Yes, I'm still alive. My blog has obviously been suffering some serious neglect (as have my 14 readers, I'm sure), so I apologize to everyone that I have been MIA. I'm not going to make excuses, I'm just lazy. Oh, and I recently purchased a Harry Potter video game that has taken up most of my free time. Sorry.
Can't say that I've followed Phase 2 to a tee so far, but I haven't strayed abominably. (Oh, except for those 2 cannolis I had last night, but holy CANNOLI were they good.) After not getting on the scale in quite some time, I weighed in this morning at 150. I couldn't take a picture because Steve has my camera, but that is the truth. So considering that I've been naughty, I am pleased with that. Obviously, not even close to my goal. But since I've ALSO been slacking on the gym, it is better than I deserve.
I'm considering going back to Phase 1 and starting over, thus allowing all the people who have claimed they want to do it with me to actually jump on the bandwagon. The only problem is, I don't really have a good time. I'm supposed to cook a big Italian dinner with some friends on Thursday and I'm in charge of dessert (hence the cannolis). Then Saturday I'm going to help some other friends celebrate the non-fasting part of Yom Kippur. Next thing you know, I'm in Cook's Forest next week, where it's written into the contract that you have to eat bacon for breakfast. And then I'm off on vacation! I suppose I could make an effort to eat super healthy on vacation, of course allowing for lots of crab and lobster drenched in butter as I'll be in the Outer Banks. Though, if my memory serves me correctly, that particular delicacy wasn't on the approved list in the detox phase.
So I'm not sure how I'm going to plow ahead, but plow ahead I will. Many of you have asked me for the chili recipe, and since apparently my blog links are really hard to recognize, I decided to just post it. Here it is, what got me through phase 1!
FAT SMASH CHILI
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
2 whole peppers, diced (red, green, or yellow)
1/2 cup chopped onion (about 1 medium sized onion)
2 cloves minced garlic (1 tsp of the stuff in a jar)
1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained
1 can (15 oz) chili beans in sauce, do not drain
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, do not drain (see if you can find zesty chili style)
1 can (4 oz) chopped green chilies, drained (or get the big can of Rotel tomatoes & chilies)
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce (see if you can find the Italian seasoned)
1 pkg (12 oz.) of some kind of meatless meat, found in the vegan section (ground burger or crumbles)
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1 Tbsp chili powder and 1/2 tsp. ground cumin OR get one package of chili seasoning mix in your baking needs aisle based on the level of spiciness you prefer. You can always add more chili powder/cumin if you like it spicier/smokier and I like to add a dash of cinnamon to my chili to give it a masked sweetness.
Saute the peppers, onions, and garlic in the oil (in your actual chili pot) until the onions are transparent and start to smell pungent (at least 3 minutes). Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cover. Simmer at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally (try not to let it stick to the bottom). When you can wait not longer... indulge.
We put some hot sauce on ours cause it was pretty mild, and I've melted the Veggie Shreds cheese on top (both cheddar and mootz flavors, and both were delicious) before I realized we're not technically supposed to have even soy based cheese in Phase 1. Well, oops. Might sound weird, but if you're looking for more toppings, trying getting fat free plain yogurt, it is a remarkable substitute for sour cream (I've used it in sauces), just make sure it's room temp! Cold just tastes a little more like yogurt.
So there you have it, folks. The no longer secret chili recipe of the century. I actually made some with extra lean ground turkey in phase 2 and I botched the proportions, so I'm going to have to try again. (Still delicious, though.) One last note, I threw in some of the fake bacon once too, and it doesn't add anything. It's a weird texture and I don't like it. So that's all for now! Maybe I will blog more later, we shall see. I have to admit, I'd feel a little weird contributing to a diet blog after I've made an Italian Wedding Cake. (Wish me luck on that, by the way, it looks super complicated!)
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Monday, September 6, 2010
Blog Fail
So I haven't posted in a few days, and honestly it's because I have been really, really frustrated and I wanted to keep this blog positive for those (no one) at home who are trying to diet. But I guess neglecting to write about the bad things takes away from the authenticity of my "diet journey" so I'm sucking it up and writing again. I hope you're happy.
My weight has fluctuated a ton this weekend, getting up as high as 150.5 at one point (which is another reason I didn't want to post), but this morning I weighed in at...
