Healthier Thanksgiving 2010

Dear Friends and Family,

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and that means it's time to contemplate the annual mouse Thanksgiving menu.

I made a promise last year to try to make Thanksgiving healthier, one dish at a time. So, last year, instead of my yearly indulgence in Pillsbury crescent rolls, I baked bread for Thanksgiving.

This year, I crossed the blueberry pie and the pumpkin pie off the list. We never make the blueberry pie. And, we never finish the pies we make. This change increases the chances the pie gets finished and ultimately reduces the number of calories we're consuming since we're eating one pie and not three - which must be healthier.

Why did I keep apple pie and not pumpkin pie? Well, for one, we both like apple pie more. And, we can make it with real ingredients vs. pumpkin pie, for us, comes out of two cans - one of pumpkin and one of evaporated milk. And, last but not least, it's prettier. Nothing like a giant pie at the Thanksgiving table.


Cheers!
mouse

Okay, How Would That Work?

Dear Friends and Family,

My ankle still bothers me on and off. And, it's bad enough that I'm willing to see someone about it. But, if it needs surgery (again) then I think I'm in a bind. I'm pretty sure the pain medication would make it no go for P. So, I need to think about that all before making a decision on my treatment. I guess if it's merely broken, then all I would require is a cast. Excellent.

I would give a fair amount to be able to wind back the clock and do those 15 seconds all over again. I worked so hard on rehab for my ankle and I was so happy with the results. To have the injury last summer just sucks. I don't blame P for it. I was frazzled and not being careful. It's my mom scar, I guess. Some women have stretch marks, others have freckles. I have my ankle. Excellent.

Well, I'll ask my old doctor for a recommendation and we'll go from there, I guess.


Cheers!
mouse

2010, Here We Come

Dear Friends and Family,

A new year and a chance to look forward and back and pontificate. Here's a link to last year's post, but I'm not going to peek at it until after I write the bulk of this year's post.

How to begin writing about the year just past without writing about P? She's eight months old now and the changes continue to come faster than I ever thought possible. She's playing in a diaper box right now with Mr. mouse. We drew a dashboard on one end and have been pushing her around in it like it's a small car.

One of Mr. mouse's friends once told me (before we were even expecting) that God gives you only as much child as you can handle. And, in that regard, I think she was 100% on the mark. P's a happy baby (now that she's on Zantac) and she sleeps well and eats well and she does well with the long weekdays and semi-structured weekends. I still have trouble believing we've been entrusted with her care. Really, they should have tests and licenses required before allowing people to become parents.

And, because P can be so encompassing, a lot of stuff has fallen by the wayside. I have grand ambitions that 2010 will be better. First, once P is done breastfeeding, I'll get back between 2.5 and 3 hours a day that I currently spend on feeding and pumping. And, once she's done breastfeeding, I can tackle the weight loss without being afraid of losing milk supply.

So, here begins the look at the "stuff" that constitutes what I care about:

baby... maybe: Everyone asks - are we going to have another? And, much as I love P, I don't think we will. Baby #2 won't be P in miniature. And, the experience won't be a rewind of P. It'll be a whole new experience and it'll be that much more complicated for involving four moving parts. For now, I'm happy with one.

clutter diet: For having an infant in the house, we've done well on this front. P has a crib and mattress, a pack and play (that we use for a changing table), a swing and bouncy chair (that are both going on Craigslist soon since she's outgrown both of them), two strollers, and a high chair. We have a couple of tubs of toys and books. And, a scary collection of plastic (bottles, milk storage vials, and pump accessories). But, overall, we've kept it sane as far as the addition of stuff. And, because we had to clear out the basement and garage to make room for her, she's net negative as far as clutter is concerned. And, because I need to clear out space in the basement for P stuff that I want to save, she continues to force us to manage our clutter.

green is good: For a tiny baby, P has a carbon footprint the size of Texas. She has diapers and wipes. We kept the house cool for her over the summer and warm for her over the winter. We drive to school/daycare together every day. And, our laundry and dishwasher consumption has skyrocketed. This one will require some thought to kick start again.

korean soap operas: I had the "talk" with my mom while we were home for the holidays. She'll come out to visit in February, but realizes that moving out here into our basement for six months isn't going to happen.

