Long-Overdue Update, Part One: Bridal Shower

I haven't had much time to post anything new in the last few months, mostly because time is short when you're planning a wedding! However, a bunch of great things have happened lately, so here's a photo summary (part one)....

Bridal Shower 3.3.12

My amazing friends - Elizabeth, Kasey, and Robynn - threw the most wonderful tea party bridal shower. The day included heirloom tea cups, specialty loose tea flavors, tasseography, and unbelievable food...as well as the company of some truly incredible women in my life. 

The beautiful tea cups...

...and the incredible spread.

Ryan was allowed to attend the shower, too - but only if he worked as the "butler." He totally has a back-up career option if he ever tires of teaching...

The joke of the day involved my tendency to make faces in photos; I freaking hate taking photos! Since I usually look stupid anyway, I'll take matters into my own hands and just create stupidity of my own. Example one: Sexy coffee maker photo

Example two: So excited (!!!) bamboo steamer photo

Example three: Almost-dropped-the-expensive-teacup-so-best-friend-had-to-help-out photo

Example four: Found-a-buddy-to-help-sabotage-photos photo

Hostesses + bride, stupid photo #55

Bad photos or not, it was a fantastic day - one that I won't soon forget. Coming soon: Long-Overdue Update (LOU), Part Two: Wedding Dress Adventure. Stay tuned!

Healthy Cookie Dough Bites

So...I have no idea how this recipe works, but it just does. These babies taste just like raw cookie dough - seriously! I traded the agave for brown rice syrup, but otherwise made just as directed. So delicious!

Raw Cookie Dough Bites

• 2/3 cup raw almonds
• 2/3 cup raw walnuts
• 2/3 cup raw oat flakes (see note below)
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 cup raw agave nectar
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 3 tbsp cacao nibs or dark chocolate chips

1. In a food processor, process the almonds, walnuts, oats, cinnamon and salt to a fine meal.
2. Add the agave nectar and vanilla and process to combine.
3. Next, add the cocoa nibs (or chocolate chips) and pulse just to combine.
4. Roll the cookie dough into balls (about 1 tbsp each) and place them on a cookie pan lined with parchment paper. Place the pan in the freezer for about an hour to firm up. Store balls in a tightly covered container in the freezer.

(Almost) Week 7: Pumpkin Pie Quinoa Bake

The past few weeks have gone really well with the diet. I've lost 12 pounds in six weeks - right on target! One thing I actually like about dieting is that my love for cooking is constantly satiated (and challenged) because these days I am always on the hunt for healthy recipes. I'm glad that this favorite hobby doesn't have to suffer in my quest to be fit.

Anyway, I found this recipe a few weeks back, and after making it again today, I feel it's too awesome not to share. It's loaded with cinnamon-y, reminds-you-of-autumn flavor, and highlights the superfood quinoa. Next time, I'm going to try replacing the pumpkin with banana and see if that results in something reminiscent of banana bread. Yum!

Pumpkin Pie Quinoa Bake adapted from www.healthfulpursuit.com

• 2/3 cup milk 
• 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/4 cup quinoa
• 1 T. maple syrup 
• 1 t. coconut oil
• 1/4 t. pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 t. ground cinnamon
• pinch ground nutmeg
• pinch ground ginger

Topping:

• 1 T. coconut oil, melted
• 1 T. maple syrup
• 1.5 T. rolled oats or barley
• 1/4 cup almonds, chopped
• 1 t. chia seeds

1. Preheat oven to 350F and lightly oil a 4 cup casserole dish. 
2. In a small bowl combine all ingredients, minus the topping. Stir until fully mixed, then pour into prepared casserole dish.
3. Cover and cook for 30 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, combine all topping ingredients. After the 30 minutes are up, remove casserole from oven and sprinkle topping over top of the casserole.
5. Return to the oven and cook uncovered for another 10-15 minutes, or until golden. Makes 2 servings.

Week 4 - Food Obsession

Wow, it's the start of week 4 already!

It's also the start of a new year for me, as today I'm 34. When I think about it, I've been concerned about my weight for nearly half of my life. Today is no different, as I struggle with the dilemma that arrives on every birthday - to eat cake, or not to eat cake? To indulge, or act like it's just another day? That's the problem with having a birthday in January (always a big diet month), and being a complete foodie. Food is how I've always celebrated the high points in life, and how I've consoled myself in low moments. I know that I've got to change this relationship.

It's funny to consider that I have a relationship with food, but there's no denying that I do. In fact, it's the one  relationship I need to fix - and since my human relationships are healthy and happy, why not work on this one?

I'm tackling this situation much like I'd tackle an unhealthy human relationship: separate, contemplate, replace/renew.  First, I’m going to focus on separation: stop connecting food to emotions. Because I’ve always celebrated and commiserated with food, this will be the toughest task. I find happiness/excitement in going out to dinner; I find comfort in a warm bowl of mac n’ cheese on a bad day. When my fiance lived out of state, my band-aid for loneliness/sadness took the form of potato chips or chocolate cake. And, because I was often bored and lonely, I would fill the time with researching new recipes or indulging in favorite ones. 

