Helping your friends.....

One of my friends sent me an email where she mentioned the struggles of her friend and how she was trying to help her attain her goals of getting fitter and thinner. She was asking for any advise I might be able to provide for her to help her friend and here is what I responded with!!! Hope you enjoy!


1) Counting calories. I have used www.myfooddiary.com since I started my weight loss. I track what I eat.... EVERYTHING I eat. I found that we all think we are eating well because we over look the "just one." For me, "just one" was just one soda, or just one bag of chips, or just one cookie. It is the stuff you don't count when you aren't tracking what you eat. Make sense?






2) Small rewards for big gains. There was a time when at night I would drink a couple glasses of wine or eat a gigantic bowl of pasta and I would think to myself, "I deserve this..... I was good all day!" Well.... that is not really how it works. Being good for 10 hours does not mean its time to reward yourself! This is a life change..... not a daily one. I stuck to the plan 100% for one month before I gave myself a reward. And on the 30th day my reward was 1/2 of a diet soda. Soda was my drug, so this was a big deal for me. But allowing myself a treat did not mean I had to go completely overboard. 1/2 of a soda said "good job" without saying, "you can do and eat WHATEVER you want" because you did something right.






3) The art of telling yourself "no." It is as easy and as hard as it sounds. Yes, you want that cookie. You REALLY do!!! That doesn't mean you should eat it. So tell yourself "no" and feel good about it because in the place where you could have that cookie, you are having a grilled chicken breast and a yummy salad instead. Its ok to miss the cookie. But think of the bigger reward and be ok with the void that the cookie leaves behind.






4) Drink water. Drink lots and lots and lots of water. Lots and lots and lots of water. Drink it. A hydrated body is a happy body. Drink lots and lots of water.I think ya get the point on that one. HAHA.






5) Don't let one mistake ruin the meal, day, week, month, etc. Although we have already covered the rewards part...... that doesn't cover the whoops. Weaknesses happen. We all make mistakes. Don't let it completely derail you! Don't talk yourself into cheating. Eating one brownie doesn't mean the entire day has gone to the crapper. Should you have eaten it? NO.But does that mean, you "might as well have some more" since you already screwed up? Naaaaaa..... so scold youself, suck it up, and move on.














As far as exercise goes..... cardio is easier and not as likely to discourage your friend. It is little things.... like walking. On a treadmill or outside for 30 minutes..... it does not sound like much to someone that is thin or is used to working out..... but its a HUGE deal for someone who is not active and not eating right. Baby steps. It is hard for naturally thin or fit people to help those who its harder for. Even with the best of intentions, its hard to relate. The idea of "pushing yourself" comes naturally to some people. Others have to learn to do this. If they are pushed too hard by those around them, it makes them feel like a failure or that they will just never measure up. So for anyone trying to help a friend, remember to make the first steps small and achievable ones. Great intentions can land flat without helping people in the way that they WANT to be helped and in a way that makes them feel positive and like they can do it!!!!!

 

Pork Wellington

Here is another entry from Food Network and it turned out to be AMAZING! It would be a great way to show off your skills for a nice dinner party. Also, if you want to make it a bit leaner, you can now also get some wonderful turkey tenderloins but I suggest switching to pears with that change. ENJOY!

Pork Wellington with Apples

Ingredients


1 whole egg

1 tablespoon water

1-ounce dried apple rings (I diced fresh fruit instead of using dried)

1 whole pork tenderloin, approximately 1 pound

4 1/2 ounces thinly slice prosciutto ham

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

1 teaspoon all-purpose flour

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed completely

1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard

Directions

Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and heat to 400 degrees F.



Whisk the egg and water in a small bowl and set aside. Place the apple rings into the bowl of a mini food processor and process for 30 to 45 seconds or until they are the size of a medium dice. Set aside.



Trim the pork tenderloin of any excess fat and silver skin. Slice the tenderloin down the middle lengthwise, creating 2 separate pieces. Lay the tenderloin pieces next to each other head to tail, so when laid back together they are the same size at the ends.



Lay out a 12 by 16-inch piece of parchment paper on the counter and arrange the pieces of prosciutto in the center, overlapping them enough to create solid layer that is as long as the tenderloin. Top with a second piece of parchment, and using a rolling pin, roll over the prosciutto to help adhere the pieces to each other. Remove the parchment paper and sprinkle the prosciutto with the salt, pepper, and thyme. Set the tenderloin down the middle of the prosciutto. Spread the dried apples in between the 2 pieces of tenderloin and push back together so the apples are held between them. Using the parchment paper to assist, wrap the prosciutto around the tenderloin to completely enclose in a package.



