Everything for Ana: February 2014

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Supplement Facts Serving Size 1 Packet (9.1 g)
Amount Per Serving		% Daily Value
Calories	25
Total Carbohydrate	6 g	2%**
Sugars	5 g
Vitamin C (as ascorbic acid, zinc ascorbate, chromium ascorbate)	1,000 mg	1,667%
Thiamin (as thiamine hydrochloride)	0.38 mg	25%
Riboflavin (as riboflavin 5’-phosphate sodium)	0.43 mg	25%
Niacin	5 mg	25%
Vitamin B6 (as pyridoxine hydrochloride)	10 mg	500%
Folic Acid	12.5 mcg	3%
Vitamin B12 (as cyanocobalamin)	25 mcg	417%
Pantothenic Acid (as calcium pantothenate)	2.5 mg	25%
Calcium (as calcium carbonate, calcium phosphate, calcium pantothenate)	50 mg	5%
Phosphorus (as potassium phosphate, calcium phosphate, sodium phosphate)	38 mg	4%
Magnesium (as magnesium hydroxide, magnesium carbonate)	60 mg	15%
Zinc (as zinc ascorbate)	2 mg	13%
Manganese (as manganese gluconate)	0.5 mg	25%
Chromium (as chromium ascorbate)	10 mcg	8%
Sodium (as sodium bicarbonate, sodium phosphate)	60 mg	3%
Potassium (as potassium bicarbonate, potassium carbonate, potassium phosphate)	200 mg	6%
Alpha Lipoic Acid	1 mg	†
Quercetin	1 mg	†
**Percent Daily Values (DV) are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. †Daily Value not established.

Monday, February 24, 2014

Giveaway: Crane Blue and white drop humidifier (with dimineralization).

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Hosted by

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Co-hosted by

Barbara's Beat, Capri's Coupons, Simply Sherryl,

Tabbys Pantry, TOT Runway,

My Silly Little Gang and Dividing by Zero

One lucky winner will win

Crane Blue/White drop humidifier with demineralization

Dates:

Feb. 24 - March 10

US Resident only.

All entries are optional

We appreciate the support of our sponsor, co-hosts and bloggers promoting, please show your support by following them on their social media pages.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: Everything For Ana is not responsible for the awarding of the prize. If you have any questions about this giveaway, please email the host at nysavingspecials@gmail.com

Thursday, February 20, 2014

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

This week, in short....

My lovely Valentine's Day dress and new jewelry!

Hello Dear Readers:

Phew what a week last week into this week. It has been nothing but a big MESS. I noticed my blog was quiet, did you? Well, I will tell you why in short. Ana-sick. Ok..that is fine. Mama and Daddy can take care of her with soup, meds and lots of rest. But oh no...then Mama -sick. Now we have a problem. The household slows down, with 2 of us sick not too much fun being had. Then, inevitably Daddy-sick. Well, what can I say to that?? Full stop. Lots of snow. School cancelled. Just one thing after the other, based on colds, snow, coughing, sneezing and lots of crap. And even our Valentine's Day event was cancelled. We had planned on going over to the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park for a four course dinner and champagne tasting with an American champagne company. SO disappointed. We made up for it by buying some lobster tails and pink champagne, but still, not the same.

I didn't get to wear my new red dress out, but I still took some photos (see above) and I have some fabulous reviews coming up! And even a giveaway here and there. Also, part 2 of my forty before forty, with a whole lineup coming this spring! So exciting.

I will leave you with some photos from the snow, ice and other events this past week.

Made it to a boxing class this week (at least)

We got sooo much snow!!!

I made cute Vday prezzies for the girls in Ana's class.

The boys get something too, bags of bugs!

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Week 1 Check In #revoltnowfit Getting Sick and Dealing with It!

Mama, You will be proud of my Matzoh Ball Soup, it was delish!

