Hi. Long time no see. I've been busy.
I moved to Florida to pursue a career in the restaurant industry. And to be closer to my sister. And to get out of an abusive relationship.
I was successful in getting out of the relationship.
I failed at becoming a chef.
And I learned that sometimes the best way to be close to one's siblings is to be far away from them. (Love ya, Mary!)
So I'm back in Wisconsin. I'm trying to get my feet back under me; looking at what I want in my life.
Today I tried out for MasterChef. It is likely I did not get in. I won't know for a little bit, but I'm fairly certain.
Thing is, I'm not upset. It reminded me of what I wanted and why. So, I'm coming back. And this time it is going to be better than ever!
Saturday, September 26, 2015
Monday, March 3, 2014
No Soup for You! "Cream" of Broccoli Soup (?) Take 1
With all the broccoli I bough when it was on sale I proceeded to go about making a bunch of broccoli foods. I also tried to make a batch of cream of broccoli soup. I must admit that broccoli soup is not something I have ever had the interest in personally. I love cream of spinach soup and cream of asparagus soup is on my short list of best foods ever...but somehow I have had zero interest in the broccoli version. This is most likely due to the general addition of cheddar to it. I have never been a fan of cheddar.
However i do not cook for myself only. I live with my sister and her husband and both of them enjoy broccoli soup so i decided that I would try my hand at making some. After all how hard can it be? Now, My sister is a Vegan (70% - so no Vegan Powers sadly), so I needed to make a soup that would not rely on chicken broth or dairy.
So here is a record of my first attempt...
You will need:
A Large pot
A Cutting Board
Ingredients needed (for ~5 servings - Give or Take):
2 lbs Broccoli stalks, chopped (roughly 4 Cups) Florets reserved for other uses
1 Onion, diced
2 Leeks, halved and sliced
1 C Diced Celery
1-3 Tbsp Oil
2 Tbsp Flour
6 C Vegetarian Broth (I used Better than Bullion and water)
1 dash Salt (to taste)
Directions:
1. Chop the Broccoli, Leeks, Onions, and celery.
Already I was in trouble. I had no leeks on hand (it was kind of spur of the moment when i decided to make soup) and when I went for my celery it was all gross! - Eww!
So what to do? I decided to go ahead with it anyway. How much difference could those 2 ingredients make anyway. I have had ingredients go missing or whatever before, so I fifured in this instance it was no big deal to continue.
2. Place the vegetables and the oil in a soup pot and saute until the onions are translucent. Stirring to prevent burning. Cook for about 10 minutes.
3. Add the flour to the pot once the vegetables are cooked. Still to coat. Continuing to cook briefly, until the flour begins to color slightly - 5 minutes or so.
4. Add the broth. Add it in batches, stirring between each to prevent the flour from clumping.
As i said, I used Better than Bullion. The jar lists the directions of taking one tsp of Bullion paste and dissolve into one cup of water for every cup of broth you want. Better than bullion is some pretty awesome stuff, but it is kind of hard to measure well. It is very thick (think molasses) so I find the best way to measure it is to either scoop out the spoon after each dip - ie scoop the bullion and then dump it into the bowl (pot etc) and while dumping it out take your (clean) finger and smoosh out the spoon. Or you can try the oily spoon method - where-in you dip the unused measuring spoon in an oil first then measure out the bullion (also works with other sticky thick substances). The Oil Method works pretty well, but adds extra oil to your recipe, which isn't always ok to do.
5. Bring the pot up to a boil and then lower the heat to a simmer. Simmer for 45 minutes.
6. Remove the soup from heat and blend it to a smooth consistency.
You can use an immersion blender if you have one, or you can use a standard upright blender or ninja or whatever kind of blending tool you have. An immersion blender is the best kind of tool for this job. I didn't realize my sister had an immersion blender available so i used the regular blender for this.
Why is a stick blender better? Because the biggest problem you face when blending hot liquids is their risk of explosion. No, seriously! Its dangerous because the hot liquid will expand rapidly when agitated and you can get really hurt. So if you are using a standard blender be sure to only fill the vessel part way (like less than half) and blend in batches. If what you are blending is thick DO NOT attempt to pop the "bubble" that forms in the blender when mixing hot foods. It is still safe to blend, just be smart about it.
Using a stick blender will allow you to blend in the pot preventing the issues of rapid expansion and bubbles from being dangerous.
7. Tada! Soup! Eat and enjoy.
So yeah...I totally didn't have soup at the end of this. I had something that appeared to be gravy. I was perhaps a little heavy on the flour, or maybe I didn't put enough water in. Or maybe i walked away from it for too long (I forgot to set a timer) and too much evaporated. For whatever reason my end result was WAY thicker than soup is supposed to be.
With some trepidation I took a taste. Freaking Delicious! Holy Crap! My brother in law had arrived shortly after I finished the product and announced his intentions to make a batch of mashed potatoes and top them with the "Cream" of Broccoli Non-Soup. So totally awesome. We ate it all.
Moral of the story....
Sometimes you really do need all the ingredients to make the dish.
Don't give up on a dish if it doesn't turn out the way you intended.
However i do not cook for myself only. I live with my sister and her husband and both of them enjoy broccoli soup so i decided that I would try my hand at making some. After all how hard can it be? Now, My sister is a Vegan (70% - so no Vegan Powers sadly), so I needed to make a soup that would not rely on chicken broth or dairy.
So here is a record of my first attempt...
You will need:
A Large pot
A Cutting Board
A Sharp Knife
A Blender or an Immersion Blender
A Measuring cup
A Tablespoon Measuring spoon
Ingredients needed (for ~5 servings - Give or Take):
2 lbs Broccoli stalks, chopped (roughly 4 Cups) Florets reserved for other uses
1 Onion, diced
2 Leeks, halved and sliced
1 C Diced Celery
1-3 Tbsp Oil
2 Tbsp Flour
6 C Vegetarian Broth (I used Better than Bullion and water)
1 dash Salt (to taste)
Directions:
1. Chop the Broccoli, Leeks, Onions, and celery.
Already I was in trouble. I had no leeks on hand (it was kind of spur of the moment when i decided to make soup) and when I went for my celery it was all gross! - Eww!
So what to do? I decided to go ahead with it anyway. How much difference could those 2 ingredients make anyway. I have had ingredients go missing or whatever before, so I fifured in this instance it was no big deal to continue.
2. Place the vegetables and the oil in a soup pot and saute until the onions are translucent. Stirring to prevent burning. Cook for about 10 minutes.
3. Add the flour to the pot once the vegetables are cooked. Still to coat. Continuing to cook briefly, until the flour begins to color slightly - 5 minutes or so.
As i said, I used Better than Bullion. The jar lists the directions of taking one tsp of Bullion paste and dissolve into one cup of water for every cup of broth you want. Better than bullion is some pretty awesome stuff, but it is kind of hard to measure well. It is very thick (think molasses) so I find the best way to measure it is to either scoop out the spoon after each dip - ie scoop the bullion and then dump it into the bowl (pot etc) and while dumping it out take your (clean) finger and smoosh out the spoon. Or you can try the oily spoon method - where-in you dip the unused measuring spoon in an oil first then measure out the bullion (also works with other sticky thick substances). The Oil Method works pretty well, but adds extra oil to your recipe, which isn't always ok to do.
You can use an immersion blender if you have one, or you can use a standard upright blender or ninja or whatever kind of blending tool you have. An immersion blender is the best kind of tool for this job. I didn't realize my sister had an immersion blender available so i used the regular blender for this.
Why is a stick blender better? Because the biggest problem you face when blending hot liquids is their risk of explosion. No, seriously! Its dangerous because the hot liquid will expand rapidly when agitated and you can get really hurt. So if you are using a standard blender be sure to only fill the vessel part way (like less than half) and blend in batches. If what you are blending is thick DO NOT attempt to pop the "bubble" that forms in the blender when mixing hot foods. It is still safe to blend, just be smart about it.
Using a stick blender will allow you to blend in the pot preventing the issues of rapid expansion and bubbles from being dangerous.
So yeah...I totally didn't have soup at the end of this. I had something that appeared to be gravy. I was perhaps a little heavy on the flour, or maybe I didn't put enough water in. Or maybe i walked away from it for too long (I forgot to set a timer) and too much evaporated. For whatever reason my end result was WAY thicker than soup is supposed to be.
With some trepidation I took a taste. Freaking Delicious! Holy Crap! My brother in law had arrived shortly after I finished the product and announced his intentions to make a batch of mashed potatoes and top them with the "Cream" of Broccoli Non-Soup. So totally awesome. We ate it all.
Moral of the story....
Sometimes you really do need all the ingredients to make the dish.
Don't give up on a dish if it doesn't turn out the way you intended.
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Loquat I can do!
Its late winter (early Spring really) here in Florida. I am not thrilled to be living here. (For many many reasons i will not get into right now) But one really nice thing about living here is food I have never had growing right in my back yard - literally.
This is a Loquat tree growing behind the house I live in. And it is in fruit right now. I had never heard of these fruits before but they are amazeballs delicious! Escpeially in salad dressings and chutney. However those are the only things i have made so far and both were amazing so i can fairly guess that the other ideas i have for these beauties will be awesome too!
So what is a Loquat?
Its a tree that was imported from asia as (primarily) an ornamental. The trees are self polinating and super resiliant so they are a very good little plant for the yards in the warmer temperate regions of the US. They are found in California too!
The fruit grows in little bunches and the fruits kind-of ripen at the same time so you can just pluck the whole bunch at once. The fruit doesn't give much of a fight when picking and the cluster will come free fairly easily.
Feel free to eat it raw, as is (after washing of course). No need to peel. However, beware the seeds. Each loquat can have up to 5 seeds though most have only 1 or 2. The edible flesh of the fruit is a fairly thin area around the large seeds.
The fruit is about as large as a strawberry. It ranges in color from a yellowy green to orange/peach to a blushed orange color as they ripen. Its better to pick them in the peach stage as the fruit flies love there things and waiting until they are really ripe means you might get some added protein when you bide into one - if you get my drift. Nasty! So get them while they are still a little under ripe. The skin is thin and has some light peach fuzz on it.
Flavor:
Sweet - like a peach or mango but with a slightly sour/tangy flavor like a grapefruit added.
Preparation...
I simply wash off my loquats and slice them lengthwise. Then I remove the pit. I save these because I found a recipe for making amaretto from them, so I'm totally going to try it!
Some of the webpages I came across while learning about this fruit warned of a strong smell associated with the fruit - something akin to bleach apparently. They warned that you might want to blanch the fruit before you handled it, or wear gloves so as to prevent your hands from smelling funny later. I did not find this to be true of the fruits I have but different cultivars likely have different scents.
Loquat, being a fruit and all, is a healthy thing to eat. It is high in fiber nearly 2 grams in a 1/2 cup. In that same 1/2 cup you get about 1/2 a gram of protein. They are also reasonably high in vitamin A.
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loquat
Nutritiondata.com
So what is a Loquat?
Its a tree that was imported from asia as (primarily) an ornamental. The trees are self polinating and super resiliant so they are a very good little plant for the yards in the warmer temperate regions of the US. They are found in California too!
The fruit grows in little bunches and the fruits kind-of ripen at the same time so you can just pluck the whole bunch at once. The fruit doesn't give much of a fight when picking and the cluster will come free fairly easily.
