Today is World Autism Awareness Day!

I just wanted to let everyone know that today is World Autism Awareness Day (Thursday, April 2, 2009).   It’s the second World Autism Day since the United Nations created it in 2008.   Please take this opportunity to share information about Autism Awareness with your friends and others you know.

As the mother of a child with classic Autism Spectrum Disorder, I know firsthand the challenge of receiving the diagnosis.   But what made it even harder for us what that our close friends and family members recognized the signs, but wouldn’t tell us for fear of upsetting us!   Information is power, and the more we know the more we can help our children with autism be successful in life.   Although my husband and I cried and went through the many stages of grief after receiving the diagnosis of autism, having the information and being able to act on it has empowered us to get our son the help he needs.

The Autism Society of America has provided some great tips for interacting with people who have Autism Spectrum Disorder (see below).  

Additionally, I have posted the 14 Signs of Autism as part of April’s Autism Awareness Month on my website www.wdwautism.com.  I would encourage you to learn the signs and ways to interact with a person with autism, and share them with your friends and family so we can help each other.

ASA’s helpful tips for interacting with someone who has Autism

People on the autism spectrum may:

• not understand what you say
• appear deaf
• be unable to speak or speak with difficulty
• engage in repetitive behaviors
• act upset for no apparent reason
• appear insensitive to pain
• appear anxious or nervous dart away from you unexpectedly
• engage in self-stimulating behaviors (i.e. Hand flapping or rocking)

 Helpful hints for interaction:

• Speak slowly and use simple language
• Use concrete terms
• Repeat simple questions
• Allow time for responses
• Give lots of praise
• Do not attempt to physically block self-stimulating behavior
• Remember that each person is unique and may act differently than another

For more information about autism, you can call the Autism Society at 1-800-3-AUTISM or visit their website: www.autism-society.org.

Spring Break Plateau, Knee Injury, and NS program continues

I’m back after a 2 week break – sorry about that.  I enjoyed taking some time at Spring Break to relax, although I continued working.  My DH and I are still working out, and DH has started his running training program again, so he can run in the Half Marathon at Disney World in 2011.  I’ve continued on the Naturally Slim program, and am doing OK, although my weight loss has plateaued out again.

As of this morning, I was weighing in at 306 pounds – about where I was two weeks ago.  I went up several pounds during the week of Spring Break (most likely because I wasn’t paying as much attention to what I ate as I should).  I re-focused on eating slowly, chewing thoroughly, and continued to exercise.

Then, about a week ago – I hurt my knee climbing up from the neighbors yard.  Our neighbors behind us live at the bottom of the hill we live on (our backyard slopes gently down towards the fence, then there is a 2-3 foot drop off to the neighbors backyard).  They were putting up a retaining wall, and I went to fetch my son from their yard and playset.  When I stepped up to our yard – snap, snap, pop!  Suddenly I couldn’t move my left knee at all!  The doctor advised avoiding stairs and weights on the leg for a few weeks, but did say I could continue to walk on flat surfaces as long as there was no pain.

So I’m still on the treadmill and the arm weights.  I will probably incorporate the leg weights back in over the next few weeks, at least at low weights and fewer reps/sets.  I do enjoy the workout time – ME time (finally!).

On the eating front, I’m still making good choices overall, but haven’t given up the chips and M&Ms.  In fact, consumption has increased slightly, so I need to scale back again in order to stay on track.

In the Naturally Slim program, we learned about sugar and the amount we consume in America.  Luckily, I’ve cut out a LOT of sugar from my diet, but not completely yet.  But I’m almost totally off sodas, and other than the M&Ms I don’t eat much sugar by itself (I use Splenda on the oatmeal in the morning, and 1 tsp sugar on the Grape-Nuts at night).

So – hopefully if I continue with the exercise and continue to watch my diet carefully, I’ll start seeing the scale move down again next week!

Roasted Broccoli

I am learning to be a fan of vegetables.  Growing up, we generally only had canned corn, canned green beans, or carrots and potatoes as part of a stew (sometimes even parsnips!).  One of my big challenges has been to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into my diet.

