Oven Fried Fisn 'n Chips

That's right...oven fried! Or baked. But oven fried sounds so much more delicious.

Oven Fried Fish 'n Chips - delicious homemade french fries and fish sticks!

Being that its Lent, we always have some kind of seafood on Fridays, but lately, they've been lacking.  This past Friday, I really felt like I needed to spice up our Lenten feast. I feel like I don't realize how much meat (chicken, turkey, beef) I eat until Friday comes along and I 'can't' eat meat. One week we had shrimp, another we went out to eat. But this week, I wanted to make something at home. So I figured fish and chips - but my way.

When I was young, my grandfather was a fisherman, and he stocked our freezer with all kinds of fish, so we ate it at least once a week. After he passed away, I feel like fish got reduced down to just during Lent.

My experience with cooking fish is very limited, so I decided to make something I know, but also something new that I couldn't mess up too bad.  Hence:  Oven Friend Fish 'n Chips!

For the Fish:

1 lb cod
1 1/2 cup Panko
2 eggs
Salt
Pepper
Garlic powder
Paprika

Slice the fish into 1/2" thick slices. Coat the fish in the egg, salt, and pepper, and then coat in the Panko, mixed with the spices.

Let the fish sit for about 20 minutes on a drying rack (like when breading chicken, the actual breading stays on the fish better if you let it rest before immediately transferring it to the baking sheet). Then transfer to a baking sheet that has been lined with foil and sprayed with cooking spray. Spray the fish with the cooking spray and bake for 12-15 minutes at 400* until browned and firm.

For the Chips:

Potatoes
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Paprika

Slice the peppers and transfer to a large zip-lock bag. Add a little bit of oil (about 1 tsp), and the seasonings and mix well to coat the potatoes. Then transfer to a foil-lined baking sheet and bake for about 30 minutes at 400* (I put the potatoes in the oven for about 20 minutes, then put them on the bottom rack while the fish baked).

I then made a quick tartar sauce (mayonnaise, sweet pickle relish, salt, and pepper) and we had a feast!!

The result: delicious. Scott said there was too much seasoning on the fish (he says he likes to taste the fish, but then covers it in tartar sauce / ketchup), but I enjoyed the flavor. Maybe I'll go a little lighter on the garlic powder and paprika. But for a first attempt, I'd say it was a success!! :o)

The fish is resting, the potatoes are ready for the oven!

This makes about 3 servings: 510 calories, 74 carbs, 5 fat, 40 protein, 6 fiber. 12 Points Plus.

Home-made Hummus

Hello beautiful!!

Hummus is such a delicious snack. But I hate buying it in the stores. I guess it's because I'm cheap. Oh well.

So I made my own.

I got a recipe from a friend, and then tweaked it a bit.

1 can chick peas, drained
1/4 cup sesame tahini
1/4 cup fat free Greek yogurt
1 clove garlic
Salt
Lemon juice

• Put the drained chick peas in a pot, and add about a 1/2 cup water. Heat them through (as soon as they come to a boil, shut the heat off).
• Put the chicken peas, and some of the water (as much as you want) into the blender/food processor.  I put just a bit of water, and then saved some to add in later, if needed.
• Add the garlic, salt, and lemon juice (about a teaspoon of salt, and half a squeezed lemon) into the food processor and mix everything together.
• Add the tahini and yogurt, and mix again.
• Taste the mixture, and add salt or more lemon juice, to your liking.

That's it!

I cut out any extra Olive Oil, and by adding the Greek yogurt in place of half of the tahini, I was able to cut a little bit of fat, and add a little protein.  Not too shabby!!  The recipe makes about a cup and a half of hummus, so for 2 Tbsp per serving, you have the following:

Calories: 69, Fat: 3g, Carbohydrates: 7g, Fiber: 2g, Protein: 3g.  2 Points Plus!

Enjoy!

Trippy Dippy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Trippy Dippy Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Do I have your attention??

I thought so!

Imagine a chocolate chip cookie that is as far from ordinary as humanly possible.  Well, I have something crazier!  The only thing trippy about it is the three different kinds of chocolate, but you'll definitely be super happy with the final product (and they're not horrible for you....Nutrition Information below!!).

