Day 45 - Live and Learn

I am fortunate enough to be marrying a guy who is not only amazing but also an awesome cook! After graduating from JMU in 2006, Seth headed down to Virginia Beach to "live the dream" and landed a pretty sweet job at a high end restaurant where he was taught by some great chefs. Lucky for me a couple years later, he decided to come home and pursue a career using his college degree and the rest is history :)

Before living with Seth, I thought I liked to cook. I usually got a new cookbook for Christmas and enjoyed spending my free time in the kitchen (which is probably not a good thing for my weight). But now that I have a personal, live-in chef, I've decided that I like eating much more than I like cooking!

I'm pretty spoiled when it comes to not having to cook. But I do try to cook dinner by myself at least one night a week. Well that night this week was last night. I found a healthy, yummy looking recipe for turkey meatloaf so I decided to give it a try.

Ya know...for being a technical writer and bitching all the time about how no one reads the "Help" that we write...I sure don't take my own advice and read instructions. I ended up cooking the damn ground turkey in a skillet which is completely wrong for a meatloaf which bakes in the oven! Oy vey! Luckily we had enough ground turkey in the freezer for me to try again, so I stuck the cooked ground turkey in the frig for another night. Unfortunately, we didn't end up eating until like 8:30...sorry honey!

Anywho...it turned out delicious so here is the recipe:

Ground Turkey Meatloaf
Ingredients:
1/2 small onion, chopped
1 tsp olive oil
1.3 lb lean ground turkey
1/2 cup oatmeal
1/4 ketchup + 2 tbsp
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 egg
1 tsp marjoram
salt

Directions:
Saute onion in olive oil until translucent. In a bowl, using your hands combine uncooked ground turkey, onion, oatmeal, egg, 1/4 cup of ketchup, salt, and marjoram. Form a loaf in a greased glass baking dish. In a cup, combine 2 tbsp ketchup and 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce and spread on top of loaf. Bake on 350 for at least an hour and half...probably longer. Make sure to cut into it to make sure it's done. Serve with garlic mashed cauliflower and enjoy! :)

Yesterday's Recap:
2/28

Breakfast: Mixed fruit: grapefruit, orange, watermelon, and strawberry
Snack: Banana
Lunch: Dinner leftovers...wild rice, crock pot carrots, and a couple bites of tilapia...which is NOT good reheated (you were rii...riiii....right Seth)
Snack: Clementine and mixed nuts
Dinner: Ground turkey meatloaf and cauliflower mash (see above for recipe)
Water: three 24oz bottles of water
Exercise: 40 minutes on the treadmill, 25 minutes core and upper body strength

Day 44 - Coffee....Yay or Nay?

When I list coffee as one of the things I gave up on my "diet", I'm immediately met with shock faces and "OMG how do you do it"s.

A couple of people have mentioned that "coffee really isn't that bad for". So why did I give up coffee? The answer is that I tried to cut out things that did not provide any nutritional value. If I'm drinking coffee and it isn't helping me loss weigh and nurse my body, then why?

I've never been a coffee drinker to wake up. I started drinking coffee in college because, honestly, everyone else was and I was usually sleep deprived and desperate for a pick me up. My mom bought me my first single cup brewing coffee machine for Christmas. Having never made coffee before in my life, I filled the little basket up to the TOP with coffee grounds, made my travel mug of coffee, and headed off to class. BIG MISTAKE. Not long after I was sitting in class with my arms and legs literally shaking!

Once I figured out how to actually operate the coffee maker, I've been drinking a cup (or two) of coffee almost everyday since. I genuinely like the taste of coffee and sometimes I'll even drink it black. But since I've been on this "diet", eating right, and exercising, my body hasn't felt the need for the caffeine. NOTE: this does not mean I don't groan when the alarm goes off and need a hot shower to get me going in the morning. It's just that once I get to work I don't immediately make a b-line for the Keurig machine.

Having dearly missed the taste of coffee, I wanted to do some research to see if I'm really crazy after all for giving it up! I found an article on Livestrong.com called "Is Coffee Good or Bad for Weight Loss?". Precisely my question....ah Google...you know me so well.

To summarize the article, it all comes down to have to take your coffee. All those specialty and amazingly delicious "coffee" drinks from places like Starbucks add a TON of calories. But since I sometimes drink my coffee black, this doesn't really apply.

So this is what it really comes down to: caffeine. What does caffeine do to our bodies? Some research has shown that caffeine can act as an appetite suppressant. (Add a check to the Pro column) Caffeine is also a diuretic, meaning that it makes you have to pee a lot. The down side is that it can also make you dehydrated. I already drink so much water and pee all the time that this doesn't really apply. (Add a check to the Con column) Finally, coffee has been known to speed up your metabolism, "but researchers believe this extra calorie burn is not enough to have a significant impact on weight loss". (Add one more check to the Con column)

In conclusion, I think I'm going to stick with my sans-coffee dieting. But I do miss you dearly, mister coffee bean.

