checkin in!

Hi Friends,
It was sooooo fun to see Heather at Zumba on Wednesday!  If you live in the Greeley area, Zumba is at Workout West @ 7 PM on Mondays/Wednesdays and drop in fee is $5.  On Tuesday nights, the same teacher is at Grace Church @ 7 pm, drop in fee is $3.

It looks like I only lost 1.8 lbs this week.  My personal goal has been 2+ pounds per week so I am a little disappointed but with all we have had going on (my daughter is getting baptized tomorrow and we have had a ton of family come into town, which I LOVE but also stresses me out a little while I try to get ready) I am happy with being able to stick to a plan and continue to lose weight....I just wish I could have gotten that extra .2 lbs this week!!  I am ready to rock it out next week, though, so watch out!!:)

Emotions!

How I felt after not losing anything last week -

How I feel about weighing 3 more pounds than I originally thought according to the new scale I was forced to buy -

The attitude I am trying to have about all of this during the upcoming week -

And that pretty much sums it up.  Hope everyone has a fabulous week and sees some results.

Post-Thanksgiving Detox

So I'm pretty pleased with my progress this week. I was feeling rather depressed after Thanksgiving because my weight and inches spiked despite my workouts and best efforts to reign in the holiday snacking around my family. My husband and I resolved this week to eat super clean and light. We've been having soups and salads for dinner and the 150-200 calorie limit to treats this week was really helpful. Lo and behold, my weigh in and measurements told me I got back to my pre-Thanksgiving weight and inches plus I lost a little more. Now I'm feeling extra pumped up to keep up the healthier-than-normal routine we established this week and keep it going. I'm ready for the new challenge to keep snacks to fruits or veggies! Let's do it ladies!!!

Heather's Week 4 Report

Weight-162.3, a .8 loss, down from last week's 163.1. 4 points

Inches-209.5, no inches lost this week.

Log food 25
Water        6
Exercise  25
Sleep        7 (Jud is finally sleeping into the 6 o'clock hour!)
Group       0 (I'm so bugged at myself for biffing this challenge. But it won't happen again week 5!)
Personal   5
Total        72

My personal goal this week is the same as the group goal from last week. Treat calories 150-200 calories a day.

hey ladies!

I hope everyone is doing well especialy after Thanksgiving! I personaly am loving this challenge! I think there should be a spring compitition too!

Prep for Next Week's Challenge

Again, I am giving you a bit of a heads up about next week's challenge so you can plan & shop if you need to.

I have been trying to figure out how to issue this challenge so that it wouldn't be too confusing and stay straightforward & easy to measure. I think I've finally worked out the kinks.

The challenge is-plan all your snacks around produce. Anything  you eat between or after meals will be fruit & veggies. Normal rules apply, at least 5 out of 7 days to get 10 points for the group challenge.

Keeping in mind that it's good to also get protein in for your snacks, which makes them go a little further and do a little more good, you could also add up to 100 calories of protein based food in addition to your produce.

kickin butt

Well ladies I am working hard and kicking my own butt! I am exhaausted but seeing some results in the way my clothes are fitting, whichbis always encouraging. I am enjoying this challenge and all it has to offer. I know it can be a bit much at times but what isn't right? I hope all of you are sticking with it despite what life throws at you or how relentless life can seem. This is about the quality and quantity of our time here. Good luck this week.

Blah

So ladies - I have been having a tough week.  I think that my hormones are just about done regulating themselves after the baby.  I am excited for this.  I am usually in tune with my body and lately I have not been.  I hate to jinx myself - I feel like I am getting enough sleep to finally start working out hard core.  If I can find a sitter for my baby all of you better watch out because I am an exercising machine! Haha, we'll see. I also started work again which causes me unnecessary stress so we'll so I much I can actually exercise.  Well, I hope you all have enjoyed my thoughts for this week.

Life on the farm

My parents live on a five acre mini farm in southern California, where I am staying on vacation. Each morning I get my sisters out of bed and we have been working out together. This morning we ran around the whole farm taking turns in the lead. So each of us decided were to go and what we were doing. A fitness version of following the leader. It was fun and we had a versatile and intense work out.  Especially since there are stairs, hills, and obstacles all over.

