Changing the Whole Person!

As I look back at my weight loss journey I notice such an amazing change in myself, and it made me think that many people who are just beginning their journey or maybe are in the middle of it but haven’t changed need to begin to recognize the triggers and emotions that have caused us to be obese and out of shape. This is one of the many reasons why I watch the Biggest Loser on TV, because they don’t just focus on the outside – exercise and diet, but on the emotions and the situations that put us in the position in the first place. It’s so important to begin to look inward at yourself and begin to reexamine your personality and lifestyle when embarking on major weight loss.

I have a difficult time recognizing what has changed in me and what needs to be changed, though I can easily look at others and see what they need to work on. Isn’t that so true for so many of us? But, this blog is not about me telling you what needs to change, it’s about telling you what I have changed. One thing that comes to my mind is that I’ve chosen not take the easy way out. I work hard every day and stay focused on weight loss 24/7. I have my slip ups and many temptations around me, and for that I pay in slowing my journey down. There are no short cuts in weight loss. I believe whole heartily that gimmicks do not pay off in the end. What I’ve experienced through myself, others, and through experts is that counting calories and having a steady exercise plan is what will give you the ultimate success for the long haul.

So what was the easy way out for me? I can make a huge list of tricks I have learned through my yo-yo diet career. Some of them may work for some people for a quick fix and maybe even for a lifestyle change, but they sure did not help me. My easy way out in life before this journey began was the drive-thru, take-out, and choosing not to prepare my own food. Ultimately not seeing what went into preparing my food gave me a free pass not to care about what I was ingesting. You can eat at Subway, Chipotle, or any other healthy food franchise, but take charge of what you are eating. Watch what they put on your food; know the portion of sauces and ingredients that go into your meal. Just by adding cheese and mayo to your 6 inch sub could equal the calorie count of a whole other sub! When I began my journey I did not choose to stop eating out because of my diet, it was purely because of finances. I love to eat out and it took me a long time to realize that home cooking is so much more rewarding and fulfilling then anything I can get at a restaurant. The easy way out for me also structured around asking others to do things for me that I could do for myself, and I still struggle with this selfish behavior. Ultimately, I believe that I will conquer these problems. I left cooking up to my husband (who already had a strenuous day at work) and most of the time didn’t care for our home. A lot of these issues arose for me during my stretch of depression, and coming out of the behaviors really was the starting point for coming out of the depression.

So many people lose weight and gain weight over and over again in their life, but never choose to examine their personality and the causes and triggers of their weight gain. Many of us have to completely makeover out personalities and our bodies before the transformation can be complete and maintained for the long haul. I had to come out of my depression and selfishness to find a place where I could succeed, and have to work on changing those deeply ingrained traits on a daily basis. Some people have to focus on guilty emotions or an arrogant disposition, and others may have to gain strength and courage in them to conquer their long journey of weight loss. You will not succeed at something as important and difficult as weight loss if you do not completely change yourself inside and out.

4 Day Cleanse...

Today is the first day of my 4 day cleanse I am choosing to do to decrease any bloating and water retention. The “Flat Belly Diet!” is a program that is about helping to change our eating habits that cause our bodies to bloat up with extra gas and water retention. The four day jumpstart cleanse included 2 liters of “Sassy Water” and a diet plan for to follow. After the cleanse the plan leads you into a 4 week eating plan comprised of 3 400-calorie meals a day of your choice (from their own menu plan) and a 400-calorie snack of your choice; a daily core confidence reflection; and an optional exercise program.

Now, since talking with the trainer about doing a cleanse I felt like this jumpstart program would be great for me, but the entire program itself comprises of several things I am not comfortable with; the main thing being restriction of certain foods from my life. My lifestyle change is not about having the perfect body or the ideal weight for my body – it’s about leading a life that is healthy and filled with activity and happiness. I choose to include “unhealthy” snacks for my child, but in moderation and do so in the way that she knows they are a treat and special. I do not want to be a role model for healthy unless it includes how we control ourselves and eat in moderation when it comes to foods that may not be the best option. So, in the end I will take what I can from this plan, and learn about my body in a new way. I will not restrict myself (except during this cleanse) in order to win a contest or to loose weight.

The cleanse is a great way for my body to really get a shock to it, that allows my metabolism to have to readjust and learn to what I am doing with my body. I will follow pretty strictly the plan for the next 4 days, and am prepared for the crabby moods and the fatigue that will come on with the loss of coffee and higher carbohydrate foods. I’ve chosen to increase the protein options though since I am in such an active lifestyle right now. Here is the 4 day eating plan…

Day 1:
Breakfast: 1 cup Cornflakes; 1 cup milk; 1/2 cup applesauce; 1/2 cup roasted sunflower seeds
Lunch: 4 oz turkey rolled up; light string cheese; 1 pint fresh grape tomatoes
Snack: Blueberry Smoothie: 1 Cup Skim milk and 1 Cup frozen unsweetened blueberries in blender and blend for 1 minute. Transfer to glass, and stir in 1 Tbsp cold-pressed organic flaxseed oil.
Dinner: 1 cup cook green beans; 4 oz grilled tilapia; 1/2 cup roasted red potatoes w/ 1 tsp olive oil

