Getting Back on Track

Back to 222 something after a couple weeks!

Recently changed to having a hot bowl of oatmeal, instead of my typical breakfast smoothie. The bowl of oatmeal wasn't as filling either.     Maybe it's just the morning smoothie is easier to digest so my body gets the hit of protein more quickly in the morning, calming the appetite down

Anyhoo, my weight jumped up from 222 something to a consistent 224lbs for well over a week after I made the switch to Oatmeal bowls for breakfast.   Stayed stuck around 224 for almost 2 weeks even though I've been biking a lot.   Makes sense though after calculating the calories of my new breakfast.

A heaping cup of peanut butter flavored Oatmeal is about 400 calories, (see recipe), but I also ended up eating more for breakfast in general

• a peeled apple (100 calories)
• a hefty slice of 50% whole wheat sourdough bread with PB (200-250 calories)
• 9-12 dark chocolate covered almonds, 160 calories
• a 1/2 cup of roasted peanuts in the shell, 160 calories

total  = 970 calories 

I switched back to my Smoothie breakfast option, (~250 calories... 1 cup soy milk, 1 Scoop Orgain protein powder, 1 scoop pbfit powder, 1 cup of water)

• 1/2 cup COLD peanut butter oatmeal   OR  a thin slice of 50% ww bread with PB.  150-200 calories
• 1 apple or 1 peach  80-100 calories
• 3 dark choc almonds   50 calories

total = 500-550 calories 

I think the smoothie may help me feel "full" enough more quickly because of the bigger volume?   When losing weight you always feel slightly hungry, but there's tolerable hunger and then there's low blood sugar HUNGRY!!!!.       The smoothie keeps me in the tolerable hungry zone, where the bigger oatmeal breakfast pushed me completely out of weight loss mode, and it's hard to shift back and forth.

So I'm switching back to my Smoothie breakfasts as I do my final weight loss push to get under 220lbs. 

To lose 1 pound per week, I need a 500 calorie deficit per day, so it's easy to see why I got stuck at 224 after switching to daily oatmeal bowl breakfasts.   I added 500 calories of food per day, unintentionally.

 BUT!!! this experiment was worth it because I've found 2 new dessert ideas that should work long term with my new healthy lifestyle

Eating a cold half cup portion of the aforementioned peanut butter flavored Oatmeal satisfies my ice cream cravings and it's only 150-200 calories, (see recipe).   Oats are great for cholesterol too.    As the weather warms up, a salad for dinner with some cold oatmeal for dessert doesn't sound that bad to me.

I also found this  Almond Flour Based Protein Bars recipe     Completely unrelated to the smoothie vs oatmeal breakfast issue, I wanted to find a healthy alternative to Clif Bars when I'm out doing long bike rides.   I had a bag of almond flour in the pantry I needed to figure out how to use.   It's also corrected my cravings to overindulge in unsalted roasted peanuts.    Just a 1/2 cup portion of peanuts IN THE SHELL!!! is 160 calories.   Yowza!     And apologies for TMI, I'm already eating a lot of fiber, so the extra fiber from the peanuts was making #2's painful.   Who knew?    

The first batch of almond flour protein bars I made using Orgain Peanut Butter Protein Powder, https://a.co/d/03iQw5A7   and BJ's Wellsley brand natural peanut butter, and it frikkin rocked!   

Totally reminded me of these peanut butter squares I made a lot during Covid shutdown, this recipe,  which (oopsie) totals nearly 5000 calories per batch vs the 1600 calorie total of the almond flour recipe.     No wonder I ballooned to over 300 lbs during Covid.    Btw, it's easy to copy and paste recipes into Google's Search, and its AI prompt will give you a calorie total if you just first type, What is the calorie total of the following recipe.    Just FYI.

Back to the Almond Flour recipe, the 2nd batch I made with Orgain Chocolate Fudge Protein Powder, and BJ's almond butter.    Still good, but way less addictive, a good thing.      I cut them into small 50 calorie, 1 inch square sizes.    I also only use 1/3 cup of maple syrup because the Orgain Protein Powders have natural sweeteners like Stevia. 

The almond squares help me not overeat after getting home from a long bike ride.   They should pack well on longer rides too, but we haven't had a super hot day yet.   They could get messy when it's over 80F/27C.   Clif bars get boring after awhile, and I don't want to get in the habit of eating junk food when I'm out bike riding.    Part of my minor weight uptick was overindulging in ice cream or a pizza slice when I was out on a longer 2-3 hour ride.    I buy snacks more AFTER I get down into the lower 210's, but I need to lose the last 10lbs first.    No regrets, I need to take a short break and have some fun, but back to the final push.

