Got in a pretty good 60-min., 3-mile run yesterday evening. I don't usually run at night, but I was determined to finally get back out there and do the dayum thang. I've decided to stop writing out all the details of my training here on this blog, but I haven't decided what to do with the training section of the site yet. I do know that I probably won't be posting my training there anymore. I'll probably either turn it into a separate running blog or just do away with it, but I'm not sure yet. In the meantime, those who are interested can read my CR training log.
The plan for today is yoga and ab work.
On the way home from my run last night, I stopped off at the market to pick up some pecans and a couple of dressings (Shiitake Ginger and Thai Sesame Lime) for my salad and ran across the most wonderful peppermint tea. I heard somewhere that peppermint tea helps curb your appetite so I decided to try it since I seem to have issues eating during late evening hours.
Had this delicious salad for dinner:
Mixed salad greens (romaine, red leaf, green leaf, baby spinach) Tomatoes Cucumbers Onions Avocado Basil & Tomato Feta cheese Pecan halves, raw Pink Salmon Thai Sesame and Lime Dressing
After-dinner drink: Peppermint Tea
I am now on Day 8 of Phase 1 of my detoxifying cleanse and I'm feeling great. I've progressed to 3 fiber/3 herb twice a day on the Ultimate Cleanse. I think I'll leave it at that level for the duration of this phase. I've not been as successful with water consumption as I had hoped; only consuming about 50 to 64 oz a day. I didn't realize how difficult it would be for me to get in 100 oz. of water, but I'm working on it. My goals for today is 80. We'll see.
Gonna make some hummus today. YaY!!! I LOVE this stuff! I think I'll make two flavours: sun dried tomato & herb and roasted red pepper & garlic. I learned to make hummus about 10 years ago when I discovered that it's an excellent source of protein, clean carbs and high in fiber. You can buy it prepackaged in health food stores and some regular markets, and there are several recipes on the Web. I just start with the basic ingredients and then experiment with other spices, herbs, and veggies until I create something I like. I've also got some pinto beans cooking, half of which I'll use to make a spicy vegetarian chili. I think I'll make a vegetable/tofu soup with the other half. Not sure yet, but I'll get it sorted. I am sooooo grateful that I absolutely LOVE beans, lentils and such because they are so versatile and it makes getting plenty of protein so much easier for those with a vegetarian lifestyle.
That's pretty much it for now. Gotta finish cooking, get to the gym, get this hair done for next week, and hopefully take a couple of pics of my new shorter look. Be back later with updates. Hope everyone is enjoying the weekend.
I concocted this for breakfast this morning to go along with my mango-green tea and fresh lime juice. I used to make this dish as an omelet, but I realised that it tastes just as good scrambled and it's a lot less stressful than trying to flip the perfect omelet. Has anyone figured out yet that I LOVE mushrooms and onions?
Diva Flava Veggie Omelet Scramble
3 large eggs 1 Tbs. Olive oil 1/2 c. scallions (green onions), chopped 1/4 c. red bell peppers, chopped 1/4 c. poblano peppers, chopped 1 c. shiitake mushrooms, chopped 1 oz. Muenster cheese 1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. black or red pepper 1/2 tsp. garlic powder 1/2 tsp. onion powder 1/2 tsp. paprika 1 Tbs. Tabasco or 4 Tbs. picante sauce
Mix eggs and dry ingredients together well and set aside. Cut cheese into small chunks and set aside.
Heat olive oil in medium skillet and sauté peppers and mushrooms on med/high heat for about 2 min. Add scallions and sauté another 3 to 4 min. (Do not overcook veggies and mushrooms; they should have a bit of a bite to them.) Reduce heat to low, add egg mixture. Fold/stir slowly to desired doneness, add cheese and turn off heat (cheese should melt easily from the heat of the eggs). Plate up and drizzle with Tabasco or Picante sauce.
Serves 1 (2 if used as a side dish).
I just realised I should have taken a pic to show y'all before I ate it. LOL Oh well, next time.
I am soooooooo excited about getting back to a more veggie lifestyle that it's making me GOOFY! LOL I'm looking forward to preparing many of the gazillion veggie recipes I have. I could just do backflips right now!
