so last night was attempt number 2 at veggie/vegan burgers. i am trying to concoct a recipe that i can grill with. the only solutions i've found online are mushroom caps or an assortment of grilled veggies. i don't accept that as a solution (especially when my wife isn't a fungi fan). first try was a chic pea, tofu, oats and cooked rice mixture. i added some salsa for more binding. they stayed together well, but seemed to crack (too dry). this time i used more veggies. onion, bell pepper, potatoes, black beans, tofu (extra firm), salsa, brown rice, bread crumbs and i added some oats to try and dry it out some. it was too gooey to grill so i did them inside again. they were tasty though.
for buns we had been using the arnold sandwich thins. no HFCS and vegan friendly! now other brands are catching on. we got the aunt millie's slimwich. less sodium, softer and cheaper!
one very good success has been veganaise. http://www.recipezaar.com/recipe/Vegan-Mayonnaise-123538
be sure to read the comments to the right. very helpful.
i had about half a cup left so i added 3 avocados to it and some salsa. it was probably the only success of last night.
we love stir fry. to switch it up, try using some curry and coconut milk (peanuts optional). it'll be a bit more thai-esque.
you don't have to give up on cooking and great flavors to eat healthy.
enjoy, be daring, have fun.
21 April 2010
a little background.
sooo... here's a little on who i am and what i'm doing with my (health) life:
i am a 25, going on 26, yo that grew up in florida with ribs, burgers, steaks, bacon, eggs, cheese and a lot of butter. it's "comfort" food. it is comforting if you eat it right and properly. that was my problem and part of what i have been trying to deal with these past 7 months. "why i eat". i ate for comfort too much, and health, not enough.
my whole family loves food and loves to cook. i have always had trouble distinguishing the difference between the two. i love to cook and love to eat delicious, new and original flavors (sorta like remmy).
when i was about 17 i had decided to be a vegetarian for about a year. it was mainly some sort of rebellious stage i think. i stopped that with a 24 oz steak.
i've varied greatly in weight most of my life. i try different diets and i've "change my eating habits" a many time before. some helped, some not so much and they all just drove me nuts.
oct. of '09 i was the heaviest i have ever been. about 450 (not many scales go up that high to know for sure). i am 6'4" and have a very large frame. it was brought to my attention, more than once, that it was getting to be more than just really over weight. it was growing to be more than inconveniences. you know, like shopping at b&t stores for ALL my clothes, not being able to fly comfortably anymore, running out of breath doing my normal job... that sort of thing.
this all changed.
i started dieting, again. the tried and true. meat, fruit, veggies and water. i lost some. felt a little better and then started eating the lazy way again. 24+ eggs a week. a lb. of bacon or more a week. whole chickens. too much dressing.
then the pain started. it was right above my bellybutton to my right. a sharp, burning knife to the gut sort. then i never felt like eating. i did research online. gall stones seemed to fit. i started a list of things that i ate and what made me sick. i ate mostly apples and chicken breast. i went days without eating a thing. i dropped probably 20-30 more lbs. during this whole time.
then i finally went to a dr. who had me get an ultrasound. the result was NAFLS (non alcoholic fatty liver syndrome). something 50 yos get after eating steak and eggs everyday for breakfast. basically i had really high cholesterol.
at this point i had a pretty well adjusted diet. food in general made me nauseous to even look at. it was like my body was throwing in the towel. "you won't do this on your own?! well then we'll make you, fatty!".
being that we could barely afford the ultrasound and dr's visit i opted out of going to the specialist. the nurse i spoke with for my results advised me to continue the diet i was doing and watch my cholesterol intake.
i did some research, again. basically, a low cholesterol diet is about 200-300 mg of cholesterol a day. so why not a NO cholesterol diet? that's where the vegan came in...
today i am at 345 and continuing to drop! i feel better than i ever have (even when i've lost weight in the past)! at first i was still eating maybe 1 chicken breast a week, or some ground turkey breast, but now i am meatless! no cheese, no milk, no butter, no eggs. nothing that comes from an animal. for all intensive purposes, "vegan". the faux comes in with the leather products i still wear/use. (sorry to any real vegans i may have offended with using this word).
side note- i am considering going full vegan. baby steps.
my wife occasionally still eats chicken breast and some dairy products. we have both joined the y thanks to a scholarship and my very generous/encouraging dad and nan! we are adjusting to both. we aren't perfect. we still slip and try to take easy ways out sometimes (too much taco bell every blue moon or so), but we are getting in our niche.
