Weekly Meeting Topic: Spring Celebration Eating

You may remember that last week's meeting topic was about everyday eating out. In comparison, tonight's meeting was about celebratory eating out. Since the Spring holidays are upon us, we talked about those. But these strategies work for all celebratory eating: holidays, weddings, parties and other similar events.

Many of the strategies that I wrote about last week apply and are helpful for these types of events, including Storyboarding and Mental Rehearsing. But another helpful tool that we talked about tonight was Positive Self Talk - which is exactly what you would think - psyching yourself up, reminding yourself you CAN do whatever, telling yourself that your goals are worth it to you and you deserve success.

Another strategy we discussed, and I've used on many occasions, is using the "Day Off" mentality. This is of course tricky because you have to promise yourself that your day off doesn't snowball and turn into days or a week off, and that no matter what you *will* return to your good behaviors when the event is over. I think that in order to use this strategy most effectively, it helps if you've:

• been on plan for a while
• are willing to not be perfect
• are willing to see a gain at your next weigh in
• used the tools mentioned successfully in other situations (storyboarding, mental rehearsing, positive self talk)

Of course even if you plan the heck out of it and attempt the 'Day Off' strategy, there is still the chance that you do not follow your plan. Things may get way more out of hand than you expected. That's when I remind you (and myself) to just stop and assess the situation - gain control as soon as you can, forgive yourself and move on. Put it behind you. You can't change what you DID, you can only change what you're going to do from that point forward. And when you have a chance to reflect upon your event, learn what worked and what didn't work for you - as Weight Watchers says, "feedback, not failure".

I do not have or need a special plan right now since I do not celebrate holidays and have no Easter plans, however, I do have a challenge I am giving myself: I want to track EVERYDAY for the month of April. Every day. I can't remember the last time I tracked for a whole month straight - probably in my first year when I was my most successful (coincidence? I think not!).

Another challenge I have given myself is this: I want this to be the first year of my life where I do not consume *any* Easter candy. As you know, I recently decided to give up sugar, but I caved to cravings a few times in the form of sugary candy - which has been my lifelong addiction. Out of all the candy holidays (Valentine's Day, Easter, Halloween and Christmas), Easter is by FAR my favorite! It has the prettiest colors and the best candy: Cadbury Mini Eggs, Cadbury Cream Eggs, Sweet Tart chicks, jellybeans, and in the last few years I realized I even like Peeps! Walking into a drug store this time of year is nothing short of torture for me. But so far I have resisted all Easter candy temptations. I was excited at the challenge I created for myself and am looking forward to remaining strong for another two weeks. I know that after I make it through this season, and do not consume any of it, that will be a huge accomplishment for me that i will be extremely proud of. I'll even share my success in my meeting and get a Bravo for it - it will be that monumental. I can do it!!

In other news, I went to pilates on Saturday and something pretty amazing happened... The instructor, who I admit I'm a little afraid of, came over to my spot at one point during class. I was sure she was going to tell me to correct something that I was doing wrong, but she didn't. She told me that I had drastically improved and that I should push myself more! I was blown away by her comment. It was the first positive thing she ever said to me and since I constantly second guess myself in her class, the validation meant so much to me.

I am ready to start my challenges - the April tracking and Easter candy boycott. And I *will* push myself a little more in Pilates this Saturday.

Have a great week!!

Biggest Loser - GO TARA!

What a great show last night!!! If you have not seen it yet, you may want to stop reading as there will be spoilers...

First, I want to quote some of Kristen's speech at the scale, because she often says such moving and motivational things. I love that about her.

"I just can't believe how far I've come... And it's so sad that there are so many people that are out there that are living in their prison of a body, that they're sitting on the couch and they don't have to. It just takes the right motivation and the right people to bring this out in you... This is the one thing in my life I've never been able to conquer and I feel on top of the world that I'm able to have control over this. It's like once you gain control over this I feel like your options are limitless, that you can do anything."

Bravo, Kristen!

That speech was made after her weigh in. And I admit, when she hit/exceeded her one hundred pound weight loss - the first female in Biggest Loser history to achieve this milestone on campus - I cried. I was so proud of her and so happy for her.

Despite Tara being robbed by ONE POUND (she would have been the first to exceed the 100 pound milestone, but she came in at 99), she seemed sincerely congratulatory towards Kristen when she reached it. She's a graceful competitor and all class.

And as usual, Tara herself was so inspirational on this week's show! When she was talking about throwing the challenge and going home because of everyone else ganging up on her, I felt her frustration but was devastated at the thought of her leaving. So when she realized that she needed to be there- she deserved it- and that she was there for her and her own life and health, the Tara we know and love bounced back - ready to fight.

In an extraordinarily difficult challenge (pulling a car a half a mile! and Tara's car was the heaviest because of the other members giving her so much added weight!), she proved not only that slow and steady wins the race but that she was a force to be reckoned with! She set her mind to it, and she WON! She blew me away with that performance! I have so much respect for her and just adore her. I love her attitude, her personality, her dedication. I feel like we'd click instantly in real life. She's amazing, and I want to see her win the title this year.

Long Island, NY had Eric, winner of Season 3 (my favorite of that season, too). Let's make New York and Long Island proud again: Go TARA!! You can do it!!

