Fast(ing) Food - Garlic and Ginger Beef Stir-Fry

Day 141, Fast Day #56

I will tell you how to make this without creating a fireball in your kitchen.

I got a flat-bottomed wok as a wedding gift so I feel compelled to make lots of stir-fry (Zach is not complaining). I love stir fry because it is fast, simple, and healthy (unless you are adding in a bunch of corn starch for a thick sauce).

Because stir-frying is hot and quick, there is some potential for disaster (smoke & flames). Before I give you the recipe, please note these tips on avoiding setting off the smoke alarm while stir-frying..

1) ONLY stir-fry using oils with high smoke points! I know a lot of folks that try to exclusively cook with unrefined oils, extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, and animal fats like lard and butter. Do not use these for stir-fry! Unrefined oils have low smoke points because of the little bits in them. If you try to stir-fry with these you will likely create a burnt mess if not a ball of flames. On the opposite end, never use any hydrogenated (whipped/"spreadable") vegetable-based oils either. They also have low smoke points.

What oils should you use? Traditionally refined peanut oil is used. For those that can't/don't eat peanut products, try refined canola, soy, safflower, sunflower, palm, or avocado oil. Again, unrefined oils are going to smoke at low temperatures.

2) Do not preheat oil in the wok/pan prior to stir-frying. Just heat the wok. This will minimize the breakdown of the oil due to the high heat and helps prevent your cooking oil from it reaching its smoke point while cooking.

3) Add flavoring oils at the end. Sesame oil, chili oil, garlic oil, and other flavoring oils are for flavor, not cooking. They have low smoke points. If you add these too early, you may summon the fires of Mordor in your kitchen.

Now that you are less likely to cause a stir-fry fire, here is the recipe:

Garlic and Ginger Beef Stir-Fry (Yields 3 servings) ~376 kcal/serving
Takes 10 minutes to cook

• 2 tbsp cooking oil with a high smoke point, divided in half ~240 kcal (I used refined canola)
• 1 large clove of garlic, minced ~5 kcal
• 1/2" knuckle of fresh ginger, peeled and minced ~2 kcal (about 1 tsp minced ginger)
• 10 oz beef, thinly sliced (like fajita meat) ~569 kcal (I recommend using skirt or flank steak cuts)
• 1/2 large onion, chopped ~30 kcal
• large carrot, thinly sliced ~52 kcal
• large bell pepper, sliced ~33 kcal (I used a green one)
• 2 cups broccoli, chopped ~60 kcal
• 1 tsp rice vinegar ~6 kcal (white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar are okay substitutes)
• 2 tbsp soy sauce ~20 kcal
• 1 tbsp rice cooking wine ~25 kcal (one can substitute this with sherry or a drier white wine, note American cooking wine is salty and not the best substitute)
• 1/4 crushed red chili pepper flakes ~2 kcal -optional
• 1/2 tbsp sesame oil ~60 kcal
• 1/2 tsp hot chili oil ~23 kcal - optional

Once the wok (or large pan) is heating up on your stove, stir-frying occurs at a rapid pace. I recommend having all of the ingredients you need in your reach and to not take your eyes off of the wok. So make sure all of your veggies and whatnot are ready to go.

Heat your wok on the high heat, (not the oil). I have to use the highest heat possible on my electric stove. You know it is hot enough if you put a small drop of water (DO NOT throw a bunch of water in a very hot pan. Hot steam burns flesh.) into the wok and it evaporates within a couple seconds. If the water immediately evaporates, your wok is too hot and there will be smoke once you put in oil. Remove the wok from the heat to cool a bit if this is the case. As soon as it is hot (but not too hot) you want to start cooking.

Carefully remove the wok from the direct heat source and add the cooking oil into the wok and swirl it around to coat the sides. If smoke occurs when you add oil you need to stop what you are doing, turn off the burner, wait until the wok is cool, wipe up the oil, and start over. Only bad things will happen to your food and you if you continue with a wok that is crazy hot.

Add the minced ginger and garlic into the wok first. Stir around for a few seconds. Stir while it cooks. If you are not using fresh garlic, add it in with the vegetables later since it is already soft and will burn quickly.

Add onions to the wok. Stir until onions until they start to break down and become translucent on the edges.

Add the beef to the pan. Let it cook on one side (pause the stirring for a moment) for a minute. Cook and stir for another minute. The beef should not be cooked through at this point, but seared.

Add the rest of your vegetables (carrots, bell pepper, and broccoli) and rice wine. Stir for about 2 minutes or until the carrots and broccoli start becoming tender.

Add the soy sauce, rice vinegar, and chili pepper flakes to the wok and mix for a minute. Add in the sesame and chili oil last and stir. Then serve and eat.

Tip: If you want a stronger flavor and have time, try marinating the beef in the soy sauce, rice wine, rice vinegar, and additional garlic and ginger for 30 minutes to 4 hours prior to cooking.

Guest Post: The Lazy Low Cal Lifestyle Way to Revamp Your Recipes

by Becky Clark

My kids put me on journeys I never imagined for myself, but probably not in the way you're thinking. I mean, all parents end up at the waterpark  the emergency room, and Disneyland eventually, but this is different.

When my older son was about 8, he and I went in search of some historical fiction for boys because, let's face it, reading his sister's American Girl books was not cutting the macho mustard for him. When we couldn't find any that he hadn't read, he threw the fiction gauntlet at my feet. Mom, why don't you just write one? Thus was born my first book.

