Blogs / From Erin

What’s in Erin’s Pantry?

Jenn made the joke that baring our pantries could read totally differently with the omission of one letter. I’ll admit that sending photos of my pantry to a nutritionist did feel slightly like I was going pantless and showing off my under-britches to the world. But we’re nothing if not honest around here, whether we’re talking about our healthiest habits or the ones we need to tweak, like my sugar habit. Plus, I was all for seeing how I could tweak my dry goods stash to make it a bit healthier.

First, a tour of my Lazy Susan. I have additional cupboard space for baking necessities and spices and counter space for bread, but this is the meat of it. It took four turns of old Susan to get it all pictured. At the top of this turn: Canned soups, bread crumbs and two honey bears. I went through a lot of honey and Greek yogurt at the beginning of my pregnancy. Bottom row: Some No Yolks egg noodles, lasagna noodles and evaporated milk that I bought in a six-pack and only used two of for pumpkin pies at Thanksgiving.

Turn two. At the top of this turn, we’ve got sauerkraut and canned fruits. At bottom: Rice wine vinegar, fish oil, cooking wine, sesame and safflower oils (safflower left over from my hubby’s b-day cake. Remember this one?), and mandarin oranges. I also see hot chocolate hiding in there.

Now coming into turn three, we’ve got peanut butter, lite coconut milk, canned tuna and chicken broth. Down below, granola, bouillon granules and cherry Jell-O.

Rounding the corner into the home stretch, we’ve got a lot going on. Up top: Just about every variety of tomato imaginable, fat-free refried beans, green chilies, corn, black beans, garbanzo beans, baked beans. I also spy applesauce. Down below: More egg noodles (there must have been a sale!), whole-grain pasta, orzo and a massive bag of powdered sugar.

So we sent these pictures to nutritionist Keri Glassman, who is working with Arnold/Orowheat Sandwich Thins for its Smart Eating campaign, to get her opinion on what could be tweaked. Here are her suggestions for me!

• Go for natural peanut butter where the only ingredient is peanuts and there is no added sodium or sugar or trans fats.
• I see you have canned tuna. I recommend chunk light tuna and canned salmon.
• Avoid the Jell-O and packaged fruit, instead try frozen berries or just fresh produce.
• Most granolas are still loaded with calories and sugar, you can make your own healthy topping or snack with nuts, dried fruit (in portion control and with no added sugar or sulfur) seeds like sunflower, pumpkin and flax.
• It’s good you have whole-wheat pasta, make sure all your pasta is whole wheat. You can also add in whole grains like quinoa, amaranth and millet. And of course, Arnold/Oroweat 100% Whole Wheat Sandwich Thins rolls are great to have on hand for a quick sandwich.

So really, that wasn’t as painful as I thought it’d be. It’s funny because these suggestions are things I know I should do more of—whole-wheat pasta and other whole grains. Granola? Well, I can guarantee I won’t be making my own any time soon, so I mostly just try to watch portions there. And the Jell-O cracks me up. I think I picked it up one day on a craving-led whim, and I never think ahead far enough to make it because it takes so long to set up. So there it sits, along with two cans of fruit that have been in there since…forever. You can even see the dust on those peaches. The packaged mandarin oranges (sugar-free, in water!) are mostly for the little one in a pinch if I’m running low on other fruits or she needs a super-quick snack.

What items are in your pantry that you know should be swapped out? Anything collecting dust? —Erin

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Can We Stop Talking Clothing Size Already?

We’ve long preached that health, fitness and happiness shouldn’t be determined by the number on the scale. In fact, it’s kind of the FBG philosophy to step on that scale no more than once a week, using it as a gauge for where you are but not enough for fluctuations to ruin your day. My weight can easily fluctuate 5 pounds from one day to the next anyway, so I always pay more attention to if my pants are feeling tight and how I feel in general before I get concerned about the number. I’ve found that my body likes to be around a certain weight (plus or minus that five!), and I just start to feel it when I need to start cutting back on sugar and upping the veggie intake.

