Date: 02/23/2010
Starting Weight: 219.6
Current Weight: 167.0
Goal Weight2: 155
Final Goal Weight: 145-150
Loss Since Last Weigh In: 2.4
Total Weight loss: 52.6
Pounds left to lose: 12
My first week of coaching was a success! As far as I know it was, anyways. My first three clients did great this week. It put me right back in my first few weeks of Medifast and what a change it was. It pushed me to try harder and get to my goal. I am finding these last 20 pounds are not an easy task. Mentally I really want to start transitioning off Medifast. I have been at this about six months now and I am just ready to start a new chapter. The reality is I need to reach my goal weight, I need to stick to this through the end and I still have some things to really drive home in my mind before I can start doing this 100 percent on my own. I think coaching is just what I need to push me to achieve those last few pounds. I am staying in contact with my clients pretty closely and their attitude about making such a positive change in their lives pushes me into that mindset. My parents are actually gearing up to start Medifast in a couple weeks. I am so proud that they are deciding to finally take that step. Although I am not EXACTLY where I need to be, here I sit 52 pounds lighter than I was six months ago. I am happier than I have ever been. It makes me happy to know that hopefully a few months from now, they will be feeling the same way.
I know the area’s where I could buckle down and drop the pounds quicker.
· I don’t need a snack, every night. Water helps curve those cravings, and quite frankly I know I am not hungry, just in the mood to munch. That is habit that I really need to break.
· I could cut down my diet soda and coffee intake. In the past month or two I have started drinking coffee in the mornings. Just one or two cups with a few Splendas mixed in. Before I didn’t keep diet soda in the house. If I found myself craving a soda, I would get one at work or buy one to bring home and have with dinner.
· Stop cooking my veggies with the Smart Balance butter and go back to steamed veggies for most of the week.
· Eat a few more chicken salads for my Lean and green.
· Go back to balancing the meat that is not as lean with lower carb greens.
I can say with 100 percent certainty that I haven’t reached a plateau. Simply this last month or so, I sort of lost the real drive and willpower that I had at the beginning. I had been going out dancing and having a few cocktails on quite a few weekends. That is the extent of my “cheating”. Here or there I probably had a bite or two of food that wasn’t on the plan. But I can attribute my weight loss slowing down and stopping completely to my drinking habits recently. This is something I have completely stopped and I won’t drink again until I reach my goal weight or until I go on my vacation in April. Don’t fall back into old habits! It’s easy and sometimes seems harmless, but you can tell by my stats that it is detrimental to the program. It also defeats half the purpose of Medifast. One half is to lose the weight, the second half is to create NEW habits and move away from old mistakes that got you into hot water in the first place.
Now in true “coaching” fashion I am going to make a little list of Medifast starter tips I have run into, while coaching my clients through their first week.
· Before starting, get a shaker for Medifast shakes or cold drinks. Get a thermos for making Medifast soup and giving it plenty of time to soften. A digital scale to weigh out your lean meat portion. A scale to track your progress. It is important to weigh in on the same scale to keep accurate results.
· You may find yourself getting hungry in-between Medifast meals. Your body is adjusting and is set in your old habits of eating for many different reasons other than necessity. Don’t be afraid to have your allotted snack. Grab a Pickle, Celery sticks, Sugar free Jello, Sugar free popsicle, Sugar free fudge sickle.
· If you are having trouble drinking all 64oz of water a day, try to mix it up with some sugar free flavored water. Make sure the label is all zeros. You can also add some Crystal light with your water to help it along.
· Keep your first couple weeks pretty basic. Basic lean and greens, that are quick to make and get in the habit of your new schedule. It can seem overwhelming at times to get in all your meals and in the time frame you are supposed to.
· Remember your first week is all about getting a schedule and really learning what the program is all about. If you make a mistake, remember that tomorrow is a new day. You have lived your whole life with completely different habits. Your body is adjusting.
· The most important thing for all new Medifast people. This first month you are figuring out which meals you like and which meals you don’t care for. If you don’t like the taste of something. Don’t eat it. End of story. If you eat a meal out of a box you can still send it back. You will never be successful if you are eating food you don’t like.
“The one unchangeable certainty is that nothing is certain or unchangeable.”-John F Kennedy
<3
Tiff
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Coaching and Renewed Energy
It’s been a while since I blogged and I plan to keep this one short. These past two weeks writing my blog keeps getting moved to the bottom of my to-do list. It’s still sitting there at the bottom. I have a million things ahead of me to do. This week, I have been literally out of energy. I went home from work and went straight to bed and yesterday stayed home all day. You would figure with all that bed time I could write a decent blog entry. Things just seem to be a blank lately. I thought I would give a little update of some new interests and commitments in my life.
These past few weeks I have been having what I like to call a quarter life crisis. I usually mull over my life and fear for my future. My last quarter life crisis was in August and it felt as if Medifast fell into my lap and opened up a whole new way of living and eating. Recently my fear has mostly been for my career. An opportunity to go back to school, hit me quickly. I started worrying about my lifestyle and although I don’t have the nicest car and live with a roommate I still manage to find myself living pay check to pay check. This is the fear that keeps going back to school seem like a great idea (making more money in the future) and that makes it seem like the worst idea in the world (I already have quite a few student loans I am paying back, this would make keeping a full time job impossible while adding more debt to the pot). I was discussing my woes at a girls night out type of dinner. My health coach was there and a few days later she decided to approach me about being a Medifast health coach. I mulled it over for a few days and then decided to jump in feet first and go for it. I have been coaching for only four days now. I have small insecurities here or there, but it has given me a great refresher and a new drive for kicking my own diet into gear. “Got to walk the walk, if you’re going to talk the talk.” I am officially signing up today, and will add a new little section into my blog about what it’s like to be a coach.
I also have just borrowed a vegan cooking/lifestyle book. It’s not something that I see fully committing to but not something I would be opposed to checking into. I think that a lot of the food looks delicious and might be something I am willing to commit to eat for a couple days out of the week.
A better blog to come next week after I have caught up a little bit. I am thinking of writing out a list for tips of those just starting out and common problems I am finding my clients are running into. Keep up the good work!
