February, 2010

Day 26: Jess (when all else fails, make tacos!)

February 27th, 2010

(Garbanzo bean tacos!)

Tofu stir-fry. The tofu looks like chicken (maybe because it was homemade and not so perfectly square? )
Today we experienced a major snowstorm (actually the fourth biggest snowstorm we have had in NYC ever.) I was snowed in and had to make a dollar out of 15 cents, in terms of my meals. (I didn’t feel like braving the blizzard to buy groceries.)

What I ate:
breakfast: whole wheat toast with peanut butter and a banana
snack: apple
snack: raisins and almonds
lunch: leftover tofu, Swiss chard stir-fry and brown rice
dinner: two garbanzo bean tacos (beans, onions, lettuce and tomatoes on a corn tortilla…I spiced the beans with garlic cumin, red pepper flakes, pepper and thyme. Then I sprinkled the top with a little Parmesan cheese.)
snack: two more tacos
snack: half of a strawberry cupcake
fluids: four 8oz glasses of H2O and one glass of red wine
OOPS: I forgot to add that yesterday I had a large serving of carob covered raisins and a small handful of corn nuts
Workout situation: 10 minutes of dancing in my apartment followed by an hour of dancing at a lounge
Highlight: My meals were all satisfying.
Lowlight: I had to “fry” the taco shells in oil.

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Ash: Day 26

February 27th, 2010

I think I am sick of Mexican Food. (I can’t believe I am saying this)

What I ate:

Breakfast: 1/2 cup dry Whole Grain High Fiber Joes O’s
Snack: 1/3 Lara Bar (Cashew Cookie)
Lunch: Chicken/Veggie Chimichanga, Rice, Beans, Guac (I threw more than half of it away, and I am pretty sure it was good.)
Dinner: 2 slices of mushroom spinach pizza from Zachary’s Famous Chicago Style Pizza, Salad

Highlight: Hella good pizza
Lowlight: Hella good pizza

Exercise: I walked 3 miles today, I wore a pedometer! :)

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Day 25: Jess (Beef, It's what's for dinner. NOT!)

February 26th, 2010


Today was a first for me. I had to cook MEAT (steak! beeeeeeef!) in my food science lab. I’m not a dramatic person, but I practically threw up in my mouth and had to excuse myself to go to the LR (Ladies Room). I also wore gloves when handling the carcass. God it stunk so bad! I asked my professor if I should wash it. She said no, cooking kills the germs. I washed it anyway.

Then I had to mechanically tenderize it by covering it with plastic wrap and pounding it with a wooden device. Grokie. I have not eaten meat in 15 years, and now I am even more certain about why. There was so much fat on my little piece. I asked the professor what to do with it and she said just leave it there. Then when it was done cooking the fat had melted all into the steak. I felt myself starting to hyperventilate. It was all bubbly and juicy, but dry looking at the same time. After it was all said and done, my classmates did taste test evaluations (other folks in the class prepared different kinds of fish and chicken).

I’m trying not to be one of those annoying vegetarian haters (too late?) so kudos to all of you who have the strength to handle that on the regular. I was absolutely traumatized.

what I ate:

breakfast: whole wheat toast with peanut butter and a banana on top
snack: almonds and raisins
lunch: leftover swiss chard and tofu stir-fry with brown rice
snack: 2 percent greek yogurt with nuts, raisins, and strawberries
dinner: 1 egg one small potato fritatta with a spinach and apple salad (btw a fritatta is when you heat up something – potatoes, whatever – and then once it is cooked you put eggs on top of it and cover it. You sort of let the eggs steam. Or at least that is how I make it. Here are other instructions.)
snack: apple, nuts and raisins
fluids: four (or five?) 8oz glasses of H2O
Workout situation: 30 Minutes of Namaste yoga via FitTV
Highlight: The snow was nice at first
Lowlight: The snow got ugly real fast

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Day 24: Jess (dance therapy)

February 26th, 2010

Today I was feeling down about some things (mostly school related issues). Anyway, I hate to admit it, but when I am feeling really sad I don’t eat, and when I am feeling a little down, I use it as a reason to eat candy. “My day is not going well, I deserve a box of licorice.” “Failed that test? Crank open a bag of gummy bears.”

I also feel exempt from working out when I’m experiencing the blues. “You deserve to sit around and watch Netflix today.” I ALMOST fell into that same cycle on day 24. When I got home from work, I planned to veg out on the couch and not make or eat dinner. But then, at the last minute, instead of feeling sorry for myself, I decided to get up, and cook a good meal. After I ate, I didn’t feel like working out, but I decided I was going to anyway. I planned to only do 10 minutes of “dance therapy” but 10 minutes turned into 45 minutes of dancing (courtesy of Lykke Li and Vikter Duplaix) and 30 minutes of resistance band exercises. I WILL report that eating a decent meal and getting active did lift my spirits. Obviously it isn’t a cure all, but I felt soooo much better eating right and working out than I would have felt if I didn’t.
Next time something bad happens, instead of using it as an excuse to do what you aren’t supposed to do, try to muster up the energy to make the right choices. It helps.
what I ate:
breakfast: piece of whole wheat toast with peanut butter and a banana on top
snack: apple
snack: raisins and almonds
lunch: half a lettuce, tomato and cheese sandwich on a white roll and a handful of chips
snack: other half of the sandwich with 1/4 of a pickle
dinner: stir-fried swiss chard, bell pepper, red pepper, onion and tofu. I used a little bit of olive oil, dried basil and low sodium ginger soy sauce. Served over brown rice. Amazing!
snack: 2 percent greek yogurt, post workout
Workout situation: 45 minutes of dancing around my apartment (tried to work aerobics in there too) and 30 minutes of resistance band training (included lotsa lunges)
Highlight: The change of heart
Lowlight: The sandwich with white bread and chips. But if I had to do it all over, I would have done it again.

