Hello everyone! I've been so busy, I haven't had time to post here yet. I've skimmed through this entire thread. My goals for this challenge are 1) get to my goal weight and successfully maintain it 2) to get into a weight training routine to start toning 3) to try and get to the point where I can actually run 1 mile. I hate running but most runners I know are thin, so maybe they're doing something right! Also I think I'm getting too used to the elliptical so a new form of cardio would be good to change it up for a while.

I love eggplant, it is my favorite vegetable! My family background is Indian, and there are lots of Indian dishes that feature the eggplant as the main ingredient. If you want inspiration, take a look in an Indian cookbook at the bookstore or library, there will likely be some eggplant recipes in there. One of the dishes I really like is a roasted mashed eggplant, often found on restaurant menus as "baigan bherta." To make it is messy because you have to roast the entire eggplant on a gas burner and the juices spill out everywhere. My mom and I came up with a microwaved version since she doesn't have time to stand over the stove and roast the eggplant and I have an electric stove so no roasting happening on that. To keep it simple, we omitted the Indian spices and just used what you would likely have in your spice cabinet.

Cut a 1 lb eggplant into 1 inch cubes, and place in a microwave dish. Microwave until tender, this could take up 15+ minutes for a large 1 lb eggplant. Once it is tender, use your potato masher (or a spoon if you don't have one) and mash the eggplant into a mushy, pulpy consistency.

Chop 1/2 onion and chop a few cloves of garlic (or use the pre-chopped stuff from a jar like I do to save time). Heat up your pan with 1 tbsp of oil (or less oil, but it will be a little less tasty) and sautee 2 tsp garlic for 30 second to 1 minute, followed by the onion. Saute the onion until cooked, and then add 1/2 can of Hunts Fire Roasted Diced Tomato and saute that. To give it a spicy kick, you can add some red pepper flakes or ground red pepper at this time to your desired level of hot. Saute the tomato for a few minutes to start getting rid of the juices, and add in the eggplant. Add salt to your desired level. Saute everything to incorporate it all in with the eggplant for a few minutes until it the water from the tomato is gone and the whole dish is a more dry consistency, not soupy and wet.

When sauteeing the onions and can tomato, you could also add some other vegetables like peas or small chopped carrots to get more veggies into the dish. You could also add some cooked potato either in small chunks or mashed in with the eggplant. Adding green onion and cooking it with the regular onion is also a good addition. Although you could use fresh tomato or regular canned/diced tomato, the Hunts Fire Roasted Tomato adds that element of "roasted" to the dish since we aren't going through the trouble of actually roasting the eggplant.

You can eat it as a veggie side dish or you could put it between bread, toast it, and eat it as a sandwich too.

The first time I made this on my own, it tasted a little bland compared to what my mom made. The difference was in the oil. She added 1 tbsp of canola oil to sautee the garlic and onions which isn't too bad since it is 1 tbsp for the entire eggplant, while I was trying to get by on 1 tsp. Just a consideration.

That sounds AMAZING, orthodiva! I love eggplant.

I started the C25K program today. So far, so good. ;)

My favorite Pilates DVD is the Pilates Beginning Mat Workout by Gaiam with Ana Cabon as the instructor. She does the advanced version and her sidekick does the beginner moves. I first got this as a VHS tape and liked it so much that I picked up the DVD. Got it at Target. Gaiam is also widely available online.

Baking eggplant question to anyone - do you think using parchment paper might help keep it from sticking to the pan?

Thank you very much for the detailed info on selecting an eggplant Manick.

Eggplant sex? :dizzy: Just when you think you've heard of EVERYTHING :dunno:

Hi everyone!

I just popped in to say hi for now, but I'll add more onto this later. Been working a lot lately and haven't had time to do anything online.

Made it to page two of the thread here before deciding to postpone for sleep and waiting till Thursday for a thorough read-through.

Looking forward to this challenge with you all, though it's my first, and I hope to get to know you all over these next 15 weeks.

Orthodiva that sounds SO delish! I am trying that this week! I love eggplant and I love Indian food... thanks for all the tips and the great recipe!

Xonkers nice to see you...I am going to Xonk too...:yawn:

happy2bme I haven't tried parchment paper for under eggplant, but it sounds like a good idea, I'm sure it would help! I use lots of stoneware which is sort of non-stick naturally. I LOVE it. My best friend insisted I try it and I don't really use anything else now.

just keep swimming I am starting this week too! Good for you!

taragettingthin WHOO hoo on the loss! that is huge girl!

Bette k Leo's, hear us roar! Another mushroom lover too! :cool:
I've not hunted hunted morels before, that sounds like a cool new thing to try...! Where do you hunt them?

Nighty night Black team...get some sleep.

OH MY! 18 pages! I don't know how I can possibly keep up with this thread!

Here's what I've got:

I'm on plan, I wish you all strength and beauty today and always!

;)

Yipes I'm behind!!

Just jumping in anyway. I'm thinking of doing the C25K also. I guess I need to google it and print it off unless somebody has a link ( I haven't searched the whole thread yet).

I'm a fairly new eggplant eater, but I added it to a curry dish once and it was great. The dish was from a restaurant so probably was very fattening but I would like to do a lowfat version.

