January 31, 2011

Well I took yesterday off from walking, and it was really nice to pick it back up today! I did 4 miles today and I feel great. My legs aren't nearly as sore as they were all last week after walking! I'm really starting to enjoy this healthier lifestyle, it gets easier everyday and I find myself not craving things nearly as much, and if I do crave them, reading the label almost immediately turns me off of it... this is major progress for me :) I can't wait to go grocery shopping tomorrow (and can't believe I'm gonna fight the crowds on payday...ugh) because I'm so excited to keep trying out healthy new recipes and I LOVE fresh produce (always have). I've also decided that I'm going to start trying to buy organic as much as I can, though I know I won't always be able to, and sometimes the price difference is so extreme I can't bring myself to! lol I'm just ready to be fully committed! I don't know what suddenly gave me the motivation, but it feels great. I love that I'm under 200lbs, and that the numbers are dropping still. I wish I had realized how easy and enjoyable this is YEARS ago! Think that's the end of my rant for the night... 4 more miles tomorrow :)

breakfast
2 slices whole wheat bread-100 calories
1.5 slices turkey bacon-60 calories
2 egg whites-34 calories
1 slice 2% cheese-60 calories

breakfast total
254 calories

lunch
cajun style chicken and shrimp cafe steamer-260 calories
small apple-80 calories
1/2 of a mini corndog.. lol!-25 calories

lunch total
365 calories

dinner
Applebee's Great Tasting and Under 550 calories menu- Signature Sirloin with Garlic Herb Shrimp-500 calories
1/2 of one of Kye's chicken strips-40 calories

dinner total
540 calories

fiber one bar-140 calories

today's total-1299 calories

I mentioned this before, but really, Applebee's menu is genius. Calories and fat are relatively low...mind you, there's a whole day worth of sodium... but if you're going to go out to eat, it's better than 90% of the other options out there. This meal doesn't taste the least bit 'healthy'. It's sinfully delicious, really. Here is the description from the Applebee's website..

7 oz. sirloin grilled and topped with succulent shrimp in a light cream sauce and served with herb potatoes, seasonal vegetables, fresh bruschetta, sliced almonds and chopped parsley.


Even if I wasn't 'dieting' I would probably choose this meal over some of the fattier ones I've eaten before!

January 30, 2011

Well, today was 'cheat' day, but even with my cheat I came in at a good daily total :) Ready to get back to walking tomorrow, hoping my walk doesn't get rained out! I don't really have anything to say, so hope you all have a great week!

Breakfast
3oz top round steak-202 calories
3 egg whites-51 calories
1/2 cup fat free vanilla yogurt-55 calories
1 peach-42 calories

breakfast total
350 calories

lunch
4tbs PB2 powdered peanut butter-90 calories
1.5 tbs strawberry jam-75 calories
2 slices whole wheat bread-100 calories
pringles baked wheat sticks-90 calories

lunch total-365

today's 'treat'
1 mint 3 musketeers-150 calories
1 diet cherry dr pepper-0 calories

dinner
meatless chili-218 calories
1 tablespoon light sour cream-20 calories
15 saltine crackers-180 calories

dinner total
418

today's total-1283

Weekly Weigh in #2!!!!!

It's been a long week! I didn't see any movement at all for 4 or 5 days, but then yesterday the scale finally decided it liked me :) This morning's weight?

198.8!

for a loss for the week of....

2.6 lbs!

and an overall percentage of weight loss to date of

5.06%!!!   

It feels fantastic to know I'm doing something for myself and seeing results! I don't really see a lot of difference on my body this week (some in my face, but that's not in the picture), but it's a good healthy weekly weight loss and I'll TAKE IT!

 

January 29, 2011

Today I have decided that I LOVE walking. Not always at first. I have to really force myself out the door, and for the first good mile all I can think about is turning around and just going back home... but once I really get going, I LOVE it. It makes me feel great, and it's great for me. I took a different route today and walked down Eagle and got to take in the sun sparkling on the water, LOVE it. I drove and measured out a new route for tomorrow, 4 miles! I did 3.4 today! In case any of you missed my extra post earlier today, I stepped on the scale this morning and for the first time in over 4 years saw a number UNDER 200! 199.0! I'm quite excited! We'll have our 'official' weigh in tomorrow morning :) I had decided Sundays would be my 'rest' day, but if it is as nice tomorrow as it was today, I might have to go for a walk just for the FUN of it, at least to the park with Kye! If I walked 4 miles, 6 days a week, by the end of this year I will have walked more than 1,000 miles! That's insane! Looking forward to tomorrow and not stressing much over what I eat, though we'll probably just have a big breakfast and then I'll be good the rest of the day. Good night for now, I'll be back in the morning with my officially weekly weight loss post, hoping it doesn't fluctuate upwards from today's 199!


breakfast
quaker reduced sugar maple & brown sugar oatmeal-240 calories

lunch
1 can tuna-100 calories
2tbs fat free mayonnaise- 20 claories
2 tablespoons dill pickle relish-freeeee
1 hard boiled egg minus yolk-20 calories
1/2 small apple-40 calories
2 tablespoons chopped onion-15 calories
15 saltine crackers-180 calories

lunch total
375 calories

snack
1 small apple-80 calories

dinner
chicken & spinach pizza, 2 slices-438 calories
fresh spinach and tomato salad with fat free italian dressing-50 calories

dinner total
488 calories

fiber one bar-140 calories

today's total
1347 calories

Pizza- I bought a store-bought thin pizza crust (before dieting), 1 cup of canned pizza sauce, 1 7oz package low sodium mozarella, 5oz of cooked, cubed chicken I had already made and frozen, mixed with a little cavendar's seasoning, and 4 cups of fresh spinach that I put in a steamer basket (it cooks WAYYY down) before I put it on the pizza. Layer everything up and it makes 8 slices, at 219 calories a slice :) Next time I'll cut it back even more, with skim mozarella, and a better crust, maybe whole wheat?!

