Well, I've been off plan for quite some time now. Not sure exactly why, just can't seem to stay away from the junk! And here I was telling everyone how easy it was to stay on track! LOL
My goal is to begin again tomorrow. I've been saying that everyday now for about three weeks but hope that I can finally get it together. I think I just need to throw out absolutely all of the junk food in the house and kiddies and hubby be damned! : )
Has anyone been having success with eating clean? I can't believe how quickly the belly fat has returned just from 3 weeks of eating crappy. All the more incentive to get it together I guess.
Words of encouragement are always welcome ... hehehe.
I will be starting to do the Cooler Plan #1 again as I know I will see results quickly and I really need that right now. Has anyone else noticed that once you give yourself that permission to eat poorly, it becomes harder to get back at it? And it doesn't just end with the eating. Don't you find that when you are not eating very well, exercise seems like a huge chore as well?
Oh well, as they say, tomorrow is another day and another chance to begin anew.
Let me know if anyone has tried anything new that worked or if I can offer any help to you. Even though I haven't been doing it, I still know how! : D
Talk to you again soon and keep it clean ... eating that is.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Monday, January 26, 2009
A baking day
Thought I would just post a recipe that I made today. Yummy, yummy.
Credit for the recipe needs to go to Jessica Seinfield although I do change it up a bit to make it cleaner.
Chocolate Chip Cookies
1/2 c Raw or turbinado sugar
1/4 c Brown sugar Splenda
1/2 c Olivinia margarine
1/4 c fat free sour cream
2 large egg whites
2 t vanilla
1 15 oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 c semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 c whole wheat flour
1/2 c oats
1 t baking soda
1/4 t sea salt
1. Preheat over to 350 F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. In a large mixing bowl, beat the sugars, margarine, & sour cream until smooth. Beat in the egg whites and vanilla, then the chickpeas and chocolate chips. Add the flour, oats, baking soda, and salt and mix on low speed until a thick dough forms.
3. Drop by spoonfuls onto the baking sheet, spaced about 2 inches apart. Press gently with a fork to flatten. Bake until the cookies are golden brown and just set, 11 to 13 minutes; do not overbake. Transfer to rack to cool.
4. Store in airtight container for up to 3 days. Freezes well.
I know ... sound kinda grose but the kids eat them! Best to eat cold though after they cool down completely.
Makes about 40 cookies or so.
Give them a try and let me know if you like them or not. Mostly I make these for the kids. If I was making them just for me, I would try to substitute the semi-sweet chips with unsweetened and give that a try.
If you have a favorite recipe you'd like me to try and make over, just send it to me. I love to bake!
Until later.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
To begin again ...
Well, I have to say it's been an interesting week although not a great one eating wise, well at least not Clean Eating wise! :( So today, I will begin anew.
The twins birthday was this week and ever since making their birthday cake, I can't seem to stay away from the sugar. I'm not quite sure why I'm having a problem right now but there it is. They say that you need to look behind the reason your eating and find out the emotion behind it. I have to say that is one thing I find pretty hard to do. I do know I tend to eat more when I'm bored, how about you? Do you find any specific reason why you eat when or what you do?
If anyone has been following the nutrition news lately, you've probably heard the controversy over High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS). If you are like me, you didn't really know why it is suppose to be so bad for you as I thought it was a natural substance. Then I received this email from Stonyfield Farms that lays it all out. Have a quick read and tell me what you think about it now.
http://www.stonyfield.com/Wellness/MooslettersDisplay.cfm?moos_id=118
I for one, think I will be trying to bypass this product if at all possible.
How was every one's week? Did anyone try anything new that seems to be working? My goal was to try to get back on my exercise path but I seem to be having a bit of problem with that too!
I did manage to kick my butt enough to make it to my Tuesday night step class and it did actually feel great to be there but then missed Friday night boot camp. Does anyone else like classes?? When I first started out, I did find them a tad intimidating but I simply started with a "how to" class to learn the moves and went from there. Now I can honestly say, I do love it.
A great motivator for me to get clean eating was something I read in one of Tosca's books. She said that the "beautiful body" formula is this:
80% nutrition
10% training
10% genes
Are you surprised by those numbers?? I know I was. I thought that exercise would be a way WAY higher percentage than that. It gave me hope that if I could just manage to eat clean, I would see the kind of body I have always wanted.