Trippy Dippy Chocolate Chip Cookies

I saw an episode of Barefoot Contessa earlier in the week, and she and a friend made a cookie recipe that looked so delicious.  I made a couple little modifications, and the end result was so delicious...And and Ina would say, "How easy is that?"

The Ingredients

2 1/3 cups All Purpose Flour
3/4 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1 1/2 tsps Baking Soda
3/4 tsp salt
2 1/2 sticks Unsalted Butter, softened
1 cup Sugar
1 cup packed Light Brown Sugar
1 Egg, beaten
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 cup White Chocolate Chips
1 1/2 cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
1 cup Almonds, chopped

(NOTE:  If you happen to have Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder, but all means, use it.  Just decrease the Baking Soda to just 1 tsp.  I didn't have the Dutch Processed, and wasn't about to go out and buy it when I had 2 opened containers of the regular unsweetened.  The only difference is the Dutch Processed will make the cookies a little darker)

The Method

• Combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside (Note:  I usually dump all the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, but I felt like mixing the cocoa powder and the flour was somewhat important, so I actually combined the dry ingredients ahead of time)


• Cream together the butter, sugar, and brown sugar until well combined.


• Add the egg and vanilla (I beat these two together before mixing into the sugar/butter mixture, but it's totally not necessary)


• Mix until well combined


• Add the dry mixture into the wet mixture and mix well (I literally dumped the entire contents of the dry ingredients in....Just don't go putting the mixer on full speed unless you want a flour shower.  Pulse the mixer until some of the flour is mixed in first)


• Add the chocolate chips and almonds and mix until well combined.




• Drop scoopfuls of cookie dough onto an ungreased cookies sheet (I use a small ice cream scoop - or a "cookie scoop"

• Bake at 350* for 15-17 minutes (they will seem very soft when you take them out of the oven, but they will harden as they cool - so don't over-bake them!!)


• Move to wire racks to continue cooling after a few minutes

Note:  Each recipe makes ~108 cookies:
Per Serving:  76 Calories * 9 Carbs * 4 Fats * 1 Protein * 0 Fiber * 37 Sodium

Enjoy!!!

Call Me Maybe Blondies

I love the term Blondies.  I don't know why.  Technically, they're a cross between a cookie that's baked like a brownie....Right?

In any case, you can call this a Blondie.  Maybe. 

I am obsessed with the idea of baking a cookie like a brownie.  I tried, once, a long time ago, to make chocolate chip cookies with the creamcheese filling in brownie style.  I failed.  Miserably.  So this time, I decided to take a step back and just make the brownie.  Or in this case, the Blondie.

Call Me Maybe Blondies

The original recipe that I found was complicated, with beating butter for 8 minutes, and adding tons of air into the batter in order to make the mixture nice and fluffy and I honestly did not have the patience.  Plus, I wanted a delicious, decadent, dense brownie.  So I made it my own.  And here we go!!!

The Ingredients
1 cup Unsalted Butter, softened
1 cup Light Brown Sugar, packed
1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
2 1/3 cups All Purpose Flour
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
2 large Eggs
2 tsps Vanilla Extract
2 1/2 - 3 cups chocolate chips (I used a mixture of white chocolate chips, semi-sweet chocolate chips, and milk chocolate chips....Because that's what I had left...And it happen to all amount to 2 1/2 cups.  You can put whatever you want here)
Chopped Walnuts - OPTIONAL (I did not put in any nuts)

The Method

• Beat the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy


• Add the Eggs and Vanilla Extract and mix well


• Add in all of the dry ingredients and once again, mix well (you are more than welcome to mix all of the dry ingredients separately and add them into the wet ingredients, but as I've mentioned before, I have no patience for that.  Just dump it all in together - just be mindful of not giving yourself a flour shower!!)


• Mix in the chocolate chips (and nuts, if you've decided to add them in)


• Spread the mixture into a GREASED 9x13 pan

• Bake at 375* for 30-35 minutes (insert a toothpick in the middle to ensure it is cooked all the way through - the top center should not jiggle when you move the pan).


