Whoop, there it is
I have been wanting some type of calorie tracker for a while now. It was a toss-up between the Apple Watch or the Whoop band. My husband got me the Whoop for my birthday. I haven’t had the watch very long but I will tell you my thoughts on it so far.
When I first got the band I was really excited but wasn’t sure what to expect. I honestly don’t believe that a lot these watches track accurately. It is like when the treadmill tells you how many calories you burn without knowing your heart rate or your physical capabilities. I just don’t think you can put a whole lot of stock into those kinds of readings. Sure they can give you a ballpark range, but not 100% on the money.
I got the band on a Wednesday and did not really start using it until Thursday for my first full day. It takes a few days for it to get to know you, figure out your schedule, and what your body can withstand. I am still figuring things out, but I think I get the basics. It gives me a strain score each day, recovery information, sleep performance, I can analyze my workouts, give it key information on my sleeping habits, my heart rate, calories burned, and so much more. It really tells me more information than I know what to do with at this point. I am in no way a professional athlete but I am geeking out over all the information it gives me.
The calories are what I really look at, constantly, multiple times a day. I really was questioning the validity of the calorie count, until I had a rest day. During the week the strap was registring that I burned over 3,000 calories. I think about the amount of food that I eat versus that amount of calories burned. In my mind, if I am eating roughly 2,200 calories a day then I should be dropping weight, for sure. I really was thinking of cutting off the subscription.
Then I got to my rest days. On my rest days, I was barely getting 1,700 calories off by 5 o’clock. During the week I have burnt 1,700 calories before lunchtime…which seems nuts to me. I am not going to lie, I freaked out a little bit when I saw my calories burned were so low. It really made me put some stock into their calculation after seeing my rest day so low. Seeing how low my rest day was explained why I would not be dropping the weight either.
If I eat similar on the weekends as I do on days that I am burning over 3,000 calories then I am not going to see any movement on the scale. Get-togethers typically happen on the weekend and those usually involve some indulging. If I indulge and eat MORE than I typically would, then the scale DEFINITELY won’t be moving. I am not trying to lose any weight, but I was very skeptical of this fitness tracker until I saw my weekend strain and calories burned.
My goal right now is to test it out. I am not going to change my macros, but I am going to eat my maximum amount on my workout days and eat relatively close to the number of calories I am burning on the weekends, not what I have my macros set for. In doing this I am hoping to see if I have any body composition changes, gaining or losing weight basically and if my energy levels increase. I will keep you posted on how it goes! For now, I am extra excited and nerdy over the data that I am getting. It is still early, only 3 weeks into really using this band, but so far so good.
New Food Review:
Hawaiian Hula Pork Fajitas with Pineapple Slaw + Coconut Rice
This bowl will be a new go-to around here. It was originally meant to be a taco, but I did not want the extra carbohydrates with the tortilla and rice. Plus, I just love a bowl full of rice with everything mixed together. Judging by my Instagram photos I would say 90% of my food is in a bowl. I did not count all the liquid used in the crockpot with the pork butt, because it did not absorb into the meat. The meat lost water and fat, which added to the liquid amount. I was not going to put the extra juice into the bowl if I did not need it. The slaw and sauce that went with it did not have as many calories as I was anticipating. The more ingredients a dish has, the more concerned I am for my macros per serving. I never want to use up the majority of my macros on one dish. The other great thing about this meal is it is customizable. I can put as much or little rice, pineapple, sugar, and juice that I want to. I do not have to eat as much as the recipe calls for.
M E N U
Rotisserie Chicken Coconut Curry Soup
California Chicken, Veggie, Avocado + Rice Bowls
Souper Creamy Lemon Butter Cheesy Zucchini Orzo + Chicken
Loaded Greek Quinoa Salad + Chicken
One Sheet Pan Herb Crusted Salmon with Garlicky Green Beans & Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes
Rotisserie Chicken Coconut Curry Soup
I haven’t cooked this soup in a really long time. To me, it isn’t technically a soup. It has noodles and lots of broth, depending on how much chicken broth and coconut milk you decide to use. The macros can be a little crazy if you pile too many noodles on your plate. I only use 8 ounces of rice noodles at a time.