Ahhh. FINALLY!

So it's not actually 'weigh in' day, but the numbers I saw on the scale this morning were a huge accomplishment for me! For the last 4-5 days I've been STUCK at 200.2. Do you know how torturous it is to be .3 lbs from one of your goals?! Well for the first time in over 4 years I stepped on the scale this morning to see a number LESS than 200. So, I decided an extra blog was in order :) Seeing the numbers change make me even more motivated to keep up with this new lifestyle, because that's what it is, not a diet, it's a new lifestyle (thanks Heather for that ;)  ) Anyway, back to breakfast, just thought I'd let you all in on my excitement!

January 28, 2011

Nothing much to say today. 4th day running with no movement on the scale whatsoever, but no gain so I'll take it. Didn't have time to do my full 3 mile walk today but I did do one quick lap around Kisling loop (not sure exactly how far it is, but it's at least a mile).Kye had me up a LOT last night so I took a long nap this morning and I've just been pretty tired all day. Got a bunch of workout clothes today so I can be more comfortable on my walks. I really want to start going to the gym, but I always feel so out of place and lost. I just want to do some little things to tone arms/legs etc but I hate going! I've decided Sundays will be my 'day of rest'. I need to be able to take one day a week off! Right now I'm just exhausted and my back hurts a little...thinking it will be an early night tonight!

breakfast
1 cup fat free vanilla yogurt-110 calories
1/4 cup almond and granola cereal-120 calories
1 medium/large banana-90 calories

breakfast total-320 calories

lunch
leftover chicken fried rice-250 calories
pringles baked wheat sticks-90 calories

lunch total
340 calories

dinner
turkey sausage casserole-438 calories
1.5 cups broccoli/cauliflower/carrot mix-75 calories

dinner total
513 calories

dessert
fiber one bar-140 calories

today's total
1313 calories

January 27, 2011

Today has not been my best day. I have felt 'munchie' all day long, and I unfortunately gave in a couple times. I'm still under the 1750 calories I'm supposed to eat being a breastfeeding mother to lose 2lbs a week, but I feel bad that I ate the extra things :( Good news is that for the 4th day in a row I did my 3 mile round trip to the shopette and back, this time by myself because Chad was at work. I also plan to utilize one of the workout videos from our free section "on demand" once the kids go to sleep. Been feeling pretty discouraged today because the numbers on the scale haven't budged in 3 or 4 days. At least they haven't gone up, but I've been so good and now I've started walking (burning about 450 more calories) and it's very discouraging to know you've worked hard and you're not seeing results. I will keep on though because I'm ready to not be so chubby! I'm very thankful to have such a good group of ladies taking this journey too, they're so supportive! I love them all! That's all I have for today, gotta go try to rope in the tornado that is my toddler :)

breakfast
1.5 cups chocolate cheerios-200 calories
1 cup fat free milk-80 calories
1 small banana-75 calories

breakfast total
355

snack
1/2 cup fat free vanilla yogurt-55 calories
1 medium peach-42 calories

total
97 calories

lunch
2 pieces whole wheat bread-100 calories
1.5 slices turkey bacon-60 calories
1 slice 2% cheese-60 calories
1/4 cup sliced avacado-58 calories
1 tbs fat free mayo-10 calories
fresh spinach-free
sliced tomatoes-free

then I was bad and when making Kye's lunch I also ate
1 chicken nugget strip-60 calories
1 oz cheddar cheese-110 calories :(

lunch total
458 calories

dinner
chicken fried rice-about 500 calories

dessert
fiber one bar-140 calories

today's total-1550 calories

For the chicken fried rice, it's the recipe from last week, except I cut out one tablespoon of the oil and scrambled the egg with non-stick cooking spray. Then I added a ton more peas and carrots (since my son will actually eat this) and 2oz more chicken than I was supposed to use, because I already had an 8oz bag of diced cooked chicken in the freezer. So, I'm estimating that it was about 250 calories a serving and I ate 2.

January 26, 2011

 Today was day #3 of walking, did another 3 miles. I'm definitely feeling it, my legs hurt so bad! Hoping to be able to keep it up. Once my legs quit getting sore, it'll be time to increase the distance :) Not seeing a ton of difference on the scales this week, but my awesome support group of ladies have been there and assured me the 2nd week is the hardest! I'm just ready to be healthy (and be able to shop on the clearance rack...there are never XL's!)  I'm amazed at how easy this has been. I don't feel like I'm dieting (check out my dinner, I mean... sour cream and cheese in my mashed potatoes?!) and even when I feel like I've really overdone it I start adding up and always come in at a good daily total for calories. I hope to be able to teach my boys the right way to cook and eat (with junk/fatty food only being a rarity, not the norm). Kye did so good tonight and ate everything, even his green beans! He's been a very picky eater lately. I hope that if I can teach them the right way to eat as they grow up, that they won't have to battle being chunky like I have been most of my life. Breaking the cycle is not going to be easy, but it's my goal! Guess I don't have much else to ramble on about

ohhh except, I will be making another batch of those muffins tonight! They were realllly good and only 66 calories each!
breakfast
2 fat free sugar free banana wheat muffins-132 calories
2 pieces turkey bacon-80 calories
1 small banana-76 calories
1 medium peach-42 calories

