Guilt Free Pizza

Here is another wonderful recipe idea from the Biggest Loser Cookbook. It's a great way to enjoy one of those foods that are typically on the naughty list and it's so easy to make the whole family can participate and customize their own. The limit is your own imagination. The pizza above was a Hawaiian BBQ Chicken one that I made with thinly sliced red onion, diced tomatoes, and fresh cilantro. It was delicious and the tortilla crust gets nice and crunchy.

This is for one serving.

You will need:

1 reduced fat whole wheat tortilla (if you decide to use a low carb tortilla it won't get nearly as crisp.)

2-3 Tbsp. of lite BBQ sauce (no more than 7 g of carb per serving) or 2-3 Tbsp. of Hunts Traditional Sauce

3 Tbsp. of 2% or fat free mozzarella (the lower fat varieties tend to not get as melty but taste just as good as the full fat versions)

2 oz. diced chicken breast

2-3 Tbsp. of diced tomatoes (remove the inside with a spoon before chopping)

Thinly sliced red onion to taste

5-6 canned pineapple chunks

2 Tbsp. of fresh chopped cilantro

Heat oven to 400°. Place the tortilla on a cookie sheet and cook for 3-4 min on each side. If you see any air bubbles pop them with a fork and press the air out using a spatula. After both sides have been cooked add your BBQ sauce, cheese, chicken, tomatoes, onion, pineapple, and cilantro. Bake in the oven for an 4-5 min. or until cheese had melted. Slice into 4 pieces and enjoy!!!

Hearty Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

Here is a classic stuffed cabbage recipe that I made some healthy changes to. It turned out wonderful, even my 21 month old son gobbled it up. So you know it had to be good.

You will need:

10-12 large cabbage leaves (I personally only got 10 rolls but that depends how much you stuff them.)
1 pkg. of Ground Turkey (try for 99% lean)
1 c. of cooked brown rice
1/2 c. of diced onion
1/4 c. of fat free or 1% milk
1/4 c. of Egg Beaters or 2 egg whites
1 tbsp. of minced garlic
1 26.5 oz can of Hunts Traditional Tomato Sauce
1 tbsp. of lemon juice
1 tbsp. of Worcestershire
Salt & Pepper to taste. (I didn't add any additional salt to this recipe because I am watching my sodium intake, but that is entirely up to you of course.)
1 deep sided skillet with a lid

Take the leaves and blanche them in hot water for 2 min. Remove from the hot water and while they are cooling mix the turkey, brown rice, onion, milk, garlic, and egg together in a bowl. Next take a leaf and fill with a 1/4 c. of the meat/rice mixture folding the leaf over and tucking the ends. Place the finished roll in the skillet with the folded side down. Do this for all the leaves. Next mix your tomato sauce, lemon juice, and worcestershire sauce together and pour evenly over all the cabbage rolls. Cook on med. low heat with the lid for about 30 min.

Serves 5-6 (2 rolls per person)

You can also do this recipe in a slow cooker on low for 6-8 hrs which makes it easier when you need to make a big batch.

Thanks for reading,
Stephanie

Shrimp, Tofu, and Veggie Udon.

I used a pre-packaged Udon. Wal-Mart sells them for like 78 cents, so it's super cheap. I chopped up some onion, green onion, zucchini, and added some fresh mushrooms. Now eating the soup as is with the flavor packet can spell disaster for you. Throw that baby out, it contains FAR TOO MUCH SODIUM. Instead get a can of Swanson low sodium Vegetable Broth. If you're feeling up to the task you can even make your own broth. Cook soup according to package directions but with the canned broth instead and add all the veggies. Cut a 1" slice of tofu and cut into small cubes and add some fresh shrimp. Bring to a gentle simmer and serve. I also cracked in 1 egg when I added the tofu and shrimp.

Delicious Scramble with Cheese and Bacon. Think you can't eat this....think again!!!

