I love pasta.
That's a dumb statement. Who DOESN'T love pasta? It's fast, it tastes good by itself and even better with cheese and other amazingness.
But I could live on pasta.
I'm actually not a lasgna fan, but I was willing to give it a shot because of the eggplant (I know, right? go with me here).
A few years ago, a roommate and I tried to make eggplant parmesean. I came up with the idea after I had a phenominal dish at a little Italian place in Georgetown. I came up with this recipe:
This is the most amazing thing I've ever eaten.
So, when my volumetrics cookbook suggested Eggplant Parm, I gave it a shot.
You know my background, let me tell you about Chadd, who will serve as my recipe tester 90% of the time. Chadd is a young 20's normal guy. He burns through calories like a fire in a dry california forest. If he goes to the gym, he is capable of losing 10 million pounds and gaining it all back in muscle. He's that long lean baseball player type of which we are all envious. When he sits on his butt and plays video games, he loses weight. Don't ask me how, I wasn't a physics/nutrition/magic major. It's a guy thing.
What is abnormal of Chadd is that he is an incredibly picky eater. He would contend that over the past year of being away, he's gained a very expansive palate. I'll say that he'll try most anything once, but he still has his favorites. He cooks with butter and heavy cream and I'll be damned if it isn't the best food ever. But I gain weight when he cooks....or I eat a 10th of it and starve.
(My signature dish in college was actually Chadd's invention: pasta with heavy cream, butter, garlic, tomatos, peas, and mushrooms.)
When he liked the eggplant parm (see above), I jumped at our eggplant lasgna recipe. I suggest you all get the volumetrics cookbook since I can't find a link and don't want to get in trouble.
Regardless, while it was very good, it was a lot more time consuming than the eggplant parm, and Chadd thinks the parm was better. Number 1 cat thinks otherwise and has just now stolen chadd's leftover teaspoon of eggplant.
I vote with humans on food. While the volumetrics was good, I give the win to cooking light.
Dessert: I <3 skinny cow ice cream pops.
Friday night tip: A glass of white wine is about 46 calories. Save up during the day by eating fruits as snacks and you can throw back a few.
Showing posts with label Good food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Good food. Show all posts
Monday, July 21, 2014
Wednesday, July 9, 2014
Starting on the List
So, I know I said I spent a few days working on my resolutions, and I did, but I seem to have forgotten a few things, specifically, things that are more of a to-do list. In doing so, I learned something interesting about my health insurance coverage: specifically, that it does not include a dietician.
I'm a little surprised, and kind of a bit outraged. I can understand not covering a nurtitionist...but a dietician? Really? (Note: In case, you didn't know, the difference between the two is that a dietician is similar to a registered nurse (RN). in that certification is standardized. See this article for more info).
Regardless, it is on my list of things to do this year, specifically since now that I have a good handle on my caloric intake, it's probably a good idea to check in about my actual nutritional intake/needs.
I just did a very quick search at the American Dietetic Association's website, which can be found here and found 15 RDs who specialize in some of the topics I'm interested in, specifically weight management, sports nutrition, and meal planning.
While I was looking around the website, I found an interesting article on who should visit an R.D.: http://www.eatright.org/Public/content.aspx?id=4294967631 Basically....everyone.
Myself included. More info to come!
I'm a little surprised, and kind of a bit outraged. I can understand not covering a nurtitionist...but a dietician? Really? (Note: In case, you didn't know, the difference between the two is that a dietician is similar to a registered nurse (RN). in that certification is standardized. See this article for more info).
Regardless, it is on my list of things to do this year, specifically since now that I have a good handle on my caloric intake, it's probably a good idea to check in about my actual nutritional intake/needs.
I just did a very quick search at the American Dietetic Association's website, which can be found here and found 15 RDs who specialize in some of the topics I'm interested in, specifically weight management, sports nutrition, and meal planning.
While I was looking around the website, I found an interesting article on who should visit an R.D.: http://www.eatright.org/Public/content.aspx?id=4294967631 Basically....everyone.
Myself included. More info to come!
Tuesday, July 8, 2014
Eating Locally - Week 2, Chicken, Hedgehog Mushrooms, Goat Cheese, and Acorn Squash
Alllll right, sorry this came a day late. Chadd got called into the office, moving our movie time back from 3 til 6:50 so we grabbed a quick dinner before the movie and got home in time for me to pass out.
Tonight, I live blog:
French cut chicken breast
Eco Friendly Foods
Moneta, Va (247 miles)
$6.72
Hedgehog Mushrooms
The Mushroom Stand
Chester County, PA (118 miles)
$10.00
Acorn Squash
Spring Valley Ranch
Romney, West Virginia (133 miles)
$2.50
Piedmont Goat Cheese
Everona Dairy
Rapidan, VA (82 miles)
$11.35
Total: $30.57 Ohhh yeah!
On the menu? Pan cooked chicken breast with shallots, mushrooms, tomatoes and goat cheese. Roasted acorn squash.
I sliced the acorn squash down the vertical, put them face down on a pan in a 375 degree oven and they've been in there for about...30 minutes. We'll see how long it takes, I've seen reports from 30 minutes to 1.5 hours, (update: 45 minutes).
In the meantime, I'm sauteing a large shallot that I had sitting around, about to wash off the mushrooms and chop those to bits. I put a baking sheet over the pan to release the moisture.
Mushrooms and shallots now mixing together with 1 tsp butter. Shaving down some cheese for the sauce....toss in probably 2 tbsp. of white wine, a half a tomato, and boom. Sauce complete, over chicken, add the delicious acorn squash and I basically inhaled that as soon as I put it down.
Review:
The chicken...oh man. I see why people by locally grown chicken. Free range bird is amazingly flavorful and tender. Literally, a half a piece of a breast filled me up. The mushrooms were very very flavorful, a little buttery and nutty, which was amazing, especially paired with the shallots. The tomatoes helped tone down the flavor, since it was pretty strong. All in all...I did a MUCH better job this time.
Shout out to the awesome farmers who braved the horrid cold and wind to bring an amazing spread to Dupont. Pictures will be uploaded tomorrow! Must get sleep before yoga in the morning!
Tonight, I live blog:
French cut chicken breast
Eco Friendly Foods
Moneta, Va (247 miles)
$6.72
Hedgehog Mushrooms
The Mushroom Stand
Chester County, PA (118 miles)
$10.00
Acorn Squash
Spring Valley Ranch
Romney, West Virginia (133 miles)
$2.50
Piedmont Goat Cheese
Everona Dairy
Rapidan, VA (82 miles)
$11.35
Total: $30.57 Ohhh yeah!
On the menu? Pan cooked chicken breast with shallots, mushrooms, tomatoes and goat cheese. Roasted acorn squash.
I sliced the acorn squash down the vertical, put them face down on a pan in a 375 degree oven and they've been in there for about...30 minutes. We'll see how long it takes, I've seen reports from 30 minutes to 1.5 hours, (update: 45 minutes).
In the meantime, I'm sauteing a large shallot that I had sitting around, about to wash off the mushrooms and chop those to bits. I put a baking sheet over the pan to release the moisture.
Mushrooms and shallots now mixing together with 1 tsp butter. Shaving down some cheese for the sauce....toss in probably 2 tbsp. of white wine, a half a tomato, and boom. Sauce complete, over chicken, add the delicious acorn squash and I basically inhaled that as soon as I put it down.
Review:
The chicken...oh man. I see why people by locally grown chicken. Free range bird is amazingly flavorful and tender. Literally, a half a piece of a breast filled me up. The mushrooms were very very flavorful, a little buttery and nutty, which was amazing, especially paired with the shallots. The tomatoes helped tone down the flavor, since it was pretty strong. All in all...I did a MUCH better job this time.
Shout out to the awesome farmers who braved the horrid cold and wind to bring an amazing spread to Dupont. Pictures will be uploaded tomorrow! Must get sleep before yoga in the morning!
Nutrition Myths
It's been a rough day, so I've decided to take a little mental break and read some fitness articles from HFPN (see side bar for link). I'm hoping that you can all view this link, but if not, I'm going to basically repost it below.
I mentioned briefly in my last post that it's easy to get bogged down in the flood of fitness information, tips, and tricks provided by magazines, the news, coworkers, even books displayed as fitness books, written by MDs....scary stuff.
How to drill through it to the real stuff? Go to associations. Just as you would with anything else, go to the center of the shared and agreed upon knowledge of that industry. You go to AAA for car things, go to places like HFPN, AFAA, NASM, etc. for articles. These are written after research is done...not after someone wanted to make a buck and wrote an article for a magazine or had a publisher approach them.
That's not to say that everything you read or hear about elsewhere isn't true, it's just that sometimes it's not explained well. Case in point, this artcle, Nutrition Myth Buster, by Dominique Adair, RD (look! RD!)
Myth 1: If I eat late, I'll gain wait (or won't lose).
Not true. "The studies on meal ingestin patterns, and the associated weight or fat gain or loss do not suggest that reducing late eating is an effective weight control mechanism."
My commentary: If you banish late night eating and you feel that you're losing weight, consider what you stopped eating. Most people who snack at night snack on chips, ice cream--me, I'm a big wine person. If you tell yourself "nothing after 9pm" then you'll take out the opportunity for you to snack when you don't need to. But timing of your meals doesn't affect your weight.
Myth 2: Carbs make you fat.
"Savvy nutritionists have said for years, "pasta won't make you fat, but too much will." Like any calorie containing nutrients, if you take in more than your body needs and you are in calorie surplus, your body will convert it and store it as body fat."
My commentary: Thank you and thank you. This could not be more true. I cannot stand exclusion diets--the ones where you don't eat a certain food or food group. STOP DOING IT ALREADY. Everything is okay in moderation. Except trans fats. I'm not really cool with those.
Myth 3: Exercising on an empty stomach improves fat burning.
"Like cars, the human body performs very well when fed properly. In fact, most athletes have found out the hard way how a missed meal can impact their performance...Picture a well-running factory with many interdependent production stations. When food slows down or comes to a halt, so does production."
My commentary: I'd never really heard this myth before, but it's true. If you're one of those people who feels sick when working out after eating, give yourself some space, but it's always a good idea to be well fed when maintaining an exercise regiment.
Myth 4: Body builders need expotentially more protein than other athletes do.
