The Learn to Love Hungry Food of the Day

Many of my friends and clients have noticed that over a period of a couple of months at the end of the summer I lost some weight.  20lbs to be specific.  I had joined a boot camp for 6 weeks in June and got up at 5:30am, Monday through Friday and I didn't move a single pound off the scale and my pants all fit the same!  I did hurt, my knees felt like they were 70 years old, my face looked old because I was getting up so damn early so I quit.  This was not the route for me. 

I went on the internet and looked for menu plans.  I knew that I wasn't any good at following a normal plan because if I didn't have a particular food, I fell off the plan and lost interest.  So I thought that if I looked at a few different menu's I would pick and choose the items that I had or would keep around and make my own.

I found that the Chatelaine Website provided a number of different diets and I printed them all off and had a look at what I could take from each one and make my own plan.  I noticed one consistent theme across all of the various plans.  I WAS GOING TO BE HUNGRY!!!  It really didn't seem to matter what I was going to eat, I just could not eat very much of it.

I started for a couple of days living on an egg for breakfast, a tuna sandwich for lunch and 1/2 of a chicken breast for dinner with veggies.  I started to loose weight.  I cut out all sugar which was the hardest part and when I would feel hungry, I would tell myself, "learn to love hungry and you will loose the weight", "you don't need to eat a lot of food to fuel your body."  It was working.  Inside of a week I had lost nearly 5lbs.  I was tracking my progress on the Free Lose It app for my iTouch.  Great Little app. 

Then I had tea with my good friend and a massage therapist here in Milton, Martina Gyokery
and she was concerned that I was eating too much tuna and not enough good stuff so she took me shopping and introduced me to Quinoa (kēnwä|).  It cooked up like rice, 1 part quinoa to 2 parts water and it was easy to eat so I picked some up.  Her recipe was simple and easy to make but I decided to try mixing things up with items that I liked.

While shopping I also picked up some beans.  I like beans so I thought they would work well with the quinoa.  I noticed that the Blu Menu Soy Beans had more than double the protein than the other beans so I tried them.  They have nearly no taste so they go with anything.  I now even grind them up with some water and put them in my pasta sauce!  So, I came home and started mixing them together.  I began eating this each day for lunch, controlling my portions to about a cup to a cup and a half.  I would even have some as a side to my dinner.  Smaller plates also seemed to make a difference.  No more large plates.

Well, I felt great and people were starting to notice and I keep getting asked for the recipe so here it is.   I do feel that the real weight came off because I cut out sugar and ate less, but I do feel much better since I have been eating this regularly.  It is always in my fridge and I just warm some up with I am hungry.

Quinoa - I pick this up at Costco for $8.99 but you can get it at the grocery store.

I cook up an onion because I like the taste of them.

Martina introduced me to Kale so I chop that up and throw it in after the onions cook down.

 In the mean time the Quinoa is cooking up in another pot.  I only had 1/2 a cup left so that is what I used.  Normally I put in 1 1/2 cups.

Add the kale to the onion.

 Next I put some Chicken stock in.  These are the other items I used today.

Rinse the black beans (I used different beans each time but I particularly like these)

Rinse and drain the soy beans and throw them in the pot with the onions and kale.

Give them a stir and maybe put a bit more chicken stock in.   I usually add a package of Knor Vegetable soup mix too but I didn't have any today.

I like cherry tomatoes in it too so I cut them in half and throw them in and toss in the can of corn because I like the crunch of the corn.

 Then I toss in the diced tomoates.  Initially I opened up whole tomatoes but I was too lazy to chop them up so I opened up a can of diced and I will used the other can for dinner with something.

 I then toss in about 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons of Essence - Emerils Creole Seasoning.  I use this a lot but I got it from a salmon recipe he makes. 

The recipe for this is:

2 1/2 tbls paprika

2 tbls salt

2 tbls garlic powder

1 tbls black pepper

1 tbls onion powder

1 tbls cayenne pepper

1 tbls dried oregano leaf

1 tbls dried thyme

I then stir it all together.

Oh yeah, forgot the broccoli I had sitting on the counter to add so in that goes.  If I had any other vegetables around I cut them up small too and add them in.  I like zucchini and I have also added in a can of peas.  Depends on what you like.  Celery, carrots or anything would likely work well.

I almost forgot the garlic.  I get lazy and use the stuff in the jar.  It is not as powerful as the fresh garlic but I put a couple of these heaping tablespoons in and that is good.  I may add some more chicken stock and I let it sit for a while.  Have some and put the rest in the fridge for the rest of the week.

Well, for those of you that have been asking for it, here it is.  I hope you personalize it and enjoy as much as I do.  

Leah