Thursday Thoughts

I am so tired, but it's something I'm trying not to think about. I just want to push through and keep on truckin' until I drop!

Not really, but I really could use a break right now. The fact that I know I have less than a week until classes just makes it worse. That's when the real fun starts. Classes, homework, work, cooking, working out. Blogging? Sleeping? Hopefully.

Clearly, my posts have becoming more sporadic, it's just hard to cook during the day and work nights and make time for the gym AND find time to blog about what I've been eating. So, I think I'm just going to try to give quick overviews of my days as far as food goes. Recipes will be rarer, but hopefully seeing what I'm eating will inspire you to try a variation of what you see here. Just try and bare with me over the next few months, I'm sure the adventure will be interesting and telling.

It's only quarter to ten on a Thursday night and I'm already ready to hit the hay. And I'm going to do just that!

Work, Work, Work

I'm really happy that work has consumed my weekend, and I'm not being sarcastic at all. Being that this weekend I would have been moving back into college, I have a lot on my mind. It's better to keep myself busy right now. 

And with many hours of work comes many packed meals! 

Yesterday I had lots of snacks that included almonds, pecans, carrots, cucumber, and a Kashi chewy granola bar. And for dinner, I made a quinoa bowl before leaving my house. 

Taken with Instagram

With my quinoa I had shrimp, broccoli, mushrooms, and sun-dried tomatoes. Even though I had to eat it cold, it totally hit the spot last night. The protein from the shrimp kept me satisfied for the rest of the night shift. I will definitely be making this again!

Today I had a peanut butter sandwich on a deli flat, made with PB2, almonds, carrots, and peppers for lunch, and a Kashi bar for a snack. But what I was looking forward to the entire night was the dish I made this morning for dinner. 

Just looks like a bunch of chopped veggies, right? Well, there's actually an entire can of sardines mixed in too! This sardine and veggie mix has chopped cucumbers, carrots, peppers, onions, radishes, grape tomatoes, and green pigeon peas and alfalfa sprouts tossed in. All of this was combined with veganaise,  spicy brown mustard, lemon juice, and fresh ground pepper. And let me tell you, it was delicious! Now, if you're totally apposed to the thought of eating sardines, you can easily make this with canned salmon or tuna (salmon has way less mercury, so try that first). 

This salad is more of a typical lunch for me, but I wanted to have a higher protein meal for the end of the day (eliminates late-night snacking). 

See? It is totally possible to eat healthy with a busy work schedule. The key is planning. Yes, it takes some time, and preparing all of your meals takes more effort than running to Subway on your lunch break, and I promise you, it will keep you fuller longer. Not only is it beneficial to plan your meals when you're busy, but also making sure than you have healthy snacks with you throughout the day will keep hunger pangs at bay. Even if you're going out to run some errands, take a handful of nuts or a granola bar with you, this way you won't be tempted to go through the drive-thru for that greasy bag of french fries. 

A Rant About Vegetarianism

Can I just get something off my chest? Thanks.

It really bothers me when people assume the reason I lost weight was because I became a vegetarian. Yes, vegetarianism cut-out a lot of unhealthy foods from my diet, like Big Macs and deep-fried chicken tenders, but there are still a lot of unhealthy foods that don't include meat. Things like chips, fettucini alfredo, and Nutella are all fine in moderation, but when you have no control over your portions and eat junk until your stomach is about to regurgitate, it doesn't matter if you're a vegan or a carnivore, you will not lose weight.

Yes, becoming a vegetarian helped open my eyes to healthier options, but it didn't stop me from eating a pint of Ben and Jerry's in one sitting. There has to be a moment in your life, a turning point, when you look yourself in the mirror and say, "I need to get healthy," and then you need to focus on doing just that.

I thought I had that moment many times in my life. I can't tell you how many times I started a "new" diet throughout my short lifetime. But there was a moment, back in November of 2011, that changed my life forever.

I was sitting in my college dorm room with my roommate and it was around 11:30, 12 at night. We were watching SNL and talking about food, when my roommate looked at me and said, "Ya know what I could go for right now? Ice-cream." I agreed, having ice-cream always sounded like a good idea to me, it was my favorite food. After gushing about all the delicious ice-cream we could be eating, I looked at my roommate with this crazy grin on my face and asked, "Wanna go to Quick Chek?" And with that, we were off, no hesitation necessary.

Because I was obviously thinking about my health that night (ha-ha), I opted for Ben and Jerry's Half Baked FroYo. I'll spare you the gory details of how I devoured the entire pint like I was going to the electric chair, but like a drug addict, I forced myself to finish the entire pint, even when I started to feel full. Mind you, there are four servings in a pint of ice-cream. Immediately after, I went to bed. With an entire pint of frozen yogurt sloshing around in my stomach.