1 1/2 c. of Egg Beaters Original
1 medium zucchini
1/2 onion
1 c. of mushrooms
1 small red, orange, or yellow bell pepper (you want to use one that is colorful they contain more vitamins than the green ones)
Kraft Shredded Cheddar made from 2%
8 slices of Turkey Bacon
1 Tbsp. of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter

Cook the bacon till desired crispness. There won't be much oil and grease but take a paper towel and blot what you can from the bacon strips, roughly chop into small pieces and set aside. Cut the zucchini julienne style, dice the onion & bell pepper, and rough chop the mushroom. Heat a pan over med. heat add the "butter" and sautee the veggies until they become soft. Pour the egg beaters in and scramble everything together. Split into 3-4 servings and sprinkle 2 tbsp. of cheese over each plate followed by the bacon pieces. Enjoy!!!!

These are a few of my favorite things!!!!

So I have been slacking on my blog lately..just too busy living life I guess. :) I have however in my absence been very busy working out and finding wonderful new ways to enjoy some of my favorite foods. I don't know about the rest of you but I LOVE pasta. LOVE IT!!! Unfortunately pasta doesn't always love me....sad. Well I am happy to say in all my research I have found a great alternative for some of my favorite pasta dishes. Zucchini, Eggplant, and Spaghetti Squash. Instead of using traditional lasagna noodles, try using eggplant instead. Peel the eggplant, cut into long flat thin strips about 1/4" thick drizzle with a little bit of olive oil and roast in the oven for a few minutes. Take them out and layer them like you would the pasta in your favorite lasagna recipes. If you're not a fan of Eggplant, Zucchini does the job just as well. To use the zucchini for pasta take a mandolin slicer or even just a plain old peeler and cut the zucchini into long thin strips. Blanch the zucchini in hot water for about 30 sec. then immediately rinse in cold, toss with your favorite sauces. Don't worry the sauce will warm it back up. You could also do half zucchini, half pasta mixture if you are unsure about the change. To do the Spaghetti Squash just cut it up and cook it like any other squash. Run a fork through it from end to end when it is done to get the "noodles." My other love is mashed potatoes...sigh...Thanksgiving and Christmas will be here soon...give me strength. A good substitute I have been reading about is using cauliflower instead. I LOVE cauliflower so this sounds absolutely delicious to me, I know for some this just sounds plain gross. All the recipes and reviews I have read have said that the cauliflower flavor is very mild and most of the kids who ate it had no idea they weren't real mashed potatoes. I found an extremely easy recipe for some, I haven't tried it yet and usually don't post things until they get my official stamp of approval, but the ratings and comments were so positive I feel confident the recipe will be a good one. Plus I know some of you are searching for some healthier options this holiday season and wanted to get this posted as soon as possible.

Creamy Herb and Cheese Mashed Cauliflower

3 Laughing Cow Herb and Cheese wedges

1 head of cauliflower

Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions

Cut up cauliflower into florets and steam until fork tender.

Put cheese wedges into bottom of bowl, add hot cauliflower on top and mash until desired consistency.

Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
Serves 4

I wish I could take credit for coming up with such ingenious ideas and recipes, but I cannot. What I can do is share what I find with you my friends to help everyone live a longer and healthier life. I hope you guys find some of these tips helpful. Also all of these ideas are great for those who have problems with foods containing gluten and low- carbers.

Thanks for reading,
Stephanie

30 Days!!!

Pics of me at 30 days. I don't actually own a scale so I need to go to my sister-in-laws house to weigh myself and I also left my measuring tape there so I will have to post those updates later tonight. Sorry guys. At least you have the pics. :D Also I need to find something I can wear each and every time so that is constant as well.

The Before pics were taken Sept. 24, 2009 and the after pics were taken Oct. 23, 2009. It amazes me what 30 days can do and how quickly it goes by.














Thank you for all of you love and support. You guys give me so much strength and motivation to keep going, you have no idea. I love you guys!! Also I will only be doing the pics once a month from now on, but will update measurements every two weeks.

Much love,
Stephanie

The Miracle of "just one more."

I haven't really blogged in awhile and mostly it's because I have felt like I have had nothing to really "blog" about. Life has been pretty normal. I wake up, I eat breakfast, I workout, and I go about my everyday business. Wash, rinse, repeat. This has been my life. Yet something extraordinary has happened. Something so small and seemingly insignificant that I almost missed it, but am glad that I didn't. It's the phrase "just one more" now I'm not talking about just one more bite of that cheesecake, or one more piece of candy. The one more I am referring to is pushing yourself just a little bit further each day to do better, to reach farther, to run harder. Every time I workout I always in my mind tell myself "just do one more", one more set, one more rep, just make it to the stop sign without stopping. Something wonderful happens every time this happens. I do that one more, I make it to that stop sign and find that I have the power to do one more again. So I challenge you guys who are making life changes to push yourself to do that one more. You don't know who strong you are until you do, and the reward at the end will be that much sweeter when you succeed.

