Some Helpful Sites

I made it through Day 1! – Yay for me! – Oh, I added cherries to the snack list – it’s cherry season and I love them! One cup equals 74 calories. I was able to fit about 17 cherries in one cup. It’s 14 calories more than the suggested fruit serving, but I think I will deal.

I have been checking around to see if there are more validation on using frozen entrees for weight loss: Here’s an interesting article entitled Nutritious frozen foods can play role in weight-loss programs. It is, however, a study using Uncle Ben’s Rice Bowls. I used to be able to find them in the Atlanta area – I distinctly remember having one or two for lunch about 4 0r 5 years ago. Now, however, I can’t seem to find them. Maybe they are available elsewhere, so I am keeping those choices up.

The very first thing I discovered on Try #1 of this diet is that it is impossible to find all of the entrees in one store’s freezer section. Some, like the Princess Chicken, are discontinued. Others, like the Ethnic Gourmet, are not available at all stores. Amy’s Kitchen is usually available but the full line is rarely available. So, rather than get highly frustrated, or spending too much time trying to be a perfectionist, I choose my own meals. I do check the calorie count (If it’s under 350, that seems fair to me) and I usually only choose from the organic or diet section. I am not watching sodium, but I think I read somewhere that the fat content should be under 11%. I don’t remember where I read this. However, here’s another article on choosing frozen foods wisely.

I wanted to offer the websites of companies that produce frozen entrees. While doing this, I noticed an interesting trend. When I went to Amy’s Kitchen, there was a new section called the Amy’s Kitchen diet plan. It’s really awesome and includes shopping lists and menus for two full weeks of dieting. I was pretty impressed, and may try it later when I get bored with the diet I’m on now. The only “warning” is that cooking is involved: I think I saw oatmeal in the morning as an offering one day…

Here are the sites that I found – I limited it to the ones I have experience with right now:

Amy’s Kitchen
Healthy Choice
Lean Cuisine
Kashi
Smart Ones
South Beach Diet
Ethnic Gourmet
Michelina’s (to be offering the new Advantage line, with whole grains)
Cedar Lane (just made a deal to produce The Zone meals)

From Our Lady of Weight Loss

I subscribe to the Kick in the Tush Club – a weekly inspirational newsletter by Janice Taylor. If you have not heard of her, she has written a book on crafting and weight-loss called Our Lady of Weight Loss: Miraculous and Motivational Musings from the Patron Saint of Permanent Fat Removal. Here is something from last week’s newsletter:

Motivational Musing

Help! I’m stuck under a layer of fat . . . and I can’t get up!

Fill in the blank:
I want to be fat because ____________________________.

Is it possible that your extra layer of fat protects you in some way? Is there a part of you that wants to be fat?

Your Unconscious Mind and your Conscious Mind may be at battle. While your Conscious Mind is telling you (more like screaming) that you want to lose weight, get in shape, be fabulous; your Unconscious Mind is ordering you to eat and for good reason.

Good Reasons to Stay Fat
The primary objective of your Unconscious Mind is to protect you; keep you safe. Therefore, if your Unconscious Mind received any information early on in life that indicates that keeping that layer of fat might protect you, or that eating could take away your pain, it will come forth and tell you to eat. Your Unconscious Mind has quite a bit of control over your eating behavior.

You may want to keep your extra layer of fat if you…

• fear your sexual energy
• need protection from men
• fear being seen (and therefore judged)
• don’t like attention
• have very low self-esteem and feel undeserving
• feel that success is for those other lucky folk but not you

• believe that permanent fat removal may require you to make a major life change (i.e., get a divorce, change jobs)

• fear that you will lose friends

Help! I’m stuck under a layer of fat! And I can’t get up!

Most of us who have a significant amount of excess weight to remove have invested years and years into being stuck in and under our fat.

