My Story, Part Three: The Results

Previously:

Part One

Part Two

Ahh, yes. Today is my last day of complete freedom for quite a while. Classes start tomorrow! Which means from this point forward, my life will consist of a teetering balance between a social life and an 18-credit workload. Yikes. Before the madness starts, I want to kind of wrap up my story (though it isn't actually finished yet!). Here we go. 

A couple months after I started dieting, I decided to add exercise into my routine. The newest Weight Watchers magazine that came to our door had something intriguing in it: a triathalon training schedule. Hmm! Now, take note that I had no plans to actually compete in a real triathalon. Still don't at this point. However, right in front of me was a fully planned-out exercise schedule. Good deal? Yeah! That plan became the foundation for my fitness schedule for the next 8 weeks or so. I didn't follow it exactly, but instead used the exercises it had written out as well as some other things I wanted to do too. The finished product was a calendar full of running, biking, swimming, zumba, yoga, and weight training. I intended to work out 6 days a week, resting on Sunday. Yes, I know... I started full force. Kind of crazy. But you know what? It worked!! With the exception of a couple days, I completed every workout I had written out. My fitness calendar ended up being covered in happy little check marks.

My Story, Part Two: A Different Way of Living

Previously:

Part One

I've been feeling sort of down on myself lately so I thought now would be a good time to continue reflecting on what I've accomplished this past summer. 

What do I mean by down on myself? Well, I'm back at school now. Things are different! I'm completely in charge of feeding myself and I am once again outside of my comfort zone when it comes to exercising. I had finally gotten used to going to my local gym up in Cooperstown... now it's time to get used to a new one! New gyms are always intimidating. I don't know what's there, where things are, or how to use some of the machines. I could ask the staff for help of course, but I honestly don't even know what questions to ask! On top of all that, I accidentally left my workout cards in the gym at home, so I am waiting for my mom to mail those to me. Until then, I have to rely on the good ol' noodle in my head to remember everything I learned from my personal trainer this summer. Super. Also, the exercise schedule I had written out for myself for the summer came to an end, and I haven't gotten around to writing another one up yet. So instead of looking at my calendar and being able to see what exercise I am supposed to do each day, I am left thinking to myself, "Hmm... I could go to the gym. Or maybe go running? I wonder what time the pool is open..." Confusion! Disorder! Chaos! 

Movie Review - Engine 2 Kitchen Rescue

I was mindlessly browsing through Netflix this afternoon, trying to find something to entertain myself for a little while. After searching through various genres, I checked under our Instant Queue and found this documentary. My mom loaned Rip Esselstyn's book from the library after watching Forks Over Knives, and it looks like she found a movie that goes along with it! Interesting. I had flipped through Rip's book a little bit, so I was somewhat familiar with his ideas and opinions. I figured hey, why not give the documentary a try?

Good thing it was only 50 minutes long. I really don't know if I would have lasted much longer.

Layered Beet Salad

This nifty little dish was inspired by this recipe, which I found on Pinterest. The first time I made it, I literally gasped because of how beautiful it looked. And completely by accident too! Of course, when I tried making it with the intention of photographing and blogging about it... well... sigh. Not quite as pretty. Go figure. But it still tasted just as yummy! :)

Obviously, beets are the star of the show here. We have a few other important members of the cast as well! Hummus, feta, kale, red onion, and quinoa make this a delectable and wholesome meal. I found just one serving to be very filling, and I suspect it would make a nice side dish if split between two or three people. You just need to taste it and decide if you want to share or not!

First thing's first: roast your beets! This is really quite easy. Trim the beets, scrub them slightly, wrap them tightly in tinfoil and roast them at 425ºF for 45-60 minutes. When you can easily pierce them with a fork, they are ready to come out. Let them cool, then peel off the skin. 

I like to keep it simple and not add any oil, salt, or pepper. That way if you make more than you need for this recipe, you have a versatile, prepared ingredient for other dishes as well. 

Now, start up some quinoa. This should take a good 15 minutes or so, giving you time to work on your other ingredients.

Check out what else we have in store! Good stuff. 

When I went to the grocery store, they did not have any arugala! Living in a small town with a dinky grocery store definitely has its disadvantages sometimes. Anyway, I ended up subbing in kale and it worked quite well. 

