Let's skip the pleasantries. I lost two pounds this week! I'm hoping this means that I'm falling off the plateau that I had apparently unable to find the edge to for the past few weeks. I'll reserve final judgment on that until next week's weigh in.
Even though it's a few days late, I did also manage to make it into a new decade. And I'd love to never go back.
This is going to be a short post, as I woke up late and need to eat some breakfast and get my lazy butt out the door for heart rate monitor fitting and personal training, woo hoo!
Stats:
Total weight loss: 56.5 lbs
Weight to go: 43.5 lbs
Work outs this week: 2 (sigh)
Weight to go before 6/13: 3.5 lbs
Friday, June 29, 2012
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Salsa Chicken
I was going to wait to blog again until tomorrow, but I'm bored, relaxed, and not ready to fall asleep yet.
First of all, let me share my newest Pinterest recipe (that I'm absolutely IN LOVE with and so excited that I tried!). It's a crock pot recipe which automatically makes it AWESOME, and super duper easy. May I introduce, Salsa Chicken!
4 chicken breasts (frozen or thawed)
1 cup salsa
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup (light and low sodium if you can)
1 packet taco seasoning (or Goya like I used, yum)
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
Put chicken breasts in crock pot. Mix salsa and soup together and pour over chicken. Add spices. Cook on high for 4 hours, or low for 8 hours (I did low for 8, the whole work day thing). Shred chicken with a fork, add Greek yogurt and stir together.
I served mine over broccoli since I needed/wanted more green veggies with my meals, but I think I could come up with something better. The broccoli didn't match the flavor of the chicken well, but the chicken was incredible anyway. Creamy and low fat, yum!
I managed to still not have my first personal training session yesterday, this time it was my fault. I talked myself into going to Blues of the Green with Adam, Erin, Maiya, Jamie, Tommy, etc last night. I PROMISE that tomorrow I am going, and I will like it!
It's going to be a long day for working out tomorrow too. Before personal training begins I'm scheduled to get my heart rate monitor all set up, which means running on a treadmill with a crazy mask on to measure my respiratory rate, etc. The idea is that I will learn what my target heart rates will be to get the most effective work out. I'm excited. Sort of.
Despite my failure to make it to personal training yesterday, today was all about pampering. As part of my new member perks at the gym I got major discounts on a facial and massage. I had both today, and it was heaven. I honestly don't think I've been more relaxed, ever. Here's to hoping that I sleep well tonight, I've been having some serious insomnia issues for the past few weeks and would love to sleep through the night for once.
Stay tuned for my weigh in tomorrow. I'm feeling skinny, so I'm hoping for a good number :)
First of all, let me share my newest Pinterest recipe (that I'm absolutely IN LOVE with and so excited that I tried!). It's a crock pot recipe which automatically makes it AWESOME, and super duper easy. May I introduce, Salsa Chicken!
4 chicken breasts (frozen or thawed)
1 cup salsa
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup (light and low sodium if you can)
1 packet taco seasoning (or Goya like I used, yum)
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
Put chicken breasts in crock pot. Mix salsa and soup together and pour over chicken. Add spices. Cook on high for 4 hours, or low for 8 hours (I did low for 8, the whole work day thing). Shred chicken with a fork, add Greek yogurt and stir together.
I served mine over broccoli since I needed/wanted more green veggies with my meals, but I think I could come up with something better. The broccoli didn't match the flavor of the chicken well, but the chicken was incredible anyway. Creamy and low fat, yum!
I managed to still not have my first personal training session yesterday, this time it was my fault. I talked myself into going to Blues of the Green with Adam, Erin, Maiya, Jamie, Tommy, etc last night. I PROMISE that tomorrow I am going, and I will like it!
It's going to be a long day for working out tomorrow too. Before personal training begins I'm scheduled to get my heart rate monitor all set up, which means running on a treadmill with a crazy mask on to measure my respiratory rate, etc. The idea is that I will learn what my target heart rates will be to get the most effective work out. I'm excited. Sort of.
Despite my failure to make it to personal training yesterday, today was all about pampering. As part of my new member perks at the gym I got major discounts on a facial and massage. I had both today, and it was heaven. I honestly don't think I've been more relaxed, ever. Here's to hoping that I sleep well tonight, I've been having some serious insomnia issues for the past few weeks and would love to sleep through the night for once.
