It's been 21 great days focusing on good nutrition, strenuous exercise, and portion control. I must say I pushed it hard last week with good exercise to try to meet a few goals I've been striving for. Today, I am definitely sore but overall, I feel great. It would be easy to become discouraged because the results don't happen quickly. But to keep me encouraged, this is what I've accomplished over the past 21 days.
1. Lost 10.5 pounds
2. Lost 1 1/2 inches around my waist
3. I can see definition in my legs...not a lot but since I'm looking for it, I can see the tone
4. My clothes fit so much better. Rather than skirts and pants sitting right on my waist, they're now resting on my hips.
5. I'm adding at least 1, sometimes 2 extra strengthening routines to each program. This is definitely helping with the back fat, arm jiggle and overall arm strength.
6. I'm strength training 3 days/week, cardio training 3 days/week and enjoying several walks in the evening after work. This equals at least 45-75 minutes of exercise daily.
I'm so pleased to have this opportunity and look forward to the next 79 days. I plan to stay strong and appreciate the support of my trainer, Heidi, our dieticians, Peggy & Jessica, other participants and good family and friends. Thanks a bunch everyone!
I also want to share a fun episode I had with my son, Spencer (10) on Saturday. I was doing a PowerWalking video and he was content just watching me. He's 10 and after about 3 minutes in to the work-out he says, "Wow Mom, it's working already...I can already tell you're getting skinnier." Oh how I love the boy! He's been a fun supporter and oftentimes joins in with me. If he doesn't, Swensen, my 4-year old gets on his bike every night when we get home ready to guide my walking course. Thank goodness for great kids!
Monday, June 22, 2009
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Whole Wheat Flax'N Apple Muffins
I made these last week and they were very good. I don't have an exact nutritional overview, but calorie and fat content is lower than other muffins because of the Splenda and applesauce substitutes. Besides, they taste so good, you wouldn't know they're healthy for you.
1/4 c milled flax seed
3/4 c whole wheat flour
3/4 c white flour
1/2 c sugar -- can use Splenda
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1 1/2 cup finely chopped or shredded apples -- I prefer shredded
3 T applesauce -- substituted for equal amounts of oil
1/2 c milk
1/2 c chopped nuts
Blend dry ingredients in bowl. In separate bowl, mix egg, applesauce & milk. Add to dry ingredients and mix. Batter will be thick. Fold in apples and nuts. Fill muffin tins 2/3 full. Bake at 400 for 18-20 minutes. Recipe makes 12 muffins. I doubled it and my family gobbled them up within 2 days!
1/4 c milled flax seed
3/4 c whole wheat flour
3/4 c white flour
1/2 c sugar -- can use Splenda
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1 1/2 cup finely chopped or shredded apples -- I prefer shredded
3 T applesauce -- substituted for equal amounts of oil
1/2 c milk
1/2 c chopped nuts
Blend dry ingredients in bowl. In separate bowl, mix egg, applesauce & milk. Add to dry ingredients and mix. Batter will be thick. Fold in apples and nuts. Fill muffin tins 2/3 full. Bake at 400 for 18-20 minutes. Recipe makes 12 muffins. I doubled it and my family gobbled them up within 2 days!
Monday, June 15, 2009
A new view to eating PASTA! I do love pasta dishes and have been looking for recipes that don't compromise taste but offer a healthier option. I haven't tried this one yet, but bought the ingredients this weekend. It sounds good so I'm sharing before trying:
Fettuccine Alfredo with Broccoli
Prep time: 25 min.
Serves 4
1 T flour
1/4 tsp. salt
Fresh ground pepper
1 1/2 c 1% milk
Whisk dry ingredients with 1/2 cup milk in medium sauce pan. Then whisk in remaining 1 cup milk. Bring to slow simmer, stirring over medium heat.
Stir in 3/4 c grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (about 3 oz) and 1 tsp. trans-free vegetable oil spread. Sauce will thicken in about 3-4 minutes. Then remove from heat and cover to keep warm.
Prepare 6 oz. whole wheat fettuccine according to package directions. Add 4 cups bite-size broccoli florets and 1/3 cup peas (thawed) during last 5-7 minutes of pasta cook time. Drain.
Transfer pasta and vegetables to large service bowl and toss with cheese sauce. Garnish with 12 grape tomatoes (halved) and fresh chopped parsley if desired.
Nutritional Info per Serving: 304 cal, 19 g pro, 41 g carb, 8 g fiber, 7 g fat 3.5 g sat fat 18 mg chol, 449 mg sodium. This recipe offers 61% less calories, 167% more fiber, 88% less fat than the traditional recipe. I hope it's yummy!
Fettuccine Alfredo with Broccoli
Prep time: 25 min.
Serves 4
1 T flour
1/4 tsp. salt
Fresh ground pepper
1 1/2 c 1% milk
Whisk dry ingredients with 1/2 cup milk in medium sauce pan. Then whisk in remaining 1 cup milk. Bring to slow simmer, stirring over medium heat.
Stir in 3/4 c grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (about 3 oz) and 1 tsp. trans-free vegetable oil spread. Sauce will thicken in about 3-4 minutes. Then remove from heat and cover to keep warm.
Prepare 6 oz. whole wheat fettuccine according to package directions. Add 4 cups bite-size broccoli florets and 1/3 cup peas (thawed) during last 5-7 minutes of pasta cook time. Drain.
Transfer pasta and vegetables to large service bowl and toss with cheese sauce. Garnish with 12 grape tomatoes (halved) and fresh chopped parsley if desired.
