Well this week is finally comingto an end! I've successfully made it to the gym every day and have been decently strict on my diet. I'm excited to weigh-in today! I'm staying home 1/2 day today so hopefully Ill get a chance to do so before work.
My workout was cut a bit short today because I had to take Branden to work at 7 and I didn't wake up until 5:30! So I only did a 5min cardio warm-up on the elliptical followed by all of my arm and chest weight training. I'm posting from my iPod today so I don't have the electronic copies of my workouts on hand so Ill post later! I still felt like I was able to get a good workout in, just bumming about the lack of cardio :( Im thinking about going to the gym tomorrow morning just to do cardio. We'll see!
Dinner last night was simple and gummy, Turkey Burgers on WW Buns with a little cilantro, tomato, red onion, rom. Lettuce, pickles and avacado with baked sweet potato fries. Yum and it looks pretty on the plate!
Food Today:
Breakfast:
Choc Protein with skim milk
WW waffle with natural pnut butter
Snack:
Cytomax Protein Drink
Lunch:
Chipotle salad
(lettuce black beans chicken peppers and onions and all 4 salsas)
It's still yummy and not going to kill me with calories!
Dinner:
Turkey Lasagna with spinach salad
I'll post the recipe tomorrow after I figure it out LOL.
Ok that's all for now!
Friday, April 29, 2011
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Oh Spinning.. we meet again
Obviously, I went to spinning last night. I don't know man, I'm going to have to figure something out because as of now, I just can't handle that damn seat! This is a lot of body to be sitting on such a terrible piece of equipment for a long period of time. I like the workout and it always kicks my ass (no pun intended) but I just have a hard time when the equipment is hurting worse than the burn of the exercise! Regardless, I did the 60minute spinning class with more resistance this time and a little extra standing (trying to help my butt) and then after class I did an extra mile on the Elliptical for a total of about 72 minutes of cardio! I felt GREAT leaving the gym and probably would have done more on the Elliptical if it weren't for the time factor. I had my Watermelon Cytomax Protein Recovery drink as soon as I got home. :) I buy them at The Vitamin Shoppe on Mall Road in Florence.
I went back to the gym this morning for my Thursday Abs&Butt workout. I feel like I did a good job with it! Definitely a few challenging exercises but that's a good thing!
The workout was as follows:
I don't know that my Abs got as good of a workout as my bum but I guess we'll see tomorrow how sore I am!
Last night for dinner I made Chicken Tacos with Black Beans and Corn. I ate 1 little taco, 3 bites of beans and a banana after my workout.
Recipe:
Chicken Tacos (these portions made approx 4-5 tacos, adjust for your serving size)
4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Tenderloins marinated in 2tbs EVOO, 1/2 lime(squeeze juice then throw in the bag with chicken), Cumin, Chili Powder, Garlic, a little Cayanne Pepper and juice from 1/2 Orange
Romaine Lettuce
Tomato, diced
FF Greek Yogurt
Tortillas (I had 1 corn tortilla, Branden had Whole Wheat tortillas)
Black Beans and Corn
1can Black Beans
Corn (I used left over corn-on-the-cob from Easter, just cut it off of the cob - frozen would work great too, just thaw first)
1/4c Cilantro, chopped
2tbs Garlic, minced
Handful Cherry Tomatoes (about 10?), cut into 1/4s
3 Green Onions/Scallions, chopped
1tbs EVOO
1tbs Cumin
S&P
Tacos:
Grill chicken (I used George Forman), let rest about 5 minutes then dice. On tortilla, spread a little greek yogurt, then chicken, lettuce(I squeezed a little lime juice over my lettuce first) and tomato. Wrap as a usual taco.
Beans:
In skillet, put EVOO, green onions, garlic and corn. Cook for 2-3 minutes and then add all remaining ingredients. Cook for about 10 minutes over medium heat to let flavors combine nicely. Squeeze a little lime juice over the beans and serve alongside your taco!
I love taco night because it's super easy, healthy and you have a ton of room to play with the ingredients!
Food Today:
Breakfast:
Choc Protein w/ Skim Milk
WW Waffle w/ Natural Pnut Butter
Snack:
Cytomax Protein Drink
FF Vanilla Yogurt w/ raspberries and crushed grahams
Lunch:
Leftovers: 2 blackbean tacos (in corn tortillas) w/ lettuce and tomato
Snack:
Green Apple w/ Natural Pnut butter
Dinner:
Turkey Burger on WW Buns (lettuce, tomato, avacado, pickles)
Sweet Potato Fries (cut last week and froze, will bake)
Another SUPER easy dinner night. Yay for me! :)
Tomorrow is my Arms & Chest workout, I'm pretty excited :)
OH and it's not raining today! Holla!
OH and I've been thinking about my upcoming birthday (June 11th - mark your calendar). Since I've decided to leave my partying days in the past, I want to do something different for my birthday this year (usually dinner and getting hammered at a bar) and do something active and healthy! Branden had the idea of going down to Red River Gorge for the weekend to camp and go hiking/canoeing(if they have it?). I think it sounds awesome but I'm a little nervous about camping.. I'm not exactly a nature girl. The most camping I've ever done is with my grandma in her motorhome (fully equipped with beds, tv, radio, stove, refrigerator, toilet, shower, washer & dryer, etc) so to 'rough it' in a tent is a little frightening.. I was also thinking about doing a charity walk or something, there seems to be one scheduled every weekend from the first weekend in May through June... hmm.. we'll see!
Until tomorrow..
I went back to the gym this morning for my Thursday Abs&Butt workout. I feel like I did a good job with it! Definitely a few challenging exercises but that's a good thing!
The workout was as follows:
| THURSDAY - ABS & BUTT | ||||
| TIME | EXERCISE | REPS | WEIGHT | SETS |
| 10 MIN | ELLIPTICAL - BACKWARD | MED | N/A | 1 |
| abs | BALL CRUNCHES | 20 | N/A | 3 |
| butt | SUMO SQUAT | 12 | 30 | 3 |
| butt | 45-DEGREE LEG PRESS | 12 | 110 | 3 |
| butt | HAMSTRING MARCH - BOSU | 10 | N/A | 3 |
| abs | 6 INCH KILLERS | 10 | N/A | 3 |
| abs | ROWING PLANK | 10 | 5 | 3 |
| abs | INCLINE BENCH CROSS-PUNCH | 10 | 5 | 3 |
| 10 MIN | ELLIPTICAL - BACKWARD | MED | N/A | 1 |
I don't know that my Abs got as good of a workout as my bum but I guess we'll see tomorrow how sore I am!
Last night for dinner I made Chicken Tacos with Black Beans and Corn. I ate 1 little taco, 3 bites of beans and a banana after my workout.
Recipe:
Chicken Tacos (these portions made approx 4-5 tacos, adjust for your serving size)
4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Tenderloins marinated in 2tbs EVOO, 1/2 lime(squeeze juice then throw in the bag with chicken), Cumin, Chili Powder, Garlic, a little Cayanne Pepper and juice from 1/2 Orange
Romaine Lettuce
Tomato, diced
FF Greek Yogurt
Tortillas (I had 1 corn tortilla, Branden had Whole Wheat tortillas)
Black Beans and Corn
1can Black Beans
Corn (I used left over corn-on-the-cob from Easter, just cut it off of the cob - frozen would work great too, just thaw first)
1/4c Cilantro, chopped
2tbs Garlic, minced
Handful Cherry Tomatoes (about 10?), cut into 1/4s
3 Green Onions/Scallions, chopped
1tbs EVOO
1tbs Cumin
S&P
Tacos:
Grill chicken (I used George Forman), let rest about 5 minutes then dice. On tortilla, spread a little greek yogurt, then chicken, lettuce(I squeezed a little lime juice over my lettuce first) and tomato. Wrap as a usual taco.
Beans:
In skillet, put EVOO, green onions, garlic and corn. Cook for 2-3 minutes and then add all remaining ingredients. Cook for about 10 minutes over medium heat to let flavors combine nicely. Squeeze a little lime juice over the beans and serve alongside your taco!
I love taco night because it's super easy, healthy and you have a ton of room to play with the ingredients!
