Tofu!

Yup, you read the title right - tofu is the topic today!

I have always had a fear of tofu. I remember that on a team trip one time, one of the mom’s had brought tofu to be one of our healthy snacks, and I was grossed out! Tofu, seriously? EW! It is a funny block of white stuff, it doesn’t have flavor of its own, what is the point? In all honesty, I sort of felt this way just a few days ago. But I’ve been reading about it on the blog world and the rave reviews that it receives, and decided that perhaps it was time. So, I went for it and bought some ‘extra-firm’ tofu in the natural section of my local grocery store.

I’ll keep you in suspense with my final review, and let you know how I prepared it.

First, I took the tofu out of the package. You want to get some of the moisture out of the tofu..... Wrap it in a paper towel, then in a dish towel, then place something heavy on top to weigh it down (I used a skillet with a bottle of olive oil in it) :)

I left it like this for about 30 minutes, but you could do it anywhere from 10-60 minutes. I unwrapped it and proceeded to cut it into cubes. I did leave two slices, that you will see further down. I placed these pieces in a tupperware, added soy sauce and some sesame oil and let marinate for 30 minutes. You can let it marinate for several hours. Then I took it out, sprayed the pan with nonstick spray and gently placed my tofu inside.

Some of the pieces were a little crumbly, despite it being extra firm. Not sure what to do about that.... anyways.... I browned slowly so that the outside was a little crispy and golden. Voila!
I placed the tofu alongside a dish of coconut beans and rice. I had eaten a salad while the tofu was cooking. [Coconut beans and rice: chop up onions and garlic, place in pan with olive oil and saute until translucent. Then add in 3 cups of cooked brown rice, one can of drained red kidney beans, and a can of lite coconut milk. I added salt and pepper at the end to season. This was based off of a recipe that I saw on eatingbirdfood.com]

For the big review - I LOVED it! It was delicious....soaked up the marinade flavors and I was surprisingly in love with the texture. Soft, but a little crisp on the outside. It reminded me a little bit of the texture of eggs. It was delicious and I enjoyed my leftovers in several ways throughout the rest of the weekend. Below is my yummy lunch from Saturday - coconut beans and rice, a green salad with romaine, tomato, avocado pieces, green bell pepper and balsamic vinaigrette. I toasted the whole wheat pita pocket, added in the tofu cubes, rice, wheat berries, lettuce, avocado and a little dressing. It was an awesome summer time meal - light and refreshing!!

Here's a shot of inside the pocket....
My final tofu creation was using the slices that I had made. I did this on Sunday and treated it as a burger, using the tofu in place of meat. Sandwich thin (100 calories), lettuce, tomato, garlic hummus, avocado and 2 tofu slices. Delicious.

Lesson for the week - don't be afraid to try something new in the kitchen, you just might realize that you have been missing out on something delicious for far too long! Now if you're ready to be really courageous.... go buy some extra-firm tofu and enjoy it this week! (If you do, make sure to let me know what you think and how you prepared it!!)

XO, Mary

I'm back.... talking about SNACKS!

I’m back! I had so much fun writing my first blog that I thought I should try my hand at another foodie write-up. Thought I would start out the blog with some good snack ideas. First up – bars. A lot of people think that it’s okay to go ahead and use a bar as a meal replacement….guess what, folks, not a good idea! These bars are made to be the perfect snacks, not meals. Most run at about 200 calories, which is not enough calories for a meal – so stick to using them as snacks. My two bar recommendations for you are: ‘Clif Z bar’ and ‘Larabar’. Both are great, without a long list of unpronounceable ingredients. The Larabars are awesome – 4-5 ingredients per bar! That’s my idea of perfection. I tried the key lime larabar today – the ingredients were: dates, cashews, almonds, unsweetened coconut, and lime juice concentrate. It was delicious and totally tasted like a dessert! [220 calories, 10g fat, 4g protein, 4g fiber]. I’ve only tried the blueberry for the Clif Z bar, but totally loved it – tasted like a blueberry muffin. [120 calories, 2.5g fat, 3g protein, 3g fiber].

Another easy snack is using fruit to get your fill. I coach swimming in the evenings, and I’m there from 530-830. Usually I would eat dinner somewhere in there, so I always bring a snack because I tend to get pretty hungry then! The other day I cut up some fruit (strawberries, banana, kiwi) and ate that along with my blueberry Clif Z bar.

I had leftover strawberries, so the next day I had a bowl of cereal for a snack – Kashi Heart to Heart, with light vanilla Silk soymilk, and cut strawberries on top. Whenever I’m hungry after I’ve already eaten dinner – my mom’s go to advice is to have cereal! I’ve learned to love this, as it really is just enough to fill you up, and if you have a healthy brand at home, can give you some good nutrients that your body needs at the same time.

One more snack for you guys..... baked potato and sweet potato fries. I did baked potato fries on Tuesday, and sweet potato fries Thursday. My SP fries picture didn't turn out very pretty, so just use your imagination to see the BP picture with an orange tint to it. :) Anyways.... this is easy to do and MUCH healthier than having fries out would be. I wash the potato thoroughly to start - leave the skin on because of the bonus of tons of nutrients and vitamins, but you want to make sure to give it a good scrub. Then I cut the potato in half from top to bottom (lengthwise). I then cut each piece in half, and then into slices.

---> TIME SAVING ALERT! In order to avoid some of the long baking time, I first stick the slices on a microwaveable plate. Take a paper towel and drench it - then ring it out and lay it on top of the plate. Microwave on the potato setting 1-2x, until cooked through. Then I place on a baking sheet with foil (sprayed with nonstick spray), and top with salt (and any other seasonings). Bake at 450 for less than 10 minutes, or until crispy in your oven.