Sweet - like a peach or mango but with a slightly sour/tangy flavor like a grapefruit added.
Preparation...
I simply wash off my loquats and slice them lengthwise. Then I remove the pit. I save these because I found a recipe for making amaretto from them, so I'm totally going to try it!
Some of the webpages I came across while learning about this fruit warned of a strong smell associated with the fruit - something akin to bleach apparently. They warned that you might want to blanch the fruit before you handled it, or wear gloves so as to prevent your hands from smelling funny later. I did not find this to be true of the fruits I have but different cultivars likely have different scents.
Loquat, being a fruit and all, is a healthy thing to eat. It is high in fiber nearly 2 grams in a 1/2 cup. In that same 1/2 cup you get about 1/2 a gram of protein. They are also reasonably high in vitamin A.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loquat
Nutritiondata.com
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
Failure to launch
I'm not having a very productive day.
I made a conscious choice to sleep in. I could have easily gotten up when any of my normal alarms went off...or when my sister knocked on the door...but instead I announced I was sleeping in. I'm not sure why I did that. Given a choice between sleep and not sleep (unless it is after 10pm) I will inevitably choose sleep. I love sleeping. Or perhaps I'm addicted? Or maybe I'm somehow broken. :/ I've had sleep studies. They weren't quite sure what was wrong but prescribed something to help be stay awake. That was years ago. I'm waiting on my insurance company to approve a new study...maybe the new techniques or advances in technology will identify what the hell is wrong with me.
But I did get up today. I was perfectly awake but loath to get out of bed. Its my Sunday. I start my work week tomorrow. I love working - not necessarily my job, mind you - but working. Its important to me to be needed and functional. So I laid in bed for almost an hour. Then I went to the bathroom and weighed in. I always weigh in in the morning after going to the bathroom. I figure this is the point when I will be my lightest all day. 196.6
Not a bad weight...though a full pound heavier than yesterday. There are reasons for this...perhaps I'm retaining water or something...or more likely, yesterday when i got on the scale I didn't notice that one corner of it was on the carpet. My sister pointed this out to me lat night. Its very important that your scale be on a flat hard surface for it to give an accurate reading.
Then I got dressed and ate breakfast...it was still morning - not yet noon. Plenty of time to get a good and productive day in. I turned on the computer and worked on music for a bit and watched a TED talk on Netflix (Something about making sure that you don't only have one picture of a people. Nothing is nice and neat and able to be put into a small tidy package.)
Then I sat down to get some work done. I was going to blog. I have to write about my failed broccoli soup. The title is going to be "No Soup For You" - get it? But then I didn't. I just swam aimlessly through the unending stream of social media. Just a piece of flotsom in a sea of aphorisms and news snippets.
Around 3 I realized I was lethargic...most likely because i was hungry and went to make the last of that rice side dish...this time with a piece of frozen pollock to accompany (I did make one bag last 4 meals). And while I was away from the sucking void of the internet I managed to go outside and clean out my car ( a much needed weekly task) and start the laundry. Then I ate the meal (not without misadventure however as i broke one of my favorite bowls in the process.) I watched Ze Frank's Ted Talk because i remember liking it and then chased that with his most recent True Facts episode.
And I was right back to where I had been. Fed now but no more productive.
You see...I couldn't go to the gym today. I'm broke. I can't spare the gas to drive the distance there and back. I know that I can exercise here. I am more than able to do it. I have hundreds of exercise classes available at my disposal online and my sister has all the P90X videos (even the most recent ones). I have resistance bands, and medicine balls and balance balls, and free weights. I could run - the weather is nice but not oppressively hot (I currently live in Florida). But I just couldn't get up the motivation.
I love going to the gym. It's the most selfish thing I do. And I revel in it.
Eventually I did the dishes and swapped in the second load of laundry. But without going to the gym my day has felt like a failure.
I made a conscious choice to sleep in. I could have easily gotten up when any of my normal alarms went off...or when my sister knocked on the door...but instead I announced I was sleeping in. I'm not sure why I did that. Given a choice between sleep and not sleep (unless it is after 10pm) I will inevitably choose sleep. I love sleeping. Or perhaps I'm addicted? Or maybe I'm somehow broken. :/ I've had sleep studies. They weren't quite sure what was wrong but prescribed something to help be stay awake. That was years ago. I'm waiting on my insurance company to approve a new study...maybe the new techniques or advances in technology will identify what the hell is wrong with me.
But I did get up today. I was perfectly awake but loath to get out of bed. Its my Sunday. I start my work week tomorrow. I love working - not necessarily my job, mind you - but working. Its important to me to be needed and functional. So I laid in bed for almost an hour. Then I went to the bathroom and weighed in. I always weigh in in the morning after going to the bathroom. I figure this is the point when I will be my lightest all day. 196.6
Not a bad weight...though a full pound heavier than yesterday. There are reasons for this...perhaps I'm retaining water or something...or more likely, yesterday when i got on the scale I didn't notice that one corner of it was on the carpet. My sister pointed this out to me lat night. Its very important that your scale be on a flat hard surface for it to give an accurate reading.
Then I got dressed and ate breakfast...it was still morning - not yet noon. Plenty of time to get a good and productive day in. I turned on the computer and worked on music for a bit and watched a TED talk on Netflix (Something about making sure that you don't only have one picture of a people. Nothing is nice and neat and able to be put into a small tidy package.)
Then I sat down to get some work done. I was going to blog. I have to write about my failed broccoli soup. The title is going to be "No Soup For You" - get it? But then I didn't. I just swam aimlessly through the unending stream of social media. Just a piece of flotsom in a sea of aphorisms and news snippets.
Around 3 I realized I was lethargic...most likely because i was hungry and went to make the last of that rice side dish...this time with a piece of frozen pollock to accompany (I did make one bag last 4 meals). And while I was away from the sucking void of the internet I managed to go outside and clean out my car ( a much needed weekly task) and start the laundry. Then I ate the meal (not without misadventure however as i broke one of my favorite bowls in the process.) I watched Ze Frank's Ted Talk because i remember liking it and then chased that with his most recent True Facts episode.
And I was right back to where I had been. Fed now but no more productive.
You see...I couldn't go to the gym today. I'm broke. I can't spare the gas to drive the distance there and back. I know that I can exercise here. I am more than able to do it. I have hundreds of exercise classes available at my disposal online and my sister has all the P90X videos (even the most recent ones). I have resistance bands, and medicine balls and balance balls, and free weights. I could run - the weather is nice but not oppressively hot (I currently live in Florida). But I just couldn't get up the motivation.
I love going to the gym. It's the most selfish thing I do. And I revel in it.
Eventually I did the dishes and swapped in the second load of laundry. But without going to the gym my day has felt like a failure.
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
Weather.... We Want To Or Not
Unless you have been living under a rock for the past few months you must certainly have noticed that the weather this year is a bit more extreme than usual. Polar Vortices...Record Drought...etc.
What does this have to do with food cooking and weight loss? Lots!
There have been some studies into the connection between healthy food costs and obesity. In general its inconclusive. But if you just go by your gut instinct...people will prefer to eat food that is cheaper.
Now, the cost of food is complicated - in no small part due to the U.S. Farm Bill - but if you just look at standard economic principles of supply and demand this winter is really bad news for everyone - even those of us that managed to avoid living in a zone of extreme weather.
Explain how? The extreme drought in California has caused the farms there to let fields they normally plant go fallow. They can't irrigate the thirsty crops many of which won't even be planted. (Personally I think it is ridiculous that we were farming rice in a drought prone area in the first place...but no one asked me).
The ice and cold in the South has most certainly affected the fruit trees that we all associate with Georgia (Peaches) and Florida (Oranges).
All up and down our country the extreme weather had affected the agricultural machine. I can only guess what the repercussions will be. But one thing I know is that the costs of our food is going to go up.
What to do about it....
Well, that is also a complicated question too. It depends on many variables.
Do you feel that the weather is being affected by climate change? Then you can try to pressure lawmakers (Ha!) into drafting stronger legislation to protect the earth. Also though, you can take matters in your own hands (no I don't mean become some crazy eco terrorist). I mean that you can make some real changes to your lifestyle to stop being part of the problem. Sell your old car or trade it in for a new fuel efficient model. Or better yet start car pooling and commuting to work on the bus or even biking to work. Don't tell me how you can't do it because the time it takes you to commute would be too long - plenty of the "less fortunate" have some seriously long commutes on public transit and the manage. If more people who don't have to commute via bus started doing so out of a feeling of civic duty or whatever, the public transit systems would improve.
Water conservation...it's not just something that concerns farmers. It isn't just for people who live in a drought stricken area. Simple water saving measures help everyone.
Turn off the faucet while you are brushing your teeth (or brush your teeth in the shower - like I do).
Replace your shower head with a low flow head.
Take any unused medicines back to a pharmacy instead of flushing them or throwing them away. (It keeps them out of the sewer system and depending on the meds can sometimes be used to help people who need them)
Do you own your living space? Replace your toilets with low flow ones or better yet...this thing:
If you can afford it, buy water efficient dish washers and laundry machines.
Plant a rain garden to help the aquifers refill instead of having the rain just wash into the sewer system.
While we are on the subject of planting things...plant a garden. You can plant a single pot of herbs for your window or convert your entire yard to non-grass plants. If you plant edible plants you are contributing to your own food security. And as far as non grass plants go - most are more drought resistant than that opulent stuff. Just try to plant things that are native varieties to make the best use of your soil and climate and to prevent invasive species issues. Many urban areas have garden plots available to city dwellers. Some are free or low cost so look into it.
Got additional ideas on what you can do...post 'em. I could go on and on and on....
What does this have to do with food cooking and weight loss? Lots!
There have been some studies into the connection between healthy food costs and obesity. In general its inconclusive. But if you just go by your gut instinct...people will prefer to eat food that is cheaper.
Now, the cost of food is complicated - in no small part due to the U.S. Farm Bill - but if you just look at standard economic principles of supply and demand this winter is really bad news for everyone - even those of us that managed to avoid living in a zone of extreme weather.
Explain how? The extreme drought in California has caused the farms there to let fields they normally plant go fallow. They can't irrigate the thirsty crops many of which won't even be planted. (Personally I think it is ridiculous that we were farming rice in a drought prone area in the first place...but no one asked me).
The ice and cold in the South has most certainly affected the fruit trees that we all associate with Georgia (Peaches) and Florida (Oranges).
All up and down our country the extreme weather had affected the agricultural machine. I can only guess what the repercussions will be. But one thing I know is that the costs of our food is going to go up.
What to do about it....
Well, that is also a complicated question too. It depends on many variables.
Do you feel that the weather is being affected by climate change? Then you can try to pressure lawmakers (Ha!) into drafting stronger legislation to protect the earth. Also though, you can take matters in your own hands (no I don't mean become some crazy eco terrorist). I mean that you can make some real changes to your lifestyle to stop being part of the problem. Sell your old car or trade it in for a new fuel efficient model. Or better yet start car pooling and commuting to work on the bus or even biking to work. Don't tell me how you can't do it because the time it takes you to commute would be too long - plenty of the "less fortunate" have some seriously long commutes on public transit and the manage. If more people who don't have to commute via bus started doing so out of a feeling of civic duty or whatever, the public transit systems would improve.
