Everyday Beauty Alert: I’m Growing Talons!

Leave a comment
Can you tell I have acrylics? How sad.

Can you tell I have acrylics? How sad.

Just before Christmas, I opted for acrylic nails and not my regular manicure. I’m very hard on my nails and it’s a challenge to grow them. I figured I’ll protect and grow my nails under the fake nails.

With acrylics you really need to get a fill every other week, or you’ll see a gap between the fake nail and your own nails.

Today I realize I’m more than three weeks overdue for getting a fill. Yikes! I don’t have a gap to fill, I have a crevasse.  Nearly 1/8 of an inch!

That’s just sad…and lazy!

While I’m amazed at how fast these suckers are growing, I’m more amazed that none of the acrylic nails have popped off.

Well, I’m off to the salon for a little nail TLC…and to think about amending my 2014 goals to include a little everyday beauty.

Lost 2.5 Inches Since September

Leave a comment

I entered Gold’s Gym 2014 Challenge and weighed in on Saturday. While I wasn’t thrilled with wearing a two-piece for the photo, I was very happy to see I lost some inches since the last time I measured myself.

jan 4 measurement

I lost a total of 2.5 inches. Finally some movement on my thighs – 2 inches down.

As for the inch off my chest, that explains why my sports bras no longer give the support I need.

I think the differences with my hips and waist has more to do with a Gold’s trainer taking my measurements vs. trying to measure myself (not always easy). I’m assuming Gold’s is more accurate.

Gold’s didn’t measure my upper arm, so I did that myself. I plan to have the husband remeasure since I my cat kept tugging on my measuring tape. While I can see more muscle definition, I don’t think I added a half-inch of muscle.

golds frontAbout That Photo…
No, I’m not being held for ransom. I had to hold up Saturday’s Washington Post for proof that I weighed in on January 4th.

For the photo, I opted for shorts and a sports bra. All of my swim suits are too big and workout gear seems more appropriate anyway.

And yes, Gold’s did take a photo of me from behind but I wanted to spare you.

Maybe in 12 weeks, once I have the after photos I’ll share that one.

It’s My Birthday And I’ll Do Burpees If I Want To

2 Comments
I'm celebrating with one burpee for each year -- god help me! Image courtesy of Stuart Miles and FreeDigitialPhotos.net.

I’m celebrating with one burpee for each year — god help me! Image courtesy of Stuart Miles and FreeDigitialPhotos.net.

No birthday cake for me today. I celebrate with one burpee for each year followed by 1 hour of yoga.

So yes, that’s more than the 30 burpees a day I’m doing for the Spartan Challenge.

That’s just how I roll.

But I do get to indulge a little today. I gave my husband an ice cream maker for Christmas. Since a half a cup of vanilla is allowed on Simple Start, he’s making a batch today.

I plan to use strawberries and blueberries for toppings.

Sweet!

Whipping Up Some Vegetable Soup Italian Style Tonight

Leave a comment
Made a batch of Italian style vegetable soup, compliments of Simple Start. Perfect for a cold night like tonight.

Made a batch of Italian style vegetable soup, compliments of Simple Start. Perfect for a cold night like tonight.

It’s 23 degrees out and freezing rain is on the way. A perfect night for soup, no? I’m making a vegetable soup following the Simple Start recipe with two additions — spinach and red bell pepper.

I am kicking myself for not buying kale today.  Kale is wonderful in soups. I went with baby spinach and the soup still tastes great.

I made a big batch for the week for a filling, comfy snack (yes, soup is a snack in my book!) during this cold streak.

Vegetable Soup
Net Carbs: 9g
Weight Watchers PlusPoints: 1
Servings: About 10-12

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • 3 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 2 medium carrots, diced
  • 2 celery stalks, diced
  • ½ medium yellow onion, diced
  • 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
  • black pepper and sea salt, to taste
  • 2 c spinach
  • 2 c low sodium chicken broth
  • 3 c water
  • 1 can diced tomatoes (low carb)
  • fresh basil, chopped
  • 1 c whole wheat elbow macaroni

Directions

  • Add oil to pot over medium heat; add garlic and simmer until garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute.
  • Add carrots, celery and onion, stirring occasionally; add salt and pepper to taste; cook for 10 minutes or until vegetables become soft. About half way through, add the red bell pepper.
  • Stir in chicken broth, tomatoes, water and basil; add salt and pepper, if desired.
  • Add spinach and pasta; simmer until pasta is cooked.