Yesterday's Recap:
2/27

Breakfast: Unsweetened apple sauce with cinnamon
Snack: Grapefruit
Lunch: Campbell's Select Light: Maryland style crab, with some leftover couscous
Snack: Apple
Dinner: (thanks SM) Tilapia (split with Seth), wild rice, and zucchini
Water: three 24oz bottles of water
Exercise: 40 minutes on the treadmill

Day 43 - Daily Motivation

Not too much to report on today. Still in 1st place, which feels good! But still have lots of work to do!

Here's some motivation as I reflect on  my weight loss goals:

Weekend Recap:
2/24

Breakfast: Banana
Snack: Clementine
Lunch: Salad with tuna and Ken's Lite Sun dried Tomato dressing
Snack: Grapefruit and some nuts
Dinner: Tilapia, coucous, and peas
Water: five 24 oz. bottles

Exercise: 20 minutes on treadmill, 15 minutes on bicycle, and 15 minutes core and leg strength
2/25

Breakfast: Banana smoothie
Snack: Clementine
Lunch: Chicken salad
Dinner: Stuffed salmon, couscous, and crock pot carrots (baby carrots, agave, cinnamon, butter, and orange juice...cook on high for 5 hours)
Water: not sure...not a lot
Exercise: 30 minute walk with Jasper...note to self: sunny does not equal warm...damn you wind!

2/26

Breakfast: Mango smoothie and banana
Snack: 2 hard boiled eggs
Lunch: Salad with Lite Raspberry Vinaigrette, 3 deviled egg halves
Dinner: Chicken taco salad: brown rice, shredded chicken, lettuce, tomato, onion, reduced fat cheese, and fat free sour cream
Water: not sure..didn't have my water bottle :(
Exercise: rest

Day 40 - Cauliflower Power

In case you missed it, I posted a recipe for a cauliflower mash that Seth and I enjoyed on Valentine's Day.

Well last night we got a little adventurous and made PIZZA with a CAULIFLOWER crust and HOMEMADE marinara sauce! Before you immediately close your browser, keep reading because it was SO GOOD!!! We probably used too much cheese but it was worth it! (will post pics ASAP...forgot the cord for my camera to upload to my computer)

Cauliflower Pizza
Ingredients:

• 1 cup cooked cauliflower (just cut up a bowl full of cauliflower, microwave by itself for like 4 minutes, and pulse in a food processor until the size of rice)
• 1 cup shredded cheese (we used Sargento's reduced fat Italian blend)
• Dried Parsley and Oregano (no idea how much we used I just sprinkled it into the bowl)

Directions:
Spread above mixture thinly onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 450 for about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and add marinara sauce (see below for homemade recipe) and toppings. We used cooked grilled chicken, onions, green peppers, and mushrooms (only on Seth's side...bleh!). Bake for a couple more minutes to soften the veggies. Remove from oven and top with cheese (we used the same Italian blend as used in crust). Switch oven to broil and bake until cheese is browned. Enjoy!

Homemade Healthy Marinara Sauce
Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup reduced-sodium broth (I used chicken broth because that's what we had...vegetable works too)
• 1 cup finely chopped white onion (Seth pureed the onion in the food processor which made the onion a nice consistency for the sauce but made our eyes burn for a good 10 minutes...beware.)
• garlic powder (a few sprinkles...you can use fresh garlic as well)
• crushed red pepper flakes (a couple sprinkles)
• 2 tbsp no-salt-added tomato paste
• 2 cans no-salt-added tomatoes (we used sliced stewed tomatoes and gave them a quick chop in the food processor)
• Dried Basil and Oregano (a couple sprinkles)
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, bring broth to a simmer. Add onion, garlic and crushed red pepper and cook until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium, stir in tomatoes and herbs and cook about 15 minutes to blend flavors, stirring occasionally to make sure mixture doesn’t stick to the pan. Add to pizza above! Enjoy!

Yesterday's Recap:
2/23

Breakfast: Banana
Snack: Unsweetened apple sauce with cinnamon
Lunch: Salad with tuna and Ken's Lite Sun dried Tomato dressing
Snack: Grapefruit and some nuts
Dinner: Cauliflower pizza (see above!)
Water: five 24 oz. bottles

Exercise: 45 minutes on the treadmill - ran 3.39 miles!!!!

Day 39 - Time to Spice it Up!

I was reading this interesting article by a nutrition expert on 11 Ways to Rev your Weight-Loss Engine and number 4 caught my eye: Shock your tongue.

