Crunch: Fat Burning Ab Attack

I finally made it back to working out after taking almost a week off!!! Ugh! I was so busy with our new start up business that I didn't have the time (or energy) to workout and it made me feel awful. Well, when you fall off the pony its best to get right back on. So today, that's what I did. I got on Netflix and decided to try out the Crunch: Fat Burning Ab Attack and see what it was like. And, I have to say that I kind of liked it. It was way different than what I had pictured, but at the same time it is what I needed to get going again. It is not a particularly ab intensive workout as the name suggests, but there is some cardio in it and toward the end the floor exercises were enough to make me feel like I hadn't wasted my time. I could definitely see myself doing it again... especially b/c workouts tend to become even more effective after you have done them a few times and learn how to move your body in the most effective way. I'd give it a 3 out of 5 :)

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Well, I promised recipes and here I go! I tried out this gluten-free, vegan chocolate chip cookie recipe from Elana's Pantry . The base recipe was great, but I still had to adapt it to my low carb/sugar guidelines so here is the original recipe and how I changed it.

Chocolate Chip Cookies (Gluten Free, Vegan) *Courtesy of Elana at elanaspantry.com

•2 1/2 cups Blanched Almond Flour
•1/2 teaspoon Celtic Sea Salt
•1/2 teaspoon baking soda
•1/2 cup grapeseed oil
•1 tablespoon vanilla extract
•1/2 cup agave nectar
•1 cup dark chocolate 73%
1.Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl.
2.Stir together wet ingredients in a smaller bowl.
3.Mix wet ingredients into dry.
4.Form 1/2 inch balls and press onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
5.Bake at 350 degrees for 7-10 minutes.
6.Cool and serve.
For additional almond flour recipes, go to elanaspantry.com

So, if you aren't concerned about the super high fructose in agave nectar this would be great, but since I am not ok with that kind of sugar if I can help it... here is what I did:

1. These are VERY oily in the dough state so don't freak out when you make them :) I added about 2 Tbsp - 1/4 cup more almond flour.
2. I used kosher salt b/c that's what I have
3. I didn't have gapeseed oil, so I substituted 1/2 corn oil and 1/2 olive oil
4. Instead of the agave nectar, I used 10 packets of purevia (stevia type) sweetener + 1/2 of a ripe banana that I had frozen and then thawed and mashed.
5. My grocery store didn't have 70% cocoa chips so I used Ghirardelli 60% (close enough right?)
6. I added the sweetener and banana into the wet ingredients and "beat" them together with a fork.
7. I baked the 1st batch on 350 for 9 min. and the second on 325 for 11 min. I don't think it matters which you do... they both came out slightly gooey in the middle (but very yummy!)

So, how did they turn out, you may ask? GREAT!!! The oiliness (is that a word?) reduces slightly when they are cooking, I think the excess oil in the dough helps them to keep from drying out and crumbling during the baking process. Anyway, you can definitely taste the banana that I used in place of the agave nectar, but I think it is a yummy, delicate addition. If you didn't want the banana taste, you could use maybe applesauce or a pear. (Here I go on another rabbit trail so bare with me... I read somewhere else that a lady used 2.5tsp stevia blend + 1/4 pear for every 1/4 cup agave nectar that a recipe called for. So, that's why I tried banana - its what I had.) The texture is chewy and substantive b/c of the almond flour.

Next time I make them (and believe me, there WILL be a next time!) I will maybe try the purevia sweetener by itself and also start with about 1/2 the oil and see what the texture is. These turned out great, but the amount of oil is just too much. Once I fix that, well, it will be pure yumminess!

These aren't low fat by any stretch of the imagination, but since that's not what I am tracking all the ingredients listed above are legal :) I can't tell you how much I am enjoying my new way of eating. I have been feeling great, losing weight and not sacrificing a thing!

Almond Milk Ice Cream

Hello! I haven't been blogging much this week b/c I have been really busy with work... Anyway, I had read a recipe for almond milk ice cream and I thought I would give it a few modifications and see how they worked. The result... I'd have to say pretty darn good.

