Author Archives: bec2point0

Whole Four

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In the end, that is where Whole 30 and I parted ways. And for the most part, it was amicable. At least on my side. We haven’t really talked. It’s awkward.

ICYMI, a little over a week ago, I blogged about my plans to do a 30-day body reset called Whole 30. You can read all the details there, but to quickly summarize: no sugar, sugar substitutes, grains, dairy, white potatoes, legumes or alcohol for 30 days.

I was pumped. I was psyched. LET’S DO THIS!

I ignored the ‘what are you, crazy?’ comments and the ‘is that even healthy?’ inquiries. I was doing this. 30 days or bust!

Now, for me, the best part of starting any new eating regime is the RESEARCH. I’m a total nerd about it. I spend hours looking up recipes and getting ideas. I go to every health food store in my area, scouring the shelves for products that the internet swears will make whatever plan I’m embarking on a walk in the park.

So, when I say I was ready… I was seriously ready.

And then on day one, the morning got away from me (because I was making the most random, Whole 30 compliant coffee creamer) and I didn’t pack a lunch. No worries, I’ll run to the local grocery store at lunch! I will get a salad and some lunchmeat for protein.

Guess what? Almost all lunchmeat contains sugar. And at this particular store, I could not find a single item of cooked meat that didn’t contain sugar. This was my first eye opening moment of just how ‘difficult’ this might me.

But I soldiered on. I got a hard boiled egg and some avocado and put them in my salad, and that night I went to Trader Joe’s and read labels, seeking out hidden sugars, until my eyeballs fell out of my face.

So, with a fridge full of compliant protein, I was ready for day two! Being that there is no bacon made without sugar in my area, I did was some interwebs folks had suggested. I bought pork belly (the cut of pork bacon is traditionally made from), uncured and un-smoked, sliced it and pan fried it.

Kids, don’t do that. I mean, do it if you want to, but I wouldn’t recommend it.

So, as days two and three wore on, it struck me more and more that there was one basic staple of this diet that I don’t always get along so well with.

Meat.

Don’t stone me, Paleo peeps! And don’t get me wrong. I like meat. Sometimes. In reasonable quantities. And as part of a dish. But this? This was a lot of meat. At some point on day two, I texted my sister and said ‘this is either going to turn me into a meat lover, or a vegan.’

The other issue that became an evident problem was that idea of eating only 3 times a day, and making those meals big enough so that you could last until your next meal. I’m definitely a picker, but I can usually calm that down as long as I have something small between meals. But trying to eat enough at 7 AM to not be hungry before noon? I was like ‘okay, so how many eggs should I have? Two? Three? Eight?’

By the time day 4 rolled around, I was doing everything I could to distract myself from the facts. Those facts being that meat was starting to make me nauseated, my digestive system was not a fan of this diet at all and I was hungry pretty much 24/7, but didn’t actually want to eat anything. And then there was a car repair fiasco and all I wanted in the world was a cookie.

I sent out the ‘hold me’ text to my best friend and we chatted for a while. Meaning I ranted, and tried to give sage advice, and then I ranted some more. And this what came out if that: I had seen SO MANY people talk about how Whole 30 changed their life, and their relationship with food, and I was like ‘What is going to change MY life??’ And in wonderful, brilliant best friend fashion, she told me this:

“I think…you are.”

Message received. Clearly.

I finished up day 4 with a heavy heart, and went to bed early. I muddled through breakfast on day 5.

And then, I was just done. I folded. I quit. Call it whatever you want, but I decided that for me, this was never going to go beyond Whole 4.

And I’m 100% okay with that decision.

To the people who love and live Whole 30, I applaud you. Despite the ‘it’s not hard’ mantra of the program, I think it really is a difficult change to make, even if you are already a ‘healthy eater.’ And if you do it for 30 days, and beyond, I’m a little in awe of you. Rock on with your bad selves and your sugar free bacon! If this is what works for you, that’s fantastic.

This wasn’t it for me. Maybe there is no set plan that is ever going to work for me, or maybe I just haven’t found it yet. For now, I’m going to work on forging my own path. I’ll  start to clear the brush and overgrowth that cover the road from here to where I want to be in my relationship with food, my weight and my body. And I’ll make changes I can live with for a lifetime, not just for 30 days, or 4 days, as it ended up.

