Meal Planning

I have lost some weight during my mom's sickness. My uncle was preparing all the meals and he made healthy and filling food, lots of vegetables and meat, very little carbs.

I need to shed much more weight so, I have downloaded an app to count my calories. I also need to pay attention to the carb, fat, protein ratios.

I picked up a roaster chicken today and dry-brined it. I am thinking of roasting it for tomorrow's dinner. There are two potatoes I need to use up with that.

This bird is going to give me lots of meals I think. I have chicken breast and turkey breast in the freezer too. I have been eating too much red meat and I have decided to cut back on that. I have some frozen meat patties too.

Tonight's dinner was steamed broccoli and mixed salad greens plus grilled turkey breast. I love my olive oil so, I am not going to give it up. I made a salad dressing with salt, lemon juice, olive oil and garlic to put on my salad+veggies.

Time to menu plan with what I have:

- Roast chicken, potatoes and salad (Dinner)
- Chickpea Salad (Lunch/Brunch)
- Shepherd Salad with cold chicken (Dinner) Shepherd Salad is like Greek Salad but, we do not put cheese in it and the tomatoes and cucumbers are cut in much smaller pieces.
- Tom Kha Gai Soup (the chicken stock to be made with the carcass) (Lunch/Brunch)
- Chicken salad sandwich (lighter version half mayo-half yogurt) (Lunch/Brunch)
- Meat patties with piyaz (Dinner)
- Sauteed mushrooms and peppers in garlic yogurt sauce (Side)
- Kısır (Think Thabouleh with more bulgur wheat and green peppers in addition to parsley) (Lunch/Dinner) Goes best with fresh brewed tea.
- Navy beans and rice (Lunch/Dinner)
When I get through these meals, I will need to buy more salad greens and some kind of a vegetable.

I forgot to buy celery but, I need to go out to IKEA tomorrow. So, on the way back I can quickly go into the grocery store to pick it up.

Weight and Exercise

The only downside of going  to the US for a vacation is the food for me. So, I was determined to watch what I ate and not gain weight during my fabuluous vacation. I did fine until Thanksgiving I think. Too many parties, more than usual drinking, less walking and too much food made me gain about 6 pounds between Thanksgiving and the New Year.

I love a good pizza and New York is the best place for it. I tried eating only one slice most of the time so, I have satisfied my pizza cravings without much damage.

I also love all those rich pasta dishes which I do not make or eat here in my own country. So, I decided to have pasta only at really good Italian places. Thus, I limited my consumption. Well this reminds me I must learn to make a good vodka sauce. I totally fell in love with that.

Other things that I miss and eat whenever I am in the US are, good burgers, Buffalo Wings, New England Clam Chowder, Lobster Rolls, cheesecake, cannolis and dumplings. I also love Dr. Pepper diet or not. I normally do not drink so much soda at home but I overdid that too:(

The good news is, I am back to my weight in August 2019 now! Yay! I did not do anything special for this. I am just eating the way I eat when I am home. I haven't been eating any sweets other than 70% cocoa chocolate. My uric acid level dropped back to the upper limit of the normal range which is great news.

I am going to start walking soon despite the cold weather. It is in the 30s and lower 40s here in Ankara but, it feels much colder than that. I will bundle up and just walk around the apartment complex that my mom now live in.

I feel good!

Weight Loss Related

I do not remember my original weight loss goal but, I do remember modifying it a bit. My current goal is to lose 33 pounds by 10/22/2019. My current records show that I am past the half-way mark. Mind you this goal is not the ultimate goal. I have not set one like that. That is too far away and I just cannot deal with the thought of that. Too overwhelming.

I have lost 18.5 pounds and have 14 something to go.

I am positive I can make it. Writing here, using an Excel sheet and sharing with my family keep me motivated. I am just hoping that, I will take care of my weight problem once and for all within the next couple of years. I have tried this many times and failed. So, treading carefully here.

I was very sedentary and I never want to go back to that anymore. The big vacation and the winter will be the biggest test for me to see whether I am truly committed.

In the past, I had all sorts of stupid reasons that I used as justification to mindlessly eat, be a couch potato and such. I was working, work was stressful, I was tired, had no time to cook, I wasn't worried about my looks and etc.

