Tag Archives: gluten-free

Weigh-In Wednesday, Week 1!

Posted on 02/29/2012 | 10 Comments

I’ve been waiting all week to see if I could make the butterfly on the right toolbar move!  The results are in (picture to be included every 5 pounds)…

I was sick last week and retaining a lot of water so I expected a 2 lb loss, but 3-1/2 feels even better!  I know I might have some measuring issues to work through with my right thigh but I think this week’s measurement is more accurate :)

Yesterday, we had to get physicals for life insurance and the guy weighed me in at 139 (which is definitely NOT what my scale says!) but he rounded down to 135.  I wish that actually worked in real life!  Overall, it was a good week and, luckily, I didn’t face too many obstacles.  We have guests this weekend and I’m going to a Gopher hockey game on Friday night so the next week will be more of a challenge.

Even before my quest, we’ve been trying to cook more often and eat healthier.  We’ve found a lot of new foods that we really like.  Last night, we revisited a favorite of ours from our gluten elimination last March – Udi’s pizza crust!

(I did an elimination to see if gluten could be causing some of my intestinal issues.  You can read more about gluten-free living in a previous post of mine)

The pizza crust is 4 points for half (which is plenty if you pair it with a salad), the veggies are 0 points, the cheese is 1 point, and the canned tomato is 1 point (but you could get rid of that point by using fresh tomatoes).  We simmer the tomatoes in a pot, drain some of the excess juice, put it on the pizza, add the toppings and bake per the instructions on the Udi’s wrapper.

Yesterday and today were both weird days for my points consumption.  After dinner, I still had 10 points left for the day!!!  So, I ate 6 thin mints.  Ugh.  I had the points for it, but I could definitely feel those on my run.  When I got off the treadmill, I still had a few points left and was craving something salty.   I spread 1 point of peanut butter onto a rice cake, which was the perfect post-workout treat (total points = 2).

I usually snack on fruits and vegetables during the day so I’ll need to find heartier snacks so I don’t end up with so many points at the end of the day.  I want to make sure I end this challenge with healthy, sustainable habits and part of that is figuring out my pacing of meals throughout the day.

How do you spread your meals throughout the day?  Aren’t you happy it’s “hump” day?!  We’re halfway through the work week!

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My day of maximizing points

Posted on 02/27/2012 | 7 Comments

I’ve been battling a cold for a few days so I decided to work from home today for quick access to a bed if I needed a nap to get through the day.  This meant I got to enjoy my breakfast and coffee while cruising through my work emails in the morning!  This is a relaxing part of my day that I’ve missed since I stopped eating breakfast at work last year.

BREAKFAST = 4 POINTS

I started my day with my former staple before I discovered protein shakes last year – Oatmeal.  It was three points for 1/2 cup of dry oatmeal, zero(!!!) points for the banana, and one point for 1-1/2 teaspoons of peanut butter.  This is a good example of where I eat healthy but have a problem with portion control.  Before Weight Watchers, I would have two tablespoons of peanut butter in my oatmeal.  Then, I discovered that was a bajillion points so I stopped adding peanut butter.  This morning, I had the bright idea that I could still have peanut butter if I just have LESS of it!  Genious!  (and, wouldn’t you know, it was still a good amount)

I switched to black coffee about six weeks ago so my coffee is now zero(!!!) points too.  It was only one point when I added skim milk, but somedays that one point can make all the difference in the world (or my day – I guess there is no need to get dramatic here).

LUNCH = 6 POINTS

I missed my morning protein shake so I had one of those for lunch :)   I can’t miss out on my 18g of fiber + 20g of protein in one delicious meal.  You can check out my love for my shake in a prior posting of mine.  My morning shake is six points – four for the protein powder, zero(!!!) for the berries, one point for 1/2 cup milk, and one point for the fiber powder. 

SNACK = 2 POINTS

Throughout the afternoon, I just munched on carrots.  A lot of carrots.  I love carrots AND I bought a gigantic bag at Sam’s Club on Friday.   Oh yeah, then I ate two thin mints for two points.  Yummm…. 

DINNER = 6 POINTS

By the time 5:15 rolled around, I had to kick it into high gear to get out of the house for my Blogging for Beginner’s class (being taught by Jen of Prior Fat Girl).  Luckily, we put our new rice cooker to use over the weekend so we had some leftover cooked brown rice.  I threw 1/2 cup of brown rice (2 points) into a bowl with 1/4 cup of cottage cheese (1 point), 1/4 cup raisins (3 points) and some cinnamon.

I mixed the ingredients together, microwaved it for 60 seconds (stirring halfway through) and quickly enjoyed my warm delicious dinner.  The cottage cheese melts a little so it ends up tasting like rice pudding.  YUM.

But, now I have 8 points left for the day!  That is a lot.  Most days are not like this because I tend to use 6 points at breakfast, 8 points for lunch and 12 points for dinner.

It looks like I can enjoy a few more thin mints and maybe some hot chocolate before I head to bed :)    

Did you have a healthy start to the work week?  What is a meal you can quickly throw together in 15 minutes? 