And if you’re wondering what it is that’s going to change your life the way I was?

I think YOU are.

 

 

Whole Lot of Crazy

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If you’ve learned anything about me through my blogging in the last year, you’ve probably learned that I am a complete goldfish when it comes to healthy eating. I get distracted by shiny things. And then, before that thing has a chance to take hold, I’m distracted by another shiny thing. Or by ice cream.

It’s a thing. A not-so-great thing. Me and food…well, we’re in what I like to call a relationshit. It’s completely dysfunctional and something definitely needs to change.

Enter Whole 30.

If you don’t know about Whole 30, it’s essentially a SUPER clean, Paleo-esque program for 30 days. It’s something I’ve been contemplating for well over a year, but I’ve always brushed it off as being ‘too hard’. According to the Whole 30 website, this is NOT HARD.

You can find the complete program rules here, but in short:

  • No sugar or sugar substitutes (meaning no added sugar, real or artificial)
  • No grains (no, not even quinoa)
  • No white potatoes (oh French Fries, how I will miss thee)
  • No legumes (this is the one that I don’t really understand, but I’m rolling with it)
  • No dairy (I’ve been trying to break up with dairy for over a year. It’s time.)
  • No carrageenan, MSG or sulfites (hello, reading ALL the labels)
  • No alcohol (this is actually the only one I’m not remotely worried about)
  • No ‘paleo-baking’ (essentially taking all compliant ingredients and turning them into cookies)

This is pretty far from where I am right now. Being that right now, I am eating a giant breakfast sandwich and drinking an Extra Extra iced coffee. I’ve been to Dairy Queen so many times in the last week that I think they are going to start calling me by name (curse you, Celebration Cake Blizzard). I leave my house every morning with no lunch bag, no snacks and no plan, which ultimately dissolves into a high-calorie, high fat lunch out.

And if you think my relationship with food has fallen into toxic territory, you should probably know that my pants and I are in the midst of an epic battle. (My pants are losing terribly. It’s tragic.)

So, why not just make some moderate dietary changes? Why so drastic? In truth, I’m not at the point right now where moderation is my friend. While as an overall ‘lifestyle’, I fully support the ideal that you can, and should, be able to eat what you want IN MODERATION, right now a cookie = two cookies = a bag of cookies.

I’m a classic Type A personality. I do best with a set of guidelines and a goal. I’m competitive and results oriented. And I like to WIN. While I don’t necessarily buy in to the ‘this is NOT hard’ mantra behind Whole 30, I get what they are saying. In the grand scheme of life, nothing about this program represents actual hardship. You get to eat. You don’t have to be hungry.

There are plenty of delicious things to eat. Fruits. Veggies. Lean protein. Avocados. NUTS.

And it’s 30 days.

Honestly, the thing I think I am going to struggle with the most is the non-food related regulation that you not weigh yourself or check your measurements at all during the 30 day period. I am a complete slave to my scale. That said, while I am sure weight loss will occur, I’m really doing this as more of a personal challenge, to see if me and food can come to a more peaceable coexistence.

I’d also like my pants to fit, I’M JUST SAYING.

As of today, I’m T-minus-four days. I’m trying to suppress my natural urge to eat EVERYTHING I won’t be able to eat during the program over the next four days. Trying. Failing thus far, but still trying.

Monday, I jump on the Crazy Train. All aboard!

Have you done Whole 30? Do you have tips/tricks/recipes you want to share with Bec? Do you want to join her on the Crazy Train? She loves company!

All-You-Can-Eat Oatmeal

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This past weekend, while visiting Meri in NJ and spectating while several of my Scoot chicks and other friends ran the Atlantic City April Fools Half Marathon, there was a lot of eating out while I was in NJ. Which was fabulous (Oh Pop Shop, you own a piece of my heart now)!

But for breakfast, we tended to get down in Meri’s kitchen. There were waffles. There was coffee. And there was oatmeal.

We decided to do an oatmeal buffet on Saturday morning, which in this case meant a really good base (or two) and a whole bunch of toppings.

I think Meri and I have both shared our love of Whipped Banana Oatmeal from Kath Eats before on here. It’s worth talking about again. This recipe reignited my love of oatmeal. It’s hearty and filling and sweet and just darn good.

