Category Archives: Health & Wellness

Pumpkin Oatmeal Muffins

Posted on by
Reply

I recently saw a recipe in Saveur for banana oatmeal muffins and felt inspired to do a more Fall-flavored take on the recipe. I also tried to make the recipe healthier and bump up the protein – so these may not be the most moist (hate that word) or intensely flavorful muffins you’ve ever had, but I still like them and I hope you do too EDIT: they are moist and flavorful if you don’t overbake them like I overbaked the first batch! When they look done, poke them a bit and if they’re spongy but firm take them out! Don’t let them overbake! The picture below is how they should look – if they are darker they are probs over done.

Pumpkin Oatmeal Muffins

*Note – this recipe made 45 mini muffins. This cook time is based on using a mini muffin tin. Sorry…

  • 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
  • 2 scoops vanilla protein powder (each scoop roughly 3 tbsp)
  • 1/2 tbsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup buttermilk
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 cup rolled oats
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease up a (mini) muffin tin.
  2. Mix all the dry ingredients together (all ingredients through sugar)
  3. Mix all the wet ingredients together (everything after sugar – even the oats yes)
  4. Pour dry ingredients into wet ingredients and stir to combine.
  5. Plop spoonful of mixture into muffin tin. Bake for around 16 minutes (or until the tops are a bit browned.

DEVOUR.

Patriotic 5k – Complete!

Posted on by
Reply

This past Sunday, the day before Marathon Monday, I ran the Patriotic 5k with Andrew and our friend Lucas. It was a hot day, up around 80 degrees, and boy did we feel sluggish. Despite feeling sluggish, we all ran a pretty good race. Lucas ran phenomenally fast, coming in 21st place with a time of 24:46. Crazy man. Andrew and I ran together, as we always do, and were convinced we were taking at least 40 minutes to complete the thing. But, despite our ill-feelings, we set a PR for ourselves: 35:38. That’s an 11:30 min/mile pace, which is better than our last 5k which was a bit over a 12 min/mile pace. Regardless of the results, we all had fun being outside and being active, and that’s really what it’s all about – isn’t it?

pre-race, feeling chipper

pre-race, feeling chipper

pre-race size difference

pre-race size difference. awkward.

pre-race, still awkward

pre-race, still awkward

post-race, sweaty beasts

post-race, sweaty beasts

post-race, so proud

post-race, so proud

Weight Watchers Weigh-In

Posted on by
1

I’m not a slave to the scale, so when I began weighing myself every week while on Weight Watchers, I was really more annoyed than anything. I was (and still am) working out a lot, lifting weights, building muscle, so even though I was getting smaller in inches, the number of the scale wasn’t budging very much. As a result, I thought it’d be more beneficial to only weigh in on the first of every month so that I could at least have some idea of where my weight is.

Well, yesterday was the first of April, and in this last month I’ve lost 2.5 lbs. So excited. Even though that number isn’t very big, I’m still very proud, and hopefully next week when I check in with measurements, I will have lost even more inches.

(via Reasons to be Fit)

Patriotic 5K

Posted on by
Reply

In the winter, my love for outdoor running goes on hiatus. Sure, some people like to bundle up with the gloves and hat and multiple layers and go for their run like nothing’s changed. Some people don’t like to bundle up, but do it anyway. Personally, nothing makes me want to stop running more than cold weather, rain, snow. So, I bring my running inside. I hate the treadmill, but I hate freezing to death more.

Now that it’s almost April and the weather is getting warmer-ish, it’s time to get myself back outside, back to nature. I’m bringing myself back by running the Patriotic 5K  road race in Medford, MA. This race (well, race for everyone else – leisurely jog for me), runs on parts of the route Paul Revere rode in April 1775 on his way to Lexington to warn that the British were coming. The run also goes past several historic homes, West Medford Square, Oak Grove Cemetary, and parts of the Historic Middlesex Fells reservation.

If you’re interested, definitely sign up! So far I’m running with Andrew, Lucas, and maybe Kyle and Pippa. No better way to get going than to do it with friends.

