Slowly relearning, Baby Step by Baby Step

This is a follow up post to 2 days ago when I promised I would update you on how yesterday’s “Anniversary Dinner” and the “lead up” to it went.

Commitments:

• 1 hour of loving movement
• All meals except actual dinner healthy ones
• As much moderation as possible at actual dinner

So how did it go?:

• Over an hour at the gym – 20 minutes on elliptical, 10 on treadmill, tricep/bicep work, 3 sets of leg presses, a little calf work, 2 sets of ab exercises. Didn’t push too hard but worked up a sweat and felt better afterward.
• 2 eggs and healthy oatmeal for breakfast, 4 oz tilapia with salsa and some steamed zucchini for lunch, a little pomegranate juice for gym, and an apple afterward
• Dinner was another story. They spoiled us with off menu appetizers (small though), raspberry mojitos, fresh rosemary rolls, and the meal itself was wonderful. Had a steak (way over-seasoned and with béarnaise sauce!), some garlic mashed potatoes, and grilled asparagus. Ate too much of the meat! But the dessert was only so-so so skipped it and just had coffee. Really, really good coffee.

Leaving the restaurant I felt absolutely miserable. Bloated, brain fog, and wondering “why?”. And have a bit of a food hangover this morning.

Yes, it was my anniversary dinner (19 years, 4 married) but I think I would rather have gone to a great play, a classical music concert, checked out a new gallery downtown, or went dancing (even though my spouse doesn’t like to dance). Making a healthy dinner at home and enjoying the time DOING SOMETHING together is how I think I want to celebrate things like anniversary’s and even holiday’s like Christmas in the future.

So how’d I really do? Well kept almost all my commitments. Fell down a bit at dinner with all the extra food but learned a valuable lesson from it. It’s ok to be a foodie but in moderation and focusing on “experiences” instead can actually be more fun, certainly more rewarding, and create memories that last much longer than a 10 ounce rib eye covered in béarnaise sauce!

Huge thanks for the comments! Has given me tons to think about and decide what to begin doing. Today is “cognitive remediation therapy”. Trying to get back those brain cells lost to all these years of psych meds. Wish me luck and a healthy eating day and best to all of you as well!

Related articles

• Schneier: We Need To Relearn How To Accept Risk (news.slashdot.org)
• A Wedding Anniversary to Remember! (muckville.com)
• food for thought: from granola to ganache (happyisthenewhealthy.com)
• Lessons That I’ve Learned (Or Relearned) On The Journey This Week (journeythereandbackagain.wordpress.com)

Day 4 – Food and Exercise Log

A much better food day! Pathetic on the exercise side. Was quite braindead this morning and that put off plans with my sweetie. Instead of the Orlando Museum of Art, a vegan lunch, and other fun times, we stayed home and watched rented dvd’s. They’ve been good videos: Secretariat, Under the Tuscan Sun, and City Island. But that really doesn’t constitute raising the heart rate and getting a good sweat on.

But think you will enjoy today’s food log!

Breakfast: coffee, no fat greek yogurt, small bit of honey and cinnamon, and 1/4 cup of sliced strawberries

 

 

 

 

Snack: 1 package 100 cal butter popcorn

 

 

 

 

 

Lunch: 6″ cuban sandwich, 4 tostones (fried plantains) with special sauce

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dinner: leftover Olive Garden chianti slow cooked ribs, small portion portabello rissoto, green bean, and AMAZING fresh roasted asparagus (recipe to follow)

 

 

 

 

Dessert: fresh strawberries with homemade dark chocolate ganache dip

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For the most part, except lunch and maybe the risotto, did pretty good today! The best of all though was the homemade roasted asparagus. It almost caramelizes the asparagus and the tops get crunchy and nutty. Recipe below and oh so worth it!

Roasted Asparagus w/ White Truffle Oil

Ingredients:

Small bunch fresh asparagus with hard bottoms removed (just snap off), wash and pat dry

About 1 tablespoon olive oil

white truffle oil, about 1/2 teaspoon

garlic salt

sea salt

fresh ground pepper

How to:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a baking sheet, place a piece of aluminum foil. Arrange the asparagus close together on the foil. Spritz the olive oil over the asparagus. Shake the garlic salt loosely over them, not too heavy. Lightly sprinkle sea salt to taste (any type), then a bit of pepper. Then drizzle a bit of the white truffle oil over them (optional but oh, man!). Put the asparagus in the oven for about 25 minutes. They will look a little wrinkly when they come out but that’s perfect.

Transfer to a plate to serve or your plate to eat – and enjoy!

The good news: even if you don’t really care for asparagus, these come out sweet and nutty and absolutely delicious. Worth giving them another try!

Exercise Log: my hands hurt from holding a fork and knife – enjoying this while it lasts. As of mon, will be working with demon trainer from hell and this food log will look RADICALLY different! Prepare!

Oh, an important aside, we were looking at the blog on our phones and saw that I have 575 followers! 575! And love each and every one of you!!! (That’s after I pass out!)