My friend Marge gave me this recipe for Roasted Broccoli – and I absolutely love it!  It’s a whole different texture than frozen cooked or steamed brocolli – much more flavorful and easier for me to chew.  Hope you enjoy it too!

 

Roasted Broccoli:

1 head broccoli, cut into individual florets  (discard stems or save for another dish)

Olive Oil

Lemon Pepper

2-3 cloves fresh garlic, minced

Mrs. Dash seasoning

Salt and Pepper to taste

PREHEAT OVEN to 400 degrees.

1)  Cut the head of broccoli into individual florets, cutting each floret in half if they are too large.  You want pieces that are about even in size.

2)  Toss the cut broccoli with 1-2 TBSP olive oil (to taste), and season with lemon pepper, garlic, Mrs. Dash, and salt/peper (if desired).

3)  Layer seasoned broccoli in a single layer on a baking sheet.  Roast at 400 degrees for 15-25 minutes until broccoli is browned and crunchy.

NOTE:  this dish is best served hot, right out of the oven.  You can spritz the broccoli with some fresh lemon juice, if desired, or sprinkle on some parmesan cheese to vary the flavors a bit.

Enjoy!

Down over 5 pounds after 2 weeks on Naturally Slim

Sorry about missing the update last week – it was C-R-A-Z-Y at work and home.  I completed week one on the Naturally Slim program with a loss of over four pounds – from 311.1 to 307.9 (woo hoo!).  At the end of week 2 on the program, I’m weighing in at 306 pounds even.  So – all told I’m down over FIVE full pounds in two weeks.  Yes – I am doing the happy dance right now (uh huh, uh huh, uh huh!).

The funny thing is – I’m not following the full program.  I have been unable to give up milk and sugar, although I’m doing OK at following the other parts of the program:  drinking my water and OJ/Water combo mix; taking small bites and chewing slowly, moving the food around my mouth to stimulate all my taste buds; taking 20-25 minutes to eat (well – mostly – I do have kids so sometimes mealtimes are more hectic); and trying to eat only when I’m truly hungry.  But I am uncomfortable giving up milk, since I need the calcium, and I still haven’t been able to fully give up my M&Ms – although I do eat them one at a time, SLOWLY, savoring each one.  So I’ve been able to cut WAY back on the M&M consumption, which is a good thing.

I think the exercise is also helping.  I started walking again last week.  And last Monday my husband and I started a personal training program at our local community recreation center.  We are doing some weight training 2-3 times a week, and some cardio on the equipment they have.  I managed to go three times last week – hopefully I can keep up the momentum!  I’m sore as all get out, but I know that the training and exercise are helping to contribute to the weight loss.

I will keep on learning about the Naturally Slim program over the next 8 weeks – picking up some good tips as I go.  I wish I had the will power to give it the full go – but I know I’ll never be able to fully give up sugar, so for now I’m focusing on cutting back on my consumption and phasing it out gradually.  I have to admit – I did better than expected in some areas over the weekend.  We celebrated my daughters fourth birthday will a WALL-E cupcake cake (and Tinkerbell decorations – but don’t even get me started.  Just never let a four year old pick her own cake and decorations for her party!  LOL!).  I had about 2 bites of the cupcake after scraping off most of the 2 inches of frosting – and found I just didn’t want to eat it.  So I threw it away and never looked back!  What a great lesson – don’t eat it if you don’t want it!  I’m at a great point where cookies, cakes, and donuts have lost much of their appeal.  Next hurdle – curbing the chocolate cravings!   Wish me luck….

So – entering week three I’m feeling much more confident about losing weight.  Even my cantakerous WW electronic scale is cooperating with me so far.  Maybe the eating style and exercise have had something to do with it as well….you never know!  Catch ya next week!

Week 1 on Naturally Slim

So – I started on the Naturally Slim program at work this week.  This is a 10 week online training course to help you change your eating habits and lose weight without traditional dieting.  The premise is pretty straighforward – diets don’t work.  Lifestyle changes do work – you need to learn to eat like a thin person does.

