Vegan Eating and Insanity Workouts: 2 Weeks In

So I've just began second week of Insanity, third week of eating Vegan. Staying consistent with my workouts and clean eating is paying off. I've lost a whopping 16 pounds since the 5th of January, 3.6% of body fat, and a total of 11ish inches from various body parts, but namely my waist (YAY!). I am still extending the breaks between intervals (and adding breaks every three exercises to the 'Pure Cardio' workout, yikes!), but I've noticed my heart rate gets back to a reasonable place in a shorter about of time now. I was able to do the Fit Test without even extending the break, which is a marvel. I'm able to hold a plank much longer and can almost make it through the majority of the high intensity exercises for the duration of the interval, with exception to the "ski abs" and "in and out abs", torture on my arms after the level 1 drills. I still drop to my knees for some of the pushup sets. But I've been jumping and squatting with more ease, and overall I feel excellent. My progress on each exercise and with my measurements are on the tables below.



 I was hesitant about posting these cause, well, you know, but I decided to go ahead and do it anyway. All the more motivation. Don't laugh.

Fit Test Progress
Move	1/5/2013 Fit Test 1	1/19/2014 Fit Test 2
Switch Kicks	77	116
Power Jacks	37	50
Power Knees	78	106
Power Jumps	26	40
Globe Jumps	9	11
Suicide Jumps	13	15
Push Up Jacks	16	25
Low Plank Oblique	31	50

Measurements & Weight Progress
Date	1/5/2014	1/19/2014
Weight	185.4lbs	169.2lbs (-16.2lbs)
Body Fat Percentage	36.3%	32.7% (-3.6%)
BMI	31.8	29.2
Chest	43”	41” (-2”)
Waist	40.5”	36” (-4.5”)
Hips	41.5”	40.5” (-.5”)
Bicept (Left)	13”	13”
Thigh (Right)	23.25”	23” (-.5”)
Total inches lost:		11.1”

Marinated Garlic Chili Tofu

So I learned via the internets that in order for a tofu marination to be truly successful, one must first press out the water from the tofu. I tried this out. To the right is today's lunch. The tofu was little bit overbaked (it's not as bad as it looks!) but still delicious, with some kale I stir fried in the remaining marinade and some quinoa.

Ingredients and other useful stuff:

A block of firm tofu, rice vinegar, garlic, chili oil, sesame seed oil, soy sauce, paper towels, something flat with weight like a book, toaster oven, glass container or ziplock bag.

Steps: 

1) First I drained the tofu, cut it into into 1/2 inch slices or something about that, dabbed it off with a paper towel by gently pressing on each side, then I put another paper towel on a cutting board, put the tofu on it, placed yet another paper towel over that (I folded it for more absorption), a folded wash cloth over that, then I placed a book over it and let it sit for an hour or so. This removes all the excess water so your tofu has space to absorb your seasonings.

2) I mixed a few tablespoons of rice vinegar (I may have used too much), one teaspoon of chili oil (I scooped up some of the red flakes with this for extra spice), one teaspoon of sesame seed oil (I used toasted), several table spoons of soy sauce, and some fresh, cut up garlic. A lot, actually.

3) After the tofu was done draining, I put it in a glass container with this marinade and let it sit overnight, occasionally revisiting it to turn it to gently turn it around, ensuring even coverage.

4) The tofu was actually delicious already by the time morning came around...even without being cooked. I pan fried half of it for 3-4 minutes on each side, and I baked the other half on 300 in a toaster over for a couple hours, flipping the pieces over every once in a while.

I've also learned online that the rule of tofu marination is, the thicker the marinade, the longer you let it sit. For mine, I probably would have been fine with several hours of marination, as it was very light. For a barbeque sauce or something of that nature, longer may be better. I'd love to hear back any variations. 

First Weeks of Vegan Weight Loss and Why NOT to Starve

So, when I started my clean eating endeavor, I didn't weigh myself until January 5th, and clocked in at about 184ish lbs. I jumped up on my scale Monday and realized I've lost more than ten pounds since starting this endeavor, about 171! Elated! I was NOT expecting such sudden and dramatic results. I never went hungry, just ate clean. In the photo are things that have got me through this past week in the half. Some of this I literally eat EVERY day. If you're not hip to these Field Roast sausages, by the way, you're missing out. They are the busy vegan's heaven send. Versatile, quick and easy to use, and affordable if you can find the 12 packs at your local Costco.

