Popcorn!

Today is a special day: National Caramel Popcorn Day. If I wanted to celebrate -- and deep down I do -- I could really get into some serious trouble here. Caramel and butterscotch are my two favorite things in the world, held dearer than a bag of Twizzlers or a piece of cheesecake.

But Hungry Girl's tip today is to have a bag of Jolly Time Healthy Pop Caramel Apple microwave popcorn, which at only 3 PointsPlus per serving is a bargain.

The only reason I mention popcorn is that recently it has become my go-to food. Last night I was starved, and before dinner, I popped a bag and had it with a big glass of water. Jack thought I was crazy, but it filled me up and kept me from over-eating at dinner. When I eat a bag of popcorn, I feel as if I am eating something that is a treat, and for me, that helps me stay on a healthy eating track.

Since I recommitted to Weight Watchers a few weeks ago, a bag of Jolly Time is always in my pantry, at the ready when I need it most. Hungry Girl's tip today is a winner!

HUGE aha!

Something deep within me clicked this week, and for the first time in my life, I know I am going to reach my goal weight. I've said this before, but when I did, I felt like a fraud.

Not today.

And the reason is simple, actually something I began to think about when I started this blog. The name -- Diet? Not Again! -- says it all. I had decided then that I really did not want to diet. Since then, the list of diets I have tried numbers seven. I told you I felt like a fraud.

So why -- and how -- now? It started a week ago Wednesday, when my Weight Watchers' leader, Annmarie, suggested I eat a piece of my daughter's birthday cake, but to put a PointsPlus value to that piece of strawberry shortcake. I had never before ever put a PP value on anything that is loaded with sugar. When I told her I had no idea what the value would be, she suggested I go online and do some research to find out. Long story short: I gave it a value of 15 -- half the amount of PointsPus I am allowed in a day. But I also have an extra 49 PointsPlus a week -- so I started counting. And guess what: I didn't even use all my 49 PointsPlus.

In the past, if I had eaten the piece of cake, it would have set me up for a night of eating. To me, my diet would be blown, so why not eat everything in sight? I would tell myself it would be just for a night, but that night would have stretched to another day, and perhaps the next week.

It wasn't until I weighed in Wednesday at Weight Watchers that reality smacked me in the face: I lost 3.4 pounds. In the back of my mind, I thought I had been "bad" last week, because I ate that cake. It was what consumed my thoughts all last week. Once I found out I lost weight, I checked my food diary for the week, and discovered that I had eaten within my PointsPlus every day, even the cake day when I used my extra PP. Somehow I had blocked out the great choices I made, instead choosing to focus on the one piece of cake. That's really sad.

Weight Watchers has evolved over the years. The empahsis now is on portion control, healthy eating and exercise. The fact that it is not a diet but a way of eating is stressed each week. In the past, I have internally laughed at the concept, calling it a diet by another name. Today, I embrace it. The reason is simple:
* I can't get away from food.
* I love food.
* I love to cook.
* I love to eat.

And here is the key:
No matter the week, there is always some event I will have that could stop a diet plan dead. But there is nothing that can ever stop me from making healthy food choices.

If I am somewhere and there really is nothing to eat except fried chicken and ambrosia salad, I will eat lightly, but more importantly, affix a numerical PointsPlus value to the food. Thin people all over the world make choices daily.

Plus, by not affixing a PP value to some foods, I was not holding myself accountable for eating the food. Instead, I was giving myself license to keep eating. I was running away from facing a big problem in my life; running away from problems never solves anything.

I know I am on the right track, and that I will stop yo-yo dieting forever.

And no, this is not an April Fool's joke. I have never EVER been more serious and determined.

Power of two -- or more!

I am a perfect example of how great the buddy system works. August 1, 2010, I signed a contract with my friend, Ann, in which we both committed to exercising at least five times a week. Some would say we were nuts -- actually drawing up a formal contract and each of us signing it. But it meant something to each of us, and it's a contract we have honored for eight months now.

