TAGT Day 5- Getting (sorta) Better

Today, I'm happy to report, was a vast improvement over yesterday. Intake-wise, anyway. Last night, the cravings hit. Maybe cravings isn't the right word...just the overwhelming memories of all my favorite junk foods, how it will be a long, long time before I'll feel ok to indulge again, and how all this means missing out on Halloween candy and Chinese food with Brian (such is our preferred way to observe Oct. 31.) On top of that, I was ravenously hungry really late last night, and wound up eating 17 (yup. Holy sh!t.) Chocolate chip cookies. I managed to not go over my sugar allotment, somehow, but still. Seventeen cookies. Never again.

Today began with the shake and cereal, and I have to say, I'm rethinking the shake thing. I hate foamy textured foods. About halfway through, I had to fight the urge to vomit. It was more than a little unpleasant, and I was still feeling gaggy later in the afternoon. I also weighed myself, and I'm 8 bloody f*cking pounds heavier than I was the last time I weighed myself, several months ago! Oh I wanted to scream and kick and throw things...but, despite wanting to do all of that, followed by drowning my sorrows in a bag of chalupas, it steeled my resolve to stick to the plan.

I was unprepared for snack #2, so instead of yogurt I wound up having a piece of steak jerky. Not my favorite, but it was good for low carb, decent protein, and even fewer calories than the yogurt. Dinner was pretty perfect. I do plan to get a food scale soon, and I need to figure out the whole measuring protein thing. I don't think I'm eating enough protein at dinner.

If I can somehow manage to ward off the severe hunger pangs, I think I will finish week one decently and head into week 2 with a good grip on things. Thing is, I'm honestly hungry, not just bored or wanting to eat some feelings- my stomach growls, I feel puky from low blood sugar, and I get a little nauseous. I guess it's part of the territory, sadly, so I need to find a way to handle it. Overall, I'm really proud of myself today. I had plenty of opportunities to have the drive thru or cheap junk foods that I like, but I didn't succumb. Yay me :)

TAGT Day 4- I Suck at This

Just to preface this- I'm writing this in the spirit of total honesty, keepin it real, being true to myself. To not admit failure would be doing myself a disservice, and I'm not particularly good at or comfortable with lying. That said, I suck at dieting, am terrible at change, and feel like a failure.

Today could have been great. Instead, I'm writing this, admitting how far below ideal I came. Instead of going to bed at a decent hour, I was still awake when 5, 6, 7am rolled around. And I hadn't actually had the allowable snack since before midnight. By 6 I was ravnous, so I made a sandwich (should have made the breakfast shake, but wasn't feeling it.) I had my sandwich and a serving of chips. Then another. Then another. Then probably another still, I stopped counting after serving #2. Around 10am, I finally fell asleep, and woke up around 2 or 3, then continued to sleep off and on until after 5pm. It starts with simply being unable to fall asleep, then I find myself a week later, living like a vampire.

I haven't eaten at all between 6-something this morning and about 7:10pm. And frankly I don't feel like cooking rice or chicken or eating salad. It's frozen chimichangas, because as far as today's concerned, I've thrown in the towel.

Tomorrow will be different. For starters, I have an appointment that I would prefer not to miss, and I'm hoping to hit the bed at a decent hour. Even if it means taking a melatonin or sleep aid (which I'm not a fan of, as they leave me unable to function for much of the following day. It's part of what got me here now.) I'm not giving up. I've just had a lousy day, that's left me exhausted after doing pretty much nothing. Tomorrow will be better. I will accept nothing less of myself.

TAGT, Day 3

Just a quick update (I may do this everyday, helps with accountability)- today was an improvement over yesterday. Still not 100% but better. I had the dreaded breakfast protein shake (why oh why did I choose vanilla?!?), an apple roughly 2 hours after that. Then, I slept. All. Damn. Day. I woke with glaring pain in both ears, and I have just felt unwell since this past weekend. I thought my sleep last night would be better, but despite hauling my butt to bed at around 1am, trying to sleep while feeling like every breath was full of glass shards, sleep just wasn't going to happen. It could be the crazy weather of late. Or I'm developing asthma! What fun :| It's always something.