breakfast total- 330 calories

snack
caramel corn rice cake-50 calories

lunch
1.5 cups leftover squash spaghetti, not sure how much was squash and how much was sauce, so I'll just assume 150 calories and overestimate a little.
Also gonna add 25 calories for the half of Kye's mini corn dog I ate. lol

lunch total
175

snack
pringles baked wheat sticks-90 calories

dinner
lemon/rosemary/garlic chicken-179 calories
cheddar/sour cream/chives mashed potatoes-186 calories
1.5 cups green beans-60 calories
adding 50 calories for the nibbles of cheese etc I took while making dinner

dinner total
475 calories

dessert
fiber one bar-140 calories

today's total
1260 calories

chicken
I had 1.5 lbs of chicken tenderloins, I put them in a ziploc with 1/2 cup lemon juice, a tablespoon of rosemary, and 2 tablespoons of minced garlic. Let it sit for 30 minutes or longer. Put 1 tablespoon of extra light tasting olive oil in a skillet and add chicken, salt and pepper to taste. Makes 4 servings, each serving is 170 calories (about 3 chicken tenders)



potatoes
1 lb russet potatoes, cut and boil. drain. Add 1/2 cup light sour cream, 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese, half a cup of fat free milk, 2 tablespoons of chopped chives and salt and pepper to taste. Makes 4 servings, each serving is 186 calories

January 25, 2011

Another boring day in the life of Rachel :) lol pretty much done nothing all day, had dinner in the crock pot early, just lazed around. I've felt very 'munchie' today so I have had a couple extra things (like the peanut butter crackers and the almond roca...) that I shouldn't have, but our dinner was so low calorie that my all-day total is still pretty good! Plus we took a 3 mile walk to the shopette and back. My legs were still a little sore from our walk yesterday so by the end of 3 miles walking very fast my legs felt like they were gonna fall off! Still felt good to get out and do something though, and I'm gonna start walking with Tara when Chad is at work, it always motivates me more to have somebody waiting on me. I'm too good at talking myself out of it when I'm going by myself! I'm hoping in the next 2 days to have a big announcement about this weight loss journey! I definitely need to get some 'work out' type clothes to go walking in because I've realized that I literally have NOTHING except one pair of pants that might have fit 4 years ago... I'm so proud of myself for staying so motivated (I know it's only been a week and a half... that's about a week longer than I've ever stuck to it before). I can't wait to see the numbers on the scale keep dropping and have the 'inconvenience' of having to buy smaller clothes because mine don't fit anymore. Tomorrow is another day, and another 3 mile walk is planned, BRING IT ON!

breakfast
3 fat free, sugar free, banana what muffins-198 calories
1/2 cup fat free vanilla yogurt-55 calories
1 cup green grapes-104 calories

 breakfast total
357 calories

snack
caramel corn rice cake-50 calories

lunch
Healthy choice cafe steamers cajun style chicken and shrimp (my favorite one so far!)-260 calories
1 almond roca candy-66 calories

lunch total
326 calories

snack
caramel corn rice cake-50 calories
4 peanut butter crackers- 105 calories

dinner
1.5 cups meatless chili-218 calories
1/4 cup 2% shredded cheddar cheese-80 calories

dinner total-298

dessert
fiber one bar-140 calories

today's total-1326 calories




Fat Free, low calorie banana wheat muffins :)
3 medium bananas
1/2 cup wheat flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
34 cup splenda
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
2 tbs egg beaters all-whites
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract

mash banana and mix in egg white, add dry ingredients and mix until blended. put in muffin pan(makes 12) and bake at 365 for 15-20 minutes.

only 66 calories each, zero fat, and 1.6 grams of fiber per muffin :) They're not too shabby! Not as good as a big fatty muffin, but I really like them!

Meatless Chili
1 packet McCormick's slow cooker chili seasoning mix
2 8oz cans tomato sauce (I used no salt added)
2 15oz cans diced tomatoes not drained(I prefer petite diced)(also no salt added)
2 15oz cans red kidney beans drained (got reduced sodium)
1 package Smart Ground vegetable protein crumbles

Mix everything but the protein crumbles in the crock pot. Put in crock pot on low for 8 hours. 6 hours through, add the protein crumbles, cook an additional 2 hours. Do not open or stir except at the 6 hour mark. Yields 11 cups of chili, each cup is 145 calories.

These are the protein crumbles I used. I believe boca and morning star also make something similar! The chili was DELICIOUS and Chad was already halfway through his bowl when I said something about it being meatless (though I had already told him a couple times..... men don't listen) and he goes "wait, there's no meat in here? What are the chunks?" lol and then said it tastes just like meat. I couldn't tell either. I got 2 cups planning to eat all of it but could only eat a cup and a half! It was super filling and very low calorie/high protein :)

January 24, 2011

Another fairly uneventful day! Didn't do much, made a big breakfast (that also came in barely over 300 calories...) and when Chad got back from working out we went for a walk. We did all of Kisling loop (not sure of the exact measurement, but it's a decent walk) and then when we came back around to the house I felt so good we did it again! It felt fantastic to get out and do something... Chad was complaining that I was walking too fast, I almost felt like breaking out into a jog! Definitely going to start trying to exercise more in order to help myself along in this weight loss journey!

