Hows & Whats.

Time for another edition of Hows & Whats.

HOW I'm currently eating:
DISCLAIMER: As with any nutritional plan, always seek guidance from a professional first; this way of eating is what currently works for *me* and may not be the best option for you.

Oh, food. You and I always seem to be at odds, depending on the week and where my head is at. For the time being, I'm aiming for higher protein and less sugar, using Jackie Warner's book as a guide:



I actually bought this book shortly after it was released, just never got around to doing a proper review. I know it probably comes across as just another fad, but it's actually a pretty decent read when it comes to food. And nothing is banned; the main goal is to eat less refined sugar and processed foods, which pretty much every one can benefit from. I'm fond of this plan because it works best for my current way of eating (eat clean for 5 days, then allow for some treats on the weekends), but also forces me to improve my meal composition (less sugar, more protein, more veggies and focusing on whole grains & fruits for carb sources). Each day, I aim to eat 4 servings of lean protein, 3 servings of veggies (though I allow myself more if I want), 2 servings of fruit, 2 servings of healthy carbs (oatmeal, brown rice, quinoa, pasta, wheat bread or wraps, etc.) and 1 serving of healthy fat (olive oil, nuts, avocado).

It's not rocket science by any means, but since my fitness goals include improving my sprinting speeds and increasing my lean muscle mass, Jackie's nutrition plan is pretty much spot-on for properly fueling my workouts. Before following her plan, I was eating healthy (for the most part), but had cut back on protein and found myself eating more carbs, in addition to drinking more alcohol and overeating on the weekends. Doing so was starting to affect my athletic performance; I just always seemed sluggish whether I was running or lifting and was taking longer to recover, thus bailing on more workouts. Getting back into my protein groove has already kept me from half-assing a session and has kept debilitating muscle soreness in the backseat.

I'm into my second week of following the plan and have noticed a dive in my junk food cravings and my appetite is starting to subside as well. First week, I dropped 3 pounds, so I can't complain. And because there's no counting calories or tracking involved, it's keeping my anxiety and binges at bay. I'm not hungry either, which is kind of a big deal. As with any healthy eating plan, there is some more prep involved (taking time to cut up veggies for snacks & lunch; boiling eggs and mixing protein shakes the night before, etc.), but nothing I haven't had to do before.

HOW I'm currently sweating:
Right now, my routine is pretty basic: 2 days of cardio, 3 days of strength/weights, 2 days of rest. For cardio, I head to the gym and do some sort of mix of the following, for about 45 minutes or so: sprint intervals, incline walking, stairmaster, elliptical or spinning. I try not to do any single activity for more than 20 minutes because I have a confession to make: I'm officially bored with cardio.

Back when I first started to lose weight, I adored cardio and despised strength training. Anyone who's followed me from my LiveJournal days knows this is true. It seems after getting into Jari Love and Jackie Warner workouts, I finally learned to love lifting and compound strength exercises. They just always seem to give me that edge when trying to meet a goal, be it improved definition or fat loss. I STILL meet women to this day who shy away from weights or believe they shouldn't start lifting until they're closer to their weight goal. For any ladies reading this, please, please, please- don't put off this type of training any longer. You will NOT get big and bulky (unless you're getting testosterone injections, lifting 300+ pounds AND eating a steady diet of chicken & creatine supplements). Study after study has proven time and time again that weight training boosts fat-loss efforts, improves performance in other fitness activities and improves bone density. You can scarf down all the milk and calcium supplements you want (*raises hand*), but adding some extra resistance in your workouts will ward off osteoporosis and fractures even more. Running, yoga and Zumba are all great, but don't be afraid to pick up some dumbbells a couple times a week.

Ok, stepping off of my soapbox now.

WHAT I'm currently reading:
Well, technically, all I should be reading is my ACE Personal Trainer Manual, but I need a break from that every once in a while. Right now, I'm pretty much obsessed with Oxygen Magazine. 

I'm letting my subscriptions to Shape, Self and Fitness all expire because I relate to less and less of their content every month. I don't identify with flavor-of-the-month celebs or the numerous underweight models featured on every other page, parading as fitness role models. And when I'm in the mood to read about exercise, I want to read about just that; not flip through dozens of pages featuring beauty products and $500 boots. Can you feel the rage?

Well, Oxygen is not like the others. Forget the anti-aging moisturizers and bring on the butt-kicking workouts! I've gotten 2 issues so far and just reading them makes me feel like a strong, healthy bad-ass. They cover a variety of workout types, share great clean recipes, tell inspiring success stories and feature models who truly do exemplify what eating healthy and working out should look like, without any fluff.

Don't get me wrong; those other women's health mags deserve some credit, but they just seem so shallow to me now. And honestly, if I see another Kardashian being played up to be a source of health/fitness inspiration, I'm gonna need corrective surgery to pull my eyes from the back of my head.

Bonus: You can score a subscription from Magazine Deals Now for a more than reasonable price. (I've used this site tons in the past; it's legit. If you sign up for their mailing list, you get sweet discount codes too.)

What are some of your current Hows & Whats?

Hows and Whats.

I have a lot of stuff I want to talk about today and thought it would be fun to combine the topics into one post, my current Hows and Whats.


HOW I'm currently sweating:



Personal Training With Jackie: Xtreme Timesaver Training
It's been far too long since Ms. Warner has put out a new DVD and her Power Circuit Training DVD left me anxiously waiting for more. Yes, I'm a glutton for punishment.

I must admit- I had this DVD sitting in my living room for about 5 days before I actually tried it. Jackie Warner + "Xtreme" = apprehension. But this morning, I put on my big girl pants and finally gave it a try. The verdict? Love it.

