Last week: 385 lbs.

Start (Dec. 17): 470 lbs.

Total lost: 88 lbs.

—

Andy finally did it. Not this Andy, our governor, Andrew Cuomo. He finally signed a bill designating yogurt as New York’s official snack.

Yes, we have an official snack, and even though this has more to do with economics and politics, it’s actually a good thing. It promotes a healthy food choice for people like me trying to lose weight.

As I continue my journey, I’m always on the lookout for easy, portable foods high in protein. I need to make sure I’m eating enough protein because I’m trying to swap fat for muscle while working out at the Fitness Revolution gym in Lake Placid. If I fail to eat enough protein, I could lose muscle, and muscle helps burn calories.

Without getting into the physiology, which I don’t totally understand, let’s just say protein is essential. And while it doesn’t have to come from animal products, I’m a meat eater and yogurt is perfect for part of a meal or a snack.

I eat plain nonfat yogurt, preferably Greek style because it has more protein. The simpler the better. I don’t want the added sugar. And when I can get organic yogurt, I buy it. While the price is steeper than the non-organic brands, I don’t eat tons of it, so it lasts longer. For me, it’s worth the extra money to know I’m eating a wholesome food from a yogurt producer in the region. It’s also nice knowing I can help out a local producer who is making a healthy snack for me. I call that a win-win purchase.

New York is, after all, the nation’s leader in yogurt production, generating 741 million pounds of yogurt in 2013 (15.7 percent of the total U.S. yogurt production). And it is third in milk production, behind (1) California and (2) Wisconsin.

The governor made his big yogurt announcement just before the second New York State Yogurt Summit, held Oct. 15 at Cornell University in Ithaca.

The Greek yogurt trend has sparked a boon in the state’s yogurt industry, which is great for the economy. Cuomo said that designating yogurt as the official state snack will continue to raise public awareness of the economic and health benefits of yogurt and the dairy industry. State Sen. Michael Ranzenhofer, of Amherst in Erie County, gave credit where credit is due.

“Yogurt is now the official snack of New York State, and the fourth-graders at Byron-Bergen Elementary School deserve all of the credit,” he said. “From initially suggesting the idea to traveling to the State Capitol earlier this year, these students deserve high marks for their efforts to get this legislation signed into law. I am pleased that the governor has signed my bill into law.”

The bill was co-sponsored by Assemblyman William Magee, who lives in the town of Nelson in Madison County.

High-protein snacks

I recently visited my nutrition consultant, Wynde Kate Reese, co-owner of Green Goddess Natural Foods in Lake Placid, to catch up and give her an update on the Lake Placid Diet. I asked her if she could help me find some natural, high-protein snacks I could eat on the go. After all, if I’m going to be snacking on something between meals, I’d rather it be high on the protein side and low on the carbohydrate side.

Here is a list of 30 snack ideas she drafted for me. I can’t wait to try them.

1. Apples with almond butter

2. Carrots with hummus

3. Rice cake with almond butter

4. Cashews and dried cranberries

5. Organic cheese stick

6. Sea Snax: toasted seaweed sheets

7. Organic jerky or meat stick

8. Turkey roll-up: slice of turkey rolled up

9. Apples sauce with hemp seeds plus cinnamon

10. Green Goddess curried cashews

11. Unsalted shelled pistachios

12. Slices of Tofu Lin (marinated baked tofu)

13. Avocado with sprinkle of Celtic sea salt

14. Egg salad with cucumber slices

15. Chia squeeze or chia kombucha

16. Mary’s Gone Crackers: super seed with cheese or avocado

17. Deviled eggs

18. Chia pod: yogurt alternative

19. Dark Chocolate covered hemp seeds

20. Spicy pumpkin seeds

21. Celery stalks with peanut butter

22. Coconut chips: dried unsweetened coconut flakes

23. Nut butter spread on slice of Ezekiel bread

24. Canned wild Alaskan salmon

25. Homemade trail mix: nuts, seeds, dried fruit

26. Protein shake: one you can mix with water

27. Drinkable yogurt or Kefir

28. Edamame, thawed with sprinkle of Celtic salt

29. Mung bean fettucini with pesto

30. Organic Kit bar: fruit and nuts only