Anyway, I still had to do a bit of make-do where meals were concerned. I had lunch very late, and wound up eating a chicken breast sandwich, made with the smaller of the two Hummus is Yummus chicken breasts I made last night. It was really good, and made me think of all the after Thanksgiving turkey sandwiches I've eaten in my life. Dinner was a repeat of last night's (only the chicken was a new flavor), and I tried a little sprinkle of Mrs. Dash's Onion and Herb seasoning on my salad. I think trying new things- even though this plan seems to be the antithesis of that- is key to not getting fed up with this lifestyle. There are so many salt-free seasonings these days, that it should take a while before that happens. (Side note, anyone else tried the new Mrs. Dash seasoning packets? The option to have salt-free tacos is pretty exciting for me. That may be a refuel meal.)

Tomorrow, I am fully prepared for, thanks to Brian. I'll be trying a new veggie side dish, so check back tomorrow for that! :)

Hummus is Yummus Chicken

I dedicate this recipe to my bestie, Dinnah. She's a pescatarian, and will likely never even eat this version of the recipe, but if not for her, I may never have had hummus. And I probably wouldn't forever associate the words hummus and yummus. So this is for ewe, Dinnah! <3 I'm trying to come up with fat and salt free options to season my chicken while doing TAGT. I have a few salt free seasonings, a couple of Southwestern ones from Mrs. Dash that frankly, I do not like unless they are added to other things. Like chili. Or brown sugar. I'm weird. I might have them mostly because they were the only options available at the time. My other option is a tiny jar of Sunny Spain from Penzey's, which is their salt free lemon pepper seasoning. It's such a basic option for flavoring a "healthy" meal, but that doesn't have to mean boring. For this recipe, I decided to pair this seasoning with some roasted red pepper hummus- thinking tangy will go well with tangy. As for the fat content- yes, hummus has fat. A serving is 2 tablespoons, which contains 3-4 grams of fat. I figured, I could use a small amount and get the flavor punch I wanted, for minimal fat. And I have to say, .6 grams of fat for an entire piece of chicken is no dealbreaker for me. I'll shut up now. On to the food!

You will need:

• 1 frozen boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 3/4 tsp hummus (I used Fresh Hummus Co. Roasted Red Pepper)
• 1/2 tsp salt free lemon pepper seasoning (I used Penzey's Sunny Spain)
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp minced, dried onion

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Cover shallow baking dish with tinfoil (or not, if you have nonstick baking dishes.) Place chicken breast in dish. Sprinkle on lemon pepper and onion powder seasonings. Measure hummus, and rub onto surface of chicken. I wound up kind of making a paste-like rub out of the hummus and spices. When you are satisfied with the spread, sprinkle the onion flakes on top. Bake for 40-50 minutes (I actually made two, and baked them for about an hour, with great results.)

This makes a lovely, tangy piece of chicken, and the chicken I have prepared using this method has all come out nice and juicy. For you pescetarians out there, I can tell you Sunny Spain is great on tilapia. Just sprinkle some on the fish, make a topping out of feta and chopped, seeded tomatoes, and bake. Penzey's Pasta Sprinkle (another salt free option, btw) is also good mixed into the fish topping. Hope you try these and enjoy!

The Plan, So Far

There's a saying, about the road to hell being paved with the best intentions. I think that sums up much of my life.

This past Sunday was to be the start of my following the Think and Grow Thin plan. I planned for it (but not very well), but Saturday night, I wound up with a stomach bug or some other sort of intestinal unpleasantness. So my Sunday was spent on the couch, sleeping, or running to the bathroom. My eating was nowhere near what I'd planned to do. I started out not eating very much at all (a sandwich, with about half the meat I normally do), or too much of the wrong stuff (potato chips! Lots of hummus! Stouffer's mac and cheese!) Sunday was just a no go kind of day.

