I was in the mood for fruit again this morning so I settled on a continental breakfast of a bagel + fruit.
Half a wheat bagel with a thin layer of almond butter and a thick layer of raspberry jam –
Plus a bowl of mixed fruit – a plum, half a banana, some sliced strawberries –
And 3 slices of juicy watermelon
It was filling in a weird way. I feel like my stomach is full but the hunger is still present. Hopefully it’ll go away upon further digestion.
I am headed to the gym in an hour or so, then I’ve got a weird schedule. I’m meeting the dietitian at 12:45 on a client site to sit in on a few nutrition counseling sessions. The site is a good 30 minute drive though, so I need to leave around noon. What to do with lunch?! I’ve debated having a snack at 11:30 and lunch after, but that would mean lunch around 4pm, which is too late. I guess I could split the portions half and half. I’ll just have to see how hungry I am by 11:30.
caitlinbo says
hahah kath, you are so good. i would just eat two lunches 🙂
Melissa (the other one) says
Good Morning 🙂
Kath, I was just curious how things were going with the “no counting calories” thing…..I know you don’t generally weigh yourself, but have you noticed a difference at all or is it getting easier to self monitor it??
Have fun today – I just decided to go back to school to become and RD too and made the “big announcement” on my blog 🙂 I can’t wait to sit in on consultations, etc…..how cool!!??!!
Kath says
Melissa (the other one,
It’s going well. I am still estimating in my head – with breakfasts around 400, lunches around 500, snacks 200-300, dinners 500 or so (they just end up that way – I’m not putting “limits” on them.) But I think I’ve been eating more intuitively than ever – not having a snack just because it’s snack time, etc. I also think I put on a half pound or whatever during my back-to-back vacations so I’m trying to keep the treats fewer this week.
Congrats on your big decision!!!!!!!!!!! So far the time is flying by for me. 2010 will be here before I know it. Best of luck 🙂
Kath
VeggieGirl says
A very red breakfast :0)
Heather says
I think you win the award for getting the most varieties of fruit into one meal 🙂
Sitting in on nutrition counseling sessions sounds really interesting- have fun!
oatmeal says
Mmmm watermelons! Maybe the high water content makes your stomach feels full, but really you need to eat more? Just a wild guess 😛
Have fun at the nutrition counselling sessions! Should be quite interesting 😀
Megan says
I noticed the other day that you found Amy Lu chicken sausages in Columbia…where did you find them?! I love them but haven’t been able to find them locally and even gave in and ordered a bunch off the internet!
Becca A says
I’m having that same feeling of knowing I’m full but still wanting to eat…I think its because I usually eat breakfast and fly out the door and today I got a call saying I don’t need to be in until 11…
Betsy says
it’s almost August and I still haven’t had any watermelon!!!! I need to buy some asap-everyone’s has been looking too good to pass up.
Rose says
I love your breakfast today – what a great combination of foods (and fruit!).
kelly717 says
Kath,
Did you seriously just post that you gained HALF A POUND? I feel so bad for you if can honestly notice that…or even care about it at all. Why are you so hard on yourself? I think you’re a really intelligent woman, so it strikes me as quite odd that you would mention your efforts to lose a half a pound. I think it’s important to remember that healthy eating and nutrition are an essential part of a healthy life, but it’s only a PART. We we all be remembered for the good we do in this world, not our ability to maintain the exact same number on the scale for as long as we can.
Allison K. says
Kelly717-
you are right, healthy eating is just a PART of a healthy life. Just like this blog, and it’s content is only a PART of Kath’s life. We can only know what she shares with us. It seems logical to me, that on a blog where a woman shares her meals and her workouts, and her weightloss story, that she would post bout 1/2 a pound weight gain.
