Two Blogs are Too Much

OK, all my followers… ok there are probably only a few of you, if any at all.

Regardless.  I have been maintaining two blogs over the last couple of months and I finally realized it’s stupid to have two.  My triathlon/active lifestyle and my food journey are completely intertwined, so it’s silly to separate them with separate blogs.

I have decided to merge this blog with my triathlon-focused blog.  I’m pretty sure I will end up talking about all kinds of things that are not really tri related…. so come by and follow me there.  I’m still going to post about my favorite foods, my WW journey and my quest for eating well- clean and delicious foods.

By the way, I realized I haven’t updated this blog with my WW updates lately, but I’m still on WW and still trying to drop some weight.  I have hit a bit of a plateau over the past 2 weeks, but I’m pushing through it.  I’m actually up 1 lb from the last weigh in that I posted on Jan 27.  That makes for a total of 6.2 lbs over 6 weeks.  An average of about 1 lb per week.  Still respectable, but not great.  I fell off the wagon a bit during the super bowl week and am trying to recover.  Doing this at 31 is definitely not as easy as it was when I was 21.

WW Update

I’m down 3.4 lbs this week!  Yes!

That makes for a total of 7.2 lbs over 4 weeks.  An average of 1.8 lbs per week.

Very excited by this progress. 

Are you doomed to be fat?

Livestrong.com always has interesting articles.  I particularly like the ones by Adam Bornstein.  This one hits home.

Genetics are a great thing—if they work in your favor. And if not, your journey to lose weight can be frustrating and at times appear helpless.

So where does that leave you?

With a simple choice: Make excuses or work harder.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/blog/blog/are-you-doomed-be-fat/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1.24.12#ixzz1kOVlgedV

White Chicken Chili – New Recipe

I have definitely been on a chili kick lately.  I tried a new recipe this weekend for White Chicken Chili.  It’s consistency is not as thick of as I would have liked, but it was delicious.

White Chicken Chili Recipe
(Adapted from this recipe: http://feelhungry.com/white-chicken-chili-recipe)

Ingredients
• 2 pounds of chicken breast, boneless, skinless
• 1 can of white kidney beans
• 1 can of red kidney beans
• 1 can of pinto beans
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 2 jalapenos, chopped
• 1 can of diced tomatoes (large can, drained)
• 3 cloves minced garlic (I used Dorot’s Garlic Cubes.)
• oregano
• salt
• chili powder
• red pepper flakes
• 32 oz. chicken stock

Instructions
1. Boil chicken breasts in water.
2. When the chicken is tender, remove from pot and use two forks to shred the chicken.
3. In a crock pot, place the beans, onion, peppers, tomatoes, garlic, chicken broth, seasonings and the chicken.
4. Cook on high settings for about 5 to 6 hours.
5. Garnish with sour cream (I used the light variety) and cheddar cheese.

I calculated this to be about 4 points per cup.  Full of protein, fiber and all kind of deliciousness!

WW Weigh In Update

Last week was the Bronto’s Q1 Sales Kickoff – which meant lots of meetings all day long and lots of events involving beer and wine in the evening.  I was not expecting a loss this week.  I did not disappoint.

I gained .2 on Friday’s weigh in (January 20).

This brings my overall weight loss to -3.8.  For 3 weeks.  I am not a fan of this, however, it’s 1.2 lbs per week and I’ll take that moving forward.

Looking for a good number this week.

Portobellos Stuffed with Greens and Blue

I’m definitely not a southern girl.  I don’t eat collards.  BUT, I saw this recipe and it looked delicious, so I decided to give it a try.  Turns out… I don’t eat collards for a reason.  I’m not a huge fan.  But, the recipe was good and I think I would LOVE it if I subbed in spinach for the collards.

Portobellos Stuffed with Greens and Blue
Serves 4
Recipe from wholefoods.com.

Ingredients
4 large (4- to 5-inch) portobello mushroom caps, stems removed
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, divided
8 cups chopped collard green leaves or other dark leafy greens (kale, mustard greens, turnip greens or a mixture), stems and tough ribs removed before chopping
1/2 red onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup crumbled Buttermilk Blue or other blue cheese

Method
Preheat oven to 400°F. Sprinkle mushroom caps with 1/4 teaspoon salt and place rounded side up on an oiled baking sheet. Bake until just barely tender, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine greens, onion, garlic, pepper, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 cup water in a large skillet. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; cover and cook, stirring frequently, until greens are very tender, 8 to 12 minutes. Add a few tablespoons water if the skillet starts to dry out.

Turn mushrooms over and fill caps with greens. Sprinkle with blue cheese, return to the oven and bake until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.

Nutrition
Per serving: 120 calories (60 from fat), 6g total fat, 4.5g saturated fat, 15mg cholesterol, 590mg sodium, 10g total carbohydrate (4g dietary fiber, 3g sugar), 8g protein

Quick Weigh In Update – Friday the 13th Edition

So, with WW, you have weekly weigh ins.  I choose to do mine on Friday, so I can start my points over for the weekend.  It’s much easier for me to “be good” and stick to points over the weekdays.  So, if I start over on Friday, it’s ok if I splurge a little, because I know what I have to do over the week.  Plus, I tend to have major workouts on the weekends and I tend to retain a little water as I recover.

This week was rough.  Not because of food and temptation.  Mostly because I’ve been doing a lot of strength training and it’s making me sore and tired.  But, I’ve kept on with the program… and the result was…

I lost 1.4 lbs this week. 

Yay.

4.4 down.  10 to go.  (I’d like to lose more than this, but my first milestone is at 14.4 lbs.)

Need to get some weight off these feet and ankles so I can run faster, better and longer, after all!

Friday Favorite: Cubed Frozen Garlic

There is nothing like fresh garlic.  It’s so delicious and fragrant.  That’s part of the problem, though… chopping garlic makes your hands smell for days.  Plus, it’s kind of a pain.

I found a great alternative at Trader Joe’s.  They are crushed garlic cubes – they are frozen.  So easy and they taste pretty damn good.  They come in a container that looks like a little ice tray.  You just pop out what you need and put it back in the freezer.

They are made by Dorot.  I have seen basil and cilantro, also at Trader Joe’s, but it seems like they also have parsley, ginger, dill, and chili.

Garlic has always been touted for it’s health benefits.  And it’s delicious.  Go eat it.  Then go and kiss your significant other.  It’ll be funny.

Trader Joe’s

It just has to be said.  I heart Trader Joe’s.

 

Friday Favorite: Clif Mojo Bar

My favorite bar, by far, is the Clif Mojo Bar.  I especially love the “Mountain Mix”, but the “Peanut Butter Pretzel” flavor is good, as well.  They are 70% organic and full of good stuff.

Pros: Delicious.  Easy, on-the-go breakfast.  Great for pre-workout.

Con:  Expensive.  Harris Teeter (my usual grocery store) carries them for 1.39 each.  Yikes.  You can get them for .98 at a few places, like Walmart and Trader Joe’s.

I have my friend, Jenn to thank for my addiction to these things.  She got me started on them and now I’m hooked.