I ran a mile yesterday! I went to the gym and walked uphill for .33 of a mile then I ran 1 mile and walked .25 mile when I was called out of my workout to get my crazy son from the kids club... I was only able to last 20 min before we got kicked out...oh well! I'm going to try again today. After my workout I went to a jujitsu class and had a hard workout which made up for my lack of time at the gym. For dinner I made barcelona chicken (side note I am so smart I just figured out how to add that link which takes you to the recipe by myself! Maybe I can learn to speak geek after all!!!) Fried (brown) rice and grilled pineapple. It was so delicious that I ate dinner at home when I was supposed to go out with some girl friends for dinner. I went and drank water the whole time. I know!

I ate a really yummy chicken salad, salad yesterday too that I will be eating again today. This time I used:

canned chicken
1 tb mayonnaise
half a green onion
tea cilantro
1/3 c dried cherries ( I only like the walmart dried cherries they are so plump and not overly sugary like the costco ones and even the ones I had at whole foods)
1/2 tea curry powder (supposedly helps fight againsts alzheimers (I know I spelled that wrong!) )
put on top of 2 cups lettuce. This is my favorite chicken salad so far I can't wait to have lunch

Supplement Queen

So I had a wonderfull weekend at my mother in laws. I told her I struggle with sugar cravings and she told me about Chromium Picolinate. Take 2 Capsules twice a day and guess what...it works! I didn't crave sugar as long as I took it. It also helps with insulin and helps the body to burn more fat. Also she told me about chlorophyll capsules. You take 2 a day and they help you stay regular and is good for belly fat. I googled it and found that it is also a good cancer fighter and has a ton of other good qualities for you. I can tell you I feel a lot better. I don't feel as tired. I feel healthier and strong. I hiked some trails with my sister and I burned 867 calories. It was a great weekend to detox from sugar and feel healthy!

Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken

I googled healthy recipes and made this last night. I add crushed red pepper for heat and 1 tbs corn starch to thicken it.

If you have Mrs. Dash® Lemon Pepper, you can use 1/2 teaspoon of that instead of the black pepper. Just subtract 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice and increase the water by a tablespoon.
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon low-sodium chicken broth powder or bouillon granules
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley

Preparation:1 In a small bowl, mix oregano, salt, and black pepper together, then sprinkle the mixture evenly over the chicken pieces.2. Add canola oil to a large, nonstick skillet and start heating over medium heat. When hot, add chicken pieces and brown on both sides (about 3 minutes per side).3. Place chicken pieces in slow cooker. Add water, lemon juice, garlic, and chicken broth powder to the skillet, and bring the mixture to a gentle boil. Pour the lemon juice over the chicken in the slow cooker and cover with lid.4. Cook on HIGH for 3 hours or LOW for about 6 hours. Sprinkle the parsley on top of the chicken about 15-30 minutes before the end of the cooking time.5. Serve with cooked pasta or steamed brown rice.

Yield:6 servings

Nutritional Information:Per serving: 213 calories, 36 grams protein, 1 grams carbohydrate, 6.7 grams fat (1.5 grams saturated fat, 2.8 grams monounsaturated fat, 1.6 grams polyunsaturated fat), 97 milligrams cholesterol, 0 grams fiber, 191 milligrams sodium. Calories from fat: 29%

Oatmeal

I'm 203 today!!! I feel like I'm back on track. I've been working out everyday. Yesterday I didn't eat great I had some sugar but I kept my calories intake in check and I made sure I went to the gym and walked 3 miles at night with my sister and my skinny niece who apparently thought we were in a race last night because she made us walk/run the whole way. I started making oatmeal for breakfast and it's a little scary to choke down. Have you seen the movie Better off Dead? You know the moms cooking when she slaps that goo down on the plate and it slithers off the plate and onto the floor....that's my oatmeal. I use steel cut oats because I like the texture and taste better than rolled oats. Then I add 1 tbs Psyllium (this is a super fiber that acts like a laxative!!!) and I add 1 tbs chia seeds (these help you to maintain blood sugar level and helps you not be hungry they also add the gelatin like quality to your oatmeal which makes it scary!) cook in the microwave for 3 minutes. Then I add blueberries and sometimes Agave to sweeten it up

p.s. I went back through and changed all the titles to my blogs according to the recipe in them so it will be easier to find recipes you want to try

Sloppy Joes

First of all I need some new recipes. Send me your favorite recipes. Even if they aren't healthy I'll try to recreate a healthier version. Send your recipes to surfrchick22@yahoo.com (don't ask about the the email I was recently single when I turned 21-22 and I took up surfing and different things!)

