CONFESSIONS OF A FAT GIRL

Nutrition via Chocolate? Mmmmm... Ok.

So you don't know this yet (and how could you), but as I'm wrapping up this year and trying to knock off my remaining "33 in 2012" goals, I am simultaneously planning for "34 in 2013."

Oh yes, I'm doing it again.

And one of my goals will be to take vitamins. I never ever do (maybe I did when I was little?) but I always think about my grandfather, who took them all his life, and up until the year of his passing, lived a supremely healthy and vital life. He credited vitamins for a lot of that and who am I to argue?

So when Adora asked me if I wanted to try their chocolate calcium supplements for my blog, my answer was hell-t0-the-yes. (I didn't really say that. If I'd said that, the PR rep woulda been like "Well, she's nuts -- let's send her the crazy pill chocolate supplements. Incidentally, I would like those if they exist.)

Sorry - a little rant for you there. 

The first thing I did was google "Why do we need calcium?" It's kind of a stupid question -- I only found out what most educated people know. Calcium is a mineral that fortifies your bones and teeth. Of course, what I didn't know? 99% of the calcium in your body is stored in bones and teeth. The remaining 1% is in your blood and soft tissues, and is essential for life and health. Without this 1% of calcium, your muscles wouldn’t contract correctly, your blood wouldn’t clot and your nerves wouldn’t carry messages. (source)

That sounds like some prettty important stuff.

So yes, bring me the chocolates with the calcium. Here's the skinny on Adora:

• High quality USP-grade calcium carbonate, vitamin D3, and magnesium
• Antioxidants from all-natural premium chocolate
• Only 30 calories to support weight loss goals
• A smooth, easy-to-digest consistency
• Gluten free and certified Kosher
• No artificial sweeteners
• totally affordable at $7.99 - $9.99

Two Adora tablets and you've gotten all the calcium your body needs in a day. True story.

AND, if you can believe it, they were quite the tasty treats! And to MY surprise, between the milk chocolate and dark chocolate, I liked the dark chocolate more (in all honesty, I usually hate dark chocolate).

So I endorse, recommend, approve, etc. And especially because they have an active online social presence. As all companies should.

Find Adora on Twitter  and Facebook.

Much thanks to them for sending these along. I thoroughly enjoyed them and feel even more motivated to viva la vitamins in 2013. 

 

Is it weird that I wanna try this?

From the talented blogger at: 

GREEN MONSTER SMOOTHIE... smooth, refreshing and FULL of vitamins and good-for-you fruits and veggies! The reason this one is brown instead of green (like the traditional green monster smoothie) is because of the added strawberries and blueberries- those colors together give you….brown.

What is a green monster smoothie, you ask? It’s basically just a fruit smoothie with the addition of fresh spinach (an addition you can’t taste, but your body will thank you for!). Spinach is high in calcium, vitamin A and iron, to name a small few. This smoothie is a great solution for people wanting to get their daily fill of fresh fruits and vegetables; it’s SO good for you...

The beauty in these smoothies is that you can use any fruit you like- bananas, strawberries, peaches, plums…whatever! They make a great breakfast or quick power lunch and keep you full and satisfied!

Green Monster Smoothie

1 banana, roughly chopped
4 or 5 strawberries
1/2 cup fresh blueberries
1 small peach, peeled and roughly chopped
1 heaping cup (or more) fresh spinach leaves, thoroughly rinsed
splash vanilla soy milk
1 tablespoon Greek yogurt
2 teaspoons honey
1/2 cup crushed ice

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Serve immediately.
This recipe makes a very large smoothie- two could easily share.

Source: http://www.singforyoursupperblog.com/2011/07/19/green-er-brown-ish-monster-smoothies/

@BistroMD - Day 7

Today was the final day of my BistroMD plan. My microwave will miss you, BistroMD.

 

You can't see it, bu my microwave is making a sad face.

 

Day 7 breakfast: "Jungle chicken" crepe with potatoes. I'm about 12 years old, I admit, because "jungle chicken" surely means it's going to jump up and do a tribal dance for me, no? 

I am a newfound fan of crepes for breakfast. I may learn to make my own (something to add to the "33 in 2012," perhaps?) so I can keep coming up with new meal ideas. The chicken was mixed with onions, artichokes (also something I just found out I liked last year), goat cheese and pesto sauce. This actually ALMOST beat my beloved french toast for best breakfast.

