Vlogging

I think I might vlog tonight. I have a few ideas and it might be fun -- or I might horribly embarrass myself.  Either way, someone will get a good laugh.

Whole Grain Penne with Roasted Vegetables & Parmesan

Tip: Cut vegetables the same size for uniform baking.

Ingredients:

• 8 oz parsnips, peeled and cut into 1” pieces
  
  


• 8 oz rutabaga, peeled and cut into 1” pieces
  
  


• 8 oz turnips, peeled and cut into 1” pieces
  
  


• 2 tsp olive oil
  
  


• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  
  


• ½ tsp salt
  
  


• 8 oz whole grain penne or fusilli pasta
  
  


• 2 tbsp homemade or bottled pesto sauce*
  
  


• ½ cop finely chopped roasted red bell pepper
  
  


• 2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
  
  


• 2 tbsp chopped fresh Italian parsley
  
  

Preparation:

• Preheat oven 400 F.
  
  


• Place parsnips, rutabaga, and turnips on 15”*10” baking sheet. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper to taste. Toss well and distribute pieces evenly over pan.
  
  


• Roast vegetables 30 minutes, or until tender and evenly browned, stirring or shaking every 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
  
  


• Prepare pasta according to package directions, without adding fat or salt. Drain and toss with pesto.
  
  


• Add roasted bell pepper and vegetables to pasta. Divide among bowls and garnish with cheese and parsley. Serve hot or at room temperature.
  
  


• Note: Bottled pesto is slightly heiger in calories and fat than homemade.
  
  

Make 4(2 cups) Servings:

Weight Loss Recipes Amount per Serving: 150 Calories, 6 g Protein, 30 g carbohydrates, 6 g Fiber, 3 g fat, < 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 230 mg sodium

Roast Beef Sandwich with Horseradish Mayo

Tip: By using lean beef and low-fat mayonnaise, you get a hearty meal with out paying too high a caloric price

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp low-fat mayonnaise
  
  


• 1 tsp prepared horseradish
  
  


• 2 slices whole grain sandwich bread
  
  


• 1 leaf green leaf lettuce
  
  


• ¼ lb lean, low-sodium deli roast beef
  
  


• 4 small slices tomato
  
  


• 1 thin slice red onion
  
  

Preparation:

• Combine mayonnaise and horseradish in small bowl. Stir to blend. Set aside.
  
  


• Place one slice of bread on serving plate. Top with lettuce, beef, tomato, and onion. Spread reserved mayonnaise mixture evenly over second slice of bread. Place stop sandwich. Cut in halves or quarters. Serve immediately
  
  

Make 1 Servings:

Weight Loss Recipes Amount per Serving: 312 Calories, 32 g Protein, 33 g carbohydrates, 5 g Fiber, 8 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 53 mg cholesterol, 543 mg sodium

I had a dream

It wasn't really a dream, more of a nightmare.

Since I've been sleeping a lot more lately I've started dreaming again. Unfortunately, most of my dreams haven't been pleasant. The one I had Friday night has stayed with me through the weekend. I can't seem to let it go.

Usually I dismiss dreams as just that...dreams. They don't really mean anything, just silly junk our brain comes up with while we try to sleep.

This one was different. This one is was disturbingly a reflection of my life.

I was inside of a building, standing on a very narrow ledge along a wall. The ledge was so narrow that only the balls of my feet were on the ledge and I was standing on my tiptoes. I was very high up, and there was a cement floor below me. I knew if I fell I would die.

I was facing the wall with my hands and body pressed flat against the wall. I slowly inched along the narrow ledge sideways. I kept feeling like I was going to fall. When I looked down it was a long way to the floor. I was very frightened. I didn't know how I was going to get down.

Finally, I called for my husband to quickly bring me a ladder. He came with a ladder but he held if about five feet from me. I tried to reach for the ladder but I couldn't reach it. Then I lost my balance. I fell.

I didn't die (obviously), but in my dream when I fell I grabbed onto the very narrow ledge with my fingers. Then as I was hanging from the ledge with my fingers, and my legs were dangling, I realized my feet were almost touching the floor. I could let go and I wouldn't die. I was going to be okay.

