Awesome Three Bean Chili!

This evening I tried a new class at my gym, The Hollywood Workout.  Doesn’t is just sound awesome!  It was.  And holy crap, it was really tough.  It was an interval class with sculpting.  We used stability balls, body bars, weights and steps.  Every part of my body feels like jello right now!!  I really love this class.  I don’t think I will get bored.  For a while I was taking a Body Pump class and I just lost my desire to go.  It was boring for me to do the same thing every class.  Some people like routine and Body Pump would be the perfect class.  I like spontaneity and I am totally into The Hollywood Workout!

After class I had my favorite meal in the world… Three-Bean Vegetarian Chili!  This meAal is filling, thick and full of vegetable and vitamins!  This dinner goodness for only 270 calories!!!  I also love making this because you can have it all week.  Cook your chili on a Sunday when you have a little more time and you can heat it up quickly all week!

I had my chili with a little RF cheese, a few baked blue chips and 1/4 of an avocado!  Awesome!

Today, my job held a cookout for Employee Appreciation Day!  It was a really nice thing to do and they fed us! =)  They even got veggie burgers for us vegetarians!

I had a Garden Burger in a whole wheat bun with a little ketchup.  I also had some veggies and a few Doritos!  I really didn’t want to have the Doritos, but they looked sooooooooooo good!

I was also confronted with an amazing looking cake… which I turned down!  That was so difficult.  The frosting was thick and blue and calling my name!  I just thought about my skinny jeans, the skinny jeans I would actually never wear even if I looked good in them.

Missing snacks include one giant organic plum and a small bowl of air popped popcorn!

Ripped in 30 & Banana Breakfast

Happy Labor Day!  I hope everyone is enjoying their day off, well if you are awake.  I am a crazy person who wakes up at 6:30 no matter what!  It looks to be a nice day outside.  Does anyone have any fun plans?  I suggest hitting the Labor Day Sales at the mall.  You can get in your cardio while getting some good deals!

Speaking of cardio…  The other day, I was aimlessly wandering around Target looking for something to zest up my life.  I discovered Jillian Michaels’ Ripped in 30 on sale for $9.  What’s not to love about that?  I am a fan of JM.  I find her workouts to be effective, fast and her cookbook is amazing!  So, I decided to purchase the dvd and give it a go!

Okay, so here’s the skinny – There are 4 – 30 minute workouts on this dvd.  She claims they are 20 minute workouts, but they are more like 30.  Prepare your time accordingly.  The DVD even comes with a 30 day eating plan.  I happen to love her food and this meal plan looks pretty reasonable.  The claim:  If you follow the meal plan and do this dvd for 30 days, you will be in really good shape.

For the past 2 days I have been doing workout 1.  It’s tough!  Well, it’s the beginner’s workout and it is tough.  It’s not so bad that you can’t do it.  There are modifications to make things easier.  It is formulated in her typical 3-2-1 system – 3 minutes of strength training, 2 minutes of cardio, 1 minute or abs. There are 3 circuits and a warm up and a cool down.

Check out the meal plan.  The recipes are after the 30 day calendar!

Breakfast this morning was 1/2 cup Kashi Go-Lean, 1/2 Oatmeal Sqaures Cereal, 1/2 banana and 1/2 cup unsweetened So Delicious Coconut Milk.  This breakfast had 283 calories, 55g carbs, 5g fat, 11g protein.

Pancake Sunday Is Back!

Multigrain Pancakes & Mixed Berry Syrup

I really love pancake Sunday.  What is better than having something a little special for breakfast on a late Sunday morning?  I decided to make the Multigrain Pancakes & Mixed Berry Syrup from the Master Your Metabolism Cookbook .  These are awesome and full of fiber.  They will definitely satisfy a sweet tooth and keep you full until lunch.

