This first blog is going to be a little longer than most but I have a lot to tell you all about! :) And for those of you who know me well I know you are saying "what's new?" I love you guys!
For those who know me food is a huge passion of mine. Whether I am eating or cooking I love the experience of food and how it enriches our lives. Last night a friend suggested I start a blog to share my experience and my recipes and so here it is. I have amazing friends and family and having the opportunity to feed them is something that makes me truly happy. Cooking allows me to tap into a level or artistry I have never experienced and I hope that I will get a chance to feed all of you some day! My family is filled with amazing cooks and chefs and my mom and family have been incredibly supportive of this passion of mine.
Over the last four plus months I have had some huge changes in my life. One of those has been losing about 20lbs! The amazing thing is that I lost this weight and still ate great food and enjoyed frosty beverages or a good glass of vino! How did I do this you might ask? Well it all came down to organization honestly. I think a lot of the time we compromise and eat what is convenient over what is healthy, thus all of the fast food chains that are killing us slowly. So the question I had to ask myself was: I how am I going to change my life so that I have a sustainable plan that I can enjoy, not divert from and is fairly easy?
- First the came the menu. I really started researching foods that are good for you and still have flavor! Let me tell you citrus and fresh herbs are your best friends in the kitchen sometimes. So a normal weekday may consist of something like this:
Oh I have to say, if you are trying to lose weight YOU HAVE TO EAT!!! And that saying "breakfast is the most important meal of the day" well it's true. I live with a very intelligent and well educated personal trainer who knows this stuff and if he says it then it's the facts people. Eat breakfast dammit!
Breakfast: Cup of Vanilla Greek Yogurt (currently I am enjoying Fred Myer brand Greek yogurt because honestly the nutrition of it is better than Yoplait or Chobani) the trick here is to look for how much protein and how much sugar are in your yogurt. The higher the protein and the lower the sugar the better. I might also add half of a peanut butter sandwich using whole wheat bread and Adam's brand crunchy (personal preference) peanut butter. This gives me long lasting energy and goes great with my morning coffee.
Mid-Morning Snack: (if needed) a 1/4 cup of almonds or more Greek Yogurt
Lunch: Pan seared or grilled chicken breast liberally seasoned with black cracked pepper, cumin, paprika, red pepper, fresh herbs like cilantro or lots of basil and sauteed garlic. The seasonings I change up regularly so that I don't get bored with my food. I realized early on that to make my new way of life sustainable I had to keep it interesting so it wouldn't become mundane and boring. I then will remove the chicken from the pan and deglaze the pan with a little chicken stock to get all of the goodies off of the bottom of the pan and add some fresh veggies (what ever is in season, but squash, zucchini, red/orange/yellow peppers are all great and usually what I go with). I'll chopped up the chicken add it back to the pan after sauteing the veggies for a bit and toss it all together. Then I will usually put that over a bed or brown rice or Quinoa. Quinoa is a super food and is great for you and I have to thank a special friend for turning me on to it a few years ago! Usually they sell it in the bulk section of most grocery stores depending on the area you live in. Otherwise brown rice is a great way to go.
This is my lunch 4-5 days a week. I usually make 2-3 servings and keep it in the fridge so I can just grab it and go. The big trick here is to use a variety of seasonings and have an Italian, Latin or Asian influenced version of a chicken, rice and veggie dish.
Mid-Day Snack: (if needed) a 1/4 cup of almonds or more Greek Yogurt
Dinner: Dinner for me during the week is usually similar to my lunch but with more of a focus on protein and less starches or carbohydrates. Instead of chicken sometimes I'll cook tilapia or another white fist like cod. These both are great with lots of lime juice, cilantro and salsa. Put that over a bed of Quinoa or brown rice and I am a happy camper.
Side note: When ever you cook ANYTHING make sure your pan has a chance to heat up to the correct temp. This will take 5 to 10 minutes depending on your stove and pan so set a timer and walk away. If you want a good sear on your steak, chicken or fish you pan HAS to be hot! Trust me you'll enjoy your food more if you do this.
