Saturday, March 14, 2009

Broccoli Rapini AND Artic Charr = Wow Meal!

Not weighing today!
Well I am tired of not seeing the scale move so I am not weighing again till Monday.

Yesterday I ate ALLOT of cheese.. no really, ALLLLLOT! (almost 6 ounces) I had gone to WholeFoods for some minerals and herbs I am using and bought three amazing new cheeses.

Yes cheese is allowed but I am sure I went over what would be considered a “sane” amount!

I did just do my calculations in Fitday and cals were 1784 – this does not seem high enough to me, but really with fish and veggies for dinner (even with the Coconut Oil the Broccoli rabi was cooked in) I guess it was not too high. This is on my high side of cals I shoot for but I thought I would be in the 2000 range with all the cheese.. so I am happy!

I had never made Broccoli Raab (also called rapinni)-
I am going to make it again, I really liked it (I didn’t know to blanch it first) but Patrick did not, maybe if I do blanch it next time it will be good enough that Patrick likes it. I really liked it but it’s spicy and bitter like kale.. maybe even more so.. Bet it is GOOD for my liver!


Broccoli Raab / Rabinni

How To Cook - The leaves, stems, and flower heads are cooked (broil, stir-fry, braise, saute, or steam) and eaten just like regular broccoli and have a flavor similar to broccoli but much more pungent. It is quite tasty with a nutty flavor and has a slightly bitter pungent taste. Some say it is aggressively pungent and bitter.

In spite of its uniqueness, broccoli raab is considered an acquired taste - but once acquired, it's addictive! Preparing it is very easy:
Rinse and trim 1/4-inch from bottom of stems.

Cut stalks crosswise into 1-inch pieces (all of it, up to the top of the leaves) and drop them into salted (optional), boiling water.

Cook for 1 to 2 minutes and remove with slotted spoon. Then:

drain as well as you can and the saute the blanched broccoli raab/rapini in a little *olive oil and as much garlic as you like for 3 to 5 minutes until tender. Optional - Add a few dried red pepper flakes.

*Note.. I used coconut oil and LOVED this very spicy veggie… Patrick did NOT.

With the Raab...
We had more of the new fav fish of ours, Arctic char - it’s a fatty cold water fish and AMAZING! Expensive for sure so I have to be careful not to overcook it, both times it has been fantastic.

Last night I ground some grey salt and dried shallots (penzeys.com) together and used some of my Herbes de Provence on it and a little pepper.. 4 min on skin side and 3 min on meat side. It was SO good!!

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Why Did I NOT Measure!

First an interesting note.. had 34.5 carbs yesterday and STILL in ketosis this AM! I know when I lost my weight before on LC I could eat around 55 a day and still lose, although it was only 2-3# a month then.

Well I got up this morning and instantly could tell that my belly is smaller (is getting more wrinkly where the fat is leaving my belly) and was all excited because I knew NOW my weight was going to move down.. well it’s STILL the same!.. but I know in my heart I am losing inches.. need to measure NOW.. Where in the freaking world is my measuring tape?

Made my MexiBreakfast casserole this morning (woke up early and got it in the oven) and it smells so good!

Have weighed the same 229- since the 6th.. that’s 6 days now.. a week almost.. I KNOW I will have that woosh soon! I know my body is just wanting to hold onto water because LC is such a dehydrating way of eating… I have really upped my water and herbal tea and have had NO caffeine or cokes or TEA (caffeinated) in three days.

I am going to allow myself a coke or two (diet of course –have not had a fully leaded coke in like 20 years) tomorrow.. ha, knowing me I will probably have three for breakfast. I LOVE and am totally addicted to Diet Coke.. “Coke” was actually my first word my mother tells me. So there.

My walking (did 1 ¾ mile this morning) was better energy wise but still not there. May have to up my calories.. average around 1700 a day right now so I can’t up them much.. BUT my BMR is supposed to be close to 1700 and I am not going to go below that. I lose slower but I know from experience it’s the best way for me.. this way no hunger and no falling into my old bingeing days.

I ordered a new sports bra yesterday:



I really needed it and I wanted a "front loader" as Patrick calls them *smile*.
I will let everyone know what I think about this one.

It was affordable and looks like a really good one. I have big girls.. (40DD) and think this will help on my morning walks (soon to be jogs!).

I really like the way the back looks and it comes in Black also, but I only got the white to start.

Here is the website:
http://www.jms.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce/ProductDisplay?prrfnbr=1618222417

Well..
Here is to a great day!

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Visualization~

So the board (LowCarbFriends) was talking about what type of motivation you have and people started talking about what they have on their fridge.. allot of people had fat pix of themselves to motivate them. I don’t think that is the way to go.. I think you should put other visual imagery out there in the universe.. good images that have positive affirmation for you.

I thought I should share one of mine.. I took a pix of a Victoria’s Secret model out of a catalog a few years ago and pasted my pix on her head! Sure did!!