I completely ignored the health problems my weight caused or might cause in the long run. I was ready to accept them as a natural part of getting old... At the age of 50something! That does not make sense and I have always defined myself as a logical person. Where is the logic in that?

This is a struggle and the enemy is within myself. We will see who will win in the long run.

This and That

In my previous post, I had said that I would get rid of some old photos. Well, I am all done! While I was at it, I looked at all the photos I handled and tossed more than I expected. They did not spark joy! (Hello Marie Kondo!)

I also tossed three albums which were falling apart and put the photos I wanted to keep in a neat tin box just the perfect size to hold them. Never knew I had so many pictures prior to the digital era.

This cleaning up, tossing stuff out and de-cluttering activity is making me feel really good. I am claiming a lot of space I did not know I could. It is also a good way to keep busy when the weather is not cooperating.

Today is another windy and rainy day with low temperatures. So, I was on the treadmill. I listen to mystery stories on Librivox as I exercise. Sometimes I watch an episode of Grace and Frankie on Netflix. I have always loved Lily Tomlin and I have learnt to like Jane Fonda on this show. Today, I walked 2.7 miles in 45 minutes. Felt really good.

Among today's chores are; two loads of laundry, changing the sheets on my bed and general picking up and tidying. The cleaning lady will come on Sunday so, when she comes, I will take down the curtains and wash them. I hang some of them back right after washing and some need to be dried horizontally to prevent sagging.

I am also going to meet some friends at 2 p.m. on Sunday afternoon and I guess I should leave home an hour earlier. That will not leave me much time to wash all the curtains before I go. So, I will probably do some of it later at night or on Monday.

Frustrated (Venting ahead, beware!)

I don't understand why my weight fluctuates like the stock exchange. I am measuring and watching everything I eat and see the good results on one day on the scale and two days later, it looks like I have gained! Go figure! Is it water? But why? I am already drinking tons of water and watching my salt intake. I guess after 50, the body has a mind of it's own.

I am not going to give up so fast this time. It is basic math. Energy in, energy out! Besides, the endocrinologist is waiting like a hawk to keep on trying to push me into bariatric surgery or Saxenda. No! If need be, I will rather change the doctor. My BMI is fluctuating around 40 so, yes some may consider that a bariatric surgery would be appropriate but, I know without changing your ways, it means nothing.

Today, I pushed myself more on the treadmill and that felt good. So, I will keep at chipping off the pounds. When there is a will, there is a way.

After all, I have gained all this weight in many many years and I was stupid not to control it when it would have been easier. I admit, I was wrong. However, even if I lose 10 kg per year (22 pounds), I will be done with my problem in three years. That is less than 1 kg per month. The key is to change my eating habits. I have to become a mindful eater and it takes a while for habits to develop.

I understand that my problem was eating more carbs than necessary, even with healthy options, I was consuming large portions than I needed. If I were eating a normal portion of pasta, instead of the 1/3 of the Barilla box, I would not be in this position. I was eating big portions and I wasn't putting my mind into what I ate. I could eat pizza for lunch and pasta for dinner. You may get away with that at 15 but, at 52, no way! Also, when I felt down or bored or unhappy or angry, I would find myself in the fridge. I did not keep junk food in there but excessive amounts of even good stuff can make you gain.

As I watch the TLC show, My 600 lb., I realize that I also have some issues I must deal with. Thankfully, I have never been abused or assaulted in my life but, I had some relationships in which things did not work out as I hoped. Things I thought I had forgotten surface from time to time and I must deal with them. I have decided to go through some old photo albums and get rid of some photos which I could not part with in the past. I thought they were a part of my life at one time and I have held on to them. I am thinking that, getting rid of them will make me feel better. There are a couple of things gifted to me. I will get rid of them as well. Yes, they were a part of my past but, they did not bring me happiness after all.

So, there! I have come up with tomorrow's chore.

I dwell on the past too much. I should look ahead and enjoy myself. What could have been or should have been, did not happen. So, why?

There! I got this off my chest. It is almost bed time so, I need to sign off now.

Weight Loss Motivation

Yesterday, I stepped on the scale and loved what I have seen. As of yesterday I have lost 15 pounds in total! The best motivation to lose weight is to lose weight. To me anyway:)

I also went out and had lunch with a friend I have not seen in quiet a while. We had lots of catching up to do. I had steamed vegetables and a small grilled chicken breast.

