For those of you who have been following Esther’s weight loss journey, she continues to do very well.  19 weeks into her weight loss journey, Esther is down a total of 17 pounds! Her current weight is 131 pounds, down from 148 pounds. And even more importantly, she has lost a lot of inches, especially in the lower abdominal area. Esther said she has had to buy all new pants.  (Pic below is of Esther and Stephanie, a co-worker who attended Esther’s gym on a guest pass)

Esther’s starting              Esther’s current
measurements:                measurements:

May 2008                        Oct 2, 2008
Arm: 12″                                  12 3/4″
Natural waist: 30 1/2 “            29″
Lower abs : 36   ”                     31″
Hips:  42 1/2 “                         39″
Thighs: 25 3/4 ”                      22 1/2″

Conversation with Esther: 
She told me that her major goal is to get under 130 pounds by the end of October. This will mark the end of 6 months of her weight loss journey. We talked about how her weight loss has been slowing down in the past month.  A slow down in weight loss is not unusual as someone gets closer to their goal weight. This happens for 2 reasons: 1. The body is “fighting you” as you try to get to the lower weight because that is not your usual weight   2.  We tend to get a little less strict on our eating plan as more time goes by.  

Esther and I had a “heart to heart” phone session to brainstorm ways to help her meet her goal. We identified two major problem areas that are slowing her progress:

Problem #1:. Socializing with too much food and alcohol continues to be a major problem for her. I’m sure many of us can relate to this.  Business lunches/dinners, events, meeting up with friends … all these occasions revolve around food and / or alcohol.

Proposed solution: Do more planning. Esther and I talked about her upcoming events for the week and planned on which nights she would have alcohol and how much. We also talked about how to handle the food situations at these events. Planning is key! I also do this with my private clients when they come to my office.

Problem #2:  I also noticed on her food records that she has been snacking more after dinner on the nights she is home. Esther reports feeling hungrier now and thinking about food more after dinner as compared to when she first started the eating plan.

Proposed Solution: Make sure she fills up on a lot of veggies at dinner. Keep fewer snacks at home. While Esther is great about buying healthy portion controlled snacks to keep at home, sometimes she has too much of a variety available. Studies have shown the the more choices you have available, the more you will eat. (This is why we overindulge at buffets). Esther sometimes has a little buffet of snacks available at home!  We also talked about her spending more time at night at the new Equinox, which is practically across the street from where she lives (if it ever opens …. the opening has already been delayed!)
(Pic on the right is of a buffet… no - not in Esther’s apartment)

Four days of Esther’s food records:

Thursday September 18, 2008     
Breakfast     
coffee     
4 oz of 4% cottage cheese     
Lunch:     
Amy’s vegetarian lasagna - 300 calories     
Harvest in the Square - EVERYTHING WAS BITE SIZE     OK - I have a mean streak and have to post this day!
crab cake 1/2     
slice of roast duck on sm potato pancake     
1/2 crab cake     
Indian chicken curry w/ rice 1/2
grilled slice of steak w.o bread
1 grilled shrimp w/ gongozola
pumpkin & chiorzo soup
octopus & potato salad   
inside of steak slider   
1/2 pulled pork w/o bun   
2 sm ribs, taste of mac n cheese   
2 pieces kelbasa w/cherry tomato   
1 tiny piece mozarella w/ cherry tomato   
sm piece fluke on lettuce   
tastes of wine total prob 2 glasses   
marshmallow shake 1 1/2   
bite of chocolate cake   
panna cotta w/ berries   

Monday September 15, 2008    
Breakfast    
coffee    
green tea (upset stomach)    
Lunch    
green tea (upset stomach)    
Kashi frozen entrée, chicken w/veg & grains 290 calories    
Dinner    
sm piece grilled salmon    
steamed broccolini w/ 1 tbs olive oil & lemon    
1 tablespoon of dill sauce    
1 cup of steamed brown rice    
15 mini M&M’s    

Thursday September 25,2008   
Breakfast
coffee   
Kashi go lean bfast bar
Lunch   
1 roasted chicken breast   
1/2 pita bread   
mixed salad oil & vinegar   
1/4 cup grilled cauliflower   
Dinner 
Celantano Eggplant Rollatino 350 calories   
sharataki noodles sauteed in 2 tbs olive oil & garlic   
2 pieces string cheese   
1 plum   
1 sm bag pirate booty 130 calories   
100 cal jello pudding   
100 cal oreo   
15 almonds   

Saturday September 27, 2008
Breakfast
banana 
coffee 
lunch 
turkey, w/3 slices turkey bacon 
on lite bread w/ lite mayo 
Dinner out w/ friends
2 glasses Prosecco 
2 glasses red wine 
small plates shared: 
mini meatballs 
pasta w/squid ink (a big forkful)
pasta w/fresh clams (a big forkful)
lasagna (1/3 cup)
zucchini flower stuffed 
octopus w/potato salad 
1/2 roll w/ olive oil & salt dip  
1 crostini w/codfish, olives, mushrooms  

Did Esther meet her goals for the last 2 weeks?

