Summer Weight Loss- Week 14

This week's tip is all about whole grains. From fiber to protein, whole grains got you covered and will keep you full and healthy!

What the hell are whole grains anyways?

Following is the official definition of whole grains, approved and endorsed by the Whole Grains Council in May 2004:

Whole grains or foods made from them contain all the essential parts and naturally-occurring nutrients of the entire grain seed in their original proportions. If the grain has been processed (e.g., cracked, crushed, rolled, extruded, and/or cooked), the food product should deliver the same rich balance of nutrients that are found in the original grain seed.

Below is a complete list of grains...

• Amaranth
• Barley
• Buckwheat
• Corn, including whole cornmeal and popcorn
• Millet
• Oats, including oatmeal
• Quinoa
• Rice, both brown rice and colored rice
• Rye
• Sorghum (also called milo)
• Teff
• Triticale
• Wheat, including varieties such as spelt, emmer, farro, einkorn, Kamut®, durum and forms such as bulgur, cracked wheat and wheatberries
• Wild rice

 Okay enough of the introduction, you get it. People tell you alllll the time how awesome whole grains are. Well they are and they are NOT boring guys, you are just not used to them!

I am sure you guys have heard of quinoa the most. The thing about whole grains is that they are way more than carbs, they have fiber and protein. Not only do they keep you full longer, they also are good for digestion and for your heart health. They're GREAT for diabetics too. Processed carbohydrates like pasta can cause a spike in sugars to your system and then a crash of the sugar levels. Whole grains take longer to break down so you get a more gradual sugar release giving you more sustained energy.

So let's get real here... some of these may seem weird and scary, but like that quote last week said, "Life begins outside your comfort zone." So I challenge you guys to try one on this list you have never had before!

I am committed to try and cook farro the very first time!!

How about you? What whole grain would you like to try?

Summer Weight Loss Challenge- Week 11

This week's tip, You shall burn for your sins.... not in hell but with some exercise!

Sounds brutal right? Though you WILL NOT burn in hell though, not really. You're gonna burn them calories at the gym! To make up for some of those eating sins.

Here is how I used to handle eating badly: beat myself up for it, make myself feel like a horrible person, a failure etc.... Then I would eat MORE since I felt a failure to try and make myself feel better.

BAD PATTERN!

So here is how I deal now- I take action! I made some eating mistakes, okay that is life and I LOVVVVE food and beer. So I had tooooo much to drink and too much to eat. All I can do NOW about it is make better choices today and BURRRRRN some of those calories with some exercise. NOT as punishment, but to be good to my body and to make sure I can lessen or even negate the bad behavior I already had!

Case in point- I had one hell of a week. Good Beer (a beer and food event in NYC) on Thursday, Maroni's 16 course chef's tasting on Friday for my in-law's anniversary and a party on Saturday when battle ship beer pong was played.... (because if battleship beer pong IS a thing and I NEED to play it, even though I sucked miserably at it)

Yes lots of excessive eating a drinking and somehow I escaped a hangover both times... I try and tell people I don't drink a lot, but ummmmm people see this on social media and it just does NOT look good for my case.

I did not wanna run today- but I did- I ran and ran with some killer music for a mile and a half thinking about all the fun I had, but also about the scale that I have a date with Tuesday. Then I came home and dug up grass for the patio we're building for more exercise. So yes I am gonna burn for my sins in a good way.

Overall, as I explained it was a pretty epic week, a beer and food event, a chef's tasting, and a party with old friends and more good beer. If I do go up on the scale, I will own it because I had a GREAT time and that is really what life is about. Plus it's not usually so many food and beer events are in just one week!

Summer Weight Loss Challenge- Week 8

This week's tip is Drink some Fuckin' H20. You need water so make sure you get 8 glasses in a day.

Our bodies range from 50-65% water. Every damn part of your body needs water to function. So you know if that ain't enough here are some more reasons to get your 8, 8 oz. glasses a day....

To drive the point home I used some colorful fucking language.

Summer Weight Loss Challenge- Week 6

This week's Summer Weight Loss Challenge Tip is 80/20 RULES! Eat healthy 80 percent of the time, the other 20 indulge in whatever you love most!

This is my favorite philosophy and I like to explain it as 80% healthy and watching portions 20% bacon and beer! I mean you guys know following me on Facebook and Twitter just how much I love the tasty things in life and my passion for craft beer. A lot of people wonder how do you maintain your weigh loss when you love those things? The answer is I love them in moderation and I don't keep lots of things like that in my house.

I think this photo illustrates 80/20 pretty nicely, a well balanced portion controlled dinner after a workout with a pint of beer. A little indulgence with lots of veggies!

You can see 80/20 as weekdays are strictly healthy, weekends you loosen the reigns a bit. So usually during the week for me there is no beer. I mostly eat salads for lunch, a smoothie or Greek yogurt with fruit and granola for breakfast and a light dinner. On the weekend I may go to a brewery for a tasting, have a couple pints with friends, or eat a nice piece of cake. I choose my indulgences and don't beat myself up for them since I am in control. I decide when to indulge and how.

