Friday Night Treat :)

Mac and Cheese
with Mushrooms, Broccoli, Zucchini and Roasted Red Peppers
Topped with Bleu Cheese Crumbles

Egg Nog Ice Cream
My two loves in the same photo

Rode the lightrail home from work! It was fun again and flew by with my novel in hand. Once home, the husband and I went on a 20-minute walk to the grocery store for dinner vegetables and bread for tomorrow's lunch. We live right around the corner from a Harris Teeter, so it's very convenient to make ourselves walk. Of course we brought our reusable BHappy Bags along for the ride! While we were there, I spotted Edy's Slow Churned EGG NOG Ice Cream. Mmmmmm. Now I can't tell you how many times I've stopped in the ice cream aisle and almost bought it. I LOVE egg nog and get one carton of this every year. I knew I had room for it today, so we splurged!

Volumetrics:

So as many of you know, I'm a volume eater. Which means I just like to eat good food, and lots of it!! You've probably also heard of Barbara Rolls, the infamous author of Volumetrics. Here's a passage from her book that TOTALLY makes sense:

Research shows that over a day or two, a person will eat about the same weight of food. Obviously, there is some variability - on days that someone eats out, for example, she may eat more food. But in general, when scientists have looked at what people report they eat, or when food intake has been measured in the lab, the weight of food a person eats is more similar from day to day than the number of calories consumed. It seems that we have learned how much food it takes to satisfy our hunger, and that is what we choose to eat.....

My takeaway message from these studies is that by choosing foods that have fewer calories in your usual weight of food you will end up eating fewer calories. And you won't feel any hungrier! -The Volumetrics Eating Plan, p. 8

So Barbara says it best: if you want to be healthy and keep your calories in check, choose foods that are low in energy density, namely, lots of vegetables!

I didn't use to like many vegetables when I was growing up. I ate broccoli, corn, potatoes. That was about it. But in my adult life, I've experimented with SO many kinds of veggies - particularly the cooking style - and found that I just LOVE them!! I love that I can eat a lot of them and that they're not going to derail my diet.

So volumetrics is the concept behind my vegetable mac and cheese, although I really shouldn't say "my" mac and cheese because this is probably the most well-known thing to do to mac and cheese to lower the calorie density!!

Dinner:
I really like the Annie's brand mac and cheese's - I've tried both whole wheat kinds. I have to say I like the Wisconsin Cheddar one better (it has the same nutritional information but it makes 3.5 servings instead of 2.5, so we have to pull one out instead of just splitting the box). But this one was good!



Add to it whatever veggies you like - sautée them first in a pan with whatever seasonings you might want to add. Mushrooms, broccoli, zucchini and roasted red pepper from a can:



And voila! A yummy dinner! Topped with just a few crumbles of bleu cheese.



This was actually a HUGE portion (we have big bowls :) ) About half way through it didn't even look like I'd made a dent!



Dinner calories: ~415.

Dessert:
Husband and I settled on the couch to watch March of the Penguins (cute movie - I can't believe how long they go without food!!). And for dessert we had our egg nog ice cream!! I had a full cup (I had the room) and got in my holiday egg nog fix. I have to say, for 110 calories a cup, this is better than the real stuff!!

I try to avoid processed foods and "fake" things, but I thought for ice cream this one had pretty good stats, particularly for a once-in-a-while treat.

INGREDIENTS: milk, skim milk, cream, corn syrup, sugar, egg yolks, whey protein, tapioca maltodextrin, natural flavor, nutmeg, cellulose gum, annatto color, mono and diglycerides, turmeric color, guar gum, carrageenan, dextrose, vitamin A palmitate



I also had hot tea to balance out the coldness!! It's not exactly the season for ice cream :)



Dessert calories: 220.

This afternoon I also snacked on a mini box of raisins, as my banana didn't do very well to fill me up :( I didn't want anything filling since dinner was looming, and these were perfect to tide hunger.



Total Friday calories: 1901

-661 through workout and 2 walks

= net of 1241. Just over my daily goal of 1226, and no biggie since I was under a few days this week. And I did get lots of exercise today!

Tomorrow we're getting up to hit the gym before we head into town to watch our alma mater, Davidson College, play Duke. I'm not sure which team I'm routing for, as I was a huge Duke fan growing up (and still am...). May the best team win!

Dining Hall CLOSED = Unexpected Bad Situation

No time to type!!!! Here's a photo recap. The dining hall was closed so my mother in law raved this place with homemade soups only for us to get there and find it out it was a smoky bar with pub food. Ewwww.

