Monday, January 30, 2012

How to Get Fit Eating Pizza and Ice Cream

In the past two weeks, I have eaten vegan pizza and soy ice cream a'plenty. Believe it or not, I'm not gaining weight. I know people go on diets but that's really not me. Sure, I'll eat all salads one day if I'm in the mood, or maybe even just miso soup and brown rice. But one thing is for certain: I'm not a diet kinda girl. (Diets don't work...life changes do. Scroll to the bottom to buy my meal plan that includes pizza and ice cream, and you'll still lose weight!)

Since the day after Christmas I have been doing two workout programs called P90x and Insanity. It's made by a company called BeachBody, who have a bunch of home DVD programs to fit your lifestyle. Each system comes with a certain schedule and designated workout for each day of the week. P90x is all about strength training while Insanity is pure cardio. Sure they each have a little of both, but P90x uses weights, chairs, bands, while Insanity uses only the weight of your body. They are extreme workouts and can burn up to 500 calories in an hour, depending on your weight and how hard you push.

No, I don't sell them. I just wanted to give you the lowdown. I workout with both of these programs 4-5 days a week (supposed to do 6) and am losing inches and toning up. On some days I crave pizza, and go for my vegan Trader Joe's version or like last night, order in some vegan Zpizza. For dessert, I indulge in a cup of soy ice cream, and maybe top it with some stevia-sweetened diet root beer.

I love food. I won't give up my favorites because I'm toning up or trimming down. You don't have to either. Just make sure your calories balance out in the end of the week and increase your intensity if you indulged too much. There is a way to get skinny/trim/toned by eating pizza and ice cream and I'm here to prove it.

My Success So Far
I went from 118lbs to 114lbs, with a BMI (body mass index) of 20.6 to 19.3. That may not seem like a lot, but it is for me. My arms and legs are starting to get defined and my tummy is starting to flatten. My plan is to keep eating what I want, but continue to become a defined, sexy little minx. I want to look in the mirror and say, "Wow. I did that?" 

For Your Body: Changing Composition 
When working out, you burn the fat covering your muscles while toning and enlarging the muscles underneath. When you take the space on your body that is used up by fat and replace it with muscle, your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) raises. This means your body is burning more calories while at rest. This is why strength training is key in a workout regimen. Cardio is fantastic for burning lots of calories a day, but building muscle keeps you burning calories. I must admit though, it is only a few extra calories per pound of muscle. So don't go overboard with an extra cup of ice cream because you see definition in your biceps.

For Your Mind: Changing Lifestyle
I'm sure you've all heard it before. Exercise increases endorphins and these little guys circulate through your mind making you feel euphoric, happy, and uplifted. It's true. You feel light, airy, and amazing after digging deep. The endorphins only last for a couple hours, but the feeling of, "I worked really hard today," can last until you go to sleep that night. You feel accomplished, satisfied, and proud of yourself. This confidence can spread across to your working habits, studying habits, and the rest of your life.

Since you worked out, you will pay closer attention to what you put in your body for the rest of the night. Even if it's pizza and ice cream, you'll choose the healthier crust and toppings, the smaller bowl of ice cream, and the sugar free sprinkles.

Exercise changes your mindset.

Getting Up is the Hardest Part
As I lie here on my couch at 4pm I admit, getting up to workout is not the highest thing on my to-do list. But I know the feeling afterwards is worth all the pressure now. After I workout and shower, I feel like being creative, studying hard for my NASM program, and working diligently tonight at my job. It's all about the results, the benefits.

Now you can get my meal plan and get fit eating pizza and ice cream!!! 
http://nicoledavidsohn.wordpress.com/



Sunday, January 29, 2012

Random Vegan Eats

I've come to realize that people like to look at pictures, including myself. When I read a recipe blog, I forgoe the story, look at the step-by-step photos, and make sure I have the ingredients. So, I'll keep it simple this time. Here are some meals I've eaten and things I've created in the past week.
Tofu Taco Meat




Tacos+Sliced Apples

Apples+Tahini

Apples+Stevia+Cinnamon, Pan-fried in EarthBalance

Apple Cinnamon French Toast

Potato Soup w/Kale and Skinny Fries+ Potato Dolsa+ Coconut Sauce

On-the-go smoothie in reused Starbucks cup

WestSoy Seitan "Chick'n"

Sandwich Prep


Chick'n Sandwich+Carrots w/Stevia+Cinnamon+Pepperoncinis+Coconut Water


Tofu Scramble+Kale


Tofu Scramble in Pita


Raw Macadamia Cheese (Cultured, pressed, dehydrated)

The start to sunflower-brazil nut cheez

Probiotics for culturing

Culturing Process sped up by a warm toaster 

A breakfast that looks like a "normal person's" breakfast
Tangelos+Whole Grain Waffles+Vanilla Soy Yogurt
I'm addicted to waffles right now and have a rendition of this almost every morning. Waffles, fruit, side. Sometimes that side includes organic cinnamon toast crunch (Cascadian Farms). Don't call me fat. I eat breakfast like a Queen!


Monday, January 16, 2012

What Do Vegans Eat, Chapter 3

Brunch/Before Workout
Pita French Toast, Apple slices, Coconut Water


Lunch/Dinner/After Workout
Leftover Carrot Soup from last post. Topped with daiya cheese and filled with kale. :) 


Breakfast
Cacao Protein Shake
(Strawberries, Pineapple, Mango,Cacao Powder, Amazing Grass Orange Dreamsicle, Almond Milk, Water)

Lunch
Tempeh Tacos in organic hard shell and sprouted soft shell


Dinner
Potato soup from scratch (Before roasted)
Recipe Below!