Weekly Meeting Topic: Everyday Eating Out

Tonight we talked about Eating Out - but specifically every day/on the go eating out. For instance: if you grab breakfast on your way to work, or depend on the cafeteria for lunch at work, or just for regular non-celebratory meals out. One thing my former leader, Carolyn drilled into my head was that if you're eating out as a meal replacement, your meal should be similar to what you would eat at home. If not exactly in content, then in points. The basic gist was that you should not use the opportunity to make wild choices. If it's a meal replacement, it's not an EVENT - Treat the dining out experience as similarly to a normal meal.

That being said, we discussed some of the challenges about eating out:

• Bread/Chips basket - or any "free" appetizers ("free" = dangerous and mindless eating!)
  
• Desserts (as a sweets person, just knowing desserts are on the premises is very challenging for me!)
  
• Alcohol (sometimes drinking can lead to bad food choices)
  
• Buffets (buffets are a terrible idea. Not only did dozens of other people touch the food before you, but you may be in "get your money's worth" mode)
  
• Dressings (too much, too creamy, too unnecessary, too decadent!)
  
• Choices (faced with fried vs steamed, it can be hard to make the right choice!)
  
• Portions (they will likely be way too large)
  
• Companions (one point I remember from "Mindless Eating" is what a powerful an influence your dining companions can be on what and how much you eat)

Two very helpful Weight Watchers' Tools for Living that can be used when dining out are
Storyboarding and Mental Rehearsing:

• Storyboarding is best used when you identify the winning outcome, or goal, first. That goal should be stated in the positive and be very specific. Then you would Storyboard what needs to happen for that goal to be achieved. Write out or think out the steps you need to execute in order to reach that winning outcome.
• Mental Rehearsing goes very well with Storyboarding - Once you've identified the steps you need to achieve your goal (winning outcome), you should rehearse the whole scenario in your head: See yourself entering the restaurant - who are you with, what are you wearing, how do you feel - see yourself sitting down, see yourself placing the order for exactly what you've storyboarded out. See yourself being happy with your choices, see yourself enjoying your meal and the company and see yourself being satisfied with your meal and your choices. I guess it's your basic visualization tool, but I can honestly say it's worked every time I've taken the time to use it, and I've always felt good about my choices in the end.
  

Some other things to remember if you do eat meals on the go frequently is that there are a ton of resources to help you make better choices - Many chain restaurants have their menus and calorie information online (let's hope they are at least close to accurate...), so you can make an informed decision before you even get there. The Weight Watchers website has articles on eating out and recommendations by cuisine, in addition to their paper Dining Out companion and e-Tools database where you can look up foods before you head out. So with just a little bit of forethought, you can be ready to make an informed and healthy decision.

Personally, I still find eating out too overwhelming - and more stressful than enjoyable - so I avoid it for the most part. But when I do go out and want to stay on plan, I use all of the techniques I described above. They really do work. And the way I see it - any plan is better than no plan. But personally, I'm keeping my dining out meals to a bare minimum. At least for now.

the Bike Adventures of 2009 have begun!

As I mentioned not long ago, Ms Dewey Decimal and I signed up for the 42 mile/5 boro bike tour on May 3rd-

I have to start 'training'. And by training, I figured I'll just ride my bike as much as possible before then (unless Ms Dewey Decimal has a better idea?) to build up my endurance. Since it finally started to warm up a little bit, I took my bike out the last two weekends and am looking forward to even more riding as Spring is finally here! With the weather a little warmer and the daylight extending even later, I can really work up to as many miles as possible before May 3rd.

March 7th was unseasonably warm and my first day out. And since it was the first really spectacular day this year, everyone was out enjoying it, so I ran into so many friends during my ride. One of whom was good enough to take a photo of me on my bike in front of Brooklyn Label-

And the following day, a man I had never seen before offered to take a photo of me with my bike. Since I have very few photos of me and the Hello Kitty Cruiser, how could I say no?

After the initial bike rides around my neighborhood, I decided I was ready for more. So last weekend, I rode down to the DUMBO (aka Down Under Manhattan Bridge Overpass) section of Brooklyn. I used this great website I found, which not only planned turn by turn directions, but also mapped out my mileage. In total, I did 15 miles. I felt fine afterward, so I think I'm off to a great start and can definitely do more miles next weekend. I think I'll go for 20.

Unfortunately, I did not have time to ride this weekend, but depending on the weather tomorrow night, I may be able to ride to my WW meeting. I also want to sneak in as many post work rides this week as I can. So if you live in the Greenpoint/Williamsburg area of Brooklyn - keep your eyes out for a heavily tattooed lady on a pink Hello Kitty bike and say hi if you see me!

(For photos from my Biking 2009 photo set, go here)

Weekly Meeting Topic: Why Did I Do That?

Wow, tonight's meeting was certainly timely for me! Since pulling my back out two weeks ago, my entire routine has been thrown off. And whenever my routine goes off schedule, so does my eating. I especially used my pain as an excuse to treat myself to things I don't normally consume - mostly, mostly delicious take out from all my favorite local places. And of course this extra and indulgent food was in addition to my extremely limited activity due to my barely being able to move. And since my eating was bad and activity was non existant, I didn't track. At all.