This could be a reflection of so many things in my life. My job, my marriage, my weight loss efforts. The failure at any or all of these things will not kill me. It might scare me, but I won't die.

Or the dream could have been about the guy at work that was wearing moccasins last week. He told me they were like slippers. I asked him if they had arch support and he said no. I told him that would kill my feet because I have extremely high arches and had to have arch support in my shoes. He told me I needed to practice standing on a Bosu ball with one foot, barefooted. Just stand there grabbing the ball with my foot. That it would build up my arches. I told him I always fall off of those stupid Bosu balls. Yes, I bet that's what the dream was really all about. :)

It doesn't make it all better

After looking at my stats from last year that I posted yesterday, I started pondering why I just gave up and gained 21 pounds. I was near goal, at least the Weight Watcher goal of 155. At 158 pounds I was so close to goal that I could almost feel it. I remember being happy and proud of myself.

So what happened? Why did I just give up? Don't I want to reach goal? It appears that I don't really care anymore, that I gave up giving it my all and I'm just floating along, staying in the 170's, not really giving my weight loss much attention.

A few weeks ago a friend that I walk with on occasion asked me, "Isn't your life a lot better since you lost so much weight?" My immediate response was "No! It's not." Then I told her some things were better, I can breathe easier and my knees don't hurt. I don't get tired as quickly. I have a little more self-confidence. However, overall, I still have the same problems I had at 240 pounds, and I still had those same problems when I was down to 152 last year.

My job is still a job that I don't exactly look forward to each day, but it is a job. My marital problems are still here. My husband still gets grouchy when he's tired and he's tired a lot. I'm still afraid of the same things, becoming one of the morbidly obese and being homeless. I still don't think I'm smart or pretty. In a nutshell, I'm still the same person just in a healthier body.

My friend was shocked that my weight loss didn't solve all my problems. I was only telling her the truth, even though she's trying to lose a hundred pounds and this was disheartening to hear.

Maybe because I know it won't solve all my problems I've made reaching goal not as important to me as it was last year. I still want to reach goal, but for different reasons now. Now that I know it won't fix everything I need to look at in an entirely different light.

I want to lose weight so I can comfortably wear all the size 10 clothes in my closet. I'm back in a size 12. I want to lose weight so I can remain healthy and continue to be active in my old age. I have no intention of moving into an assisted living home in my 80's. I want to travel and not be in a wheelchair.

The reasons for getting to goal are different now. I know it won't make my job more fun or less stressful. I know it won't make my husband happier or my marriage better. I can't control these things, but I can control me. I can control how I handle things, what I put in my mouth, my health.

I think Sheryl said it best in her post last week when she wrote about her struggles at being at goal. The last few paragraphs really hit home for me.

I suspect this is why so many people gain back all their weight and then some more, just like I've done many times in my life. I expected a different outcome when I lost a lot of weight. I expected life to be wonderful and everyone around me to be as happy for me as I was for myself. It just doesn't work that way.

The bottom line is that reaching goal doesn't make it ALL better. It makes some things better, but a lot of things stay the same or only get slightly  better. That's okay, small positive changes in life are still good. I just have to expect less, accept that this isn't really a life-altering event to weight 155 versus 175 or 135 versus 175. My life will still be pretty much the same, just a thinner, healthier version of me.

So it doesn't make it all better, but it's a little better and sometimes, a lot better. That's still a good thing.

An afterthought:  After I posted this I realized some people might think that what I'm saying is that losing weight isn't worth it. That since it doesn't fix everything then why bother? That's not what I meant.

It fixes a lot of things, but basically you'll still come out on the other side the same person with a lot of the same problems. Some things will be better, some will go away, and you might even have an entirely new set of problems. It's still a very good thing to lose weight.

The other thing you might think is that I'm seeking compliments when I say I'm not smart or pretty. I know what I am. I'm average intelligence, average looks. It's okay, I've accepted it. Somehow I thought losing weight would make me better in all areas of my life. Obviously, I was wrong on that account, but again, I've accepted it.

Almond-Lemon Tart

If you don’t have Grand Marnier, you can use orange juice concentrate or orange marmalade instead.