Day 2:
Breakfast: 1 cup rice krispies; 1 cup milk; 1/4 cup sunflower seeds; 4 oz pineapple tidbits canned in juice
Lunch: 3 oz chuck light tuna in water; 1 cup steamed baby carrots; 1 light string cheese
Snack: Pineapple Smoothie: Place 1 Cup skim milk, 4 oz canned pineapple tidbits in juice in blender, add a handful of ice, and whip for 1 minute. Transfer to glass, and stir in 1 Tbsp cold-pressed organic flaxseed oil.
Dinner: 1 cup fresh crimini mushrooms sauteed w/ 1 tsp olive oil; 3 oz grilled chicken breast; 1/2 cup steamed brown rice

Day 3:
Breakfast: 1 cup Cornflakes; 1 cup milk; 1/2 cup applesauce; 1/2 cup roasted sunflower seeds
Lunch: 4 oz turkey rolled up; light string cheese; 1 pint fresh grape tomatoes
Snack: Peach Smoothie: Place 1 cup skim milk and 1 cup frozen peaches in blender and blend for 1 minute. Transfer to glass, and stir in 2 Tbsp cold-pressed organic flaxseed oil.
Dinner: 1 cup cook green beans; 4 oz tilapia; 1/2 cup roasted red potatoes w/ 1 tsp olive oil

Day 4:
Breakfast: 1 pack cream of wheat; 1 cup milk; 1/4 sunflower seed; 2 dried plums
Lunch: 3 oz chunk light tuna in water; 1 cup steamed baby carrots; 1 light string cheese
Snack: Strawberry Smoothie: Combine 1 cup skim milk and 1 cup frozen strawberries in blender and blend for 1 minute. Transfer to glass, and stir in 2 Tbsp cold-pressed organic flaxseed oil.
Dinner: 1 cup squash w/ 1 tsp olive oil; 3 oz grilled chicken breast; 1/2 cup brown rice


“Sassy Water” –
2 Liters of water (about 8 ½ cups)
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1 medium cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
1 medium lemon, thinly sliced
12 small spearmint leaves

Combine all ingredients in a large pitcher and let flavors blend overnight. Drink the entire pitcher by the end of the day.

5 recipes - 400 Calories!

I was browsing the web and found some great ideas for 400 Calorie meals and wanted to share them with you. These all come from Prevention Magazine’s web site, as well as the 400 calorie diet cookbook (which I’ve reserved at the library so I could see how I like it). Enjoy!


Blueberry Nut Oatmeal
1. Cook 1/2 cup dry Quick 1-Minute Quaker Oats (150)
2. Top with 1 cup frozen organic blueberries (80), 2 Tbsp cashews (100), and 1 Tbsp honey (60)
Total calories: 390


Superfast Chef Salad
1. To make the salad, mix 2 cups salad greens (20) with 2 oz water-packed drained canned tuna (80) or salmon (60) and 1/4 cup cooked chickpeas (70). Top with 2 Tbsp reduced-fat shredded cheese (50) and 2 Tbsp fat-free ranch dressing (40)
2. Pair it with a small dinner roll (78)
3. After the meal, enjoy a Hunt's Fat-Free Snack Pack Chocolate Pudding (90)
Total calories: 408 – 428

Barbecue Chicken Pita
1. Stir together 1 Tbsp barbecue sauce (50) and 1/2 cup chopped precooked chicken (120); microwave for 30 seconds or until hot
2. Cut a whole wheat pita (170) in half and stuff each with chicken mixture
3. Top with 1 cup chopped lettuce (10), 2 Tbsp diced cucumber (5), and 1 Tbsp fat-free ranch dressing (10)
4. Pair with 10 baby carrots (40)
Total calories: 405

Confetti Pesto Pasta
1. Combine 1 pint cherry tomatoes (50), 1 1/2 cups cooked green beans (66), 1 1/2 cups diced chicken breast (346), 1/4 cup pesto sauce (230), and 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper
2. Add 4 cups cooked linguine (800)
3. Garnish with 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan (83)
Total calories: 395 per serving; serves 4

Sinless S'mores
1. Place 2 marshmallows (45) and 2 chocolate kisses (50) on a graham cracker square (30) and top with another graham cracker square (30); repeat to make the second one (155)
2. Heat in the microwave until soft and chocolate melts
3. Enjoy with 1 cup fat-free milk (100)
Total calories: 410

Healthy Recipe - Soup

So, let’s talk food and home cooking for awhile. Now that we know we need to eat more vegetables and whole grains to burn more of our body fat what can we find to eat that goes with that theory? Here’s my first in a series of recipes I will share with you off and on (really until I run out to share).

