Low-Fat Kat

Keto Recipes and Starting Over....Again.

2018-07-08T13:05:00.002-04:00

So I "started" doing the ketogenic diet back in September, but I really haven't stuck to it...like, at all. And it's pretty easy to gain weight when you repeatedly slip up and eat a bunch of carbs and then continue with low-carb, higher-fat foods. Flash forward to now and I'm up 20 pounds. So I'm giving it a hardcore try, realizing I cannot cheat. Cheating is simply NOT an option on this diet. Depression has really taken its toll on me in the last few months, and it's directly correlated to my weight, causing a vicious cycle of overeating and gaining. I have to give myself a solid chance by getting my feet under me and gaining some traction when it comes to weight loss, so I'm giving the keto diet a true shot.

I'm down a few pounds over the past few days, but I've been playing with the same 5 pounds for weeks now, so I'm not reporting a true success just yet. I have my first milestone in sight and will definitely report when I hit that, but for now I'm just plugging along.

I've joined a few groups on Facebook for support and ideas, but I haven't been super-active in them, save for one post. I made some avocado brownies and was less than enthused with how they turned out initially (I since have doctored them up - legally - and am calling them a win), so I posted them to one of the groups saying they tasted like Satan's butthole. I got power-hungry really quick with over 1300 reactions....mwah-ha-ha!

The recipe I used is this one from Delish, and it turned out waaaaay too bitter and salty. Some of the tips I received from my Facebook post were: 1) Stevia can make things bitter, 2) similar recipes called for half the amount of cocoa powder than this recipe did, and 3) leave out the salt. I won't count this recipe out again, but I will definitely tweak it using those recommendations. On the upside, I asked group members for some of their fave no-fail recipes and got a few clear-cut winners with many recommendations, so I'll give those a shot!

This morning for breakfast I wasn't feeling the regular omelet option, so I made this egg-loaf "French toast."

The recipe was stupid-easy: 4 eggs, 4 oz cream cheese, 4 Tbls melted butter, 2 Tbls Swerve sweetener, and I added liberal amounts of cinnamon and nutmeg. I blended them all in the bullet and poured it into this small oiled dish. After 30 minutes at 350, it came out custardy, tasting very similar to French toast. We ate it with this sugar-free "maple syrup" from Amazon. I'm excited to try this recipe again as pancakes or smaller muffins!

One thing I'm finding difficult about this diet is waiting for hunger to abate. I know from reading other people's testimonies that once they are fat-adapted, intermittent fasting is easy and hunger is a non-issue. As someone who eats for pleasure too often, this waiting period sucks. I tend to rely on instant gratification and am the most impatient person I know, which is why I've failed at this so far. I see so many people's success stories of "I lost 20 pounds my first week" or whatever, and when it hasn't happened to me, I quit.

Also, there are too many conflicting sources of information. The people eating steaks smothered in cheese and butter either seem to have hundreds of pounds to lose or are at their goal weight. Calories matter, so it's disheartening to see so many good recipes out there and feel like I can eat them all as long as they are "keto," when really I can't. For someone with 50 pounds to lose, I don't think I have the option at this point to eat as much as I want of keto-friendly foods and still expect a loss. Finally, I'm finding it difficult to stay under my protein limit. I know, carbs are a limit, protein is a goal, fat is a lever, but it's not hard for me to reach my protein goal/limit by midday. Finding a routine that will work for me while still keeping things interesting is going to be challenging.

But I'm up for it.

Thanksgiving Planning

2017-11-08T09:45:00.004-05:00

Greetings, all, and Happy Two Weeks Until Thanksgiving!

Hubby and I are big foodies and love to experiment in the kitchen (we usually host my parents for Thanksgiving dinner or the day after), so this being our first year doing a keto menu will be interesting, to say the least.

Stuffing/dressing and sweet potato casserole are two of my most favorite dishes, so I'm trying to come up with some gourmet keto hacks that will ensure I don't feel I'm missing out!

Starters

I was planning to make Aperol spritzes, but of course Aperol is loaded with sugar...grr! I still might make mini versions - they look so festive and I've been craving one!

Source: Food & Wine

We'll probably offer wine and serve a charcuterie board while everything is getting finished.

Main Course

We spatchcock and dry-brine our turkey a couple days prior to the main event, so that'll be taken care of.

Thanksgiving turkey pr0n from 2015

Thanksgiving turkey pr0n from 2016

We typically roast it in the oven over a tray of veggies to add to the stuffing, so maybe this year I'll use cauliflower to later mash into something like this cauliflower mash from Keto Connect or this mashed cauliflower bake from Joy Filled Eats. Or this Mushroom, Bacon, and Cauliflower casserole from Do You Even Paleo? looks like it would be a nice keto-alternative to traditional stuffing!