breakfast
scrambled egg beaters egg whites-75 calories
3 pieces turkey bacon-120 calories
2 pieces whole wheat toast with I can't believe it's not butter spray-110 calories

breakfast total
305 calories

snack
baked wheat pringles sticks-90 calories

lunch
2 slices whole wheat bread-110 calories
2 tablespoons PB2 dehydrated peanut butter-45 calories
1.5 tablespoons sugar free grape jam-15 calories
1 carrot-25 calories
1 cup green grapes-104 calories

lunch total
294 calorie

snack
chocolate rice cake-60 calories

dinner
1 cup spaghetti squash-50 calories
1 cup spaghetti sauce-100 calories
6 pre-made butterball italian seasoned turkey meatballs-170 calories
fresh spinach-free
2tbs fat free thousand island dressing-45 calories

dinner total
365

dessert
oats and chocolate fiber one bar-140 calories

extra snacks I added later.... lol 1 red pear-100 calories and 1 banana wheat muffin-66 calories

today's total 1425


For the spaghetti sauce I bought a pre-made sauce (Hunt's 4 cheese) and I sauteed a whole bell pepper, onion, and fresh mushrooms to add to it. I sauteed them in 1 tbs olive oil. The spaghetti squash was a pretty good subsitute! It still had a little crunch to it, so next time I'll bake the squash longer, but other than that it was delicious and passed the ultimate test...KYE ATE IT! lol (Also gonna add...the butterball italian seasoned turkey meatballs...delicious..I probably could have eaten the whole bag!)

January 23, 2011

I did not get much rest last night at all, Kye was up at 3am ready to party and pounced all over us from 3-5...BUT I woke up energized and ready to go because *today* was the official end of week 1/beginning of week 2 and our first official WEIGH IN! (See today's earlier blog) I did fantastic and lost 3.82% of my body weight in one week. Not only can I see a difference on the scale, but I can see a difference on my body (once again, refer to previous blog :)) Chad & I had decided that Sundays would be our 'cheat' day, though I consider it more of an 'allowance' day because I never planned to go crazy, just allow myself something that wouldn't normally fit in my meal plan. After seeing such great results this morning, I really didn't have much desire to 'cheat' at all. I did have a larger piece of steak than I would on an average day, and today's calorie total is a little higher than my usual day, but I'm still more than 200 calories under what I 'should' be eating to lose weight while breastfeeding, so I think I did good! Tomorrow is another day and the start of a new week to lose weight!


breakfast
fruit/yogurt/spinach smoothie
1 cup dannon light and fit fat free strawberry yogurt-110 calories
1 medium banana-109 calories
1 medium peach-42 calories
2 cups fresh spinach-14 calories

breakfast total-275 calories

snack
2tbs PB2 dehydrated peanut butter-45 calories
1tbs sugar free grape jam-10 calories
1 slice whole wheat toast-55 calories

snack total
110 calories

lunch
healthy choice cafe steamers chicken marsala-260 calories
2 teaspoons parmesan/romano cheese-20 calories

lunch total-280 calories

dinner
9oz New York strip-528 calories
1 serving corn-100 calories
2 servings green beans-40 calories

dinner total
668 calories

dessert
fiber one bar-140 calories

today's total-1473 calories

Weekly Weigh in #1!!!!!

Sundays will warrant an extra post aside from the usual food log :) Today was our first official weigh in. Today's weight you might ask? 

201.4!!!!!!!

That's a loss for the week of 8 lbs even!

I never dreamed I would share these pictures with anybody other than the ladies in our weight loss group, but after just one week I can see a difference in my stomach. It's not pretty, but I've had 2 babies. This changed body was given to me by the 2 most precious gifts in the world, and I'm not ashamed of it! I am so incredibly proud of myself and so excited with my first week's progress. It's even more motivating to see results. Can't wait to see where the next 6 weeks and beyond take me. My next goal? To be under 200 lbs for the first time in over 4 years!

January 22, 2011

Happy Saturday! I woke up feeling well-rested...probably because Koen slept 8 hours straight and then let me sleep in until 9 after that, and Kye slept 13 hours straight and didn't wake up until 10! Records for both of them! I had a ton of homework today and by the time that was all done I was naturally stressed. I went upstairs and took a nice long bath and shower, it was fantastic! The mistake of the day? Watching Iron Chef & Food Network Challenge...the latter dealing with chocolate! Luckily it was dinner time so I started cooking to get rid of my craving. We had tacos with turkey in place of beef and they tasted just the same, even with using light sour cream and spinach instead of lettuce...delish! Tomorrow is our first official weigh in day and I can't wait! I know I've been doing well and I can't wait to get my official numbers and share them!!

breakfast
egg white sandwich! yum!
2 slices whole wheat bread-110 calories
2 servings egg beaters egg whites-50 calories
1 slice 2% cheese-60 calories
1/2 cup fat free vanilla yogurt-55 calories
1 peach-66 calories
lots of butter flavored cooking spray to toast bread and scramble egg-freeee

breakfast total
341 calories

lunch
Healthy Choice Cafe Steamers balsamic garlic chicken-250 calories

snack
pizza flavored baked wheat pringles sticks-90 calories

dinner
turkey tacos!
3 stand n stuff taco shells with seasoning and sauce included-225 calories
3 servings of ground turkey-216 calories
3tbs light sour cream-60 calories
1/4 cup 2% mild cheddar shredded cheese-80 calories
diced tomatoes and fresh spinach-free

dinner total (3 tacos) 581 calories

dessert
fiber one bar-140 calories

today's total-1402 calories

January 21, 2011

WHAT A DAY! All I want is a big fat bowl of ice cream. Koen was up about once an hour from midnight on last night, so I did cheat a little this morning and had a Frappucino,but I did good and ordered it tall & skinny. The rest of the day wasn't so bad, and then this afternoon I had to run an errand and both boys screamed the whole time..it was so stressful. I had to listen to them for a good 45 minutes no matter what I did to try and make them happy. I've always turned to food in times of stress and I want ice cream now more than ever. I am not going to have any, but boy do I want it! I am determined to keep losing weight (I am quite pleased with the numbers so far, official weigh in Sunday a.m.!). I need to find other ways to satisfy myself when I have these cravings. Tonight-chocolate teddy grahams. Not the best for me, but I was low on calories for the day anyway and they're better than the 190 calorie per half cup ice cream that is left in the freezer from pre-diet. *sigh* This isn't easy, but I want to do everything I can do be a healthier person for me and for my kids. 

