DH and I this week started "100 Days of Real Food" inspired by the web site/blog. Basically -- avoid processed food and anything with more than 5 ingredients listed on the package, no added sugar, no white flour. I'm already probably going to screw it up because I'm leaving this afternoon for a 3-day ladies' getaway weekend in Portland, ME. But I will do my best...

My favorite walking buddy and I are back in the swing of things with walking outdoors, which is so much more enjoyable than the treadmill!

I have a lot of significant events coming up that I'd like to look good for, so that's an inspiration. DS is graduating in a month, we have two trips in June, etc...and holy cr-p, I'm turning 50 in Sept.!

Also have decided to pay better attention to certain other things, so have decided that a monthly facial isn't a bad idea. :)

So looking forward to nice weather now that May has arrived. April ended with not showers, but a monsoon. We had 5" of rain the last two days of April. The sunny days and warmer weather really do motivate me.

My eating habits took a bit of a backslide in the couple of weeks leading up to April, and despite being somewhat consistent with exercise, the extra calories were definitely causing my clothes to fit snugly.

I've cut out, for the most part, sugar and things like bread, rice, potatoes, cheese - basically limiting myself to mostly lean meats, veggies, fruits, eggs. Not totally depriving myself though, allowing a cheat here and there, but I find that it's easier to keep off sugar if I just don't do it at all. However, my dd's birthday is Sunday, and I'm making a red velvet cake at her request - after the effort, I'm not going to deprive myself at least one small piece!

Regular exercise is going well. Now that the ice and snow is gone, back to running more regularly and did a couple of 5Ks with my kids. I need to sign up for a race soon to keep me motivated to do some longer distance running - this time last year, I was two weeks away from doing a 1/2 marathon. I do have two races in November but that's far enough off in the future not to be enough motivation right now. In between running days, I do a TRX class once a week and a barre class 2 days a week. A friend of mine exercises with me pretty much every run/class I take, so that keeps me accountable. She also just signed up for a 3-week boot camp class, so I'm doing it with her in spirit (same food restrictions and basic exercise plan but not doing the gym classes with her, just doing my barre and TRX).

May will be a difficult month for me to stay on a good "diet" - several birthdays in my family, Mother's Day, plus a trip to the beach for 5 days over Memorial Day weekend. I find though that if I see results, I'm less likely to let myself get off track, as I don't want all that hard work to go to waste.

Sueb, would love to hear how your 100 days goes. Don't worry about your weekend away, I'm sure if you put your mind to it, you can stick to it for the most part (maybe allow yourself one cheat food a day).

HH, I'd be curious to see your lentil/cauliflower recipe. While neither are foods I'm that wild about, I don't necessarily dislike them. I'm trying to add different vegetable dishes into my diet as I'm getting bored with all my staple vegetable dishes!

Off to a good start this month. Went back to phase 1 of South Beach, which combined with 2 gym visits and 2 home workouts/week has resulted in a 2 lb.loss since the last post. The amazing part is how much better I feel! I'm starting to think I should cut out gluten for good.

I'm eating LOTS of raw veggies, hard boilded eggs, turkey and cheese roll-ups and Laughing Cow cheese while at work. For dinner I eat lean meat and veggies. My beverages are limited to one iced coffe a day w/ skim milk, water, V-8 juice and....a couple of glasses of white wine w/ dinner (a big no-no in phase 1........guess I'd lose more if I dropped the wine).

Here's to everyone who is trying to attain a healty state by lifestyle changes! The warm weather is a big boost to get out and cycle.

Here's a link to the recipe. It's from Food and Wine magazine.
Roasted Cauliflower and Lentils
I didn't have any dried fruit so i skipped the dates (I love dates but the pantry was bare). I bet it would be good with dried apricots or white raisins or even craisins.

Back on track. My weight is down but I am still determined to lose another three pounds. I'm going on vacation next month and would like to be able to splurge on my diet.
I went to my usual weight training class and she mixed things up and told us we would feel it today. And, I do.

I keep a notebook of what I serve for dinner. It reminds me of dishes I want to make again and where to find the recipe. I also rate things and add comments that I enjoy seeing months and years later. I started 5 years ago when I kept a calendar to keep track of my husband's medications and appointments (when he was being treated for leukemia). Fortunately, he's better so I don't need to track medications and appointments but I realized I enjoyed keeping track of our meals, restaurants we've been to, who was here and what I've served guests to avoid repeats.

Maybe if I list some of my favorite veggies, it will spark your enthusiasm. If you list your favorites maybe I'll get inspired since I'm in a bit of a rut.

