We've completed the first week.
YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm still exhausted to get up in the morning, but I find that it's not so much of a fight anymore. I'm usually grumpy all the way to the gym, but once I'm done there and on my way to work, I feel much better. It's been good.
I don't see much results in myself. My weight fluctuates by about 2 lbs on any given day normally, so to see it bounce between 149 and 151 really doesn't tell me much. But according to my scale at home, I've lost an itty-bitty bit of fat and gained an itty-bitty bit of muscle. That's something :) I also don't feel like my stomach hangs out as much. Perhaps the abs are holding things in??
I can tell Ryan is looking better though, jerk. His stomach is flatter and his weight is more stable. He's lost about 4 lbs.
Coming soon: Potato Chili Bowl recipe!!
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Friday, July 27, 2012
Workout Day 4 -- oh the pain!!
I hurt so bad. But it's a good kind of hurt (I need to keep telling myself that :). My legs (particularly my calfs) are feeling the most pain, followed closely by my back. I can feel my abs beginning to feel the pain as well, but since we only just worked them out yesterday, I don't expect to feel real pain from them until tomorrow.
It was the worst ever getting up this morning. We had to get up an hour earlier than usual (4am) so we can leave work early today, which just added to the horror. My whole body was stiff and the lack of sleep made me a very, VERY grumpy person. I can truly say it was worst this whole week. Fortunately, Ryan is stronger than I and forced us out of bed. Stretching at the gym was awful. It felt like all my muscles were tearing apart. But the one thing I couldn't ignore -- despite my grumpiness -- was that after stretching I did feel much more mobile.
We did the StairMaster, as if this morning wasn't already bad enough.
After all the horribleness and pain, once I had showered and was in the car on the way to work, when Ryan asked how I was feeling, I could honestly say that I felt good. I felt awake (though sleepy), stretched out, and generally good about my workout. I was thinking "well, that wasn't soooo bad."
All of this is to say that when you feel at your worst, like you just can't do it anymore and you just want to fall back asleep, do it anyway. You'll feel better in the end.
It was the worst ever getting up this morning. We had to get up an hour earlier than usual (4am) so we can leave work early today, which just added to the horror. My whole body was stiff and the lack of sleep made me a very, VERY grumpy person. I can truly say it was worst this whole week. Fortunately, Ryan is stronger than I and forced us out of bed. Stretching at the gym was awful. It felt like all my muscles were tearing apart. But the one thing I couldn't ignore -- despite my grumpiness -- was that after stretching I did feel much more mobile.
We did the StairMaster, as if this morning wasn't already bad enough.
After all the horribleness and pain, once I had showered and was in the car on the way to work, when Ryan asked how I was feeling, I could honestly say that I felt good. I felt awake (though sleepy), stretched out, and generally good about my workout. I was thinking "well, that wasn't soooo bad."
All of this is to say that when you feel at your worst, like you just can't do it anymore and you just want to fall back asleep, do it anyway. You'll feel better in the end.
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Workout day 3
We're on day three of this double-cardio workout. It's killer. I pass out so quickly as soon as I lay in bed. My muscles are killing me, particularly my legs right now. But it hurts so good!! Here's the run-down of what we've done:
Day 1: StairMaster in the AM. Running then legs (weights) in the PM.
Day 2: Bike in the AM. Back and shoulders in the PM (we ran out of time for cardio before Ryan's class)
Day 3 (today): Elliptical this morning. This afternoon will be abs and an undetermined form of cardio.
Results thus far:
> Ryan has dropped about 3 lbs. I have dropped 1. But I'm very proud of that 1 lb. In 2.5 days?? Heck yes! :) :)
Food: We're still doing the Happy Herbivore meal plan set-up. I just bought this week's meal plan. I'm going to customize it a bit though with meals from last week.
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Workout
I'm trying out this new style of working out, inspired by this girl. She talks about the different ways she trains for a competition, and I thought I would give some of it a try, as well as trying out some of her tricks for controlling food binges. There are two stages to her prep for competitions: a cardio-intensive workout season and an "improvement season". The cardio-focused workout involves her doing double cardio sessions a day in addition to her weight lifting, which consists of several lower-weight reps/sets one right after another to keep the heart rate up during lifting. This is the time to lose fat. During her improvement season, she focuses less on cardio (although still does it once a day) but shifts her focus on lifting more weight. This is the time to build muscle and sculpt.