Dessert

I'm a pumpkin fiend and will definitely miss Mom's pumpkin cheesecake this year, but either this Keto Pumpkin Cheesecake from Hey Keto Mama or this Pumpkin Coffee Cake from Divalicious Recipes look like a good swap!

Are you already planning your Thanksgiving meal? Any new or interesting swaps you're making this year to stay healthy?

Too many calories, still too many carbs

2017-09-26T08:36:00.001-04:00

It's taking me awhile to get into the swing of things with this keto-for-weight-loss schtick. At first I was just, "all the meat and cheese and butter you can handle!!" but it appears as though I really DO need to be paying attention to calories as well.

source

In the nearly 2 weeks since I've begun, I've only lost a couple of pounds, and I keep flirting with ketosis (according to my pee sticks, which I know are not super-accurate) but have not entered and solidly stayed there. I've gone above my carbs limit a few days because I'm not accurately planning ahead. Instead, I just have stuff on hand that I'll grab, but starting today, I am switching up my strategy.

From now on, I'm solidly planning my day on cronometer.com in the morning so I'll know the basics of what carbs I'm working with, and can have some "swing snacks" handy that won't impact my carb level too much. Yesterday my heavy-hitting carb dishes were romaine lettuce (nearly 4), cherry tomatoes (3.5), eggplant (nearly 9.5), and mozzarella cheese (3). I "allowed" myself some mustard-based BBQ sauce at lunch which I knew would give me some extra carbs (4), not realizing how high my dinner eggplant would be...wow!

I think I'm having a hard time letting go of the old "3 square meals a day" mindset when I really don't need to get stuck in that pattern. I'm still encouraged that eating keto will give me a better opportunity to practice intuitive eating; I have a bad habit of eating because it's "time to," not because I'm hungry. So overall I'm discouraged in myself but still encouraged by the diet. I know it'll give me a better handle on insulin regulation/hunger as well as the aforementioned intuitive eating, so I'm not giving up.

For you keto-ers, did you find yourself in a similar predicament in the beginning? Has it gotten easier for you?

Keto Eggplant Casserole

2017-09-22T21:35:00.001-04:00

I'm starting to follow a ketogenic diet (why am I seeing it everywhere nowadays??) and am really enjoying the variety of foods I'm cooking with that I've shied away from for awhile. The novelty of it is making it easier to stick to - I don't have much desire to cheat because I'm enjoying my food so much more now, and my satiety has really improved with my fat intake increase. I'm still learning as I go and am figuring out what kind of daily routine is best for getting all my macros in without going overboard.

Tonight for dinner, I made an eggplant casserole to go along with some lean pork chops. I sliced and salted some eggplant to draw out some of the moisture.

After letting the slices sit about 10-15 minutes, I pressed on them with a paper towel to get some water out before flipping and repeating on the other side. In a saucepan, I sauteed some onions in butter and added a block of frozen chopped spinach along with a little chicken stock. BTW, this is one of the best kitchen hacks - freeze some of your favorite stock in ice cube trays and put them in a freezer bag to easily grab and go. Stock has a place in so many recipes (hell-O pan deglazer!) but I'm hesitant to keep a container of it in the fridge in case we don't use it fast enough.

But I digress....

Once the frozen chopped spinach was thawed, I added some salt, pepper, and garlic powder in addition to a small can of tomato sauce.

Not much to look at, but it was a great binder! I layered the eggplant slices with the spinach tomato sauce and shredded pizza cheese - mozzarella, parmesan, romano, etc.

I covered the dish and baked it for about 40 minutes at 375° and was pleased to see bubbly browned cheese when I opened the oven door!

We'll be snarfing on this big ol' dish for awhile!

Brand New Blog - A Cordial Life

2016-09-06T15:36:00.002-04:00

Helllooooooo out there, dear readers!

I've had the desire to blog for awhile, and I've even popped back in a time or two with a triumphant "HERE I AM...I'M STILL ALIVE" post. However, I feel like I've evolved past the "Weight Loss Only" genre, and thus it's been tough to keep bringing myself back here churn out words out of the blue since my heart hasn't been in it.

Weight loss will be a lifelong struggle for me. I'm still trying to come to terms with that, and may never 100% accept it, but I'm closer than I was. I'm still keeping my weight down (though I've put on a few pounds over the past year and am slowly getting my feet back under me to gain forward momentum again), and I'm trying to make peace with mindful eating and learning to love exercise (not an easy task!).

I won't delete this blog, as it still serves as a resource for myself and others. Who knows - I might really get back into the format of blogging and start this bad boy up again as a way to keep accountable to myself and the world.

