One day of super clean eating and drastically cutting my caloric intake (compared to what I was eating before) has left me feeling fantastic! I do feel a little bit hungry (not to the point of dying), but I know this is false hunger because I clearly have the reserves to use up!! Therefore, this is where I insert #selfcontrol and suck it up!

With every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. When you eat like a moose you will look and feel like a moose. To counter this, you need to zip up your mouth, eat less and move more. It really is that simple! Life is all about striving to reach balance and that really applies to almost every category in life. Our bodies, our minds and our spirits are constantly searching for that balance. When you eat too much you feel lethargic, but when you eat too little you have no energy and feel dizzy. However, when you eat too much one day you can balance that out by eating less the next day – works like magic!

Same goes for work – if you work too much and have no time to relax you’re probably losing sleep which in-turn causes a number of other issues (stress, tired, crabby). Or when you work a lot to make a lot of money, but you never have the time to spend it because you’re always working! If you workout three times a day and stuff your face you won’t lose any weight. On the contrary, if you workout three times a day and eat too little your body produces the hormone cortisol which raises insulin thus, putting a stop to your weight-loss. However, when you don’t exercise at all you actually have less energy throughout the day.  So, as you can see, in order to achieve optimum health you really need to find balance in all areas of your life (physical, emotional, spiritual, and career.)  Everyone is different and we will all have different ideas of what balance is in our life, but it’s something that we should all try and strive for - or at least I will- in 2012!

I hope I don’t disappoint you all when I say that I am giving up tweaking this meatless challenge. Before you go off judging me, I want to explain my reasoning! It has officially been a week since I started this challenge of mine and I can honestly say I didn’t feel my best.  

Throughout the week I was constantly bloated, gassy, and had the endless munchies! Now, I know it’s not just because I stopped eating meat, part of it was mental and part of it was adding in more fiber from lentils and grains – but I just found myself never fully satisfied, so I turned to late-night snacking to fulfill my cravings. However, the positive side to this was that I incorporated  more veggies into each meal.  

In regard to going vegetarian, I wanted to bring up my experience – as short-lived as it was – to show that no one diet works for everyone. Some people thrive on only fruits and veggies, some need meat and dairy etc.  You know yourself better than anyone and know what foods work best with you – the key, and I’ve said this before, is to try different approaches and see how they affect you. With that said, since I know myself very well, I know that a well-balanced diet is what I thrive on. Cutting out food groups all together has never really worked for me (I’ve had plenty of trials with that) – and sugar should not be considered a food group btw We’re not talking about fad diets here, were talking about healthy lifestyles – ones that are realistic and sustainable.

I may have failed at going 100% meatless, however I am continuing this sugar-free, processed foods free challenge and vowing to cut down on my meat intake. I also want to note that in general eating less meat is obviously a better choice than eating it three times a day, but instead of cutting foods out, it’s best – and easier –  to crowd them out by adding in more of the good-for- you foods such as; vegetables, fruits, some grains and healthy fats.  Figuring out your body and mind is a continuous journey and something you will always have to work at no matter the circumstance. Don’t give up because one thing doesn’t work for you, instead take that as a lesson and keep trying to figure out what does!

When the world says, “Give up,”
Hope whispers, “Try it one more time.”
~Author Unknown

December is here, I can’t believe it! What a jolly month You better believe I had Christmas music playing this morning on my drive to work and I loved every minute of it – you just can’t help but sing along (at least I do.)

Alright, so because I love nothing more than a good challenge, I decided I’m going to add a “no meat” rule to my detox list for this month. Why? I truly am just sick of eating meat and I don’t always eat the best kind like grass-fed, so I want to take this month to just detox.