According to the article:

"Be liberal with spicy ingredients like cayenne pepper, hot sauce, jalapeños, chipotle, and hot salsa, and incorporate them into more meals: Consider adding chopped hot peppers to scrambled eggs, chicken or tuna salad, and tossed salads, or make a spicy sandwich spread by mixing a generous shot of hot sauce into hummus or low-fat mayo. Why? New research has found that adding spicy ingredients to your food can help suppress your appetite and even stoke your metabolic fire a bit. In one study, dieters who didn't normally eat spicy foods ate a soup seasoned with cayenne pepper for lunch, resulting in them consuming 60 fewer calories at their next meal and burning an extra ten calories. Sure, it's a small amount, but over time it adds up!"

I've never been a fan of spicy food in general, but since my awesome fiance Seth has become my personal chef, my palette has changed a bit. I'm starting to enjoy food that give a little kick at the end or leave a hot after taste. Don't get me wrong, I am NOWHERE near the level of those crazy guys on that show Heat Seekers. I mean who enjoys sweating and tearing up while eating??? Not this gal.

But after reading this article, maybe I'll allow Seth to sprinkle a couple more drops of hot sauce into his awesome dinners. Maybe.

And remember:

Yesterday's Recap:
2/22

Breakfast: Banana
Snack: Clementine
Lunch: Campbell's Select Light Soup: Maryland crab! SO GOOD! with some leftover couscous.
Snack: Grapes
Dinner: Sweet and spicy chicken with pineapple, broccoli, and brown rice (check out my Day 22 blog post for the recipe)
Water: five 24 oz. bottles

Exercise: a little over an hour in the gym - 40 minutes on the treadmill (ran 2 miles without stopping!) and 25 minutes core and upper body strength

Day 38 - Half Way There...WoooAH!

...LIVING ON A PRAYER!

Okay now that the Journey reference is out of the way...we're a little over half way to the end of the Biggest Loser competition at work and I am pleased to announce that after Monday's weigh in I am still in first place!! I hope at least....not everyone weighed in but I've got almost a 4% lead in front of the second place contestant.

But now is no time to rest on my laurels (what does that mean anyway??) Although I am proud of my progress, I am no where near where I want to be. I fear that I have been slacking a little bit on my running so I really need to kick into high gear because there is only 38 days until the Monument Ave 10K. And I'd REALLY like to surprise myself by running more than walking in the race. Here's hoping :)

Got some words of encouraging from one of my mom's college friends (hi La!) today with this cute picture:

This is pretty much how I feel every day when I eat my veggies. Yes the disheveled hair and all.

 A quick follow-up to yesterday's post: I met with the lady who is going to alter my mom's wedding dress for my wedding and the meeting went GREAT! She was a very nice lady and definitely seemed like she knows what she's doing! Can't wait to meet again with her in March to see how the dress looks without the long sleeves (haha sorry mom!)

Yesterday's Recap:
2/21

Breakfast: Unsweetened apple sauce with cinnamon
Snack: Nuts
Lunch: Salad with Ken's Lite Sundried Tomato dressing...YUM!
Snack: Grapes
Dinner: (thanks boo boo) BBQ chicken breast, couscous, and broccoli
Water: five 24 oz. bottles

Exercise: about 40 minute run/walk with Jasper...would have been longer but my ears started to ache really bad because of the wind. Wah Wah I know....looking forward to warm weather this week :)

Day 37 - 19 Pounds and Counting!

Today marked the second official weigh in and I'm down 19 pounds! That's 10.27% woohoo! I'm so incredibly proud of myself considering that in 5 weeks I've lost more pounds than the entire 8 week competition last year! I'm starting to see results and it feels great! I actually enjoyed doing some wedding dress shopping this weekend because I actually fit in the dresses!!

Saturday I went to Richmond to spend the day with my two favorite Gaberdiels girls - my mom and sister-in-law! I fell in love with two dresses at two different stores. Which makes me even more excited about my appointment this evening with a lady to discuss altering my mom's wedding dress. I feel like tonight will be the determining factor on what dress I wear. If she has some great ideas and can alter the dress within my budget then I will wear my mom's dress. If not, I'm going back to Alfred Angelo and buying the beauty I found!

This weekend's temptations were tough (as usual) but I've got an awesome support system in my family so I was able to stay strong! But the BEST part of the weekend was seeing this guy:

This is my soon to be 92 year old Grampa! In early December he fell and broke his hip. After a partial hip replacement and weeks in rehab, he's back home! I'm proud to report that I got to witness his first meal of solid food! He ate that beef stew, sweet potato, green beans, and blackberry pie like a champ! But it gets better...I also got to see him walk around a bit, which is a nice change from his wheelchair. So happy for all the progress he has made...he's a true inspiration!