Hello Dear Readers:
Well, I have good news and I have bad news. The bad news first? I finally gave in and got the cold that Ana had brought home to our household this past week. She was sick first, so I loaded up on vitamins, drank vinegar tea, ate lots of garlic. I tried all the natural ways to prevent cold to no avail. And then, after I was sick for a few days, Daddy got sick too. So we had a house full of sneezing, hacking, coughing, nose clearing sickies. Lots of chicken soup, matzoh ball soup and even pea soup was made. Cold foods were abandoned and most of my tastebuds were gone. I stuck to the detox pretty well considering eveything was tasteless and although I didn't step on a scale to prove it, I felt like it went well. Monday started Week 2 foods on Revolt and this week's recipes are spicy, flavorful and delicious (photos coming soon). Also, I rediscovered the joy of half of a glass of kefir in the morning. Less coffee ,more probiotics I say.

So ready for the good news? Last week at the gym (before the sickies settled in) I had one of the lovely trainers put me on the body fat measurement fancy schmancy scale. And the results came out better than I expected. Although I weighed in 3 more lbs than the last time I got on the scale at home, some of it may be muscle because my body fat percentage was lower than I expected. Check it out here (I took a photo to compare to it in 6 months):

The trainer at Gold's Gym told me to ignore the BMI and go by the bodyfat percentage which is 20.4% , a lot lower than I expected and fully in the healthy zone for my age/weight/height. Even if you can believe it, on the lower end...crazy!!

As for my measurements this week..not much has changed. My hips measured a half inch smaller which could be true or just the measuring tape being tighter, lol. No big changes yet. But what did I expect for one week, with half of it being sick?? Ill check in next Sunday and compare again. Eventually all of the muscle confusion and clean eating will change things inside out!!! Later gators!

And Happy Early Valentines' Day. I was feeling sassy and sexy when I took this selfie!!! Look for some cute V Day photos and a new dress/necklace post soon!!

Xo

Friday, February 7, 2014

40 Before 40 Begins. 6 months of fun and creative experiences before I turn, gasp, 40!! #40before40

The inside pool at Cove Haven.

Hello Dear Readers:

Well, there it is. 6 months until I turn the BIG 4-0! August 6th , 2014. Phew, I don't know how I got here so fast, but I certainly do NOT feel 40. And that should count for something, right?

I decided to challenge myself and come up with 40 experiences and artistic endeavors that I have either never done, or have not participated in for a very very long time. Some are basic and I should be doing more often and some are more complicated, and are one off experiences. Either way, lots of fun will be had!! So without further ado I will start with #1. If all goes well, and it should, most of the experiences will take place in the spring and early summer ending with my party as number 40 in August. I have already signed myself up for a bunch and have a list made. Yay!

#1
#40before40.

A love nest in the Poconos:

Photo courtesy of the Cove Haven Website found here

Growing up I remember seeing a commercial for the "Beautiful Mount Airy Lodge" in the Poconos in Pennsylvania. I also remember the commercial featured a human sized bathtub (jacuzzi?) in the shape of a champagne glass. I thought: "How cheesy".

But now that hubby and I have been together for quite a while and are seeking new experiences and with the craziness of the holidays all over, we booked a weekend in a romantic suite to experience that "cheese" for ourselves. I found a daily deal for the Cove Haven Resort , booked it, and we were on our way!!

Upon entry into the resort there is a HUGE sign (it reminded me of a Vegas resort, that perpetuated the cheese, but at least we knew we were driving in the right direction. Then, we noticed a cute snow bunny lodge and snowmobiles (yay).

We checked right in (even with a line, we were impressed with how quickly that happened), given our keys and drove over to our building which turned out to be right across the street from the check in building and not far away from the theatre. So have you ever wondered if the rooms look like they do on the website. They do. In all their cheesy romantic glory. Here are some photos I took. I even took one of the sparkly ceiling (it twinkled like stars in the sky) but they were not really captured that well digitally.

A round bed with mirrors and a sparkly star ceiling, score!!

The requisite heart shaped bathtub (with jets)

I knew before I left that I wanted to take some cutesy bathing suit in a bathtub with champagne kind of photos and I did. But you have to wait for those. Heehee.

So what do people do for fun at these resorts. Well, without detailing our entire trip step by step lets just say we checked out most of the buildings from the ice skating rink, to the arcade to indoor basketball and of course the gym, pool and jacuzzis. There are plenty of outside activities too, but it was bitter cold so we preferred to stay inside in the warmth. We ate at the buffet (I had a lot of salad and fish), and watched both the comedy and the music shows. They were the best part!!! Well, that and the bathtub. Hee. You can definitely fill your day/night with lots of things to do. Or just stay home, have room service and sit by your crackling fireplace! More photos from our trip:

The dessert buffet,

The jacuzzi by the inside pool.

