My sendee will be happy to know I have finalllllllllly gotten my procrastinating but around to sampling all the goodies in my Fitness SWAG! I taste tested so much one morning, I didn't even need to eat breakfast.

********

After all that soy butter and candy, time to freshen the breath no? Which is the perfect seguew to dish about Vermints. I'm an Altoids kinda chick, when I get my mint on, I want the back of my throat to burn w/tingling freshness. But I was intrigued by the flavored and fancy Vermints. When I say flavored, I'm talking:

Chai, CinnaMint, WinterMint, Cafe Express, GingerMint, PepperMint

And by fancy I mean getta load of this:

So if you haven't figured out yet what makes these special...they are organic. Of all the listed benefits, the three that I am most interested in are "No chalky aftertaste, No high fructose corn syrup & No artificial sweeteners.

I seriously couldn't try all @ the same time, I think my tummy would revolt, so I picked a "normal" flavor, PepperMint and an exotic one, Chai.

I was sent a literal box of Fitness Swag, so the next few posts will be me catching up to doing the reviews.

********

Have you been looking for a nutritious answer to your sweet cravings? Show of hands. I know I have. Well I got my sweet tooth wrapped around Goody2Chews. The premise is:

Goody2Chews fruit & nut snack are bite-sized squares made from fruits, almonds and whey protein and coated with creamy caramel, chocolatey and yogurt coatings.

I sampled the Chocolatey, Yogurt and Caramel.

I got sent the CUTEST soynut butter ever made by Simple Food. Cute b/c the packaging design is nicely drawn, but more than cute, tasty. I sampled their soynut butter in the Cinnamon Sugar and Slightly Sweet varieties. Note the sugary twist? I think that's what makes them so tasty to me. Unless I buy the honey version, I'm used my peanut butter having a slightly tangy taste.

This week I got a box of Nature Valley® Roasted Peanut Crunch Bars & Nature Valley® Roasted Almond Crunch Bars. You know what the operative word in both these bars are? CRUNCH!

I made the mistake of thinking it was a box of cereal, so before I even opened the box, I poured milk into a bowl. Then I opened the box and saw that it was bars. Since I do not drink milk room temp, must be ice cold, I did what any normal person would do and crumbled the bars up into the milk. And ate them.

When I started my 30 days of 1 gallon water, I knew I wouldn't have any problems drinking that much. I rather like water and am always toting around a 33oz bottle and filling it up @ any water fountain I come across.

Typically, I'm a purist. When I said 1 gallon, I mean pure water, but, I relented a bit. Tea drinking is something I've always wanted to incorporate and what better time to do it than now?

A few weeks ago, I went to lunch and had dim sum, for drink, there was black tea. It was so yummy and what impressed me most was the pot was already made and stayed hot. I wanted the same thing, I didn't want to have to boil 8oz of water and dunk & squeeze tea bags all day.

By chance, I caught someone cleaning out a thermos, which they filled w/coffee and told me it stays the same temperature till the afternoon and sometimes was still warm the next morning. Perfect! A thermos hunting I shall go.

No, I'm not married to the Smoothie King...though if he asked me...::voice trails off wistfully::

I've had a handheld blender for the longest time, just too lazy to actually use it. Lately however, I've been craving smoothies. Not sure why. Oh I know. I bought some expensive healthy drinks and realized I can make them my own self. Plus they'll be fresh and cheaper.

Also, my stash of eggbeaters ran out, leaving me w/nothing to eat in the AM and I figured not only will a smoothie be easy to get down, I can use all my almost ripe fruit, that I usually gag @ eating.

I wanted an easy to make recipe. Something w/6 or so ingredients and no more than 2 pieces of fruit.

Armed w/my recipes and a brand new blender I was ready to go. Here was my first concoction:

I've been meaning to try these Panini's forever. Okay, I lie, they've only been out a few months. Let's say I've been meaning to try these since I was in my last apartment, for 3 months. I actually bought some, but in the haze of moving, left them in the freezer so long, they got freezer burn and didn't cook well. I was not going to be bit by that bug again.

Doing some light shopping this week, as I really intend to cook, but for the near future will be nuking most of my meals, I got some frozen dinners, which I haven't bought in forever, ok I'm lying again haven't bought in 3 months, for lunch.

Appalled that frozen dinners are now 3 bucks, geebus back in the day they used to be 2 and a quarter, I got the Panini b/c it was on special.

Of all the colors, by far, this is my favorite group, Orange & Yellow.

Why Oranges/Yellows are Good
Vegetables such as sweet potatoes, carrots, and pumpkins all contain the phytochemical beta carotene. Citrus fruits such as oranges, grapefruits, and tangerines contain another group of phytochemicals called bioflavonoids. Phytochemicals, substances found only in plants, may help your body fight disease and promote good health.

Beta carotene is a powerful antioxidant that is being studied along with vitamin C & E for the role it may play in reducing the risk of cancer, heart disease, maintaining good eyesight, boosting your immune system and slowing aging. Sunlight breaks down carotenoids so when you cut up vegetables don't leave them on the counter, use them quickly. Lightly cooking them makes their carotenoids more readily available.

Bioflavonoids are another group of phytochemicals that work together with vitamin C. They are being studied for their role in keeping bodies healthy, reducing the risk of cancer, heart disease, strengthening bones and teeth, helping heal wounds and keeping skin healthy. Bioflavonoids and vitamin C are powerful antioxidants that work as a team, it's important to get these nutrients from the whole foods that provide them-namely orange and yellow-colored vegetables and fruit.

, I'm such a smarty pants, making every fruit/veggie text (Red, Blue & Green), the color it is. Don't think I'm going to let the fact that no one will see white on white, stop me. Today it's time for Team White.

Why White is Good
Garlic, onions, and leeks may be lacking in color, but they're bursting with powerful phytochemicals, substances found only in plants that help your body fight disease and promote good health.

Vegetables from the onion family, which include garlic, chives, scallions, leeks, and any variety of onion, share a group of phytochemicals that are very important to good health. The most common member of this phytochemical group is allicin. Research is being conducted to show how allicin in garlic and onions may help lower cholesterol and blood pressure and increase the body's ability to fight infections.

It's featured food friday...*crickets*...

What? I missed two Fridays?

::blink::

School is in session...

::blink::

You don't care...

::blink::

Well I do. Fall doesn't start till September 21st, so Summer Edition rages on.

Having already blogged about Red & Blue, this week is my most chowed down color: Green.

Why Green is Good
One reason is that they are packed with nutrients and phytochemicals-substances found only in plants that may help fight disease and improve health. Lutein (pronounced LOO-teen) part of the carotenoid family is a powerful antioxidant found in green leafy vegetables. It is being studied for the role it may play to help maintain good vision. Green vegetables are packed with lutein.

Indoles (pronounced in-DOLS) are another group of phytochemicals found in cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts. Indoles are being studied for their role in helping protect against breast cancer, which affects one out of every eight women in the United States, and prostate cancer, which affects one out of every six men in the United States. In a recent study, men who ate cruciferous vegetables at least three times a week had a 42 percent reduction in risk of prostate cancer.

So I forgot my lunch today, well not so much as forgot as…um…it's rather complicated. One thing I *try* not to do is talk specifics, as much as I talk about how I'm feeling which is way more important.

But I barely ate breakfast, due to anxious tummy, and made pot luck snack that was pretty balanced, always good to have spare grub @ every place you spend time, but for lunch I was SOL.

On the way back from running an errand, not really thinking of what I'll eat as much as hungry or not I need to eat, I got the bright idea to go to the supermarket.

Now in ye olden days of last year, a trip like that would cost me:

6-12 chicken wings
1-2 packs of sweet rolls
potato salad and or/macaroni salad
slice of cake and/or cookies (more and than or )

So I had reason to worry.

I didn't feel like stopping @ a fast food joint and making it a one-fer meal since I need to have food on hand for tomorrow too. I went in and started shopping.

Welp.

I've got some bad news, some good news, some great news and some disturbing news…all of which depends on your dietary preferences.

For my vegan/vegetarian readers, the news is bad: I can officially say, I don't like veggie breakfast meats.

For my meat eating readers, the news is good: I'll be back to taking real meat w/my breakfast eats.

For my pork eating readers, the news is great: I'll take my breakfast meats w/extra pork and pork by-products more pork sausages mom, please.

And lastly, for my carnivorous readers: Ick, get away from my site. You skeeve me out. Go on. Scram.

Onto the review.

I wanted to ♥ these links...*sobs softly*...I really did...*honk*...

If one word can sum it up, that word would be: bleahyuck! If you need more words, keep reading.