Let me know if you want any of the recipes. Some of my favorite veggie recipes are:
Curried cauliflower
Roasted spiced carrots
Brussels sprout hash
Roasted broccoli with garlic and lemon (Barefoot Contessa)
Butternut squash salad (Barefoot Contessa)
Orzo with creamed corn (more orzo than corn but it's a great side dish)

Other frequently eaten veggies without a recipe
Roasted sweet potatoes
Roasted white potatoes with various herbs and spices
Sautéed spinach
Roasted asparagus, roasted green beans
Grilled veggies (eggplant, zucchini, mushrooms, peppers)

Well didn't I do it! We had lots of company for Easter including overnight guests for a couple of nights and then we had the wedding to go to, overnight for a couple of nights so all bets were off on food. (How could I throw out that choc chiffon cake???)

So this week I was back on the (mostly) straight and (attempting to get) narrow, until last night. We had neighbors over for dinner...what a great time...well dinner was really more of a long graze with some healthy and plenty of not so healthy stuff, including these pastry wrapped cheese and spinach things they brought, ending with chocolate covered strawberries which they brought and the ghiradelli dark choc mousse (made with soy) and raspberries that I made. Well it was a lot more than I'm used to eating...don't know if it was all the fat or the amount of food, all the chocolate or the coffee liqueur I had to finish it off, but I was so sick all night long. It wasn't until 5 am that I finally took a shot of blackberry brandy and it did finally settle my tummy. (Next time I'll take it sooner.) But it was a lesson for sure that just because you are serving it, doesn't mean you have to eat it! Let's hope I don't forget that lesson between now and the next dinner party!

Definitely back on the straight and narrow again, once the system is running normally again. Yikes!

Whew, I am tired today. I ran a 5k race last night and this morning my running group ran the 10k course! So that is 9.3 miles I ran in less than 24 hours...really less than 12 hrs. But those endorphins kick in after you are done, don't they? Tomorrow will definitely be a rest day and I will do some major stretching tonight again.

Food hasn't been a problem, but I could have fueled up more last night before today's run. I have been trying to eat gluten-free for about 6 weeks or more. Sometimes I have cheated (that chick-fil-a sandwich sure was yummy the other day!). And I eat almost no extra sugar except a square of dark chocolate in the evenings as a treat.

HH, really appreciate the offer of some of your recipes. We love roasted vegetables. I grow squash and m always grilling those in summer too. Annie, hope you are better. Sounds like your system went on overload!

Curried cauliflower (from Jif peanut butter site)

1/2 cup Olive Oil, divided
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 medium head cauliflower, cut into bite-sized florets (5 to 6 cups)

CURRY PEANUT VINAIGRETTE
1/4 cup Jifî Extra Crunchy Peanut Butter
2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
2 teaspoons curry powder
2 teaspoons honey
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

HEAT oven to 425ðF. Line 15 x 10-inch baking pan with foil. Combine 1/4 cup oil, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper in large bowl. Add cauliflower; toss to coat evenly. Spread cauliflower in a single layer in prepared baking pan. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or just until tender.
COMBINE peanut butter, rice vinegar, curry powder, honey, red pepper flakes and remaining 1/4 cup oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large serving bowl. Whisk until smooth.
ADD warm cauliflower to peanut vinaigrette; toss to coat. Serve immediately.

Serving Size (1/6 of recipe), Calories 260 (Calories from Fat 210), Total Fat 24g (Saturated Fat 3.5g, Trans Fat 0g), Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 260mg, Total Carbohydrate 10g (Dietary Fiber 3g, Sugars 5g), Protein 4g; Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 2%, Vitamin C 70%, Calcium 2%, Iron 6%.
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

I don't remember where I first found this recipe, I have it handwritten on a scrap of paper, so I can't credit the original source.

Roasted spiced carrots
2 T olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 T sugar
1 t cumin
1/2 t kosher salt
1/2 t ground cinnamon
2 lbs carrots, sliced
1/4 c white raisins
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 c parsley, chopped

Heat oven to 400. Combine oil thru carrots in a shallow baking pan. Roast until fork tender, approx. 20 minutes (but it depends on carrot thickness). Remove from oven, toss with remaining ingredients.

Can be made up to 1 day ahead. They're good warm or room temp. Carrots really shrink down when roasted so you may need to make more than you think you need.

Orzo with creamed corn sauce
Bon appetite magazine Aug 2008

2/3 c orzo (about 5 oz)
1 1/3 c whipping cream
2 ears of corn, kernels cut from cobs, divided (1 cob reserved)
2 T olive oil
3 T finely chopped leek (white part only)
3 T dry white wine
Chopped fresh chives

Cook orzo until al dente, stirring often. Drain.

