Good Morning Ladies....

Today is a new day and time for a new challenge.  Like many of us, I am a creature of habit.  I have a routine I stick to almost every day.  When my first baby was born I felt so out of control.  I was use to being on my own, making my own decisions and basically doing whatever whenever I wanted to do it.  So when my daughter was born my entire universe shifted.  The only way I knew how to make the stars align again was to form a schedule/routine. Eight years later our routine is pretty much the same.  

With all this in mind I began thinking how I haven't challenged myself lately.  Being a mother is a challenge, don't get me wrong, but I need to do something that scares me, something that gets me out of my comfort zone.  

So here is our challenge...try something new! 

Try something that will make the butterflies in your stomach dance.  Do something a little scary.  Do something on your bucket list.  Do something to push your limits to see what your made of.  Experiencing new things helps us grow.  It helps build our confidence and make us stronger.  Push yourselves ladies and let us know how it goes.

New Snack Ideas!

First Snack Idea:

I love Greek yogurt.  It's an acquired taste, has a chalky aftertaste.  I love it because it has so much protein.  However, if you buy the fruit flavored kind, you wipe out all that protein with sugar content.  Yay for protein, boo for simple carbs.

Here's a solution: Add low-fat or fat-free cottage cheese to it.  This boosts the protein content of this snack.

Try half a carton of fruit or vanilla (which has less carbs than the fruit kind) Greek yogurt and 1/4 cup cottage cheese.  Top with 1/2 cup sliced fruit, maybe some flax or chia seeds for crunch and added nutrition, and you've got a protein packed snack, with flavor, without so many processed sugar carbs.  Win!  I would suggest staying away from granola, unless you can keep it under 1/4 cup.  Store bought granola is packed with sugar.  Try making your own.  I'll put a granola recipe on my things-to-find-that-turn-out-well list.

I buy Kroger brand Greek yogurt and love it.  All flavors are delicious.

Another use for Greek yogurt is to sub it in for sour cream, whole milk, and mayonnaise in any situation.  It's a no brainer for less fat and more protein in any meal.

Second Snack Idea:

Lindsay inspired me to try this, when I saw her eating it last week.  Rice cake with avocado.  It was super delicious and filling, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  I think I ate it for my snack for 4 days in a row.  Yum!  After that I got creative (which for me means trying one other topping) and put almond butter and strawberries on one.  Yum, again!  I saw this picture and thought it would inspire you to try one of these options.  Give it a shot.  Rice cakes are a low-calorie vehicle for delicious foods that make you feel full and satisfied instead of deprived.  Fill them with flavor and nutrients.

Rice Cake Ideas
Apple with raisins and coconut on fruit jam 
Strawberries and berries on greek yogurt sprinkled with Chia seeds
Broccoli and mozzarella on marianara (think healthy pizza)
Nuts and dried fruit on cottage cheese  (also black bean corn salsa or similar)
Pistachios and avocado (that needs waaaaayyyy more avocado)
Peanut butter, dark chocolate, and banana slices (when you're craving dessert. so always.)

Third Snack Idea:

Control your snack portions in small containers like this ice cube tray.  Satisfy your craving for certain tastes with a small, limited amount of a variety of tastes, textures & food groups.  Even throw one square of candy in there.  Brilliant!!  Set one up each  morning and limit yourself to it.  This alone would probably save me about 500 calories a day.  No joke.

Don't give up - summer is just around the corner!

Have a delicious & healthy week!!

A New Goal & Recipes

Hello ladies!  Happy Monday!  Have you worked out?  No?  Me neither.  I believe I'm going to start this day with a nap.  The Olympics took a lot out of me.  I'm a trained night owl, and I can function as such, but really I adore sleep, and 12 AM is too late for me on a regular basis.

Saturday I ran 3 miles.  I'll be honest; It hurt.  I came home and did the 5 Tibetans.  I really cannot spin any longer.  My poor old brain gets addled.  I did each move 21 times, or at least close to it.  All I can say is, I did it.  Maybe if I can memorize the moves and the sequence I won't have to open my eyes and break my concentration so much just to follow the video.  Perhaps then I will love the 5 Tibetans.  Perhaps not.

Then I did two 10 minute Tara Stiles yoga workouts from YouTube.  One was flexibility, and the other was hip flexibility.  It felt so great!  I love the faster pace and the fact that if there's music it's so subtle that it doesn't distract.  My new goal?  Doing the splits.  Seriously.  Awesome.  Check back in...a while.

I learned a long time ago that women carry their stress in their hips.  Not kidding.  So any type of move that loosens your hips (husbands are going to love that one) and stretches your core will help you feel less stressed.  It helped me Saturday; the change in my mood was almost immediate and my body felt so good the rest of the day.  This morning I can feel the tightness creeping back in.  I must loosen my hips more today. :)

And finally here are a couple recipes that I tried recently that turned out well, and I promised to post.

I've been looking for a healthy granola bar recipe for a while, one that doesn't turn into granola, all crumbly and dry, and I found one!

This is the link.  This is the recipe:

Soft and Chewy Granola Bars Recipe

 

 

Why we love this recipe. These granola bars are so much better than what you can by at the store, especially since you can substitute for your favorite dried fruit or nuts.

What you need to know. While these are very simple to make, there is a 2-hour wait for the bars to firm up enough to cut. Feel free to add your favorite dried fruit, nuts or chocolate to these – it’s completely up to you. Since we use a 1/3 cup of honey, we like to splurge on higher quality honey. 

Created By: Joanne and Adam Gallagher

Yield: 12

You Will Need

• 2 1/2 cups (230 grams) old fashioned rolled oats
• 1/2 cup (80 grams) whole almonds, coarsely chopped
• 1/3 cup (113 grams) honey
• 1/4 cup (56 grams) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1/4 cup (50 grams) packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup (60 grams) dried cranberries, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (67 grams) mini chocolate chips

Directions

Prepare Oven and Pan

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C). Line bottom and sides of a 8-inch or 9-inch square pan with aluminum foil. Then lightly oil or spray with cooking spray.

Toast Oats and Nuts

1. Add oats and almonds to a small baking sheet then bake 5 minutes, stir and bake another 3 to 5 minutes until lightly toasted. Transfer to a large bowl.

