W.I.M.H.W. 11.28.12

It seems like time is slipping away so fast and what had set out to be a long term project with plenty of breathing room is almost half-way through.  It's already the 43rd week and time for another braindump to discuss What's In My Head this Wednesday.



Perspective
I got an email on Monday that a colleague had passed away.  All of the typical cliche things run through your mind when you get news such as this.  "He was so young!" (54 in this case), "We just played golf together back in the summer and he was fine!", and "You can't take your health for granted."  These are all true, but they seem like reflex and we do actually take them for granted.  Randy was a fairly young man and his exit from my current company created the opening for me to join my firm five years ago.  He was diagnosed back in mid-October with Stage IV melanoma...just weeks ago.  It took him that quick.  The truth is that he didn't keep on eye on his health and this was brewing for a while.  This gives even more import my task at hand.  I've never had issues with physical disease, butI need to get in shape and not take my historic sense of wellness as a given.  It is a proactive process.  On Thursday I will go say goodbye to Randy.  In life we weren't close, just friendly associates that crossed paths on occasion, but his death is helping me in a way he could have, should have, helped himself.  He has given me valuable lesson learned to stay on top of things.  Thanks, R².

WTG Mom!
My mother has caught the weight loss bug in recent months as well.  She even brought herself into the new millennium this last year and is using a computer.  Mostly to read my blog I think, but perhaps she checks email intermittently.  She tells me these pages help her in her own fight against fat.  Mom bounced up and down the scale over the years and 2012 has been a big step in the right direction.  Congrats, Mom!  I'm proud of you for making better choices and sticking with it.

Not a Bad Snack!

First off, save the admonitions about eating these sorts of things.  I do my thing and it works for me.  The whole point of this process is not only for me to get healthier, but to provide a blueprint for others that is easy, livable and effective.  That means staying as close to the mainstream as possible within certain parameters.  People don't want to hear "Eat milk thistle rice paste extract flavored with goat's butt root."  They'd rather stay fat.  I know I would.  What some might see as junk (ie. Splenda), I view as an acceptable tool in aiding my weight loss.  The other day while checking out with my large cart of vegetation at the Shoprite, I noticed an end cap stocked with Quaker Banana Nut Bread Soft Baked Bars.  If something looks tasty to me, I inevitably pick it up and look at the nutritional values.  More often then not, I put it back down because the numbers or ingredients scare me off.  These I put in my cart.  The bars are filling, delicious and have 140 calories, 6g protein and 5g of fiber.  I normally eschew corn syrup, but it is very far down the list of ingredients.  I'd definitely buy these again.  Hopefully, that stockpile wasn't there as a closeout.

Cya Thursday for an easy delicious risotto for fall,
M
What I ate today and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ Kashi Island Vanilla cereal w/almond milk
Lunch ~ A grilled chicken and roasted pepper w/balsamic sandwich
Snack ~ The aforementioned banana nut bar
Dinner ~ Pumpkin Mushroom Risotto and a simple pear and bitter greens salad (both pictured here). Recipes tomorrow.
Exercise ~ none

Weigh-in: Week 42

If you have read my previous post you already know that the weekend was a tad off the rails.  That is not to say I am derailed.  Far from it.  But I wasn't happy with my performance at both the reunion and the wedding.  End result:  I gained weight over the holiday week.

As you can see my scale indeed does hate me and made me want to cry this morning when I saw a 1.8 lb. gain.  Okay.  I don't cry that easy, but it's not good.  It is time to dig in and get back on the horse.  I'll be ever vigilant moving forward to get to goal on, or ahead of schedule.  My water weight percentage rose 0.1% this week and my body fat actually lowered 0.1%, down to 42.8%.  Weight up, fat down.  Something is screwy when I look at these numbers.  Let's see what next week brings.

Cya Wednesday,
M

What I ate today and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ Kashi Cinnamon Harvest cereal w/almond milk
Lunch ~ A turkey sandwich on whole grain bread and leftover roasted veggies
Dinner ~ A Boca burger on whole grain bread and some homemade turkey soup
Evening ~ Decaf tea w/fat free half and half
Exercise ~ none

A.L.O.E. 11.25.12

Time to recap the holiday weekend that was a minefield for me and my resolve.  Trying to navigate Thanksgiving, a class reunion and a wedding were a lot on my plate, both figuratively and literally.  I'll give you my rundown of the events from a TDT195 perspective and try to be as objective as possible.