Lunchtime brought me chili!!! I love chili. With a side of pudding! It was like southern lunch. It was delicious. My mom would be jealous - she is also a chili lover. She would like this more than I did because it has beans in it, which she likes but I only tolerate. 

Dinner tonight was chicken stuffed with rice. On the side? Peas and carrots. This was my good-bye meal, I suppose. And I ate it slowly. The chicken was REALLY good. I liked it with the rice. 

As I said, my favorite breakfast was the french toast. It was pretty awesome. Favorite lunch was a tough call between the chicken sausage and the steakhouse wrap, but I'm giving it to the wrap. Not the side of spinach, mind you, but the wrap was my favorite main course.

 

That's a BIG WRAP!

 

Dinner is always my least favorite meal of the day. Not just in this program but always. Because at the end of the day, you're always tired and in no mood to prepare anything. You might not be that hungry but know if you don't eat something at dinnertime, hunger will torment you by bedtime. So I guess the biggest benefit from this whole week was that my dinners require mo thought nor preparation. 

My favorite dinner was the grilled chicken with orzo. Topped with goat cheese. There are two words in the english language that will always get me to eat something: GOAT. CHEESE. 

Did you notice there was no spinach in the day 7 menu? It's almost like they were giving me a good-bye present! 

I cannot thank BistroMD enough for sponsoring me in this little adventure. I've really enjoyed it. I felt so proud of myself all week and so pleased I was eating new foods. My "33 in 2012" is all about going outside of my comfort zone and I could think of no better way to start off the year than doing so with BistroMD. Their foods are "chef prepared, doctor approved" and it shows. They do not try to deceive you by advertising rapid, dramatic weight loss -- they approach it from a healthier perspective and while they assure you will shed pounds, they also promise it will not happen super fast, which is honest and true. For as little as $23/day, you can participate and that's a pretty rockin' price compared to some of the trendy mail-order diets out there. 

 

Of course, I'm sure the BIG question is, did I lose any weight this week?

In fact, I did. I lost 3.6 pounds. :) 

Here's to going outside of our comfort zones and being healthier, readers! Thanks again, BistroMD, giver of the spinach. ;) 

 

• Bistro MD Official Website: http://www.bistromd.com/
• Follow BistroMD on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Bistromd
• Like BistroMD on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BistroMD

 

@BistroMD - Days 5 and 6

I had this all written out, folks. It was POETRY, I tell you! And then I hit one little button by accident and POOF! Poetry gone. 

Seriously, that entry was a Pulitzer Prize worthy piece. You're just going to have to take my word for it.

So let me just TRY to write with that in mind, in hopes I can give you even an iota of the brilliance that poured forth before....

(So sue me, I'm melodramatic today. It's probably the caffeine I'm inhaling at present.) 

 

ANYWAY, day five's breakfast has been flirting with me since I opened the box of frozen meals. So even as soon as day 3, I was counting down. Maybe that's a little too indicative of how much I like food and carbs but oh well... But STUFFED FRENCH TOAST? It lived up to mu high expectations. I tore into it. 

And then I thought, maybe I should snap a pic? So pardon its disheveled nature. My apologies if this looks a tad unappetizing but just know it's only because it smelled SO GOOD I couldn't wait for a bite.

 

On the side there is my fave - the turkey sausage patty - and some sweet potatoes. I actually just tried sweet potatoes for the very first time this past Thanksgiving and they were QUITE delicious. Same goes here. Delish. Kudos, BistroMD, on my favorite breakfast yet. 

Speaking of Thanksgiving, day five's lunch was turkey with cranberry quinoa. Do YOU know what quinoa is? I didn't. I had to ask my all-knower, Wikipedia:

Quinoa ( /ˈkiːnwɑː/ or /kɨˈnoʊ.ə/, Spanish: quinua, from Quechua: kinwa), a species of goosefoot (Chenopodium), is a grain-like crop grown primarily for its edible seeds. It is a pseudocerealrather than a true cereal, or grain, as it is not a member of the grass family. As a chenopod, quinoa is closely related to species such as beets, spinach, and tumbleweeds.

Look at those sneaky devils getting more spinach in me! BLAST! 

