How and why (far more important) to make sweet potato chips.

PMS, which I like to refer to as Present Monster Syndrome, presents a set of challenges almost every month not the least of which are the cravings.  C.R.A.V.I.N.G.S.  Cravings, if not managed, will leave unwanted additions to my thighs every month and over time, left unchecked, I could be right back where I started.  No thanks.  So how do I manage to mostly maintain my weight when the monster comes a clawing?

Plan.

Plan. Plan.

Plan. Plan. Plan.

This weekend, I made a few batches of sweet potato chips in my dehydrator to get ready to fight beast.  Love these chips because they are easy, healthy, and satisfying when all I really want to do is eat my weight in Cheetos.  Just being honest.

It seems most people will tell you need a mandoline to slice the potatoes.  While I’m sure this results in lovely uniform slices that would feed my OCD, I’m trying to simplify my life which means the less stuff the better.  I also saw a video where someone suggested slicing the potatoes into nice little strips with a peeler after you peeled them.  I’d be able to to the grocery store and back 3 times with a party sized bag of Funyuns (Yeah I used to eat those back in the day, don’t judge.) before that got done.

1. I opted to forgo the peeling altogether and ran those puppies through the food processor.  (Hmmm…something about that sentence just sounds wrong.)  It took about 3 minutes to slice a few pounds of potatoes.  Being the rebel I am, I even used a 4mm instead (that’s the only kind I own) of a 1 or 2 mm blade and it worked fine.  Just don’t press too hard or at all on the potatoes to keep the slices on the thinner side.

2. Next, I laid the slices neatly for the picture, the rest I threw on the dehydrator tray, sprayed them with olive oil, sprinkled on sea salt, and turned the dehydrator to about 140º.  (While I’ve never done it, I’ve heard an oven can be used in place of a dehydrator if the temperature is able to be set low.) Despite the “do not to overlap pieces” directions on my dehydrator, I’ve found that since the potato slices shrink so quickly they can be overlapped (saving time) and they still dry out evenly.

3. On the second batch I added some cinnamon.  Cinnamon has been linked to lowering blood sugar thus reducing the glycemic index.

4.  A few minutes hours later.

Has anyone successfully made sweet potato chips in the oven?  Do you get cravings? What do you do about them?

Hugs and High Fives,
Jenn

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The post Simple Sweet Potato Chips Save the Day appeared first on Girl Heroes.

That pretty much sums up my feelings for today.  I don’t feel like eating clean.  I don’t feel like exercising.  I don’t feel like doing much except crawling up on the couch with a movie and washing a large pizza with extra cheese down with a pint of beer.  

Despite having the motivation of a larva and the attitude of Eeyore I’m still on my plan 100%.  I just walked to the fridge and I wanted a chewy white flour tortilla. Okay I wanted the entire package of tortillas.  I even picked up the package.  But this time I put it back and instead I ate eggs, a tomato, and a small banana.  Small victory.   Not because I felt like having the healthier choices  but because, whether I like it or not, the tortillas will take me away from my goals.  And honestly what is that refined flour  going to do FOR my body except supply some empty calories.  I should throw them out.  I’m learning to separate feelings from food.  Not easy.  Slowly but surely I’m making some progress.  I think of it this way.  I don’t usually feel like flossing my teeth.  In fact, I loathe flossing me teeth but I do it.  Why?  Because I don’t want gum disease.  Or bad breath.  I don’t always feel like eating nutritious whole foods but I can choose to do it anyway because I don’t want to deprive my body of what it needs.  Instead of feeling deprived of junk, I mentally try to turn it around to feeling deprived if I don’t eat  healthy. Easier said than done but today it worked.  Clean teeth. Fresh breath.  A happy body.

xoxo
j

The post PMS stinks but at least my breath doesn’t. appeared first on Girl Heroes.

I’m not sure who I am today.  Last week, I was motivated, strong, determined, and positive.  This week, I’m on edge, grumpy, and feel like I could toss a truck in the Baskin Robbins window with all this unexplained rage.  Garbage Girl wants to play and I’m trying to keep cool.  It’s hard when I feel like I’m a bottle of Coke whose been tossed in the dryer.  Not only that but I could drown myself (and anyone who crosses my path) in peanut butter.  I keep opening my pantry door and staring for MINUTES  at the jars of tomatoe sauce, artichokes, tuna, green chillies and hoping that a bag of Cheetos will magically appear.  I’ve never loved veggies but today I mock them.  Eat broccoli? (Cackles wildly).

Why?  Why?  Why?  (Hits desk.) Why does this need to be so hard?  People loooove to say “everything in moderation”.  If not you’ll go crazy and eat everything in sight they say.  Whatever.  I could eat everything in moderation (which is relative anyway) and never have lost a pound and then Present Monster Syndrome would hit and I’d still eat everything in sight on top of all the junk I ate the previous 3 weeks in moderation. Hooey.  That’s what I did for years.  This is hormones.  And I’m not sure what to do about them.  I asked my husband if he would just lock me up in a cage and slip me bowls of clean food for a week.  I think we’d both be better off.

Emotionally, some months are worse and this one falls into the “worse” category.