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This gluten-free stuff sounds crazy

Posted on 02/19/2012 | 8 Comments

Before last year, I had no idea what gluten was or why someone would want to live gluten-free because it sounds crazy!  What?  Who are these people who would willingly give up pasta and beer?!  However, the more I learn about gluten, the more I realize there is A LOT more to it than I thought.  The most important thing I learned is it isn’t a weight-loss diet.  It is a lifestyle change some people have to make due to Celiac disease or a gluten sensitivity.

Let me start with some basic information about gluten:

  • Gluten is a mixture of proteins in wheat, rye, or barley (buckwheat is gluten-free)
  • Common foods that contain gluten: pizza, pretzels, beer, crackers, most baked goods, pasta.  Click here for the Mayo Clinic’s list of what is allowed and not allowed on a gluten-free diet.
  • A person can still have a gluten intolerance or sensitivity even if they don’t have Celiac disease.
  • Symptoms of someone who has a gluten-intolerance may include: fatigue, difficulty concentrating, gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, heartburn, acid reflux (sounds fun, right?)
  • There is data that suggests eliminating gluten can improve behaviors of people with Autism, mood disorders (like Schizophrenia), and ADD/ADHD.

My unscientific survey of my gluten-free friends says that, if you have a gluten intolerance, eliminating it from your diet will make you feel 1000x better.   At the age of 29, I’ve already had two colonoscopies so I eliminated gluten (with the support of my doctor) for a few weeks last March to see if it solved some of my long-standing gastro issues.  It was almost an immediate improvement.  As uncomfortable as that is to share with the world (or all 15 of my readers), hopefully that lends credibility to the impact eliminating gluten can have on some people.

How does gluten impact the body?  The small intestine has hairlike structures called villi that absorb important nutrients.  For people with Celiac’s disease or a gluten intolerance, gluten causes the body to attack the villi and shorten or completely flatten them.  This reduces their ability to absorb nutrients.  You are what you eat, but more importantly you are what your body absorbs.

How do you find out if you have Celiac disease or a gluten intolerance?  You can get tested for Celiac by your doctor but the test is not accurate if you eliminate gluten before getting tested.  If you want to determine whether you have an intolerance, eliminate gluten from your diet for 1-2 weeks and see if you notice a difference.  If you notice a difference and decide to live gluten-free, talk to your doctor about whether he/she would recommend any additional supplements for you.

The good news is there are actually a lot of good foods out there that don’t contain gluten.  When Matt and I tried gluten-free, we discovered a lot of new dishes which we might not have otherwise tried (like spaghetti squash, which is now one of our favorite foods!).

For example, these are some delicious gluten-free (and dairy-free) Almond Joy bars I ate at a party last night:

so moist and delicious that I ate two

If you want to see more gluten-free foods, you should check out Elana’s Pantry.

Why am I not gluten-free?  I have limited my gluten intake and increased my fiber intake, which has been a good balance for me.  I’ve seen the most improvement in my health by trying to “eat clean”, which I will go into more detail about in a later post.

I feel like I’ve only hit the tip of the iceberg on this topic so here are some additional resources if you’d like to learn more.

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My Morning Protein Shake = L-O-V-E

Posted on 02/16/2012 | 6 Comments

Before I discovered protein shakes a year ago, I thought they were mostly for this type of person (which, as you see in ‘about me’, is not me!):

 

I was wrong.  Not only are they absolutely delicious, it’s a really easy way to get in extra fiber, fruit, calcium and protein for the day.  Besides, my morning shake makes me feel like this:

  

There are a lot of protein powders in the world so picking one really depends on your budget, taste buds and nutritional focus.  I use a gluten-free, vegan protein powder made by Arbonne.  However, I know a lot of people like the whey powder from Isagenix (share your favorite protein powder in the comments section!).  The basic types of protein powder are: milk, egg, whey, casein and soy.  I chose my protein powder out of convenience.  I was on a gluten-free kick at the time and have gluten-free friends who use the powder.  I also find whey to be very heavy so whey powders don’t work well for me. 

Will I look like Arnold does in his picture if I use a protein powder?  No.  The only way to build muscle is anaerobic exercise (i.e., lifting weights).  Protein powders act as a supplement to build muscle faster, but they alone will not help you build muscle.  WebMD has a lot of good information on the benefits of protein shakes and the different kinds of protein here. 

This is my shake before the Magic Bullet does its magic:

Vanilla protein powder shake

Ingredients

  • 2 scoops vanilla protein powder
  • Water (I usually make my liquid, including milk, equal to 1/2 of the shake so it is easily drinkable)
  • Frozen berries (about 1/2 – 3/4 cup.. or whatever your belly desires)

 What I include for added nutrients (optional)

  • 1/2 cup Almond or regular milk (for additional calcium and to make it a little creamier)
  • Spinach (you can’t taste it, but it adds calcium and antioxidants to the shake)
  • Fiber powder (Most people get half of their daily required fiber grams so I HIGHLY recommend this.  Between the powder and the fruit, this morning shake is 18g of fiber!  I’ve only used the Arbonne powder but I’m sure any tasteless fiber powder would do the trick)

 Blend & enjoy!

 For convenience, I take it in a to-go cup so I can drink it on my way to work:

Deliciousness on the run!

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