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Sunday, June 24, 2012

2 New Recipes

Minestrone:
1 can cannelloni beans
3 cups unsalted vegetable broth
2 cans petite diced tomatoes
1 small can green beans
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 cans chicken
*Put all these ingredients in the crock pot on low for 8 hours


1 zucchini, chopped
1 pkg frozen spinach
1/2 box whole grain rotini


After the first set of ingredients has cooked in the crock pot for 8 hours, put the last 3 ingredients in the crock pot and put it in on high for 30 minutes or until the rotini is cooked to your liking.  


This Minestrone is the recipe that Josh LOVED.  He had 3 bowls for dinner and then went back and had a 4th bowl later that night!  


Cheesy Tomato Chicken w/ Egg Noodles:
Frozen chicken breast tenderloins (I had them frozen, and then put them in the fridge overnight to thaw them just enough that they would come off the packaging.)
3 cans diced tomatoes: *1 can tex mex style, *1 can fire roasted, *1 can petite diced
1-2 cans reduced fat cheddar cheese soup (I used 1 can the first time I made this, but I think next time I think I'll use 2 cans to make it a little thicker and cheesier)


*Put the above ingredients in the crock pot for 8 hours on low.  When you're ready to eat, cook the egg noodles to serve it with (I get the healthy harvest, whole grain kind). 


Josh said he loved this one too and wants it again soon!  


Still waiting to see if anybody has any healthy recipes they want to share!  I have a few new ones I will be trying over the next couple of weeks including Cheesy Enchilada Casserole, Sweet Red Chili Shrimp with rice and veggies, and Buffalo Chicken Rolls.  I'll see how they go, and if they are good, I will share!! 

Running :)

I found a quote the other day...and then another one today...that has kept me moving this weekend.  I will share them one at a time and explain their importance to me:


"Your mind will quit a thousand times before your body will.  Feel the fear and do it anyway!"  


This really exemplifies my mindset a lot of times.  When I'm running, I really have a hard time pushing myself to keep running and not slow down and just walk.  This quote really made me realize that it's my mind, not my body that is telling me to stop.  My body can actually keep going, and that's really important for me to keep in mind as I'm going.  Since I first saw this quote, I have decided that I'm going to try and run at least 15 miles per week.  When I can manage that, I'm going to raise it to 20 miles per week.  I started this yesterday, which was Saturday, and I ran 4 miles yesterday and 2 today, so I'm almost half way there already!  And don't forget, I'm running in the Warrior Dash at the end of September, so I need to push really hard so that hopefully I can run the whole time, no walking!  


There is nothing to be afraid of when it comes to working out.  Once again, you've got to get out of your own way.  Stop making excuses for yourself and push yourself.  You will be surprised how far you can go and how much your body can take if you REALLY push yourself.  Which leads me to my second quote:


"The more I run, the more I love my body.  Not because it's perfect, far from it, but because with every mile it is proving to me that I am capable of more than I ever thought possible." 


I never thought of myself as a runner, probably because I've never run like I do now.  I'm sure I look like a bit of a freak when I run, like a fat kid chasing the icecream truck, but I'm ok with that.  :)  Running makes me feel like I'm actually DOING something, more than any other cardio that I've tried.  I'm not sure that even now I would say that I LIKE running, but I can undoubtedly say that I appreciate it.  It's definitely something that I will continue to do, and one of the best parts is that it's something that you can always make new goals for.  Mileage, time, trail-running, races, everything!  There's always a way to push yourself, and that is truly awesome!  


P.s. When I get to the 50 pound mark, I'll post another set of pictures.  I am actually very proud of myself for sticking with my lifestyle change as well as I have.  Sometimes I have to look back at my pictures from this time last year to see just how far I've come.  There are no pictures of me in a bathing suit or anything from my heavier days (which is probably a good thing), so there isn't anything to compare this year with, but considering I can't even wear some of my pants from last year, I've GOT to look better this year!!  We went to Kings Dominion yesterday and I had one of my new bikinis on, but we didn't end up going to the water park, so I still haven't been in a bikini in public, so we'll see how that goes when it happens!


On a side note, Josh was waiting for me to finish getting ready for the ball game last night (Richmond Squirrels) and I was walking past him and he said, "You're beautiful, you know that?"  It was AMAZING!! Total motivation to keep going.  We have a little over 3 months until the wedding, and I have to get my dress altered big time!!  But I'm perfectly fine with that!  :) Recipes coming up!! 

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Continued...

Sorry for the delay...

I have recently decided that my daily cardio at the gym will consist of no less than 3 miles, no matter how long it takes me.  The faster the better, obviously, but sometimes if I haven't run in a few days, it takes a little longer to get there, but that's ok.  Considering before my lifestyle transformation I never ran more than a mile at a time, if that because I hate running, I think it's fantastic! 

