#LEAN14: a full {sick} day of eats.

by 12 Comments

I hate to be all “woe is me,” buuuuut basically I feel like death. Fever, chills, congestion – the whole nine.

I woke up on Saturday with the worst sore throat of all time and knew right away it was going to be a bad one. Thankfully my parents had come up that day to see my new apartment, and I had already planned on going back to Pennsylvania with them for a few things.

Let’s just say a cozy coach, big screen TV, and doctor Mom definitely help make being sick a bit more bearable.

I’ve been getting a handful of requests for more “full day of eats” posts since starting LEAN14, so I had that scheduled to post today, and even though I’m sick - the blog must go on.

Breakfast - Koala Crisp cereal with sliced banana and coconut milk.

(Yes, Koala Crisp. I’m mature like that.)

Koala Crisp Cereal

Lunch – sandwich of mashed avocado and a fried egg on brown rice bread.

Egg & Avocado Sandwich

Egg & Avocado Sandwich

Snack – a big green smoothie.

Green Smoothie

Dinner – all day I was looking forward to having the slow-cooked pulled pork my mom made, but when dinnertime rolled around the thought of eating meat was just really unappetizing. Regular old rice and beans was all I could seem to stomach :( Not so pretty, but it did the job.

Dessert – a few squares of dark chocolate.

Godiva Dark Chocolate

Oh, and there was tea. Lots and lots and lots of tea.

For the most part, this is pretty standard for what I’ve been eating lately. Normal days usually include more veggies and more protein – both of which seem to be the most unappealing when sick…

What do/can you eat when you’re sick?

#LEAN14 january jumpstart: a month in review.

by 20 Comments

I can’t believe January is already over! It was definitely an interesting month – taking on January Jumpstart while also planning a move, launching a new company, and keeping up with other life stuff.

Overall I would say that January Jumpstart was a success for me. Even though I didn’t stick to all of the goals 100%, it really held me accountable to keep up with healthy choices instead of letting them fall by the wayside a week in. I’m excited to keep up with LEAN14 for the rest of the year.

But for now, here’s a recap of how I did with my January Jumpstart goals.

1. Drink at least 64 ounces of water each day – YES

2. Eat at least 5 servings of vegetables each day – YES

3. Exercise 3 days a week (30-60 min combo of strength & cardio) – Eh, not so much. Some weeks I did great, others I did 1-2 workouts, or none at all. With the move and Speakable launch, life has been crazy!

4. Squats, squats, and more squats – see above

5. Eat more clean, whole foods – YES

6. Eat balanced meals and less snacking – Yes and no, I definitely cut down on the snacking, but not entirely.

7. Get 7-8 hours of sleep each night – YES

8. Limit soda/energy drinks to 3 per week (an improvement for me) – YES! I actually did way better with this than I thought. I haven’t had a single soda or energy drink all month.

9. Allow more time to walk/take the subway instead of cabs – Nope. I blame the Polar Vortex.

10. Track more of my meals/workouts here on GML – Not as much as I wanted to. At least I still have all year ;)

**********

And to wrap things up, here are some of my favorite #LEAN14 posts from January:

(Click the image to go to the post)

**********

Did you do a January Jumpstart of sorts?
How is LEAN in 2014 going for you so far?

#LEAN14: how to not hate vegetables.

by 15 Comments

I must pat myself on the back for doing really well with regularly eating tons of vegetables so far this year. I’m really planning on keeping it as a habit throughout Lean in 2014.

My “secret” to doing so is pretty simple – I’ve learned how to make vegetables taste as good as possible. And I’m not just talking about salads (because – let’s be real – you can make anything good by covering it in salad dressing).

In the past I would just force myself to eat veggies in any form because I knew it was good for me, but that never lasted. So instead of making vegetables just bearable, I’ve realized what a difference it makes to have vegetables taste delicious - something I actually want to eat!

Here are my 5 tips for making vegetables tasty (and not hate eating them).

1. roast them.

Roasting vegetables is hands down my favorite way to cook them. Here’s a great guide to roasting vegetables:

My favorite roasted vegetable is definitely butternut squash with a bit of salt and cinnamon. It gets all caramelized and sweet!

2. add avocado.

I love adding avocado to just about everything. It adds great flavor, a buttery texture, and healthy fats. I actually prefer avocado over salad dressing – if you use a really ripe avocado you can mash it up into a “guacamole dressing” of sorts.

3. add butter.

Butter seems to have gotten a really bad rep, but I’m a huge fan of it. First of all, just a little bit of butter goes a LONG way and can add incredible flavor to vegetables. Secondly, I fall in the camp that believes saturated fat is not bad for you. Not to mention that fat helps your body absorb nutrients, and you want to get the most out of those veggies, right?

4. “pizza-fied.”

One of my favorite ways to enjoy vegetables is to PIZZAFY them. Simply add:

* marinara sauce
* Italian seasoning
* parmesan cheese

This works especially well with steamed greens, roasted broccoli, brussels sprouts, and spaghetti squash. Obviously this is no replacement for real pizza, but it’s still delicious!

5. in soup.

Most soups already have vegetables in them, but I like to take it up a notch by adding my favorite greens (spinach or kale) in the mix. I actually prefer chunky over thin/watery soup, so extra vegetables help bulk it up while adding nutrients at the same time.

**********

What’s your favorite way to eat vegetables?