New Page: Weight Loss Community

In this post, I explained that I am currently trying to lose 20 lbs within 62 days. Recently, I've gotten so many comments and emails about people who want to join in along with me, that I've decided to do just that; make a way for people to join in!

So I'm making a new page for all of us! I'll update it daily as I update my own progress. Just email me or comment with your name (or code name), height/weight, goals, and progress, and I'll add you to the display!

Oh and if I don't hear from you after a while? I'll email you to check in, and see how everything is going. Hopefully it'll help to keep everyone on track. Actually, let me know if you want to have your email displayed I'll even leave a spot available for it. Think of it as your own little healthy community. We'll be each other's fan base and support system!

I'll make the page as soon as I get a few more emails to get everything set up. Let's see how this goes!

 

Lesson 12: Fast Food Landmines Are Sneaky SOB's

Well today was the last 8 hour drive from just south of Denver, CO to Billings, MT, and with it came a very hard lesson of life: avoiding fast food on the road is near impossible.

If you've read my previous posts (Weight Loss from a Psych Point of View, Eating Healthy While Eating Out, etc) you'll know that I'm pretty savvy when it comes to the world of nutrition and weight loss decision making skills. My degrees in health and psychology have proved to be a useful combination.

But I'm also a hot-blooded woman, and when I'm stuck in a vehicle for 8 hours, I get hungry...for anything.

And therein lies the problem. For the most part, I can say no to the variety of fast food chains set before me. I can choose Subway over Burger King any day, but a road trip means I'm covering new territory, and I'm presented with new "exciting" food choices, like Long John Silvers.

See, we don't have a Long John Silvers in Montana, so it's as if the commercials that are constantly flashed in my face have been packed into my brain over the years, gradually creating an overload of whatever chemical it is that tells me I want deep fried shrimp, now. The sight of their billboard causes some kind of explosion in my mind that makes it difficult for me not to reach across and pull the steering wheel toward the exit ramp. There's no time to communicate my needs, and frankly, I don't think I'd be able to communicate them in a less than psychotic fashion anyway. So when my boyfriend inquired if I wanted to stop, he must have derived from the wide-eyed, nostril-flared drooling stare that the correct answer was to be parked out front of the seafood fast-food chain. To deny me at this point, would've been more than dangerous.

Now folks I haven't eaten fast-food in...wait for it...years. And why would I? I know exactly what I'm getting; a salty over processed, overpriced, synthetic-filled, parchment-lined basket of diabetes, high blood pressure and low self-esteem. And this is just within the first couple bites.

So why is it that I think I'm magically immune to all of these effects as soon as I find myself on an unfamiliar highway? Because I'm definitely not, and I know it. In fact, I think I'm even more susceptible to them. Nausea always seems to be accelerated when riding in a car 4 hours before the meal and 4 hours after is on the agenda.

Therefore, I ended up learning the hard way the lesson that I already knew. Fast-food is meant to draw you in, but the end result is always the same: you feel like crap. Mindless eating is the enemy of any healthy lifestyle. Ever eaten at a crappy restaurant that made you sick afterwards? Sure you have, we've all done it, but do you go back there on a regular basis? No, and you know why? Because they're not constantly trying to drag you in to give them a second chance. It's advertising, and I fall for it every time.

So I guess I'm saying I'm not perfect. I was fast-food sober for years, and blew it on a generic basket of oil-soaked shrimp-shaped regret. Now I'm cranky and am going to bed. Oh well, now I know better. Tomorrow is another chance to make the right choices, so I'll just have to look forward to that!

Health Food Conquest: Quinoa Take Two

Confession time...

So remember how I said I was going to try and come up with some new recipes for generic "health foods" that most people are terrified of? Well I really did mean to, but after posting that last quinoa recipe, (with roasted veggies, parmesan cheese and basil) I got a litte sidetracked. Not because I ran out of ideas I just...well it turns out I am so in love with my last recipe, I haven't tried it any other away! I've made minor adjustments here and there, like adding butternut squash or sweet potatoes instead of zucchini, and it's all golden. Honestly, I eat quinoa now probably a good 4 days a week because I'm absolutely in love with it. It's incredibly filling and when cooked correctly, it tastes fantastic.