This week, I was going to attempt to make my own chili...then I fell over on the floor cackling @ the absurdity of it all, acted like I had some sense and bought pre-made chili.

I got veggie style chili for a reason. True indeed I'm a hippie @ heart, but I'm not that far-gone. Yet. Scroll back a few days and you can see I've been eating beef burgers for a few weeks now. The vegetarian road is a path I want to go down @ some point in time. When I can, I pick veggie over meat.

That said, let's get to the review on how this tasted.

Two weeks ago I launched featured food friday: summer edition, w/my fave color, Red. This week is a color I rarely pay attention too...Blue.

Why Blue is Good
Fruits such as blueberries and plums contain phytochemicals, including anthocyanins and phenolics. Phytochemicals, substances found only in plants, may help your body fight disease and promote good health.

Daily Weigh In: 194.8

Nutrition
- fiber 1, cheerios, raisins, vanilla soy milk
- turkey sammich: smoked turkey breast, sliced veggie cheese, mayo, dijon mustard, spinach leaves & tomato on seeded rye bread. carrots & broccoli w/ranch dressing
- 2 slices pineapple
- peach
- chocolate soy milk
- burger w/veggie cheese & mushrooms sauteed w/A1 on a ww tortilla & corn on the cob w/ICBINB
- 2 sno-cream pops (it's hot as hades in the atl)

Water
4 liters

Vitamins/Supplements
Check

Training
45 mins elliptical - 3.31 miles
45 mins treadmill - 2.62 miles

Total cardio mins: 90
Total miles: 5.93

15 mins weights - Buns

********

A group led by Cornell University marketing professor Brian Wansink looked at the eating habits of thousands of people and concluded the craving for something sweet spans both candy and fruit. The study published in the journal Appetite found people who eat candy, cakes and other sweet snacks eat more fruit than people who prefer salty snacks like nuts and chips.

"I think it shows there is some hope for the typical dieter," he said. "... Maybe you're not just a sugar-eating machine — that there are some redeeming traits to your diet." [source]

I have a terrible sweet tooth. The healthier/blander my food is, the stronger the urge is to have something sweet to cut the taste. And by bland, I don't mean horrible, I enjoy what I'm eating.

Like last night's dinner, bun-less burger. I meant to eat it w/a ww tortilla. Went so far as to put it on the plate, but for some reason, never touched it. I also skipped the condiments, mayo/mustard/ketchup. Matter of fact didn't even use season salt/hamburger seasoning/Worcestershire sauce or A1 and it was still pretty damn delish.

For the next 5 Fridays this summer, I'm going to hijack the regularly posted, featured food, and focus on foods by color. I got the idea a few weeks back via the CDC site. Since then, I aim to have @ least one color represented in my daily eats. Each week, I'll highlight the color that got the most attention from me, this week it was my favorite color, Red.

Why Red is Good
When you add deep reds or bright pinks to your daily diet, you are also adding a powerful antioxidant called lycopene. Lycopene is found in tomatoes, red and pink grapefruit, watermelon, papaya and guava. Diets rich in lycopene are being studied for their ability to fight heart disease and some cancers.

Daily Weigh In: 195.4

As mentioned yesterday each AM I'll post my weight for the WWW (whole wide world) right @ the top so no need to scroll to find it and I'll chit chat about whatever is topmost on my mind. @ the end of the day, I'll update food and workouts in the same post. Both will keep me accountable. This is my unofficial 6 week challenge, which is really a 4 week month long July challenge, but I started yesterday, which'll make it 5 weeks and no one has a 5 week challenge so I tacked on another week @ the end. Follow?

I won't do a Day 1 or Day 25 type title b/c psychologically when I hit a certain # I get fatigued, instead, I'll count backwards, going up to day 38 seems like a chore, working down to day 1 seems victorious. Don't ask.

But, I also won't do it everyday either, only when I'm out of witty titles, will I post "25 days to go" or "11 days to go".

As for the pudge pics, they'll get updated nightly, I think that's how I did it before, plus I'm pressed for time in the AM now that my gym commute is no longer a 4 min walk but a 5 min drive. And I'm thinking, during the day, if I have any upcoming or pending dramas, the nightly podcast will pick up where I left off and tie up any loose ends. Like say, I'm doing battle w/a butterfinger crisp, sometimes I forget to update the end result, in addition to posting every morsel I ate for the day so you'll read if I did eat it (which I totally wont!), the podcast will provide that info…and more *shameful plug*

I also do very good w/checklists so for the next 6 weeks here's my to do's, later tonight, I'll post a chart @ the top of the site to track the following:

My eating plan for the next 8 weeks, pretty consistent, fairly bland and extremely healthy.

Breakfast
Fiber One w/Vanilla Soy milk and LF CC w/10-12 fresh blueberries

3 hours later
Apple w/all natural peanut butter & a protein bar

2 hours later
Tuna or Salmon over a bed of spinach leaves w/a drizzle of lemon and olive oil OR Black Beans and slices of tomatoes stuffed in a low carb pita w/spinach leaves.

3 hours later
Tangerine & Plain Yogurt

2 hours later
Turkey burger & w/beans & a clove of garlic w/2 cups of veggies (squash & broccoli)

3 hours later
Protein Shake

Roughly:
Fat: 57-60 gms of fat
Carbs: 169 -175 gms
Protein: 119-121 gms
Fiber: 40-45 gms
Calories: 1500-1600

Still battling it out for my business...

Battle of the Lasagna Florentine/Lasagna w/Meat Sauce   Weight Watchers Smart Ones® Lean Cuisine® Winner Packaging LC Calories 290 320 WW Total Fat 9g 7g LC Saturated Fat 5g 3g LC Cholesterol 30mg 30mg tie Sodium 580mg 690mg WW Potassium not stated 610g n/a Carbohydrates 35g 44g WW Fiber 4g 4g tie Sugars 10g 8g LC Protein 15g 19g LC Vitamin A 25% 6% WW Vitamin C 4% 4% tie Calcium 30% 25% WW Iron 10% 8% WW Price: $2.19 $2.79 WW

Am I the only one that has a hella hard time successfully unpeeling a wedge of Laughing Cow Cheese?

Blimey.

Availabilty
Raisins are available year-round in most food markets. They are often sold in small, single-serving-size boxes, but are also available loose in bins in some natural food stores.

How to Select & Store:
If possible, purchase raisins that are sold in bulk or in transparent containers so that you can judge their quality, checking to see that they are moist and undamaged. When buying raisins in a sealed, opaque container, make sure that the container is tightly sealed and that they are produced or packaged by a reputable company.

Storing raisins in the refrigerator in an airtight container will extend their freshness and prevent them from becoming dried out. If you purchase raisins in single serving boxes and do not want to transfer them to another container, store the boxes in the refrigerator to extend their shelf life. Raisins stored in this manner can be kept for about one year.

The ongoing food battle to earn my repeat business rages on:

Battle of the Ravioli Florentine/Cheese Ravioli   Weight Watchers Smart Ones® Lean Cuisine® Winner Packaging WW Calories 250 250 tie Total Fat 5g 6g WW Saturated Fat 2g 3.5g WW Cholesterol 30mg 40mg WW Sodium 720mg 600mg LC Potassium not stated 560g n/a Carbohydrates 40g 36g LC Fiber 4g 3g WW Sugars 12g 10g LC Protein 11g 11g tie Vitamin A 11% 8% WW Vitamin C 15% 2% WW Calcium 15% 15% tie Iron 10% 8% WW Price: $2.19 $2.59 WW

I have pretty good food karma, missing key ingredients aside, anytime I go out to get something to eat, I almost always get free food. A guy I used to kick it w/accused me of flirting, but even women give me food. And not cuz I was a chub looking like I wanted more even @ my skinniest. Perhaps I looked hungry? Or that I was very chatty, charming even, but going to a fast food restaurant, I either get my fries super sized, a small order of nuggets added, a dessert thrown in, something. And it's not cuz I had to wait super long or they were substituting. So weird.

Availabilty
Cashew nuts are available year-round. They are sold "raw" and roasted, salted and unsalted, and in bulk or vacuum-sealed jars or cans.

How to Select & Store:
Cashews spoil quickly at room temperature and should be refrigerated. If refrigerated in a tightly sealed container, they will keep for six months or up to a year if frozen.

I made a mistake.

I thought I picked up Spaghetti w/Meat Sauce both for Lean Cuisine and Weight Watchers this week. What was to have been an epic food battle has now turned into a food review.

There I am, on my way to lunch STARVING and smelling someone else's food, smelled like KFC which always smells so great till I bite into the chicken. Sadly it never quite tastes as good as it smells. Anywayz, I am a good 2 secs away from Boy am I hungry! to If I don't eat my lunch RIGHT NOW, hunger will overtake me and drive my ass over to Subway which according to my debit card statement...I haven't throttled a Sandwich Artiste since 2/22.

