Minor Changes

Around 11 weeks ago I joined the Weight Watchers group at work. They very kindly agreed to move the meetings to my building so I really didn't have any excuse not to join. So far I've lost almost 15 pounds. It's not a major change yet but a series of minor changes which I hope will add up to real lifestyle changes over time.

I've lost over 50 pounds multiple times in my life but they always seem to find their way back to me with some friends. This is the first time I've ever really attempted to lose while I've been on my antidepressants. The cycle has always been that I go on my medication and gain a bunch of weight since for some reason the medication that helps me the most seems to disrupt my will power. Eventually I go off my meds, lose the weight, end up in a major depression, go back on the meds and gain it all back and then some. This is clearly no way to live. I'm hoping that the slow weight loss and subtle changes in my eating habits will work this time.

The thing is I know how to lose weight and I certainly know how to gain it but I've never conquered the keeping it off. My Mom recently told me that people like us can just never turn it off. We always have to be on guard. I know I will slip up but I just need to be able to catch myself more quickly and get back on track without going all Elvis as Mike has referred to my bad periods.
I think you can see the difference already in my face. The top picture was taken this weekend. Compared to this picture which was taken in March it's pretty dramatic. At the time I thought it was an OK picture but now I'm pretty shocked at how round my face was. This was during the bad days of not being able to walk. Mike was showing his mean teacher face.

I will keep you updated on my progress. I obviously have a long way to go but I'm trying to focus on the good changes that I've seen already. Besides being able to see a difference in my face, my pants are fitting much better and once I lose another 10 pounds I will easily have gone down a pant size. Since I have pants in at least 4 different sizes I will luckily not have to make a big investment in new clothes for awhile.

Random Recipe

Last week when I was cooking one of our favorite pasta dishes I randomly decided to take pictures of the process. I can't even remember what cook book I found this recipe in but I do remember when I read the ingredients I thought this is so random it has to be good. It's a super fast fix and Mike literally licks his plate every time. It's actually healthy and has a very distinct and different taste which is surprisingly tasty. The ingredients:

Whole wheat spaghetti
Italian seasoned diced tomatoes
can of tuna
Olive oil
Tin of anchovies
Parmesan cheese

I usually throw in a can of black olives but I didn't have any on hand last week. First you prepare the spaghetti noodles. Once the water is boiling and I've added the spaghetti to the pot I will start the sauce. First I pour the contents of the tin of anchovies into a pan and cut them up into small pieces. When I first started making this I just used a third of the anchovies, then I moved to half and now I use the whole tin. Anchovies are an acquired taste but they are the key ingredient that take this sauce from ordinary to something special. I add some extra olive oil and once you can start to smell the anchovies I pour the undrained can of tomatoes into the pan.
This is when I would also usually add the black olives and as I like the black olive flavor I will use the juices in the bottom of the can. I let this simmer on medium heat until there is about 2 minutes left on the pasta timer and then I add the drained can of tuna. I usually add some Italian seasoning or fresh basil on hand.
I then pour this mixture onto the pasta and mix it up good. I sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top and it's done.

I have been really slacking off with my diet and cooking lately. We've been eating out way too much and I've not gone to a weight watcher's meeting in over a year. I'm at my most unhealthy weight ever which is something I've struggled with most of my adult life. Mike is trying to get me motivated again because when we work together as a team we have been able to lose weight and be much healthier and happier together.