I really have to be injured not to exercise. And even after spraining my ankle a few weeks ago, and pinching a nerve in my neck last week, last night -- the first night I have felt yoga-ready in weeks -- I headed back to class at Yoga4Everybody in Fairfiled. And I was back again at 7 a.m. today to take another class. This morning, as I relaxed during the last asana, Savasana, I realized I had started to cry. That was how happy I felt to be back at the studio. A year ago, if I had a crystal ball, I would have thought I had crossed over into some dark, weird place.

Exercising is a way of life for me, and Ann as well.

Wednesday morning, the topic of Weight Watchers was the importance of finding a diet buddy. There I sat, with Ann on my right, husband Jack on my left, and all I kept thinking was, "How lucky can I be?"

I have the support I need to lose weight, both at home and when I am away from home. I could call on either one of them to talk me down from eating a package of Twizzlers. And either one would be more than willing to help out, would not utter a word of judgment, and would urge me to make another choice.

As I was sitting there in my meeting, I thought to myself that it really is time for me to stop fooling around with my weight loss journey. It is time to get real, and to finally shed the pounds I want to lose. I'm not happy being the weight I am now, so why, for heaven's sake, don't I do something about it?

For some odd reason, something clicked deep inside me this week. I think I know what it was, but I need to think about it some more today. Hopefully I'll figure it out by tomorrow morning so I can put it to words.

Strawberry shortcake, cream on top!

Yesterday morning I went back to Weight Watchers, although my heart was not in it. It turned out to be exactly what I needed.

The topic: What makes us stray from a healthy eating track and ways to get back on board. My new leader Annmarie -- who I had met once before -- must have sensed my unease with the topic because she focused on me. That was the best thing anyone could have done because she made me think about why I do what I do.

A few sentences was all she needed. I told her how some days I can be so good, and other days, so bad. Eureka! Annmarie reminded us all that healthy eating is not about being good or bad; that we should all banish those words from our vocabulary when we think about eating. Instead, we need to concentrate on eating good, nourishing foods, portion control and exercise. And yes, it's also about eating a slice of strawberry shortcake or a piece of chocolate every now and then, but when we do, factor those PointsPlus into our daily total. If we are out, as soon as we get home, we should try to locate nutritional values for what we just ate, and add them immediately to our daily totals.

It sounds so simple, but then, the most successful things in life usually are. She also asked me if there was a challenge I would be facing this week. Of course there is: my daughter's birthday. Kara has requested a strawberry shortcake from Isabelle et Vincent's, the most decadent french bakery to hit Fairfield, CT -- ever.

Annmarie told me I should have a piece of cake, but suggested a few things:
1. Cut pieces of cake for everyone else first, making sure each of those pieces are a good size -- unless someone asks for a sliver.
2. Cut my slice last, and make it small.
3. Place the rest of the cake out of reach.
4. Have containers ready, and as soon as I get up from the table, portion the remainder of the cake into the containers and be sure they go home with guests.

And then one, from a Weight Watcher like me: Make a huge bowl of strawberries and pineapples, fill my plate first with the fruit, leaving a bit of room for a small slice of cake. Since all fruit is 0 PointsPlus, leave that bowl in front of me, so if I am tempted to eat anymore cake, reach for the fruit instead. Of course, I could also skip the cake and top the fruit with Cool Whip.

It really is all about choices, planning, and living life to the fullest. I really can have my cake -- and eat it too. It's just the amount I eat that needs some tweaking.

Hake: My new fave fish

Thanks to Weight Watchers, I made the most amazing fish last night. So good, Jack said he wants it again -- high praise, believe me. And at 6 PointsPlus per serving, it fits in really well with my diet!

The recipe calls for cod, but Whole Foods had hake on sale yesterday, for the ridiculous price of $5.99 a pound. Hake, once called trash fish because no one wanted it, is really a wonderfully sweet, white fish. As fish prices keep going up, hake really can do great things for your food budget, and if you like cod, halibut, pollock of haddock, you'll love hake. I served it with brown rice and a saute of sugar snaps, scallions, garlic and ginger. I poured the extra sauce from the fish on the rice to power the taste up a notch.

MISO-GLAZED COD
1 1/2 lbs. cod, or other white sauce
1/4 cup miso paste
2 Tblsp. dark brown sugar
2 Tblsp. mirin
1 Tblsp ginger root, (I doubled the amount since I love ginger)
1 Tblsp. dark sesame oil
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

* Place fish, skin-side down, in a broiler-proof pan.