LONG Weekend Recap:
2/17

Breakfast: 2 Clementines
Snack: Grapes
Lunch: Salad with tuna
Snack: Nuts, veggies, and fruit at our company bowling party!
Dinner: (thanks hubby to be) Chicken stir fry and brown rice
Water: five 24 oz. bottles

Exercise: 1 hour in the gym - about 40 minutes on the treadmill and 20 minutes leg and core workout

2/18

Breakfast: Banana, scrambled eggs, and 2 slices turkey bacon (thanks big brother!)
Lunch: Salad with grilled chicken
Snack: Clementine
Dinner: Banana and fruit cup
Water: four 24 oz. bottles

Exercise: 45 minutes of ZUMBA

2/19

Breakfast: Banana and kiwi strawberry smoothie from Tropical Smoothie
Lunch: Small salad
Snack: Grapes
Dinner: (thanks lovey) Taco salad - shredded chicken, brown rice, lettuce, tomato, onion, and fat free sour cream
Water: four 24 oz. bottles

Exercise: rest

2/17

Breakfast: Banana Smoothie
Lunch: 2 scrambled eggs and 2 slices turkey bacon
Snack: Grapefruit
Dinner: (thanks hubs) Tilapia and zucchini
Water: three 24 oz. bottles

Exercise: 1 hour of ZUMBA!

Day 33 - Fasting

Lisa commented on my myth busting blog post yesterday with a very interesting article on the Eat Stop Eat lifestyle (not diet) of "fasting". According to Wikipedia and as the author talks about, fasting is the act of willingly abstaining from all or some food, drink, or both, for a period of time.

In the article, the author did some serious research on nutrition and dieting and provides some very convincing evidence to the benefits of fasting. To summarize, his main point is the fastest and most proven method of weight lost is caloric reduction, and by fasting you are significantly reducing your caloric intake for the day. Doing so, does not send your body into "starvation mode" as many would think. Fasting just allows your body to catch up with itself. The author talks about how our bodies are either in fed or fast mode; when we think we're hungry, in actuality, our bodies haven't even had the chance to go into fasting mode, so it is just burning the calories/fat you consumed that day instead of consuming the calories/fat you are storing. So when you fast, you give your body a chance to get some work done.

The author advocates for a 24 hour fast once or twice a week. For example, have your last meal at 6pm and then do not eat again until 6pm the next day. Seems doable when you think about how much time you'll be sleeping during that 24 hour fasting period!

As scary as fasting sounds, I encourage you to read the article! I'd love to talk to someone who has tried this or something similar!

Yesterday's Recap:
2/16

Breakfast: Banana and one hard boiled egg
Lunch: Small salad and unsweetened apple sauce with cinnamon
Snack: Apple and nuts
Dinner: (thanks Seffff) Tilapia, couscous, and zucchini
Water: five 24 oz. bottles

Exercise: about 35 minutes on the treadmill and 10 minutes core workout

Day 32 - Myth Busting

Yesterday I was chatting with last year's second place winner (who, I must add, only beat me by 0.57%). He decided not to join the competition this year because he had done a good job keeping off all the weight he lost. However, yesterday he confessed that recently he has gained a lot of it back and is regretting not being in the competition! He attributed his weight gain to late night eating and shamelessly blamed it on his newborn baby's sleeping/eating schedule, or lack there of. Excuses, excuses. Just kidding :)

So I decided to do a little research on the validity of the statement that you shouldn't eat past 8pm (or wherever time "they" say...who are they anyways??). Although I'm sure there are tons of studies out there that can argue both sides, I found an article on http://www.livestrong.com/ that was pretty interesting. The main point of the article was: A Calorie is a Calorie! It doesn't matter what time you're eating if you're too much of the wrong thing and not exercising.

The article contains to say: "In America, dinner is the biggest meal of the day and tends to contain the most calories. When you follow it with dessert or a midnight snack or both, you may end up doubling the amount of calories you ate previously in the day, destroying your diet in the process." Lesson of the day: Skip the late night binge!

Yesterday's Recap
2/15

Breakfast: Clementine, a couple leftover dark chocolate covered bananas, and one dark chocolate covered strawberry - I know, I know...shame on me. I have no self-control.
Lunch: Homestyle chicken and wild rice soup
Snack: Apple
Dinner: Valentine's Day Round 2 @ Bonefish: Appetizer of Mussels sautéed with tomatoes, garlic, basil and lemon wine sauce, scallops and shrimp with a pan asian sauce, asparagus, and jasmine rice. SO GOOD!
Water: five 24 oz. bottles

Exercise: 1 hour in the gym: 30 minutes on the treadmill, 30 minutes strength

Day 31 - It was SO worth it!

Yesterday (Valentine's Day) was amazing! I had an awesome workout after work and came home to make an awesome dinner with my future hubby!

The menu:

• Cauliflower mash (see below for "recipe")
• Salmon fillet (shared)
• Lobster tail (shared)
• Blue crab legs:

But the best part of all was DESSERT! We haven't add ANYTHING non-naturally sweet for 30 days! So as a special treat, we indulged in dark chocolate covered strawberries and bananas!! I'm not sure if they were just perfect or we have just been deprived (probably both), but they were pure HEAVEN! I didn't feel too great this morning but it was totally worth it!

