Losing It

So, as I’ve explained, I’ve been trying to watch what I eat and I try to avoid processed foods as much as possible. Miraculously, since March, I’ve actually lost 20 pounds! You might think I would have lost weight over the past 5 years by having to cut out cake, cookies, pasta, etc. due to gluten sensitivity – no such luck. Instead, the numbers on the scale continued climbing skyward.

 

 

Then I heard about a program called MyFitnessPal (http://www.myfitnesspal.com/) where you basically track every calorie that goes into your mouth, along with your exercise. You set goals in the beginning, and your calorie intake for the day is calculated. You also get other nutrition information for all the food you consume. My sister and I decided to try this together (hence, the pal part of this – you encourage each other as you do this). But not only was I determined to do this program religiously, I also decided I was going to eat as little processed food as possible. The first month was the most difficult for me – I had no idea how much food I had been eating mindlessly, so I found myself extremely hungry and grumpy much of the time. And I was barely losing weight for all my effort. I’d lose half a pound one day and be up a pound the next. I knew I had cut hundreds of calories from my diet. And I was adding exercise at least 3 or 4 times a week to my routine.  And…nothing. I wasn’t tempted to give up, but I was extremely frustrated.

 

And then the miracle. After the first few weeks, the weight started heading down. Back in the day, it was easy for me to lose a quick 5 pounds if I had a special event to go to, with very little effort. But it’s been nearly impossible the past few years to get the scale to budge downward unless I had the stomach flu. I am thrilled and amazed that I’m now at the 20-pound mark. I hope to keep going with this until I’m back to my goal weight. While it’s not easy, it has become habit to be aware of everything I eat and to eat as healthfully and naturally as possible.

 

 

 

So, now that I no longer eat frozen, prepared meals when I have no time to cook, I’ve come up with a few go-to recipes when I come home ravenous and want to start shoving food down my throat. While this recipe isn’t completely natural, it is fairly healthy, very quick and easy, and you can change it as you wish, depending on your food cravings at the moment.

 

If you remember, I rarely measure anything when I cook, so I’m going to give you approximations here – again, go by your own taste if you want to try this recipe.

SAUTEED SPINACH WITH IMITATION CRAB, CHEESE, AND RICE

1 package of raw baby spinach (approximately 5 ounces)

8 ounces of imitation crab – you can substitute tofu, or a different kind of already-cooked fish

3-4 ounces of shredded cheese (I use low-fat Mexican cheese)

approximately one cup cooked rice – I use brown and wild rice

olive oil for sauteing

garlic powder to taste

 

1. Heat the oil and garlic on medium heat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. Add spinach and saute until the spinach wilts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Add the imitation crab (or tofu), more garlic powder if you like a lot of garlic, and saute until the crab is warm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. Sprinkle cheese on top, then add rice. Stir.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That’s it! This recipe makes 2 servings, and you can add a delicious salad for a filling meal. As I said, while not necessarily 100% natural, it’s a quick and delicious substitute for a frozen, unhealthy meal or fast food. It barely takes 10 minutes from start to finish.

 

 

If you do decide to try it, let me know what you think – I’d love to hear your thoughts, and if you decide to make any changes, what you’ve changed.

If I get enough responses, I’ll put them in my next post. Either way, stay tuned!

 

Copyright Nancy Machlis Rechtman, all rights reserved

Tagged: cooking, fresh produce, gluten-free, health, myfitnesspal, organic, preservative-free, quick and easy recipes, recipes, spinach, weight loss