The first salad I ever made in Home Economics (remember that class, girls…I don’t know what it’s called now…Life Skills…or something) was Waldorf Salad.  There sat this creamy, no-skill-required salad right beside my prize winning pin cushion and gingham apron.  I was somewhat “domestically challenged” back then but…the Waldorf Salad…now that was my saving grace. 

I’m trying to stay away from starchy foods like potatoes and rice, so I’ve replaced potato salad with Waldorf Salad.  I’m not a big potato fan but I love potato salad.  I think it’s the mayonnaise.  So apples instead of potatoes makes perfect sense to me!  I’ve taken my low-fat version of the classic Waldorf Salad to a couple of outings with no leftovers!

So here it is…Bon Appetite!

Kathryn’s “Alternative to Potato Salad” Recipe
1 cup of chopped celery
¼ cup of chopped pecans
¼ cup of chopped walnuts
½ cup of raisins
3 chopped Royal Gala apples (you can use any tasty apple!)
½ cup Lite Miracle Whip
½ cup Fat Free sour cream
1 tablespoon of honey

Mix the apples (I peel them but you can leave the skin on), celery, nuts and raisins together and set aside.  Mix the Miracle Whip, sour cream and honey together and add to the apple mixture.  Refrigerate for at least 1 ½ hours before serving.  Presto…a party pleaser!

I’ve lost 20 lbs. and reached my goal!  Click here to see my before picture when I started this adventure.  Weight Watchers has my vote.  Believe me there were days when I could have eaten a dozen apple fritters from Tim Hortons topped off with a large DQ Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Blizzard. 

But I didn’t.  I did have a decent sized piece of birthday cake at my sister’s birthday party and a decadent chocolate dessert at my friend’s wedding.  And the trick is to eat it.  Enjoy it.  And NOT FEEL GUILTY AFTER EATING IT!  You have to indulge now and then.  Life is too short not to enjoy eating!  I just planned my meals that week knowing that I’d be eating something high calorie on the weekend.

Here are a few tricks that worked for me in this weight loss journey:

• Be diligent about completing your food journal.  It keeps you accountable for what you eat and keeps you on track with your points.  You’re forced to make healthy food choices or you could find yourself eating a whole day’s points in one meal!
• Measure your food.  When you’re hungry portion sizes tend to grow.  One cup is one cup.  Not 1¼ cups but one cup.  Believe me the ¼ cups will add up!
• At a restaurant, you don’t have to eat everything on your plate!  Even some entrée size salads could feed a family of four.  Eating half of what they give you is probably plenty.  And get over the “we paid for it so we have to eat it.”  No more excuses.
• Forget the white foam containers.  Don’t take the restaurant leftovers home!  You say to yourself, “I’ll give them to the kids” and then find yourself eating them in the car on the way home or having an awesome midnight snack.  Too much temptation here folks!
• I gave up rice and potatoes.  That was my choice although they aren’t “forbidden.”  I just felt I didn’t need the extra starch.  I chose to eat more of the “filling foods.”  I do eat 100% whole wheat bread.
• Drink lots of water.  I’m probably going to glow in the dark because I like flavoured water made with aspartame but at least I’ll be skinny and glowing!
• And finally, if you fall off the wagon, get back on and try again!  The cliche “tomorrow’s a new day” is soooo true when it comes to weight loss.  My eating was out of control one afternoon while my husband was on holidays.  We stopped at a small town bakery to buy “a loaf of whole wheat bread” (and if you believe that you’re more naive than I am) and I ate an apple fritter, a cream filled donut and 6 cookies.  My hand was in the bag before we even left the parking lot!  But I started “eating clean” again the next day. 

Normally, I’d be grabbing a Blizzard to celebrate but not this time.  I’m sitting on my loveseat with a new book and a Timmy’s tea with cream (uch I know but one indulgence I couldn’t give up).  Boring?   Perhaps.  But very low cal.

I’ve lost ten pounds!!!  My first weight loss milestone folks!  I’ve encountered a few bumps in the road here and there but haven’t devoured a whole chocolate cake or anything (not that it hasn’t crossed mind)!  I wanted to share a few observations I’ve made about myself and my “rebirth” as a woman with healthy eating habits.

