Protein Pancakes

One of the main components to getting or staying in shape is eating clean, healthy foods every few hours.  I've read that it's best to start the day with breakfast within 30 minutes to one hour of waking to jump start your metabolism for the day.  When your body doesn't get food for several hours (as in while you are sleeping), it shifts into starvation mode and stores fat.  I think Shape.com explained it well: "Skipping breakfast or eating too little forces your body to switch into conservation mode and burn fewer calories, which means you're more likely to hang onto body fat."

I love to wake up and enjoy a fresh brewed cup of coffee.  If I don't eat breakfast first though, the coffee suppresses my appetite and I'm not hungry for breakfast and end up skipping it or eating too little, like a single piece of toast.  So now, I wake up, eat breakfast right away, THEN enjoy my coffee.

Lately, in an effort to up my protein intake, I've been making protein pancakes for breakfast.  I find it's easiest to find one thing you like for breakfast that you can eat everyday (for at least a while before switching it up) so that it becomes automatic and you don't have to think about, "What am I going to eat this morning?"

Ingredients (*makes one large pancake)

Oats (finely ground in the food processor, about 1/4 - 1/2 cup) I keep a container full of ground oats on hand and just scoop them out each day.
4 Egg whites or 2 Whole eggs I use "All Whites"- they come in a carton and are sold by the real eggs
Cinnamon (to taste)
Vanilla (optional)
*Update 4/2013- I now add a little (a few tablespoons or so?) skim milk to the batter- it makes the pancakes fluffier and less dense.

I spray the pan with nonstick spray (now I use coconut oil in the pan instead, it makes the pancakes brown), pour all the batter in, and cook just like you would a regular pancake. Be forewarned that the texture of the final result is more dense and less "cakey" than a regular flap jack.

Also, I spread a thin layer of natural peanut butter on top (maybe a tablespoon?) and add about two tablespoons of sugar free syrup.  I like it and James does too!

There are other versions of protein pancakes you can try (many add protein powder and/or cottage cheese), but I really like mine and they are so simple.  I came across this one, and it looked pretty tasty (but had lots more ingredients).

How I Lost the Baby Weight (55 Pounds)

*This post was originally written and posted on April 26, 2011.  

Let’s start at the beginning.  

All my life I’ve been in pretty good shape, but I didn’t start working out until college.  I liked the way lifting weights helped turn my skinny body into a stronger, more muscular shape.  In the six months before I got pregnant, I was working out with a trainer a couple times a week, doing a couple days of cardio, and eating pretty clean.

My goal was to get in bikini shape for my sister-in-law’s wedding in Vegas that June.  I also colored my hair dark brown!  This pic was taken in Vegas at the Bachelorette party.  I’m about 5’1 and weigh about 106 pounds here. 

I also got pregnant that month!  Here I am about two weeks pregnant.  And morning sickness was starting to kick in.  

At the VERY beginning, I liked the changes to my body during pregnancy, i.e. bigger boobs!! ;)  But, then, for the first trimester of my pregnancy, I was exhausted.  I barely made it home from work without falling asleep.  I had no energy.  I stopped working out completely.  I gained weight- fast.  I remember one of my early prenatal visits and when the nurse lifted up my shirt to examine me, she kinda laughed and said, “you’re already wearing maternity jeans?”  Yes, ma’am- my regular pants already didn’t fit. 

I started eating whatever I wanted.  And what I wanted wasn’t healthy.  Things like ice cream and calorie rich Mexican dishes.  And even in the 2nd trimester when my energy returned, I still didn’t work out.  I didn’t work out my entire pregnancy.  I was so miserable, even though I was relatively healthy, but putting so much weight on my small frame was hard on me.  I’ll spare you the gory details. 

Fast forward to Christmas.  I remember that all I felt comfortable in was sweatpants- the thin kind you can almost sleep in.  And I still had 3 months to go!  At work, I was miserable - waddling to court and mediations, sweating, and pretty much wearing flip flops daily because my feet wouldn’t fit into regular shoes. 

Yet, don’t let that stop me from eating the CHEESECAKE! 

Oh, notice the Wii Fit sitting next to me? I asked my brother for that for Christmas, thinking I could start using it at home during that last trimester.  You guessed it- it’s NEVER been opened! 

Mid February- still 6 weeks to go!  Didn’t think I could get any bigger? Ha!  Here I am standing on our home’s foundation, wishing the house would hurry and get finished so we could move in! 

And here I am at the very END of my pregnancy, and after gaining about 55 pounds! My poor swollen face and hands!  