<3 Tiff
These past few weeks I have been having what I like to call a quarter life crisis. I usually mull over my life and fear for my future. My last quarter life crisis was in August and it felt as if Medifast fell into my lap and opened up a whole new way of living and eating. Recently my fear has mostly been for my career. An opportunity to go back to school, hit me quickly. I started worrying about my lifestyle and although I don’t have the nicest car and live with a roommate I still manage to find myself living pay check to pay check. This is the fear that keeps going back to school seem like a great idea (making more money in the future) and that makes it seem like the worst idea in the world (I already have quite a few student loans I am paying back, this would make keeping a full time job impossible while adding more debt to the pot). I was discussing my woes at a girls night out type of dinner. My health coach was there and a few days later she decided to approach me about being a Medifast health coach. I mulled it over for a few days and then decided to jump in feet first and go for it. I have been coaching for only four days now. I have small insecurities here or there, but it has given me a great refresher and a new drive for kicking my own diet into gear. “Got to walk the walk, if you’re going to talk the talk.” I am officially signing up today, and will add a new little section into my blog about what it’s like to be a coach.
I also have just borrowed a vegan cooking/lifestyle book. It’s not something that I see fully committing to but not something I would be opposed to checking into. I think that a lot of the food looks delicious and might be something I am willing to commit to eat for a couple days out of the week.
A better blog to come next week after I have caught up a little bit. I am thinking of writing out a list for tips of those just starting out and common problems I am finding my clients are running into. Keep up the good work!
<3 Tiff
Friday, January 29, 2010
Photo Update!
Date: 01/29/2010
Starting Weight: 219.6
Current Weight: 169.4
Goal Weight2: 155
Loss Since Last Weigh In: 2
Total Weight loss: 50.2
Pounds left to lose: 14.4
Well I thought I would throw in a little picture update. I am not that great at taking full body pictures with my Blackberry so bare with me. I have lost two pounds in two weeks. This is progress, but not something to brag about. These past two weeks have been hard for me. I won’t lie. The drinking every weekend I know has a really big impact on my progress. My friend that is visiting will be leaving in less than two months and won’t be back for another year and a half. Although it isn’t conducive to my weight loss I feel like I want to have fun with him while I can. I have found myself cheating here or there, nothing too big. It just isn’t my style and hasn’t been the way I have been successful so far. This past month really has been a series of missteps.
There is hope on the horizon! A close friend of mine is putting in her first Medifast order on Monday. I am going to help her go grocery shopping and help her out with any questions she might have. This might be the kick in the pants I need to get back in gear and set a good example to a friend who is just starting out. I am now 5 months in and it just get’s hard sometimes to always walk this line, when I am the only one doing it. I also have started another Food journal. I am using the front page as a collage or motivation page for when I feel like stepping off the program. I need to get back to the ridged attitude I have upheld for the previous four months. The silver lining on the clouds is that I have reached a 50 pound loss mark! I am officially down to a size 12 pants with a little extra room. I am also only 4.4 pounds from losing 100 pounds total since May 2007. Now for the goods! Pictures from this morning.
Well I thought I would throw in a little picture update. I am not that great at taking full body pictures with my Blackberry so bare with me. I have lost two pounds in two weeks. This is progress, but not something to brag about. These past two weeks have been hard for me. I won’t lie. The drinking every weekend I know has a really big impact on my progress. My friend that is visiting will be leaving in less than two months and won’t be back for another year and a half. Although it isn’t conducive to my weight loss I feel like I want to have fun with him while I can. I have found myself cheating here or there, nothing too big. It just isn’t my style and hasn’t been the way I have been successful so far. This past month really has been a series of missteps.
There is hope on the horizon! A close friend of mine is putting in her first Medifast order on Monday. I am going to help her go grocery shopping and help her out with any questions she might have. This might be the kick in the pants I need to get back in gear and set a good example to a friend who is just starting out. I am now 5 months in and it just get’s hard sometimes to always walk this line, when I am the only one doing it. I also have started another Food journal. I am using the front page as a collage or motivation page for when I feel like stepping off the program. I need to get back to the ridged attitude I have upheld for the previous four months. The silver lining on the clouds is that I have reached a 50 pound loss mark! I am officially down to a size 12 pants with a little extra room. I am also only 4.4 pounds from losing 100 pounds total since May 2007. Now for the goods! Pictures from this morning.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Lean and Green Recipes Part 2
Makeshift spaghetti sauce sans noodles
A recent favorite, maybe for someone who has been on the program a bit longer than others and is ready to try something fresh and off the normal menu would be my makeshift spaghetti sauce. I usually turn this into quite a spicy dish because of the amount of garlic I use. Starting off in a pan you can get Italian style turkey meatballs. Of course varying in size of the meatball the right proportion is about 5 meatballs. This actually is a big serving although it doesn’t really look like it off the bat. You can also use beef meatballs (which I used in the past) but turkey is a lot less fattening and also a bigger serving size. You can honestly barely even tell the difference.
If you don’t like meatballs you can also substitute for Chicken. I have done both because I tend to stick to Chicken dishes. If you are going to use chicken you can average two small chicken breasts cut into medium sized pieces. Put a light amount of olive oil in a pan and season the chicken (mildly) with whatever sounds good. I am pretty boring when it comes to spices so I season with pepper and garlic powder. I am a little on the nervous side when it comes to my meat being undercooked so I make sure it is well done in the pan before adding the rest of the ingredients. If you don’t like your chicken too done, you could always just brown it a bit and let it cook the rest of the way in the sauce. I usually weigh out my chicken before adding the other ingredients. Where the meatballs are easy to pick out of the sauce and weigh to make sure you are giving yourself the right serving size.
The turkey meatballs I buy frozen from Safeway and is actually a good portion size for the price. You just mix them frozen into the rest of the mixture and since they are pre-cooked will heat up in the sauce.