When I first started on my weight loss journey, I did not exercise at all. It wasn't until about 8 - 9 months later that I felt I was ready to begin doing more. So don't give up if you feel that you aren't ready to get into the gym just yet. Start off with the eating and I think that like me, you will get to a point where you just feel like starting to move your body more.
Last post I gave you 10 clean eating principles. I thought you might find the following "10 instant kitchen makeovers" helpful.
Substitute:
1. Sea salt for regular salt
2. Agave nectar for sugar
3. Unrefined whole wheat flour for white flour
4. Brown rice for white rice
5. Oatmeal for sugary cereals
6. Water for juice and pop
7. 75% or more dark chocolate for milk chocolate
8. Olive oil for vegetable oil
9. Egg whites for whole eggs
10. Natural nut butters for commercial peanut butter
As always, if you have any questions, let me know. If anyone has anything specific they would like some help with such as menu planning, tips, setting a goal ... you can either post a comment or send me an email to creithaug@hotmail.com. I look forward to hearing from you.
Until then, keep eating ... clean that is!
The twins birthday was this week and ever since making their birthday cake, I can't seem to stay away from the sugar. I'm not quite sure why I'm having a problem right now but there it is. They say that you need to look behind the reason your eating and find out the emotion behind it. I have to say that is one thing I find pretty hard to do. I do know I tend to eat more when I'm bored, how about you? Do you find any specific reason why you eat when or what you do?
If anyone has been following the nutrition news lately, you've probably heard the controversy over High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS). If you are like me, you didn't really know why it is suppose to be so bad for you as I thought it was a natural substance. Then I received this email from Stonyfield Farms that lays it all out. Have a quick read and tell me what you think about it now.
http://www.stonyfield.com/Wellness/MooslettersDisplay.cfm?moos_id=118
I for one, think I will be trying to bypass this product if at all possible.
How was every one's week? Did anyone try anything new that seems to be working? My goal was to try to get back on my exercise path but I seem to be having a bit of problem with that too!
I did manage to kick my butt enough to make it to my Tuesday night step class and it did actually feel great to be there but then missed Friday night boot camp. Does anyone else like classes?? When I first started out, I did find them a tad intimidating but I simply started with a "how to" class to learn the moves and went from there. Now I can honestly say, I do love it.
A great motivator for me to get clean eating was something I read in one of Tosca's books. She said that the "beautiful body" formula is this:
80% nutrition
10% training
10% genes
Are you surprised by those numbers?? I know I was. I thought that exercise would be a way WAY higher percentage than that. It gave me hope that if I could just manage to eat clean, I would see the kind of body I have always wanted.
When I first started on my weight loss journey, I did not exercise at all. It wasn't until about 8 - 9 months later that I felt I was ready to begin doing more. So don't give up if you feel that you aren't ready to get into the gym just yet. Start off with the eating and I think that like me, you will get to a point where you just feel like starting to move your body more.
Last post I gave you 10 clean eating principles. I thought you might find the following "10 instant kitchen makeovers" helpful.
Substitute:
1. Sea salt for regular salt
2. Agave nectar for sugar
3. Unrefined whole wheat flour for white flour
4. Brown rice for white rice
5. Oatmeal for sugary cereals
6. Water for juice and pop
7. 75% or more dark chocolate for milk chocolate
8. Olive oil for vegetable oil
9. Egg whites for whole eggs
10. Natural nut butters for commercial peanut butter
As always, if you have any questions, let me know. If anyone has anything specific they would like some help with such as menu planning, tips, setting a goal ... you can either post a comment or send me an email to creithaug@hotmail.com. I look forward to hearing from you.
Until then, keep eating ... clean that is!
Monday, January 19, 2009
What a beautiful day ...
Hope your weekends were all good. Mine was great. It was so much fun spending Saturday with my mom all by ourselves ... SHOPPING!!! Yeaahhhh. Anyone who knows me knows shopping is one of my passions so we had a great day. Lots and lots of great deals in the US.