So – week 1 started off with weighing (311.1 – YIKES!) and measuring (which I still have to do).  This allows you to keep track of progress as you go through each week.  I listened to the video testimonials of the program, then started leraning the core principles of the program.  They are pretty simple:

• Eat only when you are hungry
• Keep hydrated – they have a concoction they recommend (H2Orange) to keep blood sugar up while you hydrate
• Eat slowly and chew thoroughly
• Eat your favorite food first

Pretty simple, huh?  Yeah – there are a few catches.  The program recommend you drop sugar cold turkey and stay off of it pretty much forever (at least as far as I can tell in week one).  You at least need to come off sugars for the first three weeks.  Same goes for milk and cereal – no milk or cereal for the first three weeks.  It’s similar in some ways to the induction phase of the South Beach or other low carb diets – eliminate the sugars in your diet to cleanse the body and reset the sugar levels and cravings you have.

So – obviously that is the part I’m struggling with.  I love drinking my milk, and I eat a high fiber cereal every day to get the fiber I need into my system, since I don’t eat breads.  So I’m going to have to monitor what I do very closely in this area and see if I can still lose weight while drinking milk.

I’ll do my weigh-in for the program next Monday (March 9) so we’ll see if the pounds are coming off.  I did an “unofficial” weigh-in on Wednesday of this week, and I was down 2 pounds already, so we’ll see!

I also think I’m going to start charting the principles of the various diets and eating plans/lifestyle changes I’ve been researching so far this year, to see where the commonalities are.  I suspect that they all have the same core principles – eat less, stop when you are full, eat lots of fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and complex carbohydrates in their whole gtrain  forms, exercise, drink lots of water, moderation in all things.  Maybe if I can figure that out for my needs, I’ll start being successful.

Also – on Monday my husband and I have a personal training session at our local recreation center gym.  It’s only $40 to join (per person) for the whole year, and you get access six days a week to weight machines, elliptical machines, stationary bikes, and treadmills.  It’s way cheaper than joining a commercial gym, and I figure even if I can only make it there 2 days a week, I can get some weight training in, then focus on walking at work.  I didn’t get a walk in this whole week because of a busy schedule during the day and a pulled muscle in my hip (as well as a sore knee from taking the stairs last week).  But I know that exercise will be key to my weight loss – so here I go!

-*

Accepted into the Naturally Slim program at work

Every year, our company (Sabre Holdings, but I work for the Travelocity division) sponsors a weight loss program called “Naturally Slim”.  Employees can apply for a spot in the program, which is offered both online and through in person seminars.  If the employee completes the program, the cost is covered by the company.  If the employee does not complete the program, she pays $150.  Good financial motivation!

I was accepted into the online program, which starts next Monday (March 2, 2009).  I’ve heard great things about it, and am excited to be a part of it, especially because I’ve not gotten the scale to move in the past few weeks (at least not in the direction I’d like), so I need some extra help to get this weight loss kick-started.

Overall for the week, I’m up about a pound, which is a bummer.  However, I did achieve some good things this week:

• Walking nearly every day this week.  I missed Wednesday, but got out on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday for a 1 mile walk each day.
• Eating my fruits and vegetables
• Cutting down on salt (new goal this week)
• Am learning to love my Weight Control Oatmeal.  Really…Just had to cut down on the water to get a better consistency, and I’m good to go!

I think I need to cut down or eliminate the chocolate and chips I’ve been working into my diet.  They seem to be my kryptonite!  So I plan on spending some time in meal planning and goal setting over the weekend, in order to hit the ground running on Monday!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Pumpkin-Spice Cake Recipe

Here is a recipe for the low-fat Pumpkin-Spice Cake I mentioned in my recent post.  Let me know what you think of it!

Pumpkin Spice Cake:

1 Spice Cake Mix  (any brand)

1 can Pumpkin 

1/2 can water  (use pumpkin can, fill about 1/2 full)

Brown sugar

Chocolate chips

 

Directions:

Mix the cake mix, pumpkin, and water on low speed for about 2 minutes or until fairly well blended.  Batter will be thick.  Spray a 9×13 baking pan with cooking spray, and spread batter in pan.  Sprinkle with brown sugar and chocolate chips (the “frosting”) and bake according to the package directions for the cake mix.