Esther’s game plan:

1. As I mentioned above, I suggested Esther keep fewer snacks in her apartment.
2. Work more on planning alcohol/ food intake at social occasions for the week ahead.
3. 1300-1400 calories
4. Exercise: private training 2x, pilates 1-2x, cardio 3-4x
5. Weigh portions of protein at night. It is difficult for me to estimate your calories if I don’t know the exact portions.
6. 4 alcoholic drinks a week. Be strict!!

(pic to the right is of Esther’s new spinning shoes. She bought them a gift to herself to help keep her motivated to take spinning classes. I think it is a great idea to buy yourself new workout clothing, gadgets or equipment on occasion to help motivate yourself!)

Keep up the great work! We are cheering for you to meet your goal of getting under 130 by the end of October.

Related posts

• Esther’s Weight Loss Journey:Progress Report #7 (0)
• Your Plate or Mine? An Excerpt from my Colleague’s Book (4)
• Will Eating Late at Night Make Me Gain Weight? (0)
• Why Do Guys Lose Weight Quicker Than Women? (0)
• When it’s No Longer a Diet (0)

Esther has dropped another pound and is getting near her short term goal of 130. Her weight is now 132 - done another pound from my last progress report and down a total of 16 pounds! She managed to make it through a birthaday party in Boston (with girls who like their wine and food!) and the Entourage Premiere Party with flying colors.  (Pics are of a svelte Esther doing pilates)

My interview with Esther:

Martha:  I hear you are were at a birthday party in Boston.  I know these girls like to eat and drink. How did you handle it?
Esther: I did better than in the past at the party. And on Sunday when all the leftovers were put out,  I had one serving and then sat on the couch to avoid overindulging.  Also, some of the girls hadn’t seen me since I started this journey and their positive reactions kept me wanting to stay on track.

Martha:  Overall, do you feel like some of the changes you are making are a real lifestyle change?
Esther: The more progress I make the more motivated I get.

5 days of Esther’s food records:

Saturday
Breakfast
iced coffee
1 banana
Lunch
diet soda
WENDY’S cheeseburger
4 french fries
4 Swedish Fish
Dinner  PARTY IN BOSTON    (pic is of Paula and Esther at birthday party in Boston)
1 martini
4 glasses red wine
2 stuffed mushrooms, 2 crabcakes, 1 beef skewer
1/4 cup sesame noodles, 1 pot sticker
sm portion antipasto
handful pistacio nuts
1 brownie, 2 pieces chocolate    (pic is of John and Lissy at Boston party.  I used to teach aerobics with Lis over 15 years ago! Yikes)

Sunday
coffee
1/2 cup antipasto salad
1/4 cup chicken salad
1/2 cup stuffed mushrooms (w/sausage)
1 cracker
sm piece brie
grapes
Dinner
shirataki noodles w/ sardines, black olives
1 oreo cookie, 100 calorie pudding

Monday September 8th
Breakfast
4 oz 4% cottage cheese
iced coffee
Lunch
mixed salad w/ olive oil & vinegar
grilled chicken kebab
2oz feta cheese
Dinner
mixed salad w/ olive oil & vinegar
grilled lamb kebab
1 grilled chicken leg
1 cup orzo

Tuesday September 2  
Breakfast    
iced coffee    
1/2 cup tuna salad (Eli’s)    
Lunch    
1 tomato w/ sea salt & vinegar    
kashi entrée’ shrimp w/ veg & grains    
iced tea ( unsweetened)    
Dinner    
The Pump - POPEYE    
grilled chicken, tahini, spinach & brown rice    
pellegrino    

Friday September 5
iced coffee
Lunch
4 pieces sushi, 1 california roll
sm salad w/ japanese dressing
Dinner
grilled chicken breast
4 oz greek haloumi cheese
sharataki noodles
20 almonds
15 grapes

My comments on Esther’s food records and goals for the next 2 weeks:

1. Congrats on handling several potentially difficult situations well! Your average caloric intake was on track.

2. You also did quite well with the exercise. Sticking to your exercise goals for 17 weeks is impressive!

3. As suggested in previous posts, I need to see how many ounces of meat or protein you are consuming (on occasion). Keep in mind that an extra ounce of meat (50 calories) a day can make you gain 5 pounds a year! So pick up a food scale near where you live. BTW - they sell them at Gracious Homes near your apartment.

