80 days in....

Well hello again! I'm up earlier than I should be, with some time to kill before pilates, so I thought it was a perfect opportunity to make a new blog post!

So, the title of this post is right: it's been 80 days since I started this journey. EIGHTY! I can't believe it! And there are 30 days until the wedding. So let's check in and see where I'm at, shall we?

Demi-Bar Pilates has been AMAZING for me. It's a great workout, and it totally does re-shape your body. I can't say enough good things about it. I try to do pilates 3-4 times a week, and do the cardio fusion class twice a week. Demi-Bar Pilates will usually burn anywhere between 280 - 450 calories for me, and on days I do pilates, I usually go to the gym as well to do cardio for about 25 minutes. The Cardio Fusion class is all about keeping your heart rate up, so I usually burn about 400-530 in that class. Last nights was brutal, and I'm feeling the pain!

So within just 4 weeks of pilates, I felt my body changing and I started dropping more inches. Here are the inches I lost since I started doing pilates:

WAIST	-1.25
HIPS	-2.5
THIGH	-1.5
ARM	-1
PANT WAIST	-3.25
CHEST	-1.5

That makes for a total of 11 inches lost in one month! And I finally lost an inch in my arms, the stubborn little area that wouldn't budge!

Overall, since the beginning of the skinny bridesmaid journey on march 14th, I've lost a total of 19.75 inches, 2% body fat, and 8 pounds. It's a little disappointing that I haven't lost more weight, but at least the inches are melting off, which makes me feel great. I can't wait to see what the total end result will be!

Another bridesmaid and I just started the Trader Joe's Complete Body Cleanse. It's a two week program with 3 different kinds of pills. During the cleanse, you are to limit and/or eliminate the following:

• alcohol
• simple carbohydrates
• red meat
• dairy

Yesterday was day 1, nothing crazy happened. I'll keep you guys posted if anyone is interested in doing it. I've heard great things about it, and I've also heard that you could drop a few pounds from it as well. And now that I think of it, it's about that time to go take the fiber capsules!

Glowing Green Smoothie recipe, and other notes

Okay, so I've been bad at updating this. But we all knew that was going to happen. I have a short attention span.

First and foremost, I would like to share my most recent results. I am now down a total of 8 pounds since I started on March 14th, just 8 weeks ago. I have also lost a total of 12 inches from the spots that I have been measuring. There are 7 &1/2 weeks to go until the wedding!

Inches lost:

Waist: -2

Hips: -3.5

Thighs: -1.5

Arms: 0 (the one thing that wont budge!)

Waist where my pants hit: -2.5

Chest: -2.5

 I am pretty pleased with how I've done so far! My end goal may not be realistic - I'd have to lose another 10 pounds. Honestly, I'd be happy with losing just 5 more. We will see how I do!

I touched on the Glowing Green Smoothie in my last update, it has been something that I've incorporated into my diet during the past two weeks. It looks weird, tastes delicious, and gets lots of fruits and veggies into my diet that I wouldn't otherwise eat - I am NOT a veggie eater. The recipe comes from the amazing book, The Beauty Detox Solution, by Kimberly Snyder. The book is a real eye opener, and helps you look at diet and nutrition a lot differently. I learned a lot about digestion, and have made small changes to what I eat, and when I eat it, which has helped me a lot. You can buy the book here, and check out Kimberly's blog and website here.

Glowing Green Smoothie Recipe 

Adapted from The Beauty Detox Solution, by Kimberly Snyder

Ingredients:

1 & 1/2 cups of cold, filtered water

1 head of organic romaine lettuce, chopped

3-4 stalks of organic celery

large bunch of organic spinach

1 organic apple, cored and chopped (I like to use Gala apples)

1 organic pear, cored and chopped

1 organic banana

Juice of 1/2 a lemon

zest of 1/2 a lemon

Optional: (I never used either, because I don't particularly care for either flavor)

1/3 bunch of organic cilantro

1/3 bunch of organic parsley

In a blender, add the water and the romaine lettuce. Start at a low speed, and mix until smooth. Gradually moving to higher speeds, add the spinach, celery, apple, and pear. Add the cilantro and parsley, if you are choosing to add them. Add the banana, the lemon juice, and the lemon zest last. 

