I wrote a little while ago that I was working on getting back on track and I have done just that. For the past two weeks I have lost 1.6 pounds each week. Which may seem like a small amount but in one week it is a healthy amount to lose and an exciting thing for me since I had been gaining for weeks and it was getting extremely frustrating. I am also very proud of my husbands success because he just finished losing his first 10 pounds!!! So proud of him, it helps me to stay on track to know he's there doing it with me.
Our move is coming up soon and I'm doing my best to stay healthy in that process. When much of my cookware is packed and I'm trying to empty the pantry as much as possible it is difficult to stay on track but the recent losses keep me motivated when I want to go the wrong way.
Speaking of our move there was some recent excitement!! I just got called for a job interview in Virginia. It makes the move so much more exciting and less stressful to know there is an honest and very real possibility of work for at least one of us in Virginia. I'm praying and trusting God to provide in any way he sees fit. I am just thrilled to have a possibility.
Friday, May 20, 2011
Friday, May 13, 2011
Personal Success
Sometimes a personal victory is all you need to keep you on track. Tonight was one of those very small moments in time when I felt successful in my weight loss journey.
My husband got home late from work and we went to grab something quick and easy for dinner, we ended up at a nearby grocery store with a good selection of salad bar items, chinese food, pizza, and fried chicken. It is always so tempting for me to get chinese because I love it and theirs is pretty good. However, I steered clear and ended up with some pulled barbecue chicken. I asked what the ingredients were and they told me it is just chicken with barbecue sauce, nothing else, meaning it rates pretty low on the points scale. I got the pork without a bun and I got green beans and a small scoop of mashed potatoes of which I ate half.
It is a difficult thing sometimes to say no to unhealthy options and tonight was a personal victory. I struggle a lot with eating only as much as I need and making good health conscious choices. So celebrate those little victories. I came out under points for the day giving me the opportunity to have a granola bar or something sweet that I enjoy later in the evening.
If you have ever struggled with overeating or being over weight you can probably understand the feelings I described, and the feeling of overcoming that, if even for one night was awesome! Good luck on your healthy journey, I hope you have similar victories in your future!
My husband got home late from work and we went to grab something quick and easy for dinner, we ended up at a nearby grocery store with a good selection of salad bar items, chinese food, pizza, and fried chicken. It is always so tempting for me to get chinese because I love it and theirs is pretty good. However, I steered clear and ended up with some pulled barbecue chicken. I asked what the ingredients were and they told me it is just chicken with barbecue sauce, nothing else, meaning it rates pretty low on the points scale. I got the pork without a bun and I got green beans and a small scoop of mashed potatoes of which I ate half.
It is a difficult thing sometimes to say no to unhealthy options and tonight was a personal victory. I struggle a lot with eating only as much as I need and making good health conscious choices. So celebrate those little victories. I came out under points for the day giving me the opportunity to have a granola bar or something sweet that I enjoy later in the evening.
If you have ever struggled with overeating or being over weight you can probably understand the feelings I described, and the feeling of overcoming that, if even for one night was awesome! Good luck on your healthy journey, I hope you have similar victories in your future!
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Stressed=Dessert
It has been a long time since my last post, mostly because I've been off the health band wagon which isn't an easy thing to admit. I have been having a very hard time with eating healthy and exercising regularly but I am doing the best that I can at this point.
With moving and working and packing it is easy for me to take the easy way out and eat fast food or something quick. And while fruit is quick and delicious I can only eat so much fruit and then I can't take it any more.
So I'm trying some new things that I found on some other blogs that might make snacking easier for me. I found a recipe for homemade granola bars that I'm going to try and will post the recipe after I have made them and tried them. I'm also trying to work out 4 days a week.
Working out is hard for me as it is and the rising temperatures make it even more difficult for me to want to go outside for a long walk. I have decided I need to start with a reasonable number of days per week. I always feel like I have to do all or nothing and that is absolutely not the case. I hope that by the end of summer I will be up to 5 or 6 days a week but at this point 4 is what I feel is reasonable and I'm trying not to feel guilty for not doing more.
I'm also in the process of job hunting and waiting to hear back which is incredibly difficult, and there comes the name of this post. I just want to eat delicious food which isn't necessarily healthy, or is almost never healthy. I'm working hard to make eating healthy as delicious as possible and I will continue to blog about my weight loss and keep you posted on pounds lost or gained per week and any workouts that I find that I really enjoy!
With moving and working and packing it is easy for me to take the easy way out and eat fast food or something quick. And while fruit is quick and delicious I can only eat so much fruit and then I can't take it any more.
So I'm trying some new things that I found on some other blogs that might make snacking easier for me. I found a recipe for homemade granola bars that I'm going to try and will post the recipe after I have made them and tried them. I'm also trying to work out 4 days a week.
Working out is hard for me as it is and the rising temperatures make it even more difficult for me to want to go outside for a long walk. I have decided I need to start with a reasonable number of days per week. I always feel like I have to do all or nothing and that is absolutely not the case. I hope that by the end of summer I will be up to 5 or 6 days a week but at this point 4 is what I feel is reasonable and I'm trying not to feel guilty for not doing more.
