Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Matabolism revved up?

So I was expecting scale disaster this week after a weekend of unbridled intake of food, coupled with lack of activity due to two sprained ankles.  (I did one Friday at racquetball and the other later Friday at softball.  Ugh!)  How many pounds would I be up by Monday?  4?  5?  No!  Only about 2.  I still didn't work out yesterday except for mowing, but tonight after basketball I'm back down lower than I was last Thursday at the weigh in.  I can't believe it.  The only thing I can think of is that maybe my metabolism is actually running a bit faster these days.  That, or there's just a delayed reaction when you eat fatty food, and the bad news is still coming.  I prefer to believe the former.

I also can't believe how much energy I had this evening playing hoops.  The difference between tonight and two weeks ago is night and day.  We played 7 games full court (only to 7), and I was still hustling and sprinting in the final game.  I felt great, not winded at all.  What a difference 20 pounds and some activity makes.

Thought For The Day:  Temptation (food wise) can apparently show up anywhere, not just at the grocery store.  Case in point:  Today I went to Merrifield Garden Center to replace a tree that had died.  Should be safe, right?  Wrong!  The new tree was $30 less than the old one so I had some store credit I tried to use up.  Catherine picked out some flowers for mommy, but there was still some left so I looked around.   And they sell...Virginia peanuts!  Only one of my all time favorite foods.  So big, so crunchy, so flavorful.  Ever since the Colemans turned me on to them (see guys, my weight problem is partially your fault!), I've had a hard time weaning myself off.  At any rate, I didn't expect to see them at a nursery, but there they were in a nice little display, calling out to me.  So did I get the standard, delicious variety?  Nope, the even more delicious chocolate-covered variety!  Ah well, you know what they say, never go tree shopping when you're hungry.

Discussion Topic:  Fast Food.  Where do you health conscious people out when you're out?  I love the McDonalds southwest salad with the grilled chicken.  I haven't checked the website for nutrition info for the salad itself, but the dressing is really low fat/cal.  Any other healthy/convenient suggestions?

Edit:  Looked up the salad info on the McD's site.  With dressing and chicken, 420 calories, 15 fat, 6 fiber.  That's 9 points on Weight Watchers, which is a little high but so much better than a burger and fries.  And in the old days I would have had a chocolate shake also.  But this salad is fantastic.  If you haven't had one yet, you owe it to yourself.  It's amazing.

Edit #2:  Looked up "nutrition" info for my old standard order:  2 double cheeseburgers, small fries, small choc shake.  Results:  1690 calories, 70 grams of fat, plus 2710 mg of sodium!  Yikes!

6 comments:

  1. I'm so proud of your healthy lifestyle turn around. And I think it's okay to have some treats every once in awhile. If you go cold turkey, you'll never keep it up. You rock! Also sometimes I get a side salad and a 4 piece nuggets and put them on the salad. The nuggets are only 1 point a piece and you can also get the southwest dressing with it!

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  2. Jim - You have to learn to just say "NO"! A small bag of chocolate covered peanuts would be ok, but if you're like me, you'd end up eating the whole tin of peanuts- especially those addicting chocolate ones. It's hard to have them in the house - so I don't keep a lot of temptations around. And I can't help you with fast food - I hate it and think it's gross - another just say NO opportunity. Keep up the great work!!!

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  3. Hi Jim -- fast food options? The baked chicken at KFC is decent. Not fried. They have green beans,and cole slaw, too, so you don't have to have mac n cheese or biscuits or other refined carbs. We're out at baseball so many nights a week, that KFC has helped on nights we don't cook at home.

    One thing that Andy and I think is true -- if you zero out the white sugar and white flour -- in less than a week, you won't crave it anymore.

    Awesome progress. I bet your metabolism is revved up.....
    Kimberly

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  4. You are doing a good job thinking in terms of lifestyle changes - fast food habits are a great one to rethink!! I believe Subway has some good options like the Subway Club with Honey Mustard sauce or Wendy's has a good grilled chicken sandwich. At least they used to - I'm not a fan of fast food either but do understand the convience factor every now and then. I would tell you to talk to my fast food loving husband but he doesn't exactly go for the healthy options. Oh, I do like Panera. They have good options. I'd suggest familiarizing yourself with the nutrition menus of your favorite spots so you always know the best choices.
    Hope you were able to still get a good workout tonight!

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  5. OK I'm a sucker for fast food. Here's my old standby that'll get me through lunch if I need something on the road. Chick-fil-A's chargrilled chicken sandwich without condiments and a large unsweet iced tea. Now I actually like unsweet tea, but you could throw in a large diet Coke instead and add only 5 cals. I don't really like fries, which makes me an oddball or just cheap, but you could throw in a side salad if you were so inclined and stick with light italian dressing. Grand nutritional total (via the Chick-fil-A website) for the sandwich, a large diet coke, and side salad with light italian is 350 calories, 8 fat, and 32 protein. Not too shabby. My personal opinion is if you roll through any drive thru and go with any grilled chicken sandwich minus the condiments (mayo, ketchup, etc) you'll be OK.

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  6. I have to diddo Erin, sorry girls but I like fast food every now and again. I was addicted to Chick-fil-a in VA and ate at least 2 of the grilled chicken sandwiches a week. Like Erin I don't usually like fries-thankfully. I rarely put the mayo on, but I do love it. So here's my tip...I always ask for the mayo on the side (nice that Chick does it for you) and put a small amount on the sandwich
    #2 I do like McDonalds cheese burgers- I get a plain cheeseburger and add lettuce and tomato (they usually charge .20) I know it's not the same as the double but it calms my cravings. When I'm pregnant I need 2. :) Keep it up Jim! You look great already!
    #3 I almost never drink soda

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