Day 1: Not. Ready.

Alright, today... is Day 1. Day one of starting Weight Watchers again from being off it while on vacation, and day 1 of JILLIAN MICHAELS 30 day SHRED! I know, I know... it's not working out at the gym, but I have honestly found that if I explode out of the gates and just feel like I have to be dieting and working out full fledge at the beginning I A) Stress the F out like no other, B) always feel like shit because I go from probably an unhealthy 2200 calorie diet a day to a 1200 calorie diet a day and that makes me miserable to begin with. So working out at home, shreding for 20 minutes a day is a good way to start out this marathon... you're right, this isn't a sprint, it's a marathon. That's also why I think it's ok to start out slow and ease into it. It's not like I'm going to drop 100lbs over night people! Who do I look like?!?! But if I can do it in a year, then I can start by focusing on my diet first, then move into the heavy workouts! (ps. my amazing Sittoo, loving and caring as she is, doesn't think I can drop 80lbs by my wedding, psssshhhh, I'm going to prove her wrong!).

So of course, in prior tradition of starting an awesome diet, I clearly went out this weekend and ate my face off. Friday night started with dinner and dessert at Texas de Brazil (ALL THE MEAT YOU CAN EAT) - but that was mainly because we go there once a year for my birthday because we are cheap and get the "one dinner free for your birthday" coupon. Shit, at $48 a pop, any money you can NOT spend at that place, the better. Dinner alone WITH a free meal was $150 and we only had 1 glass of wine each, coffee, cappuccino, and dessert. I mean come on! Anyways, for those who don't even know what TDB is, it's only the most AMAZING place for meat eaters in the world. It's Fogo de Chao, minus a few celebs, and a few hundred dollars for dinner. It's awesome, but its HORRIBLE for you. The meat is def loaded with oils and salts, and the sides, even though there are salads and sushi's, I go for the potatoes au gratin and rice. Clearly, not the best option for a healthy meal!

Damn, this makes me hungry looking at it again. ugh. 

Then, clearly, Saturday was dinner at Gordon Biersch, which again, not super healthy, but not the end of the world. But to top it all off, was Sunday and mine and Joanna's decision to go to Outback for a late lunch and beers. Welp, I clearly ate too much and felt like shit afterwords, but omg was it worth it. From now on, NO MORE SHITTY FOOD. No more french fries, no more ranch dressing, I gotta fit into a hot dress, and I'm not going to accomplish that going out outback and getting cheese fries! haha

(super ashamed to show this photo, but I've gotta be honest)

Now that this weekend is over and I'm sitting at my desk, I just keep thinking about how happy and skinny I will be when this is all over, and it makes me realize that I can do this. WOOHOOO. 

Happy day 1 - See ya later double chins!!!!! 

Tata for now, 

Andrea

Recipe Time!

Well, I know I can't eat them for the next 3 weeks - but I found this AH-MAHZING recipe for Asiago, Potato, and Bacon Gratin.... I love me some potatoes, and I love them even more when there not as bad for you!

Ok here we goooooo:

What you'll need:

• 1 1/2 pounds peeled Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
• 1 teaspoon salt, divided 
• Cooking spray 
• 2 tablespoons minced shallots 
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 
• 2 cups 1% low-fat milk, divided 3/4 cup 
• (3 ounces) grated Asiago cheese 
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives 
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
•  4 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled 
• 1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese 

What's NEXT:
Preheat oven to 350°. Place potatoes in a large saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes or until potatoes are almost tender. Drain. Sprinkle potatoes evenly with 1/4 teaspoon salt; set aside and keep warm. Heat a medium saucepan coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Add shallots; cook 2 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Sprinkle flour over shallots. Gradually add 1/2 cup milk, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Gradually add remaining 1 1/2 cups milk, stirring with a whisk. Cook over medium heat 9 minutes or until thick, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; stir in 3/4 teaspoon salt, Asiago, chives, pepper, and bacon. Arrange half of potato slices in an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Pour half of cheese sauce over potato slices. Top with remaining potato slices and cheese sauce; sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake at 350° for 35 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and lightly browned.

There you have it - then EAT... probably with steak :)

Not to shabby for the amazing taste! Try it out!

I think they made this post for me....

I'm starting a new thing... EAT THIS NOT THAT - have you guys seen those books? They tell you what is good and what's not good to eat haha --- they have a ton, Eat this, not that - Cook This, Not that - The Restaurant Survival Guide... there awesome...

When I was on the website this morning I saw this one:

10 Ways to Eat Healthily at the Steak House
I swear they made this post for me... One because I am going to a steak house for dinner tonight with Steph (Mon Ami Gabi) and Second, because you can't spell Steak without Andrea. hahahaha.....

From the article I found this kind of awesome:
"A plate of steak house fries or hash browns will likely add 500 calories to your beef entree, and a large baked potato has nearly 300 calories before factoring in toppings. That means mashed is the way to go, since even a huge scoop rarely tops the 250-calorie mark."
Awesome - see, mashed potatoes aren't SOOOOO bad for you. haha

"Sirloin: This is probably the leanest cut you'll find on the menu, and aside from filet mignon, it's the only one you can eat without blasting past 500 calories. Just be sure to cap your serving at 9 ounces." 
Perfect... I love a mean lean, sirloin or filet!

So next time your out at a steak house ---- pay for the sirlion or the filet because it helps out when trying to keep your hot figure - and then grab some smashed potatoes... better than baked! :)

To read this article more in depth - visit it here:
http://eatthis.menshealth.com/slide/steak-burger?slideshow=108815#sharetagsfocus

Time to go make some steak,
FAT KID OUT!

