My 5 Ways to Conquer Costco

Ah, can I just say it? I LOVE Costco! I LOVE Costco's food even more...The pizza, the hot dogs, the frozen yogurt, the triple berry sundae...all of it. Mmmm!

Costco is a BEAST! Not only because it carries amazing things, but well, because it DOES carry amazing things. Costco is a weakness for me because everything looks so good and you can really find some amazingly healthy items that really DO taste yummy. But Costco has a way of being sneaky and leading you astray when you are trying to make lifestyle changes...and in your past, you'd go to Costco for all the samples and call it lunch. Hmm? Yeah, I see you!

Phew! I'm not the only one!

Since trying these tactics, I've been able to conquer Costco twice now! Here's what I left with today:

No temptations that I gave in to. That's the key here, there will ALWAYS be temptations at Costco. Frankly, there will be temptations EVERYWHERE! But, I have succeeded in NOT giving in and feeling so successful handing my receipt to the lady or gentleman at the exit, who checks to make sure I didn't steal anything.

MY 5 WAYS TO CONQUER COSTCO
(or any grocery store for that matter...)

1. DO NOT GO TO COSTCO HUNGRY

My first thought was, "do you hate yourself or something?" Costco, for me, is really hard to resist when I am hungry. When I am hungry and the samples are being handed out right and left, I'm not thinking what are the points? I'm thinking, meh, it's small enough. It can't be THAT bad in points. Hmm? *insert eyebrow raise*

Everything looks good and everything looks like something I would totally use. Let's face it...there are 3.5 people living in my house. Is a WHOLE HUMUNGO BLOCK of Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese going to be something that my family will actually use? (Refer to my #4 rule...) When you are hungry, your brain reverts to old habits because IT NEEDS TO FEED THE BODY. And the body starts getting super weird cravings. If you are going to be out for quite a while, pack something plan friendly to eat BEFORE you go into Costco. Why before? you ask ,Why not during my shopping trip?
If you are eating something during your shopping trip, it's usually a mindless thing and you end up being hungrier than you really are. You eat your bar or cut up veggies faster than normal, because you're pushing a cart or trying to man your kids, and you just end up wanting more food. Having eaten that meal BEFOREHAND and not more than, like, 20 minutes before, you can have that rope to cling to. I can tell myself, "Camille, you are NOT hungry. You just ate 20 minutes ago...it's just influential hunger. You can do this." And you will be able to say this too...if you don't already.

So my friends, DON'T GO HUNGRY. You'll be much stronger to resist temptation and much more level headed when it comes to your grocery shopping.

       2. DO NOT GO TO COSTCO CLOSE TO MEALTIME (LUNCH OR DINNER...unless you've planned for it)
Costco is a bulk foods carrier, and when they have new items to sell...it's sample time. Around lunchtime, they roll things out anytime between 12pm-2pm. I got there today around 12:30pm and they started dishing out the hot samples. When you start seeing those samples, and your brain knows that the old body would be eating lunchtime around now, so it signals hunger. EVEN IF YOU ATE 20 MINUTES AGO! "Lunch time" is just a phrase...but it's also a mentality that I'm personally trying to break. I want my son to be on the same schedule too, so I'm working to say, "would you like something to eat?" Of course, "let's go have some lunch" happens often, but we are working on a 5-6 meal mentality in this home. When I've had my meal before getting to Costco, the signal still comes, but I'm better to resist and remember that each bite has got to be worth SOMETHING. The question is, is the food item worth spending calories on, or can you wait a little longer to have a more satisfying meal at home? I will say that the samples are really helpful when you are shopping with a little one or ones, but it's also a great opportunity to teach your little ones good choices.

Okay, I'm not perfect, but I am trying to be consistent. Little Man DID have a sample of an apple tart, and when he asked for more...I did look around to try and find something more substantial. Enter the one thing I DID try. I DID have a BITE of these really yummy veggie burgers they were sampling, and I'll throw those out there on the blog when I eat one. I gave one sample to my son and he LOVED them, so I went back and grabbed a sample for myself to try...and then gave him the rest. They WERE yummy, and so I bought them...but not without scanning it with my barcode scanner first (see tactic #4)