After I left my friend, I went to a farmer's market but, forgot to get cash from an ATM. When I opened my wallet, I realized that I had very little money. I asked around, but there were no ATMs within a reasonable distance.

I was able to buy the following with what I had in my wallet:

2 pounds of cucumbers
1 bundle green onions
1 bunch of dill weed
2 bunches of parsley
1 bunch of purslane
2 pounds of fresh fava beans
1 pound of strawberries
1 pound of green peppers

After mentally kicking myself, I woved to stash a large TL bill in my cell phone wallet just in case. I used to do it but, I must have spent the money and forgot to stick another bill in there.

Then I went to the grocery store to get meat, cheese, bulgur wheat, sundried tomatoes and salad greens. I was gonna get tomatoes too, but the quality of those were not comparable to the ones in the farmer's market. Bummer! Well, there is always next week.

I was famished when I got back home so, I fixed a quick dinner and had some fresh strawberries afterwards.

I think, I am all set for this week grocerywise. I have also started to track my spending this month.
Here is my food plan for the week:

Today's Lunch: Chick Peas and Bulgur Pilaf
Today's Dinner: Lunch Meat on a Salad

Monday Lunch: Green beans in olive oil and a purslane salad with yogurt
Dinner: Out with friends

Tuesday Lunch: Fresh fava beans in olive oil and purslane salad with yogurt
Dinner: My version of a Tabouleh

Wednesday Lunch: Fresh Fava Beans in olive oil
Dinner: Meat patties I had made and frozen and a salad

Thursday Lunch: Green salad with Tuna on top
Dinner: Stuffed peppers and a salad

Friday Lunch: Leftovers
Dinner: Out with friends (most likely grilled fish and salad)

I do not have plans for the weekend yet. I think, I will eat out of the freezer before I go cook new things to eat and freeze. I also need to take a hard look at my pantry. Needless to say, the fridge needs to be cleaned.

Exercise, Motivation, Eating Disorders... Long Post Beware!

I have been told to walk for 40-45 minutes twice a week and keep a generally active lifestyle. So those 40 minute walks are supposed to be sweaty. Rest of the time, I should walk in a normal window shopping pace.

I have added some very basic weight lifting 3-4 times a day to this. The weights I use are only 1 kg ea. just a bit over two pounds. I only want to tone my arms a little bit and build some strength.

The other day, the therapist buzzed me in and watch me climb the 20-25 steps. She said, I did well without stopping or slowing down so, my muscles must be in shape. That observation made me happy and even more motivated.

This was a 1-1 session since the rest of the group did not show up. As we talked, she told me if I had seen the movie "To The Bone". I did not so, she told me to watch it and tell her what I thought about it the next session. The movie is on Netflix in Turkey, so I watched it. It is about an anorexia patient with a dysfunctional family. She could only see the calories and could not make herself eat. I just cannot believe how hunger, taste and smell of food are not enticing. She just cannot bring herself to eat even a little bit. The actress had lost a lot of weight during the filming and she looked pretty horrid.

I also keep watching the "My 600 lb. Life" series which is on TV. Those people are constant eaters and they eat all sorts of unhealthy food. Fried, packaged food, candy bars, potato chips, tons of sugar laden soda all day long... They are also very dependent on others who enable them. I cannot quiet associate with them either. A lot of them had been sexually abused or bullied as kids or have dysfunctional families.

I cannot say I do not have an eating disorder. I do. It is just different than the anorexia patients and morbidly obese.

I  do not believe that you need deep issues to have an eating disorder. I am happy with my life. I would change probably just a handful of things if I could start over. I do know, I have an unhealthy relationship with food though. I am a mindless eater. Don't need to be hungry to eat. Who needs to be hungry to eat cheesecake? Stress and deadlines make me eat because, it is a part of procrastination. Boredom also makes me eat. I also like different tastes and generally love food. Good things in life are also associated with food. Birthdays, Holidays, outings with friends, celebrations of all kinds.

