A Call To Blog!

Hi Folks!

So its been a little while since I've blogged and a lot has happened. First, I realized that while the Hot Pocket Diet was a fun experiment - its one that didn't work. But hey, that's what experiments are for right? Some work and some don't!

So why the decision to change Hot Pocket Lady, you may ask? Well, this lady is getting married in a year and she needs to look smokin' in her wedding dress!! I mean really, all those folks I haven't seen in years need to think I've looked super hot all along. Well that and I need to get healthy too, not just thin. I need my pipes to work, my skin to look good and to have more energy. All of which come with a healthy diet.

So whats the game plan? Well I did buy the "Skinny Bitch" diet book. Had I realized this was just one big push to be vegan I may have resisted, but it did have a lot of valid and interesting points. So basically I will eat a LOT more veggies and fruit. Also, when I do eat meat or drink milk in moderation it will be organic. And I do have a confession. Are your ready? Wait for it.....ok, I actually like Tofu and veggies burgers. I mean genuinely like them, like I order them in restaurants and everything. So they will be making a lot more appearances in the diet as well. I will also be sure to keep the calories at 1600 or less per day. And the kicker, I am giving up alcohol. Basically the only time I will have any is red wine if we are out to dinner. And then it will only be one glass. This is definitely a major lifestyle change for me.

So I started this diet on Monday and have stuck to all of the above. I have actually lost 2 pounds since then. Yes, ok, another confession - I weigh myself almost everyday. I just can't help it! I am a girl - its just part of my wiring. Much like we like sparkly things and shoes and purses.

So the blogging will continue. Hopefully you will support me on the continued journey to lose 30 (or maybe 40) pounds. And I am giving myself til Sept 2010 to lose the weight - so we will do this on a realistic and safe timetable to get it all done. More importantly that's 11 more months of my witty humor. LOL!

The Panini Pocket Review

OK - so I tried the Panini pocket for lunch today. There are definately some pro's and con's to said pocket.

First of all, it tasted fine. I got the cheese steak panini and it basically tasted as expected. The crust however was a bit more pocket like than panini like. I think if they had used the formula that they use on the "soft subs" they may have gotten a little closer. Basically I expected the crust to be crispy on the outside yet thick enough to give it some "fluffiness". That didn't happen.

Perhaps the biggest negative is that a box actually only contains one meal. While it says that it is 220 calories and there are 2 servings on the box, that's really not the case. You have to cook the entire panini at once. So unless you have someone readily available to share it with, you actually have yourself a 440 calorie meal. It also says "more filling" on the box. Yeah - no kidding - I have to eat two servings at more calories - of course its going to be more filling. While the calzone pocket clearly states on the box that it is one meal, the panini pocket leads you to believe otherwise - and that's just not cool.

So unless the good folks at Hot Pockets can come up with a way to put the panini in two separate sleeves just like every other Hot Pocket they sell, I have to give this product a thumbs down. Oh and did I mention it costs more? So paying more for half the meals - not good my friends, not good.

It will be back to regular old Hot Pockets for me!

The First Truly Awful Hot Pocket

OK, so I finally stumbled upon the pocket full of nasty meat everyone jokes about. The Italian Style Meatball Sub Lean Pocket was truly awful. Most of it went in the garbage. I promptly replaced it with the most delightful four cheese lean pocket. Yes - that is simply warm gooey goodness in a pocket.

So for all of you waiting for this moment - it has happened. Not all Hot Pockets are created equal. Nope, not at all.

I also added some real exercise (read: not painting or pushing a double stroller with 80lbs of kids around a mall) to my day. I did some Jillian Michaels DVD. For those of you not immediately familiar with her name, she is the "motivating" trainer on The Biggest Loser. The great thing about the DVD is that it has 3 levels of training that you can choose from. It is also only 20 minutes long. It is however about 20 minutes worth of sweaty torture. I haven't sweated that much since kick-boxing class. In fact it was probably just as intense - just packed into a shorter time frame. I also used 3 lb hand weights as well. My little girls did the routine with me using barbie dolls as their hand weights. It was actually quite comical. The best part was when my whirlwind of a 4 year old said - "gee - this lady doesn't even let you take a break - I'm getting tired." Watching a 3 and 4 year old try to do push-ups, jumping jacks and the other exercises was quite funny as well. So overall - thumbs up on the DVD. It definitely gives you a workout. I can feel the ache setting in all over my thighs already. Tomorrow morning should be awesome!

So remember - Italian Style Meatball Soft Sub Lean Pocket = terrible nasty meat. At least now you know I don't work for Nestle in their Hot Pocket division. Only honest opinions handed out here.

Wish me luck with my weigh-in tomorrow morning!

Hot Pockets and Breakfast go hand in hand!

So I tried a new breakfast Hot Pocket today - the egg, cheese and applewood bacon. I have to say, I think Hot Pockets were made for breakfast food! Besides only taking 2 minutes to cook, they give you a nice hot breakfast that you don't have to sit at the table to eat.

And I have to say that it was pretty tasty. The pocket itself fills the need for toast or a biscuit and there is just enough food in the filling. The applewood bacon Hot Pocket definitely gets a thumbs up! Coupled with a nice cup of coffee it was a great breakfast.

And I didn't have that orange last night, so I'll probably have it as a snack shortly!

Enjoy your day!

The Hot Pocket Diet!

Welcome to the Hot Pocket Diet page! This may sound crazy, but well, most diets do now don't they? This idea hit me while noticing the nutrition info on my hot pocket. They range from 250--350 calories and are more filling than other "diet" meals with similar amounts of calories.

So you could have breakfast, lunch, dinner and even 4th meal for only 1200-1300 calories a day! Or you could eliminate 4th meal and have a glass of wine or two out with friends instead! I mean - we all have lives - so we need some wiggle room - even in the hot pocket diet plan.

So here is what I plan to do:

3-4 hot pockets a day for at least 4-5 days a week. The other days I will probably be eating out with friends or enjoying a nice dinner with my honey. But I will be sure that the other two meals I eat on these "off" days are indeed Hot Pockets. I will also supplement my meals with fruit, veggies and yogurt equalling approximately an additional 200 calories per day. So basically, my initial goal is to keep the calories at approx 1400-1500 per day. I will also take vitamins and soluble fiber. Finally, I will add the dreaded "physical activity" at least three times per week. I will not be taking any other type of weight loss supplement.

So you may be wondering a bit about me. How much does she need to lose? Is she a couch potato? Is she certifiable? Actually, I am your pretty typical mom with two young kids and not much time. I am 35 and have a BMI of 29.7. I wear a size 12-14, so while I am overweight I don't have 100 lbs to lose. If I lose 30 lbs I will have a healthy BMI of 24.7. So this is my initial goal. I would love to lose more, but I think 1 goal at a time will work a bit better for me. I'd like to wear a size 8-10, which would definitely be possible if I lose 30 lbs.

So, on this site, I will post my weight loss once a week to see what (if anything) happens. I will also let you know if something out of the ordinary like vacations or special events interfere with the Hot Pocket diet. I will also, of course, talk about hot pockets! I will discuss the different varieties, which taste the best and the differences between the regular Hot Pockets and the Lean Pockets. There isn't a huge calorie difference between the two - so it will be more of a "is it worth it" type comparison.

And mostly - this is a fun page! Yes - I want to lose weight - but hey - it is kind of an odd idea - so any Hot Pocket funnies I find will also be posted. We need to laugh at ourselves too!

So as of today, the diet officially starts. Wish me luck!! I will be updating often!