21 Day Challenge–Week 3 (and a party!!!)

Well I made it but not without some serious road blocks.  I may have cheated (but you knew I would) and didn’t workout as much as I would have liked (oh so sick) but on the whole I curbed my small sugar addiction and am back fitting into my favourite pair of jeans without having to lie down to get them on :)

So I’m celebrating…virtually.

Come and join me and post your favourite cheat treat.  You know the one thing you would cut off your own arm for!  It can be sweet or savory (I won’t judge) and it has to be so so yummy!!!

But why you ask!  Well if you do, your name will go into a hat (random.org) and I’ll pick a winner. 

Winner?????

You bet!

The winner will get a dozen cookies made by yours truly plus a few other fun items I’ve been saving for a good reason!  And what’s a better reason than me fitting into my fav pair of jeans :)

So who’s in?  You know what to do! Link up your favourite treat or let me know in the comments what your fav is. I can’t wait to see what you’ve come up with!  Sadly I can only ship the cookies within North America, so if you live afar, I’ll come up with something else fun for you!

Thanks for looking!

21 Day Challenge–Week 2

This was by far a harder week than week 1 and I would have thought/hoped it would have been easier.  But since my body keeps shutting down on me in unrelated ways, who knew?

This past week I had to make Rowan’s bday cake, which I think came out pretty awesome.  I was really good with not tasting everything too.  But then it was finished and after the stress of it almost falling over and the car ride to the Marbles museum for the actual party, I may have partaken in some wine and some left over chocolate mousse. My bad!

Rob was gone 3 days this week too, which always makes life a little harder.  Now everything falls to me, and with my ribs still really sore, somethings are still on the back burner of my to-do list.

I didn’t make it to the gym but I did go for my first run on Tuesday since January 30th and it was so hard and ugly but I got it done.  I even felt pretty good for about an hour after and that’s when things went terribly wrong.  I spent the rest of the day with my head in the toilet.  It was ugly and painful (ribs).  Now the last time I went for a run on the 30th I got so sick for 2 weeks, I hope this isn’t a new trend.  I’m not sure if it was food poisoning, which would suck as I only had a protein shake and an apple from home before it started or if I picked up a fun GI bug at the Marbles museum that waited the traditional 24hrs to hit.  Either way, strike two in sticking to the healthy diet.  I did eat 4 pieces of toast and a slice of pizza yesterday and this morning I feel fine.  So hopefully I’m back on track.

I also started using Myfitnesspal.com to track my food intake as well as my exercise (or lack thereof).  It’s a really cool application that I was told about from Dara at Cooking Canuck.  She wrote an amazingly inspirational blog post about her 25lb weight loss journey.  I needed to read that this week as I was having some motivational issues.  What’s great about this app is that it’s on my phone and iPad and I can get on via the internet too and it’s all connected, so if I add something on my phone, the iPad also updates.  Which I love!  So I’m going to continue to do that.

Also since I didn’t quite follow the menu from week 1 in week 2, I shall endeavour to try in week 3.  I’m still on track, kind of.  At least I haven’t gained any weight or completely gone back to my snacking ways and that means I’m still on track for a fun party.

I’ve been thinking about what I should do for the party and I thought I’d hold a linky party where you can torment me with your favourite desserts.  So what’s in it for you, well you’ll have to wait until next week to see!

Thank you for all your support and we’ll see you next week.

In case you missed all the awesome recipes from last week, click here.

Thanks for looking!

21 Day Challenge–Week 1

Being healthy, what exactly is that?  It’s different for everyone in achievement but the base is essentially the same.  I’m not a nutritionist, a dietitian or a personal trainer just a blogger/baker/runner.  I mean is a past life, i.e. university, I took 4 years of physical and health education from the University of Toronto, so I have a basic knowledge of what’s good for you.  Since then I’ve tried to stay healthy and with everything there have been highs and lows and I’m not just talking weight :)

So when I challenged myself to 21 days of healthier eating by reducing sugars and bad carbs as well as getting back to daily exercise I knew it would be tough.  Those first few days were excruciating.  I honestly didn’t think it had gotten that bad but when the withdrawal hit, I knew it was one of those definite lows.

