Week 17 Weigh In: Falling off the wagon

  by  WKeown 

Previous Weight =166 lbs
Today's Weight = 171.8 lbs
Weight Gained = 5.8 lbs
Total Lost = 8.2 lbs

Wow! I definitely fell off the wagon. I gained 5.8 lbs in the last 3 weeks. I thought I had it all figured out, I was losing weight at a steady rate, eating mostly healthy, and exercising. For the past 3 weeks I've been traveling quite a bit for work and for some family stuff, and when I wasn't following my normal routine I did terribly. I still got a reasonable amount of exercise (although less than normal), but I found myself eating too much junk food and huge portions. It definitely showed on the scale.

What I learned: keeping my normal routine is essential for me to stay on track right now. Now that my life has calmed down a bit, I'm back to it. I obviously have to work on strategies to stay on track when I'm not at home. But, I'm back at it now. I'm recommitting to eating healthy, and I just joined a weight training class to keep me on track with my lifting. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for major weight loss next week.

This week's goals:

• Track my food and exercise daily
• Don't exceed 2,000 calories per day
• Exercise at least 4 days

What are your goals this week? Do you have strategies to stay on track when you're traveling or super busy?

Eating Healthy on A Budget: Do It Yourself "Chicken Rice-A-Roni"

My "Chicken Rice-A-Roni". I added corn to this batch.

I'm a grad student. I get paid a stipend, but I'm not bringing in a lot of extra money. So, it's important for me to make meals that are both healthy and inexpensive. This great recipe fits the bill, and it's tasty too. If you're not swimming in extra cash (and really, who is?) you may want to give it a try as well. Adapted from Kitchen Stewardship.

Do It Yourself "Chicken Rice-A-Roni"

Ingredients
1 cup brown rice
2 cups chicken stock (If you made my Fauxtisserie Chicken you've got everything you need to make your own chicken stock)
1 onion, chopped
2-3 stalks celery, chopped
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Saute onion and celery in a bit of water or oil for about 5 minutes.
2. Add chicken stock, rice, salt and pepper.
3. Bring to boil and stir.
4. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 45 minutes until rice is cooked and the liquid is absorbed.
5. Stir in beans.
6. Enjoy!

This is a great basic recipe. It can be modified depending on your tastes or what you've got on hand. You can mix in your favorite veggie with the beans, I added corn to this batch. It's also good with some chicken mixed in. And, you can experiment with adding your favorite spices.

Do you have a favorite budget friendly meal? What do you do to save money on groceries?

Friend Makin' Monday: Inside Your Home

Happy Monday Everyone! On Monday Kenlie over at All the Weigh hosts Friend Makin' Monday. How does it work? She posts questions on her blog. You answer them on your own blog, and then post a link at on All the Weigh. So, here are my answers. If you want to participate answer these questions on your own blog, and post the link in the comments of Kenlie's blog.

Inside Your Home

1. Do you live in an apartment/condo, townhouse or house?  Apartment

2. What is your home’s coolest feature? It has two balconies. I love sitting outside and reading when the weather is nice.

3.  Do you enjoy DIY projects?  If so, what are you working on now?  Not really. I can sew a bit, and do basic repairs, but I wouldn't say that I usually enjoy that kind of thing.

4. When using the dishwasher do you use powder detergent or liquid? Sadly I don't have a dishwasher. I use palmolive liquid soap and wash them by hand. When I finally have a dishwasher I'll know I've really made it in life. ;-)

5. Do you have a TV in your bedroom?  No. My bedroom is for sleeping. And, I definitely don't need to make it easier to watch TV. I watch too much already.

6.  Is your range gas or electric?  Gas. I love it.

7.  How often do you sweep/mop/vacuum?  Not nearly often enough.

8.  What is your favorite place to shop for home furniture and accents? Target. It's also my favorite place to shop for just about everything else.

9.  Do you decorate for holidays?  Not really. I'm much too lazy, and am rarely home. I occasionally set out a couple ornaments.

10.  If you could have HGTV come in and redo one room in your home which room would you choose?  My kitchen. I cook frequently, and I just don't love my kitchen. Everything is white and it's a bit short on counter space. Also, as a mentioned above, I would really love a dishwasher.

Kicking My Addiction and Healthy Oatmeal Cookies

My Addiction: Chocolate Peppermint Stick Luna Bars

I usually eat a reasonably healthy, varied diet- with one exception. I am absolutely, hopelessly addicted to Chocolate Peppermint Stick Luna Bars. It all started when I was looking for a quick, easy, filling, tasty snack   that I could leave in my desk at work for those days when I end up staying late and am absolutely starving. Luna bars are perfect for this, and I figured I'd end up eating maybe 3 a month. Fine. But, that's not what happened. I found myself beginning to eat them more and more frequently until I was up to 1-2 a day. They masquerade as a health food- high in protein and fiber, organic, just for women, but really they offer little more nutrition than a candy bar.

