Singing for a smaller me

I'm an information whore, and as such I'm constantly searching for random diet related crap. Yeah, I said diet. I give up. From here on out, I'm not going to mince around that word. We're on a diet. Hell, every single freaking person on the planet is on a diet. According to my mistress, Google, the definition of diet is: Noun: The kinds of food that a person, animal, or community habitually eats. So stop assuming (and yes, that says you're an ass) I'm talking about the evil verb to diet, and get over yourself.

Although, you know what, I'm also going to talk about that stinking verb, to diet, because I can. So there.

Anywho. In the diet related world, there are five million websites, books, gurus out there with tons of great information. Sure, most of it conflicts with everything else everyone else is saying, but who cares. Right?

In my ever wandering search for new internet fodder, I found the following site: Bitch Yourself Thin. Sure, it's a paid community site, but the rest of the content is free, and some of it's a great laugh. And the name of the website really appealed to me. Hie yourself there and check it out, I have spoken. Heh, cos I'm a guru or something like that. Suuurrre.

Moving on.

With my current completely un-PC mood (which means I'm not in the mood to pussyfoot around anything), let's tackle a few books from my bookshelf:

A while back, my sister in law recommended I read "Women, Food and God" by Geneen Roth. It really helped her with her relationship with food, and I figured "hey, what the heck? Can't hurt to try." How I wish Ms. Roth's book could've done for me what it did for her, but - sadly - I just can't finish reading the frakking book. I'll get to page 75 or so, put it down, and never start again. Maybe it's a subconscious inability to read self-help books. I don't know. Anyone want a slightly used copy? I'm happy to pass it on.

Before that, came my Bible: The Beck Diet Solution. This is my tao. When I need to kick myself in the butt and get back on track, this is the book I always come back to. Seriously, I carry it around in my freaking purse. If you want to do what I'm doing, then this is the book for you. Live it, love it, learn it. 'Nough said.

Next comes The 4 Day Diet by Dr. Ian Smith. Yep, the same guy who wrote The Fat Smash Diet: the last diet you'll ever need. Quick question, if that diet was the last diet I'd ever need, why did he write another diet book? DOES NOT COMPUTE. Still, I picked it up in the bargain bin at Barnes & Noble as another "what the heck? Can't hurt to try" purchase. Read the whole thing. BORING. Guess I know why it was in the bargain bin now.

Okay, that's it for this first installment of "Crap from Zan's bookshelf". Have a good one folks.

Yeah, I'd say awesome is pretty much one of my favorite words. Any given day, you'll hear me say "AWESOME" ten or fifteen times and chances are, at some point, you'd get pretty tired of hearing it. I regularly stop myself from saying it in Facebook or Twitter replies, but I'm going to subject anyone reading this to my awesome obsession with the word AWESOME.

Alright. I'm done now.

Seriously.

Alright once more: Awesome.

Now I'm done. >.<



Last week (or the week before, I'm not really sure), I mentioned that I got a BlendTec Blender for Christmas. Kirsten of Results Not Typical Girl asked for a review of said blender, and because this thing is so epic (okay I use epic a lot too!) I was more than happy to oblige. So here ya go as promised.

First, confession time: I knew I was getting my super fab awesomely awesome Blendtec Blender for Christmas (I don't think the DH would - out of his own volition and for fear of me flaying him alive - buy me any kind of kitchen gadget without my express approval). Actually, I was with him at Costco when we saw they were being demo'd/on sale (OMG!!! Something's on sale at Costco - say it ain't so!). After trying several of the absolutely delish demo foods, I was pretty well convinced. Going, going, SOLD! Oh happy day, caloo, calay!

Now, the hardest part was waiting until Christmas to start using the freaking thing. Yep, I wrapped it up so I could open it on Christmas Day and squee in front of my family. But knowing that this was waiting for me under the tree meant I planned part of Xmas Day dinner as blender friendly.

Christmas Day finally comes around (FINALLY!), and I get to unwrap it and laugh like mad crazy because I finally get to open it and USE IT. *Happy Dance*

Can't tell you how to set the thing up because the DH - knowing how super squee I was about this thing and knowing I was running around like a chicken with its head cut off prepping dinner - pre-empted me and set it all up. However, it did come with a nifty getting started guide, the blender (obviously!), and a recipe book. The recipe book, it is my precious and the keeper of such wonderful recipes as tortilla soup and banana chocolate soy milkshakes and fondue and - oh god, stop me now, I'm drooling!

