So I went to a party last night where there was A LOT OF FOOD. Some of it was quite healthy. For example, vegetables, whole grain crackers, cheese, some kind of cous cous / pesto / chick pea / garlic deliciousness... but once I had some drinks in me, I slowly migrated towards my old favorite: chocolate chip cookies. Oh how I love them. How did I rationalize this obviously bad choice? Cheat night? More like cheat week. Sigh.
I have to say that my dear friend Melissa provided many options that were fine for me to enjoy and trust me I did load up my plate with peppers, cheeses and crackers and that fancy chick pea dip, but I was feeling dangerous, I guess, and allowed myself to feel free and have a cookie... or two... or three...oh well. I weighed myself today and it didn't cause a massive problem, so I am okay with my choices, I am just scared to log my food to see just how many calories I ate.
Oh, did I mention that I also snuck some potato chips, too? Also another old favorite of mine. It is so hard to resist them, so I had probably a handful over the course of the night. They were so good, but I will certainly regret it in a few moments when I log my food. Notice I blog first, log later. Sneaky? Perhaps.. I like to think of it as the calm before the storm.
I suppose my point is to let you all know that I do know how to enjoy myself every now and then, BUT in moderation. That is the key. I find if I allow myself to stand by that table covered in food, then I pick at it. On the other hand, if I make a plate for myself and go sit down, I am less likely to gorge myself and feel sick to my tummy. So I encourage you to do the same tomorrow and the next day and I suppose also on New Years. I feel that if you make yourself a plate and actually SEE what you are eating, you will be less likely to over eat appetizers and have a nice balance of booze and food.
I would like to ask that you keep my hips, thighs and tummy in your thoughts and prayers over the next few days. They are still crying for the gym and are starting to really wonder who I am anymore. I can feel it. So, while you are at church wondering when this lady will finish her damn children's story (oh wait, that's just us in vineland), throw in some kind thoughts for me, I beg of you!
I wish all of you happy and HEALTHY Merry Christmas!!!!
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Monday, December 21, 2009
Conquering the Holidays
I have been really bad about blogging for my loyal readers and for that I apologize. Things have gotten SUPER busy lately. Between work and wedding planning, oh and a blizzard, I feel like my head is spinning. I am currently blogging to you from good ol' south jersey. It feels really good to be home and with some of my closest family and friends. The only trick has been attempting (and failing) to burn calories as well as attempting to stick to my food intake goals.
So far I feel like a frigging lump on a log. I haven't seen a treadmill since last Wednesday (12/16). Why you ask? Well, I had to pack my bags for my trip the following Thursday, got to new jersey Friday, went to a wedding Saturday that happened to be during a blizzard and then got trapped in Vineland (happily, I might add with two of my favorite people Brian and Jaime)... so point is, there has been zero time for me to focus on working out at all. No matter how many times people tell me I look great, I can't help but feel disgusting. I believe it is official that I am addicted to the gym. I miss it like a fat kid misses cake at fat camp. But I digress.
I have had some wonderful comments since being home. People tell me how nice I look, but can I be honest? It is still really hard to look at myself and see what they see. I still have this mental thing about who I once was and it causes this blushing moment whenever someone tells me how nice I look. Don't get me wrong, keep the compliments coming because it will only motivate me more, but half the time I just can't wrap my mind around this woman I am becoming... and I think I like her.
The most interesting part about not having seen some of these people in MONTHS is saying out loud how much weight I have lost. Are you ready? Since January I have lost a total of 33 pounds. Un-freakin-believable for me. Some are concerned it's too much, but they are the ones who I feel don't read this blog or understand that I am going about this a completely healthy way. But don't worry, I go into great detail with those folks about my program with body bugg and what I am doing and they quickly change their tunes. So if you are wondering what my end goal is here, I have set a new goal of 120 pounds by February and then I would like to maintain that for the duration of my life unless I get preggars. I met my original goal of 133 pounds last week and almost passed out cold due to shock and disbelief. Some may find me going on and on about this conceited, but for me its a bit of therapy and it helps me realize that what is happening is for real.
I just really have this overhanging fear of gaining tons of weight while I am here due to not being able to work out as much as I'd like. And you can tell me it's nonsense and to give myself a break, but for me relapsing on being over weight is truly a real fear and something that terrifies the crap out of me. So I think tomorrow I am going to steal my mother's work out tapes and see what magic I can make happen in her living room, if any. Try not to stair at the goofy girl through the windows. Hopefully next time I post, you will not hear me sobbing about all the weight I gained back over the holidays because I am truly determined to beat the odds. So Christmas eve and Christmas day gorge meals HERE COMES THE BRIDE. You will not own me, I will own you. So, neener neener neener.