Prepare Granola Bars

1. Combine butter, honey, brown sugar, vanilla extract and the salt in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally until butter melts and the sugar completely dissolves.
2. Pour butter mixture in to bowl with toasted oats and almonds. Mix well. Let cool about 5 minutes then add cranberries and a 1/4 cup of the mini chocolate chips. Stir to combine. (The chocolate chips will most likely melt a little. This is fine, they turn into glue and help to hold the bars together).

I free-formed this recipe.  My typical problem is that there is never enough moisture.  So I added a couple tablespoons of tahini paste (ground sesame seeds) or you could add the same amount of peanut or almond butter.  I added another tablespoon of butter, and threw in some raw quinoa, flax seed meal, chia seeds, and sunflower seeds, all these ingredients adding up to about 1/2 a cup total.  Thus the necessity of the added moisture.  

NOTE: LET THE BUTTER MIXTURE COOL OUT OF THE PAN FOR THE RECOMMENDED 5 MINUTES.  Being totally impatient and wanting a snack 10 minutes ago, I did not wait, and ended up with my chocolate bits being nearly totally melted.  Which wasn't totally bad because it is still chocolate and it was added glue, as the recipe states.  Obviously I did not read past "stir to combine".  But I would have liked some chunks of chocolate.

That being said, these were absolutely delicious!  They felt rough and chewy, sweet and salty, complex and satisfying all the way from smelling to being in my tummy.  I made them in a 9x9 pan and cut them into 25 1.5" cubes.  If you put them in a 9x13 you could make them more bar-shaped.  I was tickled with the cubes.  Delicious.

Second Recipe: Mashed potato waffles, from Joy the Baker.  Super delicious, moist and yummy.  I cut the butter out ('cause I'm crazy like that) and reduced the cheese melted on top to a few sparse shreds.  They were super fab.  Everyone enjoyed, and they were more vegetable than white flour.  I've seen and made variations using sweet potatoes (yams). These are delicious and orange so they have more vitamins, which makes them a better substitution.

Have an awesome day, and work in a workout in some way or another!!

Yoga: Core Flow & The 5 Tibetans

Hey Gals!

I saw an article today called 10 Ways to Refresh Your Relationship With Exercise.  We've discussed this a lot lately because I think we're all trying to create a habit of exercise and get out of the doldrums, mostly for our mental sanity.  I was intrigued by a link that is included in this article about The 5 Tibetan Rites.  What?  So, naturally, I followed the link and this is what I found:

The 5 Tibetan Rites are a form of yoga, not necessarily Tibetan, that focus on a continuous flowing sequence of movements, rather than the Indian style of holding static positions.  The moves are similar in both styles, while the breathing is opposite of Indian yoga.  While outlandish and unrealistic claims have been made of miraculous reverse aging and extraordinary healings (exactly the metaphysical mumbo-jumbo that makes us averse to kooky yogis) there are real benefits to this form of exercise, mainly increased energy, stress reduction, and an enhanced sense of calm, clarity of thought, increased strength and flexibility, resulting in an overall improvement in health and well-being.  Hmmm, sounds like the benefits of any & all exercise...

The link took me to a YouTube Channel by Jenny Harps that has a few videos about Tibetan-style yoga.  One thing I liked is that several of them are 20+ minutes long.  I love Tara Stiles Yoga the mostest but her videos are much too short for my liking.  Another thing I liked is that the routines are gentle and not overly complicated.  In addition I like that she is middle aged, healthy, and real looking.  What a relief.

Here is the link to her 5 Tibetans video. This one comes with the standard moves, then goes through a modified routine that enhances the 5 moves to make them more challenging and strengthening.

And here is a link to her Core Flow video.  I like how this engages and stretches your core, and is 25 minutes long.  I did find myself thinking "move faster" in the long and empty silences filled with her breathing into a microphone, but that's just me.  I solved this by following her advice and doing the moves more times than just 5, up to 21 times.  21? Random, I know.  Must be a magic number.

I have this vision of me getting up at 6 am, doing The 5 Tibetan Rites, scripture reading and praying, all before the girls wake up.  Seems like it might make for a really smiley & peaceful morning, with me all centered and everything.  Wouldn't that be something?

Oh, the new things we learn each day!

Balanced Diet & Dismantling eating "Raw"

As if we needed any more evidence to eat a well-balanced seasonal diet, I found this great article on Fiterazzi, about the Raw Diet, the 80-10-10 diet, and something called Ayruveda.  Find the article here.

This article, written by Sara Ketabi who is an avid Ayruvedic, discusses the concept of balance in our diets and the benefits of eating oils, proteins, fiber, and natural sugars together for the optimal digestive and nutrient absorption benefits.

She also discusses the dangers of eating so much raw food out of season and in such ridiculous quantities.  Some of them are: feeling cold, wak, forgetful, moody, anxious, instable.  Lack of whole grains can cause hair loss, digestive problems, illness, low blood sugar, & low blood pressure.  Eating all raw is not beneficial to everyone, and just like all things, what works for some may not work for you.

Ayruveda (an ancient medical treatise summarizing the Hindu art of healing and prolonging life) I'll admit, is a little out there for me.  It seems complicated and over-thought.  I do like the aspect of this system that tells us to listen to our bodies.  I don't totally subscribe to the belief that because I'm a certain Dosha (Pitta), I should eat less of foods that are "heating" like sour fruit, eggs, spicy foods, & onions. And chew fennel seeds after dinner to "cool my acids down".  Oh, and walk in the moonlight.  Uh-huh.  If you're mildly curious about your Dosha, take this quiz and see what it says.  It is interesting, informative, and  you may get a good chuckle out of it, which is also good for your health. (speaking of: Anyone watching Jimmy Fallon? I think I've added a good 5 years to my life from laughing the past two nights.  Hilarious.)

As we saw in the "Cake & Skinny Jeans" review, we should definitely listen to our bodies, and favor exercises, environments, & foods that we enjoy, lift our spirits, and get us moving.  Focusing on limiting or over-doing foods creates an imbalance that is hard to correct and feels miserable.

Anyway, I'd never heard of the 80-10-10 diet, but I had heard of the 80% Raw diet, which are the same thing.  I love fruit, and have often thought it's all I want to eat.  But I truly hate when my body is out of whack.  In fact, I just barely got it back into whack, and I'm doing my darndest to keep it there.

