Not me…not yet at least…I’ll explain in a minute.

First off…how fabulous were everyone’s comments yesterday on my post about using clothes for weight loss goals?! If you haven’t seen them yet, take a looksie – lots of great opinions in there (and if you haven’t weighed in yet I’d love to hear yours)! Click here to view them.

There were great POVs on why using clothes for weight loss goals can be good and bad and tips for how to do it the right way, if you think the idea meshes with your style in a positive way.

Let me fast-forward to breakfast quickly and we’ll return to the fun clothes talk.

***

I wanted another one of these for breakfast, but instead, I went with oatmeal:

Blueberry oatmeal, that is!

Oh yes, blueberry oatmeal with the fabulous, giant, plump, fresh blueberries picked up from the Farmers Market this past weekend. Yummers! I made mine this morning with almond milk and added flaxseed meal and coconut flakes on top.

I’d go into more eats, but it’s midnight and I’m sleepy…

***

I often find myself using clothes for weight loss goals or measurements in general.

When it comes to clothes and weight loss, I’ve had:

• Fat jeans
• Skinny jeans
• “Goal” pants
• Short-shorts
• and probably numerous other things I can’t think of at this time…

As for those short shorts…Around January of last year, when I was in my exercise rut and 15 pounds heavier and trying to work my way back to my happy weight, I thought…how wonderful would it be if I could pull off wearing short-shorts to zumba class.

I don’t mean like those soffe shorts…I mean, short, tight, bicycle-shorts-style short-shorts!

I mean…if I could comfortably and confidently wear short-shorts to class…that would be something, wouldn’t it?!

Pictured above is the pair I purchased last week. I haven’t worn them yet.

My goal to wear the short-shorts is amplified now by the fact that I’m an instructor-in-training and am announced as such in the beginning and end of each zumba class. Translation – I am often finding myself at the front of the classroom with half or more of the class staring at me (and potentially…my short-shorts).

EEEEEEEEEKKKKKKK!!!!

The truth is…though I am now 15 lbs lighter and at a great place with my weight, size, and health…these shorts still terrify the living daylights out of me! So, why buy them, right?! I actually got them to wear under that skirt in case I ever want to go punk-rock-style to my friend Megan’s class again (or for future events). The white tennis shorts weren’t cutting it. So, to wear these tiny shorts under a skirt is pretty safe, but to wear them all alone…that says something! That I’m crazy? Maybe. But, I’m hoping that whenever I find the courage to wear these short-shorts to class, it says, at least to myself, that I’m confident!

Have you ever had clothes you were afraid to wear? Tell me your story – what the clothes were, why you were afraid of them. Did you ever wear them!? Why or why not?

It’s already 11:30 pm and I’m just starting my post, so I’ll try to keep this short (and I may be a bit lazy and not download the photos from my other camera…hehe).

I made another individual breakfast crisp, except this morning I used a farmers market peach and my farmers market blueberries. Such a lovely combo of fruit!

I know oven-baked foods don’t seem like a good idea on a work week morning, but I think this guy saved me time. Instead of having to sit there and stir a pot of oatmeal, I just mixed the ingredients for this up and popped it into the oven. In the 20-ish minutes it took for my breakfast crisp to bake up, I got dressed and did my hair and makeup. By the time I was ready to go, so was my breakfast!

And look at the colors in my breakfast! The warm oranges to the deep purple…it looks like a sunset!! So pretty! Of course, it tasted fabulous, too. The tender fruit and that chewy/crunchy topping. Divine! What a treat in the morning. You must try this sometime! I bet it would make for a healthy dessert, too…I’m just sayin.

I had another fabulous night of zumba. Tonight, I led solo: Tik Tok and Break Your Heart. Both FUN songs! I love doing them!

My training is more than half way over and I’m going to have to do 3 demonstrations (as in lead ENTIRE classes solo) soon…eek! I’m nervous! Guess I’d better buckle down for the last bit of my training!