Stay tuned for my weigh in tomorrow. I'm feeling skinny, so I'm hoping for a good number :)
Monday, June 25, 2012
Weekend Wrap Up
Unfortunately, even with eating nothing but veggies on Friday, I still didn't hit my new decade goal on Saturday when I stepped on the scale. Which is fine. I'm ever hopeful that this week will be the magical weigh in :)
So how did I handle my consumption this weekend? Eh. I would say I was mediocre. I managed not to go too crazy at the wedding food wise, and ended up skipping cake altogether (seems to be my MO recently, and I LOVE cake!), but I drank entirely too much. As evidenced by my nasty hangover yesterday. I'll spare everyone the gory details, but I probably had enough output to balance the input.
I've been really needing to pump myself up recently, and have been feeling like I've hit a plateau. Well, I've definitely hit one. Or it's just not been a great few weeks because of the breaks in my schedule. I realized today that I've only lost 2 lbs in the last 3 weeks. Couple that with the fact that I didn't meet my last mini goal and I'm a little bummed. Thankfully I have an incredible boyfriend who doesn't mind listening to me gripe, and keeps my spirits high (along with some other really awesome friends).
I have also noticed, that while the weight isn't coming off, that my body is still changing (in a good way). Everything seems to be tightening up and slimming down, especially my thighs. I'm hoping this is due to the spinning (probably the elliptical too, but mostly the spinning). I really love that class, and may start going to more than just the Sunday morning one.
This weekend was all around really lovely. Beth and Kelly make an absolutely beautiful couple, and I was so honored to share in their joy. It was also a good weekend with my parents, who spoiled the crap out of me, and didn't even make fun of me (too much) for how hungover I was yesterday. I definitely deserved it though.
I almost forgot! Friday when I met with my personal trainer, it was not what I expected. It turned out to just be a consultation to figure out a plan for me. Wednesday will FINALLY be my first personal training work out, and I'm somewhat dreading it based on what he had to tell me. I was pleased when I went for my work out tonight though because not only did he say hi and that he was glad to see me working out on my own (duh), but that he had seen me Saturday and just didn't have time to say hi. I really appreciate that he was paying attention, especially with how big the gym is (I think someone told me there are 14,000 members!! Can that be right?)
In just a few days I'm heading back to PCola for the second time since making my big move, and I absolutely can't wait. It will have been 5 weeks since I've seen Sakief, which is entirely too long. This weekend is going to be incredible, I can already tell :)
And finally, I think I need to set some new goals:
1) New decade by THIS WEEK'S WEIGH IN! (AHHHHHH!)
2) Continue working out 3-4 times/week (wee!)
3) Run a mile without stopping before 7/25 (one month... I should probably start C25k again!)
4) 60 lbs of total weight loss by 6/13 (I have got to get off this damn plateau!)
Oh, and check me out... I was definitely feeling hot this weekend ;)
So how did I handle my consumption this weekend? Eh. I would say I was mediocre. I managed not to go too crazy at the wedding food wise, and ended up skipping cake altogether (seems to be my MO recently, and I LOVE cake!), but I drank entirely too much. As evidenced by my nasty hangover yesterday. I'll spare everyone the gory details, but I probably had enough output to balance the input.
I've been really needing to pump myself up recently, and have been feeling like I've hit a plateau. Well, I've definitely hit one. Or it's just not been a great few weeks because of the breaks in my schedule. I realized today that I've only lost 2 lbs in the last 3 weeks. Couple that with the fact that I didn't meet my last mini goal and I'm a little bummed. Thankfully I have an incredible boyfriend who doesn't mind listening to me gripe, and keeps my spirits high (along with some other really awesome friends).
I have also noticed, that while the weight isn't coming off, that my body is still changing (in a good way). Everything seems to be tightening up and slimming down, especially my thighs. I'm hoping this is due to the spinning (probably the elliptical too, but mostly the spinning). I really love that class, and may start going to more than just the Sunday morning one.
This weekend was all around really lovely. Beth and Kelly make an absolutely beautiful couple, and I was so honored to share in their joy. It was also a good weekend with my parents, who spoiled the crap out of me, and didn't even make fun of me (too much) for how hungover I was yesterday. I definitely deserved it though.
I almost forgot! Friday when I met with my personal trainer, it was not what I expected. It turned out to just be a consultation to figure out a plan for me. Wednesday will FINALLY be my first personal training work out, and I'm somewhat dreading it based on what he had to tell me. I was pleased when I went for my work out tonight though because not only did he say hi and that he was glad to see me working out on my own (duh), but that he had seen me Saturday and just didn't have time to say hi. I really appreciate that he was paying attention, especially with how big the gym is (I think someone told me there are 14,000 members!! Can that be right?)
In just a few days I'm heading back to PCola for the second time since making my big move, and I absolutely can't wait. It will have been 5 weeks since I've seen Sakief, which is entirely too long. This weekend is going to be incredible, I can already tell :)
And finally, I think I need to set some new goals:
1) New decade by THIS WEEK'S WEIGH IN! (AHHHHHH!)