Back-to-back circuits of compound exercises quickly raise your heart rate and constantly challenge your muscles. (Check out this great Amazon review for a detailed list of all the moves!)

Since the pace of the Power Circuit DVD was so fast, I was worried that that was going to be the case with Xtreme. Not so much. While there is a general steady pace to the workout, Jackie seems to be more focused performing the moves properly and with full range of motion. This causes you to work harder because you're recruiting more muscles not only for strength, but for balance as well. The pacing of the reps and the compound moves create a unique cardio effect, without having to do typical cardio moves like jumping jacks or running in place. And of course, you get a good strength training workout as well; some of the moves were so new and challenging for me that I had to brush the dust off of my 3 lb. set!

In short, love this workout (you can't beat 30 minutes), love Jackie and loved how I felt afterward!



WHAT I'm currently reading:



LL Cool J's Platinum 360 Diet and Lifestyle: A Full-Circle Guide to Developing Your Mind, Body, and Soul.

I checked this book out at the library mostly for kicks, but also just out of plain curiosity. LL obviously knows a thing or two about maintaining a great physique, so I wanted to learn a bit more about his approach.

The first part of the book is really just about taking some time to clear your mind and learn to love yourself before picking up a dumbbell or chopping a tomato. LL wants you to cultivate the mental strength necessary for building a better body. He explains why you're worth the effort and how to create more positive vibes within yourself and the people around you. I was caught off guard by how honest and solid his advice was. Some of what he had to say may have been a bit simplified or maybe even a bit preachy, but overall, it made sense and I appreciated what he had to say.

The second part of the book is all about working out. I have to say, I really didn't pay much attention to this part of the book because the majority of the exercises are restricted to machines at the gym. Not a bad thing if you have a gym membership of course, but I was hoping there would have been more at-home routines and there simply weren't any. For what it's worth, this section did emphasize the importance of weight training and proper form. The workout plan also includes cardio, both high-intensity and lower-intensity. For cardio, LL suggests using the treadmill, bike or elliptical. Pretty standard advice, but effective nonetheless.

The final section is about nutrition. LL's diet plan is essentially a carb-cycling plan, something I'm familiar with and have tried in the past. If your ultimate goal is to lose weight within a specific time frame (in the case of the book, 8 weeks), this may be a plan to consider. After looking through his sample meals and recipes, there's nothing dangerous or strange about what he advises you to eat... Lots of lean protein, healthy fat (from nuts, avocado and olive oil), unlimited vegetables, fruits, low-fat dairy, beans and whole grains. He also wants you to stick with 3 meals and 3 snacks (mid morning, afternoon and a pre-bedtime protein snack so you don't go to bed hungry), each day.

The idea behind LL's carb-cycling plan is that you gradually reduce the amount of carbs you eat throughout the week and then replenish with a "cheat" meal (yeah, I kinda hate using that word) Saturday night and have a carb "refuel" day on Sunday. One aspect of his plan that I respected is that even on "low carb" days, you still can eat carbs like oatmeal or brown rice. The main goal, as with most successful nutrition plans, is to eliminate processed foods and refined sugars. I can dig it.

Personally, I haven't followed his plan as it's written because I simply have no interest. However, the recipes and sample meal/snack ideas are right up my alley and that brings me to...


WHAT I'm currently eating:
Protein Pancakes. I can't get enough of them. Perfect breakfast. I got the idea from LL's breakfast recipes. This is the version I've been using:

• 3 egg whites (or 1/2 cup of liquid egg whites)
• 1 scoop Designer Whey French Vanilla protein powder
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• dash of salt
• Splenda to taste (or sweetener of choice)
• cinnamon

That's the basic mix. Whisk together a cook in a pan as you would a pancake. (I like to pour all the mix into the pan at once so I end up with a giant plate-sized pancake.) I've added different mix-ins like blueberries, pumpkin and bananas & walnuts. I think the banana-walnut combo is my favorite so far. Serve with syrup and enjoy! Definitely packed with protein and relatively low in calories, depending on your choice of protein powder and mix-ins.

That's all for today- hope you enjoyed this edition of Hows and Whats!

Is it Fall yet?

Apparently, it's August already. Yeesh. This summer has flown by, but with the heat lately, that's totally fine by me. I'm over it.

New reads

Although time seems to be passing quickly these days, I still managed to read a new book this week:



My Footprint: Carrying the Weight of the World, by Jeff Garlin.
I'm a big Curb Your Enthusiasm fan, but what really drew me to this book was the fact that Garlin opened up about his eating disorder. I know eating disorders are also prevalent in men, not just women, but I had yet to really read a man's account of what it's like to struggle with a food addiction. And really, after reading this book, the struggle is still the same, regardless of gender.

It wasn't the best written book, but it still tugged at my heart strings occasionally and of course, because he's a comedian, I definitely had my share of chuckles. I also learned a bit about going green too, because the other main theme of book is Garlin's decision to lower his carbon footprint while also tackling his food issues.

It's kind of grueling to read about his binges, lack of support, well-intentioned but misguided "new starts" and seeing the cycle repeat itself. There were so many times I just wanted to hug him, shake him and give him advice because his experience was similar to mine in a lot of ways.

The ending, which I won't give away, was unexpected, but still really inspiring. Because the final message was so full of realism, it really resonated with me. I got my copy from the library and finished in a about a day, so if you're looking for a quick read, you might want to check it out.

