Yeah Baby! 4 Pounds!!

Woo Hoo!!!! Finally! Some weight loss! And not just some - 4 lbs to be exact! I know you always lose more the first couple of weeks on a diet because your body is detoxing and getting rid of excess water, but I'll take it! What a way to start off. It hasn't been the easiest week, but I have changed my perspective and I take one day at a time. I don't think about not eating some foods forever, but rather - I think how I'm not going to eat that today. It works for me. I makes things feel much less overwhelming.  I have also really drastically changed my diet. I am still eating some meat and dairy, but my diet has a more vegetarian focus. And not a macaroni and cheese vegetarian, a veggies and tofu vegetarian. I am also buying organic so I can avoid hormones or antibiotics in my food. I mean, if you have to take hormones or steroids for a medical condition, weight gain is usually a prominent side effect. So I am postulating that if there are all kinds of hormones in the food we eat - well then maybe that adds to our weight problems as well.

So you may ask - Tell me ex-hot-pocketer - what exactly are you eating????  Well, one of my favorite things to make is my "Big Salad". It's fresh and homemade, but it's like Sanda Lee semi-homemade easy. Here's what's in it:

Start with a 4 Qt Bowl
*Fill it with organic salad greens (aka the pre-washed box or bag from the grocery store)
*Slice about 5 strawberries and add to lettuce. You can really put as many strawberries as you want, cause lets be honest - strawberries didn't get us fat). You can of course use blueberries or peaches or apples - whatever fruit floats your boat - but my salad included strawberries.
*Add one-third cup dried cranberries. This is one serving - about 130 calories
*Add one-quarter cup chopped pecans (you can buy them that way - no actual chopping necessary) - about 210 calories (you can also use walnuts if not a pecan fan)
*Add 3 Tbs Poppy Seed Dressing. I use Brianna's (its on that "special" salad dressing shelf). All natural and DE-LIC-IOUS! The Poppy Seed dressing is key here - it makes the salad. 240 calories

Mix it all up in the big bowl. If you can add, you know that comes out to 580 calories. So lets say its 600 with the lettuce and strawberries. This salad is at least 2 servings. So you can separate it out into containers and have a 200-300 calorie serving. Or serve it to the family for dinner. Everyone I have made this for LOVES it! And if you feel like there is a little something missing, you can put some parmesan shavings on top. But don't go crazy - cause cheese IS what made us fat!

I am also eating great convenience food like Amy's and Indian foods from Deep Foods (to be highlighted in a future post) and yogurt and tons of veggies (I had stuffed zucchini and red peppers this weekend). I am also adding tofu to meals to cut down on the meat consumed or replacing the meat with it all together. Give the extra firm stuff a chance. Really - it can be good! Especially in a stir fry or added to something flavorful. Tofu takes on the flavors of everything its cooked with and provides protein. Really, honestly, its not bad!

Oh, and I didn't have a drop of alcohol all week. No red wine or anything. And I'm not even shaking! LOL I even feel better. I do still need that cup of coffee in the morning, but baby steps.

Thanks for checking in. Please feel free to leave comments or add me to the blogs you follow. All the encouragement I can get will help me along the way. I don't want to disappoint any of you!

I Love Amy

So before you guys get your boxers in a bunch, I am speaking of Amy of Amy's Organic Foods. As you know, I am all about convenience (hence the Hot Pocket experience) so finding a way to make eating healthy even easier is music to my ears.


So Amy's ( http://www.amys.com/ ) is awesome!!! So many great varieties of food. All organic and vegetarian. Some are vegan, and all but two varieties are Kosher. They really make eating nutritious veggie filled meals so simple! Cause I mean really - making all this stuff fresh can be a bit of a pain. Its fine if you have time to make a nice dinner, but when you need a quick lunch they are great! AND they even have pocket meals! Yes! Of course I was drawn to these - lol. I had the spinach and feta pocket last night and it was delicious! And trust me - I am about eating food with actual taste - I wouldn't recommend this stuff if it tasted like cardboard.






Their website is awesome too. I guess a lot of people wrote to them saying that they lost weight using their foods, so they have developed their own diet section. The web site is very complete and even includes a blog from the actual Amy (she's a student at Stanford - her parents started the food company when she was born).


So I will definitely post reviews of all kinds of Amy's foods as I try them. I have had a couple of their Indian meals and they are awesome! I will also build a list of links to convenience food companies as I share them on my blog. I already know of a few I will highlight in the future!


So yes - eating organic, healthy food and convenience really can go hand in hand!

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!

Exercise!

So I found yet another interesting article, this time about exercise. It postulates that exercise in the 30-60 minute bursts often prescribed actually makes us fatter, and that continuous, lower rate exercise like walking or gardening is actually better for us, keeping things more "even". I found it interesting and thought you might too!