Food Today:
Breakfast:
Choc Protein w/ Skim Milk
WW Waffle w/ Natural Pnut Butter
Snack:
Cytomax Protein Drink
FF Vanilla Yogurt w/ raspberries and crushed grahams
Lunch:
Leftovers: 2 blackbean tacos (in corn tortillas) w/ lettuce and tomato
Snack:
Green Apple w/ Natural Pnut butter
Dinner:
Turkey Burger on WW Buns (lettuce, tomato, avacado, pickles)
Sweet Potato Fries (cut last week and froze, will bake)
Another SUPER easy dinner night. Yay for me! :)
Tomorrow is my Arms & Chest workout, I'm pretty excited :)
OH and it's not raining today! Holla!
OH and I've been thinking about my upcoming birthday (June 11th - mark your calendar). Since I've decided to leave my partying days in the past, I want to do something different for my birthday this year (usually dinner and getting hammered at a bar) and do something active and healthy! Branden had the idea of going down to Red River Gorge for the weekend to camp and go hiking/canoeing(if they have it?). I think it sounds awesome but I'm a little nervous about camping.. I'm not exactly a nature girl. The most camping I've ever done is with my grandma in her motorhome (fully equipped with beds, tv, radio, stove, refrigerator, toilet, shower, washer & dryer, etc) so to 'rough it' in a tent is a little frightening.. I was also thinking about doing a charity walk or something, there seems to be one scheduled every weekend from the first weekend in May through June... hmm.. we'll see!
Until tomorrow..
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
and it pours...
Howdy. More rain. Yay.
I failed and completely forgot to set my alarm last night so I didn't quite make it to the gym this morning. Nora was nice enough to wake me at 5:15 but by the time I got her back to sleep, I would have never had time to get in a good workout. There's a spinning class tonight at 6 so I'm going to TRY to get to that. If I can't make it to spinning, I may just go in and do 45 minutes or so of straight cardio (which is what I was supposed to do this morning anyway!)
Dinner last night was good and simple.
WW Pizza:
Prepared WW Pizza Crust (I use Bertollli)
2tbs Pesto
2tbs EVOO plus 1tsp
1 Green Bell Pepper, diced
2cloves Garlic, minced
1 Medium Onion, diced
1 Red Bell Pepper, diced
2tbs Minced Banana Pepper
1c Grilled Chicken (marinated in EVOO, garlic and italian spices), chopped small
1c Part Skim Shredded Mozz Cheese
Pre-heat oven to 375
Saute Green bell pepper and Onion in 1tsp EVOO with 2 cloves minced garlic
Grill Chicken (I use George Forman) and chop into small pieces
Spread 2tbs EVOO over crust with pastry brush, then spread pesto on top of that.
Next, Spread chicken, then satueed peppers, raw red peppers, banana peppers and cheese.
Bake in oven for 15ish minutes
Cool, cut and serve!
*I served this with a salad of baby spinach leaves, chopped cherry tomatoes, chopped banana peppers, fat free feta cheese and a few WW croutons tossed in Light Parmesan Asiago Vinaigrette (Kraft)
Food for Today:
Breakfast:
Choc Protein w/ Skim Milk
WW Waffle w/ Natural Pnut Butter
Snack:
FF Vanilla Yogurt w/ raspberries and crushed grahams
Lunch:
Leftover pizza (2 small pieces), small portion of turkey chilli
Snack:
Weight Watchers Mozz String Cheese
Dinner:
Chicken Tacos
Black Beans and Corn
Oh and I forgot to mention yesterday that I weighed myself and there has been no change from the previous week (due to lack of working out/nutritional discipline). Oh well, no change is better than a gain, right?
Determined to do better this week!! I'm tracking my weight in an Excel Spreadsheet (I'm a nerd) so perhaps I'll just post that once a month to see a full recap?
Well, until tomorrow!
I failed and completely forgot to set my alarm last night so I didn't quite make it to the gym this morning. Nora was nice enough to wake me at 5:15 but by the time I got her back to sleep, I would have never had time to get in a good workout. There's a spinning class tonight at 6 so I'm going to TRY to get to that. If I can't make it to spinning, I may just go in and do 45 minutes or so of straight cardio (which is what I was supposed to do this morning anyway!)
Dinner last night was good and simple.
WW Pizza:
Prepared WW Pizza Crust (I use Bertollli)
2tbs Pesto
2tbs EVOO plus 1tsp
1 Green Bell Pepper, diced
2cloves Garlic, minced
1 Medium Onion, diced
1 Red Bell Pepper, diced
2tbs Minced Banana Pepper
1c Grilled Chicken (marinated in EVOO, garlic and italian spices), chopped small
1c Part Skim Shredded Mozz Cheese
Pre-heat oven to 375
Saute Green bell pepper and Onion in 1tsp EVOO with 2 cloves minced garlic
Grill Chicken (I use George Forman) and chop into small pieces
Spread 2tbs EVOO over crust with pastry brush, then spread pesto on top of that.
Next, Spread chicken, then satueed peppers, raw red peppers, banana peppers and cheese.
Bake in oven for 15ish minutes
Cool, cut and serve!
*I served this with a salad of baby spinach leaves, chopped cherry tomatoes, chopped banana peppers, fat free feta cheese and a few WW croutons tossed in Light Parmesan Asiago Vinaigrette (Kraft)
Food for Today:
Breakfast:
Choc Protein w/ Skim Milk
WW Waffle w/ Natural Pnut Butter
Snack:
FF Vanilla Yogurt w/ raspberries and crushed grahams
Lunch:
Leftover pizza (2 small pieces), small portion of turkey chilli
Snack:
Weight Watchers Mozz String Cheese
Dinner:
Chicken Tacos
Black Beans and Corn
Oh and I forgot to mention yesterday that I weighed myself and there has been no change from the previous week (due to lack of working out/nutritional discipline). Oh well, no change is better than a gain, right?
Determined to do better this week!! I'm tracking my weight in an Excel Spreadsheet (I'm a nerd) so perhaps I'll just post that once a month to see a full recap?
Well, until tomorrow!
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Tuesday.
Hello! It's Tuesday and STILL crappy outside! Ugh it's so annoying and kind of draining!
Oh well, I went to the gym this morning and had a great workout!
I did the following today:
back BENT OVER FLYS 10 10 3
(I forgot to add the last row to the spreadsheet)
This was the first time with this workout and I was pretty happy with it, but feel like I could have done more so next week I'm going to make the following changes:
Lateral Circles: Increase Reps to 20 & 20
Barbell High Pulls: Increase Reps to 15
Military Press: Increase Reps to 15
Originally, I had planned to do only 10 minutes of cardio at the end but I felt so good on that elliptical and could feel the burn in my buns (and FINALLY added new good music to my iPod!) so I went an extra 10 minutes! I would have loved to keep going but it was getting late :( .
I hate having to put a time limit on my gym time! Though it does keep me focused and I am forced to work more efficiently, I would love to be able to spend a couple of hours in the gym!
I made Turkey Chili for dinner last night (recipe in previous post) but I didn't really eat any. I was bad and had some chips and salsa while I was cooking and then after it was ready, I plated Bran's and Nora's food and I had to run some errands. I finally bought the Cytomax Protein Drinks last night! I'm so excited to start incorporating them into my daily nutrition! I'm SUCH a huge fan of protein shakes/drinks/protein in general. Protein is, afterall, the building blocks of life. :) It also helps to boost your metabolism and burn fat, who doesn't love that?!
Food for Today:
Breakfast:
Choc Protein Shake w/ Skim Milk
WW Waffle w/ Natural Pnut Butter
Snack:
FF Van Yogurt w/ raspberries and granola
Lunch:
Small portions of spinach & strawberry salad, turkey chili and my fruit trifle from Easter :)
Snack:
Cytomax Protein Drink! and maybe a few raw organic almonds?
Dinner:
WW Chicken Pizza
Salad
I love making homemade pizzas, and Branden loves when I do too! He calls them World War 1 Pizza because when I first wrote it down I wrote "WW Pizza" and he read it as "WWI Pizza" lol. Special boy.
Well, I'm going to jump off of here!
Adios!
Oh well, I went to the gym this morning and had a great workout!
