Falling into Fall!

If you know me well, you know that my favorite season (by far) is fall!  I love the fresh air, the autumn chill, sweaters, jeans, boots, scarves (both knitted and otherwise), and the upcoming holidays!  This year, I'm particularly excited about fall because I'll be in a new job (I'll post more when I'm officially on the payroll), losing weight to fit into numerous pairs of jeans that fill my dresser drawers because I REFUSE to throw them away, and continuing my new-found passion for cooking!  That said, I'm falling into fall!

However, before the days of jackets and turning on the heat return, I have to wrap up the summer.  My last post talked about the refocus of this blog to reflect my old love of food and my new passion for cooking.  While I would love to say that I cooked a lot recently, I haven't had much time.  I was busy wrapping up my position as an AmeriCorps member and prepping for my new job (so many cryptic references...).  I also seriously refocused my weight loss strategy to reflect what I know I should be doing.  I hate to say that I'm still working on it, but I developed a reward system today of all the things I've wanted to buy recently but haven't (much of which includes crafting stuff).

However, I did do some cooking and baking, and plan to do more in my time off while I wait for the paperwork regarding exiting AmeriCorps and coming into my new job to catch up with me!  My brother turned 30 (are we that old already?) in July, but we officially celebrated his birthday just yesterday.  I made two FANTASTIC dishes, both of which I received numerous compliments on.  First, I tried my hand at an amazing, yet high-calorie, high-sugar, dessert.  Pictured below is the Raspberry Pretzel Salad and the recipe for it!  It's absolutely delicious, but I would avoid it if you're trying to lose a few pounds.  However, I had one piece at my brother's party.

Yummy!

And a close-up of those delicious, albeit frozen, raspberries.

The recipe for the above delicious-ness :)

I also made Asian Coleslaw, which I have made before.  It's probably one of the easiest salads to whip up quickly.  Here are some pictures (because I like to record my creations, much like I photograph crafts and cards I make), and the recipe.  

Yum!

:)

The recipe for Asian colelsaw:

16 oz. pre-packaged Cole Slaw
1 pkg. Chicken flavored Ramen noodles, uncooked
1 bunch chopped green onions
1 c. slivered almonds
1 c. sunflower seeds

Dressing:
1 c. light olive or vegetable oil (I usually only use 1/2 c. vegetable oil to cut calories).
1/2 c. sugar
1/3 c. vinegar (I use white vinegar)

The seasoning packet from the Ramen noodles

Finally, two more exciting bits of news.  The first is...I'm going to North Carolina in October!  One of my best friends from college is doing AmeriCorps there, so I am going to visit her.  I'm so looking forward to seeing her (it will be over a year by October), and doing all kinds of fun things.  We're doing some history tours (since we're both history geeks), going to a winery, going shopping, and...running a 5K in Ocean Isle Beach!  That's my second bit of news...I'm running a 5K!  I'm training for it now with a friend/colleague.  The program we are using maintains that we will be able to run 3 miles in 9 weeks, and we are one week into training.  It feels good to be running again and getting back in shape.  

I guess that's it for now.  I will update again soon after I make this week's recipes: Pumpkin Oatmeal, a pumpkin smoothie, and Autumn Bean Soup!  

Peace, love, and cooking :)

    