As adults (if that's what we’re calling 18-year-old boys these days), both my sons joined the Navy, shoving this knows-nothing-about-the-military Mom straight into the arms of Uncle Sam. One of them is getting out soon, but the other is deploying again, at which time I'm thrust into the role of adoptive grandmother. Lucky for me it's just for his dog. But still.

Both of them were matter-of-fact about their requests: Mom, will you go talk to the recruiter with me? … Mom, will you take care of Nala for a while?

When my daughter was in her first apartment in college, her request was just a simple: Mom, will you send me the recipes you used to make when we were kids?  

Out loud, I said, “Of course, darling!” but in my head I was thinking, “Score! That will make a cute little Christmas present for Her Hard to Shop For-ness!

Little did I know the result of her simple request would be an entirely new business venture and writing genre for me. When I started compiling recipes for her, I was horrified at how unhealthy those family dinners had been. Yes, we had fun, but geez-o-pete … a jury of my peers just might convict me of trying to kill them with butter and cheese.

So I healthed 'em up. While I was revamping our recipes, hubs and I had lost some weight — not much, 10 pounds or so, but enough to notice. People started asking what I was doing differently and thus was born my Lazy Low Cal Lifestyle cookbooks and blog.

One of the things I get asked a lot — a LOT — is how I create recipes. It's not rocket surgery, but it can be a daunting task. Especially for those of us who have long ago embraced the lazy.

So, here are some tips to revamp your recipes, if you're so inclined. And if you're lazy — like me — and NOT so inclined, here’s the link to buy my cookbooks where I've done all the work for you. I have a sale going on all the digital versions, but the brand-spankin-new print version includes ALL my recipes. (And were you aware your bookshelf has confessed to having a little crush on my cookbook? Just thought you should know.)

The first thing I do with a recipe is look at the ingredient list. If I can't picture the location of each ingredient in my pantry or grocery store, I decide how necessary each one is. If they seem like integral parts of the recipe but I've never heard of them, I wad that recipe up and toss it. Life's too short to search for ingredients or special utensils. (I have made the exception for doughnut pans. I'm not a complete idiot.) If it seems like I can substitute ingredients (or better yet, leave them out), then I continue.

Next I look at what I know to be high calorie or unhealthy ingredients. Can I substitute half the oil for applesauce? Remove half — or all — of the meat? Use almond milk instead of heavy cream? Sauté with water or broth instead of oil? Even though Grandma would certainly answer with an emphatic no, can I get rid of the potato chips crumbled on top of the casserole?

Then I see what healthy ingredients I can use more of. Can I double the vegetables? Add more fish? Throw in a little flaxseed or wheat germ?

This not only ‘healths it up’ but it also increases the volume of food in the recipe, which does two important things. One, it lowers the overall calorie count by increasing the servings. Two, it means I'll have leftovers so I won't have to cook so often. Yes, I really am that lazy. I prefer to think of it as efficient, though.

So then I actually have to cook it. Most main dishes and sides only take one try, but baking is more science than art so changing ingredients causes more angst as well as a few more tries. But when there’s chocolate involved, I'll take one for the team! (Ironic side note here, when I'm in cookbook-mode and making lots of new low-calorie recipes, I actually gain weight. So not fair.)

And the last step is to measure the total number of appropriate-sized servings. You may need to change your thinking about serving sizes. I know I did. Now I cut my squares smaller, use muffin tins and other single-serving choices, eat half as much as I used to. If I'm truly still hungry 30 minutes later, I'll have some more. You know the drill.

And the LAST last step — should you choose to accept this mission — is to do the math and figure out the exact calories in the recipe. It requires precision and a calculator, but I have faith in you. Divide total calories in the recipe by the number of servings and you have calories per serving. If a main dish is over 400 calories per serving, I make the servings smaller, or I try it again with more substitutions or whatever. Or I'm forced to give up on it.

I can offer you a bit of help, however. When you join my mailing list at LazyLowCalLifestyle.com, you get some freebies, one of which is my Alphabetical List of Foods and Their Calories, a helpful resource I've compiled over the years. I use it all the time and I bet you will too.

So, that's my story and a bit of how and why I do what I do.

I hope you find success and joy on whatever journey you’re on, whether your kids nudged you to the path, whether someone dragged you kicking and screaming to it, whether you stumbled on it yourself, or whether you hacked your way through the brambles searching for it despite the dangers of dragons, evil witches, and fierce beasts. You're on it now … isn't the view lovely?

Happy cooking!

Becky Clark is the author, blogger, and cook behind LazyLowCalLifestyle.com. Enjoy more of her humor and low-calorie recipes in her cookbooks or on her website. If you have questions for Becky, please leave a comment and she will get back to you right here!

Guest Post: 3 Delicious Low-Fat Apple Juices

by Oleg

When you say "juicing" with the intent to lose some weight, you mean juice comprised of vegetables and fruits. The major front-runner of fruits, when it comes to juicing, is the apple. It is very common among mixtures of natural juices. Apple is rich in vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, C and folic acid.

Not only that, apples can also neutralize the bitter taste and bad odor of vegetable mixtures. Without the presence of apple in a mixture, the juice can have a strong smell and a bitter taste, especially if the mixture is comprised mostly of green vegetables like broccoli, kale leaves, cauliflower and others.

