Is there a way to listen to this song while reading this post? Isley Bros
(I think you have to open it, then open another window to read my blog while listening. Sorry, that's the extent of the tech support you can expect from Fitwife)
I was getting out of the shower this morning, singing this song to myself, because it's sort of my "anthem", when all of a sudden the phone rings....
Two things happened:
1) Partially dressed, I flew out of the bathroom into the hall where I was savagely accosted by the large closet mirror. Perhaps it was the sunlight streaming through the skylight at an odd and unflattering angle, or the fact that the sunlight was just so....bright, but I literally heard the record scratch to a halt in my head! (if you are playing it, please stop music abruptly here)
2) Horrified, I turned away from the mirror and as I shuffled (lumbered? jiggled?) awkwardly down the hall to the phone, still damp and dumbfounded, I realized that (chuckle) all this time (eye roll followed by chuckle), it's been my clothing keeping all of my parts in place! (chuckle followed by unabashed weeping). Without the secure casing of cotton - I'm a mass of jello.
After speaking with the person on the other end of the line (no, I don't blame you client lady. I hope you find the home of your dreams), barely keeping it together, still dripping, still wearing just my unmentionables, still reeling from the shock of the "full body skylight catastrophe", it hit me...I need to do something.
Welcome to Fitclub!
The first rule of Fitclub....never talk about Fitclub! (wrong club, I just like saying that)
No, this club we can talk about. I emailed and texted my neighbor/girlfriends to see "Who's up for getting up at the crack of freaking dawn-I-don't-care-about-sleep-anymore-'cause-I-just-saw-myself-practically-naked-in-a-full-length-mirror-with-sun-streaming-down-on-me and power walking three miles a day!? Signed, Lardass"
Well - "Junkindatruck" responded that she was definitely interested in talking about it. My other partner in crime has gone MIA. Helloooooo Kristin?!?
Now, I almost texted my friend back with a long winded diatribe about how we "should really be kinder to ourselves and not call ourselves names, what was I thinking, etc. etc.?" but realized: a) how long it would take for me to text that, and b) I don't think there is anything wrong with a little self-deprecating humor (see whole, entire, greatly exaggerated post above). It sure got my butt in gear!
Welcome to Fitclub! (I just really like saying that...If you were in my head listening, it would sound just like Brad Pitt!)
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Friday, October 21, 2011
La La La La La La!
That's me. Covering my ears and singing so I can't hear the call of the scale. I don't care. I don't care. I don't care. I'm a little "puffy" this week, if you know what I mean, so there's no sense in making myself more miserable! Besides, "healthy is the new skinny". So says a new Facebook group I "like".
This week we've done a repeat of all of our favorite - Salmon Nicoise Salad, Fish and Potato Bake, Lemon Garlic Shrimp with Asparagus and Bell Pepper. I made bread salad and a really good potato leek soup (with bacon and cream and everything!). I went out for margaritas and Mexican food for my girlfriend's birthday one night and couldn't. Stop. Eating. Hence the puffiness. Or maybe, because of the puffiness. I'm not sure. Anyway - I really regretted it come 3am. I don't think I'll be doing that again for another....month.
The only recipe I made this week that I haven't posted before is the Soyrizo Goat Cheese burritos:
So good! Or should I say "soy" good! Ha ha ha. I'm not usually a big fan of soy, but this stuff is the bomb! Fry it up with scrambled eggs, then pile it in a whole wheat tortilla with some goat cheese, cilantro, avocado, Greek yogurt and hot sauce. Our friend Kris makes this at a lot of our campouts/overnights, and it now makes a regular appearance at our house for dinner!
Soy....that's it for this week!
This week we've done a repeat of all of our favorite - Salmon Nicoise Salad, Fish and Potato Bake, Lemon Garlic Shrimp with Asparagus and Bell Pepper. I made bread salad and a really good potato leek soup (with bacon and cream and everything!). I went out for margaritas and Mexican food for my girlfriend's birthday one night and couldn't. Stop. Eating. Hence the puffiness. Or maybe, because of the puffiness. I'm not sure. Anyway - I really regretted it come 3am. I don't think I'll be doing that again for another....month.