ErinM says
I NEVER comment on blogs (I would rather just read/follow along and keep my opinions to myself), but I had to post due to kelly717’s comment (which Kath may end up pulling down since I know she monitors the comments now). Although, I also found it slightly odd that Kath specifically mentioned “half a pound”, I thought it was really interesting that she could notice the “gain” and alter her behavior this week based on it (she mentioned she was going to pay a little more attention to snacks, etc. this week to compensate for the gain). I have to say, I am NOT there yet with my own eating – I am still working to be that intuitive. I will say that I think most of us are trying to get to a place where we can maintain our weight easily and healthfully – it appears to me that Kath is able to do that. While I agree that the number on the scale isn’t everything, I do think it is important to pay attention to your body’s response to what you eat and make allowances to stay healthy – that is really what Kath is doing. While I do sometimes initially think some of her comments may sound obsessive, when I sit back and think about them, I realize that some of those same thoughts go through my head – I just don’t have a blog where I give others access to those thoughts. Kath obviously enjoys this blog and I think most of us appreciate her honesty and openess. Sometimes it does seem like she is “too perfect”, but it certainly gives me something to aspire to. That is just my two cents….for whatever it is worth.
kelly717 says
Allison,
Really? I actually disagree…I don’t think it is all that healthy to post about a 1/2 lb weight gain, or even to notice it. I believe that goes against the principles of intuitive eating and nutrition. I think this is a very interesting dialogue though so I hope others chime in!
PS, I in no way intend to offend Kath…I really love her blog and read it whenever I can. I just hate to see women so worried about a pound here, and pound there. Who cares!
Justy2003 says
I don’t think Kath weighs herself anymore (from what she’s previously said), so she probably just FEELS like she gained a little weight…don’t we all after a week or so of vacations/eating out? I know after a period of time where I’ve been indulging more than I know I should, I try to cut back a little on the snacks/treats. It’s all a part of the balance that comes with healthy eating.
Julz says
I always have TONS of fruit for breakfast 🙂 Along with Fage and lots of English Breakfast Tea it always fills me up perfectly, hydrates, and makes me feel fabulous 🙂 It’s really the only breakfast that feels good in my tummy… I know, so strange, I tried Oatmeal again about 4-5 months ago and it made me feel SO sick and nauseous! So weird! Oh well, so be it! Enjoy your day with your Dietician!
Allison K. says
Kelly717-
I agree with you, people today are VERY obsessed with the numbers on the scale, and that isn’t healthy.
My point is just that on a blog of this nature…it makes sense for her to post about how her eating has affected her weight, and how she changes her habits to get back to a point where she feels happy.
And at the end of the day, it’s her blog so she can post whatever she wants, healthy or not.
kelly717 says
Allison,
Agreed. You are right, this is Kath’s blog. But, it’s a blog that allows for comments, so I think having dialogue about health and well-being is great! I’m sure that Kath doesn’t want her blog to be a bubble that only includes her feelings and opinions (if I’m wrong Kath, totally call me out on it!) otherwise she would just keep a food diary and not share her life with other people. The nature of the blog is to spread knowledge and opinion. It’s great!
Chelsea says
I see some deleting in you future 😉
Maybe you don’t feel “full” because there was very little protein in your breakfast? I always find that protein makes me feel fuller faster and longer. That was my initial thought 🙂
Kim says
Julz, I am the exact same way. It may be because I drink lots of coffee before breakfast, which is sort of filling, but a bowl of fruit (with yogurt or Ryvita, and a few nuts) is the perfect breakfast – light, but satisfying.
Kath, maybe if you added a tablespoon or two of nuts, or a little yogurt, it’d be just enough protein and fat to completely satiate? I eat mostly fruit for breakfast, but while all that water fills me up, it burns off rapidly. So if I don’t supplement it with something a little more substantial, I’ll be starving again in an hour or so.
caitlinbo says
sometimes i can’t take the ridiculousness.
cleaning up your diet to lose a little weight you put on vacation is NOT UNHEALTHY. it’s actually BALANCED BEHAVIOR.
JJ125 says
I don’t see anything wrong with noticing half a pound weight gain and counteracting it… as someone who has lost 60 pounds in the past, what has helped me keep it off for 5+ years is staying in tune with my body and noticing small amounts of weight gain. It is too easy to say, “oh, well half a pound doesn’t matter…” because half a pound not mattering this week, is half a pound not mattering next week and so on… until before you realize it you have gain a significant amount of weight. Part of maintaining weight loss is balancing out indulgences with healthy eating so these half a pounds don’t pile up.
