Kate Curran's Blog: The Klutzy Athlete, page 7

Dieting Again

Image courtesy of Okolaa at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I’m dieting again. The three most dreaded words in my vocabulary. Fortunately I haven’t used those words in almost two years, but they still haunt me. They lurk in the back of my mind. What if what I’m doing stops working and I start gaining weight again?

Ever find those thoughts and fears becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy? In the past, that’s what it’s been for me, but I’m starting to feel more confident that what I’m doing is working, and will continue to work. I attribute much of this to the fact that I no longer deprive myself of foods I love until I lose weight or until I go off my diet.

No food is taboo

Rebecca Clark, author of The Checklist Diet posted on her 30-day weight loss challenge on Facebook three habits of naturally thin people from EatClean.com.

Image courtesy of KEK064 at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

First, naturally thin people don’t deprive themselves. If they really wants something, they have it. They understand that the occasional indulgence has no real impact on their weight or overall health. But the key word is “occasional.”

Second, they don’t use food to comfort themselves.
Naturally thin people don’t turn to food when they’re happy, sad, depressed, angry, etc. They find other ways to comfort themselves.

Third, they don’t eat past fullness.
Naturally thin people are better at listening to their bodies and stopping before they’re stuffed. Maybe because they don’t deprive themselves of their favorite foods, they don’t feel the need to overeat—if they want that food again, they can have it… within reason.

I’m convinced learning these three practices is the key to maintaining my weight. Does that mean I can eat all the foods I love in large quantities and on a daily basis? No, but when I crave it I eat it, but it isn’t on a daily basis any more.

Make a list

Dr. Michelle May’s book, Eat What You Love Love What You Eat suggested making a list of my favorite “forbidden” or “scary” foods.

Here’s my list: scones (I adore them especially from McKay Cottage in Bend, Oregon), bagels, anything Panini, tuna salad, French bread, flour tortillas, Sees candy, Frappuccinos, croissants, dinner rolls, blackberry jam, Lundburg rice cakes, nachos, pasta, biscuits, cobbler, pie, KFC chicken coleslaw and chicken thighs, Costco red velvet cake, ice cream, lasagna, French toast, peanut butter, peanut butter cookies, popcorn, pretzels, sweet and sour chicken/pork, and real cheese (all kinds).

As I made out the list, I craved a lot of these foods, but then a funny thing happened. As I started eating foods from the list (in reasonable portions) when I craved them, I didn’t hunger for them like I used to. And some of the foods I didn’t even want. Writing them down took away the forbidden aspect and their control over me. 

What’s your greatest fear with your weight? What are your forbidden foods?

 

 

 

 

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On the Road

I’ve been on the road this week so instead of a written blog I’m doing a pictorial blog. First up, a pit stop at Mt. Shasta.

Nephew Cody at Mt. Shasta
Me and Nick at Mt. Shasta

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the road to Smith Rock
Monkey Face at Smith Rock

 

 

 

Smith Rock

 

 

Smith Rock

 

 

 

 

Hiking the base of Smith Rock

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the road to Pilot Butte

 

Top of Pilot Butte, Bend Oregon
Top of Pilot Butte, Bend Oregon
Top of Pilot Butte, Bend Oregon

 

 

 

 

 

On the road to Crater Lake

 

Crater Lake, Nick, Jake, Cody and me
Crater Lake, Nick, Jake and Cody

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the road to Kimball Park in Fort Klamath, Oregon

 

Kimball Park, spring where the Wood River bubbles up
Kimball Park, spring where the Wood River bubbles up
Kimball Park, where the Wood River begins

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So many fabulous places to see in Oregon. Check out travel Oregon to plan a trip. Next week I’ll be back talking about health and nutrition.

 

 

The post On the Road appeared first on The Klutzy Athlete Kathy Coatney & Kate Curran.

Last Child on the Farm

Alfalfa field

Whenever I pass a freshly plowed field it gives me the same thrill as an unopened book. Full of potential, surprise, pleasure. And just like that book that beckons me to peek beneath its cover, the sight of that rich, dark earth beckons me to curl my feet into the freshly tilled layers.