I had strict instructions to bring the leftover strawberries and bananas into work today so we would not continue to eat them. Well that works for Seth, but that did NOT stop me from sneaking a couple this morning before the vultures picked them clean. :) hehe

Gonna need an extra hard workout in the gym tonight to make up for last night...AND tonight since we're going out to eat at Bonefish!! Yum! Feeling spoiled rotten and LOVING IT :)

Oh and my beauties decided to grace me with their presence this morning! Love the purple and yellow Iris!

Yesterday's Recap
2/14

Breakfast: Banana and clementine
Snack: Grapes
Lunch: Small salad and unsweetened apple sauce with cinnamon
Snack: Almonds
Dinner: see above!
Water: five 24 oz. bottles

Exercise: 45 minute core and lower body workout at the Personal Training Co.

Cauliflower Mash - awesome alternative to mashed potatoes!
Cut up a head of cauliflower into small pieces and boil in pot for about 6 minutes or until tender. Drain and mash with fork (you may want to use a potato masher or a blender to get a more smooth texture). Add lowfat buttermilk and I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spray until smooth. Grate a couple garlic cloves into the mixture and add salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle some grated Parmesan cheese on top and enjoy!

Day 30 - Happy Valentine's Day!

After receiving these beautiful flowers at work, I am going to take this opportunity to be completely cheesy and brag about my fiance, Seth.

Can't wait to see these beauties open up!

Our Story - You had me at I DUkes
Seth and I met back in 2005 at a typical JMU party (was it coincidence that he lived with a bunch of guys that were in my brother's high school class? I think not!) I was a bright-eyed freshman and he was a good looking senior! We remained only friends for years, exchanging an occasional 'Hello' or beer chug. It wasn't until the winter of 2009 when a mutual friend "hooked us up" and the rest is history!

We tried the long distance thing, I working in Roanoke, and Seth recently moving back home to Berryville after living-the-life as a chef at Virginia Beach. The three and a half hour drive down 81 was tough but somehow we made it work. The right time and opportunity came along and I made the move to NOVA back in September 2010!

Jasper - Our K9 Child
Seth knew all too well how badly I wanted a little furry friend. Our family mutt, Holly, passed away in July 2010 after 16 wonderful years, and I was definitely feeling the sting of loneliness in my tiny 1 bedroom basement apartment in Roanoke. I kept an eye on the Angels of Assisi no-kill shelter in Roanoke and frequently checked their website for any big brown eyes that may plead "take me home with you!!"

One day I saw a liter of black and white babies so I decided to go to the shelter and "just take a look". Well needless to say I fell in love and an hour later I was approved for adoption and the lady asked "so do you want to take him now?" Seth received a very excited WE GOT HIM phone call and I picked Jasper up the next day. That little 4 and a half pound jack russell/dachshund mixed puppy was the apple of my eye and Seth soon fell in love as well.

Now almost two years old, Jasper's grown a little bigger but definitely hasn't grown up. We lost many socks and cleaned up quite a few pee puddles but we can't picture our lives without him!



The Proposal - 4/10/11
The day started as any typical lazy Sunday...slept in, sweatpants, breakfast in bed, Lifetime movies, and leftover Chinese food (rough life, eh?) Later, Seth and I went out had a delicious Italian dinner with wine and returned home to take Jasper for a walk and soak up the last of the sunshine on the (finally) warm day!

Walking along a path through the wooded area behind my apartment complex, we got to the middle of a small field and Seth got down on his knee. I immediately started saying "OMG OMG OMG!" and I have NO idea what came after that except for a YES, a ring, tears, and kisses.

(Please see Seth for details of what I'm sure was a VERY romantic proposal)

The Big Day - 10/13/12

Seth and I are honored to have Reverend Dr. Dean Francis (my awesome Uncle) marry us in front of all of our friends and family at the beautiful Old House Vineyards in Culpeper, VA. Seth and I are huge winos so what better place to say I Do?!

With our best friends by our sides, the day will begin with a ceremony on the Island (weather permitting) and then move to the Lakeside Pavilion.

I'm so incredibly blessed to have found such an amazing person to spend the rest of my life with. He's been such a trooper through this Biggest Loser Competition and has even lost almost 15 pounds himself! He is my rock, my motivation, my chef, and my biggest fan.... I love you Seth Miller!

Yesterday's Recap:

2/13

Breakfast: Two hard boiled eggs

Lunch: Wasn't feeling very good (I think I'm officially sick of hard boiled eggs!) so I just picked the tuna out of my salad.
Snack: Mandarin orange and sugar free jello...which by the way is NOT good in that order.

Dinner: (thanks to my future hubs) Tilapia, wild rice, and green beans

Water: five 24 oz. bottles
Exercise: 1 hour of ZUMBA!

Day 29 - Much Needed Motivation

Not sure why, but luckily our scheduled bi-weekly weigh in was moved from today to next Monday. And I say "luckily" because I'm really disappointed at my measly 3 pound lose these past two weeks. 3 pounds?? Seriously?? I'm hoping that I've just gain some muscles and that's why I'm not seeing the lose.

