Blog Moving

This blog is being combined with my other blogs on one page.  Please go to:   http://ricksblogcollection.blogspot.com/  to continue following this blog.  My future Santa's Journey To Lose His Cookie Zone with be published under the Tab by the same name.  Recipes will be under be published under the Healthy Recipe Tab, while the Santa Tab will be my journey and Healthy Tips and Information.

Thanks for taking a look at my new page.

Rick

Giada's Chia Seed Breakfast Pudding

I have promised several people over the last couple of weeks this recipe would be posted.  I am sorry to be so slow.  This recipe comes from the Food Network web site and the link is posted following the recipe.  After doing yoga, Giada De Laurentiis eats this protein rich breakfast.  Chia seeds are packed with fiber, protein and antioxidants.
 

Giada's Chia Seed Pudding (4 servings)

Ingredients

1 cup vanilla flavored unsweetened almond milk
1 cup plain low fat (2 per cent) Greek yogurt
2 Tablespoons pure maple syrup (preferably grade B), plus 4 teaspoons for serving
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Kosher salt
1/4 cup chia seeds
1 pint strawberries, hulled and chopped
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Directions

In a medium bowl, gently whisk the almond milk, yogurt, 2 Tablespoons maple syrup, vanilla, 1/8 treaspoon salt until just blended.  Whisk in the chia seeds, let stand 30 minutes.  Stir to distribute the seeds if they have settled.  Cover and refrigerate over night.

The next day, in a medium bowl, toss the berries with remaining 4 teaspoons maple syrup.  Mix in the almonds.

Spoon the pudding into 4 bowls or glasses, mound the berry mixture on top and serve.

http://blog.foodnetwork.com/healthyeats/2014/01/15/giadas-chia-seed-breakfast-pudding/

LOL

100 Easy Ways to Cut 50 Calories

As I have said before and will probably say again, I am not a registered dietitian or any such professional, I am just an average guy that has a weight problem and that is working on it.  The things I post on this blog are things I have read and don't necessarily endorse them, I just pass them along for you to read and make up your own mind to do what is best for you.

This post comes from an article I read in Reader's Digest.  It is loaded with common sense ways to cut calories.  But then, every calorie saved helps.  The link to the article is:  http://bit.ly/1dHSnHB

Eggs Baked in Avocado

                                                                                                                                   

This recipe comes from fitsugar.com  I am fond of eggs and avocado. The two togther are really good.  I don't eggs often, mostly egg whites. The thing I like is the recipe has a lot of protein and for two eggs and a whole avocado the calorie count is pretty good.      

INGREDIENTS:

2 ripe avocados
4 fresh eggs
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 Tablespoon chopped chives

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Slice avocados in half, and take out the pit.  Scoop out about two Tablespoons of flesh from the center of the avocado, just enough so the egg will fit in the center.   Place the avocados in a small baking dis, making sure they fit tightly.  Crack an egg into each avocado half. Try to crack the yolk in first.   Place in the oven and bake 15-20 minutes.  Time will depend on the size of the avocados and eggs.  Make sure the egg whites have enough time to set.  Remove from the oven, season with pepper, chives and garnish of your choice.  Makes two servings.

449 calories, 38.2 g fat, 137 mg sodium, 2 g sugars, 13.6 g fiber and 15.2 g protein.                  

Nature's Skittles

Random Thoughts

Just in case you couldn't tell this post is about the Golden Arches or Mickey D's or McDonald's or anything it may be known as.  I have several friends that can't stand the Golden Arches but personally I love the place.  I could eat there three times a day and not get tired of the place but I would end up looking like the guy in Super Size Me  http://www.hulu.com/watch/63283  So to that end and the cost, I don't eat there.

But along the same vane I read an article the first of the year that science teacher, John Cisna, lost 37 pounds in three months eating nothing but McDonald's.  His students planned his menus using daily recommended daily allowances of calories, etc. http://usat.ly/19aMyAW  But just as quick an article ran stating it is a bad idea to eat at McDonald's everyday  http://read.bi/1eKSUoC  I don't know to many people that would actually eat at Mickey D's everyday but I guess there are some who would.

There was another article on why the fountain Diet Coke tastes better at McDonald's.  http://bit.ly/1dgQk7S  I am not a Diet Coke drinker but I do enjoy the other fountain beverages and I always thought they tasted better at the Golden Arches and now I know they do and why.

I know with the fact that I am  trying to change my lifestyle as far as what I eat goes my trips to McDonald's will be severely cut back but that is okay because actually I would rather go to Burger Bar.  Burger Bar was even on the Food Network Show: Diners, Drive-ins and Dives   http://bit.ly/1cJgFLf

No matter where you where you get your burger, enjoy it.

