Baby steps=more food choices!!!

Greetings friends and Happy Follow Friday!

So I hit the two week mark of being very good and sticking to my eating plan. :) Woohoo!!! This means that I get more food choices now! Yippee-ki-yeah! Worth it-totally. I see a huge difference already and so do others. Maybe I can ask them for a few quotables for you all to read. I'm very excited by all this. Can you tell?

Want to know what I can now eat in addition to my basics? For a review of the basics check out this post.
Here's the next page in my eating plan:
Follow the same foods as before. However, there are more substitutes you may have.

2 pieces of low carb bread (a day) OR 1 low carb tortilla
Tuna sandwich or egg salad sandwich (low/light mayo)-no cheese
OR plan ham sandwich with lettuce & tomato only
OR turkey-bacon sandwich with lettuce & tomato only

No more than 1 cup of skim milk (I had been wondering when I would get to drink milk again!!!). Kashi Go-Lean is a great cereal (I've heard the Go-Lean Crunch is best tasting) to eat or mix with yogurt.

Snack substitutes (I'm so thanking God for this because I was soooooo bored with my snackage!!!):
1. Stuffed mushrooms with hamburger meat, mozzarella (I'm assuming low cal/light though she didn't specify that), and spices
2. Stuffed jalapenos with spinach
3. Lettuce rolls with any kind of meat (no sauce other than salsa though)
4. Sunflower seeds (non-salted) 1/2 cup
5. Nuts 1/2 cup
6. Sugar free jello (I've never been so excited for jello!!! ahaha)
7. Pepperoni chips (I'm very excited for these though I've never had them they sound good)
8. Pork rinds
Low carb fudge bars (1 a day if you want) <-------See that!?!?! I get to eat something that tastes super yummy now!!! Woohoo!!! *dance party* Break it down, na! lol

Mustard is fine with anything. Eat tons of pickles if you can (those burn the heck out of fat cells!!!)
She also mentioned adding salsa and vinegar to any time to any thing to help burn up those fat cells.

She also decided to add sit-ups to the routine since I'm already supposed to be doing at least 30 minutes of cardio, working up to 45 minutes 3-4 times a week. I say supposed to because I was already doing 45 minutes of cardio about 4-5 times and recently an hour of zumba two days a week. You can read about my zumba experiences here, here, and here. There are weeks I make it to the gym or am active 6 out of 7 days. Go me!! When I realize how good I've been I take a day off, lol. I'm just at the time in my life where I can make it a priority and am choosing to do so. Buzz word: I choose to do so. You really do have to choose and commit if this is going to work. This is not another fad diet (dirty word) or something you can try and decide it didn't really work for you because until you get through the first two weeks I don't think you've given it an honest, committed effort (My first two weeks weren't strictly committed and I had to start over! That's how serious she was able this with me). She said it took her three tries before she could get serious and just stick to it. So, that being said, this isn't for everyone. It really takes dedication and support (My family has been amazingly supportive and given up things too just to make it easier on me and I never asked them to, but they did! How cool is my family?!). Don't feel bad if this isn't realistic for you! Maybe one day it will be. And maybe you don't need something this intense. I do. And it's working!!!! :D

Back to the sit-ups. She wants me to do 3 to 5 minutes of straight sit-ups, well, crunches because I want to protect my back. :)
Here are the instructions she wrote:
3 to 5 minutes--->Go until you can't anymore, then wait 30 seconds and continue on until you hit the 3 minutes mark. After 2 weeks you should be at 3 minutes straight. Start working toward 5 minutes.

Say it with me, "Ouch!" Well, that is one of my areas on my body I take issue with so I suppose it's not a bad thing to add this in. I do inwardly wince at how much this is going to hurt, especially the second and third days. Ooooo, not a pretty thought. Shake it off. Just do it, right? I think I'll probably start this after my mini-vaca! I will still keep up the eating plan and we will be very active so I'm not worried about that part. :)

Can I tell you that the last two nights I've not had the impulse to snack?! My mindset is changing ya'll! Wheeeeeee! Part of this eating plan is changing my mindset towards food and it is taking hold in me. This has gotten easier as the time has passed. Though I have to admit that my Grandma's peanut butter cookies that she baked especially for me fresh on Tuesday so they could leave the airport with my dad early Wednesday morning to make it into my hot little hands was very, very tempting. Soon, Grandma, soon I may have them again! What a nice thing to do though, huh? Did I mention I have a fantastic family? :)

Blessings on your journey today!
R

P.S. Don't forget to enter my giveaway!!! Clicky, clicky here for details! Best of luck!