The only recipe I made this week that I haven't posted before is the Soyrizo Goat Cheese burritos:
Soy....that's it for this week!
Monday, October 17, 2011
Picks and Pans OR Where's The Beef!?
This week I had a hankerin' for a "burger". But not the kind that makes the pan look like this:
(Please don't call Child Protective Services! I made a real hamburger for my son because I thought "our version" would be too fancy for him) Ewww!
So, while I clogged my only child's arteries (I promise, I am never doing that again!), we had these healthy Spicy Black Bean Burgers:
And the pan looked like this after:
These are the Morning Star Spicy Black Bean burgers (frozen aisle). I'm going to make the home made version this week and I'll let you know how they turn out. But these are pretty gosh darned GOOD!! Seriously, I don't know that I need to eat beef again. For a long while.
As promised last week - I decided to start working through some recipes from the Eat, Live, Run! blog I found (and adore).
First up, the Channa Masala. I learned how to turn these simple ingredients (please ignore the bananas and apples in the background):
Into a fabulous "authentic" Indian dish.
First, caramelize the onion with a TON of garlic and a Jalapeno pepper"
I learned the meaning of "Pince" (pronounced "Pince-SAY"). It's when you smush down the stuff in the pan that is mixed with the tomato paste and let it set awhile to burn off the excess sugars from the paste. I was informed that if you DON'T, you may as well toss out the dish, it's ruined. Your life is over. Here is a picture of me "Pince-SAY-ing":
This is the finished product:
It was really good, super easy, and pretty authentic tasting. I live in FREMONT. I know Indian food!
Of the recipes I made this week from the Eat, Live, Run! website, this next one was my favorite. Remember last week when I said I found the holy grail of cream sauce? I lied. This week I found the holy grail of cream sauce. And yes, it has cream in it. It changed my life. Cream and tomatoes, that's IT. Magic:
Finally - I don't really do breakfast, unless it's bacon, with a side of bacon, and maybe toast with bacon on top (I actually do yogurt and granola most days, but weekends are all about the bacon!). Rob is truly the master breakfast chef in our house. Too bad he eats it alone. Good thing I'm there with my camera and support. Gooooo Rob!!
So, while I clogged my only child's arteries (I promise, I am never doing that again!), we had these healthy Spicy Black Bean Burgers:
(Oopsie, chipped plate! Too hungry to care...)
And the pan looked like this after:
These are the Morning Star Spicy Black Bean burgers (frozen aisle). I'm going to make the home made version this week and I'll let you know how they turn out. But these are pretty gosh darned GOOD!! Seriously, I don't know that I need to eat beef again. For a long while.
As promised last week - I decided to start working through some recipes from the Eat, Live, Run! blog I found (and adore).
First up, the Channa Masala. I learned how to turn these simple ingredients (please ignore the bananas and apples in the background):
First, caramelize the onion with a TON of garlic and a Jalapeno pepper"
I learned the meaning of "Pince" (pronounced "Pince-SAY"). It's when you smush down the stuff in the pan that is mixed with the tomato paste and let it set awhile to burn off the excess sugars from the paste. I was informed that if you DON'T, you may as well toss out the dish, it's ruined. Your life is over. Here is a picture of me "Pince-SAY-ing":
This is the finished product:
Of the recipes I made this week from the Eat, Live, Run! website, this next one was my favorite. Remember last week when I said I found the holy grail of cream sauce? I lied. This week I found the holy grail of cream sauce. And yes, it has cream in it. It changed my life. Cream and tomatoes, that's IT. Magic:
Linguine and Shrimp in Tomato Cream Sauce - so simple, so basic, so delicious!! (that's "chiffonaded" Basil on top...I know, fancy!)
I only have one "pan" this week. Unfortunately, it was when my friend Laura was over and I attempted to WOW! with a new Goat Cheese Portobello Sammie recipe. Um. Sorry. No. It was a bit too mushroomy for me. I have two other recipes that I love that I think are better. But I am not deterred, I will continue to try the other recipes I find here on Jenna's blog: http://www.eatliverun.com/about/
(Look, La! It didn't even make it to the white plate for the optimal yum-factor photo!)
