It's that time of year when people start to fall off their diets. New food habits start to slip and exercise goes, well, where does it go? I've been following Julie's way of eating for 3 years now, as of a few days ago, and my food habits are not slipping at all. However, the single digit temperatures in January was just the excuse I was looking for to avoid exercising. Sigh. Any excuse not to exercise is a BAD EXCUSE. Exercise keeps us healthy and energized. So, what's a girl to do to get motivated to start moving? Sign up for the Tortoise and the Hare 10K of course!
Tortoise and the Hare 10K run on April 19.
Why would I do this? Because I can. I ran the Hot Chocolate 5k in Dec. 2013 and in 2011 I finished in the exact same time. I didn't train for the 2013 race and later I wondered how much better my timing would have been if I had trained.

To motivate myself to get back on the track, or the treadmill until it's a little warmer outside, I decided to kick things up by committing to run a 10k in April. I talked with my running buddy Aime and she too is up for the challenge. In fact, she found this race after we talked. I know I can walk the distance, so I'm not worried about finishing the race. Signing up to run a 10k encourages me to get my running shoes on and start training so I can do my best time for this race. It gives me motivation to get moving. Any excuse to get moving is a GOOD EXCUSE.

What about you? Do you have a plan for exercise this week? What can you do to get moving and keep moving? Make a plan and follow Nike's advise: just do it! I'd love to hear what you're doing to keep up with your exercise - what motivates you to keep moving?

BTW, if you haven't made the Caramelized Onion & Sausage Stuffing recipe yet - try it this week! I made it this morning and I just had it for lunch a few minutes ago - yummy! This is a nice warm and flavorful dish to make in the dead of winter. Having plenty of leftovers for lunch this week is great too. While the dish was cooling, I updated the recipe with more photos.
February 02, 2014
Are you on the wait list to see Julie and wondering what you should do while you're waiting for your first session? I received an email asking this very question. Below is my response, but first, I have this to say: it is worth the wait!
Jan. 2014 vs May 2009 - it's worth the wait!
The email:
I made an appointment with Julie at the Hypnosis Center. I know that it is a 3-4 month waiting list, but I felt I had to do it. I went to a wedding this past weekend and saw myself in some of the photos and OMG. I look like a big mountain with a little head. I am saving up for my visits but feel very encouraged as she seems to have a high success rate. Do you have any advise for me between now and April?
Recommendations:
  • Go into Julie's classes with an open mind.
  • Do not go on an eating binge between now and a few minutes before you start the program. 
  • Do not do any further research about this program. You know what you needed to know to make the call. You're better off knowing very little about the program before your first class. Don't go looking for blogs or social media either.
  • If you want to do something while you're waiting, do one or all of these suggestions:
  1. Eat less sugar now. 
  2. Think about why you want this (to lose weight) and what your goals are.
  3. Look for others your height and body type who are the size you'd like to be. Before you go to sleep and first thing in the morning, visualize yourself the size you want to be. 
  4. Repeat all of the above daily.
Those of you reading this blog who have not finished all 3 classes with Julie, don't read anymore of this blog or other social until you've attended all 3 classes. The less you know about the program when you begin, the better. Seriously.
January 22, 2014
This Chicken Parmesan recipe came from Alanna. This afternoon I decided tonight was the night to make my own version of this recipe. Since I had bought a whole cooked chicken at lunch, I just cut the breasts off the cooked chicken and added the mayonnaise dressing from this recipe. Thirty minutes later it was nice a brown and dinner was ready. It was easy and fast. I have one piece leftover for tomorrow. Two delicious meals done at one pop.
My version of Chicken Parmesan
Ingredients
  • 6 chicken breasts
  • 1 cup light mayonnaise or Greek yogurt 
  • 1/2 cup fresh Parmesan cheese
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Spray the inside of a 9x13 glass pan.  
  3. Lay the chicken inside the pan.
  4. Mix mayonnaise with the remaining ingredients.
  5. Spread mayonnaise mixture evenly over each piece of chicken.
  6. Be sure to cover all exposed raw meat or it will dry out.
  7. Sprinkle fresh Parmesan over all the chicken.
  8. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes. 
Recipe adapted from: My Kitchen Escapades
January 21, 2014
After my first class with Julie, I stopped eating breakfast. For the first few months I didn't even drink coffee. Then one day I discovered hot foamy milk and from that point forward I added coffee back into my morning routine. Once in a while I have breakfast with one of my brother's on the weekend, but most days I'm just not hungry in the morning so I skip breakfast. For three years this has been my routine. That is until a few days ago. My appetite has changed.
Breakfast - it's new to me. Photo by Theresa.
My change of appetite started on Friday morning when I ate a few meatballs at 8am. I had cooked meatballs in the crock pot overnight and when I first got up I turned them off and put the crock on the stove to cool. I decided to have a few meatballs with my last cup of coffee and went on with my day. At noon, as I pulled my car out of my garage, I wondered what I would do about lunch. I wasn't hungry and I knew I wouldn't have another chance to eat until dinner. I decided not to worry about this. I was a little hungry about 2:30, so I had a cup of coffee and I tapped away the hunger.

