Oops

Early this morning, Monsieur declared a vegetable garden emergency and I went out to work in the garden as soon as I got up. Since this was such a different thing to do for me (especially first thing in the morning), I completely forgot that it was Monday and that I was supposed to get on the scale before eating.

Instead, I tended to our overheated vegetables.

Then, I made the bed. I had breakfast. I did some laundry. I went to the grocery store (because I wanted to be prepared for this week's French eating!). I checked the World Cup score (France beat Nigeria.)

At some point during my food shopping it hit me--I had not weighed myself.

By the time I realized, it was definitely much too late.

So, I'm setting an alarm on my phone so I don't forget tomorrow.

In the meantime, I've already planned meals for today through Wednesday. I have to get back to the basics of the French diet--eating real, healthy foods, and being mindful of quantities and enjoying the experience.

Sorry for the mixup!

Re-thinking Exercise

Yesterday I wasn't feeling tip top for some reason. I had a lingering headache and ended up taking a long, unplanned nap in the afternoon. I wish I could say that helped me to feel better, but the headache remained. So, I decided to go for a walk to my local library and search for some new mystery novels.

Getting out of the house did help lift my mood and the air felt wonderfully fresh. The walk itself was done at a very leisurely pace, and although I didn't find anything worth bringing home with me, I would rate the whole experience a success.

After I arrived back home, I found that Monsieur had sent me an article from the New York Times about a bodybuilder from Ghana who has opened a gym in lower Manhattan and is helping older adults (mostly women, mostly over 70 years old) establish regular exercise routines. Many of them have suffered falls and this wonderful man, whose name is Mr. Addo, has helped them to recover their strength, balance and flexibility. Often, his clients have recovered so well that they have been able to abandon their walkers or canes.

Luckily, I am not yet in Mr. Addo's target demographic. Well, I am a woman, but not yet over 70. :) Still, I kept wishing there were a local Mr. Addo that would help me. I have definitely made a more concerted effort in the last few months to exercise more regularly, but most of my efforts have been around cardiovascular types of exercise: walking or cycling. Reading about these older people and their falls made me wonder whether my current lifestyle might be putting me on a path to future falls. I never really focus on my balance, and rarely think about flexibility. And I definitely feel that I am getting weaker as years pass.

A few years ago, before my papa became ill and helping my maman take care of him became my somewhat full-time job, I used to go to a local gym for personal training sessions. I did get stronger and a bit leaner (although the truth is that the biggest factor in weight is still eating--what and how much).

Reading about Mr. Addo and his clients has made me wonder if I shouldn't re-look at that gym and maybe even bring my maman with me. The French way of incorporating exercise naturally is definitely still the best overall philosophy (in my ever-so-humble opinion) but adding some type of strength and balance increasing activities can never hurt!

R.E.P.O.R.T. card

I'm back after a long weekend spent visiting Monsieur's famille. We went to celebrate his maman's birthday, so there were plenty of dessert treats over the last few days. Another thing to note is that there are various family members have their own particular diets that they follow. Maman is a fish-eating vegetarian (pescatarian?), Monsieur keeps mostly kosher (no pork or shellfish), and my soon-to-be-sister-in-law is a bacon-eating vegetarian. Add to that some food allergies/intolerances (including my own) and mealtimes can be challenging.

In any case, we had a wonderful time and I ate fairly well (Sunday night was the only really carb-intensive meal), so all in all I'd rate the visit a big success.

So, grades:

• Real, natural foods: A-
• Enjoy the dining experience: B+ 
• Portion control: A
• Only at mealtimes--no snacking: B-
• Run around--incorporate exercise naturally: B+
• Treat yourself: D

You'll notice that my lowest grade was in the Treat Yourself category. That's because there were many more desserts consumed than normal. Chocolate cream pie was this year's birthday "cake", and several servings of ice cream and some cheesecake were also consumed by yours truly.

But, on the positive side, I did try to be more aware of what my body was telling me and stopping when I felt satisfied but not stuffed. And, we went on several longer walks, so I got more exercise in.

Given all that, I wasn't sure of what to expect.

Weekly weigh-in: 166 (+0.0 lbs versus last week and -1.0 to-date)

Final Grade: B

Luckily, my weight didn't go up, despite the increase in sweet treats and somewhat larger amount of bread/pasta consumption. 

I'm giving myself a B instead of a C because I was more aware of my eating and did a better job of reminding myself to think like a French eater and I hope to maintain that attitude. Here's hoping that next week we see the results of that!

Le week-end

Monsieur and I will be away for a long weekend trip to visit his famille, so I probably won't be checking in until Tuesday.

Hope you enjoy your weekend!

Hunger, Appetite & Gluttony

Last night we went out with some friends who are visiting from Spain. They are used to eating late, so we made dinner reservations for 9 pm and agreed to meet at a preliminary location for drinks at 7:30. I was definitely feeling hungry, though, by around 8. Since my stomach sometimes revolts if I wait too long to eat, we ordered an appetizer to share and that calmed down any urgent food cravings.

