I think I’m finally figuring out how to pack the quality lunches I ate while working full time in my new transportable, microwave-free, on-the-go lifestyle. The secret is being creative with zip lock bags and plates. Today I packed my leftovers from last night’s tabbouleh into one bag along with another bag of spinach and broccoli with balsamic vinegar added to it. Instant salad!
On the side – carrots, 1/2 a pita, orange slices and Fage = enough to hold me well through my afternoon classes.
Many of you have asked me about getting strange looks while photographing food. Well the very minute I finished getting out lunch, tons of people swarmed my lounge!! I had this whole buffet set up and was kind of embarrassed of my two huge plates of food and on top of that, I had to take photos before eating! I tried to do it as fast as I could, but it was a little strange. I wasn’t embarrassed about the photos as much as my huge lunch spread 🙂
I hit all the food groups today:
Protein: Shrimp in tabbouleh, Fage
Dairy: Fage
Grains: Quinoa , pita
Fats: Olive oil, almonds
Fruit: Oranges
Veggies: Carrots, Spinach, Broccoli, Green Pepper, Cuc and Tomato (in the tabbouleh)
All for about 500 kcal even.
I’m full and content. Off to class!
Cara says
Wow that is impressive. Are there no microwaves on campus? My boyfriend right now is trying to figure out what to pack for his full day of classes at school. But he discovered a microwave in one of the convenience stores. I imagine they are there so that people can heat the frozen dinners they sell, etc. If that is so for your place, it might be able to give you some more options.
Mandy says
haha wow I would be too embarassed to take pictures I must say!
I have a question about your heart rate monitor. What discrepancy do you find between the minitor and the calories burned reading on the cardio machines (treadmills, ellipticals, bikes). Is there a big difference (even on machines that you enter you age and weight in?). Just always curious about that!
MK says
Sometimes a specific department will have their own small student lounge with a microwave, fridge, etc. I would try wandering around a department that you have a couple classes in and see if you find anything!
Sam says
Kath, you clearly have mastered time management! How do you plan your meals and grocery shopping. That is, on the weekend do you do it all? I find even looking up recipes and reading the reviews is very time consuming.
Brianne says
Now that is a well balanced meal!
jessica says
hay kath~
as if you don’t have enough to do and already put a ton of time and effort into this blog, but i had a request for you…. is there anyway you could post pics of your grocery trips or atleast your shopping lists every week. i understand if it’s just too much but i am always interested in what others are buying to stay healthy… i know we pretty much get to see in your meals but i would still really enjoy seeing a list and pics… thanks so much for all you do!
Amy says
Hi Kath – that looks wonderful! I have a question about your remarkable meal planning and time management skills. (hehe) How specific are you in terms of planning ahead? Do you simply buy ‘enough’ groceries for the week? Or do you plan out meals for the week and then go shopping? Or do you just think of meal ideas for the week and finalize them each night as you prepare dinner/lunch for the next day?
Karen L. says
Ahhh…so green is indeed your favorite color, Kath! (mine too!)
Leslie Mainer says
Hey Kath, I love your blog! This may be a stupid question but I noticed that the lunch bag you carry isn’t insulated so I was wondering if you worry about the meat, yogurt, etc staying safe to eat…. is your lunch break just really early?
Cait says
I love your blog I am a 21 year old recovering restrictive eater. Your blog helps me a lot to see how I can eat without restricting, and even indulge! I have a question to you and other readers…because of my restrictive eating, I am constantly planning my next meal and thinking about food, which only makes me hungrier. Do you have any tips to keep my mind off of this? Also, I tend to eat on a schedule and not listen to my body when it is hungry…do you have any suggestions for this? Thanks!
Katherine says
Kath, and others:
I am wondering how you determined your goal weight?
Kath: I know you had said that at 129lbs you realized that you still had some to lose. But i am wondering how 120 (or 118-122) was chosen and if height played a huge factor or not?
I appreciate any input anyone has to offer!
Thanks,
Katherine
Sandy says
On what do you weigh your pb and flax that you add to the oatmeal in the morning? Do weigh the flax and pb separately from the oatmeal?
Dinah Soar says
I”m new to your blog and love it…have gotten several great food ideas from you…thanks for sharing them!!
Just wanted to say I love Fage–the full fat version. I’ve found it is great as a binder in a Waldorf salad or chicken salad and for a lot less calories than even low fat mayo…a little goes a long way…it is so rich and satisfying…and the flavor it gives to those salads is even better than the mayo or even sour cream.
