Encouragement to get started with Healthy Living

I'm hanging out on a rainy night being a couch potato watching Dr. Oz. He's got a guest on the show, Chris Powell, who said a lot of things I found empowering and reminded me of why I got started on my journey.

Here is Chris' food for thought:

Before you start your weight-loss journey remember that you can't do it by yourself! No man (or woman) is an island. Build a team of people around you that will help you and assist you and love you throughout your transformation.

Set a SMART weight loss goal:

Goal must be SPECIFIC *Develop a quantitative goal*
Goal must be MEASURABLE
Goal must be ATTAINABLE
Goal must be REALISTIC *Goal could be to exercise 1 hour a day, but that is not always realistic*
Goal must be TIMIE-SENSITIVE. *Give yourself a time frame to get this done*

Life Update

It's been such a long time since I've logged on! My Half Marathon came and went... and my knees are still killing me! Not one day has gone by in the week since I ran the 13.1 miles that I'm not immensely proud of myself. Six months ago, I couldn't run a mile... Last week I ran 13.1 miles in just over 3 hours! So, of course, I must go back to the theme... YOU CAN DO IT!

I've grown used to my crickety knees, but was unable to walk away from the race without some battle wounds! Someone had a poster "Chafe now, brag later!" and I just giggled and went along my way... Then I came home and found a chafed spot on my hip! Who knows when the bruise under my big toe nail is going to heal, never mind the worsening ingrown toenail! To be honest, I see them as minor inconveniences brought on by an incredible achievement.

I've been suffering so much this past week not being "allowed" to exercise until my body heals. I can't wait until next Sunday arrives and I can put my sneakers back on and hit the pavement! One thing I'm struggling with is my hatred of the gym, but I'm really coming to terms with it being necessary at this point. My cardio workout is exactly what I need it to be and my fat percentage is almost down to my goal, so the next stage is strength training. I decided to get back into Pilates, which involves going to the dreaded gym... Ugh... That being said, I think I've hit that dreaded "plateau" everyone talks about. I'm not sure if it's muscle loss from all the running I've been doing, but my weight has been 3 lbs from my goal weight for about 3 weeks!! Anyway, let's see how my Thursday weigh-in will be and go from there! Soon the journey of life-long lifestyle change and weight loss maintenance will start! Losing these 60 lbs was tough, but keeping them off will be even tougher!

Eggplant Pizza

This is a little something I created because I had a few random ingredients in my fridge that I didn't want to go bad!

Eggplant Pizza

1 medium eggplant, sliced
4 oz lean ground beef
1/2 tomato sauce
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Heat oil in a pan, sautee some onions, sofrito or whatever you like then add your ground beef. Cook until it is brown and completely cooked through. Add the tomato sauce and allow to simmer. In another pan, heat some olive oil and sautee the eggplant until softened. Spray a baking sheet with Pam and arrange the eggplant slices on it. Spoon some of the ground beef onto each slice of eggplant then sprinkle a bit of the mozzarella cheese over the ground beef. Bake for 10 minutes at 350 and enjoy!

Butternut Squash Souffle!

I found a flour-less recipe and altered it a bit. It turned out great! I'm so proud! I still love the Garden Lites version, but I just wanted to be able to make it on my own!

Butternut Squash Souffle

2 cups softened butternut squash
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 egg white
1/2 cup milk (I used Almond Milk)
3 tbsp softened butter
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt

I first cut the squash in half, scooped out the seeds and placed in a microwave-safe dish seed side down. Add about a half cup of water to the dish and microwave for about 15 minutes or until the squash is soft. Scoop out the squash with a spoon and put in a bowl. Preheat the oven to 325. Add all the ingredients in a bowl and mix with an electric mixer until well combined. I greased about 6 ramekins with Pam Olive Oil and filled them 2/3 full. Bake for 75 minutes, allow to cool and enjoy!

Almost There!

So last week, I went to get a facial. For some reason, I've been having some major break-outs lately and I felt I deserved it. Afterwards, my aesthetician brings to my attention that we haven't eaten together in forever and insists I eat at her house. She made roti. The NUMBER ONE thing I've been craving ever since decreasing my intake of bready things. I said I'd eat a small one. I had two and they were amazing. It was the most delicious thing ever! I still taste it 5 days later! I knew I would pay for it at my next weigh in. I paid for it, alright... with a 3 lb decrease in fat mass! I worked so hard to make my diet healthier to make up for my little indulgence and it paid off! I am 5 lb away from my goal weight! I never thought I'd see this day. I honestly thought I'd be fat and unhealthy forever.