I did the following today:
| TUESDAY - SHOULDERS & BACK | ||||
| TIME | EXERCISE | REPS | WEIGHT | SETS |
| 10 MIN | TREADMILL | MEDIUM | 1 | |
| back | ANGLED ROW | 10 | 45 | 3 |
| shoulders | LATERAL CIRCLES (FW/BW) | 10 & 10 | 8 | 3 |
| shoulders | UP/OUT/IN/DOWN | 10 | 10 | 3 |
| back | BARBELL/DUMBBELL HIGH PULLS | 10 | 30 | 3 |
| back | SEATED LAT PULL-DOWNS | 10 | 70 | 3 |
| shoulders | MILITARY PRESS | 10 | 10 | 3 |
| 20 MIN | ELLIPTICAL | MEDIUM | 1 | |
back BENT OVER FLYS 10 10 3
(I forgot to add the last row to the spreadsheet)
This was the first time with this workout and I was pretty happy with it, but feel like I could have done more so next week I'm going to make the following changes:
Lateral Circles: Increase Reps to 20 & 20
Barbell High Pulls: Increase Reps to 15
Military Press: Increase Reps to 15
Originally, I had planned to do only 10 minutes of cardio at the end but I felt so good on that elliptical and could feel the burn in my buns (and FINALLY added new good music to my iPod!) so I went an extra 10 minutes! I would have loved to keep going but it was getting late :( .
I hate having to put a time limit on my gym time! Though it does keep me focused and I am forced to work more efficiently, I would love to be able to spend a couple of hours in the gym!
I made Turkey Chili for dinner last night (recipe in previous post) but I didn't really eat any. I was bad and had some chips and salsa while I was cooking and then after it was ready, I plated Bran's and Nora's food and I had to run some errands. I finally bought the Cytomax Protein Drinks last night! I'm so excited to start incorporating them into my daily nutrition! I'm SUCH a huge fan of protein shakes/drinks/protein in general. Protein is, afterall, the building blocks of life. :) It also helps to boost your metabolism and burn fat, who doesn't love that?!
Food for Today:
Breakfast:
Choc Protein Shake w/ Skim Milk
WW Waffle w/ Natural Pnut Butter
Snack:
FF Van Yogurt w/ raspberries and granola
Lunch:
Small portions of spinach & strawberry salad, turkey chili and my fruit trifle from Easter :)
Snack:
Cytomax Protein Drink! and maybe a few raw organic almonds?
Dinner:
WW Chicken Pizza
Salad
I love making homemade pizzas, and Branden loves when I do too! He calls them World War 1 Pizza because when I first wrote it down I wrote "WW Pizza" and he read it as "WWI Pizza" lol. Special boy.
Well, I'm going to jump off of here!
Adios!
Monday, April 25, 2011
The Honest Truth.. and Easter
Hi, sorry for the epic blog fail that was last week. I had a terrible week last week. I was overly exhausted, which led to lack of motivation, discipline and will power. Needless to say, I ate inappropriately (mostly in the way of sweet treats) didn't go to the gym and was in a foul mood for the most of the week. With age, (although I'm only 23, I have the wisdom and life experience of someone far older) I've come to realize just how important and adequate amount of sleep really is. One week later, my decision to give up drinking (in excess) has proven itself to be all the more wise. I know it may seem as if I'm making too big a deal out of this not-getting-hammered thing, but for those of you who don't know me (or those that do and just forgot), prior to getting pregnant with Nora, my life was nothing but a big party.. pretty much from my Senior year until that point. I drank probably 5 days a week, stayed up all night and cared about nothing more than boys and party time. Looking back, it seems like it's been forever since that place in my life. I'm confident that a lot of it was based on my insecurities and trying to fill a void that I wasn't yet wise enough to fill myself. Being overweight my entire life has been... an adventure. Well, adventure is probably not the correct word because besides typically being warmer than everyone else in the winter, there isn't really any positive side to it. Let's be honest, it's been terrible. Though, I will give it to myself, I've rarely let it hold me back. I was a cheerleader for 13 years for goodness sake. Even through the ridicule and harassment from other kids in school (along with some fellow asshole cheerleaders), I loved cheerleading SO much and I was really good.. so I stuck with it... and I was eventually awarded the title of UCA (Universal Cheerleaders Association) Allstar. I've played softball, basketball, done track, dance - all while having this giant body(burden) to carry around. I've finally come to the realization that my weight problem really cannot be blamed on anyone but myself. I've found that overweight people are very quick to blame others for their physical issues.. "My mom fed me crappy food", "No one told me it was bad".. but my mom fed us healthy food and taught me to cook healthy food, I simply chose not to listen. I gained the most weight and reached my heaviest when Branden and I dated the first time. Over a year and a half, I gained close to 70 pounds and ballooned up to 343 pounds (my heaviest recorded weight - never told anyone before!). At that point, I went to see a surgical weightloss doctor because I just could NOT believe that I had let my life get so incredibly out of control. I never could push myself to go through with the surgery because a) Modern medicine makes me nervous and b) I didn't want to have to admit to anyone that I needed the surgery. Knowing that I'm fat and saying that I'm fat are 2 incredibly different things that I've had a VERY difficult time dealing with.
Another thing I've finally come to terms(for lack of better word) with is that fact that I have an eating disorder. People often fail to realize that over-eating is just as much of an eating disorder as under-eating. This is the point that people who have never had any weight issues would simply scoff and assume I'm just lazy and am making excuses to be fat, when in actuality, it's driving me mad. Food is an addiction just as much as any other drug, it just happens to be far more accessible. I've often wondered why it's SO hard for me to turn away from a plate or pass by the sweet treats at work as some of my other co-workers do? Why before I saw that piece of chocolate, I had absolutely no desire for it, but now that's it's passed my line of sight - I can't think of anything else and I NEED it - maybe 2 pieces. I'm considering trying hypnotherapy. It can help people quit smoking, maybe it could help me quit eating? (not completely, of course) I often dream about the day that I don't spend time thinking about food. It always messes with my head when I'm eating lunch and I find myself thinking about what I'm going to have for dinner! I hope/pray there is an end in the near future to all of this.. I want Nora to grow up and learn good habits. I'm so terrified that she will grow up and have a weight problem and have to live through the life that I have. I catch a lot of flack from people because I refuse to let her eat any sweet/fried/pre-packaged foods or drink juice - but I just cannot fathom putting those things into my child's body knowing what they did to mine.
Sorry, I went off on a bit of a tangent there and this post definitely took a turn to serious town. Honestly, I'm glad it did. I vowed to make this post an honest tell-tale of my "Losing Path" and I think it's important to have a bit of back-story in order to appreciate the present.
Anyway - Easter was yesterday! Nora had a wonderful Easter, I made her a pretty basket full of fun toys and my mom got her some new squeaky shoes (love them!) among other things. My father-in-law actually brought a basket over for her too so she was a little spoiled yesterday :) (all candy-free, of course!)
Easter Menu:
Starters:
Fruit (Pineapple, Strawberries, Blue Berries, Cantaloupe and Grapes) with a Lemon dipping sauce:
1/2c FF Greek Yogurt
1/2c FF Sour Cream
1/2pkg Sugar Free Lemon Pudding
1tsp Powdered Sugar
Veggies (Bell Pepper, Green Beans, Cherry Tomatoes, Cucumber and Carrots) with a Ranch dipping sauce:
1/2c FF Greek Yogurt
1/2c FF Sour Cream
1/4pkg Dry Ranch Mix
1squeeze Lemon Juice
2tbs Cucumber Ranch Dressing
Salad:
Spinach and Strawberry Salad:
Baby Spinach
Sliced Strawberries
Sliced Red Onion
Chopped Green Apple
Feta Cheese
Pecans
Craisins
FF Raspberry Vinaigrette
Pork Medallions:
Pork Tenderloin, Fat trimmed and cut into medallions marinated in Mrs. Dash salt-free zesty garlic marinade, orange juice and a little BBQ - grilled
Herbed Potato Salad:
Potatoes, cut into chunks and boiled to fork-tender, sprinkle 3 tbs White Wine Vinegar over potatoes while chilling
1/2c FF Greek Yogurt
1/4c FF Sour Cream
Squeeze Lemon Juice
1tbs Chopped Fresh Dill
2tbs Chopped Fresh Parsley
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
S&P to taste
Let potatoes chill to room temp, toss-in yogurt mixture
Green Beans with Roasted Onion Vinaigrette:
Green Beans, blanched
2tbs EVOO
3tbs White Wine Vinegar
2tbs Stone Ground Mustard
2 Cloves Garlic, Minced
S&P to taste
4 Onions, EVOO and a sprig of thyme wrapped in foil and roasted at 400 for 1 hour. Cool a bit, chop and mix with vinaigrette. Toss with Beans
Whole Grain Rolls:
Pre-made (time/convenience - I'm not a bread maker) whole grain rolls, split down the center before baking. Spooned-in a little Basil Pesto, brushed with a little unsalted butter and sprinkled grated Parmesan over. Baked according to directions (400 for 15 or so)
Dessert:
Fruit Trifle:
1pkg Lady Fingers Cookies
2tbs Sugar/Fat Free Whipped Topping
2 1.5oz Sugar/Fat Free Vanilla Pudding
1 FF Cream Cheese, softened
1can Strawberry Nectar, chilled (Mexican aisle)
2 Cups Orange Juice
Strawberries
Raspberries
White Chocolate
Soak 1/2 pkg lady fingers in orange juice (I used 9x13 baking dish for this)
While soaking, whip Strawberry Nectar and pudding for 2 minutes in small/medium bowl.
