Forks or Tortilla Chips

My Forks over Knives Cookbook arrived on my Kindle a few days before the labor day holiday. As we traveled about I was able to peruse it while the kids snoozed in the van.

Ah, the simply joys. 

If you haven't already seen the documentary, I suggest you do!  The entire theme is simplicity!

As we have transitioned between summer and the school year, that is certainly all that has been on my mind.  Our world can get hectic, busy and overwhelming in a flash.  That usually leads to tired and stressed out kids and parents, and inevitably bad food choices in our haste.

As with every new school year, I'm determined to keep our schedules simple, and our food too!

Plus it's football season!!!!!  We are ALWAYS ready for some football in this town.  That in itself can present a whole new world of temptations and obstacles in Titletown, where the daily eats suddenly becomes all things meat, cheese, fried and beer - all in support of our Packers of course!!

So I was tickled to find a simple, healthy, game friendly food in my new cookbook featuring EDAMAME!  Just what I needed for my next Meatless Monday A-Z!
 

Don't you just love when everything false in place?

So first things first - what is Edamame? Here is what wiki said: Edamame is a green vegetable more commonly known as a soybean, harvested at the peak of ripening. 

Ahh...good simple.

 

 Some more simple ingredients. Excuse the fake lime.  It's handy in a pinch.

 

 

 Taken for a spin.

 

 

Then boiled edamame, cooked for 5 minutes get a whirl too.

 

Put it all together, and get your fork ready. 

 

Or some chips. 

 

I prefer tortilla chips as my eating utensil of choice.  Or tortillas...its a latin thing.

 

Because now you have Edamamemole! Edamamole? Edahuh? ....well you get it. A bowl full of yum is what we have!

 

Need a closer look?

 

One last end of summer deck party? Perfect.

Healthy tailgate potluck option?  Why yes thank you, this will do nicely.

 

This stuff is good.  It is as I-can't-stop-eating-this-stuff good as the full fat avocado version. 

 

The real test?  The hubster.  Would he like it?

 

Answer:  He loved it! Success!

 

This was the up and up version right out of the cookbook.  Shocking I know, from the master at straying from every recipe I've ever attempted!
_________________________________________________________________________________
  



  Not-So-Fat Guacamole

Makes 2 cups

1 c shelled edamame
1 c broccoli florets (yes, that's right. this is hard core green eating)
zest of 1 lime and juice of 2 limes (or 2 tbsp here)
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
1/2 small red onion, peeled and diced small
1/2 c finely chopped cilantro
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced (about 1 tsp)
Salt to taste
1 pinch of cayenne pepper, or to taste.

Boil edamame in medium saucepan, add water and boil 5 minutes.  Drain and rinse until cool.
Stream broccoli for about 8 minutes.  Drain and rinse until cooled.
Add edamame and broccoli to food processor and puree until smooth and creamy.  Add water if needed to achieve creamy texture.
Add pureed mixture to bowl and add remaining ingredients. 
Mix well,  chill until ready to serve.
_________________________________________________________________________________

Other options I have seen remove the broccoli and add 1/4 - 1/2 avocado if it just seems like too much of a shame not to include it.

For guiltier-free ....or guilt-freeER? ...snacking, I like you just the way you are edamamemole, edamole, ..uh...ed.

Forks over knives to heavy for you?  There's also a little documentary on the Engine 2 Kitchen Rescue which I actually got hubby to watch with me.  I think he was convinced, seeing as this big fire fighter, still seemed manly eating this green food.





But if you're ready for the full story, watch Forks over Knives. It could change the way you eat ...for the better.



Both are available on netflix!

So you tell me now. 

What healthy eats do you put out for the gang during football season?

The Nitty Gritty

So how do you do it?  That is always the question I get.  The answer rarely satisfies. 

No one wants to hear: there's no formula, just good old fashioned healthy eating and physical activity.  And honestly, what works for one person doesn't always work for another. 

But for what it's worth, here is my list.  What has worked for me.  I have tried other things before and even during.  And I find that the following is my "formula" if you will.  Most of is probably common sense for you.  For me, it took me a bit to put these things together until I had my epiphany:

