Gotham City Stampers

January 1, 2012
It has been quite some time since I posted on this part of my blog. I was thinking about my resolutions for 2012 and one of the biggest is continuing with our healthy lifestyle. It got me to thinking about how much Marty & I have changed physically and mentally over the last year. Our bodies look different and our thoughts about food are totally different. We don’t “diet”-that feels so temporary. Our eating is totally different almost 99% of the time. Don’t get me wrong, we have our occasional unhealthy food but only in small portions-moderation is key. One of my goals for 2012 is to spend more time on my blog-this section included! So, to get us rolling in this amazing new year, let’s take a look at Marty and I BEFORE and AFTER…
July 2010

APRIL 2011-taken just a few weeks before our healthy lifestyle change

Christmas 2011-Lost at least 70 pounds combined!

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October 22, 2011

Corris’ Secret Weapons!

As part of an effort to be healthier, I am watching what I eat and that includes taking vitamins.

Even when i had poor eating habits, I still took a variety of supplements to make up for any nutrients I didn’t get from eating well.

Of course, you should get your vitamins from food (fruits and veggies) whenever possible but below are my secret weapons that I believe keep me energetic and feeling good.

Miracle2000: In my opinion, it is the BEST liquid vitamin on the market. I discovered it many years ago when I was a sales clerk at GNC in North Carolina. (I loved that job!)

Miracle 2000 has all the vitamins and minerals you need to get through your day with energy. Taking it daily has made my hair and nails grow wild, it also helps me stave off that 3pm fatigue I feel at work, and I don’t get as many colds when I drink it consistently. It works!

The downside is that it looks like baby poop and tastes umm… not so great. But if you can’t swallow large vitamins in pill form, this is a good one to try. I have many friends and relatives drinking Miracle2000, and they all agree it isn’t tasty but does the body good. You can buy it at any GNC store or Drugstore.com.

Valerian Root: I keep a bottle of this herbal remedy in my medicine cabinet. Valerian Root is excellent for sleepless nights and treating mild anxiety. It naturally calms you down so you can fall asleep or just relax from a stressful day at work.

Since it is an herbal remedy, you may need to take it a few times before it really begins to work. It depends on how your body responds, too. I only need two pills and I’m asleep in 10 minutes. I think it’s amazing and worth having in every home. You can buy it at GNC, Drugstore.com and places like Duane Reade or RiteAid.

The more sleep you can get, the better as you’ll have more energy to workout or get through an active day. Also, I find I am less likely to go to Starbucks for one if those high calorie (and expensive) cups of coffee.

Please note: if you are taking prescriptions, be sure to read the label of any vitamins or herbal remedies as they may impact the efficiency of your prescription. Children and pregnant or nursing women should not take herbal supplements without talking to a doctor first.

I’m sharing what works for me from years of experimentation. Hope it works for you!

October 17, 2011

DELICIOUS! Marty has taken on the role of being our healthy chef. His combinations of food are fabulous. He mentioned a little while ago that we should open a restaurant and he can cook his healthy recipes. Check out this yummy meal from last night!

Marty cooked pork chops in barbecue sauce all day yesterday in the slow cooker. It just fell off of the bone. The rice-so yummy! Mart cooked brown rice in lemon juice. It was a delicious twist with a citrusy zing! The veggies were frozen-we explored the new grocery section of our local Target. They had TONS of frozen veggies for about a dollar a box/bag-what a deal! We sprinkled a dash of grated fat-free parmesan cheese on top. (**Interesting Veggie FACT: Did you know that frozen veggies have more nutrients than canned and fresh? I learned that at a WW Meeting!)

September 9, 2011
Corris writes another great post…
Recently, Heidi and I discovered a great place to eat. And if you know Heidi and I…we LOVE to eat. Our friends do too!

NYC has so many restaurants and exploring them is just fun for us. Now that we are on a health kick or you can call it a lifestyle change, we are on the lookout for restaurants with healthy, yet tasty options.

Check out the Energy Kitchen. All of their meals are under 500 calories. It’s no guilt eating!

We both tried their salads. I happen to think Marty (her hubby) makes the BEST salads but we are talking about Energy Kitchen, so I’ll digress. Hmmmm…Maybe Marty will share a salad recipe on the blog!