One other thing that I like to do is eat a salad while I'm waiting for something else to cook. I made this bad boy using the head of romaine I got earlier in the week. I always cut up my veggies (lettuce included) right when I get back from the store. Then I have easily accessible veggies ready to go all week. Back to the salad.....romaine, green bell pepper cut up, halved grape tomatoes, wheatberries and balsamic vinaigrette dressing. Usually make my own dressing, but this time went for the bottle with the least amount of ingredients. Yum!

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Another great snack/breakfast idea came from Lissa....

Splash of OJ
~1/3 c vanilla yogurt (I usually use greek)
1 banana
handful of frozen fruit (I usually use mixed berries)
2 Tbs. ground flax seed
Sometimes I'll add some tofu if we have it.

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Last but not least, one note about the nitrate-free bacon. It is no problem to find in most major areas. I just happen to live in a little pocket of northwest Indiana and can't always find what I'm looking for! For most of you, you should have no problem finding!

I'll wrap this post up with some advice from me. My mom always has great pearls of wisdom to offer you all, so I thought I'd share some of my accumulated knowledge as well... In regards to food, be willing to try new things, and if you’re not sure about something, look it up!! I am constantly googling things. The internet is an incredible source of information, and you can find just about anything with a few strokes of the keyboard. I look up nutritional information, recipe suggestions, how to cut a particular fruit or vegetable, what the best temperature to cook a type of beef is, etc. Don't be afraid, and remember, you can always leave us a comment and ask here! We'll be happy to find the answer if we don't know it.

XO, Mary

Surprise..... Guest post!

Good morning! This is Mary...... Gina's daughter, tagging in for my first guest post. I am currently living in Northwest Indiana, finishing up my accelerated nursing degree - just about a month left! My eating habits have been shaped by the influence of my knowledgeable mom, as well as my own studies. My first degree was in Kinesiology, and included multiple courses in nutrition. I have always appreciated the effect that nutrition has on the body, specifically on sports performance. While I am no longer a "competing" athlete, I still want to feel good in my workouts and throughout my day.

Well, my original intention with my first guest blog was to do a write-up on breakfast. I absolutely love breakfast. Although, if I’m being quiet honest, I love all three meals of the day. I don’t think that I could pick a favorite between breakfast, lunch and dinner because all three offer such different, and wonderful choices. I love food! For that reason, I think that I will start with breakfast, and work towards sharing more of my meal creations. I find food inspiration everywhere! I enjoy checking out menus, watching food network, sharing recipes among friends and family, and most recently I’ve been really into following food blogs.

Monday was definitely a day of “good eats”. My breakfast started off with an awesome idea I picked up from eatingbirdfood.com. It is a blog maintained by Brittany, who is a vegetarian resident of Richmond, VA. She has been blogging for 3 years and has a lot of great ideas. Anyways, back to breakfast – she blogged about something she called “overnight oats”. It consists of placing old fashioned oats, a liquid and any other goodies you can think of into a bowl or Tupperware the night before you want to eat it. Place it in the fridge and let the magic happen. In the morning, you take out of the fridge, stir, let come to room temperature for 10-15 minutes, and add your toppings.

Since they say that a picture speaks a thousand words, I included a picture of the ingredients that I used: ½-3/4 c. Old fashioned oats, ½-3/4c. vanilla soy milk, a sprinkle of both cinnamon and nutmeg, dash of vanilla, and then I used blue agave to add some sweetness. Just for fun I addedabout a teaspoon of brown sugar on top.

(Serving size for oats and soy milk just depends on how big of a serving you want – but I do equal parts of both).

½ cup of the oats is 150 calories, 4g of fiber, 3g of fat, and 5g of protein. ½ cup of the soymilk is 35 calories, .5g of fiber, .75g of fat, and 3g of protein. I throw all of these ingredients into my Tupperware (I was going to be eating on the go, so the tupperware made this really easy to do!) and end up with something like this:

Mix it up and add your tupperware lid, or cover with plastic wrap. Then place in the fridge overnight. (Brittany did say on her blog that the minimum time is 1.5 hours, so you could do in the morning or for a daytime snack). Overnight the magic happens, and once the goodness has sat out on the counter for a few minutes, its time to add the toppings.

I must admit that I went a little bit overboard on my toppings! I was planning on adding a few banana slices and just under a tablespoon of my almond butter (90cal, 8g fat, 2g fiber, 3.5g protein), but I had just bought some fun ingredients and wanted to add those, as well. Flaxseed (you need the ground stuff, whole seeds don’t give the same benefits!!), wheatberries (which I soaked overnight, and then cooked for about 45 minutes on the stove – great source of protein), and some strawberry slices. I used 1 teaspoon of the flaxseed (10 cal, .7g fat, .7g fiber, .4g protein) and less than 1/8 c. of the wheatberrries(50cal, 0 fat, 2.5g fiber, 2.5 g protein). The wheatberries added a great chewy texture to the oatmeal.

I once read in a Sports nutrition guidebook that you should eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper. You need the most energy early in the morning, not right before bed. While I still have filling servings of dinner, I have tried to think wisely about what I am putting into my body first thing in the morning. This great breakfast was very filling and nutritious. There were about 450 calories and about 11g of fiber. Which is almost half way to the daily recommendation of 25-35g of fiber. This kept me full and energized until I had lunch several hours later.