Breakfast
Tall Peppermint Mocha Frappucino, light-130 calories
1 packet Quaker Instant Reduced Sugar Oatmeal, maple & brown sugar-120 calories

breakfast total 250 calories

snack
baked wheat pringles sticks-90 calories

lunch
healthy choice meal garlic herb shrimp (NOT recommended)-260 calories
peach-66 calories

lunch total
326 calories

snack
chocolate rice cake-60 calories

dinner
lemon and garlic butter shrimp (12)-183 calories
brown rice-225 calories
broccoli/cauliflour mix- free

dessert
1oz package chocolate Teddy Grahams-120 calories

dinner total
407.8

today's total-1254

no real recipes for today, plain brown rice. For the shrimp all I did is sautee them in 1 tablespoon country crock light, 1/4 cup lemon juice, and 1tablespoon minced garlic...they were delicious! I made 10 ounces(24) shrimp and that made 2, 183 calorie servings

January 20, 2011

Today was pretty uneventful, just hung around the house all day and cleaned (and dealt with our smoke detector going off for the 3.5 hours that the oven was in self-clean...arghhh!) So I will just get right to the breakdown of what was on the menu today :)

breakfast
2 packets Quaker Reduced Sugar Instant Oatmeal, cinnamon and spice-220 calories
1 red pear-100 calories

breakfast total
320 calories

snack
caramel corn rice cake-50 calories

lunch
Healthy Choice Cafe Steamers Lemon & Garlic Chicken & Shrimp-260 calories

snack 2
chocolate rice cake-60 calories

dinner
Herbed Turkey Burgers with Ranch potato wedges! (major YUMMM)

burger patty-208 calories
1.5 servings of potatoes(I just HAD to get a few more! lol)-276 calories
bun-120 calories
1 tbs fat free mayo-30 calories
1 slice 2% cheese-45 calories
we topped them with raw spinach, tomato, and some hamburger dill slices, all free :)

dinner total-  679 calories

today's total-1369 calories

now for some RECIPES!

Herbed Turkey Burgers
1 lb ground turkey
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried marjoram
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp basil
salt and pepper to taste

mix everything together and split into 4 patties, cook in skillet until done! I tried to grill these... I now know better. I went to flip them the first time and the whole first layer of my burger stuck tot he grill...so I brought them inside and finished them on a stove top griddle. DELICIOUS. And I usually hate ground turkey :) We topped them with fresh spinach, tomato, pickle, 2% sliced cheese, and some fat free mayo! Each patty is 208 calories, or 430 for the whole burger how I made it.

potatoes, super simple!
4 medium russet potatoes, cut into wedges
1 packet hidden valley ranch salad dressing or seasoning mix
lots of butter flavored cooking spray

toss the potatoes and ranch mix together(I had to add a teeny bit of water to get them well coated)

soak a foil covered baking sheet with cooking spray, lay the potatoes on the baking sheet, then spray the potatoes with a good amount of cooking spray. Bake at 400 for 15 minutes, flip them and bake for another 15 minutes. THey got good and crisp and super delicious! This makes 4 servings at 184 calories per serving

Our yummy dinner!(I did end up eating about 4 more potato wedges...) It was perfectly filling and super delicious!

January 19, 2011

 Today was a fairly good day, but I did have a weak moment or two! Went to visit an adorable newborn, but the smell of the pumpkin bread baking in the oven was oh so tempting and most definitely made my mouth water, but I stayed strong ;) The real test of my willpower came this afternoon. Both boys were screaming bloody murder (so that I actually pulled off the side of the road to find pacis and sippys on the super dark part of Sabre between the gate and the shopette). It was probably the most stressful 5 minutes of my life. Koen got better, and Kye quit screaming, but was a total terrible toddler the rest of the night. I've always turned to food when stressed, and it took everything I had tonight to come home and eat a chocolate fiber one bar instead of stopping at the shopette for ice cream... but I made it and quite enjoyed my fiber one bar! Pretty uneventful day, but here's my dieting tip for the day for people who HATE water like I do.... fancy it up! I add fresh lemon slices and 2 packets of sweet and low to a bottle of aquafina (the only kind of bottle water I can stand to drink regularly). It's like my own little calorie free yummy lemonade! I've been trying to drink 4 bottles of water a day and without this little trick it would never happen!


breakfast
3/4 cup cheese and chive egg beaters-105 calories
1/2 cup fat free vanilla yogurt-55 calories
1/4 cup almond and granola cereal-130 calories
1 medium gala apple-80 calories

breakfast total
370

snack
caramel corn rice cake-50 calories

lunch
healthy choice cafe steamers red pepper chicken alfredo-260 calories

dinner
4oz lemon pepper baked tilapia- 170 calories
Mashed sour cream and chive red potatoes-171 calories
butter garlic sauteed green beans- 110 calories

dinner total
451 calories

dessert was a fiber one bar-140 calories

today's total 1271 calories


ahh dinner, the highlight of my night! No recipes tonight, nope, I pulled everything straight from my noggin and plugged it into the handy recipe calculator (see yesterday's post for link!) to get nutrition facts! Luckily for you guys, now there ARE recipes, because I made them up (yeah yeah may not be all that original! lol)

Fish
2 4oz tilapia filets
1 lemon, sliced in flat round slices
1 tablespoon country crock light margarine spread
salt and pepper

I cooked the fish in foil packs. I sprayed the foil with non stick cooking spray. Then I put down the fish, salt and peppered it. Then I put 1/2 tbs of the margarine on top of each one, then squeezed 2 lemon slices over it and laid the squeezed slices on top of the fish. I closed up the foil packs and baked at 350 for 25 minutes... DELISH!

