President's Adult Fitness Challenge

Remember the fitness tests in phy ed from way back in grade, middle, and high school?  I do...in fact...I think I remember it way too much!  It was such a source of stress for a chubby little kid like me.  When I say stress, I mean from the moment that I heard that the fitness tests were coming, I would think about it all the time and wonder how horrible I would do that time around.  1-mile run?  Yeah, it was more a walk.  Shuttle run?  Not too horrific.  Curl ups?  Always semi-okay here.  But, flex arm hang?  HA!  I still can't do that even with working on my upper body strength all summer.  I was always so jealous of the kids who could do well and always felt horrible when I didn't get a medal. 

So I was thinking about this tonight (I can honestly admit that I have no clue what triggered this), I started wondering if there was an adult fitness test similar to what we were subjected to as kids.  Sure enough...there is!  And, oh it is so much easier!  Well, I mean, at least they don't expect me to do the flexed arm hang anymore!

So, I was pretty bored tonight as the semester has not yet started and I am out of books to read.  I figured I might as well give this a go.  Now, I kind of cheated a little here.  I used my average mile walk time and heart rate after one mile from the gym yesterday when I walked 4 miles on the treadmill.  Otherwise, the other components are the sit and reach (ugh...), 1/2 sit ups, and pushups.  Here's my results:

The results here are kind of funny as they are so similar to where I remember being as a chubby kid.  I probably could walk faster but I thought my heart rate wasn't too bad.  Aparently, I'm not up to par with the rest of my age group though!  BUT!  Heck yeah!  I crushed the sit-ups and push-ups!  Oh yes, my strong exercises as a kid are still strong as an adult (and I would argue they are much stronger than when I was a kid).  Flexibility was so-so.  I know I'm not the most flexible at the moment, I didn't need the President's Challenge to tell me that!

Final thoughts on this?  Basically, I am only 1/2 way to my weight loss goal and my overall score is in the 57th percentile.  I'm good with that right now, especially since I'm fighting a cold right now.

On another note, I was finally getting used to the cooler weather and getting super in the mood for fall and...wham.  Hot weather!  I'm not looking forward to baking in my extremely sunny, non-air conditioned office tomorrow, especially since I'm pretty congested with this cold/sinus infection/thingy.  I've decided to try to think of it as a free sauna!  Two more days of hot and then cool fall weather will be upon us.  I even saw some low temperatures in the 40's for next week!  Perfect weather for the start of September!

Ode to My Food Scale

Most people who know me personally know that at this point in my weight loss journey, I choose to count calories over any sort of weight loss program.  Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against these programs.  I've had success with Weight Watchers and have known numerous people with success with WW and many other programs.  It works for them and that's great! 

For me, I need ultimate control over what and how much I choose to eat.  I find that if I just eat what I'm told to eat, I get pretty unhappy and start to rebel and then gain back whatever weight I had lost in the first place.  For the first ~25 lbs I lost, I focused on eating healthy and controlled my portion sizes.  It worked well and it wasn't until I plateaued from about September-February last year that I realized that I need to take this a step further to be successful.

So the second half of the weight that I've lost thus far (up to 57lbs gone now!), has been shed using a food journal, food scale, and calorie counting.  My original food scale was analog and a hand me down.  It was fine for keeping control of things like portion sizes, but it had a pretty low weight limit and my new dishes were a little too heavy to weigh out an entire meal on it.  I decided this summer that it was time to step it up a notch and really get serious!  I am now the proud owner of this guy:


Precision Digital Food Scale



Isn't he cute?  He may be small, without a lot of frills, and inexpensive but he sure gets the job done and is displayed proudly on my counter top.  My food scale is very possibly my favorite kitchen tool, which says a lot considering I am an avid cook and have every possible kitchen tool out there (okay, not every kitchen tool, but I have quite the collection!).  So, now I weigh everything, calculate out the calories, and then add it all up in my food journal to reach where ever I have my calorie limit set for the day.  This also helps me to not go below 1200-1300 calories a day.  That's just too few calories for me to survive on and I'll wake up in the middle of the night and raid my fridge.  Not cool.