I will leave you with one more breakfast post for the day....super easy and very delicious. I can't even tell you how many times I have heard my mom say that infamous word: moderation! This is truly an idea that she is committed to, and for very good reason. Humans don't do too well with strict, exclusive diets. If you deny yourself sweets (or whatever your craving is) for too long, most people will end up binging on it. This recipe is a great way to show you how I implement moderation in my own eating. I enjoy bacon. However, I don't eat nitrates or nitrites, which severely limits my bacon eating abilities, as most bacon products are loaded with these bad boys. With that in mind, when I do come across nitrate-free bacon, I like to indulge every once in a while. What I will do since I am cooking for one, is buy the package of bacon, cook all of it up to about 75% 'doneness', and then freeze what I'm not using that day. Then, when I'm ready for it, I can take out 1-2 pieces, microwave for 30 seconds, and have bacon ready to use. This morning, I decided it was a good time to use it.

I made a breakfast sandwich after my workout this morning, using multigrain sandwich 'thins' (100 calories per sandwich for the bread). I then took a coffee mug, sprayed the inside with nonstick spray, and cracked two eggs in there. I cut up some green onions and bell pepper and added that to the mug, along with salt, pepper and tabasco. Mixed it all up and put in the microwave, for approximately 1.5 minutes. Then added that on to my thin with my slice of bacon, and had an easy, quick, delicious breakfast. Love a meal with easy clean-up! And remember, I'm not having this bacon every day. Probably 1-2 times a month, tops.

Hope you enjoyed my first blog, and check back soon for more tips from me on snack and meal ideas! Happy eating :)

Time got away from me, but not my wellness routine....

I wish I could commit to this blog on a daily basis, but at least must stay with my goal of at least once a week. The more comments/questions I get during the week will prompt me to blog more often, so this needs to be mutual effort please. Big things going on with foundation and lots weekend waterpolo kept me away, but I missed being here.

Got a call from my nephew who is thrilled with his weight loss since following the plan. He still is "tired" but not sure how much of that is his lifestyle, as the food changes certainly should have boosted his energy level.

My sister texted that she is down 10 pounds, committing to exercise and thinking about what she puts in her mouth, prepping for her summer at boot camp with me. She did text me yesterday to send her a food plan for 3 days and I denied her, as I want her to do her thing and when she gets to me, between the changes in exercise and food, we should have a very successful summer, if she can tolerate the pain from the soreness she will endure.

My son Derek continues to be committed to his healthy eating, often calling to ask what he should eat when he is out. Love it.

And my niece Sierra, on a quest for a six pack for her King's Girl tryout in a few weeks, has emailed me her food diary daily. She has a difficult time getting her 1500 calories in, but that is only because she is so busy, doesn't snack, and must get it all in healthfully in three meals. She works super late and super early, as well as long hours, but manages still to get her hour of cardio in a day plus her ab ripper workout. Don't forget overall strengthening at least two days a week Sierra!!

I think I mentioned I will be training the high school water polo girls three days a week this summer for five weeks. I did an hour long nutrition presentation and instructed them to turn in food diary the following week, mandatory. Those that did not have the diary the next week spent about 10 minutes doing wall squats. I doubt they will fail to do as I ask in the future. Thursday night I have set up an injury prevention workshop for them as well. Counting down the days til we begin on June 27. Some of super excited, and others are scared to death.

As for me, I will tell you I feel like the "bionic woman". I have had three shoulder surgeries as well as pretty serious low back issues in the past, but worked seriously to rehab and now feel beyond 100%. Physcially I feel like a million bucks. Not too many 48 year olds that will tell you that. Before Evan's diagnosis, I had a pretty serious calf injury that I didn't let heal properly and had reoccurrence, but rehabed that properly back then and now stretch religiously to prevent it happening again. My only ailment which is bothering me now, but certainly not stopping my daily grind, is a little tennis elbow. I have dealt with it in past, and might consider an injection if I can't get it resolved in next few weeks. First time it was from tennis, but this time from gripping the weight bars at Cross Fit. I need to do the work which means I need to spend time every day doing a ice massage to area, but obviously doesn't bother me enough YET to follow through. Bottom line here, if you take responsibility for your wellness by feeding yourself healthfully, you exercise your body, and you listen to your body, which means you do something about helping yourself if you have ailments, advocate on your own behalf, the aging process does not need to tick you off. As I have said in the past, the reason our eyes begin to fail as we get older is so we don't see the effect gravity has on our bodies. Stop looking so closely in the mirror and appreciate the time you have here on this earth.
Enough preaching....lets move on to our comments from last time:

Susan said...
My biggest struggle is with carbs, even the healthy ones. If I stick to lean proteins and vegies I do fine and feel in control. Add in carbs and it's a struggle. I'm also struggling with the thought that everyone that I know that has lost weight, is unable to keep it off. I've lost over 200 lbs on my own. I've managed to keep 100 of it off but it needs to go too. I just wish it wasn't such a lifelong commitment and struggle. I do know that my life won't be that long if I don't though. Thanks for this blog Gina! I'm determined to get my act together!
June 5, 2011 7:19 PM

Susan, thanks for sharing these thoughts that so many of us feel but are unwilling to say out loud. Everyone want to blame the carbs, but I promise you if you don't allow carbs to be part of your life, you will fail. You can't expect to change old habits overnight, so be kind to yourself and as we have talked about, try to eat healthfully 80% of the time and give in to your desire 20% of the time. Perhaps you can try 2 weeks of really strict eating for wellness and then the next two weeks go with the 80/20 philosophy. No matter what, you must stick with your allotted calories, but you can have that item or two that you love, must have, but count the calories. Everyone has to tweak the plan for their according to their own food and lifestyle issues, but bottom line, calories in vs calories out, and I do believe the more healthful food you learn to love the more your crave it.