* Place miso, sugar, mirin, ginger, oil and vinegar in a blender; blend until smooth. Pour glaze over cod and marinate in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.

* Preheat broiler to high.

* Broil fish until topping turns golden brown and starts to caramelize, and fish is no longer translucent in middle, about 8 to 10 minutes. Makes 4 servings.

Who am I?

I'm reading Deepak Chopra's "The Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga" very slowly, because I really am trying to absorb everything he is putting forth. Today, I read a page, and then meditated on it for 15 minutes.

Chopra instructs that you close your eyes, take several deep breaths, and then ask yourself every 15 seconds "Who am I?"

Of course the first things that popped into my mind were wife, mother, grandmother, my job. Question No. 6 was the one that almost made me cry because my answer was "serial dieter." And I am. Have been for more than four decades. How sick is this?

It makes me want to beat some sense into my thick brain.

Yesterday I admitted that last weekend, I wanted to eat EVERYTHING that wasn't nailed down, and unfortunately I did. Yesterday was a repeat of the weekend: I wanted to eat EVERYTHING again, but resisted the urge. Yesterday was miserable, because the battle within -- raging between Palin, my bad inner girl, and Hebzabah, the one who only eats well -- was extreme. After dinner, the girls in the family wanted ice cream, and Jack was almost on his way to the store when I told him I didn't want any. That broke the spell, and instead, I had a cup of tea and a Weight Watchers pop, which at 4 PointsPlus, fit into my daily total.

I woke up today with a smile on my face. And the first thing I did was pray that the battle within will not be as fierce as it was yesterday.

Baked Potato soup: Yum!

It was my turn to cook our Monday night family dinner -- a weekly tradition that gets us together with two of our children and their spouses. Monday night dinners are sacrosanct -- you better have a real good reason for not attending.

This week I wanted to try something new, and Baked Potato Soup sounded so warm and inviting. It was a hit, and something I plan on making over and over again. At at 7 Weight Watchers PointsPlus per serving, I think it's a diet bargain. For our group of six, I doubled the recipe -- and it all went.

BAKED POTATO SOUP 1 large garlic bulb, 1/4-inch-slice cut off top
3 lbs. uncooked potatoes, rinsed, pierced with a fork (about 6 large baking potatoes)
6 slices uncooked turkey bacon
4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 Tblsp. fresh thyme, chopped
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
6 Tblsp. reduced-fat sour cream
6 Tblsp. low-fat shredded cheddar cheese
6 Tbsp scallion(s), sliced
* Preheat oven to 400ºF. Wrap entire garlic bulb tightly in foil; place garlic and potatoes in oven. (You do not need to put them on a pan; they can go right on an oven rack.)
* Bake garlic until soft when squeezed, about 45 minutes; remove from oven and let cool. Continue baking potatoes until tender when pierced, about 15 minutes more; let potatoes stand until cool enough to handle.
* Meanwhile, cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until browned, about 6 minutes. Place bacon on paper towels to drain off any fat; chop bacon.
* Unwrap garlic and squeeze pulp from bulb with hands into a large saucepan. Peel potatoes and add to saucepan; mash with a potato masher until smooth. Gradually stir in broth, thyme, salt and pepper until blended; place saucepan over medium heat and cook until hot, stirring occasionally, about 5 to 10 minutes.
* Spoon about 1 1/3 cups of soup into each of 6 soup bowls. Top each with 1 tablespoon of sour cream, 1 tablespoon of cheese, 1 rounded tablespoon of bacon and 1 tablespoon of scallions. Grind fresh pepper over top if desired. Makes 6 servings.

Super markets!

Recently, as gas and food prices have started escalating yet again, I started to think about ways I could save some money at the store. Forget about coupons: I have never mastered the art, and besides, most of the food products I buy never have coupons attached.