So after I wrote the last post I made it about a day and a half on that diet and I binged like crazy. I had easter candy everywhere and i kept eating it and then I would have to replace it. I'm so glad easter is over. I haven't been blogging because I was emabarassed about how much weight I gained I got up to 210. So I started exercising and yesterday I cut out sugar completely. It was rough. I had the worst migraine from the sugar withdrawls and I'm already starting with a headache today but I weighed 205 today. The stupid thing about me is that if I eat crappy I can't go workout because I feel like I blew it why workout. Which is the WORST thing I could do. Working out and feeling my muscles ache the next day makes me feel better about myself and I eat better. I keep seeing people post on facebook that they are making sloppy joes for dinner so now I'm craving them. Here's a healthy version:

1 lb ground turkey
1/4 tea black pepper
1/2 onion chopped
1 8oz can no salt added tomato sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup bbq sauce ( i like sweet baby rays thank you Stephanie!)
1 tea chili powder
dash of tabasco

cook turkey with onion and black pepper until no longer pink. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook until thickened about 10 min. Serve on whole wheat buns with lettuce

Confessions of a Chocoholic...

So after my last post I made cupcakes for my daughters class...They were chocolate and I decided just 1 wouldn't hurt because I had exercised really hard. Well 1 turned into 5 because I have no will power when it comes to Chocolate. Once I have it I have to have it everyday. It's all I think about. I even make up fake excuses to go to the store because I know my favorite Easter candy is out (the Cadburry chocolate eggs. Not the ones with the cream in the middle although I do love those too but the robin eggs) Then I would rationalize with myself saying today is the only day I will allow myself chocolate. Tomorrow I cut it out for good. So I overload on it since I won't be having any more the next day. Then I'm sick and disappointed in myself that night. So I wake up feeling great no chocolate for me I tell myself but then I see a few robin eggs on the counter that weren't totally consumed the day before so I eat them. At least then the chocolate is now out of the house so as to not tempt me. But during the day I start figuring out a way to get to the store for more. I already blew my diet for the day might as well try again tomorrow...And on it goes. SO no more chocolate. I can't handle it.

I began a 3 day diet to get all the sugar and toxins out of my body. Yesterday was my first day. If you google 3 day diet you will get the menu which does not consist of a ton of food, but I can do anything for 3 days. I don't know how much weight I lost because I stopped weighing myself. I knew I had gained a good 5lbs at least. Well this morning the scale said 204. I was expecting to be 205 so I was happy. A typical day on the diet is:

Breakfast: 1 orange, 1 piece of toast and 1 tbs peanut butter and a cup of coffee or diet soda with caffeine (I'm using a weight loss supplement for the needed caffeine. Don't worry I am only doing it for the 3 days. I need help eating like a bird for these days)

Lunch: 1 cup tuna and 1 piece of toast and cup of coffee ( I use canned chicken)

Dinner: 3 oz chicken/fish 1 cup carrots, 1 cup green beans, 1 apple 1/2 cup vanilla ice cream

So I am using this to kick start my sugar free diet and get back on track!

So follow up to the chia seeds...they totally work! I wasn't as hungry. One day I put it in my smoothie and the next day I just took a tea and put it in my mouth and drank some water...

So I haven't been blogging for 2 reasons. #1 my computer is beyond slow by the time it opens up the page I have forgotten what is was I was doing and #2 I haven't lost any weight I'm staying at 203-202 lbs and I'm frustrated. I really haven't been strict about eating but I do get exercise but not every day. I watched a lot of Dr. Oz this week and learned several things. #1 I need to eat more calories on the days I am strict on a diet. I haven't been eating enough calories and so my body goes into starvation mode and holds onto the fat. It's such a hard concept for me. I've heard Jillian say it over and over on the biggest loser, but it is so hard to think about eating more and losing more weight. I guess I should be logging my food so I know exactly what I am eating. I will do that tomorrow. The other thing I learned is about 3 spices that speed up your metabolism by 20% for 3 hours. They are Ginger, cayenne pepper and mustard. So I bought some frozen salmon. I will do a ginger and mustard glaze and have that with brown rice tonight for dinner. And no more sugar. I've given myself too much leeway with the sugar. I've only restricted myself from chocolate so I've gone overboard with the sugar telling myself at least it's not chocolate...
Also I just heard from my mother in law about Chia Seeds. They are high in omega 3s and help you control your appetite and sustains your blood sugar level. I just bought some from the bin at Whole foods. I think I will throw it in my smoothie tomorrow!