As soon as you fill in the blank …
I want to be fat because ____________________ and make a serious commitment to explore your reasons, your Unconscious Mind will be able to let go and allow you to move on without that extra layer of protection.

New Point of View: You are bigger than that bag of chips. Fill in your blank(s) and let yourself free!

No, I’m not going to answer that question online – I have a paper journal for venting. A note: I am a wannabe Catholic, according to one of my friends – so the kitschy Catholic imagery is just right for me!

Don’t forget your treat!

One serving (about 100 calories) is equal to:

-1/2 cup light ice cream

-1 Nabisco 100-calorie pack (any variety)

-13 roasted almonds

-4 Hershey’s kisses

-4 ounces red or white wine

-1 light beer

Go for whole grains

One serving (about 80 calories) is equal to:

-1 ounce mini whole-grain pita

-1 ounce slice 100% whole wheat bread

-4 pieces thin whole-grain crispbread (like Finn Crisp or Kavli)

-4 Triscuits

-1 mini-bag low-fat popcorn (like Jolly Time Healthy Pop)

Choose Your Fruit

One serving (about 60 calories) is equal to:

-apple, 1 small

-banana, 1/2

-blueberries, 3/4 cup

-cantaloupe or honeydew melon, 1 cup cubes

-grapefruit, 1/2 large

-grapes, 17

-kiwi, 1

-mango, 1/2 small

-nectarine, 1

-orange, 1 small

-peach, 1 large

-pear, 1/2 large

-pineapple, canned, packed in juice, 1/2 cup

-pineapple, fresh, 1/4 cup

-raspberries, 1 cup

-strawberries, 1 1/4 cups whole

-tangerines, 2 small

Dinner List

Amy’s Cheese Ravioli with Sauce (only see a Bowl)

Amy’s Santa Fe Enchilada (also a Bowl – see link above)

Ethnic Gourmet Chicken Biryani Over Brown Rice

Healthy Choice Salisbury Steak

Lean Cuisine Dinnertime Selects Chicken Fettuccini

Lean Cuisine Dinnertime Selects Chicken Portobello

Organic Classics Cajun Style Chicken Tettrazini with Penne Pasta

Organic Classics Chicken Cacciatore with Penne Pasta

Organic Classics Penne Pasta with Sauce and Meatballs

South Beach Cashew Chicken with Sugar Snap Peas

Stouffer’s Rigatoni Pasta with Roasted White Meat Chicken

Stouffer’s Tuna Noodle Casserole

Uncle Ben’s Sweet and Sour Chicken (I think the bowls are discontinued)

Uncle Ben’s Thai-Style Chicken

Lunch List

Ethnic Gourmet Chicken Korma

Ethnic Gourmet Chicken Tandoori with Spinach

Ethnic Gourmet Kung Pao Chicken

Healthy Choice Apple Glazed Pork Medallions

Healthy Choice Princess Chicken (I think it is discontinued)

Lean Cuisine Dinnertime Selects Steak Tips Dijon

Lean Cuisine Spa Cuisine Salmon with Basil (add 1 extra serving of fruit when selecting this meal)

Smart Ones Chicken Parmesan

Smart Ones Chicken Tenderloins with Barbecue Sauce

Smart Ones Lasagna Florentine

South Beach Mediterranean Style Chicken with Couscous

Stouffer’s Grilled Chicken Teriyaki

Uncle Ben’s Roasted Chicken & Vegetable Bowl

Uncle Ben’s Savory Beef Portabello Bowl (Uncle Ben’s is hard to find – here is a Pasta Bowl review)

The Meal Plan

From “The Frozen Food Diet” (Good Housekeeping, October 2005):

Our meal plan: Below, we’ve outlined what you should eat every day. We’ve left some blanks – to be filled in with choices from the lists below and on the next page. Drink calorie-free beverages, and take a one-a-day multivitamin/multimineral.

