Halibut Roasted with Red bell peppers, Onions, and Russet Potatoes

This dish was good and I will make it again with maybe cod or what it actually calls for!  I used flounder with it because thats what I had in the house.  It was delicious but i took a few different steps just because I didn't have the full amount of time to follow the recipe to the "T".

363 calories per serving is great for dinner and will actually allow for a heavier lunch or a TV dessert.

Oh and just a little tip...I know its not the same but I forgot to get parsley at the store so I re-constituted some dried parsley in a tiny bit of water.  

Here is the link to the actual recipe.

FISH RECIPE

Sesame Ginger Pork Chops

So this is another one of my "marinating escapades", lol.  The pork chops I use I get from Aldi's on my weekly trips there.  They are thinly cut and very lean.  In most cases I get 2 chops for a serving.  This week I marinated them in Lawry's Sesame Ginger bottled marinade.  LOVE THIS STUFF!!  It is superb in flavor.  I then paired them with ginger and sake stir fried green beans and garlic steamed white rice.  This dish was a hit for the entire family.

One of my secrets...

So one of the things I like to do is marinate my meats and seafoods, but they never seem to have that blast if flavor I look for. So what I discovered years back (and just started doing again), was to put the marinades in with the meats of my choice, in a ziploc well labeled and freeze it for at least 5 days before cooking.
This meal here is balsamic and herb marinated filets, with the new oreida potato grillers, asparagus, and balsamic herb glazed mushroom skewers. It came in under 400 calories and my kitchen stayed clean cause I put it all on the grill.

I love...

I love that I don't feel "obligated" to wear black and dark colors anymore....
BRING ON THE RAINBOW!!!!

Slow roasted Greekish pork chops...

This was dinner. Last night I prepped eight marinated meats and seafoods and noticed I had two random bags of pork chops. Crock pot! So, this morning I put 6 boneless pork chops, I lg yellow onion, a large can of crushed tomatoes, 1 container knorr beef broth concentrate, 3/4 cup water, 1tbs of minced garlic, 1tbs (ish) fresh rosemary and salt and pepper into the crock pot. Started on high for a couple hours then turned to low. About an hour till serving time(total cook time 8hrs) I added 1 sliced red bell pepper.
I served it over peppered orzo and sprinkled about 2tbs feta cheese on top. Oh, and a side of peas (frozen not canned). Love them! They taste so different and fresh, and when I make a whole bag there's usually leftovers that I can put in my salads.
The family loved it!

Asian food!!!

So I got these teriyaki skewers from aldi's. They were 70 calories each and turned out delish! I paired them up with brown "fried" rice and ginger steamed broccoli. I decided I wanted a lil more flavor so I paired the rice up with siracha and the chicken with Thai sweet chili sauce....mmmmmm.....
Under 450 calories :)

Back to real life...

Vacations, what a wonderful thing to be able to do. For most of us vacations are a time for doing things we normally don't do during our normal lives like rafting, fishing, roller coasters, sleeping all day, and indulging in delicious devilish foods.
In my opinion partaking in some divine eating while on vacation is perfectly normal and safe as long as you can get right back to it when your vacation bliss is over; and really that's the key.
I just returned from a week long of comforting indulgence, a week of forgetting what it's like to feel hungry. And let me tell you while I had tons of fun I am so done feeling that way! I am ready to get back to my healthy fun foods and my workouts. If you told me 6 months ago that I would welcome my new lifestyle back after a week off I would have thought you were crazy. After this last week my insides are torn up! My "daily" schedule (achem) is totally off kilter, my stomach acid is all messed up, and my legs are terribly restless. I do not like feeling this way. I have a rather large vacay coming up in about a month. This vacation is with my best foodie friend and we are going on a 5 day Caribbean cruise and then I'll be at her house for a week. Fortunate for me she's changed her lifestyle as well and we both fully intend to use the gym on the boat and I fully intended to use her YMCA. I also plan on indulging is some fine fried Florida food and some fine fresh and delicious food but I also intend to steer away from cheesy greasy foods for at least 95% of my trip.
I guess my point is, is that once you get into the groove of a new lifestyle you will find that venturing off of it too much will make you feel icky and you won't like it.

ZUMBA!!!

So for me Zumba was my gateway workout.  When I started all this in January I went and bought Zumba for the Wii and fell in love and I credit it for giving me the exercise fever.  It was so much fun and it showed me that with a list of great heart pumping songs I could get through any workout.

I take a total of three Zumba classes every week, one of which is an Aqua Zumba class.  All three classes have different instructors.  My Wednesday Zumba class is very intense and usually has the most people.  Friday's class is smaller and you sweat but you don't drip.  Aqua Zumba is however much you tune into your body and how fast you can make that water move.

I have heard a lot of opinions towards Zumba from an array of different people.  I think the number one  thing I hear from people is that they can't get the steps right, they aren't coordinated enough, or they can't move that fast.  Like I said before try try again.  Yes the steps can be difficult to learn, can I do them perfect?  Absolutely not, am I the only one in my class?  Positively not. I have a wide range of men and women that take my classes (mostly women).  From 9 years old to 75 years old.  Some can really get down and shake their booties and some just stand in one spot and pick their feet up so slightly.  Some people can really move with grace and rhythm and some definitely do not.  

