Eat, Drink, Move, Think : A Pre-Holiday Challenge of sorts

November 9, 2014 by bec2point0

Sunday post? I know, weird. But I wanted to post about something starting tomorrow, so no time like the present!

Okay, raise your hand if this time of year typically marks a departure from any thought of health, fitness, and weight loss until the new year starts.

*hand up*

Now, raise your other hand if you have found yourself on the other side of a holiday season with 10-15 extra pounds to lose, and a profound wish you’d done it different that year.

*other hand up*

Even if you didn’t raise your hands, if you’ve been stressing how you’re going to stay on track through this holiday season, just know, you’re not alone. The holidays are wonderful, but from a health perspective, they can be difficult. It’s a busy time, sometimes stressful, and with food everything, seemingly non stop.

That’s why this year, I’m challenging myself to take a couple of pre-holiday weeks and get in the zone, and I wanted to invite you all to join me.

We’re keeping it simple, too. Commit to 14 days of focus on four hey objectives, to help ensure that we go into the holiday season strong, and come out on the other side the same way. I promise, this is an easy challenge. Ready? Four objectives.

Eat – Eat food. I mean, we do that every day, right? No specific rules, just try to focus on eating less processed, good food. No eliminations. This isn’t a ‘none of this, none of that’ deal. Just focusing on healthy eating, and make sure you have regular meals and snacks. If you’re following a specific program, and you want to track or count or focus on the specifics of that, that’s cool too.

Drink – Water, specifically. No set number of ounces. No gallon jug with lines. Just drink more water, and cut back on sugary drinks like Starbucks Lattes and Dunkin Hot Chocolates (my personal drugs of choice). Hydration matters, and it’s such a simple thing to achieve, with just a little focus and effort.

Move – Every day. Doesn’t have to be hours and hours, miles and miles. Just get up and move. Every day, even if it’s only for 15 minutes. Enjoy this beautiful time of year with a walk outside. We don’t even have to call it exercise.

Think – Take 5. Or 10. Slow down. Take a little time for us, every day. Time to think about how we are, how things are going, things we want, and thing we want to change. Take time to appreciate the things we’re thankful for. Meditate. Journal. Sit with our thoughts, with ourselves. Breathe.

That’s it. That’s the whole plan. No tools needed. No special trip to the grocery store needed. No prep work.

I know, this probably seems overly simplistic. But that’s kind of the beauty of it. I’ve got too much going on to do something complicated. And these four things? These are things that so many of us struggle with, and over-think, or avoid thinking about at all, especially this time of year. So, starting tomorrow, for 14 days, these are what I’m focusing on.

Will it help? I think so. I hope so! I guess the only way to know is to give it a try.

Hit me up on Instagram (@bec2point0) if you want some accountability, and use these hashtags: #eatdrinkmovethink #414focus

Healthy Holidays, here we come!

Demotivation

October 31, 2014 by bec2point0

A.k.a. Fitspirational quotes that annoy the heck out of me.

Listen, I’ve been sick all week, so saying I’m cranky is kind of an understatement. That said, I’ve been planning on writing this post for a while, so let’s not attribute all of my bitchiness to the plague I am currently suffering from. Credit where credit is due, I’m just naturally bitchy.

So, if you spend any time on Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr or Facebook…heck, if you spend time on the internet at all… I’m sure you’ve stumbled across a colorful array of weight loss and fitness motivational quotes. Maybe you’ve regrammed some of them. Maybe you’ve taken a screen shot for later use, or later inspiration. If you’ve done any of these things, we have a lot in common.

But lately, there are a few of these fitspo quotes that I find to be downright demotivational. Don’t get me wrong, I know that these are meant to inspire people, and for some, I’m sure they do. And there are plenty of these quotes that do inspire me! It’s just that a couple of them keep popping up and making me a little ragey.

Nothing tastes as good as being thin/losing weight feels – First of all, the person who coined this phrase has clearly never eaten creme brulee. Because not only does it taste as good as losing weight feels, it tastes better. Secondly, and more seriously (although I am deadly serious about creme brulee), I think this quote sends a horrible message. What if that quote on Insta looked more like this?

Is that motivational? No! And what’s worse, it’s not true. To me, saying nothing tastes as good as being thin feels implies that it’s an either/or scenario, and frankly, I think that’s a load of bull. Reality is not eat junk or be thin. Plenty of thin people eat crap. And plenty of heavy people eat a balanced diet that includes healthy foods and indulgences. So, I reject this fitspo on the basis that my journey to health will have pit stops at the Creme Brulee Cafe, and I will still get there.

No matter how slow you go, you’re still lapping everyone on the couch – This one gets a lot of traction. And hey, why not? But if it were phrased differently, would it still motivate people?

Less motivating, huh? And not so flattering to the people you are ‘lapping’, either. I may be slow when I’m running. Hell, let’s not mince words, I’m a turtle. But you know what? The only one I need to compete with, the only person I need to worry about ‘lapping’, is myself. And the people who didn’t get off the couch? You’re still cool in my book.