Now back to why not to starve...I've done a lot of "jump starts" and cleanses to get a kick start on losing weight in the past. I have done a water only cleanse for six days. I've done the lemonade cleanse for 12. It was agony the first few days, but afterwards, I could tolerate the hunger pangs alright. I found it helpful psychologically as a means to "reclaim" my self-control, plus the quick weight loss gave me extra motivation. It is not, however, sustainable and particularly healthy. This time around in my quest to get right, I took advantage of having a coach. I asked Omowale his thoughts on such cleanses, which I know are quite controversial. He challenged the safety and necessity of any type of "liquid only" died, including juice cleanses, and recommended that I refrain and instead just continue eating vegan, stay active, and remember to eat light at night.

Following his advice, I found the results exactly the same as if I were eating nothing at all. Truly. When I did water, lemonade, and juice cleanses in the past, I didn't lose weight at any faster a pace than now. So no need to swear off solids for a jump start, or even to eliminate carbs or any of the other drastic things we've been told to do.

Here are some things I've been doing which have contributed to my results:

-I generally eat my grains such as quinoa or brown rice earlier in the day with a huge serving of vegetables and some tofu or Field Roast. Sometimes I split it so I eat some early afternoon and some later at work, but never large servings at night before bed.

-I eat a huge amount of greens such as kale and spinach with everything. Everything. I boil it, stir fry it, hell I even take it to work raw and microwave it (I know I know, nutrients, but whatever, it works). It fills me up and makes me happy. Leafy greens are the best things you can eat, and there's really no getting too much.

-I take fruit around with me if I get hungry and snack on that. Kiwis and papaya mostly these few weeks. Oranges too. I eat these by themselves as snacks. I've read that most fruit shouldn't be combined with starches, vegetables, fats for optimal digestion, nutrient access, etc. But mostly, I just think they're great alone.

-I stay away from heavy carbohydrates at night, and opt for tortillas at the most with lots of salad of varying textures and colors, and half of a Field Roast Sausage. I like spinach with chopped red cabbage, onions, jalapenos, and olives with a salsa dressing mostly. It gives me the extra crunch and color, plus it's tasty.

-I stop eating at 11. I give my body 12-14 hours without food so my digestive system has a break. This last bit was not recommended by Omowale, especially since it means I often don't eat prior to my workouts in the morning. If I could eat earlier at night, it would solve this problem. But so far for me, it's working out alright, and I don't find myself very hungry until after my workouts.

-I drink the pictured Vega Performance Protein after I do workouts for extra protein boost. Now again, this goes against the advice of my coach Omowale, so I may be amending this habit soon. He has some literature coming out about why he doesn't take supplements, so I'm looking forward to reading that.

-I don't trip on my own rules too tough so long as I'm excluding dairy and meat. If I'm hungry, I eat. But I really try to listen to my body. When I eat, I wait to see if that's enough instead of just eating a bunch, which was what I did a lot before.

-I stay hydrated. It's a trip how often we confused thirst with hunger.

-I don't calorie count. Okay, okay, I did for a few days using MyFitnessPal, but I don't regularly. But seriously, don't do this. It's tedious and annoying and if you're like me, you get obsessive over it, and it's just not a sustainable way to develop healthy, positive nutrition habits. Awareness is one thing, but calorie counting on a regular basis is not the biz.

Raps and Reps on Vegan Publishers

So I awoke this morning to a wonderful shoutout in Vegan Publishers. Below is the blog post written by Omowale on the Going Vegan 2014 initiative that mentions Raps and Reps. I'm honored for the acknowledgement and mention and simultaneously terrified. In the words of my homegirl Charhys, "Accountability is a bitch." This is the point of no return for me, I've been put on BLAST, and I haven't even shared the existence of this blog yet on my social media sites with the majority of my friends and followers of my music for fear of embarrassment should I 'relapse'. That being said, I'm also enthused and committed to maintaining this lifestyle, and glad to have the extra boost of motivation to do so. Below is a repost of Wale's article, which recaps the first week of Going Vegan 2014 originally found here at Vegan publishers. Enjoy!

Going Vegan 2014: The First Week 

To vegans who are already experiencing the benefits of veganism, it’s no surprise that we are drastically increasing our population. According to a recent Huffington Post article, more people than ever are interested in turning vegan. It just makes perfect sense to help these people pursue this interest.