This poor behavior was compounded today by a sugar binge (I knew it wouldn't be a clean break), which in retrospect wasn't nearly as bad as my usual sugar binges - "only" one Clark Bar, small bag of jelly beans and small bag of candy corn. I say "only" because there are usually pounds of candy involved, and several chocolate bars. This was moderate by comparison, but still completely unnecessary and an obvious step in the wrong direction.

So when I walked into the meeting tonight and saw "Why did I do that?" plastered across the easel, I knew the WW Gods were aware of what I had done and were attempting to reign me back in. I gladly accepted their help and message...

We talked about what non-hunger reasons trigger us to eat and more importantly why and what other non-food behavior we can substitute in place of eating. (Some of this was covered fairly recently in another meeting/blog, so I will try to cover it a little differently here)

Q: Why did I make such self indulgent food choices while I was sick?
A: Easy- I wanted to comfort myself. I was in great physical pain, lonely and felt like I 'deserved' the reward of food to make me feel better.

Q: Why did I give in to my sugar temptation so immediately today? (I reminded myself of my sugar ban, but didn't even try to talk myself out of what I knew was a terrible idea.)
A: I am not sure what I was looking for. I don't think I was particularly stressed or frustrated at this point in the day. Although, in retrospect, I deviated from my usual schedule this morning - I normally eat an egg before I leave the apartment. This morning I was not hungry and did not have the egg. But by the time I got to work, I was ravenous. Lesson learned! I need my filling food!

We were asked to think about our "Why did I do that" moments, and asked how we feel at the moment we are eating. Speaking from my own experience, there is a temporary sense of euphoria. But it's not without the awareness that the euphoria is indeed only temporary. Even during the binge or bad behavior, I'm mindful of the fact that in a very short while, I will reach the "Why did I do that?" stage and realize how not worth it the experience was.

And then she asked us to think about 'how do you feel after'? For me, that's usually a combination of annoyed, disappointed, and disgusted, accompanied with some regret. (I will say that I rarely feel guilty though, and it took me years to get to that point. I reasoned through how senseless the guilt is, and how more often than not it will keep the bad cycle going. So although I may regret my actions, I don't beat myself up over them. I move on - ASAP! I think it's one of the things that's been crucial in my longevity.)

It may come as no surprise that during this meeting topic, we were reminded to use the Reframing tool - because once we can identify a behavior that needs changing (in this case, non-hunger eating), Reframing helps us work through why we are engaging in that behavior, and then asks us to identify other ways we can get that same effect without the food. Thus enabling us to change, or reframe, how we handle the situation.

I'm still working on the situations that I need to change - like eating in my bedroom. I had been doing really well with this until I hurt my back. And I used that as an excuse to eat there because my movement was so limited. That's fine, but I continued to eat there when I started to get better. That's stopping again. Immediately.

As for work, I considered telling the old ladies at the gift shop ban me from the shop and not let me buy candy. But that would just be embarrassing. Instead, I will remind myself that I'm an adult and in control of my actions and I can and will say no to the candy (and keep the mental image of closing the door on that old habit) when it tries to rear its very ugly head again. Aside from that, I am going to do some stretching at work from now on. This would not only help me relax and calm down if I get too stressed, but it's more important than ever considering how I hurt myself recently. I don't think I stretch nearly enough.

And in closing, my leader had a quote tonight that I really liked. She said "Feed the soul, not the taste buds." I loved that. I'm going to remind myself of that daily.

Tart-Gate: The CBS link and video

I can't believe the response I've had over the Calorie Cover Up story. The emails, the texts, the Facebook messages alone! At work today, a few people (who I hadn't told) mentioned they saw me on TV last night. One wasn't even a co-worker. It was a patient I see a few times a week who recognized me (how could you not). Then I got an email from the guy who did the sound for the piece - It was someone I knew and hadn't seen in over ten years that I had a chance to catch up with. That was an unexpected and nice surprise. (Hi Chris!)

As promised, CBS aired the Calorie Cover Up story last night. I was pleased enough with the selection of my dialogue that they used. I have to admit, I still haven't really watched the portion I'm in. I just sort of glanced over at it. I am very uncomfortable with hearing my own voice and the thought of seeing me how other people see me kind of freaks me out, so I always avoid video. In fact, I almost declined the chance to even be included in their story because of my fear of being videotaped, but I knew that in the long run, I'd be glad I did it. Anyway, enough of my neurosis- you can read the full article here, or watch the video. (I show up at 01:07 if you don't want to watch the whole thing.)

The bottom line is that the NYC Calorie Count Law is a great thing - I want it to catch on across the nation. Having that information readily available for consumers could have a positive impact on people's lives and health. But if companies do not give us reliable information, the entire thing is useless.

And in a timely coincidence/odd bit of closure...

On my way home tonight, I ran into one of my favorite baristas from the Greenpoint Starbucks location. He worked there during my tart phase, so he was well aware of my obsession and hoarding (I actually used to call the store and ask him if they had any, and then ask him to put them aside for me so I could pick them up when I got back to Brooklyn after work!). He was also one of the first to know about my suspicions regarding the calorie count, and one of the first that I shared the awful news with last summer.

After saying hello, I told him "Tim! Guess what? They aired my story last night, about the tarts!" And then he shared a very interesting bit of news with me... It turns out he had worked today and was ordered to pull a bunch of items from the case! He had wondered why, and now it made sense! I was so excited when he told me that! I thought "Oh my god! It's because of my story! That's amazing!"

