Shopping at the Health Food Store, a Cleanse, and New Recipes!

Me and my cousins & uncle Mark at Thanksgiving













Me, my Mom and my Aunt JoAnn at

Thanksgiving.


















Dear Readers-
 I  didn't tell you, but because of the holiday Rev Abs members were not given food for the weekend. So,we were on our own for the first time in three months. I was apprehensive at first, but decided to break it down and make it easier. First, I saved up a couple of meals, and then starting searching sites for recipes for easy to make, healthy meals. I know I can always just have a "salad", but that tends to get repetitive and boring at home.

Yesterday I took a jaunt into Beacon and stopped at the health food store. I walked the aisles taking mental notes on food I want to try after these 90 days. Gluten free pastas, Low fat brownie mixes, all kinds of cool things.

But for now, I tried to stay within the limits of this food plan and bought firm tofu, to make curried tofu salad. Organic spinach,to make an egg white omelet. Almond milk, to put a splash into tea and coffee makes it special, and it is lowfat! ALso some spices, and a 7 day cleanse.

I had lots of veggies left over from Thanksgiving..so I mixed them all in with the tofu and created this recipe:


Curried Tofu Salad
Salad -



4 teaspoons dried minced onion
1/2 cup soy mayonnaise
2 1/2 tablespoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
450 grams / 1 pound firm tofu cut into chunks
2 cups chopped vegetables, carrots, celery,peas
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Salt
Pepper


Mix everything up in a bowl and cover it. Throw it in your fridge and eat it tomorrow or later today.


Not too bad. I like the flavor. The tofu got a bit mushy but it tasted fine. The spice was nice, and it made several portions so I have some for all week if I want more.

As for the cleanse, I started it today, so I will let you know how it works over the next few days.

Have a fabulous Sunday Night!!

XO

I made it through Thanksgiving, AND went to the gym...

  Well it has been a whirlwind two days..but I survived!Now, I just need to get through Xmas and New Years with no weight gain and I am home free!! I spent Thanksgiving at my Mom's house in New Windsor, and loved spending time with them. Eating within my meal plan was super easy. I packed my bag with two premade meals..one had lowfat turkey chili, and the other was celery sticks with almond butter. Instead of my usual two treats that I make: Baked Brie in Croute and Death by Chocolate, I volunteered to make crudities (raw veggies of broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, red pepper, and celery) with a nonfat sugar free curry onion dip. Recipe below!
When it came time for the main meal (which my mom laid out like a buffet), I made my dish up with my premade main meal, added some asparagus (which my mom made for me, yay), and warmed my plate up. I stuck to my plate and was not tempted in the least by the mashed potatoes, turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing or most importantly my fave: sweet potato pie with pineapple, coconut and rum added , yum!

I helped clear the dishes, and set up the desserts, and treated myself to a lovely warm mug of coffee...yummm, and then sat away from the food for the rest of the night. A couple of hrs later, when people started to pick again, I took the celery sticks out and almond butter and noshed with them (the healthy grazing way).

Today was Black Friday, and at first I had planned on maybe heading out for some cheap wii games, or digital frames. But, on second thought, i decided to wait for Cyber Monday, and sit in the warmth of my home. I did pick up a couple of things for Duncan's stocking (shhh do not tell him)...on Amazon, and I made my list for family requests. In the afternoon, I headed to my upstate Gym: Gold's Gym for 2 hrs of cardio sprints, ab intervals and weight training. I worked out 800 calories all by myself and feel sooo proud. Now I can relax in front of the boob tube and continue unpacking boxes of stuff we packed when we did the floors.

I am a little scared of this program ending, but i do have my backup plan in place, 2 gyms, occasional personal training, and lots of cardio. I have 4 lbs until i hit my lifetime goal..and I am not stopping now!!

Happy , Safe and Merry.



Curry Dip:

Source: dLife

Prep Time: 3 hours
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Difficulty: Easy

Nutrition Facts

Makes 12 servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 39.5

Total Carbs 6.8g

Dietary Fiber 0.8g

Sugars 3.7g

Total Fat 1.1g

Saturated Fat 0.2g

Unsaturated Fat 0.9g

Potassium 23.4mg

Protein 0.8g

Sodium 252.6mg


1 1/2 cup fat free mayonnaise
1/2 cup fat free sour cream
1/4 fresh green onions , thinly sliced
2 tsp horseradish sauce
2 tsp curry powder
2 tsp sugar (i used splenda instead so my sis could eat it)
3 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 pinch salt and pepper



Directions
1 In a large bowl, mix mayonnaise, sour cream, green onions, horseradish, curry powder, and sugar.
2 Season to taste with lemon juice, salt and white pepper.
3 Refrigerate for several hours for flavors to blend.
4 Serve with dippers

I used broccoli florets, cauliflower, carrots, celery and red pepper. Enjoy and Bon Appetit.

