As of today, I am officially 9 days away from Maintenance. Nine days. Hot damn.
I remember, when I started this thing, thinking that I could hack a month's worth of drops and diet and restriction, no problem. It'd be a piece of cake, and I'd breeze through the days like they were hours instead of days. The food, once I'd read the portion sizes and actually started measuring them out, seemed like a ton, and cooking was a breeze once you had all the prep work done.
Half way through the protocol, I got bogged down. Exhaustion from life set in, and trying to find both the energy and creativity needed to feed both myself and BF was difficult. I grew frustrated (clearly) with the restrictions, and while the food portion sizes hadn't changed, my perception of their flexibility had. I was no longer confident in the protocol, or my ability to complete it.
Today, I find myself in a curious blend of the two extremes. I'm neither deliriously happy with the program, nor extremely distrustful and dissatisfied with it. I'm...comfortable with it. Yes, you have to go on a restrictive diet for a few weeks. Yes, it makes having a life outside of the living room and your laptop awkward. Yes, it's more than a month long commitment to better health.
Yes, the food is sufficient to feel full. Yes, there is variety in what you eat, how you eat, when you eat. Yes, you can make it through a 26 day program and survive, lol. Yes, you do have much more freedom on the Maintenance phases than you did in the VLCD phase. And YES, you do lose weight. I woke up this morning, to a 0.8 lb loss. After yesterday's gain, that really only means a 0.2lb loss, but it's a loss all the same.
Life, in general, is a constant learning curve of what and how we react to the stimuli we run across in our constant bid for learning, aspiring, growing as human beings. If I'm comfortable being a size 12-14, then I should have just stayed where I was at. If I'm comfortable being a size 6-8, then I need to make the sacrifices to get back to that weight, and then make the proper choices to maintain that life style. It can't be all about indulgence, all the damn time. Sadly :(
I'm finding that as I creep closer to my LDW - Last Drop Weight - that I'm getting hungrier and hungrier throughout the day. I'm hoping it's a sign that I'm getting close to the weight I was two years ago, which is when I gained the most. I'm pretty certain that's one of my plateau weights. I'll be prepping over the next week for Maintenance, and I'm looking forward to working out now that I've already begun the process of getting back to those size 6-8 jeans.
If there's one thing I could stress to a new protocol member, it'd be this: Be prepared. The food guide can be a bit overwhelming when you first look at it, and you start planning meals and buying food based off what sounds good, instead of what's good by the numbers. Pick three (minimum) from each food group, so that they fall into the following categories:
Low Calorie
Medium Calorie
High Calorie
Why, you ask, is this a good idea? Your body's going to crave different types of protein on different days. Let's say you go with ground beef, cabbage, apple, and melba for lunch. That's 301 calories in that one meal. In order to stay under the 500 calorie mark, you've got to eat a protein, veggie, and fruit that are extremely low in calories. My go to meal for this instance would be chicken, lettuce, and half a grapefruit: 179 calories. All combined, I'm looking at 480 calories. There's room to move now, with a piece of melba later if I get snackish. Problem solved.
So, definitely, keep a variety of the groups on hand, and make sure you shop for at least one in each of the low, medium, and high calorie sets. It'll make cooking much easier. I ended up relying on ground beef, chicken, and shrimp, for the protein; lettuce, cabbage, asparagus for the veggie, with some fennel, onion, and spinach thrown in for a change; and apples, oranges, and grapefruit for the fruit. I added beef broth for a little comfort when necessary, and tons of Frank's Red Hot Sauce, mustard, and black pepper. It got repetitive, but at least it tasted good ^_^
I'm still a week away from finishing the drops, so I'm sure I'll have more up and down days between now and then. For now, though, I'm pretty content. I'm almost done, I'm down 15 lbs, I have a desire and drive to work out to lose the rest, and I'm working on the mental changes required to keep going at it. Not bad, for 17 days.
Showing posts with label health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label health. Show all posts
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
VLCD 13 & 14 - Rough Patches
Yesterday was pretty rough, I've gotta say. I felt sick and weak all day, with insane hunger that had me munching on my melba toast at 7 in the morning. Most days, I can go without the melba until dinner, which is at 7pm. That's a pretty drastic change.
I was exhausted much earlier than I normally am, and had absolutely no motivation to cook or make any kind of meal for myself or BF. Yesterday would have been the kind of day that saw us in the car, headed to the pho restaurant for some yummy soup. Instead, I had to settle for shrimp soup with onions. Tasted good, but wasn't nearly as satisfying.
I had another challenge yesterday, in the form of lunch. I went to get my boss lunch, and he ordered food from one of my favorite restaurants: Jimmy Dean's. They have AMAZING burgers and fries. It killed me having the bag of food sitting in my car, and I ended up rolling all the windows down on the ride back to the office just so I wouldn't get smothered in the smell of the food. Dinner last night was supposed to be tuna sandwiches for BF and beef for me, but I couldn't handle the idea of making him tuna (one of my favorites) and watching him eat bread and chips and all the good stuff. It would have broke me.
My tolerance level for this protocol is getting lower and lower the longer I get into this. It makes me all the more amazed and worshipful of the people who commit to the 43 or 60 day plan, and manage to make all their own lunches and dinners for so many days. I truly don't think I could hack it that long.
I woke up this morning to a 0.6 lb gain on the scale, but I kinda saw it coming. After feeling like crap yesterday, and not being overly careful with my food measurements and not drinking enough water, I was prepared - although not happy about it - for a gain this morning. 0.6 lb is pretty good, all things considered, I guess. All that being said, I'm down almost 15 lbs, which is great.
This brings up a new revelation. Well, a couple of them. I keep looking at my body in the mirror, trying to see the changes, and while I can tell my clothes fit better - I fit into a shirt I haven't worn in six months!!!!! - I still don't think my body's changed any. I'm still fat in all the places I don't want to be, and I'm still nowhere near my goal weight. Somehow, during all the prep work for this protocol, I think I'd managed to convince myself that if I did one round, I'd magically be back to a weight I was happy with three years ago. Instead, I still look somewhat the same, albeit 15 lbs lighter, and I'm still not happy. My expectations were too high, I think.
The other revelation I had is that I'm slowly counting down the days until I can get back eating what I once did. I realize this sounds kind of stupid, but hear me out. This whole time, I've been viewing what I've been eating as a restriction, a specific set of guidelines that will only last for a temporary, specified set of time. Once I get through the maintenance phases, I'll magically be able to go back to eating what I did before, and it'll be fine. The thing is, that's not true. My eating habits in the past are part of what got me here. When I finish Maintenance, I'll still be on some sort of restriction, because I don't want to gain all the weight I've just lost, right back. I can't go back to eating out every other day and having huge portion sizes and gorging on sweets. I have to scale it all back, and eat smartly, and wisely.
I'm pretty positive this isn't the first time I've said this, but I love food. I don't live to eat, but I do enjoy the food I eat. I like all different kinds of food, a wide variety that covers all kinds of unhealthy entrees. I keep thinking about all the things I'll be able to have again when I'm finally done with this program, and that's the kind of thinking that's going to land me in dangerous waters. I have to change the way I view my meals, so I can maintain, and then lose, all this weight. If I want to get back into my old clothes, I've got to make the smart decisions to get there, and then stay there.
