Category Archives: carbs

Friday lifting

Lifting day *and* Friday! Yay! After a short spin on the stationary bike to warm up, I hit the iron.

Exercise Set/rep/weight Muscle worked
Barbell Split Squats 3 sets of 10 at 65# Lower Body
Straight arm lat pulldown 3 sets of 10 at 60# Back
Rope Crunch 3 set of 15 Core
Incline Barbell Bench Press 3 sets of 10 at 50# Chest
Calf Raise 3 sets of 10 at 170# Calves
Lower Back extension 3 sets of 10 at 100# Low Back
1-legged dumbbell deadlifts 3 sets of 10 each leg with 15# DBs (30# total) Hammies and balance
YTWL 3 sets of 4 (each letter) with 8# DBs (16# total) Shoulders

I jetted on home all the while thinking of breakfast. I soaked some steel cut oats overnight and cooked up with egg whites whisked in. Then topped with a banana sauteed in butter and cinnamon with some of the chocolate coconut butter on top.

Indeed.

Glad you appreciated the review of the Taubes book.  Reviewing books is really hard, I have to say, especially nonfiction!  It’s a lot different than reviewing a product.

Today is a carbing up day, which you probably noticed from breakfast.  I pulled out an old favorite for lunch!  Greek yogurt, 1 tbsp flax meal, berries, and granola.

Jody had put up a post today on pretty much this same meal.  Can I just say that I love this shot? I had planned this meal last night without the kiwi, but John must have had some strawberries after I planned my meals out as there were only 3 left.  So, I added the kiwi, too.  It’s all good.

We have had this granola in the house for a couple weeks now and this is the first I have had any of it.  I just haven’t wanted it, so we shall see if this sets off any kind of craving for it.  Eating more fat for me has really meant a lot less desire to be snacky on things like cereal and chocolate chips.   Always helpful when you are losing mode, I have to say.

Speaking of chocolate… I brought out the other slab bar from my Pure Dark samples.

Big honking chunk of chocolate!  I  used a big knife to break off some pieces to have with my latte.

It was very good.  Nice and dark, but I like the bark kind with the crunchlets of the cocoa nibs better.

Today was such a gorgeous day.  Lots of snow melting and the sun was out.  Pixie was enjoying some sun today.

I was able to play a little hooky this afternoon since I ran out of work.  :mrgreen:

Friday night quickie dinner.  I forgot about the buffalo shrimp in the freezer!

This red pear was delicious as well.  3 cheers for fruit!

The weekend coming up!  I have a job interview tomorrow (yes, on a Saturday!), which I hope goes well.  It’s for a seasonal position, but something I would like to do. Wish me luck.

Now John and I are off for a Friday Night Coffee Date.

Have a good one!

Breakfast with mom and my carbs

John and I met my mother for breakfast this morning.  No workout today.  I am taking it easy for my back.  We met at Cafe on The Park:

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Tiny place with a maximum occupancy of 27, but I don’t know where that many people would fit!  The prices are so low here, it’s crazy.  I would have loved french toast or a big omelet, but I saw that oatmeal was on the menu, so I went with that.  I also ordered a side of peanut butter and put a jam packet on it 😀

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It was just missing the banana!  Not sure why toast is served with oatmeal, but I managed just to eat 1 slice (I do love toast).  The 3 of us ate breakfast here for less than $12 – can you believe it?

This shirt was on the wall, and I got the biggest kick out of it.

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Lunchtime included a mango that I got this weekend.  They were on sale, so I had to get one.  Plus some kiwi.  Boca burger with laughing cow.  Num.

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It’s funny when you write a post, you never know what is going to stick out with the readers.  Yesterday I was focused on my strength workout, and it seemed everyone noticed all the carbs I ate!  I normally do not have that many carbs every day, but once in a while is not a problem.  Most regular readers know that I don’t eat a lot of actual bread or pasta (except for my bagels).  My carbs usually come in the form of grains (oats) or wraps.  Because I usually work out in the morning, I do the majority of my daily carbs for breakfast and only have fruit and veggies with my dinner protein.  And yes, I do eat bagels twice a week.  I love them and I don’t find food to be scary any more.  I think a lot of people are scared of breads.  Again, everything in moderation!  (I do have to say that phrase annoys me a little 😉  )

The main reason I don’t eat a lot of bread is because I am a volume eater and 1 slice of good whole grain bread can easily be 140 calories.  Sure, I could get the reduced calorie bread, but it either has splenda in it, or is too soft for me.  I loves me some hearty bread.  That is where the waffles come in.  Nutrigrain waffles are 140 calories for 2, so it makes for a perfect sandwich option!

My new buddy hung out by the window today.  Look how brazen he is!