In large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth.
Add 2tbs Orange Juice to cream cheese
Beat Pudding into Cream Cheese
Lay 1st layer of lady fingers into bottom of dish.(put other 1/2 into OJ to soak)
Slice strawberries and raspberries and layer 1/2 on top of lady fingers.
Grate a little white chocolate over berries.
Layer 1/2 of pudding mixture over white chocolate.
Layer 2nd 1/2 of lady fingers over pudding
Another layer of fruit, white chocolate and pudding.
Top with a generous layer of whipped topping and garnish with berries
Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving
It was yummy and all seemed to be pretty pleased. Grammy couldn't get through a holiday without cooking so she made hot slaw, deviled eggs, a small beef roast, a tiny ham and baked beans. Don't ask.
I DID get to the gym today. I did my legs workout as reported last Tuesday. I'm determined to get in there everyday this week and test out this new workout routine I created.
Menu Today:
Breakfast:
Choc Protein w/ Skim Milk
1 WW Waffle w/ Natural Pnut Butter
Snack:
FF Vanilla Yogurt w/ raspberries and grahams
Lunch:
Leftovers from yesterday
Snack:
String cheese and raw organic almonds
Dinner:
Turkey Chili (same recipe as last week - subbing 1 can of pinto beans for brown rice)
I would love to get down to Rabbit Hash to bellydance tonight but we'll see how the weather/schedule is going when I get off of work.
Sorry this post has been MAJORLY long but after almost a week of no posts.. I had a lot to say :)
Well, until tomorrow.. (I'll post weight then, I've been avoiding the scale)
Another thing I've finally come to terms(for lack of better word) with is that fact that I have an eating disorder. People often fail to realize that over-eating is just as much of an eating disorder as under-eating. This is the point that people who have never had any weight issues would simply scoff and assume I'm just lazy and am making excuses to be fat, when in actuality, it's driving me mad. Food is an addiction just as much as any other drug, it just happens to be far more accessible. I've often wondered why it's SO hard for me to turn away from a plate or pass by the sweet treats at work as some of my other co-workers do? Why before I saw that piece of chocolate, I had absolutely no desire for it, but now that's it's passed my line of sight - I can't think of anything else and I NEED it - maybe 2 pieces. I'm considering trying hypnotherapy. It can help people quit smoking, maybe it could help me quit eating? (not completely, of course) I often dream about the day that I don't spend time thinking about food. It always messes with my head when I'm eating lunch and I find myself thinking about what I'm going to have for dinner! I hope/pray there is an end in the near future to all of this.. I want Nora to grow up and learn good habits. I'm so terrified that she will grow up and have a weight problem and have to live through the life that I have. I catch a lot of flack from people because I refuse to let her eat any sweet/fried/pre-packaged foods or drink juice - but I just cannot fathom putting those things into my child's body knowing what they did to mine.
Sorry, I went off on a bit of a tangent there and this post definitely took a turn to serious town. Honestly, I'm glad it did. I vowed to make this post an honest tell-tale of my "Losing Path" and I think it's important to have a bit of back-story in order to appreciate the present.
Anyway - Easter was yesterday! Nora had a wonderful Easter, I made her a pretty basket full of fun toys and my mom got her some new squeaky shoes (love them!) among other things. My father-in-law actually brought a basket over for her too so she was a little spoiled yesterday :) (all candy-free, of course!)
Easter Menu:
Starters:
Fruit (Pineapple, Strawberries, Blue Berries, Cantaloupe and Grapes) with a Lemon dipping sauce:
1/2c FF Greek Yogurt
1/2c FF Sour Cream
1/2pkg Sugar Free Lemon Pudding
1tsp Powdered Sugar
Veggies (Bell Pepper, Green Beans, Cherry Tomatoes, Cucumber and Carrots) with a Ranch dipping sauce:
1/2c FF Greek Yogurt
1/2c FF Sour Cream
1/4pkg Dry Ranch Mix
1squeeze Lemon Juice
2tbs Cucumber Ranch Dressing
Salad:
Spinach and Strawberry Salad:
Baby Spinach
Sliced Strawberries
Sliced Red Onion
Chopped Green Apple
Feta Cheese
Pecans
Craisins
FF Raspberry Vinaigrette
Pork Medallions:
Pork Tenderloin, Fat trimmed and cut into medallions marinated in Mrs. Dash salt-free zesty garlic marinade, orange juice and a little BBQ - grilled
Herbed Potato Salad:
Potatoes, cut into chunks and boiled to fork-tender, sprinkle 3 tbs White Wine Vinegar over potatoes while chilling
1/2c FF Greek Yogurt
1/4c FF Sour Cream
Squeeze Lemon Juice
1tbs Chopped Fresh Dill
2tbs Chopped Fresh Parsley
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
S&P to taste
Let potatoes chill to room temp, toss-in yogurt mixture
Green Beans with Roasted Onion Vinaigrette:
Green Beans, blanched
2tbs EVOO
3tbs White Wine Vinegar
2tbs Stone Ground Mustard
2 Cloves Garlic, Minced
S&P to taste
4 Onions, EVOO and a sprig of thyme wrapped in foil and roasted at 400 for 1 hour. Cool a bit, chop and mix with vinaigrette. Toss with Beans
Whole Grain Rolls:
Pre-made (time/convenience - I'm not a bread maker) whole grain rolls, split down the center before baking. Spooned-in a little Basil Pesto, brushed with a little unsalted butter and sprinkled grated Parmesan over. Baked according to directions (400 for 15 or so)
Dessert:
Fruit Trifle:
1pkg Lady Fingers Cookies
2tbs Sugar/Fat Free Whipped Topping
2 1.5oz Sugar/Fat Free Vanilla Pudding
1 FF Cream Cheese, softened
1can Strawberry Nectar, chilled (Mexican aisle)
2 Cups Orange Juice
Strawberries
Raspberries
White Chocolate
Soak 1/2 pkg lady fingers in orange juice (I used 9x13 baking dish for this)
While soaking, whip Strawberry Nectar and pudding for 2 minutes in small/medium bowl.
In large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth.
Add 2tbs Orange Juice to cream cheese
Beat Pudding into Cream Cheese
Lay 1st layer of lady fingers into bottom of dish.(put other 1/2 into OJ to soak)
Slice strawberries and raspberries and layer 1/2 on top of lady fingers.
Grate a little white chocolate over berries.
Layer 1/2 of pudding mixture over white chocolate.
Layer 2nd 1/2 of lady fingers over pudding
Another layer of fruit, white chocolate and pudding.
Top with a generous layer of whipped topping and garnish with berries
Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving
It was yummy and all seemed to be pretty pleased. Grammy couldn't get through a holiday without cooking so she made hot slaw, deviled eggs, a small beef roast, a tiny ham and baked beans. Don't ask.
I DID get to the gym today. I did my legs workout as reported last Tuesday. I'm determined to get in there everyday this week and test out this new workout routine I created.
Menu Today:
Breakfast:
Choc Protein w/ Skim Milk
1 WW Waffle w/ Natural Pnut Butter
Snack:
FF Vanilla Yogurt w/ raspberries and grahams
Lunch:
Leftovers from yesterday
Snack:
String cheese and raw organic almonds
Dinner:
Turkey Chili (same recipe as last week - subbing 1 can of pinto beans for brown rice)
I would love to get down to Rabbit Hash to bellydance tonight but we'll see how the weather/schedule is going when I get off of work.