I'm feeling much better today, and I'm back to being fine until around 10am, when I have my fruit. I'll drink the proper amount of water today, along with a little bit extra, and hopefully I'll see a loss on the scale tomorrow. I'm exactly a week away from being done with the drops as of today, which is a pretty exciting fact. In less than two weeks I'll be able to eat more foods, and a greater variety, so that should be exciting. There's also a possibility I'll get rained out this weekend for my shoot, and while I'd normally hate that, I'm kind of hoping for it, just this once. I really don't want to go on the road with this diet. I'm doing tons of reading in preparation for Maintenance, and I'll probably track down a cookbook revolving around olive oil, so I can get in a nice variety of meals. I'm counting down the days, and hopefully, the pounds!
I was exhausted much earlier than I normally am, and had absolutely no motivation to cook or make any kind of meal for myself or BF. Yesterday would have been the kind of day that saw us in the car, headed to the pho restaurant for some yummy soup. Instead, I had to settle for shrimp soup with onions. Tasted good, but wasn't nearly as satisfying.
I had another challenge yesterday, in the form of lunch. I went to get my boss lunch, and he ordered food from one of my favorite restaurants: Jimmy Dean's. They have AMAZING burgers and fries. It killed me having the bag of food sitting in my car, and I ended up rolling all the windows down on the ride back to the office just so I wouldn't get smothered in the smell of the food. Dinner last night was supposed to be tuna sandwiches for BF and beef for me, but I couldn't handle the idea of making him tuna (one of my favorites) and watching him eat bread and chips and all the good stuff. It would have broke me.
My tolerance level for this protocol is getting lower and lower the longer I get into this. It makes me all the more amazed and worshipful of the people who commit to the 43 or 60 day plan, and manage to make all their own lunches and dinners for so many days. I truly don't think I could hack it that long.
I woke up this morning to a 0.6 lb gain on the scale, but I kinda saw it coming. After feeling like crap yesterday, and not being overly careful with my food measurements and not drinking enough water, I was prepared - although not happy about it - for a gain this morning. 0.6 lb is pretty good, all things considered, I guess. All that being said, I'm down almost 15 lbs, which is great.
This brings up a new revelation. Well, a couple of them. I keep looking at my body in the mirror, trying to see the changes, and while I can tell my clothes fit better - I fit into a shirt I haven't worn in six months!!!!! - I still don't think my body's changed any. I'm still fat in all the places I don't want to be, and I'm still nowhere near my goal weight. Somehow, during all the prep work for this protocol, I think I'd managed to convince myself that if I did one round, I'd magically be back to a weight I was happy with three years ago. Instead, I still look somewhat the same, albeit 15 lbs lighter, and I'm still not happy. My expectations were too high, I think.
The other revelation I had is that I'm slowly counting down the days until I can get back eating what I once did. I realize this sounds kind of stupid, but hear me out. This whole time, I've been viewing what I've been eating as a restriction, a specific set of guidelines that will only last for a temporary, specified set of time. Once I get through the maintenance phases, I'll magically be able to go back to eating what I did before, and it'll be fine. The thing is, that's not true. My eating habits in the past are part of what got me here. When I finish Maintenance, I'll still be on some sort of restriction, because I don't want to gain all the weight I've just lost, right back. I can't go back to eating out every other day and having huge portion sizes and gorging on sweets. I have to scale it all back, and eat smartly, and wisely.
I'm pretty positive this isn't the first time I've said this, but I love food. I don't live to eat, but I do enjoy the food I eat. I like all different kinds of food, a wide variety that covers all kinds of unhealthy entrees. I keep thinking about all the things I'll be able to have again when I'm finally done with this program, and that's the kind of thinking that's going to land me in dangerous waters. I have to change the way I view my meals, so I can maintain, and then lose, all this weight. If I want to get back into my old clothes, I've got to make the smart decisions to get there, and then stay there.
I'm feeling much better today, and I'm back to being fine until around 10am, when I have my fruit. I'll drink the proper amount of water today, along with a little bit extra, and hopefully I'll see a loss on the scale tomorrow. I'm exactly a week away from being done with the drops as of today, which is a pretty exciting fact. In less than two weeks I'll be able to eat more foods, and a greater variety, so that should be exciting. There's also a possibility I'll get rained out this weekend for my shoot, and while I'd normally hate that, I'm kind of hoping for it, just this once. I really don't want to go on the road with this diet. I'm doing tons of reading in preparation for Maintenance, and I'll probably track down a cookbook revolving around olive oil, so I can get in a nice variety of meals. I'm counting down the days, and hopefully, the pounds!
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
VLCD 6 & 7 - Goodbye Detox, Hello Guilt
Would you believe I completely spaced blogging yesterday? Actually taking into account what happened yesterday, I do believe it. Let's just say Tuesday wasn't the best day in the world, both personally and professionally, and leave it at that.
I'm happy to report the detox symptoms are on their way out the door, and I'm back to losing weight. Monday was still pretty shaky and weak feeling, with Tuesday seeing a sudden attack of nausea right after lunch that lasted close to four hours. Let me tell you, the nausea was NOT fun. I was literally sitting at my desk, my head in my hands, fighting that trip down the hallway to puke. If I have any choice at all, I'll avoid puking in a public restroom. That's just...nasty.
Tuesday night - VLCD 6 - I was feeling much better. I had my go to meal of cabbage and beef, and some strawberries, and downed a whole additional liter of water. I was feeling pretty strong, and able to hold a decent conversation without drifting and losing concentration.
This morning I woke up feeling great again. My hunger pangs didn't kick in until about half way to work, and by then I'd already been able to take my first set of drops so it only lasted for a few minutes. I was starving around 10, and water just wasn't cutting it so I had my strawberries early. Lunch was romaine lettuce, chicken, and a dressing made from Frank's Sauce and mustard, which was delicious. About two thirty I realized I was starving again, and after calculating my total calorie intake so far (110+40+15=165) I wasn't surprised, so I snacked on my melba.
That was thankfully enough to get me to my next set of drops, the last of my second liter of water, and home to relax. Dinner tonight was the VLCD safe eggs - one whole egg, three egg whites - with some more Frank's, an apple and a plate full of radishes. All very very satisfying, and filling. Which is where the guilt sets in.
I've been reading back over the book again and looking at the directions, and it occurs to me that while you're not anywhere near as restricted as I'd initially thought, there's still a level of abstinence that is required. I'm concerned that my constant intake of hot sauce, and now the eggs, will cause me to 'cheat' unintentionally, and I'll have to start the 21 days on drops all over again. I'm already 7 days into the damn thing, I don't wanna start over again. Technically I haven't gone off the diet, everything I've eaten has been within protocol, and I haven't even maxed out my calorie count, despite permission to do so. I've also avoided the broth, surprisingly enough, and I'm not feeling weak from the loss.
I guess, in my head, I'm worried that I've messed up somewhere and cheated. Even though everything I'm doing is VLCD approved. I made lunch for tomorrow - cabbage and beef, as I haven't had it for lunch yet, and I'm just not prepared for another salad - and I left out the hot sauce in the initial cook. I did sprinkle some on top, but not too much. And I'll have another apple for lunch, with either strawberries or a grapefruit for dinner, which will help me feel less guilty, I hope.
