Kathy: Week 5

Wow, it's hard to believe that it's already week 5!

Current Weight: 148

Last Week's Weight: 148

Total Weight Loss: 3 pounds...still...same as last week...

And now...on to the pictures!

Here we are back at Week 1:

And here are the photos from this morning!

Yes, I am starting to really see a difference! 

And I feel different, too. My pants aren't so tight. My arms don't feel so flabby. 
Yesterday I went into Curves for a weigh-and- measure, because I'm starting the "60-Day Challenge" - and my upper arm was 3/4" smaller than it was on January 9! 

Now, before we go any further this week, I have to tell you about a hilarious headline I saw on a magazine cover at the grocery checkout last Saturday: 
"Drop 12 Pounds Every Week!"  (Ha ha ha!!)

This was on the cover of a magazine called First For Women. I've picked it up a couple of times, and it's something like a cross between a tabloid and Prevention magazine. Some of the information is correct, at least some of the time, but the writing in this magazine makes it seem like all of it is true all of the time!

Wouldn't it be tempting? To do some magic trick and drop down to goal weight in just 2 or 3 or 4 weeks? Ta da! But no, it doesn't work that way. In spite of how we love to exaggerate, we don't lose (OR gain!) 12 pounds every week. Even if we could, it would be waaaay unhealthy.

The claim in this week is based on the assumption that all women, especially women over 40, have some sensitivity to, or even an intolerance of, gluten. (Marae, I hope you'll add some thoughts, based on your adventures of eating a gluten-free diet, in a comment here or in your next post.)

But 12 pounds every week??

I don't think so.

I did some looking online, and I did find information for women who truly have gluten-intolerance symptoms (chronic diarrhea, abdominal bloating and pain, weight loss or gain, foul-smelling stool, seizures, dental enamel defects, edema, anemia, fatigue, a painful skin rash, headaches, inability to concentrate, and premature osteoporosis).

Whew! That's quite a list! From the websites I looked at, there were several women who said that going on a gluten-free diet DID help them lose weight, but they definitely had some of the symptoms listed above.  

The article had some great ideas--such as substituting a corn tortilla for bread in a sandwich--but the corn tortilla would have fewer calories than bread anyway, right? So if we all started eating corn tortillas, and cut out the gluten-filled bread, we might lose some weight...but would it be due to cutting out gluten, or would it simply mean we were eating fewer calories? (Marae, help us out, please!)

The bottom line:

It seems that no matter what "gimmick" gets touted for a miracle weight-loss solution, it always comes back to the basics:

1. Eat healthy foods, and eat fewer calories than you need to maintain weight

2. Get more exercise

How much food is too much? How much exercise is enough?

Maybe you can just be sensible and reach or maintain your ideal weight, but I need a little help. These are two good websites to check out!

Ok, enough of all that! 
Here is that wonderful shrimp recipe I promised:


Cioppino Seafood en Papillote  (no, I have no idea how to pronounce that...we call it)
Shrimp Foil Dinners


Oven: 400 degrees     Makes: 4 servings

8 ounces fresh or frozen large shrimp in shells
8 ounces fresh or frozen sea scallops or 10 ounces fresh or frozen halibut steaks
(If desired, use 1 pound shrimp and omit the scallops or halibut...that's what we do.)
2 medium roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil or 1/2 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced (1/2 teaspoon minced)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 small zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/4 inch thick
4 green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces


1. Thaw shrimp and scallops or halibut, if frozen. Pell and devein shrimp. Halve any large scallops or skin, bone, and cut halibut into 1-inch pieces. Set aside.
2. Cut four 12-inch squares of parchment paper or foil. Fold each square in half to form a triangle. Open each triangle to lie flat. (I use aluminum foil instead of parchment - I can't get a tight seal with the parchment.)


3. In a large bowl combine tomatoes, lemon juice, basil, thyme, oil, garlic, salt, and turmeric. Add shrimp, scallops, zucchini, and green onions; toss to coat. Divide mixture among parchment or foil triangles, spooning it onto center of one side of each triangle. Fold paper or foil over mixture. To seal packets, fold each of the open sides over 1/2 inch, then fold over 1/2 inch again.






4. Place packets on a very large backing sheet. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until shrimp and scallops are opaque or halibut flakes easily when tested with a fork. (To test, carefully open the packets and peek.)


Nutrition facts per serving: 141 cal., 3 g total fat (0 g sat. fat) 105 mg. chol., 305 mg. sodium, 6 g carbo., 1 g fiber, 22 g pro.

And to close today, here's a photo from an early-morning walk I went on with my sweet husband. 

We walked down by the Willamette River, in a new walking park that Oregon City has installed. We headed for a McDonald's restaurant for a "breakfast date" - I ate an Egg McMuffin with milk and a banana I smuggled in from home, and then we walked back to our car. About a mile and a half in all in a light rain and beautiful views of the river!


Happy Saturday everyone! Keep eating healthy foods, get some exercise, and find joy in your lives! See you next week!