It’s now 7 days later and the sugar desire has decreased immensely but every now and again it peaks and I drink a glass of water.  I won’t lie, I didn’t follow the menu I posted to the letter but did stay with the mini meals throughout the days and no sugar but for the odd taste of whatever I was baking.  That really was when I suffered the most.  Only because the last few things I baked were really tasty.  Yesterday’s oatmeal cookies were evil indeed.  I gave a dozen to the teachers at Rowan’s preschool, some to our babysitter and kept 6 for the girls.  I also made some really yummy dinner dishes too that I thought I’d share with you (at bottom of post) to make as they are high protein, low carb and delicious.  I stayed pretty close to the 1500 calories, skirting on the high side mostly but at the end of 7 days I feel so much better.  My jeans aren’t as tight but mostly I feel better (ribs not withstanding).

I also tried to increase my activity but not as much as I would have liked because the girls had an extra long weekend due to the President’s day holiday.  We did take Dartagnan to the lake a couple times and walk the loop and I got to play tennis a couple times.  My ribs are still sore and the longer I play, the worse I get.  My goal is to go to the gym once or twice next week plus do a few more loops around the lake with Dartagnan and then end the week with my first tennis match in 12 years.  Should be interesting.

The menu for this week will be similar to last week, so go with the general outline and try a few of my recipes below.  Mix it up and the biggest change would be to mix up the egg breakfasts with a protein smoothie (recipe below).  Have fun with it.  It’s not set in stone and if you can’t be home for every meal, choose appropriate meals and more important serving size.

Recipes: The nutrition values are estimates only and based on 100g of meat(salmon, lamb, tuna etc).  So don’t quote exacts, as I’m so not a nutritionist and used the packaging to get numbers.

Steamed Salmon with red peppers, zucchini’s and dill

• Salmon fillet
• Red peppers and zucchini’s thinly sliced.

1. Thinly slice peppers and zucchini’s and toss with 1 tbsp olive oil and 1tsp dill
2. Place 1/2 the veggies on a large piece of aluminum foil.
3. Place salmon fillet on top of veggies and then place remaining veggies on top of salmon.
4. Salt and pepper
5. Seal foil around salmon fillet and bake at 375 until done.  The larger the piece the longer.  Check at about 15 minutes and remove when done.  Salmon should be medium rare.

Nutrition: Calories 220; Protein 25g; Fat 12g; Carbs 6g

Tuna Salad:

• 1 can tuna in water
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp non-fat yogurt
• 1 carrot finely chopped
• 1 celery finely chopped

1. Drain tuna and place in bowl.
2. Add vinegar, yogurt and veggies.  Stir completely.
3. Can be used in sandwich or eaten straight up.

Nutrition: Calories 130; Protein 20g; Fat 1.5g ; Carbs:7g

Braised lamb with Lentils: Ok, this recipe is higher in calories, but it was so good.  The nutrition value I based on 100g of lamb and 1 cup of cooked lentils.

• 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 3 large lamb chops
• Salt and Cracked black pepper
• 1 large red onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 tbsp. curry powder
• 1 1/2 tbsp. fresh thyme leaves
• 2 bay leaves
• One 15 oz. can whole tomatoes, drained and chopped
• 2 c. chicken stock
• 1 c. white wine
• 1 1/4 c. lentils

