OK who turned up the heat

The last two weeks have been off and on warm with this week heading towards the mid 90's I thought I'd share what I do on hot evenings and yet still eat healthy. I used to just grab something quick (some forzen item and nuke it) and flee to the master bedroom (the only room in the house with an AC in the window) to eat.

I've been stocking my fridge with a variety of vegetables giving me many options for a healthy meal. The most time consuming part chopping, dicing and prep I try and do in the morning for whatever meal I plan for the evening. You just pop your prepped veggies in a bowl, cover and stick them in the fridge waiting for your return. I do this with polenta also, make a day or two before in the morning, set it, then cut into serving portions size, box it up and stick it in the fridge.

On hot nights I'll throw some polenta on a grill while I cook something else for the family and serve that up with a quick pickle of veggies or maybe a modified tzatziki (creamy cucumber side). Sometimes I'll whip up a quick 1/2 sandwhich and some salad, or stuff a pita pocket with my veggies with a little hummus. Basically anything that works and keeps me from slaving in a hot kitchen.

Here is my recipe for Tzatziki:
Ingredients:

•1 tbsp. lemon juice
•1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
•2 cloves garlic, minced finely

•1/2 tsp. salt

•1/4 tsp. white pepper

•1 cup low fat Greek yogurt (I use Fage 2%), strained

•1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream (basically 2%)

•2 medium cucumbers, peeled, seeded and diced

•1 tsp. chopped fresh dill

Peel the cucumbers, slice them down the middle (long ways) scoop or cut the seeds out (I use a melon ball tool), slice lengthwise again turning each half into 3 long "spears". Dice these spears and place in a colander over a bowl sprinkle with the salt and place in the fridge for at least 3 hours (this removes all the liquid).

Take the Greek yogurt out of its container, place it in a piece of cheesecloth in a colander over a bowl and leave for at least 3 hours (this drains all of the liquid out).

When ready squeeze the yogurt in the cheesecloth once to remove any lingering moisture. Place in bowl and whisk together with sour cream, pepper, garlic, dill and lemon juice.

Add cucumber, stir and then refrigerate for 20 minutes to let flavors incorporate.

You can fill a pita pocket with this, use it as a dip, or even as a side. The calories for this only add up to 261 so it works perfectly with half a whole grain pita for a meal or part of a meal.

My Menu for today:

Breakfast - Peanut Butter and Banana Toast, 2 slices of Dave Killer Bread (21 Grain), 2 tbs peanut butter and one small banana sliced up. Calories 500, Fiber 14.6g

Snack - Carrot Sticks, 1 medium carrot sliced up (I was going to have hummus with this but ended up to close to lunch to want the extra calories) Calories 35, Fiber 2g

Lunch - Mediterranean Salad with a Pita Pocket, Calories 507, Fiber 17.6g

Snack - Orange, Calories 62, Fiber 3.1g

Dinner - Chicken Tortilla Soup, Calories 355.5, Fiber 8.5g

Total:
Calories = 1459.5
Fiber = 45.8

On the road again...

Weigh in this morning and it looks like I was correct. As my weight loss seems to be back on track (averaging about a half a pound of weight lost per day).


My computer crashed last night which kept me from posting more recipes, so I have to buy more RAM and then I'll be back on track. In the meantime I'll be providing updates from my 7" Galaxy Tablet which I love but pushing updates through it is not half as fun.


I'll continue to work on adding recipes but I a need to tear into the guts of Blogger and see how much I can control if I write a custom template for my layout. In the meantime I have two of my favorite recipes up and I use a few tools to make sure my nutrition facts are correct. Also if you are looking for help with eating healthy I highly recommend The Full Plate Diet as it seems to be doing wonders for me :) Let me know if you need more info (fat break down, proteins, whatever...).