Sorry this post has been MAJORLY long but after almost a week of no posts.. I had a lot to say :)
Well, until tomorrow.. (I'll post weight then, I've been avoiding the scale)
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
The Thunder Rolls...
Ding dong the witch is dead, the storms are finally over! For anyone reading this that is not in the NKY area, the past 2 nights have been quite active. With 65-75mph winds, hail, thunder, lightning and tornadoes - not much sleep has been had in my house. Last night was worse with the sirens going off and we actually went to our basement for about an hour during the brunt of the storm. SO needless to say, I got almost no sleep last night, which also means that I did not make it to the gym this morning. I'm totally bummed about not going but when I go to sleep after 2am and my alarm is set for 4:30, it's just not happening. This week started off bad with missing gym time on Monday and it hasn't improved much since :(
There's a spinning class at 6 tonight that I would love to catch- but 6 is nearly impossible for me to get to when I don't get home from work until almost 5:30 and I have to cook dinner for my family. Either way, I'm going to bed super early tonight and will DEFINITELY be going to the gym in the morning.
Dinner last night was yummy, we had mini turkey meatloaves with roasted vegetables and biscuits(terrible, I know!).
Recipe:
Meatloaves:
11/4 lb Ground Turkey, thawed
1 medium onion, diced
1tsp EVOO
5oz Baby Spinach, chopped
1 piece WW Bread
1/2c Low-Sodium Chicken Broth (or skim milk)
2tbs Grated Parmesan
1tsp Dried Parsley
1tsp Dried Oregano
1tsp Granulated Garlic
2 Egg whites
Veggies:
6(or so) stalks Asparagus, chopped
1 Sweet Potato, shopped
1c Baby Carrots, chopped
1tbs EVOO
1tsp Granulated Garlic
1tsp Dried Parsley
1tsp Chili Powder
Salt & Pepper to taste
Glaze:
3tbs Ketchup
2tsp Worchestershire Sauce
1tsp Hot Sauce (or to taste)
1/2tsp Granulated Garlic
*Pre-heat oven to 375f
For the Meatloaf:
-Heat EVOO in skillet and add diced onion, cook until softened - about 5 minutes.
-Grind bread in food processor until fine, put in large bowl and add chicken brother(or milk).
-After onions are softened, add chopped spinach and cook until wilted (30s - 1m)
-Add onions and spinach to bowl with soaked breadcrumbs
-Add turkey, cheese, egg, parsley, oregano, and garlic - mix with your hands until combined. Mixture will be quite moist.
-Use a 1cup dry measuring cup to portion and on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet (rec. spraying w/ cooking spray), place individual meatloaves with enough space to cook evenly. (just not touching)
-Bake in pre-heated oven until cooked, approx 40-45 minutes
For the Veggies:
-Chop all veggies and toss in a bowl with EVOO, chili powder, garlic, parsley and s&p.
-Pour into foil-lined roasting pan and roast for approx 30-35 minutes. If you put this on the same shelf as the meatloaves, just be sure the pans are not touching.
For the Glaze:
-Mix ingredients in bowl and about 3-5 minutes before meatloaves come out of the oven, brush over top of loaves and finish cooking.
Enjoy! Totally yummy and I loved the idea of doing the individual meatloaves to help with portion control!
Menu for Today:
Breakfast:
LF Vanilla Yogurt w/ granola and strawberries
Snack:
Organic Raw Almonds
Lunch:
TBD - no time to pack this morning so I have to run out.
Snack:
100 Calorie Choc Chip cookie pack
Dinner:
Oven-baked crispy chicken tenders
Cole Slaw - will post recipe tomorrow after I figure out my tweaks tonight :)
Not an overly exciting post today, I know. I'm a bit nervous about weighing-in this week - especially since I've committed to sharing it with the WWW.
We'll see.. until tomorrow!
There's a spinning class at 6 tonight that I would love to catch- but 6 is nearly impossible for me to get to when I don't get home from work until almost 5:30 and I have to cook dinner for my family. Either way, I'm going to bed super early tonight and will DEFINITELY be going to the gym in the morning.
Dinner last night was yummy, we had mini turkey meatloaves with roasted vegetables and biscuits(terrible, I know!).
Recipe:
Meatloaves:
11/4 lb Ground Turkey, thawed
1 medium onion, diced
1tsp EVOO
5oz Baby Spinach, chopped
1 piece WW Bread
1/2c Low-Sodium Chicken Broth (or skim milk)
2tbs Grated Parmesan
1tsp Dried Parsley
1tsp Dried Oregano
1tsp Granulated Garlic
2 Egg whites
Veggies:
6(or so) stalks Asparagus, chopped
1 Sweet Potato, shopped
1c Baby Carrots, chopped
1tbs EVOO
1tsp Granulated Garlic
1tsp Dried Parsley
1tsp Chili Powder
Salt & Pepper to taste
Glaze:
3tbs Ketchup
2tsp Worchestershire Sauce
1tsp Hot Sauce (or to taste)
1/2tsp Granulated Garlic
*Pre-heat oven to 375f
For the Meatloaf:
-Heat EVOO in skillet and add diced onion, cook until softened - about 5 minutes.
-Grind bread in food processor until fine, put in large bowl and add chicken brother(or milk).
-After onions are softened, add chopped spinach and cook until wilted (30s - 1m)
-Add onions and spinach to bowl with soaked breadcrumbs
-Add turkey, cheese, egg, parsley, oregano, and garlic - mix with your hands until combined. Mixture will be quite moist.
-Use a 1cup dry measuring cup to portion and on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet (rec. spraying w/ cooking spray), place individual meatloaves with enough space to cook evenly. (just not touching)
-Bake in pre-heated oven until cooked, approx 40-45 minutes
For the Veggies:
-Chop all veggies and toss in a bowl with EVOO, chili powder, garlic, parsley and s&p.
-Pour into foil-lined roasting pan and roast for approx 30-35 minutes. If you put this on the same shelf as the meatloaves, just be sure the pans are not touching.
For the Glaze:
-Mix ingredients in bowl and about 3-5 minutes before meatloaves come out of the oven, brush over top of loaves and finish cooking.
Enjoy! Totally yummy and I loved the idea of doing the individual meatloaves to help with portion control!
Menu for Today:
Breakfast:
LF Vanilla Yogurt w/ granola and strawberries
Snack:
Organic Raw Almonds
Lunch:
TBD - no time to pack this morning so I have to run out.
Snack:
100 Calorie Choc Chip cookie pack
Dinner:
Oven-baked crispy chicken tenders
Cole Slaw - will post recipe tomorrow after I figure out my tweaks tonight :)
Not an overly exciting post today, I know. I'm a bit nervous about weighing-in this week - especially since I've committed to sharing it with the WWW.
We'll see.. until tomorrow!
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Nice Stems!
Oh the legs.. the legs. I did my Legs workout this morning and I'm feeling a little weak right now lol. Last night I went to Bellydance in Rabbit Hash and danced for about an hour and a half and got a good sweat on! I miss dancing a lot and I was very happy to be able to do it again!
My workout this morning went as follows:
Tomorrow is Shoulders and Back :)
I'm excited about these new workouts but am wondering if I should switch them up and have 2 or 3 days of pure cardio and lessen the strength training? I have a fear of loose skin which is a big reason why I do so much of the strength training... and I just love muscles (we've already went over that, right?) :)
I feel like crap today. I very easily made the decision yesterday that I will no longer be drinking alcohol in excess. Nothing good comes from it, really. I can't even enjoy myself anymore because I know that I still have to get up early with Nora and I still have a ton of responsibilities waiting for me when I get home.. and it's just not worth it! I mean seriously, I'm working on day 2 of a freakin hangover. Pathetic. My sister's famous quote, "I'm done!".
Menu for Today:
Breakfast:
Chocolate Protein Shake w/ Skim Milk
Snack:
LF Vanilla Yogurt w/ strawberries and fruit and nut granola
Lunch:
Chick Pea Salad (chick peas, banana peppers, red onion, feta cheese, diced tomato, EVOO, garlic infused red wine vinegar) and chopped grilled chicken
Snack:
Organic raw almonds
Dinner:
Turkey Meatloaf
Roasted Veggies
The weather is a stormy mess today so I do believe this evening will be a lazy one! Considering the fact that I got NO sleep last night.. I'm completely okay with that.