As for Monday, I wasn't awake for breakfast. For lunch, I had a salad instead of the sandwich and chips I'd planned for (I actually had no allowed chips.) The rest of the day I did decently, having apples at snack times, dinner was almost perfect- you're supposed to have brown or long grain wild rice. I only had yellow. I did portion out a cup of it, so at least it's helping develop a habit. I even cooked two more chicken breasts for the next two nights. I like to work ahead sometimes :)

I can say, I'm thankful for the hiccup in my plan, because it reminded me, if something isn't flexible, it will break. I'm going to follow this plan, but with some tweaks that I think are more beneficial to me personally. My #1 trigger food is actually chips. So, despite the fact that I actually control myself fairly well when faced with a bag of baked Lay's, I've decided to have a mixed greens salad in place of the chips. Surely extra veggies won't hurt, right? Other than missing breakfast, having yellow rice and no chips at lunch, I was pretty much on point for everything else. My snacks were apples and yogurt (with chia seeds), my chicken was prepared without added fat or salt, and I actually measured my salad for dinner, instead of grabbing a couple of handfuls and calling it x-amount. I did have some peanut butter and some Fiber One and skim milk after dinner. I'm still about 800-plus calories under goal according to MyFitnessPal, so I think today was a vast improvement, even if it wasn't perfect.

A final note, if you are interested in following this plan and need ideas for seasoning your meats, or you are just looking for good fat/salt free options, I recommend Penzey's Spices. They offer many salt free varieties. I am currently using Sunny Spain, which is a lemon-pepper seasoning, which is great on chicken, tilapia, and would probably be just as tasty sprinkled on salads. Check them out here. And check back tomorrow (later today?) for a crazy-easy chicken recipe!

Weeks 1 & 2, Think and Grow Thin

Today it starts! Three months of massive, life-altering change. Or at least that's the plan.

If you're following along with me on this journey, the plan is this: every other week, I will post about the nutrition plan for that period. On Saturdays, which is the day you're allowed a refuel meal, I hope to post a healthy recipe that I made that day (worry not, no tofu-seaweed wraps here.) Progress will be posted monthly, as will any random thoughts along the way. Also, hoping to post any different and new workouts I try, meaning different or new to me. I have Zumba for Kinect and have tried it once so far. It's something to work up to.

Now onto the meal plan!

For breakfast, I'm going with Option 1, which includes a protein shake made with 8oz water, 6 frozen strawberries, 1 scoop whey protein, and flax seed oil. Since it's easier to come by, I will be taking a flax supplement. Rounding out breakfast is 1 1/3 cups dry, lightly sweetened, whole grain cereal (such as Kashi. I like the really crunchy one.)

First snack of the day is one piece of fresh fruit (choices being apple, orange, pear or mango. I'm going with apples.)

Lunch will be Option 2, which consists of a 12" turkey breast sub on whole wheat, double meat, with mustard. It will be hard to give up cheese, but you're allowed to add romaine lettuce, spinach, tomato, onion, sprouts, vinegar and pepper only. I do like adding plain broccoli slaw to a sandwich, for the crunch, but it's not allowed. For a side, you can choose between a 1oz bag of baked potato chips or one banana. I choose chips, as I hate bananas.

Snack 2 will be 6oz nonfat, no-sugar-added yogurt. I'm debating whether or not this will be artificially sweetened yogurt, or some plain Greek with a tablespoon of Polaner All Fruit or Sugar-Free Smucker's stirred in.

Dinner will be Option 1, which is 8-10oz boneless, skinless chicken or turkey breast, cooked without added fat or salt, 1 tablespoon nonfat sauce, 2 cups of one or a combo of asparagus, spinach, kale, broccoli or green cabbage (I think broccoli slaw would be great for this), and one cup of brown or long grain wild rice.

Snack 3 can be 1/2 an apple or pear, 1 peach, or 1 clementine (I choose clementines, as long as I can find any, otherwise it'll be apples.)

The only drinks allowed are zero-calorie ones. I'm trying to give up soda, and I drink a lot of teas, and really need to work on my water consumption.