Most of the steps used are basic dance steps and once you learn them you should be fairly set to go.  Mambo, salsa, cumbia, and more.  Pay attention to the instructors feet and you should learn them quickly, if not who cares!  Just keep moving, get into the music, and have FUN!  Don't be discouraged cause you can't get the footwork down.

Recently I heard that Zumba is for someone who has a lower fitness level.  Bologna!  Zumba is what you make of it and the instructor you have.  You can't expect to see any results if you let gravity take hold and flail your arms and legs around aimlessly.  You have to use your body.  Zumba can be a great cardio and toning workout, not only that but it is superb for your core.   In an average class you can burn anywhere from 400-1000 calories (I'm pretty sure the larger would be an instructors burn).  It is a great cardio workout, slims and tones your entire body, and helps you improve your balance and motor skills.  

Zumba isn't only a physical workout but a mental one as well.  We all know that exercising releases endorphins (they make us feel good) thus helping us to relax and get rid of that nasty anxiety that looms over us.  Plus you get outta the regular monotonous daily routine and socialize.  We have a very social class where I go and many of us have an unspoken facial language in which we speak to each other during class (like, I cannot believe I am doing this right now!).

So pull those abs in and go find yourself an instructor you like that is at your fitness level and go dance, have fun, and remember, just keep moving!

Benefits of Zumba

Pros & Cons of Zumba

ZUMBA!!

Eating fruits....

So I was recently reading an article in one of the free grocery store magazines that is offered, and came across this article on fruits that I found to be...helpful.
Fruit is something that we all think of as healthy and nutritious and for the most part they are, in moderation.  A common mistake while trying to loose weight is thinking that you don't need to track your fruits with your other foods because we think they are healthy and good for us.  We are so wrong. Fruits need to be weighed and measured just like that french fry your thinking about right now.
Even though they are good for us they still have fruit sugars and have a sufficient amount of calories.  For example I have been eating peaches lately because they are ripe, juicy, and delicious, depending on size they are roughly 60-70 calories, good calories, but calories that need to be accounted for if your trying to loose weight.
Anyway, some fruits are better to consume when you are trying to loose weight than others.  For example this article suggests avoiding these fruits if you are trying to loose:

• Bananas
• Dried Fruits (we should know this by now)
• Figs (delicious little fruits, if you haven't had them fresh do it now!)
• Grapes
• Mangoes
• Pineapple

I don't personally think that these fruits should be totally avoided, but should be eaten in moderation and definitely should be eaten once in a while.

The following are high fiber low sugar foods that this article suggests eating.

• Avocado, while yes its fatty the fat contained in this super fruit are essential to healthy living.  This fruit is also high in fiber which helps to make you feel full.  A great way to get more of this fruit into your diet is to make a "spread", and replace your mayo with it on sandwiches and such.
• Berries, I have heard many times that berries are nutritional powerhouses full of antioxidants and are lower in calories.  Raspberries for example hold half of our daily vitamin C and 30% of our daily fiber.  Blackberries add vitamin K and folic acid; strawberries have recently been found to reduce risk of hypertension, and blueberries have a type 2 diabetes fighting component.  Many berries have the ability to help your body regulate blood sugar levels as well.
• Cherries!  My personal favorite, I just hate that they get to be so expensive.  these super fruits have been shown to support cancer prevention, heart health, and can reduce the risk of diabetes, Alzheimer's, and Gout.  They can be eaten in yogurt, ice cream, meat sauces, fruit salads, the list truly goes on and on.
• Lemons and Limes, pucker up cause these sour citrus fruits are good for you!  These fruits have  some of the lowest sugar amounts and are loaded with vitamin C which helps with inflammatory problems.  The peels (which can be zested and put in most foods) contains antioxidant flavonoids, carotenoids, and vitamin C, and is nearly 0 calories.  These unique components help to fight inflammation, stimulates liver detoxifying enzymes, and can help to prevent mouth cancer.  

There are so many more fruits out there that need to be enjoyed, so don't just stick to this list...go explore!  Find something fun and yummy to eat and share it with the world!


The below link will take you to the magazines website from which I saw the article in.
Delicious Living Magazine

Smoothies...

So we recently bought one of these.  My friend Tammy has had one of these for a while now and she ranted and raved about it and still uses it months later.  This is where her breakfast comes from.  I did a smoothie for breakfast last week and it was god but drinking my breakfast is going to be something i need to get used to. ( i just became a breakfast eater)

But anyways, this is a GREAT little machine and it is fairly inexpensive.  This brand and model we purchased at Sam's Club for about $20.  Before we bought this model we did look at Walmart and they had two other options under $30 (the one we wanted they didn't have).

While at Sam's Club we also purchased some frozen fruits, pineapple and mango, and a pomegranate mixed berry.  We choose frozen because it was something that suits our needs.  Tammy uses fresh fruit she buys and then preps and freezes it herself.  Either way the nutritional values hold strong so it is your preference and what will work best for your household.  

These are the ingredients I use for my children's smoothies.  They are a great way to get some fruits and vegetables into your kids without having them complain because of the way it looks.

So I used 1 banana cut into slices, 4 strawberries, 2 TBS plain nonfat Greek yogurt, 1 TBS honey (natural sweetener that can also help with allergies), 1/8 cup almond milk, and about 3/4 cup ice (ice depends on how thick and icy you want it).