Hey, so since I don't currently cook, I don't have many recipes to share. I do have my feeble flavoring enhancements, like my cottage cheesy pasta for frozen dinners, but here's a dessert I swear by.

Step 1) Take a banana.

Availabilty
Sweet potatoes are cured for long-term storage so that they are available year-round. They are at their best from late August to October, when fresh, uncured potatoes are harvested and come to market.

How to Select:
Choose sweet potatoes that are firm and do not have any cracks, bruises or soft spots. Avoid those that are displayed in the refrigerated section of the produce department since cold temperature negatively alters their taste.

Sweet potatoes should be stored in a cool, dark and well-ventilated place, where they will keep fresh for up to ten days. They should be stored loose and not kept in a plastic bag. Keep them away from exposure to sunlight or temperatures above 60°F since this will cause them to sprout or ferment. Uncooked sweet potatoes should not be kept in the refrigerator.

Last time I reviewed this product, let's see if my major concerns were reassured.

Pluses:
* Fairly expensive, need coupons or 2 for 1 deal as incentive.
Nope, still expensive


* Having no likka, makes you feel like a child eating plain old Jell-O.
Jello-o still alcohol free, no chance of doing shots during lunch


* WTF is up w/1500 mgs of sodium, aren't you trying to save my heart?
WoW you are trying to save my heart, 920mg of sodium


* Kraft, I so get it. It's your brand. You own good ole Dr. Agatston. It's understood: He sold his soul to you. Point made. Enough w/the branding for chrisesakes.
Either I'm now a mindless zombiefied consumer OR you've toned down on the packaging, I barely noticed.

Ok, enough of the flashback/update, let's get to the nitty gritty, how was it?

It's a bit late in the game to post this, but since I'm not making any radical changes when Q2 starts, this is my official eats plan for now thru early summer.

Nothing too fancy, as I sketched out what I wanted, it was really easy to make a meal plan. I'm telling you, even when you feel like a failure b/c everything you worked months doing goes belly up, that experience really comes in handy, b/c @ the precise point in the road where you fucked up, next go round you know to veer in another direction. Unless of course, you are insane.

What I wanted this meal plan to be was very basic, lots of fruits and veggies, 5 meals a day, eating every 3 hours and w/in 1200-1500 calories. That way if I stay in the 1200 range during the week, I can safely go into or over the 1500 range over the weekend. I also allow myself 1 day to peak @ 1800.

B/c I'm a flexible kinda chick, I've broken it down even further.

Today was hella long and I hadn't planned on being out all day. Just about everything I ate didn't get logged in advance nor do I know the actual calories so here's all I ate.

For dinner tonight, I picked up a chef's salad from nearby cafeteria. Unfortunately there's no caloric info and strangely enough, fitday does not have any entries for chef's salad. Here's what it looks like:

Obviously I still got the munchies.

11 Superfoods for Weight Loss - by Linda Kallman

These nutritious foods will satisfy your appetite and help you get to your ideal weight.

Foods for Weight Loss

Here are some suggestions from Sasson for meals and snacks that are loaded with the nutrients your body needs and that will keep those hunger pangs at bay.

Scrambled Eggs, Toast, and Strawberries
Fasting or skipping meals does not lead to successful, long-term weight loss. A healthy breakfast gets your body going, boosts your metabolism, and helps to regulate your appetite for the rest of the day. So scramble a few eggs, which are a great source of protein, vitamins A, B2, and B12, phosphorus, and iron.

Add some whole wheat toast and fresh strawberries for fiber, plus almost 150 percent of the RDA for vitamin C in the berries. Using a little bit of butter or margarine on the toast or for cooking the eggs will help your body absorb fat-soluble vitamins.

Recommended Serving Size: 2 medium eggs, about 130 calories or 1 medium egg and the egg white from 1 egg, about 80 calories 2 slices whole wheat toast, about 138 calories 1 pat butter, about 36 calories or 1 pat of margarine, about 32 calories 1 cup of strawberries, about 49 calories

Nectarines and Almonds
Having the right midmorning snack will keep your metabolism humming and your energy levels up, and will help you avoid eating too much at lunch out of extreme hunger. A medium nectarine along with some almonds gives you fiber, protein, a variety of vitamins and minerals, and heart-healthy fat.

Recommended Serving Size: 1 medium nectarine, about 60 calories 6-8 almonds, about 40-60 calories

Colorful Spinach, Veggie, and Chicken Salad
Throw together a spinach salad with cucumbers, carrots, red peppers, cherry tomatoes, and some cooked chicken breast. Top it with an olive-oil-based vinaigrette dressing for a low-fat, low-cal, and filling lunch. Vitamin- and mineral-rich spinach provides over 50 percent of your RDA for vitamin A, plus dietary fiber and iron. As a rule, colorful vegetables are more nutritious, and this combination is rich in fiber, tons of vitamins. and the phytochemicals that may help prevent chronic disease. Finally, the protein in the chicken will keep you full until your midday snack.

Recommended Serving Size: 1 cup spinach, about 7 calories 1/2 cup sliced cucumber, about 12 calories 1/4 cup grated carrots, about 10 calories 1/2 cup red peppers, about 12 calories 6-8 cherry tomatoes, about 18-24 calories 2 oz. chicken strips, about 75 calories 2 tablespoons vinaigrette dressing (with olive or canola oil), about 90 calories

Yogurt and Grapes Snack
You'll get calcium, protein, fiber, and vitamin C from this super snack. Plus, grapes pack cancer-fighting antioxidants.

Recommended Serving Size: 6 oz. low-fat yogurt, about 160 calories 10 grapes, about 50 calories

Tuna Steak and Broccoli
This dinner will satisfy your taste buds and fill you up without adding on the calories. Fresh tuna is a great source of heart-healthy fat and omega-3 fatty acid, which helps prevent heart disease and stroke. Broccoli, a cruciferous vegetable, gives you over 80 percent of the RDA for vitamin C, 30 percent of your daily calcium, and disease-fighting phytochemicals. A side dish of Spanish rice is an excellent complement to the fish.

Recommended Serving Size: 3 oz. cooked broiled or grilled tuna steak, about 118 calories 1 cup broccoli, about 25 calories 1/2 cup Spanish rice, about 140 calories

Low-Fat Vanilla Ice Cream with Fruit Topping
Don't deprive yourself of that tasty dessert you crave. This one is refreshing and satisfying but is also a source of calcium, as well as some vitamins and minerals. Just remember to watch your portion size.

Recommended Serving Size: 1/2 cup low-fat vanilla ice cream, about 120 calories 1/2 cup mixed fruit, about 60 calories [source]

Burger King Enormous Omelet Sandwich @ 730 Calories & McDonald's Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese @ 770 Calories are two of the things I WONT be eating next week.

On my shopping list for tomorrow is:

Though I'm not one to cook, for now, even I can get behind some of these meal suggestions. I also dig that it's a hearty 1600 calories a day and promotes s-l-o-w weight loss. Awww Maureen, you're an MS RD after my own heart

Healthy Menus - by Maureen Callahan, MS, RD

Confused over which diet of the day to follow? The menus below are based on just three principles: Get protein with every meal, have at least two servings of fruit or veggies at each meal, and choose fiber-rich carbs. Unsweetened beverages like coffee, iced tea, and diet soft drinks are unlimited. Average your calories out to about 1,600 per day, enough to help you lose weight slowly. Then, as you reach your goal weight, increase portion sizes of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and add a little more healthy fat to maintain that weight.

Blech. I just had store-brand oatmeal (mistake #1) w/water (mistake #2) I do not like store brand oatmeal, it's thin. But w/milk any oatmeal is pretty good. The vanilla soy milk finished yesterday so today I mixed with water. It tasted like glue.

All I can say is HOORAY yucky eats week is finishing and HOORAH for payday and empty shelves to stock w/new food. Yucky eats week meant I had a lot of knick knacks that I had pushed to the back of the cupboard, fridge and freezer over the last few weeks. Running low on money last week as well as staying in for the entire rainy weekend led me to just trying to finish up what I had.

Healthy Choice frozen dinners also suck, especially in comparison to the luscious Lean Cuisines. I couldn't quite put my finger on what was wrong, but this week, since that was all I ate, I realized what it was. They are very watery. Blech!

Anywayz, this weekend I stock back up on the good stuff and after a week like this, which I may endure again in about 3 weeks, it'll brighten my taste buds for shure.

