Way too Comfortable! A typical person eats roughly 4,500 calories on Thanksgiving Day.

Since I've stopped Weight Watchers in The first week of October I've probably fluctuated up and down 2lbs which I think is totally awesome. I've noticed I love the feeling of not having to count every single morsel of food I bring to my lips but in doing so my weight has not budged. I have continued to have pretty good eating habits. I eat normal throughout the day and still have my normal Saturday splurge. I've decided I want to lose about 20 more lbs. Even though I have become way to comfortable with my eating habits and myself I am still not comfortable with my appearance. As a woman I believe we are all our worst critics. We beat ourselves down to look like what we think is "perfect". Becoming comfortable with ourselves is a challenge. In my opinion once you have a problem with food, which eventually becomes an image problem it never really gets solved. I always find myself looking in the mirror pinching myself and sizing myself up and down to see if I've become my "perfect". But what really is perfect? I mean, no one is really perfect, or are they? I just thought I'd bring up this issue since the holidays are around the corner. I don't want to get too comfortable at the table during the holidays so I thought I'd share some tips on how we can stay in our skinny jeans over the holidays this year! My plan for the holidays is not to deprive myself of what I want. I am going to eat smaller portions while still getting to taste a little of everything. My main goal is to stop when I'm FULL..Happy Holidays!!

Easy Ways To Make Healthier Food Choices on Thanksgiving:

• Turkey - It's a good choice if cooked without butter. Use a little olive oil and spices like thyme and sage for a tasty, but healthier meat.
• Sweet Potatoes - Swap mashed potatoes and sweet potato casseroles for a simple baked sweet potato. They are full of flavor, vitamins and fiber, without the fat.
• Vegetables - Even veggies can be bad for you if you cook them in butter. Ditch the green bean casserole and corn and serve steamed veggies or a salad with a light vinagrette dressing.
• Jello- Keep it simple and use only fat-free, sugar-free versions to bring color and flavor to your Thanksgiving meal.
• Rolls - If you must have bread with your meal, make sure it is whole wheat so you get the nutrients you need from it. Either skip the butter altogether or add asmall amount of smart balance light or a similar butter-tasting product.
• Dessert - Try fruit, sugar-free pudding, no-sugar-added apple pie or a lowfat pumpkin cheesecake to end on a sweet note without ending your diet.

Here are some things you can cut or replace on Thanksgiving Day to reduce your caloric intake:

• Skip the roll and save 150 calories.
• Hold the butter and save 185 calories.
• Replace the sweet potato casserole with a plain baked sweet potato and save 280 calories.
• Replace pumpkin pie with a low fat pumpkin cheesecake and save 350 calories.
• Skip snacking on chip and save 150 calories per serving.
• Skip nibbling on just 2 cookies and save 240 calories.
• Skip the butter on your veggies and steam them to save 185 calories.
• Replace cranberry sauce with fresh cranberries and save 370 calories.

Keep in mind that eating sweets can make you crave sweets. So if you think it is harmless to eat sweets just this one day, think again. Fro some people it can set them back for days, weeks or even months because the sugar cravings are difficult to ignore.

Stop When You're Full: It sounds obvious, but stopping when you're full is probably one of the harder things to do at the Thanksgiving table when everyone else is helping themselves to seconds. It will be easier to stop if you slow down, drink water,

Say No: Some people show their love through food. Others may feel threatened by your diet and pile food onto your plate because it makes them feel better about themselves. What you put in your body is your business. Rehearse politely saying "no" in your head. If you've let your hosts know that you're on a diet, they shouldn't take offense at your abstaining from another round of gravy-soaked mashed potatoes.

Eat Slowly: It takes 20 minutes for your brain to register that you're full. So, savor your food, drink lots of water and slow down. Give your mind a chance to catch up with your body.

Wear Snug Clothing: Choose a snug pair of jeans over comfy sweatpants for your dinner attire. Once you start feeling the pinch of your waistline, you'll definitely stop eating.