Back to Energy Kitchen…

Heidi opted to create her own tossed salad and looked very happy chomping away. I had a great salad on their menu called the Chopped Kitchen with bits of turkey, bacon and cheese, topped with Ranch dressing and both meals were each under 500 calories. How can you go wrong?! I too was very happy and full.

All the meals are healthily prepared so you can order without thinking ‘is meal going to derail my diet?’ The salad was so good, I got a Chicken Club wrap sandwhich to go for dinner later that evening. Also delicious!

Excellent vibe, good service and tasty food. Luckily, there’s a location near my job so I’ll be back!

August 29th, 2011
Another post from the fabulous (much thinner) CORRIS…
7 grain bread is tasty!

You know that brown bread that looks like it has tree bark shredded on top of it? Yeah, it’s called 7 grain bread and let me tell you it’s soooo tasty. I discovered it during yet another visit to Heidi’s house. I was invited to join her & Marty for dinner and they offered me the bread.

Before WW, I would’ve said “no thank you” to the mysterious brown bread but since I am trying to eat healthier I decided to give it a shot. Talk about yummy! Now I’ll be honest, it does NOT taste like white bread and it does take getting used to the wholesomeness but I really do like it. It’s better than giving up bread altogether right?

At only 2 points a slice, you can still eat bread. I love sandwhiches and when I started WW I wondered if I’d have to give them up. Not so! A few changes and I’m back eating my favorite carb! Woohoo!

Here’s my Sunday breakfast:

Sandwich:
2 slices of 7 grain bread
Mustard
2 boiled eggs sliced in half
A dash of salt/pepper

Side of fruit:
Strawberries and grapes

Drink:
Tall glass of water mixed with Crystal Light Iced Tea powder

Try it! You’ll feel very full and satisfied. On WW, I realized that making healthy changes involves being open and going out of your comfort zone. I’m working on trying something new each week or giving a second chance to wholesome foods I previously didn’t like and eating them anyway. It’s been good!

August 22nd, 2011
Today I am featuring a post by my friend, Laurel Carpenter. I can’t wait for you to read her inspirational story about weight loss and a healthy lifestyle.

My Weight Watchers Experience –An On line Journey towards Healthier Eating

Until I got to college, I never believed that I had issues with weight and food. I ate what I wanted to when I wanted. My family members snacked a lot, and none of us exercised much. But, my first year of college, I gained the freshman 15 and then some. A few friends made joking comments about my weight gain. It was also the 1980s, and skinny jeans (along with really large hair!) were very fashionable. I decided that the best way to handle this was to just to stop eating altogether. And, even though I lost the weight, starvation is never healthy. So, a few binges later, all the weight came back plus some more. My weight seesawed back and forth for several years because the larger problem of healthy eating was never really resolved.

A few years ago, I started swing dancing. However, I’d get winded after a few songs, and my clothes didn’t fit very well anymore. A doctor visit confirmed that my weight had gotten on the high end of the Body Mass Index (BMI) for my height. Even though I was not yet obese, I had seen other family members struggle with weight gain, and said that the older they got and the more weight they gained, the harder it was to lose. I wanted to do something about it before it got to that point.

At some point, I attempted both the Atkins and South Beach diets, which worked for a little while. However, those diets tend to restrict fruit and carbohydrates, and I felt really constrained by their rules. And, it never seemed to make sense to just totally stop eating a particular food. One day, I was discussing this with my friend Heather, who is part of our crafting group. We both discovered that we came from families that were emotional eaters. She told me about her WW success story. She said that one of the biggest benefits she had gotten from WW was to learn how to eat healthy, and to make better choices when cooking and when going out to eat. She offered to buy me a WW cookbook and said she could give me some helpful tips. I decided to check it out and signed up for the on line plan.