Ahhhh, welcoming the arrival of the baby!!  After James was born in March 2010, I was so looking forward to losing weight so that I could feel like myself again.  I was just so uncomfortable during my pregnancy!!

Within one week, I lost 20 pounds.  James was 7.5 of those:)  Another week later, I had lost 5 more pounds- that’s 25 down, and only 25 to go!  

Even with 25 pounds lost, I was somewhat horrified to discover that, at this point, I still looked pregnant.  (But I’m happy to be standing in my future closet!) 

I read this book during my pregnancy, “The Girlfriends Guide to Pregnancy”, that said regarding the weight loss, “nine months up, nine months down.”  But I didn’t want to believe that.  Not me, I thought smugly.  I’ll be back in 6 months! 

WRONG!

One month after James’ birth, I went back to working out with my trainer (about once a week).  I also began really watching what I ate.  

To achieve the body I’d really love to have, I’d have to eat something like this: 

• 6:00 a.m. Half a cup of oatmeal and five egg whites with chopped bell peppers and onions. 

• 9:00 a.m. Turkey meatloaf and one rice cake with two tablespoons of cinnamon cottage cheese on top. 

• 12:00 p.m. Five ounces of stir-fried chicken with half a cup of brown rice and steamed veggies.” 

• 3:00 p.m. Two corn tortillas topped with black beans, pepper, onions and five ounces of grilled chicken. 

• 6:00 p.m. Turkey meatloaf with a four-ounce sweet potato and one cup of steamed broccoli. 

• 9:00 p.m. Six boiled egg whites, cut in half and stuffed with water-packed canned tuna (mixed with celery, onions, mustard and spices). Plus, one toffuti pop. 

**********

But since I’m not trying to get that muscular, or that lean, I eat a modified version that looks more like this: 

• 7:00 a.m.  1/2 cup oatmeal with raisins, almond slices, cinnamon, and skim milk.  Coffee with vanilla caramel creamer.
• 10:00 a.m.  Greek yogurt with granola, strawberries, and blueberries.
• 12:00 p.m.  Chipolte burrito bowl with rice, black beans, chicken, pico, and a little bit of sour cream
• 3:00 p.m.  Protein bar or Starbuck’s iced tall mocha.
• 6:00 p.m.  Chicken with veggies, shrimp pesto pasta, or turkey burger
• 9:00 p.m.  Cereal, hershey kisses, or hot cocoa

Obviously, this is not consistent.  Sometimes I eat better than others, but I am good at eating small portions and stopping when I get full.  

By Mother’s day, 2 months later, I was starting to feel pretty good, but still had a belly and don’t remember what I weighed.

May 2010

June 2010

October 2011

By this time, (7 months), I had lost 40 pounds (Yay!), but with only 15 pounds to go, I kinda lost steam.  Then came the holidays and the toffee and I hit the wall.  I stopped working out with the trainer and just enjoyed all the food that goes with the holidays, probably adding on about 5 pounds.

November 2010

We bought a running stroller, but I only used it a couple of times. 

January 2011

With two months til James turned one, I was really hoping to lose those last 10 pounds.  But although my weight was coming down, I really needed to tone up.  My arms were actually pretty strong (I think from lifting a carrying a 20 pound baby around)!  I started back up with the trainer (still only once or twice a week) and she stressed that I really needed to be doing my cardio and start eating more often (I’d gotten into a habit of eating only breakfast, a light lunch, having a Starbucks in the afternoon and then a not-so-great dinner).

So I started jogging again.  And eating better.

And now, I jog with James in the running stroller a few times a week.  James usually falls asleep and I love the workout and the clarity and peace of mind I get after a run. 

I love being outside and we’re fortunate to have a park with a 3-mile track nearby.

 

Last weekend, we went to the beach.  I wore a bikini and didn’t feel embarrassed.  I still am not down to my pre-pregnancy weight- 5 pounds to go, but I’m honestly not concerned with that.  I’m more focused now on gaining muscle, and increasing my cardio.

My brunette hair has been properly dyed back to blond, has grown and been getting regularly cut by my new stylist, and I finally feel like myself again (and my son is almost 14 months old now!)  So 9 months up and 9 months down would’ve been great, but it’s taken me a bit longer.  

These pictures were taken almost exactly one year apart. 

*here's an updated photo from July 2011, taken during a boot camp session.

And for comparison from when I was pregnant, at my heaviest:

I shared my story because I know that when I was pregnant, I was really interested in what was going to happen to my body during and after pregnancy.  I would like to be able to say I was all glowy and never felt more beautiful, but for me, the exact opposite was true!  Maybe I’m not that evolved or self-actualized or whatever.