Boost Your Declining Metabolism

I read this article and found it to be very helpful.  It talks about boosting your metabolism with these five steps:

1. Drink a whey protein shake every day for breakfast and boost your metabolism by 25%.
2. Exercise
3. Eat your greens
4. Eat “clean” protein to get lean
5. Supplement your way to a faster metabolism

I know that we already know this, but sometimes it is nice to read why.

I am also happy to report that I took family photos this weekend and I actually felt good about being in the photos so I thought that I would share a photo with you.  I am not ready to do a full body shot but it is a step in that direction:)      

Kinda neat

So this is just something that is kinda cool that I thought would be neat to share.  It's a web series called "Chris is Losing it" which is documenting the weight loss efforts of Chris and his friend Alice.  While I don't personally know Chris, I went to college with his wife, a sweet and fantastic gal!  Anyway, the first episode of the web series is out and I found it very encouraging and well produced.  Enjoy if you have some extra time!  

Nervous

I knew my weight would be up this last week. I was expecting it and not too upset when it really was. I KNEW I wanted to splurge and enjoy my Holiday of eating. HOWEVER, I did NOT anticipate the leftovers calling my name and having 3 days of "getting back into it". Needless to say I am very nervous for the weigh in this week. I REALLY want to be back down to where I was before the eating festivities began. It would be GREAT to be even lower (but I'm not sure that is a realistic expectation).

So, I am working hard, keeping at it and doing my best and VERY nervous for Friday morning. My stomach has butterflies just thinking about it! Ha!  :)

I hope everyone else is having a great week. Let's stick to it ladies! I put on my jeans this morning and found they were just a little loose in the waist (still tight in the butt, darn) so I grabbed a belt hoping that would help, only to find my belt is too big.

That. Was. COOL. THAT is worth getting up early, running my brains out and watching what goes in my mouth. THAT makes it worth it. So...good luck girls. Let's all enjoy the shrinkage!!!

I did it!

I finally start working out. I cant say I enjoyed it, however I know that will change. I love to dance so I've decided to do the just dance videos. My grandson thought it was fun.  He is 18 months old.

Sugar-you temptress!

So I won't be getting the points for the group challenge this week. Lame right? I issue a challenge and then biff it!

Just too many treats in the house from visitors and the holiday and too many "exceptions" for myself.  I issued the challenge to give myself the extra incentive to really plan for and consider the empty calories I choose, but I already failed this one. BOO!

Panic!

I was completely devastated when I weighted myself on Friday and I was the EXACT SAME WEIGHT as the week before, despite sticking to my daily calorie allotment and exercising.  I actually am still pretty devastated.

To add insult to injury, I had to deal with runners knee, which I acquired after what was supposed to be a nice and gentle 5 mile run, and had to put off more strenuous exercise off for several days, which makes it even MORE unlikely to get the scale to budge this week.

I realize this is when positive thinking and a "Can Do!" attitude needs to kick in.  But man.  It is very frustrating for your own body to find ways to constantly betray you. 

But I am back in the saddle and determined.  I have to admit that if I wasn't part of the contest I probably would have thrown up my hands and said "suck it diet!" and plunged back into the abyss of binge eating.  Anywho.  I hope the scale will reward me for my efforts...sooner rather than later.

Sariah

PMS! yikes!

I am totally having major PMS and went on a chocolate binge earlier this evening.  At first I got really frustrated at myself but then I realized that ONE afternoon does NOT sabotage every effort I made.  The old me would have given up and would have started eating whatever I want for the rest of the day.  Instead, I logged everything I ate, put the chocolate away and decided to move on.  It was a huge change in attitude for me.  Even though I'm physically feeling yucky I feel like I am back in control, which feels great.

Week 3 Standings

 

Place	Name	Points
1	Mandy	391.5
2	Tamara	386
3	Amanda	363.5
4	Leisel	361
5	Sariah	335
6	Sarah	303
7	Heather	292
8	Elise	274
9	Cindy	269.6
10	Anna	261
11	Emily	187
12	Melanie	161

Well friends, another awesome week with many hotties setting the great example!

Mandy holds onto first place this week, losing 2.75 inches and 3.6 pounds. She's committed girls and it shows!

Week 3 Reports

Hello Ladies. Happy Black Friday. Anyone out there shopping? I'm up early thanks to Jud again, so I figured I'd get this going and encourage you all to do the same. In case there's any Thanksgiving day remorse going on. :-)

Here are my numbers for this week.

