Recipes

Baked Oatmeal


2 cups oats (I use whole, not quick)
1 cup dried fruit 
handful of nuts
dash of salt
cinnamon as desired 
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup of brown sugar (or honey)


Toss dry ingredients in a bowl.  In separate bowl or large measuring cup:
2 cups milk 
2 T melted butter (opt)
1 T vanilla
1/3 cup honey or maple syrup
2 eggs


Whisk together and stir into dry ingredients; in bottom of 8X8 greased pan, slice a whole banana, then sprinkle fresh or frozen blueberries on top of that.  Pour oatmeal mixture on next, smooth out and bake at 350' for 35-40 minutes.  




Disclaimer: all images are from Pinterest.

Crunchy Roasted Chickpeas

2 cans cooked chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
olive oil
seasonings to taste (I used sea salt and garlic powder)


Rinse & drain chickpeas, pat dry with a paper towel then toss in a ziploc bag with 1-2 T olive oil and seasonings.  I used about 1 teaspoon of sea salt and about 1 tablespoon of garlic powder.  Toss well to coat, spread on baking pan and bake in a 400* oven for 30-40 minutes.  Toss gently on pan every 10 minutes or so, and let cool when done baking.  They'll crunch up even more when cool.  Store in a dry, airtight container.  
 

Speaking of Pinterest, check out my board called YUMMO on Pinterest.  Click on the photos to see the source.  http://pinterest.com/happystamper62/yummo/

Happy Day (Sundays & Mondays posts)

I'm happy today; the sun is shining, the house is warm, my tummy is filled with a comforting & satisfying bowl of oatmeal, and we're gonna go for a little ride!  A little chilly out, but I'll bundle up under my leather jacket and it'll be good to get a little "wind therapy" as they call it!  :)  


Tim & I went to my niece, Linda's house for dinner last night; she and her husband, Karl, are fantastic cooks and made THE MOST delicious meal!  Roasted chicken covered with all kinds of seasonings, venison sauteed with onions & peppers (blech!), lentils cooked w/ celery, onion & carrots.....ooooh, it was SOOO good!  A couple glasses...okay, a few...okay, FOUR (small) glasses of White Zinfandel was my drink of the evening and the perfect accent to the meal.   Brock, Sylvia & Anna brought an awesome salad and Ghirardelli brownies.  What a fun time we all had!  


I was VERY happy to get on the scales this morning and see that I'm down two more pounds and at 243#.  That makes 10# since the 18th of April.  A good start and very encouraging; I even noticed a pair of jeans getting looser a few days ago!


MONDAY:
I read this article in Prevention last week:http://www.prevention.com/weight-loss/weight-loss-tips/weight-loss-tips-reset-your-body-clock-belly-melt-diet?cm_mmc=Spotlight-_-887026-_-04232012-_-How-to-Lose-Weight-All-Day-Long-read-more
(One of these days I'll figure out how to post a link properly!)  I like to read about how to eat for energy and to boost the metabolism and realize that many of the tips given in this article are things I already do!  In fact, I realized that my attitude re: health and nutrition has definitely changed for the better in the past few years! Before 2008, I didn't care about the nutritional aspect of food, although I did care about preparing "healthy"meals for my family; as in, meat or casserole, vegetables and a starch of some sort.  But I had no interest in calories, carbs, fats, proteins, etc.  I just wanted to cook and eat what I liked.  Hence, the eventual creeping up to 266# by the summer of 2008.   Wow!  What a diva!  NOT!  :}  

July 2008 at 266#

Thank goodness that since the start of 2fatchicksonadiet in 2008 and now as DivaInDisguise, I AM interested and far more knowledgeable about the food that I put into my body and how it works for me.  My eating habits HAVE changed a great deal!  Never in the past would I happily eat lentils, black beans, hummus, celery and carrots because I like them, greek plain yogurt, etc. etc. etc.  My refrigerator is more often filled with these things, plus healthy cuts of meat, lots of fresh veggies and fruit and I include grains, legumes and good proteins in my diet every day!  Yeah, I still love the bad stuff; cheese doodles and cake still tempt me and put a pan of homemade Baked Macaroni & Cheese in front of me, and I lose all control.  But for the most part, I love GOOD food and am thankful I've finally "grown up" that way!  