make your mark: I'm not sure how this will play out. This is still something that I want to do, but I'm still not sure how, yet. For Christmas, Mr. mouse and I made charitable donations instead of buying each other stuff. I donated my share towards The March of Dimes (because they provided so much info on premature babies when I was afraid P would be early), The Heifer Organization (providing livestock to people in need), and a local women's shelter (because everyone needs a partner when fighting abuse).

money matters: We've been fortunate. We've been able to chip away at the pile of debt that everyone seems to carry around. And, with luck, we'll be free and clear by the end of 2010. (Yes, that includes the mortgage!) Our strategy? We live on one income and we save the other. It required a lot of discipline when we first started back in 2001, but, now, it's second nature. I am the first to say, we're fortunate. Both of us enjoy our work. And, both of us earn enough to make living on one income possible. But, it's not a walk in the park. Money is like closet space. Whatever you have, you use up, and wish you had 10% more.

mouse pad: This year, we WILL tackle all of the water ingestion.

the first year: P has headphones on while sitting in her high chair. Mr. mouse is getting ready to puree some avocados and some fish. She doesn't like the food processor. Hence the headphones.

travel: Eight flights and two road trips down, P's a seasoned traveler. We just need to get her a passport.

wellness: After P hits her one year mark, I'll begin this in earnest.

work: I enjoy it. It pays the bills. I wish it was a shorter commute.

Okay. Now, I peek at last year's post. Hmmm... not far off the mark. I'm okay with it and looking forward to 2011.


Cheers!
mouse

Still Gimpy, but Happy

Dear Friends and Family,

Well, the ankle is still bandaged up. I've got bruising on the inside, outside and top of the foot. The swelling has gone down on the inside of the foot, is going down on the top of the foot, and is still pretty substantial on the outside of the foot. I've been using an ACE bandage at home and my heavy duty air cast (not to be confused with my light duty air cast) + 1 crutch when we go out.

My sister came over yesterday to play with Pioneer and to catch up with me and to help out. We had fun with P. Pioneer and I played with Monkey and Ladybug yesterday morning. We had a good talk while waiting for my sister. Then, we had reading time in the afternoon and dance time after that. All in all a good day.

Hopefully today is a good day as well.


Cheers!
mouse

Mouse Takes a Tumble

Dear Friends and Family,

You could blame it on a million and one possible reasons, ultimately it really doesn't matter why... The long and short of it - I missed a step while taking the garbage out and sprained my ankle. Did a real number on it too, judging by the swelling.

Ice, Advil and elevation for the first 24 hours. Then, heat, compression and rest. Sigh.


Cheers!
mouse

Time for Weight Watchers

Dear Friends and Family,

No worries. I'm not going to jeopardize Pioneer's growth and development by doing anything crazy. But, I stepped on the scale this morning and decided I needed to take some control of the situation.

Working from home isn't the best from a food control perspective. First, there's the ability to graze non-stop if I want. And, second, there's almost no physical activity during the day since I'm pretty much confined to the house.

So, I've decided to journal my food. That way, I'll think twice before deciding what to snack on. I can do strawberries or crackers. This will encourage me to strawberries.

See, nothing crazy, just getting a grip on reality. After all, every pound I put on now is a pound I'll have to work to take off later. And the 30 I've put on is in the range of normal (25 - 35 pounds). No point making life harder than it needs to be.


Cheers!
mouse

Our Master Check List

• pick Pioneer's middle name, if any
• figure out my summer schedule
• mail out curtains, again
• hang curtains, again
• figure out changing table area

For after Pioneer is born

• thank you cards
• birth announcements
• figure out nanny plans
• will/estate plan
• check life insurance
• add Pioneer to insurance plans and beneficiary info
• plan June weekend
• get my parents to do their research on name options

dang curtains, what an absolute pain in the neck...

Weight Gain Goals

Dear Friends and Family,

Mr. mouse is intentionally trying to fatten me up in the hopes that it will help Pioneer to grow. I'm not necessarily convinced the two are as closely correlated as he believes.

Here's my thoughts: all of the books and articles and stuff recommend that the mom gains between 25-35 pounds if she starts from a "normal" body weight, which I did. By my rough math, that equates to a pound a week during the second and third trimester and four pounds for the first trimester (26 + 4 = 30).