Report Card 
Let's look at the weekend like I was taking three courses in school and break it down and grade it individually.  First let's start with Thanksgiving.  Preparation was an A.  I had everything planned out for success.  Patting myself on the back for that one.  Execution of what I consumed would have to be a B-.  My portions were not optimal, and I had a decent amount of wine.  Overall assessment would be a B.

My reunion was a blast.  I had a great time visiting with old friends and even got to sing with the band for a couple of songs.  I always have two downfalls at these kind of events... hors d'oeuvres and alcohol.  I over-indulged on both counts.  I was mindful when I hit the buffet and I am sure that having the feeling that eyes were upon me was helpful.  Overall I would give myself a C for this event.  Too many cocktails and, while there wasn't an absurd amount of hors d'oeuvres, they weren't really necessary.

Tab and I were invited guests and sang at the wedding of two dear friends on Saturday.  The day went pretty much like the reunion did.  Too much to drink (not from an inebriative sense, but a caloric one) and too much to eat.  I would give myself a flat out F on the wedding this weekend.  I had a great time and Gordon and Jen threw a great party, but I just plain overdid it.  Once I have a few drinks, reasoning goes out the window.  That's how I ended up eating cake and having two cups of coffee with Bailey's to finish the affair.  Not good.

So I guess my weekend averages out to a grade of  C-, or even a D+.  I'm pretty disappointed in my performance.  I will say that it felt good putting on a suit and being seen by people.  Especially those that know what I have been doing.  There was a great deal of compliments and acknowledgement for the effort so far and for my appearance.  That felt good.  But honestly, I felt like I not only let myself down, but those who root for me or look to these pages for motivation for their own efforts.  No time to dwell on it, though.  Time to get back on the horse and start slimming again.  I know the scale will not be kind for weigh-in 42.

Cya then,
M

Thanksgiving Post Game

I give thanks in these pages quite often, so I won't bore you with all of the things I am thankful for.  You can turn to your Facebook page for all of those folks that whine 364 days of the year, only to become magically introspective once annually in November.  Then, within hours, they rush out the next day to trample each other, looking for more stuff to be grateful for.  Yesterday I was just happy to not do too much damage and give a nice, "healthier" meal to my family.  I put that in quotes because we all over-indulge and that's not exactly prudent, but I was at least mindful to provide better choices for the gorging.  Pictured left, is my first plate of food from yesterday's festivities.

It's a lot of work cooking for seven people.  I will say that with less fattening dishes the load was lighter.  Healthier food means simpler food and my day was made easier as a result.  This is the first year in the last eleven that I didn't fry my turkey or make two, one fried and one roasted.  I made no elaborate appetizer and/or soup course and gone were the traditional Pillsbury Crescent Rolls.  Just the basics this year.  Below is a list of menu items from our table yesterday.

When my guests arrived, we snacked on some shrimp cocktail platters from Costco.  Dinner commenced a little under two hours later with salad dressed in homemade balsamic pesto vinaigrette, roasted turkey, a very light, but damn tasty gravy, mashed potatoes and celery root, roasted carrots, white sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, parsnips, onions and garlic cloves.  There was my Thanksgiving Dirty Rice, a whole grain loaf of bread and my sister brought a small batch of Mom's stuffing for those that love it so.  I tasted a mere forkful to help her with the seasoning, but other than that, I steered clear.  The same holds true for an ancient can of cranberry jelly which was lurking in the cupboard.  I literally just had a taste.

So, now I have sent the metabolically offensive items home with Sis and I am left with a decent amount of leftovers.  Today it's time to get creative and see how I can re-purpose them.  Here is my breakfast.  This is a turkey hash with roasted sweet potatoes, onions and carrots, topped with a perfectly poached egg and whole grain toast.  Mmmm mmmmm good!


Tonight is Round 2 of the dietary obstacle course, my thirtieth high school reunion.  I'll check back in tomorrow and let you know how it went.

