Chocolate Indulgence

The whole point of this blog is to serve as a support system for people facing the same challenges and sharing the same goals...Fitness, healthy food choices, feeling great and looking fabulous. It is definitely a lifetime commitment, but it doesn't mean we have to give up ice cream, or stop eating out.

I'm committing to blog what I eat and the types of work outs that are working for me as I get back on track and ready for the summer. The hope is that it gives some inspiration and new ideas for healthy meals or fun workouts. When I started, I was just writing to my sister, Vicki. We promised to be accountable to each other, since we had fallen off track a bit. It was just the push I needed, and I'm back in my favorite jeans...so I'm hoping this might help a few other people get ready for the upcoming summer season. Use this blog to post your frustrations, ask questions, post great recipes, motivational sayings, fun new exercises, find a workout partner...anything that has to do with living a healthy life.

On that note, lets talk about the fabulous night of chocolate decadence I had yesterday!! This snow was the straw that broke the camels back. It's slated to cost me another few thousand dollars in sales this weekend. So, as I like to do, I decided to feed my frustrations. However, this time, there was no guilt and I walked proudly to the frozen food section to find my ice cream. After a few weeks of strictly reading nutrition labels, I will admit, it was a difficult purchase. But, I managed to find a chocolate caramel brownie ice cream made with skim milk. So, it only had 3.5g of saturated fat. The challenge was only eating one serving. But, nothing tastes as good as skinny feels, so I kept it to about 1/2 cup and took small slow bites, savoring every second. I loved the chocolate so much, I got up and made a chocolate espresso martini. Ok, I made a shaker of it...still have to figure out that sugar and calorie count. But, I did 90 minutes of working out, so I earned it.

All weight loss advocates agree that keeping a food journal, will help you lose weight and give you a real look at what you are putting in your body. They also say that we usually miss 500-1000 calories. That's scary when we are told to strive for 1200-1800 calories.

Anyway...here is yesterday:
1/3 veggie egg white omelet - left over from south st. diner
1 grapefruit
2/3 cup of dry roasted soy beans (throughout the day...#1 diet tip...these will keep you feeling full all day)
Lunch was the left overs in my fridge (some roast pork cut up and Near east pecan and garlic whole grains) Threw that in the pan, while broiling a fillet of haddock. Fill the pan with baby spinach and a splash of olive oil, toss and cover for 1-3 minutes till wilted. Toss again and throw in the haddock. Easy, yummy, and nutrient packed. It was a big hit and ready in under 10 minutes.
Dinner...well this is the point where I was feeling a little sorry for myself and decided to feel better Bridget Jones style with ice cream and cocktails. So dinner was a bowl of ice cream and a pair of chocolate espresso martinis. I had some roasted chicken that I cut up as if I was going to make some kind of stir fry. But, I was so content with the ice cream, that I had a few bites of chicken and a few roasted soy beans and called it a day.

All the fiber I have been eating seems to be keeping me satiated. If you are reading this saying "Yeah Right...that would never happen to me." Try it. Eat a VERY high fiber cereal (7g+) with fruit every morning for a week or two. I'll bet your cravings will be cut in half. I am someone who was 100 lbs overweight, as many friends can attest. I ate fatty foods, I ate lots of food. Eating had nothing to do with hunger. I just love food and love eating, so that's what I did. Now, strangely, my challenge is to get enough calories so that I can keep up my metabolism. And, I definitely haven't' given up my restaurant visits. I've just cut out as much processed and box foods as possible, added fiber and really pay attention to portion sizes.

As for exercise: I was duped into an intense ab workout in the morning. It was listed on demand as yoga with an ab focus. It was weight training for your abs, but I did all 20 minutes! Then, I had a kickboxing training session. WOW that was amazing! I can't afford it often during my slow work season, but I try to fit it in at least 2x a month, because it is intense and I get great tips on my other workouts. For info call Dan at 215-668-6493). Then, basically because I'm starting to see a little definition in my abs, I went back on demand and did another 12 minute ab work out. It's amazing how hard it is to get back on the exercise train, but once you do, it can become addicting. I am trying to do something every day and maintain a slight burn...you know that feeling that you've worked out your muscles. Not to the point that you can't walk, but enough to remind yourself about the hard work you are putting in. It reminds you to stay on track on the food side as well. Who wants to put in all that hard work and throw it away over a few twinkies??

So...what did you eat today? Did ya get your work out in? What's your biggest challenge? Any motivational tips to share?