I'm currently at week 34.5 so I should have gained 25.5 lbs by now (34.5 - 13 + 4). And, I've gained 26.5, which seems pretty close to plan. Well, Pioneer is measuring 4.5 lbs and Mr. mouse is convinced they should be closer to 5.5 lbs and figures if I gain a couple of additional pounds, so will Pioneer.

Now, I'm willing to take one for the team, but it's tough to put on weight when there's just not a lot of room for the stomach to hold food. We'll see where this all leads.

I will concede on one point. After a weekend of classes I have come to realize either:

1. I am impossibly clever at picking stylish clothes that hide a baby bump (not likely since clothing has always been about function, not form, for me)
2. everyone in my class was having twins (not likely since last I checked twins are ~3% of all births)
3. everyone is one baby #2 or greater (not likely since they would be the least likely to take these introductory courses)
4. we're taking the classes early (not likely since when we introduced ourselves, we were squarely in the middle of the pack that ranged from late April to early June)
5. Pioneer does not make a big bump (by process of elimination this seems like the likely null hypothesis for now)

We'll see what Mr. mouse tries to feed me over the next couple of days...


Cheers!
mouse

Our Master Check List

• figure out my summer schedule
• fill out birth plan
• sign up for childcare
• figure out nanny plans
• get a pediatrician
• thank you cards
• birth announcements
• pick Pioneer's middle name, if any
• Pioneer's shopping list
• take classes (3 down, 1 to go)
• hang curtains
• will/estate plan
• check life insurance
• add Pioneer to insurance plans and beneficiary info
• pack bag
• install car seat
• pre-wash Pioneer's clothes
• plan April/June weekend
• hang wall art
• figure out changing table area
• complete the "what I want to do over 12 weeks plan"
• camcorder/computer plans
• get my parents to do their research on name options

2 more down...

Salad for Lunch

Dear Friends and Family,

After six months of eating willy-nilly, I've decided to add some discipline back into my food routine. For lunch, yesterday, I had a Chef's Salad and it was good. I need to do that more often. I didn't have that after lunch carb surge followed by the after surge carb slump followed by the after slump carb craving. Instead, I made it through the whole afternoon on an even keel. Perhaps, I'll have salad for lunch again today.


Cheers!
mouse

Eating Core, Day 2

Dear Friends and Family,

Well, I did better than I thought I would under the circumstances.

I had my orange and my banana for breakfast. And, I fought and skipped the breakfast treat. But, then, I was famished by 10 with both an 11 o'clock and a noon meeting. So, when I was offered a birthday cookie and caramel bar, I had a cookie. But, I skipped on the caramel bar.

Lunch was at 1:30, grilled chicken with mixed greens and some apricots. And, I was still hungry and fighting it. I made it until 3:30 when I stopped by to talk to some old friends. And, I split a doughnut with a friend.

With a last minute fire drill, I ended up in the office until 7 and picked up Mr. mouse at 7:30 for dinner. I was tired and hungry and felt a sense of victory even if I didn't eat core for dinner. In just one day, I had eliminated a muffin, a caramel bar and half a doughnut. Shows how far the mighty have fallen.

Well, today's day 2 of core. We'll see how I do.


Cheers!
mouse

01.13.09 (Week 23, Day 4): Eating Core

Dear Friends and Family,

I didn't want to obsess about my weight while pregnant and I had gotten out of the habit, so I've been off of Weight Watchers for the past ~20 weeks. But, I think I need a little more discipline and guidance than what my pea-sized brain can dedicate to wellness.

Thus, my decision to revisit some of the tenets of Weight Watchers as I wallow through the second half of my pregnancy. I'm not going to start counting again. But, I am going to switch to core. Core is about eating from a prescribed list of foods. And, eating if you're hungry and stopping before you're stuffed. I don't think any doctor would be heartbroken if I told them I've decided to eat more chicken and vegetables and less junk food.

We'll see how this week goes. Fun times.


Cheers!
mouse

PS: Done with my work compulsions. I've got my map, two lamps, my crate and two pairs of shoes left in the office. I can carry those out the door in one trip if needed. And, it's a short enough list of things no one in their right mind can contest are personal belongings. Now, just need to keep my personal files updated. What is wrong with me?