Potatoes
6 red potatoes (my 6 came to about 25oz which is what I punched into the recipe calculator)
1/2 cup light sour cream
1/2 cup chicken broth
salt and pepper
fresh chopped chives (probably about 2 tablespoons worth)
butter buds butter flavor sprinkles-1 tablespoon

boil the potatoes, drain. Lightly mash the potatoes so that they're still chunky. Stir in all the other ingredients. They were quite yummy :) The fat part of me couldn't help but think how much better they would have been with a big fat spoonful of butter, but they were still good nonetheless, this makes 4 servings at 171 calories per serving.

green beans
13oz fresh green beans from the produce section
2 tablespoons country crock light
2 tablespoons minced garlic
salt and pepper

sautee the green beans in the butter garlic mixture until they're cooked to your liking (I like mine slightly crisp inside.. mmm) and then lightly salt and pepper to taste...super YUMMY! I am so excited that I've still been able to get buttery flavors without using my 'real' butter. The margarine really is quite good!

January 18, 2011

So, I finally got some clothes that fit the other day and today I completed the look!  I left Chad with the baby and I went and got my hair highlighted, toned, styled, and my eyebrows waxed. I came home and put on some of my fabulous new clothes and a little makeup and I'm feeling fantastic! (Plus I got a couple pair of shoes when we went to the mall... I NEVERRRR get things for me..always for the boys!) Feeling good about myself now only makes me want to feel BETTER about myself in the future! For the first time in my life, I feel like I can do this. Whenever I've tried to diet before I always felt like I was missing out on things and that I couldn't eat good things. I don't know where I got that misconception because I've been eating great, I don't even feel like I'm dieting. I've only been officially at this for less than a week, but I'm not feeling deprived, I am ok with a chocolate fiber one bar in place of a piece of chocolate, or a rice cake as a snack. Whenever I've dieted before the second I say I'm dieting all I can think of is bad food. My only weak point today was at the salon when one other customer came in with a McDonald's cheeseburger and fries, and then one of the stylists came in with chick-fil-a... I don't think about these foods, but smelling them sure made my stomach grumble for them! I persevered though and am proud of myself for doing so. I've decided our new go-to place when we want to go out is Applebee's because of their amazing under 550 calories menu. I ate a normal size steak, plus shrimp and sides for 500 calories and it was completely delicious. Trying something different next time :)

breakfast
1.5 cups chocolate cheerios-200 calories
1 cup fat free milk-80 calories
1 banana- 105 calories

breakfast total
385 calories

snack
1 caramel rice cake-60 calories
1 20oz diet cherry dr pepper (I had to... lol)-0 calories

lunch
last night's leftover chicken fried rice- about 1.5 servings, around 400ish calories

dinner
Applebee's signature sirloin with garlic herb shrimp, topped with a light cream sauce, slivered almonds, and fresh bruschetta, served with steamed herb potatoes and seasonal vegetables- 500 CALORIES!

will probably eat a fiber one bar later-140 calories

Today's total 1345(maybe 1485) calories.

January 17, 2011

I am so excited about what transpired last night! Myself and my good friends Jessica Stone, Tara Scott, Kimberley Elkins, Jamie Whaley, and Jess's good friend Stephanie Ruiz have all decided to challenge each other! For 7 weeks we'll weigh on Sundays, whoever has lost the most weight takes the win for that week, at the end of the 7 weeks, whoever has the most wins gets a $20 gift card for new SKINNIER clothes from each of the 4 losers... that's $100!! What better motivation than some healthy competition amongst friends?! I am so excited (might as well get the envelopes addressed ladies... you're going DOWN! haha!!). I'm starting this post this morning, because I ate more components for breakfast and I won't remember them all day! lol I'll update throughout the day as I eat more :)

Breakfast
3/4 cup Southwestern Style egg beaters- 90 calories
1/4 cup 2% shredded cheddar cheese- 80 calories
1 banana-105 calories
1/2 cup fat free strawberry yogurt-55 calories
1 cup fat free milk-80 calories
1 tablespoon ovaltine-20 calories

breakfast total
430 calories

Lunch
1 can tuna-100 calories
2tbs fat free mayonnaise- 60 claories
2 tablespoons dill pickle relish-freeeee
15 saltine crackers-180 calories

lunch total
340 calories

snack
chocolate crunch rice cake-60 calories

dinner
Chicken fried rice-482.6 calories

'dessert'
fiber one bar-140 calories


Today's total- 1452.6 calories!



All I have to say is WOW! Breakfast was delicious and oh so filling! The egg beater omelet was as good as any other I've had, but so much healthier! Tara pointed out that I should be taking in more calories than I have the last few days because of my nursing Koen, so I found a great calculator (http://www.dietitian.com/calcbody.php) that is very specific and tells you exactly how many calories you should be taking in based on your individual situation, mine says 1706 in order to breastfeed and lose about 2 lbs a week. I probably won't eat quite that many, but I have started taking my prenatal vitamins again to make sure all my bases are covered..thanks Tara :)

Lunch was the so-so tuna salad, but filling enough :) Now for DINNER! I felt fat after I ate because there was NOTHING about it that tasted healthy. Recipe below!

