2011 Food Diary - Day One.

Sorry for the small hiatus. I'm not going to bore you with excuses. I have not had any motivation to update the ol' blog for quite some time...

This does not imply however that I have not continued my health routine. That never truly ceases. Not even when I reach my ideal weight and size, because then its maintenance time. I am pretty much the same size and weight as the last "vlog" posted below. I have varied about 5-8lbs since that video was recorded and posted, some weeks I am heavier, some lighter, all depends on the time of the month. In general however, I have pretty much stayed the same. I’ve had some health problems to blame, hormonal shifts that suck my energy and deprive me of my beloved and intense cardio workouts. Probably the  main culprit of my plateau. However, never one to give up, despite the challenge that might arise, here is my plan of attack!

2011 Health and Fitness Goals:

1. Achieve all A's in my health report card. Want very low and healthy numbers in everything from my cholesterol (which is under 200, but could be lower) to my sugar and glucose levels. Also want to keep a higher metabolism (last time I tested it was at very good.)
2. comfortably fit into a pair of size 12 or skinny jean size 14s. (I have one pair of size 12s that fit, but I want to be able to fit into most normal 12s. Its the right "size" for me. I am still teetering between regular 14s and some smaller 16s thanks to my large behind:)
3. Lose between 20 -25 lbs or reduce at least 10-12 inches all over my body, whichever comes first. However, I really like my friend Vero's philosophy, its more about just feeling completely satisfied and happy with myself and full of energy more than a number on the scale.
4. Drink at least one of my incredibly healthy green juices a day. (lately I’ve been slacking off to 2 or 3 a week.)
5. Stick to cardio and strength training at least 6 days a week but make it fun, interesting, and always switch it up.
6. Keep a food journal.
7. Drink lots and lots of water.
8. Use positive self-affirmations and feel proud of my accomplishments along the way.
9. Get to bed by latest 11 p.m. every night.
10. Accomplish all of this by latest June 2011.

In order to stay true to number 6. Today I decided to document my food diary with pictures for a whole month. From Jan 31st (since its a Monday)  to February 28, I will be documenting everything I eat and drink on a daily basis. The hubby and I have commenced a modified eating plan (I refuse to use the word diet, or to mentally restrict myself with it's definition). We have called it the European Low-Carb plan. It is not an extreme low-carb plan like Atkins or South Beach. It is reasonable, delicious and varied. It also has been known to help some lose up to 10lbs in 2 weeks! It is high on protein, veggies and certain fruits. It allows for  olive oil,  yougurt, cheese, olives, nuts, and real, organic whole grain bread (we will begin to make our own soon). It also allows for certain juices, squeezed fresh from the fruit, herbal teas, coffee and stevia.  It does not allow for any refined or processed carbs or any white bread, pasta, white rice, potatoes, sugars of any kind - includes none of my beloved brown rice either. It allows for a plethora of food combinations and delicious recipes and I am excited to share and document my menu with you below:

Day One (Jan 31)

Breakfast: 1 cup of non-fat Greek yogurt, 1/2 cup of oatmeal, cooked in water, 1/4 apple, diced, 3 small frozen chunks of mango, handful of walnuts and a little stevia and cinnamon. 1 cup of coffee, black.

Lunch: 1 1/2 cup of shredded romaine lettuce, 1/4 finely diced red onion, 1 small romaine tomato - sliced, 1 boiled organic egg - sliced, 1 piece of cured ham - shredded. 1 mozzarella stick, cut into chunks. Vinaigrette made out of balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil (evoo.) 1 piece of toasted whole grain bread.

Snack: Green juice made out of carrots, broccoli, kale and half an orange. 3 almonds.

Dinner: Two small ground turkey patties made with diced onion, green pepper, mushroom, garlic, organic multi-herb seasoning, salt, and pepper, cilantro.  Topped with one slice of low-fat Swiss cheese (one of the lowest-fat cheeses.) Cauliflower and Broccoli mash made with salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon of low-fat sour cream for 2 servings of mash (only 50 calories.) Blanched Zucchini and a few tomato slices, 1/2 cup of POM juice, made from 100 percent concentrate pomegranate. no sugar. no chemicals or preservatives.

Dessert: 1/2 organic apple and 5 almonds and a cup of herbal tea with no sugar. (sorry no picture of that.)

I apologize about the poor quality of the pictures, they are all taken with my Blackberry. As I plan to do this at least 5 days a week I will be using the most convenient method to document,  which is my mobile phone!