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1914857,00.html


As for me - I am still eating a Hot Pocket a day and it is working out pretty well! Hopefully the scale will be favorable tomorrow with my new mix of Hot Pockets and "home made" meals. I think this is a better mix. I have to say I feel a bit better actually! I am also writing everything down and measuring everything out (aka journaling). I think this will help with the margin of error or guesstimates that I was using previously. I was probably consuming more calories than I thought. And if you were wondering, a half a bottle of red wine is about 250 calories. I'm capping mine at a glass now! Toodaloo!

"Plus Size" Model Kudos

I found this article on Facebook and just thought I had to pass it on. Its about a "plus" size model (who in actuality is a size 12-14 aka "regular" size large) who posed without being airbrushed or anything in Glamour Magazine. The magazine itself is getting lots of kudos for the picture, but I think the media in general should be more aware that people come in all sizes and that some men actually like some meat on a woman's bones. Shocking - I know!

http://www.glamour.com/health-fitness/blogs/vitamin-g/2009/08/on-the-cl-the-picture-you-cant.html

Hope you enjoyed. My week ended pretty well, getting through some tough emotions. I apologize if my last post was a little heavy. But there is more to life than a nutty diet and a woman trying to recapture size 8. That's why I thought the above article was fitting.

Enjoy your Saturday!

No loss this week :(

Well, I guess it had to happen. Last week must have been a freak weigh-in. After Disney and all, I did expect to gain a little. But not to worry - everyone has a week where they don't lose or have a slight gain. It just means you have to keep trying and not have 4 glasses of wine and baklava the night before weigh-in. LOL

Like I said - I give myself a couple nights a week of "real" food. Also - on average, one night a week I go out with a group of work friends and we pick a different nationality to dine on. Tonight is Polish Food. Not quite as diet friendly as say... Japanese food, but I will enjoy my pierogies! Or shall I say Potato Pockets!

And despite my non-loss, I'm in a great mood today. My honey and I had a lot of fun last night - and that's what really matters :)

Uuuuggghhhh!

Uuuuggghhhhh! I am so depressed! I took a sneak peek at the scale this morning and its not looking good. Can a few cookies really bring me back to where I started? I thought 3500 calories made up a lb?! I mean I have to reduce my diet by that to lose one, but it seems I only have to consume about 500 to gain one! Maybe I should have just waited til Thursday like I'm supposed to, but now I'm just down in the dumps. Oh - and there was a fly in my coffee this morning. Ewww. Its just been that kind of day and its not even noon yet!

I guess I will definitely be doing some exercise today. Maybe I will take the girls out for a walk - that could be fun!

Wish me luck - maybe it was just a fluke this morning. I sure hope so!

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!

Yay Its Friday!

Not much new on the diet front - still following the plan. I did however purchase the new panini Hot Pocket. Not a pocket at all, but figured I'd try it. I'll definitely let you know how it is. I figured a little variety couldn't hurt. They say its the spice of life after all.

Overall I'm just happy that its Friday and its my weekend with the girls. They are starting to realize that I eat an awful lot of Hot Pockets - so its pretty funny. Hopefully we'll have some nice weather so we can do some fun stuff with them this weekend. Time to get out of the house and get some fresh air!

Happy Weekend Everyone!

So Tell Me More Crazy Hot Pocket Lady!

Ok, So I realize that at some point the topic of Hot Pocket's and diet alone will get a little old. So thought it might be nice to tell you ten fun facts about me! I hope this gets some of you who pop in to check to start to follow me and even comment sometimes. I can use all the support I can get!

So here we go!

1. Favorite TV Channel: HGTV. I watch it waaaaaayy too much. Candice Olsen is my favorite designer.

2. Favorite Color: I like reds - from pink to burgundy. and of course black. Its slimming you know!

3. Tattoos: Yes - have 'em, like 'em. I think good tattoo art is amazing. Some true artists of our time. I'll even post a pic of my big back tattoo :) My tattoo is of the Norse Goddess Freya with her blue cat given to her by Thor. She is standing on a bed of Lilies. I got it to represent my girls. So if you think about it - you can figure out their names pretty easily. LOL

And if you're wondering - losing about 20-25 lbs will get me back to that body - lol. We don't want a stretched out tattoo - eeewwww!

4. Latest Accomplishment: Gutting and redoing a 1920's home. It was what I could afford after getting divorced and it is now just how I like it. I feel like I gave it life again!

5. Charity of choice: American Foundation for Suicide Prevention - my dad actually committed suicide a year ago this August. Part of the reason for my weight gain I think. Its a great organization. Nobody should have to be stigmatized by depression etc. Suicide actually accounts for 13% of deaths in my Dad's age group. Way more than I ever thought and way too high.

6. Vice - besides food - I would have to say wine. Love it!! Learning about wines from different regions of the world and vintages is exciting to me.

7. Secret geeky love: I love watching election results. Especially presidential ones or ones that put the fate of the house or senate at stake. Blue, Red - which way will they go???

