Spinach, spinach everywhere!

Planting the Garden - May '10

First of all, yay! Today I was at 153.0 lbs!  Things are finally working! Turns out portion control (through calorie counting) and exercise does really work!

Secondly, my garden is out of control! I didn't realize I had so much spinach and kale! My newest love - the kale smoothie - is taking care of some of that baby kale but as for the spinach? It is time to ramp up on the salad front! Apparently you have to thin spinach to 6 inches apart or else it bolts to seed (surprise, surprise, mine is going to seed - in JUNE!) So I have decided that less plants are more and trimmed 'em back and have lots of salad to eat this weekend! 

This is by far, my favorite ever yummiest spinach salad recipe. The dressing is so amazing and the fruit used in the salad is in season so they are extra juicy and nutritious. If you don't dig the fruit in your salad, just try it. You won't be disappointed! 

I am alive!

Hello, hello!

I am so sorry for being MIA for so long... I could make up something but basically it was just laziness and being so damn busy! I tried on the bridesmaid dress and... IT FIT!! I kind of wish it didn't so I would have to keep working my butt off. However, I have been snapping pictures of my cuisine so I do have a lot of catching up to do!

My friend (Britta), my sister (Meagan) and I have a little competition going on right now until June 30 for weight loss. Because we are all different weights, we are doing a % body weight lost calculation. I have lost... 4.8 lbs in 4 1/2 weeks (not so good!) but I am not gaining and I am really on track. It's so sad really if I think about it that I started this blog to lose weight at the end of January and I was at... 160 lbs? And so far (5 months later) I've lost what... 8 lbs?! Sad, pathetic, bad! I really want to get down to 145 by June 30 and 140 by September 19 (my 3 week trip to Egypt!) and then be not so much of a professional dieter but a professional maintainer!

Thanks to the much needed support of my hunny, Bevan, I am super into my calorie counting and portion control. I bought a food scale the other day and no wonder I have not been losing weight... my portion control is out of hand! I am wearing my Bodybugg everyday - all day - and really watching what goes in to my body and how many calorie's I burn. A pound of fat equals 3500 calories so I have been striving for a 1000 calorie daily deficit (which equals -7000 calorie a week, which equals -2lbs/week) but sometimes end up at about 800. I lost a quick 3 lbs in the last 78 hours by just watching my calories closely, I understand that this isn't really fat lost but it's exciting to see and an indication that I am doing something right!

Some people think it's extreme and time consuming to watch your calories or weight your food (when I excitedly told my mother that I lost some weight and was really watching my caloric intake she actually asked me if I was happy! As if being healthy and happy about my body would make me miserable?). I just consider it mindful and healthy to understand what is entering your body. I obviously don't know what is going on if I can only lose 6 pounds in 5 months so it's time for a wake up and I am getting it!

Current weight: 152.8

In other news, I have planted my first garden!! I planted spinach, kale, Swiss chard, lettuce (a variety), kohlrabi, rutabaga, broccoli, cauliflower, winter squash, cucumber, peppers (hot and sweet!), herbs, onions (mmm), beets, tomatoes (LOTS including yellow Lemon Boys - yum!) and carrots (purple ones!) It is all very exciting and I ate my first garden fresh salad that I GREW the other day! All of these delicious, organically grown (by yours truly!) veggies should make for some fun, creative dishes in the months to come - stay tuned!

My current work out regime? Along with the new calorie watch has come a new workout routine. I don't have much to lose so I am going to do it very right for a couple months and then work on the maintaining. I created 3 different workouts (which include wii active, abs exercises, punching bag drills, free boxing and kettle bells) which will be rotated 6 days a week (each workout twice a week). Bevan and our roommate Matt have also made 3 different workouts that they will be doing too. I am excited for all the support from my household!

A new activity that Bevan and I have discovered is geocaching! It is basically an adult, high tech game of hide and seek with a GPS. I love it! It gets us moving and outdoors. It's free and fun!! My days have also been busy with weeding, planting and landscaping. So I have been keeping busy and active!

Summer is starting and there are only 15 more days of teaching for me! I cannot wait! And I promise, more deliciously clean recipes to come!