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Season generously with salt and pepper. In a large dutch oven or heavy-lidded pot, brown the lamb shanks in batches in the olive oil. Make sure they get a dark red color when browning. Transfer the chops to a platter.
3. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and coat the vegetables in the fat from the lamb. Saute, until browned in spots, for 8 minutes. Add in the garlic and curry powder and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the thyme and the bay leaf. Cook for 1 minute more. Add in the tomatoes, wine and stock, and raise heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil for 4 minutes, incorporating flavors.
4. Return the chops to the pot. Cover the shanks with enough parchment paper to touch the lamb shanks and hang out over the edge of the pot. Set the lid in place and put the pot in the lower 1/3 of the oven. After 1 hour, turn the shanks over on their other side.
5. Meanwhile, place the lentils in a sauce pan with 6 cups of water, 1/2 tbsp. of thyme, bay leaf, and 1/2 tsp. salt. Bring water to a boil, and them reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes. Drain water from lentils and put on a plate to cool. Set aside.
6. When the lamb has been braising for an hour, remove pot from oven. Remove chops from the pot and stir in the lentils. Season with black pepper. Place the chops back in the pot and cover with parchment and lid. Cook another 45 minutes, until lamb is falling off the bone and lentils have a slight bite.
7. Serve!

Nutrition: Calories 652; Protein 46g : Fat 29g; Carbs:79g  (this is based on 100g lamb and 1 cup of lentils)

Protein Smoothie: Great for after a workout or for breakfast

• 1 scoop whey protein
• 1 ripe banana
• 3-4 ice cubes
• 1/2 cup blueberries
• 8 oz of water

1. Puree together and drink!

Nutrition: Calories 280; Protein 22g; Fat 2g; Carbs 56g

So there you have it.  Week 1 was tough.  Week 2 should be easier, at least I hope.  Two weeks until I celebrate, I hope you will join me!  See you then :)

Thanks for looking!

21 Day Challenge!

This cold has knocked me flat and I’m not just talking about just being sick.  For those who know me, know I’m active.  I love to run, play tennis, workout etc. but it seems like everything has been against me since before Christmas.  What with pulled muscles, colds, slipped discs, general nonchalance and now since this cold I feel like its time to make a change.  A challenge as it were!

So here’s my challenge. 

My plan for the next 21 days is to just get back to normal i.e. eating healthy and getting active again.  It’s kind of of a large challenge since I write a dessert blog for a living.  Being elbow deep in sugar, butter and chocolate most days as well as trying to think up new treats certainly doesn’t help.  So I decided to put it out there for all to see and to recruit your help.  I need a cheering squad and in return will throw a 21 day challenge party at the end with lots of prizes.

Now why would I give stuff away for you to cheer me on?  I’m all about motivation and accountability.  It doesn’t work for a lot of people, but it works for me.  So in 21 days, on March 8th, Trilogy Edibles will be throwing a shin-dig and giveaway!

Over the next 3 weeks I plan to increase the amount of protein and decrease the amounts of whites (sugar, starch etc).  I will cheat, I won’t pretend that I won’t and I will own up to it!  I’ll post my menu’s at the beginning of each week along with my activity plans. 

Disclaimer, this is NOT about weight.  Sure losing a few pounds is always a plus, but there is no scale in my house.  I have no idea how much I weigh just an idea.  It’s all about how the clothes fit and how I feel.  I stopped caring about the number 20 years ago when it almost ruined my life.

If you’d like to join in, please tell me.  It’s always easier to do stuff like this when you have friends doing it with you.

Here is the next seven days plan:  I found this online and have adapted quite a bit.  Protein means any lean meat (chicken, beef, pork or fish), it’s more about the quantity.  If you don’t have a scale, the size of your meat portion should be no bigger than your fist.  The calories, fat, carbs and protein numbers are approximates.  This menu is pretty basic, feel free to mix it up with different veggies.  It’s also fairly bland, we’ll get a bit more exciting next week.  We will add back some sugar by week 3.  I’m all about a balanced diet and that includes sweets.  Also, if 1500 calories isn’t enough for you, add some more, just don’t go less because going less won’t help.  You NEED to eat to be healthy.

So start with meal 1 and then space out every couple hours and don’t eat after 7pm.  Also include 20-30 minutes of activity each day.  For example, walk the dog!  That’s what I’ll be doing until my ribs no longer hurt.