And despite being an employee of Starbucks, he told me that what I did was great - that I was enacting change. And I thought about his words. He was right. I really *had* made a difference. All across NYC today, every Starbucks must have been doing the same thing - pulling the items that had tested significantly higher in the lab (let's hope they were at least donated to a shelter...). They were suddenly accountable! And it was because of what I had done! It was a strange but wonderful feeling. I had done something to help other consumers. I felt so proud and satisfied at that moment.

I want to thank CBS for taking my letter seriously enough to investigate the story. I think that as a result of the discrepancies being exposed, the chains who are posting this information will realize how important the accuracy of that information is, and perhaps be a little more careful with the information they provide. In the end, that's all I want...

Weekly Meeting Topic: Stages of Change

(After attending meetings for 3 weeks in Manhattan, I was happy to get back to my old Monday night routine in Brooklyn - seeing my friends Judy and Val, and fellow WWers in the meeting. I also enjoyed getting a Weihenstaphen at the Richardson while I review my notes and write my blog. The bartender even mentioned that my usual seat was waiting for me...)

Wow. Deja vu. I guess Manhattan and Brooklyn overlapped meeting topics because tonight's meeting in Brooklyn was the same topic as the Saturday meeting in Manhattan (I thought the topics change on Sunday, maybe I'm wrong?). I'm going to cover it anyway since it was covered so differently, and since I spent so much time talking about my thighs in the last entry. Besides, I didn't even get into the "Stages of Change", which I will do here-

1) Pre Contemplation: This stage was described as being unaware of the issue or the severity of the issue.

Our leader asked us if we remembered this stage. I spoke and said I honestly did not remember EVER being in this stage. For as long as I could remember, I was very aware of the problem. What I may not have been able to accept was the actual process of change. But I certainly knew there was a problem.

2) Contemplation: Becoming aware of a need to change, deciding to change it and weighing the pros and cons.

Now THIS is the stage I have been in for a great deal of my life - at least the part about being aware of the need to change. The "deciding to change" takes the longest to embrace. It's the having to face the problem that is difficult. And I've certainly been through the pros and cons weighing. In fact, I've even listed them out on numerous occasions. I'll rattle off what my most obvious responses would be:

PROS: Look better, feel better, be more physically and mentally comfortable, have more energy, be healthier, be proud of myself, have better self esteem, wear nicer/different clothes, get more out of life.

CONS: Self doubt- what if I fail? (answer: You only fail when you stop trying. So even if you tried before - who hasn't - what good are you doing to yourself by not trying again?) What if it's too hard? (answer: Any change is difficult, but if you take little steps at a time, it is entirely possible.) What if people treat me differently? (answer: Only those who are insecure will treat you differently. Most people will support you and if they don't, I would seriously question their motives.)

In the end, I can tell you that the pros far outweigh the cons. The cons are only your own insecurities and fear holding you back.

3. Preparation: Gathering information, equipment, supplies. Learning 'how to'.

After deciding I was miserable and had had enough (when I saw 200 on that scale again back in September 2006), I needed very little in the way of preparation. I knew I was going to go back to Weight Watchers. All I had to do was look up the local meeting in my area. And that Monday night, September 18th, 2006 I re-joined Weight Watchers in Brooklyn.

4. Action: Starting to practice helpful behaviors. Recording what works or doesn't, and practicing those new behaviors until they become the new, normal behaviors.

This is the phase I am still in. Though on occasion, for anyone on this journey, you will bounce between the stages. Action is part of the lifelong commitment to change. Because if I don't learn new behaviors and implement them in my new healthy lifestyle until they become normal, change is not likely.

5. Maintenance: Sustaining new behaviors and habits over time.

To a degree, I am in this phase also. I'm working to keep the new healthy habits I've developed - activity, for instance. That's something I never thought I'd even embrace, let alone be doing it consistently over two years later! Some habits still require "action" before they can be moved to the "maintenance" stage, and that's ok. There is really no end and certainly no timeline.

6. Relapse: Experiencing a full or partial return to previous behaviors, often accompanied by negative feelings and a return to a previous stage.

We're all susceptible to relapse. It's important to think about what happened and what led to the relapse- learn what you can from the experience. After that, all that matters is how we choose to proceed when we find ourselves there. The sooner you can get back to one of the other phases, the better. My leader had an analogy tonight that I really liked. She said that - 'Your old habits will come knocking. You can answer the door. But you tell them that there is no room for them in your life anymore. And then you close the door on them.' I really liked that visual and am going to remember that the next time I feel myself there. Because we can all easily go back to our old habits. But the trick is to be consious of them and make the choice NOT to.



I think the important thing to remember - and I know I've mentioned this before - is that there is no "cure". This is not a quick fix. There is no end. I know for me, personally, this will be something I need to be mindful of for the rest of my life. But the more knowledge I have, the more I learn from my mistakes and the more conscious I am of my actions and their consequences, the better prepared I am to stay true to my longterm goals.

It might be a bumpy road, but just hold on tight and enjoy the ride. Because it's probably more about the journey than the destiny.

Tart-Gate. The Final Chapter. On TV tonight.

