Raw Green Meanie.

This smoothie is a luscious, raw pick-me-up. It's bursting with nutrition and makes you feel so clean and happy. It's also a perfectly balanced meal thanks to the addition of whipped cottage cheese for protein and avocado for fat. 


Skinny Bride Mission Recipe: Whiz the following in a blender: 1cup unsweetened Almond Breeze, 1/2 cup 1% whipped cottage cheese, 1 tsp chia seeds, 1/8 of an avocado, 1 cup kale, 1/2 Pink Lady apple, 4 strawberries, 1/4 tsp grated ginger root, 4 cubes ice.

I tend to bypass the usual protein powder route when making smoothies. I can't stand the taste or the heaviness of those concoctions. There are also a lot of crazy ingredients in most brands, including sugar or artificial sweeteners. In my opinion, whipped cottage cheese is a whole food godsend. Creamy, simple, delicious. Best of all, you know exactly what you're getting.

Oh, and of course I also had my usual Organic Green Tea.

9 Organic Raw Cashews.

A bowl of Chunky Homestyle Greens 'n Beans Soup with a Coconut Quinoa Pancake.

Skinny Bride Mission Recipe: Whisk 1 whole organic egg, 2 egg whites, 2 Tbs 2% milk, 1/4 cup cooked coconut quinoa and 7 chopped pecans. Pour into a lightly buttered frypan and cook over low heat. Serve hot.

I was a bit lazy with my food styling, wasn't I? This pancake could be jazzed up with a dollop of creamy yoghurt, a handful of blueberries and a drizzle of 100% fruit blackberry spread. Maybe next time. 

2 hours later I started feeling hungry again. I made a plate of High Protein Babaganoush with Smoked Salmon and Crudites: a filling weight-loss dream snack.

Skinny Bride Mission Recipe: Mix 2 Tbs babaganoush with 1/4 cup 1% whipped cottage cheese. Top with 1 oz smoked salmon pieces and sprinkle with parsley flakes and cayenne pepper. Serve with crudites.

I'm feeling really down today. My moods are 98% weather-dependent, which is fantastic on a warm, sunny day but not so good when the temperatures dip well below freezing, the sky turns oppressive and grey, and the icy wind whips up the avenues like a knife.

I tried to curl up on the couch to watch trashy TV, but my cabin fever propelled me to the gym for a massive workout. I feel a lot better now. All those tingly endorphins are whizzing around my system and the day is nearly over.

After my workout I was ravenous. My body was crying out for something nutritious, gluten-free and protein-packed. Here's what I ate:
Organic Brown Rice Cake with Mozzarella String Cheese, Roma Tomato and Fresh Cracked Pepper.

Chicken and Cashew Stirfry.

Skinny Bride Mission Recipe: Fry 2oz chicken, 2 cups vegetables, 7 cashews, 1 tsp chia seeds, habanero chili, oregano, 1 tsp ginger root, 1 clove garlic, 1/2 cup water, 1 Tbs Chinese rice vinegar, and 1 Tbs wheat-free tamari sauce.

Ideally I'd use 3 oz chicken and have a piece of fruit to balance the meal. Since this serve used less chicken, I also ate ....

.... a Blueberry-Carob Strawberry Parfait.

Skinny Bride Mission Recipe: Mix 1/2 small tub 2% Fage with 2 tsp carob powder and 1/8 cup frozen blueberries. Add cinnamon, ground ginger and allspice. Freeze for 20 minutes. Layer in a glass with 4 sliced strawberries.

Treating yourself is a must when losing weight, and my sugar-free yoghurt based desserts are the perfect visually-enticing way to cap off a decadent day.

I had a Coconut Water Icypop too.

Not sure why .... it's freeeeeezing tonight!

Oh no .... Dave, the sweetie, came home with a surprise tonight. The Babycakes Gluten-Free Vegan Cupcake I managed to successfully avoid last night. Damnit!

He apologized for the agave in it, but how could I refuse such a thoughtful gift infused with so many good intentions?

Don't worry, I didn't eat the whole thing ....

....  I cut the cupcake in quarters, mushed 1/4 into my frozen Blueberry-Carob Parfait and garnished it with another quarter.

Skinny Bride Mission Recipe: Mix 1/2 small tub 2% Fage with 1/3 cup blueberries and cinnamon. Add 1/2 a chopped Babycakes gluten-free agave cupcake.

"What happened to the remaining half?" I hear you ask. 

I popped it straight in the freezer. I've added it to my frozen stash of healthier treats for the next time I'm craving something slightly sweet.


Stupidly, I ate the cupcake half without checking my daily calorie count. I went over 1700 again, (just). Golden Rule broken. But thanks to all my exercise today I still made the 625 deficit. 

My mouth is now tasting a bit dry thanks to the agave. I think this will be the last time I eat the stuff. I really didn't want that cupcake, but couldn't offend Dave's gallant efforts by turning it down. (How often to we put others ahead of our own healthy eating plans in life? Where do you draw the line?) Oh well, it was tasty. It's not like I ate an entire family-size cake. No harm done.

I did end up dontating the remaining half a cupcake to Dave's cause though. The aftereffects of agave don't sit well with me.

Whipped Cottage Cheese with Fruit, Nuts and half a Coconut Lime Chia Slice. Green Tea on the side.