What I realized from doing WW is this:

1. Most of my ideas about WW were outdated. My mom was on WW at one point and bought a lot of their pre-packaged food. So, I figured that WW was another one of those plans where everyone eats a lot of tiny meals that taste like cardboard. The WW of today is a very sophisticated program with great on line tools available. All the point tracking, recipes and eating suggestions are very visual and at your fingertips. There’s even a mobile application! I realized that WW is not a diet plan– it is about changing the way you eat and making better choices without depriving yourself of foods you love. And, they’ve made it accessible for people who don’t have enough time to go to meetings. How modern of them!
2. Before I began tracking what I ate with WW, I did not realize that my sense of portion control was off. I often skipped meals, and ate large portions of things that can really add points and pounds, such as cheddar cheese and salty chips. The restaurant portion of the tracker will shock you. It is amazing how much fat and calories goes into many chain restaurant foods. My favorite Chipotle salad dressing was worth 7 points alone! (Tip: skip the dressing, add tomato salsa instead – yum!). I also realized I wasn’t drinking enough water. Learning to track everything made a huge difference because I learned my own eating habits (though being 100% honest with myself about what I am actually eating is a challenge at times!)
3. WW has great suggestions for dealing with hunger. They are experts at suggesting filling, lower fat, tasty alternatives to foods that are high in points. For example, I find it really helpful to eat an orange, dried unsweetened mango, or a low-point WW fudgsicle when I’m feeling hungry instead of blowing a ton of points on ice cream. Having a list of foods that are lower-point substitutes handy is a huge help.
4. It’s ok to use all your points. I learned from reading the on-line forums that some people who are on WW are afraid to use their weekly points. However, they are there for a reason – for those times when you want to share a tasty dessert, or want to have a glass of wine at your friend’s birthday party. It helps me to feel a lot less deprived to know that the points are there if I need them. And, I have not noticed a difference in terms of weight loss or gain when I am using up all my points versus only the daily ones.
5. Exercise of any kind is a huge plus on this plan. On WW, just about any exercise will help you gain more activity points and allow you eat more. I love knowing that a brief walk at lunchtime can get me a few extra points that I might need later on that day.
6. The on-line WW community is very supportive regardless of whether your goal is to lose 20 pounds or 200 pounds. I have had a great experience posting to their forums and making some new friends through various challenges.
7. Having a realistic goal weight will make the journey easier. At this point in time, I am ten pounds away from achieving this. I’ve recently adjusted this goal to a more realistic figure for my current age. It might not be possible to achieve the weight you were when you were 25 years old without some radical adjustments that might be too much change at once. Staying true to yourself is always a good plan!

August 20th, 2011
This post was originally written by Corris Little on July 20th-I HAVE to get better at updating this part of my blog…promise I will…
In my previous post, I mentioned that I work out for 30 minutes a day. It’s only been a few weeks of being consistent but I have seen some results. One major change has been in my mood! I have yet to feel those endorphins that exercise junkies feel after a good run, but my mood is definitely lifted after working out. I feel good because I’m doing this for me. Every sore muscle, each drop of sweat I am doing just for me. After a workout, everything feels that much better. Ever drink an ice cold glass of water on a hot summer day? That’s what it feels like to me. Refreshing!

So what am I doing? I am working out at home using exercise DVDs and I have an interesting collection, ranging from Pilates to Karate to Weight Training. I once owned the MTV dance workout remember the cute guy from the first episode of “The Real World”? Yup, I had that one! Did Tae Bo a few times back in the day as well. I get bored easily so I try to find exercise DVDs that are interesting.

Right now, I am “enjoying” Kathy Smith’s Kettlebells workout. I bought the set from QVC as it was highly rated by customers. It’s a fun workout and I’m building muscle and sweating a lot. The other day I was folding my arms across my chest and felt something hard. I looked down to see that it was muscle!! LOL My squishy arms are getting firm! Woohoo!

I am only doing 30 minutes a day because I tend to get very ambitious and want to do an hour or more and then I’m too sore to continue and eventually I stop altogether. So for now I’ll do 30 minutes and gradually increase the length and intensity of my workouts over time. I want to be lean and not bulky.

In the colder months, I am looking forward to returning to Bikram’s hot yoga again. I found a couple Bikram yoga studios in Harlem that I like. Its a great way to lose weight, lengthen your posture, and detox. A lot of dancers practice it and even soccer star David Beckham does hot yoga. Can you bend it like Beckham? Yup!