• Allow the pan to cool on the stove.


• Once the Blondies had sat in the pan for a good 30-45 minutes, I inverted the pan onto a cooling rack, and then transfered onto a cutting board so they were sitting right-side up again.

• Cut into 24 bars 

• Allow to cool completely before plating/stacking

Note:  24 Servings
Per Serving:  28 Calories * 36 Carbs * 15 Fat * 3 Protein * 0 Fiber * 119 Sodium

ENJOY!!!

Apple Crisp

My mom is a teacher in Providence, and it's a requirement that they teachers administer breakfast to the students (the food is provided by the school system, but my mom actually has to hand it out to the students). A few days this week, she was given apples to hand out to the class, and she ended up bringing all of the leftovers home.  That meant baking for me!!!

As I mentioned a while ago, I've had the itch to bake,  I didn't really care what it was, but I wanted to bake SOMETHING.  Well, here was my opportunity.  I have an amazing apple crisp recipe that I always use (it's from the King Arthur Flour cookbook), but seeing as all of my cookbooks are stored away in a storage location, we needed to improvise.  I looked online, and found an extremely simple recipe that I decided to go with.  I improvised a big, so here's what we did:

The Ingredients

2 1/2 cups oatmeal (I don't think it matters if it's quick oats or old fashioned, but I used old fashioned)

2 cups flour

2 cups brown sugar

2 sticks melted butter

6 cups apples, peeled, cored, and sliced

3/4 cup white sugar

Cinnamon

The Method

• Mix together the oatmeal, flour and brown sugar with a fork.

• Add in the melted butter, mix initially with the fork, and then get your hands in there and mix it until it is crumbly
• Put half of the crumble mixture into a greased 9x13 pan

• Spread the apples on top of the crumble mixture

• Sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon on top of the apples (I just eyeballed the cinnamon.  The original recipe called for about 4 teaspoons, but I didn't measure it).
• Put the other half of the crumble mixture on the top

• Bake in a pre-heated 350* oven for about 40-45 minutes, or until golden brown

Note:  Assuming 20 servings (which is a VERY generous portion)
Per Serving:  296 Calories * 50 Carbs * 10 Fats * 3 Protein * 2 Fiber * 10 Sodium

Serve with ice cream, and ENJOY!!

Mac and cheese

Macaroni and Cheese.  I know some people hear that and they just see a box of Kraft Mac and Cheese. When my family hears Mac and Cheese - they see a huge pan hot out of the oven.  That's right.  It may be made with the plainest of all the cheeses, but it makes the most decadent of all Mac and Cheese.

My mom and aunt found a recipe for Macaroni and Cheese years ago in a Betty Crocker Book.  If I remember correctly, the recipe had a number of steps, including layering the cheese sauce with the macaroni.  Instead, they decided that mixing the the sauce and the macaroni was sufficient.  And trust me, it really is sufficient.

So this is not a Mac and Cheese that you'll want to make for dinner.  This is a party mac and cheese and two lbs goes a LONG way (I mentioned in Monday Matters that we made it this weekend for a little Labor Day get together and it made so much that we sent everyone home with leftovers)....So here goes!

The Ingredients

2 lbs Cellentani or Cavatappi macaroni

1 stick butter

1/2 cup onions, finely chopped

1/2 cup flour

1/2 gallon milk (I usually use 2%)

2 teaspoons of salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

3 pounds Land o Lakes American Cheese, shredded (Yes - 3 lbs.  And it HAS to be Land o Lakes...We've tried it with other cheeses, and it just isn't the same)

For the topping:
3-4 Tbsp melted butter
1 sleeve ritz crackers, crushed

 

All of the shredded cheese - you can use either a box grater or the attachments on the food processor - and the ritz and macaroni

The Method

• Set a big pot of water to boil for the macaroni.  While the water is heating up, do the following:


• Melt the butter in a large pot and add in the onions to saute

• When the onion is softened, add in the flour and stir continuously.

