11-26-13
My oh my was I busy yesterday! But it seemed I got nothing done. Ever have those kind of days? I feel like sometimes all I ever do I rush around staying busy and never accomplishing anything at all! Today it's time to head to Publix and get everything I need to make my contribution to Thanksgiving dinner. So far my contributions are sausage stuffing/dressing, fresh green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, chocolate shortbread pecan squares and a gingerbread pumpkin trifle. YUM!
I haven't managed to get any more exercise in since Friday. I am hoping to at least use the elliptical for 25 minutes today and do some back and core strengthening exercises. My back is bothering me again :( I think the pain from the herniated disks presents itself as tightness in my low back and when I continue to persist and do too much then it turns into actual pain. I guess I wasn't paying enough attention to my body before and that's why I ended up causing so much damage. How do you keep being active and exercising when you aren't really sure what causes the pain?? I don't seem to experience any pain within 24 hours of exercising but it seems if I exercise 2 times in a week within 2-3 days I seem to feel some discomfort. So frustrating! I feel like I will never get back to my routine at the CrossFit box.
I guess I better get to the store so I can start cooking! I will share some recipes as I make them later. I know I haven't been prepared to assist you with your Thanksgiving plans, but maybe you can get a jump start on Christmas!
Collette
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
Saturday, November 23, 2013
A BREAK? AND an AHI TUNA RECIPE
11-22-13 I promise I am almost caught up!! Sorry to put up posts late- I wanted to try it as a journal to see if I could actually do this!!
A whole week with no posts and no
exercise!! Now I remember why I use to go
to the CF box EVERY single MWF- because I won’t do anything on my own. What happened to the adage that it takes 3
weeks to make a habit?? Even after working out faithfully for 10 months, and
seeing progress, which of course should help to enforce the behavior, I get
injured and BAM! There goes my commitment to working out. Now I understand that when I was in so much
pain, well, really who wants to work out?? But strangely that is when I was
still checking the website to see what the WOD (workout of the day) was and
lamenting that I had to be stupid and get hurt, now all my time, effort and
hard work was going to disappear- as in - I’m going to put weight back on and
have to start from SQUARE ONE. I was not
a happy camper. Somehow as I started
getting more relief I stopped checking the WOD every. single. day. I was also extremely busy as my daughter was
getting married in less than 2 months and I was more panicked at not being able
to do anything at her wedding. Now as I
am healing more and more and am starting to feel the need to work out again I
have begun checking the website to see what I would be doing if I could. I thought that was a great sign! Well
apparently not! After not exercising at all for 3 months my cardio level has
plummeted, I’m sure I have lost strength and I know I am not healed enough for
full on CF workouts. I thought the smart
thing would be to start doing some training on my own. I have my trusty journal of all my previous
workouts complete with times and weights, I can use that, not to mention the
plethora of workouts you can find online.
So armed with more workouts than I could possibly ever do, well… really
ever would do. I think I am about to
start on my road to recovery and getting back to the box. And I only do 2 workouts then skip a whole
flippin’ week! What is up with that??? So today I MADE myself do a mini CF
workout, and I am soooo disappointed in myself.
But I am trying to be positive, (which I don’t seem to be doing a good
job of) because at least I did something.
Right??
So here it is, as pathetic as it
is:
Run 400 yards
5 burpees
10 push ups
20 squats
10 triceps dips
30 sec side plank on each side
Repeat.
My goal was to do 3 sets of this,
but I only managed 2. I know I should be proud that I at least DID
something. But it is so pathetic and
that should encourage me to keep it up to get stronger. But it really just makes me want
chocolate. Sad, but true.
At least I can still cook!
Last night’s dinner was so
freaking good! Sesame seed encrusted Ahi Tuna steaks with a ginger teriyaki
glaze and wasabi mayo with wasabi smashed potatoes and edamame. So good- but the boys worked LATE last night
and dinner didn’t happen until 9:00. And
there was NO WAY I could wait that long
so I had a glass of chocolate milk and
some pretzels. When they got home I felt
bloated and did not want to eat anything.
