Life After HCG Countdown to the Dirty Dash

I have been running 5Ks like crazy these passed few weeks trying to get ready for The Dirty Dash. I am so excited to run the fall Utah race this Saturday! As weird as it may sound, the Dirty Dash is kind of near and dear to my heart.

You see, this muddy race has been a big part of my weight loss journey. On my very first day of the HCG Diet, I did The Dirty Dash for the first time. At 285 pounds, I stumbled through mud until I finished. It was insanely hard (you can read about that here).

Then in the Fall, after losing 60 pounds, I ran the Dirty Dash again. It was still hard, but a little easier (the blog for that race can be found here).

 Spring 2013 rolled around and I was 100 pounds down. I did it again.

Typically I get to do the race with the staff here at HCGDiet.com, but they decided not to do it this year, but thanks to the amazing Dirty Dash staff, I am so excited to say that my roommate and I will be running the race together!

The Dirty Dash was something I never imagined myself doing. What started out as an obligatory work event turned into an incredible self-realization: My body can do hard things. And trust me, when you are trying to lose weight, there is nothing more powerful than this realization.

 Losing weight is difficult, and while we are transforming physically, a lot of the roadblocks we encounter are mental ones. Its important to be able to remind yourself that your body is more than capable of pushing its limits, you just have to convince your mind first. The Dirty Dash is like my annual reminder of this. Each year it gets a little bit easier and I can do  more and more of the obstacles.

So, to you dear reader, remember that. Your body can do hard things. If you are trying to lose weight and trying to stay motivated, put your trust in yourself and decide that you are going to push your limits. Maybe your powerful reminder wont come from running muddy races, but there is something out there that will help you realize how much potential you actually have. Get out there and find it.

When Saturday rolls around Ill be the same weight I was last time I raced the Dirty Dash, but this time, I know I will be able to run faster and conquer the obstacles with a lot more confidence. Ive put a lot of hard work into running and a large part of my motivation for doing that has been the Dirty Dash! Ill post pictures as soon as I have them. Dont forget to find something that motivates you to push your limits. Go out and try something new!

Read More..

Low Carb Cheesy Cauliflower Bread Sticks

Bread. The heavens supervised its creation, and just when we think it cant get any better, top it with cheese and BOOOOOM. Love. 

As heavenly and lovely as bread sticks are,the carbs are a little too much sometimes. 

Ive heard about cauliflower bread, but Ive been hesitant to try it - mostly because Im lazy and it seems time consuming. However, the other night I was desperately craving some cheese bread dipped in marinara, I had three different kinds of cheese in the fridge and a head of cauliflower. Maybe it was a sign, or maybe I was just hungry enough to work through my laziness... Whatever it was, I tried a recipe for cheesy cauliflower bread sticks and it was everything I hoped and dreamed it would be.

Cheesy Cauliflower Bread Sticks

1 large head cauliflower
4 eggs 

2 cups mozzarella, shredded

2 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp Italian seasoning
Topping: 

1 cup mozzarella, shredded

1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

1/4 cup Parmesan shredded

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Chop cauliflower into medium sized florets. Rice cauliflower (place in a blender or a food processor and use a low-medium speed or a chop setting). Your cauliflower should look like rice, and not have any large pieces in it. Remove from food processor and place in a microwave safe dish. Cover and microwave for 10 minutes. Add eggs, 2 cups mozzarella, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning. Mix well using a fork.

You Might Also Enjoy: Low Carb Pumpkin Fluff

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. I was out of parchment paper so I used aluminum foil. I was still able to get remove them, but it was kind of tough. Spread mixture onto the cookie sheet. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven, top with additional mozzarella, cheddar, and Parmesan, and bake for another 5 minutes. 

Slice with a pizza cutter and serve with warm tomato sauce or marinara.

This makes about 6 servings of 2 bread sticks each. Calories: 297, Net Carbs: 7 grams, Protein: 26 grams

I had leftovers and I was kind of nervous to reheat them, but they were actually even better reheated. I just laid them flat side by side and microwaved them for about a minute and a half. They were awesome! 

Recipe adapted from jcooks.com

Read More..