December Detox Plan

Not Allowed:

• Meat (all meat)
• Sweeteners (Sugar, raw sugar, honey, syrups etc)
• Processed Foods (white flours, crackers, chips)

Allowed:

• Vegetables (minus potatoes)
• Seafood (Shrimp, Salmon, Cod, Tuna, Scallops etc)
• Beans and Legumes (Lentils, Black beans, White beans etc)
• Dairy (Milk, Greek yogurt and cheese)
• Eggs

I propose to do this for all of December with the exception of Christmas Eve and Day, but who knows I might not even want any by then

My breakfast today was a double-shot latte with cinnamon and a whole grain waffle with peanut butter. Yums! To prepare for my quest, last night I made a simple stir-fry with shrimp for my lunch today.

Ingredients:

• Frozen Stir-fry Veggies
• Frozen Collard Greens
• Frozen Pre-Cooked Shrimp (7)
• EVOO
• Garlic Powder
• Paprika
• S & P
• Dried Oregano

Instructions:

Heat a non-stick skillet with EVOO over medium heat. Add in frozen veggies and spices and let them cook for about 5-10 minutes. Add in shrimp and let cook for another 5 minutes, rotate the shrimp and let cook for another 5 or so. Mix all together and let it simmer for another 5 minutes.

Finished Goods:

So simple and so delicious! Today I will be researching recipes so I can start planning ahead.

PS: I am so sore I could barely run yesterday – finished 2 miles and 25 minutes of stair glider. I think I’m going to have to change my proposed goal of running 4x a week to 3x because the dreadmill is seriously just not gonna cut it for me. 

My December Fitness Goals:

• Workout 5x a week
• Strength train 2x a week
• Pick up a new class (Pilates)
• Incorporate Yoga once a week

Your goal for December…

Do something new – take a new fitness class or cut out processed food. Just find a way to challenge yourself

What better way to find motivation than to watch the Victoria Secret Fashion show right before the start of the month! The show was great – especially the music (minus niki minaj)- and the girls looked phenom, however some of them needed to eat a cheeseburger- or three.  In my opinion, bones sticking out of your body is not attractive – it’s nauseating, but I guess that comes with the job! They’re models for a reason, no?

In case any of you wanted to starve your way thin, here is the VS Angel Diet:

“Lima drinks a gallon of water a day. For nine days before the show, she will drink only protein shakes – “no solids”. The concoctions include powdered egg. Two days before the show, she will abstain from the daily gallon of water, and “just drink normally”. Then, 12 hours before the show, she will stop drinking entirely.”

For those of us who like to eat food… that’s solid, the VS diet might prove to be a little difficult! However, there are plenty of healthy ways to lose weight – yes, it will take more than 9 days to lose 9 lbs, but the faster you lose weight the faster it creeps back on – with a few added pounds. I’m sure many of us have experienced that first hand! I’ve come to realize that maintaining or losing weight – unless you have impeccable genes – will be a constant struggle for most people and that’s just something we need to accept.

For example, it took me three weeks to lose a solid three pounds by eating healthy and exercising . Thanksgiving rolls around, and by eating whatever I wanted for about 4 days, I gained 1.5 lbs back. Now, I’m not freaking out because I know that getting back on track will bring me back to normal again, but that’s the key phrase “getting back on track.” This is why extreme diets will always end in a big FAIL because most people cannot sustain a lifestyle where you only eat protein shakes all day, or only eat 500 calories a day, or any other extreme method of weight-loss. Sure, you’ll lose a lot up front, but that’s because you’re doing something you normally don’t do – it’s a change from your daily habits, but once you go back to your original eating habits because you most likely will – you suddenly have found all the weight you lost.

Yesterday, I was extremely sluggish all day and was heavily dreading my evening workout to come. I was so close to skipping out and then I got this text message from my health and fitness nut friend Lea:

You bet your ass I chose to get up and get moving!

My workout:

Strength:

• TIU- Lean Arms Pyramid
• TIU- Lean Legs Pyramid

This workout totaled 55 minutes and this is the aftermath: sweaty mess!

