Fresh Dinner Salads

I’m always careful about eating salads out, they seem to be healthy and a lot them end up being high in calories and fat.  So, you have to be careful.  I found these dinner salads from Eating Well Magazine and wanted to share. Enjoy!

via Fresh Dinner Salads.

The 5 Healthiest Cheeses | Yahoo! Health

For those of you who love cheese!  I eat cottage cheese almost everyday, I mix it with all different types of fruit.  My favorite is to mix blueberries in with it!

The 5 Healthiest Cheeses | Yahoo! Health.

2/9/12

It’s been awhile since the last time I posted! My new website will be up and running soon and I am super excited about it!

My Achilles is doing pretty well, I feel it only on occasion now, but now I have another problem! My adductor/hip! My adductor is sore and hurts and the pain runs into my hip, This has been going on now for about a month-I’ve been doing modified workouts along with gentle stretching, rolling on a foam roller, ice and some Tylenol, but it’s still the same. I ended up going to an orthopedic doctor, who took x-rays and examined and manipulated the adductor and hip area, he couldn’t find anything, so I am going to have a MRI on the 16th and hopefully I’ll find out what’s going on. If nothing is found, then it’s physical therapy.

This is very frustrating for me, like it is for everyone who is active and gets injured, but I am so thankful that I can do modified workouts with my trainer, rather than not being able to workout at all! :)

I ran 5 miles last Sunday and I felt great running, but that night I was in such pain it was awful! I’m not sure if the running aggravated it or not! Plus, I have been tired because the pain has been keeping me up at night and I can’t sleep. I really wanted to run in the Gate River Run, but at this point I’m not sure if I should or not. I think I’ll make that call after my MRI results. If I can’t run in it I will for sure be there I love the excitement and energy at this run!! This year the race will be cut off when it hits 20,000 runners!!

I’m staying positive and super happy that I’m still able to workout and I can’t wait till I can get back to my full workouts!!

Healthy Chip & Dip Recipe:Southwestern Layered Bean Dip

12 servings, about 1/2 cup each

Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 16-ounce can nonfat refried beans, preferably “spicy”
  • 1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed
  • 4 scallions, sliced
  • 1/2 cup prepared salsa
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/4 cup pickled jalapeño slices, chopped
  • 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack, or Cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped romaine lettuce
  • 1 medium tomato, chopped
  • 1 medium avocado, chopped
  • 1/4 cup canned sliced black olives, (optional)

Preparation

  1. Combine refried beans, black beans, scallions, salsa, cumin, chili powder and jalapeños in a medium bowl. Transfer to a shallow 2-quart microwave-safe dish; sprinkle with cheese.
  2. Microwave on High until the cheese is melted and the beans are hot, 3 to 5 minutes.
  3. Spread sour cream evenly over the hot bean mixture, then scatter with lettuce, tomato, avocado and olives (if using).

Tips & Notes

  • Make Ahead Tip: Prepare through Step 1, cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day. To serve, continue with Steps 2 & 3.

Nutrition

Per serving: 146 calories; 7 g fat ( 3 g sat , 3 g mono ); 12 mg cholesterol; 15 g carbohydrates; 7 g protein; 5 g fiber; 288 mg sodium; 164 mg potassium

Recipe from: Eating Well Magazine

Food Journal~Tuesday~1/31/12

8:00 AM
3 egg whites hard-boiled
Coconut Oil “Natures Way” 1 tbsp
Oatmeal-Plain
10:00 AM
Cottage Cheese 4 oz
Blueberries 1/4 c
carrots 1/2 c
12:30 PM
Tilapia 4 oz
Tomatoes & Cucumbers 1 cup
Brown Rice 1/4 c
2:00 PM
Apple-Gala
Almonds 17
Chicken 4 oz
4:00 PM
Turkey-Jenny-o 4 oz
Pumpkin 1/4 c
8:00 PM
Whey Protein 1 scoop (EAS)
Zucchini 1 large

Food Journal~Monday~1/30/12

8:00 AM
3 egg whites hard-boiled
Coconut Oil “Natures Way” 1 tbsp
Oatmeal-Plain
10:00 AM
Cottage Cheese 4 oz
Blueberries 1/4 c
12:30 PM
Zucchini 1 large
Chicken 4 oz
Brown Rice-Birds eye 1/4 c
2:00 PM
Tomatoes & Cucumbers 1/2 c
Turkey 4 oz
Almonds 17
4:00 PM
Whey Protein 1 scoop (EAS)
Pineapple 1/4 c
8:00 PM
Chicken 4 oz
Italian Green Beans 1 1/2 Cups