Mer adding the magic ingredient

Mer adding the magic ingredient

So, for our Oatmealstravaganza, this stuff was just a given. It’s the perfect base for whatever toppings you love.

Perfection!

Perfection!

For my contribution, I decided to go with Zucchini Bread Oatmeal from Oh She Glows. This is a vegan recipe, and while we didn’t make it vegan last weekend (we used regular organic milk instead of non-dairy milk), I have and it’s fantastic.

Breakfast Veggies!

Breakfast Veggies!

The Zucchini Bread oatmeal is a little more strongly flavored (lots of cinnamon and nutmeg), so it doesn’t lend itself as well to some toppings, but we found some that worked quite well.

The All-You-Can-Eat Oatmeal Buffet

The All-You-Can-Eat Oatmeal Buffet

Once the oatmeal was done, we grabbed everything but this kitchen sink to throw on top: Caramel Bits, peanut butter chips (my new favorite), almond butter, nutella, fresh fruit.

Oatmeal, chick style

Oatmeal, chick style

As you can see, we all went for different bases and toppings. And we all went back from seconds. It was a truly a delicious start to our Saturday!

Do you oatmeal? Tell us about your favorite bases and toppings!

 

I’m doing a half marathon in 5 days! April Fools!

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I’m NOT doing a half marathon in 5 days!

April Fools is actually the name of the half marathon I won’t be completing in Atlantic City on Sunday. You know, the race I signed up for almost a year ago. The one I procrastinated training for until a month ago. That one.

Since I posted about my one month training plan, I’ve been pretty quiet about how it was going. The plan was to train quickly, and walk the half with Anne, running across the finish line together, Laverne and Shirley style.

Things did not go as planned. In short, those plans went @$%^&*&(^%@#^.

After my second long training walk, seven miles (which I was very proud of), my foot started hurting something awful. Not the normal ‘hey, you just walked A LOT’ ache, but actual pain.

I went to the doctor the next day, and heard the words no runner/walker wants to hear: Plantar Fasciitis.

Ouch. And also, OUCH.

Due to some not-supportive-enough running shoes, combined with my aggressively increased training, I managed to mess up my left foot pretty good.

My doctor, a very reasonable man, gave me lots of advice. He didn’t say I had to stop training. He didn’t say I couldn’t do the half. What he did say was that I needed to go get fitted for different shoes, wear inserts, never walk barefoot, do lots of icing and stretching when I was training, and most importantly, to pay attention to how my foot was feeling and to not push it.

A few days later, I went out for a walk in my shiny new Asics Gel Kayanos. I stretched first. I iced first. I took it slow. I did 2.25 miles. I stretched some more. I iced some more.

And there was the pain. Not nearly as bad, but definitely still there. And it stuck around for a while.

A few days later, I went to the gym and hopped on the treadmill. Same thing. Ice, stretch, walk, stretch, ice, pain. And all the while, my pace was getting worse, down to a level that meant that even if I finished the half, it wouldn’t be within the actual time limit of the course.

With the race fast approaching, I had a decision to make. The pain while walking was manageable, and there was a part of me that wanted to just push through it and deal with the fallout later. But after some long talks with a good friend, and then with my husband, I realized that was just my pride talking.

When I pushed that pride aside, I knew I couldn’t do the half. It would mean worsening my injury, and likely vastly extending my recovery time, none of which were acceptable options for me. I have a job and kids to run around after and a vacation to go on this summer, and none of those things are made easier or more enjoyable by me limping around in pain.

So, after some crying (a lot) and mentally beating myself up about not having trained the way I should have for the last year (a moderate amount), I let Anne know that our Laverne and Shirley moment was not to be this time around.

That part sucked. I hate feeling like I’m letting people down. And even more so, I hate being the one that ‘can’t’ do something. But I know I made the right decision. It’s just taking me some time to get okay with all of it.

It’s hard not to view this as a failure. In some ways, it is. After Sunday, I was going to be able to say ‘I completed a half marathon’. But if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. And whoa did I fail to plan. So while I certainly don’t view myself as a failure, in the ledger of my life, this definitely goes in the minus column.

But there are items in the plus column, too. I get to spend a weekend with my girls without spending half of it drowning in pre-race anxiety… plus. I realized just how much I really do want to complete a half, even if this isn’t the one… plus. And I get to be there, cheering and clapping, when my dear friend Anne completes her first half… HUGE PLUS.

