You're hot then you're cold...or cold and then hot in my case

Hi friends.

Happy to report that I am finally back on track with the weight loss/healthy lifestyle remodeling.  I just finished a 5-day raw food cleanse.  My intentions for the cleanse were not at all weight-related.  I needed to prove to myself that I am capable of willpower and am able to say no to things that I shouldn't be eating (or that I am eating in portions above what is normal).  I also desperately needed to break my physical/psychological/emotional dependencies on caffeine and sugar.  So far, I can say that I am 7 days off coffee and have not craved candy at all.  Now I am not in any way saying that I will not be drinking coffee or eating candy anymore, because, lets be honest, who can actually do that?  I just wanted to get myself to a point where I can have these things when I want them, and also not have them and still be okay.  I'll let you all know how it goes.

The cleanse itself was not that bad.  It consisted of only raw fruits and vegetables (and some raw almonds thrown in for the last 2 days because my body was screaming for protein).  So obviously, my diet consisted of 2-3 green smoothies per day, lots of salad, and lots and lots of fruit.

I created a new green smoothie recipe that is now my staple and it's just delicious every time:  kale, spinach, cucumber, broccoli, celery, banana, green pear, green grapes, mango and pineapple chunks.  I know this probably sounds like a disgusting combo, but it truly is epic (just ask my co-workers).

 

Now that the cleanse is over, my only regret is that I chose to do it in the midst of a very cold and snowy winter season when all I wanted was something hot.  So today, to quiet my craving for hot food, I decided to make a vegetable soup in the crock pot.  You'd think by now I would be sick of vegetables, but my taste and desire for them has only grown stronger after this week.  I didn't follow a recipe for this soup, so bear with me on quantities as I literally just threw a bunch of stuff in the crock pot, added water and hoped for the best.  It did turn out quite delicious though!

• Baby Carrots - about 2 handfuls, sliced into chunks
• Grape Tomatoes - about 2 handfuls, sliced in half
• Baby Spinach Leaves - 3 handfuls
• Celery - about 10 stalks, diced
• Sugar Snap Peas - 3 handfuls, cut in half
• Broccoli - 5 florets broken into pieces (this was all I had left, or I would have used more)
• Green Pepper - 1 whole, diced
• Zucchini - 1 large, sliced and cut into chunks
• Yellow Squash - 1 medium, sliced and cut into chunks
• Parsley - a handful, shredded
• Russet Potatoes - 2 large, sliced and cut into chunks
• Vidalia Onion - 1 large, diced
• Fresh Garlic - 2 cloves, minced
• Quinoa - 1/2 cup
• Olive Oil - 1 tsp.
• Black pepper - to taste
• Celtic sea salt - to taste
• Garlic powder - to taste

In a frying pan, saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil for 5-6 minutes to release the flavors.  Throw all prepped vegetables and quinoa into the crock pot along with the sauteed onions and garlic.  Fill the crock pot with water and add seasonings to taste.  Cook on high for 4 hours making sure to achieve a full boil.  Switch to low setting and cook for another 1-2 hours so that vegetables fully soften.

Hoping for another good week!!

Have I mentioned I LOVE the fall?

Last weekend, Brad and I went to VonThun Farms to do some pumpkin and apple picking.  We wound up picking about 15 lbs. of apples, all different varieties.  I had been craving baked apples for awhile, so naturally, I made a bunch as soon as I got home.  I then stuffed the apples with bulgur wheat and it actually looked pretty presentable.

For the apples:  core 6-8 large apples (McIntosh and Rome varieties are the best for baking); place cored apples in a pyrex dish.  Sprinkle Apple Pie Spice over the apples (this is just a blend of cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg).  Fill the pyrex with an inch and a half of Coke Zero or diet Coke.  Bake at 375 for around 30 minutes or until the apples are tender

Bulgur wheat recipe in last post!

And now, an epicly green, green smoothie:  6 oz. unsweetened iced green tea, 3/4 c. chopped broccoli, 1 c. spinach leaves, 1/2 c. frozen peaches and mangoes; Throw it all in the Magic Bullet, and blend until smooth

Might as well JUMP...

