happy holidays! post-wedding update

what a year it has been. i wanted to provide an update for those of you who have found my blog because of my accu-weight loss days.

my wedding day was saturday, november 2, 2013. it was a beautiful fall day! over the last year, i maintained a weight of about 140; however, in the weeks leading up to my wedding i followed the transition protocol and worked out at least twice (sometimes 3x) a week. on my wedding day, i was about 134.

i have since gained about 8 pounds back — that's what a two week honeymoon and the holidays will do! but i know i will bounce back when i'm back at the gym/mindful of what i eat.

i hope my posts and insight continue to be helpful! i will be moving my blogging to a different site come 2014. i will keep you all posted. amyrizzutophotography.comamyrizzutophotography.comamyrizzutophotography.com

good morning!

i've decided to switch things up. instead of my usually morning coffee, i've started drinking hot water & lemon (with a pinch of ground cinnamon).

my coffee habits have changed dramatically over the years. at first, i took my hot milk and sugar with a splash of coffee. perhaps that was because i was only thirteen. then i started drinking my (at home) coffee black. i started drinking my coffee sweet again in college. thanks to the on-campus starbucks. but i should point out that, to this day, i prefer dunkin' donuts coffee (black; hot or cold) and starbucks speciality drinks (i can only drink starbucks coffee black if its iced).

i digress.

the point is, i want to drink less coffee. and thus, i've switched to morning hot water & lemon. so far, so good. although i've noticed it makes me hungrier than coffee (which has a tendency to curb appetite).


learn more about the benefits of drinking hot water and lemon here.

happy fall!

hello, friends.
it's been quite a while! so much has happened, so much is going on and i'm looking forward to so many things! let me start by saying: this is not a weight-loss blog! well, not anymore, i suppose. last you heard from me i exceeded my weight loss goal. let's finally put those numbers into perspective (see below).

the picture on the left is me at the end of april 2012 – approaching my heaviest of 170(ish) pounds. it was approximately 3 weeks later i began the accuweight loss diet. the picture on the right is me at my sister's wedding in august 2012 at the thinnest i've ever been in my adult life –130 pounds. 

i read once read in some scholarly journal – cosmo, i think – that when one is "unhappy" or "complacent" it's better to make small changes; big or radical changes often fail or are not as satisfying. well. for me, i was a year out of college working two jobs: one, parttime in marketing for a small nonprofit the other, selling advertising space for a nonprofit theater. oh, and babysitting. i moved back in with my parents (wompwomp). AND was overweight. something had to give. overworked, under paid/appreciated + overweight. 

then. something changed. i was offered a new (fulltime) job and thought: if not now, when? NO MORE EXCUSES. i needed to do something radical. so. i started dieting two days before my new job started. 

i recently saw a family friend who is familiar with accuweight loss. she asked, "i heard you sleep REALLY well while you're on the diet, is that true? i didn't because i was only on it for three weeks, but i hear if you stick to it you get the BEST sleep." to which i replied (after some thought), "i DID sleep well. probably because i was only ingesting 500ish calories a day and my body was literally like, 'go to sleep, pleaseee, i'm exhausted!'" 

since exceeding my weight loss goal and starting the maintenance stage of the diet, i've gain 5-7pounds. i realized i was probably too thin and should have stopped when i reached 140 (my original goal weight). i have maintained an average weekly weighin of 137. 

that was until hurricane sandy. i'm not blaming hurricane sandy for my weight gain, necessarily (but really, i am). here's what happened. nick and i traveled down to PA for the weekend (friday, october 27) to do some wedding related stuff, including engagement photos. as we tracked the storm, we decided to reschedule our photos for the following weekend and, as luck would have it, our photographer was available! then sunday (october 28) came and went and we decided to weather the storm here in PA. then monday happened and hurricane sandy mercilessly ripped through the northeast. we only lost power temporarily here in PA but that was not the case for our home in NJ. with no work, power, water and a gas shortage we decided to stay in PA until things got better. 