"The most important consideration when bodybuilding is taking in adequate energy or enough calories....These calories should be distributed proportionally across all three macronutrient categories."
My commentary: I think everyone freaks about protein when doing muscle building because it's low in fat and easy to make taste better. Think: powder for shakes. I can't really comment on this since I have no experience in it. Chalk it all up to good marketing by the supplement people.
Myth 5: High sugar fruits and vegetables will make you gain weight.
"This myth is interesting because in reality the opposite is true. The carbohydrate found in fruits is called simple carbohydrate. But, far from making you gain weight, fruits and vegetables are high in water and fiber, which are essentially non-caloric and contribute to a lower calories, higher nutrient intake."
My commentary: Sweet and low cal alternative to dessert and snacking. Love fruit. Just remember. A million calories is a million calories. Think about the density of the calories for the food--low density = high saiety and vice versa.
Myth 6: Drinking water helps you feel full and eat less.
"Some well-recognized research...indicates that when water is mixed with food...subsequent intake is decreased, but when ingested separately as a glass of water it does not seem to decrease appetite or intake."
My commentary: Studies probably prove this, but when I'm feeling an emotional eating attack come or (or bored eating), a glass of water fends it off. Regardless. Keep drinking water. It can only help.
Side note: apologies that this was just now posted. I do have 4 more myths for you all...work just got a bit crazy and I got a bit exhausted this weekend. Update with a training schedule to come!
I mentioned briefly in my last post that it's easy to get bogged down in the flood of fitness information, tips, and tricks provided by magazines, the news, coworkers, even books displayed as fitness books, written by MDs....scary stuff.
How to drill through it to the real stuff? Go to associations. Just as you would with anything else, go to the center of the shared and agreed upon knowledge of that industry. You go to AAA for car things, go to places like HFPN, AFAA, NASM, etc. for articles. These are written after research is done...not after someone wanted to make a buck and wrote an article for a magazine or had a publisher approach them.
That's not to say that everything you read or hear about elsewhere isn't true, it's just that sometimes it's not explained well. Case in point, this artcle, Nutrition Myth Buster, by Dominique Adair, RD (look! RD!)
Myth 1: If I eat late, I'll gain wait (or won't lose).
Not true. "The studies on meal ingestin patterns, and the associated weight or fat gain or loss do not suggest that reducing late eating is an effective weight control mechanism."
My commentary: If you banish late night eating and you feel that you're losing weight, consider what you stopped eating. Most people who snack at night snack on chips, ice cream--me, I'm a big wine person. If you tell yourself "nothing after 9pm" then you'll take out the opportunity for you to snack when you don't need to. But timing of your meals doesn't affect your weight.
Myth 2: Carbs make you fat.
"Savvy nutritionists have said for years, "pasta won't make you fat, but too much will." Like any calorie containing nutrients, if you take in more than your body needs and you are in calorie surplus, your body will convert it and store it as body fat."
My commentary: Thank you and thank you. This could not be more true. I cannot stand exclusion diets--the ones where you don't eat a certain food or food group. STOP DOING IT ALREADY. Everything is okay in moderation. Except trans fats. I'm not really cool with those.
Myth 3: Exercising on an empty stomach improves fat burning.
"Like cars, the human body performs very well when fed properly. In fact, most athletes have found out the hard way how a missed meal can impact their performance...Picture a well-running factory with many interdependent production stations. When food slows down or comes to a halt, so does production."
My commentary: I'd never really heard this myth before, but it's true. If you're one of those people who feels sick when working out after eating, give yourself some space, but it's always a good idea to be well fed when maintaining an exercise regiment.
Myth 4: Body builders need expotentially more protein than other athletes do.
"The most important consideration when bodybuilding is taking in adequate energy or enough calories....These calories should be distributed proportionally across all three macronutrient categories."
My commentary: I think everyone freaks about protein when doing muscle building because it's low in fat and easy to make taste better. Think: powder for shakes. I can't really comment on this since I have no experience in it. Chalk it all up to good marketing by the supplement people.
Myth 5: High sugar fruits and vegetables will make you gain weight.
"This myth is interesting because in reality the opposite is true. The carbohydrate found in fruits is called simple carbohydrate. But, far from making you gain weight, fruits and vegetables are high in water and fiber, which are essentially non-caloric and contribute to a lower calories, higher nutrient intake."
My commentary: Sweet and low cal alternative to dessert and snacking. Love fruit. Just remember. A million calories is a million calories. Think about the density of the calories for the food--low density = high saiety and vice versa.
Myth 6: Drinking water helps you feel full and eat less.
"Some well-recognized research...indicates that when water is mixed with food...subsequent intake is decreased, but when ingested separately as a glass of water it does not seem to decrease appetite or intake."
My commentary: Studies probably prove this, but when I'm feeling an emotional eating attack come or (or bored eating), a glass of water fends it off. Regardless. Keep drinking water. It can only help.
Side note: apologies that this was just now posted. I do have 4 more myths for you all...work just got a bit crazy and I got a bit exhausted this weekend. Update with a training schedule to come!
Friday, July 4, 2014
Moroccan Pita Sandwich Recipe Review
Do yourself a favor. Go home tonight, hell, leave work early, and pick up the stuff to make this incredible recipe for tonight. This is my new favorite food. I burnt out on the eggplant mushroom thing I talked about almost a year ago...yes, it literally took me a year to get sick of it...and immediately have a new replacement.
The Moroccan Pita Sandwich is amazing. If you can't find the tahini paste, neither could I because my safeway sucks, but I just added more garlic and lemon and found that it tasted just fine. I might add chopped cucumbers next time. Regardless. This is ridiculously easy to make, filling, and so good. I was craving something very earthy and ethnic yesterday, so planning for this meal was well timed. Some people in the reviews say they used plain yogurt instead of the Greek, which I'm sure is fine. I keep Greek yogurt at home anyway because I prefer that texture (it's almost kind of like French yogurt).
If you want to make this even easier on yourself, I'd suggest even skipping making the meat into patties and just cook it all and divide it into 4 portions.
In other words: this recipe gets my enthusiastic two thumbs up. I'm already looking forward to lunch.
The Moroccan Pita Sandwich is amazing. If you can't find the tahini paste, neither could I because my safeway sucks, but I just added more garlic and lemon and found that it tasted just fine. I might add chopped cucumbers next time. Regardless. This is ridiculously easy to make, filling, and so good. I was craving something very earthy and ethnic yesterday, so planning for this meal was well timed. Some people in the reviews say they used plain yogurt instead of the Greek, which I'm sure is fine. I keep Greek yogurt at home anyway because I prefer that texture (it's almost kind of like French yogurt).
If you want to make this even easier on yourself, I'd suggest even skipping making the meat into patties and just cook it all and divide it into 4 portions.
In other words: this recipe gets my enthusiastic two thumbs up. I'm already looking forward to lunch.
Thursday, July 3, 2014
Tuesday Links (A Bit Late)
This sno"vacation" has put my mind on deep freeze and I've been a little slow to thaw, so while I get back into the fluidity of my normal routine, bear with me. Like how I used a few water/snow metaphors there? That's the kind of week it's been.
Anyway, here is your weekly round up of links:
Raising Awareness of Eating Disorders
I really enjoy reading articles by people who suffer from eating disorders. Not because I want them to have a disorder, but because I think it makes the larger problem more real, more understandable, and hopefully blazes the path to recovery. Kelly Zentgraf writes a very real article about her struggle and the lack of understand from the world at large about eating disorders. Most insightful, I thought, was her discussion of why people develop disorders--it's not just "oh the media said I was fat." Sadly, she says that she's heard people say "I don't know why, it just felt natural."
Fitness as a Full Time Pursuit
This is a great article that one of my participants sent to me (Thanks, Manny!) For anyone interested in how to pursue something off beat (and along the fitness path) this is a great boost for morale. It's also a well written, interesting article. Check it out.
Spicy Red Lentil Dal with Winter Veggies
My aunt gave me a fabulous birthday gift--a subscription to Fine Cooking. If that wasn't already awesome, what's even better is that Fine Cooking posts their nutritional facts in the back of their magazines. Without the lamb, you're looking at something around 320 calories for a cup and a half of the dal. Please ignore what the reviews say, I thought this was an amazing recipe, and very filling. I recommend making jasmine rice (easy to do, especially in the microwave) to pour this over. Now, if only I could manage to make naan...
Sweetgreen Has a New Location
Hurray for clean, local food, green business, and entrepreneurial endeavors! Stop by Sweetgreen in Logan Circle if you've never been to see what I rave about. My recommendation: The Guacamole Greens (with Chicken) and of course, sweetflow.
That's the round up! If you have links, post them before or feel free to shoot me an email!
Anyway, here is your weekly round up of links:
Raising Awareness of Eating Disorders
I really enjoy reading articles by people who suffer from eating disorders. Not because I want them to have a disorder, but because I think it makes the larger problem more real, more understandable, and hopefully blazes the path to recovery. Kelly Zentgraf writes a very real article about her struggle and the lack of understand from the world at large about eating disorders. Most insightful, I thought, was her discussion of why people develop disorders--it's not just "oh the media said I was fat." Sadly, she says that she's heard people say "I don't know why, it just felt natural."
Fitness as a Full Time Pursuit
This is a great article that one of my participants sent to me (Thanks, Manny!) For anyone interested in how to pursue something off beat (and along the fitness path) this is a great boost for morale. It's also a well written, interesting article. Check it out.
Spicy Red Lentil Dal with Winter Veggies
My aunt gave me a fabulous birthday gift--a subscription to Fine Cooking. If that wasn't already awesome, what's even better is that Fine Cooking posts their nutritional facts in the back of their magazines. Without the lamb, you're looking at something around 320 calories for a cup and a half of the dal. Please ignore what the reviews say, I thought this was an amazing recipe, and very filling. I recommend making jasmine rice (easy to do, especially in the microwave) to pour this over. Now, if only I could manage to make naan...
Sweetgreen Has a New Location
Hurray for clean, local food, green business, and entrepreneurial endeavors! Stop by Sweetgreen in Logan Circle if you've never been to see what I rave about. My recommendation: The Guacamole Greens (with Chicken) and of course, sweetflow.
That's the round up! If you have links, post them before or feel free to shoot me an email!