I'm also in the process of job hunting and waiting to hear back which is incredibly difficult, and there comes the name of this post. I just want to eat delicious food which isn't necessarily healthy, or is almost never healthy. I'm working hard to make eating healthy as delicious as possible and I will continue to blog about my weight loss and keep you posted on pounds lost or gained per week and any workouts that I find that I really enjoy!
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Back on Track
It has been a busy and stressful few weeks with traveling and getting back into a routine. Getting back on track with eating healthy and living healthy after taking any amount of a break can be very difficult. With my ankle sprain and physical therapy I have been unable to workout as regularly as I would like, this makes it difficult to stay on track with weight loss.
However, today Matt and I went back to Weight Watchers for the first time in a few weeks to get back on track no matter how difficult it might be. I am back to working tomorrow and it will be a busy weekend which should help me to stay on track with my eating habits. When I am bored I eat so keeping busy and working is essential to my weight loss.
I will be posting my weekly triumphs and weight loss failures to help keep me accountable and to encourage all of those who are on this journey as well. It is hard and frustrating at times and sometimes I want to quit, but then I remember how good it felt to be healthy and I want to keep working for it.
If you are struggling with your weight loss or if you just wish you could be at a different weight I know where you are. It will happen if you are willing to work for it! Do what you can and let it go if you have a bad day. Just don't let one bad day turn into 20 like I sometimes do! Good luck!
However, today Matt and I went back to Weight Watchers for the first time in a few weeks to get back on track no matter how difficult it might be. I am back to working tomorrow and it will be a busy weekend which should help me to stay on track with my eating habits. When I am bored I eat so keeping busy and working is essential to my weight loss.
I will be posting my weekly triumphs and weight loss failures to help keep me accountable and to encourage all of those who are on this journey as well. It is hard and frustrating at times and sometimes I want to quit, but then I remember how good it felt to be healthy and I want to keep working for it.
If you are struggling with your weight loss or if you just wish you could be at a different weight I know where you are. It will happen if you are willing to work for it! Do what you can and let it go if you have a bad day. Just don't let one bad day turn into 20 like I sometimes do! Good luck!
Friday, April 1, 2011
Portion Control of things I love
Portion control is one of the biggest problems we have as Americans and that I have in my own life. Culturally we are given more and told that bigger is better and we always want more. So in this process of changing to a healthier lifestlye I have to work really hard to have better portion control. Here are a few recipes where eating the right portion is delicious and truly filling enough.
2 nights ago we had homemade chicken noodle soup with homemade whole wheat egg noodles. The recipes are as follows:
Egg Noodles:
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
a dash of salt
2 eggs beaten
1 tbsp of butter
1/2 cup skim milk
Mix dry ingredients, add liquids, knead for 5 minutes, cover and let rest for 10 minutes, then roll out to a 1/4 of an inch thick, let them sit and dry for an hour or two. The noodles in my photo are large. This was my first attempt at using whole wheat flour and they are MUCH denser than the ones I make with white flour. So cut your noodles much thinner and smaller than these because they will double in size once you add them to the water. Also for an entire pot of soup you probably need about half of the noodles you make so you can half this recipe or make a very large batch.
The chicken soup recipe is as follows:
32 oz. of chicken broth (or more)
6 cups water
6 tsp. of chicken boullion
3-4 shakes of garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
I use a whole chicken leftovers, my husband and I eat one meal and I use what's left to make soup.
1 1/2 cups carrots
1/2 cup minced celery (or diced if you like larger pieces)
Combine all of the ingredients and let boil. About 20 minutes before you are ready to eat add the noodles and let boil. Dish it up and enjoy!
One bowl is a serving and it is very filling!
Today for lunch I had one of my favorite meals.... Salad. I love salad and could eat one every day and be happy. Now there are a few things that I won't give up in my quest for health and one of them is regular ranch dressing.
Here is how I make my salad.
2 cups of lettuce
8 carrots diced
6 croutons
2 tbsp ranch dressing (of which I use half)
1/2 oz. of Cabbot 50% of the fat Light Cheddar Cheese (which i buy at Sam's Club)
I sometimes add cucumber and tomato when I have them on hand.
The best way to portion control this meal that I love is to abundantly add healthy ingredients like lettuce and limit the less healthy ingredients like croutons, cheese, and dressing.
I have a scale, which is a great investment for weighing and measuring the ingredients you love but want to eat in smaller portions.
I put my dressing in a small cup like that instead of pouring it over my salad because I use less when I dip my fork into the dressing instead of pouring it over top and I still get the dressing taste that I love with a lot fewer calories.
Also, while I know that 1 oz. of cheese is a serving, cheese is high in fat and I get my dairy servings in other ways throughout the day that are a little healthier.
