Clean = Lean: Three Things I’ve Learned After a Week of Clean Eating

Last Wednesday I decided to ride out the last month before my birthday on a clean (natural, unprocessed foods) eating plan. After one week on a fairly limited but very healthy diet (I’m using Tosca Reno’s Eat-Clean Diet Stripped as a guideline) I have to say my eyes have been opened – wide. Here are three things I’ve learned since I started eating clean:

I Can SURVIVE without Beer or Wine. No, I’m not an alcoholic, but on the weekends and sometimes after a long weekday, ahem, I enjoy unwinding with a little drink. Husband and I went out to dinner on Saturday night with some friends and I initially was nervous about what I would eat and drink. I’m here to tell you this gal’s got will power. I had an awesome, custom-designed salmon salad and a sparkling glass of club soda with fresh lemon and lime. Score.

I Can CONTROL My Portion Sizes. Something that has continually been a problem for me has been EASY all week. I have a plan and I’m sticking to it. Plan is the key word here. Mapping out my food is making a HUGE difference. I’m eating enough so that I’m not hungry until its time for the next meal – and my plate is full. I LOVE that.

Clean = Lean. This shit thing really works. Seriously, I’m shrinking and most importantly I feel great. It really is simple, the food that you put into your body determines how you look and feel.

I thought I was already eating pretty healthy, but I really wasn’t taking into account all of the crap hidden in even proclaimed “healthy” food. While I’m sure I won’t stay this strict after my birthday, I’m also sure I won’t go back to eating the way I did before. Thank goodness for organic beer and dark chocolate.

Winks & Smiles,

Lucky Number 28

That’s right. I’m calling in the big guns.

Yesterday I decided to pick up Tosca Reno’s new book, The Eat-Clean Diet Stripped, to help guide me down the final stretch to my birthday goal. I like to pull information and inspiration from many sources and I can ALWAYS count on Tosca for a little of both.

I had no idea when I picked up the book that it’s a 28 day plan. Coincidence? I think not. Yup, I’m 28 days away from my birthday – on April 28. I should so play the lotto.

So, I spent the better part of last night combing through the book and put it down even more dedicated to slipping into that bikini on my birthday, but most importantly, committed to 28 days of strict cleaning eating (yup the beer is on ice for the home stretch – gasp) that will lead to a healthier lifestyle for 40 and beyond.

Thank goodness for me that means 5-6 meals a day (I like to eat, ahem) filled with foods that’ll revitalize my body and give me lots of energy. I need that now more than ever since the running group I train with is having its kick-off this Saturday. Marathon training, anyone?

I’m excited to start training for Chicago and I’ve been longing for those LONG Saturday morning runs. I’m counting on the discipline I learned from running to help me survive carry me through the next 28 days.

Winks & Smiles,

Review: Three Reasons Why I HIDE Chobani Greek Yogurt in My Fridge

It’s no secret that I’ve taken on a healthy lifestyle and I’m on a mission to get my body in great shape. I’m exercising and I’m making healthy food choices – most of the time. Ahem. I almost felt guilty saying yes when the good folks at Chobani offered to send me some of their yummy Greek Yogurt to review because I had several flavors already stashed in my fridge. GASP!

I’m a little late to the game, but I recently discovered Chobani Greek Yogurt and can’t seem to get enough of it. Apparently, I’m not the only one hence there are three reasons why I HIDE Chobani in my fridge:

Husband THINKS I buy it for him. Well, I do. Sort of. I buy it for both of us; it’s just that he devours it quicker than I do. Just because there are five in the fridge doesn’t mean you have to eat ALL five of them in the same day.

My SON discovered how good it tastes. That’s right; my 9-year-old is in on the secret and wants to eat all of the blueberry and black cherry Chobani in sight. While I LOVE that he likes something that’s so healthy, I need him, and his father, to save some for me.

It’s a SWEET surprise for me. Yes, I actually like pulling a drawer open and finding a scrumptious Mango 2% yogurt that I had no idea was there. And, yes, I’m still trying to find flavors that no one else in my house likes so I don’t have to hide anymore. The pineapple, strawberry/banana, blueberry, black cherry and raspberry are all HUGE hits for my family.