Weekly Weigh In: Got a Surprise When I Stepped On That Scale

2 Comments
Thanks to very sore leg muscles I'm retaining water and up just a pound the week after Christmas.

Thanks to very sore leg muscles I’m retaining water and up just a pound the week after Christmas.

I weighed in this morning and expected to see a 5-pound gain (although 10 pounds was in the realm of possibility).  Turns out I’m only up 1 pound and all of that is water weight thanks to my very sore glutes, hamstrings, calves and adductor muscles.

So with my trainer’s killer workout and those blasted awesome burpees I probably lost weight this week but my body hasn’t recovered yet.

Looks like I didn’t go insane over Christmas after all. Yes I ate cookies. But unlike someone who will remain nameless (“cough” husband “cough”), I can count on one hand how many I ate.

Weight Loss Doesn’t Equal Perfection
We talked about perfection in my Weight Watchers meeting today. If a person fears they didn’t do the program perfectly, they tend to skip the meetings because they can’t face the scale.

It is easy to tell yourself, “One small cookie and the week is shot.”

I think I had my own bout with “perfection” in Texas and it lasted until I got on that scale this morning. For a moment I thought about not weighing in today. Oh, I’d go to the meeting but WW does allow you to skip a weigh in during the year.

Thankfully I came to my senses and know where I’m at after the holidays. I wanted to lose another 5 pounds by December 31st. Instead I lost a total of 2.4 pounds between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Not perfect, but I’ll take it!

Should I Enter Gold’s 2014 Challenge?

Leave a comment
To enter or not to enter?

To enter or not to enter?

In my push to weigh 200 pounds by the end of April, I’m thinking about entering the Gold’s Gym 2014 Challenge contest. On average people lose 12 pounds and 7.5 inches during the 12 week contest. Not that I expect to win the $75,000 in cash prizes, but it might be the motivational push I need to kick my workouts up a notch.

How Does The Contest Work?
After paying the entry fee, my Gold’s trainer takes my measurements and a  head-to-toe “before” photo. Then 12 weeks later my trainer takes the final measurements and an “after” photo to document the results. Each participating Gold’s picks a male and female winner in 5 different age groups that underwent the most transformation. Those local winners are entered into the national contest.

The key — what I do in those 12 weeks between photos is strictly up to me.

I like the idea of a specific date to work towards. But a date and an after photo makes me work 10 times as hard.

Now, About That Photo…
For women, Gold’s recommends wearing a two piece bathing suit for the photos. Yikes!

That’s the only reason why I’m “thinking” about entering and not actually signing up. The last time I wore a two piece was…well, I can’t remember!

Sigh…Maybe it’s time to stop fearing the two piece.

I’m heading over to they gym in about an hour. The challenge is calling to me.

No guts no glory, right?

Day 4 Of Burpee Challenge – It’s A Love Hate Thing

Leave a comment
Besides the energy boost, fat burning, strength building, conditioning, full body workout, improved flexibility, a raised metabolism, and no need for equipment, what have burpees ever done for me?

Besides the energy boost, fat burning, strength building, body conditioning, improved flexibility, a raised metabolism, and no need for equipment, what have burpees ever done for me?

I’m 4 days into the 30 Burpees for 30 Days Challenge and I’m feeling it.

Yes, I know the burpee is a full body exercise that vanquishes fat and builds strength. So I should stop whining, right? Ugh!

OK, OK….I grudgingly give burpees credit for the energy boost I get after I complete my 30. Sure burpees destroy me while I’m doing them, but I do feel great after.

I don’t care…I still hate them.

Maybe I’m just cranky because my legs are soooooo sore.

My training session on Wednesday focused on my lower body. Nothing like doing 4 sets of squats, Bulgarian split squats, kettlebell squat swings, burpees and mountain climbers as fast as you can for 30 seconds (with 10 second rest in between each) to make your legs combust.

Oh well, time for the next 30.

Is Eating Low Carb On Simple Start Possible?

2 Comments
Simple Start

Good news! Simple Start is flexible enough even for a low carb gal like me. I’m giving it a spin for the next two weeks.

The plan was simple — test Weight Watchers’ new Simple Start program over Christmas.  Well a big old monkey wrench called emotional eating was tossed into the works and my plan fell by the wayside.

So what’s a girl to do? Get back on that weight loss horse with Simple Start!

My next Weight Watchers meeting is Saturday morning and right after Simple Start begins. Today I hit the grocery store so I’m working on my new weekly menu.