Roasting with almond milk
Note the brown coloring for recipe below! 




Dinner
I wasn't that hungry so I had a half cup with no toppings.

Dessert
But I was craving ice cream...

 I had a bit more than a half cup of Chocolate Chip Cherry Soy Ice Cream (Trader Joe's Brand)
I placed the 1/2 cup measuring spoon near to show you exactly how much it was. :)

 Potato Soup Ingredients
Level: Easy
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
  • 3 cups finger potatoes (the baby yellow ones)
  • 1/4 cup chopped green onions
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 2 cups vegetable broth 
  • 1/2 cup almond milk 
  • 12 oz/1 box silken tofu 
  • Few tablespoons Earth Balance,Whipped
  • Your favorite spices (I used Onion, black pepper, cayenne, paprika, salt, sugar, sage) 

  1. Chop veggies in Vitamix. If you don't have one, finely chop them all by hand. 
  2. Roast veggies in pan with earth balance and spices until soft and browned. Half way through, about 7 minutes, toss in the almond milk. This will help them soften up more quickly. 
  3. As veggies soften and gather all their flavors, make a pot of vegetable broth. I used two cups water and two vegan vegetable broth cubes. You can also use a boxed broth, but I suggest a fresh one for better flavor.
  4. Throw the broth and tofu into the blender. Taste your veggies to make sure they taste amazing and soft, and then throw them in the blender too. 
  5. Put your Vitamix on HIGH and blend until creamy! (About 2 minutes) 
    Serving size 1 cup 


Tempeh Tacos
Level: Super Easy
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 7 minutes
Total Time: 12 minutes
  • 1/2 package tempeh (4 oz) 
  • 2 stalks green onions 
  • 2 Tbsp Earth Balance
  • Pico De Gallo 
  • Pepperoncinis 
  • 1/2 Avocado 
  • Organic Corn Shells (Trader Joes)
  • 1/2 Cup Daiya cheese (or however much you want)
  • Spice Blend: Chili powder, onion powder, garlic-pepper, salt, cayenne 
  1. Heat skillet with Earth Balance. 
  2. Crumble tempeh into pan. 
  3. Add spice blend and cook until browned and crispy. (About 5-7 minutes)
  4. Heat up soft taco shells if you like those, or place hard taco shells on a plate. 
  5. Fill with hot tempeh and top with whatever you like. The onions, salsa, peppers, cheese, and avocado are what I used. 

These are a bit more calories than I thought...but totally worth it! Tempeh has a lot of fat and protein, but it is all from vegetables so it is the "good fats" you hear about. Enjoy! 

Cacao Shake Recipe (Chocolate Pre-workout shake) 
I got the nutrition labels by creating recipes on Livestrong.com 
Instead of posting the entire shake recipe here, I linked you to the website to show you how it's done. I LOVE it! 


Thanks for checking out my series!





Thursday, January 12, 2012

What Do Vegans Eat, Chapter 2




Dinner: Trader Joe's Veggie Gyoza, Sprouted corn quesadilla with Daiya and Green Onions

Dessert: Coconut milk, strawberries, mangos blended with chocolate chips on top

Breakfast/Pre-workout: Berry Slim Juvo, Strawberries, Mango, Pineapple, Ice, and Almond milk



Breakfast/Pre-workout: A serving of orange flavored Amazing Grass, with tons of good stuff in it!
Lunch/Dinner: Tempeh Tacos on Sprouted corn tortilla

Green Onion Carrot Soup
 I was craving carrot soup and knew my Vitamix would make things easy, so I decided to make it today for brunch.
Chop

Saute

Make a broth

Add in silken tofu and spice

Blend veggies, broth, and spices 




Top with Kale 
Enjoy with crackers and Earth Balance!

(Almost)Fat-Free Single-Serving CUPcake 

Carrot Soup Ingredients
  • Half bag of baby Carrots
  • 2 Green onion stalks
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1/3 cup silken tofu 
  • 2 cups veggie broth 
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
Single Serving Cake Ingredients

I have to give credit to Vegan Heartland for making up this recipe, but I changed it up today to fit my tastes and diet. :) 
  • 6 tbsp all purpose flour
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • 4 tbsp apple sauce
  • 3 tbsp non-dairy milk (I used unsweetened almond milk)
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • Half handful of chocolate chips (about 10, leave these out if you want to keep it fat-free)
Mix everything in a coffee mug and microwave for 3 minutes. 

I love frosting on my cake and, well, can't really eat it without it so I made this: 
  • 1 tbsp Whipped Earth Balance Spread 
  • 3 tbsp powdered sugar
  • 1/8 tsp vanilla 


If you don't want it to melt on your cake like you see above, wait for it to cool. If you're like me and want it NOW, then dollop it on and dig in. Beware though! It will burn your tongue if you don't blow on it! 

So what do vegans eat? This is my diet for the past two days. Easy, healthy, meals. I forgot to throw in a Luna Bar I had while out shopping yesterday, so count that in too. Taking pictures of my food not only documents what I'm eating, but shows other people that vegans eat yummy stuff too.

As you can see above, I don't really eat Breakfast, lunch, and dinner. More like a brunch, linner, and dessert...or a pre-workout shake and a meal later. Today I had the carrot soup, crackers, and cake. I may snack on some sugar snap peas later, but that will be the end of my meals today. Hope you are enjoying this as much as I am! 


Edit: Jan.22.2012: I made the mug cake again today. I used a half packet of stevia instead of the sugar, 2 Tbsp apple sauce, and a 1/4 of a banana. I sprinkled 1 Tbsp of chocolate chips on top after it was done and put the frosting on top of that. So yummy! Chocolate-banana flavor mmm!