Here's what you need:

2-3/4 to 3 Cups almond milk
1/4 cups sugar or 5 packets stevia type sweetener
3/4 - 1 tsp vanilla (depending on preference)
1/2 tsp guar gum
TINY pinch salt

Heat the milk, sugar/stevia, vanilla and salt in a sauce pan over med/low heat until sugar is dissolved. Let cool in the refrigerator for several hours until cold. sprinkle in the guar gum and shake really well to combine (you don't want any clumps ick!) Oh, I forgot to mention that I have a Cuisinart ice cream maker that I used... I'm sure if you know how to make ice cream w/o one it would work just fine too. Anyway, take the bowl of the ice cream maker out of the freezer and turn on your machine. Pour in the mixture and let er rip! There you have it, low carb, vegan vanilla ice cream :)

Now, here is what I am going to do next time I make it: I am going to make my almond milk with about half as much water so that it will be extra thick and creamy, and I am also going to whip up some vegan/gluten-free chocolate chip cookie dough and freeze it and add it into the ice cream maker toward the very end of the freezing process... Oh my goodness! My mouth is watering just thinking about it!

Also, a note about the guar gum... If you make the ice cream w/o it it will freeze into a solid rock in the freezer. The guar gum keeps it soft and pliable so it stays yummy.

I am ready to start posting something interesting again :)

I got my almond four today! I'm sure this isn't all that exciting to some of you, but for me... well, lets just say that I have been checking the tracking info daily in anticipation of its delivery :) I am so excited to try making almond bread, pasta and chocolate chip cookies! (yes, I said cookies, I saw a great recipe for vegan ones that look absolutely delicious!) I am also going to make some butternut squash ravioli (yummy). Oh, also going to be on the menu when I get my guar gum and the ener-g egg replacer is almond ice cream! Who said eating healthy can't be wonderful? Stay tuned for some great recipes!

My personal update

Well, here it is... So this morning I weighed myself and I am down to 115.4 (woohoo!), but I also measured myself and I can't seem to find where I lost the weight. My clothes fit better, I think my stomach looks flatter, but that dang measuring tape still says that I have a 32" stomach, a 26.5" inch waist and after that I didn't even bother to look at my thighs... It's not that I am disappointed, I am thrilled that the scale has gone down, but my goal has been to lose inches more than pounds. Maybe it has to do with how I am working out and the muscle is replacing fat??? I really don't know. But, like I said, I definitely feel like my clothes fit looser, so its coming off somewhere :) Maybe its just coming off in really small increments all over so I didn't really notice it on the measuring tape. So, there you have it, that's where I am at.

The New Look!

Hey everyone... I hope you like the new look :) If for some reason you find it hard to read, please let me know and I will try to fix it ~ Thanks for reading!

This is getting good!

Ok, so I posted about making the almond milk yesterday, but I didn't mention that you should/could save the pulp that is left over. When I made the milk, I saved the almond 'mill' that was left over and just stuck it in the freezer until I could figure out what to do with it. Well, my chance came sooner than I expected... When I was trying to be creative and find something new for my non-vegan daughter, Jadyn, it popped into my head that she LOVES chicken nuggets (specifically, McDonald's chicken nuggets) so... I beat an egg with some almond milk and a tiny bit of vinegar (similar to buttermilk) and then I tenderized a chicken breast, cut it into 'nuggets', coated it in the egg mixture, coated it in the left over almond mill, and deep fried it in olive oil. Now, I was totally winging this and taking that into consideration, it turned out really good! I did forget to season the almond crumbs, so that would be a must, but other than that I think it was a great use of the left overs. Who'd a thought... low carb, battered, deep-fried chicken? Yum! I'll have to try it again when I get the almond flour I ordered to see if the finer ground texture is better.

Also, since I was going to be sharing different things that we were eating, last night we had seasoned brown rice, Santa Fe sweet potato fries ( http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2008/08/sweet-potato-shoestrings-fries-that-is.html ), and sauteed yellow summer squash. I winged the seasoned brown rice and it turned out pretty great :) so i was happy about that. Just in case you were wondering... I put 1-1/2 cups brown rice, 3 cups water, and a dash of each: basil, thyme, and fresh ground black pepper. I also added a tiny tiny pinch of cinnamon :) and I had to season it pretty generously with salt. I let it all cook like usual and when all the water was absorbed, I drizzled a tiny bit of olive oil so that it wouldn't clump up.

