Having now survived a full week of fat camp, I think I can safely say that I probably have never worked as hard in my life as I have since I got here. I’m incredibly out of shape (which adds to the difficulty), and it’s been a big change for me. It’s been a good change, however; I needed to get out of my comfort zone.

Prior to this, my comfort zone entailed usually half-heartedly participating in team sports and eating bad food. Here I cannot and do not get to do either of these things. The biggest issue for me has probably been waking up early to do a three mile walk each morning. Considering that, if left alone, I can sleep until 8 PM, getting up to do such an activity is a big thing for me.

I’ve really learned how to let myself go a little however, which I definitely needed to do. All my life, I have had no athletic ability and try to hide it at any cost. But for the first time, I now play sports such as soccer and basketball with enthusiasm (meaning I actually run instead of walk), which makes me feel great. I’m forcing myself to take full advantage of this experience (except for when I did a boxing class, taught by a former bodybuilder, and broke down and cried in the middle) and my body is constantly reminding me of that by keeping me sore all the time .

But it’s good sore, right?

My daily cuisine has also changed quite a bit, and obviously so. The camp focuses on a special diet that emphasizes on low or no fat (12g max a day) and less than 1500 calories or so (preferably less than 1200).  For that reason they serve us extremely lean chicken and, instead of beef, bison, which has no fat and tastes exactly the same as beef. The food is not very good (and therefore I don’t eat much of it), but I guess it could be interpreted as a good thing.

I will give this camp one thing – they definitely keep you busy. Between five different activities each day and extra fitness classes (and gym time), I’ve had quite a bit to do. As a result I really don’t have time to write a long post about all of this, because my schedule is just so tight. And I’m just in so much effing pain from all of the mandatory exercise and the extra working out I’ve been putting in that I don’t know if I have the energy to describe everything I feel right now. I’m definitely feeling active!

By the time you guys will have read this I will have had my first weigh in – wish  me luck!

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I can’t believe we’ve never talked about them before on CC. Because Popchips are off. the. chain!

I had heard a lot about Popchips, but was a bit skeptical the first time I brought them home. That lasted about 2 seconds.

When I opened the bag, I could smell the deliciousness of the BBQ-flavored chips just waiting for me to devour them. And so I did. And they were awesome, down to the last finger-licking crumb. I found them to be light and airy, kind of like popcorn, but a lot more flavorful and crispy.

The best part is that they’re completely guilt-free! Since they’re not fried in oil, but rather “popped”  using heat and pressure (don’t worry, I don’t get it either) the chips have half the fat of a typical potato chip with no trans fat, no saturated fats, no cholesterol and no preservatives.

Here are the stats per ounce:

Potato Chips- 150 calories. 10g fat. 1g saturated fat.

Popchips- 120 calories. 4g fat. 0g saturated fat.

If that doesn’t make you wanna pop open a bag (teehee), maybe the 5 different and delicious flavors will lure you in. My favorites were the BBQ and the Sea Salt and Vinegar. But the Salt and Pepper, Parmesan Garlic, and, of course, Original were all great too (especially with some salsa on the Original – YUM).

Like they say: It was love. Without the handles. And that’s all the love I need.

It’s because I’m a woman. But the world of the woman is polluted with Catch 22′s and this is just another example. How in the freakin’ world do we keep the body we want if we’re going to indulge in our beloved sweets?

Well, where there’s a will, there’s a way. Luckily, some lovely health conscience Rachel Ray’s out there have have formulated some recipes that can make us all feel a little more comfortable with our affair with sweets.

So get your girls together and dive in on Oscar night well telling yourself: “Scarlett Johansson has curves. So can I.“

Provided you LIKE caramel walnut cheesecake. (And if you don’t; I don’t think I can trust you.)

CARAMEL WALNUT CHEESECAKE RECIPE:

With only 7 g of fat and 336 calories, this dessert is a sweet alternative to regular cheesecake. It’s got 12 g of protein, 53 g of carbohydrate, 439 mg of sodium, 10 mg of cholesterol, and 1 g of fiber.

You need:

6 oz of reduced fat graham cracker crust

FILLING:

1/2 cup of sugar

12 tsp of vanilla extract

20 pieces of melted caramel candy

5 egg whites

2 tbsp of fat free milk

1/4 cup of walnuts

16 oz of fat free cream cheese-softened

Mix all of the filling ingredients, except for the caramel and the walnuts, together and pour into the crust. Then pour on a layer of caramel and top it with walnuts. Bake the whole thing at 350 for 30 minutes. When it’s done, let it cool in the refrigerator for 3 hours.

Remember, ladies: Sweets are not a treat for women…they are a RIGHT. Enjoy!