Friday 20 December 2013

12-week Fitness Challenge: The Beginning


Since being back in Singapore I have been quite diligent in minding my diet and fitness needs.  I had already turned the corner on being ill before I got here and I used the first few months to get my strength back (since I hadn't been exercising at all for 9 mo) and figure out what meals would work best with my schedule and cost effectiveness (considering I have to pretty much make everything myself).  I am so lucky to have such a great roommate that is into fitness and diet and I have found inspiration in watching her work ethic.  I decided that I needed a plan to get to that next level so I did a little research and came across "Sexy Body" workout and I was sold on title alone.  Luckily it's Jamie Eason's plan, so I picked a good one :) 

The first thing I did was to implement a change in my workouts. Up until now I had been focusing on legs, abs, and my upper body was limited to chin-ups.  I was ok with this; I just wanted to get into the gym and get things moving again.  When I came back to Singapore I was 119lb.  I had completely eliminated all grain, starch, and sugar from my diet and I probably had some malabsorption issues as well so I lost a lot of weight and was quite thin.  I was thinner than necessary or than I wanted to be.  

As of today I am 133lb…pretty big difference and I just let the skirts of my costume out 1.5” in the waist (literally just today I had all 3 of them altered).   I like the size that I am although I would love to be tighter or more toned.  I am hoping that this plan will be successful and I have changed my diet a little to support that. My diet is important because it is how I am controlling my GI issues and luckily it's working because my blood levels were all out of whack 5 months ago and now they are all within normal range except for the inflammation marker which is high, but it's still a work in progress so I'll take it!

Before I was eating a lot of nuts (almonds in particular) to give me more calories and fat for that full feeling since I wasn’t eating grain or starch (and let’s be real…I did have some starch occasionally, but not everyday.  Grain I just avoid, it’s bad news for me).  I’ve had to remove one of the servings of a dish that’s made with nut flour and in another dish I have reduced the about of cheese I put into it.   I had to increase my protein intake and my carb intake as well.  I have been on the plan a little more than one week and here is my progress to date:


The pic on the left is when I first got here; the pic on the right a couple days ago.  I am comfortable with my size I really just want the flab to be gone and be toned (I’ll say flab instead of fat to avoid the “you’re not fat” backlash, which is not what I mean – I understand that I am not fat as in overweight).  The workout plan is split into 3 four-week sections, the first of which ends just before my roommate’s figure competition.  I will be show ready…to be backstage LOL

Friday 13 December 2013

Cauliflower Pizza!!!


Just because you want to eat healthier does not mean you have to have to sacrifice flavor or risk not feeling full.  When you eat foods rich in nutrients, that full feeling will come faster because your body will get the nourishment it needs.  One of my favorite things to eat was pizza...thin crust, deep dish, whatever I LOVE PIZZA.  Being on SCD means I 100% cannot have this because of the wheat, but luckily someone got creative and came up with a pizza base that uses cauliflower.  This recipe can be modified to add almond flour to add a little more weight to the base (and probably make it crunchier), but I eat so much nut flour in other meals I have to watch the fat intake.  Here's the recipe I've been using...step 2 says to strain the rice - very important to get that water out so the base won't be soggy.

Cauliflower Pizza Crust
Makes 1 large crust

Ingredients:
4 cups raw cauliflower rice

1 egg, beaten

1/3 cup soft goat cheese (chevre)
 - I use Pepper Jack
1 teaspoon dried oregano

pinch of salt

(actually what I did was buy 2 heads and doubled the rest of the ingredients...since it's time consuming to make I thought I'd make 2 crusts at once and I froze the other.)

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 400F, then get to work on your crust.

Step 1: Begin by making your cauliflower “rice.”
Simply pulse batches of raw cauliflower florets in a food processor, until a rice-like texture is achieved.

Step 2: Cook & Strain the rice.
Fill a large pot with about an inch of water, and bring it to a boil. Add the “rice” and cover; let it cook for about 4-5 minutes. Drain into a fine-mesh strainer.

Once you’ve strained the rice, transfer it to a clean, thin dishtowel. Wrap up the steamed rice in the dishtowel, twist it up, then SQUEEEEEEEZE all the excess moisture out!

Step 3: Make & Shape the dough.
In a large bowl, mix your strained rice, beaten egg, cheese, and spices.

Press the dough out onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. (It’s important that it’s lined with parchment paper!)

Keep the dough about 1/3 thick, and make the edges a little higher for a “crust” effect, if you like.

Step 4: Bake!
Bake for 35-40 minutes at 400F.  The crust should be firm, and golden brown when finished.

Step 5: Load on the Toppings!
Now’s the time to add all your favorites– sauce, cheese, and any other toppings you like.

This is a healthier version of a pizza so be careful with the ingredients!  I use a sauce that has no preservatives (or things I can't pronounce) in it.  Press a few garlic cloves in it and blend to liven up bottled sauce.  

I buy 2 rotisserie chicken (peppered) and use the breast meat.  I eat the thighs and wings and the rest of the meat I use for my crock pot chicken soup (save time on cooking and no waste).  I also used a package of 250g spinach washed and cut into thin strips.  

I'd stay away from ingredients that have a lot of fat since you're already using cheese in the base and on top.  I use about 4oz of colby jack (or whatever) on top.  4oz is half a block, which really is not much. 

Fresh basil and fresh cilantro on top also add heaps of flavor - be creative!! 

I cut the pizza into 4 servings.  There was a time when I could eat an entire pizza by myself so even though it looks small, it's a filling serving for lunch!