The Edge of Glory

One way or another I promise I will start posting once a week. Thank you for those who gave me feedback saying you missed my posts! It's been a crazy summer with an overseas trip, moving out of one house, into another and then going on a previously scheduled local vacation (where I am now). 


With all the craziness: less cooking, more takeout, less running, more packing and unpacking.... I have been happy to be able to just maintain. I might be a handful of pounds less, but won't know for sure until I get back home to my tried and true wii fit scale. I'll let you know next post. 


Although I still have a long way to go, I am really happy with how far I've come. I appreciated that earlier today when I was shopping at a little boutique and I picked up a size and I just new it would fit me - in a real store! And it fit like a glove. And I also appreciated how far I've come when I miss running so much that I went out running in an area outside my element in-between 2 storms this morning. I am so thankful I have found something so active that I enjoy doing SO much. See you back here sooner than later!


PS- You don't want to miss this week's recipe. 

SONG THAT KEPT ME RUNNING THIS WEEK: "The Edge of Glory" Lady Gaga. This song really gets me pumped up when I feel like I want to stop running. I love it.

RANDOM TIP OF THE WEEK: Try a new vegetable this week. I recently tried kohlrabi as I got one in my weekly produce share from a farm that I purchased a CSA from. Kohlrabi is a cross between and cabbage, radish and apple I would say, most like a radish but less spicy. I just removed the stems sliced it thinly with my mandoline and sprinkled a little salt on it. I ate some as a side to my half turkey sandwich for lunch the other day... delish!!
THIS WEEK'S RECIPE: Leek & Sugar Snap Pea Risotto (so so so good. would be a great Meatless Monday recipe). I can't say enough about this recipe. It tastes so fresh and good. I LOVE leeks and the sugar snap peas really add to this dish too. 

Leek & Sugar Snap Pea Risotto

Yield 5 servings. Serving : 1 cup

Ingredients:

• 4 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups sugar snap peas
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 1/2 - 2 cups sliced leek (1/2-inch thick)
• (Make sure to soak & wash leeks properly to get all the dirt and sand out!)
• 1/2 cup chopped carrot
• 1 cup Arborio rice
• 1/4 cup dry vermouth
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon real butter
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

• Bring broth to a simmer in a medium saucepan and reduce heat. Keep warm over low heat.
• Cook peas in boiling water for 3 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water.
• Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add leek and carrot; sauté 5 minutes or until tender, stirring often. Add rice; cook 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in 1 cup broth; cook 5 minutes or until the liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring frequently. Stir in 1/2 cup broth, vermouth, salt, and oregano. Add remaining broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring frequently until each portion of broth is absorbed before adding the next (about 25 minutes). Add peas; cook 4 minutes. Stir in cheese and remaining ingredients.
• Nutrition: 320 calories, 4 grams fat, 47 grams carb, 15 grams protein, 3 grams fiber, 7pp+

Stress Eating?

I feel badly that I haven't posted in soooo long! I have to apologize in advance for the long post. 


Originally I was only taking a few weeks off because I went on an unexpected overseas trip (that was wonderful!). But things became crazier and crazier when I got back, and I have been under a great deal of stress. The stress wasn't about bad things - it was just stress (much was just made up in my mind).


A lot of the stress I was putting on myself was unneeded stress. Stress about things that were/are out of my control. That's just how I am wired. Unfortunately I worry about things that are far down the line; things that are completely out of my control. I am a natural born worrier, and it takes a toll on me sometimes. 


I said when I started this blog that I was going to stay true in my journey and tell you what I am thinking and doing as it relates to overall health and weight loss. I haven't changed that and this is probably the most open post I have written to date. 


The recent stress made me realize I truly do have a problem with food in some capacity. I found myself (during what were moments of what I thought to be real stress) turning to food (mainly carbs) for comfort and eating so much faster than normal. I felt better the moment I was eating and when I was "full" - but felt much worse the next day. 


I haven't been like this in so long - at least not since I've started this journey last year.  I do truly know that there are certain things that have been against me gene wise - as I was put on my first diet at 12 (even being an extremely active athlete at the time). However now I realize there is so much more to it. The mental factor is definitely there too which has made it a double whammy of sorts. 


I am so glad that I am now in a healthy, normal eating stage that makes me realize that what I was doing during those stressful times was abnormal, and I was able to get them under control.


My goal at the last post was just to maintain for June and then pick up the weight loss again for the rest of the summer. 


Over the past month I've been losing and gaining the same 2 pounds. I finally weighed myself this morning and I am up one pound since I last checked in with you. I hope to keep losing and losing now. I would really love to lose 50 additional pounds total but I'll just keep losing (even if losing slowly....) and see what feels right :).


