Umami Dinner

227.4--->221.0--->221.0

My weight has remained the same for the past month, but I didn't eat much yesterday, so I suspect I might be a little heavier. Still, it's good that I've maintained despite the increase in sweets and heavy foods I've run to this past month. July is a time for summer foods, but with the upset I had in June with the leaving of the job, the refocusing on the home cooking and finding myself making stuff like baked ziti and rice & beans, it's almost surprising I haven't gained more weight.

The good: ate a lot less restaurant and take out food, replaced it with home cooking, using upwards of 90% of each CSA delivery each week, consistently hitting the weights 3x a week, getting in 50-100 miles a week on the bike.

The bad: my sweets consumption has pretty much increased to daily, my vegetable, fruit and greens intake are too low.

So to be honest, eating less restaurant/take out and and more home cooking is not really a challenge -- it is my new reality until I find myself in a new position at a restaurant or somewhere else. The challenge to focus on this month is to, say, restrict sweets consumption to three days a week, and increase my intake of dark greens and/or fruit and/or raw vegetables to one a day. I guess I should start making vegetable salads again, and lean on that big bag of frozen spinach.

Lifted weights in the morning, nice 30 mile ride in the afternoon. Should of eaten more on the earlier end.

TODAY'S COOKING:
Pasta a la Papa: Very happy how this off-the-cuff pasta came out, worth making again. Sauteed 2 large diced onions in olive oil & salt, added sliced container of baby bella mushrooms. In the last 4 minutes, sprinkled with dried oregano and thyme. Last minute, crushed 4 cloves of garlic into it. Drained 1 lb of tri-color rotelle into hot pot, added sauteed veg, a healthy shot of Worcestershire, about a cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Finished with a large pat of butter swished around until melted, and a few healthy turns of a pepper mill.

Writing this down, I see why it's so good. There are 3 big sources of umami - the cheese, the mushrooms, and the Worcestershire. (Doesn't hurt that I was really hungry from a day on the bike!)

BREAKFAST: 10:15am, pumpernickel bagel with cream cheese, water, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5

BIKE LUNCH: 2:30pm, street pretzel, Gatorade, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5


DINNER: 6:30pm, rotelle pasta with mushroom, onion & parm, 1.5 bowl, hunger 4/5


EVENING SNACK: 8:30pm, dark chocolate & cashews, brown rice crispies & organic dead milk, .75 bowl, hunger 4/5


EVENING SNACK: midnight, good peanut butter and nutella, .25 bowl, hunger 4/5