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mnranger5 · 5 years ago

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Time for a Change (19 weeks), 10/6/19 - 2/16/20

Its now December 16, 2019, and I am writing this blog about a third of the way into a physical activity and weight loss program that Dyan and I kicked off in October – for good reason.

It was September 30th, a beautiful afternoon, in Whitefield, NH. Dyan and I were on the final leg of our roadtrip through the Northeast. We had just rented mountain bikes and embarked on a mountain trail ride that was a bit too aggressive for our abilities.

As we dissected the mountain course, it became abundantly obvious that we (mostly me) were horribly out of shape. We couldn’t ride down a hill without huffing and puffing. Multiple times we had to get off our bikes to walk them. The aches and pains the activity left on my body were more fitting for a 90 year old. Something needed to change.

The following Monday morning, October 6th, we were home from our trip, and getting ready for work. I stepped out of the shower and took a few moments glancing over the curvaceous sponge I’d become. I stepped on the scale. 244.5 pounds. I didn’t believe it, so I hopped off the scale to “zero” it out for good measure. I was expecting 230ish as if that weight was somehow much more acceptable. I jumped back on the scale. 244.5 flashed at me again. Good Gravy! Literally, I looked like I had gravy in my veins! I don’t check my weight often, but this was the first time I had ever been over 240 pounds in my life. What a porker! If I was a bass, I’d be the fish that all the anglers wanted to catch! I was disappointed, ashamed and generally felt like I had let myself go. I mean, I had been eating junk food non-stop, and played more PS4 than I cared to admit. Based on that kind of lifestyle, this weight should have come as no surprise to me, but oddly enough, it did. I was 5.5 pounds away from being TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY POUNDS! My BMI of 35 was firmly situated in the middle of the obese category - no danger of slipping down into the “overweight” category. In fact, I needed to lose 74.5 pounds to get into the “healthy” category. Something needed to change.

As luck would have it, Dyan must have been having the same thoughts (although, she is a skinny mini with nothing to worry about). After getting ready for the day, I headed downstairs where Dyan was busy answering emails and drinking coffee. With good morning pleasantries out of the way, Dyan indicated she wanted to start working out. Tonight, she planned to go on a run after work. I told her I was 100% on board and wanted to run with her. This was the beginning of a very active routine we’d get ourselves into.

Week 1: The Pounds Start Coming OFF

That evening, we ran around Cobblestone Lake one time, which was a 1.4 mile run. Surprisingly, we both made it around the entire lake without needing to stop for a rest.

The following day, we were both so sore. Our legs hadn’t had activity like that for years. But we went for another run. Once again, the plan was to go 1.4 miles. I didn’t make it. A little over half-way around the lake, I thought I was going to die! I was out of breath and my legs were on fire. The way I was feeling was all the feedback I needed to justify quitting this routine.

But to make matters worse, Dyan and I also began eating a more healthy diet and in a more structured schedule. I eliminated sugary pastries and carb loaded breakfasts. Lunch was almost always a turkey or ham sandwich, and dinners were generally just a MUCH smaller portion (than I typically would eat) of our normal dinners. Snacking was out of the question, as was second dinners around 9PM. I craved like a pregnant woman, and my stomach growled nearly all day. I easily cut 1,000 to 1,500 calories out of my usual day. It was so hard during the first week. The pantry was loaded with snacks for school lunches, like Rice Krispies Bars, Cheese-It’s, Chips A’hoy Cookies, Pringles, and tons of other goodies. Not sure how, but I remained disciplined. In the first week, I lost eight pounds. Ending Weight: 236.5.

Week 2: I Lost 10 Pounds!

We started pushing our limits on running. We were going around the lake between 2-3 times per session. In five outings, we ran a total of 16.47 miles, with 4.11 miles being our longest run. Dyan is a much faster runner than I am, so I generally have to try and pace us if we are going to run my speed. Comfortably, I can run an 11:30-12:30 minute mile. More of a jog, but at least we are finally being active. In the second week, I lost three pounds, and 11 pounds total. Ending Weight: 233.5

Week 3: This Isn’t So Bad, a New Goal has been Set

This was the week I finally started to enjoy my runs. No longer were we just going around Cobblestone Lake, but we were branching out into adjacent neighborhoods which had meandering trail systems. The runs were less frequent, but a bit longer than the previous week. We had three runs going for 6.02, 3.79 and 4.36 miles respectively. I felt so good during the six mile run that I made the decision that I was going to run one of the big Minnesota marathons in 2020. In the third week, I lost 2.9 pounds, and 13.9 total. Ending Weight: 230.6.

Week 4: A Setback that was Worth It

This was a tough week. Due to the excessive running we’d been doing, Dyan had some pretty serious knee pain which relegated her to the elliptical machine at our office gym. I was able to run four times this week at 3.21, 7.11, 4.81 and 2.61 respectively. The seven mile run was a beast that took an hour and 22 minutes to complete. But that wasn’t even the toughest hurdle of the week. I had been doing so well on my diet, but that was about to change. Jeremy, Scott, Dave and I all took a trip to Kansas City for the Chiefs vs. Vikings game. It’s hard to imagine a boys trip that doesn’t involve unhealthy food. It’s not like we were going to tailgate with a nice cobb salad. Nope, we went all out on this trip. Beer, BBQ, Brats, Baked Beans, Queso, Burgers and bacon wrapped little smokies. It was a diet buster, but absolutely worth it! From sunrise, to a Chiefs victory, we had an amazing time.

In the fourth week, I surprisingly still lost 1.6 pounds, and 15.5 total. Ending Weight: 229.

Week 5: Going Harder

We started bringing the kids to the gym with us. They LOVE working out with Mom and Dad!

I was back at the grind pushing myself harder on my workouts. I ran five times for 5.21, 4.5, 4.05, 4.03 and 5 miles each. It was a total of almost 23 miles, and I had pulled my average mile/min down to the low 11’s, which is really good for me. I was running faster, and feeling good. With 12 Bars of Christmas t-shirt events and Thanksgiving coming up, this was the calm before the storm. During the 5th week, I lost 2.1 pounds, and 17.6 total. Ending Weight: 226.9.

Week 6: A New Routine

This was the week of the first 12BoC Happy Hours. With a busy schedule in the evenings, and it getting downright cold outside, I was relegated to running on my lunch hour on the treadmill at our BCBS gym. I thought I was going to hate working out at lunch which would require showering in the locker room, but it actually isn’t so bad. I was able to run six times this week for a total of 24.14 miles. But given the menu options at the bars/restaurants at the 12BoC events, my diet suffered a bit. During the 6th week, I lost .8 pounds, and 18.4 total. Ending Weight: 226.1.

Week 7: I Lost 20 Pounds!

More 12BoC events this week, that normally would have packed the pounds on in previous years. But this year, I had a secret weapon. I was burning those extra calories off with lunch time runs on the treadmill. Five runs totaling more than 21 miles. And I was trying to eat kind of healthy while at the bars. Buffalo chicken or BBQ chicken salads were my favorite. Not completely healthy, but better than burgers and wings! During week 7, I lost 2.5 pounds, and 20.9 total. TWENTY POUNDS LOST!!! Ending Weight: 223.6.

Week 8: Jogging turned into actual Running turned into Hip Problems

This may have been the toughest week of the entire program. More 12BoC happy hours, Thanksgiving and an injury. Running continued all week, and probably a bit too aggressively. I ran 6 times for 28.4 miles. My pace has quickened as I was pushing 9:30-10:00 miles. I was crushing it, or so I thought. But silently, the running was crushing my hip joint. Toward the end of the week, I had a very sore hip and lower back which I wish I would have identified sooner (more on that later). Since we didn’t have all the kids until later in the evening on Thanksgiving, we delayed a giant Thanksgiving dinner until Friday afternoon and it was glorious! Turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, cranberries, flakey biscuits, apple pie and homemade whipped cream. We had leftovers for days. A couple of my co-workers recommended boiling the turkey carcass for several hours and making turkey noodle soup the following day. We tried it. And I will never leave another turkey carcass go to waste. The soup was phenomenal! In the 8th week, I lost .6 pounds and a total of 21.5 pounds. Ending Weight: 223.

Week 9: Healing and 12BoC

It took several days to wrap up all the leftovers, so we were still not eating the healthiest. But, snacking was still prohibited and we were doing really well keeping to our meal schedule. I ran 9 total miles the first two days of the week, fighting through the horrendous hip pain I was feeling. Had I been listening to my body the previous week, I would have rested. I knew this program would be a grueling fight, but never really knew what to expect. I had some pain over the weeks, but nothing like this. I’m no doctor, but I’ve self-diagnosed myself with hip bursitis. Basically, hip bursitis is common in runners that “over-do” it. I think that’s what I’ve done. Recovery time is several weeks. That shut my running down the rest of the week.

This week was also 12 Bars of Christmas!

Josh and Melanie came for the extravaganza, and we had a ball prancing around 1st Avenue on Friday night. This was the first year of planning without Kyle, who retired because he wanted to spend more time with his family. Totally respectable, but we sure missed his expertise when it came to relationships with the bars. From here on out, it’s just Jeremy and I doing the planning! This year we went over $130,000 that we’ve been able to donate to Children’s Hospital and Clinics of Minnesota!

Before Josh and Melanie headed home, we had a game night with all the kids, which was an absolute riot!

Despite the two slices of pizza sitting on my plate, week 9 saw me lose 3.5 pounds and a total of 25 pounds. Ending Weight: 219.5.

The past 9 weeks have consisted of a fairly strict diet, 150 miles of running and have a resulted in 25 pounds of weight loss. My size 38 waist pants fall off my hips and my favorite belt needs a new hole drilled in the leather. I am finally wearing my size 36 pants from 5+ years ago and am getting close on the size 34 jeans! We’re off to a great start, but this is just the beginning of the journey. This doesn’t end until I cross the finish line of the Twin Cities Marathon and reach a healthy BMI. Something has finally changed!

Week 10: Healing Continued and Dyan’s Magic Beans

This was my second consecutive week of not working out. My hip was so sore I could hardly walk. A trip to the orthopedic specialist was in my near future. But Dyan suggested I try something simple, like Tylenol. In my head I’m like, “There is no way Tylenol is gonna help this issue!” But, I took a couple of extra strength Tylenol on Monday evening after work. By bed time, I was walking just fine, and couldn’t feel any pain. I am sure it’s just masking the pain. We’ll see how I feel in the morning. Much to my surprise, I got out of better with my hip feeling 100%. What the heck? Two 500mg Tylenols took away every bit of the discomfort I was having. Dyan was right in a really big way! Had it not been for her, I would have suffered through the pain another day or so and then had a hefty doctor bill.

