Fridays

I've still got numbers on my mind.

This morning I was relieved to see a 0.5 kg (1 lb) drop in my weight. I'm still 1 kg over my lowest, but I'm making my way back down there again.

The other number on my mind is the saturated fat content in my coconut fish stew. I know healthy fats are good for you, but 7 g. of saturated fat in one meal just seems way too high. It upsets me because I really enjoyed the meal and was happy to have it as my go-to lunch during the week when I'm in a rush.

Thank goodness for the Internet. A few articles that I read online were quick to confirm that coconut milk is good; however, the amount of saturated fat is a concern. The simplest solution, besides just not having it, is to reduce the amount used and diluting it with water. I think that's what I'll try to do in my next batch of soup - use only 1/2 the can of coconut milk and replace the other half with just water. We'll see.

I had quite a relaxing day today. It felt amazing to wake up this weekend morning and realize I had not papers to grade or lessons to prepare, and I won't have any of that to do until September!! Seriously, amazing feeling.

I used some time during the day to complete 2 more quizzes for my Personal Trainer certification (100% in both - nerd mode on!) :)

The best part of my day was my first attempt at practicing Brazilian Jiujitsu with D. D's been taking Jiujitsu classes for just over a month now. We bought mats a couple of weeks ago for our house with the intention of practicing. However, we never got around to it. Today we finally gave it ago and it was great. We practiced for two hours (following the Gracie Combatives DVDs). You wouldn't think you'd work up a sweat practicing a few moves (today was different variations of trap and roll), but we were both sweating - and a bit bruised by the end of it. It was so great, not just to practice, but to do this together. I think it's extra beneficial for me because D is bigger than me, and one of the main principles of Jiujitsu is how to handle yourself against a bigger, stronger opponent. It was great :)

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Fridays are my no cooking days. When focusing on living a healthy lifestyle I think relying on food from restaurants or ones that are pre-cooked is dangerous. However, during the Whole Life Challenge when I had put many, many restrictions on my diet, I discovered a few places that I could eat. I take full advantage of them on Fridays.

Fridays are also the days that if I may have something sweet after dinner. I do cringe at the words 'cheat meal' and the thought of using food as a 'treat', but I guess that's what I'm doing. For me, I'm careful with what I eat, and if I eat something that is off plan, then it's something that I really want and do not feel guilty about eating, nor will it be something that will really throw me off course with my weight loss. Are these excuses? Perhaps. I'll modify my plan if I have to with no bitterness or complaints that I'm feeling 'deprived.'

Fridays are also my days with D. It's the one day that we spend entirely together and it's great - much needed after our busy week.

Breakfast - La Pain Quotidien 

One of my favorite places to eat because they will accommodate any changes you want to make to the foods. My usual Friday breakfast is an egg white mushroom omelet. The omelets usually come with 2 slices of organic whole grain bread and a side salad; however, I ask them to remove the bread and just give me extra salad. I had this with a cup of green tea (not pictured) 

Coffee - Starbucks 

Ok, I don't count the coffee from Starbucks as coffee, especially not their flavored ones (which is what this is - a skim caramel macchiato). This is basically dessert in a cup. I have to be honest, I look forward to this cup and I do enjoy every drop. 

Lunch - Dean and Deluca

Broiled shrimp marinated in olive oil, parsley, and tomato plus grilled vegetables (eggplant, bell pepper, zucchini)

Dinner - Ninos 

Grilled chicken and avocado salad with pine nuts and a mustard lemon dressing

I was really happy to discover this salad. It is delicious!

Dessert - Papaya from Dean and Deluca

Earlier this week I had a craving for some chocolate ice cream. I thought that I'd have it tonight after dinner ... but by the time Friday rolled around, I didn't want it anymore. Instead I had 5 pieces of delicious papaya that I had picked up at Dean and Deluca's this morning. Really, really yummy. 

Today:
- Workouts:

• BJJ practice at home (2 hours)
• Stretching (20 minutes)
• Squats day 6: 75

- Food:

• Breakfast: egg white mushroom omelet + green tea
• Lunch: broiled shrimp and grilled vegetables
• Dinner: chicken avocado salad
• Snacks: skim caramel macchiato & papaya

- Other: Completed 2 PT certification quizzes