***

Post class I had a fabulous dinner with Megan!

And I came home to a treat – froyo! Hubby picked out one of my fave flavors – taro – and added my fave topping – lots of berries! Thank you hubby!!

***

So last week we talked a lot about our surprise good and bad foods. This week, my curiosity is in the clothing realm. As in, I want to know if you use clothes for weight loss goals. Like, saying something along the lines of “by the end of the summer, I want to wear a itsy-bitsy teeny-weeny yellow polka dot bikini”… Or, “In a year, I hope to be able to wear __________”?

I feel like I’ve used clothes more than a few times before when I had weight loss or health goals. What about you?

Do you use clothes for weight loss goals? I’d love to hear your opinion – please weigh in with a comment.

I LOVED reading everyone’s “I Can’t Believe I Used to Eat That!” foods. I think I was guilty of most of the same. lol

Here are some examples:

• Diet Sodas
• Chicken fingers (with a soup terrine of honey mustard!)
• Fast Food
• Hot Dogs
• Ramen
• Spagettios
• Livermush
• Snickers Ice cream
• Fake parmesan

We’re much better off nowadays, right?! *high five*

I was thinking today, the opposite of “I Can’t Believe I Used to Eat That!” foods would be “I Can’t Believe I LIKE Eating This Now!” foods. Sure you used to love your diet Dr. Pepper, but did you ever think you’d LOVE brussels sprouts?! If you had told me 10 years ago that today I’d really look forward to eating a big plate of brussels sprouts, or kale chips, or tempeh, I probably would have laughed in your face. But here I am, and I’m eating healthy foods and finding them delicious!

I’m surprised I now like:

• vegetables in general (I really do love them now but could care less for them when I was a kiddo)
• tofu
• tempeh (didn’t even know what this was until a couple years ago)
• kale chips
• spelt flour
• quinoa
• vegan and vegetarian entrees (I used to think I had to have meat in a meal for it to be complete – now I just want a protein)
• non-dairy milks (almond, soy, hemp)
• chia seeds
• goji berries
• veggie juices

What are your “I Can’t Believe I Like Eating This Now!” foods?

I started today with a big bowl of banana oats in my gorgey light turquoise handmade bowl.

The bowl also contained chia seeds, almond milk, coconut flakes, flaxseed meal and White Chocolate Dreams.

I used my last 2 farm-fresh eggs (from my first carton – I have a new one already!) to make lunch today.

On the menu: Toasted Wraps with Sloppy Scrambled (aka Hubby Scrambled) Eggs.

Where might the name come from? Well, one of the first things hubby ever cooked for me was scrambled eggs. They were easy and safe. I like scrambled eggs. I have fond memories of making scrambled eggs with my family. My parents would carefully crack eggs into a large bowl, add salt and pepper, and a dab of milk, then whisk everything together till the yolks and whites were well-mixed. Imagine my surprise when I saw hubby cracking the eggs directly into the pan! The horror! How would the yolks and whites incorporate properly? Turns out they wouldn’t…but I kind of liked it that way. There was something to that mix of yellow and white in separate, distinguishable colors and textures. I really enjoyed it.

These days, I switch between scrambling my eggs in a bowl or directly in the pan. I think each style has its own pros and cons, but the Hubby Scramble definitely means easier clean-up with one less dish to wash. (probably why I lean towards his method when I’m feeling lazy…heehee).

Sloppy Scramble How-To:

Step 1. Crack the eggs into a prepped pan (I spray non-stick in the pan) – don’t worry if the yolks break.

Step 2. Lightly stir the eggs so the whites and yolks are evenly distributed but not well-mixed.

Step 3. Continue cooking as you would regular scrambled eggs, flipping etc to ensure the eggs are cooked through.

Today I also used the same pan to saute some baby spinach.

I spread the egg onto two small WW tortillas, then added spinach, feta, and a wee bit of tomato juice. I think sun-dried tomato pesto or tomato paste would have been better, but I had the juice leftover from Sunday’s brisket so it seemed like a good idea. It turned out to be a bit watery…oops!