Food Love

It's been quite a while since I last posted. That's partly because I didn't meet any of the goals I set for myself about weight loss, and I didn't want to admit it. However, I did attend (and participate in!) my best friend's wedding this past weekend and my bridesmaid dress fit! I consider that in and of itself a total win. Aside from not meeting my weight loss goals, I did recently accomplish a few other things (both related and unrelated) that were definite wins as well. I am eating more fruits and vegetables, drinking less soda, doing some cardio, and lifting weights significantly more. All good things. Something also happened recently that I am not yet allowed to say (at least not here on the interwebs), so that will remain a mystery until it's official. Let's just say it's a darn good thing. The reason for this post (and the re-focus of the blog in general), is to toss out a realization I had within the past few days. I love food. Obviously. But I don't just mean eating food. I mean I love everything about food. Researching it, preparing it, eating it (of course), enjoying it, and writing about it. I like knowing what's in my food and how it was prepared. I love the ritual of preparing a meal, and the nostalgic feeling of some food (like elephant ears at summer fairs and good lattes during fall). In short, I'm becoming a foodie, and for someone like me, I think that's a much healthier way of approaching food than my current approach to it (read as: I eat it because I'm fulfilling an emotional need, as opposed to a physical one). Perhaps I can turn my love of food into productive (and not totally screwed up) ways of thinking about it. We'll see. We'll start with today. I did some good research on Chai Tea Lattes (which I LOVE) and shared a fantastic recipe for a DIY Pumpkin Spice Chai Latte on Facebook, which you can also find here: http://sumptuousspoonfuls.wordpress.com/2011/11/11/make-your-own-pumpkin-spice-chai-latte. I also discovered that I was running low on Chai tea (gasp!) and quickly purchased more. Yahoo! In addition to exploring recipes, I also made some delicious (and mostly nutritious) meals and snacks today. I had a totally awesome fruit salad when I came home from work today, with an English Breakfast Tea Latte (which I do not recommend, at least not the way I made it). I should point out that I typically don't use any sweetener in my tea, but that particular latte definitely needed it. Yikes. Anyway, my awesome fruit salad is pictured here:

Not only did my fruit salad taste fabulous, it also looked beautiful! I also made a totally great salad for dinner, which consisted of carrots, red pepper, romaine, and a bit of onion. I used this weird but very delicious buffalo ranch dressing made by WishBone - the light version. No pictures of that salad, but I can tell you that it tasted great and looked great, too. When I got home I discovered that my mother had requested I bake some cookies - from the package. That was fine because I'm not great at baking from scratch and had I made a sweet treat, I would have made something fruity and frozen, since fruit is better for you and it's pretty darn hot this week.

For the 4th of July, my family is heading up to my aunt and uncle's cabin, and I am bringing some amazing pineapple salsa that I've made before. I decided this year that instead of buying tortilla chips, I would try my hand at making pita chips to go with the pineapple salsa. I made a small batch tonight and they turned out pretty good. They taste good, but the bread on most of them ended up being a little too thick to brown them correctly. I'll work on that for the actual chip-baking day prior to the 4th. Here is my first attempt at pita chips:

So there you have it - today's baking and cooking adventures. As I said, hopefully this is a more productive use of my love of food than overeating. I couldn't imagine why it wouldn't be! More to come as I continue to cook, bake, eat (albeit less and healthier), savor, and LOVE!

Developing Good Habits

Well, I figure it's about time to update again, and I have plenty to talk about regarding my weight loss and fitness goals.

First, and most importantly, Weight Watchers didn't work for me. However, I can't say I'm surprised by that. Because I spent my days counting points (and cheating points), all I thought about was food, which (go figure) wasn't very effective in controlling my emotional attachment to food. So...I got to thinking last weekend. I thought about how when I was at my heaviest weight (163 pounds during my junior year of college), I managed to take it down by 10 pounds that summer. I remembered what I did during that summer to lose the weight, and I discovered that it was all about developing good habits. (Coincidentally, I'm reading a book right now called "Rediscover Catholicism," and in it, the author discusses good spiritual habits). Okay, back to weight loss. I realized that I had excellent habits that summer, so starting this past Monday, I went back to some of them. Here they are:

Eat a bowl of cereal with milk or yogurt for breakfast EVERY DAY. (Okay, this gets really, really, old but it works because it creates a natural rhythm for your body).
Eat a banana between breakfast and lunch. (Bananas are yummy, so I usually eat one every day. But it also keeps your metabolism up so your body doesn't go into starvation mode and start storing more fat. That's bad.)
Have soup and crackers, or a sandwich, with a piece of fruit and a vegetable for lunch. (Just keep eating those fruits and veggies, and look! by lunch you're already up to 3 servings a day!)
Have something sweet (or salty), but small, for an afternoon snack. It curbs the urge to eat a larger sweet or salty snack later.
Eat a lean cuisine, soup, or a salad for dinner. If you have soup, eat another serving of vegetables. (Self-explanatory - eat something healthy with more veggies to finish out your servings of fruits and veggies for the day).
Drink lots of water and less soda. (This is a big one because of the real sugar (or fake sugar in diet soda) and the caffeine. Caffeine increases your appetite. Water helps naturally flush out the toxins in your body.
Walk 30 minutes during lunch at work every day. (It helps you maintain a steady weight).
Exercise for at least 30 minutes after work. (This is where you should actually lose weight).
Get enough sleep! (Duh - if you're tired you will be munching all day to keep your energy up, and you'll munch on processed sugar and processed carbs, which are always bad ideas).

