Sailing in the British Virgin Islands: March 26 - April 4

How many points are in a painkiller? (Do I even want to know?)

Really, It Couldn't Hurt...

The Chicago Tribune had an interesting article.

Health law will require calorie counts in menus in 200,000 restaurants nationwide

WASHINGTON (AP) — That Caesar salad you're about to eat? It's 800 calories, and that's without the croutons. The fettuccine alfredo? A whopping 1,220 calories. You may choose to ignore the numbers, but soon it's going to be tough to deny you saw them.

A requirement tucked into the nation's massive health care bill will make calorie counts impossible for thousands of restaurants to hide and difficult for consumers to ignore. More than 200,000 fast food and other chain restaurants will have to include calorie counts on menus, menu boards and even drive-throughs.

The new law, which applies to any restaurant with 20 or more locations, directs the Food and Drug Administration to create a new national standard for menu labeling, superseding a growing number of state and city laws. President Barack Obama was expected to sign the health care legislation Tuesday.

The idea is to make sure that customers process the calorie information as they are ordering. Many restaurants currently post nutritional information in a hallway, on a hamburger wrapper or on their Web site. The new law will make calories immediately available for most items.

"The nutrition information is right on the menu or menu board next to the name of the menu item, rather than in a pamphlet or in tiny print on a poster, so that consumers can see it when they are making ordering decisions," saysIowa Sen. Tom Harkin, chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, who wrote the provision.

It was added to the health bill with the support of the restaurant industry, which is facing different laws from cities and states. Sue Hensley of the National Restaurant Association says it will help restaurants better respond to their customers.

"That growing patchwork of regulations and legislation in different parts of the country has been a real challenge, and this will allow operators to better be able to provide their information," she said.

Some meals will be exempt from the calorie counts, including specials on the menu less than 60 days. The law will also apply to foods sold in vending machines, specifically those that do not have visible calorie listings on the front of the package.

New York City was the first in the country to put a calorie posting law in place. Since then, California, Seattle and other places have done so.

The FDA will have a year to write the new rules, which health advocates have been pushing for years. Margo Wootan, director of nutrition policy at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, said it's one step in the fight against obesity.

"Coffee drinks can range from 20 calories to 800 calories, and burgers can range from 250 calories to well over 1,000 calories," she said.

Still, it's unclear what effect the labeling will have. In a study published last year by the online journal Health Affairs, only half of customers in poor New York City neighborhoods with high rates of obesity and diabetes noticed the calorie counts.

The accuracy of the counts could also be called into question, according to a different study.

In January, the Journal of the American Dietetic Association published a survey of 10 chain restaurants, including Wendy's and Ruby Tuesday, that said the number of calories in 29 meals or other menu items was an average of 18 percent higher than listed. The discrepancies were said to be due to variations in ingredients and portion sizes.

Restaurant Week --- Part VI

Today's lunch was at Sepia. $20.

to start:

english pea soup, ricotta, mint

For this appetizer, I estimated 3 points for one cup of soup and 1.5 points for an 1/8 cup of ricotta cheese for a total of 4.5 points.

I did learn that if you share your English Pea Soup, there's a pretty good chance your lunchmates will share some of THEIR starter.

to start

flatbread: pepper and onion confit, goat cheese, marjoram

I think that Sepia is known for their flatbread. It was really good. I gave it 2 points.

entree

pork cutlet milanese with arugula, parmigiano and lemon

This is basically a fancy breaded pork tenderloin, but really really good. I liked that the lemon on top was actual bits of citrus, rather than just a squeeze. Unfortunately, pork + fried goodness = high points: 16. Yeouch.

sweets

vanilla parfait, hazelnut crust, chocolate-orange sauce

This was delightful. Basically an ice cream sundae in a fancy-pants presentation. I gave 1.5 points for the ice cream and 1 points for the hazelnuts. (I didn't eat the whole thing. The pork had more than filled me up!)

So, I'm off to the gym tonight and not eating dinner....but this lunch was worth it!

Restaurant Week --- Part V

Restaurant Week, Part V aka Chef's Week, Part I

Last night's dinner was at Perennial. In a word, wow. So so good.

And for Chef's Week, the dinner was $30.

Starter: Pretzel roll

I just looked this up on the Daily Plate which, incidentally, is a great resource for finding nutritional information. It say 6 points per 3.5 oz roll. I might've had two. I'm in trouble for the rest of the meal! I did skip the butter though, so that's something...