None of the recipe book recipes were part of my Xmas dinner (because it was still wrapped when I was buying ingredients!), but I made the Spinach Parmesan dip I rattled on about in my Holiday Break Recap Post. Yummy. Verdict: super easy to use.

Next up: the fabulously, amazing Tortilla Soup. OMG, so tasty. Follow the recipe and directions for shoveling ingredients into the blender and you have Tortilla Soup of WIN. It's important to put ingredients in in the order specified for optimal blender use.

After that: Banana Bread. Yes, this thing made up the batter for banana bread. Hot Damn. Word of Caution: This is a high speed blender. DO NOT leave something like banana bread batter mixing for too long or it will start to cook in the blender. You don't want to spend $$$ on something like this then ruin it by not reading the instructions (well, you'll ruin the pitcher, but you get the picture).

Approaching New Year's Eve, I realized I had a whole mess of vegetables/herbs/etc that were going to go bad if I didn't use them, so I did what any sensible person with an awesome blender would do: looked up recipes and used all that fresh produce up before it went to waste. Made salsa and pesto and cream of broccoli soup. Oooo, baby, I'll never throw out produce again - not when I can make soups and sauces and dips, oh my!

Truthfully, though, I wanted a BlendTec Blender specifically for the purpose of making my Green Monster Smoothies in the morning. My old KitchenAid wasn't cutting it with my daily morning ritual and took forever to blend to the right consistency. Not this baby!! One button push and it's practically perfect in every way!!!

For now, the verdict is EPIC WIN! Of course, I haven't had it for long, but I have a feeling I'm going to love using this thing nearly every freaking day. I'll share further blending results and maybe some super cool and AWESOME recipes.


In other news, I finished C25K, Week One, Day Two today at the gym at work today (which is deserted at 7am. SCORE!). Feeling quite optimistic about my progress: went just a bit further than Day One, managed a steadier pace, and I feel like my endurance has increased. Really looking forward to Day Three - am I crazy?

Okay, I'll leave you on that note. See ya!

My body and I are currently at odds with one another. I would like to go out and enjoy the weather that finally seems to be getting better. My body, on the other hand, wants me to laying in the fetal position suffering from cramps. Joy.

Oh, Aunt Flo, I love you but wish you had better timing. Ugh.

Yesterday, I wrote a post about reality tv shows and my shame at getting caught up in the Biggest Loser phenomenon. Of course, I never posted it because I was too busy cooking, finding the perfect "shame" lolcat, and watching the Biggest Loser Finale to post. Ha!

So here it is, a day late, for your viewing pleasure:

Does anyone besides me remember when "Reality" shows ceased being real? Not that they were ever really real, but you know what I mean - before producers started manufacturing conflict by sticking people with polar opposite personalities in the same house and seeing who came out alive. (Does the name Puck ring a bell? Yep, from The Real World on MTV. The beginning of the end.)

I've never been a big fan of reality shows. Survivor sucked, Big Brother made me want to gag, and don't get me started on the Bachelor (or the plus size version "More to Love"). Ugh, Ugh, UGH.

No one was more surprised than me when I was won over by the Biggest Loser. Seriously. I was probably the most vocal person I know about unrealistic expectations and its effect on the plus size population. Every time I turn the television on to watch TBL I have this automatic shame response. To quote Madeline Kahn in Clue, "Fla-, Flames, on the side of my face".

Still, I'm ridiculously excited to watch tonight's Finale. Will Koli or Daris be the last member of the Final Three? I voted for Koli - California girl here. Who's gonna win the at-home prize? My bet is either Darrell or O'Neal. How much more weight will Ashley and Michael have lost? And I can't wait to see Shay weigh in!!!!

Since the hubby will be out with friends, I'm contemplating watching Live instead of recording because - dammit - I don't want it to be spoiled!!!

And - I'm shaking my head in disbelief at thinking this - I can't wait for next season.


(There ends the day late post or what I decided to keep as of this morning)

My reactions to the Biggest Loser finale (in stream of consciousness mode):

• I'm a little frustrated that although TBL is filmed in California, the live Finale episode is broadcast on a tape delay. Not okay with this. Totally not okay.