FF sponsor:
 

You are sooooo gonna enter this giveaway! :)

Hello all!

So, here is what I'm going to be giving away!

Pretty neat, right? I make crochet toppers for kitchen towels so you can hang them in convenient reach instead of figure out where the last person who used it left it. I have so much fun making these and I thought it would be fun to give some of them away. I have a plethora of these right now. I will be giving away a set of two towels to one lucky winner!

Ways to enter:

1. Become a follower or let me know you already are! (1 entry)

2. Follow me on twitter (or let me know you already do). (1 entry)

3. Visit my Etsy store (button on the right) and leave a comment about your favorite towel I have for sale currently. (2 entries)

Bonus entries:
4. Blog about this giveaway and leave me a link in the comments. (5 entries)

5. Tweet about this giveaway and leave me a comment letting me know. (1 entry per tweet, limit of 3 tweets a day)

My thought behind this giveaway was that I'm spending more and more time in the kitchen and so I could give something away that was related to time well spent in the kitchen. And I just happen to make and sell these (shameless plug)! Plus, I love to make these and I wanted to share something I love with you!

Must have all entries in by midnight (CST) on April 1st! Thanks for stopping by and entering!

Blessings!
R

My 1st Giveaway!!

Hi all!!!

So I've decided I'm going to be giving away some of my hand-done kitchen towels!

I'll post the official ways to enter, along with a few pictures, tonight!

You know you're excited!!! I certainly am!

Blessings,
R

Progress report-STAT!

Hello friends!

How are all of you doing today?! I am fantastic! Just thought you'd like to know. I did zumba tonight instead of this morning because I picked up my dad from the airport during that time. We are having a great time having him here with us. We've already picked up the much-anticipated princess bike and my little girl is a pro! Ok, not quite yet, but she is well on her way. She hopped on the bike in the store and just started riding. All that practice when she was littler and fit on the littler bike paid off, ya'll! :) She fell down a couple times when she leaned too far (mostly in turns) but started to figure out her limits within that half hour we were able to squeeze in riding before dinner. :) I'm such a proud mommy, can you tell? I really adore my children, especially when they aren't whiney or crying. tehe!

Ok, so zumba was a great workout tonight. I am finding I really like this "dance" class. :) I still want to try cycling so if I can ever get a copy of the class schedule I will be trying that next! Tips?? Tricks?

I had my mom pass on an "OMG" comment to me about looking so fabulous. And now we have another lassie who wants to take a swing at this new eating plan. Another one down and another one down... I'm rather excited by this compliment. People are noticing. This makes me want to jump on the scale and see what it says (yes, even though it is not the best measurement of progress, it's one of the easiest to obtain :P).

Anyway, at the end of the month I will be posting pictures of myself. This will kind of be the starting point for all of you, but this will be me about 3 months back into seriously working out and about 5 weeks into this new eating plan for me. Sound good? Great!

I can tell you that after my son was born a little over a year ago I weighed 214 (AHHH!! I know, right?!). In January I weighed in at 193 (not great for weight loss, but terrible). The reason I didn't go back to working out like a mad woman to lose the weight was that I was nursing and they tell you not to diet or lose a bunch of weight as it can really interfere with producing enough for your baby to eat (did I put that delicately enough? lol). So losing 21 pounds during the first year isn't too bad for progress I'd say. :) And it doesn't really matter in the grand picture because it can't be changed now! ha

So, I'm very excited to see what I weigh in at and to see if I met my MOPS (Mothers of Pre-Schoolers) goal I set for myself of losing 20 pounds during the MOPS year (which, until this last month, was while I was still nursing). I was around 200 at the beginning of the MOPS season so my first goal is 180. Next goal will be 160. I haven't figured out where exactly I'll land and much more weight loss will start to get difficult after that because I will be building muscle. Muscle weighs more than fat so at that point the scale pretty much becomes useless and then I have to go by how loose my clothes are. :) If you didn't know, now you do!

