Knees and Needs

I’ve been pushing my body to jog further and faster, in preparation for the Bellin Run, and I was experiencing increasing endurance.  Until I started to develop sharp knee pain in my left knee last Sunday. Since then, I was only able to get three to five minutes before the pain became too intense. Being a nurse, and a guy, I was trying to “play through the pain”, but that wasn’t working. This was not muscle aches. This was sharp and deep knee pain, under the patella.  Similar to when I tore my mensiscus in my right knee.
I decided to listen to many people about my knee. I am going to give my knee 10 days to rest. No jogging.  Rest and recuperation. In my zeal to prepare for the Bellin Run, I over-did it. I was pushing for longer and longer times each and every day. I never took a day off to let my knee recover. Knees NEED time to heal, grow stronger, build toughness.
Instead, I will focus on the weight machine (upper body only) for the next 10 days. Then I will get on the treadmill and start with a fast walk for a short time (3-5 minutes). I will take a day off after walking, and hopefully then be able to increase duration and speed incrementally.  However, if the knee pain returns, then it’s back to my orthopedist to see what a doctor can do for me.
I am not going to worry about how this will affect my performance in the Bellin Run. One thing at a time! (That’s something that I need to work on.)
I weighed in today, and recorded a weight that was unchanged from Monday. That doesn’t mean the weight was completely unchanging day to day.  But I am feeling more in control at what I call my “balance weight range.” Every day is a minor difference. A tad up, a tad down, a day of no change. Lather, rinse and repeat. It’s only been exactly one month since I reached my goal, so we are eleven months from feeling like I am really grasping this phase of my life.
Don’t get me wrong. Every day is still a challenge. I was at a convenience store today, and it is attached to an Arby’s. I smelled the food, and I really wanted it. But I know that my meal plan for the day doesn’t include a sodium-laden beef sandwich.
I hope that as you make your own progress that you never start to think, “It will be so easy when I reach my goal weight!” The reality is that the only changes to my meals is that I have 500 extra calories to eat, and that I am eating most of my exercise calories now. I still log my foods. I still have cravings for things (potato chips) in quantities that I shouldn’t eat. But I am learning that I don’t NEED to eat those things, or those quantities, to feel good. In fact, exercising self-control feels better than I could explain.
I purchased my LoseIt “Goal Achieved” t-shirt. I am proud to have earned the right to buy it. But I really feel like the shirt should read, “Goal Achieved. Now on to the NEXT goal”.
We are all on a journey to better health and weight management for the rest of our lives.  Unless you are willing to risk returning to a previous physique, you will need to continue to consider your meals before eating. In the words of my son and many other wise people, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”  Logging all food consumed gave me success. Logging will keep me successful. I won’t think that “I have this figured out, I don’t need to log” because I truly believe that while you success over a short period is possible, the act of logging your food creates ownership of your actions. It shows an acceptance of your responsibilities.
I’m still logging my meals and exercise, one month into finding my “balance weight range”. I will be logging 11 months from now, and even after that. I want to keep the new me. I like the new me. I hope that you succeed and find the new you. 
Pictures of a new meal will probably be posted tonight.

Spinach Pizza

1 Boboli Whole Wheat crust

Mix together, and spread evenly on the crust
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed/minced

Layer each on top of the crust:
2 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup (or more) fresh mushrooms, sliced
6 Spanish olives, chopped
6 Kalamata olives, chopped
3 ounces baby spinach, chopped
3 Tablespoons crumbled Feta cheese

Bake t 450 for 10 minutes.  I cut it into quarters for four servings.

Nutritional data (for 1/4 of the entire pizza):
Calories:    362
Fat:            13.8g
Sat fat:            3g
Chol:         11.5mg
Sodium:      656mg
Carbs:        54.4g
Fiber:           9.1g
Protein:      12.1g