Breakfast:
-Milk (1 cup fat-free) or yogurt (6 ounces light)
-Cereal (3/4 cup Kashi GoLean; or 3/4 cup Cheerios or Wheaties mixed with 1/4 cup All-Bran Extra Fiber)
-one serving fruit (see list)

Lunch:
-Frozen meal (see lunch list)
-salad (2 cups salad greens – try to alternate varieties – with 1/2 cup bite-sized pieces of any combination of the following [raw or steamed]: cauliflower, broccoli, cucumber, celery, mushrooms, bell peppers, onions, radishes, tomatoes)
-2 tablespoons reduced-calorie dressing, no more than 50 calories per 2T serving (like Newman’s Own Low Fat Sesame Ginger) or 1 teaspoon olive oil mixed with flavored vinegar

Dinner:
-Frozen meal (see dinner list)
-salad (2 cups salad greens – try to alternate varieties – with 1/2 cup bite-sized pieces of any combination of the following [raw or steamed]: cauliflower, broccoli, cucumber, celery, mushrooms, bell peppers, onions, radishes, tomatoes)
-2 tablespoons reduced-calorie dressing, no more than 50 calories per 2T serving (like Annie’s Naturals Raspberry Viniagrette) or 1 teaspoon olive oil mixed with flavored vinegar

One a Day:
-Milk (1 cup fat-free) or yogurt (6 ounces light)
-one serving fruit (see list)
-one serving whole grain (see list)

Twice a Week:
-1 treat (see list)

Serendipity?

I don’t remember exactly when it was that I picked up this article called “The Frozen Food Diet.” I am pretty sure it was while I was waiting in an examining room during my physical – about 6 months ago. I picked up an old issue of Good Housekeeping magazine, and came across the article. It was in the October 2005 issue and was written by Delia A. Hammock, M.S, R.D. I have looked for the same information online and have been unsuccessful. Here is what the introduction said:

“If only I had the time to diet…”

I bet you’ve said that before. We understand: It ain’t easy preparing diet-friendly foods every day, especially if you’re making something separate for the rest of your family. That’s why we’ve come up with this quickie diet – every meal in our plan can be prepared in nine minutes or less. The secret: 28 microwavable frozen meals that meet our strict nutritional criteria but still pack lots of flavor. Just press the start button on your microwave – and – voila!

Can a diet so simple really work? You bet. Our plan is based on research done by the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. In an eight-week study conducted there in 2003, women who ate frozen meals as their main course for lunch and dinner lost an average of 12 pounds; women who were supposed to follow a calorically equivalent diet – but who had to plan and cook everything themselves – lost only 8 pounds. The results suggest that the second group of women ended up consuming more calories because they didn’t accurately measure their foods, says LeaAnn Carson, M.S., R.D., a research dietitian at the university and one of the study’s authors. The lesson: Frozen entrees can help keep portion sizes under control.

With our plan, portion control can help you lose about 1.5 pounds per week – 20 pounds in just over three months. Time to stock the freezer!”

At the same time as I was reading this, the Jenny Craig program was getting a lot of publicity with Kirstie Alley as a spokesperson. I did look into the program, but am shy about committing that much money at the moment. I also visited a lot of other sites that provide calorie-controlled meals to people who are dieting – there are quite a few, and they have some very attractive food. Some of it gourmet-quality, organic, etc.

I have gained at least 30 unwanted pounds since I got married – hey, maybe more!  I am aware that a lot of it has to do with my lowered activity level:  I no longer ride horses, and I am not a traveling teacher anymore (I used to go from room to room and that was some exercise).  I also LOVE to eat and cook – and go out to eat, and invent new recipes… but more on that later.

I am going to devote a separate entry to “the meal plan” – so I will close for now.  I am debating about whether or not to include before or after pictures.  I am obviously a narcissistic exhibitionist (my husband’s opinion of many bloggers), but I need some way of keeping myself honest.  I also would like to share some of the great health links and information I have found – and maybe even put them into practice!