So it was lunch for me today and dinner for them last night. Sorry I didn’t take a picture, it was
awesome ! But… I think I can manage to write up the recipe. I am horrible at actual recipes. I grew up with a grandmother who rarely used
a recipe and rarely measured things. And
today I am the same way- only I think I am even worse than her. I NEVER measure, unless I am baking. I just kinda know how much to put in.. I know I‘m crazy. It frustrates my daughters and friends when I
give them recipes with no amounts. I
have struggled over the years to try to correct this faulty gene I have
inherited so that my daughters can learn to cook. My oldest seems to have the gene too. L
But she is a great cook! My younger daughter, well, she just doesn’t really
care about cooking. It’s just not her
thing. So, anywho , onto the recipe.
I found this awesome spice from Victora Gourmet at TJMaxx and Marshalls, and every time I would see it I would buy it. But sadly it ran out and I can’t find it anymore. So what is a girl to do when that is such a huge part of my ahi tuna recipe?? First I panicked, looked everywhere, and almost ordered it online. But I didn’t want to pay the $10 plus shipping. So I just didn’t make tuna. Well I can go a LONG time without making the same recipe again, but tuna steaks are kinda a big favorite around here and it is healthy. So I made my own! And it was AWESOME!!! (Cue angels singing!)
So I made a big batch and put it
in an airtight container and now I have it whenever I need it and even better,
I made it for a fraction of what I used to spend on it- even at TJ Maxx!! And I know there are NO preservatives or MSG
in it, WIN!
Here are my approximate
measurements, no way to mess it up, adjust to your taste!
½ c white sesame seeds
½ c black sesame seeds
2 T powdered ginger
1T powdered garlic
1 t powdered onion
1 t red chili pepper flakes
½ t salt
½ t black pepper
¼ t cayenne pepper – this is
where you need to be careful!! This has quite a bit of a bite to it. A little truly does go a long way, you can always
add more! But you can’t take it out!
Mix all together. I put mine in a dry skillet on low heat to
toast the sesame seeds and bring the flavors all together. I’m thinking you could skip it- but really it
doesn’t take much time, so just do it!
Store in an airtight container.
I ALWAYS use my cast iron skillet for this recipe since it gets screaming hot! Place enough butter (depends on how much tuna and how large your skillet is, about 1 T per tuna steak) into the skillet on high heat.
When it is melted place tuna into melted butter and cook for 1-3 minutes, flip and cook another 1-3 minutes. You time will vary depending on the thickness of your tuna. The steaks I usually buy are about ¾ of an inch thick and I cook mine about 3 minutes the first side and 2 minutes the second side. You can watch the sides of the steak and as the outside is starting to cook the sides start to turn a gray/brown instead of the beautiful red/pink they were when you placed them in the skillet. When I have a few millimeters of the cooked color show I flip them. I pull them out when the second side shows the same amount of doneness. Make sense?? I hope so!
Remember tuna is best rare! Please don’t cook them well done. YUCK! These are ahi tuna steaks; that means they are sushi grade and can be eaten raw. That is how they are best- I promise!! Next I put a few spoonfuls of teriyaki sauce on top and did a quick drizzle of wasabi mayo on top. They were the best I have ever made! Sorry- I forgot to take a picture of the wasabi mayo drizzle, the pic below is just standard wasabi on the side.
For the teriyaki, I prefer to use
Very Very Teriyaki by Soy Vay (and they have no idea who I even am! I just
prefer it and always buy it because I think it’s the best!) Now when I am in a
hurry and just want dinner on the table I just use it straight from the bottle,
yes, it is that good! But when I am not rushed I add my own stuff to make it
even better!
¾ c Very Very Teriyaki
2 T grated fresh ginger (I keep
mine in the freezer and zest it right into the pot!)
