First of all, I owe a shout out to my friend Tracee in San Diego who is like my 2014 twin. We have so many of the same resolutions and we are making many of the same changes this year. I know that we will both succeed and she is doing an awesome job so far!
OMG take me back to June 2012 when I was tan, skinny, and in California, wine tasting in a gigantic hat
Well, I have two pieces of sorta-good news. #1, I just got this e-mail:
...and that's just in the past 5 days (probably mostly in the last 2, though!). And #2, it may be too early to sing the praises of garcinia cambogia, but I've been taking the supplement for a few days now and it really seems to be blocking my appetite. I'm currently sitting in front of 2/3 of my dinner, wondering if I even want any more. I did the same at lunch. I even resisted all of the snacks at work today (except my co-worker's amazing hummus, which thankfully made my leftovers bearable). Did I mention that we have work parties, like, every day? We definitely love our food, so I was proud of myself for resisting all of the chocolate, cookies, and leftover holiday goodies that nobody wants in her house after ringing in the New Year.
I'm pretty sure I'm done eating for the day (and I might even put half of my dinner in the fridge) so here are my totals (which will obviously go down if I do):
Fat: 11 g
Carbs: 249 g (OK, WTF, really?)
Protein: 54 g
Calories: 1,313 (101 under budget! Woohoo!)
I didn't make it to the gym yesterday due to staying out too late on Saturday night, and I didn't make it today due to leaving my headphones at home (classic excuse, right?). One of these days, I'll make it (I'm looking at you, Wednesday) and then I'll be in a good place, calorie-wise! But what's up with these carbs? Vegan friends, please weigh in! Do I have to give up bacon, cheese, and potatoes? And couscous? Ay dios mio.
I woke up at 5:20 this morning using the Sleep Cycle app (shaking my fist that I could technically sleep for another 40 minutes). I usually wake up starving, but I never have time to eat breakfast. I get to work at 7:00 and my lunch break is at 10:23 (seriously), so if I eat anything at all for breakfast, it's usually a granola bar or something (and I just learned the Special K ones I was eating are 360 calories).
Today, I didn't wake up starving. Today, I had time to eat breakfast before I left the house (standing over the kitchen counter, making coffee). Somehow, that measly 3/4 cup of the food of the gods, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, satisfied me. I could house an entire box of that stuff, but I was good. I grabbed my coffee and almond milk to go and then resisted that table of snacks in my office (I did have another black coffee with one Splenda to make up for the extra 40 minutes of sleep I usually get).
Lunch: Colossally Disappointing Spaghetti with Grilled Asparagus, Peas, and Lemon (Where?)
I was pretty excited to make this yesterday because I like the idea of peas in pasta and I like lemony pasta as well. I'll tell you how to do it (and then why you shouldn't bother).
Normally, these would be an awesome side
I tossed 8 stalks of asparagus in 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and 2 minced garlic cloves (to be honest, I probably used 3 or 4. I usually double the garlic that recipes call for). Then I grilled these in a grill pan (duh) on the stove top just until they got a little dark. I put these aside and cut them into threes.
I made the pasta - the recipe called for fettuccine and, I kid you not, I did not find any at Trader Joe's. I used spaghetti instead. Six ounces. SIX OUNCES. This recipe is for TWO SERVINGS. Who eats THREE OUNCES OF PASTA at a time? I live in NEW JERSEY. My mother is ITALIAN. Pasta should be eaten, like, by the box. I was going to have to limit myself to three measly ounces of pasta? I felt like this:
That left me with peas: I bought a bag of English peas in the produce section of Trader Joe's, so I steamed them in the microwave. When the pasta was done, I drained it and tossed it with the veggies. I also added about 2 tablespoons of minced fresh parsley, which I just decided that I hate. This was basically a bowl of peas with a few strands of spaghetti and some bitterish roughage. I could taste the lemon if I ate a piece of asparagus by itself, but that flavor was lost if I had a bite of everything together. And did I mention how starchy this was? Pasta needs some kind of sauce, people. Next time I'd toss it with some lemon and white wine, perhaps. I guess I should be avoiding olive oil. Oh there's more...I also made Baked Marinated Chickpeas.
These smelled like the best thing in the world while they were cooking, but I screwed up the recipe by using two cans of chick peas rather than two cups. After rinsing, these get mixed with a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, 2 1/2 tablespoons of tamari, 1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme, and 1/2 teaspoon of pure maple syrup. Then they're baked at 400 for about 20-25 minutes. Since the bean to dressing ratio was off, they came out a little dry. I ate them with my dinner, but the ones I brought for lunch are still in the fridge at work.
Dry beans and pasta-less pasta
Jen's homemade hummus saved my leftovers
Nutrition Facts
Pasta Calories: 385 Fat: 5 g Sat Fat: 1 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Protein: 15.6 g Carbs: 71 g Sugar: 6.5 g Fiber: 3.8 g Sodium: 165 mg Beans Calories: 285 Fat: 4.3 g Sat Fat: 0.4 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Protein: 15 g Carbs: 48 g Sugar: 3 g Fiber: 10.2 g Sodium: 432 mg Dinner: Moroccan Bean Stew with Sweet Potatoes I served this over a serving of Trader Joe's whole wheat couscous. The recipe makes 6 servings, so I'll be eating this for a while. Luckily, it's pretty good.