BLT's....it's not what you think.

So recently my husband's cousin invited me to join her weight loss blog 'In It To Thin It' and one of the entries really struck a chord with me. It's something most people don't talk about, much less think about. It brought to the forefront for me some of things I need to keep working at. I asked her permission and kindly she granted it for me to post the entry on my blog for you guys to read. I hope you enjoy.

The Price of BLT'sPublished 19 February 08 12:10 PM Corinne (phit-n-phat.com)

BLT's or Bites, Licks, and Tastes are going up girls! Often the reason you don't see physique results as fast as you like or at all has everything to do with the most innocent of mistakes. Let's quickly send some BLT's through the calorie check-out lane.
BLT Favorites - The 10 Items or Less Lane is Open!
It's breakfast and you are getting things ready for the kids and hubby...
1 bite of unfinished waffle with maple syrup = 15 calories
Finish the OJ left behind (and the cold bug in it...LOL) = 27 calories
1/4 piece of bacon off of hubby's plate = 30 calories

Lunchtime with co-workers at local restaurant...1 small piece of bread from basket = 90 calories
1 bite of dessert girlfriend orders = 55 calories

Midday pass through office...A couple of M & M's off the nice ladies desk = 20 calories

Dinner time...5-6 small grapes from the fruit you are fixing for dessert = 20 calories
4-5 red pepper strips from the veggies you are making = 15 calories
1 bite of Mac and Cheese for the kids = 25 calories

This is not an unrealistic day of grabbing a drink or bite here and there. Heck, most of us do more damage than this and proclaim we have no idea why we aren't losing weight. Let's see what an easy snack day prices out at...Your Grand Total Is = 277 CALORIES! That is almost an entire meal when you are dieting and doing mini-meals. For my Weight Watcher girls that lands you at 5 whole points.We have to be careful about what we put in our mouths. It all adds up. That cold chicken nugget is 100 calories, the soggy six french fries is 40-50 calories, the lick of ice cream cone is 20 calories, the unplanned latte is 90 calories, and the little grabs and sneaks are the worst because they don't fill you up and YOU DON'T REMEMBER THEM on weigh in day. You remember what you journal, the sweat in the gym, and that you are "trying so hard."
Do like I am doing right now, before you pop-it ask yourself, "how many calories is this bite?"

The Holidays are approaching fast.

Tis the season to be jolly....and round. Every dieters nightmare the holiday season!!!! Well, hopefully you aren't a dieter and are going for a life change instead and together we will find ways to combat the holiday bulge. I am going to make it my personal quest to find new and exciting recipes for the holiday season that won't expand your waistlines. And more importantly are tasty. Stayed tuned.

On a side note Halloween is also around the corner and can be a tricky time for those watching their calorie intake. Indulge if you must but keep it to 1 piece a day. I know it can be hard. If at all possibly keep it out of sight. I know for those of you who have kids this can be REALLY hard, but be strong. Just think how much harder you are going to have to work because you scarfed down 5 milky ways and some taffy. Stay motivated. Stay strong.

Thanks for reading,
Stephanie

Turkey Italian Sausage w/ Sweet Peppers over Whole Grain Pasta

So last night was my second foray into the world of whole wheat pastas. The first time Chris and I tried it we were horribly disappointed. The pasta was mushy, definitely tasted like health food, and had the most unbecoming texture you could ever imagine. It was no wonder to me that it had not really caught on. Barilla is here to change all of that. I have finally found a whole grain pasta that actually tastes quite similar to white flour pastas. The secret is Barilla uses 51% whole grains, that way taste and texture are not sacrificed. This pasta packs 3X the amount of fiber vs. the white flour variety and still delivers all the benefits of eating whole grains. It has also won the 2008 Best Taste Award. So if you're thinking of going whole grain, I highly suggest this pasta. Just buy one box and see how it goes. Also bear in mind serving sizes. This is where a lot of people get tripped up and end up consuming way more calories then they think. One serving of pasta is 2 oz. dry. 2 oz of dry pasta is roughly the diameter of a nickel. 2 oz. of cooked pasta is about the size of your fist, or a tennis ball. Now lets get to what you really came here for. :) The recipe. I promised I would create recipes that the average person could find in their cupboard and fridge and make themselves without fancy gadgets or expensive elusive ingredients. I hope this recipe upholds that promise.

