What Ana Does

You know how I said I was researching this KETO diet and contemplating giving it a try? I bought two books and was reading up on what it was all about, because I'd heard some great things. Yeah, no. Just no. Here are a few things I decided ... 1. When you're contemplating a diet that suggests getting a tool to "test your blood" (say what?!!) to make sure you moved from metabolizing glucose to fat -- that's a red flag. Blood tools are a no-go. Also, when there's an adjustment time that includes sleep issues, hair loss and very bad breath -- also a red flag. Sure, if I lived by myself. Or maybe a house with a bunch of other adults and a chef, like the Biggest Loser or Big Brother or something, than yes. Sure. But, otherwise, no. It's a pass. 2. The other thing I realized is that I'm exercising to create a "habit of exercising." ( Remember my five-year goals? ) But also to get out into the world and socialize with people. And when I st...

I've been doing a lot of research on tweaking my diet to promote some weight loss. Now that I've got a weekly exercise routine in motion, it just makes sense to alter my eating so I'm slimming down a bit, too. My big question is this ... how do I introduce this concept of diet change and weight loss to my girls in a healthy way?  The last thing I want to do is put them on a path to yo-yo diets and body issues. But, at the same time, it's healthy to discuss diet and how food that works to feed your body, etc. And we do talk about food, including limiting sweets at night -- they would eat a pound of ice cream if they could -- and why we add a protein or a green with each meal. So, it's not a completely new concept. I just hear stories from other women about how their mothers "obsessed over food and counting calories" and how it really changed their relationship with food and their body image and, boy, does that give me pause. Not what I want at all. ...

I've been drinking a berry smoothie almost daily for years. It started when I did ten weeks of Beachbody in 2014 (and hey, I lost some weight) and got hooked on their Shakeology powder. It just seemed like a much better breakfast than cereal or toast -- nutrition-wise. And I could drink it while making lunches and running kids out to bus stops. I pretty much follow the same recipe every morning and just change around the fruit. So here's my very unprofessional, yet delicious, smoothie concoction. Start with: Frozen Spinach - about 3/4 cup Frozen Fruit - almost 2 cups * Note: I don't actually measure anything, so this is just a guess. I've tried several different frozen veggies, including spinach, kale, boiled-then-frozen cauliflower, and found I just prefer the spinach. I used to puree and freeze the spinach in an ice cube try for easy-to-use servings, but lately, I'm just freezing our leftover salad spinach and using that. (In the picture it looks li...

OK people, I want to post my 2015 resolutions , so I will feel like a jerk when I don't follow them --because somehow having them out on a public blog makes me feel more accountable. Toes BUT before I dig into that list, let's review the 2014 resolutions from this blog post ... 2014 Resolutions: 1. Lose 10lbs. Check! Thanks to watching my calories and upping my exercise with T-25. And was able to keep off the lbs by meal planning and continuing the morning shake for the rest of the year. Though, let's admit that December was a disaster. 2. Make a doll. Nope. But I did learn to quilt. So, I'm going to count it. 3. Continue house improvements. Obviously! The update list included: the entryway, the blue wall in the kitchen, the laundry room, and new windows. All posted on this blog. But still lots and lots to do. 4. Continue landscape projects. Not as much as I wanted to, but attempted some things on the front garden, added peonies and hydrangea to the ba...

I've started thinking about what foods I can make at home instead of buying processed. I've already ventured into homemade yogurt, which I enjoy and love eating, I'm wondering what else I can make weekly to become less reliant on food companies to make (and muck-up) the foods my family eats. And it's definitely a growing trend! For me, it started with Michael Pollen's books about the food industry. And I'm so inspired by the  Homemade Pantry cookbook, which I continue to love and use all the time. Not to mention sites like  100 Days of Real Food  that makes dumping processed foods look easy. Here's a breakdown of my Make or Buy foods: Yogurt - both: I love my homemade jars of yogurt, and each week I experiment with time and steps. Some batches are stiffer than others, but in another few months, I should have this buttoned up. Now, getting the kids on board will take some doing. They're hooked on the sweet flavors of our Sunnybrook and Trader J...

Mind blown! This is what happens when I read Michael Pollan's books. I'm agog at the complexity and absurdity of food politics. And how far gone we've gone from what we SHOULD be eating. Guys, it's just logic that because our diet has changed drastically in the last 100 years that diseases like diabetes, cancer, stroke, heart attacks, obesity have jumped in that time. How could it not? Our bodies were not made to handle the food products we're stuffing into it. This last week I've been listening to his latest, "Cooked," in the car and I'm again totally blown away. Here are my new food obsessions and a few cool tidbits I found fascinating from the book. Hello live culture foods!! With the onslaught of antibiotics -- in medicine and being sprayed on our foods and injected into our livestock, we're killing all the good bacteria that live in our guts. And it's those little bugs in our tummy that keep us healthy. Especially our kiddos....