Menu:

Breakfast - Kashi GoLean you are my pal! 1 cup of Kashi GoLean, 1 small banana and 1/2 cup of 2% milk. Calories 345, Fiber 7g


Snack - Hummus and Chips, 2 tbs of hummus and 1oz of Multi grain (I use the Food Should Taste Good brand but any high fiber whole grain chip will do) chips, about 10 chips. Calories 194, Fiber 4g


Lunch - Mike's Bag Lunch (this will be a regular so I named it) 2 slices of Dave's Killer Bread 21 Grain, half a medium avocado, 1/3 English cucumber sliced and slice of thin cut deli turkey. Calories 460, Fiber 14g


Snack - Pink Lady Apple Calories 130, Fiber 5g


Dinner - Tofu Noodle Soup Calories 399, Fiber 12g


Total:
Calories = 1528
Fiber = 42g

They say time is the fire in which we burn

The last two days have been busy, really busy, incredibly busy. OK you get the point. Lots to do and no time to get it done.

In the past when I was under a time crunch I'd shut down, go into machine mode and "crunch" until I was done. That normally included eating poorly and mindlessly. Now though, I made time and slowed it down so I could bring focus to what is important. I made the time to fix healthy meals and gave myself time to focus on my body and stop eating when I was full. Wolfing down food and diving back into work typically results in overeating.

What I didn't have time for yesterday, and really not today either, was to blog about the day. Priorities. Setting the important ones means getting healthy :) and gives me back some time.

So I spent the last two days eating left overs for lunch, which works fine, so long as I focus on portion control and what I'm eating.

I made pasta for dinner last night, two separate pots of pasta, my whole wheat pasta from Barilla (higher in fiber) and the family had a pot of Rigatoni (also from Barilla) but not whole wheat. They had a traditional meat sauce while I roasted veggies in the oven with a bit of olive oil. I'm trying to get my family to taste what I make and see if I can win them over. In the meantime, since I am the family cook, I am going to keep finding ways to refine, reduce and make healthier what I make them to eat. Last night that effort involved quite simply not making as much for them, in the past I would dump a whole box of pasta in the water, a whole jar of sauce and Bobs your uncle we had a dinner. Instead I read the serving size on the side of the box/jar reduced it down to the number of people eating (wife, son and daughter = 3) and made only that amount. No going back for seconds, everyone had to portion out an equal amount (divvied into three shares) and they all had three servings of garlic bread as well. I was hoping to encourage them to add some of my roasted veggies :).

Next time I'll cook only my Barilla whole wheat pasta (in my opinion it tastes just as good) I am looking at making a homemade sauce with fresh and roasted tomato's so i can at least deliver a healthier sauce for them. I think if I just don't make the bread (which I partook of) or have some veggie alternative (a salad or side dish) I may eventually get them going down my path, giving me more time :) since I'll only be cooking one meal :)

I wouldn't have done this before, I've always known "how" to read labels I just never did. Now it seems like all I am doing. Hopefully I know this will lead down a path that is better for me and my family.

Menu for the last two days.
Thursday:

Breakfast - Good old Kashi GoLean a banana and half a cup of milk. Calories 345, Fiber 7g, Fat 2.5

Snack - Orange Calories 62, Fiber 4g

Lunch - Sesame Noodle Salad with 1/2 cup of broccoli Calories 368, Fiber 13.8g, Fat 9g

Snack - Zesty Bean and Chips Calories 210, Fiber 4g, Fat 8g

Dinner - A combo of Mediterranean Roasted Broccoli and Tomato's with a serving of Barilla Whole Grain Penne and yes a single serving of garlic bread. Calories 392, Fiber 12g, Fat 9.8

Total: Calories 1379. Fiber 40.8g, Fat 29.3

Friday:

Breakfast - Good old Kashi GoLean a banana and half a cup of milk. Calories 345, Fiber 7g, Fat 2.5

Snack - Orange Calories 62, Fiber 4g

Lunch - Sesame Noodle Salad with 1/2 cup of broccoli and a Cup of Treetop Organic no sugar added Applesauce Calories 468, Fiber 16.8g, Fat 9g

Snack - Zesty Bean and Chips Calories 210, Fiber 4g, Fat 8g

Dinner - Pocket Veggie Sandwich - 1 serving Oroweat Pocket Thin (1/2 a pita bread with 5g fiber and 100 calories so like a slice of bread) with a serving of Cucumber & Black Eye Pea Salad stuffed inside. Calories 261, Fiber 8g, Fat 11.5g

Total: Calories 1348, Fiber 39.8, Fat 31g

Not bad for a day of repeats :)

Weekends are for...