4. While the Pump restaurant has really healthy good food, your choice (Popeye) tends to be higher in calories and fat due to the tahinini sauce. I know that the calories aren’t posted on their menu yet, however it is my educated guess that this entree it is a little too high in calories for you. Make another choice that doesn’t contain tahini sauce - or a least get it on the side and use only 1Tablespoon. FYI- tahini sauce has 90 calories and 8 gm of fat per Tablespoon!

5. Be careful with the haloumi cheese. It contains 90 calories and 11 gm of fat per ounce!

6. You did well with adding in salads, but continue to work on addding in more cooked veggies at night. Aim for at least one fruit a day.

7. Continue with 1300-1400 calories and 2 private training sessions, 1 pilates session, 3 cardio sessions or more and as much walking as possible.

8. Enjoy the Harvest in the Sqaure… but don’t go crazy!

Related posts

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• Esther’s Weight Loss Journey:Progress Report #7 (0)
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• Beware of Snacks at the Bar (1)

How many of you find your hand wandering towards the bowl of nuts, popcorn, chips, etc. while sitting at your local bar/restaurant? These snacks are usually loaded with calories and fat.  And of course salt to make you thirsty which will encourage you to drink more. These tempting snacks are strategically placed on the bar and can be quite problematic for those people watching their weight.

Like most city girls and guys, my friends and I often socialize over drinks and/or dinner. For some reason lately, I’ve been sitting at the bar (as opposed to standing) when I meet friends for drinks.  Sitting at bars is not a regular occurance for me… but it does happen! This get together tends to happen after work, before I’ve had dinner - and I’m hungry. So I order a glass of wine, get started with “girl talk” and then eventually find my hand reaching for the nearest bowl of snacks. Since I know these tend not to be the healthiest snacks, I rationalize by saying I’ll just have one or two. And I’ll do just that - eat one or two or three … very slowly. Then the effects of the wine kicks in and the rationalizing gets even worse as I tell myself I probably won’t have dinner, so what does it matter if I have a handful of nuts (now it’s a handful…not just one or two).  Before you know it, the bartender is taking away the empty bowl and replacing it with a new full bowl of snacks. And yes, this did happen recently to my friends and I at Rothmans ( with homemade chips) and BLT Steak (with really good flavored almonds).  (pic is of Esther observed with hand reaching towards chips on the bar)

The low down on freebie bar snacks:

- wasabi peas: 1/4 cup = 120 cal/4 gm fat
- almonds: 24 = 160 cal/15 gm fat 
- mixed nuts: 1/4 cup = 219/20 gm fat
- hot n’ spicy party mix: 1/2 cup = 180 cal/14 gm fat
- potato chips (often those good homemade kinds!): one ounce (12-15 chips) = 120-150 cal/10-15 gm fat
- popcorn (often the really greasy flavored kind):1 cup = 65 cal/4 gm fat
- hard boiled eggs: one egg = 80 cal/5 gm fat
- olives: one olive = 10 calories

Tips to avoid the bar snacks

1. Don’t sit or stand at the bar. While I realize these seats are prime real estate, it isn’t worth it to consume 300 calories or more.
2. If you are sitting at the bar, push the bowl of snacks far away from you. This way you will be less tempted to snack.
3. If you are hungry, order a light healthy appetizer at the bar. Many bars (at least the upscale ones) have low cal apps like ceviche and tartare’s.
4. If you know you will be going out for drinks and not dinner, have a light snack before you go out so you won’t be starving. Also, the effects of alcohol will be less likely to hit you so fast.
5. If all else fails, think about the last person who had their hand in the bowl of snacks. Not everyone has clean hands… say no more! I actually find this thought quite helpful in keeping my hands out of the snack bowl.

Related posts

• Tips to Deal with the Dreaded Hangover (2)
• The Effects of Alcohol on Men vs. Women (1)
• Is Your Glass of Wine Really “One Serving” of Wine? (3)
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• Confession …I had a food frenzy after a few late night drinks (4)

So did Esther “end the party” and get off her plateau? Yes she did. Esther reported a 2 pound weight loss this week. She broke her month long plateau of 135 lbs and is down to 133! Total weight loss is 15 pounds.  She decided to buckle down and get serious again towards meeting her goal of 125 pounds. Yeah - congrats Esther! (pic is of Esther drinking WATER when out with friends)

My interview with Esther:

Martha: So do you feel like the “party is over” and you are back on track?
Esther: Yes, I have gotten back on track. My trainer was away for a while and even she got on my case when she saw how I did 2 weeks ago (with the 17 drinks in one week)!