Thanks for sticking in through that long post!
Blessings,
R

P.S. I get to have green veggies tomorrow!!!!
P.P.S. So my grandma in MN made me fresh peanut butter cookies yesterday and sent them down with my dad especially for me because she knows how much I love them. I was super, super, super tempted to throw in the towel and just start over again. Grandma's cookies are almost worth it. Almost, but not quite. I'm committed and I'm not starting over yet again! :)

Quick time-double time-don't drop it!

Hello all!

So my dad is coming to visit us in sunny AZ this week! I'm very excited by this. And my daughter is VERY, VERY excited for this. She is really looking forward to that new princess bike. :) My dad has gracious decided to give us a gift and bring us to Vegas for a bit while he is here! My husband has never been, but I really love the chaos of Vegas. :) This will be the first time I've been there and be old enough to gamble, lol!

Here's my hesitation-how on earth am I going to be able to keep up with my eating plan?! This is going to be a real test of my willpower and my creativity. lol So, I vow to make healthy choices while I'm away and I will blog about the results and what I learn when I return. All I can do is my best and that's what I plan to do. I don't want to have to start over, yet again! *insert eye roll here* I know I'll be getting plenty of exercise in the pool and walking all over the strip, tehe.

Other good news: I have to get a new bathing suit!!! Well, I am by no means ready for a tiny string bikini (and don't know if my modesty will ever let me where one of those!) I am ready for a smaller suit! I do love the results of all this hard work. This is just another incentive to not lose all the progress I've made.

And my new workout song for the day is "It happens" by Sugarland. We all have "those" days and all we can do is get back up and have a better day the next day. I find this song amusing because I know even when I'm having a fantastic day I've been there and it actually makes me more thankful for the good times.

Happy Monday and blessings!
R

Friday Follow

Hi all!

Thanks for stopping by for FF! This is my first time participating!

You can check out my last blog post about my zumba experience!

Enjoy reading and I will return the comments and follows! :)

Blessings,
R

La vaca, MOO!

Hello loves!

Thanks for your kind comments! I love reading them. :)

Let's get down to business. I told you that I would try zumba, and not just once, but a few times so that I got a clear perspective of the class and what it has to offer. Well, I generally give new things about four tries (usually over a four week span). Today was my fourth zumba class. They added a morning one! I liked this change mainly because the floor was less crowded and I could actually move without worrying about running into someone if I messed a step up. Trust me, I do this often--messing up a step, not running into someone. Moving on.

Zumba, for those who don't know, is a "dance party" kind of a class. It combines different dance movements and aerobic exercise. It is mainly inspired by latin dances (think merengue, samba, etc.). The music is loud and it is very high-energy (think lots of jumping around). Ok, so you all read about my first experience here! as well as my second adventure in zumba here!

Here's my conclusion: It is an incredibly good workout. You practically never stop moving. Most of the time you are jumping or moving your feet (quickly) or yes, shaking your booty, booty, booty, booty. One thing I was really surprised by and didn't expect was this--I went to my chiropractor to be adjusted today and there was absolutely nothing out of place in my hips or low back. I have never, in the approximately three years I've been seeing a chiropractor, had this happen--ever. So, all that hip movement has really helped to align my back! Crazy, huh? I love this fact and will continue to do zumba because it is a great workout and it has helped my back in a fantastic way! I'm still learning the steps and still constantly mess them up, but the instructor said today, the more you come the better you'll get. This is true of anything-the more you practice the better you will be.

For all of you that already love zumba and are addicted or are curious and want to try it, I have news for you! The instructor informed us this morning that zumba was coming out for WiiFit in December. Gosh, I should really be getting paid for this, lol. That's what I know. Go do some investigating and report back!