Nothing short of a Victoria Secret Model

PS: “I’m sexy and I know it” and “Sweat” by Snoop Dog (David Guetta remix) are some great running songs! I probably repeated those at least 4 times each

The moment of truth has arrived. Dun Dun Dun… A total loss of four pounds! I know it’s not a drastic number, but for a three week period I think that’s a pretty reasonable and sustainable one – it’s a loss so I’ll take it! This wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be, but I also did have some “cheat” moments that I could should have spared.  I noticed that overall I felt less bloated, had more energy and felt full throughout the day! With that said, I want to continue this detox all the way until Christmas – excluding Thanksgiving day, obvi!

Moving on to the good stuff – cookies! Well, I’ll admit I got a little out of control with the baking last night. I finished two different batches of cookies; Chocolate Truffle Cookies w/Sea Salt,and Pumpkin Spiced Cookies with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting.

Chocolate Truffle Cookies w/Sea Salt

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Baking Chips, for melting into the cookie dough
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Baking Chips, for mixing into the prepared cookie dough (I used semi-sweet to switch it up)
• 2 tablespoons coarse sea salt, or as needed (I didn’t have coarse sea salt on hand)

Directions

1. In a heatproof bowl over a double boiler, melt chocolate and butter until smooth. Turn off the stove and let chocolate sit over warm water. (I just microwaved them for 2 minutes at power50)
2. Combine flour, baking powder and salt and mix to combine. In another bowl, mix together sugar and eggs, combine thoroughly with a whisk and slowly add the warm chocolate mixture. Stir to combine. Add vanilla extract and mix. Stir in flour mixture. Cool for a few minutes (if batter is warm, chocolate chips will melt). Stir in chocolate chips. Chill for 10-15 minutes.
3. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Scoop rounded tablespoons of batter and place on baking tray. Sprinkle each cookie lightly with a pinch of sea salt. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 7-8 minutes (mine needed 20 min and came out perfect) until the outside looks slightly cracked. Be very careful not to over bake cookies because they will continue to bake as they cool once removed from the oven. Cookies should be soft and gooey in the center.

Pre-Bake:

Finished Goods: bomb.com

Up Next…

Pumpkin Spiced Cookies with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour, (I used whole wheat pastry flour)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin-pie spice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar (I used closer to 3/4 cup)
• 1 large egg
• 1 can (15 ounces) pure pumpkin puree (I used organic pumpkin)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin-pie spice, and salt; set aside.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg; beat until smooth. With mixer on low speed, alternately add flour mixture in two parts and pumpkin puree in one, beginning and ending with flour mixture; mix just until combined (do not overmix).
3. Drop dough by heaping tablespoons onto two baking sheets, about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake until puffed and edges are golden, 15 to 20 minutes, rotating sheets once during baking. Immediately transfer cookies to wire racks, and cool completely.

Pre-Bake:

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting:

Ingredients:

1 (8)oz Cream Cheese

1/2  stick of unsalted butter

1 T Vanilla Extract

1-1/2 Tsp. Cinnamon

2-3 C. Powdered Sugar (I used 2)

 

Directions:

1. Mix together the softened cream cheese and softened butter.

2. Mix in cinnamon and vanilla

3. Mix in powdered sugar

I of course love both of them, but my dad says the pumpkin cookies are the winner (and slightly healthier too!) My baking duties are over for this holiday, so tonight I’m going to treat myself to a nice relaxing class of hatha yoga to prep for my 10k tomorrow  Wish me luck!!

It’s fairly common for us to gain a few extra pounds – in my case, around five – during the holiday season. This year I’m really hoping to stop that from happening. I know, you always say the same thing over and over – that you won’t gain the weight this winter and then you find yourself making an unrealistic “lose 10 pounds” New Year’s resolution which you can’t even stick to. Let’s prevent that from happening this year, shall we? This way we’ll be able to make a better, more realistic New Year’s resolution since we didn’t gain any unwanted holiday weight!