So this is a typical weekday for me and my ingested calorie count is usually between 1300-1600 a day. Some of you might say "holy shit 1600 that's a ton of calories!" Well most of the calories I ingest are from protein which the body loves and uses efficiently. Remember you have to eat to lose weight and you can eat in a fun and exciting way if you make a plan.
- Second, I had to plan out my exercise.
I started with low intensity cardio work on an elliptical 3-5 days a week exercising for 20 minutes the first week every day I was there, then for 25 the next week, 30 the week after and so on until I hit 50 minutes. I also do an array of lifting exercises that help me build muscle strength. Now I am doing high intensity cardio exercises because I gotten into better shape and those only last 20-30 minutes tops!
I know a lot of people hate doing cardio and I found a good trick to getting it in is to go to a gym that has TVs and watch the news, a sport your like or just a TV show you like. I do that and I make a game out of it, kind of like golf I am always in competition with myself to improve.
- Third, have reasonable expectations and be your own cheerleader!
Since I love food and a good beer I knew getting into this that I won't be one of those insanely ripped guys and I am okay with that. My goal was to be healthy and stay healthy. To do this I have to organize my life to make this new life style work and you know what? It's easy! Once you start making a plan for yourself and executing it everything starts falling into place and the pounds melt off! In 15 weeks I lost 20lbs and now I am getting stronger and loving life more and more. During this time though I have had to make sure to tell myself I can accomplish this. Whether is was 5 more minutes of cardio or making my lunches for the next day I have been my own cheerleader. It might sound silly to tell yourself you can do something but self empowerment is an incredibly strong tool. You will only appreciate yourself more and more if you rely on your own ability and quit waiting for someone to walk through the door and help you.
We only get one body people and we should treat it with some respect! I say some because I still like to go out and enjoy some insanely rich foods or a delicious beer. The trick is to limit yourself to when you ingest these foods and drinks. Personally Saturday is my free day, I eat and drink what I want and it's working great!
I bring this up because we all have the power to be who we want to be and we should enjoy the food we are eating while we ride this crazy of life.
For those who know me food is a huge passion of mine. Whether I am eating or cooking I love the experience of food and how it enriches our lives. Last night a friend suggested I start a blog to share my experience and my recipes and so here it is. I have amazing friends and family and having the opportunity to feed them is something that makes me truly happy. Cooking allows me to tap into a level or artistry I have never experienced and I hope that I will get a chance to feed all of you some day! My family is filled with amazing cooks and chefs and my mom and family have been incredibly supportive of this passion of mine.
Over the last four plus months I have had some huge changes in my life. One of those has been losing about 20lbs! The amazing thing is that I lost this weight and still ate great food and enjoyed frosty beverages or a good glass of vino! How did I do this you might ask? Well it all came down to organization honestly. I think a lot of the time we compromise and eat what is convenient over what is healthy, thus all of the fast food chains that are killing us slowly. So the question I had to ask myself was: I how am I going to change my life so that I have a sustainable plan that I can enjoy, not divert from and is fairly easy?
- First the came the menu. I really started researching foods that are good for you and still have flavor! Let me tell you citrus and fresh herbs are your best friends in the kitchen sometimes. So a normal weekday may consist of something like this:
Oh I have to say, if you are trying to lose weight YOU HAVE TO EAT!!! And that saying "breakfast is the most important meal of the day" well it's true. I live with a very intelligent and well educated personal trainer who knows this stuff and if he says it then it's the facts people. Eat breakfast dammit!
Breakfast: Cup of Vanilla Greek Yogurt (currently I am enjoying Fred Myer brand Greek yogurt because honestly the nutrition of it is better than Yoplait or Chobani) the trick here is to look for how much protein and how much sugar are in your yogurt. The higher the protein and the lower the sugar the better. I might also add half of a peanut butter sandwich using whole wheat bread and Adam's brand crunchy (personal preference) peanut butter. This gives me long lasting energy and goes great with my morning coffee.