• When the flour mixture starts to bubble, slowly stir in the milk, salt, and pepper

• Stir continuously on medium-high heat, and once the milk has warmed up a bit (it should be warm to the touch but not anywhere close to boiling), add in the shredded American Cheese


• Stir until creamy.  You shouldn't see any strings of cheese left in the mixture.  Lower the heat and continue stirring until the water has come to a boil, and the macaroni has been cooked until al dente (You need to stir the mixture the entire time, otherwise it will stick to the bottom of the pan.  Also, you do NOT want the macaroni cooked all the way here, because it needs to bake and it will be too mushy if overcooked).   When you're ready to strain the macaroni, just take the cheese mixture completely off the heat.

Add the drained macaroni to a baking pan (I use the throw-away foil pans) and pour the cheese mixture on top.  Mix everything together  (You can put the drained macaroni back in the pot, and add all of the cheese sauce there, and then transfer everything into the foil pan....Do whatever is easiest for you!!)

Top the Mac and Cheese with crushed ritz cracker crumbs (about 1 sleeve) that have been mixed with melted butter (about 3-4 Tablespoons)

Bake covered for 45 minutes at 375*.  Unover, then bake an additional 15 minutes until the crumb topping is golden brown.

Let the Mac and Cheese set for at least 15-30 minutes before serving.

A delicious serving of Macaroni and Cheese, just waiting to be eaten!!!

Note:  Assuming 20 servings (which is a VERY generous portion):

Per Serving:  500Calories * 44 Carbs * 28 Fat * 21 Protein * 2 Fiber * 1133 Sodium

 

ENJOY!!!

Now that's what I call a cookout!!!

Monday Matters

1. My husband and I own a condo in Providence, RI over near Brown University.  We just recently (like at the beginning of August) started renting it out.  We had to go over there Sunday Morning because "the dishwasher wouldn't work" and "the light and fan in the bedroom stopped working".  Somehow the tenants broke the dishwasher so I have Sears coming to fix it today (thank goodness it's still under warranty).  There was nothing wrong with the light and fan except that they pulled the chain enough times so that they shut the fan off and the bulbs blew out.  I'm already not a fan of being a landlord...


2. Friday night, my mom and I made the most amazing dinner.  I mean, seriously.  Amazing.  She bought ground beef to make burgers but we ended up making meatloaf burgers (it was a compromise since we couldn't decide if we wanted burgers or meatloaf).  And we ate them on bagels.  I forgot to take a picture of them - so that must mean that I will have to make them again so I can blog about them and have a picture to show for it.


3. My mom is a teacher and she is going back to teaching art (she taught art for 14 years, then did elementary ed for 6 years, and now she's back to art).  While she was going through her samples Sunday night, she found projects that my sister and I did back in 1st or 2nd grade.  It was a list of facts with a self portrait and at the bottom it said, "Who Am I?"  The most amusing part of mine was the part that said, "I want to be a Bus Driver."  


4. After being at my mom's for 3 weeks, Scott and I finally put our clothes into drawers Sunday.  We can actually walk around the room!!  Woot!!


5. I'm starting to get the itch to bake.  It doesn't have to be anything fancy.  I'm thinking either brownies or cookies.  Either way, I'll take pictures.  And blog.  And probably give most of them to my dad so that I don't eat them.


6. I'm trying to gather up ideas for quick breakfasts on the go and quick, easy to fix dinners.  I've so far decided on making lots of waffles and freezing them so that I can have my own form of Eggo Waffles. For dinners, I've been getting a lot of ideas from being at mom's house.


7. The past few years, we've attempted to go apple picking and we've always gone too late in the season.  I'm determined to go early this year so that I can pick yummy apples and make yummy apple things.  Like Apple Pie.  And Apple Crisp.  I have an AMAZING recipe for Apple Crisp.


8. The cafeteria at work states that it's open until 2:30 every day.  But every day they start packing up the food at 1:30 (and it seems to be getting earlier than that!) and they get snippy when you ask them to make a simple sandwich.  Work, you fail.  The only good part of this is that I'm forced to bring a lunch (and therefore don't spend as much money).


