Having a plan is definitely the way to go. Prioritizing exercise is also a good idea! Staying hydrated is important. If you happen to be short (on water, not height!), it's better to drink an extra half liter at 9 pm than to be dehydrated (plus, if you're low on water, it will skew your weigh-in because your body then holds on to water and you appear to be heavier than you really are!).
This morning I chose to do a mile with my Leslie Sansone Walk-at-Home and then, because it was such a lovely day, walked two loops. So I got my sunshine in and my exercise, and all before breakfast! Which happened to be at 1 pm.
Since I knew it was going to be an International Food Fair this evening, with tons of tempting fried foods, I decided to keep my calorie count at a reasonable amount. I did not undereat, because I knew I'd be so starving I'd end up eating way too much in the evening. Then, luckily for me, I ended up volunteering to help with the money and tickets part of things, so I was too busy to eat. Had a slice of cheesecake, a cabbage roll, and probably about 3 spekulaas (Dutch spice cookies).
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Recipe: Refried Lavash
A twist on a classic burrito, I've paired a lavash with refried beans and kept it simple with few condiments.
1 wholewheat Lavash from Trader Joe's
Refried beans, between 1/4 to 2/3 cup
Slices of sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 avocado
1 Tbsp sour cream, Tofutti (vegan)
Pace salsa (I prefer mild)
Salt to taste
Heat refried beans. Spread a generous portion down the center of the lavash. Add slices of cheese, placing directly on top of the beans so cheese will melt slightly. Smear sour cream on top of the cheese, add thick slices of avocado, dabs of salsa, and salt to taste. Roll up lavash tightly and cut into half. Serve immediately.
Calories ~ 575.
1 wholewheat Lavash from Trader Joe's
Refried beans, between 1/4 to 2/3 cup
Slices of sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 avocado
1 Tbsp sour cream, Tofutti (vegan)
Pace salsa (I prefer mild)
Salt to taste
Heat refried beans. Spread a generous portion down the center of the lavash. Add slices of cheese, placing directly on top of the beans so cheese will melt slightly. Smear sour cream on top of the cheese, add thick slices of avocado, dabs of salsa, and salt to taste. Roll up lavash tightly and cut into half. Serve immediately.
Calories ~ 575.
$250 Deposit in Savings, Please
Still up at 11:45, watching Project Runway and thinking about eating. Can calories eaten after midnight count towards the next day's total? I finally ate a cheese stick.
Some days are just "maintain" days. At least the only thing I ate today that wasn't the best for me were the brownie and the icecream. Oh, did I mention I also had two suppers? A really great lavash burrito for the first supper; a whole wheat tortilla with vegenaise, and a brownie for the second one.
Hmmm. . .I think I need to get my mind in gear again. I'm thinking a little too much about how I've worked out 250 calories so I can now eat those calories. I need to think of those exercise calories as money in savings, not checking!!!
Some days are just "maintain" days. At least the only thing I ate today that wasn't the best for me were the brownie and the icecream. Oh, did I mention I also had two suppers? A really great lavash burrito for the first supper; a whole wheat tortilla with vegenaise, and a brownie for the second one.
Hmmm. . .I think I need to get my mind in gear again. I'm thinking a little too much about how I've worked out 250 calories so I can now eat those calories. I need to think of those exercise calories as money in savings, not checking!!!
As the Loop Turns
It's been a good day, so far. Staying up late to create this blog meant I slept in and didn't eat breakfast till about 10:30 am. Thinking about my blog the night before encouraged me to grab a quick rosemary baguette sandwich (minus the arugula, I didn't want to go to church with green stuff stuck between my teeth!), so while my breakfast was, again, 200 calories, this time it was more filling and kept me happy till lunch.
Rachel made an absolutely delicious vegan lasagna for lunch today. She has a really simple recipe, which I'll have to get from her sometime and post here, that basically consists of layers of tomato sauce (Prego works just fine), layers of mashed tofu, layers of uncooked lasagna noodles, and, if she has time, a cheese sauce made from pimentos. Assemble, pop in the oven, and bake. Even without the cheese sauce, it is still quite tasty and is starting to become a Sabbath lunch staple now!