Blessings all!
R

P.S. The "La vaca, MOO!" title is one of the songs that is stuck in my head from this morning. It keeps repeating "la vaca, MOO!, la vaca, MOO!, la vaca, MOO!" and I can't get it out of my head, lol!
I tried to grab pictures from the zumba site for you, but you'll just have to look yourself--Zumba!

My husband is so creative!

Hello everyone!

I just had to share this with you all. My husband got a big, easy chair box and made it in to a house for our kids. He totally thought out where the door should be and the windows and even that the roof should be open so I can peak in on them while they play! He pretty much rocks at life! :)

Wanna see?

There are windows also on the ends like the one on the right. They have so much fun going in and out and playing inside. I know many of you out there are crafty, but how many also have creative husbands? Highlight the creative men in your life and leave me a comment so I can check out their creativity too.

Blessings all!
R

P.S. Eating and exercise are going well! Zumba with my neighbor tonight. I may attempt a core muscle class Wednesday morning and then Zumba after--1.5 hours of working out? Bring it! I sooooo want my old clothes off their hangers. Katie R., I thought about seeing if I needed to dust them! Ha!

Count backwards with me now...

Hello friends!

So, it is officially official because I'm announcing it on my blog: *drum roll please* I am no longer wearing my size 16 clothing! I am wearing my size 14 clothing!!! Can I tell you that I'm super excited that this has happened in three weeks time?! I can wear all my size 14 clothing comfortably and not be squeezing in and sucking it up just to button my pants (come on, you know you've done it too!). I feel amazing! I have more energy to give during my workouts and during my day with my kids and my husband thinks I'm hot (Ok, to his credit he always thinks that and makes me feel beautiful!). My body is starting to respond quicker to what I ask it to do and so on. I haven't "arrived" yet, but I'm on my way!

A friend of mine noticed the difference my new plan has made and said she wanted to join me! You can check out her journey of a different sort here!

I was thinking how fast my reaction time used to be playing basketball and how I could run down the ball and get in front of another girl to make the block and so on. I was thinking about the fact that I could ask my body to do that right now, but it just wouldn't be able to because of the extra weight I'm carrying. Soon though! :)

I went for a hike yesterday and carried my son on my back while doing so--I so rock! :) It was a shorter hike, but the terrain was kind of rough actually (we didn't do the hike we thought we were going to with our daughter). Check this out (and by this I mean me!):

I actually worked out every day last week except Saturday! It is a goal of mine to go every day, but I rarely make that happen (many of you understand that life with kids isn't exactly something you can plan). I was super excited yesterday when I realized what had happened! I took my daughter on a bike ride one day while my son napped with daddy at home. We had a great time! Another day, instead of going to the gym I decided to go to the zoo and push about 70lbs worth of children around in the stroller! And yesterday I hike carrying my "little" guy. He weights 27lbs and he's 1! Crazy, I know. So, I encourage you to get out this week and do something different: rollerblade, walk outside, play a sport, bike, swim, just do something different!

Oh, so I have to tell you one more thing: since I "cheated" and ate pizza and a hamburger I had to start my first two weeks over with this new plan. Apparently I do have to be super strict right now. Oops! tehe I've been kicking butt for the last five days and been sticking to this like white on rice, baby! No deviations, none, zip, nada, zilch. The best reason out of the several I was given is because I'm training my body to grab the good, healthy protein and use it for fueling my body. Eventually, when I'm allowed a cheat time, my body will just automatically say this doesn't belong here and not store the extra sugar/calories/carbs/whatever and just release it. I'm liking that! This process is about two months long, I'm told. So, I've started my two weeks over and am again looking forward to eating my green veggies! I really do heart my asparagus! Zumba tomorrow!

Good luck and blessings on your journey, whatever it may be!
R

P.S. Guys, stop reading now. You probably don't want to know this last bit.

P.S.S. Hey ladies, especially you mommies, I'm sooooooo done with nursing bras now and I'm super excited to put back on the regular ones with the awesome support that actually look right under my clothes!!! YAY!!! I can't even tell you how excited I am. Yes, I know that's silly. No, I don't care that you are laughing at me and shaking your head. Some of you can relate! ;) And guys, I did warn you to stop reading so it's not my fault you are weirded out and thinking you could have lived a fulfilled life not knowing that detail about me. Deal with it. :P

Another giveaway from another blogger!