Here are the top 3 apple juicing recipes for weight loss:

1. Apple-Carrot-Ginger Juice. This juice will be loved by the health enthusiasts because it’s really low fat. It only contains 60 calories at the maximum. You can make this by mixing 1 cup of carrots, 1 cup of chopped apples, 1 teaspoon of grated ginger and 2 cups of ice.

For the carotene to be easily assimilated by your liver, you need to mix the juice with one half cup of sour cream or yogurt   A single serving will give you bursting flavors of saltiness, sourness, bitterness, spiciness and sweetness.

2. Apple-Fennel Juice. This juice has a fighting sweetness and sourness flavor. To get the right mixture, all you need to have is pick a 1 bulb of fennel, 2 lemons (sliced), 2 apples (use large ones) and a handful of mint.

Put everything inside the juicer and start blending until it liquefies. If you wanted to make it greener, you have the option to add kale leaves. Serve with ice cubes for great taste. Each serving only has a maximum of 130 calories.

3. Apple-Grapefruit Juice. This mixture is deliciously enticing because of the presence of semi-sweet grapefruit. In order to tone down the sweetness and sourness of the grapefruit, you need to put 2 big apples in the mixture. Usually, this mixture contains 1 grapefruit. The tropical fruit’s mixture with the apple is perfect. Usually, the mixture will give you 130 calories. 

Juicing for weight loss using apples is indeed very fun. Apples are a universal neutralizer in the world of juicing. They can be paired with any other vegetable mixtures or with other fruits like pears, grapes, citrus, watermelons and many more. Try it and witness its wonders.

Oleg, the author is a fitness and health enthusiast and invites you to visit his personal blog at howtogetabbs.com if you would like to get more fat loss tips.

Guest Post: Fast(ing) Food - Seared Sesame-Crusted Ahi Over Mango Cilantro Slaw

by Sarah Berger

Eat this and forget you're fasting because you made your mouth so happy.

Seared Sesame-Crusted Ahi over Mango Cilantro Slaw (Yields 2 servings)
~500 kcal/serving (w/avocado) or ~350 kcal/serving (w/o avocado)

This fast day meal is full of healthy fats and a wide variety of vitamins and minerals including iron, 11 grams of fiber, and many vitamins (A, B, C, E), and more.

Sesame-Crusted Tuna:

• 2 frozen ahi steaks (I used the ones from Trader Joe’s)
• 1 tsp sesame seeds (not toasted)
• 1 tsp coconut oil
• salt - optional

Defrost tuna in the fridge overnight or in a bowl of cold water (still in package). Remove from package and place on a plate, sprinkle with sesame seeds on all sides and press into fish. Season with salt, if desired. 

Heat coconut oil in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Once oil is melted and hot, add fish. Cook on each side for 1-2 minutes depending on desired done-ness. Be careful not to burn sesame seeds---turn often and reduce heat if necessary. 

Remove from pan and place on a cutting board to rest for a few minutes while assembling the slaw. 

Mango Cilantro Slaw:

• ¼ red cabbage, shredded (about 2 cups)
• 1-2 carrots, grated
• 2 green onions, sliced finely
• 1 mango, julienned
• 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped finely
• ½ English cucumber, halved lengthwise then thinly sliced

Dressing:

• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• ½ tsp honey
• 1 tbsp water
• ¼ tsp salt or soy sauce
• ½ tbsp sesame oil

Extra:

• 1 large avocado, sliced - optional

Combine dressing ingredients in a medium bowl, whisk to dissolve honey and salt. Add in slaw ingredients and toss to coat. Place ½ of the slaw mixture on each plate, slice tuna across the grain and place over slaw. Top with sliced avocado, if desired. 

The creator and author of this recipe is Sarah Berger. She is the blogger behind Love Muffin (also in my blogroll) which is a collection of her Paleo recipes. Sarah has been my friend since middle school and is a great cook with some culinary schooling.

Guest Post: Mix Up Your Fast Days

by Sabine

Hi! My name is Sabine, and I've been doing ADF for about five months. I'm female, mid-forties, don't exercise, and I started off about 50 pounds overweight. I also do primal low-carb, and though it makes me feel great when I eat that way, I found it hard to sustain long-term (cheats!) and hard to get back on after cheating. The biggest benefit I have seen from ADF is that it is now easy to get back on plan after I eat something I shouldn't instead of falling into a downward spiral that can take weeks or months to recover from. And, oh yeah, I'm down 25 pounds so far. I don't always do the same thing on my Down Days (the JUDDD term for fasting days). Here are some different types of Down Days, that are helpful to have in your toolbox:

Zero-Calorie (Water Fasting)
This is what most people think of when they hear "fasting." Water, that's all, right? But even eating nothing has some tricks to it. Have different kinds of water. No, don't go buy fancy bottles. But have regular water, have water with lemon juice and salt (8 cups water, 1 tsp salt, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1/2 tsp sweetener - great for maintaining your electrolyte balance), have a pitcher of water that has some cucumber slices floating in it. Switch off between your different types of water, and have some herbal tea, as well. The change in flavors, though subtle, really helps. 