My regular grocery doesn’t sell it, so I have to go out of my way to buy it, and at $1.99 plus tax for one small container it is expensive, but so worth it.
Sometimes I just take a small portion and stir in a little all fruit jam…it’s pure heaven.
Angie All The Way says
Thank you for keeping up such a fantastic blog with so many amazing and healthy foods. I look forward to reading it every day 🙂
Heather says
I’m sure that nobody would mind if you ditched the disposable dishes. People might in fact appreciate that you’re making less waste.
I know I would!! I think in this day in age, we really need to focus on being as “earth friendly” as possible. Since you’re an inspiration for others, your choices probably have an impact…
Just a suggestion.
Mandy says
Katherine:
I have maintained a weight loss of about 45 pounds since my highest weight about 8 years ago. The only thing I can recommend to find your ‘perfect weight’ for you, is to keep on eating healthy and working out in a way that you can MAINTAIN these habits for life. If you are constantly starving and exhausted from workouts, it is likely not something you will realistically be able to maintain for long-term.
I basically adjusted my intake to reflect 90% healthy foods (with 10% splurges each day) and listened to my body. If I am hungry I eat, but 90% of the time I can assure you it is healthy, whole foods, much like Kath eats. I aim to workout 5 times a week. They aren’t exhaustive hour long sessions, but about 35-45 minutes including basic resistance training like pushups, lunges, abs, etc.
The most surprising thing I have learned from all of this is that there isn’t a trick to it. It is simple really. The hardest thing for many people to accept is the fact that their body’s happy weight may not be as low as they desire. You can chose to fight an uphill battle against the genes, but it will be exhausting in the long run.
Hope this helps.
Mandy
Mandy says
I meant to add that I would like to be 5 pounds thinner than I am now, but every time I drop below my current ‘maintenance’ weight, I get hungrier and my body tries very hard to put those few pounds back on. This is how I know I am not meant to be any lower than I am now.
Kelly L. says
ATTENTION TEA LOVERS!!!
I am trying to get away from relying so much on artificial sweetners. I can’t say I’m cutting them out all together but really trying to limit them. I used to love this apple cider that was sweetened with Aspartame but made a choice to avoid this sweetner as much as I can. I see so many of you drink tea and I was wondering what a good tea was that was pretty strong and sweet. I have only tried one type of flavored tea and that was the Celestial Seasonings Gingerbread tea. Sadly, it tasted nothing like gingerbread. Any advice here? Thanks!
Kay says
Great advice Mandy! It’s simple, but so very true.
Mallory says
Cait,
I am now in therapy for the same problem, also including overexercising. I used to be completely obsessed with planning each and every meal, making sure i got certain amounts of each food group and never going over! I still plan, but now in a different way. I don’t necessarily think planning is a problem. I plan to make sure I am eating enough and making sure I never get too hungry.
Before when I would plan I would never stray from that plan. Now I focus more on what sounds good and would most satisfy me, while still trying to make a balanced meal. Reading Kath and Jenna’s (eatliverun) blogs have truly helped me. They have taught me to only put food in my mouth that I know I will savor and enjoy. (Obviously I do have the moments when I don’t!)
I think it is going to be a constant struggle. But the more and more I move from seeing food as a negative to enjoying every bite and also recognizing why my body needs it, it gets a little easier.
I don’t know if this helps at all, but rest assured, you are most definitely not alone!
Mallory says
P.S I am also 21!!
Ryane says
So, totally unrelated to food –
I do not know the Charlotte area very well other than the airport, but I’m researching areas for an upcoming marketing campaign.
Do you know of any good outdoor music venues in the area? or other places concerts are held? this is for august-sept so I’m assuming most activities are held outside during that time.
Also, what are the best malls in the area? Or what other places are frequented by mostly college-age people (18-24)? Not necessarily bars… And what are some other decent sized schools around besides UNC? Is Winthrop a big school?
Thanks in advance to any responses!
Justyna says
Kelly L- The Celestial Seasonings peppermint green tea is quite good without artificial sweeteners.
I cut out all artificial sweeteners and I have never been happier. I am not convinced that they are ok to consume….and nowadays they are in SO many foods. Ick.
Brooke says
What is the caloric value of Quinoa and what does it taste like? It looks like something that i would like to try, but i was just curious. www.betterfit.wordpress.com
Courtney says
Mallory and Cait- I too am going through the same thing. it’s rediculous, I’m counting every calorie, measuring every thing and always thinking and planning my day around FOOD. I’m way too restrictive and it’s kind of hard to get away from. however, these blogs have also really helped me understand what healthy eating looks like (thanks Kath)! Cait and Mallory- how did you girls get over this? I seriously am trying, but it is so hard! any advice would help me out a lot, thank you so much!