01.07.09 (Week 22, Day 5): Independent Taste Panel, Great

Dear Friends and Family,

Mr. mouse read a book yesterday over lunch that mentioned Pioneer is developing their own taste buds at this point and can begin to distinguish between foods I eat. This brings a couple of things to mind...

1. Time to re-start eating healthy so they grow up liking foods that are good for them, not junk food. I'd fallen off the bandwagon because, well, no good reason, really. I guess because I wasn't feeling well the first trimester and the doctor told me to focus on anything I could keep down and refined carbs definitely helped settle the stomach. And, then, I just fell into bad habits over the holidays. Sigh. No time like the present to motivate me to get back to good habits.
2. Time to make sure I eat a variety of flavors. Don't want a picky eater, so it's a good time to make sure we get a lot of different flavors in, and all of the different cuisines we like. It's a tough job, but I'll take one for the team. Um, let's see, Korean, Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese, Malaysian, Indian, Middle Eastern, Turkish, Greek, Italian, French, Spanish, not to mention NY deli, pizza, southern, barbecue, tex mex, southwestern, oh, the list is endless, I'm not sure I can accomplish this in 18 weeks...
3. Time to recognize Pioneer has preferences that will continue to limit my choices. They didn't like onions the first trimester and they're showing a dislike of garlic this trimester. I'm not going to make a huge effort to eat around it, but I will make note of it.

Good times.


Cheers!
mouse

Looking Backwards and Looking Forwards

Dear Friends and Family,

Good morning! Well, it's 10:30 at night, but I had lunch with B and Chef M at one, and then fell asleep until about an hour ago. So, good morning!

Where to begin? It's tough to encapsulate 2008 into a single coherent year. It started off as a series of lazy, hazy days where Mr. mouse and I got to enjoy life in general and even if it wasn't exciting, at least it was entertaining. And, it ended with a series of monumental changes that feel like a step function change from before, like someone stomped on the gas pedal.

I could go category by category. But, frankly, I'm not inspired. If 2008 was a year of breadth where we got to wallow in a bunch of different experiences, 2009 will be a year of depth where we get to dive into a couple of focused experiences.

What's falling off the plate? Or being put on the back burner? Hmm... Let's instead make a list of what's staying on the front burner and process of elimination will tell us that's moving...

baby... maybe: Now that Pioneer's settled into a routine that's primarily focused on growth, we've shifted gears from pregnancy books to baby books.

clutter diet/mouse pad: A temporary focus for the next couple of months as we make space at the mouse pad for Pioneer. The second bedroom will become Pioneer's room. And, the basement is being converted into an upgraded guest suite - with sleeping space for four. I'm actually more excited about preparing the guest room than I am about preparing Pioneer's room. I guess it's because I'm looking forward to having people over. I'll be more excited about doing Pioneer's room once we start working on it.

wellness: I've been lax with my wellness routine because I don't want to go to the other extreme and get obsessive about it with Pioneer. I've gained 12 pounds so far of a recommended 25-35 pounds. I've been giving some thought as to how I want to tackle this once we have Pioneer. Everyone's right, May is a perfect time. The weather will be good. I'll be able to take some good walks. I'm looking forward to it.

money matters: With the economy what it is, and with our jobs continually at some risk, it's tough not to keep this one on the list. We've been good about building up the rainy day fund. And, 2009 will be a year we work obsessively at paying down the mortgage. But, taking time off for Pioneer may toss a monkey wrench into it all. And day care will as well, I'm sure. We'll manage somehow. I just hope the economy plateaus. I'm realistic enough to not hope for a bounce back. But a plateau would be nice.

work: Taking a week off has been good. Work is good. I enjoy my job and all. But, a couple of things concern me... the viability of the company... I can see an implosion in about 18 months... what it means, I don't know... And, more immediately, they made a change to our 401k plans restricting contributions to 5% of gross pay. I had to deal with that at old work and it frankly &%$#@! so bad it was a determining factor in deciding to pursue opportunities elsewhere. I'll focus on work for now. But, after Pioneer and time off with Pioneer, I may decide differently. We'll see.

And, I see a common thread to all five topics - Pioneer. It's tough to predict how the year will evolve. And, we'll take it as it comes. I have a feeling I'll chuckle in a year's time when I come back to this post. But, for now, it is what it is.