When you start weighing your food some things come as a shock.  For instance, I always used things like ketchup as a "free food" (one that I never considered worth many calories), but in actuality, I was eating 50-100 calories of ketchup sometimes!  No wonder I got to the weight that I used to be so easily!

As for the source of where I find calorie information, prepackaged food will list it on the package of course.  But, since I mostly try to eat foods without nutrition info listed (fruits, veggies, etc.) I typically use CalorieKing.com to find calories per ounce.  CalorieKing is a weight loss program in and of itself, but you can search calories of everything for free.  You can look at SparkPeople.com too.  Spark People is a free weight loss program that you can use to create an online food journal.  I really prefer pen and paper myself though.  When I'm on the go, or away from a computer, I use Jillian Michael's Master Your Metabolism Calorie Counter book.

While I wouldn't say this book has the most thorough coverage of food choices, for instance she does not list mushrooms, it works in a pinch.  I'm sure there are better books out there but since I use CalorieKing, I don't worry about it.

So, I'm always asked, "Isn't counting calories tedious?"  To that I say, yes.  It can be.  BUT, is it any more tedious than counting carbs or points?  No.  It's something you just have to get used to.  Eventually, even when you aren't trying to, you start to memorize calories per ounce or serving size.  If I go out for lunch or dinner, I can usually estimate calories fairly accurately now.  Plus, it keeps my basic math skills sharp. :)

All in all, I think I am willing to put up with tediousness as I am finally fully committed to getting healthy.  I truly think weight loss is a mental game.  When you get your head in the game and fully commit, health just sort of happens.

Closet Shopping

No, I am thinking about buying a closet.  However, I am basking in the glow of shopping out of my own closet!  This is something that almost anyone with a significant amount of weight to lose can relate to.  In my closet, I've had a number of bins of "skinny clothes" (anything that is likely 2-3 sizes smaller than where I started) starring me in the face for years.  Now, when I moved in May and again in July, I went though those bins and donated/gave away any article of clothing that looked as though it belonged in the 1990's or early 2000's or if it was just something that wasn't my style anymore. 

However, I kept two bins of clothes that was classified as "cute-skinny clothes" (i.e. anything that didn't fit yet, but hopefully would in the future and are cute/classic enough to still wear even though they are at least 4-6 years old).  The idea behind closet shopping is that you can go into these bins as you progress in your weight loss and pull out "new" clothes without it costing you a dime. 

As my current pile of jeans requires a very tight belt to avoid them falling to the floor as I walk (or just stand there, as I found out the other day), I thought I might as well do some closet shopping when I was sitting around not able to sleep last night.  I pulled out every single pair of jeans from the skinny bins and voila!  Every one of them fit!  It's crazy how you don't even realize you are loosing inches when you aren't paying attention.  These jeans didn't fit a month ago and I've only lost about 5 lbs since then.

Here's the important thing about closet shopping:  it shouldn't work the other way.  I am refusing to put together "pudgy bins" (sorry, I hate the word "fat"!) as I don't ever want to even think about the possibility of gaining the weight back and wearing those clothes again.  So, all my clothes that are too big get put into a big pile and are given away or donated.  I didn't even keep my largest pair of pants like you see so often in those weight loss commercials and shows.  I don't care about all that.  I don't want them in my house!

So this week, it looks like I need to go through my skinny bins and see what else I have in there that fits.  I was given some smaller clothes from a kind soul who took pity on me having to buy every size on the way down to my goal weight, so I think my skinny bins will be refilled with those clothes.

Finally, bear with me as the design of my blog keeps changing without me doing anything!  I'm going to give it (whatever "it" is) a little time to settle down and then I'll change it to fall colors (I love seasons!).

