Project Supermom

[pughki5]

Okay, I know this post won't apply to all of you, but I wanted to feature a fun way to kick-off the holiday shopping season by featuring a post from a local blogging friend, Angie at Garza Clan, for Colorado Country Christmas. What better way to get into the spirit than by hitting this massive shopping extravaganza! And, what a great trial run for Black Friday and Cyber Monday, which are just around the corner. Feel left out? Search in your area for upcoming arts and crafts fairs...'tis the season!

http://mtnbuddies.blogspot.com/2010/...christmas.html

[pughki5]

http://projectsupermom.blogspot.com/...-goes-on.html\

From what I hear from friends and readers, it's not so much that you don't want to make healthier decisions it's that you don't necessarily know how to. This fact becomes even clearer, when I listen to you order a veggie omelette that comes with extra cheese, a glass of whole milk, and whole-wheat pancakes with maple syrup, as you simultaneously complain about how you can't figure out how those couple of extra pounds keep sneaking up on you. While you scarf down your seemingly "healthy" breakfast, I sit in astounded wonder about how you missed the tell-tale signs of hidden fat and calories in the meal you ordered. Then, I realize that while what you ordered has a lot of the right buzz words...veggie, whole-grain, milk...you've failed to also acknowledge the dead give-aways that the meal isn't as innocent as it sounds. So, let's make a list of words that describe menu items that are best steered clear of. I'll start:

extra cheese or cheesy...go with lite, half, or, hey, skip it all together
whole milk...go with skim...if you can't drink the stuff straight up look for 2%
omelette...ask for egg-whites...ask for it to be prepared without added batter...yes, it's pancake
batter that makes those restaurant omelettes so much fluffier than the ones you
attempt at hom
breakfast syrup...ask for a sugar-free version and use either sparingly...consider passing on the
pancakes alltogether...do you really need to eat all that in one sitting?
battered
fried
sauteed...aka, soaking in butter and oil
breaded...if it's a meat like chicken, ask for it plain
creamy...keep this in mind for soups and go for broth-based options...also to be avoided in salad
dressings
candied
buttery
the aisse's...think mayonaisse, bournaisse, hollandaise, etc...look for it on sandwiches and in
sauces or dips...opt for avocado or mustard or nothing at all
crispy
crusted

Okay, now it's your turn...

[pughki5]

http://projectsupermom.blogspot.com/...h-is-true.html
Sometimes I don't want to admit it...sometimes, it just doesn't feel like it could be true...but, when I really look around me at all that I have...when I take a good look at myself and see all that I am, I can truly say the following words say it all. I truly hope they ring true for you, too, supermoms!

"Realizing that despite the craziness, this is the best time of your life!" --Parent Magazine

[pughki5]

http://projectsupermom.blogspot.com/...-my-stars.html
Project Supermom wants to wish all you supermoms, fans, and followers, as well as your families and loved ones, a wonderful Thanksgiving and successful shopping for Black Friday! May you find many a great bargain and enjoy the buzz of holiday shopping...but, most importantly, may you spend this week recounting all the many blessings you have and deserve in your life!

[pughki5]

http://projectsupermom.blogspot.com/...ple-sizes.html

Ah, 'tis the season! Treats abound everywhere. Food is the hallmark of celebrating the holidays, and it seems to be everywhere! Even this supermom has to stop and admire fancy Christmas cookies, ponder a cup of peppermint hot chocolate, and seriously consider my own Cinnabon cinnamon roll with an extra side of dipping sauce! What makes these treats even more irrestistable is that so many are offered out as free samples to lure you in for more. Alas, my dear, even these small bites come with their fair share of calories, sugar, and fat...sorry! Best to stay away, lest those free munchies at the head of every aisle at Costco come back to bite you later. Bah, humbug, you say? What's the fun in not splurging...it's the holidays after all, right?

If you're like me, I've worked too hard all year to throw it all away, by throwing the floodgates wide open. So, I pick and choose my battles, and it's an easy choice...eat my weight in holiday food samples or save myself for the good stuff. I give myself permission to enjoy a meal of whatever I want on Thanksgiving and Christmas, including the day or so of leftovers that follow, and give my calorie counting a rest. Weightloss experts, tips, and shows be damned, I will not forgo a second of enjoying these meals. So, knowing I will happily soak my turkey, potatoes, and stuffing in a puddle of gravy, I have made the trade-off with indulging in the endless parade of nibbles lurking around every storefront or aisle I pass.

So, for the sake of your dress size, consider an eating strategy that will allow you to get in the spirit of the holidays, while guaranteeing you'll still fit into your fave pair of jeans come January!

[pughki5]

http://projectsupermom.blogspot.com/...ion-alive.html
I know, I know...what would Christmas be without dozens and dozens of homemade cookies? Or batch after batch of Chex mix? And, what about that beef stick in BBQ sauce or your special chocolate cake? It's just too much to ask to pass on all these goodies, just in the name of staving off a few pounds...pounds that you plan to lose, starting in January, when you plan to get to the gym again for your New Year's resolution, right?

If that plan worked as well as we intended, I don't think we'd be the nation of expanding waistlines that we have become. But, here is where we can implement our new LIFESTYLE changes to make a compromise, rather than our choices being the extreme of enjoying holiday goodies to our heart's desire or not having any...at all...ever...forever. There can be a happy medium here. You could sort your cookies into serving size baggies and allow yourself to have one a day, instead of standing beside the platter and mindlessly eating your way through a couple of tiers of them. The same strategy would apply to the other snacks, too. There is also the option of swapping out ingredient to shave excess fat and calories. You would be surprised, if you've never done it, what a little tinkering can do for your health without counting against taste:

--use sugar substitutes like Splenda
--swap butter for lite butter spreads that don't contain trans fat
--look for low-fat and/or low-sodium crackers and pretzels
--try non-fat plain or Greek yogurt, in place of sour cream
--look for sugar-free versions of bake mixes
--turkey is a passable substitute for many beef items

Do you have some good swaps to share? Please do! Trying a new twist on the old...what a fun way to tweak your traditions!