Even though the pain was gone, I continued resting for the remainder of the week. Overall, I took off 12 days from running. This meant I really needed to watch my calorie intake if I was planning to continue losing weight. Watching what I eat while I am at work is easy. I generally get busy with my day and don’t have crazy hunger cravings. I generally skip breakfast, have a salad for an early lunch, and then hold out until dinner. Later in the evening is my biggest struggle (7-11PM). After I eat dinner, I crave more food. Like crave hard. I’ve broke a few times and had a small snack here and there, but I generally hold strong and try to go to bed before I give into those cravings! During week 10, I lost 2.2 pounds, and 27.2 total. Ending Weight: 217.3.

Week 11: Flirty Thirty

This week marks a milestone in my weight loss. On Tuesday morning, the scale surprised me with a 214.3 pound reading. This reading means I surpassed the 30 pound weight loss mark, and was easily the lightest I have weighed in 5-6 years. I was ecstatic. For good measure, I strutted into the closet and grabbed my only pair of size 34 jeans (purchased in 2011) that I still own. I pulled them on, and they fit! A bit snug in the waist, but I was dead set on making them work! I am so excited, and proud of how much weight I’ve lost in the past two and a half months.

As big of an accomplishment as this was, it was only the 2nd day of the week. A week which marked the beginning of Christmas vacation for Dyan and I, and the kids. The kitchen was constantly full of treats like peppermint brownies, caramel corn, puppy chow, sugar cookies and candy. I knew that the next two weeks would be brutal for my weight, because I planned to enjoy the holidays with the family. So, the remainder of the week, I indulged in all the tasty treats and put a little bit of weight back on, relinquishing my “30 lb” badge. Hopefully, I’d earn that badge again soon. After the new year, there’d be no flirting with 30. I’ll be playing for keeps!

With Thanksgiving, 12BoC and the hip injury in my rearview mirror, I was ready to get back on the treadmill and burn up some mileage. After talking things over with my boss, who is a BIG runner, he suggested I not run more than 3 days in a row. He suggested a cross training routine that was designed at strengthening my core muscles so that I could better avoid injuries to joints and muscles. I should also point out, he is not the first person to tell me this. Dyan has been preaching this for the past month. When the new year begins, I am planning to take up their advice. I did end up running five times for 15.4 total miles. I lost .9 lbs. in week 11, with a total weight loss amount of 28.1.

Week 12: First time in a long time my weight went backwards

Christmas week was absolutely wonderful. Dyan and I spent almost the entire week home with the kids. While the warm, rainy weather didn’t cooperate for skiing, we were able to do lots of other things like see Jumanji 2 at the theater, drop off 12BoC donations to the Children’s Hospital, and go to the zoo. The ONLY downside to being home all week is that I was exposed to all the delicious goodies circulating through the kitchen. And there was no way I wasn’t going to live in those moments! Week 12 ended up being the first week since the beginning of October I actually gained weight. I added .8 lbs in week 12 for a total weight loss of 27.3 lbs. Going into week 13, I am about 4 pounds over my lowest weight last week. The days of attaining and relinquishing the 30 pound badge seem so long ago.

Now that the holidays, and vacation time are just about behind us, my weight should start to go down again. And it better because I have some money riding on it! I’ve entered a weight loss challenge for weeks 16 - 24 (Jan 20 – Mar 19) with dozens of other people at BCBS. During that 8 week period, I have a goal of losing 7 pounds. If I am not successful, I lose my $50 entry fee. If I am successful, I get my $50 entry fee back plus a share of all the other entry fees of those that did not meet their goal.

Week 13: THIRTY; We meet again

The final week of the Christmas/New Years Break had some up’s and down’s for my weight loss. My diet did really well on the days other than New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day – which happened to be in the middle of the week. That meant my weight fluctuated quite a bit, with the beginning of the week being low, middle of the week (New Year’s) being high, before settling at a lower weight toward the end of the week. I lost 2.7 lbs, for a total weight loss of exactly 30 pounds! Here is a little perspective….

30 pounds is equivalent to the weight of:

Three and a half gallons of milk

200 eggs

21 Chipotle burritos

¾ of a bag of water softener salt

2,000 Berkley 7” Powerworms (my favorite fishing bait!)

A spare tire

91 baseballs

1,204 Oreo Cookies

5,760 Sour Patch Kids

All of my XL size clothes are too big. All of my size 38/40 dress pants are huge. The only pants that fit me now are my size 34/36, and unfortunately, when I bought those pants, the in-style look was “relaxed wide-leg” (circa 2011-2014). With today’s skinny, tapered trend, my old pants look silly! I have a feeling Dyan and I will be going clothes shopping fairly soon.

We worked out 6 out of the 7 days this week with a couple of walks mixed in with runs. My total distance was 23.41 miles. One really fun walk was a Saturday morning hike through Lebanon State Park. What started as a quick little jaunt around Jensen Lake quickly turned into a much more daunting trek. The weather was beautiful with sunshine and 30 degrees, so we continued past Jenson wandering through the woods and around several more lakes before finally junctioning with a return trail back to where we parked. The hike, lasting one hour and 36 minutes, through 5.55 miles of packed snow and ice, created some treacherous walking conditions. But, we accomplished the journey with no falls! Also this week I started to cross train a bit by doing 30 minutes/8.2 miles on the recumbent bike. I am hopeful that the bike and some other cross training will take some of the pressure off my hip and knees.

Week 14: Autopiloting back into a normal routine

It’s the second week in January. I’m finally back to work on a regular basis – which means eating a bit more healthy and working out more regularly. Probably the most uneventful week of my journey so far. I ran a total of 9.82 miles this week and biked another 8.65 miles. I lost .8 lbs. in week 14, with a total weight loss amount of 30.8 lbs.

Week 15: Birthday Week Trap & Unhealthy Competition

Just when I thought all the big diet traps were over, I forgot about probably the biggest trap of them all. My birthday week. And making this diet trap even bigger is that we had an extended 3-day weekend due to MLK Day. That meant more time at home which mean more time to get caught in the cookie jar – or in my case, more time to get caught eating cheesecake!

I had a solid start to the week, logging nearly 12 miles in just 2 runs and losing 4.8 pounds. However, the week didn’t stop on Thursday! I gave back most of those weight loss gains between Friday and Sunday. On Friday night, amidst a snowstorm, we went out to dinner with Mike & Rachel eating delicious calamari (w/ hot pepper giardiniera) along with salads, steaks, burgers and prime rib sandwiches. It was an amazing dinner. Next up was a Bad Boys for Life at the Lakeville movie theater, followed by an evening of gambling at Mystic Lake. And when we got home at 2AM, we also indulged in late night Taco Bell!

On my birthday, Dyan had intended to take us all skiing, however, with the snowstorm the previous night, Welch Village was closed. Therefore, we spent the day at home hanging out together before heading over to GameWorks arcade at Mall of America.

The girls racked up tickets which they used to buy stuffed animals and candy.

For my birthday, Dyan got me a whole cheesecake with assorted flavors and the kids sang me happy birthday while Josh Facetimed!

And then on Sunday, Mike and Rachel invited us over to watch the Chiefs game. There was beer cheese dip, 7-layer taco dip, cream cheese salsa dip and grilled party wings. Oh, and beer. I felt like I put on 5 pounds that afternoon. It was an awesome game, and the Chiefs won! We looked hard, but never saw Alissa and Jeff who made the trip to KC for the game.

The Chiefs are Super Bowl bound! And we are now hosting a Super Bowl Party in 2 weeks. That sounds like another BIG diet trap! For the week, I lost 1.3 lbs. with a total weight loss of 32.1 lbs.

Also this week, I started my BCBS weight loss challenge. All participants weighed in on Friday. Back in week 12, I indicated my goal would be 7 pounds lost over 8 weeks. That was not aggressive enough for me. I have upped my goal to 10 pounds. In order for me to hit that goal, I am going to have to be around 202 pounds by March 19th – and there is $50 on the line, so I really need to keep a serious workout regimen and stick with my healthier eating. And to add even more incentive, my boss and my vie president asked me if I wanted to go in on a three-man side bet. It’s an additional $50 buy-in. The person who loses the most amount of weight during the competition takes all. This is going to be really tough however. My boss won the 8 week competition last year losing 16 pounds over the 8 week period – and that was without any side bets. Therefore, I am sure he’ll easily be able to lose that if not more this time around. In order for me to win the side bet, I think I’ll have to lose about 24 pounds total during this 8 week period – that is three per week and probably unrealistic and unhealthy. So, here’s to some unhealthy competition!

Week 16: Gym Rat

I’m not a “gym selfie” kinda guy, but seeing as there was nobody else in the gym on a late evening workout, I got a little daring!

This picture, taken on 1/23/20, shows me with 35 lbs. of lost weight. I’m kicking myself for not taking a “before” picture, when I was 244 lbs. in October. During the week, I had a 9.6 mile bike ride sandwiched by four runs for 18.55 miles. My diet was going well, and I was killing it on the scale. For the week, I lost 2.4 lbs. with a total weight loss of 34.5 lbs.

Week 17: A Super Sick Trick on my Body

I haven’t been sick since the spring of 2019 – one of the longest stretches ever for me to stay healthy. But an upper respiratory infection finally caught up with me this week. I was out of commission. Nearly the entire week. I wasn’t in the mindset to work. I was in no mood to workout. All I wanted to do was lay on the couch. The ONLY benefit to this is that I wasn’t hungry, whatsoever. I know I should have been eating, but just didn’t feel like it. So I didn’t. And it paid off on the scale. For the week, my weight tumbled 3.2 lbs, which now ranks as my third highest week for weight loss. My total weight lost is 37.7 lbs.

This week was also SUPER BOWL week! I usually don’t get into the Super Bowl hype, but this year is different than any other I’ve ever experienced. Because for the first time in my 41 years, the Chiefs were playing! Even though I wasn’t feeling the best, we still made a Super Spread of food. There was 14 hour smoked pulled pork nachos, homemade pickled jalapenos, pigs in a blanket, creamy chocolate chip cookie dough dip with pretzel thins, Chiefs cupcakes, and a Giant Patrick Mahomes Cookie! Regardless of the outcome of the game, we won on party food! The game was a nail biter, with he Chiefs losing for most of the game. But Patrick Mahomes dominated the 4th quarter when the game was on the line, throwing two touchdowns and leading the Chiefs to a third game clenching score. The Chiefs won Super Bowl LIV 31-20. The best Super Bowl Sunday of my life!