I have already been lifting weights with Ryan at the gym, but I know that I need more cardio in my life. Since Ryan has mentioned that he'd like to focus more on losing fat right now than bulking up, I thought this routine might work. So, I convinced Ryan to give it a try. He seemed a little hesitant because he had been told that this kind of weight lifting results in those skinny but slightly toned guys in the gym, which is not necessarily his goal. But I reminded him that he wanted to focus on the fat first anyway, so why not give this a try for a few weeks, just until we lose enough fat for him to start wanting to focus on bulking up? He eventually agreed.
So here's our routine:
> 5am: Wake up, have breakfast, and go to the gym for cardio (this morning we did the stairmaster for 20 min -- ah!!! I was dripping with sweat).
> 7am-4pm: Work (Lunch).
> 4pm-6pm: Back at the gym for cardio focused weight-lifting and another cardio session. We will be doing legs today, so we'll pick lower weights and do twice as many reps as usual, while switching between other exercises immediately to keep the heart rate up. I haven't decided what cardio I'll do. Perhaps the bike since I might not be able to stand after leg lifts... (Ideally, we'd have protein shakes after, but I think we forgot to pack them this morning.)
>6pm-9pm: Ryan is in class, and I'll be making lunch and dinner for the next day. I need to get better about prepping meals ahead of time.
>9:30pm: Dinner. It's not ideal to be eating so late, but it'll be a smaller meal, and we'll likely stay up for a couple hours anyway.
>11pm: Bed. Again, ideally we'd be going to bed earlier, but you work with what you've got, and we've got little time.
I'll let you know how this goes!! I've heard the first week is the hardest and we are only on day one...
As a side note, I love how the girl mentioned above emphasizes that food is not the enemy. It is necessary for a healthy and beautiful body. But she also talks about how it has to be clean, which seems to work well with our goals for food as well :) check it out!
I have already been lifting weights with Ryan at the gym, but I know that I need more cardio in my life. Since Ryan has mentioned that he'd like to focus more on losing fat right now than bulking up, I thought this routine might work. So, I convinced Ryan to give it a try. He seemed a little hesitant because he had been told that this kind of weight lifting results in those skinny but slightly toned guys in the gym, which is not necessarily his goal. But I reminded him that he wanted to focus on the fat first anyway, so why not give this a try for a few weeks, just until we lose enough fat for him to start wanting to focus on bulking up? He eventually agreed.
So here's our routine:
> 5am: Wake up, have breakfast, and go to the gym for cardio (this morning we did the stairmaster for 20 min -- ah!!! I was dripping with sweat).
> 7am-4pm: Work (Lunch).
> 4pm-6pm: Back at the gym for cardio focused weight-lifting and another cardio session. We will be doing legs today, so we'll pick lower weights and do twice as many reps as usual, while switching between other exercises immediately to keep the heart rate up. I haven't decided what cardio I'll do. Perhaps the bike since I might not be able to stand after leg lifts... (Ideally, we'd have protein shakes after, but I think we forgot to pack them this morning.)
>6pm-9pm: Ryan is in class, and I'll be making lunch and dinner for the next day. I need to get better about prepping meals ahead of time.
>9:30pm: Dinner. It's not ideal to be eating so late, but it'll be a smaller meal, and we'll likely stay up for a couple hours anyway.
>11pm: Bed. Again, ideally we'd be going to bed earlier, but you work with what you've got, and we've got little time.
I'll let you know how this goes!! I've heard the first week is the hardest and we are only on day one...
As a side note, I love how the girl mentioned above emphasizes that food is not the enemy. It is necessary for a healthy and beautiful body. But she also talks about how it has to be clean, which seems to work well with our goals for food as well :) check it out!
Monday, July 23, 2012
Vegetarian Tofu Lasagna
Now don't let the fact that tofu is in this scare you. It's delicious :
Serves 4:
> about 4 oz of lasagna noodles
> 8 oz tofu, broken up/crumbled
> 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
> about 1 cup of chopped spinach (or more if you desire)
> about half of a 25 oz jar of marinara sauce or whatever spaghetti sauce you have in the pantry
> 1 tbsp italian seasoning
Cook the noodles normally in a pot of water. In the meantime, combine the tofu, cheese, spinach, most of the sauce, and the italian seasoning. Heat in the microwave. Lay a thin spread of sauce in the bottom of a 8x8 ish pyrex dish (or something similar). Spread a layer of the mixture. Top with a layer of noodles. Spread another layer of mix and top with another layer of noodles. Continue until all mixture has been used. Top with a final layer of noodles and sprinkle entire top with some cheese. Heat if necessary.