Well, until tomorrow!
My workout this morning went as follows:
| TIME | EXERCISE | REPS | WEIGHT | SETS |
| 10 MIN | ELLIPTICAL | FAST | N/A | 1 |
| OVERHEAD PRESS AND SQUAT | 10 | 15 | 3 | |
| CABLE SQUAT TO PUNCH | 10 | 30 | 3 | |
| DUMBBELL PUNCH | 30 SEC | 5 | 3 | |
| WEIGHTED BACK SLIDE | 10 | 90 | 3 | |
| CALF RAISES (STRAIGHT/INNER/OUTER) | 10/10/10 | 30 | 3 | |
| WALL SITS | 30 SEC | N/A | 3 | |
| 10 MIN | BIKE | FAST | N/A | 1 |
Tomorrow is Shoulders and Back :)
I'm excited about these new workouts but am wondering if I should switch them up and have 2 or 3 days of pure cardio and lessen the strength training? I have a fear of loose skin which is a big reason why I do so much of the strength training... and I just love muscles (we've already went over that, right?) :)
I feel like crap today. I very easily made the decision yesterday that I will no longer be drinking alcohol in excess. Nothing good comes from it, really. I can't even enjoy myself anymore because I know that I still have to get up early with Nora and I still have a ton of responsibilities waiting for me when I get home.. and it's just not worth it! I mean seriously, I'm working on day 2 of a freakin hangover. Pathetic. My sister's famous quote, "I'm done!".
Menu for Today:
Breakfast:
Chocolate Protein Shake w/ Skim Milk
Snack:
LF Vanilla Yogurt w/ strawberries and fruit and nut granola
Lunch:
Chick Pea Salad (chick peas, banana peppers, red onion, feta cheese, diced tomato, EVOO, garlic infused red wine vinegar) and chopped grilled chicken
Snack:
Organic raw almonds
Dinner:
Turkey Meatloaf
Roasted Veggies
The weather is a stormy mess today so I do believe this evening will be a lazy one! Considering the fact that I got NO sleep last night.. I'm completely okay with that.
Well, until tomorrow!
Monday, April 18, 2011
Monday, 4/18/11 - Let the record-keeping begin..
Hello all!
Not the best start to my week so far.. I went to a Bridal Shower last night and had a few drinks followed by a few too many more drinks at a local bar with a friend.. yes, I know it was a Sunday and yes, I should have known better. Needless to say, I didn't wake up for the gym this morning and I'm totally bumming about it.. with no one to blame but myself. SO that just means that I have to bust EXTRA ass starting tomorrow morning and will again be working out on Saturday.
So, today is the day I promised I would be posing "before" pictures and my actual weight. I've been procrastinating posting today because of this. I don't know why I'm freaking out so much over it.. but it's kind of a big deal? I just keep telling myself that this is the starting point and I have a lot of positive support behind me and it's all going to be OKAY! (I'm a little spaz-y)
So, here goes nothing! :
Not the best start to my week so far.. I went to a Bridal Shower last night and had a few drinks followed by a few too many more drinks at a local bar with a friend.. yes, I know it was a Sunday and yes, I should have known better. Needless to say, I didn't wake up for the gym this morning and I'm totally bumming about it.. with no one to blame but myself. SO that just means that I have to bust EXTRA ass starting tomorrow morning and will again be working out on Saturday.
So, today is the day I promised I would be posing "before" pictures and my actual weight. I've been procrastinating posting today because of this. I don't know why I'm freaking out so much over it.. but it's kind of a big deal? I just keep telling myself that this is the starting point and I have a lot of positive support behind me and it's all going to be OKAY! (I'm a little spaz-y)
So, here goes nothing! :
April 15, 2011 - Current Weight 284lbs
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Saturday Recap / Breakfast Recipe
Happy Sunday Funday to you! Yesterday went pretty well (up until dinner).. I woke up at went to the gym at 8am, I did 25 minutes on the elliptical at a medium/fast pace and then did some core work with ball crunches(3 sets of 20), flutter kicks(3 sets of 30 seconds), raised planks(3 sets of 30 seconds) and dumbbell cross-punch on a decline bench(3 sets of 20 each side) then finished up with 5 minutes fast on the elliptical. I felt pretty good after that workout!
After the gym I went to Hobby Lobby to get supplies so I could make Nora's Easter Basket.
Pretty cute, huh?
Then I went to drop off a hairpiece that I made for a friend's wedding:
So by the time I got home it was after 10am and I didn't want to have a big breakfast by any means.. so I had a protein shake. Then it was time for Nora and I to go grocery shopping so I just had a few almonds and a couple pretzel sticks. After the grocery store I stopped at the Vitamin Shoppe and picked up a Cytomax Protein drink - 40g of Protein, 160 calories, 0 carbs, 0 sugar. I got Watermelon flavor it was pretty good! I'm thinking of ordering a case and using these as an afternoon protein snack as opposed to a food snack.. hm..
Then when I got home at around 3:30, I had 1/2 bowl of Raisin Bran with Skim Milk. When deciding what we were going to have for dinner, Branden decided that he wanted pizza. I should have said no but honestly it sounded yummy so I went along with it... so for dinner I had 2 small pieces of pizza and a big steaming bowl of guilt! Bad decision and I felt like crap afterward. You'd be surprised how much it affects your body when you eat crappy food after eating only good food for an extended period of time! I should have known better.
Recipe:
3/4c Whole Wheat Flour1/4c Chocolate Protein Powder
1c Skim Milk
5packets Splenda2tsp Baking Powder
2tbs Lowfat Vanilla Yogurt2tbs Flax Seed, dissolved in 4tbs water
2 Egg Whites, beaten
These are yummy, I had 2 with a couple of sprays of no fat/no calorie spray butter made with olive oil and 1tbs of syrup, 1/2 banana and small glass of skim milk. Yum! Nora loved these too!!
Well I have a child climbing all over me so I'll end this here.
Until tomorrow!!
Friday, April 15, 2011
TGIF!
Hello there, and happy Friday to everyone!
Sorry about the lack of post yesterday, I was working from home while also watching sweet Nora.. and sweet Nora is a busy Nora.. so I didn't have time to post!
I ended up not doing Zumba last night, it's 'that time of the month' and my lower back was cramping pretty seriously and I really wasn't feeling up to it. In addition to not doing Zumba, I didn't make it to the gym this morning either! Nora kept mommy awake for a good portion of the night and I 'snoozed' right through all of my alarms! I plan to go tomorrow morning to make up for it, though :)
I did a good arm workout yesterday morning and I'm sore from it today! I love being sore, then I know I've really done something. OH! and I made my new workouts! All on my own! I'm so proud of myself lol. I'll be starting these workouts on Monday and I can't wait! The schedule is as follows:
Monday: Legs
Tuesday: Shoulders & Back
Wednesday: Cardio Only
Thursday: Abs & Butt
Friday: Arms & Chest
Each of the weight-training days have a little cardio at the beginning and end of each session as well. I think it's going to be good!! I'm also going to continue doing Zumba and Spinning so that's an additional 120 minutes of cardio per week.
Wednesday night I mentioned that I was cooking Turkey Burgers, Sweet Potato Fries and a Veggie for dinner. It was totally yummy and here's the recipe:
Turkey Burgers:
I keep frozen turkey burgers in my freezer as regular inventory so I used those and seasoned with Cumin, Granulated Garlic and Chili Powder, but if you want to make yours fresh, here's the recipe that I had (which sounds delicious!)
1lb Thawed Ground Turkey
1 small can Diced Green Chiles
1/2 tbs Diced Garlic
Low Fat Pepperjack Cheese
Romaine Lettuce
Tomato
Avacado
Whole Wheat Buns
Sweet Potato Fries:
2 Sweet Potatoes
1tbs EVOO
1tsp Ground Cumin
1tsp Chili Powder
1tsp Granulated Garlic
Salt & Pepper
For the Potatoes:
Pre-heat oven to 425
Cut your potatoes in 1/2" rounds and then slice the rounds into 'fingers'. Put in a big bowl then add EVOO and the seasonings. Toss to coat. Line a cookie sheet with foil and spray w/ cooking spray. Spread potatoes on cookie sheet in an even layer and bake for 30-35 minutes, stirring frequently (important step, they will burn!) Remove from the oven, squeeze a little lime juice over them and enjoy!
