Starbucks, Red Wine & Chocolate

            At the start of a diet, one must decide, “To weigh in or not to weigh in?”  It’s a good question.  By weighing in, you can get depressed, binge, and simply give up.  By not weighing in, you risk the chance of cheating; telling yourself that one tiny morsel of chocolate won’t make a difference.  Experience has taught me, that it’s always best to weigh in, and face your fear.  At the break of dawn, before that first cup of coffee, devoid of clothing, step up to a new and better you.  As I jumped on the scale, I could almost hear Dorian’s disapproval, “Mommy, don’t break the scale!”  In the era of everything electronic, I was thankful the scale couldn’t talk. 

“Get off!  Get off!  Get off!” is what it would say.

            311.6 lbs later I found myself in the heart attack zone.  I could turn to my old friend denial for comfort, or I could do something about it. 

Breakfast:     Starbucks low fat tall latté with cinnamon powder. 

                        Starbucks low fat turkey breakfast sandwich.

            I believe it’s best to ease yourself slowly into your diet, as not to shock your system.  I’m also a great believer of Starbucks to start your day!  As I wait patiently in the cue of cars, my mind wanders back to 1972.

I spent the first 20 years of my life in Georgetown, Ontario; a small unassuming town where for a 10 yr old girl, walking was not only an option, it was a necessity.   I recall two 8 year old boys down the street who didn’t agree with my philosophy and managed to steer their family car to the end of their driveway.  Boys!

 

Back then, the notion of a drive-through would consist of a drunken partygoer crashing into someone’s living room.  Therefore, it was extremely exciting when a new Dog & Suds opened up along with roller-skating waitresses with trays on the side.  Unfortunately, after a bout of food poisoning the owner of Dog & Suds were in the proverbial dog house.  With its doors permanently closed, our 50’s style diner was forever affectionately known as the Arf & Barf. 

I trace my first struggle with weight loss back to my mother, a survivor of World War II in London, England.  Food was rationed, and with its scarcity came a great need for creativity.  Bubble & Squeak (leftover mashed potatoes and cabbage), Shepherd’s Pie (minced beef, onion, spices, gravy, potato), Bread & Butter Pudding (stale bread, currents & raisins, butter, eggs, milk, sugar), Toad in the Hole (sausages with Yorkshire pudding), Bangers & Mash (sausages, mashed potato & gravy) to name only a few.

Perhaps this is when the term “waste not, want not” was invented?  I recall reading an article about enterprising housewives trading recipes for baked hedgehog and carrot fudge.  It’s no wonder my mom thrives on meat and potatoes after that experience!

Mom lived by that, not only expecting, but enforcing the rule of clearing off your plate as though it was immoral to do otherwise.  Had she not piled my plate as high as my father’s, I may have trusted her judgment. However a ten year old stomach can only pack in so much food.  So began the 10 p.m. stand-off.  I refused to finish my meal, and mom declined my request to be excused from the table.  Stubbornly, I sat alone at the table until bedtime.

After a few weeks of this post bedtime war I searched for alternate solutions.  After all, it wasn’t much fun sitting on a hard, slightly foam-filled, cushioned chair with its cold chrome exterior.  One might say that poking holes in its thin plastic coating was an effective way to pass the time.  However, I like to think it was my ingenuity that led me to stuff the chair with unwanted leftovers.  Peas, mashed potato, gravy, and what could only be described as scraps of dried up mystery meat miraculously disappeared.  With severe allergies and no dog around to entertain my conspiracy, this seemed the only resolution to my problem.  It was great in theory, until one Saturday evening when it all blew up in my face; literally.  The chair was not the only explosion heard that day.  

With low fat latte & breakfast sandwich in hand, I continued on to work, reveling in my decision to drop unwanted pounds by Friday morning’s weigh-in.

 

Lunch:           2 cups of iceberg lettuce

                        ½ cup mixed peppers (green, red & yellow)

                        5 oz grilled, sliced skinless chicken

                        1 tbsp low fat salad dressing

I often wondered why my mom felt the need to give me man-sized portions at every meal.   My sister’s theory is that mom, slightly overweight at the time, wanted us to be overweight too, so she could feel good about herself.  I never bought into this.   Mom seemed genuinely pleased when I phoned to tell her I’d started my diet.  In fact, it was mom who constantly pointed out my extra pounds whenever the opportunity presented itself.