The thought of eating the same meals day in and day out is both appealing and kind of soul-sucking all at once. On my own, not thinking about things, I usually do eat the same old things. But having to do so really makes my "you can't boss me around!!" side come rushing to the surface. It's worth it to try if it means improving my health. I will still be using My Fitness Pal to record my meals and workouts, because having to be accountable for my daily behaviors does seem to help keep me on track, and I've been really good about using it for the last few weeks. Refuel meals are not supposed to be an excuse to abandon all good sense and run for the border. I have a few ideas about what I'd like for those days, so look forward to those (hopefully) every Saturday.

So these are weeks 1 and 2! Fingers crossed that I keep it up and it leads to lasting change. Here I go :)

Apple Pie Oatmeal

I'm not going to pretend I made up the whole concept of this oatmeal. I did, however, come up with this particular version of it (by throwing stuff into a pot one morning; that's how I like to cook!) The nutritional stats I got by entering the recipe into MyFitnessPal. If you don't like oatmeal because it's always been more like oatmush to you, I suggest trying this. Especially with the steel-cut, because it has a thicker, chewier texture that has a more pleasing mouthfeel for some people. Squishy food. I completely understand and share the aversion. Even better, this makes about 4 servings, so it's a pretty quick breakfast option- just heat and go. (not so much quick the morning you make it, of course. But the mornings after, those are heat 'n go.) Hope you enjoy!

You will need:

• 1 cup Steel Cut Oats (I used Quaker)
• 3 small apples (used Red Delicious, but any small 2-2.5" diameter apples will work)
• 1.5 scoops Vanilla Whey powder (used Body Fortress brand)
• 8 tsp unpacked brown sugar
• 1/2 TBSP ground cinnamon (or use apple pie spice mix)
• 4 cups water

Bring water to boil in medium pot. Meanwhile, core and chop apples into bite-sized pieces (you can leave the skin on if you prefer it; I peeled mine.) When the water has reached boiling, stir in the oats, and return to a boil. Then stir in the whey powder, apple chunks, sugar and cinnamon (and a pinch of salt, if you like) and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, uncovered, for 20-30 more minutes, stirring often, until it reaches desired texture/consistency. Serves 4. Keeps for one week covered in fridge. Just add a splash of milk, stir and microwave for about a minute on high.

4 servings- 269 calories- 48g carbohydrates- 3g fat- 15g protein- 34mg sodium- 16g sugar

If you don't like brown sugar, feel free to substitute with maple syrup, agave, stevia, whichever sweetener you like! Or you could even go without, and let the apples and oatmeal speak for themselves (so to speak.) I just divide the oatmeal between 4 containers (sorry, I don't have specific measurements, I just put equal spoonfuls into each container until it's all divided equally.)

I love oatmeal, and even though it can be time consuming, it's an inexpensive, satisfying and endlessly customizable breakfast option. If you prefer other fruits to apples, try cooking the oatmeal plain, then stirring in a tablespoon of Polaner All-Fruit to your bowl (I love doing this. And I usually add cinnamon to it, in general.) The Polaner is also good stirred into a cup of plain yogurt.

Try this recipe? Like it? Need some tweaking? Let me know!

Lifestyle Changes, via Think and Grow Thin

I am fat. There, I said it.

I am fat for a variety of reasons. Initially, I gained a bunch of weight before I began kindergarten (for reasons unknown; I started the summer average sized, and by the end of that summer, I was a little fatty.) I was involved in sports as a kid, I was not fed the junkiest foods (nor the healthiest, but I can promise you, I grew up before feeding your kids solely from the drive-thru was the way things were done), and for at least half of my childhood, I didn't eat sugar (hypoglycemic, threat of bodily harm from mother.) In sixth grade, I started developing an eating disorder, it really took hold in my first couple of years of high school. By the time I was 18, I was probably 150 pounds overweight, and when I actually ate breakfast, it usually consisted of a honey bun, Doritos, and a liter of Mt. Dew. I really wanted to be a vegetarian in high school, which is ironic, as I mostly ate not meat, in a poor attempt to be healthy, but still mostly ate junk. Fast forward six years after high school, I gained even more (mostly after moving in with my now fiance), and here I am now, extremely overweight...no, obese. I am obese. And it sucks and for the most part, I did it to myself. (that does not mean I think it is at all ok to fat shame, to ridicule, or otherwise be a jackass to anyone who is overweight.)

