Quick Update

What a busy few days! Between trying to get things packed & ready to move, helping my mom with my nieces, my little one, working & everything else, I haven't had a moment to blog. My eating is still on track, although I haven't weighed in at all. I will in the morning & post :) Can't believe I am actually looking forward to working out tomorrow. Mostly, I just love seeing the lbs come off on the scale :) Sad, but true. No, I'm not obsessed, just proud of myself I am able to stick with it and see some results. They aren't coming off as fast as I had thought, but they're at least coming off! I just have to keep at it, keep doing what I am doing, and I will reach my goal. My morning is going to start earlier than I want it to, so I must make this short & sweet.. G'nite!

Fun & Healthy Recipes!

It's hard to believe how many awesome, healthy recipes are out there. There is a blog I follow called "Undressed Skeleton", that posts so many good ones.. I though I would share! I plan on making these at least once in the near future. Enjoy!!

HEALTHY SHRIMP SPRING ROLLS
Calories 85, Fat 2g, Protein 5g, Carbs 14g Per Roll.

•Ingredients:

1 Bag Shredded Carrots
1 Bag Shredded Cabbage
1 Back Broccoli Slaw
1 Cup Chopped Green Onion
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Cup Medium Cooked Shrimp
 2 Tbsp Lite Asian Ginger Salad Dressing
Large All Natural Won Ton Wrappers
Salt and Pepper
Directions: In a mixing bowl combine carrots, cabbage, broccoli slaw, green onion, olive oil and shrimp. Cook on medium heat until sauteed. Add in Asian Ginger Dressing, salt and pepper. Preheat oven to 350 Dip Wonton wrapper into water and add 1/4 cup filling and roll Bake 10-13 Minutes

FIBER RICH PIZZA ROLLS
Calories :245 Fat :9g Carbohydrates :29g Protein :21g Fiber : 16g


Ingredients:
•1 Large Carb Smart Tortilla
•1/2 Cup Fresh Spinach
•5 Orange Bell Pepper Strips
•10 Raw Almonds
•1 Tbsp Low Fat Parmesan Cheese
•1 Large Carrot Sliced
•2 Slices Turkey Breast Meat (You can replace turkey with Morning StarChicken.
•1/4 Cup Organic Muir Glen Pizza Sauce
Directions:
1.Place Tortilla Flat on a Plate.
2.Add all ingredients, but Add Cheese and Pizza Sauce Last.
3.Carefully Fold Tortilla into a Roll

FLAT OUT FIBER PIZZA!
235 Calories, 14g Protein, 24g Carbs, 4g Fat 12g Fiber

Ingredients:
•1 Flatout Bread
•1/4 Cup Vegan Cheese
•1/3 Cup Pizza Sauce (Muir Glen)
•1/4 Orange Bell Pepper Sliced
•1/4 Cup Red Onion Slices
•1 Tbsp Jalapenos
•5 Smart Deli Pepperonis
•I would recommend adding 1 cup spinach to the pizza too! I just didn’t have any in the house!

Bake the pizza in the oven on 350 for 15 minutes.



HOPE YOU ENJOY THESE! I'LL BE POSTING SOME EVERY COUPLE DAYS :)
<3

What to eat for snack?

I've been struggling a bit with not eating enough, but feeling like I've eaten plenty. So I've done a little research and thought I would share a recipe I came across ( I tweaked it a bit, semi-accidentally). It's for a quick easy snack and packed with protein and all kinds of good stuff. Low on carbs as well :)
Peanut Butter Protein Balls:
http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/snacks/r/pbproteinballs.htm

Liz & I made them according to the recipe.. But they didn't have enough moisture in them to really form a ball. We tasted them as they were and... Ick! The flavor was not bad, but the texture was like I had poured a cup of flour into my mouth :/ so.. I Google'd some more and tweaked it to my liking. I used the same ingredients above and added 3tbsp Honey and 1 additional tsp Vanilla. They're fabulous! My new snack! It makes about 16 balls :) they are super easy to make as well, taking about 5min. The rest of mine (we each ate one) are chilling in the fridge for our enjoyment the next few days!

Measurements!

I decided to take my measurements today, to see where I was at.
Waist: 42" (4in smaller!)
Hips: 46" (2in smaller)
Bust: 43" (1in smaller)
Arms: 12" (same)

I guess I can tell where the weight is coming off.. And I'm thrilled! They always say belly fat is the hardest to lose.. I hope I continue this pattern!

1st goal: 10lbs.. MET!