I wiped out the saute pan and used it to toast my wraps. I love that lightly crispy outside.

Beautiful colors inside! Tasty too! I loved the tender/crispy tortilla/wrap outside with the warm eggs and spinach. I think a cheese that melted better may have been more up my alley, but it’s nice to change up my flavors…I almost always do a more cheddar-type cheese with my eggs.

Nice and crispy and tasty dipped in ketchup.

***
This must have been a longer week than I thought. I ended up falling asleep on the couch for about an hour. I usually don’t nap unless I’m really stressed or sick/getting sick. I hope it’s not the latter!

My impromptu nap + an impromptu thunderstorm outside got me craving comfort food. I turned to some of mom’s soup stashed away in the freezer – Beef + Bean. I freshened up my bowl with some parsley from my herb garden. The soup was hot and cozy and hit the spot with brothy bites of tender beef and beans. So delish!

Plus a piece of buttered WW toast on the side. I love great bread with my soup. It’s so superior to crackers!

I decided dessert would be a good idea, too. Keeping with my comfort food theme, I thought a lovely berry crisp would be perfection.

I chopped up the last of my organic strawberries for tonight’s dessert. They were not as ripe as the others I’ve already eaten and weren’t looking their freshest. I figured baking them would help make them taste their best.

I busted out some Organic Tapioca starch to try out in place of corn starch.

Ingredients.

Fresh out of the oven. Gosh it smelled like heaven!

I enjoyed a big piece whilst catching the end of Part 1 of the Real Housewives of NY reunion. I can’t believe they have 3 parts! It must be juicy!

Mixed Berry Crisp/Crumble

Note: I like a lot of crumbly topping so I went a little heavy on the toppings. Serves 2. (vegan) (can be gluten free too if you ensure the oats and spelt are GF)

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups mixed berries (I used fresh strawberries and frozen blueberries)
• 1/2 tsp tapioca starch (or cornstarch)
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 cup oats (I used rolled oats)
• 1/4 cup spelt flour (or use whatever flour you have)
• heaping 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup EarthBalance (or butter)
• dash cinnamon (or 1/4 tsp)
• pinch salt

Directions:

• Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F and prep a small baking dish (mine was 4 1/2″ x 7″) with non-stick spray.
• In a medium bowl, mix berries, tapioca starch, and sugar. Pour into baking dish.
• In another medium bowl, mix oats, flour, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon. Use fingers to mix EarthBalance into the dry ingredients. Pour the topping over the fruit and use fingers to spread evenly.
• Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the top is just browning and the sides are starting to bubble.
• Let cool for 10-15 minutes before serving.
• Enjoy!

Remember to tell me your “I Can’t Believe I Like Eating This Now!” foods.

Can’t wait to see what you guys have to say about this one!

Helloooooooo lovelies!

I worked on a project last night that got away from me – sorry for the non-post.

I LOVED reading about everyone’s “Better Replacements“! You guys are so awesome!

Highlights:

• I loved how Emily gave up her microwave! I have been weaning myself off of mine, but I don’t think I can give it up 100%.
• Most interesting sub went to Brynne for her substitution of amino acids for soy sauce. I’ve been wanting to try amino acids for awhile! (anyone know what it tastes like?)

So glad to hear about others like me who are learning about food and incorporating that education for a healthier lifestyle!

The interesting thing about eating healthier is that the healthier you eat, the healthier you want to eat. The “bad” stuff starts tasting funny or at least becomes less appetizing. Your cravings for french fries and candies start to diminish.

The first time I noticed this was when I was in high school. I was training in figure skating and decided to take things to the next level by working on my nutrition. I knew then far less back than I knew today, but I had the good sense to, at minimum, give up candy and fast food. I wanted to eat food that would help me jump higher and spin faster and have more endurance. I felt like a real athlete! The results were wonderful. I found that not only was my skating better (and jumping higher and spinning faster), but over time, I wanted fast food and candy less and less. I didn’t want soda…I wanted water. I didn’t want candy. I wanted fruit. Instead of wanting fast food at least once a week, I didn’t really want it at all. It was amazing!