I had vegetarian black bean chili, which I guessed was 200 calories. 100 for 1/2 cup of beans and 100 for the rest of the cup (all veggies, cooked). I ate the 2 saltines it came with.



Also had a salad of iceburg lettuce, bell peppers, homemade croutons, and raspberry dressing (which I think was low-cal because it was really runny).





Also had two sips of husband's beer!

I think I did a great job making the best of a bad situation. I ordered my salad without cheese or creamy dressing and the healthiest soup I could find. But the bad part was it only added up to about 300 calories, including saltines and beer sips, so I was pretty hungry when I got home.

Had some toast with jam:



Dinner 1 + Dinner 2 (toast) Calories: 405.

I also ate the other half of my Kashi bar during class, but that was already accounted for!

AND, I got in about 15 minutes more walking across the campus.

Afternoon Snack:



Total Thursday calories: 1616 (man, this has been a low week!)

- 571 thru walks and workout

= net of 1045. Geez. I'll eat a little more tomorrow!

Night!!

Tropical Delight, As Promised!

Tropical Shrimp + Beans over Brown Rice

with Pineapple, Green Beans, Warm Walnuts, and Toasted Coconut

Another great dinner!! The husband and I thought this one up a few days ago and I couldn't wait to try it out! We ended up not having black beans, so we used white navy beans instead. I had lots of calories left so I added in some toasted walnuts - which went beautifully with the coconut!

Ingredients:

• Frozen shrimp (about 20) thawed and peeled
• 1 cup navy beans, drained
• 7 oz canned pineapple (about 1/5 a cup)
• 1/2 a bag of green beans (about 6 oz)
• 1 oz toasted coconut
• 20 grams toasted walnuts
• Cinnamon and cumin to taste
  
• Brown rice on the side

And it was supposed to have avocado but we forgot!!

It was excellent, but I would recommend adding some of the canned pineapple juice, as it was a little bit dry.



Short Grain Brown Rice on the side:





Total dinner calories: ~500

Hot tea for dessert:



My delicious lunch held me all afternoon, but I had my apple out of hand around 3:45. I was busy at work and wanted another snack around 4:30, but I decided that I could wait until dinner. The lightrail was much more crowded on the way home - I couldn't even get a seat for the first 4 stops! But once I was reading my magazine, all was good :)

Here's my apple with the Charlotte skyline as the backdrop:



Total Wednesday calories: 1590

-472 from workout and lunch walk

= net of 1117

Guess I should have had another snack! Off to red in bed and get all cozy next to the husband :)

The Surprise Ingredient

Canned Clams!!!
Audience responds with "EWWWWWW!!!"

Linguine in a Tomato Clam Sauce
with Zucchini, Jalapeño, Capers and Spinach



The husband LOVED it!!!

Run:
Got off work around 2 p.m. and came home to relax. Around 3, husband and I went for our run. I made the mistake of trying to run too far on too little energy - we did a HARD 5.3 miles. My legs were like lead. I have more energy at 5:30 in the morning than I did today! If this is what it's like to be sleep deprived, I can't imagine those of you who don't get enough a few days in a row. I really feel sick! After the run, though, I felt a lot better, although my brain was no longer tired, my legs sure are! 400 calories burned though.

Snack:
Husband and I showered and put on all of our Davidson College sweats :)

I had a post-workout snack of unsweetened applesauce and half a serving of Kashi Heart to Heart. ~



Cocktail Hour:
We had an early dinner since I was getting hungry around 5:45. Dinner was all on me, and when I cook alone, I like to have a drink, even if it's just sparkling water and lime. Tonight I had a Gin + Tonic, but it only had about 1/3 an oz of gin.



Kath Cooks:
My production was inspired by this recipe from Cooking Light for Linguine with Clam Sauce, but I rarely follow a recipe and made quite a few changes to this guy.

In action:



Here's what was in my sauce:

• 10 oz of chopped zucchini (2 medium)
• 1 jalapeño, chopped fine
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed
• 1 big handful baby spinach
• 2 plum tomatoes, chopped
• 1 can crushed tomatoes
• 1 6.5 oz can minced clams, partially drained (EWW!)
• Basil, oregano, red pepper flakes, and Dry Sherry (just a splash)
• 2 tbsp or so of capers
  
• 1 tsp EVOO for veggies
• 7 grams grated fresh Parmesan
  

I served it over 2 oz whole wheat linguine for me plus 4 oz spaghetti squash (pre-cooked leftovers for more volume!). The husband just got 3 oz linguine.

Dinner is served!



Vegetable Mountain:



A volume eater's delight! (See below of the shocking low calories on this dinner!)



