I Am In Fact Still Alive: Updates

Hello All:

Wowsa-I am a busy girl! Between the day job, a hectic job related day trip last week, rehearsals, and life, I am barely fitting in breathing and sleeping. In some ways this is great, because I have no time to over indulge. In some ways this is bad, because I am super stressed out and sometimes feel as though I could have an emotional binge at any moment.

Yesterday the day job celebrated Halloween. Of course, temptation roared it's head as we kick off a season of eating that doesn't end until Easter!

Surprisingly, it wasn't at challenging as the doughnuts! I sampled one of the pretzel rods dipped in some white chocolate and called it a day. Hmm...maybe it's getting easier.

Today I was gifted (or cursed) with four King Size chocolate candy bars. I gave one away and haven't touched the others. I am feeling particularly crazy and panicked and kind of hungry right now, so I should want to tear into one, but I really don't. Maybe those old habits are breaking afterall!

There are several odds and ins that I need to address:

Q: BB30, isn't your next measurement day and 6 month pic post due soon?

A: Yes, on November 3rd, and I am nervous! Even though I have six months to go and this will just be a check in, and I made it through the hardest part of taking the original shot, being photographed in a bikini is still scary!

Q: Doesn't your show open soon and thus time to sport your goal dress.

A: Yes, and I am nervous about that too, but will come clean and show pics regardless of the outcome. I am keeping the faith though!

Q: Why aren't you posting very often?

A: Because I am lame and manage the little time I have poorly.

Q: How are you dealing with being so busy and exercising?

A: I suppressed it and kept pushing forward until had a melt down on Saturday. Who knew one shrinking girl could produce so much snot?

Q: What are these leg lifts, arm and tricep goals you show in your weekly goals?

A: Oh those. Although I have been pretty good about my cardio and still averging about three workouts a week, I have been trying to do some simple toning moves everyday.

Leg Lifts: Lying on my back, starting with legs up, keeping them staright and bringing them down as close to the floor as possible, then bringing them back up. Good for the belly. I try to get in at least 20 a day. This week I have already skipped somedays, but I have been pretty diligent otherwise.

Arm circles: Good ol' gym class arms circles. Arms straight out in a 'T' position, making 100 small toning backward circles. I noticed my arms weren't slimming down so I wanted to give them some attention. This is easy, seems effective, and quick to do (I can even do them back stage).

Triceps: After getting on track with regular leg lifts and arm circles, I decided to throw in some daily tricep curls. I did fine last week with this new addition, but have failed miserably this week. No matter, still four days to get some in and four days are better than none!

Tricep Curl

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Q: Are you noticing any differences in your bod?

A: I am actually am starting to feel slimmer. As the temp drops and I pull out my fall/winter clothes from last year I see and feel that they are undeniably bigger. It's really rewarding! And in the vein of too much information, I am going to mention my unmentionables and share that I have to start buying new undies, because friends, I have saggy drawers! I can also no longer avoid an updated pro bra fitting! Okay, twist my arm and make me go girly shopping! (Although I could use some help finding the time to get this done.)

I must sign off and head to rehearsal land.

Love and whole grain goodness,

BB30

Tastes of Fall

Saturday after rehearsal I had myself a solo soup date and made a few pots of various deliciousness to freeze in individual containers for healthy low cal lunches (Tip Alert). One concoction stood out from the rest and I knew I had to share. For the mere cost of 29 cents a pound I had purchased a little butternut squash at my favorite produce store. The result: Divinity.

Please make yourself a big ol’ bowl of this nutrient rich, pallet pleasing delight:

BB30's Simple and Slammin' Butternut Squash Soup

You’ll need:
1 small butternut squash
½ a medium yellow onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped or grated
2-3 cups of vegetable broth
I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Spray, Soy Butter, or the like

Cinnamon

Nutmeg

Cut the Butternut squash in half and scoop out the seeds and membranes with a spoon.

Place the squash face down in ½ an inch of water and microwave for 10 minutes. When it’s done you should be able to easily scoop out the cooked squash.

Sautee the onion and garlic in a non-stick skillet with some butter spray (let the onion work a few a minutes before adding the garlic-burned garlic is just plain narsty.)

Add in the cooked squash and a hearty sprinkle of cinnamon and nutmeg (ginger is also good if you have it).

Add in the veggie broth. (Always good to start with just a cup and work your way up depending on the consistency you prefer.)

Give it a quick stir to combine.

Take out your trusty immersion blender and blend away until it’s creamy. (If you don’t have an immersion blender-1) WHY? THEY'RE AWESOME! 2) You could put it in a food processor or even a blender.)

FEAST.

Mind you this doesn’t make a ton since I used a small squash, but it’s easily adjusted with the size of you gourd.

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Reasons why you should eat this:

1) It tastes like autumn and will fill your soul!

2) It is ridiculously easy to make.

3) It is ridiculously yummy to eat.

4) It is low in calories.

4) Butternut Squash is oh-so-good for us.

Why Butternut Squash is oh-so-good for us:

According to wholeliving.com, butternut squash is full of antioxidents and fiber, rich in betacaratine and vitamin C, and it contains other nutrients that promote heart and bone health, and ward off arthritis and asthma. I'll have a bowl of that please! You'll also be eating with the season which I am told is a wonderful way to make sure your body gets what it needs.

What's Sweet and Doughy and Adds to Your Middle?

As you all know I "daylight" in an office job while pursuing my acting career. And as you all know, offices are dangerous places for the figure as there seems to be an obsession with food at meetings. I present to you a pictorial of what I was met with first thing off of the elevator this morning.

