How to Simply Lose Weight: Part 3

These three one pound boxes of sugar represent the amount of weight I lost in May.  I have to admit, I was surprised. I haven't weighed 157 in years. 

Lately, my enthusiasm for dieting has been waning. I cheated on myself...a lot. I caved to that smooth talking carrot cake with the luscious cream cheese frosting I love to run my fingers through. I cheated with that low down, no good ice cream who I don't even like. I even sneaked in a fling with chunky peanut butter. I am disgusting. 

How do you keep motivating yourself? 

I am starting anew. Today, I begin my diet again. This will probably not be the last time I start over. If you fall, get up. The view from the floor is terrible. And believe me, dust bunnies are terrible conversationalists.

To motivate myself, I recently went dress shopping. I bought a couple of dresses which while they fit, will look much better after I lose another five pounds. I hope the sight of them hanging longingly, waiting patiently, will encourage me to be diet faithful. 

In the United States, there are no standard sizes. Unlike Europe, in which clothing is sold strictly by measurement (bust size in inches, waist size in inches), every American clothing manufacturer simply makes up their own sizes. 

About then years ago, Tammy Kinley of the North Texas School of Merchandising took precise measurements of over 1,000 pairs of women's pants from 20 different retail stores in Texas. In size 14, Kinley's study showed a various of up to 8 inches in the waist circumference between brands. This is why you can wear a size 8 in one brand and a size 16 in another. It may also explain why you prefer to  purchase clothes from a store that winkingly states you are a size 8. 

One thing I have found interesting is that expensive clothing runs much smaller than the bargain brands. I expected the opposite but then I remembered Abercrombie and Fitch's strategy of selling only to thin, beautiful and apparently,  incredibly stupid people. 

Why do we allow a clothing label to dictate our self esteem? Is a size 2 a better, nicer person than a size 14? Is a size 0 smarter than a size 16? When was the last time you picked a doctor based on their lab coat size? 

The chart below demonstrates the variances found between clothing stores in size 8 and the futility of labels. 

How to Simply Lose Weight

Well, I have officially lost 13 pounds. I started my diet on February 2 and this is the longest amount of time I have ever stayed on a diet in my life. This is really my  un-diet. I am not dieting, I am hopefully forever changing the way I eat. 

I began at 173 pounds. For most of my adult life, I have consistently weighed between 160-165 but lately the scale had started inching upwards. I felt depressed and self-conscious.   

The most I have ever weighed in my life was 180.  I weighed 180 for exactly one day about 10 years ago. I stepped on the scale, looked down and almost fainted. 180 was only 20 pounds from 200! I immediately started eating less and dropped a little weight. My husband refers to these as my middle-age Goth years because I always dressed head-to-toe in black. When I look back at pictures, it always looks like I am on my way to a funeral or a Johnny Cash Fan Club meeting.

Of course, these were pictures I couldn't avoid being in. The fattest people will always jostle for a position in the back or grab a small child to hide behind. Once I was at a work function where a group picture was to be taken. Many of the attendees were overweight. It was very hard for the photographer as the individuals were constantly milling about trying to get a prime position on the back row. It was like the equivalent of photo musical chairs...only no chairs, no music. Just random shuffling about until the picture was taken. Personally, I was rather roughly manhandled and shoved in the front by an overweight middle manager.

So, why do I have no problem telling you my weight?  Number one, it is doubtful you are looking at my 160 pound body and thinking I am 125. Most people tend to look at others and mentally add about 20 pounds. By telling you I weigh 160, I am really just correcting you from thinking I weigh 180. 

For example, I ran into an acquaintance recently who commented on my weight loss. She then confidently mentioned to another friend that it looked like I had lost about 30 pounds. I had at that point lost 10 pounds. I was not flattered by her comment. 

"She was just saying you look good," my husband stated. "No, she was verifying she thought I used to weigh 200 pounds," I said wryly. So why do women always comment on each others weight? 

"I don't care if a woman is wearing a T-shirt with a giant arrow pointing down and  the printed message "Baby on Board". I'm not assuming she's pregnant," my husband swears. "For all I know she had that kid six months ago and just hasn't lost the baby weight. I accidentally swagger onto enough verbal mine fields without deliberately throwing myself into harm's way. It's always better to let the woman bring it up and then act extremely surprised." 