There will be other races. I may already have one in mind. (Don’t ask when or where it is, I’m keeping that to myself for now). There will be a time when I am physically ready for this, when I’ve prepared the right way, when my head (and my wonky foot) are in the right place. There will be endless opportunities for me to be ready for.

As for next Sunday, if you’re bored, feel free to come hang out with me. I’m going to go for a leisurely walk on the Atlantic City boardwalk,  grab some Starbucks, gaze out over the Atlantic Ocean and make some memories of that time I didn’t run a half marathon.

Juicy Juice

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Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead. Heard of it? Seen it? Felt like it?

I watched this documentary by Joe Cross two years ago, and while there is a part of me that would love to tell you that I was so inspired that I went juice crazy, lost all my weight and am currently employed as a bikini model, only one of those things is true.

I went juice crazy. Or maybe just juice unstable?

When I watched this film, it was all the talk, and people were doing juice fasts and cleanses left and right. Three days. Thirty days. Sixty days!

While I had no desire to do any sort of cleanse or fast, I was interested in adding fresh, raw juice into my diet, so I ordered my Breville and starting juicing everything I could get my hands on. And over the past two years, my relationship with my juicer has been very much on-again/off-again, but we’re still deeply in love. If I’m not doing well with all things health, my juicer sits on the counter, collecting dust and silently mocking me. But, as soon as I start actively working on bettering my health, the first thing I do is pull out my Breville.

My baby

My baby

 

Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead wasn’t where juice began, clearly. People have been eating raw and juicing for years. I can actually remember being about ten, and a friend of my aunt’s, who ate a raw diet, make me fresh carrot juice. I loved it! When I first got married, I asked for a juicer, and tried making my own carrot juice. Back then, high powered juice extractors were incredibly expensive, and their lower cost cousins were really not great quality. I think it took me a pound of carrots to make a single cup of juice. It was a short-lived experiment for me at that point.

But the movie, available on Netflix and Hulu, did introduce the idea of juice, and juice fasting, to a much wider audience (I read somewhere that after the film came out, Breville sales doubled). Three years later, juice is still a very popular ‘fad’, super expensive bottled cleanses are still showing up on Groupon, and people are still debating the health benefits of juice (So many vitamins! Too much sugar!) Juice, for some, is the gateway drug into a fully plant-based lifestyle. I’m not going to bore you with facts and figures and numbers and controversy. I know you all know how to Google.

What I can tell you is that adding one or two servings of raw juice to my diet every day makes ME feel incredible. It gives me a boost of energy in the morning far superior to what I get from my usual coffee (I haven’t given up coffee, don’t talk crazy). It helps certain systems of my body keep a much more regular schedule, if you know what I mean, and I’m pretty sure you do since I all but spelled it out right there. After a few weeks, my skin looks better.

Apple Pie in a mason jar...sort of.

Apple Pie in a mason jar…sort of.

 

And? IT’S DELICIOUS.

With a good quality juicer, you can make a million varieties. If you currently buy bottled ‘fresh’ juice, or find yourself regularly frequenting your local juice bar (if you actually have a local juice bar, I’m super jealous of you), I highly recommend buying a juicer and making your own. Cost wise, it’s going to save you in the long run. And you can put whatever you want in it!

My personal favorite is Pineapple Pear Lemon Ginger, but that’s a pretty high sugar drink, so I save that one for once in a while. Mostly, I stick with Mean Green (kale, cucumber, celery, apple, ginger and lemon), Cucumber Melon (cucumber, cantaloupe and kale) and Apple Pie (Apple Carrot with cinnamon). But I’ve juiced pretty much every fruit and vegetable that has come into my house at least ones (plums = horrible).

Making my Mean Green!

Making my Mean Green!

 

Now, I still have zero desire to do a juice fast or cleanse. If that works for other people, awesome. A few years back, I was diagnosed with eosinophilic esophagitis, and could only have liquids and pureed foods for about six weeks. After that experience, I can tell you I will never voluntarily give up solids. I like food, and chewing, far too much.

But juice in addition to food? I’m all over that.

 

Do you juice? Want to share your recipes?? Pretty please!

Procrastination, Inc.

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This is the company I’m going to start. Someday.