9. Have I ever mentioned that I LOVE ice cream?  And it doesn't even have to be good ice cream.  I don't discriminate...I love it all.  My favorite?  Soft Serve Vanilla with Rainbow Jimmies (yes, they're jimmies, not sprinkles, so don't even try arguing with me about it).  My current favorite place to get it?  Riverside Creamery.  There may be better places out there with fancier kinds of ice cream, but I like the simple stuff.  Delicious.


10. Laundry really isn't so bad when you don't have to go down 3 flights of stairs to do it.  I actually don't even mind it.  But don't tell my husband that ;-)


11. Just got back from the gym - another Tae Bo / Core class.  38 minutes and burned 408 calories.  Not bad!!  Only downside - everyone can plainly see that I went to the gym....My face is like a tomato!

Everyone will know that I worked hard at the gym today....For at least the next hour!  Look at the color in my face!  Can you say TOMATO???  PS - the angle of the picture makes me look like a bobble head!  

Burn those Calories!!

I mentioned in this week's Monday Matters that I bought a Heart Rate Monitor.  Well, it did come in on Monday afternoon and I have been using it all week!  It's fabulous!!!  I bought a Polar FT4, and it says it's specifically "for females" - I really think that they say that because the watch itself is a little more feminine than a big black hunk of watch.  You can still preset all of the settings, and you still have to choose between male and female when you do the initial setup.

In any case, I have been using it all week.  The greatest thing about the FT4 is that it has the capability to calculate calories burned, as well as store historical data (so I can look back at my other workouts and not just "today's").  It's super easy, you just wet the sensors on the chest strap, clip it around your chest (I tuck mine right into my sports bra so it doesn't move), hit the on button on the watch, and it starts.  You can pause the recording, and you can review the time and calories while it's still recording.  AND you can wear it as a regular watch even while you're not exercising!!

Here are my last few work-outs using the FT4:

Tuesday:  Cardio Interval Training (at work):  45 minutes, 503 calories burned
Wednesday:  Tae Bo (at work):  40 minutes, 480 calories burned
Thursday:  Zumba (at work):  53 minutes, 536 calories burned

I was super curious what workout would get me the most calories burnt.  Technically, looking at the past 3 days, I could argue that Zumba burned the most.  But that was also the most time....So the engineer in my has come out.  I extrapolated the data to see what the calories would be if all three workouts were 1 hour...

Workout	Calories  burned @ 60 minutes
Cardio Interval Training	671
Tae Bo	720
Zumba	607

Now I have to admit.  The Zumba class that I did at work was with a substitute instructor, and it wasn't as intense as a usual class, nor was it as intense as some of the classes I've done at World Gym (with Sara or Gina).  So there is definitely room for error in the potential calories to burn in a full hour.  

But regardless of which workout I do, I think that the amount of "calories burned" is going to be pretty high on the list!!!

Since I have been counting calories on MFP, this is a huge help - now I don't have to rely on the machines for calories burned and I have a better estimate of calories burned when exercising off the machines!!

My new heart rate monitor - Polar FT4 - watch and strap

Monday Matters

1. I got to see my best friend - Katie - from UMASS this weekend.  While the boys went out and did Bachelor Party things, we got to hang out and chill.  And eat nachos at The Forge.  I loved it.
1. I got to go to a dress fitting with her - her Wedding Dress is AMAZING.  I love it.  Everything about it.  
2. We went to the outlets in Lee and I bought some clothes at Ann Taylor.  I love buying stuff for 40% and 60% off.  I felt guilty about buying myself clothes so I bought stuff for Scott, too.  
3. Katie introduced me to GrooveShark.  I love it.  It's amazing.  It's like Pandora, but you can pick your own music.  No more trying to listening to Queen and having to listen to Bon Jovi (sorry!!)


2. I went on my first Bike Ride of the season last week (I have been such a slacker this year).  My front tire is currently completely flat.  Like, no air at all.  Last year the problem was my back tire.  This year?  Front.  I think it's time for new tires.