As a child, I lived on a dairy and had a childhood surrounded with animals—cows, dogs, cats, hamsters and the occasional jack-rabbit my father found orphaned when cutting alfalfa.

Farm dog

Fresh, clean air and the farm provided a plentiful playground. I scampered through alfalfa fields and hay barns. I cuddled newborn kittens with their eyes still sealed shut. There was no more peaceful place on the planet than lying on a bale of freshly bound hay, inhaling its heady aroma, while staring out at a sky so blue it made my eyes squint.

One of my favorite places was the peach orchard in the dead of summer. I remember that first peach of the season. How my fingers sunk into the soft flesh when I plucked it from the branch. With that first bite, peach juice made race tracks down my arm. Nothing

Fresh peaches

ever tasted as good. Like a slice of heaven to my taste buds.

At our house, milk didn’t come from the store. It came from the milk tank after the cows were herded to the milking parlor, washed, milked and turned back to the pasture.

Perhaps I view my childhood through rose-colored glasses. And certainly kids raised in urban areas had experiences I didn’t, but back when I grew up a majority of kids had family or friends that lived on a farm, and visited them.

Dairy cow

Sometimes I fear this kind of childhood is becoming as extinct as the dinosaurs.

Will children growing up today have the same experience, or will a farm be something they see in passing through a car window, on television or online? Every day I become more aware of the limited exposure children have to farming. How will children grasp all the hard work it takes to produce a gallon of milk if they don’t see, touch, taste, smell and hear farming in all its noisy, dirty, sweaty, smelly glory?

I believe the best way to achieve this is by providing children with exposure to farming, and there a lot of ways to do this.

Talk about where food comes from
Read age-appropriate books about agriculture
Visit farmers markets and talk to farmers
Check out USDA for kids
Go to the agriculture exhibits at the fair
Go to farm shows
Join 4H

I don’t think there’s a better way to while away a childhood than in a hay barn filled with the scent of

Rice being harvested

alfalfa and a litter of newborn kittens. How have you incorporated agriculture into your child’s life? Has it been a positive experience?

The post Last Child on the Farm appeared first on The Klutzy Athlete Kathy Coatney & Kate Curran.

Healthy Eating

Healthy eating can definitely be a challenge, especially after I’ve worked all day and have nothing planned for dinner. But a recent blog post by Diane Carbonell, author of 150 Pounds Gone Forever reminded me that a nutritious meal doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming. It can even be faster than preparing a TV dinner.

Nutritious and Filling

Chicken and salad or shrimp and salad is standard fare in the in the summer when it’s hot and heating the kitchen isn’t appealing. It’s a fast, easy meal that is  nutritious and filling. But now that fall is in the air, I want something heartier—stews, soups, casseroles.

These meals are my friend because I don’t just make a single recipe when I cook them. I double the recipe and freeze the other half for those nights I don’t have time to cook or just don’t want to cook. I just defrost it, and we have a healthy, nutritious meal in minutes. It just takes a little forethought and planning.

Rebecca J. Clark, author of The Checklist Diet, has been running the 30-Day Weight Loss Challenge on Facebook. She offered this eating tip, “Make a big batch of vegetable soup, cut the veggies really small if you’re not a vegetable fan (like me). Have a cup of this every day. Add some cut up chicken or beans or cubed tofu for added protein.”

And vegetable soup freezes great.

Fall Recipes

Here are a couple of my favorite fall recipes:

Spicy Black Bean Soup
Spicy Turkey Meatloaf
One Pan Broccoli Bacon Mac n Cheese

And don’t forget the slow cooker. It’s a great way to prepare a meal when you can’t be there. I love stew, and I’ll slow cook the meat. If I’m home, I’ll add the veggies a little later. If I’m not and short on time, I’ll cook the veggies in the microwave and finish my stew. When I bake potatoes, I cook extra. If I have those available I cut them up, skins and all, and add them to the stew.

Do you have a favorite fast and nutritious fall recipe? Would love to add it to my collection.

The post Healthy Eating appeared first on The Klutzy Athlete Kathy Coatney & Kate Curran.

Weight Loss Struggles and Successes

I blogged a few weeks ago about how where I eat is directly related to the amount I eat and my ability to judge fullness. I have used the table more, but even with good intentions, I’ve slipped back into old habits and still eat in front of the television a lot.