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He says, “You want a piece of me??”

John made lattes today.  He almost always does them with a little something extra.  This has his homemade dulce de leche drizzled on top:

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I’m spoiled 😳

He also cooked dinner tonight as I made a dessert.  He did a stir fry of chicken and pineapple with teriyaki sauce.  Of course, you know what I had to add to that bowl!

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I really wish I could get John to eat broccoli.  He will sometimes try a piece, but he doesn’t like it that much.  He is eating more veggies in general, though – so that makes me happy.  He is almost at his goal weight, too (stinker….).

I will show a picture of what I made for dessert, but the recipe is being submitted for a contest so I can’t share just yet.  Be known that it is very good and a bit decadent:

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Gonna need to do some running tomorrow LOL!

It’s officially my weekend!  I have decided to goof around tonight and relax.  Watch Project Runway and have some couch time.

Question:  Project Runway viewer?

More on my eating.

I was trying to think of some catchy blog worthy title for this post, but ended up just naming it what it is LOL! Lately I have had a few more emails and a couple comments about exactly how I eat and why I eat the way I do. You might want to get a cup of coffee, because this will probably be somewhat long and rambling.

I basically count calories, but I am more concerned with getting proper nutrient macros. I’m not a low carb follower per se, but I do watch my carbs. I eat 5 times a day. 3 meals and 2 snacks. I strive to have protein/carbs and fat every time I eat. I don’t really eat a lot of sweet stuff anymore. I don’t use artificial sweeteners, if I want something sweet – I have the real thing. That way I have learned that I don’t need that stuff on a daily basis, but it really is a treat. So I am not wasting my calories on 100 calorie packs, or junk like that. A book that had a huge influence on me was The Sugar Addict’s Total Recovery Program, and that was kind of a catalyst for me in changing how I ate.

I wanted a little more accountability, so I joined WW online a few years ago – and while WW is a good program to a degree – I have always gotten stuck at some point, and the last time was no different. I realized that I was just not eating enough, and not eating enough protein and not enough fat. I was afraid of calories and afraid of fat.

In learning more about nutrition and macronutrients, more and more information has been coming out that fat is not the enemy. Just as a point, your body needs 10 grams of fat a day alone just for your gallbladder to function properly.
Now this is not me saying go out and lick a stick of butter, but fat is very important in a diet and really will allow you to eat healthier (in my opinion) and have a lot more options.

For a lot of people, when they are losing weight or watching calories, what ends up in the grocery cart? Lean cuisines, Smart Ones, 100 calorie snack packs, lite this, sucralose there, and fat free that. If you look at this list – all of this stuff is processed foods. Yes, lower in calories, but also not very high in protein or fat. This stuff doesn’t keep you full.

If you look at good whole foods, the fat content is naturally higher. Whole grains are higher in fat than processed grains, so yes – the calorie count is higher, but the nutritional benefits outweigh all that (haha). Plus, it really does help you stay full. Whole grain products also have more protein in them, another plus.

I eat more protein because I strength train pretty hard. I shoot for 100 grams a day or so, and usually don’t have a problem getting that in. To do this, something else has to shift, which is usually a lower portion of carbs in my day. That’s why you see so many adapted low carb recipes on my site – not that I follow low carb, but if I can find ways to get in more protein, I will go for it. That’s also why you see protein powder end up in my baked stuff, or my oatmeal. This keeps me full, and I can enjoy a muffin or cookie and know that I am getting what my body needs, and don’t worry about a sugar crash.

My main focus at any given meal is the protein base, whether that is meat, eggs, vegetarian option, or dairy. Then I add in the carbs, always with fiber – so that means fruits and veggies, or occasionally brown rice or whole grain bread type of thing. Then I think about the fat. I can either cook with it, like coconut oil or sunflower oil, or I can add it on top of something (bleu cheese dressing on a wrap with chicken and hot sauce!!), or sometimes just straight up like nuts or a spoon of peanut butter.

My ideal would be to get my macro ratios at 40% carbs, 30% protein, 30% fat (ala The Zone) and 25 grams of fiber, but as long as I am at least 50/25/25 I am fine, and normally I am somewhere between those ratios. Since I do work out a lot, I have no problems with higher carbs. The brain needs a certain amount of carbs to function, and I am all about using my brain LOL! Plus, I don’t see the point in going into ketosis and have the body burn protein to make the glucose your body would get naturally from carbs. To me, that is not efficient for the body – and I want my body to operate like a well-oiled machine, which means efficiency.

I really enjoy the foods I eat, and I like playing with my foods to make them in new and interesting ways so that I can enjoy them and get the nutritional benefits that I want to see without the frankenchemicals. Seems like a company could be started that caters to people like me 😀