Final Fish Challenge – Sushi!

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sushi, weight loss, eating healthy

This life-long member of the Fish Hater Club decided to give sushi a try the day after Thanksgiving. It was awesome.

November is coming to a close, which means my fish challenge is ending. I’d thought I’d go out with a bang and try some sushi. What could be more challenging for a non-fish eater than eating raw fish?

Yesterday the hubby took me to a little restaurant called Kumo Sushi. When looking at the menu, it was clear I’m no sushi connoisseur. I couldn’t tell you the difference between Nigiri, Maki or Sashimi.

So I went for simplicity. I ordered the Sushi Lunch – 5 pieces of sushi and 1 California roll.

When my order arrived, I mixed all the wasabi with some soy sauce, placed the ginger on top of each piece of fish and began dipping.

Wow!

Everything was delicious. Nothing tasted fishy – except that blasted California roll…more on that in a sec.

Sushi

Sushi….Yummmmm. Yes, I’m a sushi convert. I loved every bite (well, I could lose the California Roll).

Any fear I had disappeared with the first bite. The fish melted in my mouth and I quickly gobbled up each piece. I kicked myself for not trying this delectable delight sooner.

Will I have sushi again?

Hell yeah!

I’m officially a sushi lover.  I’m thinking of making it a weekly treat – Sushi Friday’s has a nice ring to it.

Although I think the next time I’ll go light on the wasabi.  While I love the heat, I used all of it in my soy sauce expecting horrible tasting food. And at times the wasabi heat overpowered the fish as it melted my eyes into the back of my head.  I learned quickly to lightly dip the sushi into the soy sauce-wasabi mixture.

Sushi — tasty and educational.

What’s Up With That California Roll?
As for the California Roll…it was…OK. The unseasoned nori (or seaweed) gave it a fishy taste and was off-putting. And what’s with the imitation crab? Keep it fresh or don’t serve it.

It all comes down to one question.  Would I order a California Roll again? If I really wanted sushi and nothing else is around, then sure I could eat a California Roll if I was starving.

Now that’s what I call a ringing endorsement. Heh.

Sushi Challenge
My friend Elizabeth did her best to get me to try sushi for ages. I should have listened sooner. She sent me a note today and urged me to try Unagi.

Challenge accepted!

Don’t Want To Overeat? Start With Thanksgiving Day Pledge

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low carb thanksgiving, weight loss,

I’m planning to load up on turkey and keep the stuffing in check! (Image: An awesome Turkey with Brown-Sugar Glaze via marthastewart.com).

Check out the Thanksgiving Pledge over at Keep It Up, David.  He has four simple rules that he follows — no seconds, photograph what you eat, no grazing and exercise on Thanksgiving — plus a simple pledge to make sure he sticks to his rules.

If you’re concerned about overeating on Thursday (and who isn’t?), these rules can really help you keep your eating in check.

I would add no elastic waistbands. Stretchy pants enable you to keep eating. But if you wear jeans, you’ll feel it even if your eyes want you to keep eating. As my grandmother always said, “Your eyes are bigger than your stomach.”

So true on Thanksgiving.

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Damn You Water Retention

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water retention and weight gain

Swollen feet, knees, hands and face means I’m retaining water. Just in time for my weekly weigh in!

I knew going into my Weight Watchers meeting that I’d show a gain. Not only were my hands, feet and knees swollen, but my face was puffy too. Great! Nothing like water retention on weigh-in day.

The old me would skip the meeting.  I never wanted to step on the scale if I had a bad week or knew I gained weight. I didn’t get that stepping on that scale week after week makes you accountable to yourself. Without accountability, I’d fail…and I did.

I must admit the thought of skipping yesterday’s meeting did cross my mind…for about half a second. I can no longer fear the scale. The scale is just a snap shot in time and doesn’t tell the full story. Sure Weight Watchers will officially record a gain.  But the difference is I know that it’s water weight and it will fall off in a day or so. The new me knows weight loss is about baby steps and I’m not going to always have the losses I’ve had the last few weeks.

I also know if I want to reach my 3-month goal of losing 19.5 pounds by year’s end, this was the one Weight Watchers meeting I’d be foolish to miss. Thanksgiving is this week and I need all the good karma I can get before Thursday.