April 2009 at 198#  

Today I'll start my day with delicious and nutritious Baked Oatmeal and pack a lunch of celery & carrots w/ hummus, a chicken sausage wrapped in a low-carb whole-grain tortilla loaded w/ pepper slices, baby spinach, a little mustard and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar, an apple and a big bottle of water.  Dinner will be steak and chicken breasts that are marinating in the fridge this very moment and I'm going to try a new recipe: Roasted Cauliflower and will make quinoa to go w/ our meal.  Pretty good eating, wouldn't you say?  Oh.  And I'm down another pound this morning, for a total of eleven.  Yup, it's another happy day!  

Call Me Butter Cuz' I'm on a Roll!

Isn't that a cute saying?  Tim just said it to me the other day after beating the socks off me in Words With Friends!  Love that game, but love it more when I'M winning!!  


Well, I can't believe I actually posted that last horrifying temper tantrum of a post, but.  I did.  So.  Moving on!  


I'm relieved and glad to report that I'm back "on a ROLL!" of eating and exercising.  Truly, I'm motivated by my friend, Sandra, who just keeps on working her tail off and sticking with the stuff, no matter what happens.  And I'm encouraged by my cousin, Sylvia, who fights the same fat-battle that I do (stop & start/lose & gain) but who doesn't give in to her emotions by bitching and moaning.  She just laughs it off, accepts her temporary back-tracking and charges full-steam ahead!  I always said I'm not a competitive type, but perhaps I really am!  I don't wanna be left behind by these ladies in this get healthy/get thinner season!  :)  


Here are some real numbers to show what's been happening:  

• April 16th  249#  (GAH!!)  
• April 18th   253# (what on EARTH?!  I gained FOUR pounds in TWO days???)
• April 19th  251#  (I took control again)
• April 20th  248# (okay now!!  Eating well & exercising.  THIS is more like it!  This is what my body USED to do!) 
• April 21st  245#  (WOW!!)
• April 22nd  245#  
• April 23rd  246#  (I ate more and later than I should have the night before)
• April 24th  244#  (that's today; good swim class and one delicious serving of Eggplant Parmesan for dinner afterward.  I was so tired out that I went to sleep early!) 

I'm just thankful to see results for my efforts and am encouraged to keep on.  The forecast for this weeks weather was very discouraging, and I wasn't sure how motivated I'd be to get out there, or go to the gym (I seem to have an aversion to going there) but thankfully, the sun is trying to shine and that means walking or biking.  Unfortunately, my foot causes me alot of pain when walking (for exercise) and that bums me out.  I have enjoyed my swim class recently and guess I'll keep doing that too.  

This past weekend I tried some healthy recipes; Eggplant Parmesan 

(I figure it's better for me than lasagna!!), Roasted Chickpeas w/ Garlic & Sea Salt (yummo!) and Baked Oatmeal w/ Dried Cherries & Pecans.  I have a Pinterest board filled to the brim with awesome-looking recipes and healthy foods to try.  I may make the Healthy Chocolate Cake which has applesauce, grated zucchini &/or carrots and whole-wheat flour.  Sound good?? 

WARNING: Pity-Party Ahead!

***I wrote this a couple weeks ago and did not post it because I was so ashamed of myself.  But in the name of being honest, and because I do want this blog to be "real", I will publish it today.****  But be warned.  I was in a BAAAAD place!  :{


Well, here I am again, more than a week later from my last post.  (day after Easter) Feeling bummed, and ashamed, and frustrated and just about ready to say "f _ _ _ it!"  I know that sounds awful and crass and it makes me a quitter.  But it's true! I AM a quitter!  I start and stop, start and stop.  Blah, blah, blah, whine, cry, pout.  What a baby!  Who wants to read this crap anyway??  How much more pathetic can I get?  Don't you wanna just kick me in the butt??  Or say "just shut up, you whining, crying brat!!"  I DO!!  I want to kick myself in the ass and slap my own face!  :{  GAAAAHHH!!  