So far I feel like a frigging lump on a log. I haven't seen a treadmill since last Wednesday (12/16). Why you ask? Well, I had to pack my bags for my trip the following Thursday, got to new jersey Friday, went to a wedding Saturday that happened to be during a blizzard and then got trapped in Vineland (happily, I might add with two of my favorite people Brian and Jaime)... so point is, there has been zero time for me to focus on working out at all. No matter how many times people tell me I look great, I can't help but feel disgusting. I believe it is official that I am addicted to the gym. I miss it like a fat kid misses cake at fat camp. But I digress.
I have had some wonderful comments since being home. People tell me how nice I look, but can I be honest? It is still really hard to look at myself and see what they see. I still have this mental thing about who I once was and it causes this blushing moment whenever someone tells me how nice I look. Don't get me wrong, keep the compliments coming because it will only motivate me more, but half the time I just can't wrap my mind around this woman I am becoming... and I think I like her.
The most interesting part about not having seen some of these people in MONTHS is saying out loud how much weight I have lost. Are you ready? Since January I have lost a total of 33 pounds. Un-freakin-believable for me. Some are concerned it's too much, but they are the ones who I feel don't read this blog or understand that I am going about this a completely healthy way. But don't worry, I go into great detail with those folks about my program with body bugg and what I am doing and they quickly change their tunes. So if you are wondering what my end goal is here, I have set a new goal of 120 pounds by February and then I would like to maintain that for the duration of my life unless I get preggars. I met my original goal of 133 pounds last week and almost passed out cold due to shock and disbelief. Some may find me going on and on about this conceited, but for me its a bit of therapy and it helps me realize that what is happening is for real.
I just really have this overhanging fear of gaining tons of weight while I am here due to not being able to work out as much as I'd like. And you can tell me it's nonsense and to give myself a break, but for me relapsing on being over weight is truly a real fear and something that terrifies the crap out of me. So I think tomorrow I am going to steal my mother's work out tapes and see what magic I can make happen in her living room, if any. Try not to stair at the goofy girl through the windows. Hopefully next time I post, you will not hear me sobbing about all the weight I gained back over the holidays because I am truly determined to beat the odds. So Christmas eve and Christmas day gorge meals HERE COMES THE BRIDE. You will not own me, I will own you. So, neener neener neener.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Thanksgiving Trickster
I am willing to openly admit that I am a complete control freak. And since I am now trying to control exactly what I put into my body, I decided the best way to celebrate Thanksgiving would be to host it myself. That way I could make the food, and make sure that it was healthy. The only catch would be not telling any of the people I was inviting that they would be attending a healthy Thanksgiving. Yes, I know, this could blow up in my face, but read on friends.
First things first, we decided to do the turkey in a bag and also my dear friend Ali made another turkey for our 22 something guests by roasting it. So both turkeys were pretty much made in a healthy fashion. What's that you say? You want to know if I stuffed my turkey? Well, no, I did not. Instead I resorted to a recipe provided to me by another healthy eating friend, Kelli and did not put it in the bird at all. The recipe called for 7 slices of white bread an 7 slices of wheat bread, cubed. I decided to go all whole wheat because I didn't feel like buying two loaves of bread. Call me cheap, call me lazy, I call me health conscious. The recipe also called for lean turkey sausage, so I picked up a pound of Jenny-O's sweet Italian sausage which is super yummy and good for you too. And lastly the recipe called for mushrooms, celery and onions diced. I HATE mushrooms, so I replaced them with zucchini per the recipes suggestion. Also there are some additional spices involved. Lastly you throw all that together with some fat free chicken broth and bam, you've got yourself some delicious stuffing after you bake it for 45 minutes or so. And I do believe my guests enjoyed it and had no idea that it was whole wheat bread crumbs they were munching on.
Growing up, you may or may not be shocked to hear this, Thanksgiving was my least favorite holiday of all. Why? Because I hated food. Mostly anything that looked healthy or if it was something normal people liked, I hated it. SO turkey, salad, french beans, and anything else my aunt put on the table, I would poo poo it and not eat it. Instead, I would load my plate with a roll and butter (or two), mac n cheese, and mashed potatoes with OUT gravy. I hated gravy too. I was such a joy as a child. God forbid any of those things touched each other on the plate too. Anyway, if you know me, you know I can't have a big family meal with out mac n cheese. It's just not right. So, I decided to provide my guests with whole wheat shells mixed together with 2% cheeses, yogurt butter and 1% milk. I must say getting the milk to thicken was quite a pain, but once it was all done, we had a very tasty dish that yet again, the guests had no idea was better for them than the usual clog your arteries mac n cheese your grandma used to make. Well, at least my mom-mom anne did. And MAN was it good!