one more thing about how i've changed my eating habits. i try not to eat meals anymore. when i do, it's usually a one normal size meal a day thing. whether it be lunch, breakfast, a snack, dinner, supper, a bedtime snack (yes, i know you shouldn't eat right before bed!), dessert... whichever i feel like. when i'm hungry i eat, just something small first, then maybe a handful of something else, then maybe a meal. and lots of water (and some coffee)! i've found what i've always heard to be true. sometimes feeling hungry is thirst.
so, that should catch anyone up that hasn't been around for it. any questions feel free to ask. i'll try to be a better blogger with this than my 'cats got the speaking in tongues' blog.
i am a 25, going on 26, yo that grew up in florida with ribs, burgers, steaks, bacon, eggs, cheese and a lot of butter. it's "comfort" food. it is comforting if you eat it right and properly. that was my problem and part of what i have been trying to deal with these past 7 months. "why i eat". i ate for comfort too much, and health, not enough.
my whole family loves food and loves to cook. i have always had trouble distinguishing the difference between the two. i love to cook and love to eat delicious, new and original flavors (sorta like remmy).
when i was about 17 i had decided to be a vegetarian for about a year. it was mainly some sort of rebellious stage i think. i stopped that with a 24 oz steak.
i've varied greatly in weight most of my life. i try different diets and i've "change my eating habits" a many time before. some helped, some not so much and they all just drove me nuts.
oct. of '09 i was the heaviest i have ever been. about 450 (not many scales go up that high to know for sure). i am 6'4" and have a very large frame. it was brought to my attention, more than once, that it was getting to be more than just really over weight. it was growing to be more than inconveniences. you know, like shopping at b&t stores for ALL my clothes, not being able to fly comfortably anymore, running out of breath doing my normal job... that sort of thing.
this all changed.
i started dieting, again. the tried and true. meat, fruit, veggies and water. i lost some. felt a little better and then started eating the lazy way again. 24+ eggs a week. a lb. of bacon or more a week. whole chickens. too much dressing.
then the pain started. it was right above my bellybutton to my right. a sharp, burning knife to the gut sort. then i never felt like eating. i did research online. gall stones seemed to fit. i started a list of things that i ate and what made me sick. i ate mostly apples and chicken breast. i went days without eating a thing. i dropped probably 20-30 more lbs. during this whole time.
then i finally went to a dr. who had me get an ultrasound. the result was NAFLS (non alcoholic fatty liver syndrome). something 50 yos get after eating steak and eggs everyday for breakfast. basically i had really high cholesterol.
at this point i had a pretty well adjusted diet. food in general made me nauseous to even look at. it was like my body was throwing in the towel. "you won't do this on your own?! well then we'll make you, fatty!".
being that we could barely afford the ultrasound and dr's visit i opted out of going to the specialist. the nurse i spoke with for my results advised me to continue the diet i was doing and watch my cholesterol intake.
i did some research, again. basically, a low cholesterol diet is about 200-300 mg of cholesterol a day. so why not a NO cholesterol diet? that's where the vegan came in...
today i am at 345 and continuing to drop! i feel better than i ever have (even when i've lost weight in the past)! at first i was still eating maybe 1 chicken breast a week, or some ground turkey breast, but now i am meatless! no cheese, no milk, no butter, no eggs. nothing that comes from an animal. for all intensive purposes, "vegan". the faux comes in with the leather products i still wear/use. (sorry to any real vegans i may have offended with using this word).
side note- i am considering going full vegan. baby steps.
my wife occasionally still eats chicken breast and some dairy products. we have both joined the y thanks to a scholarship and my very generous/encouraging dad and nan! we are adjusting to both. we aren't perfect. we still slip and try to take easy ways out sometimes (too much taco bell every blue moon or so), but we are getting in our niche.
one more thing about how i've changed my eating habits. i try not to eat meals anymore. when i do, it's usually a one normal size meal a day thing. whether it be lunch, breakfast, a snack, dinner, supper, a bedtime snack (yes, i know you shouldn't eat right before bed!), dessert... whichever i feel like. when i'm hungry i eat, just something small first, then maybe a handful of something else, then maybe a meal. and lots of water (and some coffee)! i've found what i've always heard to be true. sometimes feeling hungry is thirst.
so, that should catch anyone up that hasn't been around for it. any questions feel free to ask. i'll try to be a better blogger with this than my 'cats got the speaking in tongues' blog.
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