Sweet Potato vs. White Potato

One common health food substitution I've been hearing about is to replace eating white potatoes with sweet potatoes. However, after Friday night's dinner, which was SO yummy, I had to wonder - are sweet potatoes really that much better for you, or am I just fooling myself? So I did some research - here's what I found:

Looking at them side-by-side, sweet potatoes and regular white potatoes seem to be nutritionally quite identical:

	Sweet Potato	Potato
Calories	103	163
Protein	2.29 g.	3.63 g.
Carbohydrates	23.61 g.	36.47 g.
Fiber	3.8 g.	3.8 g.
Fat	0.17 g.	0.26 g.
Saturated Fat	0.06 g.	0.04 g.

[Comparison from fatsecret.com - 1 medium, baked, with skin, no salt added]

After looking at those numbers, it didn't seem like that huge of a difference ... so what was the big deal? What gives sweet potatoes the edge? After reading some more, here are the two main reasons why sweet potatoes (which are actually not a type of potato) are said to be healthier than regular potatoes:

• sweet potatoes have more antioxidants (which lowers the risk of certain chronic diseases such as heart disease and cancer)
• sweet potatoes have a lower glycemic index, which means that it does not cause a spike in blood sugar levels - which often leads to more hunger, therefore more eating - therefore, the pancreas does not need to work as hard to compensate (so there is less strain on the body)

So overall, the sweet potato does have more nutritious value than the regular potato -- now I don't feel so guilty for enjoy my dinner with so much relish :)

The last line in the LA times article I read is worth quoting:

"A sweet potato isn't really good for you if it's fried and eaten along with a generous serving of mom's apple pie."

The final nutritional value of the food will always come down to portion and preparation -- so choose and prepare foods carefully!

Sources of information:

http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=george&dbid=69

http://articles.latimes.com/2011/jul/01/news/la-heb-sweet-potatoes-weight-gain-201100701

http://www.foodreference.com/html/sweet-pot-nutrition.html

Loaded Sweet Potato

I've never had a baked sweet potato on its own ... and I never thought it would be as delicious as it turned out! Pictured below is 1 portion, but it was so filling that I only ate half. The nutritional info at the bottom is for the entire portion.

Ingredients:

1 medium sweet potato

1/2 can 15 oz. black beans (drained, rinsed)

1/2 tomato, diced

1/4 teaspoon cumin powder

1/4 teaspoon coriander powder

1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

3.25 oz. crab meat

2 tablespoons low-fat cottage cheese

cilantro to garnish

Directions:

1. Bake sweet potato in skin until soft (about 1 hour); alternatively, microwave sweet potato on high for 7-10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, mix together remaining ingredients - except cottage cheese and cilantro - and heat in a saucepan for 2-3 minutes

3. Once the potato is soft, slice in half, add bean/crab mix, cottage cheese, and cilantro

Enjoy!

Nutritional info: (calories per serving/recipe serves 1)

418 calories

31 g. protein

63 g. carbohydrates (12 g. fiber)

8.7 g. fat (2.75 g. saturated fat)

Stop Eating

A few days ago, I sat down to have lunch - I had made my summer salad (taken from the NROL4W book) - and about half way through the salad I got full, really full. However, given that I had completed a good workout in the morning and intended on going back to the gym that evening, I forced myself to finish the entire bowl -- it was, after all, only one portion.

I have to admit that after eating the salad I felt beyond full. I know - full from just a salad? The beans, tuna, and veggies mixed together really fill you up. Although it was delicious, I know that by the end of the salad I was not enjoying it ... so why did I continue eating? Why didn't I just stop?

I really don't have an answer. I think it just had to do with the fact that I had carefully measured out and prepared the salad so that it was exactly 1 portion, filled with good nutrients, that I should finish it. I also didn't want to be finicky with my calorie intake. I wanted to be consistent with what I was eating and make sure I was hitting my daily target -- so I kept eating.

It's bugged me ever since. I should have stopped. I should have just put my fork down and said - wrap it up, put it in the fridge -- if you are hungry later, then you can have it ... it's already prepared, you know the remaining portion is ok to eat because it is part of your allowance, so stop eating already!!!

I really am still irritated that I continued to eat after feeling full ... anyway. Last night I made a loaded sweet potato for dinner (will post the recipe). It was unbelievably delicious. I mean I enjoyed every single bite ... but as I neared finishing the first half of the potato, I started to get full. I finished one half and pushed the plate away. I thought, let me wait 10-15 minutes, if I'm still hungry I can finish it ... if not, I'll just wrap it up and put it in the fridge for tomorrow ... and that's what I ended up doing.

Even though I knew I could have eaten that whole potato with all the fixin's without any guilt or going over my calorie intake for the day, I stopped eating. I was full, not bursting full, but completely satisfied full ... and I didn't feel hungry for the rest of the night/into the morning.

I'm definitely getting better at eating healthier foods and listening to my body - and recognizing the difference between what I need and what I want.