Struggles

The truth is, I like eating in front of the television. It’s a reward after a long day of work, and when I force myself to sit at the table, I feel deprived. I don’t have the same reaction eating on the patio or at a restaurant .

I also continue to struggle with late evening snacks. Sometimes I’m hungry, sometimes I just want the snack. Last night I waited for signs of hunger, and when they didn’t appear, I chose not to have the snack, and I felt good about the decision.

I still struggle with portion sizes. I want more than I’m hungry for. In my mind, the size on my plate looks minuscule, but about 20 minutes after I’ve finished eating my stomach tells me it was the perfect amount.

Successes

I’ve had successes, too. In the almost two years since I began this quest for healthier living, I’ve started eating slower and learned the signs of fullness. The truth is, I’m not even tempted to overeat. I don’t like that uncomfortable feeling, and it’s something I avoid.

I’ve also been successful with exercise. It’s become something I do without thought, without having to remind myself. I rarely go a day without some kind of workout. And I want to exercise—I miss it when I don’t move.

I’ve widened my exercise horizons, too. I used to mostly ride my bike or walk, mainly because it was something I knew I could do well. Trying something new was risky and there was the chance I might fail, but as I’ve mentioned in previous blogs—I am the Klutzy Athlete. I admit it. Exercising won’t be pretty when I’m involved, but I don’t care. I’d rather try and fail, than not try at all.

If you don’t believe me, come by my kickboxing aerobics class and watch me. I will be the student with two left feet, no coordination and absolutely no rhythm, but even so, I keep moving. And sometimes I finally get it right, other times I don’t, but what matters is I don’t quit.

Legacy

Last week Diane Carbonell, author of 150 Pounds Gone Forever posted a blog on passing on a legacy of healthy living to your family. Her blog really made me think about the memories I’m leaving. I could allow my fear of failure to rule my life, or I could stand up and fight that fear. I’ve chosen to fight. So, as I think about the legacy I’m leaving behind, I want it to be that I faced my fear of exercising and kicked it in the butt—literally.

What are your struggles and successes with diet and exercise? What legacy do you want to leave behind?

 

 

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Snack Time—Choose Wisely

It’s snack time and it’s important to choose wisely. I want to grab something fast and easy. Generally, I eat in front of the computer while working, and whatever I’m eating disappears in an instant. I’m not even certain what I’ve eaten!

In my ongoing quest for healthy eating, I have stopped eating snacks in front of the computer to avoid mindless eating. I also try to look for lean protein snacks.

Crabmeat and grapes
Lean Protein Snacks

Rebecca Clark, author of the Checklist Diet and says, “Having a good protein snack will help stabilize your moods, your blood sugar and your energy levels.”

I’ve started choosing lean protein snacks when I’m working because it takes a lot of mental energy to write. I’ve found mid-morning and mid-afternoon my energy starts to lag. A 15 minute break to eat my snack is just the boost I need to dig back in clear-headed and raring to go.

Lean protein also keeps you full longer without excess calories. Your body needs proteins to build muscle and to repair tissue damage from exercising.

Fresh peaches
Rebecca suggested these lean protein snacks:

Cottage cheese mixed with a sliced apple and chopped walnut—I also like it with frozen berries or any kind of in-season fruit
Yogurt mixed with a tablespoon of Grapenuts or low-fat granola—again, I like frozen berries or most any fruit
Apples with nut butter—a personal favorite!
Deli chicken smeared with hummus and finely chopped veggies, roll up and eat
Celery and peanut butter—the only way I like to eat celery raw

My lean protein snack list includes:

Hummus with a mix of vegetables—carrots, sugar snap peas, jicama, sweet baby peppers

hummus and veggies
Crab meat or shrimp
Tomato slices with fresh mozzarella cheese and balsamic vinegar
Rice cake peanut butter, or melted cheese, or with ricotta cheese and sliced fruit on top—strawberries, bananas, peaches or nectarines
Hard boiled egg, scrambled or fried—eggs are a great food and a great snack
Whole wheat English muffin with peanut butter
Homemade fruit smoothie with milk, yogurt or milk alternatives

What’s your favorite lean protein snack?