Feed your body, keep it happy, exercise to stay even-keeled.  Simple, right?

Becoming an Accidental Food Blogger

I think I'm morphing.  If you look at my pinterest page the majority of my pins are food, heavy on breakfast & dessert.  Help!  Before I know it I'll be posting pictures from my Nikon camera showing my pudgy hands cradling ingredients staged in colorful bowls with embroidered towels & flowers, writing about the 5th dish using 2 cups of cream I've made in a single week.  It seems like a happy & comfortable place to be...

But...in my searches, before I get derailed at dessert, I have been finding these amazingly delicious and healthy recipes. I've added links at the bottom of the blog in my "Nutrition Faves" to some of these.  The sheer volume of clean healthy food recipes is astounding.  I am relatively new to blogging & pinterest, so I'm sure this is not new information to most of you.  But I am super impressed at the lengths people, mostly women, go to to prepare healthy food for themselves, their families, and to share.  Women are ingenious and creative.  I love it.  I will share a few of my favorite recipes next post.

But alas, my kitchen is not blog-worthy.  My cupboards are a heaping unorganized disaster, and I have one scratched glass bowl in which I mix everything.  It also moonlights as my serving bowl.  And truly, I do not want pudgy hands.  Although it's gettin' close...

What I really want is this:

Or this:

Are you not totally impressed with the women Olympians?!  I get so inspired by their drive and determination!  I cry when they win, whoever it is, and just get so darn happy for them all.

I find myself wanting to have that drive and push, to see where my body can take me and test the limits of what my body is capable of.  I find myself focusing on healthy food, searching for healthy recipes, and wanting to work out.  Actually wanting to...crazy, I know.

Today I went cross country skiing, the kind you see in the picture above, just sans the gun.  I'm telling you this is the sport I'm most impressed with, obsessed with, and most want to do.  If I could live in any other country it would be Norway so I could ski as transportation.  It is all out, body screaming, heart pounding, sucking-wind fun in the snow!  The most aerobic sport in the Olympics.  

This is how they usually finish: 

This is what draws me in, this is what makes me excited, this is what I yearn to do.  To push until I can't push any more.  Thanks body, you can rest now.  Totally awesome!

I'm still obsessed with food.  Still oogling recipes and adding desserts to my pinterest page, still excited to make another delectable dessert or fun new flavor of pancake.

But in my heart & soul I'm an athlete, and I oogle as many healthy food recipes & clean eating food lists as the other kind; I still shop the perimeter of the grocery store, and I still instigate changes that will help me be more healthy.  I exercise to feel my my heart pounding and my lungs filling and my muscles straining.  To feel alive.  To feel challenged & happy.

And I ski like crazy during the Olympics, because as women we have the ability to inspire each other.  And it makes me feel that much closer to awesomeness.

Where Have You Been?

Just kidding.  Where have I been is the more pertinent question.  Busy, the simple answer.  Sorry.  Now that life is somewhat back to normal, meaning only slightly more under my control than complete mayhem, I'm going to blog.

Today would be the day that I normally start another 10 day challenge.  As  you can see to the right, the peaceful yoga girl who is listening to her body didn't make much progress during her 10 day challenge.  And neither did I.  It seems that the more I focus the more impossible it becomes to listen, eat healthfully, and be happy with where I'm at.  And as my life does a death spiral into chaos my focus and commitment follow right along.  Baaaaaa.

So I'm not going to start another challenge today, rather wait until Monday the 17th.  I'm going to refocus, do some research, share some new fun things, and just relax.  Only a little.

A few experiences over the past two weeks have brought the importance of heathful eating and exercise into a fresh focus.  1) How quickly our health can leave us, and 2) how the food we eat affects our bodies.

So many things can happen that quickly change our ability to exercise and be healthy.  When our bodies and minds are fighting stress and illness we lose focus, ability, and desire to watch what we eat and take time to strengthen our bodies.  In times of stress or uncertainty I nose-dive into a miasma of sugar and bread, which only makes me feel worse.  My body is in rebellion right now, pretty upset at me for the garbage I've been feeding me.  I'll spare you the icky details, but let me assure you, it's in full rebellion.

I saw a post on Blogilates for "detox water" and it looks absolutely refreshing and delicious.  It is basically water with a bunch of fruits cut up in it, to get some digestive, cleansing, skin, and antioxidant benefits.  This could be considered a super food.  I think I'm going to try it today.  Of course, I don't have most of the ingredients on hand.  I'm not sure how badly I want to go to the grocery store.  My gut is telling me to go.  To the store.

The second aspect is how food affects our bodies.  This is an important element from "Cake & Skinny Jeans".  When we listen to how foods affect us we are more likely to choose foods that make our bodies happy.  My eldest has had some digestive issues over the past two years, and we think we've linked it to wheat.  She avoids wheat when she is feeling particularly averse to stomach cramps and spending time in the bathroom, but when she really wants something she chooses, knowing full well what the consequences will be, and lives with them.  Last week we took the plunge and went to an allergist (since it's going to be one of those health years) who is sending us this week to draw blood and get a food allergy panel and gluten tests done.  While the gluten tests are only partially conclusive, and it's possible to be sensitive to wheat (negative test result) and then develop full-on Celiac Disease in your 20s (typical pattern for girls, apparently) I hope it will tell us more completely if we need to steer her away from wheat or dairy, etc.

At this point she is willing to stay away from foods that make her gut miserable.  Another symptom of food allergy, sensitivity, or lack of nutrients, is acne.  While it is genetic, certain foods or eating habits can aggravate it.  So this is another reason we are trying to diagnose this problem.  Once they draw her blood, we are going to move into a focused trial and error period, where we remove foods for a time period and record how it affects her.  Hopefully we can come to a balanced diet for her that will free her of this gut pain and meet her needs.

Boy do I wish I was allergic to sugar.  My favorite person says I am, but the reaction isn't typical to allergies.  Haha.

Point being, I do need to continue on the road of improving my eating, increasing my fitness and strength, and living a healthy life.  While we can't always control the health challenges that come our way, it's nice to know that we do have control over some aspects of our health.  It's that much more vital to accept the responsibility for that controllable portion and do our best.

Have a great Monday, get out it the warmer weather and breathe some fresh air!

