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!!
Sunday, June 24, 2012
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!!
"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!!!
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!!
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!!
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