The vegetarian & the carnivore

Hi!!!

I haven't written a post in a long time but I have been quite busy lately! I've had friends visiting from Canada, busy times at work and lots of social events to attend.

As some of you may know, I don't eat meat while my BF loves it. As a way to show him that I care about him, I love to make him healthy and homey dinners once in a while. Most of the time when we cook together, it ends up being fish or pizza or something else non-meaty. 

I am still new to cooking chicken - since I will never eat it, I only prepare chicken when I'm cooking for someone else. That being said, you should  know that I really hate chicken and everything about it, but I really find it interesting that it is so versatile.

To make a vegetarian meal for me and a chickentarian meal for BF, I picked up:

a couple of chicken breasts, tofu (mine) a jar of pureed basil, roma tomatoes, herb & garlic goat cheese, some quinoa and both green & yellow zucchini. 

oh, and bud light :) 

I put the goat cheese, tomatoes and basil inside the chicken & shoved it closed. Olive oil & more basil on top.

Like my pretty ring? I got it in Prague :)

I cooked this for about an hour in the oven and made the zucchini + quinoa on the stovetop.

BF's plate

my plate. note, goat cheese on zucchini is fantastic

This is my idea of compromise.

Today I got to go to the pilates class at lunchtime near my office & was so happy. I LOVE the instructor and felt soooo good after leaving. Tomorrow, I have signed up for a Soul Cycle class after work. I love Soul Cycle a lot - it kicks my ass.

This coming Wednesday is my company's annual client party and I bought a very tight dress. So obviously I've been cutting calories this week / last week at work and picking up my workouts as much as I have time to do. I'm talking Green Juice for lunch, gallons of water + spinach with beets for lunch, the odd Simplifast here n there. Your tips for slimming down quickly would be greatly appreciated ;)

I need to get to bed early! Night :)

4 Day Juice Cleanse Wrap Up

 Last week I did a 4 day cleanse using Simplifast’s Juice Diet Shots. 

If you’re just joining me, check out my posts about each day:

Never say never... Juice Cleanse: Day 1.

Juice Cleanse: Day 2 
Juice Cleanse: Day 3 & SJP  

Juice Cleanse: Day 4

Initially, I had agreed to do a cleanse with a couple girls from the office. I had a hard time believing that I could actually stick to it – I was really scared that I would fall off the wagon half way through! By the end of the cleanse, I felt like I could keep going because I wasn’t hungry and I genuinely felt better overall.

My best advice to you if you’re considering doing a cleanse: Easing off of a cleanse is important. The night I finished the cleanse, I had a piece of pizza and a few drinks. I got so sick, never ever do that! The day after the cleanse, I started the day with a juice (I actually woke up craving one!), then later had some fruit, veggies and soup. I found that I got full really quickly.

Even 3 days after I finished the cleanse, I notice my appetite isn’t as out of control as it was after the holidays. I have lost a few pounds and I hope they stay off. This week I am planning to stick to a plant based diet with the occasional protein thrown in there. For example, this morning I had  2 kiwis for breakfast, a big salad for lunch with tofu and some cherry tomatoes & cucumber slices for an afternoon snack. I’d also like to only have 1 cup of coffee today as I found I didn’t need it like I thought I did – I just missed the taste & experience of a good cup of coffee.

To find out more about Simplifast, check out their site http://www.simplifast.com/ I recommend ordering on Amazon or waiting for a deal site to feature the products for a lower price!

I am interested in doing another cleanse the last week of January. Do you have any recommendations?

Juice Cleanse: Day 4

I did it!

If you're just joining me:

Never say never... Juice Cleanse: Day 1.

Juice Cleanse: Day 2 
Juice Cleanse: Day 3 & SJP  

Day 4 flew by & was much easier than the days prior. At lunch I broke and had an orange, but I was glad that I did. Surprisingly, food was the last thing I wanted.

On Friday night I went to the rodeo at Madison Square Garden. Tickets were only $15 and I thought, why wouldn't I go see buckin broncos and angry bulls in the city?!  You can read all about the event in this press release http://www.pbr.com/en/news/press-releases/2011/12/the-worlds-best-bull-riders-return-to-new-york.aspx 

go Canada!

 I made a bad decision and ended up drinking after not eating anything for 4 days - great idea genius! At the end of the night I drunkingly ate a piece of pizza and got sick about 5 minutes after. Choices Caitlin, choices. One day I'll learn ;)

Energy Level – About a 8 out of 10.

Exercise – Only lifting the beer cup up to my mouth at the end of the day.

Sleep – Wonderful.

Feeling – Like "yay I did it" and "i really shouldn't have drank after". Now that I know that a cleanse is not impossible I think I will totally do another one perhaps at the end of the month before I go to Europe (woohoO!) Glad I still have a few bottles of Simplifast left over. I had one Saturday morning and actually enjoyed it.

Tomorrow I"ll write a bit about my struggles getting back to eating solid food. 

Juice Cleanse: Day 3 & SJP

If you're just joining me, find out a bit about day 1 and 2-

Never say never... Juice Cleanse: Day 1.

Juice Cleanse: Day 2

Day 3 was kind of roller coaster of emotions. At moments I felt amazing, my whole body tingled and I felt a bit high. Other times, I was cranky, hot, enraged, hungry and overall, a vile human being.