But I do have some shopping rules:
1. I NEVER set foot in a market is when I am hungry. When I do, somehow the worst things wind up in my basket. A few times recently I have had no choice but to shop hungry, and that’s when my emergency car stash came in handy. I always have an apple in the car. Usually, there is some celery as well. Both items hold up well to a few days without refrigeration, and besides, I usually eat them way before either would start to turn. Usually that works. Recently, it just wasn’t enough. So I made sure to pick up a bunch of bananas, and as soon as I hit the car, I ate a banana. That did it for me. What you pick is your choice.
2. Each weekend I plan our meals for the week, make a shopping list, and stick to it. I shop once a week, which keeps me out of the market during the week, out of the way of temptation.
3. I love my husband, but I find him distracting in the market. I spend a lot of time in the produce section, and Jack gets antsy. So unless it is a necessity, I shop alone. The worst place to shop with him: Costco. I really can get lost in that big box. Jack can get through the warehouse in seconds flat. I need time to stop and see what’s offered.
4. I always have my Weight Watchers PointsPlus calculator with me, so if a new food looks inviting, I figure out the PPs to see if it’s worth the splurge. It’s amazing how two similar products really are nothing alike. Take popcorn, my go-to snack when I am hungry in the middle of the day. Like my morning chia seeds, popcorn expands in my stomach and fills me up. Jolly Time’s Healthy Pop – a full size bag – is my favorite because for 3 PPs, it offers double the amount of popcorn than the mini bags, at the same PPs value. What a bargain.
5. I have my list, but if turkey breast cutlets are on sale when I get to the market, I easily substitute them for chicken breasts. Same with fish. I shop the deals, because at the register, a deal here and a deal there starts adding up to big savings.
6. I buy lots of fruits and vegetables, but I always buy them whole. I don’t mind cutting up veggie sticks or cutting up a pineapple. It takes minutes and saves cash.
7. I tend to stay out of the aisles, shopping the perimeter of the market, a trick I learned 20 years ago on a nutritionist-led tour of a supermarket. Of course, items such as oatmeal, beans, teas and seltzer are in the aisles, but it’s here you find the bad stuff as well, the processed, over-sugared foods I try to avoid. If I am tempted, I whip out my PP calculator and within seconds my temptation usually disappears.
8. Twice a week we eat vegetarian. It might be something as simple as baked potatoes with toppings or a frittata, but these lighter meals are doing wonders for our budget. We eat fish two or three times a week, which leaves two meals for beef, pork or chicken.

Kinda normal

I had a weird thing happen at work Wednesday. First, let me explain that I had been really dedicated this week to eating within my Weight Watchers PointsPlus.

But Wednesday afternoon, my boss came back from lunch with treats for us all: Nestle Crunch Ice Cream Pops. Of course, I could not say no. How could I hurt her feelings?

Besides, I really wanted to eat the pop.

But before I did, I whipped out my handy PP calculator, figured out the pop was only 5 PP, and decided I could easily fit it into my day's total. I ate that pop, little bite by little bite, drawing out the pleasure for at least 15 minutes.

And when I finished the pop, I thought to myself: "So this is what normal feels like."

What a feeling!

Simply yummy

Last night I had forgotten to defrost anything for dinner, it was snowing really hard, and I decided a little creativity was in order. I had a dozen eggs, so I checked out recipes on www.weightwaters.com and decided the Breakfast Enchilada could work. For me, having breakfast for dinner is all about comfort.

The result was excellent. For the wrap, I used Trader Joe's habanero chili wraps, which added the perfect amount of zest to the dish. This recipe is a keeper because it meets my three goals for a successful weekday meal: It's economical, easy to prepare and tasty. The fact that it is vegetarian is the cherry on this dish.

I was going to serve it with a salad, but just as I was about to pull out the greens, a recall warning for Stop & Shop's organic greens came over the TV. Scary, since I have been eating from this batch all week. But a side of roasted corn proved a perfect accompaniment to our meal. At only 6 PointsPlus per serving, there is no doubt in my mind that I will be making this meal very often.

