The Weigh-in
Weighing in at 160.5 lbs (a loss of 1.5 lbs) this morning, I was more than happy with my progress. I continue to steadily chip away at my extra weight, and next week I am hoping to break into the 150s! The losses each week aren’t necessarily stunningly mind-blowing, but they keep adding up. Sticking with my program over the past five and a half months is the number one thing I have done right. I couldn’t have done that without your help, and without the support of my boyfriend, M—thanks, you guys!
More Tiny Dietary Changes
This week I made a few more tiny changes to my diet. M researched marinades for me (and I tweeted about them) and we came up with a short list of two to try. So far we’ve made a lemony marinade, and it was spot on! I squeezed actual lemons to obtain the lemon juice for the recipe, and it made the flavor incredibly bright and zesty. The garlic in the recipe works to temper the sourness of the lemons, and the result is really tasty.
The reason we were marinating chicken in the first place? I have introduced four salads-as-meals per week into my food plan, and wanted to include chicken as the protein centerpiece!
My Salad Phobia, Overcome
You’d have to really know my past eating habits well to know what a major tiny change (is that an oxymoron?) this is for me. I’ve never been crazy about veggies, and I’ve long associated salads with suffering. For these reasons, I hadn’t seriously considered incorporating them into my food plan.
Then I read about Salad Club—one woman’s innovative effort to make it fun to eat healthy, low-cost lunches at work—and began to rethink my attitude. Couple that with M’s suggestion to marinate some chicken, and voila! I decided that I would eat big salads for four of my meals this week. The salads are replacing frozen meals, so this is a healthy step forward that I’m really proud of.
I bought the highest-quality ingredients that I could afford for my salads, and they didn’t disappoint. I really do believe I could taste the difference! Here’s what went into my most recent salad, and where it came from:
- fresh spinach (farmer’s market)
- romaine lettuce (organic, from Wheatsville, a local co-op)
- half of Roma tomato (organic, from Wheatsville)
- 1/3 cucumber (organic, from Wheatsville)
- .5 ounces walnuts (from Wheatsville)
- 2.5 ounces chicken breast (marinated in lemony marinade) (Buddy’s Chicken, from Wheatsville)
Does anyone else eat salads regularly? What are your favorite salad ingredients?
P.S. I’ve created a Facebook page for Tiny Glow! If you use Facebook, I’d love it if you added Tiny Glow over there :).
2. March 2010 at 12:11 PM
Salads and suffering cracked me up! Good job on your progress.
2. March 2010 at 1:48 PM
WaistingTime: Yeah, I used to force myself to eat stuff like plain baby carrots when I dieted in the past . . . and I felt mad the whole time. The baby carrots tasted like Resentment!
2. March 2010 at 3:09 PM
I never used to like salad, but now I eat at least one a day! My ingredients vary a bit, but almost always include romaine lettuce, spinach, cucumber, red bell pepper, grape tomatoes, red onion and bean sprouts. Give me a plate of all that beautiful color, top it with some of Brianne’s Poppyseed dressing, and I could live on it. It’s been over two months now and I’m still not tired of it!
One of the things I also do is to chop everything into bite size pieces so that I get a little of everything in each bite. It makes such a huge difference for me, and I feel like I’m eating one of those gourmet salads at an expensive restaurant!
I love your blog, by the way. And, you are making amazing progress!
2. March 2010 at 3:48 PM
Cheryl: Ooh, sprouts are a great idea! I think I’ll put them on my shopping list :). Thanks for the tip about chopping things up smaller—I can see how that would make every bite tastier and easy to chomp down on.
2. March 2010 at 3:31 PM
I struggle with salads. I’ve been into taco salad recently. But instead of ground beef I’ll use ground turkey or ground chicken; and also the taco seasoning I make home made. I try to have a little side salad here and there but I get so sick of lettuce! :)
2. March 2010 at 3:50 PM
AFG: I can totally understand about struggling with salads, as you probably gathered from my post ;). Marinating the chicken breast that I added to it really perked up the whole dish, I found. [Also: mmmmm, tacos...]