Course One: Black Truffle Gnocchi, parsley root puree, hen of the woods mushrooms, frisee salad

This was listed as one of Food & Wine's Top Ten Dishes of 2009. And it's really phenomenal. It's semolina gnocchi and it appears to be baked.

I'm estimating 5 points for the dish.

This course on the regular menu is $12. And it's the same size. (We may have requested another order for the table.)

Course Two: Grilled Atlantic Salmon, butternut squash, caramelized brussels sprouts, mushrooms

I estimate that the fish was approximately 7 ounces (based on the how-big-is-your-hand test), which is 10 points.

This course on the regular menu is $20.

Course Three: Crispy Hazelnut Bar, milk chocolate, creme fraiche, chocolate caramel

The closest thing I could come up with is a Kit Kat bar + some Nutella + some creme fraiche + some chocolate caramel. 22.5 points.

That's a total of 56.5 points. FOR DINNER. (I hope I'm off in some of these calculations.) (Also there were 3 glasses of wine and a vodka drink.)

This course on the regular menu is $7.

It was an expensive dinner, points-wise, but probably one of the best meals I've had in Chicago.

I'll be at the gym tonight, for sure!

Reason #6 to lose weight: somebody is going to have a camera at the beach.

If this picture doesn't compel me to continue on my diet, I'm not sure what will.

The goal is to look more like Alison on the left in blue and less like the Jolly Green Giant.

Week 8 Weigh In

Last week's weight: 255.6
This week's weight: 257.4
Difference: +1.8
Total weight loss: -20.4

Not the worst gain in the world considering all of the buffets, wedding cakes and mojitos that I consumed this weekend. I tried to stick to fish and fruit and veg and dietCoke & rums...but the chips&guac and the mojitos&margaritas....well, isn't that the whole point of Mexico?

Strangely, you cannot order nachos to your room at this resort. I wonder if it's all of Mexico that is anti-nachos-in-the-room.

On a good note, I wore some white pants that have been hiding in the back of my closet for nearly a year now. They fit now which is nice.

Weekend Notes

1. Buffets are hard. I stopped trying to keep track of points about hour two of the vacation. I did, however, try to keep to fruits and veg.

2. Mojitos are delicious. I'm scared to think about how many points of those I drank.

3. Swimming is a great way to work off points. If only the water in the Caribbean Sea and/or the pools wasn't so so cold.

Mexico: March 18 - 21, 2010 Adios, amigos!

QOTD

“In the long run, you make your own luck―good, bad, or indifferent.”

― Loretta Lynn

Week 7 Weigh In

Last week's weight: 257.2
This week's weight: 255.6
Difference: -1.6
Total weight loss: -22.2

So I'm not going to make my 25 pound goal by Mexico on Thursday.

Also, no way I make 30 by BVI.

So, the new goal is 25 by BVI, but realistically? I just don't want to gain any weight in Mexico. Key? Fruit. Veg. Rum & diet Coke.

Wow. That picture is super close up. I'm gonna try to not get quite so close next week. Yikes. Also, really? Would it kill me to iron that skirt?

Weekend Notes

1. Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls. I had four for breakfast on Saturday. But really? I showed incredible restraint for not eating the entire roll.

2. I finally joined the stupid gym. Which is good and convenient because it's cheap and in my building. So I went twice this weekend. I'm not sure it's going to get me to my goal by Tuesday (25 pounds by Mexico) but it couldn't hurt.

St Patrick's Week

In Chicago, it's a holiday. A week long celebration of beer. And green stuff.

This is what I'll be drinking:

It's 3 points for a pint. Which in the US is 16 ounces, but in the UK can be 18 ounces. The theory on the interwebz is that since it's an Irish beer, I should use the Imperial pint. (Boo.)

Sláinte!

Getting to be noticeable

Today, my boss said: "You look great today!"

I do not look "great" today.

I'm wearing a plain Old Navy turtleneck and a pair of black pants that are pinned so they don't fall down. My hair is a mess and I put my make up on in the dark. I'm not quite a disaster, but I do not look "great."

What she ACTUALLY said (without saying) is: "You look different and not so fat!"

Which is nice.

NYT article

Finally. Some good news from the New York Times.

Women Who Drink Gain Less Weight

Dieters are often advised to stop drinking alcohol to avoid the extra calories lurking in a glass of wine or a favorite cocktail. But new research suggests that women who regularly consume moderate amounts of alcohol are less likely to gain weight than nondrinkers and are at lower risk for obesity.

