Quinoa-stuffed red bell peppers

Last night was my night for making dinner. Dinner is always a struggle for me. Although I love to cook, some days you just don’t feel like going to the store after work, and slaving away in the kitchen when you could plop on the couch and watch TV instead.

Alas, I decided to ignore the TV calling my name. I got my creative juices flowing and thought about what I could make for my boyfriend and his dad (who is gluten and dairy intolerant). Talk about a challenge, eh?

I decided instead of thinking of dinner as an annoyance, I’d think of it as relaxing instead. I wasn’t sure how this was going to happen because sometimes while cooking I get anxious and think, “Will I have everything ready at the same time? Will everyone like it? Is it completely gluten and dairy-free?” With all the questions rolling around in my head I can end up frustrated, stressed and moody.

So what did I do to change cooking from stressful to stress-free? I planned. On my lunch break I found an awesome (gluten-free) recipe for quinoa stuffed red bell peppers from Shape magazine and thought I’d pair it with rosemary and lemon chicken. This would be a great MOYM for JCers; they’re only 237 calories a serving, and are super filling! What did I do about dairy you ask? I simply left one of the red bell peppers without cheese before popping it in the oven. Presto!

My cooking experience was just how I had planned: relaxing. I got organized and everything came out at the same time! It’s incredible when you put your mind to something and decide, “Hey, I’m going to make this a fun experience and even though I’ve never made this dish before, it’s going to be an adventure!”

Everyone ended up loving the dinner, which made me feel like a success! From now on I’m going to try using cooking dinner as a relaxing activity after work. It’s better than sitting in front of TV with a bag of chips waiting for your delivery to arrive, and you burn a few calories in the process!

Normally when I achieve a goal, whether it’s getting in exercise for the day or I lost a pound in a week, I like to reward myself. I don’t give myself a mere pat on the back, but instead I treat myself to something tangible and reinforce the good habit.

Like many people I know, I usually reward myself by getting a delicious dessert. Sweets and I have been in a steady relationship for years now (longer than any boyfriends have lasted!). I’ll either get cake from this phenomenal bakery in town or I’ll be sure to ask for the dessert menu when I’m out at a restaurant for dinner.

I’ve decided it’s time for a change. I need to rethink my rewarding strategy. I’ve realized that although desserts are yummy, they definitely can pack on the pounds over time. I began asking myself, “Why am I rewarding myself with sweets after I work out? Doesn’t that defeat the purpose and put me back to square one?”

After coming to this realization (which honestly, I probably knew deep down all along), I decided I need to come up with a different method for my reward system. I’ve wanted a new dress, manicure, and new workout shorts for a while now, why not reward myself with something like this? I’m going to start rewarding myself with something other than food.

I constantly think about what meal I’ll have next, what I’m going to make for dinner, what kind of cookies I can bake to bring to the office, or what kind of dessert I can have after I successfully worked out everyday of the week. This isn’t a healthy mindset to have. One afternoon I inquired about where we’d be going for dinner that night, and my friend said, “You know we’ll figure it out when it’s time for dinner. You think about your next meal too much. Relax. You’re going to have a next meal.”

It took that friend to make me realize how obsessed I’ve become. I’m not on death row or starving, so why do I need to think about what meal I’m going to have? I will have a next meal.

Once I start getting on the mindset that my life doesn’t have to revolve around desserts and food, I think I’ll see I don’t need to rely on these comfort foods as much. Jason Alexander just posted a great video blog about how he has come to the realization that comfort and joy are not the same thing. I could not agree with him more. I’m choosing joy from now on.

I’ve decided that after I RUN this race on Sunday I’m going to reward myself, but not with food. Maybe I’ll get those new workout shorts to prepare myself for spring and get motivated to continue my running…or maybe I’ll opt for that manicure!

Val's turning the big 5-0!

I just read Good Housekeeping’s article about Valerie Bertinelli. I can’t believe she is almost 50; she doesn’t look it at all! I really hope I can look like that when I hit the big 5-0.

Her down-to-earth personality shined as I read about her struggles, obstacles she has overcome, family life, and accomplishments. She truly seems to be happy in her own skin now. She explained how Jenny Craig has helped many aspects of her life because she was able to understand why she had been overeating, and learn how to face the emotional problem rather than fill a void with jalapẽno cheese poppers! I recall so many times where I have eaten to solve my relationship woes, and Val is right, we have to learn different ways to deal and cope.

I loved Val’s video interview with the behind-the-scenes of her photo shoot. She looked so happy, healthy, and was embracing getting older. She talked about being grateful, learning to love and forgive. It made me realize how at any age we should be grateful for everything we have been given. She also taught me how truly important for us to forgive others, but most importantly, ourselves. If we can’t forgive ourselves how can we possibly learn to forgive others and move forward?