Anywho...feeling pretty crappy and need some motivation. So I found this gem:

Junior year prom (2004)

Wow! Such a tiny kid! If that's not motivation then I don't know what is!

Weekend Recap:

2/10

Breakfast: Banana and two hard boiled eggs

Snack: Mandarin orange
Lunch: Progresso Light Soup: Chicken and veggie, and some unsweetened applesauce with cinnamon

Snack: Apple

Dinner: Grilled chicken breast, couscous, and green beans

Water: like seven 24 oz. bottles....Seth had some drinking buddies over so I posted up on the couch with my bottle of water

Exercise: ~40 minute upper body and core workout

2/11

Breakfast: Banana smoothie

Snack: Apple

Dinner: Chicken stir fry and brown rice

Water: maybe two or three 24 oz. bottles

Exercise: rest

2/12

Breakfast: Apple

Snack: Mandarin orange
Lunch: Fresh tomato and mozzarella salad with oil & vinegar dressing....AMAZING!

Dinner: Seafood stir fry, brown rice, and broccoli
Snack: Light vanilla yogurt with granola

Water: maybe two or three 24 oz. bottles

Exercise: rest

Day 26 - Chill

K, thanks...I needed that.

Yesterday's Recap:
2/9
Breakfast: Banana
Lunch: Salad with tuna
Snack: Mandarin orange
Dinner: Chicken breast with General Tso's sauce, brown rice, and green beans
Water: four 24 oz. bottles
Exercise: ~40 minute upper body and core workout @ Personal Training Co.

Day 25 - Ouchies

So I went to my consultation/assessment last night with personal trainer Damien Woodson...and it was definitely a learning experience. We spent some time talking about my past exercise and eating habits, my goals for the future, and what I wanted to get out of the session with him. Then we moved on to the "assessment". I immediately had flashbacks to 6th grade PE class with Mr.Young yelling at me to do a pull-up...didn't happen.

In addition to measuring my weight and BMI, Damien had me do a variety of different exercises to test my balance, core strength, arm strength, leg strength, and cardio fitness. After all was said and done, I thanked him for workout and he responded, "Yea, that's a good base line workout. Come back tomorrow for the real workout." REAL workout?!?! FML. I could hardly get out of the bed this morning because my butt muscles hurt so bad! But my job hooked us up with this free assessment and a free week of classes so I'm not missing out on this opportunity to get out of the gym and work with a professional. I just highly doubt I'll be able to lift my arms to wash my hair tomorrow morning after the upper body and core workout I'm going to get tonight!

As promised, for the BMI......34.5% body fat. Yikes. The healthy percentage for a 5'6, 177 pound, 24 year old female (aka ME) is around 23%. I've got some work to do! Damien also showed me some interesting numbers....about 116 pounds of me is pure lean muscle...which leaves about 61 pounds of fat. So if I had zero percentage body fat, I would weigh 116 and probably be dead. He said the next step is to determine how much we want to lean muscle number to go up and how much we want the body fat to go down, because after all muscle burns fat.

I will be completely honest about something. Whereas I had hoped I would leave the consultation session feeling empowered and rejuvenated, I only kind of felt depressed. Not only am I not losing anymore weight while working my butt off, but I almost feel like I failed the test. I know it was a test, it was an assessment. But my competitive nature was pretty disappointed in my performance. I was so exhausted after the assessment that I could only spend about 20 minutes on the treadmill before I wanted to collapse and curl up in a ball in the corner. But my determination WILL outweigh the pain and all of this WILL be worth it in the end. Or at least that's what I'm going to keep telling myself. I won't let me head get in the way of my progress:

If I can lift my arms enough to reach the keyboard tomorrow, I'll let you know how the workout goes.

Yesterday's Recap:
2/8
Breakfast: Banana
Snack: Mandarin orange
Lunch: Progresso Light Soup: Italian style veggie with some leftover rice-a-roni.
Snack: Grapes
Dinner: Ground turkey casserole....SO GOOD (see below for recipe)
Water: five 24 oz. bottles
Exercise: 1 hour assessment with pt and 20 minutes on treadmill

Ground Turkey Casserole (it doesn't sound good but trust me it works and it is the best casserole ever...and so easy!)
Brown 1 pound of ground turkey. Add between 1/4 - 1/2 chopped onion and lightly saute with turkey. In a glass dish, mix turkey & onions with 1 can Cream of Celery soup, about a cup of cooked brown rice (make sure it is cooked...I've made that mistake before), and a couple splashes of low sodium soy sauce. Top with some shredded cheese and baked at 350 for 30 minutes. ENJOY :)

Day 24 - Plateau

Yesterday I mentioned the dreaded weight loss plateau and my very real fear that I've reach it. So I did a little research (thank you http://www.mayoclinic.com/):

What is a weight-loss plateau?
A weight-loss plateau occurs when you no longer lose weight despite continuing with your exercise and healthy-eating habits.