Pain is fear leaving the body – Other variations of this one include No Pain, No Gain and Unless you puke, faint or die, keep going. Actually, no. Pain is your body’s way of telling you something is wrong, and that you should stop doing that thing.

Now, there is a world of difference (or sometimes a thin line) between being uncomfortable and being in pain. And hey, if you’re just starting out, or if you’re trying to reach a new level in your sport, there is going to be some discomfort. And yeah, you have to tough through that sometimes. But if something hurts? If you are in actual pain? That is your body signaling you that you’re about to hurt yourself, if you haven’t already. That’s not you being weak. That is you being a human being with nerve endings and stuff.

So those are my demotivators. Are there any fitspirational quotes that annoy you? Or any that inspire you? Tell me all about them!

Pumpkin: It’s Not Just For Yogurt Anymore

October 24, 2014 by bec2point0

I mean, it never really was. But if you read the Pumpkin Yogurt Wars post a couple weeks back, you might have thought so.

Seriously though, pumpkin is kind of everywhere this year. Like, way more than I can remember in past years. Trader Joe’s new Fearless Flyer has somewhere around 50 Pumpkin Items. I should know, I bought most of them. So, remember when I said I needed someone to stage a ‘pumpkintervention’? I purchased almost every pumpkin spice flavored item I could get my hands on, and my cabinets and counter tops we’re a bevy of orange boxes. I’m a marketing director’s dream, guys. Then, guess what happened?

I got really sick of all of it. It’s terribly sad, I know. But, most of the items were too pumpkin-y, or too spicy, or too sweet, or just plain not good. I hit total pumpkin overload and just didn’t want any of it anymore. Except for one thing.

Actual pumpkin.

See, somewhere buried at the heart of this pumpkin spice lunacy, is a beautiful squash, a superfood that is low in calories (15 per 1/2 cup raw, fresh) and high in fiber, vitamin C and beta carotene. And? It’s freaking delicious!

Now, let’s talk about what to do with pumpkin!

Pumpkin can typically be found in your regular grocery store in three forms; halloween/jack o’ lantern pumpkins (don’t eat those, I don’t think they’ll kill you, but I think they would be pretty woody), whole sugar pumpkins and canned mashed pumpkin. If you shop at Trader Joe’s, one of their 50 pumpkin items is actual pumpkin, peeled, cut, cubed, raw. Unless you don’t have a local Trader Joe’s (I’m so sorry, Mer), you might want to get some of this. I’m about to explain why.

New fun fact I learned this year: Working with whole, raw pumpkin is a major pain in the ass.

My nemesis

You guys know, I spend a lot of time in my kitchen. I don’t shy away from food prep. I have a knife callus the size of a small country on my hand. I do NOT mind getting in there and getting my hands dirty.

All that said, if you plan to venture into the world, of cooking with raw pumpkin, get ready for a workout. The skin is tough, there is an incredible amount of slimy goop and seeds inside, and just cutting the pumpkin into chunks is hard work. And you know that smell when you carve jack o’ lanterns with the kids? Same. So, recap: lots of work, lots of smell, lots of slime.

So, why bother? Because it tastes ahhhhh-ma-zing.

Like almost any squash, pumpkin roasted in the oven with a little oil, salt and pepper is phenomenal. I can, and did, eat it straight out of the pan. But, in case you are looking for some ways to serve pumpkin that don’t involve burning your fingers and tongue, I pulled together a few of my favorites for you.

Pumpkin Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins from Ambitious Kitchen. This recipe called for pumpkin puree, so you could make your own, or go with canned. I used canned.

My word, these were delicious. Dense, incredibly moist, spicy but not too spicy. I could have eaten the entire batch.

Pumpkin and White Bean Soup from the New England Soup Factory Cookbook. This recipe called for cut, raw pumpkin. I picked up a bag of the pre-prepped TJ’s pumpkin for this.

This was unexpectedly good. Meaning, when I heard pumpkin and white bean, I was wondering how those were going to fit together. But, in this soup, the beans aren’t pureed, and half the pumpkin is roasted chunks that go in after the puree. The result is a lovely, smooth soup with cubes of roasted pumpkin and white beans in every bite. It was awesome.

Autumn Pumpkin Mix from Women’s Health Magazine. This is another recipe that calls for cut, raw pumpkin. For this one, I cut and prepped my own.

Oh. My. Goodness. I don’t even know what to say about this. Just, if you like delicious food, make this. The flavor combination just WORKS. Brussel sprouts, pumpkin, pistachios and goat cheese. This came from a list of lunch recipes, but would make an excellent dinner side as well.

There are a million pumpkin recipes in the world. If you know some excellent ones, please share them with me in the comments below. Pretty please. With pumpkin on top.

What do you think of this year’s pumpkin craze? What’s your favorite pumpkin recipe? Do you want recipes for other types of squash? Let’s chat!

Product Review: MyOatmeal.com

October 14, 2014 by bec2point0

Every once in a while, we talk about our enjoyment of oatmeal. There may have been posts dedicated to oatmeal before.

Fine, we’re obsessed. You caught us. If you think we talk about oatmeal a lot on here, you should see the number of times oatmeal comes up in email between Mer and I.

