The Simple Life - Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato and Pasta Salad

I saw a real bacon version of this on Facebook and I knew I could do a version that was vegan that would be delicious.  So I did!  I used soy "bacon" bits and soy mayo.  It turned out perfect so I'm taking it for lunch all this week.  The zucchini pasta is very light and the overall dish is very fresh and perfect for my lunches.  It's a filling dish but I don't feel stuffed or bloated.  The best part is that it's so healthy. 

I'm taking this salad for my lunches this week so I prepared it in the containers.  I want it to be fresh so I only made up three salads.  On Wednesday night I'll make up two more for the remainder of the week.

1 head of iceberg lettuce, chopped
Romain lettuce, chopped
soy bacon bits
cherry tomatoes
1 box of zucchini pasta, boiled
1 packet dry ranch mix
1 cup soy mayo
1 cup coconut milk or almond milk

To make the dressing, whip together the mayo, coconut milk and ranch powder.  In a large bowl or smaller containers layer greens, bacon bits, tomatoes and pasta.   Drizzle the dressing over each serving.

The Simple Life - Weightloss Update - Listen to Your Body

 This is how I look when I'm at home.  I live in athletic attire.  The tee says "Stong & Fierce"  I definately feel like that these days.

Listening to your body is important; very important.  I've been in this weight loss journey for almost nine months now.  I know the feeling of loosing weight.  I can tell when I'm loosing weight.  I like the feeling of going to bed slightly hungry because I know that means I'm loosing weight.

So, why, after a week of going to bed hungry did I gain a pound instead of loose one?  I did everything right.  I stuck to my preplanned meals.  I worked out hard all five days.  How could this happen?

On Thursday I noticed that decimal number on the scale had gone up instead of down.  But it was only .2 so I ignored it.  The same thing happened on Friday and by Saturday I was up a full pound.

Why didn't I stop what I was doing as soon as I noticed that something was wrong?  Maybe because I knew I was doing everything right and I assumed the numbers would auto correct.  Wrong.

I knew that I was consuming too much salt.  I ate rice every day and I poured a cup of broth over it that was very high in sodium.  There was also sodium in the soup that I ate for breakfast.  Combined, I was consuming way too much salt and not drinking enough water to flush it all out.  The net result was weight gain even though I was doing everything right and I should have lost weight.

I knew it was happening and I ignored it.  I was so upset with myself on Saturday morning as I stood there on my scale a pound heavier.  I did it to myself.  A single pound isn't so much in the greater scheme of things but it reminded me that I have to listen to my body. 

The scale isn't my only tool, but it's important.  It helps me stay honest about where I am and what I'm dong on a daily basis.  So I lost a week but I learned a valuable lesson.  I don't have to panic when the numbers inch up, but I should take stock of everything I'm doing.  There was a reason the numbers went up even though I was doing all things.  There was one thing I wasn't doing right and had I paid attention I could have corrected it mid week and not been up that pound by the weekend.

Lesson learned.  Success, to a great degree is in the details.  It's a lot of little things that I do now.  It's all those little things that I've changed about my life that have gotten me where I am right now.  If I start ignoring enough of those little things, big mistakes can happen.  I don't want that.

On the fitness front I'm doing great.  As I continue to make my workouts a little harder I am strengthening my muscles and I find that I can do more.  I'm ready to add a little weight to my weighted vest so that will add intensity too.  I feel stronger and I can see the difference in my shape.  It feels good. 

My 33rd wedding anniversary is next weekend and I've bought a couple of new bathing suits.  I'm so excited about looking slimmer and feeling better than I did a year ago.  I continue to be excited and motivated to be the best that I can be.
This is me this morning, heading out to church.  These pants are very baggy on me now.  This time last year I couldn't even squeeze into them.

The Simple Life - Black Bean Hummus Veggie Sandwich

I dearly love a big sub sandwich.  I love them with big, fluffy bread, piled high with veggies.  So now that I'm not eating meat anymore I need to replace the meat and I decided to do that with homemade hummus.  This veggie sandwich is filling and hits all those notes that I loved about eating a sub.

Hummus
1 can black beans, drained
3 Tbl. salsa verde
2 Tbl. Tahini
3 Tbl. orange juice
2 Tbl. minced garlic
2 Tbl. parsley
Mrs. Dash seasoning to taste

Veggies that you love.  This part can be anything you want it to be.  I kept it simple with:
cucumber
bell pepper
red onion
lettuce

Bread; I bought a bag of big fluffy white rolls.  Cut one in half and pile on the hummus and veggies.  Enjoy!