I am seriously a horrible procrastinator. I am writing this post at 5:36 AM, even though I’ve know that I was going to write about procrastinating all week. Because there was plenty of time! I could do it later! Holy heck, it’s Thursday??

This is what happens when you procrastinate. You know what else happens?

You find yourself googling ‘can I train for a half marathon in 30 days?‘

See, 10 months ago, I posted about signing up for the April Fool’s 2014 Half Marathon. I had 10 months to train. It was plenty of time! But, I’m me, so I made a few training attempts throughout the last year, but nothing noteworthy, and nothing that would get me anywhere near ready for 13.1 miles. And I kept thinking there was time.

That half marathon is 30 days from today.

Apparently, if I’ve walked 6 miles at a stretch in the last month, and I’m reasonably healthy, I  should be fine to walk it. At least according to the results of my Google search. But there was a problem, I hadn’t walked 6 miles in the last month! I’m not reasonably healthy! (Okay, maybe I’m reasonably healthy, but only by my own definition).

What the heck was I going to do?

I sent many horribly panic-ridden emails to my support system. I cried to my husband. I cried a lot. I contemplated bailing.

And then I got on the treadmill and did 6 miles. Willingly. I couldn’t get Netflix to load on my phone so I wound up watching a bad 1987 movie with Kirk Cameron on YouTube. Clearly, these are desperate times. The time dragged and my muscles hurt and I smelled like a camel. But I did 6 miles, which is more than I have walked in a single stretch in years.

I didn’t die. I hurt the next morning, but it’s fading and Advil helps and whatever, it’s soreness, not actual pain.

I have a plan. I’m not following a specific method, or making a chart. It’s just the in-your-head-don’t-waste-time-trying-to-make-it-something-formal-just-get-your-stuff-done plan. It’s pretty bare bones.

What’s the goal? To finish within the time limit. Nothing more. I have no time goal, aside from the one set by the race itself.

What needs to happen? I need to build up my endurance if I want to have any hope of finishing. I need to work on my pace if I want to have any hope of finishing on time.

When does it need to happen? Every day. Don’t make that face. I’m not talking crazy here. Some days, it’s just 30 minutes. Some days it’s 2 long hours that make me want to get in a time machine and slap Kirk Cameron’s agent’s face for ever getting him work. But it’s something every day.

What are the obstacles? Soreness, which can be managed. Boredom, which can be managed with bad movies on YouTube (send me links!) and Pitbull videos (the recording artist, not Meri’s adorable dog). Distraction, which can be managed by staying the heck off the internet. Except, you know, YouTube.

I’m short on time, yes. This experience will never be what it would have been had I not put off training for the last year. And if I ever decide to do a half again, I will procrastinate less. But for now, I’m just going to give it everything I’ve got and hope for the best. 

Lola Getts Giveaway Winner

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Winner, winner, chicken dinner! Okay, no actual chicken dinner, but we do have the winner of our Lola Getts Active $100 Gift Card.

lolagettsgiveaway

And the winner is….Ashley S! 

We really hope Ashley loves Lola Getts Active as much as we do!

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What’s not to love, right? And for those of you that didn’t win, please remember you can still get 40% off your order through 2/28 using the code Scoot40. Enjoy!

We Love Lola! (A Giveaway)

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And we want you guys to love Lola, too!

I blogged a couple of weeks ago about my search for plus-size activewear that was both functional and cute, and in that post, I shared my love of LolaGettsActive.

You guys, the clothes at LolaGettsActive are AWESOME. Seriously. Just look.

lola1collage

I have the middle one in hot pink and I’m in love with it!

lola2collage

Gorgeous, right?

And there’s more to the Lola Getts site than just shopping! They’ve got a great blog full of inspirational stories, and they just added a weekly post featuring weight loss bloggers. Last week, the featured Jennifer Swaford from It Sux to be Fat, who was the first weight loss blogger I ever followed. And you can tell them people you’d like to see featured! How cool is that?

Really cool.

And you know what’s even cooler? LolaGetts reached out to us here at Scoot a Doot, and offered to partner with us for a giveaway. They’ve offered to gift our giveaway winner with a $100 Gift Card to shop on their site.

COOLEST.