The restaurant where we ate dinner serves mediterranean food, so there are plenty of small plates that are perfect to share among friends. We ordered a slew of them plus a single (but large) entree to share, and were finally eating at around 9:30.

At some point during this delightful meal, I thought to myself, "Am I actually hungry anymore, or do I just want to keep eating?" I confess, I didn't linger on the thought and ate some more. When I finally put down my knife and fork I did a mental check to see how I felt. Was I satisfied? Still hungry? Over-stuffed?...I was satisfied and then some. I was almost over-stuffed, and I could have stopped sooner and felt just fine.

I have noticed that there is a very definite difference between feeling hungry and having an appetite. Sometimes, I just want to eat something, or eat more. I know whatever I'll be having will be delicious and I just enjoy the experience.

At what point does indulging that appetite turn into gluttony? It seems like a question that I need to seriously consider and that part of succeeding on the French Diet is learning to master yourself so that you give your body some of what it wants, but without caving into every craving and whim of your appetite.

Scheduling exercise?

Over the weekend I was thinking that I should try to establish an exercise schedule to support starting good habits. Mondays and Wednesdays, I mused, I could focus on some sort of aerobic activity. Then, on Tuesdays and Thursdays I could go cycling, since it's definitely harder to go for a ride if you've waited a while since your last rise. Fridays, I figured, I could either do aerobics again or I could focus on stretching or flexibility or calisthenics. Finally, on the weekend I could do something with Monsieur, like go for a swim or play some tennis. 

All these thoughts, however, remain good intentions. Yesterday, I spent the day helping mes parents and I felt way too tired by the time I got home to do anything. 

Today, I've also been busy with my family, accompanying them to some doctor appointments. So, unless I can rally when I get home, it will be another day that I have not exercised. 

The French way, of course, is to incorporate exercise into your everyday routine. I think that's a little easier said than done when you live in an American suburb and everything is at least a mile away. 

So, I am not sure what to do. Perhaps I should approach this as an experiment (like my blog is so aptly named) and I should say, "For the next X number of days I'm going to follow his exercise schedule and then see what happens."

Otherwise, it's not really reasonable to expect things to change magically in their own. 

I'll keep you posted!

R.E.P.O.R.T. card

Well, it's Monday again, so it's time to check back in and see how things are going.

So, grades:

• Real, natural foods: C-
• Enjoy the dining experience: B- 
• Portion control: C
• Only at mealtimes--no snacking: C+
• Run around--incorporate exercise naturally: B+
• Treat yourself: C

Last week, despite my best intentions, my menu planning failed. Unexpected invitations or other scheduling snafus meant more take out and (probably) less portion control. 

The only bright spot was a bit more exercise. Two bike rides and at least one long walk (although the pace was definitely leisurely).

Given all that, I wasn't expecting a positive outcome.

Weekly weigh-in: 166 (+0.0 lbs versus last week and -1.0 to-date)

Final Grade: C

I really have to re-focus and re-set this week, especially since we will be going out of town for a long weekend visit to Monsieur's famille.  Time to ask myself if I really want to bother being French or if I've hit my Waterloo. :(

Getting Back Into The Swing of Things

For some reason, I'm finding it very hard to get back into my French routine. Early in the week, I came up with menus for this week. Tuesday, I was supposed to make a Salade Niçoise, with imported Spanish tuna in olive oil, green beans, hard-boiled potatoes and eggs, and other assorted delicious and healthy components.

But then, it started to get late and I realized I didn't have the right tuna on hand, so instead, I went to Johnny Rockets and ordered this:

Well, at least I didn't get the shake or the fries. But still, it was not exactly the best thing I could have chosen to eat. Still, you could argue that the French diet is all about freedom and not having foods be labelled as "off limits". In a certain sense, that is true. Having a hamburger out is not going to kill you or completely derail you. The problem, of course, is that this was not the only poor choice I'd made this week. Tuesday and Wednesday's lunches were both eaten out, and were both not the healthiest.

Last night, I did manage to go to the market and get ingredients for a home-cooked meal, and it was reasonably French. And tonight, I had some fish with some oven fries and a tomato mozzarella salad. 

So, all in all, there have been some hits and a few misses.  

And that's what got me thinking, "Why is it so hard to get back on track once you've gone off of it??" Is it because I'm still trying to make the French diet second nature and forming a new habit takes time? Or, to put it another way, "Will this ever get any easier??" I hope so. 