OUTLET HEAVEN

So I know I've been gone for awhile but I just started a new job at one of the biggest hospitals in Boston. I finally have a little down time so I'm going get back to Blogging!. I love to find some great bargains and now that I'm beginning to get some cash flow back I been doing some research on where to do some serious splurging. I though I would share this place with you guys..it's located in upstate NY and it's called Woodbury Commons. This place is unreal with stores such as Gucci, Coach, True Religion,D&G, La Perla(where they sell that sexy lingerie I mentioned in a previous blog), Prada, etc. All the merchandise in these stores are up to 60% off ahhh!!! now that's exciting!! Theres over 200 stores and I believe this destination is a must for all your holiday shopping and splurging.

www.premiumoutlets.com
After-Thanksgiving Weekend Sale featuring Midnight Madness
Fri - Sun, Nov 28 - 30
Don't miss the biggest sale of the year. Stores offering additional savings off their everyday low outlet prices. Extended center hours and added savings for early shoppers. Most stores opening at Midnight after Thanksgiving ends.

Some stores opening as early 9pm on Thursday, Nov 27.

Seductive Silk

As a woman I think we all need to have atleast one piece of sexy lingerie in our closets. In mid September Italian clothing line La Perla founded by Ada Masotti showcased their seductive lingerie line during Boston fashion week at the Intercontinental Hotel. Each piece is specially made with handmade lace and embroidery. Before La Perla begins marketing their new products the company tests their silky and soft fabrics rigorously on women for comfort and wear. Even if it is a little expensive it feels good to be able to open your underwear drawer and know that you own a little piece of Italy.

www.laperla.com



La Perla
250 Boylston St.
Bsoton, MA 02116

By Hand...really

During my most recent trip to N.Y.C I made my way along Broadway from top to bottom. I used to live in NY and I know that the fall and summer time are the best times to shop. I initially made my way out there to pick up a winter jacket for the horrid Massachusetts weather that is soon to be upon us but couldn't help to stop and lurk around the tables set up along the sidewalk. If you take some time to make your way around the city on foot you will come across some priceless jewels. Out of the corner of my eye I spotted a small table with some brightly colored t-shirts. These t-shirts were awesome I mean...AWESOME! All the shirts are made by hand www.byhandclothingco.com. I picked up this cute black and white tee for only $25. And since Obama is our new president they have some really hip Obama shirts in all the colors of the rainbow. Once you visit the website you can choose to buy shirts, hoodies and scarves already made or you can pick a color and a design and build your own! You can also make purchases here
ByHandClothing.etsy.com

Sexy Eyes

It's going to be a great season for eyes. Lots of dark brown or taupe eye shadow, black eye liner (smudged, for a smoky effect), and false lashes will give you a hot-right-now look. Inspired by the 1960s, partial lashes can even be applied to the lower lids.

I absolutely love eye makeup! Sometimes it can be hard to duplicate that look you see on models in Elle magazine but I think I've found the next best thing! Her name is Lauren she is from CA and her makeup skills are crazy! She has cool tutorial videos on how to put on those tricky false eyelashes and how to get your skin glowing with sugar/lemon scrubs. Check her out here on her myspace http://www.myspace.com/iheart_makeupartcosmetics in her blog section located on the right side of her page you can find all her videos and tips and tricks to get glam!

The hair and makeup tutorials can also be found @ youtube.com/queenofblendingmua. The tutorials are awesome! there are pix of over 100 different looks on her myspace and the tutorials show you exactly what products she used and how to apply them to get the same look!

fyi: the pix are of lauren's eyes, beautiful!!!

One POUND down!! One More to go!!

I think we fail to realize that losing weight is a science. The secret to losing 1lb isn't found in some hidden temple in some far away land it is found in a simple math equation. Once you initially find out how many calories your body needs per day (www.caloriecount.about.com provides handy calculators in the drop down tools option) you just need to simply subtract to find out how many calories your body will need in order to shed 1 pesky lb. of fat per week.


EAT LESS, MOVE MORE

Cut 500 calories out of your day:
1. Burn an extra 250 calories a day at the gym
2. Decrease caloric intake 250 calories

So instead of searching for endless hours on the internet for the secrets to lose weight, just brush up on your basic math skills and you will see those unwanted pounds fall right off.

To gym or not to gym, that is the question!

To gym or not to gym, that is the question!

So far I am not having the best day. I had an epidural steroid injection today for my persisting annoying back pain that I have basically been dealing with throughout my whole life. I am in so much pain right now but I am trying to remain positive about the situation. As the doctor was jamming needles into my lower back she thought it was a good idea to inform me that I should start exercising in order to strengthen my back muscles. Ugghhh I absolutely hate the idea of exercise but I guess if it will help my pain out I might as well try it!

