MOLLY'S DIET RANTS! (ranting, raving, motivating & more)

RANTING BURNS CALORIES!

This is an open, ongoing, support-encourage-motivational-RANTING thread. Feel free to skip to the end, or spend days reading through all of this ...

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I have decided that "Diet" is a 4-letter word.

I find myself muttering and uttering the word around my house these days with loathing and vehemence previously reserved only for comments directed toward liberal politicians. In fact, I seem to be talking to myself a lot more these days .... sort of a running, sarcastic commentary on all the foods I can't eat, or on various other related topics. I wonder if there is a link between calorie-deprivation and Tourettes Syndrome? Grrrrrrrrr.....

I am now on Day 8 of the dreaded D-word. This is already the longest period of time that I have ever successfully remained on a diet. And I seem to be growing grouchier and feistier each day..... at least when I am alone and no one is around to hear my running rants. (My wonderful DH has heard some of my more memorable rants on the subject of broccolli and reports that I am hysterically funny when I am hungry!) I am counting carbs. I am counting calories. I am counting fat grams. Sheesh ... now my math anxiety is about to kick-in!

Mini Rant #1 .... what masochist decided that the serving size of cereal was anything less than 2 cups? Have you ever measured out 2/3 a cup of cereal? Or even a full cup? And placed it in a bowl? Those few little flakes and pieces just sit forlornly at the bottom of the bowl, shivering and lonely, even when we dribble on a few meager droplets of skim milk! Sheesh. Well, I can tell you that there is simply no way that my oversized body is going to be happy with that tiny amount of cereal ... so I have been eating TWO servings for breakfast. SIGH. And while the side of the box says that I can supplement the cereal with some fruit, they probably don't mean eat 45 cherries with your cereal -- much less 1/2 a watermelon, huh?

Mini Rant #2 .... Things NOT to say to someone who has told you that they have just started on a diet:

1.Good, you sure needed it.
2. It's about time.
3. Really? It doesn't look like it.
4. Again? Haven't we heard this before?
5. Gosh, how much weight do you need to lose?
6. What do you weigh? I've always wondered.
7. I never need to diet, I have a fast metabolism.
8. Really? I can eat all I want and never gain weight.
9. Is THAT why you are so grouchy?
10. I sure hope you plan to exercise a lot more.

AAAUGGH! All of these responses are just the thing to make me even grouchier .... so just smile and say something encouraging and supportive, ok? I will let you know how it is going.

_____

=^..^=  Molly 

WELCOME TO MOLLY'S MOTIVATIONAL RANT / CHAT THREAD ... FEEL FREE TO SHARE YOUR RANTS, TOO!  YOU CAN EITHER READ FROM THE BEGINNING OR JUST JUMP ON IN ON THE LAST PAGE ... JOIN US! 

For those interested in trying out using a gym, I have a suggestion.  IHRSA (International Health and Racquet Sportsclub Association) has a promo every May called Commit to Get Fit.  This program allows people to use the gym free for a month.  Yes, you have to sit down and talk to a sales rep, but there is no obligation to actually purchase a membership at the end of the month.  So it at least gives you a month that you can test out your willingness to go.

If you want to find out if any health clubs in your area are IHRSA members, go to www.IHRSA.org.

Ratinhat- You got me so excited about the prospect of spaghetti squash, I went out and bought one.  Will try it sometime this week.  Thanks for the tip.  Any ideas for butternut squash?  Bought that too! 

Molly- I feel you on the horse pills that are Fish Oil pills.  I started taking them a couple of months ago at the advice of my doc.  Something is wrong when you can feel a pill go all the way down your throat and PLOP into your stomach.  Good Grief.  Also, very happy that you have found a way to get some exercise in, using a safe and monitored environment.  Way to go!

Slow-Coach-  All I can say is WOW!  I can't say much more because I am on my knees with my face to the ground, bowing down to you and your incredible fitness ethic. (I'm not worthy, I'm not worthy) :) I wish I had that kind of motivation.  I thought I did well going to the gym 4-6 days a week.