Mediterranean Carrot Salad

This recipe comes from Spry Living.  It is very good and quick, too.  It is called  Mediterranean Carrot Salad.


INGREDIENTS:

1/2 pound carrots, peeled
2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh mint
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

DIRECTIONS:

With a box grater, coarsely grate carrots.  Combine with remaining ingredients and toss to caot.  Serve chilled or at room temp.  Enjoy.  Makes four servings.

Each serving contains 90 calories, 7 g of fat, 2 g of fiber, 3 g of sugar and 150 mg of sodium.

Walking

I started wearing a pedometer last week.  I found that I was averaged just over 6000 steps a day.  My goal is to get it over 10,000 in the next week.  I was felling pretty good about how much I was walking until I heard some of the teachers, in the district weight management class say they did over 10,000 and one was even over 16,000.  I guess I have a long way to go.  On Saturday I walk at the Newgate mall and three trips around the mall is about 4500 steps.  Now I just need to do about six plus laps, that plus the walking I do the rest of the day should get me over the 10,000 number.  At the school my boss has me walk around the commons during our slack time.  Thanks Carri for pushing me.  That helps because when I get out of work I don't feel like going to the gym, in fact I may cancel my gym membership and save some money since I have other ways to get walking in.  On the other hand, doing weights a couple of days a week would be good for me, so we will have to see.  Maybe Tuesday's and Thursday's I will do the circuit training at Planet Fitness along with getting in my 10,000 steps.  Here is good read for tips to help lose weight while walking:  http://bit.ly/1f0zJrn

Random Thoughts

I am working this year at continuing my weight loss.  I am part of a 28 day challenge through the encouragement of a good friend of mine.  She is concerned about peoples health and the company she works for (Medi-Fast) has organized a 28 day challenge.  At first I thought about getting back as radical as i was earlier last year to lose a bunch of weight and win a $1000.  But then common sense kicked in and I decided I need to do something that is sustainable for the rest of my life.  I am thankful to Sheila for helping me get back on track and get back to eating healthy and smart.  My goal is to lose between 1 1/2 - 3 pounds a week.  I eating smarter by watching portions, walking more, drinking more water and trying to get more sleep.  When I do these things I feel better and maybe this old dog can be taught some new tricks.

Another part of what I am doing to help me with eating smarter is being part of a weight management class offered through my employer.  I figure you can never have enough help as long as you stay focused and your help is teaching basically the same thing.  Last week I lost 4 lbs and hope to go at least another 3 or so this week.  The weigh in on Wednesday will tell.

Even though I am being a little more sensible this time I am still very thankful for Dr. Scott and the program I went through with him because He gave me my life back and going through his program showed me how much better I feel when I eat right and lose weight.

I will admit it is hard to be good when I stopped at 7-11 this morning to get a newspaper and they are selling their chocolate donuts 2 for $1.50 and the chocolate donuts from 7-11 are out of this world.  They are from Dunford Bakeries.  I am tempting myself right now and I am sitting at my computer.  Better reach for my water bottle and some celery.  Okay, not as good as a donut but it will due. LOL. Off to do other things for awhile.

Weight Loss Cycle

Good Read

I post a wide variety of things on this blog.  They range from funny to things that I have learned as I read about diet and nutrition.  This is an interesting article written by the author of the Dilbert cartoon strip.  He has titled it "Read this if you want to be happy in 2014".  I know it doesn't sound like it would have much to do with dieting and weight loss but trust me it does.

"I have on expertise whatsoever on the topic of happiness.  But I do have a knack for observation and simplification.  That's what I do for my day job as the creator of Dilbert.  Today - as some of you are already backtracking on those New Year's resolutions - I'm going to strip out all of the mumbo-jumbo around the topic of happiness and tell you the simplest way to get some.......read more http://wapo.st/1l62bfQ

LOL

The following is a post from a Facebook post by a friend of mine by the name of Dave Taylor and the more I think about it, the more I may have to join his fitness regime.

"I am starting a new fitness regime called FitCross.  In a nutshell, iy utilizes muscle confusion by requiring a large variety of hydrogenated corn syrup distribution methods and nuanced cheese-based fondues.  This focuses greatly on the importance of social and emotional health through diet instead of exercise.  This is the best program out there, because we all know that exercise is highly over-rated and likely only to procrastinate your departure from this war prison work camp euphemistically referred to as "life".