In the meantime, you can find the rest of my life at www.acordiallife.com

Love,
Kat

ISO Entryway Table

2015-11-16T22:34:00.003-05:00

So we've owned our home for 7 months now and have lived here for all but 6 weeks of those months. We packed so much into the first few months - getting rid of popcorn ceilings and wallpaper, patching drywall and painting, redoing our kitchen cabinets and countertops - that when we finally got to a point where we were comfortable, we've kinda stalled on making progress. Not a bad thing, necessarily - we deserved a break, and some design decisions require you live in the space for awhile before making up your mind. Anyway, I'm itching to tie up some loose ends, and I've got my eye out for a couple pieces of furniture - a table for our entryway and a small cabinet for china in our dining area. Today after a dentist checkup I went browsing again for the entryway piece and wanted to share some examples of what I'm looking for. I love daydreaming about fixing up interesting finds from consignment and antique stores and doing interior design!

Funny by Association

2015-07-30T12:39:00.001-04:00

Sometimes at work I'll have a "video of the day" to share with my co-worker. A conversation will come up or something will happen that reminds me of a movie or TV show or SNL skit, and I'll have to pull up the video online to show her. It's sometimes very strange the associations my brain makes between two seemingly unrelated topics, but today's video was on point.

During a conversation about "cleanses" and how unnecessary and gimmicky they are, I recalled this favorite skit featuring Phil Hartman from back in the day. Enjoy!

Cheers to a New Year!

2015-01-01T22:15:00.001-05:00

Last night we had a couple of friends over to ring in the new year (we anticipated a couple more, but a case of strep throat sidelined them).
We snacked on way too many finger foods and drank beer and bourbon while playing a new board game I got for Christmas.
I'm really excited about the prospect for a fresh start with this new year, and I started the year off with some major de-cluttering in our guest room/office/craft room. There's plenty more to be done, so I hope my current "GET RID OF ALL THE THINGS!!" mood sticks with me at least through the weekend. We spent time yesterday organizing kitchen gadgets, too, so all this progress feels really good!
I've got a few goals for myself this year. My biggest is probably to be more present and purposeful. All too often I feel like I'm just drifting along. I have a hard time focusing on events and conversations and have a hard time listening, internalizing, and remembering things. It feels as though I'm just half-assing a lot of things, thereby missing out on a lot of rich experiences. I'd like to pay closer attention to things and people, to engage more fully in events and activities. I want to live life more fully and stop phoning it in as I feel I have been. I have a lot to be thankful for, and a lot of amazing people in my life, and I feel like I take a lot for granted, at least through my actions and behaviors. One small change at a time, I'd like to get away from that. Along with that overarching resolution come smaller goals I'd like to flesh out over the coming days and weeks.
What are your resolutions for 2015?

Post-Halloween Damage Control

2014-11-03T22:17:00.001-05:00

We had a few friends over for Halloween and enjoyed some naughty treats. I made Candy Corn Jell-o Shots:

Dirt cake with gummy snakes:

Mummy dogs (I left out the cheese, and I should’ve cut their poor little arms a little longer):

Pumpkin seed brittle:

made from these guys’ innards:

Pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese icing:

And of course we played Cards Against Humanity, as we do at all our social gatherings.

So after the debauchery of this weekend, we’re getting back to basics with our cooking. I was a bottomless pit yesterday, and I know it’s because my body was so out of whack from the crap I fed it Friday (and some leftovers Saturday). It’s insane how “hungover” I feel after eating the wrong things (carby, salty, sugary, gluteny things). Today I was achy, puffy, depressed, and irritable among a host of other unsavory characteristics. I wish I could bottle up that feeling and take a small shot of it when faced with making poor eating decisions. I might make wiser choices if I could more clearly remember the impact these foods have on me even several days after consuming them.

Dinner tonight was a couple of tuna steaks marinated in Soy Vay Hoisin Garlic sauce alongside some zucchini I spiralized and briefly cooked in a skillet with some onions, olive oil, and a couple spoonfuls of Trader Joe’s Many Cloves garlic sauce:

We also went to the gym tonight for the first time in FOREVER. I updated my Facebook status earlier that I’d be going to the gym for the first time in over a month – I thought for certain we hadn’t been in about 6-8 weeks. Well, as we left, we asked the desk clerk to look up the last time we had been there. JULY 13TH. WOW. Wedding stuff really consumed my life for the last couple of months of our engagement, and I’m SO glad to try to get a handle on all the stuff I let fall by the wayside.

If I keep up the clean eating and gym-going, before too long I’ll be feeling a little less Piggy!

Sausage and Kale with Butternut Sauce and Spaghetti Squash

2014-10-26T20:23:00.001-04:00

Mom came over for dinner earlier this week and I made a variation of this pasta dish from A Skinny Taste, but I also added some cannellini beans – it was to die for! I had some butternut squash sauce left over, so I used it for a pasta-free version tonight. I started by browning some sausage and adding onions, sage, and mushrooms in a big sauté pan we got as a wedding shower gift!