2) Continue working out 3-4 times/week (wee!)
3) Run a mile without stopping before 7/25 (one month... I should probably start C25k again!)
4) 60 lbs of total weight loss by 6/13 (I have got to get off this damn plateau!)
Oh, and check me out... I was definitely feeling hot this weekend ;)
Friday, June 22, 2012
Will Power, Schmill Power
As I mentioned last week, I was worried about weighing in both this week (and still will be worried) next week. I have days and days of potential diet downfalls (and lack of time to exercise).
I'm happy to announce that my will power (aka guilt power) has kept me pretty in check so far. Wednesday, which is typically a work out day, I attended Beth's bachelorette party (obstacle numero uno). I had a blast despite the fact that I had to be a responsible adult and leave early (and I sober tripped at the end of the night and had to be caught by the bouncers before I face planted, awesome). Because I knew I had to drive home, I kept my alcohol consumption to a minimum, keeping those additional calories to a minimum as well. I did eat two pieces of Roppolo's pizza (the BEST street pizza ever), mostly because I was STARVING since we didn't eat until about 10pm. But I boogied the night away, trying to make up for the fact that I didn't have time to get my work out in (and those two pieces of pizza...).
Last night was obstacle number two, Salt Lick. For those of you not familiar with Salt Lick, it's one of the most amazing BBQ places in the entire world (for reals). It's been featured on several foodie shows, including Man vs. Food (Adam didn't have a food challenge here, but you might as well). To summarize Salt Lick, it's basically all you can eat ribs, sausage and brisket, plus potato salad, cole slaw, baked beans, bread, pickles and onions. And then you can't forget the blackberry or peach (or half and half) cobbler a la mode. I definitely indulged, but kept my indulgence to a minimum. It was definitely a blessing in disguise that I didn't exactly feel well all day, so I wasn't particularly interested in making myself even more uncomfortable (fail, I was still uncomfortably full, and I have no desire to eat this morning).
The last of the big obstacles will be the actual wedding tomorrow night, and then of course brunch the next day (assuming that I'm interested in eating). Fingers crossed that I won't overdo it!
As far as exercise goes, I'm doing my best to keep it up. I got work outs in 3 days this week (Friday, Sunday and Monday). I mentioned last week that I was scheduled for my first personal training session, but that was rescheduled for this afternoon. Hopefully he doesn't cancel on me again! I also plan to work out tomorrow since the wedding doesn't start until 7:30pm.
And lastly, but not leastly (I realize that isn't a word), how much, if any, did I lose this week? And did I make my goal of a new decade before the wedding? Thankfully I am down to a new lowest weight (2.5 lbs since last Friday), but I just missed a new decade. Depending on how today goes, I may check my weight tomorrow, to see if I may have actually met the goal.
Today's stats:
Weight lost: 54.5 lbs
To go: 45.4 lbs
I'm happy to announce that my will power (aka guilt power) has kept me pretty in check so far. Wednesday, which is typically a work out day, I attended Beth's bachelorette party (obstacle numero uno). I had a blast despite the fact that I had to be a responsible adult and leave early (and I sober tripped at the end of the night and had to be caught by the bouncers before I face planted, awesome). Because I knew I had to drive home, I kept my alcohol consumption to a minimum, keeping those additional calories to a minimum as well. I did eat two pieces of Roppolo's pizza (the BEST street pizza ever), mostly because I was STARVING since we didn't eat until about 10pm. But I boogied the night away, trying to make up for the fact that I didn't have time to get my work out in (and those two pieces of pizza...).
Last night was obstacle number two, Salt Lick. For those of you not familiar with Salt Lick, it's one of the most amazing BBQ places in the entire world (for reals). It's been featured on several foodie shows, including Man vs. Food (Adam didn't have a food challenge here, but you might as well). To summarize Salt Lick, it's basically all you can eat ribs, sausage and brisket, plus potato salad, cole slaw, baked beans, bread, pickles and onions. And then you can't forget the blackberry or peach (or half and half) cobbler a la mode. I definitely indulged, but kept my indulgence to a minimum. It was definitely a blessing in disguise that I didn't exactly feel well all day, so I wasn't particularly interested in making myself even more uncomfortable (fail, I was still uncomfortably full, and I have no desire to eat this morning).
The last of the big obstacles will be the actual wedding tomorrow night, and then of course brunch the next day (assuming that I'm interested in eating). Fingers crossed that I won't overdo it!