I would love to hear from you and what worked for you, what didn’t, how you felt about being pregnant, and any other tips you might want to share.

* * * * *

More Thoughts on Macronutrient Trends

I had a brief positive exchange with Gary Taubes about the NuSI post.  He reminded me that there's an artifact (measurement error) in the USDA data on fat consumption in the year 2000 when they changed assessment methods.  Here are the USDA data on macronutrient consumption since 1970, corrected for loss (28.8%) but not corrected for the artifact:

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Nutrition Science Initiative (NuSI)

Some of you may have heard of an ambitious new nutrition research foundation called the Nutrition Science Initiative (NuSI).  In this post, I'll explain what it is, why it matters, and how I feel about it-- from the perspective of an obesity researcher. 

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Calories and Carbohydrate: a Natural Experiment

In the lab, we work hard to design experiments that help us understand the natural world.  But sometimes, nature sets up experiments for us, and all we have to do is collect the data.  These are called "natural experiments", and they have led to profound insights in every field of science.  For example, Alzheimer's disease is not usually considered a genetic disorder.  However, researchers have identified rare cases in which AD is inherited in a simple genetic manner.  By identifying the genes involved, and what they do, we were able to increase our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of the disease.

The natural experiment I'll be discussing today began in 1989 with the onset of a major economic crisis in Cuba. This coincided with the loss of the Soviet Union as a trading partner, resulting in a massive economic collapse over the next six years, which gradually recovered through 2000. 

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A Late Summer Harvest

It's been a good year for gardening in Seattle, at least in my garden.  Thanks to great new tools* and Steve Solomon's recipe for homemade fertilizer, my house has been swimming in home-grown vegetables all summer.  I'm fortunate that a friend lets me garden a 300 square foot plot behind her house.  Here's a photo of part of today's harvest; various kale/collards, zucchini, tomatoes and the last of the pole beans:

Perfect for the Eocene diet.  

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Daniel Suelo, the man who quit money, seems remarkably healthy

Daniel James Shellabarger (better known as Daniel Suelo) is portrayed in the bestselling 2012 nonfiction book by Mark Sundeen titled “The Man Who Quit Money” ().

Apparently Suelo stopped using money in 2000, and lives in a cave near the city of Moab in Utah. His diet comprises primarily wild vegetables and fruits, insects, and road kill; as well as discarded or donated food he gets from others when he visits the city. The photo below is from a recent BBC documentary. An interesting 2006 YouTube clip on Suelo is titled “Moneyless in Moab” ().

Suelo is listed as having been born in 1961 (), and the photo above appears to have been taken in 2012. If these dates are correct, he is 51 in the photo above. I cannot help but think that he looks remarkably healthy. The 40-50 age period is one that often sets the stage for many diseases of civilization in urban societies.

Suelo’s decision seems like a radical one, at least to me. There are always complex motivations behind radical decisions. In the case of Suelo, some of these motivations are captured in the comment below, which is part of a review of the book “The Man Who Quit Money” posted on Amazon.com by a reader.

[…] a picture of Suelo not as an untarnished hero, but a man who has wrestled with heartbreak, depression, disillusionment with his family's faith, and his repugnance to working for the pure sake of making money and buying things. Whether or not you are inspired to follow Suelo's example, this book will make you think.

Many people have been inspired by Suelo’s story, to some extent because they see that adopting a radical form of “simple living” () may not only be possible but also liberating. Obviously Suelo’s lifestyle, as it is now, would not be possible without the help of others who adopt a more “traditional” lifestyle. Below is a critical review by a reader of the book, posted on Amazon.com, which harshly reflects this perspective.

Any infantile mentality charmed by this inane story should simply generalize the message - visualize a world in which all of us live like the parasitic protagonist. How fortunate for Suelo that there are still people who engage in productive work and indirectly and unknowingly keep the human sponge alive […] Suelo never quit money he simply quit contributing anything and continues to survive simply as a parasite.

Still, Suelo’s story is interesting, including from a human health perspective. An article on Details.com by Christopher Ketcham provides a glimpse at what a day in Suelo’s life looks like (). It seems that on most days he has one main meal per day.

It is hard to get a sense of the nutrient composition of his diet. It looks like his diet is limited in but not devoid of industrial foods, and one in which food consumption is sporadic, opportunistic, and driven primarily by hunger and availability – not by stress or set meal times, for example.

He probably walks a lot; his cave is one hour away from Moab by foot, and it looks like he goes to Moab often. Apparently he almost never gets sick.

Suelo also writes a blog (), which has many followers, and also maintains other websites, from the Public Library in Moab. His first blog post has over 1,000 comments under it ().