Fighting My Cravings, CREATIVE and FUN Recipes

FIRST RECIPE

You Know That Weird Jello Desert Your Strange Aunt Makes That is Always at Family Reunions?

yeah, that one... You Can Make a HEALTHY Version.

All you need is:

2 cups of Greek Yogurt (0% fat, plain)

3 cups of Sugar Free Jello (yeah, you've got to make it first)

3 packets of Stevia (like splenda, only better)

A few mixing bowls and some snack size Glad/ziploc/tupperware containers with lids

Some fresh fruit, AND

A Sense of Humor.

Alrighty my Mighty Chefs of Healthy Cuisine, This snack is not to be eaten EVERY DAY, but is a fun replacement for the ice-cream or pie deserts you may feel you are missing out on! This is an Anti-Craving Treat.


Step One: Make Sugar Free Jello (I like black cherry or orange) and Measure out 3 cups. (Give the rest to the boyfriend or kids or hubby, because sharing is caring)

Step Two: In Separate container, mix stevia with greek yogurt and your choice of fresh fruit. (I used strawberries since they are lower in natural sugars)

Step Three: Portion Jello evenly into 4 plastic containers, and then evenly portion greek yogurt/fruit mixture on top.

Step Four:  Enjoy, you've got 4 handy little treats for if the hubby/bf/kids have something fattening and you want to feel included! Only your treat is colorful, 0% fat, low sugar, and good for you. (and I bet the Significant other and Offspring will want to try it)

Step Four Point Five...: I really hope it goes without saying that you would have to refrigerate these... but I said it anyways.

ommm nom nom







NEXT RECIPE!


To Defeat The Crazy Cheese Craving!

This one is so easy, So fast, and so simple.... I don't even know what to call it without exposing all the ingredients, so we will call it:

!Fast Breakfast!

You Need:

3 egg whites

2 tablespoons of fat free cottage cheese

A pinch of garlic

A pinch of salt


OKAY, so you dump all this in a MICROWAVE SAFE bowl, and mix it around. Then you nuke it for 30 seconds. Then you mix it a little more, Then you nuke it again for 30 sec, then you mix it one more time, and nuke it till it's fluffy (about a minute more in my microwave) and then you let it sit for a bit and cool off, and then you eat it. It will taste surprisingly like you used actual cheese, and minimize your dish usage. I like to have it with broccoli... :shrug: but I'm special like that.

LAST RECIPE OF THE NIGHT!

Conquer The Chocolate (or peanut butter) Monster


Once again, this is a simple tool for fighting Cravings. It will be lower in fats and sugars than most 'low fat' deserts available, and will be high in Protein.

You need:

1/2 Cup Greek Yogurt (0% fat, Plain)

1 Packet of Stevia Sweetener

1 Teaspoon of  either Chocolate Hazelnut Spread or Peanut Butter ( I use Justin's Organics)

And you pretty much mix these all together until it is fairly consistent, Pop it in the freezer for about 5min to make it a little more solid, and have yourself a treat.

Joining a Gym and other expensive things...

Well, I joined the 24hour Fitness by my house, it's a Super Sport, which means it was expensive. I luckily get a corporate discount from the weight loss center I work at. Yup, I work at a weight loss center. NO I'M NOT ON THE PLAN, but it's a fairly easy and effective plan for people who need that kind of help, And I have no qualms with helping people. In fact I really want to get my Mom on the plan. Anyways, I am also considering joining a tiny little private gym next door to work that is only $18/month and has personal training for $25/session. The guy in there actually had a pretty good idea for me, since he does not specialize in competition training. He said rather than see a hardcore Competition trainer every week, go to them every 3wks or so, get the workout plan, get the supplement plan, and then bring the workout plan to him and he would make me follow it. This sounds to me like a cost effective way to begin my journey. We could call it the prep for the competition prep! Then, once I've re-comped my body, and have a little savings, I can reach out to someone like this guy to do my final 12week competition prep. There is also a trainer at 24hr who works with competition prep for $50/session. I need to figure out what the best route for me would be.

Tomorrow I have an appointment with the guy at the little gym to kinda do a fitness eval and training intro, and then I have an appointment Sunday with the girl at 24 to do pretty much the same thing. After that I'm going to do an eval with my bank account, my budget, and my schedule. Finally, after crunchy options and numbers and smooshing my braincells in ways that meatheads usually can't imagine... I will probably just ask someone else what to do... or make up my damn mind.


Either way, I'm going to do this. No ifs, ands, or butts. 