Chicken Fried Rice
6 oz. cooked diced chicken breast
1/4 c. low sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 tbsp. low sodium teriyaki sauce
1 tsp. grated gingerroot (optional)
Pinch of white pepper
2 tsp. vegetable oil
1/4 egg beaters
1/2 c. diced onion
1/2 c. shredded carrot
1 1/2 c. cooked white rice
1/2 c. frozen peas

In small bowl, combine chicken, 2 tablespoons water, broth, teriyaki sauce, gingerroot and pepper; set aside.
In large non-stick skillet, heap 1 teaspoon of the oil. Add egg; cook, stirring until set, but still moist. Remove egg to warm plate. Add remaining oil and heat. Add onion and carrot; cook, stirring frequently, 3-4 minutes until tender. Stir in rice and peas. Cook until rice begins to brown. Add chicken mixture and egg, cook 5 minutes longer. 4 servings.

I probably used more like 3/4 cup of carrots, but what's not good about more veggies right? The only other things I did different was I added 1 tablespoon of low-sodium soy sauce to the chicken mixture. This added 15 calories to the entire dish, so I guess my dinner was really 7.5 calories more than previously stated :) I also cooked the peas with the carrots and onions instead of adding them with the rice because I wanted them to get good and soft (they're not my favorite...at all). I ate a very good big portion (2 technical servings) and it was DELICIOUS. My toddler who despises peas and carrots loved it. It took me a while to even get him to take a bite because he could see the peas, but once he finally did he followed his first bite with an OH WOW! (which was totally adorable)

So here it is, my generous portion of delicious steaming chicken fried rice :)

I didn't have exact nutrition information, but I found a fabulous site! http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-calculator.asp is a calculator where you put in all your ingredients and measurements, and how many servings to make it, and it tells you the exact nutrition information! So this delicious dish per serving (remember, I ate 2!) is

Nutrition Facts
4 Servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories		241.3
Total Fat		7.8 g
	Saturated Fat	0.8 g
	Polyunsaturated Fat	2.3 g
	Monounsaturated Fat	4.4 g
Cholesterol		25.0 mg
Sodium		377.2 mg
Potassium		283.1 mg
Total Carbohydrate		26.8 g
	Dietary Fiber	1.9 g
	Sugars	2.5 g
Protein		14.7 g

January 16, 2011

What a long day! We went shopping today, as I haven't bought non-maternity clothes in over 2 years. Shopping is generally not a good experience for me, I love so many clothes and hate the way they look on me... but today was good! I am now IN LOVE with Maurice's (& they're probably in love with me after the $270 dent to my bank account). I found tons of stuff! A lot of it is kind of form fitting, but enough that I'm still comfortable in it, which will be beneficial with weight loss because it'll still fit for a while. For the first time in a long time I found clothes that I feel good in which only makes me want to improve myself even more!

The challenge for today was that we ate 2/3 of our meals away from home. I could have done better with dinner, but I had done so well the rest of the day that I think I did pretty well! My meals for the day...

Breakfast
1 cup fat free vanilla yogurt 110 calories
1/4 cup almond and granola cereal 130 calories
1 peach about 40 calories

breakfast total: 280 calories

Snack
1 chocolate crunch rice cake 60 calories

Lunch
Panera Bread (mmmmmm)
1/2 smoked turkey sandwich 220 calories
1/2 classic cafe salad 80 calories

lunch total: 300 calories

Dinner
Bonefish Grill (super mmmmmmm)
6oz chilean seabass topped with butter 270 calories
Garlic Whipped Mashed Potatoes 270 calories
No Butter Steamed Seasonal veggies---freeeeeee
I'm gonna add an extra 100 calories because I did have some chimichurri sauce etc, so I'm covering my butt :)

dinner total: 640 calories


All day total: 1280 calories!!


Today was definitely a challenge... took everything I had to resist a bacon turkey bravo at Panera (880 calories!!!) and I'm quite proud of myself for not eating the extra piece of bread that came on the side of the salad... Even more than that I didn't TOUCH the bread with delicious pesto/olive oil dipping sauce at bonefish grill! I would have come out a bit better on the fish but they were out of my favorite rainbow trout :( I had them leave the butter off the veggies, but said to leave it on the potatoes and fish (fearing a deficit of flavor) but next time I'll definitely have them leave off all the butter, their food is sooo good it doesn't need it. Made a stop off for a good scale on the way home. On a normal weigh day I will weigh first thing Sunday morning on an empty stomach, but for today I had to weigh at night.

1-16-11 weigh in

209.4 lbs


I'm pretty happy with that, because this last Monday when we were at Wonder Works, they made us step on a scale before we got onto every attraction (250 lbs weight limit..) and they all consistently said 216 lbs, so just these last few days are already paying off :) Will be updating daily, but not weighing again until next Sunday! Thank you all for all the support you've already given, it means the world to me <3 Rachel

January 15, 2011

Ahhh and it begins! I woke up this morning ready to start anew! I have decided that I will allow myself one day a week to bake (because it's one of my biggest passions) and eat something that I wouldn't normally on a diet. This 'cheat' day will NOT be a binge day, but a day of allowances! So, here goes my day!

Breakfast:
1 cup fat free vanilla yogurt- 110 calories
1/4 granola/almond cereal- 130 calories
6 strawberries- 40 calories

Mid-morning snack
1 Chocolate rice cake-60 calories (and SUPER yummy!)