BREAKFAST ENCHILADA
2 sprays) cooking spray
2 tsp. olive oil
2 medium scallions, chopped
1 small green peppers, seeded and chopped
1 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced (medium)
4 large egg whites
2 large eggs
1/2 cup low-fat shredded cheddar cheese
2 Tblsp. cilantro, fresh, chopped
1/4 tsp. table salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper, freshly ground
4 medium whole wheat tortillas
1/2 cups fat-free sour cream
1/2 cups salsa, medium or hot variety
* Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a shallow baking dish with cooking spray.
* Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add scallions, green pepper, tomato and garlic; sauté 5 minutes. Add egg whites and whole eggs; cook until eggs are scrambled, about 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and stir in cheese, cilantro, salt and black pepper.
* Place a tortilla on a flat surface; spoon 1/4 of egg mixture onto center of tortilla and roll up tortilla. Fill remaining tortillas with remaining egg mixture, then place tortillas side-by-side in prepared baking dish; lightly coat with cooking spray.
* Bake until golden brown and tortilla ends are slightly crisp, about 10 minutes. Serve with sour cream and salsa spooned over top. Top each enchilada with 2 tablespoons of sour cream and 2 tablespoons of salsa. Makes 4 servings. 6 PointsPlus per serving.

The fruit thing

I went back to the sleep clinic last week, and of course was told that if I lost weight, my sleep apnea would improve. I explained that I had joined Weight Watchers, and instead of approval, the doctor told me that he disagrees with the new plan because eating as much fruit as you want is not a good thing. He added that a sugar is a sugar is a sugar, and that our body processes sugar the same way.

I couldn't disagree more. I'm not getting into the science thing here, but does he know anything about fiber and how that contributes to how your body processes food? My main disagreement is all about food.

I've admitted that I can -- and often do -- eat uncontrollably. One of my favorite things to binge on is a 16-oz. package of Twizzlers. I just did the PointsPlus conversion, and each Twizzler stick is 1 PP. I eat the whole package, which I am assuming probably has around 20 strips. That's 20 PPs, almost the total number of PPs I am allowed per day.

Is there any way I would sit down and eat 20 bananas? Or 20 apples? How about 20 grapefruits? Not a chance. I would be too full. (Plus, I would be spending hours in the bathroom!)

Some days, those 20 Twizzlers are my appetizer. You don't even want to know what I can eat as my main course and dessert!

I am not trying to be funny here, but if any doctors are reading this post, please consider what you say to patients. When the doctor said that to me, I blew it off because I am determined to make this WW plan work this time. If I was on the fence, it would have sent me to Border's, searching for the latest diet book du jour, which would eventually lead to another failure.

I am not saying that WW is for everyone. But if you follow it, it is a healthy plan that can become a way of life. It fits into my new mantra: Eat right. Exercise daily. Repeat.

Wa-hoo!

I lost 6.4 pounds last week. A record for me. I know this is not something I will duplicate next week at Weight Watchers, but right now, I couldn't be happier.

I am also amazed. Not once last week did I think: "Poor me. I hate dieting."

Instead, I was trying new recipes every night, eating better than I have in a long time, and filling my plate with proteins and veggies -- light on the carbs. When I was hungry, I reached for a piece of fruit and I was satisfied.

And why did I reach for that piece of fruit: Because fruit counts for nothing on the new WW plan. Nadda. Zero.

And the best part of the fruit thing: I was making a choice that thin people make all the time. It was freeing.

I've been doing a lot of thinking this past week about my new-found sense of calm, trying to figure out why this is all happening now. I have many thoughts, but I can sum them all up in one word: normal.

I feel normal. I am comfortable eating this way and I am comfortable exercising the way I do. I like this feeling. And I pray morning and night that it will continue. I don't want to return to my old ways.

Recipe time

We eat a lot of chicken and fish, and since I am not content to cook the same thing over and over again, I am always looking for interesting ways to cook both. Here are two suggestions, both guaranteed to take make meals a tad more interesting. Both recipes are from Weight Watchers.

GRILLED MOROCCAN CHICKEN KABOBS
1 1/4 LBS. uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 Tblsp. orange juice
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. table salt
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. black pepper, freshly ground
2 sprays cooking spray
1 large zucchini, cut into 1-inch-thick half-moons
2 small red onions, quartered through the root

Mix the chicken, orange juice, coriander, ginger, cinnamon, cumin, salt, garlic powder and pepper in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 6 hours.

Off heat, coat grill with cooking spray. Prepare gas grill for direct, high-heat grilling or build a high-heat charcoal bed in the center of the coal grate on a charcoal grill.