Green Salsa Chicken and Cumin Corn

Green Salsa Chicken
4 boneless-skinless chicken breasts, 5 ounce each (approx.)
8 tomatillos, husks removed
½ cup onion, sliced
1 cup diced bell peppers, any or all colors
4 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
Herb blend (ideally a southwestern spice blend)
1 lime
Cooking spray
Sprinkle chicken breasts with spice.  Place in preheated non-stick skillet.  Cook approximately 5 minutes per side. Remove from the skillet, cover and set aside.
Spray the skillet with cooking spray.  Place tomatillos, skin side down in skillet.  Do not stir, let them begin to lightly char (5 minutes over med-high heat) then flip over.  Let them continue to cook for additional 5 minutes.  When done, remove from skillet and roughly chop.  Place in a bowl.
In a separate small skillet, coat with cooking spray and add onion and diced pepper.  Cook until beginning to soften, then add to bowl of tomatillos.
Grate the lime to remove ½ tsp zest.  Squeeze lime to get 2 tablespoons juice.  Add juice and zest to tomatillo-pepper-onion mix.  Toss.
Serves 4 (1 chicken breast and approximately ¼ cup of salsa)
Nutritional data:
Calories:          183
Fat:                  9.8g
Sat fat:              2.6g
Cholesterol:     75mg
Sodium:           223mg
Carbs:              8.7g
Fiber:               2.4g
Protein:            17.3g
Cumin Corn
1 cup (5 ounces) frozen whole kernel corn, thawed
¼ cup onion, diced
¾ cup bell pepper, diced, any colors
2 tsp olive oil
¼ tsp ground cumin (or more, to taste)
Black pepper to taste
Serve 4 (1/2 cup portions)
1.       Heat non-stick skillet with 2 tsp olive oil.
2.      Add onion and bell pepper to oil.  Stir frequently, until heated through, and beginning to get tender.
3.      Add cumin and black pepper.  Stir in thawed corn.  Stir until the corn is beginning to get tender and is heated through.
Nutritional Data
Calories:      63
Fat:            2.8g
Sat fat:       0.3g
Chol:            0mg
Sodium:    1.9mg
Carbs:        8.6g
Fiber:         1.7g
Protein:     1.6g

Zucchini-Potato Pancakes

Make 4 pancakes, each about 4 inches
1 small (6 inch) zucchini, shredded, skin on (approximately 1 1/3 cup)
2/3 cup shredded cooked potatoes (approximately 5 ounces)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese
1/8 tsp black pepper
1.  Gently mix together.
2.  Pre-heat a non-stick skillet over medium and spray with cooking spray.
3.  Divide batter into four portions (approximately 1/2 cup each.)
4.  Fry until the edges begin to brown (4-5 minutes).  Turn and continue until finished cooking.
Top with plain Greek yogurt, applesauce, or butter and maple syrup. Or serve at breakfast with a single fried egg on top of each pancake.


Nutritional Data:
Cal:  86
Fat:  3.3g
Sat Fat: 1.2g
Chol: 107.2mg
Sodium: 105.4mg
Carb: 8.7g
Fiber: 0.4g
Protein: 5mg

Pumpkin Protein Pancakes

Makes 2 servings of 4 pancakes. 
Mix together:
4 egg whites
1 tsp vanilla
2/3 cup canned pumpkin
¼ c water
Add:
1c Kellog’s All Bran (Place the cereal in a blender or food processor and crush a little.)

½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 scoop (4T) whey powder
Pour scant ¼ c onto non-stick skillet lightly oiled.  You may need to press the batter down a little to get the correct thickness.  Turn when the batter starts to set (2-3 minutes over medium heat.)  This is very thick batter, and bubbles will not form on the surface. 
Serve with whipped cream, sautéed bananas, warm apple compote, peanut butter or Greek Yogurt.
Nutritional Data (per pancake, without toppings)
Cal:           44
Fat:           0.6g 
Sat Fat:     0.1g 
Chol:        6.8mg 
Sodium:  73.3mg 
Carb:        8.4g 
Fiber        4.8g 
Protein:    5.1g 

Pancakes (Two Ways!)

Sometimes I just need to try new things. Occasionally it is simply a modification of a known recipe and other times it is a completely new recipe. I have an example of each today.

Breakfast was my protein pancake, but modified to make it a Pumpkin Protein Pancake.

This is a case where experimenting brings new rewards. I really like my basic protein pancakes, but I wanted to try something new.  I swapped out the applesauce and subbed in a lot of canned pumpkin.  Then I fried them on a griddle over low heat, for longer than usual, and topped it with vanilla yogurt with a touch of cinnamon.

Thursday evening I made pancakes as a side dish, using a completely new recipe. I made zucchini-potato pancakes. I grew up enjoying very good potato pancakes, and was never able to make them as good. Crispy on the outside, moist in the center.

But I hit a home run on this recipe.  I served it as a side to a simple top sirloin steak, with sauteed crimini mushrooms and Vidalia onions on top.

The pancakes were the star of this meal. Light and still substantial. Crispy and tender. And very flavorful!