Agave

Agave is my secret to the best smoothies. I had heard about it awhile ago and bought some but didn't know what to do with it. So the other day I was trying to figure out how to get my 3 yr old to drink my smoothies. She likes it when I put a lot of honey in but I don't like the taste of honey plus I don't like adding sugar to my smoothie. I put about 1-2 tea agave nectar in my smoothie and I could not believe the difference. It made my smoothie taste like a jamba juice. It just brings a sweetness to the fruit and you couldn't taste the cottage cheese at all. It's the best find.

Agave nectar comes from the agave plant. It comes in a liquid form. I think I found it in the syrup section in winco...don't quote me... it is low on the glycemic index and doesn't spike you blood sugar level and provides sustained energy ( can you tell I am copying the bottle?) You'll never crave a sugary jamba juice again here is my favorite smootie of the day

1 banana
1/2 c cottage cheese (costco)
1 strawberry non fat lite yogurt (costco)
1 orange (costco has these good blood oranges in a bag this week. I loved it)
2 cups frozen berries (costco)
1-2 tea agave nectar

blend until cottage cheese is totally smooth and un-noticeable. After you try it leave me a comment I want to know what you think.

p.s. I'm down another pound!

Weigh in

Weigh in day and I'm 202! It's too bad my efforts were wasted losing the 2-3 lbs I gained. But at least I am down a pound... Last night I made tacos. I used ground 2lbs ground turkey (we were feeding missionaries) 2 packets of taco seasoning and a chopped onion. I then had tomatos, cilantro, avocado and pepper jack cheese to put on top of you taco. Instead of tortilla for me I put everything on 2 cups of lettuce. So yummy!

Pavlova

I have the best dessert recipe. I went to my friend Kasey's for dinner and she made this thing called Pavlova (which we renamed fart-lova) It is so yummy and it starts off with only 110 calories. I say starts off because you can make it as fattening as you want by adding whipped cream and fresh fruit. Kasey had strawberries and kiwis and it was so good. You can use fat free cool whip to lighten it up.

4 egg whites at room temperature
1/8 tea cream of tartar
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 tea cornstarch
1/2 tea vanilla
1 tbs rasberry vinegar or redwine vinegar

beat egg whites, cream of tartar until frothy and add sugar, cornstarch, vinegar and vanilla. Beat until stiff and smooth about 8 min. You can either make one big crust using a 9' dish or I made 8 individual bowl shapes by dropping egg whites onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 min in a 350 degree oven and drop temp to 300 degrees and let bake for 30 min. Turn off oven and open the door to let the meringues cool. Serve with fresh fruit and whip cream!

Beef Stew

Soooo I have to confess something....I gained 2 lbs! I have been eating sooo bad. I had pizza twice this week and my sister made fried angel wings...BUT I am back going strong. I walked to hollywood video from my house which is about 4.5 miles. I have tried to run 2 days in a row but I think i am too fat to run because my shin splints are KILLING me. So I have walked 4-5 miles for 3 days in a row. I am secretly in a competition to lose weight but the other person doesn't know we are competing. She'll find out when I look really hot! So it's really cold outside and feels like a beef stew day

1 Onion
1lb top round steak cut into cubes
2 1/2 c reduced sodium beef broth
4 potatos
1 lb baby carrots
1 can tomato soup + 1 can water
2tbs tapioca
2 tbs lemon pepper

throw in a crock pot and cook for 7 hrs

The Whole Enchilada Soup

A friend of mine sent this recipe to me. I'm excited to try it tomorrow

The Whole Enchilada Chicken SoupPER SERVING (1 cup): 105 calories, 1.75g fat, 641mg sodium, 12.5g carbs, 2g fiber, 4g sugars, 11g protein -- POINTS® value 2

!Ingredients:
3 cups fat-free chicken broth
1 1/4 cups finely chopped celery
1/2 cup diced sweet yellow onion
3 cups green enchilada sauce
One 15-oz. can pure pumpkin
10 oz. cooked boneless skinless lean chicken breast, chopped or shredded
1 cup frozen white (or yellow) corn
Optional: dash hot sauce, or more to taste