On a more personal note, I had my first true 'test' on the diet. I was so exhausted and weak from the nausea yesterday that when I got home the idea of cooking myself dinner, let alone BF and his dad dinner, was sending me over the edge into emotional temper tantrums. I ended up talking BF into ordering pizza, which is one of my chief food weaknesses. Bf and his dad ate their pizza at the same table as me, seeing as how we were playing Hearts, and I was...FINE!!! No temptation, no hunger pangs, no desire to eat the pizza. The beef and cabbage helped TONS which is one of the reasons I went with it, but I was also feeling strong enough that the desire to eat it was very minimal. It was a huge success for me, one that I'm quite proud of ^_^
To date, I've lost 10.4 pounds, and I'm ecstatic about it. I know the stalls and slow downs in loss are headed my way in the next week, which is why I'm considering weighing myself every other day instead of every day. I'm still feeling guilty, but hopefully I'll overcome that soon. I think I'm entering the more stable phase of the protocol, where I feel good, am able to walk an hour a day, and still function. I'm excited that I only have two more weeks to go, and then I start the transition into Maintenance, which means avocados!!
I'm happy to report the detox symptoms are on their way out the door, and I'm back to losing weight. Monday was still pretty shaky and weak feeling, with Tuesday seeing a sudden attack of nausea right after lunch that lasted close to four hours. Let me tell you, the nausea was NOT fun. I was literally sitting at my desk, my head in my hands, fighting that trip down the hallway to puke. If I have any choice at all, I'll avoid puking in a public restroom. That's just...nasty.
Tuesday night - VLCD 6 - I was feeling much better. I had my go to meal of cabbage and beef, and some strawberries, and downed a whole additional liter of water. I was feeling pretty strong, and able to hold a decent conversation without drifting and losing concentration.
This morning I woke up feeling great again. My hunger pangs didn't kick in until about half way to work, and by then I'd already been able to take my first set of drops so it only lasted for a few minutes. I was starving around 10, and water just wasn't cutting it so I had my strawberries early. Lunch was romaine lettuce, chicken, and a dressing made from Frank's Sauce and mustard, which was delicious. About two thirty I realized I was starving again, and after calculating my total calorie intake so far (110+40+15=165) I wasn't surprised, so I snacked on my melba.
That was thankfully enough to get me to my next set of drops, the last of my second liter of water, and home to relax. Dinner tonight was the VLCD safe eggs - one whole egg, three egg whites - with some more Frank's, an apple and a plate full of radishes. All very very satisfying, and filling. Which is where the guilt sets in.
I've been reading back over the book again and looking at the directions, and it occurs to me that while you're not anywhere near as restricted as I'd initially thought, there's still a level of abstinence that is required. I'm concerned that my constant intake of hot sauce, and now the eggs, will cause me to 'cheat' unintentionally, and I'll have to start the 21 days on drops all over again. I'm already 7 days into the damn thing, I don't wanna start over again. Technically I haven't gone off the diet, everything I've eaten has been within protocol, and I haven't even maxed out my calorie count, despite permission to do so. I've also avoided the broth, surprisingly enough, and I'm not feeling weak from the loss.
I guess, in my head, I'm worried that I've messed up somewhere and cheated. Even though everything I'm doing is VLCD approved. I made lunch for tomorrow - cabbage and beef, as I haven't had it for lunch yet, and I'm just not prepared for another salad - and I left out the hot sauce in the initial cook. I did sprinkle some on top, but not too much. And I'll have another apple for lunch, with either strawberries or a grapefruit for dinner, which will help me feel less guilty, I hope.
On a more personal note, I had my first true 'test' on the diet. I was so exhausted and weak from the nausea yesterday that when I got home the idea of cooking myself dinner, let alone BF and his dad dinner, was sending me over the edge into emotional temper tantrums. I ended up talking BF into ordering pizza, which is one of my chief food weaknesses. Bf and his dad ate their pizza at the same table as me, seeing as how we were playing Hearts, and I was...FINE!!! No temptation, no hunger pangs, no desire to eat the pizza. The beef and cabbage helped TONS which is one of the reasons I went with it, but I was also feeling strong enough that the desire to eat it was very minimal. It was a huge success for me, one that I'm quite proud of ^_^
To date, I've lost 10.4 pounds, and I'm ecstatic about it. I know the stalls and slow downs in loss are headed my way in the next week, which is why I'm considering weighing myself every other day instead of every day. I'm still feeling guilty, but hopefully I'll overcome that soon. I think I'm entering the more stable phase of the protocol, where I feel good, am able to walk an hour a day, and still function. I'm excited that I only have two more weeks to go, and then I start the transition into Maintenance, which means avocados!!
Saturday, February 12, 2011
VLCD Days 2 and 3 - So much for social lockdown
I suppose I should have seen this coming. I go weeks without any invites to gatherings, and the one month that I swear I'm going into hibernation, they come freaking crawling out of the woodwork. A week into my diet, and we get invited to a friend's birthday celebration. She wanted to go out to dinner at a mexican restaurant/club, and stay for drinks after. Great, just peachy. Two things I can't do for a month. I spent a week stressing out over it, trying to find a way to get out of the dinner without hurting her feelings. If it hadn't been her birthday, I wouldn't have worried about it. Eventually I just ended up coming clean and telling everyone that I was on the diet and was really restricted on what I could eat and drink.
Surprisingly everyone was, and is being, really supportive. We ended up meeting up with everyone after dinner, and hung out while they drank. I had a bottle of water, BF drank a couple beers and everyone else had a great time. It was a huge success all things considered, and I'm beyond relieved that I was able to resist the alcohol without much difficulty. My biggest problem with the night was the late turn in. We didn't end up going to bed til two, and with my last set of drops at 7pm, and dinner at eight, I was fighting off hunger pangs and drinking water like it was going out of style. It wasn't too severe, but I had to constantly remind myself I couldn't just grab something to eat.
Of course it would figure that there's a bbq today that one of our friends is hosting, and we were invited. I'm not feeling nearly as guilty for skipping this one though, and we now have the easy out of saying I can't eat or drink shit, and everyone understands. Hopefully the coming month will be much smoother with the lockdown, and if we do end up going out, I know I'll be able to survive the temptations. Not bad, huh?
Lunch and dinner yesterday contained chicken, with a different veggie and fruit. Dinner for BF was a huge success, I took a chicken breast and veggies and made him a stir fry over rice. I'll be planning out my meals for the next week later today, and building the shopping list around that so I'll be better prepared for the coming week. It will be interesting to build the two meal lists, mine and BF's, and see how this coming week plays out.
On to my big news though! Two days now of VLCD, and I've lost 6.6 pounds already! 6.6!! I keep looking at my body trying to find where the fat's come from, and I can't really see a difference, but I think that's mostly due to the fact that I'm pretty biased. It's bizarre knowing that I've lost that much already, but I'm super excited. From all the accounts I've read, this massive weight loss won't last, and I'll start falling to half a pound on most days, but still. I'm already seeing results, and it's a huge motivator to keep me going.
I'll be measuring again on Monday, and I'm excited even more now to see what the results will be. I've found the diet surprisingly easy to stick to, and I'm having fun measuring and tracking my food intake. So far, so good!