August 17, 2011
With my weight loss and even better…the amount of inches I lost…I have been clearing out my wardrobe and adding new pieces. In this journey, I am able to shop at stores that I didn’t shop at before. I am in LOVE with Ann Taylor Loft and now Chico’s. I realized while trying on every piece in my wardrobe that I spent a lot of time hiding behind bold prints & colors. I also wore a lot of pieces with extra fabric-very “blousey” look. The more ruffles and frills-the better! My new style is transforming into one that is chic & sophisticated. I guess you can say more timeless and more New York City. Don’t get me wrong, my old clothes are beautiful but there is something about transforming my style during this process. I would LOVE to post some pictures here of my new body, new haircut (cut off 7 inches) and my new style. I am a whole new me! If you haven’t checked out Chico’s-here is a little video to make you smile!

July 20, 2011
You have heard my talk so much about my friend, Corris. We do a ton of great things together-art, dinners, gabbing, laughing, traveling. When she decided to join my Weight Watchers adventure with me, it was the best thing we have done together-taking care of ourselves. I am honored that Corris has decided to share her WW success publicly. I will be sharing her story, photos and successes on my blog. I know she will inspire you!
(This first post is actually dated July 14th.)

I too have struggled with my weight going up and going down. When I was a child, I was cute but chubby and in high school I fell in love with sports – track and volleyball – and lost the weight and looked very fit, then came college and being away from home and my weight shot back up…. Now to present day as an adult, I had a stressful job as a journalist where I worked 10-15 hour days in succession battling deadlines, eating with the guys in the newsroom and of course gaining the weight back and then some.

Well, my journey started a year ago when I got rid of what was really “eating me” because you know its not always about the food. I had to break up with my stressful job and bad eating habits.

In August 2010, I happily started a new job with normal set hours, a positive work environment and they also served a healthy lunch to staff every day. Pretty sweet gig! I was getting off work in time to go to yoga class — hot yoga is my favorite — and I was taking more time for myself and seeing friends and family more often. I have been working to “restore” the many pieces of myself that I had neglected or ignored because I just didn’t have or make the time for me. Not anymore!

Previously, i had lost some weight on a well known liquid diet and was doing yoga once a week but I settled into old patterns and gained it back during the long, dreary winter in New York. Snowstorms were my favorite excuse for not working out. LOL

A few weeks ago, I had a rude awakening…it was so rude, I was mad!! I was visiting Heidi and having a good time ….while using her bathroom I saw her scale and decided to weigh myself. Talk about shocked! The numbers on the scale showed a number I vowed I’d never reach. I was in such disbelief that I yelled out to Heidi “what is wrong with your scale!!” because there was no way in hell that number could be true! But it was.

The truth hurts, but it can also set you free. I decided to take immediate action and joined Weight Watchers. Thanks Heidi for the little nudge and your $&@%# scale!

Currently, I am eating a lot healthier in the form of salads chock full of crunchy veggies, lunch and dinner include lean meats or fish, and I gave up soda in favor of seltzer or plain water that I’ll jazz up with crystal light or a squeeze of lemon.

In addition, I am working out at home for 30 minutes a day — every day in the morning before I get ready for work. I’ll share more on my workout in an upcoming post. As a result of these changes, I feel lighter, happier and healthier. I believe I’m doing something good for me and that makes me smile.

You’ll notice that I didn’t share my highest weight or recent pounds lost. I’m going to keep that for myself and my dear friends whom I choose to share it with. I have lost weight and it’s a process. It takes time to shed what you’ve put on. Is Weight Watchers working for me? Most definitely! I’m thrilled that Heidi and a few of our close friends are doing WW because we can share small triumphs and support one another. It’s been great so far.

What’s important to know is that you have to take charge of your life and that means caring for your health as well. No one cares about you more than YOU do! That is what I’m focused on doing.