Free blog make-over!! Sounds good to me!!! :)

Oops, I did it again!

Hi all!

Ok, so it wasn't exactly an oops, but I did Zumba again on Tuesday! This time one of my friends was there who has been doing the class for a little while. It was nice to see a friendly face. I totally recommend going with someone else. Even if you are both new to Zumba a friend helps-just for morale support-when you mess up the steps or have no idea how to even start to follow along (been there!).

Here's what changed for me this time: My gal friend said, "Ooooo, I like this one because it really works your butt!" That got me thinking. Instead of just seeing this as sexy, latin dance think about why you are doing the move you are doing. By bouncing your butt in the air you really are strengthening your glutes! I felt the burn. When I focused on that fact, instead of how some of this felt inappropriate in public (and I still kind of wish the that the floor to ceiling windows and doors weren't completely glass and next to the free-weights where the men typically hang out), I started to really see the benefit of Zumba and why it is catching on.

There is another element at work--it is fun! You are dancing and moving feet and raising your arms and squating and lunging and, yes, shaking your groove thang. I was sore after the first time for a couple days in places I wasn't used to. This time was better on the soreness factor. It is an excellent way to challenge your muscles in a different way than other exercise like running or yoga. Also, this is latin-inspired. There is an element of sexiness that is undeniable. I was at a party with some other ladies and (this was before I'd tried Zumba) one woman recommended you not practice Zumba naked in front of the mirror if your husband is around. You won't be practicing Zumba moves anymore... ANYWAY

So, second time out, I had more fun partially because I knew what to expect and partially because I had a friend there. :) I will let you know what my conclusion is after two more classes. I figured I should give it a fair shake (pun intended ;) ). AND there was less booty shaking this time (not my imagination at work here--someone else commented too)... however, there was more booby shaking, lol. Ladies (and--this is a little awkward for me to say, sorry--gentlemen, if applicable), doubling up the sports bras to keep girls in check if you are well-endowed is a must.

Lastly, went for a bike ride with my daughter today! She asked and I couldn't resist (little brother napped at home with daddy!). We did about 40 minutes. Man, oh man, I forgot how much biking really works those inner thighs! My daughter rode in the bike trailer for this one so that was at least 55 pounds I was hauling between her and the trailer. Good workout and great treat for my baby!

Grandpa, I know you are reading this blog. Please get that Princess bike soon so I can just haul your grandson next time and your granddaughter can ride next to me. Much obliged! :)

Blessings all,
R

Giveaways!!

Check out this blogger's giveaway!

http://imasleeperbaker.blogspot.com/2010/02/le-giveaway-of-le-creuset-it-kind-of.html

Someone else has a similar one you should check out too:

http://leighvslaundry.blogspot.com/2010/03/its-giveaway-time-at-leigh-vs-laundry.html

Ok, so it'd be super neat to win this stuff, don't you think? :)
R

P.S. Vote in my poll! Would you all want to see me disappear? Well, not exactly, but you get the idea... *muttering* That didn't quite sound as cute typed as it did in my head... And now I'm talking to myself, er, typing to myself... best stop now...

And now, back to the show!

Hello all,

So we've been having a couple very interesting days around my house! I got my monthly visitor for the second time in about two years and barely slept (but I went out yesterday to find out if Midol makes a PM formula and, cha-ching!, they do!) and then my daughter got sick about 5:15 am and then daddy was called into work about five hours earlier than normal and it was raining (in Arizona!!) yet again (this is so not normal, but I do love it!) and life happened. Like my run-on sentence? It's time to get back to our regularly scheduled programming, or a more routine routine. :)

Yesterday was not one of my more shiney days as a mommy. We watched a lot of PBS kids. Anyone else love SuperWHY? :) Today has not been a shiney day in my mommy book either, but daddy is definitely filling that roll today. I'm so thankful for my wonderful husband. I married the most amazing man on the planet. You can try to disagree with me, but you'd be wrong (and I'm very biased and I don't care, lol).