Exercise...I Hate It...But I Love It

I went to a spin class this morning.  Bikes, I've got that, right?  Holy kick my behind...I think I died.  Twice I thought I was going to hurl and was scanning for a trash can.  It was not fun.  It was a reality check.  I did not realize the extent to which I have let myself fall.  Clear off and miles behind the wagon.  Send a rescue party.

I also realized that I really love exercise.  I love when my heart feels strong.  I love when my lungs can take in enough oxygen to fuel my muscles for long periods of time.  I love when my legs feel like they could run/pedal/burpee forever.  I do love exercise.

In order to love it more and hate it less I need to do it more often.  I also need to push myself a little harder than a light sheen of sweat.  I need to exercise more often with someone so we can push each other and get intimidated and competitive.  And to have just plain old fun.

Part of "Cake & Skinny Jeans" talks about breaking up with exercise.  What?  Break up?  Yes.  Break up with it as a terribly inefficient and slavish way to pay penance for eating something you didn't really want to eat.  It takes 90 minutes of yoga to burn off two Oreos.  It takes 2 hours of spin class to burn off a Big Mac.

This goes along with what we've talked about before, how physique is 70% diet & 30% exercise (or 80/20 as some people believe).  It is morally defeating to think that you can eat X amount of calories if you exercise X amount of minutes or burn X amount of calories.  You will spend your life doing depressing body-math that will never ever ever come out on your side.

Solution?  Please tell me there is one.

Yes there is.

eat when you are hungry

 + 

exercise because of how it makes you feel

Your body will be stronger, your brain will be happier, and your psyche will be fed.  Using food to lift your spirits is temporary and fickle.  Soothing with food is associated with lots of negative feelings based on how you look and feel at that very moment.  Exercise is more lasting. 

“No one in our society needs to be told that exercise is good for us…But has anyone told you – indeed guaranteed you – that regular physical activity will make you happier? I swear by it.” 

Sonja Lyubomirsky, forerunner in research on happiness

So break up with exercise as a duty to burn off the nutrient-bereft foods you are going to or did eat.  Create a new relationship with exercise by associating it with positive & happy feelings, feelings of wellness & strength, feelings of self-control & power, and you will come to crave it.

What did I do when I came home from spin class?  I made a protein shake swore off junk food forever and committed to an hour of hard cardio 6 days a week.  Can I do it?  It's still pretty early...

Hunger...and Weird Food Validation

As I was perusing my favorite blogs yesterday (there's only 4, 3 of which are about food) I came across a post from Our Best Bites, a food blog that many of you know well.  I had a moment of reveling in the fact that this recipe is pretty old news; been making it for over a year now.  That doesn't happen to me very often.  I am usually the last to know.  But see, things can change.

It is the recipe for 2-Ingredient Pancakes.  They involve bananas & 2 eggs.  You read it for yourself, even she raves about them.  So don't be all weirded out about the protein-packed, filling, yet slightly strange foods I post.  You can believe me.  And this proves it.  So don't take my word for it, it's not like you have to trust me or anything.

Give them a try, they are really delicious.  And I'll quit being smug about being the first to know, for once.

Moving on...

Hunger.  So elusive and ravaging and sneaky at the same time.  So physical yet so wrapped up in your head that it's hard to tell exactly what body part hunger emanates from.  Well, I'm here today to clarify and help you out.  As we listen to our bodies for the next 10 days, we will discover what true hunger is, so that we can eat when we are physically hungry.

The information today on hunger signals is taken from "How to Have your Cake and Skinny Jeans Too" by Josie Spinardi (reviewed yesterday).  I discovered last night it is also available from the iTunes store for the iBook app.  (which has an equally maddening "fake-book-ownership" format)  You should read it.

So, what does real hunger feel like? 

• Physical hunger is a gentle, hollow, warm sensation in your stomach, which is that fist-sized space right above your belly button.
• Physical hunger comes on slowly; no urgency but a calm prompting and heightened interest to make your way toward food.
• Physical hunger is open to options and is flexible; not a driven focus toward one food (cake, mini M&Ms, breadsticks).
• "Hunger is the best seasoning"; true hunger heightens your senses of smell and taste.
• Physical hunger lacks indecision; you never question "am I hungry" or should I eat".

What does counterfeit hunger feel like?

• Pseudo hunger comes on suddenly.
• Pseudo hunger comes at emotionally stressful moments or transition times.
• It is never satisfied.
• Pseudo hunger is marked by indecision, urgency, and guilt.

I have been paying attention to my real hunger signals since Thursday and I can honestly report that they are true.  I can really tell when I'm really hungry.  I have also been able to clearly tell when I'm not hungry but my brain is sending signals for food as therapy or a time filler.  Sometimes I have listened to that brain and eaten anyway, but I can tell the difference.  This brings huge satisfaction.  And frees up a lot of time spent rooting through the cupboards for a food that I don't really need.

Yesterday I found myself in the kitchen every. time. I. switched. activities.  It was ridiculous to the extreme.  What a strange and pointless habit I have created.  Since my kitchen is kind of an extended hallway it gets through traffic like no other area in out home (evidence worn out cork tile strip).  However, in an equal measure my living room could be the new extended hallway and has the added benefit of not having food stored in it, unless you count the crumbs and bowls stashed in various hidden places.  By naughty monkeys.  But even I won't eat that, so it's safe.  So, to help curb my food trigger (walking through the kitchen between every activity) I am going to change my behavior (walk through the living room instead).  

So test yourself for true vs. counterfeit hunger today, and listen to what your body is telling you.  Trust it.

10 Days of Listening To Your Body

Happy  Monday, everyone! I am so excited to tell you about a book I read last week.  While my inner self is screaming and jumping up and down in excitement, I will review this book with a grain of salt.  I promise, I will not overdo it.  Here we go...

I have been eyeing this book for about 6 months, it has very high reviews, and last week I decided to bite the bullet and buy it, which is very unlike me.  It is only available in Kindle format, and since I really loathe Amazon's kindle "buying" format (which means I can't share it with you even though I supposedly "own" the book), I really dragged my heels.  I am so glad I did!

The book is called "How To Have Your Cake and Your Skinny Jeans Too"" by Josie Spinardi.  You can find it here.  This book is to be targeted to the binge-eating crowd (like 5000+ calories at one sitting), but also touts itself as a way to get out the dieting spiral that so many of us find ourselves in.  Great!