Cya then,
M

This Week in Food: Healthier Mashed Potatoes

Who doesn't love mashed potatoes?  I adore them and can't imagine a Thanksgiving without them.  I usually load up on the stuffing and the potatoes and just have a little of everything else.  When I think that a 2/3 cup serving of mashed has 183 calories and 9.1g fat (5.7 saturated fat), I know there has to be a better way.  What I came up with not only cuts the calories down to 109 for the same 2/3 cup serving, but knocks the fat down to 2.6g fat, only 0.7 of which is saturated.  One secret to great mashed potatoes is a potato ricer.  It makes them fluffy, light and much easier to fold in your buttery spread and half and half.  I know you have already done your shopping for tomorrow, so give these a try sometime soon, won't you?  I know you'll be happy with the results.

Mashed Potatoes with Celery Root
serves 15

Ingredients

• 3 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced into 1" chunks
• 2 lbs. Celery root, peeled and cut into 1" chunks
• 1 cup of fat free half and half (try using Skim Plus brand or any that doesn't have high fructose corn syrup)
• 1/4 cup Earth Balance Original Whipped Buttery Spread
• 2 Tbs, plus 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp fresh ground black pepper

Method

• In a large pot, place your potatoes and celery root and cover with cold water and 2 Tbs salt.  Most of the salt will go down the drain with the water.  Bring to a boil and cook until fork tender.
• While your potatoes cook, heat your remaining ingredients in a small sauce pan until the spread melts.  Do not boil.
• Once the potato mixture is cooked, completely drain and return to the pot and heat over medium flame to cook off excess moisture (about 1-2 minutes)
• Using a potato ricer, rice the potatoes into a large serving vessel.
• Blend in the half and half mixture and adjust seasoning.

You can use a mixer or potato masher, but I find the ricer was a great small investment and is one of the few unitaskers in my kitchen.  Some people like lumpy mashed potatoes   If you are one of them, don't bother with the ricer.

I hope this dish finds its way to your table sometime soon.  Enjoy your holidays, folks.

All the best,
M

What I ate today and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ Western omelet, no cheese and wheat toast
Lunch ~ If you want to call it lunch, I picked while at Costco from the freebies
Dinner ~ TBD, but likely whole grain pasta and marinara
Exercise ~ None

This Week in Food: Thanksgiving Dirty Rice

I was hoping to capture the feeling of one of my most favorite foods.  My Mom's Thanksgiving stuffing is one of, if not my most favorite of dishes. Mom is a great cook at this sits up there with her lasagna at the top on my death row foods.  No worries, though.  My homicidal tendencies have been absent for what seems like weeks.

What I wanted to achieve was the flavor of the cooked celery and onions, combined with chicken stock, sausage, sage and bread, all baked into a moist dense flavor explosion.  I realized after several attempts that the bread was essential to that dish and that I wasn't going to recreate something with the same feel as that 250 calorie comfort food side dish.  I had to settle, which is sometimes the case in my new lifestyle.  What I came up with resembled a cross between Mom's stuffing and a Cajun dirty rice, with rice and meat accented with spices and herbs.  I call it Thanksgiving Dirty Rice and, while I will mourn the loss of the traditional stuffing this Thanksgiving, I have a new fallback to rely on with 45% less calories (134 per serving) and half the fat (5g) per serving.

Thanksgiving Dirty Rice
serves 6 (scales easily)

Ingredients

• 1 cup Royal Select brand Royal Blend Rice with brown and red rices
• 1.5 cups no salt added or low sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup diced celery, 1/4" dice
• 1/4 cup diced onion, 1/4" dice
• 1 cup Jimmy Dean Turkey Sausage Crumbles (a chicken apple sausage diced up would be great too)
• 3/4 tsp poultry seasoning
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 2 Tbs Earth Balance Original Whipped Buttery Blend
• 1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

Method
I use a rice cooker, but you can just combine all ingredients and cook to the manufacturer's instructions: Bring to a boil.  Cover with a tight fitting lid and reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.  Remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes.  Fluff with a fork, while adding in parsley.

Enjoy!

