Archive for February, 2012

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February 29th, 2012

WIAW: Vegetarian Protein

by Tiff

It was a rough day at work.  I worked late, which is something I never do, and I was in a less-than-lovely mood when I got home.  Luckily, it was leftover night.  The cleaning lady had come earlier in the day, and my daffodils were finally blooming.  I guess the day wasn’t a total wash.  The eats were pretty good too.

Snack 1: pre-workout Reduced-Fat Triscuits (1/2 serving, I’m out of rice cakes)

Breakfast: 3/4 cup black beans, bell pepper, onion, salsa, and 1 egg (will decrease this to 1/2 cup beans)

breakfast

 

Snack: MRM 100% natural whey protein + celery sticks

ugly

Lunch: veggie bowl (looks ugly, but it was good – come back for the recipe later this week) + 1 serving Triscuits

veg out

Snack: 1/3 cup blueberries + fat-free, black cherry Chobani (oh my goodness, that was delicious!)

snack

Dinner: boring side salad + leftover veggie chili from Monday

chili

Snack: There was no after-dinner snack (except decaf tea)! 

I think the extra protein and fiber helped keep nighttime cravings away last night.  Let’s hope it continues.  I followed the LiveFit diet program fairly closely, so hopefully I can keep it up.  The calories for yesterday were just a wee bit low, but I had a wee bit more Monday.  It all evened out okay.  Total Calories = 1360, Protein = 98g

Be sure to check out other blogger eats, meals, and recipes at Jenn’s site, Peas & Crayons!  It’s the last “Love Veggies” theme, and it’s my last day of my vegetarian challenge, which was more enlightening than challenging.

 

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February 28th, 2012

LiveFit Start

by Tiff

Yesterday was my first day of the LiveFit program I mentioned.  For those of you who aren’t familiar with the program, let me give you a brief synopsis of Phase 1 (3 phases total, 12 weeks).

  • No cardio for the first 2 weeks (great for my recovering hips)
  • 3 sets of 12 reps of each exercise for the first 2 weeks
  • Limit fruit to 2 times per day, 1 of which is berries in the morning
  • Very protein-focused (difficult but very doable for my vegetarian challenge)
  • Each workout supposedly takes about an hour to complete
  • Different but similar routines throughout the program

Day 1 was filled with ups and downs.  I always prefer to hear bad news first, so let’s start with the downs.  I arrived at the gym at 5:30 a.m.  Although it is scheduled to open at 5, the doors were still locked.  Bummer!  I drove back home and had just enough time to complete the workout at home with my 8-lb dumbbells and resistance bands.

As for the ups, I tried and enjoyed my new protein.  I was having a hard time finishing off the hemp protein I bought a while back, so I’ll just save that for hippie smoothies.  I purchased MRM 100% natural vanilla whey for my muscle-building needs.  I wanted a vegan protein, but let’s just say the price was very right for this one.

 

Not only did the protein taste okay, it also kept me (somewhat) full.  Due to my mid-morning shake, I wasn’t famished for my afternoon snack.  (Who is this girl, and what have you done with Miss Snacks-a-lot?)  Don’t worry, I still ate afternoon snack, but snack time was delayed an hour.

In short, day 1 went well, and I look forward to the rest of training… all 12 weeks of ‘em.

 

  • Got a favorite brand or type of protein?
 

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February 27th, 2012

Wedding Weekend

by Tiff

This weekend really flew by!  Kevin and I went out of town for a wedding, and we had a blast.  I don’t see how a day can be so long yet go by so quickly.  We got up at 5-something in the morning, and we didn’t get to bed until 3 a.m.  It’s a good thing bars close at 2, otherwise I’m not sure what time we would have gotten to bed.

My Twitter followers know I had a hard time deciding what to wear.  I went with an old standby + a black jacket for the ceremony.

wedding

I was able to find vegetarian eats at the reception.  Vegan would have been really difficult.  Thank goodness I’m still into dairy!

meal

I had a few beers (I know… shocker), and since we were in Greenville, SC, I went with a Greenville brew – Thomas Creek.  I’m not a huge Thomas Creek fan, but I was happy the reception had a craft beer option.

