Back to the Blog

So I know I have been gone for awhile but I have decided to start blogging again after being inspired by a lot of other health blogs that I have dabbled in. I have gained a lot of information and motivation for other bloggers. One of these bloggers is ashisfit. Her before and after pics are such a motivation. I am determined to lose this last 20 lbs and become healthier and happier. Hopefully I can provide some new information and new motivation that other blogs can't.

I have been off and on the wagon for a few weeks now but I have managed to lose 3 lbs. I find myself indulging on sweets and fattening foods on the weekends which is keeping me from reaching my goal. I will be down come Friday, but then up come Monday. I noticed when I was counting points on Weight Watchers I would always lose when I gave myself a cheat day on the weekend. I have done more research on why this method may work for some people and I came across "calorie cycling". Calorie cycling or the "zig-zag diet" basically tricks your body. Instead of consuming the same amount of calories everyday, your weekly calorie intake is spread out over a week giving you some days of low calories and some days of high calories which tricks your body into not expecting the same amount of calories every day. http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm lets you input your stats and then click on 7 day calorie cycle to get a customized weekly plan!

I think this may actually work for me! Since I tend to eat more on the weekends the plan gives me at least one weekend day to eat more!

I am also on week 2 of c25k!! For those of you who may not be familiar with the plan it basically preps you week by week to become a runner. You cannot just wake up one day and decide you want to run! you need to build up your endurance and strength!

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.