Game on.

Running is a whole new high that I've never felt. I've tried a lot of different drugs (Legit...not being metaphorical here) but nothing has ever felt so good as getting off my treadmill dripping sweat. This is the best high ever.

Progress...
I started tracking my progress by mileage rather than time until I read Run Your Butt Off. I started with Stage two because I had already been running...a little. Before I started I was doing .25 miles of walking then ran for .75 miles in 14:40. I do 3 mins of 3.5 mph walking then 3 minutes of 4.8 mph jog.
This is the break down:
5 mins warm-up at 2.5 mph
3 mins walking at 3.5 mph
3 mins jogging at 4.8 mph
Repeat the 3/3 five times which means you are running 15 minutes! What Whattttt!
Also do a cool down at the end of this for 5 minutes slowing yourself down. I burn 293 calories later...you're sweating like a whore in church. I do about 2.54 miles in 40 minutes. Very slow but it's a start.
In an effort to burn about 25% of my caloric intake, I do another 15 minutes on the Elliptical to burn 195 calories which is the grand total of (drum roll please................488!!!!) I am allowed 1720 calories using MyFitnessPal.com so that's over 25%. BAM.
Let's keep this going. Just because school is starting in a month (I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT), doesn't mean I am allowed to slip. If I don't post anything in the next month, PLEASE MAKE ME!

It don't matter if you're black or white or yellow or red.

Black beans, corn, and onions...all combined with sweet and red onions is a simple but tasty solution for your summer salsa or in my case, lunch. Kevin and I were taking about what to make last night and he suggested this combination because it's his father's staple. We decided instead to make a GIANT batch for the week. We're going to combine it with a whole wheat tortilla and cilantro and jalapeno hummus for a vegetarian meal.
Corn is a great because it's contains Vitamins B1, B5 and C. It also promotes new cell generation which is always a great thing when you're living. Black beans seem to literally help every part of your body. Studies have shown it helps regulate your blood sugar and your digestive tract.

Calorie Counts:
1/4 cup of corn
1/4 cup of black beans
2 tbsp of cilantro and jalapeno hummus
1 tortilla
1 tbsp red onion
1 tbsp sweet onion
Total = 308 Calories

A Tale of Two Tacos

My boyfriend commented on how I always make fun of his puns but I use them in my writing. A lot. I told him I am the generation of Carrie Bradshaw. Everything is a pun. She was a queen of them. So today, I write about two different tacos with a big difference. My friend Sam recently posted a picture that said, "This is my Mexican food: 20% alcohol, 20% food, 60% sour cream". The killer. The barbarian. The DISGUSTING. Sour cream. I hate it. No that's a lie. My FGS comes out big time when I eat. "Oh I can eat that because it's low in fat. I look good..blah blah blah." Man, FGS is brutal some days. I really try to stay away from because it can be the most fattening thing on your plate.

Mahi Mahi Tacos

2 Mahi Mahi fillets
One Trader Joe's Guacamole pack
Whole Wheat tortillas
Fresh cilantro
Extra lime juice

Cook the Mahi Mahi in lime juice and garlic and let it cook on medium heat for 5-6 minutes on each side until the fish is white and flakey. I added some Cajun seasoning to add some spice.

Kevin opted for sour cream and I opted for none. We also decided to not make the guac but instead eat them as slices. One taco is healthier than the other...I'll give you two guesses. I hope you only need one. Just by changing our eating habits we can be better eaters. As a TRUE CALIFORNIAN, avocado is the greatest and most delish additive to any meal. Yum.
According to myfitnesspal.com this meal is 486 calories for two tacos. Not to shabby for a meal.

OLE! I chose the wrong language.

I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE Tex-Mex food. I also love Tex-Mex food during the summer. So what I am trying to say that my next few posts will most likely include Tex-Mex food. Let's get one thing straight from the beginning...this is not Mexican food. Mexican is different from Tex-Mex meaning that it's Americanized Mexican food. Mexican is not as seasoned as Tex-Mex food. That doesn't mean it's less flavorful it just means it's different spices and different cooking. Don't get me wrong...I love Mexican food but I love the spices and the fatties of the Tex-Mex food. I decided to make my own guacamole to got with my soft tacos.

Here are my ingredients:
1 pound of ground lean turkey
1 packet of low sodium taco seasoning
2 avocados, pitted, mashed
2 tomatoes, minced
Cilantro
Salt and pepper
Garlic, minced
Whole wheat tortillas

This is a no-brainer. You cook your turkey, you combine all the goods for your "guac" (it's not all the ingredients for regular guac). Finally, put all in the tortilla and BAM. You can eat all week with different toppings to add flavor. I actually saved the bell pepper for later when I created veggie tacos.

Yummmmmmmm.

Thanks to Randi for the advice on Run Your Butt Off. I love it. It's a great book with great advice. I know check Runner's World for all the latest tips on nutrition and running! I highly recommend it! Go for it peeps.

croissant croissant CRRRROOIIISSANT baggUEEETTEE du fromage.