I hope that these ideas can help you with portion control in your quest for healthier habits. It is difficult at first but eventually you will be used to it and it won't be difficult!
2 nights ago we had homemade chicken noodle soup with homemade whole wheat egg noodles. The recipes are as follows:Egg Noodles:
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
a dash of salt
2 eggs beaten
1 tbsp of butter
1/2 cup skim milk
Mix dry ingredients, add liquids, knead for 5 minutes, cover and let rest for 10 minutes, then roll out to a 1/4 of an inch thick, let them sit and dry for an hour or two. The noodles in my photo are large. This was my first attempt at using whole wheat flour and they are MUCH denser than the ones I make with white flour. So cut your noodles much thinner and smaller than these because they will double in size once you add them to the water. Also for an entire pot of soup you probably need about half of the noodles you make so you can half this recipe or make a very large batch.
The chicken soup recipe is as follows:
32 oz. of chicken broth (or more)
6 cups water
6 tsp. of chicken boullion
3-4 shakes of garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
I use a whole chicken leftovers, my husband and I eat one meal and I use what's left to make soup.
1 1/2 cups carrots
1/2 cup minced celery (or diced if you like larger pieces)
Combine all of the ingredients and let boil. About 20 minutes before you are ready to eat add the noodles and let boil. Dish it up and enjoy!
Today for lunch I had one of my favorite meals.... Salad. I love salad and could eat one every day and be happy. Now there are a few things that I won't give up in my quest for health and one of them is regular ranch dressing.
Here is how I make my salad.
2 cups of lettuce
8 carrots diced
6 croutons
2 tbsp ranch dressing (of which I use half)
1/2 oz. of Cabbot 50% of the fat Light Cheddar Cheese (which i buy at Sam's Club)
I sometimes add cucumber and tomato when I have them on hand.
The best way to portion control this meal that I love is to abundantly add healthy ingredients like lettuce and limit the less healthy ingredients like croutons, cheese, and dressing.
I have a scale, which is a great investment for weighing and measuring the ingredients you love but want to eat in smaller portions.
I put my dressing in a small cup like that instead of pouring it over my salad because I use less when I dip my fork into the dressing instead of pouring it over top and I still get the dressing taste that I love with a lot fewer calories.
Also, while I know that 1 oz. of cheese is a serving, cheese is high in fat and I get my dairy servings in other ways throughout the day that are a little healthier.
I hope that these ideas can help you with portion control in your quest for healthier habits. It is difficult at first but eventually you will be used to it and it won't be difficult!
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Traveling!
Sorry it has been a while since my last post. I am in Virginia right now interviewing, job hunting, and testing to help prepare for our potential move. It has been difficult to maintain the healthy lifestyle on my trip because there are so many things I only get when I'm here. However, my mom helps to keep me in check with meals around the house. Today we had oatmeal pancakes for breakfast with Light V8 Fusion juice, for lunch I had Chik-fil-A which isn't healthy but is delicious and I only get it when I'm visiting my hometown because there are no locations where I live. Finally for dinner we had multi-grain pasta and baked chicken parmesan which is a delicious substitute for a deep fried restaurant favorite.
My most difficult thing with traveling is working out. The weather here has been different than expected and I didn't plan on working out in 40 degree weather so I only have shorts. I did make one trip to the gym and it was a very good workout, but I will be working extra hard to get back on the health food track when I return home in a few days. I still feel deprived sometimes instead of knowing that what I have is just as good and even better for me. I still feel like I'm missing out when I don't get french fries at a restaurant even though I know I will feel better if I eat a salad or mashed potatoes as an alternative to something fried.
If you're better than I am about working out and eating healthy on your vacations I hope that I can develop your discipline, if not, I recommend setting some ground rules for yourself. Like one meal a day or one meal every two days can be a little less healthy, but try to keep breakfast and dinner healthy. If you deprive yourself completely it will lead to worse things down the road. Everything's ok in moderation! Have a great rest of the week, I will return with some more recipes in the next few days!
My most difficult thing with traveling is working out. The weather here has been different than expected and I didn't plan on working out in 40 degree weather so I only have shorts. I did make one trip to the gym and it was a very good workout, but I will be working extra hard to get back on the health food track when I return home in a few days. I still feel deprived sometimes instead of knowing that what I have is just as good and even better for me. I still feel like I'm missing out when I don't get french fries at a restaurant even though I know I will feel better if I eat a salad or mashed potatoes as an alternative to something fried.
If you're better than I am about working out and eating healthy on your vacations I hope that I can develop your discipline, if not, I recommend setting some ground rules for yourself. Like one meal a day or one meal every two days can be a little less healthy, but try to keep breakfast and dinner healthy. If you deprive yourself completely it will lead to worse things down the road. Everything's ok in moderation! Have a great rest of the week, I will return with some more recipes in the next few days!
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Banana Zuchinni Muffins
Today I was trying to figure out a way to use some of the bananas that were in my freezer. Which is a great way to keep bananas from going bad and they can easily be used in baking afterwords!
