Just a note to say that we haven’t been feeling very “bloggy” in the last few weeks, thus the sudden silence. We’re feeling wordy again, so look forward to more nagging, *ahem* I mean “encouragement” from us!

And no, we haven’t stopped with our exercise or weight loss, we’ve just been taking a break from writing about it!

Hope you are all well, and we are looking forward to continuing our discussion of health, fitness, nutrition, and of course, running!

Much love,
Rebecca & Nick

P.S. We’ve decided on the winners of the Mini-Food Challenge! Yes, winners (plural!)… stay tuned!

Monday: Elliptical trainer -1 hour
Tuesday: Ran 5.5 miles @ 9:07 min/mile pace
Wednesday: Strength training – 1 hour
Thursday: Ran hill sprints (~ 15 second hill x 10 repeats)

Yet I gained a pound.

So, what do I do?  I move on.  Because I kept track of my calorie intake, and I worked hard this week I know that it is impossible to have gained a pound of fat in the past seven days (and that’s all I really care about when it comes to the scale).  We’ll see what the next week brings.

Related, here are two blog posts I recently came across that I thought were very good:

From, The Nutrition Data Blog, Weight fluctuations: How much is normal? Includes a link to a useful too for tracking weight loss

From, The Running Laminator (an awesome running blog on which I have “lurked” for some time), Running: Physiologically Speaking, Five Easy Steps to Better Nutrition. This post enumerates five steps to better nutrition. This is basic, but very good and necessary, information for anyone trying to improve their nutrition.

On Running News:
I have decided to sign up for the Unser Half-Marathon in Albuquerque on April 19, 2008.  The event also includes a 10K, a 5K, a Kids’ K.  People can also sign up for as a two-person 5k team or a three-person 1/2 Marathon team.  The course looks flat and fast, and it is along some familiar running routes for me.  I am optimistic about breaking 2 hours for the 13.1.

Happy Friday!

“You know, I hate working out sometimes. There, I admitted it!”

…And then he sighed deeply, dragged himself to the elliptical and worked out for an hour.

For Easier Printing
Microsoft Word Version: Smoked Salmon & Neufchatel Frittata Document
PDF Version: Smoked Salmon & Neufchatel Frittata PDF

Ingredients
3 whole eggs
3 egg whites
Pinch salt
1 tablespoon chopped chives
1/2 cup milk
Pam cooking spray (or 1 teaspoon canola oil)
1/2 cup Neufchatel cheese (or whipped cream cheese)
2 ounces diced lox

Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine eggs, egg whites, salt, chives and milk and mix well.

Spray a nonstick, ovenproof sauté pan with cooking spray (or place canola oil in pan and coat pan, swirling to distribute as you heat pan) and heat pan over medium heat for 30 seconds. Add egg mixture. Using a spatula, move egg mixture so that it cooks evenly for about 30 seconds, or until eggs begin to set. Remove from heat.

Spoon Neufchatel cheese by tablespoons evenly over egg mixture. Top with diced lox.

Place pan in oven and bake until slightly browned all over, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Remove from oven and cut into 4 equal wedges.

Makes 4 servings
Each serving contains approximately:
160 calories
4 gm. Carbohydrate
10 gm. Fat
186 mg. Cholesterol
14 gm. Protein
348 mg. Sodium
Trace fiber

Because of that, we have decided to extend the deadline for submitting your recipes for the food challenge! If you’re interested in doing so, you now have until Wednesday, March 18th to send in your favorite healthy recipes.

So even though you missed out on Food Week, you still have a chance to win the awesome prize.
Happy Saturday, and get cookin’!

I thought I’d write a quick post just to update you as to our numbers for the week.

Nick
Weight starting challenge: 220.0
Weight last week (3/6): 215.0
Weight today (3/13): 213.2

Weight lost during the challenge: 6.8
Weight lost this week: 1.8

Food Journal: Kept every day
Exercise: Every day except Friday (which was my rest day)

Rebecca
Weight starting challenge: 193.8
Weight last week (3/6): 189.0
Weight today (3/13): 187.6

Weight lost during the challenge: 6.2
Weight lost this week: 1.4

Food Journal: Kept every day
Exercise: Every day except Friday (which was also my rest day)

Sorry for the lack of personal update, we hope to have the chance to update you a little better later on today or tomorrow.

Hope you’re having a great weekend!

In no particular order:

Only in Running . . .

1.  Am I afraid of dogs (I love dogs, but not when they chase me down the road)

2.  Do I wear short shorts and tight tights

3.  Do I consider 40 degrees “shorts weather”

4.  Is the discovery of a product called “Body Glide” a momentous occasion

5.  Would I wonder if licking the salt off my own face is a good way to replenish electrolytes (I experimented with this on my first 20 mile run)

6.   Have I given considerable thought to the cause and effects of nipple chafing

7.  Do I look forward to getting a shirt with more advertisements than a stock car

8.  Does a trip to Boston become the dream of a lifetime

9.  Would I sample and critique various flavors of edible viscosity

10.  Has Daylight Savings become a celebratory holiday

For lunch, we had left over Lemon Chicken Soup with Orzo from last night. My mom was over and had lunch with us, which was great!