The theatre for the comedy show and live music (and dancing)

The view from the lake and marina

And finally, what you have been waiting for, the bathtub photo:

Woohoooooooo . We had fun! It was all I thought it was going to be and more. What a lovely, romantic, cheesy time! Now , on to more adventures :))

XO

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Clean eating/Food Photos to Inspire via Instagram #revoltnowfit

Dear Readers:

I take a lot of food photos. Mostly to show that clean eating can be beautiful, delicious and sooo sooo good. I am far from a professional photographer, but I think that food can look so good in photographs (without glue and all of the tricks). So here are some of my fave Revolt and clean recipes from 2013 and early 2014 for pinspiration :)

Clockwise from left: Chicken, Spinach and Sweet Potato from Detox Week;Hot Mama Chicken, Mango and Guacamole; Sweet Potato Hash for breakfast;Homemade Turkey Burger and Potato Salad; Power Pancakes;Kale with Mushrooms and Salmon; Kale Smoothie;Egg whites and banana for Detox Breakfast; Cauliflower Pizza.

I have lots more to come, and I will be buying some new dishes too..but in the meantime, doesnt healthy look good???Yum.

As far as my food intake for this week, I stick pretty well to my sugar detox. I do not get the headaches anymore since I rarely eat things with sugar added. And I make most of my own food. Tuesday is usually my cheat day, since D is home and we can go out to eat. But I am trying to lose more weight, so I am just having cheat meals once a day on my cheat day. No alcohol. Very little sugar. Just one nice dinner and a salty snack for our movie, or shows. Tonight we are making our own veggie pizzas and having popcorn with movies :) Date night at home and waiting for the big snowstorm. Stay warm and eat well,

XO

Monday, February 3, 2014

Revolt Redux Before Measurements/Photos #revoltnowfit

Dear Readers,

I didn't make NY Resolutions this year. I usually do, but because I have so many adventures planned for 2014 and am already following my healthy life plan, I thought it might be silly to make some. So instead, I am blogging my food and fitness journaling. Starting today.

The good news. I look ok in clothes. I look pretty good if they fit well. The bad news. I still do not look so good in a bikini. Or at least where I want to be. So I took the photos. But I am keeping them to myself for now. If I like the afters (when I turn 40 in Aug), then I will share the befores. Sounds fair , right?

I WILL share my Before Measurements, which I am keeping on an index card next to my bed. I will update them weekly.

Before, January 29th 2014

B: 35 (yet I wear a 34 dd)
W 28 ( 27 and 28 jeans)
H 35
Butt 37

I am not measuring my arms and legs. I will go by photos for those. Since I do not buy clothing to fit them, it seems excessive and silly. So I guess I am an hourglass again.

Which I do not really mind. And I don't have ending measurements for my afters. I just want nice abs, a tight butt, and strong legs and arms. Oh, and not to lose anymore from my bust. Or I am going to buy a pair.

And that is no lie. LOL.

BEFORES!

So there you have it. My new befores. A place to work from. The lines are starting to form and somewhere underneath that baby belly are muscles. Just waiting to be found. Again.

And no, I dont wear shorts to workout in. I dont even wear shorts. But, I hope to again someday. Have a great week!!

XO

Revolt Detox Week & my story. The real story.Part 2. #revoltnowfit

Dear Readers:

To follow along from the beginning: Part 1 of my story.

Ah, so where was I. Oh yes. 150 lbs and very very unhappy. I would look in the mirror and cry. I didn't want Duncan to look at me, much less touch me. I was happy in my career, happy in my marriage, but I did not like myself. I associated being thin with being happy. So there you go.

This brings me pretty much up to the second creation of this blog and answering a casting for a fitness before and after program from Beachbody , which came to be known as Rev Abs. Lets go back there shall we?:

Where the rollercoaster all began, Rev Abs for Beachbody with Brett Hoebel.

At a film convention signing autographs at my heaviest :((

So I guess I got it wrong. Maybe I didn't want to remember it right. I guess at my heaviest I was 160 lbs in 2008. I hit rock bottom. (the same weight as when I was 9 months pregnant with Ana , I might add). But lets not skip ahead.