I first noticed my appetite change on Saturday. I tried to write about this in my piece An Unplanned Day. While writing, I pondered what this change meant. Would it continue or was it just a day off kind of fluke? I thought if I wrote about the details of my day, I might see something that caused this change. I couldn't find the cause, so I kept writing and at the end of the day, I saved my post as a draft. The conclusion I was seeking was not surfacing.

On Sunday morning I made sausage and egg muffins and had 2 for breakfast. Once again I was not hungry until dinner time. Last night was the same - no lunch and I didn't eat dinner until 8pm. This morning I popped the last 2 egg muffins in the oven as I made my coffee. Breakfast once again.

Is this a change in my metabolism? Is this a new pattern for me that I'll be following from now on? I still don't see what triggered this change in my appetite, but I'm embracing this change.  This morning, I am not bringing lunch with me. If hunger hits, I can go get something to eat. I want to run with this new pattern of eating and see what comes of it.

Have any of you experienced this kind of change in your appetite?
January 21, 2014
Plans don't always unfold as smoothly as we hope. Things change and suddenly our schedules are turned upside down. We have the opportunity to go with the flow and let go of what our calendar says we were supposed to do. Regardless of the outcome, we always have the option to stay the course with our weight loss program.
 Standing on the porch of my Wickford dream home. 01/17/14.
I made plans weeks ago to meet Mary, whom I visited in Italy last spring, while she was in Rhode Island this week. A few days before she left Long Beach, a health issue came up with one of her relatives and I was on stand-by for details as to when we would get together. Mid-week I still hadn't heard from her and, tick-tock, tick-tock, time was running out. 

Thursday morning and still nothing from Mary, so I decided to take Friday off anyway. Thursday night we connected and agreed to meet at 2:30 at her friend Beth's house. I still didn't know how long our visit would be, what we were doing, or if others would be joining us.

On Friday I got up at 6:30am, made a pot of coffee, and enjoyed my morning coffee vegging out online and watching an Episode of Dexter. While waiting for my milk to froth, I pulled meatballs from my crockpot to cool. I don't usually have breakfast, but about 8 am I felt hungry, so I ate a couple meatballs with my last cup of coffee.

I'm not sure where the time went, but suddenly it was past noon and time for me to hit the road. A few miles from Beth's house I stopped at DnD for a coffee. I about eating something, but I didn't feel that hungry. I was hungrier than I thought, because as I walked toward the door, I was tempted to turn around and ask if I could have the bacon the guy who ordered after me said he didn't want on his sandwich.

Tap, tap, tap. Keep walking.