Finally - I don't really do breakfast, unless it's bacon, with a side of bacon, and maybe toast with bacon on top (I actually do yogurt and granola most days, but weekends are all about the bacon!). Rob is truly the master breakfast chef in our house. Too bad he eats it alone. Good thing I'm there with my camera and support. Gooooo Rob!!
I don't eat 'em, but his eggs sure look perfect every time!
I lost another pound. I haven't had beef in two weeks except once and it made me sick. I think I'm over it. The End.
Monday, October 10, 2011
The Girl's Gone Wild!
So what did I eat once all restrictions were removed? What did I crave? Surprisingly, it wasn't the cheesy, buttery, bacon-y trifecta I thought it would be. No. At the risk of sounding trite, although that's never stopped me before, when left to my own devices, all I really wanted was good old fashioned wholesome foods. I craved greens and beans, fish and fresh fruit all week. I'm not joking.
This is my "Week in Food".
This salad was my absolute favorite of the week and I can't wait to make it again! A Warm Salmon Nicoise with fresh green beans (lightly steamed), hard boiled egg, and capers. The dressing was a red wine-Dijon mustard vinaigrette. The sweet of the salmon, combined with the tart of the dressing is pure mouth joy!
Next, we managed to live on this Turkey Kielbasa and White Bean soup for three days. It was nice and hearty for the chilly evenings we had. But I was done after day three. I'm not sure if I can eat another bean for awhile (Except for the Spicy Black Bean Burgers we're making tonight!):
People - I discovered the "Holy Grail" of healthy sauces. No lie. This is a Lemon-Garlic Shrimp with Asparagus, Red Bell Pepper and Mushrooms. I found this recipe on the Eating Well website. The vegetables are prepared with olive oil and lemon zest, the sauce is lemon juice, lots of parsley, LOTS of garlic, a cup of low sodium organic chicken broth and a teaspoon of corn starch. It gives the mouth feel of a cream sauce, but with no cream (not that there's anything wrong with cream!). I will be making this again - with shrimp, with chicken, with whatever!
Last night's dinner was one of my favorite "comfort food" recipes. Really easy; roasted red onion and potatoes with a little olive oil and salt, add the Tilapia and tomatoes, roast some more. Yum! It looks a hot mess, but it's delicious. I make it at least a couple of times a month:
I stumbled across this blog the other day: http://www.eatliverun.com/recipes/ I will be trying many of these! She is a girl after my own heart - simple recipes, fresh ingredients, but with the occasional "canned something" to make it do-able on a week night!
Ok - so that is me going wild. Maybe next week I'll take butter baths and frolic in chocolate chip bouncy houses, but don't hold your breath!
This is my "Week in Food".
This salad was my absolute favorite of the week and I can't wait to make it again! A Warm Salmon Nicoise with fresh green beans (lightly steamed), hard boiled egg, and capers. The dressing was a red wine-Dijon mustard vinaigrette. The sweet of the salmon, combined with the tart of the dressing is pure mouth joy!
(Recipe courtesy of Weight Watchers)
(Again - Weight Watchers recipe. I love their recipes!)
Last night's dinner was one of my favorite "comfort food" recipes. Really easy; roasted red onion and potatoes with a little olive oil and salt, add the Tilapia and tomatoes, roast some more. Yum! It looks a hot mess, but it's delicious. I make it at least a couple of times a month:
(another WW recipe!)
I stumbled across this blog the other day: http://www.eatliverun.com/recipes/ I will be trying many of these! She is a girl after my own heart - simple recipes, fresh ingredients, but with the occasional "canned something" to make it do-able on a week night!
Ok - so that is me going wild. Maybe next week I'll take butter baths and frolic in chocolate chip bouncy houses, but don't hold your breath!
Saturday, October 8, 2011
In Case You're Wondering.....
I lost 3 pounds this week doing "Nothing".
A few observations:
I feel much more relaxed about food. I've even re-introduced myself to the joys of peanut butter! I think I may even be eating less now that the restrictions are off, but of course I wouldn't know. I'm letting go of the need to know. I'm trying to wing it.