Breads and Grains and Pastas, Oh My!
At first glance Simple Start doesn’t seem very low carb friendly. In reviewing the meal choices, I noticed that except for 3 salads, every dish includes whole grains. Yikes!

On days without my muscle workouts, I only eat 50g of carbs — the bulk of which are veggies. For strength training days I up my carbs to 100g.

My menu for the 2 weeks I try Simple Start needs to closely follow my workout routine. I started plugging the menus into My Fitness Pal. Sure enough, it will be tough keeping me at 50g of carbs on non-weight training days.

Egads! It Is Low Carb Friendly
Feeling frustrated, I stopped looking at the food photos in my little Simple Start booklet and actually started reading it.

Turns out, it’s pretty low carb friendly after all.

I can make my own meals provided I stick to the Weight Watcher power food list. Power foods fill you up faster, help you stay full and prevent overeating.  As long as I stick to the list, I can stick to my daily carb count and easily do the program.

So What’s My Menu Looking Like?
Since my workouts are in the morning, I’ll need foods higher in carbs for fuel. So I’ll choose from the Weight Watchers suggested breakfast and lunch meals.

Dinner is another story.

I’ll need to come up with my own meals pulling only from the power food list. I’ll just skip the grains section and pick from the veggies (carbs), protein, dairy and healthy fats on the list.

Considering my workout schedule, my first week’s meal plan looks like this:

Day

Workout Routine

Meals
Saturday (50g) Rest day Yogurt, Fruit & Cereal
Cobb Salad
Chicken Parmesan
Sunday(50g) Spin class (60 min) Breakfast pizza
Grilled Cheese & Vegetable Soup
Chili
Monday (100g) Weight training, interval run (35 min), walk (30 min) Oatmeal with Berries
Burger & Sweet Potato Fries
Pork Tenderloin, spinach & roasted vegetables
Tuesday (50g) Spin class (45 min), Yoga (60 min) Yogurt, Fruit & Cereal
Cobb Salad
Cheese Burger (no bun) with side salad
Wednesday (100g) Weight training, interval run (35 min), walk (30 min) Oatmeal with Berries
Burger & Sweet Potato Fries
Chicken breast,  asparagus & side salad
Thursday (50g) Spin class (45 min), Yoga (60 min) Breakfast pizza
Cobb Salad
Couscous with chicken & vegetables
Friday (100g) weight training, yoga (60 min) Oatmeal with Berries
Loaded baked potato & vegetable soup
Cobb Salad

Vegetables with hummus, vegetable soup and Greek yogurt with berries make up my snacks.

It may not look like a lot of variety, but I mix it up with the types of veggies and berries I use in dishes. Chicken breasts and ground beef are staples in our home and I tend to cook the meat on the weekend to save time during the week.

Plus my husband is kick starting his weight loss by going super low carb (20g/day). A limited menu makes it easier for me to change the meals to keep him on track.

Thankfully there is a lot of wiggle room with Simple Start that gives me the flexibility to keep up my low carb lifestyle. I’m looking forward to testing out the meal options and pairing the food choices with my workout routines.

Time to start making the grocery list.

Avocado Breakfast Bowl

Leave a comment
paleo diet, paleo recipe, avocado breakfast bowl

Behold! The Avocado Breakfast Bowl is a fast and easy dish to make in the morning. Healthy and delicious, you can’t go wrong with this Paleo recipe.

I’m reading The Paleo Primer to learn a little about the diet and to try the authors’ awesome looking recipes. This morning I decided to try the Avocado Breakfast Bowl, and it didn’t disappoint.

It’s a little high on the Weight Watchers‘ points scale, but I think it is worth it. The full recipe is below along with some minor changes I made to use up some leftovers.

Avocado Breakfast Bowl
Net Carbs: 4
Weight Watchers PointsPlus: 11
Serving Size: 2

Ingredients
1 Tsp. oil for pan (butter or coconut oil)
8 Oz. chicken breast, skinless, diced
Salt & pepper (for taste)
2 Tsp smoked paprika
1 Avocado, medium
3 Slices of bacon, chopped
1 Roma tomato, sliced into 4 wedges

Directions
1. Heat oil in the pan and add the chicken
2. Stir-fry the chicken and season it with salt, pepper and paprika
3. Cook the bacon in a separate frying pan until crispy
4. While the meat is cooking, slice the avocado in half. Keeping the shells intact, remove the pit and scoop out the flesh; place flesh in a bowl and mash together until creamy, keeping it a little chunky.
5. Place the avocado back into the shells. When chicken and bacon are done, place on top of the mashed avocado.
6. Serve each avocado with 2 wedges of tomatoes

Dot2Trot Modifications
I decided to use the left over chicken breasts I cooked last night. The chicken already had a jerk rub on it, so I skipped the cooking and seasoning steps (steps 1 and 2) and just diced the chicken and warmed it in the microwave.