Wednesday, July 2, 2014
Tuesday Links
Well Happy Tuesday. This week is already moving right along, especially considering that today is my Wednesday since I'm taking Friday off work for the fitness conference.
Here are your Tuesday links:
(quick note--the first three articles are from the association that does the gold standard personal training certification--NASM and their health fitness professional network site (HFPN), so they're directed to wards the trainer audience)
1) Stretching Yoga into the OPT Model: FYI, OPT is a training reference for a type of program that is used for most clients. This article gives a more technical view into why Yoga might be a good addition to any training routine. After my yoga class this morning, I was certainly aware of where I have an imbalance--I'm not talking lack of balance, but where I'm weaker/stronger and where I'm compensating.
2) Group Fitness Breakdown: Following the post I did on appropriate behavior in a group fitness class, here's an article talking a little about different classes and what they entail. It's not a comprehensive list, but it's a good reference for learning more about Cross Fit and the various types of Yoga.
3) Anatomy of an Exercise: Cable Row: Oh man one of my favorites. I love my back and it has a lot to do with a ton of these puppies--or the upright row done with weights. Biggest two tips? Keep your shoulders down and squeeze your shoulder blades together. The shoulders down keeps your neck from straining (if your neck is straining, take the weight down) and the shoulder blades squeezing together works your entire back.
4) Spa (Weight Loss) Secrets: The first paragraph of this article is EXACTLY why I'm going to start seeing a nutritionist (tomorrow, in fact!). Do I really need 1500 calories? If not, how should I structure my caloric breakdown between different nutrients? The one thing I disagree with in this article is that chocolate torte. Worst recipe ever. I promise.
5) Grilled Chicken with Roasted Tomato and Oregano Salsa: I am very excited about making this tonight, especially at 312 calories a serving, this is perfect with a serving of rice. Review to come!
6) Angel Food Cake: Alright, I know this says Chocolate glazed, blah blah blah, but I'm not having 300+ calories for 1 inch of cake. I am going to make this tonight, sans glaze. I think I'll likely wind up having this with strawberries before bed at night. Again, review to come-just trying to make up for my lack of recipe posting!
7) America's Worst French Fries: Don't worry--you can still have them! In fact, the golden arches make a surprise showing here in the category of "best" fries in America. Man, I am craving some of those right now...must eat grapes...
8) What the World's Healthiest People Eat: As a foodie and fitness person, I love this article big time. Also, turmeric, one of my new favorite spices gets a little shout out. I'm not saying that any of us should adopt wholly any of these diets, but we should be a lot more willing to do what they do--they take their time, they are gentle with their food and allow it to have flavor on its own with the use of calorie free spices. Step outside your normal cooking path and try a little something new!
And that's all for right now. Post coming this afternoon with a frozen food review.
Here are your Tuesday links:
(quick note--the first three articles are from the association that does the gold standard personal training certification--NASM and their health fitness professional network site (HFPN), so they're directed to wards the trainer audience)
1) Stretching Yoga into the OPT Model: FYI, OPT is a training reference for a type of program that is used for most clients. This article gives a more technical view into why Yoga might be a good addition to any training routine. After my yoga class this morning, I was certainly aware of where I have an imbalance--I'm not talking lack of balance, but where I'm weaker/stronger and where I'm compensating.
2) Group Fitness Breakdown: Following the post I did on appropriate behavior in a group fitness class, here's an article talking a little about different classes and what they entail. It's not a comprehensive list, but it's a good reference for learning more about Cross Fit and the various types of Yoga.
3) Anatomy of an Exercise: Cable Row: Oh man one of my favorites. I love my back and it has a lot to do with a ton of these puppies--or the upright row done with weights. Biggest two tips? Keep your shoulders down and squeeze your shoulder blades together. The shoulders down keeps your neck from straining (if your neck is straining, take the weight down) and the shoulder blades squeezing together works your entire back.
4) Spa (Weight Loss) Secrets: The first paragraph of this article is EXACTLY why I'm going to start seeing a nutritionist (tomorrow, in fact!). Do I really need 1500 calories? If not, how should I structure my caloric breakdown between different nutrients? The one thing I disagree with in this article is that chocolate torte. Worst recipe ever. I promise.
5) Grilled Chicken with Roasted Tomato and Oregano Salsa: I am very excited about making this tonight, especially at 312 calories a serving, this is perfect with a serving of rice. Review to come!
6) Angel Food Cake: Alright, I know this says Chocolate glazed, blah blah blah, but I'm not having 300+ calories for 1 inch of cake. I am going to make this tonight, sans glaze. I think I'll likely wind up having this with strawberries before bed at night. Again, review to come-just trying to make up for my lack of recipe posting!
7) America's Worst French Fries: Don't worry--you can still have them! In fact, the golden arches make a surprise showing here in the category of "best" fries in America. Man, I am craving some of those right now...must eat grapes...
8) What the World's Healthiest People Eat: As a foodie and fitness person, I love this article big time. Also, turmeric, one of my new favorite spices gets a little shout out. I'm not saying that any of us should adopt wholly any of these diets, but we should be a lot more willing to do what they do--they take their time, they are gentle with their food and allow it to have flavor on its own with the use of calorie free spices. Step outside your normal cooking path and try a little something new!
And that's all for right now. Post coming this afternoon with a frozen food review.
Frozen Food Review (1)
Every night I make dinner with enough for leftovers. Everything is made fresh and is packed before I get up to go to work.
Haaaahaha. Yeah right.
There are days, many days, it seems, when I have to be able to throw stuff into a lunch box, most specifically, a frozen meal. I've been a long time supporter of Lean Cuisine since I've always preferred that taste, but I thought it might be a good idea to branch out. I purchased a few lean cuisines and an assortment of Amy's and Kashi frozen meals. Over the next week, you'll see a variety of frozen meal reviews. Today's review...
Carbs: 40g
Protein: 12g
Taste:
First off, I should say that I like Indian food quite a bit, so this wasn't some new adventurous food for me. I heard about a place in L.A. that serves moving octapus...that is new adventurous food for me. If you've never had Indian food, please don't start here. As far as frozen food goes, it was pretty good. The rice was moist without being mushy, the two Indian foods were a good combo of a type of curry without being too spicy--though I take points away for not being spicy enough. The tofu was kind of chewy, the way a thick fried egg can be--or maybe the egg in a dry omelet. I like my tofu a bit different (not sure how, just not...like eggs).
I'll also mention that I don't like eating frozen entrées with meat in them. It's a weird thing. I also avoid Asian food with meat, aside from the occasional chicken. I avoid it in frozen food because it's almost always chewy and kind of...watery while I avoid the Asian entrées with meat because I can't see if I'm about to chow down on a piece of fat with the sauce.
The dish wasn't memorable, but it wasn't bad either. While it was expensive ($4.50), I'd buy it again for the sheer reason that it was 260 calories, not dry or watery, and it filled me up.
Rating:
Presentation (1-5): 3, distinct sections of the plate and they made Indian food look better than my homemade Indian food.
Taste: (1-60): 45. Not great, not terrible, but I never thought "what am I eating?" it definitely was Indian food.
Satiety: (1-15): 10 This was hard to give--I had it with grapes and a 100 calorie pack of cookies, but I'm going to go with a 10.
Nutritional Balance (1-15): 13. I was totally pleased with the fact that it was 260 and filling, and had a variety of tastes--unlike Lean Cuisine ravioli.
Haaaahaha. Yeah right.
There are days, many days, it seems, when I have to be able to throw stuff into a lunch box, most specifically, a frozen meal. I've been a long time supporter of Lean Cuisine since I've always preferred that taste, but I thought it might be a good idea to branch out. I purchased a few lean cuisines and an assortment of Amy's and Kashi frozen meals. Over the next week, you'll see a variety of frozen meal reviews. Today's review...
Amy's Indian Mattar Tofu
The Skinny:
Calories: 260
Fat: 8gCarbs: 40g
Protein: 12g
Taste:
First off, I should say that I like Indian food quite a bit, so this wasn't some new adventurous food for me. I heard about a place in L.A. that serves moving octapus...that is new adventurous food for me. If you've never had Indian food, please don't start here. As far as frozen food goes, it was pretty good. The rice was moist without being mushy, the two Indian foods were a good combo of a type of curry without being too spicy--though I take points away for not being spicy enough. The tofu was kind of chewy, the way a thick fried egg can be--or maybe the egg in a dry omelet. I like my tofu a bit different (not sure how, just not...like eggs).
I'll also mention that I don't like eating frozen entrées with meat in them. It's a weird thing. I also avoid Asian food with meat, aside from the occasional chicken. I avoid it in frozen food because it's almost always chewy and kind of...watery while I avoid the Asian entrées with meat because I can't see if I'm about to chow down on a piece of fat with the sauce.
The dish wasn't memorable, but it wasn't bad either. While it was expensive ($4.50), I'd buy it again for the sheer reason that it was 260 calories, not dry or watery, and it filled me up.
Rating:
Presentation (1-5): 3, distinct sections of the plate and they made Indian food look better than my homemade Indian food.
Taste: (1-60): 45. Not great, not terrible, but I never thought "what am I eating?" it definitely was Indian food.
Satiety: (1-15): 10 This was hard to give--I had it with grapes and a 100 calorie pack of cookies, but I'm going to go with a 10.
Nutritional Balance (1-15): 13. I was totally pleased with the fact that it was 260 and filling, and had a variety of tastes--unlike Lean Cuisine ravioli.
Tuesday, July 1, 2014
Recipes and Nutritionists
Update on the recipe for the grilled chicken and salsa recipe in the Tuesday links--
Very good, I was missing the rosemary, but other than that, it turned out well. I needed to add salt, which is no surprise, but with a side of rice, it was a great meal. Just don't be like me and start making the recipe without reading the whole thing through (I'm terrible at doing that). I could have been doing two things at once, but instead I wound up doing one process (the marinating) only to find out I could have been roasting my tomatoes at the same time. Alas. Glad I had the Biggest Loser to keep me company while I cooked. The only beef I had with the whole thing was that it didn't reheat well. Though I've been having that issue with chicken lately. When I reheat it, the whole thing is tough and chewy and tastes...weird. Maybe I'm cooking it too much? Suggestions?
