Weekly Update

Wow! Rough week. The food poisoning lingered so it Thursday before I started working out again. I did semi-okay on eating the first few days (mainly because I was still sick), but not as well the past few. I've had major insomnia lately, because there is something in my life not quite settled and I need it to be done!!!! However, it's out of my control, so all I can do is wait and see what happens. And in the mean time, even sleeping pills aren't helping. Then I rely on sugar(which I'm not even supposed to be eating) and caffeine to get through the day.

But I did sleep some last night, so maybe it's getting better. Either way i'm cutting the caffeine and sugar out again. My husband was supposed to go on a diet with me, but we keep waiting to go find a diet book together. I remind him every weekend, but so far it hasn't happened. Tomorrow is his last chance. After that I'll do it on my own.

Recovering from Food Poisoning

Sorry I missed this weekend's post. I was recovering from food poisoning. I dropped five pounds while I had it. ;)  No idea how much I gained back once I could eat again.

Until Friday I worked out every day last week. I'd planned to pick up again on Saturday, but I got food poisoning. So that didn't happen. I'm planning to get back on the band wagon today.

Doing Better

I'm doing better! I'm probably still having more sugar than my dentist would like, but I'm not gorging on it. And I've worked out six days out of seven, sometimes more than once a day. And I managed to write about 110 pages in 8 days at the same time. I need to start tracking what I eat and drink more water. I never made it to six cups a day. But I'm taking it one week at a time, and for now that's okay. See you again next weekend.

Falling Off The Bandwagon

It's probably obvious from my lack of posts lately, even after someone nudged me and asked me how my goals were coming, but I've fallen off the bandwagon. I'm not working out regularly. My sugar addiction is winning, and I'm not drinking nearly enough water. The results are obvious in my health and energy level. I'm writing this right now, because tomorrow is a new day. I'm kicking the sugar to the curb. Again. I'm starting over. I will drink six glasses of water. I will work out for 30 minutes. And I've decided to start writing down what I eat. I will do this every day for thirty days. I can do it! But trying to do everything I've set out to do and maintain two blogs is getting overwhelming. So I've decided to blog here only once a week on Saturdays. I'm giving up the mission to find 52 sugar free/splenda free recipes, because it's virtually impossible to find recipes that use neither. And the hunt takes time,not to mention cooking time, and food photography. It's going to have to be enough to just get through the day without sugar and still manage to workout, drink water, and write.

On the positive side, while I've been working out less, I've written 60 pages in the last five days. I also got an agent last week. And I got strong enough to admit in public I fell off the band wagon, pick up the pieces and start over.

Fitness Goals/Healthy Writers Club

It's Friday! That means it's both Healthy Writer's Club day and Fitness Friday. I'm not fit this week, though I do plan to work out before the day is over. But I've only worked out one other day this week. :( I blame that primarily on a pretty bad blow I took to the head and edits. Edits will do it to you every time. That and Little Baby Fred has not been easy to get along with these past few days. LOL

But it's the first day of the month. On my other blog, I love to post goals the first day of the month. On this blog, I think I'll post fitness goals.

Feb. Goals

1. Drink 6 glasses of water a day.
2. Work out 3 times/week.
3. Loose 4 lbs. (and not gain it back)
4. Find 4 yummy healthy recipes.

What are your goals this month?

Confession of a Sugar-aholic

Dude! I'm not doing well this week. I've given in to my sugar addiction too many times to count. I fell and hit my head a few days ago, and feel like crap. I've only worked out one day this week, and I didn't even make your guilt free treat this week. I'm sure I've gained back any weight I've loss this month all in a week, and God knows what damage I did to my already damaged teeth.

I want to say I'll kick this addiction. That tomorrow is a new day, and I'll wake up and be resolute. But the truth is I just want to go to sleep. I've got more content revisions to my soon to be released novella "The Other Marlowe Girl" than I planned for and somehow editing always leads to junk food.  And I'm seriously read fro bed and haven't even made dinner yet. So new plan: finish this cup of tea, clean counters, cook dinner, tell hubs to take baby, put up clothes, finish laundry, fall asleep reading Lizzy Ford book.

Fried Apples Guilt Free Treat #3

Yep. So I'm late again. In fairness, I really did try to post this yesterday, but my technology was once again not cooperating.