Mary and I walked through the historic town of Wickford, a familiar place to us, as we grew up in a nearby town. We often come to Wickford when she's in town. Sometimes we shop for antiques or jewelry, perhaps even have lunch. This time we walked to the pier and then explored the neighborhood of homes built in the late 1700's. I didn't pull out my iPhone to take photos until we saw this beautiful new home, which is so new that, according to the sign on the windows, the finish on the wooden floors were still wet.
My Wickford dream house. Hey, a girl's gotta have a dream!
Mary and I walked all around the outside of this house, peeked through the tall doors and windows, and imagined what life would be like living in such a magnificent house on a dead-end street, with water surrounding 2 sides of the property, a dream kitchen with ocean view windows, and a two-car garage with a studio above. "I'd live there" Mary said about the studio. She was not joking.

Our friend Beth called to let us know she had arrived, so we rushed into town to meet her and then we took her to see our house. Beth was confused. "Wait, who's going to buy it?" she asked. Beth didn't know about this game that Mary and I have played for decades when we do these kinds of walks.
Mary and Beth, friend from my childhood.
Three years ago this much walking would have been too much for me to endure. I would not have been able to walk around like this for 2 hours. I would have missed spending time outdoors exploring new and old homes with my friends. I also would have had dinner with Mary's family and eaten everything served, including desert.

Earlier in the day, I arranged to have dinner with my sister-in-law. I knew I'd be quite hungry by dinner time and I wanted to be in an environment where I would have healthy food options. At the restaurant, everything that looked key friendly was coated with flour or breadcrumbs. After hearing me ask so many questions, the waitress asked if I had food allergies. "No," I told her, "I don't eat carbs." I then ordered steak with bay scallops. Lucky for me the waitress, informed me the scallops were breaded and suggested I have them broiled. Wow, I hadn't thought to ask if they would be breaded. Note to self: never stop asking questions about how food is prepared.

For a day with no plans, this day turned out quite nice. I went with the flow. I focused on being in the moment. I let myself feel hunger and I tapped it away. I asked questions about my food options and I made healthy choices. I intentionally fit exercise into my day with friends.

In front of my computer that night, I was happy to see my Fitbit statistics: 12,640 steps! Since the cold weather and snow arrived, my daily average has been between 4,000 to 6,000, far below my daily goal of 10,000.
Fitbit statistics for Friday - yeah I met my 10,000 step goal and then some!

We choose from moment to moment what we want to do with our time and energy. We can plan all we want, but sometimes the best of plans turn out different. With each decision, we affirm our priorities and we move closer to or goals. These are the kinds of decisions each we get to make every day. It all boils down to this one question: how do you want to live your life?

Tick-tock, tick-tock.

What choices are you making today that are helping you reach your goal size?
An unplanned day lead me to this house. Where's your day taking you?
January 20, 2014
This recipe has been on my list to make all week and this morning I finally made them. The original recipe calls for a dozen eggs, but since I'm cooking for just me, I cut back on the eggs and adapted the recipe based on the ingredients I had available. I ate two for breakfast and they were delicious. I put the other four 'muffins' in the refrigerator and I'll enjoy them tomorrow. The other two are going in the freezer.
Sausage Egg Muffins
Ingredients
  • 1/2 pound ground pork sausage (or other protein)
  • 6 eggs, beaten (remove the yolk from 2 eggs)
  • 1/2 cup onions and peppers (fresh or frozen)
  • 1/2 can (4 ounce) chopped green chilies peppers, drained (oops, I forgot to add these)
  • 1 large garlic clove minced, or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • salt and pepper to taste (optional) or or 1 teaspoon Borsari (original) seasoning salt
Directions
Prep counter.
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Gather all your ingredients as oven warms up.
3. Lightly butter 6 large muffin cups.
Brown sausage
4. Cook sausage and crumble it as it cooks.
5. Add onions and peppers when sausage starts to brown.
6. When the sausage is evenly brown, drain, and cool.
7. In a large bowl, mix eggs, remaining ingredients and sausage.
Pour mixture into muffin cups.
8. Spoon sausage mixture evenly into each prepared muffin cup.


9. Bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes.
10. Insert a toothpick into each 'muffin.'
11. Eggs are done when toothpick comes out clean.

Options
  • Use a Misto olive oil sprayer to oil each tin instead of butter. Either way, you only need a small amount, so they will be easier to remove from the pan without breaking apart.
  • Add leftover veggies veggies such as mushroom, broccoli, etc.
  • Add a sprinkle of feta, Parmesan, mozzarella other other cheese to the top of each muffin as you serve them.
  • Instead of creating an egg mixture, layer all the ingredients and then pour the egg mixture into each tin.
  • Add a tablespoon of mix to the egg mixture. This makes the texture of the muffins softer.
  • Use mini muffin tins instead of full-size tins. I did this recently and brought them to a party and people loved them.
  • Other filling options: crab meat, mushrooms, black olives, green chilies, (I found a can of black olives with green chilies and these muffins were incredible), onions, the list could go on and on, just be creative! 
  • When you have a small amount of leftover meat or veggies, freeze them  so you have them ready the next time you want to make these egg muffins.
January 20, 2014
I made this tonight and it was great - unfortunately everyone thought so, so I don't have any leftovers! Next time I buy a bigger roast!
Balsamic Roast Beef
Prep time:
Cook time:
Serves: 6-8

This Balsamic Roast Beef Recipe is simple and delicious. You'll definitely want left overs of this roast beef recipe for all those scrumptious leftover meals!

Ingredients
  • 1 3-4 pound boneless roast beef (chuck or round roast)
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 4 cloves garlic, chopped
Instructions
  1. Place roast beef into the insert of your slow cooker. 
  2. In a 2-cup measuring cup, mix together all remaining ingredients. 
  3. Pour over roast beef and set the timer for your slow cooker: 4 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low.
  4. Once roast beef is cooked, remove it from slow cooker with tongs to a serving dish. 
  5. Break apart lightly with two forks and then ladle about 1/4 - 1/2 cup of gravy over roast beef.
  6. Store remaining gravy in an airtight container in the refrigerator for another use.
Notes
  • If you prefer a more pronounced flavor, once the roast beef has been removed, use a fat separator on the gravy and then pour the gravy into a saucepan over medium heat. 
  • Simmer until the gravy has reduced by half - I highly recommend this, as it definitely enhances the flavor (note from Alanna).


Recipe & Picture by Cooking | Add a Pinch | Robyn Stone
January 17, 2014
This Bacon Shrimp Scampi is made with “zucchini noodles.” When you make this dish, either serve it as a side dish or add more protein.
Bacon Shrimp “Zucchini Noodle” Scampi
Ingredients
  • 2 pieces of uncooked bacon
  • 1 clove of minced garlic
  • 1 pinch red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 cup minced shallots
  • 8-10 shrimps, defrosted, deveined and shells removed
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 4 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 2-3 medium zucchinis, peeled and sliced into noodles with a spirooli
  • 2 tsp lemon zest
  • 2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
Instructions
  1. Place a large skillet over medium heat and add in the bacon. 
  2. Cook bacon for 3 minutes on each side or until cooked to your crunchy preference. 
  3. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a plate lined with paper towel.
  4. Leave 1 tbsp of bacon fat in the skillet and add in the garlic. 
  5. Cook the garlic for 30 seconds and then add in the red pepper flakes, shallots and shrimp.
  6. Season with salt and pepper and let shrimp cook for about 2 minutes, flip over, add in the lemon juice and cook an additional two minutes. 
  7. Remove the shrimps with a slotted spoon and set aside.
  8. In the same skillet, add in the zucchini noodles and toss to combine, for about 2 minutes and then add in the shrimp and crumble in the bacon. 
  9. Divide onto two plates and garnish with chopped parsley.
Optional: Add 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese to the noodles before adding in the shrimp for extra flavor.

Recipe and photo source: Inspiralized
January 15, 2014