Weight Training

I hadn't been to the gym for a few days and was not feeling up to a super intense calisthenic workout today.  I promised myself I would go to the gym extra long tomorrow (hubby is off of work so I have freedom while he stays home with baby Haley) if I did a quick weight lifting workout tonight.  It took about 30 minutes and my arms and legs are pretty sore, so I know I got good exercise even though it didn't tire me out too much.  Here is what I did:

Tomorrow my goal is to jog to the gym - which is a mile and a half.  I'm going to jog until I'm truly tired, which will hopefully be at least a quarter of a mile.  I used to be able to run much longer without getting winded, but hey I just had a baby.  Its going to take some time to get back that endurance.

One way that I like to train myself to start running longer distances is to do interval running.  I'll walk at a fast pace for 2 minutes, run for one minute, then repeat for a total of 20 minutes.  Every week I'll change the intervals so that I am running longer and walking less each week.

Would you like to be able to run longer?  Have you already tried interval running? Did it work for you?

Keratin Vs. Brazilian Blowout

I was blessed at birth with thick, wavy, frizzy, unmanageable hair.  Thank goodness for the invention of the Chi!  A couple of years ago I decided to try a more permanent solution to straightening my hair than using a flat iron.  I was a little unsure about the Brazilian Blowout since it contains formaldehyde (however, they have since come out with Brazilian Blowout Zero, which contains no formaldehyde but is not as effective).  I searched online for a review from a real person who had tried both the Brazilian Blowout and the Keratin Treatment but didn't find much.  I'm hoping this review will help people like me who are wanting to try something new for their hair.

From our engagement photo session back in 2009.  My hair was straightened with a CHI straightener in this picture.

I purchased a Groupon deal for a Keratin treatment at an upscale salon.  It cost $125 and lasted about 6 weeks.  I did not find the Keratin treatment to be very effective.  It made my hair extra shiny, and a little "healthier" looking, but my hair was still frizzy.  I had to still blow dry my hair straight and follow up with the CHI, although it did not take as long to style my hair as before the keratin treatment.  I also noticed that my hair took less time to dry, which was one of the few perks of this treatment.

My hair a few weeks after getting the Keratin treatment

About a year later, I found a Groupon for a hair cut AND brazilian blowout for $150.  Normally, these cost around $300-$400, so I jumped on the opportunity to try it out.  I researched the product a little before hand and found that most people who had the Brazilian Blowout didn't have any side effects from the formaldehyde, but they did recommend using a face mask to block out the fumes.  So even though my hairstylist thought I was crazy for wearing the mask, I wore it proudly.  

It didn't help.  My eyes stung with tears throughout the blow drying process, and my throat was raw and sore for a week afterwards.  I promised myself after leaving the salon that I wouldn't get this treatment again, as I feared for my health.  

But when five months later, I still had perfectly straight and frizz free hair, I was convinced that whatever the effects, its worth it!  I only had to quickly blow dry my hair, without using a brush or trying to straighten my hair in any way, and I would end up with hair like this:

Immediately after getting the Brazilian Blowout for the first time

4 months after the Brazilian Blowout

 What I liked the most about the blowout is how long it lasted.  The first time I had it done, it lasted 5 months - and it might have lasted longer but I went swimming in a pool (which you are supposed to avoid) and afterwards it wore off.

If you want to avoid the harsh chemicals and are looking for healthier, more manageable hair, I would recommend the Keratin Treatment.  If you are really serious about having frizz free, straight hair, definitely go for the Brazilian Blowout.  I am so happy I decided to continue getting this treatment.  When I first returned to work after getting the blowout, one coworker actually told me "this was the best thing you could have done for yourself!"  It gave me a ton of confidence and makes getting ready so much easier. Just make sure your salon is well ventilated!

Have any of you ever had anything like this done to your hair?  What did you think?

 

House Paperwork Organization

After we bought our first home, we were immediately overwhelmed by the amount of stuff that comes along with owning a home.  We had to keep track of our mortgage paperwork, home insurance, warranty paperwork for appliances, pest control, and tons more.

At first I used a filing cabinet to organize these items, but then the filing cabinet quickly became overstuffed and quite disheveled.

So I spent about an hour one day making a Home Paperwork Binder, and I am so, so proud of it!

First, I took all the paperwork and separated  it into piles by similarity.  For example, all kitchen appliance paperwork went in one pile, all pest control paperwork in another.  Once I saw what I had in each pile, I separated that into further piles (dishwasher, refrigerator, washer/dryer, etc).  Then I got to work printing labels and organizing the bones of the binder.