Arrived at home by 3 p.m. only to find mom’s signature strawberry rhubarb pie (my absolute favorite), warm from the oven, sitting on my kitchen counter. 

Snack:  4 pieces of celery

              1 ounce cheddar cheese,

              a touch of strawberry rhubarb aromatherapy.

My slightly older, and much wiser sister, may be on to something.  I quickly tucked the pie in the freezer, locking the door behind me. 

            During my teenage years I took to escaping to my bedroom with a plate of light-hearted fare, consisting of cheese, crackers, celery, carrots and radishes.  As long as I could eat with one hand, and turn the page of a book with another, I was happy.  Reading was my passion.  If a book truly caught my attention, I could complete it in less than 2 hrs. 

            My favorite form of exercise was Barbie Allen’s Dancercise, an aerobic workout set to music.  It saddens me that in 2010 no one seems to remember Barbie Allen.  (For those of you interested, Barbie was Ed Allen’s wife.  Ed Allen had a following of millions of viewers and fans, from all over the world. His exercise Show was still being distributed in the early 90’s.  Ed wore a distinctive one-piece polyester jumpsuit while he did his calisthenics.)  I preferred wearing spandex with leg warmers.  After 45 minutes of physical conditioning involving exercises, I ran around the block (a distance of ¼ of a mile), then jumped in our swimming pool where I completed a succession of vigorous laps.   To my great joy, I found keeping a daily regiment allowed me to eat whatever I wanted without gaining a single pound.    It seems those days, along with my beloved Barbie Allen, have long since faded away.  Now if only the pounds would follow suit!

Dinner:  4 oz filet mignon

                ½ cup onions & peppers, grilled

                4 bacon-wrapped scallops & bacon

                1 glass red wine

            Granted, scallops with bacon may not sound dietary, but it definitely adds a little flare.  After all, what’s a turf, without surf?  Questioning my choice, I posted a query to all my friends on Facebook. 

From the diet front:

 

Scallops & Bacon for dinner, with no sides...

good for a diet, or bad?

 

Deborah: 

Scallops good...

Bacon, not so much, unless it was low sodium turkey bacon

(from Butterball).

 

Jennifer:

I would be ok with that, I’m doing no carbs,

but Deborah is right, turkey bacon is good.

Jessica:

You need to be eating everything. Portion control is the main objective.

Not deprivation, as that creates binges.

Christine:

Oh, I'm balanced, just eating the carbs earlier in the day.

I knew you were going to say something about the bacon.

Unfortunately, this came on the scallops.

However I do have the Butterball turkey bacon. 

I never diet without it!     

BBC News, UK reports Resveratrol is an antioxidant found in the skins of red fruits, such as grapes, and is thought to be the main beneficial ingredient in red wine.  A glass of red wine has already been found to help prevent cancer, protect against heart problems and improve brain function.

Biotivia Resveratrol Products, NY claims mammals fed Resveratrol in the Dr. Sinclair Harvard study lived 31% longer and had none of the normal diseases of aging. You can switch on the same anti-aging genes with Biotivia's Resveratrol supplements.

Drinking a glass of red wine not only guarantees a longer life, it improves brain function, ensuring I’m smart enough to know that the more wine I drink, the longer I’ll live.  Living longer gives me more time to drink wine.  It’s really a very pleasant win-win, don’t you agree?  Forgoing cancer is a definite bonus.  I definitely do not want cancer.

When I first decided to start this diet or “lifestyle change” as many of my friends prefer, I had an epiphany.  How many times (once spring arrived) did I chastise myself for letting things go during the winter?  Quietly, almost trance-like, I envisioned travelling to the future to visit springtime me.  Springtime me begged wintertime me to lose weight NOW, so that by spring I would in pretty decent shape.  At best, I could wear capris without embarrassment.  This was an intensely spiritual moment, without the “out of body” experience.  Of course, being out of body may have been another option had I acquired the insight as to how to accomplish this.  So wintertime me made a promise to springtime me that I would do my very best to lose 50 lbs by Easter weekend.  It’s all very Shirley MacLaine and Echo Bodine-like with a chubby Christine thrown in the mix. 