So...... I join in on this program. RevAbs. And I commit to 6 workouts a week.(daily, in the morning). 5 meals a day (delivered by a service). No carbs, no sugar, no milk products. No crap. And I show up and I work out and I eat healthy and I feel great. Make some new friends. I start to look forward to my hard daily workout. I adore Brett and his positive spirit. And I lose weight. A lot of weight.

November 2008:

In NYC.
Feeling great and glowing. This was taken at the end of 2008. I was strong. (look at those legs) and feeling great. And yes, I still do have that dress. :)

Which brings me to:

Hitting 2 lbs beyond my goal!!

I ended up at 128 lbs and lots of muscle. I was a size 4. I felt tiny. I don't look tiny, but I look healthy and that seems to be more important now that I am turning 40.

Boy, I would like to look like that again. And I will. My stomach muscles are starting to pop above the little pot belly left behind by Ana. And I have the 2 lines down the middle of my stomach.

Lets put this in perspective:

Those were my actual size10/12 jeans. In the photo I am a size 4.

So Rev Abs kicked my booty. Inspired me to join a wonderful NYC gym Equinox and I continued to workout about 5 to 6 days a week. I looked wonderful. I had a cool job, felt svelte and sexy and loved buying a whole new wardrobe for my new fit body. I was starting to get into boxing in Beacon with Leona Brown. I loved it. I had found a new passion.

And then:

Enter dramatic music.

And then I went to a wedding in South Carolina (love you Katie.) where I played with and held my 2 new nieces. The inevitable (and what I thought was impossible) happened. I got Pregnant. GASP. This was late October 2009.

And one of my first (very selfish ) thoughts was: UGH, there goes all of my hard work on my abs. HA! Can you imagine. Thats what I thought and then the shock wore off and I was so excited and happy to be healthy and ready for a baby. I already didn't drink, ate healthy food. And being that I was an older mama, had gotten my body in the best shape to hold a baby inside.

Me at 35 weeks in my brand new (to me) home.

But a lot of stress happened all at once. I was pregnant. Moved up to the country permanently, gave up my job. Took time off from my career. Left my social life and friends behind. City mouse to country mouse. DINKS to SAHM. Argh, it was strange. I loved my new house and my new town. But I was scared to have a baby. So I ate. And ate. And ate. I gained somewhere in the neighborhood of 30 lbs when I was pregnant bringing me right back to you, yep you guessed it :160. Where I started at the beginning of the Rev Abs journey. My rock bottom. But :

Made it all worthwhile. And for the next year or so, I didnt care about weight loss or exercise. Just eating well, and nursing. (13 months!!) I ate for 2...and the nursing made me ravenous. I ended up at a 42F bust and the exercise hurt. So I didnt do it ;(( It was 100 to 0 and I had lost my mojo but had a very happy and healthy beautiful baby girl....

SO really this next part should be part 3. But instead I will shorten the story and sum up the first 2 years of Ana's life with me getting inspired to get out there again. I applied and was chosen for a weight loss challenge and met the wonderful ladies of Dutchess County Stroller Strides. I lost weight. I gained muscle. I started running. I am not going to lie. I dont love running. I have a big bust (had) and asthma..so running can be painful. But it was working and I loved feeling healthy and eventually I got here this past July (my first mud run):

I felt great. Finishing my first run was wonderful!! And there are so many more to come. And so much more to come. So that is my journey to this past summer and finding Revolt. And the rest is pretty recent history....so you can follow my healthy links to see more photos and find out my numbers and such.

Or follow the links here:

End of Revolt Week 2

Revolt Week 3 Recap

Week 4

Week 5

and so forth. All of the links are in the Healthy Links in the bar at the top of the blog :)

As it stands today (and I will make a post for my beginning stats) I have lost many inches, and some weight but most importantly I am strong. Strong and healthy. I eat clean. I workout almost every day. And I am about to embark on an adventure trying out new things.

So follow my journey...there is so much more to come!!

Me . on NYE 2014 Jan 1. Strong and fit and ready to go. Sz 6 132 lbs.

