Posted by beth on April 7, 2009
One of the things we all struggle with while trying to lose weight is eating in moderation. Above that? Eating in moderation during the holidays. Holiday get togethers are traditionally centered around food, which pretty much sucks because it’s nearly impossible to turn down my sister’s cheesecake or my Mom’s potato salad, so I’m not going to, but I will be eating less of it this year.
To try to help ease the dilemma of fattening Easter food, I found a low fat dessert recipe that I tested this past weekend and I have to tell you, I give it four stars for TASTE, EASE, CLEAN-UP and TASTE. Oh wait, did I say taste twice?
It’s that good.
Also, no baking is involved and barely any measuring. It’s perfect for those of you that do not favor baking.
It’s also only two points per slice. While serving it to my family, my five year old son continued to say “man, why is this SO GOOD, Mom?“ My six year old daughter had two slices and when we took out the leftovers the following night, we heard a round of applause (my husband being one of those happy people in the audience). I will be making this recipe on Easter and no one will ever know I found this recipe while searching for healthier Easter menu options.
Here are the basic ingredients:
The recipe calls for a 10 oz prepared angel food cake, I could only find 15 oz, so I cut some off of the bottom and re-weighed. I did this until it said 10 ounces.
You need to slice the cake, if you’re like me, you’re not very good at slicing. I used a serrated knife.
Be sure to measure everything when trying to lose weight. When you guesstimate, you’re probably wrong. The extra calories, the extra fat and the extra points can make or break your weight loss progress.
I was lucky enough to have a little helper, who loved to lick the cool whip whenever she could. The recipe calls for whole strawberries, but I sliced mine.
This recipe contains twelve servings. I always have difficulty evenly slicing my servings, this time, before slicing, I used toothpicks as my guide. Worked like a charm.
A PERFECT dessert! Simply delicious!
Neapolitan Tower Cake
1 pkg. (10 oz.) round angel food cake
2 JELL-O Vanilla Sugar Free Pudding Snacks
2 JELL-O Chocolate Sugar Free Pudding Snacks
3/4 cup thawed COOL WHIP Sugar Free or COOL WHIP LITE Whipped Topping
12 fresh strawberries
CUT cake horizontally into three layers. Place bottom cake layer, cut-side up, on serving plate; spread top with vanilla pudding. Cover with middle cake layer, chocolate pudding and top cake layer. Spread top with whipped topping; top with strawberries.
REFRIGERATE at least 1 hour.
Posted by beth on April 5, 2009
Monday, April 6th, marks the first of the 30 day Shred Challenge.
What does this mean for you? Lots of sweat, sore legs, burning arms, sore abs and maybe even some tears. And no, I’m not trying to scare you, I’m just telling you what to expect.
But I want to tell you what else to expect. (I started this challenge last week so I can tell you from personal experience a few things. and yes, I went from couch potato to shredder, just like so many of you.)
Around the third day you can expect the soreness to subside some.
You can expect to feel a difference in your body within a few days
You can expect the workout to feel easier, your endurance to increase.
You can expect an increased energy level that will last all day long. (!!)
You can expect to feel really good about yourself for doing that thing that you’ve been putting off for way too long.
And at the end of the thirty days (YES, THIRTY DAYS IN A ROW, NO MATTER HOW SORE YOU ARE, I PROMISE, YOU’LL BE FINE.) you can expect to see and feel like a brand new you. A healthier you. A happier you. Your friends will notice, your family will notice and YOU will notice your change.
All of these good feelings will be worth the hundreds of push-ups and crunches you’ll be doing over the next thirty days.
I promise.
Just don’t quit. Don’t give up. Keep going.
You can visit The Sisterhood and find that one of our beautiful (and slimming) bloggers will be writing a post each day to document their own personal experience with Shredding. (remember, we are doing this, too!) Feel free to jump in with the discussion in the comments sections and if you write a post on your blog, leave the link in the comments.
WE KNOW YOU CAN DO THIS.
Happy Shredding.
Posted by beth on April 4, 2009
Listen, I’m about to embark on day 4 of shredding and I have good news. I’m not as sore as I was yesterday morning! I actually feel quite good! Which is good because yesterday morning I stood at the top of my stairs and considered rolling down the stairs, I thought that it probably wouldn’t hurt near as bad as actually walking down them.
The bad news, for some of you, is that typically I would never have worked out being as sore as I was (am), because this is BY FAR the sorest I have ever been. However, with this program, in order to follow it correctly and have it work the way it’s intended, you have to workout every single day, even if you can’t climb your stairs and putting your bra on makes you groan like a cow in labor.
So, no excuses. (don’t you hate that?)
But I have good news, AGAIN! Once you get into the workout, you actually lose the soreness while working out, it’s like a tiny miracle in the midst of severe pain and torture.
Don’t worry, an hour later it returns, but at least you have relief during the time that matters most.
I know I’m probably scaring the entire population of people we are committing on Monday to start this challenge and I can assure you, IT IS MY INTENTION TO SCARE YOU.
