Monday, December 28, 2009

And Now For Something Completely Different

Many of you know that I have used Turbulence Training for most of the past 2 years and love it. For the past year, I also have been a member of the Precision Nutrition forums. When I was looking for a new workout to use after my current TT workout, I stumbled onto the workouts section on the PN forums. One of them really caught my eye and I have decided to give it a try! It's a bit different from what I have been doing, and there are lots of techniques that I've never done before. So I'm pretty excited to get started!

Overall, it's a 22 week program, broken into 7 phases. Each phase is only 3 or 4 weeks long. The 7th phase is just the last week; I don't think I will actually be doing that phase because it's supposed to be a final "peak" week prior to a competition. And as I don't plan to compete anytime soon, I'm probably going to just take that week off before I begin my....[fanfare]...12 week half marathon training!

Yes, you read that right. I've signed up to run a half marathon at the end of this summer! That's 13.1 miles - Yikes!

I'm going to concentrate on this other workout program first. The first 10 weeks is focused on building muscle (but I'm going to continue to run on only Saturdays during this time).

Since I am using a workout from the PN forums, I've decided to more closely follow the 10 principles or "habits" of PN. I've been a little lax with a couple of the principles. I also am going to aim to get more sleep, which means going to bed about 30 minutes earlier than I am now.

My new program kicks off this morning! I'm looking forward to the first workout. I have my new hot pink training journal and am ready to go! :)

If you are looking for a new training program, don't forget the next TT contest has just begun. Nothing like a competition to motivate! And currently Turbulence Training is selling for 50% off until Friday, January 1st, at 9:00pm ET. (Comes with 5 bonus workouts and 30 days of access to the TT Members website.)

Have a great day!!


Disclosure: This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase the product, I will receive a small portion.

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Recipe Wednesday - Chocolate Chip Cookies

My mom makes the best chocolate chip cookies. They are basically the Original Toll House Recipe with just a little tweak. But instead of giving away her secret, I'm going to share my adapted, slightly healthier version. After all, a cookie is still a cookie. :)

Chocolate Chip Cookies

1.5 cups spelt or whole wheat flour
1/4 cup sorghum flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1.5 sticks) butter, softened
2 Tablespoons coconut oil
2 Tablespoons pumpkin puree
1/2 cup powdered Stevia (I used "Stevia in the Raw")
3/4 cup Sucanat
1 Tablespoon unsulphured molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 (10 oz) package of grain-sweetened chocolate chips
3/4 cup chopped walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a small bowl, blend flours, baking soda and salt.

3. With a mixer, beat butter, Stevia, Sucanat, molasses and vanilla extract until smooth. Add the coconut oil and pumpkin. Then add the eggs one at a time, blending well after each one.

4. Gradually beat in the flour mixture. Stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts.

5. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto an ungreased cookie sheet. (I used a small scoop and used parchment paper on my cookie sheet.)

6. Bake for 8-9 minutes. Do not overbake.

According to the Toll House website, their recipe makes 60 cookies at 110 calories each. I made 49 cookies at about 92 calories each.

Sorry for the bad picture. Maybe Santa will bring me a new camera. :)


Happy Holidays!!!

Sunday, December 20, 2009

OK, So I'm Feeling Like A Wimp

I was all fired up yesterday because I was going to run outside. I got up, ate a banana, and then decided to go grocery shopping first to let the banana digest. When I left the grocery store, it felt cold, windy, and was starting to snow, so I...went to the gym and ran on the treadmill. Argh!

So I felt a little wimpy about that. :)

But I did have a good workout at the gym. Here's my treadmill workout:

Time - Speed
0-6:00 (5.0mph)
6-6:30 (8.0mph)
6:30-8 (5.0mph)
8-8:30 (8.1mph)
8:30-10 (5.0mph)
10-10:30 (8.2mph)
10:30-12 (5.0mph)
12-12:30 (8.2mph)
12:30-14 (5.0mph)
14-14:30 (8.1mph)
14:30-16 (5.0mph)
16-16:30 (8.0mph)
16:30-18 (5.0mph)
18-23:30 (5.5mph)
23:30-43:30 (6.0mph)
43:30-49 (5.5mph)
46-55:00 (5.0mph)
55-60:00 walking cooldown

Totals: 60 minutes, 5.42 miles

While I was working out, I realized I listened to two songs with the title of "Halo" - one by Depeche Mode, and one by Porcupine Tree. Which do I like better? Hmmm...It's close. I really like both bands, but I think I like the Depeche Mode "Halo" more. :)

And here's the link to this week's TT Fat Loss Call: Weekly TT Call This week Craig talks about how many calories you burn during different activities (including Wii games), mindless eating and the TT Fusion 2K6 Workout.

Have a great day!!

Disclosure: This post does not contain an affiliate link. I just think the calls are fun to listen to. :)

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Recipe Wednesday - Dutch Speculaas Cookies

Some of you may know I have a lot of Dutch in my background, so when I saw a recipe for Dutch Speculaas cookies in a recent issue of Vegetarian Times, I wanted to give it a try. If you've ever had a "Dutch Windmill Cookie", those are kind of like a Speculaas.

When I started making the recipe, I was thinking, "did I even read this recipe before starting?" because I kept running out of ingredients and had to improvise on the spot! The cookies turned out great, though, so I wanted to share my adapted recipe. Don't be afraid of the number of ingredients - these go together pretty quickly.

Dutch Speculaas Cookies

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup spelt flour
3/4 cup sorghum flour
3/4 cup almond meal/flour
4 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teapoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
2 cups sucanat
2 Tablespoons honey
2 Tablespoons unsulfured molasses
1/4 cup agave nectar
1 egg
1 cup slivered almonds, toasted (optional)


1. Blend together flours, spices, baking soda, salt and pepper.

2. With an electric mixer, cream butter, coconut oil and pumpkin until smooth. Add sucanat, honey and molasses and beat until smooth. Add egg and blend until smooth.

3. Mix in flour mixture by hand, using a large spoon or your hands. Fold in almonds, if using. (To toast the almonds, place in a skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes or so, stirring occasionally.) I only had about 1/3 cup on hand, so that's all I used. Cover dough and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove about 1/4 of the dough from the bowl. Roll dough between 2 pieces of parchment paper until 1/4 inch thick. (I highly recommend using the parchment paper here.)

5. Cut with cookie cutters and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for about 9-10 minutes. Continue with remainder of dough, placing the dough back in the fridge briefly if it gets too sticky.

6. These can be decorated with icing, but the plain ones were "kid approved" so I didn't bother putting any icing on them.


I don't have nutritional info for this recipe simply because the number of cookies will vary. The recipe said it would make 48 cookies, but I made about 70! I know I was rolling the dough a bit thinner near the end, and my cookie cutters might have been smaller than what they used.

Enjoy! :)

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

TT Contest Voting

The Turbulence Training Transformation Contest Finalists have been chosen! (I'm not a finalist.) This time there are 3 categories: Men, Women, and Advanced. The voting is open to everyone, so if you would like to vote, here is the link:

Turbulence Training Contest Voting

You have until Friday, December 18, at 9:00pm ET to cast your vote. The next contest starts December 27th! Go vote and be inspired by the results these finalists achieved in 12 weeks!



Disclosure: This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase the product, I will receive a small portion. I don't get paid for reviews, and I only review items that I actually own.

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Falling Off the Wagon, Rolling Downhill, Getting Trampled by the Horse...

So the past 2 days have been pretty awful nutrition-wise.

I had been doing so well and then one little sugar craving and it all goes south. It started Thursday with a stressful afternoon at work. Then when my husband picked me up from work, the roads were so icy and horrible, it took us 2.5 hours to make a trip that should have taken 15-20 minutes. Since it was close to 7:00 and we were not at home, and the kids were hungry and cranky, we ended up having pizza for dinner. The pizza itself wasn't too bad, it was the chocolate chip cookie chasers that did me in.

So Friday I woke up craving more sugar and I gave in all day. The roads were still bad Friday evening, and we went and got family pictures taken. The photography studio was busy and noisy, which makes it more stressful, and my willpower was already toast.

This morning I had a slightly running nose and a sore throat. That almost always happens if I eat too much junk. Either my body must be allergic, or the sugar suppresses my immune system, or a little bit of both. I think I read somewhere how sugar can affect the immune system. Does this happen to anyone else? It's like a junk food hangover. Blech. Update: So 5 minutes after posting this, I was catching up on some of the blogs in my blog list and someone else had posted about this very topic! You can read that post HERE if you are interested.

But today is a new day. I had a good workout this morning and am feeling good. I did my TT intervals, and then did some running at the end in order to complete my 4-6 mile longish run for the week. The whole run felt really good and I actually ran faster and farther than I had planned. Maybe it's from all the extra carbs I ate last night, or maybe it's the new shoes....