Jillian Michaels’ Multigrain Pancakes & Mixed Berry Syrup

Ingredients

• 2 cups Fresh Frozen Blueberries
• 1/2 cup Real Maple Syrup
• 1 cup almond milk
• 1 cup Nonfat Yogurt
• 1/2 cup Old Fashioned Rolled Oats
• 1 1/3 cups 100% White Whole Wheat Flour
• 1/4 cup Buckwheat Flour
• 1/2 tsp Baking Powder Aluminum Free
• 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
• 1 tsp Cinnamon, Ground
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 2 egg
• 2 tbsp Agave or Honey
• 1 tbsp Virgin Coconut Oil
• 1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract

Directions –
Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix.  In another bowl combine yogurt, almond milk, eggs, agave, oil & vanilla.  Add the dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix really well.  Heat a little coconut oil in frying pan and drop 1/4 cup of pancake mixture.  Cook a few minutes per side.  You know when they are done!

In a separate pan, combine 2 cups berries & 1/2 maple syrup. Simmer until it thickens a little and fruit breaks down.

Divide pancakes onto 6 plates and drizzle with fruit syrup!

*Tip- If you don’t have 6 people, freeze the rest of the pancakes.  You have a fast, tasty breakfast whenever you want it.

Each serving has just 340 calories.

I remember that saddest pancake Saturday I ever had was when I decided to make low carb flap jax.  Boo!!!!  Low carb is boo!  It was like eating rubbery eggs drizzled with syrup.  They gave me sad face!

Hope you enjoy these healthy carb Sunday Cakes!

A Middle Eastern Shin-Dig

This evening I was really craving a hearty falafel sandwich.  Sadly, those wonderful, little deep fried chickpea balls are filled with fat and loads of calories.

I have found a recipe that I really like to make at home that really satisfies my craving for the Middle Eastern sandwich.  It is pan seared and low in calories.  It makes for a great meal that will please vegetarians and meat eaters.

Jillian Michaels Chickpea Burgers

Jillian Michaels Chickpea Burgers
In a food processor combine handful of parsley, 1 clove garlic, 4 scallions, 2 drained & rinsed cans of chickpeas, pinch of sea salt, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon of cumin and a handful of fresh oregano.  Blend until smooth.  Form 7 patties out of the batter.  They will be really mushy.  That’s normal.  Heat a frying pan and spray with cooking spray.  Heat burgers for about 7 minutes each side.  Make sure they are brown and slightly firm.

Serve with 1 Joseph’s 100 calorie lavash, 2 tablespoons hummus, 1/4 cucumbers, 1 tomato, lettuce and cilantro.  15 Baby carrots on the side.

All this delicious food for just 468 calories! This meal will totally keep you full for the whole evening.

Snack this afternoon was also a Jillian Michaels recipe.  It is from the Master Your Metabolism cookbook.

Trail Mix
(Makes 4 Servings)
Combine 1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds, 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips, 1/4 raw almonds

178 calories!

Lunch…  Tempeh Greek Salad

1/4 block tempeh, 2 tablespoons parmesan, 1 teaspoon olive oil, 1 tomato, 1/4 cup cucumber. Place mixture in whole wheat wrap. 392 Calories

Breakfast this morning was a Nutty Naner Wafflewich =)

Spread 2 teaspoons almond butter on 1 whole wheat waffle. Slice 1/2 a banana and top waffle, drizzle 2 teaspoons honey, sprinkle with cinnamon & top with whole wheat waffle.  Grill on each side.  Enjoy the tastiest breakfast sandwich of your life! 340 Calories!

Lose 8 Challenge Loses Luster

My September Pig Model!

Happy September!!!  I got to change my calendar today and we are approaching my favorite time of year.  I love the tastes and the smells of fall.  The trees are beautiful in New England.  And my favorite holiday is right around the corner, Halloween! =)

Anyway, back to business.

Day 12 of the Lose 8 and I have made an important decision.  I will no longer be falling the Lose 8 diet plan.  It doesn’t exactly fit me or my lifestyle. This blog is all about finding the healthy things that are right for me.

