Weekly Workout Thread 1st Jan till 7th Jan

[lovelylulu]

morning all!

i did my normal cardio workout, burning about 450 calories. i took it a bit easier, because it was just that sort of day.

eating was exemplary. i''ve been having kashi 7 grain flakes for breakfast. normally, i''d be happily eating oatmeal this time of the year, but it''s freakishly warm. for lunch, i''ve been loving TJ''s creamy tomato soup and a salad of spinach and arugula . delicious. i snack on an apple/banana and peanut butter (very satisfying) and then vary it for dinner.

last night was a complete new recipie success -- chicken breasts stuffed with goat cheese and sundried tomatoes from cooking light. i used to strongly dislike goat cheese, but i''m starting to love it. this was extremely satisfying and tasty. won rave reviews from DH.

happy friday

DC is now smoke free

 

[Mara]

yay DJ for no pain after the workout, congrats! good for you apple on nixing the evil margarita (but they taste so good right?!)..and coda how fun you'll be in hawaii, i'm so jealous!! i'm sure you will feel really motivated to be outside when it's so lovely. i miss hawaii. lorelei it's awesome you worked your way up to 700 cals. i was doing that for a while there but i backed down when i realized i did not need to do 700 per workout in order to maintain my goals. that was also where my body started twinging here and there (and i had quad pain) to let me know that i was pushing myself a bit too hard. i feel more comfortable at 500-600. lulu sounds like you are doing fabulously!

congrats everyone on doing so well. it's been tough this week for me mentally, going back to work after a vacation, i mean who really wants to be at work?!?! all i can do is daydream about the weekend, lol!

DJ on the jello, i know you felt all creative and stuff, but you can also just buy the 10 calorie packs of sugar free jello at the market. they come in all types of flavors and they are already in snack packs. i pick up 2 for $5 typically and there are 6 containers in each. they last me about 1.5 weeks. i eat them all the time. probably like 2 a day..usually one in the afternoon and then one at night if i don't want a choco dessert. add a bit of light redi whip cream on them (20 cals) for some extra sweet. whenever in the past i made the boxed jello i always eat more of it than i should. these snack packs keep the portions to where i know what i should be eating and not. love it. my fave one right now is a raspberry (strawberry?) kiwi...it's pink. hehe.

ok so can i just tell everyone that my abs STILL hurt from the other night? owie! so definitely not doing any more situps today and MAYBE not tomorrow depending. i don't want to end up in a whimpering ball. on a plus side guess that means that they are working? or doing something in any case.

this morning for breakfast i had blueberry multigrain waffles, some real butter, some of my sugar free syrup with flax seed sprinkled on them, and my coffee. yum. i also picked up some more 100 cal popcorn (oh yes i did figure out the stupid 'other' popcorn and guess what? i was consuming about 270 cals of popcorn a day for 2 days with the regular SNEAKY bag. ugh! i was still fine on calorie intake but MAN. that's empty.) at the store yesterday and got some fresh blueberries (antioxidants and a whole pack is like 100 cals and it takes a while to eat them so it feels like you are really snacking) to take into work. today my work always brings in lunch for everyone but the last 20 times it's been pizza which is just gross...i like certain pizza but this one is not yummy. today they said they were doing 'trays' which i think is catered stuff from safeway, just as gross as the pizza basically. it doesn't matter because i typically don't eat whatever they bring in...haha. but just once i wish it was something yummy and healthy. oh well! i'm going shopping at lunch anyway.

lunch is going to be probably just some fiber one cereal. i have been mentally craving it lately and don't know why the craving has lasted a few days so i might just have it for lunch and call it satisfied. hehee. then a balance one bar for snack, 100 cal popcorn and some blueberries. workout tonite, hopefully 550 calories and then 10 minutes of some arm exercises. then tonite is SUSHI baby!!!!!!

have a great friday wwt'ers!!! weekend is just around the corner.

 

[Lorelei]

Mara - you inspired me to shoot for 700 cals per workout

- I will keep an eye out that it isn''t too much, it takes an hour generally for me to hit the 700 mark.

 

[Dee*Jay]

Date: 1/5/2007 11:27:26 AM
Author: Mara

DJ on the jello, i know you felt all creative and stuff, but you can also just buy the 10 calorie packs of sugar free jello at the market. they come in all types of flavors and they are already in snack packs. i pick up 2 for $5 typically and there are 6 containers in each. they last me about 1.5 weeks. i eat them all the time. probably like 2 a day..usually one in the afternoon and then one at night if i don't want a choco dessert. add a bit of light redi whip cream on them (20 cals) for some extra sweet. whenever in the past i made the boxed jello i always eat more of it than i should. these snack packs keep the portions to where i know what i should be eating and not. love it. my fave one right now is a raspberry (strawberry?) kiwi...it's pink. hehe.