But it’s also my intention to tell you that it’s okay. You are this sore because this is how your body should be worked and you haven’t so now it’s time to train your body to do what it needs to be doing.
Losing weight and getting healthy is NEVER, EVER EASY. If anyone ever tells you it is, they are either lying or they want you want you to buy some product that doesn’t work. It’s time to stop looking for the easy way out and face your current situation head on.
The workout is so hard, it really is, but anything worth doing is worth doing right and I can tell you already, this is worth doing.
DO NOT GIVE UP.
Posted by beth on April 2, 2009
It’s hard to believe that a little blue fish is helping to motivate me to get off my duff and do some hard core exercise today, but she is because what she says is so right on. Just keep swimming, just keep swimming…
Yesterday I shredded for the first time and it was really, really, really hard. REALLY hard. Although it was only twenty minutes, it was twenty minute of intense workout that my body was not prepared for, because normally I hardly move at all.
However, when I completed the workout, I was so proud of myself (and SO disturbingly sweaty). And now, almost twenty hours later and completely and totally sore (every.single.muscle), at 10:15 today, I’ll be doing the workout again, which I can’t imagine doing because OW, it hurts to stand up or walk up the stairs. But what I did find out is that the more I move, the better I feel. The less I move, the more sore I am.
So, last night when I had planned to sit around and rest my fatigued body, instead I got up and cleaned and I actually felt better. I even played Wii with my family! This morning when all I wanted to do was lie in bed and stare at my ceiling? I got up and cleaned some more and did laundry.
I’m pretty pleased with that, really. And even though my arms and legs (and neck and back and ass) feel like they are going to fall off, I’m still so glad to have FINALLY taken this step. I’m finally taking care of me and I am so excited.
I also lost four pounds last week, which makes me doubly proud of myself. It’s a really good feeling.
(by the way, if you’re looking to Shred with us but did not win the DVD, it’s on sale at Amazon for $8.49, IT’S A STEAL.)
Posted by beth on March 31, 2009
The girls and boy here at Shrinking Jeans have probably the coolest giveaway ever that starts RIGHT NOW.
On Monday, Arpil 6th, we will be hosting the Shrinking Jeans 30 Day Shred Challenge. I know many of you know what the 30 Day Shred Challenge is, but I know many of you have probably never even heard of it before. Essentially, the Shred Challenge was created by fitness trainer Jillian Michaels. She has created a workout DVD that is intended be done daily for 30 days straight, the video is separated into three segments, Level 1, 2 and 3. Each level is done for 10 days, each workout is 20 minutes long. I think we can all spare 20 minutes a day, can’t we?
This challenge may seem easy, but make no mistake, it is a WORK.OUT. Jillian works your muscles like many of you have never been worked before. So expect to be sore, very, very sore. But everyday, you must get up and fight through the pain and whip your body back into shape!
Since many of us can’t afford gym memberships, (me being one of those people) we thought it would be a great idea to find a way for us sisters to get our bodies moving in our homes in a quick, cheap and effective way. We think this is a great option.
So, starting this Monday, the 30 Day Shred Challenge will begin.
And this is where the giveaway comes in to play, we want YOU to join the um…FUN with us. If you already own the DVD, GREAT, jump on in! If you’ve already been shredding all along, that is awesome, we can’t wait to join you and if you don’t have the DVD? We are going to help you out!
The sisterhood is giving away one DVD to SEVEN LUCKY WINNERS and the best part? Your DVD is guaranteed to arrive in time for the challenge to begin on Monday.
What do you need to do to win?
First of all, this giveaway is a QUICK ONE, just over 24 hours, so, leave a comment on this post, like RIGHT NOW. That’s one way you can enter to win. You can gain additional entries by tweeting this contest and/or blogging about it. Just leave your tweet/post url in the comment section. That’s three chances to win.
Now if you win the DVD, we of course expect you to participate in the 30 Day Challenge, so by entering, we’re assuming that you’ll take the challenge pretty seriously. (and why wouldn’t you, can you imagine maybe being a size smaller in just thirty days?)
We are so excited to begin this LIFE CHANGING challenge with you…we hope you get excited and get in the game with us, too!
The winners will be chosen tomorrow, April 1st, at 3:00 p.m. CDT.
*shipment is guaranteed by Friday assuming the winner replies with their address by Wednesday, early evening on 4/1/09.
GOOD LUCK!
Posted by beth on
I just came across these two articles that I think we all need to read.
The first one, is here, it highlights the best fast food restaurant for healthier eating, on the list are restaurants like Chic-fil-A, Taco Bell, Subway and Wendy’s, and more! Check it out. As much as we all know that eating home cooked meals is always the best options, sometimes between travel and our hectic lives it’s just impossible to not pull through the drive-thru.
This list is filled with the UNHEALTHIEST restaurants. Would you believe even Applebee’s is on the list, along with Chili’s and Friday’s?
Read both of these articles and become more aware of the food that surrounds you! Eating healthy is always an option, you just need to get educated!
Posted by beth on March 26, 2009
Do not adjust your computer monitors. It is Beth, finally posting on the Shrinking Jeans site and while I’m doing that, I’m eating an apple.