You Will Need:

1 jar of your favorite pasta sauce. (honestly I just buy the Wal-Mart stuff. I love the Italian Garden Combination sauce, told you I'm on a budget too.)

1 Package of Foster Farms Turkey Italian Sausage or the Turkey Sweet Italian Sausage

1 box of Barilla Whole Grain pasta (I used the thin spaghetti)

1 red bell pepper

1 orange bell pepper

1 c. or 1 small can 6.5 oz. sliced mushrooms

1 medium sized onion

1 medium sized zucchini (I didn't have one on hand but would definitely have added it if I did)

3-4 cloves of garlic or 1 Tbsp. of already chopped garlic

First take your turkey sausage and boil it some water until fully cooked. You don't want to just cut into the links. They are extremely soft and fragile and will break up if you do. I also find boiling the links helps filter out excess grease. If you don't want to do that you can grill the links or cook on the stove top. While the sausages are cooking chop up your veggies into the desired size. Mince your garlic. Set aside in a bowl. When the sausages are done remove them from the water and transfer to a cutting board. Cut each sausage link into 7-8 biased slices. (cut at an angle) One sausage link is 1 serving. Keep this in mind when you are dishing up. The pasta serves 7 so you may want to only take 6-7 pieces of sausage per person. That way everyone gets some. Put a large pot of water to boil for your pasta, add a dash of olive oil and salt to the water. I just washed out the pot I used to cook the sausages and reused it, less dishes that way. Next take a deep skillet and saute your veggies, and garlic in about 1 Tbsp of olive oil. Cook the veggies until the peppers start to become soft and the onions are translucent. Add your pasta sauce and the cut up turkey sausage. Turn to low, cover, and let simmer. When the water for your pasta starts boiling add the pasta and cook to desired firmness. Enjoy. Serve with a salad to make a complete healthy meal.

Serves 7

Thanks for reading,
Stephanie

If you try the recipe tell me what you think. :)

All Hail To The Mighty Black Bean Burger!!!!

So I found this totally amazing vegan burger patty and found it to be so delicious I had no choice but to blog about it. As you all know I have been experimenting and trying to find new and delicious ways to have some of my favorite fatty and waist expanding foods without....you know actually expanding my waist. I have found it. The holy mecca of lean and low-fat burgers!!! I have had many different kinds of vegan burgers in the past and for the most part have found them okay, this for sure tops them all. May I introduce Morning Star Farms Spicy Black Bean Burgers!! I popped this bad boy in the microwave, topped it off with some Sargento 2% Pepper Jack cheese, slapped it on a whole wheat bun with Kraft Mayo made with olive oil. Next I topped it off with some fresh spinach, two thick slices of tomato, and 2 slices of avocado and I was in heaven. Now I'm not going total vegan. I do love my meat, but this is a great alternative to having a burger made from ground beef or turkey. Each patty is only 120 cal. and 4 g. of fat. I mean seriously, look at that burger. Did I look like I was deprived?? I think not.

16 days in and 7 lbs. lighter.

I don't even know if I can express just how overjoyed I am and so immensely proud of myself. 7 lbs. Wow!!!! I know 7 lbs. isn't a lot, but what a difference they have made for me. I wish now I had taken pics of myself in just my skivvies so that everyone could appreciate the change that has happened to my body. At the time I didn't want to traumatize anyone or myself by exposing that much of me. :) I have lost 1.5 in. off of each of my thighs, 1 in. off my upper arms, and 2 in. off my waist and hips. The rolls on my lower back and around the back of my bra are almost gone!!! When I get up in the morning I no longer have back pain. Bending over to put on my shoes is easier. It is the most wonderful feeling. Thank you everyone for all of your support and words of encouragement. When I officially hit 30 days I will be uploading some new photos of myself so you can see my progress.

Thanks for reading,
Stephanie

I decided what the hell. I'm gonna post pics.

$500.00 incentive. You're on!!!!