The next thing I know I'm eating one every day at work as a pre-lunch snack. And, these little bars aren't cheap or healthy. I might as well eat a candy bar every morning. So, I've been trying to cut back on luna bars and replace them with healthier alternatives. One of my favorites are these healthy oatmeal cookies. They usually satisfy my sweet tooth and are just as quick to snack on as luna bars. On the plus side, they are much healthier and cheaper. As a disclaimer- while these are good, they are more biscuit-like than cookie-like. If you eat one expecting a cookie you might be disappointed, but these are quite good.

My healthy oatmeal cookies. Yummy!

Healthy Oatmeal Cookies
Adapted from this recipe. This recipe makes ~40 cookies. They freeze well. I usually store them in ziplock bags, 2 cookies per bag, in the freezer. Then I just throw a couple in my lunch in the morning and they're thawed by the time I want to eat them. Like I said above, these are more like biscuits or granola bars than cookies, but they're delicious.

Ingredients
3 cups oatmeal
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
3/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
2/3 cup raisins

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Combine applesauce, honey and vanilla.
3. Mix in dry ingredients.
4. Stir in raisins.
5. Roll into ball and place on cookie sheet.
6. Smash with spoons to about 1/4 inch thickness. These will not spread at all. So make sure they are the desired shape and thickness before baking.
7. Bake 275 degrees Fahrenheit for 22-25 minutes.
8. Enjoy!

Nutrition information is for entire batch (~40 cookies).
So each cookie is about 64 calories.

What foods do you find it hard to stop eating too much of? Do you have any favorite healthy versions of old favorite recipes?

Week 14 Weigh In

Previous Week's Weight =166 lbs
Today's Weight = 166 lbs
Lost This Week= 0 lbs
Total Lost = 14 lbs

by  o5com 

Bummer. I didn't lose any weight this week, but at least I didn't gain any weight either. Hopefully next week will be better. I got back on track with logging my food intake, and counting calories. However, I didn't do a great job sticking to my 2,000 calorie limit. I was closer to 2,200 calories this week. I definitely need to work on that.

Exercise was good this week, and I finally managed to lift weights twice. Here's what I did.

• Saturday: Weights
• Sunday: Tennis
• Monday: Kickball
• Tuesday: Tennis
• Wednesday: Ballet Class
• Thursday: Weights
• Friday: Rest

Last week's goals: I achieved both!

• Lift weights at least twice- I've been trying to get in twice weekly weight lifting sessions for the past couple months, but it's been kind of hit or miss. I'm glad I got it in this week, but I need to really focus on this to make it a habit.
• Log my daily food intake- I logged my food every day- good. But, I went over my calorie limit most days- not so good.

This week's goals:

• Lift weights at least twice
• Don't exceed 2,000 calories per day

What are your goals this week?

October Goals

by  Wildcat Dunny 

 

October is here. Now that fall has arrived I can enjoy all things pumpkin! I LOVE pumpkin! And, it's time to set some new goals. Here's how I did with my September goals, and the plan for October.

September Goals

• Swim at least 10 miles- Done! I got in an extra 1.5 miles for a total of 11.5 miles. Awesome!
• Lose 2 lbs (bringing from overweight to healthy)- Done! I lost 3.6 lbs this month. I exceeded my 2 lb goal, and am now well within the healthy weight range. Super!

October goals

• Lift weights at least 2x per week
• Keep logging my daily calories (I've been a little bit lax with this the last couple weeks)
• Lose at least 2 lbs

I'm very happy with how I did in September. Hopefully October will be just as successful. I haven't been doing a good job of logging my calories for the past week or so. I really need to get back on track with that so that I'll keep losing weight.

What are your October goals? Did you meet your September goals? What is your favorite thing about fall?

Week 13 Weigh In

Previous Week's Weight =168.2 lbs
Today's Weight = 166 lbs
Lost This Week= 2.2 lbs
Total Lost = 14 lbs

by  o5com 

Woohoo! I'm down 2.2 lbs. I'm super happy with that, and honestly, a bit surprised. I usually stick to 2,000 calories per day, but I didn't track my calories this week. I tried to make healthy choices and eat intuitively. And, apparently I did better with it than I though (or I just got lucky this week). It's funny how some weeks when I think I've done terribly I lose a lot of weight. But, other weeks when I working super hard and doing everything right the scale doesn't budge. That's life I guess.

Exercise was great last week. Here's what I did.

• Saturday: Swim- 2 miles
• Sunday: Swim- 2 miles
• Monday: Kickball
• Tuesday: Tennis
• Wednesday: Ballet Class
• Thursday: Swim- 1 miles, lift weights
• Friday: Rest

I'm beginning to think it might be a good idea to schedule my exercise the week before, so that I make sure I get everything in. My ballet classes, tennis matches, and kickball games are usually scheduled in advance. And, I like being able to throw in a swim or lift weights whenever I feel like it. But, I haven't been doing a great job getting them in regularly. I usually have a tentative mental exercise plan, but it may be time to write it down (once it's written down it's harder to cheat). I'm thinking I need a giant whiteboard with a weekly exercise schedule.

Last week's goals: I achieved 1/3- I need to work a bit harder this week.