2. March 2010 at 6:53 PM
Hi Hilary, I’m enjoying watching your progress – you’re rocking! I’m a huge fan of salads, here are some of my favorite additions. Grated organic carrot and purple cabbage (cut the cabbage into thin strips). Sliced apple (granny smith are good in salad). A little blue cheese or feta if you like it (feta can be very low in fat). A few olives. A few sliced dried apricots. I love some sliced swiss chard or bok choy mixed in with a spinach salad. Chopped (finely chopped) raw broc or cauliflower. A small amount of garbanzo beans or kidney beans. Frozen peas (run water over them to defrost but don’t cook). Sliced pears or peaches in season. Sunflower seeds.
2. March 2010 at 8:17 PM
Babbalou: I swear, you always have the best food ideas—thank you for sharing these suggestions for salad ingredients! I wouldn’t have thought of apples in a salad, but now that you mention it I can totally see how the sweet tang of a Granny Smith would be pretty awesome in one.
2. March 2010 at 9:58 PM
I guess food is my thing….sigh.
2. March 2010 at 7:15 PM
Hilary – great job on the weight loss and on conquering the salad phobia. I have to admit that salad greens aren’t my favorite but I do eat them. I like to thrown a boiled egg on my salads!
2. March 2010 at 8:18 PM
Diane: Thank you so much for stopping by! I don’t comment all the time, but I read your blog faithfully and it continues to reassure me that lasting weight loss is possible.
2. March 2010 at 9:06 PM
I don’t do salad. I’m sorry but it has a connotation in my head of suffering and eating things I don’t like (which I refused to do right from the outset of my journey). I also HATE salad dressing so it makes eating salads difficult anyway.
I do get lots of veggies though, mostly at lunch. Most days I take a whole wheat or spinach wrap, mash up about 1/4 avacado on it, put a few chunks of marinated (peanut sauce) chicken on on that, some sliced red pepper and then top the whole thing with a handful of brocoli slaw (no dressing)and then fold. I guess it’s sort of like a salad but I don’t have to call it that. ;)
3. March 2010 at 7:13 AM
Shanny: I love it that you’ve found a way to get in your salady foods without actually eating a salad ;). It’s all about finding what works for *us*, right? That wrap sounds good!
3. March 2010 at 4:15 AM
I forget – do you like fruit? I LOVE strawberries and they’re really awesome on salads. I like how you’re jazzing them up and modifying them to suit YOUR desires!
I joined your fb page!
3. March 2010 at 7:15 AM
Josie: Yep, I love fruit :). I had some strawberries with my breakfast this morning, actually! I never thought of trying them on a salad—thanks for the suggestion! And: thanks for joining me on FB :)
3. March 2010 at 9:43 AM
I can’t believe you aren’t coming to me for recipes!!! What the heck, madubby?? :)
Tip – toast your nuts before you put them in your salad. Brings out their flavors so much more. But keep an eye on them…they can burn quickly.
xoxx
3. March 2010 at 12:19 PM
Gah! Forgive me, Chef Doodle! Question about toasting nuts (I really know nothing, sorry): how long should I put them in the oven for, and at what temperature? I will rely upon your wisdom!
3. March 2010 at 9:43 AM
P.S. Add dried cranberries to the salad. Cranberries and walnuts are a classic pairing.
3. March 2010 at 10:41 AM
First, kudos on, well… everything you’re doing.
Second, thought yo might be interested in this CrossFit trainer’s admission of the Diet Coke addiction. http://paleochix.com/?p=496
Good for you! I know kicking the Diet Coke was rough, but you did it. Fantastic!
3. March 2010 at 12:20 PM
Thanks for the props, Melissa :). I popped over and left Patty a comment of support and solidarity—kicking the diet soda habit is challenging but I know she can do it.
4. March 2010 at 12:41 PM
350 to 400 degrees for approximately 5-10 minutes. Gotta keep an eye on them so they don’t burn :)