Having a support group is mandatory in keeping on the weight-loss path.  By alerting my Facebook friends to my weight loss intentions I had no choice but to stick to the program or face public humiliation.  

Snack:  2 cups strawberries

  1 ounce raw almonds

Throughout the day I drink water.  It’s from a water cooler.  I’m a bit nervous about drinking water from a bottle ever since the toxic chemicals in water bottles fiasco.  However, missing the convenience of said water bottles I decided to do a little research. 

Bonzabuy, AU, claims a lot of plastics these days have a chemical known as BPA. This substance has been declared ‘safe’ by governments from research funded by the companies who make BPA plastic! There is enough evidence to suggest that BPA is not safe and harmful to humans.  On a more logical and down to earth level, when you drink from plastic water bottles - you can taste the plastic. My logic says that if you can taste it, it is leaking into the water and going into your body. This can not be good. Have you ever seen the toxic smoke fumes when plastic is produced? Thick black YUCK!

For me, this is cause for concern.  Six months after Dorian was born, I alternated between breast feeding & bottled formula.   Sterilizing nursing bottles on the stove was a daily ritual.  One summer’s eve, Brett (my husband) suggested we take the boys for a drive.  Sleep deprived, I forgot all about the boiling water.  We returned to find thick smoke throughout the house.  Remnants of plastic bottles were melted to the burner.  After opening all the windows we left to find accommodation for the night.  It took weeks to rid the house of the smell.  The morale of this story is breast feed longer, get more sleep, and avoid drinking from plastic bottles whether you’re a newborn or a 47 year old fat person on a diet.  More importantly, make sure you drink 8 x 8 ounces of water a day.  (My pen pal in England claims a local woman died from drinking over 8 glasses a day, but I’ve yet to confirm this.)

           

            In my mind, being overweight does not make for a good night’s rest.  For one, it’s an endless sea of tossing & turning while trying to find your comfort zone; that special place where your boobs don’t disappear into your armpits and your back doesn’t crack from the weight of your abdomen.  Curling up in the fetal position isn’t so alluring when you can’t bend your knees like you used to.  My calves have matured into full grown cows.

“MOOOOOO-VE OVER!” says Brett, wondering why his side of the bed is suddenly constricted.

            Being a morning person, I have no problem arising in anticipation of each day.  I wonder how many calories you can burn simply from jumping out of bed.  These days, exercise is a luxury I can’t afford.  I’ve worked it out in my head that I actually work 5 jobs; a Sales Representative for ClubRunner, selling software that helps Rotarians manage their clubs; a Puppeteer with Patty Cakes Puppetry (my own business); a Secretary for the CDC (Casting Directors of Canada); a Psychic for Ask Your Angels (my hobby); and a Stay-At-Home Mom (1/2 days only).  Who has time for Barbie Allen these days?  I did manage a liaison with Richard Simmons one summer, but that quickly fizzled out when I broke my ankle. 

            With so many responsibilities a little creativity goes a long way.  Compromising, I’ve worked out a pretty good system.  Counting calories may be your preference.  I’m not a fan myself, but for sport, I’ve worked out my own calorie-burning exercises. 

Chasing naked 7 year old around the house, with bathwater waiting = 145 calories plus.

(As we have a turnabout, this can take hours.)

Lifting laundry baskets of clean or dirty clothing to and from the laundry room = 65 cal. /load.  (As this is a good exercise to improve your pecks, I give this responsibility to Brett.  I’m still waiting on some sign of appreciation.)

Flipping the Queen-sized mattress in the master bedroom = 220 calories

(750 calories with dust mites.)

Walking down the street to have coffee with neighbour Isabel = 35 calories one way.

(Isabel bakes fresh cookies = 0 calories for the walk home.)

Vacuuming the entire house, all 1575 square feet of it = 396 calories.

(Removing Dorian’s Bakugan from vacuum – maximum upper arm strength = 1524 calories.) 

Carrying garbage to the curb = 87 calories per bag.

(Bag breaks = 0 calories if you leave it for your husband to pick up; 174 calories if you do it yourself.)