I also want to add that all workout plans should involve stairmasters and rowing machines. PERIOD. They do amazing things for your endurance, your body, and the stares of the people around you!!!!  BUTT, THIGHS, ABS, BACK, SHOULDERS, LATS, AND ARMS. Seriously, try doing both in one day, even if it's just 10min each! You will thank me.

This is What I'm Eating

Sometimes I wonder if I am doing this right, the Diet portion of my chosen lifestyle... So I posted the following in the Women's Forum of BodyBuilding.com. Hopefully I get some decent feedback. 

Cut and Paste from my Forum Post:

Hey so although I wish I had a trainer/nutritionist, i don't know how to find a good one, and i've been trying to eat healthy on my own. I think i'm doing okay... I have celiacs and I am kinda broke so I do the best I can. Here's my break down...

weight: 131lbs
height: 5'6"

supplements: l-glutamine, glucosamine, Now Foods b12 energy packets w/ creatine, biotin, and a Multivitamin. I occasionally use Jack3d when i'm having a tough time motivating myself, but never more than one scoop and barely 3 times a week. I also use trader joe's Fast dissolve Chocolate Whey powder (because it is only $10) and a Designer Whey french vanilla (also from trader joes, only $11, it's more expensive elsewhere but it's gluten free) I think they sell it at the vitamin shoppe also. i'm a newb so i can't link, but when i googled designer whey french vanilla it came right up.

generally for breakfast I have either an egg white omelet (non fat cooking spray, 3 egg whites, 1 full egg, 1/2 cup of chopped spinach, 1/8 cup of fat free cottage cheese, a little garlic for flavor, and topped with a sprinkling of low fat grated Parmesan

or 2/3rd cups of strawberry greek yogurt (0% fat) mixed with 1/8th cup of gluten free cinnamon raisin granola, a scoop of vanilla whey protein, and 6 raw almonds. 

about an hour later i have either 1 serving of the vanilla whey in 6oz of rice milk or 2 scoops (1 serving) of chocolate whey in black coffee. 

around lunch time i eat a tablespoon of low fat peanut butter, 12 almonds, a slice of cheese (small slice about the size of one of those precut cracker barrel snack sizes, usually fontina or low moisture skim mozzerella, helps with cravings) and salad (ice berg lettuce, regular dinner bowl, either salsa or low fat vinaigrette dressing)
or 3 oz of chicken, seasoned with either old bay or lemon pepper, cooked with fat free cooking spray, and always a salad or 2/3 cup of either peas or broccoli, and 5/8ths cup of steamed rice, and 12 almonds

around 3 or 4pm, usually after i work out, i either have a muscle milk or I make a protein shake (1 tablespoon low fat pb, 1 serving vanilla whey, 1/2 serving chocolate whey, 3oz rice milk, 5 oz water) and if i am not working out I have a small orange or banana and a half a glass of rice milk.

dinner is usually about 3 oz chicken or fish, a cup of either broccoli, green beans or peas (or a salad) and 2/3cup of either rice, gluten free pasta, or potato

if i'm still hungry later in the evening i have 3 tablespoons of cottage cheese or maybe some almonds or cashews... and i do occasionally cheat and have a little ice cream or popcorn or some chips (bad me!) but i try to keep it minimal. I'm noticing i am usually still hungry in the evenings, i've caught myself attacking my pb around 8 to 9pm... and i'm trying to figure out why?! 

i haven't been super diligent about working out, I try to keep active every day, and i do situps and lunges and use my weights at home to soreness probably about 4 days a week, and I try to keep my rest times low and my heart rate up to keep my endurance, but i barely go running anymore, maybe twice a week. i do stairs also when i run, and when I just work out at home I do a lot of squats and steps on my kitchen step stool haha so i mean i get a decent burn going now and then, but at home i average about 40min to an hour and a half of weights, resistance work, and when i run or bike I do about 20mins. I need to join a gym soon! 

Anyways... why am I still so hungry? ghaaa i feel like i'm always eating!

~End Post~

 I really need to find  a Nutritionist and a Trainer so I can really get some input. I just have no idea where to start, and no money just yet. :(

More From my Internet Reading

I've been following Ali Rosen for about 8wks now and I really enjoy reading her blog/twitter feed. She is one tough cookie, and Oh My God, that butt! I think if I could go into my first competition with her body, I would be so confident! She is a Bikini class, and she has such a gorgeous body! I really enjoyed this article of hers and I thought I should share!

 Plan of Attack! - Ali Rosen

Get it, girl!

I need to try this!