Finally, an update on my training for the 2012 Bellin Run. Today, I was able to jog at 5.3 mph, for 12:03. I broke my first goal this morning because I continuously jogged 1.06 miles (1.69 Km). Today’s run music was Bruce Springsteen’s Born to Run, and Boston’s Foreplay/Long Time.

It’s a start! I hit my first jogging goal, and know that the rest of the goals are just waiting for me. My plan is to continue to increase my running time by about 45 seconds a day, and then ever Saturday I will increase the speed on the treadmill by 0.1 mph. Doing that will have me at 6.2 mph and a little over a 1 hour run time a few weeks before the Bellin Run. I want to run it in 60 minutes (or a touch under.)

Planning Ahead and Supporting Soundtracks

So much of life seems random. We all encounter unexpected challenges. Planning what we can is a way of keeping a grasp on the reins of life, even if it is just our meal planning.

A few days ago, I made Herb-Crusted Chicken Thighs with a Feta Sauce and Mexican Corn as a side dish. It was a great meal. But although I knew that I would only need 4 pieces of chicken for the meal, I prepare eight pieces.  “Planned overproduction” is a nicer way of saying “I made leftovers.”  When you plan for this, it makes meals later in the week much easier and quicker to prepare.

Today’s lunch is a salad based on that earlier meal. I made a base of Napa cabbage, baby spinach and mixed greens. I topped it with one portion of Mexican corn, one Roma tomato diced, and 1/4 cup fresh blueberries. I topped that with one chicken thigh, cubed. For a dressing, I used one portion (1 tablespoon) of the feta sauce and thinned it with 1 tablespoon olive oil.

Nutritional data for this meal:
Calories:    523
Fat:        35.3g
Sat fat:     8.1g
Chol:     89.8mg
Sodium:  729mg (almost from the Mexican corn)
Carbs:    33.5g
Fiber:       9.1g
Protein:  24.1g

My running is improving daily.  Today I broke the 10 minute mark (jogged for 10:02, which is 0.87 miles at 5.2 mph) and felt really good about it.  My knee started to hurt a little at about the 3 minute mark, but I pushed through it and the pain resolved.  I think I need to make sure I am warmed up better next time.

It helps to have music to help me push through the discomfort. I am not close to the point where jogging is “fun” yet. It is still work, but with the right music on my iPod it becomes less work and more of a achievable goal.  Here is one piece of music that has helped me make progress:

I like the insistent and pervasive nature of the brass and bass line, combined with the bright choral voices that seem to be locked in a chase with the heavier tone underneath. It seems to be a musical interpretation of death’s implacable assault, and the realization that death is part of life at the end of the piece.
Note:  Out of curiosity, I just Googled the piece. It is based on a 13th century Latin hymn, Dies Irae (Day of Wrath). It is pretty much as I interpreted it. Huh.  I honestly did not know that until I Googled it. 

Protein Breakfast Bake, Apple and Spice Variety

Mix ingredients together, pour into greased loaf pan (approximately 4”x8”).  All version bake at 350F for 14-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry.  Do not overbake.  Serve warm (or cold) with whipped cream, Greek yogurt, or maple syrup.  Can be kept in the refrigerator, covered, for up to a week.   (The flaxseed is optional, and is a great way to boost your Omega-3 fatty acid level.  When you use the flaxseed, one portion has 1.3 grams of O-3 fatty acids, which is approximately the same as 4 fish oil capsules!)

2 egg whites

1 tsp vanilla extract
1 medium apple, cored, skin on, chopped
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
½ c dried rolled oatmeal
1 tsp cinnamon (or apple pie spice blend)
1 scoop (4 Tbsp) vanilla protein powder
2 Tbspn milled flax seeds
½ tsp baking powder
Nutritional Data:
Cal:            263
Fat:             5.2g
Sat Fat:       1.0g
Chol:           27mg
Sodium:     140mg
Carb:          34.g
Fiber:          6.2g
Protein:     17.9g

My transition into maintenance (oh, I just cringe at that word) is getting smoother. I have found a few new goals to work toward and that is what will keep me going.

And, for the record, I am not going to refer to it as that word anymore. In my mind, that is a stagnant word, descriptive of keeping status quo, of suggesting no further growth. Instead, I am actively pursuing a new balance point in my life. My weight is no longer the key issue (although, the reality is that my weight always be a point of consideration) but now I am focusing on greater physical fitness.

I remember back in my elementary school days, working toward the President’s Physical Fitness Test (or something like that) which involved running, jumping, throwing a softball, pull-ups (or more accurately described by my demonstrations, “hang-time”), and the worst, the rope climb. I was never an exemplar of physical fitness. I hated phy ed. And of course, I was terrible in all those tests.