Chop up the kale and red onion, then give it a little sprinkle of salt. Sea salt is tasty, but not necessary.

Oh yeah, and make yourself some green tea while you're in the kitchen. So good for you!

I like to pop my kale and onion in a saucepan with just a liiiiittle bit of water, then cover and cook over medium heat. They are done when they are wilted and soft and the water is evaporated. 

The quinoa is coming along nicely!

Now it's time to get your layering action going! 

This is actually where I messed up. I did beets, hummus, feta, kale/onion, and topped it off with my quinoa. The hummus ended up glueing the beets to the bottom of the bowl, making them impossible to shake out without destroying the form of everything else. Bummer. You might need to just mess around with it and find what works for you!

You can see the layers starting to form here. 

So pretty and smooth! Too bad it was an epic fail.

So here is the finished product, cleaned up as best as I could! Messy or not, the colors in this dish are simply outstanding. I love the presentation just about as much as I love the flavor! 

Soft, warm, and earthy - this definitely has comfort food potential. 

But did I mention it's also good cold?? Cause it is! Just prepare it ahead of time and let it chill in the fridge over night. Make sure your feta is ABOVE the beets so that the crisp, white color is protected from staining. Unless all you care about is getting this dish in your belly. In that case, put the layers in whatever order you want. Heck, you could just mash it all together in a bowl. 

Any way you have it, this meal is delicious and nutritious! 

~~~

Good for: lunch, dinner, side

Time to table: up to 1 hour

Serving size: around 1.5 cups

WeightWatchers PointsPlus® value: 8 (veggies not counted)

~~~

Layered Beet Salad with Hummus, Feta, Kale, Red Onion, and Quinoa

Makes one serving

1/3 c roasted, chopped beets*

1 c chopped kale
1 tbsp chopped red onion
1.5 oz feta cheese
2 tbsp hummus
1/4 c quinoa
Sprinkle of salt

1. Prepare quinoa as directed.

2. Add kale, red onion, and salt to a saucepan with about 2 tbsp of water. Cover and cook over medium heat until kale is wilted and red onion is soft. 

3. When all ingredients are prepared, layer as desired. Serve warm or refrigerate overnight for a cold variation. 

*To roast beets:

1. Preheat oven to 425ºF.

2. Trim and wash/scrub raw beets. 

3. Wrap beets tightly in tinfoil, and let roast for 45-60 minutes. 

4. Remove from oven when you can easily pierce the beets with a fork. Smaller beets take less time. 

5. Let cool, then peel off the skin.  

My Story, Part One: Making The Decision to Change

I don't know how it happened, but it did. One day I just... decided. And I changed. And it stuck. The past three and a half months have been filled with challenge, determination, learning, disappointment, excitement, and satisfaction. Today, my life is very different than it ever has been. 

I'm not sure I ever felt skinny before this summer. Actually, I'm pretty certain that I never did. Even when I was young I was the biggest of most, if not all, of my friends. It didn't bother me too much though; I wasn't overweight, I just wasn't as petite as they were. However, I should have taken a hint when they stopped growing and I didn't. 

While my buddies stayed active and slender, I slowly but steadily gained weight. I quit taking dance lessons when I was 16, eliminating pretty much the only form of exercise I had been doing. I went to college a couple years later, and although I didn't gain the "freshman 15" right away, it did begin to creep up on me. Late night Sheetz runs, unlimited access to the cafeteria, ice cream social events - and the list goes on! Then, during my junior year of college, I studied abroad in South Africa for a semester. It was the experience of a lifetime - filling my soul with joy, my heart with love, my mind with knowledge... and my stomach with food. Lots of it. I also had my first alcoholic drink in South Africa, which opened the door to a whole new way of socializing with friends.

Over the course of 5 years, I had gained around 20 pounds. Ouch.

I was used to a certain way of living. If I was hungry and something looked tasty, I would eat it. Even if I wasn't hungry and something yummy was in front of me, I would eat it. I had absolutely no concept of self-control, and I honestly didn't care how many calories something had as long as it was delicious. Oh, and I hated exercising. It was uncomfortable and hard! It made me hot, sweaty, and sore. Where was the fun in that? Being active was not my thing. I would much rather sit and eat a big bowl of extra-cheesy pasta with a tall glass of cold whole milk. Or german chocolate cake with buttercream icing. Or a BBQ bacon burger with french fries. 

