Spaghetti Squash!

Spaghetti Squash!

Spaghetti squash is a good alternative to pasta, potatoes, or rice. The cooked squash flesh shreds into threads like thin spaghetti or vermicelli, hence its name. 1 cup of Spaghetti Squash is about 45 Calories and about 8g Net Carbs. 1 cup of angel hair pasta is about 180 Calories and about 33g Net Carbs.

The squash should be an even light yellow color and firm with no bruises. Store whole at room temperature up to 3 weeks. Spaghetti squash is available year-round with peak season in fall.

You will need:
• 1 spaghetti squash.
• Large sharp knife.
• Baking pan.
• Oven.
• Kitchen fork.

• Prick the spaghetti squash all over with a knife or skewer so it will not burst while baking.
• Place whole squash in a shallow baking pan.
• Bake in preheated 375 F oven for 1 hour.
Let cool for a half hour

• When cool enough to handle, cut spaghetti squash in half lengthwise with a serrated knife.

• Scoop the seeds and fibrous strings from the center of the cooked spaghetti squash.

• Gently scrape the tines of a kitchen fork around the edge of the spaghetti squash to shred the pulp into strands.

• Cooked spaghetti squash is usually served with a sauce or gravy because the flesh is very bland in flavor.
• It may be served alone as a side dish with the addition of salt, pepper, and butter.

Here is a recipe of mine that I love!

Spaghetti Squash and Turkey Meatballs with Marinara Sauce

Ingredients:

1 lb. Lean Ground Turkey Meat

2 Eggs

1c. Bread Crumbs (doesn’t really matter what kind)

Spaghetti Squash

1c. Marinara Sauce of your choice (I used Barilla Basil and Garlic)

Directions:

Cook Spaghetti Squash using directions above. Remember that it takes about an hour to cook so you may want to cook the squash first. Once you have prepped the spaghetti squash, place in a bowl and set aside.

Pre-heat oven to 375. In a mixing bowl, mix together ground meat, eggs and bread crumbs with your hands. Then, form into small meatballs and place baking sheet. Cook in oven for 15-20 minutes or until meatballs are done.

Take 1c. of Spaghetti Squash and top it with 4-6 meatballs and 1c. Marinara. Voila and Bon Apetite! I think you will enjoy J

Top 10 things that I’ve learned on my Commit to be Fit Journey

Top 10 things that I’ve learned on my Commit to be Fit Journey

These past 10 weeks have been hard, rewarding, challenging, educational, and totally worth it. I am really glad that I pushed myself to get more intense workouts in while documenting my nutrition. I have learned so much and above all, I have created healthy habits for myself. I started at about 132 pounds and I am now down to about 125 pounds. I started with 17% body fat and I am now down to 15% body fat. I feel stronger and faster in my workouts and like I am really pushing myself to the limit. I can see small results in my body too which is great. I can honestly say that I have worked extremely hard and I am proud of myself.

I know that there is no stopping now though. I am going to continue to eat the way I have been while getting in great workouts. I am going to keep my good habits going and try hard to stay with my healthy nutrition. I know there will be slip ups from time to time but the goal is to keep working hard and push through it. Get back up again and keep moving forward and to not let mistakes build on top of each other.

I feel in a really good mental state right now. I feel well educated on my food options and I know how to make the right choices. I have learned new workouts that I can use to challenge myself and I know how to push myself to the limit. I also know that I need to keep exercising almost every day and incorporating strength exercises. Overall, I feel well prepared to continue my commitment to be fit without documenting everything thing I eat along with my workouts.

It’s time for me to lose the diary for a while and see if I can do without it. I am going to keep this blog to post interesting articles, workout ideas, recipes, and other things relating to fitness and nutrition.  

Here are the top things that I have learned so far:

1.       Drink lots of water. All the time. This makes me feel good, gives me energy, and there are so many more benefits to being hydrated.

2.       It’s about MUSCLE. Do Strength Workouts and Incorporate Weights. Muscle burns fat and helps you lean out not bulk up. You need cardio too but muscle is very important and it's crucial to get strength workouts in.

3.       Know what Nutrition Labels mean. It was amazing to me how unhealthy certain foods were that I previously didn’t know about. I have been much better at especially looking at carbs, sodium, and sugar and not just calories. Now that I know how much of each category I should have per day, it helps put things in perspective.

4.       Be INTENSE. I found that if I reminded myself to push as hard as I could, my workouts were so much more beneficial. I think you will see results when you push yourself out of your comfort zone and your gasping for breath or sweating like a maniac.

5.       Change it up! When I would get into a boring slump, I would take a different kind of exercise class or make up a new and different workout for myself. When I was bored with my food, I tried out different healthy recipes.