Exercise: 40 minutes of Cardio.

End of Day One. Please comment away and let me know if you like what you see and hear:)

My "Perfect Imperfections" Update Video

Hello lovelies! So sorry for my absence from my health blog. I have been very busy combined with being sick - no time nor energy to film a video, let alone upload it.

However, I decided to get back into the swing of things and start my latest weight-loss vlog update with a twist. Inspired by a "tag" that many of  my favorite youtube make-up gurus are participating in - I decided to list 3 of my imperfections, the things I like least about my appearance that I am working on changing/improving -  but also, and more importantly,  sharing the three things I like most about myself. I am encouraging all of you readers to do the same and share with me in the comments where I can view your video response:)

A few disclaimers:

• sorry, no time for editing, your going to have to view this video tilting your head, lighting is also not the best, nor is the angle, oh well. I have continued to lose inches/pounds slowy but surely and continue to work towards my goals:)
• i have been sick for the past couple of weeks and my raspy voice is evidence to this:)

Hope you enjoy and can't wait to see your perfect imperfections!

xoxo

Weight Loss Video Diary - Take 3

Hello my fellow Healthy Hotties. Here it is, Video for week 3. Was finally able to figure out how to rotate the video properly. but (as always something has to go wrong) this video has poor lighting...in any event, It will do for now. Is it true that the camera adds 10lbs? Because I swear I look thinner in person and in front of the mirror than when I look at this video. Maybe its me. Or maybe its those darn hormones. In any event, I'm wearing a size 12 dress (with a little stretch) and an old Express (use to love that store back in the day) size 10 (with stretch) shirt! I also woke up this morning with my house shorts practically falling off - a few weeks ago they were hanging on to all of my "bodaciousness" (as Viv calls it) with no problem, so… that definitely accounts for something. I haven't wanted to try my goal pants on until after AF is completely over with. which will be very soon. Please stay tuned for updates.





(btw, I did some re-decorating for Fall - as most Interior Decorators do...after a few months its time to change things up:) unfortunately, the video doesn't do my fabulous new color scheme any justice. tee hee ( I incorporated some exciting new purple jewel tones for Fall) lol. Stay tuned for updates on my quick, budget-friendly re-decorating process for Chateu Ces't La Vie on my Ces't La Vie Events Blog:)

xoxo

Weight Loss Video Diary - Take 2

Hello my lovelies.  Here it is Weight loss Video Diary - week 2, shot today, Sunday, September 20 exactly one week after I shot the first video.

Again. A few Disclaimers:

• Sorry, this week's video was not as succesful as last - I was unable to rotate it (and trust me I tried) using as many programs as possible. Something about the image being invalid. I didn't/couldn't record a new video, so Im going to have to ask you to tilt your head to view. Sorry, promise next week's will be better!
• I picked a new spot hoping the lighting would be better, but not sure if worked.
• Also, don't laugh as I lose my balance a little while trying to provide proper full body image. ;)

I stuck to my eating and excercise schedule to a tee with the exception of a a few days of unexpected fatigue because of the onslaught of an unwanted visitor (she knows who she is! ugh! she comes every month!) therefore I had to adjust my excercise schedule a bit and had to do some substitutions. (i.e. skipped bike riding on Sunday, but incorporated 1.5 hours of intense salsa cardio) Will be back next week with another update:)

xoxo,
The HH

Weight Loss Video Diary - Take 1

As promised (many, many moons ago...I apologize for my procrastination I have been legitimately very busy these past weeks, but I digress)  below is my video/weightloss diary - Chapter 1. A couple of disclaimers before you click play and begin to analyze, dissect and critique me while watching my embarassing rambling, shaky camera and unflattering body images...lol

• I had to take this video myself since the hubs was not around, after trying to set up my camera in many a make-shift tripod (note to self: get a real tripod soon:) I decided the best method would be to talk to a mirror:)
• Pardon my inccesant "umming", I guess I am a bit nervous this being my first official video.
• The partial "body image" in that wide-angle mirror is not the most flattering and actually makes me look a lot wider than I really am, also realized the  angle of the lighting didn't help.  Next video I'll have the hubs record so that you can get a much better idea of what I really look like. It will also help me measure my progress more accurately.  A better indicator are my measurements which are currently: Bust: 44, Waist: 33 1/2, Hips: 45. Currently wearing a size 14 Misses in most dresses, shirts, skirts and pants. When it comes to slimmer cut jeans however, still wearing a size 16 misses. ( My  ultimate goal is to be a size 12 across the board with a few skinny jean 14's sprinkled in for good measure:)