During the weekdays when you want some ice cream, think about it... DO I want this now? Would it taste sweeter on the weekend on the beach? Just think about when you indulge and how often. If you can remember you indulged in a Carvel Sundae the night before, you want to second guess indulging again for the next couple days.

When I was on Weight Watchers they gave us points. Every week you had an extra 49 points to blow on whatever you liked. Sometimes I would blow it all in one day, one meal or spread it out through the week. You can think of the 80/20 the same kinda way. If you go have a 12 course chef tasting you will need the count that as the entire 20% LOL! But if you wanna have a little chocolate every night you can do that too!

What is WONDERFUL about 80/20. It means I can each EVERYTHING I want, just not all at once. But knowing you CAN eat something doesn't make you obsess over that cake. You may have a sliver and call it a day and give yourself a pat on the back for having that cake!

What does 80/20 mean for you? How can you implement it into your life?!

Summer Weight Loss Challenge- Week 5

Week 5 of NY Foodgasm's Summer Weight Loss Challenge is to Eat 5 to Stay Alive, meaning to strive 5 5 serving of fruits and/or veggies a day!

So coincidentally this is week 5 and we're talking about having 5 serving of fruits and veggies a day. When someone tells me they want to try to eat healthy and change their lifestyle, the first thing I suggest is to try to get their 5 servings of fruits and/or veggies a day?

Why you say? The answer is it is easier to add something to your diet than to take something away. If you literally make a pact with yourself to get your 5 servings a day you will also find you are eating less carbs since you need to have fruit for that snack to get that extra serving in. You may also find at dinner you eat less pasta or potatoes since you ate some veggies with that meal.

Fruits and vegetables are also just about the healthiest foods you can eat. They have lots less calories and are very low in fat (except avocado and some others). They pack in tons of vitamins and minerals, micro nutrients and FIBER! Yes your colon will thank you!! Your tribute to the toilet gods will be more frequent and enjoyable!

In short they keep you healthy, regular and stave off disease.

Summer Weight Loss Challenge - Week 3

We all think in extremes... to lose weight I have to work out 5 days a week and stop eating junk food and start eating salad like every day. Then to make matters worse you try and do it all at once... Does this sound familiar?

The truth is your setting yourself up for failure, no one can make those changes overnight and you would hate living. Then honestly WTF is the point?!

Do not try and start with these HUGE lofty goals. Start with stupidly simple goals. Like seriously idiot proof. Something that you absolutely KNOW you can achieve.

For example: Say you don't work at all, just the sight of a gym makes you cringe. Well can you take a walk around the block once a week, just once? Totally!

Another example: You're obsessed with soda, you drink like 4 a day. Well maybe you cut it down to 3 a day.

The point is when you set a completely attainable goal, you achieve it. That makes you feel good about yourself, then you can move to the next level of that goal. That positive reinforcement gives you confidence and makes you feel great that you did something you wanted to do for yourself, more importantly you kept your word to yourself!

Conversely when we set goals too high and are unable to achieve them we think negatively about ourselves, making our self esteem plummet and that causes you to fall off the wagon and jump into a pile of twinkies.

So even if you think it is dumb... humor me and try it out.

Sign up to join in the summer weight loss challenge here and here. 

Let me know YOUR small goal for this week in the comments below!

Roasted Vegetable Pizza

Vegetables remind you of Spring right?! Spring is looooong overdue here in NY and I needed some Spring inspiration mixed with a heartier cold weather food. So this pizza is just what I needed. I am sure I have told you about the magic of roasted vegetables- they are so so sweet. Some of you may be like a 2 year old and pouting with your arms crossed and your face all scrunched up saying, "Ewwwww." Well don't be a baby and put them arms down. Have I ever really steered you wrong? The magic of roasting vegetables is the flavor it adds! As the water inside the veggies evaporates out, the flavor and sugars get concentrated- similar to how caramelizing onions makes them sweeter.

So the reason this roasted vegetable pizza was born was necessity. My husband and I are trying to eat less meat. Not necessarily become vegetarian, but just cut down on animal proteins. We all have our own reasons and I don't wanna convince you this is what you must do. We all walk our own road. But since I have been blogging about food, I have learned more about all things food. Meat in this country is mass produced, has all sorts of hormones and antibiotics and I am sure you can imagine the animals are not treated too well. I was blissfully ignorant. Ignorance is not bad, I didn't wanna know. So I want to try my best to eat farm raised meat when I can and cut back in general. I just want to share with all of you since you all read this blog. This is something I am trying out and trying on for size.

#HolidayDetox Part 2- Start your day off right!