Lunch
1 Healthy Choice Steamers Microwavable meal- 220 calories

Mid-Afternoon Snack
1 Red Pear minus a few toddler-size bites ;) about 95 calories

Dinner
Pork Fajita Stew over white rice (don't have calorie count)

Dessert
Weight Watchers mock cheesecake (was surprisingly delicious!)


Slow Cooker Fajita Stew
2-1/2 lbs. lean meat (I used pork, chicken or lean beef would be good too!)
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
14 oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 oz. envelope fajita seasoning mix,
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1" pieces
1 green bell pepper, cut into 1" pieces
1/4 cup flour

Trim excess fat from meat and cut into 2" pieces. Combine with onion and garlic in a 4-5 quart slow cooker. Mix together fajita seasoning mix (either purchased or your own homemade) and undrained tomatoes and pour over beef. Place peppers on top. Cover crockpot and cook on low for 7-9 hours until beef is tender.
Combine flour with water in a small bowl and stir well to mix. Add gradually to crockpot and stir well. Cover slow cooker and cook on high for 15-20 minutes until thickened, stirring occasionally. Serve stew with hot cooked rice or hot couscous. 8 servings

The only alteration I did to this recipe was that I used a can of diced tomatoes and green chiles instead of just plain tomatoes. The only real fat in this recipe is in the meat, the rest is pretty much yummy veggies!


Weight Watchers Cheesecake
2 env. plain gelatin
1 lb. low calorie Cottage cheese
1 (number 2) lg. can crushed pineapple (no sugar) with juice
1/2 c. pineapple juice
4 packets sugar substitute (equal to 8 tsp. sugar)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. butter flavoring

Soften gelatin in pineapple juice, bring to boil. Put Cottage cheese, pineapple, sugar substitute, vanilla and flavorings in blender. Blend thoroughly. Add gelatin and juice. Chill. Place in graham cracker crust, top with more fruit.

 

I was so skeptical of this recipe because I DETEST cottage cheese, but it actually came out realllly good! Not quite cheesecake, but close, surprisingly close. Definitely great when you need something!  I used 8 tbs splenda in palce of 4 packets of sugar substitute. I cut it into 8 even slices and ended up eating 2 (oops... I'm a breastfeeding mom, I'll say the other was Koen's k?!). I topped it with some sliced strawberries that I had sprinkled a little bit of splenda on and it was really good! It even got the ok of a firefighter or two!

January 14, 2011

Last night was my first attempt at a healthier recipe. Mind you, it's not the healthiest of recipes, and things like the tortilla, sauce, cheese, etc can really add up if you don't portion right, but it's on the right track to being healthier!

On the menu: Baja Battered Fish Tacos & Rice Pilaf

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 cup beer, preferably lager or pilsner
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1-1 1/4 pounds tilapia, or other firm white fish, sliced into 1/2-inch-by-2-inch strips
3 tablespoons canola oil, divided

1. Place beer, all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, salt, oregano, mustard, cayenne and pepper in a blender; blend until smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary. Transfer the batter to a shallow baking dish. Add fish, turning to coat all sides.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Transfer one-third of the battered fish to the pan, placing each piece into a little oil. Cook until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer cooked fish to a plate; keep warm. Add 1 tablespoon oil and half the remaining fish to the pan; cook as directed above, reducing the heat if necessary. Cook the remaining fish with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Serve immediately.

Makes 8 servings, Nutrition info: Per serving: 120 calories; 6 g fat (0 g sat, 3 g mono); 33 mg cholesterol; 4 g carbohydrates; 11 g protein; 0 g fiber; 112 mg sodium; 180 mg potassium.

(I only cooked about half the amount of fish it asked for since it was just the 2 of us)

We put them in 96% fat free flour tortillas with chopped raw spinach, tomatoes, and a few sprinkles of 2% shredded cheddar cheese. I wanted some kind of sauce but that can really be the killer with fat and calories, so I found a recipe and altered the ingredients to healthier options. 

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup ripe avocado

1/4 cup fat free mayo

1/4 cup fat free sour cream

1 tablespoon fat free milk

1 1/2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon dried parsley

1 pinch dried dill weed

1/8 teaspoon onion powder

1 pinch garlic powder

 I put everything in the blender and blended til smooth...it was delicious!

I used a box mix rice pilaf, but I eliminated the butter/margarine addition and measured out and only ate 1 serving.

Going to try to get this thing going.

I'm Rachel. I love food. I love to cook it, I love to eat it. My body reflects that love! I am so determined this time to get myself and my family healthier. I've tried in the past and I always fail. I have very little self control and I need to be accountable to somebody, so this blog was born. I am going to post exactly what I eat every day, good or bad. I will share yummy healthy recipes when I find them, and once a week on Sunday I will weigh myself and (can't believe I'm gonna do this part...) post it here to track progress. Tomorrow I am going to buy a good scale and start my weigh ins, probably at night because that's when it's easiest to weigh, record, and blog about it! I have struggled with weight loss in the past and the only reason I've ever lost any weight is because I'm a freak of nature when it comes to pregnancy and have lost weight with both of my pregnancies (2 in 2 years time). I would love to get pregnant again in July with one last little Anderson baby, but I would love it even more if I could get a little healthier first. I have blood pressures issues which would almost certainly be alleviated by some weight loss and lots of personal issues with body image and self-confidence. I am going to need lots of support and encouragement through all of this, but I have a fabulous group of friends and I'm confident that with all of your love and support I can do this!