My mom used to cook eggplant quite often when I was growing up, too... You can also steam the eggplant and then add soy sauce, sesame oil, chili powder, chopped up green onion. Low cal, low fat and goes great with whole grain/brown rice. =)

Tara-I love the Windsor pilates series. I have about 7 different dvds my favs being the buns and thighs one and the advanced sculpting. Each dvd has modified moves if you have a weak back or are just not as advanced.


I'm excited but nervous about the veggie challenge. I've had eggplant, but the one time I had it turned to mush and I can't do mush...it makes me gag! I do like trying new things so we'll see.

Soul-:wave: was wondering where you were.

Managed to stay OP yesterday which makes 2 days in a row :carrot: I read Bob's new book, so I've been carrying a lil notebook with me to work. I write down what I eat and the time and then set daily goals for myself. I tend to be an emotional eater, so I journal if I eat out of emotion. So far so good. Yesterday was a nice day, a lil on the breezy side, but today is suppose to be in the 80's woohoo! Its suppose to cool back down and be in the 40's by Friday. I wish spring would hurry up and get here. I'm thinking maybe I'd plant a garden this year. It sounds like a lot of work but it would cut down on the groceries a little bit and with the price of gas every lil bit helps. Ok I'm off to get some exercise in got a long ways to go before I can afford my bikini!

I just find out that I will go to the caribean in june and stay the whole summer :dancer:.. Not for vacation, but for work... But anyway I am really exited.. I really have to do a lot of workout in may so I can use a bikini ... Right now I will go and jump some rope..
Anyway, this saturday I'll go to a wedding,, I'll try not to eat to much. My weigh in is on monday, so I guess I'll have to work it of me on sunday..
Have a nice day everyone, Lets win this first weigh in..

happy2beme- i know, those 0 point soups are a killer- they are 0 points for one cup but 2 points for the whole thing AND loaded with sodium.

bethbeth- i am doing couch25K too, I did the 20 minute run last week but really slacked off becuase I killed my hamstrings I couldn't even bend over- so tomorrow I am going to get back into it and start at the 20 minute run again- I'll just make sure I train my lower body the day before I have a few days off from running.

trooworld- I know, i love chillis too- the bad thing is through training I have to taste test all their food..lol, I love their chicken crispers- but the guiltless grill stuff is pretty good too!!

taragettingthin- i like the windsor pillates dvds.

All is good here, gotta get the baby to daycare and go study then I am off to a spin class and then strength training!

Here is my version of the "getting to know you" -

Accent: something in between Jersey and Western New York

Best Friend: can't pick just one, have different good friends for different parts of my life

Chore I hate: packing for a trip and then putting the stuff away when I get back

Essential make-up product: eyeshadow

Favorite perfume: Beautiful by Estee Lauder

Gold or silver? Gold for now

Hometown: Buffalo, NY

Job title: I fix crooked teeth.

Kids: none yet, but hopefully someday!

Living arrangements: I live alone. :( I am always missing my LDR BF and family.

Number of apples eaten in the last week: 1

Overnight hospital stays: none

Phobia: Currently I hate being awake in my bed alone trying to fall asleep at night (stupid phobic thoughts go through my head). As a result, I often pass out on my couch with the lights on.

Question you ask yourself a lot: What time is it?

Religious affiliation: something from the east

Siblings: 1 younger brother

Time I wake up: 7:25 am-ish, it keeps getting earlier and earlier :mad:

Unnatural hair color: Stuipd white strands in my black hair that showed up 1.5 years ago. They will be "fixed" back to black next month.

Vegetable I refuse to eat: broccoli rabe and cooked cucumbers

Worst habit: procrastinating

Yummy food I make: Being from Buffalo, I crave chicken wings and a good chicken finger sub, both of which are extreme splurge fried foods. To satisfy the craving, I concoted a yummy & healthy "buffalo chicken burger" recipe that I can't wait to try out on my brother and mom next week. I also make healthy versions of homemade pizza and veggie lasagna.

Zodiac sign: Sagittarius

X-tra info: I hate driving, I love walking!

:stress: I dropped my son at preschool and his teacher said she has to take my picture with him when I pick him up today. She can't tell me why, but I am SO glad she warned me because I am not the type that comes all put altogether every day...she must have noticed :lol: I am really nervous, don't like my picture taken AT ALL.

3 days OP and I am getting my confidence back. I'll feel better when I get my days to go under 100, that just seems like such a big number. Couple more days and it won't look so big...funny the little mind tricks we play on ourselves.

Question: are you we going to make a new post everyday for the exercise challenge? Or should we keep editing our original posts? I like the idea of somehow editing one post, otherwise it could get hard to keep up with our bank amount if we have to go back through all the other posts to get our total from the day before...if that makes any sense.

YUM! Can you post your recipe for the veggie lasagna?

Email from: Jillian Michaels

Getting Back on the Wagon
It happens — you miss a few workouts in a row because of a late night at the office and suddenly your weight-loss efforts seemed derailed. It's tempting to mentally slap yourself around, isn't it? Well, chill out! Being hard on yourself is the old you, remember?
Now, you know to take setbacks in stride and get right back on that wagon. You wouldn't think of wasting even a minute to beat up on yourself. After all, there are no mistakes, just learning experiences. Weight loss is a process and every process takes time. You will encounter small failures — everybody does! Remember, every pound you gain can be lost.

If you miss a workout, it's not the end of the world! Get to the gym the next day and continue to focus on your short-term goals. Just because you made bad choices today doesn't mean you can't start over tomorrow. I know it sounds trite, but every day is truly a new beginning.