Now, this is a big one – it’s a family recipe. So, I’m going to copyright it right here and now – do not steal this without giving us credit! Ok, now that that’s out of the way – I call this one

The Heart Family Soup

Ingredients: Serves 6-8 people
2 cans of tomato juice/sauce
1 large box of low sodium beef Broth
2 ½ Cup of water
Cabbage – ½ chopped
1 Cup Barley pearls
Beef, chicken, or ground turkey– 1 lb
Onion – chopped
3-4 medium sized Russet Potatoes
Celery stocks – 3-4 chopped
1 Cup frozen corn
1 teaspoon Sugar
2 tbspn of oil (Canola or EVVOO)
Salt & pepper to taste
Directions:
1. In a large stock pot pour tomato juice/sauce; broth; and water together and stir. Once it begins to boil, add in chopped cabbage. Boil down the cabbage while you prep the rest of the food.
2. Meanwhile, pour oil in a skilled and sauté onions and celery together and then add meat to brown with the vegetables.
3. While the meat is browning, chop up the potatoes and place in the stock pot. Turn soup down to a simmer. Add 1 cup barley pearls. Stir.
4. Once meat and vegetables are cooked, add into soup. Stir in 1 teaspoon of sugar.
5. Simmer (low-medium heat) soup on stovetop for 2-3 hours.
6. When 30 minutes is left in cooking, Add 1 cup frozen corn, stir well.

Serve with your favorite bread – my family loves cornbread and it goes well with this soup.

Stay-at-Home-Mom daily food log

So, what does a SAHM eat during the day while she’s trying to lose weight and be healthy? I’m glad you asked because today I kept a digital record of what I ate for you because I know how much you want to know. Humor me and agree please.

So I’ve been trying to find time to really plan out what I’m going to eat down to every calorie, but it takes time and a lot of creativity to keep that up and those aspects are usually used up on other things my SAHM duties call for.

For breakfast I had an Eggo Multi-Grain toaster waffle with no butter, no sugar added strawberry jam, and light sprinkle of light syrup. I also had a banana and 2 cups of coffee.Snack consisted of this little marshmallow, chocolate walnut bars my Sister-in-law brought over (darn her!)

Lunch was yummy! I made a roasted turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread – with miracle whip and spicy mustard sauce; Swiss cheese lettuce; tomato; 1 pepper-chini sliced up; and a sprinkle of black olives. I had an apple with it and a bowl of salad with ranch dressing.

For afternoon snack I had some corn chips and salsa while I made soup for dinner.

The grand finale for the evening was Heart Family Soup (Jon’s family) with cornbread. The soup is a beef and tomato based soup with barley, potatoes, vegys and diced up beef. It’s yummy!!I choose not to take the time to count the calories for each meal, but I kept my portion sizes under control and will attempt to gather some calorie date another day.

Meal Planning

Alright, so let’s talk about how to keep a healthy diet in the home without spending hundreds of extra dollars in order to do it. I’ve been a food budget for almost a year now, paying cash only, and when the cash runs out that’s what I have to live on until pay day. This in theory can sound very difficult, but it really isn’t! I’ve posted before about Pantry Meals and healthy family habits, and I just wanted to show you how my 2 weeks of healthy eating will begin. Here are my steps.

1. Write out a meal plan for dinner for 2 weeks
2. Search for coupons and what is needed in the pantry and freezer
3. Write out my grocery list by section of the store (I shop at WinCo – it’s the least expensive store, has bulk foods, and easy to navigate store)
4. Buy bulk meat at Costco – now you can choose to do Safeway, WinCo, or your local meat market, but I enjoy the Costco trip and their prices stay the same every month. Also, stick with lean meats, i.e. ground turkey, pork, and chicken. If you are going with beef, get as lean as possible, below 10%.
5. Stick to your meals – no eating out. Keep a list on a white board in the kitchen, check off the meals as you cook them. If you have an event or do a pizza night, plan it into your budget and grocery shopping, and then you won’t over buy food that won’t get eaten anytime soon.

Here’s my menu for the next 2 weeks:
1. Chicken/hard boiled egg salad with melon slices
2. Roasted chicken, red potatoes, steamed vegy
3. Taco Salad w/ turkey meat
4. grilled pork, peppers & onions with rice
5. Turkey burgers w/ fruit & fries
6. Mini Pizzas w/ fruit
7. Sushi & fried rice
8. Stuffed Chicken
9. The Heart Family Soup
10. Burritos
11. Baked Pork chops w/ roasted potatoes & vegetables
12. Turkey Meatballs & Spaghetti
13. Chicken & Rice casserole w/ Salad
14. Chicken pot pie

As you can see I have a lot of chicken dishes, and also ground turkey and pork. These are staples in our home. I have one beef meal (the soup dish, with stew meat), and I think it’s good to add that in at times to give your food some variation as well as a different nutrients. Now, I did not add in my events and pizza night into this because I use extra meals before going shopping again (Plus, with pizza night I usually add a salad, so I need that added in). So, this way I can have a reserve meal in place if I can’t make it to the store before I need to. Some weeks I will just add those in, but my freezer’s a little bare, so I couldn’t go that direction this week. I hope this can help you in your lifestyle changes and encourage you to avoid the drive-threw and take out!