Mid-Morning Snack: (if needed) a 1/4 cup of almonds or more Greek Yogurt
Lunch: Pan seared or grilled chicken breast liberally seasoned with black cracked pepper, cumin, paprika, red pepper, fresh herbs like cilantro or lots of basil and sauteed garlic. The seasonings I change up regularly so that I don't get bored with my food. I realized early on that to make my new way of life sustainable I had to keep it interesting so it wouldn't become mundane and boring. I then will remove the chicken from the pan and deglaze the pan with a little chicken stock to get all of the goodies off of the bottom of the pan and add some fresh veggies (what ever is in season, but squash, zucchini, red/orange/yellow peppers are all great and usually what I go with). I'll chopped up the chicken add it back to the pan after sauteing the veggies for a bit and toss it all together. Then I will usually put that over a bed or brown rice or Quinoa. Quinoa is a super food and is great for you and I have to thank a special friend for turning me on to it a few years ago! Usually they sell it in the bulk section of most grocery stores depending on the area you live in. Otherwise brown rice is a great way to go.
This is my lunch 4-5 days a week. I usually make 2-3 servings and keep it in the fridge so I can just grab it and go. The big trick here is to use a variety of seasonings and have an Italian, Latin or Asian influenced version of a chicken, rice and veggie dish.
Mid-Day Snack: (if needed) a 1/4 cup of almonds or more Greek Yogurt
Dinner: Dinner for me during the week is usually similar to my lunch but with more of a focus on protein and less starches or carbohydrates. Instead of chicken sometimes I'll cook tilapia or another white fist like cod. These both are great with lots of lime juice, cilantro and salsa. Put that over a bed of Quinoa or brown rice and I am a happy camper.
Side note: When ever you cook ANYTHING make sure your pan has a chance to heat up to the correct temp. This will take 5 to 10 minutes depending on your stove and pan so set a timer and walk away. If you want a good sear on your steak, chicken or fish you pan HAS to be hot! Trust me you'll enjoy your food more if you do this.
So this is a typical weekday for me and my ingested calorie count is usually between 1300-1600 a day. Some of you might say "holy shit 1600 that's a ton of calories!" Well most of the calories I ingest are from protein which the body loves and uses efficiently. Remember you have to eat to lose weight and you can eat in a fun and exciting way if you make a plan.
- Second, I had to plan out my exercise.
I started with low intensity cardio work on an elliptical 3-5 days a week exercising for 20 minutes the first week every day I was there, then for 25 the next week, 30 the week after and so on until I hit 50 minutes. I also do an array of lifting exercises that help me build muscle strength. Now I am doing high intensity cardio exercises because I gotten into better shape and those only last 20-30 minutes tops!
I know a lot of people hate doing cardio and I found a good trick to getting it in is to go to a gym that has TVs and watch the news, a sport your like or just a TV show you like. I do that and I make a game out of it, kind of like golf I am always in competition with myself to improve.
- Third, have reasonable expectations and be your own cheerleader!
Since I love food and a good beer I knew getting into this that I won't be one of those insanely ripped guys and I am okay with that. My goal was to be healthy and stay healthy. To do this I have to organize my life to make this new life style work and you know what? It's easy! Once you start making a plan for yourself and executing it everything starts falling into place and the pounds melt off! In 15 weeks I lost 20lbs and now I am getting stronger and loving life more and more. During this time though I have had to make sure to tell myself I can accomplish this. Whether is was 5 more minutes of cardio or making my lunches for the next day I have been my own cheerleader. It might sound silly to tell yourself you can do something but self empowerment is an incredibly strong tool. You will only appreciate yourself more and more if you rely on your own ability and quit waiting for someone to walk through the door and help you.
We only get one body people and we should treat it with some respect! I say some because I still like to go out and enjoy some insanely rich foods or a delicious beer. The trick is to limit yourself to when you ingest these foods and drinks. Personally Saturday is my free day, I eat and drink what I want and it's working great!
I bring this up because we all have the power to be who we want to be and we should enjoy the food we are eating while we ride this crazy of life.
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