6.       Use Common Sense. We know what are healthy choices and what are not most of the time. If you don’t think something is good for you, it’s probably not. Stick to fresh produce, lean meats, and whole grains.

7.       Find Inspiration. For me, my inspiration was in quotes, reading or watching people who overcame obstacles, listening to certain music, or looking ahead to my goals and what I wanted to achieve. You have to find whatever will keep you motivated to stay focused and keep working hard.

8.       Indulge wisely. When you have that craving you just can’t shake, give in a little but be careful. Don’t overdo it and see if there is a way you can make it healthier. For example, I found a way to cure my sweet tooth by using light cool whip, low fat vanilla wafers, and fruit.  If you do a little creative thinking and research, I’m sure you can find a way to make an unhealthy option just a little bit better.

9.       Have a Support System. I found that it was helpful and comforting to talk to my friends who were also trying to slim down. We were able to share ideas and keep each other motivated. Also, by using facebook and this blog, it helped keep me in check because a lot of people would ask me about it.

10.   Reward Yourself. Not with food but with other incentives. In one of my blogs, I outlined how I was going to reward myself in 3 week intervals with manicures, massages, shopping, etc. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication to get yourself up every day, get workouts, eat right, make good choices, and stick with it. So you deserve to reward yourself plus hopefully it will give you incentives to keep doing what you’re doing.

Using Common Sense

My past couple of days have been pretty busy while I have been out on the road travelling for work so I apologize for not posting how I usually do.

Workouts: Yesterday, I did a bike ride around the neighborhood and I really enjoyed that for my exercise. I would definitley say it was a light form of exercise but at least something :) Today, I had a really good workout. Check it out:

1 lap around neighborhood (about 1.5 miles)

-          50 Jumping Jacks

-          100 High Knees

-          50 Skater Slides

-          1 min of freestyle cardio boxing

-          Plank held for 1 min.

-          Squat to overhead push with weights for 1 min.

-          Mountain Climbers for 1 min.

-          V-up for 1 min.

-          Lung Jumps for 1 min.

-          Pushups for 1 min.

-          Kettlebell exercises for legs and arms (pick 3-4 Kettlebell exercises)

-          50 pushups

-          50 bicep curls

-          50 tricep kickbacks

-          50 chest flys

-          50 superman back flys

Food: Since I have been pretty busy, I have been keeping track of my calories count instead of all the other little details. I would have loved to keep track of those details but I just haven't been able to. Yesterday, I ate around 1300 Calories. Here is what I ate today:
Breakfast: 1c. Multigrain Cherrios with 3/4c. Silk Soy Milk and blueberries: 275 Calories
Morning Snack: 1/2 a Banana and 3 Tbsp. Trail Mix: 210 Calories
Lunch: 2 Slices BBQ Chicken Pizza (leftover from dinner last night) and 3 Tbsp. Trail Mix: 460 Calories
Afternoon Snack: Frozen Yogurt at the Beach (I couldn't help it plus it's really not bad for you and worked as a good snack): 200 Calories
Dinner: Asian Sesame Chicken Salad at Panera (no wonton strips): 310 Calories
Total Calories: 1455

Using Common Sense
This week has definitely been pretty hard for me because I have been out of my structured environment. I started to think about it more and more and I came to a conclusion. USE COMMON SENSE. Obviously, this sounds so easy and I do understand that it's not always that easy but I think the concept is still good. When you are out eating or you are deciding what to eat (wherever you are), choose what makes sense. Does it make sense to choice fried or greasy options when you're trying to lose weight or eat healthy? No. Does it make sense to try and get some kind of exercise in almost every day? Yes. Does it make sense to try and drink as much water as you can, fill your meals with fresh fruit and vegetables, and incorporate protein? Yes. These are all simple questions and answers to things you are faced with every day. I think when it really comes down to things, choose healthy options, exercise, drink water, listen to yourself, and splurge occasionaly. Oh, and don't be an idiot or try and convince yourself that unhealthy options are actually healthy. Be honest with yourself and pay attention to what you're doing. Don't overinduldge and go over board.
I think this was good for me to write about because I will be ending my food journal next week. This means that I won't be keeping track of everything on paper and seeing it every day. I will still be eating the same and getting in intense workouts but I won't be documenting and this is signicant. Writing down every little thing that I have been eating has really helped me. But I can't do it forever. I need to do this "on my own" per se. So when I am faced with every day decisions on what to eat or when to exercise, I will think of this and use my common sense if I want to continue a healthy lifestyle.