The author is a computer database architect with a background in psychology, and she refers to many completely fascinating and compelling psychology studies that support her view.  Understanding that you can find studies supporting almost any point of view, she does a great job picking studies that clearly back her up and are compelling and insightful.  I love scientific research, but if that doesn't interest you, you may feel bogged down at points.  That being said, I started reading Tuesday and I could not put it down.

What I loved most about this book is that the author's main belief is that our bodies are designed to tell us when we are hungry, what to eat, and when to stop.  This goes right along with (many of our) spiritual beliefs: that our bodies are gifts from God, created in His image, and designed to do amazing things such as grow a new person, heal wounds, fight illness, warn us of danger, and grow.

The author states that our problems with food arise when we try to use external forces to override our internal mechanism to tell our bodies when to eat, what to eat, and when they are full.  This is usually done with a "diet".  Diets teach us restriction, which triggers our brains to movie into hyper-focus mode.  You've done it before: someone tells you to not to look at something or stop thinking about something, and you really can't stop yourself from looking or thinking about it!  (There's a study for that.)  This leads to making yourself believe that you are addicted to this particular food , and that you are weak, and will never overcome this particular weakness.  Happily she reveals that you really aren't addicted (in rare cases you might be) but you are just making yourself focus and obsess because of the external restriction you've placed on a particular food.  She refers to this as "gasping for food": you believe you will never get it again so you can't stop eating it.

Whew!  That's a relief.  I have spent the last two years in "gasping for food" mode because of an extremely restrictive diet I tried for 7 weeks.

The author first helps us identify the differences between real and counterfeit hunger, as well as trigger traps that tell us to eat when we aren't actually hungry.  If we can avoid them it will lead to weight loss and greater happiness and control.

Secondly she tells us to eat whatever we want.  Yep, whatever we want.  When we are truly hungry.  This teaches us to stop "gasping" for [insert weakness food] because it will always be there, and takes away the fear of losing our favorite foods.  After a short period of time you will stop eating [insert weakness food] for every meal because you aren't craving it any more and the honeymoon is over.

Third, she exposes the "Million Dollar Thin Skill", which is how to stop eating when we are comfortably satisfied, and "Seven Habits of Highly Satisfied Eaters" which are incredibly insightful and fascinating.  Your body sends signals when its caloric requirements have been met: mainly a decrease in the taste of food.  Making you not want to keep eating.  Brilliant!

Fourth, she discusses the difference between willpower and "wantpower", and how to actually crave foods that are healthy for our bodies.  The key is to listen to the signals our bodies give us about foods we eat, such as energy levels, emotions, digestion, and physical reactions.  By listening to this information we will naturally choose the foods that benefit our bodies to the greatest degree.

Fifth is a compelling argument for stepping off the scale and using other factors to measure our weight loss success.  Scales are fickle friends, and weight fluctuates pounds in a day.  Using an item of clothing, say smaller pair of jeans (albeit not too small) or skirt provides a more realistic and accurate measure of our progress and keeps us from nosediving into pity-eating when the scale doesn't reflect the number we wanted to see.

And last is an argument to change our relationship with exercise.  Exercise as a calorie-balancer turns it into a have to, low on the motivation scale.  Recognizing exercise as a mood booster, a happy pill, energy booster, & an emotional outlet allows us to turn exercise into something we don't want to skip.  It is no longer an inefficient penance for the Almond Joy(s) we ate, but you will come to crave exercise because of the way it makes you feel.

Overall, I absolutely adored this book. It spoke to me and my particular beliefs and feelings.  Sometimes I felt like it was a little sugar-coated, her own magical story, and would like to know more about her journey, how long it took.  But I understand why she didn't focus on her own story: we are all vastly different.  Time tables make us grumpy and depressed when we don't measure up.  It did inspire me to look inward and to recognize the messages my body is sending.  I was amazed that I could actually read my body's signals!

Overall I enjoyed Josie Spinardi's writing style; it is very down-to-earth and energetic.  I found her research fascinating, her points well-founded, and her depth of study impressive.  She interviewed friends, tried things herself, and found success.  I enjoyed her observations of of naturally thin people and could verify them by applying them to people I know (think Lindsay).  

If you've stuck with this post thus far, now I'm going to get to the challenge for this 10 days.  Finally.  It will not have to do with calorie restrictions or banned foods.  It is...

10 Days of Listening to Your Body

1. Listen to when your body says you are actually hungry.  (more on this tomorrow.  I've already typed way too much today)
2. Note how you feel when you eat a) healthy food, b) sugary & fatty food, c) the food you feel is your weakness.  Write it down.
3. Identify one time during your days that you reach for food when you are not really hungry.  Try to change this habit.
4. Drink 64 oz of water - 8 cups.
5. Recognize how exercise makes you feel. Write it down.

Day 4.10: We Made It! & Whole Foods List

It's the last day of our 10 day challenge.  Did  you workout with weights three times?  If not, get on it today.  Lift something heavy with your legs and arms for 30 minutes.  A small child would do nicely.

Did you do what you are afraid of?  How did you do on conquering your weakness.  I did well.  Not perfect, but better.  I feel a rhythm coming on that is the natural way for me to be eating.

I know most of us are afraid of weights, but did you do it?  If you continue alternating with weights and cardio you will see muscular developments that will make you smile.

I printed out my "before" photos that I took as added motivation.  That ought to scare the bejeebers out of anyone, but unfortunately, I'm not easily scared.

I also started reading a couple of books, one being about adjusting our minds to eat more healthfully and conquer cravings.  When I finish that, I'll share the highlights.  The second one is about eating cleaner foods, opting for whole food sources, and adapting it to family life.  We'll see...

To send you off on a great note, ready to stay strong over the next four days, I found this list of whole foods: Whole 30 Food List.  Rest assured that if you are eating items from this list you should give yourself a big round of applause. Remember to keep aiming for 3 veggies and 2 fruits daily.

I also found this [Lean Meals] Shake Up Your Diet With 30 Superfood Protein Smoothie Recipes Under 300 Calories.
 Many of which actually look appealing, surprise, surprise.  Have one of these after your 30 minutes of weight training for maximum muscle building and recovery for the strongest muscles ever!

You are all amazing and I am so happy to be on this journey together.  If you have any tips or tricks or just want to share, post away.  I don't need to be the only voice around here.  I would love to learn from all of you, because you are all inspiring and healthy and so very wise.

