"Get fit in the gym, lose weight in the kitchen". As someone who has been working out consistently for years, I learned the hard way that you can't out-train a poor diet. I was downing countless calories in sugary alcoholic beverages; and eating whatever I wanted and how much I wanted while using the excuse "It's okay, I work out.".
When I finally realized that I needed a change, I cut out the Twisted Teas and a few other bad things, and with the help of Insanity, I lost weight.
But recently I feel like I have hit a plateau...which is incredibly discouraging. Slowly over the last four months I have been working on incorporating healthier items in my everyday food and being mindful of portion sizes. So what more can I do to keep my weight loss momentum? To avoid weighloss plateaus, you have to change something. So my answer: Cut the carbs. Not all of them...just some. Because if you saw how many carb-loaded foods I was eating, you would understand how this is the perfect strategy to get me off of my plateau. And it really helps that my husband is not only on board, but that it was his idea....(we both want to look our best for our upcoming beach vacation in April). So with his blessing, we attempted our first low- carb dinner last night. Every weekend we treat ourselves to "steak madness" where we cook steak and my favorite spaghetti. Last night was scheduled to be steak madness. "How can I make spaghetti low- carb?" I wondered, not ready to give up my favorite dish. It occurred to me that the sauce is my favorite part and the noodles are just to fill us up. And I always cook mushrooms in olive oil and red wine to go with the steak. So I combined my favorite homemade sauce with the mushrooms, and the result was a dish even tastier and healthier than before!
Here is the recipe:
Cook whole or halved mushrooms (one pack) in 2 Tbsp. olive oil over medium high heat for about three minutes, turning mushrooms occasionally. Add desired amount of red wine ( I used about a quarter cup of cabernet) to the mushrooms and cook a few minutes more. Remove mushrooms from pan.
Add 2 more tablespoons of olive oil to the pan, and then one chopped onion. Cook until soft, about 4-5 minutes. Add two cloves of minced garlic, a tsp. Red pepper flakes, and a tsp. Dried oregano. Let cook for 30 seconds. Then add one 15oz can of diced Italian tomatoes, one 6 oz can of tomato sauce, a tbsp. Of capers, and about 8oz of sliced black olives. Stir a cook for a minute, and then add mushrooms. Simmer for five minutes, letting the flavors combine. Enjoy.
I was surprised when, as I was enjoying this dish, I realized I had forgotten to season it with salt and pepper...and that it didn't need it! Even my husband, who salts everything!, thought it was great with extra salt.
We also ate a salad with steaks and mushroom dish. It was easy to make, very healthy, and really tasty. I used Bolthouse Farms Olive Oil Vinaigrette, which made it even healhier. My problem with most salads is that need a lot of dressing, and most dressings are about as healthy for you as ice cream. But this one is great. 30 calories for 2 tbsp. And zero calories from fat. Plus, olive oil and vinegar are good for you.
Here's how I made the salad:
Two cups of spinach
4oz of chopped feta cheese
a quarter cup of chopped and toasted almonds (to toast nuts, put in oven at 325 degrees for about five minutes...be careful not to let them burn)
3 green onions, chopped.
Combine all of the ingredients, add fresh strawberries if desired, and then serve with Bolthouse Farms dressing. Enjoy.
So after eating my New York steak, my salad, and a nice helping of my mushroom dish, I was full. This surprised me because I can normally eat seconds, and thirds, of spaghetti.
Immediately after dinner, I hopped up to do the dishes with tons of energy. I didn't feel weighed down and tired. When the dishes were done I got things prepared for the next morning.
So what started as an experiment to see if I could make a low-carb yet fulfilling dinner turned into a desire to create more dishes full of goodness and flavor. I want to feel great and look great, and now I think I'm on the right path!
No comments:
Post a Comment