Meanwhile, place cream, 1/2 of corn kernels, and reserved cob in a heavy medium saucepan. Boil over medium heat until thickened, about 10 minutes. Discard cob, purée sauce in blender until smooth.

Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add leek and sauté until tender, about 2 minutes. Add wine and simmer until almost evaporated, about 1 minute. Add remaining corn kernels and sauté until tender, about 3 minutes. Add creamed corn sauce and cooked orzo. Bring to simmer. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to serving bowl, sprinkle with chives.

Notes:
I only make this when corn is in season.
I use an immersion blender.
I've used gluten free orzo successfully.
I've skipped the wine for a non-drinking guest and it was fine, just a small reduction in flavor.

I'll link to epicurious for this recipe. It's from Bon Appetite Nov 2007

Here is a link that might be useful: Brussels sprout hash with caramelized shallots

Thanks outside...on the mend but still on the brandy too...maybe by tomorrow....

Thanks hhireno. Those sound yummy. I am always looking for a good carrot recipe, especially for Thanksgiving. And the orzo with corn....divine!!

I make that brussell sprout hash for our NYE dinner. Really good! I definitely got the link to the recipe here on GW.

This is a tough time for me since the semester is winding down. So much work, grading, deadlines, meetings, etc.

I am still having some issues with fluid retention in my feet. I have been watching my sodium, so that seems to have helped some. There was no evidence of diabetes, kidney, or liver disease. Also, my Vitamin D levels are still a little low. My niece, who's an RD, said try to eat salmon at least once a week (we typically do), and we eat eggs as well since the yolks are Vit D.

I am still getting the personal training weights WO's twice a week, so I am doing well with that. I go in the pool several times a week, go walking, or to Zumba, and normally I go to Spinning once on the weekends, but today I am going for a walk since it's so nice out.

I will be doing more work than I would like to be doing in the summer. I was really hoping to take the time to work on me and projects around the house.

Hhireno, thanks for all the recipes. I'm going to try that lentil/cauliflower dish. Some of the others look great too.

I wish I liked brussel sprouts. When I was a kid, we were forced to eat them and I hated them so much I would swallow them whole with a swig of milk (can't believe I didn't choke!). I've never even then since my childhood but in recent years, they seem to have become popular. I decided I'd give them another try since many things I didn't like as a kid I love now. Unfortunately, I discovered, I still don't like them. I think I just don't like the texture. I've seen so many recipes that make them look delicious, but I've tried them twice and just didn't like them.

One thing I absolutely love is spinach, raw and cooked. I could eat it every night sautéed with garlic. Mmmm. I just hate how it cooks down so much - I buy the big containers at Sam's but they take up so much room and then I only get two meals out of that big container. Sadly, though, my kids don't share the love even though I loved it as a kid too.

I love spinach too! Well, actually, I think I like all vegetables.

Later in life, your kids will probably discover Brussels sprouts and complain "how come you never served these?" They'll forget all the things you tried to get them to eat without success.

I not saying you have to try them again, if you don't like them you don't like them, but my guess is the ones you've had were overcooked. When I make them they're al dente, with some crunch still. My MIL makes the same casserole for every holiday. Cauliflower, BS, and broccoli overcooked to mush than coated in a cheese sauce. It's just awful, IMO, but the others look forward to it so it's on the menu.

My mother tends to overcooked vegetables also. Maybe it's a generational thing (she's 83, MIL 79). My mother also thinks canned peas are a treat! When I was out of town she invited my husband over for dinner and made them for him knowing he doesn't get them at our house (I make frozen peas). He's a great guy and willingly eats whatever is provided without complaint. Unlike me.

She also serves him tuna noodle casserole and meatloaf, two other things that will not be served here because I don't like them. The only thing he requests not to eat is eggplant. Recently, when I was visiting my sister she made eggplant a few ways since she knows I like it but don't make it. I've been craving caponata since I returned home.

I love the recipes thanks! I'm also a huge spinach fan.

Going along ok here. I'm following a weightlifting book called The New Rules of Lifting for Women. Three workouts in. Food is going well. I'm off the sugar, eating low carb, but my weight isn't budging much. It's only been a week or so, but you know how you want that first couple of pounds to fly off. I'm pretty sure I will need to cut cheese out of the equation, but I'm resisting!