4.9: Guinea Pigs & Desserts with Nutritional Value (at least some)

Mmmmm...I'm still savoring delicious homemade donuts at the family birthday party last night.  Can you say awe-sommmmmmeeee?!  So worth cheating for.

Saw this article.  I dare you to try any of these.  I think I'm going to, and I'll even bring you some.  And watch you eat it.  It says crazy delicious...you be the judge.  Satisfy your sweet tooth with something more robust in the health department.


This morning we had pumpkin pancakes, a new favorite love of mine.  They were tender and delicious and almost everyone ate them.  Even though my youngest politely said "could you make just plain pancakes next time?"  Yep.  Well, honey, in case you haven't noticed, my mantra is "life is too short to eat boring food."  The girls regularly refer to themselves as the guinea pigs, as in they are testers and tasters of all foods under the sun.

Which makes me, and them, happy.  They will never go to a place away from home and not be able to eat anything.  I find, however, that they are very interesting studies in healthy relationships with food.  They frequently turn down warm homemade cookies <gasp> because they are not in the mood.  They are sure I'll be making them again soon (they know me so well) and can have one when they feel like it...and I really mean just one.

My oldest skips breakfast <gasp, again> because she's not hungry.  To me this is like breaking one of the 10 Commandments.  "How can you possibly function without breakfast?!" I screech as I try to force a woman-sized teenager to eat two spoonfuls of oatmeal.  But contrary to all reason, she's just fine without.  It is beyond my comprehension.  She eats the lunch I pack for her each day (she likes predictability and things that aren't gross at room temperature).  When she gets home from school she eats her biggest meal snack of the day and it seems that the flood gates are open and the pit is bottomless, and she does her mama proud.  Then dinner comes along and I'm like, "I put all this work in to making a nice healthy dinner and I'll be skunked if you leave the table without eating every. last. bite."  Law.

I find her eating habits confusing and a tad frustrating.  But honestly, it's working for her.  She has energy.  She's growing, she eats healthy food, she's interested in cooking, she can turn down snacks and is comfortable with her body's communications to her about when she is truly hungry and when she's not.  I am very proud, albeit somewhat flabbergasted.

My second is a bit more like me.  She has an insatiable sweet tooth and, like me, enjoys eating for taste.  She can also turn food down when she's not hungry.  Unfortunately that usually means regular food.  We are learning together how to not eat a bag of chocolate Easter eggs with your friend at one sitting.  She's a multiple cookie, grazing, bread-centric eater like me.  My job is to provide healthier snacks that she'll eat, like chopped veggies and fruit, which she also loves.  She too listens to her hunger, it just happens to hit at weird, non-meal, and times when she's interested in delaying something.  Hmmm.  Sounds kiddish.

We've always joked that my youngest was born without a sweet-tooth (a blessed state of being) and she rarely imbibes in dessert, has the longest-lingering holiday candy, and is basically not food-centric.  She is also more like her oldest sister in obeying her hunger signals, but she's the most regular breakfast-eater and even likes oatmeal, thank the heavens.  She is an active calorie-burning machine and needs to stoke her furnace frequently.  She loves savory things, like her dad, and is the one who asks most for crab & steak.

Anyhoo, the point is that by observing these three beautiful, healthy, happy, lights-of-my-life, I can learn from their healthy internal code that, because of mental and physical baggage, I have overwritten in myself.  I can also help them nurture and develop healthy habits, like making healthy substitutions and knowing when to say when.  Combined with their active-play lifestyle, I am comfortable with their eating habits and know that they are, so far, using food as fuel, and occasionally pleasure.

And because they are children I will continually hear griping at dinner time about the amount of broccoli, tough steak, rice that looks like bugs, and squash that is too "creamy" (their least favorite texture).  I know that all these foods are nourishing them and broadening their horizons.  And as I dish up Forbidden Rice and mountains of green and orange veggies, it serves me right that their favorite food is crab.

Day 4.8: Thank My What...?!

How was your weekend?  It was so sunny and beautiful, I hope you got out in the sunshine.  We went cross-country skiing as a family.  It was great fun.  Our oldest tried skate skiing for the first time and WOW is she a natural!  It was amazing to watch how fluid she was.

Two things I love about cross-country skiing: it is a total body workout and every extremity is warm the entire time.   If you want to try this sport sometime, you can rent gear for super-cheap at Weber State's Outdoor Rec office.  Snowbasin grooms a track, and so does North Fork up by Eden.  Check out TUNA for more information.  There's even races, if you're crazy like that.

I can't wait to watch the Nordic events in Sochi in a couple weeks.  They are my favorite winter events.  They are such great athletes and every time I see them I am inspired to be stronger and healthier.

Skiing Saturday in the bright sunshine I felt a strong sense of gratitude.  (I could live with more gratitude every day and my life would be much fuller, but this is a topic for another day).  I felt grateful for my healthy body, for a beautiful place to live, for snow, for sun, for my awesome kids, and my supportive and challenging husband (not that he's challenging but that he challenges me) (okay, he's challenging sometimes...aren't we all).  During November in Primary we talked a lot about showing gratitude and went over and over different ways to show gratitude for different things.  

So I pose the question: 

How do you thank your body or show gratitude for it?

Over Saturday and Sunday I really thought about it.  The main things I thought about were how I fuel it, and how do I feel about it.  Stuffing my body full of sugar or junk is no way to thank my body for the years it has been so good to me, and is sure to hack years off my life span.  Having a negative body image is also a betrayal to my body, just like judging a person by their looks.  Hating how I look is overlooking the myriad of ways my body is truly awesome.

As women we spend an undue amount of time criticizing, hating, covering, hiding, attempting to change and being ashamed of our bodies.  This is not to say that we shouldn't try to continually improve.  But just as we are taught not to be hyper-critical of the people in our lives, we should treat our bodies with the same respect.

So thanks, body, for carrying me through 37 years of healthy life, for carrying and bearing and nourishing 3 children, for hugging and laughing and running and swimming and jumping, skiing and sleeping and holding babies, for kissing the people I love, and talking to people I care about.  I'm going to treat you nicer, because I still need ya for a lot of years and a lot of challenges yet to come, I'm sure.  

