Photo credit: Megarooo

GROUP HUGGGGGGGG!

When I whined, you were there. When I bitched about being stuck, you were there. When I just couldn’t pull myself together, you were there.

I’m so unbelievably grateful, my heart could burst.

So whose advice did I take in the short run? New reader, Dee, who said “My suggestion is to take a food vacation for a week or two. I know, I know, you are thinking SABATEUR!! But what I’m saying is shock your body. Eating lots of extra calories for a week, then going back to healthy eating (when you’ve been eating healthy for weeks if not months) works for me to jump start my losses again.”

This awesome advice came just as my brother was visiting for the weekend so food vacation it was (but just for the weekend)…I had half a hamburger with lots of cheese, french fries (twice – but not as many as I wouldn’t have eaten in the old days), a margarita, a fish taco in a white flour tortilla, mac and cheese and TWO cupcakes!

Whew! Glad that’s over.

No, really, I am. I did sneak in protein oats and crispy kale, but mostly I ate like I would have if I didn’t have a weight worry in the world. It felt pretty good. And, no, I’m not going anywhere near the scale for a long time.

I have a couple new ideas to tweak things around. I think they’re going to add to a better plan:

1. Quit the gym

2. Follow a new meal plan (no calorie counting)

3. Make a point of trying new recipes.

Details to follow. Thanks sooooo much again for all the support. It means everything to me!

photo credit: tayarijones.com

You know I’m usually such a positive person, and I know most of you don’t want to read Debbie Downer posts during your precious blog reading time. But, to be honest, I’m having a really hard time right now and need some food blogger advice.

First of all, I’ve been counting calories with Calorie King, and the program originally noted that to get to my goal weight I should take in about 1250 calories a day. That’s about what my Weight Watchers points always added up to also. I have done it in the past (and lost weight), but it’s just not a doable calorie intake for me these days so I bumped it up to 1450 and figured I’d just lose weight a little slower. Tracking calories is a pain, I hate it, and, frankly, it hasn’t worked. I’m actually up a pound as of this morning.

My trainer said even 1450 calories is not nearly enough for me, and I’m not even that active so I just really don’t know who to believe anymore. I’m getting in about three exercise sessions a week and eating a variety of foods, still clean all-natural foods, and nothing is budging the scale. I’m still taking 130 mg of natural thyroid a day as well as L-Tyrosine.

I know none of you are doctors though some of you are nutritionists. I keep changing it up to see what will help: more protein, less grains, always lots of veggies, some fat in the form of nut butters, flax oil/meal, coconut oil – I’m just stuck.

Do I take up running? Do I find the time to sweat HARD every day to see if that helps? Food-wise, I feel like I’ve exhausted my options.

I know I need to be kind to myself: I have a full-time job, I’m doing this intense graduate program, I’m finding a few hours here and there to exercise, and I’m eating more nutritiously than many folks….but WTH???? If I’m going to give up dessert and alcohol and constantly consume kale and brussels sprouts while slaving away to Jillian, I wanna see some results, dammit!

I know our bodies are all different and I have an overriding thyroid issue, but any advice would be appreciated. Thanks you guys!

Updated to add: I can’t get the photos to load in Google Reader in Windows 7. So annoying. Even when I right-click Load Photos – nada. Anybody have a cure for that?

Photo credit: brightworld.com/Puzzles/iPuzzles/Synergy_Ball.jpg

Synergy: the working together of two things to produce an effect greater than the sum of their individual effects.

So the coolest thing happened last night while I was in a Tully’s with my study group from school. As we were finishing up, a woman approached us and asked us what group we were part of, why were we discussing local food distribution, etc.

Turns out she’s a food blogger (just one of her many talents) who is ON my Google Reader! Of course, I had to stay and join her to blab about blogging. When your path crosses with the gracious Traca from Seattle Tall Poppy, that’s the universe poking you and saying Hi, dummy.

I’m not involved in the local Seattle food world at all – we hardly even go out to dinner – but Traca knows everyone, including Becky, the chef I would follow to the ends of the Earth. Traca was a wellspring of information about the local scene and cool things that were going on. I may be able to help her with an upcoming project so it was a really great coincidence to meet her.

Traca is a connector person like I am. We can’t do everything but we can introduce the people who can.

I’d say that was a good start to the week. Congrats everyone for making it through Monday! Onward!

Hooray for family friends who suggest we meet up at an Ethiopian restaurant to FINALLY get us to go. We probably would have had it on our “must tries” for another couple of years before finally getting around to it. Well, we would have at least waited until the next time Mother of Carbzilla came to visit, and I have no idea when that would be.

Ever since I saw Heather’s post, I had mentally moved up eating Ethiopian in my mind but things have been a little crazy around here and priorities have been a jumble. In keeping with my theme of hanging with other people’s parents, we met up with a childhood friend of Chris’, her boyfriend, and her mom. Again, another mother who I think is fantastic!

Our friends are vegetarian, and I would have been very happy to order two vegetarian platters, but, instead, we went with one vegetarian and one Family platter that did include meat.

Vegetarian offerings. Looks a little skimpy, no?

The heartier Family platter.

We were each served individual plates with a big Injera pancake, “a spongy fermented bread made from teff,” as Heather so eloquently put it. Then we used the Injera to scoop up the deliciously spiced veggies, lentil mixtures, and meats. Apparently, teff is high in fiber and iron and provides both protein and calcium. It’s also considered gluten-free which is a BIG bonus!

It is sour, way more than sourdough bread, but I got used to it right away. It’s definitely one of those foods I would have thought I wouldn’t like but really enjoyed. The company was terrific too, and toasted with a glass of honey wine, how could you go wrong?

The rest of the weekend was taken up with Secret Valentine shopping – I got a great gift that also benefits the people of Haiti so I will reveal after Valentine’s Day – as well as another visit to see Marilyn at the Farmers’ Market for her fabulous nut butters! This time I tasted allll her flavors including Pistachio Hazelnut with Cumin and Black Pepper and Pistachio with Fennel. Both were AMAZING and would be fabulous on fish, chicken or pasta.

I also worked on my next school project (to redeem myself from my “Hi, I’m an idiot” presentation last week), which I’m really excited about. We’re presenting and diagramming the issue of getting healthy foods to low-income families. It’s such a complex, widespread problem, but it has many avenues of improvement and, of course, touches my heart as only food and health issues can.

Here’s to a great week everybody!

Have you entered Katie’s contest yet or considered Averie’s summer retreat? Well, get on it!