Skinny Bride Mission Recipe: Mix 3/4 cup 1% whipped cottage cheese with cinnamon, nutmeg, ground ginger and 1 tsp psyllium husks. Place in a serving bowl with 1/8 of a cantaloupe, 1/4 cup blueberries, 4 strawberries, 1/2 Coconut Lime Chia Slice and 4 chopped pecans.

A steaming cup of Tazo Wild Sweet Orange Tea.

The mercury has crept up today. It's the warmest winter day we've had yet, so I just had to walk to work. I'm skipping the gym at lunchtime today in favor of a powerwalk in the sun, sans jacket. Yay!

I am such a sun-worshipper. New York is definitely not the place for me. I crave white sandy beaches, crystal blue tropical waters and fresh coconuts in shells. Exactly what a Fijian weddign has to offer.

Eggplant Moussaka with 1/4 cup Whipped Cottage Cheese. (Imagine 1/4 Tbs tahini in place of the avocado).

Losing weight is so yummy. Why haven't I been doing this my whole life?

.... and half a Ruby Red Grapefruit.

Oh. My. God. My tastebuds are having a party. Organic Avenue's Mint Chip Smoothie is the most phenomenal healthy treat I have ever tasted.

It was 62 degrees F today, so I took a fast stroll at lunchtime through the West Village. I was hampered by heavy, sore quadriceps thanks to not stretching after my long walk to work this morning, but I powered through. My mind tends to wander when I'm exercising in the sun. It begins to shuffle through my mind files and clean out the cobwebs from the dark and musty corners. As it drifted to this Skinny Bride Mission and my typical afternoon snacks, I realised I'm bored of eating the same things every afternoon. Don't get me wrong, I love my Fage and I love my string cheese, but every single day?

Alarm bells began to ring. Food boredom equals in instant diet sabotage. it happens everytime. So instead of forcing myself to eat something my body was snubbing this afternoon, I decided to distract it with a shiny, new, exciting tastebud treat.

Tracy Anderson once mentioned the Mint chip Smoothie at Organic Avenue. I've been curious ever since. So I stepped inside, paid my $10 + $2 bottle deposit (whew, steep!), and queried the sales girl about the nutritional information inside that curvaceous glass bottle. The label was a dieter's dream: 0 calories, 0 fat, 0 carbs and 0 protein. Certainly not possible. She agreed the labels were defunct and estimated about 600 calories per bottle with 20 grams of fat. "The good kind of non-belly-fat-storing fat". My mind reeled at the thought of 600 calories. That's half my entire day's quota. But I was committed to tasting this thing and I figured I could drink half today and save half for tomorrow.

I left the store, popped off the bottle top and took my first swig. Ooowwweeeee! Sublime. Exquisite. Magnificent. This is my new favorite treat. It tasted exactly like a packet of Mint Chip Cookies had been run through a blender and creamified. Too good for words.

But here's the thing. I drank a quarter .... then a half .... then another quarter .... and then I started rationalizing. If I didn't take the bottle back now, it'd be another thing added to my overwhelming 'To Do Lists'. I usually go to the gym at lunch, so I'm rarely walking around the West Village. And if I kept the last quarter for tomorrow, it'd be less fresh and might even go off. Yep, best drink it all. '600 calories' kept echoing through my head. Along with 'agave, agave, agave'. I don't usually eat agave as it affects me the same as cane sugar. Once I get a taste, I can't stop. (Perhaps that explains the true reason behind my downing the bottle in one).

Anyway, I felt so fresh and clean and glowing afterwards. But as the smoothie digested I was very full. I'm now letting it sit in my belly and hopefully I won't need another afternoon snack today. Despite not containing much protein, I'm hoping the fat will keep me full.

I got onto Livestrong.com and estimated the calories based on Organic Avenue's ingredients list: Coconut Water, Coconut Meat, Cacao, Hemp Seeds, Agave, Peppermint, Vanilla, Sea Salt. It spat out the following results: 341 calories, 46g carbs, 7.7g protein and 14g fat. (With way too much sugar which I tried to ignore). Much better than '600 calories' but who knows whether I got the estimate correct? I feel a bit uneasy eating a non-defined bunch of calories and macronutrients. This will be an exercise in listening to my body.

Once in a while it's a perfect treat. I had over a 1000 calorie deficit yesterday and I'll walk home from work tonight to make up for it anyway.

Mmmmmm, Mint Chip Smoothie. Delish.




*** UPDATE ***

I emailed Organic Avenue to enquire about calories in the Mint Chip Smoothie. This was their response:

" We are currently working on comprising an accurate list of nutritional information for each of our foods and juices.  The number of calories are less relevant as where those calories come from.  Our experience is that the body will only retain a small portion of the raw calories of the coconut.  Eating raw, alkaline and healthy, you don't need to watch the calories. The nature of raw foods and juices is essentially very cleansing to your body. As of now, our vegetable based juices are generally 200 kcal, while our soups and smoothies are 200-400 kcal.  The Mint Chip Smoothie is approximately 495 calories.

In Health, 
Organic Avenue"

I updated my calorie count accordingly.... and decided this was a treat to which I probably won't return between now and the wedding.

*** ---------- ***

Wow, I am an Organic Avenue convert. The Mint Chip Smoothie would be a fantastic meal replacement. It kept me full for 3 hours, (the same as a normal balanced meal).

At 4:15pm I felt a tug on my hungerstrings. So I ate a String Cheese Stick ....

.... and half an Organic Pear.