So, here’s the deal. Are you looking for great plus-sized activewear? Then, scoot your doot on over to Facebook and hit the Like button on Lola Getts. (And if you want to hit our like button, too, we certainly wouldn’t object!) Then, hit up the Lola website and sign up for their newsletter. While you’re over there, don’t forget to follow Lola on Twitter and Instagram. When you’re done with all that, enter the giveaway using the Rafflecopter button below, and BOOM, you could be the proud winner a $100 Gift Card which will get you some awesome LolaGetts swag!

This contest will run from today through next Monday, 2/17, and we’ll announce the randomly selected winner on 2/18.

And, if you just can’t wait, they’ve also given us a 40% off coupon code for their site. The coupon code is Scoot40 and it’s good until 2/28.

Awesome. Just awesome.

Lola, we love you.

Click the pic to enter!

Chick Chat: Set It Off

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You know those foods that it just takes one bite to set off a feeding frenzy? Those hair triggers that mark the fine line between a little indulgence and an all expense paid trip to Chow DownTown?

Healthy eating is a struggle for many of us. Whether you’re an all-day snacker, or a late-night fridge raider or a full out junk food junkie, you do the best you can. Then, that one ‘special’ food wanders into the picture and you’re done. 

I think a lot of you can relate here, yeah? No? NO? If you don’t have one of these impossible-to-resist foods in you’re life, I envy you.

I asked my fellow chicks if they had a particular food that just did them in, and low and behold, I’m not alone here. Keep reading to hear about the foods that make us go Mmmmmmmmmmmm, and the healthy substitutions we’re trying our best to make.

Bec

Two words. Ice cream.

Two more words (and an ampersand). Ben & Jerry’s.

A personal favorite

A personal favorite

My relationship with these boys has been long and torrid. We’ve broken up, many times. But with just a few words, I hook back up with them in a millisecond. “New Flavor” – I’m yours. “Limited Edition” – where do I sign up?

Ice cream is a serious trigger food for me, in the sense that I’m rarely satisfied with a half-cup serving, and can polish off an entire pint without even realizing it. Ice cream on the couch while watching television is mindless eating, in the truest sense of the word. I swear to you, while I can tell you about every flavor nuance and describe to you in vivid detail the level of creaminess, when I’m eating it, it’s as if my brain is completely turned off and then I come to with an empty container in my hand and a vaguely sick feeling in my stomach. 

Frozen yogurt isn’t the same, not even when it’s Pinkberry. A small scoop of gelato is nice, too, but it just doesn’t cut it. This, for me, is one of those ‘go big or go home’ foods. I don’t want a similar substitute. I want it all. Or nothing.

Okay, well not NOTHING. I still want something. But I’ve really been trying to break away from ice cream and frozen treats until I can get it together with that behavior. Instead, if I’m craving something sweet in the evening, I make myself a bowl of fruit and a 1/2 cup of Noosa. If you haven’t had Noosa, I highly recommend you run to Target and get some (that’s the only place I know that carries it). Lemon or Tart Cherry are my personal favorites, but the Mango, Blueberry and Raspberry are darn good too.

Noosa is the new ice cream

Noosa is the new ice cream

Noosa is similar to Greek yogurt in thickness, but it’s even creamier and decidedly less tart. YUM. It’s not B&J extravaganza, but it doesn’t leave me feeling bad, and it helps curb my sweet tooth. So Ben? Jerry? You’re going to have to find yourself a new girl. You know… for now.

Mer 

You know the old nursery rhyme, “When she was good, She was very, very good, But when she was bad, she was horrid”? That adequately describes me when it comes to the food thing. The times that I’m solid? Tracking my food and being “good” – I’m golden. Nothing can stop me.

And then there are the… other times.

However, I’m learning balance. A few years back the go-to comfort food was ice cream. I thought that because we didn’t have it in the house, I was fine. But no, my husband would go out and get it for me whenever I requested. (Which was a lot.)

Ice cream was not an “every once in awhile” treat, it was a “hey, it’s Monday and I’m bummed” treat. It was a “yay, kiddo slept through the night” treat. And it was too much.

So I cut back to none. That’s right, I had to go cold turkey for a bit. And now I’m able to enjoy ice cream for what it is and be present and mindful when I’m eating it. I don’t want it to be emotional eating. Rather than getting a peanut butter cup sundae, I’ll get a scoop of vanilla and caramel. Or I’ll go with frozen yogurt (which I’m sorry, it’s good but it doesn’t NOT taste as good as ice cream). It’s not perfect and neither am I, but I’m far better about it than I once was.

