Recent Running Epiphany

Sorry in advance as this post is kind of a long read. I haven't posted in awhile and want to get my internal struggle these past few weeks out there. But if you get bored...make sure to still scroll down so you don't miss out on this week's recipe - it is definitely worth making and is going to go into regular rotation in our house.

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If you are stubborn with a type A personality, it is difficult to pull back once you start something that you are truly committed to. I was pushing, pushing and pushing these past few weeks to double my running milage in order to do a Thanksgiving 10K. 

I committed to do it and didn't want to let myself, my family or any of the followers of this blog down. I was increasing my mileage too quickly (not listening to the 10% rule). I was running 5 miles every other day.  I was pushing myself to try to run faster, even though I knew that most runs are supposed to be slower than race pace. I was doing this as I didn't want to have a terrible time for the race. Even though my time for my first 5K was pretty good for a first timer carrying around extra lbs. :)

I was not listening to my body; I was struggling and for the first time since I started running I didn't like it - which was a huge red flag to me. I wanted it to be over as soon as it started. Then on Wednesday morning's run at about 2.5 miles in I had an epiphany - which went something like this in my head ... 

"I hate this; I want to stop. I miss the runner's high I used to get. My shin splint is coming back from increasing my mileage too quickly. But I have to get at least 5 miles in X time if I am going to be able to do the race well. How am I going to do this race? I know I am going to push myself too hard in the beginning. Oh God, what if I don't finish. My shin is really hurting. Wait why do I have to do a 10K in 2 weeks? There's nothing shameful about the previous 3-4 mile runs that I was previously clocking in every other day. I am going to cut back to that not force myself on this timeline as I don't want to end up eventually not wanting to run at all or out with shin splints again. 

After I came to that decision, the last mile of Wednesday's run something like this (which are like my usual thoughts)...

"This is a good song. I really like it. I feel good. Ok so what am I going to get done today? I have to call X, buy new school shoes. That's a nice breeze. Look at those leaves. The colors are amazing....:" And when I was done with my run I knew I had made the right decision.

So important to keep in perspective

I want to be clear that this doesn't mean I am giving up. I am still running every other day and am going to slowly increase my mileage, listening to my body and not worrying about time. When I am confident I will be so ready to rock an early spring 10K's a$$. As I do think that goals are still very important to keep on track.

I consider myself a runner. I am in this for the long haul. I don't want to burn out. I want to enjoy my runs, my alone time, my exercise and getting 3-4 miles in every other day is good for me know and nothing to be shameful about. 

SONG THAT KEPT ME RUNNING THIS WEEK:  "Good Feeling" Flo Rida - this is really a good one to run to!

RANDOM TIP OF THE WEEK: Don't have one this week. Just trying to get this post out since I've been neglecting this blog and people have been wanting the recipe!

THIS WEEK'S RECIPE: Baked & Crispy Chicken Parmesan. This recipe is slightly modified from the original version found in The Best Light Recipe from Cook's Illustrated. (which is one of my fav. cookbooks!). NOTE - This is really good and was a HUGE crowd pleaser with not only my kids but my husband and myself as well. My friend told me to try it since she knew I had this cookbook. She said her kids call it "pizza chicken" :). 

Browning the Panko breadcrumbs

Baked & Crispy Chicken Parmesan

Makes 6 servings

1 1/2 cups panko (Japanese-style bread crumbs)

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese 
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
Table salt and ground black pepper
3 large egg whites
1 tablespoon water
Olive oil cooking spray
3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced into cutlets*
2 cups marinara sauce, warmed
3/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese. (NOTE: You can get the extra LF shredded mozzarella at Trader Joe's that I think works well here and would reduce the fat and calories below.)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil (optional)

*I've found the best way to create even cutlets is to place your hand flat firmly on the top of the chicken breast and cut horizontally - using a VERY sharp knife.

The breading process...

1. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Note: The oven rack should be in the middle. Heat a skillet to medium and combine the bread crumbs and oil in skillet toasting over medium heat, stirring often, until golden, about 10 minutes. Spread the bread crumbs in a shallow dish and let cool. Then stir in parmesan.

2. In a second shallow dish, combine the flour, garlic powder, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper together. In a third shallow dish, whisk the egg whites and water together.

3. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil, place a wire rack on top (if you don't have a rack that goes with the baking sheet a cookie cooling rack could work), and spray the rack with olive oil spray. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels, then season with salt and pepper. Lightly dredge the cutlets in the flour, shaking off the excess, then dip into the egg whites, and finally coat with the bread crumbs, Press on the bread crumbs to make sure they adhere. Lay the chicken on the wire rack.

4. Spray the tops of the chicken with olive oil spray. Bake until the meat is no longer pink in the center and is at least 165 degrees, about 15 minutes.

Finished product...

5. Remove the chicken from the oven. Spoon 2 tablespoons of the sauce onto the center of each cutlet and top the sauce with 2 tablespoons of the mozzarella. Return the chicken to the oven and continue to bake until the cheese has melted, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with the basil and serve (optional). 

Nutrition Per Serving:
Cal 310; Fat 8 g; Carb 20 g; Protein 38 g; Fiber 1 g, pp+ 8

New Year's in September?

I'm starting to think in some ways I took the summer off.  It wasn't intentional. I won't go into the long list of excuses (if you've been following the blog you know some of them), but I basically maintained instead of lost - losing and gaining the same couple of pounds. 

I still want (and am going to) lose somewhere between 40-50 more pounds which means...

I really need to kick my butt into gear BIG TIME and soon. 

Why wait until January to make a big change? With the summer winding down, kids starting school again, colder weather coming, and the holidays creeping up, it's actually the perfect time to start something different/ramp up a goal.

I read most of this month's Health magazine this past weekend. It has lots of good info, but the part I liked the best was an article on page. 97 "One Month to a Wow Body". Now I don't like the title because we all know that it is false advertising, but I do like the content. It talks about setting a goal of completing a race (either a 5K,10K or half marathon) & also setting a goal to "reclaim your weight". Here is a link that includes some of the info, but the hard copy is better/easier to navigate through...so you may want to pick it September's issue, if it sounds like something that interests you...

We have company in town over labor day weekend, and I don't want to be overly strict then so I am reclaiming my New Year's as September 5th. I am already training for a race, so I have that box checked. But I need to be more strict about portions and overall food/drink choices. I am either going to do a magazine's meal plan for a few weeks, start counting points again, or try another recent meal plan I've heard about to ramp up weight loss (the 17 day diet). 

Again if you know me, I am against the fads/gimmicks and anything that promises immediate results but I just need something to jump start me back into portion control (and less cheese, wine and beer!). 

I'll report back soon with what I chose and how it's going. 

SONG THAT KEPT ME RUNNING THIS WEEK: Ready to Run - Dixie Chicks. I am not a big country fan, but to add this song to my playlist this week was a nice change of pace from my usual. This song makes me smile even while sweating profusely. 

RANDOM TIP OF THE WEEK: If you want a quick jumpstart, a lot of the monthly magazine's have weekly menu plans like Clean Eating, this month's Health (and sometimes Self) - these menu plans help take some of the guessing out of it in terms of portion control, variety etc. I really like Clean Eating's and Self's plans (when Self has them).

THIS WEEK'S RECIPE: Arugula, Watermelon & Feta Salad. This may sound like an odd combo but it is soooooo good. I've heard of people making this and then Gina posted her version and I had to try it. I love red onion so I added a bit more than hers has. The peppery arugula is completely offset by the sweetness of the watermelon and the tang of the feta and dressing. So good!

Arugula, Watermelon & Feta Salad

Serves 4

Ingredients: 
3 cups of chilled watermelon (seedless), cubed 

1/2 cup crumbled feta

8 oz arugula (washed and dried very well)

1/2 small red onion, sliced very thin (use a mandoline for best results, mine was only $18 and I use it all the time...) 

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

kosher salt and fresh pepper

Directions:
In a large bowl whisk vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Then toss with the remaining ingredients and serve.

Nutrition: 163 calories, 11 g fat, 11 g carbs, 1 g fiber, 4 g protein, 4 pp+

If It Were Easy, Everyone Would Do It

This was by far the hardest post for me to write since I started this blog last summer. I didn't even know where to start, as there is so much I could talk about. When I started this blog I promised above all else to be open and honest. 

Next week I am going to have good/positive news to share, and I am MORE DETERMINED THAN EVER, so please stick with me. (I have also made some of my best recipes to date the past few days that I can't wait to share.)

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And it starts - you think you are looking better. You fit in sizes and clothes you haven't in awhile. People are starting to notice your weight loss and you ease up a bit...