This morning I awoke with my usual desire to work out.  However, on Sundays, my gym opens late and I have to be on the road down to Cherry Hill soon (more about this in a minute).  I therefore turned to the lovely and fantastic  Jamie Eason for a quick home workout.  I did her amazing plyometrics routine which only took 20 minutes, but got my heart rate up, my muscles burning, and broke a mean sweat (routine to follow).

If you are unfamiliar with the term PLYOMETRICS, the term literally breaks down to plyo (plus) and metrics (movement).  It is a form of exercises that utilizes fast, explosive movements to strengthen muscles both concentrically and eccentrically.  There really is no better form of strength training (assuming your joints and cardiovascular system can handle it!).  I try to incorporate plyometrics into my workouts at least 3 times a week, and I always enjoy treating higher level patients (particularly young athletes) who can begin to utilize plyometrics in their recovery process.

Jamie Eason's Plyo Card Routine:  
Jamie instructs you to use a deck of cards for this workout!  You flip 3 cards at a time, add up the values, and that's how many reps you perform.  Leave the jokers in and depending on your fitness level, they can be valued at either 1 or 11.  I couldn't find cards this morning, so Jamie instructs you to use sets of 15 reps if you don't have cards.  Here is the workout:

• 2 sets of 15 JUMP SQUATS
• 2 sets of 15 JUMPING JACKS
• 2 sets of 15 ALTERNATING JUMP LUNGES
• 2 sets of 15 HIGH KNEES
• 2 sets of 15 MOUNTAIN CLIMBERS
• 2 sets of 15 RUNNING BUTT KICKS
• 2 sets of 15 WIDE PUSH UPS
• 2 sets of 15 JUMPING JACKS
• 2 sets of 15 BICYCLE CRUNCHES

Jamie is even so kind as to include a video clip of the exercises (love her!):  Plyo Card Routine - Video

Now that I worked up a nice sweat, I am more than deserving of this morning's smoothie:

• 1 cup Almond Breeze Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
• 4 frozen strawberries
• 1/2 cup frozen blueberries
• 2 tablespoons flax seeds (ground)
• 1/2 scoop of protein

Clean Smoothie on top of the Clean Cookbook :o)

I'm off to Cherry Hill to cook a birthday dinner for my mom.  Recipes and photos tomorrow!

Blueberry Mornings

Today is going to be oppressively hot, so I thought what better way to start the day than with a delicious smoothie. Have I mentioned before that the Magic Bullet blender is my best friend in the world? On average, I have 2 smoothies a day. The first is usually a fruity/proteiny blend and the second is ALWAYS a green smoothie of some kind.

This morning's deliciousness consisted of 1 cup of Blue Diamond's Almond Breeze Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk (a new obsession of mine), 4 frozen strawberries, 1/2 cup of blueberries, and a small banana. It was pure, clean, perfection. I drank it alongside one of the banana muffins I made yesterday, another clean food (recipe below).

I hope you're all staying cool today!

Eat-Clean Banana Muffins

RECIPE:

2/3 cup Agave Nectar

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup egg substitute

3 ripe bananas

1 teaspoon almond milk

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line 2 12-cup muffin tins with paper liners

Cream the Agave Nectar and butter in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add the egg substitute

In a small bowl, mash the bananas with a fork. Mix in the almond milk and cinnamon. 

In another bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Add the banana mixture to the creamed mixture and stir until combined. 

Add dry ingredients, mixing just until flour disappears.

Pour batter into prepared muffin tins and bake 15-20 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.

ENJOY 

Day 14!!! - Fixated on your Verdigre

HALFWAY POINT!!

Definitely over-ate today, but trying not to stress out about it. My friends chocolate and marshmallow peeps were all too appealing today.

Brunch: egg white and mushroom omelette w/ a teaspoon of mozzarella cheese; scooped out whole wheat bagel w/ a teaspoon of cream cheese

Dinner: Tuna Melt - 1 can of tuna made w/ low fat cottage cheese and spices; 1 Thomas' Light Multigrain english muffin; 2 slices Borden Fat Free Sharp Cheddar Slices

Green Smoothie! - supremely green today - green tea, celery, green pear, spinach, frozen mango and peach slices

Measurements and photos tomorrow. Hope my sugar fix today didn't screw me up too badly

Also...did Shred Level 2

Two weeks to go!