As far as exercise goes, I'm doing my best to keep it up. I got work outs in 3 days this week (Friday, Sunday and Monday). I mentioned last week that I was scheduled for my first personal training session, but that was rescheduled for this afternoon. Hopefully he doesn't cancel on me again! I also plan to work out tomorrow since the wedding doesn't start until 7:30pm.
And lastly, but not leastly (I realize that isn't a word), how much, if any, did I lose this week? And did I make my goal of a new decade before the wedding? Thankfully I am down to a new lowest weight (2.5 lbs since last Friday), but I just missed a new decade. Depending on how today goes, I may check my weight tomorrow, to see if I may have actually met the goal.
Today's stats:
Weight lost: 54.5 lbs
To go: 45.4 lbs
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Texas is Good For My Health
After the last weigh in, I was still feeling confident, especially since I was able to justify it to myself (whether or not my justifications actually make sense). But for some reason, even after a pep talk from Cassie, I started feeling low.
My weigh in following my first week of really working out showed a loss of 4.5lbs, and then I'm gaining? It almost made me want to give up exercising... if it's not helping it's hurting, right?
Clearly I'm wrong about that. Exercise, whether I'm losing weight or not, is good for me. And despite the fact that I didn't think that the number on the scale is moving downward fast enough, I can definitely see a change in how my body looks since I started working out. They have a long way to go still, but my thighs are definitely slimming out, and it feels different (in a good way) when I put my hands on my hips. There is less fluff :)
This morning, considering how bad I was feeling, I decided to see exactly how much weight I have lost since moving to Texas.
11 lbs!
So what exactly am I getting sad about? Nothing apparently.
And thankfully that was enough to turn my frown upside down. That and crafts. I love crafts. See my Pinterest later :)
My weigh in following my first week of really working out showed a loss of 4.5lbs, and then I'm gaining? It almost made me want to give up exercising... if it's not helping it's hurting, right?
Clearly I'm wrong about that. Exercise, whether I'm losing weight or not, is good for me. And despite the fact that I didn't think that the number on the scale is moving downward fast enough, I can definitely see a change in how my body looks since I started working out. They have a long way to go still, but my thighs are definitely slimming out, and it feels different (in a good way) when I put my hands on my hips. There is less fluff :)
This morning, considering how bad I was feeling, I decided to see exactly how much weight I have lost since moving to Texas.
11 lbs!
So what exactly am I getting sad about? Nothing apparently.
And thankfully that was enough to turn my frown upside down. That and crafts. I love crafts. See my Pinterest later :)
Friday, June 15, 2012
Minor Setback
Let's get right to the point. According to my lovely scale I have gained weight this week. Do I want to believe it? Of course not. Do I believe it? Not really. Am I really good at making excuses? Absolutely.
As of yesterday (because for some reason I've been cheat weighing in all week, I really need to stop) I was down 1.5 lbs for the week. As of this morning I was 2 lbs heavier than yesterday (otherwise known as a net gain of .5 lbs). Did I really gain 2 lbs in one day? Obviously not.
I really hate people who make excuses, even though I'm totally doing that right now. The following may be the explanation, it may not, but no matter what, I won't be discouraged. I broke two of my cardinal rules yesteday 1) I didn't drink as much water as I usually do (and therefore I'm retaining water, duh) and 2) I ate dinner after 7pm (stupid, AMAZING, haircut).
As much as I can convince myself that the scale is lying to me this morning, it makes no sense to keep a blog documenting everything and then lie. Plus, I just made a huge stink about NOT struggling. Karma.
Next week my weigh in day will come a day early as I'm heading out to Salt Lick on Thursday night and have zero desire to see what kind of damage I did, by getting on the scale Friday morning. I have a feeling that the week after I may also see some setbacks since it includes several days of wedding festivities for Beth and Kelly. I'll have to hit the gym hard the next few weeks :)
Speaking of the gym I'm going to my first personal training session today. I still don't know how I feel about it, but I'll keep my fingers crossed that it goes well. You can be sure that I'll be writing about it.
Also, I don't think I ever shared that I tried the Melt In Your Mouth Chicken with Greek yogurt instead of sour cream, and yum! Cuts about 100 calories per serving and still tastes delicious!
Weekly summary:
Weight lost: 52lbs
To go: 48lbs
Work outs: 3
As of yesterday (because for some reason I've been cheat weighing in all week, I really need to stop) I was down 1.5 lbs for the week. As of this morning I was 2 lbs heavier than yesterday (otherwise known as a net gain of .5 lbs). Did I really gain 2 lbs in one day? Obviously not.
I really hate people who make excuses, even though I'm totally doing that right now. The following may be the explanation, it may not, but no matter what, I won't be discouraged. I broke two of my cardinal rules yesteday 1) I didn't drink as much water as I usually do (and therefore I'm retaining water, duh) and 2) I ate dinner after 7pm (stupid, AMAZING, haircut).