So what do I do?  I keep exercising even though I don’t want to because it does help.  I keep doing my best to eat clean because I feel better.  I eat a lot of pickles and soy sauce instead of Doritos.  Five pounds of water weight is easier to lose than five pounds of Dorito weight.  I try to remember that I’ll feel better in a week.  I readjust my goals.  My goal this week is not to lose a pound but to stay the same.  So what if I’m two pounds heavier come competition day as long as I’ve lost I’ve still won.  Lastly, I seek or give forgiveness and pray that this monster will go back into the closest soon. Someday I’m going to find the key and lock that damn closet door for good.

Hugs and High Fives,
jenn

The post Battling the Monster appeared first on Girl Heroes.

Speaking of PMS, this was my 9 year old son’s conversation with his (pregnant) teacher yesterday.

My son: (looking at teacher’s belly.)  I’m glad I’m not a girl so I don’t have to have a baby.

Teacher: (Not sure what to say.) Yeah. 

My son: Or have that red bleeding every month.  Yuck.

Teacher: (Less sure what to say.) Mmm…yeah.

My son: Or get mean and grumpy to everyone…ummm…what’s that called…oh yeah PS.

I’ve noticed the better I eat the less severe my PMS.  Hopefully this month I’ll be less “mean and grumpy”.

xoxo
j

The post Nourish not Diet appeared first on Girl Heroes.

I can hardly believe I’m less than two weeks out. Probably because I’m lower on carbs than I’m used to and part of my brain has shut down.

Now I know it’s been a rough few weeks and you can hardly sleep at night, not because of the elections but because I haven’t’ posted an October picture. Go ahead and take a deep breath because it is coming. Hubby puts them up for me and he has been really busy. I have to give a little warning (I’m really saying this to make myself feel better.) but there hasn’t been any big changes in appearance. The Abbey’s are still in gestation and are showing signs of their upcoming birth.  While in a jacuzzi the other day, my 5 year old started poking and counting them “1, 2, 3, 4″.  Don’t worry 5 and 6 mommy won’t let you down.

Weirdo.  (me, not my son)

Somethings I’m planning on posting in the next few weeks are: keeping up motivation even when you reach plateaus (as you’ll see w/ my October pic), the workouts I’ve been doing for the last few months, a guide to stoning your own suit, and some recipes. I made a terrific seared tuna salad tonight that I want to share with you all.

Alright friends. Thank you so much for reading. Your support and encouragement means SO MUCH to me!!!

xoxo
j

The post 12 days out from my competition appeared first on Girl Heroes.

The crazy train arrived Saturday night while I was teaching “Sunday” school during the nighttime service at church. I had been a little “crave-ish” but not too bad. It was going well until snack time. I passed out the graham crackers and Ritz to kids. Their smiling faces were totally unaware of the battle raging inside me where I was imagining myself with blowtorch setting their crackers ablaze as I cackled in a fit of hysteria.  I sat the crackers down when a little crumb tumbled innocently out onto the counter.  I stood there staring unable to toss it in the trash  for what seemed like 3 minutes.  One little taste won’t hurt. Blackout. I regain conscious and “realize” I’ve eaten over half a pack of Ritz and about 5 sheets of graham crackers. Uh-oh.

Sunday I’m doing pretty good until the evening when I decide to clean up the kitchen.  I spot the peanut butter sitting stoically on the shelf.  I need some “good fats” I tell myself.  A tablespoon won’t hurt my progress.  Uh-huh.  A tablespoon or two won’t but a bowl WILL.  Seriously A BOWL of peanut butter.  Okay it was a small bowl but still a bowl of peanut butter.  Geez.

So I slipped up.  My former self would mentally flog myself.  But instead I choose to forgive myself and do my best to hop back on the wagon.  I made it through yesterday without any slip ups.  I wasn’t happy about eating my tuna and salad but I no longer felt like a lunatic when I saw a bowl of chips.  We even went out to dinner last night and there where chips and salsa on the table, my favorite snack and I didn’t have one. Not one.  And today I woke up feeling like a totally different person.  I’m back in the groove, ready to lose!

The post Jumping Off the Crazy Train appeared first on Girl Heroes.

Evil Scale – “Hey whacha doing? Aren’t you going to weigh yourself?”

Me – “No I’m waiting until Sunday.”

Evil Scale – “You weighed yourself yesterday. I’m down today.”

Me – “No you’re not.  LIAR!”

Evil Scale – “Down. Look in the mirror.  I think I see some abs.”

Me – “Leave me alone. You just want to upset me.”

Evil Scale – “Awww come on. Just step on me and see. I might be down. Besides it’s only water weight.”

Me – “Well, maybe you’re right. Maybe you will be down.”

Evil Scale – “Come on. Besides, you know you need to know so you can eat accordingly.”

Me – “Oh yeah. You’re right. Well okay.”

I hopped onto Evil Scale and stared in horror at a number that I would have cheered at two months earlier.   Nooooooooo!!!!  I spent the next hour consoling myself and cursing Evil Scale.

xoxo
j

The post Evil Scale appeared first on Girl Heroes.