Water conservation...it's not just something that concerns farmers. It isn't just for people who live in a drought stricken area. Simple water saving measures help everyone.
Turn off the faucet while you are brushing your teeth (or brush your teeth in the shower - like I do).
Replace your shower head with a low flow head.
Take any unused medicines back to a pharmacy instead of flushing them or throwing them away. (It keeps them out of the sewer system and depending on the meds can sometimes be used to help people who need them)
Do you own your living space? Replace your toilets with low flow ones or better yet...this thing:
Plant a rain garden to help the aquifers refill instead of having the rain just wash into the sewer system.
While we are on the subject of planting things...plant a garden. You can plant a single pot of herbs for your window or convert your entire yard to non-grass plants. If you plant edible plants you are contributing to your own food security. And as far as non grass plants go - most are more drought resistant than that opulent stuff. Just try to plant things that are native varieties to make the best use of your soil and climate and to prevent invasive species issues. Many urban areas have garden plots available to city dwellers. Some are free or low cost so look into it.
Got additional ideas on what you can do...post 'em. I could go on and on and on....
Monday, February 17, 2014
Spicy Blanched Broccoli
So we know you can eat Broccoli Baked and of course you can eat it raw...How else can you prepare it?! How about Blanched?
I'm not talking about the Golden Girls here...its a legitimate way to cook vegetables. And its fairly easy.
Blanching is a cooking method where-in you immerse a raw food into boiling water for a brief period of time, draining it and then arresting the cooking process by immersing it in ice water. As mentioned before - broccoli is best only lightly cooked.
You will need:
A Large pot
A Colander
A Container with a tight fitting lid
A small bowl (for mixing the dressing)
A larger bowl (for the ice water bath)
Ingredients needed (for 1 serving):
1 Cup Broccoli, chopped
1-3 tsp Toasted Sesame Oil
1 Tbsp Soy Sauce
1-3 tsp Hot Chili Paste
1 Tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar
1 tsp Sugar
1 tsp Diced Garlic
1 tsp Ginger Paste
1 dash Salt
2 Tbsp Pine Nuts, toasted
Ice Cubes
Directions.
1. Fill the large pot with slightly salted water. Bring it to a rolling boil.
2. While waiting for the water to boil, chop your broccoli into florets. You can cook the stalks this way too or you can reserve them for a different recipe, or you can toss them. I have even seen grocery stores that offer fresh broccoli crowns without the stalks!
3. Drop the florets into the boiling water. Cook for 5 minutes (you can adjust this time to your own preference on how cooked you like your broccoli)
4. Put the ice cubes in the bowl and add water - so that you have a ice water bath for your broccoli to go into.
5. Drain the broccoli in the colander
6. Put the broccoli into the ice water and chill for a few minutes. You can take the ice bath and put it in the fridge overnight if you like.
7. While your broccoli chills out, mix the remaining ingredients except for the pine nuts. This is your spicy dressing. These amounts are approximate and you should taste it as you make it to adjust it to your personal preferences. Recipes are alot like the Pirates Code - more like guidelines really. (You could even skip this whole step and eat the broccoli plain, or substitute your favorite salad dressing)
8. Drain the broccoli again. Then put it in the container with the tight fitting lid and add the dressing. Close it up and give it a good shake. This distributes your dressing on the broccoli more evenly.
9. Top with the toasted pine nuts and enjoy!
Its great hot or cold!
I'm not talking about the Golden Girls here...its a legitimate way to cook vegetables. And its fairly easy.
Blanching is a cooking method where-in you immerse a raw food into boiling water for a brief period of time, draining it and then arresting the cooking process by immersing it in ice water. As mentioned before - broccoli is best only lightly cooked.
You will need:
A Large pot
A Colander
A Container with a tight fitting lid
A small bowl (for mixing the dressing)
A larger bowl (for the ice water bath)
Ingredients needed (for 1 serving):
1 Cup Broccoli, chopped
1-3 tsp Toasted Sesame Oil
1 Tbsp Soy Sauce
1-3 tsp Hot Chili Paste
1 Tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar
1 tsp Sugar
1 tsp Diced Garlic
1 tsp Ginger Paste
1 dash Salt
2 Tbsp Pine Nuts, toasted
Directions.
1. Fill the large pot with slightly salted water. Bring it to a rolling boil.
2. While waiting for the water to boil, chop your broccoli into florets. You can cook the stalks this way too or you can reserve them for a different recipe, or you can toss them. I have even seen grocery stores that offer fresh broccoli crowns without the stalks!
3. Drop the florets into the boiling water. Cook for 5 minutes (you can adjust this time to your own preference on how cooked you like your broccoli)
4. Put the ice cubes in the bowl and add water - so that you have a ice water bath for your broccoli to go into.
5. Drain the broccoli in the colander
6. Put the broccoli into the ice water and chill for a few minutes. You can take the ice bath and put it in the fridge overnight if you like.
7. While your broccoli chills out, mix the remaining ingredients except for the pine nuts. This is your spicy dressing. These amounts are approximate and you should taste it as you make it to adjust it to your personal preferences. Recipes are alot like the Pirates Code - more like guidelines really. (You could even skip this whole step and eat the broccoli plain, or substitute your favorite salad dressing)
8. Drain the broccoli again. Then put it in the container with the tight fitting lid and add the dressing. Close it up and give it a good shake. This distributes your dressing on the broccoli more evenly.
9. Top with the toasted pine nuts and enjoy!
Its great hot or cold!
Inspiration
One of my friends has been losing weight too. She was probably about as heavy as I was/am. And now she is amazingly small!
She is such an inspiration! So I asked her how she did it and she told me what I knew to be true - that she just trimmed down by eating smaller portions and exercising. She specifically said that she uses interval training on the treadmill and she only eats until she is no longer hungry, as opposed to eating until she is full.
It got me thinking about my own diet and exercise plans.
I still haven't broken it down for you all the things that I don't like about the JM.com meal plan, but the size of the meals is one of my problems with it. In general I don't need to eat that much food and being poor I can't afford to eat that much good quality food. It's just too damned expensive. For instance today I went to the store to buy myself some food... I purchased a bag of fresh spinach, a bag of frozen corn, and a 6 pack of eggs. I was not going to buy anything else because I haven't really got the money for anything else...but Knorr brand rice side dishes were on sale buy one get one...so I decided to buy them - even though I can't even pretend they are in any way healthy. I'm trying to cut down on my carbs, but they are filling and so damn cheap. I can't get filled up as efficiently on spinach.
If I am mindful I can make one package of that rice last for 3 or 4 meals easy and I might even be able to spread it farther if I am creative with my food. It would be difficult to make the spinach last as long and the spinach cost nearly twice what i paid for both bags of rice mix. :/ Granted they were bogo. But that still means that 1 bag of rice for $1.60 = (lets be conservative) 3 meals. A cost of $0.54 per serving where as the bag of spinach cost $2.50 = (being generous) 4 meals. A cost of $0.63 per serving.... I guess thats not that big of a difference. However I can eat just the rice and fee that not only have I filled my tummy, but that it was a tasty and satisfying way to do that. For the spinach to do that I need to add something tot he meal...a dressing and protein etc. That adds to the cost. It is very difficult for me to eat healthy when I am wondering if I will have enough money get to work (gas/tolls etc).
Sigh.
No one said it would be easy. And if I can work on shrinking my stomach it will make it cheaper to buy groceries, as I can stretch the foods I east.
Here's is today's damage:
Breakfast: Belvita biscuits and red bull
Lunch: 1/3 a Knorr rice bag with added - fresh spinach, frozen corn, frozen mango, diced red pepper, frozen peas, and 4 turkey meat balls
Dinner: Not yet eaten.
Exercise: 50 minutes on the elliptical and 15 min of stretches and random exercises (squats, push ups, chest press)
Weight: 197
She is such an inspiration! So I asked her how she did it and she told me what I knew to be true - that she just trimmed down by eating smaller portions and exercising. She specifically said that she uses interval training on the treadmill and she only eats until she is no longer hungry, as opposed to eating until she is full.
It got me thinking about my own diet and exercise plans.
I still haven't broken it down for you all the things that I don't like about the JM.com meal plan, but the size of the meals is one of my problems with it. In general I don't need to eat that much food and being poor I can't afford to eat that much good quality food. It's just too damned expensive. For instance today I went to the store to buy myself some food... I purchased a bag of fresh spinach, a bag of frozen corn, and a 6 pack of eggs. I was not going to buy anything else because I haven't really got the money for anything else...but Knorr brand rice side dishes were on sale buy one get one...so I decided to buy them - even though I can't even pretend they are in any way healthy. I'm trying to cut down on my carbs, but they are filling and so damn cheap. I can't get filled up as efficiently on spinach.
If I am mindful I can make one package of that rice last for 3 or 4 meals easy and I might even be able to spread it farther if I am creative with my food. It would be difficult to make the spinach last as long and the spinach cost nearly twice what i paid for both bags of rice mix. :/ Granted they were bogo. But that still means that 1 bag of rice for $1.60 = (lets be conservative) 3 meals. A cost of $0.54 per serving where as the bag of spinach cost $2.50 = (being generous) 4 meals. A cost of $0.63 per serving.... I guess thats not that big of a difference. However I can eat just the rice and fee that not only have I filled my tummy, but that it was a tasty and satisfying way to do that. For the spinach to do that I need to add something tot he meal...a dressing and protein etc. That adds to the cost. It is very difficult for me to eat healthy when I am wondering if I will have enough money get to work (gas/tolls etc).
Sigh.
No one said it would be easy. And if I can work on shrinking my stomach it will make it cheaper to buy groceries, as I can stretch the foods I east.
Here's is today's damage:
Breakfast: Belvita biscuits and red bull
Lunch: 1/3 a Knorr rice bag with added - fresh spinach, frozen corn, frozen mango, diced red pepper, frozen peas, and 4 turkey meat balls
Dinner: Not yet eaten.
Exercise: 50 minutes on the elliptical and 15 min of stretches and random exercises (squats, push ups, chest press)
Weight: 197
Working on goals?
Not really. I have skipped soda at work the last 2 days I worked. But I ate fried food so it kind of balances ( one step forward - one step back). I have not been logging my food here or anywhere.
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
(Roughly) 1 Month In
I started this weight loss journey again on January 15th 2014. Though it is only the 12th I suspect I will be too busy on Saturday to write so I will go ahead and check in today.
Hows it going?
Ok.
Food?
Cooking slightly more than I was before. The blog is most definitely helping in that respect. I want to show people new recipes...If I'm going to do that I'm going to have to cook new things. So yeah that's am improvement. I still have some serious road blocks. I want convenience foods to east especially at breakfast. And doubly so on the days I work which was only 3 days a week all of January but starting this week I will be getting 4 days of work each week...for the foreseeable future.
So what am I eating? I have reintroduced myself to oatmeal on my days off...which I do really love. I wish i could easily obtain coconut yogurt as I like Swiss Breakfast even more than oatmeal but I can't eat dairy. My sister found a pin about making your own yogurt...mayhaps I will look into trying that out with coconut milk, which I can get all day long. On my days I work I eat Belvita Breakfast Biscuits. I like these, they are at least reasonable as far as nutrition and you really cant find argument with their convenience. Occasionally I will eat a banana on the way to work, or on my days off for that matter.