Last night while I had no desire to cook a real dinner, which I do most every night, we had Derek's request for tamales which I would normally not eat, close to 300 calories and 12 grams of fat, not enough food eating one but too much eating two, I had one, steamed an entire bunch of broccolini, topped it with a tad bit of olive oil, lots of balsamic vinegar, s and p, as well as red pepper flakes, and I was a happy camper. Tonight, I still was not motivated to cook, no idea why, but why ask, so I had Mark bbq wild salmon with a new no salt seasoning mix found at Costco, I steamed a head of cauliflower, put in my vitamix, added nonfat dry milk, smart balance light, s and p, and pureed. Awesome lookalike mashed potatoes. FYI, a little runny, so you could if you needed to add a bit of mashed potato flakes that could thicken it up and still be better choice. Add in a cucumber/red onion/baby tomato salad with a tad bit of olive oil, lots of balsamic, s and p, red pepper flakes, and then grilled whole grain bread from Costso (sprayed with olive oil spray, rubbed with cut garlic clove and placed on hot grill pan on stove topped by heavy pot to press down) and I was a happy camper. Add in one cup of red wine, Mark actually saw me measuring it and said, "wow, you really do measure it", and here I am with all of you.

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Lissa said...
I am so enjoying this blog and the interaction amongst everyone. Love the recipes. I was so inspired I made both the enchiladas and homemade salsa for dinner. Salsa is FANTASTICO!!! I think next time I will divide it in half and add extra jalapeno to 1/2. The enchiladas were great too....I added 1 box of frozen spinach and 1/2 can of black beans.

Reading labels is eye opening!!! I used Old El Paso enchilada sauce because that's what was in our pantry. Could pronounce the 1st 4 indredients and then forget it-I think it was a lot of preservatives, possibly MSG, which I know Gina is a big no no!!!

I wanted to share w/all of you a little bit of my background w/my personal weight shtuff. In 2003 I had lost 37 lbs. by joining Weight Watchers-I really learned a lot by going to the meetings and my own dedication to nutrition education. Then life happened and I am back to where I was. granted 15 lbs. of it is post baby weight (I have a 2 month old). Here are a couple of tidbits I learned through Weight Watchers that I swear by:
1. Food Journaling-paying attention to both ingredients and serving sizes. I measured EVERYTHING!!! I really learned what a serving size is and what it looks like. Some things were much more than I expected and was pleasantly surprised. However, most things were much less of course.
2. They also told us to take measurements of our upper arms, waist, hips, thighs. So I started with both a weight and measurements. This was so very helpful when I hit a plateau weight-wise I would take some measurements and usually be motivated by those. I know how easy it is to get wrapped up in the scale numbers.
3. The most valuable thing I learned I think was how to sneak vegetables into everything. This is the tool I use most often. For example adding the box of frozen spinach to the enchiladas, I've also shredded up a zuchinni for the enchiladas, or it works great on a quesadilla as well. Good tricks for when my son gets older I think!!! :)
June 8, 2011 9:20 AM

Great tips Lissa. I should have warned everyone the enchiladas are basic, but that is the way my kids like them. Love your idea of spinach and black beans. I will definitely make one pan this way next time for Mark and I. Derek might even like. Mary, I want you to share that enchilada recipe from Seinfeld's wife, where she sneaks in lots of veggies.

Measurements are so critical, since as we add muscle, which weighs more, the scale will not reflex the reality of the work being done. Highly recommend monthly measurements and once a week weigh in, no more, to keep an eye on your progress and maintenance.

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Keep the comments and questions coming.
Stay tuned, g

Let's keep it simple....

As more and more people are soliciting my advice, I like this by the way, I find it incredibly important to practice what I preach, as well as preach what I practice, by sharing the personal journey with my wellness as well. And I do feel that so many of us are at a point of no return, where it must just seem so overwhelming to contemplate the change toward wellness and where to possibly start. I do appreciate shows like Biggest Loser, Heavy, I Used To Be Fat, and the new show, Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Addition, where we can actually witness how one can take themselves, with lots and lots of help I might add, from dangerously unhealthy to the picture of health. It is possible, which is important to know, but having goals that are attainable and sustainable are key. When we see these people on TV makes these drammmmmatic changes, it is not without serious pain and suffering, help financially so they can commit to working out for a living, as well as the surgery that will be essential for all them them once they reach their goals, not to mention lots of therapy to overcome the issues that got them into this predicament in the first place. The sustainability factor is still the factor in question in all cases. I would like to see a show with all those contestants on the Biggest Loser now, and how many have managed to keep up the good fight. I have a feeling that most are not capable to sustaining the wellness factor for the long haul.

I mentioned my sister will join me in a few weeks to begin her summer at Gina's Boot Camp. Neither of us know what the summer will look like, but one thing is for sure, change will occur. Chris has started already, thinking about her food, exercising, sharing with her doctor of what she plans to do, but concerned about how much pain she will have to endure while trying to reach for her wellness goals. As a trainer, I will push her beyond where she wants to do, yes I am similar to Jillian in that manner, hate to tell you no pain no gain really is true, when it comes to making changes in all aspects of life. She did ask me how she would know the difference between injury pain and soreness pain, and my answer, "oh, you will know". My 23 year old niece texted today asking for my advice on how to get a six pack going, and guess where is has to start? Food Diary!! Hope those that are following got that right. Tomorrow, the high school girl's water polo team is supposed to have their food diaries ready for me. I have a feeling most will not. I told the coach not to remind them. And tomorrow, when I show up at practice, those who have not followed the plan will be paying the price. Contemplating how much pain I plan to inflict on them and in what form, can't wait!! Stay tuned.

Let's look at comments since last blog was posted:
Mary C said...
Have a question for you and figured it would be best to ask it on here so others might benefit from the answer. On these hot summer days, I drink almost exclusively water. However, sometimes I really crave something cold with a little more flavor, but don't want to have a drink with a lot of sugar or chemicals. Any ideas for me?