Beth

I usually only lurk but have decided to join this month because I'm having some specific challenges that are really trying me lately! First, I broke my right ankle very badly several weeks ago, so I have been mostly stuck at home, and I eat what my husband prepares - a cook he is not! I am not yet able to walk and standing with crutches for any length of time just kills me. I am eating a lot of yogurt, toast, string cheese, grilled things, and other easy to prepare foods. I am supposed to be increasing my calcium intake which has been hard. At first, I lost weight because I didn't feel like eating when I was in so much pain the first two weeks, but now I seem to be gaining, as I am munching out of boredom!

On top of that, I have developed kidney stones for the third time in 10 years. This time I have a quite large stone in my ureter, just before it hits the bladder. I have a 50% chance of passing it; if not, I will have surgery to remove it soon.

I feel like I'm never going to dig myself out of this hole, and it's difficult to eat well and exercise my body when I feel like crap. I am trying to keep it all in perspective, though, because I know it could be much, much worse. I will get back to my upper body weight lifting and check out The New Rules of Lifting book mentioned in this thread.

Thanks for the ideas and letting me vent!

JaneJune, welcome out of lurkdom. Life has definitely thrown you some nasty curves lately. Living with pain really just sucks the life out of you. Is the kidney stone painful as well?

Maybe just being a little more mindful of eating and thinking about what you'll do when you are feeling a little better will help halt the gain. Good luck to you!!

JaneJune, so sorry to hear about your ankle and kidney stones. Talk about double whammy! Hopefully you will recover soon and get back to what you like to be doing/eating.

Hhireno, the brussel sprouts weren't overcooked. I roasted them in the oven with other vegetables with some herbs and olive oil. Then I had them another time when a neighbor made them (she is an excellent cook) - can't remember how they were prepared but with shallots and maybe bacon? Everyone else raved about them, so I figured it was just me. After that I gave up. I just don't like the flavor/texture, but I don't care much for regular cabbage either but I'll eat it.

I do LOVE eggplant, no matter how it's prepared. I make ratatouille all the time to eat for lunch. So easy. I also make stuffed eggplant (Cooking Light recipe), a zucchini/eggplant turkey lasagna where the vegetables are the noodles. There is no cheese in it either so it's not really lasagna but a low fat/carb free version. I haven't made it in years b/c it's heavy/rich but I also make an eggplant parmesan casserole. I never fry/bread my eggplant - i just slice thin and bake in the oven until tender.

I like most vegetables - the only ones I truly do not like at all are brussel sprouts and lima beans (if that's considered a vegetableâ¦not sure if it's a legume).

4k4u,
Well, the tastebuds like what they like. You've given BS a fair chance. For some reason I can't explain, I had two bags of frozen Lima beans in my freezer. They are so bland and uninteresting I think I must have purchased them for something specific. But what? They'll sit there waiting until I think of it or until I need an ice pack.

JaneJune
Hi there, thanks for joining us. Sounds like you have nowhere to go but up! Each step towards being healthier will make each additional step easier. We're here at the beginning of each month with encouragement and ideas. Good luck with the kidney stone situation. I've heard those are unpleasant.

JaneJune,
I wanted to offer encouragement. Three years ago I broke my foot, and as I usually walked for exercise I was at a loss. I decided to try going to a trainer for help with how to exercise while my foot healed. Well, I'm still going to the trainer and probably in the best shape of my life...adding muscle to my poor middle aged body to help keep me strong and healthy. If you can afford it, this might help once you are cleared to exercise. Ask your orthopedist for a recommendation (or PT if you are referred to one for your ankle). Good luck and happy healing!
Judy

Not happy with being unable to lose a few pounds I've gained or with my lack of motivation to get back to exercising more than twice a week.

However on a positive note DH, who has a major sweet tooth and always has dessert around, has decided to cut back on this. He's the model for being fit and trim but after having a stroke his doctor wants him to get his LDL lower and he doesn't want to take medication. He exercises a lot and eats very healthy other than the sweets so he's cut that out. I'm amazed how easily he has just eliminated it. The good thing for me is that now we don't have this around to tempt me which will be very, very good for my sugar addiction and in turn my weight loss I think. Now that I've killed off the dark chocolate covered pretzel crisps the house is all clear of this stuff. I don't have a problem avoiding buying it, just avoiding eating it if it's around.

I've also decided I need to eat more protein. I'm not a big meat eater though I don't mind meat. I'm just a big fruit, vegetable and whole grain eater which is fine but not great for protein consumption. I'm thinking if I eat same calories but more protein I'll be more satisfied and not wanting to eat as much. Time will tell.