• Have a Plan.  Take the time to set some guidelines.  Be specific. Are you cutting out processed foods? Are you going to eat "X" calories each day.  Are you eating 2 cups of vegetables every day? Having a basic plan helps stay on track when the unexpected occurs.
• Get Physical.   Be brave. Walk into that gym.  I was so afraid that I would stick out, the lone out of shape and overweight person in a room of extreme fitnessista's.   Truth? Not even close!  No one cared about me! And there were all shapes and sizes in those classes.  I have tried so many new things: Zumba, Cardio Kickboxing, Piloxing, Bootcamp and returned to a few favorites like Hiking and Cycling.  Variety has been key to keeping me on track.
• Get in the Know.  I keep health and fitness forefront.  The more you know the harder it is to go back to unhealthy living.  Blogs, books, documentaries, they've all helped me to learn that not all food is created equal.  In fact, some food can barely be called food!  I turned to labels, nutrition stats and ingredient lists and decided that I needed to know what was in my food before I blindly inhaled it.  Establishing some food morals helped me to get my priorities straight.
• LOVE your food.  I use to think despising food was the key to losing weight.  I LOVE food.  I love eating food.  But all the skinny chicks seem to snub food.  "I'm not hungry" was a phrase I rarely have said.  But now I've learned I can LOVE my food.  I just don't waste my time with food that I don't LOVE!  Food that gives me the most bang for my calories - tastes great, high in nutrients, fresh, pleasing to the eye and palate - THAT'S food worth loving!  If it's going to cross my lips it better reeeally be worth it.   Clean your plate? Not if it doesn't taste good. Listen to me:  It's OKAY to push away a plate of crappy food.  I KNOW what your momma said.  Do it anyway!
• EAT MORE!  I can't finish this post without a shout out to the book that catapulted my weight loss.  Eat to live!  After trying calorie counting, weight watchers, Atkins, cabbage soup diet - you name it -  I didn't have any real lasting success until I read this book.  Primarily a plant-based diet, with no calorie counting, good food, and consistent weight loss without feeling deprived.  Here's the secret:  When you eat nutrient dense food, you can eat MORE! And who doesn't want to do that AND lose weight?  Seriously! It literally changed my life. 

So that's it.  That's the practical part of my journey - the nitty gritty, the old how to.  No, not quick, not easy.  It's taken some real investment in time, effort and commitment.

But today? It's just my normal.

What new normals have you worked into your health/fitness journey?

Weight on the brain

There's so much more to losing weight than calories and pounds.  I didn't lose 50 lbs by going on a diet.  I have been on MANY diets. Many that did not work, and many that would have worked had I been prepared MENTALLY. 

My success only started when I decided to deal with the all the extra weight in my HEAD.

Coincidentally as this post was forming, the Fitmixer bootcamp ladies topic for the week was "GARBAGE".  Oh so timely, and true!  Much of my weight loss occurred as I started to release the garbage, the negative and defeated thoughts in my brain.

There are things I just had to admit, accept and resolve inside myself before I could even begin my journey.

• I'M OBESE. 
• It wasn't a secret to anyone but me! There was no use hiding away from the world. There was no quick fix for it.  It just was my reality.  Once I stopped fighting that admission in my head, I was free to start to evolve, learn and move past it.
• THIS IS MY LIFE. 
• I couldn't keep waiting for that "X" to happen to live my life.  You know that dialogue:  When I graduate college.  When we get a nice house. When the kids grow up.  When I lose this weight. There was NO pause button.  My life was marching on with or without my participation. I could continue to sit idly on the sidelines and watch it go by, OR I could get up and start directing my own life!
• I DID THIS. 
• There was no one to blame.  There may have been underlying issues that fueled my eating - stress, guilt, anger.  I could tell you the tales of my hurdles, obstacles, hardships. But the WHY's didn't matter.  The extra pounds on my body, didn't care.  I had to take responsibility. Only I could do something to change it.
• I CHOOSE TO BE HAPPY
• I could hate my situation and be miserable.  I could beat myself up for letting it get so bad.   I could fall into an abyss of  depression for overeating again, OR I could put my big girl pants on and enjoy the indulgence, be grateful that I DID realize I have a problem and was doing my best to change it, and live every moment to the fullest. 

The fitmixer gals made the best point in that webcast:  Don't resist what is to find your peace.

I didn't start to have success until I accepted my reality, realized that it had all brought me to the place where I was ready to grow, was thankful for it ALL, and used that knowledge to empower me to change my present.

I could get all worked up, stressed, angry and upset to get myself motivated.  But beating myself up only created an environment for failure. Yes, every time I beat myself up, I had an excuse to cheat, quit, or plain give up.

Case in point?  Along with the celebration of getting to the 50 mark, my brain immediately started the negative thought storm.  Why?  I have another 50 to go! 

• How are you going to do this?
• The pounds are not coming off so easily!
• You still can't keep your eating clean consistently!
• You are NO WHERE near your bootcamp goals!
• Look how hard you have been working out, and for what?!!

FACT:  Negative thoughts = Negative outcomes. 

While I should be telling you that I have finally kicked my obese bmi - I am desperately hovering over the same numbers.  The self-abuse is kicking up, and my eating has been atrocious.  Like worse than ever in all of my 50 pound journey thus far.

ENOUGH. 

TIME TO RESET. 

enjoying the journey

As I embark on the second half of this journey.  I am going back to the beginning to set up an atmosphere for further success!  I will  BE MY OWN BEST SUPPORT, and will start by acknowledging:

• I'M GETTING HEALTHIER EVERY DAY
• THIS IS MY LIFE, AND ITS A GREAT ONE
• I DID THIS (50lbs gone!) AND I WILL FINISH THIS
• I AM HAPPY!!

Is it time to reset your mental dialogue?  Hang in there, you've got this!