Day 45

It's been a little while since my last post.  But do not fear, I have not given up!  I've just been caught up in other aspects of my life, like securing a job (to no avail, yet).  I have lost an additional 2 pounds so that puts me currently at 241.5.  I almost made my March goal of 240 pounds.  Yeah I didn't nail it, but I still feel pretty damn good with 2 pounds loss a week.  That gives me a total loss of 16.5 pounds!  The last few weeks have been great.  I finally got around to going grocery shopping and wanted to share some tips and ideas for what to look for in your everyday supermarket aisles.  I'm going to do one aisle per post, and today's featured aisle is CEREAL!  What better way to start your day then with some oatmeal or high-fiber oat bran flakes of wheat? (haha, jk)  It can be tough to find something healthy and satisfying among all those different brands and processed junk food.  I also have some other healthy breakfast ideas, thanks to my new favorite food: Greek yogurt.

I recently posted my exercise routine, and for the most part I've been keeping up with it, but I will admit that I skip it for two or three days here and there.  Exercise is the only downfall for me right now, but I know I can step it up.  I did find an awesome Jillian Michaels workout DVD called 30 Day Shred and it's great.  I can't do the full workout yet, but I'm trying to do 2 more minutes of it a day.  On day one I did 8 mins.  On day 2 I did 10 mins,  and so on.  I think this is also another great way to incorporate exercise into your life.  Like that 10, 10, 10 workout I discussed earlier, finding a good exercise DVD and doing a little at a time is a great way to build endurance. You can find tons of them on Netflix and Blockbuster online too!  Just do like I did and try 5-10 minutes the first day and then increase your time by a couple minutes every day after that.  Soon you will be able to do the whole thing with no problem.

I am back on the Weight Watchers program and have been doing great.  The new Points Plus system is so easy to use (once you buy the calculator or download the app on your phone :)).  The best part is that fruits and vegetables are 0 points.  I've noticed that my intake of fruits and vegetables have significantly gone up, and it was not even conscious.  I just started eating more.  It's nice because when you feel like snacking at night time (my biggest danger time), and you've already reached your daily Points Target, you can eat an apple and some grapes for NOTHING!  I know I've gone over this already but it's just so great. It's funny too because so many people are shocked that you can eat bananas and lose weight.  I don't know why bananas are special (probably because of the sugar content), but people at my meetings are thrilled that they don't have to count bananas!  What a bunch of monkeys!

GROCERY SHOPPING 101

When I'm grocery shopping, I really try to stay away from the center aisles (which I'm sure everyone has heard about).  The outer edges of the supermarket is where all the healthy food is; the fresh produce, dairy, meat, poultry and eggs.  But avoiding the center aisles is not 100% possible.  I still love to eat Pop Chips and Cereal, so I'm going to discuss some of the best choices in those aisles.  Today we are talking spoons and bowls.

CEREAL AISLE

Look for Oatmeal.  Oatmeal is a powerhouse of nutrients and is SO good for you it's ridiculous.  I'm not even going to get into it, just trust me.  By now it should just be common knowledge anyway.  Avoid the instant flavored oatmeals.  They just have a bunch of added sugar and preservative crap that you don't need.  Add your favorite sweetener and fresh fruit and spices at home, and save the calories.  I recommend steel-cut oats because they are less processed than traditional quick or rolled oats.  If you can't find them, go with rolled oats.  Any kind is better than Fruit Loops.

There are numerous healthy cold cereal options as well.  Look for something with fiber and protein, and less sugar.  A lot of cold cereals are processed with tons of sugar and preservatives, so look for cereals with less ingredients.  Whole wheat and high fiber cereals are very common in all supermarkets these days and most just have a hint of sweetness (usually from honey) for flavor.  If you like your Frosted Flakes, buy whole wheat flakes and put some Splenda or Truvia on them at home.  Same thing!  Also, tons of cold cereals contain fruit lately.  The fruit is just freeze-dried and it reconstitutes when you add milk.  It's still fruit and it's still great for your body.  Hot cereals like oatmeal and cream of wheat are the best options, and will keep you satisfied longer, but sometimes we all want to switch it up, and who doesn't love the nostalgic crunch of cold cereal and milk?  If you can, look for organic too.  This helps reduce some of the crud and chemical yuckiness. (Don't worry about it too much though, it gets pricey)

In my pantry I currently have the Quaker Oatmeal Squares Cereal.  I have the Brown Sugar variety and they are great.  Tons of fiber and protein per serving and just a hint of sweetness.  Even Martha recommends them!  Check out her healthy breakfast article in this month's issue of Whole Living magazine.  I use organic 1% milk and sometimes I even add some of those 0 point crazy bananas!

GREEK YOGURT

Okay, so I've already discussed my addiction to Greek yogurt.  I have now tried every brand and every flavor known to man and let me just say it is the best food item ever invented!!!!  It's also extremely healthy, with twice the protein of traditional yogurt.  Anyway my friend Kerry (who is also working out and eating healthy) gave me an awesome breakfast idea for that yummy, creamy, indulgent, amazing piece of heaven.  Here's the recipe:

- 1 individual container vanilla Greek style yogurt (non-fat or 2%, try Chobani or Dannon)

- 1 sliced banana

- 1/8 cup raw almonds

- 1 tbsp honey

- sprinkle of cinnamon

Mix it all up in a bowl and you'll be full and smiling until lunch.  375 calories, 6 PointsPlus

Next time I will be discussing the cracker and chip aisles at your local grocery giant.  Until then, keep being a loser!