Sunday, August 28, 2011

Thoughts on...my diet (Part 1)

The word "diet" has always been a very elusive term for me sort of like the Lockness Monster or Bigfoot. I've seen one yet I've never captured one. The end of August marks my 3 month anniversary of "actively" participating on my diet. I've dappled with elements of them in the past but this is the first time I've gone all in. I learned a few things, reinforced others and lost some of those unwanted pounds.

Here are five things I've learned from my diet.

1) Manage your resources (and constraints) or they'll manage you.

Money

Money is probably the first constraint that comes to mind. It's no lie that it's going to take money to eat but here are a few ways to soften the impact.

  • In the beginning you should be spending at the same time reallocating. Orange juice and potato chips use to occupy my fridge and pantry. Soon after I started my diet I stopped purchasing them and used that money to purchase protein and veggies.
  • Stick to the basics protein, veggies, fruits and carbs skip the exotic supplements until you get a hold of the fundamentals of eating.
  • Dare to compare. Check your mail, email, smart phones and social media sites for specials, discounts and incentives.  

Time


There's no greater misused resource than time itself. All to often we can't seem to make time for the things we want. Remember we don't make time we manage time. Here are three things I do to help manage my time.


  • Prioritize, spend time on what really matters and needs to get done first (i.e.working out and making your meals).
  • Plan ahead, organize your workouts into your schedule, plan next weeks menu this week, know when your having your cheat meal. The more you know the less there is for uncertainty. If something unexpected occurs you'll be able to get back on track faster because you have a road map already made. 
  • Manage your screen time. You'd be shock to find out how much time we spend in front of a screen. These devices (tv, laptop, desktop, tablet, etc...) eat up a lot of time. Put them away.  

2) Execution is everything
  • You can have the best of intentions but if in the end you don't produce all the good intentions won't mean a thing. There's no substitute or equivalent for it. 

Sunday, August 21, 2011

What's On My Plate

Hi, for today's post I thought I'd give you an idea of what my breakfast looks like. The days of sugary cereal and hot buttered toast are over as I've switched them out for more nutritious options. I start my day off with  four egg whites simply seasoned with salt, pepper and a dash of water. I added 4 oz. of turkey patties that I made using the recipe I posted before. I then followed it up with 5 oz. of fingerling potatoes. My total caloric intake comes to about 350 calories packing 40 grams of protein, 30 grams of carbs and 8 grams of fat, fitting the parameters of my goal in mind (close enough). The potatoes were boiled ahead of time and patties were already fully cooked and frozen. All I had to do was saute the potatoes, cook the eggs and microwave the patties. A great start to your morning with minimal effort and time. Enjoy!



                                    

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Kitchen Lingo

A basic mirepoix consist of onions, carrots and celery but other aromatics can also be used such as; leeks, tomatoes, parsnips, garlic, mushrooms, and peppers. Check out some additional mirepoix below and see if you can fit them in your kitchen repertoire.

White Mirepoix
Used in white stocks and soups

  • 2 parts onion or leeks
  • 1 part celery root or hearts
  • 1 part parsnips 

Asian Aromatics
Used in Asian stir fries, soups and sauces

  • 2 parts ginger
  • 2 parts garlic
  • 1 part green onion

Cajun Trinity 
Used in Creole and Cajun dishes

  • 2 parts onion
  • 1 part green pepper
  • 1 part celery



Sunday, August 7, 2011

My Recipe Box

I'm always on the hunt for new and interesting recipes to add to my collection. Not too long ago I was looking for some gluten free sauagage patties to accompany my breakfast but the stuff at the market wasn't to appealing, so I took to the internet to find a recipe. After searching I came across a recipe for turkey saugage on Food.com. Turkey didn't strike me as a "breakfast" meat but I decided to give it a go. I'm glad I did. These patties have a wonderful herb quality thanks impart to a combination of parsley and sage, a subtle sweetness brought on by the use of pear and are jam packed with flavor you'll forget your eating turkey. I didn't have any fresh sage on hand so I used 1/4 tsp dried sage instead, luckily the slight adjustment didn't alter the recipe too much. For the complete recipe use the link below and make sure to print it out for future use. Oh, they freeze great and heat up in a snap just make sure to cook properly and wrap tightly in your freezer.

http://breakfast.food.com/recipe/turkey-sausage-73423