Divide the chicken, zucchini and onion among four large skewers, threading the meat and vegetables over the pointy ends and down the skewers.

Set the skewers directly over the heat and grill for 16 minutes, turning about every 4 minutes onto each of the other three sides, so that all four sides are well browned. When turning the skewers, use tongs to gently grasp some of the meat at the center. Do not turn the skewers by their ends — or put your hands down near the heat source. Makes 1 skewer per serving; 4 POINTS each.


CUBAN-STYLE BRAISED FISH
1 tsp. olive oil
1 medium onions, chopped
2 medium garlic clove(s), chopped
14 1/2 oz. can tomatoes with green chilies, peeled and diced
1/2 cup fat-free chicken broth
10 green olives with pimientos, thinly sliced crosswise
1 1/2 lbs. halibut fillets, or sea bass or scrod
1 Tblsp. slivered almonds, toasted
3 cups broccoli florets, steamed

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and sauté 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.

Stir tomatoes, broth and olives into onion mixture and heat to simmer. Cut fish into 4 portions and arrange in skillet. Cover and cook until fish flakes with a fork, 8 to 10 minutes.

To serve, remove fish to 4 plates. Spoon tomato and olive mixture over fish and top each serving with a sprinkle of almonds. Serve with broccoli. Makes 4 servings; 5 POINTS each.

Reality sucks

We’ve all heard about anorexia and bulimia, but who knew that neither is the most common eating disorder. According to an article in LiveScience, 50 to 60 percent of patients don't meet all the requirements to be diagnosed with either disorder, and instead are diagnosed as having an “eating disorder not otherwise specified" (EDNOS). Treating them becomes more complicated. Added to this is that these patients often have misconceptions about their conditions, thinking they are not so serious.

It’s sort of like that binge drinker who can go a few days without drinking that thinks he or she is not an alcoholic. To clear this up, doctors and psychiatrists are proposing revisions to the 2013 version of the “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.”

What I found most interesting is that binge eating actually falls into the EDNOS category. And those of us who have been known to binge, if we are really honest with ourselves, know this is not the normal way most people eat. Unlike bulimics, who binge and purge, I never purged. So although I joked about having an eating disorder, I really did not think I did. Now I know I really do. That hurts. And just think about the millions of other people who have not been given the right diagnosis. Scary.

I haven’t binged in months, partly because of yoga – it really has calmed me down – and partly because of a few words my Weight Watchers’ leader, Karen, strung together that has gotten me out of a binge: stop, drop and stroll. Stop what you are doing; drop what you are about to eat; and stroll away. Better yet: Go take a long walk.

That little ditty, said over and over in my mind, is enough for me to break the cycle and regain my determination to eat healthy. That’s why I’m passing it on. It’s too good to keep a secret.

Love long weekends!

I addeed some extra days to this weekend, so instead of three days off, I have six. That's almost a week, and I am going to savor every minute of it.

I'm also going to cook!

Two weeks ago, I was talking to Donna, my Weight Watchers bud, about grilled mango. It sounded so tempting, I stopped at the grocery store on my way home from our meeting and bought two mangoes. And so it began: My new love affair with grilled fruit. The mango was delicious, but I reasoned it the grilling brought out the mango's natural sweetness, what would grilling do to pineapple, peaches, plums, nectarines -- and on and on. Each fruit is glorious as is. But grill it, and each becomes extraordinary. So grilled fruit it is!

I'm also going to make one of my favorite salad -- a crunchy mix of jicama and radishes -- something I once always had ready in the fridge. It is so healthy, and weighs in at practically no Weight Watchers POINTS, which makes it almost as extraordinary as grilled fruit.

RADISH AND JICAMA SALAD
1 lb. radishes, thinly sliced
1 lb. jicama, julienned
1 bunch scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
1 Tblsp. sesame oil
1 Tblsp. extra-virgin olive oil
3 tsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
3 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 Tblsp. tamari or soy sauce
Salt to taste
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
* Combine radishes, jicama, and scallions in a large serving bowl.
* Whisk oils, lime and lemon juices, tamari and salt together in a small bowl.
* Pour dressing over vegetables and toss. Add cilantro and toss again. Serve at room temperature.