Drink at least 12 glasses of water, shoot for 16. (Unless you have issues which make drinking lots of water unsafe. Rare, but it can happen. Know thyself!) Accept that you will be visiting the bathroom a lot. Brush your teeth every time you're in there, while you're at it. It really helps. Do not chew gum. It makes it worse. Don't feel that you need to "do nothing" while you are fasting. It is better to be busy. Plan projects, errands, any kind of physical activity. Mental activities, save for Up Days (the JUDDD term for feast days), at least in the beginning. There's something about having to think, that makes your body say, "Hey, let's eat!"

All-Liquid
You're still drinking, but you're getting some nutrition. The main reason for drinking your calories, is to minimize your "meal" experience. When you first start Down Days, you will be amazed at all the time you now have, that you used to spend eating, preparing food, cleaning up, and thinking about food. Sometimes it is hard to know what to do with yourself! And sometimes you find that dealing with food at all, makes you want to go all the way, and have a meal, a real meal, and no, you don't want to wait until tomorrow, you want it NOW! This is when drinking a meal helps you out. You slug it down, and it's done, then you can stop thinking about it. Protein shakes are good here, probiotic drinks, and vegetable smoothies. And for those who like to have something going into their mouths all day, sipping on a nice iced coffee with milk or cream, can make the day a lot happier.

High-Fat
I started doing these kind of Down Days because I have had good success in the past with the Atkins Fat Fast. It gets you into ketosis (the good kind) super fast, and knocks cravings flat on their back. The challenge with High-Fat Down Days is that fat packs quite the caloric punch. You really can't eat a lot on these Down Days, but used wisely (after you have been low carb for a while, and are experienced with Down Days and their wiles) these can be great. One of my favorite "meals" is to cut a slice of liverwurst (~60 calories) into 24 little chunks, and eat them S-L-O-W-L-Y, letting them melt in my mouth. Unlike the All-Liquid Days, where you are trying not to think about food, High-Fat Days are all about savoring every bit of flavor in your mouth. Brie cheese, pork rinds with sour cream, macadamia nuts, and a spoon of peanut or almond butter are all favorites.

High-Protein
ADF is supposed to be muscle-sparing, but once in awhile you just start wondering: are my muscles wasting away? Protein to the rescue. At four calories per gram, you can get a lot of protein into a Down Day. Fish is great, because there's not much fat going along with it. Every bite is mostly protein. Protein shakes, of course. And jerky! I was amazed to discover how satisfying it is to tear into bites of jerky on a Down Day. Don't forget the humble egg. Double up on your whites, and save the yolks for your Up Day, or hard-boil them, and have egg-white egg salad. Amazingly good, especially when you consider that the best part (the yolk!) is missing. Also good is diet Jell-O (if you do chemicals) made with extra gelatin. I love being able to have a "dessert" on my Down Days sometimes.

Bulky
Sometimes, you just want to chew. Or stuff your face. And the fact that it is a Down Day, and you need to keep it to 500 calories or less, matters not. Vegetables are your friends. Those big bags of cut cabbage? They make great stir-fry. Yes, you CAN eat the whole bag yourself! Everyone has their favorites, but let me show you what 500 calories will get you in the produce aisle:

~56 kcal = 16 spears of asparagus
~20 kcal = a head of broccoli
~60 kcal = 4 cups shredded cabbage
~62 kcal = 2 big carrots
~26 kcal = 1/4 head of cauliflower
~24 kcal = 4 stalks of celery
~24 kcal = a bag of cut lettuce
~28 kcal =2 cucumbers
~48 kcal = 8 oz of mushrooms
~40 kcal = a nice big bell pepper
~36 kcal = a bag of spinach
~72 kcal = 20 cherry tomatoes
= ~496 calories TOTAL

You can eat on that all day and maybe even run out of time. Yes, there's no butter, or cheese, but it is one day! It can be done. And, amazingly, some days, you don't even want the butter. Your taste buds  and enjoyment of food DO change when you are doing ADF. I really look forward to my Down Days now, which I never would have thought would happen at the beginning. And if you have to have the butter or olive oil, well, drop the cucumbers and tomatoes, and stir-fry the rest up with 1 tablespoon of the butter or oil. You'll still have a huge quantity of food.

Mini-Meals
This is good for those days when you have a long, tedious project to do (think paperwork) and you will be desperate for breaks. In days past you might have had chips, or a candy bar, or a handful of nuts, or heck, all three, just a reason to get away from the project. You make real meals (yes you can have meals that are just ~140 calories) but you divide them even smaller. Just a bite or two. Say, one half of a deviled egg (made with sour cream and mustard in the yolks) which is ~40 calories. Forty calories, you say! That's crazy! But... you get 12 of these little meals. You're eating something every hour. And sometimes, it is okay to have just a bite. You enjoy it, you set the timer for another hour, and you head back to your project. Cherry tomatoes filled with cream cheese are especially good for this. You can have four of them for ~40 calories!

I'm-Not-Dieting-I-Just Feel-Like-a-Salad!
Sometimes you have to meet people for a meal on your Down Day. People you may not be interested in telling what you are doing. For whatever reason. I've had one too many eye rolls to judge anyone. You eat nothing else that day. You order water with lemon, or unsweetened iced tea. You order a salad with protein (chicken breast/steak/salmon) on top and not too many of the crazy extras (pineapple, craisins, nuts, croutons, you know what I mean) in it, and the dressing on the side. Dip your fork in the dressing before you spear your bites, and exclaim over how fresh it all tastes. You ORDER A DESSERT to go, saying you are too full, but it all looks so good, you just can't resist. (You get to eat it tomorrow, not tonight. Or you can give it to someone.) No one who orders a dessert can possibly be on some weird fasting plan, right, so your secret is safe!