I have regained any weight I lost and am back up to 253# as of this minute.  I barely fit into my fattest clothes (sizes 18/20) and feel like my face is huge, cheeks puffing up, making my eyes little squinty pig eyes.  I don't just eat "normally" but overeat like a mad woman, even when I'm not even remotely hungry.  I make excuses to not work out, not walk, not swim.  

• "I don't feel good."  
• "I'm tired."  
• "I don't have time."   
• "I don't look too bad."  
• "I'm not THAT fat!"  
• "Tim loves me just the way I am."  
• "I'll probably just gain what I lose." 
• Etc, etc, etc.  
• WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME????!!!   :<

If I actually post this stupid, whining blog post, I'll feel publicly humiliated and ridiculous.  What's the point, anyway??  I probably need to see a shrink; there must be something mentally wrong that I abuse my body this way and abuse my self-esteem by putting this crap out there.  I look at my reflection in the mirror on the opposite wall; there I sit, wearing my HUGE comfy old nightgown that I just found packed away with fat-pants I don't fit into, face all bloated, hair a wreck, glum face.  Wow.  Pathetic.  


What is wrong with me???  How can I keep doing this over and over?  Who even wants to hear/read this crap?  Why do I  bother?  I'm no help to anyone, least of all to myself.  I don't know what to do.  I'm my own worst enemy.  Why can't I be consistent and stick with my plan?  It's really not difficult.  I feel good when I'm eating well and exercising.  I like what I eat when I'm eating well.  I have good energy.  So what is WRONG with me?????  

Rainy Monday Blues

What a gloomy, rainy day.  Blah.  Ick.  Ugh.  Sigh.  It's the perfect weather to go along with my weight this morning; I'm up two pounds.  How depressing is that?  On the other hand, after moaning, groaning, fuming and freaking in my mind this weekend I finally came to a point of resignation re: the scales and this odd way my body is responding to my changed diet & exercise.  I had decided to enjoy without going hog-wild, the delicious Easter dinner I prepared.  Ham, baked potatoes, green bean & swiss cheese casserole, delectable rolls, lemon-pineapple jello salad & chocolate cream pie.  Wow.  That sounds like a lot of food!  I did use sugar-free jello and pudding, and some of the main meal was low-carb-ish. And I did expect a gain today, due to the greater amount of food I ate, plus the water-retention factor of ham~so.  That's that.  

Pinterest images of Easter Dinner

I'm sad to say that I didn't make my goal of ten pounds this month either.  In fact with the added two pounds, it puts me at a depressing total of only 5# in all.  But 5# is better than no pounds.  And today is Monday, a new start day.  


My plan to get up early for the gym didn't happen this morning but I am planning to do my swim class this afternoon.  I look forward to that.  It's always great exercise and easier on my body.  I'm counting on it making me so tired tonight that I'll go to bed early & enable me to do early morning weights at the gym tomorrow.  


A friend of mine in NY just posted a new weight-loss blog entitled "Battle of the Bulge" and I'll follow her journey and progress, give her my support via comments and hopefully be inspired & motivated by her efforts!  It really does help to know I'm not alone in this work and to have friends who can empathize and encourage.  That's part of the purpose of this blog o' mine!  


Well, I need to hop off, read a little more in my Beck Diet book, re-read my Response & Advantage cards, pack healthy, energizing food for the day and get a move on!  Thanks for reading!  Happy Monday!  :)

It's Official! I'm a HOG!

HAHA!  Actually, I'm a card-carrying official member of HOG (Harley Owners Group) and proud of it!  

I don't own a Harley but I got me a Harley dude!  Would you believe that we rode to the HOG meeting at Backstage restaurant this evening?!  It was a tad chilly on the way there, riding into the wind (why was MY face cold and Tim's wasn't?) but warmed up quickly with good company, a Long Island Iced Tea, dinner for Tim and a fun meeting with lotsa laughs amidst announcements for the spring and summer riding season!  I can't WAIT!  (I hope I'm a good long-distance rider.) We're planning to ride this weekend and look forward to warmer temps!  