JBlue says
The best sweet tea ever is Tahitian Vanilla Hazelnut by Yogi Tea. It has all natural flavorings + stevia and is good enough to drink as a dessert replacement, I swear, and I am not one to ever think of tea as a dessert replacement! Enjoy!
Lauren says
Katherine –
I totally agree with Mandy. The changes you make in your diet and exercise routine have to be changes you can live with in the long-run, otherwise you will eventually return to your old ways and regain the weight you lost.
I can totally relate to what Mandy said about wishing that the right weight for your body were lower than it should be. I’m 5’6″, and this past summer, I got down to 125 pounds. Technically I wasn’t underweight, but my body didn’t like being that thin. I was hungry all the time, and I felt like I was constantly battling with my body to keep my weight down. Sometimes it’s hard to listen to your body when you’re so focused on the numbers, but your body really does know best. I’m much happier at a higher weight.
Hope that helps! 🙂
AM says
Mallory, Cait, Courtney, etc.
Honestly – I think I would recommend NOT reading food blogs. *This is absolutely not an attack against Kath, or any other blogger!* I just feel like by constantly (or however often) reading these blogs about food, you are still perpetuating the same unhealthy behavior you say you’re trying to get away from. Don’t get me wrong – you are right that Kath’s and other blogs are terrific to give ideas about healthy foods and appropriate portions, but for someone who is trying to get food OFF the brain – food blogs probably aren’t your best reading material. My advice is to get out and fill your lives/time up with something OTHER than food.
Rachel says
Mandy,
That was a terrific comment that really made me think…thank you!
Becky says
Kelly L.,
I was actually inspired start drinking tea by Kath. I’ve never really been much of a tea drinker, for no particular reason. I picked up a few varieties, and one that I think you would like is Celestial Seasonings Cranberry Apple Zinger. It tastes like fruit! I put a little sweetner in it, and it was too sweet. By itself, it is amazing!
Mallory says
Courtney- After about a year and a half of feeling this way I just got fed up with every single minute of my day being used up thinking about food and weight gain, etc. I finally got up the courage to go see a therapist who recommended me to a wonderful dietician who specializes in eating disorders. She has been so helpful. I know it is scary to do this and admit that there is something wrong, but it helps so much!
AM- I completely understand where you are coming from. And I actually partly became the way I am from another food blog. I now read these blogs more for food ideas than a specific way to eat. I’ve learned that you can’t completely copy others’ ways of eating because everyone is so different! Good advice though!
Mandy says
Lauren-
Your experiences really sound like my own. I knew that I couldn’t keep up my lower weight forever. I was fighting an uphill battle each and every day. Did I want to constantly be tired and moody just to be 5-8 thinner? Certainly not. To tell you the truth, my family and friends haven’t even noticed my ‘weight gain’. Often what we think if best for us in our heads, actually isn’t…maybe we some of you are at the perfect weight now and don’t even realize it. Food for thought 😉
Laura says
I read the blog and know I should be eating right. I lost 45 lbs 2 years ago. I gained it all back. Recovering from depression unfortunately/left m job recently so feeling blue/less then my old productive self. I’d love it if there is a blogger who is also trying to eat healthy/exercise who might like an e-mail support buddy. I know I need to exercise, etc. I feel guilty everyday and am just filling this void with unhealthy food, etc. There’s got to be a better way. My husband got us an elliptical trainer for valentines day since I’m too embarrased to go to a gym. That will help. It’s right in front of the tv. That lunch looks amazing by the way.
SC says
Kelly L.
I love the Bigelow Vanilla Caramel or Vanilla Chai! They are good plain, but great with a splash of Vanilla Silk!!
NCarolina says
Ryane,
Aug-Sept is definitely outdoors weather in NC. (as an aside, it was 64* today, which made me very very happy!) i’ve been to a few concerts at the Verizon Wireless ampitheatre. i don’t really know of any other venues that big in CLT though.
some of my friends make the drive (~1hr) to Charlotte just to shop, so i’m sure there are some good malls but i haven’t been… i used to live in Durham tho and my absolute FAVORITE mall in the world is Southpoint!!!! (that’s saying a lot because i hail from the land of malls– NJ) it has a “main street” setup with great stores (like the Apple Store, Pottery Barn, Barnes & Nobles) and restaurants (Cheesecake Factory, CPK, Champs, Rockfish Grill) and fountains and one night a week in the summer they have live jazz.