Pregnant Girl Power

This is from Melanie. She gave it to me in the afternoon yesterday and asked me to post it because she is out of town, but I neglected to get it up on the blog until this morning. So she's still in ladies! I totally admire that this pregnant girl is plugging away! In fact, I'll add that at church last week she was rocking a super cute dress and some leggings. I'd love to sport something similar when I reach my goal weight. Go Mel!!!

Hey heather, I'm away from a computer but wanted to post that this week has been the best so far for my personal, group, and exercise goals! Still a long way to go, but I found an app that works easily to track my calories and protein and while I'm seeming to start my prego baby bump, I'm still feeling healthier and stronger. Still need to get back to running more now that my knees are better, but its definitely helping to keep track of everything.

I survived Turkey Day!

Well, the family has come and gone and I am really proud of how I handled today.  I informed everyone ahead of time that we were having a "healthy Thanksgiving".  My husband's only response was,  "will there be rolls and pie?  If so, I'm good."  So, I skipped making a turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, and basically anything overloaded with oils, cream or butter (execpt for pie:)).

Here was our menu:
shrimp w/ cocktail sauce
jumbo crab legs
quinoa stuffed acorn squash
fresh green beans with carmelized shallots, lemon & garlic
arugula salad with pears and figs
baked sweet potatoes and apples

sugar-free rainbow jell-o
homemade rolls (I didn't eat any)

 

I did great at lunch and had my pie for dinner.  I actually loved the feeling of just eating yummy, well-prepared food with people I love and didn't miss that boated, yucky feeling you get when you overeat.  And, I'm even excited to step on the scale tomorrow!  The best news of all is that today I gave away all my capri Silvers jeans from this summer because I tried a pair on today and they were just a little too baggy.  I figured that by springtime I'll be swimming in them so I gave them away...no turning back! :) 

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  I'm thankful for so many things, among them good friends who encorage each other to reach and achieve goals.

last minute!

Hey everyone! I know this is a super last minute check in but i think I've finally figured out this blog thing. I hope everyone is doing well and having a good time too! I'm so thankful I have the opprotunity to do this. Thank you everyone!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hello everyone! I hope you're all having a smashing Thanksgiving! I have eaten lots and am pleasantly full. :)

I thought this week was going to be crazy hard with the protein, but I found the solution! Whey protein powder was my lifesaver. 26 grams of protein for 140 calories. I think I'll continue to take it once a day for awhile. I found that the extra protein kept me full for so much longer and I had fewer snack cravings. When I did feel like a snack I would grab a string cheese or apple with peanut butter, instead of my normal snacks of Halloween candy or oreos. I definitely think I made some good choices this week! I'm also proud of myself for getting in my workouts this week despite all odds, including waking up an extra 2 hours early to get to the gym before my daughter woke up and my husband went to work so I could workout before spending the day with family. I hope you all had a wonderful week!!

checkin in

Checking before its too late. Having computer issues. Last week was good. The protien really filled me up and really curbed many of my cravings. So grateful for these fun and interesting challenges. I hope everyone knows that this is well worth the time and habit. Good luck this next week!!

I think I pretty much tanked this last week. On the upside I am having a picture perfect thanksgiving. The only thing I have to do is make the salad. Sweet. I have spent the last two days sewing things for my moms Charles Dickens Festival. The only time I got up was to work out for an hour. It is going to be amazing and I can't wait for Saturday.

Protein!

So I thought this protein challenge wasn't too bad. It was interesting to become more knowledgable on the amount of protein in certain foods. I'm pretty sure I'll get enough protein today! Happy Thanksgiving!

This has been a very difficult week. The kids are home all day and I'm soooo busy. I'm hanging in there but just barely.  Sarah has been a big help keeping me encouraged. Every day is new again, so I wont lose hope and will keep on going.

Checking In

For me the Protien Challenge has been ok! I am surprised by this discovery! I was worried, given everyone seemed to have commented on how hard it would be. I have (for the most part) eaten what I normally eat, only having to add in an egg here and there and one greek yogurt serving. It has been awesome. I have family in town this week and given the difficulty of staying on course with company I think I've done ok. HOWEVER....I have NOT done as well as I had hoped. So - it has turned into a compromise with myself. I'm doing better than I would have if NOT in this competition, but not as well as I would be doing if I didn't have them in town.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful week with family, friends and food!! I know I am!
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

Traveling

Today I made the drive to my parents house for Thanksgiving with my kids.  I tell you what, TOUGH to stick to a diet while doing that!  All I wanted was to stuff my face with cherry twizlers and drink a diet coke. Because that's what you eat on a road trip.  Duh.