Because it’s so ingrained in me to go by how I feel rather than the number on the scale or my pant size, it drives me absolutely bonkers when people talk about their exact numbers—weight, size, waist measurement, etc. It bothered me back when Jennifer Love Hewitt insisted she was a size 2. It bothered me when Kim Kardashian felt the need to prove her jean size. And it bothered me when I came across an article recently about Mindy Kaling’s new book. I haven’t read it, but she apparently embraces the fact that she’s not the stick-skinny Hollywood type. Which is great! But then she confides that she’s a “chubby” size 8, which might make others, like this writer, feel chubby, too, as that’s their size. As I said, I haven’t read the book. Maybe her goal was to make average size women feel more confident. But I wonder if it was truly necessary to get into size specifics at all?

Why should clothing size mean anything anyway? Would you compare your hat size to your friends’? Would you brag about a smaller shoe size? It’s really no different! Depending on the brand and the store, most people can fit a range of sizes anyway—I know I do. People carry weight so differently. Some people have bigger boobs, others carry more in their butts, still others are just bigger boned. So much of a “dress size” depends on height, bone structure and proportion that we shouldn’t even be comparing ourselves. Along the same lines, one person’s happy weight or happy size could be where someone else draws the line. And that’s because every body is different. And that’s okay. Fabulous even!

Comparing humans is like comparing apples and oranges. Or apples and bananas. Or watermelons and pineapples. We’re all wonderful and delicious and come in all shapes and sizes! Does talk of clothing size drive you crazy, too? —Erin 

 

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Being in Pain Sucks. The End.

I’ve been lucky so far to have never really had an injury, workout-induced or otherwise. Sure, I’ve had the occasional shin splint that went away with rest. And I fell and hurt my wrist while cheerleading in high school. And I’ve done all sorts of clumsy things and taken falls and such, but I’ve never been sidelined. I felt the utmost sympathy when Jenn broke her butt. And when a tree got all stabby with her foot. And when Tish had surgery on her foot and had to take a break. And when poor Kristen had chafing in a particular area. Now I feel the utmost sympathy for myself. A boo-hoo-for-me pity party for one, coming right up!

I detailed the fun pregnancy-induced pelvic pain I was having over on Fit Bottomed Mamas. Don’t worry, it’s nothing that’ll make you squirmy; it’s just that the bones and ligaments in my hips and pelvis are freaking out because of hormones and act like they have no idea how to function pain-free even though they’ve had decades of experience. And then I discussed my subsequent recovery, which unfortunately turned out to be temporary. So it hurts to walk. Move. Carry my daughter around. Roll over in bed. You know, things that you must do to function daily. Never mind work out.

The solution? I’m looking into more options as I still have an entire trimester of pregnancy to survive, but right now they’re the high-tech and doctor-recommended a) sleep with a body pillow, b) Tylenol (rarely) and c) taking it easy (so easy to do when chasing a toddler around).

Hopefully, my lower body will go back to normal when I d) have the baby, but for now I’m enjoying my good days, when I don’t walk around like I’m a creaky old lady twice, nay, three times my age. I’ve been taking it easier, too, which is hard for someone used to being active and not feeling like a 90-year-old arthritic woman. I’ve been an admittedly lazy parent, trying to kick my feet up on the couch and only chase my daughter with speed when danger is immediately involved— she’s after the dog dish (again) or is chasing the dog with a kitchen utensil. Definitely more book reading and tea parties than running around these days.

I feel like a couch potato, and while I definitely feel better when I take it easy, I hate it. I want to be able to go to the grocery store without dreading the pain of loading my daughter up and hauling groceries into the house. I want to be able to get out of bed without flinching. And I want to be able to go for a walk without considering the level of pain I’m in that day and if it’ll just make it worse.

It’s not the end of the world. Definitely not. I know there are people who suffer from worse pain than I do—and who don’t have an end in sight, like the end of a pregnancy. But I seriously have the utmost sympathy for those in chronic pain. Because, as I said, being in pain sucks. The end.