I'm just not that hungry anymore. Before, I would feel an almost "anguished" kind of hunger all the time: "What will I eat??? WHAT CAN I EAT?!" What could I eat that wouldn't make me more hungry, guilty, or fat, a weak-willed failure? The simple question of what I could eat was loaded. I wonder if much of my hunger was psychological. Yes?
Don't get me wrong, I still love food! I love to shop for it, I love to cook it, and I love to eat it! But I'm trying to quiet down a bit and listen to what my body is telling me. "What do you want, Sunshine? I'll give you anything you want. No judgement, no guilt!" And I hear the words of Michael Pollan in my head: Eat food, not too much, mostly plants.
I think I've got it now.....
A few observations:
I feel much more relaxed about food. I've even re-introduced myself to the joys of peanut butter! I think I may even be eating less now that the restrictions are off, but of course I wouldn't know. I'm letting go of the need to know. I'm trying to wing it.
I'm just not that hungry anymore. Before, I would feel an almost "anguished" kind of hunger all the time: "What will I eat??? WHAT CAN I EAT?!" What could I eat that wouldn't make me more hungry, guilty, or fat, a weak-willed failure? The simple question of what I could eat was loaded. I wonder if much of my hunger was psychological. Yes?
Don't get me wrong, I still love food! I love to shop for it, I love to cook it, and I love to eat it! But I'm trying to quiet down a bit and listen to what my body is telling me. "What do you want, Sunshine? I'll give you anything you want. No judgement, no guilt!" And I hear the words of Michael Pollan in my head: Eat food, not too much, mostly plants.
I think I've got it now.....
Monday, October 3, 2011
The Good News Is....
I have 8 full months before swimsuit season.
I didn't even bother weighing in or blogging last Friday because I knew I was up a pound or two. Then we went camping and ate and drank...a lot. So it just got worse.
As I mentioned before, I have 8 full months before swimsuit season and instead of waiting until January to make a resolution to "Get fit and trim, for real this time", I'm going to start October with a new kind of resolution. I'll call it my "New Revolution Resolution".
You know that old saying: "If you keep doing what you've always done, you'll keep getting what you've always gotten"? Well, I feel like I'm living that adage. I'm like a hamster on a hamster wheel. Working hard and going nowhere. I'm exhausted. I don't know why I keep doing the same thing but expecting a different result. I'm going to try something different (big surprise there).
That something is...."Nothing". It's all the rage.
I read in an article that recent studies have shown that the best way to stay trim and fit is to make sure you never gain weight to begin with. Losing weight is really that hard. The next article I read mentioned a new study that shows that tracking what we eat is an excellent way to become aware of what we're eating and to keep us accountable, however it often causes undue stress which can lead to feelings of guilt and over-eating. It's a great tool for people who aren't really cognizant of their eating habits, and where they go wrong.
The thing is, I know where I go wrong. I don't need to shout it from the roof tops! (ie write it down) I don't have to track to "become aware of my eating habits", I already know my eating habits. I track consistently for a few days, staying "accountable" and in the "guilt free" points zone, eating mostly healthfully. Then I'll over-indulge, feel too guilty to track it, and, well, since my tracker is now completely falsified, I'll just give up for a few days. During the "giving up" period, it's a free for all. It's a "break" so I better take advantage of it. This is the hamster wheel. This keeps me at at or near my current weight, but never allows me to lose anything substantial.
I decided to start a one woman revolution and just do "Nothing". It's kind of like one of those "sit ins" they did in the 60's. Those hippies were on to something. They could do nothing but sit (strategically) and change the world forever. I'm going to start doing Nothing (strategically) today!
My hope is that by doing "Nothing", I can reset my body and mind back to the factory default setting. What would that look like? What is my default setting? I think it's me enjoying food but not thinking overmuch about it. Eating to nourish my body, not to punish or reward. No guilt trippy binges followed by head trippy quinoa and kale fasts.