It's really important to keep short term goals as well as long term goals so that you can celebrate and feel accomplished along the way.  I have 16.2 pounds to get to my final goal weight of 140, but every 10 pound benchmark is a big success for me.  Sometimes I don't feel as satisfied as I should, but that's because I want MORE, and that's ok.  I am hoping that my body agrees with my goal weight of 140.  Often times our mind's goal weight is very different from our body's IDEAL weight.  There comes a point when your body is the lightest it will get.  After that point you may lose 2 or 3 pounds or so at a time, but you'll put it right back on because your body is at its ideal weight, and that's that.  But that's why I'm hoping my body agrees with my mind on the 140.  Once I get to that, it's just a matter of toning my muscles and looking and feeling great. 

I still have a few problem areas that I'm going to try and focus on.  Mainly my issue is my entire torso.  My back feels a bit flabby all through where I used to have back fat (small success that I don't have that roll there anymore), and then there are the dreaded love handles.  Of course I'm not even close to satisfied with my stomach.  Hopefully losing the rest of the weight I'm aiming for will take away some of the flab that's still left on my stomach and I can tone up the muscles and hope for the best that one day I'll be comfortable in a bikini!  I have bought a couple of bikinis for this summer and I'm going to wear them regardless, but I'd like to feel good in them! 

One of my constant struggles is with sugar.  I think a LOT of people struggle with sugar.  There are just times when a piece of candy, or some icecream, or an oatmeal creme pie just seems like it would solve everything.  Unfortunately, I have found that it doesn't.  While it tastes good at the time, the feeling I often get afterwards isn't worth it.  It's a guilty feeling, not because I ate something bad, but because I didn't have the will power or the strength to overcome the temptation.  Sometimes I'll chew a piece of gum instead and that will satisfy my sweet tooth.  There are times when it's necessary to treat yourself, so don't think you have to cut out sugar forever, but you also don't need candy and cookies and cake and brownies on a daily basis.  I have found that sugar free gum in sweet flavors often will satisfy my sweet tooth and stave off that guilty feeling from eating something horribly fattening and sugary. 

It's really necessary that every so often you give yourself a self-evaluation and really get down to the nitty gritty.  And if you aren't tough enough on yourself, and you tend to make excuses for yourself, then ask somebody close to you if they have noticed any bad habits.  This goes for life in general and not just your weightloss journey.  It's really important to always try and make yourself better.  No matter how good you get, you can always get better!! 

Stay tuned!  I might have some new recipes to share soon!  And, as always, feedback is GREATLY appreciated!!! 

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Update

I ran out of catchy post titles.  But here's a bit of an update: I've hit the 40 pound mark!! I have 16.2 pounds left to get to my goal weight.  I've been running on the treadmill a LOT recently.  The longest I've gone is 51 minutes and I did 3.8 miles.  But tonight I ran 3 miles in 36 minutes.  So that's averaging 12 minute miles.  Not bad for me!!  I'm hoping to get to 4 miles in 40 minutes (10 minute miles) so that any 5k that I choose to run will be fairly easy and I'll actually be competitive!  My ultimate goal is to run the Army 10-miler for my dad.  He used to run it every year when he was still in the Army, and I want to do it to honor him.  My mom said his best time was 92 minutes, so that's my goal.  :) 


I think every once in a while you need to re-evaluate what you're doing, if it's working, how you feel about it, and if there are any problem areas that have arisen.  So here is my evaluation of my current situation:  I am eating breakfast daily, sometimes 2 hard boiled eggs, but more often a bowl of very healthy (and not-so-tasty) cereal, either Kashi Go-Lean or Special K Protein Plus.  It's really important to get a good amount of protein at breakfast!  Then my mid-morning snack is a V8 juice, original, in low-sodium.  Lunches during the week are still my healthy frozen dinners, with an eye on sodium.  Weekends are up for grabs, but I keep it as healthy as possible and try my best to make good decisions.  Afternoon snacks are either a protein granola bar, a protein shake, or a small bowl of Greek yogurt with Bear Fit Granola.  Dinners vary, but when Josh is out of town it's often simple, such as a grilled tilapia with spinach, or sauteed chicken with some other sort of veggie.  Basically lean protein and veggies are the rule to live by.  And of course, I drink a LOT of water, and not much else!  Sometimes during softball tournaments I will have a Powerade Zero, but mostly just water.  


In terms of my workouts, I rarely have a day where I don't do SOMETHING active.  I try and get a run in daily, and I still do weights with arms and legs as many days as possible during the week, as well as abs.  I am working harder than every during my workouts.  


At the moment I am being rushed.  So I will update tomorrow with the rest of my self-evaluation.  Goodnight!!

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

New Recipe!!

I tried this tonight: Sauteed Chicken in a White Wine and Lemon Sauce with Asparagus :)


So I don't have measurements for this recipe, but it was fabulous and worth sharing!  And super healthy!!


I sauteed two thin chicken breasts (if you don't have thin ones, either use chicken breast tenderloins, or pound the thicker ones until they are about 1/2 inch thick) in some Chardonnay.  (The alcohol will cook out and you'll be left with just the flavoring.)  Then while it was cooking I squeezed the juice from a fresh lemon over the chicken and sprinkled with some Italian seasoning.  I flipped it numerous times and had to add a little more Chardonnay when it cooked down so that the chicken didn't burn to the pan.  When the chicken was about finished cooking (no pink in the middle) I then just added some canned asparagus to the pan and let it boil in the Chardonnay and lemon juice until heated through and VOILA!!  All done, and it was absolutely delicious!  Moist, flavorful chicken with asparagus with a bit of a tang.  Steph and I really enjoyed it!  