Sunday starts Stage 2 of my eating plan. Stage 1 was me trying to eat w/in 100 calories of my BMR. Stage 2 builds on that and will introduce me eating w/in a set time frame, every 3 hours. That's pretty much all, still not yet paying attention to the nutritional breakdown. I'm just eating in moderation and eating on a schedule.

Stage 2 7/17-7/30
The goal:
- Continue Stage 1 goals
(eat w/in 100 cals of BMR, make meal plan, follow meal plan, drink min 100oz water)
- Eat every 3 or so hours (7 - 10 - 1 - 4:30 – 7)

Those two things alone should yield results. Heck even that woman who ate no more than 1400 calories of McDonalds food lost weight.

When I read that story, I thought, geez, there is always somebody, somewhere. As for what she did, I just had to take a deep breath, resist my urge to rant and just say to myself, Self, if a person believes that they can solely exist on fast food b/c eating 1400 calories of it causes them to lose weight and they don't take a look @ the internal picture of what that kind of food, 3x a day 7 days a week, does to their organs. Have @ it.

[/off soapbox]

I've got to dig thru my Fitday notes to find that mystical week when I was eating some yummy stuff, translation nothing went to waste, and had 2-3 fresh fruits daily as well as lots of veggies and whole grain cereal. The calories were a bit higher then, but I can tweak that for Stage 2.

Last week was techie week as I worked on the site, during the week was emotional week as I got stuff out of my head, more swirling but it'll have to wait to next week to surface, which means this weekend is fun and frivolity. I haven't been to the movies in a few weeks, treasonous in my house, so after grocery shopping is done and I veg out and watch some Saturday morning cartoons, I'm heading out to catch a few flicks. Have a great weekend and make sure it's extra fun w/supersized frivolity.

Availabilty
Watermelons are available all year.

How to Select:
Look for watermelons that are firm, symmetrical and fresh-looking with an attractive waxy bloom.

Once picked, watermelon will not ripen. Watermelons can be kept for short periods at room temperature -- otherwise refrigerate.

Special Tip:
Avoid watermelons that are very hard, white or very pale green in color on the underside, indicating immaturity. An immature watermelon will be slightly acidic; short storage may diminish acidity.

The ongoing food battle to earn my repeat business rages on:

Battle of the Santa Fe Style Rice & Beans   Weight Watchers Smart Ones® Lean Cuisine® Winner Packaging WW Calories 300 290 LC Total Fat 8g 5g LC Saturated Fat 4g 2g LC Cholesterol 20mg 15mg LC Sodium 620mg 580mg LC Potassium not stated 620g n/a Carbohydrates 49g 50g WW Fiber 6g 5g WW Sugars 6g 10g WW Protein 12g 11 WW Vitamin A 4% 8% LC Vitamin C 4% 6% LC Calcium 20% 20% tie Iron 10% 10% tie Price: $2.79 $2.59 LC

I don't know who came out with this meal first, I suspect Lean Cuisine, but I was shopping by price over the weekend and found myself walking past the green Healthy Choice meals over towards the red Weight Watchers Smart Ones. After I randomly picked a few up I noticed they had the exact meals Lean Cuisine had. So in an effort to populate yet another category, I decided to start a Food Battle subcategory of the Food Review section. This is where the same meal, different brand, will go head to head for my repeat business.

Battle of the Chicken Enchilada Suizas   Weight Watchers Smart Ones® Lean Cuisine® Winner Packaging tie Calories 340 280 LC Total Fat 10g 5g LC Saturated Fat 4.5g 2g LC Cholesterol 40mg 20mg LC Sodium 800mg 540mg LC Potassium not stated 330g n/a Carbohydrates 38g 49g WW Fiber 3g 3g tie Sugars 5g 7g WW Protein 12g 10 WW Vitamin A 8% 4% WW Vitamin C 4% 4% tie Calcium 20% 15% WW Iron 4% 4% tie Price: $2.79 $2.89 WW

By the numbers:
It's funny how LC wins all the initial categories: calories, fat, cholesterol and sodium by being the lowest, but WW makes a comeback by having less carbs & sugar and more protein.

By the looks:
LC - this dish is divided in ½. Rice on one side, a single enchilada in a yellowish cream sauce on the other.

WW - the rice and enchiladas are mixed together in one dish. I like the one dish better b/c I end up scooping the LC enchilada into the rice anyway.

By the taste buds:
LC - Once you mix the rice w/the enchilada, it is very very yummy. Not too spicy or peppery, the chicken is well seasoned, though it can be a bit tough. There is a slight taste of sour cream and though you can't see the melted cheese, when you lift your fork, you can see the stringy trail.

WW - Muy Caliente! *pant* *pant* *pant* Yet...I like it. They don't even taste like the same meal. Granted the LC has more rice, hence the 49gms of carbs but the WW version has 2 enchiladas and a spicier seasoning. Plus the chicken is softer.

Who wins?
It's a tie. The only thing that gives LC a slight edge, is the 280 calories vs. 340. What one lacks in one area, the other makes up for somewhere else. With a 10 cent price difference, either one is good to get and both of them worthy of licking the bowl.

Now, where's my water? *pant* *pant* *pant*

Availabilty
Bananas are available year round!

How to Select:
Select green-tipped bananas for cooking or ripening, yellow bananas for eating and brown-speckled bananas for baking.

Bananas are fully ripened when brown spots appear on the peel. These bananas have a softer texture and are very sweet. When you bring home a bunch of bananas, you'll want to store them so they will stay fresh. Take them out of the plastic produce bag and store them at room temperature. The bananas will continue to ripen. If your bananas are too green, you can put them in a paper bag to ripen. If you add an apple or tomato to the bag, the bananas will ripen even faster. When your bananas have turned the color you want, but you can't use them right away, store them in your refrigerator. The skin will darken, but the bananas will stay fresh for up to two weeks.

Earlier, I mentioned a 12 week plan of attack I'll be using towards my food intake. To make it manageable I'm breaking that down into 3 week chunks, partially so that I could concentrate on one thing @ a time while I make it a habit, but mainly b/c I have OCD and 3 divides nicely into 6.

Every 3 weeks I'll detail the next step in the process. I am now in what I'm calling Stage 1. I need to name things, don't ask me why. Each stage builds upon the last.

Stage 1 6/12-7/02
The goal:
- Find out my BMR
- Eat within 100 calories below BMR but no more
- Each night make a meal plan for the following day
- Stick to said meal plan
- Drink @ least 100 oz of water

The why:
I realized I'm a nibbler. I'll make a meal plan and stick to it, but nibble calories I didn't factor in. I can easily nibble my way upwards of 300 calories which could be the source of my slow losing. So this stage is twofold, 1) it's teaching me to be disciplined enough to stick to my daily caloric goal and 2) it's an effort to break my excessive snacking habit.

So I don't feel deprived, b/c right now food is tied into my emotions and any extreme change (ie no snacking @ all) to my eating will make me want to rebel, I've factored in an ice cream bar @ the end of the day. Other than that, I've made no changes to what I've already been eating. During this stage I'm not watching the macronutrients breakdown.

********

I am hoping by week 12, I will have some concrete results to see what truly works for me and what doesn't. If by that time I have had zero loss, and I say zero b/c I won't hold my body to lose 12lbs in that time until I see what I'm able to lose during any given stage so to that extent, any loss will be a good sign. But if I see zero loss, I will go to another doctor ask for a full evaluation and take my food and workout logs.

Last year when I went to the doctor complaining about losing slowly. Back then I wasn't working out consistently nor was I eating healthy. I recognize now that those slow losses were a side effect of my haphazard actions. I was given a few tests and a clean bill of health, ruling out PCOS and diabetes, she suggested doing the South Beach Diet. I didn't take her up on it.

The South Beach Diet™ Refrigerated Wrap Kits - Wrap Kit Turkey & Bacon Club

Instead of a Lean Cuisine meal I picked this up yesterday. And because my food reviewing skills aren't limited only to Nutrisystem foods, today debuts an irregular feature over @ reneegetsfit.com, succintly called: Food Reviews.

I've started and deleted 3 posts all day today. Trying to find the right words to convey what I'm feeling, but I'm going to leave it alone. It was going to amount to nothing more than a rant and negativity and if that's a place I'm trying to leave...what's the point? What's done is done, lessons learned. Shure I'm still hurting over a few things, but I'm prolly taking things way more personal than I need to. Hey I'm a sensitive chick. I wound easily. Fine. I've got a plan to change up my behavior as it pertains to certain people and that pretty much wraps it all up.

********

Right. 117 mins of working out today. No shitting. My workout schedule is out the window this week so I'm winging it. The plan for today was 20 min HIIT & a 2.5 mile run. But since I missed my run yesterday, I had to switch things up.