Some tips to remember during this magnificent food-filled season:

1. Treat each holiday as a separate day, not an entire month.  I find that if I had just indulged on the day itself (Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas, New Year ’s Day) instead of stuffing myself with leftovers for the following weeks to come, I more than likely wouldn’t have put on the extra weight.
2. Just because it’s the season of joy, laughter, parties and fun doesn’t mean you forget about your daily responsibilities (exercise.)  If you want to have your cake and eat it too at your holiday party, there is an absolutely positively non-negotiable exercise policy. Get – over – it.
3. Pick and choose which foods or desserts you definitely cannot go without and have only those.
4. Embrace the gift of giving. It will heighten your spirits and make this season that much more enjoyable.

I understand it’s much easier said than done – especially when you have work parties and friend parties on top of your family parties, but if you change your mindset going into it, your chances coming out of it (weight in tact) are far greater! It’s very easy to make time for dinners, parties and outings, but learn to make time for yourself too. Your body will thank you!!

Related Article:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/heidi-grant-halvorson-phd/avoid-holiday-weight-gain_b_1091302.html?ref=health-and-fitness&ir=Health+and+Fitness

Alright, so the moment of truth has arrived this week and I’m disappointed to say that my weight has stayed the same. However, this came to me at no surprise so I can’t really be that disappointed about it.

How was this not a surprise you ask? Well, my “cheating” got a little out of hand last weekend and I guess you could say early this week too (late night nut consumption.) Although I’m not cheating on horrible things like chips or cookies, overdosing on nuts and raisins isn’t that much better when you’re on a mission. This is a perfect example of how overeating healthy foods can still weaken your weight-loss efforts. Now, it’s obviously better to be eating foods that have nutritional value, but when it boils down to it nuts have a lot of fat (good fat) and raisins have a lot of sugar (natural sugar) so when you combine those in proportions big enough to cause a stomach ache, the results will not be satisfactory.

To point out the positive angle of all this, I have managed to maintain my three pound weight-loss, kept up with my workout routine and have been eating better-for-me foods overall.  Also, this little bump in the road will motivate me further to not grab that extra handful of peanuts while watching Revenge tonight.

On a lighter note, I finally made my decision on what dessert(s) I want to make for Thanksgiving. The first is a small variation to Martha Stewart’s “Chocolate-Glazed Pumpkin Cookies.” Instead of glazing with chocolate, I’m going to glaze with cinnamon cheesecake frosting made from scratch.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour ( I will probably substitute with whole wheat pastry flour)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin-pie spice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 can (15 ounces) pure pumpkin puree

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin-pie spice, and salt; set aside.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg; beat until smooth. With mixer on low speed, alternately add flour mixture in two parts and pumpkin puree in one, beginning and ending with flour mixture; mix just until combined (do not over mix).
3. Drop dough by heaping tablespoons onto two baking sheets, about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake until puffed and edges are golden, 15 to 20 minutes, rotating sheets once during baking. Immediately transfer cookies to wire racks, and cool completely.

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

• 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/4 C (half stick) butter, room temperature
• 1 t vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon (add more to taste)
• 2-3 C powdered sugar (add more or less to make it a stiffness that you like)

1. Mix cream cheese and butter well.
2. Add vanilla and cinnamon.
3. Add powdered sugar.

Read more: http://www.cupcakeproject.com/2008/09/cinnamon-cream-cheese-frosting-recipe.html#ixzz1dt0C3HHk

The second is an Ice-Cream Pumpkin Pie. Who doesn’t love ice-cream?!

Ingredients

• 18 graham cracker boards
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons cinnamon sugar
• 1 pint chocolate chip ice cream, softened
• 1 pint vanilla ice cream, softened
• 1 cup solid pack pumpkin
• Chocolate curls for garnish, optional

I’m pleased to announce my results are in! I weighed myself last Wednesday, so in order to accurately track my progress I will be weighing myself every Wednesday until Thanksgiving. Drum roll, please. A total loss of three pounds this week! Yay! I finally broke the plateau I was stuck at for over three months.