Oh, so you don't MAKE the jello? Now I understand! I did put it in these 1 cup tupperware containers that we had so I thought I was being all pepared for when that snack urge hits. Oh well, prepackaged for me seems like the obvious way to go!

 

[CrownJewel]

Good afternoon my favorite fitness friends!

I was STARVING when I woke up this morning. I ate well yesterday and had a strength training workout. So I had a package of oatmeal (3g of fiber) and coffee for breakfast at 8am. Then at 10 I was still hungry so I had leftovers from last night (with everything that was in it, there must have been lots more fiber), then I had an apple because I was STILL hungry. I didn''t finish the apple though. Sheesh...I just kept going! So far I''m just over 300 calories.

I''m so envious of everyone who gets to work out on an elliptical! My student budget doesn''t allow for the purchase of a machine or for a gym membership. Basically my options for cardio are running or walking. I talked to my fiance about me taking a martial arts class, but he says I should focus on maintaining a regular workout schedule before thinking about classes. I guess he''s right.

By the way!! Have any of you looked at the "fitness" tab on Sparkpeople? I followed some of their suggestions for strength training last night, and they have these little video demonstrations of how to do each excercise. They have some good ideas on there.

Oh Rod, I know what you mean about the newbies at the gym. When I used to work out at gyms, the newbies and rude people would always leave their machines sweaty and gross and they would hog machines. If they keep it up at your gym, you could let the administration know and they can put up etiquette signs in the locker rooms. When I was a newbie, I learned gym etiquette from the locker room notices.

Mara, I made some stove-popped popcorn (with EVOO) and sprinkled the Cajun spices (which I bought for the tuna salad). YUM YUM YUM YUM YUM. I haven''t tried popping and then storing it for the next day, but maybe you can try that and bring a little bag to work? That way you have more flavor options. According to Sparkpeople, oil-popped popcorn is 110 calories for 2 cups. I''ve also flavored popcorn with a little salt, a little sugar and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

I may go for a long walk today for my cardio. I don''t think my sore muscles can handle a run just yet. From all the sushi talk, I''m having such a craving. Great...why am I so hungry?!

 

[Mara]

lol DJ...no i don''t make the jello...thank god! the few times i tried it, i ate like 4 servings in one sitting. jello is so easy to keep eating. sugar free is so low in calories it doesn''t REALLY matter but still, it''s overeating. so i prefer to do a snack pack one and then even if i have two it''s not like i am a sow. lol! i love jello. the sugar free took me a few times to get used to the splenda taste as i was not used to it before, but now i don''t even notice. kinda interesting...how the taste buds adapt.

lorelei, yeah just keep an eye on your body...i didn''t notice that my body felt a bit overworked til a few days later. i felt good knowing i could do 700 or even 800 cals but i was like okay do i really need to? for me and my goals i didn''t..so i kind of backed down a bit. doing 700 took me about an hour and 10 minutes typically if i split treadmill and elliptical! definitely passes the time quicker to go to 2 machines.

CJ..if you are hungry, EAT! at least you are making the right food choices. i have those days too where sometimes i just cannot get full. i think that they happen typically when i am really good for 3-4 days in a row in both eating and workout. it''s like my body NEEDS more than i am giving it. i try to stick to healthy foods that are low cal and low fat during those times so at least i am fueling it rather than just feeding myself. however, i have my downfalls. last week, on new years eve...i had been working out 3 days in a row and eating pretty well consistently...and i did my workout that afternoon and i came home and had my tuna salad just straight out of the bowl. and then i do not know what my deal was but i had a bowl of trix..and i couldn''t stop eating it!! i had FOUR BOWLS of trix. they weren''t all full bowls though, some were 1/2 because i was like okay this is my last bowl. and then afterwards, when i finally MADE myself stop...i laid down and took a 2 hour nap! my dad said my blood sugar must have been low or something. it was insane. i never eat that much cereal much less such a sugary one. and then later that night when we went out, i felt totally fine and ate a full meal. it was so odd. anyway, i felt kind of bad for the trix gorging but maybe it''s what i needed. totally weird. so as long as you don''t eat 4 bowls of trix i think you''ll be okay. on the ''plus'' side the trix was only like 120 cals a cup and 1g of fat so i ended up not doing too badly, though the sugar i''m sure was out the roof.

plus note for me...i bought these cute jeans at loehmanns about 3 weeks ago. they were 28''s and fit a wee bit tight when i got them and kind of were still fitting tight a week later. like fine everywhere but my hip area where it was pulling a little uncomfortably around my hipbones. so i put them away for a bit and i just took them out today and they fit PERFECTLY now. no muffin top (lol!) and no pulling at the hip and perfect at the butt and thighs. so jazzed. they are super cute with embroidered white and light blue butterflies on the lower butt corner. and best part is they were $39 at loehmanns. woo.