"Sure I can have a hamburger for dinner one day, pizza the next, cheese at a party, christmas cookies...I am still working out it won't matter that much."

That's how it started for me in December. I knew it was a slippery slope, but I avoided the scale as "it was the holidays and all." Then I was much better in the beginning of January doing a 10-day serious detox of sorts, but that led up to a crazy weekend of a black-tie affair with great dinner and a crazy concert the next night with lots of drinks (and corresponding food). I think that weekend single handedly undid everything I had done the previous 10 days. I am not making excuses - it didn't have to - I could have approached that whole weekend differently, but I gave myself license to do whatever I wanted, as I thought I had deserved it after the detox. I was not the friend to myself that I should've been.

Ok, so now we're up to late January, and from my last post you can see that I had frustration with the whole return of the running injury. What I didn't mention in the post is that I was leaving for my first vacation alone with my husband since having kids. We went to a beautiful place with warm weather. I also gave myself license there - "it was vacation and all and I deserved a break from my routine." Sugary pool drinks every day and big dinners every night. It was a great time, but I did pay for it. I am up 4 pounds since December. Which puts me at -16 since I started keeping track.

Needless to say, recently I haven't been following my core principals that I had laid out in July/August. And I can tell you for all that "fun" I thought I was letting myself have - I was more depressed than ever about all of it especially in January. (only the vacation part was worth it for me).

I got back from vacation this weekend, and since Sunday I have been 100% dedicated to changing my life to be healthy for good. 

I am working on slowly building up running again every other day, and not pushing it too hard. I'm letting go and trusting the process as it is very hard for me not to run more. To make up for the limited running cardio, I have been religiously doing the stairmaster (and those who have been following the blog for awhile know it's not my favorite)! And let me tell you, after a few weeks off it was SO hard to get through an hour workout again. I wanted to stop about 1/4 into my stairmaster workout at 6AM this morning, but I pushed through it. And on alternate days I have been doing yoga and strength training.

MY TWO-WEEK GOAL: lose 4 pounds.

MY LONG-TERM GOAL: lose 17 pounds by the end of April.

I know the goals are aggressive, but I am really committed. I wanted to lay out a big goal to work for in public because I know I can do it. 

I am getting back to basics following my core healthy eating principles that helped me lose the original 20 pounds:

 1.Eating more natural, healthier foods

 2.Eating reasonable portions

 3.Eating well balanced meals

 4.Eating a variety of foods, with lots of vegetables.

 5.Only eating when I am hungry

Thanks for your continued support.

SONG THAT KEPT ME RUNNING THIS WEEK: Little Lion Man- Mumford and Sons

THIS WEEK'S RECIPE: Chicken Lettuce Wraps (delicious!!!!)

A friend of mine brought these to my house for a get together and I had to get the recipe. Apparently the original recipe is from Jennifer Aniston's trainer. I wanted to cook something healthy for Superbowl Sunday and this is what I made. Thanks for the great recipe Kate!

*next week's recipe will be a quick weeknight dinner.

Tips:

These took a fairly long time to make. I would recommend cutting everything in advance and then cooking separately. Also - you can make ahead and simmer on low until you are ready to eat. They make great leftovers too!

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

This picture doesn't do these justice! 

THE FILLING

2 T. peanut oil

2 t. sesame oil

24 shitake mushrooms, finely chopped

- I used a combo of shitake & gourmet mushroom blend.

2 large carrots, very finely chopped

4 scallions, very finely chopped

2 t. minced ginger

1 t. minced garlic

2 lbs. ground chicken

1/2 t. pepper

2 small cans water chestnuts, drained and finely diced

THE SAUCE

1 cup soy sauce

4 T. seasoned rice wine vinegar

4 T. orange juice

4 T. brown sugar

4 T. water

3 T. cornstarch

1 t. chili flakes

4 T. oyster sauce

THE LETTUCE CUPS

2 heads iceberg lettuce (I used leafy red romaine for a bit more nutrition)

1) For the sauce, mix all ingredients together, set aside.

2) Heat large nonstick skillet over med-high heat.  When pan is hot add peanut and sesame oils.  Saute mushrooms, carrots, scallions, ginger and garlic for 4-5 mins.

3) Add chicken and cook, stir to break up the meat.

4) When chicken is almost cooked, add pepper and sauce.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer and cook 5-6 minutes.

5) Remove pan from heat, stir in water chestnuts, spoon into lettuce cups and serve!