One of my faves – Pineapple!

The Upside:

It’s all natural, DELICIOUS and fits perfectly into my healthy eating plan.

The Not So Upside:

My family wants to eat it all and I can’t seem to keep enough of it in my house.

Truth be told, this review was an easy one for me because it’s a product that I already buy. That really says it all.

Winks & Smiles,

Disclosure: I was sent several flavors of Chobani to review; as always, my thoughts and opinions are all my own.

Friday's Confession: I'm Officially Counting Down, 40 til 40

Friday's Confession ... I'm officially counting down, I'm 40 days away from my 40th birthday ... and a pretty hefty birthday goal.

While I'm feeling good about my progress, its officially time for me to move into failure-is-not-an-option mode. Um, once I get back from Disney. Ahem.

The WONDERFUL folks at Walt Disney World Resorts are spoiling us rotten at Disney's Social Media Moms Conference. Incredible speakers, sessions, networking, food, drinks, swag, parties, the parks ... did I mention the food and drinks? I've been traveling like crazy this month and I've managed to make healthy choices through most of it, but THIS trip I seem to have the food and drinks in my hand on my mind. Gasp!

40 til 40. That's what's going to get me through, folks. That and a little bit of pixie dust.

Winks & Smiles,

I've Got The Scoop

I've got the scoop ... and some cups, too.

My new best friends

I'm less than two months away from my Birthday Goal deadline so its time to take things to the next level. I've been doing well - I'm SO excited I survived traveling and didn't have a setback (I'll share some tips on how I did it soon) - but I'm ready to push myself a little harder.

I'm trying to create new, better eating habits - not rush to my goal and gain it all back afterwards. We're talking life-long changes here. In order to do that I have to know what and HOW MUCH food I'm putting in my body. For the next few weeks I'll be measuring everything I eat until its so routine I don't need my cute HOT red measuring tools anymore.

As I've shared before I suck at portion control, but I plan to CHANGE that. How about you? Am I the only one out there scooping and weighing? My new best friends and I would love to know.

Winks & Smiles,

The Day After

After four miles of running, 45 minutes of strength-training, five small pieces of dark chocolate, two glasses of red wine and one plate of steak, homemade mashed potatoes, and green beans; I survived Valentine’s Day without OVER indulging.

I actually followed my own advice (shh, don’t tell but that doesn’t always happen) and treated myself without over doing it. Husband and I went out on Saturday night to one of our favorite restaurants, Pozole, since we knew we’d been in the house on Valentine’s Day.

They make the best Raspberry Margarita EVER.

I was feeling a little romantic and domesticated last night, ahem, so I whipped up a nice dinner for us.

My mashed potatoes made with skim milk and no butter or margarine - the right seasoning is all you need. Check out the RED bowl … there’s still time to win your own set in my contest here.

My entire masterpiece. Husband loved it.

We sipped on this. Notice the name? Unfortunately we have no relation and receive no profits from the Robertson Winery. A girl can wish right?

I’m excited to get through Valentine’s Day without going overboard. Holiday’s are tough and usually riddled with excuses. I’m almost two months out from my birthday goal and I’m feeling more and more like I’m going to make it every day.

Winks & Smiles,

Four Ways to Avoid Valentine’s Day Candy Overload

I’m a chocolate ho lover. Really. It’s my absolute FAVORITE kind of food sweets. I’ve had to learn how to manage my love for chocolate as I could easily eat large quantities of it daily if it didn’t love to hang out on my stomach just as much. So, with Valentine’s Day here and chocolate EVERYWHERE I’ve come up with four ways to handle the candy temptation and stay on track with Project Me:

Go DARK. If you’re going to eat chocolate you might as well gets something out of it. Studies show that dark chocolate is high in antioxidants which are great for the immune system. Got to love those studies. Ahem. Go for 70 percent cocoa or higher to reap the best benefits.