Here are the deets:

Date: Sunday April 15, 2012

Start Time: 11 AM, registration opens at 9:00 AM

Location: American Legion Post 45, 321 Winthrop St, Medford, MA

Entrance Fee: $25.  If you register by April 1, you get a race t-shirt! If you register on race-day, it’s $30, so do just register now

Where to register/find more information: Patriotic 5K

Weight Watchers Weekly Update

Posted on by
1

In all honesty, this past week I wasn’t as diligent as I should have been in terms of tracking my food intake, limiting my alcohol consumption, and working out. I saw some success last week and that made me slack a little bit. Dolvett on Biggest Loser would be disappointed, and I would not want to disappoint that specimen of a man. Luckily, I was still good enough that I saw some losses. This is inspiration to get back on track, not slack off:

In the last 7 days:

Hips: -0.8 in

Bust: -1 in

Waist: -0.5 in

Thighs: -0.25 in each

Total: -2.8 inches

Also, check out this tumblr: Reasons to be Fit. Very inspiring for anyone who’s looking for a reason to be fit.

Measured Success

Posted on by
1

As some of you may know, in my journey to lose weight, get healthier, and become more fit I’ve decided to stay away from the scale. I weigh in once a month just to have a rough idea of where my weight is, but other than that I don’t pay too much attention to the number. As I continue to lift and work out, my body changes while the number on the scale often won’t. Instead of continually weighing in and being discouraged that the number isn’t moving, I’ve decided to base my successes off measurements. That being said, in the past 3 weeks, my measurements have changed as follows:

Arms: -1.25 inches each

Hips: -0.5 inches

Waist: -2.5 inches

That’s 5.5 inches off my body. I call that a success! Who cares what the number says.

Skinny Blackberry Mojitos

Posted on by
2

I never tried mojitos in the past because I really don’t like mint. Well, I thought I didn’t like mint. Turns out I don’t like peppermint, which is very different from fresh mint. Fresh mint is crisp, clean, and refreshing, which is probably why the mojito is known as a crisp, clean, and refreshing warm-weather drink.

Because I’m still in the process of losing weight, I decided to make this recipe with Truvia instead of sugar. I couldn’t even tell the difference. Enjoy!

Skinny Blackberry Mojitos

1/2 fresh lime, cut into 4 pieces

10-15 fresh mint leaves, torn into small pieces

2 blackberries

3 packets Truvia

ice cubes

1.5 oz (1 shot) of clear rum (Bacardi)

seltzer water

muddler

Place 2 of the 4 lime pieces and the mint leaves at bottom of a sturdy tumbler. Use the muddler to crush the lime and the mint, releasing all the juices and flavors from both. Mash until the mint leaves are dark in color and the lime is pretty well smushed (that’s the technical term).

Add the blackberries, truvia, and last 2 pieces of lime to the glass. Again, use the muddler to crush and mash everything up. It won’t look pretty, but that’s the point.

Add 3 or 4 ice cubes to the tumbler, leaving the smashed mixture under the ice cubes. Pour the shot of rum over the top of the cubes. Fill up the remainder of the cup with seltzer water. Mix lightly.

Note: Best to drink this with a straw, otherwise you will be eating mint leaves

Flax Pizza Crust

Posted on by
Reply

Flax. I see it everywhere and have no idea what to do with it. The only time I tried to put it on something was because I heard it was “the healthy thing to do” and I put it on yogurt and it was gross. Almost as gross as that one dinner I made a few months back.

Recently, though, I was looking for a low-carb pizza crust recipe and I came across a recipe for a flax seed pizza crust. It seemed intriguing, and I felt like I was ready to give flax another chance. So I did a little research on flax and its health benefits. Turns out there is a LOT of info on why it’s is so good for you, so I went ahead and made the crust last night. If you go into this recipe thinking the crust is going to taste the same as regular pizza crust, you’ll be sorely disappointed. Instead, the flax has its own unique texture and flavor that suits pizza toppings very nicely. I did load up my pizza a liiiitle too much and the crust got soggy as a result, but if you put the normal amount of toppings (i.e. sauce, cheese, maybe one other thing), you should be fine.

