Kathryn Bankhead 100 day heart challenge

Ah! It's spring! At least about every other day it is. Now I can ride my bike to and from the gym in exchange for the time on the stationery bike. It is wonderful to hear the birds sing as I leave the house early and watch it get leighter. Last Saturday we walked the 5 K rout and got an idea about what it wil be like to participate in May 30's event. The river, sunshine, new blooms, and blue sky made it seem like we were more energetic than we really were....I was slow at sustaining short times of jogging, but will improve.

We were all shocked to hear about the 20 worst foods to eat at restaurants in our nutrition class last week. WHO KNEW? I had no idea a piece of pizza had so many calories. I already knew not to order the Awesome Blossom onion ring appetizers; that's a "no brainer". I often order lettuce wraps and feel so good about my choice, but now I know they are also high in calories. But we'll learn how to make them for 300 calories per serving from our chef, Mike, next week. Like so many other things, eating healthily is better done at home with more knowledge and control of what you are actually eating.

The real shocker for me was that my very favorite restaurant dessert--the Paradise Pie at Chili's--has as many calories and grams of fat as 3 hamburgers!! I haven't had more than one big bite of a juicy hamburger for years, but I have quite frequently shared the appropriately named Paradis Pie with someone, with me getting the bigger half by far. And I'm well acquainted with all 27 desserts at Magelby's grill. Wonder what the calorie count is for those??!! Not to mention the bread sticks I used to consume without a second thought--but with plenty of "second" helpings.

How is it that I have lived so long and ignored the fact that desserts weren't that healthy for you? I remember responding to a friend when I was 24, "what's so bad about cookies? All they have in them is butter, sugar, flour, chocolate chips and nuts."

I never even thought about calories when I was growing up. Homemade desserts were part of my everyday life. Even when I did know better, I ignored the facts and blissfully enjoyed them as I ate myself back to being a little girl happilyeating at my Mom's dinner table. That was OK until I hit 45; calories started to matter and stick around my stomach, inspite of my ignoring them.

I know better now and have re-programmed my little brain. Now a "treat" is Kashi fruit and grain bar with chocolate and nuts on top or a Slim Fast snack bar with 120 calories. I've even started using plain yogurt flavored with lemon or orange extract when I use it as a topping on a fruit salad, saving my Yoplait Lights for occasional treats. When I get hungry for chocolate, I shake up a vanilla protein drink with a spoonful of cocoa and a can of diet Sprite. Pure Ecstacy...

And "real" desserts? An occasional addition, but in much smaller portions, when I'm at a party.

And to what do I owe this change of mind and (healthier)heart? That I can tell you in one phrase I heard many years ago but didn't believe:

"NOTHING TASTES AS GOOD AS BEING THIN FEELS!"

But I believe now. I'm already able to wear some of the clothes I used to wear when I weighted 10 pounds less than I do now. Although I have a long way to go to reacn my healthier heart and weight goals, I now have the skills, habits, knowledge, and desire to continue eating and exercising this way the rest of my life. I'm committed clear through 2009 until Feb of 2010 so I can give it a full one year test. I want to see where that leads me. I want to see, by following the program and using the helpful holiday hints we got last week, where that leads me. Then I'll decide what to add, improve, change, or continue.

Let's keep blogging to make sure we stay on the right path now that we've found it and help each other to stay on course.