• Lift weights at least twice- I only went once again this week. I really need to work harder to make this happen at least 2X per week consistently.
• Continue logging my daily food intake- This week was crazy. Many unplanned things came up which made it impossible for me to plan my meals in advance which is what I usually do to hit my calorie target. So, I ended up only tracking my calories one day this week. But, I tried to make healthy choices, and practice intuitive eating. I was expecting this to show on the scale this week, but instead I lost 2.2 lbs. Awesome! I'm going to go back to logging calories this week, but it gives me hope that I will eventually be able to maintain without counting calories.
• Swim at least two times- I did great with swimming this week. I went for 3 swims this week (2- 2 mile swims, and 1 1-mile swim). I feel really good about this one.

This week's goals:

• Lift weights at least twice
• Log my daily food intake

What are your goals this week? Do you plan your exercise for the week in advance? What do you use to plan your exercise schedule (i.e. a whiteboard, calendar, in your head, an app, nothing)?

Eating For Health, Not Weight

I really liked this article published in the New York Times a few days ago: Eating For Health, Not Weight. It reminded me why I'm on this weight loss journey: to stay healthy. Sometimes I find myself straying from this goal and focusing on the superficial (like how hot I'll eventually look in a bikini), or becoming obsessed with the number on the scale. But, the important thing is that I'm becoming healthier, fitter, and stronger.

The article points out that thinner is not necessarily healthier. What you eat is essential for maintaining good health, and the benefits of a healthy diet go far beyond the benefits of losing weight. While it is possible to lose weight on just about any diet, not all diets will reduce your risk of chronic disease (especially heart disease) and premature death.

So, what do you do? Focus on health, not weight. Eat a diet rich in healthy foods like fruits, veggies, and whole grains. Limit consumption of overly processed foods especially those containing added sugar.

What did you think of the article? What healthy habits did you adopt when you started trying to lose weight?

Friend Makin' Monday: Fall Favorites

Happy Monday Everyone! On Monday Kenlie over at All the Weigh hosts Friend Makin' Monday. How does it work? She posts questions on her blog. You answer them on your own blog, and then post a link at on All the Weigh. So, here are my answers. If you want to participate answer these questions on your own blog, and post the link in the comments of Kenlie's blog.

Fall Favorites

1. What is your favorite thing about this time of year?  Pumpkin! All things pumpkin- pumpkin cranberry bread, pumpkin pie, jack-o'-lanterns, pumpkin oatmeal...you get the idea. I also love watching the leaves change color.

2. What do you hope to do again before Summer is officially over?  The winter weather arrived here this week, no snow yet, but I'd say summer is long gone. I'm hoping I'll get a couple more months of outdoor tennis, and hopefully one last kayak trip before it snows.

3. When did you last go on a hay ride?  I can't even remember, but I must have been about 7 years old. I guess it's time to do it again.

4. What is your favorite pumpkin dish?  Pumpkin cranberry bread. Delicious!

5. Do you decorate your home for fall?  Nope. I don't really decorate for anything. I've got a small apartment, and I'm not home much anyway.

6. Do you have any hobbies that are seasonally specific? If so, what are they? Not really. I swim and play tennis outside when I can. But, those activities both move indoors when it's cold.

 7. Apple cider or hot chocolate? Definitely hot chocolate. I especially love peppermint hot chocolate.

8. Are you a fan of football?  If so, who is your team?  Not really. I'm a social football fan- I only watch with friends who are fans. I like college football more than the pros- gotta love the Ducks.

9. Share a fond Fall memory.  As a little kid nothing was better than jumping in the piles of raked leaves with my sister. In retrospect, I can't help but think of my poor dad who did all this hard work raking leaves into neat piles only to have them scattered all over the lawn again. What a good sport.

10. It’s not Fall until…I put away all my summer clothes and pull out my nice cozy sweaters.

Week 12 Weigh In

Previous Week's Weight =168.6 lbs
Today's Weight = 168.2 lbs
Lost This Week= 0.4 lbs
Total Lost = 11.8 lbs

by  o5com 

I'm 0.4 lbs down this week. I'm pretty happy with that. The weight is coming off slowly (averaging just under a pound a week), but as long as it keeps coming off I'm going to keep doing what I've been doing. I'm actually a bit surprised I lost weight at all. I was just ravenous all week, and while I was eating pretty healthy, I was eating around 2,300 calories a day instead of my usual 2,000. I must have been working harder with all that tennis than I thought.

My exercise was pretty good this week. I only got in one weight training session instead of 2. But, I played 3 days of tennis, one kickball game, and while I only swam one day it was a solid 3 mile swim.

Last week's goals: I achieved 2/3- better luck this week.

• Lift weights at least twice- Oops! I only went once. We'll try this again this week.
• Continue logging my daily food intake- I did a good job with this.
• Swim at least 3 miles- I got this in. I did it in one monster swim, but it worked.

This week's goals:

• Lift weights at least twice
• Continue logging my daily food intake
• Swim at least two times

What are your goals this week?

