Trying Tofu

I have found over the last few weeks that salad dressings have A LOT of calories.  So if you are like me and practically have to drown your salad in dressing to eat it, there is really no point even eating the salad.  In my search for better salad dressings, I came across a Ranch dressing that had only 17 calories in 2 tablespoons!!  I was so excited … then I looked at the ingredients.

This particular ranch dressing with the miraculously low calorie count was made with TOFU!  I have a friend who is a vegetarian who has been eating tofu for about 4 years now I guess and she has always recommended it to me.  But, being the carnivore that I am, I have always declined, typically with a very clear facial expression of “not for me!” 

I thought about it for a couple days.  Tofu?  Really?  But, the lure of only 17 calories really had its grip on me.  Finally I gave in.  I went to the store and bought “silken tofu” which is a very soft version of tofu that is recommended for sauces and soups.  Here is the recipe I used:

RANCH DRESSING

 1 and 1/4 cup of milk

10.5 oz of silken tofu

1 packet of ranch dressing seasoning

Add all ingredients to the Vita-Mix.  Start at variable level 1 and then increase to variable level 5.  Blend at level 5 for 10 seconds.  That’s it!

I timidly dipped the spoon into the container and stuck it in my mouth.  To my surprise, I liked it … actually, I loved it!  I have now found my new salad dressing that is super low calorie and easy to make AND I have a new respect for tofu and may even be willing to try it in other recipes in the future.

Trying tofu takes gumption!

Honing Healthier Habits

I started a new diet about a week ago, but it is not really a diet … it is a lifestyle adjustment … at least that is what the nutritionist and my personal trainer called it.  I am warming up to the idea, but the jury is still out.

When I first got my new plan I practically had to hold back the laughter.  I looked at it and thought “there is no way this is gonna work … I am going to be starving.” 

The morning meal is granola, soy milk, and a banana.  This is super filling and may favorite meal of the day.  The morning snack is fruit.  I love pretty much all fruit (except melon) so this is great too!

Lunch is chicken and veggies.  Let me tell you, this one is a struggle for me.  While I love chicken, vegetables have never been my strong suit unless you count corn or lettuce swimming in salad dressing (unfortunately for me my nutritionist doesn’t).  I have had to get a little bit creative/childish.  So far my creativity has been in the form of soup which has been the only successful way I have been able to down veggies in the past.  First I tried Tortilla Soup (see recipe below) that I have made before.

TORTILLA SOUP

Soup Base

3 cups boiling water

1 Roma tomato

1 carrot

1 rib celery

1 thin slice onion

1 garlic clove (peeled)

1 thin slice yellow squash

1 thin slice bell pepper

1 thin slice cabbage

1 mushroom

1 Knorr chicken bullion cube

Salt and pepper to taste

1 table spoon Adobo with cumin seasoning OR

McCormick Spice Blend Santa Fe Style

Additions

½ cup cooked chicken

½ cup fresh jalepenos

¼ cup pitted olives

¼ cup canned corn

1 cup tortilla chips

Place all ingredients, except additions in Vita-Mix container  in order listed.   Secure lid.  Select Variable speed 1, turn on and increase to Variable 10 and then High.  Run for 3-4 minutes until steam escapes through the top.  Reduce speed and then add any variable items.  Run for 10 more seconds and then serve.  (If you don’t have a Vita-Mixer you could probably use a different blender or mixer but the point is to puree everything except the “additions” … If you are looking for a new blender though, the Vita-Mixer is AWESOME!  Click on the link to check out the Vita-Mixer. I got mine at Costco and it is a slightly different version than the one I have linked, but you get the idea.  It is a bit pricey, but worth every penny!)

While I love this soup, I can only eat so much of it, and 2 days in a row was enough for me.  That meant that I needed to come up with some other way to get my veggies in.  My mom came to the rescue on this one.  She made this awesome vegetable beef soup for me when I was sick and it was FULL of veggies.  I have requested it several times in the last couple of months, and if I forgo the actual meat in the soup, then it is the perfect way to get my veggies in. 

VEGETABLE BEEF SOUP

Soup Base

Water

2 packets of McCormick’s Beef Stew seasoning

1 bag of frozen lima beans

1 can of corn

1-2 stalks of celery

1 sweet onion

10-15 small carrots (or more if you like them!)

1 large potato

1-2 cups of peas

1 london broil or roast

Fill your crockpot (I suggest a big crockpot if possible) half way with hot water.  Then add the seasoning packets and let them dissolve.  Cut all vegetables into bit sized pieces or smaller.  Cut beef into pieces about 2 or 3 inches square or smaller if you prefer.  Add everything into the crockpot in no particular order.  Then just let it cook for 8-12 hours on high.  (If you like your veggies to still have some firmness, then 8 hours is fine.  If you are like me and like veggies soft then wait the 12 hours because it is worth it.)