Cya Wednesday,
M

What I ate today and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ Kashi Go Crisp Cinnamon Cereal w/almond milk
Lunch ~ German Style Pork Stew
Snack ~ Wasabi peas
Dinner ~ Sushi, out with The Wife
Exercise ~ None

Weigh-in: Week 41

 Hello and thanks for stopping by The Drive to 195 for our 41st weigh-in.  I did manage to lose some weight this week and if I can lose more by next Monday, it will be a testament to my newfound ethos.  Hopefully I can pull off navigating the rough road that lies ahead with the aplomb that will be required to get through not only Thanksgiving, but also a class reunion and a wedding in three successive days.

As I said, I did lose weight over the last week.  The scale showed 276.6 lbs., representing a 1.2 lb. loss for the week and  bringing the total to 86.8 lbs. since 2/6/12.  The water percentage rose to 41% and my body fat actually rose 0.2% to 42.9%  HUH?!  Sometimes it doesn't make sense to me.  This isn't an exact science I guess and I am happy to see the scale move.  Small wins are adding up and I am looking forward to getting over the 90 lb. mark and hitting the home stretch to 100.

Cya tomorrow for a Tuesday addition and my recipe for Thanksgiving Dirty Rice Stuffing,
M

What I ate today and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ Kashi Island Vanilla cereal w/almond milk
Lunch ~ 1/2 a salmon cake sandwich and some pork stew
Afternoon ~ Some almonds and a Skinny Decaf Peppermint Mocha
Dinner ~ Corn soup, Chicken Pad Thai and a couple of Thai chicken wings
Exercise ~ None 

This Week in Food: German Style Pork Stew

I am playing catch up, yet again.  I seem either too busy or too in need of mindless do-nothing time.  All this week leading up to Thanksgiving, I will be publishing a few recipes that you could use for the big day.  I really don't expect many of you to actually use these, as our holidays are so steeped in tradition that even I get a tad hostile when people suggest that changes are made to the menu.  These days, I'm all about the change, though, so I'll be altering what goes on our table.  Gone will be the crescent rolls and much of the butter that was used too nonchalantly in the past.  Two new style recipes will be posted between now and Tuesday and will hopefully be enjoyed by the small group in my dining room this week.  They will be the Brown Rice Sage Stuffing and Celery Root Mashed Potatoes.

Tonight it's more about the anti-Thanksgiving dinner.  This would be a great recipe for this coming Saturday, when the mere thought of eating another bite of turkey makes you want to run screaming into the streets.  Let's call this German Style Pork Stew.  It's guiltless comfort food at it's best.  This one pot dish could be made in a slow cooker, but I like browning off the meat and deglazing the pot with beer to grab as much of that flavor-bomb fond that is left behind in the process.  It's ready in about two hours but there is only twenty minutes of active time.  To me, the pork takes on a flavor and texture reminiscent of a veal stew.  I don't eat, or condone eating veal anymore, but I will say that I like it.  Getting veal taste and texture from pork is an extra bonus, both flavor and budget-wise.  Ladies and gentlemen, I bring you German Style Pork Stew.

German Style Pork Stew
serves 8

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. Boneless Sirloin Pork Roast (such as Kirkland brand), cut into 1" cubes
• 3 Tbs all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp garlic salt
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
• 3 Tbs extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 large sweet onion, sliced
• 2 carrots, sliced into 1/4" pieces
• 2 stalks celery, sliced into 1/4" pieces
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 12 oz. dark beer, such as O'Doul's Amber or Sam Adams Winter Lager
• 1 cup water
• 1 27 oz. can of sauerkraut, drained, but not rinsed
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 Tbs whole grain Dijon Mustard 
• 1 Tbs caraway seeds (optional)
• 2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1" cubes
• 2 cups kabocha or butternut squash, cut into 1" cubes
• 2 Granny Smith Apples, skin on, cut into 1" cubes

Method

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
• Rinse and completely dry your pork roast, then cut it into 1" cubes.
• Combine in a zip top bag, your pork cubes and flour through pepper, shaking to combine thoroughly.
• In a 5 quart or large dutch oven or large lidded pot, over medium-high heat, brown your pork in 3 batches, using 1 Tbs of EVOO for each.  Set pork aside.
• In the same pot, sweat your onions, carrots, celery, and garlic with the tsp of salt, until the onions are tender.  Scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon as you cook these.
• Turn the heat to high and add the beer and water.  Scrape up the brown bits at the bottom.  For a more pungent sauerkraut flavor, sub the water with the sauerkraut liquid
• Add your pork, sauerkraut, caraway, rosemary, thyme, bay leaves and mustard to the covered pot, stir to combine and place in the oven for 1 hour.
• Gently stir in your potatoes and half the apples and cook for 10 minutes.
• Gently stir in your kabocha and remaining apples and cook for an additional 25 minutes.
• Remove from the oven when the potatoes and fork tender.
• Remove the sprigs of herbs and bay leaves, adjust seasoning and gently stir to mix in whatever herbs came from the sprigs Rest uncovered for 10 minutes before serving.  