After that, it was easy to put the paperwork in the pocket for the divider it goes with.  I could also put each document behind the divider but I like this method better where everything is in one place.  If I were using the binder on a daily or weekly basis, I would definitely use page protectors to store all papers individually.  This way you don't have to hole punch your documents, but can still find things quickly when needed.

Voila! Now everything is neatly organized and easy to get to when needed.

How do you keep your house paperwork organized?

Weigh In Wednesdays - Week 2

This was a tough weigh in day for me.  We had family and friends visiting for the past six days.  Guess how many times I went to the gym during those 6 days?  ONE.  I'm disappointed in myself.  There were a few moments this past week where I started to feel myself slip out of this healthy lifestyle and into the person of my past who sits on the couch eating an entire family size bag of chex mix (yes this really happened).

So when I stepped on the scale this morning, I had all kinds of mixed emotions.  There was a voice in my head saying, "Just skip this weeks weigh in! You had so much going on, that's definitely a valid excuse."  There was another voice saying, "Week two is always the hardest - you'll just work out extra hard this week!"  In truth, I didn't eat horribly.  When we ate out, which we did for at least one meal a day, I tried to order healthy and avoided eating all the bread on the table.  I kept pretty busy keeping the house clean, and we went for walks a few times which is a little exercise!

After a few minutes of this inner conversation with myself, my feet somehow picked themselves up and placed themselves on the scale.  When I saw the number, I actually stepped off and back on to try again - I couldn't believe it!

147.2! I lost another 2 pounds!

Yes, I had that nagging voice in my head immediately after ("if you had gone to the gym or ate better, just imagine how much you would've lost!") but I'm trying ignore it.  Two pounds is something to be proud of, so for today, I am going to pat myself on the back and take it one day at a time.

Good job, me!

Fresh From the Garden

I absolutely love fresh herbs, but I hardly ever buy them at the grocery store.  This is partly because I just plain forget to get them, and partly because they tend to go bad before I get a chance to use them.  Plus, fresh herbs can be so expensive!

It is much easier to grow your own herbs.  Many people grow theirs in pots, which is how we started our garden a few years ago when we moved out of our apartment and into a rental house.  Now that we own our home, we are slowly but surely piecing together a wonderful little garden.  We planted some tomatoes, herbs and jalapenos last year, and had an amazing supply of pico de gallo to show for it.  This year we did even better, and built two large raised garden beds.


We followed the plan on this site and it was super easy.  We made two 3'x8' beds, and this spring we planted tomatoes, parsley, cilantro, cucumbers, green beans, squash, zucchini, thyme, basil, and aloe vera.  Its been a few weeks, and boy these plants are thriving better than ever before!  We used Peat Moss and topped it with mulch.  We also have sprinklers set to go off 3 times a week so we don't have to worry about going out to water the garden.

I can't wait to make many fresh recipes using the vegetables and herbs from our garden!

Working out With a Buddy

I am a huge advocate of the buddy system while working out.  Having a friend exercise with you is not only motivating and encouraging, it keeps you from getting bored!  I love going for runs with friends as opposed to by myself.  My competitive nature kicks into high gear as I struggle to keep up the pace.  Or, if there is something I happen to be good at, its a lot of fun to show my workout buddy what I know.

One of my best friends was in town this past week, and we were able to go to the gym together. While doing our cardio warm up, she told me that her arms are something she wants to work on.  My arms are actually one of my strongest points due to all the heavy lifting I've had to do in the restaurant business.  My core/abs are my weakest point that I need to work on.  Keeping in mind what we both wanted to work on, I created a super intense arms and abs workout for us to do at the gym.  It was tough and we are so sore now, but the difference in my work out ethic was incredible when having someone to go to the gym with.  I can't believe how much I was able to do!

Here is the plan:

My arms were jello when we finished this workout!  My friend has plans to come visit again this summer, and we made a promise to each other that we will be a couple of confident, fit girls ready for bathing suit season next time we're together!

Do you have a workout buddy?  I'd love to hear what you and your friends do to encourage each other to workout!

Lower Body Workout and Some Pies!

Two things that don't go together - pie and exercise.  The only connection these two have had in the past for me is that I eat so much pie at Thanksgiving that I inevitably begin working out for the week following the holiday.  But today I had lots of baking to do for an upcoming family gathering at our home, which included making these delicious mini pecan pies.  The recipe is super easy so I thought I'd share it with you all.  Skip the tutorial to find the full, printable recipe below.