As much as I can convince myself that the scale is lying to me this morning, it makes no sense to keep a blog documenting everything and then lie. Plus, I just made a huge stink about NOT struggling. Karma.
Next week my weigh in day will come a day early as I'm heading out to Salt Lick on Thursday night and have zero desire to see what kind of damage I did, by getting on the scale Friday morning. I have a feeling that the week after I may also see some setbacks since it includes several days of wedding festivities for Beth and Kelly. I'll have to hit the gym hard the next few weeks :)
Speaking of the gym I'm going to my first personal training session today. I still don't know how I feel about it, but I'll keep my fingers crossed that it goes well. You can be sure that I'll be writing about it.
Also, I don't think I ever shared that I tried the Melt In Your Mouth Chicken with Greek yogurt instead of sour cream, and yum! Cuts about 100 calories per serving and still tastes delicious!
Weekly summary:
Weight lost: 52lbs
To go: 48lbs
Work outs: 3
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
The Weight of 200 lbs
I've been doing a lot of reflecting on my weight loss and low carb lifestyle recently. Lots of things swirling around in my brain, and I wanted to take a moment to put some to paper (so to speak).
The biggest thing that's been weighing on me (get it? weighing? I'm so punny), is the approaching feat of weighing under 200lbs again. It has been a long time since I was there. Even when I lost a lot of weight in grad school... and then promptly gained it back (thank you Ross), I never got past the 200lb mark. I think the lowest I hit was 201 or 202. I had plateaued there, and then life happened. So yeah, it's been a long time... maybe the beginning of my sophomore year of college? So that makes it what, 2005? Yeesh.
I'm still pretty far from that point, but of course getting closer everyday. I've been trying to decide when I make that a mini goal. Right now it's not exactly far enough away in my mind to be a long term goal, nor is it close enough to be a mini goal, but I've been so excited at the prospect that I want to set a date for myself. My problems with that are the following: 1) I set the mini goals to purposefully be attainable. I may have to work a bit to reach them, but they aren't supposed to be impossible. The idea is that by reaching them I give myself a psychological high five. So if I were to set a date now for passing 200lbs, I'm afraid I won't make it, and it will be hard to handle. 2) I haven't publicly shared my starting weight. Not that sharing actually bothers me, but weight to me really is just a number, and my starting and ending weights don't matter so much as the pounds I lose in the middle, and how I look and feel. But let's get real, for those of you who know how much I weighed before I started this, it's definitely a number that turns my cheeks a little red. By setting a goal of being under 200lbs, it would be easy enough for my readers to eventually extrapolate my starting weight, current weight, etc, and I'm just not sure I'm ready for that.
Which I think means that I have my answer, it's not time to set that goal for myself, other than knowing that sometime soon, I want to be there. But I can't seem to shake the fact that I want to set that deadline for myself.
I've also been thinking a lot about my struggles, or lack there of. Sure, losing weight in itself is a battle, but all I've really seen is success. I have a few wonderful friends who are on their own weight loss journeys and not seeing the same success that I am, and sometimes I think "all I do is complain when I'm doing well that I'm not doing well enough" how does that make others feel? I've had a few people tell me that I have inspired them, etc, but it's my friends who are struggling, and not giving up, who inspire me.
And lastly, I realized on my drive home from work tonight, that when I reach my goal weight, I will weigh 35% less than I used to. That's 1/3+ of me, gone. Pretty crazy huh?
The biggest thing that's been weighing on me (get it? weighing? I'm so punny), is the approaching feat of weighing under 200lbs again. It has been a long time since I was there. Even when I lost a lot of weight in grad school... and then promptly gained it back (thank you Ross), I never got past the 200lb mark. I think the lowest I hit was 201 or 202. I had plateaued there, and then life happened. So yeah, it's been a long time... maybe the beginning of my sophomore year of college? So that makes it what, 2005? Yeesh.
I'm still pretty far from that point, but of course getting closer everyday. I've been trying to decide when I make that a mini goal. Right now it's not exactly far enough away in my mind to be a long term goal, nor is it close enough to be a mini goal, but I've been so excited at the prospect that I want to set a date for myself. My problems with that are the following: 1) I set the mini goals to purposefully be attainable. I may have to work a bit to reach them, but they aren't supposed to be impossible. The idea is that by reaching them I give myself a psychological high five. So if I were to set a date now for passing 200lbs, I'm afraid I won't make it, and it will be hard to handle. 2) I haven't publicly shared my starting weight. Not that sharing actually bothers me, but weight to me really is just a number, and my starting and ending weights don't matter so much as the pounds I lose in the middle, and how I look and feel. But let's get real, for those of you who know how much I weighed before I started this, it's definitely a number that turns my cheeks a little red. By setting a goal of being under 200lbs, it would be easy enough for my readers to eventually extrapolate my starting weight, current weight, etc, and I'm just not sure I'm ready for that.
