Shrimp & Cauliflower Stir Fry

Happy Monday everyone! Sorry it took so long for me to share with you my cauliflower rice stir fry recipe, but here it is! It came out a lot better than I imagined, and it is super quick and easy!

What you will need is one head of cauliflower, (or you can buy the pre-cut cauliflower), broccoli, carrots, peppers, and whatever other veggies your heart desires. Since I am not eating meat, I added shrimp to my stir fry, but you can add chicken , steak, or just veggies if you would like. I didn't go crazy with the seasoning since I added teriyaki sauce to it, but I chopped up some fresh garlic and added salt and pepper.

In a medium size saucepan, add some oil, chopped garlic, and your veggies. I chopped up my peppers and carrots into smaller pieces beforehand.

While your veggies are sauteing, put your cauliflower into a food processor, and blend until your cauliflower resembles the texture of couscous.

Add your shrimp to your saucepan after your veggies have started to soften.

Once your shrimp is cooked, add your cauliflower rice and teriyaki sauce, and cook for about 3 minutes, or until cauliflower has softened.

Once everything is mixed together, your stir fry is ready to serve!

                                      BEHOLD!!

What I will do for next time, is not add an entire head of cauliflower (since the cauliflower is all you can really see), but add more color to my dish.

Week 1 of no meat

So I’ve made it a week without any meat, and I must admit, it has been a bit of a challenge. Although I do not eat much meat to begin with, I have been DYING for a turkey sandwich, and the worst part is that I know I can’t have one!

As of right now, I have just been eating shrimp and salmon. I made salmon and sautéed broccoli last night for dinner, and brought some for lunch today. Tonight I am going to be making a shrimp stir fry with cauliflower fried rice. I’ve been saying I am going to make cauliflower rice or pizza crust for so long, but haven’t done it yet! Tonight is the night, and I will be posting my dish tomorrow.

 I have found that planning my dinners for the week, over the weekend, is making it a lot easier for me. Once I have my meals all planned out for the week, I know exactly what to shop for at the supermarket. I am a HUGE planner, so if you are like me, you should plan out your meals this way too. It also gives me a chance to get creative with my meals and what to make with them.

Once I start getting sick of my shrimp and salmon, I will have to look to the internet for different recipe’s and fish to cook.

 This week also starts no alcohol February. I told myself after Super Bowl that I would not drink for the rest of the month, but if all goes well, I am definitely going to try and stick it out for longer. My boyfriend on the other hand, we will see how long he can stick it out for =p.

The Pescetarian Diet

So my boyfriend and I (well more-so him than I) were watching some very disturbing videos the other day on how certain farms kill their animals, and it was just so sad, so we have decided to make the month of February, "Meatless February."

I want to not only do it for the animals, but also for myself. I want to see how different my body feels after not eating meat for a while. I am not a HUGE meat eater, but I love my chicken, turkey sandwiches, steak, etc.

Since I can’t just live off of vegetables, I decided it would be a good idea to keep fish in our eating routine, so at least we have some source of protein. We also decided to stop drinking alcohol during this time as well. We are going to choose 2 occasions out of the entire month that we will agree to drink on (not including Super bowl this Sunday).

I am going to be documenting my progress as the days/weeks go by, so that for those of you who are interested, can read my opinions and how my body feels.

If you aren’t a fan of fish, then this obviously isn’t for you. Also, because I am giving up meat, does not mean I am going to double up on eating carbs such as bread and pasta, but I will portion those carbs if I do decide to eat them as part of a meal.

I am very curious to see how this will play out, and if we can last longer than just one month!

Same Old Song and Dance

Getting tired of your boring workout routine? Well I know I sure am! I’ve been going to the tiny ass gym in my building, which only has 2 treadmills, 2 ellipticals, one weight machine, and a couple of free weights. So, I recently decided to sign up for New York Sports Club because my company is running a great deal with them that I just could not pass up! I was also able to get my boyfriend the same deal, so I am excited to work out together!