You know how if you have a bad morning it can ruin your WHOLE day. Like you wake up and the dog has chewed one of your shoes, it's raining outside and you ran out of coffee?! Well a bad start to your day can give the rest of the day a nasty outlook. Similarly if you start your day with an unhealthy breakfast or no breakfast at all it can have a negative impact on all food choices that follow. So that is why the second post in the #HolidayDetox series is about healthy, easy and delicious breakfast choices. Sophia tested and approved. Me and Jennifer from Peanut Butter and Peppers gotcha covered!! She makes some of the BEST healthy breakfasts I have EVER seen!! Go to the bottom of the posts for some pics and links to today's recipe!

In the beginning of my weight loss journey my breakfast either did not exist or it consisted solely on carbs, even sugary carbs. Skipping breakfast seems like a great way to save calories, but you wind up being so hungry at lunch you not only consume what you missed for breakfast and would each for lunch, you usually eat more than you would in those two meals had you not been "hangry". LOL! It took me a long time to realize this. I also realized if I started the day with sugar I craved it the ENTIRE day! So, when I started my weight loss journey, I knew I needed a meal that would fill me up for hours, but not break the bank in calories or WW points. 

BIG change starts with a single baby step, and then several after that!

So I started making my own healthy breakfasts. I started with Greek yogurt, the pre-flavored ones, then eventually moved to plain and added in my own flavors. I learned I could make my own flavor combos that would cost me less WW point and calories, since the pre-flavored ones usually have lots of sugar added. It is all in baby steps. You gotta do what you a comfortable with. So having breakfast at all is a good step and one that may take time to become a habit. This stuff doesn't happen overnight so be patient and kind to yourself. There is nothing wrong with you! Start with a SMALL commitment. For example if you don't eat breakfast at all, start by committing to eating breakfast twice a week. If you eat breakfast that isn't so healthy, commit to a healthy breakfast twice a week. You see where this is going.  

My breakfast evolution went something like this
Farina with Chocolate Chips
Honey Nut Cheerios
Instant Oatmeal Packets
Pre-Flavored Greek yogurt
The cheesy grits phase!
Plain Greek Yogurt with fruit and Stevia
Plain Greek Yogurt with Cheerios
Instant Oatmeal Packet with Greek Yogurt Added
Chocolate Smoothies
Fruit Smoothies 
Green Smoothies with no added sugar

This is over the course of like 2 years! So this stuff takes time and I understand if you don't jump right in to the Green Smoothie, I get it. It seems weird and intimidating and like a "health food" LOL.

 Now for my first round of recipes!

Triple Toasted Coconut Oatmeal Bars

Why is this a Foodgasm?

You like coconut? Well this not only has shredded coconut inside the bar, but is also made with coconut milk and coconut sugar. New to cooking with both? Me too! But it gave it an even more pronounced coconut flavor. This has the texture of a really soft granola bar. It is kinda cakey in a way. I love the texture and I LOVE that is tastes so good I wanna go back for more! The nice thing is it is not too sweet, just sweet enough to make it feel like a treat, without that gross feeling after you eat a muffin.

Why is it healthy?

This baby is PACKED with protein and whole grains. It is also VERY low in fat and sugar. Compare the stats below with your favorite granola bar or breakfast bar. Plus you made it yourself with ingredients you can pronounce!

What you need

2 cups steel cut oats
1 cup 0% fat Greek yogurt
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1/3 cup coconut sugar
1/3 cup pecan pieces
1/3 cup coconut flakes plus 1/4 cup to toast on top

How to make it

Preheat oven to 350º
1- Mix together all ingredients except 1/4 cup coconut flakes for the top.
2- Grease a square 9"x9" baking pan and pour in batter and add coconut flakes to the top
3- Bake for about 35 minutes.

Nutritional Information

Happy Green Smoothie

Why is this a Foodgasm?

I discovered this by accident. I did an online challenge called The Live More Weigh Less Challenge. The second day's challenge was to make a green smoothie. It was basically a way for you to start the day right, thinking of your health. So I was like, you know what I am gonna give it a go. I was committed! I totally thought it was gonna taste gross. I thought okay what sort of greens do I have, well I had my FAVE arugula. I am basically obsessed with the beautiful peppery taste of arugula! I knew I had to cut the bitterness with something sweet- another fave honeycrisp apple! Only the best and sweetest apples EVER! Most smoothies then add water, ummmm ewwwww. I wanted my smoothie to be creamy and provide some protein so I also added some nonfat Greek yogurt and low fat milk to loosen it. You know what.....I was shocked I actually liked it and found myself craving them and it was good for me too! YAY! Score!

Why is it healthy?

Did you hear the part about the arugula and apple...non fat yogurt. It's a win all around. Antioxidents, protein, vitamins and minerals. It is also a pleasant happy green color. Not a scary deep green.

What you need

1 1/2 cups Arugula
1/2 cup Non Fat Greek Yogurt
1 cup diced Honeycrisp Apple
1/2 cup low fat milk (I used 2%)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

 How to make it

1-Put everything in a blender and blend on high until completely combined and liquified.

Nutritional Information

Jennifer's Recipes from Peanut Butter and Peppers

Get them ALL here!

Bircher Muesli

 Oatmeal Pumpkin Breakfast Smoothie

Strawberry Shortcake Pancakes