Well, I'm sorry to say my scales STILL haven't budged and I had a bad attitude again today but got over it, and will try not to cry and moan anymore!  Sandra suggested I hide the scales and just weigh once a week.  I truly don't think I could go that long w/o hopping on!  But maybe I'll try it.  Maybe.  In the meantime, I'm going to not only jot down my food on paper but start recording here what I'm eating; maybe you'll see what I'm not in regards to the food and set me straight!  Here's what I enjoyed today:


Today's Eating:

• coffee/2 eggs on whole grain toast w/ slice o' cheese (7:30am)
• no snack  :(  not good; shoulda fueled the metabolism.
• leftover chicken fajita filling in a small corn tortilla (only ate half the tortilla)/coffee/energy ball (2pm)
• GF'd chicken breast w/ salsa & dollop o' Greek yogurt/ (instead of sour cream)/V8 (5pm)  * I chose to eat at home instead of ordering at the restaurant w/ Tim
• 2 spoonfuls of cottage cheese/clementine/sunflower seeds (8:30pm) * I was peckish when I got home & am worried about not eating enough.  
Today's Exercise:  15 min on elliptical/15 min on stepper/30 min weights 

I'm hoping tomorrows client has been home this week and messing up his house so I have lots to do for six hours!  I'll pack some delicious and healthy food and will look forward to my FRIDAY night!!  Yahoo!!  Tim & I are going out to dinner with Sara & Mike at the Lakeview House Restaurant where she now works and then we're going to listen to live music at On The Rise.  A friend of Tim's is playing blues guitar!  Sounds like a fun evening, huh?  I think so too.  See ya!  

Sitting. Waiting. Starving.

My stomach is clenching and wrenching on itself as I sit in this huge, squashy leather chair in the Kia dealership, awaiting the removal of my snow tires.  It's 4:39pm and I got here at 3:10pm.  And I am starving.  Which can't be good for my metabolism.  It needs to be fed.  Soon.  :/  


6:55pm 


What a day.  I feel somewhat whine-y and ridiculous about my temper tantrum online this morning re: the fact that I HAVEN'T LOST A FREAKING POUND despite....oh right.  You already know.  Well, add that to dark, gloomy weather, and a long workday, it definitely made me feel down & grumpy all day.  Pathetic, I know.  But it did.  I packed leftover Margarita Chicken, rice & beans into a low-carb tortilla for lunch and had an apple.  It was good.  And I waited till lunchtime to eat it.  Pat on the back, Sharon!  :)

Our planned dinner was cheese n' chicken fajitas; what I didn't plan on was spending almost two hours getting tires switched over, then having to pick up Becca from her class.  I scrambled home by 5, quickly made the fajitas in a skillet and GF'd (George Forman) the remaining chicken, threw some filling into my tortilla and scrambled out the door with it, to pick up Becca.  Not an easy (or very smart) thing to eat in the car, but I WAS STARVING!!  

So, I definitely didn't eat slowly and savor my food; in fact, while it was cooking, I scarfed down a handful of tortilla chips w/ some salsa & sour cream.  Bad.  But not TOO bad. I stopped myself before going crazy.  


Now it's 7pm, I'm letting dinner subside a bit before heading to the gym; got a new batch o' Energy Balls in the freezer and I'm feeling better.  I sure could use something "sweet" to end my day with.  :)  

Read Up

I just read this on one of my weight-loss blogs in regards to dieting & self-sabotage:


And so this pattern has repeated every time I’ve tried to diet or lose weight over the years, time and time again. Sure the food of choice changes but the pattern remains the same.

• Go on diet/change eating/eat right/exercise
• Lose weight/start to feel better
• Think: I know how to do this
• Self Sabotage and tell myself its okay because “I know how to lose weight”

So here I am, lather rinse repeat. I know how to lose weight. I know that I must plan; I must take a certain set of actions yet something inside of me goes crazy and the more I fight it the more I want to binge eat. Every single day is a battle. Every single day I fight with myself. Every single day I force myself to do what I need to do. Most of the time I do what I need to do but not all of the time because something inside of me still triggers that self sabotage mode and I have to stop myself before it turns into a full blown binge.

