Deal with the underlying issues

As is the case with many forms of addiction, it is very important to understand WHY you overeat. I did not get to my heaviest weight of 260 pounds just because I liked food, though that was part of it. There were a lot of other, deeper emotional issues that I had to deal with to help me push through "the wall" and make it to my weight loss goal.

I was about six months into my weight loss journey when I hit a plateau. I thought I was doing everything that I could to be healthy so I went to a nutritionist to discuss my eating habits and why I was not able to keep losing weight. As we were talking, she asked if I had thought about the things that made me eat. I hadn't. So I decided that the best thing for me was to see a therapist and discuss the things that lead to my eating in the first place. That was a very cathartic process for me. I am also very lucky to have a wonderful, supportive group of friends and an amazing husband that helped me work through a lot of the underlying issues that I had about my past and future.

That is when things really changed for me. I was able to heal mentally from the things that I went through in my life (and that everyone goes through in their lives) and that helped me to heal physically from the abuse that I put myself through by overeating. And as I like to say, "I don't love myself because I lost weight, I lost weight because I love myself."

Weekly cooking - 4/1-4/3

This week we are using a 10-pound bag of chicken leg quarters for most of our meals. The first thing that we did for the week was to roast all 10 pounds of chicken. I seasoned the chicken with salt and pepper and then baked in a 350-degree oven for 30 minutes. At this time and temperature, the chicken may not cook through completely. This is ok since it will cook again when I make all of the other meals later. Once the chicken is cooked and cooled, my husband pulls all of the meat off of the bones for later use.

We use the bones from the chicken to make a large pot of broth. We put the bones and any yummy juices from the roasting pan into our really big (17-quart) stockpot and cover the bones with water. (If you do not have enough bones to make a whole pot of broth, freeze for later use.)

We bring the water to a boil and skim off all of the spume that comes to the surface.

We then turn down the heat and let the broth simmer for 3-4 hours. If the water level drops below the bones, add more hot water. 

After the broth has cooled, we pour it into ice cube trays and freeze it for easy use.

While the broth was simmering, I made the rest of the meals for the week and a loaf of homemade wheat bread. This week we are having Texas Stew, Chicken Noodle Soup, Chicken Tacos, Braised Chicken, Tomatoes and Beans Over Grits, and Barbeque Chicken. During the week we will make side dishes like rice, french fries and vegetables on the day of the meal.

Texas Stew

·       2  pounds  beef tips, cut into 1-inch cubes

·       1  (14.5 oz.) can Mexicanstyle stewed tomatoes

·       1  (10.5 oz.) can beef broth, undiluted

·       1  (8 oz.) jar mild picante sauce

·       1  (10 oz.) package frozen whole-kernel corn, thawed

·       3  carrots, cut into 1/2-inch-thick pieces

·       1  onion, cut into thin wedges

·       2  garlic cloves, pressed

·       1/2  teaspoon  ground cumin

·       1/2  teaspoon  salt

·       1/2  cup  water

·       1/4  cup  all-purpose flour

Combine beef, tomatoes, broth, picante sauce, corn, carrots, onion, garlic, cumin and salt in a 5-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours or until meat is tender.

Mix water and flour in a bowl. Stir into meat mixture; cover and cook on high for 1 hour or until stew has thickened.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Saute onions, peppers, carrots and celery with salt, pepper, dried thyme, dried oregano and dried basil until soft. Add in cooked chicken and garlic. Saute 1 minute. Add enough homemade chicken broth to cover. Add frozen peas and frozen corn. Let simmer for 20 minutes. Cook noodles in a separate pot. Add to broth mixture.

Chicken Tacos with Black Beans and Corn

Saute onions, carrots, celery and frozen corn with salt and pepper until soft. Add cooked (or canned) black beans and cooked chicken. Add 1-cup homemade chicken broth and packet of taco seasoning. Simmer until thick.

Tomato-Braised Beans Over Grits

·       2  tablespoons  extravirgin olive oil

·       1  tablespoon  finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

·       2  garlic cloves, minced

·       1  teaspoon  chopped fresh sage

·       1  (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained

·       1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper

·       1/8  teaspoon  salt

·       1  (19-ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

·       Cooked grits

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add parsley and garlic to pan; sauté 1 minute. Add sage and tomatoes; cook 12 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates. Add black pepper, 1/8-teaspoon salt, beans and chicken to pan. Cover, reduce heat, and cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve over cooked grits.

Barbeque Chicken

Saute onions, carrots, celery and frozen corn with salt and pepper until soft. Add chicken and store-bought barbeque sauce and heat through.