I did actually manage to stay pretty much on track as well. I packed a cooler for us Friday night (as we were leaving by 6:30 am) and had our snacks all ready to go. We had Subway for lunch and supper too actually. We just got a 12" oven roasted chicken breast sub for lunch and saved 1/2 of it to eat later. We knew that we would never make it home in time for supper! LOL
I do have to say, packing a cooler is one of the greatest tips. I'm sure you are all like me and when I have the growlies, I'm not real big on worrying about nutrition. I just grab the closest and easiest thing. Thankfully, I had our veggies, hummus, cheese sticks, and almonds all ready to go.
How was your weekend? Did anyone manage to get a copy of the book yet? I was reading my Oxygen magazine this morning and noticed a list of the clean eating principles so thought I'd list them here for you all and hope I'm not breaking any kind of copy right rules!:
1. Eat six small meals each day.
2. Eat every two to three hours.
3. Eat a combination of lean protein and complex carbohydrates at each meal.
4. Drink two to three liters of water each day.
5. Depend on fresh fruits and veggies for complex carbs, enzymes and fiber.
6. Eat whole grains, not refined, over-processed, or chemically charged foods.
7. Choose lean protein from poultry, fish, wild game, soy products and legumes.
8. Eat healthy fats every day from fish, healthy oils, nuts, seeds and grains.
9. Never miss a meal, especially breakfast!!!
10. Stick to reasonable portion sizes.
Thought I would also post a cookie recipe that I tried the other day. Yes, you still can have a treat now and then, just have to keep it to a minimum. I try to eat only one just once and awhile.
1/4 c Olivinia margarine
1/4 c Unsweetened applesauce
1/4 c Turbinado sugar (raw sugar also can be called Sucanat)
1/4 c Brown sugar Splenda *see note
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp canola oil
2 T egg whites
Mix the above together, just folding in the egg whites gently
1 1/2 c oatmeal
1 1/2 c whole wheat flour
1 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1 T cinnamon
Mix in separate bowl.
Mix the wet into the dry then separate into 2 batches.
In 1/2 of batter add: 1/4 c chopped dates and 1/4 c unsalted sunflower seeds.
In other 1/2 add: 1/4 c chocolate chips (I used semi-sweet as these were for the kids but if I was making them for myself, I would try to use dark chocolate)
Bake at 325 degrees for about 10 minutes.
* Alot of people in the clean eating world do not use Splenda. I do occassionally use it although normally only in baking. There is some contriversy over the safeness of it and alot of people use a herb called Stevia instead. I do use it as well however haven't had much success with it in desserts as I find it a bit bitter. You could simply increase the Sucanat to a 1/2 c and give that a try.
Give them a try and let me know how you like them.
Hope you have a great day/night (depending on where you are reading this) and I'll talk to you all again another day.
I did actually manage to stay pretty much on track as well. I packed a cooler for us Friday night (as we were leaving by 6:30 am) and had our snacks all ready to go. We had Subway for lunch and supper too actually. We just got a 12" oven roasted chicken breast sub for lunch and saved 1/2 of it to eat later. We knew that we would never make it home in time for supper! LOL
I do have to say, packing a cooler is one of the greatest tips. I'm sure you are all like me and when I have the growlies, I'm not real big on worrying about nutrition. I just grab the closest and easiest thing. Thankfully, I had our veggies, hummus, cheese sticks, and almonds all ready to go.
How was your weekend? Did anyone manage to get a copy of the book yet? I was reading my Oxygen magazine this morning and noticed a list of the clean eating principles so thought I'd list them here for you all and hope I'm not breaking any kind of copy right rules!:
1. Eat six small meals each day.
2. Eat every two to three hours.
3. Eat a combination of lean protein and complex carbohydrates at each meal.
4. Drink two to three liters of water each day.
5. Depend on fresh fruits and veggies for complex carbs, enzymes and fiber.
6. Eat whole grains, not refined, over-processed, or chemically charged foods.
7. Choose lean protein from poultry, fish, wild game, soy products and legumes.
8. Eat healthy fats every day from fish, healthy oils, nuts, seeds and grains.
9. Never miss a meal, especially breakfast!!!
10. Stick to reasonable portion sizes.
Thought I would also post a cookie recipe that I tried the other day. Yes, you still can have a treat now and then, just have to keep it to a minimum. I try to eat only one just once and awhile.