The sauce is a nice silky yellowish color and is naturally thickened from the reduced apples, flour from the pork and the kabocha.  This recipe is only around 335-345 calories per serving (depending on the beer), has 12.7g fat and 6.9g fiber.  Great numbers for such belly warming goodness.

Cya next time,
Mike

W.I.M.H.W. 11.13.12

I sit here alone with my thoughts whilst Tab is off getting her hairs did.  It's kind of quiet here at Casa Miguel.  The dogs have finally stopped whining and being barky idiots ( I do love my barky whiny idiots though).  Time for me to jot down a few thoughts about where my head is at and what's going on in my life.  Oops...there is the garage door.  Cue the barky idiots.  So much for quiet.

Re-Waisted and Wasted
Before the storms I dropped off a few pairs of pants at the tailor's to take in the waists.  The nice old Chinese lady told me it was going to be close, but she would try.  We don't want the pockets to meet in the back.  Since businesses were closed for the better part of a week around here, I finally got around to picking everything up.  Monday I wore a pair of the slacks that were taken in five inches.  The waist fit great.  Two things I wasn't counting on, though.  The pant legs were a little long and I was stepping on the cuffs all day.  Grrr... shoulda known.  This happened in the summer, too, and I forgot.  Not enough in my belly area to hold them up I guess.  The other thing I didn't think about was how low the crotch would ride.  I mean, I could have smuggled a dozen kittens in my pants, these things were so low.  How I did not realize this before I left the house I will never know.  As a result, I spent the day running around looking like MC Hammer.  That was a wasted $22 on alterations and cleaning.  Live and learn.

Thanksgiving Prep
I have been trying to make a healthier version of one of my most favorite foods of all time...Mom's stuffing.  The traditional stuffing in our house was cubed white bread with a breakfast sausage (usually Jones that comes in a log), onions, celery, poultry seasoning and copious amounts of chicken stock, then baked to make a moist, doughy mass of heaven.  I love this stuff!  Even that declaration is a gross understatement.  I won't be able to recreate the experience of this ultimate comfort food, but I would like to have something that doesn't pack 250 calories and about 10g fat per serving for a side dish.  And I would never eat just one servings worth.  I have been experimenting, but as of this date, nothing close enough.  I am shooting for half the fat and calories, while keeping the same flavor profiles.  This ain't gonna be easy.  Hopefully next week I will post some recipes for holiday alternatives to the stuffing, mashed taters and vegetable sides.  Be sure to tune in next Thursday.

That's all I have on my mind for this week. 

Cya Thursday for a great pork stew recipe,
M

What I ate today and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ Kashi Island Vanilla cereal w/ 1/2 a banana and almond milk
Lunch ~ Starbuck's Protein Bistro Box and an iced Vanilla Skinny Decaf
Dinner ~ Turkey, stuffing rice experiment and mixed veggies (kale, carrots, onions, cauliflower, parsnips, chick peas, shiitake mushrooms and peas
Exercise ~ none

Weigh-in: Week 40

Don't you all love it when you come here on a Monday and see that I lost weight?  I sure do!  I only wish that I could tickle you once again, but unfortunately, this is not one of those weeks.  For the fourth time in 40 weeks, I have gained a little.  Gee, that is 10% of the weigh-ins.  That isn't that good.  I guess if I say "  I'm batting .900, it's a much a much better spin, don'tcha think?

Really though, I managed to gain 0.2 lbs this week and that is never good.  But we soldier on.  The total loss thus far is 85.6 lbs.  Body fat percentage actually dropped a half a percentage point this week to 42.7%.  I wish I could report on water percentage, but the camera misfired and my old brain can't recall what it said.  I can only imagine it rose disproportionately, resulting in the gain.  Body fat down...I'll take it.