I am proud to say I refrained.  I brought apples, bananas, water, and got some jerky to get some protein in there.  I did splurge on some buffalo flavored wheat thins, but I also counted them out and only had one serving.  (Did you know there are 2 grams of protein in buffalo flavored wheat thins?)

Getting my protein in hasn't been too bad, I just have to pay attention and choose foods that will help me reach my goal instead of other things I would prefer to eat.  The hardest part for me right now is the water.  I stare and my water jug and grimace.  There are times I still need to drink 30 ounces of water and only have a half an hour before bedtime, so it becomes a chugging contest against the clock.  I dunno how to fix that, and water add-in's only appease me for so long.  But I do have to say that I do feel a lot healthier since I started drinking so much water, so I'll keep on keeping on!

Have a Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Sariah

Week's Challenge

I am not sure how everyone else is doing but this Protein challenge is harder then I thought.  I have been getting close to my goal but have not made it once so no points for me this week.  Instead of just giving up this week (I was thinking about it because I already wont get the points) I have been pushing myself harder towards the other goals like working out more.  The hardest part for me is that I have a sweet tooth so with the protein I always wanted something sweet.  I have noticed a couple things that have helped me.  I have been eating oatmeal in the morning and I love adding brown sugar.  Instead of the brown sugar, I have added sugar free syrup.  Also, I have added more eggs to my diet this week but I always want to add cheese.  Instead I have made hard boiled eggs that don't need cheese like scrambled or omelets do (in my opinion.)  Anyway, I am just putting my thoughts out there and I hope that everyone is having better luck then I am. 

Week 2 Standings-Revised

From here on out, the weekly points I post will be cumulative & standings will reflect such. My math skills are really getting a sharpening.

Place	Participant	Cumulative Points
1	Mandy	279
2	Leisel	268
3	Tamara	263
4	Amanda	238.5
5	Sariah	234
6	Elise	228.5
7	Sarah	220.5
8	Heather	212
9	Cindy	190.6
10	Anna	159
11	Emily	134
12	Melanie	88

I received an email last night that Heidi is withdrawing from the competition. So here are the new standings for this week. Also, Sariah's previous total was a math error on my part. So, my math skills still need some sharpening. I do appreciate if you have any questions or notice any discrepancies that you let me know right away.  Thanks!

Protein Track Sheet

I'm off and running on our Protein Week!  My goal is 70 grams per day, it's definitely a challenge to get them all in but I'm determined to do it!

I keep track of my food on my Weight Watchers phone app and there isn't a place to track protein, so I made up this sheet to keep in my binder (along with the these weekly sheets that I use).  I'm just going to put hash marks down to keep track of my daily grams of protein.  I uploaded it to Google Docs for any of you that would like to use it.  Good luck this week!
(click image to dowload/print)

 

Week 2 Reports!

I have already received several reports for week 2 & I love it!!! People are really having success. It truly does make me excited that this idea is helping so many of you. I can't wait to hear from the rest of you.

The reason I included so many areas to work on and report wasn't to drive you all crazy, but to help you be mindful of all the aspects of your health. I know there are weeks you won't be able to do it all. Once again I couldn't get all my sleep. Days I had planned to work out an hour ended up being half an hour. But that's fine. That's the point of the points. You are rewarded for any efforts that you make. You can work toward doing all the little things, but don't have to worry if you're not perfect. Nobody can do it all, all the time, but the small consistent changes we make do add up over time. 

It has taken me since last November to get where I am now. It has been a slow, consistent effort that has had positive results. I couldn't have ever stuck with something for a year if it meant I had to do it perfect all the time. I would have given up if that was the case. I just kept at it with an attitude of moderation and celebrating my successes and the positive changes I saw.  

One report today highlighted the fact that she was so excited because even though she hadn't been perfect she still lost pounds & inches. That's how life works. It's what we do most of the time that makes the biggest difference. It's not the day or two we fall short of what we're aiming for.

Protein Challenge Revision

I too have been doing a trial run of my protein and it's pretty challenging. I have also heard back from a couple of you with questions and valid concerns.

My solution follows.

Protein...ugh!