I thought her article was truly inspiring and put me in a great mood to kick-start my weekend! Thanks, Val!

Val's before and after!

Have you ever put motivational pictures on your fridge so you stay on track, and won’t grab that late-night pint of ice cream? I have!

I thought instead of putting a picture up to keep me from munching, I would put the Jenny Craig team up on JC Talk! This way they all act as reminders and inspiration on my online “communal fridge.”

Here are some awesome pictures to keep you  motivated along with links to Val, Sara, Nicole, and Jason’s video blogs, plus a behind-the-scenes too!

Valerie

• http://jennycraig.com/successstories/blog/valerie/100007
• http://www.youtube.com/jennycraig#p/u/33/3q056PjdYK8
• http://www.youtube.com/jennycraig#p/u/4/07NLLGW0p84

Sara

• http://jennycraig.com/successstories/blog/sara/saravlog2
• http://www.youtube.com/jennycraig#p/u/8/vDEb2zBBbk4

Nicole

• http://www.youtube.com/jennycraig#p/u/25/Wu_hBeTNfDE
• http://www.youtube.com/jennycraig#p/u/0/cIGp0v3liao

Jason

• http://www.youtube.com/jennycraig#p/u/9/fq1WC-9uh_c
• http://www.youtube.com/jennycraig#p/u/1/2DC8pE0LiJA

Behind the scenes with Valerie!

Sara in December

Sara in January

Nicole in October

Nicole in February

I’ve been trying to cook more to keep both my bank account and scale down, and let me tell you, it’s harder than I thought. It’s strange because I love to cook. I enjoy trying new recipes, foods and cuisine, and more than anything I like cooking for the people I love.

I thought it would be easy. My mindset was to go to work, get groceries after, and go home and make dinner. Simple, right? Wrong! There have been days where I got off early and going to the store afterwards was a breeze. But mostly there have been days when I get off later than usual, get stuck in traffic, weasel my way through the massive crowd at the grocery store, get stuck in more traffic, and by the time I get home am too tired to even lift a fork.

So how are we supposed to stay healthy by not eating out, and have enough strength and motivation to make dinner each night after a long day of work? I realized I had to strategize and come up with a plan. After much thought and take out (oops), I figured out what works best for me.

Sundays I plan my meals with my family or boyfriend (whoever) and come up with what we want to eat. If you’ve reached your halfway point with Jenny or have just met your goal and are starting to make more of your own meals, this is a great plan! You can get everything you need for a week’s worth of dinners in advance.

When I watched Nicole Sullivan’s recent video blog on Jenny Craig’s website I thought, “Wow, I know exactly how you feel! I’m excited about sitting as a family and eating together too!” It’s amazing how many families (whether it’s a couple or a family of eight) go through these same dilemmas. All it takes is sitting down and deciding that dinner time is family time and you can make it happen!

This can also be a fun way to interact with your family when deciding what meals you want during the week. If you’re on Jenny Craig you can make meals exciting by making a homemade version of what you’ll be having for dinner for the rest of your family! That way you are all eating the same kind of meal!

It’s also a great way to teach children good eating habits. By showing your children sitting at the table as a family is important, it builds a healthy habit. Children also learn the importance of eating healthy and nutritious food when they see you are making healthy choices with your Jenny meals, when you go to the grocery store together, help in the kitchen, and enjoy meals as a family!

So what’s on your plate tonight?

Are allergies bugging you as much as they are me? This past week was a nightmare. Although I absolutely love spring, when the seasons start to shift from winter, my allergies go crazy from all the budding flowers and pollen.

I made the big mistake of going on a run after work and a block after I started, realized I should turn around. But did I? Of course not. I finished my three mile run then came back with swollen eyes, a stuffed up nose, and an inflamed throat. Thank you, pollen!

As a result I have been sneezing and blowing my nose for the past week. Of course I put running outside and training for my race on hold as to not make it worse. I decided I’d take my workouts inside. It’s also important to build muscle when training for a race rather than just running alone.

As for the market, I went on Sunday morning and LOVED it; I can’t wait to go again! The best part was when I stopped by a honey stand and discovered how raw honey can help allergies, obesity, and insomnia amongst others. Local raw honey helps your allergies because the bees get nectar from local flowers, which helps you build immunity to the flowers and pollen in your area. Check out these interesting articles I found from howstuffworks.com and EatingWell magazine about how honey can help allergies!