FRO-YO

FRO-YO

Cam

I’m a sugar fiend. White processed sugar mixed with some kind of fat and/or cream is my favorite. Despite my many attempts to give up sweets, I find that eliminating them completely from my diet only makes me want them more. When I break, and I always break, I go hard. So instead of saying no, I say YES… in very small portions. I’ll give up calories at lunch or go without snacking if I know I’m going to want to indulge later (or earlier… cake is totally a breakfast food). I also try to find substitutions that satisfy my need for sweet that are low in calories and high (alright, higher) in nutritional content. And I share! I’ll share with my kids, split with my fella, or my mom, or even snag a taste off my dining partner’s plate. Sometimes all I really want is a bite. I’m a huge supporter of the Bite for a Bite movement.

If I’m craving pie/cake – I’ll have half a banana or a handful of strawberries/blueberries with sugar free vanilla pudding. Sometimes, I’ll crumble up half of a graham cracker or a Nilla wafer and mix it in. It gives the illusion of crust.

If I’m craving ice cream – frozen yogurt fo sho! There’s a Sweet Frog about a mile from my house. I’ll walk there and get the fat-free raspberry/mango sorbet mixed with the cheesecake. And it is divine.

If I’m craving Juice It Up – I stop at this fine establishment if I don’t have time to make my smoothie in the morning. Which happens often. I’m in love with the Evergreen smoothie but it’s a ton of calories. So I ask them to leave out the sherbet and lemonade and use water as a base instead. It’s still fantastic. BTW, Juice It Up will make whatever concoction you want – not just what’s on their menu. Leave out those fake sugars and go all natural!

If I’m craving chocolate – this doesn’t happen often, but if I want chocolate, I’ll usually eat… chocolate. Usually in the salted and/or caramel form. Chocolate isn’t my favorite, so if I’m craving it, I like to make it really special. Sub-par chocolate just isn’t worth the calories.

Brooke

I don’t really limit my diet but there are a few snack food items that I rarely buy because like a potato chip, I can’t eat just one. Or five. Okay, ten. Since we’re all being honest.

I love Oreos but when I open them, I intend to take just two – the serving size – only to look down a few minutes later and realize I’ve eaten a third of the package. One way I avoid this is by not purchasing them, but occasionally the girls will ask for them. Luckily, their favorite flavor is Berry Ice Cream (because they’re pink), and I think those are disgusting.

I have a terrible sweet tooth. My trainer told me I should sit down with one square of dark chocolate and take very small bites. I don’t see that ever happening.

Instead of eating sweets, I try to reach for fruit.

Fruit, anyone?

Fruit, anyone?

Vic

I don’t really have one “trigger food” that leads to the unraveling of my diet. I have an entire TRIGGER SHELF.

The Trigger Shelf

The Trigger Shelf

This shelf is central in my newsroom and is a catchall for all culinary treats. On any given day, it holds chocolate bars, candy and cookies.

AND IT’S DIRECTLY BEHIND MY DESK.

On Election Day, it’s filled with all types of pizza and soda. After Halloween, it’s filled with leftover chocolate. Post-Christmas, bring on the cookies. In the summer, fresh fruit and veggies often collect here. And then there’s doughnut holes. I can’t say no to doughnut holes.

Last week, there was a tool set made of chocolate. Last month, I recall seeing some cotton candy and other hard candy treats.

And sometimes, there are bags of potato chips. They call to me. It’s hard to resist. And I don’t even LIKE potato chips.

Most days, I manage to ignore the food. I tell myself its stale, has been dropped on the floor, or tastes foul. Believe it or not, that actually works. Sometimes I turn to my own lunch, eating my pre-packed health foods at my desk.

Then on days like today, I eat.

Today's temptation

Today’s temptation

I walked back for more tortilla chips at least four times. So yeah, I failed today. I failed badly. Thank goodness there’s always tomorrow.

Jess

My trigger food has been, is, and always will be sweets. Cookies and ice cream, specifically. In fact, I was just in the kitchen foraging for either, but unfortunately we have neither. Or maybe fortunately, since I 100% do not need to eat cookies or ice cream. Or cookies & cream ice cream (mmm).

