Feminine 101

In January 2024, I began a “health journey.” This is to share where I came from, what I’ve achieved, and how I got from point A to point B. Please note, I’m not a doctor, nutritionist, or any other sort of health professional. I’m just a woman who took her health in hand and made some changes. If you wish to start at the beginning of my story, you can click here. Full disclosure: the image is AI generated.

Over the course of the journey in which I’ve lost a quarter of my body weight, I realize that I’ve picked up some habits, equipment, and recipes that are invaluable. These are things that I’ve found I enjoy, use, or implement to maintain the ground I’ve gained. 

1. I got a walking pad. It’s like a cheap treadmill. I drag it out and walk when it’s cold. I live in the north, so winters are long and cold. I love hiking and walking outdoors in the summer and so does my dog. But when it’s chilly, I don’t want to walk for miles and miles. I might bundle up and walk to work, but that’s ten minutes, not an hour. 
2. I do a quick intensive, targeted workout five days a week. It ends up being fifty push ups, fifty squats, and fifty sit ups. I started doing the girls’ push ups (knees on the ground), and slowly worked my way up adding one or two regular push ups to each set until they were all regular. I do ten push ups, twenty-five squats, ten push ups, twenty-five sit ups, ten push ups, twenty-five squats, ten push ups, twenty-five sit ups, and ten push ups. This takes about 5 minutes and has shaped my shoulders, legs, and abs. I have started experiencing lower back pain more as I age so anything that strengthens my core is valuable. As a result, my back is getting stronger. I see definition in my arms, chest, and legs. Frankly my belly is where the remainder of my fat hangs out so while my abs certainly feel more solid, they are lost to me, still.
3. I have a formula for caloric planning: about 200 calories for “breakfast” which is usually a protein shake and black coffee, 500 or so for lunch, and 500 or so for dinner. Any remaining wiggle room can allow for a serving of dessert, or half a bagel and cream cheese when I get the urge to have a real breakfast. I still eat whatever my family eats at night, just less of it. My noon meals are the ones where I go off track so much of what I eat during the day has required a lot of adjustment. But here’s an idea of what I do:
   1. Sweet Potato: you can roast a whole sweet potato in the oven at 400° for one hour. I cut it in half (51 calories) and put one in the fridge for tomorrow. Then I smear on ½ (17 calories) to a whole (34 calories) teaspoon of butter–yes real butter. Salt and pepper finishes it. Then I top it with whatever I want. Sometimes I use 2 tablespoons of the leftover taco meat (43 calories), 1 tbsp. shredded cheese (28 calories), 1 tbsp. sour cream (24 calories), and 2 tbsp. salsa (10 calories). When I do taco meat, I skip the butter. I did try ¼ cup cottage cheese (I know, it’s a trope at this point, but I’ve liked it ever since I was kid) on top and really liked it (53 calories). I use the full fat version, too. I refuse to skimp on flavor. If I’m gonna have a thimble-full of something, it’s gonna taste amazing! That’s the main dish for lunch and it’s 121-156 calories.
   2. Chicken Tenders: I buy the six-pound bag of boneless skinless chicken tenders at Sam’s Club. They scale for meals really well especially if you’re feeding children. But sometimes I meal prep them. I season eight or so with my seasoning of choice because I like flavor. Minimally, you should do salt and pepper. I turn on the oven to 400° and put the rack at the very top. Arrange your chicken tenders on a greased baking sheet (not glass), and put them in while it’s heating up. The direct, intense heat browns them. You only need 12-15 minutes depending on your oven. Just make sure they’re cooked through. Cool them, and put them in the fridge. You can add one to a salad or eat one with a tsp. of Chick-fil-a sauce (30ish calories). 1 chicken tender is about 67 calories.  
   3. I like chips, Cheez-its, and crackers. So I will add some to my plate. Now some folks can’t have this stuff in the house and I’ll admit I still can’t be trusted with Jalapeno Cheetos. But I do like chips and want to have them on occasion. The recommended serving size for Cheez-its is 26 crackers. I eat half that (64 calories). I like Lays Stax Sour Cream and Onion. The recommended serving is 12 chips. I eat nine (105 calories). You do not have to eat what the label tells you to. It never stopped you from eating way too many so why should it stop you from eating less? 
   4. If we have leftovers, I plate some. 2 homemade pierogies (148 calories). A slice of my lasagna is about 4 ounces (177 calories). A leftover hamburger patty? (4 oz = 260 calories). 