Moving on, my eating plan went out the window yesterday. I incorporated some of my regular menu choices into what I ate, but went outside of it in a major way. I love peanut butter toast. It is my ultimate comfort food. :) I also went to In & Out for dinner. I'm not ashamed and I'm not letting this completely derail me. We are back on track today. And I will go back to a workout tonight. Here's something I know and you probably do too:

Just because one day doesn't go according to plan doesn't mean you chuck the whole plan. You just turn around the next day and get back to routine. No need to be discouraged or get down on yourself! Life happens and you need to move beyond measuring yourself against a perceived standard (set up by your expectations or the world's expectations) and live life.

So here are my questions for you: What standard(s) are you setting up in your life that are unrealistic and that you want to move beyond? What do you do when life doesn't go according to plan? What gets you back on track?

Feel free to comment!
Blessings,
R

P.S. I absolutely love my hobby! This one isn't for sale, yet (I might just keep it, tehe). Check out my Etsy store for others I've made. There's a button on the right----->

Once a cheater...

Good morning all!

Thanks again to all who've commented! You are an encouragement to me! Yay, for Jessica and Steve! I'm so proud of you for taking the journey together as well as Katie and Phil!

You've heard the old saying, right? "Once a cheater, always a cheater." Well, last night my husband asked me if I could have a cheat day and eat pizza to celebrate him being home (he was suddenly sent out of town for a couple days, but is home now--it was very random, lol). I debated. My mind went back and forth and back and forth. I thought I could just get pizza for the rest of the fam and still have my chicken. That is what someone who is hardcore would totally do... Or I could give in and eat the pizza too. Well, I guess I'm just not that hardcore. My body wasn't actually craving pizza per say, but my mind had been craving it for about three days. I like that pizza is fast and easy and it tastes so good. We choose Papa Murphy's Cowboy pizza (pictured below). This is our family favorite and we used to eat it once a week (on Thursday there is one by us that has $4 off a family size pizza!!! I do so love a good deal). So, I gave in. I ate a piece. Then I went back for seconds. Here's the thing: I knew I was full. My body was telling me that I didn't need to eat anymore. However, my mind said, "You've already decided to cheat you may as well go all the way!" And all the way for me would have usually included dessert. I stopped at two pieces, no dessert. Small victory.



So, what is my plan of attack today? I'm going to go to the gym and double the time I usually spend there because I didn't go yesterday and I ate pizza yesterday. No, I don't feel guilty. Here's my motivation: I bought a pair of pants from NY & Co. that were on sale for $12.50 (again, I love a good deal & these pants just look amazing!!!) and my "normal" 16 was a bit loose on me. I asked if they had a 14 and they had to put it on hold at another store. I went over there (yes, kids in tow--they were troopers) and put them on and they fit! They fit!!! I haven't seen 14 in about one and a half years, ya'll! All those 12's hanging in my closet better watch out--I'm comin' for ya!!!

Blessings and be encouraged all! I'm so proud of you, Trina Sue! Keep it up!
R

Choices, choices, well, one choice anyway...

Hello all!

Some of you have left very kind comments on my facebook page regarding this blog and I'm so grateful for you! You are a great encouragement to me.

The topic I want to discuss is my limited food choices. I started to get just the tiniest bit bored with chicken for dinner on day two. Now that I'm on day five I've progressed to semi-dreading lunch and not even wanting to contemplate a dinner of chicken, yet again. Apparently, days three-five are some of the toughest. I can tell you that I've been finding that I'm very bored with chicken, even though I've been using different spices to, erm, spice it up. So, I asked my nutrition plan coordinator when I could incorporate green vegetables. Please, oh for the love of my sanity, please let it be soon! I got the go ahead to eat broccoli, 3 pieces of asparagus, cucumbers, and spinach! I'm really looking forward to my shopping trip to pick up these items, as well as more chicken *insert some sarcasm here*.