This week I’m up 2.8 pounds. I’m less puffy today than yesterday, so I know I’ve lost a chunk of the water. The real test is coming up — no, not Thanksgiving. I’m talking about making it to the post-Thanksgiving weigh-in.

 

 

Sluggish Workouts And The Importance Of Tracking

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diet and exercise, tracking food

Forgetting to track my food for a few days has screwed up my diet and makes me sleepy!

When you forget to track your food, bad things happen. Like what?  How about sluggish workouts and a complete lack of energy.

That’s how I’ve felt the last couple of days. I think my carb and protein intake are far too low.

During my weight training Wednesday morning, every exercise was difficult. Not too unexpected since my trainer is really pushing me — increasing weights, focusing on upper body, and challenging my endurance.

When I did my 5K training later that afternoon, my legs felt like lead. While I finished the training, it seemed harder than normal. I chalked it up to tired legs after working out with my trainer.

Yesterday during spin class, it’s clear that I’m getting stronger as my resistance level increased over last week’s class. But where I’m usually energized after spin class, today I just wanted to curl up in bed. And when it came time to do yoga last night, I struggled to finish the session.

I just didn’t feel right. Something was up. I’m not coming down with anything. So I’m thinking its diet.

When I went to look at my tracker, I realized the problem immediately.  The last time I tracked was Tuesday dinner.

Crap!

Since my trainer changed my diet, I’ve tracked religiously. Anytime I felt hungry, I made a note in my FitBook and looked at the tracker to see if I need to make adjustments to my meals.

I’m usually all over my tracker like a monkey on a cupcake!

But the last few days have been hectic. Just lots of errands, projects and breaking up too many pet fights (damn you evil overlord cat!).

How quickly things get out of whack when you don’t track for a couple of days. And scary how easy it is to forget to track.

I tried to remember everything I ate yesterday. It’s harder than you think.  What I pieced together indicates that I missed my morning and afternoon snacks. Not good. Also I ate about 20g of carbs, about 30g shy of what my trainer wants. I worked out for nearly 2 hours and 20g of carbs just doesn’t cut it.

As for protein, I was down 5 ounces.  No wonder I woke up starving this morning. Not eating enough to sustain your body is not how you lose weight.

This morning I’m back on track. I logged my breakfast — Kashi Go Lean, Almond Breeze Unsweetened Milk and one cup of strawberries — the perfect breakfast before this morning’s muscle workout and yoga class.

I prepared my protein shake so it’s ready for me when I get home — I just need to add 1/2 a banana and ice.

I also logged it.

Seared Ahi Tuna with Wasabi Vinaigrette Recipe

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I enjoyed seared ahi tuna for my fish challenge last night. It was delicious. Is sushi in my future?

I enjoyed seared ahi tuna for my fish challenge last night. It was delicious. Is sushi in my future?

My fish food challenge continued last night with a delightful Seared Ahi Tuna appetizer. My husband took pity on my sore legs and treated me to a date night at the Outback Steakhouse.

I noticed the tuna on the menu and decided to try it.

It was yummy! The tuna tasted amazing. Seared perfectly, the fish and had the right amount of seasoning – it didn’t over power the taste of the tuna.

After I ate the tuna, my husband pointed out that I essentially had sushi. He wants me to visit a sushi bar next week. Not sure if I’m ready for that adventure yet.

If I had a complaint about the dish it was the choice of lettuce for the “salad.” Ice burg…really? Why bother?  I skipped the lettuce and devoured the tuna.

The wasabi sauce was nice, although I wanted more heat. I only tried a small amount – I have no idea what’s in it but assumed it would do nothing to help me lose weight.

This is something I need to try at home, but as a proper salad. I found this little recipe on The Food Network. It had me at the mixed greens!  The recipe calls for using all the vinaigrette on the salad. That’s actually too much for my taste.  I recommend making the dressing as the recipe calls for, but using only one tablespoon on the mixed greens. You can use the rest of the dressing over a couple of days before trashing it.