But, when I first happened upon myoatmeal.com, I skipped email and went straight to text! And there was some back and forth flailing.

Because custom oatmeal? Where do I sign up for that??? On the My Oatmeal website, of course! (I’m not even kidding. You can literally sign up for the Oatmeal of the Month Club, and along with sending you a bag of handmade oatmeal each month, they will donate a bag of oatmeal to a hungry child in the US for each subscription purchased).

So, when I got the chance to do a review for myoatmeal.com, I was beyond excited. To say it took me a while to decide is a vast understatement. I just wanted to make sure it was the PERFECT blend. And there is a lot to choose from! Thankfully, the website is super easy and has lots of information on the ingredients.

Custom Built Oatmeal? Best ever.

First, you decide on your size (1, 2.5 or 4 pounds) and pick your oats. Rolled oats, Steel Cut, Instant… they’re all there, just pick your favorite. Then you add your flavors, which are 100% Natural, Vegan, Gluten-Free and Non GMO. Also, they’re FUN! And then, you’ve get to decide if you want to do add-ins (you really do, I swear). Fruits, nuts, protein, sweetener. There are practically limitless options to make your custom oatmeal exactly what you want it to be.

And then? The most fun part of all? You get to name your oatmeal! (I accept that this might not be the most fun part for everyone, but I got totally dorky with this part. You’ll see below.) I’ve seen some pretty cute things people have done here, including on person who named theirs ‘Don’t Touch This Bag’. I feel you, friend.

If you can’t figure out what you would want in your oatmeal (hardest choice ever), they also have some Seasonal and Popular blends already picked out for you. And, they have a Mystery Blend option if you think “I don’t care what’s in it, just send me some oats!”

Myoatmeal.com also sells PBLean, which is dehydrated Peanut Butter powder. You can reconstitute it with water for a Peanut Butter with 85% less fat, mix it with any liquid, throw it in smoothies, use it in baking, etc. And it’s just as customizable as the oatmeal!

But if you’re watching what you eat, which I always am, one of the coolest parts was the nutrition calculator. It sits on the side of the screen and updates as you add customization. So the whole time you’re making your oatmeal, you can keep an eye on the nutritional impact and make sure it fits your points/calories/carbs/macros/whatever.

All in all, it’s a pretty rocking process. But let’s get down to brass tacks. How does it taste??? I’ll break down each of the products I tried for you.

Mystery Blend Oatmeal

I decided to try out a bag of the Mystery Blend. Sometimes, I don’t have to have complete control! This was one fine bowl of oats, I tell you. It had fruits and nuts and spice. YUM. That said, this is not what I was expecting. When it said Mystery Blend, I thought that the mystery would be solved upon arrival. Essentially, I thought that when I got the bag, it would tell me what was in it, so that if I wanted to, I could order again. No such luck. I’m not sure if Mystery Blend is always the same, or if it changes every time you order. Either way, it was delicious and at only 6.99 for a 1 pound bag, it was a very cost-effective option.

Bananas Foster the People

See? I told you I was a dork. But, once I went with banana bread and dark caramel flavor, the name just hit me! For my custom blend, I added the following: Smash Blend Oats, Banana Bread and Dark Caramel Flavor, Banana Chips, Ground Flax Seed, Quinoa Flakes and Brown Cane Sugar Granules. This was SO good. On the sweet side, which I like. The smash blend oats, which have some added barley, rye and red wheat, were nice and chewy. I hate mushy oats, so this was good. I could definitely taste the banana and caramel flavors. The only thing I would change would be the banana chips. They stayed a little too hard, and didn’t add much in the way of flavor. Next time, I think I’d throw in some pecans instead.

Bananas Foster the People Oatmeal with Fresh Bananas and Caramel Bits

Sticky Toffee Pudding Butter

PBLean is not my first rodeo with powdered peanut butter. I’ve had products like this before, and I’ve always enjoyed them. But this was the first time I could customize it! I went with Light Roasted Peanuts, Dark Caramel and English Toffee flavors, and Brown Cane Sugar Granules. This was complete and told win. I made a smoothie with vanilla protein powder, milk, ice and PBLean. Dude. So good. And below, I reconstituted it with water and thinned it more than I normally would to make Caramel Toffee Peanut Butter syrup to go with Double Chocolate Waffle Sticks. Insanely good.

Sticky Toffee Pudding Butter ‘syrup’ with Double Chocolate Waffle Sticks

All in all, I’m a huge fan of this company and their products. They were incredibly nice to deal with, and they’re selling an awesome, healthy product line. I will totally be making myself some more. If you think this all sounds like the most fun ever, or even if you just want some PDT (Pretty Darn Tasty) oatmeal, you can use coupon code Scoot15 to get 15% off of your order. Do it! No pressure. Seriously, though. You won’t be sorry. And then you should come tell me what you picked and we can talk even more endlessly about oatmeal!

Win/win.

*The products I tried were provided by myoatmeal.com in exchange for an honest review.

Pumpkin Yogurt Throwdown

October 10, 2014 by bec2point0

Can we talk about pumpkin? Can we talk a lot about pumpkin?