The Naughty Nutrition Devil

Date: 3/5/2012
Workout: Ran around the neighborhood (approximately 4-5miles)
Food:
Breakfast: 1c. Multigrain Cherios, 3/4c. Silk Milk, and ½ Banana: 240 Calories, 47g Carbs (41 net), 8g Protein, 6g Fiber, 4g Fat, 191mg Sodium, 22g Sugar
Morning Snack: Apple and 1 Tbsp. Peanut Butter: 165 Calories, 21g Carbs (17 net), 4g Protein, 4g Fiber, 8g fat, 76m Sodium, 14g Sugar
Lunch: Panera-Cup of Sonoma Chicken Stew and ½ Thai Chop Chicken Salad (no wonton strips): 530 Calories, 45 Carbs (40 net), 31g Protein, 5g Fiber, 26g Fat, 1820mg Sodium (woops!), 14g Sugar
Afternoon Snack: Nutrigrain Bar and 8 strawberries: 152 Calories, 32g Carbs (29 net), 2g Protein, 3g Fiber, 3g Fat, 110mg Sodium, 30g Sugar

Dinner: Chicken and Broccoli: 180 Calories, 4g Carbs (2 net), 31g Protein, 2g Fiber, 5g Fat, 80mg Sodium, 2g Sugar

Total Nutrition Intake:
1,267 Calories
149g Carbs (129g Net Carbs)
76g Protein
20g Fiber
46g Fat

2,277mg Sodium

82g Sugar

I’m tired right now and about to go to bed. It’s hard travelling and trying to keep track of all this plus get my workouts in. I’m kind of in a sore mood about my health and fitness right now :/ I think because I know I’m not going to be able to lose any weight or get stronger or basically achieve my fitness goals when I am away from my structured environment. I guess that is the challenge though.

Tomorrow is a new day and I hope I wake up pissing sunshine and feeling motivated. I promise, better blogs to come. This one just shows a bad day and the downs that can come with trying to slim down. I think sometimes, these days just happen and you need to get over them and move on better to the next day. You learn from your mistakes and keep getting better because of them.

I keep having these fantasies of sitting on my couch for a whole day and eating ice cream, chocolate, pizza, cookie dough, etc… Do I have issues? Probably. I keep trying to remind myself of the way I feel inside after completing a good workout or after a long period of eating right and exercising. I know that feeling is good and I am the happiest when I am doing those things. Not the opposite. I think the naughty nutrition devil is trying to tempt and challenge me and get in my head. I’m going to go to bed now because I am rambling and also because the best thing for me to do right now is get some sleep and start better and fresher tomorrow.

Good night!

Keep On Moving

Date: 3/3/2012

Workout: 2 Laps around the neighborhood (3.5 miles) and a circuit exercise (below)

-          Plank held for 1 min.

-          Squat to overhead push with weights for 1 min.

-          Mountain Climbers for 1 min.

-          V-up for 1 min.

-          Lung Jumps for 1 min.

-          Pushups for 1 min.

Did each exercise for a minute and repeated circuit 3 times

Food:

Breakfast: Life Cereal with Milk and Strawberries: 215 Calories

Morning Snack: Yoplait Yogurt: 100 Calories

Lunch: Toast with Peanut Butter and a Salad: 400 Calories

Afternoon Snack: Cheese and Nuts: 150 Calories

Dinner: Meatloaf, veggies, and potatoe (and some icecream and a emanada for desert L ): 500 Calories

Total: 1365 Calories

I only did a Calorie count today because it’s the weekend and I usually don’t count specifics on the weekend and my dinner I had to estimate a lot. My dinner was my one down fall meal of the day. Everything else was perfect. We went to the neighbors for dinner and they were serving meatloaf, veggies, and baked potatoes. I had a little of each and tried to eat a lot of veggies. I had some desert and well but not a lot. Minor slips which do add up and I’m not thrilled with myself but I still feel like I was on a good track today.

Highs and Lows

Date: 3/2/2012
Workout: Took the day off

Food:

Breakfast: Oatmeal made with milk and a few strawberries: 229 Calories, 40g Carbs (37 net), 8g Protein, 3g Fiber, 3g Fat, 316mg Sodium, 22g Sugar
Morning Snack: Pita Chips and an Apple: 22 Calories, 39g Carbs (35 net), 3g Protein, 4g Fiber, 6g Fat, 251mg Sodium, 14g Sugar
Lunch: Greek Salad from Meditarean Restaurant(lettuce, tomatoe, cucumber, feta, peppers, greek dressing): 300 Calories, 11g Carbs (9 net), 10g Protein, 4g Fiber, 6g Fat, 251mg Sodium, 14g Sugar
Afternoon Snack: Nutrigrain Bar and a Clementine: 170 Calories, 30g Carbs (26 net), 2g Protein, 4g Fiber, 2g Fat, 121mg Sodium, 17g Sugar
Dinner: Sushi (I got something called the Hawaiin Roll—it had tuna on top and crab, avocado, and cucmber on the inside, I used the rainbow roll nutrition to calculate it): 490 Calories, 55g Carbs (49 net), 35g Protein, 6g Fiber, 16g Fat, 700mg Sodium, 2g Sugar