After a little over 6 months on Weight Watchers Flex plan I am 25 lbs lighter and wondering if my body is in need for some serious gym time. I am going to be completely honest with everyone; I never once set foot in a gym or participated in any sort of exercise while following Weight Watchers. I attended meetings on a weekly basis throughout my journey. Many experts claim that in order to lose weight successfully we must combine diet with exercise. I believe it depends on the person to how much weight one can lose on diet alone but the exercise will have your body looking nice and toned. I have got to the point where I want to now tighten my body and realized that this cannot be done with diet alone…I MUST exercise. I haven’t been in the gym for a long time basically due to my back but per doctors orders I must get my muscles moving. I’ve decided to get back into an exercise regimen and decided to share with you some must know info about getting tone in the gym or at home.

Melt fat with cardio

Aim to raise your heart rate for at least 30 minutes. Extra flab will come off; toned ab muscles will emerge. Heart-pumping activities such as brisk walking, jogging, Spinning or dancing torch 145 to 300 calories each. (These figures are based on a 135-pound woman.) Do intervals and you'll burn even more fat. If I force myself to get in the gym cardio is probably one of my favorite things to do. Who doesn’t like to blast music into their ears from their pink iPod headphones while running like a crazy woman on a weird looking machine?

Washboard Abs

Did you know that we all have a 6-pack? I know it sounds crazy but we really do! Six packs are not created by doing ab exercises they are our underlying stomach muscles that are covered by fat. Genetically some of us hoard extra fat around our stomachs which make our “6-packs” basically invisible. Follow this step to discover your inner 6-pack:

1. Reduce your body fat with cardio, strength training and a healthy low-calorie diet.

Sounds easy right? Yeah, I wish it were that easy. I always believed that 100 crunches a day would keep that belly fat away. I quickly learned that it wasn’t that simple. I noticed my stomach become flatter when I started eating healthier and bringing my body fat percentage down.

Mmm...I sure do love candy!! Chewy, chocolatey, crunchy, sticky, stuck in your teeth, delicious candy! The holidays are just around the corner and Halloween is a day that can mean a lot of temptations that may sabotage your dieting dreams. I had to make a pit stop in front of my mirror today and ask myself "Is it really worth the splurge"? The little devil on my right shoulder said Mmmm Sara you know you love the way Swedish fish get caught in just the right places in between your teeth and the little angel on my left shoulder was posting pictures of me in a fat suit on the walls of my brain. So the moral of the story is Do you really need to eat your entire pillow case of candy? The answer is NO! check out these calorie conscious swaps I've listed for your sweet pleasures.

"Two hundred calories is a sensible splurge once in a while. One hundred calories is low enough to eat every day,". Here's what 200 calories looks like:

• 2 to 3 snack-size or fun-size bars
• 5 Hershey's Assorted Miniatures
• 9 Hershey's Kisses
• Two 100-calorie packs o' goodies (popping up everywhere this Halloween!)

Candy wreaks havoc on your metabolism, and processed sugar will really slow down your metabolism. When you eat high amounts of processed sugar and candy, your digestive system gets stressed out and your body has a harder time burning fat. Below are some tips to help you avoid gaining too many extra pounds because of trick or treating.

Tip #1: Eat a balanced meal before going trick-or-treating!

Tip #2: Workout before going out!

Tip #3: Eat a piece of fruit before you eat a piece of candy.

Tip #4: Give away the excess.

Tip #5: Don't eat any candy at all!

If you really MUST indulge in some delicious Halloween treats try eating a healthy breakfast such as granola with milk and a sensible lunch and dinner such as a turkey sandwich or some grilled chicken with veggies. After eating sensibly throughout the day those guilty pleasures won't seem so guilty after all!

Disclaimer: I am neither a Registered Dietician nor a Doctor. I am only providing insight and advice from my own personal experiences.

I get so EMOTIONAL babyyy!

We can all say we get a little too emotional sometimes. We cry for no reason, laugh for reason and ultimately search for comfort in food. In my opinion this is the first obstacle one must overcome in order to be able to begin their weight loss journey. The main reason I refer to weight loss as a “journey” is because for some people it is a long road of lows, highs and many twists and turns. The Web defines emotional eating as “eating for reasons other than hunger”. “Instead of the physical symptom of hunger initiating the eating, an emotion triggers the eating. Through my experience with losing weight I put up a hard tough fight with emotional eating in the beginning of my journey. I mean come on, who doesn’t love to eat? Without being able to put the emotions aside, you will be in a forever battle with your weight.