 Originally Posted by oregonchick76 

I make "pumpkin custard" with it. Blend 12oz cottage cheese, 

12 oz canned pumpkin, 3 eggs, scoop of protein powder,

 2 tsp cinnamon and 1 cup sweetener of choice.

 Blend it smooth in a blender - the chunkiness of the cottage cheese disappears

 - then back in custard dishes or ramekins at 350 for 45 min.

 They are around 18g of protein and 160 calories. The perfect dessert."

I found this on the web forum of bodybuilding.com and 1 REALLY want to try it.
I really don't want to go to the grocery store though. so maybe not today.

CURRENT STATS

Jess, age 25

Height: 5'6"
Weight: 131.6lbs
BMI: 21 ish

Measurements:
Chest: 33in
Waist: 26in
Hips: 38in
Biceps: 11.5in
Upper Thigh: 22in
Calves: 14in

I still have yet to find out my body fat percentage.

Goals are hard to set without a bf% but I know I have too much right now. I would like to lose about 5lbs without compromising muscle mass, and I definitely have at least 5lbs of extra fat flopping around on me. So I guess what I want to do is Lose at least 7lbs of fat and put on around 3lbs of muscle.


<---- this is the scale I use, it calculates body mass index

My New Favorite Dessert!

<--- This is my Blender! I just got it, and it works well!
Anyhow, it came in the mail today, so I decided to try it out, and this is what I made!

Peanut Butter Protein Shake

what you need:

1 1/2 Cup Rice Milk

2 Scoops Vanilla Whey Protein powder

1 scoop Chocolate Whey Protein powder

1 teaspoon low fat Peanut Butter (not chunky)

1/2 cup ice

AND THENNNNNN..........

if you can't figure out that you just dump it all into a blender, put the lid on, and push the button until it is all... blended.. uhm... Your Diet is probably not your only problem.

 I put a bendy-straw in mine and that made it even cooler.

Change is Inevitable

   Right now, I am at a "normal" weight. Some people say I am skinny, and I laugh because I don't relate to that word. I am not a thin girl. I am not tiny. Growing up, I was small, scrawny at times, but never one of those long-limbed gangley types. I was very active, always outside, always high energy. I played sports and I did taekwondo for most of my life. I was recently digging through a large box of photos my mother had given me. I was a cute kid. I was kind of awkward, a tomboy even, but always bright eyes and big attitude. It was interesting to go through these, to watch my progression from child to teen and so forth. Through these pictures, I could see my lifestyle changes, from being extremely athletic until age 15/16 and then my slow taper into angst and depression, and of course weight gain. There was a period in high-school where I sort of stopped caring about taekwondo and only went once a week. It may have been because my self esteem was low after breaking up with a guy on our competition team, or just being a grouchy teenager, or the fact that I fought with my parents constantly? I can't remember, but the important part is that I had quit the team and lost interest in going to class. I was unhappy, unhealthy, and eating my feelings. I guess I peaked around 170 some pounds? I don't know. I stopped using the scale at that point. At 5'6", I was a size 14, and I was depressed.

  I struggled to lose weight for ages, in all the wrong ways. I am not proud of things I did, but I am through it. I was bouncing around in the world of eating disorders, from anorexia to binging to purging to over exercising, abusing weight loss pills etc. I did HORRIBLE things to my body. There were periods where I was eating 500 calories a day, and then going to the gym for three hours, to the point where when I got home I would have tunnel vision and severe cramps. There were times when I would eat all day, constantly, and then force myself to purge and sleep and sleep and sleep. It was awful. I look back and I cannot believe how unhappy and unhealthy I was. I still suffer permanent damage from these decisions, and I will never be the same because of it.

   Looking back, and knowing what I know about Celiacs now, a lot of it makes sense. My intestines were damaged, causing nutrient deficiencies. I ate and ate and ate because somewhere in there my body was telling me I needed something more. I had terrible grades from ADHD which is argued to be a side effect of gluten allergies, which would have saved me a lot of trouble in my relationship with my parents if you catch my drift. My hormones were completely out of sync, which is yet another celiacs side effect, and when you compound that with the hormonal mess that are the adolescent years, you get an entirely different obstacle course. I had no idea that anything was wrong with my intestines. I had spent my whole life suffering and didn't know any better. I am happier now. I miss good pasta and real pizza, but I wouldn't trade those for the way it feels to wake up in the morning and not feel like I'm coming out of a coma. I wouldn't trade the fact that for the first time in my life, in spite of how many situps I could do in a minute as a teen, For the first time in my life I have a flat stomach. I lived the first 24yrs of my life BLOATED. When you add in the fact that I'm finally working out properly also, I am on the brink of being in the best health of my life.