At 5:30pm I was still hungry. I had a handful of Organic Raw Almonds to curb my hunger and stop me overeating at dinner.

Dave and I were heading out to a play tonight in the Lower East Side. We did a Whole Foods salad bar dinner in the park to make the most of the warmer weather.

I didn't have my camera today, so here's someone else's Whole Foods extravaganza. Mine looked similar, but with the addition of....

.... a 3 oz fillet of Grilled Salmon for protein.

I discovered a new exciting condiment tonight: Coconut Aminos. I have no idea what this is, except that it looks like soy sauce and is kind of a coconutty-flavored salty liquid. It is divine! I was drooling over how delicious my salmon tasted when dipped into this stuff. I've got to hunt myself down a bottle. I bet it's full of nutritional value too.

.... and 8 Red Grapes for dessert.

I've always thought bottled water was bottled water, no matter which brand you buy. But I'm now a convert to Fiji Water. This stuff tastes soooooo good. The Hollywood celebrity scene has been onto it for years. I was determined to avoid the hype until Dave bought me a bottle tonight. It's so crisp and clean. 

Every bottle sold is helping to preserve Fiji's largest rainforest, home to plant and animal species that exist nowhere else on the plant. 

I love the thought of supporting a greater cause. Even better, this one has a personal aspect as Dave and I have chosen Fiji as our ideal paradise to tie the knot.

Coconut Lime Chia Slice Parfait with Strawberries.

I ended up walking all the way home from the Lower East Side tonight. It took 2 hours. I am absolutely exhausted and about to pass out.... but first I need to stretch.

I had an attack of the sugar cravings tonight, and I believe it had something to do with the agave in that damn Mint Chip Smoothie. I've also been really bloated since drinking it. Perhaps I react physically to agave too? 

Anyway, I was in the vicinity of Babycakes, my favorite Gluten-Free Bakery, and I started dreaming of cupcakes. As a treat once in a while this in fine. But not today. I ingested far too many calories in that Mint Chip Smoothie and I'd just filled up on dinner. It was purely a biological result of my sugar sensitivity and Dave had to drag me away from Babycakes and distract me with the play. It made me regret drinking the smoothie. I'm glad I had the experience, but I will steer totally clear of agave from now on.

I ended up breaking a Golden Rule today. Accidentally. I ate over 1700 calories. But I exercised so much I nearly doubled my daily deficit. All is not lost. Back on the wagon tomorrow.

I am a zombie this morning. Last night the stress of planning a wedding concurrently with moving countries (from the US to Australia), grew to overwhelming proportions. There is so much to do. Dave and I have 2 separate checklists: one for the wedding and one for tying up our life in America. Both are multiple pages long and so detailed. I couldn't get to sleep last night as a million things were buzzing around my head.

I'm usually a stress eater. Cortisol courses through my veins at times of high stress, then when the stress abates I am ravenous. i was mindful of this last night and tired alternatives to food to calm my mind. I burned some Lavender Spike essential oil and covered my neck and shoulders with Icy-Hot to relax the tension. It worked eventually, but I ended up with much less than my 8 hours sleep last night. Let's hope the lack of sleep doesn't increase my appetite too much today.

Breakfast this morning was ugly but delicious. Smoked Salmon French Scramble with Green Tea.

Skinny Bride Mission Recipe: dry fry 1/2 a spanish onion, 1 tsp chopped fresh ginger and 2 cups mixed vegetables. (I used kale, tomato, broccoli, green beans and zucchini). Add 2 oz smoked salmon, 1 whole organic egg and 1 egg white. Mix in 1 tsp chia seeds, cayenne pepper and 1/2 Tbs olive tapenade. Stir continuously until egg is cooked through. Serve with a wedge of lime.

This meal was so incredibly filling thanks to its' high protein content and a sprinkling of superfood chia magic.

I chased it with a small bowl of Fruit Salad.

Skinny Bride Mission Recipe: 1/8 of a Cantaloupe, 2 Strawberries and a wedge of Lime.

Grass-Fed Beef with Broccoli, Baby Carrots and Almonds.

Skinny Bride Mission Recipe: Dry fry 1 grass-fed organic beef burger. Boil 2 cups of broccoli, 7 baby carrots and a handful of green beans with 1/2 Tbs sliced fresh ginger. Place veggies in a bowl and top with sliced beef burger, 1 Tbs hummus and 1/2 Tbs sliced almonds. Dress with 1 TBs balsamic vinegar and serve with a few wedges of fresh lime.

I topped off my meal with half a Ruby Red Grapefruit.

I felt so incredibly healthy and glowing from the inside after today's lunch. It was perfect.

I cheated with half a cup of Green Tea at 1pm in anticipation of my lunchtime gym visit. Need extra energy to work out today.

I feel incredible today! I feel so bouyant I practically floated down the street at lunchtime. The sun is shining and the temperature is creeping up. 

I challenged myself at the gym with a new stairmaster machine I've never been game to try. It nearly killed me, (but I noticed it burned even more calories than the elliptical, so it's my new thing). My heart was pounding and I was sweating like I'd just run a marathon after only 30 minutes on the thing. Insane. I think I've been wasting my time on the elliptical for far too long. It does nothing for me.

My arms feel like they're attached to helium balloons today. Is this because they're getting skinnier? They don't rub against my sides as much anymore. But maybe it's my new muscles. I have more strength in my arms so perhaps they kind of hold themselves up easier? Whatever teh reason, I can really feel my body changing, even though the scales are barely budging. This is amazing. It's only been 1.5 weeks. Imagine what I'll be like after 12 weeks!?