Sprinkle the counter with flour and roll out the pastry to 12 by 14 inches. Spread the mustard thinly in the center of pastry and lay the prosciutto wrapped tenderloin in the center of the pastry on the mustard. Fold the puff pastry up and over the top of the tenderloin, then roll to completely enclose, brushing the edges of the pastry with the egg wash in order to seal. Turn the tenderloin over so the side of the tenderloin with the double thickness of pastry is underneath. Pinch the ends of the pastry to seal.



Brush the entire pastry with the egg wash. Place the tenderloin on a parchment lined half sheet pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the pork reaches an internal temperature of at least 140 degrees F.



Remove the tenderloin from the oven, transfer to a cooling rack and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving. (Make sure to have on a cooling rack, otherwise the juices will make the bottom of the pastry soggy!)

Romantic Dinner

All of these recipe's came from watching Food Network and they were each INCREDIBLE!!!! If you look for them on Food Network you will notice that I made a few changes. Mostly, I cut as much of the fat out as possible! I will not say this is a healthy meal, but it is a healthier meal than you would have if you went out for a special dinner with your honey!

Herbed Delmontico Steak

Ingredients


1 (3-inch) thick rib-eye or bone in Delmonico steak, about 1 1/2 pounds (24 ounces)

Extra-virgin olive oil, for coating and liberal drizzling

Freshly ground black pepper

Sprig fresh rosemary

1/2 cup freshly chopped parsley leaves

2 to 3 sprigs fresh oregano or marjoram

Salt

2 lemon wedges

Directions

Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and the oven to 375 degrees F.



Coat meat in olive oil, season with pepper then throw a rosemary sprig into pan and set steak on top. Caramelize the meat evenly on both sides then transfer to oven until cooked to desired doneness, 7 to 8 minutes for medium-rare.



Drizzle a carving board with olive oil, place steak on board. Let steak rest then thinly slice against the grain and dress the thinly sliced meat with olive oil, herbs and salt, tossing with tongs to combine. Serve garnished with lemon wedges.


Creamed Spinach with Blue Cheese Crumbles in an Heirloom Tomato

Ingredients


1 cup skim milk

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 boxes chopped frozen spinach, defrosted

A few grates nutmeg

2 large heirloom or beefsteak tomatoes

1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles

Chopped chives, for garnish

Directions

Place the cream in a small pot and reduce by half by gently simmering 20 minutes.



Heat a medium skillet with olive oil over medium heat, add onions and garlic, season with salt and pepper and saute until translucent, 6 to 7 minutes. Drain the spinach by wringing dry in clean kitchen towel. Separate the spinach with your hands and add to onions and garlic. Season spinach with nutmeg then stir in the reduced cream. Adjust flavor with salt and pepper.



Preheat broiler.



Trim the tops off tomatoes and scoop out the seeds. Stuff tomatoes with creamed spinach and top each with 1/4 cup blue cheese. Broil to brown the cheese. Garnish the tomatoes with chives.

Bacon Horseraddish Mashed Potatos

Ingredients


2 large or 3 medium Idaho potatoes

Salt

Drizzle extra-virgin olive oil

2 slices smoky bacon, finely chopped

1/3 cup non-fat sour cream

1 rounded tablespoon prepared horseradish

Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Peel potatoes and cut them into chunks. Cover potatoes with water and bring to a boil; salt water and boil 12 to 15 minutes until tender. Drain and return to hot pot.



While potatoes cook, heat a small skillet with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil over medium-high heat. Brown the bacon then drain and reserve.



Mash potatoes with bacon, sour cream, horseradish and pepper.



Drunken Berries with Chocolate Drizzle

Ingredients


1 pint strawberries, hulled and halved

1 nip orange liqueur (recommended: Grand Marnier)

3/4 cup dark chocolate pieces - reserve a few shavings

1/2 cup cream

Pinch salt

Whipped cream, homemade or store bought

2 teaspoons orange zest

Directions

Soak berries in liqueur for 20 minutes.



Melt chocolate with cream and salt over low heat until smooth and combined.



Remove berries to 2 dessert bowls with slotted spoon. Drown drunken berries in chocolate river, top with mounds of whipped cream and garnish with orange zest and chocolate shavings.

Low Carb Peanut Butter Chocolate Cheesecake

 Carrie's Low Carb Peanut Butter Chocolate Cheesecake 


Ingredients: 32 ounces Cream cheese
1 cup Splenda
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
3/4 cup SF peanut butter (smooth or chunky, your choice)
4 Eggs, plus 1 Egg yolk
2 tablespoons heavy cream
3 Squares Semi-Sweet Chocolate (baking bar), melted in double boiler

How To Prepare: Bring all cold ingredients to room temperature. With an electric mixer, combine the cream cheese and splenda at slow to medium speed, scraping sides often. Add the vanilla and cream. When completely mixed (with no lumps), add the eggs and egg yolk, one at a time, beating very slowly.