I started w/20 min HIIT walk and didn't feel like running. I walked for about 7 more mins thinking things over then did the 20 min pre programmed treadmill walk. By the time I was done, I was ready to run. Ran 2 miles. I've officially christened my new sports bra w/a nice sweat drench. Huzzah!

B/c I missed my upper body workout yesterday and did a ½ assed abs routine on Monday, I just finished a 47 min weight routine doing upper, lower & abs. I'll have to take tomorrow off from weights and then double up once again on Fri. Which frees up tomorrow afternoon to try out Pilates. Coolness.

I feel really great today, drama withstanding. Sometime last week working out, especially the morning runs, have left me feeling good for the rest of the day. A clearheaded & deep breathing kinda good that's undescribable. Yesterday I was feeling so blah from Monday that I didn't have the oomph to do much. But today I just wanted to keep going and going and going. Must be that Oreo overdose from Monday kicking in.

And now I'm not very hungry. It's hot out, and when it's hot I have no appetite. Especially for warm food. Ick. It's pretty much why I've been eating light dinners like sandwiches the last few days. Now even that feels to heavy, so I'll just have some yogurt mixed w/cereal later. As the dog days of summer approach I may have to eat cereal for dinner. Unless they've come out w/a high fiber ice cream.

Some of last's weeks stress was soothed via Oreos cookies. From Wed - Fri after lunch I trekked down to the vending machine and either ate them then or after dinner. Considering I could've inhaled an entire bag in my state of mind, a 6 pack is a minor victory.

After reading the runner's diet and settling on 1700 calories to be my max, I'm going to slowly work on nutritional breakdown. I do things in steps, if I try to do all things @ once, I end up doing nothing. So for a few weeks I aimed to hit a certain caloric goal and another few weeks I play w/the nutritional breakdown.

Availabilty
Peak season for fresh corn is May through September.

How to Select & Store:
Good quality white or yellow corn should have fresh green, tightly fitting husks, with golden brown silk, and tip ends that are free of decay. Ears should be evenly covered with plump, consistently sized kernels. Avoid corn that has been on display with husks pulled back, or with discolored or dry-looking husks, stem ends, or kernels.

It's best to cook corn as soon as possible after it is picked or purchased. This is because, after being picked, the corn's natural sugars gradually convert to starch, which, in turn, lessens the corn's natural sweetness.

Because corn is highly perishable, it should be refrigerated immediately after you buy it.

Fresh corn can also be purchased canned or frozen.

To lose weight without sacrificing energy or performance, you have to eat the right foods at the right times. Here's how by: Madelyn H. Fernstrom Ph.D., C.N.S.

It seems almost impossible that runners could become overweight. All that running, all those calories burned along city streets and down park paths--it just doesn't seem right (or fair).

The problem is that we read about the performance-oriented nutritional habits of ultrathin elite runners (lots of carbo-loading and truckloads of energy bars, gels, and drinks), then assume that as recreational runners we should do the same. But we're not elite runners. We're average people who use running to manage our weight, increase our energy, and lead healthy lives.

Think about this scary fact: It takes only 100 extra calories a day to gain 10 pounds in a year. That's one high-calorie prerun snack that you didn't need. Or one unnecessary bottle of sports drink before a 30-minute walk. The extra weight many runners carry around is simply the result of eating for energy or performance--with little regard for total calories. But calories do count, and as runners we tend to underestimate the amount we eat and overestimate the amount we burn.

What you need to do is match your eating plan to your running habits. You need to know exactly when to eat those carbohydrate-rich foods that will give you the energy you need to run well.

You also need to know when to consume the lean proteins and heart-healthy fats that will keep you satiated while still losing weight. You need the Runner's Diet.

The Runner's Diet helps you determine the real number of calories you need to maintain or lose weight based on your current running schedule. It's a 50-25-25 eating plan, where 50 percent of your calories come from carbohydrates, 25 percent from protein, and 25 percent from fat. With half of your calorie intake coming from carbs, the diet provides you with plenty of readily available fuel for your runs. And with the rest of your calories split evenly between proteins and fats, you feel full longer, which is key to losing weight. The diet also focuses your carbohydrate intake around your runs and emphasizes the right proteins and fats for all other meals to optimize performance and weight loss. Finally, you'll have lots of choices when deciding what to eat. To start the Runner's Diet, follow this simple, six-step process.

Availabilty
Summer squash is available all year long in some regions, and is at its peak from early through late summer.

How to Select & Store:
Summer squash can be found in the produce section of health food stores and supermarkets. Look for smaller, firm squash with bright, tender, blemish-free skin. Store squash refrigerated in a plastic bag for up to four days.

This delectable evil treat w/it's 250 calories/14 gms o' fat now comes in MINI sized! How do I know that?

Ok ok, I went down the candy aisle @ Targay two weeks ago looking specifically for it :: These things are like crack. CRACK! Fortunately, 3 minis consitute 1 serving and gives 170 calories/10 gms o' fat. I've alloted myself 1 mini per day, logged as .33 serving in Fitday. Lately I've noticed I've wanted something sweet after lunch so I've upped it to .66 (or 2) a day.

It's 112 calories well spent.

I once worked w/a girl who was trying to lose weight. @ that time, I couldn't care less about anything weight related so I never paid her much attention. Instead I gave her curious looks as she whipped out this little booklet and was always counting something. I'd overhear her saying she couldn't have so and so b/c it had such and such points? calories? something or the other who knows?

A few months later she had trimmed down considerably and I was floored. Not long after, we parted ways and a year or so later I ran into her again. Now she was rail thin, so thin in fact, her head looked a tad oversized. When she first started her diet I'd hear her talking about the gym but I have no idea what she was doing or how often she went. It was the food thing, her meticulous counting & restricting, that had me mesmerized.

For the last month I've been munching on Total Protein for breakfast. It's actually pretty good. Bear in mind, I'm didn't grow up like the avg kid. My mother never bought sugary cereals for me. I remember Corn Flakes & Raisin Bran. Naturally I'd dump ½ a cup of sugar in it, but those fun fruity rebellious cereals? Never had 'em. I'd go to my cousins house and my eyes would grow like saucers checking out his cereal collection. Not only didn't he need the ½ cup of sugar, his cereal turned the milk into diff't colors. No matter how much I asked, Mom refused. By the time I got to high school and bought my own groceries, I chose Chocolate Rice Krispies, Frosted Flakes and Honey Nut Cheerios. I sampled the other silly ones like Lucky Charms and Fruity Pebbles, but they didn't do much for me.

I say all that to say, my taste buds are prolly more immune to eating boring "healthy" cereal than most. Total Protein has a bit of a cardboardy look an feel. The bland flakes are not attractive. But I blend it w/a serving of Fiber One and add a few raisins and low fat milk and it's quite ok. Really.

Nutritional Information
Serving Size: ¾ cup (30g)
Calories: 110
Total Fat: 3.5gms
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 270mgs
Carbohydrates: 11gms
Fiber: 3gms
Sugars: 2gms
Protein: 13gms

Availabilty
Carrots are available all year long.

How to Select & Store:
Fresh carrots can be found in the produce section of health food stores and supermarkets. Carrots with the greens still attached have the sweetest flavor; make sure the greens are crisp and fresh looking. Look for firm, bright carrots, without cracks on the sides or sprouts where the green tops have been removed. Remove the greens about two inches (5.08cm) above the carrots and store, tightly sealed, for three to five days.

Availabilty
Spinach is available year-round, but is best in fall and spring, since it grows best in cool weather.

How to Select & Store:
Spinach should be slightly crisp and bright green. Avoid yellowing leaves or those that are wet and rotting. To store, wrap unwashed spinach in a paper towel and then place in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. If buying bagged spinach, open and sort out the rotting leaves before putting the package in the refrigerator. Depending on how fresh it is at purchase, spinach should be used within two to four days.

I finally have a balanced plan I can eat. Why do I feel like I say that each week? Seriously I do. See up till the week of the cheap eats experiment, I was doing pretty good, just performing minor tweaks here and there.

Cheap eats made me swing the pendulum to the extreme refined carbohydrates side and the following week it swung back to the extreme protein side. I'm back to my happy medium.

Food wise:
It was a bust this week. No other way to describe it. Not gonna sugarcoat it. For the record I was always starving and cranky.

I just came back from grocery shopping and for about 37 bucks, would have been 31 but I added some salmon @ the last minute, I got much better food for next week. I plugged a sample menu in fitday. I'm @ 1605 calories (could be 1710 if I eat a full serving of peanut butter) and my ratios (carb/fat/protein) are @ 41/39/20.