You are correct friend. This is in fact a 15 foot table lined with a multitude of doughnuts in glazed and coated variants that would blow your mind. Fresh baked. The smell was intoxicating. It was brutal. Sure those green and red figures in the middle are some apples and pears, but DID YOU SEE THESE DOUGHNUTS!! Guh! How could I not have one bite? They were so beautiful, so perfect, so sugary. These weren’t generic everyday doughnuts. What’s a girl to do?

(See I'm not joking-literally right outside of the elevators!)

Photos by my pal Mandy. See her artistic photography here. Be warned that there are some nudey patooty shots!

Well, this girl thought of her goals, thought of how hard of a sugar crash she would take, thought of how much time on the elliptical it would entail to work one of these puppies off, and she turned her shrinking hiney around and WALKED AWAY is what she did! Even after five months of practicing restraint and defeating my ice cream craving demon, how was it so difficult to resist this sweet doughy vixen? Because doughnuts taste awesome, that’s why. BUT, I thought of Bethenny and the Naturally Thin principals. Did I have enough to spare in my diet bank account to leave me enough for the rest of the day? Was I really being true to me and knowing thyself and recognizing that the bites would be delicious but not worth the headachey crashing feeling I was guaranteed soon after? Was I being balanced since I’d had an apple and peanut butter already at breakfast? Can you tell I’ve been revisiting Naturally Thin lately? I’ve been jumping around in it reading different parts each day on the ride to work as kind of a daily affirmation of keeping healthy eating habits in line.

Do I always resist treats? Heck no, but I also know that I can have a bite or two of homemade fresh picked apple pie (made with Splenda-and unbelievably good) or a little ramekin of chocolate chips and stop there. I cannot eat just a bite or two of a doughnut. So I don’t. Not until I can get that under control. Maybe later after thinking about it and really assessing what I want, if I still feel like something sweet and chocolatey I will have a few Raisinets or something. I’ve been trying to give myself time between the initial craving for questionable eats and actually indulging in them. The result is that oftentimes I get over it and save the calories. For example, yesterday afternoon I had an overwhelming desire for a Charleston Chew. So gooey and chewy and comforting, but definitely not calorie conscious (although a little bit of a better choice according to Bethenny). I held off and told myself that if I really wanted one later, then on my walk to the train home I would stop in at the corner store and get one. When the time came the craving was gone and my limited elliptical time before rehearsal was spent burning fat and not wasted simply burning off an impulsive treat.

Have you had any triumphs over temptation lately? How'd ya do it?

October 3rd Measurements

And here we go....

Sept 3rd Waist (at belly button): 31.5 inches
Oct 3rd Waist (at belly button): 31.5 inches
No change. Down 2 inches total!

Sept 3rd Hips: 37.5 inches
Oct 3rd Hips: 36.5 inches
Down 1 inch! Down 2.5 inches total!

Sept 3rd Arm: 11 inches around
Oct 3rd Arm: 11 inches around
No Change. Down 3/4 inch total!

Sept 3rd Thigh: 22 inches around
Oct 3rd Thigh: 22 inches around
No Change. Down 1 inch total!

So, not many changes, but one whole inch in the hips?! Yes! Mind you, it is beyond me how my thighs haven't shrunk but my hip area as a whole has. Regardless I suppose the tape measure doesn't lie. I am definitely firmer which is great. I wish I had a body fat measuring device so I could have taken my percentage at the start and could compare that each month as well. I think that would actually be very valuable to know. (Ugh-I just flashed to those horrible days each year in P.E. when we had to have our body fat percentage taken with one of those claw things. This is a most unsettling and embarrassing annual event for a fat kid whose number is always painfully higher than everyone else's.) Anywho, it's proving to be true what they say, the end of the lifetime of chubby road is in deed really challenging.

source and interesting article about exercising when you are sick

This week has been rough for me. Sunday I woke up and couldn't keep down food or water for five hours. I didn't think my evening cocktails the night before warranted such a reaction, it seemed really odd, something else had to be going on, maybe I had just run myself down from exercising plus working plus rehearsing. I was in terrible shape! Monday I made it to work, but feeling pretty rough. By Monday night at rehearsal my throat was on fire and I felt horrible. Tuesday I was out for the count and ached and couldn't move. Wednesday morning met me with much the same, plus a blinding headache. By Wednesday afternoon I couldn't keep food or water down again and my husband had to come home to take me to my doctor. The results: No flu. No H1N1. Sinusitis and a little virus plus dehydration to the max. Two IV bags of saline later and I was on the mend and coherent. I wish I had a picture of how dramatic it looked. Because of the Swine Flu threat I had to put on a mask immediately when I arrived at the doc's office (and curled up on the waiting room couch clutching a garbage bag). Then, because saline is kept at room temperature (over 20 degrees colder than human body temp) I had to be covered in blankets and given a hot pack to hold in the hand of my exposed arm because it makes you so cold. I was quite a sight, but my adorable and amazing husband managed to make me laugh after a while, and he was such a sport (on top of being crazy busy right now with his own show on the verge of opening-he is the most unselfish person I know).

So, my goal of moving of everyday was quite a challenge, but I have made it work. I actually got in some elliptical time this week as well as doing leg lifts almost everyday (Wednesday I was out of commission obviously). Having dehydration play such a big factor in my illness has made me recommit to water. Water, I take thee as my healthful companion to have and to hold and to keep me hydrated.

So, with my impending six month progress pictures and dress by opening goal coming up next month, I know I need to be on top of my game in the next four weeks!