To prepare for having pies in the house, I first did a super intense workout at they gym early this morning.
 I'm gonna call it the Super Sweaty Lower Body Workout cause it will really make you sweat!

If at any point, the reps feel like too much, just do as many as you can.  You will build up an endurance and one day soon will be able to do this and more!  Remember to drink plenty of water, and rest about 30 seconds between exercises.

Now for the tutorial and recipe:


First, make the tart shells. 

With the paddle attachment, beat 5 oz butter, 3 oz sugar, 1 egg and 1/2 tsp vanilla on low until butter is pea sized

Next, add 8 oz Bread flour and mix until smooth, about 1 minute. It should look like this:

 

Roll the dough into a ball and divide into two disks.  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate about 20 minutes.  This would be a good time to make the pecan pie filling!

To roll out the dough, make sure you use a well floured surface.  Don't worry too much about overworking the dough - the bread flour has a higher level of protein and will help keep the flour strong and resilient. However, you should always let the dough rest in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes between rounds of rolling it out. 

To best roll out any dough, lay the disk in front of you and place the rolling pin in the middle of the disk.  Then roll the pin away from you.  Next, turn the dough 1/4 of a turn (45 degrees) and repeat.  Turning the dough helps prevent it from sticking to your surface.  Roll to about 1/8 inch thick.

 

Then take a mini tart shell mold and place it over the dough as a guide for what size you will need.  Cut a square around it, with a little extra around the sides.  

You can also use a small round cookie cutter - just be sure to measure it against the mold and cut a little larger than the mold.

Lay a square over one of the molds and just barely press it into the sides of the mold with your fingers.

 Place the palm of your hand over the top of the mold and use the edge of the mold to cut the dough cleanly

Then gently push the dough into the sides and clean it up a bit.

 

Place on a sheet pan and freeze for about 20 minutes.  Making the shells cold prior to baking will prevent the dough from bubbling up or shrinking in the oven.

Bake at 325 degrees for about 15 minutes, until lightly golden brown.  Halfway through the baking time, rotate the sheet pan 180 degrees.  

Once the shells are cool, you can fill them with the pecan pie filling.  It's super easy to make and so delicious.

Heat 3.5 oz of butter and 7 oz of corn syrup over medium heat until the butter is melted.

Hint - for a no mess solution to  measuring corn syrup, spray a glass measuring cup with pan spray (PAM or Bake Easy) and then measure.  The corn syrup will easily slide out of the measuring cup!

Once the butter has melted, add 3.5 oz sugar to the pot and stir constantly until the sugar has dissolved.  Take off the heat before it boils.

Have a bowl ready with 3 eggs and 1/2 tsp vanilla extra whisked together.  When the corn syrup mixture is hot and ready, temper it into the egg mixture by SLOWLY drizzling it into the eggs while quickly whisking.  You do not want too go to fast or else you'll end up with bits of scrambled eggs in your pies!  If you do end up with this issue, just use a fine mesh sifter to strain the mixture before baking.

Remember to pour slowly and keep whisking!

Next, Place your shells on a sheet pan lined with parchment (very important that you line your sheet pan so the shells don't break).  Fill with a large pinch of pecan pieces, and then use a spoon to drizzle in a small amount of filling, to just barely cover the pecans.

left - filled too high, right - just right!

 Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes, or until the liquid is slightly bubbling.  Do not over bake.

 

 

 

These freeze really well - just put in a ziploc bag and freeze for up to 2 months.  Let thaw at room temperature (not in the fridge!) an hour or two before needed. 

Here is the recipe:

These are the perfect size to satisfy any sweet tooth and not ruin the great workout you did today (or will do today)!  What other sweets do you let yourself enjoy a little of while dieting? Or do you have incredible will power and not allow any desserts?

My Favorite Salad

I am not a huge salad eater.  It makes me feel like a rabbit to munch on lettuce.  But cheese is another story.  Man, do I love cheese.  Brie, Gorgonzola, Blue, Mozzarella, you name it.  My favorite cheese is soft goat cheese.  So its no wonder that my favorite salad is topped with lots of hot, toasted goat cheese.  Goat cheese is high in saturated fat and is probably the sole reason for my cholesterol being as high as it is.  However I am a firm believer that "everything in moderation" is the key to a successful diet.

Since I don't like salads much, I find that a little goat cheese goes a long way to get me to eat a huge ole salad, like I did tonight!  It was very filling, and because of the cheese in the salad, I didn't find a need to use much dressing at all.