Optional toppings: shredded fat-free cheddar cheese, crushed baked tortilla chips

Directions:In a large pot, bring broth to a low boil on the stove. Add celery and onion, and simmer for about 5 minutes, until slightly tender.Stir in enchilada sauce and pumpkin. Once soup returns to a low boil, add chicken and corn, and mix well. Cook for an additional 3 - 5 minutes, until soup is heated throughout.Add a dash or more hot sauce. (Or not. It's your soup.) Serve and, if you like, top with shredded cheese and/or crushed chips.Enjoy!!!
MAKES 9 SERVINGS

Weigh-in day was yesterday and I forgot...I weigh 203. I'm surprised that I didn't gain 10lbs from my birthday weekend. Friday I went to Cajun food and ate donuts basically and fried food for lunch. Then I went to the cheesecake factory and had a salad and cheesecake. I ate pineapple upside down cake and waffles on saturday and sunday turkey dinner with cannied yams and still more cake and ice cream! Imagine I could be under 200 if I hadn't eaten so terrible. But here's the good news. Before I would've let that horrible couple days destroy me. I would tell myself that I'm a failure and why try anymore. I've learned that 1 or 2...or 3 bad days don't get to determine the outcome of my life. So what I enjoyed myself for my birthday I picked myself up on monday and began again and I am still down 1lb. I was 204 last wednesday. I didn't have a computer to blog my weigh-in

ps I have always wondered why I weigh more after I exercise really hard the day before. I would get so frustrated feeling like the scale should go down not up. I just learned from Dr. Oz that it's because your muscles swell and hold fluid in them. Good to know!

Chicken Fajitas

So I ran 1.3 miles yesterday!! I just might be able to run that 5k after all. I still have 2 1/2 months to train. I'm so proud of myself because litteraly the most I could run was 1/4 of a mile and I would stop. I've been eating terrible all day today. I'm craving sugar so bad. yesterday I made chicken fajitas and they were yummy. I like to skip the tortilla and eat mine in a bowl with some chopped lettuce. In a skillet I put:

1 chopped onion
1 chopped bell pepper
4 cut up chicken breasts
mushrooms
6 stalks of asparagus
1 packet taco season

Toppings:

low-fat cheddar cheese
chopped tomatos
avocado w/ fresh lemon juice

Ok my computer is being fixed by my awesome brother in law and it won't be ready until Friday. So I'm not being flaky about blogging. Can I just say thanks to everyone that added themselves as a follower of my blog. It gives me encouragement to keep going.

I ran a mile today!!!!! I can't believe it. I was dying but I ran and I even pushed 2 kids in a stroller while I did it. I am so proud of myself because I could barely run 1/2 mile without stopping. I then walked the remaining 3.2 miles and it had a HUGE hill! Let me tell you it was hard to push a stroller up it but I did it!

Smoothie

So yesterday I met some friends at Carls Jr so our kids could play on the play structure. I ate their apple and cranberry salad but instead of salad dressing I brought a lemon and squeezed that on it. The salad was so good and I saved myself 300 extra calories and 24 g of fat. For breakfast today I made a delicious smoothie for me and the kids

3/4 c cottage cheese (for protein)
1 banana
1 fresh orange
7 frozen strawberries
2 tbs ground flax seed

My kids won't eat fruit. They are crazy and love artichokes, brussel sprouts, broccoli but forget the good stuff like strawberries so I found a way to sneak it into their diet and they loved it.

P.S. here's something I find amusing. Whenever I lose weight I always have people tell me how much they love my hair cut or color. Which at the moment is a dingy washed out red that needs to be re-done. They can't figure out that my face looks better because it's not so fat and they think it's the hair...

Shrimp Scampi

Last night I made the best Shrimp scampi. I couldn't stop eating it. It was so good. I didn't exactly measure it so I don't have the exact amounts

I made enough whole wheat spagetti for 4 people

in a pan I threw in 1 lb raw frozen shrimp
3 large minced garlic cloves
2 tea butter
3 tbs chopped cilantro

cook until pink. Toss spagetti noodles in with the shrimp and add 1/4 cup reduced fat parmesan cheese

day 30

Weigh in day I'm only 206...1lb but at least I'm going down not up? I only exercised 2 times this week and ate really bad. BUt this is something I can stick with. It's a life style not diet which is important. I'll be down next week for sure

Buffalo Chicken Sandwich

So I tried the barcelona chicken....so yummy! I also made the pumpkin spice cake last night. It was yummy too but I wish I wouldn't have eaten it. It sat like a brick in my stomach. So I found a recipe for Buffalo chicken sandwich. We had this for dinner last night.