For the Burgers:
Combine turkey, cumin and garlic. Shape into 4 patties and grill (I used George Forman).
Toast the buns under the broiler for a couple of minutes (keep an eye- they burn easily!) or directly on the grill.
Build:
On bottom of bun, put your patty, a slice of LF cheese (optional, I skipped the cheese to save calories/fat), a couple slices of avacado, slice of tomato and lettuce. Top with the top of your bun!
*I served this meal with Green Beans and chopped Bell Pepper sauteed in a little EVOO, garlic and worcestershire sauce.
Yummy, right?! And easy :)
So last night I made Shrimp Tacos with Pineapple Mango Salso and Black Beans. Again, yummy!
Shrimp Tacos:
1lb Medium Shrimp, deveined, shell and tail OFF (I couldn't find tail off so I had to pull it off of each shrimp!)
1tbs EVOO
2tbs Minced Garlic
1tbs Ground Cumin
1tsp Cayanne Pepper
1/4c Cilantro, chopped
1 tbs Lime Juice
4 Whole Wheat Tortillas
Pineapple Mango Salsa:
1 ripe Mango, peeled and diced
1 8oz can of Pineapple Tidbits in JUICE (not syrup!), diced
1/2 Red bell pepper, diced
1/4c Red Onion, diced
2tbs Cilantro, chopped
Lime Juice
Salt and Pepper
Black Beans:
1 can Black Beans
2tbs EVOO
1tsp Ground Cumin
2tbs Red Onion, diced
1tsp Minced Garlic
For the Tacos:
In a skillet over medium heat, add EVOO and garlic. Cook for 1 minute then add Cumin and Cayanne. Cook for 2 minutes then add Shrimp. Toss and cook until shrimp cooked through (opaque). Once cooked, squeeze lime juice and add Cilantro, toss and remove from heat.
For the Salsa:
Dice the mango, pineapple, red bell pepper and red onion and add to a bowl. Squeeze in a bit of lime juice, add cilantro, season with salt and pepper and mix, set aside.
For the Beans:
In a saucepan, cook EVOO and onion and garlic for about 2 minutes. Add the cumin and beans and simmer for about 5 minutes.
To serve:
In a WW tortilla, scoop 1/4 of shrimp and top with a couple spoons of the salsa. Wrap and serve beans on the side.
This was really yummy and I plan to try it again with chicken to lower cholesterol and calories!
Okay, moving on to today! My menu for the day is pretty whack because I didn't have much time to pack anything this morning :(
Food for today:
Breakfast:
LF Vanilla yogurt w/ strawberries and crushed grahams
Snack:
Pineapple and a few natural raw almonds
Lunch:
TBD - I'm going to meet my parents and Nora :) Something healthy!!
Snack:
More pineapple and almonds
Dinner:
TBD! I'll update tomorrow :)
I'm kind of excited to weigh-in tonight. Although I skipped the gym 2 days this week, I feel as if I've done well with my nutrition and the time I spent in the gym I did some pretty good work :)
I have made a decision that if I am going to commit myself to this I need to commit myself fully.. SO tomorrow I am going to finally post my before pictures and my current weight to track. This makes me nervous. Very nervous. I never tell anyone how much I weigh.. so why not start with the whole internet, right?!
Oh well I just keep telling myself not to be embarrassed because it's only a starting point.. and at some point I'll be proud to tell people how much I weigh :)
So, until tomorrow..... :)
Sorry about the lack of post yesterday, I was working from home while also watching sweet Nora.. and sweet Nora is a busy Nora.. so I didn't have time to post!
I ended up not doing Zumba last night, it's 'that time of the month' and my lower back was cramping pretty seriously and I really wasn't feeling up to it. In addition to not doing Zumba, I didn't make it to the gym this morning either! Nora kept mommy awake for a good portion of the night and I 'snoozed' right through all of my alarms! I plan to go tomorrow morning to make up for it, though :)
I did a good arm workout yesterday morning and I'm sore from it today! I love being sore, then I know I've really done something. OH! and I made my new workouts! All on my own! I'm so proud of myself lol. I'll be starting these workouts on Monday and I can't wait! The schedule is as follows:
Monday: Legs
Tuesday: Shoulders & Back
Wednesday: Cardio Only
Thursday: Abs & Butt
Friday: Arms & Chest
Each of the weight-training days have a little cardio at the beginning and end of each session as well. I think it's going to be good!! I'm also going to continue doing Zumba and Spinning so that's an additional 120 minutes of cardio per week.
Wednesday night I mentioned that I was cooking Turkey Burgers, Sweet Potato Fries and a Veggie for dinner. It was totally yummy and here's the recipe:
Turkey Burgers:
I keep frozen turkey burgers in my freezer as regular inventory so I used those and seasoned with Cumin, Granulated Garlic and Chili Powder, but if you want to make yours fresh, here's the recipe that I had (which sounds delicious!)
1lb Thawed Ground Turkey
1 small can Diced Green Chiles
1/2 tbs Diced Garlic
Low Fat Pepperjack Cheese
Romaine Lettuce
Tomato
Avacado
Whole Wheat Buns
Sweet Potato Fries:
2 Sweet Potatoes
1tbs EVOO
1tsp Ground Cumin
1tsp Chili Powder
1tsp Granulated Garlic
Salt & Pepper
For the Potatoes:
Pre-heat oven to 425
Cut your potatoes in 1/2" rounds and then slice the rounds into 'fingers'. Put in a big bowl then add EVOO and the seasonings. Toss to coat. Line a cookie sheet with foil and spray w/ cooking spray. Spread potatoes on cookie sheet in an even layer and bake for 30-35 minutes, stirring frequently (important step, they will burn!) Remove from the oven, squeeze a little lime juice over them and enjoy!
For the Burgers:
Combine turkey, cumin and garlic. Shape into 4 patties and grill (I used George Forman).
Toast the buns under the broiler for a couple of minutes (keep an eye- they burn easily!) or directly on the grill.
Build:
On bottom of bun, put your patty, a slice of LF cheese (optional, I skipped the cheese to save calories/fat), a couple slices of avacado, slice of tomato and lettuce. Top with the top of your bun!
*I served this meal with Green Beans and chopped Bell Pepper sauteed in a little EVOO, garlic and worcestershire sauce.
Yummy, right?! And easy :)
So last night I made Shrimp Tacos with Pineapple Mango Salso and Black Beans. Again, yummy!
Shrimp Tacos:
1lb Medium Shrimp, deveined, shell and tail OFF (I couldn't find tail off so I had to pull it off of each shrimp!)
1tbs EVOO
2tbs Minced Garlic
1tbs Ground Cumin
1tsp Cayanne Pepper
1/4c Cilantro, chopped
1 tbs Lime Juice
4 Whole Wheat Tortillas
Pineapple Mango Salsa:
1 ripe Mango, peeled and diced
1 8oz can of Pineapple Tidbits in JUICE (not syrup!), diced
1/2 Red bell pepper, diced
1/4c Red Onion, diced
2tbs Cilantro, chopped
Lime Juice
Salt and Pepper
Black Beans:
1 can Black Beans
2tbs EVOO
1tsp Ground Cumin
2tbs Red Onion, diced
1tsp Minced Garlic
For the Tacos:
In a skillet over medium heat, add EVOO and garlic. Cook for 1 minute then add Cumin and Cayanne. Cook for 2 minutes then add Shrimp. Toss and cook until shrimp cooked through (opaque). Once cooked, squeeze lime juice and add Cilantro, toss and remove from heat.
For the Salsa:
Dice the mango, pineapple, red bell pepper and red onion and add to a bowl. Squeeze in a bit of lime juice, add cilantro, season with salt and pepper and mix, set aside.
For the Beans:
In a saucepan, cook EVOO and onion and garlic for about 2 minutes. Add the cumin and beans and simmer for about 5 minutes.
To serve:
In a WW tortilla, scoop 1/4 of shrimp and top with a couple spoons of the salsa. Wrap and serve beans on the side.
This was really yummy and I plan to try it again with chicken to lower cholesterol and calories!
Okay, moving on to today! My menu for the day is pretty whack because I didn't have much time to pack anything this morning :(
Food for today:
Breakfast:
LF Vanilla yogurt w/ strawberries and crushed grahams
Snack:
Pineapple and a few natural raw almonds
Lunch:
TBD - I'm going to meet my parents and Nora :) Something healthy!!