 

[Sevenwires]

I made it to the gym yesterday to do some cardio after work. This time I only stayed on the machines for 35 minutes and burned 295 calories. I wanted to go for longer but all I could think about was getting off. So finally I gave in, grabbed my towel hanging on the rail and went downstairs to get my gym bag. I finally got it together and got myself over to the market to pick up some things to cook. I couldn’t decide what I wanted to make from Cookinglight, so I decided to make the turkey lasagna. And it was so GOOD! I normally don’t get off work till 9 p.m. or so. But yesterday I got off at 6 p.m. just to hit the gym and the market. So by the time I got home with the groceries, it was almost 10. And then after I was done cooking… it was… late.

After last night… I realized I probably consume a lot more calories than I thought I did in the past. Because while I was waiting for the lasagna to cook, I started feeling hungry so I had a bowl of the Kashi crunch cereal with a cup of nonfat milk. Then when the lasagna was done, I decided to try one serving. That’s 448 calories right there!! Good grief.

And then this morning when I woke up I had another cup of kashi cereal and cup of milk, which took my calorie count up to 773. And I feel like I barely ate anything! Before I started keeping track of what I’m eating, I wouldn’t just started snacking on things left and right. Now I’m really thinking, “do I really feel hungry now or am I just eating out of boredom”. So this whole keeping track business is really making me more aware of my eating habits… And it’s awesome because I think when I the survey on Sparkspeople, it told me that I’m an ‘emotional’ eater. I never thought of myself that way. I AWAYLS thought I had food under control. I rarely binge eat, but I guess it’s from always snacking on something ALL THE TIME. And it can add up like that.

So I pack my gym bag again today, it’s in my car. Not sure if I can make it to the gym since I have a dinner at a co-workers house I think around 6 p.m. Maybe I can squeeze it in. Or if I don’t over eat and it’s not too late… maybe I can just go after the dinner. Though I know by the time I leave her house, it’ll probably be 10 or 11. We’ll see how I feel. If I’m up to it and not feeling sleepy, I guess it’s okay cause tomorrow is the weekend.

Great job everyone… Seems like everyone’s really trying to get in some cardio activity every day.. it’s really motivating for me.

One more thing, I did get the rice cake things that Mara was talking about. I think the label said each serving is like 35 calories. I love it! Gonna take it to work for snacking. Also for lunch today I think I’m really going to stick with maybe a grilled chicken salad. Since I did all that eating in the middle of the night last night.

Okay, back to work for now…

Happy Friday!!

 

[turtledazzle]

Hi all,

I''ve definitely fallen off the wagon for posting in this thread ... but not for working out. I''m still doing my 4 to 6 workouts per week. I''ve still been lurking in this thread because it is so inspirational, though. Just haven''t gotten around to posting much lately.

However, Rod''s comments about the newbies at the gym brought me out of lurkdom as I have a funny story from yesterday.
After I did my step circuit class, I wanted to get on a stationary bike to do another 20 or so minutes of cardio while I read my book. Well, with the New Year''s Resolutioners there were no free bikes. While I''m walking past the bikes to go get on an elliptical, I pass this lady who is happily pedaling away while talking to her friend on the next bike. I look at her bike and see the Precor intro screen scrolling along ~ the lady had not even turned on the bike!!! In the same moment I both felt annoyed (that she was taking up a machine that I wanted) and a bit sad for her since she obviously didn''t know what she was doing but was (a) at least trying and (b) probably too embarrassed to ask for help, since there are many helpful employees who were showing people how to use equipment that day (though I''m not sure why her friend didn''t help her ~ her machine was turned on).

Any way, in my experience the New Year''s people start trickling in numbers in early February. I wish everyone success! (but I don''t like waiting for machines, either

). In the New Year I just want to continue working out as I have been and eating well ~ maintenance is my goal (and looking great in my wedding dress in May

!) Sometimes when laziness tries to set in and prevent me from a work out, I remember that my wedding dress has been ordered and it is a lot easier to take a dress in than make it bigger! Great motivator for me!

I''m inspired by everyone posting their measurements ~ I''ll try to do that this weekend. I''m actually fairly happy with my "numbers" now, except for my thighs

Like coda, my thighs have always been large ... even back in high school. I think it was because I used to run a lot when I was younger. But my thighs are pretty muscular, so I try to be happy with them.

Hope everyone has a good weekend!

 

[KimberlyH]

Morning All,

Had another good work out (and weigh in, the scale read 136.0 this morning, I need to stop doing that every day though, it''s a bad habit I broke myself of and have reverted back to in the past week, not a good thing! My point in exercising/eating healthy is so that I don''t have to be tied to the scale) burned 600 cals on the elliptical and did sit ups and strength trained arms.

For those of you that track what you burn, how do you estimate your free weight and abdomen work? I know I''m buring cals, just not how many.

