It wasn’t my fault—this time

I spent most of yesterday with the odd feeling that my timing was off. Last night I discovered why.

My alarm clock has a feature to automatically reset the clock when daylight saving time begins and ends. A great feature, except the government keeps changing the dates, so my clock is confused. Thursday morning at 2, my clock reset to 1 a.m., so when I got out of bed at 8:30 it was really 9:30. I discovered the time differential when I got under the covers long after Jay Leno’s monologue, but my clock read 11:30. Mystery solved!

So I spent a lot of time yesterday thinking that getting up too late was my fault, when it really wasn’t. I’m willing to take the blame when something’s my fault. Admit it, get past it, forget it.

Perception is a funny thing. Today I’m wearing a new pair of jeans in the same size that I recently shrunk into. The other jeans fit comfortably, but these, the same size and brand, are almost uncomfortably tight. A few times today I caught myself thinking, “These jeans are too tight because I’m too fat,” forgetting that I couldn’t even look at this size a few weeks ago. So today I’m telling myself that the jeans are just tight and they’ll be looser soon. Besides, the jeans are so tight that they’re keeping me from wanting to eat between meals for fear I’ll have a “food baby” that keeps the zipper from raising. (If you don’t know, a “food baby” is the phenomenon that a skinny actress can look pregnant if you photograph her right after lunch. I remember a message board arguing over whether a particular TV actress was expecting, but someone connected with the show pointed out that the scenes were shot after lunch.)

Have a great weekend, everyone. Don’t forget to turn your clocks back at 2 a.m. Sunday. This time for reals.

See you next week.

My mojo went on vacation

I think the world changed while I was asleep, because I keep missing bits of time here and there.

I woke up late today. I must have hit the snooze bar a few more times than I remember, because I got up, fed the critters and started getting dressed and realized it was an hour later than I thought it was. No time to make my shake this morning. I brewed up a sugar-free pumpkin spice latte while I loaded up my work stuff and picked up a meal-replacement bar. My surgeon’s office frowns on these bars unless you’re far along in your weight loss. Since I’m better than halfway done, I figure it’s OK occasionally. This bar had 32g of protein and wasn't too bad in the fat and carb department.  It was a nice complement to the latte.

Since I got in late, I felt behind all day, even though I wasn’t. I got my work done, and my meetings out of the way. Even had time for a flu shot at the on-campus clinic.

The daughter wants take-out Italian tonight, which I’ll probably get for her. I’m craving serious protein, so I’ll have some Trader Joe’s Apricot Rosemary Chicken salad that’s waiting for me in the fridge.

At least tomorrow is another day, and maybe I can start that one on time. Sunday morning we get back the hour lost to Daylight Saving Time.

See you tomorrow.

Getting used to new flavors

This morning I made a shake with new protein powder I bought: Isopure Zero Carb Protein Creamy Vanilla. It calls for 12 ounces of water, but I used 10 and added an ounce of Torani sugar-free syrup, in French vanilla. I whipped it up with my immersion blender and took a sip.

And realized I’m not a big fan of vanilla.

But that’s OK. I usually get chocolate powder, but I got vanilla because I can use it for a base for other flavors. Tomorrow I may add some frozen fruit and a nut flavoring. My daughter bakes, so we have plenty of extracts around the house. In addition, I have many sugar-free syrup flavors: peach, raspberry, lime, English toffee, caramel, hazelnut, cinnamon-brown sugar, pumpkin spice, plus chocolate and vanilla. I have a regular syrup in blood orange, and using that would add about 70 calories.  

I’ve heard of other people boosting the shake flavor by adding a teaspoon or two of sugar-free pudding powder in a corresponding flavor. I haven’t tried this yet, but it sounds like something that would work well.

I like getting the protein in early. My shake has about 50g of protein, then lunch has 15g-30g and the afternoon snack adds 15g. If I have string cheese on the drive home, that’s at least 12g more. So by dinnertime, I can have 100g of protein eaten. Dinner doesn’t matter as much, so I can have something light, or nothing, if I don’t feel like eating. Or if I want a nice glass of wine for dinner.

On a side note, I just discovered that the insurance company my employer is switching to doesn’t cover my bariatric surgeon, who adjusts my band periodically. So now I’ll probably have to pay for them, and get reimbursed. I’m not looking forward to that. My next appointment is right after the new year, so the new insurance will be in effect. Can’t wait to see what happens.

See you tomorrow.

Half-price candy is twice as dangerous

November 1 used to be a big holiday in my world, as was February 15 and the days after Easter and Mother’s Day. Half-price candy. Twice as much for the same price! Nope, cheaper doesn’t make it better.

I feel fortunate that the only Halloween candy I had this year was at a party in early October and one fun-size bag of M&M’s. Around the office, I saw a few piles of leftover candy, but I made sure to steer clear of those areas. Out of sight will keep me from going out of my mind. Because of a morning dental appointment, I didn’t get my usual shake for breakfast today. Instead I had a grande sugar-free, fat-free triple-espresso latte for the drive to work. Then I had my regular lunch and plenty of coffee and water in between.

November usually is a big party month for me. My 23rd anniversary is on the 12th, birthday on the 19th and hubby’s birthday on the 27th. This year I’m sneaking a champagne split into the nursing home to have with hubby. My sister is taking me to the L.A. Zoo and Huntington Library, so we’ll be walking a LOT. Hubby’s birthday won’t be on Thanksgiving this year, so we’ll have a low-key celebration. And of course, there’s Thanksgiving, but I’m making lots of weight-loss surgery-friendly dishes for that.

I’m sure I’ll be tempted between now and the holidays. If I eat a piece or two of candy, the world won’t end. The important thing is to savor those treats. Don’t just pop a truffle in your mouth. Bite it. Taste it. Savor it. Let it melt in your mouth. Wring all the taste out of that sucker.

If you’re going to eat it, you might as well enjoy it.

See you tomorrow.

And the holidays begin …

I’ve always loved Halloween. Where I grew up, Palm Desert, California, usually would start cooling down for the fall, and it was the start of the holiday season. Back when I would trick-or-treat, some houses would give away little bags of homemade treats. The razor blade hysteria didn’t start until I was older. We walked the dark streets—no streetlights or sidewalks back then—with a parent hovering. When I was in junior high, the first dance of the year was on Halloween, so all those hormone-fueled glances in class could come to fruition or frustration.

Halloween also meant the sale of those single-serving candy bags. I mean those bags of “fun size” candy that I’d eat in one day. In theory, the “fun size” is a good idea in that you can get your candy fix in a small dose. But like the old Lays potato chip ads, betcha can’t eat just one.

This year I didn’t buy any candy until last night, when I picked up a small bag at my daughter’s request. I don’t know why she wanted it because she’ll be out partying with her pals. It’s not open yet, so that’s a good sign for me.

This weekend was a mixed bag. My shopping trips didn’t bring the amount of exercise I’d hoped for. One of those trips was to Costco, so you know how that was. I didn’t eat badly, just lots of tiny bites, so I likely didn’t get near enough protein. And today we had a Halloween party and I ate some cupcakes. It was a one-time thing, so it won’t do much damage. Over the weekend my weight went up slightly, 1.3 pounds, but I expect that to drop quickly. I’m not going to worry unless it lingers longer. Starting this moment, I’m back on track.

Of course, now that the holidays are starting, it’s the season of dietary pitfalls. All I can do is my best, make sure I eat the good food I’m supposed to, and to ward off the things that I probably shouldn’t.

See you tomorrow.