This is just a stop on the way to where I'm going...

Hi everyone! First off - I want to let everyone know that entries for the Everyday Happy Herbivore book giveaway will close on 1/31/2012 - so be sure to get your entries in soon!

Secondly - I am excited today. I feel hopeful about my weight loss again for the first time in quite a few months and feel rejuvenated and re-dedicated to my goals. I've gotten rid of the excess holiday pounds and feel back on track and headed toward where I want to be.

I can't explain exactly why or how this has come about - but I think it has something to do with the fact that I have planned some fun things for myself this year and am taking the time to get to know me and do things that I want to do - as opposed to going along with what others want. Being unmarried and having no children, this is a luxury that I can take advantage of - and I should - before I get to the point where I want to settle down and have a family.

My main focus right now is on discovering why I have such a poor relationship with food and what I can do to fix it.

Why can I not say "no" to certain foods?

Why do I crave certain foods for no apparent reason?

What are my triggers?

What makes me want to over eat?

What motivates me?

I believe - and constantly tell my clients - that in order to be successful at anything you need to know yourself. Know your weak spots, know your strong points. I need to practice what I preach!

I've determined that at least some of my problems stem from the fact that I am not where I wanted to be in life at the age of 32. So I am actively taking steps to change things for myself. I have my first out of country trip planned for May. I'm going to Canada for the first time. I'm continuing my education and learning to cope better with my work situation - because I have to realize that this is not permanent. This is just a stop on the way to where I'm going.

Everyday Happy Herbivore GIVEAWAY!!!

A winner has been chosen - please check your inboxes! This contest is now closed.

I am absolutely STOKED to be bringing you a very special guest today! The amazing Lindsay from HappyHerbivore.com has stopped by Shrink to Fit on a blog tour for her new book Everyday Happy Herbivore!

Those of you who have been around for a while already know that Lindsay has been an inspiration to me on my quest toward eating a 100% plant based diet. I have purchased both of her cookbooks and HIGHLY recommend them to anyone who is looking to switch over to a vegan diet, wants to add more plant based food into their diet or even the seasoned vegan looking for new and exciting recipes to add to their collection. Her recipes are amazing, simple and delicious!

Her newest book makes transitioning to veganism even simpler - with easy, quick, tasty meals anyone can cook! I hope you will pick up a copy - believe me, you won't regret it!

I had a few questions for Lindsay that I wanted to share with you:

1) What inspired you to start HappyHerbivore.com?

When I adopted a plant-based diet, there weren't many cookbooks out, or even online resources. Blogs were still so new back then and not many people had them... I didn't know anyone that was vegan or even eating a low fat, whole foods diet and so I created this blog to share information I learned and recipes I tried or came up with... just in case there was some other person like me somewhere. I thought maybe I could help them. Never in my wildest dreams did I think my little blog would have a reader, let alone turn into two books! 

2) Which recipe from your new cookbook is your favorite?

asking a chef to pick a favorite recipe is like asking a parent to pick their favorite child :-) 

3) I personally have found that I struggle the most with portion control. Do you have any tips for portion control?

I'm of the persuasion that if you eat healthy foods -- low fat, whole foods, you don't need to worry about portions so much because the food is healthy, filling and low in calories. That's one of the reasons why I love eating a low-fat plant-based diet because I can finally eat as much as I want to, I can eat until I feel full, without worrying about weight gain. I also really liked the book Mindless Eating and recommend it to anyone who has portion control or overeating tendencies. 

4) What advice would you give to someone who is setting out on a long journey of weight loss and also transitioning to veganism?

Remember to keep veg in vegan. Focus on whole foods - fruits, vegetables, and legumes. Whole grains are fine too but they're high in calories so make sure they accent the meal rather than make it up. Limit fats and other high calorie foods like fake meat and fake cheese. There's also the Happy Herbivore Meal plans -- which are based on how I eat (I'm maintaining a 30lb loss) -- low cal, but very filling. So many people have had great weight-loss success on the plan. 

Lindsay was gracious enough to send along a free recipe from her new cookbook Everyday Happy Herbivore, for you fabulous Shrink to Fit readers. This recipe is one of my personal favorites!

Thanks Lindsay!