Day 1

Meal 1  2 Egg whites + 1 whole egg scrambled with cooking spray, and 1 package Quaker Oatmeal
Meal 2  1 can of tuna mixed with fat free mayo + 1/2 cup of brown rice.
Meal 3 1 cup of lean turkey + 1/2 cup of brown rice.
Meal 4  100 grams of protein + 2 cups of broccoli (drizzled with olive oil)
Meal 5  1 cup 1-2% cottage cheese + 1 tbsp peanut butter
Calories 1566, Fat 41g, Carb 119g, Protein 178g

Day 2

Meal 1  2/3 cup Yogurt with 1 cup of skim milk (yes...skim)
Meal 2 1 cup of lean turkey + 1/2 cup of beans.
Meal 3  Tuna melt sandwich (1 can of tuna with cheese slice and 2 slices of whole wheat bread)
Meal 4 100 grams of protein with 1/2 cup of 1% cottage cheese and 2 cups of broccoli
Meal 5 8:00pm - 1 cup 1-2% cottage cheese + 1 tbsp peanut butter
Calories 1493, Fat 37g, Carbs 124g, Protein 167g

Day 3

Meal 1  Omellette (4 egg whites+1 whole) with 2 whole wheat toast
Meal 2 1 can of tuna mixed with fat free mayo + 1/2 cup of brown rice.
Meal 3 100g of protein + 2 cups of broccoli + 1/2 cup of brown rice
Meal 4 1 scoop whey protein (mix as per container directions)
Meal 5  100g of protein + 1/2 cup of brown rice + 1 cup of green beans
Meal 6 1 scoop whey protein + 1tbsp peanut butter
Calories 1481, Fat 41g, Carb 112g, Protein 170g

Day 4

Meal 1  4 white/1 whole egg scrambled with cooking spray, and 1 package Quaker Oatmeal
Meal 2  1 can of tuna mixed with fat free mayo + 1 cup of brown rice + 2 cups of broccoli.
Meal 3 1 scoop of whey protein
Meal 4 100g protein + 1/2 cup of 1% cottage cheese + 1/2 cup of brown rice
Meal 5 100g protein + 2 cups of green beans + 1/2 cup of brown rice
Meal 6  1 cup of 1% cottage cheese + 1 tbsp peanut butter
Calories 1554, Fat 31g, Carbs 159g, Protein 162g

Day 5

Meal 1 Breakfast Fajita (4 egg whites+1 whole egg with a slice cheese and flour tortilla)
Meal 2 100g of protein + 1 cup of brown rice + 2 cups of green beans
Meal 3 1 scoop of whey protein
Meal 4 100g of protein + 2 cups of broccoli + 1 cup of brown rice
Meal 5 100g of protein + 2 cups of green beans + 1 cup of brown rice
Meal 6 1 cup of 1% cottage cheese + 1 tbsp natural peanut butter
Calories 1457, Fats 30g, Carbs 132g, Protein 167g

Day 6

Meal 1 2 sunny side up eggs with 2 whole wheat toast and 1/2 a tomato
Meal 2 1 scoop whey protein + 1 package of Quaker Oatmeal
Meal 3 100g of protein + 1/3 cup mashed potatoes + 1/3 cup 1% cottage cheese + 1 cup lettuce w/ zesty italian dressing
Meal 4 100 g protein with 1 cup of salad
Meal 5  3 hard boiled eggs (2 whole, 4 whites) + 1 tbsp natural peanut butter
Calories 1613, Fats 61g, Carbs 106g, Proteins 164g

Day 7

Meal 1 4 white/1 whole egg scrambled with cooking spray, and 1 package Quaker Oatmeal
Meal 2 Ham sandwich (100g of ham+ 2 slices of whole wheat bread)
Meal 3 100g of protein + 2 cups of broccoli + 1/3 cup of brown rice + 1/2 cup cottage cheese
Meal 4  1 can of tuna + 2 cups of broccoli
Meal 5  1 cup of 1% cottage cheese + 1 tbsp of natural peanut butter
Calories 1511, Fats 50g, Carbs 111g, Protein 162g

 

So that’s my challenge.  Wish me luck, I’ll post again next Thursday and tell you how it’s going!

Also, if you’d like to help me with my celebration party, that would be awesome too!

Let’s get healthy!