Those are the reasons I have been absent. It's been rough. It's been painful. It hasn't been fun.
On a side note, I weighed in at 226.4 at the doctors office. At first, I was disappointed with that number, as it's actually higher then my starting weight. However, I AM DOWN ONE PANTS SIZE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And that my friends, is just the encouragement I need right now!
Monday, November 9, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Surprise, It's Salmon - A Fish Steak You'll Actually Enjoy
As I mentioned in my last post, I have been recently diagnosed with high cholestrol. Bad enough to go in and discus medication with the doctor. So I am on a quest to eat healthier and thought I would share a recipe from last night's dinner that pleasently surprised me.
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The other reason I am sharing this recipe is salmon tends to be a "fishy" fish. I know, fresh salmon, caught the same day isn't, but I can only afford the frozen stuff on a regular basis. Anyway, I am always looking for a way to make salmon taste great and I think I discovered my new favorite salmon recipe this evening. The sauce in this recipe works with the salmon, erasing any "fishyness" and giving it a subtle yet sweet note. Yummy.
BROILED FISH STEAKS WITH TARRAGON CHEESE SAUCE
All it takes is yogurt, cheese, and tarragon for this simple but spectacular sauce.
All it takes is yogurt, cheese, and tarragon for this simple but spectacular sauce.
For extra punch, sprinkle on some cracked black pepper.
Start to Finish: 20 minutes Makes: 4 servings
Start to Finish: 20 minutes Makes: 4 servings
INGREDIENTS
1 ¼ pounds fresh or frozen salmon, swordfish, or tuna steaks, cut ¾ inch thick (I used frozen salmon pieces)
½ cup plain yogurt or light dairy sour cream (I used plain yogurt)
½ cup shredded mozzarella or Monterrey jack cheese (2 ounces) (I used mozzarella)
2 teaspoons snipped fresh tarragon or ½ tsp dried tarragon, crushed (I used dried)
Salt
Ground black pepper (I used fresh cracked)
Hot cooked bow ties or other pasta (optional)
Fresh tarragon sprigs (optional)
Red sweet pepper strips (optional)
1
Thaw fish, if frozen. Rise fish; pat dry with paper towels. If necessary, cut fish steaks into 4 equal portions.
2
in a bowl combine the yogurt or sour cream, cheese, and snipped or dried tarragon. set aside.
3
Place dish on unheated rack of broiler pan. Sprinkle fish with salt and black pepper. Broil 4 inches from the heat for 6 to 9 minutes or just until fish flakes easily with a fork. Spoon yogurt mixture over fish steaks. Broil 30 to 60 seconds more or until heated through and cheese starts to melt.
4
To serve, if desired, arrange fish on hot cooked pasta and garnish with fresh tarragon sprigs and red pepper strips.
Nutrition facts per serving: 188 calories, 8g total fat, 36 mg cholesterol, 236 mg sodium, 3 g carbohydrate, 25g protein
1 ¼ pounds fresh or frozen salmon, swordfish, or tuna steaks, cut ¾ inch thick (I used frozen salmon pieces)
½ cup plain yogurt or light dairy sour cream (I used plain yogurt)
½ cup shredded mozzarella or Monterrey jack cheese (2 ounces) (I used mozzarella)
2 teaspoons snipped fresh tarragon or ½ tsp dried tarragon, crushed (I used dried)
Salt
Ground black pepper (I used fresh cracked)
Hot cooked bow ties or other pasta (optional)
Fresh tarragon sprigs (optional)
Red sweet pepper strips (optional)
1
Thaw fish, if frozen. Rise fish; pat dry with paper towels. If necessary, cut fish steaks into 4 equal portions.
2
in a bowl combine the yogurt or sour cream, cheese, and snipped or dried tarragon. set aside.
3
Place dish on unheated rack of broiler pan. Sprinkle fish with salt and black pepper. Broil 4 inches from the heat for 6 to 9 minutes or just until fish flakes easily with a fork. Spoon yogurt mixture over fish steaks. Broil 30 to 60 seconds more or until heated through and cheese starts to melt.