So, I've decided to allow myself ONE "regular" meal item a week. Something not specifically low-carb or high-protein. I think I'll make a mini cheese pizza on a pita bread. My favorite ones are these: http://images.netrition.com/images/id_watermark_jpg/464-0001.jpg and I've only found them at BJs Wholesale. They are very yummy, low-carb, have a decent amount of protein and help me get through my carb withdrawal!

I was flipping though the Medi Weightloss magazines they give me and found a lot of great tips I hope to post in the next few days. I'll try and do one a day. I've got a yummy recipe brewing in my oven, but before I post it I want to make sure it's delicous! Stand by!

February starts in a few days, marking a new growing season and that means I'll be planting some eggplant!

My brocolli are coming in nicely and you can see!



My bibb lettuce



Tomatoes!

Totally freaking out!

This entry is dedicated to my dear friend Brenda, who reminded me that too many days had passed since my last post!

After the extreme guilt of eating about a 1/4 cup of rice and a breading-less KFC chicken wing, I had to go to my Medi Clinic weekly weigh-in this morning. I was expecting a less-than-successful weight this week. Boy, was I wrong! I went down 2 lb in my fat MASS and my BMI is down to 30.9. I'm just now grasping the gravity of the situation. My BMI is almost in the 20s!! This is a goal I have prayed for, but never thought I'd reach. The moral of the story: It's OK to treat yourself every once in a while as long as you don't deviate too much from your healthy eating habits! If I continue on track, I will most definitely meet my February 11 deadline for reaching my goal weight. Only 9 pounds to go!

Anyway, garden-wise my broccoli babies are growing slowly, but surely! I'll go outside in a bit and snap a pic of everyone! The front of my raised garden looks so barren without my squash, may they rest in peace, but next month I'm planning on filling that space with either more green beans or some eggplants. Haven't decided yet! Stay tuned!

Awesome day...

So I went to bed happy last night. Happy because part of my healthy living mission is to inspire others. Yesterday I inspired not one, but three people. One, my BFF, the second a college roommate and the last a patient from work. It almost feels as though I'm accountable to these individuals because they are looking to me for guidance and advice in their healthy living journeys. I don't like to call it a diet, is the first thing I say. Think of it as a lifestyle change. Needless to say, I slept great and woke up before my alarm and performed my personal best.



I even got this on my Facebook wall:

Danielle:
You look amazeballs! Even sweaty as hell. Lol. I just saw u on Las Olas & 3rd. ♥
you go girl!

Made me feel "amazeballs." Follow that with a great Organic Chemistry lecture and I feel great. Except for my knees! I'm planning a few hours of relaxation before work tonight. *sigh*

So food-wise, I've got a new obsession:



They're available at Whole foods in the frozen section and full of a whole LOOOOT of yumminess! Once I come up with a recipe I'll post it on here!

Have a great day, stay healthy and don't forget to exercise, even if it's one flight of stairs!

Harvest #2

After the demise of my squash plants, I had gotten a little discouraged with my gardening "skills." I went out to water and found my green beans were all grown up! I finally had enough to make a little something and here it is!



Green Beans with Slivered Almonds

1 tbsp Olive oil
1/2 cup cut green beans
1 oz. slivered almonds

Heat the oil in a pan. When hot enough, add the green beans and sautee for about 2 minutes. Then you could add the almonds. Sautee until they are softened to your liking. (I like my green beans on the firm side).

Back on track... and it feels so goooood!

Finally over my cold and got back out on the asphalt on Sunday. It was a GREAT feeling! I started out with my 2:1 Galloway running ratio, but I felt like I wasn't doing much. I think today will be a good day to gonna step it up to 3:1. Let's see how that goes.

A tragedy two weeks ago inspired me to finally clean out my dressers and closet of my fat clothes. A friend of my sister-in-law's recently lost her whole house after her christmas tree caught fire. She's pregnant with two small girls and has nothing. I was more than happy to help, both because it is the right thing to do and because it helped me to shed part of my past. Then, I remembered my sister is pregnant and my mom is sending some things to family back in the Dominican Republic. My clothes got divided three ways and I hope their new owners are happy with them. It seems like I don't have any clothes anymore! I decided to set up a monthly clothing allowance until I build my wardrobe back up. Still haven't decided how much it will be though!

February 11, 2012

Being sick this past week was awful on my workout routine. I had my worst weigh-in yet, losing about 3 pounds of muscle! By tomorrow I should be totally healed and back on the pavement! With the help of my meticulous calorie-counting and my weigh-in shame, I've given myself FIVE weeks to reach my short-term weight-loss and clothing size goal. Then starts the life-long battle to keep the weight off, continue my healthier eating habits and continue to inspire others! So, February 11, 2012 is the date! My goal is to have gotten those last pesky 12 pounds off and keep them off!

