The Amazing Adventures of Dietgirl

Two Fit Chicks Episode 27 - Kettlebells and Kindness

After an unintentional 2.5 month absence there's finally a new peisode of Two Fit Chicks And A Microphone for you - Episode 27 - Kettlebells and Kindness.

We spoke to the lovely Karen Anderson of Before & After: A Real Life Story about her path to self-acceptance and also her love for kettlebells. Karen is such a smart and thoughtful woman so the conversation flowed like BUTTER, baby!

Carla and I also talk about the Fitbloggin conference and finally meeting each other in person. Consider this a verbal recap as six weeks on I've still not managed to write about its goodness. Oh dear. As The Mothership used to say in flustered fashion, "I just haven't had time to bless myself!". I bet she doesn't say that now she is retired ;)

Monthly review post coming soon! Hope you are doing well, groovers. How's life?

Check out the podcast... if you dare :D »

Headaches and Weight Maintenance

I've got a brand spankin' new episode of Two Fit Chicks And A Microphone for you - Episode 26 - Lynn & The Art of Weight Maintainence. Yep we've finally tackled the oft-requested topic of maintaining.

We spoke to the wonderful Lynn Haraldson of Lynn's Weigh who has maintained a 175lb weight loss for over five years. And she's been on Oprah, so needless to say we had oodles to chat about! It was quite an emotional interview in many ways. Lynn is very open and honest, so we really got down to the guts of the ups and downs of maintenance, what mindshifts are required to be successful, and what it's like to write publically about your weight. As someone who seriously flunked out in the maintenance department these past couple of years, it was great to ask her some how the hell do you do it kind of questions.

I've also just realised that I negelcted to link to Episode 25 - When Staying Healthy Is A Pain, in which we spoke to Jennette Fulda about her new book Chocolate & Vicodin and her never-ending horrible headache. Jennette is another very open and articulate woman, and in this interview she is so philosophical and brave about living with chronic pain. She is a legend.

So two new episodes that I'm really bloody excited about. If you fancy something new to listen to while you're slaving away at the gym or bored to tears on a long commute, why not give us a go?

Tomato soup, unitards and weight loss surgery

• Good morning! Do you like Heinz Tomato Soup?
  It's so comforting, like slippers in a tin! Lately I've been guzzling a tasty homemade version: Tomato, Chili and Basil soup from the Cook Yourself Thin cookbook (spawned from a Channel Four series a few years back - I didn't catch the show but the recipes are ace).
  
  The soup is easy and zippy to make - sautee some onion and garlic, dump in a tin of tomatoes and some water, simmer, then blitz with a blob of creme fraiche to make it Heinz-like. Even better than the real thing, as Mr Bono might say. I added a tablespoon of vegetable stock powder, used less water to make it more tomato-ey and only had dried Italian herbs instead of fresh basil but it was tasty as heck. Check out the lovely Alyssa's video tutorial!
• I woke up laughing today after dreaming I was in an undercover car park filming my very first workout DVD. It was imaginatively entitled Shauna: Workout DVD. I was suddenly six feet tall with a bouncy ponytail and a lurid green unitard. The car park was carpeted in electric blue shag pile. There were a dozen barbells dotted around the place. I started in the back corner and the camera followed me as I skipped over to the first barbell. Skipped, like one would do across a sunny meadow. Then I hoisted the barbell above my head, placed it back down and pranced along to the next one. Repeat. Yeah, righto. Don't think I'd have knocked 30 Day Shred off the bestseller lists with that one.
• Yours Questions Answered is the theme of today's new Two Fit Chicks and a Microphone episode, including one from a listener considering weight loss surgery. I'm often asked what I think about weight loss surgery, usually framed in a "do you think it's the easy way out" way. In my opinion this is not a bloody competition. We're all human beings just trying to find a way forward and I don't believe one M.O. is more worthy than another. We chatted to Jennifer Joyner, author of Designated Fat Girl, about her own gastric bypass experience. She was amazingly candid and it sounded anything but easy. Check it out if you fancy »
• Here's to a good week, comrades!

New podcast and prize recap

How was your weekend? Still coming down from a post-wedding high here after seeing a very dear friend marry the love of his life. Oh, it was swoonworthy stuff.