The Worst Thing About Weight Loss

I've been working to lose weight for a couple months now. The pounds are coming off, I feel great, my clothes are getting to be too big, and life is good. Except for one thing- the mountains of dishes I have to wash every night. Seriously, this is my biggest complaint. I've been cooking more, eating out less, and eating less processed food. This is mostly great. I save money on groceries, can control my calorie intake better, have leftovers to take for lunch, eat delicious healthy meals, and know exactly what's in them. But, I have about 10 times more dishes to wash every night. I absolutely hate washing dishes! But, considering all the benefits of weight loss, I guess it's a small price to pay. Does anyone want to volunteer to come over every night to wash dishes? I'll feed you, and you'll get to enjoy my wonderful company. No?

I would like to amend my September goals. The new addition: wash all the dishes every night. I have this tendency to leave them for a couple days. Then the massive but manageable mountain of dishes turns into a soul-crushing impossible task (yes, I'm feeling a bit over-dramatic today).

Tonight's Dinner. Delicious!

So, here was tonight's dinner. I think it was even good enough that it made up for all the dishes I now have to wash. I was famished after playing tennis tonight, and it definitely hit the spot: honey glazed salmon, honey balsamic green beans, and mini stuffed bell peppers. Here are the recipes if you feel like giving them a try. This large meal was about 300 calories- 1/2 of salmon filet, 1/5 of green bean recipe, and 4 stuffed bell pepper halves. This left me enough calories to enjoy some dark chocolate guilt free.

Honey Glazed Salmon
This is a super quick and easy recipe for making sweet baked salmon. If it's too sweet for you add a bit of lemon juice to the glaze. This is my go-to recipe for quick salmon.

Ingredients
2- 5 oz salmon fillets
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 tablespoon honey
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
cooking spray

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Spray baking sheet with cooking spray, and place salmon fillets on it.
3. To make glaze mix olive oil, honey, garlic, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
4. Spread glaze over salmon.
5. Bake for about about 20 minutes (until the fish flakes with a fork).
6. Enjoy!

Honey Balsamic Green Beans
This recipe is from Hungry Meets Healthy. It's quite simple and so good. I'll definitely be making this again.

Ingredients
1 lb fresh green beans
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
salt and pepper (to taste)

Directions

1. Boil a large pot of water. Add green beans. Blanch for 2 minutes.
2. Remove the beans from water, and immediately cool in ice bath (to stop cooking process). Or, do it my lazy way. Dump off boiling water, and run cold tap water over the beans until cool.
3. In a large saucepan heat olive oil on medium heat. Add garlic and onions. Cook until onions are translucent (~5 min).
4. Add green beans, cover, and cook for 10 minutes (stirring occasionally).
5. Stir in honey, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Cook uncovered for several minutes until green beans are cooked as desired.
6. Enjoy! These are surprisingly delicious. I couldn't get enough green beans.

Mini Cream Cheese Stuffed Bell Peppers
I whipped these up quickly yesterday when I remembered I had to bring an appetizer to a barbecue. I just mixed them up with stuff I had on hand. I was so excited to see these mini peppers on sale last week that I picked up a bag with no idea what I was going to do with it. I'm so glad I did, because these were fabulous and easy.

Ingredients
~19 mini bell peppers
6oz light whipped cream cheese
1/2 cup plain nonfat greek yogurt
1- 15oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
4 green onions, chopped
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 teaspoons cilantro, dried
salt and pepper to taste
paprika (as garnish)

Directions

1. Slice mini peppers in half. Remove stem and seeds.
2. Place pepper halves on baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray.
3. In a small bowl combine cream cheese, yogurt, green onion, black beans, cilantro, lime juice, salt and pepper.
4. Spoon cream cheese mixture into bell pepper halves.
5. Sprinkle with paprika.
6. Broil for 5-10 minutes.
7. Enjoy!

Do you hate washing dishes as much as I do? Any tricks for making this chore less onerous? Do you cook more when trying to lose weight and eat healthy?

Friend Makin' Monday: Blog Stuff

Happy Monday Everyone! On Monday Kenlie over at All the Weigh hosts Friend Makin' Monday. How does it work? She posts questions on her blog. You answer them on your own blog, and then post a link at on All the Weigh. So, here are my answers. If you want to participate answer these questions on your own blog, and post the link in the comments of Kenlie's blog.

Blog Stuff

1.  Have you ever met anyone through your blog that led to an in-person friendship/relationship? Not yet, but my blog is only a couple months old.

2.  Most bloggers have a specific niche.  What would you discuss if it didn’t seem inappropriate on your blog? Science. I'm a huge nerd, and as I biochemist I spend the majority of my time thinking about science. Sometimes I blog about journal articles I read about weight loss. I should probably do more of that. It's amazing how many diet and fitness myths people continue to believe even after they have been thoroughly debunked by multiple scientific studies.

3. If you could meet three bloggers, who would they be? That's a tough one. I really like the Weighty Matters blog by physician Yoni Freedhoff. He blogs about nutrition and I always appreciate his balanced, realistic views, based on good science. I also really like 700 Pounds is as Bad as it Sounds. He has a great writing style, and I like his determination for what will be a long weight loss journey. Lisa Eirene's blog over at 110 Pounds and Counting is also great. I like to read the perspective of someone who has been so successful in weight loss. So, those would be my three picks.

