• You are currently viewing our forum as a guest, which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community, you will have access to additional post topics, communicate privately with other members (PM), view blogs, respond to polls, upload content, and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free, so please join our community today! Just click here to register. You should turn your Ad Blocker off for this site or certain features may not work properly. If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us by clicking here.

EJCC and Showbread's Cooking/Exercise Extravaganza!

Showbread

climb on
Joined
Oct 3, 2013
Messages
2,298
MBTI Type
ESFJ
Enneagram
3w2
Instinctual Variant
so/sp
Day two of the challenge -- went for a run instead of doing squats, because it's so nice out today. And it was a GREAT run. 2.5 miles, mostly jogging, but with two 20-second sprints in there, followed by 20-30-second walks. Definitely going to be too sore for leg exercises tomorrow.

I don't know if I love running, but I ADORE how I feel after an intense run. My chest and lungs feel open, my entire body is relaxed, and I feel completely rejuvenated.

Side note: Those artichoke-spinach chicken breasts are really, really good. And really healthy too! Will definitely make again. Though next time I need to figure out a better way to use the leftover artichokes.

Sounds like we're in about the same place with running then. I definitely don't hate it anymore, but I'm still not totally sold. Especially my lungs.

So glad you loved the chicken! I froze some of the leftovers while I was at my parents house and flew them home with me. :D They are currently back in the freezer, will probably pull them out next week. I might add some kalamata olives to the filling next time.
 

EJCC

The Devil of TypoC
Joined
Aug 29, 2008
Messages
19,129
MBTI Type
ESTJ
Enneagram
1w9
Instinctual Variant
sp/so
1) This looks really good:

Sweet Corn and Zucchini Pie - Pinch of Yum

Filing it away for later!

2) I'm thinking of baking some bread this weekend... something nutty-crunchy and whole grain. (There was this AMAZING whole grain bread from a local bakery in my hometown that I miss terribly, and I need a replacement ASAP.) I already have flaxseeds and wheat flour, and I think I could steal a packet or two of yeast from my roommate. But besides that I dunno what I'd need.

3)
I've actually made this before! It's been probably 4 years though. It was really yummy! I've been thinking about making it again!
Maybe we should do that next week :D

That, or something from another of those BuzzFeed lists:

21 Delicious Ways To Eat Asparagus (I forget if you like asparagus or not, but it is in season and very cheap!)
23 Delicious Ways To Eat Chicken Tenders (Not sure how many of these are healthy, but I have so freaking many chicken tenders in my freezer!)
23 Mac 'n' Cheese Recipes That Might Save Your Life (not many of these are healthy, but whatever)
7 Fresh And Healthy Dinners That Are Perfect For Spring (I liked the looks of the chili/carrots, and the stuffed tomatoes)

Sounds like we're in about the same place with running then. I definitely don't hate it anymore, but I'm still not totally sold. Especially my lungs.
Hm. :thinking: Do you have lung issues? Am I imagining that?

I'm VERY close to a point where I can trust myself to breathe correctly without focusing on it :yesss: but yeah, I'm still working towards increasing my capacity for intense aerobic exercise. Keeping my heart rate up for longer.

So glad you loved the chicken! I froze some of the leftovers while I was at my parents house and flew them home with me. :D They are currently back in the freezer, will probably pull them out next week. I might add some kalamata olives to the filling next time.
Mmm. Olives and feta for the win.

Yes, I have some in the freezer as well :) though it turns out I had to use all the spinach I had in the fridge AND freezer to make them, so I have no side salad. :( Might have to make a supplementary grocery trip at some point late this week.
 

Showbread

climb on
Joined
Oct 3, 2013
Messages
2,298
MBTI Type
ESFJ
Enneagram
3w2
Instinctual Variant
so/sp
Maybe we should do that next week :D

That, or something from another of those BuzzFeed lists:

21 Delicious Ways To Eat Asparagus (I forget if you like asparagus or not, but it is in season and very cheap!)
23 Delicious Ways To Eat Chicken Tenders (Not sure how many of these are healthy, but I have so freaking many chicken tenders in my freezer!)
23 Mac 'n' Cheese Recipes That Might Save Your Life (not many of these are healthy, but whatever)
7 Fresh And Healthy Dinners That Are Perfect For Spring (I liked the looks of the chili/carrots, and the stuffed tomatoes)

Ooh, I'll browse those. I'll probably be cooking twice this weekend. Once for normal dinner, once for Easter foods. :D


Hm. :thinking: Do you have lung issues? Am I imagining that?