I was going to go for a run tonight, but our weather up here is drizzly and cold and I have my first appointment with my nutritionist at 7:45 tonight. I had to stay a tiny bit later at work than I expected, so by the time I got home, I was going to be cutting it close for running, showering, and walking down to GW. It's okay though. I was going to sleep in tomorrow, but instead I'm meeting up with my morning gym buddy to hit the weights, then my evening gym buddy after work to get in a run....oh, and Friday-Sunday I'll be working out intermittently through the days for my Les Mills Body Pump training!
Here are the concerns I plan to raise to my nutritionist:
1) If I am working out almost once a day, if not more than once a day, what staples do I need to have in my diet? What's the balance of nutrition that I need?
2) What kind of things should I add into my diet as I increase my endurance training for the 10 Miler and the Half Marathon (and eventually, the marathon)?
3) If I'm logging my calories very accurately every day (measuring food, etc.) and my body bugg is 90% accurate, then why am I not losing 2 pounds a week? Am I eating too much? Too little?
4) What kind of supplements should I be taking?
Here are my bets on what she'll say:
- I need to eat more
- I need to drink less wine (and/or prosecco)
- I need to cut the diet coke (currently at 1-2 cans a day)
- I need to eat more protein and find more calcium
- Iron is a must add to my supplements (which are currently at 0)
Update when I get home!
Very good, I was missing the rosemary, but other than that, it turned out well. I needed to add salt, which is no surprise, but with a side of rice, it was a great meal. Just don't be like me and start making the recipe without reading the whole thing through (I'm terrible at doing that). I could have been doing two things at once, but instead I wound up doing one process (the marinating) only to find out I could have been roasting my tomatoes at the same time. Alas. Glad I had the Biggest Loser to keep me company while I cooked. The only beef I had with the whole thing was that it didn't reheat well. Though I've been having that issue with chicken lately. When I reheat it, the whole thing is tough and chewy and tastes...weird. Maybe I'm cooking it too much? Suggestions?
I was going to go for a run tonight, but our weather up here is drizzly and cold and I have my first appointment with my nutritionist at 7:45 tonight. I had to stay a tiny bit later at work than I expected, so by the time I got home, I was going to be cutting it close for running, showering, and walking down to GW. It's okay though. I was going to sleep in tomorrow, but instead I'm meeting up with my morning gym buddy to hit the weights, then my evening gym buddy after work to get in a run....oh, and Friday-Sunday I'll be working out intermittently through the days for my Les Mills Body Pump training!
Here are the concerns I plan to raise to my nutritionist:
1) If I am working out almost once a day, if not more than once a day, what staples do I need to have in my diet? What's the balance of nutrition that I need?
2) What kind of things should I add into my diet as I increase my endurance training for the 10 Miler and the Half Marathon (and eventually, the marathon)?
3) If I'm logging my calories very accurately every day (measuring food, etc.) and my body bugg is 90% accurate, then why am I not losing 2 pounds a week? Am I eating too much? Too little?
4) What kind of supplements should I be taking?
Here are my bets on what she'll say:
- I need to eat more
- I need to drink less wine (and/or prosecco)
- I need to cut the diet coke (currently at 1-2 cans a day)
- I need to eat more protein and find more calcium
- Iron is a must add to my supplements (which are currently at 0)
Update when I get home!
Correction: Registered Dietician
Back from my first appointment with my REGISTERED DIETICIAN.
Remember This Post about the difference between an R.D. and a nutritionist? Review! I've been calling my awesome R.D. a nutritionist, which is incorrect, so disregard all that nutritionist talk :-)
Anyway, about the appointment:
She is awesome! This appointment was a get to know you session--we talked about my basics--my weight, my goal weight, my heaviest weight (oh man) and my lowest weight (Chadd gets the award for causing that one when he broke up with me...5 years ago?) and what I considered my ideal weight (my goal weight...minus 5 pounds would be like *ideal* though probably hard to maintain).
Highlights:
1) A glass of wine a day is fine. Two is not. Noted, though I probably average that out, but it's a good target to keep in mind.
2) Until we meet again (in three weeks, post Colorado trip), I need to keep an "emotional" diary in conjunction with my food diary. I'll be targeting how I feel--am I full? am I hungry? am I bored/tired/sad/happy? when I eat. This, I'm sure, will be a HUGE wake up call. I haven't really been tracking those patterns, and it will be interesting to see how those line up to my eating habits.
3) She said that my original body fat percentage measurement (remember that disasterous night?) is likely very inaccurate and gave me direction on how to make an appointment to use the BodPod. This, guys, is literally one of the most exciting things to happen to me. I have been DYING to find one of these. Do yourself a favor and get a giggle out of the video at the bottom of this page: http://www.lifemeasurement.com/products/testProcBodpod Seriously, watch it and tell me you don't crack up. Houston, we have lift off. Blast me into space.
I'm so psyched, can't wait to see what she has to say in 3 weeks!
Tomorrow--post about how I'm helping my NYC best friend, J, work on a project for med school!
Remember This Post about the difference between an R.D. and a nutritionist? Review! I've been calling my awesome R.D. a nutritionist, which is incorrect, so disregard all that nutritionist talk :-)
Anyway, about the appointment:
She is awesome! This appointment was a get to know you session--we talked about my basics--my weight, my goal weight, my heaviest weight (oh man) and my lowest weight (Chadd gets the award for causing that one when he broke up with me...5 years ago?) and what I considered my ideal weight (my goal weight...minus 5 pounds would be like *ideal* though probably hard to maintain).
Highlights:
1) A glass of wine a day is fine. Two is not. Noted, though I probably average that out, but it's a good target to keep in mind.
2) Until we meet again (in three weeks, post Colorado trip), I need to keep an "emotional" diary in conjunction with my food diary. I'll be targeting how I feel--am I full? am I hungry? am I bored/tired/sad/happy? when I eat. This, I'm sure, will be a HUGE wake up call. I haven't really been tracking those patterns, and it will be interesting to see how those line up to my eating habits.
3) She said that my original body fat percentage measurement (remember that disasterous night?) is likely very inaccurate and gave me direction on how to make an appointment to use the BodPod. This, guys, is literally one of the most exciting things to happen to me. I have been DYING to find one of these. Do yourself a favor and get a giggle out of the video at the bottom of this page: http://www.lifemeasurement.com/products/testProcBodpod Seriously, watch it and tell me you don't crack up. Houston, we have lift off. Blast me into space.
I'm so psyched, can't wait to see what she has to say in 3 weeks!
Tomorrow--post about how I'm helping my NYC best friend, J, work on a project for med school!
Frozen Food Review (2)
Wow, am I behind. I feel like I have a billion posts that I need to write...here's what will be coming this week (if I don't get a chance today to write much)
1) Review of another Amy's frozen meal product (this one is awesome.)
2) My project with J (NYC) for med school
3) An overview of my weekend getting BodyPump certified (holy moly, I can't fully extend my arms right now)
I've also got another guest blogger/interview with a professional coming up soon--probably next Monday, so stay tuned and look for that!
Might as well get something off the checklist first--Let's talk about my frozen food quest.
1) Review of another Amy's frozen meal product (this one is awesome.)
2) My project with J (NYC) for med school
3) An overview of my weekend getting BodyPump certified (holy moly, I can't fully extend my arms right now)
I've also got another guest blogger/interview with a professional coming up soon--probably next Monday, so stay tuned and look for that!
Might as well get something off the checklist first--Let's talk about my frozen food quest.
Amy's Black Bean Tamale Verde
The Skinny:
Cal: 330
Fat: 10g
Carbs: 55g
Protein: 7g
Taste:
Amazing. This was hearty, authentic to the taste of salsa verde, and not at all watery. It was definitely a complex taste (not just corn meal and black beans). I really enjoyed every bite of the whole thing. It comes with one large tamale with a mixed vegetable (mostly corn and black beans) filling, a green sauce over it and Mexican rice on the side. Delicious beyond belief. I will most certainly buy it again ($4.50). One of my coworkers actually said "Is that the Amy's tamale? Man that thing is the best." So it has a reputation!
Rating:
Presentation (1-10): 10. Well laid out, colorful, I wanted to eat it frozen, if that says anything.
Taste (1-60): 55. I always leave room for improvement (this was a tiny tiny bit too sweet for me) but it was awesome.
Satiety (1-15): 10. I wanted more, for sure, at the end. But it's hard to say if that was because I hadn't enough to eat throughout the day or if there wasn't enough food. I think it was probably the former.
Nutritional Balance (1-15): 13. Pretty good balance, especially for 330 calories--a lot of flavor and a good, solid meal.
Total Score (out of 100):
88
Tuesday Links
Tuesday Linkage!
I've got a bunch for everyone this week, so here we go...
1) McDonald's Signs Weight Watchers Deal: I literally cannot even talk about this one without doing a headdesk. One of the items they mention as being a part of the new Weight Watchers is chicken mcnuggets. I'm not even kidding you. This where, personally, I think we're failing to see the point of health. It really ISN'T about weight loss, it's about changing your eating habits and recognizing that if you have McDonald's one day, you're probably going to want to stick to something you know, not frozen then deep fried the next. Just because it has x number of points doesn't mean it's a good idea.
2) Dannon Settles False Advertising Lawsuit: I don't really take 100% stock in a lot of the healthy benefits claims of packaged foods anyway, but I do think that the questions in the article are good ones to keep in mind when you feel enchanted by the claims of food at the store.
3) FDA Warns Companies on Food Claims: Lots of articles this week on food and consumerism. Must be something in the air. This article actually makes me a little defensive of food companies. Here's an excerpt:
The FDA also chastised companies for implying that consumption of their products can help treat disease, akin to taking a drug. For example, the FDA said POM Wonderful, of Los Angeles, implies on its Web site that its popular pomegranate drinks can help reduce blood pressure, clogged arteries and the progress of prostate cancer.
Look, I'm not saying that POM is going to cure your blood pressure or that you'll avoid that triple bypass next month, but I do believe that if you put good things into your body, you'll likely see an improvement. Example: if I feed my cat food with corn in it (cats can't digest corn), he's sick...and we all suffer. If I feed him high quality food (no corn or additives), his coat is shiny, we avoid hairballs, and I don't buy out Febreez supplies at Target. I don't think that anyone expect someone to pop the top off of a POM juice bottle, down it, and find that they're suddenly healthier. But I would bet that there are some benefits to laying off the coke and trying some antioxidant fruit juice instead. Just sayin. Are we really that dumb/health dumb? It's not magic, it's science...and common sense.