That's it. That's all I did to lose those 10 pounds that summer. Aside from the 30 minutes of walking at work each day (this week was super wonky in terms of my schedule), I have started all those habits once again! And so far, it's been effective! Huzzah!

I should mention that I did have one major success in the month of March. I set a goal to bike/run/walk 40 miles, and I did it! This month's goal: 60 miles. Because of my crazy busy week this week, I have 0 miles so far, but this weekend and next week should serve me well.

Alright folks, enjoy your Easter, and look forward to another post next month filled with success stories!

Even the Best Laid Plans Don't Always Work Out

I figured it was about time to update the blogosphere again on my quest to lose weight and get back in shape. Remember those last two goals I set? To work out 30 minutes, 4 days a week? And to drink only 3 12-ounce sodas per week? Yeah...those didn't work out so well. And here's why:

I DIDN'T WRITE ANYTHING DOWN. Please metaphorically slap me now.

I'm not entirely sure what I was thinking in not documenting my progress, but I also realize now that clearly I was not ready to set those goals because I failed to hold myself accountable. But, it's time to try again. And I figured I'll try a different way to hit the exercise goal this time. I joined a community goal on the Weight Watchers website to bike/run/walk 40 miles during the month of March, which comes out to about 1.3 miles per day. And this time, I will absolutely document it! I also joined a goal to be in a single-digit clothing size by May 5. I'm not entirely sure how realistic that is, but I figure if it's in my head, I might actually make progress toward that goal. I will say that I would love to be in a single-digit size by the summer. I don't remember the last time I bought anything in a single-digit size...

The soda goal remains this same, but again, I will actually document it this time - starting tomorrow.

You may think that nothing will change this time around, but I can tell you right now that I took the time to make some other changes this weekend that will hopefully give me a push. I've been meaning to get my hair cut and styled for a long time now, and I got a rather expensive last night. I have bangs again (I had them in high school), and the stylist actually demonstrated how to style my curly hair so that it's soft and can move (as opposed to crunchy and stiff). Though I straightened my hair today to see what my (slightly) new cut looks like straight, I am most definitely wearing my hair curly to work tomorrow. Hopefully that new look will motivate me on the weight loss business.

I also discovered the magic of facial masks today. An old colleague of mine sells natural facial care products and gave me a sample of a facial mask, and while that particular product is not quite right for my skin type (of course, I researched it!), I plan to purchase one this week that is correct for my skin type. If you know me well, you know that I've had problems with super oily skin and acne since I was probably 13. It's totally obnoxious, and I figure that if I can get my skin to look better, I will be more motivated to get other parts of me looking better, too!

Finally, I took a pair of jeans that I bought about a month ago that had been hiding in my drawer because they were a little too long over to my grandma's house tonight so she could hem them. They are really cute jeans, and they fit right now, so I'm excited to wear them! I also bought some great plaid deck shoes last night for the spring and summer. So hopefully some wardrobe changes will motivate me as well.

I read an article in the newspaper that said that if you're in a funk, either mentally or physically, or both, all you really need to do is get moving. Exercise your mind and your body. Do something you've been meaning to do that will benefit your physical and mental health. So hopefully I jump-started that process this weekend. Even if I don't meet all of those goals, I will have something to work toward. Furthermore, the article stated that you'll feel better, even if you only think you are making progress.

More to come...probably in another month...

