So I'm Vegan Now

Yep you heard that right I'm vegan. I attended SEED- a Plant Based Food and Wine festival in Miami, Florida back in November and it has changed the way I look at food and how a plant based whole foods diet can really change me and my weight.

Now I really went there to visit my sister and her and I had a fantastic time. I watched her command a room and runway while running an eco-fashion show, that she developed from the ground up. If you want to learn more about what she does to make our fashion more eco-friendly visit her site thefulledit.com

Since becoming vegan a little over two months ago I have already found that I have more energy even when tired after a day at both of my jobs. Plus on top of the increase in energy I have also lost a little more than 25 pounds. YAY Me! I don't really believe in scales, I have always believed that they are evil objects that were invented to make people but especially women, feel bad about themselves. Until last week the only time that I would step on a scale was when at a doctors visit. I have never thought this to be odd. I have always stood by the fact that I would know if I have lost weight but seeing the change in how my clothes fit. But last week after noticing that almost everything I had worn in the last few weeks is not only fitting better but is almost getting to the point where my clothes were actually bag and unshapely.

So on the scale I went. Not only did I weigh myself once but 3 or 4 times just to make sure it was accurate since I almost couldn't believe it when I saw what I know weighed. I am currently no longer in the 300 club and I honestly don't know when the last time that was. For 2018 I have even more goals and have updated those on my goal page.

Now for the food:
For those of you that have been following this blog from the beginning, you know that I used to be apart of a competitive BBQ team so I'm sure you can imagine how hard it has been since becoming vegan. Well, SURPRISE it wasn't as hard as you would think. A few differences, sure. More meal prep, you bet. Do I actually have to shop for groceries now, oh yay. It has been more time consuming and a lot more planning has had to go into my life now but it has been fun to learn more things about this life that I have chosen. I have researched new recipes, new ingredients to use; like tofu and nut based sauces. While I have had tofu before I have only ever had it deep fried so trying it using other cooking methods has been a welcome challenge that has turned out to be pretty tasty.

I have tried very hard to keep my diet as whole food as possible, meaning I eat mostly vegetables, rice, legumes, nuts, fruit, oats, and I try to steer clear of pre-packaged vegan "meats". This is the stuff that is vegan but us supposed to look and taste like meat. I will have the occasional veggie burger but other than that I try really hard not to eat those fake meat items.

Meatless Monday Cooking Class

If you remember my sole post from what is now two years I had lost my job and was in search of a new path in life. I do believe I may have found it. I am currently working for a food truck company that is known for being the first food truck in Buffalo and couldn't be happier. But I also want to start looking to the future for myself and I would love the opportunity to be able to teach home cooks not just some new recipes but some simple techniques that will get healthy but delicious meals on the table fast. I am taking the first steps towards that dream by having a small cooking lesson with my cousins, sister and some friends to test out my teaching skills. 

Since we just happen to be doing this on a Monday and we are all trying to eat healthy I decided to make it a meatless meal. I found a recipe for Lentil Meatballs with Lemon Pesto Sauce which I think can be altered to have with marinara sauce as well, as I don't know if my cousins will do the whole Pesto thing. I love it; its a great bright alternative to a heavy marinara particularly with this recipe for it which puts a good amount of lemon in it to make it even brighter! 
So here is the game plan for today I am going to get the lentils cooked prior to everyone getting to the house so that all we have to do is get everything mixed up, roll the balls and get them in the oven. Then once the balls are in the oven get working on the sauces. Wegman's has some of the best jarred sauce around which is what I will reach for if I don't have time to make my own sauce. For regular pasta I prefer a chunkier sauce but I'm not the one eating it if you buy it so get whatever you like best or whats on sale that week.

As a tip- a lot of times I find that chunkier sauces have more flavor then a smooth jarred sauce so I suggest finding a sauce that has the best flavor for you and if it happens to be a chunky sauce and you like smooth sauce you can always throw it in a blender before putting it on the stove to get the consistency that you like best.

Along with the Lentil Balls I am going to make a light pasta using angel hair, kale and sun-dried tomatoes. This is a very simple pasta that will pair well with the Pesto as well as the Marinara Sauce.