Couscous and Fruit Salad Recipe

Prep Time: 15 mins
 
 Total Time: 15 mins

 

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoon oil, olive, extra virgin
  • 2 tablespoon orange juice
  • 1 tablespoon vinegar, cider
  • 2 teaspoon shallot(s), finely chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper, black ground
  • 2 cup(s) couscous, 100% whole-wheat, cooked
  • 1 cup(s) nectarine, chopped
  • 1 cup(s) berries, fresh, mixed, such as blueberries and raspberries
  • 2 tablespoon nuts, almonds, sliced, toasted

 

Preparation

1. Whisk oil, orange juice, vinegar, shallots, salt and pepper in a large bowl.
 
2. Add cooked couscous, nectarines, berries and almonds; gently toss to combine.
 
Nutritional Info (Per serving):

Calories: 259, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 146mg, Dietary Fiber: 7g, Total Fat: 9g, Carbs: 40g, Cholesterol: 0mg, Protein: 7g
 
Recipe Source:  EatingWell.com

Smoothie Recipe

I found this smoothie recipe that I wanted to share, it reminds me of the one I like at “Pulp”- Just blend a cup of frozen, ripe banana with any other fruit and fill with almond milk and apple juice. Throw in a handful of kale or spinach, a tablespoon of almond butter, one of whey protein, and blend for a green smoothie. Give it a try & enjoy!!

Workout~Monday~1/23/12

I had an hour workout with my trainer tonight, we did total body. It was a tough workout, which I love, and I felt great afterwards!
Tomorrow is a 90 min yoga class, looking forward to that also! If anyone wants to join me, let me know, I would love to have some people take it with me!
~~B

Food Journal~Monday~1/23/12

8:00 AM
3 egg whites hard-boiled
Grits-original
1 tbsp Udo’s Oil (3.6.9 Blend)
10:00 AM
Tilapia 4 oz
12:30 PM
Turkey-Jenny-O 4 oz
Apple-Gala
Italian Green Beans 1 1/2 Cups
2:00 PM
Tilapia 4 oz
3 egg whites hard-boiled
Pumpkin
4:00 PM
Almonds 17
Whey Protein 1 scoop (EAS)
Apple-Gala
8:00 PM
Cottage Cheese

Saturday 1/21/12

New website/blog coming soon! Super excited!!

Subway

I went to Subway, Friday for lunch with a friend and ordered a Turkey on wheat.  I went to Subways website to look at the nutritional information and I just love it!  You actually make your own sandwich and it gives you all the nutritional information.

Go to www.subway.com and click on “Menu & Nutrition” at the top of the page.  Then make your selection based on what you ordered, I went to the “Fresh and Fit” choices clicked on the Turkey Breast and entered what I had on my sandwich.  This is a great tool!  I would love to see more restaurants implementing tools like this on their websites, it’s great!

Saturday 1/21/12

I was super busy today, went to bootcamp, (www.jaxbootcamp.com) it was a great workout, I didn’t get to do our usual breakfast after bootcamp because I needed to get work and get caught up on some things, it was a very productive day. I went grocery shopping for my food for the week and just downloaded a new theme for my blog! Super excited about this!

I am going to give twitter a try, I’ve had an account for a while, but never really got into it, but I think I might give it a try for a while and see what I can do with it, so follow me! Betsy913

Friday’s Workout

Just a quick post! I worked out with my trainer tonight-Leg day with abs!! Tough, but a great great workout and I’m tired now, so I’m going to bed early so, I can be up on time for bootcamp in the morning! Goodnight!!

Food Journal~Monday~1/16/12

8:00 AM
3 egg whites hard-boiled
Oatmeal-Plain
1 tbsp Udo’s Oil (3.6.9 Blend)
10:00 AM
Rice Cakes 2
Whey Protein 1 scoop (EAS)
12:30 PM
Cauliflower 1C
Tilapia 4 oz
Sweet Potato 4 oz
2:00 PM
Turkey-Jenny-O 4 OZ
Italian Green Beans 1 1/2 Cups
4:00 PM
Turkey-Jenny-O 4 OZ
Pumpkin 1/2 C
8:00 PM
1 TBSP Peanut butter natural
1/4 c Greek plain non-fat yogurt
Whey Protein 1 scoop (EAS)

Saturday 1/14/11

I went to boot camp today as I always do on Saturday morning, it was really, really cold!!  39 degrees!  It’s no secret I hate the cold and that’s why I love Florida so much, we get maybe 2 months of cold and then it’s back to decent weather!  We did warm up pretty quick with sprints and push-ups, up the ramp!  After boot camp I went to have breakfast, I ordered an egg white veggie omelette with no cheese or onions and sliced tomatoes. 