2 tea paprika (i liked smoked)
2 tea Chili powder
combine in a bowl and coat 4 breasts. Cook on medium heat until no longer pink about 7 min per side. Add 1tbs olive oil and 1/2 cup hot pepper sauce like tabasco (troy likes tapatio) heat for another minute or two
serve on whole wheat buns with lettuce amd tomato

Barcelona Chicken

So I ate pizza last night...we were at a friends house and I was hungry and it was there...but I did do an hour of zumba before and I didn't eat any birthday cake so that's good right?!?!?!? I told her about my blog and she gave me a recipe that she says is her favorite chicken recipe. I'm going to try it tonight for dinner it's called:

Barcelona Chicken

5 green onions
1 c fresh basil
3 large garlice cloves
1/2-1 tea red pepper flakes
1/4 c olive oil
2 tbs cider vinegar
1/2 tea black pepper

combine in a blender or food processor and then marinade 4 chicken breasts for 1 1/2 hours and grill. I bought some Quinoa from costco the other which is like a rice but better for you. My kids love it. So I think I will make some to go along with my chicken

p.s. I burned 900 calories today at the gym so I think I'm covered for my pizza yesterday...

Pineapple Angel Food Cake

I'm doing good so far. Wednesday was really hard for me. I was craving sweets like no other. I ended up mixing powder sugar with some peanut butter to satisfy my sweet tooth....not so low in calories I know. So I have found a guilt free dessert.

1 box angel food cake mix
1 can crushed pineapples

mix together and bake according to box. Only add the can pineapple no water and anything extra. So yummy! I think I am baking it tonight!

Laura that apple cake sounds yummy! I just bought a bunch of apples from costco yesterday. I think I will have to try it. Will you FB me your recipe?

Indian Chicken

So I took the weekend off because my girls were gone playing with my husbands sister. So I had a long weekend of cheat nights. But I only allowed myself 1 cheat meal a day. Saturday we went to big spoon and I had the no sugar added yogurt which is about 80 cal per 1/2 cup. I added fresh strawberries and blackberries and chopped almonds. It was so satisfying and I didn't miss all the candy and crap I used to put on it. They have a binder under the counter of the nutritional value for all their yogurts. Make sure you ask to see it. I decided sunday is my dessert day. I don't know what my obsession is with lemon bars (probably because I have a thousand on my tree) I had like 4...

Any way my weight today is 207 exactly

Last night we had a Indian inspired dinner and it was pretty good. Troy loved it so much he had me season a bunch of chicken this way and cook it. So he can have chicken to go on his salads.

1 c water
2/3 c bulgar wheat
1 lemon
1 cup chopped cilantro
4 green onions
1 roma tomato
1 tbs olive oil
1/4 tea salt
pepper to taste

bring water to boil and remove from heat. Add bulgar wheat and cover. Let stand for 20 min. Add the juice and 1 lemon and the rest of the ingredients and put in the fridge while you cook your chicken

Seansoning for chicken:

1 tbs smoked paprika
1tbs cumin
1 tea coriander
1/3 tea oregano
1/2 tea cayenne pepper

mix together and coat 4 chicken breasts. You might want to brush 1 tbs olive oil on the breasts to help the seasoning stick. Chicken breasts about 7 minutes per side

Chicken Salad, Salad

I'm down 2 more lbs! It's been so easy. I'm not counting calories or anything I just wait until my stomach growls to eat and I eat smaller portions. New concept for me! I also make healthier choices. Like when I want to snack I grab an orange. I replaced white pastas and bread with whole wheat and I exercise at least 4-5 times a week. I LOVE Zumba! It's seriously the best work out. I burn about 500 calories per class. Which is more than I burn in a spin class. Plus I don't watch the clock and count down the minutes until it's time for cool down. It's a latin based dance class that has you shaking your booty! So I forgot about this salad that I love. It's called chicken salad, salad

3 0z canned chicken
1-2 tea relish
1 tea chopped onion
chopped apples
1 tbs reduced fat mayonnaise
(i like to add some curry powder to season)

Mix all together and put on top of 2 cups of lettuce

Calories 271
Protein 21.3
Carbs 13.8
fat 15.5

Day16

Weigh-in day! Well I don't know if I am retaining water but I am 210 exactly. 2 Days ago I was 209.6...oh well that will make next weeks weigh in even better. My tip for the day is Costco oranges. They are so delicious this time of year. I've been eating like 3 a day. Whenever I crave something sweet I grab an orange...and I don't mean the cuties which are good also, but the oranges are so sweet and juicy.