Surprisingly everyone was, and is being, really supportive. We ended up meeting up with everyone after dinner, and hung out while they drank. I had a bottle of water, BF drank a couple beers and everyone else had a great time. It was a huge success all things considered, and I'm beyond relieved that I was able to resist the alcohol without much difficulty. My biggest problem with the night was the late turn in. We didn't end up going to bed til two, and with my last set of drops at 7pm, and dinner at eight, I was fighting off hunger pangs and drinking water like it was going out of style. It wasn't too severe, but I had to constantly remind myself I couldn't just grab something to eat.
Of course it would figure that there's a bbq today that one of our friends is hosting, and we were invited. I'm not feeling nearly as guilty for skipping this one though, and we now have the easy out of saying I can't eat or drink shit, and everyone understands. Hopefully the coming month will be much smoother with the lockdown, and if we do end up going out, I know I'll be able to survive the temptations. Not bad, huh?
Lunch and dinner yesterday contained chicken, with a different veggie and fruit. Dinner for BF was a huge success, I took a chicken breast and veggies and made him a stir fry over rice. I'll be planning out my meals for the next week later today, and building the shopping list around that so I'll be better prepared for the coming week. It will be interesting to build the two meal lists, mine and BF's, and see how this coming week plays out.
On to my big news though! Two days now of VLCD, and I've lost 6.6 pounds already! 6.6!! I keep looking at my body trying to find where the fat's come from, and I can't really see a difference, but I think that's mostly due to the fact that I'm pretty biased. It's bizarre knowing that I've lost that much already, but I'm super excited. From all the accounts I've read, this massive weight loss won't last, and I'll start falling to half a pound on most days, but still. I'm already seeing results, and it's a huge motivator to keep me going.
I'll be measuring again on Monday, and I'm excited even more now to see what the results will be. I've found the diet surprisingly easy to stick to, and I'm having fun measuring and tracking my food intake. So far, so good!
Thursday, February 10, 2011
VLCD Day 1, It's HOW Expensive??, and Expectations
As I sit here typing this, I'm slowly winding down my first day on the VLCD diet of 500 calories. It's been an enlightening day, lemme tell ya.
I guess when I started researching this, I really was picturing those gourmet plates at the five star restaurants that are, like, $45 a pop, with five little crackers, some pate, and a pretty little green onion for garnish. In today's world, serving sizes are completely obscure, and it's easy to think you're eating a single serving, when you're really devouring a whole week's worth. I'd gotten so used to eating a full plate, and thinking it was normal and okay, that the idea of a meal under 250 calories was beyond my comprehension.
I wish I'd taken a picture of my lunch yesterday when I made it, but it hadn't occurred to me that I'd want to photo document this whole shindig. After shopping yesterday for all my personal care products, and the food I'd need for dinner, I was pretty fed up with the expenses I'd already shelled out to date. $200+ for the product and kit, another $80 for the scales, tape measure, and binder, and then another $80 for the personal care products and food. I was frustrated, until I started weighing out my food.
The two main staples of the VLCD are chicken breast and lean ground beef. I bought two pounds of ground beef, and two packages of Foster Farms chicken breast, four pieces to a pack. The allowed portioning for the protein is 100 grams. A single chicken breast is just shy of 200 grams!! In the two packs of chicken breast I purchased, I now have enough chicken for sixteen meals! And the ground beef - one pound equals out to just shy of 600 grams. That's almost six meals. So now I've got twelve meals' worth of beef, and sixteen meals' worth of chicken. All for about twenty bucks. Now that I know, I kinda feel like I should smack myself ^_^
I made my lunch yesterday, and was beyond surprised when I cut up my asparagus. The portion sizing for the stalks is two cups, raw. I pulled out two stalks figuring that'd be at least half a cup. Nope. Needed fifteen stalks, I think was the final count. I ended up boiling the the asparagus in water, then draining the water, added the chicken, some oregano, and sauteed the mix in a little bit of water until the chicken was cooked all the way through. Between the 100 grams of chicken, the two cups of asparagus, an apple, and two pieces of melba, I was beyond full at lunch time. Took me almost an hour and a half to get through the entire meal, and even then I didn't finish the whole apple. It was a giddy feeling that I absolutely loved!
Tonight was the real challenge though. I had to make dinner for myself and BF, and seeing as how I wasn't prepared for the calorie counting, dinner was on a pretty limited ingredient list.
Basically, you have to make sure that between the two meals you spread out 500 calories. It's not as simple as eating the same thing for lunch and dinner. You have to make sure that what you eat doesn't go over the 500, which I wasn't prepared for. Dinner for me ended up being 100g of lean ground beef seasoned with cumin, a pinch of curry, and garlic powder, over two cups of raw lettuce, five wedges of grapefruit, and a single melba round. It didn't look like much, but it's definitely a decent amount of food.
BF's dinner was a bit harder. I ended up doubling the ground beef, added a whole egg, 1/2 cup red onion, parm cheese, worchestershire sauce, and tapatio. He ate his 'burgers' in two hollowed out steak rolls, with shredded cheese, ketschup, mustard, and some pickles on the side. After he was done making his plate, it was as big as our normal dinner sizes. I felt immensely better knowing that he would have plenty to eat and I'd still be able to make my dinners without conflict. The hardest part for me? Resisting the snacking. I'm so used to eating on the stray piece of veggie, or tasting the meat after it's been cooked. A piece of BF's burger fell back in the pan and before I realized what I was doing, I'd snagged it. I have a feeling most of this will be all habit, and the rest will be easier.
BF liked his dinner for the most part. He said it was a little weird, but I saw that coming, what with the no oils or fats or anything remotely close to unhealthy being in the meat itself. He was full, and I'm still snacking on my grapefruit, so all told, it's been a very successful dinner. I even made my lunch for tomorrow so I'm good to go. And after working out the portion sizes, I'm realizing I'll be saving waaaay more money than I spent to get this all started. Again, with the smacking.
I think the most eye opening aspect of today was the expectation, and the failure to meet it. I'd gone into this expecting this to be hard, and feel like I was in severe starvation mode all day, every day for the next month. Instead, I'm fighting my normal hunger pangs, with no intense spikes, and I'm completely satisfied after each meal. I doubt, in a week, if I'll feel the same way about being satisfied, but the hunger's just not there. I am feeling more and more confident that I'll be able to pull this off, seeing as how I'm already three days into the drops and I'm learning, and staying open, to the possibilities. I'm excited for what's to come, and I don't know that I've ever been able to say, or feel, that way about a diet or weight loss. Ever.
I guess when I started researching this, I really was picturing those gourmet plates at the five star restaurants that are, like, $45 a pop, with five little crackers, some pate, and a pretty little green onion for garnish. In today's world, serving sizes are completely obscure, and it's easy to think you're eating a single serving, when you're really devouring a whole week's worth. I'd gotten so used to eating a full plate, and thinking it was normal and okay, that the idea of a meal under 250 calories was beyond my comprehension.
I wish I'd taken a picture of my lunch yesterday when I made it, but it hadn't occurred to me that I'd want to photo document this whole shindig. After shopping yesterday for all my personal care products, and the food I'd need for dinner, I was pretty fed up with the expenses I'd already shelled out to date. $200+ for the product and kit, another $80 for the scales, tape measure, and binder, and then another $80 for the personal care products and food. I was frustrated, until I started weighing out my food.