To make the tomato base use an average sized can of roasted tomatoes. I usually buy the one that has roasted garlic added in. There are a wide variety of different tastes and brands. Always check the label for a list of ingredients. In these cans you can be tricked and pick one with a lot of sugar added, or other things that will hinder your diet. The can I buy is strictly tomatoes with garlic. You will know what is good for you and what isn’t. Add the whole can into the pan with the meat. This by itself is your serving size of “green” for your lean and green meal. It will cook down. This leaves you room to play a little bit. I usually add a half a package of mushrooms sliced, half of a green pepper thinly sliced, or some black olives sliced up if you’re pulling something together off the fly. The tomatoes will be a little bland tasting compared to the other spaghetti sauce like Prego. Just add garlic powder, pepper, salt to taste. Don’t go overboard! I usually toss in some red pepper flakes to spice it up. I love spicy food! Taste with a spoon until you get the right flavors you are looking for. Put a lid over on medium heat and simmer for ten to fifteen minutes. Stir when you want. Don’t let it burn, but there really isn’t a science to it all. Add it to a bowl and enjoy a healthy version of spaghetti! I don’t even miss the noodles.
Shish Kabobs
This is a favorite of mine and my roommates but one that takes a little more effort and planning than some of my other dishes. If you can cut up and marinate the meat ahead of time it makes less work at dinnertime, If not the chicken doesn’t need to marinate very long. I usually use chicken but obviously you can use beef as well. I never have used the beef before.
To start off, make your marinade. This isn’t the most healthy part of the dish. Luckily the chicken is just soaking in it for a while and isn’t actually drizzled over it. I take a teriyaki sauce base. Take one you have used and liked before. This is the main component in the taste. In fact you could just marinade in the pre made sauce and leave it at that. I am not a HUGE fan of teriyaki so I add some other ingredients to mellow down the flavor a bit. I usually take less than two tablespoons of teriyaki, add in by taste soy sauce, chopped garlic, ginger, pepper. If you want to go as low fat as you possibly can teriyaki is available sugar free or made with less sugar. You can also purchase low sodium soy sauce. I find that the amount of the marinade that actually stays on the meat is minimal enough you really could use any marinade you wanted. Cut two chicken breasts into larger pieces. They have to be able to be skewered later and enough room for when they cook down in size. Add the chicken pieces to the marinate and set aside.
For veggies, I take one carton of mushrooms whole, one green pepper, and one zucchini. I pull the stems out of the mushrooms and leave them whole. Pick medium sizes mushrooms if you can. They will cook more evenly and be sure to slide on the skewer without breaking down the middle. Chunk the rest of the veggies in pieces big enough to skewer as well. Line a cookie sheet with tin foil and place the oven rack on one of the higher levels in the oven. Most skewers require that you soak them for 20 minutes in water so they won’t burn as badly when cooked. You can multitask and soak while you cut up the veggies. Alternate between veggies and meat on each skewer and line the cookie sheet. I have found that you will eat most of the veggies as your serving size and almost all the chicken as well. I would prepare at least six skewers to be prepared. If you have extra this meal is great as leftovers. Place in the oven on high broil. The length of time it cooks depends on each oven. I have anticipated at least 20-25 minutes baking time plus the time to prepare. All in all this meal will probably take an hour. Less obviously if you prep ahead of time. The first bake in the oven I usually leave for about 10-15 minutes. Check after ten. I like my meat and veggies a little charred so I leave in for longer. Once the skewers look pretty done on that side, remove the cookie sheet and carefully pour the juice out of the bottom of the pan. Flip each skewer to the other side and put back in the oven. This side tends to cook more thoroughly. I would check in another 5-10 minutes and remove when it looks done enough for you. Take a fork and see how easily the chicken pulls apart if you are concerned if it is cooked thoroughly.
This part is more of a pain than anything. I usually take a big bowl and pull all the veggies off the skewers. I spate the chicken and weigh out my portion and then dump the mixed veggies in a big measuring cup and portion those out as well. Mix the veggies and chicken together. I usually top mine off with some hot sauce and a dab of soy sauce. I love spicy food though and it will taste equally delicious if you don’t put any sauce on at all.
If you are making this for your family who is not on Medifast as well you can always cook up some steamed rice to put the meat and veggies on top of.
Salmon and Shrimp
I didn’t think that these two deserved their own section. I don’t eat or cook a whole lot of seafood. Shrimp is the easiest. I usually buy medium or large sized uncooked shrimp. Most importantly they are made EZ peel. NEVER buy the shrimp that is already cooked and frozen. I find it lacks the flavor that you would get if you made it from scratch. You can keep a bigger bag frozen and waiting. Before you start weigh out about 12-14 oz of frozen shrimp. This usually evens out somewhere close to 7 oz cooked. I then soak them in Luke warm water, even cold. You don’t want the water they are soaking in to partially cook them. Let them soak and then dump out the water and pour some new water in. The old water will be so cold from the frozen bits falling off that it will hurt to keep your hands in it. Peel the shrimp. Then in a pan on the stove melt a good amount of smart balance butter. This is 95 percent fat free. I would say about two tablespoons to be safe. You won’t be using all of this butter in your meal, just to sauté it in. Then by taste add some garlic powder, and lemon juice, with a few shakes of pepper. If you like lemon juice, make sure to add a fair amount in. I prefer more garlic than lemon. I usually cook this on a medium low temperature while I make my green portion. These shrimp will cook very fast. Probably 15 minutes tops. Although it will probably take you 15 minutes just to peel them on top of cook time. I almost always use asparagus as my side.
Directions for asparagus
In a pan, put a teaspoon or a little more of smart balance butter. It’s 95 % fat free and doesn’t even count towards your fat serving. Melt the butter then add asparagus. (Side note: Before eating any asparagus, make sure and take a potato peeler and peel the bottom half of the asparagus down a bit. This ensures it gets nice and done. I really don’t like any of my asparagus to be crunchy and raw tasting.) Cover with a lid and let steam on medium heat. Take the lid off when they are as steamed as you like and fry until it adds a little crisp.
This dinner can be VERY rich. If it seems like too much you can use steamed zucchini or just plain steamed asparagus.