Enjoy SOME. Don’t deprive yourself. If you don’t let yourself have a little bit you’re more likely to over indulge later. Allow yourself a reasonable amount and it eat it guilt FREE.

BAG it up. So your Valentine went crazy and bought you boxes of goodies, don’t leave it out just sitting there tempting you to eat it all, instead, divide it up into small serving sizes, put it in sandwich baggies, and put it in the pantry. Freezing some is also a good way to avoid over eating and you’ll have an appropriate portion size next time that craving hits.

Give some AWAY. Take it to work. Send it to school with the kids. Share it with your friends at tennis practice, at your church meeting, or wherever you may go. You could even re-gift it if it’s not open – gasp! Out of sight in this case means out of mouth.

Enjoy, but not too much, and Happy Candy Valentine’s Day.

Winks & Smiles,

Red Hot Giveaway: Calling all Chefs ... or Anyone with a Kitchen

Calling all chefs. Or, cooks. Or, anyone with a kitchen. Have I got some goodies for you!

Confession, I’m a cherry lover – not only because they taste great but for all of the health benefits they provide for my running and exercise. The Cherry Marketing Institute (CMI) has been a great supporter of my BlogRollin’ Get Moving! initiative so when they offered to send me a FABULOUS box of goodies from Williams-Sonoma, Anthropologie and a super cute red recipe box for me AND one to giveaway to YOU in effort to promote National Cherry Month and their recipe contest how could I say no?

Want to see the goodies? Wait, their contest first.

CMI is running their first-ever recipe contest for industry professionals, culinary students and novices/consumers on their website through February 20. Three winners (one in each category) will win $500, a set of high-performance cookware in cherry RED, and professional photography of their winning recipe. Feeling lucky and like whipping up the winning recipe? Learn more about their contest here.

OK, now what you can win here …

Four mixing bowls, 3 spatulas, 2 measuring sets. I have NO excuses not to cook anymore. Ahem.

Red is one of my FAVORITE colors. How cute will I be wearing these?

For all of my lean and clean Project Me recipes.

The whole prize pack.

Ready for some red? As always I’m easy, here’s how to win:

Subscribe/Follow my blog; and/or Like my Run Wifey Run Facebook page. You need to do at least one and leave me a comment letting me know so I can count you in. If you do both you’ve got two entries.

Want another shot? Like Choose Cherries on Facebook and tell me in a comment.

More?

If you tweet, Facebook or blog about it and let me know in the comments they’ll each earn you one more entry.

Easy, right? The contest starts now and will end next Tuesday, February 15, 2011, at 11:59 p.m. EST. US residents only, please.

Good luck! I’m off to play in the kitchen …

Winks & Smiles,

Disclaimer: CMI provided a prize pack for me and one to giveaway. I was not paid for this post. As always, my thoughts and opinions are all my own.

My Super Bowl Stats

My Super Bowl Stats:

Packers: 31. Congrats, cheeseheads!

Steelers: 25. Sorry, Steeler Nation.

Christina Auguilera: 8. Sounded AWESOME, but she loses points for the missed words.

Black Eye Peas: 7. LOVE the songs, but Fergie was a little off – ahem.

Slash: 7. Kind of irrelevant but he gets points ‘cause he’s Slash.

Usher: 10+. Yup, I’m biased but he still rocked it.

Commercials: 8. Some made me laugh out loud for real; and some were just – dumb.

Beer: 3+. Gasp!

Tacos: 4. They were homemade lean ground beef.

Chips & Salsa: N/A. I plead the Fifth.

Cookies: 2. My first in a month.

Miles run: 0. It was a scheduled off day.

Tennis: 1 match, 3 sets. I was on the court for about 2 hours.

I probably burned off 1 beer, 1 & ½ tacos, 5 chips & salsa and ½ a cookie. Um, yeah ... I think I can live with that.

Winks & Smiles,

Three Reasons I’m Diggin’ Uncle Sam

It’s no secret that I’m on a mission to be the healthiest that I can be; and a HUGE part of that includes food. I’m striving to eat healthy, clean food 80 percent of the time so when I do indulge in some not-so-right choices, ahem, my body can handle it.