10K Training

I'm still plugging along with my training schedule. Just finished week 2 this morning. Running is hard. Since I've started this program, I must admit, I've yet to have a good run. I've got a lot of mental blocks that keep coming up and it's having an effect on my progress. Essentially, I'm comparing my current running self to my old, much faster running self. I keep getting caught up in my speed and think "Shit, I'm going so slow! I was so much faster before! Why can't I go faster?" So instead of just focusing on running and finishing my distance, I'm getting distracted by these types of thoughts. I've wanted to throw in the towel on this training program about 3 or 4 times already, but I need to stick it out. Hopefully once I get into weeks 4 and 5, things will get better.

My days of comparing myself to other people are long gone, but comparing myself to, well, myself is just as bad, if not worse. I need to work on that. It took me a long time to build up my speed last year, so I can't expect to get back to that level in a matter of days. I can be quite impatient at times.

Other than that, life is pretty bitchin'. I've been slacking on food pics again, but hopefully I'll find some inspiration this week. I also got yet another Jari Love DVD which I plan on trying tomorrow, so a review of that will follow as well. Hope everyone is enjoying the weekend!

Return of the Mack.

It's been several days since my last post, but I've returned. And since I was singing this song the other night and Doug had no idea what/who I was talking about, here ya go:



Still a pretty smooth jam after all these years, no? Anywho. I'll start with some quick food re-caps:

This morning's breakfast:



Breakfast Banana Split, adapted from the Biggest Loser Family Cookbook. I didn't actually "split" the banana, I just diced it up. Added diced strawberries, Oikos plain yogurt (sweetened with just a tad of Splenda), about 1/3 cup Grape Nuts cereal, drizzle of light Hershey's chocolate syrup and a dab of almond butter.



This was ridiculously good. It really was like having a banana split for breakfast (der!). And of course, filling. The original recipe didn't call for Greek yogurt or almond butter, but they're obviously better sources of protein and healthy fat, both of which I needed after my workout this morning. Picking up more strawberries from the store soon so I can repeat this again later in the week.

Another great breakfast discovery (not pictured): Lemon Oatmeal! Also an idea I picked up from the BL Family Cookbook. It's pretty simple, really... Just add lemon juice and/or lemon zest to taste. I sweetened mine a bit and also added some egg whites and a scoop of vanilla protein powder for extra bulk. The lemon flavor makes the oats taste so clean and light- I love it!

Last night's dinner:



I threw together a chicken-veggie stir fry with peanut butter sauce and served it over spaghetti. In a pan, I cooked up:

• diced chicken
• onions
• minced ginger
• minced garlic
• broccoli
• carrots
• salt
• pepper

For the sauce:

• 2 TB creamy peanut butter (you could use crunchy instead)
• 2 TB Hoisin sauce
• about 2 or 3 TB of fresh lime juice
• Sriracha to taste (I probably used almost a tablespoon)
• about 2 TB fresh chopped cilantro

Whisk ingredients together in a separate bowl. Whisk in water until desired consistency is reached. Once the sauce thinned out, I added it to the stir fry after the meat and veggies were all cooked through.

I was really pleased with this dish! I really am becoming more and more confident in the kitchen with each meal I make. It's a good feeling. I have a much stronger sense of which spices and herbs to use and find myself experimenting more and more, instead of relying on recipes all of the time. I still have a lot to learn, but I've noticed these past few months that something has clicked and I'm a much better cook than I was several years ago.

Last pic I want to share is actually from a while ago (last week? the week before?):



This was an alfredo dish that Doug made. Chicken, broccoli and mushrooms over penne. For the sauce, he used a can of fat-free cream condensed soup; can't remember if it was cream of chicken or cream of mushroom, but either way, it turned out really nice. I can't remember what else he added to the sauce, but if he recalls, perhaps he'll be nice and share in the comments. *Wuh-ink*

Aside from lots of great food, I also finished reading a great book, The Amazing Adventures of Dietgirl. Seriously, read this book now if you haven't already. I've read my share of autobiographies of women who have struggled being overweight and either lost the weight or didn't, but this book far surpasses all of them. I saw so much of myself in Shauna, it was almost hard to read at times. But she's incredibly funny, witty and driven. Whether or not you're trying to lose weight, this will still prove to be an excellent read.

And lastly, I've re-kindled my affair with Jari Love, specifically her first Get Ripped 1000 DVD. I hadn't used it since I first tried it back in March (!!!), but I've been addicted to it for the past 2 weeks, up through this morning. Crazy good workout. The cardio bursts jack my heart rate up and the strength moves make my muscles work hard. I always feel like crapping out at about 40 minutes in, but I keep pushing and finish out the last 20 minutes anyway. When I remind myself how I'm knocking out both high-intensity cardio and high-rep resistance training in one workout, I manage to push through, even though I just want to lay on the floor and die. I think deep down, it's the hot guy in the back row that keeps me going. Man. Super hot.

Seriously though, Jari Love has become my favorite trainer (sorry, Jillian!). Anyone who can get me to actually like strength training is nothing short of a miracle worker. Her workouts always leave me feeling strong and capable. (The physical results aren't too shabby either!) She has a great teaching style and she just seems so darn nice! I know I've talked about her on here before, but I just had to gush once more because I'm really happy I gave her DVDs a try. Totally changed my attitude about fitness.

I suppose that's all for today. Hope everyone has been doing well! Have a great week.

Finally Friday.

Well, well, well. A whole week since my last post. Which isn't that long of a gap, but just feels that way since life has been non-stop since last Saturday. Doug and I were social butterflies the majority of the week, in between regular life stuffs, so I'm a bit exhausted. Good times though, so I can't complain.

I was at the gym this morning and this song came up while I was getting whooped by the stair master:



It left me feeling too gangsta to blog most of the day, but here I am, finally giving in.