Cya Wednesday,
M

What I ate today and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ One egg and Canadian bacon on whole grain bread
Lunch ~ Starbuck's Protein Bistro Box and a Decaf Vanilla Skinny Latte
Dinner ~ Some rotisserie chicken and a bowl of home made minestrone
Exercise ~ none

A.L.O.E. 11.11.12

Hey, there.  How are you?  I do care, so don't say that.  I know that I can't hear you, but if you would like to give me the status update on your general well-being, leave a comment below.  I am late getting to this.  It was supposed to be posted yesterday, but there was a Giant game and I am so busy writing new material under my other pen name, J.K. Rowling.  Busy, busy, busy.  Let's move on to A Little Of Everything so I can get back to my glamorous, busy life.

Thanks, Stranger
I was at the Staples yesterday and the Winnie Cooper look-alike at checkout asked to see my credit card.  I like to pay cash usually, but because printer ink is so ridiculously expensive, it requires either a line of credit or gold bars.  I handed over my Capital One Visa that has a lovely picture of The Wife and I from our honeymoon.  "Wow!", Winnie exclaimed.  "What a nice picture of you both.  You look much different, though."  "Thanks.  That was seventy or eighty pounds ago," I said.  She then remarked "I can tell you've been working hard at it," as she made the obligatory one-fingered clockwise circular motion around her face and shoulders.  That just made my day.

On Yer Knees, Matey
I got a boatload of stuff done over the weekend.  Much of it required me being on my knees or belly, flat on the floor.  This is a position that was formerly not only uncomfortable, but embarrassing and had been long gone from my repertoire, especially since the night I proposed to my wife and, when trying to rise from one knee, wobbled like a Weeble that didn't get the memo and DID fall down.  Awkward!  Anyway, this weekend I managed to do some plumbing under the bathroom sink and install rubberized door sweeps on the exterior doors for draft remediation.  I am not to the point that I can just spring back up to my feet like a gymnast, but I can now get myself standing again without aid of something to hold on to and sounding like a yak in labor.  Plus, I can work pain-free right on the hard surface where before I needed a cadre of pillows to support my orca-like figure.  Add this to the "Yay Me!" list.

Pretty as a Picture

See this picture, here?  Of course, you do.  Okay.  Dumb question.  What is great about this photo is that it is my shopping cart from Saturday at the shut-yer-Whole Foods Market.  Just look at all those fruits and veggies.  There are tomatoes, basil, broccoli, cauliflower, baby spinach, kale, shiitake mushrooms, lemons, a red pepper, kabocha squash, some hemp milk (for The Wife), boxed stock, oatmeal, and I even bought a coconut.  Much of this was for my huge pot of minestrone I made Sunday, but there is plenty left for the rest of the week.  I get a kick out of checking out when usually I look at the folks around me offloading ice cream, cookies and Toasted Sugar Bombs cereal.  Another "Yay Me!"

Cya for the weigh-in later,
M

What I ate today and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ Pumpkin Flax Granola and almond milk
Lunch ~ a turkey sandwich w/tomato, avocado, one slice of pepper jack and lite mayo on whole grain bread
Dinner ~ 2 big bowls of minestrone
Exercise ~ none

Don't Let Disaster Strike Twice

This is about a week late in its timeliness, but the core points are always quite relevant.  We here on the east coast have been under quite a bit of duress these past few weeks.  Many have been without power for upwards of two weeks.   Some have been left without homes or the ones they do have are in ruins.  For those of us with aspirations of losing weight and living a healthy lifestyle it is a great excuse to chuck in the towel and say "Screw it.  I want to eat anything and everything to soothe my pain."  No one will blame us if we drown our sorrows in week's worth of fast food and pizzas, right?  Well, probably not, but why let the trauma of what you couldn't control destroy what you can control?  

In times of stress, food and alcohol are means by which we try to rest our weary minds.  When what we have worked hard for is destroyed, or we are saddled with prolonged discomfort or inconvenience, the devil on our shoulder eggs us on to go 'all in' and ultimately make ourselves more miserable.  These are tests that are so hard to rise above.  More often than not, we fail.