The findings, reported this week in the Archives of Internal Medicine, are based on a study of 19,220 United States women aged 39 or older who, at the start of the study, fell into the “normal weight” category based on their body mass index. Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston tracked the women’s drinking habits over 13 years. About 60 percent of the women were light or regular drinkers, while about 40 percent reported drinking no alcohol.

Over the course of the study, 41 percent of the women became overweight or obese. Although alcohol is packed with calories (about 150 in a six-ounce glass of wine), the nondrinkers in the study actually gained more weight over time: nine pounds, on average, compared with an average gain of about three pounds among regular moderate drinkers. The risk of becoming overweight was almost 30 percent lower for women who consumed one or two alcohol beverages a day, compared with nondrinkers.

The findings are certain to be confusing for women who continue to receive conflicting messages about the health benefits and risks of alcohol. Although moderate drinking is associated with better heart health, regular drinking also increases breast cancer risk.

The trend toward less weight gain among drinkers doesn’t appear to hold true for men. A 2003 study of British men showed that regular drinkers gained more weight than nondrinkers. Studies suggest that drinking alcohol has different effects on eating habits among men and women. Men typically add alcohol to their daily caloric intake, whereas women are more likely to substitute alcohol for food. In the Archives study, women who drank alcohol reported fewer calories from food sources, particularly carbohydrates.

In addition, there may be differences in how men and women metabolize alcohol. Metabolic studies show that after men drink alcohol, they experience little if any metabolic change. But alcohol appears to slightly speed up a woman’s metabolism.

The link between consumption of red wine and less weight gain was particularly pronounced in the Archives study. Some studies have suggested that resveratrol, a compound present in grapes and red wine, appears to inhibit the development of fat cells and to have other antiobesity properties.

The findings don’t mean women should rush to drink alcohol to lose weight. Other research shows that once a person is already overweight, her alcohol metabolism is more efficient, and so an overweight woman may gain more weight from alcohol than a lean woman. The data do, however, suggest that for many women facing weight problems, the extra calories are probably not coming from alcoholic beverages.

*****************************************************************************

My opinion is that a lot of these women are probably on the "somebody's-gonna-see-me-naked" diet that often accompanies drinking....but whatev.

QOTD

“Care no more for the opinions of others, for those voices. Do the hardest thing on earth for you. Act for yourself. Face the truth.”

― Katherine Mansfield

Week 6 Weigh In

Last week's weight: 258.6
This week's weight: 257.2
Difference: -1.4
Total weight loss: -20.6

Disappointed in the small weight loss. Delighted to have hit 20 pounds.

Pants Progress

I am currently wearing a pair of pants that I can remove without unbuttoning the button or unzipping.

How's that for progress?

Monday Morning Bus Musings

Sometimes it gets cozy on the bus. You're elbow to elbow with your seat mate and sometimes you can't help but read what's going on with their text life.

This is the text that the guy on the bus next to me received this morning:

"u are ugly fat and blk. How does it feel to look in the mirror and know that nobody loves u, loser?"

This was a little bit heartbreaking to me. How does a person get to a point where it is okay to speak to another human being like that?

As he read the text over and over (we both did, really), I wanted to hug him and say "you're okay! you can find someone better than that! You don't deserve to be spoken to like that! You deserve respect! And love!"

And I found myself grateful. For ex-boyfriends who never disrespected me. For parents who always loved me and encouraged me. For family who constantly told me I was beautiful. For not living in a world like Precious. For a God who loved me enough to sacrifice for me. I'm a really fortunate girl.

I wanted to tell my bus mate that he was worth the same as me. Worth love and respect and sacrifice. But, really, you don't do that on the bus. You don't have those conversations with strangers who texts you've been eavesdropping on. You mind your own business about that sort of thing.

Then he replied to the text with a missive of his own:

"I've seen garbage that looks better than u."

Well. What goes around comes around, I suppose.

Restaurant Week --- Part IV

Today's Restaurant Week lunch was at Hub51. Again, $22.

Total points? 44.5. Yes, it totally ate into my 35 flex points, but the carrot cake was worth it.

Appetizer: Crunchy Tuna Roll, Tempura Rice

For this, I estimate 8 points.