Happy New Year!


Cheers!
mouse

Mammogram Follow-Up

Dear Friends and Family,

My follow-up appointment on Friday went well. They did an ultrasound on my left breast and didn't see anything of note. Just in case, they want another follow-up in six months.


Cheers!
mouse

Mammogram Today

Dear Friends and Family,

I go in this afternoon for a follow-up mammogram. Mr. mouse felt "something" earlier this year during our monthly breast exam. And, I asked my ob/gyn about it during one of our visits. She didn't think it was anything to worry about, but sent me in for an x-ray and mammogram just in case.

I went for the first round of tests. And, the lump Mr. mouse felt didn't raise any red flags. I guess it was just tissue. But, on the outside of my left breast the mammogram picked up "something", probably "nothing", but the doctor felt it was worth following up on in six months.

And, today is that follow-up appointment. We'll see what this afternoon brings.


Cheers!
mouse

09.09.08: Weekly Weigh In

Dear Friends and Family,

weigh in: 122.5

Considering the abuse I put my body through this weekend, I'll take a zero net gain/loss weigh in.

Mindless Eating, Why We Eat More Than We Think
by Brian Wansink

Chapter 5: Mindless Eating Scripts

"When we eat, we often follow eating scripts." I know a couple of mine, wake up, boil water, make tea, blog. Walk to department fridge, heat up lunch, walk back to desk, go to nytimes.com, read, eat. Come home, measure out a small plate of tortilla chips and salsa, munch, decompress.

Friends and Family: If you're eating with others, in general, you'll eat more. Two people, 35% more each. Four people, 75% more each. And, seven or more people, 96% more each. Yikes! The only one who benefits from this is the big eater. If the big eater happens to be dining with a group of small eaters, they'll regress to the group norm. Of course, the opposite is true, if the small eater is with a group of big eaters, they'll regress to the norm as well. (Note: the entire state of Indiana is living proof of this, in my humble opinion.)

Manly Man: This one is simple. Guys will eat more, thinking it'll impress their date into thinking they're more manly. Other guys fall for it, rating men who eat more in more positive terms - like "studly" and "powerful." Women do not fall for it, rating men who eat more equally with the men who ate less.

TV, Books, Radio: These three figure prominently in many eating scripts. I know reading does into my lunch script. And, the longer you watch/read/listen, the more you tend to eat. I know on days when I "need a break," I'll go down to the cafeteria to "supplement" my lunch (e.g. cookie, dumplings, chips, something) and that gives me ten more minutes reading time. Sigh.

Lights, Music, Ambiance: No surprise. When the lights are dim, the music is soft and the restaurant is nice, we linger longer. We don't order more food, but on average we do order more alcohol. I guess it's a trade-off analysis any restaurant can run to optimize the balance.

The Nose Knows: Picture this: three bowls that smell like - #1: nothing, #2: cinnamon raisin, #3: macaroni and cheese. Test subjects were given plain oatmeal in all three bowls. The cinnamon raisin bowl test subjects ate the most. Commercial food manufacturers know this and, fortunately for them, it's easier to get the smell into wrappers and containers than the food.

Either Snow or Rain: We eat more in winter. We eat less in summer. We eat more in rainy, chilly weather. We eat less on sunny days. I know this works. This past spring was testament to this. But, then, shouldn't I have lost a ton of weight in Texas? And gained a ton in Minnesota? Oh, I forgot, it's the Indiana syndrome, squared.


Cheers!
mouse

08.26.08: Weekly Weigh In

Dear Friends and Family,

weigh in: 123

It's been a stressful two weeks at work. And, the stress has translated into additional caffeine, additional granola bars and additional chocolate. I've never been a chocolate person. And, lately, I've become a chocolate person. So, even if I'm counting points, I'm not meeting my 8 Good Health Guidelines. Our big deadline is next week on 9/3. I've got to manage my stress this week to get through this is one piece.

Mindless Eating, Why We Eat More Than We Think
by Brian Wansink

Chapter 4: The Hidden Persuaders Around Us

Fact #1: If we see it, we're more likely to eat it. Admins given a free chocolate in a clear jar (with explicit instructions that the chocolates are not to be shared) ate 71% more chocolate than the control group given the same chocolate in a white jar.