The two main staples of the VLCD are chicken breast and lean ground beef. I bought two pounds of ground beef, and two packages of Foster Farms chicken breast, four pieces to a pack. The allowed portioning for the protein is 100 grams. A single chicken breast is just shy of 200 grams!! In the two packs of chicken breast I purchased, I now have enough chicken for sixteen meals! And the ground beef - one pound equals out to just shy of 600 grams. That's almost six meals. So now I've got twelve meals' worth of beef, and sixteen meals' worth of chicken. All for about twenty bucks. Now that I know, I kinda feel like I should smack myself ^_^
I made my lunch yesterday, and was beyond surprised when I cut up my asparagus. The portion sizing for the stalks is two cups, raw. I pulled out two stalks figuring that'd be at least half a cup. Nope. Needed fifteen stalks, I think was the final count. I ended up boiling the the asparagus in water, then draining the water, added the chicken, some oregano, and sauteed the mix in a little bit of water until the chicken was cooked all the way through. Between the 100 grams of chicken, the two cups of asparagus, an apple, and two pieces of melba, I was beyond full at lunch time. Took me almost an hour and a half to get through the entire meal, and even then I didn't finish the whole apple. It was a giddy feeling that I absolutely loved!
Tonight was the real challenge though. I had to make dinner for myself and BF, and seeing as how I wasn't prepared for the calorie counting, dinner was on a pretty limited ingredient list.
Basically, you have to make sure that between the two meals you spread out 500 calories. It's not as simple as eating the same thing for lunch and dinner. You have to make sure that what you eat doesn't go over the 500, which I wasn't prepared for. Dinner for me ended up being 100g of lean ground beef seasoned with cumin, a pinch of curry, and garlic powder, over two cups of raw lettuce, five wedges of grapefruit, and a single melba round. It didn't look like much, but it's definitely a decent amount of food.
BF's dinner was a bit harder. I ended up doubling the ground beef, added a whole egg, 1/2 cup red onion, parm cheese, worchestershire sauce, and tapatio. He ate his 'burgers' in two hollowed out steak rolls, with shredded cheese, ketschup, mustard, and some pickles on the side. After he was done making his plate, it was as big as our normal dinner sizes. I felt immensely better knowing that he would have plenty to eat and I'd still be able to make my dinners without conflict. The hardest part for me? Resisting the snacking. I'm so used to eating on the stray piece of veggie, or tasting the meat after it's been cooked. A piece of BF's burger fell back in the pan and before I realized what I was doing, I'd snagged it. I have a feeling most of this will be all habit, and the rest will be easier.
BF liked his dinner for the most part. He said it was a little weird, but I saw that coming, what with the no oils or fats or anything remotely close to unhealthy being in the meat itself. He was full, and I'm still snacking on my grapefruit, so all told, it's been a very successful dinner. I even made my lunch for tomorrow so I'm good to go. And after working out the portion sizes, I'm realizing I'll be saving waaaay more money than I spent to get this all started. Again, with the smacking.
I think the most eye opening aspect of today was the expectation, and the failure to meet it. I'd gone into this expecting this to be hard, and feel like I was in severe starvation mode all day, every day for the next month. Instead, I'm fighting my normal hunger pangs, with no intense spikes, and I'm completely satisfied after each meal. I doubt, in a week, if I'll feel the same way about being satisfied, but the hunger's just not there. I am feeling more and more confident that I'll be able to pull this off, seeing as how I'm already three days into the drops and I'm learning, and staying open, to the possibilities. I'm excited for what's to come, and I don't know that I've ever been able to say, or feel, that way about a diet or weight loss. Ever.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Grrr! Squared
One day into my self assigned blogging journey, and I've already missed a day. How spectacular is that?! In my own defense though, I got pwned. My network went down last night, and after five hours of trying to troubleshoot the damn modem and router, I realized that the lan cable connecting the modem and router wasn't plugged in properly.
...
Needless to say, after that, I wasn't really in the mood to blog, or do much of anything that had any remote relation to the internet. Instead, I sat on the couch with BF and played 'find the hidden objects' games for two hours. It was amazingly fun.
But on to the HCG journey, the real reason I'm typing this morning. I last left off with the commencement of my diet on the horizon, but no real feedback on the diet itself, just mostly my research, and emotions on the subject. So let's tackle that portion first.
I set up my journal Monday night, and took measurements and pictures. Not a fun experience, at all. They, being anyone and everyone, who's ever said taking measurements and pictures when you're not a size four is a horrible event was right. I hated standing there, knowing I couldn't suck in my gut or anything to make the picture look better. No posing, no cute expression. Just...stand there, and let the camera record all your flaws. Blech. The measurements were especially awkward, as it's hard hearing that your thighs are so and so inches, or your bicep comes in just a couple inches shy of your neck. But it's over with, for now, so I suppose I should be grateful.
I weighed myself Tuesday morning, and began the drops at 7am. I worked out the timing schedule so that I take 0.6 mL every three hours, for a total of five dosages, instead of the recommended six. I found the five sets works better for me because of my daily schedule, and I'll be able to handle the 30 minutes no eating or drinking better. Yesterday was a resounding success as far as the drops go, except for the last shot at 7pm, but that's because of the internet dealie. Dinner got delayed, which delayed the drops. I was only about an hour behind though, so I'm not too worried.
I tried my hardest to eat foods yesterday that were high in fat, but after restricting my portion sizes for so long, it was hard to eat that much. I've heard that the second load day is the hardest, as the hormone's starting to kick in and it's hard to eat a lot while feeling full. I'm off to a good start today though, so hopefully this won't be too hard.
Tonight I'll have to go out and spend some more money - unfortunately - to get the personal care products and food necessary for the diet. I've definitely spent more on this diet than I'd originally anticipated, but it also comes on the heels of the Super Bowl party, which cost me more than I'd expected also, so I suppose I can't really complain. Upshot is I now have a weight scale, a food scale, and a snazzy new binder for when I start building my cookbook ^_^
I weighed in this morning, and according to the scale I've gained two pounds since yesterday, but I don't know how much of that is the wet hair from my shower, and the jeans I had on when I finally remembered to weigh myself. I'm surprisingly okay with the gain, and didn't feel as guilty yesterday eating all the foods as I thought I would. After reading all these testimonials on the MHP site about people saying how the load days were so hard for them, I was expecting to feel horrible for being able to eat as much as I have been. Instead though, I've mostly been enjoying the experience, and don't feel any remorse. I think that has a lot to do with the drops though. In my mind, I know that I'm taking steps to lose weight, and I'm going to lose everything I will/have gained over these two days, so it makes it easier for me.
I'm mostly excited about tomorrow and the rest of this week. I'm looking forward to portioning out food tonight and spending most of my time in the kitchen, working out meal plans and setting aside serving sizes. I'll have to get creative for BF's portioning, but I can handle that. I'm going to stick with a weigh in every day, and just keep reminding myself in the back of my mind that the scale's going to fluctuate, and I'll just have to be okay with that. Thursday will see my first VLCD day, with the 500 calorie diet, and I'm curious to see if I'll experience the hunger pangs some people have talked about. If I'm honest with myself, I'm hoping for a large loss tomorrow or Friday, but I know it'll probably only be a pound or two. But, but! I'll take what I can get.