So my mom told me that if I hit 100 lbs. in one year, meaning 365 days. She will give me $500.00 to buy a brand new wardrobe!!! What an incentive. I mean besides the obvious feeling good, and being healthy. I could really use a new wardrobe, especially if I'm 100 lbs. lighter. Thought I would share that with everyone.

On a side note, tonight I started my 3x's a week run. I ran (well jogged) 1 lap around my entire neighborhood. It totals about a mile. I ran in intervals of 1 min. and walked 2 min. I am so proud of myself. It has been awhile since I have ran more than like 15 ft. I'm hoping by next week I'm strong enough to run 3 min. and walk 1 min. and keep building until I can run the entire thing without stopping. I know as long as I stick with it and keep it slow and steady I'll be crossing off running a mile in under 10 min. off my wish list in no time.

Thanks for all your support.

Thanks for reading,
Stephanie

The quest for a better nights rest.

There have been many studies done linking sleep and obesity. Guess what. People who get an average of 8 hrs of sleep per night tend to weigh less than their peers who only get 5-6 hrs of sleep a night. According to a study done from 1982-1984 people that got 5 hrs of sleep were 73% more likely to become obese. 73% more likely!!! Even though this study was done awhile ago, scientist and researchers are finding the outcomes to be more true than ever. Lets face it. America is fat. We are overworked, under paid, sleep deprived, stressed out people who live on processed garbage and fast food. If that isn't a recipe for disaster I don't know what is.

The past almost week now I had decided to take my life into my own hands and be fully responsible for the choices I was making that led me to become fat. It wasn't easy. It was much easier to blame other things, or other people, but ultimately it was on me. I have been watching what I eat, keeping an online food journal and cutting calories and working out. The one part that has been alluding me is the sleep. No matter what time I seem to get up at, or how much activity I seem to do during the day I still somehow manage to stay up till midnight or better. It's frustrating. I'm tired, but can't sleep. The last week has been great except when evening comes. See I was a big time late night eater. Big time. I would cook up huge meals of rice, spam, and eggs and eat really late. Since embarking on my weight loss journey I have been using 7:30 p.m. as my cut off time for eating, and it hasn't been easy. Since I've been staying up so late, come 11, 12 o'clock I start getting the munchies. Not good. To keep your body in it's maxium calorie burning state you should eat every 4-6 waking hrs. This is why they suggest you eat 4-6 small meals a day. So, to help combat it all I have been having warm mugs of chamomile tea with honey, or last night I had half a cucumber with some salt. I know I broke my after 7:30 rule, but I wasn't going to go hungry and risk bingeing either.

So this is my dilemma. I need to find a way of establishing a good bedtime regime. If anyone has any tips they would be greatly appreciated. I don't want something as trivial as lack of sleep tripping up or stalling all my efforts. So please, if you read this throw me some ideas.

Thanks for reading,
Stephanie

One small victory!

So today I gave another crack at my Biggest Loser DVD. And Guess what?!!! I made it all the way through from start to finish. I did stop 3 times to give myself short breaks when I was feeling especially winded, but I made it all the way through. I am so proud of myself. Maybe this time next week I'll be feeling strong enough to add the weights in. :)

Today was a good day. Hubby was off so we spent some time together, took a nap, cleaned house. I still haven't been able to go to sleep very early, but hopefully with exercise and eating better sleep will be one more thing I have conquered. Dinner tonight was awesome. We made taco salad, except we substituted the ground beef for ground turkey. Seriously can't tell the difference. If you want a great deal on ground turkey check out Costco. I picked up a 5 pack of 1 lb. chubs for under $10. You can't beat that. I made my salad out of spinach, shredded lettuce, tomatoes, onions, jalapenos, and a few olives. Instead of cheddar cheese or sour cream I used cottage cheese and it was a delicious substitution. Not to mention 1 serving of cottage cheese is 1/2c. so I didn't feel deprived at all. I topped it all off with some salsa and I was in taco salad heaven. Although I have to say when I build my salads I build them big and ended up having half left over, which is fine because now I have lunch for tomorrow. Anyway thought this could give you some dinner ideas, not to mention dinner was done quick. We had it on the table in 10 min. Chris browned the ground turkey while I chopped all the veggies and it worked out great.