I have a serious crush on pumpkin this year. And because the universe is kind/cruel, it seems I am not alone and the product gods are blessing all of us pumpkin lovers with an abundance of items.

Ahem. Anyone want to stage a Pumpkintervention? (Please don’t, I’m happy in my obsession).

While many of the pumpkin-y items aren’t all that healthy or Weight Watchers friendly, there is one standout that I saw a lot of this year.

Pumpkin yogurt. And boy, is there plenty of it to go around.

In the interest of scientific research, I decided to do a little compare and contrast of all the different pumpkin yogurts I could get my hands on. Really, I did this for you, fair readers. #denial

Over the past week or so, I’ve been taste testing one of these beauties every day, and keeping a handy dandy spreadsheet for notes on taste, nutrition, cost and availability.

So, without further ado, I give you my findings, in really gross to OMG order.

Yo Crunch Pumpkin Pie with Pie Crust Topping

This came in dead last in both taste and nutrition. This was too sweet and very artificial tasting. It also didn’t really taste like pumpkin. As one of the only two regular (non Greek/Australian/Icelandic) yogurts, it was also too thin. Ingredients wise, this wasn’t a winner either, with a lot of additives and preservatives. The only thing this had going for it was price (about .55 per 4 ounce cup/ 2.29 for a four pack). But with an ingredients list that reads like stereo instructions and a horrible protein to carbs ratio (3 grams to 25 grams), coupled with a terrible taste, you could give this away and I wouldn’t eat it. Not even with a little cup of pie crust sprinkles on top.

365 Organics Pumpkin Spice

This was almost a tie for last, but it wasn’t quite as artificial tasting. This was the other ‘regular’ yogurt, and again, I found it too thin. I think that is likely due to the fact that I’ve just gotten used to thicker, Greek-style yogurt over the last few years, so now regular yogurt seems watery. This didn’t seem to have much pumpkin or spice flavor. This is organic, but that doesn’t always mean healthy or good for you. This was another fairly low protein/high carb item (7 grams/25 grams). 365 Organics is a Whole Foods brand, so you won’t find this anywhere else, and this was around 1.00 for 6 ounces.

Trader Joe’s Greek Nonfat Pumpkin

Mehhh

I love Trader Joe’s almost as much as I love pumpkin. Maybe I love it more? It’s close, at any rate. Sadly, I did not love this yogurt. I wanted to. Other people had been raving about it, so I went in with high expectations. I found this to be nice and thick, but it had a sour taste to it (even for yogurt), and was more spice than pumpkin. This one did have a decent ingredients list, with the exception of corn starch, and the protein is much higher (18g) but the carbs are on the high side (29g) for something not very sweet. Only carried at TJ’s (obviously), and 1.09 for 6 ounces, this one just wasn’t a winner for me.

Oikos Pumpkin Pie

Yumkin Pie, more like it.

If taste were the only consideration, this might have won. It was really delicious. On the sweet side, but not too sweet, with the perfect amount of spice, I wanted there to be more days that included this item. Ultimately, this one wound up in the middle of the list due to ingredients (can we please not put corn starch in my yogurt??) and mid range nutrition (11 grams protein/20 grams carbs – I like a little more protein and a little less carbs from my yogurt). This was reasonably priced, 1.19 for 5.3 ounces, and is available at major chain grocery stores.

Chobani Pumpkin Spice

Topped with TJ’s This Pumpkin Walks Into a Bar. See TJ’s, I still love you!

Now we’re getting to the good stuff. I loved this! It was creamy, had good pumpkin flavor, was spicy and sweet, without being too much of either. This also has a good ingredients list, mostly clean, and no corn starch! With a 14 g protein/13 g carbs ratio, this is the first item on the list with more protein than carbs. This is also probably the most readily available, as I’ve seen it at grocery stores, Target, etc. And the price was average, 1.19 for 5.3 ounces. For me, this will totally be in regular rotation.

Noosa Pumpkin

The cheesecake of pumpkin yogurts.

Okay, have you tried Noosa? If you haven’t, I highly recommend it. Unless you shop at my Target, in which case, don’t go there. It’s all mine. Noosa is Australian style, which seems similar to Greek, but a bit less tart. It is incredibly creamy. Made in Colorado, this product is made with milk from a local dairy, and local honey. Awesome. And the ingredients list doesn’t suck at all. Nothing unpronounceable, except the yogurt cultures. But, let’s talk taste. The pumpkin Noosa is incredible. More than any of the others, this tasted like PUMPKIN. It was lighter on the ‘spice’ element, which totally let the pumpkin through. It had decent protein (14 grams), but high carbs (30 grams). This one had by far the highest calories, and was the highest price (2.39) but also the biggest portion size (8 ounces). The container is almost too big to eat at once, and it has an almost dessert-y taste. My advice? If you’re eating this for breakfast or a snack, have half a container. And then you get some for later! Noosa is starting to be more widely available, but the pumpkin flavor is a Target exclusive.

Siggi’s Pumpkin Spice

Hello, new favorite yogurt!