I have begun a very different eating regime to help me out of this plateau, somewhat of a modified South Beach. It consists of lots and lots of healthy proteins, veggies, monusaturated fats (i.e. avocados, nuts, olives, olive oil), a little low-fat dairy and absolutely no fruits, whole grains and sugars (not even my beloved agave) this is just a 2-week plan. I will be on it till the end of this week and then starting next Monday slowly start incorporating good carbs back into my diet. My excercise schedule this week will be the following:

Monday - 1 hour High Intensity Cardio
Tuesday - 30 minute high intensity cardio 30 minutes of weight-lifting and toning.
Wednesday - 1 Hour Zumba
Thursday - 45 minute high Intensity Cardio. 15 mintues of weight lifting and toning.
Friday - 1 Hour High Intensity Cardio
Saturday - Rest
Sunday - 1 Hour Bike Ride (5 miles)

This is my goal. By next week I'll have an update to see if Ive stuck by this schedule. Please stay tuned...

Tilapia and Basmati Brown Garbanzo Rice

Hi Everybody! So sorry to have neglected my health blog. No valid excuse except to say  that I have been extremely busy these days with other projects/business demands that have taken priority.  This is not to say however, that I have equally abandoned my Healthy Hottie lifestyle. No. I have continued in my efforts towards weight-loss, a tighter, firmer body  and general well being. I will say this schorching summer heat has really been conducive to eating less and drinking more (water, that is;)  Somehow the heat and intense humidity eliminates the cravings for food binges and replaces it with an insatiable need for lots and lots of cold water. Always a Plus when trying to lead and maintain a healthy life style. H20 after all is the life-line.

I have many updates to share regarding my progress, future goals and daily struggles but I decided I'd give the whole vlog concept another try, so look out for a future post where I'll link a video of me talking to the camera and hopefully a few other interested parties. (i.e. you kind folks, and other curious youtube viewers:)

Meanwhile, thought I'd share a yummy, light and easy to make Fish Dinner I recently made.  Total prep time: 30 minutes!

Sautéed Tilapia with cilantro and onions and Brown Basmati with Garbanzo Beans.

Cast of Characters:
1.5lbs of Tilapia filets, cut in chunks
2 cloves of garlic finely diced
1/2 a red onion, cut in fine strips
Fresh Corn (cut from cob)
1/2  a bushel of fresh cilantro
1 cup of stewed organic tomatoes
1 Tsp of Olive Oil
A pinch of cumin
A pinch of cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste

For Rice:
1 Cup of Basmati Brown Rice
1/2 of good quality (organic) garbanzo beans, drained
2 Tsp of Anato Powder (for color)
1 Box of Chicken Broth
1 Tbs of Olive Oil

Directions: In sauté pan add olive oil on medium heat, then add garlic, onions and let caramelize. Add the tilapia chunks, let caramelize on both sides. Then add Stewed tomatoes and cilantro and let simmer as such.

After you've let simmer for about 5 minutes. Add the freshly cut corn, cayenne, cumin and then cover:

Tilapia cooks quickly so make sure to not overcook.

For the rice. In separate saucepan, add 2 cups of Broth to one cup of rice. You may have to add a little more broth/water because brown rice absorbs more than white, so use your judgment. Allow liquid to boil and then add the rice, garbanzo beans, salt and annatto powder. Mix well. Leave heat on high until all of the liquid is almost absorbed and little air pockets begin forming in the rice. Stir in the olive oil with a fork (fluffing as you go) and then cover and let cook on low heat for 10 to 15 minutes depending on amount of rice.

Finally, serve along side a leafy salad and enjoy:)

A nice, healthy but yummy dinner. Hope you enjoy!

xoxo,
The Healthy Hottie

Cheers to being Accountable!!!

Its oficially summer and oficially time to kick those weight/health goals into full gear!!!!! I have a plan and that plan WILL come to fruition if it kills me darnnit!!!!

I apologize for the dramatics people but that's how I be! lol

Please be on the lookout for an upcoming youtube video where I share the good, bad and ugly of the never-ending pursuit to attain and Maintain a Healthy Hottie lifestyle!!!

Coming to theatres near you soon!

xoxo,

The HH