...149. I can't be upset with that, seeing as how I've had a cheat-filled weekend. First there was the picnic on Thursdy, then I celebrated my promotion with 3 glasses of wine on Friday. Saturday there was a BBQ at work, and I definitely partook of more than 3-4 oz of steak. And yesterday I spent the majority of my day bakin
g a peach cobb
ler and a peach-a-berry pie. They were both delicious and probably not pictures I should be posting on a diet blog, but I was proud of them so I put them up anyways. So there. Oh, I gave the majority of both desserts away, but I did sample one piece from each. What can ya do?
Moving forward I'm going to stick to phase 2 as much as I can, but I'm going to make small allowances for cheating, mostly revolving around bread. For instance, yesterday I tried Trader Joe's Chicken-less Pulled Chicken (basically fake bbq chicken) and ate it with a whole wheat hamburger bun that I spread a little Balade Light Butter on and then broiled so it was nice and crisp. Very good, not quite as good as pulled pork, but still good and very filling. It was a great, easy meal and I'm going to eat it more often dog-gone-it! I've also been out of my mind craving crab cakes, so today I'm going to try a version based on zucchini instead of crab. But they still involve bread crumbs (which aren't allowed)... again, small allowances. I will post the recipe and pictures later if they turn out well. Hope everyone is having a great Labor Day Weekend!
My weight has fluctuated a ton this weekend, getting up as high as 150.5 at one point (which is another reason I didn't want to post), but this morning I weighed in at...
...149. I can't be upset with that, seeing as how I've had a cheat-filled weekend. First there was the picnic on Thursdy, then I celebrated my promotion with 3 glasses of wine on Friday. Saturday there was a BBQ at work, and I definitely partook of more than 3-4 oz of steak. And yesterday I spent the majority of my day bakin
g a peach cobb
ler and a peach-a-berry pie. They were both delicious and probably not pictures I should be posting on a diet blog, but I was proud of them so I put them up anyways. So there. Oh, I gave the majority of both desserts away, but I did sample one piece from each. What can ya do?Moving forward I'm going to stick to phase 2 as much as I can, but I'm going to make small allowances for cheating, mostly revolving around bread. For instance, yesterday I tried Trader Joe's Chicken-less Pulled Chicken (basically fake bbq chicken) and ate it with a whole wheat hamburger bun that I spread a little Balade Light Butter on and then broiled so it was nice and crisp. Very good, not quite as good as pulled pork, but still good and very filling. It was a great, easy meal and I'm going to eat it more often dog-gone-it! I've also been out of my mind craving crab cakes, so today I'm going to try a version based on zucchini instead of crab. But they still involve bread crumbs (which aren't allowed)... again, small allowances. I will post the recipe and pictures later if they turn out well. Hope everyone is having a great Labor Day Weekend!
Thursday, September 2, 2010
ESPN the Picnic
First and foremost I have to admit that I was amazed -- amazed -- at how many people have stopped me to tell me they enjoy my blog. Really? I honestly did not even realize people were reading it. Now I feel a little bit of pressure to be funnier or funny. In all seriousness though, thank you, to everyone who has expressed positive sentiments about this thing. It is the only reason I am writing tonight. Fact.
So, the picnic. Let's start with the positives: I won the water race competition, where you shoot a water gun at a target and make your light rise up a pole. And I got a surprisingly cute stuffed white tiger that Sivillo named, "Dinunzio" but that really should've just been named, "Indy's snack for later." I also enjoyed riding roller coasters and seeing people I don't normally see (because I'm typically anti-social). The not-so-positives? One of the coasters made me feel nauseous and gave me a headache, and I stepped outside the fat smash phase 2 boundaries just slightly, if you consider pole vaulting across restrictive lines slight. (Two "pole" references in one paragraph... too much?) I mean, I was really hungry and walked into a giant BBQ, but at first I actually did alright. I got creative and combined the sloppy joes with the bbq chicken, essentially taking the skin off the chicken and shredding it and putting it on a tortilla with lettuce, tomato, onion, cheese, and light ranch dressing. It. Was. So. Good. And the only thing I wasn't supposed to have was the tortilla. But then I was thirsty, and there is free food and drink throughout this whole thing mind you, so I got a glass of white wine and combined it with some Sierra Mist to make an exceptionally girly-but-refreshing wine spritzer. And then I got a cookie. A delicious M&M, chocolate chip cookie. Boy do I love M&Ms. These were regular, but peanut butter are my favorite. Though I haven't tried the coconut, and people are RAVING about the pretzel kind. Which ones are your favorite? You should sample them ALL and then tell me. (Well, those who aren't dieting.) In any case, I didn't feel so bad after that. But then Steve got french fries and I had one, and then he got chicken tenders and I had three large bites. And I felt bad after that. Mostly, I blame Steve (psyche, I should've been strong enough to resist) because I really wasn't hungry at that point, and it was late in the night and it was fried and so good and damn. The diet blog's first curse word.