There is one downfall, to be expected no?, zero fruits. *sigh* Try as I might, as far as my ratios went, they didn't fit. But I'll look on the brighter side, as always, it's only recently I've been on fruit kick. They?ll come back soon and @ least I'm getting veggies.

39% of my nutrients coming from protein means I'm eating aprox 151gms. And w/o really trying I managed to get my carb gms to come in around 185, including fiber.

Saving the best news for last: I'm back to eating every 2? - 3 hours, Lean Cuisine is back and I could splurge a little, nutrient wise, and get the classic meals (those are the ones I like the most), and most importantly, Fiber one makes a comeback. Lord do I need it. *ahem*. My fiber grams are now in the high 20's.

Availabilty
Most of the broccoli sold in the U.S. is grown in California, and it has become one of the few vegetables that are available year-round. It is most abundant though from October through May.

How to Select & Store:
Broccoli should have a fresh smell, a bright green color, and firm, tender stalks. Avoid broccoli with yellowing leaves or flower buds, limp stalks or wilting heads, a pungent odor, or stalks that are thick and woody.

Store broccoli unwashed in a perforated plastic bag in the vegetable crisper. It should be used within a few days of purchase.

Availabilty
Celery is available all year long.

How to Select & Store:
Celery can be found in the produce section of health food stores and supermarkets. Choose firm, tightly formed bunches with crisp, green leaves. Store celery in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Availabilty
Brussels sprouts are available from late August through March.

How to Select:
Brussels sprouts can be found in the produce section of most health food stores, specialty markets, and supermarkets. Look for small, compact sprouts with bright green leaves free of blemishes and yellowing. Store them tightly wrapped in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Okay last week, week 1 of the 3 week @rse kickin' challenge, I had some food goals, but purposely let my calories & overall percentage veer on the high side.

I can't do...actually I take that back. I can do it all in one shot. However, experience has taught me that when I do, I end up feeling deprived and overwhelmed, ultimately doing myself in and then feeling guilty and weak.

So I chip away @ things.

Knowing I wouldn't have my free meal on Saturday, when I went shopping last week I bought the more yummier Lean Cuisine meals. Not the rich tasting fried and gravy laden Stouffers. Didn't even look @ them. Ok I glanced at them, then shot them dirty looks.

Instead I got the Everyday Favorites. All of which caused my calories to hover in the 1900's, which isn't too bad, but my carbs were in the high 50's - low 60's percentiles. Room for improvement.

So now that the indulgence is out of my system & my emotional side has learned, yes I can live w/o a free meal, this week I scaled down to the Cafe Classics that scream, in a big yellow bold serif font, right on the front of the box: Counting Carbs?

Subtle, real subtle.

Anyhoo, to coddle my inner child I got 1 meal that was decadent, Chicken Enchilada Suiza with Mexican-Style Rice and had it yesterday. Looking ahead, this week my calories will hover in the 1500-1600 range and mercifully my carb % will hit the mid 50's.

What also shot the carbs up was the fact that I was eating deliciously carby corn. This week it's all about the spinach, carrots & brussel sprouts. Oh joy!

That's why I don't pay too much attention to carbs. W/the exception of the frozen dinner I know what I ate to contribute to the grams was high fiber cereal, fresh fruit & frozen veggies. Now, if I was eating 300 grams soley from fast food and the vending machine, it'll be time to put my inner child on a strict workout routine and modified eating plan.

Waitaminute...Isn't that what I'm doing now? Durn that inner child for getting me into this.

Availabilty
Nectarines are available from May through October.

How to Select:
Look for nectarines that are fragrant and yield slightly to gentle pressure with your fingers. Avoid fruit that is green or hard.

Ripen nectarines on your kitchen counter or in a paper bag overnight. The fruit can be refrigerated for up to five days.

How to Use:
Nectarines can be eaten fresh as is, with sugar and cream or used as a substitute in any recipe that calls for peaches including ice cream, pies, jam and mixed fruit.

Nutritional Information
• Nectarine (2 ½ inches diameter), 1 fruit (raw)
• Calories: 67
• Protein: 1.32g
• Carbohydrate: 16g
• Total Fat: 0.63g
• Fiber: 2.2g
• Excellent source of: Vitamin A (1,000 IU)
• Good source of: Vitamin C (7.3mg)

Fun Facts
• The nectarine and the peach are so similar that there is only one gene that separates the two to make them distinct. The nectarine has one recessive gene ... the one with the fuzz. Many people prefer them for this reason.
• Nectarines take their name from the drink of the Olympic gods called "nektar."
• There are several varieties, both clingstone and freestone that vary in color from half red to full red to maroon. The color does not indicate the degree of ripeness, just the variety.
• Nectarines, like peaches, are not fully ripe when they arrive in the grocery store. Refrigeration stops the ripening process.
• Nectarines can be used in the same ways as peaches, except if someone peels a peach because they object to eating the fuzz, they do not need to peel a nectarine. The skins can also be left on when making pies, cobblers and fresh fruit salads, etc.

[sources: 1, 2, 3]

This has really become my favorite fruit. I like the fact that parts of it can be both crunchy and soft. I'm so glad I missed eating it as my PM fruit two days this week. I got blindsided by bad plums (too soft, not sweet & turning bad) so I was able to stretch out my fruit w/o even trying.

I don't remember the last time I had a nectarine and it's pretty safe to say I never bought on. I first got them the Sunday before I got sick. Since I was unable to eat them, they stayed in the fridge till the following week.

When I finally got to eat them they were so YUMMY! They were all a combination of being crunchy like a plum and soft like a peach. Since I've been plowing thru them this week, I haven't had a chance to see if they'll eventually turn semi-soft again. I don't know if the extra week did the trick or they were like that when I bought them.

It actually confused me, b/c it was the size of an apple, the look of a peach and the crunch of a plum. I thought I stumbled into a cosmic warp @ Publix that Sunday, stuck my hand into an alternate universe and lucked out w/this mystical fruit.

Nope. Same fruit was there this week.

I don't think I've ever broken down my way of eating. It's prolly a good idea to make note of it for future reference. Keep in mind I don't follow any one diet. While I do eat NutriSystem I also modify it.

The system I came up w/works for me right now b/c it matches my lifestyle, it suits my finicky tendencies & after attempting to find a better way, after countless trials and errors, I have finally settled on a system I can live with.

Take it w/a grain of salt. It's not meant to tell anyone else how to eat, consult your own doctor. It's not meant to be picked apart and told what I'm eating is wrong and why. It took me a long time to craft this plan and a lot of research went into it. It's a hodge podge of ideas & facts that struck a chord in me and further personalized for my use.

Availabilty
Tomatoes are available all year, and are especially plentiful in the months of May, June and July.

How to Select:
Tomatoes should be firm, smooth and have rich color. They should also weigh in proportion to their size.

Store tomatoes on your counter top in a brown paper bag, where they will continue to ripen. Do not place in the refrigerator or in direct sunlight.

How to Use:
Tomatoes can be eaten simply sliced, with balsamic vinegar and olive oil or in a salad. They can also be hollowed out and stuffed with tuna, chicken or seafood salads. Diced tomatoes can be tossed with olive oil and herbs for bruschetta, or they can be added to salsa or guacamole. Chopped tomatoes can be used in sauces, soups and stews.

Nutritional Information
• Tomato, 1 medium whole (raw, ripe)
• Calories: 26
• Protein: 1.04g
• Carbohydrate: 5.7g
• Total Fat: 0.406g
• Fiber: 1.35g
• Excellent source of: Vitamin C (23.5mg)
• Good source of: Vitamin A (766 IU)

Fun Fact
• The tomato is by definition a fruit, although its lack of sweetness puts it in the vegetable camp for most eaters.
• Early American colonists thought the tomato was poisonous because the plant is related to the deadly nightshade plant.
• In Italy, the tomato is thought to be an aphrodisiac, and is known as the "love apple."

[sources: 1, 2, 3]

This post is partially dedicated to Jodi, who hates tomatoes ::

Sometimes I use the brainwashing technique of commercials to my advantage. Unlike Rebecca who succumbed to the lulling of the Burger King commercial for the Tendercrisp Bacon Cheddar Ranch sandwich after being hypnotized by it days earlier. Wimp Kidding

For weeks I'd been hearing commercials for a tomato vitamin. I can't even remember the name of the product. I just kept hearing a harried woman w/a nasaly voice whine, "5 tomatoes every day?" as the pitchman explained how it would be impossible to eat enough tomatoes and you must must must buy their vitamin.

Out of spite I started buying real tomatoes w/the plan to eat one a day like an apple. Some days I missed and fugghedabout the weekends.