Lunch is often whatever I can scavenge around work or the house. If i'm at work I'm normally eating a bowl of soup or some noodles with cream soup instead of sauce. Occasionally I will take the time or effort to make a wrap sandwich. Rarely will I eat fries, even though they are available all day - every day I am at work. If I'm home, I will likely eat some convenience protein - frozen meatballs, frozen chicken nuggets - and I will pair that with salsa or frozen vegetables (warmed up of course) and most of the time I will make a starch like a slice of frozen garlic bread or a bundle of noodles.
Unless I have cooked for the blog that day that is what dinner will look like on my days off too. On the days I work I often will eat a dollar menu item from a fast food location on my way home. But Since starting the diet I have not once stopped at Dunkin Donuts on my way home, so that's good right?! My financial situation (only working 3 days a week really bites into your wallet) has prevented me from getting take out except for 2 or 3 times all year. Again that's pretty good, right? I'd like to say I'm not tempted to eat the unhealthy take out Chinese food, but I check my bank balance nearly every day (at least mentally) to check and see if I can buy it.
Liquid calories...
So yeah...I drink Red Bull. But I only have 1 a day. This is not only due to financial concerns, but I am being a responsible person here. I feel like Red Bull is maybe not the best thing to drink. I really should drink more water. It would be easy for me to drink water at work...especially since soon they will be swapping the soda contract at work from Pepsi to Coke. As long as they don't get Mello Yello on the fountain at work I will have no problem switching to water. I can put the MiO back into my purse and I will swap to water...I'm promising myself to make that change this coming month. Also I want to get into drinking more tea. Research has said lots of great things about tea (yeah the link goes to Teavana but the sources cited on the link are to honest to goodness research). I don't care for the tannin taste but I could learn to like it.
Exercise?
Back in December - before I rededicated myself to losing weight - I went to the gym only a single time. I have been averaging 2 times a week this past month. Not bad...Not good... But not bad. I like seeing improvement. And i can see improvement in the coming month as well.
Blogging...
Massive improvement in the blogging front. It had been literally Years since I had written anything. and now I have 5 (counting this one) posts in the last month. I would like to blog at least a brief food journal check-in every day. And I would like to have more articles and more recipes. I want to really become active on this blog. That would be awesome.
Results So far...
Weight 199 from a starting weight of 206 So a total loss of 7 pounds in 4 weeks!
Inches...I only measured my waist anf hips when i started this...Though I feel like I should measure more things and track them here starting this month. But at any rate my Starting waist was 44.5 and is now 42.0 and my Hips were 49.5 and are now 49.0. So I have lost inches.
Dress Size...No change yet. But my size 16s which is what I was wearing at the start of this are getting pretty lose. Probably only a few pounds away from size 14.
Goals.
In the coming month (by March 15th) I will lose an additional 5 pounds, and be wearing a size 14. I will also be able to sustain 30 minutes on the Arc trainer. And I would like to break the 12 minute mile on the elliptical trainer. (I can't seem to get the photo to post facing the right side up...what ever. This is from Feb4 Just over 13 minutes for my mile on the elliptical trainer.)
Plan.
I will eat more protein at breakfast. I will try out and hopefully find an better alternative to the breakfast biscuits for my work morning breakfasts. I will go to work out 3 days every week. I will log my food every day at JM.com and I will also log them here every night.I will write no less than 1 article every week and 1 recipe every week.
Hows it going?
Ok.
Food?
Cooking slightly more than I was before. The blog is most definitely helping in that respect. I want to show people new recipes...If I'm going to do that I'm going to have to cook new things. So yeah that's am improvement. I still have some serious road blocks. I want convenience foods to east especially at breakfast. And doubly so on the days I work which was only 3 days a week all of January but starting this week I will be getting 4 days of work each week...for the foreseeable future.
So what am I eating? I have reintroduced myself to oatmeal on my days off...which I do really love. I wish i could easily obtain coconut yogurt as I like Swiss Breakfast even more than oatmeal but I can't eat dairy. My sister found a pin about making your own yogurt...mayhaps I will look into trying that out with coconut milk, which I can get all day long. On my days I work I eat Belvita Breakfast Biscuits. I like these, they are at least reasonable as far as nutrition and you really cant find argument with their convenience. Occasionally I will eat a banana on the way to work, or on my days off for that matter.
Lunch is often whatever I can scavenge around work or the house. If i'm at work I'm normally eating a bowl of soup or some noodles with cream soup instead of sauce. Occasionally I will take the time or effort to make a wrap sandwich. Rarely will I eat fries, even though they are available all day - every day I am at work. If I'm home, I will likely eat some convenience protein - frozen meatballs, frozen chicken nuggets - and I will pair that with salsa or frozen vegetables (warmed up of course) and most of the time I will make a starch like a slice of frozen garlic bread or a bundle of noodles.
Unless I have cooked for the blog that day that is what dinner will look like on my days off too. On the days I work I often will eat a dollar menu item from a fast food location on my way home. But Since starting the diet I have not once stopped at Dunkin Donuts on my way home, so that's good right?! My financial situation (only working 3 days a week really bites into your wallet) has prevented me from getting take out except for 2 or 3 times all year. Again that's pretty good, right? I'd like to say I'm not tempted to eat the unhealthy take out Chinese food, but I check my bank balance nearly every day (at least mentally) to check and see if I can buy it.
Liquid calories...
So yeah...I drink Red Bull. But I only have 1 a day. This is not only due to financial concerns, but I am being a responsible person here. I feel like Red Bull is maybe not the best thing to drink. I really should drink more water. It would be easy for me to drink water at work...especially since soon they will be swapping the soda contract at work from Pepsi to Coke. As long as they don't get Mello Yello on the fountain at work I will have no problem switching to water. I can put the MiO back into my purse and I will swap to water...I'm promising myself to make that change this coming month. Also I want to get into drinking more tea. Research has said lots of great things about tea (yeah the link goes to Teavana but the sources cited on the link are to honest to goodness research). I don't care for the tannin taste but I could learn to like it.
Exercise?
Back in December - before I rededicated myself to losing weight - I went to the gym only a single time. I have been averaging 2 times a week this past month. Not bad...Not good... But not bad. I like seeing improvement. And i can see improvement in the coming month as well.
Blogging...
Massive improvement in the blogging front. It had been literally Years since I had written anything. and now I have 5 (counting this one) posts in the last month. I would like to blog at least a brief food journal check-in every day. And I would like to have more articles and more recipes. I want to really become active on this blog. That would be awesome.
Results So far...
Weight 199 from a starting weight of 206 So a total loss of 7 pounds in 4 weeks!
Inches...I only measured my waist anf hips when i started this...Though I feel like I should measure more things and track them here starting this month. But at any rate my Starting waist was 44.5 and is now 42.0 and my Hips were 49.5 and are now 49.0. So I have lost inches.
Dress Size...No change yet. But my size 16s which is what I was wearing at the start of this are getting pretty lose. Probably only a few pounds away from size 14.
Goals.
In the coming month (by March 15th) I will lose an additional 5 pounds, and be wearing a size 14. I will also be able to sustain 30 minutes on the Arc trainer. And I would like to break the 12 minute mile on the elliptical trainer. (I can't seem to get the photo to post facing the right side up...what ever. This is from Feb4 Just over 13 minutes for my mile on the elliptical trainer.)
Plan.
I will eat more protein at breakfast. I will try out and hopefully find an better alternative to the breakfast biscuits for my work morning breakfasts. I will go to work out 3 days every week. I will log my food every day at JM.com and I will also log them here every night.I will write no less than 1 article every week and 1 recipe every week.
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Simply Perfect Baked Broccoli
With broccoli being so cheap right now its a good time to eat some! Broccoli benefits from very light cooking. The standard method for this is blanching but I find that baking is even easier and in many ways better. I'm certain that I'm not the only person who intended to lightly blanch/steam/or boil my broccoli and accidently Cooked It To Death!
Also, broccoli really has a delicate- almost mildly sweet- flavor. As such, if you want to savor the broccoli in all of its glory you need to keep you preparations and ingredients reigned in. This recipe is the easierst, cheapest, and best way to showcase the flavor of broccoli
You will need:
A ziplock bag or a container with a tight fitting lid
An oven - set to 350
Ingredients needed (for 1 serving):
1 Cup Broccoli, chopped
1-3 tsp Olive Oil
1 dash Salt
Directions:
1.Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees
2.Place chopped broccoli, oil and salt into the bag/container with a lid.
3.Shake the broccoli until well coated with oil. Add a little more oil if needed.
4.Spread the broccoli on the oven safe dish in a single layer.
Nutrition facts created by: http://nutritiondata.self.com
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
Vegetable of the Week: Broccoli
It is coming up on the end (hopefully)
of winter. As such you might disrepair of finding any good fresh
vegetables in the market. Well, fear no more! There are many
vegetables that are in season now, including broccoli.
The broccoli that you typically see in
the store is actually called Calabrese broccoli, a relatively modern cultivar of the Cruciferae/Brassica family of vegetables. Other Cruciferae/Brassica vegetables include the much maligned Kale and Cabbage as well as brussels sprouts and cauliflower. I found some debate as to its exact origin...but most of the articles I read (see references below) agree that the broccoli we are familiar with today was created in what we now call Italy, though it was quite some time ago (perhaps as early as the first century CE). This is still relatively recent in comparison to its original parent vegetable which was eaten over 5000 years ago.
Broccoli gets a bad rap - broccoli farts, anyone? This smell is due to the naturally occurring sulfur compounds in the vegetable. They are worse if you over cook the broccoli or wait too long to eat it (either letting it grow too long in the garden before picking or letting it sit too long after buying before cooking). But those very same sulfurs may be really important to your health! Its a load of complex chemistry...but the end result is that compounds in broccoli (and other Cruciferae/Brassica vegetables) break down into antioxidants known to protect against cancer.
Ever hear of "magic smoke"? I'm not talking about what is now legal in colorado. I'm talking about the joke that is shared between antique vehicle enthusiasts and computer repair people."magic smoke" is what you smell or see right as a component in the machine fails (typically ozone). The joke is that if you let the magic smoke out of the machine it no longer works - as though the smoke was what was powering the item. The same holds true for broccoli - but in this case the magic smoke is the sulfur smell. If you smell the sulfur, you let out the magic and the broccoli is not a nutritionally valuable to you anymore. So don't overcook it!
There is no reason why you can't just eat it raw. It is great this way. There is some discussion as to whether the nutrients in broccoli (or any food for that matter) are more bioavailable if they are lightly cooked.
I prefer to lightly blanch my broccoli so that it turns bright green. I often don't even place the broccoli into the boiling water. For instance I will take a full sized pasta pot and boil up some lightly salted water...get it to a nice rolling boil. Then I place the raw broccoli into a colander and simply pour the boiling water over the broccoli.
In addition to the sulfur in broccoli...why should you eat it? Nutritionally it is a powerhouse (superfood is such an annoying term). It (like most vegetables) is low in calories - only about 30 in a 3 oz serving. In those 3 oz though you get more than 100% of your daily recommended intake of Vitamin C (64.9mg) and over 100% of your Vitamin K (141 mcg), you get about a third of your Vitamin A for a day (1548 IU) and a reasonable amount of Fiber (3.3g) plus lots of other important stuff.