Which can only mean one really cool and very important thing: I am finally inspired to lose weight. We all know that you can’t take a weight loss plunge without the right frame of mind and I finally have it.
I was hit a few weeks ago with the urge to lose weight and have actually lost 4.2 pounds in the past month or two (according to Wii Fit.) Now I’m looking to really step it up and lose this ENORMOUS belly of mine that is currently hanging over my jeans and spilling onto my laptop. (I know, it sounds so glamorous, doesn’t it?)
Yesterday was my first official day of counting points and I have to pat myself on the back because I did really well. I realized two big things yesterday. The first was that I was snacking entirely too much. Now, in my house we don’t really have fattening things to snack on, mainly because Brian and I love to snack, but we do have too many low fat snacks. I was finding myself all too often peering into the pantry to see what I could munch on for no good reason at all.
The second thing I realized is how important it is for me to challenge myself all of the time. I realized that I break down this big eight week challenge in to many mini challenges. For instance:
Shrink into Summer Challenge is 8 weeks long.
Brian and I have challenged each other for the first week to see who can lose the most weight.
Each day I challenge myself to do some form of exerciser, even if it’s just stretching for 20 minutes.
I also challenge myself daily to count and enter my points online.
Between meals, I challenge myself to not snack. I typically set a time that I would like to eat the next meal. Take this morning, for example. I had a small breakfast at 9:30 and made the decision to try to eat lunch at one. So, I challenged myself to not snack on anything and to just eat my scheduled lunch.
Then at lunch time I eat my lunch. After lunch I decide to eat dinner around six and to not snack until then. Which usually means that I need to keep myself very, very busy to keep my mind and my stomach off of food.
At the end of the day, if I can succeed at all of my challenges, then I’ve had a very successful day! I make a mental note of how good I feel that I did not let myself down and make sure to remind myself the next day of that great feeling if I have a hard time not snacking.
It’s amazing what a mental game this weight loss gig is, isn’t it?
Posted by beth on December 1, 2008
Well, well, well. If it isn’t DAY ONE of the challenge and I’ve got a bad case of the pre-menstrual munchies. Figures, doesn’t it? But that’s okay. I like a good challenge. I can handle it.
(Which is a total lie.) I just want to eat ALL DAMN DAY. I was great during the day today, I had a perfectly planned day and was sticking to my plan, which may or may not included an illegal amount of coffee, but then dinner time hit and now I just want to eat, which is frustrating because I had such a challenging weekend and did pretty good.
Over the course of the Thanksgiving day weekend, I gained one pound, which makes me extremely proud. My weigh in weight today was 183.2
Now, I know I have been absent this past week and I know that’s wrong, so I’ll try to do better this first full week of the challenge and blog more often.
I’m excited to see who else is participating in the challenge, just imagine all of us feeling great about the changes we have been just before the holidays. What a wonderful gift, maybe even the greatest gift.
Posted by Support on November 24, 2008
It’s okay, I can accept it.
Except I can’t.
The truth is, when I can’t find something to wear before heading out with family or friends, I want to crawl into my bed and eat cookies and ice cream.
Why is it that when we are down about our weight, that we eat MORE? What a vicious cycle.
So, here I am, on my first, no, second, no, THIRD weight loss site. Hey, don’t judge, just because it’s my third, doesn’t mean the others were failures, in fact, they were quite successful, which is why I’m doing it again.
I have a whole big long story about why I’m back here, overweight again, and I’ll be sure to tell it over time, it’s a sad story to tell, but I’ll tell it because it’s ME. But for now, I’ll tell you some basics about myself.
Today I weighed in at 182.8.
Last Sunday night, I weighed 189.9. In the past week, I did not count points or starve myself, I just monitored my bad habits and ended them. What were my bad habits? Snacking, snacking and a huge bowl of ice cream every single night. I thought there was no way I could say good bye to that ice cream, but on Monday, I took all of my ice cream and ran hot water into the container and watched it go down the sink.
And two weeks ago, I took all of our halloween candy, put it into a bag and crushed it with a hammer. That’s the way I do things, I make a decision and I rid of the problem because otherwise, I can not be trusted near the chocolate. I learned a long time ago that eating something to get rid of it is just as wasteful and throwing it into the garbage disposal. The only difference is that it doesn’t get stuck on my thighs. Which is a beautiful thing.
I’ve been on this road before, I’ve lost and kept off a ton of weight and it’s time to do it again. I have to remember that nothing is worth tossing a few girl scout cookies into my mouth. Nothing is better than waking up in the morning and see your weight stay the same or even better…drop.
There is no chocolate in the world that taste as good as skinny (healthy) feels. I promise.
I don’t want to lose a lot of weight, I just want to get down to a 165 pounds. To some of you, 165 pounds seems pretty heavy, but on me, I have learned that 165 is my 125. I’m tall and I have muscles…wanna fight?
One other thing about me? I make no excuses. I have Hashimotos Disease, I am grieving, I am stressed and I love food, but there is still no reason for me to be eating without caring.
I’m here to win and by win, I mean lose.