Day 14

I took the weekend off from blogging because it was so busy. I will say that saturday was a hard day and I was more tempted to eat sweets but I didn't give in. Sunday I ate a lemon bar for dessert. It was small and about half the size I would typically eat. Still I calculated the recipe and discovered that the small piece I did eat was still 200 calories! But it was my free meal day and I still was within 1200 calories. Today I'm down another pound. My official weigh-in day is wednesday but I've already lost the 3lbs I'm striving for a week. Plus it's week 2 and anybody who watches biggest loser knows week 2 is the worst week for losing weight. So I'm feeling good about myself.
Today I threw out my white flour and replaced it with whole wheat. The kids didn't notice their pancakes tasted different and they ate less than they normally eat. Dr. Oz said that in order to get white flour they remove all the nutrients out of it and bleach it. So all the good things that tell your brain you're full is gone. That's why you over eat with bread because your brain wants to keep eating because it's wanting the nutrients it needs....so today your goal is to throw out all your white flours and breads and replace them with good nutrient rich food

Chili

I think I'm actually going to make it this time. I can't tell you how many times I've started and stopped dieting. Probably like every other monday. Right after I had Cy I lost 50lbs and I put 20lb back on. It feels so different this time around. I've had 2 emotional and horrible days and I didn't run to food (mostly chocolate). I kept to my diet which I've never done. When ever I feel anything bored,angry you name it I say one piece wont hurt. One piece turns into 3 or 10 and I feel like a failure and I quit rather than trying again the next day. Last night I was with a group who were eating donuts infront of me and drinking hot chocolate with whipped cream. I wasn't even tempted. This morning my sweet friend brought me over starbucks hot choc. and flowers. I pretended to drink while we sat and talked and let my 3 yr old drink it. I'm doing so good!

p.s. I'm holding at the same weight this morning. Here's that chili recipe

1lb ground meat ( i only like turkey)
1 onion chopped
8 garlic cloves minced
1 bell pepper
1/4 cup Cilantro
1 jalapeno
1/3 cup red chili powder
1 1/2 tea cumin
2 cans beef broth
1 can tomatos ( i use stewed)
1 can pinto beans
1 can black or kidney beans

Brown meat, onion, garlic, bell pepper, cilantro, and jalapeno. Cook about 8 min. Add chili powder and cumin. I actually dump everything else in at this point. Top with low-fat cheddar cheese

Day 10

AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!! I'm down 2 more pounds. I really have to stop weighing everyday but I can't help it. I have to know. I walked to pick up my 1st grader from school, which has a really big hill. I burned about 400 calories round trip. Then last night I was bored because there were no good shows on tv so I went for a walk with my sister. It's 3.2 miles and we even tried to run a little bit. We made it about 6 blocks and had to stop. Some day I will be able to run the entire time... I'm having my eggs again for breakfast. Also the cuties I got from walmart were delicious. I've been snacking on those all day and need to go get some more. I'm making turkey chili for dinner. I'll post the recipe tomorrow because I'm late getting my little girl to school!

Day 9

So I'm down another pound! Wednesdays are going to be my weigh-in days (because it's the day after biggest loser!) I'm 212...it feels so good to be in control and I'm actually starting to like the hunger...weird but somehow it makes me feel stronger to be able to decide when and how much I will eat rather than feeling like a slave to food. So on Dr. Oz on monday he said that eating spicy foods in the morning will help you eat less during the day.