I feel better when I eat better, it’s really that simple, so I’m always looking for great tasting, healthy foods to add to my choices.

Enter Attune Foods’ Uncle Sam cereal.

I was recently sent a box to try and can I just tell you it didn’t make it 10 minutes in my house before Husband poured himself a bowl. Clearly it was in hot demand, yes, he liked it, so I went ahead and poured myself a bowl before there wasn’t any left. I tried it three ways, plain, with bananas and with raisins; and they all passed my test.

Here are three reasons why I’m digging Uncle Sam cereal and why you should, too:

It TASTES good. Call me shallow, but I don’t care how good something is for me if I can’t stand the taste of it (oatmeal – GASP!) I’ll NEVER eat it. Husband had a plain bowl and liked it fine. I did, too, but pairing it up with some fruit really made it GREAT for me.

It has the right AMOUNT of “F’s”. Fiber and flaxseed are in full effect while the fat is definitely in check. (No, really I’m not a lyricist; it’s just a coincidence that rhymed. Right.) It’s made from whole grains, has little sugar, and I can pronounce all of the ingredients on the label. Score.

I don’t have to COOK it. I’m not lazy, but I am busy and I don’t always have time to cook several meals throughout the day. Uncle Sam’s is the perfect breakfast or mini-meal for anytime that I can grab quickly and know that I’m eating healthy, getting good energy and staying within my calorie count.

I can see Uncle Sam becoming a staple in my pantry although, I might need TWO boxes – a “his” and “hers.”

Winks & Smiles,

Disclaimer: I was sent a box of Uncle Sam cereal to try. As ALWAYS my thoughts and opinions are all my own.

The SKINNY on Applebee’s Under 550 Calories Menu

Tuesday I was invited to a special tasting of Applebee’s Under 550 Calories menu. Making smart food choices is a priority to me right now as I’m training for my 4th half marathon and I’ve taken on a pretty lofty birthday goal. I recently shared my Restaurant Rules for eating out as there often aren’t many healthy, low calorie options; so when I got the invite I was curious to see how Applebee’s entrees measured up.

We tasted all six of the entrees.

Signature Sirloin with Garlic Herb Shrimp
Teriyaki Shrimp Pasta
Teriyaki Chicken Pasta
Grilled Shrimp and Island Rice
Grilled Dijon Chicken and Portobellos
Asiago Peppercorn Steak

They brought out a regular-size portion and explained the dish then brought each of us little sample plates to taste.

Teriyaki Shrimp Pasta – full portion.

Grilled Dijon Chicken and Portobellos – sample size

Me sampling. It’s such HARD work trying all this food. Ahem.

We also had the opportunity to sample their Skinny Bee drinks – all under 110 calories.

Skinny Bee Margarita
Skinny Bee Long Island Ice Tea
Skinny Bee Mojito

The Skinny Bee Margarita. Um, yes. I can vouch for this one.

The Upside:

Great portion sizes. They didn’t just give you less food. You’re definitely getting a full meal.

Good flavor. I like things spicy so a few of the dishes could’ve had a little more zing for my personal taste but overall they were pretty flavorful.

They’ll cook to order. They want to please and will make the dishes with adjustments to your liking. Keep in mind, though, that might change the nutritional information.

The Calorie Count. Definitely on the lower-side for most restaurant entrees.

The Not So Upside:

The sodium. Yup, it’s high, there’s no way around that, but I do think if its eaten in moderation – I don’t get out much – and you account for it in you daily totals it doesn’t have to be a deal-breaker.

My favorites:

The Teriyaki Shrimp Pasta, the Asiago Peppercorn Steak and the Signature Sirloin with Garlic Herb Shrimp. Oh, and the Skinny Bee Margarita. Yum.

You can find out more about the menu and the nutritional information here. Applebee’s isn’t a health food restaurant and they’re not claiming to be, but they are making healthier options – options that could help keep me on track to reaching my goals.