Salmon is a newer dish to me. I am sure there are a million recipe’s online for different types. It is something that is easily made and also so many different variations of recipes. I have never purchased fresh salmon. I wouldn’t even know how to order it from the meat department. That is my next step. Right now they sell pre-packaged frozen salmon at Safeway already portioned. It is actually a way smaller portion than you are supposed to eat. You can either cook both and then have half a fillet for left over’s or make one and also make some shrimp with it. These come with multiple marinades. I don’t care for any of them so far. I prefer to just buy the plain salmon with no marinade. The instructions are to bake on a cookie sheet for 20-23 minutes. Drizzle some smart balance butter, lemon juice, and pepper over. If you sear it after baking you can also easily make “blackened Salmon” and throw it on top of a regular Cesar salad.
Side dishes to go with salmon that I prefer are steamed broccoli, mushrooms, zucchini, or just a side salad. If you like onions you can always throw some in a tin foil wrap with the salmon, butter, seasonings and bake it that way.
A recent favorite, maybe for someone who has been on the program a bit longer than others and is ready to try something fresh and off the normal menu would be my makeshift spaghetti sauce. I usually turn this into quite a spicy dish because of the amount of garlic I use. Starting off in a pan you can get Italian style turkey meatballs. Of course varying in size of the meatball the right proportion is about 5 meatballs. This actually is a big serving although it doesn’t really look like it off the bat. You can also use beef meatballs (which I used in the past) but turkey is a lot less fattening and also a bigger serving size. You can honestly barely even tell the difference.
If you don’t like meatballs you can also substitute for Chicken. I have done both because I tend to stick to Chicken dishes. If you are going to use chicken you can average two small chicken breasts cut into medium sized pieces. Put a light amount of olive oil in a pan and season the chicken (mildly) with whatever sounds good. I am pretty boring when it comes to spices so I season with pepper and garlic powder. I am a little on the nervous side when it comes to my meat being undercooked so I make sure it is well done in the pan before adding the rest of the ingredients. If you don’t like your chicken too done, you could always just brown it a bit and let it cook the rest of the way in the sauce. I usually weigh out my chicken before adding the other ingredients. Where the meatballs are easy to pick out of the sauce and weigh to make sure you are giving yourself the right serving size.
The turkey meatballs I buy frozen from Safeway and is actually a good portion size for the price. You just mix them frozen into the rest of the mixture and since they are pre-cooked will heat up in the sauce.
To make the tomato base use an average sized can of roasted tomatoes. I usually buy the one that has roasted garlic added in. There are a wide variety of different tastes and brands. Always check the label for a list of ingredients. In these cans you can be tricked and pick one with a lot of sugar added, or other things that will hinder your diet. The can I buy is strictly tomatoes with garlic. You will know what is good for you and what isn’t. Add the whole can into the pan with the meat. This by itself is your serving size of “green” for your lean and green meal. It will cook down. This leaves you room to play a little bit. I usually add a half a package of mushrooms sliced, half of a green pepper thinly sliced, or some black olives sliced up if you’re pulling something together off the fly. The tomatoes will be a little bland tasting compared to the other spaghetti sauce like Prego. Just add garlic powder, pepper, salt to taste. Don’t go overboard! I usually toss in some red pepper flakes to spice it up. I love spicy food! Taste with a spoon until you get the right flavors you are looking for. Put a lid over on medium heat and simmer for ten to fifteen minutes. Stir when you want. Don’t let it burn, but there really isn’t a science to it all. Add it to a bowl and enjoy a healthy version of spaghetti! I don’t even miss the noodles.
Shish Kabobs
This is a favorite of mine and my roommates but one that takes a little more effort and planning than some of my other dishes. If you can cut up and marinate the meat ahead of time it makes less work at dinnertime, If not the chicken doesn’t need to marinate very long. I usually use chicken but obviously you can use beef as well. I never have used the beef before.
To start off, make your marinade. This isn’t the most healthy part of the dish. Luckily the chicken is just soaking in it for a while and isn’t actually drizzled over it. I take a teriyaki sauce base. Take one you have used and liked before. This is the main component in the taste. In fact you could just marinade in the pre made sauce and leave it at that. I am not a HUGE fan of teriyaki so I add some other ingredients to mellow down the flavor a bit. I usually take less than two tablespoons of teriyaki, add in by taste soy sauce, chopped garlic, ginger, pepper. If you want to go as low fat as you possibly can teriyaki is available sugar free or made with less sugar. You can also purchase low sodium soy sauce. I find that the amount of the marinade that actually stays on the meat is minimal enough you really could use any marinade you wanted. Cut two chicken breasts into larger pieces. They have to be able to be skewered later and enough room for when they cook down in size. Add the chicken pieces to the marinate and set aside.
For veggies, I take one carton of mushrooms whole, one green pepper, and one zucchini. I pull the stems out of the mushrooms and leave them whole. Pick medium sizes mushrooms if you can. They will cook more evenly and be sure to slide on the skewer without breaking down the middle. Chunk the rest of the veggies in pieces big enough to skewer as well. Line a cookie sheet with tin foil and place the oven rack on one of the higher levels in the oven. Most skewers require that you soak them for 20 minutes in water so they won’t burn as badly when cooked. You can multitask and soak while you cut up the veggies. Alternate between veggies and meat on each skewer and line the cookie sheet. I have found that you will eat most of the veggies as your serving size and almost all the chicken as well. I would prepare at least six skewers to be prepared. If you have extra this meal is great as leftovers. Place in the oven on high broil. The length of time it cooks depends on each oven. I have anticipated at least 20-25 minutes baking time plus the time to prepare. All in all this meal will probably take an hour. Less obviously if you prep ahead of time. The first bake in the oven I usually leave for about 10-15 minutes. Check after ten. I like my meat and veggies a little charred so I leave in for longer. Once the skewers look pretty done on that side, remove the cookie sheet and carefully pour the juice out of the bottom of the pan. Flip each skewer to the other side and put back in the oven. This side tends to cook more thoroughly. I would check in another 5-10 minutes and remove when it looks done enough for you. Take a fork and see how easily the chicken pulls apart if you are concerned if it is cooked thoroughly.
This part is more of a pain than anything. I usually take a big bowl and pull all the veggies off the skewers. I spate the chicken and weigh out my portion and then dump the mixed veggies in a big measuring cup and portion those out as well. Mix the veggies and chicken together. I usually top mine off with some hot sauce and a dab of soy sauce. I love spicy food though and it will taste equally delicious if you don’t put any sauce on at all.