Once the onions and mushrooms had cooked down a bit, I added some chopped kale and let it cook down. Then I added the remainder of my butternut squash sauce (I wish I had written down everything I put in – it was a butternut squash I cooked in boiling water, plus about 3-4 oz cream cheese, maybe a splash of chicken stock, salt, and pepper).

I added some fresh nutmeg with my Microplane – also a wedding present (we got so many wonderful gadgets!)

Meanwhile I had roasted some spaghetti squash in the oven and sprinkled it with salt, pepper, and ground sage, so I scraped out the squash fibers once it was done…

We could’ve served the sausage/butternut mixture on top of individual portions of the squash, but we elected to just mix it all together in the pan before portioning out and topping with parmesan cheese.

It was perfect – a little spicy, a little sweet, and chock-full of veggies! We’ll definitely do this again over the fall and winter months.

Crock Pot BBQ and Back to Normalcy Post-Wedding

2014-10-26T16:24:00.001-04:00

We got a new crockpot as a wedding gift and are having fun with it! One of our favorite things to do is pulled pork. Friday night, Jason put together a friggin’ awesome rub comprised of ground coffee, some chili powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, cumin, paprika, coriander, cayenne, thyme, minced onions, and probably a couple other things I’m forgetting.

We put the rub on Friday night after we got home from a family dinner and let it sit in the fridge wrapped in plastic wrap. The next morning we put it in the crock with a little bourbon to cook on low for about 8 hours while we did stuff during the day.

At that point, it was ready to shred and enjoy!

We had some friends over to watch football Saturday night and had pulled pork, my lightened-up coleslaw, baked beans, and a few other little nibbles.

Since I’ve been wedding planning for the last 10 months or so, it’s nice to try to get back to a routine and some sense of normalcy. I might write a blog post about wedding stuff once we get photos back from the photographers, but I’d like to try to focus on blogging about food and recipes with even a shred of consistency! Jason and I are ready to get back to healthier eating after our honeymoon, so hopefully this will help us!

Wedding home stretch!

2014-07-15T10:30:00.003-04:00

Time to panic!
In less than 3 months, I'll be walking down the aisle toward the love of my life....and I still have a ways to go with my weight loss! I've been stuck in a rut for awhile now - eating 100% on-plan most of the time but then going waaaaay off-course just enough to make everything break even.
According to the scales at work (I keep track both at home and work - the scales are about 5lbs different from each other), I've hovered around 185 for over a year, and that's only about 5lbs less than my average for the year before. In the grand scheme of things it's great that I'm able to maintain, but when I'd still consider myself "trying" to lose weight, I'm frustrated with myself for holding so steady.
We've been going to the gym about 3-4 days a week doing about 20 minutes of cardio and then strength training either on upper or lower body on alternate days - I can tell a little bit of difference in definition and I've been able to increase my resistance a bit, but of course it's nothing huge.
So here I am at my wit's end, desperate for something to kick myself into high-gear. I'm terrible with tracking - I wear my fitbit diligently but forget to log my food. I've started paper logs, spreadsheet logs, journals....I never remember to stop and track. I wear my heart rate monitor at the gym but don't go back to sync it and actually take heed of the numbers.
Blogging my progress and struggles has helped in the past, but even that falls prey to my "forgettiness" - I'll blog a triumphant return only to disappear again for months at a time.
This has to be my last straw!!
I'm committing myself to logging my foods on Lose It.
I'll still do my 3-4 days per week at the gym, paying close attention to increasing weight resistance.
I'd like to blog a few times a week - even if it's something quick from my phone. I can't expect myself to jump in and write elaborate posts with recipes and pictures all the time.
I'd like to do yoga a few times a week, but it's difficult to get into a routine myself. There's a studio nearby that seems very financially reasonable - maybe I can coerce the Mister into checking it out with me. I've had a lot of anxiety lately - probably mostly due to wedding stress and lack of weight loss progress - and instead of turning to medication I really want to get back into yoga for a more natural stress release.
I think that's a pretty good start...

Zucchini Pizzas

2014-04-17T21:40:00.001-04:00

My newest fixation are these little mini pizzas made with a shredded zucchini crust:

We’ve made them a few times over the past couple days. I started with 6 zucchini and it has lasted through three rounds of pizza-making!

Our first attempt had tomato, mozzarella, basil, and black olives, but I went with cheddar, chicken, bacon, onion, and barbeque sauce for the second:

I just bought some frozen cauliflower that I’ll use in this recipe again soon. What else have you made pizza crust from?