On a completely different track, I took my first set of drops this morning as soon as I woke up, as it's really the only time I can successfully pull off the drops with the alloted 15 min wait time before and after without being late to work. I'd already received the go ahead from the MHP staff that taking the drops immediately after waking was safe, so I wasn't worried about it, but damn if I didn't expect the taste. After taking the drops yesterday, I'd become used to the slightly medicinal taste, along with the slight numbing sensation. This morning though? Morning breath and HCG drops do not make a good combination. I was extremely grateful though when I could finally brush my teeth and take a drink of water, so I suppose that's okay. Heh.
I'm happy to report that I haven't really found any other unpleasant side affects of the hormone. I don't feel light headed, or sick to my stomach, or have an achy chest from the changes going on in my body. I'm still me, just with an extra bit of hormone that's going to help me lose the extra bit of me I don't want. Sounds like a plan!
...
Needless to say, after that, I wasn't really in the mood to blog, or do much of anything that had any remote relation to the internet. Instead, I sat on the couch with BF and played 'find the hidden objects' games for two hours. It was amazingly fun.
But on to the HCG journey, the real reason I'm typing this morning. I last left off with the commencement of my diet on the horizon, but no real feedback on the diet itself, just mostly my research, and emotions on the subject. So let's tackle that portion first.
I set up my journal Monday night, and took measurements and pictures. Not a fun experience, at all. They, being anyone and everyone, who's ever said taking measurements and pictures when you're not a size four is a horrible event was right. I hated standing there, knowing I couldn't suck in my gut or anything to make the picture look better. No posing, no cute expression. Just...stand there, and let the camera record all your flaws. Blech. The measurements were especially awkward, as it's hard hearing that your thighs are so and so inches, or your bicep comes in just a couple inches shy of your neck. But it's over with, for now, so I suppose I should be grateful.
I weighed myself Tuesday morning, and began the drops at 7am. I worked out the timing schedule so that I take 0.6 mL every three hours, for a total of five dosages, instead of the recommended six. I found the five sets works better for me because of my daily schedule, and I'll be able to handle the 30 minutes no eating or drinking better. Yesterday was a resounding success as far as the drops go, except for the last shot at 7pm, but that's because of the internet dealie. Dinner got delayed, which delayed the drops. I was only about an hour behind though, so I'm not too worried.
I tried my hardest to eat foods yesterday that were high in fat, but after restricting my portion sizes for so long, it was hard to eat that much. I've heard that the second load day is the hardest, as the hormone's starting to kick in and it's hard to eat a lot while feeling full. I'm off to a good start today though, so hopefully this won't be too hard.
Tonight I'll have to go out and spend some more money - unfortunately - to get the personal care products and food necessary for the diet. I've definitely spent more on this diet than I'd originally anticipated, but it also comes on the heels of the Super Bowl party, which cost me more than I'd expected also, so I suppose I can't really complain. Upshot is I now have a weight scale, a food scale, and a snazzy new binder for when I start building my cookbook ^_^
I weighed in this morning, and according to the scale I've gained two pounds since yesterday, but I don't know how much of that is the wet hair from my shower, and the jeans I had on when I finally remembered to weigh myself. I'm surprisingly okay with the gain, and didn't feel as guilty yesterday eating all the foods as I thought I would. After reading all these testimonials on the MHP site about people saying how the load days were so hard for them, I was expecting to feel horrible for being able to eat as much as I have been. Instead though, I've mostly been enjoying the experience, and don't feel any remorse. I think that has a lot to do with the drops though. In my mind, I know that I'm taking steps to lose weight, and I'm going to lose everything I will/have gained over these two days, so it makes it easier for me.
I'm mostly excited about tomorrow and the rest of this week. I'm looking forward to portioning out food tonight and spending most of my time in the kitchen, working out meal plans and setting aside serving sizes. I'll have to get creative for BF's portioning, but I can handle that. I'm going to stick with a weigh in every day, and just keep reminding myself in the back of my mind that the scale's going to fluctuate, and I'll just have to be okay with that. Thursday will see my first VLCD day, with the 500 calorie diet, and I'm curious to see if I'll experience the hunger pangs some people have talked about. If I'm honest with myself, I'm hoping for a large loss tomorrow or Friday, but I know it'll probably only be a pound or two. But, but! I'll take what I can get.
On a completely different track, I took my first set of drops this morning as soon as I woke up, as it's really the only time I can successfully pull off the drops with the alloted 15 min wait time before and after without being late to work. I'd already received the go ahead from the MHP staff that taking the drops immediately after waking was safe, so I wasn't worried about it, but damn if I didn't expect the taste. After taking the drops yesterday, I'd become used to the slightly medicinal taste, along with the slight numbing sensation. This morning though? Morning breath and HCG drops do not make a good combination. I was extremely grateful though when I could finally brush my teeth and take a drink of water, so I suppose that's okay. Heh.
I'm happy to report that I haven't really found any other unpleasant side affects of the hormone. I don't feel light headed, or sick to my stomach, or have an achy chest from the changes going on in my body. I'm still me, just with an extra bit of hormone that's going to help me lose the extra bit of me I don't want. Sounds like a plan!
Friday, November 12, 2010
Wii can do it!
Heh. Corny, I know. But I couldn't resist. It's completely true, and something I'm wishing I'd done a long, long time ago.
Last year for Christmas I bought Boyfriend a Xbox360 seeing as how he's a gaming fanatic. He was over the moon with excitement, and I have to admit it's been one of the best purchases I've made since I got out here. It's so much more than a standard gaming console, and it gives me both my alone time for writing, and time with Boyfriend to kick butt together. I've never once regretted spending the money, and I doubt I will anytime in the near future.
Boyfriend's been trying to find a way to ensure I stay involved in the gaming scene with him, so that we don't start ignoring each other. He is always on the lookout for co-op games so we can play (hello Halo, Borderlands, Need For Speed) and loves to play with me. Hence one of the reasons I don't regret the purchase, heheh. That being said though, he's been talking for a while now about getting me my own console. For what, I couldn't even begin to fathom, but he was. I never really took him seriously, until he started talking about the Wii. Then I started thinking about it too. Which, for us, never leads to anywhere cheap.
I've played with the Wii before, years ago, and found it mildly amusing. I couldn't see the rage behind it, and couldn't justify spending the money. I've also admitted now, both to myself and out loud, that years ago I was a quiet, shy, introverted person who hated getting up and doing anything that could potentially make me either feel or look stupid. As I creep closer to 30 though, I'm finding I care less about what other people think, and more about having fun and living life. And if that means I look like an idiot hopping around in my living room swinging a tiny plastic controller in the air, then so be it.
Target is running a special for the holidays on a red Wii and controller set, with two games. I LOVE the color red. Half my closet is red. I now own a pair of patent leather red heels. My costume was red. My piercing is red. See a theme? So when the Wii, in red, popped up, it was a done deal. Grabbed the card, hopped in the car, and to Target we went. The package included Super Mario Brothers, and Wii Sports. We got Wii Play as well, for the extra full size controller we needed. All in all, not cheap. But...worth it. So worth it.
I've been talking about signing up for the gym again for a while now. It'd cost me about sixty between the two of us, every month. The likelihood that we'd make it to the gym more than twice a month? Slim. Very, very slim. So...sixty a month, for a year, would be $720. Hot damn. The Wii just paid for itself, three times over. So really...can I complain? No.