4. If you had to choose between Facebook or Twitter which one would you choose?  Facebook. I don't use twitter at all. I don't use Facebook much either. I probably should. It would be good for my blog.

5. Do you vlog (video blog?) Nope. I find it much easier to write than to prepare a video. And, honestly, I prefer reading blog posts over watching vlogs.

6. How many blogs do you read on an average day? It depends. I have a long bloglist of blogs I try to read, and usually check out most of the new posts every day. I try to comment on as many as I can.

7.  What is the coolest thing that you’ve seen online recently? This is a tough one too. If there are any other science grad students out there I LOVE this. As far as weight loss blogging goes. I really liked this post at Fit to the Finish. And, this post at Weighty Matters.

8. If you gave your blog a new name what would it be? My blog is rather new, so I haven't had time to think of better names yet. Any suggestions?

9. Have you ever attended a blog conference like Fitbloggin?  If not, would you? Nope. It sounds like fun, but I don't know if I can justify taking the time away from my real job to attend.

10. In the past I have asked why you blog.  Now I want to know why you read blogs?  What do you take from it? I am inspired by the success of other bloggers. And, I get great ideas from them too. Most of my healthy recipes are adapted from blogs I read.

Week 11 Weigh In

Previous Week's Weight =168.6 lbs
Today's Weight = 168.6 lbs
Lost This Week= 0 lbs
Total Lost = 11.4 lbs

by  o5com 

I didn't lose any weight this week. I'm OK with that. I rocked it with exercise this week, and ate pretty well too. The weight isn't coming of quickly, but it is coming off. I was super excited this week to find that I'm down one pants size. My formerly too small jeans fit again. Yay!

And, I'm doing great with exercise. I'm staying super active. This week included two swims, a day of canoeing, a kickball game (yeah, it's awesome), a ballet class, a tennis match, and weightlifting (only once- it should have been at least twice).

This week's goals:

• Lift weights at least twice
• Continue logging my daily food intake
• Swim at least 3 miles

What are your goals this week?

Stuck at Work and Starving: South Beach Tide Me Over Drink Packets

I don't usually eat "diet foods" (or drinks). But, work today was crazy and stressful. Several emergencies came up, and I ended up having to stay several hours longer than planned, without time to go grab a bite to eat. Our break room often has food leftover from meetings. So, I wandered over in hope of finding some fruit or yogurt (I really would have settled for cookies or chips at this point). Instead I found a few of these South Beach Living Tide Me Over packets. This sounded like exactly what I was looking for- something to tide me over until I could get home and eat a real dinner. But, after trying it I understand why someone ditched their stash in the break room. Here's what I thought.

The Product

South Beach Living- Tide Me Over

Ingredients

Inulin (for fiber), whey protein isolate, citric acid, aspartame, contains less than 2% of natural flavor, soy lecithin, calcium carbonate, sodium and potassium bicarbonate, magnesium oxide, silicon dioxide, dimethylpolysiloxane, yellow 5, red 40.

Ummm...these don't sounds like foods to me...

What Is It?

This is a powdered drink mix (similar to crystal light). You empty one packet into a large water bottle, shake to mix, and drink it. One packet contains only 30 calories, 3 grams of protein, and 5 grams of fiber. I think the idea here is that the protein and fiber will fill you up, with few calories.

The Verdict

I am not a fan. These are terrible.

For starters, the drink mix doesn't dissolve well in cold water- it took a lot of shaking to get it mixed in. The texture was grainy and a bit thick, and it tastes sickly sweet. Yuck! I generally try to avoid artificially sweetened products (since I find they make me crave more sweets), so the aspartame in this would keep me from purchasing it.

Did it take the edge off my hunger? Maybe a tiny bit, but not enough to be worth even the 30 calories. I would have been better off just getting some crackers or a rice crispy treat from the vending machine. They're empty calories, but at least they would have filled me up a bit.

My usual go to drink for times when I'm starving but don't have time to eat is hot tea. I think I would have found tea just as filling as one of these, and actually enjoyed the taste.

Have you tried these? What did you think? Do you have any quick snacks you keep in your purse or your desk for  times like this?

Dinner of Champions: Ice cream and fries

Today all I wanted to eat was ice cream and french fries. And, the cravings only increased as the day went on. By the time dinner rolled around I just had to have them, but I only had about 600 calories left for the day, and I didn't want to go over my limit. So, I made healthified versions of them. It made for an unorthodox dinner, but it was delicious and actually satisfied my ice cream and french fry cravings. Definitely a success!

Here are the recipes if you want to try my healthy junk food dinner. I loosely followed this delicious recipe from Food.com for the fries. And, this recipe from Skinny Ms for the ice cream. Yummy! Enjoy!

