Setting the Right Goals - June 30, 2009 -
Goal setting is so important but not picking the right battles can set you up for failure. I’ve tried to re-energize my efforts lately towards cooking healthy, filling meals which takes a lot of time and focus to keep up. But overall, I have been successful in this endeavor over the past 3 weeks. It has paid off on the scale too! So that was one of my big goals in the beginning of getting back on track. Meal planning helps know what you are eating and control it. I also get my taste buds back to normal when I don’t eat out often. After weeks of healthy eating, restaurant food is too salty and fatty. Of course, the pleasantry of being served and not having to cook or clean is nice but I’ve enjoyed cooking lately.
Setting attainable goals is important to keep you motivated too. I’ve heard it so many times to not set a weightloss goal for a specific time period. It can set you up for failure. Having an ideal goal weight for yourself is great, picturing the end result is even more positive reinforcement. But saying that you have to lose 25 pounds in the next 2 months for the class reunion isn’t the appropriate goal to set. It’s not that it isn’t possible… it just puts too much emphasis on the scale and a time deadline. What if you lose 20 pounds in that 2 months (which would be an awesome weightloss in that short time) ? What an accomplishment but it would seem like a failure b/c you didn’t hit that 25lb mark. That’s just no good for the emotional well-being of anyone.
So, I’m working on my goals right now. I have tried to cut down to using only 10 additional flex points on my WW program each week. This is a big improvement on maxing out my points the first 2 weeks. I am also still exercising M-Th & S~ 5 days a week of 40 minutes cardio/20 min strength training. It’s been really great! Also, continuing to cook my meals at home and weigh the meat servings or portion appropriately when I make my plate is really helping me gain some control.
Over the weekend, the hubby and I had a little taste of Outback in the living room. We bought a NY Strip from the Kroger butcher, a pkg of fresh mushrooms, and corn on the cob. While the corn boiled on the stove, I sauteed the mushrooms in a sauce pan. When they were tender, I added a can fat free beef broth and a couple tbsp of red wine vinegar. The Strip cooked on the George Foreman grill and we ate like kings!
Last night was a beef noodle dish in a light cooking magazine. It was tasty but I would make it a bit different next time. It tasted a lot like a hamburger helper…
Beef Noodle Bake
1 pkg no yolk egg noodles
1 lb lean ground beef
3 links turkey Italian sausage
1/2 cup diced onions
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 can stewed tomatoes, sliced
1 can creamed corn
*1 can fat free cream of chicken soup
*1/2 cup green olives w/ pimentos
Cook noodles according to pkg. Brown onions, beef and sausage with garlic powder in large skillet. When fully cooked, add all other ingredients and heat through. Place in casserole dish and bake covered @ 350 for 20 minutes. For 6 servings= 10 points. (serving was a large soup bowl~ very filling)
When I make it again, I will substitute the chicken soup with fat free cream of mushroom and take out the green olives~ they just didn’t blend well. I may also add some fresh sauteed mushrooms to replace the olives.
Posted by Light Size 
After the meeting, I had plans to go to Franke’s (cafeteria style food) across from work. I didn’t care anything about the main meat or veggie dish. I wanted mashed potatoes, a roll the size of my head and a fudgy pecan pie that they make. I had it on my mind and I wanted the taste satisfaction. After the meeting, the reset button was hit and I was back to thinking normal. I didn’t need any of that to make me happy. I want to be able to lose more weight and that experience would’ve just set me back. I would’ve felt guilty for overindulging, I wouldn’t have wanted to exercise last night b/c of the carb induced blood sugar crash that would’ve happened around 3 in the afternoon, I just plain didn’t really want it as much as I want to be successful after the meeting. It felt good to go to Subway instead and get a 6-inch sandwich. I didn’t feel guilty about getting the tuna salad sandwich either which isn’t on the 9g of fat or less menu. That decision was a semi-indulgent moment to have something that I normally wouldn’t but I wanted and was a fraction of what Franke’s would’ve cost me.
Now I am facing donuts, biscuits and gravy, glazed cakes, monkey bread, 2 quiches, cinnamon rolls, hashbrown casserole… and more to come as people trickle in. I planned well to exercise this morning at the early Jazzercise class and brought a healthy dish of zucchini bread. I have my banana ready for when I get hungry but for now, I have that workout full feeling so I’m feeling strong. This was another moment that I realized how important that meeting was yesterday. Prior to 2 weeks ago, I would’ve had a small piece of everything trying to fool myself into thinking that portion control is the key… I’m good at excusing the bites away. 