I decided to try doing "Nothing" today. Just...you know...whatevs. Food...meh. I was surprised with how "less fixated" on food I am already. Instead of starting the day in a slight panic worrying that I'll blow my points by lunch and I'll be done for, I just ate. I had yogurt and fruit for breakfast, a sandwich and apple chips for lunch (omg...a sandwich! With bread! And CHEESE on it), and I'm having warm salmon nicoise salad for dinner. I snacked on some strawberries a little while ago. It's all I had in the fridge. I'm not panicked AT ALL. I'm not tracking, I'm not counting, I'm just eating like a normal person. I feel liberated. And also super cool and hip.
I'm going to just do "this" for a while and not worry about it. I love Weight Watchers, and I firmly believe that it works. But I just need a break. I want to not think about food "in that way" anymore and just live my life and eat the healthy foods I love, and occasionally the foods I love to indulge in. And if I stay the same weight, it won't be because I'm a failure. If I don't lose weight, it's because I'm 43 and I let myself gain 20 pounds and now I'm eating healthfully but not starving.
We'll see how it goes. I'm excited to start this revolution!
I didn't even bother weighing in or blogging last Friday because I knew I was up a pound or two. Then we went camping and ate and drank...a lot. So it just got worse.
As I mentioned before, I have 8 full months before swimsuit season and instead of waiting until January to make a resolution to "Get fit and trim, for real this time", I'm going to start October with a new kind of resolution. I'll call it my "New Revolution Resolution".
You know that old saying: "If you keep doing what you've always done, you'll keep getting what you've always gotten"? Well, I feel like I'm living that adage. I'm like a hamster on a hamster wheel. Working hard and going nowhere. I'm exhausted. I don't know why I keep doing the same thing but expecting a different result. I'm going to try something different (big surprise there).
That something is...."Nothing". It's all the rage.
I read in an article that recent studies have shown that the best way to stay trim and fit is to make sure you never gain weight to begin with. Losing weight is really that hard. The next article I read mentioned a new study that shows that tracking what we eat is an excellent way to become aware of what we're eating and to keep us accountable, however it often causes undue stress which can lead to feelings of guilt and over-eating. It's a great tool for people who aren't really cognizant of their eating habits, and where they go wrong.
The thing is, I know where I go wrong. I don't need to shout it from the roof tops! (ie write it down) I don't have to track to "become aware of my eating habits", I already know my eating habits. I track consistently for a few days, staying "accountable" and in the "guilt free" points zone, eating mostly healthfully. Then I'll over-indulge, feel too guilty to track it, and, well, since my tracker is now completely falsified, I'll just give up for a few days. During the "giving up" period, it's a free for all. It's a "break" so I better take advantage of it. This is the hamster wheel. This keeps me at at or near my current weight, but never allows me to lose anything substantial.
I decided to start a one woman revolution and just do "Nothing". It's kind of like one of those "sit ins" they did in the 60's. Those hippies were on to something. They could do nothing but sit (strategically) and change the world forever. I'm going to start doing Nothing (strategically) today!
My hope is that by doing "Nothing", I can reset my body and mind back to the factory default setting. What would that look like? What is my default setting? I think it's me enjoying food but not thinking overmuch about it. Eating to nourish my body, not to punish or reward. No guilt trippy binges followed by head trippy quinoa and kale fasts.
I decided to try doing "Nothing" today. Just...you know...whatevs. Food...meh. I was surprised with how "less fixated" on food I am already. Instead of starting the day in a slight panic worrying that I'll blow my points by lunch and I'll be done for, I just ate. I had yogurt and fruit for breakfast, a sandwich and apple chips for lunch (omg...a sandwich! With bread! And CHEESE on it), and I'm having warm salmon nicoise salad for dinner. I snacked on some strawberries a little while ago. It's all I had in the fridge. I'm not panicked AT ALL. I'm not tracking, I'm not counting, I'm just eating like a normal person. I feel liberated. And also super cool and hip.
I'm going to just do "this" for a while and not worry about it. I love Weight Watchers, and I firmly believe that it works. But I just need a break. I want to not think about food "in that way" anymore and just live my life and eat the healthy foods I love, and occasionally the foods I love to indulge in. And if I stay the same weight, it won't be because I'm a failure. If I don't lose weight, it's because I'm 43 and I let myself gain 20 pounds and now I'm eating healthfully but not starving.
We'll see how it goes. I'm excited to start this revolution!