The Food:

I haven't been in a picture-taking mood lately, but I still wanted to share quite possibly the best breakfast I've had this year (well, almost. I have lots of good breakfasts, so it's hard to place one higher than the other): Blueberry Almond Maple Yogurt Oats. Yup. In a bowl, add the following and stir until blended:

• sweetener of choice (I like my oatmeal a tad on the sweet side)
• 1 tbsp almond butter
• 1 cup cooked oats with blueberries
• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt (I used Fage 0%)
• maple syrup of choice

Hubba, hubba. It was love in a bowl. I made blueberry pancakes for dinner last night (we have a surplus of blueberries going on right now, both fresh and frozen and I'm not sick of them yet), and decided to top them with maple-flavored Greek yogurt. It was so rad that I figured it would work just as well with oatmeal. Totally did. That said, I officially need more maple syrup. I feel a phase coming on.

The Doc:

I went to the doctor the other day for my annual physical. She wasn't happy that my weight was up from last year and I was kinda bummed that she wasn't more understanding about it since she's usually cool, laid back and supportive. But I totally understand her concern; I'm sure she's seen her share of people who lose a lot of weight and eventually gain it all back. I don't intend to be one of those people. But I also don't intend to make myself go crazy by trying to dazzle her with arbitrary numbers every year either. Yes, I intend to drop a few more pounds, but the BMI chart can suck it.

The Miscellaneous:

I bought some used DVDs the other day, one vinayasa yoga and one pilates. I also bought Guitar Hero 3 though, so I haven't quite gotten around to trying them out yet, ha. I'm looking forward to the yoga DVD, as I've been bored with the 3 I already have. And I've been meaning to give pilates another try; I had the whole Mari Winsor set on VHS at one point, ages ago. They may be hiding in a box somewhere, but there's no VCR in the living room anyway, so new DVD it is. Updates on those to follow.

AND, I'm finally reading The Amazing Adventures of Dietgirl. I started following her blog again and reserved a copy of the book at the library. It's great so far. Funny and witty but also quite painful to read at times because her experience is so relatable. It's sad that she, I and countless others have gone through the same exact struggles in being overweight. Knowing that so many people are (or have been) so miserable with the same issues is a bit of a downer. At the same time though, there's always the opportunity to change. Anywho, I can't put it down (picking up where I left off after this post!), so I think I'll be finished with it in a few more days.

That's all I can manage to ramble about today. Have a great weekend!

French Women Don't Get Fat.

Ok boys and gals, the time has finally arrived for my feedback on:



French Women Don't Get Fat, by Mireille Guiliano.
Since this book has been out for a while, I'm not going to do a tradtional review, but rather, list some points that I highlighted and follow with some of my own thoughts. Before we get to that though, I guess I just want to point out the grand theme, which is to genuinely enjoy good (and good quality) food. Guiliano frequently points out the many ways French and Americans differ when it comes to food consumption and appreciation. There's a certain degree of snobbery that remains consistent throughout the book, but once I took on a mature and objective outlook, I was able to truly understand and appreciate what Guiliano was saying.

Now, on to the bullets:

• "...be the master of both your willpower and your pleasures."
This spoke to me instantly because I'm constantly going back and forth on being "free" to eat whatever I want, feeling guilty about exercising said freedom and trying to find redemption through restriction and/or too much exercise. The thing, for me, is: I CAN enjoy all types of food. But if I want to maintain my current weight and not go back to 248 pounds, let's be realistic: I need to take responsibility for my decisions and be mindful of what my healthiest/least self-defeating choices are. I'm an adult and I'm in charge of my body. Yeah, technically I can eat cake for breakfast everyday. But I obviously know the long term effects of such behavior and know that I can regularly nourish myself with better options and still have the cake when it's really friggin' good and the time feels right. 

• "It is one thing to identify your offenders, quite another thing to manage them."
While I'm still moving away from food labels ("good, "bad," "sinful," etc.), I do get what she's saying here. Peanut butter is a food that I could easily identify as an "offender" because it's something that I've abused in the past. But since I've allowed myself small servings of it almost everyday this week, I feel safer having it in the house and no longer feel like it has some stupid power over me. It's a jar of peanut butter, for fuck's sake. 

• "Any program that your mind interprets as punishment is one your mind is bound to rebel against."
Nothing too complicated about this concept. Yet fad diets continue to flourish. 

• Regarding food as a 'reward':"...it's okay as long as the food is rewarding: no junk, good quality and respectfully savored."
This is something I've been really trying to live by this week. I like sweets, but there's a lot of sweet crap out there that's just not worth my time. I've bought some good (well, good by my standards; certainly not anything by Hershey's) chocolate over the past week and have managed to make it last by really zeroing in on the smell, texture and taste. And I have indeed savored each bite, hence not feeling like I have to eat it all at once. 

• "What is relatively easy for you may be hard for someone else, and vice versa."
Guiliano points this out early in the book and I'm glad she did; this reminded me to read with caution and not assume that I would be able to live by every single topic in the book and have it completely change my life. I've spent a lot of [wasted] time over the years trying to model the various eating habits of others and often found myself discouraged because what worked for them didn't work for me. Well, duh, that's because they are not me. And I am not them. But that doesn't mean I won't ever find what works for me. It's just gonna take time, practice and patience. 

• Three meals a day, three-course dinners; "Our courses are greater in number, but smaller in size."
Obviously I'm no stay-at-home chef, so I can't go too crazy with multiple courses, but I have tried breaking my meals up into different sections and just focused on enjoying the different components on their own. Doing so has increased my appreciation for certain foods, where as before, they all kind of got lost when the focus was to have "one great meal." 