This plan did have good points and bad points.

Pros
• The breakfasts are really tasty.  I love having Mexican style food for breakfast.  I love waffles and fresh fruit.

• All the meals were super fast and convenient.  You can make everything in 5 to 10 minutes which is great for people who are really short on time.

• I really loved the snacks.  The popcorn, pistachio, chocolate chip mix is awesome.  I will probably use that again.  The sandwich thin with the cream cheese & tomato is also delicious.  The vanilla greek yogurt, pepetitas & prunes mixture is also quite tasty.  All these snacks keep you satiated for a few hours, which is really important when eating healthy.

• I love love love the strength training workout!  I would recommend this to anyone who wants to tone up.  You can really feel your obliques getting stronger with this side plank move.  I really notice a difference after completing this workout only 6 times!

• I love that you don’t need a gym to do all but 1 of the cardio sessions.  This is a no excuse workout.  It can be for any fitness level and it can be done anywhere and it burns around 250 calories.

• You get a treat every night!  How awesome is that?  You get to eat ice cream, chips or almond joys every single night if you desire! This can really help you stick to a diet.  It makes you feel like you aren’t depriving yourself of anything.

• It can be affordable if you pick 1 or 2 breakfasts, lunches, dinners, snacks & desserts.

Cons
• This diet has way too much dairy for my tastes.  There are meal combinations that could allow you up to 1 cup of cheese a day!  No thank you!  Not good for my acne or for my cholesterol, which tends to run a little high in my family.

• I am a foodie.  I love to create food things, whether it is dinner, dessert or a nice Sunday breakfast.  Cooking and baking bring me joy.  I know some people are strapped for time, but I am not one of those people, sadly!  Give me a challenge of cooking a meal.  I’m down!

• The processed food hurts my feelings.  I know that they were trying to be nice and produce a diet that people will really stick to, but come on Self!  Check out the ingredients to the Chips Ahoy Cookies!

Ingredients: UNBLEACHED ENRICHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE {VITAMIN B1}, RIBOFLAVIN {VITAMIN B2}, FOLIC ACID), SEMISWEET CHOCOLATE CHIPS (SUGAR, CHOCOLATE, COCOA BUTTER, DEXTROSE, SOY LECITHIN), SUGAR, SOYBEAN OIL AND/OR PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED COTTONSEED OIL, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, LEAVENING (BAKING SODA AND/OR AMMONIUM PHOSPHATE), SALT, WHEY (FROM MILK), NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, CARAMEL COLOR. CONTAINS: WHEAT, SOY, MILK.

Yes, that says partially hydrogenated oils!  Do they even care about their readers at all?!?

• If you tell me that I can eat ice cream everyday, I will.  Some people might enjoy this concept, but I don’t.  I would rather have a dessert made from fruits like apple crisp.

• The cardio workouts are not my favorite.  Don’t get me wrong there are things that I do like, but they are not for me.  I actually like going to the gym.  I enjoy listening to music or watching television while kicking but on the treadmill.

• I miss my favorite foods! I cannot live my life without nutbutters, bananas, sweet potato chips, Indian food, fresh spring rolls, sweet potato chili, lentils and flat bread. =)

• Boredom!  You can’t keep me locked into something.  I like to experience and make all kinds of fun foods!

Bottom line – I would recommend the Lose 8 to someone short on time who likes eating treats everyday.  I can see it being easy to stick to.  There are enough calories to keep you full for the day.  The food is tasty and it works!  I lost 3 pounds in 12 days.

Up next – The Rachel free-style plan.  Hope you join me.  I will be posting more recipes and cooking more exciting meals using upcoming Fall ingredients!!!!

Surviving A Family Party

Surviving a family party can be one of the most challenging things to do when you are trying to lose weight, shape up or maintain a healthy lifestyle.