Unfortunately, I relapsed in college, but I’ve come around again. I’m eating “good” foods, which make me want to eat more “good” foods.

My palate is changing again.

Do you ever see a food you used to love to eat and cringe at the thought of eating it now? Today, I passed a vending machine at the office and spotted a honey bun. I used to love those things when I was a kiddo. Now, I think I’d rather go hungry than eat one. Honey buns have no nutritional value and probably contain lots of chemicals to keep it from spoiling while it sits in that vending machine for (seemingly) eons. If I’m going to eat something sweet and glazed, I’m going to be buying a handmade doughnut from a local bakery that is made fresh that day. Just because a doughnut is from a local bakery doesn’t mean it has nutritional value, but if you’re going to indulge, I figure you may as well have something that is fresh, handmade, and probably has a fraction of the ingredients.

What is your “I Can’t Believe I Used to Eat That!” food?

***

Guess who finally got to eat something from their garden!? Moi! Ok, so I only harvested a single eeny-meeny cherry tomato and had to back-fill my salad with grape tomatoes from Trader Joes, but still…I ate something! And you know what, those TJ’s tomatoes had NOTHING on the tomato from my garden. Gosh, it was so plump, juicy, sweet and fresh-tasting! Eating that one tomato makes me want to plant like 10 more tomato plants. If only I had the space!

I enjoyed another Chic Pre-Workout Bar today. I gave one to a co-worker yesterday and she said it was really good! Maybe I was hard on myself yesterday? I will still be experimenting with my recipe to see how other combinations work out. I’m thinking the addition of chia seeds would be a stellar modification from batch #1.

Speaking of chia seeds, I added some to my OpenSky shop (click to view)! I love how these are organic and heirloom quality!

***

Man, today was stressful!!! Luckily, I had a solution…

BEFORE Zumba…

AFTER Zumba!

How can anyone be down after zumba! The fun dancing and cheerful songs are such mood lifters. I ALWAYS feel better after a great zumba workout. Yay! Tonight I helped co-lead a couple songs including one of my all-time faves – El Alacran (aka the Dance Off song – we split the room and do a little dance off!) and led solo Valio la Pena (my fave salsa). So fun!

Tonight, hubby and I had a pizza dinner. I had two slices of cheese, some more KW Collards (random combo, but they are going bad today or tomorrow, and we wanted to finish them), and half a can of real coke.

Ok, ok…so we just talked about Better Replacements, and here I am downing soda, but I said I changed some things…not all! I’m working on it people! (btw, I have found a more natural form of coke – this guy I had at Earthfare…deeelish! Wish I had one of those tonight!). Anywho, I rarely drink soda at least. I’m definitely a no-diet kind of girl. I’d just rather have less of the real stuff.

Hubby and I split an organic gala apple for dessert.

We used it to help train Bailey. His latest trick-in-the-making: beg. He’s a natural (click), so I think he’ll catch on veeery quickly!

Remember to leave me a comment with your “I Can’t Believe I Used to Eat That!” food!

I got to test something out today:

One of my Chic Energy Bars (Pre-Workout). Ok, so this was my first attempt at this experiment, so I didn’t expect it to be too fantabulous…it wasn’t. It was just ok.

Observations:

• I wanted these bars to be a bit more cake-y than oat-y but also vegan (thanks for correcting me readers!) vegan-able – as in easy to make vegan (I think it’s easier to sub a vegan sweetener for honey than to sub something for eggs). Alas, they were a bit on the dry side. I wonder if baking powder may help get more air into the bars?
• Also, I used some local honey, which is great, but very flavorful…in a…whoa…that’s a lotta flavor kind of way. I don’t want the bar to be overshadowed by one of the ingredients. Perhaps brown rice syrup would also help bind the bar more?
• The dates were ok chopped, but since I was trying to let the dates be one of the sweeteners in addition to being a fruit, I think I may need to run the bar through the food processor to get it more evenly distributed.