UNC is in Chapel Hill… which is on the eastern side of the state, near Duke and NC State. (or did you mean UNC-C?) i go to Wake Forest in Winston-Salem, NC. 🙂
Kristin Point says
Mallory, courtney, cait:
I am 21 too and I am in recovery from an eating disorder right now. It started from emotional eating but joining an online calorie blog put me on the track to obsession. Once I started learning the calories in everything I ate nothing seemed safe. And planning my meals was hell because 25 extra or unplanned calories would make me feel like I’d failed.
I now do not write out my meals or plan more then the day’s worth of means. It is very hard to give those obsessive behaviors up and it took me a while to stop. I first started by rounding my calories then I got down to ballparking meals and now i just am aware of the calories but i don’t count or write them out. I suggest going into GOOD therapy to work the issues out before it gets worse then restrictive eating. I wasted 2 years being bulimic and I’m finally making huge strides and pretty much recovered.
It’s more about learning how to respect yourself and strive for health.
AM, Reading the food blogs actually became a godsend for me because I had become so warped in my thinking. I had an unrealistic view of health and what I should be eating. Reading bloggers who eat for health is a really good model for me personally for where I’m at now, but I could see how it might be bad for some.
Brittani says
Cait, Mallory, etc. – As some of us pointed out in the past, Kath is suffering from the same syndrome as you, only she is too defensive to admit that she is overly obsessed with food and exercise. The amount of time and energy she devotes to “thy body beautiful” (planning, doing, calculating)is not only self-absorbed but it signals a problem. As your stories show, healthy habits taken to extreme are unhealthy and detrimental to one’s physical and emotional well-being. I hope Kath soon realizes what a waste of time and energy it is to worry about whether her walnuts weighed 5 grams or 10 grams on a particular day and whether she burned 456 calories or 478 calories at the gym.
NCarolina says
HUSBAND: i made up a name.
KELLY L: my favorite sweet tea is Good Earth Sweet & Spicy.
haha the name fits your criteria in any case! there was a period last fall during which i wasn’t ALLOWED any diet beverages or caffeine or artificial sweeteners at ALL, and i would have died if it weren’t for this tea. it comes in both caffeinated and caffeine-free and you can find it at most grocery stores (i found the best price for it @ Trader Joe’s) in a pale yellow box.
besides the Good Earth, i tried a bunch of new teas recently because i have been trying to cut back on drinking so much diet soda (and i agree with kath that it’s too cold for water!):
*i was inspired by this blog to try the Bigelow Eggnogg’n– soo good with some vanilla soymilk.
*Trader Joe’s also makes a white tea with pomegranate that’s almost like juice… really good iced.
*i also like Celestial Seasonings’ Chocolate Caramel Enchantment and Madagascar Vanilla Roobios Red tea (or sth like that).
*also, the Republic of Tea makes about a billion different flavors, including… Hot Apple Cider tea! this is their complete tea menu http://www.republicoftea.com/pages/teamenu.asp
but i’m sure you will be able to find a few at your grocery store, or else a Fresh Market or Trader Joe’s. they are a bit on the pricier side, but i think these probably have more AOX than most brands that are mostly herbs and random things.
HTH… sorry this was so long!
Anonymous says
Brittani, I totally agree with everything you wrote.
Karissa says
To Everyone that struggles with restrictive eating,
Food has been a daily struggle for me for a few years as well. First it was under-eating and then it was overeating, but generally it has just been a warped perception of food.
Thankfully I’ve finally gotten on track within the last 6 months with the help of a friend in a similar situation. I think talking with someone you can trust and someone who knows how you’re feeling is the best way to recover. Reading Kath’s blog as well as some others has really helped me because it illustrates what healthy, normal eating looks like. I know that may sound counterintuitive to some, but I think it’s hard for someone who hasn’t dealt with this problem personally to really understand. To be honest, Kath’s meals contain far more calories than I would have ever allowed myself to eat, but seeing them has helped me realize how restrictive I’ve been.
I’m sure some of the comments on Kath and everyone else being too obsessed with calories/food/exercise are meant as a help, but the way I see it is that I’m relearning what a healthy relationship with food is like and by monitoring my intake I’m using training wheels for now. My hope is that I eventually won’t need them, and healthy eating will become more intuitive.