Last night I decided to try some cherry tomatoes and chopped cucumber to cap off my successful day of only drinking 4 Simplifast shots and a bit of no sodium, fat free vegetable broth. Boy oh boy, did I regret it. 20 minutes after eating I had stomach pains and I felt dizzy. My body was not happy about the introduction of food! I’m worried about the reintroduction of solid food after that. I might try again tonight. In good news, I feel like I have lost a few pounds. My collar bone is more pronounced and my jeans feel loose. Hopefully I can maintain this!

Energy Level – Back and forth between normal and exhausted.  

Exercise – Please, I got winded just walking from the 7 train to the 6 on the way home.

Sleep – Pretty good, I had a bit of trouble falling asleep. My tummy was crazy!

Feeling – Accomplished. I didn’t think I could stick to a cleanse, and today is the last day! Woohoo!

I also wanted to share some fabulous SJP & Ferris Bueller pics from Vogue. Meeting SJP has been one of my most memorable moments of living in NYC so far. I actually cried (note this was during a boozy brunch in the West Village). She is just so cool.

Check it out! - full article here http://www.vogue.com/magazine/article/sarah-jessica-parker-show-and-tell/

 Later!

Juice Cleanse: Day 2

Day 2 was definitely better than day 1. 

If you're just joining me, find out a bit about my first day - Never say never... Juice Cleanse: Day 1.

I felt less hungry, less ' weird' and had fewer cravings. The only really annoying part of day 2 has been getting up to pee every 15 minutes at work. Very inconvenient! 

I am getting tired of the taste of the drinks and I really am craving solids.So far my favorite flavor is strawberry mango. 

As predicted, at about 3pm each day I hit a wall. Hard. Hopefully Day 3 is better!

Day 2:

Energy Level – About a 6 out of 10, 10 being normal. 

Exercise – Heck no. Last night I went to Bed, Bath & Beyond and was exhausted by the time I got home.

Sleep – Great, I slept like a (malnourished) baby.

Feeling – Happy. I made it half way! 2 more days of weird juice drinks :) I am already sick of the taste though. Boo! BUT in good news, I am feeling skinnier. I am going to weigh myself on Friday to see what I've lost.

I think I might watch Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead again to keep on track.  I ordered a juicer off of Amazon yesterday and am planning to do a reboot cleanse closer to my Europe trip. Have you watched this movie?

Never say never... Juice Cleanse: Day 1.

Yes, I did write a whole post about how I could never, ever, ever do a cleanse and I thought they were stupid. (See here: To Cleanse, Or Not to Cleanse? )

Yes, I have been known to vow that I love food too much to do a cleanse.

Yes, I have silently ridiculed others for doing cleanses.

Yes, I really do think that some cleanses are stupid.

BUT, today I started the Simplifast Juice Cleanse.

I’m not going to lie – I am doing the cleanse to lose weight and not to “rid my body of toxins” (a common fib). Over the holidays I was a garbage disposal and ate everything I could get my hands on (think chocolate, coffee with Baileys, pizza, Chinese food) . It was like every meal was my last. Shameful. To repent and get myself a little slimmer before my Europe trip I thought this would be a cool thing to try.

I found a deal site voucher where I could get 24 juice shots for $24.99 + $12 shipping. A couple girls from work jumped on the bandwagon so I have some moral support. Basically, you mix 1 shot with 12oz of water and sip 4 servings throughout the day in place of meals, drink at least 48oz of water and eat fresh fruits / vegetables if needed. I am planning on adding some veggies and broth to this to keep me sane.

From their site, some benefits:

Increased Energy

Increased Immunity – right…

Enhanced Liver Function – right…

Reduced Allergy Symptoms – right…

Increased Metabolism

Rapid Weight Loss

Improved Digestive Function

Reduced Joint Aches and Pains

Improved Sleep

Heightened Mental Clarity, Focus, and Memory

Improved Stability of Moods and Balance

Feeling of Calmness and Peace – right…

Reduced Appetite, Food, Alcohol, and Nicotine Cravings (I don’t know about this one – I could use a drink)

3 Delicious Flavors: Lemon Citrus, Orange Pomegranate, Strawberry Mango

So far today I have had the lemon citrus shot and an orange pomegranate. They were lying about the “delicious” part. Bleck.

Learn more here - http://www.simplifast.com

Last night I watched Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead and it was pretty motivating. You can watch this for free on Hulu or on Netflicks. I am definitely considering buying a juicer and doing a 10 day green juice cleanse. Have you seen this movie? The total transformation that the both Phil and Joe make was incredible. Watch it.

Each day I’ll update how I’m doing on the cleanse.

So far today:

Energy Level – Normal considering it is my first day back to work after a long break for the holidays. (2 ½ weeks!) I am a bit tired, but I think that is a combination of not being used to waking up to an alarm for weeks and the fact that I haven’t had a cup of coffee, only mint herbal tea.

Exercise – I might go to the gym tonight, but the cleanse recommends only light exercise. Perhaps yoga.

Sleep – We will find out tonight.

Feeling – Tired. I’d like a coffee and a sandwich, please. The weird thing is, I don’t really feel hungry. I kind of just want something real because I am used to it.

Hopefully I can stick to this. Tonight I am planning on having some vegetable broth and maybe a small salad depending on my hunger levels. Wish me luck!

Have you ever done a juice cleanse?