Motivational Monday

Last week I started running to prepare for a 5k, and it can be easy to get discouraged, but every time I go run I feel a little better, and I almost always take time off my run. You don't have to be the fastest, run the farthest, or be the strongest, just set your goal to do better than the last time. 

-Shayla

SLENDER

Craving Killers: Hummus Meals

So last week I posted about Spinach Hummus (if you missed that post you can find it here) and today I'm going to share two complimentary meals that go well with it, you can it them separately, or serve them as a meal and a side. 

Green Salad Dressing

Yield: 2 Servings
Prep time: 10 minutes

You'll need:

• Lettuce
• Spinach
• 1 Roma Tomato
• 4-6 Mini Bell Peppers
• 1/2 Cucumber
• 1/4 Cup Diced Mushrooms
• 2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
• 2 Tablespoons of Spinach Hummus (or as desired)

Put together your salad. I suggested some things that you can use, but always remember that the beautiful thing about salads is that any veggies can go together, so feel free to put whatever you want on it. :)

Mix your hummus with the lemon juice, as this will make it thinner and easier to mix. Put on your salad and enjoy! I also will add minced garlic sometimes, or a little bit of salt. It depends on what consistency you like. I personally don't like runny hummus, so I leave it a little thick. 

Rice and Hummus (Sorry, couldn't think of anything more original at the moment)

Yield: 2 Servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

You will need:

• 1 Cup Uncooked Brown Rice
• Spinach Hummus as desired

Cook the rice, normal brown rice is healthier for you, so not using instant is better but you can if you like. If you have an InstaPot, cooking time is 8 minutes or so, if you don't, then 30 minutes with a rice-cooker. 

Warm the Spinach Hummus for about 1 minute until it's softened and reached a sauce like consistency (again you can add a little more lemon juice or water as a thinner). Serve on top of rice and enjoy! This is one of my favorite meals...it might be the rice lover within me, so I have to make just one serving of it or I'll totally stuff my face with it. 

(Take note, the picture shows regular hummus, so don't worry when the Spinach Hummus ends up being a paler green).

Motivational Moment

'Nuff said. 

-Shayla

SLENDER

Week 1 Report

So, I've decided that I need to really tighten up the way I eat and exercise, so I'm doing Dr. Fuhrman's cleansing program which consists of eating lots of fruits and veggies, trying to eat at least a pound of vegetables, and a pound of steamed vegetables, and at least four fruits. No dairy, no sugar, only a cup of starch (so grains, rice, and potatoes) and no meat. I've been struggling with ice cream, my biggest weakness. It's been effecting my weight-loss goals and general lifestyle choices, so I've decided it's time to go back to the basics to get my lifestyle back under control. I've been writing up a report at the end of the week to compare how I can do better each week. So here it is!

Week 1: 4.20.15 – 4.27.15

Haha, this week was a little bit of a struggle. Monday was okay, but when I hit Tuesday I just wanted to eat, and EAT!! It was everything I could do to not go and buy ice cream. I texted Debs and she helped me out a ton. She walked me through the pros and cons of what I’m doing and why I’m doing it. I have to remember that I want to be healthier, and that I want to make better health choices. NOTE: When you struggle with something like this again, go through that text from Deb and review the lists that you put together with her.

I had a good talk with Dad and Adam about my fears with being able to break the 165lb point. They helped a lot. In essence, they both promised me that if I stick to the 12 week and if I actually do it, then I’ll break that point. My psyche still has a hard time believing them, but I owe it to myself to make good eating choices. Dad pretty much told me that I should really give my everything to this project so that I will see outstanding results. If I want to really break through, I need to exercise hard, and eat right. He’s right. I didn’t do the 6 week completely when I first got home, and I lost 20lbs doing it. [i]Now I’m at a point where I need to buckle down and be serious, because that is what it’s going to take.

Last night (the 27^th) I announced in family time that I was going sugar and meat free, and that helped a lot, getting my goals out into the open. I told them I’m for sure going tell June 1^st, though I’m probably going to push it past that to August 1^st. I really want this to be a positive experience!

Struggles for this week: 

Breaking the sugar was hard, and when we went to eat at their cousins’ house I chose to eat cake and ice cream…BUT I only had one piece (and I didn’t let it mess with how I ate yesterday, and I haven’t eaten any of the sugar cookies Orson made!).

I eat granola bars, and need to stop, because they probably double my calorie intake, and yesterday I think that’s one of the reasons that my stomach really hurt… I want to be able to eat the foods I make without getting sick and too full…

I only ran once…

Solutions: Say no to granola bars, at least until June 1^st. Because, you have one, and then two and then three…begin meal planning and make a grocery list based on that. Make garbanzo beans and such.

Keep staying firm on your decision to not eat sugar, and say no at social functions.

Run daily…even if it’s for ten minutes.

Benefits for this week: I feel skinnier in my clothes... I also did level three on the Daily Shred and I did a lot better than I thought I would. The cardio segments didn't leave me as breathless as I thought they would.