Yoga

First off, ALMOND MILK IS YUMMY! LOL, so I made my first batch of almond milk last night and it turned out really well. Here is the recipe:
I blanched 2/3 cup of raw almonds in boiling water for 3 minutes, drained and let them cool for about a minute or two. Then I removed the skin (comes off super easy) and placed the almonds in some water in the fridge for about three hours to soak. I then rinsed them and added about 1.5 qts of cold water and 1 packet of stevia (if you want it sweeter ..see note below*). Blended until smooth and strained the milk with a flour sack (or whatever those really thin embroidered cloths are). Store in refrigerator for about 5 days. I kind of combined different methods to make this and the link below doesn't mention soaking the almonds. However, some sites didn't remove the skin and they say to soak them for at least six hours. Take your pick :) (Recipe revised slightly from another website) http://www.veganreader.com/2009/09/12/almond-milk-recipe-the-creamiest-of-them-all/

Now then, on to yoga... I did the 10 Minute Solutions: Yoga workout today and I really enjoyed it:) I didn't do all five, just the first three and I definitely felt it. For those of you who haven't tried yoga, don't knock it til you try it! I am getting into pretty good cardiovascular shape but I need the strength training to get in better muscular shape and I think this may be something that I add into my workout about twice a week. I should also note that I had my three yr. old daughter trying to climb on and under me while doing downward dog so I am not sure if that hurt or helped my workout :)

*Note: Stevia is an extract of the stevia plant and it does not have the same affect on blood sugar that other sweeteners do. I have not done a whole lot of research on it, but what I have found so far is that it is natural an not created chemically in a lab somewhere. I will be doing more research to find out for sure, but until I do, I will only use it if it is absolutely necessary.

I have a confession

I have to confess that I did not workout this morning. BUT, I think that I have a pretty good excuse... I spent my entire day (and by entire, i mean, ENTIRE.) Doing more research. I mentioned yesterday that I wasn't sure how the whole low carb thing was going to work out with the gluten-free and vegan lifestyle. Well, I am hear today to tell you that I think I am on my way to working that out! The answer... almonds. Yes, I know, I said that I thought they were amazing yesterday and my research today only proves my point. What I found out today is that almond flour can be used almost interchangably with wheat flour. It has only 4g carbohydrates per cup (compared to the 100+ in wheat flour) and it is a great source of protien, iron and all kinds of other stuff. I am going to make some almond milk today (well, with what I have left of today) and I will let y'all know how that turns out. It is supposed to be easier to make than rice milk and WAY fewer sugars and carbs. Also, it doesn't appear to be that expensive either (major bonus), and I'm sure it will be pretty tasty. Wish me luck...

Oh, and the homemade corn totillas for the taquitos turned out great! Super yummy with homemade guacamole :)

Yummy Ideas :)

Today was the first day of the rest of my life :) I got up this morning and did my 20 minute Turbo Jam workout (with hand weights!). And, since I am doing a 30 day gluten free diet for me and my daughter (to see if that is what is causing both of us to have eczema), I thought I would share each days menu in case anyone else wants to give it a shot :) For breakfast, I ate an apple with a tbsp of peanut butter. 1st snack was a handful of raw almonds (those things are amazing for curbing your appetite), and for lunch I had basil and garlic polenta that was sauteed in EVOO and topped with portabella and garlic pasta sauce (can I just say yum!). Along with that I had some sauteed yellow summer squash and a plain rice cake with hummus. For dinner I am planning on making taquitos with homemade corn tortillas (can't find any w/o preservatives so I gotta do what I gotta do), and stuffed with vegetarian refried beans and the black bean quesadilla mixture. I can't wait! So, maybe you are wondering how the whole low carb thing fits in here? Well, I am still trying to figure that out. I am new to this complete change in lifestyle so for now I going to start small and do what I know how. I have, however been cutting out things that have a lot of added extra sugar.