Depending on when you started reading this blog, you may or may not recall "Tart-Gate". I'm referring to a series of blogs I wrote last year regarding Starbucks' Tarts. Specifically their Peachy Apple Tart, which I realized could not possibly have the calorie information that they claimed, and reported it to Starbucks. I exposed it here and my story was picked up by a lot of other blogs. I got a lot of criticism from people who did not know me that judged me for eating these tarts, but I also got a lot of new readers as a result. Anyway, because of their unsympathetic response, and a few other factors, this led to my boycott of the entire Starbucks chain.

I had put the whole Tart-Gate saga behind me last summer. But it unexpectedly reared its head again this January...

At the urging of many of my blog readers last year to "take this further", I had written to CBS' Tip Line (Channel 2, here in NYC) last June, but never heard from them. Then, out of nowhere, they emailed me this January. They told me that since my email, they had actually been investigating this based on my email!

Now, what you should know is that NYC passed a Calorie Law last year - which states that any establishment with at least 15 locations nationwide would be required to post the calories for each menu item. So, as a result of my letter, what CBS did was go around to several chains, bought some food samples, and had them tested in a lab. Then they compared the actual calorie count to the posted calorie count. I bet you can guess where this is leading - my peachy apple tart was not the only item that was being grossly misrepresented.

They asked me if I'd be willing to appear on air for their story, which I was really unsure about. I always say that I'm not good 'in person'. I prefer writing because I have time to think about what I want to say and revise it before I post it. But I agreed to be taped. And last Thursday, Kirsten Cole from CBS came up to White Plains and did a short interview with me to discuss what I had found out, and asked me a few questions. In front of a Starbucks.

For those of you in the NYC area, it is set to air tonight - Monday night (03/09) at 11pm on Channel 2. The piece is called "Calorie Cover Up". I'll see if they post it on their website later this week and upload the video to my blog. Otherwise, I'll just use my digital camera to record it on my TV and upload it that way.

And just as a heads up, I'm going to set my comments to approval required, since it is possible there will be a backlash if people find me as a result of the story. If things are quiet, I'll remove that in a week or so.



You can get caught up on the drama here, if you missed it and are interested. This is my "Tart Gate Timeline of Events"

05/15/08 The Peachy Apple Tart makes its debut

05/26/08 Nutrition info for the Peachy Apple Tart is posted online

05/26/08 Realized the calorie information couldn’t possibly be accurate and wrote to Starbucks:

“To whom it may concern- I believe there is a discrepancy in the nutrition information posted for your Peachy Apple Tart: According to the information provided on the website, it states the total calorie count is 120, the fat grams are 12 and fat calories are 20. But this is mathematically impossible because there are 9 calories per fat gram, so that would put the fat calories alone at nearly 120, meaning the entire calorie content is MUCH higher than 120. Or (I am hoping) the mis-print is with the fat grams, and they are actually less than the stated 12. Either way, I need to know the correct information- I am a Weight Watcher, and need to know the information so I can accurately count its points value. I'm a loyal Starbucks customer and have been enjoying a venti coffee and tart per day (for months now) despite the high cost of them, just because I love them so much. I literally have devoted blogs to this tart (both the apple and peach variety) and I need to know the accurate nutrition information for myself and my readers. I would appreciate a response as soon as possible. Thank you, Sheryl (redacted)”

06/05/08 Never heard back from Starbucks, sent the same letter as pasted above. This time they replied:

(case # 5583687)

“We did receive your email on May 29th, 2008. We are currently researching the information and will contact you when we are given the correct information. I do apologize for the delay.”

06/10/08 Noticed calorie information is gone from their website for the Peachy Apple Tart

06/13/08 Emailed them AGAIN (case # 5583687) since they never responded to my 2 initial emails, yet they had posted the updated information on the website:

“Good morning,
I have not heard back from anyone since the below email dated June 5th - but one of my blog readers alerted me to the fact that there is new nutrition information on the website for the Summer Peach Apple Tart. As I had suspected, the calories are MUCH higher than previously reported- more than double! (280, compared to 120.)

While this may not mean much to you, I can assure that it's especially troubling for me since I've been eating these tarts daily and am a Weight Watchers member. That's a significant difference in the calorie count, and doubles its "points" value- bringing it to 6 points (to give you a little perspective, I only get 20 a day- so that's nearly a third of my daily points!). Had I known there were this many calories, I would not have been eating this item so frequently. Basically I've been throwing a way a lot of money daily (3.25!) to consume what I thought was a healthy low point breakfast- only to find out I was ingesting way more calories than I believed.

Prior to this item being available, I had been eating the Rustic Apple Tart daily for months- and I now wonder if those nutritional statistics were also low-balled. Both of these tarts were the most expensive item in your display case (I have spent over 800 dollars at Starbucks just since January 01 of this year!!!), but I purchased and consumed them daily (sometimes more than once), thinking I was eating a healthy 3-point treat. In fact, I was buying extra and currently have over a dozen in my freezer!

I'm disgusted that I wasted so much money and so many calories on this item. I'm very disappointed by this news and will obviously not be purchasing it anymore. I'm also going to alert my blog readers to this unfortunate revelation since I've been touting the wonderfulness of these tarts for months.

Between this and the terrible decision to make Pike Place the default coffee, I don't even know if I can remain a Starbucks customer.”