Finally decided I needed new running shoes! These are the Saucony Triumph 7; I previously had the Triumph 6, but when I went to get new ones, they didn't have the 6 in my size.

After stretching, I walked by the chin up bar and jumped up to see how many I could do. I still felt really good and managed 7 full chin ups...while listening to Tiffany. (Yes, I have Tiffany on my mp3 player.) For some reason I found the juxtaposition of listening to girly, pop Tiffany and doing full chin ups amusing. :)

So today will be a good day because I will make it a good day. Time to kick the sugar cravings to the curb.

Have a great day everyone!!

PS. If my brother is reading this, I need your wife's Christmas list ASAP, or else she's just getting pajamas this year. :)

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Results from TT Contest....

Here goes nothing! Here are my final results. As I mentioned, not as dramatic as past contests, but I am happy with where I am. That was part of this contest - losing the "contest mentality". This was about lifestyle goals. I just wanted to work out hard, eat healthfully and mindfully, and not neurotically count every calorie.

When I used to look in the mirror, what I saw was never quite right. On the one hand, I was "too fat" and all I saw was loose skin and stretch marks from my pregnancies, then I would lose weight and become "too skinny" and would set out to gain weight.

After the last contest I entered, I decided I needed to gain 5-10 lbs. In the process, I gained some very bad eating habits (like late night snacking and large portions), along with about 20 lbs. This contest was for losing that excess 5-10 lbs, but in a healthy way.

During this contest, I had an epiphany while I was at the gym. A “skinny” girl got on the treadmill next to me and entered her weight into the machine. I was surprised that she weighed EXACTLY the same as I did. My brain really thought about that one…If I think she looks good…and she’s the same weight as me…hmmm….maybe I really look OK!

I learned many other things during this contest as well, such as:

…there’s more to post-workout nutrition than whey protein powder.
…take a day off from training…and mean it!
…it’s OK to feel a little hungry every once in a while. I don’t have to snack at night.
…I like asparagus…I mean, I really like it!

I am happy with my results and am exactly where I want to be. I lost the weight safely, over a reasonable amount of time, in a healthy way. My clothes fit better and I feel great!

Here are the TT workouts I used:

TT for Athletes (phase 1)
TT for Mass @ Home
Original TT for Abs



So that's it! Right now I'm using Original Turbulence Training. I can't remember if I've used it before or not - I've done so many different TT workouts over the past 2 years! But I like it so far. And it's been even more fun because my husband has been doing the weights part with me at home. (Then I've been going to the gym for intervals on the following day.)

I'm also committed to maintaining my running endurance that I've gained, so I am trying to get in a 4-6 mile run at least once a week. I had a nice 4 mile run this morning. It was 25 degrees (F) out, but the sun was shining and I was nice and warm after the first mile.

Before I forget, here is the link to the Weekly TT fat loss call. This week covers the TT Fusion 2K9 workout, the next TT Contest (starts right after Christmas), and how to calculate your calorie needs.

Have a great week!


Disclosure: This post does not contain an affiliate link. I just think the calls are fun to listen to. :)

Monday, November 30, 2009

Race Results and Other Updates

Oh boy, has it been a busy weekend!

The 10K race on Thanksgiving went great! It was a 9:00am start, so I had a bowl of oatmeal at about 6:15am. We got to the race site at about 7:45am and it was cold, windy and rainy - yuck! We sat in the car to keep warm. I started to jog and warm up at about 8:20am, and then looked for my teammates. It was a big race though, and I couldn't find them! I decided I needed to use the porta-potty "one more time" and was still in line as they were singing the Star Spangled Banner! I got to the start line with just a couple minutes to spare.

There were 1544 runners for the 10K (and I think about 2500 for the 5K run/walk). I went into the race with the mentality that it was just another 6 mile training run. No pressure - just find a good pace and stick with it. I was recovering from the stomach flu as well (of all the rotten timing) so I wasn't looking to break any records - I just wanted to finish!

My first mile was a little over 9:00, my second mile was closer to 10:00. I just kept that pace as best as I could. My 5K split time was 29:38 so I knew I was on pace to make my goal of less than an hour. I felt really good the last half, especially the 5th mile for some reason. I ended up finishing with a time of 59:18. I was really happy with my time, and I could really tell that all of that training paid off. My overall pace was 9:33 and I placed 1151/1544. In my age division I placed 62/113 and out of 688 females, I was 412. My husband took a picture at the finish line, but I can't find the cord that connects the camera to the computer. I'll try to post the picture when I find it. LOL

I was so proud of our team as well! We all finished strong and came in 24th out of 28 teams. Over half of us on the team had never run a 10K race before, so we certainly weren't in it for the glory; just for challenge and to say we did it!

After the race, we went home and I started Thanksgiving dinner. I made healthier versions of just about everything. We had a ton of turkey left over! I made a big pot of turkey soup with the leftovers. Friday I hit the local bargains and almost finished all of my holiday shopping.

Saturday morning I went for a short run at the gym. True to form, 2 guys on the stationary bikes behind me were comparing how big their turkeys were. :) Then we traveled to another wedding in Iowa. (How many people do I know in Iowa, and why are they all getting married?) Needless to say, Hubby and I overindulged a bit at the reception.

Sunday morning I went for a run outside. It was a beautiful morning and a good way to start the day. I would guess it was between 2 and 2.5 miles. On the drive home, Hubby wasn't feeling well (gee, I wonder why) and so when we stopped for lunch, he decided to order...wait for it...just an order of onion rings! I had a salad and a cup of soup (thankfully no turkey!)

This morning I started the original Turbulence Training Workout. I had a week off from TT last week, and this week I will take off from running, which means I will probably do my TT intervals on the stationary bike.

Whew! I think I am caught up! Final contest pics coming soon!!

Disclosure: This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase the product, I will receive a small portion. I don't get paid for reviews, and I only review items that I actually own.

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Recipe Wednesday - Apple Quinoa Salad

I thought this recipe would make a good Thanksgiving side dish, or you could do what I did and have it for breakfast instead of oatmeal! I just threw this together one day because I thought it sounded good...and it was!

Apple Quinoa Salad

1/4 cup dry quinoa, rinsed and drained
2 Tablespoons red lentils, rinsed and drained
1 small to medium apple, cored and chopped
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
dash salt
1-2 packets sweetener, to taste
3/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons water

1. Into a saucepan, add the quinoa, lentils, apple, salt, cinnamon and water. Place a lid on the pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer (covered) for about 15 minutes, until all of the water is absorbed.

2. Remove from heat and add sweetener to taste. I ate this warm, but it probably would be good at room temperature or even cold.

This makes one bowlful. You'd probably want to double or triple the recipe for a crowd.


This entire recipe has approximately:

267 calories
10.4g protein
2.1g fat
56.1g carbs
10.1g fiber


Have a Happy Thanksgiving!!

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Week In Review - Week 12!!

This is it, the end of Turbulence Training Transformation Contest #6. (Well, the 5th that I've participated in since I sat out Contest #5.) Pictures have been taken, but I'm not going to post them right away; I want to work on my essay first. But I'll post them here very soon! :)

I'm pretty happy with how things turned out. Not as dramatic as past contests, but that wasn't my ultimate goal.

Today also was my last long(ish) run before my first 10K race on Thursday. I ran 4.33 miles at a pace of 9:34 (41:27 total). Monday and Tuesday are days off, then I'll run a mile or two on Wednesday. For dinner Wednesday night, I'm making sweet potato gnocchi. A very yummy recipe from Clean Eating magazine. :)

Thursday I'll be cooking Thanksgiving dinner and I have a pretty healthy recipe for just about everything. I'm pretty excited to try out a couple new recipes I found!

I should be back for Recipe Wednesday, but if for some reason life gets too busy, have a Happy Thanksgiving!!

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Recipe Wednesday - Peanut Butter Cups, Revisited

Sorry I haven't posted much recently. Things have been so busy!

Recently I gave the peanut butter cups another try, changing it up a little bit. These turned out awesome! I made mini peanut butter cups, which don't take as long in the freezer. :)

Mini Peanut Butter Cups

For the outside:
1 T whipped butter, softened (not melted)
1 T pumpkin puree
1/2 teaspoon coconut oil, softened (not melted)
2 T unsweetened cocoa powder
1 packet Splenda
1 packet Stevia

For the inside:
1 T natural peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon honey (I used sugar free)
1/2 teaspoon coconut oil

1. Mix all of the "outside" ingredients. It will seem like there is too much powder, but give it a minute.

2. In another bowl, mix all of the "inside" ingredients. I warmed this mixture slightly to make the next step easier.

3. Divide the peanut butter mixture into 4 parts. Place each part in a mini muffin paper, placed in an ice cube tray.

4. Divide the chocolate mixture over the 4 parts. Place in the freezer for 15-20 minutes.

How you want to share is up to you. :)


The entire recipe has approximately:

235 calories
5.3g protein
19.7g fat
11.6g carbs
6.6g fiber

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Recipe Wednesday - Thin Crust Pizza, Part II

You probably haven't put this all on a pizza before. (I could be wrong, just taking a guess.) I made this one night and it was really good. If I would have had a jalapeno, I would have thrown that on as well. :) I really like the Boca Grilled Veggie Patties in this because they have green peppers in them - it's like a little flavor bonus!