:)

Hard work, Hope, and Hard-boiled eggs

Perhaps the attempt at a funny and creative title is a bit lame. I should get points for the awesome alliteration, though. Because I decided to jump back on the work out wagon tonight, I decided I would also do an update on the weight loss process. It's slow-going, which is to be expected. I have lost a grand total of...four pounds! (Cue fanfare). But seriously, that's an accomplishment. I'm back to the weight I was over the summer, which is a good place to start. (I should also point out that I'm currently about 20 pounds lighter than I was at my heaviest point ever, so the fact that I've kept that off is also pretty awesome).

Enough about what the scale says. I have to say that I'm feeling pretty good, but like everyone in today's world, I would like instant gratification. Obviously, that's not possible with a weight loss goal. So instead, I'm choosing to focus on the progress I have made. I can tell you that I'm already much better at eating. That sounds weird, but if you've ever tried to watch what you eat and control your portion size, you know what I mean. I mean that I actively seek foods that I know will keep me full. I also stop eating when I'm no longer hungry, for the most part. That last one I'm still working on. I'm also taking control of my relationship with food. In college, I was a huge stress eater. If something went wrong at school or at a forensics tournament, I would comfort myself by eating. I know, bad idea. I honestly don't remember when I lost control of my relationship with food, but it feels really good to be regaining control. Now, I channel my frustration/anger/fear/sadness into crafting, exercising, or working on my capstone in attempt to publish it. I've also taken control of my tendency to eat when I'm bored. If I'm watching tv and am tempted to grab a snack (even though I know I'm not hungry), I will knit, craft, play a game on my nook, or go on the computer. It's weird...because I know logically how to lose weight. It makes perfect sense to me. But it's one of those things that is easier said than done if you're someone that struggles with weight. I used to be really jealous of people that don't bear this particular cross, but I've come to realize that all things considered, this cross isn't that bad. Additionally, it makes me a much stronger person (with a whole lot of will power) to have to bear it. (I will quickly explain the cross metaphor. The priest at my church once said during a homily that everyone has a cross to bear. Jesus' cross was of course literal, but most of us have a challenge we deal with throughout our lives, whatever it may be).

The number one thing I have taken away from this adventure so far is to keep going. Even though eating hard-boiled eggs (and I've been eating a lot of them!) will become monotonous eventually, it will all be worth it. I will also tell you (whoever you are) that I've become much more confident with my clothing choices since starting this journey as well. I just purchased a fabulous burnt orange crocheted sweater that I would have never worn before I started this process. For those curious, the sweater makes its debut this weekend in...Eau Claire! I'm going there with a friend to take her friend out for her 21st birthday!

Now that I've make some good progress in controlling my weight and my relationship with food, I've decided it's time to make more changes. My primary goal is to get back on the work out wagon. You have to know that I love exercising in the summer - when I can play tennis, ride my bike, go swimming, and walk outside. The winter is quite a bit more difficult for me. I quickly get bored with running on the treadmill, and I refuse to buy a gym membership because I'm still so sporadic with my workout routines. I fear that I would never use it. I'm thinking that if I can make it through February and most of March, the weather will be good enough to bring out the bicycle. Right now, I'm only shooting for 30 minutes 4 days per week. Compared to my sporadic 30 minutes once or twice a week, if that, I'd say that's a decent goal.

A secondary goal, and one I've made many times before, is to cut down on soda. I drink diet soda, which I know is no better for me than the regular kind. The biggest problem I have with cutting out soda is that I'm totally, absolutely addicted to caffeine. I know that I could drink coffee, but I have to throw a bunch of creamer and sugar in it to make it taste good, which of course raises the fat and calories. I do, however, love tea, so I'm hoping I can get to a point eventually where I can only drink black or green tea to satisfy my caffeine addiction. For now, I'm taking a page from my own after school programming about setting SMART goals, and cutting down to three 12-ounce sodas per week. Compared to my seven per week that I currently drink, that will be a big improvement.

I think that's all for right now. If you read it, thanks for reading! If not, at least I can document my progress and broadcast my goals to the interwebs, which will hopefully keep me accountable. To end, a quotation...

"Vision is not enough, it must be combined with venture. It is not enough to stare up the steps, we must step up the stairs."

Taking that first step...