Same day- They did not reply to that email, but I sent them this also (which, again, they never replied to):

“Me again-

I wanted to also mention that you will need to replace the "calorie count" cards that adorn the tarts in every Starbucks in NYC, in order to comply with the new calorie count law. Currently those cards read "120 calories". I hope you will make this a priority, because there are many calorie conscious NY'ers that have been selecting this item for the same reason I have- believing it was your lowest calorie selection.”

06/14/08 The boycott begins

06/20/08 After numerous comments and emails for me to ‘take this further’, I contacted (Channel 2 news’ tip line via email)

“To whom it may concern,

I am writing about my disappointment with the inaccurate calorie information for a bakery item at Starbucks. I want to make sure other calorie conscious NYers are aware of this big discrepancy...

About a month ago, they introduced the "Summer Peach Apple Tart" and claimed it had 120 calories. I had been enjoying this tart (and prior to its debut, the "Rustic Apple Tart") every day for over 6 months because of the *low calorie count* (The Rustic Apple Tart claimed 190 calories). As a Weight Watcher, both of these items were very appealing due to their low calorie count. And although it was/is the most expensive item in the case ($3.25 each), I bought at least one EVERY DAY for over 6 months. (I still have about 12 in my freezer because I was hoarding them at one point)

I've devoted blogs to these tarts-

http://msbitchcakes.blogspot.com/2008/02/ill-take-ocd-for-100-chuck.html
http://msbitchcakes.blogspot.com/2008/02/sweet-fancy-moses-its-true.html
http://msbitchcakes.blogspot.com/2008/02/apple-tart-obsession.html
http://msbitchcakes.blogspot.com/2008/02/apple-tart-experiment.html
http://msbitchcakes.blogspot.com/2008/05/starbucks-does-it-again.html
http://msbitchcakes.blogspot.com/2008/05/starbucks-peachy-apple-tart-update.html

But when all of the nutrition info for the Peach Tart became available online, I realized there was no way the information was accurate- It claimed 120 calories and 12 grams of fat. But there are 9 calories per fat gram, so that means that 12 grams of fat = 108 calories. So there as NO WAY the entire tart could have 120 calories. I feared it was closer to 300.

I wrote to Starbucks. I had no response for a week, so I forwarded them my email a second time. They told me they received the initial correspondence and were still looking into it.

It took them over 2 weeks to get back to me and they replied with an email and a phone call basically telling me "oops! sorry! the new information is on the website". They offered me nothing but a verbal apology, which was surprising and even more upsetting considering what a loyal customer I had been.

It turns out that the total calorie count of the tarts is 280 - more than DOUBLE the 120 initially reported. I was of course upset because I had been misled for 6 months about how many calories I was consuming every day but also because I would have NEVER bought this very expensive item so often!

I reported the new statistics to my blog readers, so they were aware-

http://msbitchcakes.blogspot.com/2008/06/tarts-that-were-too-good-to-be-true-and.html

I've had so many comments on that blog AND personal emails from people who asked me to take this further, which is why I am writing. One of them even works in a Starbucks and asked me to report it!

As you know, NYC has the new calorie law in effect. So I wrote back to Starbucks to remind them of this and I asked them to make sure the calorie information cards are replaced as soon as possible so other calorie conscious NYers don't make the same mistake I did! To date, I have not seen the new calorie count at any Starbucks I've visited (and I've been there daily). It still claims 120 calories.

Prior to this, I was a very loyal customer (I've spent over 800 dollars there this year alone!) But because of this, I am boycotting them as soon as my prepaid card hits zero dollars.

I am hoping there is some way you can report this or even have them fined for having the wrong information in their stores. I will be happy to provide any evidence you need- I have print screens of the information as it first looked when posted on site, the new information that appears, the emails to and from them regarding this matter AND I have both the Rustic Apple Tart and Peach Apple Tarts in my possession - if you wanted to have them sent to a lab to verify the nutritional information.

I hope to hear from you. Thank you for your time.”

07/09/08 New calorie count info finally being displayed in NYC (it was posted incorrectly for 2 months)

07/09/08 I find out I’m being talked about on the Starbucks gossip blog

08/04/08 The end of “Tart Gate”

01/13/09 I heard back from CBS

Blogs/articles that mentioned or linked to Tart-Gate
Gotham Gazzette
Peppercom Blog
Brownie Points Blog
Jacob Grier

Weekly Meeting Topic: Time to Change

Last week’s topic was called “Time to Change”. And the ‘Cycle of Change’ was written out for us: Pre-Contemplation, Contemplation, Preparation, Action and Maintenance.

The leader started off the meeting reading a little story that asked us to think about the extra weight we carry, where we carry it, how it makes us feel, and what we do to hide it.

It was something that hit home for all of us - we all have our least favorite areas; areas we go through lengths to attempt to hide or minimize. Areas we don’t want anyone to see, and possibly don’t even want to see ourselves…

Excuse me while I get very personal here...

I immediately thought of my thighs - I have hated my thighs since I was 11 years old when I realized they were not only big and rubbed together but they made buying jeans an embarrassing, painful and difficult ordeal.

Over the years, this hatred has only intensified. I say terrible things about them constantly – to other people and to myself. In my head and out loud. Probably every day. I can barely stand to look at them, yet they are the first thing I look at any time I look in a full length mirror. And other than my doctor and waxer, very few people have ever seen me without pantyhose or at least stockings on.