XO, Z

Sunday, February 2, 2014

Revolt Detox Week & my story. The real story. Part 1. #revoltnowfit

Hello Dear Readers:

So the day is finally here. I have been eating healthy and clean for a while now, and working out as much as I can for a busy mama. But, it is time to take stock, evaluate what I am doing and figure out how to do it better. If I blog or journal, or just plain ole write it down, I feel better. So here is my truth. Let's back up a bit and give you some back story on my journey.

1974- 1989
I had a lovely childhood full of ballet classes, play dates and the gorgeousness of the Hudson Valley. Although I did not grow up conventionally beautiful by any means I learned that personality goes a long way. I had fun. I was little, petite and had a healthy love of running around, climbing trees, soccer, and playing pretend with my neighborhood friends until dinner time. What kids should be doing. Staying active.

13 years old during the 80s. Hey this was cool!!!

1989-1992
High school.I went from kinda awkward curly, kinky hair to a pretty cool 90s do. I wore it big and proud. I loved tight clothing, wanted to dress like a rock star and continued my dance journey through ballet, jazz, tap, and even pointe. I loved being athletic and healthy and admittedly did not eat a lot. I think my senior year of high school I took a class during my lunch time and had a yogurt or apple instead. Thin was in. And I was petite. 100 lbs soaking wet. With breasts. OY.

Before digital cameras, I had to scan this in. Zoe circa 88/89 school year. 14 years old.

1992-1996 The College Years
I loved college. Lots of fun, great classes and staying active with dance classes, acting classes, walking everywhere and just being young I guess (oh and going dancing every weekend). I weighed myself everyday. Everyday. I kept a chart over the scale in my bedroom. If I hit 110, I wouldn't eat until I was 107. Not sure why that was the magic number but it was. 5'4 " and 107 . Not too shabby. I looked great in all of my costumes. Wish I had photos of some of them.

Technically before college, but I dont have any full shots of my body so 17 going on 18 will have to do it. Probably 105 in this photo.

1997-2001 My 20s!

After school and a brief internship, I moved to Hoboken NJ to pursure my love of theatre, acting, singing , dancing etc. I had a great apartment and the whole world at my feet. I was raring to go. Physically, I was in shape and kept in shape by walking everywhere and eventually joining the local NYSC. Then, I met Duncan. We became friends first. Then fooled around (sorry Mama) and then engaged. I was madly in love, and definitely OFF the market. And we ate a lot of crap. And didnt cook. So I gained a bit of weight. Probably about 5 lbs a year of our lovely bliss. Until we were married. So that puts me at about 120/125. Still in shape, a few more curves. No biggie.

Cute. Our 20s were fun.

and

A fuller face, but we were healthy and having fun!!!

I was 30 in 2004. And though happily married and having fun with my career, friends, and social life I was starting to pack on the pounds. We ate out almost every meal. Pasta, pizza. You name it. At 130ish I joined Weight Watchers to take 10 pounds off. It worked. But from that point on, I yoyo'd. Up 10. Down 10. Up 15. Down 15. You get the picture. Until I hit rock bottom. 150. I could not believe it . 150 and really really sad about it. I dont have many photos from that time period. Here is one, I think it may be from 2008. Or 2007. Definitely towards my heaviest. Which is yet to come ;(

Ready for it?? Next post...part 2. Coming tomorrow...:)

PART 2

Pages

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Sponsored Review and Giveaway: Emergen-C Vitamin C Dietary Supplement!

Supplement Facts

Monday, February 24, 2014

Giveaway: Crane Blue and white drop humidifier (with dimineralization).

Thursday, February 20, 2014

Sponsored Review: Adorable App for Girls: Talking Anya Dress Up Doll w/Pets for Iphone and Ipad.

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

This week, in short....

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Week 1 Check In #revoltnowfit Getting Sick and Dealing with It!

Friday, February 7, 2014

40 Before 40 Begins. 6 months of fun and creative experiences before I turn, gasp, 40!! #40before40

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Clean eating/Food Photos to Inspire via Instagram #revoltnowfit

Monday, February 3, 2014

Revolt Redux Before Measurements/Photos #revoltnowfit

Revolt Detox Week & my story. The real story.Part 2. #revoltnowfit

Sunday, February 2, 2014

Revolt Detox Week & my story. The real story. Part 1. #revoltnowfit

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