• "Snacking, which results from not having three proper meals, is generally an unhelpful expedient that confuses us, body and mind."
Now, I know I just said that I need to find what works for me and not mindlessly copy the actions of others, but for the sake of this book and for the sake of what Guiliano is trying to achieve AND for the sake of me finding my own food balance, I've been practicing this and can't say that I've missed snacks. Obviously snacking works well for a lot of people. It may have worked for me a bit, back in my dieting days, but I've noticed that by skipping snacks in between meals, I enjoy my next meal much more and am satisfied with less because I was able to "work up" a genuine hunger. This is not to be interpreted as me starving myself. I'm simply getting more satisfaction from my main meals and just haven't been distracted by the thought of snacking. But if you adore your snacks, take this section with a grain of salt. 

• "Wine can also enhance your health if absorbed in small daily doses and always, always with food."
Truth time: Prior to reading this book, I pretty much ALWAYS drank alcohol around a meal, rarely during. And of course, drinking in such a manner allowed alcohol to get the better of me and led me to make poor food choices. So this week, I have tried having a glass of wine with dinner. Doing so has increased my appreciation not only for the wine, but for the food as well. I finish feeling like I had more of a true dining experience, even at home. I know that sounds cheesy as hell, but it's true. 

• "...being ready for the pleasure of food is essential to contentment with proper proportion."
Because I've been making an effort to eat what I feel will please me the most at that moment, I have been feeling satisfied with less. I don't make hideously large portions of food to begin with, but I often find myself finishing a plate just because "it's a serving" and it's there. I'm making an effort to pause and breathe more in between bites. I feel like I have a better idea of different fullness levels and have a much better judgment on when to stop without feeling deprived. 

• Regarding chocolate (of the dark, rich, high-quality variety, of course): "...it is better enjoyed after lighter meals than after fat-laden holiday feasts, or by itself as a pick-me-up."
A piece or two of chocolate after a lighter meal definitely rounds it out and of course adds a pleasing, sweet touch. Such satisfaction has kept me from going back for more. And I haven't been limiting myself to just pieces of chocolate; whatever source of sweetness I feel like, I just go for it, but downsize and savor, of course.

• "Mindless exercise is almost as bad as mindless eating."
Just something to keep in mind. I try not to zone out during workouts, but sometimes it happens, especially on machines at the gym. I just highlighted this as a reminder to make sure I'm always mentally present and getting the most out of my exercise. 

• "Self-punishment is never our path to well-being. The only purpose of withholding some pleasure is so we can more fully enjoy everything else for having it in proper balance."
I know, I can't help but sometimes roll my eyes and/or groan when weight maintenance "experts" go on and on and on about "balance" and "moderation" because they often seem like generic practices that are easier said than done, but still overused. Well, I stopped rolling my eyes this week and just decided that if I expect to be sane about food for the rest of my life, I do need to make more of an effort to find that "gray area" or "middle-ground" or whatever term you want to apply to it. I'm just tired of living in extremes and am at a point where I'm ready to welcome both pleasure and nourishment from food without going overboard and/or freaking out in the process. So far, I've been doing just that pretty well. But as always, mother-frickin' baby steps. 

• "...when that balance slips, each must devise her own plan of correction, based on personal preferences."
I like how she says "plan of correction." Soooo much better than "get back on the wagon" and the like. And she doesn't imply that you need to starve yourself the next day or workout for hours either. Just go with the flow, with a healthy-minded foot forward. At least that's how I interpreted it. 

• "Attitude shifts take much longer, but when they take, they tend to take for good."
I just liked how she acknowledge that a) it is indeed about attitude, b) yes, it can be changed and c) yes, it will take time. 

• Regarding the 50 Percent Solution: "...ask myself if I can live with half the amount being offered; indeed, will I be just as happy eating half as much?" and "...if you continue eating only half of what's on your plate each time, you will never eat the whole thing."
At first, I was a little thrown off that she mentioned this practice as an afterthought at the very end of the book, but when I think about it, I suppose it makes the most sense. Guiliano wanted you to first get comfortable with the idea of just enjoying your food without guilt, then progressing to portion control from there. As I mentioned before, I'm mindful of serving sizes when making my meals, but I don't always need as much as I think I do. And being completely satisfied with half of some of my meals the past few days has acted as proof. How? Savoring each and every bite, son! And again, pausing in between bites and just really paying attention to what I'm ingesting. 

• "Eat the smallest bite that lets you register taste. Then have another."
Another point I wanted to highlight, just to reinforce the concept of food appreciation.

So there ya have it. There are some parts I admittedly breezed through (sometimes Guiliano talks at length about her upbringing and picking fruits in the summer at her aunt's house and blah, blah, blah) and I didn't get much from her, with regard to fitness. She clearly despises the gym and thinks we should all walk and bike everywhere. Perhaps when I'm retired in Paris, I'll do just that, but otherwise, simply walking isn't a practical means of exercise for me. I'm at a point now where I need to sweat because it really does make me feel good and I like the way my body feels when I make regular efforts to keep it in shape. She does suggest some strength training and yoga though, which I appreciated. She also wants you to eat nothing but leek soup for a couple of days before beginning her "program," but obviously I skipped over that nonsense.

Lastly, THE RECIPES! You can check out some that have been posted on the book website. I've yet to try any, but some are so simple that I'm excited to make one or two over the next few days.

Although some of Guiliano's concepts weren't new to me, I ended up getting much more from this book than I expected to and can say that I genuinely enjoyed it. French Women... is a relatively quick read and flows more like a novel and less like a typical Here's-How-I'm-Gonna-Help-You-Shed-Pounds diet manual. I don't think I'll be turning into a Francophile anytime soon, but I have no qualms about having a French attitude toward food because it makes the most sense. Not to be hatin' on Team USA, but the typical American approach to food is pretty scary at times and our means of consumption can be quite destructive; and I know it's true, based on my experience alone.