If you are making this for your family who is not on Medifast as well you can always cook up some steamed rice to put the meat and veggies on top of.
Salmon and Shrimp
I didn’t think that these two deserved their own section. I don’t eat or cook a whole lot of seafood. Shrimp is the easiest. I usually buy medium or large sized uncooked shrimp. Most importantly they are made EZ peel. NEVER buy the shrimp that is already cooked and frozen. I find it lacks the flavor that you would get if you made it from scratch. You can keep a bigger bag frozen and waiting. Before you start weigh out about 12-14 oz of frozen shrimp. This usually evens out somewhere close to 7 oz cooked. I then soak them in Luke warm water, even cold. You don’t want the water they are soaking in to partially cook them. Let them soak and then dump out the water and pour some new water in. The old water will be so cold from the frozen bits falling off that it will hurt to keep your hands in it. Peel the shrimp. Then in a pan on the stove melt a good amount of smart balance butter. This is 95 percent fat free. I would say about two tablespoons to be safe. You won’t be using all of this butter in your meal, just to sauté it in. Then by taste add some garlic powder, and lemon juice, with a few shakes of pepper. If you like lemon juice, make sure to add a fair amount in. I prefer more garlic than lemon. I usually cook this on a medium low temperature while I make my green portion. These shrimp will cook very fast. Probably 15 minutes tops. Although it will probably take you 15 minutes just to peel them on top of cook time. I almost always use asparagus as my side.
Directions for asparagus
In a pan, put a teaspoon or a little more of smart balance butter. It’s 95 % fat free and doesn’t even count towards your fat serving. Melt the butter then add asparagus. (Side note: Before eating any asparagus, make sure and take a potato peeler and peel the bottom half of the asparagus down a bit. This ensures it gets nice and done. I really don’t like any of my asparagus to be crunchy and raw tasting.) Cover with a lid and let steam on medium heat. Take the lid off when they are as steamed as you like and fry until it adds a little crisp.
This dinner can be VERY rich. If it seems like too much you can use steamed zucchini or just plain steamed asparagus.
Salmon is a newer dish to me. I am sure there are a million recipe’s online for different types. It is something that is easily made and also so many different variations of recipes. I have never purchased fresh salmon. I wouldn’t even know how to order it from the meat department. That is my next step. Right now they sell pre-packaged frozen salmon at Safeway already portioned. It is actually a way smaller portion than you are supposed to eat. You can either cook both and then have half a fillet for left over’s or make one and also make some shrimp with it. These come with multiple marinades. I don’t care for any of them so far. I prefer to just buy the plain salmon with no marinade. The instructions are to bake on a cookie sheet for 20-23 minutes. Drizzle some smart balance butter, lemon juice, and pepper over. If you sear it after baking you can also easily make “blackened Salmon” and throw it on top of a regular Cesar salad.
Side dishes to go with salmon that I prefer are steamed broccoli, mushrooms, zucchini, or just a side salad. If you like onions you can always throw some in a tin foil wrap with the salmon, butter, seasonings and bake it that way.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Keep on, Keepin' on.
Date: 01/12/2010
Starting Weight: 219.6
Current Weight: 171.4
Goal Weight2: 155
Loss Since Last Weigh In: 3.2
Total Weight loss: 48.2
Pounds left to lose: 16.4
My first blog of 2010! Start of a new year and now only 16 pounds away from my second goal weight. I was hoping as the months went by this would get easier and easier. Truthfully, some days it’s an old habit that takes no thought or effort. Others, it can be even harder than the first day I started. Sometimes I have two mentalities going on inside of me. Strong mentality. I know deep down that whatever food I want that isn’t healthy, it won’t taste as good as I am imagining. I also know that after the first bite, it’s all just a bunch of the same thing. Honestly deep down it’s not worth it. Stick with what works and what has been working for me. Keep striving, that my goal isn’t that far off. Then I have this little devil on my shoulder, it says “look how much you’ve lost!” “You can have a few of those, what will it hurt?” “You have done so well these past few months, a couple steps back won’t kill you.” Sometimes I feel like this is a constant battle inside my head. I am probably being over dramatic, but sometimes I wonder if I am the only one that feels that way.
I went shopping for a new outfit for this weekend. Some friends and I are going on a short road trip to go out dancing. My closet these days, has been pretty depressing. Every couple weeks I go through my super cleaning mode and spring clean. In the few short months I have been on Medifast, I don’t have one piece of clothing from when I began. Everything was way too big on me. Luckily here and there I found great sales and bought a few shirts and pants. Otherwise I would be rocking it Old Testament style like Eve in the Garden of Eden. (FYI: I mean naked lol).
This “problem” is both liberating and frustrating. I want to dress nice and start to show off my new self. I also am embracing being more feminine. I just don’t want to invest too much money in clothing that probably won’t fit me a month or two from now. I don’t have that kind of money to throw around. So for now, I settle with a few cute things and a lot of average, plain, sales items. Later down the road, as a reward for making my final weight I can start to replenish my wardrobe. Right now I am fitting into a size 12. I can’t imagine it being possible to get to single digit size clothing. I can even shop in the juniors section of department stores (just in a large size). Sometimes I can’t believe it, despite the proof that is in front of me I still don’t believe it can get much better than this. The proof is in the Medifast pudding!
My newest order, just showed up last night. It feels good, having a full cupboard of my meals. I hate when I get down to the last week or so and have to really start to spread it around. I tend to over stock a bit. I guess that’s better than running out. Yesterday I was down to the wire.
“Opportunity may knock only once, but temptation leans on the doorbell.”
-Unknown Author
Keep up the good work everyone, remember if you stumble there’s always tomorrow.