Katie says
I love that all the negative comments come mostly from anonymous posters.
I don’t understand all the negativity on these blogs. Each woman has their own way of making sure they are getting the proper nutrients THEIR body needs. Everyone has a different body type and a different metabolism. Thus, just because one particular way of eating works for one person doesn’t mean it’s the best for another person.
I don’t think these blogs are trying to tell anyone exactly what they should be eating every day. Rather, these women are providing us with healthy meal ideas which all of us can benefit from. We should all look at these meals for ideas and then tweak them according to the needs of OUR own bodies.
Rachel says
Hi Kath, I’m just wondering about your reasoning behind using the disposable plates and ziplock bags for your lunches. Do you not have enough room in your bag to bring tupperware that can be reused? Just curious…thanks!
Courtney says
Everyone — thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and giving me advice! it’s nice to know that I’m not alone in this. admitting my problem and coming forward and talking to someone about it scares me, but I know it’s something I need to do. regarding the food blogs- I think they are a great way to show healthy eating period. I know that Kath counts her calories and measures food, but that is something that works for her and I do not think she has a problem. it is good to be aware of what and how much you’re putting into your body, but unlike Kath, I think I’m too obsessed and I in fact have a type of disorder. the blogs just give me great ideas for meals and reading the comments always help too.
kelly says
Kelly L – I personally love mighty leaf tea as well as republic of tea. I’m currently drinking Mighty Leaf’s vanilla bean tea and Republic of Tea’s get gorgeous. I love the vanilla bean tea because the vanilla adds a distinct, sweet flavor without sugar. Mighty Leaf and Republic of tea do run more expensive than Celestial, but I personally prefer the flavor and drink them more as a treat.
Katherine – I agree with all of the other posters that everyone’s goal weights are personal. Most BMI calculators online will give you a range of what is ‘healthy’ but I’ve also seen the suggestion that you aim for the lowest weight you were able to maintain for a year or more in high school. That is how I picked my weight and I have been able to maintain it without counting calories although like Mandy I eat healthy 90% of the time, I just don’t sweat the occasional fun meal or impulse meal because life is just too short and I do believe that eating can be both about sustainence and enjoyment.
Cait – Have you read the book Intuitive Eating? I read it after dieting and becoming SO preoccupied with food and it’s helped me get back to a more balanced way of eating. Essentially it made me realize that I needed to get back to eating by listening to my body and truly giving myself permission to eat whatever I wanted. I know that sounds like a death wish, but once I knew I could have a brownie whenever I wanted I started to realize they weren’t nearly as good as I fanasized them to be and now save my splurges for things that are really worth it. I highly recommend the book.
I think the posts about preoccupation with food are interesting. I think it’s hard to judge if Kath is or isn’t because if you’re blogging about food or exercise and trying to use it as a forum to help others out of course it’s going to seem like you’re focusing on it because the only access your blog readers have into your life is posts about food.
Emily says
I think it is very interesting to read everyone’s comments regarding food and eating habits. Like many of the other people that have commented today, I to have struggled with my own weight and relationship with food. I think something that has yet to be brought up is the viewpoint that each blogger has. Whether it be Kath that has lost a significant amount of weight and is looking to maintain or other bloggers that are solely looking to maintain and have stayed roughly around the same weight. I do have to say that I enjoy looking at a variety of food bloggers and to read their helpful hints and about their relationship with food. It is helping me become more thoughtful about everything that I put into my body as well as looking to be happy with my weight as opposed to having a warped viewpoint about what I “should” look like. So basically, thanks for everyone that comments, I enjoy reading them 🙂
goalie30 says
For those with restrictive eating/ eating disordered pasts (and present):
My best tips of advice would be to seek out the help from a professional such as your primary care physician/ PA/ or NP; they often can talk with you one on one about your health and nutrition status; they can also order blood work to make sure you’re not anemic or have a thyroid condition or other problem causing weight gain/ weight loss/ fatigue, etc. From there you can get a referral to a dietician/nutritionist and maybe even a psychologist. Most eating disorders stem from some type of psychological need for control; the person feels part of their life in some way is out of control so they turn to food and weight loss/ exercise as a way to control their life instead of dealing with the actual issues at hand. Most people do not recover from eating disorders on their own; they need a team approach to their treatment/ therapy to help them improve in small steps in terms of learning how to eat properly, learning how to manage stress and issues that cause them to restrict/overeat/overexercise, etc. I would not recommend merely viewing blogs or taking the advice of outsiders; this can be a serious medical condition that can lead to long term consequences (osteoporosis, amenorrhea/ no periods, fertility issues, liver/kidney problems, and even death in those with severe/long term disorders). So if you are suffering from an eating disorder/condition, please do not be afraid to see help from a professional as they can answer your questions better than just us bloggers can.