Since the chicken had a jerk rub, I turned the creamy avocado into a guacamole by adding 2 tablespoons of fresh salsa, 1 tablespoon of chopped cilantro, fresh juice from 1/2 a lime, and a dash of salt and pepper to taste.

My changes didn’t change the net carbs, but the PointsPlus value dropped to 10. You can probably lower the PointsPlus value further by substituting turkey bacon for the pork and using a cooking spray and not the oil.

The Result
Wow! Talk about delish. I’ve been looking for an eggless dish to add to my breakfast routine and I think I found it. It tastes great and really fills you up. My husband couldn’t stop raving about it. Best of all, it only takes a few minutes to prepare. Great if you’re squeezed for time in the morning.

I can’t wait to try the recipe with the smoked paprika.

Note about photo: The above photo is a bit deceiving. You actually end up with a lot more chicken than can fit on top of the avocado mash.  I just wanted to try to take a pretty image with my crappy camera. Trust me, I ate all of my chicken!

Here’s To Seeing Less Of Me In 2014

1 Comment
weight loss goals, setting weight loss goals, nutrition goals, fitness goals

No resolutions for me. I prefer setting measurable goals! Image courtesy of chanpipat and FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

The other night I not only said goodbye to 2013 but also 48 pounds. Since my weight loss journey began nearly two years ago, I’ve lost more than 25% of my body weight.

Wow…88 pounds total. Sweet!

Time to kiss the rest of the fat goodbye.

I don’t do resolutions. Resolutions are too vague and I never keep any of them.

But I do believe in setting measurable goals. Below are my weight loss, exercise and personal goals for 2014.

Weight Loss
Goal 1: Lose 37 pounds by the end of April
Why 37 pounds? That’s what I need to lose to weigh 200 pounds, a number I haven’t seen on the scale for more than 15 years. When you read my exercise goals, you’ll see why I picked the end of April.

That means dropping roughly 2 pounds a week for the next 17 weeks. Tough but doable.

Goal 2: Reach my goal weight by December 31
That’s a bold goal if I do say so myself. But when I started my journey in 2012, I always thought it would take 3 years to lose the weight.  My 5-month plateau in 2013 makes that tough, but I’m up for the challenge.

After reaching 200 pounds by the end of April, I’ll have 8 months to shed another 60 pounds. That’s a little less than 2 pounds a week.

Exercise
Goal 1: Run in four 5Ks in 2014, the first being at the end of April.
The end of April is the Brambleton 5K. Brambleton was the first 5K I walked in so it’s only fitting that I run it.

I’m still working on my interval training and now I have an actual date to work towards.

Goal 2: Complete the 30-Day Push-Up Challenge by March
I hate push-ups. I really do.

My first attempt at the 30-Day Push Up Challenge I quickly realized I had no upper body strength. Now that I’m lifting weights, I’ve got my sights set on beating my old foe.

Goal 3: Go on a 3-day bike tour of Virginia wine country
It’s no secret I love my cycling class. And I’m itching to take my bike out for a spin. I recently discovered a group that offers bike tours of Virginia’s beautiful wine country. The weekend tour I spied is 70 miles long, roughly 25 – 30 miles a day.

During the winter I plan to keep up with my spin class 3 times a week. Once spring hits, I need to take advantage of all the bike paths in our area, especially the 18-mile Mount Vernon and the 45-mile W&OD bike paths.

If I can bike the full Mount Vernon trail (36 miles round trip) by early summer, then I can reserve my spot for a fall tour.

Personal
Goal 1: Learn to sew!
I got a sewing machine last Christmas and it’s still in a box. There’s a fabric store a few blocks away that offers classes. It’s time to break that bad boy out of the box and get some mad sewing skills!

Goal 2:  Canning!
I’m reading a lot about micro farming. Well I don’t have the land to farm now (oh, but I will one day), but I can still learn how to can foods. We have the gear (again, another 2012 gift from my husband…I’m a bad wife). When the farmers’ markets open in spring, I’m going to try my hand at making jams, canning tomatoes and pickling cucumbers.

Time to make 2014 a busy and awesome year!

Related articles