Best of #3

Today I wanted to remind all of us how tasty and awesome salads can be. Last year for my birthday we made a build your own salad bar party! Hello, that was wonderful and so creative of us! Here are some tips to make your salads taste just that much better, but without adding on the fat!

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Posted May 19, 2010
Lettuce
The foundation of most salads, lettuce adds substance, crunch, water, and fiber for very few calories—only about 10 per cup. But if you want all that and vitamins, too, toss out the iceberg and toss in the romaine, mixed baby greens and spinach. While iceberg lettuce is lower in nutrients (and still makes a decent choice if it's the only thing available), these other greens are rich in vitamins A, C and K, manganese, and folate.
Love all of these, make sure to mix it up A LOT. I am a huge fan of iceberg and spinach, but get bored of both easily.

Protein
Adding protein, such as lean meat, tofu, eggs or beans, will help bulk up your salad and keep you full longer. Unfortunately, many protein toppings are deep-fried, breaded and greasy, which adds unnecessary calories plus cholesterol, sodium and fat to your salad. Skimp on fattier toppings such as bacon and fried (breaded) chicken strips, and go for lean proteins instead. Grilled chicken, canned beans of all kinds, chickpeas, tofu, hardboiled eggs (especially whites), or water-packed tuna are leaner choices. Nuts and seeds are popular in salads, too, and while they’re a healthy source of good fats and some protein, they’re not exactly low-cal. If you choose to add them, watch your portions (1/2 ounce contains more than 80 calories).
Hardboiled egg is the best, I also can not stand chickpeas and garbanzo beans, so they will not be added into any salad I am making. Also, I’m a huge fan of baby shrimp, go for that one of these days.

this is last night's chicken salad - shredded iceberg lettuce, diced red onion, chopped mozzarella cheese stick, diced mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, broccoli, hard boiled egg, and grilled chicken strips with red pepper flakes.

Cheese
Restaurants know that people love cheese, so they tend to pile on multiple servings of it on their salads. It might be tasty, but it sends the calorie counts sky high! While cheese is a nutritious food that adds flavor, calcium, and protein to a salad, enjoy it in moderation due to its high fat content. Just a half-cup of cheddar cheese (the amount on many large restaurant salads) contains 18 grams of fat and 225 calories. To keep calories in check, use a single serving of cheese (approximately 2 tablespoons). Choose low-fat varieties as much as possible to save on saturated fat and calories.
Don’t add cheese if you’re going to add regular and not light dressing, it’s just not needed most of the time. But one good tip I do have is use low-fat cheese sticks and chop them up for your cheese, instead of shredded Cheddar.

Pile on the Veggies
Vegetables like bell peppers, grated carrots, sugar snap peas, and tomatoes provide flavor, fiber, and vitamins for few calories. Grated carrots, for example, have only 45 calories in a whole cup, and there are only about 20 calories in an entire red bell pepper. When building your best salad, use as many veggies as possible for extra filling power—and a nice crunch! Practice moderation when it comes to starchy vegetable toppings like corn and potatoes, which are higher in calories. And remember to go for a variety of colors to ensure you're getting several different nutrients and antioxidants in your salad bowl.
Pile them all on! Cucumbers, peas, broccoli, cauliflower, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, and so much more!

Don't Forget the Fruit
Don't leave fruit on the sidelines! Fresh, canned and dried fruits add a sweetness that can help temper the slightly bitter taste of greens and veggies. They also provide color and texture (not to mention nutrition) to your salad bowl. Chopped apples, pears, grapes, or mandarin oranges (canned in juice—not syrup—and drained) are excellent salad toppers. Chewy dried fruits (cranberries, raisins) work well, too, but they are also high in calories (so only use a sprinkle!). Avocados (and the guacamole made from them) are creamy and nutritious thanks to their heart-healthy fats, but they're also a concentrated sources of calories. Keep your use of avocado to a minimum if you're watching your weight.
So, gym buddy has been doing this. I haven’t ever tried much dried fruit on my salad, so I will have to do this soon. But, I have used the most delicious avocado, and it’s so worth the calories!

Crunchy Toppings
Sesame sticks, crispy noodles and croutons are salty and crunchy but conceal lot of hidden fat. Better options include water chestnuts, apple slivers, a small serving of nuts, crumbled whole-grain crackers, and homemade croutons. To make your own low-fat croutons, just slice a large clove of garlic and rub it over both sides of a piece of whole-grain bread. Cut the bread into cubes and then brown it in the toaster or conventional oven.
Okay, I have to admit, I love croutons, so I use them in moderation. I try to not add them very often on my salads, so that when I do I feel like I’m getting a treat.