I’ve yet to come up with a replacement that actually curbs my craving, but when I don’t give in to it, I will grab some kind of sweet fruit to tame my sweet tooth. Those little clementine oranges are great – easy to peel, easy to eat, and cute to boot!

How about you guys? Do you have a food that just sends you careening off the rails? Something you don’t ever have in the house for fear that it will only be there for 10 minutes? Have you found a healthier replacement option? 

Where My (Curvy) Girls At?

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If you follow me on Twitter (@bec2point0), you’ve likely seen one of my recent rants about the lack of availability of cute, functional, plus-sized athletic wear. When I tell you it’s slim pickins, I promise you, I’m not lying. If you are an athlete of the plus-size variety (guess what, retailers? WE EXIST!), I know you feel me.

Finding any sort of workout clothes in a size 3X is a challenge. And if you want it to be cute? Even more so. And if you’d like to not have to sell a vital organ to afford them? Be prepared to do some hard looking!

Hint: Don’t bother looking in a certain fruity sounding yoga wear proprietor. Their largest size is a 12.

And sadly, they are not alone. I’ve visited several sites that carry size ‘XL’, but if you read the fine print, that XL is equal to a 12.

Size 12 is not extra large, kids. It’s just not. According to this Jezebel article from last June, the average American woman wears a size 14. So calling your size 12 items ‘extra large’ is both rude, and inaccurate. 

Being thin has not been synonymous with being an athlete for quite some time. Go to your local walking track. Go to any ‘fun run’. Go to your local Zumba studio. And look. What you will see is women of ALL shapes and sizes getting their workout on.

Sadly, what you will probably also see is that the larger women rarely have anything remotely equivalent in cuteness to the adorable outfits that the smaller women are wearing.

So, what is the message I’m to take from this? That if larger women want to exercise, they shouldn’t bother looking for cute workout clothes? Should we just pull on a baggy men’s t-shirt and stretchy pants and sweat to the oldies in our living rooms as to not offend the general population with our jiggling?

I say screw that. (And I say it a lot. And usually I replace the word screw with its much more colorful, starts with F, buddy).

Wake up, retailers. There are plenty of curvy, plus-size women that want to buy athletic wear. We’ve got boobs, and hips and disposable income.

BUT… this is not just a rant. After numerous angry twitter venting sessions, I decided to get off my sizeable ass and start really looking. And because we fathletes have to stick together, I will now share with you the fruits of my searching.

Lola Get Active – I ordered this adorable top a couple of weeks ago. It’s stylish, well-made and is available up to a size 22/24. (P.S. It’s also on sale right now!) This site has many more great items, and I will definitely be giving them more of my business.

Photo from www.lolagetts.com

Bare Plus – This is the plus size of the house for Bare Essentials. While this site is primarily lingerie, they do have a workout section. Yes, even on the plus side. Lots of sports bra selection for us busty girls, but some cute tops as well. Including this one, which I bought and am currently in love with.

Moving Comfort Endurance Activewear Tee Photo from http://www.barenecessities.com/

Moving Comfort Endurance Activewear Tee
Photo from http://www.barenecessities.com/

JCP – I’ll be honest, the stuff on the JCP website leans a bit more towards ‘sportswear’ than true ‘activewear’, but there are some performance items. Their prices are very reasonable, and if you have a local store, you can have it shipped there for FREE. I like free.

Old Navy – I’ll be honest. I haven’t ordered anything from ON. Yet. Most of their tops are of the sleeveless variety and it’s COLD where I am. But believe you me, I will be just as soon as it warms up. I can’t speak to their quality, but their prices are good. I’m going to guess this is a ‘you get what you pay for’ situation. As in, it will be cute and functional, but it’s not going to last forever. But you know what? For $24.94, it doesn’t have to.

So, curvy friends, don’t despair. Cute activewear for larger women is not just a myth. You can find it! And if you find it, please support it. Speak with your wallet. It’s really the only thing corporations listen to.

And as for those companies that call their size 12 an ‘XL’, and the ones who cap their sizes below that of the average American woman? I can promise them this. Once all of this working out pays off, and I am a woman of ‘average’ size, they will still not see a dime of my money. Because no. And screw that.

Do you have any great recs for places to shop for plus-size activewear? Please share! Bec really likes to shop. A lot. Like, it’s a problem.