Three-Squares-a-Day
Yes, it can be done. Get out your calorie book, and start thinking. Here's one of mine for inspiration:

Breakfast: 1 poached egg (~70 kcal) served over 2 cups spinach (~12 kcal), steamed, and mixed with 1 tsp butter (~33 kcal). Total = 115 kcal

Lunch: 1 small salmon fillet (~100 kcal) with 1 tsp mayo (~33 kcal) and a squirt of lemon juice (~10 kcal) and a shake of dried dill (free!),1 small zucchini (~9 kcal), 4 mushrooms (~12 kcal) sauteed with 1 tsp butter (~33 kcal). Total = 197 kcal

Snack: 1/2 apple (~41 kcal) and 1 tsp peanut butter (~32 kcal). Total = 73 kcal

Dinner: Homemade vegetable soup (~60 kcal) and a dessert of diet Jell-O made with extra gelatin (~45 kcal). Total = 105 kcal

If I count correctly, that's ~490 calories. Go hog wild with the other 10!  :)


Hope these ideas have been useful for you. Down Days can be a challenge, but they can also be fun. Find the right kind of plan for your situation, and enjoy your food!

Sabine started the Alternate Day Fasting Support and Chat forum thread of Mark's Daily Apple, a website that is a hub of resources and discussions about healthy living and the primal lifestyle. I met her through the forum thread when I first started alternate day fasting and was looking for advice from other people practicing the ADF way of eating. For more information on primal eating and living, check out Mark's Daily Apple.

Week 16 Summary

Day 116, Fast Day #50

This post is late, my bad. My mother and my future mother-in-law were in town this weekend for my bridal shower and staying at my apartment, I had my bridal shower, and then dealt with a little family drama which luckily doesn't revolve around me. It was both a busy and stressful weekend.

This morning marked a new milestone. I dropped another pound, bringing me to 25 lbs (11.3 kg) lost total over the last 16.5 weeks. My weight loss is so far 1.5 lb (0.7 kg) loss per week. I was feeling so confident, I ordered a bikini. I'm not sure if that was a good decision even at 30% off of clearance prices (I should probably consider doing some ab exercises and buying some self-tanner), but the point is that is how confident I have been feeling about my slimmer figure. I don't think I have worn a bikini in several years. Plus I will be spending quite a bit of time on the beach in the next month and I am scared the swimsuits I wore last year will fall off with one good dive or wave. A swimsuit malfunction in front of my in-laws would be way more mortifying than a little beer belly showing.

Calories
Week 1: 1,437 kcal or 76% of baseline calories (-3,213 kcal/week)
Week 2: 1,938 kcal or 102% of baseline calories (+294 kcal/week)
Week 3: 1,680 kcal or 89% of baseline calories (-1,512 kcal/week)
Week 4: 2,196 kcal or 116% of baseline calories (+2,100 kcal/week)
Week 5: 1,829 kcal or 96% of baseline calories (-469 kcal/week)
Week 6: 1,531 kcal or 81% of baseline calories (-2,555 kcal/week)
Week 7: 1,954 kcal or 103% of baseline calories (+406 kcal/week)
Week 8: 1,196 kcal or 63% of baseline calories (-4,900 kcal/week)
Week 9: 1,638 kcal or 86% of baseline calories (-1,806 kcal/week)
Week 10: 1,637 kcal or 86% of baseline calories (-1,813 kcal/week)
Week 11: 1,681 kcal or 89% of baseline calories (-1,505 kcal/week)
Week 12*: 2,108 kcal or 111% of baseline calories (+1,484 kcal/week)
Week 13*: 2,649 kcal or 140% of baseline calories (+5,271 kcal/week)
Week 14: 1,882 kcal or 99% of baseline calories (-98 kcal/week)
Week 15: 1,280 kcal or 68% of baseline calories (-4,312 kcal/week)
Week 16: 1,861 kcal or 98% of baseline calories (-245 kcal/week)

While ADFing: 1,781 kcal or 94% of baseline calories
Baseline Days: 1,896 kcal

All Feast Days: 2,842 kcal or 150% of baseline calories
All Fast Days: 442 kcal or 23% of baseline calories

For reference
Week 1: 3 feast days, 4 fast days
Week 2: 4 feast days, 3 fast days
Week 3: 4 feast days, 1 medium day, 1 fast day
Week 4: 4 feast days, 3 fast days
Week 5: 4 feast days, 3 fast days
Week 6: 3 feast days, 4 fast days
Week 7: 4 feast days, 3 fast days,
Week 8: 3 feast days, 4 fast days
Week 9: 4 feast days, 3 fast days
Week 10: 4 feast days, 3 fast days
Week 11: 4 feast days, 3 fast days
Week 12: 5 feast days, 2 fast days*
Week 13: 5 feast days, 2 fast days*
Week 14: 4 feast days, 1 medium day, 2 fast days
Week 15: 3 feast days, 4 fast days
Week 16: 4 feast days, 3 fast days
*Includes days during my bachelorette party weekend.

