Week 6 recap, progress update (Day 38 – 45)
Day #45 progress update. We did not post progress pictures because there was not much change from day #30. We will post progress pictures on day #60.
We met with Dr. Sferra today to review our progress and make adjustments to our nutrition and exercise routines. Doc is happy with our progress.
Going forward we will make a few adjustments:
Nutrition – We were eating our “big” meal of the day (including a starch) after 8:00pm (we often do not get home from work until after 8:00pm). Now we will eat our “big” meal for lunch and eat a hearty salad (with or without a lean animal protein) for dinner.
Exercise – We will increase the intensity of our weight training. Up until this point we have been learning proper form and the most effective type(s) of weight training. Going forward will be increasing the amount and intensity of our weight training.
Review of plan/goals for week 6:
We returned from our vacation on Tuesday (day #39) and started a modified detox on Wednesday (day #40). We followed a modified detox immediately following our vacation because we wanted to reduce food cravings (after some indulgences during our trip) and “reset” our digestive systems.
Plan for week 7
Nutrition- We will make some adjustments to the types and times that we eat our meals. Our goal this week is to lose 2 lbs.
Exercise – This week we are focusing on weight training. We also have the NYC Half Marathon in 2 weeks that we are training for, our plan is to incorporate 2-3 days of running to maintain our cardio endurance along with 4-5 days of strength training. This week Dr. Sferra asked us to keep an exercise journal of all the weight training we’re doing to see if we need to make any changes so we can achieve optimal results.
Here are some recent recipes that we have tried:
No-Bake Peanut Butter Coconut Protein Bars (Adapted from http://www.studiocuisineblog.com/2012/07/02/no-bake-pb-protein-bars/)
This recipe is vegan and gluten free. We both really enjoy this recipe. Serves: 16
Ingredients
½ cup creamy coconut peanut butter (I used the Earth Balance brand)
¼ cup almond butter
2 tablespoons agave
½ cup quick oats
1 cup steel cut oats
1 cup chocolate protein powder (I used
½ cup unsweetened, shredded coconut
Instructions
1. Line 8×8 baking dish with parchment or spray with cooking spray.
2. Combine peanut butter, almond butter and agave in a medium saucepan, and melt over low heat, about two minutes.
3. Stir in dry ingredients while mixture is still warm.
4. Remove mixture from heat, and pour into baking dish (mixture may not fill entire dish).
5. Refrigerate at least one hour (or freeze for 15 min) until firm.
6. Cut and serve, yields about 16 small bars.
Coconut Flour Pancakes. (Adapted from http://www.foodiefiasco.com/coconut-flour-pancakes-vegangluten-freegrain-freelow-carblow-caloriehigh-protein/)
This recipe is Gluten Free/Grain Free/Low Carb/Low Calorie/High Protein. We both enjoyed the flavor but it’s tough to call them pancakes, maybe we will rename them “healthcakes”.
Ingredients
2 egg whites
1 egg
¾ cup almond milk
¼ cup coconut flour
½ cup chocolate protein powder
¼ cup unsweetened, shredded coconut
½ teaspoon baking powder
Topping:
1 tablespoon coconut peanut butter
1 tablespoon almond butter
¼ cup unsweetened, vanilla almond milk.
Instructions
Combine all ingredients and stir until thoroughly combined. (Be patient as this may take a few minutes.) Heat a greased nonstick skillet over medium high heat for a minute or two. (You want the pan to be completely pre-heated so the first pancakes cooks correctly.) Pour desired amount of batter onto skillet (I used two tablespoons to make medium-sized pancakes), and cook until golden, a few minutes on each side. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining batter, re-greasing (or spraying with cooking spray) between each pancake.
The pancakes are layered with the topping to add some moisture pancakes. Combine the peanut butter, almond butter and almond milk in a warm skillet. Apply a thin layer to each pancake and top pancakes with 1 tablespoon of syrup or agave of choice.