The one thing that has helped is the fact that I can have eggs OR yogurt for breakfast. I get a choice! I do like having a choice-we all like having choices. This is what I try to do for my daughter so she feels like she has some control over her life. I've read that this helps to eliminate fights between parents and children. It seems to work at my house. The fact that it generalizes to me as well shouldn't be surprising.

I had an interesting food day yesterday because I RAN OUT OF CHICKEN! I totally thought I had another pack in the freezer, but I was mistaken. What to do? I ended up grilled two pieces of high-fiber bread with my SmartBalance butter and a slice of cheese in the middle. I tried to think of what I was allowed to have and make a meal of of it. Volia! Then, since I didn't have time to make it over to the store (life with children), I ate scrambled eggs for dinner. My daughter then wanted to share her ice cream with me. I tried to get her to share it with her grandma, but she wouldn't have any of it. So I took one bite, and it was reallllllllllly good, and then stopped. I wasn't craving more, however, I was able to enjoy my one bite. :)

I've also enjoyed workouts the last couple days in the gym. Nothing working out within your target heart rate for 30-40 minutes! ;)
Blessings to you!
R

P.S. Check out my new Etsy store! There's a button on the right-hand side! And you can now follow me on Twitter! What fun! :)

Mama never fried a chicken...

Greetings and salutations, one and all!

Today is the third day of the new eating plan! I have another confession. No, no cheating today.

Here it is: I don't cook meat. I'm a decent cook, but I absolutely hate cooking meat. I do ok with hamburger, but to this point I've only done chicken/chicken breast when hard pressed to do so. How is it I've been eating chicken the past few days you wonder? I have the most wonderful husband on the planet! He is the chef in this family (I'm the baker!). He is out of town today and I am on my own for cooking up some chicken. No, I do not plan to fry it as that would be throwing the new, healthy eating out the window. :)

Now, I tried to remember all he told me for making it flavorful, best ways to cook it, spices to use, techniques, etc. I semi-succeeded. It doesn't taste half bad if I do say so myself! The outside was a tad tough and a couple of spots were a little rubbery, but overall I did a good job. It wasn't even pink when I opened it up! Whoot! First time in a long time I've cooked chicken and no pinkness. I think I will have to flatten it more next time or cut it in to strips so I can cook it all evenly. I got my chicken breasts from Costco and they are rather thick on one end versus the other. I did flatten them some today before cooking, however, I will probably do it more tomorrow.

What are your tips for cooking chicken breasts?

Blessings,
R

P.S. It is my goal to sell some of the hand towels I've crocheted. Great for house warmings, bridal showers, wedding gifts, baby showers, and more. If you are interested stay tuned!

Day by day

Hello all!

So yesterday was the second day of my new plan and it was relatively easy again. Instead of ham in the morning I substituted a handful of peanuts because I was out at my MOPS (Mothers Of Pre-Schoolers) meeting and I knew ham wouldn't keep until my snack time. It was a little difficult to say no to all the yummy breakfast foods brought in by all the MOPS mommies. I wanted to cheat, but I didn't do it! :)

Chicken again for lunch and dinner! If you are going to do this you will have many opportunities to try different ways of preparing chicken-especially if you don't care for fish like me. I did have a second handful of peanuts, which is a no-no apparently, but I think it'll even out. And mixing the metamucil and drinking it all down right away is definitely the way to go.

Ok, I'll admit it; I did cheat. I was filling Easter Eggs for the MOPS Easter Egg Hunt with some nerd jellybeans and I ate three of them. They were little! Now I know some of you are thinking, "Well, you can cheat a tiny bit like that--it's not like you ate the whole bag!" And you are right. However, I don't want to continue to make little compromises here and there until my new plan is a long buried and gone from my consciousness. I have decided that after these first two weeks are in the books I will be opening a bag of Starburst jellybeans I got (they only make them at Easter time & they are my favorite!!) and have a couple every day. This will be an exercise in willpower. I will tell you if I fail and eat the bag in one sitting, but I don't plan this eventuality. So, yes, I do believe that most things are fine for you in moderation. It is just having the willpower to exercise moderation in a society that tells you more, more, more and do it because it makes you feel good.