Brandy .... thanks for the great tip on exercise places! We always love to hear about bargains in the Rant Thread!!!

Danagrl ... I wanted to get a spaghetti squash at the store this weekend, but the grocery man said that they'd had a "run" on spaghetti squash and they were completely OUT. How funny is that? Maybe this thread has hundreds of unknown lurking fans who all read Ratinhat's suggestion about spaghetti squash? Anyway, I bought green beans instead. (I know that they aren't the same thing ... but I needed to fill my veggie quota, you know?)

YAY! Fun mail today.... a refund check from Cingular Wireless for a whopping 69 cents! (We switched to T-Mobile about 4 weeks ago!) I also got some nifty hub reflector-thingies for my bike (it's a trike, actually), plus a nifty side mirror. My DH has promised to attach these items for me since I am hopelessly inept with tools. I am still waiting for the other reflectors and the light kit I ordered, too.  Hee hee hee.... "Pimp my Trike" is what my DH keeps saying to me!

=^..^= MOLLY

Sorry, dana, I don't have many suggestions for butternut squash.  I've never had it myself, though I intend to try it out this fall.  I've seen a few recipes for butternut squash soup that look good, though.  I'd look it up on calorie-count or recipezaar.com.

Molly- I bought my spaghetti squash at Ralphs.  Don't know if you have those in Central Cal.  They're all over the place here in So Cal.  They had them on special for $1.00 a piece.  I figured that for a buck, I could try anything once.  (Pimp my trike!  I was in fits laughing when I read that, b/c I actually thought that before I read the line.  HAHAHAHAHAHA)

Ratinhat- I have had butternut squash soup several times at restaurants.  I love it!  Hence the impulsive purchase of a butternut squash, also a dollar.  Apparently it has a flavor and texture similar to the sweet potato.  I am excited to try something new.  I am inspired by Molly's excitement over trying new foods.  Thanks for the links for recipes.  I will have to check them out....

We don't have a Ralph's here .... just Vons, Savemart, Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, and some local stores. (Our closest store is a local one.)  There is a Raley's in the mountains about an hour north of here ... sometimes we go there just for the drive... LOL!  

I want to try spaghetti squash and acorn squash ... maybe next time I buy veggies ... which should be soon.  (I ate ALL the broccoli tonight when I had the "munchies" .... that's 100 calories worth of steamed broccoli .... OH ... MY .... GOSH!) I guess if I've got the munchies and am going to pig out on SOMETHING, steamed broccoli would be the way to go, huh?

 

=^..^=  MOLLY

I opened a new box of "High Fiber" Cereal today. I must admit that I am always a bit worried when a cereal's actual name includes the words "High Fiber" ... most likely so we don't get our hopes up about the taste and/or texture.  Anyway, the new cereal is "Trader Joe's High Fiber Frosted Multigrain Clusters" .... doesn't that sound yummy and inviting? For me, it conjured up warm memories of Frosted Flakes and Frosted Mini Wheats from my youth (ok, from August, before I started dieting!)  Anyway, this cereal is .... ummmm .... healthy. And full of fiber. And shaped a lot like little twigs. And the color of twigs. It is a very, outdoorsy-feeling cereal ... like I should be camping in the woods or marooned on an Island, playing Survivor. Actually, it wasn't too bad ... I added some unsweetened vanilla Almond Breeze, three raspberries .... and merrily chomped and slurped my way through it (accompanied by toast and cheese!)  Breakfast calories: 285.

I had no idea I would have to keep track of so many things while trying to eat healthier! I track calories. I track fat. I track protein. I track carbs. I track fiber. I track sodium. I watch labels for High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS), I track labels for hydrogenated and partially-hydrogenated oils. I track how often I eat fish. I track how often I take vitamins and supplements. I track how often I eat red meat. Soon I will start an exercise program and I will track my heart rate, and I will track my calorie burn. And of course I am  tracking my weight lost. And I will track my inches lost. And I will track my clothing size changes.  The next time someone asks me what I do for a living, I think I will just giggle and tell them "I'm a TRACK STAR!"