Seared Ahi Tuna with Wasabi Vinaigrette
Net Carbs: 2
Weight Watchers PointsPlus: 6
Single serving

Ingredients

  • 1 Ahi tuna steak
  • 1 Tsp. coarse salt and coarse black pepper
  • Cooking spray or olive oil
  • 2 C mixed greens
  • ½ Tsp. wasabi paste
  • 1 Tbsp. rice vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp. soy sauce
  • 3 Tbsp. virgin olive oil

Directions

  • Season your tuna with salt and pepper.
  • Spray grill pan or lightly oil with olive oil and then heat grill pan on grill
  • Add tuna steak on to the hot surface and sear tuna for 2 minutes on each side. Remove tuna from heat.
  • In a small bowl, whisk wasabi, vinegar and soy sauce. Whisk in oil to combine dressing. Drizzle 1 tbsp. of dressing over your salad and toss to coat evenly.
  • Slice Tuna on an angle and arrange on the salad.
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Fun At The Color Run (And Ran My Best Time)!

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Before the colors fly! So happy a few minutes before The Color Race starts.

Before the colors fly! So happy a few minutes before The Color Race starts.

Yesterday I did my first Color Run 5K in Baltimore. If you’re thinking about doing a Color Run, do it! It’s known as the “happiest 5K on the planet,” and it is. Everyone is happy — the volunteers, the 25,000 runners (dang!), the staff. Even the cops providing security on a Sunday afternoon were having a blast.

After we arrived, I could tell my husband started feeling a bit envious that I was in the race and he wasn’t. Although he perked up when he spotted the La Cakeie cakemobile. He quickly ordered and devoured the (aptly named) Ribbon Cake.

He did promise to run with me next year.

The Color Run, weight loss, 5Ks

Covered in color! I wiped my face a couple of times during the run and I ended up looking like a hot mess! But it was worth it.

How Did I Do?
The Color Run is not a traditional 5K — it is not timed. It’s all about having a good time while exercising and raising money for local charities. I did this race for the experience and not with the idea of setting records.

I still made a point of looking at my phone for my start time — 1:46.

This was my first race without any inclines. The whole route stayed around the Camden Yards ballpark — home of the Baltimore Orioles. An easy route, my pace started faster than normal, usually meaning I won’t finish strong. But I had such a great time during the race, I ended up with my best race time yet.

When I crossed the finish line, the time on my phone read 2:34. Holy cow…48 minutes!

My last 5K, The Goblin Gallop, I ran/walked in 55 minutes. Wow!

Why was this one quicker?  For the Goblin Gallop, my interval training lasted only 1 mile. During The Color Run, my interval training spanned the entire race.  I’m not sure if it was the sensory overload or the sheer amount of fun, but I never felt tired.

In fact, I can’t believe to cross the finish line when I did. It didn’t feel like I just ran/walked 3.1 miles.

Of course, I paid for that great time when I got home. My right knee and left ankle started swelling.  This morning I woke up to very sore legs.

Thankfully today’s muscle workout helped to relieve the stiffness. I plan on an easy walk this afternoon to help with the soreness.

Some Color Run Advice
If you want to do a Color Run, here are some tips for you:

  • This is not the race for designer tracksuits! The color is just powdered cornstarch and does come off…mostly.
  • Keep your phone in a plastic bag. Trust me, the color gets everywhere!
  • Ladies, before the race, use leave on hair conditioner or spray coconut oil in your hair…you’ll thank me later (especially if you’re a blonde)!
  • No makeup! Just makes it easier for the color to come off in the shower. Plus, why would you exercise wearing makeup anyway?
  • Regardless of time of year, always wear white. It’s the best way to proudly display your colors.
  • Arrive early! The crowds are huge — 25,000+.  Runners are released in waves. I was in the second wave. The last wave of runners started as I crossed the finish line.
  • Prepare for the color zones. Along the 5K route, I ran through five color zones – yellow, orange, purple, green and blue.  When you hit one of these zones volunteers squirt you with the colored cornstarch.  I wish I had my sunglasses on to protect my eyes from the powder. Some people wore bandanas over their nose and mouth.  But that means no multicolored tongue!
  • If you want a lot of color on you, run on outer edges of the color zones. The volunteers will nail you! Less color? Run straight down the middle of the zone.
  • Stay for the after party! The Color Run is one big party with a 5K in the middle. It has a DJ, Zumba class, food vendors, and lots of color!

I’m Down 3 Pounds And Closing In On Year-End Goal

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weight loss, weekly weigh-in

With my 3 pound weight loss this week, I’m now down a total of 86.6 pounds!