Mary C said...
Did some brainstorming and thought about making iced tea and sweetening with simple sugar.....any other ideas would be great!


mks said...
Idea for Mary C: "Sassy Water" from the flat belly diet! Refreshing and flavorful without sweeteners. You can vary the amount of the ingredients. Or use other fruits to add flavor - lots of hotels and spas do this. I also drink a lot of unsweetened ice tea - black or herbal. Try some of Celestial Seasonings fruit ones - Raspberry Zinger, Peach, etc.

Sassy Water:
2 liters water (about 8 ½ cups)
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1 medium cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
1 medium lemon, thinly sliced
12 small spearmint leaves.

Combine all ingredients in a large pitcher and let flavors blend overnight.
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I for one loved Mary's question. I drink ONLY water, filtered water in 5 gallon bottles from the local water store, since when my husband was on his water kick a few years ago, he loved that water. I do drink one bottle or less of Pellagrino sparkling water a day, with or without lemon or lime, as this is my treat. A few days a week I have one cup of red wine in the evening, full of antioxidants, and every day Derek and I drink one cup of bottle carrot and beet juice from Trader Joes. Oh yeah, my morning drink is one cup water, one cup vanilla soy with a tea bag of choice, usually decaf, and I may repeat this at night if I need some additional calories.

As I was discussing with Mary fruited options which we love when at the spa, we get this recipe from MKS for “sassy water”. Sounds fab!! And these ideas/thoughts really exhaust all our options for drinks of wellness, minus lots of sugar and chemicals. I totally abhor artificial sweeteners, and one of the first things we do when making changing in eating plans is to remove them all.

My personal experience is this: as a young girl, soda was a treat and we were offered it on Sundays for family dinners and at parties. My parents usually opted for diet once saccaharin came into the picture. I remember drinking Tab in high school on occasion. When I got to college, nutrasweet came into the picture, and I immediately would get a serious headache upon drinking the new sweetener in my diet soda. And that was that. I have not had a soda since, period, 31 years later. No desire, and not an option, causing myself to have a headache was not worth it, ever!! My kids know I would rather them drink regular soda then to drink anything sweetened with a chemical. My husband is a different story.
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For those of you who are following my commentary with Lynn, here is her latest email after my asking her to commit to food diary:
You have my commitment...I'm working on the 3rd day of the journal...and will admit, this is much harder then I thought.  Simply because I know I'm recording everything I eat, and that alone, is enough to discourage me from things.  Because I know I'm going to get criticized on it...constructive of course...but still enough to really make me think about my actions.  So I just wanted to say thanks.  I really think your push will be enough for me to turn my health around and get on track.  Something I've never had in my life.  This morning I read your last post on Caringbridge..and you had said that your top weight was 148 pounds.  Do you have any idea how disgusted I was with myself when I read that?  148 would be super skinny for me...at least to me it would.  Haven't seen that number in many years, so I wouldn't know.  But the thought that you think that's a lot.  When I dream of being that small.  So..in that...again.. Thank you.  And I look forward to your advice, your push...and any and all help you can give me.  I really need to make this change for not just me, but for my daughter too.  I don't want her battling weight like I do.  She’s not heavy at all now, she’s 7 and weighs 47 pounds.  Size 6 jean for the length and 7/8 shirt for the length (short legs, long torso).  I want the best life I can give her..and if I can't lead by example, I'll never do a good job at that.

Lynn, Love you sharing your words. The food diary is possibly t he hardest part of the road to wellness, and you expressed what everyone will feel when they attempt to do it. To be forced to write down what you put in your mouth and account for every calorie, makes you rethink if you really “have time to eat it” and if it will help you achieve your goal of “wellness”. Step one, right?!

As to the weight thing, first off, I am 5’2” tall, so the weight thing is not something to compare unless you are my height and build. I certainly can make a prediction based on height and body type, what your desired weight range might be, but until I know these factors, you too, don’t even think about comparing my 148 pounds to your weight. I was definitely “chubby fat”, everyone in my family will tell you that. My ideal weight is around 112-115, I was 30 pounds overweight, and on a short person, many sizes from where I am today.

And lastly, you and I know how I feel about our kids. We are 100% responsible for modeling behavior in every aspect of life that we want them to have. Wellness is critical, but today I really had an eye opener on the faith side of it and will share that in the near future on my other blog, “Perspective from the Eyes of a Grieving Mother” at ginacousineau.blogspot.com soon. How in the world can our kids learn wellness if we don’t provide it for them?? I watch a show called “Too Fat for Fifteen”, where teenagers go to Wellsprings Academy for the entire school year to learn how to find a healthy lifestyle and go to school as well. The parents in most cases are making no changes at home, and in some cases sabotage the kids when they do get home. Huge missing link in this methodology. If it was my school, the entire family would attend. Not possible, but they would be responsible for lifestyle changes at home!!
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Recipe Share:

Chicken Tortilla Soup

2 qts. chicken stock (made when cooking the chicken breasts)
1 large red onion, diced
3 handfuls of tortilla chips
3 roma tomatoes, diced
1 bunch of cilantro, chopped
2 zucchini, diced
2 carrots, diced
salsa to taste
2-3 large chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
toppings of your choice
s and p to taste

Bring water and chicken breasts, bone in, skinned to boil, with once quartered onion, bay leaf, salt and 6-12 peppercorns. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Strain, set chicken aside until cool enough to shred. (I also use this chicken to make enchiladas.)

Bring 1 quart chicken broth to boil with red onion in soup pot.
In blender, combine remaining broth with chips until smooth.
Pour into soup pot with veggies, simmer covered until desired doneness.
Add chicken and heat through.