Total Nutrition Intake:

1,411 Calories
175g Carbs (156 Net Carbs)
52g Protein
19g Fiber
42g Fat
1,738mg Sodium
57g Sugar

When I look at what I ate today, I’m like wow this sucks. Everything that I want low is high and everything I want higher is low. Just not good overall. BUT I need to look at this and learn. The good thing is that I didn’t do horrible and I ate good things but I just need to make some changes and improve. I am glad that I made good choices while eating out today (twice!). You have no idea how bad I wanted to get a Gyro instead of a salad during lunch. I have planned out my workouts for the rest of the week and I think if I can pre-plan what I will be eating the day before as much as possible, that will help. I need to think high protein, low calories, low carb with my food choices.

Updates

Date: 3/1/2012

Workout: 5:30am Class at Fitness One

Food:

Breakfast: Protein Shake (1/2c. Frozen Blueberries, 1/2c. Low Fat Organic Milk, 1 scoop protein), plain oatmeal and 12 crushed almonds and 1/4c. Blueberries: 453 Calories, 45g Carbs (37 net), 45g Protein, 8g Fiber, 14g Fat, 194mg Sodium, 19g Sugar
Morning Snack: Apple and a Light Frigo Cheese stick: 135 Calories, 21g Carbs (17 net), 8g Protein, 4g Fiber, 2g Fat, 232mg Sodium, 16g Sugar
Lunch: Shrimp and Moo Shu Vegetable Stir-fry with 1c. Brown Rice: 485 Calories, 56g Carbs (50 net), 34g Protein, 6g Fiber, 12g Fat, 473mg Sodium, 12g Sugar
Afternoon Snack: Kashi TLC Bar and 1 Kiwi: 166 Calories, 26g Carbs (20 net), 6g Protein, 6g Fiber, 2g Fat, 67mg Sodium, 15g Sugar
Dinner: 6 slices Oscar Mayer Turkey with spinach on a Whole Wheat Bun: 182 Calories, 26g Carbs (21 net), 15g Protein, 5g Fiber, 3g Fat, 674mg Sodium, 3g Sugar

Total Nutrition Intake:

1,421 Calories
174g Carbs (145 Net Carbs)
108g Protein
29g Fiber
33g Fat
1,640mg Sodium
65g Sugar

My nutrition intake is a little high today overall and there is a reason for that. I am going to be flying to California today for work. So here is my thought process: if I fill up with healthy foods and make my nutrition slightly higher today, hopefully I won’t be tempted to get something unhealthy at the airport. My flight leaves at 4:45pm from Greensboro and I will be getting in to San Diego at 9:30pm tonight (12:30pm NC time). I packed a turkey sandwich for dinner and I’m planning on eating my afternoon snack before my first flight. Once again, I’m trying to plan ahead of time to resist the urge to get something unhealthy. I hope it works!

So I will be in California from today through next Friday. Let the games begin. I know I will face some challenges for sure. I will be staying with my family so I don’t know what to expect for meals. I know we will probably be eating most dinners together and then everything else I should be able to plan out on my own. So when dinner time comes, I’m going to try and stick with meat and veggies and nothing more. This way I will be avoiding extras and carbs as much as possible. This weekend we will probably eat out and run some errands together so I will need to make sure to stay focused, pack snacks, and make healthy choices. On my way there, I am going to plan out my workouts for the week too so that should help. I’m excited for my trip and to see my family though! And the dogs!

My goal is to really be strict and focused this week while I’m travelling for work. I know it is going to be really hard but when I look back at this journey so far, I really slacked and didn’t do well when I traveled for work in early February. I can’t be too hard on myself but I am so close to my weight goal and getting my body just where I want it so I need to keep up the intensity!

Updates:

1.       I will be moving to Southern California at the end of March. I will be a Regional Admissions Counselor for High Point University. So basically I will still be working for HPU but living in my territory. A lot of schools have Regional Counselors and there are a lot of benefits of this. For me, I know this will help in many ways for my job but I am also able to help my family out. My sister is currently deployed and her husband will be deployed. I will be able to help look after their house, my niece, and their dogs. I’m really excited about this opportunity! I’m also a little scared and nervous to be making such a big move but I’m just trying to take one thing at a time.

2.       I have decided to keep doing my blog for as long as I can. After Wednesday March 14^th, I’m not going to post every day and write every little detail of what I eat like I have been but I will still post a couple times a week about health and fitness topics. I think this will be great for me to still stay centered on living a healthy lifestyle and it will hopefully give people something helpful to read.