I've had a burst of energy and motivation this week unlike any I've had before, and I have to say I'm quite proud of myself.
On Friday I forgot to weigh in, and that was followed by quite the naughty weekend in Brooklyn. After two nights of drinks, which inevitably led to late night snacks, a Thai dinner, and general disregard for any tracking or point values whatsoever, I knew I really needed to get my ass in gear this week in order to, at the very least, stay at the same weight I was at my last weigh in.
So this week I made it my goal to go the the gym to use the elliptical every day, and so far I've kept it up! Monday through Wednesday I did my half hour of cardio on the 'weight loss' setting and I feel really great! It's interesting though to see how my energy levels and time of day I go to the gym effect my run. On Monday I went home, had a quick snack and then went to work out immediately. I managed about 2.5 miles in my run. The next day, I went in the early evening, and had a much rougher time, only about 2.2 miles and I found it much more difficult. Last night was the biggest surprise for me. I didn't get to go at my normal time because I stopped by my grandparents for dinner (but brought my own meal, I'll share the recipe below - food win!). Lucky my gym is open until 11pm so I decided to go anyway even though I was sure that it would be a rough one doing my work out on a full stomach.
Surprise, surprise, I had my best run of the week, 3 miles flat, and I felt really great! I think the fact that I brought my Kindle with me really helped, I was absorbed in reading and kept a really nice pace, and less focused on watching the timer count down and watching how long until the resistance went up or down.
I'm running again tonight, and then tomorrow the truth is revealed. I'm hoping that I'll at the very least stay the same because of all the cardio I did.
So, dinner last night! One of my favorite recipes off the always wonderful SkinnyTaste: Orecchiette with Chicken Sausage and Broccoli Rabe!
Orecchiette with Chicken Sausage and Broccoli Rabe
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 6 • Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups • Old Points: 6 pts • Points+: 7 pts
Calories: 289.4 • Fat: 5.3 g • Protein: 21 g • Carb: 38.7 g • Fiber: 3.7 g • Sugar: 1 g
Cut broccoli rabe in quarters. Bring a large pot of water to boil. When it comes to a rolling boil, add broccoli rabe. Blanch for about 1 1/2 - 2 minutes, drain and set aside in a colander. Re-fill pot with water and salt for the pasta and bring back to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions for al dente.
In a large deep sauté pan, brown sausage on medium heat, breaking up into small pieces as it cooks. When completely cooked through set aside in a dish or a bowl. Increase heat to medium high, add olive oil to the pan; when hot add garlic and cook until golden (don't burn). Return broccoli rabe to the pan, mix well with the garlic and oil, season with salt and pepper and cook about a minute. Return cooked sausage to the pan and mix well.
Drain pasta and add to the broccoli rabe. Reduce heat and stir for about 30 seconds. Add chicken broth, parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes if using. Adjust salt and pepper to taste and toss another 30 seconds so that everything is mixed well and the pasta is coated with the sauce. Remove from heat and add to a large pasta dish or divide equally between 6 pasta bowls. Serve with additional grated cheese if you desire.
On Friday I forgot to weigh in, and that was followed by quite the naughty weekend in Brooklyn. After two nights of drinks, which inevitably led to late night snacks, a Thai dinner, and general disregard for any tracking or point values whatsoever, I knew I really needed to get my ass in gear this week in order to, at the very least, stay at the same weight I was at my last weigh in.
So this week I made it my goal to go the the gym to use the elliptical every day, and so far I've kept it up! Monday through Wednesday I did my half hour of cardio on the 'weight loss' setting and I feel really great! It's interesting though to see how my energy levels and time of day I go to the gym effect my run. On Monday I went home, had a quick snack and then went to work out immediately. I managed about 2.5 miles in my run. The next day, I went in the early evening, and had a much rougher time, only about 2.2 miles and I found it much more difficult. Last night was the biggest surprise for me. I didn't get to go at my normal time because I stopped by my grandparents for dinner (but brought my own meal, I'll share the recipe below - food win!). Lucky my gym is open until 11pm so I decided to go anyway even though I was sure that it would be a rough one doing my work out on a full stomach.
Surprise, surprise, I had my best run of the week, 3 miles flat, and I felt really great! I think the fact that I brought my Kindle with me really helped, I was absorbed in reading and kept a really nice pace, and less focused on watching the timer count down and watching how long until the resistance went up or down.
I'm running again tonight, and then tomorrow the truth is revealed. I'm hoping that I'll at the very least stay the same because of all the cardio I did.
So, dinner last night! One of my favorite recipes off the always wonderful SkinnyTaste: Orecchiette with Chicken Sausage and Broccoli Rabe!
Orecchiette with Chicken Sausage and Broccoli Rabe
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 6 • Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups • Old Points: 6 pts • Points+: 7 pts
Calories: 289.4 • Fat: 5.3 g • Protein: 21 g • Carb: 38.7 g • Fiber: 3.7 g • Sugar: 1 g
- 1 large bunch broccoli rabe, washed and 2" trimmed off stems
- 1 lb lean chicken sausage, removed from casing
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 5-6 cloves garlic, chopped
- 10 oz orecchiette
- 1 cup low sodium fat free chicken broth
- 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
- crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
Cut broccoli rabe in quarters. Bring a large pot of water to boil. When it comes to a rolling boil, add broccoli rabe. Blanch for about 1 1/2 - 2 minutes, drain and set aside in a colander. Re-fill pot with water and salt for the pasta and bring back to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions for al dente.
In a large deep sauté pan, brown sausage on medium heat, breaking up into small pieces as it cooks. When completely cooked through set aside in a dish or a bowl. Increase heat to medium high, add olive oil to the pan; when hot add garlic and cook until golden (don't burn). Return broccoli rabe to the pan, mix well with the garlic and oil, season with salt and pepper and cook about a minute. Return cooked sausage to the pan and mix well.
Drain pasta and add to the broccoli rabe. Reduce heat and stir for about 30 seconds. Add chicken broth, parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes if using. Adjust salt and pepper to taste and toss another 30 seconds so that everything is mixed well and the pasta is coated with the sauce. Remove from heat and add to a large pasta dish or divide equally between 6 pasta bowls. Serve with additional grated cheese if you desire.
No comments:
Post a Comment