I mixed together: 1 teaspoon cumin seed, 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground coriander, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, 1 teaspoon dried basil, a couple of grinds a sea salt, a sprinkling of chili powder (insert footnote here), and black pepper. OK, footnote: The recipe actually called for a few (optional) pinches of cayenne pepper. I used my cayenne not too long ago, and it looked a little weird when I opened it...like, cobwebby. I figured it had just been sitting too long, unused, and I used some of it. Today, when I opened my cayenne, it was not only still cobwebby, but it had A FRIGGIN FLY IN IT. A living being hatched in my cayenne pepper. AND I ATE IT NOT THAT LONG AGO. Gag. I did not take a picture of my cayenne fly (okay, appetite fully gone), but here is how lovely the spices looked:
These went in a big pot on medium with a tablespoon of water. Instant smoke. I think I've inhaled more spices in the last two days than...well, I don't usually inhale spices so I don't know. I'm not used to this cooking without oil thing.
Shadowy iPhone photography
After a few minutes, I dumped in 1 1/2 cups of diced (or whatever sloppy technique I used) yellow onion, 4 (or 6) minced garlic cloves, and 3 1/2 cups of diced sweet potatoes (not peeled). I let this cook for about 8 minutes, stirring frequently because it was still very dry. Between yesterday's curry and today's...well, everything...I probably smell like a spice market. After that, I finally got to add some liquids - 3 cups of low-sodium vegetable broth and 3 1/2 cups of water. I also added a 14 ounce can of black beans and a 14 ounce can of chickpeas (both rinsed and drained) and a cup of dry red lentils (also rinsed). Once this boiled, I reduced the heat to medium-low and cooked, covered, for about 20 minutes. The recipe calls for fresh grated ginger on top, but my grater is dirty. I just sprinkled on some ground ginger and served it all on top of some couscous.
The final product
I'm not totally blown away by awesomeness, but this is hearty and pretty good. I prefer yesterday's curried tomato lentil soup, but this is even more filling. And the run down: Calories: 381 Fat: 2.8 g Sat Fat: .3 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Protein: 21 g Carbs: 71 g (COME ON!) Sugar: 7.5 g Fiber: 19.2 g Sodium: 397 mg And today's snacks: I had another oatmeal banana bite and this one was drier than the first. Next time I'll pop it in the microwave for a few seconds. OH, and I had one grape tomato.
Well, it's the end of day one. I ate everything I planned, which was 48 calories over my daily budget and a TON of carbs. Like, 274 g. Is that even possible? All of the recipes I used are from 21 Day Vegan Kickstart and I'm using their nutrition facts. Ummm...well, here's how it added up: Breakfast: Green Apple Oatmeal
This was easy, and I made enough for another day, too. I just made oatmeal with a cup of oats and threw in a diced green apple while they cooked. Sprinkled some cinnamon on top and done. It was, you know, oatmeal.
Per serving: Calories: 202 Fat: 2.8 g Saturated Fat: 0.5 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Protein: 5.6 g Carbohydrates: 40.2 g Sugar: 9.9 g Fiber: 6.4 g Sodium: 13 mg Lunch: Balsamic Zucchini Sandwich and Shorba Addis
Go Ninja, go Ninja, go!
I was iffy about this one because it involves a lot of things I don't like, namely, zucchini and roasted red peppers. However, I was excited to use my new Ninja (and to see if it actually worked) so I made the roasted red pepper spread first. All I did was puree half of a roasted red pepper and a half cup of rinsed cannellini beans. I spread this on a Trader Joe's Middle Eastern flat bread and topped that with 4 basil leaves. On top of that, I put strips of zucchini that I sauteed in two sliced garlic cloves and 1/2 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar. I'm happy to say that it turned out pretty awesome.
Per Serving: Calories: 274 Fat: 2.5 g Sat Fat: .5 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Protein: 16 g Carbs: 50.1 g Sugar: 15.8 g Fiber: 11.3 g
I actually made the shorba addis (curried lentil tomato soup) ahead of time and reheated it to have with the open face sandwich. This is a really thick and hearty soup that's more like a stew, and the recipe makes 3 servings. 1/2 yellow onion, diced
1 small carrot, diced 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 tablespoon curry powder (berbere is preferable) 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds 2 1/2 cups vegetable broth 1/4 cup tomato paste 1/4 cup brown or green lentils 1 Yukon Gold potato, diced 1/4 cup whole wheat orzo pasta
Note: I could not find fenugreek seeds anywhere. Instead, I used a drizzle of pure maple syrup.
This was amazing and flavorful. The entire meal was super filling, and afterwards I happily laid down for a food coma and episode of Portlandia aptly named "Cat Nap," because I soon fell asleep. Per Serving: Calories: 202 Fat: 1 g Saturated Fat: 1 g Calories from Fat: 4 Cholesterol: 0 mg Protein: 8.5 g Carbohydrates: 42.3 g Sugar: 7.7 g Fiber: 7.1 g Sodium: 157 mg
Snack Time: Oatmeal Banana Bites
This is something that I will definitely make again, with improvements. I mixed a cup of rolled oats, a cup of brown rice flour, a teaspoon of baking powder, a grind of sea salt, 1/2 a teaspoon of cinnamon, and a pinch of nutmeg. Then, I pureed two bananas and added that, along with 2 tablespoons of low sugar craisins. The batter looked pretty dry so I added a splash of almond milk. It turns out I forgot to add the teaspoon of vanilla extract...I think a little more banana would have helped, too.
I rolled 8 balls out of the batter and baked them on 350 for 15 minutes.
They're a pretty good size; big enough for a decent breakfast, I think. I'm glad I added the craisins and hopefully next time these don't come out as dry.
114 calories 2 g fat 0.3 g saturated fat 12% calories from fat 0 mg cholesterol 3 g protein 22 g carbohydrate 4 g sugar 3 g fiber 136 mg sodium
Dinner was actually a colossal disappointment, and unfortunately, I'm stuck with leftovers for lunch tomorrow. The Sunday doldrums are kicking in and I'm probably going to go to bed soon before I get hungry again. I'll share my sad fettuccine story tomorrow.
