Biggest Loser help for the Biggest Loser? What a DUH moment!

I picked up the "game" at Sam's a couple of months ago.  It as $20 and I felt like, what the hell.  I didnt put it in because one, I didn't feel like working out and two, I didn't think it was going to be too much.  I was WRONG!

I did my first workout today.  I burned 500 calories in an hour workout!  I am soaked.  It was hard, challenging and a lot of fun.  HIGHLY recommended!   I can't wait to try another one tomorrow.  I needed a change.  I am kind of in a rut with my food, workouts - I need something different and this was good!

Codeword: Blueberry!

Today I grabbed Lucy and we headed out on yet another one of our adventures!  We took a ride over the lake to Blue Harvest Farms - home to the sweetest blueberries I know!   We got up WAY too early on a Saturday and headed out with the kids in tow to try to beat the heat!  Once there we were greeted with buckets and directions to the beautiful blue beauties!

        

It didn't take too long to get our buckets full.  We each took home a gallon of berries - it doesn't look like much until you get it out of the bucket and then take a good look!

Since we were on that side of the lake we decided to take advantage and hit up the Covintgon Farmer's Market by the courthouse.  What a pleasant surprise!

There were beautiful tomatoes in a rainbow of colors!

White and purple eggplant! 

Beautiful, sweet peaches I can't wait to eat for lunch!

At Hot Tamale Mama's I picked up this AWESOME Garlic dip - SKORDALIA!  It is to DIE for!  We actually took home one for me, one for Lucy, and two for vacation later this month!  I am planning all the things I am putting it on!
It is Vegan, sugar free, everything I could want and more - a great Mayo substitute!

Oh Spud!  I'm a Fig!  This was pretty cool!
MG said it was named after me and is medium
sized and tan to brown in color! LOL!

I spied this gorgeous Hibiscus flower from a distance! Aloha!

In a  wonderful 4th of July Tradition the market had free hot
dogs, watermelon and Zap's chips for the taking!

The watermelon was so fresh and tasty!

It was a great morning on the Northshore!  It's always fun when you tag along with Lucy and Ethel on one of our adventures!  You never know where the next one will take us!  

Much Love, 

C

Celeste is not only competing to be the NOLA Biggest Loser 2.0, but she is also working full time as the Metry Chick, an artist who created NOLA style gifts with a little Metry Attitude thrown in for good measure.  She also writes as one of theReal Housewives of NOLA as the Wednesday blogger.  Check her out on Facebook and Twitter! 

Photos courtesy of ME!  This post was not sponsored by any of the companies and organizations mentioned.   

Expectations vs Reality Part II - Ok God, I'm listening!

Last night Sarge and I ran the Summer Free For All Series put on by the New Orleans Track Club.  It is a free 2 mile race in City Park that makes you feel good and is nice to compete a little.  I saw a new friend there, Jennifer.  I met her doing the Father's Day Race in Audubon Park.  She is doing the Biggest Loser over at Elmwood and is so sweet!  I digress.  I did the race with Sarge and I had a plan.  I would start off in the back and walk a little, run a little, so forth and so on.  However, Sarge did not seem to go with that plan.  He got me running at the starting line.  I ran almost the whole first mile. I ran about 7/8 of the mile and then stopped for about 60 seconds before I started running again.  In the second mile I ran most of that too, only stopping for about 30 seconds a couple of times. My legs were aching and my back hurt a little but it was my brain.  I just kept running to stop, if you know what I mean.  It was like when I quit smoking back in '06.  I would quit until Mardi Gras and then I could smoke, or when I was stressed.  I was quitting to smoke if you get it.  I finally quit for good in '08.

Last night I expected to stop running and walk some of the race.  My reality was that I ran almost the whole race and if I had just gotten out of my own way I would have ran the whole thing.  Like Yogi Berra Says, 90% of the game is half mental.    Actually, he said Baseball is ninety percent mental and the other half is physical.  


Like I said, Okay God,  I am listening.  He keeps trying to tell me to dump the expectations and just do my thang.  


This week I expect me to give it my all and do my best.  That's all, really!  I can honestly say that I am working hard and giving it my all.  