Quick Burgers | makes 4 

About the recipe: 
"I developed these burgers in a hotel room: they’re quick, easy and require very few ingredients. (In fact, except for the beans and a seasoning packet, I sourced all the ingredients from the complimentary “breakfast bar”). I make these burgers any time I need a super fast meal or I’m really low on ingredients."

Ingredients:

15-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

2 tbsp ketchup

1 tbsp yellow mustard

1 tsp onion powder (granulated)

1 tsp garlic powder (granulated)

1/3 c instant oats

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400F. Grease a cookie sheet or line with parchment paper and set aside. In a mixing bowl, mash black beans with a fork until mostly pureed but still some half beans and bean parts are left. Stir in condiments and spices until well combined. Then mix in oats. Divide into 4 equal portions and shape into thin patties with your hands. Bake for 7 minutes, carefully flip over and bake for another 7 minutes, or until crusty on the outside. Slap into a bun with extra condiments and eat!

Chef's note: If you only have rolled oats, chop them up in a food processor or blender so they are smaller and more like instant oats. Rolled oats left whole tend to make the burgers fall apart. 

Per Burger: 109 Calories, 0.5g Fat, 17.6g Carbohydrates, 3g Fiber, 2.2g Sugars, 5g Protein

More About Lindsay:

Lindsay S. Nixon is a rising star in the culinary world, praised for her ability to use everyday ingredients to create healthy, low fat recipes that taste just as delicious as they are nutritious. Lindsay's recipes have been featured in Vegetarian Times, Women's Health Magazine and on The Huffington Post. Lindsay is also a consulting chef at La Samanna, a luxury resort and four-star restaurant in the French West Indies. You can learn more about Lindsay and sample some of her recipes at happyherbivore.com

After vegan chef Lindsay S. Nixon wrapped up her popular cookbook The Happy Herbivore Cookbook last year, she went back to her kitchen in her new home of St. Maarten. Island living encouraged Nixon to come up with simpler fare, which led to a follow-up cookbook focusing on recipes that bring tasty back to quick-and-easy. 

Now, in Nixon's much-anticipated follow-up cookbook, Everyday Happy Herbivore, readers will see, once again, that just because plant-based eating is optimal for health, it doesn't have to also be expensive or time-consuming. Everyday Happy Herbivore includes more than 175 doable recipes--recipes that are so quick and easy, you could cook three healthy meals from scratch every day like Nixon does. Each of Nixon's recipes are made with wholesome, easy-to-find, fresh ingredients and include no added fats. With additional notes indicating recipes that are ideal for preparing ahead of time and those you can whip up with just a few dollars, Everyday Happy Herbivore will be the must-have cookbook for anyone desiring a healthier, happier menu!

The Skinny Dip - Guest Post by Melanie Bowen

Happy Friday! 

It's been a while since we've been Skinny Dippin' - and today we have a guest post for The Skinny Dip! 

I started this blog to have an outlet for chronicling my weight loss efforts, successes, failures and everything in between. I find writing to be therapeutic. Today's guest post is from Melanie Bowen - a contributor at the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance Blog. She shares with us her thoughts on writing as an expressive therapy.  

Take it away Melanie! 

Writing is an important expressive therapy for many people in the world; the importance of logging desires, feelings and future goals is a monumental step in the process of growing, changing and healing. To help with overcoming major obstacles in life, such as illness or loss, writing is proven to aid people in the path to recovery.

Ever heard of a "bucket list"? They are infamous lists of experiences that people desire to complete in a certain amount of time. It is said that "bucket lists" give people the self-motivation and organization to follow through with their plans; they act as constant, written reminders to keep your ambitions and aspirations high so that you can get the best out of life. "Bucket lists" are tools to gain self realization, follow a life plan and reflect positively on accomplished goals.

Everyone from healthy, overly stressed individuals to those diagnosed with mesothelioma cancer can benefit from writing therapy, the physical action of putting one's feelings and thoughts into written word. Words represent the imprisonment of those feelings, separating them from the person, allowing them to heal from the inside out. Journaling is the most common form of writing therapy; known to stop the unnecessary recurrence of troubling thoughts, people can reread their perceptions in a clear, rational manner when they are written. The verbalization of stressful thoughts takes the power away from the stressor.