Wednesday Night's Dinner Recipes!

So last night I decided to embark down the low-fat cooking journey... Normally I just throw whatever is in the fridge, on the grill, add a butter soaked potato and call it done. Oh, and I eat a lot of it. A LOT. This time, I decided to pull a few recipes off of the Cooking Light website and whipped up a nice, healthy-ish dinner? Let me tell you, it wasn't super fattening, and it was delish!

First it was some steak....


Grilled marinated flank steak:
Combine 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, 2 teaspoons honey, and 2 minced garlic cloves in a large zip-top plastic bag; add a 1 1/2-pound flank steak to bag. Seal and marinate in refrigerator 1 hour, turning bag occasionally. Preheat grill; grill steak 6 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness.

Then...


Asiago, Potato, and Bacon Gratin:
1 1/2 pounds peeled Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 teaspoon salt, divided
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons minced shallots
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups 1% low-fat milk, divided
3/4 cup (3 ounces) grated Asiago cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese


Preheat oven to 350°.


Place potatoes in a large saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes or until potatoes are almost tender. Drain. Sprinkle potatoes evenly with 1/4 teaspoon salt; set aside and keep warm.


Heat a medium saucepan coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Add shallots; cook 2 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Sprinkle flour over shallots. Gradually add 1/2 cup milk, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Gradually add remaining 1 1/2 cups milk, stirring with a whisk. Cook over medium heat 9 minutes or until thick, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; stir in 3/4 teaspoon salt, Asiago, chives, pepper, and bacon.
Arrange half of potato slices in an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Pour half of cheese sauce over potato slices. Top with remaining potato slices and cheese sauce; sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake at 350° for 35 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and lightly browned.

and CORN! done. and done. best dinner yet. Recipe's here. Steak - Potato

FAT KID OUT! 

It all starts now.... My life as we know it, is about to end.

So.... it's time. It's time to just freaking man up and get on this sone of a bitch diet. I have always been the type of girl who is like, oh I love myself, no matter how big I am ---- I mean on a serious note, it really isn't what you look like that makes you an amazing person, it's the inside... and I KNOW I have an awesome personality (duh.) but now it's time for a change...

I was in my best friends wedding this weekend, something I have done many times before, but this one was different... I was instantly surrounded by amazingly skinny, gorgeous girls, and I DEF stood out. I was over it... I don't want to stand out anymore... I mean I couldn't even fit in a cute dress... THEN, we stopped by NYC on Sunday on our way home to visit Val for a hot minute, and of course we watched her wedding video, and BAM, there I was, jumping around (having a good time of course) but my freaking fat ass was bobbing up and down, up and down... ugh, talk about watching something that makes you want to start a coke habit to lose weight.... hahaha... These two events really pushed me over the edge... like I said, it's not that I'm unhappy, I just think I would be happier if I felt better about how I looked!!

I've tried everything in the past, from Atkins, to Weight Watchers, Nutrisystem (wicked expensive), Diet-to-Go, Southbeach, Alli, Hydroxycut (man did that turn me into a freaking nutcase)... you name it, I've tried it... and did it work? FUCK NO. I'm still fat. So this time, I'm taking it slow... I really get discouraged when I look in the mirror and don't see a change... but I need to remember, it takes TIME, and in the past I never wanted to give it time, I wanted to be skinny overnight. This time, I am going slow, eating right, working out, and blogging about it. Because I need someone to vent to, and I know Juan hates it when I bitch and complain hahaha...

I decided last night that today was the day. And just like every other time I decided that "tomorrow's the day", I had my last meal.... hahahaha - or I mean last feast. Juan knew exactly where to take me... my favorite resturant for a nice fattening meal... OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE! What did I eat do you ask? 

Well, let me just go ahead and show you.... It was a seriously awesome meal...  

First, the awesome bread, with butter of course.... thennnnn Coconut Shrimp with salt, THEN, salad with ranch dressing (that i apparently didn't get a pic of) and for the main course, a 9oz sirloin with their aussie cheese fries (cheese and bacon on top of them with ranch for dipping sauce) and then top it all off with a cinnamon oblivion for desert! AHHH it was amazing..... and writing this post makes me want all of this food again... damn IT!   

The meal was amazing, but I knew, come 7am on Tuesday morning, this food would be food I wouldn't be eating till I got to at least 170 pounds... then I will have a celebratory meal, but for now, bye bye fattening food! 

Did I mention I am also cutting back on the booze?? I know, ME?!?!? cut back on the booze? Ahhhh... it sucks, but I have to do it.. but you know what that means? I'll be a cheap date when all is said and done here in a year hahaha! :) 

So today... I woke up, had my awesome bowl of Cheerio's, headed off to an hour long spin class at Balans Studio, came home, ate my wicked awesome breakfast sandwich and had a cup of coffee and I'm already dying.... I'm def in super bitch mode, so just in case I seem bitchy to anyone of you today, that's why :) BLAH, this is going to suck, but hopefully, it will pay off........... 

TA-TA FOR NOW! 

Andrea....

• Tuesday, Sept 6th -
• Bowl of Cheerios with 1% milk
• Turkey, Cheese, Egg sandwhich on a Weight Watchers Muffin
• Cup of Coffee
• 1 hour of spin class

I go from being able to have all the above, to having this sandwhich and this list of things to eat below! FML.

YOU KNOW WHAT WOULD BE AWESOME FOR THIS DIET?!?! IF MY FUCKING ROOMMATE DIDN'T COOK FOOD THAT SMELT SO GOD DAMN DELICIOUS! DAY ONE SUCKS