Week 18: Giving Up Some Gains

My body was craving calories this week as it looked to bounce back from such a big calorie deficit the prior week. I could not seem to satisfy my appetite, no matter what I ate. Not even Chipotle, which I will admit I had. And it was delightful! I did make it back into the gym, but only three times for treadmill runs totaling 14.9 miles. All around, I felt sluggish during the week. I wasn’t doing my diet any favors, and I wasn’t crushing it at the gym like I wanted to. For the week, I added .3 lbs lowing my total lost to 37.4 lbs.

Week 19: The Anatomy Of A Workout That Has Led Me To Shed 40 LBS!

This whole diet an gym routine is very hard work and takes an enormous amount of will power that quite honestly I wasn’t sure I had in me. Through week 19, this journey has lasted 133 days. In that time, I’ve worked out 68 times (51% of the days). 95% of my workouts are spent on the treadmill. During those workouts, I am average 4.49 miles per session.

Generally, my runs all start the same. The warm up walk (0 - .25 miles @ 3.5 mph) is sore. My joints ache and muscles tend to tighten up as they brace for the intense session that is beginning.

I then move into the initial shock of the run (.25 - .50 miles @ 6.0 mph) where it begins to feel like I’ve never run in my life. My legs feel creaky and week, and aren’t quite sure what my body is asking them to do. I hit the side rail of the treadmill occasionally, and bounce off the front handle bar as my body looks for a comfortable rhythm. I get a little self-conscience. It feels like I am blazing across the desert like the Roadrunner, but I take one glace at the mirror to my side to see that my Roadrunner impression looks like a middle aged overweight guy huffing and puffing over a light jog. My finger tips and toes are oddly cold and I am highly aware of what’s going on around me. Like I notice everything (i.e. signs on the wall, tv station, fan oscillation) and everybody (i.e. others on the treadmills, weightlifters, people who would rather watch TV than workout, security guards, janitors) as my mind attempts to adjust to the workout.

After half a mile, I begin to settle into a breathing and running rhythm. I focus on my music playlist, timing my breathing or strides to the beat of the music. During this part of the run (.50 – 1.50 miles @ 6.5 mph) I feel my very best. I can cruise through this section of the run without ever looking at total distance or time elapsed. I’m no longer cold. I’m getting warm. My forehead and neck are beading with sweat. I am feeling really good, so I bump up the speed…

At this point in the run, I must look like the roadrunner (1.50 – 3.00 miles @ 7 mph). But I glance in the mirror again, and now I look like the same jogger, only covered in sweat. I am literally dripping. I feel the cold drips off my face hitting my thighs. The burn in my muscles and the ache in my joints have returned. My breathing is audible. I test my heart rate and it comes in at 170. Every minute, or .1 miles, I am glancing down at distance and time elapsed. When will this end? I tell myself that I will end early today, at the three mile or 30 minutes mark….whichever comes earlier. But like a cruel trick, neither the half hour mark or 3 miles seem to be getting closer to being accomplished than the other. By 2.75 miles or 27:30 I am dying. As I close in on 3/30, I begin to negotiate with my body to possibly go 35 minutes? It’s good for me…

There are other people on the treadmills, and I don’t want to be the guy that starts after them, runs a slower pace, and then leaves before them. Nope, not me. So I continue (3.00 - 3.25 miles @ 7.5 mph) my personal hell, running faster at this point than any other point in my session. But I don’t last long at this pace. I go through another negotiation with my body. What if we shoot for 36, 38 or possibly even 40 minutes. In exchange, I will reduce the pace substantially?

My body reluctantly agrees (3.25 -3.75 miles at 6.8 mph). At this point, I ballpark most songs in my playlist at 3 minutes each. So I focus on running song to song. Unfortunately, I hit a couple of songs that are barely over 2 minutes. Morale killer when you think you’ve run for 6 minutes but it’s only been 4. I am getting close to the end of my workout though. My clock watching turns full OCD. Like I glance at it every 15 seconds.

I begin to think, another quarter mile would only be another two and a half minutes. I can do that, right? So I keep running (3.75 – 4.25 miles @ 6.8 mph) for one more song. But this song is almost 5 minutes and now I’m closer to 4.25 than I am to 4.00 miles in distance. I push further, but I tire significantly.

My body has been through enough finish line tricks today. I’ll just do a nice gentle quarter mile cool down (4.25 – 4.50 miles @ 6.5 mph). The problem here is that my body was expecting a cool down in the 4 mph walking pace, not the 6.5 mph jogging pace. I run funnily. Like my body all of a sudden forgot how to run. Even though it’s still a running pace, the slower motion makes my legs feel light, loose and I definitely have lost some control over them. I feel like I am starting to limp and I am pretty sure my stride is quite uneven. My body had been on autopilot for the past 40+ minutes, and now it’s like it just gave up and is making me think about every step. Now I am in control of my legs, and it’s not going well. I skip song after song, looking for the perfect one to bring me home. But there is never an adequate song. My body hates me at this point and won’t give me the pleasure of crossing the finish line to a song that it likes. So there I am, legs flailing, mouth breathing and listening to an annoying advertisement when I finally cross the 4.5 mile finish line. It wasn’t pretty, but it’s done.

This week, I ran 4 times for 19.33 miles. This was a great week on the scale too. Not only did I lose weight all week long, I did a great job of maintaining my diet and exercise routine over the weekend, which has been the biggest reoccurring pitfall on this journey so far. Generally speaking, I do really week with diet and exercise during the seek, but then I give back a substantial amount of my gains over the weekends. Not this week! For the week, I lost 3.6 lbs lowing my total lost to 41 lbs.

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emerygoat26-blog · 5 years ago

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Author Nathan Englander Gets His Syrup in New Hampshire - Grub Street

At Mike’s Coffee Shop in Clinton Hill. Photo: Christian Rodriguez

At 30, Nathan Englander was the youngest ever recipient of the PEN award for “excellence in the art of the short story,” and this week he published his fifth book, the comically probing kaddish.com. His writing has been called “genre-hopping” and several variations on “playful,” descriptions that might also apply to his relationship with eating. Like many food lovers, Englander can appreciate a great restaurant as much as he can a well-written recipe — but he also isn’t above eating his daughter’s leftovers. “My wife can’t believe it,” he says. “I’m like, ‘Oh, yeah, I am definitely more than happy to find myself eating the kid food.’” Over the past week, he also had time to eat stoop pizza, consider the qualities that make a neighborhood diner great, and think, wistfully, about bagels. Read all about it in this week’s Grub Street Diet.

Thursday, March 21 I wish this had started Wednesday night. My wife and I actually got a babysitter, and went to a grown-up restaurant with another couple. One half of that couple was our friend JJ, who writes cookbooks, and when you go to restaurants with him, things you didn’t order just appear — “lamb chops, compliments of the food mafia!” — and I think that would have been a fun meal to share. But my Grub Street Diet started this morning! And I was doing drop-off, and was late getting our 4-year-old daughter to preschool — as I am every day.

While I packed her lunch, I ate a piece of wheat toast and drank a gallon of Kitten Coffee’s Tandem blend. I don’t like that super-black, melt-your-tongue coffee. I drink way too much coffee for that, and Kitten’s is just the perfect live-on-it-all-day roast. Also, I was once leaving the coffee shop on our corner, and the Kitten guy was delivering, and I screamed, “Hey, I love your coffee.” And he said, “Try this, I think you’ll like it,” and he threw me a pound of something new they were making, and I swooned with neighborhood good cheer.

So, my book was coming out on Tuesday and I was in prelaunch madness. I was stuck in the house, doing assignments, like 500 words on fingernails for Fingernail Digest, and I had a half-hour phone interview that somehow ran to an hour and a half and I was going to miss eating lunch. But JJ checked in, as he does about a million times a day. He was over on Henry Street, and he texted me a picture of the sandwiches chalked up on the board at Lillo, and offered to deliver. And, as with the Kitten coffee, it’s that kind of neighborly niceness that just kills me. He brought me the Mediterraneo, as ordered. It’s Italian tuna, arugula, sweet marinated onions, and tomato. It was delicious. (He also brought a couple of desserts, which I put aside.) And we both worked on our laptops at the table for a while.

Also, while I was waiting for JJ to show up, I ate the cold tortellini from Olivia’s dinner the night before. I’m all about the cold kid noodles from yesterday’s dinners. I enjoy that stuff. It’s not just that I’m eating it, I actually love it. I am definitely more than happy to find myself eating the properly aged fish sticks, and the apples with bites missing. I think that’s a big parent thing, to be like, “Now I’m going to have a second meal that I found on the counter.”

A friend I hadn’t seen in years was in town visiting, and she was coming by for dinner. So, at the end of the workday, I ran over to Mekelburg’s for a loaf of She Wolf sourdough (which we’re crazy for). I also got Firehook sea salt crackers, and some cheddar and manchego and our favorite cheese, Délice de Bourgogne, which is about one inch away from just eating butter with a spoon. I got olives and radishes, and I also got all the fixings for my red lentil soup. I served it over brown rice, and finished it off with wilted spinach and some Greek yogurt, as the recipe recommends. My wife, Rachel, made a butter lettuce, endive, and grapefruit salad.

Also, it was Purim, and Rach got some hamantaschen that we served along with the desserts that JJ had brought. One was a kind of Italian version of a Boston cream doughnut, and there was a blueberry tart with a lattice top.

Friday, March 22 I made Olivia French toast, which was not at all a weekday thing, but she asked for it, and getting to school on time, as I’ve said, is not my strong suit. I had Greek yogurt, banana, and honey. And coffee. And Rach had a version of the same.

It was Friday, which was a gym day. So we do speed things up as best we can. We’ve been working out at CrossFit South Brooklyn for years, even though it’s over in Gowanus. But we love it, and it feels like family now. And we’re pretty religious about our Monday-Wednesday-Friday class, which is a kind of body-weight-centric thing that we love.

When I need to do busywork before writing, I often head to Three’s Brewing, one street over from the gym. It’s not for a post-workout beer. The brewery is closed during the day, but they have a cozy little outpost of Ninth Street Espresso inside that uses the space during the daytime. I headed over and got a coffee and, to ruin any gym-related gains, a cheddar and chive scone (which is just to say, I should have had the French toast).