Thin Crust Pizza

2 small tortillas (I used La Tortilla Factory Original Smart & Delicious)
1 Boca Grilled Vegetable Patty
2 Tablespoons salsa
3 spears asparagus
4 oz can pineapple tidbits in juice, or 1/4 cup fresh chopped pineapple
1 small Roma tomato
1 green onion
3/8 cup reduced fat shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Turn the broil on. Lightly spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray and set aside.

2. Place an inch of water in a saucepan with a lid. Steam the asparagus in a steamer insert over boiling water for about 6 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, heat a skillet over medium heat. Spray with nonstick spray. When hot, place a tortilla in the skillet and brown on both sides (about 2 minutes or so for each side). Place the tortilla on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the second tortilla.

4. Respray the skillet and place the Boca patty in the pan. Cook for about 6 minutes, then flip and cook a few minutes more. Break the Boca patty apart and add 2T of salsa.

5. Meanwhile, chop the tomato, green onion, and the asparagus when it is done cooking.

6. When the Boca patty is done, add the chopped tomato, green onion and asparagus to the pan. Cook for a minute or two, then add the pineapple.

7. Divide the Boca mixture between the 2 tortillas. Divide the cheese over each and place under the broiler for about 3 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the tortilla begins to crisp along the edges.


You *could* share this with a friend, or you could be like me and eat both pizzas. :)

The entire recipe has approximately:

395 calories
35.9g protein
13.0g fat
50.2g carbs
20.7g fiber

Saturday, November 7, 2009

The Immersion Blender...Of Death!

As some of you may remember, a few months ago my beloved immersion blender went to the great kitchen in the sky. My very thoughtful, well-meaning husband bought me a new one...for our wedding anniversary. But I'm not bitter.

Needless to say, my husband is a man who can't cook. (Not that men can't cook; just stating the facts that my husband is a man who can't cook.) My husband, a man who has probably never used an immersion blender in his life, bought me one that, well, I probably wouldn't have picked out for myself.

It lacks a few qualities that I really loved about my old one. For example, my old one was cordless. This one is tethered to an outlet. Also, my old one had a safety lock. This one does not. As evidenced by my new battle wound. Apparently, I have an itchy trigger finger.


Not a great picture. I tried to show the left, center and right of my finger because I managed to hit all 3 sides. It looks much better (read: uglier) in person. I am now much more careful when I try to clean off the blade while it's plugged in. :)

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Recipe Wednesday - Seafood Cakes

I usually don't like seafood. I like tuna, I like tilapia; salmon is OK. However, these seafood cakes ROCK! I adapted these from a recent issue of Cooking Light magazine.

Seafood Cakes

3 teaspoons canola oil, divided
1/4 small onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
4 oz peeled and deveined shrimp (I used precooked, frozen)
4 oz tilapia
2 Tablespoons (1/2 oz) fresh grated Parmesan cheese
dash sea salt and fresh ground pepper
1/4 cup packaged egg whites, or 1 large egg white
2 Wasa Crispbreads

1. I used frozen shrimp, so make sure they are defrosted. :) Mine also had tails that I removed.

2. In a large bowl, place the shrimp. With an immersion blender, finely chop the shrimp. (Don't puree.) You could pulse them in a food processor, or just chop very fine.

3. Spray a skillet generously with nonstick spray. Place the tilapia in the pan and cook until it flakes easily, about 5 minutes per side. When it is done, flake apart in the pan and then add to the shrimp.

4. Respray the skillet and add 1 teaspoon of the oil. Add the onion and celery and cook for about 5 minutes (until tender), stirring occasionally. When done, add to the bowl with the shrimp and tilapia.

5. To the bowl, now add the salt, pepper, Parmesan, and egg whites. Gently stir. I gave it a little whirl with the immersion blender at this point, but it probably wasn't necessary.

6. In a plastic baggie, crush the Wasa crackers. Add these to the bowl and blend.

7. Divide the mixture into how many patties you want. This will make 4 good sized patties (2 per serving), or 6 smaller ones (3 per serving).

8. Add all remaining oil to pan if you can make all the patties in one batch. I divided it into 2 batches in my small skillet. Cook patties for about 3 minutes on each side, until nicely browned. I sprinkled with a little extra salt and pepper before serving.


Assuming 2 servings, each serving would have approximately:

221 calories
25.8g protein
9.6g fat
9.7g carbs
2.3g fiber

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Death By Chocolate (Happy Halloween!)

OK, Death By Chocolate isn't really what this post is about. I just thought that it was cute that Death by Chocolate was the flavor of the day at the Frozen Custard Shoppe I passed this morning. (It was all fun and games until they brought out...the chocolate....mwah, ha, ha.)

If I haven't mentioned yet, I've been using a running training program from The Complete Book of Running for Women by Claire Kowalchik. Today, on Halloween, was my first 12 MILE RUN. [Insert "Psycho Screeching Violin" here]

And it was COLD and WINDY.

I mapped out a 6 mile loop that started and ended at my house. Then I could run in and get a drink, go to the bathroom, etc after the first 6 miles.

The first mile was cold! The second mile was awful. It's always awful because I run the first mile too fast, because it's cold!

The third mile is usually better, but today it wasn't because the wind was blowing right at me and I was still cold! The fourth mile took me by the lake, where the wind was blowing right off the lake, and it was cold.

The fifth mile was much better. The wind was behind me. The sixth was OK too. It was still windy, but not as bad. Then I got home. The first 6 miles took me 1:08:41. (11:27 pace)

I got inside the house and it felt so toasty warm. I got a quick drink, used the bathroom, and ran out again before I could talk myself into staying inside!

I ran the loop in reverse this time. The seventh mile went OK. The eighth was WINDY. The ninth was back by lake - COLD!

The tenth mile was tough. It was a long gradual incline and I was getting exhausted. I got a second wind on the eleventh mile. I hit a turn around spot, so it was a long gradual decline. :)

The last part of the eleventh was flat, however, and very windy. The twelfth mile turned a corner, and then went slightly uphill. The wind was blowing sideways, so it wasn't as bad as head on, but I was pretty tired by that point.

I ran the second loop in 1:07:01 (11:10 pace) for a total 12 mile time of 2:15:42 (11:19 average pace). I am so proud of running the whole way. 12 MILES people! That's one mile less than a half marathon. I am stoked. Exhausted, but stoked. My hands were so numb afterward I could hardly make my son's breakfast. I wore thin knit gloves while running, but I think the wind went right through them.

My heart rate monitor says I burned 1841 calories...sooooo.....can I have a Snickers bar now? :)

Happy Halloween!!

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Recipe Wednesday - Turkey Zucchini Casserole

As some of you may know, I love casseroles. I adapted this from a recipe in the original Gourmet Nutrition recipe book (part of the Precision Nutrition package). As a quick side note, Gourmet Nutrition V2 would make a lovely Holiday gift for the fit food lover on your list (wink, wink).

Turkey Zucchini Casserole

8 oz extra lean ground turkey breast
2 Tablespoons salsa
1/4 to 1/2 of a small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 small to medium zucchini
1 cup fat free or low fat cottage cheese (I used low fat)
1 egg
sea salt and fresh ground pepper
1/2 cup shredded reduced fat mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a 1.5 quart baking dish with nonstick spray.

2. Roughly chop the zucchini and then pulse in a food processor. Just pulse, don't puree.

3. Lightly spray a large skillet with nonstick spray and cook the turkey until no pink remains. Stir in the 2T of salsa and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Remove from the pan and place in the prepared casserole dish.

4. Respray the skillet with a somewhat heavier layer of nonstick spray. Add the onions to the pan and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Next stir in the zucchini and cook for 2-3 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, in the food processor, blend the cottage cheese and egg until smooth. Don't worry if there is still zucchini in the processor's bowl, it's all going to the same place. :)

6. Next place the zucchini mixture on top of the turkey in the casserole dish, then top with the cottage cheese mixture.

7. Bake for 25 minutes. Top with the mozzarella cheese and bake for 5 minutes more.


Makes 2 servings, each with approximately:

345 calories
51.0g protein
9.1g fat
11.5g carbs
1.8g fiber

Disclosure: This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase the product, I will receive a small portion. I don't get paid for reviews, and I only review items that I actually own.