Which I think means that I have my answer, it's not time to set that goal for myself, other than knowing that sometime soon, I want to be there. But I can't seem to shake the fact that I want to set that deadline for myself.
I've also been thinking a lot about my struggles, or lack there of. Sure, losing weight in itself is a battle, but all I've really seen is success. I have a few wonderful friends who are on their own weight loss journeys and not seeing the same success that I am, and sometimes I think "all I do is complain when I'm doing well that I'm not doing well enough" how does that make others feel? I've had a few people tell me that I have inspired them, etc, but it's my friends who are struggling, and not giving up, who inspire me.
And lastly, I realized on my drive home from work tonight, that when I reach my goal weight, I will weigh 35% less than I used to. That's 1/3+ of me, gone. Pretty crazy huh?
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Party Chicken!
I haven't had much luck with the recipes that I've been experimenting with recently. Either they aren't even worth blogging about, or even if they are, they're still... weird, and not worth sharing the recipe. Finally yesterday I made something that I am proud to share, because it was delicious!
Party Chicken... why is it called party chicken? Probably because it's a party in your mouth (cue cliche music). I made some lower fat adjustments, and think they really worked (especially considering that I've never tried the original). I also made some adjustments from the original cooking time, but it clearly worked.
Party Chicken (yield three servings)
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts or 9 chicken tenderloins
9 pieces turkey bacon (called for regular bacon in the original recipe)
1 can cream of chicken soup
3/4 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt (called for sour cream in the original recipe)
Whatever spices you'd like :)
If using chicken breasts (like I did), cut each breast into 3 strips. Wrap strips/tenderloins in a piece of turkey bacon and place side by side in glass pan. Mix soup and yogurt together and season as you see fit (I used garlic, thyme, and black pepper, yum!). Pour the soup mixture over the bacon wrapped chicken. Cover with foil. Back at 250 degrees for about 3 hours (the original recipe said 4 hours, but mine was definitely done, so just be aware of your oven!). Uncover, adjust heat to 400 degrees and bake an additional 15 minutes.
No knives needed here, the chicken and bacon were easily cut with a fork. This is the kind of recipe that I'm always looking for, it's creamy and appears to be fatty, but it really low fat and healthy. Fools the brain and kills cravings. Amazing.
Nutrition Info:
Calories: 314
Fat: 15g
Carbs: 10g
Protein: 36g
Sodium: 1190mg
Party Chicken... why is it called party chicken? Probably because it's a party in your mouth (cue cliche music). I made some lower fat adjustments, and think they really worked (especially considering that I've never tried the original). I also made some adjustments from the original cooking time, but it clearly worked.
Party Chicken (yield three servings)
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts or 9 chicken tenderloins
9 pieces turkey bacon (called for regular bacon in the original recipe)
1 can cream of chicken soup
3/4 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt (called for sour cream in the original recipe)
Whatever spices you'd like :)
If using chicken breasts (like I did), cut each breast into 3 strips. Wrap strips/tenderloins in a piece of turkey bacon and place side by side in glass pan. Mix soup and yogurt together and season as you see fit (I used garlic, thyme, and black pepper, yum!). Pour the soup mixture over the bacon wrapped chicken. Cover with foil. Back at 250 degrees for about 3 hours (the original recipe said 4 hours, but mine was definitely done, so just be aware of your oven!). Uncover, adjust heat to 400 degrees and bake an additional 15 minutes.
No knives needed here, the chicken and bacon were easily cut with a fork. This is the kind of recipe that I'm always looking for, it's creamy and appears to be fatty, but it really low fat and healthy. Fools the brain and kills cravings. Amazing.
Nutrition Info:
Calories: 314
Fat: 15g
Carbs: 10g
Protein: 36g
Sodium: 1190mg
Friday, June 8, 2012
Are you kidding me?
Ugh, the article below makes me sad/mad. Good thing I'm losing the weight for me, and not anyone else. And I'm beautiful no matter how much I weigh, and so are you.
Still fat after losing the weight?
Also, to remind myself of my mini goals...
Get to the gym! I need to lose 2.5 pounds before the 23rd (Beth and Kelly's wedding day, yay!), I think I can do it :)
Still fat after losing the weight?
Also, to remind myself of my mini goals...