I came back to work and had half a Plain 2% Fage Strained Greek Yoghurt ....

.... half a Pink Lady ....

.... and 1/4 Tbs of All Natural Almond Butter.

Man, I love food so much. It rules my life. I absolutely love tasting new flavors and dreaming up healthy twists on regular meal and snacks. But I just can't get over how unbeleivably fantastic I feel on this all-healthy-all-natural diet.

My boss offered me some Ghirardelli Chocolate this afternoon. Although the brand meets my chocolate-snob standards, I wasn't even the slightest bit tempted. I honestly feel so friggin amazing right now that my cells are crying out for only fresh, crisp, natural foods.

I'm reading Tony Robbins' book, "Unleash The Power Within" at the moment. He talks about permanently transforming unwanted patterns of behaviour (like eating too many unhealthy foods, being lazy and staying fat) into desirable traits at a neurological level. He makes this happen by linking massive pain to the old habit and immense amounts of pleasure to the new. I'm hoping that after training my body for 12 weeks to assocaite all these pleasurable feelings with natural eating, I'll sway towards this new lifestyle on a daily basis without a second thought in the future.

As it stands, I am totally addicted to the endorphins of exercise. It only took a week, but now it's natural for me to be moving for hours a day. I love it! Combined with clean eating, I have boundless energy. Now that summer is on it's way, along with travel, seeing my family and friends back in Australia, and the greatest Fiji wedding ever, everything is looking up!

I had a handful of Raw Organic Almonds around 5pm.

Smoked Salmon Rolls with Chunky Homestyle Greens 'n Beans Soup.

This is a low-carb, gluten-free twist on sushi rolls or a salmon bagel.

Coconut Water Icypop x 2

Coconut Lime Chia Slice with Creamy Greek Yoghurt.

I was in the mood to bake tonight, so I grabbed a recipe from OhSheGlows.com and tweaked it to make my own version of Angela Liddon's Tropical Lemon Cranberry Coconut Chia Bars.


Angela is vegan and she seems to have a bit of a sweet tooth. My version ditches the White Death and sweetens the slice peach butter instead of agave. I used organic butter instead of coconut oil, (for the pure reason that I didn't have any coconut oil in the house), and I substituted cashews for pistachios, banana for applesauce, sultanas for cranberries, lime for lemon and I even added 2 egg whites. Mine also ended up with half the calories of hers. (Bonus). They turned out freakin delicious. I had half a slice with 1/2 a tub of 2% Fage and a strawberry for a balanced snack.

Skinny Bride Mission Recipe: Mix 3 Tbs chia seeds with 7 Tbs fresh lime juice. Allow to sit and gel. In a separate bowl mix 1.5 cups oats (blended into flour), 1/2 tsp baking soda (or 1 tsp baking powder), 1/2 cup regular oats, 1/2 tsp kosher salt, 1/2 Tbs lime zest, 1/2 cup organic raisins, 1/4 cup chopped raw cashews, 1.5 cups unsweetened shredded coconut. (I used Whole Foods' reduced fat coconut. It's dehydrated so I used half as much). In another small bowl, whisk together 1.5 Tbs melted organic butter, 1 small mashed banana, and 1/4 cup peach butter. Mix in the gelled chia seeds and add 2 egg whites. Add wet mix to dry and mix thoroughly. Spread into an 8" lined pan and sprinkle with additional coconut. Bake at 350F for 25 minutes. Cut into 16 squares when cool. (Each square is just over 100 calories)

Frozen Choc Fudge Banana Parfait with Green Tea.

It feels so decadent to indulge in dessert for breakfast. But this morning I needed a boost of serotonin. The PMS-Rat is getting nasty. He put me in a foul mood last night and had me waking up this morning feeling just as bad. So dessert it is ....

Skinny Bride Mission Recipe: Mix 1 small tub 2% Fage strained Greek yoghurt with 1/4 tsp ground ginger, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/8 tsp nutmeg and 1 tsp psyllium husks. Smash in 1 small frozen banana then chop and add 1 piece of sugar-free Chocolate Fudge, (see recipe from Saturday Eats - Week 12). Shove in the freezer for 30 minutes, stir and chow down.

By the way, I woke up this morning feeling noticeably skinnier. Yay! All this hard work is paying off. Even though my weight is dropping slowly, I think I must have put on muscle (it weighs 3 times more than fat), as I have definitely slimmed down more than the scales reflect.

Oh, and the PMS-Rat has left the building. Woo-hoo! My bloating has disappeared and my appetite has gone back to normal. Thank God. if I got through that week, I can get through anything now. Bring on the Fiji bikini diet.

Tazo Wild Sweet Orange is one of my favorite herbal teas. The flavor is a complex layer of sweet and fruity goodness.

As to be expected, after a sugary high GI banana for breakfast, I started feeling hungry again at 10am. The tea is just delaying the inevitable.

1 stick of Part-Skim Mozzarella String Cheese ....

.... and half a Ruby Red Grapefruit.

Eggplant Moussaka with Whipped Cottage Cheese and Tahini.

I forgot to take a picture of today's lunch, but it's the same as dinner last night with one variation. Instead of 1/4 of an avocado, I drizzled 1/2 Tbs tahini over my whipped cottage cheese.