I wanted to eat the whole thing, but I didn't need to ... so I stopped.

Working through the Pain

I'm still struggling quite a bit through the pain of my cramps and in general the fibroid pain, though I have to admit, it's the swelling/bloating caused by the fibroids that annoys me more. Still, I knew this morning I had a choice -- sit at home and let the pain take over or push through and go to the gym ... so I went to the gym.

Every since my Fugly Day in January I've had to take a step back and reassess how I wanted live my life. Having a doctor tell me that the pain is something I'll just have to live with for the rest of my life is totally unacceptable. Unfortunately I don't have the time or the resources to pursue treatment at the moment ... but I refuse to let it get the best of me.

It's not easy. Many days a flit in and out of depression. I don't talk about it because there really isn't anything anybody can do except sympathize ... I don't need sympathy. I do allow myself to take a moment, only once in a while, to feel some sadness. Although my post-op pain is gone, I'm back to a constant level 3 pain, with pangs of pain that I would rank 7-8 out of 10 on most days ... it's hard to just grin and bear it, but I do because the other option - sitting around moping about it - isn't going to solve the problem ... nor is that attitude or lack of movement going to help me lose this weight I desperately want to get rid of. I have 55-60 lbs. left to lose ... I've been plateauing at this weight for enough time - it's time to move forward. Pain or no pain, I've got to push through it.

I did Body Pump this morning with KD. Great class, though half way through the chest track I felt my right arm give way. I just could not find the energy to push up with my right arm. It was strange. I felt the same during the tricep workout ... I need to talk to her about it. It may just be that my arms are kind of 'asleep' from not doing any intense weights for almost a month. Hopefully restarting the NROL4W workout on Sunday will help me with that.

I followed Pump class with another Zumba session. Since I know the moves now I can concentrate more on my posture and holding in 'abs' etc. Hopefully I'll continue to improve with each session.

I have definitely found that movement eases the pain - somewhat. I may be pushing it a little, but so far I don't feel anything so severe that I can't handle. I did have really bad cramping this afternoon, but I stayed away from the painkillers (yesterday I had 8 - yikes!). I've already taken 2 today, but am really trying to resist taking another dose.

NROL4W - Phase 2 Progress

Had a rough night -- bad cramps (got my period early, again! This is not a good sign) woke me up at around 2:15 a.m. -- couldn't get back to sleep so I got out of bed at 3 and have been up ever since.

Though I was hurting I kept reminding myself that several studies have shown that no matter how uncomfortable or even painful period cramps may be, movement helps ... so at 7:30 a.m. I went to the gym and successfully completed 45 minutes on the cross-trainer followed by 30 minutes on the treadmill.

I felt tired but better for having done some exercise ... though by the afternoon my cramps were so bad that they brought tears to my eyes. I tried to lie down but it actually made it worse - ironically the only position I was comfortable in was standing (even sitting was uncomfortable). It was all getting me a bit down so guess what I did in the evening? That's right - Zumba!! I'm already an addict. All that shaking and jumping around wasn't easy, but I pushed through -- it was totally worth the pangs of pain :)

So, definitely a good job on the workout front for me today with a total of 2.5 hrs of cardio. I'm still trying to figure out my weights schedule ...

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, Stage 2 of NROL4W was tough for me. Here were my issues:

1. I was recovering from major surgery, so I had to take it easy with lifting (as per my doctor's instructions)

2. The slow, halting start with weights (and cardio) meant I never really got into the groove with the routine, so each time I completed a session it was more out of obligation (to myself) rather than actual enjoyment, so that sucked

3. I focused on my writing, so I didn't have as much time at the gym as I would have liked, and my equipment at home was also limited

4. I didn't really enjoy the exercises that much -- I had trouble figuring out the differences between a lunge with the rear foot elevated, a Bulgarian split squat, and a reverse lunge from the box ... I really wish I had more than a book to help me get through some of these exercises ... but I tried.

5. As a result of my slow progression through this stage, I didn't feel the increase in strength and stamina as I did after Stage 1 (which I absolutely loved). I'm looking forward to feeling that burn and seeing that muscle tone again ...

6. Since I was slowly building up my cardio endurance, I didn't do any of the suggested interval training, so I definitely feel like I lagged on the cardio aspect of the program

After some contemplation I've decided not to redo Stage 2 but to move straight on to Stage 3. I should have a steady routine for the next few months so hopefully I'll be able to really get into the swing of things and see some progress.