So I am doing a trial run today for next week's protein challenge. I don't think there is any possible way for me to get as much protein as I need while staying at 1200 calories. Looks like I will be making my doctor and my nutritionist very happy next week by upping my calories to 1400-ish per day. This stinks. It's also impossible to get enough protein without eating meat. This really stinks. I hate meat. I am not a vegetarian or vegan. I am just not a fan of meat. I only eat it because I know it's good for me. Even as a baby I would spit out any baby food that had meat in it, and it wasn't that disgusting slime they sell in grocery stores. My mom made my baby food from whatever they were having for dinner. Next week will be very hard. Protein...ugh!

another week, another try

This week has been a tough one. My parents were in town, my dad just having retired we celebrated and booked a weekend up at Estes Park. Which was amaaaazing, but I ate out more than I wanted. As in the usual amount we eat out in 3 months was packed into the almost full week that my parents were here, wanting to treat us. I loved it and was very grateful, but my body is still getting over its hate for what I did to it!

So from now til Thanksgiving, it's detox. I'm not eating out, not eating sugar (thank you Halloween for that indulgence, but I am now officially out of my son's supplies heheh), and completly cutting off soda (for the fourth attempt this year, but will be the best attempt this year!). Oh but of course, I do have the icecream still in the fridge and it's the kind Greg doesn't like, who doesn't like mint chocolate chip?, so I'll be using that to wean myself off.

If anyone is craving Mint Chocolate Chip Icecream, please help me and raid my freezer. I have to much of my Nana in me and can't throw out anything edible. ;)

Hope everyone else is realizing what their bodies need and realizing that it feels so much better to be healthy, I suddenly learned that as I OD'd on Smashburger. Tho it was delicious in the moment. Those guys make a mean avacado club hamburger.

I'm a tortoise

Hello everyone!!

I have to say I am super impressed by everyone's success with the first week. I thought I was doing great since I earned all or close to all the points possible, plus I lost a pound and inch to boot! Then I found out some of you killed it and lost 4 (!!!) pounds in one week, plus inches! I'm with Emily and hope that you big losers will slow down so I can catch up. I've been working hard at losing weight for almost a year now, so I won't be pulling any big numbers. My only shot at winning will be my consistency, which I must say, is pretty good. Slow and steady wins the race, right? Right???

It's funny that we're doing a group protein challenge next week because that was my personal goal this week. I'm glad to have another go at it because getting enough protein has been a LOT harder than I thought it would be! I think I'll be looking up some high protein recipes for dinners and snacks next week, and I think I might have to make that ranch dip that Mandy posted. yum!

Thanks for all your posts ladies! They keep me fired up to keep working hard. Let's rock it!

Week 2

Week one was good,  week two not so great.  Im struggling to stay focused. Today is a new day and I will do better.

Prep for Next Week's Group Challenge

Because next week's group challenge may take a little planning and preparation I wanted to give you all a couple of days' notice so you can get ready!

PROTEIN!

All the nutritionists are suggesting we need to eat it!

So I've been doing a little research about why. I knew I wanted to make it part of one of our group challenges, so I set out to figure out how I could make it an equitable and measurable goal for the week. Here's a bit about what I've learned.

Bodyrock Boot Camp and Roller Derby!

I'm in a workout class that is from 9:35-10:30 every Friday morning at the Family Funplex.  It is only $15 dollars a session (5 weeks) and it is a KILLLER.  I just thought I'd throw it out there because the new session starts after Thanksgiving and I am planning on signing up again if anyone cares to join me.  My legs are usually a wobbly mess after each class, so be prepared!

Also Jill (known to me as Evol Love in the derby world) and myself have a roller derby game this weekend.  I know some of you expressed some interest in seeing us play, so here is your chance!  It's also a great opportunity to see how women of all sizes can be effective and incredible athletes.

 Here is the link with all of the details -


https://www.facebook.com/events/459840437387981/

Maybe we'll see some of you there!  I hope everyone is having a rock and roll week and hope to see big numbers this weekend!

Sariah

Quinoa Tacos

I LOVE Mexican food. However, there is very little of it that is healthful. So...here is a high fiber alternative that tastes really, really good, but doesn't have all the fat in it. It also happens to be gluten free and full of fiber.

I don't use recipes per se. I just cook and make it up as I go along so asking me for exact measurements on anything is kind of pointless. It's easy though...you don't need measuring spoons for this.