Top spot. Or bottom, since we went from worst to best. Guys, this one won it for a lot of reasons. I had never had Siggi’s before this, so this Icelandic (again, similar to Greek) yogurt was brand new to me. And wow, am I glad I found it. This was incredible. Very creamy, not too sweet (bordering on tart, but not quite), it had the perfect (for me) pumpkin and spice ratio. Also, this was one of the only two that had more protein than carbs (14g/13g). But the ingredients list! Short, clean, natural. The pumpkin flavor I could only find at Whole Foods, and at 1.99 for 5.3 ounces, this was the highest price per ounce. But you totally get what you pay for and this worth every penny.

So, that’s the skinny on all yogurts pumpkin. I hope this is helpful in your search! Have you guys tried any of these? Like ‘em? Hate ‘em? Know of another pumpkin yogurt that I missed (don’t even say the Yoplait, I looked for that everywhere!)? Tell me all about your love of yogurt, or pumpkin, or pumpkin yogurt below!

Getting Bec to Basics

October 1, 2014 by bec2point0

It all started with an Instagram post. 10 Day Back to Basics Challenge (#10dayB2B). Steph/@getting_2_goal over at Light Bites Done Right is one of my absolute favorite Instagramers. She posts beautiful pictures of real food, and talks about her weight loss journey. So when she posted the idea of a 10 day challenge, I was immediately intrigued.

The ‘what not to eat’ list was short, and looked simple enough.

No ‘white’ bread, pasta, potatoes, added sugar (white cane sugar)

No artificial sugars/sweeteners

No deep fried food, like chips, breaded and fried chicken or fish

No chocolate or candy

No cakes, cupcakes, cookies

No alcohol

Add in a couple of good, healthy ‘to do’ items.

Drink at least 64 ounces of plain water a day

Eat 5 servings of fruit and veggies a day

The idea was that people that wanted to would all do it together, for the same 10 days (9/22-10/1) and share pictures on Instagram using the hashtag above. (If you want to see all my food pics, of which there were MANY, you can check out my Instagram).

Having tried, and miserably failed, at Whole 30 earlier this year, this looked doable. It was only 10 days, after all, and this was far less restrictive. Grains were still fine, as long as they were whole grains. Sugars were not forbidden, just limited to less processed sugars like honey, real maple syrup and turbinado sugar. Dairy was still very much an option, which meant not trying to make ‘compliant’ coffee creamer out of strange ingredients. It also meant cheese was still an option, which meant less of me crying my eyes out. All good things.

I decided to do it. I found recipes that would work with the program, and made a shopping list full of healthy ingredients. With some sadness, I pushed the bevy of delicious, but highly processed, pumpkin flavored items I had recently purchased to the back of the cabinets. They’d still be there in 10 days.

Stocking up

From day one, I saw two similarities to Whole 30. I was going to do a lot of label reading, and I was going to spend a lot of time cooking my own food. That didn’t deter me. Whole 30 had already opened my eyes to just how many food items contain added sugar, and I really love cooking. So, I knew I’d be fine. This would help get me out of the cookie aisle and into my kitchen.

As I’m writing this, I am at the end of day 9. When I say that I have stuck to nothing for 9 days in a damn long while, I’m really not exaggerating. My Weight Watchers pattern has been pretty steady since rejoining in May; two or three days on, a week off, one day on, two weeks off, etc. And since May, I was down 3 pounds. Which hey, it’s down 3 pounds! Except no.

So, let’s be real. The main reason I embarked on this challenge was weight loss. I thought this could be the jump start that my floundering Weight Watchers efforts needed. A little push in the right direction. 10 days to give me a nice loss on the scale, and maybe get me out of the low points prepared food rut I’d been in.

It was so much more than that.

Physically, this challenge has been incredible for me. My taste buds are already adjusting to less sugar, and things the used to seem not nearly sweet enough taste fine, good even. I no longer feel like every night has to end with dessert. I pack plenty of food for work, so I’m not constantly hungry and searching for something. I’ve discovered how much more satisfied I am when I eat real, whole foods. Not full, satisfied. There is a difference. Not that I’m going hungry, I’m not. But being satisfied, for me, comes from things like having a smaller amount of full fat sour cream on my taco salad, instead of a lot of light sour cream. Label reading showed me that light sour cream is full of additives, things my body doesn’t need.

I have more energy, because I’m eating a balanced diet of good proteins and whole grains and plenty of fruits and veggies. I’m still tracking all my foods and counting my points, and this works well with Weight Watchers, especially considering the meeting last week was all about eating power foods. My skin looks better. I’m sleeping better. I feel better. I feel lighter. Oh, and as of my Weight Watchers meeting last night, I am lighter. By 8.8 pounds. (Booyah!)

But those things were probably pretty predictable. Physically, if you are eating less crap, you should feel less like crap. Not rocket science, right?

What I didn’t expect was the ways this would impact me mentally. I didn’t expect to feel so much more hopeful that I could actually lose this weight once and for all. I didn’t expect the feeling of being in control of my diet, and my body, for the first time in a long time. I wasn’t anticipating how much this would change my feelings about food, about what I put into my body, and the direct correlation that would have to how I feel about myself.