So I'm going to show you some pictures today, just so you know what I mean.

 This photo is from my senior year of high school, I can't say if it was at my top weight or not, but you get the idea.

This is me today, I do not know my current weight or body fat percentage, nor have I been consistent in my workouts, but yea, you see? Big differences.

Another Recipe!

Gluten Free, Low Fat, High Protein Biscuits!

So, here's what you need:

1 cup rice flour

1/2 cup chocolate whey protein powder

2 Egg Whites

12 Almonds, crushed

1 Tbsp dried cranberries

1/8 cup rice milk

Essentially, you just dump everything into the mixing bowl and stir, stir stir. Only add the rice milk if the batter is too thick. It should look something like thick cake batter. I added the Cranberries and Almonds after everything else was mixed. I preheat the oven to 350F and sprayed a cookie sheet with fat free Pam. Once that was all set, in another mixing bowl I mixed 1/4 teaspoon of powdered sugar, a pinch of cocoa powder, and I guess two pinches of of cinnamon. I then dolloped the batter onto the cookie sheet, about a tablespoon and a half per biscuit, making 6... well... I wasn't very exact actually, hence the various sizes. I then sprinkled the Cocoa/sugar/cinnamon on top of the biscuits and baked them for about 15min, or until the edges were browned. 

I just ate one. It was pretty good, now granted, that's for a Low-fat-gluten free-high protein biscuit. I wouldn't serve them as cookies to 5yr olds or my persnickety butter loving boyfriend, but I'd definitely keep them around as a handy desert, tea biscuit, snack, or breakfast. I bet they'd be delightful with strawberries or greek yogurt!  Anyways, that was my project for today! I can't really tell you the calories or nutrition values, that all depends on what kind of whey you use, what brand of rice milk etc etc etc, but these are definitely better for you than an egg mcmuffin... OH! They'd probably be good with an egg tooo!

If I get fat trying all of this stuff, remember, it's in the name of fitness!


Oh Oh Oh! THEY PROBABLY WORK BETTER IN A CUPCAKE TIN... but I don't own one. 

A little tidbit of my internet reading... and other stuff

 "Proof that the FDA's assault on raw milk has nothing o do with consumer safety"

I'm in no way associated with this website, but it was an interesting one to stumble upon.

 I have been trying to get my body ready to go back to training. My little ticker on my Cardio Trainer App is up to 1000 calories burnt so far this week, YAY! lol so low... I've been running, doing my sit-ups and leg extensions and lifting my little arm weights. I was able to kind of tire myself out yesterday by combining my 1lb wrist weights with my 5lb dumbells to get all the way up to, OH MY Gosh... six whole pounds. hmmm... yea not quite the iron pumping burn I wanted. We'll get there though. I just keep clinging to my dream of going to a gym.

I really hope I get a call for this interview... 

So, What are you eating?

   Right now, my diet is not exactly strict. It really should be. I made gluten free pizza this week, it was supposed to be a 1 night treat, but turned out to be WAY more dough than intended. In fact, it was enough dough for two deep dish pizzas. Great. Well, I let Tom make his own pizza, and it took me two days to eat mine, but I have been really half assing this whole healthy eating thing. I should have only eaten about a third of what I did, and I should have cooked it with less fat and carbs. I try very hard to eat healthy during the day, well, until about 9:00pm, and then I wrap my little grubby hands around a spoon and find something I should not be getting into... usually ice cream or peanut butter or cheese... and these are the moments in my life that keep me from getting toned.


  The forums on Bodybuilding.com are full of useful information on watching your Macros and your carbs and your protein and spacing out your meals... I regularly read these and intend on setting out a diet plan for myself. A strict, no joke, follow the rules and do it right, diet plan. I have armed myself with whey protein, almonds, spinach, lettuce, bananas, bags upon bags of chicken, and yogurt. I have my gluten free oats, my stevia packets, my fat free cooking spray, and my fat free cottage cheese. I keep rice milk handy for cooking/drinking, I have potatoes, I have green beans and onions and peas. I have a container of egg whites. I have my food scale, my electric grill, my food processor, my measuring cups... and ZERO desire to sit down and measure everything, but I have to. 

  I took a big step last night, cooking up and measuring out chicken into baggies. Half of them I baked in the oven on a cookie sheet with a little garlic, a little salt and pepper, and a tiny bit of low fat parmesan sprinkled on top. The other half I cooked on the stove with some Oldbay spice, some ginger, and some pepper. The biggest change was switching from olive oil to fat free spray. Things don't stay as moist, they stick to the pan more, but they have less fat. ::ponders:: I guess that's okay though. I weighed out 3oz of chicken per baggy, threw them in the freezer, and started to wonder if I should do the same with my veggies. Instead I played with my ps3. Yup. I am easily distracted. 