If you read this blog, you know from my last post that one of my goals for the new year is to continue to work out and get back in shape. I don't think I mentioned that the other part of that goal is to lose weight. If you know me very well, you know that I am considered overweight (according to my BMI - yes, not the most accurate measurement, but it works). Of course, I'm not grossly overweight, and have never been considered obese, though at one point in college I was very close. So, what sparks my desire to lose weight? Well, honestly, it's something I've struggled with my entire life, and at various points in my life, I've done the roller coaster dieting. It's usually worked for a little while. In fact, the summer after my junior year of college, I lost 10 pounds with the old-fashioned "calorie-counting, exercising method." This summer, I dropped another 8 with that same method, and it felt great. However, within the past month, I noticed the numbers on the scale creeping back up again. I also noticed a pattern. Summer means warm weather, an easy time working out, and fresh fruits and veggies to eat in abundance. Winter means cold, nasty weather, boring treadmill work outs, and less motivation to eat yummy fruits and veggies. So, I'm trying to break that pattern. I am also trying to break the old "diet for a day" routine I've done since high school. Usually I look at the scale, respond with the appropriate profanities, and promise myself that "it will be different this time." And, go figure, it's never different.

Which, along with a commercial for Weight Watchers, brought me to tonight. I should also point out that one of my best friends is getting married this summer, and I'm in the wedding. There couldn't be a better time to take control and face my challenges. So, I joined Weight Watchers online. I know many people who have had success, so I decided to give it a shot. I'm not trying to lose some enormous amount of weight. I've set my goal of 15 pounds, which I think is entirely reasonable and will put me in that normal range on the BMI scale. I should also point out that I have three pairs of jeans waiting to be worn. I wore them in high school, but only for about year. Wouldn't it be great to say that I could wear jeans I wore when I was 16? The answer is yes. Clearly, I've also decided to make my goal public, hoping that it will help motivate me to stick with it. So here we go, blogosphere...

I'm thinking that since this blog hasn't been that history related anyway, I will keep you updated on my journey to change my lifestyle.

A side note: I just realized I never explained the title of this blog. It's actually a quotation said by the lovely old chap, Cecil Rhodes. Rhodes was a British businessman who "founded" Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). I chose it as the title of my supposed history blog because it's such a powerful quotation. At the time, Europe was busy dividing up Africa to its liking, and in my opinion, Rhodes was a pretty greedy guy. I think to me it represents the power of one person and the power of ambition and setting goals.

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

That it is. For me, Christmas truly is the most wonderful time of the year. It's a time to be with family and friends, celebrate the birth of Christ, give gifts, and count my blessings. I'm not going to lie, though, I AM looking forward to having a week away from the office!

Christmas also always lends itself well to reflecting on the previous year. Since my family does not send a Christmas letter, I thought I would spend some time reflecting here.

My year was filled with many wonderful times and blessings, including:

-Graduating in May from UW-Eau Claire!
-Actually finding a job (albeit part-time) right out of the gate
-Spending time with family and friends over the summer
-A fabulous weekend vacation to Door County with a very good college friend
-Working for AmeriCorps and getting to know some amazing colleagues (who are now friends) and students
-Celebrating my brother's wedding in October! I couldn't be happier for my brother and sister-in-law and couldn't have received a better sister, either :)
-Being asked to be in a good friend's wedding. We have known each other since first grade, but didn't become close until high school. We lived together in college as well. I couldn't be more honored and happier for her! Though the wedding isn't until June of 2012, I'm including it in the highlights from this year!
-Receiving an award for having a very well-written history capstone. That was exciting for me. Call me a nerd if you must.

Though my year was clearly filled with many great experiences and blessings, it was also filled with some sad times, too. I lost an uncle and a great uncle this year, which was hard for me and my family.

As I reflect on this year and look forward to the new year, I have some resolutions.

-Continue to try working out and getting back in shape
-Exercising patience when I become frustrated or annoyed
-I would love to find a more permanent job that I could stay at for a few years...then go to graduate school!
-Work on publishing my history capstone...we'll see.

That seems like a pretty decent list. I'm really looking forward to Christmas and to the new year to see what it brings! I wish you all a joyous, Merry, and blessed Christmas and a very Happy New Year!