Happy New Years Veggie Lovers!
2014 means yet another Fresh Start, so why not start out with a fun and veggie filled challenge to get the year going strong?
Every January I set new goals for myself, and this year I have some big ones:
1.) Lose 10 pounds by my 26th Birthday (January 30th 2014)
2.) Pay at least $10,000 of my loans off in 2014
3.) Let go of things that I cannot change and focus on what I can change.
The first goal is an ongoing goal to move towards my ideal weight of 130lbs. Right now I am 166lbs. I plan to be 155lbs in 28 days.
In order to better grasp how I have gained so much weight during the last few years, I had to look back and evaluate my daily routines and habits. In considering this, I determined that my weaknesses fell in over consumption of sweets as well as over consumption of alcohol. I may not have drank any alcohol at all Monday through Friday, but on a typical Friday or Saturday night, I might go through 5-10 beers each night depending on if Beer Sports, such as Flip Cup or Beirut were involved.
A 12 oz Bud light is 110 calories.
This means that 5 beers = 550 calories, and
10 beers = 1100 calories.
...not very "light" after all.
I also evaluated what I was eating on a daily basis. As a whole, I was eating approximately 1200-1300 calories a day, which is in the range of what I should be consuming.
However, many times, what I was consuming was high-carb and high-simple-carb related, such as Bagels, Bread, and Pasta.
In December, I decided to abstain from alcohol consumption as a whole. I'm not going to lie-- it was hard. Between free after-work Happy Hours and Holiday parties, it seemed that everyone was drinking every other day. It made me realize how many opportunities I really had to drink. I was strong and aside from 1 mimosa on Christmas Morning, I met my challenge and lost 5 pounds.
I had a few glasses of wine on New Years Eve and decided that I should continue this challenge into January. Being more conscious of what I am putting into my body is going to be key in keeping my weight in check.
This brings us to the key topic of discussion:
THE SALAD CHALLENGE!
I thought it would be fun to dedicate an entire month to getting to know salads a bit more intimately.
Disclaimer: Even though I have been vegetarian for over 6 years, I have never been a huge fan of salads
So, I'm compiling all of my favorite salad recipes, and learning new ones to get better acquainted with my raw veggies. Salads for dinner, and left over salad for lunch. LETS GET IT ON.
I will attempt to post daily and share my recipes for anyone who would like to jump on the salad train with me.
Today I have a simple Garden Salad
Mixed Greens-- (baby spinach, arugula and romaine)
English Cucumber
Grape Tomatoes
Red Pepper Hummus ( 1 Tbsp)
with a dressing of 1 Tbsp EVOO, 1 Tbsp Balsamic Vinaigrette, a splash of Braggs Liquid Amino ( adds salty flavor) and cracked black pepper.
I also brought an Avocado and some grapes as snacks today.
Join in and follow along as I continue my journey and if you have a favorite salad recipe that I should try, share in the comments!
Until tomorrow!
VEG-OUT!