Kath says
Cara,
Yes, I need to ask around about a microwave. I imagine it’s for “teacher use only” or something though.
Mandy,
I rarely take note of the calorie burns on the machines so I’m not quite sure, but I want to say for the Stairmaster I’m usually at 275ish after 30 minutes and the monitor will be well over 350, so it’s pretty far off.
Sam and Amy,
It depends on the week! Some weeks I’m a super planner, and others we’re much more spur of the moment. But I’d say most of the time I make a meal plan of recipes I’m craving for that week (and check what’s on sale) and then make a grocery list of ingredients and shop for them on Sundays, sometimes Saturdays. I also add in things to just “have on hand” like carrots and plain yogurt. Then I do any major prepping on Sunday for my lunches during the week, which are harder to plan than the dinners (cook squash, chop up veggies, portion bags of trail mix for snacks, etc.) And I have our dinners in my Google calendar so I can remember what we’re having each night!!
Jessica,
I certainly can post the groceries. This week might be crazy because we’re going out of town, but I will next for sure.
Leslie,
My food is usually only out of the fridge from 8:30-11:30 and it’s with me in climate controlled places. I would never leave it in a hot car, but I think it’s fine to come to room temp. over a few hours. I wouldn’t pack dinner and leave it out all day, but lunch is usually consumed by 12 so I don’t worry about it.
Katherine,
The more I read about health and nutrition, the more I realized that the numbers just don’t matter. As cliche as it sounds, it’s how you feel on the inside that matters most. After reading SuperFoods HealthStyle, I decided I was just going to let nature run its course. As long as I was putting in the effort to eat the right foods and keep on exercising, I didn’t care what number the scale came back with. I think it’s one of those things that when you’ve lost a significant amount of weight you just KNOW when you’re completely satisfied with where you are. That’s probably a difficult mentality for some, but I hit that point sometime this summer, perhaps not coincidentally when I stopped weighing myself. Mandy’s response is GREAT advice and sort of mirrors what I said. It’s more about your effort than the number itself.
Sandy,
The flax I eyeball with a spoon, and the PB I use my zeroed food scale to subtract the weight out of the jar. When I used to eyeball PB a year or so ago, I was easily eating 2 tbsp and calling it 1. I have a horrible eye for portions. So I still use the scale for that since it’s a calorie dense food.
Heather,
You’re right. Todays meal needed a plate, but some don’t. I’ll make a point to only bring it if I need it. And paper would be better than plastic too.
Ryane,
Symphony Park at SouthPark mall is an outdoor concert venue where the CLT Symphony plays on Sundays in the summer. SouthPark mall is by far the best around. Check out Ballantyne Village too (www.ballantynevillage.com) As for schools, Davidson (my alma matar) is small and a little north of the city, Queens is small too but near the city, UNCC of course, and Winthrop is in Rock Hill, about 15 minutes south and is medium sized.
Brooke,
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=142
Thanks for the tea suggestions!! Both are on my list 🙂
Rachel,
No room for tupperware. My shoulders are already aching and my backpack is crammed with stuff. I save and reuse the ziplocks whenever I can. I hate making trash and hope I can find more ways around it besides my reusable bag and water bottle.
Thanks for the other great advice guys.
Kath
jessica says
thanks kath! i will be looking forward to your grocery post! have a fun weekend skiing- (once you make it thru the week lol)
Amy A. says
Hey now…I have to take issue with the criticisms of Kath that suggest she is in denial, preoccupied, overly obsessed, etc. with food and exercise. Of course, she is more cognizant of her daily food intake and exercise than the average Joe (Jane?), she is going to school to be a registered dietician! For all the bloggers that have been discussing their eating disorders here, if you were to seek professional help for your problem (and probably throw down some cash in the process), wouldn’t you want the professional to know more than the average joe??? It is in the best interest of her future career success for Kath to get preoccupied with the ins and outs of how to live a healthy lifestyle —so that when she assesses the unhealthy lifestyles of clients, she can determine what needs improvement and offer tips for how to get healthier. I bet Kath could put away the scale and maintain her portion control/weight etc., but she’s learned how to weigh the food and it helped her get to where she is, so why stop? I bet it’s just habit now – and easy – for her to weigh the food as she is preparing it. Just like it is easy to overeat because it is habit for one, it is just as easy to practice portion control because it is habit for another. (btw, that is just my perception of how Kath lives. Her intentions for why she chooses to weigh food, count calories, track calories burned, et al, could differ or be more complex than that, but I think, at least in some part, her habits are great practice for building up the experience she needs in order do succeed. And I think she is well on her way to success!