       3. DO NOT WANDER AROUND THE AREAS THAT ARE YOUR WEAKNESSES 
I'm just going to tell you right now, I don't even look at the bakery. I just don't. But...today I did. I was reflecting on a tactic a member uses because she LOVES those dang muffins. She purchases her muffins and then cuts them up and portions them out, and freezes them for future use. BRILLIANT IDEA! And she admits that she has the self control to only grab one bag. I don't. I just don't. I'd much rather eat a whole dang muffin on my reset day and have it be gone. But Costco doesn't do that...At Costco you have to buy a WHOLE DOZEN. Knowing this, I still stared at them..reminiscing on the last time I ate a blueberry muffin...and a poppyseed...and a chocolate chunk piece of bakery heaven. It's been a while, okay? I then started asking myself my 3 questions (tactic #5) and I was able to resist.
You know what your weaknesses are, and don't go searching for them. When I have time to spare, I also don't wander around the nut and granola bar isle. Costco always has some pretty cool things that I had never even HEARD about. I will usually get tempted, purchase them, and then no one ever eats them. If there is something you want to TRY, find a smaller box at another grocery store or find a friend who is willing to split the cost and product with you.

       4. GO WITH A SHOPPING LIST (and your WW app with the Barcode Scanner if you have access) 
Best thing you could EVER do for yourself. Throughout the week, I write down things that my family is needing. As I've written those things down throughout the week, I'll then transfer everything onto a paper shopping list. As I'm writing, I'm putting groups together. It's like my own Costco map. I know exactly where everything is, and I know exactly what aisle comes next. So, I write down things that are either in the same aisle or section and then whatever food group/section comes next. And the beautiful thing is, the day that I'm doing the shopping, I can decide, BEFORE I write things down, if I REALLY need that item, or if it can wait. Cross off as you go, and come to the checkout line with a successful cart. It truly is the most empowering feeling a foodie can have when you go to check out and you really have in your cart ONLY what you wrote down on your grocery list. It's awesome.

If you happen to wander off your list...
                 My WW friends...Barcode Scanner, anyone? Have you found yourself creepin' on other people at the store if they have their phone out and a food item in their hand? I don't ever get close but I always want to be like, "HOLLA ATCHA! WW? Right on! How many points is that??" When you are at Costco and something looks yummy (#5) get out your barcode scanner. A few weeks ago I had seen a Smore's Bread Loaf by Franz Bread company that looked delicious. I LOVE Smore's, and I resisted buying it the first time I saw it. I told my husband about it and he asked me why I didn't get it! He then proceeded to tell me that next time I'm at Costco I should definitely get some. I'm passing the loaves of bread, and what conversation pops into my head?? Yep, that one. So, Costco is on it's last leg of these Smore's Loaves (that's ANOTHER thing that's hard for me...you find something you love and then they don't carry it anymore! So THAT temptation arose: If I don't get it now, then I won't ever be able to EVER because they won't carry it anymore!) and I grab one. BUT, out of curiosity and to SEE if it was worth the purchase...I used the Barcode Scanner feature of the WW app. Wanna know how many smartpoints for just 1 PIECE of that baby? 7 SMARTPOINTS!! That's a WHOLE MEAL and THEN SOME! It didn't come up right in the system, but other people had scanned that baby and entered it in. I chuckled to myself as I found someone had said a slice was only 2 smartpoints...haha, who are you KIDDING?! I went with the other 5 members who said the slice of bread was 7 smartpoints, and promptly put the loaf back and told my husband, in my head, that I loved him...but it just wasn't worth it. Saved myself some money and avoided a temptation in my home. Victory.
                For those of you not on WW, you can still go through the process of looking at the nutritional value. Look at the calories, the saturated fat, and the sugar. If you are comfortable with the numbers, then go ahead and make the purchase. Just make sure you are making the purchase with a sound mind and not one that's following the Craving Monster's orders.

       5. ASK YOURSELF 3 QUESTIONS IF A TEMPTATION FINDS ITS WAY TO YOU:

• Will I want this tomorrow?
• Will this fit into my lifestyle plan/change?
• Will I be the only one eating this?