1/4 c Olivinia margarine
1/4 c Unsweetened applesauce
1/4 c Turbinado sugar (raw sugar also can be called Sucanat)
1/4 c Brown sugar Splenda *see note
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp canola oil
2 T egg whites
Mix the above together, just folding in the egg whites gently
1 1/2 c oatmeal
1 1/2 c whole wheat flour
1 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1 T cinnamon
Mix in separate bowl.
Mix the wet into the dry then separate into 2 batches.
In 1/2 of batter add: 1/4 c chopped dates and 1/4 c unsalted sunflower seeds.
In other 1/2 add: 1/4 c chocolate chips (I used semi-sweet as these were for the kids but if I was making them for myself, I would try to use dark chocolate)
Bake at 325 degrees for about 10 minutes.
* Alot of people in the clean eating world do not use Splenda. I do occassionally use it although normally only in baking. There is some contriversy over the safeness of it and alot of people use a herb called Stevia instead. I do use it as well however haven't had much success with it in desserts as I find it a bit bitter. You could simply increase the Sucanat to a 1/2 c and give that a try.
Give them a try and let me know how you like them.
Hope you have a great day/night (depending on where you are reading this) and I'll talk to you all again another day.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Happy Friday
It's been a good day so far. How about you? I've kept my eating fairly clean, probably haven't gotten enough water in (as usual) but other than that, I'm feeling okay.
My mother is visiting from Vancouver Island for the weekend so I am making her eat clean as well. Normally when we get together, we do tend to use it as an excuse to get off of our eating plans but I'm really trying to keep us both on. So far so good.
For those of you wanting to know what a day of eating looks like, here you go:
Breakfast
1/2 c egg whites with diced peppers, mushrooms and spinach cooked into an omelet
1 T fat free cheddar cheese
1 c mixed fruit salad
Snack
1 cheese stick
1 apple
Lunch
1 c organic cheese tortillini (bought from Trader Joe's)
2 T pesto (homemade)
2 T fat free plain yogurt (I really like the Silhouette brand)
1/2 c steamed carrots, peppers and green beens
4 mini tomatoes
3 oz. chicken breast
1/2 c cucumbers
Snack
Actually missed this as we ate lunch a bit late
Supper
3 oz roast beef (tenderloin)
1 whole wheat dinner roll
1 c spinach greek salad with fat free feta cheese (made simply with 1 T olive oil and lemon juice as the dressing)
5 asparagus spears
1/4 c fat free beef broth
That's it so far. I will probably have another snack soon as I do feel a bit peekish - it's that missing the snack in the afternoon. It really is true that you need to eat around 300 calories every 2 - 3 hours ... my body now pretty much demands that I do.
As for water, I have probably had 6 - 8 oz. glasses and will get the rest in before bed. Tea does tend to be one of my challenges as I love my Orange Pekoe and drink way WAY too much of it in a day.
That is going to be one of my goals - to try and cut down. I also never drink it black, I like it with a bit of Stevia powder and sometimes if I want it cooled down quickly, a bit of skim milk.
I have had so many people look as me in disbelief when I tell them just how much I eat in a day. I rarely if ever go hungry as when I feel my tummy start to rumble, I simply eat. I love the fact that I get to eat so much as I've always been and will continue to be a bit obsessed with food. After I've eaten, I'm pretty much always thinking about what I'm going to be eating next. : )
Is anyone else that way??
I'm always looking for some good snack ideas so if anyone has any, let me know. I do agree with Tosca that you need to pack a cooler and keep it handy. It just makes your life so much easier to have what you need right with you when you need it. We all know what happens when we let ourselves get too hungry and just reach for the easiest and fastest thing around ... and normally it ain't all that healthy!
That's it for me today. I will try and get on again tomorrow. Questions, comments ??? Please feel free to leave them for me.
Until tomorrow, keep eating .... clean that is!
Candice
My mother is visiting from Vancouver Island for the weekend so I am making her eat clean as well. Normally when we get together, we do tend to use it as an excuse to get off of our eating plans but I'm really trying to keep us both on. So far so good.