Dinner last night was Outback Steakhouse. I had a Ceasar salad with chicken (dressing on the side). Outback doesn''t give out nutritional info, but on Dotties Weight Loss website it says that what I ate was 16 points (including the dressing which I barely ate any of). Do any of you weight watchers fans know how to convert that back into calories? I''m estimating I ate about 800 calories and 25 grams of fat, I may be overestimating, but I prefer that to underestimating. I probably ate 1 tspn. of the dressing.

We''re having homemade chicken pot pies from a CL recipe for dinner tonight.

 

[nejarb]

Date: 1/5/2007 12:39:17 AM
Author: Mara



i was feeling SOOO snacky today...i don''t know why.


the scale at the gym said i lost 2.5 lbs since tuesday.



Mara, maybe you''re not eating enough and that''s why you''re "snacky"!
You should be careful not to lose weight if you''ve already reached your goals. After all, you don''t want to lose your figure and start looking like a little boy!

I joke sometimes that maintaining my curvy figure is "hard work," like when I''m eating something fattening or someone comments that I have a good appetite or says something like "jenny loves ice cream." It was funny when I was really thin but still curvy. But now that I''m just curvy I think it''s even funnier.

I made lasagne last night with tofu and spinach instead of turkey. It''s super good, but I think it could be better. The lasagne noodles that say "no boil" on the box are not good. This is the first time I tried them, and I found that they were pasty and had a bad flavor (I used barilla). The thing that I liked about them was that they are thinner and don''t have the ripples on the side. But maybe I can find some like that that aren''t "no boil." BTW, you don''t have to boil regular lasagne noodles anyway. Also, I used 1/2 full fat ricotta and 1/2 low fat cottage cheese. The total calories per slice was 420 (1/8 of whole). I think next time I''ll use lowfat ricatta and nonfat cottage cheese and I''ll find a sauce that is lower calorie. The sauce was the single highest calorie item per slice. Maybe I can get it down to 350/slice?

I''m going to the YMCA this afternoon to check it out. It''s right by my apt and I have most of my mornings free for the next few months. I''m really excited about it.

 

[KimberlyH]

nejarb,

I used those noodles the other night and really liked them EXCEPT that the top layer was still dry/crisp. I wonder if soaking them in water before using them would help, because otherwise I liked them. I made an eggplant lasagne and they mixed well together. Hmmm...

 

[TravelingGal]

Happy Friday all!

Made those turkey cilantro burgers last night and they were delish! The chipotle adobe ketchup was what made it though.

Lovelylulu, if you want, I can dig up an old CL recipe that is chicken stuffed with artichokes and goat cheese. It''s probably somewhat similar to what you made. It''s one of my fav recipes to this day and I''ve been making it for years.

This thread is great for inspiration...I got into an argument with TGuy last night and felt pretty unmotivated. Came back and read the thread and decided to give us some space by going to the gym. Burned about 600 cal on the elliptical!

Today is cottage cheese and mandarine oranges for breakfast, a turkey patty and 1 cup leftover tortilla soup for lunch. Dinner is who knows what, but this morning the scale says I''ve lost a half pound. However that''s probably water weight, as that''s the first to go.

Have a great weekend everyone!!

 

[lovelylulu]

Lovelylulu, if you want, I can dig up an old CL recipe that is chicken stuffed with artichokes and goat cheese. It''s probably somewhat similar to what you made. It''s one of my fav recipes to this day and I''ve been making it for years.

thanks TG, i''d love another "stuffed" recipe. they are a nice twist on the standard chicken breast! and i just happen to have some artichokes at home

you should give the sundried recipe a try. the only thing is that it was a little time consuming because of prep. lots of shallots and tomatos needed to be chopped, but if you have a small food processor (don''t know why this didn''t occur to me last night) prep would be a snap.

thanks too for the links on sushi. i''m going to try to limit my consumption of avocado and steer clear of sake! wish me luck!

 

[TravelingGal]

Date: 1/5/2007 3:59:23 PM
Author: lovelylulu

Lovelylulu, if you want, I can dig up an old CL recipe that is chicken stuffed with artichokes and goat cheese. It''s probably somewhat similar to what you made. It''s one of my fav recipes to this day and I''ve been making it for years.

thanks TG, i''d love another ''stuffed'' recipe. they are a nice twist on the standard chicken breast! and i just happen to have some artichokes at home

you should give the sundried recipe a try. the only thing is that it was a little time consuming because of prep. lots of shallots and tomatos needed to be chopped, but if you have a small food processor (don''t know why this didn''t occur to me last night) prep would be a snap.

thanks too for the links on sushi. i''m going to try to limit my consumption of avocado and steer clear of sake! wish me luck!

Here you go lovelylulu. My guess is that is almost exactly like the one you did...


