It's finally here...yippee! Countdown begins to my trip home to Orange County! Woot-woot! I'm so looking forward to it as the weather in Chicago has taken a turn to the, uh, Brrrrrrr. I was walking Potato before the snow began to fall last night. It was so cold that I woke up this morning and my skin was really dry, like flakey dry. I need to make sure to apply my Nivea Creme when it gets into single digits or teens (wind chill factor sure is pronounced when you live on the lakefront!)
Not only am I looking forward to some SoCal sunshine, but the Vietnamese food there is nothing short of spectacular! I've tried Vietnamese food on the East Coast, Midwest, and even in Montreal... hands down no doubt OC has them beat! Yum! I can't neglect to mention one of my first stops: In 'n' Out. Omgaaaaah. Best burgers evahhhhh. Of course, I can't forget DK Donuts on Baker St. The parking stinks, but I'll put up the hassle for their fresh donuts any day. I wonder if they still have their 24-hour drive-thru where I use to pick up some deep-fried delights before driving back to UCLA after visiting my parents on the weekends...Hmmmmmm... And I'm really looking forward to visiting the Orange County Flower Mart!
Okay, wiping the drool from the corner of my mouth right now. Back to something that will actually do a body good. I whipped up a Green Smoothie with avocado! Wow... not only did it taste amazing, but avocado is a superstar when it comes to all the good stuff in it! True, it's gotten some rap for having a high fat content, but it has mostly the good fat, monounsaturated fats. And monounsaturated fats have been linked to increasing HDL (good cholesterol) and lowering LDL (the naughty cholesterol!) It also has so much soluble and insoluble fiber too. Finally, the number of vitamins contained in this little powerhouse of a fruit is outstanding. From vitamins A, B, C, E, K, and a slew of other antioxidants as well, the "alligator pear" sure packs a punch. I should probably be bathing in this stuff it's so amazing! When Mother Nature decides to create something, it's never short of perfect! Now I really wish I had an avocado farm!
I'm ecstatic that a Neighborhood Market by Walmart opened up in East Lakeview last month. The avocados were on sale for only $0.75/each! What a bargain! I also thought I picked up just a regular bag of spinach. However, once I brought it home, I realized not only was it a bag of spinach, but it also included baby bok choy, and baby green and red chards! It's the first time I've seen this at the market. The large 13.25 oz bag was only $2.88! What a great value! The different greens in one bag really makes rotating my greens a bit easier. I've been on a kale kick for the last week so I needed to change it up. I know Dr. Oz (I'm obsessed with his show!) recommends trying to buy organic when they are leafy greens, so if it is available to you and you don't mind the premium, definitely consider that option.
This was a super creamy smoothie thanks to the amazing avocado. My Mommy use to make me a Vietnamese shake called called "Sinh To Bo" (the translation = shake fruit butter, or some combination of these three words - I always get mixed up!) when I was little. It had 4 ingredients: avocado, milk, sugar and ice cubes (or condensed milk can be used in lieu of sugar... the Vietnamese LOVE condensed milk!) It was so goooooood! This tastes very similar to the Vietnamese variety without the sugar! The banana sweetens the smoothie naturally and the addition of the mild greens is pretty much masked by the avocado and banana flavors. You can get your greens and sip something that tastes like a treat at the same time. I'm really starting to believe a girl CAN really have it all with a little creativity;) I can't wait to make this for my parents when I get home! I think they will really like it because it's so healthy and so yummy!
I can't wait to drink it again. Half an avocado is 4 Points+ alone (I only get 26 per day!) on the Weight Watchers system . Since these are not free points like most other fruits and vegetables on the plan, I will need to budget my points more carefully, but the nutritional benefits far outweigh cost of points used! This Green Monster helps keep my typical cravings (see paragraph 2) at bay. And without much further ado, the recipe:
- 1/4 cup nonfat, plain Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup plain almond or soy milk
- 1/2-1 frozen banana (make sure to peel and slice the banana before you freeze it - it makes it easier, trust me!)
- 1/2 ripe avocado
- 2 cups of greens (I eyeball this and just fill it all the way up to the top of the blender!)
Add all these ingredients to the blender, cover, and mix until smooth. This Green Monster came out to only 5 Points+! I love how the ingredients are so simple and you don't even need that many! It' really filling and a great option for meal replacement, or even just as a healthy snack alternative. This is the best tasting Green Monster I've ever made. Knowing that I'm drinking something so good for my body uplifts me psychologically as well. I can't believe I'm now struggling to keep my fridge stocked with greens instead always having to toss a bag because it spoiled...maybe you do get wiser as you get old(er).