You ask, how did the Wii pay for itself? It's a gaming console, versus the gym. No comparison. That'd be where you're wrong. If you haven't played Wii Sports, specifically the boxing, then I suggest you do so. Soon. Three rounds, about a minute to a minute and a half each, and you're jumping and hopping and swinging and laughing and feeling like a kid again in the first game. And if you go three or four games? You've broken a sweat, and your heart's pumping and you can't wipe the smile off your face even if you tried. And I haven't even touched Wii Fit yet - which, by the way, will be my next purchase.
I'm back to wanting to eat healthier, be active, and be happy. The Wii has sparked that need in me again, and I'm grateful for it. An hour in front of the tv, playing Baseball or Tennis, with Boxing to mix it up, and I've been active all of a sudden for a whole sixty minutes, without the torture or the self esteem issues that being in the gym can raise. It's all around a win-win. Like I said...
Wii can do it!!
Last year for Christmas I bought Boyfriend a Xbox360 seeing as how he's a gaming fanatic. He was over the moon with excitement, and I have to admit it's been one of the best purchases I've made since I got out here. It's so much more than a standard gaming console, and it gives me both my alone time for writing, and time with Boyfriend to kick butt together. I've never once regretted spending the money, and I doubt I will anytime in the near future.
Boyfriend's been trying to find a way to ensure I stay involved in the gaming scene with him, so that we don't start ignoring each other. He is always on the lookout for co-op games so we can play (hello Halo, Borderlands, Need For Speed) and loves to play with me. Hence one of the reasons I don't regret the purchase, heheh. That being said though, he's been talking for a while now about getting me my own console. For what, I couldn't even begin to fathom, but he was. I never really took him seriously, until he started talking about the Wii. Then I started thinking about it too. Which, for us, never leads to anywhere cheap.
I've played with the Wii before, years ago, and found it mildly amusing. I couldn't see the rage behind it, and couldn't justify spending the money. I've also admitted now, both to myself and out loud, that years ago I was a quiet, shy, introverted person who hated getting up and doing anything that could potentially make me either feel or look stupid. As I creep closer to 30 though, I'm finding I care less about what other people think, and more about having fun and living life. And if that means I look like an idiot hopping around in my living room swinging a tiny plastic controller in the air, then so be it.
Target is running a special for the holidays on a red Wii and controller set, with two games. I LOVE the color red. Half my closet is red. I now own a pair of patent leather red heels. My costume was red. My piercing is red. See a theme? So when the Wii, in red, popped up, it was a done deal. Grabbed the card, hopped in the car, and to Target we went. The package included Super Mario Brothers, and Wii Sports. We got Wii Play as well, for the extra full size controller we needed. All in all, not cheap. But...worth it. So worth it.
I've been talking about signing up for the gym again for a while now. It'd cost me about sixty between the two of us, every month. The likelihood that we'd make it to the gym more than twice a month? Slim. Very, very slim. So...sixty a month, for a year, would be $720. Hot damn. The Wii just paid for itself, three times over. So really...can I complain? No.
You ask, how did the Wii pay for itself? It's a gaming console, versus the gym. No comparison. That'd be where you're wrong. If you haven't played Wii Sports, specifically the boxing, then I suggest you do so. Soon. Three rounds, about a minute to a minute and a half each, and you're jumping and hopping and swinging and laughing and feeling like a kid again in the first game. And if you go three or four games? You've broken a sweat, and your heart's pumping and you can't wipe the smile off your face even if you tried. And I haven't even touched Wii Fit yet - which, by the way, will be my next purchase.
I'm back to wanting to eat healthier, be active, and be happy. The Wii has sparked that need in me again, and I'm grateful for it. An hour in front of the tv, playing Baseball or Tennis, with Boxing to mix it up, and I've been active all of a sudden for a whole sixty minutes, without the torture or the self esteem issues that being in the gym can raise. It's all around a win-win. Like I said...
Wii can do it!!
Friday, November 5, 2010
Random Recipe: Week 1 - Tater Tot Casserole
Boyfriend loves all things potato. I shouldn't use the word love. It's too mild. He's obsessed, worships, devours, all things potato. I discovered the lengths his devotion goes to when I made fried diced seasoned potatoes for dinner one night. He ate almost the entire pan, then complained the rest of the night about how close to bursting he was. I, of course, like the good dutiful girlfriend I am, poked him in the belly and laughed myself silly when he groaned in pain. It was highly entertaining.
A couple weeks back, I got an email from Campbells Kitchen for Tater Tot casserole. It was too good to pass up. Tater Tots, and ground beef? Perfect! My only concern? The Cream of Mushroom soup the recipe called for. I've never been a fan of that soup because of the overly mushroom-y flavor, but I was willing to give it a go. Boyfriend was worried too; when I pulled the can out of the pantry, he got this seriously alarmed look on his face. The conversation went something like this:
"What are you going to do with that?"
"Put it in the pan, what else would I do with it?"
"But..but...why??"
"Uhm, cause the recipe says I'm supposed to?"
"Huh."
I'm the kind of cook who will follow a recipe to the letter the first time around, and then tweak it when I'm done with my own touches on the second go-round. So...cream of mushroom soup it was. About the only time I divert on the first attempt is if I KNOW I don't like an ingredient, and can easily swap it out, or if adding a topping would make it that much better. Which, in this case, happened to occur.
The recipe was incredibly easy. A minimal amount of ingredients. Next to no prep time. Defrosted the ground beef, chopped up the onion, and bam, prep work was done. I browned the meat and onions together, added the soup, ketchup, and worchestershire sauce (I LOVE that stuff!!!) and let it simmer for a couple minutes until the soup was fully heated. The recipe said to use a 2qt shallow casserole dish, but I only had a 3qt and a 1qt, so I went with the 1qt. Lined the pan with tinfoil, and piled the whole mess into the pan.
At this point, the mixture smelled kind of funny (funny = mushroom-y) but I decided to stick with it. I added a layer of cheese, which was not mentioned in the recipe, and then layered the tots all over the top. Now, I should mention here that the original picture for the recipe only had a layer of tots around the edge. I knew this wasn't going to fly with Boyfriend, so I laid them down sideways - instead of straight up, like shown in the picture - and covered the entire top. Why, you ask? Because sideways vs straight up means more surface for browning, which means more crunch, and because Boyfriend LOVES his tater tots. See above if you don't believe me.
I popped the entire pan in the oven at 425 degrees, and let it bake until the tots were nice and brown. I served two bowls while it was still steaming hot, added some Tapatio after the fact, and we chowed down.
My review? It was actually pretty damn good. The mushroom soup acted as a base to develop the flavor of the meat, and even helped draw some of the tater tot flavor down into the mixture. The little bit of Tapatio added the kick I prefer, and the cheese added a nice depth.
Boyfriend's review? Very hearty. It'd be a great dish for a cold winter night when you've been starving all day. The mushroom soup blended really well; he was surprised at how good it all tasted together. He liked it ALOT, and gave it his Guinea Pig Approval.
All in all, the recipe turned out really well. It's easy to make, tastes decent, and was really cheap! A pound of beef, a medium onion, some cheese, and half a pack of tater tots. All stuff that was left over from other recipes. Kewl! My only issue with the recipe is it's so far from healthy it's not even funny. I paired the dish with a basic (for me, anyways) dinner salad, and that made me feel a little bit better about the humongous amount of calories I consumed, but even that only went so far. I give the dish a 3 out of 5 on the Random Recipe scale, due mostly to a somewhat bland flavor (it definitely needed the Tapatio IMHO) and the fat factor.