Oh and a sidenote? I've lost 2 pounds.

However, I promised you all multiple ways of trying this healthy ingredient, and so far I haven't delivered.

So tonight, folks, I'm delivering.

I'm officially having a quinoa cookoff, and my roommates are my judging panel. You'll be happy to know that none of them are health fanatics, and prior to this taste testing they already had their fair share of leftover pizza washed down with a beer or two (to "cleanse the palatte", of course). The recipes were rated on the following scale:

1 - Eww, oh my god, horsesh*t in my mouth.

2 - Better than horsesh*t but I'm still pissed you made me eat it.

3 - Health food

4 - Eh, Okay. I'll eat it, but I'm not impressed.
5 - Okay I kind of really like this.
6 - Really friggin' good.
7 - Move your standing in my way of seconds.
Shall we get started?

Roasted Corn Salsa Quinoa

Without the quinoa, this makes a fantastic dry salsa recipe, but add the quinoa and you have more of a sidedish.This is awesome served in a tortilla as a typical salsa/rice substitute. I fill my tortilla with roasted veggies (I use zucchini and red peppers), black or pinto beans, some roasted corn salsa quinoa and a scoop of greek yogurt. Sounds wierd, I know, but try it. Just once.You can do it, and it's worth it.

1/4 cup quinoa

1/4 cup low sodium chicken stock
1/4 cup water
1 cob of corn (roasted)
1/4 red onion
1/4 cup cilantro
1/2 can fire roasted tomatoes
1/2 a jalepeno, seeds removed (or 1/2 mini can diced jalepeno)
red wine vinegar (to taste)
lime juice (to taste, I barely used 1/4 a lime)
garlic salt
mesquite seasoning (basically some kind of steak seasoning that contains cumin)

Cook the quinoa according to the directions, using chicken stock and water instead of just water. Mix water, stock and quinoa together in small saucepan, bring to boil, turn down heat, cover and simmer for roughly 15 minutes, keeping an eye on it. Should end up fluffy, like rice. Set aside.

Roast the cob of corn on the grill. Personally, I just grill a cob of corn until the kernals slightly char, but here's a better way if you have the patience: bend the husks back and remove the silk, brush the corn with butter, pull the husks back up and grill it, turning until the entire outside is slightly charred. Let it cool slightly (easier to handle) remove the husks and stand it up on one end. Take a knife, and run it down the sides, cutting off all the little kernals. Go slow, or the kernals fly everywhere. (Or if you're really a clean freak, take a small bowl and turn it upside down in a larger bowl. Stand the corn cob on the bottom of the smaller bowl and cut the kernals off, they should fall right into the larger bowl. Less mess!)

Dice the red onion and cilantro, and add it to the corn, along with the fire roated tomatoes and jalepenos. Add barely a bit of red wine vinegar and barely a bit of lime juice. Season with garlic salt, pepper and mesquite seasoning to taste. Done!

Makes 1 serving: 280 calories

Verdict: Two 5/7's and one 6/7. So a couple 'okay I kind of really like this' and one 'really friggin good'. I'll take that!

I think the ingredients put them off a bit in the beginning (it put me off too to be honest) but they ended up giving it pretty good reviews. However, they did all unanimously agree that this would be probably be better in enchiladas or burritos as a rice/salsa filler than as a gneral side dish.

Sweet Curried Quinoa

I have no idea where this recipe came from, it was completely out of the box. I know nothing about Indian food, so I really don't even know why I had curry in the house. Nonetheless, there it was, initiating a staredown every time I dared enter the kitchen. And if there's one thing I know it's this; I never, ever, back down from a challenge. Especially when it's issued by a jar of curry.

1/4 cup quinoa

1/4 cup low sodium chicken stock

1/4 cup water
1/2 Tbsp curry
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup diced dried apricots
1/4 cup sliced scallions
garlic salt
onion powder
thai spice mix
cinnamon (optional)

Make the quinoa as I mentioned above, except add the curry, some thai spice mix, cinnamon and a little onion powder (maybe 1/4 tsp? 1/8?) to the stock, water, and quinoa. Set aside.