...doing things. It's that simple, I'm trying to change the image I have of myself these last few years it's a "Buddha sitting on a throne image" with me camping the living room big, comfy chair, plugged into my computer. calling for my kids to bring me things. Being the "king" of the house is a comfy gig, to comfy in fact, which has resulted in my gut making me look like a ginormous pear.

So from now on I am going to do for myself, want water? Get it myself. Need the phone, get off my ass and get it myself. I am no longer to surround myself with my technology making it an exercise in earth moving to detach from my throne.

I'm not stupid enough to say I won't set up in the living room when I want to play or surf, I'm just saying I am going to limit that time, do for myself and get up and get moving.

I got out this weekend with the kids (wife works on Saturdays, for now at least) went and saw Batman:Dark Knight Rises which was awesome and oddly motivating. This movies foundations (if not the actual script) are based on one of my favorite Batman story arcs, The breaking of the Bat, where he meets something for the first time that is unbeatable. This immovable force is called Bane (nice use of a metaphor isn't it) who proceeds to undo everything Batman and Bruce Wayne have worked/lived for and eventually breaks his back and leaves him for dead.

That is the first half of the story, the second half is the renewal, healing of Bruce's body, mind and soul and his eventually return to Gotham city and the defeat of Bane.

After the movie I went home and spent some time chewing on the basic truths contained in the story. I compared the parallel anchors in the story of drive, self worth, desire and dedication. What is so different about my story I pondered. My "bane" was myself, created out of a low self worth, very little drive and little desire to really change. I am my own worst enemy.

Today is week three, my hump week so to speak, the hardest week for me whenever I try something new. By this time the newness has faded, I have either found my rhythm or discovered the rut (always my excuse to give up, I mean who wants to be in a rut). Hump week for me is normally where I quit things, typically because it requires to much work, actually any work, I told you I'm lazy.

Getting healthy again is a ton of work. I have to plan, prep and execute. There is no one else. It's all me, all the time. Actually that isn't fair. My wife executes the shopping aspect picking up the items I've added to the list. I found myself looking for ways to quick prep, and had to stop myself. No shortcuts, no easy path, that is what I said. Shortcuts are the devil Bobby Bouche...

So I planned out slightly more complex menu items, focusing on flavor and left overs that I can turn into lunches (of so a small shortcut, but a healthy one). Let me say, polenta is a pain in the butt to make, 20 to 30 minutes stirring a pot are they crazy? But it sure goes great with a bunch of veggies and is very satisfying.

Menu:

Breakfast - Kashi GoLean, 1/2 cup 2% milk and 1 small banana Calories = 345 and Fiber =8g

Snack - TFPD Zesty Bean Dip and Chips (see earlier posts for link) Calories =210 and Fiber =4g

Lunch - Zesty Bean and Veggie Tostada. 1 LaTortilla Factory Multi grain wrap, 1/2 cup of the TFDP Zesty Bean mix, 1 cup of romaine, 1 cup of spinach, 1/8 cup jalapenos and 1/8 cup diced red onion and an apple Calories =420 and Fiber = 19g

Snack = Pink Lady Apple Calories =130 and Fiber = 5g

Dinner = TFPD Spicy Vegetable Soup and Polenta Calories = 323 and Fiber = 11g

Total:
Calories = 1428
Fiber = 47g

Fiber, Fiber, Fiber, Fiber (ugh, you get the idea)

Get some fiber in your diet, sounds easy right? The daily recommended allowance currently being touted is about 30 grams. When i started the diet I thought "this is going to be easy, I eat all kinds of things with fiber in them."

Actually, no I didn't.

No matter how I crunched the numbers my daily was about 9 grams, 12 grams on a good day. So I began the task of punching up my fiber, looking at labels and adding it all up. My diet wanted me to shoot for 40 grams eventually.

40 grams!?! Where am I going to find that? Couch stuffing? I really didn't want to resort to Metamucil as I'm not a big fan of drinking water with sediment in it and I am trying to avoid sweetened drinks.