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Ingredients
1 sweet potato
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cumin
Ketchup (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Cut sweet potatoes into wedges (or desired shape). If you're less lazy than me you can cut them into skinny fries, or rounds (like potato chips). The sky's the limit.
3. In a large ziplock freezer bag combine oil, sugar, salt, pepper, and cumin.
4. Add sweet potato wedges to bag. Shake until wedges are covered in seasoning.
5. Put wedges in a single layer on a baking sheet.
6. Bake for ~30 minutes. Flip wedges over half way through. They're done when golden brown and slightly crispy. If you cut your sweet potatoes into thinner pieces they will cook faster, so keep an eye on them.
7. Enjoy! I like mine dipped in ketchup.

Strawberry Ice Cream

Ingredients
1.5 cups frozen strawberries
1/2 cups plain non-fat greek yogurt
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon honey

Directions

1. Put all ingredients in food processor.
2. Blend until smooth (~5 minutes).
3. That's it. Enjoy!

What do you eat when you are craving junk food? Do you have a favorite healthy version of an unhealthy treat?

Friend Makin' Monday: Have You Ever?

Happy Monday Everyone! On Monday Kenlie over at All the Weigh hosts Friend Makin' Monday. How does it work? She posts questions on her blog. You answer them on your own blog, and then post a link at on All the Weigh. So, here are my answers. If you want to participate answer these questions on your own blog, and post the link in the comments of Kenlie's blog.

Have You Ever?

1. Jumped out of an airplane?  No, that sounds terrifying.

2. Lived alone?  Yes, I do now.

3. Met a celebrity? Yes, most recently Tom Brokaw. Awesome!

4. Said something to someone that you immediately regret saying? Yes. Is there anyone who hasn't? I usually do a good job of thinking before I speak, but I do put my foot in my mouth much more often than I would like.

5. Had a manicure/pedicure? Yes, but not for several years. I've decided to reward myself when I reach my weight goal by getting a manicure and pedicure.

6.  Gotten a hickey?  Nope.

7. Owned a pet that was not a dog or a cat?  Yes. As a kid my sister and I had a few pet hamsters, rats, and fish.

8. Been outside of your home country?  Yes! I love to travel! I've traveled to Europe a few times, to Korea, Costa Rica, Mexico, and Canada (does that count?). I'd love to go to Egypt and Greece.

9. Kissed your best friend? Nope.

10. Eaten food that fell on the floor?  Yes. I'm a firm believer in the 5 second rule. But, I do try to keep my floors clean, so it's OK (right?).

11. Met someone online? No.

12. Been on TV? Yes. I think my first TV appearance was on the Ramblin' Rod show. Does anyone remember that? It was super cool!

13. Had braces? Yep. For four years from age 12 to 16.

14. Gone skinny dipping? Nope.

15. Been to the opera? Yes. I love Carmen.

16. Been caught making out by a policeman?  Nope.

17. Sung in public? No, and I think that's best for everyone. Singing is definitely not my strength.

18. Handed out candy on Halloween? Of course. I love to see all the kiddos dressed up.

19. Been snowed in? Yes.

20. Fallen in front of other people? Yes, I'm a klutz. It happens too frequently to even mention a specific incident. The worst are probably a couple on stage falls when I used to be a ballet dancer. Embarrassing!

21. Cheated on a test? No.

22. Regretted saying “I love you” to someone? No. I don't say it without really meaning it.

23. Finished a meal in a restaurant and realized that you didn’t have your wallet? No, that sounds super embarrassing!

24. Shot a gun? No, but a friend of mine keeps trying to take me to the shooting range. Maybe it's time I take him up on his offer. It might be kind of fun.

25. Heard a song that was written for (or about) you? No.

Week 10 Weigh In: A Healthy BMI

Previous Week's Weight =169.6 lbs
Today's Weight = 168.6 lbs
Lost This Week= 1.0 lbs
Total Lost = 11.4 lbs

by  o5com 

I'm down 1 lb this week. Awesome! Even better than that, I am now at a healthy BMI. I'm never going back to overweight. Woohoo! But, I do want to lose a bit more. I'm glad I managed to lose weight even with labor day weekend this week and the barbecues that went with it. I'm getting better at eating healthy foods at events like that, and allowing myself to really enjoy a reasonable amount of junk food (without going over my calorie limit). This week was definitely a success!

I got plenty of exercise this week too. Two tennis matches, two ballet classes, two days of lifting, and 1 swim. Just 11.4 lbs down, and I'm already feeling better, faster, and stronger. It's fantastic. I do need to kick up my swimming a bit. September's goal is to swim at least 10 miles. So, I need to swim more often or make my weekly swim longer (~3 miles). I'm off to the pool now. I'm planning a 2 mile swim, so I'm getting closer to my 10 mile goal.

Happy Saturday Everyone! Enjoy the weekend!

Are you meeting your September goals? Do you need to make any adjustments so you can reach them?

Rewarding Weight Loss

by  12ronald 

I'm only about 1/3 of the way to my weight loss goal, so I've got a few months to go. But, I found myself thinking today that I can't wait until I reach my goal because I'll finally be able to indulge in all the sweet treats I've been limiting. And, then I snapped back to reality. I want to keep the weight off. And, while I do allow myself an occasional treat, I can't ever go back to eating as much junk as I want. The weight will come right back on, and all my hard work will have been for nothing. I have to continue to make good food choices (most of the time) for the rest of my life.