Figgy-Flax Granola

Lots of recipes lately!  I've had time to cook this week and am trying to use up some of my pantry items that I've moved twice this summer.  Today, I wanted to make a snack that would be easy to take to work as the weeks will be starting to get busier as the new semester approaches.  I usually make cinnamon and flax granola but I found a good deal on dried figs  (yum!) at our downtown natural foods market on Thursday and thought they would be a great addition! 

This recipe can be changed to meet your tastes.  Don't like sunflower seed?  Use almonds!  Can't find figs?  Use dried apricots or dried pineapple!  Aren't as cinnamon crazed as I am?  Leave it out!  Like something sweeter and/or a more chunky granola?  Add more agave!  I've always found homemade granola to be a trial and error food.  Everyone likes something different.  You can substitute however you'd like.

The best part about making your own granola is that you control how much fat, sugar, nuts, fruit, etc. that is in it, which is really important if you are on a special diet.  Plus, have you seen the price on regular granola, much less gluten free granola?  Yikes! 

Figgy-Flax Granola

Makes about 18 - 1/4 cup servings

Nutrition Information for every 1/4 cup serving: 120 Calories, 2 g Fat, 21 g Carbohydrates,  3 g Fiber, 2.7 g Protein

Ingredients
2.5 cups whole grain rolled oats (I use Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Rolled Oats)
1/2 cup whole ground flaxseed meal (I use Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Flaxseed Meal)
1/4 cup (~1.4 oz) raw sunflower seeds
1/2 cup (~2.3 oz or 10 items) dried black mission figs, chopped
2/3 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup blue agave nectar
1 Tbsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with a silicon mat (or oil the baking sheet very well to prevent sticking).  Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix until the agave, cinnamon, and flax coat everything well.  Spread onto the baking sheet.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until toasted.  Stir 2-3 times to ensure even cooking.  I have always found the edges of the pan burn easily, so keep a watch on it during the last few minutes of baking.   Allow the granola to cool completely on the pan before storing.  Store in an airtight container in your pantry for up to 1-2 weeks.  This also freezes well for a longer shelf life.  Enjoy!

Apple Cinnamon Sorbet & GF Onion Rings (but not together!)

Today, I decided I wanted some sort of frozen treat to cool me off but I was too lazy to get my car out of the garage (it's an underground garage and my assigned spot is right between a fancy car and a cement wall so it's hard to get in and out of).  It's also too warm for me to walk down to the store and not have anything frozen completely melt on the walk back home.  So, I decided to make sorbet!  I don't have an ice cream maker, but I think this turned out well.  It requires that you stir every 1/2 - 1 hour for the first few hours so you have to stay fairly close.  You can make this sugar free by using Truvia or Stevia or you can use agave nectar.  This would be a great treat on an Indian-summer day in the fall!  Check further down for my gluten free onion ring recipe!

Apple Cinnamon Sorbet

FYI for those who have a hard time sticking to a serving size when it comes to frozen treats (like me!), use smaller bowls!  I love to use these small prep bowls.

Makes 4 - 1/2 cup servings

Sugar-free version is 84 calories per serving

Agave nectar version is 144 calories per serving.

Ingredients

2 large gala apples, cored and cut into 1/4" chunks*

1 large Bartlett pear, cored and cut into 1/4" chunks*

1 cup water

1/4 cup Truvia -OR- Stevia-based sweetener -OR- Agave Nectar

1 tsp cinnamon (if you are as cinnamon-obsessed as I am, you can use 2 tsp of cinnamon)

Add all ingredients into a pot and bring to a boil on the stove top.  Reduce heat and simmer until the apples are very soft.  Take off the stove and puree using an immersion blender or a regular blender.  Place into a freezer safe container and let cool on the counter for a 1/2 hour.  Chill in the freezer for 6 hours, stirring every 1/2 to 1 hours for the first 3 hours.  Enjoy!