The Simple Life - Are Cheat Days Ok When You're Dieting?

Does having a free day while dieting ruin the diet?  Does a free day set you back while dieting?  What impact does a free day have on a diet?  Does a free day make it harder to get back on track with a diet?

I'm more than eight months into a year long diet with the goal of loosing 40 pounds.  I'm down 33 pounds and I see no reason that I wouldn't make my goal.  I plan to continue my diet after meeting that goal and loose another 20 pounds, putting me in a healthy weight range for my height and age.

I greatly relaxed my diet every weekend.  I push hard to loose weight for five days and then I take two days off of exercise and a structured diet.  I eat what I want, as long as it doesn't conflict with the general boundaries of my diet.  My general boundaries are that the foods have to be vegan. 

Monday through Friday I don't eat anything that is processed, I eat vegetables for breakfast because they are the least calorie dense foods, I eat a high starch lunch,  a small amount of fruit for dinner and I fast from 5 pm until 7 pm the next day.

On the weekends I might have oatmeal for breakfast instead of vegetables.  I might have a dish for lunch that includes processed soy products like a soy "meat".  And in the evening I might have some popcorn after my dinner.  None of these foods are bad or break my general boundaries, but if I ate them all the time I'd have a hard time loosing weight.

Ultimately, I don't believe that I could do anything in two days that would overcome what I do for five days.  This has been proven by my steady weight loss for eight months, regardless of the fact that I relax my diet on the weekends. 

I'm looking as my free days differently now than I did in the beginning.  Now I think about reaching the maintenance phase.  So, when I start the weekend now I look at it like a trial maintenance for two days.  I think the transition from weight loss to maintenance is important and I'm a lot more thoughtful now about what I eat on the weekends.  At some point I want my weekends to look like what my normal diet will be once I'm done with weight loss.  I don't know exactly when that will be, but I will get there and how I handle my food plan once I get there could make or break my long term success.

This is what I believe.  I've had eight months to think about how I will keep the weight off.  Statistically speaking, most people don't keep off the weight.  Most people gradually gain it all back.  When you stop doing what you did to loose the weight, it's just common sense the you will begin to gain weight.  That's why my break from my plan is important.  It's my testing time so that I can figure out what the rest of my life will look like in regards to what I'll be able to eat and maintain my smaller body.

I guess only time will tell if I'm right.  I hope I am.

The Simple Life - Old Bay Seafood Cakes

My husband loves these types of fried seafood cakes.  It doesn't matter if I make them out of crab meat or salmon or like I did here, out of canned tuna.  He eats them up and asks for more.

4 cans tuna, drained
3 eggs, beaten
1 onion, grated
1 cup breadcrumbs
1 Tbl. onion powder
1 Tbl. Old Bay seasoning
1 Tbl. Dill
Oil for frying

Combine all ingredients.  Meanwhile heat oil over medium heat.  Lay several layers of paper towels over a large plate for draining the cakes.  Patty out the cakes.  I use an ice cream scoop because it makes all the cakes the same size.  I fry each batch for 5 minutes per side.  Drain on the paper towels. 

The Simple Life - Banana, Nut, Fruit Bars

It's a good thing I have lots of will power.  These bars are so good I could eat the whole thing without feeling guilty at all.  Of course that wouldn't be good for me, but these bars are seriously delicious! 

1 banana, mashed
1 1/2 cups oats, ground
1/2 cup low sugar dried cranberries
1/2 cup flax seeds
1 cup walnuts
1 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup coconut milk
3 Tbl. coconut oil
3 Tbl. maple syrup
1 tsp. banana flavoring

Combine all dry ingredients.  Add wet ingredients.  Mix well.  Line small baking dish with parchment paper.  Dump mixture into dish and smooth out with the back of a spoon.  Bake at 350 F for 30 minutes.  Let cook before cutting into bars.

 I added a tsp. of banana flavoring and I think that makes these bars extra yummy.  If you've never used flavorings, try it.  It can really punch up the flavor of what what you're making.

 Dried cranberries are very sweet and have lots of condensed sugar.  I use the low sugar type.  They are just as good but half the calories.

The Simple Life - Weight Loss Update - It's Time to Buy New Pants

I thought that once I lost some weight and my clothes got loose I would feel great.  Initially I did.  But as my clothes have gotten bigger and I've gotten smaller I began to just feel frumpy.  That's not a good feeling when you're working so hard to be healthier and look better.  This last week I felt like I was bearing bags to work, belted to keep them on.  I've been trying to put off buying new work clothing because it's office attire that I only wear to work.  But by Friday I had decided it was time.