There are a ton of other highlighted notes that I made but didn't share because if your interest is at all piqued by now, you really should just get a copy and read it already.

Phases and Crazes.

Just a quick check-in posts of sorts. Sadly (or happily?), I don't have much to report this week. I was out of town over Mother's Day weekend and seem to have hit the ground running this week with miscellaneous chores, errands, exercise and of course, work.

I'm almost done with French Women Don't Get Fat and will be sharing my highlighted notes hopefully later this week. I know, I can sense some eye-rolls out there in cyberspace, but as I stated before, it was just one of those books that made me oh-so-curious, not necessarily some new fad I was looking to throw my life into. I know it has probably been cast into that typical-trendy-bullshit-diet category, but after reading the majority of it, I feel comfortable saying that it's not. That doesn't mean I haven't come across parts that made me say "Psh!" out loud, but I have enjoyed it for the most part. Anywho, details to come soon!

I'm going through another strength training phase. After trying to add more running into my routine the last couple of weeks (and more cardio overall), I was honestly disappointed with my appearance and general heavy feeling, even though it seemed like I sweated like crazy every day and managed a stable diet most days. The past few days I've focused a bit more on weights and resistance and hey, guess what? I'm back to toning up and feeling like a fit bad-ass again.

I know balancing both types of exercise is important, but some weeks I'm just more motivated to do one or the other (and more times than not, that motivation goes to cardio). I went to spin class this morning (and signed up for another class on Saturday because I'm a sadist), but plan on mixing up some Jari Love and Jackie Warner DVDs in between. Might throw in a day of yoga or a custom at-home lifting circuit somewhere too. I've got the weight set at home, begging me to do some squats, lunges, shoulder presses, deadlifts and more.

While I know that I benefit from all types of exercise, I think my body type benefits from strength training the most. I've always leaned toward cardio year after year, week after week, day after day, but I need to work at adjusting that ratio and try keeping strength at the top of the list. My body speaks for itself when I stick to lifting on a regular basis.

I've read in a few different articles that weight and resistance training boosts self-image and y'know what? It's true. That's not to suggest that I don't feel good about myself when I run or spin or stair climb, but there's something about lifting weights and/or working with my own body weight that causes me to be a bit more aware of what's going on with these muscles of mine. I certainly can't speak for others, but I require significantly more concentration when I strength train because I'm paranoid about my form and preventing injuries. And when I manage to perform [heavy] reps successfully, well, I don't know... I just feel like this:



On the inside, anyway. Heh. Notice I didn't throw a picture of The Incredible Hulk up there; although I sometimes push strength training to the side, I'm glad I no longer believe the myth that lifting makes women bulky. Because it totally doesn't (unless you get testosterone injections and live off of a steady diet of steak, eggs and tuna). I certainly feel buff 'n' tough afterward, but I also feel incredibly lean and sexy. And that's not so bad, eh?

That's all I have time for today, but fret not; I have some new recipes floating around in my head that I wanna try this week, so I'll definitely be sharing those, along with pics. Hope everyone's having a great week!

Breakfast of Champions.

Did I really have leftover chili and cornbread for breakfast? Yes, yes I did. It was less "Oooh, you know what would be really awesome for breakfast? Chili!" and more "Sigh. I really don't want to end up throwing that stuff out 'cause I hate wasting food. And I still want my shrimp/broccoli/rice leftovers for lunch. Mom's taking me out to dinner later... Fuck it."

And it wasn't the worst choice. After spin class this morning, I did indeed have an appetite, so it was the ultimate mix of protein, fiber and carbs. Plenty of beans, tomatoes, onion and spicy peppers. Lean ground beef, so just the right amount of fat. And the cornbread had chopped green chiles and a bit of cheddar baked in. A bit of discomfort ensued because it was probably too early for so much spice, but I'm fine now. And still full.

Aside from eating something for the sake of getting rid of it, I'm also trying to change up my meal "routine," for... Fun? I guess you could say this new change kind of falls in line with the "Eat like a king for breakfast, a prince for lunch and a pauper for dinner" method. I typically eat in the opposite order, which is a pretty terrible idea, seeing as I'm an early morning workout person. Ok, maybe not terrible, but my smaller breakfasts eventually lead to increased snacking all the way through dinner, so time for a change.

I'm not planning on eating chili every morning, but I am going to try and bulk things up a bit, while also changing up my food choices. I've had this inherent (and ridiculous) fear of eating too much for breakfast for yeeears and it's just silly, given my activity schedule. No real meal ideas yet, and I still plan on keeping my beloved oats, fruit, Greek yogurt and peanut butter in the mix, in varying degrees. But I'll also be more open to things like tuna, veggies burgers, broccoli, tofu. Whateva.



In other news, I joined Daily Mile last Thursday and it's been pretty addicting so far. I added a mile-tracker widget to my blog homepage and it's fun seeing the number go up over the course of just a few days! It's motivating me to make time for a run just about every day, even if it's just one mile, and/or mixed in with another type of workout. Since Thursday, I've racked up 13.5 miles! A little over a half-marathon! Obviously I'm not ready to tackle such a feat all at once, but slowly chipping away at distance, one mile at a time, is still motivating nonetheless. And it's already helping me work on my goal of increasing speed.

Last note on workouts: At the gym on Sunday, I felt myself missing the incline trainers at my old gym (24 Hour Fitness doesn't have them). But instead of boo-hooing that I couldn't do my ol' 18-20% grade inclines, I decided to compromise and try one of the cross-country pre-set routines on a regular Precor treadmill, but increase my speed to jogging/running levels, instead of just walking. And y'know what? It was pretty damn awesome. I think the highest grade I had went up to 7%, but when you try to tackle that between 5 and 5.5 mph, your legs are workin' hard. And because it was pre-set, I could just go on auto-pilot for the most part, aside from when I wanted to adjust my speed. Glad I was able to discover something new and challenging!