Another reason you should eat it...right now - its cheap. Its not normally the most expensive of vegetables but now its even cheaper. It is getting to the end of the broccoli season here in the United States. Soon we will have to import it from areas in the southern hemisphere. So take advantage of the discounts and get some broccoli now.
Buying broccoli
If buying it fresh you should look for tight closed and uniformly dark green - almost purple- flower top. The stalk should be firm and pale. Any leaves should be very dark green and not wilted. The cut end should not appear slimy or brown. Most people prefer the tops of the broccoli to the stalks. It is perfectly acceptable to buy only the tops if you can.
Frozen broccoli is acceptable for most dishes (not salads of course) and as frozen vegetables are picked at their peak in the season and blanched and frozen right away, the nutritional difference is negligible (though you should still try to cook it as briefly as you can).
Resources.
The world Encyclopedia of Cooking Ingredients, Christine Ingram, 2004
The Wellness Encyclopedia of Food and Nutrition (UC Berkley), Sheldon Margen M.D., 1992
http://www.vegparadise.com/highestperch44.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broccoli
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22303412
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/antioxidants/
http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/newsandevents/pressreleases/research_says_boiling/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bioavailability
http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products
Monday, February 3, 2014
Absolute Beginners
So as I wrote about last week...I have started using the BodyBug activity monitor in conjunction with Jillian Michaels.com (JM.com). I laid out the general info about the site but I only alluded to my personal complaints with the site. Today I'm going to cover my issue with the exercise routine that the website has offered to me as its beginner workout plan.
This...more than anything else...proves to me that Jillian Michaels is not actually involved in the website. In theory, she knows that a beginner would look like (Biggest Loser competitor) however she has this incredibly challenging setup for the workout listed as for the beginner.
First off I want to say that I do not consider myself to be a beginner...I'm more like an out of shape dabbler. I never go for more than a month without going to the gym...but I seldom go more than 3 times a week. When I signed up for the program I was given options for the level of experience I had in the gym. I selected beginner, because I wanted to make sure I had the basics down before I advanced too far. I expected the exercises to be not exactly easy...but I did expect them to be do-able.
I realize that exercise is important for weight loss. It needs to be a part of everyones day-to-day life. But I have difficulty doing an exercise routine everyday (How will I ever get it to be routine if I don't work at it everyday?!) JM.com wants me - the beginner - to work out 5 days out of 7. I'm really not sure this is a possibility for any real beginners either for reasons of lifestyle or ability. For me the big issues here are:
1.) I work 9-12 hour shifts and simply don't have the energy or location I can use at 5 am to exercise before my shift.
2.) I'm really sore the day after I do these exercises and need a rest day between or something as I'm not going to be able to do these exercises every day.
More importantly, I feel. I'm not that much of a beginner. What are these exercise expectations going to look like to a true absolute beginner? If you weigh over 300lbs are you going to do squat presses?! No, of course not! It would fuck your knees up.
Here is an example of one of the circuit training routines you - as a beginner- would be asked to do:
Not a bad routine if you are already in shape but not for a weak ass obese person like me. I do what I can in hopes that by pure stubbornness I will get to the point that I can do all of these exercises.
I think that its terrible that JM.com doesn't have truely begining exercises so I'm going to come up with some truely beginner exercises to share with you all so I can do my part to help everyone get healthy.
Here's is today's damage:
Breakfast: Nothing I was feeling really sick so I stayed in bed until 11
Lunch: Ham sandwich with mayo and a red bull
Dinner: Not yet eaten.
Exercise: Not yet...But now that I'm feeling better I'm feeling like hitting the gym.
Weight: 201
This...more than anything else...proves to me that Jillian Michaels is not actually involved in the website. In theory, she knows that a beginner would look like (Biggest Loser competitor) however she has this incredibly challenging setup for the workout listed as for the beginner.
First off I want to say that I do not consider myself to be a beginner...I'm more like an out of shape dabbler. I never go for more than a month without going to the gym...but I seldom go more than 3 times a week. When I signed up for the program I was given options for the level of experience I had in the gym. I selected beginner, because I wanted to make sure I had the basics down before I advanced too far. I expected the exercises to be not exactly easy...but I did expect them to be do-able.
I realize that exercise is important for weight loss. It needs to be a part of everyones day-to-day life. But I have difficulty doing an exercise routine everyday (How will I ever get it to be routine if I don't work at it everyday?!) JM.com wants me - the beginner - to work out 5 days out of 7. I'm really not sure this is a possibility for any real beginners either for reasons of lifestyle or ability. For me the big issues here are:
1.) I work 9-12 hour shifts and simply don't have the energy or location I can use at 5 am to exercise before my shift.
2.) I'm really sore the day after I do these exercises and need a rest day between or something as I'm not going to be able to do these exercises every day.
More importantly, I feel. I'm not that much of a beginner. What are these exercise expectations going to look like to a true absolute beginner? If you weigh over 300lbs are you going to do squat presses?! No, of course not! It would fuck your knees up.
Here is an example of one of the circuit training routines you - as a beginner- would be asked to do:
Not a bad routine if you are already in shape but not for a weak ass obese person like me. I do what I can in hopes that by pure stubbornness I will get to the point that I can do all of these exercises.
I think that its terrible that JM.com doesn't have truely begining exercises so I'm going to come up with some truely beginner exercises to share with you all so I can do my part to help everyone get healthy.
Here's is today's damage:
Breakfast: Nothing I was feeling really sick so I stayed in bed until 11
Lunch: Ham sandwich with mayo and a red bull
Dinner: Not yet eaten.
Exercise: Not yet...But now that I'm feeling better I'm feeling like hitting the gym.
Weight: 201
Thursday, January 30, 2014
Back in the game
Its been a while! I ended up taking a professional cooking job and that chewed up so much of my energy that I ended up taking a really long hiatus from blogging. But no matter.
I'm back and ready to begin with renewed vigor!
I'll start by saying that I gained all of the weight back. I was exactly 205 (same as my starting weight last time I did this) on New Years Day this year...which reminded me I needed to get back on track.
My sister - the perennial dieter - had belonged to a diet plan that required the purchase of a Bodymedia Body Bug. She still had it but had since moved on to a different diet plan, so he gave it to me.
I had been contemplating buying a Fitbit or another activity tracker but seeing as this was available right in my own house...I thought...why not give it a try. I checked out the website and was annoyed that there was a fee associated with using it...but there was also a special being run at that time with Bodymedia's partner Jillian Micheals (of Biggest Loser Fame). One free month. Sure I'll try anything for free!
I've been wearing and using the bodybug arm band now for 15 days. I have not yet tried everything that the Jillian Michaels website has to offer...but here are my opinions so far.
1.) I'm not sure I buy the ad copy from Bodymedia on how it keeps track of your calorie consumption or how it knows when you are sleeping. (I swear it is my own personal Santa Claus - It sees me when I'm sleeping, It knows when I'm awake. It knows if I've been bad). But by wearing this thing I'm made to be conscious...all the time...of my desire to lose weight. Like tying a string around your finger or wearing a rubber band to prevent you from doing something you don't want to do. This thing on my arm reminds me that I'm supposed to be trying to do better.
2.) Its not completely uncomfortable...but its not so comfortable that you forget you are wearing it. For the first week that I was wearing it the fat on my arm caused the band to fold in half in places. It was both unpleasant and embarrassing. Now I have lost a bit of weight or I have found a location on my bicep that doesn't cause it to create the fat roll quite as badly, so it is better. No my biggest complaint is that it has bare metal that must be in contact with my skin in order for the device to work (see point above abut scepticism on that score). This bare metal is irritating, it bothers my skin. Bare metal against my skin always bothers me, its why I don't wear a watch.
3.) Jillian Micheals website provides a very all inclusive program with both menus and exercise programs. I have some specific complaints about both the menus and the exercise programs but for now I will just say that they are not perfect but I suppose they might work for some people, just not me.
4.) It can't be all bad though...because I have lost 6 pounds in 15 days.
Here's is today's damage:
Breakfast: A package of Belvita breakfast biscuits and a Red Bull.
Lunch: 1/2 Tijuana Flats mahi taco salad
Dinner: Not yet eaten.
Exercise? 32 min on the eliptical trainer and one complete rep of Jillian Micheals beginner (Ha!) Circuit training.
Weight: 200
I'm back and ready to begin with renewed vigor!
I'll start by saying that I gained all of the weight back. I was exactly 205 (same as my starting weight last time I did this) on New Years Day this year...which reminded me I needed to get back on track.
My sister - the perennial dieter - had belonged to a diet plan that required the purchase of a Bodymedia Body Bug. She still had it but had since moved on to a different diet plan, so he gave it to me.
I had been contemplating buying a Fitbit or another activity tracker but seeing as this was available right in my own house...I thought...why not give it a try. I checked out the website and was annoyed that there was a fee associated with using it...but there was also a special being run at that time with Bodymedia's partner Jillian Micheals (of Biggest Loser Fame). One free month. Sure I'll try anything for free!
I've been wearing and using the bodybug arm band now for 15 days. I have not yet tried everything that the Jillian Michaels website has to offer...but here are my opinions so far.
1.) I'm not sure I buy the ad copy from Bodymedia on how it keeps track of your calorie consumption or how it knows when you are sleeping. (I swear it is my own personal Santa Claus - It sees me when I'm sleeping, It knows when I'm awake. It knows if I've been bad). But by wearing this thing I'm made to be conscious...all the time...of my desire to lose weight. Like tying a string around your finger or wearing a rubber band to prevent you from doing something you don't want to do. This thing on my arm reminds me that I'm supposed to be trying to do better.
2.) Its not completely uncomfortable...but its not so comfortable that you forget you are wearing it. For the first week that I was wearing it the fat on my arm caused the band to fold in half in places. It was both unpleasant and embarrassing. Now I have lost a bit of weight or I have found a location on my bicep that doesn't cause it to create the fat roll quite as badly, so it is better. No my biggest complaint is that it has bare metal that must be in contact with my skin in order for the device to work (see point above abut scepticism on that score). This bare metal is irritating, it bothers my skin. Bare metal against my skin always bothers me, its why I don't wear a watch.
3.) Jillian Micheals website provides a very all inclusive program with both menus and exercise programs. I have some specific complaints about both the menus and the exercise programs but for now I will just say that they are not perfect but I suppose they might work for some people, just not me.
4.) It can't be all bad though...because I have lost 6 pounds in 15 days.
Here's is today's damage:
Breakfast: A package of Belvita breakfast biscuits and a Red Bull.
Lunch: 1/2 Tijuana Flats mahi taco salad
Dinner: Not yet eaten.
Exercise? 32 min on the eliptical trainer and one complete rep of Jillian Micheals beginner (Ha!) Circuit training.
Weight: 200
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Chocolate Meringue Cake
It is no fair to anyone, if you don't use your talents to make other's happy.
My talent (among many) lie in cooking and the person I would like to make happy is my friend Staci who just happens to have Celiac. Her birthday was this week and I decided to give her a cake for her birthday. Due to the no wheat restriction this could be a difficulty, but not so! I have the perfect Wheat-free cake recipe: Chocolate Meringue Cake.
You will need:
A mixer with a whisk.
A double boiler or: a sauce pan and a metal bowl that fits in it loosely.