What a difference 10 weeks can make. As I strategize what I'll be doing for the next few weeks, to shed a few more pounds/inches, here's a review in pictures: The Chart! I Kept Track of Weight (Too Much) And How I Was Feeling/Doing. I'm a Note-Taker.  My Favorite 10am Snack: Homemade Yogurt and Fruit A Post-Workout Selfie. I Stayed on the Floor for a Long Time Every Dinner Should Start With Chopped Up Veg, Right?  My Post 10-Week Pic: That Muscle? I Can Do Better! I'm going to try to take the best and favorite parts of the last 10 weeks and continue them. Dare I dream of a two-piece for our Disney vacation!?!?

Guys! I reached my 10-Week Challenge goal in just 8 weeks. Ten pounds gone. And they ain't coming back. Happy dance! Silly in the Pool Locker Room

Oh my. Alice talked us in to buying challah bread at the grocery store this weekend. And I was feeling all "cool, I can stay away from it." Sure. And then, here it is. On my counter. Taunting me. Challah Bread in Plastic It's not like I can't eat any of it. I can have a little piece, right? But, it's challah bread. And when I start, how can I stop!?! So delicious! Dave thoughtfully offered to lick the bread so I'd be so grossed-out I wouldn't eat it. But let's be honest.... 

I'm starting week 6 this week, meaning I'm half-way through this little weight-loss experiment. So far I've learned: A View of My Cutting Board - I can live without chocolate. Seriously. I swipe some ice cream from the kids, sometimes, but I'm pretty ok without it. French women don't eat chocolate unless it's very high quality, and then they savor a small amount. Be snooty about your food. - I cannot live without bread. I tried. The first two weeks I was limited to two servings and I nearly DIED (not really). I. need. my. bread. Since, I've let it sneak in a little too liberally, from Wasa crackers to a piece of toast topped with avocado and tomatoes. So, my goal is to find a happy balance. I mean, my splurge was croutons, people. That's crazytown. - I'm a big dork when I try complicated exercise moves -- and that's OK. I found a spot in my basement, in front of the TV, where I can see my reflection in a window. It's good, becau...

I'm on a diet, work full time and have a 2nd grader -- that means my morning is all about food prep. First, I have to make breakfast for the ladies and a smoothie for myself. Yum! Then, I have to make a lunch for Leah; she rarely chooses the school's hot lunch. That's some combination of sandwich, yogurt, carrots, cheese and fresh fruit or fruit snacks -- depending on what's available. Last, there's the two balanced snacks for myself (10am and 3pm) -- yogurt and fruit, tuna and celery, carrots and grapes, turkey slices with avocado. Lunch is usually a salad bar affair. But, of course, I don't do the tasks in any order ... it's scattershot. I think I'm trying to follow some logic, like I'll do everything that requires the blueberries first, but I lose track. But, it all gets done and put away by the time I walk out the door, so ... it works. The Island Prep Station - Prepping for Everything! I know other Moms who do this prep the night b...

I promise this wasn't going to become a blog about my diet/weight-loss "journey" (ugh) for the new year, but wanted to give you an update. It's January, everyone is watching their diet and exercising more this month. It's the American way! The Update: I'm starving and sore.  The Work-Out Plan Starving because the first week of this T25 Beach Body plan limits your calories to about 1,000 for the day. THE DAY! For example, my lunch today was two deviled eggs. Two eggs! That's it. Am I missing something here? I get an afternoon snack that I will be hungry for in about 30 minutes. They ask, am I drinking water, yes! Yes! Yes! So much that I'm in the bathroom every hour. Sigh. I was prepared for some deprivation, but this doesn't seem right. Anyway, this weekend I can increase the caloric intake by a few hundred, so yippee. On the workout front, well, that's going better. They're 25 minutes and, yes, they kill you, but it's ov...

This new year is going to be IT! THE YEAR! Here's how I know ... it's an even year and, in my life, many of the BEST things happen in an even year. Births, graduations, exciting trips -- all in even years. So, good things are coming. What will you be reading about in 2014 on this blog? Here's the rundown: - dropping a minimum of 10lbs. I know it's cliche to set a weight-lose goal in the new year, but this IS happening, people. I've got goals, help, incentives and a 10-week challenge. But, never fear, this blog will not turn into a weigh-loss diary -- because that's just lame.  Selfie in NYC - making dolls. I've been inspired by the dollies that I see on Etsy and in the Kiki and Coco book to hand-make a doll. Or two. Or more, if it's fun. I ordered a doll from Etsy that I'll use as a sample and we'll go from there. If all goes well, no surprise what the nieces will get for Christmas next year.  - continue house projects. Thi...

Audiobook: French Women Don't Get Fat by Mireille Guiliano Read By: Mireille Guiliano Genre: Diet / Memoir I've already mentioned my Francophile-ness. And a place where women eat bread, cheese and yogurt and manage to stay thin is someplace I want to be. Plus, it's the new year, so it's time to examine my diet. I checked it out. This book is half diet tips and half memoir. The harrowing tale of teenage Mireille who spends a year in a Boston suburb eating brownies, gains 20lbs and is told by her father "you look like a sack of potatoes" when she gets off the boat. The family doctor, known as Dr. Miracle, puts her on a diet (leek soup!) and explains to her the habits most French women have cultivated to stay slim -- despite all the bread and cheese. Oui! Then, the time-worn secrets of French women are revealed in chapters of tips and practical stories. Most are common sense, some are just great to consider or be reminded of, including: all things i...