1. My ability to smell food is amazing.  I can identify the brand of peanut butter on a person’s toast three tables over at my favourite breakfast hangout.
2. I’ve had to sit on my hands to stop them from helping themselves to some stranger’s New York fries smothered in gravy at a neighbouring table.
3. I’m ready to boycott my gym.  Located on the second floor of a major  supermarket chain, the aroma of those hot greasy chickens roasting at the deli counter permeating the gym walls is completely unacceptable.
4. The Food Channel should be outlawed at the gym.  I’d like a word with the masochist that makes us watch Anna Olsen slowly drizzling hot melted chocolate onto an awaiting fluffy New York cheesecake as we grunt away on the treadmill.
5. Pouring wine into a measuring cup and then into a wine glass kills “the mood.”
6. And finally, snacking on microwave popcorn without butter is like chewing on wood.  You can chew it till it’s pulverized and you’re still left with splinters of dry kernels in your teeth.

Anyone have any insight to share?  Love to hear your comments.

Hmm...triple chocolate layer cake or sugar free jello?

I can’t believe how much I rely on food to satisfy my emotional cravings!  A very close friend of ours passed away recently.  He was an amazing guy and I really miss him. 

After the memorial service, the church ladies had prepared a lovely luncheon and if you’re a church goer you know that nobody cooks or bakes like the church ladies!  I bee-lined it right to the Nanaimo Bars adjacent to the Double Fudge Chocolate Brownies.  I felt an instant calm as I savoured the first bite.   

Not automatically reaching for “comfort food” is torture.  I can’t just whip up a batch of my soft, gooey, chocolate chip cookies or my decadent Irish Cream fudge.  Just eating a few of those warm cookies fresh out of the oven could melt away a day of stress or lighten my mood.  I’ve found that choking down dry popcorn or eating low fat yogurt topped with ten little peanuts just doesn’t cut it!

According to the doctors at MayoClinic.com, “Emotional eating is eating as a way to suppress or soothe negative emotions, such as stress, anger, fear, boredom, sadness and loneliness.”  They continue, “In fact, your emotions may become so tied to your eating habits that you automatically reach for a sweet treat whenever you’re angry or stressed without stopping to think about what you’re doing.”

My emotions must be cemented to my eating habits.  Which in turn are cemented to my hips!  So I need to adopt a few “calorie free” ways to face my stress and emotions. Anyone have any suggestions?  I’d love to hear from you.  See you next Tuesday!

This one’s for you RJ.

The day of reckoning has come.  For the last week I’ve eaten with wild abandon—peanut butter squares, butter tarts, New York Fries, buffets—and strange but true, my clothing seems to be shrinking???  But the harsh reality is…I’M EXPANDING AT A RAPID RATE!!!  It’s time to get serious folks.  I had mentioned that one of my New Year’s resolutions was to adopt a healthier lifestyle.  Well I’ve dragged my feet (and my saggy butt) long enough! 

With an army of weight loss programs to choose from, I decided to join Weight Watchers Online.  Like most women, by the time we’ve reached this age, we’ve tried every fad diet from grapefruits to sunflower seeds but I’ve felt so hungry on some diets that I could have eaten the table leg!  But the Weight Watcher’s program is supposed to be about momentum—not deprivation.  I’m not out to lose a massive amount of weight.  I just want my clothes to fit better and significantly reduce my sugar intake.

Today is Day One of my meal plan.  I’ll be eating lots of veggies, fruit, chicken, yogurt and even dark chocolate (my saving grace).  I’m not trying to sound like an advertisement here but I like the way the program works.  It’s based on point values for foods so I can pick foods I want and put together a meal plan I can live with. 

Later today, I’ll be dusting the cobwebs off my Nikes and heading for the gym.  I want Michelle Obama arms!  Take a look at her arms next time you see her.  They’re amazing. 

Wish me luck, ladies.  I’m sure I’m not alone out here so if there’s anybody who wants to join me in this venture or share their story, leave your comments.  Come back next Tuesday for an update.  I’ll be losing weight…one celery stick at a time!