I have never been into taking different aerobics classes and all, but I always have to switch up my routines, whether it’s a gym routine, daily routine, etc. I started taking soul cycle classes, which I love (but super expensive), and I am also getting into Barry’s Bootcamp (first class will be taken tonight). Now that I have signed up for an actual gym, they offer some really great classes! You realize how many different parts of your body you can work out while taking these classes that focus on specific parts of your body. For example, I took a Body Conditioning class last night with one of my friends from work, and today, my legs feel like jello. For me, it is important to have variety in your daily or weekly workout routine. I have also found that when I have someone pushing me to do something, I want to keep doing it and be the best at it, so whether I take a class, or have a personal training session, I know it will be a successful workout.

One more thing…. You should try to not take classes or at least work out the same body parts 2 nights in a row. Your muscles need time to relax and heal.

I am able to find what’s best for me, so I am sure you will be able to do the same!

New Year, New Topics!

Happy 2017 everyone! I know I am a bit late, but I was trying to figure out how I want to spice up my blog this year. I think it’s more interesting if I talk more about my journey and how I do things to stay in shape, rather than always telling you what you should be doing =). Although I will say, exercise and eating right are things that you should be doing on a day-to-day basis if you want to feel good, look good, and also get that summer bod ready!

At first, I decided that my new years resolution wasn’t going to be about some crazy diet to go on, BUT these last 2 weeks, I have been eating much cleaner than I was during the holidays, and I must say… I really feel like a new person! It’s not that I eat all of this junk food, but sometimes I tend to splurge a bit more than I should.

I have also been eating more protein and fiber so that way I am not snacking a lot during the day. I’ve been cooking more for dinner, and preparing my lunches for the week, and I haven’t been going out for dinner or ordering in as much. My exercise routine is still the same, but I am also going to be signing up for different classes every week, to start toning my body. I have decided to limit my cardio down to about 20-30 minutes a week, 3 days a week, and focus the rest of my time on building some more muscle and toning up!

Flat tummy, here I come! 

What Do I Do At the Gym?

Now that I am FINALLY able to run again, I am on a mission to reach my goals before summer 2017! I thought it was going to be much harder to get back into my old routine, but I feel like I never stopped! I don’t know about you, but I am not a fan of running for long periods of time, which is why I like my interval exercises.

My interval exercises consist of running for 5 minutes at a regular speed, then walk for 1-2 minutes, then run at a high speed for 3-4 minutes at a time, with a 1-2 minute break in between. I usually run on a high speed for about 4-5 reps, and then I walk on an incline for the last 10-15 minutes. Once I have finished my incline walk, and the treadmill has stopped, I run as fast as I can, holding onto the front handle bars (with the treadmill turned off), while the incline is still where I left it. I do this for about 2 minutes straight (this is great for your glutes by the way).

I have limited my cardio to about 30 minutes a day, so that I do not start losing the muscle I have gained from lifting weights.

I try to split up my cardio and weights 50/50 during my gym time.

When it comes to lifting weights, I try to dedicate one day to certain parts of my arms, one day to legs, one day to abs. Sometimes I mix a few different body parts into one workout.

Quinoa Bowls are GRRRRRREAT!

Today I decided I wanted to order a quinoa bowl for lunch, and I forgot how good they are! I got mine with turkey meatballs, corn, carrots, and broccoli. It came with a low-fat, tex-mex sauce on the side, which complimented the dish very well.

Quinoa contains almost twice as much fiber than other grains. It is a great source of protein. You will also find that quinoa contains iron, potassium, zinc, magnesium, and a couple of other nutritious contents. For all of you people who are allergic to gluten, or just prefer to eat gluten-free foods, quinoa has you covered in that department too!

Quinoa is also super easy to make. You can create your own dishes with it right at home! Peep my lunch below…. I’m sure it will make you hungry/interested in trying =).