I recommend refrigerating this for at least 2 hours before drinking - I always made a big batch at night before bed - enough for 3 days. It is great to have as your breakfast, which is what I did for two weeks straight. (I gave up eggs during this time, shocking, I know!) I promise, it tastes great. I always added a little extra lemon juice - the zest isn't in the original recipe, but I think it adds nice flavor. It doesn't taste like spinach or lettuce, honestly all you taste is the apple, the pear, and the lemon. Let me know if you try it!

I have also started doing new exercise classes, which I luckily get to do for free, courtesy of my new part-time job! I started doing Demi-Bar Pilates, which Madonna made famous. It uses a ballet barre, a pilates ball, 3 pound weights, gliders, and the "magic circle".  I also started a Cardio Fusion class, which incorporates the use of gliders, flex bands, 3 pound weights, and a bunch of other stuff I've never used before! Everything focuses on small movements and pulses - it doesn't look like you're doing much, but don't be fooled - it's TOUGH! I love it and I'm now obsessed. So I am hoping that these classes, along with cardio, will help get me to the next level :)

You can find more information about the classes I have been taking at Fixe Self Center here:

http://www.fixeselfcenter.com/yoga-fitness/classes-schedule

A quick Easter update

Hello everyone! I'm awful at updating, I know. But I have been busy, busy, busy with making it to every single Yoga Sculpt class available, getting in extra cardio in the gym, changing my eating habits, and a few other things that I can't talk about just yet. But my hard work has continued to pay off! Here's some results:

Since March 14th, I've lost a total of:
6 pounds
8 overall inches
body fat has also gone down another percentage

I am so happy that I am monitoring my inches - it helps to measure a few different things so that you can see results in different ways!

This week was an interesting one. I started reading the book The Beauty Detox Soloution, by Kimberly Snyder. It's totally changed my perspective on how I eat, what I'm eating, and when I'm eating. It's also encouraged me to become a vegetarian. Now, I know that I personally could never become a full blown vegetarian, but I can cut back on the amount of animal protein that I eat. So this week, I gave it a shot, and didn't eat any meat or eggs Monday through Friday. I didn't miss it too much, and I think it helped with my weight loss this week. I've also been drinking Kimberly's Glowing Green Smoothie for breakfast - I will post the recipe later on today. I'm not a vegetable person, so it's helped me get more veggies and fiber in me in an easy way. I've had more energy, and just felt better overall - much less bloating, also.

That is all for now - I promise I will be back soon with more details about the Beauty Detox and the smoothie. Have a great Easter everyone!

We're making some progress!

So here's where we stand, about 4 weeks into this bridesmaid slimdown:

I've lost about 4 pounds - which can be a bit discouraging, but let's keep in mind two things:

• I typically don't lose a lot of weight right away. It's frustrating, but it takes a while
• I'm actually putting on quite a bit of muscle - you should see my push-ups!

I have lost half an inch in my waist, an inch in my hips, half an inch in my thighs, and an inch at the spot on my waist that my yoga pants hit. This is exciting progress for me!

In addition to my regular workouts and boot camp, I have thrown one more thing into the mix - Yoga Sculpt! I've taken 3 classes so far and I am in LOVE. The class is available at Core Power Yoga and it is AMAZING. Now, I generally hate yoga. Despise it, even. My friend and fellow bridesmaid Amanda lured me into going. She promised me it would be fun. And besides, the first week is FREE! So I said fine, I'll try it, but if I hate it, I'm going to stab your eyeballs out. Lucky for Amanda, and her eyeballs, I LOVED it. It is so not your typical yoga class. The music is fun and upbeat. You can talk, giggle, sing along to Britney and Rihanna, and oh, sweat your ass off because it's 95 degrees in there. You go through some basic yoga poses, and use weights as well - you can use 3 lbs, 5 lbs, or 8 lbs. You walk out sweaty, refreshed, and feeling like you can take over the world! I stretched in ways I didn't even know I could stretch. It was great, and now I'm addicted. The teachers are so nice, the facility is beautiful, and the best part - the lemon lavender cold face cloth they place on your forehead at the end of class. OH. MY. GOD. Complete and total bliss.

All for now - I'm going to keep on trucking away! 11 weeks to go!