These questions are really self-explanatory and really great questions to help yourself. You are standing there, looking at the delicious deal of a dozen Costco muffins and you think (in a perfect world), "Oh, it's been a long time my friend! You should come home with me. I'll cut you in half, put you in portion bags, and my family and I will enjoy you from our freezer for weeks to come!" THEN reality sets in, and your thought process sounds a little more like this: "$7.99 for a dozen muffins? That's an awesome deal! I didn't realize how cheap they were! Ooh, the blueberry looks so good! But so does the poppyseed, those are definitely my favorite. I wonder what kind Hubby would like? Cookie probably wouldn't want poppyseed, and neither would Hubby, so I should probably get the chocolate and the blueberry. (Lifestyle mentality starts to come back to save the day) Okay, wait, if I bring those home and cut them up...I could cut them in 1/2 sizes. Really? We'd probably be looking for at like, 1/4 for it to be point friendly. Is it even worth it then? And would Hubby really stop at just 1/4? And honestly, we'd probably go through those in a week...Maybe a day I get on one and repeat what happen 2 weeks ago...-36 smartpoints. You are trying to not do that again, remember? Okay, so 1/4 size portions, that's a LOT of plastic bags... What a waste of plastic bags! (Lifestyle change takes courage and conquers) Yeah, no, sorry my muffin friends...maybe I'll get you for a family dinner and then I can enjoy a whole one of you little temptresses." Victory. No muffins bought, and a whole conversation ending being victorious. I probably would NOT have wanted those muffins tomorrow, and probably not on Saturday either. They definitely DON'T fit into my lifestyle plan/change because I would have them around my house to munch on all week...sabotaging my Reset Day mentality! And...those muffins, I wouldn't be the only one eating them...but I wouldn't even be purchasing my favorite flavor, and so ultimately, the purchase didn't even make sense.

I'm sure Costco employees are getting used to the fact that people stand and stare at food for a while, fully aware that those people are either talking themselves INTO or OUT OF a food purchase.

If I worked at Costco, and worked the floor, I'd probably be taking bets...and winning.

Why? Because, I've been there. I'm still there, but I'm doing MUCH better. I'm MUCH more empowered and feel SO MUCH BETTER ABOUT MYSELF when I can come home and chop up bags of veggies for meals that I can enjoy and will eat later that day, and everyday throughout the week. See? Celery?? Bought a huge bag of that stuff, cut the ribs in half and put them in snack size bags for easy access. There's my pre-portioned bag of baby carrots that I'm munching on as I prep! Look at all that green?! I've done all the work and put them in bags...and I won't have ANYTHING to think about if I'm in a quick pinch and needing veggies.

You CAN conquer Costco! You can learn to prep your veggies in bulk and eat them BEFORE they go bad! My next hill to overcome? Not having anxiety when my veggie drawers start to get low and grocery day isn't for another few days. But that's another time :)

Happy Shopping!
Camille

Quinoa Dinner Muffins

Little Man LOVES these babies! I decided to try something new for a change...experiment with egg muffins in the oven. People rave about them all the time, and by people I mean fitness guru's I watch on TV, so I decided to try my hand at it.

This is how my dinner turned out...pair 3 of them with a side salad, and they really are savory and satisfying.

Quinoa Dinner Muffins (makes 18 muffins, 2sp each)

2 T olive oil

1/4 medium red onion (any kind works great)

1/2 t minced garlic

1 c zucchini

1/4 t dried thyme

1/4 t ground basil

1/4 t black pepper

1/2 c no salt added diced tomatoes

3/4 c cooked quinoa (I used the already cooked kind found at Walmart...worked like a charm!)

1 c fresh parsley

8 eggs

7 egg whites

1/3 c shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Sautee onions, garlic, diced zucchini, thyme, and basil until onions are almost clear and veggies are a golden brown.

Once veggies are golden brown, add tomatoes, quinoa, and parsley. Cook until parsley wilts and let cool.

Whisk eggs and egg whites in separate bowl.

Spoon 1.5 T of quinoa mixture into **WELL GREASED muffin tins and then fill with eggs until about 3/4 full. (**Even if you have the "non-stick" pans like I do, you will definitely want to spray the tins anyways...I learned the hard way) Top with cheese and cook for 20 minutes at 400 degrees. 

If after 20 minutes the eggs still look a little runny, let it cook for 1-2 minutes more. Don't overcook or eggs will be chewy and firm...not so good.

I stored my left-overs in a tupperware in the fridge and had those babies for lunch the next day. I topped them with a little salsa, and they were delicious.

Be adventurous. Try new things! Love what you are doing, but most importantly, love yourself! Don't be afraid to add other ingredients as well. I've seen spinach, ham, ground turkey, various veggies...Just make sure it looks good so you'll want to eat it! Again, your kitchen is an adventure waiting to be discovered!

Happy eating,

Camille

Why Am I So Fat?

I've taken a little hiatus for a while to allow readers to catch up. Last night, I was encouraged by my peers to start blogging again. So, I decided to jump right in and get back with it...starting with a post of encouragement for you all to do some self-reflection.