Here is a little glimpse into our prep of the Lentil Meatballs. (PS. first time editing video)

Angel Hair with Kale and Sun-dried Tomato

Ingredients:

1/2 pound Angel Hair Pasta
2 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil + more to drizzle on at the end
1 large bundle of Tuscan or Black Kale, finely shredded
1 garlic clove, smashed
1/2-2/3 c oil packed sun-dried tomatoes, julienne
Pasta water
Crushed Red Pepper Flakes (To Taste)
Salt and Pepper
1/4 c fresh grated parmesan cheese

Method:

Cook Pasta one minute less than package instructions. (It will continue to cook when added to pan sauce)
In a large sauté pan over med-high heat add oil, garlic and tomatoes. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring to avoid garlic from burning. Add pepper flakes, salt and pepper, and kale. Add in a little Pasta water to help wilt kale. Cover, cook until kale is wilted stirring occasionally. Add in Pasta and combine, taste and adjust seasoning if need. If pan appears dry add more pasta water and toss everything together. This will act as the sauce for the pasta. Plate it up drizzle a little Olive Oil on it and grate parmesan cheese right over it. Serve it to all your friends.

For this type of pasta I would serve it more as a side to the Lentil Balls but the balls could also be placed on top with the sauce if you choose.

Not that every meal does but for me I would love it if every meal ended in dessert and that is no different with this meal. I kept things simple with...

Berries and Cream

Ingredients: 

Mixed Berries

Balsamic Glaze

Fresh Cracked Pepper

1/2 pt Heavy Cream

Powdered Sugar (Optional)

Shaved Dark Chocolate

Method:

Up to a few hours before serving, in an impeccably clean mason jar combine very cold Heavy Cream and Powdered sugar if desired, screw on the top and shake. 

Right before serving; in a medium bowl, combine berries, glaze, and pepper. Spoon into serving glasses, top with cream. Using a vegetable peeler shave chocolate over glasses.

Swimsuit Season + Dessert = Delicious

I know its early but Swimsuit Season is right around the corner... Everyone knows I love a good dessert and I have found a few amazing solutions to satisfy that sweet tooth and not spoil all the hard work I put in at the gym. 
The first is some of the easiest options around. FRUIT! Summertime is a great time for melon (watermelon is my favorite for the summer), stone fruits like peaches and cherries, pears, kiwi, and berries (strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries). Now the fruit on its own will always be a great dessert just pile some up in a bowl and or put them all together a fruit salad and have at it. 
Now like I said earlier watermelon is my favorite summer fruit and don't get me wrong I like all those other fruits but watermelon is by far my #1!!  
I'm not a fan of the big wedges of watermelon that you see in commercials or in movies and much prefer some cubes. Here is the easiest way to cut up a watermelon I have found so far. Thanks to Carla Hall and The Chew crew!
So what I will do is cut up the whole watermelon and store in the fridge. My family loves watermelon so much that it usually only takes us a few days to go through it, however there always seems to be a handful of cubes at the bottom of the bowl with all that wonderful watermelon juice. For some reason we never want to eat those ones so instead of letting them get thrown out I have come up with a great option so that doesn't happen. 

Fruit Sorbet

Ingredients:

1/2 to 3/4 c watermelon cubes with 1/2 c juice

2 1/2 c of frozen fruit (combination of 2 or more different fruit)

           I have used combinations of strawberries, cherries, mango, peaches and berries.

Water (Enough just to help bring together)

In a blender add watermelon and frozen fruit. Start blending on high adding water as needed until it comes together. Store in an airtight container in the freezer for 1 hour to bring together then serve. Keep in the freezer for up to a month. 

Hope you enjoy this delicious dessert and keep those swimsuit season figures.

Summer... time for Yoga?

After losing my job about 2 months ago I have become quite stressed as you can imagine. As many of you know I have had a trainer for the last year and lucky for me I have paid for enough sessions that I can continue seeing her for the next few months without having to pay her fee just paying for the regular membership!!! BONUS! So while searching for a new job I am able to continue working out to attempt to keep my anxiety under control but apparently that hasn't been working. So Plan B it is, thanks to an amazing friend (MOLLY) I have taken up Yoga. The nice thing is that I can take it right through my gym and don't have to spend anymore money. WIN! I have already found a better peace of mind as well as inner strength while in my practice. There are defiantly some new muscles in use that I didn't realize I would be using and even though the first couple of days after I was in some pain now its great. Not only have I found that stress release that I very much needed I am getting a great workout to boot. 

