Pictures of Me - Christmas Edition

I got a surprise in my e-mail yesterday. My sister-in-law Annette sent my a copy of a picture from this Christmas and one from last Christmas. She titled the e-mail "What a difference". Man was she right.

I looked it up, Christmas 2006 I weighed 213 pounds, or about my half way point in this journey. This Christmas, 151 pounds. It is only a difference of 62 pounds and it looks like so much more. I am stunned. In fact very often I am stunned by pictures I see of me, because there are so few.

But these pictures, while they make me feel a little sad from what I did to myself; they also make me feel empowered. They let me know how far I have come. And if I have made such great progress thus far, I can definitely finish the transformation and maintain my body in a proper way for the rest of my life. Because the other thing seeing these pictures does is solidify my resolve - I will NEVER go back.

So, here they are:



Yours in health, Kate

Dish #2 & A Chorus of Angels

All right, let the hallelujahs begin! The scale has moved! I lost two pounds this week! After two months on the rocky plateau of 153, I am down to 151.

I can't thank trainer Traci enough. Last week we talked about how to get through this brick wall I was sitting at. While I have understood for some time that I was putting on muscle and getting leaner, (losing inches) I am also brutally aware there is still fat.

So, we took a hard look at my food, back to basics with whole foods and hardly any protein bars anymore. They had become a crutch anyway. And the workouts needed to be broken up more, a little cardio, a little strength, etc. I am so grateful it is working. I will maintain this pattern of not having a pattern from now on, or until I hit another seemingly insurmountable plateau and have to figure it out again.

Funny thing, Traci was just asking yesterday if I would do a testimonial in her pamphlet at Fitness World West. I told her it was the least I could do, now I have more reason than ever!

Today, the recipe is for one of the ultimate comfort foods and a holiday staple - Mashed Potatoes. Here they are "healthified". (I love that word.)

Mashed Potatoes

3 lb unpeeled red or Yukon gold potatoes - I highly recommend these as they have a naturally 'buttery' taste (about 8 medium), cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil - a seriously healthy oil instead of butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 to 2/3 cup buttermilk - despite its name, very little fat
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, if desired

Directions:
1 In 3-quart saucepan, place potatoes; add just enough water to cover. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 15 to 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender; drain.

2 In same saucepan, mash potatoes, oil and salt with potato masher just until lumpy. Gradually add buttermilk, mashing until combined but still lumpy. (Amount of buttermilk needed to make potatoes creamy depends on variety of potatoes.) Season to taste with pepper. Stir in chives.


Nutritional Information
1 Serving (it doesn't say what the serving size is, but usually with mashed potatoes it's 1/2 cup):

Calories 130 (Calories from Fat 15); Total Fat 1.5g (Saturated Fat 0g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 135mg; Total Carbohydrate 25g (Dietary Fiber 3g, Sugars 2g); Protein 3g % Daily Value Vitamin A 0%; Vitamin C 15%; Calcium 4%; Iron 15% Exchanges 1 1/2 Starch, 0 Fat Carbohydrate Choices 1 1/2

Yours in fitness, Kate