This left me with a dilemma. When I reach my weight goal what should I do? Most milestones in my life thus far have been celebrated with cake, drinks, and big fatty meals. But, that doesn't seem like an appropriate award for weight loss. So, I've decided that when I reach my goal I'm treating myself to a manicure and pedicure. It's going to be awesome. And, I've got something to look forward to.

How did you reward yourself when you reached your weight loss goal? Or how do you plan to reward yourself when you get there? Do you reward yourself for reaching other goals?

Sweet Red Cabbage Slaw

If you made my fish tacos you're probably wondering what to do with the extra half head of cabbage you have. My solution: make slaw. And, since I like to have lots of leftovers I decided to throw in a second head of cabbage. I loosely followed a recipe posted a week ago at Green Lite Bites that caught my eye. I made a few modifications to use what I had on hand, and to satisfy my sweet tooth (you've got to love raisins). It turned out great. It's super quick and easy to make, and healthy too.  Yummy!

Ingredients

1.5 heads of cabbage, shredded
2 cups carrot, grated
4 tablespoons flax seeds
1/2 cup raisins
2.5 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2.5 tablespoons honey
2.5 tablespoons ranch dressing

Directions

1. Put all ingredients in a bowl.
2. Toss to coat cabbage with dressing.
3. Enjoy!

Nutrition info is for 1/8 of recipe ~1 cup

Healthy Delicious Fish Tacos with Mango Slaw

The final product! Delicious fish tacos!

One of my favorite restaurants used to serve mango fish tacos, and they were wonderful! But, they took it off the menu, so I had to resort to making my own. I have to say these turned out great! And, they are chock full of fruits and veggies. I loosely followed this recipe and added mango. Delish!

Ingredients

Fish and Marinade
4 4oz tilapia fillets
2 tablespoon lime juice
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder

Yummy mango slaw!

2 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper (to taste)

Mango Slaw
1/2 head of red cabbage, shredded
1/2 red onion, sliced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1-2 mangoes, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon lime juice
salt and pepper (to taste)

The Rest
4-8 whole wheat soft tortillas
1 avocado, diced
nonfat greek yogurt for garnish (or sour cream)
salsa or hot sauce (optional)

Directions

1.  Marinade the fish. Mix 2T lime juice, cumin, chili powder, garlic, and 2T olive oil. Coat the fish in the marinade and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Allow to marinate in refrigerator while making the slaw.
2. In a large bowl combine cabbage, mango, onion, and cilantro. Mix in 1T olive oil and 1T lime juice. Add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Heat up tortillas in skillet. Just a quick 1-2 min per side over medium heat. Or, you can do it the lazy way and microwave them for about 15 seconds instead.
4. Cook fish in skillet over medium-high heat, about 3min per side. Remove and break fish into chunks.
5. Fill tacos with slaw and tilapia chunks. Top with diced avocado and 1T yogurt. Add salsa if desired.
6. Enjoy!

Week 9 Weigh In

Previous Week's Weight =169.8 lbs
Today's Weight = 169.6 lbs
Lost This Week= 0.2 lbs
Total Lost = 10.4 lbs

by  o5com 

I didn't lose much weight this week, but I'm down 0.2 lbs, so I'm going in the right direction. I'll take it, and hope for more next week. I did OK with my eating and calorie counting this week, but there were a few major exceptions. I spent last Saturday at the State Fair eating junk. Less than I normally would have, but more than I  needed. Sometimes you just have to enjoy yourself, and I did (If you haven't had it before, chocolate covered bacon is delicious). I also had two work dinners at restaurants this week (who don't have nutrition information available). The food was wonderful, and the restaurants were much nicer than where I can typically eat on my grad school budget. I tried to make healthier selections from the menu, but I probably went a bit over my 2,000 calorie limit because I didn't know what was in the food. This week's goal: stay under my calorie limit every day (even with the labor day weekend BBQ coming up today).

Exercise was great this week. The weather has been perfect here. It's cooled down just a bit, and is now perfect for being outside. I got in 3 tennis matches, 1 kickball game, and 2 weight training sessions. I'm really starting to enjoy strength training, and I think I'm starting to see some triceps. If I keep this going I'll be super buff in no time. And, ballet classes start again this week after a break. It will be really nice to dance again, I was really starting to miss it.

It's a new month, so it's time to set some September goals.  I haven't spent as much time in the pool lately as I would like. So, September's goal is to swim at least 10 miles this month. Also, I'm only 0.3 lbs away from a healthy BMI. By the end of the month I will no longer be overweight. My goal is to lose at least 2 lbs this month.

Happy Saturday everyone! And, enjoy the long weekend (if your in the States)!

What are you September fitness and weigh loss goals?