But this week I've been pretty consistent. I've taken a plum tomato, cut it in chunks and added it to my frozen dinner. It made the red pasta sauces especially chunky & zesty. Two things no new fangled tomato pill can even pretend to do. Take that you fake tomatoes! Or shall I call you, fakematoes.

Oscar Sunday, posting two categories in one so I can get ready for the ceremony in 10 hours!! .

Food
They should name a path after me @ Publix. I take the same route every Sunday.

Right to produce: pick up apples, tangerine, fruit of the week, wraps, soy milk (chocolate this week) & plum tomatoes.

Make left, walk along dairy wall: stop for LF yogurt, cc, milk, & cheese.

If necessary, double back: get cereal & peanut butter.

Continue along dairy wall: quick left for nuts & raisins.

Go str8 for 2 more aisles: make left down frozen food lane, bundle up warmly and gather broccoli, spinach & veggie of the week.

Final left, then right: proceed to check out.

Give obligatory head nod when cashier/bagger comments (again) "Oh my, look how healthy you eat"

Add 6-8 bags to cart & head to car.

In, out & back home w/in 40 mins.

A few weeks ago I mentioned wanting to do a 40/30/30 proportions, but looking @ how I've been eating I'm going to stick w/what I've naturally been doing 50/25/25. When I forced getting in extra protein just for the sake of reaching 30% eating wasn't enjoyable.

Since then, I've done some reading. Based on what I've found, 50-60% carbs @ the beginning when trying to lose excess bodyfat is ideal. When I get all buffed up, I'll be more diligent about protein. For where I'm @ now and what I'm trying to do, I'm doing fine.

So now that I'm no longer sweating the proportions, I've been working to include more fruits & veggies by trying to get in 2 of each as a base and then an extra one as a bonus.

This week apples & tangerine are my base, plums/nectarines are the bonus. Same w/veggies. Broccoli and spinach are the base, tomato is the bonus

I've also been paying attention to fat. Right now I get that from nuts & natural peanut butter, this week I've added seeds to the lineup.

When I get to the point where I make food the priority, right now exercise is, I'll start to pick healthier fats and vary up the fruits and veggies more. For now thru the end of June, I'm just touching on food, tweaking it here and there from week to week and reading up on nutrition in general. I may even start making the free meal every other week. But for now, let's just keep that li'l secret on the hush hush from my tummy

Workouts
All weights & cardio stays the same this week. Couch to 5k increases as normal.

Towards the end of last week the increases in the last 30 mins of cardio wasn't as painful as last week. Still NOT FUN by a long shot, but I'll stay @ this level for two more weeks. @ that point I'll be bumping up the reps on Power 90 Sculpt Level 3/4.

As for weights, by Friday the 8lbers started feeling more comfortable. Either I had a burst of energy or I'm getting better @ pushups. I'm just about nailing them. I was going to increase squats this week, but for the last few weeks I've been increasing here and there and since nothing else is going up it'll be easier for me to keep track of all increases when I do them @ the same time.

So same reps: 12 for the upper, 15 for the lower, max pushups will be 15, max squats 45, 20 reps for all abs moves. Do that for 2 solid weeks and then I'll increase reps for the final 3 weeks of this workout routine.

Lastly Couch to 5k. This week is I have a 25 min run. Today I got so into it I ran an extra minute. That would have NOT happened during the first week. For one, I watched the clock like a hawk, not @ all eager to run one second longer than necessary.

Today was 5 & 8 min run w/3 min walks in between. I worked to keep a steady stride, and that's where I just zoned out and next thing I know I clocked an extra minute. Which was pretty cool.

Ok, t-minus 9? hours to Oscar. Go Jamie, Hillary, Morgan, Cate & Million Dollar Baby!
(my picks for actor/actress, supporting actor/actress & movie)

Availabilty
Plums are available all year.

Tip
To peel plums, dip in boiling water for 30 seconds, then lift out with a slotted spoon and cool in cold water. Slip off skins.

How to Select and Store
Choose plump fruit that is not excessively soft. Select plums that yield to gentle pressure.

Plums can be ripened by placing them in a paper bag, closing it loosely, and leaving it on the counter for a few days. Once the fruit is ripe, it should be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days.

History
Plums have been growing wild virtually all over the world for many centuries. Until the late 1800s, the only plums in North America were native to this continent and were gathered and eaten by people for generations. Later, European and Japanese varieties were introduced to the Americas. Today there are many varieties available, and plums are used fresh, frozen, canned, or preserved in jams and jellies.

Nutritional Information
Plum, 1 fruit (raw)
Calories: 36
Protein: 0.52g
Carbohydrate: 8.6g
Total Fat: 0.41g
Fiber: 1.0g
*Good source of: Vitamin C (6.2mg)

Fun Facts
• All prunes are originally plums, but not all types of plums can be used to make prunes.
• Plums are very difficult to grow. They are very tough to pollinate and farmers often have to resort to importing bees into the orchard and spraying a solution of sugar and water on the trees to attract them.

[sources: 1, 2, 3]

This was my fruit of choice last week & two weeks before that. I may be getting better @ picking fruit in general b/c all of them were just how I liked them. CRUNCHY!

I loathe squishy soft plums. They mush around in my mouth. Give me plums w/a crunch and tart enough to make my mouth water.

Must pick up plums for next week. Mmmmmmm plumssssss....

Availabilty
Strawberries are available all year, and are especially plentiful from April through October.

Tip
Strawberries can be used in a wide array of dishes, including fruit, vegetable or meat salads; drinks, shakes and smoothies; or as a garnish. Strawberries are great for any meal and make a terrific appetizer.

How to Select and Store
Strawberries should be bright red and plump with a healthy shine. The cap on top should be fresh and green. Avoid strawberries that are green or white.

Refrigerate. Wash just before using.

Goes well with everything
Breakfast: Try making Fruit N Juice Breakfast Shake. Also try adding sliced strawberries to cereal, top pancakes and waffles with fresh strawberries, make a breakfast parfait with non-fat yogurt, cereal and strawberries, or a breakfast blender shake with non-fat milk and yogurt.
Lunch and Dinner: add strawberries to a fruit or vegetable salad, make a strawberry salsa to accompany fish and chicken dishes, use strawberries to accompany chicken and tuna salads.
Snacks: add strawberries to low-fat yogurt or on top of frozen yogurt, make fruit kabobs, or a strawberry shake.
Dessert: use strawberries as a topping on angel food cake, make a strawberry sauce for fruit or sorbet desserts, use long stemmed strawberries for dipping in a low-fat chocolate sauce. Right, we can't forget about strawberry shortcake, just add lots of berries and go easy on the cake and cream!

Nutritional Information
Serving Size: 8 medium
Calories: 45
Fat: 0g
Carbohdrates: 12g
Fiber: 4g
Sugars: 8g
Protein: 1g
Vitamin A: 0%
Vitamin C: 160%
Calcium: 2%
Iron: 4%

Fun Facts
• Strawberries are the only fruit with seeds on the outside.
• The average strawberry has 200 seeds.
• The ancient Romans believed that strawberries alleviated symptoms of melancholy, fainting, all inflammations, fevers, throat infections, kidney stones, bad breath, attacks of gout, and diseases of the blood, liver and spleen.
• Strawberries are the first fruit to ripen in the spring.
• Strawberries are a member of the rose family.
• Ninety-four percent of U.S. households consume strawberries.
• Americans eat 3.4 pounds of fresh strawberries each year plus another 1.8 pounds frozen per capita.
• Over 53 percent of seven to nine-year-olds picked strawberries as their favorite fruit.
[sources: 1, 2, 3]

Due to Valentines day, this was a great week to indulge in strawberries. There were huge crates of them @ the front of the entrance to Publix on Sunday. Of course they coupled them with scooped out cake, whipped cream and other ingredients for strawberry shortcakes.

I never have much luck w/this fruit. I don't ever eat them fast enough and they've never really done it for me. But since I wanted variety, craved berries & the blackberries & raspberries were too expensive ($5 a pop), I settled for them.

I did good pretty good. I've had 5 every day and now have 3 huge ones left for tomorrow. I didn't have the patience to slice and add them to cereal so I've been eating them when I'm done. The first two days I didn't like them too much. They needed sugar.

Last year I discovered Splenda and it made the strawberries taste like candy. Driving to work one morning I heard a woman say that people douse their fruits w/so much other stuff they don't get a chance to taste the natural sweetness. So this week I was determined to really taste strawberries. By yesterday I started liking them more and now appreciate it for both the sweetness and tartness.

Availabilty
Though some varieties are in the store only at certain times of the year, many apples are available all year.