Dressing
A very healthy salad could go very wrong with one too many shakes of oil or dressing. The main issue with dressing is its fat and sodium content—and the fact that people have trouble controlling their portions. Two tablespoons is an appropriate serving of dressing, but most restaurants serve much more than that, whether mixed in to your salad or served on the side. Those calories add up fast. When dining out, always ask for dressing on the side and dip your fork into the dressing before picking up your bite of salad. Caesar, ranch and other cream-based dressings (when not specified as low-fat) are calorie bombs worth avoiding. Look for dressings specified as "low-fat" that contain no more than 60 calories per serving. You can also add flavor for minimal calories by using salsa, vinegar or lemon juice.
I love ranch, and hate low-fat ranch, so I will probably never give in to this rule. I do dip my fork or measure out when I can to maintain the lowest calories possible, but I can’t always go low-fat when it comes to dressings. I have a friend who makes her own ranch dressing from a mix, and HELLO, that is filled with some serious calories! It’s good, but I really watch out on that one. At home I try to have a lot of variety of dressings. My other two favs include 1000 island and Kraft Catalina dressing. I also like Kraft’s low-fat Italian vinaigrette (I sometimes cook this on my chicken). I just also tried this wonderful Light, Parmesan peppercorn Ranch from Wishbone. It was very tasty! Give it a try, you won't regret it.

Trim down your waistline even on Thanksgiving

We eat a lot on Thanksgiving, and if you are trying to maintain a level of a healthy lifestyle, then that eating can really take you off course. I don’t except anyone to attempt to count the calories they digest tomorrow, but maybe we can keep a good perspective on what we are eating and trim down the extra with these quick tips I have for you.

1. Have a healthy breakfast: continue to eat oatmeal with fruit, or egg whites on whole wheat toast, whatever it is you are eating for your usual breakfast keep that up. Don’t have homemade cinnamon rolls and certainly don’t go buy a dozen doughnuts, because you want to save all those calories for the wonderful meal you will eat later on.
2. Eat a balanced meal: Have smaller portions of the carb loaded side dishes, include the vegetables, the salad, and a healthy portion of turkey.
3. Choose your favorites over store bought: If you can’t wait to eat some of those homemade rolls, or pumpkin pie, don’t sit down and eat store bought brands at the first meal you have. Homemade is usually easier on your digestion, and most likely made with healthier ingredients (not always), so stick to the family recipe this year!
4. Ignore the peer pressure: Your bottomless pit brother-in-law is eating everything, has had seconds, and now is eyeing your plate. Don’t feel pressured to try each item at the table, if you miss out on the yams, gravy, or any other dish its ok and don’t make up for it by having more of another dish. There’s always something that you’d prefer not to try I’m sure.
5. Skip the seconds: I have a hard time with this one myself, so the trick is to allow your body to tell your brain you are full. Once you finished eating, wait 10-15 minutes before eyeing another plate of food. You might find that you are already stuffed and need to hold off. This way, you can make room for dessert.
6. Taste all your favorites: Taking a bite of your favorite desserts instead of a full slice can help you really feel satisfied and not pack on the weight. Same goes with appetizers and side dishes – 1 taste or just a bite.
7. Dessert as a snack: So, instead of adding on that turkey sandwich while watching the game skip on over to dessert and have a whole slice of pie.
8. Don’t graze: I’m the worst at this, especially if I’m doing the cooking, so watch what’s popping in your mouth as your sitting around watching the parades and football games. Just because it’s in front of you does not mean in needs to be in your mouth!

Have a safe holiday everyone, and if you are doing Black Friday Shopping – remember get a skinny Latte instead of a mocha and save about 300 calories! All that walking/shopping’s going to burn a lot of calories too!

10 fall foods to add to your diet

I took this list from an article I read and agree with it whole heatedly. I myself do not eat all these items, due to expense and preference, but they are all great additions to your meals in many ways. Try steaming some kale instead of spinach with your meal, or bake a pumpkin and then use the "meat" in place of mashed potatoes. Or cut up the pumpkin and puree it into a soup. So many great ways to cook with all of these items. Look them up at AllRecipes.com and try one this week!

1. Apples
2. Figs
3. Dates
4. Carrots
5. Pomegranate
6. Artichoke
7. Onions
8. Pears
9. Kale
10. Pumpkin

Health & Budget

Eating well on a budget is the hardest part of all of this to me. I have the hardest time keep my budget in tacked when I would rather eat fish and lean meats instead of red meat and frozen meals. How do I manage to feed my family for $100 a week and still keep the calories down? Here are a few tips I try to follow before going to the store, and then afterwards.