Woo hoo! I lost 3 more pounds this week, bringing my total weight loss to 86.6 pounds. Back in October I set a year-end goal of dropping about 20 pounds by December 31. As of today, I’m about half way there with 10.9 pounds to go in just a little over 6 weeks.

Clearly I didn’t do much math when I set the goal, because I’m just 13.4 pounds away from losing 100 pounds since this little journey began. Holy cow!

Well with Thanksgiving on the horizon, I’m not changing my 3-month goal now. Instead, I think hitting 100 pounds lost on my birthday (early January) is an awesome bonus!

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This Lazy Mouse Skips Her Weight Training To Build More Muscle

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Lack of sleep and no muscle workout makes me a lazy mouse today!

Lack of sleep and no muscle workout makes me a lazy mouse today!

Thanks to less than 4 hours of sleep, I’m feeling like a lazy mouse today. How lazy? I pushed my morning muscle workout to Saturday.

Turns out it’s a good decision.

The bulk of muscle recovery happens during sleep. That’s when our bodies balance out the hormones and works to rebuild muscles. Lack of sleep just means the workout becomes much harder than needed and you increase the risk of injury.

So perhaps I’m more savvy mouse than lazy mouse…

Nah…I skipped my morning yoga class too.

Fear not. I slipped into my running gear for my next 5K training session, which starts in 15 minutes.

I plan to follow my run with 45 minutes of my Biggest Loser Weight Loss Yoga DVD.

I guess that makes me industrious mouse after all.

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Embracing Weight Loss Compliments

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accepting compliments, weight loss praise

As my weight loss continues, my confidence grew and I happily learned to accept the compliments that come my way.

Yesterday, my hairdresser gave me a wonderful compliment on the weight I lost since the last time we saw each other. I flashed a big smile, thanked her, told her how much I’d lost and completely forgot how sore I was sitting in that chair.

What a difference a year and 82 pounds makes.

Mark Twain was right. You really can live for months on a good compliment.

I couldn’t say the same thing 15 months ago. Then, compliments were like nails on the chalkboard. If someone sang the praises of my waistline, that little voice in my head went straight to my flaws.

“Why did I deserve praise? I’m still a hot mess with a ton of weight to lose.” I felt embarrassed.

Tell Me More About My Eyes
During the last 15 months my confidence and self-image have grown. I can see the difference in my figure, skin, walk and attitude. I get excited about each pound lost and more determined with each gain or plateau.

My confidence grew and that little voice in my head piped down. At first, I learned to smile and say “Thank you.”

Now I embrace the compliments that come my way. And why shouldn’t I?  I work hard on my weight loss and am proud of my accomplishments.  I get excited when people notice.

A few weeks ago, I visited my old workplace to meet a friend for lunch–the same office I left to get healthy.

While waiting in the lobby for my lunch date, I saw many former co-workers. All of them had the same reaction – double take, mouth dropped open, and “Wow, you look great!”

The embarrassment was gone. I returned a conquering hero…and loved every minute of it.

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Nov. 9 Weekly Weigh-In: I Lost Nearly 3 Pounds

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weekly weigh-in, weight loss, losing weight, weight watchers

I lost 2.8 pounds this week, bringing my total weight loss to just under 84 pounds.

I had a great week and it showed on the scale — I dropped 2.8 pounds!  That puts my total weight loss at 83.6 pounds.

Body Adjusting To New Routine
I don’t think it was the spinning class that caused the big drop. I expected a bigger dip during last week’s weigh-in. But thanks to sore muscles and working out before stepping on the scale, I retained a lot of water.

This week I recovered more quickly from my workouts and didn’t exercise before my Weight Watchers meeting. So I expected, and got, better numbers when I stepped on that scale this morning.

I noticed that my weight loss is more consistent since I started weight training 3 times a week. Prior to working with my trainer, I’d seesaw between losing a few ounces one week and nothing the next.

My body adjusted to my workout and diet. Another awful plateau was around the corner. Thankfully the weight training gave my body the jump-start it needed to let go of the fat.

Reaching My Year-End Goal
I set a 3-month goal of dropping 19.5 pounds by December 31. As of today I’m 5.6 pounds closer. That gives me 7 weeks to reach my goal. It’s a tall order with the holiday’s coming up.  But I’m up for the challenge.