When eggs are incorporated separate out one cup of batter then add the peanut butter into the rest of the batter. When peanut butter is blended in, don't mix any more. Over-mixing the batter is a contributing cause of cracked cheesecakes. (The leading cause of cracking is over-cooking, so don't believe any one who tells you it is normal for a cheesecake to be cracked; it isn't Always treat the batter gently. To the one cup of separated batter, add the three squares of melted chocolate and blend.


Add half of the chocolate batter to the bottom of a well-greased springform pan. Gently add the peanut butter batter, and then cover with remaining chocolate batter and spread to cover the top (no peanut butter batter should show through). The idea is to create a peanut butter cup, cook to the cheesecake with the chocolate batter at the top and bottom.


Place the pan on a very large piece of aluminum foil, and fold the foil up around the pan to create a watertight barrier around the cheesecake. Then place the springform pan in an even larger pan and fill the larger pan halfway with water. This is called a water bath. It is a gentler way to cook the cheesecake.


Place the entire water bath containing the cheesecake in a 300-degree preheated oven. Cook for 1 hour and reduce heat to 200 degrees for 1 more hour. Turn oven off and leave cheesecake in until the oven is completely cool. The cheesecake can even be left overnight at this point. Cracks can also occur when a cheesecake cools too quickly, so don't rush this process. Let it set up for several hours in the fridge, preferably overnight.

Yields: 12 Servings

Crying in the Fitting Room

I am pretty sure you have read where I said that I did not realize how big I had gotten. And until just recently I really thought that was true!!! I kept saying, "when I look in the mirror I am looking myself in the eyes." I would say, "I knew I was big, but I just didn't really see it." Apparently I was a big fat (pun intended) liar! I recently went shopping for some capri pants since my old ones don't fit. Even now when I put on what I affectionately call my "fat pants", I really cannot remember myself being that big. And these aren't the type of "fat pants" that you save for PMS days, these are the type that I could probably wear with someone else in them WITH me. (Yes, really... albeit a very small person.)

As a result of my weight loss I have lost several clothing sizes, 6 to be exact. I have gone from an 18 to an 6 and I am still going! (WOW it was hard to type that out!) As I have been shopping I have really struggled with finding things that fit me.... mostly because I am not familiar with how things look when they are too big. It honestly confuses me when I look in the mirror! The first time I went into the fitting room and knew the clothes looked bad and tried on a size SMALLER (size 6), I honestly sat down in the fitting room and cried. After all... it has been a LOOONG time since I had that issue! I really never thought I could be this successful! I tried losing weight a million times and would lose a few lbs and then hit a plateau. Of course, now I know it was because I was not REALLY committed.... but I certainly felt like I was!

This process has shown me a new level of strength that I never knew I had!!!

The Changes

Yep, that is right.... there are LOTS of things that will change as you lose weight. Things will come back that you never realized you were missing. Here is a preview of coming events-

"Oh my GOD!!! I can cross my legs again!!!!"- Yeah.... right now you might be thinking, what are you talking about Carrie?? I can cross my legs JUST FINE! Yeah, sure you can. However, I am not talking ankle on the opposite knee kind of leg crossing. I am talking about sitting like a lady WITHOUT having to block your leg so it stays there. I remember last year when Kyle and I were flying to NY for Thanksgiving and all of a sudden I realized I had crossed my legs to stay out of the way on the plane. I looked at him and said, "OH MY GOD!!!! I CAN CROSS MY LEGS AGAIN!!!!!" I am sure the other people on the plane got a REAL kick out of that... but when it happens to you.... you will KNOW how exciting this new change can be.

"No need to rush ma'am, I will hold this door as long as you need me to."- This change is more subtle. Remember when you were younger (AKA Skinnier) and people went out of their way to do generally polite things for you such as holding a door or stopping as you cross the road? Yeah, it was a distant memory for me too! But in January I was going to a bridal show in Richmond and I realized that cars were stopping to let me cross the road. I noticed that this was something that rarely happened to me anymore. But it opened my eyes to the changes around me. I would stop at the gas station and some guy would see me coming from across the parking lot and he would hold the door the whole time! A few times I even jogged because I was so far away and the nice gentleman said, "No need to rush ma'am, I will hold this door as long as you need me to." WOW!!!! Being thinner sure does have its perks!!!!

"What is he looking at??"- Picture this.... I am walking through work and I notice this guy looking at my pants. It seemed odd but I did not think much of it. So the next time I pass the same man, before I can even get past him, I notice he is looking down at my pants and I am thinking "what is he LOOKING at?!?!." Now, we have all had this moment of panic. "OH MY GOD WHAT IS ON MY PANTS??!?!?! DID I RIP THEM?!?!?!?!" I promptly hustle to the bathroom to figure out what the damage is. As I am craning my neck around while in front of the mirror and seeing that there is nothing wrong, it occurs to me..... "HOLY CRAP!!! He was looking at my ASS!!!!" So as any self respectable woman would, I walk by him again. Call it a test, call it an ego boost, but yep.... he was clear as day checking out my derriere! It has been a while since I got checked out! I had not even REALLY realized that it stopped.... but I sure did notice when it came back!