Pretty Nice Little Saturday

2014-03-08T15:58:00.001-05:00

We’ve had cold rainy days most of this week, so I’m definitely glad to be sitting here enjoying a warm day and a cool breeze blowing through our open windows. I’m so ready for spring! This morning we went to the park with the dog and I logged my 2nd activity on my new heart rate monitor Jason and his dad and stepmom got me for my birthday:

I’m still learning how to use it and have yet to actually run with it, but I’ve wanted one for awhile. When I engage in strenuous exercises, I tend to wuss out and stop pushing myself as hard as I could, so I’ve reasoned that if I have the feedback of a monitor, I’ll know my heart isn’t about to explode and I should keep going!

Earlier this week we made an AMAZING shepherd’s pie recipe:

…and I also attempted a layered baked ratatouille based on this recipe:

My mission was to use up ALLL the veggies, not make it look pretty. Success!

Later this evening we’re headed to a friend’s birthday celebration, so I attempted to make a variation of my Irish Car Bomb cookies last night, but the ganache just ain’t working out.

So I’m attempting this recipe instead. Got the dough logs chilling in the fridge (leftover ratatouille in the background!) while I roast some cauliflower for a snack.

My weight has been steady this week, but we’ve celebrated my ~~30th~~ birthday a few times and thus I’ve been a little loose with my diet plan. At least I haven’t gained!

We also got our engagement pictures back this week (done by the fabulous Joshua and Aaron Moore – I’m obsessed with their work and can’t wait for them to capture our wedding!!), and while I’m quite pleased with them, I’m frustrated with how I still look. It was definitely eye-opening to realize how much farther I have to go, especially when seeing my ass/hip/thigh area front and center of a wide-angle shot like this:

My arms are my most embarrassing part, and the one I’m most focused on toning right now. It’s easier to hide chunky thighs, but flabby arms are harder to camouflage, in my opinion.

Right now I’m doing this dumbbell circuit from Fitsugar but need to step up the efforts to drop weight all over. It’s happened before and will happen again – I know my arms will shrink when the rest of me does.

Cauliflower is done, drizzled with some Bolthouse Farms yogurt ranch (the cauliflower is spicy), and I’m off to finish baking my cookies!!

Sunday Grocery Stock-Up

2014-02-23T23:04:00.001-05:00

After a nice walk at the park with the dude and dog…

…we went and bought ALL THE THINGS at the grocery store. It helps so much with both budget and diet when we make a big grocery trip at the beginning of the week.

And that was probably half of it. For dinner tonight, I sautéed some onions and garlic with some yellow cherry tomatoes (they explode in then pan!) and added steam-in-bag green beans and balsamic vinegar.

We had that alongside some leftover broccoli, some collards I cooked all afternoon, and steak with horseradish sauce while we watched We Are the Millers – pretty funny albeit predictable.

I didn’t quite get everything done today that I’d hoped, but I still feel pretty accomplished. I got a giant pile of clothes put away and some arm-strengthening exercises done. Nothing brag-worthy though, so I’m going to write up an actual to-do list for this week so I can cross things off. I do so much better when I have a plan to stick to!

Engaged and Recommitted

2014-02-23T12:26:00.001-05:00

Haven’t blogged since August…is anyone surprised? I’m not. I’m not even going to try to make excuses and apologies anymore! Now that 2014 is in full swing and the holidays are over, I’m busy mostly with wedding planning! Jason proposed at the end of December, and we’ve had to make the big vendor decisions now even though the wedding isn’t for quite a few more months.

The first few weeks of January were crazy since I had no idea who we wanted to hire in the way of vendors, but now that we have a great team picked out and locked down, I’m much more calm about things now. I’ve even got a dress (that fits, but I need to work a little more on some trouble areas!) and am now happy to focus on smaller, fun details for our big day!

Totally unrelated, but I wanted to share a recipe we tried last night from The Redefined Chef, Red Snapper Veracruzo:

Horrible picture because I used the cell phone. Who wants to get up to get their camera once they’re seated in front of this delicious dish? We had some red snapper in the freezer left over from a giant Valentine’s Day cut. I didn’t have any jalapenos so I used a chipotle in adobo which gave it a smoky spiciness. Also I didn’t have raisins, but dried cranberries worked just fine. I like these “all-in-one” dishes that yield a protein and a side all in one.

I’ve been maintaining my weight for about 2 years now, gaining and losing the same 5-10 pounds or so. On the one hand I’m frustrated that it’s not as easy to lose as it was when I was bigger, but on the other hand I totally expect to stay the same with the “effort” I’ve been putting in to lose lately. Jason and I are beginning to try to increase our activity levels after our winter/holiday slump. We’ve been doing an arm-strengthening routine with our barbell set, and now that the weather should be warming up, we intend to pick up running again. I hope to stay more accountable this time because blogging was such a huge help before. I’ve gotten away from the culture of healthy living – which isn’t to say I’ve been “unhealthy,” I just haven’t been 100% committed to improving myself – and would like to get back to that mindset of making better decisions and doing all I can to get healthier.