How was my week during the detox? Well, the first few days were the hardest of course because your body goes into shock-mode, but having an end goal or vision really helps you prevail from moments of weakness. I also had to keep up with my training program so there were times where I felt a little tired, but I pushed through and made it happen – I have no choice in the matter. If you want to start an exercise program I suggest you sign up for a race. There’s nothing more motivating than having no choice but to follow the training program or you won’t make it to the finish line – it’s brilliant!

I’ll be honest; weekends are definitely the hardest part – for me – because I’m used to pretty much splurging and “cheating.” Not being able to do that or cheating with a fruit has really made quite the difference. Like I said earlier, if you cheat every weekend that’s nearly half of the month and you’ll never make progress – I learned that the hard way.

Is it easy to change your habits? No – it’s not easy, but anything worthwhile doesn’t come easy!!! I had to run 4.5 miles yesterday on the treadmill (sprinted the last quarter mile) – that sure as hell wasn’t easy even though I’m on my fifth week of training. The bottom line is you need to push yourself out of your comfort zone. No one likes to diet or detox or run (and if they say they do, they are lying) but what they do like is the outcome and the feeling of accomplishment – knowing they have pushed themselves to the limit and ultimately survived – because you will survive!

My first 4.5 mile run: (the hear rate is off because I wasn’t wearing a hr monitor)

“It always seems impossible until it’s done.” 
- Nelson Mandela

Happy Hungry Hump Day

Alright, so week 1 of October has gone by – already!! I guess I can’t complain at how I did considering my circumstances (friendly monthly visitor symptoms, busy weekend etc. etc.) Last week I accomplished a few of my stated goals: workout most days of the week – I was hoping for 5, but 4 is still most days of the week Cook more meals at home – I brought my lunch to work every day but Friday last week, and also to wake up before work and get an early workout in. I’ll be honest, it’s really really hard to stay as motivated as you were in the beginning, but I think that’s where self-discipline comes in (which I have zero when it comes to food – still a work in progress.)

Whether your goal is to lose weight, tone up, eat better or exercise more, they all require consistency and discipline.

Here are some tips I like to use to help keep me in check:

• Robo-mode trick
• Focus on the goal: weight – loss, run time etc etc.
• Write down your plan and stick to it
• Switch up the routine so you don’t get bored
• Buddy system – find a friend to join you on your quest
• Register for a race – that will definitely kick up your motivation!!

Speaking of race, my friend Georgia and I are going to registered for the 10K Turkey Trot. I don’t know how wise this is given Chicago weather, but I guess I might as well get some exercise in before I stuff my face!

We are going to follow Hal Higdon’s 10K Training Program: (Meeting up for the long runs)

http://www.halhigdon.com/10ktraining/10knovice.htm

This excites me and helps keep me motivated. Plus, it gives me an excuse to go and buy new running shoes. Yay!

Let’s talk about weight-loss since we’re on the goals topic. I know weight-loss is a common theme for most people. We always need to lose “5 or 10 more lbs” because we’re never satisfied. The body works really hard to maintain its weight, so if weight-loss is your ultimate goal you need to work that much harder.  Keep in mind, weight-loss is 80% diet and 20% workout, but you already knew that my brilliant readers! Don’t be afraid to step on the scale because denial will only hold you back, but don’t go scale happy either and weigh yourself 3 times a day because the body fluctuates all the time and it’s easy to get discouraged.

How often should you weigh yourself?