Mmmmm, tahini is the goods. Sesame seeds rock my world. They are nutrition powerhouses bursting with calcium and 5 different B vitamins. Best of all, they taste like little pieces of heaven.

A mere hour after lunch I was getting a little peckish again. I'm not sure I've calculated the calorie and carb content of my moussaka correctly. I swear I've overestimated as the servings are so small and insubstantial.

Or perhaps I'd just exercised too much already by lunchtime. I was having a halfday at work to see the Jon Stewart Show live taping, so I walked the 70 minute powerwalk to work this morning. 

I listened to my body at 1:30pm and popped into Stumptown for the only good coffee in NYC. Ooooh, this stuff is good. I got a medium size as the small cup is tiny. I figured the medium latte would hold about 1 cup of 2% milk. Sugar free of course. Stumptown coffee is so full-bodied and of such impeccable quality that it doesn't have the bitterness of your average Starbucks cup of slop. Stumptown is like a dessert to me. Such a treat.

Around 3:30pm I had a String Cheese ....

.... and half an organic Pink Lady.

My eating schedule was thrown askew today when I had to line up for Jon Stewart tickets from 3pm - 6pm. The show is taped way down on 11th Avenue and 52nd St NY in the middle of the dirty industrial part of Hell's Kitchen. There was no way I was going to miss dinner or resort to dodgy corner deli junk, so I legged it 30 mins to Whole Foods to let myself loose on the salad bar. This is always my go-to meal option when I'm on the run. It's like salad heaven.

I always grab a small box, pop in about 3 oz of protein (the size and thickness of my palm) and cram it full of fresh veggies. Today I chose slow-cooked beef then topped the salad with a few Tbs of hummus and guacamole. I ruined my salad with crumbled blue cheese. I went crazy and it overpowered the entire salad. You live and learn.

This salad was the perfect dinner. It filled me up all night.

P.S. I didn't have my camera with me so this picture is only reminiscent of my salad.

I needed a few more carbs to balance my meal, so I bought a surprisingly crunchy Red Delicious Apple from a forgotten bodega. I can't stand the taste of the Red Delicious variety, but beggars can't be choosers and the only other option was processed packeted junk. Dave at the remaining half. It's great having a garbage dispenser around like him. I never feel oblidged to finish my plate or to feel guilty about throwing away food.

I had some almonds in my bag for later, but the staff at The Daily Show were searching bags for contraband. I was forced to swallow my stash there and then. I shared them with Dave and ended up with 7 Organic Raw Almonds myself as we walked into the studio.

It was nearly 10pm when I got home. I walked all the way to work and back again in a circuitous route. It turns out I walked for 215 minutes today and burnt about 1260 calories. Wow. It didn't even feel like exercise as I was actually on my way to a destination each time I set out.

I wasn't really hungry, but I'd just bought 2 punnets of fresh strawberries and they looked too sweet to refuse.

I made a Fresh Strawberry and Sheep's Milk Parfait before bed.

Skinny Bride Mission Recipe: 1 small tub plain sheep's milk yoghurt layered with 5 strawberries sliced. Sprinkle with cinnamon.

After dealing with a monstrous appetite yesterday, I decided to plan filling meals today based on previous lower calorie days. One of The Golden Rules states that I should vary my calorie intake daily to keep my metabolism firing. I hit my 1700 max yesterday, so I'm aiming for 1200 today just to shake things up.

I'm exercising less today too. I have the utmost respect for the intelligence of my body at a cellular level. It knows that if it burns over 1000 calories exercising, it's going to need a hefty dose of energy in. Hence the hunger pangs. Today's plan is to lower everything, both energy in and energy out.

Breakfast was my Veggie Egg White Chia Frittata, half a Grapefruit and an Organic Green Tea. Hopefully this will keep me going until lunchtime.

It's the day after Valentine's Day and I can't wait to head to Michael's for some crafty sale items for our wedding. I'm thinking glittery hearts and sequins. Dave's and I have been bonding over DIY tasks these past few months. We get so excited about sharing original ideas to make our wedding unique without blowing the budget. WIth only 11 weeks before the wedding, things are heating up.

I'm guessing my boss had V-day leftovers as he bought in a huuuuuge bowl of Hershey Kisses today and plonked them right on my desk. There are at least 2000 of the nasty things in this bowl, and the rank smell of cheap chocolate is wafting up my nostrils. Yerrrrk. I'm not even the slightest bit tempted. I know that Hershey taste. It's dirty and inferior and the smell is making my stomach turn. Gotta get rid of these things.

Creamy Whipped Carob with Fruit and Nuts. I added a spoonful of psyllium husks to the cottage cheese mix for filling fibre.

Skinny Bride Mission Recipe: Mix together 3/4 cup whipped 1% cottage cheese, 1 tsp carob powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and 1 tsp psyllium husks. Top with 1/8 cantaloupe, 1/4 cup blueberries, 1/4 cup raspberries, 6 chopped pecans and a wedge of fresh lime.

.... And a bowl of Chunky Homestyle Greens 'n Beans Soup.

Half a 2% Fage .... (have I told you how much I luuuuurve this creamy, delicous treat?) ....

.... and half a Pink Lady Apple .... (oh, so sweet and tangy) ....

.... and half a tablespoon of Organic Almond Butter, (100% almonds with no added atrificial goop!)