Have you ever dealt with a lasting pain that had you sidelined? How thrilled were you when you could jump back on the workout wagon again? —Erin

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A Week Without (Much) Sugar: What I Learned From My Sugar Detox

I’ve always had a pretty solid grip on my sweet tooth. After all, when you don’t deprive yourself of foods you like, it’s easier to splurge here and there and resist overindulging. So I don’t know if it’s the pregnancy hormones that have had me under their power for the last couple of months or the holidays and all of their temptations, but I was becoming so sweet-crazed that I knew I had to do a sugar detox, lest I go on a sugar cookie binge again. (And I just realized with that last link that this isn’t my first time to get hooked on the sug. Oops.)

So when it came to my New Year’s resolutions this year, I vowed to go a week without sugar. I’ve been wanting to do this for awhile, but I’d been putting it off, afraid of what would happen. I guess I thought I’d go totally bonkers? Well, I survived my week. And I’ll be honest: I did go a little bonkers, but only that first day.

Granted, I didn’t go totally sugar-free crazy. Like I didn’t give up the sweetened creamer in my coffee. But I didn’t add sugar to anything else all week. I opted for protein-packed snacks (a scoop of peanut butter? I blame pregnancy.) in place of my sweet Frosted Mini Wheats afternoon fix. And I didn’t have a single dessert all week—no cookie at night, no chocolate, not even an animal cracker. My sweet fixes were the natural kind—real fruit.

So how did I fare? The first day was a detox like no other. I couldn’t stop thinking about sugar, which was a big clue as to how far gone I was, a bona fide sugar addiction. I caught myself regretfully retracting my hand as I reached for candy that we’d received over the holidays. I came across a mom dog and a puppy dog making a cake in a kids book and had to stop myself from turning into Betty Crocker. I knew it was bad when I heard someone on TV say “pie hole,” and it made me want apple pie.

But after that obsessive first day, the experiment got substantially easier. I stopped thinking about it, really. I felt better. I drank more water instead of reaching for sweets. Fruit tasted sweeter, better. I snacked less, feeling more satisfied by my regular meals. And the biggest lesson? I learned that I was the one in control, and that I could survive without a daily sweet treat. That treats really are better in moderation.

Have you ever had to show yourself some tough love? Been hooked on the sug like me? How did you do your sugar detox? —Erin 

 

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Chipotle, Now With Brown Rice!

A few things fuel my obsession with Chipotle. 1) It tastes delicious. 2) It’s quick, cheap, and you get real meat and vegetables. 3) The company actually cares about where its food comes from. And 4) It tastes freaking delicious.

We’ve discussed how to make your Chipotle experience as healthy as possible, and now the company has given me another reason to swoon: brown rice. The company so rarely changes up its menu that the first time I saw the brown rice option, I honestly thought black beans had gotten spilled into the regular rice. It wasn’t until a return trip that I did a double take and realized it was actually brown rice.

We all know that brown rice is packed with more nutrients and fiber than its white rice counterpart, making it the more filling and healthier option. But the good news is that it really tastes great in your Chipotle meal. While the white rice is pretty much impossible to beat, the brown rice has more of a bite to it and a slightly nuttier flavor. It seriously won’t disappoint. If you’re opposed to switching up your tried-and-true Chipotle formula, the brown rice is a simple switch that you probably won’t even notice.

Are you Chipotle-obsessed too? Have you tried the new Chipotle brown-rice option? —Erin

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Erin’s Goals for 2012: A Fitness Revamp and (Small) Sugar Strike for 2012

I shared my goals for 2012 over at Fit Bottomed Mamas earlier this week, but tweaked them over here to share with you guys as well. (I assumed you guys don’t care as much about plans for childbirth as other moms and moms-to-be might…and if you do, well, go read my original post!) So here is my FBG version of my goals for 2012. Don’t be afraid to share yours!

Erin’s Goals for 2012

1. Make time for three workouts each week. It’s going to get busy around here with two little ones in the house, but once baby No. 2 arrives (and I’m no longer in pain), I plan to make time for myself and get my sweat on. I’ve missed my regular workouts and admit that I’ve slacked this pregnancy workout-wise compared to last, so I’ll be ready to get my rear in gear come spring. I also attended a Zumba class recently, so I’m planning to gyrate my hips in the New Year. Apologies to those who have to see that.