Before you go:

• Meal Plan: I can’t emphasize this more. This one step alone will give you the ground work for all the work you want to get done in weight loss and healthy lifestyles. Start off with just planning your dinners for 2 weeks. Try to group your meals around the same basic foods (chicken meals, beef meals, or salads). Then, once you feel confident you have that down (it can take a few months) begin to plan snacks and lunches. Breakfasts are usually pretty easy, so no need to really plan those for each day. Just have the basics on hand.

• Write a grocery list: Once you have the meals written out, check out the ingredients and write out what you are going to need. Since you made meals around similar ingredients then this should be easier then if each meal had a new ingredient. Don’t forget breakfast essentials (eggs, milk, cereal, bread, butter, and maybe some toaster waffles).

• Eat before you go & have no distractions: When you are well fed before going to the grocery store you are less likely to be tempted to buy extra snack foods that are NOT on your list. Also, if the kids are with you they are also going to trigger the need to buy what is NOT on the list. If at all possible, leave the kids at home. Ask them if there is anything they want to add to the list – make them part of the process still.

Afterwards:

• White Boards: If you have kids, or even a hungry husband, then the white board is for you. Posting what’s for dinner for the week helps your family stay involved in the budget and healthy living. Not only do you stay organized and focused, but you are able to have those able help you get dinner started if they know what’s cooking – so, if you’re running later call them up and say defrost the meat and chop the vegys please!

• Stock the Pantry: This step is part of your meal planning and grocery list, but it is an essential to making your budget stay low in the long haul. Having foods that are basics in your menus stocked up means you will buy less and spend less at the grocery store on weeks you want to splurge on pizza or have a night out.

• Make Leftovers/Eat them: One of the cheapest ways to have a packed lunch for yourself the next day is to have leftovers from dinner the night before. You $10 meal just fed your twice! If you have leftovers for more then just 1 meal left over then schedule in a leftover dinner night. This is when you have a ton of meatloaf, casserole, and spaghetti leftover in the fridge and it needs to get eaten. Everyone takes a small serving of each and fills their plate. Then it’s just warmed up in the microwave!

• Bake: So, we want to have a healthy lifestyle, but we don’t want to give up on dessert. So, the best way to ensure you can have dessert is if you know what’s in your sweets. Baking with fresh ingredients is always the better way to have your indulgence, and you can even use low fat recipes or substitute splenda for sugar in some cases.

Some of these tasks need a little more elaboration, and in time I will give you the tips to all of them. For now, use these to help you start your lifestyle right and keep your bank account safe!

Healthy Kid foods...

As promised I would like to share some ideas on healthy kid friendly meals. Like I said yesterday I’m pretty tired of my daughter wanting a hotdog over something else, and last night all she wanted was tomato and pretzels and even ate some green beans for me. So, I’ve got it lucky with this one. I hope to instill this behavior in all my kids, so it’s a good thing I’m starting off with the first one.

• Chicken Nuggets: no, not the frozen and deep fried kind – Home Made! To make this tasty treats just cut skinless chicken breasts into chunks; dip them in flour, egg whites and breadcrumbs (I like to use Panko Bread Crumbs for this). Bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. Flavor your breadcrumbs to suit your mood. Add oregano, thyme, paprika, cumin or rosemary, for example. Or just use Italian Breadcrumbs with herds in them. Introducing herbs to children helps them expand their palates early on.

• French Fries: Again, not deep fried. Although we frequently make our own fried French fries in our deep fryer I recommend using the baked method over frying. To make this dish just cut your potatoes into slices after peeling, place on baking sheet, drizzle olive or canola oil with spices (salt, pepper, garlic, oregano), and bake at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes or until fries are tender.

• Hamburgers: Don’t buy the premade patties, just buy some lean ground meat (beef, turkey, or chicken) and make your own patties adding in any extra ingredients you’d like. My favorite is the turkey burger with some diced red peppers, salt/pepper/garlic, diced red onion, shredded cheese, and some bread crumbs to hold it all together.

• Smoothies: The best way to get your fruit in and enjoy it too. A handful of fruit, a frozen banana, and a cup of your favorite flavor of yogurt; blend until smooth. This is a great way for the older kids to get their snacks themselves too when they get home from school.

• Personal Veggie Pizza: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spread tomato sauce onto a piece of whole wheat pita bread or English muffin. Top with your favorite veggies, such as frozen peas, spinage, mushrooms, bell peppers, corn, onions, olives, broccoli or sliced tomatoes. Sprinkle cheese over vegetables and bake for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted.

• Tips for all children:
- Always attempt the whole grains
- Have fresh fruits and vegys on hand
- Teach older kids how to cook and learn about spices and healthy fats
- Add calcium (cheese, milk, yogurt, and even Orange Juice!
- Allow for special treats occasionally – sometimes ice cream, pie, or candy is deserved and we shouldn’t avoid those items with our children. They deserve to indulge just like we do.

• Other tips for small kids:
- Whole grains instead of white
- Shop at the local farmer’s market in the summer to get them involved in picking their own foods.
- Hand sized vegys and bite sized are great ways to get kids into eating those vegys. Such as baby carrots, sugar snap peas, green beans, berries, nectarines (without the pit), and melon slices, half a cob of corn, small banana, and the list goes on.