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Ash: Day 25

February 26th, 2010

(enter something cool to say here)

What I ate:

Breakfast: 1/2 cup grape nut flakes w/milk
Lunch: 1/2 Chipotle Barbacoa Burrito w/fajita veggies, w/Cilantro Rice, Salsa
Dinner: 1 Korean Grilled Beef Taco from Namu Bar in SF (it is served on seaweed w/kim chee and other non traditionals), 1/3 caesar salad, 2 veggie tempura pieces
Snack: Sip of Lauren’s nasty Sake. Grokie

Highlight: Namu Bar’s light amazingly unique food.
Lowlight: The Chipotle Burrito had me full for wayyy too long. What do they put in those things?

Exercise: 1 hour run around w/Ella at the dog park.

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Ash: Day 24

February 25th, 2010

Happy Hour and Food to share!

What I ate:

Breakfast: 1/2 cup grape nut flakes w/milk
Snack: Blueberries
Lunch: Won Ton Soup (100 cals)
Lunch 2: Chevy’s Happy Hour Pineapple Coconut Margarita y 1/6th Nachos (just meat, beans, and pure artery clogging goodness)
Dinner: 1 Grilled Fish Taco w/cilantro, tomato, onion, lettuce
Snack: 1 Cream biscuit

HL: Happy Hour convo w/my cohort.
LL: Happy Hour food w/my cohort.

Exercise: huh?

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Day 23: Jess (is it summer yet?)

February 25th, 2010



School is kicking my butt…that’s all I got to say.

What I ate:

breakfast: whole wheat toast with peanut butter and banana on top
snack: raisins and almonds
lunch: leftover pesto Tortellini in marinara sauce
snack: greek yogurt with strawberries, raisins and almonds
snack: 1 serving of chocolate covered carob
snack: apple
dinner: leftover pesto Tortellini in marinara sauce and a piece of baguette
Workout Situation: Let me get back to you on that.
Highlight: Eh…
Lowlight: didn’t QUITE make my 5 servings of fruits and veggies (although that’s debatable)

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Ash: Day 23

February 24th, 2010

Grocery Shopping makes the world go round! Tuesdays have become my Grocery Day, and therefore my favorite day of the week!

Here’s what I ate:
Breakfast: Hot Oatmeal with walnuts and Raisins
Snack: Cranberry with Club Soda (our low calorie, low sugar drink demo for Body Image Week)
Lunch: Blackeyed Peas and Brown Rice
Snack 1: Hella fruit samples a Berkeley Bowl (grapes, blueberries, cherries, strawberries, mandarin oranges, gooseberries)
Snack 2: Cheese from the Cheese Counter (raw goat milk cheddar, some fancy brie)
Snack 3: Homemade Cream Biscuits (I ate 3) from a recipe a la the kitchn. w/strawberry preserves
Dinner:…

Highlight: Grocery Shopping is such a highlight for me. I get to create things, explore, talk to new people, try something new (gooseberries!)
Lowlight: I didn’t eat enough yet again, and I had waaaay too many biscuits.

Exercise: Dog park run around with Ella, 1 hour.

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Day 22: Jess (minor carbohydrate abuse)

February 23rd, 2010

What I ate:
breakfast: whole wheat toast with peanut butter and bananas
snack: raisins and almonds
lunch: fillet of white fish and pesto tortellini with marinara sauce (leftover from yesterday)
snack: Greek yogurt (2%) with strawberries, raisins and almonds
dinner: TV DINNER (fail) 220 calories of angel hair pasta pomodoro (Class until 9, what can I do? Plan better. Right.)
snack: apple
snack: A serving of baguette and cheese and a salad (tomatoes and romaine lettuce)
snack: Two pieces of cherry taffy
fluids: four 8oz glasses of H2O and one 3oz glass of fresh apple cider

Workout Situation: Nope

Highlight: Thinking…

Lowlight: Lotsa bread and pasta. Ash, remember “Pasta y Basta” in Paris? (It was the name of an “Italian restaurant” we ate at. Friendly staff, not many customers.) Still trying to figure out what a Basta is?

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Day 21: Jess (day of rest + more grocery shopping)

February 23rd, 2010

Today I made a trip to Trader Joe’s to buy Greek yogurt and frozen fruit to add to it (also nuts and raisins). Then I came home and lied around on the couch all day. I FINALLY got a chance to watch the movie 300. Burnt. I kept falling asleep then waking up to fighting, falling asleep again and waking up to more fighting. Can we get a storyline? I miss Braveheart: “You can take our lives, but you’ll never take our FFFFRRRRRRRRREEDOM!” Right on.

What I ate:
breakfast: whole wheat toast with peanut butter and a sliced banana
lunch: 1 piece of white fish (cooked in white wine, water and olive oil) and pesto tortellini with homemade marinara sauce (just mix Italian spices with a can of whole, peeled tomatoes), and a salad (lettuce, red onion and tomato)
dinner: Greek yogurt with strawberries
snack: I don’t exactly remember having this, but knowing myself, I probably had a couple of thin slices of my baguette with a couple of slices of cheese
fluids: three 8oz glasses of h20 one 3 oz glass of fresh apple cider

Workout Situation: 30 minutes of Namaste Yoga AND got a workout carrying bags of groceries for 6 blocks, avenue blocks

Highlight: That fish was soooooooo fresh. It practically melted in my mouth (farmer’s market)

Lowlight: One fillet of fish (sorry I forgot what kind it was) cost me $10. Also, I don’t think I ate enough, but I lied around for the second half of the day, so maybe my energy expenditure was too low to require more calories? Whatevs.

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