She's alive! and she's changing things up

This year has not been a good blogging year for me. Maybe it's because I've been so happy (and busy) with my life I'm not getting around to it as much as I should. I still have been making lunches in my new bento box, but I would not use "pretty" to describe them.

So I'm taking a page from Brandi who runs Brandi Nell the Southern Belle to make my blog more of what I am doing and loving but still keeping the bentos in them. You'll still see my attempts at bentos and healthy options, but look for more of my other love - hiking.

Today I want to share a recipe that I found on Dirty Gourmet that is excellent to go on hikes and in bentos, Grit Cakes.

They're great for hikes because you can pack them along for a morning bite and great for bentos because of all the shapes you can make them. I hate grits but I love these grit cakes.

This past weekend, my husband and I warmed up by hiking up Stone Mountain. I wish I had these cakes along to enjoy at the top!

He told me I wasn't looking happy enough at first, so here's my top of the mountain dance. 

Makin' (candy) sushi

For valentine's day, my husband and I like to do small, almost gag, fun gifts.This year,  he got me this make your own candy sushi kit! It's not bento or 4 hour diet friendly- it's just fun and I had to share our results.

Where do you find something like this? He saw it in a YouTube video and then found a website, White Rabbit Press, that will find any product in Japan for you from just a picture or video.  If you want to see the full process, then check out this YouTube video. Below is our adventures with it!

We start with the kit and its pieces....

Then we start to mix stuff up!

And we're still mixing

The fun part was making these little balls.

We also had to make and form all the rice!

And volia! Sushi candy!

It tasted yummy (like red and yellow if those were flavors). 

I'm already looking forward to getting another kit!

From a diet to a lifestyle

After following this diet for a month I was very pleased with my results. However I was facing some problems. For one, I don't really enjoy the taste of beans. Can't explain it - I'm just not a big fan. I also don't really like eggs unless you add so much cheese and/or sour cream in them they stop being healthy. While this had been a breeze for my husband, I find myself forcing my way through. 

But I wanted to continue on! So from here on out you'll still have a great recipe that will follow the rules but you may notice a side note where I took a personal cheat. Most likely, it will be me adding a spoonful of greek yogurt (an excellent substitute for sour cream!) or a pinch of cheese. Nothing big, just enough to keep me going.

If you're on track - stay strong! If you're like me and need to learn how to shift this from a diet to a lifestyle change, I hope these small cheats help. 

Diet update

Really it's a moment to brag but I'm really happy about this! I'm a pretty fit person to start, or so I like to think so. I work out 3 to 4 days a week, I have a job that keeps me pretty active and I hike on the weekends. It has been a struggle for me to break my weight loss plateau without a "starve myself" diet plan (which, btw, I suck at because I love food).

I followed the 4 hour Body diet plan for the month of February as true as possible. I may have had a cookie here and missed a breakfast there, but I was 95% true to the plan. My husband joined me, which made cooking a heck of a lot easier and was a great support to lean on.

My results? I'm 5 lbs lighter and have lost 2 1/2 inches on my hips and 2 inches off my waist. I get consistent results (1 pound a week and about 1/2 an inch a week) without suffering. It's easy not to cheat when you know you have a whole day of cheating coming up. If I stay on track, I'll hit my "I'll never reach it" goal weight right in time to slip into a bathing suit.

It's not blockbuster results, but it's results that keep me happy, motivated and on track. I hope you're having the same!