Best. Muffins. Ever.

This is what we had for breakfast this morning. I had a coupon for these whole-grain babies, and have been dying to try them. Yes, they are super high in sugar, but they are low in fat (I subbed applesauce for the oil and 3 egg whites for the 2 eggs), and are made with 100% whole wheat flour. So it's not something healthy enough to eat every day, but this morning I enjoyed two of these muffins and a scrambled egg, and I was in heaven. There are six different flavors of Duncan Hines whole grain muffins to choose from. I also bought a box of apple cinnamon flavor to try next. In hindsight, I really should have left off the streusel topping, but that's like the best part. Regardless, at 156 calories a piece, they fit into my 400-calorie-breakfast guidelines, and were well worth it! (Nutrition info per muffin as I prepared them: 156 cal, 3g fat, 19g sugar, 3g fiber)

Double Chocolate Almond Biscotti

Doesn't sound like healthy food, does it? This is an amazingly decadent treat, that is totally allowed, whether you're doing Weight Watchers, Flat Belly Diet, or whatever. They take some time, but they're not too complicated (I'd never made these Italian cookies before, but I've seen Giada do it on Food Network!). Dunk these in some skim milk or some flavored steamed milk. Mmm. Diet? This can't be a diet.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup raw almonds, chopped
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (I substituted half whole wheat flour)
3/4 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup sugar (I substituted half Splenda)
2 large eggs
2 egg whites
1 Tbsp vanilla extract

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Place almonds on a baking sheet; bake until light brown, about 6-8 minutes. Let cool. Line 2 large baking sheets with foil and spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray. Adjust the oven racks to divide the oven into thirds.
  
  
• In a food processor, combine 2 tablespoons of almonds, flour, 2 tablespoons of chocolate chips, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Process until nuts are finely ground; transfer dry ingredients to a large bowl. In the same food processor (no need to clean), combine sugar, eggs, egg whites and vanilla until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Add to dry ingredients (dough will be very thick). Stir in remaining almonds and chocolate chips.
  
  
• Shape one-fourth of the batter (about 3/4 cup) into a long rope, about 14 inches long and 1 1/2 inches wide, on one side of the baking sheet; repeat with remaining batter, making 2 ropes on each baking sheet, with space in between. Bake, reversing baking sheets once, until firm, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool on pans. Reduce oven temperature to 300°F.
  
  
• Place logs on a cutting board. Cut with a serrated knife on diagonal into 1/2 inch thick slices, making 80 biscotti. Place slices cut sides up on baking sheets, 1 inch apart. Bake until cut side feels dry to the touch, 20-25 minutes. Cool completely on wire racks. Store in an airtight container.

Recipe makes 40 servings of 2 biscotti each.
Nutritional info: per serving: 75 cal, 3 g fat, 1 g fiber, 2 g prot (POINTS value: 2)

***My biscotti came out a little bigger, so I only got 30 servings, but because I cut the sugar in half, mine came out to about 80 calories per serving. Dessert's back on the menu!

Results!

After completing my Four-Day Anti-Bloat diet, I weighed and measured myself this morning. Here are the results:

Before:
Weight: 164.5 lbs
Waist: 34 inches

After:
Weight: 162 lbs
Waist: 33 inches

In just four days I lost 2.5 pounds and an inch off my waist!  I also lost a 1/2 inch off my "belly" and 3/4 inch off my hips.  That doesn't sound like a lot, but for only four days, I'm impressed.  (I also measured my body fat, which is 33.5%. Ouch.) I stuck to the diet, which had me eating 1200 calories a day, no added salt, no gassy/bulky veggies, and a lower amount of carbs.

I think I'm going to stick to a similar diet until I lose all the weight, keeping my calorie and salt intake low.  I will add the raw bulky veggies back into my diet for more variety though.  I've added countdown tickers to my blog (I'm lame, I know), to motivate me to lose all the weight I can before the cruise!

Flat belly, here I come!

I've been incorporating some of the Flat Belly Diet's concepts into my eating habits, but now it's time to get serious.  I'm going on a cruise to the Mexican Riviera on April 25th, and I need to get ready for a bathing suit.  Today is the first of four days of the serious belly-flattening diet in the book.  The four meals each day are simple, and supposedly I'll see the inches fall off, not only because I'm cutting calories but also because the diet includes foods to minimize bloating.  Here's how I measured up this morning:
Weight: 164.5 lbs
Waist: 34 inches
The good new is: my waist measurement (smallest part of my belly) is below the danger line of 35 inches.  The bad news: my belly/pooch/gut/whatever you want to call it, is almost as big as my hip measurement.  Yuck.  That's what I need to get rid of.  So, come Tuesday morning, I'm hoping to see some serious improvement!

MUFA anyone?

