He Made it to Goal! A Guest Post by "Mr. Second Helpings"

Dear Readers, I have often mentioned my husband and our mutual weight loss success.  On Monday he weighed in at his Weight Watchers goal weight.  Here is his story, in his own words...

Reflections on my Journey

On Monday (December 26th) I gave myself a great late Christmas present. At our weekly Weight Watcher’s meeting, the scale read 199.6 pounds; I had reached my WW goal! Rose had asked me some time ago if I would write a guest post when I got here. I’m not a blogger, so I’m definitely feeling out of my element writing this.  Here goes...

Regular readers of Our Lady will already know much of our story. Three and a half years ago, Rose and I were both extremely overweight. We didn’t have a healthy lifestyle. Much of our food came from restaurants where we would clean our plates. Snacks would usually be sugary sweets. We didn’t - couldn’t - do much of anything that required physical exertion.

June 2008

Rose had brought up dieting several times, but I was reticent to do anything about it. It’s kind of difficult at this point to understand why. I think the biggest part was low self-esteem; I just wasn’t worth working hard for myself. I had in the past dieted, and even lost significant weight, but I hadn’t kept it off. It seemed like my body just wanted to be fat.

At the same time, we were talking seriously about starting our family. I wanted to have children, but the thought of chasing after a toddler or just playing on the floor was frightening to me.

“Change will only happen when the pain to stay the same is greater than the pain to change.”

I might modify the saying to include “the perceived pain to change.” Occasionally we commit to doing something, discover that it is harder than we thought, and persevere to reach a sense of accomplishment. Frequently we avoid something because we fear it to be more difficult than the reality, and ultimately regret not doing it earlier.

Rose finally said that she was going to join Weight Watchers. She pleaded for me to join her, but would do it without me. I could see that Rose really wanted to do something about her weight and mine. She was in pain, and she needed my support.

I knew that if we did have children, they would need me to be active in their lives.

Finally, I needed to do something, and I didn’t have any better ideas.

It was difficult for me to say yes, but at that point, it would have been even more difficult to say no.

Losing weight was not as difficult as I thought it would be.

Not to say that losing weight was easy. But once I had committed, I discovered that many of the tools I needed were readily available. Also, I didn’t have to change everything all at once.

At about the same time, I had a reassignment to a work location with terrible parking. After I rode the company-provided shuttle bus on the first day, I chose instead to walk the 15-to-20 minutes from my car to my desk in the morning, and again in the afternoon. I didn’t enjoy the walking, but I knew I needed to do it and now that I am back in an office with great parking, I miss it!

July 2009, enjoying an afternoon of hiking and playing outside.

Rose has been an amazing partner along the way. I’m not much of a cook, so I have depended very much on her to plan and prepare healthy meals. I love that she has been adventurous, and have discovered many foods that I would have avoided previously. (Tofu, anyone?) I hope she inspires you to try new things!

As we have progressed, we have needed to up the game to keep going. We have done a handful of 30-day challenges. For example, we both enjoy lattes. We would drink them on a near daily basis, which cost us additional calories and cash. We challenged ourselves to no lattes for 30 days. I made up for it by making a fresh pot of drip before leaving the house. After the month was up, we both broke the habit, and a latte is now an occasional treat - which is even more enjoyable.

A lifetime of healthy living!

Our big secret is that the changes we have made over the past few years are sustainable. They have become new habits, and have redefined “normal” for us. We make a conscious selection of healthy, balanced meals. When we make our own food, we don’t put more on our plate than we need; if we are dining out, we don’t have a compulsion to clean the plate. Physical activities are part of most every day.

Keeping up with our toddler!

Reaching my Weight Watchers goal, this last week in particular, put an underline on the importance of these good habits. In the four days prior to weigh-in, I had been to four different parties. I ate delicious foods, drank beer and wine, and enjoyed a variety of treats! Meanwhile, I was keeping an awareness of eating balanced meals, and stopping when I was full. (Well, maybe one more cookie...) Simply not gaining weight would have been an achievement! Losing weight in such a week is incredible, especially to myself.

Birthday Celebration!

Rose was very puzzled by my subdued reaction to the weigh-in. While this milestone has been met, I do not feel like I am “done”. I still want to lose 20 more pounds for my personal target, and be more muscular as well. I want to keep learning and keep healthy every day for the rest of my life. I want to do this with Rose by my side!

December 2011, down 167 pounds and feeling more confident than ever!

An Exception to My Rule

When I write a post for this blog I am speaking from the best resource I have, my own experience.  In my last post, Feeding My Mind Changed My Body, I said that our bodies become our own to care for as we mature into adulthood. I want to go back and qualify that concept, the statement does not encompass my current reality.