4
To serve, if desired, arrange fish on hot cooked pasta and garnish with fresh tarragon sprigs and red pepper strips.
Nutrition facts per serving: 188 calories, 8g total fat, 36 mg cholesterol, 236 mg sodium, 3 g carbohydrate, 25g protein
Monday, October 26, 2009
High Cholestrol
I found out a few years ago through a routine blood panel at my company's health fair that I inherited high cholesterol. Fortunately, I had high numbers of HDL (the good stuff) and low numbers of LDL (the bad stuff). My triglycerides were low too. So I didn't think anything of it.
Fast forward to last week, add 65 pounds and recent cholesterol reading that had taken a turn for the worse. We're talking cholesterol medicine and I just turned 30 this summer!! Not good.
Total Cholesterol: 248 (up from 217)
Triglycerides : 279 (up from 80!!)
HDL: 47 (down from 63)
LDL: 145 (up from 138)
This is QUITE upsetting, as I just turned 30 this summer and I have an appointment to talk with my doctor about possibly taking cholesterol medication. I mean, I literally want to cry and have shed a few tears. Guess I found my weight loss motivation.
I have already started eating a lower cholesterol, heart healthy diet and walking daily. Things MUST change, because I don't want to be on medication. More importantly, I don't want to have a heart attack or stroke in 5 or 10 years (or sooner if I had kept at my recent ways). I don't want to have them ever, but if I do, I would like them to be at the end of a long and fruitful life.
Any thoughts, prayers and/or links to information and healthy recipes would be awesome!
Fast forward to last week, add 65 pounds and recent cholesterol reading that had taken a turn for the worse. We're talking cholesterol medicine and I just turned 30 this summer!! Not good.
Total Cholesterol: 248 (up from 217)
Triglycerides : 279 (up from 80!!)
HDL: 47 (down from 63)
LDL: 145 (up from 138)
This is QUITE upsetting, as I just turned 30 this summer and I have an appointment to talk with my doctor about possibly taking cholesterol medication. I mean, I literally want to cry and have shed a few tears. Guess I found my weight loss motivation.
I have already started eating a lower cholesterol, heart healthy diet and walking daily. Things MUST change, because I don't want to be on medication. More importantly, I don't want to have a heart attack or stroke in 5 or 10 years (or sooner if I had kept at my recent ways). I don't want to have them ever, but if I do, I would like them to be at the end of a long and fruitful life.
Any thoughts, prayers and/or links to information and healthy recipes would be awesome!
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
I Went for my "First" "Run" this Morning...
I went for my "first" "run" this morning. I say "first" because it's the first time I have gone for a run in two years. I say "run" because it was more of a jog really and it was an ugly, ugly mess. Slobbering, snobering, awkward movement ending with me tasting blood. Ah, the old exercise induced asthma is back with a vengeance.
I mapped out the distance at Map My Run and it was a whopping .37 miles! Two blocks! Yikes! But hey, it truly is better then nothing and is more then I have run in 2 years, so that's definitely progress. Add in 1.26 miles of walking (a bit before to warm up and most after so that I would be able to walk the rest of the day) for a grand total of 1.63 miles!
Part of me sees that as pathetic. It's obviously the part that still thinks I'm svelte and can run 4 miles at a time. Part of me sees that as an incredible accomplishment, esp since it was 36 degrees out and just barely beginning to drizzle. Never mind the fact that I did it!
The important thing is that I got up, laced up the shoes, grabbed the dog and out the door we went!!! Yeah!
Here's to hoping I can pull it off again tomorrow!
I mapped out the distance at Map My Run and it was a whopping .37 miles! Two blocks! Yikes! But hey, it truly is better then nothing and is more then I have run in 2 years, so that's definitely progress. Add in 1.26 miles of walking (a bit before to warm up and most after so that I would be able to walk the rest of the day) for a grand total of 1.63 miles!
Part of me sees that as pathetic. It's obviously the part that still thinks I'm svelte and can run 4 miles at a time. Part of me sees that as an incredible accomplishment, esp since it was 36 degrees out and just barely beginning to drizzle. Never mind the fact that I did it!