3. I am in LOVE with having a grill at my disposal.  Since we're staying at my mom's house until our house is done, we have the luxury of taking advantage of all her stuff.  Including her gas grill.  We had a grill at the condo, but who honestly feels like going down 3 flights of stairs just to make a hot dog?  NOT ME!!  Having a grill right off the kitchen = amazing.


4. Friends who are teachers are getting ready to go back to school.  I've heard a lot of complaining.  No one wants to go back...  Guess what, people?  I don't get 2 1/2 months off in the summer.  I work right through.  So stop your complaining and get to work.  (NOTE:  I understand that teachers work hard and that some teachers use their summer break to prepare for the following year - this isn't a slight on the job that they do, it's just a statement).


5. I signed up for Groupon and have the Application send me "Push Notifications" on my phone.  I honestly find it super annoying.  But the deals are good.  I've bought pillows so far.  They're still in the box....


6. I recently bought myself a heart rate monitor with the capability to count calories as you exercise.  I've been doing really well counting calories and exercising since we got back from Martha's Vineyard (I'm down 6 lbs since coming home!!).  I am just really interested in seeing actual calores burned rather than what the machine says or what MFP says.  USPS says it left the sort facility in Providence this morning.  I hope that means it will be at the house when I get home today!!!


7. When I got home from visiting Katie yesterday, Scott and I sat on the couch and chatted about our weekends.  I told him about mine, he edited about his (I don't think I want to know all the gory details of a bachelor party, anyway).  In any case, while we chatted, we had the DIY network on tv, and Rehab Addict was on.  Good premise.  Annoying host lady.


8. It's interesting working out at the gym at work.  I find it convenient, but I really don't like working out with people I know (and have previously refused me jobs I've interviewed for).  Last week, one of those people was on a treadmill.  She always amuses me.  She walks at 4.0, and the whole time, she listens to her portable CD player and every 30 seconds or so, she puts her arms over her head and pumps her arms.  In any case, last week she got off the treadmill and walked into the locker room without shutting off the machine.  It just kept going.  I got off my machine and shut hers off.  


9. Completely obsessed with The Big Bang Theory.  September 27th can't come soon enough.


10. I like One Direction.  How embarrassing.


11. I got the idea of Monday Matters from Tuesday Things.  Sometime's it's just fun to have a post of ideas that don't have anything to do with each other.  

Burritos!!!

Every time I've made "burritos," I ended up making the meat, and served the burritos "Help-y Self-y" style....That meaning that everything is out in buffet style and you just fix it the way you want it.  I think my mom coined that term.  Either way, this time I decided to try something different!  I(Note:  Whenever I've told Scott, "I tried something new," he has always cringed.  This time, not so much!)


The Recipe
1 red pepper, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1/2 vidalia onion, diced
1 pkg (20-oz) lean ground turkey
1/2 packet taco seasoning (the kind you can buy in the spice aisle, not the kind you get in the taco packs)
1 15-oz can refried beans
Shredded cheddar cheese
10 burrito tortillas


The Method to my Maddness
Saute the peppers and onion in a little bit of oil until softened (add in some jalapeno peppers if you like the spice!).  Add in the ground turkey, breaking it up and cooking it well.


Add in the taco seasoning and about 1/2 cup of water, and cook until a sauce is created.


Once the meat is cooked and ready, start layering your burritos:  On each tortilla, put about 1-2 Tbsp of refried beans, some of the meat (enough to make a full burrito, but not some much that you can't roll it) and some shredded cheddar cheese.  Roll the burritos (folding in the sides first) and place them seam-side down in a baking dish.  Bake at 325-350 for 15-20 minutes.


I made half of my burritos with cheese and the other half without.  Whichever I put cheese IN, I put cheese ON in the pan, just for purposes of knowing which was which.  Also, I bought "medium" sized tortillas, so I had trouble folding in the sides...


Variation
My dad makes this recipe but instead of putting the refried beans directly onto the tortilla, he mixes it into the beef.

Only half of the burritos were left when I took this picture....But there they are!