Kate says
I agree with Brittani that Kath’s preocupation with her food intake and calorie burn goes beyond reasonable weight management measures. That degree of control is obsessive. Visiting this site is depressing because most of us are busy living life and working 50+ hour weeks and cannot posssiby create the elaborate meals that Kath displays every single day. It’s great to “hit all food groups” but really, couldn’t you use that energy by performing some community service work, as most of the 25 year olds I know are doing? Your priorities are annoying.
I also agree with goalie that this site is not the place for those with eating disorders. As someone who had an eating disorder in my distant past, despite what the “celebrity” husband thinks, Kath’s behavior perpetuates the obsessions already present in these women. (Sorry to those of you who contend it is helpful, but I have been where you are and know your frame of mind all too well. At the very least, speak with your therapist about this.)
On the other hand, Jenna is a good role model and her relaxed attitude toward food and life might indeed be useful. She is absolutely someone to emulate.
Katie says
i have one word for everyone who is being rude… SHH!
seriously, though… do you people have nothing better to do than come on kath’s website and make her feel bad? she didn’t do anything to do and NO ONE is making you read her website.
we are all different people and all have different lifestyles… comparing kath (or any of us) to anyone else is just a waste of time because it’s completely meaningless. none of our bodies are the same and work in the same manner.
so just do us all a favor and leave. seriously.
kath might be a little obsessive about food (i mean that in a good way!), but so what? that’s why she’s going into nutrition… it’s because she thrives on thinking about food! it’s her passion! and there’s definitely nothing wrong with that…
katherine says
Mandy, Lauren, Kelly, and Kath
Thank you for your input – I am going to try to adopt that attitude from now on – i think it is a healthy attitude to have both mentally and physically – there really is no reason to struggle just to stay 5 lbs lighter and not have enough energy to actually enjoy life! This has helped me a lot – i feel happy about this attitude – thank you so much! 🙂
SC says
I think it’s a little ironic that there are GROWN women being so childish on this blog. If you don’t agree with Kath’s lifestyle that’s fine…use your time for other things than reading and making rude comments (such as “performing community service as most other 25 year olds are doing”?? Last time I looked a lof of 25 year olds were still hitting up the bars at night and trying to get their life in order) Obviously Kath is helping some of us…and we enjoy making POSITIVE suggestions and helping eachother with our own nutrition knowledge. I am studying to be an RD as well and I think about food all of the time…I love it, nutrition is my favorite thing to learn/talk about. I count my calories…so I guess that makes me “obsessive” and apparently I have “disordered eating” Please…give me a break. I am also a Spinning Instructor and Group Exercise Instructor, and from a fitness standpoint, Kath eats PLENTY of calories to support her lifestyle, she indulges occasionally, but most importantly SHE HAS A POSITIVE SELF IMAGE AND SHE IS HAPPY ABOUT HERSELF!!! Isn’t that where we should all strive to be?!?!
Adrienne says
Stop the criticisms! this is a blog about health, nutrition and food- its a great place to share our opinions, thoughts, recipes and ideas- Kath and all of us that look at this blog have something in common and thats the idea of health, nutrition, and the goal of leading a fulfilling and healthy life and feeling great because of it…so lets keep the blog about that.
Keep up the good blog, Kath- ur doing great…and everyone else, thanks for all of your input and ideas!
SC says
And one more thing…
For those who got on the husband for getting defensive of Kath…HE’S HER HUSBAND…THAT’S HIS JOB! Of course he is going to defend her when people are attacking her and her lifestyle! Good job husband! Way to protect your woman!
And…Before all of you negative Nancy’s get all “she can handle the criticism”…”she doesn’t need you to defend her SC”…”this is a public blog and she should expect critism”… hush, I don’t care. There is a difference between constructive criticism and claiming that someone has an eating disorder…And I (and lots of other readers) can defend her if I want!
mel says
I love this blog bc of all the time Kath (and her husband) put into it. I think Kath has a great relationship with food and knows how to keep her body and mind healthy and happy. I love how we can all HELP each other with tips, recipies, and positive advice!! have a great night everyone! Kath- keep up the fabulous work!