A spatula
A whisk
An oven
A stove
A straight sided cake pan (I'm using a spring form pan for ease of serving.)
Some parchment paper
Ingredients:
½ C Unsalted Butter (1 stick)
12 oz of bittersweet Chocolate pieces
3 Tbsp of Dutch Process Cocoa
10 eggs, separated
½ C sugar
You can top with:
Whipped cream and honey or powdered sugar.
Directions:
1.Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
2.In your double boiler (or equivalent) melt the butter and the chocolate.
3.Whisk in the cocoa into the melted chocolate and keep warm
4.In the mixer beat the egg whites until soft peaks form, adding the sugar a little at a time.
5.Add the egg yokes to the melted chocolate, mix well.
6.Carefully, fold the chocolate mixture into the eggs. Do not over-mix.
7.Cut out parchment paper to line the cake pan. You want the sides to be taller than the edge of the pan.
8.Pour the batter into the lined pan and bake for 40 -50 minutes until done.
My talent (among many) lie in cooking and the person I would like to make happy is my friend Staci who just happens to have Celiac. Her birthday was this week and I decided to give her a cake for her birthday. Due to the no wheat restriction this could be a difficulty, but not so! I have the perfect Wheat-free cake recipe: Chocolate Meringue Cake.
You will need:
A mixer with a whisk.
A double boiler or: a sauce pan and a metal bowl that fits in it loosely.
A spatula
A whisk
An oven
A stove
A straight sided cake pan (I'm using a spring form pan for ease of serving.)
Some parchment paper
Ingredients:
½ C Unsalted Butter (1 stick)
12 oz of bittersweet Chocolate pieces
3 Tbsp of Dutch Process Cocoa
10 eggs, separated
½ C sugar
You can top with:
Whipped cream and honey or powdered sugar.
Directions:
1.Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
2.In your double boiler (or equivalent) melt the butter and the chocolate.
3.Whisk in the cocoa into the melted chocolate and keep warm
4.In the mixer beat the egg whites until soft peaks form, adding the sugar a little at a time.
5.Add the egg yokes to the melted chocolate, mix well.
6.Carefully, fold the chocolate mixture into the eggs. Do not over-mix.
7.Cut out parchment paper to line the cake pan. You want the sides to be taller than the edge of the pan.
8.Pour the batter into the lined pan and bake for 40 -50 minutes until done.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Asparagus Blue Cheese Pasta
It is Spring!!
Farmer's Market is in full swing and it is time to learn what to do with all the wonderful items showing up at the market right now.
Asparagus.
Asparagus, like opportunity, is not a lengthy visitor. Only available for a few weeks in early spring these tender shoots are a real delicacy.
They are fantastic roasted or grilled, very easy to steam or pan fry. You can use them anywhere fresh green veggies are welcome...stir-fry, pasta, salad, etc.
My favorite thing to do with them is...Blue Cheese and Asparagus Farfalle
You will need:
A Pasta Pot
A colander
A Cutting Board
A Knife
A small oven safe pan
Small pan
Spoons
Ingredients needed (for 4-6 servings):
1 pound Farfalle (Bow Tie) Pasta
1 pound Shallots
1 pound Asparagus
½ pound of Blue Cheese
5+ cloves of Garlic
1 Cup of Dry Vermouth
1 cup of Panko (or other bread crumbs)
Some Olive Oil
Some Butter
Directions:
1.Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees
2.Slice the shallots and place them in the oven dish. Peel the garlic and add to the dish. Drizzle with olive oil and top with vermouth.
3.Get the water boiling in your pasta pot.
4.Prepare your asparagus. (Many books and people tell you to cut the ends off the asparagus and then peel half of the length of the stalk. I find that simply snapping the ends off works well. The tend to snap off just after the woody end. Peeling is a total waste of valuable nutrients and flavor.) You want the asparagus spears to be broken into bite sized pieces of no longer than 2 inches in length. 1 inch is ideal.
5.When the oven is hot, put the shallots and garlic in and cook for 15 minutes or so.
6.When the water is boiling add the pasta to the pot.
7.Crumble the blue cheese.
8.Cook pasta until nearly done (according to personal preferences and package directions) when there is only about 2 minutes until it is done, add the asparagus to the pot.
9.In a small pan melt the butter. Add the panko and cook, stirring until browned.
10.Drain the pasta and asparagus in the colander.
11.Return the pasta and asparagus to the pot. Add the blue cheese and stir.
12.Remove the shallots and garlic from the oven. Add them to the pasta, stir.
13.Top with panko...stir.
14.Eat.
Fantastic. Easy. Delicious. This dish is done. It needs nothing.
Nutrition (serving 6)
Calories per serving: 569
Fat: 15g
Protein: 21g
Cholesterol: 21mg
Sodium: 567mg
Potassium: 615mg
Fiber: 3g
Calcium: 243mg
Iron: 5mg
Zinc: 2mg
Vitamin C: 11mg
Vitamin A: 9885IU
B6: 4mg
B12: 3mcg
B1: 1mg
B2: 6mg
Folacin: 121mcg
Niacin: 8mg
Farmer's Market is in full swing and it is time to learn what to do with all the wonderful items showing up at the market right now.
Asparagus.
Asparagus, like opportunity, is not a lengthy visitor. Only available for a few weeks in early spring these tender shoots are a real delicacy.
They are fantastic roasted or grilled, very easy to steam or pan fry. You can use them anywhere fresh green veggies are welcome...stir-fry, pasta, salad, etc.
My favorite thing to do with them is...Blue Cheese and Asparagus Farfalle
You will need:
A Pasta Pot
A colander
A Cutting Board
A Knife
A small oven safe pan
Small pan
Spoons
Ingredients needed (for 4-6 servings):
1 pound Farfalle (Bow Tie) Pasta
1 pound Shallots
1 pound Asparagus
½ pound of Blue Cheese
5+ cloves of Garlic
1 Cup of Dry Vermouth
1 cup of Panko (or other bread crumbs)
Some Olive Oil
Some Butter
Directions:
1.Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees
2.Slice the shallots and place them in the oven dish. Peel the garlic and add to the dish. Drizzle with olive oil and top with vermouth.
3.Get the water boiling in your pasta pot.
4.Prepare your asparagus. (Many books and people tell you to cut the ends off the asparagus and then peel half of the length of the stalk. I find that simply snapping the ends off works well. The tend to snap off just after the woody end. Peeling is a total waste of valuable nutrients and flavor.) You want the asparagus spears to be broken into bite sized pieces of no longer than 2 inches in length. 1 inch is ideal.
5.When the oven is hot, put the shallots and garlic in and cook for 15 minutes or so.
6.When the water is boiling add the pasta to the pot.
7.Crumble the blue cheese.
8.Cook pasta until nearly done (according to personal preferences and package directions) when there is only about 2 minutes until it is done, add the asparagus to the pot.
9.In a small pan melt the butter. Add the panko and cook, stirring until browned.
10.Drain the pasta and asparagus in the colander.
11.Return the pasta and asparagus to the pot. Add the blue cheese and stir.
12.Remove the shallots and garlic from the oven. Add them to the pasta, stir.
13.Top with panko...stir.
14.Eat.
Fantastic. Easy. Delicious. This dish is done. It needs nothing.
Nutrition (serving 6)
Calories per serving: 569
Fat: 15g
Protein: 21g
Cholesterol: 21mg
Sodium: 567mg
Potassium: 615mg
Fiber: 3g
Calcium: 243mg
Iron: 5mg
Zinc: 2mg
Vitamin C: 11mg
Vitamin A: 9885IU
B6: 4mg
B12: 3mcg
B1: 1mg
B2: 6mg
Folacin: 121mcg
Niacin: 8mg
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Renewed Vigor
Sometimes when life starts to get rolling and you get caught up in all the things coming your way...you don't always notice what direction you are going.
In my case, I must say, I was lucky...this time. I was not caught up in a steam roller to shit canyon. I was actually being hurled at breakneck speed to good things. Unfortunately some of my experiences happened a bit prematurely.
It is the whole... when one door closes a window opens concept, except, I guess, my opportunity was more like the picture of a window than an actual window. In any event. I am going to try to spring board from the possible emotional disaster (possible because inside of it right now it feels a bit like being inside a blender, but I think, maybe, I will not completely dissolve over this) and come out the other side even more motivated than before.
Weight loss is a rather insidious thing, you see. As soon as you lose a few pounds a girl (and no few men) discover the sexiest accessory to the opposite sex is ...confidence. This can be the beginning of the end.
In December I put on this confidence and... landed a lover.
I don't want to put him down...he is a nice guy...but he was nothing more, nor less, than a reminder of why I was losing weight in the first place. He wasn't the kind of guy you brag about to your friends. He wasn't the kind of guy you can rely upon to hold your hair when you are sick. But he was the kind of guy you could get fairly lame compliments from. And he was willing...no more than that...eager to sleep with me. Not some slimmer me that he knew before I gained all the weight...this me.
I need that. I more than need that.
However, the result was less that satisfying. I only wanted to be with him because he was not disgusting and because he was into me. I didn't really like him. Don't get me wrong....he is a great person, just not one I have all that much interest in.
But when you combined him with the weight loss...I was flying high on a sea of confidence that was more seductive than a pair of stilettos and thigh highs. This haze of confidence paired with inhibition lowering circumstances, can impair your judgment and make you come on to men you have no chance in hell of attaining (at least not at your current weight).
In rare circumstances, you flirt with one of those extraordinary men who is both amazingly attractive and nice. In this circumstance...sober up...wake up...do what ever you have to do...
Don't go out with him.
Sure, you will be flying high on the belief that you have somehow you have done it. You lost enough weight to finally attract a guy that is funny, intelligent, and attractive, who doesn't do drugs and has a job, and doesn't have a swarm of illegitimate children...but you would be wrong. Those guys won't fall for you. Not as you are...right now...at this weight. They fall for your smile...your personality...your confidence...just not the package they are in.
I will try very hard to not hold it against him...my knight in shining armor, because he tried very hard to get past the pudge.
If you are anything like me it will feel more than a little like being bi-polar (or so I suspect). When he is around you are soaring high above the clouds...basking in the glow of his company. When he goes away (for class, work, the night, whatever) your logical brain begins to remind you that his is nearly Adonis and you are practically a walrus. Your low self-esteem re-asserts its dominance and you fall into despair.
You will bring this up with your friends, especially your best girl friends. And they will tell you that...'of course, he is into you'...'you are beautiful'...'you are awesome'...etc. They are biased. You could weigh 1000lbs and look like a train wreck and they would probably say the same things.
Eventually...The truth will come forward and take the wind from your sails. He is nice. He does like you. He won't be sleeping with you. You are not his type. You are too fat. He wants to be friends.
I would like to think I took it like a soldier. I squared my shoulders and marched in front of that firing squad. I'm more than a bit of a fool for trying to convince my mind what my body and at least a bit of my heart wanted. But I'm not so much of a fool that I didn't know when the time was up. The game was over. I lost.
Now...This is the moment. Right now. It's all over but the crying...as they say.
The real problem in weight loss is this moment. The high is over. You didn't get there. You lost this round. What you do now determines what the next round looks like.
Do you:
A.) eat a pint (or 4) of Hagan Daas with chocolate syrup
B.) go on a crash diet
C.) keep going at exactly what you were doing before
Answer C is the least satisfying. The hardest to do in the circumstances. And, I suspect, the only remotely correct answer.