Food shopping is always challenging, especially when there are so many tempting treats out there waiting for unsuspecting victims. Many health gurus recommend to doing your grocery shopping in the perimeter of the store and I see why. Think about what the perimeter of the store contains: the produce section, meats and dairy. All the nice things we should be eating! The dairy section does have some trouble spots though; over-processed yogurts that are full of sugar, caramel for dipping apples in and whole milk cheeses, just to name a few. But of course, we are too smart to fall for those tricks!! The other day I was doing some food shopping and wandered through the aisles, looking for any sales and anything else I might need. Nothing packaged in a box appealed to me like it used to. It was amazing. I was content with frozen vegetables and fish and romaine lettuce. I'm trying hard to keep it up because temptation is EVERYWHERE!

Spam mail

Every few days, I skim though my spam mail just to make sure anything important didn't get trapped there. I had a message in there titled "Banish Bra Fat." I smiled, because though lots of hard work and sacrifice I DID!

Quick and Easy Omelette

I've been pretty sick for the past few days and living off soup, so I wanted to eat something of substance for breakfast this morning! Very filling and only about 120 calories.

Spinach and Mushroom Omelette

6 tbsp Egg Beaters egg whites
1 oz Portobella mushrooms
1/3 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1/4 cup Kraft fat-free shredded cheddar cheese
Cooking spray. I use the Smart Balance cooking spray (http://www.smartbalance.com/products/oils-and-cooking-sprays/spray-with-organic-soy)

Sautee the mushrooms for about 5 minutes, allowing all the water to be released. Set aside in a bowl. Spray your pan and add the chopped spinach. Allow it to warm all the ways through before adding the mushrooms. Mix it all together, and then add the egg whites. Allow the egg whites to cook about halfway and then add the shredded cheese. Allow all the ingredients to cook through completely and serve.

Cool Weather

Finally! The thermometer is reading 54 degrees down in Ft. Lauderdale! I'd been wanting to make a yummy pot of chili, but was holding off for a cool day. Enjoy the recipe! I made it low-fat and high-protein for healthier lifestyle compliance!




Easy Pot of Chili Recipe

1.5 lb of 90/10 lean ground beef
8 oz kidney beans (canned or dry)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, mashed/minced
1 can Tuttorosso Crushed Tomatoes http://www.redgold.com/tuttorosso/products.asp
2 medium fresh tomatoes, diced
1 packet chili seasoning (or any chili seasoning that you like)

First, I prepared my beans. I prefer dry beans to canned beans because for they are cheaper and because I could season them the way I like. To prepare dry beans I use a pressure cooker. It is quicker and uses less energy than boiling them for 200 hours! I added a 16 oz package of dry beans to the pressure cooker and added double the amount of HOT water. I covered the pot and allowed the beans to soak for 4 hours. Then I add about 1/4 cup of sofrito (http://gardengal823.blogspot.com/2012/01/all-purpose-seasoning.html) and cook the beans according to the pressure cooker's instructions for 35 minutes. This is the one I have. http://www1.macys.com/shop/product/fagor-elite-pressure-cooker-4-qt.?ID=593479&PseudoCat=se-xx-xx-xx.esn_results

After they're done, I let them simmer for another 15 minutes uncovered before adding them to the beef. You could use canned beans, but like I said dry beans are my preference.

While the beans are doing their simmering, I begin to cook the ground beef in a dutch oven. http://reviews.macys.com/7129/324821/martha-stewart-collection-cookware-enameled-cast-iron-reviews/reviews.htm is the one I have and I love it. These pots are kind of fragile, so you must handle them carefully or they WILL chip. I like to heat a little olive oil then the onion and garlic until softened. Now you're ready for the beef. Allow it to cook through until it is no longer pink, "chopping" it often so it doesn't clump. Once the beef is cooked thoroughly, add your seasoning, the fresh and crushed tomatoes. Let it simmer for about 5 minutes and then add the beans. Stir it all together and check the flavor. Add any seasoning you need until it reaches your desired flavor. I like to add a pinch or two of cayenne pepper. Cover the dutch oven and allow the chili to simmer for a half hour on low heat.

Enjoy!

All-Purpose Seasoning

This is a seasoning we use in our Dominican kitchen. Other Caribbeans make it and there are many variations, but this is the way my mom makes it which makes it the proper and perfect way. LOL.

Sofrito

First of all, I find you get a better outcome if you use a food processor vs blender. This is just my preference.

3 sweet onions
1 bunch of cilantro
1 handful of garlic cloves, peeled
1 bunch of scallions "green onions"
1 bunch of parsley

Chop the onions into about 8 pieces each. The food processor "likes" smaller pieces of food better. Add all the ingredients, little by little, until everything is finely chopped. Add to a jar, keep in your fridge and add to your food as needed!