After a festive season sabbatical, Carla and I have a new Two Fit Chicks episode today, in which Carla has a N.E.W. acronym to help jazz up your exercise routine in 2011, I consider renouncing my Fit Chick title, and we chat to Charlotte of The Great Fitness Experiment. So if you're in the running to win her book, why not check it out and make sure she is a real person! ;)

Speaking of the 10th Birthday Sell Out, thank you everyone for all your entries so far! Entries close next Monday 31 January at 12PM GMT, so if you've not checked out the prizes there's still plenty of time to do so. Here's a handy list so you don't have to scroll down forever:

1. "Chocolate & Vicodin" memoir by Jennette Fulda
2. "The Beauty of Different" book by Karen Walrond
3. Cardio Coach audio workouts
4. "Get Lucky" novel by Katherine Center
5. Beyond Chocolate e-course and books
6. "The Great Fitness Experiment" book by Charlotte Hilton Anderson
7. Soul Vision three-month life coaching package
8. Weight Loss Resources three-month membership (UK only)
9. Less Bounce £45 gift voucher

Update: A bunch of your comments were caught in the Typepad Spam filter, but I've published them now! I will continue to check this daily.

Update 2: The contest is now closed. Thank you for your entries! Winners will be announced on 1 February. All comments have been checked - none are in the Spam filter and duplicate entries have been removed.

Please note: Comment moderation is now back on. If you comment it won't show up until I approve them. This is due to the high volume of spam comments.

Happy Festivus 2010

Happy holidays everyone. If and/or however you're celebrating I hope you have a goodun!

Here at Crooked House, Phase One of the 2010 Christmas Dinner Google Spreadsheet Super Plan has been executed and we are on target to have a tasty meal on the table at 1400 tomorrow. Other aspects of my life are an unorganised shambles but this operation is a delight I tells ya :)

I forgot to pimp the new Holiday Food episode of the podcast - why not check that out if your ears are hankering for a festive treat! Humble apologies if you've already caught me pimping it on Twitter or Facebook, but you gotta try to cover all bases.

Thank you very much for reading this year and for all your lovely comments and messages. Here's wishing you all a cracking rest-of-2010!

Oat O'clock

I've been on a mad quest to make a decent "instant" porridge/oatmeal. I eat my breakfast at work and since the weather turned gloomy, my taste buds have rejected the portable summer combo of yogurt/raw oats/fruit.

I wanted the cosy reassurance of a bowl of porridge - but I don't have the option of slinking away on company time to make it in the office microwave.

Recently I tried a pot of "Instant Golden Syrup Flavour Porridge" from Marks & Spencer. You just add boiling water, stir, leave for a minute, stir again and eat.

Pros: Very handy because there's a boiling water tap thingy close to my desk. Unlike the microwave, I didn't have to disappear for ages to make it.

Cons: Alas, not that tasty. And there was a rather ropey ingredients list:

Oat Flakes (57%), Sugar, Dried Skimmed Milk, Dried Whey, Dried Glucose Syrup. Natural Flavouring: Golden Syrup.

I don't mind a dod of sugar in my porridge but three different kinds was too much. Plus there's the packaging waste and crazy cost - 99p per serve!

But I did like the "instant" boiling water method, so I've been attempting to rip it off. I usually eat jumbo old-fashioned oats, the kind that you lovingly stir on the stove, but they alone didn't work well for the "instant" boiling water method. So I chucked in some quick cooking oats - not as refined as instant oats (see below) but they're cut more finely so they kind of melt away into the hot water then thicken up.

For one hearty serve I've been using:

• 30 grams "quick" oats
• 10 or 20 grams old-fashioned oats
• 10 grams skimmed milk powder

(The ingredients label just says "dried skimmed milk". I'm not one of those people who can eat porridge made with just water.)

I pack the above in a little bowl with a lid and take to work. When ready to eat, you just:

• Add some boiling water - I've not measured exactly, but basically enough water to cover the ingredients and it looks quite runny with the oats kind of floating about.
• Stir and put the lid on right away
• Leave for a minute to thicken up.
• Stir it again (it's nice and creamy now) and chuck on any toppings (I like fruit and/or blob of nut butter).
• Eat quietly and discreetly in your vast open plan office.

I do realise that quick oats aren't as nutritious as the old-fashioned kind (UPDATE: not necessarily so!), and skimmed milk powder sounds so daggy and 1970s but it's the best way I've found to get a hot, filling breakfast at work without making a big deal out of eating breakfast at work.

UPDATE 2: Just realised I hadn't really mentioned the taste! It wasn't quite as good as porridge made on the stove, but was nice and creamy, not watery and gruelly like the instant packet I'd tried. I think it's coz, as WHF says below, the oats dubbed "quick" are cut bigger than ones called "instant".

