Plateaus Suck: Three Ways to Push Past Them

I’ve been battling the same plateau for the past few years. Yes, years. Whenever I would attempt to lose weight I could shave off 10 pounds and then I would find myself stuck. I’d keep it off for awhile, get frustrated, gain it back then start the whole vicious cycle over again. Well, I’m happy to say I stepped on the scale this weekend out of curiosity – my goal is not a number, well sort of, it’s a TWO piece bikini – and I was ecstatic to see that I plowed right through that plateau.

Getting stuck happens to the best of us, but armed with the right tools we can all get things moving again. Here are three ways I pushed past my plateau:

CHANGE Something Up. For me it was food. I THOUGHT I was already eating really healthy but once I made a commitment to eat clean for 28 days I discovered that extra unnecessary calories and processed foods were keeping me from reaching my goals. Examine your diet or workout and switch some things up; and see what a difference it can make.

Watch Out for the WEEKENDS. “Well, I ate clean all week, so a keg of beer and a large pepperoni pizza is fine right?” Um, NO! It’s easy to undo all of the hard work you put in during the week if you splurge all weekend. Those calories add up quickly so enjoy a treat but don’t over do it.

Keep Your Eyes on the PRIZE. Literally. I keep my goal in front of my face. My clean eating book stays on my kitchen counter right next to my Runner’s World and Oxygen magazines. Staying focused and determined will help you when times are tough and you don’t seem to be making any progress.

While I haven’t reached my birthday goal yet, pushing past this plateau has given me an extra boost of motivation and confidence to battle the next one. I bet YOU can do it, too.

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.

Checking Up on Your Goods

"106/70. You're blood pressure is excellent."

That's what the nurse told me this morning when I went for my annual physical.

That number is WAY more important to me than the one that shows up on the scale because high blood pressure runs DEEP in my family. DEEP.

I was thoroughly poked and prodded this morning and received a "You're really healthy! Keep on doing it!" from my doctor who applauded and encouraged my running.

I not only applaud and encourage it; I ATTRIBUTE much of my great check up to lacing up my running shoes and making healthy food choices.

I'm 35 days away from 40 and I'm healthier than I was entering my 20's and 30's. A big part of that is making sure I visit my doctor. When is the last time you had a physical? If its been more than a year something just moved to the top of your "To-Do List." You schedule them for the kids, so please don't forget about you. Nothing is more important then checking up on your goods!

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,

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.

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,

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,

Running Away … And Living Positively

One of the reason I started Run Wifey Run is to focus more on taking care of myself and hopefully motivate others to do the same so when I received the invite to steal-away to downtown Atlanta and take part in the first "Live Positively Social Media Conference: Conversations with Coca-Cola" I immediately ditched my kids made arrangements with Husband so I could attend.

For the past two days I’ve listened, learned, talked, shared, laughed, networked, bonded and have been motivated by the wonderful bloggers and women of Coca-Cola sharing this experience with me.

Monday night they welcomed us in true Southern fashion with food and fellowship at PARISH, an eco-friendly eatery in the Highlands.

They closed the restaurant for us and Chef Joe showed us how he whips up his culinary delights.

The Coca-Cola Braised Short Ribs were out of this world

And the fried pumpkin pie with cream cheese ice cream (yes, cream cheese) was to die for. Seriously.

Oh and yes, they shared the recipes. Ahem.

Yesterday, we gathered at the World of Coca-Cola and were treated to an intimate session with the fabulous Lisa Stone, co-founder of BlogHer.com. After sharing her journey with us she led us in a vision board exercise.

I would share mine, but my friends at Coca-Cola still have it. Would it shock you to know a runner was in the center of it? Gasp!

After lunch we were treated to a panel discussion with some of Coca-Cola’s leading ladies including their Chief Marketing Officer, VP and Controller, and several other executives and members of their Women’s Leadership Council. These dynamic and successful gals gave us a glimpse into their world and offered priceless advice on managing a career, motherhood and yes, Living Positively.

Today is the last day of the conference where we will learn more about their Live Positively initiative and be able to ask the experts the tough questions as well as offer our input. As a metro-Atlanta resident I’m familiar with some of the positive outreach Coca-Cola does in the community (they’re based here) but I’m interested in hearing more about some of their healthier products and what they’re doing to encourage a healthy lifestyle. I’ll make sure to keep you posted. No pun intended.

In the meantime I just have to leave you with a pic of this little gem they gifted me when I checked into my hotel – yes, I live in Atlanta but I would not pass up the opportunity to cozy up in a swanky hotel for two nights and enjoy a little peace and quiet. Um, the post is titled "Running Away."

Isn’t it adorable? If you look closely you’ll see it’s a handbag made out of can tops. I just love it.

Winks & Smiles,

The Coca-Cola company took care of my accommodations for this trip but, as always, my opinions and thoughts are all my own.

The ChatterBox's Top 5 Ways to @ChooseCherries

You may have already read on Twitter and in some of our Race and Relax posts about the benefits of cherries and tart cherry juice for recovery after exercising...

"Cherries contain anthocyanins 1 and 2 that researchers believe can have a significant impact on relieving muscle and joint soreness more quickly. And, cherries’ powerful bundle  of antioxidants and carbohydrates offer added nutrition active people need. Available year-round as dried and frozen cherries and cherry juice, it’s easy to make cherries part of your training regimen." - Cherry Marketing Institute.

It was great news to me being that this "super fruit" is my fruit of choice during the late spring and summer plus I'm always drinking cherry-blend juices (pomegranate-cherry, cran-cherry).  I love me some cherries!

Our wonderful Race and Relax sponsor, Cherry Marketing Institute, sent all racers bottles of tart cherry juice to try out during our training.  When I got mine out of the mailbox, I immediately put it in the freezer to give it a quick chill.  Then... I forgot about it.  About 30 minutes later, I remembered it and fished a dynamic slushie out of the fridge.  As I savored my accidental frosty treat, I began to think of all the outside-of-the-box ways to enjoy the benefits of this bottle of antioxidant joy! (because that's what I do)

ChatterBox's Top 5 Ways to Choose Cherries

5 - Cherry Slushie:  Well, duh!  Pop the bottle in the freezer for about 30-45 minutes and have a chilly treat after your outdoor exercise / activity.

4 - Cherry Smoothie:  I make breakfast smoothies from vanilla nutrition drinks (i.e. Boost or Ensure). Running them through the blender with a bit of crushed ice froths them up to milkshake consistency.  Skip the ice and throw in your frozen cherry juice!  Yum!

3 - Cherry Popsicles:  Go old school with popsicle sticks and cherry juice poured in ice cube trays.

2 - Cherry Ice Cubes:  Ditch the sticks and drop your frozen cherry cubes in a glass of orange, apple, pomegranate, or cranberry juice.  Add a splash of club soda or lemon-lime soda for a fizzy kick.  (okay, diet lemon-lime soda...sheesh!)

1 - COCKTAILS!:  And speaking of kick... you know I had to go there, right?  Add a shot of your favorite adult indulgence to any of the above combinations in #2.  Now that's what I call recovery!

As you can see, though kind of unconventional, you can incorporate the benefits of tart cherry juice in many ways.  How do you choose cherries?  Check out these recipe suggestions.