It’s been more than a week since I’ve launched my 2014 campaign to help people become more fit, healthy and compassionate by simply Going Vegan 2014. With the help of the global vegan community, the campaign provides members with recipes, fitness routines and an open ear to various vegan questions for a full year. The purpose is to offer support, not pressure, in the pursuit of helping people become healthier and more compassionate by 2015. Find out more about this endeavor on Veggin Out and About or tune-in to Critical Reboot w/ George Martinez this Saturday January 11, 9am EST.

Last Sunday, there were 135 people reserved for our first live discussion via Ustream. Even with the anticipated glitches that are common with online group communication, it did something amazing for first-time vegans. An on-going interactive resource for vegans was formed. We weren’t just discussing recipes, but also where to purchase vegan foods, which exercises are helpful, and even the controversy surrounding wheat gluten and soy.

Fifty-five people have subscribed to the mailing list to receive new recipes, exercises, events, stores and updates on the next group call. There were 33 #goveg2014 members who filled-out the survey asking vegans questions about their health goals, detoxifying needs, their personal fitness level and where they would like to see results on their vegan bodies. After hearing campaign members, I added a Group on Facebook to share resources and stories. The group’s posts are privately shared amongst Going Vegan 2014 members, but the group is open for anyone to join.

I’m happy to mention two awesome new vegans from the Going Vegan 2014 campaign, Anne Saladino of Albuquerque, New Mexico and Julie Chang Schulman of Seattle, Washington. Both women have been engaging in working out more and eating more varied foods because of their new lifestyle. The two have been engaging in meaningful discussions of veganism, engaging other new vegans and taking the initiative in offering up recipes for terrific meals. This has been extremely helpful in showcasing to other potential vegans how simple and fun veganism can be, especially with support.

After week one, Anne reported feeling more energetic and lighter as she’s already lost a few unnecessary pounds. A favorite breakfast of hers is oatmeal with currants, coconut, cinnamon and almond milk. Anne’s lunch and dinner looked like delicious curried cous cous with lentils, raisins and peas and on the side, steamed broccoli with olive oil, lemon and pepper.

Julie is an educator, community organizer and emcee. She has recently created her own page on Blogspot called Raps and Reps, dedicated to her wellness aims. Her page describes a wonderful Taiwanese meal Tofu Gan where she creatively combines my baked tofu recipe and her mother’s tofu gan recipe. She lists the ingredients and instructions on her page. If that’s not enough, Julie details her Insanity workout routine, offering a breakdown on heart rate training zones and HIIT (high intensity interval training). When people learn something new and exciting they have no choice but to share it with the whole world. Kudos to both these wonderful women!


This week, I am sharing two of my original recipes: Curry Seitan and Berry Granola Muffins. Since the launch of this campaign there has been good support from the vegan community, and I expect more from vegans coast to coast. We need more recipes for meals, smoothies and juices, tips on what’s GMO, where to shop and of course where to go for vegan parties. There are no limits. If the vegan community is going to grow, new vegans are going to require more support, globally. #goveg2014


Omowale Adewale is the co-founder of Grassroots Artists MovEment (G.A.ME) which strengthens youth leadership, builds healthy resources and empowers artists. “Wale” (pronounced “wah-lay”) is a champion vegan boxer, mma fighter, track and field collegiate gold medalist, accomplished bodybuilder and certified USA boxing coach and fitness trainer in New York City.

Tofu Gan- Basic Recipe for a Chinese Staple

The many forms of Tofu Gan in Taiwan market

Tofu gan is dehydrated tofu sliced into thin strips that is used a lot in Chinese cooking, and that we frequently ate growing up. In the past, we've typically bought this from the store precooked and throw it in with stir fry. But it is SUPER easy to make, very convenient and versatile, and will be something I'll integrate into my diet more in the future.

Last night, I sort of synthesized a baked tofu recipe that Omowale posted in our 'going vegan' forum with a tofu gan recipe my mother had got the night before from a neighborhood friend.

Don't follow this to a T. I was deliberately broad here....experiment, and report back your results!

Ingredients:

Seasoning of your choice

Firm tofu (or whatever tofu, but firm is easier to manipulate), cut in the shape of your choice.

Directions:

1) I let my tofu marinate overnight in curry seasoning, sea salt, and pepper. You can use whatever you'd like depending on how you plan to use your tofu gan. Experiment.

2) I baked on low in a toaster oven, flipping the tofu over every 15-20 minutes or so. Mine took a pretty long time to cook because I had them in a wide shape, and cooked on 200. Just watch it and continue flipping until dry.