I'm making this for dinner (minus the puff pastry; adding tofu), along with brown/wild rice and steamed broccoli. I would normally have a glass (or two) of Merlot with this dish, BUT since I'm detoxing at the moment... *sigh*
Portobello Wellington
1 1/2 Tbs butter (or light oil if you prefer for sauteing) 1 shallot, minced 1 large leek or 2 small leeks, minced 3 cloves garlic, minced 3 button mushrooms, finely chopped Fresh thyme to taste (I used about 4 sprigs) 5 shiitake mushrooms, finely chopped, without stems* Chives to taste 2 large portobello mushroom caps 1 tsp Dijon mustard 1 sheet puff pastry
*Note: I use the woody shiitake stems and/or portobello stems when making veggie broth.
Topping: Melt 1 Tbs butter in a skillet over low heat. Stir in the shallot, leek, and garlic and cook until translucent (about 5 minutes). Add the button mushrooms and about half the thyme. Cook until the mushroom liquid has evaporated and the mixture is just moist (about 10 minutes). Transfer mixture to a bowl. Melt the remaining butter in the skillet, still over low heat, and add the shiitake. Cook for 5 minutes, then transfer to the bowl with the rest of the mixture. Add chives and black pepper and stir.
Next place your Portobello caps on a greased cookie sheet. Brush on the mustard and add the remaining thyme and black pepper. Take your topping mixture and spoon half onto each Portobello cap. Cut two large rounds out of the puff pastry sheet and drape over the Portobellos/topping. You can brush some melted butter on the outside of the pastry if you want to. Bake in a preheated oven at 425 degrees until the pastry looks done (about 15 minutes in my oven).
Serves 2.
While visiting Nneka's site a couple of weeks ago, I found this awesome calorie management site called NutriDiary. It's absolutely FREE and they have reasonably priced upgrades. I have been using FitDay for well over a year now, but after visiting NutriDiary I fell in love and joined immediately (nothing against FitDay).
Here's an interesting article on the numerous benefits of yoga from one of my favourite sites.
"A price has to be paid for success. Almost invariably those who have reached the summits worked harder and longer, studied and planned more assiduously, practiced more self-denial, overcame more difficulties than those of us who have not risen so far."
I’ve got new plans in the makings. Since I last posted, I’ve been thinking quite a bit about the things I truly desire for my life, setting goals, and developing the strategies I need to bring those desires and goals to fruition. Health and nutrition have continued to resonate within me and have practically consumed my thoughts for the past few days. So, after careful consideration and a bit of research, I’ve decided to transition to a pseudo-vegetarian eating style for the '05. I chose pseudo-veg because I am anemic, so fish and seafood will remain a part of my regular diet. Otherwise, I am cutting all red meat and poultry, and since pork hasn’t been an option for me for quite some time, that is a non-issue. I will supplement with lots of tofu (which I love madly), TVP (textured vegetable protein), and some of the various non-meat products now on the market for vegetarians. I can't explain why, but I've had an urge to do this for a couple of months now and I'm just now taking the plunge. I still intend to keep things low-carb by continuing to choose clean carbs; those with a low glycemic index.
As of last Sunday I’ve eliminated all meat/poultry and initiated Phase 1 of a much needed and long overdue cleansing process. This is day 4 and I'm already starting to feel a noticeable difference. For Phase 1, I am using the Ultimate Cleanse, which should take about four weeks to complete. Over these four weeks, I plan to gradually reduce my food intake down to tofu dishes and raw veggies only during the fourth week. That should take me to Dec 25. After Christmas, I will start Phase 2 of the cleanse, which will consist of freshly juiced fruit and vegetables only. It just so happens that this timeframe perfectly coincides with my celebration of the seven days of Kwanzaa (Dec 26 thru Jan 1). I’m really please about this. My plan is to blow the dust off of my Champion juicer and indulge in several of the delicious juice recipes that I've collected over the years. I will post them here as I start using them.
This will take me into the new year, when I'll begin Phase 3; one week on the Master Cleanse, which should end on Jan 8. Over the following week, I will gradually add back juices, veggies, fruit, tofu, fish and seafood until I am back to the middle ... my balance. This will be just in time for me to participate in the Houston HP 5K on Jan 16.