Entree: Premium Grilled Fish Tacos: Seasonal Ocean Catch (Mahi Mahi), Baha rub, Chopped Cabbage Slaw

For this, I totalled 20.5 points. (2.5 for 5 small corn tortillas, 6 for mahi mahi, 4 for a cup of rice, 4 for a cup of black beans, 2 for a 1/4 cup of guacamole, 2 for a 1/4 cup of cole slaw, and 0 for salsa and tomatillo)

Dessert: Martha's Special Occasion Carrot Cake: Three Layer Secret Recipe, Cream Cheese Frosting

Carrot Cake again! This one, I calculate at 16 points. And worth every one.

Restaurant Week Part III

Today's Restaurant Week lunch was at Catch 35. Again, $22.

I estimated a total of 27.5 points for this meal.

Appetizer: New England Clam Chowder. 4 points.

Entree: Ecuadorian Mahi Mahi, blackened in an andouille sausage etouffée sauce with rice and squash

6 points for the fish, 4 points for the sauce, 3 points for the rice and .5 points for the squash, for a total of 13.5 points

Dessert: Carrot Cake Bread Pudding.

I just estimated 10 points for this sucker. And I only ate 1/2. Which I consider to be a giant personal victory.

I mean, seriously? The frosting alone. OMG.

I had to ask the server to take it from me.

Two things

1. I lost a point.

As mentioned in previous posts, WeightWatchers is based on a "points" system. Rather than count calories or fat grams or carbohydrates, you count points. The value of a point is determined by using some sort of *math* formula with the calories, fat and fiber in a food item. Roughly, 50 calories = 1 point.

Each WW participant is given a certain amount of points per day to eat. That's how it works. You can eat whatever you want, but once you've eaten your allotted number of points, you're done. How many points you are given a day is determined by a number of factors, including weight, age, sex, how sedentary your job is, whether you're nursing, etc.

The main factor, though, is weight. And because I've lost a certain amount of weight, I've lost one point per day.

I mean, it's GOOD. Don't get me wrong. I fully acknowledge that.

On the other hand, it's tricky to take 7 points out of your week! It's a Lean Cuisine French Bread Pizza Deluxe!

2. Goals

I think since I have already surpassed my Mexico goal, that I should probably set a new one. I have two weeks until Mexico, so let's say: 6 pounds by then or 25 total.

And then the week after that is BVI, I'd like to be at 30 pounds by BVI.

That means I will have to either: REALLY watch what I eat in Mexico or get super motivated right now.

It's come to this: I might have to go to the gym.

Oy!

Week 5 Weigh In

Last week's weight: 261.6
This week's weight: 258.6
Difference: -3.0
Total weight loss: -19.2

I was not excited about tonight's weigh-in. I was nervous...convinced that I had underestimated the Restaurant Week totals and convinced that I had gained. Add some PMS-ing too. Good times.

I was reminded by CeCee today that not only do I not need to be discouraged about small weight losses (last week) but I need to be proud of the fact that I have managed to keep off all of the weight I've been losing. This is why I am doing WW with friends. I need these kinds of reminders.

I didn't gain 100 pounds overnight. Over a week. Over a year even. And I'm not going to lose it in a week either. Long obedience in the same direction.

We did have awesome burgers and sweet potato fries and onion straws at The Counter afterward. And enjoyed every single bite. (Actually, we tore through the meal like we had never been fed before. It was a little scary.)

I'm going to rethink some goals tomorrow.

Weekend Notes

1. The movie marathon wasn't so tricky. I brought in a Jimmy Johns' Plain Slim turkey breast sammich. Eight points for an eight inch. That lasted two movies. I didn't get to the popcorn until the last movie (District 9---which really is a "popcorn movie" in my opinion) and was sure to ask for only half a bag.

2. I went to Outback Steakhouse for lunch on Sunday. It's a good thing that they post nutritional information on their website or I would have underestimated my points by TEN yesterday.

3. I had my first minor binge happen last night since I started back to WW. I ate 8 little sugar cookies. Which is 11.5 points. Fortunately, I still had 30 of my free points for the week left. However, a. since Mexico is only 17 days away (!), I was trying not to use those (one big push before the beach!) and b. look how grossly I underestimated Outback. Who knows how much I underestimated for Naha and Province?

Back to the binge though... I don't really love feeling that out of control. I wasn't hungry. Was it the disappointment of finding out that I was SO wrong about the Outback points? Stress about money? Some sort of stress about hanging out with my parents? At least I didn't vomit. That's always a right step.