A New Lease on the Year

Like ma told me this week, her years roll from school year to school year. So Happy New Years! And with that comes a good time to whip into action after a summer of laissez faire.  

I personally, always have this time period around Thanksgiving, where I watch the Family Stone and I think about the cute outfits and how I want to fit into similar looks in the upcoming year. Because being a little fashion obsessed is a hobby. And then I don't exactly spring into action to achieve this...... (I'll start at New Years!). This year I am starting now. 

Restarted Weight Watchers two weeks ago! I have to give a shout out to my recipe and walking buddy Brandi! After starting to mark up Brandi's cookbook with post its, and going through about 100, I decided to purchase the book, and did so on our walk home from work on Friday. So this weekend I made Garlic and Herb Roasted Cornish Hens, Roasted Fall Vegetables with Pears and Walnuts and Carrots and Bell Pepper Salad. Evidence first:

Like how I crossed the carrots for added effect? I'm kind of into the art of "plating" but REALLY am lacking in the skill. 

 I confess that Justin helped with the cornish game hens, because, like I knew what they meant by stuffing the seasoning under the skin (he told me how to do it, so in the end I DID actually do it myself).

Recipes as follows (don't tell WW that I am totally plagiarizing their book right now):

All three recipes were super tasty. My only recommendations are to only make enough of the roasted vegetables you can eat in one serving (not so good re-heated) and to add the chick peas to the salad (gives it more substance).

Also this weekend we watched this terrifying food documentary. I HIGHLY recommend it! As in, go watch it NOW. It is streaming on Netflix: Forks Over Knives.

I have always been annoyed with western medicine's "treat the symptom not the cause" mentality and this documentary really drives it home. At least watch it and give it some thought. If you don't have Netflix access, email me and I will give you our log in to watch it.

Shoot. Me. Now.

I have been jogging (more like a fast shuffle) 3+ times a week for the last 3 weeks, tracking EVERYTHING that I eat & today when I got on the scale it said I have GAINED 3.5 lbs.  I quit!

Testing out the "My Plate" method

Michelle Obama recently unveiled the replacement for the food pyramid. Basically it is this:

She is quoted as saying:

 "Parents don't have the time to measure out exactly three ounces of chicken or to look up how much rice or broccoli is in a serving. ... But we do have time to take a look at our kids' plates. ... And as long as they're eating proper portions, as long as half of their meal is fruits and vegetables alongside their lean proteins, whole grains and low-fat dairy, then we're good. It's as simple as that."

As of now if you were to replace the protein section with Sugars and fats and add

an extra cup for my soda that would look like my plate.

So here is the goal: I am going to test out the "My Plate" method for two weeks. 

If I lose weight and/or feel a difference in energy or overall health, I will vote for Obama.

If I don't I will see if Newt Gingrich still has staff openings. 

 I'll let you know how it goes! 

The Klutz gives it another go

Shortly before moving from St. George to Layton I slipped & re-broke the same ankle I broke right after I had Alex. This time I was super lucky & didn't have to wear the walking boot, just the 6 weeks of the ankle brace. Because of that my workingout has been sporadic at best. Couple that with Own Grandma's version of healthy cooking & boredom eating and you have a recipe for disaster. This week the weather is finally supposed to be nice enough that I'm going back to trainig for the marathon. I've also come to realize that a marathon probably isn't in the cards for me this year, so I've adjusted it to a half marathon. Here's to hoping I have more success this go around!

What do we think?

Healthy? Or headed for disaster?

Re-birth of the healthy me.....again

After I downed my favorite Cadbury Cream Egg this Easter season well no,

after I stepped on the scale after I ate my Cadbury Cream Egg I realized I needed a

re-birth. If I could start all over again I would pull all my sweet teeth out and put

vegetable teeth in. I have no power over my sweet teeth. They have taken over!!
So I thought Easter would be a perfect time to re-birth self control over sweets.

My first step was restraining the urge to buy my favorite chocolity treats on

discount after Easter is over. I accomplished that.

I am thinking I am going to go back to having a sweet day once a week.

I also want to start a food journal again.

The re-birth of the healthy me re-births again for the 100th time!!

p.s. anyone else want to start food journals again?

Hello!

Hello ladies,

Xsusha invited me to blog, and I have to admit it's addicting! I'm working with her in New York and am married (will be 5 years this Thursday), have two cats, one which takes after me and needs to shed some weight because her knees hurt, and am about to graduate, if I can finish my thesis.

I am using Weight Watchers online program, and I had lost 5 pounds out of the 30 I'm shooting for, but have gained 2 back. I feel like if I even look at a french fry, my week is kaput. I gain when I start dipping into my weekly points, so I suppose I'll have to get more active.

On that note, I'm on my second day jogging with my husband. Xsusha can tell you he's not the most supportive person and today we disagreed on how fast I should be able to move. I *want* to move faster, and I probably could step it up a little bit, but I don't want to get burned out and lose motivation to do it again the next day. I definitely don't want to have every step criticized. I do that to myself enough!

So, I vent my frustration on my blog, and it really seems to help me let it go. Stress keeps the weight from coming off, so any chance to let it go is good for me. I think my goal will be to get a new swimsuit once I hit the 10 pound loss. Blogging, goals, and sharing the journey with a supportive group who understands that it isn't as simple as eating less calories to make the weight disappear are what keeps me going.

Thank you Xsusha for the invite, and I look forward to the posts!