My husband is pretty smart. 

A slightly overweight friend told me a story about a man who asked her when her baby was due. "I didn't know whether to cry because he had just blatantly pointed out I needed to lose weight or to be extremely flattered he thought I was young enough to have a baby!" 

We've probably all been there. If you put on a little weight on in the mid-section, some (at best) clueless or (at worst) catty individual who feels the need to bring it to your attention so you can cry yourself to the sleep that night. How often do paunchy men have to endure this indignity?

I have often asked myself why women are mean to each other? Why are we always constantly comparing ourselves to each other and finding fault? Instead of saying, "Have you lost weight? (a negative comment), why don't we just say "Wow, you look great! (a positive comment)? Are we really all just that insecure? 

A woman once asked me what size I wore.

"Twelve," I responded. I weighed about 158 at the time. 

"I'd sure like to know what store you shop at," she replied cattily, implying I was lying about my dress size. 

Here's the thing. I own a cat. I don't need another one. A tongue can be as sharp as claws and just as hurtful. I am constantly working at controlling my own.

One way I have simplified my life is by limiting my exposure to negative people. Those people who make snide comments that leave you wondering, "What did she mean by that?" Life is full of enough stress. Find friends who love and support you. 

Here are a couple of ways I am simply losing weight. As stated, I track calories and try to stay in the 1300-1400 net calorie range each day. To do this, I use an app called "my fitness pal". It makes it extremely easy to track calories and exercise. This app has two features I especially enjoy.

One, it has the ability to scan the bar codes on food items and then automatically add them to your daily calories. Two, it has a recipe builder feature. You input all the items in a recipe (especially easy if they are scannable) and the number of servings, the app then calculates the calories and other nutritional information per serving.

You can also "friend" others for support and encouragement. 

Another website I am really loving is www.skinnytaste.com.  This website has many lower calorie recipes. I really liked the "Cajun Chicken Pasta on the Lighter Side" and many others. Best of all, it's free which really appeals to my frugal side.

What are your weight loss secrets and stories? Please share. Remember, we are all in this for the long haul.  We are tortoises, not-flash-in-the-pan-fad-diet hares. 

Oh, and by the way, I bought some size 12 shorts this week and I shop at Goodwill. 

Still Seeking Simple in the Suburbs

I started this blog about a year ago when I quit my job as a way to document ways to simplify my life and save money. I've learned some surprising things. 

First, I save more money when I use less coupons. Interesting. 

I still use coupons but only when they are for something I was planning on purchasing anyway. Most coupons are for processed foods and as part of simplifying, I am trying to avoid all processed foods. So, each week I scour the ads for sales, plan menus around the sale items and stock up on especially good deals. 

Second, you spend less when you eat less. A sad, hard truth. One of the biggest parts of simplifying my life has been getting my diet under control. I am proof a better diet leads to feeling better emotionally and physically.

Third, I have learned you cannot truly simplify your life until you learn self-control. When I am in control of my emotions, my eating and my spending, I feel good. When I act unrestrained, eat uncontrollably or spend irresponsibly, I feel guilty and depressed. It's just simpler to be in control. 

Dieting is difficult. It has taken me two months to lose 9.5 pounds. To succeed, you must take a long term approach to weight loss. I have stated before, when I began dieting, I calculated how many calories a day it took to maintain my present weight, then subtracted off 500 calories. I aim for 1300-1400 net calories a day. 

A friend approached me the other day, "You're losing weight!" she said with a tone approaching reproach. "How are you doing it? she asked, eyeing me suspiciously.

"I hate to tell you. I am eating less and moving more," I said matter-of-factly.

"Oh, that won't work!" she said with disgusting disappointment, ignoring my almost ten pound loss. 

I went on to explain my apparently radical 1300-1400 net calories a day method. 

"You can't just eat the same number of calories every day," she said. You have to vary it up and down to lose weight."

"I do," I responded. "Some days I eat 1300 calories and some days I eat 1400 calories." 

"Well, personally I am using human growth hormone," she said. 

Why are we willing to try anything to lose weight? I think it is because we feel desperate and unhappy and want immediate results. I speak from experience.