I’m proud of myself for sticking with this. On some level, I don’t think I believed I would be able to do it. But that’s part of what got me here, anyway. Not believing in me, and in the fact that I can do anything I put my mind to. But I did do it. I even got through a birthday celebration for my husband at a Chinese restaurant. I passed on cupcakes. I did that!

Credit where it’s due, there is definitely another factor in my changing attitude towards food, towards myself, and in my changing behaviors. I’ve been working with a nutritionist for the past couple of months, one that specializes in eating disorders. She’s really helped me to see how disordered some of my habits and patterns of behavior are. She’s helping me learn to look at things in a less black or white manner, helping me understand that there are grey areas, that overweight does not have to equal unhealthy, that small changes will make a difference over time. Had I not already been working with her, I don’t know that I would have been in a good enough mental place to do this challenge.

I’m glad I was.

Tomorrow is Day 10, and I’m going into it feeling strong, and not a bit nervous about what happens the next day. A few people have asked me if I’ll stick with those guidelines longer. I thought a lot about that, and the answer is… no. Not all of them, all the time, anyway. I mean, no alcohol forever? Not reality. No cake or cookies ever again? Nope. I would, and plan to, repeat the challenge again, probably a few times a year, as a means of making sure things stay in check. But permanent? No.

With the exception of artificial sweeteners, which I can vehemently say will never cross my lips again (my nutritionist will be so happy), I will integrate those foods back into my diet, in a much more occasional manner. Because this wasn’t supposed to be a forever thing, really.

It was about getting Bec back to basics. Mission accomplished.

Breakfast Protein: And the Eggs Have It

September 26, 2014 by bec2point0

I think I featured eggs in each one of my breakfast protein posts. Yup, here, when it was so hot I couldn’t cook. Totally here, when I was all about breakfast on the go. Even here, when I featured and awesome lemon-y recipe in honor of Alex’s Lemonade Stand Million Mile Run-Walk-Ride.

So, do they need their own post?

They do. In my search for good sources of protein for breakfast, eggs showed up more than anything else. They’re versatile, generally easy to prepare and with 6 grams of protein per 78 calorie large egg, you get a lot of bang for your buck (which goes a long way, because eggs are also typically a cheap protein source, even if you’re buying the good, cage free, pastured, organic ones, or fresh from a local farm, which I highly recommend).

I’ve made eggs a bazillion* ways. Hard boiled. Soft boiled. Poached. Fried. Over easy. Over medium. Over well. Scrambled. Baked. Omelette. And they’re all good! But these are a few of my recent favorites.

*Slight exaggeration

Mexican Scramble

This is my favorite easy, throw together, toss in whatever you’ve got, breakfast.

Cheese? Sure. What kind? Cheddar? Pepperjack? Yes. Or Yes.

Black beans? Chili? Salsa? Go for it! One of those. All of those*.

Avocado? Most def. Sour cream? If that lights your fire.

Kitchen Sink Breakfast

And if you don’t have some of those things, they will still be super yummy and filling. I used egg beaters here, because I had some, but regular eggs, or egg whites, would be just as tasty.

*Okay, maybe not all at the same time. I don’t want you to need a post breakfast nap.

Italian Baked Eggs

You GUYS. These are SO good.

Italian Style Baked Eggs

And with four ingredients, it’s barely even cooking. You all probably know by now, I don’t really ‘recipe’, but I’ll break this down for you.

4 large eggs

1 cup of marinara sauce

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Fresh basil

Spray a baking dish with cooking spray and then spread the marinara over the bottom of the dish. Crack the eggs on top of the sauce, spreading them out as much as you can. Sprinkle shredded cheese on top, avoiding the yolks. Bake in a 375 degree oven for about 20 minutes. Throw some fresh basil chiffonade on top.

I took a picture before I inhaled these. The struggle is real.

Shove in mouth. Cry over amazing yumminess and burnt tongue. Take picture and post on Instagram*.

*Optional, but appreciated.

Poached Eggs and Sweet Potato & Apple Hash

Poaching might be my favorite way to prepare eggs, especially since I got these kick ass poach pods. Total game changer.

My babies

And then there’s hash. Which is awesome. And another dish where you can throw in a bunch of whatever. In this case, I had some left over pork chop, a couple of small sweet potatoes that I wasn’t sure what to do with, an apple and an onion. What am I going to do with that? Make hash, of course.

Delicious, hearty, all kinds of autumn flavored*. It doesn’t get much better than that.

Hash and eggs, healthy style.

*Flavors of autumn. Not flavored like autumn. Because what would that even taste like? Dried leaves?

So, I hope you guys have enjoyed following me on my hunt for protein-y breakfasts! I’m totally not done talking about breakfast either. Over the next couple of weeks, I’ll be posting a review of MyOatmeal.com, and I’ll be doing a taste test of all the pumpkin yogurts I’ve found. Cool? Cool!

What’s your favorite way to prepare eggs? Any other breakfast protein suggestions? Other breakfast items you want to talk about? Want to just head over to Bec’s house for breakfast? Let’s go!