Put it in your blender cup and blend away!

Pour and serve!

There will be sure to have happy faces all around.

There are so many different ingredients you can put into smoothies the options are almost endless!

Smoothies are also a great way for adults to get in their fruits and veggies as well.  Just be sure to watch what your putting in and MEASURE everything because the calories can add up really fast. So embrace summer with a yummy frozen nutritious drink with your kids.

Getting fit is wonderful because.....

It changes your world in so many wonderful ways!  There are the obvious things like being healthier and not being winded from walking up your stairs, but in the last few months i have noticed so many more things!!

• My house gets cleaned faster because I am able to move faster due to being lighter on my feet.
• I feel taller...weird I know but I just noticed it yesterday and all I can think is that my core is stronger and I am standing up straighter than i used to??  I don't know, lol
• Shopping is so much more fun!  I am no longer limited to the stores that carry plus size clothing.  As a matter of fact if I shop quality (not Walmart, their clothes run terribly small to keep prices down, uh-huh.) I can no longer shop in a plus size store.  I can now shop GAP, Banana Republic, all of the wonderful stores I never even went into cause I wouldn't fit into anything. Very exciting having this wonderful world open up.
• SEX!  Sex is better and easier than it used to be.  Plus now that I don't feel terrible about my naked body (still room for improvement) I desire it more.  There are things that you can do in the bedroom with a fit body that was never possible before.  Bending and stretching and lifting....yeah just read 50 shades, you'll get the idea.
• I have a TON more energy, i can keep going until about 10pm and not skip a beat.  Yes, this means no energy drinks that are loaded with nasty not good for you things, bonus!
• I can keep up with my kids and my husband.   They all want to play or get things done and now I have the energy to do these things with them.

 There are so many more reasons why getting fit is wonderful but these are the things that I notice the most.  So figure out what you want to become wonderful from being fit and make it happen!

My interview :)

Losing it on their own: Rachael Kosobucki - www.phillyburbs.com: Biggest Loser Blog: Rachael Kosobucki doesn't need a scale to measure her weight-loss success. Her 7-year-old son is a much better gauge.

Mayo!!

Mayo!!

Mayonnaise is one of the more commonly used condiments.  It's rich, creamy, fatty, and delicious.  With this wonderful condiment we get a plethora of uses , from potato salads to tuna salad, to wonderfully yummy BLT's.  Unfortunatly it isn't on our list of healthy foods to eat.  High in calories and fat it is a condiment staple that is usually pushed to the side and left to yurn for.  Well not anymore!!


I have found these wonderful mayo's and if you haven't discovered them for yourself yet you need to.  They actually are something I have been keeping in the house regularly for over a year now and not until recently have I discovered that they are wonderfully low in calories.  The two that I frequent (pictured) are 40 calories for 1 tablespoon.  Well I have learned that I typically don't need a full tablespoon on my sandwiches (usually 1 tsp).  Anyways, the flavors are great and they have so many uses!  I use mine on sandwiches of course, last night I used the chipotle to make a chicken, jicama, and onion salad that I wrapped up with lettuce and tomato; YUM! (sorry no pic)  There are many others like I used the chipotle on fish tacos; just a little bit.  The possibilities are many.


Kraft offers quite a few flavors, they are as follows:

• horseradish dijon
• chipotle
• hot & spicy
• garlic &  herb
• steakhouse
• twist of lime

I recently purchased the twist of lime thinking yummy on fish tacos or taco salad!

All things are good in moderation, so why not put a kick of low-cal flavor on your food??

Here is the website for the mayo's, but beware...evil things lurk here...keep your taste buds in check please :)

Kraft Mayo

Salads...

Salads

During the summertime we tend to steer towards light, crisp, and fresh meals to help us deal with the heat. Salads are such a great vessel for all things summer and healthy.

The salad in the picture above has a mix of greens underneath including turnip greens, arugula, spring greens, and more.  It has piled on top of it carrots, turkey, tomatoes, broccoli, blue cheese, cucumbers, bacon, and green onions.  I topped it off with a new salad dressing i discovered by the refrigerated dressings.  It's a blue cheese yogurt salad dressing made with Kefir yogurt. Mmmmmm.....It was a delicious salad.

Salads can hold so many wonderful things, from various cheeses to dried fruits, to fresh fruits and meats.  They are a great way to get in fruits and vegetables as well as you're greens.  But I give a word of caution, salads are not always a healthy choice, especially while eating out.  Through this adventure I have been to countless restaurants and discovered a lot of the salads I come across have more calories in them than said restaurants burgers.  I get so flabbergasted when I see a salad is over 1500 calories.  

So if you are out and about and fixin to order a salad pay attention to the ingredients and especially the type of dressing your going to order, look up the nutritional information if you can.  

At home it is important to plan your salad ahead of time and grab those measuring cups because it is so easy to overload on the calories.

Some of my favorite combinations are:

Strawberries with chicken walnuts and blue cheese with balsamic

Fresh pears with blue cheese and balsamic

Chef salads with egg ham/turkey and lots of veggies

Tuna with tomato and olives with Onions

The options are endless!!  

Yoga...