<3 Tiffany
Starting Weight: 219.6
Current Weight: 171.4
Goal Weight2: 155
Loss Since Last Weigh In: 3.2
Total Weight loss: 48.2
Pounds left to lose: 16.4
My first blog of 2010! Start of a new year and now only 16 pounds away from my second goal weight. I was hoping as the months went by this would get easier and easier. Truthfully, some days it’s an old habit that takes no thought or effort. Others, it can be even harder than the first day I started. Sometimes I have two mentalities going on inside of me. Strong mentality. I know deep down that whatever food I want that isn’t healthy, it won’t taste as good as I am imagining. I also know that after the first bite, it’s all just a bunch of the same thing. Honestly deep down it’s not worth it. Stick with what works and what has been working for me. Keep striving, that my goal isn’t that far off. Then I have this little devil on my shoulder, it says “look how much you’ve lost!” “You can have a few of those, what will it hurt?” “You have done so well these past few months, a couple steps back won’t kill you.” Sometimes I feel like this is a constant battle inside my head. I am probably being over dramatic, but sometimes I wonder if I am the only one that feels that way.
I went shopping for a new outfit for this weekend. Some friends and I are going on a short road trip to go out dancing. My closet these days, has been pretty depressing. Every couple weeks I go through my super cleaning mode and spring clean. In the few short months I have been on Medifast, I don’t have one piece of clothing from when I began. Everything was way too big on me. Luckily here and there I found great sales and bought a few shirts and pants. Otherwise I would be rocking it Old Testament style like Eve in the Garden of Eden. (FYI: I mean naked lol).
This “problem” is both liberating and frustrating. I want to dress nice and start to show off my new self. I also am embracing being more feminine. I just don’t want to invest too much money in clothing that probably won’t fit me a month or two from now. I don’t have that kind of money to throw around. So for now, I settle with a few cute things and a lot of average, plain, sales items. Later down the road, as a reward for making my final weight I can start to replenish my wardrobe. Right now I am fitting into a size 12. I can’t imagine it being possible to get to single digit size clothing. I can even shop in the juniors section of department stores (just in a large size). Sometimes I can’t believe it, despite the proof that is in front of me I still don’t believe it can get much better than this. The proof is in the Medifast pudding!
My newest order, just showed up last night. It feels good, having a full cupboard of my meals. I hate when I get down to the last week or so and have to really start to spread it around. I tend to over stock a bit. I guess that’s better than running out. Yesterday I was down to the wire.
“Opportunity may knock only once, but temptation leans on the doorbell.”
-Unknown Author
Keep up the good work everyone, remember if you stumble there’s always tomorrow.
<3 Tiffany
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Lean and Green Recipes
Thin cut boneless pork chops. Broiled in the oven. Spiced with a dash of black pepper and garlic powder. Garlic powder is my one of my best friends in the kitchen. I tend to put it on everything.
Along with my pork chops I usually alternate between sauerkraut baked on top for 30 minutes and steamed zucchini and mushrooms sprinkled with…you guessed it Garlic powder!
Turkey burger that is pan fried. I use a non-fat olive oil cooking spray to coat the pan. Medium heat with some pepper on top. Cover with a lid and cook for probably 20 minutes. I think I usually flip them twice during the twenty minutes to make sure they don’t burn.
For some of us who like a bun with our burger I found a couple alternatives to help satisfy that fact that it is just a piece of meat sitting on a plate.
The last two minutes of cooking you can add your allotted portion of your favorite BBQ sauce. Sugar free is recommended but I just dab whatever I have in my fridge on top. Not smother, just lightly coat the top. This gives it an extra kick. If you want a little more portion control you can always keep the BBQ sauce on the side and dip it after it’s all done cooking.
Or
In a pan, put a teaspoon or a little more of smart balance butter. It’s 95 % fat free and doesn’t even count towards your fat serving. Melt the butter then add, a bunch of cut up asparagus. (Side note: Before eating any asparagus, make sure and take a potato peeler and peel the bottom half of the asparagus down a bit. This ensures it gets nice and done. I really don’t like any of my asparagus to be crunchy and raw tasting.) Then take a package of mushrooms. About a handful or two depending on the size. Pull of the stems and throw them away then cut them in half. I would start the asparagus off first for about five minutes. Cover with a lid and let steam on medium heat. Then add the mushroom halves. Cover and steam for another five minutes. Take the lid off when they are as steamed as you like and fry until it adds a little crisp. Measure the asparagus and mushroom mixture and pour over the cut up turkey burgers.
Black Bean Garden burgers
I found mine at the local Costco. These contain only veggies. Serving size is almost two full patties. These are mildly spicy and to me taste kind of like a fajita. The black bean taste is very strong, so obviously if you’re not a fan of black beans you probably won’t like these. I have not tried a wide variety of garden burgers, but I do not care for regular ones. If the idea of a garden burger throws you off, these are worth a try. They cook for about 22 minutes baking in the oven. (Real directions on the box) and are to be flipped half way through cooking. With about 5-2 minutes left cooking add a thin layer of teriyaki sauce on top. For some reason this just adds the extra flavor they seem to be missing.
Two great veggie sides are steamed broccoli or steamed zucchini. If you don’t use your entire portion of teriyaki on top of the burgers (you really only need a very thin layer) drizzle some on top of your veggies too.
Taco salad.
I buy a bag of pre-shredded lettuce, and have my allotted ounces of hamburger meat. Then I add some cut up tomatoes, salsa, and a dab of sour cream. This is altogether a pretty big serving. This is an on the run type of dinner. I usually get a huge amount of hamburger meat and brown it. Add the taco seasoning. Then weigh out the five ounce servings and freeze them. On a night you don’t feel like making dinner, take the baggie of meat and microwave it to reheat it and add the rest of the ingredients. It takes less than five minutes to make.
Chicken Cesar salad
This is also an easy make dinner. I buy romaine lettuce pre cut. One bag is usually a tad more than a serving size but it’s close. You can buy pre-cooked, pre-sliced, grilled chicken strips from Costco and microwave them for a quick heat up or toss them in a pan with some non stick fat free olive oil spray. In the beginning the entire diet was a big change, cooking for myself every night. I relied on the quick dinners for the first few weeks. I got tired of the pre-cooked chicken and now prefer to cut up my own chicken breast and season it, and cook it up in a little bit of olive oil. I also use a light Cesar dressing and it tastes just as good as the regular. I add three tablespoons of the dressing shake it all up and it’s good to go. This is also a good meal if you are going to a dinner party or a meeting to just bring along with you. I try and put the dressing in a separate container and add it when I am ready to eat so the lettuce doesn’t get soggy.