New recipe- guilt free quiche

Okay- I am OBSESSED with quiche. I went through a phase last year where I was making two a week. I love it for breakfast, lunch, dinner, it's perfect anytime. And the great part is, it's totally customizable. I stick to the same recipe every time, because I'm a pretty picky eater. But all you veggie lovers can load this quiche up with asparagus, mushrooms, whatever you want- and it only increases the nutritional values!


Skinny quiche

6 oz baby spinach
1/4 cup diced white onion

1 cup bisquick heart smart baking mix
1-2 tbs water
1 egg white
1 tsp Parmesan cheese

1 egg
9 whites
1/2 cup light plain soy milk
3 strips of bacon crumbled
1/2 cup fat free cheddar cheese
Spinach
Salt & pepper
1/2 tsp nutmeg

preheat oven to 400 degrees
In a small bowl, combine the bisquick, egg white, Parmesan cheese, and water until it becomes a soft dough. On a bisquick floured surface, knead the dough a few times, then roll out into a circle the size of your pie pan, or whatever you are using. Lightly spray your pan with cooking spray, then place dough in the pan. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of Parmesan cheese over the dough, then pre- bake in the oven for about 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove, and set aside.

In a non-stick skillet under medium heat, spray with non-stick cooking spray (or EVOO, if you have a Misto sprayer like I do!). Sautée the onions until they start to slightly change in color. Add the spinach on top, season with salt and pepper. Stir until all the spinach is wilted, then turn off heat and let spinach cool. Set aside.

I like to microwave my bacon- it minimizes the mess, and soaks up all the excess grease. Layer two pieces of paper towel on a plate. Arrange the bacon on the plate so that they are not touching. Layer two more pieces of paper towel on top. Microwave for about 3 minutes, or until the bacon has reached the crispiness that you desire. Feel free to add more bacon if you like - I generally cook one minute per slice. Once cooked, take bacon off the plate and set aside to cool.

In a medium bowl, whisk the egg & egg whites until combined. Season with salt and pepper. Add the soy milk, and mix again. Add the crumbled bacon, cheddar cheese, spinach, and nutmeg, mix until combined. Pour mixture into your pie pan with the prepared crust, and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, sprinkle another teaspoon of Parmesan cheese on top of the quiche, and bake for another 8-10 minutes- until the mixture no longer wiggles when you shake the pan, and it's lightly browned on top. Let cool for 10 minutes, then slice into 8 pieces.

Just look at how this quiche stacks up nutritionally - only 117 calories per slice! If you're super hungry, you can absolutely afford to eat two pieces!

A couple of notes:

• I do not own a pie pan. I don't know why, it seems to be the one thing in my kitchen that I am lacking. So I use my springform pan, and line it with foil so that nothing leaks through. Use what you have.
• I've made this with several different crusts. Basic, store bought pie crust works great - but 1/8th of the crust contains about 180 calories, and I'm sure it's filled with butter. Tastes good, but no thanks. Phyllo dough works well also - use about 5 sheets for the crust and it won't do much damage, calorie-wise. Another option is a whole wheat crust - Wholly Wholsome has a great pre-made whole wheat crust that you can pick up at Whole Foods. I've used it a few times, but to me, it kind of tastes like cardboard.
• Cooking times are estimates - keep your eye on the quiche! If it's overcooked, it's gross, so don't let it get too brown on top!
• This holds up well in the fridge for 2-3 days - although in my house, it doesn't last that long!
• Feel free to add whatever you'd like to the mixture! More veggies, different cheeses, the possibilities are endless. Get creative!

I was honestly stunned at the calorie content when I figured it all out. I'm so happy that I was able to make one of my favorite foods so figure friendly. This is also a great thing to make for guests - it looks impressive, but it's actually pretty easy!

My masterpiece, in it's springform pan

The finished product - TA-DA!!!

Yum - the piece I chose to devour!

 As always, please let me know if you try my recipe, and let me know what you think! I love to hear feedback!

Muffins that won't give you a muffin top!

I promised you some recipes yesterday - those of you who know me, know that I'm almost always late - well, better late than never!

In my spare time, I've tested a LOT of recipes lately. I like to try the original first, taste it, calculate nutritional info, and then tweak & re-calculate. I'm usually looking to lighten up the calories, use less sugar, and add more protein. I started adding protein powder to baked goods a few months ago, when I was inspired by fellow fitness blogger Joanna's Peanut Butter Protein Cookies over at www.fitnessandspice.com . It's a really great, easy, delicious way to bump up the nutritional value of any treats you're making! You can find the recipe for Joanna's cookies here.