• Wow, Daris really seems to have figured sh*t out in his head. And his girlfriend is super cute. And he's so nice. Wait, seriously, is Allison crushing on Daris? Cause he kind of looks like a soap star now. A big hunk of farmboy soap star, but still.


• Um, wow, Koli, the pink pants have got to go. And please remember to pull your shoulders back. Okay, not surprised America voted you out of the Top Three.


• Shay looks beautiful. Is it just me or does her make-up seem a little on orange-y side?


• Yay! Eric lost a lot of the weight again. Sweet. Wait, how long has it been since the episode where he was on advising the contestants on the pitfalls of leaving the ranch?!?!


• Cherita and Victoria - you have got to give Cherita some serious credit here, she looks fab and she never spent a day on the Ranch. Just goes to show you what you can do at home.


• Sherry and Maria - holy cow, look at how tiny Sherry is. My god! And Maria - she looks fifteen years younger. Seriously. She looks younger than Rebecca did at the Finale last season.


• Patti and Stephanie - I love Stephanie. She's super cute and I totally identify with her.


• John and James - Good to go, boys.


• Melissa and Lance - Wow, Melissa looks hot. Amazingly hot, and she's really pretty. Still a b*tch apparently. And Lance, wow, guess he can start trying to get that job back now.


• Migdalia and Miggy - Wow, Miggy. Wow. That's all I have to say. Holy Cow! Why am I not surprised that they had these guys come out at the same time as Melissa and Lance? Guess the producers wanted to see if they could start a fight and really raise the ratings. Since hockey season is basically over and all.


• O'Neal and Sunshine. Love O'Neal. Love. Love. Love. And the suit: wow. Sunshine - I would have loved to see her in her makeover episode dress, but still pretty freaking amazing.


• Darrell and Andrea. I don't know what to say because Darrell looks so totally different. I'm in shock. But not. Because I knew he could do it. See, I said Darrell or O'Neal.


• Cheryl - O.M.G. She looks so super cute and dainty. And then they're showing that screaming footage. And then cute and dainty. Rawr.


• Sam and Koli. Surprise, Sam is cute, Koli isn't standing up straight. Hatecakes on the pink pants. Woops, looks like it's gonna be Koli. Huh.


• Love, love, love the whole Marilyn Monroe-esque look Ashley has going on. Super hot!


• Wow, Michael looks great. But he needs to lose the jeans and the belt buckle. Not okay. Really not okay. And wait, is there something going on between Michael and Ashley cause it looked like he was about to kiss her.


• Did the make-up artists go a little heavy on the bronzer and self tanners? because, yeah, it was not okay.


• Oops, surprise, Michael won. I knew if Koli wasn't in the Top Three Michael was gonna win.

Okay, gonna go hang my head in shame now.

Week of 5/12/10 Stats

Starting Weight: 291.6

Previous Weight: 245.0 lbs
Current Weight: 242.6 lbs
Difference: -2.4 lbs

Total Weight Removed: -49.0 lbs
Total Percentage of Weight Removed: 16.8%

Yes, you read that right: I am exactly one pound away from having lost fifty pounds! Someone at Weight Watchers last night asked me if I was disappointed that I didn't reach the fifty pound mark, and I was flabbergasted. Disappointed? How could I be disappointed? I lost two and a half pounds this week, three pounds last week (Five and half pounds and nearly two percent in two weeks!!!) and I'm supposed to be disappointed?!? How does that work? This is not a race to lose the weight as quickly as possible, folks.

You know, I found my weight loss journal from the last time I joined Weight Watchers - in two and a half pounds I will cross the threshold to my lowest weight posted since October 2005. It's so exciting. I mean, seriously, my weight will soon be in the 230's; I have a hard time remembering that last time I saw the 230's. And each week I'm getting further and further away from 250. Soon I'll be on the other side of 225 heading to 200. Whew. That's a heady feeling.

Maybe you noticed the new section on my sidebar (over thata way ---->) linking to my Flickr Progress Photo Set. Apparently, as I've been losing weight, I've become something of the camera whore - asking the hubby to take pictures of me, taking pictures of myself - I'm just thrilled to see where I am.

