December 2011
35 posts
“Do say you’re going to work out three times this week. Don’t focus...”
– J. Graham Thomas, coinvestigator at the National Weight Control Registry in Glamour Magazine, Jan. 2012
“Whatever it is you want in the future, build it into your day today. If you want...”
– Gloria Steinem, at Glamour Magazine’s Women of the Year Gala
Skinny Sipping: A New Year's Eve Guide
Happy New Year!
I love New Year’s Eve! Getting dressed up, being fancy. But NYE is notoriously a booze filled evening. Lots of booze can lead to bad food choices. Why do fast food tacos and fried foods seem like such a good idea after a night of throwing back cocktails?
Follow these tips to have a healthy NYE:
- Plan ahead. Are you going to a cocktail party? Eat something before you go so...
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Fitness Magazine: Stick to Your New Year's... →
Best advice ever! “allow for the occasional slice of cake or order of cheese fries, and treat it as an indulgence, not an excuse to fall off the wagon.”
This is what has helped me lose weight this year!
Click on the link above for more tips on sticking to your New Year’s resolutions.
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Make it Mini
Resolving to lose 10 pounds in the new year is great, but it’s not going to happen without a plan.
Making small goals will serve as stepping stones to help you reach your overall goal.
I love setting mini goals because it gives me a sense of accomplishment during my journey to achieving a larger goal. When I ran my first half-marathon I had a running goal each week. Being able to check off...
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Success is Sweet
For the past few days I’ve been consumed with setting my goals for the upcoming year. I failed to even think about my accomplishments this year. Taking a moment to analyze your health and fitness successes over the past year will help with goal setting for the next year.
When you think about your successes, it gives you a boost of confidence. It helps you realize that you are capable of...
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Want to start running? Try this...
About four years ago I decided I wanted to start running as a way to lose weight and get fit. At the time, I could not run a mile without stopping to walk. I would easily get short of breath, my legs felt weak and I basically felt like dying every time I ran.
After seeing an ad for a Couch to 5K running class, a community education class at the community college, I decided to give it a try. My...
How to set realistic weight loss goals →
Check out these great tips for setting weight loss goals!!
I have set myself up for failure so many times by declaring, “I will never eat chocolate again!” or “I will work out every day.” Those are not goals. Forcing deprivation upon yourself could lead to a binge or you giving up on trying to lose weight because you gave in. It is OK to eat chocolate! It is OK to miss a...
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Training for a triathlon without a bike or pool...
At the beginning of each year, I feel so energized. It feels like anything is possible. Anything can happen in the new year.
This is why I love making goals for the new year. Not resolutions, which are often broken. I set goals and make a plan to reach those goals. I have goals for my health and fitness, finances, career, personal growth, etc. Because Sweet Success is about living a healthy...
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52 Ways to Cut Fat in 2012 →
Check out these simple ways to cut fat and calories!!
I had no idea vodka slows your metabolism!!! That is sad news. Also low-fat chocolate milk is better than a protein drink after working out. Good to know!
I’m also interested in looking into the recommendation to take a fish oil supplement.
Good read!
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Make it Happen in 2012
I hope you had a wonderful Christmas! Are you in a food coma today? I hope you were able to make it through the holiday without going overboard.
But if you did, a new year is right around the corner and this time of year is perfect for making health goals. A new year, a new you, right?
For many years, I woke up Jan. 1 resolving to lose weight. The first few days of the new year I ate fruits...
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Let's Drink! Peppermint Mocha
I’ve been obsessed with Starbucks Peppermint Mocha lately. I, admittedly, don’t even blink an eye at dropping nearly $5 when I spot a Starbucks and know a Peppermint Mocha could be mine. They are soooooooo good!!
But now I can save my $5 and make this deliciousness at home!! It also only has 103 calories!!!!
If you are not aware of Hungry Girl, you should get to know her. She is...
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How to Have a Healthy Holiday Dinner
Getting through the holidays without packing on the pounds is possible! This holiday season I have eaten cookies and pie, I have eaten turkey, potatoes and stuffing, I have attended holiday parties with buffets of food and I have never felt deprived.
Guess what? I have lost weight since Thanksgiving!
Maintaining or even losing weight is possible during the holidays and doesn’t require depriving...
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Wondering when to toss out those holiday...
LINCOLN - Worrying if holiday leftovers are safe to eat is one thing you can take off your to-do list this season. The “4-Day Throw Away” leftovers app has come to the rescue. Families looking for an extra line of defense to protect themselves from bad leftovers now can use the updated version of this app to alert users when it is time to use or throw away a particular food item. The...
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Recipe Makeovers: Holiday Cookies →
Check out all these holiday cookies with fewer cals!!!
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Let's Eat! Salmon Bruschetta
As I’ve been preparing for the holiday weekend, I haven’t had time to run to the grocery store. I don’t even want to tell you how many times I’ve made breakfast for dinner this week.
But last night I got inspired! I pulled out a package of Chicken of the Sea Pink Salmon. I keep this and packaged tuna for quick, healthy meals. I planned to just throw the salmon on some...
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Spark People Recipe Calculator →
When trying to lose weight or maintain your weight, being aware of what you’re eating is soooooo important.
You may not want to know how many calories are in your mom’s famous pecan pie, but awareness will help you reach your goal.
The SparkPeople Recipe Calculator allows you to find out the nutrition facts of your recipes. This is an amazing tool!!! It’s especially great...
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Surviving the Holiday Dessert Table
This is my downfall during the holidays. I LOVE sweets! If I could, I would skip the turkey, mashed potatoes and the main meal and go straight for the pumpkin pie, chocolates and other sweets. Unfortunately, that would result in a massive tummy ache and me not being able to button my jeans after the holidays.