Carb resistance = calories unknown.

(Fighting urge to eat salty chips, fresh bread, pizza dough = 0 calories.  Life can be unfair.)

Carbohydrates are the enemy or so I’ve been told.  To confirm this I went on the internet (what did we do before the internet?) This is what I found:

Most carbohydrates are either a common sugar or a long chain of sugars linked together. The body's digestive system works to break the chains apart into simple sugars so the body can absorb them. Thus, most carbohydrates can turn into sugar.

Researching further I found CNN’s website, and found this information very insightful:

Much confusion surrounds the topic of carbohydrates, thanks to fad diets that promote fat and protein over carbs. But, "as with fats, it is the type of carbohydrate that is most important," says Walter Willett, M.D., Ph.D., chairman of the department of nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health and one of our panels of experts for this series. Eventually, all carbohydrates turn to sugar in our bodies. These sugars give us the energy needed to perform tasks, from breathing to bicep curls.

However, some carbohydrates convert to sugar more quickly than others. For this reason, nutrition recommendations for carbohydrates focus on complex carbohydrates, the more slowly digested kind found in whole grains, legumes, and vegetables (such as quinoa, kidney beans, and winter squash). They help you feel full and satisfied after a meal and keep your blood sugar level on an even keel, reducing the risk for developing type 2 diabetes.

What you can do: Whole grains, in particular, are a superior carbohydrate choice. Women who average two to three daily servings of whole grains have a 30 percent reduced risk for heart attack and type 2 diabetes compared to women who consume less than one serving per week, according to the Nurses' Health Study. Such findings prompted the USDA to recommend three servings daily (two 100 percent whole-grain bread slices and one-half cup cooked brown rice, for example) in the current Dietary Guidelines.

            Kudos to Carbs!  It's best to eat the carbs earlier in the day. 

Did you know that by eating breakfast first thing in the morning you’re jump-starting your metabolism?  It truly is the most important meal of the day!  Avoiding breakfast is like coming to terms with your alarm clock.  If you ignore it, digging deeper under the covers, your metabolism will stay asleep too. 

            I satisfy my sweet cravings with fruits.  Having their own natural sugar, fruits are a healthy alternative to brownies, cookies, cakes or fudge.  You may be wondering why I haven’t mentioned chocolate.  I’m a member of the CAA – Chocolates Anonymous Association.  I admit I have great difficulty giving up chocolate, especially just before my period.  With all the misconceptions about PMS, I’m here to set the record straight.  It does NOT stand for Post Menstrual Syndrome.  It does in fact stand for Pass Me the Snickers, or else!  The Medical Association probably dropped the “or else” part in efforts to shorten the acronym.  Chances are said Medical Association had nothing to do with this label, as I expect it was the work of a man; a man who clearly doesn’t appreciate a woman’s right to chocolate!

Milk chocolate is my absolute favorite however; it is rich in sugar and calories.  Although I’ve never acquired a taste for dark chocolate, I felt it worth a second glance.  Denningers is a little European shop around the corner that prides itself on exceptional quality food.  It’s in this quaint little store that I found numerous varieties of chocolate.  An old friend once told me if you’re lucky enough to find a chocolate bar with 90% cocoa, try it!  I did find one with 85% cocoa.  Hesitantly I took a small bite.  (At this point I should mention that I did in fact purchase the chocolate bar first, otherwise my reasons for hesitance may be misconstrued.)  I found that one tiny square was all I needed to satisfy my chocolate craving.  I was pleasantly shocked to find this satisfaction carried me for weeks thereafter.  Up until then, milk chocolate merely increased my cravings.  The more chocolate I consumed, the more I wanted. 

Like anything new, dark chocolate is an acquired taste.  You’ll find it will alleviate your cravings, and also give you a sense of well-being.  Known for its powerful antioxidants, dark chocolate, in moderation, can slow down the aging process and protect you against heart disease and cancer.

To sum up, both chocolate & wine contain phenols, which are said to prevent fatty substances in the blood stream from oxidizing and blocking the arteries.  A nice glass of red wine with an 86% (or higher) square of chocolate on the side is the perfect way to end your day!