Protein Ranch Dressing/Dip

One of the things that helped me this last week was this Protein Ranch Dressing that I found on Pinterest.  The ENTIRE jar is 255 calories and 1.5 g fat!  I used it to dip lots of different veggies for snacks and my kids also loved it!  In fact, they asked several times for "mommy ranch" when I got out the bottle of regular light ranch dressing.

As a salad dressing, it wasn't my favorite (I'm a vinagrette kind of girl) but I LOVED this for veggie dipping!

Going to Bed Hungry

My inspiration for this week's challenge came from the one and only Bob Harper, of Biggest Loser fame.

He sure is nice to look at, so I'm including a photo here for your enjoyment.

You may or may not have heard that Bob wrote a book called,

The Skinny Rules: The Simple, Nonnegotiable Principles for Getting to Thin 

I read some of it this summer and plan to read the rest once I can steal it back from my sister. Anyway, one of the rules is Go to Bed Hungry. So this was my inspiration for the challenge this week-No eating after dinner.

Great Job!

Wow!! Everybody did such a GREAT job week one!! Keep it up girls. I am loving the weekly challenges. It helps me to stay focused, remembering that the little changes in my habits can make some big changes in my life and body!!

So hip hip hooray to everyone! I love the recipes and ideas! Keep up the great work!

Week 2

So I'm finally for week 2! This weeks goal for me is no candy. Last week while counting my calories I couldn't believe how many times I had to write candy down. I just pop it in my mouth without noticing! I am nowhere in contender position from last weeks points but I'm not disappointed with my points. I'm hoping all of you big "losers" taper off and a slow and steady approach wins.

Drum Roll . . . . . . . .

Week 1 Standings!

Place	Participant	Points
1	Amanda	135.5
2	Tamara	129
3	Sariah	124.5
4	Heidi	121.5
5	Mandy	120.5
6	Sarah	119.5
7	Elise	117
8	Leisel	114
9	Kara	111
10	Cindy	104
11	Heather	100
12	Anna	88
13	Emily	79
14	Hillary	74
15	Melanie	26
16	Jill	--
17	Angela	--

Congratulations to Amanda who earned practically all possible points, plus a 4 pound loss and 4 inch loss! 

hey ladies!

Im glad everyone is doing great! Things that helped me were......chewing gum and crystal light. I am almost to my goal to wear the boots i want! Please keep posting recipes and tips!

Coming Up!

I have my parents in town and we got busy playing Scrabble last night, so I neglected to put together this week's standings.

I apologize. Are you on pins & needle? You can't wait to see how you stacked up?

Well, just know this . . . we all have some stiff competition!

People did amazing this week.  Let's keep up the momentum.

So, until later today . . .eat well, drink lots, get out and do some exercise.

Week 1 Standings will be posted later today. :-)

Great Start

So I had a great first week and hope that I can keep it up!  I did not obsess about anything whether it was working out, obstaining from a desired treat (this week I ate 2 serving of Doritos, a vice of mine and stayed within calories), or drinking enough water.  I felt good about this because I was taking things in stride.

My dad has always said a phrase to me every time I get stressed about something, he says "How do you eat an Elephant, Sarah?"  I say, "I dunno" to which he replies, "One bite at a time."  So what this means is that take things as they come and as you can handle them.  This really settles me down and gets me down to business without the guilt of "slip-ups" or "bad days".  There are no bad days if we don't make it a bad day.  One choice doesn't ruin my ENTIRE day, its JUST that snack, or lunch, or whatever.

My goal this week is to NOT eat off my kids plate.  I am terrible at this usually.  I am also planning on eating dinner at 8pm so I will do better at NOT eating AFTER dinner!  Ok, not really but seriously that is really  hard goal for me.  I will do my best. 

Girls, we CAN do this!  It is NOT hard, or tedius!  It is LIFE.  Good Luck and have fun this week!