The important thing is that I got up, laced up the shoes, grabbed the dog and out the door we went!!! Yeah!
Here's to hoping I can pull it off again tomorrow!
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Brief Update
I am still waiting to hear back from the doctor about my blood test results. She did warn me it might be the middle of this week, as she was going to wait for all the results to come back first. I really hope nothing is wrong. Even though I "want" an excuse for being overweight and struggling, really I don't. I really don't want to have any kind of serious problem and just have to learn to work as hard as everyone else. I am facing the bull, and sure thinking pretty hard about grabbing it by the horns.
This weekend, Andy and I went through our entire kitchen - the cupboards, the pantry and the fridge. We tossed out everything that we knew we wouldn't eat (i.e., had been there for two plus years) as well as most things with added sugar. We kept cooking sugar, honey, etc. because I won't give up all sugar for good - that would just be setting myself up for failure. I am, however, making an effort to cut back on the "added sugar" in my diet over the next few weeks. This means looking at cereals, pasta sauces and other unsuspecting items for unneeded, extra sugar and cutting them out. It also means I really better enjoy my starbucks for breakfast, as I won't be getting mochas for the next few weeks. Notice I didn't say I won't ever have a mocha again. Right now, that would be too much. I LOVE them. But to give them up for a few weeks in the interest of retaining my palete, I think I can handle that. We shall see how it goes.
PS. I know I need a weigh in - I've just been chicken because I lost my steam there for a little bit and I don't really think there has been a change. That said, my larger pants are big again, so I am wearing one size down today. Always a good thing, esp when I am bloated at that time of the month...
This weekend, Andy and I went through our entire kitchen - the cupboards, the pantry and the fridge. We tossed out everything that we knew we wouldn't eat (i.e., had been there for two plus years) as well as most things with added sugar. We kept cooking sugar, honey, etc. because I won't give up all sugar for good - that would just be setting myself up for failure. I am, however, making an effort to cut back on the "added sugar" in my diet over the next few weeks. This means looking at cereals, pasta sauces and other unsuspecting items for unneeded, extra sugar and cutting them out. It also means I really better enjoy my starbucks for breakfast, as I won't be getting mochas for the next few weeks. Notice I didn't say I won't ever have a mocha again. Right now, that would be too much. I LOVE them. But to give them up for a few weeks in the interest of retaining my palete, I think I can handle that. We shall see how it goes.
PS. I know I need a weigh in - I've just been chicken because I lost my steam there for a little bit and I don't really think there has been a change. That said, my larger pants are big again, so I am wearing one size down today. Always a good thing, esp when I am bloated at that time of the month...
Friday, October 16, 2009
Worried about testing...
... for type 2 diabetes, high cholestrol (which I already know I have), lactose intolerance and celiac disease. Absolutely NONE of those would be cool. But answers would be... esp. if it means that I could stop eating immodium like my daily candy fix!
Monday, October 5, 2009
Weekend Family Food Hangover
Why is it that when my husband's family gets together we do nothing but eat, eat, eat and sit on our butts and play cards? No going for walks or playing around outside. And nothing but feeding after feeding after feeding, topped off with some snacks inbetween for good measure.
QUITE frustrating. And tonight? Dinner with friends! And while that's no big deal, I have to go straight from work, cutting my bike riding time off. That means I haven't excerised since Thursday, with the exception of two short dog walks this weekend.
So I need to figure out how to exercise when family/friend time takes over? And I am NOT a morning person. Perhaps I need to change that... though I have no idea how. I also need to figure out how to eat healthy when there are heaping amounts of carbs and proteins with little veggetables a foot. Any suggestions?
QUITE frustrating. And tonight? Dinner with friends! And while that's no big deal, I have to go straight from work, cutting my bike riding time off. That means I haven't excerised since Thursday, with the exception of two short dog walks this weekend.
So I need to figure out how to exercise when family/friend time takes over? And I am NOT a morning person. Perhaps I need to change that... though I have no idea how. I also need to figure out how to eat healthy when there are heaping amounts of carbs and proteins with little veggetables a foot. Any suggestions?
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