For dessert we all enjoyed either chocolate or cherry-chocolate-chip vegan icecream. High in calories, yes, but once a week for a treat is just fine. Michael enjoyed his first taste of cherry-chocolate-chip, as he has recently begun eating chocolate since his allergies probably don't include chocolate. Now that I think about it, it is rather rare to hear of someone with an allergy to chocolate.
Most weeks I fall asleep on the sofa at my mom's house (it is the most comfortable place to sleep!), lulled to sleep by the silence only broken by occasional creaks of our friendly old mobile home and by the soothing sun streaming through the dining room window. This afternoon, however, I decided to go home to nap instead, but once I slipped my shoes off, I suddenly decided I wanted to do a couple of turns around the Loop instead. With my mp3 player and Sandi Patti's praise songs ringing in my ears, I stepped out my front door and headed to the beaten cement path.
I was originally planning to walk only two miles. After the first half-mile, I looked down and saw my battery had just changed to empty, so I decided I would walk until 1. I had completed three full miles, 2. I had finished listening to the Eric and Leslie Ludy Faithfully cd, or 3. my battery ran out. I found myself nearing the end of my third mile an hour after I'd left my house, my cd and battery showing no sign of ending, and fearing I would be walking till midnight, I headed in, refreshed and happy that I'd made a commitment to exercising today.
I've exercised 5 times this week so far. My goal is to do two miles of exercise (aerobic or walking) at least three times a week and up to five. I'm trying to find a balance that will work for me and that I can stick to for the rest of my life. Guess I've made my goal for this week!
Rachel made an absolutely delicious vegan lasagna for lunch today. She has a really simple recipe, which I'll have to get from her sometime and post here, that basically consists of layers of tomato sauce (Prego works just fine), layers of mashed tofu, layers of uncooked lasagna noodles, and, if she has time, a cheese sauce made from pimentos. Assemble, pop in the oven, and bake. Even without the cheese sauce, it is still quite tasty and is starting to become a Sabbath lunch staple now!
For dessert we all enjoyed either chocolate or cherry-chocolate-chip vegan icecream. High in calories, yes, but once a week for a treat is just fine. Michael enjoyed his first taste of cherry-chocolate-chip, as he has recently begun eating chocolate since his allergies probably don't include chocolate. Now that I think about it, it is rather rare to hear of someone with an allergy to chocolate.
Most weeks I fall asleep on the sofa at my mom's house (it is the most comfortable place to sleep!), lulled to sleep by the silence only broken by occasional creaks of our friendly old mobile home and by the soothing sun streaming through the dining room window. This afternoon, however, I decided to go home to nap instead, but once I slipped my shoes off, I suddenly decided I wanted to do a couple of turns around the Loop instead. With my mp3 player and Sandi Patti's praise songs ringing in my ears, I stepped out my front door and headed to the beaten cement path.
I was originally planning to walk only two miles. After the first half-mile, I looked down and saw my battery had just changed to empty, so I decided I would walk until 1. I had completed three full miles, 2. I had finished listening to the Eric and Leslie Ludy Faithfully cd, or 3. my battery ran out. I found myself nearing the end of my third mile an hour after I'd left my house, my cd and battery showing no sign of ending, and fearing I would be walking till midnight, I headed in, refreshed and happy that I'd made a commitment to exercising today.
I've exercised 5 times this week so far. My goal is to do two miles of exercise (aerobic or walking) at least three times a week and up to five. I'm trying to find a balance that will work for me and that I can stick to for the rest of my life. Guess I've made my goal for this week!
Friday, January 29, 2010
Recipe: Arugula On Rosemary
Arugula has a slightly nutty or cheesy flavour and combines perfectly with a rosemary bread. A quarter baguette is only 120 calories but the sandwich is filling and delicious. Change it up any way you wish by adding green olives, tomato slices, or low-fat feta cheese.