INGREDIENTS
2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
3/4 cup frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and chopped (I just use canned)
1/4 cup minced shallots (about 3)
1/4 cup (1 ounce) crumbled goat or feta cheese
1 teaspoon dried herbes de Provence or thyme, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
4 (4-ounce) skinned, boned chicken breast halves
1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons cornstarch
Chopped fresh parsley (optional)
Lemon rind strips (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add artichokes
and shallots; saute 4 minutes. Remove from pan; cool. Stir in cheese, 1/2
teaspoon herbes de Provence, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.
Cut a horizontal slit through thickest portion of each breast half to form
a pocket. Stuff 2 tablespoons artichoke mixture into each pocket.
Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add
chicken, and sprinkle with 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper; saute
6 minutes on each side or until done. Remove from pan; keep warm. Add 1/2
teaspoon herbes de Provence and broth to pan; bring to a boil. Combine
juice and cornstarch; add to broth mixture, stirring with a whisk. Cook 1
minute or until thick. Return chicken to pan; cover and cook 2 minutes or
until thoroughly heated. Garnish with parsley and lemon strips, if desired.
YIELD: 4 servings (serving size: 1 chicken breast half and 2 tablespoons
sauce)
NUTRITIONAL INFO
calories: 194 carbohydrates: 6.2 g cholesterol: 72 mg fat: 5.3 g sodium:
437 mg protein: 29.2 g calcium: 61 mg iron: 1.4 mg fiber: 0.4 g

 

[Mara]

nejarb, i definitely eat when i am hungry but feeling ''snacky'' for me is not feeling hungry, it''s just feeling like i need to keep my mouth occupied. i discovred that our candy canes from xmas are only 60 cals for one whole cane, and typically i just have 2 small pieces and that helped me out the last few days if i wanted something but not FOOD. in terms of losing weight, i''m not worried because even though the scale said i lost weight, my measurements are the same from last week...and i still could lose a bit of FAT so if that is what is happening, cool. and nothing has changed, and i am still eating a lot and splurging sometimes so i feel overall really good. if my body wants to lose another pound or two on the scale, i don''t really mind...as long as i don''t start looking bony.

nejarb, funny we use the barilla no boil lasagna and it''s been a huge success for us. i think with those CL recipes for turkey lasagna you have to use way more sauce than the recipe calls for to use the no boil pastas. i don''t know if i posted my modified recipe on here, it''s at home, but i basically took two CL recipes and made my own and estimated the calories and all that. it''s about 380 cals per serving and the servings are large. one serving and a salad fills me up big time. i use emerils sauce or classico, both of which are like 70 cals per serving which is pretty low for sauce. and then i supplement with a can of regular tomato sauce to help the pasta be softer. that has been successful for me. also a BIG plus for the turkey lasagna for taste is letting the meat sit overnight in the fridge (all mixed together with onions, sauce, etc)...it tastes SOOO much better. honestly, we made the lasagna last thurs, and we had it on thurs, saturday and then tuesday. Tuesday night''s servings were the best out of all 3 nights, because the flavors just ''gel'' that much more. each night i reheated only servings for us and put a bit of skim mozz on top of each. anyway the TL the way that we make it is our fave recipe off CL so far. and we like that we can eat it for a few days but not consecutively and it doesn''t go bad in the fridge like fish or whatever would.

kim..i estimate free weight and abdomen just by searching on google. seriously, when in doubt on something weight related or calorie relataed, google it. i google calories situps and i found this cool online calculator which has a ton of various exercises that estimates calories for your weight and height. it''s an estimate of course but it can give you some idea of what you might be burning. aka 10 minutes of situps for me is about 60 cals. weights is about 40 cals. also when i wore my HRM..it estimated my weight time as 40-50 cals too so i know that''s pretty accurate.

anyhow, my coworker and i just went to loehmanns...where i got some cute romeo & juliet tops (love their material, so soft and flattering) and also this sweet short cord fitted jacket that is kind of motorycle-ish with zippers and a high collar, super cute. such great deals there. so now i am having lunch which is chicken marsala LC. i had a banana for snack earlier. and then i also have a rio citrus fresh fruit salad from starbucks which is 100 cals. and we''ll have a 100 cal popcorn pack. then i''ll go workout! SUSHI tonite. woo.

 

[nejarb]

Okay Mara, I''m glad to hear you don''t want your bones sticking out all over the place. So I''ll leave you alone for now.

KimberlyH, I noticed the same thing when I took it out to take foil off and add cheese to top for last 10 min. So I got a big serving spoon and gently pressed down on the top of the lasagne in various places. this caused some moisture to come up from underneath and cover the top layer. It worked. I think that I''m just really sensative to taste and texture, and the regular noodles have more of a bite, like a chewy texture, whereas these barilla ones do not. and it''s not just because they''re thinner, b/c I''ve had very very thin lasagne noodles that had this bite I''m talking about. Anyhow, tastes vary and it''s not that big of a differnece--when I told my fi what I thought while we were eating it he just sort of laughed and shook his head and told me they it was the same as any other lasagne he''s ever had.