Get to the gym! I need to lose 2.5 pounds before the 23rd (Beth and Kelly's wedding day, yay!), I think I can do it :)
Livin' on a Prayer
I love Bon Jovi. In fact, seeing them in concert in high school at Nissan is definitely a concert highlight. For the past day I've had the lyrics for "Livin' on a Prayer" in my head. Why? So glad you asked.
Because, OoOh, I'm halfway there! Yesterday morning I cheated and got on the scale and had finally hit the 50lb mark! This morning, being my official weigh in day is what counts though, and I'm actually down 52.5lbs! No big deal... :)
I'm taking a page from Cassie's book and making some comparisons... what else weighs 50lbs? I've lost:
1) The combined total weight of all 4 of my pets (and then some)
2) An average 5-6 year old girl
3) 10 giant gummy bears
4) 28" television (old school)
5) 5 x 10lb bag of potatoes
6) Small bale of hay
7) 50 standard footballs
That's gross. And I still have at least one of those above to lose, if not more.
I've been dedicated to the gym (for a whole week now!) and I definitely think that's helping, if nothing else, I feel really good. I'm looking forward to the added health benefits, and hopefully added/continued weight loss benefits moving forward.
To sum up, I've lost 50ish lbs in about 5 months, woo hoo! Here's to hoping the next 5 months are just as successful!
Total weight lost: 52.5 lbs
Weight left: 47.5 lbs
Times at gym this week: 4
Because, OoOh, I'm halfway there! Yesterday morning I cheated and got on the scale and had finally hit the 50lb mark! This morning, being my official weigh in day is what counts though, and I'm actually down 52.5lbs! No big deal... :)
I'm taking a page from Cassie's book and making some comparisons... what else weighs 50lbs? I've lost:
1) The combined total weight of all 4 of my pets (and then some)
2) An average 5-6 year old girl3) 10 giant gummy bears
4) 28" television (old school)
5) 5 x 10lb bag of potatoes
6) Small bale of hay
7) 50 standard footballs
That's gross. And I still have at least one of those above to lose, if not more.
I've been dedicated to the gym (for a whole week now!) and I definitely think that's helping, if nothing else, I feel really good. I'm looking forward to the added health benefits, and hopefully added/continued weight loss benefits moving forward.
To sum up, I've lost 50ish lbs in about 5 months, woo hoo! Here's to hoping the next 5 months are just as successful!
Total weight lost: 52.5 lbs
Weight left: 47.5 lbs
Times at gym this week: 4
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
20ish pounds ago
I wasn't planning on a photo update post today, but after I got dressed I realized I was wearing the same outfit that I wore when I first posted a "look at me now" blog. I was shocked when I looked in the mirror. I wasn't even looking at the original photo, but I could picture it, and I knew I had changed a lot.
I tried to make the pictures looks as similar as possible so that the differences can be noticed. I see it the most in my face, and lower stomach/hip areas.
Here we go!
So... What do you think?
I tried to make the pictures looks as similar as possible so that the differences can be noticed. I see it the most in my face, and lower stomach/hip areas.
Here we go!
 |
| February 2012 - I had lost 27 lbs |
 | ||
| This morning - 49 lbs down! |
So... What do you think?
Monday, June 4, 2012
No carb pizza?
Pizza is one of my most favorite foods in the entire world. Any kind of pizza. It's also one of the foods that I completely lose my will power over. I'd love to say that I could order a pizza for a treat and eat only two slices. Unfortunately, if I order a pizza, I eat the whole dang thing. And sometimes some chicken wings too. I know, it's disgusting. It's why I try to avoid the pizza, but eventually, the craving gets to me.
I've found a couple different low carb pizza recipes, using cauliflower, zucchini, etc as the crust, and hadn't gotten around to trying any of the recipes until now. The recipe I tried was the most unusual of those that I found, using cream cheese, eggs, and parmesan cheese as the crust.
The end result? It was weird. Not good, not bad, just weird. Thankfully I am most focused on the toppings and not the crust, so I got the flavors I was looking for, but it was still weird. I may try it again, but I'm not even sure that the recipe is worth sharing. I think I'll need to try some of the other alternative recipes first. But at least it looks yummy?
I've been trying very hard these past few days to be very good. As you know I didn't make my 50 lb goal this past Friday, and I'm really hoping to make it this week. Of course Friday night I partied a little more than I expected when E and Jeff came to town, but I think it was worth it. I had a wonderful night with Miami loves, who I miss every day.
I have managed to push myself and get my butt to gym a lot over the past few days. I have gone Thursday, Friday, Sunday and this evening. Yesterday's work out was super fun. I started with a beginner yoga course, and finished out the day with my first ever spinning class. Despite how uncomfortable I (still) am after spinning, I really liked it! So to help with the discomfort I treated myself to a seat pad and some new yoga pants (those were just a bonus). I'm hoping to make this my Sunday ritual, it was awesome!