One other update... the person that I was working with to update the blog fell through and I have a lot going on this summer. I am going to update the blog to make it much more user friendly. Including a navigation bar with an organized recipe tab, downloadable song recos etc. It's just going to take longer than I had originally hoped. Please be patient on this front :). It will eventually be great. I promise! My friend did design an amazing logo for me - that I was going to wait to show you until the blog was redesigned, but I will update the facebook page with it this week.


Hope you are all doing well! Welcome to all the new followers :). 
SONG THAT KEPT ME RUNNING THIS WEEK: "Party Rock Anthem" LMAFO. It's a good running song as it is upbeat and I have it on my playlist now before I get super sick of it from how much they are probably going to play it on the radio this summer! :)

RANDOM TIP OF THE WEEK: If you find yourself turning to food during stressful times - try to catch yourself before or doing and do something else. I would have loved to take a walk or un during those times but often it wasn't a possibility. My new favorite alternative is "tension tamer" tea. I don't know if it is mental, but it seems to have worked wonders on me :). 

THIS WEEK'S RECIPE: Chicken Paillard - the perfect summer dinner. You have to make this if you like arugula :). My friend Evie made this at her house one night for dinner, and I had to have the recipe to make again for my family and to share with you!

Chicken Paillard

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 small shallot, chopped
• 1/3 cup pure olive oil (reserve 2 tbs for dressing below)
• 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground fresh black pepper
• 4 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts, pounded thinly
• Salt
• 1/2 pound arugula
• 2 ripe beefsteak tomatoes, diced
• 1 small red onion, peeled, halved and thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus additional for garnish (taken from 1/3 cup above)
• Lemon slices (slice them thinly into circles) for garnish

Directions

Yes, I grill.

Whisk together lemon juice, shallot, olive oil and black pepper in your favorite marinating pan, big bowl. Add the chicken, turn to coat and marinate in the refrigerator for at least an hour. The longer the better!

Preheat grill to high. Remove chicken from marinade, season with salt on both sides and grill for 3 to 4 minutes per side or until golden brown and just cooked through.

Combine arugula, tomatoes and onions in a large bowl, toss with the vinegar and oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Place each paillard on a large plate, drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and top with some of the arugula-tomato salad. Garnish with lemon halves.

NOTE - The key to this recipe is pounding the chicken SUPER thin prior to marinating it. If you don't like to deal with raw chicken and the clean up. Buy it from a butcher and have them do the pounding for you :).

Nutrition Information: 280 calories, 19 grams total fat (please note - this is based on the recipe above but the actual dish most likely has less as you don't use all the marinade to cook the chicken!) 3 being saturated, 9g carbs, 2g fiber, 17g protein. 7pp+

1,000 Words

I don't mean to sound vain but, don't you hate when you see a bad picture of yourself? Or more specifically, a picture that is not how you see yourself?

There's not much more that can slap me in the face and make me feel badly than when I see  a picture of myself that I didn't think I looked like anymore. Or I thought I was thinner than.

I was starting to feel better about myself. I had recently gone dress shopping, as I had some things I needed to go to and what I had available to wear were too big and/or really old. I felt good when I went shopping as unlike the past, a lot of what I tried on this time "worked". And I bought a few dresses in one size down. 

Heels would've helped 

Some were also out of my usual comfort zone. They were short (for me) and I didn't have to wear something over some of them. I would normally wear something over as an extra layer of coverage, and what I often feel like is protection.

Before I left for one of these events, I had my babysitter take a picture of me for the blog before I went out. Mainly because it was a dress that was much shorter for me, so I wanted to start showing some progress and documenting my weight loss. And when I saw the picture the next day I was really disappointed. I am still sharing it (as this blog is about being honest through this journey), but I thought I looked better than this picture and still have a long way to go. I also saw a few Mother's Day pictures where my face looked much puffier than I thought it did. 

I am still working hard, running every other day and have worked last week's arm routine into my weekly mix. I do think I set my goal for May a little too ambitiously. I just have to work a bit harder on food planning.

SONG THAT KEPT ME RUNNING THIS WEEK: "Hate to Say I Told You So" - The Hives

RANDOM TIP OF THE WEEK: I'm skipping this and giving you 2 veggie recipes instead :)
THIS WEEK'S RECIPES: Ginger Bok Choy, & bonus Easy Green Beans with Goat Cheese Vinegar 

Ginger Garlic Bok Choy

Ingredients:

1 bunch of large Bok Choy, or 3 bunches of baby Bok Choy

2 cloves minced garlic

1 tsp fresh ground ginger

1/2-1/4 tsp of red pepper flakes (reduce or remove if you don't like things spicy)

1 tbs soy sauce

1 tsp canola oil

Splash of chicken broth

1/4 tsp of toasted sesame oil (or 6-8 drops)

*The key to cooking bok choy is to separate the leaves from the stems so you can cook them different lengths. Also you cook quickly at a high temp so it still has good crunch and isn't soggy.

