Fork In The Road

There comes a time in every journey, when you come to a fork in the road. In the middle of the fork is a big sign that says "Both paths will lead you to your destination". One path has a gentle downward slope, smooth soft ground, and looks very relaxing and easy. The second path has an upward slope, and a rocky path, it looks like a lot of hard work. My first inclination would be to take the easy road, after all, it's about working smarter not harder, right? But here's what you can't see from that spot in the road. The easy path gently curves off to the side, and continues in a long subtle curve, until eventually you find yourself right back on the same path, but set back quite a way. It fools you into a false sense of accomplishment, thinking you are getting somewhere. On the other hand, that other path is a lot of hard work and determination, but after getting through all those obstacles, you reach your goal. 


I had one of those forks last night. I didn't even realize the significance until after I had decided on my path. For the last couple weeks I have been craving a Whatchamacalit, my FAVORITE candy bar. They are very hard to find here. I was getting gas, and went inside the little shop. Something drew me to the candy aisle. There sitting on the bottom rack off to the side, was a box of Whatchamacalits. I grabbed one so fast it would have made a magician look twice. I stood for a moment staring at that candy bar. The crispy insides, the gooey caramel, the chocolate coating, that sweet deliciousness. I could taste it already. Suddenly, something in my mind whispered to me "Are you sure you want that? Or do you need that?" Where'd that voice come from? I don't remember that one. That was my healthy voice. The one I've ignored for so long, I didn't recognize her when she spoke to me. I waited a moment, hoping she'd speak to me again, help me to make the right decision. "Is the candy craving controlling you, or are you making a conscious decision to enjoy a treat?" Oh, that's what she meant. I wasn't grabbing a snack that I knew I had counteracted with exercise and healthy foods. I was feeding a craving that was winning over all the hard work I was doing. I was headed down that easy path. So, what was it going to be? For about 30 seconds (which felt like hours) I held that bar in my hand, and looked at it. Then I took a step that is one of those pivotal moments in a journey like this, and one that I think I'll be remembering for a long time. I set that candy bar back on the shelf! I got my gas, and drove home. 


Now, all this happened without me realizing that it was as significant of a moment as it was. It wasn't until I was driving home that the full weight of my decision hit me. I just did something I've never done before. I turned down a Whatchamacalit. Today as I write this, the craving has dissapated, and I'm overjoyed with my decision to stay on that rocky uphill path. I feel very good about myself and my journey. It's the little steps in the right direction that will eventually get us where we are going. 


Healthy and Happy Living

Potato Chips

My trainer gave me a fabulous tip yesterday. We were chatting a little between sets, as I cought my breath in preperation for my ball squats (that's where you put a big stability ball behind your back, lean against the wall, and do squats, great thigh workout). I mentioned that I was sitting on a ball at work now, and would find myself bouncing on it constantly. He said, "If a chip a day equals a pound a year, then that has to do something."

What? Did he just say what I think he said? A chip a day, one single, solitary, lonely little potato chip per day, equals one pound! Can it really be that simple? Lets see, so twice a week, I've been getting a particular coffee drink from a famous coffee chain. My drink has 380 calories. So if I cut just 10 of those out per year, there's a pound. Well, what if I stop drinking them all together? That's 11 pounds in a year, just by stopping my twice a week coffee habit and replacing that caffeine with a no cal drink (and yes, my no cal morning drink is full of caffeine, and yes it's soda!)

Gee, if that little change can make such a big difference in a year, what else can I change. Well, my afternoon walks (which I admit I haven't done as often as I should in the past couple weeks, I blame it on the heat, but that's a poor excuse), I burn more than 400 extra calories that I would sitting on my butt for that 45 minutes to an hour. So, lets say I go for an afternoon walk 5 days a week, every week for one year. That's 30 pounds lost in the year!

I knew I loved math for a reason. Seeing these numbers add up is driving home a point for me. If I cut one little thing out a day that I may have otherwise eaten, or replace it with something with slightly fewer calories, I can make a huge difference.

I'd love to hear about other ideas for making small changes for big results. Do you have any tips to share?

Healthy and Happy Living

Cherry Fudge Brownies

It's Sunday, and I've decided that means it's time for a delicious desert recipe. What better day than Sunday to try out a new desert? This one comes from a Weight Watchers Simply Delicious Cookbook(Yes, WW is one of the many diet programs I've tried in the past). It's for Cherry Fudge Brownies, tell me that doesn't sound decadently delicious! Personally, I'm a bit of a chocoholic, so there's nothing better than a fudge brownie. Now, make it only 141 calories per serving, and it's just that much better.

So here's what you'll need:

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup butter, melted

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1/3 cup chopped candied cherries

1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

2 tablespoons confectioners sugar

Now that you have all your ingredients, here's what to do with it:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F). Spray an 8-inch square baking pan with nonstick spray

2. Combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Combine the granulated sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla extract, and almond extract in another bowl. Add the sugar misture to the flour mixture; stir just until blended. Fold in the cherries and chocolate chips. Pour the batter into the baking pan.

3. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the pan comes out almost clean, 28-32 minutes. Cool in the pan on a rack for 30 minutes. Cut into 16 bars. Remove from pan and sprinkle with the confectioners' sugar.

Now doesn't that sound yummy? And for only 141 calories! Now, I'm imagining all sorts of ways to change up this recipe; white chocolate chips instead of semisweet, different fruits, maybe nuts. Darn, now I've made myself hungry. :)

Healthy and Happy Living

Memorial Weekend

Through my first weekend, the time to stare temptation right in the face. Whew, made it. My husband, son and I spent Saturday helping some friends get ready for their up coming bundle of joy (she's due in 2 weeks). With all the tasty snacks, and the wonderful barbecued dinner, I managed to control myself and stay within my calorie budget for the day, without skipping out on everything but just watching my portions. 

I'm learning about different foods, and finding that some of the things I thought weren't so bad for me, are either very unhealthy, or packed full of calories. For example, I used to make breakfast burritos, so a couple eggs, nice big tortilla, plenty of cheese, hashbrowns, some type of meat, and green taco sauce. Well, I hadn't been paying attention, but now that I am I find that there are well over 600 calories in that breakfast. I had no idea the tortillas I was using were over 200 calories each! Guess I'll have to rethink that recipe. 

On the other hand, some of my favorites are wonderful for me! I think radishes are my new favorite snack; very low on calories, tasty, and they make me want to drink lots of water. :)

I've started watching a new show called "Cook Yourself Thin", it's opening my eyes to some tasty food substitutions (even though their calorie counts seem to be off). I recommend it to anyone who'd like to get an idea of how to cut out some calories in your favorite foods, just do your own calorie counts. 

So as day 3 comes to a close I find that I'm actually looking forward to my first weekly weigh in, and that hasn't happened in ages!

Day 1

Don't worry, I'm sure I'll come up with more exciting titles soon. :)

So, one day in and I feel pretty good so far. I took my son and our dogs for a walk today, almost 2 miles. It felt great, I forgot how much better I feel after a little exercise and fresh air.

The nights are the hardest, that has always been my weak time. I'm a midnight snacker, and that's going to be a hard habit to break. Tonight I had an apple for a midnight snack, I know I shouldn't eat anything that late, but it was either that or wait another 10 minutes and dig into the chips and bean dip. A much wiser choice.

All in all, it was a good day for a life change. According to my Bodybugg and food log, I'm on my way to a 2lb weight loss this week. Sure is convenient to know how many calories you burn each day.

Well, tomorrow is going to test my resolve. We're going to a friend's house for dinner, and I tend to go overboard when visiting or hanging out. Let's see if I can control myself. Wish me luck!