They can be packed with monkey breads, cupcakes, pizzas, cookies, fried dough and other fried foods.  All the foods you love and avoid are there just to taunt you and attempt to seduce you.  Not to mention, your grandmother is there forcing you to eat more food because no matter how much you weigh, she thinks you are too skinny!

You can’t avoid them!  It is important to celebrate with your friends and your family, but you must be prepared.  You must go in with a plan of attack so you don’t leave with feelings of guilt and regret.

Here are a few tips for family parties.

1.  Go prepared with healthy foods.  If you know there will not be any healthy food, make some and bring it with you.  People will love you for bringing food.  Check out foodnetwork.com, cookinglight.com, self.com & eatingwell.com for healthy recipes.  Wholefoods.com even has a recipe section.  At least you know you can eat what you brought.

2. Fill your plate up with greens.  If half your plate is filled with veggies, you won’t have room for much of anything else!  You will also get fuller faster from all the water and fiber.

3. Go in with a good attitude.  Plan to eat one treat when you are at the party.  Maybe your mom’s pumpkin pie is your favorite thing in the world.  Have a small slice!  Don’t deny yourself the things you love because you are on a diet.  Also, you want to take part in your family traditions.

Every year my mother makes me a cookie monster cake on my birthday.  She has been doing it for over 20 years.  I have to have a slice.  It is small and I don’t go back for seconds.  It is enough to satisfy my taste buds and make my mom happy.

Don’t go in with an all or nothing attitude.  If you make a mistake and eat 5 cookies, don’t go and eat a plate of ribs and chips!  It is never too late to stop and eat healthy!  Don’t sabotage yourself!  Just own up to your mistakes and brush them off.

4. Stand your ground.  Go in with your plan of attack and don’t let anyone steer you off track.  Don’t keep eating when you aren’t hungry just because a friend or a family member tries to make you eat something.  It is okay to say no.

5.  Don’t be afraid to take part in these events.  These are the things that make life enjoyable.  You don’t want to think back on your mother’s 60 birthday party as the day your were worrying about your weight.

6.  Remember, tomorrow is a new day! =)

I was reading an interesting story today about office jobs making people fat.  I feel that!  I sit down for 8.5 hours a day!  I feel so lazy when I leave my job.
Check it out.

5 Reasons Your Job Is Making You Fat

Sunrise Tacos

This morning I managed to drag myself out of bed after pressing the snooze button for 45 minutes. =)

I was in the mood for something zesty to perk up my morning, so I chose the Lose 8 Sunrise Tacos. They were just what I needed to get my morning going.

Sunrise Tacos
Heat 2 corn tortillas in the oven (I used whole wheat english muffins because that is all I had.)
While those are warming in the oven, scramble 1 whole egg & 2 egg whites with a little salt, pepper, chili powder and cumin.
Place 1/4 cup cheese and half the egg mixture on each tortilla. Divide 1/2 cup tomatoes between the two and top each with 1 tablespoon sour cream. I omitted the sour cream and added black salsa to spice things up a bit.
All this for 350 calories!

What did you have for breakfast today?

Supper Smoothie

This evening was tight.  I had to make crack pie, go to spin class, do a work project and do my Lose 8 strength moves.  I needed a dinner that was fast and easy so I went for the Supper Smoothie.

The smoothie is 1/2 cup frozen strawberries, 1/2 cup blueberries, 1/2 nonfat yogurt, 1 cup skim (I used soy), half banana, 1 cup spinach, a  dash of cinnamon & 1/2 teaspoon maple.  Blend it all up and you are ready for dinner.

I used my handy dandy magic bullet to make my smoothie.  This thing is awesome!  It is small, powerful and doubles up as a cup!  The fewer dishes the better.

To go along side my smoothie I had a piece of whole wheat toast with 1 tablespoon almond butter.  I am still craving my nut butter!