Teach your children, especially your daughters, how to show gratitude for their bodies.  Example is the best teacher.

Find a way to thank your body today.  And thank our Father in Heaven for such an awesome, beautiful, functional, perfect gift.

Day 4.5: Better Breakfast Ideas

Friday, Friday, Friday, Yeah!

I woke earlier than usual today, which means I actually woke up with my alarm that goes off at the same time every day.  I just didn't  hit snooze.  Fridays give me a little boost of energy from knowing we made it through another week.

That meant I actually had enough time to heat the oven up to make a delicious breakfast:  Monster Pancake or German Pancake.  You know, the one that puffs up in the oven?  It makes a great high-protein substitute for regular pancakes.  It takes 6 eggs, 1 cup milk, and 1 cup flour, so it has a great protein to processed carb ratio.  Here's the recipe:

6 eggs (beat in blender for 3 minutes)
Add:
1 cup milk (I use skim) side note: unsweetened coconut milk has more protein and less milk sugars than even skim milk.  who knew? use that if you're feeling daring...it's yummy...in stuff.
1 cup flour (you could sub wheat for white)
1 tbsp sugar (optional)
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla
Blend until smooth.
Pour 3 tbsp melted butter into 13x9 baking dish and pour egg mixture over that.
Bake at 450 deg for 15 minutes.

It is really yummy.  Mine sometimes puffs and sometimes doesn't.  I think it's my old temperamental oven, which hopefully I will be saying sayonara to on Saturday.  Yippee!

Eating mindfully is about making substitutions for better quality calories.  Eggs and protein are an automatic win as a sub for highly processed white flour pancakes, even if said pancakes are puffy and to die for.

Another protein breakfast I have been seeing a lot of is Egg Cups.  These are basically an egg+veggie+meatofchoice+cheese scramble poured into a muffin tin and baked, instead of scrambled in the frying pan.  The sky's the limit on what to put in these babies, so use your imagination and all your left-over vegetables from dinner that your kids didn't eat.  They'll eat them in these breakfast eggy-muffins.  Even better, throw in some kale, chia seeds, flax seed, or olive oil and make them a super-food vehicle.

Choose one thing today and swap it for something better!

Day 4.4: Think Positive

Hello there!  I just wanted to encourage you to think positively today.  If you experienced a set-back yesterday or this morning, just plow ahead.  Every day is a choice and a battle.  If we keep at it, it'll quit being a battle eventually.

Remember: work out today for your mental and physical well-being!  And drink all your water.  Your skin will thank you!

Day 4.3: The Benefits of Planning Ahead

I have done something completely out of character...I made a 10 day meal plan: breakfast, lunch, snack, and dinner.  I shopped once, and hopefully I don't have to go to the grocery store for at least 5 days.  We'll see...

The benefits I see coming from this strange action on my part are: not scrambling to think of something to make at 4:30 pm and having no meat defrosted; branching out and adding variety to our menu; having vegetables on hand to eat as side dishes; having healthy and planned snacks when the kids get home; having a dessert planned for Sunday to look forward to and be ready for; save money (although I'm skeptical).

Planning ahead helps us live our lives to a fuller extent, being able to focus beyond the now and the immediate.  It helps us be proactive instead of reactionary.  Reacting is the enemy of many things, including healthy dieting.

It seems as though every time I try to meal plan I end up spending twice as much as random-shopping.  But random shopping gets so aggravating and I end up at the grocery store at least 3 times a week.  Which has to end.  Smith's is my Cheers...very sad.

I made this spreadsheet so that each ingredient gets used more than once so nothing goes to waste.  Before you start thinking how awesome I am, remember: I am the world's greatest imitator.  I found the idea on a blog.  I couldn't tell you what blog because I found it in a blog-fog.  You know, where you click and click and click through hundreds of blogs, lost in the organizational prowess and beauty and skill of strangers' lives?  Just google "meal planning spreadsheet", there are a million out there.  Anyway...I'm trying it.  I think this will go hand in hand with eating three square meal a day.  Don't ask me why it's taken me 17 married years to try this in earnest.

Yesterday I did great!  I ate my meals, I avoided easy-to-grab snacks like peanut butter and bread, crackers, or leftover cheesy eggs.  I had an apple when my sweet tooth hit, and I jumped at Get Air for an hour.  I was in heaven.  It was so nice to get a good workout doing something fun with my kids.  And it was hard.  My upper back is sore today; not legs, but back.  Obviously this is an area I need to work more often.

How was your day?  Did you stick to your plan?  Did you beat your weakness into submission?  Did you strengthen your body in some way?  Did you clear your mind and live happy?

I did, and boy does my house look like it.

Day 4.2: Weight Bearing Exercises

How was day 1?  I hope it was grand!  Today I had some delicious Zucchini Pancakes, from Smitten Kitchen, and they were delicious, with really minimal sugar per serving.  And I subbed 1/2 wheat flour.  Win-win.

Today I am going to share some easy ways to get strength training into your workout.  Remember, this 10 days your goal is to do strength training 3 times this 10 days.  

I found this "Seven Minute Workout" and I really liked the exercises and reps.  These are "Body Weight" exercises, meaning the resistance you use is your own weight.  More for some of us, to be sure :)  Push yourself and do it 3 times.  You know you can.

The seven-minute workout

The 12 station regime should see each exercise conducted 15 to 20 times, in 30 seconds, with only five to 10 seconds “rest” between each one. The whole circuit (which can be repeated two to three times) should take about seven minutes and Jordan says to do it no more than three or four times a week.

If you have dumbbells at home, and I don't mean people that really annoy you, try some of this group of exercises.  10-12 reps, 3 sets.  Try to choose a variety and work your whole body.

The last suggestion I have for body weight exercises is my personal favorite, the Nike Training Club app for iphone or ipad.  Seriously love this app.  Exercises range from beginner to advanced, 30 min to 45 min, and you can mix the workouts with cardio for extra fat burn, and the body-weight exercises work your entire body.  There's a voice coach and you can set your favorite jams to play while you rock your muscles.  I find that I like to add more arms after, like plain old bicep curls, but the app is full of push ups and rows, great for chest and back.

Take time to build your muscles.  You will burn more calories, feel sleeker and stronger, and be less injury prone.

Day 4.1: 10 Days of No Fear

Let's start again!  This is 10 Days of No Fear!  Some of the previous goals are not working for me.  So I'm going to modify the goals for the next 10 days.