Jenny says
I don’t think Kath posted that she gained a half pound because she’s worried about it or obsessed with her weight. She actually noted it in an answer to a question. I think it was more in the spirit of noting the gain and cutting back to compensate. It’s not much weight, but then she didn’t say she was necessarily concerned about it either. She’s on a maintenance diet. (Diet meaning the food that you eat and not a weight-loss program.) The whole point of a maintenance diet and intuitive eating is to remain at a fairly constant weight. A half pound is no big deal. Two pounds is really no big deal. But, if you don’t arrest the gain when you see it, it can turn into twenty pounds, which is a big deal. That’s what happened to me last summer. I found out at my annual check-up that I had gained twenty pounds in a year. Okay, so maybe twenty pounds isn’t a big deal – but, what if I gain twenty more the next year? Now we’re at forty. It happens so much more quickly and easily than you think. A bite of this here, an extra dessert there. Boom. I’m not Kath, so I can’t answer for her, but my interpretation was that she wasn’t concerned about the half pound but was aware of it and is trying to nip it in the bud. That’s all. I don’t think she’s weight-obsessed. BTW, I lost that stinkin’ twenty pounds and four more to boot. I sure don’t want to go down that road again 😉
SarahF says
Kelly717,
What I got from Kath’s comment was that she felt like she had gained half a pound. So it wasn’t that she noticed herself 1/2 a pound bigger-she just felt a little heavier. Which I think everyone feels after a few days (or weeks) of eating differently than usual (with more treats or alcohol). I think the way that she’s responding to that is also the same way that most people (or at least most people who read food blogs) would respond to it. She’s watching what she eats a little bit more carefully.
I know that whenever I come back from vacation I always try and eat as healthy as I can and maintain my exercise habits. I am by no means chained to my scale (I actually don’t even own one) but I like the feeling when I’m at my best-eating healthy and exercising regularly-which isn’t the case when you’re away from home.
Sorry to ramble on for so long. Just wanted to add my 2 cents into the conversation
Emily says
Also, anyone who has ever GAINED ten or twenty pounds knows that a half pound is how it starts. It’s a heck of a lot easier to take off half a pound than ten pounds. So maybe it’s obsessive, but I’m not sure women who have never done the ‘up and down’ on the scale that Kath has understand that sometimes that level of weight monitoring is necessary and even makes things easier in the long run.
SarahF says
Oh also-this has nothing to do with what I just posted- how much protein should a person be getting in a day? I posted yesterday about how I want to build some muscle (and did a strength training this morning that has me so sore I can barely move) and I feel like I should amp up my protein intake (a rough estimate shows me getting somewhere in between 50-75 grams a day) but I don’t know how much I should be getting. Plus I’m confused because some people say that you don’t want too much protein and most Americans are getting too much, and other people say that you should take protein supplements…any help would be great!
Thanks 🙂
adria says
Oh I hate that feeling of being full yet still hungry! What I hate even more: having what should be a filling snack and not feeling full and still being starving!-like i am right now 🙁
Christie says
I agree with Jenny. I WISH I were in the place that Kath is in. I do my best to eat intuitively and fight the diet mentality but I think nipping a gain in the bud is a completely healthy attitude. She didn’t say she is obsessivly counting calories or skipping lunch, she said she is keeping an eye on snacks.
Melissa (the other one) says
I second Emily’s comment! Having been there myself, a half pound becomes a pound, which becomes 5, which becomes 10, etc. Plus, she didn’t mention it in the blog…..Kath only brought it up because I asked how the intuitive eating was going! Sorry if I started something but this is what the blog is all about! Thanks for sharing your experiences Kath!
Ruby Red Vegan says
I know exactly what you mean about having a full stomach but still being a little hungry — that happens a lot if I eat a ton of bulk (as in, lots of fruits and veggies) in a meal, but only a little of something else!
TP says
Wow…speaking as an English Literature major, y’all should think about becoming an English major, you have some major close reading skills! It’s funny how much close reading goes on for Kath’s discussion of her eating. lol.