My first experience with pantyhose was in 5th grade when I had to wear a dress for some occasion. My Mom, who has the same body shape/big thighs as me introduced me to the miracle of control top (thanks Mom) and I instantly loved them for the function they served - minimizing the size of my thighs, holding me in, and making walking easier. (Unless you carry a lot of weight in your thighs, you have no idea how difficult it is to walk with all that flesh fighting its way past each other with every step.)

I spent most of my life (age 14 to today) avoiding pants all together - just because of my thighs - predominantly wearing skirts and dresses since 1985. Just the thought of having to try pants on sends me into panic mode. It’s sent me into fits of depression and self hatred. It’s made me resent my parents for letting me get fat. It’s made me resent my genetic make up for carrying so much fat in my thighs. I’ve spent more time over the last 26 years obsessing about the size of my thighs, placing blame on my genetics or trying to determine the origin of their hideousness and learning how to hide them as best as I can.

I wear pantyhose every day. EVERY day - even in the summer. Occasionally I wear Spanx in the summer instead of pantyhose, but then I have to wear a slip also since I'm terrified my dress will fly up with the slightest wind gust. Even on the rare occasion that I wear pants, I have pantyhose on underneath. I just do not feel right without pantyhose on. They are a miracle product and I love them more than anything else I put on my body. I've often joked that if I could have them surgically attached, I would.

I still, to this day, hate walking up the stairs in front of anyone because I am so afraid they will get a glimpse of my thighs if my skirt has a slit in the back (and taking the subway everyday means there is always someone behind me on the stairs). I think "Please don't let anyone be looking at me right now". I used to tell my ex husband that my greatest fear was having to flee my apartment because of a fire and the firemen and neighbors seeing my thighs. I was not kidding. This is still a very real fear of mine.

So I obviously totally related to what our leader was saying - I’ve spent so much time carrying that weight (still), obsessing about it (still) and figuring out how to hide this part that I still hate so much.

At the end of the story, he pointed out that the time we've put into worrying about our problem, and the things we are willing to do to cover the problem might be more work than taking care of the problem. And if we're doing so much work to get around this problem, why not just address the problem head on?

It was one of those "Woah!” moments for me. And it made me a little sad thinking about that. What if I had dealt with it so much longer ago? Where would I be now? Obviously I can’t change the past, but I will certainly never forget that line of reasoning now.

And despite the fact that I have addressed the problem to an extent (at my heaviest weight, my thighs were *each* eight inches greater in circumference than they are now. They were truly enormous); I don't ever expect to accept, embrace or even *like* my thighs. I think no matter what weight I am, I will be worried about covering and hiding them from everyone- including myself.

He ended the meeting with a quote I will paraphrase here because I couldn't write it down quickly enough "Change will only occur when the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain of the change itself." I thought that was a fantastic concept.

It certainly gave me a lot to think about. Maybe one day I will change how I think about my thighs. But I doubt it.

Pom-tastic!

I recently received an email from a woman named Diana from POM. She had come across my blog and offered to send me some Pom Wonderful juice to try. I had actually heard about this stuff for a while and my Dad raves about it, so I told her I'd love to try some! (You can read all about the health benefits of this juice here.)

I received a box of eight 8oz bottles! Who's a lucky girl?!

The 8 ounce bottle contains 150 calories. No fat, no fiber. The entire contents would be 3 points.

I tried to set them all up like bowling pins here, but Littleton was too fascinated by the juice (or the straw, I'm not sure which)

I was excited to taste it, and WOW! I was not disappointed! It is simultaneously sweet and tart - my favorite combination! I've enjoyed this juice on weekends with breakfast (as a special treat), or during the week as a snack. And I'd be remiss to not mention how awesome it is with Blueberry Stoli. I'm sure that's not what the great people at Pom had in mind, but if you're old enough to enjoy adult beverages, and enjoy the fruit flavored Vodkas as much as I do, try this:

Ingredients:

Fill a cocktail glass with ice, then pour-
1 part (2 oz) fruit Vodka (blueberry, raspberry, or strawberry Stoli, or ruby red Absolut)
1 part (2 oz) Pom
1 part (2 oz) seltzer
And a dash of lime juice if you're adventurous like me :)
Add a plastic monkey if you have one lying around (who doesn't?). Why? Just because they're so cute! Or how about an umbrella? Heck, why not both?!

The cocktail, in those proportions, will cost you 2.5 points. (Of course you can also enjoy it with no vodka - just mixing it with the seltzer and lime.)

So enjoy this juice alone or in the adult fashion I mentioned above.

Diana, thank you for the opportunity to sample this wonderful product. I am a big, big fan! Pom Wonderful, indeed!

Recipes: Black Bean, Mango and Tomato Salad

I ran across this recipe in one of the Momentum booklets they hand out at the meetings. This is on page 21 of "Book 6 Solutions and Ideas: Keep on Tracking". One quick glance of the ingredients and I knew I would love it!

You can click on this photo to enlarge it, or just read below since I will list the ingredients and directions:

Ingredients:

• 1 large mango, diced and divided (about 1+3/4 cups)
• 3 Tbsp fresh lime juice
• 3 Tbsp water
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp table salt
• 15 oz canned black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup diced sweet onion
• 1/4 cup fresh mint or cilantro, cut into thin slivers
• 1 Tbsp minced, canned, or fresh jalapeno peppers

1- In a large bowl, mash 1/4 cup of diced mango with fork; add lime juice, water, oil, cumin and salt:

2- Whisk to combine:

3- Add remaining diced mango, beans, tomato, onion, cilantro (or mint) and jalapeno to bowl:

4- Toss to mix and coat:

5- Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate up to 1 day.

