Eat. Live. Be. – February Update and Must-Reads

Eat. Live. Be.’s topic this week is required reading. As in the reading material that most speaks to each of us in our ELB journey. I have a few magazines and books that I just adore, so I can’t wait to share them. But first, the monthly update. Deep breath.

This is hard. And it’s hard because I know I could have done better in February if I simply put my best effort forth. But I didn’t … because I didn’t work out much in February. And by that I mean, I barely worked out at all. I can’t give you any specific reason why. I just didn’t. And the few times that I did, it wasn’t at the intensity of January.

That said, I did watch what I ate in February. Every morsel was a conscious decision, one that I calculated and thought about. So, that’s good at least. I could have certainly eaten more fruits and veggies, but overall I did pretty well with my portions and eating choices.

Here’s the starting photo versus today comparison shot:

And in the end, I did lose, and it’s noticeable. Yesterday, I wore jeans that I haven’t worn since before I was pregnant with Paige. Last week, I wore a button-up nightshirt that I bought years ago … for the first time. And I tried on a bunch of clothes yesterday that I either haven’t worn in awhile or have never worn. And guess what? Everything fit.

In the photo, I see a streamlined torso. But my legs aren’t as toned as they were last month. Had I exercised, that would be surely different.

So, here’s the official month-end run down (see January here):

February 2011 weight loss – 2.6 lbs

Total 2011 ELB weight loss – 6 lbs

This month? More exercise. Thankfully, the weather is warming and the snow is melting, so I have a lot of yard work to keep me busy moving. And I want to get back to using our basement gym regularly — a couple times a week, at least. As for eating, I will keep working on making smart choices and eating more fruits and veggies.

Required Reading:

Here are a few of my favorite reads.

• Cooking Light – I’ve gotten some really awesome, flavorful recipes from this magazine and I love that everything is made with a healthy lifestyle in mind.
• French Women Don’t Get Fat – This book really made me rethink how I thought about food and eating. It’s a really super read.
• The Mediterranean Prescription: Meal Plans and Recipes to Help You Stay Slim and Healthy for the Rest of Your Life – Another really great read. My family and I loosely follow this plan for eating (though admittedly not religiously). It stresses lean proteins, fruits, veggies and smart eating.
• Everyday Food- Although it’s not exactly a light-eating magazine, the caloric information is often included with the great recipes.
• Fine Cooking – I’ve never had a recipe from Fine Cooking that I didn’t love. Just choose wisely — sometimes they can be a little un-waist-friendly.

What’s on your required reading list for healthy living?

Be sure to check out the other ELB bloggers too.

• Cate O’Malley from Sweetnicks
• Joanne from Eats Well with Others
• Maris Callahan – In Good Taste
• Chris Arpante – Melecotte
• Faith – Blog Appetit
• Kristen - Dine and Dish
• Jenna – Stop, Drop and Blog
• Casey – The Starnes Family
• Patsy – Family, Friends and Food
• Tri-Fit Mom
• Claire – Cooking is Medicine
• Allison – Sweet Flours
• Jen – NJ Epicurean
• Leslie – The Hungry Housewife
• Rivki Locker – Healthy Eating for Ordinary People
• Claudia – Journey of an Italian Cook
• Jennifer Schulz – Lick-a-Plate
• Sarah Rogers – Sarah’s Sweet Creations
• Denise and Lenny – Chez Us

P.S. If you haven’t already, please take my Family Meals Survey 2011.  I am nearly to my goal of 100 responses. Please help me get there!

Also, if you have a second, would you pop over to Babble and give Sarah’s Cucina Bella a thumbs up? I didn’t make the cut for their top 100 bloggers list, but would love to be on the first page of the Who Do You Like? list. As of right now, I am about half-way down on the second page.

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Tags: eat live be, february update

Category: Eat. Live. Be. For a Better 2010