50 snacks under 50 calories

I also found this great article that has some good ideas for snacks under 50 calories.  I am currently counting Weight Watchers points so I will try avoid the ones that are higher in carbs.  But, there are some great ideas here!

my motivation for the day

As I was rolling out and baking 4 pans of delicious-smelling cinnamon rolls for my husband to take into work this morning for the weekend staff, I kept telling myself:
"Don't exchange what you want most for what you want at the moment."
I didn't take a single bite or taste and was so proud of myself!  I cook a LOT and think this will really help me while I'm around so much delicious food. :)

A little nervous

I am so nervous about this weeks goal, I have a bad habit of going back to the kitchen several times after a meal. Not only because I have to put all the food away and clean the kitchen, but also because my kids have a bad habit of refusing to eat dinner and are hungry before bed.  
One of the tips that I have heard is that right after dinner you brush your teeth or grab some sugar free gum. The other tip is to serve everyone first's and put the rest away immediately. 
So I am going to give these a shot and hope for the best. If you have more ideas please post them. Thanks

Recipe Sites

My goal this week is to find and make healthier meals.  I have found these sites to be helpful:

-->

Live Better America

Hungry Girl

The Foodees/Healthy

If anyone knows any others that they enjoy, I would love to check them out as well.

Chicken Parmesan Meatloaf Muffins

I've been craving "comfort food" and found these little beauties on Emily Bites and thought I'd share.  They're 147 calories each and a ton of protein.  We're having them tonight with a big salad, roasted squash, and mixed berries w/ fat free whipped cream for dessert.  It feels like a "cheat meal" to me and a fun way to end a successful first week!

Chicken Parmesan Meatloaf Muffins
Source: adapted from What’s Cookin’ Chicago?

Ingredients:
1 ½ lbs raw ground chicken breast (if you have trouble finding ground chicken that is breast meat only, do what I do and throw the same weight of boneless, skinless chicken breasts into the food processor and run until ground)
1 large egg
1 egg whites
6 T dried breadcrumbs
¾ t dried basil
¾ t dried thyme
¾ t oregano
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ a small onion, chopped small or grated
¾ t salt
1/3 t black pepper
¾ cup Parmesan cheese
¾ cup pasta sauce
¾ cup 2% reduced fat shredded Mozzarella cheese
Optional: dried parsley, oregano or basil for garnish

Directions:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 350. Lightly mist a muffin tin with cooking spray and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken, egg, egg whites, breadcrumbs, basil, thyme, oregano, garlic, onion, salt, pepper and Parmesan cheese and lightly mix together. Do not over handle.
3. Form the meat mixture evenly into the 12 cups of your prepared muffin tin. Spread the pasta sauce evenly over the tops of each muffin. Bake for 20 minutes and remove from the oven. Top each muffin with about a tablespoon of shredded cheese and then return to the oven for 2-3 minutes until the cheese is melted. Garnish if desired.

Yields 12 muffins. WW P+: 4 per muffin or 7 P+ for 2 muffins (P+ calculated using the recipe builder on weightwatchers.com)
Nutrition Information per muffin from myfitnesspal.com: 147 calories, 6 g carbs, 5 g fat, 18 g protein, 0 g fiber

The Weigh-In

I can't believe it's only a week tomorrow since we started.  So far I haven't found most of it very difficult to do, though I know that will probably change as time goes on!  But there is one thing that is harder for me than laying off the sweets and fried goods - its weighting myself!

Whenever I start a weight loss program, I compulsively weigh myself.  I almost can't wait to get up in the morning to see if I've lost anything.  While it is gratifying to see immediate changes, I end up sabotaging myself in the long run.


If I weigh myself in the morning and have a gain of something like .3 lbs, I am DEVASTATED and will probably go put my face in a pie.  Why work so hard and deprive myself if I am just going to weigh more the next day?  SO DUMB.

So this week I have abstained from stepping on the scale....until tomorrow.  And I will be blissfully unaware if yesterday I weighted .1 pounds less.  But the suspense is killing me guys!

Inspiration!

My name is Mel Smith, and THIS is why I want to be healthier and stay healthier: no, not the Broncos, though we love a good football game, it's for my handsome husband Greg and my lil minion Asher. They are my inspiration! My goal is to be healthier this pregnancy than I was with Asher's, where my body went to pot. (which is now completely legal for it to do in Colorado).  I'm not planning on winning the Big Money, since more than likely my body will start expanding last month hahah, but love the opportunity to keep track of healthy habits in the hopes of inspiring myself to keep up with them. And while I've had a tough week this week, one plus is that there's only improving from here on out! =)

Big accomplishment that keeps me going: I ran my first half-marathon last week at 9 weeks prego! I now know that my body can do a lot more than I give it credit for.

Thanks Heather, for putting it all together, I know it's a lot of work!