Anyway, not that I think Kath’s 1/2 pound comment is a symbol of the end or the world (nor do I think it is some negative influence on people or evidence of an eating disorder), the discussion of focusing on weight in this forum is interesting (although bittersweet since it was initially getting at Kath???). I agree that there is a focus on weight in our country that is just hard to shake off. I see “lose weight” everywhere…and perhaps it’s targeted at people who need it, but I find myself struggling with that now. I am currently using the workout advice from the Abs Diet (not really a diet), but in this process have gone from 116 to 122. This is the most I have weighed in my life. But I weightlift three days a week and run three days a week and eat just as well as I always have. My body looks better and I have more energy. And yet the scale keeps going up! It is so hard to shut up my discouraged voice as the scale increases! Not that I think I am super skinny or anything, but I know this voice is wrong since I am doing the right thing. So anyway, that’s my comment on weight in society…it’s just weird how much of a negative influence it could have at times (however this is not me saying Kath’s comment was by any means unhealthy). Just adding to the discussion on weight.
BethT says
Personally, I wish I’d paid more attention to “little gains” of one half and one pound. Then maybe I wouldn’t have regained 15 pounds I lost a few years ago. People who are successful at keeping weight off are constantly vigilant, and I don’t think that’s a bad thing.
mh says
tp, I would say put up the scale! since working out more I have also gained a few lbs (of muscle) and even though the scale says I am 5 lbs up I look more muscular and trim. I used to weigh myself everymorning and the scale would sometimes dictate my mood, so I just put it away , now everyday starts great! the weight on the scale doesn’t account for muscles so please just go by how you feel!
Sami- hey! I saw your comment from yesterday and my advice to you would be to work on your perfecionist attitude! it has caused me trouble in the past (ed, crying if I don’t get straight A’s and trying to please everyone even if i’m unhappy). I’ve learned to lighten up and worry about my own needs (as well as others but If i’m not happy, I can’t help anyone else!) and just have some fun in life!!
Hil says
SarahF–You don’t need to worry about getting enough protein unless you are vegan or avoiding most meat and dairy. As for getting too much, “most Americans” may be getting more protein than they need because people have no idea what a reasonable meat portion size looks like. (How many people do you know who actually limit themselves to 3 oz. of red meat per serving?) I don’t think it’s at all clear that most health conscious/dieting individuals are getting too much protein. I would just listen to your body. I know that I definitely feel the best if I include some protein at every meal. It isn’t hard to do…I eat nonfat yogurt and peanut butter with breakfast, beans, tofu or whole grains and lowfat cheese with lunch, and a few ounces of meat with dinner. Serious weight lifters might need more protein than I do, and I know plenty of people who feel their best when they eat less. Eat real food, listen to your body, and don’t stress about getting enough protein unless you are vegan or near-vegan.
I would stay away from protein supplements…they are fake food and they just aren’t necessary if you’re eating a good variety of real food.
tfh says
I find when I eat almond (or other nut) butter and jam on my english muffins in the morning, I can make the combination a lot more filling just by sprinkling a little flaxseed and cinnamon on top. Tastes good, too!
Fitzalan says
Hello fruity feast! That looks great! Hope all your session went well today!
Diane–I agree with Haya. I am not a huge cottage cheese fan (gets boring), but I love mine mixed with granola/raisins or cinnamon/sugar.
sweets&sweats
Another Kelly says
Did I miss something? Is there a KERF cookbook in the works?
As someone who practices intuitive eating I think it’s less about whether or not you notice you’ve gained than the attitude you bring to it. I used to beat myself up over every pound which was completely counterproductive because I can fluctuate about 3 pounds naturally even if my eating is relatively constant. However, now I’ve stopped weighing myself and take everything in stride. It’s unrealistic to expect your weight to be 100% the same day in and day out I think it’s just about aiming for an average and adjusting accordingly. I think one of the challenges with reading a blog is that you don’t always get the most accurate picture of someone’s tone so it’s really too hard to judge whether someone is taking something in stride or letting it control them.
