Friday is for tying up loose ends...

First, I know many read my blog for weight loss strategies seeing that I spent ten years of my life practicing as a weight loss physician. That being said I HAVE to visit last night's Jersey Shore reunion show. You can watch the entire show here. First, can we get out of the way that although I adore Pauly D. (CAAAABS AH HEEYYYAAAAAA) and his Rhode Island accent, he looked as though he had slept in a tub of sunless tanner. He looked awesome in the blue button down. He has a heck of a tailor, as the shirt was a perfect fit. The Situation, aka the SNITCHuation, appeared white as a ghost in comparrison. He denied being the 'snitch' but indeed, he was during this season in Seaside. I enjoyed the Deena discussion. She is hilarious, and can laugh at herself. A good addition to the cast. I can't believe I'm reviewing this with any degree of seriousness. She may need to read my blog, as she looked a bit hefty onscreen, but her hair looked good, if that means anything to you. I'm guessing not. Okay, I'm glad that Ronnie & Sami are still broken up. That was a hot mess, start to finish.

 So do any of you have a Spring Bucket List? Not so much a bucket list per se, more of a Spring Goal List. I think committing to an entire Spring Goal List is too much. So I will bite off my April Goal List.

1) Make Kimmie's authentic bolognese sauce....like the real kind, with actual ingredients like beef, cream, etc...which I really never ever do.

2) Purchase a GPS of my own so I can track my own workouts.

3) Commit to regular speed training and hill repeats. I'm looking to get my 5K to 22 minutes, and without a good amount of speed work, it won't get done.

4) Truly commit to my tee shirt quilt. Take the squares I've cut and actually begin the process fully.

 

5) Learn my embroidery machine (supposed to pick it up on Tuesday and have a lesson to learn the basics).

6) Stick to my four day per week cooking plan with better advance planning, and then consider expanding to five days per week religiously.

7) Do my physical therapy exercises at least three days per week.

8) Re-organize my sewing area, and create an are of non-perishable food storage area.

9) Finish clearing out my photo studio and create a space for props, etc. This will enable me to move out some of the clutter, and find places for all the things I need, at my fingertips.

10) Continue working on my office, so the files are better maintained.

I will start with my top ten, and see how that goes. Before signing off I want to discuss a weight loss topic. Parties. It's the season for eating out, open houses and parties...then it will be BBQ season. In order not to fall victim to the entertaining weight-gain, we have to plan in advance. My general rule of thumb, don't eat much at parties. NEVER go starving and don't starve yourself and think "I'll save all my calories for the party." It doesn't work because if you starve yourself during the day, your ability to get the feedback in your central nervous system (telling your brain you are full) will be complete out of whack (out of whack is the medical term). So parties. What do I do? I refuse to get sucked in. I do not eat any carb-centered foods. No mini-quiche, no pigs in blankets, no foccaccia and no sliders. Might I eat the sliced turkey? YES! Might I eat the crudite? ALWAYS. I adore fresh veggies like cauliflower, green beans and brocoli. I never use dip. Never. Dips are all fat, all bad. I can eat fresh veggies all day. What else might I eat at a party? Well this past week at a party I had shrimp cocktail (great diet-friendly food), oysters from the raw bar and turkey. I left the pigs in blanket, dessert, mini quiche, sliced roast beef on bread, etc. Lots and lots of calories are hidden in those passed hor d'oeuvres, and you can just keep eating them and eating them. I realize each person has to find their own comfort zone. But avoid the party pitfalls by minimizing the refined carbs and eating more of the meats and veggies. If you do this a few times, and realize you don't fall apart doing it, you will gain confidence. Then you can add a glass of wine (no non-diet cocktails though). I do advise diet tonic water if you like gin and tonics or vodka tonics...you can not tell the difference w/ a hefty amt of lime juice! You can also get diet cranberry juice for the skinny cosmos. Anyway, alcohol is metabolized like a fat, so don't load your drink with carbs. I'd suggest a nice red...just sayin'.

I want to compile a list of diet-friendly foods...ones that do not create more cravings than they satisfy. I have heard from several readers that the setting of standards or rules for consumption have worked for them, and that post was a game-changer. I'm going to discuss personal choice tomorrow....since in my humble opinion, that was my OWN game changer years and years ago. Having the power to make choices, rather than be a slave to cravings is a beautiful thing...and I truly believe each and every one of you is capble of it. Have a wonderful evening, and enjoy the process.

xoxo

Comments

[Bette Boop]

the advice you gave on eating at parties was just what I needed, since that is my downfall. I have been a "slave to cravings." I have found that the carbos, as you said, are the worse for me and now I am getting back to my equilibrium weight by lowering them.

thank you "Paine Webber"

Boop

[Boop]

The quilt is amazing. The black background is a perfect foil for the squares of t-shirts. The quilting makes them look perfect as a quilt square!

[Em]

I'm obsessed with Jersey Shore. The reunion was fun, but the interviewer was boring. :) Thanks for the party tips. My downfall is evening snacking. I'm good all day, and then the couch seems to have magical powers that make me hungry!

[Teencie]

I always love your lists, they are always motivating for me to make my own lists too. I really want my #1 priority to be getting back to my blog-- I've almost gone an entire year away from it. Yikes! Pathetic