Week 4 – Friday Fitness & Weight Loss Restart (Simplifying Meal Prep)

Leftovers
Leftovers simplify meal prep for future meals and help prevent rash food choices.

Even as an enthusiastic cook, I sometimes need a break. I don’t want to halt my weight loss journey, just ease up on some of the effort and time needed for meal planning and preparation. Fatigue and excess stress can lead to bad food choices, I know. I have to avoid this. Ways to simplify meal prep and planning is this week’s topic. But first things first – see my week’s weight change below. Continue reading

Weight/Fitness Journey restarts (and icky peanut butter)

Diet again

About two and a half years ago, I started a once per week post series called “Friday Fitness and Weight Loss Updates”. Each Friday, I posted my weight loss for the week, as well as my challenges, discoveries, tips, and occasional healthful recipes. That lasted a total of 30 weeks, a few which were spent on vacation in Portugal. I shed over 10 pounds (4.5 kg) during that effort, though by week 30 I found myself down only about 5 pounds (2.25 kg) from my starting weight, because of subsequent regaining. That effort was then abandoned. But, after a long hiatus, I’ve dusted off my sneakers, and tracked my first day’s meals. Below I describe my inspirations to restart the journey, as well as a tip you might find humorous. Continue reading

Week 16 – Friday Fitness and Weight Loss Update

Stress photo

Main Topic: Extreme stress and binge eating (self-medication)

I have been under a great deal of stress lately because of many things. I won’t list them here, but I’d say they number at least five. Unfortunately, I am not always good at handling stress, despite years of learning and practicing coping skills in therapy.

“Self-medicating” stress can take on many forms. For some people it’s Continue reading

Czech-Style Potato Salad

Czech-Style Potato Salad (2)
There is actually a lot more potato salad in the bowl than it appears. Around 3 quarts.

Happy Independence Day to my fellow Americans! I hope everyone has good weather and will perhaps enjoy the delights of a BBQ.  I’m going to my dad’s house today, where my brother will surely be the grill master. We will have simple barbecue fare, like good ole’ Loeffler’s hot dogs, hamburgers, and pork roll (a New Jersey specialty). I was asked to bring potato salad. Continue reading

Total confusion about portion sizes?

huge portion
A pretty large portion of food

What do you base your food portion sizes on? Or do you bother? Have you ever realized that there is conflicting information about portion sizes out there or lack of real guidance? For example, in the United States, the new American Food pyramid (changed over the years) shows the following: Continue reading