I always wondered how restaurants warm goat cheese without it melting.  I've learned that part of it is in the massive amount of oil they no doubt fry the goat cheese in.  Of course this had to be substituted so I came up with a better idea - using egg whites and a small amount of breadcrumbs to get a crispy outside but keep the rounds of goat cheese in tact.



Here's how to make my favorite salad:

 

I made sure to chop of LOTS of fresh veggies for this salad tonight.  I also added some leftover chicken breast from last night's whole chicken, and a tablespoon of POM's Almond and Cranberry Salad Accents to add some crunch and sweetness. 

One trick for making sure your salads are as healthy as possible is to ALWAYS have your dressing on the side and dip your fork into the dressing with each bite.  This way you'll have just enough dressing to add flavor and take away from the dryness of the lettuce.  The point is to leave out those empty calories and fats and replace them with things that are more filling and more worth it - like goat cheese!

Roasted Chicken and Sample Meal Plan

Today I cooked my first whole chicken at home for dinner.  I don't consider myself an excellent cook by any means, but I did go to culinary school to become a pastry chef and I do have some experience in the kitchen.  So there is no excuse for me to not have roasted a chicken before today.  Checking that the giblets were removed was not fun, but otherwise it was pretty easy!

We have tons of fresh herbs growing in our backyard (post to come soon about how we made the raised garden beds for our growing garden) and I wanted to use them for a fresh, delicious poultry feast.  I took a handful of parsley, rosemary, and thyme and pulsed them in the mini food processor.

Then I got out the roasting pan we received as a wedding gift over two years ago but had yet to use, and poured two bags of frozen steamfresh veggies in the bottom.  I shouldn't have done this, as the fat from the chicken dripped down onto the vegetables.  Next time, I'll steam them separately and add them to the pan five minutes before taking it out of the oven, just so it can soak up a little of the flavor from the herbs and the chicken.

 

Then, I drizzled about half of a cup of chicken stock over the vegetables. I next sprayed a light coat of olive oil on the chicken, and rubbed the herb blend all over the skin.

I poured about a cup of chicken stock over the chicken which gave it a very crisp crust.  It baked at 450 degrees for about an hour, until the juices ran clear and the temp read 170 degrees.  Unfortunately we dug into it before I could get a picture of it out of the oven, but it was delicious!  Don't know what I was so intimidated by, and I will definitely be making this again.

This is not exactly "diet food" but I didn't eat most of the skin and I only had one breast and some veggies (and a large salad to start with).  And I don't eat like this every day!

 Here is an example of what I normally eat on a daily basis for my get fit program:

So even with dessert, 2 snacks, and very filling meals, this sample day was just under 1100 calories! This is a very doable plan to follow.

Would you follow a meal plan similar to mine? How do you keep your calories under your goal?

Petite Advantage

I've tried many, many fad diets - from Atkins, to South Beach, to Weight Watchers to Sugar Busters.  You name it, I've tried it, researched it, and discovered that it didn't work for me.  The reason it doesn't work is because these diets aren't conducive to a lifelong eating program.  With the exception of one diet plan.

A co-worker introduced me to this book.  Once she told me that she had lost 10 pounds doing the 21 day eating plan, I knew it was worth looking into.  I flipped through her book and by the end of the day, I had bought the kindle version and was headed to the grocery store for some healthy foods!

The reason I love this diet is that everything is planned for you.  It tells you exactly what to eat and how many calories each item has.  I'm the type of person who needs a plan to follow, otherwise I get off track.

The main thing about this diet, however, is that once the 21 days are over, you can use the tools it gives you every day for the rest of your life.  This plan is intended to boost the metabolism of those of us women who are 5'4" and under.  It calls for eating a large breakfast (about 500 calories) and then smaller meals and snacks throughout the day.  Every day you get 1100 calories, and then every third day you get 1600 calories.  I was always, always full and very satisfied with the meals.

Although I still follow the basics of this plan, I am not going to kick start my fitness adventure with this diet this time because I don't have the time for it.  The meals are delicious and I still use some of the recipes.  You can definitely plan ahead and make your meals days in advance (I would prepare all snacks, veggies and fruits on the weekend for the week ahead) but with a newborn, returning to work, and a house to take care of, I just don't have the energy.  Plus I am much more into once-a-month-cooking which I will post recipes for later this month!

When I did the Petite Advantage diet, I lost 11 pounds in the first 10 days. Then I plateaued a bit but in the end I lost 15 pounds total.  Then I went and got pregnant and gained it all back.  C'est la vie!

If any of you readers are on the shorter side and looking for a diet plan (and have some time to devote to it), I highly recommend getting a copy of this book.

Have any of you tried this diet or something similar? What has worked for you?