And for your general perusal, should you choose to make it:
Tater Tot Casserole
A couple weeks back, I got an email from Campbells Kitchen for Tater Tot casserole. It was too good to pass up. Tater Tots, and ground beef? Perfect! My only concern? The Cream of Mushroom soup the recipe called for. I've never been a fan of that soup because of the overly mushroom-y flavor, but I was willing to give it a go. Boyfriend was worried too; when I pulled the can out of the pantry, he got this seriously alarmed look on his face. The conversation went something like this:
"What are you going to do with that?"
"Put it in the pan, what else would I do with it?"
"But..but...why??"
"Uhm, cause the recipe says I'm supposed to?"
"Huh."
I'm the kind of cook who will follow a recipe to the letter the first time around, and then tweak it when I'm done with my own touches on the second go-round. So...cream of mushroom soup it was. About the only time I divert on the first attempt is if I KNOW I don't like an ingredient, and can easily swap it out, or if adding a topping would make it that much better. Which, in this case, happened to occur.
The recipe was incredibly easy. A minimal amount of ingredients. Next to no prep time. Defrosted the ground beef, chopped up the onion, and bam, prep work was done. I browned the meat and onions together, added the soup, ketchup, and worchestershire sauce (I LOVE that stuff!!!) and let it simmer for a couple minutes until the soup was fully heated. The recipe said to use a 2qt shallow casserole dish, but I only had a 3qt and a 1qt, so I went with the 1qt. Lined the pan with tinfoil, and piled the whole mess into the pan.
At this point, the mixture smelled kind of funny (funny = mushroom-y) but I decided to stick with it. I added a layer of cheese, which was not mentioned in the recipe, and then layered the tots all over the top. Now, I should mention here that the original picture for the recipe only had a layer of tots around the edge. I knew this wasn't going to fly with Boyfriend, so I laid them down sideways - instead of straight up, like shown in the picture - and covered the entire top. Why, you ask? Because sideways vs straight up means more surface for browning, which means more crunch, and because Boyfriend LOVES his tater tots. See above if you don't believe me.
I popped the entire pan in the oven at 425 degrees, and let it bake until the tots were nice and brown. I served two bowls while it was still steaming hot, added some Tapatio after the fact, and we chowed down.
My review? It was actually pretty damn good. The mushroom soup acted as a base to develop the flavor of the meat, and even helped draw some of the tater tot flavor down into the mixture. The little bit of Tapatio added the kick I prefer, and the cheese added a nice depth.
Boyfriend's review? Very hearty. It'd be a great dish for a cold winter night when you've been starving all day. The mushroom soup blended really well; he was surprised at how good it all tasted together. He liked it ALOT, and gave it his Guinea Pig Approval.
All in all, the recipe turned out really well. It's easy to make, tastes decent, and was really cheap! A pound of beef, a medium onion, some cheese, and half a pack of tater tots. All stuff that was left over from other recipes. Kewl! My only issue with the recipe is it's so far from healthy it's not even funny. I paired the dish with a basic (for me, anyways) dinner salad, and that made me feel a little bit better about the humongous amount of calories I consumed, but even that only went so far. I give the dish a 3 out of 5 on the Random Recipe scale, due mostly to a somewhat bland flavor (it definitely needed the Tapatio IMHO) and the fat factor.
And for your general perusal, should you choose to make it:
Tater Tot Casserole
| 1 pound ground beef |
| 1 medium onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup) |
| 1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup (Regular or 98% Fat Free) |
| 1 tablespoon ketchup |
| 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce |
| 3 cups frozen fried potato nuggets |
| 1. Cook the beef and onion in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until the beef is well browned, stirring to separate meat. Pour off any fat. 2. Stir the soup, ketchup and Worcestershire in the skillet. Spoon the beef mixture into a 2-quart shallow baking dish. Arrange the potatoes around the inside edge of the baking dish. 3. Bake at 425°F. for 25 minutes or until the potatoes are golden brown. Makes: 5 servings (about 1 1/3 cups each). |
Random Recipe: Initiation!
So I love to cook. It's a slowly developing hobby, mainly arising from the need to eat, and a boyfriend who can't open a can of biscuits (loooong story). I guess that makes it part survival tactic, and part artistic joy. Recipes excite me - just ask boyfriend...he was slightly scared and worried for my sanity when the first issue of Food Network arrived this month - and inspire me to try new things, which is a trait I've been trying to foster. Kills two birds with one stone, yes? Yesss. ^_^
I am also, an email junkie. Newsletters are my favorite. A steady email that I receive every week (or day, in some cases) that funnels new ideas to me is a must. I'm signed up for Campbells, Betty Crocker, SparkPeople...it goes on. I'll spare you the details. Sadly, I've been so busy with other aspects of life *smacks life, stop being so busy!* that I haven't been able to pay proper attention to my newsletters. I know, it's sad. But! But, I have vowed to do better. From here on out, I am going to try a random, brand new recipe every week. I have no clue where it will come from, what the main ingredient is, or what part of the day it will be. Which, honestly, I think is why this will be so much fun. My boyfriend may not appreciate this new plan, but hey. I'm the cook here, not him. So he'll deal. Heh. Heheh. Heheheheheh!
Every weekend, I sit down and plan out my meals for the week to come. Then I build my grocery list. Usually, I plan the menu myself. Sometimes, boyfriend will chime in with a particular request. Now, I'm going to add Random Recipe to the menu. This should be fun!
It's a good thing that I'm a decent cook. And it's a good thing that I'm not so crazy adventurous that I'll try something completely off the wall that could potentially gross out boyfriend. That being said though, I am bound to try something that's not my norm. So, in an effort to keep my writing, since that's my goal, I'm going to share with this insanely curious *snort* world my adventures with Random Recipe every week. Be scared people! Very scared!
I am also, an email junkie. Newsletters are my favorite. A steady email that I receive every week (or day, in some cases) that funnels new ideas to me is a must. I'm signed up for Campbells, Betty Crocker, SparkPeople...it goes on. I'll spare you the details. Sadly, I've been so busy with other aspects of life *smacks life, stop being so busy!* that I haven't been able to pay proper attention to my newsletters. I know, it's sad. But! But, I have vowed to do better. From here on out, I am going to try a random, brand new recipe every week. I have no clue where it will come from, what the main ingredient is, or what part of the day it will be. Which, honestly, I think is why this will be so much fun. My boyfriend may not appreciate this new plan, but hey. I'm the cook here, not him. So he'll deal. Heh. Heheh. Heheheheheh!
Every weekend, I sit down and plan out my meals for the week to come. Then I build my grocery list. Usually, I plan the menu myself. Sometimes, boyfriend will chime in with a particular request. Now, I'm going to add Random Recipe to the menu. This should be fun!
It's a good thing that I'm a decent cook. And it's a good thing that I'm not so crazy adventurous that I'll try something completely off the wall that could potentially gross out boyfriend. That being said though, I am bound to try something that's not my norm. So, in an effort to keep my writing, since that's my goal, I'm going to share with this insanely curious *snort* world my adventures with Random Recipe every week. Be scared people! Very scared!
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