i was SO grateful to be able to take advantage of my time off for wedding related things — contacting florists and hotels, searching for officiants and nick worked on launching our wedding website. the unfortunate part was the overwhelming sense of guilt — being happy when so many were (and still are) suffering. the week following sandy came and went and we decided to stay in PA because there was no point in trying to get back to NJ. so. we've been living in nick's parents house for TEN days. 

i'm completely out of my element. we've gone out to eat serval times (even twice in one day ... gross or awesome?) and have had zero physical activity. and thus, i've gained a solid 5pounds! yikes. 

to make a long post longer, these past few days also made me think about how much i wish i had a hobby. ENTER: food blog. i need to get back to cooking and baking and photography and writing and design and all the things that make me feel accomplished and happy. i've been thinking about combining everything into one website but haven't thought of the perfect name (that isn't already taken). thoughts, anyone? 

wedding weekend

so. the time has come ... my sister's wedding is this weekend. i'm honestly most excited about the food. is that sad? my dress – the dress i ordered 3 sizes smaller than i was at the time – fits! i'm so proud of my myself. i can't believe i have reached my goal weight. speaking of, i weighed in yesterday:

current weight 133 pounds-to-go -2 

i can't believe i lost 2 more pounds. especially with how lax i was with following the transition protocol. so. WOOHOO. bring on the family, friends, food and drinks! 

carbs and cupcakes

i'm now on week two of my transition. my weigh in this week was the same. current weight 135 pound-to-go 0
this week, i can have three things of my choice. the woman in the office before me is also transitioning and was so conservative with her choices: ice cream (dr allowed 1cup), pizza (dr allowed 1slice) and an alcoholic beverage (only 1). meanwhile, my thoughts were racing at the possibility of eating "real" food. i discussed eating corn (dr allowed 1ear), beans (dr allowed 7ounces or less) and bread (dr allowed 2slices). however, i will now, unapologetically, eat this cupcake* instead!

 

*i (HONESTLY) only ate about 1/4. it was delicious but too much! ... probably a good thing, right? 

transition

i'm happy to announce my weigh in today was 135. YAY! so i am officially starting phase two aka "transition" ... basically that means i can now eat salad dressing, lean meats and until 8pm instead of 6pm. i now only have two dairy days a week instead of the 2day cycle. still no sugar. no carbs. no oil. no butter or yogurt or cheese. or eggs. or peanut butter. or legumes. oh well. SOON ENOUGH! 

 

for my last unofficial veggie dinner, we made a warm taco-inspired salad. it was delicious! this is one of the better salads we've made considering i need to eat them sans dressing. 

ingredients

• 16oz bibb lettuce (we used a red/green mix) 
• 1 beefsteak tomato 
• 1 avocado 
• 1 medium sized white onion
• 1 medium sized yellow pepper
• bunch green onion/scallions 
• cilantro - to taste
• cayenne pepper OR packet of taco seasoning
• frank's hot sauce - to taste
• salt and pepper
• lime juice
• cooking spray (we use PAM)

directions 

• clean and chop lettuce; place in large bowl
• chop onions and yellow pepper; heat saute pan over medium heat and spray with PAM; cook onion and pepper 
• while onion and pepper are cooking: chop tomato, green onion, cilantro and cube the avocado; add to lettuce mixture
• once the onion and pepper are tender add cayenne pepper (or taco seasoning); mix in 
• finish sauteing onion and pepper; once done add to prepared salad 
• mix fully then add frank's hot sauce, lime juice + salt and pepper to taste 

serves 2 as dinner or serve on the side. ps. the mixture of the warm ingredients, avocado, hot sauce and lime made the perfect combination in lieu of adding dressing ... 

current weight: 135 pounds-to-go: 0 

almost

so, as i mentioned last week, i reached both my original goal weight of 140 AND the two month mark. however, when i weighed in i was still (unfortunately) 140. not bad considering i ate diner food and at my sister's bridal shower. like. seriously binged on: an omelet, mini bagel, chocolate chip pancake, 2 pieces of sausage, 5 strips of bacon ... you get the idea.

so i've decided to suffer stay on the program for ONE MORE week. my goal is 135 but if not, i don't  care. i need to be happy with the amount i lost and start introducing exercise and "real" food. i can't be on this program forever. i'm seriously SO over it and i don't want to be as obsessed with my weight as i've become ...

once i'm off the program i'll focus on my "affoodability": maintaining my weight through healthy foods and exercise. and hopefully i'll have some more exciting food-related posts to make!

two months!