Yesterday I took my very first yoga class.  Not gonna lie, I hated it!  It was hard and kinda dorky.  That being said I will give it another chance when I can. (Usually doesn't fit into my schedule)
I can see it's benefits completely, flexibility, stretching, and stress relief.  I just don't know if its for me.
When you try a class I encourage you to give it more than one chance; kind of like trying a new wine or beer for the first time.  You take a drink and you feel unsure about it, but then you take another sip and its better, you can recognize and taste the subtle flavors in it.
I believe its the same way with a new exercise or class, or even food for that matter!  If you try a class and you don't like it or your not sure please give it a second or third chance before you cancel it out completely (assuming its not over your ability level), you may find that after a couple of times you have an easier time doing it allowing you to enjoy it more.

Don't be a "shoveler"...

Everyone eats in their own way.  You could look through a restaurant at any given time and not see two people eating their food in the same way, it's one of those, " depends on how you were raised" kinda things.

So that being said, I would like to put down a couple tips or tricks that I have come up with on my own, whether they work or not, who knows!?

So I am a "shoveler", meaning I use my eating utensil as a shovel and pile it in like Garfield and his lasagna.  While trying to figure out how to make the food on my plate last longer I discovered that if i eat like a "European"  I tend to eat slower.  You know they hold their fork in their left hands and its upside down.  I know not everything can be eaten like this but if I do it when i can it works well, so give it a try.

Also we are technically supposed to chew each bite of food 20-30 times, I don't know about you but I know that I don't do this on a regular basis.  It makes sense to do this for a few reasons.  It will allow you to have that flavor and mouth feel in your mouth longer helping you to feel satisfied, it will force you to eat slower because you are taking the time to chew rather than shovel, and it also gives your brain a sufficient amount of time to recognize that its full. Oh and I should mention that it promotes healthier digestion too.

For so long food was only a necessity but now we see it as an experience, so make it just that.  Savor your food, relish in its many tastes and textures.  

I never knew...

So yesterday I talked to my wellness coach at the Y concerning the way I feel about the amount of weight I have been loosing.  I have to be honest that I  have been loosing 1-2 pounds a week and I am not terribly happy about it.  She then preceded to tell me something that I feel totally embarrassed about not knowing...I had no clue that it takes a 3500 calorie deficit to loose 1 pound!!  I had no idea!!  I always knew that it was easier to put on than it was to take it off, now i know why.  Burning 3500 calories takes a lot of effort and a lot of will power.  So it also makes me wonder what these biggest looser contestants are really doing behind the scenes.  I bet they never stop moving.  To loose such big numbers one would have to be running in their sleep! lol

Anyways, so if you step on that scale and get disappointed about that number, don't be.  you have worked hard to loose that pound and it is a huge accomplishment.  

MUSHROOMS!!

WE LOVE MUSHROOMS!!!

Sauteed thyme mushrooms over wilted spinach and arugula on a bed of polenta.

This vegetarian dish came in at 316 calories without the bread.  It was finished off with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and crunchy garlic.  It was something that I came up with myself.

(Funny since Ive quit smoking i am realizing i am spending more time paying attention to the food I'm cooking instead of trying to rush to the next step so i can get outside.)

Anyways mushrooms have recently picked up on the health benefit hype.  Not only are they full of antioxidants they have vitamin D as well.  The mushrooms I used in this dish were regular white button mushrooms.  You can use any mushroom you would like.  I could have used enoki, portabella, oyster, or shitake in this but they didn't appear to be as fresh as the buttons.  

When you buy mushrooms you need to make sure they are bright in their color, no slime or browning.  White buttons can be easily picked out fresh by looking at the connection of the top and the stem.  If the top is still wrapped tightly around the stem and the rest of the mushroom is still a bright white color you have yourself a good package of mushrooms.

This dish was delicious and if you would like the recipe let me know and I will post it!

Workout undergarments...

So I was recently asked what kind of panties I think wouldn't ride up during a workout. I wear two different styles; one being a high cut brief and the other a boy short. I recently wore the boy shorts to a Zumba class and I probably will never do it again. They rode so high....yeah I'm not even going to go there, lol. So this is what I ask, please leave you're comments on what you think works best or what you've heard works best so maybe we can discover the ultimate workout undergarments. Oh, and feel free to leave advice on bras as well!

Just keep swimming, just keep swimming....

I am a water person.  I have always loved being in the water.  My parents tell stories of having to jump in after me cause id run right into the pool.  Although i loved water i never saw it as a vehicle for exercise until recently.  One day I decided to just go into the pool and mess around and relax, I liked it so much i strive to be in the water everyday.  I do laps even though I'm not the best at it, I tread water, and yesterday I took my first water fitness class (water aerobics).
When I first got my membership to the YMCA I would look into the window to the pool and see these classes going on.  They never really sparked any interest due to the fact that almost everyone of the participants had to be over 65.  I just didn't look challenging enough for me.  Then one day I get into the pool and the instructor snags me and tells me she thinks i look fit enough to do her class and I she sees me in the water a lot anyways.  I ultimately promised that I would take her Tuesday class and try it out.  everything I previously thought about these classes are now erased.  I loved it!  It was a great workout and definitely a challenge.  So here is my advice , if you have a water aerobics class available to you, take it.  It will be totally worth your time.
For those of you that have limited mobility such as MS, knee problems, arthritis, etc. I suggest that if you are serious about getting exercise but feel limited to what you can do go find a pool to go to.  Swimming is such a low impact sport and the calorie burn can be phenomenal.
I read an article in a special Health and Fitness issue of All You Magazine but was unable to pull it up on their website to share with you (disappointed).  But I'm going to give you a few hints that I read in the article.