TracyJ says
Carrie- I think you posted the question yesterday about a good strength-training video…I bought Jari Love’s: Ripped and Chiseled a few months ago. I thought the dvd was great and definitely feel like I get a good workout when I use it…which, unfortunately, hasn’t been for awhile:(
PS says
Amen, BethT! My thoughts exactly.
Foodie (Fab and Delicious Food) says
I love having fruit for breakfast 🙂
Diane says
Seeing as a lot of you food-bloggers are huge cottage cheese fans I was hoping you could give me some help…
I tried cottage cheese once and I HATED it. I took about two spoonfulls and threw it away- which is big for me because I’m really not a picky eater at all. I want to give poor cottage cheese another chance to win me over. I think the reason I didn’t like it is because i tried it plain- what should I mix it with? Regular yogurt or flavored yogurt? Any suggestions?
haya says
diane – what about mixing it with some pineapple or a spoonful of jam
it’s also good with a drizzle of honey or cinnamon/sugar
BethT says
Diane, I like scooping up cottage cheese with yummy crackers (esp. the flavored triscuits – yum!!). Makes it more like a dip.
Emily says
I love my cottage cheese savory – it’s really good with salt, pepper, and chopped green onions or sliced tomatoes. I also like putting on baked potatos – kind of like sour cream! Buttttt….for someone who isn’t into the flavor if it, I might go sweet – try it with a half cup of applesauce. Or really any fruit – peaches or blueberries go really well. Maybe it’s a texture thing? The whipped kind is less ‘curdy’ if that would help.
KatieTX says
cottage cheese + splenda packet + a peach = amazing
I have to have sugar in my cottage cheese!
ModelBehavior says
My goodness Kath, you got more variety of fruit in one meal then I get in a week! Nice!
runjess says
Since we’re on the topic of weight:
I don’t own a scale because I don’t want to get obsessed with weighing myself every single day. However, I do like to keep track, so I weight myself 1-2 times a week at the gym. But, my gym doesn’t keep their scale calibrated very well. It’s one of those scales that uses balances, and often it will not be balanced when both sliders are set at 0. Is there a way to tell how far off from the real number it is, or should I just not bother weighing myself at all when it’s like this?
Sami says
-mh-
“ed, crying if I don’t get straight A’s and trying to please everyone even if i’m unhappy”
Yeah, that pretty much sums it up, haha.
cat says
hey, is anyone here from denver? i’m moving back on friday (graduated from cu boulder in 2004) and looking for new friends… especially runners!
mh says
aww sami, please don’t feel like you have to live like that! you are so young, about the age my problems started, and I don’t want to see you waste precious time (like I did with an Ed) you could be spending loving life! do you see a therapist or anyone? I’d recommend one! its just great to get things off your chest! take care girl
Kim says
Diane, the only cottage cheese I can eat is the Friendship Whipped variety. Since it’s smooth, you can almost pretend it’s ricotta 😉 I used to spread it on toast or crackers and then top with honey and blueberries. Not bad at all!
Kath says
Megan ,
Unfortunately those were from the Fresh Market here in Charlotte and hauled down in a cooler 🙁
SarahF ,
The recommendation is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight, perhaps slight more (1 grams/kg) for those hoping to gain muscle. However, there is no conclusive research to suggest that athletes need more protein than the average person. More calories yes, which by percent would increase grams of protein, but not any higher percentage of calories. HTH.
Another Kelly,
It’s not my own cookbook, but I am developing 26 recipes to contribute to a collective cookbook written by many others too.
Kath
Me. says
Hey Kath!
I was just wondering if -you- could explain what you meant by that comment? I mean, everyone else is kind of assuming different things – so, why not clear it up for all of us? Give us your opinion on the topic, and your viewpoint! That is what this blog is about, right?
And, I was also just wondering…do you ever find that you come off as someone different on this blog, than in reality? And by that I mean, on this blog you come off as though you’re perfect. Which, let’s face it, can be either a positive or a negative thing. I mean, I wish I had the ability to have the same relationship that you have with food (currently struggling with an ED, and all that fun stuff). So, yes, I’m very jealous.