In the meantime, here's my progress for Stage 2 of NROL4W:

Exercise	Pre-Surgery	Post-Surgery	Final
Front squat, push press	15 kg	10 kg	20 kg
Step up	8 kg	3 kg/hand (1 step)	8 kg/hand (4 steps)
Dumbbell 1-point row	7 kg	3 kg/hand	8 kg/hand
Lunge, elevate rear foot	10 kg	10 kg	20 kg
Push ups (body weight)	2x10 normal	2x10 on wall	2x10 normal
Plank (60 sec)	2x10 normal	2x30 sec on knees	2x10 normal
Cable horizontal wood chop	13 kg	5 kg	13 kg
Dead lifts from box	30 kg	15 kg	30 kg
Bulgarian split squat	10 kg	6 kg/hand	8 kg/hand
Underhand lateral pull	41 kg	30 kg	41 kg
Reverse lunge from box w/reach	5 kg	5 kg/hand	8 kg/hand
Dumbbell prone snatch	5 kg	6 kg/hand	8 kg/hand
Swill ball crunch	25	20	30
Reverse crunch	15	X	30
Lateral flexion	15/leg	12/leg rep	30/leg
Prone cobra	10 rep	10 rep	30

Not the most impressive numbers. I'm just happy that aside from the split squat I am back to my pre-surgery strength. Sure I would have loved to have seen more improvement ... but I am sure I will see it in the days to come.

Forging Ahead

I woke up this morning feeling very sore -- I don't know if it was yesterday's cross-trainer workout or the Zumba workout ... nevertheless, it felt good to have that achy feeling in my legs again.

At times I really confuse myself. I love going to the gym, but still I struggle (quite regularly) with the decision of whether or not I should go to the gym. Take this morning for example. I don't teach on Wednesdays so I have the day free. I do, however, have my never-ending PhD to work on plus something scheduled for 2 p.m. that I have to prepare for ... so my question was, do I go to the gym this morning or not? My plan (that I fixed on Saturday) was to go this morning and do weights and Body Balance class and then tackle the rest of my errands ... so why did I wake up this morning wondering what to do? Why did I feel hesitation about going to the gym and completing the tasks I had set out for myself. They were not difficult. In fact, I was looking forward to them. I guess I just felt pressured for time. Everything would be a bit rushed.

In any case, I told myself to shut up and just stick to my bloody plan. So I did.

Wednesdays are my non-oatmeal breakfast days, so I made myself an egg white scramble with a bit of salsa - yum!

Then I squeezed in an hour of work before heading to the gym.

I finally completed Stage 2 of NROL4W (more on that below) and I went to Body Balance class (my first post-surgery) ... and now I feel great!

I'm a bit torn as to what to do with the NROL4W program. I struggled to get through Stage 2, mainly because I eased myself into it after surgery and also because I was incredibly wrapped up in my writing ... so it didn't get the commitment that it deserved though I am happy with my progress. Part of me is tempted to redo the whole stage before moving on to Stage 3 ... but after seeing my results today - the same as/slightly better than my last workout at the beginning of January - I guess there is not reason to go back ... plus I've heard that Stage 3 is much more interesting and challenging than Stage 2, and I'm definitely ready for that!

Body Balance was fantastic. I was a bit apprehensive, but it was fine. I've definitely lost a bit of flexibility, but I think after a few classes I'll be fine. I definitely want to try to work in at least 2 if not 3 yoga/pilates/balance classes per week. They really help me stretch out my muscles and also tone in general. Hmmmm my workout schedule may need a bit of tweaking.

Feelin' better each day :)

Gettin' Game

Yesterday my day was totally thrown off sync since I woke up at 2:30 a.m. to watch the Superbowl live -- now that's commitment for you! I'm so glad the Giants won (after all, I am a NY girl at heart) and I'm even happier that this is the second year in a row that I won the Football Pick 'em League ($200 yay! Off to buy some new shoes!) :)

I thought that I'd go back to sleep once the game was over, but I started doing some editing ... and before long it was already 2 p.m. I'm really not sure how I managed to stay awake. I took a short break for lunch and then decided to make the most of the day off and continued to work until 8 p.m. So, no gym yesterday.

Today, however, after a good night's sleep (almost 5 hours, which is good in my book!), I headed straight to the gym for my morning workout. I'm still kind of getting back into the groove of things so I haven't come up with a fixed workout routine yet. So for this week it's just about showing up and doing something.

I got on the cross-trainer today -- the first time since my surgery. It was ok. I did experience some discomfort/slight pain but I realized that they were no longer post-surgical effects ... this is the 'normal' pain. I think I have totally recovered from the surgery -- so now everything that I'm feeling is 'normal' - the pain, discomfort, pressure, bloating ... I tell you, typing that out makes it really hard for me not to just hide under the covers and give up! However, I'm not giving up. I'm still going to push through all of this until I have the time and energy to further pursue other treatment options.

So, this morning I did 45 minutes on the cross-trainer (burned just shy of 500 calories and completed 5.64 km). I really love working out in the morning - it's a bit of an effort to get there (and then shower, get dressed, and make it to work on time) but at least it's done and out of the way ... The cross-trainer is not all I did today ... I went back to the gym in the evening and finally went to ZUMBA class -- YAY!!!! I absolutely LOVED the class. I can't wait until the next class! I'm already hooked :)

I'm definitely getting back in the game :)

Oh, made a yummy veggie curry for dinner last night - super easy to make and very low in calories - will post the recipe soon.

It's been a good day!