I don’t use a rotisserie chicken, because they have a lot more fat and tracking the macros on a rotisserie chicken is a lot harder than doing it for chicken breasts. If you aren’t worried about counting macros go the easy route and buy the rotisserie chicken. I also like to add in some extra vegetables too. This recipe is similar but uses different vegetables.
This dish is also great with shrimp! I prefer to use chicken breasts though simply to hit my macro count on protein. If you are tracking your food, I would suggest that you cook your noodles separately. It makes weighing out the food so much easier. The kale is a bit tricky, because it all sticks together in one big clump so you have to work at it to evenly distribute it. Also, make sure you get low-fat coconut milk. It tastes just the same and a lot less added fat!
*Changes I make to meet my macros
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil *omit 1 tablespoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger (about a 1-inch piece of ginger) 2 cloves garlic, minced 3 tablespoons Thai red curry paste 6 cups (48 ounces) low-sodium chicken broth *4 cups or more if you want it more soupy 1 (13- to 14-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk *low fat coconut milk 6 cups thinly sliced lacinato or Tuscan kale leaves (from 1 large bunch) Kosher salt 1 (8-ounce) package vermicelli rice noodles *keep cooked noodles separate if possible for tracking 1 (2-pound) plain rotisserie chicken, meat shredded (about 4 1/2 cups) *chicken breast Chopped fresh cilantro, thinly sliced red onion, and lime wedges, for serving *possible add-ins: zucchini, corn, shrimp
California Chicken, Veggie, Avocado + Rice Bowls
So. Much. Food. For less than 400 calories you can’t beat this meal. I upped the amount of vegetables and lowered the amount of avocado. I love the creamy avocado sauce mixed in with the rice, vegetables, and chicken. I was a little impatient and didn’t let the marinade sit long on the chicken. I put the chicken on a sheet pan, sprayed both sides with low calorie olive oil, and seasoned up. I love when a marinade has tons of fresh herbs. I skipped mixing the herbs and seasonings with olive oil and used lemon juice instead.
*Changes I make to meet my macros
Ingredients: CHICKEN 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken tenders *chicken breast 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil *lemon juice 1 tablespoon lemon zest 4 cloves garlic, minced or grated 1 teaspoon smoked paprika 1 teaspoon onion powder 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary 1/4 cup fresh parsley or basil, chopped (or 1 tablespoon dried) kosher salt and black pepper THE RICE + VEGGIES + AVOCADO 2 red bell peppers, cut into fourths 1 zucchini, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds *2-3 zucchini 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil *omit olive oil 2 avocados, mashed very well *3 ounces, less than medium 1 avocado juice of 1 lemon 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped 1 clove garlic, minced or grated 2 cups cooked basmati rice *jasmine rice or your preference of rice 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved 1/4 cup toasted walnuts, roughly chopped *omit walnuts 1/2 cup crumbled feta, goat, or blue cheese *non-fat feta or goat cheese
Souper Creamy Lemon Butter Cheesy Zucchini Orzo + Chicken
I am really excited to try this recipe. I have fallen in love with orzo and combine with with cheese…I cannot quite think of a better combination. This dish could easily stay vegetarian, but like all of my meals I add in meat. I love that the majority of my meals are meant to be meatless but can easily be converted to a meat lovers dream too. Keep it vegetarian or add meat, it is up to you!
I will let you know what I think of this next week!
*Changes I make to meet my macros
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons salted butter *1 tablespoon 3-4 cloves garlic, minced or grated 1 pound dry orzo pasta (use gluten-free, if needed) 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves 2 medium zucchini and or yellow summer squash grated 1/2 bunch kale, finely shredded 3 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth zest and juice of 1 lemon 1 teaspoon onion powder kosher salt and black pepper 1/2 cup whole milk or canned full fat coconut milk 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese *75-100 grams reduced fat parmesan 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (or 2 teaspoons dried) *add-in cooked chicken breast
Loaded Greek Quinoa Salad + Chicken
This is a new recipe too. I have not used quinoa in a while and need to bring it back into rotation. Quinoa has more protein than rice, but you still have to watch the amount you use because it is loaded with carbohydrates all the same.