TODAY is the day! i've officially reached the two month mark and am on my last fruit/veggie cycle. i weigh in tomorrow for the last time (while on the program)! then i start transitioning. yay!

stuffed portabello mushroom

summertime is all about grillin' and while i would normally look forward to some chicken, burgers or even an ear of corn; i've had to be more creative with my grilled dinners. one night last week we bought some portabello mushroom caps. knowing i'd want something more than that, i had the idea to make a diet friendly, filling dinner by adding some other veggies.

ingredients 

• portabello mushroom caps (package of 2)
• 10-12 ounces of spinach 
• 1 medium sized onion 
• 1 medium sized tomato 

directions 

• heat grill (we have a gas grill); place aluminum foil-wrapped onion on grill 
• while onion is on the grill, prepare mushroom caps, tomatoes and spinach: chop tomato into small pieces and set aside; clean and rinse spinach; wash and clean mushroom caps gently with a paper towel
• then spray pan with PAM and start cooking spinach on low adding salt and pepper to taste; keep warm until mushroom and onion are done on the grill 
• while the spinach is cooking: add mushroom caps directly onto grill; continue grilling mushroom caps and onion for 20minutes or until the mushroom caps stop welling up with water and get some nice char marks. 
• take the onion and mushroom off the grill, carefully remove the onion from the foil. place foil over mushrooms to keep warm. place onion back onto the grill to get some caramelization for a few minutes.
• remove onion from grill; chop onion into small pieces (CAUTION: onion will be very hot!) 
• stuff cooked spinach, grilled onion and raw tomato into mushroom cap 
• serve immediately and ENJOY! 

note: this yields two servings. make it as a meal or serve as a side dish! 

this was by far one of my favorite dinners since starting my diet. i've fallen into the habit of eating guacamole and plantain chips almost every fruit/veggie day so i was happy to mix it up. this is really the perfect summer dish! it's filling and earthy. it was also super easy to make and a great vegetarian friendly way to use the grill! 

how do you look: standards on body image

i saw this vintage advertisement (below) and thought to myself: wow. i can't believe how much the standards on body image have changed in a matter of decades. standards on body image are culturally determined and always changing. 

despite my dieting, i'd still argue for the girl on the left. it's not about being "skinny" or "fat" –  ultimately, it's about being healthy. which is complicated when you think about it because every BODY is different. being healthy to me is a balance between physical and emotion health. that being said, i think confidence can be a true body image builder even if you have a few "extra pounds," you know? outward appearance is not always indicative of "health"

now that i'm approaching my new goal weight i want to focus on being happy and healthy. i want to maintain my weight without obsessing over calories and/or weighing myself. i want to eat nutrient rich foods and workout + treat myself every once in awhile.

soon after seeing this ad, i came across the trailer for miss representation, a documentary film about the media’s misrepresentations of women that have led to the underrepresentation of women in positions of power and influence. although i haven't seen the film yet, i did read through some of the information provided and (while i was at work) literally burst into tears while reading about how much young women are so affected by our culture's current body image standards. i read that the number one "magical" wish among girls is to be thinner. not to go to disney land or be president - the number one magical wish is to be thinner. how sad is that?

then again, as this advertisement points out, whether it's to be bigger or thinner there will always be "cultural standards" and at the end of the day the most important thing is to be happy and love yourself.