Tips for Yoga: 

1. Find the right instructor for you. With any class whether it is at a gym or a studio there is probably more than one instructor you can take the class from. I was lucky to find my favorite instructor so far in my first class but if needed keep trying different instructors until you find the one that works best for you. I have tried other classes with different instructors because I wanted to go to a class on a Saturday but I found I didn't like how that instructor ran his class. So today I went back to the first instructor and had a much better experience. 
2. Don't compare yourself to others. This can really be said for any class you may take but I find it especially true for yoga. The practice is yours and yours alone. I do look to those around me to make sure I am doing the pose correctly because I don't always know what the pose is called and sometimes it is easier to look at the person next to me instead of the instructor but I also try not to compare what I can do to what the person next to me does especially since I am not all that flexible right now.
3. Use the buddy system. Find a friend to go with you it will make it a lot easier to follow Tips # 1 and 2 if you do!

Who's ready to see me Trot like a Turkey!!

For those of you not in the Buffalo, NY area the title of this post may not make a whole lost of sense but for those of you who are it should make a ton of sense at least around this time of year. Now I don't want to leave some of you in the dark so I will tell you what it means... I am running in the 119th annual YMCA Turkey Trot. Yes... I said running. An 8k... that just shy of 5 miles.
If you have read any of this blog before you may have read that one of my goals is to start running foot races. Initially I thought I would get to this in the future, you know a couple of years down the line once I have lost a substantial amount of weight. But motivation has come calling by the name of Peggy G. and I decided this could be a way for me to jump start that weight lose, RIGHT NOW. 
Now, I know some of you must be thinking... "What is this girl thinking?" This is going to be hard... She has already injured herself a couple of times this year... This was goal on the bottom of her list for a reason, it was to come after everything else. 

"Trust me these are all things that have run through my mind before. I am full of self doubt so I decided to turn over a new leaf and try something new. I mean that's the only way I am going to change right?"

Now I have consulted my favorite runner... Molly P. and she has put together a training plan for me so that I am not completely lost in what I need to be doing but it has been harder than I thought. I don't know why I thought it would be easy as I don't normally run and for the fact that I am super intimidated by treadmills. Now, put me on an elliptical for 3.5 miles I'm good... I won't be going super fast but I can finish it and be all sweaty and gross by the end but I won't be in extreme pain. I tried to attempt this on a treadmill I could not finish it didn't even get half way even with walking the majority of the time I was on it, wheezing even after taking my inhaler (did I mention I have asthma) my ankle that I twisted about a month ago was clicking in protest. My calf was as tight as a rubber band about to snap and my side was cramping... all things that I do not fine fun at all. This all happened this past Friday.
It is now Monday, I have not stepped a foot back into the gym in utter fear of failing. I have stretched some but not enough that I think that it has helped but only time will tell. I need to get to the gym today and I do believe I will have better luck as well I have to do better as I have a lot of work to do. 

See training schedule below:

THIS WEEK!!!!
Thursday (11/13)	Friday (11/14)	Saturday (11/15)	Sunday (11/16)
OFF	3.5 MILES	40-45 min Cross train on elliptical	30 Min Walk
NEXT WEEK
Monday (11/17)	Tuesday (11/18)	Wednesday (11/19)	Thursday (11/20)	Friday (11/21)	Saturday (11/22)
40-45 min Cross train on elliptical	OFF	EASY 3.5 Miles Run	30 min walk	OFF	40-45 min Cross train on elliptical
RACE WEEK
Sunday (11/23)	Monday (11/24)	Tuesday (11/25)	Wednesday (11/26)	RACE DAY
40 Min Run (take this as slow as you need too!!!)	30 min Cross train on elliptical (go super easy on this)	30 Min Run (take this as slow as you need too!!!)	30 min walk	8K	YOGA CLASS and 20 min walk

Wow... Has it been a while....