=^..^=  MOLLY

My coworker eats butternut squash quite often (she's on a VERY strict diet for a non-weight related health issue).  She takes a slice, probably about 1-2 in thick, puts it in a dish with some water and bakes it (or nukes), sprinkles it with some white pepper and salt, I think.  While I haven't tried this myself yet, it smells really yummy and she uses it as a dessert.

Molly, you are hysterical.  I absolutely love your description of the high fiber cereal.  I always eat Fiber One with Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Breeze and some blueberries (and sometimes some sliced bananas too).  I actually think it's quite tasty! 

My favorite thing to do with butternut squash is to make butternut squash fries.  I like to buy the pre-sliced squash from Trader Joe's because I haven't mastered the art of peeling those suckers.  I just lay the slices on some foil on a cookie sheet, spray with a little non-fat cooking spray, and add some sprinkles of salt.  I bake them for about 30 minutes, and they come out tasting EXACTLY like sweet potato fries, and they're SOOO delicious (and healthy!).  I highly recommend giving them a try.

Today's Rant: The end of daylight savings time!

It's not even due to happen for another month, but already the days are shorter...it's darker longer than it's light! Doesn't Mother Nature realize we need Sunlight to survive???

Can walk in the dark...might trip and fall, or be mugged by some hooded thug hiding in a bush! Not even too safe to drive in the dark...at least not in some neighborhoods! So how do I get to the Mall to walk because it's too dark, cold, whatever to walk outdoors. Wish I could say" Beam me to the Mall, Scottie"

Does the sun really shine longer each day in Florida???"Cause I'd be tempted to move there if you can prove it!

Can I rant about squash for a moment?

I love winter squashes: accorn, butternut, spaghetti, hubbard, pumpkin....all yummy and full of fiber. BUT, loaded with carbs too!! Especially if I prepare them like Mom did...loaded with brown sugar or maple syrup!EEEKSS!!!

Now summer squash is great....a whole large zucchini is only a handfull of calories. Why can't my beloved winter squashes be like that??

Krismasself ... you can't think of winter squashes as "veggies" ... you must think of them (like potatoes, sweet potatoes and corn) as "starches."  You can still eat them, of course, but they are more calorie dense and have more carbs than most "veggies" do ... so I tend to save them as a dinner item.  The nice thing is that we can use I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Spray (ICNIBB) as well as cinnamon/Splenda (I buy it already blended) .... so it is almost like the "real" thing. 

Ahhh ... remember the "good ol' days" when we just got to eat food without worrying about fat, calories and carbs? (wistful sigh)

=^..^= MOLLY

I like to make butternut squash raviolis. mmmm with basil and a little sat/pepper those suckers make a yummy pasta filling:)

A miracle occurred! A real, live, honest-to-goodness miracle!!!

I was at the new Fitness Center, getting part one of my three-part "Initial Assessment" completed, and he asked what I weighed. I told him, down to the .4 of a pound. Of course, I still had to get on THEIR scale .... which I did. (Normally, scales in doctor's offices nefariously and mysteriously add pounds and pounds to the weight I am at home.)  Anyway .... my weight MATCHED!!!!

Ok, I'm a silly. Just had to share.

=^..^=  MOLLY

Molly- Yay to the matching scales.  That rarely happens.

Krismasself- I totall agree with your rant.  In fact I think you stole my rant for the day.  While I love the coziness of the autumn and winter months, I really wish we could be more like Hawaii or Arizona, who don't change the time at all.  I think that it does stay lighter a bit longer in Florida, due to it's closer location to the equator.  It gets dark in Hawaii at about 630 pm every evening and they are along the same latitudinal line as Florida, so that is my guess.  Problem is that it is very hot and muggy in Florida during the summer, not to mention hurricanes.  Not sure that I could deal with that.