Conquer your Weakness: indulge at a predetermined time or frequency.  Post your resolution in the comments including item & frequency. Now you are accountable.  Mine is sugar/candy/dessert.  I am only eating it on Wednesday and Sunday.  Rats, now I'm committed.

Exercise: do at least 3 - 30 minute sessions of weights this 10 days.  I'll post some good body-weight exercises as well as some free-weight exercises as well.

Diet: 3 veggies, 2 fruits daily.

Hydrate: 64 oz of water each day (8-8oz glasses)

It's time to ask ourselves: How bad do we really want it?

I like this quote.  Really, we tend not to do what we are afraid of.  But great strength comes when we overcome fear and express faith.  Faith in what will happen if we do this hard thing.  Faith in ourselves that we can actually do something hard.  Faith that we have help from a Higher Power to overcome weakness.

I am afraid to go without sugar.  But I really do want to trim down.  I'm ready.

Day 3.10: Today is Better than Yesterday

Last day of this 10.  Don't give up today, work out to start the weekend off right!  Eat those fruits and veggies and drink drink drink!  Some of my kids have been drinking more and it has helped their chappy lips and dry knuckles.  Yay!

What challenges were you successful in for this cycle?  I said I was going to moderate the challenges for the next 10 and I meant it.  Ramping up to full speed after the holidays was tougher than I thought.  Sheesh.

Measure and weigh yourself if you think there's any chance that you've changed.  Me, not so much.

And while there are no numerical changes that mark the successes I've had this 10 days, I know that I have improved:  we picked back up on our weekly group class, I worked out 4+ days/week for the past two weeks, I am drinking all 64 oz of water daily, and I am eating more fruits and veggies.  All very positive and healthy improvements.  I hope you have improved in some small way, too, because we can all find joy every day in doing something better than 10 days ago.

I know that I also said that I was going to do consecutive 10 day challenges, but I'm revising my statement.  Think of it as being fluid, going with my gut...not disorganized, sloppy, and unmotivated.  Be positive.  We're going to start again Monday.

Enjoy your final day.  Celebrate your wins.  Ready yourselves for Monday.  We begin anew.

Day 3.9: Almost there

Nearly done!  Not starting on Monday has really confused me, but I'll manage.

Check in on the challenges for this 10 Days:

1. 1400 calories per day...most days
2. No sugar - meh...
3. 30 minutes daily...except yesterday.
4. 3 veggies & 2 fruits...success!

I've been off to a slow start, I'll admit.  However, I did make rice crispy treats yesterday and only ate two and I still met my 1400 calorie limit.  Horray!

Do you have any suggestions on challenges for the next 10 days?  I've got some ideas stewing, and I think simplicity is going to be the key word here.  I've been told I'm a little intense, so I think I'll try to be a little less so.  No reason to make any of us feel like a failure, right?

A little note about meal spacing.  After going through the small children phase, when they ate frequently and I ate right along with them, I have morphed into a grazer.  Sometimes I think that this should allow me to perfectly integrate the "golden rule" of fat loss which is eating every 2-3 hours to keep your metabolism revved all day.

Yesterday I was on the computer and doing business stuff all morning.  Then I left the house around 12 and didn't get home until 3.  Most mornings I usually don't usually eat after breakfast, and then I start grazing.  Every time I wander through the kitchen I eat something.  Yesterday I ate a bigger lunch, 500-600 calories at 1, and I was stuffed until dinnertime.  Not being home helped, but I really didn't feel a desire to snack after lunch, even after I got home and the kids came home from school.  This is a miracle.

So I'm wondering if three bigger meals is the best way for me to eat. You know, actually sitting down at the table and eating enough food to feel satisfied?  It makes me feel like a diet rebel, like I'm laughing in the face of all scientific research, like how could I possibly lose fat if I'm not eating every 2 hours.  Don't get me wrong: I like having more frequent excuses to put food in my mouth.  But this only helps me if I actually need it.  Not to defy all logic, but it is possible that something different might work for me.  Like maybe the way I ate all my whole growing up life.  Three squares a day, no snacks.  Like following a circadian rhythm for eating.  Do what comes naturally.  I have a gut feeling that the less I am required to think about what to eat, the less I'll think about it period.  Which is a good thing.

I'm willing to give three square meals a try.

Day 3.8: Hard Facts About Exercise

The other morning I pulled on my compression tights and thought "I really like these.  Maybe if I wear a long sweater no one will know they are workout pants."  I'm avoiding jeans and wearing stretchy pants.  It's gone a little too far, don't ya think?

Alrighty, back to what I do best: information.

I read this a month ago and really really loved it.  It is called "8 Cold, Hard Facts About Exercise"

It is worth reading.  I really liked the 5th fact: "I won't allow you to eat whatever you want".

Whenever I start exercising a lot my appetite increases.  But more than my appetite is my "perceived food budget".  Yeah, I can totally eat a dessert after each of my 5 meals.  I worked out.

As you can see, this is not working for me.

When you start truly calculating how many calories you burn during exercise (as the article points out) it's really not as many as you think.  I have a cycle computer that tells me I burn 900 calories on a 90 minute ride.  I appreciate that calculation because it gives me permission to eat everything in sight.  But I'm preeeettttyyyy sure that it's off by about 300 calories.  Truly.  And while 600 calories is a lot, it ain't 900.

I am always jealous of professional cyclists.  They are always saying in interviews how they have to force themselves to eat enough calories during the day so they don't bonk.  This is during a grand tour, like the Tour de France.  Those poor cyclists.  Wouldn't that be an interesting problem to have?  Forced to eat enough calories?  Wouldn't I love to be them.  Riding 150 miles each day.  For 3 weeks straight.  Never mind.

Other facts I liked:

"Exercise alone won't change you."  Enter my personal diet challenges.  This will be a hard one for me to get through.

"Exercise will always feel hard."  Each time I ride my bike I dream of a day when I can ride 17 mph for hours without it hurting.  Unfortunately, it will always hurt.  My mind just has to quit telling me that I can't go any more.  Because in reality, I can.  Our ability to push through the hard will increase as we exercise more.

I am ready for some results that I can see.  This article helped me see some things I can change that will hopefully help me get off my plateau.  Did you find anything interesting or new?