In regards to illness, patients feel a disconnect between their unhealthy bodies and their perfectly healthy minds; symbolically, writing about their feelings concerning their illness reconnects the invisible separation, allowing them to heal as a whole. Blogging about one's experience with a specific illness is one of the best therapeutic steps to healing; patients can write, anonymously or not, about a traumatic experience and find that they are not alone; they can find support. Recent studies that represent the 'Pennebaker Paradigm', show that self disclosure through writing actually improved measures within the immune system and decreased cases of depression, stress in mental health. Many patients, who have survived cancers and other serious illnesses, credit their healing to the therapeutic prognosis that inspired and gave hope.

Expressive writing is an incredible tool that people have to control their futures. Learn to be more proactive with goals and improve quality of life. Writing goals down makes them tangible, existing things that humans will have a difficult time denying; by placing more emphasis on goals, one is more likely to follow through with them, resulting in healthier, happier people. Writing will relieving inner fears and improve health, both mentally and physically, through self discovery.

To check out first hand stories of a women’s journey to health--eventually becoming a survivor of a serious rare illness, check out her blog at the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance. 

Thank you Melanie! 

My New Year's REVOLUTION!

Well I'm back in the losing game. I'm sad to report that I made it back up to my starting weight - actually gained 4 extra pounds - throughout the course of the holidays. But I'm back down 8 pounds since the start of the year. And tomorrow I start yoga. I'm a week late starting - but better late than never - right? And I'm signed up for a yoga and wellness retreat in May - which I am REALLY looking forward to! More details on that to come.


So here are my New Year's REVOLUTION goals:

1) Actually start practicing yoga. I've been wanting to do it for so long - now is the time.

2) Keep working toward a 100% vegan diet. The holidays derailed me. Badly.

3) Work on loving myself. I am frequently my own worst enemy - as I find a lot of people are. This is totally screwed up - we need to love ourselves. If you can't be happy with who you are and love yourself - how can you expect others to?

4) Be an active participant in life. All too frequently I let my weight sideline me. Not anymore.

That's it! 4 goals that are easily attainable and positive.


I bought myself a shiny new necklace for Christmas - to wear throughout the year and help me remember my goals...

ommmmmm

A New Year - Full of Possibilities!

I love the start of a new year. It’s an opportunity for renewal, to reflect on the past year and contemplate the brand new year ahead. I’m not much for making formal New Year’s resolutions but I like to reflect upon the progress I make toward my personal and professional goals each year – and to set expectations for myself for the New Year. I don’t believe in saying things like “I resolve to stop over-eating this year!” or “I’m going to start going to the gym 6 days a week this year!” or “I’m going to be Super Woman!” I know that just because it switched from 2011 to 2012 it doesn’t mean that I am going to magically develop some will power.

Let’s face it – how many people do YOU know who have said “I lost 150 pounds and it was all because I made a New Years resolution to stick to my diet plan and work out!” I don’t know one single person who has ever said that, do you?

So I spent my New Year’s Eve and day reflecting, not resoluting (if that’s even a word…) - I also spent it sniffling and sneezing, but that’s a different story all together. So what did I gain from all this reflecting? Well – I discovered that I have made some HUGE strides this year toward my personal goals, toward better health and a better me. My eating habits have greatly improved, and though the scales don’t yet reflect the way I’d like them to – nor do I feel completely normal yet, the simple fact that I have made those positive changes is a huge accomplishment. I have eliminated meat from my diet, and though I’ve had the occasional slip-up, for the most part I’ve done well with staying away from meat. The holidays were hard and I didn’t do well – but I picked myself back up and moved on. I still struggle with dairy – but it has mostly been eliminated from my diet. That’s a huge amount of progress toward a healthier, happy in my skin me. 2012 will bring more progress.

I am also one year closer to finishing my degree and though I have a little over a year yet to go, the end is in sight. I found a way to overcome some things this year that had been holding me back from reaching my full potential, some things that had been standing in my way and causing me tremendous stress. I learned a great deal about “true” friendship – and those who simply say they are your friend because it serves their purpose. I learned that mixing business with pleasure really doesn’t work. Sure, people have told me this my entire life – but I thought I could do it. Nope. I can’t. This barely scratches the surface of all the learning I've done this past year...


I'd like to wish you all a happy and prosperous New Year. I hope you all find much peace, happiness and health in 2012! It's going to be a good year - I can FEEL IT!