UPDATE 3: Some people have asked why I don't just make normal porridge at home instead of all this faffing around at work. Answer: I'm out of the house by 8AM and not hungry for breakfast until 9.30-10AM, so need a workplace solution.

By the way, if you're confused as I am by all the kinds of oats, here's a handy guide from World's Healthiest Foods:

• Oat groats – unflattened kernels that are good for using as a breakfast cereal or for stuffing
• Steel-cut oats – featuring a dense and chewy texture, they are produced by running the grain through steel blades that thinly slices them.
• Old-fashioned oats (a.k.a. rolled oats) – have a flatter shape that is the result of their being steamed and then rolled.
• Quick-cooking oats – processed like old-fashioned oats, except they are cut finely before rolling
• Instant oatmeal – produced by partially cooking the grains and then rolling them very thin. Oftentimes, sugar, salt and other ingredients are added to make the finished product. (a la your Quaker packets)
• Oat bran – the outer layer of the grain that resides under the hull. While oat bran is found in rolled oats and steel-cut oats, it may also be purchased as a separate product that can be added to recipes or cooked to make a hot cereal.
• Oat flour – used in baking, it is oftentimes combined with wheat or other gluten-containing flours when making leavened bread.

So what's your favourite winter breakfast? All this oat talk makes me fancy porridge for dinner tonight.

P.S. If your ears get bored this weekend, there's a brand new Two Fit Chicks podcast episode:  #20 - What's Self Love Got To Do With It?

Baltimore Bound in 2011

I'll be getting drunk with blogging pals and/or speaking at the second annual Fitbloggin' conference in Baltimore in May 2011. Fitbloggin' is a conference "for bloggers interested in fitness, wellness, good food and a healthy lifestyle", organised by Roni Noone, fitblogger extraordinaire.

I was all set to go this year - I even bought a Boston guidebook! This is why you should read websites and not just idly scan them. Yeah I recall seeing a capital B on the Fitbloggin site. Must have been Boston. Clicky click, add Rough Guide To Boston to shopping cart.

I seem to have some kind of mental block with East Coast USA - I mixed up the White House and the Capitol the other day. But this year I've read the information properly and I'm confident that the conference takes place in BALTIMORE.

The schedule is still being finalised but the tentative title of the panel I'm on is Ditch the Diet - Eat Mindfully!

Despite the panel subject, I must confess when Roni gave me the green light to be a speaker the ye olde inner dieter was whispering urgently in my ear, "Hey lardy! 204 days til Fitbloggin! You could drop a good 30 pounds by then. Shall we cancel all birthday cakes and Christmas dinner with the in-laws?"

But I am just too old and grumpy for that crap now. The mindful eating is going so well and I don't want to screw that up. I'll be at the conference in whatever state I'm in, all fired up to see old and new friends. And to finally meet my podcast comrade Mizfit in person. Wonder if we could figure out how to record live? Rock and roll.

Say it loud, say it clear

For the past two nights I've woken up at 2AM with The Living Years playing in my head, that cheesy Mike and the Mechanics tune that was #1 for about 79 weeks in Australia. Specifically the bit where the choir swoops in. There are few things that give me the heebie jeebies than a choir in a pop song... especially if it's little kiddies singing. Whenever I hear Another Brick In The Wall I long to push the children off said wall...

(Actually I make an exception for the choir in Madonna's Like A Prayer, that is a killer song!)

Anyway. I neglected to post about last week's new Two Fit Chicks episode - Intuitive Eating II starring Christie of Honoring Health. She is extremely articulate and thoughtful on the topic and has had great success with changing her relationship with food. You can check it out over at the Two Fit Chicks website!

I was also a guest on The Because Show, an addictive podcast from L.A. where three friends meet weekly to chat about books and food and telly and life. I talked to the producer Jerilyn about book writing and life in Scotland. I also say "um" and "like" far too much and fail to disguise my ignorance re Scottish cashmere. You can check out The Because Show here.

So what's your stance on choirs in pop songs? Do you have any irrational, petty hates you'd like to share? I also hate when people take something out of a microwave before the time is up then don't reset it and/or leave the door open. BOO.

Two Fit Chicks Episode 17 - Behind The Bloggers

There's a new episode of the Two Fit Chicks and a Microphone podcast today and the theme is Behind The Bloggers.

The topic arose when we announced that the famous Caitlin of Operation Beautiful would be joining us and put out a call for questions... turns out lots of people wanted to know about the dark art - do we ever got sick of blogging? How does one lure readers to one's virtual den? How do you deal with nasty comments? There is also a non-blog question about negative self-talk.