 

 

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Exercise Challenge

Exercise Challenge
Mt. Fernie, Canada

In one of my first blogs, I wrote about obesity and I threw out an exercise challenge. I said that since I was motivated to exercise and eat right, I would be support and encouragement for those of you who can’t. I promised I’d do double time—extra sit ups, run or swim an extra lap, ride another mile—all in honor of you. I’d be your helping hand, your lift up until you could take the torch and do it yourself.

Mountain biking Spense Mountain, Oregon

So I took up the challenge, and since July 14, 2015 when I posted that blog, I have been doing extra sit ups, running and swimming extra laps, and hiking another incline. When I was certain I had nothing left to give, the chorus from the Fight song would ring in my head, “I’ve still got a lot of fight left in me”. It gave me the extra burst of energy to push on, and ignore my body’s fatigue.

I’m not stopping. I’m going to keep exercising, keep working for you. I want you to know I’m here for you when you’re ready to start. Even if I can’t be at your side working out with you, I will be there in spirit rooting for you, offering you encouragement. You can do it. If I can do it, anyone can.

Inspiration
Mt. Shasta, California

Need more inspiration, more motivation, check out Diane Carbonell’s blog 3 Vital Steps For Setting Your Mind to Lose Weight. Diane lost 150 pounds in 1997, and she has kept it off! She knows what she’s talking about. She was morbidly obese, but she found the motivation to lose the weight, and wrote 150 Pounds Gone Forever .

30 Day Weight Loss Challenge

If you’re ready to get started, check out Rebecca Clark, author of the Checklist Diet. She is running the 30 Day Weight Loss Challenge on Facebook to help you lose weight. She started yesterday, but it’s never too late to join in.

Rebecca says, “That first step doesn’t have to be painful. As long as you’re moving forward most of the time, you’ll eventually get to where you need to go.”

Kent’s Trial, Bend, Oregon

I have found this to be very true for me when I was using her book and losing weight. So I messed up one day, it was the big picture I needed to stay focused on—I was making a permanent lifestyle change. Some days weren’t perfect, and I learned they didn’t have to be, if I just kept moving forward.

Rebecca also suggested doing better than the day before. “That’s called progress,” she says. “Eating to lose weight shouldn’t feel like a punishment. Treating yourself well is a reward.”

This really helped me stay on track, especially reminding myself this was all about treating myself well, not about using a treat to reward myself!

I’m reading to get started. How about you? What’s holding you back? How can I help?

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Mindful Eating and Meal Presentation

Meal Presentation

Does meal presentation make a difference? I’ve always thought it doesn’t, but I’ve had a change of heart. I’m learning that how my food looks, tastes, smells and even where I sit can make a huge difference in weight control.

For years, our table has been a clutter collector. Everything gets tossed there. About the only thing that doesn’t happen at the table is eating.

Mindful Eating

When I had young children at home, we ate at the table because anyone who’s had toddlers knows they are incredibly messy eaters. But as our children got older, it seemed we were always on the go and mealtimes became grab and run. And after the kids went off to college, we evolved to eating in front of the television.

I’m realizing this has become a contributing factor in my ongoing issues with food. It is incredibly easy for me to shovel in my meal without even tasting it when my brain is occupied with what is on the television, computer or book I’m reading.

Dr. Michelle May, author of Eat What You Love Love What You Eat, advised eating with attention and devoting your full attention to eating.

“Eliminate or minimize distractions.
Tune into the ambience, flavors, smells, temperature and texture of the food.
Listen to your body’s cues of hunger and fullness.”

After reading this, I realized I might have to rethink my attitude.

Healthy Eating Quest

In my ongoing quest for healthy eating, maintaining weight loss and appreciating my food, I’ve started to make changes where I eat, but it’s not an easy adjustment.

My goal is to eat two meals a day at the table. While the weather is nice, I’ve been eating on the patio. I love the fresh air and watching birds or cottontails scamper past.

I’ve found that eating inside at the table, alone, with just food is incredibly boring, but there is a benefit. I’m less inclined to go back for seconds because there are other things I’d rather be doing than sitting at the table eating by myself.

Eating with someone makes for an entirely different experience. It’s much more enjoyable sharing a meal and conversation with someone.