I have officially become the worst blogger on the face of the Earth. My last post was more than 2 months ago in which I wrote maybe 3 sentences that was mostly me whining that I wasn't motivated to keep working out at that time. I still haven't gotten fully back into the grove of things but I have been able to start working out at a normal pace like I was before I injured myself in May. Which at this point I need to just pull my self together and even if I am tired and don't want to go because I had a long day at work, just go to the gym and work out any frustration I may have had throughout my work day by working off some calories. But the last couple weeks have been so busy because of Mak's wedding and everything that goes along with that and going to Bills games on one of my only days off in the week I have worn my self down that I feel like I need a few days off just to get back to feeling like I will have enough energy to get my ass to the gym and have a meaningful workout. I think at this point my biggest problem is that I don't like going to the gym when I know I'm going to half-ass my workout. If I know I'm not going to be able to go all out I don't want to go at all which just ends up hurting me more because then I'm not going. I still go when I see my trainer and Christine is fantastic and getting me in the groove but when I don't see her I feel lost. Like I can't do it if she isn't there. Which is incorrect because I used to go to the gym without a trainer all the time before. 

~~~Bottom Line~~~
Karen needs to get her act together and get her ass to the gym!!!!!

Now that I said that, I think I can finally check one of my goals off of my list... #3! For those of you who did not read my goal list check out my Goals tab on the top of the page.

Now I won't know if I like how I look in the pictures until those come out from the photographer but I easily fit into my dress with no problems whats so ever. No I didn't have to have my seamstress take the dress in which would have been best but not having to worry about fitting into my dress in the weeks leading up to the wedding was a great feeling too. For the pictures that I have seen so far I am confident that I will actually like these pictures for once in my life. Fingers crossed!!!!

Need Motivation

When I first started this Blog I had so much motivation and determination and now.... NOTHING!!! What do I do now. I need to find some motivation in something and at this point I will take anything to kickstart this journey again. What is a girl to do... I was on a mission and doing great but I feel like I have had a horrible setback and don't know what to do at this point... Someone, anyone please send some suggestions. This girl needs HELP!!!

Tool Time

I have discovered throughout this process that not only do I need to have the will to make this go of being healthy the successful one but you also need the support from those around you and also the right tools to make sure that I am on track with my goals. When I originally started my 100 day workout challenge I started by tracking on poster board showing the number of days I had worked out and each day I wrote what I had done that day to be active. Whether it was just taking a walk or what I did at the gym that day. Now I have selected to also get something that will track how active I am being throughout each day. I have some friends who have tried products like FitBit, Jawbone and similar monitors to track sleep, distance or steps travelled, etc. I have found that since I have started using my FitBit Flex Monitor I can see when I haven't been as active and make a more conscious effort to correct that by the end of the day. I selected this product because I needed something to help track what I am doing. The sleep tracker seems to shed some light on why I tend to be so tired when it seems I have been sleeping for hours on end. Now I'm not saying that I need this activity tracker to be successful but it couldn't hurt, right? 
I started writing this post probably about a month ago and finally was able to finish it today. At this point I have also started my 100 Day Challenge over again. As you know I hurt myself back in May while traveling in Memphis, TN and had planned on once I had healed I would start up again from where I left off. After thinking about I have decided to start completely over again! Wish me luck once again!

...And the Results are in Part 2

As you know I finally got my MRI results in after about 3 weeks due to a backup of results at the office, and as of my last post I was getting a CT scan done that day. I did get those results back in a very timely manner, YAY! I now have the conclusive results that I have a proximal medial non-displaced fracture of my left tibia and what does this mean?! I can only use a bike for cardio so no treadmill or elliptical until I see the doctor again in 3-4 weeks. Until then it is arms, chest and back at the gym until further notice which I will keep doing under the watchful eye of my amazing trainer Christine!!! Thank you for all of support and for pushing me to my max even with my injury!!! Love it!

For all of my loyal readers please visit my new page documenting all of my goals and see when they get accomplished and how I have transformed!

...And the Results are in!

So after more then 2 weeks of waiting I finally got the results from the MRI I had done on my knee. So good news is that I do not have a torn meniscus but bad news is I have a non-displaced fracture. Where you might ask is this fracture... not entirely sure. I got the results while driving in Vermont last weekend with my old college roommate, Molly, and the PA who called was not very specific in this description. Today I had a CT scan done to see... not entirely sure but I think they told me its to be able to see a better picture of the bones since it is a fracture. I love how after a several weeks of waiting to see what is wrong with my knee I still don't know. It has been almost a month and a half since I was first hurt and none of the results I have gotten back are conclusive in the least. I am hopeful that after it taking almost 2 weeks just to get the MRI results that they are a bit quicker to get back to me with these results. I am tired of being scared that I am going to hurt my knee more if I work out too hard or push it before it is fully healed and make things worse. I don't want this to be a set back that keeps going on forever and ever. 

Lots of challenges ahead but I promise to be positive and look to the finish line as a checkpoint in my journey but never the less to enjoy the journey all the same.

Ps. New goal to be added to my journey:
Train & Run in a 5K, 1/2 Marathon and Full Marathon one of which must be in San Francisco so that I can hang with Molly!!!