Well, I finally decided on a gym. And with that has come commitments to working out throughout the week and making healthy eating eating choices. And with these commitments come successes! Just in the last week I'very lost 4 lbs! And in the past few weeks have been getting compliments (mostly from men - Haha!) that I look like I'm getting slimmer. But the best part of all is that I feel better, have had a reduction in the chronic pain I'd been having and my clothes fit much better! So I say it's time to celebrate. I'm going dress shopping this weekend!!! ;)
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Thursday, May 5, 2011
A Delicious Twist on a Simple Meal...
Trader Joe's. I love Trader Joe's. It's quite convenient, then, that it is a block from my apartment and I can walk there in under 5 minutes. They have a fascinating selection of flavorful and exotic foods. It's a great store for me because of their many gluten free products, variety of cheeses, selection of organic and natural foods, and all at a decent price!
This week's discovery was a quick, protein happy, vegetarian meal in a pouch. It contains two servings, cooks in just a few minutes, and tastes like heaven. First I tried the chickpea meal and it was DIVINE!!! Next was the soybean meal, which is pictured to the right. Now, to make a simple and healthy meal out of it, I did the following:
Sauteed the contents of the pouch with a few cups of raw spinach for about 3 minutes. In the meantime, I diced up half of a red pepper and half of a tomato. I also had some cooked rice on hand, which if you are making it from scratch, start it about 15 minutes before you begin cooking the soybeans. Then I threw the red peppers into the pan, stirred, and turned off the heat. Next, I scooped about 1/2 cup of rice on my plate, a generous serving of rocket leaves (also can be purchased at TJ's for a whopping $1.99 for a 7 oz bag) with low fat Greek Dressing (also TJ's) drizzled on top, threw about a cup of the sauteed soybeans over the rice and topped it all off with a handful of diced tomatoes. It took me 5 minutes to make and about 5 minutes to eat because it was just so delicious! :)
Give the recipe a try!!!
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Peanut Butter
Peanut butter. Talk about yummy. I'm learning that nothing curbs my cravings like a serving of peanut butter. And while this pantry essential is very high in calories and fat (2 tbsp of Adams Natural Crunchy is 200 calories, 150 of which are from fat) it is a decent source of protein (accompany it with an 8 oz glass of milk and you're getting a great protein packed snack), carries about 2 g of fiber, and (the right pb) is low in sugar and carbs. I like to pair it with crisp apple slices or a banana pre-workout for a protein and carb boost.
Research also shows that peanut butter is heart healthy, containing mono- and poly-unsaturated fats, as well as folate, vitamin E, magnesium and some strange thing called resveratrol. Hey! This all sounds great to me!!! But to add to all this, because it has a good amount of fiber, it will keep you satisfied for longer. It tastes amazing, goes great with various kinds of food, and it won't break your bank. What's my favorite kind of pb? So far I am pretty pleased with Trader Joe's natural creamy pb. Feel free to recommend something else.
Oh, and for a change, try almond or sesame butter, also delicious!!!
Research also shows that peanut butter is heart healthy, containing mono- and poly-unsaturated fats, as well as folate, vitamin E, magnesium and some strange thing called resveratrol. Hey! This all sounds great to me!!! But to add to all this, because it has a good amount of fiber, it will keep you satisfied for longer. It tastes amazing, goes great with various kinds of food, and it won't break your bank. What's my favorite kind of pb? So far I am pretty pleased with Trader Joe's natural creamy pb. Feel free to recommend something else.
Oh, and for a change, try almond or sesame butter, also delicious!!!
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
And so it begins...
Okay.
So, there I was just 7 days ago looking in the mirror and thinking, "Nothing fits anymore." Have you ever been there? In that place where you are uncomfortable in your own skin?...swimming in pudge and seeing just how much damage "falling off the band wagon" had done? That's how I felt. However, it wasn't just that. I'd also noticed that walking up stairs had gotten harder over the year that had passed since my last visit with a trainer, how my mood had shifted to a constant state of melancholy, and most significantly, how my stress levels had gone through the roof. I felt like I was carrying 2 tons of bricks on my shoulders at all times. I was at my breaking point physically and mentally, and I knew I needed to do something about it.
Tuesday, April 26th, I researched local gyms. I found a nice womens only gym only a mile from my house. I called, set up an appointment to come in the following day, and was offered a free week pass.