Once I'm down to the lower 210's I can enjoy the extra 3300 calories per week then.   Subtracting about 200 calories because my Basal Metabolic rate will be less per day.    Food-wise,  I'm still very happy with the healthier stuff I make and eat now, but the occasional pizza slice or ice cream cone will be fun.     Almost there!

 

Peanut Butter Protein Oatmeal for Dessert

 

Peanut Butter Oatmeal 

ratio of steel cut oats to water is 1:3 

i usually cook  1-1/3 cups of steel oats to 4 cups water 

coat cooking pot in a thin schmear of neutral cooking oil first.  < 1 tablespoon 

• In a rice cooker, set to porridge setting.    
• In an instant pot,  4 minutes high pressure.    Wait at least 10 minutes after the 4min is done before releasing the pressure.

 

PER cup of water used....     

1 scoop of Orgain Plant Based Peanut Butter Protein Powder, https://a.co/d/03iQw5A7

1 scoop of  PB Fit Powder, https://a.co/d/0hF4yNRR 

1/2 tablespoon of natural Peanut Butter 

~ 1/4 cup of plain milk.     

NOTE:    I add just the powders and peanut butter with the cooked oats first and mix.   The oatmeal will be super dry and lumpy.    Then I slowly add milk to the mix as I stir to get the consistency I like.     Don't overshoot. 

(I prefer Soy milk for it's creaminess and long shelf life, but any milk works) 

so, if you cook 1 and 1/3 cups of steel cut oats in 4 cups water (~650 calories),   add the following

• cooking oil, 80 calories 
• 4 scoops of Orgain Peanut Protein powder (4x80 = 320 calories)
• 4 scoops PB fit powder (4x60 = 240calories)
• 2 tablespoons peanut butter  (180 calories)
• ~1 cup Soy Milk  (110 calories) 

Totals 1580 calories, and when I had it for breakfast instead of a smoothie, I'd eat about a quarter of it,   ~400 calories.    When I have it for dessert or a snack, I eat a small, half-cup 150-200 calorie serving.

It's very satisfying, reminds me of rice pudding.    But more fiber and doesn't spike your blood sugar.

Static week weight-wise

Weigh-in was 226.2.    Lost a whopping 0.2 lbs this past week.    I've noticed this pattern of losing a ton of weight over a week, and then the next week my body rebels.    It was one of those rebellion weeks; I gained half a pound, and then came back under slightly vs last Sunday.     C'est La Vie.   

I will say the weird thing is "feeling" like I've binged and overeaten a ton when I actually haven't.    Weird how the body adjusts like that.   Probably a good thing.    I only mention so you don't think I'm lying around moaning and starving.   Not the case.    I've felt quite full lately.

I've been saving more recipes i see on instagram.   I need to cook some different stuff, I've been in a rut lately.   Going to try this recipe next.   I want to try adding more sweet potato to my diet.   https://glow-diaries.com/vegan-cottage-pie/#recipe     

I don't think regular salad for dinner is going to cut it every night.    Never really thought that was going to last.   At best, it would work for 1-2 months to get under 220, but I don't think it'll work that long.    With the aforementioned vegan pie recipe, I love that the author listed stuff in grams.    Makes getting the veggie ratios so much easier.     I have a small kitchen digital scale for my baking, so it's easy to use for other recipes too.

And, I think I may try this bean salad next.    But I think the term salad is overused in this case.   It's more like a cold bean dish.   Maybe I'm biased?    To me salad requires leafy greens and broccoli/cauliflower.  

https://www.instagram.com/p/DWFW7TpCI6j/ 

Chickpea, Edamame & Cabbage Salad with Sesame Dressing

For the salad:

• 2 cups cabbage, finely shredded (green, purple, or mix)

• 1 cup cooked or canned chickpeas (drained & rinsed)

• 1 cup shelled edamame (cooked)

• 1 medium carrot, grated

• 2 tbsp green onions, chopped

• 2 tbsp fresh cilantro (optional)

For the sesame dressing:

• 2 tbsp sesame oil

• 1 tbsp soy sauce

• 1 tbsp rice vinegar (or lime juice)

• 1 tsp honey or maple syrup

• 1 tsp grated ginger

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 1–2 tbsp water (to thin, as needed)

Sprinkle Toasted Sesame Seeds  and/or Panko