Mel
Kristin Point says
For anyone who said “this is not the place for people with eating disorders”-
(what are we lepers?! haha)
Yes, while this site should not be the only thing someone recovering, it deff helps for me at least. A year ago when i was not recovering I would not come here. Mostly because I would have been in denial that kath eats the calories she does and maintains her weight.
Kath maintains her weight and she is happy with herself. She is not hurting herself or her family or anything that we know of…so what if she likes to count calories and stuff? (I know that doesn’t work for me personally but I still love the blog and get great ideas from it.)
What people don’t understand about all of these blogs is that they are all different, and each blogger does what works for them. We should all just respect that.
Kristin Point says
I ment to add to the above that together with a treatment team of professionals healthy food blogs can help those recovering from EDs.
Recovering requires a lot of work on the patients part and reading health magazines, healthy food blogs and books just help re-shape the warped and negative view of food that you develop with an ED.
Mandy says
Sorry Kath- Regarding your reply:
“Mandy,
I rarely take note of the calorie burns on the machines so I’m not quite sure, but I want to say for the Stairmaster I’m usually at 275ish after 30 minutes and the monitor will be well over 350, so it’s pretty far off.”
–do you mean that the machine was (under estimating) at 275 while your heart rate monitor was 350ish? I find that surprising if so!
Emily says
I agree with Kristin Point. I saw a professional dietitian over a year ago and was classified as in the “recovery” stage. Food/Health Eating blogs are helpful to me in order to see what other people think is realistic; my dietitian thought it was a good idea, however, I do see her on a regular basis to keep up the progress that I have made.
I understand that as females the idea of food, and dieting, and body image may be difficult for us to grasp. In my own opinion, these blogs offer an insight into what these individual people eat, they are not saying what they think everyone should eat, by no means.
Kath says
Mandy,
Sorry! My HRM says the lower 275 and the monitor on the machine says 350. Poorly worded – thanks for clarifying.
Kath
Sara says
Kelly:
I LOVE tea and could drink it all day. My newest find that I can’t talk about enough is Lipton Vanilla Black Tea.
I can’t stand plain black tea so I wasn’t sure about this but it is just amazing! I am guilty though of adding 1 Splenda to most of my tea, but with some I find that my vanilla soy milk does the trick.
Other favourites:
-Tetley Pomegranate Green Tea
-Celestial Seasonings Candy Cane Lane, Apple & Cinnamon, Chocolate Caramel Enchantmen Chai, Pear White Tea and English Toffee Dessert Tea
I love gingerbread and actually didn’t care too much for the CS’s gingerbread one myself. Hope that helps!
Kelly says
Thanks everyone for the tea feedback! I’m going shopping 🙂
teafan says
I buy the tazo teas. very strong, flavorful, great cold or iced. Sometimes I mix diff brews together. Have you ever used an infuser, not tea bags/but loose tea. It’s a much purer flavor. Really makes it festive. White teas are lovely, mild and flavorful. I have a loose white tea called lemon souffle that I love. no sugar needed.
Sara says
And SC, I completely agree with you. If people don’t agree with Kath’s lifestyle and habits, great, I would expect that not everyone would. But calling someone out about an eating disorder is really unfair in my opinion, when, like others have said, this is a FOOD blog and is only a small snapshot of Kath’s life, as it relates to food and exercise!
I really dislike how in today’s society people feel the need to call someone anorexic and eating disordered so freely without knowing the facts.
If people are this against what Kath is doing, please just leave. Yes, I am sure she can ‘handle’ the insults, but that is what they are, insults. Constructive criticism is one thing, but in my opinion (and obviously other’s) this goes far beyond constructive criticism. Don’t read if it is ‘depressing’ like some of you have said.
I have to say to Kath that I love the way you are handling this and keep up the wonderful work. There are so many of us that get excited to come to your blog every day and see what new ideas you have for us!
kellie says
C’mon folks, take this blog for what it is. Kath has absolutely no professional credentials to be counselling anyone on matters of health, and she has a total of 25 years of living experience, so keep your expectations reasonable. I agree that she is a bit fixated on numbers. At that age, it’s understandable that she is grasping for control. I am sure her philosphy will evolve as she matures and the really important issues take center stage.
Mandy says
Thanks for clarifying Kath! I always assumed the machines were over-estimating about 50-100 cals. 🙂
AM says
Well put, Kellie! Kath is most definitely not “every woman” (as Chaka Khan put it, haha) so taking the blog for what it is, is great advice.