On the menu today for dinner was Roasted Halibut with Mediterranean Lentils and Olives. The recipe is made in three parts:

1. The halibut is roasted in the oven.
2. The lentils are stewed on the stovetop.
3. The red bell peppers are sauteed on the stovetop.

It will be helpful, for planning purposes, to know ahead of time that these three things are happening at the same time.

Without further ado, here is the recipe.

For Easier Printing
Microsoft Word Version: Roasted Halibut with Mediterranean Lentils and Olives Document
PDF Version: Roasted Halibut with Mediterranean Lentils and Olives PDF

Ingredients

Lentils

• 1 ½ cups green lentils
• 3 cups cool water
• 1/2/ large onion, cut into 1/2 –inch pieces
• 5 garlic cloves, minced (3 for lentils, 2 for peppers)
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 tablespoons olive oil (for tossing with the lentils after cooking)
• 8 green olives, pitted and cut into quarters
• 8 black olives, pitted and cut into quarters
• Pepper and a little salt to taste (Note: The olives have salt.)

Halibut

• 1 pound, 4 ounces halibut, skinned and cut into 4 equal portions
• 1 tablespoon olive oil (for sprinkling on top)
• Pepper and a little salt (on fish prior to roasting)
• 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (for sprinkling on top)
• 1 sprig fresh thyme (to add aroma during cooking)

Red Peppers

• 1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut lengthwise into  1/8-inch-thick strips
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Pepper and a little salt to taste

Instructions

Note: Numbers 3, 4 & 5 are all done at the same time.

1. Place the green lentils in a medium mixing bowl, cover with warm water, and let stand for 30 minutes. This can be done in the morning before work. Then strain and rinse before beginning cooking.

2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F for the halibut.

3. Place a 3- to 4-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the lentils, 3 cups of water, onion, garlic, and thyme to the pan. Cook lentils for 30- to 40-minutes, until the lentils are slightly firm (not mushy and not grainy), stirring occasionally. Lentils should have a slight bite.

4. In a roasting pan, place the halibut, rubbed with olive oil, seasoned with salt and pepper, and sprinkled with freshly squeezed lemon juice. Lay the thyme on the pan. Roast for 35-45 minutes (If the halibut is 1 inch thick or less, cook for less time, if the halibut is 1 ½ inches or more, cook for more time.). Remove from the oven and set aside.

5. Place the bell pepper, 1 tablespoon olive oil, garlic, and lemon juice in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, and do not let it burn. Season to taste with the salt and pepper.

6. Strain the lentils, remove the sprigs of thyme, place in a sauté pan over low heat, and toss with the 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the olives. Season with pepper and salt and set aside.

I hope you enjoy tonight’s recipe. Although I’m still working on the calorie count for this dish, I ought to mention that it is a little bit higher than our usual recipes, but if you cut out some of the oil, etc., it will be better. I’ll make some changes and update the recipe on the Recipes page.

Take care, everyone, and have a great evening!

For Easier Printing
Microsoft Word Version: Lemon Chicken Soup with Orzo Document
PDF Version: Lemon Chicken Soup with Orzo PDF

Here’s the cast of characters:

Ingredients

• 4 teaspoons olive oil
• 8 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into small chunks
  *note* Tonight, I used pre-cooked chicken from Trader Joe’s (“Just Chicken”) just to speed things up, but I usually use regular ol’ chicken breasts.
• Pinch of salt, plus more to taste
• 1 medium onion, diced (about 1 ½ cups)
• 2 stalks celery, diced (about ½ cup)
• 1 medium carrot, diced (about ½ cup)
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme or ½ teaspoon dried
• 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup orzo, preferably whole-wheat
• 2 large eggs
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions
Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a soup pot over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with the salt, add it to the pot, and cook, stirring, a few times, until just cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a dish and set aside.

Add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil to the pot. Add the onion, celery, carrot, and thyme and cook, stirring, over medium-high heat until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add 5 cups of the broth and bring to a boil. Add the orzo and let simmer until tender, about 8 minutes. Turn the heat down to low to keep the soup hot but not boiling.

Warm the remaining 1 cup broth in a small saucepan until it is hot but not boiling. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs. Gradually whisk the lemon juice into the eggs. Then gradually add the hot broth to the egg-lemon mixture, whisking all the while. Add the mixture to the soup, stirring well until the soup is thickened. Do not let the soup come to a boil. Add the cooked chicken to the soup. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

And there you have it!

Try this soup, you will not regret it. There are only three alterations that I make to this recipe and they are:

• If your bunch of celery has any leaves, use them! Wash them, give them a rough chop, and then throw them in the pot with the rest of the mirepoix. It lends a terrific flavor to the soup.
• Each time I’ve made the recipe, I don’t seem to have any dried thyme. Instead, I just use Italian Seasoning. I figured that Italian Seasoning has thyme in it, and I think the soup tastes great with Italian Seasoning.
• I sometimes like it to be a little more lemon-y, so if, after adding the lemon-egg-broth mixture to the soup, it’s not tangy enough, I will sometimes add more lemon juice. Tonight, I added at least a tablespoon more. Yum.

Now, I’m off to have a quick soak in the bathtub, and then have a good night’s sleep.
Tomorrow, we will hear from Nick!

‘Night, all!