The conclusion

So here it is... drum roll please... After going over this stuff in my head for days, much conversation, and a LOT of internet research, I have decided to revert back to my original plan with a few slight modifications. I will be eating only fruits, vegetables and foods w/o animal by-products in them. I am also going to be cutting way down on the high sugar veggies and swapping them out for less sugary ones (Sweet potato instead of a regular baking potato, apples over bananas). As far as whole grains go... I will continue to eat brown rice and I also want to learn about sprouted grains. I am going to be staying away from wheat products as much as possible for the next month do see what effect that has on me (if any). I will eat soy in products like soy sauce (properly fermented) and also edamame, but no soy milk or textured vegetable protein (as much as possible, there will be some TVP in any prepared foods that purchase).

So there it is! Wish me luck and thank you so much to all who joined in my discussion. I know this will not be the final chapter in my journey so I will keep updating if new info pops up.

What to do, what to do

I am truly confused. I have heard the promo video for 'The Diet Solution Program'(DSP) and I have read the book 'The Belly Fat Cure' (BFC) and I definitely see the need to reduce ALL forms of sugar and simple carbs in my diet. These sugars have an immediate impact on blood sugar and cause your body to release insulin. Constantly having the insulin present prevents the body from metabolizing the sugar for energy and instead gets stored as fat. Simple enough right? Well, not for me... one of the main differences that I have found in the two methods above is that DSP doesn't allow any wheat pasta, canola oil, or soy products. However, you can have all of the fruit and vegetables that you want. BFC has a system where you can only eat 15g of sugar per day and 6 SERVINGS of carbs per day. (A serving of carbs is 5-20 grams.)This s/c value as it is called, includes fruits and veggies. Also, he allows you to eat whole grain wheat pasta, didn't mention canola oil, and doesn't like soy milk. So, here is where I get confused... both programs want you to reduce your simple sugar intake to keep you insulin at a regular level, not too high and not too low (if it gets too low you get cravings for sugary foods). They differ when it comes to what you can have... fruits/veggies, certain kinds of oils, and then there is the soy. BFC says no soy milk, but in the vegetarian section lists several meat alternatives that are all made out of a product called textured vegetable protein which is the left over soy from the production of tofu. DSP says no soy products. I want to know what the difference is and if gluten (found in wheat) is the reason that no pasta is allowed, but things like brown rice and quinoa are. I guess I may have to shell out the $50 bucks to understand...

Crunch: Boot Camp Training

This morning I did a 30 minute workout called Crunch: Boot Camp Training. Once I got past the corny military theme (I say corny b/c the instructor obviously has no military background) and got into the workout, it was definitely worth my time. There was a large variety of exercises so that I didn't get bored and I could definitely feel my muscles getting worked :) I really like the workouts that have 1-3 people to watch and this one had like 10-12... Also, they weren't really the athletic type. I know this sounds kind of judgmental, but I mean to say that I would rather be led by a few athletic physical trainers than by a bunch of models that don't really look like they are working that hard and are more concerned about smiling through the whole workout. That being said, I will probably do this one again b/c I think it will produce results.

I have good news!

The time has come again to report my progress... I actually didn't have time to write everything down this morning so I will post the 'official' numbers tomorrow morning :) But, I can say that I was almost 1/2" smaller around my waist and also 1/2" on my left thigh :) I also weighed in at 117.6. I am so happy to finally be seeing some results. I am going to be changing up my eating habbits as well so there will be a serious lack of wheat bread (I will be changing to rice or spelt flour bread) and pasta in my diet. Also, I am reducing the amount of honey that I use to sweeten things. I will be posting again soon!

Tubo Jam

So, today was the day that I slept in a little too late and had to do a short workout. I chose my favorite standby Turbo Jam 20 Minute Cardio Jam! I love this workout b/c it can be as intese or as low key as you want/need it to be. If you really put yourself into it you can get a great cardio workout in no time. I have been working out every single day (except Sunday), but I also had a less than diet worthy meal for dinner last night, so instead of just taking the day off it made me feel better to at least do something. I still haven't seen any results so hopefully they will start coming sooner than later :/.

