Diet Food and Weight Watchers Update

Like any other chronic dieter (who doesn’t like to cook), I often find myself at the freezer case of the grocery store looking at frozen diet meals.

They always look so delicious. Ha! Well, the photos on the boxes look delicious.

Usually, what I pull out of the microwave looks nothing like the photo and tastes like hot slop.

But I finally lucked out with Healthy Choice’s Asian Potstickers.

Box photo

Real life rendition

While it might not be an exact match, it’s pretty tasty. I round out the meal with a side of sugar snap peas and an orange. Good eating!

WEIGHT WATCHERS UPDATE

(as a Lifetimer I weigh in monthly): Down 1.8 pounds. Doesn’t sound like much, but I’m just glad the scale is moving in the right direction.

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Eat Chocolate – Stay Slim

Somewhere between writing the middle and the end of my summer release Operation Prince Charming – the chocolate monkey jumped on my back.

It started off innocently enough.

I needed the sugar buzz to help my weary fingers and aching backside keep pace with the story spinning inside my head. But now that it’s done, I don’t have an excuse to buy my beloved Hershey Chocolate Bliss milk chocolates by the sack.

I tried going cold turkey – but chocolate keeps calling my name!

So I’ve found couple of substitutes that allow me to enjoy the rich taste of chocolate without bursting out of my skinny jeans.

VitaMuffin VitaTops in Deep Chocolate satisfy the chocolate craving for only 100 calories, and the 6 grams of fiber are filling enough that you won’t reach for a seconds.



At 180 calories each, Luna Protein bar in Cookie Dough are a decent candy bar substitute. But keep in mind, this is a PROTEIN bar – it’s not going to taste like a Snickers. Still, tasty enough to keep a sweet tooth happy, and it’s chockfull of vitamins and 12 grams of protein.



If you’re on Weight Watchers (I’ve been Lifetime for seven years, so I can’t help counting points in my head.) Here are the points:

VitaMuffin VitaTops in Deep Chocolate – 1 pt
Luna Protein bar in Cookie Dough – 3 pts

I’ll tell you more about Operation Prince Charming next month. Meanwhile, enjoy the chocolate!

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Book Review: 101 Things To Do Before You Diet

Here we go again.

Spring’s finally arrived. It’s time to come out from under our winter layers and access the damage left by:

1. Too much couch
2. Too much food

Those figure-killing, twin disasters probably have you Googling diets and munching celery for lunch.

Or perhaps not…

Maybe you’re over the diet yo-yo (or just old enough to realize life is too short to live tied to the scale) and ready for a non-diet.

If so, you may be interested in a book I just finished (and loved!) 101 Things to Do Before You Diet: Because Looking Great Isn't Just about Losing Weight by Mimi Spencer.

Some of the 101 tips we’ve all heard before, some are new. All are really good. I’ve been out of school way too long to do a book report, so I’m going to highlight just a few of the tips that really hit home for me.

12. Eat meals not snacks. I grew up on three hot meals a day. Candy, chips and cookies were treats, not a daily thing. Back then a can of Pringles lasted me two weeks, now they barely last two minutes.

I’m working hard to get back into the swing of sitting down to meals and eschewing packaged snacks.

16. Give food your undivided attention. Don’t read, watch tv, text, drive or juggle when you eat. I’m a compulsive reader, and love sneaking a book to the dinner table. However, Spencer is dead on about it making you lose track of your actual hunger and how much you ate.

23. Get fitted for a new bra. Like you, I’ve heard or read this tip a bazillion times. This time I actually took the advice and got fitted at Nordstrom’s lingerie department.

WOW!!!! If I told you, y’all wouldn’t believe how off I was on my bra size – so I won’t tell. Anyhoo, my new bras took make me look at least 10 pounds thinner.

33. Buy more food that has no label. As in potatoes, not fries or chips. Chicken, not nuggets. Fish; not fish sticks (and I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE fish sticks!!!) Apples, not apple pie. You get the picture. Just say no to a box or can.

100. In extremis, knit. This tip reminded me to unearth my knitting bag and long-forgotten projects from the closet. Knitting, especially during your favorite television shows, keeps your hands busy and out of the snacks.

There are a lot more great tips in this book. I highlighted and scribbled all over the margins of my copy.

So if a diet isn’t for you this spring. This non-diet approach to weight loss is worth a look.

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This Is What 47 Looks Like

The above photo was hurriedly snapped earlier this week on my birthday. As you can see by the big red bull's eye in the background, I was itching to get inside my home-away-from-home and then on to my favorite sushi place.

Yep, this is what 47 looks like....

But not for long.

I began Bootcamp workout classes this week. I'm not positive if I'm the oldest (probably), but I'm definitely the slowest and the most out-of-shape. I ache in places I forget existed. And after this morning's 6:30 run/walk/sprints in 19-degree temps, I don't ever want to see a potato chip again.

Well, I'll keep y'all posted. Right now, I just want curl up with a bunch of fashion magazines and romance novels.

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Holiday Food Hangover?

Overindulge on deliciously naughty foods at your holiday picnic?

Well, get on over to Novel Spaces, where I’m blogging about my adventures aboard the healthy snack bandwagon.

See you there!

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Don’t Just Watch the Athletes – Be One!

Wheaties may be the breakfast of Olympic champions, but when I’m banging out a story on deadline it’s Hershey bars dipped in Diet Coke and pizza delivery that keep the words flowing.