2. Nix the sugar for a week. I’m known, at least to myself, as needing a sugary treat each day. Which is fine. But I’m kind of sick of it. As shudder-inducing as it is for me, I want to try to go a week without those treats or added sugar. You can expect a full report on my findings when I do the sugar-banishing experiment.

3. Cut down on technology. I try not to be one of those people who ignores people in real life to check my messages or Facebook obsessively, but I do get on my own nerves with the checking of the BlackBerry nonstop. In the New Year I’m going to cut down on all technology, check my phone less during the day to focus on my daughter and turn off the computer at least an hour before bed to wind down.

4. Spread the Fit Bottomed Mamas love. Fit Bottomed Girls, The Blog started from a little idea in Jenn’s brain that grew into the site you see today. We’re humbled by the love we get from our readers and by the fact that we get to do what we love. We started Fit Bottomed Mamas to share the same FBG spirit with moms everywhere, and we’d love to grow the site and spread the message to more moms. We have so much kick-ass content over there that we’re proud of, so if you know a mom who could benefit from a little FBG attitude, send her on over!

What are your goals for 2012? Put them out into the universe below! —Erin

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Zumba Toning: A Latin-Infused Strength and Sweat Session

Jenn and I have long been fans of Zumba, even if our hips refuse to cooperate with the beats. But I recently checked out a Zumba class that didn’t make me feel completely dance illiterate: Zumba Toning!

My sister-in-law, who should really send in her own FBG success story (hint, cough), has been hooked on Zumba for about 6 months. She invited me to check out her Zumba Toning class while I was home for the holidays, and I gladly joined in, pregnant belly and all. Jenn’s tried the at-home version, but I was excited to join a live class to get the full experience. The instructor Dawn (and the entire class, actually) was super friendly and welcoming. Her enthusiasm and energy were contagious, and she made sure to go over modifications I might need during the workout, checking in with me often to ensure I wasn’t working too hard. I did take it a bit easy because of some pain I’ve been dealing with, but it was super easy to use her suggestions and work at my level.

While the regular Zumba classes I’ve taken have been heavily cardio and dance focused, Zumba Toning adds in the element of strength, while also increasing the heart rate. You incorporate 1- or 2.5-pound Zumba toning sticks into the workout, so you get both added resistance and a fun maraca-like shaker sound to accompany the sweat. Being a first-timer, and a pregnant one at that, I decided to take it easy and use the 1-pound sticks. I felt the burn, but I’m sure after getting some classes under my belt, I’d be upping the resistance for an added challenge. As always, the exercises and dance moves are choreographed to go along with the upbeat music, which always keeps you going in these classes.

The class fuses the hip- and booty-shaking that you love in Zumba with toning staples like leg lifts, lunges, squats, bicep curls, and shoulder and tricep work. Your heart rate stays up because of the intermingling of the toning and dance cardio, but because it’s less “dance” than other Zumba classes, I found it easier to catch on to. But to stay true to myself, I did manage to goof up several parts when the arms and the legs get going at once. If you’ve been intimidated by Zumba but are dying to try it, this particular class would be the perfect way to enter the Zumba world sans intimidation and major gyration!

Have you tried Zumba Toning? Do you love those shakers as much as I did? —Erin

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The Under-Cheesing of America?

First, let me acknowledge that I’m still in the Stone Age when it comes to commercials—I still watch them. But some commercials are darn funny and therefore worth checking out, whether they’re intended to be humorous like the Tide commercials I love or just happen to come out that way.

One that falls into the latter category is the recent Domino’s pizza commercial that introduces the company’s newest cheesy bread. The commercial starts out with a Domino’s food guy saying that “under-cheesing” is rampant. I’d seen the commercial before, but the other day was the first time it really hit me. I told my husband that I didn’t think “under-cheesing” was a problem in America. We had a really good laugh over it, and then he tried to take credit for my joke.

Can’t see the video? Click here to see the Domino’s cheesy bread commercial.

I totally understand that it’s the job of the commercial to sell a product (and I do love the way he says “Stuff it with cheese.”). And Domino’s ad campaigns of late have been centered around the fact that the company is doing some much-needed product improvement. And the company is making cheesy bread, so you would expect that there would be cheese on it. (Although maybe not stuffed with bacon and jalapenos. I guess spinach and feta is the “healthy” version?) But to say that America is under-cheesed…well, I think there are a lot of people who would disagree. Under-fruited and vegetabled? Yes. Under-cheesed? Probably not.