Let’s sing the praises of leftovers. I cook so much more lately,, and the more complicated or ridiculous, the better. That, is I like to make the things where people say, “Ummm, you know, they sell that at the grocery store. You can buy that a lot more easily than you can make that.” I was recently cooking Middle Eastern food and I was like, “Well, I should also make the pita,” and there were a million steps, and I was really proud, but, man, that dinner would have been a lot easier if I’d just run to Damascus Bakery, or, you know, any supermarket in the whole city. I think it ties in to the writer brain. If I need to fix something I’m writing, I will stay up all night, and I will do it again and again until it’s where it needs to be.

Anyway, there was the leftover lentil soup and the cheese and that giant loaf from She Wolf waiting. And I had plans to meet my publicist, Jordan. We were both swamped, and so she swung by, and we set up shop at our dining room table (by which I mean, our only table), and we had a super nice lunch, but with screens out, typing away.

Rach and I are nutty for Ethiopian food. It’s a favorite. And, luckily, there’s a fantastic restaurant over on Fulton, across from Greenlight Bookstore, my local. It’s a big corner for me: books and Ethiopian food. The restaurant is called Bati. And the owner, Hibist, is an old friend. Back when I started writing and lived on the Upper West Side, I used to go do my work at the Hungarian Pastry Shop. I mean, I sat there all day, every day, and often closed the place down. And Hibist used to work behind the counter. And I love when a person’s dreams come true. That is, I remember Hibist pouring coffees in the ’90s and now she owns her own restaurant — and it’s the best. Also, they’re really nice to our daughter, who has gone from eating everything to a very beige-focused food phase (possibly inherited from my suburban, white-bread roots).

Anyway, we packed her a little dinner of her own as an emergency backup, which they were really nice about. And as for ordering at Bati, Rach and I haven’t touched a menu there in years. We always, always get a vegetarian combo for two — which had a bunch of things on it, gomen, and buticha, and key sir, and — what really matters to us — always lots of shiro. And, at Bati, I don’t even need JJ for special treatment. They always keep an eye on us and make sure there’s shiro on the tray.

Also, they were out of St. George beer that night, so I had a Walia, which was equally great.

Saturday, March 23 If I’m being honest here, this was a record amount of time for me not to have eaten a bagel. This diary should have already had five dozen or so in it. Anyway, I ate the She Wolf Sourdough toast, day 400 on that bread. If you amortize the initial investment, I was pretty much making money on that loaf.

After dance class (my daughter’s, not mine), we headed over to Tacombi with friends. It’s a great Mexican place with locations in Manhattan, but now we’ve got one across from BAM. I spotted one grown-up couple having beers in the main room when we got there, but otherwise there were lots of kids, and lots in tutus — it seemed to be the new post-dance hangout. We had a big order of kid-friendly plain versions of things, which the staff was really nice about (that is, quesadilla with nothing, rice and beans with nothing). As for this grown-up, I had the seared fish tacos and their Naranja, which is a papaya, carrot, pineapple, and orange juice.

So, it was the Montclair Literary Festival — go NJ! My event was near the end of the day, and, after it was over, I went straight into Joyce Carol Oates’s. Then there was a cocktail party for the festival, and I ate I don’t know what, some hummus and pita, and had a glass of white wine. And Joyce had invited me to dinner with friends, and we headed to a place called Scala del Nonna. The joint was jumping, it was packed out and loud and Saturday night-ish, and one table kept knocking over the wine bucket.

As for wine, apparently Montclair has some ancient liquor law thing, and the restaurant was dry. So my friend Julie ran out to the store next-door and bought a bottle of Gavi, and Joyce’s friend ordered porcini risotto with peas for the table. I got the branzino alla griglia, which was marinated sea bass lightly grilled with scarola Siciliana. And, well, if you replaced all the fish I ate this week with candy and bagels, once again, it would better represent my normal diet.

Sunday, March 24 The day was packed with playdates, which was lovely. My daughter and I headed over to a friend’s who has twins and lives right next to the bagel store — my chance to make a move. But when we got into their house, Melissa had already made a mountain of whole-grain silver dollar pancakes, and a fruit plate with strawberries, watermelon, and pear. And, as always, she put a cup of coffee right into my hand.

We all headed to the park. As the twins headed off, another friend of my daughter’s showed up with her dad. After another couple of hours of wildness, we took the girls for a slice of Luigi’s Pizza and sat on the stoop outside. My slice turns into two, and they keep their seltzers properly freezing in their fridge. Slices on a stoop make me extraordinarily happy in a New York way: I was being nostalgic while it was happening, like, “This is the life.”

For our third and final playdate of the day, we had another of our daughter’s friends over to the house, with her folks. I’d been wanting to make chili, and offered to do so, but — if I’m allowed to break the fourth wall — Oriana, the visiting mom, is a huge fan of this column. She said chili is boring. So we ordered in Vietnamese from Mekong Delta. The restaurant is in one of those neighborhood locations that never works out and keeps changing hands. But Mekong Delta seems to be doing great. We all shared a papaya salad, and I got chicken pho and shrimp summer rolls.

Monday, March 25 It felt like maybe it was one of the last cold mornings before spring kicked in, and even with the pancakes yesterday, I always need to make sure I’m getting enough maple syrup in my diet. Point is, I made oatmeal, and ate it with bananas and blueberries and maple syrup that we buy by the jug when we’re up at our friend’s farm in Sandwich, New Hampshire. So, yes, for the best maple syrup in the world, I’d head straight for the sugar shack at Booty Farm on Mt. Israel Road.

I really want to state again that my body mass is probably about 80 percent bagel. If you cut me in half, I imagine mostly sesame seeds would pour out — as that’s my bagel of choice. So I really can’t believe I haven’t had one since this diet started — it’s the longest stretch since we got back from a year in Malawi (where I broke down and made bagels from scratch).

It was the day before launch. I owed everybody a million things, and was sure I’d be working until the middle of the night. At 2 p.m., I ran over to Mike’s Coffee Shop to grab something. Mike’s has been our home diner since we moved to Brooklyn from Manhattan around a decade ago. And we love it. It’s super homey, and they’re super nice, and it has a proper diner-y, pressed-tin ceiling, and a proper neon sign in the window. You always bump into friends there, and the kids are often given lollipops when you pay, whether they need a lollipop or not. Also, the owners are really good about calmly managing the weekend waiting list when it’s chaos and the throngs of folks are roaming outside waiting on tables.

I sat in the last booth and I ordered a coffee and a tuna sandwich on wheat toast, with lettuce, tomato, and onion. And a pickle spear! If there’s a picture of me up above with a sandwich in front of me, that’s the one. If there’s a picture of me without it, it’s because it’s already in my belly.

The last supper. So, a friend was having a dinner party, and I did not go to that dinner party — though, again, I’d be killing it with the food over there. But, the next day was the launch event at Greenlight Bookstore, and I’d start traveling the morning after that, and except for a night here and there, well, I’ll be hawking books on the road like a brush salesman for the next few weeks. This was basically the last night I got to be home with my wife and daughter and Calli the dog until tour slows down. Also, I usually come home from tour looking like I’ve eaten a bag of salt. That is, I’m so thankful to get to do readings and meet readers and shepherd the novel out into the world, but I will be eating a lot from after-hours menus, and CIBO Express airport food, and the day was gray and cold and some comfort food at home sounded nice.

So Rachel started kid dinner, and my daughter and I ran out to the supermarket around the block. We love going to the supermarket, me and her. We were getting ingredients for my friend Kitty’s chili recipe. When my wife was in grad school (she’s a professor), we lived in Madison, Wisconsin for three years, and our friend Kitty gave us a little book of her very Wisconsin-style dishes, which are great for this kind of weather. At the store, we also got the stuff for a green salad, because it sounded nice and I also wanted to keep my heart from exploding on the road.

At home, while my daughter ate, I got the chili into a giant pot and let it simmer until — as happens in our building — the whole floor smelled like cayenne peppers and onion. For the salad, I just used lemon and olive oil and salt, which is my single favorite dressing. And after our daughter fell asleep, Rach emerged and served up the chili. I chopped up some cilantro and chives for toppings, and we sat down at the table and dug in, with the dog underneath the table at our feet, which is my kind of dinner.

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Source: http://www.grubstreet.com/2019/03/nathan-englander-grub-street-diet.html

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chalkegg9-blog · 5 years ago

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Easy Glazed Honey Balsamic Chicken

Easy Glazed Honey Balsamic Chicken is your 4 ingredient answer to busy weeknights. Tender, juicy chicken coated with a simple and delicious honey balsamic glaze that is ready to go in just about 20 minutes. It just doesn’t get any better or easier than this. Serve with my Nana’s Green Beans and Ambrosia Salad for a truly memorable meal.

It recently occurred to me that I may have slightly over scheduled our fall. Both boys are in soccer. That’s two, 90 minute practices each week plus games on Saturday. On completely opposite sides of the city. Fall swim starts next week. That’s three, one hour practices each week. Reece is trying out water polo which is one practice per week (30 minutes away) and one match a week. And then let’s not forget about guitar lessons, school, etc.

Someone recently asked me how I was enjoying my break. They were referring to swim season finally being over after 5 months of 5 practices a week plus meets.

I just laughed. We never have an off season. I know many of you might think that this is all too much, but as Chris and I have figured out over the years, this is how our family thrives. On any nights we don’t have practices, you can find us at a local park, kicking a soccer ball around and playing catch. Maybe just taking a leisurely walk 🙂

We try to make time for things that are important to each of us and family dinners is that “thing” for me. Believe it or not, we eat dinner together every.single.night. And I’m doing the cooking 5+ nights a week.

I’m fortunate to have a family that enjoys trying out new recipes. One, because that is obviously my job, and two, because I get bored of the same old things. Sure, we have our favorites that frequently find their way onto our menu plan like this Rotisserie Chicken Casserole or Lazy Day Lasagna.

This easy balsamic chicken recipe is a crowd pleaser for sure. The combination of honey and balsamic is classic and delicious. The added sweetness is enough to peak the boy’s interest and I’m a sucker for any recipe with balsamic vinegar.

This honey balsamic chicken recipe has the added bonus of being incredibly easy and FAST. It takes all of one minute to whisk together the glaze, another to brush it onto the chicken and by then, the oven may have preheated.

I like to use only about one third of the glaze to start and brush on more glaze as the chicken cooks. Two more times usually does the trick and then I just let it go and give the honey a chance to caramelize and get all delicious.

I do like to reserve a tablespoon or so to drizzle over the top when the chicken is fresh from the oven, or, alternatively, just spoon some of the cooking juices over the chicken after plating. It’s amazing. If I’m serving this chicken with rice, that juice is my kids favorite part. Rice and a quick garden salad are about all I can manage most nights 🙂

The chicken is so flavorful and juicy, thanks in no small part to the chicken thighs and drumsticks that I used in this recipe. You can, of course, use chicken breasts if you prefer.