Happy Thanksgiving, Black Friday Deals and Steals and Sample Sales

Just wanted to write a quick note to wish all of you Happy Thanksgiving!! Have a wonderful day tomorrow , eat well, travel safe!! Give thanks.

As for Friday,I am not sure where I am headed yet. I have not quite looked at all the sales, and I usually try to avoid crowds.

As for the upcoming sales, there are so many I just cannot try and stay on top of them..so here are a few that I am going to check out:

I loooove Hanky Panky , and picked up some great stuff at this sale last year.

HANKY PANKY ANNUAL SAMPLE SALE

December 2 – 5, 2008

Hours:

Tues. 12/2 8:30am – 8:00pm

Wed. 12/3 8:30am – 8:00pm

Thurs. 12/4 8:30am – 7:00pm

Fri. 12/5 9:00am – 1:00pm

Address:

260 Fifth Ave. (between 28th – 29th Sts.)

Street Level

New York City

For Inquiries Call: 212 725 4996

or

Visit our website at

www.hankypanky.com

CASH & ALL MAJOR CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED

and for gifties:

Accessories Sample Sale


Just in time for the holiday season, shop women and kids accessories at 75-90% off retail prices. Many styles have been featured in top fashion magazines and can be found in leading department and specialty stores.
Jewelry $2-$10
Handbags $5-$10
Cold weather accessories $3-$8
Hair accessories $1-$3
Hosiery $1-$3
Slippers $5-$10
Footwear $3-$5
Throws & blankets $4-$8
Novelty items $2-$5
Outerwear $5-$10
Sleepwear $5-$10
Fashion hats $3-$5


Event Begins: 11/24/2008
Event Ends: 1/5/2009
Event Times: Mon-Sat 9am-9pm
Sun 11am-7pm

Location: 389 5th Ave.
(corner of 36th St)
New York, NY 10016

Payment Types: Cash/MC/VISA/AMEX/DIS/JCB

Great bangles and stuff:


Alexia Crawford - Holiday Sample Sale


For the latest trends that are in the making and for every accessory worth buying, shop Alexia Crawford's month long holiday sample sale event! This event will feature fantastic jewelry and accessories at fabulous prices. Treat yourself and save up to 80% off wholesale prices! Tags range from $5-$ 10 on fashion jewelry, $12-$25 handbags/clutches, and one-of-a-kind pieces all specially priced. Ring sizes 6, 7, and 8 are available. Shop now for the best selection!

Event Begins: 11/28/2008
Event Ends: 12/24/2008
Event Times: Mon-Fri 9am-7pm

Location: 35 W. 36th St.
(btwn. 5th & 6th Aves.)
11th Fl
New York, NY 10018
(212) 629-6615
Payment Types: Cash/MC/VISA/AMEX/DIS - No Checks


La Perla - Women's & Men's Sample Sale


La Perla is having their winter blowout sample sale. There will be an assortment of lingerie, sleepwear, ready-to-wear, swimwear, and men’s underwear all marked 75% off retail prices. Here a just a few examples of what you will find:
La Perla balconnet bras with floral design in black and red with elastic and adjustable straps, personalized with La Perla logo now $67, orig. $268
La Perla black slip-stretch satin lace bra with adjustable straps now $85, orig. $346
Grigio Perla men’s round neck t-shirt in white or grey now $16, orig. $65


Event Begins: 11/24/2008
Event Ends: 11/28/2008
Event Times: Mon-Wed 9am-6pm
Thu 9am-3pm
Fri 9am-7pm

Location: 260 5th Ave (28th and 29th Sts)
Ground Fl.
New York, NY 10001
(212) 725-5400

Payment Types: Cash/MC/VISA/AMEX - No Checks

New Clothes, and A Challenge....

So today was the first day that I went out with a mission in mind. Essentials.

I bought the beginning of my new Sz 6 wardrobe, and boy did I have fun!! I received a coupon for Ann Taylor's Friends and Family Sale after signing up on the site. The coupon was for 30% off my entire purchase , and it is good until Sunday.

  I saved it , and prepared my list of essentials (based on Tim Gunn's List). I had a $300 budget to start, and planned on buying some black dress pants, a black skirt, a sweater, and a dress for Thanksgiving. Once in the store, I walked around twice, and found the dress first!! I had to struggle with whether the 8 or 6 would fit better, and went with the 6. It was perfect.
**Photos have removed because they belonged to the store, and I didnt want to get in trouble for sharing them without permisssion

Very plain, simple but elegant, and perfect for some crazy shoes.
And after the discount, plus the extra discount for opening a card: $47.27 !!

After I found the dress, I found my mojo, and tried on black pants, a sweater, top, sequined top and a pretty blouse:

Cashmere! Nice..with a raspberry lacy top underneath, and a matching raspberry satin sash. And there are the most adorable little rhinestone buttons too! All together I spent $253, but did not find the skirt. So I have some money left to find the perfect pencil skirt.