Oh look, it's a side by side progress pic:

My mom keeps calling me brave for sharing my weight in my pictures, but that isn't what it is. It's honesty. Pure and simple honesty. This is where I am in my life: no more lies, no more pretending I'm something I'm not.

I guess the next question is what brought about this weight loss renaissance. Well, I'm back to working out, I'm back to following the good health guidelines, I'm back to writing down every bite I eat. That's what worked for me from October - April, and that's what will work for me until I reach my goal. Habits, habits, habits. Something clicked back on, maybe it was clearance from my doc, maybe I just realized how much I wanted it again. Who knows? But I'm feeling really good.

Onto this morning . . .

Our coffee maker is apparently possessed (or something). The basket has developed this bad habit of popping open while the beans are grinding and spilling all over the counter. Grr. Fortunately, our bedroom (at least, my side of the bedroom) is near the kitchen and I usually wake up for a second when it starts up each morning. This morning it sounded odd, and I hopped out of bed to check on it. Just. In. Time. The water was about to start and would have made a wonderful, goo-ey, ground-y mess. Yay. After cleaning up the aftermath, refilling the coffee maker and standing there giving it the death glare to make sure it didn't pop open again, I realized I was up an hour early. Ah well.

With no chance of getting back to bed after the coffee ground incident, I realized I had an entire hour I don't normally have in the morning. Time to make real breakfast!!!!! I subscribe to the a href="http://www.hungry-girl.com">Hungry Girl newsletter and have seen multiple references to what is called the "Egg Mug"; it's intrigued me for a while and what better time to make it! And anything that can be made in the microwave earns two thumbs up from this girl. After browsing through several pages of recipes I settled on the Egg Mug Lorraine (about 3/4's of the way down the page) - that and I had all the necessary ingredients (Yay!). All I have to say is Wow. Tasty. Must. Repeat.

If you haven't, hie yourself over to Hungry Girl and check it out.

If there's one thing I can say about myself, it's this: I love trying new foods. (Hell, I love food. Would I be writing this if I didn't??) I've made a point of never saying no to something unless it's truly foul. Some things are good, some are great, and some are just bad. Really, really, really bad. And some things I just have to share because they're too good not to share.

Here we go with a list of the bad, the good, and the OMG I just had to share this with you:

• Greek Yogurt
  
  I was enthusiastic about jumping on the Greek Yogurt bandwagon. What's not to love? It's got protein, it's low-fat (non-fat), and just about every store is carrying some variety or another. After hearing its praises sung here, there, and everywhere I picked up a package of plain Greek Yogurt at Trader Joe's a few months back and dug in. Yuck. Eeeeewww. Icky. It was gross. I threw it away three bites in.
  
  Understand, it took me a long time to acquire a taste for plain ol' normal yogurt. It wasn't a gross taste or anything, I just didn't like it. My tastes have changed over time, however, and heck - I even get hankerings for it time and again.
  
  Still, there's something about greek yogurt that just makes me want to gag. Even so, I tried to keep an open mind: maybe something other than plain greek yogurt would do the trick. So I bought greek yogurt with strawberries. Nope. Texture - yuck. Taste - eeew. Garbage can - you betcha. I'll keep trying it though. One of these days I might actually develop a taste for it.
  


• Whole Wheat Pasta
  
  For some time, I've been eager to start cooking with whole wheat pasta, but a little apprehensive over the hubby's reaction. While we were shopping at Costco a week or so back, I finally sprung at the opportunity to buy an 8-lb bulk package of Garofalo Organic Whole Wheat Spaghetti (all the while reassuring the DH if he didn't like it I'd make him the regular stuff).
  
  It sat in the cupboard for a week, a victim of my concern and the fact that I rarely cook pasta. Yesterday morning, though, I heard its siren call. Pasta it was, but in my world pasta is never the only part of the dish. Mentally cataloguing what we had on hand, I sent the hubby off to the store after work to pick up shrimp and shallots.
  
  Verdict: a resounding success. The hubby couldn't tell the difference except for graininess and that didn't bug him. W00t!!
  