So today I made some yummy eggs. I want to eat them for lunch they were so good. I got some diced ham from walmart. They come in a package like lunch meat. They only have 70 calories for 2oz. I threw 2 0z in a pan with 2 tea chopped onions and sauted then in a bowl I combined 3 egg whites with 1 whole egg and mixed that with 1/4 tea red pepper and poured that over the ham and onions. At the end I added 1 slice of the american sliced cheese and put the eggs ontop of some fresh spinach. It was so good and not too spicy. I could probably have used more red pepper

Chicken Tostada

I'm down another pound!!! I made my pineapple smoothie but instead of ice cubes I added 6 frozen strawberries and someground flax seed. I have to say I am a little hungry today but I feel great not over eating. It's so empowering to take back your life and not let it be controlled by food. Dr. Oz talked about this lip licking and then breathing through your mouth and back out... I have to say I hate the way it makes my lips feel afterwards and come on how is that supposed to make me not hungry? Maybe it makes you annoyed at your lips so you forget for 5 sec about wanting to eat. So Troy wanted some enchiladas one day and I came up with this to satisfy him. They are really good. Everyone loves them and have been asking for the recipe.

In a crock pot combine

5-6 chicken breasts
a large can of green chile enchilada sauce (i think its 28oz)
chopped onion
3 tbs chopped cilantro

cook for about 4 hours and shred the breast meat and put back in the sauce it was cooked in. Bake corn tortillas in the oven for about 8-10 min at 400 degrees until brown and crunchy like a chip. Top tortillas with chicken mixture, avocado, tomato and the most important ingredient is lime squeezed on top. I haven't figured out the calorie info yet but its so healthy and you dont miss the cheese and sour cream

Day 7

I gave in...but not too bad. I had less lemom bars on the plate but I did give it away. Also I did horribble on Saturday night. I went to my friends house and I ate i don't know how many handfuls of trader joes macademia (i have sat her spelling and re-spelling that word..if I spelled it wrong...opps) nut caramel popcorn. It was yummy and so not worth the guilt or the calories. I also ate bruscetta that was drowning in olive oil...that might've been worth the calories..at least it was tomatos?!?!? Anyhow I have been feeling so guilty about not eating good that I almost felt like screw it...but I have eaten fabulous (I'm trying to sing the fergie song to remember how to spell this word...not working!) today. The best feeling is being able to feel proud of yourself at the end of the day. So put down that crappy food ladies it's not worth the guilt! Laura made some smoothies today for her kids with bananas,pineapple,strawberries,blueberries and SPINACH! It's sounds terrible but she said you couldn't taste the spinach...I'm intrigued! I might need to go get some spinach. I watched Dr Oz today and he laid out a 12 day plan to loose weight. Check it out on www.droz.com . No recipe today because nobody would want the recipe for my gross crab salad. It was basically canned crab, salad mix, lemon and ground flax seed. I felt like I was being sooo healthy and I even choked about half of it down before I had to stop. It was mush in my mouth...now I have to figure out what I am making for dinner. I know we will be having brussel sprouts. My kids love them...go figure!

p.s. Laura I love your comments!

Fruit Dip

So my mom had our family over for New Years day dinner yesterday. I made lemon bars and yes I ate 2... And did I mention she made ribs and potato salad and homemade rolls? But according to body for life you should have a free day once a week to keep your body tricked to the amount of calories it expects and its good for the mind to be able to stick with a diet knowing you can eat what you want on one day. When I did body for life however on my free day I would go crazy and then have a hard time getting back on the diet the next day. So now i do one free meal a week with a dessert. The scale hasn't changed after my meal I am still down the 4lbs! But today I'm having a hard time looking at those lemon bars. I have them at my house because they are going to a "secret sister" (like a secret santa) I need to drive them over before I give in. So since I am craving something sweet I will be making a fruit dip. It's delicious!

1/2 cup cottage cheese
1/2 cup fat-free vanilla yogurt
1 tsp orange peel
1/4 tea vanilla

blend in a blender until smooth. You'll love it. I promise! Dip whatever kind of fruit you have

Nutrition facts

Calories 217
Protein 17.9
Carbs 25.6
Fat 4.3

Pina Colada

I have a bad habit of checking the scale every morning. I need to stop that. Troy and I chaperoned a youth dance last night for New Years Eve. It was fun and I burned 500 calories. I didn't have time to make the lettuce wraps so I am making them tonight. I think I will be making a Pina Colada smoothie for breakfast today. It sounds discusting but it is really satisfying. Although at first it is hard to get used to the lack of sugar that you get in a Jamba Juice. Also for a good dinner idea check out the comment made by Laura under the comment section on my Day 3

Pina Colada

6 ice cubes
1/2 c cottage cheese
1/2 cup unsweetened pineapple chuncks (or 2 rings)
1/4 tea coconut flavoring

Serves 1
Calories: 230
protein: 15.6
Carbs: 36.8
Fat: 3.2