Much Love, 
C

Celeste is not only competing to be the NOLA Biggest Loser 2.0, but she is also working full time as the Metry Chick, an artist who created NOLA style gifts with a little Metry Attitude thrown in for good measure.  She also writes as one of theReal Housewives of NOLA as the Wednesday blogger.  Check her out on Facebook and Twitter! 

Dining Out Diary - Dot's Diner

This morning I got up and after dropping MG off at camp I took advantage of the overcast day and headed out to beautiful Lafreniere park for a trot.  It was a good workout, but I was STARVING!  I knew my friends over at Dot's Diner would be happy to help me fuel up deliciously and let me tell you, they did NOT disappoint me!

There were a lot of choices, let me tell you!  I skipped over the pancakes to look for those cute little pink hearts next to the healthy meals.  I am always a sucker for a veggie omelette so I chose the Healthy Heart Veggie Omelette.  

I omitted the cheese and opted for some hash browns and wheat toast.  I stressed that I needed the hash browns cooked with NO added oil and they were happy to help me with that.  Next time I will remember to request my toast with no margarine.  Since I am avoiding High Fructose Corn Syrup I steered clear of the jelly for my toast but I enjoyed every single bite of this:

It was just DELICIOUS!  I ate all of the omelette and most of the hash browns.  I left the toast behind because I forgot to bring it home for the puppies and feel so bad for wasting food.  

My total for the hash browns and HUGE omelette was only 320 calories.  Not too shabby for a meal that really filled me up and fueled me up for the rest of the morning.  

The moral of the story is that I feel like I treated myself to a really nice little breakfast out and about but didn't sacrifice my eating plan - even the hash browns.  I am eating them early in the day and using that fuel to push me the rest of my day.   You don't have to sacrifice everything that you love, just adjust the way that you eat a little bit.  

Thanks you, Dot's Diner for a wonderful breakfast and I am SURE that I will see you guys again really soon - I am determined to try some of your healthy lunch and dinner options too!  Who knows where this journey will take me eating next?

Much Love, 

C

Celeste is not only competing to be the NOLA Biggest Loser 2.0, but she is also working full time as the Metry Chick, an artist who created NOLA style gifts with a little Metry Attitude thrown in for good measure.  She also writes as one of theReal Housewives of NOLA as the Wednesday blogger.  Check her out on Facebook and Twitter! 

Photos courtesy of ME!  I took the photos this morning at breakfast on 28 Jun 2011.  This post was not requested or sponsored by Dot's Diner in any way.  

It's ON! The Biggest Loser Contest has BEGUN!

We weighed in last nigh and the contest is ON!  NOLA Biggest Loser 2.0!  It is soo easy to say, so easy to get ready for, but once you step on the scale and see THAT NUMBER it all hits you at once!  I am FREAKED out!

Like any fat chick I have gone on 100 diets!  I have tried this MISSION 1,000 times.  I saw a program on tv and the lady said, "every day I wake up on a diet and every night I go to bed a failure".  I am soo not trying to do that this time, but the self doubt creeps in.  It's so insidious.  WOW!  This time though I am ready for a life change.  I don't want to diet.  I want to help my food work for me!  I want to make my body work this time.  I can't really remember the last time I was really happy with how I looked and more importantly, how I feel.  That's sad.

This morning I woke up on a mission.  I made my shake, I did a workout, I ate breakfast and I am sticking to my plans.  Tonight I will go to bed still on my mission and I will do this for 77 days!  I takes 21 days to form a habit, so I better get to steppin!

Last night I freaked out a little - okay, a LOT - but I am determined that everyday I will wake up and be ready to take this on.  I know there will be setbacks, I am just trying to prepare myself that they are Setbacks and not putdowns.

Everything will work out and this will WORK!  A friend of ours gave me a good SLOGAN - HAAR-D work pays off$$$! I'll remember to keep this in mind.

I'll be posting along my journey, so can you keep up?

Much Love,
C

Celeste is not only competing to be the NOLA Biggest Loser 2.0, but she is also working full time as the Metry Chick, an artist who created NOLA style gifts with a little Metry Attitude thrown in for good measure.  She also writes as one of the Real Housewives of NOLA as the Wednesday blogger.  Check her out on Facebook and Twitter!