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Week In Review - Week 8

Only 4 more weeks to go! This week went sooo much better than last week. Nutrition was much better. Only a few stray tablespoons of peanut butter! The trick, I find, is to not open the jar of peanut butter. ;)

Workouts were pretty good. Toward the end of the week, I was feeling a little tired and I couldn't figure out why. My son just had the flu, so maybe I had a very, very mild version?

This week I started thinking about when I began really running (just a few months ago, ahh, the good old days...) and I was looking at my first long run that I did on August 1st. On that day, I ran my first 6 miles (all in a row!) at a pace of 13:46. (Total distance: 5.8 miles, Total time: 1:19:49) I also went back and looked at my first "Endurance Test" that I did in April of 2008. I had set the speed on the treadmill at 5.0 mph...and made it 10:18 before I had to stop. I was proud of that at the time, and I'm even more proud of the improvements I've made since then.

I also began a new workout today! I went back to a workout I used waaaaaayy back during the first TT contest in the winter of 2008 - the Original TT for Abs. I got great results using this program in the past and am excited to see how it goes this time around.

Here's how the week went:

Monday: OFF

Tuesday: Stride workout - 4.38 miles/50:00; TT Mass @ Home, Workout B; TT 3 Minute Arms

Wednesday: 2.93 miles, easy pace/29:44; TT 6 Minute Abs

Thursday: Pace Workout - 5.31 Miles/60:00

Friday: TT Mass @ Home, Workout C; TT 6 Minute Abs

Saturday: Felt tired today. Took about 3 miles to feel warmed up. It was cold and windy and it seemed like I was running into the wind for a lot of the run. 8.05 miles/1:25:41

Sunday: Today I felt much better. TT for Abs has an extra interval workout with push ups and other exercises built in that I wanted to fit into my week, but I wasn't sure where it could fit. I decided to shorten my Sunday run by a mile, and then do the interval workout right afterward. From my driveway, I quickly ran down to the corner and back, which took me about 30 seconds, and then did the exercises. I went through the 3 intervals twice, figuring my neighbors had enough of a show watching me do the push ups, etc, on my driveway. Then I went to the gym and did Workout A. Total: 2.05 miles/19:28/TT for Abs, Workout A

Weekly Total: 23.14 miles

Primary Contest Goals
Eat healthfully and mindfully, with foods more in their natural state: Much better this week!

To NOT use Fitday: Did OK.

Complete every TT workout to the best of my ability: Yes.

Run 15-20 miles (at minimum) per week: Completed this week.

Complete two 5K races, with at least one of them under 30 minutes: Complete! Ran two 5K races, both at 28:32.


Secondary Contest Goals
Lose 5 pounds of fat (mostly from abs and thighs): N/A this week.

Reduce consumption of diet soda: Decreased soda this week to a more normal level. No more, no less. So that's good, I guess. Hey, that rhymed! :)

Have a great week!!

Disclosure: This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase the product, I will receive a small portion. I don't get paid for reviews, and I only review items that I actually own.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Recipe Wednesday - Chocolate Doughnuts!!

Yes, really, chocolate doughnuts. This recipe is adapted from Missy Chase Lapin's The Sneaky Chef. It's a good book if your kids (or husband) don't like to eat vegetables or fruits. My kids (and husband) will eat some, but this is a good book to sneak in a few more on the side. :)

Chocolate Doughnuts

1 cup blueberries
2 cups spinach leaves
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 Tablespoons coconut oil
1/4 cup grain sweetened chocolate chips
2 Tablespoons canned pumpkin puree
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 cup granulated Splenda
3 packets Stevia
3/4 cup spelt flour
1/4 cup buckwheat flour
2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly spray your doughnut pan with nonstick spray, or if you don't have a doughnut pan, you could make cupcakes with this recipe.

2. In a double boiler, melt the chocolate chips with the coconut oil. Or, in the microwave, melt the chocolate chips (15 seconds at a time) and then add the coconut oil to the melted chips. Set aside.

3. In a food processor, combine the blueberries, spinach leaves and lemon juice until blended. Add in the pumpkin puree, egg and vanilla and pulse to blend.

4. In a large bowl, combine the chocolate chip mixture, the blueberry mixture, and the sweeteners.

5. In a small bowl, combine the flours, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Add this mixture to the wet mixture and blend until just combined.

6. I placed this mixture into a large baggie, snipped the tip, and piped it into my doughnut pan. Bake doughnuts for 10 minutes.

This made 18 doughnuts, using the pan I own.


I topped them with a quick blend of cottage cheese, whipped cream cheese, nonfat milk powder and PB2, but they were just as good plain. And I probably could have used just a little cream cheese - I was experimenting with a new frosting recipe.

Assuming 18 plain doughnuts, each one has approximately:

59 calories
1.5g protein
2.5g fat
7.9g carbs
1.7g fiber

Betcha can't eat just one! :)

Monday, October 19, 2009

Week In Review - End of Week 7

I wanted to post this yesterday, but my weekend was so busy, and then my son was sick with the flu and time just flew by. I'm feeling a little tired myself. Hoping I didn't catch the flu as well. Today was my day off from workouts, so I got a little more sleep and my muscles got a rest.

This week did not go as well as last week. My eating was all over the place. I had some good days, some OK days and 2 terrible days. I think it's stress-related. I'm definitely an emotional eater. I was really proud of myself today. I stayed late at work, and it was just me and the peanut m&m's. I was ---->thisclose<----- to having one (who am I kidding? I wouldn't have stopped at one), but then I remembered I had a jar of unsalted, dry roasted peanuts in my desk for just such an emergency. They hit the spot and I didn't eat a single m&m. Workouts went well, though. TT for Mass @ Home has been a great workout. I don't know why I've never used it before!

Here's how the week went:

Monday: Hill workout. This was a really tough workout. I know that I need to do more hill workouts to improve my running. 1 mile warm up, 2x200m hill (8% incline)/400 m recovery, 2x400 hill (6% incline)/400m recovery, 2x200 hill (8% incline)/400m recovery, 1/2 mile cool down, 8 minutes walking - 4.36 miles/50:00

Tuesday: OFF

Wednesday: 2.10 miles easy (25:00)/TT Mass @ Home, workout B/TT 3 Minute Arms

Thursday: 5 mile pace workout - 1 mile warm up, 1x400m/200m recovery, 1x1600/400m recovery, 1x400m/200m recovery, 1x1200/400m recovery, 1x400m, 1 mile cool down, 6 minutes walking - 5.30 miles/60:00

Friday: TT Mass @ Home, workout C

Saturday: Today was my first run in the double digits. It was a beautiful morning - 33 degrees (F) and sunny. A little chilly for the first mile, but then I felt great. Had a short break (5 minutes at most) at 5 miles while I ran inside my work to retrieve an item I had forgotten on Friday. 10 miles/1:42:19 (10:14 pace)

Weekly Total: 21.76 miles


Primary Contest Goals
Eat healthfully and mindfully, with foods more in their natural state: Not good. Not good at all. Need to pull myself together here. :)

To NOT use Fitday: Checked in again a couple times this week. With those stressed eating days, I wanted to see how I was doing. Not using Fitday is only going to work as long as I only eat healthfully.

Complete every TT workout to the best of my ability: Yes

Run 15-20 miles (at minimum) per week: This week I ran 21.76 miles. The program I am following for running increases the miles a little at a time, so I think next week I am running about 24 miles.

Complete two 5K races, with at least one of them under 30 minutes: Complete! Ran two 5K races, both at 28:32.


Secondary Contest Goals
Lose 5 pounds of fat (mostly from abs and thighs): N/A this week.

Reduce consumption of diet soda: This week I drank more than usual, which I think is one of the reasons I didn't eat well. It seems that when I drink more diet soda, my eating gets...less than stellar. I read that artificial sweeteners can bring on cravings, so maybe that is what happens.

That's it for this week. Gotta get up early tomorrow morning, so I'm going to go to bed early and see if I feel better in the morning.

Have a good night!

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Recipe Wednesday - Cauliflower Pizza Crust

This is another recipe I've adapted from Eat Oxygen. This is sooooooo good. I like cauliflower, but I don't think you can even taste that it is in here. If you think you don't like cauliflower, give this a try!

Cauliflower Pizza Crust

For the crust:
1 cup cauliflower, cooked
1/4 cup of packaged egg whites, or 1 large egg
1/4 cup reduced fat shredded mozzarella cheese
2 T fresh grated Parmesan cheese (off a block of Parmesan, not the dry grated stuff)
pinch each of dried basil, oregano, garlic powder and salt

My (optional) Toppings:
1/4 cup pizza sauce (I use canned with no sugar in it)
1/4 cup reduced fat shredded mozzarella cheese
1 Boca Grilled Vegetable Patty
1 thin slice of onion, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick spray.