Oh. My. Word. I'm just going to stop thinking about all that now, before I crawl to the closest restaurant for a chili-cheese dog. 

Moving on.

Sure, I had my ups and downs just like anyone else. Some days I would look in the mirror and think, "Curves! Me likey!"Other days, my best option was to slouch around in a hoodie, trying very hard to ignore how tight my jeans felt. I justified my weight by telling myself it's normal to be a little chunky. No big deal! Besides, if I lost weight I would just have to buy new clothes - that's expensive. If I tried dieting I wouldn't be able to eat the food I love - and I loved food (still do). If I started exercising I would have to endure miserable agony multiple times a week. Ugh.

Every now and then I would decide that I needed to "get fit." I didn't even want to call it "losing weight" because I didn't want to admit that I felt fat. Regardless of what I called it, my attempts never worked because I only stuck to them for maybe two weeks at the most. With no plan, no concrete goals, and no direction, I failed. Over and over again. Then, for whatever reason, inspiration hit me. "Today is the day," I told myself, "... this is it!" So I went downstairs and announced to my parents that I wanted to lose 30 pounds this summer. 

Accountability. That's the first building block.

With my mom as my guide, I began my journey towards a skinnier me. But since then, it's become about a lot more than that. 

read on...

Making Health a Priority

Read the blurb or just skip to the tips :)

Picture this. It's your schedule, and man alive! Is it full or what? Seriously, is there ANY space in your planner that isn't filled with pencil scrawl?

Step back. Breathe. It will be ok. 

It can be so hard to fit exercise and healthy meals into a busy lifestyle. Sometimes, it is just so much easier to hit the drive-through than to even think about spending the next hour making a meal from scratch. Who has time for that? I mean, do people think you're superwoman or something? Sheesh. So what's a girl to do? On the one hand, you're swamped. Or tired. Or just plain not feelin' it. It happens. On the other hand, you really need to fuel up on some food that is GOOD for you instead of snarfing the first thing you can get your hands on.

Or am I the only one who has that problem?

Planning ahead is so important when trying to lose weight or just be healthy in general. This past week is my personal testimony to that. I decided to be very intentional about having wholesome, nutritious food with me at all times. Basically what that meant for me was packing my lunches before going to work (instead of grabbing a microwavable diet-dinner), carrying fresh fruit to snack on, and always having my water bottle close by. It meant saying "no" to last-minute munchies.

It was especially hard this weekend. For example, on Friday I was working one job from 9-4, then another one in the evening. I wasn't sure if I would have time to come back home and make dinner for myself, so I had to plan out all of my meals ahead of time on Thursday... and it worked out really well! Because I took the extra time on Thursday night to make Friday's dinner, I was able to keep my eating on track. I did the same for today, and I'm really glad I did! What was waiting for me when I arrived at work? A fresh bourbon-cheesecake bundt cake.

I know, right? Tasty.

So instead of pigging out on sweets tonight, I stuck to the dinner I brought with me: vegan stuffed zucchini. Topped off with some fresh fruit, I can tell you right now that "stuffed" is definitely the right word. But, does this mean no cake for me? Um, no, actually. See, I decided that instead of having a big slice of cake tonight ("while I can"), I am going to take home a small sliver for tomorrow. That way, I can adjust tomorrow's meals accordingly and I don't have to worry about eating TOO much cake because I'm only taking a little bit home with me in the first place.

The moral of the story here is "Eating cake is ok. Go for it." Ok, it's more than that. Incorporate your cake-eating into your plan! Planning ahead is a must! Remember these words: Plan ahead or plan to fail.

Here are some tips to get you started.

- Prepare food ahead of time. A casserole you can throw in the oven, ingredients chopped for tomorrow morning's breakfast, or a veggie wrap and an apple that are ready to grab as you're headed out the door... know your needs and get creative. This can apply to groceries as well. Did you buy a head of lettuce? Wash, chop, and bag it so it's ready to be thrown in a salad at a moment's notice. You can also separate bulk snacks into little baggies (i.e. 1oz of almonds per baggie).
- Even it out. Big meal coming up for dinner tomorrow night? Eat a small breakfast and a light lunch. Save up calories during the day to eat more later. 