Snack:
More pineapple and almonds
Dinner:
TBD! I'll update tomorrow :)
I'm kind of excited to weigh-in tonight. Although I skipped the gym 2 days this week, I feel as if I've done well with my nutrition and the time I spent in the gym I did some pretty good work :)
I have made a decision that if I am going to commit myself to this I need to commit myself fully.. SO tomorrow I am going to finally post my before pictures and my current weight to track. This makes me nervous. Very nervous. I never tell anyone how much I weigh.. so why not start with the whole internet, right?!
Oh well I just keep telling myself not to be embarrassed because it's only a starting point.. and at some point I'll be proud to tell people how much I weigh :)
So, until tomorrow..... :)
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Happy Hump Day!
Hello folks! I went to the gym by myself this morning and, I must say, I kicked a hefty amount of ass. I got there a little late, closer to 5:30, but got to work ASAP. I just put a quick leg workout together in my head since I didn't have time to write anything out yesterday (fingers crossed for time to do it today!)
Here's what I did this morning:
All about the LEGS (and a little butt)
Needless to say, my legs are pretty tired today! I absolutely love weight training so I had a lot of fun with this! When I was a freshman in high school I wanted to be a professional weight lifter (after figuring out that I was totally strong) buuut after further consideration, I decided to just stick with cheerleading and didn't move forward with the training.
Muscles have always fascinated me; the shape, the movement when they're flexed, their many functions.. I suppose it could have something to do with the fact that I spent a good portion of my teenage years visiting an Orthopedic doctor and in physical therapy from my many sports(cheerleading) injuries. Perhaps I'm in the wrong field?
Moving on to dinner last night.. we had the Chicken Cesar Salad. I'm happy to share the recipe, however, I didn't find it to be my favorite meal by any means. It was a quick and easy meal but I wasn't blown away and I did quite a bit of tweaking, especially to the dressing.
Here's the recipe, with my tweaks:
Chicken Caesar Salad:
Boneless/Skinless Chicken Tenderloins (adjust portions per servings)
Whole Grain Baguette, sliced thin on the diagonal
Granulated Garlic, for sprinkling
Romaine Lettuce, chopped
2 Soft Boiled Eggs at room temp
3 tbs Freshly shredded/grated Parmesan
Dressing: (portions enough for 4 salads)
4 tbs FF Greek Yogurt
1 tsp Pureed Garlic
2 tsp Dijon Mustard
2 tsp Malt Vinegar
2 tbs EV Olive Oil
Squeeze of Lemon Juice
Salt and Pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350.
Brush the chicken with a little olive oil and season each side with Italian seasoning and granulated garlic.
On a hot grill pan/skillet, sear the chicken for a couple minutes each side.
While the chicken is searing, bring 2 cups of water and 1tsp of vinegar to a boil.
Drop 2 eggs into boiling water- these need to boil for exactly 5 minutes
Thinly slice the baguette and spread on a cookie sheet. With a pastry brush, brush a little EVOO on each piece and then lightly sprinkle with granulated garlic. (If you have a fresh clove of garlic, skip this step and rub each piece of bread w/ garlic clove after baking) Bake for 5-10 minutes, until crisp.
Here's what I did this morning:
All about the LEGS (and a little butt)
| TIME | EXERCISE | REPS | WEIGHT | SETS |
| 10 MIN | ELLIPTICAL | FAST! | 1 | |
| 5 MIN | STAIR STEPPER/STRIDER | FAST! | HIGH RESISTANCE | 1 |
| LEG EXTENSION | 10 | 75 LBS | 3 | |
| LEG CURL | 10 | 70 LBS | 1 | |
| " | 10 | 80 LBS | 1 | |
| " | 10 | 90 LBS | 1 | |
| " | 10 | 100 LBS | 1 | |
| HIP ABDUCTION | 10 | 70 LBS | 1 | |
| " | 10 | 80 LBS | 1 | |
| " | 10 | 90 LBS | 1 | |
| " | 10 | 100 LBS | 1 | |
| CALF RAISE | 10 | 30 LBS | 1 | |
| " | 10 | 50 LBS | 1 | |
| " | 10 | 70 LBS | 1 | |
| " | 10 | 90 LBS | 1 | |
| STANDING WEIGHTED CRUNCH | 25 | 20 LBS | 1 | |
| WIDE LEG DUMBBELL SQUAT | 10 | 25 LBS | 1 | |
| " | 10 | 30 LBS | 1 | |
| " | 10 | 35 LBS | 1 | |
| " | 10 | 40 LBS | 1 | |
| 10 MIN | ELLIPTICAL (5 FW / 5 BW) | FAST! | 1 |
Needless to say, my legs are pretty tired today! I absolutely love weight training so I had a lot of fun with this! When I was a freshman in high school I wanted to be a professional weight lifter (after figuring out that I was totally strong) buuut after further consideration, I decided to just stick with cheerleading and didn't move forward with the training.
Muscles have always fascinated me; the shape, the movement when they're flexed, their many functions.. I suppose it could have something to do with the fact that I spent a good portion of my teenage years visiting an Orthopedic doctor and in physical therapy from my many sports(cheerleading) injuries. Perhaps I'm in the wrong field?
Moving on to dinner last night.. we had the Chicken Cesar Salad. I'm happy to share the recipe, however, I didn't find it to be my favorite meal by any means. It was a quick and easy meal but I wasn't blown away and I did quite a bit of tweaking, especially to the dressing.
Here's the recipe, with my tweaks:
Chicken Caesar Salad:
Boneless/Skinless Chicken Tenderloins (adjust portions per servings)
Whole Grain Baguette, sliced thin on the diagonal
Granulated Garlic, for sprinkling
Romaine Lettuce, chopped
2 Soft Boiled Eggs at room temp
3 tbs Freshly shredded/grated Parmesan
Dressing: (portions enough for 4 salads)
4 tbs FF Greek Yogurt
1 tsp Pureed Garlic
2 tsp Dijon Mustard
2 tsp Malt Vinegar
2 tbs EV Olive Oil
Squeeze of Lemon Juice
Salt and Pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350.
Brush the chicken with a little olive oil and season each side with Italian seasoning and granulated garlic.
On a hot grill pan/skillet, sear the chicken for a couple minutes each side.
While the chicken is searing, bring 2 cups of water and 1tsp of vinegar to a boil.
Drop 2 eggs into boiling water- these need to boil for exactly 5 minutes
Cover the chicken with foil and put into pre-heated oven (5-10 minutes, depending on thickness of chicken)
After 5 minutes of boiling, remove pot from heat, dump boiling water and replace with cold water. Let sit until meal is ready. Thinly slice the baguette and spread on a cookie sheet. With a pastry brush, brush a little EVOO on each piece and then lightly sprinkle with granulated garlic. (If you have a fresh clove of garlic, skip this step and rub each piece of bread w/ garlic clove after baking) Bake for 5-10 minutes, until crisp.
Dressing: Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir together with a whisk. Taste and season to your liking.
Carefully peel eggs and set aside. Toss the chopped romaine and shredded Parmesan in bowl. If serving immediately, pour in dressing and toss with tongs until well coated.
To Plate:
In a bowl, put heap of salad. Chop chicken and put on top. Slice eggs in half (careful - yolk will be runny) and put 1/2 in each salad bowl. Slide 2 crisp baguette slices into each bowl. Voila!
Pretty yummy! I added my dressing as opposed to tossing b/c Branden was going to be eating about an hour after Nora and me.
Food Today:
Breakfast:
Chocolate Protein Shake w/ Skim Milk
2 slices WW Toast, dry (accidentally put in 2 slices w/out thinking.. didn't want to waste)
Snack:
LF Vanilla Yogurt w/ berries and crushed grahams (1/2 portion - I'm out of yogurt!)
Lunch:
8oz of leftover Turkey Chili
Chopped Green apple w/ 2 tbs natural pnut butter and raisins
Snack:
Weight Watchers Mozzarella String Cheese
Raw Natural Almonds
Dinner:
Turkey Burgers, Sweet Potato Fries and undecided veggies.. will post recipe tomorrow!
Overall, I'm feeling pretty good! I was noticing a new firm feeling in my legs and butt today while I was doing the elliptical and was quite pleased :)
Now to work on new workouts!
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