Today I had one main lunch meal of 372 calories, so I have some calories left for an evening snack if I want them:

• pistachios, 1/2 cup (measured with shells on) ~170 kcal
• Kroger Cow Pals light mozzarella string cheese ~50 kcal
• 35 blueberries ~27 kcal
• 1 bell pepper, sliced ~45 kcal
• 10 baby carrots ~35 kcal
• 1 tbsp edamame hummus ~45 kcal

Fast(ing) Food - Slow Cooker Beef Stew

Day 81, Feast Day #44

I remembered to get on the scale today and I have had zero weight gain despite this past weekend. Amazing! So, I am still down 21 lbs after 11 weeks of alternate day fasting. I don't have any body composition data to work with, but I have got to think a good portion of my weight loss must be fat versus water, or I would have certainly gained back some of the pounds.

My achievement of the day was surviving wedding errands with my brother, despite almost killing him when he got lost in the rain with my wedding dress while his cellphone was dead. Bridezilla made a short appearance when he somehow walked past the store while I was paying for parking and could not be found at the dress fitting appointment we were already late for. Now that the dress has been fitted, I need to try not to lose too much weight, as she says everything in the bust and waist fits perfectly and suggested I keep a little extra space (since apparently stressed brides tend to retain water according to her, plus I should try to eat at my own wedding).

After running errands, I relaxed with Zach and my brother with some hard cider and enjoyed some beef stew I made in the slow cooker this morning. I am looking forward to the leftovers for tomorrow's fast day.

The remaining stew after Zach and my brother ate most of it and drank all the broth.
I should have taken an earlier photo, oops!

Slow Cooker Beef Stew (Yields 8 servings) ~303 kcal/serving
Takes 7-9 hours on low to cook, prep time is only 5-10 minutes

The slow cooker was the best joint purchase Zach and I have ever made. If you don't have one, I highly recommend getting one to improve your overall quality of life. Ours was $30 or $40 at Costco and we have never regretted the purchase.

• 1 large onion, chopped (I used a yellow onion) ~60 kcal
• 6 red potatoes, eyes taken out and quartered ~714 kcal
• 1 lb mushrooms, sliced (I used white mushrooms) ~107 kcal
• 3 medium carrots with their leafy tops, sliced and greens chopped ~116 kcal
• 2.5 lbs of cubed beef chunks for stew ~1,400 kcal
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce ~10 kcal
• 1 14 oz. can of beef broth ~10 kcal
• 1/2 tsp dried rosemary ~2 kcal
• 1 tsp dried parsley ~1 kcal
• 1/2 tsp paprika ~3 kcal
• pepper, to taste ~1 kcal
• salt to taste

In the slow cooker, add onions and carrots. Top with potatoes, mushrooms, beef, and carrot tops. Add Worcestershire sauce, spices, and beef broth.

Cover the crock pot and set to low and cook for 7-9 hours until the beef is cooked through and tender. Eat!

Feel free to add celery to this. I avoided it as I am newly allergic to it.

Fast(ing) Food - Spicy Lemon Butter Pasta

Day 73, Fast Day #35

Turns out I lost another pound, so I have surpassed the 20 lb milestone and am down 21 lbs  (9.5 kg) since I started alternate day fasting back in April. I also busted out the measuring tape and I have shed two inches from my waist and a bit over one inch from my hips. My slimmer self is now fitting into clothes that had magically "shrunk a lot in the dryer" over the years.

My copy of Wheat Belly should be arriving in the mail tomorrow. I would like to stop eating wheat products in the near future as an additional experiment, but that day is not today. Plus, I just looked at the list of food and alcohol supplies for my hen weekend at the end of the month, and there are some really tasty wheat products (vodka, croissants  muffins, more vodka, beer, more vodka). It will be an epic weekend at the shore with my girls with some epic feasts. 

While I had carbs on the mind, I worked on using up the last box of pasta in the house and threw together a savory and spicy pasta dish. 

Spicy Lemon Butter Pasta (Yields 3 servings) ~325 kcal/serving

Takes 10-15 minutes

I really enjoy pungent, strong flavored foods like mustard, garlic, olives, vinegar, and pickled vegetables. So, if you are not as fond of these sorts of strong flavors, I would recommend cutting the olives and garlic, then perhaps adding more lemon. Capers would be good instead of olives, but I unfortunately had none on hand tonight.

• 4 oz pasta (I used whole grain medium shells) ~400 kcal
• 2 tbsp olive oil ~250 kcal
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter ~102 kcal
• 1/4 large onion (I used a yellow onion) ~15 kcal
• 1 clove garlic, sliced thinly - optional ~4 kcal
• 8 kalamata olives, sliced - optional ~50 kcal
• 8 grape tomatoes, halved ~16 kcal
• 8 pieces of marinated artichoke heart (quarter pieces), chopped (I used Costco's) ~108 kcal
• 1/4 cup sliced banana pepper or peperoncinis (I used Mezzetta's mild pepper rings) ~10 kcal
• 2 cups arugula, chopped ~10 kcal
• 2 tsp lemon juice ~2 kcal
• 2 tsp balsamic vinegar ~7 kcal
• pepper, to taste ~1 kcal
• Italian seasoning, 2-3 dashes (or mix of marjoram, thyme, oregano, and basil)
• red pepper flakes, to taste - optional for even more spiciness

Fill a large pot 2/3 full of water and heat to a boil. While the water is heating up, prep the veggies and garlic. Once the water is boiling, add pasta to cook for 6 minutes (slightly underdone, because they are going in a skillet later) with a little salt so they don't stick.

