Month: June 2011

Categories
General Weight Loss Tips

Yogurt Brownie Sunday

My sweet tooth knows no bounds. As soon as I declare “self, let’s get serious about this whole weight loss business” I start craving sweets. Seeing as how this is the year without refined sugar with a couple exceptions (I’m looking at you Beaches Resort) I’ve had to get a little creative.

And here friends, is a Sunday, just as good as any old ice cream thing you’d find elsewhere. The star is, of course, the brownie. But how?

Meet The Pure Bar (organic, raw, refined sugar free). The main contenders are dates, agave nectar, cashews, cocoa, almonds and a proud “and that’s all!” at the end. I love them and buy them so often that our local grocery store has a hard time meeting my demand.

To me, the taste is very similar to a Little Debbie brownie. My husband would disagree and actually does not understand my love for these bars.

You guys remember the rumor about Lara Bar cherry and pecan pie bars tasting just like the real thing and we all went to the store and some of us (no names mentioned) bought a box on Amazon hoping that somehow someone finally figured out how to make dates and nuts taste like buttery crust and gooey filling? And then, well, it tasted more like fruit and nuts than gooey pies and we all cried? No?

This bar is so good, if you’re not my husband, go buy some and thank me later. Word on the street is that Trader Joe’s has them, Amazon has them and my local Food Lion stocks them just for me (I think).

All you need is 1/2 C whole plain yogurt, one Pure Bar Chocolate Brownie, 1 T all-fruit jam (melted or stirred in with the yogurt) and 1 T shredded coconut (optional).

Related Blogs

Categories
General Weight Loss Tips

Listen, Read, Eat

Listening: This album has been my work sound track since it’s recent release. Nice job Bon, nice job. My favorite song is Minnesota. WI.

Reading: Over vacation I read Delirium by Lauren Oliver and cannot recommend it enough if you liked The Hunger Games. Not that they are similar, but in that “the world is messed up, young love” sort of way. Oh, please read it so I can talk about it with someone. And now I’m re-reading The Great Gatsby, it just feels like the right thing to do.

Eating: I’m working on creating new go-to meals that are low in calories, filling, real food, flavorful and ethnic inspired. Case in point: today’s lunch was under 200 calories, 198 to be exact. Bonus: the cucumbers were from our garden.

1/3 chicken breast cooked in a touch of olive oil and jerk seasoning. yogurt sauce made with whole plan yogurt, dill, garlic and seas salt. fresh cucumbers. 1/2 C garlic and olive oil couscous.

Related Blogs

  • Related Blogs on fat
Categories
General Weight Loss Tips

Ya’Mon

I’m here today a little more tan and relaxed than I was a week ago. We spent the week at the Beaches resort in Turks and Caicos (in the Caribbean) where I ate, read, and swam in that rotation for about six days. We were totally cut off from cell phone service and internet for almost a week and it was fabulous. I thought I’d start twitching without the internet, but no offense to my beloved Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook, Google Reader, My Fitness Pal and blog, but I didn’t miss it at all. Being totally unplugged is oh so nice and is making me think that I should do it at least once a week.

Vacation taught me to spend more time outside, to unplug, to sit and read and to embrace doing nothing. I also need to make jerk chicken very soon. I thought my trip would be spent eating sushi, but the jerk chicken won my heart. I love you jerk chicken. Let’s be friends.

And finally, can I just say that it feels good to have this year’s big looming dates done and over with? I’m horrible at losing weight for an event. I thought getting on a plane and stripping down to a bathing suit in front of people would inspire more weight loss, but it only stressed me out and made me panic. Stress+ panic does nothing for my weight loss. Combine that with a trip to the doctor who basically said in no uncertain terms “if you don’t lose weight, you will get diabetes”. I’m on it doctor. For reals.

I joined Zumba the week before I left and loved it. Our local gym offers it three days a week (monday, tuesday and wednesday) and I plan to be there for each one. Combine that with calorie counting, and strength training and I feel good about my direction.

Breakfast this morning is one of my favorites: 3/4 C whole, plain organic yogurt, all fruit blackberry jam, fresh blueberries and a little Ezekiel granola.