According to this article:

• Swimming at a constant moderate pace can burn more than 400 calories and hour.
• Eat a light carby snack 60-90 minutes before hitting the pool.
• Even though you may not feel the need you still need to drink plenty of water.
• After your swim hydrate with a body oil after your shower, chlorine and chemicals dry out your skin.  Apply your regular lotion afterwards.
• When doing a "freestyle kick" or "flutter kick" with or without the kick board you want to splash as little as possible.
• Make sure you do a cool down after swimming just like you would do for land sports.

Here are a few links to read up on:

How to swim for fitness

How to swim to stay fit

5 Basic Swimming styles


I hope that you can find some calorie burning fun with swimming this summer!  Enjoy!

Spicy Basil Chicken...

This is what we had for dinner tonight, it was absolutely delicious, and it will become a regular.
For 406 calories you get 3/4C of the chicken, 1/2C of the citrus brown rice, and about a handful of the snow peas and peppers. You can add a Lean Cuisine Thai Chicken roll for 67 more calories.

Spicy Basil Chicken Recipe

Sesame Brown Rice

Snow Peas

Dr. Oz....

If you are even the tiniest bit interested in getting healthy and loosing weight you watch Dr. Oz.  I watch it, my mother in-law watches it, and I'm sure 9 out of 10 of my neighbors watch it.  It is a good informative show.  If not for nutritional information he helps us to know that we are weird and not alone.

I recently posted something on FB about bananas reducing your risk of breast cancer by 40%. (seen on a recent episode)  I got a message right quick from a relative telling me about balanced diets and what not.  She's right and I totally agree with her.

While Dr. Oz has PLENTY of wonderful tips, tricks, remedies, and help you feel betters, a lot of his nutritional information (in my opinion) are just puzzle pieces.  I have heard him say a millions times "This is my best diet yet".  I thought we are supposed to be looking for lifestyle changes?  Something permanent, not temporary to get us looking the way we want for maybe a month.  I don't know about you but I want to look good and feel spectacular for the rest of my life.

The point I guess I'm trying to convey is that while Dr. Oz seems to be a very educated man and a lot of fun to watch on TV he fails to mention that if you were to eat a balanced diet of a variety of foods, in most cases you would get all of the nutrients and minerals that your body needs.  Now I know that supplements are something that is needed because not everyone can absorb nutrients in the traditional matter of ingesting them and not everyone likes fish and spinach.

But really if you follow so many of the things that he supports on his show you will find that all you need to do is follow a balanced diet.

Eat whole grains, lots of dark green veggies, fruit, and lean proteins.  Eat something different every day or every two days.  Eat a variety of foods and you will not get bored and chances are you will get all the nutrients that your body needs to function and be healthy.

So watch Dr Oz but remember you need to incorporate the items into your diet along with what you saw on the show the day before. :)

If you haven't visited it yet his website is wonderful and you can find recipes that have been featured on the show. ( I haven't tried any yet, but I will)

Here's the link to his website:

The Doc's Website

Welcome back.....

Welcome back from your Holiday weekend! I hope your first day back to work was at least tolerable :) One of the hardest things that I personally had to deal with when it came to tracking what I eat was being honest with myself. It was like, if I don't write it down it won't count! Um, no. Unfortunately everyone that has ever tried to loose weight knows that that doesn't work. You're just cheating yourself. If that is you,you need to stop doing that right now and start being brutally honest with yourself. EVERYTHING that goes in your mouth and into your stomach counts, no matter how easy it is to convince yourself that it doesn't. Calories are calculated by determining how long it takes to "burn" said food. Food has an actual purpose. Our minimum calories is what we need for normal non active, living functions. The more active the more calories we need to fuel our body. Hence the heavy couch potato and the healthy marathon runner. It has taken me so many years to be able to wrap my head around all this. This time around it clicked. If I watch all the calories I put in and exercise regularly, I will eventually have a healthy body and mind and be able to maintain a healthy weight by keeping up with being an active person. You need to be excited about the foods you eat. If you aren't enjoying your meals your not getting satisfied. If fried chicken is your thing find a new way to make it. (It's a great example because theres so many oven fried recipes out there). There is the biggest cookbook available to you online. Use it. Read user reviews. Be happy about what you eat, and remember if it's an old standby you need to evaluate it to see if it needs a makeover. So, some of the keys to being successful are these: Be honest with yourself Count all your calories Develop an active lifestyle Enjoy what you eat I hope this has made you think about a few things and maybe motivate you to evaluate these areas of your life. I'm excited for my subjects to come this week, so stay tuned, lol.

Fishy Tacos..

Fish tacos are a very delicious meal, and in my house it's considered kid friendly.These came in around 350 calories or so. Of course everyone should have their own special way to have them so calorie values will vary by maker.

It's the Weekend!!!

OK...so I said I would mention weekends in a separate post, so here it is.  Again, this is what has worked for me.  It may not necessarily work for you but it may give you that special spark.