So I decided on Banana Zuchinni Muffins and the recipe is as follows:
1 1/2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour
1 cup oatmeal
3/4 cup splenda or other low calorie sweetener
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla
1 large banana
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups grated zuchinni (i chop mine in my food processor so that it is very small)
- If you don't have enough zuchinni you can do 3/4 cup of zuchinni and an additional small banana
Instructions:
Mix together applesauce and splenda until smooth. Then add eggs and blend well. Add zuchinni, banana, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt.
Mix together dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Oatmeal, flour, and baking powder. Add slowly to the wet ingredients.
Spray two muffin pans with olive oil non stick spray or with baking liners. Fill muffin tins 1/3 of the way to 1/2 of the way. It will only make 20 muffins so you only need to spray or line 20 muffin tins.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes depending on the oven. Make sure you check them regularly so that they don't burn.
It makes 20 individual servings and they are 2-3 points each on Weight Watchers Points Plus. The points difference depends on whether you use more zuchinni or more banana. If you use 2 bananas count 3 points.
Let cool and enjoy!
These muffins are not going to be a breakfast cake. They are a little sweet but not nearly as sweet as most cake like muffins. But they are still delicious!
So I decided on Banana Zuchinni Muffins and the recipe is as follows:
1 1/2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour
1 cup oatmeal
3/4 cup splenda or other low calorie sweetener
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla
1 large banana
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups grated zuchinni (i chop mine in my food processor so that it is very small)
- If you don't have enough zuchinni you can do 3/4 cup of zuchinni and an additional small banana
Instructions:
Mix together applesauce and splenda until smooth. Then add eggs and blend well. Add zuchinni, banana, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt.
Mix together dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Oatmeal, flour, and baking powder. Add slowly to the wet ingredients.
Spray two muffin pans with olive oil non stick spray or with baking liners. Fill muffin tins 1/3 of the way to 1/2 of the way. It will only make 20 muffins so you only need to spray or line 20 muffin tins.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes depending on the oven. Make sure you check them regularly so that they don't burn.
It makes 20 individual servings and they are 2-3 points each on Weight Watchers Points Plus. The points difference depends on whether you use more zuchinni or more banana. If you use 2 bananas count 3 points.
Let cool and enjoy!
These muffins are not going to be a breakfast cake. They are a little sweet but not nearly as sweet as most cake like muffins. But they are still delicious!
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Turkey Burgers, Onion Rings, and Blueberry Cobbler!!
Tonight I made a delicious dinner that I would happily eat any day of the week. The onion rings in my photos are made from a recipe off of www.skinnytaste.com . Her onion ring recipe is delicious and easy to make! The only change that I made is that I use a powdered buttermilk that keeps for an extended period of time in the refrigerator and you mix the powder with water. So, thank you to Gina from Skinny Taste for a new favorite recipe!!
The turkey burger recipe that I use is as follows: (also pictured, the onion rings!!)
8-9 oz. of 99% fat free ground turkey formed into two patties, season with salt, pepper, worchestershire sauce, and I always add a little liquid smoke and montreal steak seasoning.
1 slice of Fat Free Sharp Cheddar Kraft cheese (these are sold in the pre-packaged cheese slices)
2 slices of Whole Wheat Smart White Wonder Bread
Lettuce and Tomato
1 Slice of Jennie-O Extra Lean Turkey Bacon
If you're on Weight Watchers this Burger with everything on it is 7 Points Plus Values.
I also love Honey Mustard but it is difficult to find a healthy version. Pictured below is my version it is equal parts honey and yellow mustard. 1 tbsp is 0 Points Plus Values on Weight Watchers! I always make a little extra and keep it in the refrigerator to add to other sandwiches in place of mayonnaise. And there in the background you can see my dog Oliver and my husband Matt's feet. Always helping out in the kitchen!
Finally, I added a delicious, low calorie dessert that your whole family would be happy to eat!
The recipe for my Blueberry Cobbler: Makes 6 servings.
1, 16 oz. bag frozen blueberries
1 cup oatmeal (not quick cooking)
1/4 cup Whole Wheat Flour
3 tbsp brown sugar
3 tbsp margarine (low fat variety, I use Blue Bonnett light)
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl. Then use a fork to mix it together just like you would if you were using regular butter to make your crumb topping.
Spray an 8x8 baking dish and pour in the frozen blueberries. Crumble the topping over your blueberries, bake covered with foil for 15 minutes, uncover and bake another 25 minutes. Serve hot, topped with Fat Free Cool Whip.
This recipe can be adjusted and made with multiple other frozen fruits. It is quick and simple and again, if you're on Weight Watchers it is only 3 Points Plus values if you don't add points for the fruit because on the new plan fruit is 0 points! However, if you can't help but over indulge I would count 4 Points Plus Values which is the value with the blueberries plugged into the Recipe Builder.
I hope you can enjoy these recipes just like we do!
The turkey burger recipe that I use is as follows: (also pictured, the onion rings!!)
