Goji Moji Bar

First off, no loss this week. :( I've worked so hard too! But I have gotten some encouragment on how I look, so I'll just chalk it up to muscle mass. (I really need to find my measuring tape so that I can start tracking this better)

So, the organic treat for this week is the Goji Moji Bar by Weil. This is my second time eating one of these. Not only is it an organic pure fruit and nut bar, but it is also vegan. I bought these b/c they were on closeout in Kroger's organic section and I'm trying to be adventurous.

Ingredients: Organic dates, organic fig paste, organic cashews, organic dried sweetened cranberries, organic goji berries, organic orange peel, organic lemon juice concentrate, organic orange oil. (nothing artificial or unrecognizable! love it!)

Nutrition facts: calories: 170, fat 4.5 g., Sat. fat: 1 g., Sodium: 65 mg, Carb: 29g, dietary fiber: 5 g, sugars: 20 g, protein: 3 g. (due to high-ish calorie content, I eat half of a bar for my snack)

And now for the moment of truth....

It looks like poop w/nuts!!!!

All my coworkers and a doctor that I work with agree unanimously on this fact, and most of them are not interested in trying this bar.

But what about taste? My first impression is of a fig newton (w/out the cake part) You can really taste the figs and dates, and it has that chewy consistency. You can also really taste the cranberries and orange peel. Overall, I really like this and it always feels good to eat something natural.

the adventure begins...

actually, the adventure began a month or so ago, but I just started blogging...so...

I have been struggling with my weight since shortly after I got married. After graduation my lifestyle went from moderately active to practically sedentary. I quickly began gaining weight, and after developing a chronic illness things just went downhill from there!

In September '08 I joined an online weight loss website--sparkpeople.com--and have gradually become more focused on fitness and general health. I have lost 10 pounds at this point (the holidays set me back a few steps) and I am excited to continue the journey to a better me!

Something that I have focused on in the past few months has been eating natural and organic foods as much as possible. This can be expensive, but it is worth it for me at this point in life. I have read a lot about that harm that artificial ingredients and additives can do to your body, so in the goal of becoming healthier, this is a natural place to start!

My plan for this blog is to review some of the different organic and natural foods that I am eating (and take pictures--some of it looks pretty funny) as well as to log my weight loss and health progress. I am not on a completely organic diet by any means, so I will also be discussing other food stuff--plus I LOVE baking and do not try to censor my desserts yet ;)

It is really scary for me to put myself out here like this!! But I want the accountability--so here we go. My weight as of 2/21/09 is 166.2. I weigh in once a week on Saturday mornings. My current goals are to get 30 minutes of cardio exercise every day as well as strength training at least 4 days a week. I also try to stay within a 1200-1600 calorie range (but I went over today b/c drug rep brought us smoothies f/m sonic and I gave in...) I track my nutrition and exercise on sparkpeople each day, and also have a fitness blog there.

Well, that's it so far, I will be posting with foods and updates soon! Thanks for joining me on this journey!