In the WI (wisconsin) people refer to these as Southern fried apples. I spent the first 26 years of my life between Texas and Arkansas and never heard of a fried apple forget the fact that apples don't really grow in the South. But fried apples are awesome whether they're Southern fried or not. Most recipes call for butter and sugar, but we're guilt free on this blog. Spray both the apples and the pan with your favorite cook spray--if you really like butter, use a butter flavored spray. For the glaze, use equal parts cinnamon and your favorite sweetener (and know that splenda may taste the best but still causes diabetes and rots teeth). Fry these babies up on low to medium heat. You won't have a thick gravy like fried apples do some places, but you'll have a well flavored warm apple perfect for breakfast or dessert.

Fitness Friday/Healthy Writer's Club

Not much to report this week. I don't think I worked out a single time, and didn't eat great either. The only thing I have going for me is I did find a sugar free cookie which you can read more about below. I blame the lack of exercise on that little doll that has woke me up at 2 am every night this week, the crown prep the dentist did that still hurts, and the fact that I've felt like crap all week. But tomorrow is a new day.

How are your fitness goals going?

Guilt Free Treat #2 Honey Cookies

No picture this week because my lovely computer, camera, or some combination there of ate it. Thanks, technology. They were beautiful though.

So here is the deal. Honey cookies aren't totally guilt free. Honey is high calorie, so these aren't exactly a low calorie sweet, but they're one of the few cookies that can be made without sugar or splenda. They still taste great and look pretty(no proof of that now). I used Truvia instead of sugar. This does not usually work, but since the honey is sweet it worked fine. I used more Truvia than if I were using sugar (I think I tripled it). Because I tripled the "sugar" (a solid) I used more honey. I had a nice consistency going so I was able to use slightly less melted butter. I'd rather use more honey than butter anyhow. I also used more vanilla (not because of consistency, just because vanilla gives things such a nice, rich flavor) and sprinkled in cinnamon.

Fitness Friday

Eleven days into the new year, I'd say I'm doing okay with my fitness goals, but not great. My daughter started the new year off with a bad cold and mommy got bronchitis taking care of her. It only turned into bronchitis because of my asthma, so fortunately baby didn't get more than the cold. But attempting to work out wasn't possible for the first week or so. Two days ago, I finally started dancing. Latin cardio! It is such a work out! So far, I've only been able to get through the first dance and a half, but I'll keep at it. Hubs and I haven't started our actual lessons. (He's got the cold now). But we will do our first lesson this weekend. And next week I hope to be more consistent with my work-outs.

If you missed guilt free treat #1, you find it here. You can expect another guilt free treat on Wed. ;)

How are you fitness goals going?

Oat Rolled Bananas Guilt Free Treat #1

So as many of you know, I'm battling some health problems this year which prompted this blog. I've been a sugar addict most of my life and now it's time to kick the habit. In an effort to do this, I'm on a mission to find semi-healthy things that don't rely on sugar to be sweet and filling. I'm pleased with this week's concoction.

You could call it fusion food. It's a twist on the steamed banana which is a common breakfast in Kerala (where my husband is from). I enhanced it a bit to make it a worthy dessert. Rolling this thing in oats and drizzling a sugar free or low sugar chocolate syrup over it makes it almost like a cookie. You get the nutrient packed banana, fiber of the oats, and the only added sugar is the syrup.

Welcome!

Thanks for checking out my new blog! Contrary, to the name I'm not a health freak. In fact, I'm a short fat sugar addict. I love food, especially when it tastes good. But I'm getting older and my doctor says I need to cut out the sugar. I've learned so much from my book/writing blog bethfred.com that I thought this was the perfect way to learn a healthy lifestyle. So this blog will chronicle my journey with low sugar-no sugar treats, healthy eating, and ballroom dancing. I know the ballroom dance seems kind of random, but my husband and I thought it would be a fun way to get in shape and spend time together. This year we're learning, maybe next year we can compete.

So health blasts that last will chronicle 52 weeks of dancing and inventive recipes. I love promoting other bloggers, so if you're a nutritionist, dance instructor, fitness trainer, or cookbook writer (with semi-healthy recipes) feel free to shoot me an email. I'm happy to do guest posts or interviews.

For now, you can expect to see a post here every Friday, but that might increase as I learn more about  health and fitness blogs. I'll keep you updated. And thank you for joining me on this journey. I know this will be a positive life change, but the reasons I'm initiating it are scary.

Thanks Beth!