Tips for the BEST Glazed Honey Balsamic Chicken

Line your sheet pan with foil or parchment paper. This makes clean up a breeze. No point in a quick and easy dinner if you’re gonna spend lots of time cleaning up!

I drizzle the glaze directly onto the chicken from my small glass measuring cup. This keeps my glaze free of bacteria in case I want to save a little for serving.

You’ll notice that the roasting temperature is 475F. This is not a typo. It’s high because we’re cooking the chicken fast. I never have a problem with the skin getting too crisp, but if you find that it is, just tent the chicken with a piece of foil.

My kids LOOOOOVE drumsticks so I always do extra of those. Also, I love to make enough that I have leftovers for lunch the following day. So good you guys!

How To Make Honey Balsamic Chicken

Easy Glazed Honey Balsamic Chicken

Easy Glazed Honey Balsamic Chicken is the 4 ingredient answer to busy weeknights. Tender, juicy chicken coated with a simple and delicious honey balsamic glaze that is ready to go in just about 20 minutes. It just doesn’t get any better or easier than this.

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chicken

Servings: 6

Calories: 490 kcal

Author: Trish - Mom On Timeout

Ingredients

1/3 cup honey

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 tsp dried thyme

salt and pepper to taste

3 lbs chicken , thighs and drumsticks preferred

Instructions

Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Set aside.

Place chicken pieces on the baking sheet and season with salt and pepper. Give it a good rub to really work those seasonings into the chicken.

In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together honey, balsamic vinegar, and thyme.

Drizzle a small amount of glaze onto each piece of chicken and using a brush to coat the chicken.

Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through, brushing the glaze on two more times during roasting. Serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts

Easy Glazed Honey Balsamic Chicken

Amount Per Serving

Calories 490 Calories from Fat 306

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 34g 52%

Saturated Fat 9g 45%

Cholesterol 170mg 57%

Sodium 159mg 7%

Potassium 428mg 12%

Protein 42g 84%

Vitamin A 6.6%

Vitamin C 4.6%

Calcium 3.1%

Iron 13.6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Winner, winner chicken dinner!

Pulled Chicken Sandwiches – the sauce is to DIE for!

Easy Cashew Chicken – this is a go-to recipe for busy nights!

Buttermilk Ranch Oven Fried Chicken – when only comfort food will do…

For all chicken recipes, go HERE. For all dinner recipes, go HERE. Sign up to get emails when I post new recipes! For even more great ideas follow me on Facebook – Pinterest – Instagram – Twitter – Bloglovin’.

Have a great day!

Source: https://www.momontimeout.com/easy-glazed-honey-balsamic-chicken/

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howtoloseweightfastsafely · 6 years ago

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The Truth About Buying Organic: Secrets The Health Food Industry Doesn't Want You To Know

In this "sequel" to the earlier chapter titled "How Chemicals in Can Food Make Us Fat", we're going to delve deeper into the facts (and myths) around buying organic.

These days the big wave in the health industry is to eat organic, and while many brush it off as just as the newest hip fad, for many it is either a way of life or health standard to strive for.

I personally fall into this "way of life/health standard" category, for the following reasons:

1. What we now call 'organic' was the standard no more than 50-60 years ago.

a. Not surprisingly, this was also when mass-produced processed foods (and many major diseases such as obesity, heart disease, and diabetes) began their meteoric rise in western society.

2. Organic foods help balance the Omega-6: Omega-3 ratio in our bodies, without increasing toxin intake

a. The ideal ratio is around 3:1 but most Americans are around 20:1 or even 50:1 in some studies.

b. This is mainly due to the abnormally high omega 6 content in unhealthy and processed foods

i. You'll recall we discussed the avoidance of industrial oils and other high Omega-6 foods as key to weight loss and longevity

ii. When you're not eating organic, the likelihood of eating omega-6 laden foods increases exponentially.

1. If you pick up a box of Triscuits for example (which are wrongly marketed as "healthy"), they'll have toxic, high Omega 6 Soybean Oil in them.

2. If you go to your local health food store on the other hand, and look closely at the ingredients, you're much more likely to find a decent box of organic snacks made with rice or low-toxin grains and low/moderate Omega-6 oils like olive oil, avocado oil, etc. (My guilty pleasures are chocolate chip cookies made with quinoa, and potato chips with avocado oil and sea salt. Delicious. Health food stores rock!)

3. This Omega 6: Omega 3 ratio is also crucial to keeping chronic inflammation down.

a. When the "wrong" fats a.k.a. Omega 6 take over our healthy cells, it signals a major inflammatory reaction in the body.

b. When these "wrong" fats are consumed every day (remember: they're found in almost all processed or pre-made foods these days), this inflammatory response goes to "work" every single day.

c. And sooner or later, the body is trying to deal with so much at once that it attacks both damaged and healthy cells in an effort to get rid of the poisonous fats that we keep consuming.

d. And voila: you have a recipe for the chronic, system-wide inflammation that is now making its way to the forefront in medical circles, as one of the main causes of major disease.

4. Eating organic eliminates or greatly reduces our bodily exposure to thousands of chemicals, hormones, antibiotics and more that are found in modern, processed foods.

a. To be completely honest, when I eat organic, I remind myself that I'm eating real food, instead of pink slime-laden ground beef or ammonia-washed chicken.

b. And don't fool yourself. If the foods you eat are NOT organically-grown, naturally-made products, chances are you're eating food with bleach-like ingredients, insect killers, lab-made chemicals, genetically engineered crops, and more.

c. On that note, another nice benefit in your food is to eat packaged/processed foods that have the "Non-GMO Project" label (assuming there are no high Omega-6 oils in them)

A little more about the Omega-6: Omega-3 Fatty Acid Ratio

In regards to the Omega-6: Omega-3 ratio, typical Westerners have a ratio somewhere around 20:1, whereas the ideal ratio is between 4:1 and 2:1.

As we've discussed, Omega 6's are the unhealthy fats found in heavily processed foods, refined grains, commercially raised meats, and many often-used cooking oils (soybean, vegetable, corn, sunflower, etc ---- yes they sound good, but they are NOT good for your body).

Omega 3's are the good fats found in naturally raised meats, properly-soaked beans/legumes, oily fish, and some nuts (nuts have a higher chance of high Omega 6, though).

If you want to reduce this ratio down to more normal, healthy levels, you should:

Stick to organic coconut oil, butter/ghee, and other natural fats that have I've listed previously for cooking. Use extra virgin olive oil on salads and other foods, preferably after cooking (since olive oil and other moderate Omega 6 oils can go bad under high heat).

As for meats, most animals were naturally intended to graze and feed in open pastures, and those that do so tend to have much higher levels of healthy Omega 3 fatty acids in their bodies.

Unfortunately, many of us eat commercially raised meats which are fattened on low quality grains, corn, soy, and in many cases the leftover scraps of actual animals. These animals' bodies are not intended to be stuffed full of grains, animal meat, and other junk for starters. And as a side effect of this, to prevent (and react) to eventual animal sicknesses, farmers will pump them full of antibiotics (and then hormones to encourage further growth).

As an end result we, the consumer, eat meats that have a much higher unhealthy Omega 6 fat content AND we ingest the remnants of antibiotics and growth hormones.

No bueno.

So, how do you eat right...and how do we know what to eat organic or conventional?

"I want to eat healthy but it's too expensive!"

"I have to eat organic all the time, don't I? I can't afford that!"

FALSE.

I hear these 2 cost-related issues far too often as an excuse to put off a diet.

But fear NOT. The truth is, eating healthy can be pretty cheap if you follow 2 simple rules:

1) Eat real, single-ingredient foods 90% of the time. Cut out the expensive snacks here and there. Focus your diet around meats/fish, veggies, and fruits, plus gluten-free grains if you're somewhat lean and strength-training.

2) Read this post and learn what you should buy organic, and what you can get away with buying "conventional".

Interested in losing weight? Then click below to see the exact steps I took to lose weight and keep it off for good...

Read the previous article about "How To Protect Yourself Against Chronic Inflammation (What Time Magazine Calls A "Secret Killer")"

Read the next article about "Choosing High Quality Foods"

Moving forward, there are several other articles/topics I'll share so you can lose weight even faster, and feel great doing it.

Below is a list of these topics and you can use this Table of Contents to jump to the part that interests you the most.

Topic 1: How I Lost 30 Pounds In 90 Days - And How You Can Too

Topic 2: How I Lost Weight By Not Following The Mainstream Media And Health Guru's Advice - Why The Health Industry Is Broken And How We Can Fix It

Topic 3: The #1 Ridiculous Diet Myth Pushed By 95% Of Doctors And "experts" That Is Keeping You From The Body Of Your Dreams

Topic 4: The Dangers of Low-Carb and Other "No Calorie Counting" Diets

Topic 5: Why Red Meat May Be Good For You And Eggs Won't Kill You

Topic 6: Two Critical Hormones That Are Quietly Making Americans Sicker and Heavier Than Ever Before

Topic 7: Everything Popular Is Wrong: The Real Key To Long-Term Weight Loss

Topic 8: Why That New Miracle Diet Isn't So Much of a Miracle After All (And Why You're Guaranteed To Hate Yourself On It Sooner or Later)

Topic 9: A Nutrition Crash Course To Build A Healthy Body and Happy Mind

Topic 10: How Much You Really Need To Eat For Steady Fat Loss (The Truth About Calories and Macronutrients)

Topic 11: The Easy Way To Determining Your Calorie Intake

Topic 12: Calculating A Weight Loss Deficit

Topic 13: How To Determine Your Optimal "Macros" (And How The Skinny On The 3-Phase Extreme Fat Loss Formula)

Topic 14: Two Dangerous "Invisible Thorn" Foods Masquerading as "Heart Healthy Super Nutrients"

Topic 15: The Truth About Whole Grains And Beans: What Traditional Cultures Know About These So-called "Healthy Foods" That Most Americans Don't

Topic 16: The Inflammation-Reducing, Immune-Fortifying Secret of All Long-Living Cultures (This 3-Step Process Can Reduce Chronic Pain and Heal Your Gut in Less Than 24 Hours)

Topic 17: The Foolproof Immune-enhancing Plan That Cleanses And Purifies Your Body, While "patching Up" Holes, Gaps, And Inefficiencies In Your Digestive System (And How To Do It Without Wasting $10+ Per "meal" On Ridiculous Juice Cleanses)

