Day Eighteen: 10 days left and 1/3 of the way to my goal!

I knew that today was going to be a good day when I woke up and beat that stupid chocolate level on Candy Crush. My craving for grilled cheese and tomato soup had subsided; however, now I wanted eggs. I settled for oatmeal. I've never gone through a canister of oatmeal so quickly.

Breakfast: Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal (not to be confused with pumpkin pie oatmeal, although they're not that different)

I adapted this recipe from Marshmallows & Margaritas (I love both of those things!) because the picture looked to die for. 

I mixed together a cup of water, a cup of original unsweetened almond milk, and a cup of canned pure pumpkin. This boiling on the stove might smell even better than bananas baking. I imagine that vanilla almond milk or almond-coconut milk would smell even better.

Once this boiled, I added about a cup and a half of old-fashioned oats - maybe more. The recipe called for 1 1/4 cups, but it looked more pudding-y than oatmeal-y. I ended up finishing the canister. I also added 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg and a teaspoon of cinnamon. I turned the heat down to low and cooked this for about 7 minutes (since I added more oats while it was cooking). I stirred almost constantly because this is the kind of thing that likes to bubble up and spit at you while it cooks.

Right when the oatmeal was done, I stirred in 3 tablespoons of Cary's Sugar Free Syrup. After portioning this out (it makes 3 servings), I added about a tablespoon of reduced sugar Craisins. After tasting it (very heavy on the pumpkin and nutmeg), I added about another teaspoon of the syrup.

Overall, this was pretty filling (OMG did I just say that about oatmeal?) and pretty tasty for around 200 calories.

One positive thing about taking Cymbalta is that it makes me so thirsty, I'm drinking much more water than I ever have - almost what I'm supposed to be drinking anyway. That helps to keep me full.

Lunch: Blue Smoothie!

I decided to change things up a bit, and this is definitely a winning combo! Today, I mixed the vegan protein and organic super greens powders with 1 cup of almond milk, a teaspoon of vanilla, and 3/4 cup frozen blueberries instead of ice. It's a bit thicker than usual and there's still a little bit of lingering chalkiness, but I'm actually enjoying drinking it instead of cringing. 

I followed up with the standard aloe, fiber, probiotic. No colon blow with this one.

Note to self: Do not drink a healthy smoothie while looking at a menu for Mexican food. It's in violation of the 8th Amendment.

Snack: Nap

Sleeping is my favorite dieting strategy. You can't be hungry when you're sleeping! I intended to have some delicious hummus as a snack, but then I took a warm bath because my tub is actually clean and I'm freezing. Then, I realized that Daria is on Hulu Plus, so I started watching that, and I didn't even make it through an episode. 

Dinner: Vegetable Stir Fry

I've had a bag of brown rice in my cabinet forever and a bag of Asian stir fry vegetables in my freezer forever, and it was time to put them to use. 

I started by boiling 2 1/2 cups of water on the stove and adding a cup of dry brown rice once it was rolling. Then I covered it, turned the flame to low, and let it do its thing for 45 minutes. If you know me, you know that I am terrible at cooking rice (which involves all of two steps, so I don't get it) but I was told to just leave the pot alone so I resisted temptation to lift the lid and stir.

After waiting a while, I threw the steam-in-bag in the microwave for 6 minutes.

My food photography game needs work

Meanwhile, I chopped up a stalk of celery and threw it (wow, apparently I do a lot of throwing in the kitchen) in a bowl with 1/2 cup shredded carrots (not realizing there were carrots in the stir fry mix - oh well, my eyes are getting worse, anyway), 1/2 cup shredded red cabbage, 3 chopped green onions, 1/2 cup sliced yellow onion, and a can of rinsed chickpeas.


When there were about 7 minutes left to go for the rice, I threw the vegetables in the bowl in a preheated skillet with a tablespoon of sesame oil. I probably should have put the onions in first and gave them some time to brown. After 3 minutes or so, I added the bag of Asian stir fry vegetables (mushrooms, red peppers, carrots, baby corn, water chestnuts, broccoli). Meanwhile, I'm pretending I'm at Mongolian grill.



After that went for a few minutes, I added 4 tablespoons of La Choy original stir fry sauce/marinade. I stirred it all together until the rice was done, then I portioned everything out (this makes 4 large servings at 334 calories total). I added some pea shoots and a sprinkling of lime juice to mine.

In retrospect, I would add more sliced yellow onion, some garlic (obviously), and more sauce.

However, this was a very large serving that should hold me over until bedtime. I'll be happy to have leftovers for lunch tomorrow...and the next day. 

I think I'm done eating, so here are my totals:

Totals	775	137	16	35	1,020	27
Your Daily Goal	1,200	150	40	60	2,300	45
Remaining	425	13	24	25	1,280	18
	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar

I still feel like I'm eating way less than I should be (I hear it's bad to eat under 1,200 calories) but I'm really not hungry. I lost 6 lbs in 17 days doing virtually no physical activity, so if I keep along this path, I'll lose another 6 lbs just in time to gain it all back on my trip to Tennessee! 

Until tomorrow...

Day Two

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. 

Here's my breakdown of the day -

Breakfast: Cinnamon Toast Crunch (3/4 cup) with Silk Almond milk (1/2 cup)

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. 

...until tomorrow!