Cut into 2″ squares and serve/enjoy!

Seven weeks in and feeling hopeful!

At the end of the seventh week of this new year (at least I think it’s seven weeks in – the year is flying by already!) I’m actually at a positive point in my new eating plan and healthier lifestyle.  After battling my scale, I’ve decided to focus on achievements and positive changes over the numbers on that pesky piece of electronics.

I did a little test with the two scales this week (the WW electronic scale and the spring scale).  I had my husband step on both, and the WW scale was showing a heavier weight than the spring scale.  Not very scientific, I know, but at least it’s not just me.  So – I continue my dual weigh-in, and generally split the difference between the two.

The good news is that the weight is trending DOWN now – which means that adding back in the exercise last week is working.  I now take time out of several work days each week for walking here at work, and am trying to get my husband re-motivated to go on the family walks several nights a week.  I have to admit – I’m fortunate to have some great walking trails here at work in Southlake, Texas.  Our building is set on a hill, and I generally walk down the 2 flights of stairs to the ground floor of my building, then down another flight of stairs to the walking trail area (we’re built on a hill).  The trails go through a wooded area next to the buildings, and sometimes you can see deer (or an occassional coyote!) when walking.  Makes it much nicer than walking around a track.

I’ve been eating healthier as well, and I can feel my clothes fitting a little bit better over these past two weeks.  One of the biggest changes are around salt.  I am a “salt-a-holic” – I tend to add it to everything without thinking.  I’ve made a conscious effort over the past week to cut down on the salt, and I hope this translates into better water weight management going forward (which may translate into better scale numbers no matter which scale I’m using!).

I survived Valentine’s Day with a minimum of temptation.  I fixed a nice grilled steak, baked Idaho and Sweet potatoes, spinach salad, roasted asparagus, and rolls for dinner.  For dessert, I made a low-fat pumpkin spice cake which is a family favorite.  My little girl loves the cake – and since it’s low fat (made with cake mix and pumpkin only) I’m happy to have her eat it.

Speaking of my daughter, she also loves the oven fried chicken strips from Hungry Girl.  I’ve made these twice now, and really like them.  My daughter LOVES them – she waits by the oven asking for “chicken…more chicken”.  I’ve even done some pan sauteing of the strips and they turn out great – and faster for my daughter!  I’d recommend you try them and let me know what you think – it’s a great way to get the feel of fried chicken without the calories and fat!

So – I’m going to keep up the things that are working well as I go into the next week:  walking, cutting salt, watching my calories and WW points, trying to eat more fruits and veges, and staying focused on my achievements.  I’m also going to continue working on the things that are still challenging, like finding a filling, healthy breakfast that I can take with me to eat in the car or at work.

Hope you are also doing well – let me know how things are going with you!

Rachel

Mid-February – the good, the bad, and the ugly

To continue from last weeks posting, I’m still battling with my Weight Watchers scale.  Either it’s broken, or I am, so I decided to get a second opinion.  We have an older model scale (non-digital) and I did a comparison weigh-in on Tuesday.

The WW scale showed 313.3 pounds.  OUCH!!  How can this be, I cried to myself??  I’ve been following plan and staying in points – seriously!  Granted, this is a water-retention week, but still… So I hopped (well, stepped) over to the older scale and stepped on – 308 pounds.  Better, but still not where I was in January.  But definitely better.

So – if you can’t trust your scales, what can you trust?  I decided to do some soul searching and take an inventory of the good, the bad, and the ugly of my efforts over the past six weeks.  Here they are:

The Good:  

• I’ve been more aware of good food choices than in 2008. 
• I read labels more carefully, and am making an effort to choose low fat, high fiber, high protein options wherever possible. 
• I restisted the donuts my DH insists on bringing in every Saturday – they don’t even tempt me anymore!
• I eat more fruits and vegetables than I did six weeks ago – still not to the five+ servings per day, but more than I was eating (in the zero-1 category)
• I listen to weight loss podcasts for encouragement
• I read lifestyle and weight loss books and blogs for information

The Bad and the Ugly:

• I got off my walking plan – but am slowly getting back on track with exercise.  I realised that I don’t lose weight unless I exercise – period!
• I still have chocolate and chips in the house – I usually can control myself, but I keep temptation near.  This probably needs to change!
• I talk down to myself – I need to learn to banish the words “fat, ugly, and stupid” from my vocabulary and my self-talk!