Fruits and Veggies: More Matters

An apple a day keeps the doctor away...or so the saying goes. Unlike some other oft repeated sayings, this one seems to have some truth to it. Fruits and vegetables are true superfoods. High in nutrients and antioxidants, and low in calories they should be an essential part of your daily routine (especially when losing weight). The 2010 Dietary Guidelines recommend that you fill half your plate with fruits and veggies at every meal and snack. Are you getting enough?

On average, Americans eat only 3 servings of fruits and vegetables per day. The recommended amount is 5-13 servings. How many servings of fruits and vegetables do you need per day? Check out this calculator from the CDC. You enter your age, sex, and activity level and it will give you the number of cups of fruits and veggies you should consume each day. For me: 2 cup of fruit, and 3 cups of veggies. One thing is clear. Most of us are not eating enough fruits and veggies.


What are the benefits of eating fruits and vegetables?

1. Low in calories and high in fiber and water. Because fruits and veggies a largely composed of water and fiber there are few calories in a large volume of food. They are great for filling you up.
2. Rich in vitamins and minerals including vitamins A,C, and K, potassium, folate and magnesium. These important nutrients are often lacking in the American diet.
3. May reduce risk of disease including:
• Heart disease and stroke: A JNCI study showed that people who ate 8 or more serving of fruit and vegetables reduced their chances of a heart attack or stroke by 30% compared to people who ate only 1.5 servings per day.  Two other studies showed people who eat more than 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day reduce their risk of stroke and heart disease by about 20% compared to people who eat less than 3 servings of fruits and vegetables per day.
• High blood pressure: High blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke, and is therefore important to keep in a healthy range. A study examining a diet low in fat and high in fruits and vegetables found that patients with high blood pressure who adhered to this diet reduced their systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
• Type 2 diabetes: Eating leafy green vegetables has been shown to reduce the risk of getting diabetes by 14%.
• Obesity: Consuming low-energy (low calorie) foods (like fruits and vegetables) has been shown to reduce obesity compared to consuming high-energy processed food.
• Certain types of cancer: The jury is still out. It's not clear if consuming fruits and vegetables lowers cancer risk. However, certain fruits and veggies probably protect against certain types of cancer including cancers of the oral cavity, pharynx, larynx, lung, esophagus, stomach, and colon-recutm.
• Diverticulitis: Fruits and veggies are very high in fiber, which absorbs water and expands as it passes through the digestive system. This can make bowel movements more regular. And, it may decrease the pressure in the colon, helping to prevent diverticulosis (irritated pouches in the colon).
• Cataract and macular degeneration: The risk of developing these two age-related eye diseases is reduced by eating a diet rich in fruits and veggies.
4. They're colorful. Fruits and vegetables add nutritious color to your plate, making meals look good, and mealtime more fun.
5. Rich in antioxidants. These compounds remove potentially damaging free radicals from your cells.
6. They're delicious!

How can you incorporate more fruits and veggies into your diet?

1. Prep fruit and veggies in advance. After a trip to the grocery store, immediately wash and chop all your fruit and veggies and put them in easily accessible containers in your refrigerator. This will make them easy to grab for snacks or to throw into dishes while cook. A little bit of advance preparation will make it convenient to eat your fruits and veggies all week.
2. Snack on fruits and veggies. Add some protein for an extra hearty snack. Try Ants on a log (celery topped with peanut butter and raisins), apple slices with peanut butter, yogurt with berries, or pineapple chunks with cottage cheese and sunflower seeds (my personal favorite). Make a smoothie. Munch on some baby carrots. Eat frozen grapes instead of high calorie frozen treats.
3. Try a new fruit or veggie each week. Have you tried chard? Kale? Kiwi? Spaghetti squash? Papaya? Cabbage? Mango? Eggplant? You just might find some new favorites.
4. Sneak fruits and veggies into your regular meals. Add veggies to sandwiches and burgers. Top pizza with veggies. Top cereal or oatmeal with berries or raisins. Puree veggies and add to pasta sauce. Add veggies to soups. Mix fruit in with your yogurt. Replace 1/3 of the potatoes in mashed potatoes with cauliflower or sweet potato. Top ice cream with fruit fresh.
5. Try some new fruit and veggie rich recipes.

Will eating more fruits and vegetables help me lose weight?

Yes! It's not a magical weight loss panacea. But, eating more fruits and veggies is great for weight loss. They are low in calories, but high in fiber and water. This will help to fill you up (because you are eating a large volume of food) with fewer calories.

Get more fruits and vegetables with these recipes

Here are some tried and true favorites from my blog:
Banana Soft Serve

Bell Pepper Tuna Melt

Curried Spinach and Chickpeas

Garlic and Mushroom Kale

Healthier Spinach Artichoke Dip

Rice and Lentil Pilaf

For more recipes check out this Fruit and Vegetable Recipe Search for a great collection of recipes. You can enter a particular fruit or veggie you have on hand as a keyword and get a list of recipes using it. And, it even searches by color so you can make sure you are getting variety.

Or, check out these fruit and vegetable recipes from the Mayo Clinic healthy recipe index. Delicious and healthy!

How many servings of fruits and vegetables do you eat every day? Do you have any tips for getting more into your diet? If you're not getting enough- why?