Yeah, I have exercise induced asthma. :dry: When I was little it was just normal asthma and I had to use inhalers all the time. I don't get the normal burning sensation in my lungs, they get really tight and push the air out too soon. I'd assume that means I'm not getting enough oxygen to my muscles either.
 

Showbread

climb on
Joined
Oct 3, 2013
Messages
2,298
MBTI Type
ESFJ
Enneagram
3w2
Instinctual Variant
so/sp
Just mapped it out and my new apartment is 10 minutes from Trader Joe's, 5 minutes from H-Mart, and 15 minutes from Costco. To say I am excited about this is a massive understatement.

As of right now it takes me 30-45 minutes to get all of those places. I am SO excited for grocery shopping. :D
 

Codex

Member
Joined
Jun 11, 2014
Messages
820
MBTI Type
ENTJ
Hi.

First time I've entered this thread and haven't had the time to read through it, but to jump straight to it:

Are you guys doing meal planning? It would be fun to plan meals together for such a project. It's great for controlling what you eat in order to ensure what you're consuming is consistent and fits into your exercise/health plan.
I'll feel like a doofus if you two already do this, but I hope you do! : D
 

EJCC

The Devil of TypoC
Joined
Aug 29, 2008
Messages
19,129
MBTI Type
ESTJ
Enneagram
1w9
Instinctual Variant
sp/so
[MENTION=21890]Codex[/MENTION]

Showbread and I are actually doing a thing where we make the same dish in bulk once a week and compare notes. Once it was burrito bowls (great), once a salad (pretty good but needed modifications, and I didn't love the dressing), and once it was stuffed chicken breasts (EXCELLENT). We don't have a plan for next week though.

Outside of that, I hyper-plan and hyper-budget my meals. Probably to a fault. :laugh:
 

Codex

Member
Joined
Jun 11, 2014
Messages
820
MBTI Type
ENTJ
That is really good to hear. I have been getting into meal planning my self, and just think it is really wonderful.
What sources are you using to plan and prep? recipes? etc
 

Showbread

climb on
Joined
Oct 3, 2013
Messages
2,298
MBTI Type
ESFJ
Enneagram
3w2
Instinctual Variant
so/sp
That is really good to hear. I have been getting into meal planning my self, and just think it is really wonderful.
What sources are you using to plan and prep? recipes? etc

We're both subscribed to BuzzFeed Food. We're also both Pinterest addicts.
 

RandomINTP

Injustice Needs To stoP
Joined
Feb 19, 2015
Messages
388
MBTI Type
INTP
Enneagram
7w8
Instinctual Variant
sx
My diet:
Morning: Too much cereal
Afternoon: Too much cereal
Evening: Whatever my parents cook. usually meat, noodles, vegetables, etc.
Night: Too much cereal
In between: Too much cereal, chips, chocolate stuff, cookies, pudding, nutella sandwiches
Occasionally: Pizza, "Döner", Sushi, normal amout of cereal.

Yeah... not exactly healthy... What do you think?
 

EJCC

The Devil of TypoC
Joined
Aug 29, 2008
Messages
19,129
MBTI Type
ESTJ
Enneagram
1w9
Instinctual Variant
sp/so
My diet:
Morning: Too much cereal
Afternoon: Too much cereal
Evening: Whatever my parents cook. usually meat, noodles, vegetables, etc.
Night: Too much cereal
In between: Too much cereal, chips, chocolate stuff, cookies, pudding, nutella sandwiches
Occasionally: Pizza, "Döner", Sushi, normal amout of cereal.

Yeah... not exactly healthy... What do you think?
Yep. Not exactly healthy.
 

EJCC

The Devil of TypoC
Joined
Aug 29, 2008
Messages
19,129
MBTI Type
ESTJ
Enneagram
1w9
Instinctual Variant
sp/so
That is really good to hear. I have been getting into meal planning my self, and just think it is really wonderful.
What sources are you using to plan and prep? recipes? etc
Meal planning is the best. :) Glad you've been having good luck with it too.

I tend to plan around what's already in my fridge and freezer. I make heavy use of my freezer -- helps with saving money, which is probably as important to me right now as eating healthy.