Topic 18: The Great Soy Myth (and The Truth About Soy in Eastern Asia)

Topic 19: How Chemicals In Food Make Us Fat (Plus 10 Banned Chemicals Still in the U.S. Food Supply)

Topic 20: 10 Banned Chemicals Still in the U.S. Food Supply

Topic 21: How To Protect Yourself Against Chronic Inflammation (What Time Magazine Calls A "Secret Killer")

Topic 22: The Truth About Buying Organic: Secrets The Health Food Industry Doesn't Want You To Know

Topic 23: Choosing High Quality Foods

Topic 24: A Recipe For Rapid Aging: The "Hidden" Compounds Stealing Your Youth, Minute by Minute

Topic 25: 7 Steps To Reduce AGEs and Slow Aging

Topic 26: The 10-second Trick That Can Slash Your Risk Of Cardiovascular Mortality By 37% (Most Traditional Cultures Have Done This For Centuries, But The Pharmaceutical Industry Would Be Up In Arms If More Modern-day Americans Knew About It)

Topic 27: How To Clean Up Your Liver and Vital Organs

Topic 28: The Simple Detox 'Cheat Sheet': How To Easily and Properly Cleanse, Nourish, and Rid Your Body of Dangerous Toxins (and Build a Lean Well-Oiled "Machine" in the Process)

Topic 29: How To Deal With the "Stress Hormone" Before It Deals With You

Topic 30: 7 Common Sense Ways to Have Uncommon Peace of Mind (or How To Stop Your "Stress Hormone" In Its Tracks)

Topic 31: How To Sleep Like A Baby (And Wake Up Feeling Like A Boss)

Topic 32: The 8-step Formula That Finally "fixes" Years Of Poor Sleep, Including Trouble Falling Asleep, Staying Asleep, And Waking Up Rested (If You Ever Find Yourself Hitting The Snooze Every Morning Or Dozing Off At Work, These Steps Will Change Your Life Forever)

Topic 33: For Even Better Leg Up And/or See Faster Results In Fixing Years Of Poor Sleep, Including Trouble Falling Asleep, Staying Asleep, And Waking Up Rested, Do The Following:

Topic 34: Solution To Overcoming Your Mental Barriers and Cultivating A Winner's Mentality

Topic 35: Part 1 of 4: Solution To Overcoming Your Mental Barriers and Cultivating A Winner's Mentality

Topic 36: Part 2 of 4: Solution To Overcoming Your Mental Barriers and Cultivating A Winner's Mentality

Topic 37: Part 3 of 4: Solution To Overcoming Your Mental Barriers and Cultivating A Winner's Mentality

Topic 38: Part 4 of 4: Solution To Overcoming Your Mental Barriers and Cultivating A Winner's Mentality

Topic 39: How To Beat Your Mental Roadblocks And Why It Can Be The Difference Between A Happy, Satisfying Life And A Sad, Fearful Existence (These Strategies Will Reduce Stress, Increase Productivity And Show You How To Fulfill All Your Dreams)

Topic 40: Maximum Fat Loss in Minimum Time: The Body Type Solution To Quick, Lasting Results

Topic 41: If You Want Maximum Results In Minimum Time You're Going To Have To Work Out (And Workout Hard, At That)

Topic 42: Food Planning For Maximum Fat Loss In Minimum Time

Topic 43: How To Lose Weight Fast If You're in Chronic Pain

Topic 44: Nutrition Basics for Fast Pain Relief (and Weight Loss)

Topic 45: How To Track Results (And Not Fall Into the Trap That Ruins 95% of Well-Thought Out Diets)

Topic 46: Advanced Fat Loss - Calorie Cycling, Carb Cycling and Intermittent Fasting

Topic 47: Advanced Fat Loss - Part I: Calorie Cycling

Topic 48: Advanced Fat Loss - Part II: Carb Cycling

Topic 49: Advanced Fat Loss - Part III: Intermittent Fasting

Topic 50: Putting It All Together

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lifewithoutmeds · 6 years ago

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january 6, 2019

it’s very very misty out. rained some of yesterday and last night. it’s kind of nice, minus the lack of light, the light that comes in is very diffused, dimming the already dim light of the early morning.

not a whole lot on my agenda for the day. the usual chores: the vacuuming and dish-washing that never ends, the bed that is perpetually unmade, some goblet squats and dumbbell rows when i’m feeling particularly antsy. i need to email a GCC professor for an add code, but i don’t know my GCC ID so i’ll have to wait until tomorrow to log in on my work computer, where i have my log in data saved.

maybe i should go to church. i need to keep my mind/body occupied.

yesterday riri came over. it was nice. i made my black beans/rice/sausage dish, and heated some roasted cauliflower i had baked earlier. she brought over a box of snickerdoodles, trader joe’s coffee ice cream, and chocolate covered almonds, and we ate, snacked, played her switch, played two rounds of Splendor, and watched two hilarious episodes of It’s Always Sunny. it was good times. she left around 10 or 11, i walked her out, had a gross Portugues cig outside in the 45 degree weather, then went back in for another sleepless night.

to be fair, i’m not feeling really horrible. i’m not feeling ragey. i’m not drinking and crying and texting everyone and pounding my chest. i’m just .... being. somewhere between the best and the worst. i told riri about patricia. she echoed many of the same sentiments as my other friends, though with demonstrably more compassion and empathy. she said that she’s too far, and she knows it, and maybe i know it too, and she’s smart enough not to put herself through the agony of what i’m putting myself through. no one’s willing to move to the other’s country to start a new life. and it’s not “love” after one day, it’s infatuation.

i also saw my therapist yesterday, which was incredibly timely, perhaps overdue.

she said what i already knew, that i have this loneliness, this brokenness, this lack of wholeness, that i could maybe bring to God, that He hasn’t forsaken me, that He will listen, that He wants me to come to him, and that in Him i can find some of the wholeness, some of the love and acknowledgment and acceptance that i truly seek. i don’t know why i fight it so much, whether i don’t believe He’ll come through or more so that i don’t believe He Should come through, because i broke my end of the bargain: i chose myself. i chose my identity, and my sexuality, my perverse sexuality, and i cannot have both, and i have doomed myself, i have made my bed, and now i must lie in it. a part of me pleads that that cannot be true, but .... a part of me resists that i could still be loved even if i love/desire/lust for women.

the mist is getting thicker. visibility is fairly low, though i can still see the cars across the street, i can’t quite see where the grayish building ends and the sky begins. or maybe i just can’t see because my blinds are partially closed.

i never seem .... whole enough, adequate enough to embark on a true relationship, though that is pretty much all i desire. it’s hard for me to wait. it’s hard for me to do the necessary hard work on myself to become that which is suitable for relationship. but maybe i shouldn’t be so hard on myself. maybe i’m doing it now. maybe this is working on myself. a journey of a thousand steps...

a few insights though from No Spend January. this feels like a fast. there is little incentive to look up my deal websites, knowing i can’t buy anything this month. that gives me much less to peruse in those moments of boredom and nothingness. no excitement, no anticipation, no tiny dopamine hit. i hadn’t realize how much of my leisure time has been spent on scouring the web for deals, purchasing things, waiting for them, opening packages, throwing out packaging material. it’s insane, how my amazon credit card has a zero balance and i don’t have a stack of amazon boxes by my door.

i’m also thinking a lot about food, nutrition, food cost, fiber, protein. food is probably the most fluctuatable “fixed” expense that i have. i can buy and prepare food that ranges from $1-$8 a serving. when i went to amy’s last week i was surprised by how much i enjoyed the red meat-free, dairy-free, egg-free meal of baked salmon, kale salad, brown rice, and roasted vegetables. it was savory, delicious, nutritious, and in its wholeness, very filling for the relatively small portion that i ate. i started looking at food differently, and realized with what wanton abandonment to my health and finances that i used to eat at say, Damon’s, where i would just slide my credit card over and order 3-4 appetizers and as many rum drinks as i could swallow during the happy hour, again, with so little regard to calories and nutrition and health. i was thinking that mirna would sometimes join me, both physically and in the meal, but that she is actually very strict with her diet and exercise regime 90% of the time, which allows her these small breaks. that to me, was no small break. that was the norm, and yikes, what an unhealthy and unsustainable norm that was.

today’s breakfast was the now usual: bulletproof coffee: coffee, kerrygold grass-fed butter, MCT oil two organic eggs with two tablespoons of black beans, a handful of organic fresh spinach, a sprinkle of shredded mild cheddar cheese, and some trader joe’s green hot sauce.

all have proven nutritional value, and have appropriate amounts of protein, fat, and fiber, and leave me satisfied. lunch will either be one of my two leftover servings of black beans, rice, and sausage, and dinner might be lentil soup (that i make). lunch for the next few days then would be whatever is left. and then on wednesday or so i can make another Trader Joe’s run.

i’m vaguely surprised and yet i suppose not so at how much i rather enjoy this structure. i don’t mind eating the same breakfast and having the same 3-4 meals rotated throughout the week (so far). it’s routine, it’s easy, it’s healthy, it’s cheap, it’s filling, and it doesn’t require a great deal of thought, which technically allows me to put that effort and resources elsewhere. it builds an effortless scaffolding by means of which i can extend myself in other places (hypothetically). i suppose now the challenge will be in finding those challenges for myself.

for now i guess it’s throwing in that extra set of goblet squats and dumbbell rows. eating out less and working out more should yield me some slow but steady results. and slow and steady wins the race, they say.

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sarahburness · 7 years ago

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How I Got Stronger and Healthier After Giving Up Animal Products

“Your body is precious. It is your vehicle for awakening. Treat it with care.” ~Buddha

Not that long ago, I ate meat every single day. Every. Single. Day. For breakfast, I used to have fried eggs with feta or cottage cheese and turkey ham. My lunch consisted of minced beef or chicken with veggies. My dinner was then either leftovers from lunch or more meat/fried eggs/sometimes fish with veggies and cheese.

I followed an intense workout routine, went to the gym five to six times per week to lift weights, and on top of that did another two cardio sessions per week in a beautiful park close to my apartment.

The best I could do for my health, according to my personal trainer, was to stick to a high-protein, low-carb diet with lots of animal protein and avoid refined sugar. That also meant to drink one or two whey shakes per day.

For some people, this might sound exhausting or even brutal. At the time, though, I loved my fitness lifestyle and was proud to be as lean as I was.

For two years, this was my life, until I was offered a job abroad, which I accepted totally thrilled. This new opportunity was so exciting and full of possibilities! Sadly, I had to reduce my workouts and started to lapse when it came to my diet, meaning I ate significantly more carbs than before.