Anyone else still watching commercials? Seen any that strike you as fitness or food funny? —Erin

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Holiday Splurges That Are So Worth It

Cue music: It’s the moooost wonderful time of the year…

There are twinkling lights, roaring fires, wrapped presents, hanging mistletoe and of course, those once-a-year treats that tempt even the healthiest peeps on the planet. But because we abide by the “everything in moderation” philosophy, we see no need to completely shun the sugar or send the punch packing. In fact, I’ll share the few items that I enjoy with no regrets each and every year.

Archway Cashew Nougat Cookies. These cookies start showing up in the grocery store every year in the weeks following Thanksgiving, and I always buy a pack or two during December. I’m a sucker for the sweet-and-salty combination of the sweet shortbread cookie and the salty cashews. Three little cookies clock in at 160 calories, a perfect nightly treat until the packs are gone.

 

A beverage or two. I typically don’t drink too many of my calories, but during the holidays I’m a little more liberal with this policy. Whether it’s a little egg nog, beer I can only get in the Midwest, a seasonal coffee on a cold day, or a glass or two of wine, I definitely allow myself a drink splurge here and there. This year I’ll have to bypass the alcohol, but I’ll still enjoy my drink treats. If you like seasonal beverages too, you’ve got options at Starbucks that won’t set you back too far. The 12-ounce Skinny Peppermint Mocha is made with espresso, nonfat milk, sugar-free bittersweet mocha sauce and peppermint syrup, and clocks in at just 100 calories. Totally doable!

Punchbowl cake. My aunt makes a cake each year at Christmas, and I always eat way too much of it—guilt-free. It’s made in a punchbowl (hence the name) and consists of layers of yellow cake, whipped cream, cherry-pie filling, vanilla pudding and nuts. It gets even better after a day or two as the cake softens and flavors blend. So good that calories simply don’t matter.

Mexican food. Mexican food seems like a weird holiday splurge, but for some reason, there is almost no delicious Mexican food near us in New Jersey. And many restaurants are bring-your-own-alcoholic-beverage (really). My hubby and I make sure to always hit up a yummy Mexican restaurant for at least one meal when we’re home for the holidays, and when I’m not pregnant, I get a jumbo super-tasty margarita. Margaritas are a big caloric splurge, but sometimes you just need the real thing (although low-cal margarita substitutes can get you a fix if you drink them often!)

There you have it! Just a few of the items I’m currently enjoying this week. What foods and beverages are your holiday musts, no matter the calorie count? —Erin

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Purse Promises to Slim. And Might Make You Look a Little Crazy.

We’ve seen a lot of fitness and weight-loss gimmicks as we’ve written about health and fitness over the years. Supplements that make big promises (don’t they all?). As Seen On TV products that promise to shape and firm. Even clothes that claim to burn extra calories. But as I was listening to the radio the other day, I heard a new one: A purse that makes you look slimmer.

I had a hard time picturing this “contour purse” in my head. In the radio discussion, the DJs mentioned the bikini T-shirts that make women look like they’re wearing bikinis. Still, I couldn’t exactly conjure up an image of this purse. It took finding this MollaSpace silhouette purse online to finally understand how it works. (A picture really is worth a thousand words!)

First of all, this is kind of funny while being totally ridiculous. Notice how the contours of the purse line up EXACTLY with the model on their website? I think she’s afraid to move lest her contours get misaligned. How silly would it look for the average mobile person to carry this? Also, what happens when someone gets faked out with your side view and then sees you full frontal? The  pros of the purse? It comes in lots of colors so you can fake people out no matter the color of your outfit. And it’s huge, so I’m sure it’s super roomy. Which makes me wonder how the bag morphs when it’s actually filled with keys, cell phone, wallet and other paraphernalia. Are your curves then misshapen?

What do you think of this contour purse? A fun joke gift? A great substitute for the gym? Sound off below! —Erin

 

 

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