3) Your tofu gan is done when it appears dry to the touch on both size and has shrunk to at least half of its original size, if not smaller.

4) (Chinese method, I skipped this part this time around) Simmer the tofu gan in a mixture of soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sugar. This gives it a nice coating and flavor.

3) Slice up and throw into stir fry, salads, whatever you like. (For lunch I tossed in with some garlic and spinach I cooked up. Delicious.)

Enjoy and let me know if you come up with something grand with this. I'd also love to hear from someone who attempts a tofu gan in a dehydrator. Curious to hear the results..

HIIT and Heart Rate Training Zones

The Insanity workout series I'm doing is a High Intensity Interval Training cardio program, which means it utilizes a technique that incorporates varying degrees of medium intensity training with high intensity bursts within a single workout session with active resting sessions in between. The idea is that after a warm up, one should stay within 70-80% of one's maximum heart rate, then during the intervals reach 80-95% of one's maximum heart rate, then allow oneself to return to below 80% before the next interval.

I just finished day three of Insanity. I'm out of shape, and my heart rate feels super erratic. I figure, in the interest of staying safe and not dying, it may be good to calculate my training zones and put my heart rate monitor to more productive work than calorie counting.

Training zones are calculated from your maximum heart rate, or HMRx. HMRx relative to age and your resting heart rate, which is reflective of your current fitness level. Your resting heart rate is most accurately calculated by taking your heart rate first thing upon waking before any activity for several days, then averaging that out. (This is called the Karvonen formula). Since I haven't done this, I'm just going to use the common age-based formula. Here's a link to a site that will do calculations for you. There are many others.

220 - my age(29) = 191

So 191 is my estimated maximum heart rate or HMRx. I use this number to calculate various training zones.

60% is what has been called the "fat burning zone", and my understanding, this is the minimum you should be at to be actually doing a little something. For me this means: 115bpm

191 x .6 = 114.5bpm

70-80% is your typical "fitness zone", which means here's where you should be to get a good cardiovascular workout. For me this looks like: 134-153bmp

191 x .7 = 133.7bmp
191 x .8 = 152.8bmp

80-95% is your "interval training zone". Here's where I should be when I'm sprinting aka busting my ass during though high intensity intervals. I should no higher than: 181bmp

191 x .95 = 181.45

So, looking back at the information in my heart rate monitor, my maximum heart rate during today's work out reached 177bmp. That would mean that I'm pretty much where I need to be without my heart splattering out of my chest and coating my Shaun T filled flat screen. Dope. I allowed myself to get to around 154bmp during my resting sessions by pausing the video between intervals. If you don't have to do this when you begin, you're some kind of fitness god and should probably be doing something more productive with your exercise time than Insanity. I think I could give myself more time. As I continue training, I will probably go through the trouble of recalculating these numbers with my resting heart rate using the other formula because I'm a nerd like that.

But for now, this will do.

cardiovascular training technique that uses short duration, high intensity cardio sessions that incorporate varying degrees of medium to high intensity 'bursts' in a single session. This ensures you work through a wide range of heart rate zones to burn more calories in the same time that you would doing steady-state cardio - See more at: http://www.fitnessmag.co.za/training/bc/your-heart-knows-how-to-get-fit-37/#sthash.4SzRvqfN.dpuf

Insanity Day 1- Fitness Test

I've been here before. The summer of 2012 is when I completed my first round of Insanity, and it has been EONS. I've decided to start again as a convenient way to get my exercise and fitness levels up. For those that aren't familiar and are too lazy to look it up, Insanity is a High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) cardio program consisting of a number of DVDS you play on a two month schedule. Written into the program is a bimonthly "fitness test" you perform to track your progress, along with taking your weight and measurements. Really, this is more of a baseline to work with and compare results to than an actual test. But either way, it was not easy to do, and I had to extend resting times between each exercise beyond the allotted time in the video in order to allow my heart rate to return a to reasonable levels. Here is a video I found of this "fitness test" on vimeo. According to my New Balance N4 heart rate monitor, which I suspect is low on batteries, I burned about 220 calories during this test.

January 5th, 2013

Here are my results:

1.) Switch kicks: 77
2.) Power jacks: 37
3.) Power knees: 78
4.) Power jumps: 26
5.) Globe jumps: 9
6.) Suicide jumps: 13
7.) Push-up jacks: 16
8.) Low plank oblique: 31