And on a closing note, I ordered French Women Don't Get Fat this morning. I found a copy on eBay for under $5, free shipping. Mostly just curious. Not expecting it to change my life or anything. I won't be doing a full 'n' proper review after I finish it, but I'll definitely share any points of awesomeness that I come across along the way.

I suppose that's all for today. My goal is to make it through the week without catching Doug's cold. My boss was out sick all last week too and has been coughing ever since she came back. Gah. I am to germs as Nacho Libre is to corn:



Hope everyone is having a good week!

Could it get any better?

This week has ended on so many good notes, I'm just so happy to be alive. Probably sounds over-the-top, but it's true. Had a great morning workout, ate delicious food all day and even heard back from Dr. May about my book review that I posted this morning! I was really touched by her response. I'm just so grateful for her book and how it helped me, so sharing my feedback just seemed like the right thing to do.

After all of those warm fuzzies, life only got better at dinner time:



One of our favorite, easy go-to meals is grilled pork with some kind of veggie (usually zucchini or asparagus), onions and a sauce of some sort, served over couscous.

Well, tonight Doug took things up a notch. In tonight's mix:

• diced boneless pork chops
• asparagus
• onions
• garlic
• ginger
• Famous Dave's Sweet & Zesty BBQ sauce
• Teriyaki sauce
• Pineapple tidbits
• crushed red pepper

He basically cooks up all of the above in a pan and pours it over the couscous. Tonight was the first time we tried this particular combination and I think what really pushed this meal into Foodgasm Land was the use of the BBQ sauce with the pineapple. Plus, if there's one combination I LOVE, it's sweet and spicy.

You could use chicken or tofu, but there's just something about the flavor and texture of the pork that helps me find that happy place.

Not pictured are the beer and iced tea cocktail I had before dinner. Between those, the Pork-Veggie-Couscous Awesomeness and a new episode of Best Thing I Ever Ate on Food Network, this evening is officially a win.

Tomorrow, I plan on hitting the gym in the morning, trying out some oat bran for breakfast and seeing Chelsea Handler in Denver. Oh, and eating leftover Pork-Veggie-Couscous Awesomeness, duh.

Happy Weekend!

Eat What You Love.

Since I have no new pics to share, I guess I'll go with an impromptu review of a book I just finished reading:



Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat: How to Break Your Eat-Repent-Repeat Cycle, by Dr. Michelle May.

Once my binge eating hit in November and continued into January, I was painfully aware (both physically and mentally) that I had a problem and I needed help. Now, yes, seeing a therapist should've been my first move, but as much as I wanted to seek counseling, I simply couldn't (and still can't) afford it. And I'm certainly not ruling it out as an option in the future, but for this particular time in my life, I needed something to guide me through my feelings and help me navigate through the terrible cycle of binging (and sometimes, purging) and into a peaceful, healthy place. I wasn't expecting to be "cured" by a single book either, but I was still desperate for some sort of basic direction. And, eating disorder aside, I also knew I didn't want to count points or calories for the rest of my life. I just wanted to eat like a normal person and not have to constantly freak out over food. I want to, dare I say it, live.

This book has helped me so much, in so many ways, I'm almost out of words. (Almost... I still managed to think up a few.)

Within the first couple of chapters, Dr. May quickly identified 3 eating behavior cycles (Overeating, Restrictive and Instinctive) and how, by taking small but meaningful steps, you can eventually move toward mindful, balanced eating. I personally followed the overeating and restrictive cycles for yeeears, even as I started losing weight.

It was kind of painful to read certain paragraphs sometimes because some of the behaviors she talks about are identical to the ones I've experienced ever since I became aware of my weight as being an issue. While I'm thankful for dieting as a means of helping me shed 90 pounds, in the end, it really fucked up my attitude toward and relationship with food.

Within this book, you learn why it's important not to assign "good" or "bad" labels to certain foods, how & why obsessively tracking every last calorie or point can actually backfire (which it totally did, in my experience) and why you should never "punish" yourself or earn the right to eat certain foods by exercising (guilty as charged, once again).

After getting schooled on how dieting screwed up my eating behaviors, Dr. May then walked me through how to eat more instinctively and mindfully. She explains how to reconnect with your natural hunger cues so that you only eat when you're hungry (mind-blowing, eh?) and when you do eat, you eat foods that both bring you pleasure and nourishment so you're left completely satisfied.

She also talks about fitness and why you should pursue it for the points of bettering your health and feeling good, not out of guilt for eating food.

I had so many "duh!" moments as I read this book. Everything Dr. May says about how and why you should eat and exercise is pretty simple, but it also made so much sense, which is why I found this book so comforting AND empowering. EWYL makes it perfectly clear that you don't have to struggle with food. You can eat and live a balanced, healthy, fulfilling life, without guilt or self-induced pressure.

The last few chapters are designed for people who are more or less clueless about what kind of healthy foods to eat and how to start exercising, so I pretty much skimmed through those parts. She then closes the book with a ton of great recipes (her husband is a spa chef, so there ya go).

Love, love, love this book. And glad I actually purchased it instead of checking it out at the library. There are so many "Mindful Moment" tips throughout the book that I made note of, for future reference. Like I said before, I am in no way "cured" by this book, so I feel good knowing that I can re-read certain paragraphs in the future whenever I start to doubt myself and feel anxious about eating.