Amazing how I've lost 8 pounds this month! I did lose most of my weight the first week, but I haven't gained anything back - which is awesome! I lost 5 pounds the first week, 2 pounds the second week, I didn't lose anything the 3rd week (rough week!) and a pound this week so far. My final weigh in will be this Sunday. So looks like the pounds are coming off at a steady and healthy rate (experts recommend 2 pound average per week or 8 pounds per month!) I started doing Green Monsters on January 28th. I've been consistent with my workouts too. I average 5 cardio sessions a week. A lot of work, but it's paying off.
I was so ecstatic when I hit my "happy weight" in 2008 and kept it off until late 2010/early 2011. Two years since then, I have managed to pack on 15 pounds. On a 5'1" frame, 15 pounds really makes a huge difference. When I went to the doctor, she said I should be around 110, or a 115 pounds MAX. I haven't been that weight since the 9th grade! Even at my happy weight, I was 10 pounds above her (maximum weight) recommendation and I was happy. She's right though. Afterall, she is Harvard trained. Not only is she brilliant, but sooooo super smart! I hope to be like her one day - so kind, humble, strong, encouraging, (I was a basket case with school the last time I saw her... but she kept telling me to keep trying and I would get to my goal eventually! She was so positive!), smart, confident, and independent. That's one heck of a combination - close to perfect as you can get. Whenever I have a rough day with studies and rotations, I think of her, one of my role models, and I get inspired all over again.
At any rate, packing on so much weight really did a number on my self esteem. I know I was lackadaisical and inconsistent with my diet and exercise in 2011 and 2012, so I'm not really surprised. Too many trips to the 7-Eleven around the corner from my apartment and indulging in those Boston Creme donuts! Well now it's 2013. It's a new year, and I'm on my way to a new happy me! Not only have the Green Monsters helped me along on my latest journey, but blogging sure has helped me with being accountable. Of course, some days are better than others. I did have a relapse and gave into a midnight snack craving of Donkey chips, cookies, and it was really a blur as to what else I put in my mouth that night. I felt pretty lousy when I woke up. I forced myself to do two workouts that day - one in the a.m. and one in the p.m. Realizing how grueling that was, next time I have a weak moment, I'll reconsider if I want to eat the 1/4 bag of Donkey chips again! It's easier to just battle through a craving than do a double 45-minute cardio workout. Maybe it would be easy had I been athletic all my life. I've never been athletic during any part of my life. I'm terrible at playing sports! I was always picked last, sadly.
Still, this doesn't prevent me from getting my cardio on! I love the convenience of the exercise dvd's that are available for home use. Back in my youth, I was always told you needed to join the gym to get a good workout or hire a personal trainer. Also, because I was never blessed with coordination, I was always told that I would be destined to always be overweight as well. OMG! Sorry to turn this into a pity party!
Anyways, I'm so glad the home dvd's exercise craze has gained so much popularity. I really found this was perfect for someone like me. Maybe there are a lot of people like me out there, and that's why these at-home fitness programs have such a following. I am too shy to workout in front of other people or I would just get lazy to drive to the gym or whatever other excuses I could come up with to not go! I like how all you have to do is pop a disk into your dvd player whenever you want (I've worked out at 2 a.m. before!) There really are no excuses anymore. I really love Turbo Fire! I started out with Turbo Jam, but got use to the workouts and needed to graduate to the next level. Chalene Johnson is an amazing instructor. I really like her encouraging style and I'm always drenched in sweat after each workout! She tells us we are "elite atheletes" whenever I pop in the 55 minute workout. I tell my fiance that, and he thinks it's so cute because I run around telling him, myself, my dog, now my blog that each time I finish that workout! I guess I'm just proud of getting through it. Whenever I have a really bad day and don't want to workout, I hear Chalene Johnson's voice reminding me that working out not only helps you lose weight, feel great, but helps you stay younger looking a lot longer! Afterall, what girl doesn't want to do everything possible to fight the aging process?! I've seen some pretty fit 50 year olds that look decades younger than what their driver's license reads... maybe when I hit 50, I can be one of them too:)
Thanks so much for visiting my blog:)
Xo,
Marikym