The other day I posted that I am not buying anything unnecessary and this is now something I do without even thinking. In the past I could have bought something just because... My relationship with shopping has now matured. I want the same maturity with my relationship with food. I want to make healthy choices and control my portions without thinking. I made healthy choices partially in the past. I could eat a nice healthy lunch and then I would have a piece of cheesecake with coffee. I could eat something high in calorie with my coffee every day without thinking. I want to be able to say "no" to that cheesecake and instead reach for a small piece of fruit or just have that coffee and be content with that.

People on diets think: "So, even when I lose the weight, won't I be able to eat cheesecake?" I do not know the answer to that. It can be "You can eat 1/3 of a commercial portion every once in a while" or it can be "Cheesecake is poison, noone should be touching it". I just don't know the answer to that and may be that answer is different for different people. Everybody has a different way of coping with a variety of problems.

For instance, when I start not weighing myself, I gain weight. When you are trying to lose weight, they tell you not to weigh yourself too frequently. That doesn't work for me. I know the weight will not go down on a steady pace. There will be ups and downs. Actually, right now I am in that position. It has been 8 days since I have weighed in at the dietician and I haven't yet lost a single pound. That is only natural. May be I did not drink enough water, may be I ate too much salt, may be I did not go to the bathroom. However, I have to track my weight every two days or so and mark it on my Excel sheet. I need to feel that I am in control. I was discussing this with my sister and she is the opposite.

My weight loss journey will not be a short one. I just do not want to think about how long it will be. I also do not want to set a goal that is too far away. I need to see reaching smaller goals to keep on being motivated. I have no ideal weight that I have set for myself. The BMI Index tells you that. Now, I am not concerned about that. Baby steps are just fine.

Wishing everyone a very nice weekend! It is still cold in here. I hope, May will be nicer.

Happy! Happy! Happy!

Today, was my weigh-in day. I have lost 12 pounds! I am so happy. I know I have slipped a bit lately and I know, it could have been 14-15 pounds but, this is good too.

I will try harder this month. Feeling very motivated.

I would like to share what I have learnt so far:

- Water intake is the key. 8 glasses of water is not enough. 10-12 works wonders.
- Eating after 7:30 p.m. is bad. If you cannot go to bed hungry, a small cup of yogurt with a sprinkle of cinnamon is a good idea.
- Pineapple, Kiwi, Berries help accelerating weight loss provided that you control your portions. 2 thinnish slices of pineapple, 1 Kiwi, 10-12 Strawberries are a portion
- If you do not consume enough calcium, weight loss is harder. So, consuming two portions of plain yogurt is in my diet.
- If you are on the road, if you cannot drink enough water, do not weigh yourself because the body will retain water and you will be disappointed. Go back to drinking plenty of water for a few days and then weigh yourself.

I am hoping that this time I will do it, do it well and not gain weight back.

I am going to meet a friend for lunch and I think I will even put on make-up since, this is a special day.

I wish everyone a great weekend, beautiful spring days and lots of happy things to happen!

Survived the Day out!

Yesterday, I was going to have both lunch and dinner out but my lunch was cancelled. So, that helped a lot. I woke up late and decided to wait until lunch time to eat a two egg omelette with cheese and dillweed. I also cut up some tomatoes. For dinner, I chose grilled chicken breasts and grilled vegetables. They were a bit on the oily side but since, I ate no bread the whole day, I guess caloriewise, I did well. Snacked on three dates. Had two cups of coffee with milk.

Today, I am going to do another three mile workout. I got up late and will again wait for lunch tiem to eat. I am not hungry anyway.

Lunch is a Shepherd Salad with a can of tuna. Here is how we make Shepherd Salad:

Tomatoes
Cucumbers
Sweet Peppers
Onion
Parsley
EVOO and lemon juice for dressing

Slice the onions, cut the other veggies in small bite sizes (I like them really small but that is not necessary, whatever you like) add chopped parsley and a mixture of olive oil and lemon juice. I use olive oil very sparingly these days but, if you do not have weight problems, you can add more. It is healthy.

Tomorrow, I am going to Izmir and then my sister and BIL will go to Antalya for the weekend. Monday is my baby sister's 45th birthday. Mom and uncle do not know I am going too. So, it will be a surprise.