One of my favorite new meals

This is a recipe for a black bean quesadilla and I think it fits into most diet plans except for a pretty strict low carb diet. I haven't really measured what I put in it and its kind of up to you to ad lib as you see fit. So, I will just give an outline and you can do with it what you please :)

I take some canned black beans (rinsed and drained) and mash them up. Then I take some cooked brown rice, salsa, corn, minced garlic, salt, pepper, pinch of cayenne pepper, chili powder and cumin and mix until incorporated. Then I spray the pan LIGHTLY with Pam and turn the heat on medium high. Place corn tortilla(s) in the pan and spread a not too thick, not too thin layer of filling (maybe a 1/4") and top with another tortilla. Spray the top tortilla LIGHTLY with cooking spray. Let the quesadilla cook on both sides for about 5 min. or until it is nice and crispy (yum). That's it! SO GOOD! I like to eat mine with a little homemade guacamole, but you could also dip it in some light sour cream too ~ Enjoy!

Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred

I have had this DVD for several months and haven't been able to get into a routine with it. It is a very intense workout and worth every minute, but when I know what kind of pain is coming my way I tend to find some pretty convincing excuses. I have never made it past the first level workout so this morning I gave level 2 a shot. OH MY GOODNESS! It was super intense and I was SO exhausted afterwards. I am glad I did it though. I am sure that if I stuck to it for 30 days I would probably see some serious results, but for some reason, I just can't bring myself to do it. It is like a great 40 min. workout crammed into 20, and boy did I feel the burn. (So much so that by the end I couldn't feel much of anything!) But hey, I am proud of myself for sticking it out and I will reward myself with something a little more fun tomorrow (like kickboxing :D). Hopefully I will start seeing some results here in the next week or so. I have been working out religiously for 8 of the last 9 days so its gotta start paying off sometime right?

Week 1

I have now been working out faithfully for one week and so I thought I would update my stats. I am now 119.4 lbs and my measurements haven't changed at all. I need to keep focused b/c I am an instant gratification type person and not seeing any loss in measurements is a little discouraging. (Especially b/c that is where I want to see results.) I realize that it has only been one week, but I can't help it. So, I was chatting with my mother-in-law this morning and she was telling be about a diet called The Belly Fat Diet. Essentially, when you eat sugar, your insulin level spikes and takes away from your bodies ability to burn fat stores. That being said, I am going to try to incorporate that philosophy into my whole foods diet to see if consuming less sugar helps melt the fat away... Wish me luck!

Pick Your Level: Fat to Firm Fast

Well, I'm not sure that I liked this particular workout. The way it works is there are 4 circuits all containing a cardio, legs & butt, shoulders & arms, and an ab workout. There are also 3 different levels for each exercise so that you can pick what level of intesity you would like to do. I did mostly level 2 and some level 3 and I still didn't REALLY feel the burn. I thought some of the moves were good, but she didn't do enough reps to really make you feel it. The cardio wasn't very good at all... the segments were super short and I don't think they accomplished the goal of a cardiovascular workout. Also, I thought it was just plain boring. I am much more interested in the kickbox/dance/cardio type and this didn't do it for me.

A little bit more background

I thought it would be beneficial to share a little bit more about my philosophy on diet and also some background on my current physical condition. As far as what I put into my body, I try to keep animal byproducts to an absolute minimum. I will eat chicken or seafood if there is no vegetable options at say a restaurant, but if I have a choice it is whole grains (brown rice, whole wheat pasta, whole wheat flour, etc.)and no dairy, eggs or meat. I use honey instead of sugar (vegans prefer agave nectar or maple syrup) and I make my own rice milk to go along with my Kashi (or other all natural cereal). I haven't been keeping track of my caloric intake since I started eating this way b/c I started losing the last few pounds of baby weight on it and so I thought why bother :) I am also a little paranoid about all of the preservatives and chemicals that are in processed foods.
So, how did I get to where I am? Well, before I had my daughter I was working at 24 hour fitness at the front desk and that gave me a free membership. I lost 15 lbs and was in great shape. I then got pregnant and quit working out cold turkey :/ Not recommended. However, I was fortunate that I had been in great shape before I got pregnant and the 36 lbs I gained seamed to fall off overnight. I slowly started working out again and was able to get some muscle tone back. Almost exactly 3 months before I got pregnant with my son, me and a girlfriend started a fitness program called P90X and it was very intense. I got into great shape just in time to go to Hawaii and get pregnant again ;) And yes, that means I quit working out cold turkey AGAIN! It was much more difficult for me to get the 36lbs off the second time around, but I was fortunate that by the time 7 months rolled around it was pretty much off. (I credit much of it to the fact that I was able to breastfeed both of my kids.) So, what I am left with is the realization that finding time to workout with two small children is MUCH more difficult than with just 1. However, it can be done if you want it bad enough. I REALLY want it.