  Here's last night's recipe if you're interested:
  
  Lemon Garlic Shrimp over Whole Wheat Pasta with Zucchini
  
  POINTS® Value: 7
  Servings: 4
  Preparation Time: 15 min
  Cooking Time: 20 min
  Level of Difficulty: Easy
  
  Ingredients
  1/2 package Whole Wheat Spaghetti (approx 4 1/2 servings)
  1 lb shrimp, cleaned and de-veined
  2-3 sprays Cooking Spray (Misto! Woot!)
  2 medium zucchini, chopped
  1/4 cup shallots, finely chopped
  2 cloves garlic, chopped
  1/8 cup parsley
  2 tbsp oregano
  1/4 tsp salt
  1/8 tsp black pepper
  cayenne pepper to taste
  dash of ginger
  1/4 cup lemon juice
  1/2 cup vegetable broth
  1 tbsp butter
  
  
  
  
  1. Prepare pasta according to package. Meanwhile, spray a non-stick skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat.
  
  
  2. Add shrimp and cook until just pink (or buy them cooked like I did!!).
  
  
  3. Add zucchini and cook for three minutes, then add shallots and garlic. Cook until fragrant, approximately one minute.
  
  
  4. Dump in you spices (parsely, oregano, salt, pepper, cayenne, ginger) and saute for half a minute at the most.
  
  
  5. Pour in lemon juice and vegetable broth and add tbsp of butter. Turn to low heat and let simmer for five to ten minutes.
  
  
  6. Drain pasta, place back in pot and toss with Shrimp mixture.
  
  
  
  Makes 4 two-cup servings.
  


• Fabulous Find: Trader Joe's Spicy Ranchero Egg White Salad
  
  In my quest to cram as much food as I can down my gullet while consuming the fewest possible POINTS, I came across this tasty treat at Trader Joe's:
  
  
  
  At just 50 calories and 2 grams of fat per serving (for a total of 100 calories and 4 grams of fat per container!), this really packs a punch. Not only does it satisfy that whole egg salad craving, it also satisfies that whole spicy food craving. Sadly, there is no picture of the contents because I ate it all!!!
  
  Opening the container up at lunch today, my original intent was to eat half the salad and leave the rest for lunch tomorrow. This was not the case. I was so pleasantly surprised that I whipped up another wrap on the spot. For a great and filling lunch, take one La Tortilla Factory Large High Fiber Tortilla, a cup and a half of uncooked baby spinach, half a container of this bad boy, and wrap it up. Heaven, I'm in heaven . . .

First, I want to send a shout out to Rita at The Giggly Bits since it's her birthday. Happy Birthday!!!!

(Now, forgive me as I turn into an infomercial, because - ohmigod - everyone needs one of these things!)




I don't know about you, but I kind of hate buying cooking sprays. They're overpriced, why not use what you have at home, and - hello! - aerosols!! Enter Misto (and chances are everyone and their mom knows about this but me, but I don't care!!!), the reuseable, refillable, oil sprayer.

While moving our friend this weekend, I spied one of her roommates using this ingenious device. While technically there to move our friend, I found a few minutes to ask about it, what it was, and what it did. Get this: Put 1/3 cup of olive oil (or whatever other oil) in the bottle, close it, pump it up, and voila: instant cooking spray. It lasts forever and it's reusable (w00t!).

*insert teen-aged squeeing here* Ooo, unncecessary kitchen device that might even be helpful!! I knew I had to get this. And that's all I could think about the entire time we were moving: getting to Bed, Bath & Beyond and buying one or five of these magical devices.

Cut to dinner and we're not a block from Bed, Bath & Beyond. Yeah, guess where I was going? And what I was getting? Heh heh heh. And I told the hubby too. Something unintelligible like, "OMG, I need this thing because it's superly awesomely awesome and it will change my life and, and, and . . ." Maybe not quite that bad, but you get the point. Glad he's a device person as well, cause after seeing it he went squee too (Yay!).

(BTW it's $10 at Bed, Bath & Beyond - totally worth the cost!)

Of course, I didn't get the chance to use it all weekend long, and all I wanted to do was cook something so I could use my new amazingly magical spraying device of awesomeness. But we ate out all weekend long except for that rushed Sunday night meal which wasn't cooked. Grr.