1 medium size garlic clove,
grated
2 T brown sugar
1 T oyster sauce
1 T OJ or pineapple juice (either
is fine, whatever you have opened)
Bring to a boil then simmer for
5-10 minutes. Will thicken as it cools,
if you prefer it a little thicker add a little cornstarch (maybe ½
teaspoon). This is also great with some
chopped green onions. If I have them I
use them, if not… oh well!
Wasabi mayo- just mix to your
taste. I used about 4 parts mayo to 1 part wasabi. It was spicy! Hubby kept trying to add extra
wasabi to his tuna since that is how he always eats it, but I have never made
wasabi mayo before and he kept getting that wasabi burn with almost every bite!
He never thought to try it with just the wasabi mayo. I put the wasabi mayo into a zip lock bag and cut off the corner
and you can drizzle the wasabi mayo on all fancy, it makes a great presentation.
Well happy Friday everyone! I am
going to try to exercise over the weekend and try to make healthy foods. I will make sure to share!
C
KEEP WORKING
11-14-13
I’m
sore today! But in a good way! My hamstrings are tender and my chest is
sore. I guess from the squats and the
few pushups I did?? Possibly that pillow slam, but man- that’s pretty wimpy and
hard to admit to?!? :~} BUT!! My back isn’t sore at all! YAY! So that’s great
news! I feel like I should do something again today, but honestly I have never
done well at exercising EVERY SINGLE day.
I am more a 3 times a week gal. I
wish I could somehow motivate myself to WANT to do something every day, I guess
that will have to be a goal for later on.
Perhaps getting back to 3 times a week and a healthy back should be my
goal for now. I also desperately need to
get my eating back under control. For me
controlling what goes into my mouth is SOOOOOOO much easier when I am working
out. Almost everyone I have ever met
tells me that the more they exercise the hungrier they are. But for me it’s the opposite. The more I exercise the less I eat. I’m sure it is some psychological thing where
if I am putting the effort into making my body healthier I need to be more
aware of what I put into my body as
well.
Speaking of which, I suppose my
choice for dinner tonight is not really all that healthy. But my boys are sure excited about dinner
tonight. Chili and corn bread last
night, and hubby actually called me yesterday afternoon to make sure I was
still making chili?? WHAT? He NEVER does that.
He said he had been thinking of chili all day and didn’t want to be
disappointed. I only make chili after
Halloween and only when it’s cool or rainy.
Can’t help it. Soups, stews and
chilis are just cool weather food in my book.
The boys certainly wish I would make them all year long, but I just
can’t!
So tonight is chicken and dumplings.
Another exciting meal! YUM! After years of playing around with recipes
and making it way harder on myself I finally found this recipe on Pinterest.
Now- not all my pinned recipes have been a success, but this was delicious! So
simple and easy! Tastes like you have been cooking all day! And with the help
of a rotisserie chicken, dinner in no time!!
Here’s
the link to my pinterest board:
this recipe is super quick and easy, thanks so much to Tasty
Kitchen Member Tiffany from Eat At Home! Love your recipe!!
Maybe by next week I can get a little closer to healthier
meals?? So how do you like your
dumplins?? More like noodles or more like biscuits?? I’m more a noodle girl
myself.
C
Friday, November 22, 2013
GETTING STARTED
So I am starting a blog to keep myself accountable… and if I
can help others along the way, that makes it even better! I am a 44 year old
mom of 3 grown (sob! Boo Who!!) children.
My oldest was just married and my youngest is about to leave for
college. After having my last baby, who
really shouldn’t be called my baby anymore! I developed hashimoto thyroiditis. BUT…. It was not diagnosed for 12 years! No
wonder I couldn’t take the weight off.
So last year I started CrossFit with a couple friends and found that I
LOVED IT!!! I was hooked. I didn’t lose
a ton of weight- only 10-15 lbs. But I
shrank, and I lost flab, and I had more energy. I went from a size 12 getting
snug, (and heck no! I wasn’t going up another stinkin’ size) to a very
comfortable size 8 and even occasionally, depending on the brand a size 6!! I
still had a long way to go until I could truly say I was happy, not completely
with my body, but I was happy with my progress.