Check it out:

Cruising Right Along…

Well the last few days have been pretty uneventful, except a 2.5 pound gain over night a couple of nights ago (it’s off again).. thought it was strange because I never came out of Ketosis.. I think it’s just my body fighting to maintain equilibrium before a woosh I KNOW I am going to have this week!

Made country style pork ribs (in my dutch oven) a couple of nights ago and last night Patrick picked up baconator and side salads on the way home.. I was proud of myself, I decided after 2/3 of the way thru the baconator I thought it might be enough and set it down to wait a few minutes (had eaten my side salad first) – BTW the freaking Ancho Chipotle Ranch (3 c) they have is REALLY good (Wendy’s). Well after a few min. I was indeed full and very proud as I saved about 175 calories!

Started back on my walking this morning.. felt sluggish and low on energy. Posted in the LCF forum about what I might do to help myself and my energy level. Though I was doing pretty good energy wise but I guess sitting on my ass around the house does not take much energy!

Making Key Lime Chicken breast and spinach with pepper vinegar and ham for dinner tonight.. YUM

Saturday, March 07, 2009

Doing good!

Well it’s been a few days but I am still going strong. Feeling pretty good.. had some Gall Bladder issues (have had them in the past).. pain and nausea in the AM. Also been running to the bathroom allot. BUT I have it under better control as I have started to watch my fat intake as well.

Going to get some herbs and do a few days of a juice fast as well, sometime soon.. and maybe another Gall Bladder flush.

Let’s see..
Right now I am doggy sitting for my parents. I have their two min-pins. Hammer and Pepper.



So a total of three pups in the house right now!

They are FUN. Poor Pepper is feeling her age though. (I think she’s like 14 or so) and walks gingerly and needs help up and down from the couch.. she is still eating well (would eat all day if I let her)..

Hammer is a drama queen. He is a beautiful red min-pin. He has the longest legs I have seen on one. My baby Pug – Sukiyaki



(careful, he will try to hypnotize ya!):



is CRAZY about Hammer. He just won’t leave him alone. He has started mimicking Hammer. It’s so cute. For example last night I let all three out in the back yard for a romp. I came back in to start dinner and left them out for a few minutes. When I was in the kitchen I saw them all three come back up to the sliding glass door.. they were so cute.. they all set down in a row and waited for me to come back. When they saw me watching them, hammer lifted up his front let and scratched the door three times. Suki, watching Hammer intently, instantly did the same thing.. three times.. It’s the little things!

Just a note re: my workout clothes I ordered! Everything fit! (well the black yoga pants are snug, but that’s ok for now).

I have been doing good on my eating. Actually eating quite well.. cals / carbs have been:

Feb 27th 1568/16
March 2nd 2450/<20 (considered this a maintain day- lots of nuts and made Pumpkin Breakfast Bake… TOO good, ate too much of it)
March 3rd.. down a pound to 230! 1192/38
March 5th 1545/34
March 6th - 1629/36 – still weigh 230

Some of the food I have been making:

I tried these “Scorpion Fries” I read about on a thread on LCF.. you take half a large bag of frozen whole green beans, throw them in a bowl, add a T of olive oil (use your hands and toss forever and it will coat them.. ) and then add any spice you like (I LOVE Penzey’s “Sunny Paris” on mine. – (shallots, chives, green peppercorns, dill weed, basil, tarragon, chervil and bay leaf) and I added sea salt.

Put them in the oven (325) and cook for about an hour and 10 min (for me).. they get all dark brown and shrivvled.. Ugly as sin.. but they taste so good! I could not believe it. Strange but true.


Last weekend Patrick and I took the bike out:




and rode around to a few parks in Orlando/Clermont, just to get out of the house at first, BUT actually ended up spending the entire day out. It was great.. and we had a successful LC late lunch at Red Lobster (shrimp scampi and crab and baby lobster).. with LOTS of butter.. it was fantastic.

The shrimp scampi was so good I decided to duplicate it at home a couple of nights later. It was SO good!

One night I made a HUGE salad my 7 carb balsamic as the dressing AND sweet red bell pepper.. cucumbers, radish, tomatoes, green onions, blue cheese, a boiled egg and 1 sliced turkey bacon chopped up in it. The salad was GOOD!!! I mean really GOOD.. it’s interesting the red bell tasted SO sweet to me and the cucumber almost tasted like watermelon..

Made low carb andd LF (gall bladder still hurting) fajhitas sans tortillas.. with red bell, onion, some of the dried smoked ancho in my freezer, a jalapeno, some garlic, chicken broth, chili con carne spice (penzeys) chicken, garlic and cilantro.. lime garnish.. it was WOW!

I have stayed in Ketosis all week (even after all the green beans and the huge salad one night with balsamic vinegar for my dressing AND all the red bell peppers and onions in our Chicken Fajhitas last night.


Today Patrick and I are going to be doing allot of running around… Errands, grocery shopping.. etc.