I did it! The first 10lbs is gone! Monday's are my official weigh in days (although it's really hard for me to wait a whole 7 days in between!). So, this morning I got on the scale and another pound was lost. Woot!! I am so excited! My current weight is 211. I am dying to see any number under 200 and that is my current motivation. Here is a peak at how much just 10lbs can make a difference (see pic). I can fit into my size 16's, although not as comfortable as I'd like.. So I'm still wearing my 18's. But, just weeks ago they were tight (and I refused to buy a 20!). I have so many size 13/14 pants that I cannot wait to wear :) again, more motivation! Happy Monday y'all!

Couldn't resist the scale.. Again.

I really try to only weigh in once a week, but sometimes I just can't help it! I want to see if my hard work is paying off. :) Gladly, it is. I'm down 9lbs since I started.. 10 days ago. Yay me! On a side note: A big thank you to my hubby who has been my motivator.. Especially when I wanted a hamburger tonight, and fried potatoes.. Haha. He reassured me how horrible I'd feel and also how guilty. So, chicken, squash, green beans, corn and Lima beans it was. :) yum!

Frustration sets in..

Today I felt I was going really well, eating what I should.. Until I looked at my daily calorie intake. No, it wasn't over! It was under, by about half of what I should be eating. I'm not hungry & I don't feel like I should eat.. But 800 calories just isn't enough. Guess my food intake needs some tweaking. I am trying not to get frustrated, as that will lead me to failure ultimately. So thanks to my sista M & a few texts later.. I feel better & just need to realize I NEED to eat more calories & not feel the guilt of it. (healthy calories of course).
On a good note, my mom & I had a good workout today and did some weights as well as the treadmill. (she did the rowing machine). Exercise hasn't been a part of my daily routine for years, so I need to remember I need to eat more while doing so. It's all a learning process! :)

Losing weight is rewarding!!

Losing weight is not easy. For anyone. It takes real motivation and determination and patience.. I think this is why so many people yo yo with dieting and weight loss. It gets frustrating at times. I've decided to put myself on a reward system. It's nothing extravagant, but something to look forward to as I am bustin' my butt during workouts, or getting frustrated at the people next to me eating a big fat slice of greasy pizza :) Here are my rewards:

10lbs - New Makeup (hey, that stuff isn't cheap!)
20lbs - Get my nails done
30lbs - Get my hair cut & colored
40lbs (goal weight)- NEW CLOTHES!


I am pretty excited about the 40lbs goal weight :) Not just because of losing 40lbs, but who doesn't want new, cute, skinnier clothes??!! This is all definitely motivation for me!

Weights today, treadmill tomorrow

My first day on the treadmill was yesterday. I will admit, just walking for 30min @ 3mph kicked my A. I was sweaty and my heart rate was up to about 135. I guess that is supposed to happen, right? It wasn't at all bad, just reminded me how out of shape I really was. Instead of discouraging me, it motivated me. My mom loves to do weights, she says the treadmill is too boring! So we've compromised on treadmill Monday & Wednesday, then weights Tuesday & Thursday. Sound like a great plan to me! I don't work Fridays, but I do still plan on getting my exercise in. Either taking a walk with my B or using my inlaws treadmill. I've always hated working out, but I guess if you're in the right mindset, it's not so bad!!

LoseIt!

Last week, a friend of mine introduced me to a new app for my iPhone. I'm in love! I probably would have even paid for it, but it's free! It's called 'LoseIt'. It's a daily food tracker as well as a goal tracker. It's so easy to log what I eat & quickly. It has all the major food brands you find at the grocery store and if you don't want to search for it, just scan the barcode and there it is! It also has the a lot of restaurants in there too! I set up my weight goal in the beginning and it put me on a daily calorie count for what I am wanting to achieve. It logs every calorie and tells me if I'm over or under for the day. (I'm happy to report I've been under every single day!) I wasn't supposed to weigh in today but I couldn't resist the scale this morning :) I'm down another pound! I'll take it!
So far this weight loss journey has been far different than the others, in a good way. It's not something I feel I have to do or struggle with.
Yesterday was my FIL's birthday & we decided to get dinner and cake and have a small thing at home, just us. The teenagers opted for pizza, and the adults, tacos & burritos from a local Mexican food store. We went to Albertsons to pick up the cake and I decided on a roasted chicken breast, a side salad of greens, walnuts & cranberries w/ raspberry vinegar dressing. I even skipped the cake and picked up a black cherry Greek yogurt instead! (i washed it all down with a Vitamin water) I didn't mind missing the cake, as I've never really been a cake person anyway, I just ate it because, well, that's what you're supposed to do at a birthday, right?!
As we got in the car to go home last night, my hubby tells me how proud of me he is :) totally worth it!!!