We're both subscribed to BuzzFeed Food. We're also both Pinterest addicts.
:laugh: Yep. "Addict" is the right word. I feel like I'm on there constantly.

It is a GREAT source of healthy recipes though.
 

Showbread

climb on
Joined
Oct 3, 2013
Messages
2,298
MBTI Type
ESFJ
Enneagram
3w2
Instinctual Variant
so/sp
Very frustrated with myself right now. I'm about 5 pounds heavier than I want to be. I started the school year at 138-140. I lost about 10 pounds junior year, half was intentional and half was from extreme anxiety and not being able to eat. The goal was to keep it off regardless, which apparently isn't working.

I'm at 145 right now, but I would really like to be 135-140. I'm still doing great with exercise, but it's the food that's killing me. Part of the problem is that I've had a lot of things going on in the last month or so that have been food related. Lots of celebrating, traveling, people visiting, etc. But, I think the real root of the problem is stress/compulsive eating. I'm convinced some of this is ADHD related. When I get bored or am lacking stimulation I'll eat a handful of something crunchy. Usually it's something pretty healthy like granola, cereal, etc. But, it's still calories my body doesn't actually need. This has been a habit for literally as long as I can remember, all the way back to childhood.

So, I guess the plan is to try to do that less? Be mindful of when it's happening? Sometimes it's almost so compulsive that I don't actually realize I've decided to eat something until it's in my mouth. Which reminds me SO much of when I was a kid and I would hit someone, or blurt something out and I didn't remember deciding to do it. :dry:

On the bright side, running is still going fairly well. Need to get back on the yoga bandwagon though. I've been forgetting to bring a change of clothes in the morning so I haven't been going.
 

EJCC

The Devil of TypoC
Joined
Aug 29, 2008
Messages
19,129
MBTI Type
ESTJ
Enneagram
1w9
Instinctual Variant
sp/so
[MENTION=19948]Showbread[/MENTION] I'm not usually one to suggest calorie-counting, but it might be helpful in this case -- figuring out what you'd be eating on any given day junior year, and calculating how many calories per day that would have been. And then contrasting that with your calories per day now. With that in mind -- and considering that snacks (especially granola!) are much more caloric than you'd expect -- I'm sure snacking has a lot to do with it. (Though in fairness, you can gain five pounds from just about anything, and lose it super quickly. Could be your trips, could be water weight?)

There are a lot of resources out there for compulsive eating. The Internet Will Provide, as they say. (Or maybe we just say that at my house, lol.) I haven't really been through that, to that extent, but I HAVE struggled with compulsive thinking for a while, and I can suggest from that experience that the top priority should be finding a fun and highly stimulating alternative to eating, whenever you crave a snack. Cute dog videos, maybe?

Also -- and you're probably doing this already -- but cut yourself some slack! Until recently, I had a hard time getting myself to do things I wasn't doing, without being really harsh and critical of myself. Avoiding negative self-judgment actually makes you more likely to achieve your goals!
 

EJCC

The Devil of TypoC
Joined
Aug 29, 2008
Messages
19,129
MBTI Type
ESTJ
Enneagram
1w9
Instinctual Variant
sp/so
Finished Day 10 of that exercise challenge and I am noticing improvements!! Gave up on the squat challenge in favor of running 3x per week. (I forget if I blogged about this already.) Ran 3 miles yesterday and am barely feeling it in my muscles today. Thinking I'll try for 3.5 on Wednesday.

My eating has not been super healthy, relatively speaking. But I've definitely been enjoying my food. :)

- Snack today and breakfast for the next few days: Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins - Pinch of Yum
- Lunches: German pumpernickel gifted to me by [MENTION=10251]Red Herring[/MENTION], with cream cheese and smoked salmon
- Dinners: Eating out -- Easter dinner yesterday, bibimbap the day before (to celebrate the new job!) -- or stuffed chicken breasts w/sides

I'm about 5lbs heavier than usual*, but some of that could be due to it almost being that time of the month and some of it could just be how I've eaten this week. I guess it's possible that I'm gaining muscle and not losing fat?

*The usual is 140, and I'm 5' 6.5"
 

Showbread

climb on
Joined
Oct 3, 2013
Messages
2,298
MBTI Type
ESFJ
Enneagram
3w2
Instinctual Variant
so/sp
I'm about 5lbs heavier than usual*, but some of that could be due to it almost being that time of the month and some of it could just be how I've eaten this week. I guess it's possible that I'm gaining muscle and not losing fat?