2. Place the cooked cauliflower in a food processor. Pulse until about the size of rice.

3. Add everything else to the food processor and pulse to blend.

4. I like to put the cauliflower mixture into a shallow dish to form it into a large circle and then flip it onto the cookie sheet. Then spread the mixture thinly.

5. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven. I usually like to flip the crust at this point. Add your sauce, toppings, and cheese. I cook the Boca patty in a skillet first, crumble it into pieces, and then add the onion to the pan to let it cook a little before adding it to the crust.

6. Return to the oven and cook for another 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted. I like to turn the broiler on right at the end to crisp up the crust.

7. Cut into quarters and enjoy!


Just the crust alone has approximately:

182 calories
20.8g protein
7.2g fat
7.8g carbs
3.0g fiber


With my toppings above, this has approximately:

382 calories
42.8g protein
13.7g fat
21.3g carbs
9.0g fiber

Monday, October 12, 2009

Week In Review - Lost Again

Except this time I'm not lost in Twilight. I've been reading Dan Brown's new book, The Lost Symbol. I'm only on Chapter 19, so a short week in review. ;)

Week 6 ended yesterday. I am HALF WAY through my 12 week transformation, and frankly, I'm slightly disappointed. But, on the upside, I've started seeing progress and I am greatly encouraged. I always say the best motivation is seeing results!

Here's how my workouts went this week:

Monday - OFF

Tuesday - TT Mass @ Home, workout B; TT 3 Minute Arms

Wednesday - 2.19 miles (22:11); TT 6 Minute Abs

Thursday - 5 mile pace workout (1 mile warm up, 1 x 400, 1 x 800, 1 x 1200, 1 x 800, 1 x 400, 1 mile cool down) Total: 5.02 miles, 57:00. My legs were toast after this workout. Between this run and the ab circuit I did Wednesday, I was pretty sore from my navel to my toes. :)

Friday - TT Mass @ Home, workout C; TT 6 Minute Abs

Saturday - 7.05 miles (1:14:48). Really nice run this morning. 32 degrees (F), but sunny, so it didn't feel too cold.

Sunday - 3.06 miles (29:08); TT Mass @ Home, workout A; TT 6 Minute Abs. Workout A is TOUGH. I've failed my drop set 2 weeks in a row. I got an extra rep today though, so I feel like I'm gonna get it next week.

Weekly Total: 17.32 miles

Primary Contest Goals
Eat healthfully and mindfully, with foods more in their natural state: Did good this week, and even managed to stay out of the peanut butter (on some nights).

To NOT use Fitday: I popped in this week just to do a check on where I was calorie-wise on a typical day.

Complete every TT workout to the best of my ability: Yes

Run 15-20 miles (at minimum) per week: 17.32 miles this week. So I did make my goal. Whoo-hoo! Wasn't sure I was going to because this was a race recovery week.

Complete two 5K races, with at least one of them under 30 minutes: Complete!


Secondary Contest Goals
Lose 5 pounds of fat (mostly from abs and thighs): I am down a few pounds and my thighs are fitting into a certain pair of jeans again!

Reduce consumption of diet soda: Did better this week. I even had tea for dinner one night instead of a diet soda. That's HUGE for me.

It's half over, time to really focus on eating well, and working hard. My ultimate goal is to keep this lifestyle and not be "in a contest" or "not in a contest". So far things have been going well. No neurotic calorie counting, no carb cycling, etc. I'm feeling really good about this! OK, I've rambled on longer than I thought. Now, back to my book! :)

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Recipe Wednesday - Chicken Barley Stew

This recipe is adapted from a somewhat recent issue of Clean Eating magazine. This stew is so yummy! It's great to throw it all in the slow cooker and come home to nice warm bowl.

Chicken Barley Stew

20 oz chicken broth
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2t garlic powder
1/2t sea salt
1/4t fresh ground pepper
1t dried basil
1 bay leaf
6 oz boneless chicken breast
1/4 cup black eyed peas (dry)
1/4 cup barley (dry)
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 can whole potatoes (I think it's 15 oz)
2 medium carrots, cut into "coins"

1. Cut the chicken and potatoes into bite-sized pieces. I use canned potatoes because they hold up better to hours in a slow cooker.

2. Into a slow cooker, place the broth, then the garlic and the seasonings.

3. Add the chicken, black eyed peas, barley, onion, potatoes and carrots. Add a little water if the liquid doesn't come up to the top of the vegetables.

4. Simmer on high for 4-5 hours, or on low for about 8 hours. Remove the bay leaf before serving.

Sorry this isn't a great picture. It's in a plastic bowl that I took to work. This reheats great.


Assuming 4 servings, each one has approximately:

191 calories
17g protein
0.9g fat
31.3g carbs
7.4g fiber

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Week In Review - Week 5 (Including Race Results)

Can you believe Week 5 is over? YIKES! I think this week went just OK. I didn't have any ice cream, which is good, but I only replaced it with something WORSE. I have rediscovered my love of eating peanut butter out of the jar. Bad, bad, BAD! In the evening, I've been craving smooth, rich foods. Peanut butter, ice cream, cream cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt, etc. Does this mean I'm lacking something in my diet? Maybe I need to eat more rich foods earlier in the day. I will NOT eat peanut butter out of the jar anymore!!

This week I started the TT for Mass at Home workout and it's been great. Workout A makes my arms feel like jelly all day. :) Workout B is lower body, and I took it real easy this past week since I had a race yesterday (more on that in a minute). Workout C is total body, but more focused on the upper body than the lower body. Since it's a mass-building workout, there are no intervals. So this workout is perfect as I continue my running. I can't remember if I mentioned this already or not, but I've signed up to run a 10K race in November!

So here's how the past week went:

Sunday: Ran 2 miles, easy pace; TT Mass @ Home, workout A; TT 6 Minute Abs (This was technically the last day of Week 4, but it was my first day of TT Mass @ Home.)

Monday: OFF

Tuesday: 3 Mile Stride Workout (38:00); TT Mass @ Home, workout B; TT 3 Minute Arms

Wednesday: OFF

Thursday: TT Mass @ Home, workout C

Friday: Ran 1.74 miles, easy pace

Saturday: 5K race, 28:32. My time was EXACTLY the same as my time from the race 2 weeks ago. Except this race was better because I didn't feel like I was going to puke on the finish line! :) There were only about 125 people, and for many of them, I think it was their first 5K. I placed 10th overall, and 2nd in my age group.

Sunday: Ran 2 miles, easy pace; TT Mass @ Home, workout A; TT 6 Minute Abs

Primary Contest Goals
Eat healthfully and mindfully, with foods more in their natural state: Healthfully, I did good. Mindfully, not as good. That peanut butter isn't jumping out of the jar by itself.

To NOT use Fitday: Still going well.

Complete every TT workout to the best of my ability: Yes

Run 15-20 miles (at minimum) per week: Week 5 - only a little over 10 miles, because of the race on Saturday.

Complete two 5K races, with at least one of them under 30 minutes: Complete! Ran two 5K races, both at 28:32.


Secondary Contest Goals
Lose 5 pounds of fat (mostly from abs and thighs): N/A this week.

Reduce consumption of diet soda: This week I bought some decaf tea so that I could make iced tea instead of drink soda at dinner time. We'll see how it goes!


Before I forget, here's the link to the TT Weekly Call: TT Fat Loss Coaching Call

This week, Craig talks about the TT program he used to help an actress do her first chin up (TT for Female Strength). He also talks about sticking to your plan, the best lower ab exercise, and the "300 Workout" from Men's Health Magazine.

Have a great week!

Disclosure: This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase the product, I will receive a small portion. I don't get paid for reviews, and I only review items that I actually own.

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Recipe Wednesday - Quinoa Sweet Potato Quesadillas

OK, stay with me on this one. It might sound gross to some of you, but this is actually really, really good! I adapted it from a recipe I found on the website 3 Fat Chicks on a Diet!

Quinoa Sweet Potato Quesadillas

1 sweet potato (about 6 oz)
1/3 cup quinoa (dry)
1/4 of a large onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
7 oz crushed tomatoes (canned)
1/2 cup black beans (canned)
2T green chilies (diced)
shredded cheddar
salsa
4 small tortillas

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place aluminum foil on a baking sheet and spray with nonstick spray.

2. Peel and cube the sweet potato. Place on the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.

3. While the potato is baking, place the quinoa and 2/3 cup water in a sauce pan with a lid. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes.

4. While those are cooking, place black beans in a bowl and mash with an immersion blender (or put in a food processor). I don't like beans, so I do this to hide them. If you like them, you can skip the mashing step. :)

5. When the sweet potato is done, place pieces in a bowl and mash with the immersion blender until smooth. When the quinoa is done, just set aside for now.