I worked non-stop around the clock. Soon, I started to get sick more often. Despite a job change, things got worse.

There was always something wrong with my body, either infections or injuries, which prevented me then from working out. The lack of exercise in turn led to feeling weaker. On top of that, I had to deal with a very toxic work environment, constant stress, internal gossip, difficult clients, and a lack of professional structure to only name a few unpleasant job-related factors.

Whenever I was feeling slightly better, I used to fall ill again. I started to gain weight and lost muscle mass. It was like a vicious circle with no way out.

The biggest support came from my boyfriend, who was there to take care of me. He was and still is my emotional rock. I don’t know what I would have done without him.

Once you move abroad, your social circle shrinks considerably (at least mine did), thus making it hard to not feel lonely at times. Most of my closest friends who are my social support system live either in my home country or in other parts of the world making it difficult to connect.

This state of mental and physical exhaustion lasted for a year and a half until I found the courage to walk away and quit my job. Once I had done that, I’d gotten rid of one of my biggest stress factors. Finally, I had time to focus on taking care of my health, body, and mind again.

As a documentary lover, I started watching food and health related documentaries. They all had one strong message in common: the promotion of a plant-based diet. According to those documentaries, following a whole-food, plant-based diet solves a lot of environmental and, to my surprise, health issues. I was intrigued!

I had a couple of friends following a plant-based diet already, so the idea wasn’t entirely new to me. A few weeks before quitting my job, I had suffered another internal infection and, therefore, reduced my meat intake to only once a month, following the advice of my gastroenterologist.

Questions started popping up in my mind: What if I could get rid of all infections by cutting out animal products completely? What if my body could recover from all the diseases?

I made my boyfriend watch those documentaries as well. He was shocked about the impact of animal products on our health. It took us a split second to decide that we were more than ready to give the plant-based diet a go!

The change was easier than expected; there was not a lot we had to get rid of in our kitchen and not a lot of new ingredients to buy either. Cooking and preparing healthy dishes has always been one of our favorite hobbies, and having things like quinoa or amaranth in our kitchen has been normal.

I quit drinking milk in 2013 and have loved almond milk since then, (Did you know that humans are the only animal species drinking milk from another animal, though this hormonal drink is only intended for baby calves to grow?)

The only dairy products left in our fridge were five cups of Greek yogurt, a piece of butter, and a variety of cheese. Together with our last organic eggs, everything found a new home in a friend’s kitchen.

Since the change, I feel so much better. It turned out that my new lifestyle wasn’t as complicated and hard to follow as I first imagined it would be. (I have to admit, having a special someone by your side doing the exact same thing makes it a whole lot easier.)

The infections in my body have decreased, and I don’t get sick as easy and often as before. Finally, I’m able to go to the gym to work out again. Not as intense as I used to, but on a regular basis.

I’ve consumed a high amount of animal products in the past, which is kind of the norm in our society. However, triggered by the lack of exercise and paired with a high stress level, it’s likely, that among other things, my high-animal-protein diet led to the many infections, a high level of inflammation, and a variety of illnesses I was struggling with.

The change to a plant-based diet isn’t a magic bullet, but it plays a big part when it comes to living a healthy life, in my opinion.

Sure, there are more things to consider like surrounding yourself with loving and compassionate people, regular exercise, being kind to yourself and others, and practicing gratitude, forgiveness, and mindfulness. Having said that, it would go beyond the scope of my post to delve into those topics.

There’s this cliché and certain image that comes to everyone’s mind as soon as you mention the word “vegan.” Unfortunately, it’s often seen as being difficult or just plain weird.

That’s why one thing has been very important to me right from the start: I don’t want to be defined by the diet I follow. What does that mean? I simply don’t broadcast it and especially don’t use it to strike up a conversation. What I choose to eat and what not is not that big of a deal. Even some of my friends still haven’t noticed yet.

However, when the subject comes up, the questions from friends, family, and sometimes complete strangers are often similar. Some people are really interested in my choice; others judge me for it. That’s the reason I felt compelled to write an honest Q&A, including the challenges I face in my everyday life and the personal benefits of my food choice.

Being vegan and following a healthy whole-food, plant-based diet shouldn’t come with a stigma in our society. Let’s encourage an open, respectful, and honest conversation instead.

Honest Q&A

Why did you change to a vegan diet?

Mostly because of health issues I was facing. I wanted to know if my health would improve with a plant-based diet. The high amount of animal products that our society consumes increases the likelihood of getting type 2 diabetes, cancer, strokes and heart attacks. All those diseases run in my family.

What did you have to change in your everyday life?

Not much, since I ate veggies and fruits lately most of the time anyway. I don’t cook with regular cheese or eggs anymore, which was the most difficult part in the beginning, because I truly was a cheese-aholic. There’s a scientific explanation for that, though. Long story short: Cheese triggers the same receptors in our brains as heroin, which is why I never met someone who doesn’t like cheese. Our society is simply addicted to it.

Ok… what documentary did you watch?

The first documentary I watched was Cowspiracy, followed by Food Matters and What the Health? The most comprehensive and objective one, in my opinion, is Forks over Knives. If you’re interested in the topic, I recommend to watch that one first. All documentaries are available on Netflix.

Will you never eat meat again?

I’m not entirely sure about that. Right now, being on a plant-based diet is definitely the right thing for me. However, a certain diet doesn’t mean that you have to be abstinent or else you’ll relapse and you have to start from zero again. Everybody should decide that individually since diets are such a personal topic.

But you’re so limited now! What do you eat? There’s nothing left!

At first glance, it might seem that way, especially if you’re used to eat only animal products. But there’s so much variety in all kind of different cuisines. So here’s what I eat:

Fruits

Vegetables

Whole-food options

This Vegan Food Pyramid breaks it down nicely.

My usual breakfast consists of:

Oatmeal with berries, banana, and almond milk

Or smashed avocado on dark bread

For lunch I often have:

Stir-fried veggies with brown rice or quinoa

Sometimes I order veggie pad thai without any egg

Veggie sushi with brown rice (there are many different options at our local sushi stores)

A yummy salad with steamed vegetables, nuts, avocado, and pomegranate seeds

For dinner, I love to make for example:

Zoodles (zucchini noodles)

Whole-wheat pasta with tomato sauce or pesto

Pineapple curry with dhal

Guacamole with sweet potato fries

A fresh tomato soup

I currently live in the Middle East, so I also indulge in the local cuisine e.g.:

Hummus, one of my favorite dips made of cooked, mashed chickpeas, tahini, and olive oil

Falafel, deep-fried balls made of ground chickpeas

Baba ghanoush, a dip made of grilled eggplants and diced vegetables

Moutabal, another grilled eggplant based dip mixed with tahini

Loubieh bil zeit, green beans in olive oil with ripe cooked tomatoes and garlic cloves

Mouhammara, a spicy paste-like dip consisting of mashed hot peppers, olive oil, and ground walnuts

Alayet banadoura, super yummy sautéed tomatoes stewed with garlic, pine seeds, and olive oil

There’s a ton of plant-based desserts as well that can be made at home easily. If I ever need a sugar fix, I get a piece of 90 percent dark chocolate, which also is vegan.

But what about proteins? You need meat to cover that!

Yep, I get that a lot. While this is wrong, it’s a strong belief in our society. But here’s a thought experiment: Where do the animals that we eat get their protein from? They eat plants; it’s as simple as that. High protein plant sources for example are lentils or edamame.

You can’t eat pizza anymore. Or burgers. Don’t you crave those sometimes?

I do crave pizza and burgers. And I eat them. The funny thing is that I don’t crave the meat or the cheese, but the comforting experience eating with my hands.

There are vegan pizza ordering options or great recipes for easy plant-based pizza dough and vegan cheese. Same thing with burgers: There often are vegan patties available when ordering in. It’s also easy to make them at home e.g. crispy quinoa patties. And yes, they’re really yummy!

Isn’t a plant-based diet expensive?

Surprisingly, it’s not. The most expensive things we used to get at the supermarket were meat and eggs followed by cheese. Now we save up to 30 percent when we do our grocery shopping.

I’m sure you’re not getting all your vitamins and nutrients without animal products.

I hear this often, but it’s not true. A plant-based diet provides a ton of vitamins and minerals. I only take one supplement, which is Vitamin B12. Not only vegetarians and vegans suffer from Vitamin B12 deficiency, though, but also people consuming meat. Apart from that, I don’t lack anything.

Sometimes, I read that you have to get Vitamin D supplements as well. Vitamin D however is produced by our own body as soon as our skin gets exposed to the sun and not by eating animal products. Other people believe they need to drink milk in order to get their calcium intake for a healthy bone structure.

Surprisingly, studies confirm that a higher calcium intake leads to weaker bones and a higher amount of bone fractures. If you’re interested in those findings, please read here for further information.

Don’t you miss anything?

Surprisingly, not as much as I thought I would.

What do you miss most?

One of my favorite drinks was Baileys on ice, which I don’t drink anymore. Sometimes I miss that. And chocolate ice-cream.

Are you now also a hippie-kumbaya-singing activist who only showers once a week and chains herself to train tracks?

Okay, I made that one up. But unfortunately that’s the image a lot of people have once you mention being “vegan.” Let’s change that together!

So you don’t eat fish?

No, I also don’t eat fish or seafood anymore. But I do eat sushi stuffed with vegetables and avocado.

Challenges I Face in Everyday Life

Restricted choice of dishes in restaurants. Some restaurants only offer food options with animal products, and every dish contains at least butter or cheese. I only noticed that once I started studying the menu more intensively, and was really in disbelief.

The wait staff gets often confused as soon as you mention “plant-based” or “vegan.” So I usually avoid it whenever I can and order instead the vegetarian option “without [insert animal product].”

Depending on the country you live in, there’s a limited availability of some products. I’ve never seen the vegan Ben & Jerry’s ice-cream, for example, or any vegan cheese options in the U.A.E. In my home country Germany, however, there are even vegan supermarket chains.

Few coffee shops offer milk substitutes like almond and coconut milk. Okay, this is kind of a first-world problem, but I need to get my daily coffee fix. Some coffee shops offer soy milk as the only milk alternative, but I don’t like the taste of it. Also the many controversial studies regarding soy simulating estrogen in our bodies confuse me, so I try to avoid larger amounts like a cup full of soy milk.

Endless discussions with so-called friends or acquaintances who feel entitled to judge my food choices. It saddens me.

Encounters with people who offer their unsolicited advice on how veganism is bad for my health (without having a nutritional background or an interest for healthy diets in general).