So I weigh in on Saturday mornings.  Its the first thing I do after visiting the bathroom.  There the week long wait is over and I can now enjoy my weekend. :)

I pretty much eat what I like on the weekends and staying within reason has gotten easier and easier due to the fact that certain things now make me feel yucky.  For example if I were to go to McD's and have a big mac super sized blow out I would probably be moaning and groaning in the bathroom, yeah not fun.  But for me to realize it I had to try it and learn from my mistakes, and should you.  The longer you eat healthier the harsher the not so healthy foods will be on your tummy. Not only that the longer you do this the smaller your meals will be and you will find that you probably won't be able to eat as much as you used to. (Hurray for proper portions!)

That being said I suggest you eat that greasy cheesy burger you have been craving all week.  Please feel free to use your weekends as your craving curbers.  But just remember you don't necessarily want to be working out to burn the weekend fat you gained for the first part of the week.

Weekend exercise?  Yeah I don't so much.  They are my workout days of rest, it allows my body to recoup and gear up for the next week of pounding.  But I do stay active in the yard and around the house, and maybe a walk with the family.  With summer coming I would assume that part of the weekends will be spent at the lake or the pool, so I still stay active, I'm just not determined to burn major amounts of calories.

I will be enjoying Chinese take out and grilled burgers and homemade fries this weekend. :D

Enjoy your Holiday weekend and enjoy the wonderful foods that surround you, be safe and happy, savor it cause Tuesday is gonna come fast!.

Plan ahead...

Plan your meals....if you don't think you can plan all of your meals at least plan your dinners. Dinner is the last meal of the day and is usually the one that is sloppily thrown together for varying reasons. Dinner is my families biggest meal of the day, I have friends that have their largest meal at lunch time and then a lighter meal for dinner, which is what most Europeans practice as well. Which ever eating habit you practice I recommend planning out whichever meal is your larger meal. So here is what I do...which is not to say that this will work for you but maybe it will spark an idea that will work for you. I found this steno notebook that was fun and spunky (like me) thinking I should use it for a whatever notebook, well it turned into my menu book. Over half this notebook is filled with weekly menus that I planned out for my family. Now granted not everything always works out and sometimes cooking laziness takes over and the eating out rules need to be applied. When that happens I just roll that days item into the next day or the beginning of the following week. Whatever the case the meal is planned and eaten. Usually no later than Sunday night I sit down with my iPad, my pen and pencil, and my notebook and plan meals. I use the pen for writing the days of the week and the pencil for putting in the recipe titles so if it needs to change I can erase rather than scribble out. For the most part my recipes start off coming from somewhere else and sometimes, not always I make them my own....cheating? Maybe, but I always give credit where credit is deserved. Of course when I'm planning this week I make sure I consider the weeks events, weather, and when I can, my husbands work schedule. I know that Monday's I'm starting the week off fresh and usually want something easy but very satisfying. Tuesday is karate night so I need something quick and kid friendly, Wednesday's and Thursday's are usually my most involved cooking days, these are days that I know I will be willing to be very involved in the cooking process if I desire. Friday is dinner and a movie night so I try to make it easy to eat on melamine or paper plates, on a TV tray while watching a movie. (weekends are different and i will touch on weekends on another post). When I put the recipe on my menu I write down where I can relocate the recipe and the calorie value so I am able to reference to it easily. So you say that sounds like a lot of work...not so much if you think about it. By planning your meals your not scrambling nightly to find something quick, delicious, and low cal and then possibly having to add running to the store into your already busy day. Eating on the fly also contributes to spending more money on things you may or may not use. Planning also helps to prevent weight loss sabotage. If you know what you're eating for dinner you can work the rest of your days food around that rather than having to frantically try to find something filling and satisfying for dinner, make sense? So all in all planning at least one weeks worth of dinners will keep you on track to health and weightless success and save you time and money. So go out and find a purse size notebook that you love and won't fall apart, grab you're favorite pen and pencil and find some wonderful new food to explore! Here are two of my favorite sites:

Eating Well

All Recipes

Falafel...

This was dinner last night. It wasn't the best recipe only because they kept falling apart....going to try a new one next time :) although the couscous was good!

The dreaded "E" word...

EXERCISE!!!!

Everyone always seems to hate that word.  It's related to the following phrases:

• It's so much work
• I can't do that
• It makes me tired
• I don't have time
• I have nobody to watch the kids
• I can't fit it into my work/school schedule
• I have physical limitations that don't let me

BULL FARKLE!!!  Everyone can fit in at least 20 minutes a day, and you would be surprised how easily you can fit in more than that.  I agree change is the devil and its hard to swallow, but once you do it you will be so happy you did!  When I first started I was a wreck because things weren't getting done around the house and I was behind on so many things because the hour i worked out seemed to dip into my day so much.  But, with the help of Tammy getting me to realize that it will start to be "normal" i pushed on.  (Thankfully my husband was also patient with me)

When most of us were small we probably watched our mothers do Sweatin to the Oldies, Jane Fonda, and stationary bicycles, and if you lived on a farm mom probably kept up the calorie burn with daily chores and duties.  A lot has changed since then (that makes me feel old, lol).  We now have gyms, YMCA, at home equipment, and more exercise routines available to us via the Internet.  We are a very lucky generation to have so much available to us.  Oh and lets not forget the two most up and coming modes of movement, the Wii and the Xbox 360 with Kinect.