Fast forward four decades. Now I have a different perspective. I no longer am comparing myself to classmates like  Jeff Dellenbach (who later played center for the NFL Dolphins, Patriots, Packers and Eagles), nor to any of the other faster and stronger kids of my school. I am competing against myself. I am comparing what I do today with what I did yesterday.

I started training for my 10K. When I was running earlier, before I really started training, I would just go outside and run. And would get winded immediately. Now I am working on a treadmill, at a set pace (5.2 mph, no incline at this time) and am timing myself. I guess that rather than jogging outside, I was sprinting. No wonder I was winded after one block.

My progress so far is that on Friday, I jogged 4:21 (min:sec) at 5.5 mph for 0.4 miles.  (A little too fast.)
Saturday, I jogged 6:25 at 5.0 mph for 0.52 miles. (A little too slow.)
Sunday, I was able to jog continuously for 6:45 at 5.2 mph, which was 0.59 miles. (A nice pace.)
This morning, I completed 7:30, at 5.2mph, for 0.65 miles. I was also able to get my breathing back to normal in 60 seconds today after finishing the jog. That suggests that I am increasing my endurance.

My goal is to add 0.05 miles (or more) each day. That will get me to 6.2 miles about 2.5 weeks before the race.

I also bought a bike. It’s nothing fancy, but it will get me back on the road riding, for another form of exercise. And I am using my weight machine. (I’ll have to get photos of each of those tools soon.) A variety of exercise types will keep things fresh and prevent stagnation.

I have my iPod up and running, with fast-paced music of a wide variety for inspiration. I will start listing my jogging play lists (as soon as I have proper play lists) which should be good for a chuckle or two, because I listen to diverse music. I will soon add a C25K program (or more like a program for 10K races) but first I want to teach myself a good jogging pace, so I will use the treadmill for another week or so.

Bottom line: Get off your bottom. Jog. Bike. Swim. Zumba. Yoga. Pilates. P90X. Find something that gets you motivated and get moving. I used to hate running. Now … well, let’s just say that “hate” is not the correct word anymore. It’s a long way from “love”. Sort of at the “tolerating” stage. But it is another tool that I need to keep me healthy. 

Herb-Crusted Chicken Thighs with Mexican Corn

This recipe could be made using boneless/skinless chicken breasts, but thighs stand up to the heat of frying much better, have more flavor and are juicier.  They have a bit more fat, but I think it is worth it.

Herb-Crusted Chicken Thighs

8 boneless/skinless chicken thighs
1 cup panko bread crumbs
2 tablespoons of your preferred herb/herb blend (I used Penzey’s Tuscan Sunset.)

5 tablespoons feta cheese, crumbled
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice

1.  Mix panko crumbs and herbs.  Press chicken thighs into this, coating both sides.
2.  Heat large non-stick skillet.  Spray with cooking spray.
3.  Place chicken thigh in skillet.  You may need to make two separate batches.
4.  Pan fry over medium heat, approximately 5 minutes.  Turn over and fry another 5 minutes.
5.  Remove from skillet and finish remaining thighs.
6.  While thighs are cooking, combine cheese, oil and lemon juice, stirring to make a thick sauce.

Serve 1 tablespoon sauce on each thigh.

Nutritional data, per thigh:
Calories: 168
Fat:         9.2g
Sat fat:    2.5g
Chol:       75mg
Sodium: 241mg
Carbs:       5g
Fiber:     0.2g
Protein:   17g

Nutritional data, per tablespoon of sauce:
Calories:  65
Fat:           5.9g
Sat fat:      2.8g
Chol:      14.8mg
Sodium:185.9mg
Carbs:      1.1g
Fiber:          0g
Protein:    2.4g

Mexican Corn
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 jalapeno, diced (more if desired)
1-2 avocadoes, diced

Makes 4 serving, approximately 1/2 cup of corn/tomato mixture each, with 1/4 avocado on top

1.  Heat non-stick skillet.  Add drained corn, tomatoes and jalapeno.  Cook over medium heat until heated through and the tomatoes start losing their shape.
2. When ready, serve on a plate, and top with avocado.

Nutritional data:
Calories:   115
Fat:             5.8g
Sat fat:        0.7g
Chol:             0mg
Sodium:  262.8mg
Carbs:       15.1g
Fiber:          4.9g
Protein:       2.2g