Through the entire process I plan to keep my calorie count between 1,500 and 1,800 and consume water equal to 1/2 of my body weight, around 100 ounces per day. I am so looking forward to completing this cleanse. I see it as a major challenge for me, especially the Master Cleanse phase, which consists of a mixture of fresh lemon juice, maple syrup, cayenne pepper and water. I believe if I can summon the courage and discipline to get through that week, I can pretty much do anything, including really kick some asphalt by running my first marathon during the first quarter of 2006.
On the exercise front, for now the plan is to continue my walk/run programme, get serious about weight training, and recommit to my yoga sessions at least three days a week. I’m basically going to treat the entire process like a part-time job. Straight up.
So, those are my primary Dec/Jan body management goals. Now it’s time to buckle down and make ‘em happen. As I told my Nspired Diva buddy today, “we’re gonna pimp this weight loss game, baby!”
That’s it for now. Kinda tired of typing and the moment, but I’ll be back soon with updates and a couple of motivating sites I’ve found. I’m Nspired!
I'm finally back to blogging again. It's been a long hiatus, much longer than planned. I had originally planned to be gone only until late August/early September, but things got a bit wacky over the summer. Not a lot to report, but a few things have transpired since I last posted... much of which I don't care to discuss. Suffice it to say I am in transition (actually, we're often in a transition of sorts, or at least we should be). Various aspects of my life have changed semi-drastically in the last few months, and believe me, it ain't done yet. But...I'm back in stride again.
Since I last posted four months ago, I have pretty much maintained my 51-pound weight loss, thank God. And trust me, with all that went on in my life during the summer ... the good, the bad and the ugly ... this is nothing short of a small miracle. I had gained about 3 pounds since July, but as of this afternoon my weight is back to 205.
The sofa is no longer stuck to my butt! I’ve managed to find my way out of the HUGE rut I've been in for the past three months. I'm finally feeling ready to get my life back on course, including losing these remaining 65 pounds. I've already resumed a healthier eating plan and started exercising again.
I started the initial phase of running. I finally summoned the strength, courage and discipline to began the walk/run programme that I had intended to start on Aug 9. Better late than never, right? I'm on Week 3, Day 2 of the programme and I intend to complete it this evening. I'm not using the 9-week C25K programme as I had planned. Instead, I found a 13-week programme that is a lot better suited for my current fitness level, which will make my transition from walking to running much more comfortable.
I joined a Holiday Challenge group over at Cool Running. Our mission is to lose (or at least not gain) weight over the holiday season from Thanksgiving to Valentine’s Day. With so many holidays upon us in the coming months, many people fall victim to overeating and inactivity during this time. My particular mission is to lose weight and continue running, weight training and yoga during the entire holiday period. One of my goals is to lose 10 pounds by Dec 31. At a loss of 2 lbs. per week, that certainly seems doable to me.
I’m starting to get the urge to change this layout again. Nothing really wrong with the current layout, it’s just been a while and being a graphic/web designer by love, I feel I can come up with something better. Plus, I’m getting kinda tired of the gray. We’ll see.
That’s pretty much it for now. Got lots of stuff to do today, including going for my run in a few hours. Be back later for further updates.
Not the
average girl in the videos, that's for dang sure. Lover of
jazz, good wine, green and chai teas. Sometimes serious, often
playful, always intelligent. Strong at times, weak at
others. Decent looking on the regular, sexy when I wanna
be. Hater of BS and drama, minder of my own bizness. Still
not satisfied? Click here.
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, "Who am I to be
brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?'' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't
feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory that is within us. It's not just some of us; it's in
every one of us. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give others permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.
—Marianne Williamson
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& Props
Affiliations
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design by DivaFlava.com (Uhm, that would be me)
Not the
average girl in the videos, that's for dang sure. Lover of
jazz, good wine, green and chai teas. Sometimes serious, often
playful, always intelligent. Strong at times, weak at
others. Decent looking on the regular, sexy when I wanna
be. Hater of BS and drama, minder of my own bizness. Still
not satisfied? Click 
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