Dice your scallions and dried apricots, and add to the quinoa along with the slivered almonds. Now add your garlic salt and barely any lemon juice to taste.

Makes 1 serving: 392 calories. This is higher calories, due to the almonds and dried apricots, but they're good calories, so don't stress! Plus the almonds really fill you up, so if your like me, you might not even end up eating a whole serving.

Verdict: One 3/7, one 4/7's and one 5/7 - My boyfriend (3/7) openly admitted he rarely likes anything combining fruits and nuts, but he did try it. My other two roomates weren't super impressed, but still ate it. Maybe not my best, but like I said, not a lot of Indian/Thai food comes through our house.

Greek Quinoa

Back to what I know. Besides the next recipe, this was the favorite.

1/4 cup quinoa

1/2 cup low sodium vegetable broth

1/2 cup quartered cooked artichoke hearts (the ones in the can are fine) chopped

~6 pimentos

~5 olives

~8 sundried tomatoes

crumbled feta cheese  (1cubic inch, crumbled)

1 tsp capers

1/4 tsp hot sauce

1/4 tsp greek or mediteranean spice mix
basil, oregano, and parsley to taste
lemon juice to taste

Make the quinoa as previously stated with the vegetable broth and spices. Add remaining ingredients, and wait to salt until you're done. Between the capers and feta cheese, things can get pretty salty. But otherwise, adjust as you want, it's your recipe! My boyfriend likes this one with a bit of chopped pepperoni (which I admit was a brilliant addition), so let your mind run wild!

Makes 1 serving: 412 calories (remember, higher calories are coming from healthy ingredients, like the sundried tomatoes and olives).

Verdict: 6/7 - Everyone seemed to like this one a lot. Especially with the salty capers and feta cheese. I'd mix a little olive oil and lemon juice like a vinagrette and drizzle it over the top, but I didn't here and it still turned out great! Maybe even some fresh basil, but that's just me.

Pesto Cauliflower Quinoa

This one is especially easy, but to make it truly delicious, make your own pesto. I had it with cauliflower one night, and then added broccoli another, but tonight I had only cauliflower in the refrigerator (plus, in general, my roomates are more receptive to cauliflower than broccoli), so that's what I was going with tonight.

1/4 cup quinoa

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup low sodium chicken stock

1/3 cup pesto

1 cup chopped cauliflower

Pesto Recipe

Combine in food processor: 1/2 cup pine nuts, 4 cups basil, 2 cloves garlic, 1/3 cup olive oil, and 1/3 cup parmesan cheese. Pulse until it looks like pesto. Don't add salt until the very end though, parmesan cheese is pretty salty on it's own so you probably won't need much.

The great thing about pesto is you can adjust it how you want. You can add pistachios or walnuts instead of pine nuts, add some parsley with the basil, or maybe even a touch of mint. Maybe some sundried tomatoes? Do with it what you want! Personally, I probably double the amount of pine nuts, I just love the flavor of them! To make it a little less calorie dense I use low sodium chicken stock to thin it out a little, that way I don't have to add as much olive oil.

So for this recipe, I made the quinoa as listed above and then steamed the cauliflower in a separate pot. Then added them together with a scoop of pesto and tada! Pesto Cauliflower Quinoa.

Makes 1 serving: 440 calories, but once again, the high calorie count is mostly due to the olive oil, nuts, and parmesan cheese.

Verdict: This actually got two 6/7 and one 7/7! It was definitely one of the favorites, with the 7/7 going to the roomate who openly expressed the day before that he would eat anything if pesto was on it. Of course when the pesto is homemade, it sure makes a difference!

Let me know if you try any of these, I'd love to know what you think!

       

Couples Who Fight In Public

To the couples of the world out there who insist on fighting with each other around everyone else because they think it proves they are more comfortable and more "in love" than the rest of us who are acting civil: knock it off. It doesn't work that way. It's awkward and annoying and you're making asses of yourselves.