Summer is coming to an end, and, if you're like me, Summer was amazing. BUT, my weight is not exactly where it wants to be. At first, I was frustrated that I gained 10 pounds, but you know what? I've come to learn that loving myself is far more important that beating myself up for something that's done. I can now do something about it...forget my mistakes and go to work.

Read on to see some discoveries I've made to hopefully help you feel not so alone in the journey and encourage you to go ahead and make some changes that you've been putting off for a while. :)

This is a question that JD Roth asks you to ask yourself:

"Why Am I So Fat?"

I am currently reading The Big Fat Truth: Behind-the-scenes Secrets to Losing Weight and Gaining the Inner Strength to Transform You Life by JD Roth. Who's JD Roth? He's the executive producer of The Biggest Loser and Extreme Weight Loss. It's okay, I'd never heard of him either.

I love both these shows, more so Extreme Weight Loss and it's my life-long dream to meet, in person, Chris and Heidi Powell. Which, I'm SO BUMMED, because they are coming to SLC on the 30th of April for Utah' FitCon. Boo hoo...Graduation celebrations will be commencing...Here's hoping they will be around for next year's FitCon. Still dreamin', still hopin'.

This book has really gotten my gears working. Many of you who know me will say, "Camille, you are NOT fat. Just stop. Stop." And you're right...I know I'm not fat now. 

I used to be...

When I show this picture to people, most of them say, "Awe, but you were still beautiful! Look at your beautiful smile!" *sigh* Yeah...but now...?

I get, "That's amazing. I just can't believe it"

The girl in black is a confident powerhouse and felt like the world was at her feet. Then depression started to sink in again, gained 6 pounds while her mother was in town for 4 DAYS, and she lost her mojo for 3 weeks and is seriously struggling to get back into the game.

My clothes still fit, alright? But I don't FEEL good...I know I've lost some muscle from the 3 week break and my 6 pounds are slowly coming off. My mind needs to get into the game, but I felt like I was floundering because old habits were creeping back.

Enter a book that is saving my life this week:

Heidi Powell was giving a shout-out for this book on her twitter feed, and so naturally, I had to buy it. And I'm so glad I did...

There is one phrase that JD mentioned only one time in his book thus far that has changed my outlook and helped me get up before 7:00am the past two days...I wrote it down on my mirror and I say it to myself when I "just can't"...

"I will live in the solution, not live in the problem"

Really?! As simple as that?! Mind. Blown.

I was really bogged down with the fact that my muscle mass has diminished, I have been super tired, I gained 6 pounds, I don't feel sexy...blah blah blah. What am I DOING?! I'm living in the problem.

I need to live in the solution! So? It's slow coming, but I'm finding my drive again to get exercising. Today it's a little difficult because family is coming in and I'm doing some introspection at the moment (i.e. reading this book).

That's my mantra right now and I'm taking this week to pick up speed and go all in on Monday when my workout cycle starts.

Now the big question to answer, Why am I so fat?

How did I let myself get there? How did I let myself get to the girl in the green shirt? I inwardly moan whenever I see this picture...because...that's not me! Even though it was me for my whole 24 years of life! Just in the past 2 have I really slimmed down and figured some stuff out...But today, I had an "aha" moment.

JD goes to talk about how time and time again people answer the question "Why are you so fat?" with the response: "I love food"

I say that ALL THE TIME! And I do! But, I'm thin now...and healthy. But even then...If I love food, why do I sometimes eat something that doesn't even TASTE good? If I loved food, why do I eat something over and over until I'm sick, and then eat more? Mind you, this doesn't happen hardly ever...but when it does, I don't know why.

I think I have finally found the answer.

When I was heavy, I hated food. I despised being hooked to it and I despised eating SO MUCH, SO OFTEN...but I couldn't stop. And that's the key... JD goes in to dive deeper to that answer and he's right, NO ONE could love food THAT MUCH!! No one could love food so much that you eat so much of it to purposefully gain 65-70 pounds of discomfort. More to love? Yeah right. I remember in high school that I wouldn't even let people touch me because I didn't want them to feel the fat on my body. I would wear this ugly black sports coat that was fleece lined, and I would sweat the whole da** day for fear of taking it off and having my "rolls" show. Always pulling at my shirt, always sucking it in, wanting so desperately to go under the radar.

Sound familiar to anyone?

As I'm reading and contemplating and discovering so much in so little time, a link to one of his ted talks is highlighted in his book and I go and check it out. He talks about potential and how a simple hug does so much...

Revert back to not letting ANYONE touch me in high school...flashback happens and, DING!, lightbulb goes off.