Dinner? Well, I am always wary of microwaved fish. But the salmon was delicious. And it was served over red and yellow bell peppers. Which is most fortunate for me, who does not like green ones. And on the side? Yes, yes, SPINACH. 

I best be gettin' my grimace and pipe on soon...

 

 

And just when I was hoping for a reprieve... Day 6 breakfast: Spinach ricotta crepes. But chopped and mixed so nicely it was like breakfast ravioli as far as I'm concerned. The side of waldorf apples were the best part. They were warm and tasty. 

Lunch on Day 6 was another small and yummy taste of thanksgiving - turkey with a fruit chutney. 

I must say for the first time, I skipped one of the meals. Day 6 dinner was beef and broccoli. And I think the only cooked vegetable I hate more than spinach is broccoli. So I decided, since I've been a pretty good sport about eating spinach every day, to skip this meal. My roommate made homemade minstrone soup with chicken and veggies and it was DELICIOUS. And healthy. So I did not feel guilty. I'm sorry BistroMD - I guess you found my bottom line! 

Just call me George! 

"I do not like broccoli and I haven’t liked it since I was a little kid and my mother made me eat it. And I’m President of the United States and I’m not going to eat any more broccoli. Now look, this is the last statement I’m going to have on broccoli. There are truckloads of broccoli at this very minute descending on Washington. My family is divided. For the broccoli vote out there: Barbara loves broccoli. She has tried to make me eat it. She eats it all the time herself. So she can go out and meet the caravan of broccoli that’s coming in."

- President George H.W. Bush, March 1990

I am currently making my way through the final day of my BistroMD program and I'm a little sad. I've rather enjoyed the ease of having all my meals prepped and ordered and ready. I may consider spending money on it in the future and doing it for longer. And what's really amazed me is that I've felt very little need for snacking. It's all been pretty filling. 

• Bistro MD Official Website: http://www.bistromd.com/
• Follow BistroMD on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Bistromd
• Like BistroMD on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BistroMD

 

@BistroMD - Days 3 and 4

No really, BistroMD, what's up with their being spinach and mushroom in everything?! 

Here is the thing. If you sign up for BistroMD, whose program I am LOVING overall, you get to list out foods you like and don't like and request specific meals. But in my case, whereas I am just trying this courtesy of their profound generosity, I opted to not be picky. 

Hence, I am eating things I don't normally eat. All for you, my readers. Which I guess ties to #21 in the "33 in 2012" list anyway so I'll try to remind myself I am actually killing two birds with one stone, so to speak. 

You know, spinach, at least, is a diuretic (read: it makes you pee) so that's handy. Cause I don't pee enough. (That was sarcasm - I pee more often than a kindergartener.) 

So consequently, day three's meals presented a challenge for me. Because breakfast  was a chicken and mushroom crepe. The bechamel sauce on that made it totally edible for me, thankfully, Dare I say it was not bad at all. No sausage with this breakfast (I do really love that turkey sausage) but the cinammon apple compte was DELICIOUS. I almost licked the bowl. Coulda done without the craisins but I'll live. 

Lunch was cheese ravioli and green beans. I have no complaints. These are all foods I eat and enjoy and the portion was good for me. OMG, how did I JUST start eating green beans last year? They're delicious. And dinner was also all foods I like -- grilled chicken with goat cheese and veggie orzo. I love goat cheese. I love orzo. I loved this dinner. 

You'll NEVER guess what was in my day four omelet: SPINACH. (I know, right?! I was shocked, too.) I lost it. I picked it out. But I basically inhaled the rest of it because there were also peppers, fets, onions and black olives. I'm sure this was intended to be greek style. Whatever it was -- it was intended to be resting in my belly next to the yummy potato hash it came with. 

Later, my favorite lunch to date, a steak wrap with cheddar, onions and peppers joined it. Side of creamed spinach? Over it. I ate carrot sticks. LOL.

Dinner was pulled pork "Carolina style." I don't know what that means but I've never met a pork product I didn't like (I'm a bad, bad Jew. I know.) and this was no exception. I should take my mother's advice (she's totally reading this and smiling) and use barbecue sauce more often. It's better than ketchup and just as tasty. 

• Bistro MD Official Website: http://www.bistromd.com/
• Follow BistroMD on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Bistromd
• Like BistroMD on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BistroMD

P.S. I am totally writing this entry from Starbucks, miling the free WiFi as I do almost daily now. The addiction continues...