Leftovers. It is a RARE occasion that I don't clean my plate, but I was really stuffed when I got to the bottom. I gave this to the husband and subtracted 1/2 oz pasta from my bowl, which may have been a little less but the leftover sauce made up for it. I probably should have done without the spaghetti squash on the bottom, but who knew 2 oz of linguine was this much pasta!?



Total dinner calories: 398!

The reason this HUGE bowl of pasta is not very high is that I used lots of vegetables to bulk it up and used crushed tomatoes and added my own seasonings instead of jarred tomato sauce, which is usually pretty high in calorie. This dinner was amazing! I think next time I'd like to use bigger pieces of clam. These were good, but they were so tiny I didn't get too many bites where I thought "Mmmmm, clam!"

Total Tuesday calories: 1559.

Amazing since I was awake for so many hours, but I never got too hungry. I think it was the super-filling meals - oatmeal, soup, and vegetable delight.

-410 through 5.3 mile run

= net of 1149. I'm waaaay too full to have the rest of my allotment.

Off to watch some March of the Penguins with the husband then it's up to read in bed and hit the sack early. Night!

Thanksgiving Leftovers.....Or Was It???

Cranberry-Walnut Chicken Rice Salad

Tonight was a mish-mosh of a dinner. We were supposed to have leftover turkey, but our families ate it all the day after Turkey Day!! So husband baked some chicken breasts this afternoon for tonight's planned Turkey and Wild Rice Salad.

We just used the recipe as a guide though. We had some leftover brown rice and black beans (like 7 days leftover - it had to go!) and I chopped up some celery, carrots and green beans to bulk it up some more. On the side, I warmed up 4 oz of shredded chicken in a skillet and toasted about 2 tbsp of walnuts. Also added 1 mini box of raisins instead of the cranberries (I can't find cranberries without added sugar - grrr!). Lastly, I made the dressing from leftover cranberry sauce, tangy mustard, 1 tsp EVOO, and Williams-Sonoma Aged Balsamic vinegar and topped it all over some baby spinach. And topped that with 1 oz of plain yogurt!! Whew!



The heavily toasted walnuts and cranberry sauce really made the dish. I didn't really taste much else!

From above, with my Thanksgiving pumpkin candle. ~ 415 calories. (It was pretty high because of of the 1/2 cup of black beans and rice for 120 cals, which I barely tasted! I like my rice on the side of things, not mixed in.)



Uggg. Charlotte rush hour was NOT pretty tonight! I had a bite of freshly cooked spaghetti squash when I got home and packed my lunch for tomorrow.



Total Monday calories: ~1650

-486 at the gym

= 1186 net. I'm a little hungry (or just thirsty, probably) but I have GOT to get in bed RIGHT NOW!!! (See below :) so there's no time for a snack!

Tomorrow:
I've got to get up at 3:15 a.m. tomorrow to host a client on a 5-8 a.m. newscast! YIKES!!! This means:

1. No workout in the morning. I'm hoping to get in a workout in the afternoon, but it depends on how tired I am. I may have to settle for a short walk, but husband and I are planning a 3-4 mile run as of now.
2. I get to leave work early because my workday starts at 4:30!
3. I need to get in bed NOW!!!!

I made my oatmeal tonight on the stovetop (I like it made with half milk and half water on the stovetop - it's creamier and has more texture that way!) so all I have to do tomorrow is toast walnuts, measure peanut butter and nuke the oatmeal and pears! I've got everything all set up and ready to go :)

I'm not sure if I'll be able to post breakfast or not - it depends on how late I'm running, but I'll certainly be here for lunch!

Comforting Dinner

Creamy Butternut Squash, Carrot and Root Vegetable Soup

I decided to make Butternut Squash and Carrot Soup tonight to use up some things we had on hand. It turned out great!! I nibbled on 2 Kashi crackers and some of the root vegetables while packing my lunch for tomorrow, which is going to be SO yummy!! I was pretty starving at 5:30 since I didn't eat much today, but the nibbles helped tide me until the soup was ready. And we have two servings of this soup left for Tuesday's lunch.

Recipe:

• 1 butternut squash, peeled and chopped (2 pounds, 4 oz worth)
• 3 carrots, chopped (9.5 oz worth)
• Leftover root vegetables (4.5 oz worth)
• 1 small box Pacific Brand Carrot Cashew Ginger Soup (These make the BEST soup bases!!)
• 1 cup of water
• Peeled and chopped ginger root, about an inch
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• Cinnamon and nutmeg to taste
• About 1/3 cup fat free half and half (any kind without trans-fat)
  

Put all vegetables in pot over high heat. Let cook around to sear on the outside. Add liquids and seasonings. Simmer for 20-30 minutes until squash is tender. Puree with a stick blender (or transfer to blender and puree 75% of mixture). Divide between 2 bowls and 2 tupperwares for the leftovers! This made a very thick soup. You could add a little more water or broth to thin it out some.