Chicken Enchiladas

Shredded chicken from above
Finely diced onions
parmesan cheese
Add amounts to your taste and mix well.
Corn tortillas warmed in oven until pliable and keep in dish towel until ready to put together.
Use favorite enchilada sauce, read labels, low fat and not a lot of crude, or make your own.
Spray 13x9 pan with cooking spray. Cover bottom with layer of sauce. Roll tortillas with filling and place seam down in pan. Sprinkle lightly with cheese of your choice, cover with foil underside sprayed with cooking spray or use nonstick foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes and then remove foil for 10 additional minutes.
Top with lots of homemade salsa.

Homemade Salsa

In food processor, chop one onion, 2 cloves garlic and quartered jalapeno.
Dump in bowl. Chop one bunch cilantro next. Add to bowl.
Then place one large can tomatoes to processor and puree. Add to bowl.
Salt, pepper, and secret ingredient, cumin, to taste. Yum!!
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Keep the comments coming, the more I get, the more I will blog.
Stay tuned, g

Don't worry, still here exercising, eating healthfully and dealing....

Sorry for the little vacation from the blog, but know that nothing changed for me in regards to my eating healthfully and exercising, just life's @#$% got the way for a bit, but I'm back. Had to head to Crossfit OC Saturday morning, since work and life and lack of exercise partners got in the way of getting my 3-5 workouts in during the week, and I was forced to workout on my weekend, which I'm not a fan of. Workout was awesome though and really feeling the benefits of eating healthfully during my workouts, as I have lots of energy no matter how challenging the workouts.

I also have to share how good I feel all the time. I have spent several days with my brother this weekend, and my sister yesterday, and can see how much pain they are in all the time. They both have considerable weight issues, and I do believe this is the catalyst for many of their health issues, including all of their aches and pains. I can’t imagine just not welling “well” on a daily basis. And one thing we know for sure, is the one thing we have control over, how we exercise and what we eat, can make a huge issue in the quality of our lives. There are many tragedies we can’t avoid, but fortunately there are many we can.

Want to comment on two posts, and then share some email from Lynn who is struggling with her eating and exercising.
Mary C said...
Great gazpacho recipe.....tons of veggies!! Almost entirely "free"!
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/06/gazpacho/

Mary is a big fan of PW, so you will probably see her share her recipes often. One thing I want you all to do before you share a recipe is to cook and eat it. We need you to experiment for us and pass on the healthful recipes you have made so we don't waste our time, energy and calories on something not worth eating.

suga30 said...
Hey! Love the blog and love reading bout the new ideas. I have 2 kids 5 and 3 years old, I am always looking for new kid friendly meals and snacks that everyone will love! Do u have any on mind?

The key is to “hide” the good stuff in the food so the kids aren’t even aware of them, and then to keep modeling good eating habits. I know that I did every thing I could to give me kids the right start, with breastfeeding, to pureeing all their baby food, and always putting a variety of foods in front of them. Didn’t make a difference once they could say “NO”, and push it away though. Evan still never made the right choices, and his staples were things I totally didn’t approve of, Habenero chips, thanks to Rinske, so when I he liked something that was healthful, he got it, even those that were pricey like “Izzies”, fruit sweetened soda water, Naked Juice, and Rubio’s chips and boiled beans.

Mary and Derek have acclimated as the years have gone on and now are great eaters, but Alaina Baby is my project. She hates breakfast, so I have allowed her to have her stupid pop tarts to have something in her stomach, at least vitamin fortified, but has recently discovered Fuji apples, peeled, and I am happy to find the peels left in the sink, annoying, but at least I know she ate it that morning. Try to make veggies she likes, push the fruit, and hope and pray in time she will jump on the bandwagon with the rest of the family.

I have a book called “Stealth Health” which I really like, that allows you to sneak good stuff in normal kid friendly food, so check that out. I did get Mary a copy of Jerry Seinfield’s wifes book where she shoves lots of good stuff in her recipes, but not sure that they are that kid friendly, I think that her kids eat more like healthy adults do. For those of you with little ones, share what works for you.

And now the email from Lynn….

Hi Gina,

You may remember me...I'm a constant reader on caringbridge...have read and reread your story many many times. I just learned this morning about your new blog, and I think its great. I am going to tell you my horror story, in hopes that you can help me figure out a solution. I'm turning 33 in two days.. I stand 5'10...I weigh around 220. I carry it all in my stomach. My legs and arms need a little work, but nothing like my stomach does. I have struggled with weight all my life, was born an 11 pound baby, and I get my genes from my mom who was once 5'3 and 300 pounds. She had the gastric bypass for her fix. I choose to do it myself. I am a type 2 diabetic and I have a compression fracture to the T-12 vertebrea(slip and fall on ice). Now that is a healed fracture, but I have to "baby" my back for the rest of my life. So the intense wieght lifting and such isn't a good idea for me. I too, joined a gym...and your very right when you say, that most don't step foot in that place..I never used it. Luckily for me, the gym closed a few months after I joined and I got out of the contract. I recently bought a bike, I have a 7 year old daughter who is just learning to ride...we are about to take the training wheels off. So her and I get out almost daily and ride. I am a single mother, so I do not have my daughter all the time. On the days I don't have her, I still try to get out on the bike and go for a decent ride. Her and I ride probably 2-3 miles, when I'm alone, I gear for 7-8 miles right now(not sure how long it really is, but that would be my guess). Taking that one step at a time, hoping to get it closer to 10-15 miles in a single ride sooner rather then later. I've learned that the bike gets my heart going, it makes my legs burn, I enjoy the ride, and I seem to feel better afterward even though I'm warn out.

My weakness in life...is convenience. I can't tell you how many times I am driving home and knowing that I'm hungry (I don't eat lunch at work, as I work 4am to noon)...and I see a mcdonalds...or a burger king...I give into it and grab a sandwich. I work 60 miles from home, so it does occur way too often. I know that stuff is going to kill me and its not helping anything, only making it worse. I vowed to myself to not eat in my car anymore(help keep it clean)...and believe it or not, that has helped tremendously. I don't stop nearly as much because I don't want to go in, and usually I'm too far away from home to want to wait it out. Hopefully those thoughts don't change on me.