Do you self sabotage? How do you overcome it if you do? How do you stay on plan? I’ve tried using fear as a motivator and I’ve found that I don’t scare that easily. I treat every day as a fresh start and a new beginning. I haven’t self sabotaged yet but I feel it building and I have to find a way to turn it off. I’m fighting as hard as I can but at the same time I’m so scared.


I'm learning how to stop the cycle of letting my thoughts sabotage my weight loss efforts.  Now I need to learn how to stop freaking out over the number on the scales and truly take satisfaction in all the good I'm doing for my body.  I THINK I am, but the scales are definitely controlling my emotions.  ACK!  

Here's another link to help me deal:
http://www.diet-blog.com/06/5_ways_to_break_a_weight_loss_plateau.php

Okay, I'm outta here.  Planning to hit the gym after work today.  

Laughing...but not really.

 
I found this on Facebook this morning and sorta laughed.  But didn't.  That old lady with the gun is how I feel this morning.  And I'm not being unrealistic about my goal weight.  Or unrealistic to expect some sort of result for the continual effort I'm putting into this.  My scales have not budged since I somehow gained two pounds earlier in the week.  I could scream.  :<

Hurtin' Unit

Oooohhh....I hurt!  :{  Perhaps I was a little too enthusiastic with all this gym action!  Last night's session included a very bizarre machine that did odd things with my arms and legs.  Then this morning I added a few extra pounds to the weight machines I used, knowing it's good to stretch the muscles.  This evening I walked two miles with Sandra but was in pain most of the way, as earlier in the day I slipped and fell at a clients home, wrenching my bum-knee exactly where it already hurts!  Argh!!  I'm hoping four Advil and resting in bed w/ my leg up will help it to feel better!  I have early gym plans for the morning, but don't want to do anything foolish either!


It was a good day!  I had sort-of a plan for eating and packed lightly for lunch and snacks while I was working.  But at 3pm I was starving!  Since I was out & about, I bought half of a rotisserie chicken from Price Chopper and nommed on that!  Ahhh...so good!!  THEN!  Becca & I ended up eating dinner together at Chili's where thankfully they have lower calorie options.  I chose Margarita Grilled Chicken on a bed of black beans/rice/veggie bits.  YUMMO!  And only 550 calories for it all!  And not only that!!  I only ate HALF!!  :)  (remember that rotisserie chicken?)  So, although that wasn't planned either, I applaud myself for making healthy choices today.  And for remembering while I ate a few tortilla chips to slow down and enjoy them!  


So, here are some things from Pinterest I've pinned to my Healthy Inspiration board; I can't wait to make some of this food!  These Healthy Protein Bars are next!  
This smoothie is made with peanut butter, bananas, oatmeal and yogurt.  Sounds good!  


And THIS chocolate-y treat looks SOOO good!  It's made with only coconut milk & cocoa powder!  Both of which I have in my cupboard!  If I weren't so sore, I'd go make it right now!  (except it isn't planned for today, so I'll plan to make it tomorrow!)





And finally, I leave you with this:

Frustrated But Keeping On

Good morning!  It's Tuesday (a day closer to Friday!) and the sun is shining!  Yay!!  I don't know what the temps are supposed to be today, but the sunshine alone is encouraging to me!  I've been in a little mind-funk lately; mainly due to frustration with my scales not moving despite doing a great job with eating and working out.  I know that the scales should not be my measure of success, and I do give myself credit for all the good things I'm doing for my health and body.  But man!!  I used to see pretty fast results for my hard work, and I just can't understand what's going on now.  :{ 

But I'm really going to try and not let the scales bring me down; I know that it'll happen and I just have to keep on despite frustration.  It's been awesome to have friends to workout with; I met Sylvia & Cindi at the gym this morning at 5:30am and did 15 minutes on the elliptical to warm up then a solid 30 minutes or so on the weights.  Good stuff.  This evening I'm going to meet Sandra for some brisk walking and catching up; that'll be good too!  

