Blah Blah Babycakes

How I lost 10 lbs in one month

 (Without wanting to kill myself.)

I desperately wanted to lose some weight before my trip to Bali.  Mostly, because I'm vain, but also because I read somewhere that it's a hot vacay spot for Italians, and we all know how beautiful and tall (in that non-German way) Italian women can be. The last thing I want to be is the fat American on the beach.

So I set about to lose a few lbs in just a few short weeks. I've never really dieted before. In the past (before I turned 30) I could skip dinner one night and I would be a size smaller.  Now it takes a little more effort, but my method was simple: calorie deficit.

I needed to be strict with myself. Strict and obsessed. Recording every single bite I took into a calorie counter was an obsessive joy and I took it very seriously.  I even recorded the 10 calories in my chewable vitamin B-complex.  I was not to go over 1200 calories and the few times I did, I was sure not to go over my maintenance caloric intake number of 1700.

So what did I eat? Well, I'm a big believer in the twinkie diet.  That is, I don't think it matters what you eat, it's how much. Luckily, I'm a healthy eater to begin with, so I didn't have to try and break a bunch of bad eating habits (except for polishing off Henry's leftover mac + cheese). I didn't worry at all about fat, carbs, or sugar, but I did try to get at least 25 grams of fiber in everyday. 

My diet grocery list:

Pepperidge Farm thin bread

GG crackers

smoked slamon

pre-cut veggies

blackberries

blueberries

grapefruit

grapefruit juice

Honest green iced tea

Laughing Cow cheese
mustard

cornichon

hard-boiled eggs

chicken breast

Smart Ones lasagna florentine

pistachio nuts

whole wheat pasta

deli-sliced turkey breast

Fiber One cereal

Oatmeal

white popcorn

coconut date rolls

Trader Joes Chocolate Nibs

One important factor for me was to never let myself get hungry. So most days I ate 200 calories every few hours. This took some advanced planning, but again, that's where obsession helped out. On Sunday afternoons I would plan out exactly what I would eat for the week and I didn't deviate. This made me feel lame and boring, but I was goal-oriented and I knew this wasn't going to last forever.

I didn't have much time to increase my level of exercise.  I could fit in one short run on Saturday mornings during Henry's swimming lessons, and I started taking the 5 flights of stairs to my office every day, but that burns such few calories that I didn't bother to enter them into the calorie counter. (Obvs if you work out harder and longer you can add a few more calories to your day.)

To keep motivated I alternated between wearing pants that were getting too large and pants that were still a bit tight.  The loose pants days helped me feel like I was making progress and the tight pants days were a good reminder that I couldn't afford to cheat.  

The only thing I felt was sacrificed was my social life.  Most nights I went straight home and after an early dinner, washed my face and changed into my pajamas lest I be tempted to have a glass of wine (I don't drink in my pjs) or a last minute dinner with friends.  I did go out a few times and I over-indulged in red wine one evening, but mostly one strong vodka martini was all the happy I could be.  

And I did it!  I reached my goal just in time and now I can go about the business of slowly gaining it all back.

*Remember, I'm not a doctor or a nutritionist...I'm not even very smart.  But I do look better in a bikini.

 

About Face: Top Three Anti-Aging Products

I take skin care very seriously, mostly because I'm extremely vain, but also because I love the look and feel of healthy, glowing skin. Unfortunately there are around one gazillion skincare products to choose from and it's all very confusing and overwhelming. I've spent way too much money trying to find a magic potion, but I've finally found a regimen that works and I'd like to share the cliff notes version with you (because my friends are sick of hearing about it.)

The following three products are my holy grail for beautiful skin and anti-aging effects:

1. Sunscreen. This is your first line of defense. Anti-aging is all about prevention and without a photo- stable chemical or physical sunscreen you might as well rub baby oil on your face and forget about it.

2. Retinoids.  They are popular because they work.  Retinol builds collagen, improves the texture of skin and gets rid of fine lines and wrinkles.  As a bonus, it will shrink your pores and keep away pimples and blackheads. There are affordable over-the-counter retinol products, Green Cream is a cult favorite, but if you have access to a dermatologist get a prescription for the good stuff.  This is the stuff that makes your face glow.

3. Vitamin C.  Vitamin C acsorbic acid is a powerful antioxidant that neutralize free radicals, increases collagen and reverses and protects against sun damage. It stays on your skin for 48 hours, so a little goes a long way to protect and brighten your complexion. There are a few great C serums on the market.  My personal favorite is Skinceuticals C E Freulic, but there are a ton of less expensive options. You can even make your own. Just make sure it has the acsorbic acid.

If you have any questions feel free to ask me anything.  I'll be doing a more in-depth post about my favorite sun protections in May for National Skin Cancer Month.

Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protection Lotion SPF 55 has a MUA rating of 76%
Green Cream has a MUA rating of 76%
Skinceuticals CE Freulic has a MUA rating of 71%

Say Cheese! How to look good in bar photos.

There are a lot of tips on the internet about how to look good in photos.  Most of them involve things that are out of our control like lighting, special clothes and makeup or red-carpet style poses. I'm not so interested in those tips. I want to know that when someone whips out a camera at 1am on Friday night I'm not going to look like an asshole in all the pictures that show up on Facebook on Saturday morning. Some people have it easy with a brilliant smile and a face that makes love to the camera.  I hate those kind of people.  (Try to avoid being in the same photo as them!)

For the rest of us, the stars need to be aligned in order to look good in a photograph.

Practice these tips in the mirror and you'll find the stars on your side.

When you first try them out, you'll feel and look like an idiot, but after some time it will come naturally and you'll look great in every photo.

1.) Turn your head slightly to the side and point your shoulder towards the camera.

2.) Extend your neck. (also very slightly)

3.) Point your nose down.

4.) And look up through your lashes. (if this feels too awkward try to keep your eyes closed until the last minute and then open and look up)

It's kind of a come-hither stare, but it works. Your face will look thinner and your nose will look smaller.

Smile your best smile and if you struggle with looking fake, put the tip of your tongue right where the back of your front teeth meet the roof of your mouth.