Wednesday, Day 1, they showed me the ropes. It was a small, fairly quiet place. The ladies were extremely nice and understanding of my injuries. This was important to me because only a year ago I'd been in a car accident that messed up my neck, back, hips and knees. The prior to that, I'd had a bad shoulder injury while playing a camp game with a few middle school kids and the year prior to that, had a severe case of tendinitis/carpal tunnel syndrome in both arms. I was a mess...and I think I used my injuries to demotivate myself within the last year. No more!
First, I set a few goals: 1) to lose 20 pounds by my 25th birthday (only 7 weeks from Day 1, so less that 3 lbs/wk). 2) hit the gym or find some kind of exercise to do 5 days/wk, 1-2 hours/day. 3) change my eating habits to 5-6 small meals/day, choose high fiber carbs and ditch the table sugar and high fructose corn syrup (minus the occasional dark chocolate indulgence...I don't want to go insane).
This past first week was a cinch getting to the gym/exercising 5 times. The reason wasn't because I'm disciplined, but rather that I LOVE WORKING OUT! I've really been looking forward to work outs because my moved has improved instantly, stress just rolled right off my shoulders, and I'm already seeing physical results in just one week (the line of my body is already improving). Regardless of the fact that it's only been 7 days, I'm already stronger and have been able to push myself harder. I love it! And I've missed feeling this way (I'd forgotten just how amazing good exercise makes me feel).
As far as diet goes, I've done decently at making better choices. Structure has helped, but a piece of candy or simple carbs have made their way in there a little tiny bit. It's nothing I feel the need to be upset about because I still eat fairly healthily in the first place and probably needed to switch to smaller/more frequent meals rather than changing the foods I eat.
I'm really excited to go on this journey. I feel fantastic and I can't wait to see those pounds roll off. Hopefully my story will also motivate you to make lifestyle improvements (it's amazing what diet and exercise can do for our overall health). More to come soon!
So, there I was just 7 days ago looking in the mirror and thinking, "Nothing fits anymore." Have you ever been there? In that place where you are uncomfortable in your own skin?...swimming in pudge and seeing just how much damage "falling off the band wagon" had done? That's how I felt. However, it wasn't just that. I'd also noticed that walking up stairs had gotten harder over the year that had passed since my last visit with a trainer, how my mood had shifted to a constant state of melancholy, and most significantly, how my stress levels had gone through the roof. I felt like I was carrying 2 tons of bricks on my shoulders at all times. I was at my breaking point physically and mentally, and I knew I needed to do something about it.
Tuesday, April 26th, I researched local gyms. I found a nice womens only gym only a mile from my house. I called, set up an appointment to come in the following day, and was offered a free week pass.
Wednesday, Day 1, they showed me the ropes. It was a small, fairly quiet place. The ladies were extremely nice and understanding of my injuries. This was important to me because only a year ago I'd been in a car accident that messed up my neck, back, hips and knees. The prior to that, I'd had a bad shoulder injury while playing a camp game with a few middle school kids and the year prior to that, had a severe case of tendinitis/carpal tunnel syndrome in both arms. I was a mess...and I think I used my injuries to demotivate myself within the last year. No more!
First, I set a few goals: 1) to lose 20 pounds by my 25th birthday (only 7 weeks from Day 1, so less that 3 lbs/wk). 2) hit the gym or find some kind of exercise to do 5 days/wk, 1-2 hours/day. 3) change my eating habits to 5-6 small meals/day, choose high fiber carbs and ditch the table sugar and high fructose corn syrup (minus the occasional dark chocolate indulgence...I don't want to go insane).
This past first week was a cinch getting to the gym/exercising 5 times. The reason wasn't because I'm disciplined, but rather that I LOVE WORKING OUT! I've really been looking forward to work outs because my moved has improved instantly, stress just rolled right off my shoulders, and I'm already seeing physical results in just one week (the line of my body is already improving). Regardless of the fact that it's only been 7 days, I'm already stronger and have been able to push myself harder. I love it! And I've missed feeling this way (I'd forgotten just how amazing good exercise makes me feel).
As far as diet goes, I've done decently at making better choices. Structure has helped, but a piece of candy or simple carbs have made their way in there a little tiny bit. It's nothing I feel the need to be upset about because I still eat fairly healthily in the first place and probably needed to switch to smaller/more frequent meals rather than changing the foods I eat.
I'm really excited to go on this journey. I feel fantastic and I can't wait to see those pounds roll off. Hopefully my story will also motivate you to make lifestyle improvements (it's amazing what diet and exercise can do for our overall health). More to come soon!
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