For those of you wanting to know what a day of eating looks like, here you go:
Breakfast
1/2 c egg whites with diced peppers, mushrooms and spinach cooked into an omelet
1 T fat free cheddar cheese
1 c mixed fruit salad
Snack
1 cheese stick
1 apple
Lunch
1 c organic cheese tortillini (bought from Trader Joe's)
2 T pesto (homemade)
2 T fat free plain yogurt (I really like the Silhouette brand)
1/2 c steamed carrots, peppers and green beens
4 mini tomatoes
3 oz. chicken breast
1/2 c cucumbers
Snack
Actually missed this as we ate lunch a bit late
Supper
3 oz roast beef (tenderloin)
1 whole wheat dinner roll
1 c spinach greek salad with fat free feta cheese (made simply with 1 T olive oil and lemon juice as the dressing)
5 asparagus spears
1/4 c fat free beef broth
That's it so far. I will probably have another snack soon as I do feel a bit peekish - it's that missing the snack in the afternoon. It really is true that you need to eat around 300 calories every 2 - 3 hours ... my body now pretty much demands that I do.
As for water, I have probably had 6 - 8 oz. glasses and will get the rest in before bed. Tea does tend to be one of my challenges as I love my Orange Pekoe and drink way WAY too much of it in a day.
That is going to be one of my goals - to try and cut down. I also never drink it black, I like it with a bit of Stevia powder and sometimes if I want it cooled down quickly, a bit of skim milk.
I have had so many people look as me in disbelief when I tell them just how much I eat in a day. I rarely if ever go hungry as when I feel my tummy start to rumble, I simply eat. I love the fact that I get to eat so much as I've always been and will continue to be a bit obsessed with food. After I've eaten, I'm pretty much always thinking about what I'm going to be eating next. : )
Is anyone else that way??
I'm always looking for some good snack ideas so if anyone has any, let me know. I do agree with Tosca that you need to pack a cooler and keep it handy. It just makes your life so much easier to have what you need right with you when you need it. We all know what happens when we let ourselves get too hungry and just reach for the easiest and fastest thing around ... and normally it ain't all that healthy!
That's it for me today. I will try and get on again tomorrow. Questions, comments ??? Please feel free to leave them for me.
Until tomorrow, keep eating .... clean that is!
Candice
Thursday, January 15, 2009
The first of many
Well, here we go. I'm excited to start this journey with those of you who are interested. I have been asked by numerous friends how I was able to lose all the weight that was hanging around for longer than I care to remember.
First, I must say, it wasn't an overnight thing by any means. It has taken me years to get to where I am now and I'm still not quite where I want to be.
For a brief overview, I started my weight loss journey with Weight Watchers around 10 years ago. At that point I was in an unhappy marriage and weighed in at a whopping 278 lbs. - Yikers. And yes, I do have pictures to prove it for those of you who think "no way!" : )
At that time I was able to lose and keep off 60 lbs. But for some reason, I just stopped there even though the program was working well for me. For the next couple of years I simply maintained that weight.
After I met my current husband and had my first child, I decided to give WW another try and managed to lose another 20 lbs or so until I found out I was pregnant again - with twins! That was and continues to be an experience, wonderful most of the time but it sure has it's moments! It's true what they say that what one doesn't think of, the other one does.
I did continue with WW and managed to get down to around 206 lbs when I found out I was pregnant again. After I had my daughter, I was back up to 239 lbs. As I knew I was not having anymore children, I decided that it was time to get the weight off once and for all.
In 2007, I rejoined WW and proceeded to lose 65 lbs. Obviously I loved the results but still was not completely satisfied with the way my body looked. I came across Tosca Reno's column in "Oxygen Magazine" and picked up her book to give it a read. Everything made so much sense to me that I immediately began the Clean Eating lifestyle.
I was shocked at how quickly the fat simply seemed to melt off of my body especially around my mid section including my butt and hips which have always been my problem areas. My thighs, well they have always been my biggest struggle and still continue to be.
The sugar cravings while I can't say have completely left me, have certainly decreased in intensity (chocolate calls my name a bit too loudly for me to not answer it's call once and awhile!) For someone with a self admitted sweet tooth since childhood, this is quite an accomplishment. That is something I have never found before with ANY plan I have ever tried.