Now I read each of your posts in this new blog...I am going to do the diary...writing down everything I eat...not sure of the calorie intake..but will buy a book or something. My question for you...is whats an ideal amount of calories for a person of my size and still loose weight? I'm not a small framed girl, the doctors tell me like 170 would be good. I think 150 would be better. I'll be honest with you, its not how much I eat, its what I eat. During the week, I typically start my day with a whole wheat bagel..downfall if that wasn't enough...strawberry cream cheese...two very small packs of it1/2 oz packs). I drink diet pepsi like its water. Yet something else I need to work on. Diet pepsi is like an addiction for me. When I get home...it will vary for what I eat. But usually I try to hold out till 2ish...and then I don't eat dinner because I go to bed at 8pm and don't want to go to sleep on a full stomach.

I'm not a snacker...I don't have anything I sit and munch on a lot. But I am a sucker for cheetos, for peanut butter, and for nutrigrain bars. I'm not sure what kind of combination that is... Ha! I do eat bread and butter pickles a lot..but I get the "no sugar added" ones. You'd think I was pregnant as much as I eat pickles! I am picky to a point, I don't eat tomatoes, onions, peppers...but I love broccolli and most other vegies. Steamed brocolli is my favorite..and am known to eat an entire bag of it in one serving! Not sure if that's real good for me...but I figure its better then a lot of other choices!

I would appreciate any and all help. We don't have a trader joes out here...but any suggestions will help. I thank you for taking a moment to read this book of an email.
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Lynn, I appreciate, number one, your honesty, that is where the change begins in acknowledging how difficult life is and not knowing where to start. I have had this conversation a few times this week with friends and really can’t imagine being a this situation of wanting to make of commitment to wellness and just not knowing where to start.

Step 1: Food Diary I want you to write you food down for one week, approx. amounts, times eaten, exercise done, etc. and then we will start on what baby steps we will make to move toward more healthful eating. Secondly, figuring out what exercise/activity you are willing to do and finding the time to commit to it. Even 20 minutes a day will suffice for the moment.

I will share on the blog what suggestions I give to Lynn once I see the diary. I think I mentioned day one that I don’t work with anyone if they can’t commit to the diary, so challenge number one Lynn, are you willing to commit.
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Last thoughts for the day as I sit in the shade on a pool deck at Cal State Long Beach for the final hour of try outs for the national development water polo team Alaina is part of. My friend Kaitlin shared these thoughts….
Was going through some stuff from my good friend, Kelly Starrett's, seminar and its also something he and I have talked about different times on different benefits of CrossFit and how it can hit so many different areas at the same time.
-Teaching competition, not necessarily against someone else, but against the clock. You learn about/get better at competition
-Forces a mindlessness at times-- in that you are practicing competition and it can be so difficult & intensive that it forces a no mind state. You are thinking about where that next breath is going to come from and you can't be worried about things like did I turn the oven off, will my kids get in the right school for kindergarten, what does the guy at work think of me. Suddenly, you have a short intensive focus, which requires a deep focus.

I can’t do yoga. I know this would be something good to add into my routine, but it allows too much time for thought. I go to sleep watching TV so I don’t have to think about the reality of my life. I HATE waking up I the morning too early, or have insomnia, as it allows time to remember what I have to endure for the remainder of my days on this earth. I need constant stimulation, reading is difficult as it allows zone out time which I don’t want. So, that is why CrossFit is something I love to hate, you don’t have time to think about anything else but how gross you feel, how much time you have left, and how great it will be when you are done.

Thinking about our veterans in the past, present and future. Thank you for putting your lives on the line for our freedom.
Stay tuned, g

If I didn't work out, I might harm someone!!

Ever encounter a "rent-a-cop" who just needs to throw around their authority. Just had an episode at our regional park and I know I could have taken this women down and hog tied her in a moment. Which makes me think about the security people at Cal State University Fullerton, where they are all parking nazis. Every time I go to get a permit fo a drive we are doing, there is a line of people there wanted to complain about unfair ticketing. I have received two very unethical tickets myself there. Which is where my title of this blog came in, I am positive if I didn't work out that I might harm some dumb ass that steps into my path at the wrong time. Hmmmmmm, guess I need to keep going to therapy. Oh, and meanwhile, since I refuse to pay the one day fee to get into the park, I am in the center next door's parking lot, where it is posted all over "shopping center parking only". Just let them try....

Lets address our comments from the last blog....
Deb said...
Great blog Gina! Love the info! For me it's a challenge between severe breathing issues making regular exercise basically impossible and food issues making healthy eating challenging. Argh. I do as much exercise as I can but often it's more core, crunches, light weights, vs. the cardio I'd really like to be doing. I just can't breath well enough to do that on a regular basis... very spotty. The healthy food choices can be very frustrating too and BORING... food allergies and intolerances are like that. I am thrilled to see Scott running 1/2 and full marathons and out on his road bike like crazy but I wish I could join him!
May 19, 2011 2:41 AM

Deb, do me a favor and start a food diary for a week, and email to me. I want to see what you can eat and if we can't make your options more exciting. As for exercise, a little can go a long way. So now that Spring has sprung, perhaps putting the baby in the stroller with Casey in tow, even for short stretches, can be good for you. Little bits in a day, that can add up to 30 plus minutes, will benefit you. March in place, stationary bike, little bits at a time.

