317 Mac N Cheese~

Over the last 15 months my food has changed a lot.  And yes I made the decision to “give up” certain foods.   The reality of the phrase “give up” is that I just found alternatives or saved the forbidden food for spec events/times/achievements.  It has been 15 months since I have had true pizza shop chicken wing pizza – that use to be a staple of my diet, A must have!  Now, if I wanted it I take grilled chicken on a whole wheat pizza shell, hot sauce and some crumbled blue cheese. It satisfies the craving for the most part, of course its not a perfect match to the real thing.  I feel that I have not earn real pizza shop buffalo wing pizza ( I know, I know, I have lost 90 pounds but I just don’t feel it’s the time – its my personal decision and motivation).

The fact is…I gained weight from the moment I graduated high school to 15 months ago.  If you are trying to do the math that is 13 years.  During those 13 years I ate my fair share of shit.  If I had been more disciplined and ate in moderation I would not be fighting to lose 100+ pounds.  Its almost as if I ate a lifetime of shit in 13 years.  I met my quota so now I have to be good, I have to be disciplined.

What helps me with the decisions to “give up” foods are the food swaps I have made.

• Turkey burgers instead of regular
• Turkey bacon instead pig fat bacon
• Soy milk in my coffee instead of cream
• Frozen Greek yogurt instead of ice cream

I have been making these swaps with traditional dinners.  Tonight was Mac N Cheese:

• One Cauliflower head cut into bite size pieces
• 8oz of whole wheat pasta
• 1/2 of a large shallot
• 1 tablespoon of EVOO
• 2 tablespoons of cornstarch or flour
• salt, pepper, thyme to taste
• 1 Can of chicken broth
• 1/4 cup of milk
• 4 oz of Gouda Cheese shredded
• 1/4 cup of Whole wheat breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese

1) Add cauliflower to boiling large pan of water along with the pasta, boil until the pasta is cooked and cauliflower is tender.  Drain and rinse. Dump into your baking dish.

2) While the cauliflower and pasta are cooking…in a medium sauce pan added EVOO and shallots over medium heat.  Cook shallots till they are translucent. 

3) Stir in cornstarch or flour (if the pan has no liquid in the bottom you may need to had a bit more of the EVOO).  Stir the flour into the shallots and liquids to cook the raw taste off the flour. 

4) Whisk in the milk and chicken broth.  Stir regularly till the sauce begins to bubble and thicken.  Add the gouda cheese and remove from heat.

5) In baking dish, mix together the pasta/cauliflower, sauce and half the parmesan cheese.  Top with remaining parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs.

6) Bake for 20 minutes at 350 – enjoy!

This made 6 servings that came to the following for nutritional value:

Cal: 317; Carb: 40; Fat: 10; Protein: 19

My plans for this dish continue..if I am going to make it again as the main dish I am adding chicken or shrimp – some type of protein. I am also thinking of cutting the can of chicken broth in half and replacing it with greek yogurt (plain) to increase the richness flavor of the sauce.  If you were to cut this entire recipe in half, this would be an amazing side dish for like 150 calories.  Plus you could add so many more veggies to this. Roasted red peppers or tomatoes would go so well with the Gouda Cheese.

David and the kids all ate it.  The kids didn’t complain and David said he liked it! SCORE!!!

Food Recap

 

For most people its nutrition that puts road blocks in their way of success.  They can motivate themselves to get up and get moving, get to the gym (Next Level!), and get in that workout (rock out burpees).  All that hard work is undone by bad food choices, temptations, and more.

“No fitness plan can out run bad nutrition”

When people start talking to me about the last 15months I always get asked “what do you eat?”  So here are some examples for everyone:

Breakfast (typically eat around 6am):

• Egg white omelet or fresh egg omelet with veggies and Mozz cheese stick
• Oatmeal with Cinnamon and Fresh fruit
• Whole Wheat Waffles (I like Van’s brands not to much crap in them and good taste) along with fresh fruit and 2 slices of turkey bacon
• Egg sandwich with Arnolds flat bread and turkey bacon or sausage and Mozz cheese stick.
• Protein drink/smoothie and almonds

Snack (typically about 10am):

• Almonds – 100 calorie pack
• Greek yogurt
• Carrots and cheese stick
• Pretzels

Lunch (around Noon):

• Salad with veggies, grilled chicken – maybe hardboiled egg, and homemade dressing
• Light Tuna with 1tbsp of mayo served on sliced cucumbers with cottage cheese
• Grilled chicken 3oz, cottage cheese and piece of fruit – in season
• Grilled chicken wrap – with mustard, roasted red pepper, and spinach.  with cottage cheese or Greek yogurt.
• Grilled portabella sandwich

Snack (around 2-3pm)

• Protein drink or protein smoothie with cut zucchini or cukes
• Greek yogurt
• Cheese stick, turkey Pepperoni (my vice shh don’t tell steve)
• Pretzels
• Almonds

Dinner (some times I eat at 5pm before bootcamp other nights I eat at 730 after bootcamp)

• Grilled chicken with brown rice
• Whole wheat pasta, with cooked ground turkey, diced tomatoes, and broccoli
• Grilled haddock with Summer squash – sprinkled with dill and grilled in a foil pocket
• Stuffed Zucchini with ground turkey and brown rice
• Pork Tenderloin with an apple salad and Zucchini fries
• Grilled steak or chicken with grilled Red potatoes
• Steak or chicken kabobs

Snack (8-9pm)

• Almonds
• Cheese stick
• Frozen Greek yogurt
• Sliced banana with Teddies Peanut butter
• Blueberries and soy milk

Helpful Hints:

• I like using string cheese because it’s a premeasured amount.  I don’t have to waist time measuring my cheese or risk taking to much!  its fast and easy – one WW cheese stick is 50 calories
• When I get home from shopping I put 2-3 slices of turkey bacon in individual ziploc freezer bags and pull them out as needed.  if I had to get out an entire pound of bacon and cook it – I would eat it. ALL
• I have 100 calorie packs of almonds stashed everywhere so that if I get hungry I can eat
• I freeze Hershey kiss and take one out at a time as I need it.

I plan my meals out for the week.  It allows me to unfreeze meats, and not stand in front of the fridge each night wasting time saying “what are we going to eat?”  If I know what I am going to eat I know if I have room for more food during the day.