In any case, now it is way past my bed time and I didn't work out today and I'm feeling disappointed. But it was my celebration day, so at least I didn't go off the deep end. I mean, boy did I want some fried dough and a churro. Well, it is what it is. Not looking forward to weighing in tomorrow, but I am looking forward to watching the TV I missed tonight (ie the Eagles last preseason game and the Jersey Shore.) Goodnight!
So, the picnic. Let's start with the positives: I won the water race competition, where you shoot a water gun at a target and make your light rise up a pole. And I got a surprisingly cute stuffed white tiger that Sivillo named, "Dinunzio" but that really should've just been named, "Indy's snack for later." I also enjoyed riding roller coasters and seeing people I don't normally see (because I'm typically anti-social). The not-so-positives? One of the coasters made me feel nauseous and gave me a headache, and I stepped outside the fat smash phase 2 boundaries just slightly, if you consider pole vaulting across restrictive lines slight. (Two "pole" references in one paragraph... too much?) I mean, I was really hungry and walked into a giant BBQ, but at first I actually did alright. I got creative and combined the sloppy joes with the bbq chicken, essentially taking the skin off the chicken and shredding it and putting it on a tortilla with lettuce, tomato, onion, cheese, and light ranch dressing. It. Was. So. Good. And the only thing I wasn't supposed to have was the tortilla. But then I was thirsty, and there is free food and drink throughout this whole thing mind you, so I got a glass of white wine and combined it with some Sierra Mist to make an exceptionally girly-but-refreshing wine spritzer. And then I got a cookie. A delicious M&M, chocolate chip cookie. Boy do I love M&Ms. These were regular, but peanut butter are my favorite. Though I haven't tried the coconut, and people are RAVING about the pretzel kind. Which ones are your favorite? You should sample them ALL and then tell me. (Well, those who aren't dieting.) In any case, I didn't feel so bad after that. But then Steve got french fries and I had one, and then he got chicken tenders and I had three large bites. And I felt bad after that. Mostly, I blame Steve (psyche, I should've been strong enough to resist) because I really wasn't hungry at that point, and it was late in the night and it was fried and so good and damn. The diet blog's first curse word.
In any case, now it is way past my bed time and I didn't work out today and I'm feeling disappointed. But it was my celebration day, so at least I didn't go off the deep end. I mean, boy did I want some fried dough and a churro. Well, it is what it is. Not looking forward to weighing in tomorrow, but I am looking forward to watching the TV I missed tonight (ie the Eagles last preseason game and the Jersey Shore.) Goodnight!
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Moving Past the Detox
I finished off Day 10 with a little celebratory cheat. I wanted a Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate with Almonds bar, but they didn't have them at the gas station to which I had driven. And since I was too lazy to drive a mile down the road to an actual grocery store, I had to reassess my options. I came face to face with something I hadn't seen since college, and that was Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches (compliments of Tracy stocking our freezer with them freshman year). I remembered them being delicious, so I decided to go for one of those instead. Also, I did a little research, and the Skinny Cow delectable treat had 140 calories and 1.5 grams of fat versus the Hershey's delectable treat that had 190 calories and 14 grams of fat. My memory served me well. The Skinny Cow ice cream sandwich was awesome, didn't taste low fat at all, and I felt much better about my choice. Plus, I conquered the treadmill AND the elliptical today. So there. Still waiting on my wine.
