Inside Out Spring Roll Salad

Lately, I've been trying my hardest to eat healthy again. 

I originally set this goal at the beginning of the new year, but for some reason strayed away from it.  I know that it can sometimes be a difficult goal to stick with, especially due to the variety of celebrations, holidays, and other gatherings that unexpectedly appear throughout the year; but in the end it's worth it.  I truly believe that there's no better feeling then when you eat well and exercise.  I also know that it's ok to reward yourself every once in a while, otherwise temptations will find you and you might over indulge. 

Let me take a minute to give you a little bit of background information about me.  Up until around 3-4 years ago I never really cared about exercising, or eating healthy.  One reason is because I'm completely flat footed and would use that as an excuse not to run.  It wasn't until some of my teacher friends started dieting that I decided, what the heck, I'd give it a try too.  That's when I officially hopped on the "healthy living" bandwagon and lost a total of around 50 pounds.  I ended up going from a size 12 to a size 0 and realized that I'll never go back to my unhealthy habits, because I  definitely love the feeling of being fit! 

Before

After

In order to accomplish the original goals I set for myself, I watched what I ate and I walked/ran on my treadmill everyday.  Some people may say I was/am obsessed with exercise, but I call it dedication to a healthy lifestyle. 

I think I'm the only one I know who has actually broken a treadmill, after 3 years, from overuse.  Even the Nordiac Track repair man couldn't believe it and didn't really know what to do.  The company ended up giving me a credit for what I paid for my original treadmill so that I was able to purchase their brand new one for basically nothing (Thankfully I have a husband who is excellent at negotiations).  While I waited for my new treadmill to arrive though, we were in the process of moving, and I threw my back out, so I wasn't able to exercise as much as I use too.  I hated every minute of it and due to the lack of exercise, and the holidays, I happened to gain some weight back.  Now that I have my new treadmill though (which is awesome!), and have started exercising again, I find that I'm more committed to eating healthy.  For me, the two really do go hand in hand.

 

For the past few weeks, I've been doing a pretty good job at sticking with my goals, and have finally started losing some weight.  I know that I don't need to lose too much, I'd just like to get back down to where I was before the holiday season and have my pants fit comfortably again. 

I know that I can accomplish this by eating healthy recipes, like the one listed below, in combination with running/walking a little bit everyday.  After a few weeks, I'm already beginning to notice a difference and am pleased to know that I'm almost back down to where I was a couple months ago! 

Inside Out Spring Roll Salad

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Ingredients:

Salad:
2 oz. Bean Thread noodles (usually found in the oriental food aisle)
3 cups Napa cabbage, shredded
1 carrot, cut into matchstick size strips
½ cup seedless cucumber, cut into matchstick size strips
½ cup red pepper, cut into matchstick size strips
1 green onion, chopped
2 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped
2 Tbsp. mint, chopped
4-5 oz. shredded chicken

Dressing:
1 Tbsp. sesame oil
2 Tbsp. sweet chili sauce
2 Tbsp. lime juice
1 tsp. low sodium soy sauce
1 tsp. ginger root, minced
1 large garlic clove, minced
½ tsp. lime zest

Garnish: sesame seeds

Directions:

To begin, you will first need to soak the bean thread noodles in a bowl full of warm water for about 10 minutes, or until they become pliable.  Next, drain the noodles, and then place them in a pot of boiling water and let cook until the noodles expand in size and become translucent in appearance (you may need to lift them slightly out of the water to check for the translucent appearance).  Drain the noodles in a colander then rinse them under cold water until they’re no longer hot.  Lay the noodles out on a cutting board and cut into 4 inch strips.  Place the noodles in a large bowl along with all the other salad ingredients.

In a small bowl, combine and thoroughly whisk together all the dressing ingredients.  Pour the dressing evenly over the salad, and toss to coat.  Garnish with sesame seeds and enjoy!  

Source: Adapted from Better Recipes