But on the other hand, I’m kind of skeptical. I mean, can someone actually be as perfect as you are? You get straight A’s, you have a great husband, you have enough money to go on vacation on a fairly regular basis while buying tons of fresh (expensive) food, you have a great family, you’re fit, you rarely have any problems with motivation… you never have any problems, PERIOD! And, I know people are going to say, “Well, this is a FOOD blog – of course she won’t bitch and complain about the other aspects of her life!” but…it’s just unsettling reading this, sometimes. I think someone once said that reading this blog was like reading a magazine – you take it with a grain of salt. Which, I’ve started to do, because I can’t believe (or comprehend) that someone can be that perfect.
So, after all of this typing, I guess I’m just asking if this is how your life really is, or if you edit out chunks that you don’t like? And, of course, about the question at the top. What did you mean by that comment? May as well clear the air, right?
And, wow….I hope this doesn’t get deleted. If it does, I guess it does, but at least you’ve read it, right?
Take care.
molly says
this is discussion that has come up several times before in the past — there is a very fine line between necessary vigilance and being overly obsessive in terms of eating habits & weight monitoring. in my opinion, there is no clear cut way to differentiate someone who is vigilant versus someone who is being obsessive (aside from “a negative impact on one’s life” but still, that is equally subjective and difficult to gauge).
a lot of us have struggled in the past with eating habits and weight monitoring (in recovery from an ED), so i think we tend to assume kath is being overly obsessive, when she is not. her approach would never work for me– but it seems to work for her.
Kath says
Me,
I didn’t respond because I think a lot of readers cleared up how I meant the comment themselves, and I was saving myself typing. So to sum it up, I don’t weigh myself, I don’t know if or how much I have gained, but I FEEL like I’ve put on a little and am just cutting back to get back to where I was pre-vacation. I don’t see anything abnormal about that, and I think the comments summed it up well for me. Being in tune with small gains is how I’ve been able to maintain my weight mostly effortlessly for the past year and a half.
I definitely don’t think I am perfect – just search through the archives and you’ll see times when I’ve struggled with eating. I have never claimed to have perfect eating habits and don’t think I ever will. I will probably always struggle with overeating at special events, but hey, don’t most people? I think what I’ve learned in my 3 year weight loss journey is that no one is making you eat this or that, it’s a choice you make. What some credit to motivation, I credit to choice. Sure, sometimes the choice is a hellofa lot easier than other times (or medical or mental conditions influence decision making), but I choose to get up to workout, to have a smaller portion, to skip dessert or whatever. I am so much happier now than I ever was when I was overweight and eating whatever I wanted.
As for the blog being real, what you see is 100% my personality. I would never lie about something I ate or exercise in a post. 98% of what I eat is on here (save bites of this and this) but I’d never eat something significant and not post it or at the very least, mention it in words. But as for my personal life, there are definitely things I choose not to share. Good things and bad things. Hopefully that shouldn’t matter, but I do have a whole life outside of food and exercise and no, it’s not perfect. I am very fortunate and appreciative of the opportunities that I have been given in my life, and I strive to enjoy every moment.
Hope that answers your questions,
Kath
mh says
thanks for such a positive response to come criticism Kath. don’t let it get to you…people just have different opinions and like to freely give them! haha! enjoy your night
Jada says
I really appreciate you allowing the variety of comments and opininions on your blog.The diversity of opinions is what draws me to read the comments.
It sounds like you are a perfectionist type personality,but there is nothing wrong with that!it just means some of us will be taken aback occasionally by the precise detailing of everything.Sometimes we may wonder is this is a healthy way to balance one’s life,but what is normal for one could become a negative for another.To each our own.
I do think anyone with a serious eating order should try and stay away from food/weightloss blogs in general if this throws them out of kilter.
One comment may be uplifting for one person and jarring for another.
Vive la difference!
Sami says
-mh
I’d be happy to talk more about this. But, I don’t think other commenters on here would really like it. =/
[email protected] <— If you have any advice. Thanks. =]