I'm so sore, but it feels so good :) 50 lbs here I come!
I've found a couple different low carb pizza recipes, using cauliflower, zucchini, etc as the crust, and hadn't gotten around to trying any of the recipes until now. The recipe I tried was the most unusual of those that I found, using cream cheese, eggs, and parmesan cheese as the crust.
The end result? It was weird. Not good, not bad, just weird. Thankfully I am most focused on the toppings and not the crust, so I got the flavors I was looking for, but it was still weird. I may try it again, but I'm not even sure that the recipe is worth sharing. I think I'll need to try some of the other alternative recipes first. But at least it looks yummy?I've been trying very hard these past few days to be very good. As you know I didn't make my 50 lb goal this past Friday, and I'm really hoping to make it this week. Of course Friday night I partied a little more than I expected when E and Jeff came to town, but I think it was worth it. I had a wonderful night with Miami loves, who I miss every day.
I have managed to push myself and get my butt to gym a lot over the past few days. I have gone Thursday, Friday, Sunday and this evening. Yesterday's work out was super fun. I started with a beginner yoga course, and finished out the day with my first ever spinning class. Despite how uncomfortable I (still) am after spinning, I really liked it! So to help with the discomfort I treated myself to a seat pad and some new yoga pants (those were just a bonus). I'm hoping to make this my Sunday ritual, it was awesome!
I'm so sore, but it feels so good :) 50 lbs here I come!
Friday, June 1, 2012
I work out!
Do I actually work out? Not often. It's embarrassing actually considering how motivated I say I am to lose weight.
BUT, last night I took the big step and joined a gym. A really expensive gym. Let's hope that the sheer cost to me will keep me motivated to go! The good news is that they only offer month to month memberships, so I can cancel at any time if I'm not using it, and won't lose a ton of money. The other good news (and way to keep me motivated) is that it's the gym that Adam and Erin belong to, so I will have some work out buddies! The other other good news is that it's a really awesome gym, and my membership gets me access to everything. They also start me off with enough rewards points to get some group "personal" training (about 2 months worth, wee!).
I spent some time on the elliptical last night in my inaugural work out, and plan to go back today with Erin and Maiya for a work out and some pool time. Since it is the beginning of the weekend, hopefully I'll get in some work outs in the next few days as well. I'm planning to check out some of the classes next week and would love to find one or two that I love and will keep me going!
Today was a big weigh in for me... June 1 is/was my deadline for a mini goal, to lose 50 lbs. Unfortunately I didn't make my goal (and no, I didn't surpass it either, sigh). As of this morning I am down 48 lbs, so I was close, but not quite there. With 2 lbs to go (I'd really like to lose 2.5 lbs to get me just past that half way mark), I am resetting the goal for next week. Fingers crossed for next week!
Erin and I have also decided that we want to both be bikini ready by our family trip to St. Maarten this winter. We're already looking forward to swim suit shopping 6 months from now... and we will both be ready!
Weight lost: 48 lbs
Weight to go: 52 lbs
Work outs this week: 1 (ugh)
BUT, last night I took the big step and joined a gym. A really expensive gym. Let's hope that the sheer cost to me will keep me motivated to go! The good news is that they only offer month to month memberships, so I can cancel at any time if I'm not using it, and won't lose a ton of money. The other good news (and way to keep me motivated) is that it's the gym that Adam and Erin belong to, so I will have some work out buddies! The other other good news is that it's a really awesome gym, and my membership gets me access to everything. They also start me off with enough rewards points to get some group "personal" training (about 2 months worth, wee!).
I spent some time on the elliptical last night in my inaugural work out, and plan to go back today with Erin and Maiya for a work out and some pool time. Since it is the beginning of the weekend, hopefully I'll get in some work outs in the next few days as well. I'm planning to check out some of the classes next week and would love to find one or two that I love and will keep me going!
Today was a big weigh in for me... June 1 is/was my deadline for a mini goal, to lose 50 lbs. Unfortunately I didn't make my goal (and no, I didn't surpass it either, sigh). As of this morning I am down 48 lbs, so I was close, but not quite there. With 2 lbs to go (I'd really like to lose 2.5 lbs to get me just past that half way mark), I am resetting the goal for next week. Fingers crossed for next week!
Erin and I have also decided that we want to both be bikini ready by our family trip to St. Maarten this winter. We're already looking forward to swim suit shopping 6 months from now... and we will both be ready!
Weight lost: 48 lbs
Weight to go: 52 lbs
Work outs this week: 1 (ugh)