Back to the drawing board!

Post work, it was time to get my ZUMBA on! I led Blue Jeans tonight and messed up on my cueing, but luckily the song is easy and the participants are rock stars. It was all gravy.

***

Better Replacements

Hubby has asked me before why some things I used to eat are not preferred/ok to eat any more (think . I say the difference is education. I don’t mean I went to school recently, but I’ve learned a lot more about foods and what to eat and what not to eat (I don’t have many “no” foods, but there are definitely some) just from reading the news, magazines, and books. I think that it’s great to keep an open mind and an open ear. I prefer to be ready to learn something new and will often times apply learnings in the form of lifestyle changes – beyond just food choices.

Here are some better replacements/changes I’ve made recently and strive to make:

• Store-bought bread for Great Harvest bread – GH is a bit more expensive but free of the chemicals, preservatives and other bogus ingredients in the grocery store stuff. Do I want to eat bread made with 20 ingredients or 5? I think I’ll go 5. Not to mention – they grind their own wheat! How cool is that? This is a great buy as I try to eat closer to the source.
• Local grocery store for farmers market – many products at the grocery store are shipped in from afar – from different states and even different countries. Think about how someone had to harvest your fruits/veggies/etc., pack it, ship it, and unpack it at the store. Nutrients are lost after fruits/veggies are picked. Farmer’s market produce is often picked the day before the market or even the same day! Plus, I like to support my local businesses by shopping local.
• Aluminum foil for parchment paper – there aren’t really any studies showing aluminum foil is bad for you, but parchment seems like a more natural product. Plus, if you use parchment paper, you don’t have to use non-stick spray. Score!
• Saran wrap for plates – ever heard that story about how if saran wrap touches your food while it’s cooking in the microwave that chemicals will seep into your food? Yea, I heard that one, too ,but I’m not sure if it’s true. Either way, I’m not taking chances. Especially since I can just as easily cover a bowl of soup with a plate instead. No plastic required!
• Bottled water for a reusable bottle – not only is this more eco-friendly, but it’s MUCH more cost-effective. Sure, some water bottles are expensive, but at $1-2 per bottled water, you’ll easily make your money back in a month or less. Plus, you can ensure you get a safer, BPA-free bottle if you get the reusable version.
• Standard bags for reusable totes – so eco-friendly. This is a no-brainer.
• Conventional meats for free-range/grass-fed meats – choose the latter and chances are good the animal had a better life and will also provide more nutritious, higher quality product.
• Conventional for Organic – there are many arguments for why organic is better than conventional. Mostly, I think organic foods are more nutritious, don’t have the icky pesticides and are more earth-friendly in general.
• Fake Sweeteners for more natural sweeteners – Here are some “no foods” for me: aspartame, sucralose, and other crazy-fake sweeteners. I avoid them as much as possible. There are too many great, much more natural products: honey, maple syrup, agave, sucanat…
• Bleached/processed flours for healthier flours – there’s a reason I’ve been playing with different flours outside of all-purpose: spelt, oat, brown rice, teff – they are often more nutritious and definitely interesting to try out.

In general, I guess I’d just rather have less of something and a higher quality, and I’d rather be as eco-friendly as possible.

Other things catching my attention:

• Canned food – have you seen this study? Scary stuff! Alternatives – I think I’m going to lean more heavily on frozen foods and try cooking my beans from scratch. Now…where can I find a good pressure cooker?
• Organic clothes – need to do more research. Seems like a good idea.
• Plastic containers – besides BPA, plastics are not good for re-heating food. I think I’m going to lean more towards using class or Pyrex type stuff. I wish Pyrex would bring back some of their vintage goodies.

What are some changes you’ve made recently or are in the process of making?