If you've never listened to the podcast why not give it a red hot go? It is a true labour of love and oh so easy to play on your computer or zap down to your iTunes! :)

More soon but for now in my continued quest to re-establish an enjoyable exercise habit, I must go pedal on the exercise bike while watching Mistresses on iPlayer. Trash-o-rama!

» Check out Episode 17 over at the Two Fit Chicks website

Two Fit Chicks Episode 16 - Hooray For Summer!

We're talking about the joys of summer in today's new episode of Two Fit Chicks and a Microphone.

We have a special guest to join our summer chat - Heather of the fabulous and famous food blog, Heather Eats Almond Butter.

I must confess I have a little blog crush on Heather. Do you ever get blog crushes? We have the same current favourite nut butter - Trader Joes Crunchy Unsalted! Except her fave is the peanut and mine's the almond. OMG. WTF. ETC.

Furthermore, she too loves ice cream and yoga and also once lost a load of weight!

But that's where the things in common abruptly end, because she is really skilled and dedicated at yoga (check out the pic on the Two Fit Chicks blog) and has maintained her loss for 10 years... whereas I never stick with yoga long enough to touch my toes properly and you know how great my maintenance has been lately. Hmmm!

So in other words, it's an aspirational, admiring kind of crush.

Anyway... Heather chatted to us about the phenomenon of people photographing their meals, her favourite summer dishes and love for nut butter. She also took on the 60 Seconds speed round.

» Check out Episode 16 over at the Two Fit Chicks website

P.S. I've been busy non-fat blogging over at What's New Pussycat?

Podcast, comments and yogurt

Running is the subject of today's new episode of Two Fit Chicks and a Microphone! Our American-Italian superstar Julia Jones is back to answer listener queries about stepping up to the 10K distance, stretches for runners, conquering hills, bathroom stops, staying motivated for big races and avoiding skanky black toenails.

» Check out Episode 15 over at the Two Fit Chicks website

I wanted to say a huuuuge thanks for all your incredible comments on the last entry. It really means a lot to read your words and to know you're not alone.

By the way, I've had to enable comment moderation because of increased spam, so your comments are stored and won't appear on the site right away. I usually get to them pretty quickly though!

In other news, here's one's for the UK yogurt nerds out there. I found a quite decent Fage Total 2% Greek Yogurt substitute! Onken Natural Set yogurt. I saw an ad in a foodie magazine which claimed it was "just as creamy" as Greek despite having less fat and calories. Pffft, I said. But beggars can't be choosers - no shops stock Total Greek 2% in my town (they only stock 0% which I don't like as much, and full fat which is a bit too full-on for my breakfast).

Verdict: Surprisingly creamy. And cheaper than Total - £1.08 for 500g of Onken versus £2.20 for 500g of Total. I tried a blob on top of some Red Beans and Rice where I'd gone crazy with the chillies. Also tried it with my pseudo-bircher muesli (fruit, oats and yogurt mixed together and left overnight) and it was a good consistency - thick enough to be creamy but enough "give" to blend with the other ingredients. It doesn't have as much protein as the Total - 3.9g versus 6.8g per 100g. Rock n roll!

Two Fit Chicks Episode 14 - Intuitive Eating

We're talking about intuitive eating in today's new episode of Two Fit Chicks and a Microphone.

Intuitive eating has a gazillion aliases, such as mindful eating, non-dieting, conscious eating or just plain Eating In A Way That Doesn't Make You Want To Stab People.

I read a lot of Intuitive Eating books about four years ago and thought, "Well, derr" because I was going great guns and full of smug at the time. And then when things went off the rails I started re-reading in panicky, "Show me the holy grail" fits of desperation.

Carla is a veteran intuitive eater - she was at it for years, intuitively, before she realised it had a fancy name. Her calm attitude to eating convinced me to revisit the concept and now I'm working like a mofo to forge a healthier relationship with food. I thought I was there a few years ago, but clearly I have more work to do. That is a giant beast of a post for another day.

In the meantime, if you're a serial dieter and wonder if there can ever be an end to the struggle - why not give this episode a listen. Carla shares how she became a mindful eater, I talk about my experiments with it, then we share some tips and ideas for getting started.

» Check out Episode 14 over at the Two Fit Chicks website

Two Fit Chicks Episode 13 - Growing Old Disgracefully

After six weeks in the wilderness, today there is a brand new episode of Two Fit Chicks and a Microphone!