*The usual is 140, and I'm 5' 6.5"

OMG, even our cycles are synced. :rofl1:

Running had been going extremely well last week. In fact, Wednesday was probably my best 3 mile time yet. But, then I gave blood on Thursday and everything was ruined. :( I've been struggling since then. Hopefully tomorrow goes better!

I've been eating the crockpot sesame honey chicken I've posted before. So yummy. I just put the rest in the freezer and took my leftover butternut squash mac and cheese out. Nom. I have some pre-made turkey patties from TJ's that I would like to use before I move, so I'll probably make one of those and some leftover asparagus to go with the mac and cheese for dinner tomorrow.

Wednesday night I will be making Falafel burgers Wednesday night. I'll probably serve them with a light Mediterranean style salad with a sour dressing and lots of tomatoes and cucumbers. Maybe some toasted pita.
 

Showbread

climb on
Joined
Oct 3, 2013
Messages
2,298
MBTI Type
ESFJ
Enneagram
3w2
Instinctual Variant
so/sp
[MENTION=19948]Showbread[/MENTION] I'm not usually one to suggest calorie-counting, but it might be helpful in this case -- figuring out what you'd be eating on any given day junior year, and calculating how many calories per day that would have been. And then contrasting that with your calories per day now. With that in mind -- and considering that snacks (especially granola!) are much more caloric than you'd expect -- I'm sure snacking has a lot to do with it. (Though in fairness, you can gain five pounds from just about anything, and lose it super quickly. Could be your trips, could be water weight?)

The time during which I lost the weight my diet wasn't great. I was eating a lot of white rice, cookies veggies, cereal, toast, etc. I had really bad IBS because of anxiety, so I was mostly eating easy to digest food. Over the summer I ate a lot of froyo. But, I wasn't snaking because I working so much.

I'm trying calorie counting today and remembering why I hate it. I always feel like I can't eat when I'm hungry because I don't want to use my calories. It feels like writing down the food is sort of a punishment for eating it. As a result, I'll eat super healthy the first two days I'm counting so as not to exceed limit. Then I'll get sick of being hungry and start eating more again and quit counting.
 

EJCC

The Devil of TypoC
Joined
Aug 29, 2008
Messages
19,129
MBTI Type
ESTJ
Enneagram
1w9
Instinctual Variant
sp/so
The time during which I lost the weight my diet wasn't great. I was eating a lot of white rice, cookies veggies, cereal, toast, etc. I had really bad IBS because of anxiety, so I was mostly eating easy to digest food. Over the summer I ate a lot of froyo. But, I wasn't snaking because I working so much.

I'm trying calorie counting today and remembering why I hate it. I always feel like I can't eat when I'm hungry because I don't want to use my calories. It feels like writing down the food is sort of a punishment for eating it. As a result, I'll eat super healthy the first two days I'm counting so as not to exceed limit. Then I'll get sick of being hungry and start eating more again and quit counting.
Two thoughts:

1) What calorie limit are you using? Also, what do you typically snack on? Considering what you've written here about how you eat, I'm surprised that you'd be so close to hitting the upper calorie limit all the time.

2) If calorie counting is that much of an anxiety trigger, then maybe food journaling?
Paging [MENTION=2]Ivy[/MENTION], who knows a lot of good tips and tricks regarding these things.
 

Ivy

Strongly Ambivalent
Joined
Apr 18, 2007
Messages
23,989
MBTI Type
INFP
Enneagram
6
I got a bat signal!
[MENTION=19948]Showbread[/MENTION]- sister, I have been there. :hug: It sounds like maybe you're setting your calories too low. If you want to gnaw your own arm off you're going to have trouble making lasting changes. :) But a pretty small calorie deficit won't make you feel that way. Most people just aim way too low. 1200 calories wouldn't be enough for a child but plenty of adult women try to adhere to it, then their bodies take over and make them eat and they feel like failures.

Here's a good detailed calorie calculator that you can put your data into and get an idea of what a good target is. Health-calc - Energy expenditure adv.

BMR- basal metabolic rate, the number you don't want to ever go under- this is what you would burn if you were in a coma.
TDEE- total daily energy expenditure, the number you burn including all your activity.