140

140 140 140 140 140. 

i weighed in and reached my unofficial goal weight yesterday! i celebrated by eating diner food and ice cream. counterproductive? perhaps.

despite reaching my first goal weight, i asked the doc if i could stay on for another week or until i reached 135. he said he couldn't argue with me wanting to get down to 135 ... i asked if he would argue with 130. he said, "get to 135 first then we'll talk." so, i've decided to stay on the diet program for one more week before i start transitioning. whether i get to 135 or not i think one more week will be enough. i'll be able to start introducing a workout regime when i transition so i might end up losing weight regardless.

GO ME!

current weight: 140 pounds-to-go: 5

happy fourth of july!

while most of you enjoyed the smells and tastes of some good 'ole american bbq, i had watermelon. not eating some kind of meat on the fourth of july seems wrong and unamerican, doesn't it?

regardless, there is just something so american and summer-y about watermelon. AND, according to whole foods, watermelon scores a 91 on the ANDI* scale. delicious and nutritious! i added a few mint leaves which added an extra hint of freshness.

happy birthday, america!



*ANDI stands for "Aggregate Nutrient Density Index." an ANDI score shows the nutrient density of a food on a scale from 1 to 1000 based on nutrient content. ANDI scores are calculated by evaluating an extensive range of micronutrients, including vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and antioxidant capacities.

second month slump

current weight: 145 pounds-to-go: 10 (5 from original goal) 

i weighed in yesterday and sadly only lost 3 pounds. i attribute this lack of loss to a number of things. namely, this is one of the first times i've actually weighed in exactly ONE week after my previous weigh-in. also. my period. I'M NOT MAKING EXCUSES - IT'S TRUE! Both the doc and his (female) assistant agreed i would have been down at least an additional 3 pounds if i wasn't bloated. thank you, mother nature. h8 you.

i also tried to get the doc's opinion on my new goal weight. when i first started he had said i should get down to 140; i agreed. it's only as of late i've made the decision to stay on the diet until i reach 135. he said, "we'll discuss it when i reach 140" to which i replied, "HOPEFULLY, that will be next week." he responded with what can only be described as the most unenthusiastic high-five ever. 

this second-month slump is really getting to me. not just this weigh-in. overall ... it's getting harder to avoid meeting up with friends because i can't "get drinks" or "grab dinner," i've totally isolated myself lately. as much as this diet is supposed to teach me how to "live with food" i've never felt more controlled by my diet. i have to rush home from work on my fruit/veggies days to ensure i eat on time. i have to schedule my days so i have time to grocery shop every other day. i've also developed an unhealthy relationship with the scale. not sure if that's better or worse than our previous relationship status which was: nonexistent. i hope i don't develop some weird obsessive compulsiveness or eating disorder from this.

MIA

i can't believe i've been so MIA –  i really thought i'd be blogging about all my dietary foodventures. but let's be real. it's easier to complain out-loud to my fiance and friends than in type and i don't see the point in posting pictures of plantain chips and glasses of milk.

anyway. my weigh-in schedule has really veered off course. but hopefully from here on out i will stick to WEEKLY weigh-ins. although going every eight to ten(ish) days seems to work out better in my mind ... and saves moneyy.

in other news. my mom came with me yesterday. i have to admit it's been really difficult dieting in my home environment. i live amongst polar opposites –  my sister who is extremely disciplined and sticks to a calorie restricted diet and then treats herself weekly and my mother who, admittedly has poor eating habits.

i've never wanted to place blame on anyone for my eating habits or my weight. i grew up under pretty interesting circumstances. my dad loved his juicer. we would wake up weekend mornings to the sounds of the blades grinding up fresh and delicious fruit juices. he also tried to get us to drink soy and goat's milk rather than cow's milk. even now that man will steam anything. like. even chicken. that's not to say he like, didn't EVER eat fast food or candy. he did. we just grew up in house that was half organic half convenience aka frozen dinners/take out. and at the grocery store it was never a question of "can we have ice cream?" it was more like "what kind do you want?" growing up, both of my parents were thin so i suppose i never saw a reason to not eat junk food. i, on the other hand, was always overweight (overweight never "obese"). and seeing my twin sister eat the same things i did and be half the size was always, in some subconscious way, upsetting. but honestly, i never lacked confidence. i never "struggled" with my weight despite knowing i could lose a few lbs. i was active, had friends (/boyfriends) and genuinely loved myself for who i was – inside and out.

