Recipe Swap - Cranberry Orange Oatmeal

I love Caribou Coffee's Cranberry Orange Oatmeal. When I say love, I mean LOVE. As in I normally don't like cranberries, but this stuff is awesome.

Only I don't eat it very often. Probably because I instinctively know that while the oatmeal part is healthy, the rest is not.

Calories: 274 (not bad)
Calories from Fat: 30
Total Fat: 3.5 grams
Sodium: 200mg
Total Carbs: 87g (OUCH!)
Fiber: 8g
Sugars: 38g (OUCH!)
Protien: 15 grams (good!)

See? I knew it would be bad. That's 5 servings of carbs in one sitting. And while it fills me up, I think I can do better.

Better Oats has a line of oatmeal that is lighter in carbs and still filling & tasts great.



Better Oats:
Calories: 100
Calories from Fat: 20
Total Fat: 2g
Sodium: 220mg
Total Cabs: 18g (yes!)
Fiber: 3g
Sugars: 0g (YES!)
Protien: 4g



1/3 cup Dried Cranberries:
Calories: 130
Fat: 0g
Carbs: 32g
Fiber: 1g
Sugars: 25g
Protein: 0g



1 T Orange Marmalde
Calories: 49
Fat: 0
Carbs: 13g
Sugars: 12g

So I made my version of the oatmeal today. It's similar, but not quite the same. The intense orage & cranberry flavors from the Caribou aren't the same. But it's something that I can live with. I ended up adding less cranberries and lettering them plump while the oatmeal was cooking. Then adding the marmalde.

Questions

I found this questionaire at Never the Skinny Girl and thought this was a good chance to figure out some things about me.

1. What was your highest weight, what do you weigh right now and what is your goal weight?
My highest weight...whew, here goes...about 270/275. I wasn't weighing myself then, but I can tell from clothes that I found from that time.
My weight now is about 240. I was down further but have some sciatic issues that are preventing me from working out like I want to.
My goal weight? I know that my first goal is to lose 70 pounds and be about 185 pounds by 2/1/11.

2. What is your #1 motivation for losing weight?
I want to feel better. Physicially, mentally and emotionally.

3. Have you always been overweight?
No. When I was in elementary school, my mom had a hard time finding me pants because the super skinny ones were still too big. *sigh*

4. When you want to give up what inspires you to keep going?
The me I want to be. The vision in my head of what my life looks like.

5. What is the #1 thing you look forward to when you hit your goal weight?
Sopping in the 'normal' sections of clothing stores.

6. Do you have support on your weight loss journey?
Yes and no. I have support of blogs that I visit in that they inspire me. I have support from the gym recognizing my face each time I come in. However, I have to tell my family and friends that I've lots for them to notice.

7. What is your favorite exercise?
Lifint weights. I love the way my muscles feel tired afterwards.

8. What is the most important thing you have learned on your weight loss journey?
That it's a lifestyle, not a diet. I need to learn a lifestyle, not how to lose weight.

9. What is one thing you have given up that you miss the most?
Admittedly I haven't really given up much. I eat things rarely or in moderation to satisfy the craving so that it doesn't drive me batty to continue to have it.

10. What is your strategy for losing weight?
Slow and steady. Little lifestyle changes at time.

Could I? Should I?

I linked to a blog called Prior Fat Girl the other day. I've been following the blog since last winter when I was going to the gym every day and really motivated to change. She's having a get together this month with speakers and such and I'm going. I'm hoping that it's the motivator to get me excited again about working out.

Today she announced that she is taking submissions for additional bloggers on her site. And it got me to thinking. Wondering. Should I submit me?

I already like to blog and want to blog and do so often. I already like to blog about my struggles with exercising and eating. I like her (even though I haven't met her). I like what she stands for and how she went about her healthness journey.

I think I just talked my self into it.

The experiment

I woke up late today. Too late to go to the gym. I'm having issues with sleep patterns again after being on vacation. I hope to get back to a regular one by the weekend.

On to my little expirament. After my shower today I put the heart rate monitor on and I've been wearing it all day. I'm going to do this today, tomorrow and Thursday. I'm thinking that I can average out the days and determine just how many calories I burn in a day. I know that it's not going to be spot on, but it should be close.

I love vacations

Seriously, what is not to love. You don't go to work. You see new things and new places. You eat. And eat. And eat.

I haven't weighed myself since we got back. I'm afraid to. My rings say that my fingers are not fat. My pants say that my waist and booty are not big. But I don't know what that pesky scale will say.

Before we left I bought a Polar T7 Heart Rate Monitor. I haven't been to the gym yet to try it out, but I did try it out a little at home. When we got home there was a card in the mail from the Y about offering a sale on personal training again. I am going to go in this week and sign up again. The trainer kept me accountable this summer and I need some help again. I also started physical therapy for my siatic pain. I have about 8 sessions over 4 weeks and in that time will learn how to make my workouts better again without leaving me in pain.

While we were on vacation I checked into Facebook and saw this: Prior Fat Girl's One Breath, One Step Event. I jumped on it. I signed up only after quickly mentioning to Pete what I was doing. I'm really excited about this. She had a similar goal that I do. She's struggled in the last years with weight on other issues. She is pretty open about her struggles and thoughts. I can't wait to learn more about being healthly. Not dieting or working out, but being healthy.