Martha: Are you as motivated as before with regards to sticking to your eating and exercise plan?
Esther: The longer I do this for,  the more it has become my lifestyle

Martha: Did you check out any of my plateau tips? 
Esther: Yes -  I know for me if I add more cardio (i.e. spinning) to my week it will help break the plateau.  My trainer, Anastasia, is also changing up my exercise routine adding by adding in boxing to the mix and Jill, my pilates teacher, has added more challenging routines to our pilates sessions. I feel for me mixing up the cardio (not “mixing up the drinks!”) is key in helping me continue to lose weight.

Martha: Did you have any problematic situations last week? And what about the upcoming week?
Esther:  I had dinner with friends on Tuesday but I don’t think I did too bad. This weekend I have a family BBQ on Sunday but my Mom & Brother will be on watch. Next week I should be on track - I’m  going to Miami with my brother & niece and they are great coaches as well as strict hawks !!! Martha: Nothing like being in a bathing suit to keep you on track with your eating plan. I I know that your family has been supportive of you in the past with other BBQ’s and parties.

4 days of food records:

Tuesday August 5, 2008   
Breakfast   
1 cup brown rice   
1 piece string cheese   
iced coffee   
Lunch   
1/2 mixed salad w/ italian dressing   
shredded mozarella on top   
Dinner   
1 hot dog w/ bun mustard & ketchup   
1 serving french fries, small w/ ketchup   
diet soda 
  
Wednesday August 6, 2008  
Breakfast  
iced coffee  
natures valley cereal bar  
Lunch  
sm mixed salad, oil & vinegar  
1 piece string cheese  
Amy’s organic Vegetarian Lasagna  
Dinner  
2 roasted chicken thighs  
2 roasted chicken legs  
sm portion cole slaw (1/4 cup)  
  

Saturday August 9, 2008
Breakfast
iced coffee  
kashi go lean bar  
Lunch  
1 slice pizza  
Dinner  
4 glasses of prosecco  
2 cups pasta w/ butter & cheese  

 Sunday  August 10, 2008
Brunch  
4 oz turkey w/mustard  
& coleslaw  
Dinner  
Green Tea  
sashimi  
sushi
1/2 wasabi roll

My comments on Esther’s food records:1. She averaged 1250 calories - right on target!
2. Still too much alcohol (5 drinks), but improved from the previous week of 17 drinks -sorry to keep repeating this Esther … but it needs to be addressed
3. You did very well eating out. You ate a lot of “clean” food (i.e. sashimi, grilled fish) without sauce or oil
4. You allowed yourself a few treats such as a hot dog, fries and pizza, but still managed to lose weight because you were careful on other days. Just don’t make a habit of indulging in too many treats!
5. Your diet was a little low in fruits and veggies last week.

Esthers goals for this week:1. Same calorie goal of 1200-1300 calories
2. Let’s say 3 alcoholic drinks a week this week. 2 might not be realistic!
3. Work on adding in more veggies at night and at least one fruit a day
4. Need to increase your exercise. Same goal of cardio 3 times a week, trainer twice and pilates once. And as much walking as you can.
5. Continue with the “clean” foods when you go out.
6. Be careful when you are in Florida
7. Once again, try to measure the oil on your salads. An extra tablespoon a day can mean a 10 pound weight gain a year

Keep up the excellent work!

Related posts

• Esther’s Weight Loss Journey:Progress Report #7 (0)
• Breaking Through Weight Loss Plateaus (0)
• Beware of Snacks at the Bar (1)
• Tips to Deal with the Dreaded Hangover (2)
• The Effects of Alcohol on Men vs. Women (1)

This past weekend I celebrated my birthday. The actual number isn’t important but the people you spend it with is! We decided to stay local to beat the Jon Bonjovi insanity in Central Park. You may recognize some of the people in my pictures. Esther (from Esther’s weight loss journey) and Julia the fitness expert attended my get together in addition to some other friends. We started the festivities at High Life on the upper east side followed by late night activities at Uva. 