In the future, I will probably add sliced/diced zucchini or eggplant for extra veggie-ness. Also, if you wanna make it look interesting, try spreading the mixture in each noodle, roll the noodle, and place in the dish. Top noodle rolls with sauce and cheese.
Serves 4:
> about 4 oz of lasagna noodles
> 8 oz tofu, broken up/crumbled
> 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
> about 1 cup of chopped spinach (or more if you desire)
> about half of a 25 oz jar of marinara sauce or whatever spaghetti sauce you have in the pantry
> 1 tbsp italian seasoning
Cook the noodles normally in a pot of water. In the meantime, combine the tofu, cheese, spinach, most of the sauce, and the italian seasoning. Heat in the microwave. Lay a thin spread of sauce in the bottom of a 8x8 ish pyrex dish (or something similar). Spread a layer of the mixture. Top with a layer of noodles. Spread another layer of mix and top with another layer of noodles. Continue until all mixture has been used. Top with a final layer of noodles and sprinkle entire top with some cheese. Heat if necessary.
In the future, I will probably add sliced/diced zucchini or eggplant for extra veggie-ness. Also, if you wanna make it look interesting, try spreading the mixture in each noodle, roll the noodle, and place in the dish. Top noodle rolls with sauce and cheese.
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Meal plans
Ryan and I having been trying out this new meal plan. I love it because I don't have to make any plan of my own. I simply follow this lady's meal plan (a week's worth of recipes for breakfast, lunch dinner, snacks, and dessert) AND I get fantastic new recipes out of it! I can trade out meals when I want to, if I like one better than another, and tweak recipes as I go to make them better or in my own way. It's been great fun so far, and the recipes have been fabulous :)
Portobello Burger
Serves 2:
> 2 portobello steaks, warmed
> 2 gluten-free hamburger buns
> 1/2 cup spinach
> 4 oz guacamole
> 2 roasted red bell peppers (from jar)
> 2 slices of pepper jack cheese (optional)
Reheat steaks. Layer on buns with spinach, guacamole, roasted bell peppers, and cheese. Enjoy!!
> 2 portobello steaks, warmed
> 2 gluten-free hamburger buns
> 1/2 cup spinach
> 4 oz guacamole
> 2 roasted red bell peppers (from jar)
> 2 slices of pepper jack cheese (optional)
Reheat steaks. Layer on buns with spinach, guacamole, roasted bell peppers, and cheese. Enjoy!!
I cannot tell you how delicious this is. It surprised me! Just when I thought the portobello steaks couldn't be any better, heat them up a day later and turn them into a burger and WOW!!!! So freaking good!!
Portobello Steak
Serves 4: (use two of these for the Portobello Burger recipe later :)
> 4 whole portobello mushrooms
> 1 small onion, diced
> 2 garlic cloves, minced
> 2 cups mock beef broth (I used real beef broth because I love the taste of it)
> 6 tbsp balsamic vinegar
> 2 tbsp mirin, sherry, or white wine (I used sherry cooking wine)
> 2 tsp dried thyme
> 2 tsp dried chives
> 1/2 tsp dried basil (I used a couple teaspoons of italian seasoning instead of these last three spices)
Add onion, garlic, and beef broth to a frying pan and cook for about 2 minutes, or until onions begin to golden. While waiting, remove the stems from the mushrooms. Add the remaining ingredients (with the exception of the mushrooms) to the pan and turn to medium. Stir. Add the mushrooms and cover. Cook for 5 minutes. Flip the mushrooms and cook for another 5 minutes. Add water as necessary to keep mushrooms from sticking. Plate and spoon juices on top.
Ryan and I ate these with a slice of bread to help with the texture of the mushroom (we don't eat them often). It is so savory! The flavors are so delicious.
> 4 whole portobello mushrooms
> 1 small onion, diced
> 2 garlic cloves, minced
> 2 cups mock beef broth (I used real beef broth because I love the taste of it)
> 6 tbsp balsamic vinegar
> 2 tbsp mirin, sherry, or white wine (I used sherry cooking wine)
> 2 tsp dried thyme
> 2 tsp dried chives
> 1/2 tsp dried basil (I used a couple teaspoons of italian seasoning instead of these last three spices)
Add onion, garlic, and beef broth to a frying pan and cook for about 2 minutes, or until onions begin to golden. While waiting, remove the stems from the mushrooms. Add the remaining ingredients (with the exception of the mushrooms) to the pan and turn to medium. Stir. Add the mushrooms and cover. Cook for 5 minutes. Flip the mushrooms and cook for another 5 minutes. Add water as necessary to keep mushrooms from sticking. Plate and spoon juices on top.