It’s a diet my fickle muse thrives on. My expanding ass doesn’t.

So if I want to fit into any of the cute fall clothes hitting the stores, it’s time for me to stop making excuses and start making tracks. Since I love gadgets almost as much as I adore beauty products, here are a few things I’m using to motivate myself back into a regular walking routine.

LOW TECH: Accusplit AE120XL Pedometer – I’ve had a few pedometers, but this lean, mean step-counting machine is my favorite.

It’s small, accurate and clips comfortably onto my waistband. Counting your steps is addictive, and this baby will have you looking for ways to get more in. I shoot for 12,500 steps a day. I got mine at Amazon.com for $13.88.

MEDIUM TECH: Polar F4 Heart Rate Monitor – Initially, I thought heart rate monitors weren’t worth the hassle.

Boy was I wrong!First, input your info (age, sex, height, weight) into the watch, then strap on the accompanying chest strap. During your workout you’ll be able to continuously monitor not only your heart rate, but how many calories you’re burning. Your workout history is stored for seven days. Again, this motivates me to work out a bit longer just to hike up the calorie burn. I’ve seen these at Target, but I ordered mine from Amazon.com for about $80.

HIGH TECH: Nike + iPod Sport Kit and Nike Sports band - This is new gadget for me.

A few weeks ago, I ordered a pair of Nike sneakers after seeing a photo of them on Brown Girl Gumbo's blog (I swear, BGG’s gonna put me in the poor house!).

Anyhoo, when the shoes arrived I saw they were Nike+ ready. I already had the required iPod Nano, so I picked a Nike+ iPod Sport Kit for $29 and a Nike Sport Arm band for an additional $29 at the Apple Store. (*NOTE: This is a nano gadget only. It won’t work with your regular iPod or iPhone).

The kit includes a wireless sensor that goes into built-in pocket inside Nike+ ready shoes and a transmitter that pops into the end of your nano.

Follow some simple instructions on your nano before a workout, and you’re off. This gadget provides instant details on your walk or run like time, distance, pace, and calories burned than can be downloaded to your computer. Yep, it works with your playlists! There's even a very polite built-in voice that will give you a verbal summary of your walk or run at the touch of a button.

Keep in mind, I don’t use all three of these things at the same time. Nor are they necessities. However, they might just motivate you into gold medal shape!

P.S. Thanks for all the good wishes and support during my deadline crunch. I wish I could take you all out for new lipglosses!

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Book Review: Eat This, Not That

Did Memorial Day weekend catch you by surprise?

Try to slip into last summer’s shorts or swimsuit only to find you couldn’t pull them up over your gut, butt or thighs?

Then looking down at the button that wouldn’t fasten over your expanding waistline, vow - “No more eating out!”

Time and convenience can override the best of intentions. If you’re like me, the promise to bypass fast-food restaurants and snacks will only last until your stomach starts growling for lunch.

Waiting in line at Wendy’s or the drive-thru at Chick-fil-a is the perfect time to consult Eat This, Not That: Thousands of Simple Food Swaps That Can Save You 10, 20, 30 Pounds-Or More! by David Zinczenko with Matt Goulding. This picture-packed book features just about every food joint you can think of and tons of popular grocery store items. It lists the not-so-good choices and gives you at least three healthier alternatives. Calories and fat grams are provided for most foods - good and bad.

I’ve read books like this before, but this one is the most comprehensive I’ve ever seen. It even has a section for food typically served at holiday gatherings from New Year’s to Valentines Day, even Halloween.

Here are a few examples:

KRISPY KREME

Eat This: Whole Wheat Glazed Doughnut; Original Glazed Doughnut Holes; Very Berry Chiller

Not That: Glazed Blueberry Cake Doughnut; Caramel Kreme Crunch; Mocha Dream Chiller


RED LOBSTER

Eat This: Garlic Griller Jumbo Shrimp and a baked potato with pico de gallo; Live Maine Lobster with cocktail sauce and seasoned broccoli; Broiled Flounder with lemon juice and a garden salad with red wine vinaigrette

Not That: North Pacific King Crab Legs with melted butter and Wild Rice Pilaf; Snow Crab Legs with melted butter and a Cheddar Bay Biscuit; Crab Alfredo


MC DONALD’S

Eat This: Quarter Pounder without cheese; 6 piece Chicken McNuggets; Egg McMuffin.

Not That: Premium Grilled Chicken Club; Filet-O-Fish; Hotcakes.

I keep my copy of this book in my car glove compartment for easy consultation when Mr. PBW tempts me with P.F. Changs, Popeyes or Sonic.

Do I think this book will make me skinny? No. However, I do think it will help me make better choices, and I’ll soon be able to zip my favorite summer skirt.

Eat This, Not That is $19.99 and available at bookstores and online. I snagged my copy at Amazon for $11.97.


And since you’re already thinking books, check out Farrah Rochon’s latest novel Release Me. Farrah and I, along with the awesome Stefanie Worth, are sharing real estate in Dorchester Publishing's October 2008 anthology, The Holiday Inn.

I’m three chapters into Farrah’s new book so far and loving it!

Actually, I picked up two copies of Release Me - one to read and an extra to drool over the gorgeous guy on the cover. Is he hot or what? I have to give myself a cool blast from my Evian mister every time I look at him.

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