Fact #2: If we dwell on it, we're more likely to eat it. Two guys sit in side by side cubicles. George passed donuts on the way into his cube. Will did not. If they both encounter the donuts again, later in the day, George is more likely to eat one than Will. He's had the chance to dwell on it all morning.

Fact #3: If it's convenient, we're more likely to eat. In another chocolate dish experiment, admins were given free chocolate, but the dish was moved each week, from right by the computer, to in the top desk drawer, to on a file cabinet six feet away. The less convenient the chocolate, the less chocolate was consumed.

This can all work to our advantage. Put fruit on the counter and chips in the cupboard. Or, put all food away. Make healthy food more convenient (e.g. pre-washed bags of salad) and junk food less convenient (e.g. oven bake pizza). Little things that apparently can have a big impact.


Cheers!
mouse

08.19.08: Weekly Weigh In

Dear Friends and Family,

weigh in: 122.5

I've been avoiding the inevitable for the past half hour - procrastinating on writing my blog because I knew my weigh in was a bummer. I was 119 on Saturday. What can I say? Too many cupcakes, too few days. This will be a good week to get back on track or I'll really be procrastinating next Tuesday.

Mindless Eating, Why We Eat More Than We Think
by Brian Wansink

Chapter 3: Surveying the Tablescape

Now that we've debunked our stomach's ability to help us in the eating game, we move onto our next potential strategic partners, our eyes. Unfortunately, they let us down time and time again as well. No wonder we're in such sorry shape. We're so easily fooled.

Package size matters. It doesn't for me because I weigh everything like a hawk. But, for most normal people, size matters. On average, people eat about 20-25% more from a larger package. With snack foods, the number can sky rocket up to double.

Glass size matters. It's an optical illusion, but we all fall for it. Tall, narrow glasses: good. Short, wide glasses: bad. Don't feel bad, even professional bartenders have trouble eyeing this one.

Plate size matters. Bigger plates equate to larger servings. How much more? 31% more. And, if you give them a large serving spoon in addition to a large bowl? Count on 57% more. The really sad thing is, this experiment was done with a group of professors and their PhD students, in Nutritional Sciences. Lovely.

Visual variety matters. When there's more choice, we eat more. The technical term is "sensory specific satiety." That's why those über specific diets work in the short term. You can only eat so much cabbage soup before you go crazy. The tricky part is we can be fooled by variety. One bowl of M&M's had seven colors, one bowl had ten. We all know all M&M's taste the same. Yet, there's a 43% increase once you increase the visual variety.

And, now I can bring this all back to this weekend - cupcakes, there's an endless variety and an overwhelming urge to try each one. And, once you eat it, your stomach has no real recall of how many it's eaten. And, you can fit a million of them on a plate. And, the proprietors are all branded - Sweet Mandy B's, Molly's, Swirlz. And, the cupcakes are all branded (upcoming chapter). And, once you decide, "this is going to be good." It is. And, you're guilty of having too many cupcakes.


Cheers!
mouse

08.12.08: Weekly Weigh In

Dear Friends and Family,

weigh in: 120.5

Progress! Two and a half pounds from goal. This week will be a tough one. Our neighbors are coming in town today. I'm so excited about seeing them and spending time together. But, it'll be tough getting through the week and not adding any poundage. I must remember, I can have as much fun without going on a points spree. They've seen me on Weight Watchers and they're hip with it.

Mindless Eating, Why We Eat More Than We Think
by Brian Wansink

Chapter 2: The Forgotten Food

This chapter starts with the hypothesis: "Your stomach can't count." And, goes on through a series of experiments to show there's a good volume of data to show that it's true. We're not so good at keeping track of what we ate because our stomach isn't the smartest organ in our body. Once the food is off of the plate and in our bellies, our recall is imperfect at best.

Experiment #1: free wings at a Super Bowl party, half the tables are regularly bussed, the other half let the bones pile up. Not surprisingly, the bussed table ate more wings; they didn't have the bones to keep track of what they ate. How much more? 22% more.

Experiment #2: bottomless bowl of soup, four bowls at a table, two regular, two rigged to continually refill from a contraption underneath - truly bottomless soup. The regular bowls ate about nine ounces of soup. The rigged bowls ate about 15 ounces of soup. Now, that's just downright depressing, and kinda funny.