Carla and I chat to Stephanie Dolgoff, author of My Formerly Hot Life about her experiences of changing identity and body image as she gets older. We also tackle some more listener questions on topics including losing weight in a hurry, protein and exercise guilt. We finish up with a spectacular bumper edition of Blogger News!

» Check out Episode 13 over at the Two Fit Chicks website

Like sands through the hourglass

Any Glee fans out there? The Madonna episode just aired in the UK tonight. Nearly cringed my way right down into the crack of the couch at the painful jamming of Greatest Hits into the "storyline"... how much did she pay for that? But the songs were excellent; I love old school Madge. So. Party on.

There's a new episode of Two Fit Chicks and a Microphone today in which we tackle more listener questions! Hunger during weight loss, cross training for kickboxers, barefoot running and a bizarre tangent about Days of Our Lives.

» Check out Episode 12 over at the Two Fit Chicks website

Two Fit Chicks Episode 11 - Let's Hear It For The Boys

There's a brand new episode of Two Fit Chicks and a Microphone in which Carla and I chat to some of our male listeners and get their perspectives on fitness, health and blogging.

The episode was rather late due to disorganisation from the Scottish branch of Two Fit Chicks Inc. and only this morning I discovered I'd left out one of the blokes' recordings. I am really bloody glad it's Friday, I tells ya.

Proper update next week, fer sure! What's new and shaking with you guys? Any sugar comas over Easter?

» Check out Episode 11 over at the Two Fit Chicks website

Two Fit Chicks Episode 09 - Food Glorious Food

Just a quickie to say there's a new episode of Two Fit Chicks and a Microphone today.

Our topic is Food Glorious Food and we are joined by the legend that is nutritionist Kathryn Elliott of Limes and Lycopene. There's talk of Vitamin D, whey protein, tutus and one-star reviews.

This one was a real cack to record and edit so hope you enjoy! I only wish I could pissfart around with silly sound effects in Garageband all day instead of working in the real world.

» Check out Episode 9 over at the Two Fit Chicks website

Two Fit Chicks Episode 08 - Your Questions Answered II

There's a brand spankin' new episode of Two Fit Chicks and a Microphone today. And as a very special bonus I actually hit the RECORD button and didn't screw up the balance so you'll hear our dulcet tones in stereo. Hurrah for progress.

Today's episode is called Your Questions Answered II, as Carla and I are, quelle surprise, answering some of your questions! Self sabotage, injuries and food journalling. And a few tangents. And me puzzling over my missing dumbbell.

» Check out Episode 8 over at the Two Fit Chicks website

PS. Thanks everyone who entered the DG Sell Out - I'll draw the winners tonight.

Two Fit Chicks Episode 07 - Getting STARTed in 2010

So much for my resolve not to leave things to the last minute. The weekend went wonky thanks to an encounter with some evil White Russians on Saturday night but I had made a side-resolution to get off the couch be more social. What do you do when two resolutions collide?

Somehow after 9 hours, 7 cups of tea and one fat wedge of Christmas cake the podcast was distilled down to just 35 minutes. And I'd well and truly busted the internet curfew. Bugger!

Today's episode is called Getting STARTed in 2010, the uppercase letters being one of Carla's natty acronyms! We also chatted to a bunch of great bloggers about how they got started on the road to healthier living.

By the way, we hope to chat to lots more people in 2010 so if we've not hunted you down yet please don't think you're not LURVED!

» Check out Episode 7 over at the Two Fit Chicks website

Two Fit Chicks Episode 06 - Farewell to the Noughties

It was treacherously icy this morning. I went flying down our driveway with not quite as much grace as Torvill or Dean. This is my seventh Scottish winter and I always forget that it can get icy until I'm sprawled on my arse.

I shuffled to the bus stop just in time for the bus to sail past. A grumpy old man in the queue was grumping to some grumpy old women, "I knew I should have emigrated!"

In other news, it's podcast day! In our final episode for 2009 we review the healthy living highlights of 2009 and the decade! Plus your questions about dumb diet rules, maintenance & weird weight machines.

A huge thank you to everyone who gave the podcast a try in 2009. It's been fun doing something a wee bit different and I appreciate you coming along for the ride! Thanks also to Carla for being a hoot to work with.

» Check out Episode 6 over at the Two Fit Chicks website

A quick note for Two Fit Chicks listeners

If you've had problems accessing the podcast, you can now play or downlaod all epiosdes directly from the Two Fit Chicks website. We've had serious Issues with our hosting provider this week. It all seems to be back up now, but we're shopping for a new host. Apologies for the ongoing kerfuffles!