When I started dieting back on February 2, I went to Wal-Mart and bought some "Zendo Quality Herbal Dieters Tea". 

For some reason, I assumed it was super caffeinated and would speed up my metabolism. I have no idea why I thought this would be a good thing. I made my husband and myself a cup of tea and sat down in front of the TV to read the box. As I approach the bottom of the cup, I notice in large letters "NO CAFFEINE" stamped prominently on the box. 

"What?" I thought. "Then what's in it? Surely Wal-Mart would not sell an unsafe product. I'm sure it's been thoroughly tested in a large lab by highly educated people wearing white coats. If the rats didn't die from drinking the equivalent of 10,000 cups of dieters tea a day, I'm sure I won't." 

Then in small print I read: "This product contains SENNA Leaves. Do not use if you have or develop diarrhea, loose stools or abdominal pain because SENNA may worsen these conditions and be harmful to your health."

I immediately google "Senna" on my smartphone and read dire warning after even more dire warning.  Obviously, my phone is smarter than I am.

"SPIT. OUT. THE. TEA!!!" I scream at my husband, frantically waving my arms and jumping from my chair to grab his now empty cup. "Drinking this tea is going to be like preparing for a colonscopy only much, much worse," I predict.

"You're blocking the TV," he responds. 

The end result? None. No running to the bathroom, no weight loss, nothing. I just fell for the equivalent of a diet scam. The only good thing about the tea was that it made me jump up and wave my arms frantically. I felt like an idiot. 

I thought, "Why am I so desperate I am willing to risk my health?" From that point, I decided I would use no expensive supplements, medicines, fad diets, crazy fasts, cabbage soups or anything else to lose weight. I knew rationally there was no easy way to lose weight, no miracle cure. It took months to gain and it would take months to lose. I calculated it would take me 8 months to lose the amount of weight I wanted. Dieting is about endurance. 

I often reason with myself, "Eight months will pass regardless of what I eat. I can be thinner or stay fat. It's within my control." 

The first week was the hardest. After the first week, I started adjusting to eating less and feeling a little proud of myself.  One night when I was especially hungry, my husband made the point that hunger pangs aren't really pain, they are just an annoying sensation. And it's true, I have experienced real pain. Mild hunger doesn't come close. 

"Go make yourself a cup of hot tea," he said. I did and I forgot about my hunger pains. I notice I most often feel hunger pains when sitting. If I get up and do something, I forget about them.

The more I lose, the less willing I am to give in to temptation. When offered something tempting, I stop and think, "It took you all week to lose a pound, is one meal really worth sacrificing a week's hard work?"

I have almost entirely given up eating out. It is difficult to calculate how much you are eating and there is so much more pressure to eat. Restaurants are the equivalent of a dieting minefield. So, when I do eat out, I try to always look at the restaurant's website prior to going and choose a healthy option. I don't look at the menu once I get there or I might be tempted to change my mind. 

Honestly, it hasn't been bad at all. I have primarily given up bread, potatoes and sweets. When I crave a potato, I make this recipe. Spray a piece of aluminum foil with 0 calorie baking spray. Place half a chopped potato, broccoli, onion and carrots on top. Season to taste. I use a steak seasoning mix. Wrap and bake. It's not a baked potato with lots of butter and sour cream but it's a nice substitute.

Instead of butter, I have been using this 0 calorie Smart Balance Butter Substitute spray and 15 calorie Teriyaki sauce. I always like to hear other people's diet tips. Please share.

How to Price Match at Wal-Mart

Price matching at Wal-Mart is very simple. I started price matching about a year ago and wish I had started sooner. For some reason I was hesitant anticipating push back from the checkers. In my year of match matching, not one checker has ever complained or given me any grief at all. 

Yesterday, I price matched these items.  I asked the cashier, "Do you have many people price match?" 

"All the time," he replied. "I love it because then I know what items to go buy and price match for myself. Last week, a local store was advertising pizzas for 58 cents. Me and my buddies bought a bunch." 

Yes, last week Apple Market advertised Red Baron Pizza's for 58 cents. I assumed it had to be a mistake and that Wal-Mart would not honor the price match. I purchased one pizza and they price matched with no complaint. These pizzas typically cost  in the $2.75-$3.25 range. I could have bought several but decided I really didn't need a bunch of high calorie, highly processed pizzas sitting in my freezer tempting me. I bought one for some night I am feeling exceptionally lazy and unmotivated to cook. 