Caitlin said...
Hey Gina! Love the blog. I have a question for you. I live by myself,work full time, and it seems that the vast majority of my weekends are spent out of town or at all day commitments as well. I work all day and then I go to my taekwondo class 3-4 days a week (which is a very hard workout), and often don't get home until after 9. I try to eat healthy and want to eat better and strive to live by the "if you can't pronounce it, don't eat it" rule. My main problem is that living by myself I find it difficult to keep up with cooking and not letting stuff go to waste. Like, recently I went to Costco and bought a bunch of great veggies, had a great few days of eating, I can only eat so much and I get sick of eating the same thing every day and now I have a bunch of food in my fridge on the verge of spoiling. I hate wasting the money and food. On top of that, by the time I get home I often find I don't have the energy to cook up a whole dinner just for me and I will end up just having a bowl of cereal or something. This morning I woke up and looked for something to bring for lunch and don't have anything packable, so in the end up taking sliced avocado and mango - which means it will probably be supplemented with buying something. Thanks for any advice!
Caitlin
May 19, 2011 4:56 AM

Caitlin, I actually used your "if you can't pronounce it, don't eat it" rule this week and taught it to Derek as well. This advice Kelly can use as well, since I realize I didn't really address her as I needed to the other day. Frozen veggies/fruit actually better than fresh, as they are frozen right after picking. So buying the frozen organic broccoli, brown rice and bunches of other options in the freezer section at Costco not a bad idea. Then you just pull out the individual bag of broccoli, fish, rice and you nuke and are eating in 5 minutes. Food prep when are are home is critical, so that things are ready to just be warmed up, and no reason you can't freeze things in portion sizes for you. Does take a bit of effort, but well worth it in the long run. You just have to get in the habit just like everything else we have to do in life.

Lissa said...
Love Love Love the blog Gina!!!!! Question for everyone else out there....I am not getting email updates when you post Gina. :( Is everyone else getting them? I went through the process of typing in the crazy code, etc. Any suggestions?
May 19, 2011 9:31 AM
Susan said...
Lissa-It took awhile for me to finally start getting the email updates. They sometimes come the day after Gina posts her blog, but they are coming.
I'd like to suggest to all of those that like brown rice, but don't always have the time to make it, to do a search for Alton Brown's baked brown rice recipe. I usually make it on the weekend and eat off of it all week. It's turned out perfect every time.
I just came from Costco. They now carry a snack mix with soy nuts, cranberries and pumpkin kernels. It looks good. Reading all labels now Gina! Off to eat some salmon that is broiling and some Wii after the hockey game. Your dinner looked awesome Gina!
May 19, 2011 7:23 PM

To all of you who are having issues, I know Mary said she gets notification at 1am the day after I blog. Just probably a good idea to bookmark our page and just try to look every morning or evening for it. No big deal if you are a day behind me, right?!

So, my nephew called to tell me he would be blowing his eating plan this weekend, laughing the entire time. Told me he is headed on a boys trip, hanging with 25 year olds to go ATVing. He is over 40. He said he was going to have to have a burger, which I said fine too. But he needed to try to stick to the plan, write everything down and curtail the alcohol as way easy to drink more than your allotted calories alone. He then tattled on this family, after getting severe pressure to try the "cake pops"his daughter made, and they all told him what Aunt Gina doesn't know won't hurt him. Well, due to our high degree of Catholic guilt, he confessed he ate half of one and that it was awesome. He also confessed he stepped on the scale before his Sunday weigh in. Thankfully he liked what he saw, but I reprimanded him once again, as I don't want his move and motivation to be drive by the damn scale. We all know how the number on the scale can dictate our mood for the day/week/month!!

I also have to share that Derek continues to take his eating program very seriously. He writes everything down, that is the OCD part of them that makes it easy, and went shopping with me to the grocery store and Costco. We read labels and assessed best choices, and he opted out of Top Ramen soup, Evan's staple by the way, and Cup of Soup, since there were far too many things we could not pronounce. Thanks Caitlin.

Yesterday I was out and starving after an amazing workout at Cross Fit. I told the owner we needed to name the workout "Better than Childbirth" because while the entire 25 minutes I was suffering greatly, once the workout was over, the pain was over. Unlike childbirth which lasts waaayyyy longer. Best of all, I felt really successful with my workout, doing things I never thought I could do. Tomorrow I hope to write a little more on this topic. But now I want to talk about my food. My go to place is Flame Broiler. In So Cal they are all over and I wish I took a picture of my outside every one, as I could definitely be their spokesperson.
I always get a mini bowl with brown rice topped with green onions, and since my iron has not been great, I have been opting for the beef over the chicken of late. 384 calories topped with lots of jalapenos, free. Along with a side of steamed veggies, no calories in Gina's camp, topped with sirachi sauce, is that a Cali thing, also calorie free?

While my go to used to be Subway, I find that after a 6 inch Subway, same basic calories, I don't feel full, and with Flame Broiler, I do.

Dinner, another three piece meal, remembering 60% carbs, 15% protein and 25% fat, Mark bbq'd wild salmon with some herbs, I made a rice from TJs, that had multiple types in it cooked in chicken broth. I always keep a jar of "Better than Boullion" in my refrig, but only the chicken flavor, as the beef has MSG! And then since I knew I didn't have enough asparagus for us all, I know Alaina and Derek won't eat broccoli, I steamed a bunch of it for me and topped with sirachi again, which I roasted the asparagus in 450 degree convention oven for about 10 minutes, tossed with a tad of EVOO, s and P, and shredded parmesan cheese. The mistake I made was not cooking it on my silicone pads on baking sheet or using non stick foil, as my kids love the crunchy cheese that falls off as well.

And fyi, I not only did stairs/run workout for an hour today with Kim at 7am, yuck, but I hiked with a new friend, Lori, lost her perfect 19 year old girl a few weeks ago, for 2 hours. Guess what, I do have time to eat it today!!
Stay tuned, g