Day Two of the New Beginning

It has been quite a day.  I cut my calories a lot.  In fact by the time I got home I figured I had only eaten between 450-600 calories.  I even bypassed the fresh rolls at the school today.  And that was hard.  I have also pretty much given up sugar. The following post gives some great tips for giving up sugar:  http://bit.ly/1d3S0qu.  I think that is going to be one of the harder things I will be doing, especially during the next 21 days.  I came home with a head ache today and I am not sure if it was from the lack of calories or the lack of sugar.  Though after eating two rice cakes with egg whites I did feel better.  At the school I work at they have installed a soda machine for the faculty and staff.  It is free and one of the drinks is a Sobe Life Water.  It is a berry pomegranate flavor.  It is sweet and I have drank a lot of it before the Christmas break.  I have decided to give it up even though it is supposed to be zero calories.  The label says it contains 32.5 grams of sugar, which is equivalent to drinking plain water and eating a Snickers bar.  I don't think it is worth it and I don't want the artificial sweeteners and other things it contains.  I even was enjoying the taste and I usually wont drink diet drinks, besides I would rather have the Snickers Bar.  I guess the best thing is to go back to drinking lots of plain old water and that I do enjoy.

Here are a couple of more links to articles about quitting sugar:  http://thedailylove.com/the-lowdown-on-quitting-sugar/ ,  http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-10492/how-to-quit-sugar-in-5-days.html ,  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/maia-james/quitting-sugar_b_4116814.html

2014 - A New Beginning

They say "That confession is good for the soul", I know that is only part of the quote but that is the most quoted part and it fits for me at this point.  I do have a confession to make and it is hard but I need to say I have fallen of the wagon for weight loss.  I know that is very obvious because my posts have been very sporadic to non existent.  I have fallen to the point that I have not only quit losing but I have gained about 20 pounds back and that makes me very unhappy. I know I have no one to blame but myself and that I accept.
I had a meeting with Dr. Scott a couple of weeks ago and we talked about what is going on in my life and leaving out all the boring details he told me not to beat myself up but to start again with the first of the year. HE wants me back around the middle of February and he wants me to be down about 15-20 lbs by then. My goal is to exceed that number by at least 5 to 10 lbs at the minimum.  As I mentioned in an early post Dr. Scott told me I was doing well and could follow the 90/10 rule which is be good 90% of the time and go off the grid only 10% of the time.  I was excited but in going to the new program I went way off the grid and knew better.  I quit keeping my food journal and was probably only on the grid less than 5% of time. Combine those two things and that was the recipe for my total implosion.  Even when I knew I was failing and failing big time, I did not get back on track, but that is going to change starting Jan 2nd(tomorrow) morning.

I am going back to eating like I know I should and keeping my food journal.  Since I have picked up a steady job in the schools I need to watch what I eat while I am working.  The school I am in, a large portion of the food we serve is cooked from scratch not like the other district I was in where everything was heat and serve, I still need to watch what I eat.  If I eat what we serve the students, their portions, I will have eaten about 750 calories for lunch but my goal is to eat more fruits and veggies than anything.  I need to lay off the American cheese and fresh rolls.  Those rolls are good when they come out of the oven and I have justified eating them because they are 51% wheat.  Occasionally we make sweet treats and one of them was killer chocolate cupcakes with cranberry sauce in the mix.  Sounds weird but boy are they moist and I ate more than I care to admit.  The same with the cookies we bake.  In the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas I bake several hundred cookies and ate more than I should have but those things are in the past.  It is time to look ahead and move forward.

People have asked if I will be posting to this blog as often as before and will be including recipes and the answer is yes.  I have picked up a lot of information in the things I have been reading about health and fitness and I have several recipes that people have asked me to share.  And I have several recipes that don't fit on this blog and I have been asked if I will be adding to my regular recipe blog (ricksfavortiterecipes.blogspot.com).  One of the recipes I will be posting on that blog is for the crock pot peanut clusters I made over Christmas.  I made them  three different times and some of the people I gave them to have asked for the recipe.  And again I ate more of them than I should have.  But that's another fall off the wagon.  I got to the point I didn't even try to get back on the wagon.

I also have an appointment with my Pulmonologist, Dr. Hardman, in a couple of weeks and she is not going to be happy with me and I will hear about it.  I need to be back on track and in a losing mode and I will be.

I am also going back to the gym.  I have been making it about twice a month except for the month of Dec and I don't remember if I even made it once.  I told my good wife I would go everyday after work because it will be on the way home and it would be easy.  If I go then I will not have to try and work it in some other time.  All of this start tomorrow and it is getting late so I better get some sleep because there are no more excuses for not doing what I know I need to do.  I have two friends that are also going to lose weight following a couple of other ways, on is going to do Medi-Fast and the other is going to do nothing but drink juice for 90 days.  So we are going to see where we are all at in 90 days and if we are all still following our diets.  I should say change of life not diet because diet is a four letter word.  I will check in tomorrow night.