Finally, last night (after making more of last week's super fabulous Couscous Salad) I knew it was time. Time for Misto to be put to good use. What better than spraying down the pan to make a super tasty veggie wrap?? Two quick sprays and the pan was covered, and I'd used far less than the tablespoon it normally takes to prime a pan. *Happy Dance* Okay, this thing works exactly as advertised. Now to go buy a couple (or ten) more.

Saturday, since Barnes & Noble was just one store over, I dragged the hubby there too. Ostensibly, I was looking for cookbooks, but found myself in the fitness section leafing through body sculpting books. Wound up walking out with two things: the Body Sculpting Bible Express for Women (will likely buy the full version later) and Jillian Michaels Hot Bod in a Box (yeah, it's not a DVD so she won't scare the living sh*t out of me!!). The JM box won't be used for a while, but I thought it was helpful to set it as an aspiration.



I'm trying to establish a more structured and consistent workout routine (and with the hockey season still going, chances of getting the gym membership are low), so I bought the new book to serve as trainer and guide for body sculpting. This week is a test run of Week One of its Six Week Workout plan. If it works for me (as I hope it will since I spent a lot of time looking at books), next week I'll start Week Two and keep going from there.

Finally, I figured I'd share my Fabulous Veggie Wrap recipe from last night (since it used my magical spray of awesomeness and all!):

Teriyaki Veggie Wraps
POINTS® Value: 3
Preparation Time: 2-5 minutes
Cooking Time: 15-20 minutes

Ingredients
2-4 sprays cooking spray (Misto!!!!)
1 1/2 cups white onion, sliced
1 10 oz. package mushrooms
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
1 cup bell peppers, red and greeen
2 wedges Laughing Cow Garlic and Herb Cheese Wedges
4 cups spinach, stems removed
4 La Tortilla Factory High Fiber Large Tortillas

Instructions
1. Spray a frying with two sprays of cooking spray and set over medium high heat.
2. Add onion, mushroom, salt and pepper to pan and saute for five minutes. Spray twice more with cooking oil if necessary.
3. Add teriyaki sauce and saute for another two minutes.
4. Add in bell peppers and saute until mushrooms have reduced, approximately another five minutes. Remove from heat.
5. Spread one tortilla with half a cheese wedge, top with one cup spinach and a quarter of vegetable mixture.
6. Wrap and enjoy.

Yields 4 vegetable wraps.

NOTE: I'm big on buying things pre-sliced and chopped if at all possible to minimize on preparation time - I hate cutting if I don't have to. My onions and bell peppers came in a fajita vegetable mix and I separated the onions out, then threw them in the pan with the bag of pre-sliced mushrooms. All told, this took a total of 20 minutes to prep, cook and plate, and it was delicious.

Went to the grocery store not too long ago to pick a few essentials and something for lunch. If you know me, you know my favorite frozen meal for lunch is the Lean Cuisine Butternut Squash Ravioli (which is mmm, mmm, yummy). After browsing the frozens for a short time, I noticed a meal I'd never seen, Healthy Choice Pumpkin Squash Ravioli, and it intrigued me so into the basket it went.

Getting back to work I was eager to try it out, and hopeful I would find another tasty, delicious vegetarian meal to add into the Meatless Monday rotation that wasn't 500 calories with 25 grams of fat and stuffed with cheese. After following instructions eerily similar to that of my favorite frozen meal (which only increased my anticipation), I opened it up, took a bite and thought "YUCK!" It was disgusting. But being open minded I kept on eating, hoping it might grow on me. It didn't.

Description from the box:
Ravioli stuffed with tender pumpkin and combined with crisp asparagus, sweet butternut squash, and juicy Granny Smith apples, topped with a butter-sage sauce.

First Impressions:
It looked pretty freaking boring and brown. Eeeeeeewww.

The raviolis:
Tasty, little on the too sweet side. Eh.

The vegetables and apples:
Asparagus - delish. Butternut squash - overcooked and squishy. Eeeeewww. Apples - ick - tasted like an afterthought.

The sauce:
Tasted like dirty feet. Eeeeewww.

Sad to say, this dish made its way into the trash half eaten. I don't want to waste good points on bad food.

For a more in-depth and intellectual review than my "eeeeewwws", "icks" and "ehs" I'd direct you to Iateapie.net. She puts my thoughts into words so much better than I can, and even acknowledges that some people find this disgusting meal appetizing.

I'm going to go find something to wash my mouth out now.