Since the stomach clearly can't count, we rely on how tightly our clothes fit to gauge progress or trigger alarms - both at the meal and over the long haul. And, that's why elastic pants are sinful. They're an accomplice in mindless eating and a fashion tragedy. And, that's why something like Weight Watchers works for me. Clearly my stomach isn't any good at keeping track. But, Weight Watchers forces my brain to get involved in the eating process.


Cheers!
mouse

08.05.08: Weekly Weigh In

Dear Friends and Family,

weigh in: 122

Where do I begin?

1. crap weigh in
2. crap sleep (storm)
3. crap night last night (another major fight)

Ask me how I'm feeling. As a colleague at old work used to say, craptastic. It's wonderful feeling.

Mindless Eating, Why We Eat More Than We Think
by Brian Wansink

Chapter 1: The Mindless Margin

We start with the painfully embarrassing question of "Did you ever eat..." even when the food doesn't taste good (e.g. leftover cake, cold French fries)? And, sad but true, most of us have. I'm as guilty as the next person. But, fortunately, I'm in good company.

Experiment #1: free popcorn at the movie theater, two sizes (medium and large), it's five day old, stale as can be popcorn. And, sad but true, people ate it. And, the larger the bucket, the more they ate. Not only does it prove people eat mindlessly, but it also proves that how much we eat is based on how much we're given, not on how hungry we are (both sizes were too large to finish).

Experiment #2: free wine at dinner, Trader Joe Two Buck Chuck, labels removed and relabeled (fine Californian wine, fine North Dakotan wine), prix fixe menu. Everyone finished the wine, regardless of whether they thought it was Californian or North Dakotan wine. But, the Californian wine drinkers rated their food as better tasting. And, they ate more of it. And, they took longer, lingering over their meal. Once the California wine group decided, "this is going to be good," they made it good. And, once the North Dakotan wine group decided, this is going to be mediocre at best, they made it mediocre at best.

Experiment #3: Supermarket signs, 1 for $1, 2 for $2, 3 for $3, say 10 for $10, we all fall for it buying 30% to 100% more. Wonderful.

Which brings us to the mindless margin. The 50-100 calories a day we could increase or reduce and never notice. It's not going to make the scale jump. It's the pound a year weight gain that over the course of a decade begins to equal middle age spread. It's the difference between eating until you're full vs. eating until you're no longer hungry. It's all of the experiments in this chapter and the title of this book. It's mindless.


Cheers!
mouse

07.29.08: Weekly Weigh In

Dear Friends and Family,

weigh in: 121

Whoopee! Back to 121. And, again looking at three pounds to goal. This time, more motivated than even three weeks ago when I was 121. Tee, a friend in Seattle, wrote me to tell me she was considering Weight Watchers after seeing the success I had with it. And, I realized/remembered I have had success with it. It does work. I was so dedicated. And, there's no reason that dedication should be any less now than it was, say, six months ago.

And, even more motivating, Tee is interested in going to Canyon Ranch with me. I can't wait.

Which brings me to an interesting conversation Tee and I had about Mindless Eating. I read a book about it that was excellent. I'll use the next 10 weeks or so to summarize it, bit by bit.

Mindless Eating, Why We Eat More Than We Think
by Brian Wansink

Introduction: The Science of Snacking

We may think we eat based on our level of hunger, how much we like the food, and how we feel. But, in addition to that, we eat based on a host of other criteria (e.g. "family and friends, packages and plates, names and numbers, labels and lights, colors and candles, shapes and smells, distractions and distances, cupboards and containers.") In other words, we may not have a clue as to why we eat.

Want to guess how many food decisions we make in a day? If you guessed more than 200, you'd be right. I'm awake 18 hours, meaning, on average, I make a food decision every 5.4 minutes. Really? Seems like a lot. And, it's tempting to say I must be below average and someone other poor soul is out there making a decision every 2 minutes to make up for my numbers. But, I'm okay with 200. It's manageable. Not sure I can make 200 good decisions, but, clearly, I'm making enough good decisions to be within three pounds of my goal weight.

And, that's the intro and my take on it.


Cheers!
mouse