The next morning I felt like I had been hit by an eighteen-wheeler. I looked in the mirror and I hated who I saw staring back at me. This was not the person I wanted to be, I didn't even know her. That was the moment I knew I needed to change. For good.

Looking back, I don't regret that night because it showed me that I had hit rock bottom. Climbing out of that hole I had dug for myself over the years was no easy task, but it was definitely worth it. I learned so much about myself, fitness, and nutrition throughout the journey, and today, I can proudly say that that sad girl who glared back at me with tears in her eyes is no longer lurking behind my mirrors.

The reason for this long rant is to remind everyone that trying a new fad diet, cutting out carbs, or becoming a vegetarian will not solve your weight loss problems. Moderation, portion control, and exercise will, and if you don't want to put in the effort to get to your goal, then you haven't reached rock bottom. It's not about going on a quick-fix diet. It's about changing your life forever, and you need to be ready to take on that task.

So if weight loss, or getting healthy is something that you've struggled with, I ask you to look at yourself in the mirror, right now, and ask yourself if that person is the who you want to live with for the rest of your life. If not, then it may be time for you to re-evaluate your lifestyle. I can tell you from experience, it will be the greatest thing you ever do for yourself.

McDonald's Anyone?

Pssh! Why buy the grease from McDonald's when you can make something a lot healthier at home? I will never understand why our nation relies on fast food so much. Yes, it is convenient, and yes, it is cheap, but even with a hectic schedule and a budget, you can still eat healthy and nutritious foods. Eating well should be a priority in people's lives and it saddens me to think about all the people that are so apathetic about what they put into their bodies.

I have been striving to make healthy eating easy and accessible for even the most stubborn of eaters, and I think I may have finally bridged the gap. Introducing: the McDonald's Snack Wrap- Vegetarian Edition!

Boca Burger (cut in thirds), multi-grain wrap, guacamole, red onion, tomato, and sprouts, all rolled up burrito-style. In total, I think this lunch took me about 5-10 minutes to assemble and a lot less to devour it. 

I used a Boca Original Vegan burger, but you could use any kind of meatless burger (like black bean) when creating your own. If you eat fish, you could easily cook up a salmon burger, it would just take you longer. And if you're a carnivore, I would recommend a chicken or turkey burger if the thought of a veggie burger makes you a little nervous. 

My Snack Wrap was pretty unconventional by McDonalds' standards, so if you wanted something a little more traditional, fill your wrap with whatever you would normally put on a burger.

Easy, accessible, fast, and familiar. Now you really don't have an excuse for going through the drive-through when you can make something healthier in the comfort of your own home!

Wrap It Up

With being so busy from my new job (manager at a frozen yogurt shop), I've had to make a great effort to make sure I'm still eating right when I'm on the-go.

I got this idea for a snack when I was in need of some food before work.

Veggie Lettuce Wrap

I simply took two big leaves of romaine lettuce (I only used the dark, leafy green parts), spread two tablespoons of hummus in the center of them, and filled the wrap with tomatoes, peppers, onions, broccoli, and alfalfa sprouts. Then all I did was fold it up burrito style and chow down. 

I had lunch earlier than usual, so this was the perfect snack to hold me over until my snack at work (a Kashi bar), and then I would finally eat dinner when I got home around 7:30. 

This snack wrap would also be good with some avocado slices, or some guacamole. 

Absolutely Exhausted

I have completely neglected my pretty, little blog these past few days. It's just that I've been so tired that whenever I get free time, I just want to lay around and watch TV. Today is no exception. 

Don't get me wrong, I haven't just been laying around in my pajamas, eating bon-bons, watching Keeping Up With The Kardashians, I've been busy. Today, I thought was going to be a more relaxing, re-charge kind of day, but it has not turned out that way. 

I woke up totally energized, ate some dry cereal and the best peach I've had all summer, and headed out to the gym. My spirits were so high this morning that I knew I wanted to have a decent run today. I've been cutting back on my running because my knee that bothered me when I was overweight had been acting up. But today I had a nice run during my workout, and even though I really pushed myself, I still had a lot of energy. 

Like I said, I wanted to re-charge today, but after I had my breakfast, a delicious bowl of oatmeal (of course), I realized that I had a project that I needed to get a move on. My mission this summer has been to paint my bedroom furniture that I've had for about 15 years. It use be my mother's from when she was a child, so the set is about 50 years old. I did the night stand about two weeks ago, and today I did the tall chest of drawers. Emptying, cleaning, sanding, painting = exhaustion. My legs are very angry at me for running and then doing physical labor on top of it. Needless to say, I will sleep well tonight. 

But enough about me, this is a healthy living blog! 