Makes 10 slices

Prep time: 25 minutes

Total time: 1 hour

For the tart

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
  
  


• ½ tsp sea salt
  
  


• ½ tsp plus 1/3 cup evaporated cane juice, divided
  
  


• 2 tbsp cold unsalted butter
  
  


• 2 to 4 tbsp ice water
  
  


• ¼ cup chopped almonds
  
  


• 3 tbsp almond paste
  
  


• ½ tsp fresh lemon juice
  
  


• 2 tbsp lemon zest
  
  


• 2 large eggs
  
  


• 1/3 cup buttermilk
  
  


• ½ tsp pure almond extract
  
  


• ½ tsp pure lemon extract
  
  

For the cherry compote

• ¾ cup pitted unsweetened frozen cherries
  
  


• 3 tbsp water
  
  


• 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
  
  


• 2 tbsp evaporated cane juice
  
  


• 1 tsp cornstarch
  
  


• 1 tsp Grand Marnier
  
  

Preparation:

• Preheat oven to 350 F.
  
  


• In a medium bowl, combine flour, salt, and ½ tsp evaporated cane juice.
  
  


• Incorporate butter using a pastry cutter until it’s pea-size.
  
  


• Add water, 1 tbsp at a time, mixing gently with a fork after each addition. Form dough into a ball and let it rest for 5 minutes; roll into a 12-inch circle and lightly press into a 10-inch tart pan.
  
  


• Purée almonds, almond paste, and remaining 1/3 cup evaporated cane juice in a food processor until nuts are finely ground.
  
  


• Add lemon juice, zest, eggs, buttermilk, and extracts and continue puréeing. Pour mixture into tart shell and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until set. Cool on a wire rack.
  
  


• In a medium saucepan, combine cherries, water, lime juice, and evaporated cane juice. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  
  


• In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and Grand Marnier; stir into cherry mixture. Return to a boil and cook for 1 minute while stirring.
  
  


• Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 4 minutes or until thickened.
  
  


• Remove from heat and allow to cool completely. Top each tart slice with cherry compote immediately before serving.
  
  

Nutrition score per serving ( 1 slice tart, 1 tsp. cherry compote)

135 calories, 6 g fat (40% of calories), 2 g saturated fat, 16 g carbs, 4 g protein, 1 g fiber, 31 mg calcium, 1 mg iron, 67 mg sodium

Thai Chicken Curry

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
  
  


• 1½ sups finely chopped onion
  
  


• 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh ginger
  
  


• 1 tbsp chopped garlic
  
  


• 2 tbsp curry powder
  
  


• 1 tsp ground coriander
  
  


• 1 tsp ground cumin
  
  


• 1 can (14.5 oz) fire-roasted tomatoes
  
  


• 7 oz light coconut mile*
  
  


• 1 cup fat-free chicken or vegetable broth
  
  


• 1 tbsp fish sauce*
  
  


• 1½ cups cooked brown lentils
  
  


• ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro, without stems
  
  


• 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (3 oz each)
  
  

Preparation:

• Heat ½ tbsp of the oil in 3-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté, stirring, until golden, Add curry powder, coriander, and cumin. Stir.
  
  


• Add tomatoes, coconut mile, broth, and fish sauce and bring to a boil. Stir in lentils and cilantro. Keep warm.
  
  


• Preheat charcoal grill. Brush chicken lightly with remaining olive oil and arrange on rack set about 6 inches over glowing coals. Grill 4 minutes on each side, or until just cooked through. (Alternatively, chicken may be grilled in a hot, ridged grill pan over medium-high heat.) Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
  
  


• Place chicken on plates. Top with curry sauce.
  
  


• Note: Light coconut milk has less fat, fewer calories, and a lighter flavor than regular coconut milk. Fish sauce, also called nuoc nam, is a Thai ingredient available in Asian markets, specialty food stores, and some supermarkets.
  
  

Make 6 Servings:

Weight Loss Recipes Amount per Serving: 233 Calories, 23 g Protein, 19 g carbohydrates, 6 g Fiber, 7 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 46 mg cholesterol, 150 mg sodium