8-9 oz. of 99% fat free ground turkey formed into two patties, season with salt, pepper, worchestershire sauce, and I always add a little liquid smoke and montreal steak seasoning.
1 slice of Fat Free Sharp Cheddar Kraft cheese (these are sold in the pre-packaged cheese slices)
2 slices of Whole Wheat Smart White Wonder Bread
Lettuce and Tomato
1 Slice of Jennie-O Extra Lean Turkey Bacon
If you're on Weight Watchers this Burger with everything on it is 7 Points Plus Values.
I also love Honey Mustard but it is difficult to find a healthy version. Pictured below is my version it is equal parts honey and yellow mustard. 1 tbsp is 0 Points Plus Values on Weight Watchers! I always make a little extra and keep it in the refrigerator to add to other sandwiches in place of mayonnaise. And there in the background you can see my dog Oliver and my husband Matt's feet. Always helping out in the kitchen!
Finally, I added a delicious, low calorie dessert that your whole family would be happy to eat!
The recipe for my Blueberry Cobbler: Makes 6 servings.
1, 16 oz. bag frozen blueberries
1 cup oatmeal (not quick cooking)
1/4 cup Whole Wheat Flour
3 tbsp brown sugar
3 tbsp margarine (low fat variety, I use Blue Bonnett light)
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl. Then use a fork to mix it together just like you would if you were using regular butter to make your crumb topping.
Spray an 8x8 baking dish and pour in the frozen blueberries. Crumble the topping over your blueberries, bake covered with foil for 15 minutes, uncover and bake another 25 minutes. Serve hot, topped with Fat Free Cool Whip.
This recipe can be adjusted and made with multiple other frozen fruits. It is quick and simple and again, if you're on Weight Watchers it is only 3 Points Plus values if you don't add points for the fruit because on the new plan fruit is 0 points! However, if you can't help but over indulge I would count 4 Points Plus Values which is the value with the blueberries plugged into the Recipe Builder.
I hope you can enjoy these recipes just like we do!
Monday, March 14, 2011
Lent
Every year when the Lent season comes around I examine things in my life that don't honor God and I try to adjust something that not only honors God but also that improves my body and mind. This year I examined things in my life that needed to change and working out consistently was one of them. I truly believe that we should honor the bodies that God gave us by taking care of them, even though it is an incredible struggle for me.
So this year I resolved to give up my lack of motivation. My commitment this Lent season is to workout at least 5 days a week, and possibly more as the time goes on. I not only hope that this will develop a stronger body but also a greater commitment to God and honoring the things that he has provided me with above and beyond the body I live in now.
So far it is going pretty well. I have worked out for 2 days in a row and only plan to continue this effort as the weeks go by. Hopefully the habit will be developed by the time Lent is over and will continue on for a long time after. Resolutions are not always the best way for us to make a change in our life because we often make excuses later on that we're too busy or that the resolution wasn't really what we wanted to do anyway. But I encourage you to stick to your resolutions even when it's hard, and if you have a bad day to let it go and get back on track the next day.
I'm not perfect by any means, last night we had pizza because I was being lazy and didn't want to fix something. It's not the best choice for our budget or our bodies but I have to let yesterday go and work hard to make today a better day. It has started out well, I hope your day has too! Tonight we're having a simple and delicious meal that is easy to prepare and healthy. I hope your family gets to enjoy something similar tonight!
So this year I resolved to give up my lack of motivation. My commitment this Lent season is to workout at least 5 days a week, and possibly more as the time goes on. I not only hope that this will develop a stronger body but also a greater commitment to God and honoring the things that he has provided me with above and beyond the body I live in now.
So far it is going pretty well. I have worked out for 2 days in a row and only plan to continue this effort as the weeks go by. Hopefully the habit will be developed by the time Lent is over and will continue on for a long time after. Resolutions are not always the best way for us to make a change in our life because we often make excuses later on that we're too busy or that the resolution wasn't really what we wanted to do anyway. But I encourage you to stick to your resolutions even when it's hard, and if you have a bad day to let it go and get back on track the next day.
I'm not perfect by any means, last night we had pizza because I was being lazy and didn't want to fix something. It's not the best choice for our budget or our bodies but I have to let yesterday go and work hard to make today a better day. It has started out well, I hope your day has too! Tonight we're having a simple and delicious meal that is easy to prepare and healthy. I hope your family gets to enjoy something similar tonight!
Friday, March 11, 2011
Moving.....
My husband and I are planning a move to Virginia in the coming months as long as everything falls into place. We are waiting to hear about jobs and just going with the flow.
If you have ever moved halfway across the country you can understand that this endeavor is not easy. While I have made the move back and forth several times for college it is much different to move two people and a dog 1500 miles. I think the most difficult part of our move is that we have to say goodbye to lots of people that we love and that is never easy.
I am trying to have a healthy and positive attitude as we consider this option for our family even when it's difficult with so many people telling us how much they wish we would stay. We have been praying about this move since we got married and we feel that this is the right decision for the time being because of our job situation here in Nebraska.