(Pic on the right is of Julia, Lisa, Paula, myself and new man friend - name forgotten)

Multiple drinks were had by all. I must say that I was very impressed by Esther’s “behavior” at my party. Normally she would have joined in full force with the food and beverages. However I witnessed her drink ONLY 2 vodka on the rocks followed by water. She declined all food stating “I already ate at home”. I was actually shocked. Way to go Esther! The rest of us made up for her minimal beverage and food intake. After all, a birthday girl is entitled to eat and drink whatever she wants. Esther avoided the fried shrimp, tuna tartar, spicy tuna rolls, quesadilla’s and chicken kabobs. (Pic is of Julia, bartender and Esther)

(Pic below is man friend, name forgotten, myself and Paula)

(Pic below that is of myself and Julia)

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As I had predicted, Esther did not lose any weight this week. This just goes to show that your weight doesn’t always correlate with how you did on your eating plan. For example, 2 weeks ago, she didn’t have one of her best weeks. I would have actually thought her weight would have stayed the same - or even gone up a pound -however she lost 3 pounds. This week, she did quite well with her eating plan and yet didn’t see a drop on the scale. Her weight is stable at 139. So the lesson learned here is not to get frustrated with plateaus in your weight loss. If you stay on track with your eating and exercise plan, your weight will eventually drop. Check out my previous post on Plateaus. 

My interview with Esther:
Martha: So you are entering in week 8. Still as motivated?
Esther: I’m definitely still in the mindset to keep going,  it’s more difficult when I am in a social situation

Martha: What type of problem situations, if any, did you encounter last week?
Esther: Going to the Fancy Food Show on Sunday was the most difficult.  It is a trade show for people that own restaurants and gourmet stores for them to sample all the different vendors of everything from fresh cheeses, meats, and desserts.  I stayed away from the sweets and tried to concentrate more on the cheeses, only tasted one tiny martini cocktail and took a lot of mini samples home so that if I have a craving it is only one bite of something. 

Martha: How about this upcoming week?
Esther: This week I have a family BBQ for my brother’s birthday on Saturday, but I am sure I will be watched by my brother & niece and won’t even consider cheating. (Pic is of Esther’s Dad, Mom, Esther, my niece Lizzy, and my brother the “hawk”)

Martha: I noticed you did a lot of dog walking( Esther was dog sitting Zoe, her friends dog). Do you think that helped to increase your activity?
Esther: Walking to and from my home to Zoe’s (the dog) home added at least two miles of walking per day.  Now that her parents are home I have to find another way to add that activity into my day.

Martha: Are you doing less socializing because of  your eating and drinking goals?
Esther: A little bit,  I usually eat out a couple of times a week and have cut it down to once a week.  I also have been bringing lunch to work 4 out of 5 days to make sure I eat right.
Martha: You are probably saving lot’s of money! You can use it to buy new clothes after you’ve lost more weight.

Martha: I remember you said that you joined a Weight Loss Challenge at your health club, Equinox. Any news on that?
Esther: The Equinox challenge is over today so I am getting the “official” weigh in either today or tomorrow.

Thursday June 26 
Breakfast  
iced coffee  
1 egg w/ light mayo & pickle  
Lunch  
1/4 lb boiled shrimp  
romaine w/ olive oil, vinegar  
sm piece feta cheese  
Dinner  
grilled salmon  
steamed brocoli w/ lemon & olive oil  

Sunday June 29
Breakfast:
iced coffee  
fancy food show at Jacob Javitts  
tastes of cheese, salami,   
ate a bite of most of the tastes and  
through the rest out.  Hard to judge   
calories, prob about 700?  
Dinner  
1 piece chicken breast w/egg white  
& panko crust cooked in pam  
20 pistacio nuts  

Saturday June 28
Breakfast
coffee
kashi go lean almond granola bar
Lunch
1 slice pizza
diet coke
Dinner
Sushi:
eel cucumber h/roll NO RICE
salmon/tuna/avocado h/roll NO RICE
spicy tune h/roll NO RICE
1 piece bonito sashimi
1 piece ikura sashimi
1 piece spicy scallop sushi
100 calorie pudding

My comments on Esther’s food records:
1. She averaged 1300 calories. Excellent!
2. Once again, she had really low calorie days to help offset the higher calorie days.
3. I noticed you are skipping breakfast often. I would recommend that you try to eat  breakfast - even if it is somehing light like a fruit or an egg or a yogurt. Eating breakfast helps to get your metabolism moving.
4. I think you handled the “fancy food show” well. It could have been a lot worse than 700 calories!
5. Your intake of fruits and vegetables were a little low this week

Esther’s goals for this week:
1. Continue 1300-1400 calories
2. Continue with 2 alcoholic drinks a week
3. Be very careful at the BBQ (and take lots of pics!)
4. Try to have 1-2 fruits a day
5. Increase your intake of veggies at night
6. Find a way to increase your walking now that Zoie went home!
7. Continue with the 3-4 cardio sessions, 2 peronal training session and one pilates session a week
8. If you’re not taking a multivitamin and a calcium supplement, you should do so.

Keep up the great work and happy July 4th!

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