Low-Carb Flax Meal Pizza Dough

(Adapted from About.com)

Serves: 8

  • 1.5 C flax seed meal (same as ground flax seed or milled flax seed)
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 3 tbsp oil (I used unsweetened apple sauce – worked fine)
  • 3 eggs
  • 1.5 C water
  • Toppings for pizza
  1. Preheat oven to 425.
  2. Mix dry ingredients together
  3. Add wet ingredients and mix well
  4. Let sit for 5 minutes to thicken
  5. Spread on baking sheet (I covered mine in tin foil with non-stick spray)
  6. Bake for 15-18 minutes until cooked through and crispy looking
  7. Add toppings and put back in the oven until toppings are ready

 

Moo Shu Tofu

Posted on by
2

I must admit, I love Chinese food. Chinese food, however, does not usually love me back. It doesn’t love my thighs or my love handles or the number on the scale. It doesn’t love my skinny jeans, and it certainly doesn’t love the bikini I want to wear this summer. The pain of this unrequited love has left me only one option: to try to make my own healthy version of Chinese food.

Am I aware that this will taste absolutely nothing like the deliciousness that is real  Chinese food (or at least Americanized Chinese food I get down the street from Fortune Panda)? Yeah. I am. But that’s ok. The hoisin sauce in this recipe almost makes me feel like I’m eating Chinese food, so it holds my cravings over for now.

This recipe is also perfect for a weeknight meal as the majority of the ingredients are already chopped and prepped for you. Took me 20 min to make total. Perfection.

(Adapted from Weight Watchers)

Moo Shu Tofu

  • 1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
  • 1 package of Nasoya Light Firm Tofu, cut into 1-inch chunks
  • 2 cups packaged coleslaw mix (shredded cabbage and carrots)
  • 2 cups fresh mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 red bell pepper, sliced
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 tbsp ginger, minced
  • 2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
  • a couple medium sized, low-carb tortillas (only if you want – I didn’t use them)
  • jar of hoisin sauce
  1. Heat up a skillet or stock pot over medium high heat. Add a quarter inch of vegetable broth and add tofu. Continue to add broth as it evaporates. Flip tofu after a few minutes, when it’s starting to look golden brown.
  2. After tofu is golden brown on both sides, remove from pan and put aside on a plate
  3. Add another splash of vegetable broth and add all of the vegetables. Let vegetables cook over medium-high heat until crisp-tender (oxymoron, I know, you get it). Continue to add broth as it is needed to keep steam rising from the bottom of the pan. The steam will cook the veggies
  4. Remove vegetables from heat and add soy sauce to taste (roughly 2 tbsp)
  5. Spoon vegetables onto your plate (or into your tortilla) and place some tofu cubes on top.
  6. Top vegetable-tofu mixture with about 2 tbsp hoisin sauce (or however much you’d like)

Where did you go?

Posted on by
Reply

So, where are those weekly weight watchers check in? Why haven’t you been writing? We’re waiting for posts here Ms. Murphy. These are things I’m sure some of you are wondering, some of you don’t care about (I get it, it’s cool), and some of you have actually said to me.  Well, my path with weight watchers has changed a bit. I’m still following the plan as I really love the new points+ system, but I’m not weighing myself every week as planned. I’m weighing myself every month.

As I take on this new, healthier lifestyle, I’m working out, building muscle, and subsequently staying the same weight or maybe even gaining. I’ve decided that I can’t let myself be a slave to the scale – I need to base my success based on how I feel, how I look, how my clothes fit, and my measurements. Within those four critera lies true success. Not in a number on a scale.

That being said, my next weigh in will be on March 1. If the number isn’t much better, whatever. It’s life. It’s all about how I feel and how my clothes fit.

I’m really taking inspiration these days from fitness posts on Pinterest as well as on Tumblr. Join up and let’s motivate each other, together.