Six months into our weight loss journey I became pregnant with our son.  The pregnancy began just as I achieved my first fifty pound loss.  A few weeks ago we celebrated our son's second birthday.  I now have the joy of mothering a busy, nursing toddler.  My body has not been mine alone since February 2009 almost 3 years but I have lost 134 pounds, as of Monday (84 pounds since becoming pregnant).

Dining al fresco - Nursing my toddler in Beverly Hills

I don't want to stray very far into the realm of parenting blogs; many others are doing an excellent job in that genre.  I know that many mothers of young children are struggling to find a way to improve their health while fullfling the needs of their family.  It is not an easy task but everyday I make sure to put a reasonable amount of nutritious food in my mouth and get activity in where and when I can.  This commitment allows me to be a more present and active wife and mother than when I was tired and uncomfortable all the time.

In our house, healthy choices are a constant part of our dialogue.  I relish the times my son requests healthy snacks and he happily eats a variety of foods at meal times.  We dance together and in his world video games are most often played by jumping around the room.  I recently adopted an exercise I call, "Shaun Squats." I hold him around the waist then squat down and stand up while lifting him up in front of me. We repeat these while counting to ten together.  He loves it and at a very solid 35 pounds he is helping me tone and build muscle.

Getting excited about the kale and mandarin tree outside Whole Foods.

As a mother my body is not wholly my own, but that is how I choose to be. By choosing this way of living, in a way it still is. So in that case I guess I'm back to my previous point. Be good to your body, for yourself and everyone who counts on you to be your best.

The Chew, a Review and a Recipe - Apple Pancake Rings

This week, ABC launched a new daytime talk show called "The Chew".  I caught the first two episodes, and while it has a bit of a frantic pace it has the potential to settle into an entertaining and informative program.  The set is a large kitchen including a breakfast bar that seats around a dozen members of their live audience.  Those seated at the bar are able to taste several dishes throughout the broadcast and provide brief feedback to the five co-hosts.  This audience participation directly ties into one of the show's overarching themes, family.  


The hosts, most already familiar faces on television, were going a mile a minute during the two episodes I've seen.  Food Network's "Iron Chef" personalities Mario Batiali and Michael Symon provided most of the cooking demonstrations.   From TLC's "What Not to Wear", Clinton Kelly gives the audience entertaining and presentation tips.  Diet book author Daphne Oz (daughter of ABC's Dr. Oz) refreshingly contributes health tips that are actually healthful.  Rounding out the quintet is former "Top Chef" contestant and fan favorite Carla Hall, who more than any of the others succeeds in making the viewer feel welcome and engaged.


Saturday morning our family sat down to a breakfast taken directly from The Chew's second episode, Carla Hall's Fried Apple Pancake Rings.  These were a fantastic way to round out our apple filled week.  Click on the link to see the recipe and a video of Carla making them.  I made the recipe simply based on watching the show and had great success.  The written version on the website seems a bit over complicated.  


Of course I deviated a little from the recipe as presented.  Here's my version:


Carla Hall's Fried Apple Pancake Rings


2 medium apples (I used honey crisp) - washed, peeled, cored, and sliced into thin 1/8 inch rings.
2 - 2-1/2 cups of your favorite pancake batter (homemade or a mix) a little on the thin side with a generous dash of pumpkin pie spice


Preheat a pancake griddle or large non-stick frying pan to medium heat.
Using toothpicks dredge the apple rings through the batter so they are well coated.  
One at a time, place the rings on a pancake griddle or large non-stick frying pan.
From here cook the rings as you would any regular pancake.  Flip when the top stops bubbling and the bottom begins to turn golden.
The pancakes are finished when both sides are golden and the middle is fluffy.


Unlike the original recipe, by using a non-stick griddle I made ours with no additional fat.  They were amazing!!!  The apple rings were perfectly soft in the middle and they were delicious all on their own.  We drizzled the tiniest bit of sugar-free syrup over them and I had a few with a touch of almond butter.  My toddler ate his plain and probably had more than I did. YUM!!!


I love this idea.  I would serve these any day of the week, to company, for a snack, or even as a dessert.  It speaks to so much of what I strive for when picking recipes for my family.  Making food healthful, simple and delicious doesn't have to be complicated or look unfamiliar.  Put these in front of a crowd and no one will be the wiser!






*editors note: Sorry for the lack of pictures.  By the time I thought to blog about the pancakes they were nothing but crumbs and sweet memories!




*Update*  We had these for breakfast again this weekend and this time I snapped a few photos while I was making them.

A melon baller works really well to remove the core from apples.

After the apples are peeled and cored, slice into rings around 1/8 of an inch thick.

Cooking on a non-stick griddle means larger batches and no oil required.

Cook until golden brown on each side.

So yummy they are ready to eat straight off the griddle, but you can add some toppings if you like.

Bringing our food to the table

Often as a part of our before dinner prayer I include a request to, "bless all the hands that brought this food to our table."  When I started saying the words I didn't stop to think about what they really meant.  I suppose I thought about farmers, ranchers, and grocers but it wasn't until about a week ago that I began breaking the process of food down further.