I highly recommend you pick up a copy of Tosca's book "The Eat Clean Diet" and give it a read. You will not be disappointed if you make the commitment to give it a go. I'm not saying it will be as easy as some make it out to be because I think anytime you make a lifestyle change, there will be growing pains. It's just the name of the game. But, if you give it a chance, you WILL see results.
I'm happy to say that I have (at least partially) converted two of my very best friends to at least try the Eat Clean way of eating. I'm hoping that they will be able to stick with it long enough to see what can truly happen to their bodies if they can just bare with it for a little while. I think that the transformation of their bodies will speak more loudly than all the preaching I do! LOL
I will be posting recipes for everyone to try and enjoy and hope to hear back from you all with your opinions and perhaps suggestions on how to make them better. I will try to post what I eat in a day on here as well, just to give you an idea. Hopefully that will help me stay on track too!
Feel free to leave comments, suggestions, ideas, challenges, etc. I look forward to helping those friends who feel they could benefit from reading and interacting on this blog. It would be great as well to make some new friends and to help new and old alike who are interested in changing their outlook on food, exercise and their own bodies.
Thanks for taking the time to read. Until next time, keep it clean ... eating that is!
First, I must say, it wasn't an overnight thing by any means. It has taken me years to get to where I am now and I'm still not quite where I want to be.
For a brief overview, I started my weight loss journey with Weight Watchers around 10 years ago. At that point I was in an unhappy marriage and weighed in at a whopping 278 lbs. - Yikers. And yes, I do have pictures to prove it for those of you who think "no way!" : )
At that time I was able to lose and keep off 60 lbs. But for some reason, I just stopped there even though the program was working well for me. For the next couple of years I simply maintained that weight.
After I met my current husband and had my first child, I decided to give WW another try and managed to lose another 20 lbs or so until I found out I was pregnant again - with twins! That was and continues to be an experience, wonderful most of the time but it sure has it's moments! It's true what they say that what one doesn't think of, the other one does.
I did continue with WW and managed to get down to around 206 lbs when I found out I was pregnant again. After I had my daughter, I was back up to 239 lbs. As I knew I was not having anymore children, I decided that it was time to get the weight off once and for all.
In 2007, I rejoined WW and proceeded to lose 65 lbs. Obviously I loved the results but still was not completely satisfied with the way my body looked. I came across Tosca Reno's column in "Oxygen Magazine" and picked up her book to give it a read. Everything made so much sense to me that I immediately began the Clean Eating lifestyle.
I was shocked at how quickly the fat simply seemed to melt off of my body especially around my mid section including my butt and hips which have always been my problem areas. My thighs, well they have always been my biggest struggle and still continue to be.
The sugar cravings while I can't say have completely left me, have certainly decreased in intensity (chocolate calls my name a bit too loudly for me to not answer it's call once and awhile!) For someone with a self admitted sweet tooth since childhood, this is quite an accomplishment. That is something I have never found before with ANY plan I have ever tried.
I highly recommend you pick up a copy of Tosca's book "The Eat Clean Diet" and give it a read. You will not be disappointed if you make the commitment to give it a go. I'm not saying it will be as easy as some make it out to be because I think anytime you make a lifestyle change, there will be growing pains. It's just the name of the game. But, if you give it a chance, you WILL see results.
I'm happy to say that I have (at least partially) converted two of my very best friends to at least try the Eat Clean way of eating. I'm hoping that they will be able to stick with it long enough to see what can truly happen to their bodies if they can just bare with it for a little while. I think that the transformation of their bodies will speak more loudly than all the preaching I do! LOL
I will be posting recipes for everyone to try and enjoy and hope to hear back from you all with your opinions and perhaps suggestions on how to make them better. I will try to post what I eat in a day on here as well, just to give you an idea. Hopefully that will help me stay on track too!
Feel free to leave comments, suggestions, ideas, challenges, etc. I look forward to helping those friends who feel they could benefit from reading and interacting on this blog. It would be great as well to make some new friends and to help new and old alike who are interested in changing their outlook on food, exercise and their own bodies.
Thanks for taking the time to read. Until next time, keep it clean ... eating that is!
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