Not your average spaghetti and meatballs.

2013-08-11T21:35:00.001-04:00

Still so obsessed with zucchini noodles.

Friday night we made a “baked spaghetti and meatballs” dish with spiral-sliced zucchini, homemade tomato sauce, and meatballs made with a combination of ground turkey and some spicy Italian pork sausage. First Jason combined the meats with a bunch of herbs and spices, then he formed the balls and browned them in a pan:

Then he sautéed some onions, peppers, garlic, and mushrooms in a pan before adding canned diced and crushed tomatoes, some tomato paste, and tomato sauce.

Jason is even cute when he’s blurry! To put everything together, we laid the meatballs on top of the spiral-sliced zucchini and then covered the whole thing with the sauce.

We baked it at about 350° for about 25 min total. Next time, I might try to bake the zucchini a little to get some of the water out, because it kinda flooded the dish. However, the whole thing ended up SO GOOD. Especially with some grated Romano cheese on top.

I freaking love the spiral slicer. Also, we indulged a bit; back when Lay’s brought out their “you pick the flavor” campaign, we only found the Sriracha flavor. Well thank goodness they brought it back – we finally got to try the Chicken & Waffles and Cheesy Garlic Bread flavors:

Too bad the Chicken & Waffles didn’t win – it was totally my favorite. I love salty/sweet combinations like that. One of the best things I’ve ever put in my face is the chicken and waffles at Early Bird Diner in Charleston – I doubt I’ll ever try anything else there because they’re SO GOOD.

Also we sampled a couple of mini bottles from the bounty we picked up at the liquor store:

The best way to indulge without going too crazy! The Van Gogh chocolate vodka was good, but the Dr. McGillicuddy’s Apple Pie Liqueur was definitely awesome – will probably buy that one again!

Did you have as wild and crazy a Friday as we did??

Anniversary Blog after Month 13

2013-08-05T01:07:00.001-04:00

Still alive. Still hangin’ in there. Trying to get a better routine going to keep myself healthy but also mentally sharp. I have a tendency to zone out in the evenings after work, but I’ve been toying with the idea of (maybe?) going back to school (or at least thinking about it) and realize I do much better when I have structure when working toward my goals, whether they be personal, physical, or professional.

So tonight instead of surfing on the iPad or futilely putting away clothes only to have them get strewn about the bedroom again, I’ll get a leg up on some structure by writing a quick recap on what’s been going on lately.

Last I checked in, we had just done the Color Me Rad event in Charleston. I’ve run a little since then, but it’s been either ball-sweatingly hot and humid OR it’s been raining nonstop. I shouldn’t blame the weather, but I am. Meh. We’ve had some cooler days in the past week, so I’ve taken Maddy to the park several times just for a brisk walk. The loop we take is a little over 2 miles, and it usually takes us 40-45 minutes (depending on potty and sniff breaks).

If you can’t tell from the picture, she’s totally freaking out. I forgot how much I like going for little “hikes” in the woods, and now that we’ve started back doing it pretty regularly, I feel like I can keep the habit up a little easier, both for physical and psychological benefit.

Jason and I celebrated our year anniversary at the end of June with a gourmet-y dinner at home, just the way we like it:

Lately we’ve had some local food obsessions, like okra (favorite prep method: sauté with tomatoes and onions):

Fresh tomatoes, which I’ve never been a fan of until this year (now I eat at least one every day while they’re in season):

And zucchini “noodles,” made with our spiral veggie slicer thingy.

Hopefully we won’t get burned out on these any time soon…I could eat all 3 every day and be fine!

So part of my proposed Regimen to Betterment is getting to bed at a descent time (currently it’s 1am….strike against me there), taking my vitamins every night, doing some kind of physical activity every day – especially strength training (I had to go to physical therapy for awhile for some shoulder and SI joint issues, so I reeeeeally need to keep those in check with regular attention), reconciling budget/bank account every night (we’re trying to buy a house in the next year or two and are REALLY going to be pinching pennies for awhile to get there), and doing some kind of critical thinking, whether that’s reading a self-help book or some kind of social or political discourse online, my brain needs to work out more than it currently is. So setting aside the time and attention to do this stuff is really the hardest part, when TV and Pinterest and Facebook and Candy Crush are so damned alluring.

Nose to the Grindstone

2013-04-15T22:40:00.001-04:00

Newly motivated by both the spring weather and some fun events on the horizon, I’ve picked up running again.

“Again,” you say?

Yeeeeeah, I haven’t run since the Color Me Rad event a few weeks ago.