Current weight: 179
In my case, I must say, I was lucky...this time. I was not caught up in a steam roller to shit canyon. I was actually being hurled at breakneck speed to good things. Unfortunately some of my experiences happened a bit prematurely.
It is the whole... when one door closes a window opens concept, except, I guess, my opportunity was more like the picture of a window than an actual window. In any event. I am going to try to spring board from the possible emotional disaster (possible because inside of it right now it feels a bit like being inside a blender, but I think, maybe, I will not completely dissolve over this) and come out the other side even more motivated than before.
Weight loss is a rather insidious thing, you see. As soon as you lose a few pounds a girl (and no few men) discover the sexiest accessory to the opposite sex is ...confidence. This can be the beginning of the end.
In December I put on this confidence and... landed a lover.
I don't want to put him down...he is a nice guy...but he was nothing more, nor less, than a reminder of why I was losing weight in the first place. He wasn't the kind of guy you brag about to your friends. He wasn't the kind of guy you can rely upon to hold your hair when you are sick. But he was the kind of guy you could get fairly lame compliments from. And he was willing...no more than that...eager to sleep with me. Not some slimmer me that he knew before I gained all the weight...this me.
I need that. I more than need that.
However, the result was less that satisfying. I only wanted to be with him because he was not disgusting and because he was into me. I didn't really like him. Don't get me wrong....he is a great person, just not one I have all that much interest in.
But when you combined him with the weight loss...I was flying high on a sea of confidence that was more seductive than a pair of stilettos and thigh highs. This haze of confidence paired with inhibition lowering circumstances, can impair your judgment and make you come on to men you have no chance in hell of attaining (at least not at your current weight).
In rare circumstances, you flirt with one of those extraordinary men who is both amazingly attractive and nice. In this circumstance...sober up...wake up...do what ever you have to do...
Don't go out with him.
Sure, you will be flying high on the belief that you have somehow you have done it. You lost enough weight to finally attract a guy that is funny, intelligent, and attractive, who doesn't do drugs and has a job, and doesn't have a swarm of illegitimate children...but you would be wrong. Those guys won't fall for you. Not as you are...right now...at this weight. They fall for your smile...your personality...your confidence...just not the package they are in.
I will try very hard to not hold it against him...my knight in shining armor, because he tried very hard to get past the pudge.
If you are anything like me it will feel more than a little like being bi-polar (or so I suspect). When he is around you are soaring high above the clouds...basking in the glow of his company. When he goes away (for class, work, the night, whatever) your logical brain begins to remind you that his is nearly Adonis and you are practically a walrus. Your low self-esteem re-asserts its dominance and you fall into despair.
You will bring this up with your friends, especially your best girl friends. And they will tell you that...'of course, he is into you'...'you are beautiful'...'you are awesome'...etc. They are biased. You could weigh 1000lbs and look like a train wreck and they would probably say the same things.
Eventually...The truth will come forward and take the wind from your sails. He is nice. He does like you. He won't be sleeping with you. You are not his type. You are too fat. He wants to be friends.
I would like to think I took it like a soldier. I squared my shoulders and marched in front of that firing squad. I'm more than a bit of a fool for trying to convince my mind what my body and at least a bit of my heart wanted. But I'm not so much of a fool that I didn't know when the time was up. The game was over. I lost.
Now...This is the moment. Right now. It's all over but the crying...as they say.
The real problem in weight loss is this moment. The high is over. You didn't get there. You lost this round. What you do now determines what the next round looks like.
Do you:
A.) eat a pint (or 4) of Hagan Daas with chocolate syrup
B.) go on a crash diet
C.) keep going at exactly what you were doing before
Answer C is the least satisfying. The hardest to do in the circumstances. And, I suspect, the only remotely correct answer.
Current weight: 179
Monday, December 29, 2008
One Year Later
Renewing my commitment.
I promise to cook. I promise to go to the gym. I promise to be aware of my drinking. I promise to avoid Ramen.
But like all New Year's Resolutions these will have no power if I don't do something else first...
I must schedule them.
My new iPod will be the best friend I can have for this purpose. If I schedule it I will have another layer of accountability. And the iPod has a calendar built into it. I will cook on Mondays and Saturdays. I will go to the gym on Saturdays, Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays. I will Blog on Thursdays and Sundays and/or Mondays.
Short term goal...
To lose 10 lbs by the end of February
Mid-length goal...
To lose an additional 10 lbs by June
Longer term goal...
To lose an additional 10 lbs by Labor Day
Obstacles...
My new lifestyle...I have recently begun going out to the club much more regularly and the drinking has therefore increased. Unlike last year I am not willing to forgo the alcohol for the weight loss. This means I will have to work doubly hard and be more aware of my alcohol intake.
The continuation of my former lifestyle...In that I am working 2 part time jobs and still broke. I need to remember to eat breakfast even though I am generally frazzled in the mornings, and more difficult...eat lunch after I have been cooking for 4 hours or so. Working with food really kills my appetite.
Original starting weight...207lbs (or so)
Current weight...186lbs
2009 weight goal...156lbs
Ultimate weight goal...125lbs
Today's log:
Food: No breakfast. Lunch was leftover Chinese food...Mai Fun (rice noodle dish) and some stir fried mixed vegetables with a Red Bull. Dinner was half of a ham and provolone sandwich with spinach a dill pickle and some mayo on a French roll. Post Dinner...an Effen Cherry Red Bull at the club and I am making some pasta right now for eating before I go to bed.
Exercise: Went to the gym and used the Elliptical trainer for 45 minutes went 3 miles! Did a little dancing at the club.
Friday, December 19, 2008
Where did I go wrong?
Comming up on my one year anniversary in just over a week. How did I do?
Well...I did great right up until April. I did pretty good for 4 month. What do I want??!? A cookie?!
I didn't completely fuck up though...I did lose some weight. I did make some lasting changes to my life.
I didn't stick to the plan though. I never realized how much losing my job would screw up my plans. I wasn't employed again until August - the end of August! Blame it on the economy.
But what happened then. I got a job...I should have jumped right back on the diet train but I didn't. WTF?
I don't know. I wish I did. I will however use the oldest excuse in the American Lexicon...I didn't have the time.
So...Where do I stand?
Weight: 187lbs (down from a starting weight of roughly 208lbs)
Average meals cooked in a week: 0 (yes, you read that right...I don't cook anything anymore. I suck...I know.
Average number of breakfasts eaten in a week: 3 (I know... seriously...Last year I would have rather faced a firing squad than miss breakfast and now I am a habitual skipper)
Average times I get to the gym in a week: 1 (I am being kind here. I get to the gym like 3 times a month and they generally are all in the same week)
Alcoholic drinks at home in a week: 0 (this much is still in effect. I will have on average 1 drink at home in a month but it is usually to try something someone else is drinking.)
Alcoholic drinks in a week out: 2 (in a normal week, the first weekend a month is Leather and Lace at the Inferno and then it is more like 5 or 7 drinks but that is only at the club)
Ramen consumption: 0 (with the exception of the couple times I was sick and then I only had a few and stopped eating them when I was better)
How can I do better?
I'm wondering how I could do worse.
Joking aside...I really do see now how much blogging made a difference. I was answerable to this media for my actions and inactions. If I want to keep losing weight I need to:
1.) Blog at least once a week. More often if I can make the time to do so.
2.) Freaking eat breakfast everyday.
3.) Cook at home (this one is hard because I cook for a living now...I know it sounds counter-intuitive but...remember the friends episode with the gynecologist..."Do you ever come home from work and not want to look at another dress?")
4.) Get my ass to the gym - I'm going to shoot for the standard 3 times a week
5.) Keep the drinking down to a decent level. (I feel where I'm at in a normal week is pretty good. Special occasions notwithstanding)
Today's food:
Breakfast....Lunch...(I slept late, as it was a Snow Day for work) A can of Campbells Chicken and Rice soup with Corn, crackers, and some sesame oil, and Bangkok Blend Spice.
Dinner: an embarrasing large portion of serve-yourself Chinese from Sentry, a small container of Italian Feta Pasta Salad from Sentry, A can of Red Bull, and half of a very dry, very large cupcake
Post Dinner: I have had most of (and I intend to finish) a 20 oz bottle of Mello Yello.
Exercise:
Just getting the bus to ERic's today was a work-out. The snow was deeper than my knees. I didn't go to the gym. My pedometer ran out of batteries today so... no numbers.
Well...I did great right up until April. I did pretty good for 4 month. What do I want??!? A cookie?!
I didn't completely fuck up though...I did lose some weight. I did make some lasting changes to my life.
I didn't stick to the plan though. I never realized how much losing my job would screw up my plans. I wasn't employed again until August - the end of August! Blame it on the economy.
But what happened then. I got a job...I should have jumped right back on the diet train but I didn't. WTF?
I don't know. I wish I did. I will however use the oldest excuse in the American Lexicon...I didn't have the time.
So...Where do I stand?
Weight: 187lbs (down from a starting weight of roughly 208lbs)
Average meals cooked in a week: 0 (yes, you read that right...I don't cook anything anymore. I suck...I know.
Average number of breakfasts eaten in a week: 3 (I know... seriously...Last year I would have rather faced a firing squad than miss breakfast and now I am a habitual skipper)
Average times I get to the gym in a week: 1 (I am being kind here. I get to the gym like 3 times a month and they generally are all in the same week)
Alcoholic drinks at home in a week: 0 (this much is still in effect. I will have on average 1 drink at home in a month but it is usually to try something someone else is drinking.)
Alcoholic drinks in a week out: 2 (in a normal week, the first weekend a month is Leather and Lace at the Inferno and then it is more like 5 or 7 drinks but that is only at the club)
Ramen consumption: 0 (with the exception of the couple times I was sick and then I only had a few and stopped eating them when I was better)
How can I do better?
I'm wondering how I could do worse.
Joking aside...I really do see now how much blogging made a difference. I was answerable to this media for my actions and inactions. If I want to keep losing weight I need to:
1.) Blog at least once a week. More often if I can make the time to do so.
2.) Freaking eat breakfast everyday.
3.) Cook at home (this one is hard because I cook for a living now...I know it sounds counter-intuitive but...remember the friends episode with the gynecologist..."Do you ever come home from work and not want to look at another dress?")
4.) Get my ass to the gym - I'm going to shoot for the standard 3 times a week
5.) Keep the drinking down to a decent level. (I feel where I'm at in a normal week is pretty good. Special occasions notwithstanding)
Today's food:
Breakfast....Lunch...(I slept late, as it was a Snow Day for work) A can of Campbells Chicken and Rice soup with Corn, crackers, and some sesame oil, and Bangkok Blend Spice.
Dinner: an embarrasing large portion of serve-yourself Chinese from Sentry, a small container of Italian Feta Pasta Salad from Sentry, A can of Red Bull, and half of a very dry, very large cupcake
Post Dinner: I have had most of (and I intend to finish) a 20 oz bottle of Mello Yello.
Exercise:
Just getting the bus to ERic's today was a work-out. The snow was deeper than my knees. I didn't go to the gym. My pedometer ran out of batteries today so... no numbers.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Drunk 'N' Blogging
It is not recommended that anyone drunk 'N' Dial. ( the process where in you become so inebriated that you feel the necessity of calling someone - generally an ex - and pouring out your innermost feelings)
So instead, I will impart the wisdom of the ages... or at least what I have learned about being drunk. That is...I will Drunk 'N' Blog.