I joined the YMCA today! I thought it was about 3 blocks from my apt, but it''s actually 9. I''ll still walk or jog over there, but parking isn''t too expensive for the days that I can''t or don''t want to walk there. Really excited about it. I have an orientation/personal training session tomorrow. There is a system there for keeping track of calories burned, which I''ll learn more about tomorrow. I might start keeping track of calorie intake at some point but it just doesn''t sound like something that is going to come easy for me. seems REALLY tedious, but it also seems like a great idea. One thing at a time, right?

Oh, I was wondering if anyone knows about Smart Balance margerine? I am a butter girl, really a non-processed foods girl, but I was recently visiting a few people who are senior citizens and I noticed that they all have this type of margerine in their fridge. And I noticed that it didn''t have hydro fats and it has flax oil and omega 3 and really it didn''t taste bad and so I bought some for myself, but I got the Smart Balance light on accident. it''s good but I have no idea what I''m putting on my toast b/c I got the kind w/ 2 little tubs and then threw the outer package away. If it''s not hydogenated and it''s not butter,m what is it?

 

[Rod]

Date: 1/4/2007 11:58:19 PM
Author: DaniGirl
rod -i''m sorry but i don''t know if you saw my post above regarding the vegenaise. i was hoping you could chime in so i can be sure to get the right stuff.

my jar say ''vegenaise -dressing & sandwich spread'' in a yellow box. a blue ribbon to the right says ''best taste'' and on top says ''follow your heart''. it shows 90 cals and 9 grams of fat for 1 tbsp, which seems pretty bad to me -even worse than the low fat regular mayo...

Hey DaniGirl. You''ve got the right stuff. It does have some fat, but it''s good fat and unlike Mayo, has no cholesterol and half the calories. Since I think it tastes as good (actually better) and I managed to lose a whole lot of weight using this, I felt it was a much better alternative to Mayo and good for you. My doctor is the one who recommended it to me. Now, I would rathe have it over Mayonnaise. The version I buy is made from Grape Seed Oil, which costs a little more but is even healthier. They do have like three varieties though.

I hope this helps..........Good Luck.

 

[Dee*Jay]

So I just exhibited a little bit of badness... The happy hubby and I went to dinner at our favorite Italian restaurant. I had the carapccio (sp?) with mushrooms and celery for an appetizer and the grilled salmon with asparagus for an entree, of course with my obgligatory two glasses of wine, but the killer was two pieces of whole wheat focaccio with olive oil. In retrospect it wasn''t worth it, but at the time -- YUM!

Back to the gym tomorrow!!!

 

[Rod]

Hey Nejarb.........We only use Smart Balance when we want to use a spread on toast or bread. It''s so much healthier. I actually still cook with real butter because I would NEVER use margarine. But Smart Balance is actually good stuff with Omega 3 Fatty Acids. It doesn''t spread as easily as some soft spreads, but it does taste great and it melts well too.

Hope this helps.........

 

[Rod]

Since it''s Friday you know we didn''t work out today. It was a pretty good day though. I had my flax cereal for breakfast, then I met Charlie at Panera and I had some lower fat vegatble soup and a chicken caesar (I know the dressing is pretty high in calories) for lunch. Then we met at our Sushi place for dinner. Our waiter was waiting for us and was so excited to let us know they had a guest sushi chef in from Vegas and we were not to order anything because he had already told the chef what types of sushi we like and the chef was going to make three special rolls for us. All I can say, OH MY GOD, I have never had better Sushi anywhere anytime period. The rolls were infused with varieties of tuna and salmon and scallops and ginger and unusal flavors, but they were the most imaginative rolls I''ve ever had. One was called "The Screaming Orgasm!!" It was unlike anything I''ve ever experienced. Now that they know how to make these rolls, we''ll be able to have them long after the guest chef is gone.

Tomorrow is my 52nd birthday (but I''m rolling the clock back with each and every workout, so I''m really going on 40!). I get to go buy a new IPOD, which I need for my workouts. I''ve actually worn out my Sony MP3 player, so that''s why I wanted to get a new player. In the morning, we have a meeting with the developer of the new condo to make a final decision on which condo we want to buy (I feel pretty confident it will be the 3 bedroom 3.5 bath unit). Then we''ll work out at the gym in the afternoon. And then my families birthday tradition is to have a big lobster dinner. So we have reservations at a really wonderful restaurant that will be walking distance from the new condo that has lobsters from 3 pounds and above. And I plan to have REAL BUTTER with my lobster too!!

I''m going to have a wonderul weekend and I hope you will too!!