As promised here is the list of foods that are allowed on Phase 2 of the Fat Smash diet:
• all fresh fruits in any quantity
• all vegetables in any quantity, except white or red potatoes; vegetables should be raw or lightly cooked (steamed or grilled)
• one-half avocado
• one cup daily of fresh-squeezed—not canned—fruit or vegetable juice
• one and one half cup daily of cooked unsweetened oatmeal, grits, farina, or cream of wheat
• one and one-half cups of unsweetened cold cereal such as shredded wheat
• up to four egg whites daily
• one whole egg daily
• any dried beans such as lentils or chickpeas
• 2 cups daily of cooked brown rice
• tofu
• a maxiumum of two tablespoons per day of tahini (sesame paste)
• 2 cups daily of low-fat or nonfat milk or soy milk
• 6 oz (170 g) of low-fat yogurt, maximum of 12 oz (340 g) daily
• a maximum of two pickles per day
• one-two teaspoons of low-fat virgin olive oil for grilling vegetables
• low-fat dressing, no more than three tablespoons per salad
• hot-air popcorn without butter or margarine
• 2 cups daily of unsweetened decaffeinated herbal or green tea
• 3–4 oz (85-110 g) daily of lean meat, turkey, chicken, or fish (no pork)
• 1 oz (28 g) of cheese
• 2 teaspoons of peanut butter
• up to four teaspoons of sugar or artificial sweetener or one tablespoon of honey per day
• up to two teaspoons of salt per day and unlimited herbs and spices
• unlimited water
So basically, the new editions are 3-4 oz of meat, one whole egg, half an avocado, some cheese, some peanut butter, more sweetener, cold cereal blah blah you can read. You're also supposed to bump up the aerobic exercise 10% to 35 minutes daily, 5 times a week and this phase lasts for 3 weeks (rounds out the month after the 9 day detox). I would feel a little better if there was some allotment of chocolate and wine allowed, but as there is not I am finding it hard to get excited and/or motivated for this phase. Still, gotta lose 10 pounds for the blog and 12.5 for my own personal goal, so 4 and 6.5 left respectively. Ugh.
As promised here is the list of foods that are allowed on Phase 2 of the Fat Smash diet:
• all fresh fruits in any quantity
• all vegetables in any quantity, except white or red potatoes; vegetables should be raw or lightly cooked (steamed or grilled)
• one-half avocado
• one cup daily of fresh-squeezed—not canned—fruit or vegetable juice
• one and one half cup daily of cooked unsweetened oatmeal, grits, farina, or cream of wheat
• one and one-half cups of unsweetened cold cereal such as shredded wheat
• up to four egg whites daily
• one whole egg daily
• any dried beans such as lentils or chickpeas
• 2 cups daily of cooked brown rice
• tofu
• a maxiumum of two tablespoons per day of tahini (sesame paste)
• 2 cups daily of low-fat or nonfat milk or soy milk
• 6 oz (170 g) of low-fat yogurt, maximum of 12 oz (340 g) daily
• a maximum of two pickles per day
• one-two teaspoons of low-fat virgin olive oil for grilling vegetables
• low-fat dressing, no more than three tablespoons per salad
• hot-air popcorn without butter or margarine
• 2 cups daily of unsweetened decaffeinated herbal or green tea
• 3–4 oz (85-110 g) daily of lean meat, turkey, chicken, or fish (no pork)
• 1 oz (28 g) of cheese
• 2 teaspoons of peanut butter
• up to four teaspoons of sugar or artificial sweetener or one tablespoon of honey per day
• up to two teaspoons of salt per day and unlimited herbs and spices
• unlimited water
So basically, the new editions are 3-4 oz of meat, one whole egg, half an avocado, some cheese, some peanut butter, more sweetener, cold cereal blah blah you can read. You're also supposed to bump up the aerobic exercise 10% to 35 minutes daily, 5 times a week and this phase lasts for 3 weeks (rounds out the month after the 9 day detox). I would feel a little better if there was some allotment of chocolate and wine allowed, but as there is not I am finding it hard to get excited and/or motivated for this phase. Still, gotta lose 10 pounds for the blog and 12.5 for my own personal goal, so 4 and 6.5 left respectively. Ugh.
Finito (sort of) aka Day 10
Congratulations! This would be the official weigh in after the 9 day detox and supposedly the first time we stepped on the scale since day 1. How did I do?
Well, it looks like I lost 6 pounds! But the scale was on drugs this morning and was reporting all kinds of weights, even as high as 150. So this was the one I got most consistently, but I can't feel great about it, because in the back of my head I'm thinking: what if I really weigh 150? No use torturing myself, though. Just gotta keep plugging ahead. Congrats again to Tracy and Steve who I think were the only other 2 fat smashers to make it the whole way. If anyone else would like to jump on board for phase 2 which will be a little easier, climb on! Coming soon to a blog near you. Gotta go to work, but I will post the phase 2 allowed food list later today. Good job!
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