Evondo's Group - CLOSED! (Page 76)

Those puppies are high on the calorie count for me.  They'd be pretty much a meal replacement, or I could break it up and have half in the morning and half in the afternoon.  I'll have to see if I can find one in the stores around here.  If not I might take you up on your offer. 

I use them as an easy 4th meal around 3ish.

My very first thought when I started reading your post was Greek yogurt!  And then I got to the part about staying away from dairy.  Hmm.... quinoa w/ beans & veggies, nuts, maybe add some flax seeds to your yogurt.

Kim, I'm also a vegetarian and hear you on how it is challenging to get enough protein. I make these homemade version of Larabars and love them.   

http://enlightenedcooking.blogspot.com/2008/02/home-made-lara-bars-energy-bars-part-3.html 

I add whey protein powder to the mix to boost the protein content and found it doesn't mess the taste up at all.  Also, I double this recipe and make 6 smaller bars instead of 4.

Unfortunately I like dairy a bit too much and tend to lean on cheese sticks as a snack, although I'm trying to back off.  Other good options I like are:  hummus and baby carrots. Make your own hummus easily and back off on the tahini and oil to reduce the fat content.  My other "go to" snack is peanut butter and apple slices.  (Actually would rather have it with pretzels, but I'm trying to be a bit healthier.)  Finally, while not a snack I've recently added quinoa into my cooking and love it.  Nothing exotic or new in any of this, but it's how I've managed.  I'm not tracking food intake, so don't know how my ratio's work but hair and nails are good.  If you have any great recipes, send them my way!

I second this!!  I've started making these and love them!!!  I also tend to make the recipe x2/x4.   Great idea on adding protein powder....how much to you put in?

Re the pic, thanks!  My point and shoot does a pretty good job and no way am I taking the SLR out in the snow while trying to workout. 

Snow shoeing is a GREAT workout. I was actually a bit lazy yesterday.  I may go out again tonight when I get home.  I definitely feel like I had a workout yesterday, but none of the knee grumpiness that I get after a long run.

When I double the recipe I add a scoop of xxxxxxx Whey Protein which adds 35 grams of protein to the recipe.  The dates and cherries have so much flavor that you don't really taste the powder.  I also really like making them with apricots.

I'll have to give those bars a try.  I like the idea of being able to control the ingredients too. 

If there is a protein powder that you like, you could try what is called "sludge". Basically you take a scoop of protein powder (chocolate or vanilla) and add some frozen fruit (I prefer blueberries or strawberries), a tablespoon of peanut butter, and just enough water to give it a pudding consistency. Stir well. ~180 calories and 28+ grams of protein depending on the brand of protein powder you use.

That brings up another question.  I've never used protein powder.  What's everyone's favoriate that uses it?  Or more important, what ones have you identified that really suck and I should stay away from?

To me, syntrax has the best all around flavors, but it is a little pricier. Scivation is not too bad and you can get a mass quantity pretty reasonable. Designer whey used to be good, but I think they have redone the formula since they've taken on the "Biggest Loser" brand...and now I stay away from it unless it's an extreme emergency and I need protein powder in a pinch.



Edited by roadrhino 2010-02-11 11:08 AM

Chocolate Muscle Milk tastes the best to me.  My wife won't drink it though because she says it's too many calories.  

This sounds really good! I'm having it for breakfast tomorrow morning!

The protein powder I use is by EAS and it comes in vanilla and chocolate flavor. I can't remember exactly how many cals on it but it is around 120. I usually try to stomach the flavor with water only (can't stand) trying to keep cals off but nothing tastes better than mixing it with soy milk or fat free milk, throw in a banana- good morning shake. You can add blueberries instead of banana to change the flavor. As far as the chocolate goes, I do add nat peanut butter 1/2 a teaspoon.

I do add the extra protein to the snacks or meals. I've added a spoon full to fat free yogurt (1/4 cup) mix it, then added Kashi cereal (they are all high in protein) with a banana or some other fruit of choice. As of late I've been taking shakeology-140 calories with 17g of protein-gluten and caffeine free (meal supplement or as a snack).

As far as protein bars- check Cliff bars - all natural and organic.. they make bars raging from 23g to 10g... the 23g I ate the peanut butter one (the chocolate was to rich for me- btw-I don't like chocolate to much so anything with chocolate has to be light) and the 10g - def the carrot cake. I think those range in the 110 calorie mark. I've not checked the label lately.