it wasn't until recently i became aware and thus unhappy with my body. not so coincidentally, it was when i moved back home. being around two people who have such incredibly conflicting food/health ideologies was overwhelming. it was only then i could actually admit to myself i was making excuses. that i knew i wanted to lose weight but was being lazy. and though i don't necessarily wholeheartedly agree with my sister's food philosophy, i most certainly did not agree with my mom's. and so, a little more than a month into me dieting via accuweight loss, my mom decided to come with me. i'm proud of her for realizing it's time for a lifestyle change. especially since her blood pressure is high and she's at risk for developing diabetes. she NEEDS to do this NOW. and hopefully she will be successful!



current weight: 148 pounds-to-go: 13 (8 for original goal)

one month update

so today marks one month of this ridiculousness. i really thought i would have made it a month without cheating but i didn't. however,  i did make it more than a week which is better than the last time i tried! oh. i don't think i ever mentioned i tried this diet before. about two years ago. and i was literally miserable. like crying myself to sleep more times than i'd like to admit. i was only on the diet for 8 days ... whatever, don't judge me!

this time around, i've learned a few things

• preparation is the key to success: planning meals ahead of time for fruit/veggies days has made them much easier. not to mention, i've started to develop a habit of packing fruits/vegetables for lunch during the work week and on weekends ... a habit i intend on keeping once off the diet 
• feeling satisfied: speaking of fruits/vegetables my body has really adjusted to feeling satisfied with just fruits and vegetables. that being said, i still feel miserable on the second dairy day. it is by far the hardest day. like. i feel like crying (as i mentioned above). 

ANYWAYS. still feeling hungry on dairy days is discouraging. i genuinely believed i would not feel "hungry" after a certain point. not the case. additionally, i wish i could start and stick to a workout regime. unfortunately, i have ZERO energy. i mean, who wants to run a mile or swim laps after ingesting 375calories worth of whole milk? 

also, as i approach my goal weight i'm starting to worry about my ability to keep the weight off long-term. cue Jennifer Hudson's new weight watchers commercial. i know and understand this accu-weightloss diet is based in psychiatrics and is trying to break me of my "food addiction" (... i realize putting food addiction in quotes makes it seem like i'm in denial) but honestly. i want to keep the weight off without being anorexic. i sure hope it's possible. 

ONE MONTH weight: 151 pounds-to-go: 16 (11 for original goal of 140)


ps: food i can't wait to eat / recipes i want to try
loaded baked potato soup
avocado pesto pasta from a cozy kitchen
steak and beans taco cups from for the love of cooking
oh. AND sandwiches, pizza and tacos!

weigh in

as i mentioned, i missed last week's weigh in. and despite binging over the weekend (it could have been worse), i weighed in today and lost 4pounds!

current weight: 153 pounds-to-go: 13

i've also come to the realization that i probably should lose more than the original 35pounds. i just don't see myself being happy when i reach 140. i think my new goal will be 135. thoughts?

creamy vegan mushroom soup

today's chilly weather reminded me of the creamy vegan-friendly mushroom soup we had last week. like many people, i prefer to eat non-vegan friendly things because – to me – eating vegan is hard and sort of unnecessary ... so says the person who cannot eat meat, bread, pasta, DAIRY, eggs, starches, legumes, etc. anyways. i had little faith in the idea of a tasty creamy soup without cream or butter or anything.