Recipe Box: Lemon Cottage Cheese Potato Pancakes

September 19, 2014 by bec2point0

A.k.a. Breakfast Protein, Alex’s Lemonade Stand style.

When I was planning these breakfast protein posts for September, I knew I wanted to incorporate a lemon-y recipe that was also a good source of morning protein. This wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be! I typically like my lemon in cake form, and baked goods and protein don’t exactly go hand-in-hand for me. It usually involves adding protein powder, which just makes thing taste off to me.

And then, I stumbled upon a recipe I’d had written down for a while, but had never made. Lemon Cottage Cheese Potato Pancakes. See, still cake!

Truthfully, I don’t even remember where I got this recipe. It’s just one of those one jotted down on a slip of paper and stuck in a pile. Every time I would run into it, I would get all excited at the idea of making them, but I never would.

That was very silly of me.

These were really delicious, and one of those recipes that has few ingredients, is low on time and effort, and is both tasty and versatile. You could totally make these as a side dish for dinner, or serve them as a late lunch. But, since I’ve been writing about breakfast all month, these had a starring role for a couple of mornings.

Lemon Cottage Cheese Potato Pancakes

4 Medium sized Potatoes, boiled and mashed

1 TBSP minced shallots

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup low-fat or fat-free cottage cheese

1/2 cup flour

Zest of one small lemon

1/2 teaspoon herbs

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Form into 16 small patties. Heat oil on a griddle or frying pan. Cook until golden brown over medium heat, about 4 minutes per side.

That’s it. No, really, that’s it. Crazy, right?

A couple of notes. I used whipped cottage cheese, so no lumps, but I think it would be just as good with regular. You can totally make the potatoes ahead, just let them warm up a bit before you start mixing. For the herbs, I used thyme and parsley, but really, use whatever is your preference. These also freeze well, just wrap them in wax paper and pop them in a freezer bag. Then, when you’re ready to eat them, a minute or two in the microwave and you’re good to go.

The cakes were creamy in the middle with crispy edges. So good! Serve them…pretty much however you like. I mean, I wouldn’t put maple syrup on them or anything, they’re not that kind of pancakes. But in this case, hollandaise made a lovely ‘syrup’. Plus, more lemon! The potato pancakes made an egg-cellent (yolk, yolk) base for my Eggs Benedict. I took pictures but truthfully, the looked like crap, sooooooo….

So, why Lemon? Well, if you don’t already know, we’ve formed a team for the Alex’s Lemonade Stand Million Mile Run-Walk-Ride, to raise money for pediatric cancer research. We’re walking and running and riding and raising money for pediatric cancer research. If kicking cancer’s butt is your thing, you should totally join us!

Breakfast Protein: Set It Up

September 12, 2014 by bec2point0

Life…life is crazy. I mean, I knew this week would be nuts, but this week was NUTS. Two soccer games, one Weight Watchers meeting, two doctor’s appointments, one back to school night and one English paper (not mine). Did I forget to mention a full-time job, cooking, cleaning and fitting in exercise? How silly of me! This week was honestly so full that I barely remember it.

Which brings me to the ideas behind week two of the breakfast protein series. PREP.

Seriously, if you have a busy lifestyle, and really, who doesn’t, prepping meals ahead can be such a lifesaver. And I knew going in to this week, that I needed to be ready. Luckily, there are quite a few protein breakfast options that can be thrown together days in advance, and quickly at that, for grab and go mornings. These are some of my favorites.

Overnight Oats

It’s not secret that we Scoot chicks love our oats. Heck, when five of us got together in April, we had an oatmeal buffet! But if you ask me, hot oatmeal is much better prepared fresh. So, for make ahead meals, overnight oats are my go to. But Bec, oats aren’t super protein-y! No, not high, but they do have some protein. And when you’re making overnight refrigerator oats, you can layer in some other great protein sources, like Greek yogurt and Chia seeds. There are a million recipes for overnight oats, but my tried and true is the recipe and variations found on The Yummy Life. I didn’t take a picture of the finished product. I love you all to much for that. Overnight oats may be delicious and nutritious, but they aren’t winning any beauty contests.

Overnight Oats, Before. 2014.

Egg Muffins

These babies have been in heavy rotation throughout the summer. Whipping up a batch takes almost no time, and then you can store them in the fridge if you’re going to eat them within a couple days (mine never last longer) or pop them in the freezer for later use. And holy versatile, Batman! My egg base is 4 eggs and 4 egg whites whipped with a bit of water, and after that, it’s a free-for-all. Ham, bacon, sausage, shredded potatoes, onions, mushrooms, peppers, cheese. I’ve made these so many different ways, and they’ve all been delicious. And if you’re a fellow Weight Watchers member, these average about 2 Points Plus per muffin (totally depends on ingredients, definitely calculate based on what you add). If these sound right up your alley, the best advice I can give is to order a silicone muffin pan. Makes clean up super easy. Because you’ve saved all this time prepping, you don’t want to spend it scrubbing a muffin tin. Or maybe you do, I’m not judging!

Denver Omelette Egg Muffins.