OK, so enough of my blabbing. Start by going through your local grocery ads (don't forget Target, Menards, CVS and Walgreens). I like to go through the grocery ads with a black marker and circle any great deals I find. For example, this week Aldis has avocado's and lemons for 19 cents each, 1 1/2 pounds of vine ripe tomatoes for $1.69 and a 3 pound bag of onions for 99 cents. Apple Market was advertising red peppers for 55 cents each and cantaloupe for 99 cents each. 

I picked out the items and took to the checkout stand. I always separate my price match items from the regular items and tell the cashier I have a few items I would like to price match. I say "please". I keep my advertisements in hand and point to the advertised price. The cashier inputs the new price. SUPER SIMPLE! Often, after the first ad or two, they don't even look at the ad. They have a line and are in a hurry. 

So, things to do:

1)  Ad in Hand

2)  Items Circled for Easy Reference 

3)  Make Sure Advertisement is for Current Week

4)  Items Must Match Exactly and I have found that often Wal-Mart does not carry the advertised item in the same sizes or flavors

5)  Go early on the first day of the Ad to make sure Wal-Mart has it in stock (they won't be stocking up on other stores sale items and may sell out quickly)

So, how much did I save? Here's the breakdown:

6 Avocado's at 19 cents each, total $1.14

Wal-Mart price for 6 Avocado's (94 cents each) $5.64

I saved $4.50

3 lemons at 19 cents each, total 57 cents

Wal-Mart price for 3 Lemons (35 cents each) $1.05

I saved 48 cents

1 Cantaloupe for $1.00

Wal-Mart price is $1.98

I saved 98 cents

2 red peppers for 55 cents each, total $1.10

Wal-Mart price for 2 red peppers ($1.68 each) $3.36

I saved $2.26

24 ounces of tomatoes for $1.69

Wal-Mart price for 24 ounces of tomatoes ($2.49 pound) $3.73

I saved $2.04

3 pound bag of onion (forgot to include in picture) 99 cents

Wal-Mart price for three pound bag, $2.68

I saved $1.69

Total amount saved with price matching on this trip was $11.95.

If I saved this much every week, it would add up to $621.40 a year in savings. 

I have found that often stores will have one or two items on sale that I am interested in purchasing. Instead of running all over town, I can simply price match at Wal-Mart and save gas and time. 

And, while I am a big Aldi fan, quite honestly the 19 cent avocado's were small and hard as a rock. Wal-Mart's were larger and riper. 

One final note, I have heard (but never attempted) that if another store is advertising their store brand item at a certain price, Wal-Mart will match their store brand item (in same size) for the same price. 

How to Regrow Celery

Being as frugal as I am, I am amazed I am just learning this trick...regrowing celery or as I like to call it "Perpetual Celery". I bought this celery at Aldi and I think I paid somewhere in the $1.19 range for it. 

Next cut off the end of the stalk about 2 inches above the base. I just read that the greener the stalks, the more nutrients they contain.

Pascal celery (pictured above) is in the same family as carrots, parsley, dill and cilantro. Celery is an antioxidant and acts as an anti-inflammatory. It also has quite a bit of vitamin K, folate, vitamin A and potassium. 

Then just place the stump in a dish of warm water in a sunny window. Within days you will start to see the celery regrow.  You can then plant the celery directly into your garden or a pot filled with soil. I am almost ready to "transplant" these little beauties to a jiffy pot for future transplant outdoors. Celery prefers cool temperatures and lots of moisture. I have read it is difficult to transplant and grow. I will let you know how this kitchen experiment plays out. It seems simple but as I seek simple, I find hardly anything actually is simple. Big sigh. 

I am having such success regrowing celery that I took the end of a lettuce stalk and stuck in some water a couple of days ago. My window sill is starting to look a little crowded. 

How to Make Easy, Simple Moist Apple Cake



This is one of my favorite recipes because it came from my Grandma Summers. Once my husband told Grandma how much he liked this cake. Ever after, she make this cake for him almost every time we visited.

 

This is a very easy cake to make and is very, very moist. To begin, chop up 3 1/2 to 4 cups of fresh apples.