If you're like me, when I get very stressed I tend to eat things that are simple, which often equates to unhealthy. I am working to find healthy snacks that are both easy and delicious. I am also looking for things that are a little more than a piece of fruit or a bag of carrots. Those things are great snacks but I also like a little variety in my life. I will hopefully post some delicious and easy snack ideas for you to try at your house!
I am new to the blogging lifestyle so I will try to add pictures in my coming posts of recipes that we try and of workouts that I find successful. I hope that your doing well in your healthy journey.
If you have ever moved halfway across the country you can understand that this endeavor is not easy. While I have made the move back and forth several times for college it is much different to move two people and a dog 1500 miles. I think the most difficult part of our move is that we have to say goodbye to lots of people that we love and that is never easy.
I am trying to have a healthy and positive attitude as we consider this option for our family even when it's difficult with so many people telling us how much they wish we would stay. We have been praying about this move since we got married and we feel that this is the right decision for the time being because of our job situation here in Nebraska.
If you're like me, when I get very stressed I tend to eat things that are simple, which often equates to unhealthy. I am working to find healthy snacks that are both easy and delicious. I am also looking for things that are a little more than a piece of fruit or a bag of carrots. Those things are great snacks but I also like a little variety in my life. I will hopefully post some delicious and easy snack ideas for you to try at your house!
I am new to the blogging lifestyle so I will try to add pictures in my coming posts of recipes that we try and of workouts that I find successful. I hope that your doing well in your healthy journey.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Snow Days
Today I woke up to snow!!! Most people would find this a little less exciting than I do, considering it's March 7th. However, I love to wake up and see everything covered in white! But, weather like this can often have a negative effect on working out. I know that I can find just about any excuse to avoid working out because I hate being sweaty. That is truly the only reason that I hate it so much. If I didn't sweat, working out would be a much more enjoyable activity!
So today, I'm going to do a snow day workout. With my injured ankle I am still limited in what I can do. So the goal for today is to do at least 200 sit ups..... probably not all at once! I will also do at least twenty minutes of strength training and I will either do the Wii fit or a video that doesn't involve jumping jacks because of my ankle.
I think that setting a reasonable goal for yourself is one of the most important things. I know that it's not reasonable for me to do a 3 hour workout yet so I am working up to more intense and more frequent workouts. If you never workout start with 15 minutes, 5 days a week. You can easily do that and it won't seem as daunting as trying to workout for 2 hours a day. I am starting with 45 minutes, 5 days a week. Some days I workout for longer than that and sometimes it's hard for me to get to 45 minutes.
Remember that its better to do 15 minutes then to get so overwhelmed by the idea of exercise that you don't workout at all. I will be back to share about my experience attempting to workout on a regular basis. I hope that you can do the same thing!
So today, I'm going to do a snow day workout. With my injured ankle I am still limited in what I can do. So the goal for today is to do at least 200 sit ups..... probably not all at once! I will also do at least twenty minutes of strength training and I will either do the Wii fit or a video that doesn't involve jumping jacks because of my ankle.
I think that setting a reasonable goal for yourself is one of the most important things. I know that it's not reasonable for me to do a 3 hour workout yet so I am working up to more intense and more frequent workouts. If you never workout start with 15 minutes, 5 days a week. You can easily do that and it won't seem as daunting as trying to workout for 2 hours a day. I am starting with 45 minutes, 5 days a week. Some days I workout for longer than that and sometimes it's hard for me to get to 45 minutes.
Remember that its better to do 15 minutes then to get so overwhelmed by the idea of exercise that you don't workout at all. I will be back to share about my experience attempting to workout on a regular basis. I hope that you can do the same thing!
Friday, March 4, 2011
To Procrastinate or not to Procrastinate?
So today I got up early, weighed in at my weight watchers meeting, went to the gym (SUCCESS!), and took my dog to the dog park. So why would I want to talk about procrastination? Because today I have taken a step back into college life in preparing for a test required to receive my Virginia Teaching License. I have never been much good at studying and today is no exception. While I know that I will regret not taking the practice test before going to take my tests tomorrow morning I find it difficult to get through even 15 questions before something shiny attracts my attention.
I am extremely out of practice in preparing for tests as it has been over 2 years since I have taken a test and it is pushing my will power to its limits. However, this blog is about healthy habits. While this test is one example of procrastination there are so many other areas that suffer from procrastination. The I'll start later mentality that I share with 95% of the world's population can kick my butt. Especially when it's related to eating healthy and going to the gym. I have found that when I let one area slip other areas fall like an overwhelming avalanche of unfinished, unwanted tasks.
So if you are struggling with procrastination, in any or all areas of your life I find that certain things help me to stay on track.
1: Get out of the house!! It is much harder to be motivated to work or workout when you have television, computer, and more entertaining books and media to attract your attention than the task at hand.
2: Use the buddy system. This is especially helpful in working out and studying. It's always nice to have someone to push you and encourage you to continue in a task that you might hate.