 

[Rod]

Date: 1/5/2007 9:03:14 PM
Author: Dee*Jay
So I just exhibited a little bit of badness... The happy hubby and I went to dinner at our favorite Italian restaurant. I had the carapccio (sp?) with mushrooms and celery for an appetizer and the grilled salmon with asparagus for an entree, of course with my obgligatory two glasses of wine, but the killer was two pieces of whole wheat focaccio with olive oil. In retrospect it wasn''t worth it, but at the time -- YUM!

Back to the gym tomorrow!!!

You should not feel in the least bit guilty about having whole wheat bread with olive oil DeeJay!! Good grains and heart healthy spread. You''ve got to have some carbs you know??!! I managed to lose over 60 pounds and go from over 30% body fat to 15% body fat and I did NOT cut out bread while doing it. So, fret not. But by all means go to the gym not from bread guilt, but because it''s just good for you!!

 

[Dee*Jay]

Rod, Happy Birthday tomorrow!!! I hope the birthday fairy brings you a wonderful 3 bed/3.5 bath condo along with your lobster and *real butter*!

Enjoy!!!



ETA: We must have been typing at the same time, but thank you for making me feel better about the bread. I am trying VERY hard to be good and it seemed like such a splurge!

 

[Rod]

Date: 1/5/2007 9:26:24 PM
Author: Dee*Jay
Rod, Happy Birthday tomorrow!!! I hope the birthday fairy brings you a wonderful 3 bed/3.5 bath condo along with your lobster and *real butter*!

Enjoy!!!

Oh thank you thank you!! I think that fairy just might grant my wishes!!!

 

[basil]

Wow, everyone is doing so well!

No workout for me today. Worked from 5:30 am -9:30 tonight. I had cereal for breakfast, a small salad with fat-free ranch dressing, and a small grilled chicken breast on a slice of wheat bread with tomato, pickles and mustard for lunch. For a snack, I had some soy chips (140 calories) and a diet coke. I just got home and I''m having some TJ''s foil pouch indian food and some rice with yogurt. Next, I''m heading to bed!

 

[KimberlyH]

Rod: HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! (Well almost!)

DeeJay: You are doing terrific! Whole wheat foccacia, not bad at all! Olive oil, you should have 6 tablespoons a week to significantly reduce your chances at getting heart disease. And if you don''t want Alheimer''s (my MIL has it, and I know I don''t want it!) drink 4 glasses of pure fruit juice a week (reduces your chances 80%).

I made a CL chicken pot pie recipe for dinner. 374 calories 11 grams of fat and can I just say DELICIOUS! If anyone wants the recipe, I''m happy to post a link. It was, according to John, "better than regular chicken pot pie." It truly was YUMMY!

Hope everyone is having a fantastic beginning of their weekend.

 

[Mara]

kimberly please post the link because i am looking for a CPP that is less cals than the super unhealthy processed marie calendars ones we love, lol. but my weakness is the pastry on top and bottom, for me it's not a CPP without it and i know a lot of lighter recipes cut that out. but anyway curious to see what yours is like!!

happy early birthday rod!! i am sure you are much younger inside than 52 and you totally look it too. i loved your sushi story...we just got home from sushi ourselves and this place that we go to has AMAZING rolls. i hardly ever want to go elsewhere because i am such a unique roll whore...i haven't had a regular california roll in years. this place is always packed so tonite we sat at the bar. super yummy as usual.

and i heartily second real butter. i use it for everything. it doesn't have to be a ton...but for me everything tastes better with real butter. sure it has some fat and all that but again, don't use a ton and you are fine. i might look into that smart promise spread because the real butter is a pain to spread on anything like toast and not use a lot...i do tend to melt something like a tablespoon (100 cals) in the microwave then use it for our waffles and toast and all that as well. and in any recipe i use real butter. some things i just will not give up (and shouldn't have to!).

oh and DJ i agree with not feeling guilty about the bread and olive oil. that's much better than alternatives you could be eating. here is my mentality...i am good about 5 days out of 7. the other 2...i am typically good during the day but then we have two meals out and i do WHATEVER I WANT during them. i eat bread, i eat dessert, i have a drink or a soda...whatever. because honestly you have to live. and i love food. and i was still successful at my weight loss and my healthy attitude with that kind of mental allowance...i just made sure to keep my workouts up. so do give yourself a bit of leeway...and especially for stuff like whole wheat bread or something..that's healthy! and good for you.

worked out tonite at the gym, did 525 calories then my weight training so probably about 565 cals total or around there. tomorrow is an off day for me which i am looking fwd to...but we are going to take a nice long neighborhood walk as long as the weather cooperates. tomorrow night we are talking about splurging and having burgers and fries at this amazing place which is kind of like a dive bar but all they serve is varieties of burgers. it's famous around here for fab burgers and their fries are to die for. definitely not healthy but we were saying...if you gotta have a burger then at least you know it's fresh and premium and not processed, lol. so we might do that tomorrow night. or we are talking about our fave chinese place which has amazing chinese chicken salad. so we'll see. tomorrow's dinners is one of those nights i mentioned above, where anything goes. hehe.