I will be 33 in a little over 3 months, and I am hoping that I have at least made a noticeable dent in my weight loss journey by then. I purchased a book over a year ago that I think will really help me with this. It is titled Think and Grow Thin, by Charles D'Angelo. The basic premise is that you can change your life in 88 days, 12 weeks, three months. The program entails eating the same meals everyday for 2 week periods- the same breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks. At the start of each new 2 week period, there is usually some change, such as cutting out the dry cereal allowed in weeks 1-2. It doesn't require anything special (beyond protein powder), and the wherewithal to eat the same damn things daily for 3 months. I figure, no big whoop, I tend to do this anyway. I think it's harder to do when you have to plan for it, if that makes sense. However, I plan to make this work for me by getting back into the habit of planning/cooking ahead, so I have no excuses NOT to keep up with it. You are allowed a "refuel meal" on Saturday, which can be anything you want, but within reason. Which is probably what keeps people from losing it totally and binging on Whataburger and Taco Bell and Krispy Kremes within the span of 45 minutes.

My personal tweaks to this plan include keeping up with My Fitness Pal, which I have been using sporadically throughout this year, and supplementing with a carb blocker called Carb Intercept by Natrol (recommended by my counselor for helping control blood sugar spikes), biotin, chia seeds, and if I ever remember to buy them/have the cash, CoQ10 and flax seed oil, or the 3-6-9 I think mix of the good fats. I really liked that one when I took it. I think it's a mix of flax, fish and some other oil, and doesn't make me feel like I'm burping sushi. Always a good thing :) The fun (hahahahahahaha.....oy vey) starts October 27, and hopefully by that day in January, I will have progressed muchly. I will try to update regularly, and maybe even post dinner ideas (not that there is much wiggle room, but it could be a motivating thing for me.) If you're interested in checking out the plan, Think and Grow Thin is available on Amazon. I feel like I should have posted a review of it, but it's not a new(er) book. I will say, Charles D'Angelo lived what he wrote, there are lots of testimonials from his former clients, and it really does cover almost any aspect of weight loss you could imagine. So stay tuned for October 27, when all the fun begins!

First Impression Review- Jordana Eyeliners

For a couple of months now, I've been hearing/reading about a brand called Jordana, that is apparently sold everywhere, and yet, nowhere. I've heard mostly good things, that their products are affordable and good (and not just "they're good...for affordable makeup.") So I've been on the hunt, and recently discovered that my local Walgreen's does, indeed, sell Jordana (I'd previously thought they don't; the section is just extremely tiny.) During my last trip there, I picked up a Twist and Shine balm stain (review is coming!) and two eyeliners. This is my review of those liners.

Liner one is the 12 HR Made to Last Liquid Eyeliner pencil in 04 Purple Fix. Initially, I thought it would be a close match to Urban Decay's Rockstar liner. It swatched pretty close, UD's has a bit of brown in it, whereas Jordana's is deep purple with sort of maroon-fuchsia shimmer. When I first swiped some on my wrist, I thought, "jackpot! Urban Decay competition for a whole $2.49!" When I applied it to my eye lids.... it was a bit of a letdown. It applied chunkily, some of it flaked off into my eye, and it just was not what I was hoping for. When I tried smudging it, it wouldn't budge. I think I waited too long to try to do that. It definitely is smudge-proof after it's set, so surely the 12 hour claim is not for the sake of marketing. It really is a gorgeous color, and I'm not giving up on it just yet, because I think it can be worked with. I think it would work really well with the shadows in the last Fun Palette.