I had a blast with my group and beat my only “running” 5K time, even though I walked a good bit this event (my only goal was to beat my previous time, so I’m 100% pleased since I was dealing with an injury AND bronchitis).

I’ve been going to physical therapy for quite a few weeks for a low-back issue that sidelined me earlier this year and slowed me down a good bit during that event. So I picked up today with Week 3 Day 1 of C25K and pushed through pretty well (Jason picked up with Week 5 and made it his bitch…I’m a little bitter that I’ve lost so much endurance!).

Then this evening I took the dog on a 2-mile walk/hike at a local park. I wanted to do more but don’t want to expend all my motivation at once. We’ve attended several events lately, weddings and a big equestrian event, that I’ve been looking forward to for awhile. While I had a fabulous time at each of these with our friends, it has made me realize how uncomfortable I still am with my weight, mostly in a few trouble areas that really give me grief.

I’m almost back to my lowest weight that I reached around the time of Lofton’s wedding, but I’m ready to keep moving down. It’s great to have an external motivator of an event or a dress, but I’ve been thinking a lot about my future lately and realize how badly I want to feel strong and healthy not only for myself but for the people I love.

So….here’s to hoping I keep on keepin’ on!

Anti-Munchies Trick

2013-02-18T19:28:00.001-05:00

Tonight all I want to do is eat. My solution?

Eating peas…or corn…or beans…with chopsticks. I get the satisfaction of putting something in my mouth (thatswhatshesaid) but it takes foooorrrreeeevvvverrrrrrrr and staves off the obsession that could potentially lead to a binge.

Crazy? Yep. But it works for me! Do you have a trick for beating the munchies?

Valentine’s Date In

2013-02-17T22:43:00.001-05:00

Instead of braving the crowds on Valentine’s Day – a holiday neither of us are crazy about anyway – we decided to stay in and do one of our favorite things – cook!

Jason picked up a couple of giant filets an we made this awesome coffee rub for them:

While they were finishing in the oven, I dumped a bag of frozen brussels sprouts in the pan after I steamed them in the microwave. here they picked up some of the pan drippings and got a little crispy.

I also was craving some mushrooms and onions, so I sautéed them with some olive oil, some Worcestershire, and some red wine.

One of my gifts to him says it all:

Hopefully you Muggles will get the reference! What did you do this Valentine’s Day?

Domestic Date and Backtracking

2013-02-09T13:49:00.001-05:00

Friday night we wanted to stay in and cook but had to run a few errands beforehand. We were out a lot later than we realized we’d be, so we decided to do a quick-ish dinner instead of starting from scratch like we initially intended to.

First off, my boss gave me a piece of salmon from her lunch that she no longer wanted (not as weird as it sounds). I knew I wanted to make a salmon cake appetizer with it, so I threw some stuff together:

the salmon, a couple tablespoons of light mayo, some fresh-grated pecorino romano cheese, some red onion, adobo sauce, and this quinoa mix:

In hindsight, I should’ve just gotten plain quinoa and added a smidge to the salmon, because this ended up being mostly quinoa with a little salmon inside – I had to add some extra stuff to help my cakes stick together.

Some cornmeal, soy flour, and cornstarch later, I got ready to pan-fry.

They turned out pretty tasty, and I have a better idea of how I’ll fix it in the future!

While we cooked, we sipped a super-adult beverage.

Nothin’ like some red wine with fiber. Mmmm-mm. The main course was tilapia stuffed with crab – a quick-grab entrée from the grocery, since we were eating late already. I also roasted some zucchini and Roma tomatoes in the oven and added a little more cheeeeeeeese on top.

It ended up being a really good combo and was ready relatively quickly! And it allowed for leftovers for brunch.

We went for a run this morning, and instead of trying to push myself for 30+ minutes or 3+ miles, we backtracked to Week 6 of C25K. While I struggled a fair amount, the intervals were much easier on me and allowed me to fight through the trouble instead of just getting discouraged, overwhelmed, and giving up like I have been. I feel a lot more confident after today’s run, and we “celebrated” with some scrambled eggs with salsa and leftover salmon quinoa cakes.

I’ll actually look forward to the next run now that I’ve come to terms with backtracking and know I’m capable of succeeding at the intervals!

Running Woes

2013-02-06T21:12:00.001-05:00

So what have I been up to lately? Some experimenting in the kitchen with the fella:

(turnip greens with bacon),

(scallops with homemade pesto),

(“hot crash” sweet potato with cayenne and spices).

But I’ve also been doing a lot of running. Jason and I have completed the Couch-to-5K program (my sophomore effort) and have been working on building endurance. Over the Christmas holidays, I developed some crazy upper respiratory bug that sidelined me for a week or two, and I haven’t been the same since. I’ve had a couple good runs, but I’m having to take waaaaay more breaks than I was in late December, and my endurance just isn’t there.