Maybe it's just like any other thing that requires some discipline and you just have to keep at it. Today, for instance, I went for a bike ride. I probably did about 6-7 miles when all was said and done, and boy, was I out of shape. Any prior progress seems to have vanished and I was having to shift down sooner and for longer stretches of time. But the good news is I rode, and I pushed myself to go a bit farther than I originally planned, just to stretch a bit. If I go for another ride again soon, then I will notice that I'm making progress and not having to start all over again.  Maybe I just have to do that with my diet, as well. Just make sure that there is always some French element to it, so that I don't feel like I've lost ground and am starting back at ground zero all over again.

Time will tell...

Reality Check: "Plus Size" Style

Last night I was flipping through the July issue of InStyle magazine. I came across an article on "plus size" style and there was this woman, dressed in a few different outfits, showing off her summer "plus size" style.

Monsieur glanced over, from his comfy perch on the sofa, and said, "Oh, she looks like you! Same cute shape." 

This, of course, was meant as a compliment. He didn't see that the title that pronounced this "plus size" style.

I looked at the model closely. Her face is only partially in the photo. Probably to protect the poor thing's anonymity and spare her the "plus size" stigma.

As I examined her cooly, I realized my husband was right. If I caught my reflection in a mirror or some shop window, and I cut my head off, I would look like that woman.

Le sigh...

Let's be real. I am 5'2" and wear a size 12. I am currently plus size!

Luckily, this experience did not send me running for a tub of ice cream or a batch of chocolate bars. (I have sometimes suffered from some degree of emotional eating, as you will already know if you've read any of my earlier posts, but never really like that.)  Instead, it made me realize a few things.

First, I'm very lucky because Monsieur still thinks I'm cute despite the fact that I'm not at my best and I resemble a "plus size" model in a magazine.

And second, I need to remind myself that, as a French woman might put it, I deserve to be svelte and fit and attractive. As a result, I must make taking care of myself a top priority. I must make regular, reasonable exercise a part of my routine. I must prepare delicious, fresh, home-cooked meals for myself. I must sit down at a beautifully set table and enjoy a leisurely meal. These aren't things I should do. They are things I must do. Why? Because time is fleeting and I've been given this one life and I should appreciate it and appreciate my body for the miracle that it is. I mean, if I don't take care of me then who will??

So, while last night's experience did sting a little bit, it was a much needed reminder that I must focus on respecting my body, respecting my health, respecting myself.  (Especially since I was lazy in my food choices at both lunch and dinner yesterday!!)

R.E.P.O.R.T. Card--Special Edition

Last week I finally took my pastry class at the San Francisco Baking Institute. Every day, my alarm would go off at 6 a.m. and I would scurry to gather my things and get dressed to leave the house. Classes started at 7 a.m. and they would go until about 2-2:30 each day. It felt very intense, but I learned a lot and it was a really special treat.

Given the early departure time required to make it to class by 7 a.m., and the fact that breakfast and lunch were included in the course, I ate both of those meals at SFBI every day. Breakfasts were usually some sort of bake good (shocking, I know) and coffee or tea. Lunches always included a fresh green salad bar, plus a second item like a sandwich or some quiche or some pasta. And, there was always some sort of fabulous dessert available at lunch. One day we had slices of Opera Cake. Another, it was a Whiskey Hazelnut Mousse Dome Cake. And still another day, it was a super rich chocolate cake. Crazy!

The number and assortment of baked treats that accompanied us home at the end of each day was phenomenal. One day, we had three full sized pies! But, usually, I shared what I made with some family and friends, so we didn't have an excessive amount of goodies at home to tempt us. Still, for obvious reasons, last week Monsieur and I definitely ate a lot more sweets and baked treats than we normally would. Also, because I would arrive home pretty tired, I cooked dinner fewer times and we had take-out more than usual.

Given all this, I was a little bit worried about what today's scale might tell me. But, I know that last week was the exception to the rule and that I should be able to course-correct this week, as long as I'm careful and pay attention to what I'm doing.

In any case, let's get started with grades:

• Real, natural foods: B+
• Enjoy the dining experience: B 
• Portion control: B
• Only at mealtimes--no snacking: C 
• Run around--incorporate exercise naturally: B 
• Treat yourself: ??

Not sure how to grade "Treat yourself" this week. I certainly didn't deprive myself! I tasted everything and had more than I normally would given the special circumstances. But is that good or not? I guess that I need to remind myself that last week was unique and try not to over-think it.

Now for the scary part.

Weekly weigh-in: 166.0 (+1.0 lbs versus last week and -1.0 to-date)

I don't know if I should be sad or ecstatic at the 1 lb. change. I am a little sad, because I definitely tried to limit the number of treats I allowed myself and I ate some salad every day for lunch, and sometimes only salad. But, I'm also a bit elated because part of me thinks it could have been so much worse! Especially considering the sheer number and variety of delicious pastries that we made!

The key for this week will be to settle back into a normal routine and plan out some healthy, French-style meals. And, I need to incorporate some exercise back in to my daily life. If I do those two things, I'll be curious to see how quickly I can recover from my week-long pastry vacation!

Final Grade: C