Winks & Smiles,

Disclaimer: I'm not a nutritionist or food expert. My food and drinks were courtesy of Applebee’s, but as always my thoughts and opinions are all my own.

Restaurant Rules: Four Tips to Stay on Track When Eating Out

I’m a guest panelist at the Georgia Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America’s monthly luncheon today. The topic – bloggers and PR, of course. The luncheon just happens to be at one of my FAVORITE restaurants – Maggiano’s. Have I ever mentioned I could eat Italian food everyday? Really.

While I’m looking forward to the luncheon, I’m not looking forward to the temptation. The food, at least what I WANT to eat, does not go with Project Me. I’ve decided I have to take a realistic and non-obsessive approach to eating out while I’m on my mission to a better me, and will try and follow these four rules:

Eat BEFORE I go out. Kind of defeats the purpose you say … not really. If I’m full with healthy food I’m less likely to fill up on the other “stuff.” Ahem.

Allow myself ONE splurge. I don’t eat out much so when I do I let myself enjoy the forbidden bread I don’t eat at home or a chocolate dessert I wouldn’t even dream of whipping up myself. A little treat helps ward of that dreaded deprived feeling.

DON’T clean my plate. Yes, I grew up ol’ school and had to sit at the kitchen table until I ate everything off of my plate. No more. The servings given at most restaurants are super-sized and I will have to display some serious portion control to stay on track.

Look at the menu AHEAD of time. Most restaurants have their menus online now. I like to search for a healthy option before I’m sitting at the table and risk making a rushed decision my waistline will regret later.

And, of course, the old “drink water” trick helps, too. Anyone else have any dining out tips they’d like to add to the rules? My stomach and I would love to know …

Winks & Smiles,

Gettin’ BUSY in the Kitchen

Yesterday I was a cookin’ fool. I’m proud to say that I followed through with my meal planning pledge and actually planned out my meals for this week. Both Husband and I each picked a new recipe for me to try and I got BUSY in the kitchen. Cooking, folks. Really.

Husband picked an Indian beef curry recipe from Now Eat This! by Rocco Dispirito. This recipe shaves off almost 40g of fat from the traditional recipe and is only 264 calories per serving. LOVE that.

A few key ingredients – cooking spray, Greek yogurt, curry powder and fish sauce. I feel like such a chef – I’ve got “fish sauce” in my fridge.

Then I got to chopping …

Green peppers, garlic …

… and Cauliflower

I broke out the iron skillet for this one and cooked up some lean beef.

While it’s not as pretty as the picture in the book it tasted DELICIOUS.

I added a little extra spice to the recipe, put it over some brown rice and was really pleased. Husband gave it a thumbs up and went back for seconds; and even Miles’, my 9-year-old, liked it. My daughter was at a play date and missed my masterpiece although she wouldn’t have eaten it anyway – it wasn’t cereal or a sandwich.

I’m inspired, folks. Maybe this cookin’ thing isn’t so bad. I’ve got a new attitude ... and some fish sauce.

Winks & Smiles,

Friday’s Confession: Mastering Meal Planning

Friday’s confession … I suck at meal planning.

Well, that’s not actually true. I understand and can meal plan just fine – they’re just the SAME meals over and over again.

Gasp!

While that’s fine for me, I could eat spaghetti and clam sauce five days a week, the other people who live with me aren’t exactly thrilled with the lack of variety.

Yesterday, Husband discovered my stash of cookbooks filled with enticing recipes ready to be thrown into rotation.

Busted.

As he pulled out book after book I realize that I have been sitting on an arsenal of ideas with them and the internet at my finger tips – there’s so many wonderful food blogs out there.

So, here’s my start to mastering meal planning:

Map out the WEEK on Sunday. Great changes come with a plan. It takes the stress and confusion away and will streamline shopping. That’s worth everything right there.

Add TWO new recipes per week. I figure I need to go harder than just one but two is not overwhelming. I’m more likely to stick with it if I keep things simple and pressure free.

Have HUSBAND pick a meal. He found the books, he should use them. Seriously. Getting his input eliminates the guessing game of what he wants; and will help keep me accountable, too.