What causes a weight-loss plateau?
The progression from initial weight loss to a weight-loss plateau follows a typical pattern. During the first few weeks of losing weight, a rapid drop in pounds is normal. When calories from food are reduced, the body gets needed energy by releasing its stores of glycogen, a type of carbohydrate found in the muscles and liver. Glycogen holds onto water, so when glycogen is burned for energy, it also releases the water — about 4 grams of water for every gram of glycogen — resulting in substantial weight loss that's mostly water.

A plateau occurs because your metabolism — the process of burning calories for energy — slows as you lose lean tissue (muscle). When you lose weight, you lose both fat and lean tissue. (The notion that overweight people have a slower metabolism is a myth. In general, the higher a person's weight, the higher the body's metabolic rate.) Your weight-loss efforts result in a new equilibrium with your now slower metabolism. This means that in order to lose more weight, you need to increase activity or decrease the calories you eat. Using the same approach that worked initially will maintain your weight loss, but it won't lead to more weight loss.

How can you overcome a weight-loss plateau?

• Reassess your habits. Look back at your food and activity records. Make sure you haven't loosened the rules, letting yourself get by with larger portions or less exercise.
• Cut more calories. Reduce your daily calorie intake by 200 calories — provided this doesn't put you below 1,200 calories. Fewer than 1,200 calories a day may not be enough to keep you from feeling hungry all of the time, which increases your risk of overeating.
• Rev up your workout. Increase the amount of time you exercise by an additional 15 to 30 minutes. You might also try increasing the intensity of your exercise, if you feel that's possible. Additional exercise will cause you to burn more calories.
• Pack more activity into your day. Think outside the gym. Increase your general physical activity throughout the day by walking more and using your car less, or try doing more yardwork or vigorous spring cleaning.

I have a consultation scheduled with a personal trainer tonight so I'm hoping that he can give me some tips on getting past this plateau. Of course he'll only be able to give me tips after he consoles me from my BMI blow. Yes, I'm getting my BMI measured this evening, among other things. BMI = body mass index, which is measured in relation to your height, weight, and age. I remember measuring my BMI once in college during a GenEd P.E. class (yes there is PE in college)....and it wasn't pretty. And I was happy with my weight in college! Check out this skinny minny in 2006:

Holy Motivation!

Which just goes to prove that you can be skinny and still have an unhealthy amount of body fat.

Stay tuned tomorrow for the results....(kicking myself for that honesty thing I mentioned in blog post #1)

Yesterday's Recap:
2/7
Breakfast: Banana
Snack: Mandarin orange
Lunch: Salad with tuna - btw I made the mistake of putting an entire packet of Ken's Fat Free Italian dressing on my salad...I could hardly eat it. Bleck!
Snack: Apple
Dinner: (thanks Seth!) Tilapia, couscous, and zucchini
Water: five 24 oz. bottles
Exercise: 1 hour in gym - 40 minutes on the treadmill and 20 minutes strength

Day 23 - It's the Little Things

The scale might not be showing the results I expected, but my waist line is :) This morning the only cami undershirt I had that was clean has always been too small. But this morning it went on with no struggle and I didn't feel strangled :) Also, my favorite black work pants zipped right up without having to lay down on the bed! VICTORY!

As much as I want to win first place in the Biggest Loser Competition and reach my goal weight, my number one goal is feel better in my skin....and that includes not dreading getting dressed in the morning. I'm not there yet but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Yesterday's Recap:
2/6
Breakfast: Banana
Snack: Mandarin orange
Lunch: Progresso Light Soup: Chicken veggie with some leftover rice-a-roni
Snack: Grapes
Dinner: Leftover chili with a sprinkle of shredded cheese and a small spoon full of fat-free sour cream
Water: well I forgot my water bottle so I have no idea...but I def drank at least 10 glasses of water!
Exercise: 1 hour ZUMBA! Best workout of the week....shoutout to our instructor who kicked our asses with a smile on her face, despite being dumped that morning! Just for that:

Day 22 - Reality Check

So I bought a scale this weekend. First time in my life that I've ever owned a scale...or wanted one. Funny story though...so I bought this scale from Walmart for like $24...wasn't the cheapest one, but wasn't the most expensive. I bring it home, get it all unwrapped, step on it, and nothing happens. After putting the thing back in the box and writing it off as a cheap Walmart purchase, I decided to read the directions (novel idea considering I'm the person who bitches went people don't read the instructions that I write)!