The Journey Continues

There you all are asking me how I am doing with my “diet” and how my exercising is going out in the real world. I knew you were out there thinking of me. It’s been interesting to have taken a break from the blog, but continue on my journey. I have managed to step away from the thoughts and focus more on the actions and the lifestyle. More of you have been coming up to me to talk with me and see how I’m doing, because you haven’t heard. I’m so glad you are still interested, and wanting to hear my story. So, here it is.

I’m doing great! I haven’t had any significant weight loss in the past month because life has been taking priority over my gym time, but as part of my journey I’ve had to except that and find other ways to burn those calories. Some ways I have managed that burn in recent weeks includes walking the mall for several hours with the stroller, cleaning the house (moving furniture, dusting the ceiling, vacuuming, and scrubbing floor boards), church garden work party, and church yard sale. You would be surprise at how sore and fatigued I became after some of these activities. I didn’t get my heart rate going, but I worked my muscles and made sure they remembered they were still in use. I didn’t sit on the couch, I didn’t even sit at the computer for long periods of time, and I just got out and did stuff. I’ve been to farmer’s markets; I’ve been walking around town; and even riding public transit so that I don’t just sit around all day.

My journey with food is still a struggle at times. I find it difficult to eat on a budget due to several factors. One, my daughter has certain foods that are guaranteed winners that I know she will eat, which aren’t salads and low fat foods. Two, fish is not cheap. Three, when life has you out and in the world away from your refrigerator and pantry the healthy stuff is twice the price then the junk food. This part has been the struggle. Doing a yard sale for two days and not remembering to pack healthy options to snack on resulted in fast food lunch and a quick hunger only an hour later. And going to the mall to play and walk results in greasy, fried, or expensive options. Where’s the happy medium? I’m sure the easy answer would be to plan for these events and bring along your food, but any mom would tell you that answer is just not realistic! When your kid's hungry and all she wants to eat is pizza and fries that really sucks, or you could drive the 45 minutes home while she screams in hunger and give her the healthy turkey sandwich or fruit and vegys you know she will eat at home. So, the journey continues with more insight into how hard it will always be and a quest to make not just me, but my family healthier!

Tomorrow is weigh-in day and I promise to post my current weight and any exercise that I have been getting. Wish me luck in some loss; I haven’t seen a lot of it lately.

Feeling Postive!

Do you know how good it feels when someone is walking with you and asks you to slow down? I’m usually the one who is falling behind and out of breath trying to keep up, typically when I’m walking with Jon. But, I’ve noticed that I am keeping in stride with Jon when we walk, and getting my walk in much faster then it use to take me.

It always feels so good when I know I am improving and making myself a healthier person. I love feeling that way, and really can’t wait to see the end results of my hard work. I made some pretty healthy nachos tonight for dinner, and made some healthy choices when I went out to Panda Express with my mom for lunch.

On top of making healthier choices with food and exercise I am doing so great with our budget, and I can’t wait until we are debt free. I am so hopeful for everyone else that is and have taken the FPU class, and love to hear about success stories.

My calorie counter web site is down tonight, and I am only guessing that I am under my calories tonight.

Pantry Night

I love how little calories I consume right before the grocery store trip (because there isn’t enough food in the house for me to cook). I also loved making dinner tonight because I just made this hodgepodge of taco meat with the last of the onion and yellow pepper, as well as left over enchilada sauce, salsa, and the usual spices (chili powder, salt & pepper, paprika, garlic, cumin, and red pepper flakes, but I was out of those tonight too). I suppose this is what most people call pantry night, right?

Well tomorrow is weigh in day, and of course I do not feel like I’ve lost anything and I say that every week. Maybe this week I will finally have fulfilled my self-fulfilling prophecy. Of course I hope not, and I will do my last chance workout of course. I also did my walk while is so beautiful out tonight, and when up and down hills and walked for about 45 minutes.

Daily Calories: 1,637

Home cooking is better!

Well once again I went threw a drive-threw today because it was unavoidable to keep the hungry monster away. We went to Taco Bell and I had the drive threw diet meal of two fresco ranchero chicken soft taco. The meal was 370 calories, but wasn’t as satisfying as a home cooked meal could have been.

I know I keep saying this, but home cooking is cheaper, healthier, and more satisfying then eating out even at most of the sit-down restaurants. (If I had endless amounts of money I could go to those sit-down restaurants that satisfy my hunger with well cooked food and not just fat and salt.) Eating out cost over twice as much as what it would be if you are able to cook at home. Eating out has an overload of sodium, carbohydrates, and fat, even if it does say its low calories. Eating out is filled with sodium and fat to cater to your taste buds and fool you into thinking you’re full even to find out two hours later you aren’t.