Where did I start??  I started off almost 100lbs over weight, a pack a day smoker, and never did a day of "working out" in my life!  So my trick was to find something i liked so much i wouldn't want to stop no matter how much i felt like i was dying.  I happened to have a Wii fit board and game thanks to my favorite Florida girl, and I had gotten Just Dance 3 for Christmas.  This is where I started.  I'm not going to sugar coat it by any means....I thought i was going to DIE after 10 minutes of dancing! But as time went on the Wii fit helped me with a little bit of entertaining calorie burn, some good stretchy yoga, and a weight loss tracker.  Just dance got easier and prompted me to get Zumba for the Wii.  Wow...I was in love!!!  Zumba is one of the best things that I ever could have been introduced to...the music is fun and just makes you want to shake that bootie!  LOL  But let me tell you I had a hard time getting the moves down right away and after a 20 minute class i was more than done...but over time i learned the moves and the 20 minute class turned into a 40 minute class  LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!  Its one of those things i want to push onto everyone i know cause i have so much fun with it.

But anyways, lol...I got bored with the at home stuff and ventured out into the world of gyms.  Tuesday nights i have to take my kids to karate so i would pay the $10 to go use the elliptical machine for 45 minutes while they did that.  Fell in love again.  Then I started paying that same amount various times a week just to use random community centers equipment for my one hour workouts.  But then I found the most wonderful thing ever...I got a free 7 day pass to the YMCA...Its all down hill from there, or should I say uphill (up burns more calories).  We now have a family membership and I spend 2-21/2 hours there everyday (that includes shower time).  This is what I do on a weekly basis:

• Monday:  30 min elliptical/treadmill  30 min swim laps  (Monday is recoup from weekend day)
• Tuesday:  30 min elliptical/treadmill  30 min weight machines (because more muscle means more calories burned!) 30 min kickboxing (if time allows) and 30 min swimming
• Wednesday: MY FAVORITE DAY!  30 min treadmill/elliptical  45-60 minute Zumba class 20-30 min swim
• Thursday:  50 min interval training (weights and core) going to start 50 min yoga 30 min swim
• Friday:  30 min elliptical/treadmill  50 minute Zumba 30 min swim

This is my week as of right now, it is going to change when the kids are done with summer school, I'm not taking anything away but i will be adding at least 2 hours of swim on all days that I don't have something alternative planned like the Zoo or the Aquarium.  Oh and Thursday's I will be traveling to another area YMCA to take my Wednesday Zumba instructors class and let the kids play in the splash park .  I am excited about all this because my kids can go to child watch while i workout and then we can all suit up and eat lunch by the outdoor pool, plus they have kids Zumba  Fridays after my class, they are going to love it!

All these things I have listed are included in my membership with the Y...nothing is extra that i have listed...where else can you find that?!  Plus membership is based on your income and it caps off at $100 or so a month for a family of 4 ( I think).  I feel like I just did a commercial!  lol

So all this excitement over working out is coming from someone who used all those excuses you saw in the beginning....I am in love with all that I do and I know that if you find that thing that you like, you can be successful too.

Eating out.....

I have heard every excuse in the book..."if I go out to eat I'm gonna order what i want", "I'll just have a side salad and a lemon wedge".  FOOEY!!  So many restaurants have gotten on the healthy eating train it is more than easy to eat out and stay on track and have a delicious meal.
There are pitfalls to eating out and you should educate yourself before going out and do a little research on your favorite places.  For example, I naturally carry a small notebook with me in my purse and this just so happens to be where i started writing down my menu options.  As much as I love my calorie tracking app it is kind of a pain in the butt to sit there and scroll through every little ingredient to figure out what i want to eat.  So I visited websites of my most commonly visited restaurants and wrote down the calorie values for the things i would likely eat.  This way when i go out to lunch with "The Moms" they don't have to wait a half an hour for me to figure it out.  Having these little lists with me also lets me decide what i want without having to stay with the same thing every time i eat at said restaurant, its like having your own personal little menu.
There are 5 really great automatic options you can have without really thinking to much or a lot of planning, like those nights where your significant other says, "Let's go out tonight", or "I don't feel like cooking".  These are Applebee's, Chili's, Subway, Panera Bread, and Olive Garden.
Applebee's and Chili's have great low calorie menus with steaks, salads, sandwiches, and fish entrees. I happen to really enjoy the under 550 steak options at Applebee's and the skinny margarita at Chili's is pretty good for coming in at 110 calories.  Olive garden is OK but will power and determination really come in here.  I usually only go there for lunch and when i do I usually have the Zuppa Toscana (170 calories a bowl) with ONE bread stick (150 calories each); sometimes a salad with no dressing ( salad no dressing 120 calories, salad with dressing over 300 calories). There are other options that are more like a "real meal"but I love the soups so much its usually what i order.  Panera Bread is WONDERFUL!!!  They have their calorie values listed right on their menus!  When I first saw this a few months ago i was so excited!  The pick a pair is a great choice.  You can totally build your own meal through this and it can easily be different every time you go.  Just keep in mind that you should choose the apple options and NOT the chips as one of your sides and don't forget to add the calories to your total...pretty sure most small apples are around 70 calories.
Subway is a no brainer and they now have their 450 meal deal menu.  I don't think I need to say a lot about Subway (Jared has already done that, lol).  But let me just say this,  Subway is perfect for last minute meals throughout the day and I use it to my advantage often...especially Tuesday nights (Karate Night).