4) Student Lunch Contest: This is a wonderful article with the results of the student lunch contest. This blog set out the challenge to create a healthy and delicious snack for students at the cost of $5. The results are inspiring and will definitely find their way into my lunch.
5) Humans Found to Have Sixth Taste: Fat: Well well well. Unami, now fat! We're certainly up a few from when I was in elementary school and tested my taste buds with lemon juice, salt water, sugar water, and cranberry juice. Interesting study on the sensitivity of people to the actual chemical make up of fat. We actually "taste" it's chemical makeup, not just its texture. People who can taste fat acutely are less likely to eat it. Who knew.
6) How Much Caffeine Is In that?: A good list of common beverages/foods that have caffeine in them. If you count those sorts of things....admittedly, I don't. I do keep my caffeine consumption to about 2-3 drinks a day, max. Just out of habit, never something I plan.
7) Pizza Pronto: I'm trying this sometime this week. Looks delicious. Review to come!
I've got a bunch for everyone this week, so here we go...
1) McDonald's Signs Weight Watchers Deal: I literally cannot even talk about this one without doing a headdesk. One of the items they mention as being a part of the new Weight Watchers is chicken mcnuggets. I'm not even kidding you. This where, personally, I think we're failing to see the point of health. It really ISN'T about weight loss, it's about changing your eating habits and recognizing that if you have McDonald's one day, you're probably going to want to stick to something you know, not frozen then deep fried the next. Just because it has x number of points doesn't mean it's a good idea.
2) Dannon Settles False Advertising Lawsuit: I don't really take 100% stock in a lot of the healthy benefits claims of packaged foods anyway, but I do think that the questions in the article are good ones to keep in mind when you feel enchanted by the claims of food at the store.
3) FDA Warns Companies on Food Claims: Lots of articles this week on food and consumerism. Must be something in the air. This article actually makes me a little defensive of food companies. Here's an excerpt:
The FDA also chastised companies for implying that consumption of their products can help treat disease, akin to taking a drug. For example, the FDA said POM Wonderful, of Los Angeles, implies on its Web site that its popular pomegranate drinks can help reduce blood pressure, clogged arteries and the progress of prostate cancer.
Look, I'm not saying that POM is going to cure your blood pressure or that you'll avoid that triple bypass next month, but I do believe that if you put good things into your body, you'll likely see an improvement. Example: if I feed my cat food with corn in it (cats can't digest corn), he's sick...and we all suffer. If I feed him high quality food (no corn or additives), his coat is shiny, we avoid hairballs, and I don't buy out Febreez supplies at Target. I don't think that anyone expect someone to pop the top off of a POM juice bottle, down it, and find that they're suddenly healthier. But I would bet that there are some benefits to laying off the coke and trying some antioxidant fruit juice instead. Just sayin. Are we really that dumb/health dumb? It's not magic, it's science...and common sense.
4) Student Lunch Contest: This is a wonderful article with the results of the student lunch contest. This blog set out the challenge to create a healthy and delicious snack for students at the cost of $5. The results are inspiring and will definitely find their way into my lunch.
5) Humans Found to Have Sixth Taste: Fat: Well well well. Unami, now fat! We're certainly up a few from when I was in elementary school and tested my taste buds with lemon juice, salt water, sugar water, and cranberry juice. Interesting study on the sensitivity of people to the actual chemical make up of fat. We actually "taste" it's chemical makeup, not just its texture. People who can taste fat acutely are less likely to eat it. Who knew.
6) How Much Caffeine Is In that?: A good list of common beverages/foods that have caffeine in them. If you count those sorts of things....admittedly, I don't. I do keep my caffeine consumption to about 2-3 drinks a day, max. Just out of habit, never something I plan.
7) Pizza Pronto: I'm trying this sometime this week. Looks delicious. Review to come!
Monday, June 30, 2014
Eating Locally - Buffalo and Greens
I'm sorry I've been terrible about eating locally. I've been able to get to the market frequently, but the challenge has had to sit on the side lines since a) $30 is a lot for 1 dinner and b) I'm tired on Sunday nights. We've been doing Thai takeout (mmmm veggie curry = low calorie delicious), or this Sunday, Chadd was the man of the year and made me a beautiful Chilean sea bass filet with tomatoes, olives, potatoes and broccoli after my crazy intense training over the weekend. He went so far as to pick a low calorie recipe. Love that wonderful man of mine.
BUT. Last weekend, I did manage to stop by the market after class. I picked up two buffalo steaks--one for Chadd (a ribeye) and one tiny one for me (a petite filet). The guy told me that because buffalo has less fat, that I should cook it for a shorter time, but I should season it just like a steak. Total was about $16
I also picked up a big basket of mixed greens, which came with the suggestion to heat some olive oil with garlic, dump the greens in, cover and steam for about 3 minutes on the stove. I mixed in a little goat cheese afterwards and now that I think about it, I definitely should have added some pine nuts which are floating around in my spice cabinet. Greens = $5
I melted some butter (1 tbsp) and cooked Chadd's steak first on high heat to seal in the juices, I let it cook for about a minute and a half on each side, then I tossed my steak in and probably did four minutes total--2 on each side.
The result?
Greens with goat cheese: 190
Buffalo steak (1/4 pound): 165 (holy lean mean!)
Total: 355
I recommend the buffalo--find it at your local farmer's market if you're lucky enough! DC folks, Cibola Farms is our local supplier at Dupont's Farmers Market.
BUT. Last weekend, I did manage to stop by the market after class. I picked up two buffalo steaks--one for Chadd (a ribeye) and one tiny one for me (a petite filet). The guy told me that because buffalo has less fat, that I should cook it for a shorter time, but I should season it just like a steak. Total was about $16
I also picked up a big basket of mixed greens, which came with the suggestion to heat some olive oil with garlic, dump the greens in, cover and steam for about 3 minutes on the stove. I mixed in a little goat cheese afterwards and now that I think about it, I definitely should have added some pine nuts which are floating around in my spice cabinet. Greens = $5
I melted some butter (1 tbsp) and cooked Chadd's steak first on high heat to seal in the juices, I let it cook for about a minute and a half on each side, then I tossed my steak in and probably did four minutes total--2 on each side.
The result?
Greens with goat cheese: 190
Buffalo steak (1/4 pound): 165 (holy lean mean!)
Total: 355
I recommend the buffalo--find it at your local farmer's market if you're lucky enough! DC folks, Cibola Farms is our local supplier at Dupont's Farmers Market.
Frozen Food Review (3)
A few days late, but nevertheless, a third frozen food review for you on my quest to find something beyond a lean cuisine pizza.
Fat: 11g
Carbs: 37g
Protein: 11g
Taste:
Surprisingly fresh. It really did taste like I'd just cooked it myself--the peas in the pasta were crunchy instead of mushy. I was very very pleased with how flavorful the meal was. Pesto was salty without being processed, the veggies were crisp, and the pasta had life instead of being, well, again mush.
Rating:
Presentation (1-10): 9. Top of the charts, but something green over brown pasta is never stunning to look at. The veggies were different colors though (they retained their color) and the food had texture. I wasn't going...eww when I opened the package.
Taste (1-60): 53 Not quite as good as the Amy's tamale, which was a tough act to follow. The pasta was great, but I needed more variety. The food tasted fresh and clean, though, so a 55 is almost unfair.
Satiety (1-15): 8.5 Needed just a few more bites...then again, that's why it's 290 calories and not 310.
Nutritional Balance (1-15): 13, same as the tamale. Less food, less calories. I liked the protein appearance and I expected a high carb count there for the pasta.
Total (out of 100): 83.5
Would I buy it again? Yup. It's steep ($4.75), but it's fresh, and a nice pasta option (especially over the Lean Cuisine ravioli). Just make sure to bring extra fruit and veggies, it'll leave you hungry.
Kashi Pesto Pasta Primavera
The Skinny:
Calories: 290Fat: 11g
Carbs: 37g
Protein: 11g
Taste:
Surprisingly fresh. It really did taste like I'd just cooked it myself--the peas in the pasta were crunchy instead of mushy. I was very very pleased with how flavorful the meal was. Pesto was salty without being processed, the veggies were crisp, and the pasta had life instead of being, well, again mush.
Rating:
Presentation (1-10): 9. Top of the charts, but something green over brown pasta is never stunning to look at. The veggies were different colors though (they retained their color) and the food had texture. I wasn't going...eww when I opened the package.
Taste (1-60): 53 Not quite as good as the Amy's tamale, which was a tough act to follow. The pasta was great, but I needed more variety. The food tasted fresh and clean, though, so a 55 is almost unfair.
Satiety (1-15): 8.5 Needed just a few more bites...then again, that's why it's 290 calories and not 310.
Nutritional Balance (1-15): 13, same as the tamale. Less food, less calories. I liked the protein appearance and I expected a high carb count there for the pasta.
Total (out of 100): 83.5
Would I buy it again? Yup. It's steep ($4.75), but it's fresh, and a nice pasta option (especially over the Lean Cuisine ravioli). Just make sure to bring extra fruit and veggies, it'll leave you hungry.
6 Mile Monday
I took myself out for a beautiful 6 mile run up to the National Zoo, across to the Cathedral, down Wisconsin to Georgetown, then back to Dupont.
It's the first day (aside from Sunday) of real DST. I cannot stand the whole losing an hour of sleep and how I kept waking up through the night, worrying about if I was going to wake up at the right hour. Come Sunday night though, I had one amazing night of sleep... I fell asleep to Chadd playing Mass Effect...for whatever reason, the soundtrack to that game literally puts me to sleep in about 30 seconds. I have been mid-sentence and passed out. This song specifically must hit me just right. Chadd's actually been known to turn this on so I'll fall asleep. So I slept well last night and woke up energetic (...ha.) or with enough energy to get through my day.
Tonight, I got home from work, encouraged by the (sort of) sun and a recent exploration of mapmyrun.com to go out for a six mile run. The route looked like this:
And MAN did it feel good. (Even the massive hills).
You know that one thing you really like to do where you don't actually have any idea how long it takes? How you can look up and all of a sudden it's over? That was my run tonight. There are nights, yes, where man, it's brutal, but the nights when there's a good run (always outside, always more than 4 miles) when all of a sudden, it's time to finish up--those are the best. It was gently misting, keeping most people inside, so it was basically a bunch of runners outside with a few straggling commuters.