Okay.  Back to my book, The Beck Diet for Life.  I love reading my Advantages and Response cards each day, knowing I'm retraining my mind and thought patterns. Here's what I read each day:

• The only way to lose weight permanently is to learn dieting skills and practice them every day!  Then dieting will get easier and easier.
• What is my ultimate goal?  To do what I feel like doing? Or is it to lose weight for good?  I cannot have it both ways.  I must commit to the task at hand & practice the skills over & over.
• NO CHOICE!  To plan food for the day, eat only the planned food at the planned times and exercise at least 5X a week.
• I'm choosing to say NO CHOICE!  If I want to lose weight, I have to do what I need to do, not what I feel like doing.
• If I choose to eat this unplanned food, I'm strengthening my GIVE IN muscle; if I resist it, I'm strengthening my RESISTANCE muscle.
• Either I resist eating this unplanned food today OR I deprive myself of all the advantages of losing weight.
• I can always PLAN to eat this food tomorrow!
• OLD THOUGHT:  "I'm hungry!  I have to eat!" 
• NEW THOUGHT:  "I'm hungry!  Oh well, dinner's in an hour and I can wait."
• Negative Fast-forward 10 minutes after eating unplanned food:  How will I feel after eating this?  Will I feel weak and out of control?  Disappointed with myself?  Hopeless about ever losing weight?  Discouraged that I undermined my efforts?  Will it REALLY be worth a few minutes of pleasure??
• POSITIVE Fast-Forward 10 minutes:  Will I feel strong & in control?  Proud of myself?  Hopeful for success?  delighted that I exercised my RESISTANCE muscle?  Which is better; eating or NOT eating unplanned food?
• My weight isn't who I am.  It's not a measure of my worth.  It doesn't define me as a "good" person or "bad" person.  It's just information.  
• Eating slowly makes me feel satisfied sooner, makes me aware of quantity, gives more enjoyment of food, visually satisfies me, helps me be calmer, keeps me accountable and builds my self-control and resistance skills.

I could go on & on, but this gives you an idea of how I'm going to learn new dieting skills to help me succeed this time!  

Okay, gotta hop off here and get ready for work; have a great day!  And think good thoughts!  :)

Encouraged

I wrote this on Saturday morning and forgot to post it~

Good Saturday morning!  It's another cold and gloomy day and it's been bumming me out, especially after the glorious taste of summer we enjoyed not too long ago!  

I AM, however,feeling somewhat encouraged with my newest endeavor and want to share that with you despite the thoughts that sometimes go through my head:

• Oh, who cares about your blog, Sharon?  Everyone's sick of hearing you whine that you can't stick to a diet and lose weight!
• Why bother writing about it anyway?  All you're doing is baring yourself to the public, and for what purpose?
• You make yourself pathetic by showing your weaknesses.
• Blogging about weight loss efforts doesn't help you lose the weight so why waste your time?
• You need to write more helpful & informative stuff anyway, not just use the blog as a forum to complain!

Etc. Etc.  But, even if those things are true, I'm going to persevere.  It really IS a help to me to write this stuff out.  And I hope that by baring myself to others, it helps thin people understand the psyche of a fat person, and encourages other "fatties" fighting the same mind-battles, to know they're not alone.  

So, why am I encouraged this morning?  Well, here's why:

• I've been successfully following the general precepts of the Beck Diet plan, reading the Advantages & Response cards I wrote out earlier in the week.  
• I've planned each days food and have pretty much stuck to the plan.
• I have decided to stick with low-carb rather than retrain myself to count calories.
• I used the techniques this week to stop & think before eating~ 
• I realized that despite going back & forth this month, I actually have lost 9 of the 10# goal for this month, and I have till April 8th to lose that last pound.  
• Tim said he noticed my face looks a little thinner.  (was he just being nice??)  :)

  SO!  Here's a picture of my delicious lunch    yesterday: 

 This low-carb pizza was made on 7 gram Lavash bread and loaded with low to no-carb items.  It was delicious and satisfying!