ingredients

• 12ounces of mushrooms (we used three 4ounce mixed pkg of baby bella, oyster and shiitake) 
• 1 package cauliflower 
• 1 medium sized white onion
• 2 cups of vegetable stock
• Bragg's liquid amino (soy sauce substitute) 
• worcestershire sauce 
• garlic 
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 tbsp dijon mustard 

how 

• boil cauliflower until very soft; puree with some of the cooking water until completely smooth
• mince garlic and onion; spray pan with PAM, cook until translucent 
• add coarsely chopped mushrooms, cook on medium until the juice in the mushrooms completely evaporate, then begins to caramelize on the bottom of the pot 
• add cauliflower puree, stir and add veggie stock to a slightly water consistency, stir. the soup will thicken as it simmers - if it looks dry, add more stock or water 
• add salt and pepper to taste, 1/2 tsp worcestershire, 1/2 tsp Bragg's to taste – add desired amount of each 
• add 1/2 tbsp of dijon mustard, stir, simmer for at least an hour – taste and re season if necessary
• serve immediately (and with other veggies, if desired)  

makes just enough for two. also note that using 12ounces of mushrooms made the soup VERY chunky ... 8ounces is probably enough! we also topped ours with onion and tomato. 

in other news. i spent the past few days in miami celebrating my sister's bachelorette. if you're thinking i cheated: you are correct. i also missed my weigh in. OH WELL. here's to a successful next week!

meet my lunch: homemade plantain chips with guacamole

guacamole was one of my faves before i even started this diet. so. i've basically been surviving on lunches consisting of homemade plantain chips with guacamole.

plantain chips

• 1 medium/large sized plantain
• PAM 
• sea salt (and other spices to taste) 

directions

• preheat oven to 350degrees
• peel plantain; keep whole 
• starting at the bottom, cut even slices on an angle 
• line baking sheet with aluminum foil or wax paper. spray with PAM
• place slices of plantains onto baking sheet; lightly spray with PAM again

• bake for 20mins or until golden brown (timing with depend on thickness of chips); turning midway
• remove from oven; sprinkle with sea salt – or other spices 

guacamole 

i've spent ALOT of time perfecting my recipe. it's pretty much the most delicious guacamole. ever. 

• 1 ripe medium sized avocado (you'll know it's ripe if it's soft when you hold it)
• 1 small/medium sized tomato
• 1 small onion
• 1-2 cloves garlic
• tbs chopped cilantro 
• lime and lemon juice (approximately 1tbs each or to taste)
• salt (to taste)
• ground pepper (to taste)

directions

• mince garlic; chop tomato and onion into small pieces: set aside
• scoop the inside of the avocado out into a small mixing bowl. mash until smooth (i like it slightly chunky) 
• squeeze lemon and lime juice; mix
• add minced garlic, tomato, onion and cilantro; mix into mashed avocado until fully incorporated 
• add salt and pepper to taste 

serve immediately with cooled plantain chips or refridgerate and eat the next day! 

i cheated today.

i can't decide if it was worth it. but it certainly was delicious.

i'm full ... ?

i have to admit that the first few days have been a challenge. i've been faced with a number of cheating opportunities: ACS Gala complete with hors d'oeuvres, drinks and cake pops; invitations to get dinner with friends and my NEW boss offering to take me to lunch AND a Burger King friday at the office ... all of which i resisted.

i'm currently i'm on my third dairy rotation. i've come to find that these dairy days are MUCH easier than i originally thought. mostly because my first time i tried incorporating Walden Farms products. anyone who is unfamiliar with Walden Farms is lucky.

i know what you're thinking. how could anything that is: fat free, sugar free, calorie free, cholesterol free, carbohydrate free + gluten free NOT be delicious* ... shocking, i know. 

so. during my first dairy cycle, i measured out 5ounces of whole milk yogurt with 5ounces of blueberry "fruit spread" in doing so i realized why this diet would work. the combination was so disgusting i would have rather not eaten at all. seriously. the texture. the smell. everything. in an effort to make these products edible, i tried making a smoothie. i didn't think anything could be worse than the yogurt. i was wrong.

in short, i've realized these dairy days will be easy, as i will only be "eating" 20ounces of whole milk. additionally, i had my first weigh in. i'm down 6 pounds! ... great start, i think! 

current weight: 165 pounds-to-go: 25 

*note: anything described as "spread" should probably be avoided. ie: peanut butter spread; blueberry fruit spread