In a large skillet, heat the butter and olive oil on medium heat. Once hot, add in the onions.

Heat onions until they start to become translucent. Stir occasionally. Add in garlic.

After about a minute, add in the olives, artichoke hearts, and peppers. 

After a minute or so, add the lemon juice and balsamic vinegar.

Once the pasta has cooked 6 minutes, drain and toss the pasta into the skillet. Add arugula. once the arugula is wilting, season with pepper, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes . Eat!

Fast(ing) Food - Honey Bean Salad

Day 67, Feast Day #35

I have been struggling to eat a decent amount of iron lately without eating a good hunk of beef or a bowl of steamed clams it seems like. Due to the constraints of my time and my income, I can't be eating steaks or mollusks weekly. It also appears that Zach and I didn't buy enough iron-rich veggies this week.So I whipped together a more primal version of a classic potluck dish, a marinated three-bean salad, in hopes of getting a little more protein in my diet on the cheap. I substituted refined sugar for honey and avocado oil for vegetable oil  Canned beans are not an ideal food for both primal (stricter people do not condone eating legumes) and non-primal reasons (the can), however, they are cheap. Zach's got to finish his doctorate degree before my pantry lacks cans of beans in it.

Note: Avocado oil is not cheap normally, but remember, I basically got this avocado oil for free. Olive oil is a cheaper substitute that you are more likely to have on hand. Also, I don't consider myself a 100% primal eater, I just have aspirations to transition to a more primal diet.

Marinated bean salad preferences are very prone to individual tastes (like meatloaf, barbecue sauce, and grits recipes). So feel free to adjust the salt, vinegar, and honey to whatever combo of sweet, sour, and savory floats your boat. Add in bell peppers or celery. Go crazy.

Honey Bean Salad (Yields 6 servings) ~153 kcal/serving
Takes 5 minutes
*BONUS* Cost me 50 cents a serving

• 1 can of beans, drained and rinsed (I used light red kidneys) ~385 kcal
• 1 can of green beans, drained and rinsed ~70 kcal
• 1 can of wax beans (sometimes called butter beans), drained and rinsed  ~70 kcal
• 1/4 of a large onion, chopped (I used a yellow one) ~15 kca
• 1/2 cup of vinegar (I used white, white wine or red wine would also work well) ~11 kcal
• 2 tbsp of honey ~120 kcal (if you aren't a big vinegar fan, you can go with even more honey, or less if you want a more sour marinade)
• 2 tbsp of avocado oil ~240 kcal (olive oil would work too)
• 1/4 tsp of celery seed ~2 kcal
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme ~1 kcal
• kosher salt to taste, I used a bit less than a tsp
• black pepper to taste (I used 1/4 tsp at about ~2 kcal)

Mix up the vinegar, honey, oil, celery seed, thyme, salt, and pepper in a large bowl, creating the marinade. 

Plop the beans and onion into the marinade. Mix. You can eat it immediately or chill in the fridge until your potluck or picnic.

Fast(ing) Food - Quick Rainbow Couscous

Day 59, Feast Day #31

There are some days when you just don't figure out what you are making or eating for dinner until you open the pantry and fridge (there are periods in life where this happens everyday). This was one of those days. I found a leftover bag of couscous, part of a bag of frozen corn, a can of beans, some veggies and fruit from Zach and my weekend trip to Seattle's famous Pike Place Market, and cilantro from the planter outside our apartment. This is what I made:

I ate my own bowl with avocado on it before remembering to take a picture, whoops!

Quick Rainbow Couscous (Yields 4 servings) ~355 kcal/serving w/avocado, ~275 kcal w/o
Takes 10-15 minutes

I am calling this "rainbow couscous" because of the different colors of veggies and fruit in this dish. No unicorns, leprechauns, or Lisa Frank creations were harmed while making my dinner. Eating a colorful variety of fruits and vegetables is a good strategy for both children and adults to eat a variety of vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients.

• 3/4 dry instant couscous (the smaller sized kind) ~488 kcal
• 1 1/4 cups vegetable broth ~13 kcal
• 1 medium tomato, diced ~35 kcal
• 1/2 a bell pepper, diced (I used an orange one) ~25 kcal
• 1/4 of a onion, diced (I used a yellow one) ~15 kcal
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped ~2 kcal
• 1/2 cup of sweet corn (I used frozen) ~50 kcal
• 1 can of beans, drained and rinsed (I used red kidney, black would have made sense if I had some on hand) ~385 kcal

• 2 tsp of olive oil ~80 kcal
• 1 lime's juice ~5 kcal
• 1 tsp white vinegar
• 1/4 tsp cumin
• 1/4-1/2 tsp Adobo seasoning
• black pepper to taste
• your favorite hot sauce, to taste (I use Secret Aardvark Trading Co.'s Habanero Hot Sauce, because it is amazing)

• 1 large avocado, sliced ~322 kcal - optional

Put the broth in a medium to large pot. Throw in onions into pot. 

Bring broth and onions to a boil. Once at a boil, cover the pot and remove from heat. Let sit  covered for 5 minutes. Don't peek or your couscous won't cook right.