I can’t say I’m totally sold on this change, but it definitely makes a difference on how fast I eat and determining fullness.

Where do you eat your meals, and do you think it makes a difference?

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Is That All I Get?

Portion size
I wanted this much
I chose this much

Every time I look at my plate I think, is that all I get? Logically, I know the portion size is right for me, but I want more. My struggle is, how do I match up with what I want versus what my body really needs?

This has been a constant struggle for me, and I’ve tried all the tricks. Use a smaller plate, eat slower, savor my food. They do work, but there’s still that little voice taunting me—more, more, more.

Why do I see a normal portion and feel it’s not nearly enough? I pondered this and realized I’m the child who’s afraid of not getting her share. If I don’t grab it now, it won’t be there later.

Solutions

My best solution for this is to tell myself that if I’m still hungry I can have more. I strive to eat slowly, savor my food, the textures, tastes, and colors. I drink water in between bites, and I may even get up once or twice to see if I’m still hungry. Many times, I’m full but don’t feel it while I’m sitting down. Once I stand up, it’s like the food settles and I’m full.

Dr. Michelle May, author of Eat What You Love Love What You Eat had this mindful moment on portion size that really helped me. “Your stomach is about the size of your fist so it only takes a handful or two of food to fill it.”

Whenever I’m tempted to overfill my plate, I imagine that fistful of food and it really helps.

There are times when I look at my plate and think there’s no way I can eat all that, but I still want to. For instance, after a couple of hours mountain biking I was going to have a salad, then decided to have a Philly cheese steak sandwich. It came with a huge plate of fries. I ate half of the sandwich (I only needed a quarter because it was so huge) and a portion of the fries. But I wanted every last one of those fries, even though I would be stuffed and uncomfortable.

Instead, I ate a few and I enjoyed every one until I was comfortably full. I still wanted the rest, but I left them and rather than feel deprived, I was satisfied. It’s a start, but I’ve still got work to do.

Goals

My goal is to learn to fill my plate without having to stop myself from overfilling it. I’m not there yet. I know I’ll be there when I can look at it, and say, “This is too much food.”

Do you have goals on overeating? What are they, and what techniques have you found successful or not so successful?

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Shaking Up My Workout Routine

Shake it up is the theme to my workout routine. If it gets boring—shake it up. If it gets too easy—shake it up. If the weather is bad—shake it up.

Crater Lake, OregonChanging my workout routine

I’ve found doing the same workout again and again has pitfalls. First, I’ll get bored, and if I’m bored I’ll be looking for any excuse to postpone or avoid doing it at all.

Second, I’ve improved and now I can do the exercises easily. Once this happens, my aerobics instructor tells me I’m not getting the most from my workout. This means it’s either time to push myself a little harder or try something new. Many times, I do a little of both.

In recent years, I’ve started changing my workouts with the season like I do my wardrobe.

Workout by season Lake of the Woods, Oregon

In the summer, I do lap swimming a couple of times a week until the pool closes or the temperature gets too cool.

In the summer and fall, I do a lot more mountain biking away from home because of the heat. As it cools off, I’ll walk with friends to enjoy the cooler air and fall colors.

In the winter, I bike indoors, cross-country ski and snowshoe (when there’s snow). I mountain bike close to home in the winter, when it’s not raining (which was most of last year).

In the spring, I start biking outdoors again, hike (weather permitting) and garden.

I lift weights all year-long, but I prefer winter when it’s cool. I also do kickboxing aerobics year round. Fortunately it’s inside and air conditioned!

Shake it up

I’m feeling the need to add something new to my workouts. Boredom at work again. I’ve let yoga slip to the wayside, and I think it’s time to make more of an effort to fit it into my exercise routine. I’m also considering Pilates or a dance class.

Unfortunately, I have limited options where I live. A lot of the exercise I do, I have to do on my own, which I find more challenging.

Exercise is a lot more fun when I do it with someone, and if you’ve got kids at home you’ve got built-in companionship. Challenge them to a game of basketball, play catch or toss a football, play tag, run races, play dodge ball or tether ball. The options are endless, and it’s a great way to spend time with your kids and keep in shape.

What do you do to shake up your workouts? Have you found something new that excites you?

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