Need some ideas for a quick lunch? Well I have two that I made this week that can easily be customized to suit your taste. 

A Taco Salad is always my go-to lunch when I want to get a filing meal in one bowl. 

A salad like this for me usually always includes romaine lettuce (One small head), brown rice (1/4 c. dry), black beans (1/3-1/2 c.), chopped peppers and onions, salsa, guacamole, shredded cheddar (very rarely), cilantro and hot sauce. This salad has so many toppings, there is no need for a dressing, but you could always drizzle it with a little lime juice to moisten it. It's just like getting a burrito bowl at Chipotle (minus all the extra sodium and grease). 

If you're not in the mood for a salad, or you're just a lunch-time sandwich eater, I made a Quick Shrimp Sandwich. 

This simple and fast sandwich is only 4 cooked shrimp (tails removed), 100 calorie deli flat, guacamole (as a condiment), red onion, tomato, romaine, and crushed red pepper flakes. Including the time it took for me to boil the frozen, raw shrimp, this sandwich took less than 10 minutes to assemble. And the lean protein will keep you satisfied until your afternoon snack or dinner. When I ate this, I also had fresh veggies, a small sweet potato, and a small handful of cherries for dessert. Totally stuffed. 

Something to think about: Do you make sure to get a healthy lunch when you're busy or in a hurry?

Pleasantly Surprised

My post-work out breakfast is always oatmeal, but today I decided to switch things up...kind of. 

Last night, I was browsing through Kath's blog (one of my favorites) and I stumbled across a recipe of hers, the Dough Boy Smoothie, and as soon as I stopped drooling, I headed to the kitchen to prepare it. The breakfast is a cross between overnight oats and a smoothie, so I was still going to get my oatmeal fix after the gym. 

Apparently, I was so excited to make the recipe that I misread the instructions. The recipe says to stick all the ingredients in the blender and let it sit in the fridge overnight, to thicken, then blend in the morning. I blended everything the night before, then put the mixture in a bowl in the fridge. Whoopsie! 

I realized this soon after I finished, but I definitely was not going to waste everything to make it again. So I went to bed last night a little nervous because I didn't know what I was going to find the next morning. 

To my surprise, everything in the bowl still thickened like it was suppose to! I was definitely thanking my lucky stars as I headed to the gym. 

When I got home, I emptied the mixture into a microwave-safe bowl and boy, it sure was thick. I live for super thick oatmeal so I was on cloud nine scooping out this new creation. The original recipe says to add more milk in the morning, blend, and serve cold. But I figured, since I already made the recipe my own from the start, I might as well just keep on following my crazy ideas. 

So, I popped my oatmeal in the microwave. And as I heated and stirred, and heated and stirred, I realized that a cake-like texture was beginning to form. This was the final result...

My oatmeal had blueberries and a half of a banana, hence the color. It definitely was no longer a smoothie, but it also wasn't a traditional oatmeal. Therefore, I introduce to you, the delectable, the delicious, the decadent, the Overnight Oatmeal Cake!

I loaded this "cake" up with sweet, salty, and savory toppings, as you can see. By the first bite, I had died and gone to heaven. Toppings include: walnuts, broken-up Kashi dark mocha almond chewy bar, PB2 (with extra water to make it running for drizzling on top), and puffed kamut cereal. Like I said, I'm currently sitting on an oatmeal cloud, blogging this from nirvana. The topping superstars were definitely the Kashi bar, with it's chocolatey goodness, and the slightly salty and melting PB2. I gave myself a pat on the back for that combo. 

Now, if you're on a diet, you may not want to add as many topping as I did because my bowl was a whopping 630 calories (oatmeal cake by itself is 345 calories). But I love having a hearty and filling breakfast that will fuel me for the rest of my day, so if you're just managing your weight like I am, go right ahead and fill-up your bowl. 

Overnight Oatmeal Cake

Adapted from Kath Eats Real Food

• 1/2 c. Rolled oats, dry
• 1/3 c. Plain low-fat yogurt
• 3/4 c. Milk (I use plain, un-sweetend almond milk)
• 1/2 Banana
• 1/3-1/2 c. Fruit of choice, or other half of banana 
• 1 T. Chia seeds, or ground flax seeds (essential for a more cake-like texture)

1. Add all ingredients in a blender, mix, then store overnight in a bowl so it can thicken.

2. The next day, heat the thickened mixture in a bowl until hot.

3. Add toppings and enjoy!

The texture of the oatmeal is a cross between a cooked cake and cake batter. It's not in any way runny like batter, but it also isn't light and fluffy like a cake. This recipe make a very dense, very moist cake. I cannot wait to make this again.

Something to think about: Have you ever made a mistake in the kitchen that turned out to be a miracle?