Thanks for all of the suggestions for butternut squash.  I am excited to try something new.  I may try baking it with some splenda brown sugar blend and some ICBINB spray.  Yum!

So now for my rant- Why is it that every "vegetable" that I like, is not "really" a vegetable.  While I do like green beans, carrots, beets, and asparagus, I don't like a lot of other veggies.  I grew up thinking I was doing well with corn, potatoes, yams, sweet potatoes, etc, only to find out in my adult life that all the things that I really like, are things I shouldn't eat.  So in order to be and eat healthy, I have to tolerate veggies that I would rather do without.  Why can't mashed potatoes be a vegetable?  Then of course my husband likes every vegetable I can't stand (ie Cauliflower, brussel sprouts) and he can't stand the ones that I actually like.  Therefore, we have asparagus and green beans all of the time.  Ugh...

ewwww..... cauliflower. Frankly, it just does NOT do a thing for me.  It doesn't even LOOK tasty .... sort of an albino broccoli head. I would just rather have broccoli which I eat either steamed with spices and ICBINB spray, or raw and dipped in salsa or my yummy new, zero-calorie Walden Farms Ranch Dip! I also really like spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms, brussell sprouts, cabbage, cucumbers, radishes, asparagus and onions.  I bought some carrots and acorn squash this week to try something new. Zucchini??? (shudder) The ONLY way I will eat zucchini right now is the Del Monte canned zucchini that comes in a zesty tomato sauce ... 105 calories for the whole can.... yum. (Though I think I like the tomato sauce more than the zucchini!)

I am with you, though, ranting about the calories in SOME veggies. Have you looked up the calories in an avocado? EEEEK! Talk about sticker shock! (One avocado... 322 calories ...29.5 grams of fat) I know, I know .... it's a "good fat" ... but still! Oh... my..... goodness!

Mmmmm .... potatoes. I had some yesterday at Panda Express in their chicken potato (it was sooo nice!)

=^..^= MOLLY

(Sigh) I looooooove avocados.  Of course, because I shouldn't eat it.

Molly I am really glad you're getting a medically-supervised exercise programme. I know you have lots of health issues, but the joy of knowing that you can do something (safely) for your health will be great. There are, as you know, huge benefits of exercise, even if one doesn't get really skinny. CV Exercise reduces blood pressure, C-reactive protein, all-cause mortality (more so for women than men), strengthens bones, protects against diabetes and stroke and - most important in my book - ENHANCES ONE'S MOOD. Lots of evidence that it helps in depression.

 

The feeling of self-efficacy and growing fitness (and monitoring your resting and recovery HR will index that for you) is beyond compare. Best of all in my book is to exercise outdoors in the fresh air, away from traffic. I live near the Thames and often run along footpaths next to the river - very Zen early in the morning, when the sun is rising.

As an endurance coach, I love to see people helping themselves to a fitter, healthier life. no matter how "athletic" they see themselves as being. So I hope your assessment helps you set some achieveable goals to motivate you.

All the best, and keep us posted!

Slow-coach

Danagrl, you shouldn't be under the impression that just because a vegetable is starchy, it isn't good for you.  Sweet potatoes, for example, are on the list of the world's healthiest foods.  They are absolutely PACKED with vitamins, fiber, and anti-oxidants.  Even white potatoes are high in potassium and vitamins B and C, while extremely low in fat, making them a great choice for a diet.  Corn is also very high in fiber, vitamin C, and other essential minerals.  These vegetables may not necessarily be  low-cal, but they are excellent for you, and are a GREAT replacement for, say, chips and a hamburger!  That's what matters in the long run!

Someone explain to me why I can be so tired and grouchy when I know I have to get up and run on monday morning and then run between jobs on wednesday. Some days I could cry because of it. But I decided to take a week break and see how I feel and suddenly my body is dieing to run. i cant stop thinking about it. And I have mountains of pent up energy I just dont understand.