This whole salad has 6 Weight Wathchers POINTS, so you can eat more than one bite!

Forming a fitness habit

I love the title of this post, because that's how we should all view exercise, not as a chore, but as a fitness habit, something we do because we want to.

I wish I could say I came up with this headline, but the credit goes to Weight Watchers. It was this week's meeting theme, and it got me to really think about my love/hate relationship with exercise.

Weight Watchers makes this point: A long walk or a Zumba class is a good thing, but the real payoff comes with developing an active lifestyle. For years, I have been jealous of my two oldest kids, who make exercise a part of each day. For Caitlin, it's a long walk pushing a stroller with two kids and two Golden Retrievers for miles, up and down the hills of her town. She will also hit the gym at 5 a.m. for intense cardio and weights. For Tim, it's a daily run and time at the gym. Their days are not complete unless they spend a part of it engaged in exercise.

So here are some tips from Weight Watchers to make exercise part of your life. Most importantly: Take it one step at a time.
* Find a workout partner, who can add fun, encouragement and good advice. I did that on August 1, when I signed a contract -- yes, we wrote it out -- with my friend Ann to do at least 30 minutes of exercise five days each week. We meet four of those days and power walk on Fairfield's beach or the Trumbull mall, depending on time constraints and the weather.
* Listen to an MP3 player or watch television while you're exercising if you can.
* Keep your eye on the prize. Focus on how good you feel and how you are helping yourself, body and mind.

But how do you make exercise stick?

According to Weight Watchers, No. 1 is finding something you love to do. For me, that mission has finally been accomplished. Walking with Ann is not like exercise. We gab so much, before we know it, 45 minutes have passed and we've logged three miles. Certainly our pace does not set any records, but it gets our hearts pumping and our faces rosy with color.

I also discovered yoga, and the past few weeks have found the time to fit in five classes -- sometimes six -- each week. Yoga for me is not a chore. It is something I do to still my mind and stretch my body. I really cannot imagine living my life without it.

And the best thing of all: I feel terrific, sleep better, and am so much more focused than I have ever been in the past. I schedule my walks and yoga, and work the rest of my appointments around those times.

And I am no longer jealous of my kids. Thank God: I finally get it!

Today is a great day

I made it through this week, staying within my Weight Watchers Points, eating a variety of foods, and avoiding snacks, instead eating only three times a day, and last night, attending my first Weight Watchers meeting in five weeks.

And today, I'm feeling terrific. Lighter -- no not light, just lighter. And better about myself because this week has been a huge accomplishment, something that I need to celebrate. I cannot focus on the weight that crept back on since my Weight Watchers meeting -- 8 pounds to be exact -- which is horrid. But it is also in the past and today is a new day, another chance for me to prove to myself that I can do this.

Eating three meals a day -- with nothing in between -- is actually easier for me than I thought it would be. I am never hungry in the early morning, but because I was eating three meals plus two planned snacks each day, I would have breakfast between 6 and 7. At 10 a.m., I would snack, and then around 1, have lunch. 4 p.m. was snack time, and dinner was at 7:30.

No wonder I was obsessed with food. My mouth was constantly munching on something.

As I explained yesterday, I am following the advice of Tricia Greaves, who runs a Web site, www.HealYourHunger.com. She says to make sure you eat every 4 or 5 hours, the optimum time for your body to digest the previous meal, and for you to begin to feel hungry. And because I love products, I am also eating a Fullbar 30 minutes before lunch and dinner, which according to its developer, weight-loss surgeon Dr. Michael Synder, expands in your stomach, which makes you eat less.

What I did this week was to eat breakfast around 9, a protein-rich meal that keep me sated until lunch. At 1:30, I ate a Fullbar, and had lunch at 2. Another Fullbar at 7, and dinner at 7:30.

The most amazing part of this week for me: I did not think about food between meals. OK - maybe a few times, but most of the week I was not thinking about my next meal.

And in the back of my mind was this video I watched on Greaves' Web site, titled "Garbage eating: A binge eater's nightmare." Check it out at http://healyourhunger.com/freebies/. It was one of the most painful videos I have ever watched, because I saw myself and hated what I saw.

I watched it over and over again, and each time I did, I screamed "enough!" I pray I can follow through this time.