That all depends on what your goals are. For weight-loss, I have found that weighing myself once or twice a week has worked best because it keeps me motivated before the “weigh-in” and sometimes keeps me from cheating too

Here’s a good article on it:

http://www.fitsugar.com/How-Often-Should-You-Weigh-Yourself-19475333

A lot of times we are our own worst enemy and criticize our every flaw. The truth is, most people don’t notice half of the things that we notice about ourselves, and if they do then they have way too much time on their hands. If we spent half of the time we bitched about our extra 5lbs on something meaningful the world would be a better place

With that said, I want you to start being thankful for everything you have and everything that you have accomplished. Start noticing all the qualities you possess instead of all the flaws. Sometimes the trick to weight-loss is simply being positive and happy with yourself. A positive mental attitude really goes a long way!!!

I will leave you with one of my favorite quotes:

“I am still determined to be cheerful and happy, in whatever situation I may be; for I have also learned from experience that the greater part of our happiness or misery depends upon our dispositions, and not upon our circumstances.”
- Martha Washington

AMEN!

I’m a snacker. Period. The end. I prefer to graze like a cow than to sit down and eat a decent meal. While some argue that eating 5 small meals a day is the best way to eat, I completely disagree. For me, the more often I eat the hungrier I get. I go from 5 “snacks” to 5 “meals” a day which immediately turns into 5 extra pounds where it should’t be – must be the 5 theme, I don’t know!

A lot of people, including personal trainers, will tell you to eat 5-6 smaller meals throughout the day – as this is supposed to speed up your metabolism. The problem with this theory is that it’s targeted toward people who are extremely active (and by extremely, I don’t mean 1 hour on the elliptical.) So, this way of eating -if you’re not extremely active- will essentially make you gain weight.  Now, if you’re eating celery or veggies as your snacks you clearly will not be gaining weight, but most people turn to processed foods like the “100 calorie packs” because they are portioned and incredibly easy. The problem with these snack foods (regardless of the organic title) is that, firstly, they are extremely processed and secondly, they have absolutely no nutritional value. Which also leads me to the whole calorie counting – as a form of dieting – thing. You can eat 1200 calories worth of “100 calorie pack” snack foods and probably still lose weight, but I can guarantee you that you’ll be starving in the process and you will be starving your body of nutrients. The key is to incorporate nutrient dense foods in your diet!

If you look at the way Europeans eat you’ll notice that they rarely – if ever- snack. They eat three meals a day – the second is the largest- and they are also walking everywhere. So, if you have a 9-5 office job and you’re munching all day long – I’m sorry to break it to you, but if losing weight is your goal you probably wont succeed unless you really amp up your workout routine. Basic Ayurvedic principles for weight-loss state that the first -and most important- goal is to get yourself to eat three meals a day. This means you need to eat enough for breakfast to get you through lunch and enough for lunch to get you to dinner without snacking. I’m borderline hypoglycemic so I always believed that I needed to eat smaller meals more frequently to stabilize my blood sugar, but I decided to put this Ayurvedic theory (also states that this way of eating helps reverse hypoglycemia) to the test to see how it would affect me. Well, ladies and gents, I must say that it’s a winner and I think I’m gonna keep it!

I will never forget my good friend, snacking. She will always be there, but I’m gonna try and keep her for social gatherings only! In fact, this past Wednesday my cousin threw a “Bridesmaids” viewing party which consisted of a lot of delicious snack foods – some healthy, some not – and you better believe I had plenty of both! That was my third time watching that movie and I laughed just as hard as the first time. Seriously- one of my favorites, ever!!

Here are some pics from the party: (we actually paused half-way through the movie to go for seconds – or thirds in my case)

The healthy set of snacks:

The not so healthy set of snacks:

I really believe the best times in life are ones spent with your family and good friends. It really doesn’t get any better than that

We are now in the lovely month of October – Breast Cancer Awareness month. I’m sure many of you know someone – friend or family-  who has been affected. If there are any 5k’s in your area supporting this cause – or any cause-  I encourage you to sign up and rock it!

PS: Shout out to my mama and Ms. Fabulous Rita for being rock-star survivors

*I only got two stars this week because this weekend was super busy, but I did have a full day of moving so that probably counts for something. Also, there was a lot of food involved this weekend… pics will be up soon!