 

 

These are the ingredients you will need:

 

 

2 cups Sugar

2 Eggs

2 teaspoon Vanilla

1 1/3 Cup Oil

3 T. Water

3 Cup Flour

1 Heaping Teaspoon Cinnamon

1 Teaspoon Soda

1 Teaspoon Salt

3 1/2 - 4 Cups Chopped Apples

1 1/2 Cup Chopped Nuts (Optional)

 

This is what I call a dump cake. You take all the ingredients and dump them together. Stir until well mixed.

 

This is the "dough" before I added in the apples. It's so thick that it is the consistency of play dough. At this point, you will be thinking, "This can't be right". Trust me. It's very right. Pinch off a piece and taste. It's delicious.

 

 

Now mix in those chopped apples and the nuts must if you must. I don't particularly care for nuts so I usually leave them out. It will be hard because the cake mix is so thick. Keep trusting me.

 

Pour into a greased cake pan. Pour is not really the right word. The mixture is so thick that the process is more like dumping and spreading. Bake at 350 degrees until done. The cake is done when an inserted knife comes out clean. I start checking at about 45 minutes.

 

Cut into pieces and put a dollop of whipped cream on top for garnish. The whipped cream is a very important feature. Don't forget it. Eat and enjoy.

How to Make an Easy Delicious Pumpkin or Squash Pie

My Grandma Summers Pumpkin Pie Recipe

This recipe holds special meaning to me.  It was my Grandma Summer's Pumpkin Pie Recipe written in her hand and well used over the decades. It is a cherished possession.

The funny thing is, what my family called "Pumpkin Pie" was not Pumpkin Pie at all.  It was "Green Striped Cushaw Squash" Pie.  Whenever I ate Pumpkin Pie at someone else's house, I thought it was just terrible...heavy, thick, overly spiced and not sweet enough. It wasn't until I was almost an adult that I finally learned what I had been eating all those years was not pumpkin pie, but squash pie. My reaction was probably similar to how most people react when they learn Santa is not real...shock, initial disbelief and a little anger. The only difference was I was about 16, not 6.

Grandma called it simply "Crookneck Squash" and I have since learned Green Striped Cushaw is indeed one variety of crookneck squash. You cannot buy canned Green Striped Cushaw Squash. You must buy the whole squash and work it up (see my previous post on working up squash). 

Working up your own squash, pumpkin or sweet potato (basically the all the same process) and making your own crust (see my previous post on how to make pie crust) is really what makes a good pie. It's the same difference as buying hard preservative laden store bought cookies versus soft, warm made from scratch sugar cookies straight from the oven. Or using sweet, melt in your mouth butter over the plastic concoction commonly referred to as margarine. It's the difference between  sun ripened berries you personally plucked over a rubbery processed fruit roll up.

Yes, buying a frozen Mrs. Smith pie is easier but is it really worth it? When was the last time someone praised you extensively for going the extra mile by wheeling your grocery cart over to the bakery section of the grocery store and hefting a pie into your cart? 

"Oh my goodness, Marge!  Did you push that cart by yourself? And picked up the pie off the shelf, too? I wish I had your ability!" 

Here is my Grandma's no fail pie recipe:

My Grandma always made this pie in her blender. I use my food processor.  Begin by adding 2 cups squash (or pumpkin or sweet potato if you insist). 

Add 1 cup sugar. 

Add 3/4 cup milk.

Add the following:

2 eggs

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon allspice

1/8 teaspoon cloves

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 Tablespoon flour

Ready to mix.

It's never too early to teach the fine art of cooking. 

Once blended, the pie filling will look like this.  It is not thick.

Pour into a prepared unbaked pie crust. Bake at 425 degrees for about 50 minutes to an hour.  Pie is done when a knife inserted into middle comes out clean.

You can buy a fancy pie crust shield for about $5. I have no idea why I never have done so. I am cheap but usually not that cheap.  So, I always put aluminum foil around the edge of the pie to keep the exposed crust from burning. By this point in my life, I have probably used about $200 in aluminum foil for this purpose instead of investing $5 for a shield. Sometimes being too cheap costs you. 

The finished product was delicious. Add a dollop of whipped cream. This pie is worth the effort!