1.) Whoever it is...They don't need to hear from you at 2:00 AM or 3:00AM as the case may be.
2.) Your time is better spent on preventing your horrid hangover.
So you've had a little (or a lot) too much to drink. You've called it a night (It's bar time, or you're out of booze and too lazy to go out for more). What do you do now?
How do you feel? Drunk has many levels.
Level 1.) Other people have seen you drink. You don't feel any incapacity or lowered inhibitions but you now feel like you can blame any faux pass on the alcohol.
Level 2.) You've had enough alcohol (be it one or 5 drinks) and you feel pretty good. This is the kind of good where you are pretty happy to keep drinking. Kind of like taking a little of the 6-demon bag from Egg Foo (ala Big Trouble in Little China)
Level 3.) You feel a bit like a V-8 Commercial (the old version from before when people where bonked on their foreheads, back when they were all slanty..I'd show all you young whipper-snappers a clip but I couldn't find one on youtube while I was so drunk...maybe later) but you doubt that is important because you have only have 3 or was it 7 drinks. Math isn't important any way. Ohh...Shiny!... What were we taking about?
Level 4.) You've thrown up. Which is good, because you have more room for booze, right?!.
If you are Level 1 or 2 and you are already done drinking...I either commend you or feel like you've been cheated which ever suits your temperament more. Feel Free to go to bed with a clear conscience.
I take that back...If you are at level 1 and you do something really stupid or inappropriate, or both you should be ashaimed and I hope you can't sleep because you are such a jack-ass.
If you are at Level 3 or 4 you need my (patent pending*) miracle "no hang-over in the morning" treatment.
It is fairly easy to follow. (Steps one and two are optional.)
Step 1.) Don't get so freaking drunk, You Moron. What?!?! Do you want to be hung over??!!!!
Step 2.) If you insist on drinking so fucking much how about alternating between alcoholic drinks and water. (proper hydration will help the liver to process the alcohol-poisons, there by keeping you from being sick tomorrow.) Or atleast eating something before drinking a liquor store dry (Having a carbohydrate heavy meal before drinking has been shown - at least in personal experiments - to reduce the sighn of over-indulgence the morning after)
Step 3.) If you feel like it might be a good idea (even if no the coolest thing right now) please vomit. The alcohol that is in your stomach will not end up in your barrel, it has served its purpose. You don't need to fully process every drop of booze you drink. You have had the full experience. Please barf and call it a night on the drinking scene.
Step 4) If you have already thrown up..STOP FUCKING DRINKING!!! Alcohol Poisoning is NOT sexy!!!!! Please don't make someone have to take you to the hospital it won't get you laid or help you forget your troubles ar make a great end to a fun night on the town.
Step 5.) Get your ass to a safe place, be it home or someone else's home who you truct. Don't just go somewhere if you are tanked. you may not like where you are when you sober-up otherwise.
Step 6.) Eat something salty (if you can hold anything down...If you can't go directly to the hospital, Do not pass Go...Do Not get $200.00) Ramen works like a fucking charm here but any thing salty is good. I have read (though I couldn't remember right now where even if my life depended on it) that a strong part of the process of the hang-over has to do with a significant reduction in electrolytes due to the salts necessary in processing alcohol-poisons out of the body.
Step 7.) Drink some water, or watery item like soup (Ramen is good for both) or Koolaid. Again, to help with the proper balance of electrolytes.
Step 8.) Try to stay awake (preferably with a friend) until you are a bit more sober. Shoot for between Buzzed and Tipsy (Somewhere between level 2 and 3). If you go to sleep tanked you might just wake up that way, and wouldn't that suck! At the very least you are likely to end up Hung-over in the morning. If you stay awake your body is more active and your metabolism is higher so that you can process more alcohol and become less drunk overall.
If you think I'm sober right n0w you are wrong. I am happily coming off a high level 3 night and by following the Ramen Philosophy in the past I have avoided bad hang-overs. This has even been the case when I have been drinking until at least bar time and then had to get up the following morning to go to work at the Day Care (work starts at 7:30am). If you let yourself sober up a little (or even a lot if you can stand it) your morning, no mater how soon, will be better off for it.
Give it a shot. It has worked for me.
Though...I didn't need these thechniques until I was in the mid-20's. If you are a light-weight you may want to look into this strategy now. For everyone else...Your liver won't be young forever...Read, learn. plan. Don't be caught off guard. Hang-overs suck.
**Not really Patent Pending, though if I thought I could I might try.
So instead, I will impart the wisdom of the ages... or at least what I have learned about being drunk. That is...I will Drunk 'N' Blog.
1.) Whoever it is...They don't need to hear from you at 2:00 AM or 3:00AM as the case may be.
2.) Your time is better spent on preventing your horrid hangover.
So you've had a little (or a lot) too much to drink. You've called it a night (It's bar time, or you're out of booze and too lazy to go out for more). What do you do now?
How do you feel? Drunk has many levels.
Level 1.) Other people have seen you drink. You don't feel any incapacity or lowered inhibitions but you now feel like you can blame any faux pass on the alcohol.
Level 2.) You've had enough alcohol (be it one or 5 drinks) and you feel pretty good. This is the kind of good where you are pretty happy to keep drinking. Kind of like taking a little of the 6-demon bag from Egg Foo (ala Big Trouble in Little China)
Level 3.) You feel a bit like a V-8 Commercial (the old version from before when people where bonked on their foreheads, back when they were all slanty..I'd show all you young whipper-snappers a clip but I couldn't find one on youtube while I was so drunk...maybe later) but you doubt that is important because you have only have 3 or was it 7 drinks. Math isn't important any way. Ohh...Shiny!... What were we taking about?
Level 4.) You've thrown up. Which is good, because you have more room for booze, right?!.
If you are Level 1 or 2 and you are already done drinking...I either commend you or feel like you've been cheated which ever suits your temperament more. Feel Free to go to bed with a clear conscience.
I take that back...If you are at level 1 and you do something really stupid or inappropriate, or both you should be ashaimed and I hope you can't sleep because you are such a jack-ass.
If you are at Level 3 or 4 you need my (patent pending*) miracle "no hang-over in the morning" treatment.
It is fairly easy to follow. (Steps one and two are optional.)
Step 1.) Don't get so freaking drunk, You Moron. What?!?! Do you want to be hung over??!!!!
Step 2.) If you insist on drinking so fucking much how about alternating between alcoholic drinks and water. (proper hydration will help the liver to process the alcohol-poisons, there by keeping you from being sick tomorrow.) Or atleast eating something before drinking a liquor store dry (Having a carbohydrate heavy meal before drinking has been shown - at least in personal experiments - to reduce the sighn of over-indulgence the morning after)
Step 3.) If you feel like it might be a good idea (even if no the coolest thing right now) please vomit. The alcohol that is in your stomach will not end up in your barrel, it has served its purpose. You don't need to fully process every drop of booze you drink. You have had the full experience. Please barf and call it a night on the drinking scene.
Step 4) If you have already thrown up..STOP FUCKING DRINKING!!! Alcohol Poisoning is NOT sexy!!!!! Please don't make someone have to take you to the hospital it won't get you laid or help you forget your troubles ar make a great end to a fun night on the town.
Step 5.) Get your ass to a safe place, be it home or someone else's home who you truct. Don't just go somewhere if you are tanked. you may not like where you are when you sober-up otherwise.
Step 6.) Eat something salty (if you can hold anything down...If you can't go directly to the hospital, Do not pass Go...Do Not get $200.00) Ramen works like a fucking charm here but any thing salty is good. I have read (though I couldn't remember right now where even if my life depended on it) that a strong part of the process of the hang-over has to do with a significant reduction in electrolytes due to the salts necessary in processing alcohol-poisons out of the body.
Step 7.) Drink some water, or watery item like soup (Ramen is good for both) or Koolaid. Again, to help with the proper balance of electrolytes.
Step 8.) Try to stay awake (preferably with a friend) until you are a bit more sober. Shoot for between Buzzed and Tipsy (Somewhere between level 2 and 3). If you go to sleep tanked you might just wake up that way, and wouldn't that suck! At the very least you are likely to end up Hung-over in the morning. If you stay awake your body is more active and your metabolism is higher so that you can process more alcohol and become less drunk overall.
If you think I'm sober right n0w you are wrong. I am happily coming off a high level 3 night and by following the Ramen Philosophy in the past I have avoided bad hang-overs. This has even been the case when I have been drinking until at least bar time and then had to get up the following morning to go to work at the Day Care (work starts at 7:30am). If you let yourself sober up a little (or even a lot if you can stand it) your morning, no mater how soon, will be better off for it.
Give it a shot. It has worked for me.
Though...I didn't need these thechniques until I was in the mid-20's. If you are a light-weight you may want to look into this strategy now. For everyone else...Your liver won't be young forever...Read, learn. plan. Don't be caught off guard. Hang-overs suck.
**Not really Patent Pending, though if I thought I could I might try.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Breakfast of Champions?
Unless you live under a rock, you surely have caught some of the Olympics either in the news or even some of the “Live” coverage on tv. My favorite events are the triathlon and swimming. But even if I wasn't a fan of watching the swimming competitions I would have watched them this year. Micheal Phelps is an amazing athlete. He just might help encourage people to hit the pools in their areas (not me of course as I'm allergic to Chlorine alas). So in someways you could definitely say he is a role model but not in the realm of healthy eating. Several news agencies have gotten an interview from him describing his training diet.
Now... I suspect that in his off time (when he is only in the pool like 4 hours a day instead of the 12 or so hes in the pool when training) he doesn't eat like this (if he did he would weigh a 1000 pounds!). But here is a typical days worth of food for America's Midas Touch swimmer:
Breakfast: Three fried egg sandwiches; cheese; tomatoes; lettuce; fried onions; mayonnaise; three chocolate-chip pancakes; five-egg omelette; three sugar-coated slices of French toast; bowl of grits; two cups of coffee
Lunch: One pound of enriched pasta; two large ham and cheese sandwiches with mayonnaise on white bread; energy drinks
Dinner: One Pound of pasta, with carbonara sauce; large pizza; energy drinks
The caloric estimate tips the scales at over 10,000 calories!! More than 5 times what the average person should eat in a day!!!
Not to mention the cholesterol and saturated fat he is ingesting. Who ever his nutritionist is, I hope they know what they are doing. It would be a real shame for him to keel over of a heart attack from clogged arteries.
Don't eat like a champion if this is the champ you intend to emulate.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Incredible Hulk ... Drink
This weekend was the opening weekend for a great little movie: The Incredible Hulk…a much better movie than the unfortunate Hulk movie from a few years back. The plot consisted of mostly action with some minor comedy and romance. It is a fun way to spend an evening.
To honor the movie and my new ability to drink I am providing you all with the secret of how to make an Incredible Hulk in your own homes!
For this you will need:
Ice
Take your glass and add ice to about half way.
Take 2 shots of Hpnotiq and add to the glass.
Take 1 to 2 shots of cognac (depending on how strong you want it) and carefully float on the Hpnotiq.
Swirl the glass and watch the magic!
Drink!
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