And hey!?! In my forties, I will take that. An then on a Saturday evening, with
absolutely no fore warning, my back “locked up”, it literally froze in place
and I couldn’t move. I had sat down on a
concrete retaining wall at my neighbor’s 50th birthday party and
when I sat down, something just didn’t feel right. So I thought- hmmm…. That didn’t feel right,
but then again I probably shouldn’t be sitting on a concrete retaining wall. Get up and go get a chair, don’t be lazy!
(Yes, I talk to myself with full blown sentences, Sorry, it’s just who I
am). So I carefully stood, turned my
full body around and walked with perfect posture to get a chair. Now at this point my back is already not
feeling right- so I take care to grab the chair with both hands and carefully
lift this plastic lawn chair, that seems to weigh all of 1.8 pounds, properly
right in front of my chest, using both arms and carry it close to my body. I then place it next to my hubby and
carefully lower myself into the chair.
Well not 5 minutes goes by and my low back seems to be having
spasms. So I tell my loving hubby that I
am going home to ice my back, only when I carefully try to stand up… I literally get half way to a standing
position and cannot continue to stand straight up.
So fast forward to today, almost 3 full months later- and I
am only in mild discomfort now and still not exercising, my size 6 shorts/jeans
now make me look like a not very cute example of the Michelin Man. And I am between an 8-10 size pants again. NOT HAPPY!! L So I know I am not ready to go back to my
beloved CrossFit classes, but I have learned that I will never be one who can
exercise on their own, I need accountability.
You would think after 10 and half months 3 times a week of religiously
going to work out it would have turned into a habit. Nope.
Not me.
Long story short? Today is the day! I am going to start
exercising at home regularly to strengthen my back and build my pathetic cardio
level back up. Even after more than 10 months of CrossFit my cardio was still
pretty sad, but now after 3 months of inactivity- I think an 80 year old could
beat me around the block.
Today I stretched out using some of the standard stretches
at my CF box:
10 sampson stretches
10 side lunges
5 inchworms with push ups
10 iron crosses
Then I did some exercises from an old Shape magazine laying
around my house.
I have to admit- I only did the first 3 exercises. But, hey, I am at least doing something,
right?? The 4th one hurt my back to get into the table
position. So I skipped it. Jumping??? Not sure my back is ready for
jumping yet, and the slide lunges?? Well between the Sampson stretches and the
side lunges I figured I was covered. I
can justify anything!!
I really wanted to go for a run and see how that felt, but
decided I better stick to the elliptical.
So I jumped on my elliptical and did 18 minutes. I did a warm up for 5 minutes at a
comfortable speed of around 50 rpms and then picked up my speed for 5 minutes
to around 70 rpms, then slowed down again for 3 min and then back up to 70 rpms
again for 3 minutes, then cooled down again for 3 minutes for a total of 18
minutes. It sounds pretty boring and
lame to me, but the point was I did something again. My heart rate was up, I even broke a
sweat! Afterwards I did some foam roller
stretches, and worked out my glutes and my IT bands. I also did a 3 cobra stretches, holding each
one for 10 seconds, and a minute of cat/camel stretches. And my PT exercises for my hips.
I’m praying this is a start to getting back to the CrossFit
box and continuing on my journey of trying to find a lifelong fitness
routine.
I plan to post what I do every day to keep myself
accountable. It’s so hard to know if your herniated disks are healed, the only
thing I have to go on is my pain level. And all my research online has said
activity and exercise is better than no exercise. So the activity part started right after the
epidural injection. But that was over 6
weeks ago, and the past 6 weeks of doing the stretches and exercises to strengthen
my back aren’t doing a thing!! So I guess it’s time to make up my own
routine.
Have you had an injury that was difficult to recover from?
How did you do it??
Have an awesome day!!
Have an awesome day!!
C
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