Skinny Bride Mission Recipe: Mix 1/2 Tbs almond butter into 1/2 tub of strained Greek yoghurt to make a creamy, fabulous dip. Thinly slice 1/2 an apple apple and dip the slices before cramming them in your cake hole!

Oh, and my first Herbal Tea for the day.

My fibre-filling meal plan has worked today. I haven't been hungry all day, until now, 4pm, (which is to be expected as i just did a massive gym workout).

I'm also understanding the phenomenal impact that sleep has on my hunger levels. Yesterday, I was wrenched out of a deep slumber by my alarm clock. It was far too early! I forced a green tea down my gullet for a caffeine boost and droopy-eyed, made it through a Tracy Anderson Method mat workout. Truth be told, I was dragging my ass a little all day.

So rather than the over-exercising being the culprit, perhaps the finger should point squarely at my lack of sleep. Leptin, the appetite supressing hormone, rises during sleep. If we don't get anough sleep, leptin plummets during the day and hunger shoots through the roof.

This morning I slept in until my body awoke itself. I got a solid 8 hours of zzzzz's and I haven't been tempted to snack at all today.

There are so many factors involved in hunger. It's difficult to pin-point the issue. I'm also acutely aware that my current PMS increases my appetite too. So the perfect balance of 8 hours sleep each night, daily exercise, (but not too much), low calorie intake and no PMS makes losing weight a breeze. In this crazy-busy day and age, how do we ever fulfill all these requirements on a daill basis? No wonder Hollywood celebrities stay so thin. They have the time to fit it all in!

At 5:30pm I started feeling a little peckish. There's nothing worse than being a grumbling, hungry b*tch all the way home from work. It makes the journey a living hell. I circumnavigated the potential near-future low blood sugar levels with a handful of Raw Almonds, (about 14).

Tonight I'm attempting to make Eggplant Moussaka from one of my favorite blogs by Amy Green at simplysugarandglutenfree.com

(Click on the photo for a link to her recipe).

The Eggplant Moussaka took so long to cook, I didn't end up eating until well after 9pm. Meanwhile, I invented a high-protein twist to the usual hummus that tied me over until my moussaka popped steaming hot out of the oven.

Protein Hummus with Crudites.

Skinny Bride Mission Recipe: Mix equal parts store-bought natural hummus with 1% whipped cottage cheese. (Note: for 1 serve I used 3 Tbs of each). Sprinkle with cayenne pepper and Hungarian paprika. Serve with veggies to dip. 

I ended up making a variation on Amy Green's Eggplant Moussaka. Mine certainly didn't end up looking as picturesque as hers. When I added up all the carbs, protein and fat it turned out to need a 1/4 cup protein and 1/4 of an avocado on the side of a very small slice just to balance the macronutrients. It was a delicious change for dinner and since I got 16 serves out of the recipe, you'll be seeing this one pop up again over the next week. I wonder if it will freeze well?

Below is my version of Amy's gluten-free recipe. I only had 1 eggplant in the fridge. Next time I'd use 3 eggplants for more flavor, and I wouldn't bother pre-broiling them. I'd just chop and add them to the bean mix.


Skinny Bride Mission Recipe: Slice 1 large eggplant. Coat in salt and sit in colander in sink for 30 mins to draw out bitter juices. Rinse, pat dry and broil until browned. Saute 1 chopped onion in a frypan with 2 cloves garlic and 1 cup mushrooms. Add 1 x 15.5 oz can garbanzo beans, 1x 15.5 oz can red kidney beans, 1 x 28 oz can organic crushed tomatoes with basil, 1 zucchini, 1/2 red bell pepper, 1 habanero chili, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp oregano, 2 Tbs fresh chopped basil. Grease a baking dish. Layer eggplant and alternate with vegetable and bean mix. Whisk 2 eggs + 4 egg whites with 2 small tubs 2% Fage and 4 tsp chia seeds. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour over baking dish. Pull apart 4 string cheese sticks into strings and layer in a criss-cross fashion over top. Bake at 350 F for 50-60 minutes.

I had 2 x Coconut Water Icypops for dessert.

An early Monday Valentine's morning deserves nothing less than a scrumptious bowl of gluten-free Puffed Millet with Dutch Chocolate-Raspberry Yoghurt. How could I not eat some chocolate today?

Skinny Bride Mission Recipe: 1/2 cup puffed millet, 1 tsp chia seeds, 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 cup raspberries, and 1 tub 2% Fage mixed with 2 tsp unsweetened dutch cocoa, cinamon, ginger, nutmeg.

I woke at 6am this morning in an attempt to start my week with good habits. Halfway through a Tracy Anderson Method Mat workout I was starving. I'm not surprised that I needed a morning snack today after powerwalking 30 minutes through Central Park to the train.

So I grabbed half a Pink Lady Apple ....

.... a stick of Frigo Cheese Heads String Cheese ....

.... and 14 Organic Raw Almonds.

I chased my snack with a Licorice Spice Tea and now I'm absolutely hanging for lunch.

Still hungry and an hour till lunchtime. A Tazo Passion Tea should help kill the time and fill my belly.

Yesterday I whipped up a batch of Chunky Homestyle Greens 'N Beans Soup. This should keep me going for the week.

I had 1 cup for lunch today.