After reading this book, I've no doubt changed my tune about what it means to live a healthy lifestyle. While I preached for years (over 2, literally) about calories this and Weight Watchers Points that, I feel so liberated in giving those concepts the middle finger now, for the most part. Now, I know there are people who read this blog who are in fact tracking calories and/or points in order to meet and manage their weight goals, so please don't take this as a personal attack. I don't mean to offend and I certainly don't intend to dissuade you from your current process of weight-loss/management.

As long as you feel your current approach to eating and fitness is balanced and healthy (and not stressing you out or causing unhealthy behaviors), by all means, keep it up!

Am I thankful for Weight Watchers and calorie counting for helping me lose all of that weight? Of course! Doing so changed my life.

But after reaching that long built-up "goal," I quickly became overwhelmed. "Can I be more 'free' to eat 'bad' foods more often? Do I still need to track this? Do I still have to work out extra hard to eat that? Can I just eat whatever I want?"

While WW is quick to say that their program is not a diet and is indeed a lifestyle change, I was starting to find that despite what I said 90 pounds ago, I can't (and simply don't want to) count points for the rest of my life. But I still want to be healthy. EWYL showed me that there is indeed a middle-ground.

"Yeah right, Tam. You're just using this book as an excuse to eat junk and not feel guilty about it." Did I at first? Yeah, maybe a little bit. But as I read on, I realized that that's soooo not the goal of the book at all. And really, it doesn't take long to feel the effects of eating not-so-nutritious food. I don't feel like I have to eat healthier foods. I'm in a place now where I truly enjoy them; eating better leaves me feeling better. But am I going to lash myself, verbally, mentally and physically next time I have a piece of not-so-nutritious cake? Hells to the no! One of my favorite Mindful Moments (out of like, 30):

When you are free to eat whatever you want, food quickly loses its power over you. You are able to eat anything, without eating everything.

One of Dr. May's main messages is learning how to be in charge, not simply "in control." It's a message that resonates throughout the whole book and I'm happy to say that I'm finally learning what it means (and feels like).

So, do I recommend this book? Well, of course I want to say, "YES! YES! YES! EVERYONE READ THIS BOOK!" but I know that it is indeed not for everyone. But if you feel that you might be caught in an eating and/or exercise cycle that is constantly leaving stressed, guilty and/or hungry, I would definitely invite you to at least check out the EWYL Blog and even download the book's first chapter (PDF). If you feel an immediate connection with the material (*raises hand*), either head to the library or make your way to Amazon.

When I first sought out support for my binge eating, the results were a bit overwhelming. And there are indeed a ton of other books out there on similar subjects, so I'm glad I found this one. Dr. May's tone didn't intimidate or annoy me, which was something I expected for some silly reason. She doesn't get overly preachy or contradictory; she simply speaks from her own experience (as well as the experiences from others) and provides you with simple, truthful knowledge aimed at giving you what you need most: help and support.

Thank you, Dr. May. If this book helped me, I'm confident that it's helped others and will continue to do so.

Adventures in BabyFood-ing.

This past weekend, I came across a nice little addition to change up my meals: baby food.

Perhaps I should back up and provide a little explanation first... Doug needed some small glass jars for one of his art classes and decided that baby food jars would be the perfect size, while also remaining pretty darn cheap. So, we went to the baby section at the store and picked out a few flavors. I must admit, when my younger sister was born, my curiosity got the better of me and I found myself sampling some of her baby food and remembered that some of it (mostly the fruit-based varieties) wasn't half bad.

Not ones to waste food, we picked out flavors that we would actually eat. I got sweet potatoes and tried them yesterday with lunch. I added some cinnamon, splenda, Special K granola and some raisins. Still tasted like sweet potatoes, but in pureé form, so I think I'll get some more and try it with oatmeal. I think it would also work well when baking quick breads or pancakes/waffles.

This morning's breakfast was even better. The other flavor I picked was oatmeal with applesauce & bananas. I mixed it with some cottage cheese, cinnamon, ground flax seed and a bit of Splenda. OMG! Soooo good! I know it sounds like a weird combo, but I'm always experimenting with cottage cheese mix-ins and so far, this is probably one of the better ones. Needless to say, baby food will now be a part of future grocery lists, despite the fact that I have no babies and don't plan on having any.

As for the weekend overall, it was good. I overate a bit here and there, but no out-of-control binges. I also kept up with my workouts and felt pretty good. I managed to avoid a binge yesterday whilst at the grocery store; temptation was everywhere (especially with all of the Valentine's Day candy out), but instead of wasting money (and later guilt, shame and calories) on unnecessary crap, I bought fresh spinach, more Jazz apples, some organic cinnamon raisin bread that was on sale and a sample of almond butter. Instead of simply "treating myself," I decided to treat myself better. This meant enjoying fresh fruits and veggies and trying new healthy products (like almond butter).

I left the store junk-free and went home to make quite possibly one of the best pizzas I've had in a while (low-fat/high fiber tortilla, mozzarella, spinach, red onion, tomatoes, mushrooms, parmesan, garlic, italian seasoning and feta). It was delicious, filling and a reminder of how healthy foods can also be indulgent. In fact, I plan on repeating that meal for dinner today!

Tonight, I'm going to read more of a new book, Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat. The first chapter quickly pointed out my current eating patterns and the feelings attached to them, so I'm anxious to read more. I know it probably sounds silly, but one of my main goals in life is to become a mindful, instinctive eater. I'm terribly jealous of people who are naturally instinctive in their eating habits, so I hope that by reading this book, I'll not only learn what it takes to eat instinctively, but also stop being jealous and focus my attention to other things in life besides food and exercise.

Recovery is bound to be a long journey, but it felt good to finally make some progress this past week.