Antalya will be less than 20 degrees Celsius (mid 60's F) so, although my sistre wants to go to the beach and and take the first dip in the water, I am not sure. We may try. We love cold water and most people think we are crazy :)

In terms of my diet, It will be testing to be with the family during the weekend. My uncle is an excellent cook but, my sister is now on a low carb, gluten free diet so, he will most likely prepare light dishes.

Progress on my New Eating Plan

I do not want to jinx it but, I must say, I am doing pretty well with my eating plan. I always knew I had a problem with portion sizes rather than eating junk food and sweets. Now that I am measuring everything I put on my plate, I believe, I must have been eating like a monster. Especially when it comes to pasta, I was eating way too much. Well, now I don't eat any. I have insulin resistance and I am not supposed to eat any pasta, anything that has white flour, rice, potatoes etc. The only thing I am allowed is bulgur pilaf and only sparingly.

I could not go to my control appointment due to work. My next appointment with the dietician is going to be on April 10th or 11th. I should be able to weigh 12 pounds less. I think, 4-5 pounds of that must have been water retention, but still, it is great progress. I am almost down 9 pounds now.

Today, I had another two egg omelette with cheese and dillweed along with some cherry tomatoes. For lunch I had brussel sprouts, yogurt and two slices of organic whole wheat bread.

For a snack, I had coffee with milk and three dates. Dates are full of fiber and satisfy the need for something alongside coffee.

For dinner, I am having half a fillet of a sea bream with salad. The other half is for tomorrow. In the past I would have eaten the whole fish.

Now, I have to walk on the treadmill for a half hour and take a shower. I have some work to do before and after dinner.

I have two social gatherings this week; one lunch with ex-boss and office assistant and, dinner with old HS buddies. Both on the same day! Yikes! I have to survive eating out while on a diet or else, I will need to give up outings which would really be upsetting.

Frugality and a Healthy Diet

A lot of people are concerned that a healthy diet might be very expensive. I do not know if that is true in other countries but, in here it is not expensive at all.

First of all, I do not eat outside as much as I used to. That is a big savings. I guess some people in other countries might have access to Dollar Menus at McDs and stuff like that but, I normally did not eat fast food at all. So, if I eat even a salad in a regular restaurant, that is a lot of money. I am picky about the places I eat because of hygiene reasons. I buy a whole package of salad greens and two pounds of tomatoes for the price of a salad at a restaurant. Those will last me a whole week.

Second, portion control keeps you from eating too much anyway. A good steak is expensive. Normally, I would eat the whole big piece in one sitting. However, I now have to cut that in half for portion control. I also use red meat sparingly for a heart healthy diet and that helps with the costs. I use only EVOO in my cooking and that is expensive too. However, now I have to measure how much I use. I use probably a third of what I would normally use. There you go again.

There are lots of produce that I need to buy. I buy seasonal items with the exception of tomatoes and cucumbers to keep the costs down. I can eat only one portion of fruit and I eat seasonal fruits.

I eat all sorts of beans and they are very inexpensive especially, if you buy them dry. Soaking them overnight is no hassle.

I normally consume a lot of cheese bu,t with the diet you can only eat controlled portions.

Here is what I have in my diet:

Whole wheat bread (limited number of slices)

Lean cuts of meat, fish, poultry (the size of the palm of my hand, my pinky thick)

Salad, lots of salad, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots...

Vegetables

Cheese (we have a feta like white cheese not as sharp)

Plain Yogurt (1 cup per day)

Milk (max. 1.5 cups per day)

Fruit (sparingly, medium orange, apple etc.)

Water

Coffee

For me, diet soda is a treat. I allow myself to have a maximum of 3 cans per week. Not more. Artificial sweeteners are not good so, I keep away.

There aren't any exotic specific ingredients in my above list. Very basic stuff. So, this eating plan also keeps my budget at a minimum. Win-win in my book!

Weight going down

I must report that, my weight is going down since I started this new eating plan on the 12th of March.  I am not sticking to it 100% but, I am making sure I do not eat more than what is on the plan. Sometimes I do not eat the fruit but have an extra slice of bread or cheese. It still seems to work.

I cannot walk 40-45 minutes yet. Instead I walk for about 20 minutes and then do some exercises with an elastic band.