Dancing and drinks leads to a few things, such as silly pictures, cheesy pickup lines, and a late-night pizza stop.  (Seriously, this was a new one for me, “Are you German?”  Ummm… is that a compliment???)

007

No, it was not the healthiest of weekends, but it was great to see so many of my old college buddies.  I <3 Weddings!

 

  •  What was the best thing you did this weekend?

 

Posted in Brews, Out & About | 25 Comments »

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February 25th, 2012

It’s NOT All Greek to Me

by Tiff

Thank goodness for weekends!  My Friday was a long one, so I’m happy to be sitting in my pajamas, eating pb&banana toast, and drinking coffee. 

I’ve actually had more time all week to sit and enjoy my breakfast and coffee.  I didn’t work out in the morning all week since I needed to take a week off, and I actually had time to cook eggs.  Wow.  Simple pleasures!

weekend 001

I made 1 egg and 1 egg white, but since I’m one of those people who hates wasting yolks, the kitties got a small special breakfast too.

weekend 002

Thanks Mom!

I’m excited to get to the gym again next week.  I’m going to lift heavy, eat clean(er), and up my protein intake.  With that said, you can imagine how extra excited I was when I found it on my doorstep.

weekend 006

Chobani kindly sent me different flavors of their Greek yogurt.  I have tried the 0% plain before, and I’m a fan.  I will review other flavors as I have had more time to try them.  (Look for these babies in future WIAW posts!)

weekend 011

As far as yogurt’s concerned, it’s not all Greek to me.  All yogurts have protein, potassium, calcium, probiotic cultures, and other nutrients, but Greek yogurt is a little different.  According to WebMD, makers of thick and creamy Greek yogurt strain out the whey.  This means it contains less lactose and has twice the protein of regular yogurts.  This also explains why it’s usually a bit more expensive.

I prefer plain yogurt that skips the added sugar, but I’ll admit that plain yogurt is an acquired taste.  Most of these Chobani flavors are sweetened with added sugar in the form of evaporated cane juice.

 

  • Do you make egg whites or whole eggs?
  • What’s your favorite type a/o brand of yogurt?

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February 24th, 2012

Challenge Update

by Tiff

I did my yoga.  I drank my water.  I ate my veggies.  I am feeling much better that I did yesterday.  Thanks for all the positive comments.  Gotta’ love my friends – y’all make me smile!

smilin'

I recently took on 3 challenges at once, which is poor planning on my part, but what can I say, I’m an overachiever.

Challenge 1: Run Half Marathon

Done.  I wanted to share a race photo with you guys today, but there isn’t one.  I posed for the photographer and everything, but for whatever reason, there are no photos of me posted online.  Bummer.

run

This is exactly what my race photo would look like.

Challenge 2: Alcohol-Free for 30 Days

My 30 days technically ended on Monday, so I had a beer Tuesday to celebrate Fat Tuesday.  It was delicious.  There were no slip-ups, but frankly, Kevin and I stuck around the house more than usual.  That was nice because I wasn’t tempted to stay out late the night before my long runs, but this girl’s gotta’ get out!  Luckily we have plans this weekend.

beer

Last Night's Dinner n' Beer

Challenge 3: Vegetarian February

This is going splendidly.  I haven’t really even wanted meat.  Surprisingly, Kevin agrees.  If you’re not vegetarian and want to give it a shot, here are tips from my limited experience:

  1. Vary your veggies and your protein sources.  There’s more to it than beans n’ rice.
  2. Just ask!  I made a restaurant request, and I think my veggie version of the dish came out better than the original would have.
  3. Stick to real food.  Quick protein bars and processed fake meats are totally fine, but don’t rely on them.  Your body will more effectively utilize all the goodness found in whole foods.
lunch

Thursday's Lunch

  • Tried any challenges lately?
  • Do any of you vegans/vegetarians have additional tips?

 

Posted in Brews, Food | 26 Comments »

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