*You can peel the fruit if you want a very smooth sorbet.  I prefer to leave it on for a chunkier sorbet as the skins of fruit add extra fiber and nutrients.

Oh...onions!

I love onions!  Since needing to go gluten free, I have missed onion rings.  I don't love fried foods, but onions rings are great!  I have made the following recipe a number of times and, even though the onion rings look a little messy and look a little homely, they are crunchy, fantastic, and completely hit the spot!  You will not want to share these, which is fine because the entire batch is about 240 calories!  Chow down!

Gluten Free Baked Onion Rings

Serves 2, unless your really hungry or craving onion rings, then it only serves 1.

Ingredients

1 large yellow onion, cut into thick rings and separated

1 egg white

1 tbsp ground flax meal

2 tbsp medium grind corn meal

1 slice gluten free bread, toasted and crumbled (I used Udi's)

Salt and Pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

Dash smoked paprika (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350F.  Mix the egg white and a dash of water into a shallow dish.  In another shallow dish, mix the flax, corn meal, crumbled bread, and spices.  Dip the onion rings into the egg white and then into the dry breading mix.  Spread out onto a sprayed (or oiled) baking sheet.  Once done breading all of the onion rings, spray the top of the rings lightly with olive oil and bake for 20 minutes, or until the breading is golden brown.

Stuffed Pepper Soup

Long time, no blog!  It's been a busy summer!  But, now that I'm back to work preparing for the 2011-2012 school year, I'm back to having a little more time to do this! 

On my way back from a 4-mile walk yesterday, when I was literally 2 blocks from my apartment and directly in front of work, I tripped on a raised piece of sidewalk and fell flat on my face.  You've never seen anyone fall and stand back up so fast!  Now, normally, I laugh this off and I did a little last night.  I thought I just had some scrapes on my hands and left knee and a bruise on one of my wrists.  However, as I was walking around town for a meeting this morning, I started getting very stiff and sore and now I have a small bruise on the side of my stomach that hurts like you wouldn't believe!

I still am laughing at myself with the mere thought of me falling flat on my face while just walking (typical!), but I am also really not feeling well.  Which leads me to my Stuffed Pepper Soup recipe.  I didn't have any leftovers in my fridge tonight and all my lettuce still needs to be cleaned up before I can eat it so I was looking for a quick fix and a way to use up some peppers that I had left over from last week's farmers market and my dad's garden.  So, stuffed pepper soup was the best answer to an easy fix meal when I'm not feeling well!  I don't remember where the original idea for this recipe came from, if I remember, I'll add it to the comments section.  However, I've made quite a few changes to the original recipe and this is a recipe that I keep in my head.  Enjoy!

Stuffed Pepper Soup

Serves a lot of people :)
Ingredients:
1-2 sprays olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 lb 99% lean ground turkey breast
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 28oz can of crush tomatoes
3 c chicken stock
1/2 c rice of your choice (*see note below)
2 tsp dried Italian Seasoning
Salt and Pepper
2 large or three small bell peppers of assorted colors (I used green and purple this time around), cut into 1" bite-sized pieces
Parmesan cheese for topping (optional)

Spray a large dutch oven or soup pot with olive oil and add in the onion, ground turkey, and garlic, breaking up the turkey as it cooks.  Once the turkey is no longer pink and the onions are translucent, add in the tomatoes, stock, rice, Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper to taste.  Bring to a boil and then lower the heat to medium-low.  Simmer the soup until the rice is soft and almost fully cooked.  Add in the bell peppers and stir.  Simmer for another 5 minutes.  That's it!  Yum!  Leftovers are amazing!

*Note on the rice:  You have to use non-instant rice in this recipe!  You will regret instant and quick cook rice when you go to reheat the leftovers and all the rice is mush!  Regular rice only takes about another 15 minutes to cook vs. quick-cook brown rice.  You can really use any rice you like, I'm sure white rice is great in here.  I've used brown, brown basmati, and "forbidden black rice" (pictured above).  All have been equally tasty!