If you get local raw honey from your local markets you are not only helping your allergies but your farmers as well. It’s a win, win situation! I’ve been adding this honey to my tea and in the morning either on my banana or replace butter and jam on my toast with it. You can also add it to your dinner, like with this honey-soy broiled salmon recipe Remember not to eat too much honey. It does contain sugar so you’ll want to limit yourself to three tablespoons a day. I must say, after trying local honey I will never go back to the store bought kind. It tastes more fresh and floral, and knowing that it was made locally instead of on a conveyer belt helps too.

Maybe Winnie the Pooh was onto something!

So as I previously pledged, I’m going to participate in the local St. Patrick’s Day race. I officially signed up this morning (eek!), and now I have to stick with it! I’m going to have to figure out a good routine to either get up early or run after work to train. I have a little less than a month so wish me luck and I’ll keep you posted! If you’re interested in finding a local race or marathon check out Cool Running’s website and find what’s coming up in your area!

In the meantime, since today starts my “no eating after dinner” vow for the next 46 days (April 3^rd seems so far away!) I’ve been trying to think of other ways I can get excited and enthusiastic besides late-night snacking while watching the Olympics.

I’ve decided I’m going to replace a bad habit with a good one. I absolutely LOVE to cook, although I do prefer baking! Since I can’t (correction, won’t) eat late at night, I’m going to make phenomenal dinners so I won’t have the desire or the stomach space to eat late.

Rather than just going to the grocery store and roaming the aisles for inspiration I decided visiting local farmers’ markets would be more fun! Not only are there awesome fruits and veggies that you can sample, but some of the stands offer free recipes as well! It’s a great way to get out with friends or family, and be a part of the community and get fresh produce. I found a great website where you can look up your local farmers’ markets, so rather than lounge around all weekend I’m going to hit up my local farmers’ markets! I’m excited to see what I can find, taste, and take back to create my next masterpiece! Who needs late-night snacks now?!

In honor of Mardi Gras starting tomorrow I thought I’d look into cooking a classic Cajun style dinner. Cajun food is absolutely delicious, but can pack on calories with butter and starch.

Thus I went on a mission to find a healthy dish. I finally came across a Cooking Light recipe that looks out of this world. The best part is not only is it healthy, but other New Orleans recipes are included as well!

So what the heck, lets try out a few! My top picks to make are the Jambalaya with Shrimp and Andouille Sausage, and for my sweet tooth I’ll make the Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce. Both recipes are under 500 calories a serving, which is awesome! This may seem like a splurge, but if you plan ahead you can enjoy a special meal and keep on track.

Speaking of Mardi Gras, is anyone giving something up for Lent this year? I decided to challenge myself. After going back and forth trying to figure out whether or not I actually wanted to commit, I’ve decided no more eating after dinner. I’m going WAY out of my comfort zone. It will most definitely be hard to give up late night chips, popcorn, and dessert, but I think I can do it!

If anyone has advice besides locking my cabinets and refrigerator or placing an alarm system in my kitchen to keep me away from snacking, I’m all ears! For those of you who are also going to give something up this week, good luck! I’ll let you know how it went in April (eek that sounds far away); I should probably pick up a late-night hobby for the next 46 days!

I must admit, when I started hearing about doctors recommending drinking at least 8 glasses of water a day I wasn’t fazed. I am without a doubt, the biggest water drinker I know. To keep up with my water trends, over the years I have gone from trendy athletic water bottles to the newest, Klean Kanteen.

Needless to say, although I think of myself as a water expert, I was fascinated when I came across this water article on Oprah. Although I know the 8 glasses a day rule, I never really knew the logic behind why our bodies actually need and crave water. There’s got to be a reason why our bodies are comprised of 60% of water, eh? I also discovered our bodies can actually give us signs and signals for as to when we need water when we are dehydrated, need energy, or to aid in digestion.

The article ends with a challenge that is something we all can try. For a week when you start to get thirsty, go for water rather than coffee, soda, or juice and pay attention to how your body and mood feels after. You might start noticing you don’t need that caffeine fix or morning cup of orange juice to you get you going. Water can give you the boost you need without the calories!

Perhaps they were onto something when they deemed water the elixir of life!

Yay!!! So Christmas is literally right around the corner with New Years coming up as well! It’s party time . . . and you know what that means. Food. And not necessariliy the kind you should be eating. But it’s the Holidays, right? Well, here’s some good news for those that would like a special treat. you can have your cake . .make that fudge, and eat it too! This recipe is really good, and although a portion size is small, it’s really rich and enjoyable. And no candy thermometer required! The fun thing about this recipe is that it can be personalized to your taste. You could add extra cinnamon, or even cayenne if you want to make a spicy Mayan fudge. Play around with it! Watch my how-to video and let me know what you think!

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