Getting Some Outside Help

Being a stay-at-home mom has been amazing but also a rude awakening. In my imagination, before I left my job, I thought I would have plenty of time to workout AND my house would look like Martha Stewart's AND I would be raising a thoughtful and talented child.

All my time has really been on the latter.

I love this child with every fiber of my being, but lately I've become frustrated because I haven't been able to get the traction I desire losing weight. It's not Gemma's fault. Clearly, I needed a mind shift.

I thought back to how I lost my 60 pounds 13 years ago. What was different?

I was 26. I was single. I only had myself to worry about.

Fast forward to now and I am married and I have a baby. I've lost 7 pounds in 3 months but I had to fight way too hard. My priorities are different but I still need to find time to take care of myself. Plus, if I ever want to train clients I need to look like I train myself. Books get judged by their covers all the time.

So, I made a big decision yesterday. I joined Weight Watchers!

I lost my weight by counting calories and exercising. I've been trying to count calories since I've had Gemma and it is so time consuming I just stop because I don't have the energy.

Weight Watchers uses points instead of calories. Each food has a point value and you are allowed a certain amount of points a day. No guessing. No counting. No research.

I'm anxious to see how my experience will be on this program!!!

If you are going through your own struggles, it's okay to ask for help. Support is how we get through this life journey. I'll share my progress with you, and if you've been on the program before I would love to hear about it!

LA County Fair Food!

We went to the LA County Fair this weekend and I just had to share some of the culinary delights you can digest.

We tried the deep fried peanut butter pickles:

It's just as you would imagine. It sounded tasty- I like sweet and savory. It was a crispy pickle slathered in peanut butter and deep fried. It wasn't nearly as good as I wanted it to be! But worth the culinary adventure.

Check out these other offerings!

If anyone tried something exceptional, please share!!!

What would Beyoncé do?

https://www.livenation.com.au/artists/luisa-omielan

Today's funny!!!!

What I'm F'd Up About: FitVine Wines

I LIKE WINE.

I don't like wine, that's a lie.

I LOVE WINE.

It's delicious, it makes me look like a grownup, and it's healthy.

Right?

We've all heard the benefits of a glass of vino, and I'm happy to report a new wine company that has harnessed the goodness of the grape one step further: FitVine Wines.

I asked (begged) FitVine for a sample of their health wine so I could report on it for you, my loyal readers who I know enjoy a tasty glass (bottle) of wine on a regular basis.

According to co-founder of FitVine Wines Mark R. Warren, "We biohacked our wine to have higher antioxidants, no residual sugar yielding less carbohydrates and calories, and about half the sulfites. We've accomplished these things a few ways, sourcing grapes from higher elevations, taking our time in our extended fermentation process and being sure to balance out the pH levels of the wine to present a high quality, clean tasting wine for athletes and the health conscious. We did it without lowering the alcohol content as well."

It's true, the wine I sampled was at 13.5% alcohol content. This isn't  a Skinny Girl wine, people. It's real!!!

But how does it taste, Alison?

FitVine Wine sent me a bottle of red and a bottle of white, as if I was Billy Joel. The two varietals they currently offer are Cabernet and Chardonnay. 

Since I was a waitress for 13 years, I will use my wine adjectives here.  The Cabernet is warm and fruit forward, jammy, and smooth. There was a slightly bitter aftertaste, but nothing too lingering. I feel it would pair well with foods that aren't too strongly spiced. Or alone in a glass in front of the TV.  The Chardonnay was clean and fresh, no oakiness (maybe aged in steel instead of wood?) with a slight sweet note. It had some notes of tropical fruits and no lingering finish.  It could be an appertif or after dinner wine as well.

Bottom line, I would totally buy and drink this.

The label didn't list the calorie content, but a typical glass of red is 100 calories for a 4 oz pour and a typical glass of white is 120 calories for a 4 oz pour. Or, to think in more realistic terms, a typical bottle is 780 calories. So if FitVine Wine is less than that, that would be awesomesauce.

Alison, how can we start drinking like Iron Man athletes and Cross Fit Champions?

Per Mark, "Currently we are selling direct to consumer via our website offering free shipping on all case orders, 12 bottles. We will begin entering stores later this year in certain regions and expanding on that throughout 2016."

To enjoy and learn more about this fit vino, please check out www.fitvinewines.com. And save me a glass!!!