There was a young man in my high school that EVERYONE loved. He was the fit, tan, football, wrestling, you name it, life of the party guy. And...he always had a girl on his arm. We never became more than friends, but not for lack of trying on either one's part...it just never worked out.

But this friend taught me to start to love myself. 

Freshman year, I was the new girl and he was the life of the party...but he'd always say hi to me in the hallways. More like, scream my name from the other end of the hall...and I was SO embarrassed until I got to know him. When we actually became friends, probably towards the end of freshman year, he started to randomly give me hugs. The first time? I was MORTIFIED!! 

My thoughts? He is NEVER going to talk to me again! He felt my fat! I probably smelled horrible and I was so sweaty. I bet he is so grossed out! And all the thoughts of stupidity a 17 year old, insecure girl could come up with. 

But do you know what happened the next day? Same thing happened...another hug. Just friends, right? Eventually, it turned into our way of saying we liked each other, accepted each other, but never did a dang thing about it...never telling each other until I moved away. Irony, right? Oh high school *snap a high school drama selfie* 

But, that little tradition went on for 3 years. All freshman year that coat started to get a little heavier, until one day, JT screamed my name across the school field and held his arms out. I shed that coat (literally and mentally) and ran straight to him with a big smile on my face. And you know what? He caught me AND didn't drop me. And I didn't die. We chatted like best friends (yeah, how CLUELESS am I? Right? I never thought anything more because he always had a girl on his arm?!) and went on our way...me to volleyball practice and him to football or wrestling.

All that being said...this friend helped me so much. He is now married to a beautiful woman and I'm married to my wonderful husband. Each spouse perfect for the other. But, I can't help but reflect and thank this friend for those hugs way back when...They helped me come out of my shell quite a bit.

As for the over-eating? JD Roth goes to say, "Once you start accepting less of yourself, over-eating becomes a little easier." Why do we overeat? Why do we eat things we KNOW are not good for us? JD claims he can take a person and hang a necklace of donuts around their neck and they are not tempted in the least bit. Okay, my mouth WATERS at the idea of a donut, so I'm totally reading more wanting to know the secret. 

You gotta fix your mind and your body follows suit. No one ever got fat by eating too many carrots and broccoli. 

Today, I finally realized that my overeating trigger is...anxiety. Simple as that. I realized, just today, that I will overeat or give in to cravings to stuff down my feeling of anxiousness so that I can keep going, stay strong, and not let the anxiety show.

Now that I write it out...it's totally counterproductive...but I do it.

How did I discover this? My son had an MRI at 7:30am this morning. A routine MRI, but I always get anxiety when the nurses have to put the IV into his wrist, knock him out for 45 minutes, and ask me to leave him as they wheel him into a room with oxygen and tubing all over the place. I didn't even get to wait in the Recovery Room this time, I was asked to leave my things and was welcome to sit in the outside waiting room or get something to eat in the cafeteria. WHAT? Well? I chose the cafeteria because I needed to finish my breakfast and I had the intention of studying my book to get my mind off of things.

As I walk into the cafeteria, the smell of hash browns sends my stomach into a growl and my mouth a-watering. I pull out my little container of cottage cheese, cinnamon pears, and kashi cereal and, though I had seriously enjoyed the first half before I left for the hospital, the leftovers just made me say, "wah-waaah" and the hash browns sounded so much more appetizing. I went so far as to picture myself eating the hash browns! But, I finished my cottage cheese, and as I was justifying to buy some hash browns, with sausage, and probably some eggs...I heard "live in the solution...not the problem". If I sat in the cafeteria waiting for my son to come out of the procedure, I was living in the problem...I was living in the situation that was giving me anxiety. So? The solution? GET THE HECK OUTTA THE CAFETERIA AND DO SOMETHING! I grabbed my bag and walked right out of the hospital and did 2 laps around the hospital grounds.

I walked into the waiting room just in time...my little boy had JUST woken up and wanted his mom. The sedation meds aren't too friendly, as you can see in the picture above. BUT, we left the hospital safe and sound, and hash brown free.

My fellow readers, learn to love yourself. If you can't, reach out to those around you, find a support group, and lean on others (like I did) until you come to believe it. Love yourself for your weaknesses and work HARD to make them a strength. We can never change and never grow until we accept fault or weakness. When we are accountable and admit to ourselves what we need to change, we can begin to take the steps necessary to become who we truly want to be. As Shia LeBeouf would say, we can JUST DO IT!

Stay strong my friends, for this journey was never said to be easy...but when all is said and done, it's totally worth it.

Glad to be back,

Camille