Weight loss buddy

One of the things that helped me the most with my weight loss was having a weight loss buddy. My friend and I were rotating in the same lab when we decided we both needed to lose weight. We were able to encourage each other, give each other advice based on our experiences, and hold each other accountable. It is really easy to lie to yourself but it is a lot harder to lie to your friend. We are no longer in the same lab, but we still try to get together once a week to talk about how things are going. It is someone that knows what I am going to and can relate to the really hard parts of weight loss. She also motivated me to do something I never thought I ever would have been able to do. I trained for and ran a 5K in 41 minutes October 16.

It is also very good to talk to all the people in your life and let them know that you are trying to watch what you eat and lose weight. This is especially important with the people that enable your eating habits. If you and your girlfriends go out once a week and eat a lot of really bad food, you need to make sure that they know that that is not something you can keep doing. Having stable support systems in your life will go a long way in helping you to reach your weight loss goal.

Part 3: Weekend cooking

The final step in my weekly menu planning is weekend cooking. I find that I am most likely to stick to my menu if I can get a lot of the cooking done on the weekend. It is harder to convince yourself to run through the drive-thru if the preparation is done ahead of time. Every week I will walk you through the process of cooking for the week’s meals. I find this to be a great time. I usually bring my internet radio (thank you Doug and Kate!!) into the kitchen with me and drink a nice bottle of wine or a strong pot of coffee while I dance around the kitchen, sing really loud and cook.

Saturday 03/26/11	Sushi for anniversary
Sunday 03/27/11	Bibimbap ("Japanese dirty rice")
Monday 03/28/11	Creole black beans and rice
Tuesday 03/29/11	Sausage and egg pizza
	Kale caesar salad
Wednesday 03/30/11	Taco Wednesday
Thursday 03/31/11	Creamy Mexican corn soup
	Corn fritters
Friday 04/01/11	BBQ chicken tenders
	Baked french fries, fruit
	Cut up chicken

This week I am lucky because I am staying home on Thursday and Friday due to my stepson’s school schedule. This means I only have to prepare food through Wednesday’s dinner (which is tacos with my friends and takes no planning!).

The first thing I make every week is a loaf of homemade wheat bread (all recipes will be at the end of this post). There are some great bakeries that make really good, healthy bread. I cannot afford that bread so I make my own. I use local honey and unbleached all-purpose flour when I make this bread to make sure it is as healthy as it can be.

While the bread was rising, I parboiled a bag of black beans in water for 1-½ hours and chopped all of the vegetables I would need for the Japanese dirty rice, Creole beans and pizza. After the beans had been precooked, I drained them and put half in a freezer bag and stored in our chest freezer for later use.

While the beans were cooking, I sautéed the sausage, onions and peppers for the pizza. I put these in a plastic storage container and stored them in the refrigerator for Tuesday. I then made the Creole black beans in my amazing Le Creuset Dutch oven. I transferred the finished beans into a large plastic storage container and put that in my fridge for Monday.

On Monday, I will only have to scramble eggs and assemble the pizza and make the salad. On Tuesday, I will cook rice in my rice maker and heat up the beans. Other than that, dinner is done! I will just make the meals for Thursday and Friday on those days per the recipes instructions.

Homemade Wheat Bread

·       1 cup warm water (110-115 degrees F)

·       1 tablespoon milk

·       2 tablespoons oil

·       2 tablespoons honey

·       2 tablespoons brown sugar

·       1 teaspoon salt

·       2 cups all-purpose flour

·       1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

·       2 teaspoons instant active dry yeast

Combine first 6 ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer with dough hook attachment; stir.

Add flours and yeast, and knead on medium speed until dough is smooth and elastic, about 8-10 minutes. Place dough in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover with a clean towel and let rise until doubled, about 40 minutes.

Punch dough down; knead for 2 minutes until smooth and then form into a loaf. Place in greased loaf pan and cover. Let rise in a warm place until almost doubled in size, about 30 minutes.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. If loaf starts browning too soon, lightly lay a piece of foil on top of the loaf to prevent too much darkening.

Remove bread from oven and allow to rest in pan for a few minutes. Remove to a wire rack and cover with a cloth. Slice and enjoy while still warm! Leftover bread can be stored in an airtight bag or frozen until needed.

Bibimbap

·       3/4 cup soy sauce

·       6 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

·       4 tablespoons light brown sugar

·       1 pound ground turkey, beef, or pork

·       2 tablespoons vegetable oil

·       4 large eggs

·       2 cups cooked rice (Chinese takeout works well)

·       Assorted vegetables (shredded carrot, canned baby corn, spinach, bean sprouts, red onion…), steamed or raw

·       Toasted sesame seeds

Mix together the first three ingredients; set aside.

In a pan, brown the meat in half the vegetable oil, about 5 minutes. Add half the soy-sauce mixture and continue cooking until the liquid is absorbed, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and cover.

In another pan, fry the eggs in the remaining vegetable oil, 4 to 5 minutes.