I really like the bucolic simplicity of eating farm to table but, my reality is, we are a busy suburban family that takes advantage of processed foods.  I don't make my own bread from wheat I grew then ground into flour, nor do we have meat only when our livestock is grown and ready for butchering.   When the option is available I always prefer to purchase food for my family as close to where it was grown as possible.  However - after a quick look through our cupboards I found items produced and shipped from all over the world including Canada, England, Sweden, Vietnam, and Thailand.  We buy national brand foods particularly cereals, snack foods, and condiments and weave them into a diet of commercially grown produce, meat and dairy products.

So, what does it mean to pray for "all the hands that brought this food to our table?"  

I do believe that first and foremost it means the growers, the shippers and the distributors.  Many of those companies have recognizable public images created by marketing and advertising agencies so I am praying for them as well. 

I watch television and listen to the radio where there are commercials for the national brand companies and the grocery stores I shop in.  Those commercials may influence my purchases, so I am praying for script writers, actors, directors, editors, sound technicians, lighting and camera operators, cable companies, radio stations, electronics manufacturers, and others working in communications.

Looking further, there are the agencies who's job it is to regulate growing, packaging, shipping and selling, so when I pray for our food I am also praying for the USDA, FDA, EPA, customs agencies, lawyers, PR firms, lobbyists, and even some politicians.  

The web of people who have a hand in what arrives on our dinner table is more complicated than a family tree.  Layers and layers of millions of individuals with direct or indirect influence over our food.  I will continue to include all of them in my mealtime prayer.  I am usually the last hand between my family and the food we eat but I absolutely couldn't do it alone.

Berry Picking

Earlier this year we were lucky enough to get a second freezer for our garage.  As soon as we plugged it in I knew that it was destined to be filled with berries!  My husband and I really like to have frozen berries in the house to whip up smoothies on the weekends.  The price of a bag of berries, however, can be a bit staggering.  So, when June rolled around I started looking for the signs that the local berries were ripening.  

A few weeks ago I was able to meet some friends at a lovely little family run organic farm and pick strawberries.  In a fairly short span I had collected about 9 pounds of sweet and juicy berries.  During that same period of time my toddler had a great time picking his own berries and stuffing them in his mouth as fast as possible.  He ate red ones, green ones, leaves, dirt and everything that didn't make it in his mouth was smeared allover the rest of him.  It was a really great way to spend a sunny day.

Right on the heels of strawberry season come raspberries!  The weather has been uncooperative so when the weekend forecast was for sun I decided to seize the opportunity and make it a family affair.  Saturday the three of us got packed up and went to visit another lovely family run organic farm not too far away.  Picking raspberries was certainly cushy compared to strawberries.  For one this farm had lush grass growing between all the rows so, no dust.  These canes were nice and tall so they shaded themselves and if you were unable to bend, or just didn't want to, there were plenty available without bending or kneeling.  The best part, the berries there were enormous and delicious!  My husband and I picked while our son played, picked, and sampled happily around us.


I didn't realize until we arrived at the farm, my husband had never been to a u-pick farm before.  He was thrilled to have the opportunity to be directly involved in bringing the food, we would eventually eat, from the farm to our table.  Growing up my mother grew some fruits and vegetables in our yard and we got to pick berries in the summer to make jam.  I forget that many kids who grow up in the city or suburbs only see food in grocery stores.  I get so excited thinking about all of the wonderful lessons we are teaching our son when we try new things as a family.

After both trips I arrived home eager to get my berries frozen as soon as possible.  I froze berries for the first time last summer and it is pretty easy but there are a few steps to avoid creating a solid lump of squished and unidentifiable fruit.

First they need to be washed. Gently.  I like to fill my largest plastic bowl (I think it is a 16 cupper) with cool water and a squirt of produce wash.  Then I fill my colander about 1/3 of the way with berries and dunk them in so the water can swish around them but they stay contained.  Then I gently rinse them to get all the bubbles and any remaining dirt and leaves off.

Next remove any stems, (the strawberry stems just pinched off) and blot off any excess water by setting the berries on paper or dish towels.


Place the berries in a single layer on a cookie sheet or any pan that will fit in your freezer. I  like to cover the pan with a sheet of parchment paper if I have it.  The paper helps move them from the pan once they are frozen. If you need to freeze your berries in batches, only wash as many as you can freeze at one time so avoid over handling them.  


Leave the berries in the freezer at least until they have firmed up, a few hours, up to over night. Once they are frozen the berries can be transferred to gallon sized zip top bags.  Now they are ready to grab for any recipe or just for a little burst of summer flavor whenever you get a craving.




If you live in the Puget Sound area check out www.pugetsoundfresh.org to find local farms open for u-pick, farm stands or other fun activities.  For those out of the area please share any resources you know of in the comments!