Day 8 - Happiness Is...

Just a quick morning post, as I sit here sipping my protein shake...Today was measurement and photograph day! Not a huge difference in the photograph, but I was pleasantly surprised by the measurements! I take measurements at the bustline, umbilicus, natural waist, hips, upper arm, forearm, thigh, and calf. I am pleased to report that I have lost 7cm at the umbilicus, 4cm at the natural waist, 2cm at the hips, 1cm at the forearm, and 0.5cm at the calf. All other measurements stayed the same. This makes for a total loss of 14.5cm in 1 week!

Just proof that diet and exercise really can work together to provide quick results. Totally motivates me for the week even though I got ZERO sleep last night thanks to be nervous for my new clinical rotation.

Did Shred Level 2 this morning and it is definitely getting easier. :o)

EDIT: Today's Green Smoothie: 2 large handfuls of spinach, 1 celery stalk, 4 chunks of papaya, 1 gala apple, and 4 frozen strawberries.





greeny-licious! complete w/ green straw :o)

Day 7 - WEEK 1 DONE!!

Week 1 is finished and a success on the exercise front! I won't know til tomorrow how the measurements or visual picture has changed, but I'm hopeful.

This morning I woke up and did Shred Level 3 - i've done Level 3 a few times in the past, but was unable to really perform a lot of the plyo exercises. I am pleased to report I did much better with the plyos today.

I had my typical protein shake after my workout, and then I walked the quarter mile to the farmer's market to pick up some fruit and nuts for the week. I got almonds, papaya, grapes, apples, celery, ginger, and a pomelo.

The rest of the eats today were uneventful, but I did make the same green smoothie as yesterday. Tomorrow, my green smoothie will be my dessert because I am heading back to work for my last rotation, and will not be able to drink it during the day.

As always, I'll be updating regularly!

Day 6 - Green Goddess

Today was both good and bad. Woke up, did Level 1 of the Shred, had my aforementioned protein shake, and headed off to teach anatomy for 3 hours.

When I came home, I made my first legit green smoothie. It contained: Cold Water, 1 D'Anjou (Green) Pear, 6 Frozen Strawberries, and 2 Large Handfuls of Baby Spinach

It was delicious!! You couldn't taste the spinach at all, and the texture was fantastic. I will definitely continue making green smoothies and experimenting with other ingredients.

With my green smoothie, I had a Thomas' Light Multigrain English Muffin w/ 2 slices of melted fat free cheddar cheese

Dinner was a Weight Watchers' Smart One Meal - Three Cheese Ziti Marinara

I then proceeded to bake sugar cookies for Valentine's Day...and I ate 3 of them. I felt guilty for about an hour, but then remembered that it is perfectly okay to splurge once in awhile, and I have not splurged at all this week, so I will let this be my splurge, and I'll move on.

Ah, emotional growth.

Looking very forward to taking new measurements and photos on Monday!

Day 4 - Going Green

Today was a great day! In my unending quest for health and happiness, I am always looking for tips and recipes. Today I discovered a magical thing known as the Green Smoothie. It is basically any combination of leafy greens and fruit, and so I decided I absolutely had to make one.

My car is currently stuck in a snow prison, so I had to make due with the ingredients I had. I used - Romaine Lettuce, Strawberries, Banana, and Water. It was delicious!! I am going to become more adventurous with these smoothies as they are low in calories, high in fiber, and they taste fantastic! I'm going to buy spinach and ginger tomorrow. I also had a protein smoothie this morning (same recipe as the past 2 days).

For lunch I made a flatbread pizza made with a low-carb wheat roll-up from Costco (i am obsessed with these. 110 cals, with 10 grams of protein). I spread a thin layer of tomato sauce and sprinkled with part skim shredded mozzarella, then popped it in the toaster for 10 minutes. Yum!

Dinner was Ravioli Florentine from weight watchers smart ones line

This morning I did Level 1 of the Shred. Looking forward to taking measurements and photos on Monday. Hoping to see a little bit of a change. It will be very tempting to step on the scale, but I will fight the urge. Trying to last the full 30 days before re-weighing so that I can see a true loss, and not just potential water loss.