making commitments

it's been far too long since i've really committed to anything... so i figure it's past time. i'm joining the dallas runners club (because for a nominal $25 i can get about 8 "free" races /year ranging from 1 mile-1/2 marathon, and free training tips and such like) because i figure having regular goals for races (that i've paid for, darn it and i'm not wasting my money!) about every month will force encourage me to actually get out and train regularly. i know exercise isn't everything, but i'm sick of making excuses, and i'm ready to make something work (go me!). as far as goals go, in addition to running, i thought it's time to make some serious goals, not only weight loss, but also inches (i'm not super-heavy, per se, but i'm getting really flabby, and i'm too old for that!). i figure if i can lose 10 lbs (it should be 25) or 5 inches (waist, thigh & upper arm combined) i get a reward... (there are a lot of things i want, but i can't justify any of them... i figure that'll be more of a push than setting an actual date on this, though i'm open to suggestions there too).

sorry about the convoluted post, i needed to write this before i lose my drive, so it's going up as i think it... now to make it stick!

What's on the menu?

I'm shooting for 1600 calories per day, but it's easier to think of it as 3 meals and a snack at 400 calories each.  I'm not religious about writing down all my calories, because I've been doing this a long time, and don't really need to.  Plus, it's preferable to just do some quick figuring in my head as I fix each meal, then eat and forget about the numbers until next time.  I also try to include those healthy fats if I can, and they really go a long way in helping me feel satisfied.  So this is how I did yesterday.  And yes, I have 2 snacks on here, but I had some extra calories at the end of the day, and I am literally addicted to popcorn.

Breakfast:

• 1 fruit smoothie: 1/2 cup nonfat milk, 1 cup frozen fruit (strawberries and blueberries today), 1/2 scoop Muscle Milk vanilla protein shake powder (because a full scoop makes me gag a little), and enough water to make it the right consistency
• 1 slice homemade whole wheat bread, toasted, with no-cal butter spray (I only recommend this if you have delicious bread to make it taste great)
• 2 Tbsp almonds (healthy fat!)

Lunch:

• 1 can Progresso Southwest Chicken soup (canned soup is not my fave when it's over 100 degrees outside, but I hadn't been to the store yet...)
• 1 cup green beans
• 2 Hersheys Nuggets (dark chocolate with almonds--healthy fats!)

Snack: one of Chad's protein bars


Dinner:

• 2 lean ground turkey tacos (corn tortillas, meat, cilantro, tomatoes, Taco Bell sauce; I should have fried the tortillas up in healthy Olive Oil, but was lazy and starving)
• Salad with fat-free Kraft Caesar Italian dressing

Snack: Orville Redinbacher Smart-Pop

Is this thing on?

Wow, so clearly I don't blog about eating healthy or exercising when I'm pregnant.  It's been a little while since I've been here.

But I thought I'd post a link here, to mention how the USDA has yet again amended its nutrition advice, part of its ongoing effort to curb the obesity problem in the US.  Go to www.mypyramid.gov, and you'll see that the food pyramid is no longer, my friends.  Instead, we have a plate showing us what we should eat.  I think it's a much better system, finally giving fruits and vegetables the spotlight they need.  Dairy is kind of off to the side, optional really, since we Americans get enough calcium if we're eating right anyway.  And as long as we understand that protein does not just mean meat (especially if it makes us think red meat), the plate is a good thing.

So, since the government is telling us to fill half our plates with fruits and vegetables, do fruits and vegetables get half of the government's money?  Tee hee.  Ho ho ho.  So not even close.

 

Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine

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!