For me, a long run is the equivalent of a hot bath and a a massage. It's a total mind eraser. It is definitely one of my favorite things about being a runner--finding that one thing that unlocks who you are. I won't ever be an olympic marathoner, but that's okay...because that's the nice thing about being a runner--you don't have to be "good" because "good" is relative. EVERYONE can work on improving their PR's
I encourage you to figure out what it is that gives you the same feeling (though the endrophin high is usually something reserved for runners) , but what is it that is your escape? Cooking? Walking? Writing? Art? Take a little time this week for yourself to enjoy that with your extra hour of daylight!
Best part of my night? Not feeling guilty about inhaling my dinner.
It's the first day (aside from Sunday) of real DST. I cannot stand the whole losing an hour of sleep and how I kept waking up through the night, worrying about if I was going to wake up at the right hour. Come Sunday night though, I had one amazing night of sleep... I fell asleep to Chadd playing Mass Effect...for whatever reason, the soundtrack to that game literally puts me to sleep in about 30 seconds. I have been mid-sentence and passed out. This song specifically must hit me just right. Chadd's actually been known to turn this on so I'll fall asleep. So I slept well last night and woke up energetic (...ha.) or with enough energy to get through my day.
Tonight, I got home from work, encouraged by the (sort of) sun and a recent exploration of mapmyrun.com to go out for a six mile run. The route looked like this:
And MAN did it feel good. (Even the massive hills).
You know that one thing you really like to do where you don't actually have any idea how long it takes? How you can look up and all of a sudden it's over? That was my run tonight. There are nights, yes, where man, it's brutal, but the nights when there's a good run (always outside, always more than 4 miles) when all of a sudden, it's time to finish up--those are the best. It was gently misting, keeping most people inside, so it was basically a bunch of runners outside with a few straggling commuters.
For me, a long run is the equivalent of a hot bath and a a massage. It's a total mind eraser. It is definitely one of my favorite things about being a runner--finding that one thing that unlocks who you are. I won't ever be an olympic marathoner, but that's okay...because that's the nice thing about being a runner--you don't have to be "good" because "good" is relative. EVERYONE can work on improving their PR's
I encourage you to figure out what it is that gives you the same feeling (though the endrophin high is usually something reserved for runners) , but what is it that is your escape? Cooking? Walking? Writing? Art? Take a little time this week for yourself to enjoy that with your extra hour of daylight!
Best part of my night? Not feeling guilty about inhaling my dinner.
Sunday, June 29, 2014
Tuesday Linkage!
Fun stuff today! I came up with a system of collecting links through the week (a handy old school internet browser tool called "Bookmarks"....)
So we have a ton of links, which will hopefully give you all something to do while I'm gone until next Tuesday. Again, just to rub it in, I'm going to Copper Mountain in Colorado. I'll be TRYING NEW THINGS and learning to snowboard for real this time. I already have plans to have an all day lesson this Thursday. My bro assures me that it's basically the best place to learn ever. If I come back in a neck brace, we'll talk.
Here are your Tuesday links!
1) Mindfulness May Change Your Health: In keeping with my belief that Yoga is good for you, here's a little bit on mindfulness. If you really take the new-age stuff out of it, being aware of your body (mindfulness) and being aware of how you eat (mindful eating) really make sense. Common sense at that. Your body talks to you a lot more than you're aware of.
2) Marathoning + Grammar = I Win!: It's just funny. That's all you need to know.
3) Learn the Right Way to Tie Your Shoes: It's interesting how something so small can change the way your shoes fit.
4) Today's Training Tip: Don't Worry, Be Happy: While it applies to how runners often times stress over the thing that actually destresses them the most (...running), it's all about perspective. Read the article (it's quick!) and apply it to whatever it is that you love to do that stresses you out. Then, re-enjoy!
5) The Runner's Pantry List: It's not just for runners. When you're doing your spring cleaning and chucking whatever that weird sauce you thought might be good with asian noodles out of your pantry, refresh by checking through these basics. Not to mention, it'll make cooking a LOT easier. My staple foods?
- Tomatoes
- Lettuce
- Onions
- Apples
- Strawberries
- Bell Peppers
- Mushrooms
- Cheddar Cheese
- Diet Peach Snapple Tea (weakness)
- Fresh herbs on overload (I ALWAYS seem to need them...particularly thyme and parsley)
- Plus Pasta
- Chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)
- Quinoa
- Sparkly water
- 0% Fayge Greek Yogurt
- Pirate's Booty Popcorn
- 100 Calorie packs of almost anything
6) Mark Bittman's 8 Rules For Healthy Eating: The first five of these rules, I said to myself "this summarizes my blog...oh wait, no this one does too." The last three, while I agree with them, don't really apply to my life. I try to get the right nutrients, I love beef, and energy bars? Who'd rather eat one of those?? Blech. The first five, amen brother, amen. Read the article, but in summary:
- Eat whatever you want...in moderation
- Plants first (fill up on low cal, nutrient rich, fruit and veggies)
- Start shopping and start cooking: KNOW WHAT GOES INTO YOUR FOOD
- Buy and Make Extra: I am the queen of reheats and left overs. Avoid office lunches. Hidden calories galore.
7) Free Jillian Michaels Mini Workouts: I have a serious girl crush on Jillian. And a trainer crush. I recommend downloading and watching (and doing).
And that's it for me today--I'm saving some of my links for next week since I won't be collecting them throughout this one. Stay active while I'm gone!
Also, do me a little favor and shoot my blog out to your friends, family, coworkers, gym buddies, whoever. Or...follow me on Twitter. It's good to know how many people out there are reading!
So we have a ton of links, which will hopefully give you all something to do while I'm gone until next Tuesday. Again, just to rub it in, I'm going to Copper Mountain in Colorado. I'll be TRYING NEW THINGS and learning to snowboard for real this time. I already have plans to have an all day lesson this Thursday. My bro assures me that it's basically the best place to learn ever. If I come back in a neck brace, we'll talk.
Here are your Tuesday links!
1) Mindfulness May Change Your Health: In keeping with my belief that Yoga is good for you, here's a little bit on mindfulness. If you really take the new-age stuff out of it, being aware of your body (mindfulness) and being aware of how you eat (mindful eating) really make sense. Common sense at that. Your body talks to you a lot more than you're aware of.
2) Marathoning + Grammar = I Win!: It's just funny. That's all you need to know.
3) Learn the Right Way to Tie Your Shoes: It's interesting how something so small can change the way your shoes fit.
4) Today's Training Tip: Don't Worry, Be Happy: While it applies to how runners often times stress over the thing that actually destresses them the most (...running), it's all about perspective. Read the article (it's quick!) and apply it to whatever it is that you love to do that stresses you out. Then, re-enjoy!
5) The Runner's Pantry List: It's not just for runners. When you're doing your spring cleaning and chucking whatever that weird sauce you thought might be good with asian noodles out of your pantry, refresh by checking through these basics. Not to mention, it'll make cooking a LOT easier. My staple foods?
- Tomatoes
- Lettuce
- Onions
- Apples
- Strawberries
- Bell Peppers
- Mushrooms
- Cheddar Cheese
- Diet Peach Snapple Tea (weakness)
- Fresh herbs on overload (I ALWAYS seem to need them...particularly thyme and parsley)
- Plus Pasta
- Chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)
- Quinoa
- Sparkly water
- 0% Fayge Greek Yogurt
- Pirate's Booty Popcorn
- 100 Calorie packs of almost anything
6) Mark Bittman's 8 Rules For Healthy Eating: The first five of these rules, I said to myself "this summarizes my blog...oh wait, no this one does too." The last three, while I agree with them, don't really apply to my life. I try to get the right nutrients, I love beef, and energy bars? Who'd rather eat one of those?? Blech. The first five, amen brother, amen. Read the article, but in summary:
- Eat whatever you want...in moderation
- Plants first (fill up on low cal, nutrient rich, fruit and veggies)
- Start shopping and start cooking: KNOW WHAT GOES INTO YOUR FOOD
- Buy and Make Extra: I am the queen of reheats and left overs. Avoid office lunches. Hidden calories galore.
7) Free Jillian Michaels Mini Workouts: I have a serious girl crush on Jillian. And a trainer crush. I recommend downloading and watching (and doing).
And that's it for me today--I'm saving some of my links for next week since I won't be collecting them throughout this one. Stay active while I'm gone!
Also, do me a little favor and shoot my blog out to your friends, family, coworkers, gym buddies, whoever. Or...follow me on Twitter. It's good to know how many people out there are reading!
Saturday, June 28, 2014
My Second RD Appt and the Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Run
I met with my Registered Dietician (RD) last Thursday after many a rescheduled appointment.
I have to say, if you've never sat down with an R.D., stop what you're doing, stop reading this blog, and go make an appointment. Get 4 sessions, and trust me.
The last time I met with my RD, I had brought her a food diary from about a week to two weeks of eating. I'm fairly meticulous with writing down what I eat, so that was the easy part. We talked about my goals, my life style, and some general rules, then she asked me to write down the emotional feelings I had every time I ate until our next meeting.
While that went out the window when I got busy, I did make note of my emotions while eating enough that this picture became clear:
- I woke up not hungry (even before and after a morning workout), got the office and wanted a cup of coffee, no food. Halfway into my coffee, I wanted to eat my desk and the hunger came out of no where.
- I ate again around 10:30 because I was starting to get the munchies. Usually a piece of fruit cured this.
- Since my team tends to eat together at noon, I was never hungry at the beginning of lunch. The hunger picked up halfway through lunch, then I finished ready for a food coma nap.
- 3:30 I get bored and want to snack. Has to be a slow to eat food--popcorn, grapes, anything that requires time to eat.
- Not hungry when I get home and especially not hungry after I workout. At all. I have to force myself to eat after a workout. But about an hour after my workout, again I am ready to destroy an entire pizza.
My RD and I went through discussing that pattern and it basically followed exactly what she suspected/had seen in my food log:
I'm not eating enough. Hi, shocker! I'm a really big proponent of calories in, calories out for weight loss and while it still holds through, I'm highly active and not fueling my body to that level. Am I starving myself? No, but is my body going "eh, let's not burn off that fat, we're a little worried about our caloric intake?" in a word, yes. It sounds a lot more like a bad thing than it actually is.