I took the kids on a stroller ride for about thirty minutes last night which they thoroughly enjoyed. Owen loves watching the cars and Ella likes standing, sitting, and walking along.

Good, productive day at our house doing laundry, cleaning bathroom, dishes, and cleaned kids' room!
I hope and pray the same for you today!
R

Today was the day!

Hello friends,

Today was the first day of my new plan. Which means last night was the last time I would nurse my son or any other child (God willing! We are not planning on anymore). I'm sad for this phase to be over. I never imagined I would enjoy nursing as much as I did with my little guy. His older sister and I only made it to five months with great difficulty. It was so different this time around and I really enjoyed the bonding, etc. I am, however, ready for my body to be completely my own again. :) Last night was also my last night of eating whatever I wanted with abandon. Cookies, ice cream, a glass of wine (which I haven't had in about 2 years!!!), pasta, and so on. I felt a little guilty at the over indulgence, and I usually don't eat that many sweets, but it was my last hurrah for a while. I hope my friends are not too offended when I don't sample their goodies. I guess I'll just have to refer them here.

So, some may be curious about my new approach to eating. Let me tell you, so am I. The person coaching me with this only gave me the first two weeks. Here is what it looks like (since I know you are reading this saying tell us what you are doing already!!!):

First wake up: 2 scrambled eggs (no butter). May use spray butter or anything with no calories (I opted for SmartBalance with an olive oil base).
OR 1 yogurt-CarbMasters ONLY from Fry's.
Drink a glass of water (no ice absorbs better in to the body)

10:00-3 slices of ham (the thin deli sliced kind that is like 95% fat free), Metamucil, orange flavor helps, take 1 & 1/2 teaspoon with a cup of water

Workout-preferably 45 minutes of cardio (though work up to this)

Noon-boneless, skinless chicken breast (have two if you are hungry)

2pm-3 slices of ham (or beef jerky). OR one serving of whey protein but mix only with water

4pm-1 handful of unsalted peanuts OR two pieces of string cheese (pick the brand with the most protein)

6pm-fish or chicken
NO sauces whatsoever on anything.

Do NOT eat after 7pm. Chew on sugarless gum when you get the craving to eat. Your mind will tell you that you are hungry. DO NOT LISTEN TO IT. You body is signaling a craving for sugar. Ignore it.

You can have two pieces of bread a day, but ONLY the high fiber kind. Thomas English Muffins have one kind that has 8 grams of fiber and only 100 calories. Keep the carbs low, low, low.

Use spices--a lot. :) Salsa is also good for increasing your metabolism. As much green tea as you want!

So now that you are thinking I'm crazy here was how my first day panned out:
I do love me my scrambled eggs--no problem.
I don't generally eat ham, because someone in my home has a pork allergy, but the ham was just fine and I didn't mind it-just hadn't eaten it for a while.
The Metamucil is where I had my first moment of unease. When I was a little girl my Godparents' parents would drink it and it looked terrible and clung to the glass, etc. In my mind this is for old people. lol Ok, so I used the orange flavor and it was almost like Tang. Not nearly as bad as I thought it could be. However, I had to walk away for a few minutes because of the children and I came back to finish it. The M had gotten gel-like and it was extremely hard to get past the texture to finish drinking it, but down it I did. I won't make that mistake again. Next time I will just mix it and slam it! :)
I should have had 2 chickens, but only did one. Tomorrow I will do two. My hubby was awesome and spiced it up and it was yummy!
I tried beef jerky, but I still don't like it, so I went back to ham.
I was really looking forward to my handful of peanuts! :) I love peanut butter and am sad to give it up for a bit.
Then the chicken again. Yum, yum!
I am feeling hungry, but not overly so and popped gum for the evening.
These first two weeks the point is to cleanse my body of its sugar cravings and to shock the system. Then we add back in other foods progressively. :) I'm told green veggies (sans any dipping sauce) will be on the menu after these first two weeks are over. Whoot! Broccoli and asparagus is what I'm looking forward to! :)

I skipped the workout today in favor of going to the zoo for 2.5 hours with my family and doing the loops. :)

So I'll let you know how tomorrow goes and share one of my goals with you!
Blessings,
R