Avoid Holiday Weight Gain

This is a tricky time of year for those on a weight loss or eating plan. You want to be social and attend holiday gatherings yet it is these very gatherings that are full of high calorie nightmares for a dieter. Today I had not one, not two, but THREE office holiday parties to attend. This blog is a little low on photos due to not wanting to photograph my workplace for safety and privacy issues but can still serve as a “how I am surviving the holidays on a diet”.

This morning my office had our annual breakfast where the supervisors bring and serve breakfast to the staff. I think this is a really cute tradition and I always enjoy attending. However, as with most holiday gatherings, it was a carbohydrate overload. There was table after table filled with donuts, breads, pies, bagels, mini donuts, strudels, etc (you get the idea). After a quick survey of the tables I knew there was nothing I could safely eat other than fruit so that is what I did. I had strawberries, pineapple, grapes, and apple slices. I still had fun visiting with everyone and even grabbed a sugar free non-fat vanilla latte on my way back to the office. (Party One: Survived!)

I went immediately from this breakfast to a smaller holiday party in my building. It was just a coincidence that they fell on the same day.
This party would be a little more tricky since in addition to the carbohydrate fest there were also other foods that I knew I would want to sample. As I walked in I spied pepperoni rolls, cheeses (a weakness for me), dips, cookies, and tons of other goodies. Since I knew I had a third party coming up, I simply avoided the food table. After I found my spot I sat, socialized, and did not take a bite of the food. It was only an hour until lunch and I knew we were going to one of my favorite places. Luckily I have some pretty understanding co-workers so no one was weird about it or asked why I was not eating.  I drank a ton of water and had a good time (Party Two: Survived!).

Lastly, I attended an unofficial retirement celebration for one of my favorite people in my department. Here is a picture of the team (minus myself) at Isabellas Italian Restaurant In Lynchburg. Aren’t they an adorable bunch?

As I have mentioned before Isabellas is one of my favorite spots. Since I had been so mindful of my caloric intake for the day I was ready for a full lunch. I ordered today’s special -A mixed green salad with strawberries, feta, sliced almonds, and a balsamic vinaigrette with sliced grilled chicken on top. I coupled that with a small side of pasta salad for a perfect lunch! This was such a pretty salad (and it tasted amazing as well!) (Party 3- Survived).

Through planning, mindfulness, and a little good old fashioned self-control you can avoid packing on those holiday pounds. I am not saying avoid all holiday indulgences, but rather choose wisely. Making smart choices will ultimately be easier than re-losing those extra pounds after the holidays! I figure I have enough to lose as it is and shouldn’t add to it if at all possible! Here is to a happy and healthy holiday!

Read Full Post »

Where Did the Weekend Go?

I took a couple of unintentional days off from the blog (a hotel without wireless these days? Really!?!?!). However, the hubs and I are back in town after a really fun weekend getaway to Williamsburg, VA. I am beyond sleepy tonight but check back tomorrow for a weekend recap, a Sara Shops segment, and a fitness update! In the mean time in between time (yeah thats right I just busted out a “The Party” album title from back when.  Bonus points to anyone else who even remembers “The Party”. I was a HUGE New Mickey Mouse Club fan back at the tender age of 12). Anywho, in the mean time- here are a few sneak peak photos.  Enjoy that hour left of the weekend!!

 

Read Full Post »

Tis the Season…Well Almost

I am a huge fan of this time of year. I love all of the decorations (even if they are out way too soon), hot chocolates on cold days, and general happiness that comes with the holiday season. No matter what your religion, there is something lovely about winter and the holiday season in general. One of the things I adore is Christmas shopping for others (and myself, who am I kidding) on a gorgeous fall/winter day. I could not have asked for a more perfect setting for my date with the hubs this weekend.

Saturday morning we were up bright and early for a trip to Short Pump shopping center in Richmond, VA. After a quick breakfast of Eggs in a Nest we packed up the hubs SUV and headed on our way.

Although the drive was around two hours we could not have asked for a more gorgeous day. The sky was a perfect blue and we spent the drive chatting and singing along to old songs on the radio. It was possibly the shortest two hour drive ever.

When we arrived, we made a quick stop at The Cheesecake Factory for lunch. We only eat here once or twice a year due to the insane calorie content of the food. However, Saturday is my flex day so the extra calories were planned for. I ordered a lunch portion of the crusted chicken ramano of which I ate about half. The star of the meal was of course the slice of white chocolate raspberry cheesecake I split with the hubs.

The hubs and I spent a great day walking around, snapping photos, and shopping (read more in my first ever upcoming Sara Shops segment). We even took a little break in the afternoon to see the new Harry Potter movie. Anyone else out there LOVE Harry Potter as much as we do?? I was pretty much completely excited to see this movie and *no spoilers* it definitely did not disappoint. After we got our Potter fix it was back to shopping. There was plenty of ground to cover since this outdoor “mall” is two floors and gigantic.

We ended a great day with vanilla lattes, a revisit to some of the stores where I had passed up items earlier in the day, and of course a visit to the huge Christmas tree. The hubs and I are of different religions (perhaps a blog for another time) so it meant a lot to me that he came along for one of my favorite traditions. He also makes a fantastic guest photographer for the blog, don’t you think??

How do you like to kick off the holiday season?

Read Full Post »

The Great Pumpkin

Feeling a little inspired by this post about a visit to the orchard/pumpkin patch I started thinking about all of the ways pumpkins make fall just a little bit better. Besides just pumpkin pie or those killer pumpkin spice lattes from Starbucks the pumpkin is an iconic symbol of fall and the upcoming holidays. Here is a little look at the pumpkin takeover going on in my house right now.