6. In a medium skillet, either spray heavily with nonstick spray, or add a couple teaspoons of olive oil. Add the onions to the pan and let cook for about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and let cook 1 minute more.

7. Add the beans, green chilies, and tomatoes. Stir together, then add the quinoa and sweet potato. Stir until blended and then let cook for a few minutes. Remove from heat.

8. Next preheat a large skillet or a griddle. Spray with nonstick spray.

9. Place 2 tortillas on the griddle. Flip after a few minutes, when they start to puff up.

10. After you flip, place half the sweet potato mixture on each of the tortillas. It's a lot of filling. Place 2-3 Tablespoons of shredded cheese on top.


11. Place the remaining tortillas on top. Using a large turner, carefully flip the quesadillas over to cook the second tortilla.

12. When cooked, cut into quarters and serve with 2 Tablespoons of salsa. YUM!

Sorry for the not-so-great picture!


Assuming this serves 2 (although you probably could use half the filling and serve 4 if you wanted), each one has approximately:

420 calories
25.1g protein
11.7g fat
69.7g carbs
21.4g fiber

Wow, that's a lot of fiber! :) The fiber will depend on your tortillas. I used the small La Tortilla Factory Smart & Delicious Low Carb/High Fiber tortillas. They have 7g of fiber each.

Monday, September 28, 2009

Lost In Twilight

I'd like to say I have a really great Week in Review ready to post, but I don't. Instead, I've been sucked into the Twilight series. (I know, I'm a little late with the Twilight phenomenon. I was late reading the Harry Potter books as well.)

I finished the first book within 24 hours this weekend. If I can finish the second book by dinner tonight, I'll have finished it within 24 hours as well. I'm half way done now... Then I will be back and ready to post all about my week. Unless I can get to a bookstore tonight....I think I'm going to need to buy the third and fourth books as well. LOL

I promise I'll finish soon! Being up late at night isn't good for me. I need my beauty sleep! :)

Be back for Recipe Wednesday (I hope)!

Saturday, September 26, 2009

A Beautiful Morning

This morning's run was fantastic. Not time-wise necessarily, but just in the sense of feeling good and enjoying the run. It's officially autumn here and the leaves are changing colors and falling off the trees. And there is a crispness in the air that's refreshing. While I was running this morning, I listened to this song by Marillion (one of my favorite bands) and it just seemed so appropriate. It's from the album, Afraid of Sunlight. The sun was just starting to rise and it was a beautiful morning (even if it was a bit cloudy). Just as I got home, it started to mist, but it was so fine, that even though I could see it in the air, I couldn't feel it on my skin.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Recipe Wednesday - Peanut Butter Cups!!

This recipe is adapted from a recipe on the Eat Oxygen blog.

If you have not visited Kristin at Eat Oxygen, then get over there and check it out! But be ready to be over there for a loooooooong time. I sat for over an hour one night checking out all of her recipes! :)

The secret to this recipe, I think, is the coconut oil. It gives the peanut butter cup that satisfying "mouth feel" of a rich, peanut butter cup. It's actually pretty filling to just have one!

Peanut Butter Cups

4 Tablespoons whipped butter, preferably unsalted (50 cal per T)
1/2 Tablespoon coconut oil
3T agave nectar
1/4 cup sifted unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla (optional)

filling:
1 Tablespoon creamy natural peanut butter
1 teaspoon coconut oil
1/2 teaspoon agave nectar

1. Sift the cocoa powder into a small bowl. I like to sift it to get all the lumps out.

2. In a small microwave safe bowl, warm the butter slightly, until soft, but not melted (about 20 seconds in the microwave).

3. To the butter, blend in the 1/2T coconut oil, 3T agave nectar, and cocoa powder. Add the vanilla, if using. I accidentally left it out, and they still tasted great.

4. In a separate bowl, blend together the filling ingredients.

5. Line a muffin tin with 4 muffin/cupcake papers.

6. Divide the filling into the 4 cups. Place it in a dollop in the center of the cup.

7. Divide the chocolate mixture over the 4 cups.

8. Freeze for an hour. (Yes, a whole hour!)

9. Remove from the papers and eat! You have to eat them fast, or they melt.


Please only eat one! :)

Each one has approximately:

162 calories
1.5g protein
11.4g fat
15.4g carbs
3.0g fiber


Just as a comparison, according the Reese's website, 1 Reese's Big Cup has:

200 calories
5g protein
12g fat
22g carbs
1g fiber

The nutritional info wasn't available on the website for the smaller pb cup, and I when I looked around online, I couldn't find a consistent answer. (And I don't have one on hand to look at!) :)

Why You're Not Losing Weight

I just wanted to post about this new Precision Nutrition article about Clean Eating Gone Wrong because I am sooooooo guilty. Here is the link to the article: This Meal Plan Could Make You Fat

The article discusses how even though your meal plan looks great on paper, it's all of the little extras throughout the day that we "forget about" that make a difference. I am totally guilty of this.

I often finish my kids' leftovers.
I am guilty of eating things while standing in front of the pantry/kitchen cupboard.
I am guilty of eating ice cream from the carton in front of the refrigerator.
I've been better about hitting the office candy bowl. (Record 33 days so far!)

The article hits on exactly what I am trying to achieve:
"avoiding self-imposed eating restrictions, meal plan rules, and cheat foods"

and
"eating a reasonable amount of quality food each day, forever"


It's a great article to read if you, too, have these same issues. I still like to make a meal plan, because it helps me shop for the week, but I've become much more flexible on what I put on the meal plan. For example, I'll put "fruit" instead of "6oz watermelon". Then I have freedom to choose what fruits look good at the farmer's market. I don't think meal plans are inherently bad, I think being so strict you fall off the wagon is bad. But I really need to curb the extras. Since I am not counting calories now, all those little extras can add up, and if they go unchecked, then I know I won't make any progress. So keep an eye on all your "little extras" (I'll keep an eye on mine) and we'll all be that much closer to our goals! :)

Monday, September 21, 2009

Menu Monday

Here's today's menu:

Post Workout

1 scoop whey
creatine
water

Ingredients:
whey (whey protein isolate, lecithin, natural flavor, whole oat flour, whey protein concentrate, guar gum, cellulose gum, salt, oat fiber, evaporated cane juice powder, honey powder)

creatine monohydrate

Breakfast
Oatmeal with pumpkin, almond milk, milk and egg protein, Stevia, walnuts and cinnamon
water

Ingredients:
oatmeal
pumpkin
cinnamon
walnuts
Stevia packet (inulin fiber, Stevia)

milk and egg protein (protein blend [calcium caseinate, egg white, whey protein isolate], vitamin and mineral blend [calcium phosphate, magnesium oxide, salt, potassium chloride, potassium citrate, ascorbic acid, ferric orthophosphate, dl-alpha tocopheryl acetate, niacinamide, zinc oxide, copper gluconate, vitamin A palmitate, d-calcium pantothenate, ergocalciferol, folic acid, pyridoxine hydrochloride, thiamin hydrochloride, riboflavin, biotin, potassium iodide, cyanocobalamin], natural and artificial flavor, soy lecithin, papain, bromelain, sucralose)

unsweetened vanilla almond milk (purified water, almonds, tapioca starch, natural vanilla flavor with other natural flavors, calcium carbonate, sea salt, potassium citrate, carrageenan, soy lecithin, vitamin A palmitate, vitamin D2, D-alpha-tocopherol [natural vitamin E])

Lunch
Chicken Barley Stew, minneola, 2 small plums

Ingredients:
chicken breast
pearled barley
black eyed peas
potatoes
carrots
red onion
garlic powder
sea salt
black pepper
reduced sodium fat free chicken broth (chicken stock, salt, flavoring, dextrose, autolyzed yeast extract, celery juice concentrate, carrot juice concentrate, onion juice concentrate)

minneola
plums

Diet Pepsi (carbonated water, caramel color, aspartame, phosphoric acid, potassium benzoate, caffeine, citric acid, natural flavor)

Snack
yogurt with whey protein, strawberries, blueberries, walnuts, and Stevia
water

Ingredients:
plain nonfat yogurt (cultured grade A nonfat milk, pectin)
strawberries
blueberries
walnuts
Stevia packet (inulin fiber, Stevia)
whey protein powder (whey protein isolate, salt, lecithin, sucralose, natural and artificial flavor, carbogen, Enzyme Matrix™ [lactase, lipase, bromelain, glucoamylase, invertase, alpha-galactosidase, Protease 3.0, peptidase, amylase, Protease 4.5, Protease 6.0, Protease AM, CereCalase], aminogen [Patented Bioactive Polypeptide enzyme system])

Dinner
Pork loin with apple butter, broccoli, muskmelon, and fingerling potatoes baked with olive oil and spices

Pork loin* (Solution Ingredients: pork broth, potassium lactate, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, cornstarch, sodium phosphates, autolyzed yeast, salt, sodium diacetate)
broccoli
muskmelon
potatoes
olive oil
sea salt
garlic powder
onion powder
paprika
black pepper
apple butter (ground apples, white grape concentrate, lemon juice, cinnamon, allspice, salt)

Diet Pepsi (carbonated water, caramel color, aspartame, phosphoric acid, potassium benzoate, caffeine, citric acid, natural flavor)

*I rinse the pork loin and remove the visible fat, but I probably don't get all of this solution out of the pork loin, unfortunately. Need to start shopping around for a better pork loin. I don't remember seeing anyone with pork at the farmer's market, but then again, I haven't been looking specifically for pork.