Divide the rice among 4 bowls. Arrange some vegetables and meat and an egg in each. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds, then drizzle the remaining soy-sauce mixture over the top.

Creole Beans

·       1 (16-ounce) package dried beans

·       1 pound ground pork

·       1 tablespoon vegetable oil

·       3 celery ribs, chopped

·       1 medium-size green bell pepper, chopped

·       1 large onion, chopped

·       Creole seasoning to taste

·       1 tbsp paprika

·       1 tbsp oregano

·       3 garlic cloves, minced

·       1 (14½-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

·       1 (32-ounce) container chicken broth (or homemade)

·       3½ cups water

·       2 bay leaves

·       1 teaspoon sugar

·       ½ teaspoon salt

·       ½ teaspoon pepper

·       Hot cooked rice

Rinse and sort beans according to package directions. Place beans in a Dutch oven; cover with water 2 inches above beans, and let soak 8 hours. Drain beans, and rinse thoroughly; drain and set aside.

Sauté ground pork in hot oil in Dutch oven over medium heat 5 to 7 minutes or until golden brown. Remove pork with a slotted spoon, and drain on paper towels, reserving drippings in Dutch oven. (Store pork in refrigerator until you're ready to stir into bean mixture.) Add celery and next 5 ingredients to hot drippings, and sauté 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add garlic and tomatoes, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 7 minutes.

Stir in beans, broth, and next 5 ingredients; increase heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil. Boil 10 minutes; reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until beans are tender. Stir in pork, and simmer 30 more minutes. Serve over hot cooked rice.

Kale Caesar Salad

Puree 1/3 cup olive oil, 1 garlic clove, 2 anchovy fillets, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, and salt and pepper to taste in a blender. Toss 1 1/2 cups crusty bread cubes with 1 tablespoon of the dressing; broil on a baking sheet until toasted, about 2 minutes. Toss 1 1/4 pounds chopped kale with the remaining dressing; broil on another baking sheet, stirring, until crisp, 5 to 8 minutes. Put the kale and croutons in a bowl and top with lemon juice, grated parmesan and a chopped hard-boiled egg.

Mexican Creamy Corn Soup with Roasted Chiles

·       1 poblano chile

·       1 red bell pepper

·       2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for brushing

·       1 small onion, cut into thin slivers

·       2 cloves garlic, crushed

·       3 cups corn kernels (about 12 ounces)

·       1 tablespoon masa harina (corn flour) or cornstarch

·       3 to 3 1/2 cups milk, plus more for finishing the soup

·       6 corn tortillas

·       Vegetable oil, for drizzling

·       Salt

·       6 ounces crabmeat, picked over for pieces of shell (optional)

Preheat the oven to 400°. Roast the chile and bell pepper and cut into 1/4-inch pieces.
 In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until deep golden brown, about 7 minutes; transfer to a blender or food processor. Reduce the heat to low, add the garlic and cook for 1 minute; transfer to the blender. Reserve the saucepan.
Blend the onion mixture with the corn kernels and masa harina. Pour in 1 1/2 cups milk and process until smooth. Press the mixture through a strainer to remove any tough corn hulls. Pour the soup into the reserved saucepan and bring to a boil, whisking frequently, about 2 minutes. Add the remaining 2 cups milk (a little less if you're using frozen corn) and chile and pepper pieces and return to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring frequently, for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, cut the tortillas in half, then cut crosswise into 1/4-inch strips. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, drizzle with oil and toss to coat. Bake, tossing every few minutes, until lightly browned, about 8 minutes.
Add more milk to the soup if it's too thick; season with salt. Ladle into bowls; top with tortilla strips and crabmeat, if using.

Corn Fritters

·       5  cups  vegetable oil

·       2 1/2  cups  "just add water" pancake mix

·       1/2  cup  cornmeal

·       Salt and pepper

·       1  teaspoon  cumin

·       1/4  teaspoon  cayenne pepper

·       1  (10 oz.) package frozen corn kernels, thawed

·       1  small red onion, chopped

·       1  small red bell pepper, seeded and chopped

·       2  fresh jalapeño chilies, seeded and minced

Pour 2 inches of oil into a 4-quart saucepan. Warm over medium heat until a deep-fry or candy thermometer reads 375°F.

In a large bowl, whisk pancake mix, cornmeal, salt, pepper, cumin and cayenne. Gently stir in corn, red onion, bell pepper, jalapeño chilies and 1 1/3 cups water.

With a spoon, scoop about 2 Tbsp. batter and gently push into hot oil with another spoon; avoid splashing oil. Cook 4 or 5 fritters at a time-any more may result in greasy fritters.

Cook until brown and crisp, 3 to 4 minutes, turning once with tongs to brown evenly. Remove with tongs and drain on a wire rack. Repeat with remaining batter. Serve hot.