Yields about 1/2 cup per serving.
Total servings = 8.
Points per serving = 2.
Note: These are all FILLING FOODS!

This is a great, light, sweet and crunchy, refreshing salad. I ate it alone, but could easily see it over a bed of greens (adding bulk and more veggie servings for zero additional points). This would also make a great side dish if you're going to a party in the upcoming warmer months.

Yum! Enjoy!

Ending an abusive relationship

I have been thinking a lot lately about a relationship I've had my whole life. This relationship would best be described as destructive and abusive. The more I've been thinking about it, I realize that I could have and should have ended this relationship long ago. But it never even occurred to me to do it. And the more I think about how negatively this relationship affects me, the more obvious it becomes that I need to end it.

To use the analogy of a person to person relationship: If there was someone in my life that made me feel good for a few random moments, but then made me feel awful the rest of the time (distracted, unhealthy, guilty, angry, disappointed), it would be obvious that I need to end that relationship very quickly.

And that's exactly what I'm doing to my relationship with sugar. Ending it.

If you've been reading this blog for a while, you probably know that I am a horrible sugar junky. Some people can enjoy sugary treats in moderation. I am not one of those people. One taste of sugar and I'm on a thousand calorie or more binge. In fact, I've been addicted to candy and sugary products since I was a small child. And I cannot believe it took me this long to come to this point - to realize that I do not NEED sugar! What has it ever done for me? Nothing good! It has made me gain weight, it has tortured me with the thoughts of more sugar, it has made me feel bad about myself, it has made me unhealthy. It does absolutely nothing good for me!

It just seems so crystal clear right now - sugar has caused me more pain and setbacks than anything else. And I won't give it that power anymore. I won't let it control me. I'm breaking my addiction with it.

I don't expect it to be easy, or a clean break. But I'm avoiding the obvious stuff (candy, donuts, baked goods) and being as careful as possible with labels for packaged foods - which I pretty much avoid anyway.

My plan going forward is to phase out all 'fake' sugars too (high fructose corn syrup, sucrose, sucralose, aspartame, etc). I've been reading enough about artificial sweetneners lately to be convinced that even though fake sugars help cut back on calories, they are not helping me in the long run. Because when you consume them, your brain equates the taste of sugar with calories, but since these are low or calorie free substitutes, your body is still 'looking' for those calories it did not get, which leads to more food cravings. Reading that made a lot of sense to me because I have been in that exact situation when consuming artificially sweetened foods. So I realize it's better for me to not look for a shortcut; to not ingest artificial sweeteners, but to avoid them completely. For my own peace of mind and longterm success.

I came to this conclusion two weeks ago, and it was such a 'duh!' moment. It seemed so obvious- why hadn't I realized or thought of it sooner? I'm looking forward to being sugar free and getting to the point where I do not want and do not crave sugar. And I actually feel like that's within my reach.

I don't need you, sugar. Your empty calories are of no use to me anymore. You will not influence my food choices and will no longer have control over me. Farewell and good riddance!


(Note: I'd like to thank Teresa who recently sent me this article, which was just one of many I read with a similar sentiment. Thanks Teresa!)

Weekly Meeting Topic: Monitoring Yourself

(I attended the Saturday morning meeting in Manhattan again, with the very charismatic Robert B. As much as I enjoy him as a leader, I am returning to my Monday night meeting in Brooklyn because it's just much more convenient. But I like knowing he's there on Saturday mornings when I can't make my regular Monday night meeting.)

This week's meeting we discussed one of the Weight Watchers Healthy Habits: Monitoring Yourself. We discussed the many things we keep track of, and why they are helpful. Whether you use the paper tracker or the eTools version, this is what Weight Watchers suggests you track:

• Food and Points (what you consume, the portion size and points value)
  
• Hunger Levels (When do you get physically hungry? This information is helpful for future planning)
  
• Filling Foods (Try to eat as many of the 'diamond' or filling foods as possible. These foods are healthier and keep you satisfied longer.)
  
• Good Health Guidelines (oils, fruit and vegetables, activity, water, dairy, vitamins)

I can say from experience that I do best when I track - journaling my food, specifically. There is something about writing down what I consume and being accountable that keeps me on program. If that isn't reason enough to track, there's a great mental peace that goes along with tracking.

Although I know this, sometimes I do not track. I've even gone 4 or more weeks at a time without tracking. Despite that 'freedom' from tracking, it doesn't feel good to eat so carelessly. I'm always relieved when I make a commitment to start tracking again. And I'm very proud to say I've tracked every day for nearly 2 weeks now. That has not only affected my weight, but I feel lighter and smaller, healthier and stronger. And most importantly, I feel in control again.

Here's another snapshot of this week's eTools food journal-

If you haven't been tracking lately, consider starting again. And don't get overwhelmed by tracking everything everyday. It's ok to start off small (tracking points only, for instance) and including other items when you're ready.

You may have heard this in your meeting, but my leader used to say it and I think it's cute "If you bite it write it. If you snack it, track it. If you nibble it, scribble it."

Trust me, it makes a difference.