- Don't grocery shop when you're hungry. This is just setting yourself up for disaster, because your stomach will be making the decisions, instead of your brain. If you're very hungry, it is natural to crave fattier foods; your favorite temptations will be even harder to resist. Instead, write out a grocery list and stick to it.  

- Don't go to a restaurant when you're hungry. Another uh-oh situation. Restaurant menus are overloaded with options, ranging from Healthful to Heart Attack. Do you know anyone who shows up to Buffalo Wild Wings and says, "Wow, I'm starving! I think I'll have a grilled chicken salad." I sure don't. Have some fruit before going out for the evening. If your stomach is lightly satisfied with an apple or banana, you'll be able to think more clearly about what you should order.

- Know what you're up against. In addition to snacking beforehand, do some research on the restaurant you're going to. What's on their menu? Do they provide nutritional information? If so, look it over. Narrow down your options to a few of the healthier dishes the restaurant offers. See how many calories (or points) are in their complimentary rolls - do you still want one? Hey, you might even just want to skip the entree entirely and go for a dessert. Just make sure you're well informed about what you're thinking of eating.
- Learn how to say "no". Or, "Thanks for offering, that looks very good. I actually brought my own meal, so I am set!" You'll probably have to say "no" to yourself more often than to other people. Just remember to be more in tune with the big picture instead of the here and now. That foot-long chili dog might hit the spot for the moment, but will it help you reach your long-term goals?
- Don't find time to exercise, make time. Take a good look at your plans for tomorrow... heck, for the entire week. Make note of what you're going to do for exercise and when. You may need to wake up an hour earlier or take a walk over your lunch break. Fit. it. in. You'll be glad you did. 

Movie Review - Food, Inc.

Beware. This movie is EVERYTHING you NEVER wanted to know about the food you eat. It could potentially leave you with a troubling case of a little something I like to call PDAD... post-documentary anxiety disorder. "You'll never look at dinner the same way again"? They're not lying.

I waited what seems like a very long time to watch this movie. I remember when it was uber-popular on my college campus a couple years ago. I had 0% interest. A crazy hippy movie about the evils of how meat is processed? No, thank you. I'll have my McDonald's burger and enjoy it too! Recently though, my lifestyle has been turned completely inside-out. Woah, I actually care about what I put in my body and how it gets on my plate! Mind-blowing. You know, I think I just wasn't ready before. I wanted to live in denial, ignorance, pride - whatever you want to call it. I thought I had the right to have anything I fancied, however I wanted it. Well, I actually still have that right; I still get to choose what I want to eat. But now I make better choices. 

Unlike Forks Over Knives, this documentary doesn't push a no-meat ideal. In fact, right at the beginning of the movie one of the commentators acknowledges the fact that his favorite meal is a hamburger and french fries. Ok, I can relate to that! So far, so good. I was surprised that this film wasn't condemning me for eating meat.

It's when they get down to the root of things that the documentary becomes messy. And just downright scary. 

A lot of topics are covered: meat processing, government involvement in the food industry, seed production, human rights, and more. Eesh. No doubt about it, that's a lot to swallow in an hour and a half! I honestly had no idea what my food had to go through before it reached my grocery store shelves. In that respect, I loved this documentary. Food, Inc. is absolutely PACKED with information and is guaranteed to start some serious thinking. The film sets out to expose the truth behind the system, and that it does. 

One major complaint I have is that the filmmakers skimped on a very important part of the story, which is this: what do I do now?? Sure, they have an inspiring little blurb at the end of the movie before the credits roll; and yeah, there are clips about this one farmer dude who raises grass-fed beef and such. But really? That's it? Tell me more! How can I help things change? Well, beyond buying from my local farmers' market, of course. I think I've got that point down by now. 

Anyway, the bottom line here is: watch this movie. It's a good one! Even if it doesn't change your life, you will learn something. And that in itself is a plus. 

My Rating: 9 out of 10

Worth The Watch: Absolutely