With 1 Tablespoon of Sour Cream, each burrito has the following in terms of nutrition facts:  Calories: 291, Carbs: 32, Fat: 10, Protein: 18, Fiber: 6, Sodium: 656.  For you Points Plus people: 7 Points Plus

Bagels and Exercise

Exercise-wise, I've been having a really good week.  I have been exercising on and off for a while now, but made some decisions that somewhat force me to exercise daily.


I love bagels.  I mean, love them.  There's something about stopping on my way into work in the morning and getting myself a toasted bagel with cream cheese ON it that really just makes my day (You have to specify on, otherwise, Dunkin Donuts will just drop a container of cream cheese into a bag and call it a day).  As soon as I get in the car in the morning, my mind is already eating a bagel.  Well, for those of you who don't know, a sesame seed bagel is 350 calories and the cream cheese to go with it is 130 calories.  That's 480 calories on breakfast ALONE!  Never mind if you get a coffee to go with it!


Well, I made the decision on Sunday that I will allow myself to have a bagel ONLY if I exercise.  It's a reasonable trade-off, right?  It's been going well so far.  I have gone so far as to wear the gym clothes I would never normally wear just so that I can get to the gym.  All so that I can eat a bagel in the morning.


My workouts for this week have been boring so far.  I've been mainly concentrating on jogging and biking, so I'm either on the treadmill, the elliptical, or the bike.


Here we go:


Monday:
Elliptical Trainer        33 minutes  428 calories
Biking (12-14 mph)  12 minutes  165 calories
593 Total Calories Burned


Tuesday:
Jogging 5 mph           15 minutes  206 calories
Walking 3.5 mph       20 minutes  130 calories
Biking (14-16 mph)   10 minutes  171 calories
(I did run walk intervals)
507 Total Calories Burned


Wednesday:
Jogging 5 mph           15 minutes  206 calories
Walking 3.5 mph       20 minutes  130 calories
Biking (12-14 mph)   10 minutes  137 calories
(I did run walk intervals)
473 Total Calories Burned


Thursday:
Elliptical Training       33 minutes  430 calories
Biking (14-16 mph)  12 minutes  204 calories
634 Total Calories Burned


One of the other decisions I made (just today I made the decision), is to not eat ALL of the exercise calories like I originally have been doing.  I decided that I would put the total amount of calories Burned in the NOTES section of MFP and put a slightly reduced number in the actual area where it counts as calories earned.  This way I can account for some of the error in calculating any of the exercises.


What do you think?

Counting Calories

I've been trying to count calories for a little while now.  So far, I've had mixed results, but at the end of the day, I've lost about 2 lbs over the last 6 weeks.  Not really the results I have been looking for.

I have struggled with my weight since I was a teenager.  I've always been envious of my friends who can pound down an ice cream sundae while I sit there knowing that if I ate the sundae, I'd gain 2 lbs by the next morning (but I ate it anyway).  A big part of my problem, however, has always been portion control.  I'd like to say that this stems from childhood (you know, you go to Nonni's house for dinner, and when she asks if you want more, you say, "oh just a little" and she gives you more than the first portion....and you eat the whole thing).  My other problem is willpower.  I have none.  I remember being about 13 years old, and my mom taking us out for lunch - it was a treat day, and we went to Friendly's and got to have Cone Head Sundaes after lunch.  Then, later that night, my aunt took us to the movies and I bought candy.  I remember my mom saying that I needed to make choices - I couldn't eat multiple treats per day.  Since then, I've been obsessed with trying to make good choices, but haven't had the willpower to do it all the time.

I've been on and off every diet known to man, but the most success has been with eating normal portions of good healthy food.  Weight Watchers and counting calories has been my two main eating regimens, since both of them allow you to eat whatever you want.  At the end of the day, they are helping you learn that if you really want to eat that ice cream sundae, you need to make choices throughout the day to fit it in.  It also teaches you that normal portions are necessary, especially if you do insist on eating the sundae.  We forget that everything is super-sized, we we need to make better choices.  Weight Watchers has gone through a number of revisions over the last few years.  At the end of the day, it's basically the same thing as counting calories.  I stopped Weight Watchers for a few reasons:  1) I was sick of paying $13 per month to cheat and not stick to plan.  2) I wasn't following it correctly.  The points system works, as long as you are calculating points properly.  There were foods that I would make and I would estimate what I think the points were worth....And if I felt guilty that it was too many points, I would lower the number (but not the portion) to make it look better.