Of course for Thanksgiving you have to have your starches, am I right? Thanks to my biggest loser cook book, I was able to make Garlic and Chive Sweet Mashed Potatoes by taking the recipe in the book and multiplying it by 4. It's so easy and delicious, I want all of you to try it!! You take 2 lbs of sweet potatoes and boil those suckers up. My most favorite store, TJ's, as you know, sells them pre cut and peeled for the lazies like me. No excuses, friends. Whilst the sweet tots are boiling, go ahead and roast yourself some garlic by taking a full head of garlic, slicing off the top and pour a teaspoon of olive oil on that and then rap it in foil, throw it in the oven on 450 for 45 minutes. When the garlic is done, let it cool for a bit, then proceed to squeeze the oiled up cloves out of their shells (it's kind of neat how they almost fall out) and then mash them up into a paste. Next throw your garlic into the softened potatoes (which you have now drained of water), add your warmed fat free sour cream (3 table spoons) and your warmed 1% milk (1 tablespoon)and also your chopped up chives (really as many as you can stand, but recipe calls for about 3 tablespoons) and mix that all up with a hand blender. Wah-lah! You have delicious sweet mashed potatoes that are only 149 calories per serving. And no one you serve them to will be the wiser if you throw some extra salt on there. Trust me.
My most exciting Thanksgiving adventure was the homemade soup that I made with my mom. Did I mention that my mom helped me with all of this? I can't take credit for it all, I really couldn't have survived T-giving with out her. And Jimmy too, he was a really great kitchen assistant and I kept calling my mom my Sue-chef. Get it? Her name is Sue. I know, I'm super clever. Anyway, soup... So, I made some Butternut Squash and Granny Smith Apple Soup. Sounds intimidating, but it's really not that bad. I won't go into all the details like I did with the sweet tots, but if you are interested, let me know and I will shoot the recipe your way. However, I'd like to mention again that it came out really tasty for being my first stab at it and I don't think the guests were lying (I hope)when they said they loved it. This soup is only 135 calories per serving. Love that.
I also made some salad for everyone that consisted of spring mix, baby spinach, arugula, dried cranberries, crumbled feta, walnuts (not candied) and some low cal raspberry vinaigrette. Everyone seemed to really enjoy it which made me very happy. Also I decided to not make the traditional bean casserole and instead made French Beans and Sliced Raw Almonds that were sauteed with garlic, onions and some light soy sauce per a suggest from my future sister in law LouAnn. It was so delicious. I had never thought to throw the soy sauce on there, but it gave it just the right extra kick it needed.
Overall I think the day was a huge success. I had many people bring other side dishes, but was glad to know that they things I had provided I could eat and not worry about what it would do to my waste line later. There would be no buttons flying across the table and taking any ones eyes out this year. Not that this has ever occurred before, but it's just a nightmare I picture in my head from over eating. I am a nut! I hope that if you weren't able to do a healthy thanksgiving this year, that next year you can use this blog to make a healthy one for yourself! It is not that difficult, I promise you that and you will feel so proud of yourself once its all said and done. Also, if you are trying to maintain a slim figure for the rest of the holiday season, you might try doing any of these recipes for your holiday dinners! I know I am going to try too! Just don't tell anyone before they eat it!! That's the secret!!
First things first, we decided to do the turkey in a bag and also my dear friend Ali made another turkey for our 22 something guests by roasting it. So both turkeys were pretty much made in a healthy fashion. What's that you say? You want to know if I stuffed my turkey? Well, no, I did not. Instead I resorted to a recipe provided to me by another healthy eating friend, Kelli and did not put it in the bird at all. The recipe called for 7 slices of white bread an 7 slices of wheat bread, cubed. I decided to go all whole wheat because I didn't feel like buying two loaves of bread. Call me cheap, call me lazy, I call me health conscious. The recipe also called for lean turkey sausage, so I picked up a pound of Jenny-O's sweet Italian sausage which is super yummy and good for you too. And lastly the recipe called for mushrooms, celery and onions diced. I HATE mushrooms, so I replaced them with zucchini per the recipes suggestion. Also there are some additional spices involved. Lastly you throw all that together with some fat free chicken broth and bam, you've got yourself some delicious stuffing after you bake it for 45 minutes or so. And I do believe my guests enjoyed it and had no idea that it was whole wheat bread crumbs they were munching on.