How to Make Easy Simple Perfect Pie Crust

I struggled for years to make a decent pie crust. My crusts were never flaky, they were always thin and tough. 

Growing up, I spent summers on my Grandma's farm.  Grandpa usually had multiple young, sweaty farm hands who came back to the house for a noon meal. Grandma often made 3 or 4 pies each morning. I spent a lot of time primping for the farmhands arrival and none learning how to make pie.

If I had been slightly smarter, perhaps I would have discerned men are more attracted to women who smell like pastry and are friendly, than those doused in Jovan Musk perfume who think ignoring them makes you alluring.  Though I never attracted any men, I do believe there was probably more than one muskrat in the county who would have jumped at an opportunity to invite me back to their lodge to view their gnawings.

Girls, learn from my mistakes. It's time to learn to make pie crust.

Begin by measuring three cups flour and one teaspoon salt into a bowl. Mix together. 

Next, add 1 1/2 cups LARD to the flour.  Do not use vegetable shortening. NO CRISCO. NO BUTTER. NO MARGARINE.

My grandma always used Lard when she made pie crusts and I now know this is what made her crusts so light and flaky. It's also what made her fried chicken so good. It is getting harder and harder to find lard.  Here in Topeka,Kansas, it is sold at Apple Market. Trust me, use lard. It was your Grandma's secret weapon.

The hardest part of making pie crust is "cutting" or mixing the Lard into the flour.  The strange contraption pictured above is called a pastry knife and was designed for the task.  If you don't own a fancy pasty knife, you can just use a large fork. 

Mix until the lard and flour combine into globs about the size of marbles but no smaller.  The globs of fat above are what will make your crust flaky. If you mix until it looks like sand, your crust will not be flaky.

Beat one egg in a small bowl, then pour into the mixture.

Next add about 1/4 cup (around 5 Tablespoons) water and 1 Tablespoon Vinegar.  When flour is mixed with water, gluten forms.  The acid in vinegar will keep the gluten strands from getting too long and keep your crust flaky. Some people actually use vodka instead of water but I have not yet tried this method. Somehow, it just seems like a waste of good vodka.

Mix all ingredients. Pay attention, this is very important, as important as using lard:  Do not over mix the ingredients. Stir just until combined and stop. Overworking the crust makes it tough.

I always use a pastry mat to make clean up easier but it's not required. Flour the surface where you plan to roll out the crust. Flour your hands and flour your rolling pin.  I also have a plastic and a marble rolling pin. In my opinion, the wooden pin is the best. Form the dough into two balls with your floured hands. This recipe will make at least two crusts. 

The second half is going in the freezer for another day.  This recipe will make at least two, if not three pie crust,s depending on how thick you like your crust.

Slightly flatten the round dough with your hand or the rolling pin.  Begin rolling out the dough. Roll from the center out. Take your time. If it starts to stick, sprinkle more flour on the dough and the rolling pin. If you use a baking mat, it has circles to guide you as to the size to roll your crust. I usually roll mine to about 1/8 inch thick but you can make yours thinner or thicker depending on your own preference.

Transferring the crust to the pie pan can be a little tricky.  I fold mine in half then bring the pie pan close. I gently lift the crust on the pan about half way then flip the other half over the rest of the pie pan.

Don't freak out. It probably will tear a little and not look very pretty. Push the crust into the pan and start pinching together any tears.

After repairs, it will look like this. I could have skipped the above picture and made you think I was a much better baker than I am. Aren't you glad I am honest? 

Take a knife and trim off the excess edges. It's easy. You can take the trimmings and make a pretty edge if you like. I didn't this time.

Take all the crust you trimmed off and lay flat on a baking sheet. Usually there will not be this many trimmings. I made extra for a separate dessert. 

My favorite treat as a child, OK who am I fooling, my favorite treat now is leftover pie crust sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon and eaten warm.

I made an excellent little separate dessert with these pie crust pieces. Simply take a scoop of vanilla ice cream and sprinkle with baked pie crust pieces and fresh blackberries (or your berries of choice). It is like an easy fresh fruit cobbler. 

If you are baking the crust alone, you will need to use a fork tine to prick a few tiny holes in the crust or use pie weights to keep it from rising and bubbling. See my next post for the actual delicious squash pie recipe.