These past few days, I’ve had to really separate myself from food. Otherwise, the single day of my birthday could snowball into 4, 5, 6 days of overindulgence under the “celebratory umbrella.” It’s been hard - really hard. Especially when things that seem normal, like eating a piece of birthday cake, end up compromising the day’s points. It’s why I’m thankful for the WW tracking system, as I was able to see that eating an entire piece of cake wasn’t an option today...but that eating a few bites AND enjoying the company of my coworkers could be enough of a celebration. 

A last thing - my birthday present to myself was a digital scale, which, awesomely, arrived in the mail today! I’m excited to have a much more reliable version of a tool that will useful on my path to permanent weight loss.

It's going to be a great week!

2012 Resolution: Week 1

So, this first week of my resolution has been interesting.

It started with two days of a detox/cleanse, a.k.a. two days of hell/horror. Okay, it really wasn't that bad :) I thought it would be a good plan to trick myself into my 1200 calorie diet by detoxing right before. The idea behind this is that I'd be so sick of eating virtually nothing that I'd be EXCITED about 1200 calories. Guess what? It worked. By the end of detox day two (after 48 hours of nothing but mostly quinoa and vegetables), I was over the moon at the prospect of Wednesday's 1200 calorie menu. Coffee! Apples! Soup! Happiness all around.

The next four days were mostly painless. There was a slight low blood sugar issue on Wednesday, quickly solved when I realized I hadn't eaten any protein, but otherwise everything went well. The hardest part about this diet so far is not eating after 7 p.m. I find myself rushing to get dinner made by then, and if I'm still awake at 9, my mouth thinks it wants something sweet. So instead, I drink tea...and last night, I tried chewing gum. That worked well - my mouth was busy engaging with a delicious piece of Trident Layers Cherry-Lime. Perfect solution.

There have been a few nice surprises this week, too. First, I've discovered a really cool cookbook by Rocco DiSpirito. It's filled with all kinds of delicious recipes, all with low calorie counts - and, hooray - WeightWatchers point totals, too! Makes things much easier.

Ellie's Balsamic Chicken

Chicken Enchiladas

Another surprise was the high success rate of the two dinners I prepared for Morgan. They were scrumptious - and both under 350 calories and 8 WW points each. And while Morgan is almost always a good sport about diet food, it's a real bonus if he actually likes the meal and offers to eat it again. Click on these links to get to these recipes: Ellie Krieger's Balsamic Chicken + Spinach and Chicken Enchiladas with Salsa Verde.

One final surprise - I lost four pounds this week! This is a quick drop, but it's not surprising; I think the detox probably had something to do with it. Regardless, losing is winning!

Looking forward to the upcoming week, as it marks the beginning of my exercise plan. I think this will be more of a challenge than the dieting...mostly because I don't love working out. We'll see how it goes!

Get Fit Bride - 2012 Resolution

A few years ago, I heard a statistic about weight loss – something about how 92 percent of people who lose weight regain it within a year. Seriously, 92 percent??!?! Why even try then, right?

Yet, as a new year dawns once again, here I am on the weight loss hamster wheel. This has been a pattern in my life for the past seven-ish years: Jan – July = super motivated to lose weight (and usually do), Aug – Nov = get distracted/busy/tired and ultimately careen into the horrific downhill slide of December.  Ah, December. It begins with the “Hey, what will a few cookies/eggnog lattes/etc. hurt?” and ends with “#%#*&, what have I done to myself!?!?!”  Today, I think I spotted an extra five pounds around my waist alone…courtesy of the 8,000 Turtle Bars I ate last week in AZ.

My 2012 resolution to lose weight may be the same, but the motivation behind it is much more intense. In addition to wanting to be the healthiest version of myself, I also have an awesome near-future goal: look great at my wedding. In the next three months, I’m going to commit myself to 1) consuming 1200 calories a day, and 2) working out seven days a week. Ideally, I’d like to lose 30 pounds before my wedding day in June, and hope that 25 of those pounds are shed before my March 29^th dress fitting.

This is a BIG goal, but I’ve got a couple weapons. WeightWatchers, for one. This has been the only “diet” to date that has actually worked for me to some degree. I love the flexibility of WW, mostly because I don’t feel deprived. A second weapon is Jillian Michaels. Her workout DVDs are quick and painful – this is good for a working girl. In the past, being diligent with Jillian has rendered noticeable muscle definition. That said, I’ve never truly attempted her 30-Day Shred in 30 days, and I’m excited to see what the results will be.

A forever list-maker, I think it’s always good to write important things down. So, here are my specific goals for this FitBride 2012 resolution:

           

Resolution:      Lose 30 pounds by June 1^st

Sub goals:       1) Eat a diet of 1200 calories a day

                                    a) Avoid processed foods

                                    b) No eating after 7 p.m.

                                    c) Enter all food into WeightWatchers log

                                    d) Drink at least 80 oz. water each day

           

                        2) Work out every single day

                                    a) Jillian/5-6 days

                                    b) Walking/1-2 days

                                    c) Key focus areas: arms and tummy

Mantra:            “Can I do this today? Just today?”

I laughed so hard, I cried

There is something very wrong with the product advertised below...or something very wrong with a society that would actually support the existence of such a product. Morgan was quite intrigued by the side/rear zip feature, though - as close as one can get to a butt flap, I guess!