There are several differences between emotional hunger and physical hunger, according to the University of Texas Counseling and Mental Health Center web site:

1. Emotional hunger comes on suddenly; physical hunger occurs gradually.

2. When you are eating to fill a void that isn't related to an empty stomach, you crave a specific food, such as pizza or ice cream, and only that food will meet your need. When you eat because you are actually hungry, you're open to options.

3. Emotional hunger feels like it needs to be satisfied instantly with the food you crave; physical hunger can wait.

4. Even when you are full, if you're eating to satisfy an emotional need, you're more likely to keep eating. When you're eating because you're hungry, you're more likely to stop when you're full.

5. Emotional eating can leave behind feelings of guilt; eating when you are physically hungry does not.

I have in my personal experiences dealt with emotional eating and I hope this information can help you break the cycle. Training myself to eat only when I was hungry and not just eating to “taste” food took me awhile. I had to teach myself to eat to fuel my body and not because I enjoyed the way chocolate melted in my mouth. I am a firm believer that everything is allowed within moderation. Growing up in an Italian family I always believed that I had to clean my plate dry. As I lost weight I realized how to recognize when I was truly hungry, when my body has had enough food and how to separate my emotions from food.

Managing Emotional Eating

Here are a few tips to help you deal with emotional eating from the Tufts Nutrition website:

• Recognize emotional eating and learn what triggers this behavior in you.
• Make a list of things to do when you get the urge to eat and you're not hungry, and carry it with you, according to the Tufts Nutrition web site. When you feel overwhelmed, you can put off that desire by doing another enjoyable activity.
• Try taking a walk, calling a friend, playing cards, cleaning your room, doing laundry, or something productive to take your mind off the craving -- even taking a nap, according to the Tufts Nutrition web site.
• When you do get the urge to eat when you're not hungry, find a comfort food that's healthy instead of junk food. "Comfort foods don't need to be unhealthy,”
• For some, leaving comfort foods behind when they're dieting can be emotionally difficult. "The key is moderation, not elimination." One suggestion is to divide comfort foods into smaller portions. For instance, if you have a large bag of chips, divide it into smaller containers or baggies and the temptation to eat more than one serving can be avoided.
• When it comes to comfort foods that aren't always healthy, like fattening desserts, "Your memory of a food peaks after about four bites, so if you only have those bites, a week later you'll recall it as just a good experience than if you polished off the whole thing." So have a few bites of cheesecake, then call it quits, and you'll get equal the pleasure with lower cost.

In addition, I hope that this article gives you some practical options to help combat destructive emotional eating habits, not least of which is seeking professional from a registered psychologist if necessary to become a happier, healthier you.

Disclaimer: I am neither a Registered Dietician nor a Doctor. I am only providing insight and advice from my own personal experiences.

Halloween Happenings

Now that I've reached the age where knocking on strangers doors holding out my pillow case and screaming "trick or treat" at the top of my lungs isn't the most hippest thing to do I prefer to dance with a bunch of strangers with freaky costumes in some of boston's hot spots. If you feel as though your to old to run the streets with the kids make it a priority to hit up some of these Haunted Happenings in Beantown!


Beauty & the Geek costume party @ Revolution Rockbar


and how can we forget HALLOWEEN in SALEM!!

Tight Fit

We all love Fall/Winter in New England, or do we?? It's only October and already we can feel the chill in the air. The crisp air is frosting over our cars which require us a little extra time spent warming up our engines before we head out for the day. October is the start of Fall a time when we begin to wonder if our closets contain enough fashion forward options for us to choose from. This year the fashion experts decided we would want to keep our legs warm in style. Last year we were rockin solid colors under our skirts but this year designers decided to present exciting options with prints and patterns.

You don't have to be a model strutting down the runway to be able to rock this hot trend..I've found some alternatives that won't leave your bank account high and dry!!



FOREVER 21
Plaid tights $5.80..now that ROXX!!





Fall & Winter tights $23.99 www.stockingirl.com

Can I borrow that bag?

So we all know the economy sucks right now...thats deff a no brainer. As a woman I know what it's like to walk by women on the street who are rockin their fresh Gucci or Louis Vuitton purse over there sheek shoulders and staring at them with envy. Well now we can rock those designer purses too without breaking the bank. At www.bagborroworsteal.com.How cool is it to be able to borrow tons of designer bags and accessories for that special occasion without breaking the bank. Now that ROXX!!