Think about your body as a car. Let's say that the gas tank can fuel for the energy needed for exactly 1 day, plus a little bit of top-off fuel. When you wake up in the morning (start your car) without eating breakfast, you're essentially running on fumes till you hit the gas station (first meal). If you're like me and try to get in a few morning workouts, you're running on fumes, then pushing your car to the gas station if you fail to eat before hand.
Of course, you want to fill up the gas tank all the way (stuffing yourself). Same thing happens if you decide to put in more miles in a day than your gas tank can hold (second workout) and you wind up filling up again before you take your car home and putting it in the garage.
Essentially, I burn on fumes, over load on food, get really tired, burn all my food off again, then eat a ton or not at all, then pass out and repeat. My consumption looked more like a tiny hill followed by a valley, then a big hill, a steep valley, a little hill, then a huge hill, then right back down and repeat.
My R.D. says that I need to fuel before and after my workouts and definitely eat a breakfast and fuel through my day.
I don't have the papers in front of me, but she outlined the amount of stuff I need to be getting in these food groups:
- Grains
- Protein
- Dairy
- Fruits
- Vegetables
It's a LOT of food. I know she was thinking that I'd be mentally tabbing up the calories from a sample meal, so she said something that I guess I knew in the back of my mind, but hadn't actually fleshed out into full thought.
I might have been eating the right amount of calories, but the nutrients? Who knows. I mean, what do you REALLY get out of a 100 calorie pack of chocolate pretzels? Probably not much. So we turned the attention to what kind of calories I was actually eating. Cutting out a lot of prepackaged frozen junk and turning to "whole" foods.
While I'll be eating a lot more food, I'll probably be eating the right amount of calories, with all the nutrients. I added milk back into my diet, which hasn't been there in years. My stomach and I are still trying to decide how this is going to work out, but it has been nice to induldge in a big frothy glass of milk, especially post workout for the perfect blend of carbs and protein (and it cuts off that huge hunger pang I have about an hour post workout).
I'll post the sample menu that my RD gave me when I get home.
We also talked about setting SMART goals. I think I've talked about smart goals, so I won't go there again, but if you're interested, just google it. We wound up setting two SMART goals for me with three supporting goals.
I'll post those, too, when I get home so I make sure I have them down right.
So far, so good. I'm on 5 of eating more like the way we discussed and I feel really full all the time and I have energy. Double win.
In totally different news,
The Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Run was this weekend. This was my second 10 Miler, my first one, I came in with like a 1:26 something because I was running with my friend, Maureen, from work and she pushed the hell out of me. This year, by total accident, I ran into her among 15,000 people. We wound up running together again, all the time pushing the other by total accident. We each thought we were slowing up the other, so we kept pushing and pushing and pushing. Before I knew it, we'd crossed 4, just after mile 5, I saw Chadd where I handed off my jacket, then 6, then 7 (oh man, just a 5k left), then suddenly 8 and we only had about 17 minutes left to endure. Then 9 went by and holy moly there was a hill. Maureen put the pedal to the medal, and amazingly, my legs kept up with her. We crested the hill to see the arches were not exactly right around the bend. Falling back a bit, we tried to pick up the pace again and flew through the finish line.
Time: 1:21:29; Pace: 8:09
And just like that, another PR this year.
I can tell you that one of the most beautiful sounds to me in the world is the sound of silence and a thousand runners shoes hitting the pavement all around you.
I have to say, if you've never sat down with an R.D., stop what you're doing, stop reading this blog, and go make an appointment. Get 4 sessions, and trust me.
The last time I met with my RD, I had brought her a food diary from about a week to two weeks of eating. I'm fairly meticulous with writing down what I eat, so that was the easy part. We talked about my goals, my life style, and some general rules, then she asked me to write down the emotional feelings I had every time I ate until our next meeting.
While that went out the window when I got busy, I did make note of my emotions while eating enough that this picture became clear:
- I woke up not hungry (even before and after a morning workout), got the office and wanted a cup of coffee, no food. Halfway into my coffee, I wanted to eat my desk and the hunger came out of no where.
- I ate again around 10:30 because I was starting to get the munchies. Usually a piece of fruit cured this.
- Since my team tends to eat together at noon, I was never hungry at the beginning of lunch. The hunger picked up halfway through lunch, then I finished ready for a food coma nap.
- 3:30 I get bored and want to snack. Has to be a slow to eat food--popcorn, grapes, anything that requires time to eat.
- Not hungry when I get home and especially not hungry after I workout. At all. I have to force myself to eat after a workout. But about an hour after my workout, again I am ready to destroy an entire pizza.
My RD and I went through discussing that pattern and it basically followed exactly what she suspected/had seen in my food log:
I'm not eating enough. Hi, shocker! I'm a really big proponent of calories in, calories out for weight loss and while it still holds through, I'm highly active and not fueling my body to that level. Am I starving myself? No, but is my body going "eh, let's not burn off that fat, we're a little worried about our caloric intake?" in a word, yes. It sounds a lot more like a bad thing than it actually is.
Think about your body as a car. Let's say that the gas tank can fuel for the energy needed for exactly 1 day, plus a little bit of top-off fuel. When you wake up in the morning (start your car) without eating breakfast, you're essentially running on fumes till you hit the gas station (first meal). If you're like me and try to get in a few morning workouts, you're running on fumes, then pushing your car to the gas station if you fail to eat before hand.
Of course, you want to fill up the gas tank all the way (stuffing yourself). Same thing happens if you decide to put in more miles in a day than your gas tank can hold (second workout) and you wind up filling up again before you take your car home and putting it in the garage.
Essentially, I burn on fumes, over load on food, get really tired, burn all my food off again, then eat a ton or not at all, then pass out and repeat. My consumption looked more like a tiny hill followed by a valley, then a big hill, a steep valley, a little hill, then a huge hill, then right back down and repeat.
My R.D. says that I need to fuel before and after my workouts and definitely eat a breakfast and fuel through my day.
I don't have the papers in front of me, but she outlined the amount of stuff I need to be getting in these food groups:
- Grains
- Protein
- Dairy
- Fruits
- Vegetables
It's a LOT of food. I know she was thinking that I'd be mentally tabbing up the calories from a sample meal, so she said something that I guess I knew in the back of my mind, but hadn't actually fleshed out into full thought.
I might have been eating the right amount of calories, but the nutrients? Who knows. I mean, what do you REALLY get out of a 100 calorie pack of chocolate pretzels? Probably not much. So we turned the attention to what kind of calories I was actually eating. Cutting out a lot of prepackaged frozen junk and turning to "whole" foods.
While I'll be eating a lot more food, I'll probably be eating the right amount of calories, with all the nutrients. I added milk back into my diet, which hasn't been there in years. My stomach and I are still trying to decide how this is going to work out, but it has been nice to induldge in a big frothy glass of milk, especially post workout for the perfect blend of carbs and protein (and it cuts off that huge hunger pang I have about an hour post workout).
I'll post the sample menu that my RD gave me when I get home.
We also talked about setting SMART goals. I think I've talked about smart goals, so I won't go there again, but if you're interested, just google it. We wound up setting two SMART goals for me with three supporting goals.
I'll post those, too, when I get home so I make sure I have them down right.
So far, so good. I'm on 5 of eating more like the way we discussed and I feel really full all the time and I have energy. Double win.
In totally different news,
The Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Run was this weekend. This was my second 10 Miler, my first one, I came in with like a 1:26 something because I was running with my friend, Maureen, from work and she pushed the hell out of me. This year, by total accident, I ran into her among 15,000 people. We wound up running together again, all the time pushing the other by total accident. We each thought we were slowing up the other, so we kept pushing and pushing and pushing. Before I knew it, we'd crossed 4, just after mile 5, I saw Chadd where I handed off my jacket, then 6, then 7 (oh man, just a 5k left), then suddenly 8 and we only had about 17 minutes left to endure. Then 9 went by and holy moly there was a hill. Maureen put the pedal to the medal, and amazingly, my legs kept up with her. We crested the hill to see the arches were not exactly right around the bend. Falling back a bit, we tried to pick up the pace again and flew through the finish line.
Time: 1:21:29; Pace: 8:09
And just like that, another PR this year.
I can tell you that one of the most beautiful sounds to me in the world is the sound of silence and a thousand runners shoes hitting the pavement all around you.
First Day, New Changes
Today is the day to start new things. At least in my world.
I got up this morning at quarter of 7 (despite a raging headache an a sleepless night...I guess that's what nerves do to you), my coffee had already brewed. I had a banana and a piece of amazing homemade bread that my awesome dad made for me while I was at home, and walked around the apartment getting ready.
Today is my first day at my new job. Technically, office hours are 8:30 to 6, but since I have to leave early sometimes to teach, I've decided to start getting here around 8. I enjoyed my car ride over (though I'll likely hate the metro ride home since Chadd needs the car to get home), and I've been here for about 20 minutes so far.
I actually have an office (with a door) and a big desk all to my own, a huge window at my back that overlooks the courtyard. Life is feeling pretty good, to be honest.
I've decided that this is the time to make some big changes (though they're really not big in the scheme of things). I'm going to get up an hour or so before I have to leave for the office (I only hit snooze 2x this morning as opposed to the typical 5-8 times), I will eat breakfast (especially since my RD is strongly urging me to do that), and I will take time to get ready the night before work so I'm not frantic the morning of.
Essentially, I'm going to start taking care of myself, pacing myself, and making this a lifestyle, not just another hellish project to get through. Of course, that would be well and good if I had actually gone to bed early last night and slept well. I stayed up way too late cooking (made lemon angel food cupcakes for my office...I know, suck up to the extreme, but they're only 140 calories!) and trying to relieve stress. Then I tossed and turned all night. I'm not actually sure I ever got deep sleep. I wasn't too irritated since I was basically expecting to not sleep well. I actually had a nightmare that I'd get to work and have nothing to do.
Two hours later, my day feels slow mostly because I'm not usually at the office until 9 and adding another hour to my morning makes it seem like it's taking forever. But at 8:30, my boss came in, seemed pleased to see me here already, then we all (three of us, 2 others on the phone) had a meeting, then we shot the breeze for a bit and 10am comes around and I have some reading material and a small task that will take me about a half day as soon as I have the info (likely this afternoon).
