On Father’s Day, my sisters and I went to our folks’ house to help them with house and yard work. I wrote about that June trip in “Alzheimer’s Is Not That Bad” and “The Bird Quit”.
My sister from Texas was as fit as a fiddle, inspiring me to take off some pounds I had been ignoring. I already knew the answer. It’s a great little free app called “My Fitness Pal.” (Also on-line at http://www.MyFitnessPal. No “smart phone” required.)
Years ago, I had hired a personal trainer and worked out faithfully 5 days a week at the local gym. Surprisingly, though, the “big reveal” was that 70% of weight loss happens at the table. The old saw about the moment on lips being forever on the hips is more or less true.
Sweat It Off!
I used to work out. Used to. Don’t any more and don’t want to. So my 70% success factor had to be my 100% success factor. I had wanted to surprise the kids at Christmas. At more than half way to goal even before fall came, I knew I had to share the secret with others. Who wouldn’t want to head into the holiday season at ideal weight?
I did it, and I know you can do it. I have added some “cheat sheet” hacks that keep me encouraged and allow me the leeway to enjoy family gatherings and some calorie rich foods. I do not want any “off limit” foods. Dieting should not be about deprivation. I like my chocolate, doggone it!
The site/app does a great job of getting you started. You put in your weight (avert your eyes!), asks you how much you weight, height, desired weight… Easy peasy, just follow the prompts.
My Favorite Features:
Barcode Reader.
This is for the smart phone. Grab that bag of chips and scan the barcode. You will know how many calories in those chips. Don’t be afraid of them. Write them down. As the old adage goes, if you nibble, you must scribble. I’ll tell you in a little bit how you can binge a little and still stay on track.
My Recipes and Foods.
Genius. Take any recipe and “dump it” into this feature. You need to know or reasonably estimate the number of servings to make this work. I love the Jimmy Dean Hot Sausage balls recipe from my Grandma Sadie. I knew it was calorie rich, but now I know that one is plenty. I just slow down and enjoy it in little bites.
Saw a vegan frosted chocolate cake made with beets and avocados. It is very rich. Just because it is vegan doesn’t mean it can’t pack on the pounds. What to do? Dump in the ingredients and get the unvarnished truth about what this beauty does after the party. Come to find out, a half inch sliver of this dessert is my limit. At least I know, so I can “eat my cake and have it, too.” :->
Weigh In: Just be honest with yourself. There are set backs and plateaus. Whoop de do.
My Fitness Pal Web Site and App
My Favorite Hack:
Ok, this is how I recovered from the massive chocolate cake feeding frenzy. Just so you know, that vegan cake packs a whopping 200 plus calories for a one inch sliver serving. I had more than one serving, and we took the left over cake home. Mine field, for sure.
So here is how I hack the system: When I hit my calorie limit for the day, I put the excess calories on the next day. Then I eat a little less that day. I don’t have to make it up all in one day. It took me a week of “forwarding” calories to work my way out of the hole I had dug in that luscious cake. I wish I could say I had plateaued, but I actually gained a couple of pounds. Lost two weeks but kept the memories! I back to being a loser and closing in on my ideal weight.
So I guess you CAN have your cake……
And here is the recipe: http://www.coffeeandquinoa.com/2014/03/fudgy-chocolate-beet-cake-with-chocolate-avocado-frosting-vegan-and-gf/
Go for it!
MAJOR PS: My apologies to my News From ForeverQuilt subscribers. The September newsletter did not connect to the ShopHandmade Blog. My fault. I apologize for the inconvenience. I will post a special coupon just for subscribers that will give your holiday gift-giving a major head start. If you are not a subscriber, you can fix that by texting FOREVERQUILT to 22828.
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