Part 2: Making the menu

A common theme is going to emerge throughout this blog. Losing weight and maintaining a healthy eating lifestyle all take a lot of time and planning. Planning what you are going to eat throughout the week will help you avoid unhealthy options like fast food.

Due to my husband’s pay schedule, I make a two-week menu. Since I am currently in school, we also have to stick to a strict food budget of $150 for every two weeks. We buy the majority of our groceries at Walmart due to the low cost. We buy things that are on sale (or that are regularly inexpensive and higher quality) at Lowes Foods and Food Lion.

Lowes Foods		Food Lion
Cinnamon rolls	BOGO	FL tuna	2/$1
LF pinto beans	$0.65 ea	Salami	$4.99/lb
Hot Pockets	$1.69 ea	Raw shrimp	BOGO
Picnic pork	$1.19/lb	3lb gala apples	$2.99 ea
10lb chicken leg quarters	$5.50 ea	Green grapes	$0.99/lb
Sweet onions	$0.99/lb
Charmin	$4.49 ea

I make a menu for just the dinners that I am going to cook throughout the week. I also keep easy breakfast foods on hand like homemade bread for toast, yogurt, cereal and oatmeal. I also keep things on hand for healthy, easy lunches like tuna, carrots, celery, bread for sandwiches, etc. Then I don’t have to actually plan what we are all eating for those days, but I know that I am prepared.

My menu is based off what proteins (meats or beans) are on sale at the two grocery stores that I shop at. I like to buy protein that I can cook once and then turn in to the majority of my meals for the week. This helps with the cost of groceries and with limiting the portion size of meat. Things that I love to see in the weekly circular are: roasts, Boston butt, pork picnic, whole fryer chickens or large quantities of chicken on the bone. This week, 10 pounds of chicken leg quarters are on sale and this is a great buy. It will feed a family of 3 like mine for at least 5 meals. Plus, you can use the bones to make chicken stock for future uses. Other inexpensive protein sources that we use a lot: dried beans, canned beans, ground pork, and frozen edamame.

Now that I know that I will base a lot of my meals around chicken, I will look through my collection of recipes. I am a foodie so I have a lot of recipes both in cookbooks and stored on my computer. I try to stick to one cookbook and the recipes on my computer to make sure I don’t overwhelm myself with options. It can be annoying to eat the same protein every day for a week so it is good to add some diversity to the meals that you are planning.

After I know what meals we will be eating, I make a grocery list based on these items. I directly copy the ingredients from a recipe (or my brain if it is something I commonly cook) into my grocery list spreadsheet. I can then go through and edit this to remove items I already have on hand. When you have a very good grocery list, it is easier to avoid the unhealthy foods. Just stick to what you have on the list.

A side note: I get kidney and salivary gland stones. I have to limit my oxalate intake, so I can’t have the following in my diet: tea, spinach, tahini, miso, sesame seeds, and beets. If you want to use my menus and recipes, you will see that we eat kale instead of spinach. Feel free to replace the kale with spinach or try something new!

Biweekly Meal Planner
Saturday 03/26/11	Sushi for anniversary
Sunday 03/27/11	Bibimbap ("Japanese dirty rice")
Monday 03/28/11	Creole black beans and rice
Tuesday 03/29/11	Sausage and egg pizza
	Kale caesar salad
Wednesday 03/30/11	Taco Wednesday
Thursday 03/31/11	Creamy Mexican corn soup
	Corn fritters
Friday 04/01/11	BBQ chicken tenders
	Baked french fries, fruit
	Cut up chicken
Saturday 04/02/11	Braised chicken and garlicy kale
	Homemade bread
	Cook the rest of the chicken, make broth
Sunday 04/03/11	Braised chicken with saffron cream sauce over pasta
	Homemade bread
Monday 04/04/11	Texas stew
Tuesday 04/05/11	Chicken pot pie soup
Wednesday 04/06/11	Taco Wednesday
Thursday 04/07/11	Leftovers
Friday 04/08/11	Chili lime chicken tacos
	Spanish rice

Need	pancake mix	polska kielbasa	From Oriental Market
shampoo	cereal	chicken	Hoisin
razors	cornmeal	tortillas (3)	Rice wine vinegar
litter	toffee bits	frozen green peppers	Shaoxing
water bottle	shake em ups	frozen corn
velcro	cannellini beans	frozen green beans
socks - Matt	tuna	pot pies
eggs	crushed tomatoes	onions
yogurt	diced tomatoes	kale
crackers	stewed tomatoes	lemons
coffee creamer	rigatoni	red onion
milk	pizza crust	green onions
parmesan cheese	dried ancho chile	jalapenos
soda	canned baby corn	parsley
laundry detergent	picante sauce	limes
toilet paper	taco shells	celery
ziplocs	coffee	carrots