How about you? Am I the only one needing a little variety in the kitchen? What are your tips for mastering meal planning?

Winks & Smiles,

Friday’s Confession: I Suck at Portion Control

Friday’s Confession …

I SUCK at portion control. No, really. I’m not being modest here. Portion control is probably the biggest challenge I face when it comes to redesigning the healthier, more fit and sexy, ahem, body I’m striving for.

I’m pretty good at making healthy choices most of the time. I don’t do sodas, I switched my whites to wheats and all that jazz, but I need to remember that just because something is healthy doesn’t mean that I can eat it in mass quantities. My eyes see things bigger than my stomach; and quite honestly if it tastes good I simply like to eat it.

Yes, I would normally fill the bottom bowl with whole-grain wheat pasta and organic ground turkey sauce – and possibly go back for seconds; while really I only need the smaller bowl and maybe some broccoli, green beans or spinach salad to round it out. What I'm choosing to eat is great, but how much of it is not.

Now, I’m trying to eat smaller, more frequent meals (every 2-3 hours) and realize that if I like a dish, I can always have more of it for a another meal later. I’m also using lunch plates for my meals instead of the big ol’ dinner plates. If it can’t fit on the plate, then I don’t need it.

How about you? Am I the only one? How do you handle portion control? Me and my belly would love to know.

Winks & Smiles,

80/20 Rules!

Seriously?

Yes. These were my goodie-baskets I took home from The Sugar Coma Festival yesterday.

My good friend, The Broke Socialite, out did herself as The Sugar Coma Festival was FAB-U-LOUS. The event brought together some of the Southeast’s finest pastry chefs, bakers and sugar artisans in one spot for attendees to taste their works of art. A sweets-lover’s dream.

I came. I saw. I conquered. Now, I can’t do no more.

Sugar Coma was the perfect culmination to my excessive splurging. I’m all for a good treat but when the 80/20 rule gets flipped around and I’m eating poorly 80 percent of the time something has to change besides my waistline.

I’m not sure if I was suffering from marathon mentality thinking that 26.2 miles gave me the right to eat everything in sight or if it was my regular insanity, ahem, but whatever the cause I’m cutting it off.

I’m reinstating the mighty 80/20 rule and I could use a second to my motion. Or, an Amen. Or, someone to call me out if I start slipping. Holla.

Winks & Smiles,

Do Oreos Fly as Marathon Training Food?

Do Oreo cookies fly as marathon training food? That’s a stupid rhetorical question, I know the answer. But I ate them anyway. Gasp! I’ve heard horror stories about tapering and that eating can get the best of you, but I didn’t realize it would creep up in the form of a black and orange crème filled cookie. Yup, the Halloween version I bought for the kids. Ahem.

Seriously, I do know better and have big motivation to do better, too. Husband went for his physical last week and found out his cholesterol is high – really high. He’s got to make some major changes in his diet so that means I’ll be spending more time in the kitchen. I’ve got to start chefing up some healthy, low cholesterol foods so we know what he’s eating and that it’s good for him. I love Husband and I want to keep him – for a long time.

Fortunately, he’s on board and is willing to make changes, but even then it’s hard. Incorporating some of the healthier meal options is a tad easier, I already make lots of appropriate foods, but the sweets – the ice cream sandwiches and Oreo cookies – can be a bit more challenging. In efforts to make it easier for him, and to give him some sweets he likes so he won’t sneak when I’m not around, I dusted off the heavy artillery and made him some homemade bite-sized oatmeal raisin chocolate chip cookies.

Whole grain rolled oats and unbleached wheat flour. Yes, that’s a Mickey Mouse measuring cup. *insert shoulder shrug here* 

A splash of real maple syrup and natural sugar. These aren’t low calorie folks (he doesn’t have a weight problem) Homemade, not high processed.

Yummy raisins and dark chocolate chips.

Ta-da … the cookies

Moderation is key, folks. We’ll see if we, ahem, I mean he can control himself.

Winks & Smiles,