Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Dieting, Spring

I just heard a report on Good Morning America about weight loss. They were talking about people such as the successful ones on The Biggest Loser as well as everyone else who has lost a significant amount of weight, saying how one's metabolism slows down after weight loss which is why people gain back the weight within 2 years. I am not sure this isn't an excuse. I would like to know what these people are eating. I lost 46 lbs in 2013 and I haven't gained it back. I still write down the food I eat which I believe helps considerably. Awareness of what you are munching all the time is very important. I bowl twice a week and I go to exercise classes twice a week. Not, I might add, that they are very strenuous classes, they are designed for elderly people, most of whom can't do anything too strenuous. We all have aches and pains which prohibit us doing certain movements. There's a woman at the bowling alley who looks like the bigger of these two in the picture. Wearing tight clothes. I had a rant about that before. Another bowler whom we don't see often in the winter, was with us last week and his shirt didn't meet his pants in front so we could see his belly. Sorry, turns me right off.

People everywhere, except round here, are burbling on about it being spring and how lovely it all is. I
have seen a few signs of new leaves although they tried it before and got caught in an ice storm. A month ago, the asparagus farm thought he might be selling by the end of April. Now they aren't sure if it will be available this weekend even. People tell me they are buying asparagus in the stores, sorry, I will only buy it from the farm where it is super fresh and I don't have to break off any ends and waste half the spear by doing so. Not only that I am waiting to bore you all with almost continuous asparagus recipes LOL. Matt keeps telling me it will be available eventually. Maybe, but I want it now not eventually. Apart from which, we have now used up all the asparagus soup. Even the recipe below talks about snapping off the ends of the asparagus and discarding them.


Spring-Vegetable Paella
Food and Wine

SERVINGS: 4


You don't need a paella pan to make paella; any large frying pan will do. Serve this paella hot or at
room temperature (as it is often eaten in Spain), as is or topped with toasted sliced almonds.


INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1/4 cup drained sliced jarred pimientos, chopped (one 4-ounce jar)
1 tomato, peeled and chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
2 cups rice, preferably medium-grain such as arborio
3 cups canned low-sodium chicken broth or homemade stock
1 cup water
1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/2 pound asparagus, tough ends snapped off and discarded, spears cut into 2-inch pieces
1 cup frozen peas
1 6 1/2-ounce jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and sliced
2 cups drained and rinsed canned cannellini beans (one 19-ounce can)


HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE

In a large frying pan, heat the oil over moderately low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the pimientos, tomato, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes.
Stir in the salt, turmeric, and rice. Add the chicken broth, water, and parsley and bring to a boil. Continue cooking over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until most of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice, about 7 minutes.
Stir in the asparagus, peas, artichokes, and beans. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes before serving.


Have a great day

28 comments:

  1. I have been only cutting off one inch from my asparagus and then peeling back to the white on the lower part. It works great, though takes some time, but I am not wasting food. Overly fat folks gross me out. I won't even begin to comment.

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    1. Takes time as you say Denise. I hope ours will be available by the end of t he week. They only gross me out when they don't dress appropriately. The belly is bad enough covered, I don't want to see it hanging out.

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  2. Their metabolism can get screwy, I'm sure, but a lot of people (especially on the Biggest Loser) lose the weight too quickly. That's why they say doing so in a healthy manner is best. Your body has time to adjust. But yeah, people have all kinds of excuses for gaining weight but it's almost always that you're taking in more calories than you're expending. Everyone's looking for some magic way around that!

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    1. I think you are right Stephanie. Slow but sure is much better. Certainly how I lost mine last time. But then I have been dieting all my life I think. I agree, we are all looking for that magic pill.

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  3. Hi Jo - it's working out what works to keep the weight off ... well done you on keeping yours off ... good discipline and the fact you write down your food intake - makes sense ...

    Still cold here - but the weekend looks like lots of warmth down in the south .. Asparagus is in our stores ... the good Supermarket has fresh asparagus - but I won't get it yet ... it'll go down in price soon ... then I shall enjoy lots of it!

    Cheers Hilary

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    1. It is Hilary. I have never had trouble losing weight, but keeping it off was always another story. Still writing it down does help I think.

      Supposed to be warm here this weekend, got my finger crossed for both the weather and the asparagus.

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  4. I can't believe it's asparagus time again - it feels like only a few months ago when I was reading all your recipes for it. We're going to Germany at a perfect time - if the weather warms up a few degrees by next week.

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    1. It isn't yet Fil LOL. Hopefully any day soon. In Germany they have lots of white asparagus I'm told.

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  5. Your husband is right; the asparagus will eventually be ready; lets hope sooner than later!