8. Places I'd like to visit: China, Japan, the end of Argentina so I can get on a boat and actually go to Antarctica, Egypt.

9. Some cool places I've been: Australia, most of Europe, Israel, Canada, took the train across the US (not by choice - but that's a whole other story!). Favorite Cities: Belfast, Prague, and my birthplace: NYC!

10. The meaning of life: My two girls. I honestly believe that you have no idea what love is until you have kids. I think all you parents out there would agree. If you are lucky enough to find your soul mate too - well I think then maybe you have found your heaven on earth.

So hopefully now you don't think I'm a total whack job that only eats Hot Pockets. In fact I think I am going to sub dinner and fourth meal tonite with a (sensible) dinner with my honey!

So please keep checking in - I'd love to hear from you!

Yard Work - Yuck

So for some reason it has been a super rainy summer, therefore causing jungle-like growth in my yard. I feel like all I do is weed my yard. I mean, it takes months for the pretty flowers and trees to grow, and in like 2 days there are weeds the size of small trees. So frustrating!!! So tonite we did some major yard work. I spent most of the night in that hunched over weed-pulling position while my honey was in the hunched over weed-whacking position. We should both have some pretty nice feeling backs tomorrow. I rinsed off, but I still have that creepy crawly buggy feeling - I hate that!

So, basically, I burned some calories in the yard, and it was a true Hot Pocket only day today. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the weigh-in is ok tomorrow after the vacation eating. I'll be sue to post results tomorrow morning!

Back On Track!

OK! Well we got home late last night and got a good night's sleep in our own bed for a change. I also had a whole day of Hot Pockets! Yum. I actually missed my crazy diet. There is just something so easy and comforting about it.

I am very nervous about weigh-in though! Even though we did lots of walking in Disney, we also ate (and drank) quite a bit. We had one really nice dinner at Artist's Point in the Wilderness Lodge. If you've never been there, put it on your list. Its one of those Disney gems geared towards adults. It's quiet, has a great wine list and just wonderful food. So that night we of course split a bottle of wine and shared a dessert too. We then headed over to Raeglan Road - a great Irish pub for a few more drinks and enjoyed some great traditional Irish music.

So basically - as hard as you try to eat well while on vacation - you definitely are not keeping it to 1400 calories a day. And yes - maybe it was silly of me to start a diet a week before going on vacation, but like I said - life happens and if we keep planning around things we'll never be on track.

But I am going to give myself to Thursday to weigh-in. Hopefully I will at least keep off my initial 3.8 lb loss. Wish me luck!

Hanging Out In The Airport

So my trip is coming to an end as I sit in the airport waiting for my flight to board. I have to say that I am looking forward to sleeping in my comfy bed and waking up to a delicious Hot Pocket tomorrow. I can't even believe it, but I missed having my Hot Pocket meals! Hopefully I made good food choices and did plenty of walking in the hot Florida sun.

So the blog will get back to its regular rhythm tomorrow - just wish me luck at weigh-in!

OH - and I almost forgot - there is a store at the Boardwalk Hotel at Disney that sells Hot Pockets! Bravo Disney!

Everything is Magical!

So I am in Disney right now, and well, following the Hot Pocket diet is pretty darn hard here. Especially with all the great restaurants. Hopefully all the walking we do in this muggy Florida weather will help balance things out a bit.

Though, as my honey and I were driving up to the Wilderness lodge for dinner last night we saw someone getting their luggage out of the car and they had an entire bag of Hot Pockets!!!! Maybe he knows about the diet! Are you out there? Are you a secret follower of this crazy blog?

I never did get the microwave I requested in my room either - adding extra difficulty to having said Hot Pockets. But not to worry, I have plenty at home waiting for me to enjoy them!

Happy Weekend!

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!

So How Can This Possibly Work?

Ok, so the Hot Pocket Diet idea sounds a little nutty. I get it. However, its really not much different than eating pre-packaged Jenny Craig or Weight Watchers or Lean Cuisine now is it? And if you talk to most nutritionists they often suggest eating smaller meals throughout the day. So if you eat 3-4 Hot Pockets a day at an average of 320 calories each - you are right on target! Throw in some healthy snacks like fruit, veggies and yogurt and you are set. Plus, with Hot Pockets you actually feel full after, or at least like you didn't eat some crappy diet food with all the life sucked out of it. Eating smaller meals in closer increments actually helps your metabolism - much better than eating one or two big meals per day.

So really - there is a method to the madness. Hot Pockets just makes those 3-4 meals a day way easier. It doesn't get much faster than two minutes in the microwave now does it?

And since tonite is Friday Niiiite, I think I will be substituting some wine and possibly home made guacamole with my honey for 4th meal. Like I said - we do have lives :)

So day two was another success. Hopefully weigh-in on Wednesday will reflect that!

Cheers!
Kel

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!