Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Identifying the Problem

Getting back into the swing of things is proving harder than I thought. I know it requires the right mind set, but I really thought I had that. Clearly not.

Sakief and I have spent time discussing exactly why it is that we are having trouble sticking to healthier diets and we've identifies a few issues. 

1) Not enought leftovers. 

Which leads to not enough food for lunch.  We used to have the problem of making too much food and then letting it go bad.  Apparently we really need to find the happy medium.  

2) Eating when you're full.

Which leads to not enough leftovers... viscious cycle.  Basically, if it tastes good, we'll keep eating until well over full, and food that was meant to be for leftovers is consumed for dinner.

At least we've identified the issues so that we can work on them.  Le sigh.

In the mean time, here is another new recipe for your enjoyment.  Jared bought me the Peace, Love and Low Carb cookbook (check it out, she's awesome!) and I'm really enjoying experimenting from it.

Here's the first I tried!

Balsamic Mustard Steaks:

1.5 lbs steak (cut of your choice)
2 Tbs olive oil
1 shallot (I had green onion, I think any member of the onion family will work fine)
2 Tbs butter
1/3 balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup beef broth
1/4 cup spicy brown mustard
salt and pepper (to taste)

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil on high.  Season the steak with salt and pepper. Sear the steaks on each side for 3-4 mins (longer if you like it more well done, 3-4 mins was about medium rare for me). Remove steaks and set aside (if you cover with foil it will keep them warm). Add the shallot (green onion, etc) and butter to pan and saute. Add balsamic vinegar. Use a spatula to scrape the bottom of the pan for any steak bits. Bring to a boil on medium heat, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 mins. Add beef broth and then whisk in mustard. Let simmer for about 10 mins, stirring occasionally, until sauce has thickened. Serve sauce over steaks.

I'm really excited about this cookbook and I'm excited to try more recipes!  I've already tried a lasagna recipe, and it was awesome.  I'll share it soon!

Thursday, January 9, 2014

New Year, New Me?

I finally got up the courage to step on the scale this morning, and well, I wasn't as disappointed as I could have been.  It was still disappointing to see how much weight I allowed myself to gain back last year, but it's on me, and I'll fix it. 

It's crazy to think that I've been going through this process now for two years.  2012 was a great year, I was happy, lost a ton of weight, life was good.  2013 wasn't as great, in fact, 2013 pretty much sucked and took a crazy emotional toll on me.  Not worth going into details, but I was fighting against a vicious cycle (and losing) basically all year.  I'm not a stress eater per se, but I do experience an inordinate amount of fatigue which leads to: less working out, less cooking, less packed lunches, and more time sitting on a couch (oh, my darling DVR, you didn't help).

2014 will be better (because if it's not, I'm hibernating through 2015).  But really, it will be better.  I try to avoid making new year's resolutions about weight loss, but every year, I resolve to be healthier. To me that includes a lot of things, weight loss of course, but also, better stress management, being more active, flossing more... etc.

I've said it before, but I need to be better about keeping myself accountable.  I am so lucky to have such a great support system, but I have to be in charge of myself.  So be prepared for more blog posts friends, and not just recipes like I had gotten in the habit of.  But I'll definitely still share recipes!  I have a couple stored up, waiting for me to have time to type them out.

Happy 2014!  I wish everyone health and happiness this year, and always!