I never try to educate people without them asking me first, but rather respect the choices everybody makes. Sadly, I rarely come upon the same behavior. However, if someone is genuinely interested in my choice, I’m happy to tell them about it and share my experience. I strongly believe in the saying ‘live and let live’.

Noticeable Benefits of My Whole-Food and Plant-Based Diet:

I sleep like a baby.

My digestion improved significantly.

My life got simpler. I always read the ingredients table on the food packaging in the past. Most of the time, I was worried about the origin of animal products. Did that hen live in a tiny cage in the midst of her feces? What did she eat and where did she lay her eggs? Does “organic” really mean organic? What about antibiotics? Is that really grass-fed beef?

Since I cut out animal products, I only have to worry about the origin of fruits and veggies. Most of what we buy has organically grown in the U.A.E. or has been imported from Asia. I don’t like the thought of fruits or vegetables being flown around the globe, often only ripening on the plane, so we humans can indulge in whatever is not in season at the moment (or never) in the country we live in.

My skin got a lot better.

I feel healthier and more energized.

I cook and bake more and love it.

Some people claim that going vegan helps with weight loss. I’d say it depends from which weight and lifestyle you’re starting. I didn’t lose any weight, but my weight and body composition are also considered normal. Still, my goal is to fit into my jeans and tight dresses from my lean past with more ease, thus to reduce body fat. The journey is the destination.

We spend less money on grocery shopping.

I believe, that my choice reduces animal cruelty and environmental pollution.

My action alone might not make much of a difference, but the actions of a lot of people do.

Have you ever struggled with your health? What was your approach towards getting better?

About Nina Grey

Nina is the creator of A gorgeous Soul, a mindful lifestyle blog. Do you want to feel less anxious and be healthier and happier within 30 days? Download Nina’s free Mindful Lifestyle Mini Guide and learn how to master your day with more ease and joy within 30 days, even if you've got a soul-sucking job and a demanding or stressful (family) life.

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Get in the conversation! Click here to leave a comment on the site.

The post How I Got Stronger and Healthier After Giving Up Animal Products appeared first on Tiny Buddha.

from Tiny Buddha https://tinybuddha.com/blog/got-stronger-healthier-giving-animal-products/

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consulting-celiac-in-the-tardis · 8 years ago

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A Healthy Chef's Guide to Cooking Gluten Free with Beans?

New blog post! When it comes to beans, people usually fall in one of two categories: they love em' or they hate them. Considering that today is National Bean Day, though, I figured we should celebrate bean lovers...and maybe even convert people in the latter group! Now, beans and I have always had a good relationship, but we didn't start going steady until I began experimenting with more plant-based meals. Suddenly, I realized: black beans aren't the only legumes who know how to party! White beans, kidney beans, chickpeas...the list ran on and on.

As does the list of how you can work beans into your daily diet. The truth is, beans aren't just for side dishes anymore. They can be the star of an entree or even the secret ingredient of dessert. Ready to celebrate National Bean Day in (delicious) style? Here's a healthy chef's guide bean types, their health benefits, and common kitchen uses - plus plenty of drool-worthy gluten free, vegan and paleo recipes along the way. 1. Black Beans You may only know black beans for being a plant based source of protein, but this food packs a bigger nutritional punch than just that. Black beans also offer high doses of fiber, folate, copper, manganese, vitamin B1 and magnesium. Studies have also shown that black beans can reduce inflammation, protect against cancer, improve digestive health and stabilize blood sugar levels. Some common uses for black beans include dishes from Mexican, Brazilian, Dominican, Cuban and Creole cuisines. For instance, you've probably seen black beans inside or served as a side with burritos or tacos, or pureed into a thick soup or dip for chips. To use black beans to the fullest in your own kitchen, you can experiment with recipes like:

Loaded (Sweet) Potato Wedges (V, P): because the only thing better than nachos is nachos using potatoes!

Fudgey Black Bean Zucchini Cookies (V): black beans in cookies? Don't knock it 'til you sink your teeth in these chewy dreams!

Enchilada Stuffed Spaghetti Squash (V, P): which puts a healthy twist on a Mexican favorite.

Black Bean Soup with Cilantro Lime Rice (V): because nothing says "winter comfort food" more than a creamy bowl of soup!

Salmon Black Bean Enchilada Bake: in case you want to add a sea-side touch to your usual enchiladas...

Vegan Gluten Free Black Bean Brownies (V, P): a tasty treat from one of my favorite bloggers.

*V = Vegan, P = Paleo (in terms of the rest of the ingredients being paleo as beans are not part of a "strict" paleo diet)

Nachos, enchiladas, potatoes...whatever they are, they're delish!

Whether you're sneaking black beans into your dessert or diving into dinner, this plant-based protein is always guaranteed to give your taste buds one heck of a fiesta! 2. Chickpeas/Garbanzo Beans Am I the only one whose mind was totally blown when I figured out that chickpeas and garbanzo beans are the same thing? Or that chickpeas actually taste freakin' delicious? Well, even if I'm alone in those surprises, I'm not the only one enjoying the health benefits of chickpeas. Chickpeas are one of the oldest consumed crops in the world, filling people's plates for over 7,500 years. As with black beans, chickpeas are high in fiber and protein. They are also packed with manganese, folate, copper, phosphorus and iron. Studies have also shown that chickpeas help maintain blood sugar levels, aid with satiety and weight loss, improve digestion, balance unhealthy cholesterol levels and reduce hypertension.

That purple sweet potato though...

Historically, chickpeas first appeared in Mediterranean countries before spreading to southern France and Germany. Ancient Romans used chickpeas in everything from broths to roasts to stews. As chickpeas became popular in the Middle East, they also appeared in foods like hummus and falafel. Chickpeas are also unique in that you can use with chickpea flour and aquafaba, or the liquid found in a chickpea can! How can you easily add chickpeas to your diet? Try out recipes like:

Seven Minutes 'Till Heaven Loaded Baked Potatoes (V, P option): any of these beans pair great with a fluffy baked (sweet) potato.

Levantine Socca Pizza (V, P): give pizza a healthy upgrade using chickpea flour.

Maple Ginger Chocolate Chip Cookie Dippers (V): another example that beans can be a secret weapon in baking.

Two Bean Meatless Meatloaf (V): this recipe pairs chickpeas with pinto beans for a vegan alternative to the classic 50's Diner dinner.

Slow Cooker Potato, Chickpea and Beet Greens Curry (V): you can't go wrong with creamy curry. And you know I love beet greens!

3-Ingredient Pumpkin Cookies (V): who knew that aquafaba would result in the fluffiest, lightest cookies ever?

Mexican Crustless Chickpea Quiche (V): if you think you'll never taste quiche again after going vegan...chickpeas have proved you wrong!

2016 was the year that I became addicted to chickpeas...and I think these recipes are plain examples why!

Those cookies!

3. Kidney Beans If you're craving a rainbow for dinner, kidney beans might be your secret weapon: they come in a variety of colors and patterns, including white, black, red, purple, spotted and striped. Besides being rich in protein, kidney beans consist of 78% starch and a good dose of fiber. They also offer high levels of molydenum, folate, iron and copper while helping protect eaters from colon cancer. Be aware, though, that kidney beans are toxic when uncooked or improperly cooked! For people wanting to lower their meat consumption in 2017, kidney beans may become your new best friend. Combine them with a whole grain like brown rice or gluten free pasta for a complete protein. Because kidney beans hold up well when cooked, you'll often see them in simmered dishes or stews. Another bonus? Kidney beans absorb the flavors they're cooked with well. Some of my favorite dishes include:

Lentil Kidney Bean Chili (V): if you're looking for a delicious way to smash the plant-based protein, look no further than this chili!

Gluten Free and Vegan Pizza with Pizzaz (V): beans on pizza? If you have any leftover beans from these other recipes, top them on your next pie for a hit of plant-based protein.

Baked Kidney Bean Brownies (V, P): just hand these out at work, watch people devour them and then reveal their secret ingredient!

The Easiest Gluten Free Green Veggie Soup (V): just add chickpeas at the end of cooking for a protein-packed, creamy addition to your soup!

Vegan Kidney Bean Salad: in case you want to kick of 2017 with a fresh salad, this one is as healthy as it is delicious.

Roasted Kidney Bean and Chickpea Trail Mix (V, P option): trail mix? with beans? Obviously, this recipe has my name all over it!

Kidney beans = 100X more delicious than they sound!

I'll admit, kidney beans aren't my favorite out of the group...but some of these eats have definitely converted me. 4. White/Cannellini Beans To round up this celebration for National Bean Day, here are some facts about white beans that you should know. First of all, one cup boasts around 90 calories - which offer 8% of your needed daily calcium, 7.7% of your needed daily potassium needs and 25% of your needed fiber. White beans also can help prevent skin damage (and skin cancer) and can aid people with Crohn's disease. Like other beans, Cannellini also help people regulate blood sugar, reduce high blood pressure and maintain a healthy weight.

Under all of that pesto goodness...

As the Huffington Post has shown, white beans can appear in a variety of recipes, ranging from dip to plenty of different kinds of soup to chili's to quesadillas. Some of my favorites?

Kale and White Bean Soup: I've always been a sucker for simple, cozy dinners!

Vegan White Bean Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes: just when you thought mashed potatoes couldn't get any better...

Creamy Gluten and Dairy Free Mac N' Cheese (V, P option): my latest discovery? GF pasta + white beans + a vegan cheese or pesto sauce = heaven!

Stuffed Zucchini Boats (or Balls) (V, P option): for a veggie-packed meal, just add your choice of bean. White beans and pesto are always a tasty match.

Southwest Veggie Burgers with Black Bean and Corn Salsa: these veggie burgers feature white beans, brown rice, one egg and spices. For double bean trouble, add a Southwestern salsa on the side.

Basically, these recipes show that, when it comes to food, white beans are the new black!

Maybe you're already a legume-lover. Maybe in 2017, you're just hoping to lower your meat consumption - which has been shown to not only make people healthier, but also decrease greenhouse gas emissions and lower health care costs. Either way, National Bean Day is the perfect chance to add some beans to your diet.

Make your pizza and eat it too!

Who knows. After you try some of these tasty recipes - or eat a bean brownies and don't even taste the bean - you might even find yourself asking: "Where have you bean all my life?"

What's your favorite type of bean or bean recipe? Do you try to add plant-based protein to your diet? Tell me your thoughts below! via Blogger http://ift.tt/2iIs784

#Blogger #college #celiac #gluten free #coeliac #celiacs #paleo #primal #foodporn #foodart

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