Ryan and I ate these with a slice of bread to help with the texture of the mushroom (we don't eat them often). It is so savory! The flavors are so delicious.
Strawberries and Cream Oatmeal
Serves 2:
> 1 cup rolled oats
> 8 oz strawberries, sliced
> 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
> 1 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk
> 1/2 tsp cinnamon
> 1 tsp raw or brown sugar
Cook oats in 3/4 cup water. Stir in applesauce and milk. Top with strawberries, cinnamon, and sugar. Serve.
> 1 cup rolled oats
> 8 oz strawberries, sliced
> 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
> 1 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk
> 1/2 tsp cinnamon
> 1 tsp raw or brown sugar
Cook oats in 3/4 cup water. Stir in applesauce and milk. Top with strawberries, cinnamon, and sugar. Serve.
Creamy Chipotle Corn Soup
Serves 2-3:
> 4 ears of corn
> 1 cup of non-dairy milk (I have used both almond and oat milk and they are both delicious)
> chipotle powder to taste (I used about 1/4 tsp)
Combine half of corn, milk, and chipotle powder in blender. Puree until smooth. Transfer into a saucepan and add remaining ingredients. Heat over low. Add water/milk to thin if necessary. Serve.
> 4 ears of corn
> 1 cup of non-dairy milk (I have used both almond and oat milk and they are both delicious)
> chipotle powder to taste (I used about 1/4 tsp)
Combine half of corn, milk, and chipotle powder in blender. Puree until smooth. Transfer into a saucepan and add remaining ingredients. Heat over low. Add water/milk to thin if necessary. Serve.
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Breakfast Quinoa Bowl recipe
Ingredients: (serves one person -- I just doubled everything)
> 1/4 cup quinoa
> 1/2 cup non-dairy milk (I used oat milk -- so tasety!)
> 1TBS brown sugar (feel free to use less, especially if you use sweet milk)
> drop of vanilla extract (I actually forgot to include this, but it still tasted amazing)
> 1 cup blueberries
> dash of cinnamon (optional -- tasted wonderful)
Combine quinoa and milk in saucepan and bring to a boil. Turn down to low and simmer until milk is evaporated and quinoa is light and fluffy (add milk as necessary to thoroughly cook quinoa). Add extract and blueberries. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Serve.
Sooo sweet and delicious! Ryan felt overwhelmed by the blueberries, but I thought it was delicious as it was.
I took these pics in the car, so I can't vouch for the fantastic lighting, but you get the idea.
> 1/4 cup quinoa
> 1/2 cup non-dairy milk (I used oat milk -- so tasety!)
> 1TBS brown sugar (feel free to use less, especially if you use sweet milk)
> drop of vanilla extract (I actually forgot to include this, but it still tasted amazing)
> 1 cup blueberries
> dash of cinnamon (optional -- tasted wonderful)
Combine quinoa and milk in saucepan and bring to a boil. Turn down to low and simmer until milk is evaporated and quinoa is light and fluffy (add milk as necessary to thoroughly cook quinoa). Add extract and blueberries. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Serve.
Sooo sweet and delicious! Ryan felt overwhelmed by the blueberries, but I thought it was delicious as it was.
I took these pics in the car, so I can't vouch for the fantastic lighting, but you get the idea.
Coming up soon: Creamy Chipotle Corn Soup!
Monday, July 2, 2012
Super easy lunch bowl
Veggie and Rice bowl recipe:
>1 packet of frozen veggies ("Steamfresh" for even more simplicity)
>1 package of sticky rice (microwavable kind)
>Teriyaki sauce (my favorite kind!)
1. Heat frozen veggies (in microwave if using Steamfresh or something similar) ~ 5 min
2. Heat rice in microwave ~ 1.5 min
3. Cover with Teriyaki sauce and eat!
It reminded me of Flame Broiler, but with an even better sauce that won't get you addicted with MSG :) This ended up serving both myself and Ryan.
>1 packet of frozen veggies ("Steamfresh" for even more simplicity)
>1 package of sticky rice (microwavable kind)
>Teriyaki sauce (my favorite kind!)
1. Heat frozen veggies (in microwave if using Steamfresh or something similar) ~ 5 min
2. Heat rice in microwave ~ 1.5 min
3. Cover with Teriyaki sauce and eat!
It reminded me of Flame Broiler, but with an even better sauce that won't get you addicted with MSG :) This ended up serving both myself and Ryan.
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