I didn’t have dessert this evening.  I had a bite of crack pie when I was cutting it up and I could taste the calories!  Holy toledo!  I know when this stuff is called crack pie.  It is like a butterscotch pie.  Amazing.  As soon as I cut it up, I had to package it up for work tomorrow to prevent me from doing some serious damage.

Has anyone every had this stuff before?  Go the the momofuku milk bar website and check out their stuff.  It is crazy.  This girl has an awesome baking imagination!

Crack Pie & Santa Suits

I know that I shouldn’t, but I can’t help myself.  Seriously!

I heard about this amazing little treat on the Food Network one Saturday morning when I woke up insanely early.  This woman from New York owns a bakery called Momofuku Milk Bar.  First of all, what’s not to love about that!  She invented something called a crack pie.  Apparently, it is so good that one cannot stop eating it.  Every bite just gets better and better.

I have been totally intrigued by this invention and planning my food vacation to New York for several weeks!  I need to find out for myself.  Can a pie really be this good?  It didn’t look that amazing but all the testimonials beg the differ.  I have to get my hands on a slice.

A kind blogger at Momofukufor2 posted the secret recipe for Crack Pie!!!!  This will be my next culinary adventure.  However, I am really scared to have this in my house.  It could be the end of my healthy eating behavior!

Check out these recipes for Crack Pie and Cornflake, Marshmallow, Chocolate Chip Cookies!!!

Thank you Momofukufor2!  I heart you big time! xoxo

My next piece of exciting news is…

I signed up for a 5k called Santa Sightings.  You dress up like Santa Claus while you run.  How cool is that!  The streets of New Bedford are going to be filled with hundreds of Santas in early December.  Here is the link if anyone is interested in signing up. SantaSightings
I think anytime you can make exercise fun it is the way to go.

Lunch this afternoon was Veggie Sketti!

And snack this afternoon was a Rachel edition of the honeyed grapefruit yogurt.
Behold the Honey Citrus Spiced Yogurt. =)

Honey Citrus Spiced Yogurt
Combine 1 6oz container of plain nonfat greek yogurt with 2 peeled clementines, a dash of cinnamon, a dribble of lemon & vanilla extract & 2 teaspoons of honey.

Much better than the grapefruit!

*Tip use cinnamon in everything you can.  It adds tons of flavor with no calories. =)

Gourmet Oatcakes & Treadmill Climbs

Welcome to day 10 of the Lose 8 challenge. I had a little extra time this morning, so I decided to mke the 15 minute oatcake. I had to ad a little Rachel love to it though.

Oatcake a la Rachel
I love this recipe. It is so easy and it kind of taste like french toast. First, place 1/2 cup one minute oats in a food processor and grind into flour. Mix oat flour with 4 egg whites, 1 dash sea salt, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 1/2 teaspoon baking powder. Fold in 1/3 cup blueberries. Cook like you would a regular pancake. In a bowl mix 1/4 cup greek yogurt with a little vanilla extract & I used a drop of stevia (optional). Drizzle with 1 teaspoon maple syrup.

And as promised I will tell you my favorite treadmill workout.
3.5 incline at 3.5 speed 5 minutes
2.0 incline at 5.0 speed 2 minutes
5.0 incline at 3.7 speed 5 minutes
2.0 incline at 5.2 speed 2 minutes
5.0 incline at 3.7 speed 5 minutes
2.0 incline at 5.5 speed 2 minutes
7.0 incline at 3.7 speed 5 minutes
2.0 incline at 5.7 speed 2 minutes
10. Incline at 3.5 speed 5 minutes
2.0 Incline at 6.0 speed 2 minutes
7.0 Incline at 3.7 speed 4 minutes
2.0 Incline at 5.7 speed 1 minute
5.0 Incline at 3.7 speed 4 minutes
2.0 Incline at 5.5 speed 1 minute
This was courtesy of the January issue of Self magazine.

Let me tell you, on paper this workout looks super easy. Man, you really work up a sweat doing this and burn around 430 calories. =)