Since I went off Weight Watchers, I decided there had to be something in it's place.  My friend told me about my fitness pal so I decided to go with that.  It's free, and it allows you to determine how many calories you eat per day (based on how much weight you want to lose per day).  As I said earlier, I've been using my fitness pal for about 6 weeks now, and I've only lost about 2 lbs.  So what am I doing wrong?  Well, I think I've been trying too hard to limit what I eat.  When I first started, I decided to eat only 1200 calories per day.  But when I exercised, I often didn't eat the calories that I burned, and I honestly think that I was eating too few calories.  My body knew that, so I changed my calorie intake per day from 1200 to about 1450, but I still didn't eat what I earned through exercise.  So starting yesterday, I changed the process a bit.  I'm eating a NET 1200 calories.  That means that I'm eating whatever I earn.  So if I earn 400 calories exercising, I'm going to eat 1600 calories total.  I am putting a limit on total calories, though.  There are days (usually on the weekend) where I burn 1000 calories cleaning and washing walls, but I don't plan on every eating more than 2000 calories.  So far, so good.  I haven't been hungry at all, which is good...When I do think I feel hungry, I drink some water or some caffeine free diet coke, and wait a few minutes.  Most of the time, I'm just thirsty.

Now, I just need to go food shopping to stock up on some healthy fruits and veggies... :)  My refrigerator is BARE!

An easy and delicious (and filling!) snack

I've recently switched over from Weight Watchers to Calorie Counting.  In essence, it's the same thing....I mean, the last version of Weight Watchers was based on calories.  I've just found myself "cheating" a lot with Weight Watchers - They make it so easy to follow, you get your daily points, and your weekly points, but I always found myself underestimating on how many points I was actually eating.  I also was always dipping into my weekly quota, and then going way over how many points I should be having in one week.


My friend Kate and I decided that we both needed a break from WW, but we needed to try something else - Kate found out about www.myfitnesspal.com, and I decided to jump on the bandwagon.  You put in your current weight, what you would like your eventual weight to be, and how much you would like to lose (realistically) per week.  It then calculates how many calories you should be eating per day.  



I've been trying to search around for low-calorie snacks that are filling.  The stores are full of 100-calorie snack packs that are not filling (although they may be delicious little knock-offs of the delicious original versions).  And honestly, if I want Chips Ahoy Cookies, I'd rather have the real thing then the "healthy version" - but one cookie is probably 100 calories.  But I digress. 


My friend at work suggested a snack that I have been eating since Saturday - and it really is great!  It's a combination of Greek yogurt, honey, and granola.


3/4 cup (6 oz) Fage 2% Plain Greek Yogurt (My friend actually said she likes the 0% better, but when I tried a few different kinds at the market to see which I liked best, they didn't have the 0% available, and I liked the 2% when I tried it, so I stuck with that)
1 1/2 teaspoons of Honey (I estimate it as 1 1/2 teaspoons - I used the small spoon that I use to scoop out the yogurt)
1/2 cup Kashi Go Lean Crunch Cereal (My friend suggested granola, but I didn't have any at home.  I supplemented with Kashi, and it's delicious!!!)


And that's it.  Mix it all together and enjoy!!!  I honestly and NOT a fan of Greek Yogurt.  It's very tart, and the kind with the fruit at the bottom has TONS of sugar.  So with this, you get to control how much sugar you put into it!  The total snack is 256 calories.  4 Chips Ahoy Cookies are 220 calories, 1 mini bag of Lays Potato Chips is 240 calories - but the yogurt snack goes MUCH further.  It's something you can have for a snack, or even lunch!  The Greek yogurt has a lot of protein in it, so it's definitely filling!!  And moderately low calorie!!

 

Enjoy!!