"Woot Woot! Hey guuuuuuuuuuuuurl..... you lookin FINE!!!"- Yeah.... you knew this one was coming right? Well, after getting checked out by the man at work I became more aware of my surroundings. And as I was getting out of my car near a construction area I got cat called. You know what I mean ladies.... the "psst psst" or the "whooooo hooooo!!!" or the "woot woot! Hey guuuuuuuurl..... you lookin FINE!" Well... that last one, that was the first cat call I got in years. And I remember a time when I would have rolled my eyes and turned away. After all, this is what all thin pretty girls do. They are so used to the attention that it becomes an annoyance. Well, I stuck to my guns and turned away, but there was no eye roll, there was a BIG OLE SMILE! Yeah, it may have been a sketchy construction worker.... but that cat call shows me that I still got it!!!!!!

"Where did these towels come from?"- OK, so there was a time when I was thinking.... why do towels seem to be getting smaller and smaller? Yeah well now I know, the towels were not getting smaller... I was getting BIGGER! You know how you can wrap the towel around you and tuck the top in so it stays on you? Well, that was not working for me anymore. I had gotten so fat that the towels were just not long enough for that anymore! I will admit that as things have changed I have not always noticed at the moment they happened. But one day I look at Kyle after getting out of the shower and I said, "where did these towels come from?" It took a half a second of him looking at me like I was insane before it clicked. We have had these for 3 years. They haven't changed, I have. It is a nice change when you can lounge after getting out of the shower instead of clinging to the towel for dear life just to keep it on you!!!!

"Pants balls"- If you are smiling, you know where I am going with this. Big girls have to deal with something that skinny girls don't. Pants balls. You know that area on your pants that is between your thighs? Where your thighs rub together? Yeah... pants balls. Anyone whose thighs touch knows what this is.... this is where the friction from your thighs rubbing together 24hours a day causes your pants to beg for mercy in the form of little fabric balls on the inner thighs of your pants. In my opinion this is likely the best way to keep them from actually bursting into flames from all that friction! Jeans are a different story, they do not produce pants balls, instead they just wear down.... and one day you are sitting down to use the bathroom and you look down at your pants and you realize that the thighs are now see through because you have worn them down. Make all the excuses you want ladies, but I am going to tell you the HARD TRUTH... your pants are BEGGING FOR MERCY!!! Well, as I have been buying pants I have noticed that this is no longer happening!!! Think of all the clothes we will save with the weight loss!!

"Shoe shopping anyone?"- So you may look at yourself and think, "gee my thighs are big, gee my arms are big, gee look at my belly" but do you ever look at yourself and go "gee my feet are fat!" No? Well you should. A strange change was when I went back to wearing a size 7.5 after several years of wearing size 8. I remember thinking that my feet must have been getting flatter as I got older and that is why I went up 1/2 a size. Now I know the truth.... my feet were fat too! Bad thing, I needed all new shoes. Good thing, I needed all new shoes!!!! Happy Shopping ladies, happy shopping.

"Why are the pockets so tiny in these pants?"- Yes, really. Long story short, I have bought several pairs of pants over and over again as my sizes have changed. In particular, I have several different pairs of Old Navy pants, which I LOVE, at size 18, 14, 12, 6. I just like them that much. Now, I knew the pants would get smaller. But I DID NOT expect the pockets to get smaller. In one certain pair of jeans, at the size 18 the pocket nearly went half way down my thigh. I never thought anything of that until I got the size 6 version (exact same pants, different size) and the pockets are so shallow that I cannot even put my keys in there without some odd looking bulge! So it is official, these clothing designers specially tailor pants for fat girls. Apparently they knew we need deep pockets, after all, we are HUNGRY!!! We need SNACKS! They make deep pockets so that we can store twinkies and cookies and other JUNK in there! Skinny girl jeans, on the other hand, have TINY pockets. Apparently, all those girls need is a stick of gum in their pocket! I am tellin you... as you drop the sizes pay attention to this! It is really funny and I SO WISH I could ask the designers about this.... it would be like watching a bug squirm under a microscope! teeheee...

Use these examples as some small things that you will notice change as your body does. You may notice some of your own changes, but pay attention to them and SAVOR THEM! Because you will NEVER go back! I will NEVER go back! WE WILL NEVER GO BACK TO BEING FAT! Why? Because it sucks being fat... that's why!