Week 2 - 6WBT

So week two was slightly more productive than week 1. I went to the gym 5 times, and ate (imho) better. I'm not going to say that there was no cheating, but on the whole I think I did better. Unfortunately, I ended the week weighing only 0.6lbs lighter than I started at the beginning of the week, but I'm pretty sure that's because my cheat meal was sushi, which is crazy carb, salt, and sugar heavy, so I'm probably retaining a lot of water. During the week my weight did dip down to 152.2lbs... I was pretty psyched since I started out the summer around 160lbs-ish. Hopefully, but rehydrating my body and working extra hard tonight at Spin/Yoga, I can get back to that 152 starting point.

Speaking of water, I don't know if I mentioned it, but one of the challenges with this whole 6WBT is to drink 3-4L of water a day. I probably get in around 3L a day during the week, and slightly less on the weekend, but I'm surprised how much better I feel when I drink lots of water. I'm not super energized, but I do feel less saggy and feet draggy. I also get a kick out of my pee being clear.

This past weeks menu:

• Beef Ragu with White Quinoa: this was kind of a protien punch, I used stew beef instead of lamb, cause that's what I had
• Baked Lemon Salmon w/ Sautéed Chard: I started to sautée my chard with red pepper flakes AND garlic, the red pepper gives it a bit of a kick, which is nice
• Sesame Peanut Tofu: This recipe was alright, not great, but ok. The sauce was very good, but it didn't coat the tofu very well and globbed around the pan. I also would've liked it more if the tofu was crispier, either grilled or baked (I'm not going to fry)
• Spiced Coconut Spinach: this too was just alright, the spices and coconut were a nice addition, but this sidedish didn't really pop the way I thought it would. Either way, it made nice leftovers
• Baked Cassoulet: I stole this recipe from Julie, it was good, but it too didn't wow me. I think it would've been better had I used a spicier sausage. I used Cumberland sausage, which is mostly pork and herbs. It was good, but the leftovers were better.
• Minestra del Sedano (Italian Celery Soup): I made this because it would use up 2 of the 3 bunches of celery I had in my fridge (thanks CSA!). It's good, but next time I would probably throw in a can of crushed tomatos, because the tomato paste + broth, wasn't really flavourful enough. I would also carmelize the onions, not just brown them.
• Lentil Salad: I've made this a few times before, and it's always really good. This time I roasted some beets and threw them in, an idea I got from an old Spoonme (RIP) salad I loved. That salad also had bacon lardons, arugula, and goat cheese, so my version is still healthier, if less indulgent. I reheated the leftovers and served them with a fried egg... I love eggs

Cheater Items:

• Breakfast @ OverEasy including Toast & Herbed Potatos
• Half a Bag of regular HardBite Potato chips (I ate these after I dropped off Ruby at the Vet for her eye surgery... I eat when I worry, it was also weird being at home and not having the pug around)
• Breakfast @ MainDish including Toast, Potato Cake, and bacon: One day I will make a version of the Main Dish Potato cake, and I will eat it all in one sitting, like a fat kid on his birthday
• Sushi Dinner @ Shibuya, including a shared bowl of Tonkotsu Ramen, Baby Octopus Karaage, and Salmon Tataki
• A Half Pint of Cider and a Cocktail @ the Unicorn, along with bites of other peoples appies
• Lots of popcorn, of the microwave, bagged, and movie variety... popcorn is touted as a "healthier" snack alternative, and it is, but it's still carbs, and it's still a vehicle for butter, salt and cheese (or noosh, tasty tasty noosh)
• One Cheddar Feta Nigella Seeds scone from Sidewalk Citizen Bakery (via The Silk Road Spice Merchants): I've been eating Aviv's bread for close to 2 years now, and the fact that I will probably have to low carb for the rest of my life seriously saddens me