congrats on joining the gym nejarb! sounds like you had a good day basil! Oh and in case anyone is wondering, my coworker and i tried the Pop Secret 100 cal pack popcorn today, hands down better than orville redenbacher which we had before. buttery taste and just enough salt. both she and i are in love with this new stuff. highly suggested if someone is looking for a snack.

one note on the drinking fruit juice...i'd read up on that if you are factoring it into a health plan because women are famous for drinking their calories and fruit juice is a huge culprit of those calories. of course preventing something like alzheimers is a great reason to drink it but just be sure to check labels and know what you are consuming and how it fits into your plan.

hope everyone has a great day tomorrow and have a wonderful birthday rod. i love the idea of a 3 lb lobster...mmmm. another mental plus 'check' for raleigh...lol.

 

[CrownJewel]

Happy Birthday Rod! Your sushi dinner sounds AMAZING. My mouth was watering and my stomach grumbled as I read your post. That''s awesome that they know you guys so well there.

DeeJay, I fully expect to have "splurge" dinners once in a while. You should enjoy them and not feel guilty. There are so many wonderful foods out there and it would be a shame if we didn''t try them all!! My favorite foods are sushi, anything French and seafood (especially shellfish...did I hear that someone''s having a 3 lb lobster for his birthday? SO JEALOUS). And there''s no way I''m giving any of that up completely.

For those who count calories, how do you figure in your olive oil? It''s so high in calories. I think my EVOO is something like 130 calories for one tablespoon. I used a tablespoon and a half in my chicken marinade and in the pan. The substance of my dinner was 450 calories (chicken, shredded mozzarella, green bell pepper, tofu and scallions). But the EVOO pushed it up to 650. Does that sound right? Am I using way too much olive oil?

Since it was so warm today, I decided to go for a run anyway. It was really nice. I ran most of the 4 miles. I''m looking forward to when I can run the whole 4 miles without walking. Um, is anyone else a little worried that it''s going to be 69 degrees tomorrow in NYC? I could have sworn it was still January.

Till tomorrow!
P.S. Rod, enjoy your lobster (3lbs!!)! Eat extra for me!

 

[Mara]

CJ i never use the amount of EVOO that a recipe calls for. it's way too high in calories for me...i know it's beneficial but it's not that good. i have a spray EVOO... it's REAL EVOO but it's just such a fine spray that if you just do a quick go over of the pan, it coats it and it is tiny in calories (it says 0/0 for a 'quick spray' but we know that's not right...but it's a small amount compared to using the spoon)...if a recipe calls for 1 tablespoon or 1 tsp i just use a quick spray. i find that the recipes typically overestimate in things like EVOO anyway, you do not need a whole tblspoon to saute onions in or whatever. sometimes i splurge when i am making something like roasted potatoes or similar where i want them to bake up crisp under the broiler. but for the most part i skimp on the EVOO when cooking and i feel like the other flavors make up for it, esp since many times EVOO is just used in the beginning for sauteeing garlic or onions etc.

 

[nejarb]

The health benefits of olive oil are reduced when you use it to cook, b/c high heat destroys something in the oil. I am a big-time EVOO lover. I keep really good stuff that I don''t cook with, as well as just good plain EVOO that I spray pans w/ to cook. Spraying olive oil is great b/c you coat the whole pan with very little oil, whereas if you poured it, it does take at least a tblsp to coat a med-large pan. I personally don''t think there''s anything wrong w/ having a tblsp or even more of EVOO every night, but I prefer to add it at the table--it tastes better and it''s healthier.

AFTER something is cooked, if I find that it does still need more oil, I drizzle some of the good stuff (I keep it out on my table by the salt and pepper and fruit bowl). Some super-premium olive oil is too acidic for my taste, but the ones I really like, that have a really rich fruity flavor, are Italian, specifically Tuscon, and made with taggiasca olives.

My favorite way to eat fish is to spray it w/ EVOO, grill it, and then sprinkle some chopped parsley on it and drizzle some fresh lemon juice and EVOO

 

[Tybee]

Holy Cow!
I''m behind on my threading!
Crown Jewel. I hope I didn''t scare you about the knee. I tend to over do it at times. Tendonitis is just a sign of that, it''s not big deal, just requires rest, unfortunately, I''m not so good at resting. I become somewhat obsessed, and feel my body getting it''self out of shape.
I did take the past two days off from working out. My knee is feeling a bit better. I will definitely take it easy this week to lead up to our ski vacation.

Did someone post a healthy ground turkey lasagne recipe on here recently? I''ve got a hankering...