Here are a few links to get you started with the ones I have mentioned.


Happy Eating!!!


Subway Nutrition
Olive Garden Nutrition
Chili's Lighter Choices
Applebee's Under 550
Panera Nutrition

Last nights dinner...

So, I just finished doing the dishes (I'm the next day dishwasher), and I find that I can't stop thinking about last nights dinner!  It was AMAZING!! Shrimp should become your best friend, really.  It is such a high protein, low calorie, mass quantity food. If you tried it in the past and didn't like it, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE try it again!!  Hot, cold, grilled, sautéed, steamed, broiled it is an amazing power food.
I know I posted it on FB last night but I'm gonna do it again here and give you the recipe.  Please try it, it is a permanent staple in our house now.

Shrimp and Asparagus with Sauteed Gnocchi

Serves 4, 1 1/2 Cups each 464 calories

1 TBS. and 2tsp. olive oil ( can be flavored or EVOO), divided

1 lb. gnocchi (potato dumplings)

1/2 C shallots, sliced

1 lb. asparagus cut into 4ths (remove tough ends first)

3/4 C fat free chicken broth

1lb med-lg shrimp peeled tails removed

juice of 1/2 a lemon

1/3 cup Parmesan cheese

Heat 1 TBS olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat.  Add gnocchi and cook, stir often until plumpy and slightly brown, about 7-10 minutes.  Remove from skillet.

Add the rest of the olive oil and add shallots to skillet.  Cook and stir till browning begins.  Add asparagus and broth.  Cover and cook til asparagus is slightly tender.  Add shrimp and salt and pepper to taste.  Cook til shrimp turn pink .

Add the Gnocchi back into the skillet along with the lemon juice till gnocchi is heated through.

Pour half of mixture into serving dish and sprinkle with half of the cheese.  Pour the rest of the mixture on top of the serving dish and sprinkle with remaining cheese.  Let melt before serving.

NOTE:  Sauce will thicken from the gnocchi, just be a little patient :)

If you desire more flavor you can add many varieties of fresh herbs into or onto this dish.  Also a Swanson's flavor boost packet would be really good.

And for those of you that are allergic or just can't do seafood, chunks of chicken or turkey breast would be just fine...just remember to adjust the calories and the cooking procedure accordingly.

I hope you enjoy it as much as my family did.....I will be cooking it for my Florida family when I visit in September :)

The Begining

So everyone has been on me to start one of these things.  I have finally broken down and started one, I don't know if it will last or if it will blow up into something crazy.
This whole eat right and exercise thing kinda started in September of 2011.  My friend, Tammy and I went on a three day cruise to the Bahamas; it was an opportunity of a lifetime so pictures were second nature.  We both saw those pictures and didn't like what we saw.  As soon as we returned back to normal life she started to do something about it.  I did not.  I continued to eat everything  that I wanted to eat without even thinking about the consequences.  Holidays came and went and by January I was too big for the clothes I wore in September and in a jean size that I swore I would never wear.  It was time.  I had done Weight Watchers a few times and had been successful but it obviously did not stick for me.
So, I downloaded a calorie tracking app for my smart phone and got on the wagon. I discovered it was better (for me), to see the larger number of calories for the day rather than the few points I would have had doing the Weight Watchers program. 
When I started I weighed in at 240 pounds, just 14 pounds shy of my heaviest weight ever (pregnant).  I have become obsessed with tracking my foods and my exercises.  I feel excited when its time for a meal or my workout is done for the day; I get to see how many calories everything is worth, weird I know.
There were always rules that had to be followed for eating right and getting healthy which I now know as a lifestyle change (no more diets).  Everyone always said, write everything down, exercise, stop drinking soda, drink water,  the list goes on and on.  I don't think I ever followed any of them.
Ask me what I do now.....
I went from drinking about 1200 calories a day in beverages (coffee creamer and soda) to about 70 calories a day, (one diet soda with my dinner).  I workout Monday-Friday 1 1/2-2 hours a day.  I drink at least the 8/8 of water everyday, if not more, and everything I eat or drink goes into my smart phone app.  I follow most of these rules; well the nighttime eating one I'm still working on. :)
Of course one of the rules that is talked about most is don't deprive yourself.  I cannot stress how important it is to follow this rule.  If you don't you will more than likely not succeed and in the long run you will be able to return to eating a lot of the foods you enjoy eating but you will be "trained" to eat them in a healthier manner.
If you are considering loosing weight and getting on the track of being healthy give yourself a wake up call and calculate the calories of a days worth of food and drink, I think most will be shocked to discover how much your actually eating.
I have been tracking and working my butt off since the second week of January 2012.  I have lost a total of 37 lbs and I have gone from a  size 24 to a 16....I have also been a non-smoker for 2 weeks.  If I can do it, SO CAN YOU!


So anyway....this is where all my recipes and pictures will be posted along with tips and tricks that I hear about along the way, plus updates on how I'm doing as well.  I hope that my non-writing self can keep a captive audience and not confuse everyone! LOL  Please feel free to comment and post tips you have heard as well.