I am going to cook chicken breast in the oven to go with this meal and the one before this. I can‘t eat a salad without meat, unless it is just a plain old side salad. This is definitely NOT a plain old side salad. I always have one meal that I am looking forward to the most and this one might be it. With all the delicious toppings, I know it will be great. I need some new salads that don’t involve salad mix in my life and this is a perfect start.
I will review it next week and let you know what I think! As far as tracking goes, I will likely add all the ingredients in separately and not mix everything together. Any time there is a pasta or grain I don’t like to make it one large dish. I want to make sure I get equal everything in each servings.
*Changes I make to meet my macros
Ingredients: OLIVE DRESSING 1/4 cup olive oil *extra lemon juice 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 1/3 cup finely chopped kalamata olives juice from half a lemon pepper + crushed red pepper SALAD 1 cup dry quinoa 1 roasted red pepper *2 red peppers 2 Persian cucumbers sliced 1 zucchini sliced or cut into ribbons *2 zucchini 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved *10 tomatoes per salad 1/2 cup oil pack sun-dried tomatoes oil drained + reserved *1/3 cup 1/2 cup marinated artichoke hearts *omit 1 small bunch watercress or 2 handfuls of arugula *arugula 1 large handful fresh basil + mint 4 radishes sliced 1 ounce can chickpeas drained + rinsed + toasted if desired, 14 1 block feta cheese crumbled *non-fat feta 1 cup plain hummus *omit 1 avocado sliced *1 ounce per salad toasted pine nuts for topping *omit
One Sheet Pan Herb Crusted Salmon with Garlicky Green Beans & Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes
I need something extra simple with two new recipe and starting back to work recently. Adjusting back to waking up at 4 a.m. to have some quiet time to do little things, workout and then bust-tail to get ready for work (hopefully before the kids wake-up), is NOT an easy task. My new band keeps telling me that I am not getting enough sleep. Trust me, Whoop I know.
On another note, trust me this recipe is great without salmon. Like always, I made changes to this recipe and the biggest change would probably be that I used chicken instead of salmon. The last time I made this I did not have all of the herbs on hand, so I used what I had at home. I have a large bush of rosemary, so I used a ton of it.
The macros on this dish were easy to calculate. I kept everything separate so I could weigh it all out without making a recipe on my app. For 1/2 cup of jasmine rice, 6 ounces of chicken, 3 ounces of green beans, and 20 tomatoes: 295 calories, 38.7 grams of protein, 32.8 grams of carbohydrates, and 2.7 grams of fat
*Changes I make to meet my macros
Ingredients: 1 LARGE FILET WILD CAUGHT SALMON (OR 4 INDIVIDUAL FILETS) WITH SKIN-ON AND DE-BONED *Chicken breast FRESH GREEN BEANS, WHOLE 2 PINTS HEIRLOOM CHERRY TOMATOES 2 SHALLOTS, SLICED 3 GARLIC CLOVES, ROUGH CHOPPED SALT AND PEPPER, TO TASTE 4 TBS+ OLIVE OIL *Spray with zero calorie olive oil 2-3 TBS. BALSAMIC VINEGAR FOR HERB MIXTURE: 8 CLOVES OF GARLIC HANDFUL PARSLEY, THYME, OREGANO, BASIL AND A LITTLE ROSEMARY, CHOPPED 1 TABLESPOON OLIVE OIL SALT & PEPPER
E N J O Y !
hey there,
did you have any updates on your caloric intake based off your whoop watch? i was thinking of doing the same thing.
Hey! I actually ended up turning mine off. It was so off while I was pregnant it drove me nuts. I will likely turn it back on once I start really focusing on my fitness again.
ah congrats!! enjoy those extra calories and the baby : )
Thank you!