   5. If I want a cookie, it goes on my plate and gets counted into the whole. I don’t go back and get it later. When that plate is clean, I’m finished. I make homemade cookies all the time. I often freeze half the batch (Incidentally, freezing them seems to help the texture in ways I don’t understand). I have kids, so they are happy to eat what I don’t. Sometimes, when I go to grab that cookie I’ve been waiting to eat, it’s already gone. In a weird annoying way, they are helping me. In any case, most of my cookies are two to three inches across and I’ve done the math on the ingredients so I know they run 70-90 calories. Ones with frosting are closer to 130 or 140 calories. Also, cookies can be really easy to eat way too many of. Some of them just beg to be eaten in sequence. To curb this, get a cup of hot coffee or tea and sip that in between bites. I recently made a Maple Oatmeal Cookie that is the best coffee cookie ever. The coffee cleanses your palate so the butter and sweet maple are enhanced in every bite! That one’s about 90 calories a pop because it has a sugar glaze on top.
   6. I try to always have fruit. It might be 10 grapes (34 calories), or ¼ cup of homemade sweetened applesauce (42 calories), a whole (102 calories) or half pear (51 calories). And sometimes I just add a couple of pickles. If they’re not sweetened, you’re looking at 1 calorie a slice. That’s so little I rarely count it. 
   7. Sometimes I want a charcuterie-style lunch. I buy a brand of salami that comes in a 2 pound log. It’s huge, but it freezes well so I cut it up into more manageable portions and pull out a chunk whenever I get the urge. I always weigh it. Normally one and a half ounces, thinly sliced, is plenty (159 calories). I’ve been enjoying Toasteds so I serve five of them (80 calories), but I sometimes plate 4 Club crackers (80 calories). That leaves space on the plate for an ounce and a half of cheese (170 calories). All told it runs about 409 calories. Add an apple cut into small slices (94 calories) or 20 grapes (68 calories) and some pickles (2 calories) and you’ve got a yummy lunch that clocks in around 500 calories.
   8. Sometimes, I make a big pot of soup with lots of veggies (squash, zucchini, tomato, onion, carrots, celery, etc.), herbs, and seasonings (salt, pepper, thyme, oregano, rosemary, garlic, etc.), blend it up, add some small pasta (not much) and freeze it in portions. 1 generous cup ends up being about 130 calories. It’s great in the winter. 
4. I plate my lunches. If I’m going to eat a thing, rather than grabbing a handful when I walk by, I make a point of putting it on my plate at lunch. This stops me from eating things I would normally never want to actually eat, like pretzels. Pretzels are fine, decent in Chex mix, and I use them to cook and bake all the time. But I never choose to put them on my plate at lunch because they aren’t that good. If I’m having some chips and a cookie, that goes on the plate. So does the fruit and the leftovers or whatever I decide to have. I intentionally serve myself a variety for lunch and I make myself go sit down at the table and eat it. For supper, I always sit down at the table to eat. It is rare that I do anything else. It happens. But I make sure that everything I want to eat is on the first plate because I refuse to allow myself seconds. If it didn’t make the cut the first time, tough. I can have it another time. 
5. Stop now. As in right now. When I get carried away, I rein it in as soon as I can. One night I came home and there was a plate of cookies on the table. These were a decadent chocolate hazelnut cookie with a white chocolate mocha ganache and toffee sprinkles on the top (110 calories each). You can probably understand the appeal. I shoveled two in my mouth. All the while I kept thinking I need to stop, I need to stop. It wasn’t until I’d taken a bite of the third that I was able to make myself put it down and walk away. Yes, I , a grown woman, left a partially eaten cookie on the plate. Did I mention I have teenagers? My walking garbage disposals destroyed all evidence of my crimes. And I? Well, rather than eating six of them, having a stomach ache, and eating well over two thousand calories for the day, I stopped around 1800. Is that too many? A little. But it’s not like it used to be. A binge for me before was easily in excess of 2500 calories. There is power in stopping now. Seriously, try leaving just a bite of your dessert next time and enjoy the mastery of yourself. You must quash the mindset that says well you already ate half of it so you may as well finish. Oh and, since you’re already off your game, what’s the point? Might as well have another three. That is the most insanely stupid logic of all time! Don’t be stupid. Don’t be ridiculous. Stop now. As in right now.