Tip
To prevent cut-apple slices from turning brown, sprinkle them with ¼ cup apple juice mixed in one cup water.

How to Select and Store
Select smooth, clean-skinned apples that are uniform in color. Avoid apples with bruised or broken skin. Apples should be firm to the touch and have good color for the variety.

Store at room temperature or in the crisper bin in your refrigerator, away from other fruits and vegetables. Apples stored this way will stay fresh for up to six weeks.

Nutritional Information
• Serving Size: 1 medium
• Calories: 72
• Fat: 0g
• Carbohdrates: 19g
• Fiber: 3g
• Sugars: 14g
• Protein: 0g
• Vitamin A: 1%
• Vitamin C: 8%
• Calcium: 1%
• Iron: 1%

Fun Facts
• Apples are a member of the rose family.
• Washington state grows the most apples in the U.S.
• The apples from one tree can fill 20 boxes every year.
• Fresh apples float because 25 percent of their volume is air.
• In the winter, apple trees need to "rest" for about 900-1,000 hours below 45 degrees Fahrenheit in order to flower and fruit properly.
• If you grew 100 apple trees from the seeds of one tree, they would all be different.
• Apples are high in fiber.
• There are more than 7,000 varieties of apples grown in the world.

[sources: 1, 2]

I was going to mention my own apple follies, but after this mornings long windedness, I'm mentally pooped

Doh!

The last few days I've been brainstorming on two things: getting more protein & a eating moderate post-afternoon workout snack. Survey sez:

Soy Milk & Tofu.

Ding. Ding. Ding!

In the AM I have yogurt but in the PM I've been twidling my thumbs. But then I remembered Vanilla Soy Milk my ole buddy, ole palsie walsie from last year. Next week I'm going to start back drinking it & eating Tofu.

Most guidelines I've come across have said 1gm of protein is needed for every lb of lean muscle. For me that means I need about 116gms. The past few days I've gotten in around 95-100, not too bad. The tofu & soy milk should just about put me over the edge and push me that much closer to the holy grail: 40/30/30.

Availabilty
The tangerine season peaks November through January.

Fun Facts
• Tangerines are named after the city of Tangiers in Morocco.
• Florida is the major U.S. producer of tangerines, growing 5 different varieties.
• A small tangerine has more usable Vitamin C than a large orange.

How to Select and Store
Choose richly colored tangerines and expect skin that feels loose on the fruit. Choose firm, plump tangerines that feel heavy for their size for maximum juiciness.

These often small fruits are best when freshest, but may be stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Nutritional Information
• Serving Size: 1 medium
• Calories: 50
• Fat: 0.5g
• Carbohdrates: 15g
• Fiber: 3g
• Sugars: 12g
• Protein: 1g
• Vitamin A: 0%
• Vitamin C: 50%
• Calcium: 4%
• Iron: 0%

More Tangeriney Goodness
Tangerines are high in antioxidant Vitamin C, which helps prevent cancer and boosts the immune system. They also contain folate, beta-carotene, and Vitamins B1, 2, and 3. Tangerines are high in fiber, but easier to digest than oranges for many people. Citrus fruits are an excellent protective food choice in winter, when risk of infection is high.

[sources: 1, 2]

It has finally dawned on me why some fruits help suppress the appetite. It's hella hard to scarf down a tangerine. For one it takes too frickin long to peel it, and then you can't just swallow w/o ending up with a stomach full of seeds (please let them be gone by now).

Last week I kept them in the fridge. A friend of mine hipped me about putting grapes in the freezer. Next time I pick up some tangerines I'll pre-peel them and see if the freezer turns them into fruity candies like the grapes.

I've been eating cottage cheese for a couple of months and went from loathing to it's aiiiight. Nothing spectacular. I'd sprinkle sugar and cinnamon on it to cut the taste but one day put way to much cinnamon, who knew it cinnamon could taste bitter, and promptly ruined my taste buds for that combo. Then to eat it quickly, I'd scoop really big heaps into my mouth, which made it less appetizing.

I'm not sure what sparked this idea, but when I went grocery shopping I made a mental note to add it to my lunch this week. Literally. Not have it w/lunch, but to mix it all in.

The first experiment was on Monday when I had Lean Cuisine Chicken Parmesan. Not bad, but I really don't like white meat and I don't think I prepped it properly.

Yesterday I had it with Lean Cuisine Chicken Enchilada Suiza with Mexican-Style Rice and OH. MY. GAWD. That was the BEST lunch I've had in a long time. I was still stuffed by dinner time. This time I let the meal completely cook. Then I added the cottage cheese and nuked it for another minute so the it melted slighty. Bingo!

That made me super excited about today's meal. Normally, like picking yogurt, I like to be surprised by my lunch choice. I stick my hand in the fridge and pull out the first box I touch. Not today. Today I wanted more yumminess. I had plans.

I purposely picked the Lean Cuisine Spaghetti with Meatballs, a slice of Mozzarella, a slice of wheat bread and a tomato. I am going to town today.

Tomorrow? Lasagna with Meat Sauce Be still my heart.

Since I don't cook (evidenced by my NutriSystem dependence) I have no recipes to share. But I can spotlight a healthy snack I munched on earlier in the week. Who knows, it may inspire someone's grocery shopping over the weekend.

Availabilty
Peaches are available all year.

Facts
• Fat-free
• Saturated fat-free
• Sodium-free
• Cholesterol-free
• High in vitamin A
• A good source of vitamin C
• Peaches are the third most popular fruit grown in America.

How to Select and Store
The popular red blush on peaches may not always be a true sign of maturity. Choose peaches that have a yellow or creamy background, and that are fragrant, unblemished and not too hard. Because fresh peaches are highly perishable, don't buy more than you plan to use. Even when unripe, peaches spoil easily.

When peaches are ripe, it's best to eat them right away. If ripe peaches need to be stored, they can be placed in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days. Peaches that need to be ripened can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Peaches taste best when they're eaten at room temperature. So remember to take peaches out of the refrigerator one hour before eating. That way you'll really enjoy their sweet and juicy flavor!

Nutritional Information
Serving Size: 1 medium
Calories: 40
Fat: 0
Carbohydrates: 10g
Fiber: 2g
Sugars: 9g
Protein: 1g
Vitamin A: 2%
Vitamin C: 0%
Calcium: 10%
Iron: 0%

Fun and Easy Ways to Eat
• Add sliced peaches to cereal
• Top waffles and pancakes with peaches
• Make a breakfast parfait by layering peaches, low fat yogurt and crunchy cereal in a tall glass
• Mix peaches with low fat cottage cheese or yogurt
• Make a fruit salad with peaches, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and bananas for a delicious fruity dessert
• Make a peach smoothie or shake by mixing peaches in a blender with bananas, 100% juice, and ice
• Bake, broil, or saute peach slices along with chicken
• Grill peach halves with barbecued chicken
• Add slices to frozen low fat yogurt or angel food cake for a sweet and refreshing dessert
• Pack a fresh peach for a snack or lunch

[sources: 1, 2]

My fruit choices are usually banana or apple. I saw something about peaches last week and that made me buy them. Hard to believe it was just lask week. I've only lived in GA for a few years where I see peaches on the license plates EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.

But I digress.

I'm always scared to buy peaches and plums. They are so fragile and I never get good ones. They are either too ripe or extremely under ripe. Sure I "pretend" I know what the hell I'm doing when I'm in the produce aisle. Touching them, clueless as to what it should feel like. Inspecting them, mainly looking for bug bites, and then finally picking them. How much is a pound? Sheesh I better get the small greenish ones with all the bruises.

But this week I did a good job. I got 4 peaches, and just finished the last one yesterday. I kept them in the fridge and after dinner they were a nice treat. Cold, firm & juicy. DEEEE-LISH!

So how do you eat your peaches?

Hey all you resolutioners...Make this your resolution for 2005 instead: Don't Get a Diet ... Get a Life.

And all this time I've been a big NutriSystem cheerleader.

A review of 10 of the nation's most popular weight-loss programs found that except for Weight Watchers, none of them offer proof that they actually work at helping people shed pounds and keep them off. Only Weight Watchers had strong documentation that it worked - with one study showing that participants lost around 5 percent (about 10 pounds) of their initial weight in six months and kept off about half of it two years later.

I've always had a brain fog when it comes to Weight Watchers. Could never grasp the points concept. But that was in my health ignorant years. I took a look at it over the summer and it seemed a bit clearer. Still I'm a no fuss no muss kinda gal and prepackaged eats from NutriSystem just does it for me.

Hospital ponders cutting out junk food

Uh...waitaminute? Junk food in hospitals? Isn't that an oxymoron?