So – I do feel like I’m on the right track.  I started walking at work on Wednesday (Feb. 11) and plan to walk every day, weather permitting.  I am slowing down as I eat – taking time to savor bites and listen to my body to tell me it’s full (OK – that doesn’t happen as often as I’d like, but I’m eating less than before).  I measure out single portions of chips or chocolate, track the points, and put the bag away.  I feel better, and I know I’m doing the right things for long term change.

So – here’s hoping it pays off on my mutant scales next week!

Having a crisis of faith in my WW scale

Sorry about missing last week’s posting.  I’ve been having a crisis of faith in my scale.  Granted, I’m a large woman, but I can’t believe the swings I’ve been having over a two week period.

So – it came time to weigh myself on Thursday Jan. 15.  I stepped on the scale, and found a seven pound weight gain from the previous week.  WHAT??  I had been eating the same as before, and had been walking several times a week.  How could this be?  I chalked it up to water retention, but was ashamed to post it.

So – I kept at the low carb, good carb plan…somewhat.  What threw my off was having our church missionaries over to our house for dinner.  Dinner was OK – green salad, roast turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy (OK – that was a bit decadent).  But I made cookies for dessert.  Yup – my weak spot, and my families.  I ended up nibbling on more cookies than were good for me.  But here’s the weird part – when I weighed in on Jan. 22 – I was down to 297 pounds.  I had not only dropped the seven pound gain, but an additional six pounds or so.  HUH???

So by now I’m confused.  Maybe there is something wrong with the scale?  Maybe it’s water retention/water loss.  Maybe the walking is the key?  But then it got cold – really really cold here in North Texas.  We had our obligatory ice storm, and that curtailed the walking. 

On Jan. 29, I went in for a health screening at work.  Height, weight, blood pressure, and a blood screening for cholesterol and glucose.  At that weigh-in, I was back up to 306 based on the scales they had there.  Again – a nine pound gain in a week!!  At this point, I have no idea what is going on with my body. 

Does anyone else experience these sorts of swings?

The good news is that the overall results of my screening were pretty good.  Thought I would share them with you to help keep me honest going forward:

• Height:  5′ 5.5″  (OK – let’s call that one 5′ 6″)
• Weight:  306 pounds
• Waist:  52 inches (yikes!)
• Blood Pressure:  100/74   (yippee!)
• Total Cholesterol:  178 mg   (under 200 – whoo hoo!)
• HDL “good cholesterol”: 44 mg   (need to get it up to 60 or higher)
• Triglycerides:  174  (need to get it below 100 through exercise)
• LDL “bad cholesterol”: 99 mg  (just under the 100 cutoff)
• Ratio of Total Cholesterol to HDL:  4.0  (target is less thank 3.5)
• Glucose:  88  (yeah!  less than the cutoff of 100)

Overall – the numbers aren’t too bad.  Not surprisingly, the areas that need work can be addressed through diet and exercise.  So – to address these, I turned to my old friend Weight Watchers.  They were running a special on their Weight Watchers Online program, which fit my needs to a “T”. 

What I’m really trying to do is find the right combination of high protein, high fiber, low-fat foods that will fill me up while slimming me down.  The Weight Watchers Momentum plan is now focused on “filling foods”, which is exactly what I’m looking for.

I’ll also need to step up the exercise – so we dusted off the Leslie Sansone “Walk Away the Pounds” DVDs, to remove the “can’t walk in cold weather” excuse.  I also plan to start walking during my lunch hour at work – our health plan discount program offers us credit for participating in challenges, and this month it’s an “exercise and eat your fruits and veges” challenge.  So – I’m re-motivated to try and beat this scale problem once and for all!