Nutritional Info per Serving: 304 cal, 19 g pro, 41 g carb, 8 g fiber, 7 g fat 3.5 g sat fat 18 mg chol, 449 mg sodium. This recipe offers 61% less calories, 167% more fiber, 88% less fat than the traditional recipe. I hope it's yummy!
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Visual Simulator
The start of week 2 has been a little slow for me because I'm only 1/2 pound less than what I was on Monday. But I'm going to push strong. I feel good about my diet and know that I need to add more exercise to get the results I want. Peggy says we need 90-120 minutes a day to lose weight and that was discouraging but I know it's true. I saw Heidi at the Wellness Center yesterday and we talked about ways to increase active movement -- which is what Peggy was actually referring too. So I'm taking 2 small breaks to just climb stairs. It's a quick work-out and rejuvenating too.
I found something that might be fun for you to try. Prevention's web-site, www. prevention.com/mvm has a visual simulator. You design your body as it is now and the body you want at the end of this challenge. It gives you a picture of now and then. Kindof fun!
I know most of us take a visual outlook towards things so for me, it's encouraging to take a glance at a picture of what I use to look like. I hope this helps any of you with your goals too. If not, just have fun creating your simulation. You get to pick the hair, swimming suit, etc. It was fun.
I found something that might be fun for you to try. Prevention's web-site, www. prevention.com/mvm has a visual simulator. You design your body as it is now and the body you want at the end of this challenge. It gives you a picture of now and then. Kindof fun!
I know most of us take a visual outlook towards things so for me, it's encouraging to take a glance at a picture of what I use to look like. I hope this helps any of you with your goals too. If not, just have fun creating your simulation. You get to pick the hair, swimming suit, etc. It was fun.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Recap from week 1
I was so focused on good nutrition and exercise last week that I totally forgot about blogging until Janet's friendly reminder Friday. I'll get better at this and had fun viewing other blogs this a.m.
After receiving my baseling results, I was shocked! I have much higher levels of cholesterol, triglycerides and body fat content than ever. This is a great time to focus on better health and I'm committed to some real life changes because I want a long healthy life and haven't been on that path for at least 3-4 years now.
I was pleased with everything last week. It was great to meet others in the challenge and I became quickly energeized to be successful with my goals. Overall, I lost 7 pounds and met my goal to exercise 6 days. I really feel great and can tell I'm getting stronger and can endure longer, more strenuous excercising. I'm very encouraged to continue forward!
Feeling I did a few things right...I thought I'd share a few things that worked for me.
1. Logging everything I ate. Not only did this help me calculate calories, carbs, etc. it was a very good visual to keep me in line with Jessica's nutrition recommendations.
2. Prevention.com has a lot of helpful weight-loss tips, exercise plans, menu's, shopping tips, etc. I've taken Prevention Magazine for at least a year now, but their web-site was a favorite for me last week. It's now part of my "favorites" and I receive their daily emails of the topics that mean most to me. I found their information very helpful and easy to follow.
3. Exercise felt so good. I worked out 6 days last week -- some more vigorous and longer than others, but I felt the combination worked for me. A couple of my children joined in with me and we had a good time together.
4. I ate very simple meals last week and had them planned day-after-day. I also increased my water intake significantly and it really did help fill some of the "empty" moments I had.
Feeling positive about last week, I'm going to do much the same for week 2. My shopping is done and I have new recipes to try. As I make a few new things this week, I'll share my new favorites. My first attempt is using flax seed in place of the oil/fat that a recipe calls for. I understand it's a great substitute so I'll make cinnamon apple muffins tonight to try it out.
I'm a recipe collector, so I'll be watching the other blogs for your creative menu ideas too!
After receiving my baseling results, I was shocked! I have much higher levels of cholesterol, triglycerides and body fat content than ever. This is a great time to focus on better health and I'm committed to some real life changes because I want a long healthy life and haven't been on that path for at least 3-4 years now.
I was pleased with everything last week. It was great to meet others in the challenge and I became quickly energeized to be successful with my goals. Overall, I lost 7 pounds and met my goal to exercise 6 days. I really feel great and can tell I'm getting stronger and can endure longer, more strenuous excercising. I'm very encouraged to continue forward!
Feeling I did a few things right...I thought I'd share a few things that worked for me.
1. Logging everything I ate. Not only did this help me calculate calories, carbs, etc. it was a very good visual to keep me in line with Jessica's nutrition recommendations.
2. Prevention.com has a lot of helpful weight-loss tips, exercise plans, menu's, shopping tips, etc. I've taken Prevention Magazine for at least a year now, but their web-site was a favorite for me last week. It's now part of my "favorites" and I receive their daily emails of the topics that mean most to me. I found their information very helpful and easy to follow.
3. Exercise felt so good. I worked out 6 days last week -- some more vigorous and longer than others, but I felt the combination worked for me. A couple of my children joined in with me and we had a good time together.
4. I ate very simple meals last week and had them planned day-after-day. I also increased my water intake significantly and it really did help fill some of the "empty" moments I had.
Feeling positive about last week, I'm going to do much the same for week 2. My shopping is done and I have new recipes to try. As I make a few new things this week, I'll share my new favorites. My first attempt is using flax seed in place of the oil/fat that a recipe calls for. I understand it's a great substitute so I'll make cinnamon apple muffins tonight to try it out.
I'm a recipe collector, so I'll be watching the other blogs for your creative menu ideas too!
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