My friend Joanna has already lost at least 5 pounds on the "Flat Belly Diet." I borrowed the book to see what it's all about, and I've been really impressed. The rules are simple:

1. Eat four times a day, 400 calories each time
2. Don't go more than 4 hours in between eating
3. Eat a MUFA at every meal

What's a MUFA? It stands for mono-unsaturated fatty acid. The book cites tons of studies related to this type of fat, and the benefits they have. You've heard of the benefits of olive oil? (The healthiest people out there are those that live in the Greek islands, and they consume 100 cups of olive oil a year!) Well, it turns out that it's actually the MUFA in the olive oil that makes it so great. So, each of the four times you sit down to eat, ask yourself, "Do I have a MUFA on my plate?" Choose from healthy oils like olive or canola. Sprinkle on some nuts or sunflower seeds. Indulge in some avacado, natural peanut butter, or even dark chocolate!

I may not be following the food plan exactly, but I was already cutting calories before. I just needed to add some fat into my diet. Go figure!

Pink Salad?

One of my favorite ways to eat strawberries is what I call Pink Salad, which is a simple concoction of whipped cream mixed with a packet of strawberry jello, cottage cheese, and strawberries (and other canned fruit if desired). Don't knock it 'til you've tried it.

Well, since I'm seriously watching my diet right now, whipped cream is off the menu. But did you know that an entire packet of sugar-free jello is only 20 calories? So I've been doing something that seems a little weird. I'll put 1/2 cup cottage cheese in a bowl, sprinkle it with a little strawberry jello powder (saving the rest of the packet), and mix in canned pears. Soooo good. Okay, so maybe not compared to brownies or cookies. But when I'm craving something sweet, this does the trick, plus I get a nice serving of dairy/protein alond with my fruit, and it helps fill my belly.

So now I'm curious...when you're on a diet, and you need a fix without breaking the calorie bank, what do you eat that's weird?

I'm putting my weight on "Project Status"

I stayed away from the scale until Riley was six weeks old. Then Chad and I started playing with the Wii Fit Plus that we got for Christmas, and I got measured. What a lovely game...after I stand on the board it analyzes my weight, then I see my little Mii character all skinny and cute, waiting for the BMI/weight results to come up. I watch the line go higher and higher on the scale, while my little Mii gets fatter and fatter. Then I hear this low-pitched "boi-oi-oing" sound, then sweet little voice saying, "That's overweight." No mincing words there.

So yes, I'm overweight. I had a baby two months ago, and I have quite a bit of weight to lose. Here I am, sharing the shocking numbers with you, putting my concrete goals out there, and making my weight my new "project." And I'm excited to be able to share some progress already!

Starting weight: 174 lbs (I weighed 185 before I had the baby, so this number is discouraging)
Starting body fat: 35%
Goal weight: 135 lbs
Goal body fat: 25%

Weight this morning: 170 lbs! Woohoo!

Here's what I've been doing:

• Exercising 30 minutes at least 3 times per week using the Wii Fit Plus and Dance Dance Revolution. Best Christmas presents ever. I get cardio, strength training, yoga, and lots of fun.
• Breastfeeding. This burns an average of 500 calories a day
• Eating about 1800 calories a day. But this is just an estimate. I'm not counting calories. Instead I'm choosing healthy foods and just counting servings, which is easier, and is a great way to make sure I'm getting all the fruits and veggies I need (something I am terrible at if I'm not working at it).

That's it. It's not rocket science, and it's not complicated, otherwise I wouldn't do it. I have 35 pounds to lose, and 17 weeks is a reasonable time frame (averaging a loss of 2 pounds per week). So I will reach my goal by June 1st. I'm going to be accountable to myself, my husband, and this blog.

If anyone wants to join me in baring it all, please do! I feel better knowing I'm not the only one fighting this battle. We need to stick together!

Mexican Rice

Okay, so this is not strictly "healthy," since it's white rice, but my thinking is: if you're craving Mexican food, it's better to make it yourself so you can control the ingredients. Chad and I have been making "gringo" enchiladas since we were first married. We love the simplicity of spiced meat, cheese, sour cream, and enchilada sauce, thrown together in flour tortillas. It's something I make often.

On thing this meal was missing was the rice that you get at an authentic Mexican restaurant. We just couldn't seem to master the art of Mexican rice. We'd buy those packets/boxes that said Spanish or Mexican Rice on the front, but the finished product was far from delicious. A couple years ago my friend Sarah taught me a recipe she'd learned from a friend. This rice is so yummy and easy. Now I go to restaurants, and the rice I used to crave doesn't hold a candle to what I can make at home!

1-2 Tbsp olive oil (This is the only fat in the recipe. I use olive because it's healthier, but any kind is fine.)
1 cup long grain white rice
1/2 onion, minced (can also sub dried onion flakes)
2 1/2 cups water
1 small can tomato sauce
1 tsp chicken bouillon
onion and garlic powder to taste
salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat oil and rice in medium skillet over med-high heat. Use just enough oil to coat the rice. Cook until rice is nicely browned, adding minced onion half-way through to soften (don't add dried onion here or it will burn).


2. Add water, tomato sauce, bouillon, and spices. Stir and bring to boil.


3. Lower heat, cover, and let simmer 20-25 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice is cooked.