Wednesday, July 31, 2013

First bike ride in 30 years!!!

Returned in 1 piece.

Too many Zucchinis make Italian Zucchini Pie

My Favorite Zucchini Recipe and the Modified Version

4 cups of chopped zucchini
1 cup chopped onion

Add
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp oregano



Cook 10 minutes in non-stick pan or until onions are translucent 

In a separate bowl add
2 beaten eggs
2 cups of shredded low fat mozzarella cheese

When zucchini mixtures is finished combine with egg/cheese mixture.

(If you don't care about calories, fat, etc. make a crust in a 10"pie pan out of 8 oz can of crescent rolls)
Bake 375 18 - 20 mins
Cover with foil for 10 minutes and then cook an additional 10 minutes for a total of 28 - 30 minutes

Let stand 10 minutes before service (cheese is a little gooey if you don't).

I make it without the rolls, no crust and it's yummy!







Friday, July 26, 2013

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie - this weeks new recipe 7/29/13

Ingredients
1/4 c Coconut Milk. Native Forest Organic Coconut Milk (BPA-Free Can)
3/4 c. Water
1/2 c. Organic Pumpkin Puree
1 scoop Prograde Vanilla Whey Protein Powder
1/2 tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice
pinch Celtic Sea Salt (can skip)
14 drops NuNaturals Pure Liquid Vanilla Stevia
6 Ice Cubes
Directions    : 


  1. Mix all ingredients in a high-powered blender.
  2. Enjoy!
Notes
Per Serving 250 calories, 10 g fat, 16 g carbs, 4 g fiber, 12 g NET CARBS, 26 g pro

BUT...

Down 16 pounds BUT... losing muscle.

Doesn't seem possible if you are working out 3 times a week that you could lose muscle. I mean really if are you losing weight, I could understand that you might lose some muscle BUT I'm also gaining fat? Really?!?

What a mystery - really this getting healthy thing isn't easy and it's not about following a diet or exercising, I AM DOING BOTH - it's about figuring out why things happen the way they do.

You can tell by the fact that I'm down 16 pounds I am "dieting".  I am exercising. I am seeing 2B two days a week and working out with her plus I am following a home exercise program, sooo I should be gaining muscle. BUT I am not.

Theory is if you under eat, your body will go to and use muscle for energy rather then fat (because the body is defending itself - so it uses the item using the most calories - muscle).

The theory fits well with the fact that I was normally eating 800 calories a day and wasn't losing weight BUT ugh... REALLY whoever heard of telling a heavy, person trying to lose weight, to eat more to lose weight?

If I wasn't going to 2B I would have thought I was doing fantastically. Exercising, losing weight moving along. BUT she points out the obviously flaw. If I'm losing muscle this isn't a good thing.

This journey won't be quick and it won't be easy BUT the good news is,  it's nice to have someone trying to help figure it out because I'm fresh out of ideas.




Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Cooking

Yep Food,

There is lots of it ... what is real food and what is "food product". Staying with real food gives you a lot more to eat and for less calories and it's better for you. We all know that - but the other STUFF, the "food products", taste good. I'm not missing eating food products at all and I thought I would. It's not that I can't have them, which is probably why I'm not missing them, it just that I'm trying to eat a whole lot less of them and eat more of what's good for me.

When it comes to real food, to be perfectly honest, I don't like the real food prep time. It takes longer to cook real food. For instance, yesterday, I had a protein shake with peanut butter for breakfast, no real prepare time ... sorta kinda, however,  I used to grab and egg or a Vita Muffin which took NO time at all to prepare. When you make a protein shake you have to get out the blender, gather the products, mix it, and clean up. I know, I know what's 3 minutes but even the easy foods like a protein shake take some time. 

Then there was lunch. I went out (lucky me). While I mulled over the menu looking at salads I really had to scan for a no-carb one. My friend, Barb,  had a strawberry, glazed pecan, spinach salad - an excellent choice except for those darn glazed pecans. I settled on a Mexican salad with no corn chips, and ordered it salsa and guacamole for the salad dressing.

Dinner, after my workout with 2b, consisted of another protein shake, I cut and cooked some vegetables and had chicken. 15 minutes of gathering and cutting plus cook time. Yeah, yeah, I know 2b - not enough calories.

Later that night I gathered and mixed the ingredients for blueberry baked oatmeal so that when I got up the next morning all I would need to do was toss the ingredients in a baking dish and wait.  But another 1/2 hour in the kitchen. I'm writing this as I wait and darn does it smell yummy.

I'll survive and the food is good, but really, when I get rich, I'm hiring a cook. Anyone know if Oprah's cook is looking for employment?