Wise Words: Earl Nightingale

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Life: Healthy Living 101

 

 

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Today, I'm rejoining Weight Watchers. I've had success with the program in the past, but I'm currently at my highest weight in more than four years. I just typed that sentence without judgment or frustration. Instead, I'm choosing to approach this journey with radical self-compassion. Here's why:

 

Hating yourself thin doesn't work.

 

No, really. It doesn't. I've tried this approach dozens of times. I've been desperate, angry, and tearful. I've literally eaten myself sick out of self-loathing. And I'm tired of it. Because when I'm truly honest, I know this year has been incredibly stressful and challenging. I also know, without a doubt, that whenever I'm upset food makes me feel better (even if it's just temporary). That's something I need to work on.

 

I'm not sure how much of my weight loss experience I'll share on the blog, but in honor of rejoining Weight Watchers, I thought I'd offer some of the most valuable lessons I've learned in 15 years of dieting.

Wise Words: Christopher Robin

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Food: Favorite Recipes for April

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Author's Note: I'm a big fan of food. I also believe in the power of weekly meal planning. I think it saves money and time when you're crazy busy. In general, I'm not much of a recipe repeater unless something is truly fabulous. Our weekly menu usually includes 2-3 new recipes from around the internet. Once a month, I'll create a compilation of recipes we've tried that are worth repeating. Bon Appétit!

April Favorites

Kung Pao Chicken Tacos (Cooking Light)
At first I thought Asian tacos sounded a little strange, but we gave these a whirl anyway and they were delicious. The only modification we made was using our favorite tortillas. We like them because they're more flavorful (and sturdier) than regular corn tortillas.

Cake Batter Protein Shake (Dashing Dish)
I found Dashing Dish last month and pinned lots of recipes. I tried this protein shake right away and although it took a couple trips to the store to find the ingredients (quick tip: xanthan gum is available at Whole Foods) the result was worth the effort. It's delicious, creamy, and (almost) better than a milkshake.

Barbecue Chicken Pasta (Eat, Live, Run)
This dish is easy, colorful and full of flavor. It got rave reviews from my girlfriends when I hosted them for dinner last month. We rounded out the meal with stuffed mushrooms, tossed salad, and chocolate torte.

Cheesy Jalapeño Popper Baked Stuffed Chicken (Skinnytaste)
My husband referred to this as "crack chicken." We made it with cilantro lime rice and black beans. My only suggestion is to make sure you find chicken cutlets. I tried to pound chicken breast and it took much longer to prepare.

No Bake Chocolate Chip Cookies (Food Network)
These cookies remind me of my childhood. We typically had them at Easter (shaped like nests and filled with jelly beans!) so it felt appropriate to try them this month. This recipe is delicious and very simple - even if you're not a baker!

Read: The Secret Keeper

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Please tell me you've heard of Kate Morton? She's an Australian author who writes incredibly interesting, plot-driven stories. She's a master at foreshadowing and her books demand to be finished. She conjures up characters you can't abandon on the page - you have to keep reading until the plot is resolved.

Morton's latest offering - The Secret Keeper - is easily the most engrossing book I've read since Christmas. The story begins in England on a peaceful summer afternoon in the 1960s. Sixteen-year-old Laurel Nichol is hiding from her younger siblings in the tree house at their country home when she sees a visitor knock on the door. Laurel's mother answers and after exchanging a few words with the stranger, proceeds to stab and kill him. Laurel's parents tell her the man was a dangerous drifter, but as time passes she begins to question the truth behind this horrific incident.

Fast forward five decades, Laurel is a famous actress and her mother is dying. Before its too late, she goes on a quest to discover the identity of the man who was murdered and learn more about her mother's mysterious past. Much of the story takes place in London during The Blitz and as the plot complicates it becomes apparent that war changes everyone.

Wise Words: Danny Kaye

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Life: Spring Checklist

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Does anyone else find it difficult to set achievable goals? I'm forever trying to do everything at once - lose weight, write a book, start a blog, take more photos, etc. I've always found the idea of complete metamorphosis intoxicating. Even though I know it's the right way to go about making change, the whole concept of "walk before you run" never quite captures my imagination.

This issue is compounded by my incredibly vocal inner critic. Whenever I try to create manageable resolutions, my internal dialogue usually goes something like this: "Exercising three times per week? Is that really all you can do? What's the point?" or "Is that really your goal? It sounds pretty lame to me."

To address this one-two punch to my self-esteem, I thought it might be helpful to make a quarterly checklist of what I'd like to accomplish. Because there is only so much you can do in three months - right? It essentially forces you to make big picture goals more achievable and encourages you to check-in periodically to make sure you're on the right track.