Snack
Homemade peanut butter cup

Ingredients:
Recipe coming this Wednesday, but it's made with 6 ingredients. Four of them are Whole foods, one is On the Fence, and one is Other. Come back Wednesday for the recipe! :)


Whole foods (foods with ONLY 1 ingredient): 32
Other foods (foods with more than 1 ingredient): 5
On the fence foods (natural, but more than 1 ingredient): 9

Percentage of foods this week that are whole/natural foods is 80% on the dot! Whoo-hoo - I made my goal!!

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Racing Results - Goal Achieved?

Today was the first of two 5k races I will be running as part of my goals in the TT contest. I woke up this morning, and my quads were sore! I couldn't imagine what from. I did my TT workout on Friday, but with a lower intensity, and I wasn't sore yesterday. So if it was DOMS, they were really delayed!

I warmed up for about 10 minutes and my legs felt like lead. I was a little nervous about the race. I wasn't sure it was going to go well by how my legs were feeling.

The first mile consisted of trying to move up because we were still in a pack. I past the first mile marker at about 9:06, so I knew I was on pace. Then my shoe came untied so I had to stop and tie it! During the second mile, my heart burn started to get bad, and I vowed to take something for reflux before my next 5K race. My pace was still good and I past the second mile marker at about 18:30. The third mile felt better - the heart burn diminished, and my pace was steady, but I was getting doggone tired.

Final results
Time - 28:32
pace - 9:11
place - 231 out of 665
division place - 15 out of 81
gender place - 104 out of 438

And here's an action shot my husband took at the finish line...Yes, I am wearing tiger ears and a tail. It was a run to benefit a zoo!

All in all, I am very happy with the results. I made my goal of a 5K in under 30 minutes!!

Afterward, I splurged at lunch and had one of my favorite kinds of pizza. It's called the Border-to-Border. It's Canadian bacon, pineapple, tomatoes and jalapenos. Yum!

Friday, September 18, 2009

Week In Review And Contest Update

OK, today is the LAST DAY to enter the Turbulence Training Transformation Contest and still have the full 12 weeks to transform. Remember, when you complete the 12 weeks, and submit your before pictures, after pictures and 300 word essay, you get 6 months free to the forums. Everyone who finishes gets that, not just the winners!! See the rules here:

Turbulence Training Contest Rules

You can still enter after today, you just don't get the full 12 weeks.


Week In Review - Week 3

How can it be the end of Week 3 already? This is going by fast!!

Sunday: OFF

Monday: (AM) Running: I warmed up for almost a mile, then ran my fastest 5K ever (28:23)! Cooled down for about 1/2 mile. Total 4.38 miles/42:41; (PM) TT for Athletes, workout A

Tuesday: Had to shorten today's workout because I got to the gym a little late. TT Intervals - warm up, followed by 2 minutes running and 2 minutes walking, repeat for total of 4 intervals (7.5 mph), cool down/2.45 miles/30:00

Wednesday: (AM) Running: 3.03 miles/30:43 followed by TT 6 minute abs; (PM) TT for Athletes, workout B

Thursday: OFF

Friday: TT for Athletes, workout C

Saturday (tomorrow): 1-2 easy miles planned in preparation for my 5K race on Sunday.


Primary Contest Goals
Eat healthfully and mindfully, with foods more in their natural state: I think this week went well!

To NOT use Fitday: Still going well.

Complete every TT workout to the best of my ability: Yes

Run 15-20 miles (at minimum) per week: Week 3 - about 11.86 miles, depending on the total tomorrow (reduced number because of upcoming race, but probably could have been higher).

Complete two 5K races, with at least one of them under 30 minutes: First one up is Sunday! Feeling really good about it!


Secondary Contest Goals
Lose 5 pounds of fat (mostly from abs and thighs): N/A this week.

Reduce consumption of diet soda: Still doing better. Had quite a bit on Thursday; I need to work on drinking less when I go out to eat. The free refills thing gets to me sometimes.


Overall, I think the week went pretty well. I'll be back to update you after the race - crossing my fingers that there is no puking! :)

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Recipe Wednesday - Szechuan Chicken

This recipe is adapted from Tosca Reno's Eat Clean Diet Cookbook, but I've adapted it so much, I wonder if Tosca herself would recognize it! :) I usually like my veggies cooked well, so that is why I microwave them for a little bit first; you can skip that step if you don't like your veggies that way.

Szechuan Chicken

6oz chicken breast
1 small zucchini
1 medium carrot
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/4 red onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup broccoli (frozen is fine)
1/4 of a fresh pineapple, cut in bite-sized pieces

For Sauce:
1 teaspoon quinoa flour
sea salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 teaspoon unsulphured molasses
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons balsamic or rice vinegar
1/2 cup chicken broth

Rice:
1/2 cup brown rice
1 cup chicken broth

1. Place the 1/2 cup brown rice and 1 cup chicken broth in a sauce pan with a lid. Cook according to package directions. Mine takes 30-40 minutes to cook.

2. Cook the chicken breast by your favorite method. I like to use my GF grill and it takes about 6 minutes.

3. While the chicken is cooking, place the zucchini and carrot in a microwave safe dish. Add a tablespoon of water, cover and microwave for about 3-4 minutes.

4. While the zucchini and carrots are cooking, place the frozen broccoli in another microwave safe dish with a little water. When the zucchini and carrots are done, exchange them in the microwave with the broccoli. Cook the broccoli for about 3 minutes.

5. While the broccoli is cooking, slice the zucchini and carrots. When the chicken is done cooking, cut into bite-sized pieces.

6. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the onions and cook for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.

7. While the onions are cooking, prepare the sauce. Place the flour, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Add the molasses, then the Worcestershire and vinegar, then the broth. Blend well with a fork.

8. To the skillet, add the zucchini, carrots and broccoli.

9. Stir in the sauce mixture. Bring to a boil and then add the chicken and pineapple.

10. Cook for 3 or 4 minutes, until everything is heated through. Serve over the brown rice.


Makes 2 servings, each with approximately:

(With Rice:)
424 calories
27.7g protein
10.8g fat
55.0g carbs
6.2g fiber

(Without Rice:)
256 calories
23.2g protein
9.3g fat
20.5g carbs
4.2g fiber

Monday, September 14, 2009

Menu Monday

So what do we all think about Menu Monday? Thumbs up? Thumbs down? It's probably kind of boring to read, I confess. But, it's nice to see how things add up, you know? I think I will give it a couple more weeks...and then might give it a rest. :)

Today's Menu

Post Workout
Whey protein, creatine

Ingredients:
chocolate whey protein (whey protein isolate, salt, carbogen, lecithin, cocoa, natural and artificial flavor, sucralose, Enzyme Matrix™ [lactase, lipase, bromelain, glucoamylase, invertase, alpha-galactosidase, Protease 3.0, peptidase, amylase, Protease 4.5, Protease 6.0, Protease AM, CereCalase], Aminogen [patented bioactive polypeptide enzyme system])

creatine monohydrate

Breakfast
Ezekiel cereal with pumpkin, almond milk, milk and egg protein, Stevia, and cinnamon

Ingredients:
pumpkin
cinnamon
Stevia packet (inulin fiber, Stevia)

Ezekiel cereal (organic sprouted whole wheat, organic malted barley, organic golden flax seeds, organic sprouted whole barley, organic sprouted whole millet, organic sprouted whole lentils, organic sprouted whole soybeans, organic sprouted whole spelt, filtered water, sea salt)

milk and egg protein (Protein Blend [Calcium Caseinate, Egg White, Whey Protein Isolate], Vitamin and Mineral Blend [Calcium Phosphate, Magnesium Oxide, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Potassium Citrate, Ascorbic Acid, Ferric Orthophosphate, dl-Alpha Tocopheryl Acetate, Niacinamide, Zinc Oxide, Copper Gluconate, Vitamin A Palmitate, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Ergocalciferol, Folic Acid, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamin Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Biotin, Potassium Iodide, Cyanocobalamin], Natural and Artificial Flavor, Soy Lecithin, Papain, Bromelain, Sucralose)

unsweetened vanilla almond milk (purified water, almonds, tapioca starch, natural vanilla flavor with other natural flavors, calcium carbonate, sea salt, potassium citrate, carrageenan, soy lecithin, vitamin A palmitate, vitamin D2, D-alpha-tocopherol [natural vitamin E])