Growing up, you may or may not be shocked to hear this, Thanksgiving was my least favorite holiday of all. Why? Because I hated food. Mostly anything that looked healthy or if it was something normal people liked, I hated it. SO turkey, salad, french beans, and anything else my aunt put on the table, I would poo poo it and not eat it. Instead, I would load my plate with a roll and butter (or two), mac n cheese, and mashed potatoes with OUT gravy. I hated gravy too. I was such a joy as a child. God forbid any of those things touched each other on the plate too. Anyway, if you know me, you know I can't have a big family meal with out mac n cheese. It's just not right. So, I decided to provide my guests with whole wheat shells mixed together with 2% cheeses, yogurt butter and 1% milk. I must say getting the milk to thicken was quite a pain, but once it was all done, we had a very tasty dish that yet again, the guests had no idea was better for them than the usual clog your arteries mac n cheese your grandma used to make. Well, at least my mom-mom anne did. And MAN was it good!
Of course for Thanksgiving you have to have your starches, am I right? Thanks to my biggest loser cook book, I was able to make Garlic and Chive Sweet Mashed Potatoes by taking the recipe in the book and multiplying it by 4. It's so easy and delicious, I want all of you to try it!! You take 2 lbs of sweet potatoes and boil those suckers up. My most favorite store, TJ's, as you know, sells them pre cut and peeled for the lazies like me. No excuses, friends. Whilst the sweet tots are boiling, go ahead and roast yourself some garlic by taking a full head of garlic, slicing off the top and pour a teaspoon of olive oil on that and then rap it in foil, throw it in the oven on 450 for 45 minutes. When the garlic is done, let it cool for a bit, then proceed to squeeze the oiled up cloves out of their shells (it's kind of neat how they almost fall out) and then mash them up into a paste. Next throw your garlic into the softened potatoes (which you have now drained of water), add your warmed fat free sour cream (3 table spoons) and your warmed 1% milk (1 tablespoon)and also your chopped up chives (really as many as you can stand, but recipe calls for about 3 tablespoons) and mix that all up with a hand blender. Wah-lah! You have delicious sweet mashed potatoes that are only 149 calories per serving. And no one you serve them to will be the wiser if you throw some extra salt on there. Trust me.
My most exciting Thanksgiving adventure was the homemade soup that I made with my mom. Did I mention that my mom helped me with all of this? I can't take credit for it all, I really couldn't have survived T-giving with out her. And Jimmy too, he was a really great kitchen assistant and I kept calling my mom my Sue-chef. Get it? Her name is Sue. I know, I'm super clever. Anyway, soup... So, I made some Butternut Squash and Granny Smith Apple Soup. Sounds intimidating, but it's really not that bad. I won't go into all the details like I did with the sweet tots, but if you are interested, let me know and I will shoot the recipe your way. However, I'd like to mention again that it came out really tasty for being my first stab at it and I don't think the guests were lying (I hope)when they said they loved it. This soup is only 135 calories per serving. Love that.
I also made some salad for everyone that consisted of spring mix, baby spinach, arugula, dried cranberries, crumbled feta, walnuts (not candied) and some low cal raspberry vinaigrette. Everyone seemed to really enjoy it which made me very happy. Also I decided to not make the traditional bean casserole and instead made French Beans and Sliced Raw Almonds that were sauteed with garlic, onions and some light soy sauce per a suggest from my future sister in law LouAnn. It was so delicious. I had never thought to throw the soy sauce on there, but it gave it just the right extra kick it needed.
Overall I think the day was a huge success. I had many people bring other side dishes, but was glad to know that they things I had provided I could eat and not worry about what it would do to my waste line later. There would be no buttons flying across the table and taking any ones eyes out this year. Not that this has ever occurred before, but it's just a nightmare I picture in my head from over eating. I am a nut! I hope that if you weren't able to do a healthy thanksgiving this year, that next year you can use this blog to make a healthy one for yourself! It is not that difficult, I promise you that and you will feel so proud of yourself once its all said and done. Also, if you are trying to maintain a slim figure for the rest of the holiday season, you might try doing any of these recipes for your holiday dinners! I know I am going to try too! Just don't tell anyone before they eat it!! That's the secret!!
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