So far, so good. I like where I am and if I hadn't had so much coffee this morning, I'd probably be 100% on top of the world.
In other news....
My parents got me the most amazing cookbook when I was home. It's the new Cooking Light Cooking Through the Seasons cookbook:
I tried three (yes, three) recipes last night. And judging from how good they all are, I'm going to go ahead and say this cookbook is a must have in any kitchen.
I'm having the Fresh Pea and Mint Soup for lunch with a small side salad and, later, for a snack, the Garlicky Lima Bean Spread (don't judge the limas, they're pretty good when ground into a paste and infused with garlic) and then, of course, the Lemon Angel Food Cupcakes which have so far passed the office taste test and made it into the email welcoming me to the firm.
It's a good day.
Tuesday Links!
I'm back! I have links for you!
15 Things You Wouldn't Want to See While Running a Marathon: This is true. So very very true.
How to Run Injury Free: On a more serious note, this is a great article about common running mistake (training too much, training too little, speed work mistakes, ignoring injuries) that if you've ever started to hurt while starting a running program, you're likely to find your mistake in this article.
Weekend Calories May be Wrecking Your Diet: SOOOO true. I duno about you guys, but I'm a big fan of my wine on the weekends. I've decided to be strong and go without alcohol Sunday-Thursday because it's useless calories. This, of course, is likely to be negotiated through happy hours...but I digress. Weekend calories. We have time for breakfast, we have time to sit and talk over a nice dinner (appetizers, dinner, dessert, drinks), we get bored on Sunday afternoon and snack...the only things I don't like on their list are the "get up the same time you do during the week" bit because I'm a major catch-up sleeper and the one about weighing yourself frequently. It's my personal belief that you can't really see weight loss over the course of a couple days, a week is about the right time to measure weight loss/gain since we can go between +/- 3 pounds in a day.
Weight Loss Quiz: Very very very interesting. I didn't do terribly, but the nutrition questions were hit or miss on my answers. The only question I disagree with is if it matters what time you finish eating dinner. I don't think it matters, it just matters that you're not eating more than you normally would. Calories in calories out. What was your score?
I don't have recipes for this week, but I do have a link for you to this amazing cookbook:
Cooking Light: Cooking Through the Seasons
all I can say is that it's the most amazing cookbook ever. Last night (and today's lunch) was the cavatappi pasta with arugula (subbed watercress since I got that at the market) pesto and cherry tomatoes. Hello amazing. The four recipes I've made out of this book in the past few days have been 100% amazing.
And that's it! Enjoy you're Tuesday. Update on my new job tomorrow. Hint: it's pretty awesome.
15 Things You Wouldn't Want to See While Running a Marathon: This is true. So very very true.
How to Run Injury Free: On a more serious note, this is a great article about common running mistake (training too much, training too little, speed work mistakes, ignoring injuries) that if you've ever started to hurt while starting a running program, you're likely to find your mistake in this article.
Weekend Calories May be Wrecking Your Diet: SOOOO true. I duno about you guys, but I'm a big fan of my wine on the weekends. I've decided to be strong and go without alcohol Sunday-Thursday because it's useless calories. This, of course, is likely to be negotiated through happy hours...but I digress. Weekend calories. We have time for breakfast, we have time to sit and talk over a nice dinner (appetizers, dinner, dessert, drinks), we get bored on Sunday afternoon and snack...the only things I don't like on their list are the "get up the same time you do during the week" bit because I'm a major catch-up sleeper and the one about weighing yourself frequently. It's my personal belief that you can't really see weight loss over the course of a couple days, a week is about the right time to measure weight loss/gain since we can go between +/- 3 pounds in a day.
Weight Loss Quiz: Very very very interesting. I didn't do terribly, but the nutrition questions were hit or miss on my answers. The only question I disagree with is if it matters what time you finish eating dinner. I don't think it matters, it just matters that you're not eating more than you normally would. Calories in calories out. What was your score?
I don't have recipes for this week, but I do have a link for you to this amazing cookbook:
Cooking Light: Cooking Through the Seasons
all I can say is that it's the most amazing cookbook ever. Last night (and today's lunch) was the cavatappi pasta with arugula (subbed watercress since I got that at the market) pesto and cherry tomatoes. Hello amazing. The four recipes I've made out of this book in the past few days have been 100% amazing.
And that's it! Enjoy you're Tuesday. Update on my new job tomorrow. Hint: it's pretty awesome.
Old Habits, New Ways of Life
I had some awesome ideas on what to blog about today, but go figure, they literally flew out of my head. So instead, I'm going to talk a little bit about how I'm trying to stay healthy with my new life.
When I joined my last job, I was more focused on the fact that I was working my first full time job and that I wanted to make a good impression. My focus was entirely on my career, which was the right mindset...but it blew up in my face because I neglected everything else.
Over the course of two years, no joke, I gained nearly 20 pounds. I can't even tell you how hard it is to write that. We've all read those magazine articles about how if you do x (ex: drink a whole milk chai latte) x times a week (how about 3 times) over the course of x years (let's say 2), you will gain x pounds (how about 20?). My downfall was not chai lattes (at least not totally), it was the general lifestyle where I didn't focus on the pizza, the happy hours, the venti coffee drinks...and then I woke up one morning (when I started this blog) and asked myself "what have you done?" I lost 8 pounds. Then I celebrated and crapped out. Gained the 8 back, plus 1.
About the time that I began to realize I couldn't be happy and stay in my previous job, I also began to realize that I couldn't continue to treat myself the way I was treating myself.
You've read the story of how I managed to get through those months before I joined my new company, so now you know it's possible, but I was really worried about the transition. As unhappy as I was, I had a schedule I knew how to maintain, but I also had horrible habits.
If I didn't get up to go to the gym, I was usually up about 15 minutes before I had to walk out the door. I was hitting the right caloric intake, but at the risk of of getting the wrong nutrition. How do you make a day's worth of food in 5 minutes? Easy! You throw a lean cuisine, a 100 calorie pack, and some other processed stuff into a bag and off you go.
I promised myself when I started this job that I would live my life in a way that I was enjoying it. Every minute of it.
I have promised myself to do the following:
- Make a meal plan every weekend that does not involved processed food
- Wake up an hour before I have to leave
- Eat breakfast EVERY morning
- Make my lunch every day or have a plan if I have a client lunch meeting
- Make a gym schedule and stick to it (schedule must be flexible)
- Enjoy every meal that I eat (because calories suck if they taste bad)
I know it's only day three, but I've gotten up consistently an hour before I had to leave for work, gotten to work early for 30 minutes alone to have coffee and watch the news. I made a menu plan, cooked on Sunday, and have stuck with it. My gym schedule hit a bump tonight, but because it was flexible, I'm going tomorrow night and taking tonight to relax.
I have 8 pounds to go--I added two pounds to my goal weight loss, otherwise, I am proud to say that I've maintained my weightloss for the past two months and that as soon as I sign up for my trainer, I'll be back on track with all systems go to burn off 8 pounds by the middle of June.
I think the bottom line of this meandering post is this: if you're unhappy with where you are, nothing says you cannot change that. I know that I need milestones to help me change things, but think about what it is that you're dissatisfied with. Do you rush in the morning? Skip the gym? Rely on take out? Make an action plan and change it, because from where I'm sitting, and maybe it's the new job talking (it's so awesome, btw, I love being there), but changing something that makes you unhappy, as small as it may be, magnifies in how happy it makes you when you change it.
When I joined my last job, I was more focused on the fact that I was working my first full time job and that I wanted to make a good impression. My focus was entirely on my career, which was the right mindset...but it blew up in my face because I neglected everything else.
Over the course of two years, no joke, I gained nearly 20 pounds. I can't even tell you how hard it is to write that. We've all read those magazine articles about how if you do x (ex: drink a whole milk chai latte) x times a week (how about 3 times) over the course of x years (let's say 2), you will gain x pounds (how about 20?). My downfall was not chai lattes (at least not totally), it was the general lifestyle where I didn't focus on the pizza, the happy hours, the venti coffee drinks...and then I woke up one morning (when I started this blog) and asked myself "what have you done?" I lost 8 pounds. Then I celebrated and crapped out. Gained the 8 back, plus 1.
About the time that I began to realize I couldn't be happy and stay in my previous job, I also began to realize that I couldn't continue to treat myself the way I was treating myself.
You've read the story of how I managed to get through those months before I joined my new company, so now you know it's possible, but I was really worried about the transition. As unhappy as I was, I had a schedule I knew how to maintain, but I also had horrible habits.
If I didn't get up to go to the gym, I was usually up about 15 minutes before I had to walk out the door. I was hitting the right caloric intake, but at the risk of of getting the wrong nutrition. How do you make a day's worth of food in 5 minutes? Easy! You throw a lean cuisine, a 100 calorie pack, and some other processed stuff into a bag and off you go.
I promised myself when I started this job that I would live my life in a way that I was enjoying it. Every minute of it.
I have promised myself to do the following:
- Make a meal plan every weekend that does not involved processed food
- Wake up an hour before I have to leave
- Eat breakfast EVERY morning
- Make my lunch every day or have a plan if I have a client lunch meeting
- Make a gym schedule and stick to it (schedule must be flexible)
- Enjoy every meal that I eat (because calories suck if they taste bad)
I know it's only day three, but I've gotten up consistently an hour before I had to leave for work, gotten to work early for 30 minutes alone to have coffee and watch the news. I made a menu plan, cooked on Sunday, and have stuck with it. My gym schedule hit a bump tonight, but because it was flexible, I'm going tomorrow night and taking tonight to relax.
I have 8 pounds to go--I added two pounds to my goal weight loss, otherwise, I am proud to say that I've maintained my weightloss for the past two months and that as soon as I sign up for my trainer, I'll be back on track with all systems go to burn off 8 pounds by the middle of June.
I think the bottom line of this meandering post is this: if you're unhappy with where you are, nothing says you cannot change that. I know that I need milestones to help me change things, but think about what it is that you're dissatisfied with. Do you rush in the morning? Skip the gym? Rely on take out? Make an action plan and change it, because from where I'm sitting, and maybe it's the new job talking (it's so awesome, btw, I love being there), but changing something that makes you unhappy, as small as it may be, magnifies in how happy it makes you when you change it.
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