~250 calories per serving.



I had Kashi crackers on the side:





Total dinner calories: ~335

Total Sunday calories: 1277. Whoa!

Didn't get in a walk, but I could use a rest. We totally would have gone walking if the weather hadn't been so rainy and gross. I'll be back at it hard tomorrow morning at 5:30 a.m.!!

= net of 1277. Just over weight loss net goal. I'm really full from the soup, so I may just get in bed soon and hit the sack early. Mondays are easier if I get in bed at 8:30 or so :)

I'm Done!

Whew. Done eating out. Done overeating. I'm ready to get back on track (and couldn't be more excited about eating healthy again!) I think I did some damage this weekend, but not as much as it could have been thanks to a few hard workouts and good choices.

Saturday recap:

Lunch:
Once we arrived in Spartanburg we had Progresso Reduced Sodium Gumbo with grilled cheese. I had my grilled cheese open-faced to save calories. Also had a Diet Coke.









Lunch calories: ~371. Rather low!

Snack:
I was starving around 2:30, so I decided to try the Kashi GoLean Crunchy Pretzel Chocolate bar I brought along if I needed it. 150 calories, 8 grams of protein, 5 grams of fiber. It was good, but I was expecting more pretzel and less chocolate. I only got a few tastes of pretzel. But it did a good job holding my hunger for a late dinner. I'll probably get these again, but I didn't think it was as good as the TLC bars. But the stats are heavier for longer tiding of hunger. Hard decision!



I also had a few sips of husband's nonfat latte at Barnes and Noble. Sorry, no photo.

We came back to get ready for dinner and I had a few Wheat Thins and some of the husband's Bourbon on the rocks. I LOVE this drink, but only as sips from the husband. I don't think I'd want my own. I am certainly acquiring a taste for liquor these days! Bourbon reminds me of Christmas, so that's why I love it :)



Total snack calories: ~225, which put me around 1,000 for the day. Had plenty available for dinner.

Dinner:
But........unfortunately I blew it at dinner!!! I made healthy choices, but I just ate too much and did way too much nibbling off of other people's plates. It was also the kind of place that I couldn't pass up on wine (we got 2 bottles for the table) so I had about 8 oz - not. good.

Had two of these:



Had a tiny piece of bread:



And two mussels from the appetizer:



Husband had frog legs for his appetizer - ewww! I couldn't bear to try them, although I believe they did taste like chicken. Duh.



I had a tomato / goat cheese / balsamic / pesto salad to start. I had 2 of the 4 tomatoes and shared the rest.



I went with the healthiest choice I could: Grilled pork chop with asparagus and beets. Well, the pork chop was covered in butter sauce and served over buttery grits (NOT on the menu!), the asparagus was just 3 spears and the "beets" were just two beet chips. All topped with fried carrots. Of course I ate too much of the grits (probably half served) but I did only eat about 1/3 of the pork chop and gave the rest to the husband. I wanted the Grouper, but I got this because it seemed healthier, but the grouper was a much better choice!! Ugg. Oh well. It was good.



Also had 2 bites of husband's filet, about 4 french fries, and 1/4 of this braised cabbage, which was SOOO good. Not sure the nutritional, but I logged it as 50 calories.



Since the restaurant screwed up our order a few times, we got 2 free desserts (too bad they couldn't just have reduced the bill instead of giving us food we didn't need!). I had about 4 bites of the creme brulee....



And two of the chocolate mousse....



And a decaf coffee....



So that was dinner. I ate about 1,000 calories, and did NOT do a very good job, thanks to the wine. But as always, it could have been a lot worse. Amazingly, I did so well during the first half of the day that I hit about 2,000 calories total. Thanks to 500 calories worth of exercise, I net about 1400 - which is actually acceptable.

The worst part was that I when we got home and I was a little tipsy, I had 2 Starburst and 2 Wintergreen candies. Totally out of character!!! I told you wine is my best friend and worst enemy. I think I was just sad the day was over. I logged them though, so they're included in the numbers.

All three holidays, I was at or just over maintenance calories, so although I drank and ate too much, I didn't do as much damage as it feels like. Just a few days of healthy eating will get me right back to where I was.

And I can't wait to resume my healthy lifestyle!!