Weight as of 4.28.2015: 170lbs on the nose. 

---

[i] Remember that the weeks that you exercised daily, you lost 3 to 4 pounds a week!

Craving Killers: Spinach Hummus

I love how versatile hummus is! This one is especially yummy, and I eat it on everything. A fun suggestion: thin it out a little with water and then serve as a sauce with rice or pasta! (Or don't water it down, it's fine as it is. XD). I also have it as a sauce on top of my baked potatoes. It goes well with everything. :)

Spinach Hummus

Classic hummus goes deliciously green with a few handfuls of spinach thrown into the mix.

yield: ABOUT 2 CUPS

prep time: 5 MINUTES

total time: 5 MINUTES

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans) drained, but reserve the liquid (about 1 1/3 cups)
• 2 cups baby spinach leaves 
• 1/3 cup tahini
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin (optional)
• 1 teaspoon Paprika, and then a pinch for topping, if desired.

Note: I prefer this with strong garlic. If your garlic isn't strong the flavor of the hummus will fall flat. Add just a little more based on your taste preferences, and feel free to do the same with the other seasonings. Most of the seasonings you add what the recipe suggests, and then, flavor to taste. 

DIRECTIONS:

1. Add everything but the liquid from the chickpeas to the pitcher of a blender or food processor. Pulse, adding the bean liquid as needed to get things moving, until the hummus is completely smooth.
2. Taste and add additional salt if desired.
3. Scoop into a serving dish and sprinkle paprika if desired.

This recipe is a really good one...but I find I'm always tweaking it a little bit to get the exact flavor that I like. However, I just ordered better garlic (the last one had no taste at all) so I think that will greatly improve the consistency of the flavor. If that's the case, I'll just update the post. Meanwhile, if any of you try this and find something you like, let me know! 

- Shayla

SLENDER

6:30 am...Gross!

When I was serving a mission we had a schedule that all missionaries in our mission were required to follow. It looked a little bit like this:

6:30 - Get up and exercise
7:00 - Shower/eat breakfast
8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. - Studies
1:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. - Serve
9:00 p.m. - 10:30 p.m. - Plan for the next day/go to bed.

Now the when I went to bed at 10:30, and got up at 6:30, I had 8 hours of sleep. Now as a college student I average like 5 to 6 hours of sleep a night. So at that time I should have had plenty of sleep.

If only that were so.

I was always so tired! Partly we worked really hard all the time, and we built up a lot of fatigue. So when that alarm went off at 6:30, we both felt a little like this:

What's that sound?

Ugh...my body is dying...

Won't someone do something about that noise?!?!?

Target Identified

Needless to say, we weren't keen on getting out of bed. Even though we did, because we wanted to follow the schedule, our exercises weren't always very effective. I've learned that when I'm tired I react in an interesting way. If I'm a little exhausted I don't want to work out, just don't have the energy. But when I've had four hours of sleep, that's when I'm ready to tackle a triathlon. I have my theories, but I'm pretty sure that my rational mind dies when I get less than 5 hours of sleep...

Now that I'm at home and I don't have a specific schedule that I'm required to follow I exercise at very different times. Often I exercise in the late morning...or the late afternoon...or late at night. I've learned that I need to be awake and focused in order to go workout. I'm not that way when I've just gotten out of bed.

While it is probably more effective to start your day exercising, and people say it gives you more exercise for the day etc., but really, if that doesn't work for you, don't feel like you have to exercise then. When you can do it, and when you are happiest doing it is the best time to do it. Just as long as you do it.

-Shayla

SLENDER

Craving Killers: Chocolate Fruit Dip (aka Chocolate Hummus)

I. Love. This. So much. Chocolate is addictive (I'll write a post about that soon enough...when I'm ready to admit it), and incredible. But this dip is perfect with any fruit. My favorite is raspberries, but I love it with bananas, apples, strawberries...anything I can get my hands on. Don't let the ingredients fool you, it tastes like chocolate, looks like chocolate, and is better than chocolate. There's no guilt, no sugar, and no dairy (also gluten free!). Perfect for me!

Chocolate Hummus

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup almonds (walnuts are also good)
5 pitted dates (about 1 cup if you have pre-cut like me)
15-ounce can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained (1 1/3 cups)
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup vanilla soy milk (any milk works. If you buy an unsweetened/non-vanilla variety just remember to compensate by adding a little more date and vanilla)

DIRECTIONS

1. Place the almonds in a food processor and process until you have almond butter, 5 or more minutes.
2. Pour in the remaining ingredients and puree until smooth.
3. Enjoy immediately with sliced fruit or pretzels and store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.

This is best when it's cold, but good when warm too. I love this recipe! I make it all the time. 

This makes enough for about 6, with 107 calories per serving (a serving is a lot of dip), and if you add 1 cup mixed berries, that only another 70 calories. So this dessert is only 177 calories total, not bad considering how much food it is for a snack/dessert. 

Enjoy! 

-Shayla

SLENDER