This time of year, sweet treats are everywhere! So far this week, I was confronted with...
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Fab Food Finds! Peppermint Edition
In November, I really overdid it on the pumpkin-flavored foods. I made over a dozen pumpkin recipes, tried pumpkin shakes and lattes, and bought every pumpkin food I came across. I had to break up with pumpkin.
During my pumpkin break I discovered peppermint ice cream, peppermint coffee creamer and a peppermint energy bar. It was a sign. I needed to explore all the seasonal peppermint foods I...
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Eight Days of Cookies: Chocolate Peppermint Dipped...
Dipped pretzels are one of the easiest holiday treats to make. But they look so festive and they taste delish.
I love the mix of the salty and sweet.
You can make these with white, milk or dark chocolate. You can put red and green festive sprinkles on them. You can even coat them in crushed candy canes.
You can use the regular mini pretzels or pretzel rods when making these. I like the look of...
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Eight Days of Cookies: Frosted Cookies
I have a love/hate relationship with frosted cookies. They are fun to make, but take a lot of work. You can be really creative with them, but decorating these makes a huge mess. In the end, the result is always worth the hassle. They end up looking so cute and festive.
I have a so many memories of making these cookies growing up. As children, my brother, cousins and I would spend hours frosting...
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Eight Days of Cookies: Homemade Mounds
Homemade Mounds are a holiday fave in my family.
When I told the fam that I was making skinnier cookies this year, I asked if there was one or two of our traditional treats that they would like to have. My dad requested Homemade Mounds.
These little treats are basically a ball of sugar. Ingredients include sweetened condensed milk, powdered sugar, sweetened coconut and sugar. Sugar rush!!
...
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Cutting Cals at the Office Holiday Party
It’s party time!!
Tonight is the annual office holiday party. It’s always a fun way to relax with coworkers and chat about non-work things (because that never happens during the work day). Although the annual Christmas party is a good time, it’s also an opportunity to overindulge.
For the past few years (post budget cuts/pay reductions), we have been doing a holiday happy hour...
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Eight Days of Cookies: Peanut Butter Blossoms
Apparently I never knew the names of my mom’s traditional holiday cookies. I always thought Peanut Butter Blossoms were called Thumbprint Cookies!
But I just realized Thumbprint Cookies are covered in nuts and have cherries or jelly in the center. So I’m not making Thumbprint Cookies this year. I’m making Peanut Butter Blossoms.
These were a request from the BF. He asked for...
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Sinless Chocolate Desserts →
I want all of these desserts right now.
I plan to make the Flourless Chocolate Walnut Cookies first!!! Yum!
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Eight Days of Cookies: Mini Minty Sugar Cookies
There are only 12 days until Christmas!!!
I’m feeling very confident with my baking plan. I will do half my baking this weekend and freeze those cookies, then finish baking on Dec. 23. Although I feel good about my ability to pull off all this baking, I am a little concerned about having two days of baking. That means two days of using lots of willpower to not taste test cookie dough and...
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Eight Days of Cookies: Raspberry Almond Bars
Again, another non-cookie for my cookie tray. I’m super excited to try these.
The recipe as is, isn’t too bad in the calorie department with 149 calories per bar. But I plan to make a few modifications to bring the cals down even more. I will use sugar free jam, light butter and whole wheat flour.
Raspberry-Almond Bars
Yield: 36 cookies
1 1/2 cups whole almonds
1 1/2...
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“One way to achieve success is to break big goals down into smaller, less...”
– Weight Watchers
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Eight Days of Cookies: Peppermint Bark
So Peppermint Bark isn’t exactly a cookie, but it’s a sweet treat that will be perfect for my cookie tray. I’m also having a moment of obsession with peppermint, so I’m excited to make some pepperminty creations.
This recipe is also super easy. For my Christmas treat making, having some treats that are uncomplicated is important. I don’t want everything to have tons...
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Eight Days of Cookies: Gingerbread Cookies
I’ve been thinking about my Christmas cookie plan for a couple of weeks now (cookies are serious business) and committed to some Christmas cookies.
My requirements for cookie baking this year were to try a few new recipes, to choose healthier recipes and to give my traditional Christmas cookie recipes healthy makeovers.
Check out my healthy tips for holiday...
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Me Want Cookie! Me Eat Cookie!
Om nom nom nom.
Cookies are my downfall.
While baking, I have to taste test my creations! After the baking is finished, the cookies are just sitting there on trays or in containers screaming, “Eat me!”
During the holidays, the turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, rolls, etc. don’t get me that excited. But the thought of my mom’s pumpkin cookies, my aunt’s peanut...
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Time for Wine
Although wine is wonderful all year long, I tend to enjoy getting cozy with a glass (or three) of red more during the cold winter months.
Staying in under a warm blanket, watching holiday movies and sharing a bottle of wine is perfection. But going out for wine can be fun also. I recently attended two fabulous wine tasting parties that forced me to put on heels and get out of my cozies.
(For...
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Let's Eat! Pumpkin Soup
As someone who has made dozens of pumpkin dishes, I have felt slightly embarrassed that I’ve never used an actual pumpkin in any of my recipes. Libby’s has received lots of my hard earned dollars.
Over the weekend, as I began to put up Christmas decorations, I considered throwing out the two pie pumpkins and bowl full of gourds I had used as fall decorations. But then, I realized...
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Happy Hot Chocolate Day!
It is Hot Chocolate Day at the office!
The weather has decided to change from unseasonably warm, to blustery cold. There’s nothing more comforting than a hot cup of creamy cocoa during cold winter days. So that’s why I have decided that we needed a Hot Chocolate Day!
I’ve always purchased low-calorie versions of hot chocolate mixes. Unfortunately, those mixes can contain tons...