 I am now, on average, getting about 45 grams a day and the diet wants me to shoot for 40 and I am finding it easier to do than I thought. At points you will notice I am buying Oroweat Double Fiber bread and muffins and LaTortilla factory multi grain high fiber wraps, I could just go with good multi grain versions for a slight reduction on the fiber (and I may) but for now this is how I am doing it.

I am planning my menu pretty well now so instead of tracking just calories I'll be adding the fiber grams in as well.

Menu:

Breakfast - 1 cup Kaski GoLean, 1/2 cup 2% milk, 1 cup mixed berries = 345 calories and 8 grams fiber

Snack - TFD Zesty Bean Dip and Chips Calories 199 and 4 grams fiber

Lunch - Southwest Wrap 1 LaTortilla Factory Multi grain wrap, 1/4 cup no fat refried beans, 1/4 cup corn, 1/4 cup red onion (chopped), 1/8 cup diced Jalapenos, 1tbs Salsa, 1 cup brown rice, Calories 370 and fiber 18 grams.

Snack - Pink Lady Apple Calories = 130 and fiber = 5

Dinner - Summer Sandwich one more night. 2 slices Oroweat Double Fiber bread, 1/2 a med avocado smashed, 1/2 med Roma tomato diced, 1/2 cup spinach, 1 cup romaine, 1 serving of Oscar Mayer Deli slice honey ham (this really works to put a little non veg in the day low cal, low fat and the price is reasonable, I think I'll go with the Natural cuts next week to be a little healthier) 1tbs Dijon mustard calories = 382 and fiber = 22

Total Calories for the day = 1426
Total Fiber in grams = 57

I am never hungry, I am full of energy and I feel better than I have on any other regimen ever. I would say this is a win for the Full Plate Diet.

Variety

Variety they say is the spice of life... I tend to agree. It is to easy to fall into a rut when you are focused on a new way of doing things (like this diet) so I am spending more time, planning, thinking about and preparing my meals.

I have decided that I am fat because I am lazy. I am always looking for the shortcut, the easy path, the one that offers least resistance. The problem is that path is boring, full of ruts and leads to a dead end. So I am taking the path less traveled, for me at least, and committing to long hike this will be.

When I was healthy enough to hike, I would spend days planning the next trip, checking elevation, distance, points to place caches (or meet up with resupply), places to rest, camp and finally the end point my goal. I would prepare myself, check my gear over and over, repair or replace items as needed, load and unload my pack and get the best load out. I did this all so my time on the trail wasn't consumed by wondering where I would find a spot to stop for the night, or sitting by the side of the trail mending a broken pack or boot. I did all this so I could enjoy myself and the hike.

So, enough rambling, if I can be that committed to a hike I figure the least I can do is be that committed to my health, my life.

Todays food choices:

Breakfast - Oroweat Double Fiber English Muffin, with peanut butter (still need to make my own) and a small banana sliced up.

Snack - Celery stalks with a tbs of penaut butter (all hail the peanut)

Lunch - Repeat of yesterday Sesame Noodle salad, with an asian inspired cucmber salad (1/3 english cucmber sliced, 1 carrot sliced, 1/4 cup of red bell pepper slices, 1tbs rice wine vinegar, 1tbs sesame oil, 1tsp fresh ginger (grated) and 1/2 crushed red pepper flakes. the noodle salad recipie is out at The Full Plate Diet (TFPD) website.

Snack - 1 pear, sliced.

Dinner - Tofu, peanut and green bean stir fry, also a recipie from TFPD.

Note: from here on out I will refer to The Full Plate Diet as TFPD I am getting tired of writing it all the time :) (and yes I know it's lazy)

Caffeine a-go-go

So blah. So I went cold turkey on no caffeine (iced tea and Earl Grey for the mornings), trying to set the slate clear and I had already removed all of the diet pop, sugar free candies and other sugar free junk food from my diet 3 weeks before and that part was easy. Caffeine, not so much.

Headaches not so good, third day now, so instead I am lowering my tea intake to my morning cup of Earl Grey and see if that takes the edge off.