    Great that you kept the weight off since 2013. I have lost and regained the same 50 pounds over 20 years (need to lose them again). No excuses, I know what I did wrong in each case. I let my guard down and allowed the unhealthy food back into my diet. Now I just need to find that motivation again to want to eat healthier and get fit.

    betty

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    1. Yes I know Betty, but.....

      That's why I am using FitDay to write everything down so I keep track of my eating.

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  6. Well I can tell you that i am proof that your metabolism slows. My mom had me on diets in elementary school. It was nonstop. I wasn't even fat but my family is very fat phobic. Every time I gained the weight back, every time it became harder to lose and keep it off. My doctor back in WA told me that the constant dieting from a young age has slowed my metabolism to a crawl. Back in 2006 I was working out 3-5 times a week and dieting, and I went UP two sizes. That was it. I haven't dieted or exercised since, except in 2014 for my wedding. I must've walked 100 miles that summer and didn't lose a pound.

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    1. You do a lot of walking anyway. The trouble with dieting JoJo, you cannot stop. I am a lot older than you and I have managed to achieve it this time and am hoping I can continue to keep it off this time.

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  7. Jo, I heard some radio personalities talking about the weight story yesterday. All 3 of the guys are very overweight and by the time they quit talking, their general consensus was, it is genetic and the body wants to weigh whatever and just accept it. I lost 100# working at a very physical job. It came off slowly and now that I am retired, I really have to watch my eating and do planned exercise. It really is life style change and conscious effort daily.

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    1. You are so right dynnamae. You have to watch it 100% - one of the Biggest Loser guys said he was eating like a normal man, which normal man I wondered? If you have a tendency to gain, you can't do that.

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  8. I've lost quite a bit too and have not regained it (smile). I also keep a record of what I eat daily. you're right - awareness is key!

    I'm waiting for the farmer's market, near my home to open. They always have the freshest vegetables. Bring on the Asparagus, Jo. I'm ready!

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    1. You are right, I think that is the key Dixie.

      The fresher the better. I have orders from my exercise class too.

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  9. Jo, I am constantly saying I can't eat like normal people. I would regain all that weight if I ate "normal". Have a great day.

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    1. So very true Dynnamae. By the way, do you have a blog, I couldn't find it.

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  10. No one should be showing off a muffin top.
    Those people gain the weight back because they stop doing what it took to get to that weight in the first place. They exercise less and get lazy with their diet.

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    1. I do so agree Alex. I don't know why they do.

      I think the lazy with the diet part is their biggest failing.

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  11. Ah, Jo, the word 'dieting' always makes us come running in case there's been a magic pill/potion/diet that will melt off the pounds with no effort on our part. Hmm. Diets are really doomed to fail and go you for keeping that weight off which is unusual. Lifestyle change is the thing...permanent change and slow weight loss.

    Well, it's nearly winter Down Under and we're still sweating in the humidity, but one blessing is that the nights are now a tad cooler...not what you'd call cool, but relatively cool when we're still having 30C days. So over hot weather. Hmm...where can I move to permanently??

    Denise :-)

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    1. No magic bullet I'm afraid Denise, just sheer determination not to look like that picture. I have never recorded what I eat before with such consistency. Seems to work.

      30° C days would kill me. Maybe you should move to the UK. Don't often get temps like that there.

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  12. You still watch what you eat but allow yourself treats, Jo, by the sound of it. It's much more sensible that way because you don't feel deprived and go on a binge. Keeping active is a good idea too. I could afford to lose a few kilos at the moment.

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    1. Yup, can't do without a few treats here and there Pinky. Plus we do bowl twice a week although by the look of this other bowler, that doesn't help a lot LOL

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  13. Ughh...don't get me started on those shirts that show the belly or the tight clothes on women who should never ever wear tight clothes. It's gross and just because the clothes are tight doesn't mean it will suck in all the fat. I heard about that report and believe that some have a harder time because of metabolism but most start to be sloppy again in their eating habits

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    1. I totally believe that Birgit. If you need to you have to stay on a sensible eating regime no matter what.

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  14. Congrats on keeping the weight off. I want to see what they are eating as well. And I read that someone is working on pill to curb the hunger response or some such rubbish.

    Bull donkey.

    As for asparagus, if I lived where you do, I would only buy direct as well. Sounds heavenly. We had store-bought tonight.

    Just the last two days, Spring got here, but we are supposed to go back down to freezing again this weekend.

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    1. Thanks Ivy. I don't think a pill is needed. A little control and sensible food.

      We are supposed to get flurries on Sunday. Think I should go to the farm before that happens.

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