Skinny Bride Mission Recipe: Boil 1 cup dry pinto beans (or any other beans) in 6 cups fresh chicken stock for 2 hours. Top up with water as required. Add 1 clove garlic, 1 Tbs fresh chopped ginger, cayenne pepper. Chop and add 1 habanero chilli, 1 cup green beans, 1 cup mustard greens, 2 medium zucchini, 1/2 cup baby carrots, 1 cup fresh basil, 1/4 green bell pepper and 1 small sweet potato. Simmer until veggies are soft. Serve piping hot.

I also had 1 gluten-free Organic Brown Rice Cake ....

.... spread with 1/4 of an Avocado (for some weight loss promoting good fat) ....

.... and topped with 3 slices of Applegate Farms Roasted Turkey Breast ....

.... and 1 String Cheese Stick.

But guess what? I am still hungry! I feel like I could eat double that amount and not be full. But I won't. I'll sit with the feeling, go the the gym and then have a hearty afternoon snack.

This must be hormonal as I've eated loads of balanced food today. Stupid PMS Rat. I Swear weight-loss must be so much easier for men.

Unless I underestimated my soup calories, which is pretty likely too.

I ws about to head to the gym when hunger struck me down again. I grabbed 7 Organic Raw Almonds and now I'll have to wait about half an hour for them to digest. Uuuggh, my appetite will be the death of me.

After a gym workout at lunchtime, I had a creamy tub of Plain Sheep's Milk Yoghurt ....

.... and Half a Grapefruit.

The sun is shining today and it's a balmy 58 degrees F. I regretted bringing my gym gear the moment I stepped out into the sunshine. I might have to ditch the gym and start powerwalking along the Hudson River instead. Gotta get my daily Vitamin D. This has been a hellishly long and harsh winter and my pores are singing at the sight of the sun.

I also threw in a spoonful of Psyllium Husks to add fibre to my yoghurt, (an important factor to address when eating gluten free). This should help to keep me fuller for longer.

This stuff is the most freaking delicious salsa ever! My boss brought some in with a bunch of cornchips. I skipped the fatty chips and ran to Garden of Eden to grap some crudites.

I dipped a handful of Carrot slices ....

.... some Green Beans and some Celery.

I am now officially full. Salsa and veggies are the greatest appetite supressing trick. The vinegar in the salsa really stabilizes your blood sugar levels and the taste intensity combined with the cruch of fresh vegetables is so satisfying. And so little calories for all that volume. Awesome!

A bowl of Chunky Homestyle Greens 'n Beans Soup and an Applegate Farms Organic Turkey Burger. I wrapped the burger in a giant raw leaf of Kale, threw in a few slices of Organic Beefsteak Tomato and topped it with Fresh Basil and a spoonful of Olive Tapenade.

Coconut Water Icypop x 2.

I was craaaaaving something crunchy and salty after dinner. I take no responsibility for the craving. It was 100% The PMS-Rat. (I wish he'd hurry up and move out of my body, mind and soul. I am done with this wicked appetite. It makes it so much harder to stay on track with my eating).

Anyway, The Rat demanded a treat, so I gave him 2.5 cups of Smartfood Reduced Fat White Cheddar Popcorn. It's a ok healthy-ish treat, but the ingredients list is a little too long for my liking. Popcorn really should be two ingredients, maybe three: corn and oil and salt. The cheese flavor and a few other bits boosted the list on this bag, but once in a while it's OK to splurge.

I burned over 1100 calories in exercise today, but after the popcorn, I've just hit 1700 calories. The Golden Rules state this is my daily maximum. It's only 8pm. I have no more calories left for my pre-bedtime milk, so I think I'll head to sleep early tonight. I'm planning a sleep-in tomorrow, and less exercise in the hope of decreasing the old appetite. We'll see how it goes. When The Rat is in town it's always a struggle.


By the way, I have so much energy today. The exercise is energizing.

It looks like a pizza and it tastes like a pizza, (it even fooled my egg-hating-pizza-lovin' hubby-to-be), but it's actually a super healthy gluten-free Vegetable Chia Egg White Frittata. 

I doused it in Organic Yellow Mustard (tumeric, it's main ingredient, is one of the world's greatest superfoods), and coupled it with an Organic Green Tea and Half a Grapefruit. Too good for words!

Skinny Bride Mission Recipe: dry fry 2 cups chopped mixed veggies, 1 clove garlic, fresh ginger, cayenne pepper, 1 tsp chia seeds, 1 Tbs wheat-free tamari, and 1 Tbs balsamic vinegar. Separate 4 eggs. Toss the yolks and whisk the whites with 1 Tbs cold water. Grease a small frypan, add veggies and pour egg whites over. Chop 1 part-skim mozzarella sting cheese stick and spread over top. Cook on low heat for 2 minutes, then transfer to a pre-heated maximum heat broiler until firm and cheese top is brown and crispy, (about 6 minutes).

I must've been excited about brunch today as my camera slipped my mind. Which is a real shame as I ordered the most sculptural Seared Tuna Nicoise Salad I've ever seen.

This image is from myrecipes.com, so I can't take credit. It doesn't look nearly as impressive as my Niscoise, but you get the idea.

I had the dressing on the side and dipped my fork into the dressing before spearing my goodies. The salad came with a whole potato, but I stopped at half.

I passed on the free mimosa and had a Tea with Milk instead. (I wanted a herbal tea, but Fred's is more of a bar than a gourmet brunch spot). In hindsight, this was a bad idea. My mind was buzzing with caffeine to the point where I couldn't keep up with myself. I hope I can sleep tonight!

