Thursday, June 24, 2010

Quick fix vs lifestlye

Yesterday morning while getting ready for work I had my t.v tuned to the Today Show. I happened to catch a segment they were doing on dieting and healthy lifestyles, and it couldn't have been more perfect. The segment was talking about how society gets so jazzed up on dieting that we totally ignore the true reasons we ever started dieting to begin with. It also went on to explain that the reson most diets are so unsuccesful and easy to put off is that we view them as quick, temporary, fixes instead of real lifestyle changes. This made a lighbulb go off, and made me realize how true that statement was.

For me personally I have never commited to a real lifestyle change. I've tried dieting, cut portions from time to time and dabbled in exercise, but never really gave my full commitment . I'm usually simply looking for something to help me shed a few pounds before going back to my "normal" habits. Ummmm HELLO?! How is that supposed to make me a healthy me? Much like the Today Show segment sang, if I, or anyone else for that matter, expects to lose weight and keep it off, I need to emerge myself in healthier choices ALWAYS. The segments health "experts" made a good point in saying that living a healthy lifestyle doesn't mean eating nothing but fruits and veggies day in and day out, but realizing what is and is not good for you on a daily basis while giving yourself little opprotunities to indulge, but not over do it. This means using portion control and such daily while keeping active throughout the week, but also knowing that in doing that a small bowl of ice cream or skipping a workout won't kill you.

Since seeing that television segment I have really been reevaluating my approach to my own weight loss and personal health goals. I am now seeing that I don't need to necessarily diet to become healthy. If I am concious of what I am putting in my body and understand what "good" foods to eat more of and which "bad" foods to only eat in moderation I will do wonders in my transformation. Maybe all the time I've spent attempting to diet and "falling off the wagon" I was psyching myself out. In my head I always have pictured losing weight as all work and no play, when in reality you just have to have the dicipline to know how to take care of yourself. It's about creating a lifestyle and not a fix.

 I am going to take this whole healthy lifestyle approach towards weight loss and getting in shape. If I can live in a healthful manner from day to day no matter what I will in turn create a healthy me for the long haul.

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Dinner for two

Dinner last night was a success! I spent nearly 2 whole hours getting everything prepared and cooked, but it was worth it in the end. Everything tasted delicious and all my worries were put to rest. My boyfriend even loved it!
I started off with Tomato Mozzerella Salad. The original recipe I was going to try was a Tomato Mozerella Skillet, but since it's been so hot lately I decided a cool salad would be better. So, basically I threw some stuff in a bowl and hoped it turned out edible. I used a ton of cherry tomatos, half a block of mozzerella, some olive oil, salt, pepper, basil, a hint of minced garlic, and a dash of sugar. I put it in the fridge to marinade for about an hour, and it turned out wonderful.

While I was working on the salad I had already started my Chicken Kabobs. First I took the chicken breasts and marinated them in a mixture of worcestershire sauce and pineapple juice. I just kept adding both until the mixture was just right. Then I cut the chicken breasts into strips, poured the marinade into a baggie and soaked the chicken in it for an hour. Then I cut up sweet onions, green peppers, pineapple, and cherry tomatos. When the chicken was done marinating I cut the strips into chunks and started threading the chicken and vegetables on skewers, put them on cooking sheets, poured the rest of the marinade over them, and put them in the oven to broil (yes I'm lame and don't have a grill).
Then we have the "grilled" corn. I soaked the corn cobs still in the husks in cold water for 20 minutes while I made a little mixture of butter, parsley, and a dash of salt. I used yogurt butter to make it healthier, and yogurt butter tastes just the same as regular butter so don't fret! After the corn was done soaking I pulled back the husks and put a thin coat of the mixture over the cobs. After that I put the husks back over the cobs and wrapped them in tin foil and put them in the broiler. When they came out all I had to do was unhusk the corn and they were good to go.

I was super pleased with my effort and really excited that everything was surprisingly low in fat and calories. I'm planning on looking for more healthy recipes and maybe trying to cook a nice dinner like this at least once a week!

Monday, June 21, 2010

Annnnnd again

Ok, ok, ok I know I SAID I was going to really commit and start my path to a new me a couple of weeks ago. Then came the start of summer jam packed full of munching by the pool, cooking out with friends, and trips to get ice cream. PATHETIC I know. But, not that all of the "oh my goodness summer weather is finally here let's pig out on hamburgers and hot dogs and chips and beer" excitement has simmered to the occassional cook out and more in the swing of things I think I can really re-dedicate myself.