Happy Friday!!!  Hope everyone has a nice long weekend

Happy Friday everyone...... I'm looking forward to a three day weekend. You know it is "Family Day" in Canada on Monday.

Question for the group:  have any of you regularly swum in a saline pool?  My gym is opening a new location (two blocks from my office!) that will have a saline lap pool, and I'm wondering what to expect.  Is it really gag-worthy when you swallow it?  Is it hard to wash off?  Is it any more or less caustic on suits and towels?  Does it hurt to get it in your eyes?

Most important questions:  is it saline enough that it makes you more buoyant?  Will I get an over-inflated sense of how fast I'm going, and be disappointed when I race in a chlorine pool or fresh open water?

Edited by gavisk 2010-02-12 11:11 AM

My neighbor has a saline pool and I prefer it to chlorine. I really didn't notice much difference in buoyancy, but the public pool may use a higher concentration. If it were me I would prefer to swim in a saline pool.

My boyfriends dad got sick of buying chlorine for their pool this summer and switched it over to saline. It is really nice and a lot better than chlorine if you ask me. It's definitely not "gag-worthy" if you swallow it and didn't bother my eyes as much as the chlorine did if at all. Honestly I think you are going to like it a lot more than chlorine.

A big day in our house!!!

Much to our surprise during Freshan orientation our son Brendan said he wanted to part of FFA this year.  Even better yet, he wanted to raise a pig.  In October Brendan and Ken spent the whole day waiting for Brendan's turn to choose his pig.  He got a Hampshire pig he named Olivia.  Over the last 4 months he has fed her twice a day, walked her and loved her.  Today was show day.  As a parent I can tell you this was WAY more nerve racking than I ever imagined.  The animals were moved Wednesday night.  Yesterday the mood was light and fun.  This morning it was tense and stressed.  Our son was in the first class and showed his pig at 8am.  We were glad it was early as there are 8 weight classes.  His biggest hope was to make preferred sale rather than go to frezer sale.  With a preferred buyer she goes up for auction and has a chance at being bought by a breeder.

Ken and I were both near tears watching him show as the other kids were eliminated or chosen and Brendan and Olivia seemed to be in the ring for the longest time.  He made the first cut, then the second cut which meant top 10.

Brendan and Oliva got 4th which is HUGE for a Feshman.  We couldn't be more proud.









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Very cool. Pass along my congrats.

Warning:  Long Post!!!

Wow.  What a Friday.  I had a 7:30 meeting, so I decided to run on the tready at the gym at work.  Roads here are still icy and shoulderless due to the snow.  Not great running conditions in the dark.  So I was out the door around 5:15, knocked off 5 miles, quick shower, got to my desk about 7:15 and my mobile rang.  It was a friend wanting to know if I was home because there was a huge cloud of smoke over my neighborhood.  Needless to say, I shuttled my meeting and took off for home.  When I got there, no way to enter the 'hood.  Fire trucks, police, arson squad you name it.  I was able to get the number of the unit where the fire started and thankfully it wasn't mine, but it was in the next building.  Fire was contained so nothing to do but go back to work, try not to worry and get home as soon as possible. 

I live in a townhome community.  Each building has 4 units.  The unit where the fire started is a total write-off.  Nothing left.  Structurally ok, they think, but otherwise a total loss.  The owner splits his time between here and the city and wasn't home.  The other 3 units, including my next door neighbor's have severe smoke and water damage and the entire roof is shot.  No word on the cause yet.    Initial estimates are that none of the 4 will be liveable for at least 6 months, maybe 9.  One of the couples that has a unit in the building is quite elderly and the wife has alzheimers.  My heart goes out to them.  Thankfully, and most importantly, everyone got out.  From what I've been told this afternoon, we have the BEST fire and police personnel.   They did an amazing job today.  We are all so indebted and gratefull.

My house has a *tinge* of smoke odor, but nothing terrible.  The biggest hassle is I suspect I might have to forego the garage quite a bit in the next several months if I don't want to get blocked in.  The end unit of the building affected shares a driveway with me.  It is going to be a hassle and get old.  This is a quiet community and the thought of living next door to 6-9 months of construction is not appealing.  Oh well.  It is what it is.  Again, just incredibly grateful everyone got out.

I think my first glass of wine is fast approaching.  Notice I said first.  There will be a second. Maybe a third.

All for now.  Smokey the Bear "out"

Wow Kim, that is crazy.  Bet your thought process was pretty much crap all day.  Enjoy the wine, your nerves deserve it.

That's just awesome.Congrats to Brendan and to his parents!!