I want to take just a moment and talk about food substitutions. It's so easy now a days to be pulled in by the phrase "fat free" but be very aware you may be cutting out the fat but adding some other things to your body that are just as bad or worse than the fat itself. Plus many people fall into the trap of "it's fat free so I can eat more." This is a huge mistake because before you know it you racked up a huge calorie count. I used to fall into this pit ALL the time. Not to mention our bodies need fat to function properly. Fat does more than just pads our hips, it is one of the major building blocks in our bodies that regulate our hormones and immune systems. Shocking I know. Here is a link to a great website that talks about why fat is so important. http://www.eatingdisordersonline.com/nutritional/fats.php

What I need to learn, what I think a lot of people need to learn is the difference between good fats and bad fats. For example peanut butter. It's loaded with fat, but this is the kind of fat you want to be eating. Monounsaturated. This type of fat can also be found in olive oil, canola oil, avocados, seeds, and nuts. Polyunsaturated. This type of fat can be found in plant based oils such as sunflower, and also seeds and nuts. Omega 3 fatty acids. This can be found in salmon. These are all the fats to embrace in moderation. Saturated. Which is found in all types of meat, lard, butter, and cheese. Trans fat. This is found in partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, commercial baked goods, fried foods, shortening, and margarine. These are the things you want to avoid or eat very little of.

So notice when I said I added cottage cheese to my salad instead of fat free or low fat cottage cheese there was a very good reason. For one I was only saving myself 10 -20 calories per serving with the lower fat versions. Also less known, is that regular cottage cheese is made from 4% milk fat. Hardly fattening at all. I ate a whopping whole 2 grams more fat, but if you check out the back of the labels I also dodged eating a bunch of additives that are added to the lower fat varieties to preserve it. So be smart. Read your labels. Don't be so obsessed with the fat and calorie side of it, be more worried about the potential harmful chemicals and additives you may be consuming. Also instead of just eating lettuce in my salad, which is basically nothing but crunchy water. A filler I call it. I had 2 cups of spinach. These dark leafy greens pack a better nutritional punch ounce for ounce. It's a great source for Vitamin A, Calcium, Vitamin C, Iron, and dietary fiber. Now keep in mind I am NOT a doctor. I am only sharing my opinion and things I have found through my own personal reading and research. I encourage each of you to do your own reading, and personal research and find the things right for you. If you have anything to add or just want to comment that would be awesome.

Thanks for reading,
Stephanie

Fish Tacos with Peach and Mango Pico de Gallo

This is one of my original recipes I will be keeping. Just switch out the flour tortilla for a low carb, or whole wheat one. Add a serving of spanish rice and some black beans and you've got a tasty and figure friendly meal on your hands.

You will need:
4 fresh Tilapis fillets (or any other white firm fleshed fish)
2 tomatoes (I prefer Romas)
1 small yellow onion
1 jalapeno
1 small bunch of fresh cilantro
3 cloves of garlic
1 ripe (yellow flesh) peach
1 ripe mango
1 lime
4 tortillas
1/2 c. finely shredded napa cabbage
2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Paprika (to taste)
Salt and Pepper (to taste)

Make the mango and peach pico de gallo. (check out the step by step pic tutorial)
Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Add the 2 Tbsp of extra virgin olive oil to the pan. Season your fillets with the salt, pepper,and paprika and place in skillet. Cook about 4 min. on each side.
Warm tortillas, and place a fillet in each. Next add some of the shredded cabbage and a generous spoonful of the pico de gallo. Enjoy!!!

Peach and Mango Pico de Gallo

Coarsely chop 3 cloves of garlic. Add to your bowl.

Next you are going to take half a small yellow onion and finely chop that. Add it to your bowl.

You are going to take one jalapeno and cut it in half length wise, carefully remove the seeds (unless you want it hot) and proceed to cut the jalapeno up into very small pieces. Add to your bowl. Be sure to wash your hands after handling the jalapeno.

Take your knife and cut off a side of the mango. Next take your knife and make vertical and horizontal cuts through the flesh of the mango. Just pop the skin inside out and cut the cubes from the skin. Add to your bowl.

Next peel and coarsely chop your fresh peach. Add to your bowl.

Quickly run your knife through the cilantro and add to your bowl.