I went to my go store for buying cheap stuff; Walmart.  I'm in the loosing phase of my new way of living so these will hopefully just be transitional pieces to get me to my goal weight.  It's not the right time to invest.

Fortunately, Walmart carries a work attire line; George suiting.  I was able to find two skirts and three pairs of plants.  None of the pieces were over $15.  I wear a uniform shirt, so there's no need for me to buy tops.  I will have to request smaller blouses, but I'm not ready for that yet.  My uniform blouse can be tucked in and still looks alright for a while longer.  I'm pear shaped, so my bottom half was much larger than my upper body; hence the need for new pants and not new tops.

I worked very hard this last week during all my workouts.  I added weight to my weighted vest and I could feel it.  I'm still trying to make sure I make my workouts count every time.  I have a sitting job so it's essential that I really put all my effort into my exercise time because that's really the only time I move during the day.

I felt a little empty every night last week so I knew I would loose weight.  I'm at 148.  My goal for this year is 141, so I'm getting close.  I won't lie.  It's hard not to eat a real meal at night.  I've thought about it endlessly and there's no other way for me to loose weight.  I've spent eight months trying different plans, timing of meals, sequencing meal, you name it.  The bottom line is that I'm doing what I know will help me continue to loose weight.  Eating two good meals for breakfast and dinner and having something very light in calories when I get home, then exercising, works.  So for now I'm not going to try to fix what ain't broke.

I plan to continue with eating vegetable soup for breakfast, a high carb lunch and fruit for dinner.  I'm also still fasting from 5 pm until I eat breakfast the next morning.  I'm not going to add any weight to my vest for the next week.  I can really feel it in my knees so I want to take it slow.  I'm in a downward trend for my weight so I don't need to push it and end up laid up with a knee injury.

This is a time to just keep on keep'in on.

The Simple Life - Lentil, Potato and "Bacon" Soup

I love lintel soup.  It's a favorite comfort food of mine.  Since I'm eating vegan now I'm using a soy "bacon" product to help flavor this dish.  It's a hearty, thick soup that is easily done in the crockpot overnight or while you're at work.

1 Bag lentils
1 bag carrots, shredded
3-4 cups shredded potatoes
2 onions, shredded
1/4 cup soy "bacon" bits
Water to cover

Put all ingredients into crockpot and cook on low for eight hours. 

 I wanted all the vegetables to be shredded so I bought sliced carrots and then put them in the food processor for a minute.

 To make the preparation of this dish really easy, I bought frozen potatoes that were already shredded.  Great time saver.

 The "bacon" bits that I used can be found in the salad dressing section of the grocery store.  They really do add the flavoring needed for this dish.

The Simple Life - Fruity Cole Slaw (Vegan)

This salad is so good.  And the fact that it's super healthy just makes it perfect as a side dish or even a main dish.  It's not terribly low in calories because of the dried fruit, but it's top notch for being delicious and healthy.

1 Bag of cole slaw
1 Bag of shredded brussel sprouts
2 Apples, shredded
2 Pears, shredded
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup Vegan mayo
3 Tbl. coconut vinegar

Toss all ingredients well.  Refrigerate overnight before serving.  The flavors will blend and the result of sweet and zesty and crunchy.

 I used shredded brussel sprouts but you could also use shredded broccoli.  You can also substitute any fruit that you like.  I love the apple pear combo personally.

 If you've never tried vegan mayo, then you should.  It's at least as good as the regular stuff.  And the coconut vinegar is delicious.  I love it and I put it on everything I can.

 I used dried cherries that are lower in sugar by 50%.  It's harder to find but worth it to save the calories added by sugar.

The Simple Life - Mushroom Potato Cakes

These are so good I can't describe how good they are.  They melt in your mouth and go with anything.  I'm eating them this week for lunch with baked sweet potato chunks.  My husband, who is not a vegetarian, is eating these potato cakes with baked chicken.  Either way, these are perfect.

2 lbs. potatoes, peeled and boiled
2 cans mushrooms, minced
2 packets dry mushroom soup mix
1 Tbl. dill
1 c. unsweetened coconut milk
vegan butter for frying (1 Tbl. per batch)

Mash potatoes.  Add all other ingredients except butter.  Form into patties.  Heat 1 Tbl. vegan butter in large skillet.  Cook patties on each side for 5 minutes or until browned.

This is my prepped lunches for the week with the potato cakes and sweet potato chunks.  I'll probably add some peas or beans too.