painting, a clean kitchen or decide to write, I'm usually satisfied.

My emotional attachment to food is limited right now and I must say I feel pretty good about this.

Life can be lovely sometimes,

Angela

My Goals

Dear Angela,

I can feel your frustration. Sometimes I wonder if all this talk of dieting and exercise is becoming so repetitive, so tedious, so boring. I was eating a healthier chicken sandwich tonight (no dressing, veggies on top, grilled chicken) and I was telling myself:

"Good job Rachel. This is so much better than you falling into old habits of putting junk into your body. Good job! Keep up the good work!" but as I continued eating this thought process was replaced with:

"God, this sandwich tastes awful. It has no flavor at all. I'd rather eat nothing than take another bite of this..."

So, yes, I found myself throwing the food away (which probably takes away environmental points along with my health points). And now here I am- drinking Vitamin Water and what was going to be my dinner is now in the trash can. How lovely.

I haven't said much about my new health plans in previous entries so I feel like I should now. I am trying to set very realistic, hopefully attainable goals. Here they are:

Curve my current eating habits... slowly replace unhealthy eating with healthier eating.

Cut down on the lattes. I wish I could eliminate them completely but for now only 1 a day. Maybe eventually I will just switch to tea and I actually prefer iced tea during the Summer.

Continue to research/figure out how single parents can add exercise to their schedule. I just bought a new stroller for the baby this weekend. This means plenty of long walks in the Spring/Summer. I don't know if you know this but pushing a stroller with a baby in it can actually be a great work-out! If you feel the need to try it... ;)

Possibly joining a gym. I know I should already be signed up for now but with my current schedule I just don't have time for it. Or maybe I just need to get better at making time for it...

And, that's it. I know it seems very small but if I feel like I am meeting my current goals then (and only then) will I take it up another notch. Right now I am also optimistic for warmer weather because for me working out should take place outside.

Until next time,
Rachel

The Obsessive Overboard Worry

Dear Rachel,

I really hope that by now you are feeling better, especially since I have been a slacker on responding to your blog post.

It turns out Dr. Derek is a genius. I feel like I reached the 4 lb. goal for the month almost instantly...because voila! I weigh 4 lbs. less in the evening, and a little over 6 lbs. when I weigh myself in the morning.

You think I would be happy right? And really I'm thrilled!...and yet the fear of the scale has not gone away, I still have to take a deep breath every time before I step on it. I mean, what if it says I gained the weight back? and why did pounds 4-6 come off instantly but not pounds 7-10?

The whole thing makes me a little manic. Sometimes I feel better about myself for this new healthy lifestyle and sometimes I wonder why I'm doing it at all. I hate that I think about health, weight and calories so often. When do I know if I've gone overboard? I've been told people with eating disorders usually start with small changes too...do they realize when they cross the line between dieting and disorder?

I am proud that I exercise at least six days a week now, but on that ONE day I seem to miss ONCE a week I do feel guilty. I feel guilt in my gut, even though I know I shouldn't, and as I wonder why I don't instantly drop weight-knowing that I'm not even supposed too and that's not the healthy way to lose weight- I think is it because I skipped exercising today?

Maybe Dr. Derek's plan was only drawn up for the first initial 4-6lbs.

Little by little I've been trying to substitute out the unhealthy food in my apartment for what I am told are the more healthy options (i.e. sprout bread instead of regular, laughing cow cheese instead of Kraft, Greek yogurt instead of regular, Cereals with less sugar and organic soups with less sodium...) and it looks like by next week this will have taken full effect. Maybe then pounds 7-10 will come off? But beyond that I am not sure what the next step could be....increase my exercise? Lower my calorie intake even more? This is all starting to sound like a lot of work...

So here's what I've decided to tell myself, stop thinking about it so much and just do it! The time spent on losing weight will increase dramatically.

Sincerely,

Angela