3: Treat yourself! If you are doing something that is particularly difficult for you to do, hence the procrastination, give yourself a reward for getting it done. If you hate working out, after one full week of working out treat yourself to your favorite dessert or an even healthier option like a massage, if you can afford it!
4: Make a shorter to do list. Pick one or two things that need to get done and do them. It's a lot easier to get away from procrastinating when the list you have isn't overwhelming. Do one thing at a time.
Now that I've procrastinated with this blog about how you shouldn't procrastinate, it's back to work for me. Have a wonderful weekend!
I am extremely out of practice in preparing for tests as it has been over 2 years since I have taken a test and it is pushing my will power to its limits. However, this blog is about healthy habits. While this test is one example of procrastination there are so many other areas that suffer from procrastination. The I'll start later mentality that I share with 95% of the world's population can kick my butt. Especially when it's related to eating healthy and going to the gym. I have found that when I let one area slip other areas fall like an overwhelming avalanche of unfinished, unwanted tasks.
So if you are struggling with procrastination, in any or all areas of your life I find that certain things help me to stay on track.
1: Get out of the house!! It is much harder to be motivated to work or workout when you have television, computer, and more entertaining books and media to attract your attention than the task at hand.
2: Use the buddy system. This is especially helpful in working out and studying. It's always nice to have someone to push you and encourage you to continue in a task that you might hate.
3: Treat yourself! If you are doing something that is particularly difficult for you to do, hence the procrastination, give yourself a reward for getting it done. If you hate working out, after one full week of working out treat yourself to your favorite dessert or an even healthier option like a massage, if you can afford it!
4: Make a shorter to do list. Pick one or two things that need to get done and do them. It's a lot easier to get away from procrastinating when the list you have isn't overwhelming. Do one thing at a time.
Now that I've procrastinated with this blog about how you shouldn't procrastinate, it's back to work for me. Have a wonderful weekend!
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Failure
So a few days ago I posted about working out when you're injured and I failed to do just that. My ankle is still swollen to twice its normal size and I have been unmotivated because of the pain in my ankle. However, I have attempted to combat my lack of working out with healthy eating at home and at work.
One of our local grocery stores is having a meat sale this week so I took the opportunity to buy some fresh salmon and we are having that tonight for dinner! I love salmon and this recipe, found on www.allrecipes.com is wonderful and reasonably healthy with a few minor changes.
Crusted Salmon with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce:
One of our local grocery stores is having a meat sale this week so I took the opportunity to buy some fresh salmon and we are having that tonight for dinner! I love salmon and this recipe, found on www.allrecipes.com is wonderful and reasonably healthy with a few minor changes.
Crusted Salmon with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce:
Ingredients
- 1 (1.5 pound) skinless center-cut salmon fillet, cut into 4 pieces
- 1 cup milk
- 1/4 cup fine bread crumbs
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard
- 1 tablespoon honey
Directions
- Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Prepare a baking sheet with cooking spray.
- Place the salmon fillets in a baking dish; pour the milk over the fillets. Allow the salmon to soak in the milk 10 to 15 minutes.
- Stir the bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese together in a wide, deep bowl. Beat the egg in a separate bowl until frothy. Remove the salmon fillets from the milk; shake the excess milk off the fish. Dip each fillet into the beaten egg and then gently press into the bread crumb mixture to coat; gently shake to remove the excess.
- Bake in the preheated oven, turning once, until the salmon flakes easily with a fork, about 15 minutes.
- While the salmon bakes, stir the butter, mustard, and honey together in a bowl; drizzle over the baked salmon to serve.
*** However instead of adding butter to the dipping sauce we just use honey and mustard mixed together to cut down on fat. We also use panko bread crumbs that we ground up in our food processor to make them a finer consistency because panko is a healthier bread crumb alternative.
Other great ways to alter recipes to make them a little more health conscious are using skim milk because it's fat free. You can also use reduced fat or fat free cheese to keep your recipes more health conscious.
So despite my workout failure I will be enjoying delicious salmon, a baked potato with light margarine, and green beans tonight. A completely guilt free, tasty meal. Yum!
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
When You're hurt......
Does it ever feel like every time you get back on track something throws you off again? Today was that day for me. It started out great, I headed out to sub in a kindergarten classroom and the day was going great, a kid told me I was beautiful, it was adorable! Then this afternoon as we headed out to recess I tripped and fell down some stairs and sprained my ankle fairly badly. Just what I needed, right? Not quite.
So today I am brainstorming about how to exercise when you're injured. I think today I will take the day off and let my ankle rest. However tomorrow its back to working out in any way possible. I think one of the best ways to still get in a pretty good workout if your ankle is hurt can be riding the exercise bike on a lower setting so you still get a good cardio workout in. I also think doing a really good ab workout and lifting weights is a great way to stay on track even if your feet can't do most of the work.