Juice of one half of a lime. To get the most juice out of your lime roll it back and forth on a hard flat surface with the palm of your hand. Squeeze the lime over everything in your bowl, you can use your other hand to catch any seeds that may find their way out. Mix and add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with chips or on fish or chicken.

Recipes coming your way...

So I have been racking my brain for some recipe ideas to help fit my new lifestyle. I've come up with a few, and I wanted to share them with you. Next month I will feature them in my other blog Stephanie's Kitchen. The first is a recipe idea that I got from my next door neighbor so I can't take complete credit for it, although I have come up with some stellar ways to make it almost guilt free. I think one of the things that trips you up the most when you are trying to change the way you eat is feeling like you can't eat anything. So what do you do? You deny yourself even the smallest of pleasures and end of binge eating instead. So I am going to take some the most beloved, and fattening, calorie laden favorites and find ways to make them so delish you would never know you were missing out on anything.

My first idea is Jalapeno Poppers. I know when you think of these, your mind instantly conjures up deep fried, breaded things stuffed with full fat cream cheese or cheddar. Believe it or not what I've got in mind is even better. Except the jalapenos are not deep fried and instead are stuffed with fat-free cream cheese, turkey bacon, and chives. Is your mouth watering yet??

My other guilty pleasure is fries. I love fries. Who doesn't right?! So how can we have fries and not feel guilt? Sure, you could cut up a traditional potato and bake it in the oven, but where is the fun it that. Not to mention potatoes aren't exactly bursting with nutritional value, just a lot of starch. Instead when you think of fries, think of sweet potatoes. If you have not yet experienced the flavor ecstasy of french fries made from these sweet little treasures, deny yourself no longer and give it a try. You will not be disappointed. Not only is it tasty, one medium size sweet potato is only 95 calories!!! Let McDonalds try to match that! These babies are packed full of goodies. You will get your daily dose of Vitamin A for sure, not to mention a healthy serving of Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, potassium, iron, and dietary fiber.

I hope this has helped you look at food in a new way. If you come up with any good food suggestions, or substitutes please feel free to post them.

Thanks for reading,
Stephanie

Mini Goals.

So I've been doing a lot of reading and a lot of blogging and talking to other people who are on, or who have taken the same journey I am now on and have found there is always a common thread. That thread is the creation of mini goals. Mini goals are exactly what they sound like, small achievable goals that you set with or without a time line. I've decided today that I would set some mini goals for myself that I would like to achieve over the next year (meaning Sept. 2010). When I have reached each of my goals I will post a video and reward myself with something special(like a pedi). So away we go....by the way these are in no particular order.

Mini Goal: This is my huge one. This would be the ultimate. Lose 100 lbs. in 1 year. I would basically need to lose 2 lbs a week, which is considered a healthy and sustainable weight loss. To be in onederland is my dream. Onederland means to be under 200 lbs.

Mini Goal: Do 15 push ups. I mean hardcore push ups. Not the sissy ones you do on your knees. Those are the only ones I can do right now by the way, and I can only do 5.

Mini Goal: Run a mile in under 10 min.

Mini Goal: Do 100 sit ups in a row.

Mini Goal: Be able to do 3 pull-ups. I have never done one of these and have always wanted to have the upper body strength to do so.

Mini Goal: Get into a size 18

Mini Goal: Get down to 250 lbs.

Mini Goal: Get down to 225 lbs.

Mini Goal: Get into a size 20

Mini Goal: Lose my first 10 lbs.

So these are my mini goals for the next year. If you have some mini goals for the next year I would love to hear them.

Thanks for reading,
Stephanie

My wish list.

I decided a good thing to do to help keep me motivated and to pick up my spirits when I am having a bad day or week would be to write down all the things I wish, or I want to do but can't because my weight gets in the way. That way when things get rough and I look at this list it can hopefully help give me the strength to keep pushing forward. Some of these are pretty embarrassing to admit.

1. Have the energy to play and chase my son around and not be winded.

2. Not having to worry about whether I will fit in a booth seat at a restaurant. (We once had to move our entire party to a table because I could barely fit. It was humiliating.)