Home cooking gives you so much more! You can almost eliminate sodium when cooking. By home cooking you can measure out and have smaller portions and more variety of foods during your meals. When you cook at home you are able to taste and try new foods, different foods, and have your comfort foods when ever you want without feeling any guilt for what you ate.

Tonight I chicken burgers and mac & cheese. I over indulged in the mac & cheese, so that added 400 calories, but overall the meal was so wonderful and no loaded with sodium.

Eating Out is Not conducive to Your Diet

Let me just start by saying I haven’t eaten out this much in one day for a long time, and I will be paying for it for just as long I’m sure. Let’s just begin with a look at what I had to eat for the day, and then you can be disgusted with me.

Breakfast: 3 ¼ Pancakes with light syrup: 375
Lunch: Red Robin Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato, And Avocado Croissant Sandwich (no mayo): 609
4 Onion Rings: 297
½ dozen fries: 109
Dinner: Burgerville Grilled Chicken (w/ BBQ Sauce) Sandwich: 321
½ serving fries: 180
8 oz of Barg’s Rootbeer: 160
Snack: Nonfat Chai Latte @ Starbucks: 190

When I began to calculate everything up, especially the Red Robin food, I was so appalled with myself! This is not my normal behavior anymore, and to be honest it could have been avoided. But, for lunch time I was out with my mom and Julia was really enjoying her grandma time, so we went to lunch at Red Robin because it’s kid friendly and let’s face it, good food. I went onto their web site to get all my information, and looked up to see if I could have made any better choices, and it really wouldn’t have mattered if I had chosen a salad over a sandwich. The salads were so large, served with bread, and adding my favorite dressing, ranch, would have been even more calories then what I had with the sandwich. During dinner time Jon had to work late at a home and garden show, so we grabbed a quick dinner at let’s face it the healthiest fast food joint in town, Burgerville. This particular one prints out the nutritional facts with your recipe, so I had it all in hand when I sat down tonight. Very handy!

So, what’s the grand total of today’s dinning out adventure?
Total Daily Calories: 2,240

Not bad for what it all was I suppose, so I can’t fault myself for that. Plus I did a lot of walking today, once in the morning with my mom (about 2 miles) and then again at the mall for about an hour at a medium pace. Tomorrow is another day!

Friday Weigh In Keeps Going!

February 5 Loss: -4.4
January 29 Loss: -2.1 lbs
January 22 Loss: -4.4 lbs
January 15 Loss: -6 lbs

BMI Today: 49.95
BMI Last Week: 50. 70

Total Weight Loss: 16.9
Well, 4 and half pounds are pretty good compared to last week, and I still wish I could make those numbers larger. I’m still working on making a larger deficient with my calories burned then with my calories consumed.

So, speaking of calories consumed I had pizza and cake for dinner tonight. We went to a family member’s birthday party and it’s usually pizza, soda, and cake when that goes on. One serving a family sized pizza from Papa Murphy’s is 1/12 of the pie. So, I cut that piece into half, and tried four different types of pizzas. I also had a large salad with that, and had the tiniest piece of cake and shared it with Julia. While I was eating all this greasy food I was feeling a little guilty, but knew there wasn’t much I could do about it.

After we left the party I asked Jon if he was still hungry, and we both agreed we felt this empty feeling even though we had eaten plenty of food. This is a common occurrence with “fast food”, where we eat and eat until we feel full and consume twice as many calories as we should have. I had 700 calories with pizza and salad and still felt hungry afterwards. So, even though I feel hungry I know I do not need to eat anything else. I’m not sure the medical reason behind the hunger, but I know that it has so much to do with not being a balanced meal and home cooked.

Total Calories Today: 1,855

Healthy on the inside too

I really don’t have a lot to report on today. It’s been a long day with a lot of hunger and little activity. We spent the evening at Jon’s parent’s house, so it was a lot like going out to eat. We didn’t have to cook, clean, and I didn’t know what the caloric value was. It was a delicious meal too, just like going out to eat. Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, garlic bread, and green beans. I even had a few bites of coconut cream pie. But, by eating smaller portions I was able to stay within my calories, and have a positive day. The richness of the food did upset my stomach, and I realized how much of a difference our home cooking is really making on my body.

I remember when I was first diagnosed with IBS. I was about two years into my weight gain in college, and was a fast food fanatic. When I began to make changes in my life after that I stopped eating specific fast foods, but never really made the complete move to no fast food like I have now. I would have episodes all the time, and even up until I started the home cooking and new lifestyle journey. Not until tonight did I have another episode, and I hold the garlic bread fully responsible for that!

My home cooking could make a lot of different changes, such as cutting out certain foods, but I feel like a clean diet that includes all the foods I enjoy is a healthy way for me to eat and live. I have complete respect for those who can cut out foods, such as dairy, meats, gluten, carbs, or any other aspect of their diet. I just don’t feel that I can make those types of cuts in my life yet, or ever. Kudos to those who can!

Total Calories today: 1,818