(Of course, a calculator is going to give you a rough idea of your BMR/TDEE, but it's not perfect- it's a good starting place but you'll need to experiment to find your own sweet spot.)

I'd suggest eating at TDEE for a while and seeing what happens to your weight, and getting used to tracking without depriving. Then once you've found your stable level and you're in that groove, set a small deficit that is about 300-500 calories below the TDEE. Personally, I stick to about 300 under- if I go much lower than that I start getting preoccupied with food and "saving" my calories like you describe. I might experience some minor hunger here and there but for the most part I eat when I am hungry, even if I don't have the "allowance" for it in the day- it's not about any one day, it's about averages over time. My weight loss has been slow (about 40lbs in a year and a half), but pretty painless.

Good luck!!
 

Showbread

climb on
Joined
Oct 3, 2013
Messages
2,298
MBTI Type
ESFJ
Enneagram
3w2
Instinctual Variant
so/sp
I got a bat signal!
[MENTION=19948]Showbread[/MENTION]- sister, I have been there. :hug: It sounds like maybe you're setting your calories too low. If you want to gnaw your own arm off you're going to have trouble making lasting changes. :) But a pretty small calorie deficit won't make you feel that way. Most people just aim way too low. 1200 calories wouldn't be enough for a child but plenty of adult women try to adhere to it, then their bodies take over and make them eat and they feel like failures.

Here's a good detailed calorie calculator that you can put your data into and get an idea of what a good target is. Health-calc - Energy expenditure adv.

BMR- basal metabolic rate, the number you don't want to ever go under- this is what you would burn if you were in a coma.
TDEE- total daily energy expenditure, the number you burn including all your activity.

(Of course, a calculator is going to give you a rough idea of your BMR/TDEE, but it's not perfect- it's a good starting place but you'll need to experiment to find your own sweet spot.)

I'd suggest eating at TDEE for a while and seeing what happens to your weight, and getting used to tracking without depriving. Then once you've found your stable level and you're in that groove, set a small deficit that is about 300-500 calories below the TDEE. Personally, I stick to about 300 under- if I go much lower than that I start getting preoccupied with food and "saving" my calories like you describe. I might experience some minor hunger here and there but for the most part I eat when I am hungry, even if I don't have the "allowance" for it in the day- it's not about any one day, it's about averages over time. My weight loss has been slow (about 40lbs in a year and a half), but pretty painless.

Good luck!!

I had been using My Fitness Pal, which was telling me to aim around 1300, which is NOT enough food, especially on days that I exercise. The thing, I'm only 5'3, and I don't have a large amount of weight to lose. I'd like to lost 5ish, but I don't think I would even want to go more than 10. I'm built pretty sturdily. I will definitely look at that TDEE calculator! That sounds awesome. We had to do a eating project for my nutrition class and if I remember right it said my daily calorie usage was somewhere around 1800-1900, but I'm definitely more active now.


1) What calorie limit are you using? Also, what do you typically snack on? Considering what you've written here about how you eat, I'm surprised that you'd be so close to hitting the upper calorie limit all the time.
.

A lot of the snacks I like are really healthy, but not low calorie. Granola, nuts, cheese, etc. I've been better about snacking on fruit lately, I should probably try to add more raw veggies. The problem with those is that I can never eat all that I buy before they go bad. And I don't generally feel satisfied afterwards. But, the satisfaction is probably just a matter of adjusting my eating habits.
 

Showbread

climb on
Joined
Oct 3, 2013
Messages
2,298
MBTI Type
ESFJ
Enneagram
3w2
Instinctual Variant
so/sp
Food report time!

Last night I made Baked Falafel Burgers. Not terribly successful. The flavors were good, but the texture was not great. They don't really have any fat in them, and they are supposed to be baked not fried. They just kind of got dried out and crumbly, wouldn't make again.

I didn't want to eat the sad leftovers so I made fajitas tonight instead. I used this marinade and it was really easy and yummy. The only thing I changed was leaving out the liquid smoke. I added white onion, red and green bell peppers to stir fry. I also made Mexican rice to go with it. I added half a can of drained Rotel for some heat, I also stirred in some black beans after cooking. Both were really, really, really yummy, and easy. Definitely satisfied my Mexican food craving, and it was healthy! Would have been a little healthier with brown rice, but I didn't want to wait for it to cook.
 
Top