Directions: Cut the bottom off the bok choy stalks. Wash well (sometimes silt/can get caught in the stalks). Separate the leaves from the stems. Cut the stems into 1/2" pieces on an angle. Heat oil on high in a large sauce pan. Add cut up bok choy stems and splash of chicken broth. Cook only for about a minute tossing well . Add garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes. Cook for about another minute more. Add leaves (if they are large you may need to cut in half), add soy sauce and add toasted sesame oil. Toss and cook about 30-45 seconds so leaves are slightly wilted. 

Easy Green Beans with Goat Cheese Vinegar 

I was sick of the same old same old plain green beans so I tossed a few things together one night this week, and it was yummy. A little cheese goes a long way!

Ingredients:

8-10 oz fresh or frozen green beans (I used frozen green & yellow).

1/4 tsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp red wine vinegar

1.5 tsp dried oregano

1 oz goat cheese (I used a pre-measured 1oz medallion in order to not go over board.)

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions: Cook beans according to directions. (I like them slightly undercooked). Add goat cheese to beans while they are hot - it will melt and turn into a sauce. Add the remaining ingredients and toss together. Enjoy :)

Stronger than Yesterday... (yes)

LOVE THIS PIC!

I wanted to write this post before I weighed myself this week. I jumped off the wagon a bit this weekend food wise, but I am not going to let a number get me down.

Monday morning I woke up early, 5AM early, to some rustling on the baby monitor. The rustling stopped, but I couldn't fall asleep. So I did what any other neurotic person would do - check my email on my phone. I got an email showing a new blog post from one of my favorite blogs. I read the post and the guilt I was feeling from not being perfect over the weekend went away, and I wanted to run. It was a rare warm morning but it was pouring - so after tossing and turning a little...I went. It felt great and according to the Nike+ iphone app and Lance Armstrong's voice, I recorded my fastest personal best mile during my 2.5 mile run. 

Here is the post that motivated me and a link to my favorite running blog.  It is nice to have someone remind you that you are not always in control. Thank you Dimity for this post and also to SBS for providing such great candid profiles and such a great forum. Your book "Run Like a Mother" and your blog have helped me more than you could even know!

PS- If you want to check out the book, here is the link - it's rated 5 stars on amazon.com for a reason!!! :) Run Like a Mother: How to Get Moving--and Not Lose Your Family, Job, or Sanity

SONG THAT KEPT ME RUNNING THIS WEEK: I'll be honest - I kept fast forwarding through my playlist on my last run - so annoying! I need new songs. I have to update my playlist asap... But the one that I landed on and stayed on was Britney Spears "Stronger" - no joke. I always imagine the lyrics of the chorus are saying "Stronger than yesterday, now it's nothing but a mile away"! but the lyrics really are "now it's nothing but my way". I am a dork... I know.

RANDOM TIP OF THE WEEK: If you are a cheese lover like me... something I've found that makes it easier to not go overboard with the amount are pre-measured portions. That way if you are measuring it yourself, you don't heap tablespoons etc. For example - I've found individually wrapped one-ounce goat cheese medallions at Trader Joe's. 

THIS WEEK'S RECIPE: My Easy Chicken Soup 

I am sharing this recipe, because although it is officially spring - it seems like there are people everywhere with colds still. This is great to whip up and freeze half so if a cold enters your house you have the soup ready for when you or your family needs it!!!!

Ingredients

• 3/4 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 medium carrots, cut diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices
• 4 celery ribs, halved lengthwise, and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
• 6 fresh thyme sprigs (you can throw the whole sprigs in the leaves will fall off when cooking and then you can pick the stems out :)
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 quarts chicken stock 
• 4 ounces dried egg noodles*
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken (for a quick sub sometimes I use the breast meat of a rotisserie chicken.)
• 3 quarts of chicken stock (for a shortcut I use purchased stock - I prefer kirkland organic chicken stock).
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions

Place a large pot over medium heat and add the oil turning the pot to coat. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, celery, thyme and bay leaf - sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook and stir for about 6 minutes, until the vegetables are softened but not browned. Pour in the chicken stock and bring the liquid to a boil. Add the noodles and simmer for 5 minutes until tender. Fold in the chicken, and continue to simmer for another couple of minutes to heat through; season with salt and pepper.

*Note - you can also sub brown rice for the noodles just cooked in the broth (with lid on pot) until the rice is done. I often do this!