If you are reading this, you likely follow this blog regularly and you may very well have your own demons you are striving to overcome.  It is to you I speak.  Please do not give up.  Stay the course and keep moving toward a healthier lifestyle.  Do not let the hurricanes or nor'easters of the world doubly win.  If you have already given in, get back on the horse.  You can hang on to your resolve and take great pride in the fact that you not only took control, but you won this round.  It won't be easy, I know, but don't we need something to feel good about these days?

Cya next time,
M

What I ate today and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ Egg McMuffin and decaf
Lunch ~ cream of scallion soup and baby bok choy and apple salad
Snack ~ some beef jerky
Dinner ~ pictured here is roasted monk fish with a lemony garlic sauce and a spring mix salad with an oil-free balsamic raisin dressing
Exercise ~ none to speak of, but I did a ton of walking today running errands and doing stuff around the house.

This Week in Food: 11.10.12

If necessity is the mother of invention, then perhaps hurricanes are the mother of recipes.  Okay.  So by the time Sandy ripped through my town it was technically a tropical depression, but technical accuracy didn't seem as poetic.  


The power goes out and you move a hundred dollars, or so, of meat, vegetables and other perishables to a cooler and throw whatever ice you have on it.  Then you wait.  After two or three days without power, you think, okay...it's time to play Iron Chef!  Battle: Use It or Lose It!  Your secret ingredients are those defrosting pieces of meat or the produce you spent a small fortune on just days ago.  I was in such a battle after Sandy did her business in NJ.  Hamburger patties were broken up and browned with marinara to go over pasta.  Eggs were hard boiled.  But what to do with all that thawed chicken breast and produce?  Today I bring you the answer in the form of Chicken a la Sandy.

To borrow from Rachael Ray, this is a 'stoup'.  Not quite thick enough to evoke a stew vibe, but more hearty than your typical soup.  Somewhere in the middle lies stoup.  With thawing chicken breasts, carrots, kabocha squash, celery and a cast of other healthy characters, I opted for the slow cooker on this one.  Yes, the power had come back by the time I threw this together, hoping for the best.  The sum of all these parts was pretty darned good, even if I do say so myself.  The numbers on it were also stellar.  Only 330 calories and 7.1g of fat per serving.  If you like, take out the potatoes and add wild rice for texture and a little more fiber.  I suggest a dash or four of hot sauce upon serving (Frank's is my sauce of choice).  I can totally see a bowl of this being set in front of me after a few hours of snow shoveling or perhaps a day on the slopes, if I were a skier that is.  Sorry for the lack of pictures.  I was so eager to dig in, I forgot to snap one.

Chicken a la Sandy

serves 8

Ingredients

• 2 cups sliced mushrooms (I used crimini.  You can use button or whatever type you like)
• 2 cups sliced onion, 1/8" thick
• 2 cups sliced celery, 1/4" thick
• 1 cup carrots, cut into 1/4" half moons
• 2 cups sliced Yukon gold potato, cut into 1/4" wedges (feel free to leave on the peel if you like)
• 16 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 4), cut into 1" cubes
• 1 cup water
• 32 oz. no salt added chicken stock
• 1 Tbs. salt
• 2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme (tie the rosemary and thyme together with butchers twine for easy retrieval)
• 2 bay leaves
• 2.5 cups kabocha or butternut squash, cut into 3/4" cubes
• 2 Tbs. Earth Balance Buttery Spread
• 2 Tbs. all purpose flour
• 1 cup fat free half and half

Method

• Place all ingredients, mushrooms through bay leaves, in a crock pot set to high for 2.5 hours
• Add squash and cook an additional 30-40 minutes or until both the squash and potatoes are tender
• While your squash is cooking, place the buttery spread and flour in a skillet over medium heat and make a roux.  Slowly whisking until the flour and spread make a paste somewhere between the color of butter and peanut butter.
• Add the fat free half and half slowly, while whisking and bring to simmer until thickened.  Be sure to whisk this constantly and work out any lumps.
• Add the thickened mixture to the crock pot and stir in gently, so as not break your potatoes or squash apart.
• Once your vegetables are tender, remove the sprigs of herbs and bay leaves and enjoy your stoup.
• Serve with a nice crusty whole grain bread.  The creamy liquid is great for dunking.  Don't forget the hot sauce!

