Todays workout and a Turkey Loaf

Before I start, I wanted everyone to know that I usually comment on your comments at the end of the day.  I try to post my blog in the morning before work(and right after running) and then sometime in the evening, I make comments so if your comment was a question, just go back to the day before and you should see my answer.

Thursday is always a longer workout for me.  I do my weights workout on the bowflex for about 30-40 minutes and then I did a 3 mile run.  I barely have enough time to warm up with a 3 mile run but that is what's on the Higdon schedule so I'm sticking to it.  Actually I get warmed up from lifting weights first I suppose.  I figured in my shortest run of the week in with the weights so it would not tire me out too much.  Today's run was really windy!  I always do my weights first.  "They"(who?) say that you should do what it more important to you first but I just cannot run 3 miles and then do weights.  I feel exhausted tired after my run and just cannot get myself to workout with weights after.  What do you do when you need to run and also lift weights on the same day?  Or do you only lift weights on days that you do no other exercise?  Or perhaps you don't lift weights?  One thing I can say for sure, lifting weights helped me lose weight when I wanted to.  Now I use it to keep my body tone.  Well, as tone as it's going to get after losing so much weight.  I feel like I have a jelly roll for a stomach.  I can feel those abs under it but will never be able to see them without surgery and that is never going to happen.

Also, here's a great dinner that my wife made the other day.  It's turkey Loaf from the American Heart Association cookbook that she cooks from religiously.  Very easy to make and tastes great and also good for more than one dinner too!  Good as leftovers as well.  This recipe serves 8.  I'm not a fan of meatloaf but I love this.  It's great with a good veggie sidedish and a salad.  Hope you try it and like it.

Recipe:
Vegetable Oil Spray(optional)
4 slices whole-wheat bread
1/4 cup fat-free milk
2 pounds lean ground turkey breast, skin discarded before grinding(we buy extra lean ground turkey to save us time - make sure it's extra lean though)
1 cup grated or finely chopped onion
1 cup canned no-salt-added stewed tomatoes, crushed, undrained
1 medium rib of celery, diced
1/2 medium red bell pepper, chopped
Egg substitute equivalent to 2 eggs, or 2 large eggs(we use egg substitute)
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1 teaspoon seeded and finely minced fresh jalapeno, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons no-salt-added ketchup

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Lightly spray a 10 1/2 x 5 1/2 x 2 1/2 inch loaf pan with vegetable oil spray, or us a nonstick loaf pan.

In a food processor or blender, process the bread into fine crumbs.  Transfer to a shallow bowl.  Stir in the milk.  Let the crumbs soak for 5 minutes.

In a large bowl, gently but thoroughly stir together the remaining ingredients except the ketchup.

Drain the bread crumbs and squeeze out any excess milk to form a paste.  Stir into the turkey mixture.  Spoon into the loaf pan.  Spread the ketchup over the loaf.

Bake, uncovered, for 1 hour 30 minutes, or until cooked through.  Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

The best part - nutritional facts(I have a hard time eating things when I don't know what's in them):
calories 195; protein 31 g; carbohydrates 13 g(fiber 2g, sugars 5g); cholesterol 77 mg; total fat 1.5g(saturated 0.5g, polyunsaturated 0.5g, monounsaturated  0.5g); sodium 251 mg
Dietary exchange:  1/2 starch; 1 vegetable, 3 1/2 very lean meat

So there you have it.  Enjoy!

Turkey Loaf!

Have a great day and......Keep running!