Tomorrow I start my workout routine, an attempt at P90X. I'm a little nervous because it is really intense and does take a lot of commitment, but people I know that have used it speak of it in the highest regard. I know if I really want to see any change in my body I have to give my all to it, which has been the isssue lately. I'm good at making excuses for my lack of athletic activity that sound really legit, but I know that I'll get nowhere if I keep doing it.

Lately my boyfriend and I have been resorting to eating out, even though I made a huge grocery trip a week or so ago to stock up on healthy, but yummy, foods. I have been eating those and watching portions and such but even doing that when going out to eat doesn't always help. Tonight I told the boy no more, and I am attempting to make my first, real, complicated meal. Usually me cooking a nice dinner for my boyfriend includes some sort of pasta, garlic bread, and salad. I think he;s grown tired of the mold mostly because he complained about it haha. So, tonight I am making Pineapple Chicken Kabobs, Tomato Mozzerella salad, and grilled Corn on the Cob. Maybe to the more skilled cook this doesn't sound so complicated, but to me it's about to be an adventure.

I hope with this dinner tonight not only will I broaden my cooking horizons, but I will also see how (hopefully) easy it is to make delicious meals that are also pretty healthy for you. I'll give an update tonight or tomorrow on the outcome!

Saturday, June 5, 2010

Keeping it short...and sweet.

The one thing that I really hate about trying to lose weight is the fact that the people around me are about zero help. For example, last night my boyfriend decided to be a sweetheart and take me out on a date. We went to my favorite rib joint, to a movie (Get Him to the Greek GO SEE IT!), and...out for ice cream. See I'm pretty good about portion control so at dinner I had plenty of leftovers. When we got to the movie, I declined an offer for popcorn and soda. BUT afterwards Joe surprised me with a trip to my favorite ice cream shop. ICE CREAM IS MY WEAKNESS and he knows this. He also knows I am trying to diet. Maybe I shouldn't feel bad for indulging in a sweet treat, but I feel like that's one step backwards.

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Today is the day

I've had the idea for this blog for a good two months and have had the blog created for a good portion of those two months, however I never brought myself to start it. The whole point of "Kicking the Cupcake" is to follow my journey to weight loss, something I've also been putting off. I'm not huge and I don't think I look disgusting, but it's very obvious to me I could use a little trimming. I'm 5'4 and weigh 160 pounds. Most girls would probably faint after seeing this number on the scale but I keep it in perspective.

I have hips, and muscle, and come from a family that is just thick. One of my best friend is the same exact weight as me, we wear nearly the same size, we share clothes, but at 5'11 that 160 pounds is so evenly distributed that she is skinny. I've always been a thicker, curvier, girl and a lot of times I like it, but there are times where I'd love to just bust out a bikini and look flawless, where I'd love for guys to talk about my "perfect body", when I'd just die to be able to wear even a size 6. In middle school I hit that awkward stage where I had frizzy hair, glasses, and looked like a rolly poly and I worked my butt off to slim down. By the time I got to high school I had lost a good 20 pounds on my own and maintained the same weight all throughout and into college.

Then I started my sophmore year, got a new boyfriend, started working 33 hours on tope of the 19 credit hours I was taking, and still wanted a social life. I stopped working out as much which initially didn't make me gain much weight mostly because I don't eat too terrible, aside from the occassional bowl of ice cream or french fry. But, then I got on BC (birth control for those who can't determine acronyms) and almost instantly gained 10 pounds, which is a pretty normal side affect due to how it messes with your hormones. However, since it wasn't weight put on from over eating or the end of my normal work outs, it has been much harder to take off.

I decided it was truely time to get back in shape when it started warming up and certain clothing items that looked great on me last year, don't look so great on me this year. To add insult to injury it seems that my friends are losing weight left and right, a kick in the gut to my self esteem.

After much resistance and denial I have finally decided that there is no better time than now to work on slimming down and becoming a healthier me. I know it will probably take some time to find the right combination of work outs and eating right for a noticable change to happen, but I'm ready to work towards it. It's all about knowing how to eat and self disipline. Ideally I'd love to lose at least 20 pounds, but I'm not really paying much attention to the scale. I just want to look good and feel good not only in my clothes, but in my own skin.

I decided to blog about this journey mostly for myself. I feel like having a place to openly and honestly convey my feelings, thoughts, and progress will (hopefully) make me feel the need to keep going with it. I have a thing with finishing things once I start them and there's no better way to feel the need to keep on something when it's out there for anyone to read. I don't care if people read this or if I'm the sole person who knows how this is all going, but regardless I hope this blog can be a place for inspiration, encouragment, and probably some entertainment.

Enjoy, and wish me luck!