I am hoping that I will keep up with this. For inspiration, I am watching the TLC show where some of the patients lose 90-100 pounds before the bariatric surgery. I am not anywhere morbidly obese like that but these people have the worst eating habits. I already have better eating habits so, with portion control and a little effort, I should be able to drop a good deal of weight.

I am going on my BIG VACATION late October. Until then, I would like to lose at least 26 pounds.

I made an Excel Chart so that I can motivate myself. Visual aids do help. For years, I have been tracking my finances through visual aids too.

I will weigh in on Monday. We'll see what the dietician will say.

Off I went to the dietician!

Lately,I have realized that my weight is spiraling out of control. Due to my insomnia, I cannot go to sleep at a normal humanly hour so, I get hungry and eat late at night. Not good.

I know every detail about a healthy diet and how I can lose weight but, putting that knowledge into action is another story. So, I decided to see a dietician for accountability reasons.

Every month I will pay 95 TL, about 17-18 Dollars US which is very cheap since most of the cost is covered by Social Security. For this miniscule amount of money, I get to see the dietician and weigh in every two weeks. She gave me her mobile phone number in case I may crave something, may be in need to go out or stuff like that. That is actually very nice.

She also told me to take it easy with the exercise. She doesn't want me to be sedentary but she says for now, 30-45 minutes of a walk for three days a week is enough. I was also told to drink a ton of water. Not really, just about 2.5 liters or about 10 regular glasses a day. That is very doable because I already drink water quiet a bit.

She gave me a lot of food to eat but they are wholesome fresh foods so, let's see how I will do.

After the dietician I returned an item I had bought for the bathroom to a Home Depot like store. Then I went to IKEA to buy something else for the bathroom. I like how IKEA makes you walk all around the store even though you are there to look for or buy one thing. It is a marketing gimmick which does not bother me. I focused on what I needed to buy and did not purchase anything not needed. Also, by returning the other item and buying something else from IKEA, I was able to cut the cost in half. Plus, I walked more than 1500 steps in the store. Perfect!

In total I have walked close to 5,000 steps today. Good Job!

It is another beautiful and sunny day and I think I should pack away warm clothes pretty soon. Spring blossoms are everywhere and soon tulips will be covering Istanbul. I will surely share some pictures then.

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

The Good: I looked at my wardrobe and discovered that many pants that I was unable to wear in the past, since they were too snug, now fit me well. However most are casual pants and one work pair was faded so, I just bought a pair of black pants size 22 from Evans (20 US). It was 60% off. I was wearing 26 last year. So; YAY me!

The Bad: I think I have hit a plateau and I am unable to lose weight nowadays. I am going to weigh in on Wednesday and we shall see. My motivation is somewhat down, too.

The Ugly: Some of my old pants are falling off and they really look ugly on me. Sooooo, I am washing them and putting them away for donations.

My goal is to become a size 16 UK (14 US)

Weight Loss Progress

Mom and I have been seeing a dietician every month since February 18, 2013. She lost 12 kgs. (26.45 lbs) and my weight loss is as shown on the ticker above.

Some people are able to lose a lot faster but we were on and off the diet vagon and even when we were off, we had been relatively good. This has been more of a lifestyle change for both of us.

Our next appointment will be in January 21st. Until then, we will stick to our plans. She actually added more food to my list because apparently I have lost more than she expected during the last 20 days.
I am now allowed to exercise so, I will be using weights for my arms and Leslie Sansone's Walk Away the Pounds DVDs for exercising indoors.

The key to weight loss is drinking plenty of water. If I remember to drink green tea that helps too. My dietician wants us to drink two cups of green tea each day but, since I do not like it, I tend to skip it.

People ask me what my goal weight is. The thing is I do not know. I have spent the last 25 years fat/obese. I do not know what is a realistic weight for me. I just want to keep trying to stick to a healthy lifestyle with plenty of appropriate exercise. I would like to get below 100 kgs (220 pounds) but that will take a long time.

I already feel much better about my body weight. I can walk long distances without my feet and back hurting. I do not feel tired all the time anymore. I can only guess when I shed about 40 more pounds, life will be much better.

I am getting rid of all fat clothes. I wowed never to gain back the weight I have so far lost. I am not shopping either. I have enough clothes to wear until I get down to two sizes smaller. I am happy as of now.