Heat your corn according to the package directions if using frozen like I did. Drain.

Mix olive oil, vinegar, lime juice, cumin, Adobo seasoning, pepper, and hot sauce together. Pour this sauce onto the couscous after the 5 minutes is over. Fluff the mixture.

Dump in the bell pepper, corn, tomato, cilantro. Mix together. 

Serve with sliced avocado on top. If there is any lime juice left, drizzle it on your avocado. Enjoy!

Fast(ing) Food - Almost Eggplant Parmesan

Day 53, Feast Day #28,

I was going to finish up a post about something else, but I ended up making a yummy dinner and realized it ended up being low-calorie too. That means I get leftovers for tomorrow's fast day, yay! There is no actual Parmesan cheese in this recipe, so it is almost eggplant parmesan  Goat cheese is 80 calories per ounce versus 122 per ounce of actual Parmesan cheese, plus I just like the taste and texture better.

Almost Eggplant Parmesan (Yields 5-6 servings of two slices) ~261 kcal/serving
Takes 45-55 minutes

• 1 tbsp of olive oil ~120 kcal
• 1 eggplant, sliced into 1/4-1/2 inch slices with the peel on ~110 kcal
• kosher salt
• 1 cup pasta/tomato sauce ~140 kcal
• 4 oz soft goat cheese, crumbled ~320 kcal
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning (or mix of marjoram, thyme, oregano, and basil)
• 2 large eggs, beaten ~140 kcal
• 1/2 of a lemon's juice - optional ~6 kcal
• 95g buttery crackers (about 32 crackers), crushed into crumbs ~455 kcal
• 1 tsp garlic powder ~9 kcal
• 1/2 tsp onion powder ~4 kcal
• 1/4 tsp black pepper ~1 kcal

Set the oven to bake at 375 degrees.

The next thing I do is prep the eggplant, because it is best to get some of the water out of them to avoid sogginess later. I laid out a baking sheet and put down a layer of paper towels. I then lightly salt both sides of the eggplant slices with the kosher salt and lay them on the paper towels. I put another layer of paper towels on top and them put some heavy plates on them to squeeze out some of the water.

Meanwhile, prep everything else. Crush and mix the cracker crumbs in a large bowl (which you can substitute with any other breading agent like breadcrumbs or almond meal) with the garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper.

Beat the eggs with the lemon juice in a shallow bowl (so you can easily dip the eggplant slices into it).

Pat dry the eggplant slices and set aside. Then lightly coat the baking sheet with the olive oil.

Dip a eggplant slice into the egg mixture so it is coated. Then put the egg-covered slice into the crumb mixture and coat evenly. Place the slice on the baking sheet. Repeat with all the slices.

Bake the slices for 15 minutes. Then remove the baking sheet and flip them over.

Top the slices with the pasta sauce and goat cheese. Put the eggplant back into the oven and bake an additional 15-20 minutes. Eat!

I ate mine with some sauteed rainbow Swiss chard, onion, and garlic with a little soy sauce, pepper, salt, and maple syrup (~104 kcal/servings).

Fast(ing) Food - Veggie Scramble with Goat Cheese

Day 52, Fast Day #25

I weighed in a couple times this morning just to make sure I wasn't going crazy. I managed to drop another pound, for a total of 17 lbs lost. It probably helps I didn't overeat like crazy yesterday (2,077 kcal).

Zach and I have the day off today for Memorial Day, so I got to cook a hot meal for my fast day lunch, instead of the salad and soup I usually eat on fast days at work. The result was me whipping up this Mexican-inspired scramble. The goat cheese and cilantro balance the spice from the cayenne pepper, but one could make this recipe without the goat cheese to shave off calories. One can also use sour cream instead of goat cheese. I am lactose-intolerant though and prefer the creaminess of goat cheese. This scramble turned out so good that Zach and I were nearly licking our plates:

Veggie Scramble with Goat Cheese (Yields 2 big servings) ~424 kcal/serving
Takes 30 minutes

• 1 red potato with skin, diced ~150 kcal
• half of a onion (I used a yellow one), diced ~30 kcal
• half of a medium-sized bell pepper (I used a yellow one) diced ~10 kcal
• 1 Roma tomato, diced ~35 kcal
• 1 cup of spinach, chopped ~7 kcal
• 4 large eggs ~294 kcal
• 60 grams of soft goat cheese (two servings of the one we used) ~160 kcal
• 1/3 cup of cilantro, chopped ~1 kcal (optional)
• 4 tsp of extra virgin olive oil  ~160 kcal
• 1/4 tsp or to taste of red cayenne pepper ~1 kcal
• 1 tsp or to taste Adobo seasoning (a mix of salt, garlic, cumin, oregano, and black pepper)

Heat the olive oil in a large pan on medium heat. Add potatoes and cook for about 10 minutes. I also put a lid on them between stirs, to soft them up a little quicker. Stir occasionally.

Add in the onions and peppers, cook until the potatoes are tender, about 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

While the potatoes are softening, beat the eggs in a bowl. Add the Adobo seasoning and cayenne pepper.

Add in the tomatoes and spinach. Cook and stir until spinach starts to wilt.

Add the beaten and seasoned eggs. Scramble up the mixture until the eggs are cooked through.

Plate the scramble and top with goat cheese and cilantro. Enjoy!