The second liner is the retractable Easyliner in Sterling blue (which was a whole $1.39, thanks to a 60 cent savings from balance rewards.) It applied a bit smoother than the 12HR pencil, is a thinner line, and a beautiful peacock-y blue. It was a bit easier to smudge, but wore off in places when I tried to keep smudging it. It's not labeled as a long-wear type liner, so I didn't find that unusual. I think it would work great with purples, deep bronzes, and other shades you'd find on a peacock feather. Or even as a pop of color on a more neutral eye.

Pardon my crappy pic. Non-phone camera's charger cord is still m.i.a.

Current verdict, they seem to be pencils that have a slight learning curve. The colors are gorgeous, I just need to figure out how to get the best out of them. And for the price of either, I am definitely willing to find out how to best use them. Would I recommend them to a friend? Yes, but I would warn her/him that the 12HR may be a bit temperamental, work with it quickly, and one eye at a time.

**These products were purchased by me for personal use/review purposes.**

Book Beatdown #1: Furniture Building

I'm trying a new kind of feature here today, and calling it "Book Beatdown." It is less about two books beating the snot out of each other, and more about my opinions, and which one I prefer. Of course, this only works with similarly subjected books, so I won't be comparing The Shining to Charlotte's Web. Partly because that would be silly, and partly because I've read neither of those. (but I have seen the movies of each. Several times!)

Cover images from Amazon

For the first ever installment of Book Beatdown, I bring you two books about building your own furniture, a subject becoming very near and dear to my heart (as a fan of DIY and a person who actually owns very, very little furniture.) That said, let's move along to the first book, PlyDesign: 73 Distinctive Projects in Plywood (and other sheet goods) by Philip Schmidt. This is a book that speaks to the designer-maker soul in anyone. If your aesthetic taste runs toward the modern end of the spectrum, you may want to check out this book. The basic idea here is that plywood is good for more than just bike ramps, subfloors, and treehouse walls. You can build many functional, good-looking projects with inexpensive plywood! A few projects call for engineered wood products, and some even allow for substitutions (such as MDF in place of plywood.) Projects on my wish list include the Indoor Doghouse, Twinkle Board, and Avocado. Avocado is labeled as a storage unit, but is such a fun, funky shape, I think it'd make a cool cat play/nap structure. Some projects are a little more design-oriented than others (such as the Symbiosis Chair), and some are pure fun (Drunken Monkey.) Standout projects include a dining table for four that disassembles and folds flat into a 3-foot package, and the hardware-less shelf, which comes together and apart without- duh- hardware. 

Book two is The Handbuilt Home by blogger Ana White. If you have never been to her blog, feel free to go check it out now. The book contains 34 projects, ranging from bunk beds, coffee tables and an entertainment center. There is a section on building basics and some of her "best tips and tricks." The projects are classic, meant to hold up to family life, as well as simple and inexpensive to build. If you prefer Pottery Barn to cb2, you may want to check out this book. My wish list includes the Farmhouse bed, Modern Project table, and Kitchen Island. The most mind-blowing project is the Adult Adirondack chair, which she says cost her five dollars in lumber to build. Five. Dollars. I paid more than that apiece for my plastic ones, that are now cracked. I also love the Lego table for its looks and hidden storage.

So, which book won this bibliographic brawl?

....The Handbuilt Home!!

Why did I prefer this book? First, the overall style of the projects and the book itself are much more my speed. I appreciate clean lines and modern style, but my heart is a rustic ol' gal. I live in an older house (built in the 20s or 30s I believe), which is now in need of dire repairs and updating. Something about Ana White's book makes me believe that even someone like me- a woman who would much rather run away screaming than commit to the massive undertaking that is remodeling this house- could make her own media center. When I first looked through it, I told Brian I wanted one of almost everything in it. I've also added it to my Amazon wish list. 

So, if you are looking for projects that are interesting to build, look straight from Make magazine, and want to make something cool looking (and functional!) from plywood/MDF/etc, then PlyDesign might be for you. If you prefer farmhouse style, want something that will stand up to years of family use, and cost a fraction of what you'd pay at a mass retailer, then The Handbuilt Home may be more your speed. 

**I found both of these at my local library. Reviews are my honest opinion. I really enjoyed these books and wanted to spread the word.**