1/4 Rosemary baguette from Trader Joe's
Arugula (pre-washed, bagged, organic if possible)
Sprouts (alfalfa or clover)
Vegenaise (soy alternative to mayonnaise)
English cucumber slices (optional)
Cut your baguette in half and spread a thin layer of vegenaise on one side. Add cucumber slices (optional) and a layer of sprouts. Stuff with arugula (as much as you can fit in and still close the bread). Salt to taste. Enjoy!
Calories ~ 225 (1 Tbsp vegenaise, 1/4 baguette, and cucumber)
1/4 Rosemary baguette from Trader Joe's
Arugula (pre-washed, bagged, organic if possible)
Sprouts (alfalfa or clover)
Vegenaise (soy alternative to mayonnaise)
English cucumber slices (optional)
Cut your baguette in half and spread a thin layer of vegenaise on one side. Add cucumber slices (optional) and a layer of sprouts. Stuff with arugula (as much as you can fit in and still close the bread). Salt to taste. Enjoy!
Calories ~ 225 (1 Tbsp vegenaise, 1/4 baguette, and cucumber)
RainDropsOnMyA/C
So here we go, testing this out, I absolutely love to write and they say that people who journal on a regular basis are less likely to overeat and will have a higher success rate in losing weight.
Today was not such a good day. Seems like I have about two of those days every week, days when I feel the need to eat everything in sight, even though I'm not physically hungry. Today it was a tray of spanakopita from Trader Joes' (okay, before you start judging me, it was only 720 calories total) which I managed to finish in two sittings. I think I'm discovering I can't eat anything baked, fried, sweetened, or with cheese on top.
I'm also discovering the importance of a healthy breakfast. It's true what the expects say, it really does set the tone for the rest of your day. Unfortunately I was in a rush this morning and ended up grabbing a colby jack cheese stick (my one failing, oh wait, cheddar cheese is my other failing), a granola bar, a bag of almonds, and a mini applesauce. The applesauce smelled funny, which shouldn't be a surprise since who knows when that apple was mushed into sauce anyway and it's been stored in plastic ever since, so after a couple of spoonfuls I threw it in the trash. I ate the cheese stick and granola bar (200 calories total) at 8:00 and a handful of almonds at 11:30 when my stomach refused to stop grumbling.
Then came lunch. While rummaging about for something to eat (that's another thing I'm learning, you really do have to have a plan and be deliberate about it, otherwise whatever looks good may not be the best choice), I came across my tray of frozen spanakopita. I decided to pop the entire tray in the oven when I noticed the pastry was half defrosted, thanks to my mini-fridge freezer that ices the bottom half of frozen goods and thaws the top half. One Marilyn Milian and two Judge Alex court shows later, I had polished off 8 of the 12 triangular pastries. (note to self, if eating and watching TV at the same time, plate all food and do not go back for seconds. also, do not keep extra containers of food items close at hand for mindless eating.)
Oh, that wasn't all I had for lunch. My first course consisted of leftover 3-bean salad from my ambitious shopping trip to Costco (seriously, now, what does a 29-year old single woman who's trying to lose 30 pounds doing shopping in Costco? and don't tell me it's for the good deal on mini chocolate brownies!). My second course included leftover spanish rice that "needed to be finished." (yet another fallacy. why can't I just learn to throw food away before stuffing myself silly?) Needless to say, I spent most of my afternoon with an aching stomach, sitting on my bed, too lazy to move (all my energy was going towards digesting that mountain of food I'd shovelled down at lunch!). Of course, having the heat at 82 degrees didn't help either!