  From what I'm reading/learning, I eat pretty well. My portions aren't what they should be, I do treat myself too often (apparently more than one Reese's cup in a month is a BIG NO NO), but overall, the foods I am eating are the right ones. A lot of protein, a lot of nutrients, not prepackaged, a lot of veggies, and nothing fried of course. I used to keep a food diary on my phone, I know it helps a lot. I need to start doing that again. Diet is 80% of your journey to fitness. Abs are made in the kitchen. It is time to really live by these truths.

Come on Jess, Get with it.

A fat free omelet... That tastes good too

Ah yes, this one is easy to make.
You need 5 egg whites, a half cup of chopped spinach, two Tbsp of fat free cottage cheese, fat free cooking spray, a pinch of garlic, a pinch of salt ( a small pinch, watch your sodium!) Black pepper, and a tiny tiny tiny pinch of fat free grated parmesan! Obviously, you will also need a pan and a flipper.

To make an omelette that doesn't break or stick to the pan, I always set the heat a little lower. Burning = sticking and breaking. Oh the wonderful education you get from working at ihop in high-school.
 
   Mix your egg whites and spinach in a bowl with the garlic. Spray your pan and heat it up. Pour your spinach/eggs into the pan and let it sit for about 5min. Seriously, don't mess with it, it will make your omelet a scramble. Once the eggs seem solid on the bottom and start to bubble the edges, spread your cottage cheese down one side, away from the edges. Add your salt and pepper. Let this sit for a minute or two. Next,  loosen up the edges of your eggs with your spatula/burger flipped/ whatever that cooking utensil with the flat end and the handle is called. Make sure your circle of eggs can slide around without breaking. If so, tilt your pan toward the spatula and fold that side of eggs over on top of the other. Yes, I just assumed you didn't know how to fold an omelet. Don't be offended.
   The guts of your omelet may spill as the cottage cheese heats up. Don't worry, just scrape the off the pan and pile it back on top the eggs. No big deal. Be sure to flip your omelet over one last time so that both sides are a little browned. Then, dump it on your plate, add your tiny bit of parmesan, and eat.
Tada!! Healthy, tastey breakfast!

oh my gross...

So these fitness people... they eat weird things, right? So do I. I recently was on a forum where everyone was discussing their favorite ways to make cottage cheese taste better. I love cottage cheese, and I think it tastes great with just a little black pepper swirled in, but I am always up for trying new things. I recently found some Gluten Free** whey protein at my local Trader Joe's, Vanilla flavored. I took a half scoop of this, a packet of stevia, a little rice milk to help dissolve, and some cottage cheese, and mixed it in a bowl. I also added some Gluten Free granola with raisins and smooshed it all together. It certainly looked interesting... like vomit, and smelled like... diabetes. It smelled so so SO so sweet and vanilla-ful. It was like... candy vomit, and it was GOOD FOR ME.
   Did I mention I have a weird relationship with sweets? I love Jello, Ice Cream, Chocolate, Sour Patch Kids, Red Bull, and anything Reese's. I hate Colas, I hate jellies, I hate candied fruit, I hate sweet potatoes, I LOATHE sweet potatoes... I don't like pop tarts, I don't like barbeque sauce, I hate that dish people make with the cinnamon sugar carrots. I don't like sweet chinese food like orange chicken. I guess what I'm trying to say is, if it isn't candy, I don't want it to taste like candy. I don't like my breakfast to be sweet unless it's a damn donut, and I can't even eat donuts. If it isn't a pastry, a dessert, or an energy drink, please don't expect me to eat it. I mean, even the chocolate I like is "salty-sweet" with caramel or peanut butter. I only eat straight chocolate on certain days of the month if-u-kno-wut-i-mean.

So here i am, staring down this vanilla flavored monstrosity...

with raisins...

 ...knowing that no matter what it tastes like, I HAVE TO EAT IT.

   Why? Because I am pretty much broke, and buying whey powder is a splurge, and there are starving kids somewhere that would love to have vanilla mush cottage cheese with oats and raisins, lightly chilled and chock full of good for you. So I ate it, and it tasted like something a normal person would have liked. It tasted like candy, and had crunchy bits and good texture...


and I hated it.

But you can try it out for yourself if you want! I mean, if that's your thing. I will go back to my lightly peppered cottage cheesed with roasted half the sodium almonds and olives. and I just might dump salt on top of all of it.