July 17, 2011
Today is weigh in day-I get excited for this! Marty just finished doing my measurements and I weighed myself.
Here are the results of this week:
Weight Loss: no loss from last week 196 lbs.
Arms: *this is one arm* 11.5 inches (no change)
Hips: 47 inches (down 1/2 inch)
Bust: 38.5 inches (down 1/2 inch)
Waist: 37 inches (no change)
Dress Size: 12 (no change)
Thighs: *this is one thigh* 24 inches (down 1 full inch)
Knees: *this is one knee* 16 inches (down 2 inches) (Knees are not tracked on the WW site, we do it because my knees bother me.)
So, let’s reflect on the progress from last week. I have to say for a moment I was a little disappointed with the lack of weight loss. I love seeing the decline on the scale. BUT, it has been about two weeks that I have been including exercise in my life. Now, I have to say that I haven’t been consistent on a daily basis but the amount I am doing is a TON more than what I was doing. Anything is more than the ZERO that was part of my life just two months ago. I have a workout schedule set up that I do with videos at home (more about that later, promise). I know that I am now building muscle. The exercising is impacting me in positive ways. I could feel it last night. Marty and I were at a concert at Yankee Stadium and had to take the subway home. We waited in the (beyond) hot subway station for quite some time due to the large crowds. Normally, this type of intense heat would make me sick and wear me out. I was sweating but fine. We had to do a ton of stairs to transfer trains. I normally avoid a transfer at the 145th Street Station only because of those dreaded stairs. Last night, I went up them with ease while talking with Marty. We both commented a few times about how much easier that normal NYC event was for us.

I have to admit I have been LOUSY at tracking my points lately. I know the numbers and eat with them in mind BUT I haven’t been disciplined in tracking. When I went to the WW site this morning to record my weight/measurements I have a chart pop up for the first time. I have been in the program long enough that they are not analyzing my “eating numbers”. I was right in front of my eyes how naughty I have been at tracking the food. Starting today I will be more disciplined in this because I don’t want it to lead to any bad eating habits.

My goals for this week?
***I plan to exercise DAILY! If it doesn’t seem to “fit in” to my day, I have to make it fit it-make time for it.
***Track my food & activity points DAILY! I am a visual person-I need to see the progress.
***Blog, blog, blog! Please continue to post your comments-I love reading them!

July 14, 2011
I have spent some time really thinking about whether or not to add this section of my blog. Many of you have been asking what I am doing to lose weight. You have questioned not only WHAT I am doing but WHY I am doing it. I have realized more & more lately that although I make my art because I love it and love sharing it, I have truly impacted many of you on a daily basis. With that idea in my mind, I made the decision to start blogging about my journey.

I started this about mid-May when Marty asked me to go to the Bahamas with him. As first I was thrilled and then PANIC set in. Why? BATHING SUIT! I couldn’t imagine putting one on and (even worse) seeing the pictures of me in one. With that in my mind, I made the decision to give up “junk food” cold turkey. Marty joined in this adventure with me so I will be sharing some of his stories with you, too.

For a few weeks in May I decided to be careful of what I eat and (mostly) drink. To say that I drank soda would be an understatement! I drank several regular COKEs every single day. I ate candy and junk whenever I wanted. I told people I was a-ok with being “curvy” which was just a way to convince myself. One day at school (I am a teacher), the physical education teacher peeked in my room while I was eating lunch. He knew about my new weight loss quest and told me about the better choices that I could have made on the sandwich I was eating. I was proud of what I thought was a good healthy lunch-which is was if you compare it to what I was eating just days before that. Well, he was right and he is someone that knows what he is talking about and I go to him for such advice. It was on that day JUNE 12th that I joined Weight Watchers.

As for my weight (yeah, this is the part that KILLS me to share but it is necessary)…I started mid-May at a WHOPPING 212 pounds which I carried mostly in my mid-section. Upon starting WW, I had lost 5 pounds so I was at 207 pounds on June 12th. Some progress had been made. Since June 12th, I have lost 11 more pounds. My current weight is 196! The magic is that I am not as “puffy” due to not drinking the soda and the getting rid of the sugars. I am down a dress size and lost over 20 inches on my body. Marty is down to jeans he hasn’t worn in years. He isn’t weighing himself-he says it is all about how his clothes fit.

Our diet consists of only things that grow in the ground and on a tree in addition to meats and some whole grain breads. I still have a cup of coffee each morning that I sweeten with Agave Nectar. Our fridge is purged completely of anything bad for us.

So, there is the overall of what I am doing and the general progress so far. Yes, I am exercising and doing a few other things but you will have to check back as I blog about those. I have some tips, ideas and encouragement. I am LOVING what I am doing & (more importantly) LOVING the new me! I will say that the most important part of this is the support in what I am doing. I have some friends and family that are on the same journey so we encourage each other…more about that later!

Please leave comments and ask questions. I promise to keep this part of my blog as active as my artsy parts. I will add pictures and videos so stay tuned!