I think this is one of those things that isn't discussed very often because when we're hurt we think we just can't do anything and we feel defeated. So I will keep you posted on my efforts to go to the gym while I'm injured. However, I would never recommend working out without asking a doctor first if it will hurt your injury more, and always stop if it starts hurting more than it should. I have never tried this before but I don't want to sacrifice a week of exercise, so i'll do my best!
So today I am brainstorming about how to exercise when you're injured. I think today I will take the day off and let my ankle rest. However tomorrow its back to working out in any way possible. I think one of the best ways to still get in a pretty good workout if your ankle is hurt can be riding the exercise bike on a lower setting so you still get a good cardio workout in. I also think doing a really good ab workout and lifting weights is a great way to stay on track even if your feet can't do most of the work.
I think this is one of those things that isn't discussed very often because when we're hurt we think we just can't do anything and we feel defeated. So I will keep you posted on my efforts to go to the gym while I'm injured. However, I would never recommend working out without asking a doctor first if it will hurt your injury more, and always stop if it starts hurting more than it should. I have never tried this before but I don't want to sacrifice a week of exercise, so i'll do my best!
Monday, February 28, 2011
At Home Workouts
Some days going to the gym seems like a battle of the wills. Today was one of those days. I substitute teach and on days when there are no jobs it is hard for me to motivate myself to head to the gym. I work much better with the schedule involved with working. So today I motivated myself to work out at home and I felt like I had actually gotten a workout afterwords.
I tried the Wii Fit for the 100th time today. Some of the activities seem like a waste of time but others are actually a good workout. The three best Wii Fit activities that I have found are the boxing activity, doing the hula hoop game which is a great exercise for your core, and the yoga section. I was surprised to find that I really liked the yoga section. I am one of the least flexible people I know, touching my toes is difficult so yoga is one of the exercises I have avoided like the plague. However, this morning I did the very basic yoga as part of the Wii Fit program. It was difficult for me, as I've heard yoga would be, but I am motivated to do some form of yoga several times a week after today. My body was tired afterwords, which sometimes doesn't happen even after a trip to the gym.
A few other at home workouts that I would recommend if you just can't get to the gym, or if you're like me and just don't want to go sometimes, are any of the Biggest Loser or Jillian Michael's Workouts. They are reasonably inexpensive to purchase and provide a great work out in a fairly short amount of time. I have heard great things about P90X but can't bring myself to spend that kind of money when I can take my dog for a walk outside or do a less expensive video at home.
I hope you will get up and workout with me at least a few times this week, no matter how hard it is! I will be back posting about all the ways that I'm trying to stay healthy and posting delicious recipes along with other tips, tricks, and frustrations I might face.
I tried the Wii Fit for the 100th time today. Some of the activities seem like a waste of time but others are actually a good workout. The three best Wii Fit activities that I have found are the boxing activity, doing the hula hoop game which is a great exercise for your core, and the yoga section. I was surprised to find that I really liked the yoga section. I am one of the least flexible people I know, touching my toes is difficult so yoga is one of the exercises I have avoided like the plague. However, this morning I did the very basic yoga as part of the Wii Fit program. It was difficult for me, as I've heard yoga would be, but I am motivated to do some form of yoga several times a week after today. My body was tired afterwords, which sometimes doesn't happen even after a trip to the gym.
A few other at home workouts that I would recommend if you just can't get to the gym, or if you're like me and just don't want to go sometimes, are any of the Biggest Loser or Jillian Michael's Workouts. They are reasonably inexpensive to purchase and provide a great work out in a fairly short amount of time. I have heard great things about P90X but can't bring myself to spend that kind of money when I can take my dog for a walk outside or do a less expensive video at home.
I hope you will get up and workout with me at least a few times this week, no matter how hard it is! I will be back posting about all the ways that I'm trying to stay healthy and posting delicious recipes along with other tips, tricks, and frustrations I might face.
New Beginnings
In our lives we go through so many changes, I've found that it's almost impossible to maintain healthy habits in a constantly changing world. My husband recently joined Weight Watchers with me and we are starting on that journey together. I have been attempting to do it on my own for months and failing miserably. I hope this accountability will help keep us both on track! This is only one of many new beginnings in our life. We are also planning a cross country move to the East Coast in the coming months and with packing and travel come unhealthy habits like eating out too much and skipping them and skipping my daily time with the Lord. I hope that what you find here can help to encourage you in maintaining your healthy habits!
I have recently begun looking at several other bloggers for tips and tricks on keeping it healthy. One of my newest finds that I absolutely love is http://www.skinnytaste.com/ . Her recipes are wonderful and healthy and they help keep me on track with my weight watchers points, I will be posting some of my very own recipes here and linking you to other great recipes that I find.
I have recently begun looking at several other bloggers for tips and tricks on keeping it healthy. One of my newest finds that I absolutely love is http://www.skinnytaste.com/ . Her recipes are wonderful and healthy and they help keep me on track with my weight watchers points, I will be posting some of my very own recipes here and linking you to other great recipes that I find.
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