Also, while canned pumpkin is yummy and fabulous to use year round it certainly gets more than it’s fair share of attention during the fall/holiday season. Here is one of my favorite pumpkin recipes I will be making soon for some easy grab and go breakfasts.

Pumpkin Breakfast “Cookies” (from Hungry Girl)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup regular oats (not instant)
6 tbsp. whole-wheat flour
1/4 cup Fiber One bran cereal (original), ground to a breadcrumb-like consistency in a blender or food processor
1/4 cup Splenda No Calorie Sweetener (granulated)
1/3 cup Gerber Peaches (or another brand of pureed peaches, found in the baby food aisle)
1/4 cup canned pure pumpkin
1/4 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute (like Egg Beaters Original)
1 tbsp. golden raisins
1 tbsp. Ocean Spray Craisins (original)
2 tbsp. brown sugar, not packed
2 tsp. Coffee-mate Sugar Free French Vanilla powdered creamer
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Chop raisins and Craisins into small pieces. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, combine the oats, flour, Fiber One crumbs, Splenda, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Mix well.

In a separate bowl, dissolve Coffee-mate into 2 tbsp. hot water. Add all other wet ingredients (pureed peaches, pumpkin, and egg substitute), and mix well.

Add liquid mixture to the dry ingredients, and stir until completely blended. Slowly sprinkle chopped raisins and Craisins into the batter, making sure they don’t all stick together.

Spray a large baking pan with nonstick spray, and spoon batter into 4 evenly spaced circles. Spread batter out a bit with the back of a spoon. Place pan in the oven for 12 – 14 minutes (until tops of the treats are just slightly crispy). Remove pan from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Then grab ‘n go!  MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Do you decorate for Halloween?

What is your favorite healthy pumpkin recipe?

** Also in honor of the pumpkin I have added some pumpkin spice coffee to my Open Sky Store**

Read Full Post »

How To Decorate the Perfect Fall Cake (when you have no clue how to decorate a cake)

I have many talents but decorating cakes is not one of them. Once upon a time one of my best pals, Liz attempted to get me to take a cake decorating course with her. Why I refused I will never know. Decorating cakes can be fun and simple. Here is how to decorate the perfect fall cake, with little effort.

1. Bake your cakes. I cheated with an organic cake mix. Do yourself the favor and buy one.  Basically it is just pre-measured dry ingredients. Be certain you let your cakes completely cool.

2. Make your icing (or bust out the pre-canned icing). I found tons of chocolate recipes online. I am not in love with this one so I will not post it. If you have a fab recipe for gooey chocolate icing I am all ears!!

3. Ice your cakes. Ice the middle first and place your second layer on top. Ice the sides and the top until you have nice full even coating.

4. Find a small candy that fits your theme. Think red and green M&Ms at Christmas, Snow Caps for winter, Conversation Hearts at Valentines, or Candy Corn at Halloween etc. Since this is a fall/Halloween cake I picked Recees Pieces.

5. Before your icing has time to set, stick the candy to the top or top and sides (depending on the candy) of the cake.  The end result is an adorably decorated cake with very little effort!

I will be serving this cute little cake at the hubs’ Halloween Horror Movie party tonight. A little bit of effort goes a long way in taking a plain cake to a festive holiday treat!

Read Full Post »

One (The Sequel)

Remember earlier in the summer when I went to celebrate the birthday of one of my best girlfriend’s baby? Today was part II as another great girlfriend had another sweet baby turning one.  After my weigh in and run this morning the hubs and I rushed around to get ready for the 2 hour drive up to Richmond. I decided this would be one of the last weeks I could get away with a really summery dress so I took full advantage! It seems like only yesterday I was buying this thing.

We packed up the car and headed on our way.

We arrived (fashionably early) to an Elmo Birthday Bash! Tiff and Robert had the house looking completely adorable all decked out in Elmo swag!

There was tons of food (and plenty of healthy options) though I was glad that Saturday is my “flex” day in terms of calories because there were tons of goodies too. I also tried a new cheese which was fabulous. It was a white cheese with cranberries. I’m not certain if it was a Stilton or Wensleydale but it was fab!

After lunch Tiff and Robert “helped” the baby open his mountain of gifts. There were lots of Elmo themed toys but the baby was most interested in a book. 🙂

After the Birthday boy finished inspecting all of his new loot everyone headed into the dining room for cake from Chandlers Bakery in Charlottesville, VA. This cake was amazing. It tasted more like fab wedding cake than Birthday cake.   Even better is that I planned for it so there was zero guilt in having a slice.

The Birthday Baby was not as pleased with the cake as I was. He refused all bites of cake (adamantly refused- heh) and opted for yogurt instead. Maybe he’ll be a healthy living blogger one day! 😉

It was great to share in the family’s special day. Tiff and Robert and have been in my life for so long. I was so thrilled to celebrate their sweet guy’s first Birthday!

After the party the hubs and I spent another two hours in the car chatting and made it back to Lynchburg. We had planned on another date night but nixed it in favor of a night at home.  Ever since our trip to Margaritaville I have been craving a BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger. Obviously the calories are out of control so we decided to recreate this meal with lean beef, center cut bacon, fat free mayo 1/2 tsp, BBQ sauce 1/2 tsp, 2% cheddar, lettuce, tomato, pickles, and onions sauteed in olive oil. We paired it with some organic shoe string potatoes. Fab! To see how the swap works out click HERE. The main difference tonight was the addition of sauteed onions, and larger wheat buns.

Have a Happy And Healthy Weekend!

Read Full Post »