Tomorrow, I need to go for a long run to start getting ready for the Gate River Run. I’m really not a long distance runner, I’m  a 5K girl, but I do like the Gate River Run, I love the course!  Another course I like to run is the Marine Corps 1/2 marathon.  If you haven’t done the Marine Corps 1/2 you really need to try it!  It was my first 1/2 marathon and I still like it the best!

 I’m having trouble with my right Achilles now, it’s sore, so I’ve been babying it, which I hate, but something I need to do, so it will get better, along with  ice, wrapping it, stretching and ibuprofen. It seems like I’ve always had problems with my lower legs, now that I’m thinking about it. When I was growing up I can’t remember how many times I’ve sprained my ankles, I’ve torn a calf muscle, and have had problems with shin splits in the past. I need to get some new running shoes, I’m going to go back to “Brooks”, I have tried different shoes, but I still like ”Brooks” the best.  

I need to close this blog for now, so until tomorrow, have a great Saturday!

Food Journal~Friday~1/13/84

8:00 AM
3 egg whites hard-boiled
1/4 c grits (uncooked) Plain
1 tbsp Udo’s Oil (3.6.9 Blend)
10:00 AM
Turkey-Jenny-O Roasted 4 oz
Almonds 17
12:30 PM
Italian Green Beans 1 1/2 Cups
Turkey-Jenny-O
Sweet Potato 4 oz
2:00 PM
Blueberries
Whey Protein 1 scoop (EAS)
4:00 PM
Zucchini 1 large
3 egg whites hard-boiled
8:00 PM
Whey Protein 1 scoop (EAS)
Flax Seed Oil 1 Tbsp

Weight Loss Plateaus

One of the questions I am asked a lot is about plateaus.  So, I thought I would put together a list that may help you push past this phase of or your weight loss journey.

Check your portion size to make sure you are not eating too much.  It’s easy once you get going on a meal plan to stop measuring and weighing your food and before you know it your portion sizes are little larger than they use to be.  Also, be careful about taking little bites of your food while making your meals, this adds up to a lot more calories than you think.

If you’ve been keeping and a food journal and have stopped, start tracking your food again, and if you’ve never keep one, try it, you’ll be surprised at what you might find.  It’s really easy to forget what you’ve had during the day.  Write down everything that you eat and drink and remember alcoholic beverages will really limit your weight loss. 

Are your workouts as intense as they were or are you kind of not getting as much cardio in these days?  If you are getting in the hours then try and up the intensity of your workouts.  Try wearing a heart rate monitor to make sure you’re working within your target heart rate zone, and don’t forget about the weights!  The more muscle you have the more calories you burn.  Plus, muscle takes up less space than fat, so lift!

I have found another thing that seems to help, is getting more variety in your meal plan, or switching your food around.  Have chicken at your morning snack instead of cottage cheese, or instead of eating apples all the time, mix up your food choices and try something different. 

Remember to stay consistent with your meal and exercise plan and try the ideas listed above and I’m sure you’ll break your weight loss plateau in no time!

Food Journal~Thursday~1/12/12

8:00 AM
3 egg whites hard-boiled
1/4 c grits (uncooked) Plain
1 tbsp Udo’s Oil (3.6.9 Blend)
10:00 AM
3 oz Turkey
2 oz avocado
12:30 PM
Italian Green Beans 1 1/2 Cups
Tilapia 4 oz
Brown Rice 4 oz
2:00 PM
Apple-Gala 1/2
Whey Protein 1 scoop (EAS)
4:00 PM
Almonds 17
Spinach Salad
Turkey-Jenny-O 4 oz
8:00 PM
1 tbsp Almond Butter
Whey Protein 1 scoop (EAS)

Food Journal~Wednesday~1/11/12

8:00 AM
3 egg whites hard-boiled
1/4 c oatmeal (uncooked)
1 tbsp Udo’s Oil (3.6.9 Blend)
10:00 AM
3 oz chicken breast
Almonds 17 Natural
12:30 PM
Zucchini 1 large
Turkey- 4 oz
Sweet Potato 4 oz (no skin)
2:00 PM
1/2 apple
Whey Protein 1 scoop (EAS)
4:00 PM
Italian Green Beans 1 1/2 Cups
3 egg whites hard-boiled
8:00 PM
1 tbsp almond butter natural
Whey Protein 1 scoop (EAS)