3. Be able to fit in amusement rides, and not have to worry if they have a weight limit.

4. Be able to shop wherever I want and not have to wonder if they have a plus size section.

5. To be able to sit and bend over and put on my shoes without holding my breath, or sucking in.

6. I know it's not good for your legs, but I always wanted to be able to cross my legs.

7. Be able to paint my own toe nails.

8. To sit down and not feel my lower abdomen resting on the tops of my thighs.

9. To feel confident.

10. Even though I probably never will, I would like to know I have a good enough body to wear a bikini if the mood ever strikes me.

11. Lower or even eliminate my risk for getting diabetes, heart attack, and certain kinds of cancer.

This is my list. What's yours? I would love to hear back from you guys with your own lists. It doesn't have to be a weight loss thing. Your wish list can be anything you want to attain in your life.

On a side note. Many of you know I love to cook, so over the next coming days and weeks I will be posting a barrage of recipes for a healthier lifestyle. I will explore the realms of low carb, low fat, and vegetarian dishes so be sure to check out my other blog Stephanie's Kitchen.

Day 4

So today is day 4 on my journey and I'm feeling pretty good. I got up this morning had a bowl of oatmeal, and tall glass of water. After breakfast I had my first crack at The Biggest Loser workout, and have to report I only made it halfway through. It was tough, but I'm happy with what I did do and I know it will take a few days to work up to doing the whole thing from start to finish. I know a year from now I'll look back at this and will really be able to appreciate the progress I have made. To help me keep track of my progress and my food intake I am using a program called Fitday which you can get for free from this website. www.fitday.com It's great for keeping tally of your calorie and fat intakes to make sure you stay on target. Plus when you have to write down what you are eating, you are a lot more conscience of what you put into you mouth. I'm hoping that when Chris gets home this afternoon we can take Noah to the park and I can get a few laps in around the baseball fields.

A new beginning....a new me.

So anyway I never thought I would be blogging about the dimples on my butt or the way my love handles continue jiggling when I cease all movement. Yet here we are. So where to begin.....I have pretty much been overweight my entire life. I have never experienced the joys of shopping in the juniors department or being able to cross my legs in that oh so sexy style (which will lead to spider and varicose veins by the way). That was never me. Instead I am a short and pudgy half Korean. I only add the Korean part, because as my mother likes to tell me at every opportunity possible that Koreans are not supposed to look like this aka an oompa loompa. Anyway the point of this blog it to share my journey...well with anyone who cares to read about it. Hopefully I inspire someone else along my path to take a hold of their life with both hands and create something wonderful. Whether it be losing weight, or maybe going back to school. So now you must be wondering "what exactly is she doing that will help her achieve her goal?" Well for one I am working out at least 20 min. 5 days a week on my elliptical. My plan is to increase the time by 10 min. every week until I can do 1 hr. of hard heart pumping cardio. I am also doing the Biggest Loser 2-1 Cardio workouts 5 times a week. This includes resistance training which I will do every other day. This might seem like a lot, but really isn't considering the amount of weight that needs to be lost. Also lets face it, this is what it takes to get your body into shape....HARD WORK.

As far as my eating habits go, nothing hugely drastic. I will be adding more veggies, and fruits to my diet and cutting out some of the processed carbs and junk that I eat and eating more whole grains. I will also be cutting way down on the sugar. This will also include eating a larger Korean diet and cutting down on some of the American food that I eat. For those who don't know Asian diets traditionally consist of rice, lots of veggies, fish, and small portions of beef and pork. Most importantly portion sizes will be kept under control (no seconds) and no eating after 7 p.m. See nothing too crazy and nothing that I can't stick to with a little work and dedication on my part.

So now it's time to get down to the nitty gritty. How much weight am I talking about right? Well (takes a big breath) I am currently 280 lbs. and this is all sitting on a 5'1" frame so imagine how great I am feeling right now. Wow. Saying that was tough. My goal weight is 135 lbs. that was the last weight I was at where I felt good in my skin. I know for my height some people are thinking maybe I should go lower with my goal, but seriously any smaller than that and I'll end up looking like some sort of Ms. Swan bobble head. So, I hope for whoever finds this has been somewhat entertained and could post some words of encouragement for me. Kindness is always appreciated. For those who may be tempted to post negative comments I say this. "I know I'm fat, pointing out the obvious doesn't help."

I will be posting some pics of myself (that is painful) and will update the pics every two weeks to help track my progress. Thanks for reading and I hope this helps you kick start your own personal revolution.

With Love,
Stephanie