Thanks to the caffeine, Dave and I ended up walking 120 Manhattan blocks to look at SLR cameras. (Now that I'm blogging, I'd love to get into real food photography. My point-and-shoot digital just doesn't cut the mustard). So despite today being a 'relaxing' day off exercise, I ended up burning about 700 calories without planning to. It was fine though. I think the essence of a day off is to allow yourself the pleasure. If you happen to squeeze in some movement anyway, it's a bonus!

It's amazing how not-hungry you feel when you're busy. We were running around town all day, grocery shopping, brunching, camera shopping, trying the get out tax submitted. I got home at 5pm and was hungry for dinner. That could be it for me today. But I realized I'd only consumed about 800 calories. You metabolism slows if you eat less than 1200 calories a day, hence The Golden Rule. 

I decided to have a delicious Crudite Platter with some Hummus and Pickled Herrings to up the protein.

I am listening to my body today. After an overdoes of rich meats and cheese yesterday, it's telling me to go lite-lite-lite!

It's also interesting to note how quickly my appetite decreases when I stop exercising at a high intensity. I may be onto something here. Perhaps less exercise combined with less calories each day will save my aching muscles.


One of my favorite websites: www.simplysugarandglutenfree.com/
inspired this recipe for Cottage Cheese with Fruit and Nuts.

Skinny Bride Mission Recipe: Arrange in a bowl: 3/4 cup low-fat organic cottage cheese, 1 cup chopped cantaloupe, 1/4 cup raspberries, 1/4 cup blueberries, 8 chopped pecans. Sprinkle with cinnamon and ginger. Add a squeeze of lime. 

Light, fresh, perfectly balanced and delicious!

A glass of 1.5% Milk.

After a whole week of stringent calorie counting, exercise galore and sticking (almost) rigidly to The Golden Rules, I've lost 1.5 lbs and about 1" on most of my measurements. My bust measurement always seems to say the same no matter what my weight. I guess that's just something I'll have to accept about my body. I'll tell you what though: it seems like a hell of a lot of work for such small gains. I mean, I can see in the mirror that I'm more toned and slightly skinnier, but MAN was that one hefty week dedicated to the cause. I now have 11 more to go. Uuugghhh. How do I keep sane and excited about the process?

I am pretty exhausted this morning and I feel like I might be on the verge of getting sick. I read once that you can lower your immune system by over training, so that's a bit of a worry. I really think I need to add another Golden Rule: 1 rest day per week. But I'm concerned that'll mean I have to recalculate my daily deficit to reach my goal and it may become too difficult. I'd need to hit about a 730 calorie daily deficit, which means a LOT of exercise. I guess most days this week I've made that deficit anyway, but the pressure of hitting so close to the line is not fun. I much prefer to overshoot the mark and relax in the leeway I've created.

Is my 15 lb weight-loss goal in 12 weeks too tight? Experts say you can safely lose 1-2 lbs a week. I'm currently aiming for 1.25 lbs a week to reach my goal. It doesn't seem excessive. But I have a newfound respect for all those contestants on The Biggest Loser. I hear they burn 1000 calories a day and eat around 1500 calories. If they can do it, why can't I?

I woke up this morning kinda of stressed about this whole thing taking over my life. I don't want to train myself to be so obsessive. What if, after these 12 weeks, I can't go back to just enjoying my life and eating and exercising as my body dictates? Am I addicted to exercise now? I am really have a mental struggle this morning about taking a day of rest. One part of me is craving a day off, (the physical), and the other is fighting the urge and focusing only on my 12 week goal, (the mental). It just goes to show how, once you commit to something, it's near impossible to veer off the path to success. 

I'm undecided at this point whether that's a good or a bad thing. 

I used to be a perfectionist when I was younger. I gave 110% to anything I attempted, and if I wasn't sure of a successful outcome, I would avoid that task completely. Nothing scared me more than failure. But this is such a limiting way to live. (Incidentally I was overweight and dealing with a binge-eating problem back then. In hindsight it was possibly my only way of gaining control over my life). I was confident in my ability to achieve success in many domains and I had so many lofty dreams and goals, but the thought of all the hard work ahead of me had be putting off far too many dreams.

Over time I inevitably began to achieve less-than-perfect results in situations where I knew I'd poured in my heart and soul, yet I had no further control over the outcome. Moving from a public high-school (where I easily topped my classes in just about everything), to a selective high-school (where I paled in comparison to the State's top child prodigies and geniuses) and finally University (where nothing I did seemed to gain a High Distinction, no matter how many late nights I put in), I finally learned to fail. 

I went off the rails for a bit at that point. I decided to 'choose' to fail, (in a vain attempt to harness control of the situation), by partying hard, skipping classes and just scraping by. I lost a lot of weight and was down to about 116 lbs, but I was so miserable inside that my weight loss wasn't even a redeeming factor. 

Time and aging has brought wisdom to my life. I began to understand that to fail is a good thing. It means I have been out there grabbing the proverbial bull by the horns, trying new things, learning from my mistakes and fine-tuning my ambitions towards greater success in the end.... or so I thought.

Funnily enough, this 12-week 'Eating True Before 'I Do'' goal has brought up a lot of my past issues with perfection and failure. I suppose I still have the seed of perfectionism inside me, it's just that I don't often give myself over to many ambitions anymore as I am scared to death of hard work. I don't want to commit to anything, lest I kill myself with stress and anxiety and allow that thing to have power over me.