That's the French National Anthem according to my friend Britt. And in honor of Bastille Day (La fete nationale) I decided to make my favorite dish that I ate ALL THE TIME in France. The quiche. The French love them and in fact make them in small serving sizes. We used to grab a quiche to go in your local boulangerie. I love France and I love French cooking. I love everything about the culture. I am happy I decided to go with a dish that is so versatile. Thought to have originated in western France, a quiche can be made with really anything you want! Seriously...anything.

I'm feeling very citoyenish today. Liberite. Egalite. Fraternite.

Ingredients

1 (10-ounce) can refrigerated pizza crust
Cooking spray
1 (10-ounce) Green Giant Spinach (Weight Watchers approved)
1/4 cup low-fat sour cream
2 tablespoons green onions
1 cup evaporated skim milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 large egg whites
1 large egg
3/4 cup sauteed onions
1/3 cup chopped turkey bacon
1/4 cup (1 ounce) shredded Swiss cheese

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.
Shape the dough into a 4-inch circle; cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Roll the dough into an 11-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Fit the dough into a 9-inch pie plate coated with cooking spray, and flute.
Combine the spinach, sour cream, and shallots in a small bowl. Combine the evaporated milk, salt, pepper, egg whites, and egg in a medium bowl, and stir well with a whisk. Stir 1/3 cup milk mixture into spinach mixture. Spoon the spinach mixture into bottom of prepared crust. Add Caramelized Onions, and top with bacon and cheese. Pour the remaining milk mixture over cheese. Place pie plate on a baking sheet, and bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until set. Let quiche stand 10 minutes.

This was so FREAKING DELICIOUS. This was a little more complicated than I'm used too but oh man. This was gooooooood. 

Here's the nutrition values!


Calories: 261
Calories from fat: 22%
Fat: 6.3g
Saturated fat: 2.3g
Protein: 12.6g
Carbohydrate: 35g
Fiber: 2.7g

This yields about 6 servings.  Bon Appetit.

RUN KATIE RUN....okay.

I have never been a runner. I don't know how I feel about running but today I ran. I usually do the Arc Trainer for 30 minutes then do some strength training. Today, I strayed from the usual. I got on the treadmill and walked for 10 minutes and ran for another 6 minutes and 11 seconds. That's how long my mile is as of today. I walked/ran my first mile in 16:11. I don't think I actually timed myself on a mile since high school and that was a joke. On the Arc Trainer, I usually complete "1.51 miles" in 30 minutes. Of course, I don't really believe that. I think it's less than that. I like how I felt while I was running. It felt good and I felt like I was accomplishing something. My friend Julia said she wanted to run with me and I told her she needed to teach me how to run. I feel like there's a technique to running and I probably don't have the right one. I got a LOT of fat on me so there's a lot moving on my body as I run but it was sort of a high. I've been reading about how to training to for a 5 ks and I see that you should run/walk in intervals. I'm not coordinated enough to do that with a treadmill. My plan is to walk for 10 minutes and run for 5 for one full week. I would like to then move it to 9 minutes walk/6 minutes run and continue the pattern. I like to imagine I'm Forest Gump and those hillbillies are running after me. It makes me laugh and makes want to run. So here's go nottthhhiinnng.

I've also changed my eating habits. I eat 3 meals a day with 2 small snacks in the middle of the those meals. These meals are not just one thing. I incorporate veggies or fruits with my main course. This helps boast the metabolism. I'm trying to eat every 2-3 hours. This is so important because I won't over eat when I do sit down to each meal. I used to SAY I ate 3 meals a day which is total bull shit. I ate 3 meals a day with snacks, snacks, snacks and over ate a lot. Yes I'm hungry but I'm always hungry. My body is used to more calories and more crap. I make sure to drink 64 oz of water everyday using my water bottle. It's the small things that help you manage your eating.

Meatless Monday.

I'm starting to feel like might titles have all this sexual/drug undertones. I decided to go vegetarian for the night and go for the beans. I watched a video on my favorite website www.cookinglight.com about super foods and beans is one. Beans, beans, the magical fruit...well you know. I saw this recipe on their Facebook page and decided to make a bigger portion so I could eat it throughout the week. Looking back, I would not add the cheese right away but add it as I service. It's simple. It's light. It's filling.


I also forgot my basil and balsamic vinegar. Whoops.

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 cups chopped tomato
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 cups hot cooked angel hair (about 6 ounces uncooked pasta)
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 (15 1/2-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated Asiago cheese
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• Basil sprigs (optional)

Preparation

• Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add tomato and garlic, and sauté 2 minutes. Add pasta, basil, salt, pepper, and chickpeas; cook 2 minutes. Place mixture in a bowl; stir in cheese and vinegar, and garnish with basil, if desired.

Nutritional Information (1 serving = 1.25 cups)

Calorie: 376
Fat: 8.7g
Protein: 17.5g
Carbohydrates: 57.8g
Fiber: 4.7g