Today was the last straw; I was really in need of a stress-busting GOOD run, and I couldn’t make it 5 minutes without walking. Then, every time I tried to pick it back up, I got side stitches and stomach cramps. I made it about 2 miles of unplanned run/walk intervals, but in between being a huge crybaby and pushing myself too hard, I hyperventilated every time I picked up the pace and finally gave up.

So what does one do in this situation? Bitch and moan on social media, of course. I finally broke down and asked for advice on Facebook, bracing myself for the influx of “try this” and “you’re not doing this right,” even though I thought I had exhausted all efforts. I did receive a lot of suggestions I’ve tried, but I think I need to give those options a more fair shot now that I’m REALLY concerned and motivated to fix this.

One of the most intriguing pieces of advice I received was to build back up slowly after being away from running. Seems obvious, right? But I didn’t realize it was to this extent. The gal who shared her story said that if she has to take time off from running, she has to start back building up a quarter mile or so each day, starting with a mere 0.25 miles. After my December crud was cured, I didn’t build back up to where I had left off, I just tried pushing to get back to that point. There have been a few days since where I felt really good, but for the most part I have to stop and walk a good bit due to fatigued lungs and legs or tummy pains.

Another thing I’ve tried to focus on is eating the right thing at the right time, and the only way to figure it out is trial and error. In order to avoid a huge tummyache, I’ve been eating a more brunch-like meal, running on my lunch break any time around 1-3pm, then eating lunch or a heavy snack in the afternoon at work. I’m still trying to find the balance between too much and too little food beforehand, because apparently I’m very sensitive to both. Screw trial and error, man.

If you’re a runner, did you have any issues like these getting restarted after taking time off? What’s your best solution for side/stomach pains? I’ve heard “two breaths in, one breath out” from a couple of people – that seems difficult to focus on, but I’ll try it!

Kale and Sausage-Stuffed Squash

2012-10-18T20:02:00.001-04:00

Mom had the day off yesterday and wasn’t able to pick up her veggie co-op delivery, so her coworker brought it to me at my office.

And I had first dibs.

One of the most enticing offerings was a big ol’ bunch of kale which I decided I wanted to cook down and stuff into a sweet winter squash.

Last time I roasted an acorn squash, I severely undercooked it (trying to impress the boyfriend’s stepdad, no less) – a mistake I was sure not to repeat. I cooked the halves face-down for about 30 minutes at 400° after spraying them with oil and sprinkling with salt and pepper.

In a sauté pan, I browned some low-fat sausage and then sautéed some garlic and onions along with chopped zucchini.

Once these veggies had cooked down a little, I added the chopped kale followed by a couple of chopped plum tomatoes and some kosher salt.

It may sound crazy, but I thought some sweetness would do well with the squash, sausage, and bitter kale, so I added some maple syrup before piling it all in the upturned squash and baking about 15 minutes more.

At first I thought I’d be able to evenly distribute the stuffing and squash with each bite, but I had a feeling I’d finish the innards before the squashards, so I scooped it all out and ate it in one ugly mash (spared y’all the picture of that).

This was an AMAZING combination! I think it’d be good with some parmesan or mild cheese like mozzarella, but it was perfect enough without! What “thrown together” dishes turned out better than you’d hoped? Any weird-sounding combinations that surprised you? Any that didn’t work out so well? I once added a nut brown ale to shrimp and grits and served it to tailgate guests….don’t ask what possessed me to try it – I’m sure you can guess how that turned out.

Fall Foods

2012-10-05T16:59:00.001-04:00

My mom and I went to a class last week at Providence Hospital geared toward breaking down barriers to eating healthy foods. They served us a meal made from antioxidant-rich foods and gave a presentation on nutrition and healthy cooking. Not much of the information was new to us, but we enjoyed trying a few new dishes!

The first course served at the class was Ellie Krieger’s Curried Butternut Squash Soup which I duplicated the other night for Jason.

We had a couple of cooler-weather days that got me in the mood to make some autumnal dishes, and that butternut squash soup was right up my alley. I didn’t have any Greek yogurt, so I substituted some sour cream (not as good) and added a couple splashes of balsamic vinegar. Amazing.

I also roasted a couple pork tenderloins on a bed of onions and apples. Over that I poured a mixture of apple cider, apple cider vinegar, dijon mustard, whole grain mustard, a touch of maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg, sage, thyme, and salt and pepper. Then I slathered a little of the whole grain mustard on top of the roast before covering the dish in foil and baking it for about 25 minutes at 375°. Then I removed the foil and baked it for another 25-30 minutes. The pork turned out super moist.

A wonderful fall meal without too much effort!

What kind of dishes get you in the mood for fall? I’m craving some CHILI with cornbread and cheese…