This blouse will go with everything from jeans to a cute pencil skirt!

After the shopping, I worked out with rev abs, and then went to a party for the club members. There was wine, and appys but all I had was one chicken satay and a dab of sugar free peanut sauce.

So good was I !! LOL...

The Challenge:

Today Brett and Mike issued the entire rev abs group with a challenge. Tomorrow we are being weighed in, and if we can lose 90 lbs collectively (that equals out to about 2 lbs each), then we can come up with a reward for our entire class. I am going to think hard on this one, and come up with something good. Hopefully.

Any ideas??

Xo until tomorrow,

My last Pair of Skinny Jeans.....fit!!!

It is official, every last piece of clothing, including my 28 skinny Jeans from Earl Jeans fit!! Sadly, my too-big pile has grown and filled two big plastic containers, but I am not sad. I am happy. I have a whole new "old" wardrobe to shop through. And, I have been promised not one, but two shopping sprees, so I have lots to look forward to. I really need a cute outfit for Thanksgiving, so any suggestions would be surely appreciated. I have seen some cute dresses on the way to the gym in the Ann Taylor, Banana Republic and J Crew windows, and since it is with the whole family, I can stand to be more conservative in style.

This photo was taken this past weekend at Mansion, a club in NYC with my friend and former Boot Camp trainer, Dara! We had a blast, and I cannot wait to hang out with her and my good friend Megan again.

Today Brett taught us stretches, and boy did I need them. I now know how to roll out the pain, but even so my glutes are on fire!!

I have started searching for recipes for the post-REV abs return to cooking. So if you run across any, please feel free to share :)

Xo,

Thanksgiving is approaching....

Hello dear readers-

 I don't know about you, but for me Thanksgiving is largely about eating a huge dinner with family and/or friends. I am not sure what will be in my "lunchbox" for Thanksgiving this year, but I am going to stick to it as much as possible, and hang out near the crudities before we eat. I have been preparing for this meal for a while, and checking out cool sites for lowfat/no sugar added recipes. I found some great ones and will share them with you. After I get back from the gym. Hey, I am no slacker.you think just because it is a rainy Sat afternoon in NYC I get to sleep in?? lol...

Have fun,

Photos!! (little black dress)

A sneak peek , and my first outing in NYC (and it was Italian!)

Well kind readers,

I did it! I went out to restaurant in NYC , and survived. LOL. It was not that hard. I read the entire menu, and evaluated the entrees, to find a smart low fat choice, without sauce, and make adjustments to satisfy my diet. I decided on the seared tuna, (no sauce) with a side of dark greens, and roasted tomatoes, with no butter or oil! Also, a small house salad, with no dressing, no cheese etc...
I really wanted the gnocchi, but knew there was no way, no how to make that possible!

And now on to the fun stuff. Today was a surprise weigh-in at the gym, and the upstairs scale said I was 134.5 . so I have 4.5 lbs to go until I make my weight watchers lifetime goal. I will be rejoining the week of Thanksgiving or after , and have to maintain it for 6 weeks before I become lifetime. I do hope to reach 120 at least once..but I know that I cannot maintain it, so it did not seem reasonable to make it my lifetime goal!

For really fun stuff. One of my friends asked to see photos of my progress so far. Now, keep in mind my after photos will not be taken until December 15th, so I still have a little over a month. These are by no means my after photos, they were taken by my hubby on my outdated digital camera, so please take that into consideration. Plus, my hair looks limp and yucky after being in a ponytail all day. But, I love the lil black dress from Daffy's in NYC :)

Photos in the next post!!!

The home stretch....

Well-
I am entering the last month of the rev abs program, and I am so addicted to the gym, and the diet plan, that I am hoping I can continue it through the rest of my life. I am only 5 lbs away from my WW lifetime weight goal..and then 10 lbs from my final goal that I may or may not be able to retain forever.
I have plans to join a new gym in NYC in Jan, and am leaning towards Equinox, though I am open to suggestions. I have already been a member of NYSC, and would like to try a new gym :)

Today we worked on some new abs exercises with the ball, and I just happen to have one at home, and never knew what to do with it! Now I know. I can set up a small gym area at home, and continue some of the exercises while watching tv too!

Monday we have our second test, and I hope that my training has gotten me far enough to do 10 pushups and at least a minute of booty time, or a deep squat with arms crossed, and a bar level beneath the chin.

I feel stronger, and healthy. So I guess I am ready for anything.

Have a fab weekend,

A new month, a new motto!

Welcome to November, the cold, and finally: the election.

So my goals for November are pretty simple. Lose 5-10 more lbs, give 100% in class everyday, eat only the foods that are in my lunchbox, and do my sprints a few times a week.

Other than that, enjoy the cool wind, crisp nights, and keep myself busy! I put my social life on the side while I do this program, but I am really looking forward to going out tomorow night. I won tickets to see "Speed the Plow" and am taking my mom. I cannot wait!

I will let you know how it goes :0)