10 Minute Solution: Kickbox Bootcamp

Ok, so this morning I tried out the 10 Minute Solution: Kickbox Bootcamp and it kicked my butt! The instructor was great and you could tell she really had a clue about what she was doing. There are five different 10 minute workouts that work EVERYTHING :) It starts out with a basic workout just to get you used to the kicks and punches then it moves onto butt and thighs, shoulders and arms, fat burning blast and an ab routine. I was definitely sweating by the end so I felt like it was really worth my time. I am just starting to really workout so almost anything will get my heart rate up, but the good thing about cardio kickboxing is that you get out of it what you put into it. I will definitely keep this one on my list!

So Pumped!

I have to blog this b/c I am so motivated right now! I can't wait to workout in the morning! I have to give a shout out to my girl Rachel (Halla!) for pushing me to do this in the first place. Also, I have to say, to anyone who is struggling to find a workout regiment that works for them ~ don't give up! For me, I need something new to look forward to so that I don't get board. The solution: Netflix. Yep, that's right. Netflix. There are so many dvds and view instantly selections. I have 5 or 6 on my queue list and I can't wait until I can do each one! So here is the hot tip for those of you who can't afford, don't have the time or just don't want a gym membership: try netflix out for free for a month and if you like what they have, its only 9 bucks a month to keep it. Who, realistically, can't afford that? I hope this will help someone else too!

10 Minute Solution: Fat Blasting Dance Mix

This morning I got up and tried out a new workout that I found on Netflix (an excellent resource for various dvds and instantly streaming workouts) called 10 Minute Solutions: Fat Blasting Dance Mix. It has 5 different 10 minute workouts that you can do all together, mix and match to fit your workout needs, or just do one or two if you are short on time. If you have any trouble with choreography than you may not want to try this one. The instructor is good, but moves a little bit fast. (Then again, how could you not when you only have 10 minutes?) I think it is one of those workouts that gets better with time. I did the second routine twice and I felt much better about it after that. I didn't hear the alarm clock this morning so my hour workout time got chopped down to 30 minutes. However it was enough time to give me an idea of how the workouts go. I didn't really feel the burn, but I think it was because I was learning the choreography and not pushing myself too hard. I will give it another shot in the future, but I am going look for something else that really pushes me for tomorrow.

Introduction

Well, I have never blogged before so anyone reading this will have to bare with me until I figure out exactly what I am trying to say (smile). I am a 25 year old mom of 2 great kids. My daughter is 3 and my son is 14 months. I am not overweight and the purpose of this blog is not for me to see how much weight I can drop, but to see how many inches I can lose. I started my workout and diet regiment (faithfully) on Tuesday, the 23rd. At that point in time my weight was 120.2 lbs and my measurements were as follows: Thickest park of my tummy - 32 1/2", Left Thigh - 21 3/8", Right Thigh - 21 3/4", Hips - 38". Now, some of you may be thinking to yourselves, "what is she complaining about? She barely weighs anything!" Please don't jump to conclusions and judge me for my opinion of myself. If I was being completely honest, I would tell you that, yes, I can look pretty great if I dress for my body type and don't try to fit into something that is too small. BUT, I have had two kids and anyone out there that has experienced pregnancy knows that your tummy muscles get pretty sloppy after #2. Also, I am only 5'3" and before I had my second baby, my thighs were about two inches smaller and so was my belly. So, as I stated before, this is not a journey for me to lose weight, but to tone up my problem areas (as listed above) so that I can feel great about the way I look. I am currently on a whole foods/mostly vegetarian diet, but I don't really keep track of how much I eat during the day. As long as its whole and not pure fat, its legal :) I also am going to be experimenting with various workouts and blogging how I think they were. I hope you enjoy this experience and comment as you try some things too!