Quinoa

Is it a grain? A seed? How do you even pronounce it? (Fun fact, for a year, I was pronouncing it Kwin-o-a. I’m so cool). At this point, I’m sure this superfood isn’t new to most of you, but it might be new to your breakfast table. Quinoa is the edible seed of a grain plant, and it’s a really good source of protein. I often use it as a replacement for rice, but in the mornings, it also makes a yummy breakfast cereal. When I make a big batch for a meal, I just tuck some aside in the fridge. Voila, breakfast. Just heat it up in the microwave, add some nuts and dried fruit (or really, put whatever tickles your fancy in there), a little sweetener (maple syrup is my drug of choice) and pour some milk over top. It’s similar to Cream of Wheat, which for me, is a good thing. FYI, if you cook your quinoa in chicken stock, I wouldn’t recommend it as breakfast cereal. Becuase I like you and don’t want you to gag.

Cream of Kwinoa?

And that’s how I do breakfast protein, make ahead style. On that note, zoooooommmmm….

Are there any make ahead breakfasts that you love? Tell us about them in the comments!

Breakfast Protein: Chill Out

September 5, 2014 by bec2point0

So, we’ve known each other for a while now, right guys? And that means you know how I feel about carbs. And if you don’t, think about how much you love the thing that you love so hard that you want to write bad poetry about it.

To all the carbs I’ve chowed before…

That came home from the grocery store…

I’m glad you were delicious… and some of you nutritious…

To alllll the carbs I’ve loooooovvvveeedddd before.

Yeah, it’s like that. And don’t get me wrong, me and carbs aren’t even breaking up. Our love is a true and lasting thing.

BUT, we can get down at breakfast time.

I’ve been trying (and struggling…and failing) to stick to my Weight Watchers program lately, and even though I’ve lost less than three pounds since May (see aforementioned struggling and failing), I’ve definitely been paying more attention to how certain food affect me.

Carbs in the morning = ridiculous cravings for junk = shitty food spiral all day long.

At least, if it’s an all carb buffet, as it sometimes is. If I start the day with protein, combined with some good carbs, things go much better.

I have to assume this is not just a Bec thing? Do 6 AM carbs send you down a long and winding road to Oreos?

However, once upon a time, I did South Beach, and after 21 days of phase one, I was pretty sure I was going to hurl if I so much as breathed egg. Don’t get me wrong, I love me some eggs, just not every day. So, I began the hunt for a variety of breakfast-y proteins, and over the next four Fridays, I’ll be waxing (badly) poetic about them.

For all the times eggs stood by me…

For all the energy yogurt gave me…

For all the joy bacon brought to my life…

For all the wrongs that cheese made right…

This week, since I live on the face of the sun (Massachusetts), and it’s been so hot that I’ve actually taken to Walk Away the Pounds in my air conditioned bedroom, I thought I’d share some of my favorite cold protein breakfast staples.

Greek Yogurt – This is probably my favorite in the cold category (I won’t write another bad poem, I swear). There’s a ton of flavor variety out there (Chobani and Noosa both have PUMPKIN out right now), some have whole grains already mixed in (Chobani Banana Maple with Steel-Cut Oats is incredible). Today, I tried the Simply Balanced Carrot Cake and Cream Cheese Frosting Duo (if you haven’t seen these yet, get thee to Target. Unless you shop at my Target, in which case, step away).

Flavored varieties can tend to be pretty high in sugar, but the artificially sweetened ones don’t do it for me. If you’d rather start with plain and add your own sweeteners, that’s cool too.

If I’ve got extra time, I will mix up a bowl with fresh fruit and some low fat granola.

Perfait!

And if not, I can throw it into my lunch bag and eat it when I get to work.

Breakfast on the go. And on the desk.

Hard Boiled Eggs – These are another incredibly portable option, especially if you get lazy like me and get the pre-cooked ones at Trader Joe’s.

These are a few of my favorite things

Smoothies – For me, smoothies are like actual cooking. I throw in some stuff and hope it tastes good. Usually yes. Sometimes no. I’m not a huge fan of protein powder, but I do keep Weight Watchers Smoothie Mixes on hand for a fast smoothie. If I’m not using protein powder, I’ll use yogurt or silken tofu to thicken the smoothie, frozen fruit, chia seeds and milk, either regular or almond.

Peanut Butter Banana Berry Smoothie before…

…and after.

My absolute favorite it a Peach Pie Smoothie (frozen peaches, vanilla greek yogurt, a little honey, chia seeds, cinnamon and almond milk. It’s heaven.

Nut Butters – I talked a bit about my love of nut butter in my review of Buff Butter last week. My collection is starting to border on the ridiculous (please feel free to send me recommendations anyway). Almond, Peanut, Cashew. Jif Whips (omg, Maple Brown Sugar), Skippy Natural Singles, Trader Joe’s Crunchy Salted Peanut Butter with Flax and Chia seeds. It’s all good. Give me an apple, a knife and some nut butter, and I am a happy girl.

Hopefully be next week, it will have cooled down enough to actually cook something! In the meantime, please feel free to hit me up with suggestions in the comments.

Do you love AM Protein? Tell us your faves!

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Author Archives: bec2point0