I have plenty more that I cook on a regular basis. For now this is all I have the time or patience for. I will add another blog recipe list coming up soon.
Along with my pork chops I usually alternate between sauerkraut baked on top for 30 minutes and steamed zucchini and mushrooms sprinkled with…you guessed it Garlic powder!
Turkey burger that is pan fried. I use a non-fat olive oil cooking spray to coat the pan. Medium heat with some pepper on top. Cover with a lid and cook for probably 20 minutes. I think I usually flip them twice during the twenty minutes to make sure they don’t burn.
For some of us who like a bun with our burger I found a couple alternatives to help satisfy that fact that it is just a piece of meat sitting on a plate.
The last two minutes of cooking you can add your allotted portion of your favorite BBQ sauce. Sugar free is recommended but I just dab whatever I have in my fridge on top. Not smother, just lightly coat the top. This gives it an extra kick. If you want a little more portion control you can always keep the BBQ sauce on the side and dip it after it’s all done cooking.
Or
In a pan, put a teaspoon or a little more of smart balance butter. It’s 95 % fat free and doesn’t even count towards your fat serving. Melt the butter then add, a bunch of cut up asparagus. (Side note: Before eating any asparagus, make sure and take a potato peeler and peel the bottom half of the asparagus down a bit. This ensures it gets nice and done. I really don’t like any of my asparagus to be crunchy and raw tasting.) Then take a package of mushrooms. About a handful or two depending on the size. Pull of the stems and throw them away then cut them in half. I would start the asparagus off first for about five minutes. Cover with a lid and let steam on medium heat. Then add the mushroom halves. Cover and steam for another five minutes. Take the lid off when they are as steamed as you like and fry until it adds a little crisp. Measure the asparagus and mushroom mixture and pour over the cut up turkey burgers.
Black Bean Garden burgers
I found mine at the local Costco. These contain only veggies. Serving size is almost two full patties. These are mildly spicy and to me taste kind of like a fajita. The black bean taste is very strong, so obviously if you’re not a fan of black beans you probably won’t like these. I have not tried a wide variety of garden burgers, but I do not care for regular ones. If the idea of a garden burger throws you off, these are worth a try. They cook for about 22 minutes baking in the oven. (Real directions on the box) and are to be flipped half way through cooking. With about 5-2 minutes left cooking add a thin layer of teriyaki sauce on top. For some reason this just adds the extra flavor they seem to be missing.
Two great veggie sides are steamed broccoli or steamed zucchini. If you don’t use your entire portion of teriyaki on top of the burgers (you really only need a very thin layer) drizzle some on top of your veggies too.
Taco salad.
I buy a bag of pre-shredded lettuce, and have my allotted ounces of hamburger meat. Then I add some cut up tomatoes, salsa, and a dab of sour cream. This is altogether a pretty big serving. This is an on the run type of dinner. I usually get a huge amount of hamburger meat and brown it. Add the taco seasoning. Then weigh out the five ounce servings and freeze them. On a night you don’t feel like making dinner, take the baggie of meat and microwave it to reheat it and add the rest of the ingredients. It takes less than five minutes to make.
Chicken Cesar salad
This is also an easy make dinner. I buy romaine lettuce pre cut. One bag is usually a tad more than a serving size but it’s close. You can buy pre-cooked, pre-sliced, grilled chicken strips from Costco and microwave them for a quick heat up or toss them in a pan with some non stick fat free olive oil spray. In the beginning the entire diet was a big change, cooking for myself every night. I relied on the quick dinners for the first few weeks. I got tired of the pre-cooked chicken and now prefer to cut up my own chicken breast and season it, and cook it up in a little bit of olive oil. I also use a light Cesar dressing and it tastes just as good as the regular. I add three tablespoons of the dressing shake it all up and it’s good to go. This is also a good meal if you are going to a dinner party or a meeting to just bring along with you. I try and put the dressing in a separate container and add it when I am ready to eat so the lettuce doesn’t get soggy.
I have plenty more that I cook on a regular basis. For now this is all I have the time or patience for. I will add another blog recipe list coming up soon.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Medifast Routine Update. 2009 a Year in Review.
Date: 12-29-09
Starting Weight: 219.6
Current Weight: 174.6
Goal Weight: GW2:155
Loss Since Last Weigh In: 3.3
Total Weight loss: 45
Pounds left to lose: 19.6
I have added a second goal weight of 155 pounds. Ugh, basically twenty more pounds to go. Sounds exhausting! This will be my last blog post of 2009. It’s weird to think that another year has come and gone by so quickly. This has been such a big year of change for me. Wrapping up in 2009 I am so happy in the place I am. I went back and read the very first blog that I posted. I was healing emotionally and all I wanted was the outside shell to match the beautiful and strong person I felt like I was on the inside. Now I feel like I do. Although I still feel like I have some tweaking to do on the outer and inner me. I think I am always going to be a work in progress.
It feels great to finally reach my first goal weight. I knew all along that I wanted to lose a bit more. Although I have found throughout every aspect of my life, small goals are easier to obtain. Although I don’t think they should be used to lessen your potential. Make sure once you reach a small goal, make another one. I have always believed to make a change in your life you need to start somewhere. No matter how small that first step is.
The holidays have been a test of my strength that is for sure. For the most part I did stay on track but there were a few times that I strayed off my plan. I think there are always going to be times when I stumble. I use it as a lesson and move on.
Recently I added two new things to my Medifast order. I tried the chili cheese puffs. They honestly taste like a watered down version of chili cheese Fritos. They were delicious! It was so nice to have something different. I am really honestly sick and tired of the honey mustard pretzels. I don’t think I could eat one more if someone wanted to pay me. Also the way I go through my routine has changed. I will list it below to show how I have changed since my first blog post.
Meal 1: 6:30 am- Still have my Chocolate shake in the morning. That was premade the night before.
Meal 2: 9:00 am- In the past I would have some Medifast Oatmeal. I found that my break at work is just too short to make my oatmeal, eat it, clean up, and be back at my desk in fifteen minutes. I was rushing my break and rushing eating. To change it I just decided to eat a bar for my morning break. I usually go with a fruit and nut bar because it is somewhat like a granola bar. I am not too picky about which bar I choose. I just grab one and put it in my food sack.