I'll give you an example.

A few nights ago, my boyfriend and I went to dinner with one of his friends and his friend's new girlfriend. I'm not a huge fan of double dates when at least one person is an unknown, but his friend (which for the sake of this post we'll call "Frank") was eager for us to meet his new lady (who we'll call....hmm..."Beyonce"). Plus the restaurant we were meeting in is fantastic so...how bad could it be?

It started out pleasant enough, "What do you do", "Where are you from", "I love your hair/top/shoes", but then it took a turn for familiar territory, and not the "good" kind either.

"Stop eating the garlic bread," Beyonce whispered to Frank with a nudge. "It makes your breath all garlicky." "We're at an Italian restaurant," he retorted, "Garlic is the reason people come to Italian restaurants."

She looked at me with an annoyed look on her face and rolled her eyes. Great, I thought. This is going to be a long night.

The waiter came by to take our order. "Can I get you anything to drink?" "I'll have a glass of wine," she said, and he turned to look at me.

"Best to just get me a bottle," I sighed. "I'm sure I'll be having more than one."

At this point I feel I need to make something clear: I rarely drink. Not that I don't enjoy it, I just don't have the time. If I'm going to drink, then damnit I'm going to drink, which usually means the entire next day and maybe even the one after that are rendered completely useless. I have to really weigh whether or not the next two days are going to be worth trading for one night of craziness.

And tonight?

Dinner went on. The comments came and went. Problem was I was assumed to be instantly on her side, and my boyfriend was automatically assumed to be the enemy. "Oh my god, how can you be so dense?!" she would exclaim at Frank, and then look in my direction with a, "Marlee understands, right? Guys can be so dense sometimes!" She would then shoot a disapproving look at my boyfriend, the horribly dense man sitting beside me.

I was right to get the wine.

Beyonce: "I told you not to wear that shirt. Why did you wear it?"

Frank: "I like this shirt."

Her: "It's too stripey."

Frank: "Too stripey?"

Me: "You see the thing about garlic is..."

Beyonce: "It has too many stripes. It's too bright."
Frank: "I like the stripes though."

Me: "It rhymes with 'schmarlic'."

Beyonce: "You never care what I think."

Frank: "Of course I do, I just like this shirt."

Me: "They should serve tacos here."

Beyonce: "You are so difficult."
Me: "Or burritos..."
My boyfriend: "Anything with beans really."
Frank: "I'm being difficult? Because I wore a shirt?"
Me: "Pinto beans."
My boyfriend: "I'm more of a black bean guy, myself."
Beyonce: "I can't believe you're acting like this."
Me: "I wonder if they have crayons here."

Frank: "Acting like what, a person who gets dressed?"

Me: "Blue ones. Pink, red, yellow, purple...people eater...bop bop bop..."
Beyonce: "Why do you want to fight so bad?"
Frank: "Why do you hate my shirt so much?"
My boyfriend: "Marlee put that down, it's not a toy."
Beyonce: "The only one who gets me here is Marlee."
Everyone at the table: "............"
Me: "More wine, please?"

I'd also like to make it clear that I'm not completely blaming the women here, because I know many, many a man who do the same thing. That is, complaining and embellishing their wives' and girlfriends' bad habits as a way of fitting in with the guys. I've even asked my boyfriend what he says about me to fit in.

"I say you have a third nipple," he replies, "And that it lactates when you get angry." I laugh. We go to bed. End of story.

Now I'm not saying he's perfect. So maybe he does watch multiple baseball games at once on split screen television while watching two more on "gamecast" on his laptop, while also managing his fantasy team and checking college baseball scores, but I kinda think it's slightly impressive. And maybe he likes to tape down the handle on the sink sprayer a little too often so when I go to get a glass of water in the middle of the night I end up startled and soaking wet. But come on, it is a little funny, isn't it?

My point is this; maybe if we all stopped bitching about our other halves so much we might come to see their "faults" as kind of endearing...I mean it's worth a shot, right?

And if not...well just make sure there's plenty of wine.