These are the only ones I have tried so far, but if anyone has some great soup recipes or vegetable recipes in general please send them my way!!

So now that we have covered breakfast, snack, and lunch, the two remaining meals of my day are super small – snack of 20 raw almonds and then another snack of greek yogurt.  Can you see why I would be apprehensive that this would not work??  It doesn’t even include dinner!!

Boy was I wrong.  I am so full I can hardly finish all of the food I am supposed to eat!  I feel great and more motivated than ever to continue down this path to a healthy life. 

Developing new eating habits for a healthier lifestyle takes gumption!

Patience is a Virtue

Patience is a virtue.  How many times have we all heard this??  I am guessing too many to count.  If you are not ready to hear it (or I guess read it) a couple more times, stop reading right now, otherwise, proceed.

I am good at a lot of things, but being patient is NOT one of them.  I like to be in control of things and make things happen.  I hate waiting and the unknown. 

I am currently in the process of looking for a full-time job in the legal field, as you may have gleaned from my previous posts.  Recently I applied for a position in the legal department of a large tech company in the bay area (this probably does not narrow it down at all, but I would rather avoid specifics until the interview process is over).  About 4 weeks ago I had a phone interview.  That went well, so 2 weeks I went to an in-person interview.  I felt the interview went smoothly, and was told that I would hear from then within the week whether or not I had made it to the next interview round.  I was on pins and needles all week.  Whenever my phone buzzed I jumped.  Every time I would complain, my mom would empathize, but end with “just be patient.”

The week went by, and no email.  Then a few more days passed.  Finally I emailed a follow-up on Monday.  Yesterday, at the 2 week mark, still no response.  I was definitely anxious to say the least, but was trying to move on with life.

Last night I met up with an old co-worker (she also worked at the law firm in southern California, but several years ago).  We had dinner at E&O Trading Company in San Francisco.  It was an absolute blast catching up with her and reminiscing.  Additionally, she is a paralegal at a mid-sized firm in the city and she gave me a bunch of interviewing tips, and offered to pass around my resume.  While she admits lacking in the patience department, she counseled me to “be patient because something great will come along.”

Today I woke up to my alarm at 7am (I realize this is not all that early to some of you but that is early for my current schedule) and simply did not want to get out of bed.  But, today is Thursday, and on Thursdays I meet my trainer at 10am.  I was not in a great mood, but hopefully that a solid workout would change that.

My trainer met me bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.  He had already had several clients and was all ready to go.  I really hate morning people … mostly because I am jealous of them!  So we started on the bike, then did squats, step-ups, presses and some free weights.  I was definitely feeling the burn in my legs.  The last few sets he makes me do before we stop are always the longest and hardest.  But to top off the torture, he decided he wanted to weigh me today … ugh!  But, being the good client that I am, I climbed on the scale and prayed. Pleasantly, I was down another pound, making that a 10lb loss since I started working out about 3-4 weeks ago … not bad!

After my training session I still had to do my cardio, which is typically easier on days that I train, because I am already warmed up and motivated … plus my trainer is still there to make sure I do it!  But today I REALLY, REALLY did not want to do my cardio.  I was tired and all I could think about was going home, but I didn’t.  I climbed on the elliptical and started my intervals. 

About 42 mins into my cardio, the massage therapist that works at the gym approached me.  We had talked several times before and I had gotten a complimentary 15 min massage from him earlier in the week.  He asked how I was doing with my workouts.  I told him that I was very happy and the weight was coming off slowly but surely.  He was glad to hear it, and as he moved on to chat with another member he told me “keep working at it, patience is a virtue.”

So, as I finished another 10 minutes on the elliptical and moved on to 10 minutes on the bike, I vowed that I was just going to enjoy the time I have, not think about what I cannot control, and be patient, just like everyone said.  I finished up my workout and drove home.  As I picked up my bag to go inside, I noticed that I had a message on my phone, so I checked it.  It  was none other than the recruiter from the company I interviewed with telling me that I had made it to the final round of interviews and asking for my availability next week.  Apparently patience IS a virtue. 

Sometimes exercising patience takes gumption too!

Personal Trainer = Fitness Professional

I have been overweight all of my life.  It has always been a struggle for me.  I have tried diets and fitness regimens galore.  Some have been total disasters and some have worked … temporarily.  But no matter what, the weight either did not come off or did not stay off.  I was the most successful during law school oddly enough (most people gain weight in law school).  I followed a pre-planned meal system and found the time to exercise a couple of times a week.  Plus in my second year I started doing Bikram yoga (hot yoga) which was AMAZING for both my body and my mind.  I got down to the smallest I had ever been (which was still overweight mind you).  Unfortunately, my diet and exercise plan dissolved when I started studying for the bar and I did not manage to pick it back up when I was done.  Then when I got mono I was totally out of commission.  This lead to me gaining back all the weight I had lost in the 3 previous years in the matter of about 9 months.