Meal 3: 12:00 pm- For this meal I used to choose between an array of soups. Honestly after four months, I don’t care for any of the soups aside from the Chicken Noodle. It seems that it is from person to person. My aunt on the other hand doesn’t really care for the Chicken Noodle and likes the Chicken and Wild Rice. After talking with others there really aren’t any clear favorites on which food is the best. It’s all depending on who the person is. So if you’re just starting out try things out and find what you like best. Don’t take someone else’s word for it.
Back to my original thought: For my lunch meal each day, I usually go back and forth between the Chicken Noodle soup and Oatmeal. I tend to stick with Apple Cinnamon or Maple and brown sugar for the oatmeal choice. I usually just wake up and decide which I am going to have for the day. Although the soup does take a bit longer to pack because I pre-make it in a thermos and it helps all the noodles and veggies get nice and soft.
Meal 4: 2:30 pm- This is when I would have one of my side snacks such as a pretzels, or cheese puffs, or a bar. This is the only meal of the day that doesn’t land on my break time at work. So it needs to be something quick that I can keep at my desk without drawing much attention to it. Eating at our desks is frowned upon here, so I usually keep in my drawer. It actually helps me to eat my meal a bit slower than I normally would.
Meal 5 (5:00 pm) and Meal 6 (7:30 pm): I usually interchange these depending on my work schedule. Lately for meal 5 I will just grab a bar if I have errands to run after work. I also have a three day a week workout schedule. Right now it’s Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. I work out from 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm fast walking at an incline and sprinting as I go along. I push myself a little further each time. On these days, I like to eat dinner a bit later versus eating a big meal before working out. Starting in a few weeks I will be doing a photography class at night on Tuesdays and will need to switch my work out to Monday, Wednesday, Thursday. Hopefully starting spin class on Mondays instead of treadmill. This all depends on how my leg pain is doing. For Meal 6 I will do my lean and green. I will follow up this with a recipe post on my favorite lean and green meals to date.
Starting Weight: 219.6
Current Weight: 174.6
Goal Weight: GW2:155
Loss Since Last Weigh In: 3.3
Total Weight loss: 45
Pounds left to lose: 19.6
I have added a second goal weight of 155 pounds. Ugh, basically twenty more pounds to go. Sounds exhausting! This will be my last blog post of 2009. It’s weird to think that another year has come and gone by so quickly. This has been such a big year of change for me. Wrapping up in 2009 I am so happy in the place I am. I went back and read the very first blog that I posted. I was healing emotionally and all I wanted was the outside shell to match the beautiful and strong person I felt like I was on the inside. Now I feel like I do. Although I still feel like I have some tweaking to do on the outer and inner me. I think I am always going to be a work in progress.
It feels great to finally reach my first goal weight. I knew all along that I wanted to lose a bit more. Although I have found throughout every aspect of my life, small goals are easier to obtain. Although I don’t think they should be used to lessen your potential. Make sure once you reach a small goal, make another one. I have always believed to make a change in your life you need to start somewhere. No matter how small that first step is.
The holidays have been a test of my strength that is for sure. For the most part I did stay on track but there were a few times that I strayed off my plan. I think there are always going to be times when I stumble. I use it as a lesson and move on.
Recently I added two new things to my Medifast order. I tried the chili cheese puffs. They honestly taste like a watered down version of chili cheese Fritos. They were delicious! It was so nice to have something different. I am really honestly sick and tired of the honey mustard pretzels. I don’t think I could eat one more if someone wanted to pay me. Also the way I go through my routine has changed. I will list it below to show how I have changed since my first blog post.
Meal 1: 6:30 am- Still have my Chocolate shake in the morning. That was premade the night before.
Meal 2: 9:00 am- In the past I would have some Medifast Oatmeal. I found that my break at work is just too short to make my oatmeal, eat it, clean up, and be back at my desk in fifteen minutes. I was rushing my break and rushing eating. To change it I just decided to eat a bar for my morning break. I usually go with a fruit and nut bar because it is somewhat like a granola bar. I am not too picky about which bar I choose. I just grab one and put it in my food sack.
Meal 3: 12:00 pm- For this meal I used to choose between an array of soups. Honestly after four months, I don’t care for any of the soups aside from the Chicken Noodle. It seems that it is from person to person. My aunt on the other hand doesn’t really care for the Chicken Noodle and likes the Chicken and Wild Rice. After talking with others there really aren’t any clear favorites on which food is the best. It’s all depending on who the person is. So if you’re just starting out try things out and find what you like best. Don’t take someone else’s word for it.
Back to my original thought: For my lunch meal each day, I usually go back and forth between the Chicken Noodle soup and Oatmeal. I tend to stick with Apple Cinnamon or Maple and brown sugar for the oatmeal choice. I usually just wake up and decide which I am going to have for the day. Although the soup does take a bit longer to pack because I pre-make it in a thermos and it helps all the noodles and veggies get nice and soft.
Meal 4: 2:30 pm- This is when I would have one of my side snacks such as a pretzels, or cheese puffs, or a bar. This is the only meal of the day that doesn’t land on my break time at work. So it needs to be something quick that I can keep at my desk without drawing much attention to it. Eating at our desks is frowned upon here, so I usually keep in my drawer. It actually helps me to eat my meal a bit slower than I normally would.
Meal 5 (5:00 pm) and Meal 6 (7:30 pm): I usually interchange these depending on my work schedule. Lately for meal 5 I will just grab a bar if I have errands to run after work. I also have a three day a week workout schedule. Right now it’s Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. I work out from 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm fast walking at an incline and sprinting as I go along. I push myself a little further each time. On these days, I like to eat dinner a bit later versus eating a big meal before working out. Starting in a few weeks I will be doing a photography class at night on Tuesdays and will need to switch my work out to Monday, Wednesday, Thursday. Hopefully starting spin class on Mondays instead of treadmill. This all depends on how my leg pain is doing. For Meal 6 I will do my lean and green. I will follow up this with a recipe post on my favorite lean and green meals to date.
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