Meet Maureen Healy!

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September 4, 2008
A refreshing change of pace
During a visit to Whole Foods last week, I was perusing the salad bar for something inspirational (i.e., something healthy and tasty that I haven't eaten a hundred times already) for lunch. I was delighted to find a very simple salad that I can easily replicate at home: sliced cucumber, red onion, and fresh dill, with a vinaigrette dressing. Since I love to eat salads, but quickly tire of the same old ingredients, finding this easy idea let me give my usual standbys (spinach and roasted chicken or turkey, tomatoes, cucumber, and goat cheese) a rest. Best of all, I can make a big bowl of it in under 10 minutes. I keep it in the fridge to snack on or use it as a side dish at dinner.

September 2, 2008
The language of commitment
Back in February, my life coach, Rosemary O'Neill, suggested I create a "vision board." This project involved tearing pictures out of magazines that represented the way I'd like my life to look, and gluing them to a poster board. Unfortunately, I lost steam early on, and the vision board has been sitting, unfinished, in a closet. When Rosemary asked me about it the other day, I told her that I meant to get back to it, but daily tasks kept getting in the way. Her response: Be careful how you talk to yourself. Phrases like "meant to" and "trying to" don't often yield results. Instead, she recommends concise and deadline-oriented language, such as, "I'm going to finish my vision board by Sunday, and then look at it daily for inspiration." So, I gave myself a deadline of August 14, and I completed the vision board. And as she predicted, keeping the promise to myself gave me a much-needed shot of self-confidence.

August 28, 2008
Trimming my debt
In an earlier blog, I wrote about how I'm working hard to pay off a large amount of debt and better my financial situation. I've since downgraded to basic cable and a lower-priced cell phone plan, and put my Netflix account on hold. Those three actions are saving me about $85 a month, but I decided to take an even bigger step: I'm renting out my two-bedroom condo and moved into a smaller—and much less expensive—studio apartment in trendy Northwest Portland. I love the space and the neighborhood, and it's less than two miles from the restaurant I work at, so I can ride my bike (bonus calorie burn!) or, when the weather is bad, take the free streetcar. Not only will I be saving tons of money in parking and gas, I'll also have an extra $300 a month to put toward my debt. Getting this situation under control feels amazing.

August 26, 2008
Circle of life

Diet and nutrition aren't the only things my registered dietician, Lila Ojeda, and I talk about. During my last session with her, for example, the topic was balance. She gave me a piece of paper with a circle on it divided into eight equal pie-shaped sections labeled, "fun & recreation," "physical environment," "career," "money," "health," "friends & family," "romance," and "personal growth." On a scale of 1 to 10, the outer edge of the circle was assigned a 10 (10 being very happy), the center, a 1 (unhappy), and so on. Lila instructed me to make an "x" in the area of each section where I feel my number falls right now and then to connect the marks all the way around.

After completing the exercise, I learned that I'm feeling really strong in the health, physical environment, personal growth, and romantic arenas. In the "needs improvement" department: career (advancing my skills), money (lowering my debt), resolving issues with friends and family, and fun and recreation (making time for some!). This visual has given me instant insight into the areas of my life that I need to focus on. By doing so I'll feel less stressed and more self-confident—two factors that add up to a better relationship to food.

August 19, 2008
Note to self: Slow down!
Something I still need to work on is eating with purpose—in other words, taking my time, savoring the aromas and flavors, and listening to my body's fullness signals. But with my hectic schedule, I often scarf down meals as quickly as I can—which often leads to overeating. At my last meeting with my dietitian, Lila Ojeda, we brainstormed an easy way to cue mindful eating when I'm at home. On small Post-It notes, I wrote prompts, including, "slow down," "chew your food thoroughly," "put your fork down at least three times during the meal," "breathe," and "leave a little something on the plate." Then I placed one note on each of the plates and bowls in the cabinet. Now when I pull one down to eat from it, I have a written reminder right in front of me. So far, it's working like a charm.

August 14, 2008
Dinner party #2
In my latest Weight Loss Diary column, I wrote about throwing my first healthy dinner party. My spinach and dried cranberry salad and low-fat lasagna were such a big hit, I've been thinking about what to serve for my next get-together. But last weekend, I found a recipe for Stuffed Roasted Sweet Potatoes in the most recent issue of Mom & Baby magazine (a spinoff of Shape's sister publication, Fit Pregnancy), and did a test run. The dish was tasty, filling, and nutritious (think: protein, fiber, and calcium). Plus, it was so easy to prepare: Simply sauté some black beans, olive oil, cumin, tomato, and scallions in a pan for five minutes. Then spoon the mixture over a roasted sweet potato that's been split down the middle and top with a dollop of reduced-fat sour cream. Next step: sending out those save-the-date e-mails!

August 12, 2008
Community service
Now that I'm into the second half of the year, my weight loss has noticeably slowed, and I'm constantly searching for new tidbits of inspiration. I turned to your comments on my blog—and was blown away! Thank you to everyone who reads my posts, and an even bigger thanks to those of you who are sharing your stories and words of encouragement with me. It warms my heart and really helps me find my focus. Amyee: Congratulations on losing 15 pounds! Frannie: Yes, it was a huge milestone when I no longer had to push the weight on the scale to 150 first before adjusting the top weight. I'm right there with you! And bless Anonymous, who said I look like I'm in my early 20s (birthday number 34 is rapidly approaching). Finally, a huge thanks to former Weight Loss Diarist Dara Chadwick, who has posted some very sweet comments. Dara, I'm looking at your blog now for motivation, too!

August 7, 2008
The power of laughter
I'm always setting new goals: to tone my arms, to celebrate my successes, to be grateful for my health, family, and all the good things in my life. Recently, I decided to add another one: to have fun and laugh every day. When I shared this with my life coach, Rosemary O'Neill, she told me that in addition to relieving stress, laughter can boost my immune system. In my quest for humor, I watched an old video of comedian Eddie Izzard and laughed so hard that my cheeks hurt. The next day, I was in Seattle and, by sheer coincidence, he was performing at the theater right across the street from my hotel. I was lucky enough to score last-minute tickets. I'm having a blast achieving this feel-good goal!

August 5, 2008
My new fiber fix
Throughout this year, my dietician, Lila Ojeda, has stressed the importance of getting enough fiber (25 to 35 grams a day). For a while, I was easily accomplishing that by eating Kashi GoLean cereal (10 grams) every morning and a Gnu Foods Flavor & Fiber bar (12 grams) as a snack, in addition to a healthy diet. But in the past couple of months I have been eating different types of cereals for variety—aiming for at least 5 grams of fiber per serving—and no bars at all, so I've been falling short in the fiber department. When I told Lila, her recommendation was simple: Eat a piece of fruit or some veggies at every meal and snack. By doing that, I don't even need to track my fiber intake—I should automatically be getting enough. It's an easy way to stay on course.

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