Lunch
Banana taco, salad

Ingredients:
banana
strawberries
peanut butter (peanuts, salt)
whole grain tortilla (whole wheat flour, water, oat fiber, soy bean flour, cold pressed canola oil and/or safflower oil, contains 2% or less of the following: baking powder [sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium bicarbonate, corn starch, monocalcium phosphate], sea salt, yeast, xanthan gum, guar gum, citric acid, sorbic acid, calcium propionate [to maintain freshness])

mixed greens (I don't know what kind they are)
spinach
tomato
cucumber
egg
organic french dressing (canola oil, water, tomato paste, apple cider vinegar, sugar, sea salt, xanthan gum, garlic powder)

Diet Pepsi (carbonated water, caramel color, aspartame, phosphoric acid, potassium benzoate, caffeine, citric acid, natural flavor)

Snack
yogurt with whey protein, strawberries, walnuts, and Stevia

Ingredients:
plain nonfat yogurt (cultured grade A nonfat milk, pectin)
strawberries
walnuts
Stevia packet (inulin fiber, Stevia)
chocolate whey protein (whey protein isolate, salt, carbogen, lecithin, cocoa, natural and artificial flavor, sucralose, Enzyme Matrix™ [lactase, lipase, bromelain, glucoamylase, invertase, alpha-galactosidase, Protease 3.0, peptidase, amylase, Protease 4.5, Protease 6.0, Protease AM, CereCalase], Aminogen [patented bioactive polypeptide enzyme system])

Dinner
Bhoona with brown rice and a plum

Ingredients:
bison stew meat
tomato
pineapple
garlic
onion
rice vinegar (water, rice)
olive oil
garam masala (salt, spices, autolyzed yeast extract, dehydrated garlic, dehydrated onion, red pepper)
chili powder (chili pepper, spices, salt, silicon dioxide [to make free flowing], garlic)
organic coconut milk (organic coconut, water, less than 1% guar gum)
brown rice
plum

Diet Pepsi (carbonated water, caramel color, aspartame, phosphoric acid, potassium benzoate, caffeine, citric acid, natural flavor)

Snack
I confess, I wanted something decadent tonight. This is what I came up with. It wasn't the best choice for "whole foods" but it hit the spot.

Banana Fudge Vitatop with peanut butter, cottage cheese and a sprinkle of cinnamon and almonds

Ingredients:

Vitatop (water, whole wheat flour, egg whites, chocolate chips [sugar, chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, soy lecithin as an emulsifier, vanilla], maltitol, organic evaporated cane juice, erythritol, cocoa [processed with alkali], soy protein isolate, soy fiber, oat fiber, inulin, banana puree [bananas, ascorbic acid], leavening [sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium bicarbonate], soy flour, lecithin, natural flavors, cinnamon, xanthan gum, sea salt, dried honey, fruit juice, natural grain dextrin, vitamin A, itamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, folic acid, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, biotin, iron, zinc, pantothenic acid, vitamin B2, vitamin B1, vitamin B3, calcium, maltodextrin)

peanut butter (peanuts, salt)

cottage cheese (cultured pasteurized grade A skim milk, whey, contains less than 2% of modified food starch, salt, potato maltodextrin, calcium phosphate, artificial color, mono- and diglycerides, guar gum, xanthan gum, artificial flavor, vitamin A palmitate, vitamin D3)

cinnamon
almonds

Whole foods (foods with ONLY 1 ingredient): 23
Other foods (foods with more than 1 ingredient): 16
On the fence foods (natural, but more than 1 ingredient): 7

Since my total number of food varies from week to week, I decided to look at percentages. The first Monday I counted foods, I ate:

65.4% whole foods
11% on the fence foods
23.6% other foods

(76.4% whole/natural foods)

The second Monday I counted foods, I ate:

50% whole foods
15.2% on the fence foods
34.8% other foods

(65.2% whole/natural foods)

This week, I ate:

53.6% whole foods
17.1% on the fence foods
29.3% other foods

(70.7% whole/natural foods)

So I did the best during week one, and haven't improved much. LOL

Next week I am going to make an effort to have 80% whole/natural foods.

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Week In Review - Week 2

Wow, the leaves are starting to change color already. Autumn is my favorite season, but where did summer go?

I didn't get a chance to do a Week in Review last week, so here's a quick recap:

TT Contest Week 1

Monday: TT for Athletes, workout A/run: 1.12 miles/15:00

Tuesday: TT Intervals - warm up, followed by 2 minutes running and 2 minutes walking, repeat for total of 6 intervals (first 4 were at 6.7 mph, last 2 were at 7.5 mph), cool down/3.44 miles/45:00

Wednesday: TT for Athletes, workout B

Thursday: Running - 4 miles/39:25

Friday: TT for Athletes, workout C/run: 2.16 miles/25:00

Saturday: Running - 7.28 miles/1:19:42

Sunday: OFF


TT Contest Week 2

Monday: TT for Athletes, workout A/run: 4 miles/41:50

Tuesday: TT Intervals - warm up, followed by 2 minutes running and 2 minutes walking, repeat for total of 6 intervals (first 2 were at 6.7 mph, last 4 were at 7.5 mph), cool down/3.49 miles/45:00

Wednesday: TT for Athletes, workout B

Thursday: Running - 5.51 miles/57:28

Friday: TT for Athletes, workout C/TT 3 Minute Arms

Saturday: Running - 7.93 miles/1:31:56

Sunday: OFF


Primary Contest Goals
Eat healthfully and mindfully, with foods more in their natural state: getting better

To NOT use Fitday: Didn't use. :)

Complete every TT workout to the best of my ability: Yes

Run 15-20 miles (at minimum) per week: Week 1 - 18 miles, Week 2 - 20.93 miles

Complete two 5K races, with at least one of them under 30 minutes: First one up is September 20! :)


Secondary Contest Goals
Lose 5 pounds of fat (mostly from abs and thighs): Have to wait until the end for this one. But I am down about 2 pounds since Day 1.

Reduce consumption of diet soda: Yes. I started buying the cute little 8oz cans and have those with lunch instead of the regular cans. I also eliminated the afternoon soda on most days. I still have a 12oz can with dinner.

Summary
The past 2 weeks have gone fairly well. Labor Day weekend wasn't the best nutrition-wise. We went to a wedding and I overindulged on a few things. Like potato salad. And candy. And maybe one too many rum and diet cokes. :) But back on track now.

Running has been going well. I can tell I have improved my endurance, although I don't know if my speed is a lot faster. I might try to run a 5K on Monday at race pace. I'm still debating how I want to train this week since my race is next weekend. But if I'm going to run a race pace 5K, it would be Monday. Heck, why not? Let's give it a try! :)

Have a great week!

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Recipe Wednesday - Oatmeal Carrot Raisin Cookies

It's 9:09 on 09/09/09! How cool is that?

This recipe is adapted from the 101 Vegan Recipes as part of the Easy Veggie Meal Plans package. I've made it 3 times, and each time was a little bit different. This batch was the best by far. I double dog dare you to eat just one!

Oatmeal Carrot Raisin Cookies

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup oatmeal
1/4 cup wheat germ
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 large carrots
1/2 cup sugar free pancake syrup (or real maple syrup)
1 tsp fresh minced ginger
1/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil, slightly melted
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
6 fun size boxes of raisins (1/2 cup at most)
1/4 cup walnut pieces
1/4 cup Ezekiel cereal (I like Golden Flax)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly spray a cookie sheet with nonstick spray.

2. Cook the carrots by either steaming or microwaving.

3. While the carrots are cooking, grind the oatmeal in either a food processor or a coffee grinder. I use a coffee grinder and grind it in 4 quick batches.

4. Place the ground oatmeal in a bowl and mix with the flour, baking powder, salt, wheat germ, cinnamon, raisins, walnuts and Ezekiel cereal.

5. In another bowl, puree the carrots with an immersion blender, or use a food processor.

6. To the carrots, blend in the pancake syrup, coconut oil, ginger and pumpkin puree.

7. Pour the carrot mixture into the dry mixture and mix until just blended.

8. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto the prepared cookie sheet. I use a little scoop so they are all the same size. Press down on the cookies with a fork to flatten them a bit. They don't spread like cookies that use butter, so they will come out of the oven looking pretty much like they went into the oven.

9. Bake for 12 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack or place on a brown paper bag to cool.


I made 29 cookies (using sugar free pancake syrup), each with approximately:

68 calories
1.5g protein
3.0g fat
9.3g carbs
1.6g fiber