The day of the body test at the gym came and the results were as I expected – overweight, out of shape, and in need of some serious work.  The trainer I had been set up with was young and energetic.  He asked me about my fitness goals and we had a long discussion about everything that had happened over the last year and things I had tried in the past.  He was certain that with my commitment he could help me reach my goal weight in less than a year.  I was sold.  I paid for 16 sessions with him right then and there, and vowed to stay dedicated to my goal. 

We set up a session for the very next day as I was anxious to get started.  It was nothing short of a disaster.  I was a mess.  I could not keep up.  I started getting dizzy and had to lay down a couple of times throughout the session which was only 30 mins!  It was crazy.  I was disappointed when I finished, but my trainer was optimistic.  He said this was just the beginning and that it was hard to get back into working out, especially with being sedentary so long and sick on top of it.  He set up another appointment for the next day to make sure I came back. 

The second session went MUCH better.  I was able to keep up with the exercises and did not get that dizzy feeling I had in the first session (we figured out that the dizziness was because I had not eaten breakfast prior to my first session – a big no no!).  After the session my trainer told me the cardio that I needed to do after our sessions and on days that I did not meet with him.  We set up 2 more appointments for the following week.  I walked out of the gym that day feeling more confident and more committed to my goals. 

I pretty sure that without my personal trainer I would still be going to the gym, but I definitely would not be seeing the results I have been.  I would be doing probably 25-30 mins of cardio 3-5 days a week.  With my trainer I am doing 2 training sessions a week with him plus 7 days of cardio (45-60 mins depending).  I am already seeing the results.  Not only am I losing pounds, but I can literally see the re-shaping that my body is going through. 

Trainers are professionals just like doctors, accountants, and lawyers.  I would never skimp on paying for the best doctor if I was sick or paying for the best accountant to do my taxes.  As an attorney, I know the importance of hiring only the best lawyer and not making money the issue whenever possible.  So why would I try to go it alone when trying to improve the one and only body I will ever have?  Admitting I needed help was half the battle.

Having a trainer has kept me accountable to someone other than myself which has been a huge help.  When I consider cutting down on the cardio because I am tried, I know I can't because my trainer is going to ask me about it the next time I see him.  When I feel like I just cannot do one more set of weights or stand-ups, my trainer is right there encouraging me and challenging me.  If there is any way you can afford one, even just 1 session a week (but ideally 2 or more), I definitely recommend it ... you won't be sorry!

Admitting you need help with something and then going out and getting that help takes gumption!

Gym Time

Despite my best efforts at keeping busy, boredom still managed to find me.  As mentioned, my job search only takes a few hours a day when you are not getting responses (meaning no interviews to prep for and attend) and my research job is limited to 10 hours a week, which still left me with too much free time and nothing to fill it with.

Fortunately, I started to feel significantly better in March.  My energy level had increased to the point where I was able to stay awake the entire day without taking a nap.  I know it sounds crazy but it was a long road to get to even that point.  Additionally my organs had finally reduced in size (the mono cause my spleen and liver to become enlarged which prevented me from engaging in even the smallest amount of physical activity because almost any amount of contact could cause them to burst).  This was great news because it meant I could get back in the gym and work off some of the weight I had gained while studying for the bar and recovering from mono. 

I asked around and searched yelp to find out what gym to join.  I wanted a low enrollment fee and low monthly payments because I still do not have a full-time job.  Lucky for me, I found the perfect place – Fitness 19.  I went there primarily on advice of one of my oldest and closest childhood friends who still lives near me.  She is a member there and loves it!  So I checked out the website and printed the free one day pass and decided to check it out.

When I walked in, the staff was friendly and got me all set up and showed me around.  Then he let me explore on my own and complete my workout.  The place is not fancy by any means, but it is exactly what I was looking for.  It has tons of machines and floor space, weight machines and free weights, balancing balls and mats and all sorts of other equipment.  It does not have showers, but that’s fine with me since I would not use them anyway – I prefer just to drive the 4-5 minutes it takes me to get home and use my own shower.  Needless to say I was ready to sign up if the price was right.  And let me tell you the price was definitely right!  I paid a $49 enrollment fee and then only $12 a month.  Just what I needed. 

When I signed up, I had no intention of doing anything besides the elliptical at first, just because it had so long since I was at the gym.  However, they set me up with a personal trainer for a body assessment test.  I suppose I did not have to agree to this, but I figured I might as well even though I knew what the results were going to be – overweight, out of shape, and in need of some serious work.

Joining a gym and signing up for a body test after months of being sedentary takes gumption!