Now the good news, I know it has only been three days since I began the new diet but as I had said above I was already removing the sugar free crap a few weeks ago and I finally got the courage to step on the scale last night (three weeks since I got the 440 news). 428lbs. How is that good news you ask? 428 is south of 440 and anything moving south is good news for me :) I'll weigh in on Sundays from now on but I had to set my mark and start tracking this honestly.

Menu for the day.

Breakfast - Kashi GoLean 3/4 cup, 1 small banana and 1/2 cup 2% milk = 330 calories.

Snack - Pink Lady Apple 130 calories

Lunch - Vegetarian Torta 5" baguette (with the bread scooped out leaving just the crust) 1/2 a medium avacado, 1/3 of an English cucumber (seeded), dozen grape tomatoes, 1/4 sliced onion, 1/4 cup red bell pepper, 2 pepperocini (the veggies are tossed with yogurt dressing 1.8 cup 0% fat Greek yogurt, 1tsp lemon juice, 1tbs rice wine vinegar, 1tsp pepper, 1tsp minced garlic) calories = 354

Snack (if I'm hungry) - 1oz Food Should Taste Good Multigrain Chips and 1 serving of The Zesty Bean Dip (see The Full Plate Diet for the recipe) = 210 calories (my choice of chip bumps the traditional recipe by 20 calories)

Dinner - Baked Sweet Potato with warm Black Bean salad (see The Full Plate Diet for recipe), Greek cucumber salad (left over from the veggie torta at lunch) = 373 calories.

More later today (so long as my cuppa keeps the headache at bay, so far so good).

Planning is the Key

Two days down!

I made a menu/recipe book that I can keep in my kitchen to better plan out my meals. I am finding myself thinking about food the way you should think about a household budget, plan, measure out and balance.

What this all = is me thinking about my food rather than just mindlessly eating, grabbing the quick fix/meal. Now I have to plan ahead, gather my resources (shopping) and prepare it. This all eats up time but it also means I am engaged in the process rather than just being a consumer of food.

So the menu for the day,

Breakfast - Kashi GoLean 3/4 cup, 1 small banana and 1/2 cup 2% milk = 330 calories.

Snack (if I'm hungry) - 1oz Food Should Taste Good Multigrain Chips and 1 serving of The Zesty Bean Dip (see The Full Plate Diet for the recipe) = 210 calories (my choice of chip bumps the traditional recipe by 20 calories)

Lunch - Mediterranean  wrap (LaTortilla Factory EVOO Whole Grain soft wrap, 2tbs of plain hummus, 3oz broccoli, 1/2 cup of diced cucumber, 1/4 cup diced red bell pepper, 1/8 cup chickpeas, 1/8 cup Greek Gods plain yogurt, 1/2tbs lemon juice and 1tsp pepper) = 290 calories

Snack - Pink Lady Apple = 130 calories

Dinner - Sesame Noodle Salad (see The Full Plate Diet for the recipe) = 340 calories.

Thats it for now.

Keep moving Forward,

Mike

First day down! So far the process seems pretty straight forward, get tons of fiber into your meals. I spent a bit of time last night doing food prep for today making sure I had lunch and a mid morning & late afternoon snack ready.

Breakfast was easy (for the first time in a long time) 1 cup of Kashi GoLean, 3/4 cup of berries (Blue,Black and Ras) and 1/2 cup of 2% total calories = 337

Lunch is Brocolli salad (Brocolli, Chick peas, red pepper a little crumbled parm with a plain 0 fat yogurt (Greek Gods) , lemon and taragon dressing. I am also adding a 3 oz portion of steak to all those veggies. Total calories = 245 (edit: I choose not to eat the meat and it was a good choice still have tons of energy)

The snack is pretty simple I took a 1/4 cup of no fat refried beans mixed it with a 1/4 cup diced red onion, 1/8 sliced olives and a tabelspoon of salsa with 2oz of Multigrain "Food Should Taste Good" chips. I'll split this between morning and afternoon total calories = 320.

Going at this pace I should be hovering around 1500 - 1600  more like 1300-1500 calories a day.

Keep Moving Forward...

Mike