If you try this recipe, or if you have some suggestions, let me know!  I'm always up for feedback and new ideas! 

Thursday, May 17, 2012

New Discoveries

I have finally reached the 150s!!  Granted, I'm at 159.6, that is still the 150s, so I'm happy!!  I have once again lowered my goal weight.  My new goal is 140 so that I can fluctuate between 140 and 145, so that means I'm 19.6 pounds away from my goal weight.  Seems like a long way, but I know if I work hard enough, I can get there!  


I have started taking some Raspberry Ketones.  They are a natural supplement that are supposed to help burn fat faster.  If any of you watch Dr. Oz, he swears by them, and so I decided to try them.  I've heard varying information about them, but nothing bad, just "they work" or "they can't work."  So I figured I'd try them out and see what I think for myself.  


I have also made a couple of discoveries over the past few weeks that I want to share with everyone.  First of all, I'm sure we've all been told to "stand up straight" before by our parents or doctors.  Well, I have found that this is not only good for your posture and your back, you can also look slimmer instantly by simply standing up straight!  I was shocked!  I looked in the mirror in the gym holding my shirt up (nobody was around) standing how I usually stand, and then I straightened my back and stood up straight and tall and proud and it immediately looked like I was slimmer with a smaller waist.  It was awesome!  


Notice how I said I stood straight and tall and PROUD.  It's really important to be proud of yourself for what you've accomplished no matter how little or how much.  I have said before that it is important to reward yourself, and not with food.  Save up some money and when you reach a benchmark, or even if you just need a little push to get yourself going again, do something special for yourself, like plan a rock climbing trip, or take a certain amount of money and get yourself a new outfit that shows off your improved body.  I have learned that when you feel good about yourself, you care more about your appearance, and then you feel even better because you look better.  So be proud of who you are and what you've done!  


I'm still not 100% pleased with my appearance, but I think that's a good thing because it keeps me motivated to keep going and working hard.  So get on out there, stand up straight and tall and proud, feel good about yourself, and look even BETTER!  More to come so stay with me!!

Monday, May 7, 2012

Pushing it!

I have decided that starting today, I'm going to push extremely hard until the end of the month to try and reach my goal.  That means no cheating, working out extra hard, and really pushing myself to my limit in every way possible to get to where I want to be.  I found a good quote today: "I'd rather be covered in sweat at the gym than be covered in clothes at the beach."  I've been catching myself cheating with what I've been putting in my body on more of a regular basis than I would like to admit.  So I'm going to completely cut myself off and force not only my body, but also my mind to new extremes.  This will probably be one of the hardest few weeks I have ever put myself through, but I'm ready for it.  I want to know that I can do it.  My mom always told me that I CAN do anything I WANT to do, and I want to do this.  Not only to reach my goal, but to prove to myself that I can do it, that I can do anything. 

Something else I pinned on Pinterest is "make your supporters proud and your haters jealous."  And boy, do I plan on it!  Unfortunately, you can't be everyone's friend, and no matter how nice you are or how good of a person you think you are, someone isn't going to like you.  That's just life.  So now, rather than dwelling on it, do something about it.  My plan is to make myself feel good about who I am, what I am capable of, how hard I've worked, and what I have accomplished. 

If you have time to watch television, you have time to go to the gym.  And if you don't have the money to go to the gym, there's these great things called roads and sidewalks and you can run on them and they are free!  Amazing isn't it??  In case you wanted to continue to make "time" excuses, a one hour workout is only 4% of your day.  4%!!  And if you aren't used to working out for that long (even though I recommend it) then just get out for 20 or 30 minutes.  A 20 minute workout is better than a workout that didn't happen at all.  I've never heard of anyone who has regretted a workout.  The only thing I've heard of is regretting NOT working out. 

I've gotten to the point in my journey that I feel guilty when I falter.  But I truly think that is ok because it keeps me on track.  I have not completely deprived myself of anything yet, until now, and I've still come as far as I have.  I just want to give myself a final push to the finish line, which is why I've decided to become so strict here for the rest of May.  I have quite a few goals that I want to reach, and hopefully with this surge of will power, I will be able to reach some of them in a shorter time than I would have if I kept at the rate I was going.  You aren't going to get the butt you want by sitting on it, so you need to get up and get moving.  80% of losing weight happens in the kitchen, so a good diet, and giving your body the fuel and power it needs to work at its potential is absolutely essential. 

I'm going to need as much support as possible for the next few weeks.  My will power will be tested and it's going to be just as hard of a mental task as it is a physical one.  So I've begun a food journal, and telling my friend every day everything I'm eating.  This will keep me accountable for everything and will hopefully keep me from cheating.  Gotta work hard!  Wish me luck!!