My 57th birthday is coming up in ten days. I'm happy to be getting "old" considering I've had cancer three times. Yippee!! Between my situation and DH's stroke last year, we are very focused on enjoying life and doing things we want to do before we croak. You never know how much time you've got. We truly enjoy every day but for special events, we're going to Scotland in September. I've also just made reservations to go to Yellowstone and Grand Teton in the fall of 2015. We joke (kind of) that we hope we're still around by then. Seems like a long way off but it goes by fast.

I find it best to just keep certain foods out of the house. We all have a limited amount of willpower so it's best to work with yourself instead of against yourself.

As for exercise motivation, that is hard. Sometimes you just need a break so maybe you're in that phase. As the spring and summer roll in you might be more inspired. Twice a week is better than nothing.

For protein, I eat Greek yogurt and add chia seeds to my breakfast granola. One tablespoon of chia has 3g of protein and 5g of fiber. It really keeps me satisfied all morning. When I eat an apple (at least once a day), I always pair it with some almonds or almond butter for the protein.

Pre Happy Birthday wishes to you gibby. What wonderful trips you have planned. I loved Scotland and was lucky to have perfect weather. It was sunny and 70's everyday that week (in June). I suppose I could enjoy anywhere when the weather is perfect. The country is beautiful, the people were friendly, the food was wonderful. I'm hoping to return someday.

Thank you, ladies, for the suggestions and encouragement. Agreed, nowhere to go but up!! The kidney stone is not painful right now....I'm just waiting for it to start any time. I had significant pain about two weeks ago and again 5 days ago. Other than that, it's just a lot of feeling sick and also urinary urgency similar to a bladder infection.

I am already doing physical therapy for my ankle, which is helping. I am also occasionally lifting light hand weights, working my triceps as I go down the stairs on my butt, leg lifts, and have started push ups on my knees. It is a good idea to consider a trainer. The PT told me muscles that you don't use begin to atrophy in 3 days. My poor right calf has withered away to nothing after all these weeks of no activity, and the rest of my body has gotten a bit softer, too. I am a firm believer that weight training is really helpful to overall health....just need to leave my pity party and buckle down and get it done.

I hope you have room for one more, as I'd love to join in!

Such great food ideas here, which is what I need. I've been a vegetarian for a long time, but feel like I am perpetually in a rut.

I've come up (based on what I've read + just personal experiences) on a few thoughts re: healthy eating behaviors . . .maybe this will help someone:

(1) When you eat, just sit down and eat. Don't read, use the computer, stand, etc. This is very hard for me personally because I never know how much time I'll have (young kids) so I like to multitask. Eating is EXTREMELY boring when you do it this way, though, so it will reduce your chance of mindless eating by a lot. You also enjoy your food a lot more.

(2) Decide what you'll eat ahead of time. I've been doing this lately, and it helps a lot. I put all of the food I'm going to eat on a plate beforehand-- then I can really see my quantity accurately. Of course, if I'm still truly hungry, I will have more, but I have to be really hungry. I always do this for snacks-- if I want chips, I'll eat them from a small bowl and never the bag. (But then I found out that just 11 chips have 180 calories! 11 chips! Not so worth it . . .so now I just have 2 for the taste.)

(3) Every other serving I eat is a fruit or vegetable. In other words, if I've had a protein, then I have a fruit/vegetable. The next food might be lasagna . . .then it's a fruit/vegetable. This way I easily get in my servings of the fruits/vegs AND I can judge if I just want to snack or am hungry.

I am going to look for the past posts so I can get more recipes from you all! Thank you!

Just eating shouldn't be extremely boring! But I enjoy thinking about, reading about, preparing, and eating food. (The clean up? Not so much.) I've heard of others who just eat to live but I don't get that.

You need to focus on the aromas, the textures, and the appearance of the food. Think about all the people involved in getting the food to your plate.

Stop and smell the roses, or the lasagna as the case may be.

Ha, ha, HHireno! I only mean it's not as exciting as one would think. . .some people think of food as a drug (overeat, think of it in moral terms of bad/good), but really, when you REALLY focus on it, it becomes a lot less fascinating and desirable. A few bites of something (when you concentrate on enjoying it) can be better than 100 bites of mindless eating.

I do a lot of cooking, meal planning, and ugh, cleaning . . .so I'm not an eat to live person, but I don't live to eat, either. It works for me!

There was a sign at the place I do my weights: "The food you eat either makes you more healthy or less healthy. This is your choice."

Sounds easy, right?

Two signs at my gym are:

No one ever drowned from sweating

Pain in weakness leaving the body (I don't agree with this one)

My old gym had a quote from Mickey Mantle "if I knew I was going to live this long I would have taken better care of myself."