Cya next time,
M

What I ate Friday and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ Kashi Go Lean Crisp cereal and almond milk
Lunch ~ A tuna and mango roll
Snack ~ beef jerky and a decaf with fat free half and half
Dinner ~ Salad w, balsamic vinaigrette, baked clams and whole grain pasta primavera.  2 glasses of cabernet
Exercise ~ none

W.I.M.H.W. 11.07.12

It's been a while. I haven't sat down and written in weeks.  Why?  I've put a good deal of thought into that and haven't come up with definitive answers, but I have gained a little insight as to why I went AWOL.  I felt like I was under a microscope.  Granted, a self-imposed microscope, but a microscope none the less.  


Yesterday marked the nine-month anniversary of The Drive to 195 project.  After over 230 posts, the feeling that still I needed to sit down and tell the world what I was up to almost every day felt overwhelming.  Why would that be, when the mere fact that I depend on all of you to keep me on the straight and narrow and the success it has brought about should perpetuate my desire to blog each day?  Enter our friend, food addiction.

We've oft discussed the addiction as a separate personality in my life.  The devil on my shoulder that works his influence on me to make poor decisions.  I am thinking that the farther people move away from their addictions, closer toward success, the stronger that voice is that calls out to them.  It's likely why many relapse just hours after leaving rehab.  Lately, that voice has been stronger in my ear and by stepping away from writing, I could feel less guilty about giving in.  Fortunately, for the most part, I only gave in once in the two weeks that I turned my back on this process.  One such misstep came in the form of two or three beers, two slices of pizza, some chips and even a package of peanut M&Ms while at a marathon poker game on Friday, October 27th.  The good news is that that transgression was an isolated incident.  There were smaller ones along the way, but nothing horrific.  The other good news is that I won that poker tournament and used most of the proceeds to buy a ton of produce and healthy foods the following day.  You're welcome,Whole Foods Market.

I feel incredibly bad for turning my back on my readers.  I hear from a good many of you that enjoy reading the blog a derive motivation from it to improve your own lives.  My intent certainly wasn't to walk away from the symbiotic relationship we have.  The addiction has its own agenda though and it was my job to put my agenda first.  I may have failed to stay the course in writing five days a week, but the overall result was that I still managed to lose over 3 lbs. during this time.  That is a testament to the changes I have made and their permanence in my life.  I guess I have truly had a lifestyle shift and it carried me through most of the temptations.

So, now we are back it.  Five days per week you will find me here.  We will all need each other, especially through the holidays.  I look forward to reporting my progress and, as I get ever closer to the magic 100 lb. milestone, I am excited to attain new heights through the end of the year.  Thanks for extending my reach through your support.

Cya tomorrow for a recipe born from Hurricane Sandy,
M

What I ate today and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ I often go very non-traditional for breakfast.  This morning it was the left over Chicken Stoup, which will me tomorrow's recipe of the week.
Lunch ~ Chicken corn soup and beef with Thai basil at a business lunch
Dinner ~ Pork with sauerkraut, apples and kabocha, which will me next week's recipe
Exercise ~ none

Weigh-in: Week 39

I've been absent for the last two weeks or so.  I'll give you all a full breakdown as to why that's the case this Wednesday.  I'm back to five nights a week now and hope you will all re-join me for the rest of my journey. Yesterday was the nine month anniversary of TDT195 and it's been a rewarding trip thus far.  Thanks for coming along.  Let's get to the numbers for another successful week of weight loss.

This morning the scale was kind enough to show me a 2.0 lb. loss for the week, bringing me down to 277.6 lbs.  That is a total drop of 85.8 lbs. since February 6th.  The water percentage rose a mere 0.1% to 40.8 and the body fat dropped from 43.3% to 43.2%.

That's the skinny for the week.  Skinnier, maybe.  Not skinny yet.  Please come back Wednesday to see what has been in my head lately.

Cya,
M

What I ate today and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ 1 egg, Canadian bacon, tomato, onion and mushroom on a whole wheat roll.
Lunch ~ Homemade Chicken Stoup (recipe Thursday)
Snack ~ Fiber One bar
Dinner ~ Sushi buffet
Evening ~ tea with low fat half and half
Exercise ~ none