I religiously decided that since I'd OD'd on food at lunch, I would skip supper. Brilliant idea, right? Especiallly after skipping breakfast! Which is why I found myself staring into the depths (about two feet deep) of my mini-fridge at 10 pm, wondering what I could eat to still a demanding stomach and dismissing the carrot sticks and hummous. It was just a little late to digest fiber that had to be crunched first, even if they were mini carrot sticks. A cup of spanish rice (I hadn't finished it all at lunch!) and the final 4 spanakopitas later, my stomach was satiated and I tried not to think about the total number of calories I had ingested today. At least I'll be able to sleep tonight (I hope!).
Lesson learned. Always take the time to prepare and eat a healthy breakfast that includes a minimum of 350 calories (and two yogurts don't count!).
Oh yes, in answer to your question, I'm addicted to arugula. Stir-fried, as a salad base, or stuffed in a rosemary baguette, arugula is the most delicious green leafy vegetable I've ever tasted. Try it sometime! You'll love it!
Today was not such a good day. Seems like I have about two of those days every week, days when I feel the need to eat everything in sight, even though I'm not physically hungry. Today it was a tray of spanakopita from Trader Joes' (okay, before you start judging me, it was only 720 calories total) which I managed to finish in two sittings. I think I'm discovering I can't eat anything baked, fried, sweetened, or with cheese on top.
I'm also discovering the importance of a healthy breakfast. It's true what the expects say, it really does set the tone for the rest of your day. Unfortunately I was in a rush this morning and ended up grabbing a colby jack cheese stick (my one failing, oh wait, cheddar cheese is my other failing), a granola bar, a bag of almonds, and a mini applesauce. The applesauce smelled funny, which shouldn't be a surprise since who knows when that apple was mushed into sauce anyway and it's been stored in plastic ever since, so after a couple of spoonfuls I threw it in the trash. I ate the cheese stick and granola bar (200 calories total) at 8:00 and a handful of almonds at 11:30 when my stomach refused to stop grumbling.
Then came lunch. While rummaging about for something to eat (that's another thing I'm learning, you really do have to have a plan and be deliberate about it, otherwise whatever looks good may not be the best choice), I came across my tray of frozen spanakopita. I decided to pop the entire tray in the oven when I noticed the pastry was half defrosted, thanks to my mini-fridge freezer that ices the bottom half of frozen goods and thaws the top half. One Marilyn Milian and two Judge Alex court shows later, I had polished off 8 of the 12 triangular pastries. (note to self, if eating and watching TV at the same time, plate all food and do not go back for seconds. also, do not keep extra containers of food items close at hand for mindless eating.)
Oh, that wasn't all I had for lunch. My first course consisted of leftover 3-bean salad from my ambitious shopping trip to Costco (seriously, now, what does a 29-year old single woman who's trying to lose 30 pounds doing shopping in Costco? and don't tell me it's for the good deal on mini chocolate brownies!). My second course included leftover spanish rice that "needed to be finished." (yet another fallacy. why can't I just learn to throw food away before stuffing myself silly?) Needless to say, I spent most of my afternoon with an aching stomach, sitting on my bed, too lazy to move (all my energy was going towards digesting that mountain of food I'd shovelled down at lunch!). Of course, having the heat at 82 degrees didn't help either!
I religiously decided that since I'd OD'd on food at lunch, I would skip supper. Brilliant idea, right? Especiallly after skipping breakfast! Which is why I found myself staring into the depths (about two feet deep) of my mini-fridge at 10 pm, wondering what I could eat to still a demanding stomach and dismissing the carrot sticks and hummous. It was just a little late to digest fiber that had to be crunched first, even if they were mini carrot sticks. A cup of spanish rice (I hadn't finished it all at lunch!) and the final 4 spanakopitas later, my stomach was satiated and I tried not to think about the total number of calories I had ingested today. At least I'll be able to sleep tonight (I hope!).
Lesson learned. Always take the time to prepare and eat a healthy breakfast that includes a minimum of 350 calories (and two yogurts don't count!).
Oh yes, in answer to your question, I'm addicted to arugula. Stir-fried, as a salad base, or stuffed in a rosemary baguette, arugula is the most delicious green leafy vegetable I've ever tasted. Try it sometime! You'll love it!
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