I absolutely adore Bethenny Frankel from Real Housewives of New York, Bethenny Getting Married, and Bethenny Ever After! I had the pleasure of meeting her two years ago, and she is every bit as hilarious in person. I love her recipes because they're easy, healthy, and delicious. My favorite part about her recipes in her book, The Skinnygirl Dish, is that she lists several substitutions for each ingredient - they are truly a "use what you have" kind of recipe. I have made many of her recipes, but I have my favorites! Her Cranberry Pumpkin Spice Muffins are amazing, and I've put my own little twist on it to cut out some sugar and add some protein. Her original recipe can be found here.

Left to right: Katarina, Tina, Me, Bethenny, and my BFF JoAnn

Here is my adapted recipe for Cranberry Pumpkin Spice Protein Muffins:

3 cups oat flour (oat flour is just finely ground oats - you can also sub whole wheat flour)

1 cup raw sugar

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 egg

2 egg whites

1 3/4 cups pumpkin puree

3/4 cup water

2 scoops vanilla protein powder (I use BioChem Whey)

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 ½ cups dried cranberries

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine raw sugar, melted butter, oil, eggs, pumpkin and water. Beat for 90 seconds, or until well mixed.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, protein powder, salt and spices, stirring until no streaks remain.

Combine flour mixture and pumpkin mixture. Stir in cranberries; stirring only until all ingredients are mixed.

Cover batter and allow to set at room temperature for 60 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Place muffin cups in muffin holders and fill 2/3 of the way full.

Bake for 40-45 minutes or until muffins tops spring back when lightly touched.

Note - these will make 12 regular size muffins. I like to make them as mini-muffins, so it's like instant portion control. One mini muffin is only 54 calories and 1.5 grams of fat!

These also freeze well - I wrap them individually in foil and then put in a freezer bag. They thaw out beautifully! I like to enjoy them warmed up, with a touch of spray butter. In fact, I'm kinda craving one now that I've written out my version of the recipe - I think I'll take a few out of the freezer right now! 

More recipes to follow later today! If you make these muffins, either mine or Bethenny's recipe, please let me know what you think!

Long time, no blog!

Okay, I'll admit it - I kinda knew this was going to happen. I was all excited to start a blog, and was totally committed to updating it a few times a week. Well, as you can see, I got a little lazy! It's been over a week and I'm a very,very bad blogger. But I promise to get better about it this week :)

The past couple of weeks, I've been good about making more social commitments and just being busier in general. I have stuck to my gym schedule, still going 6 days a week. I've been doing boot camp classes twice a week, while increasing my cardio on the other four days - switching it up a little bit too. My shin splints have reared their ugly head again, as SOON as I started running - so the treadmill is out of the picture for a little while! Depending on my mood and what's sore from the previous days workout, I'll try to do 10 -15 minutes each on the stairmaster, the elliptical, and spinning. I have a short attention span, so it's hard for me to stay on a machine for any longer than that!

I am a little mad that the gym has decided to cancel the Thursday boot camp class. As tough as it is, I really enjoyed doing it twice a week - it was always something different, and it didn't leave me stuck in a workout rut, which can happen when you're going so often. So I'll have to figure something else out to take it's place.

While we're on the topic of the gym, I'd like to discuss locker room etiquette. What is WRONG with people lately? I see the strangest, most disgusting things in there and it's really starting to bother me! For example: Last week, there was a woman in the locker room blow drying her hair. Fine, right? No, because she was blow drying her hair stark naked. Yes, naked. Is this necessary? At least put a towel on or something - no one needs to see that. And today, there was a girl sitting on the bench in her bra and underwear - fine, thank you for wearing SOMETHING. But she was sitting indian style and holding her feet. And using a nail clipper to clip dead skin off her feet. By the way, the nail clipper was a part of her keychain - kind of weird. Anyway, okay. REALLY? Do that at home, that's DISGUSTING! I was so grossed out, I gathered my belongings as quickly as possible and ran the hell out of there before I vomited everywhere.

Any weird locker room stories that you have to share?

Also, I will post some more recipes tomorrow :)