Weekly Update: Oops! I forgot!

Sorry folks, I totally spaced this morning.  I didn't get out of bed until well after the alarm and it was a whirlwind from there.

4/28 Update:  I stepped on the scale today and there was literally no change.  Back atcha next week!

Makin' Bread

Recently, I've become hyper-vigilant about the ingredients in my food.  Since Lustig struck a panic in me, I've been suspicious of everything I eat.  The most recent development?  My favorite whole wheat sandwich bread is not as innocent as it looks.  I love the 90 calorie serving size, but I looked closer at the ingredient list and I'm pretty sure at least a quarter of those things listed are preservatives.  Conclusion: nope; I'm out.

More specifically, I'm baking my own bread from here on out.  There's something to be said for making everything from scratch: you know what's in your food.

There are a lot of reasons to bake my own bread, and not really any reasons not to.  Andrew's parents gave us a bread machine a couple years ago so there is literally no work on my part, unless you count scooping the ingredients into the baking bucket and pushing a button.  I just have to be willing to wait 5 hours for the magic to take place.

It's just one more step in my journey to living healthier.

Monday Night Dinner: Whole Wheat Spaghetti alla Carbonara for Two

I have a special place in my heart for spaghetti alla carbonara because my godfather, who lived for four years in Rome during the 1970s, would make it fairly often when our family would go to his house for dinner.  It's also fairly simple to make; it's just eggs and bacon and cheese - oh my!

Ingredients

• 4 oz (dry) whole wheat linguine
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 2 slices bacon
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Directions

Boil water and cook linguine according to instructions on package.
While waiting for your water to boil, cook your bacon and set aside on a paper towel.
Meanwhile, turn your oven on warm (lowest setting) and place your metal mixing bowl inside. Alternatively, you can fill the bowl with warm water if your bowl is not oven safe. Just be sure to dump the water out before you throw the ingredients in.  When bowl is sufficiently warm, beat an egg in the (empty) warmed bowl. Add cheese and pepper.
Drain your pasta and add to the bowl, tossing to coat thoroughly with egg and cheese mixture. The egg will cook with the heat of the pasta.
Crumble bacon, and toss with pasta.
Serve immediately.

Serves 2.

Currently On My Workout Mix - 69 Boyz

Weight Training - Tricep Curls

This next exercise in the circuit works your triceps, which is the key to not having what my friend affectionately calls "bingo wings."  If you are feeling like the bicep curls and hammer curls are too much to do consecutively, you can mix this move in between the two sets to give those biceps a little break while you work the triceps.

Our model today is a gold medalist, has a killer bod, and knows what weight training is all about.

An important thing to note:  see how Michael is keeping his elbows right next to his ears, even when he lowers the weight behind his head?  Make sure you're paying attention to that in your own training.

Thanks, Mike, for being such a sport!

Weekly Update: Plateausville

I think I might be at a plateau.  I'm dying to break through the 150-lb mark and I have less than 2 lbs standing in my way.  I'm hoping that over the next month we're going to see the numbers go down as I regularly start running 8 miles (4 each direction of my commute to work) and cutting waaaaay down on sweets.

I feel good, but it's very frustrating to not see results.  Then again, I've never been a very patient person.

Running - Going the Distance

I ran 12 miles today.  It's a 4 mile run between home and the office, and then at lunch I joined two other runners for a mid-day 4-miler.  I wasn't sure I could pull off running all three legs of the twelve miles, and I had my car at the office just in case.  I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it before I lose my "crutch" (meaning my parking space, which I plan to release at the end of the month).  Mostly, I'm concerned about my joints.  There are some pretty serious hills on my commute, so I've started walking down the steepest declines in order to save my knees.

I have to say, it's kinda nice to worry a little less about the calories I've eaten today.  When I got home I made whole wheat pasta alla carbonara for two.  Basically, it's a bacon/egg/cheese comfort food, but much lighter than you'd expect.  If the calcs are right, one serving is under 350 calories.  Definitely MND worthy.  I'll try to remember to post the recipe Monday.