Well duh, there is this tab thingy that you have to pull out from behind the battery. I put the scale back down on my bedroom floor and step on....105. HAHAHA this thing must be broken. Then I read the directions further, where it suggests placing the scale on a hard surface. So I took the scale into the bathroom and was pretty pumped when it read that I had lost 6 more pounds! I weighed myself again this morning and it still said -6 pounds. However, when I got to work this morning....NOTHING. Not one single pound lost! How can that be?!!? Which scale do I trust now?? Well, I suppose since everyone else is going off of the scale at work then I might as well that my scale back. *Sigh*

I did SO well this weekend...how could I have not lost a pound??? Dare I say that I have reached the dreaded plateau.....I hope not! Oh well, no time for a pity party...time to step it up!

Oh a good note, I'm feeling like a million bucks :)

Weekend Recap:

2/3

Breakfast: Apple
Snack: Mixed nuts
Lunch: Salad with tuna
Snack: Sugar free jello
Dinner: Banana smoothie and a bowl of peas....Seth was out of town (winning big money in Atlantic City woo!) and I was lazy.
Water: five 24 oz bottles
Exercise: 30 minute jog/walk with Jasper...I got home late after my trip to Walmart and it got dark out. Running in the dark, alone = scary.

2/4

Breakfast: Mandarin orange and banana smoothie...again.
Snack: Almonds
Lunch: Yogurt with blackberries and granola and string cheese (from Sheetz...very surprised at their selection of healthy food, even though it was next to the donut case *sigh*)
Snack: Mandarin orange
Dinner: Sweet and spicy chicken with brown rice and broccoli (so yummy! see recipe below)
Water: four 24 oz bottles
Exercise: 40 minute jog/walk with Jasper

2/5

Breakfast: Banana smoothie...again. I love these smoothies! I'd have one every day if I wanted to get up early enough to make one...not happening.
Lunch: Tuna wrapped in lettuce leaf
Snack: Mandarin orange
Dinner: My second annual, famous (in my mind) turkey chili! (see below for recipe)
Water: three 24 oz bottles
Exercise: 40 minute jog/walk with Jasper.... until it started to flurry...yes I'm a wuss.

Sweet and Spicy Chicken:

Cut up two chicken breasts in cubes and toss in a tablespoon or so of cornstarch. Cook through in olive oil. Drain the juice from a 20oz can of pineapple juice. Mix pineapple juice with a spoon full of Chili Garlic Sauce and about half the can of pineapple chunks. Add the mixture to the pan of cooked chicken and boil until the sauce thickens a little bit and the chicken is fully coated. Serve with stemmed brown rice and broccoli.

(Cousin approved!)

Amy's Famous Turkey Chili
To a crock pot add: 1 pound browned ground turkey, 2 cans diced tomatoes "for chili", 1 medium chopped onion, 1 medium chopped green pepper, 1 can sweet corn, 1 packet mild chili mix, and a couple sprinkles of cinnamon. I let it cook on warm overnight and then turned it up to low right before serving. SO GOOD!

Day 19 - Could It Be???

Could it be?? Could I really be becoming a runner? *GASP*

Running is the best, worst feeling ever. Or is the worst, best feeling ever? Either way, I think I'm actually starting to like running! More specifically, I like the way I feel after running.

Our neighborhood has tons of little cul de sacs with paved paths that go through the woods and sidewalks on most streets. Growing up in the country suburbs, we NEVER had sidewalks so I'm definitely liking this!

And here is the most surprising part of it all....Seth and I just signed up for a 10K! AH! Last year I walked the Monument Ave 10K in Richmond with my mom and aunt. It was such a great event! Tonssss of people lined the streets in support and even more people were actually participating.

There are lots of different "waves" of the race: fast runners, runners, joggers, jog/walk, walk/jog, and walk. My brother and his wife, her family, and some of my cousins all ran in the race! Although I was just coming off of the Biggest Loser competition, I never did any training to run so I decided to just walk it. It was fun, but the race atmosphere was so infectious that I really did get the urge to just start running. I'm hoping I get that same fever this year!

This year I'm stepping up my game and dragging Seth along with me :) We signed up for the walk/jog wave. I need to challenge myself, but I don't want to overdue it. Baby steps!

T-minus 57 days....better pick up the pace :)

Yesterday's Recap:

2/2

Breakfast: Apple
Snack: Mixed nuts
Lunch: Banana, light 4oz. yogurt, Progresso Light Soup: Homestyle veggie and wild rice (my fav!)
Snack: Grapes
Dinner: (thanks to my Sethaluffagus....he's gonna kill me for that one hehe) Seafood stir fry, brown rice, and steamed broccoli
Water: five 24 oz bottles
Exercise: 50 minute jog/walk with Jasper - who definitely got his energy out yesterday when I stole him from Seth on the road after they'd already been running for an hour!

Day 18 - Busy Day

Busy day at work today...no time for deep thought and wisdom. Instead please enjoy:

(just kidding...kinda. i love my job...most of the time)

Yesterday's Recap:

2/1

Breakfast: 1 hard boiled egg and an apple
Snack: Mixed nuts
Lunch: Salad - lettuce, green pepper, carrots, and onion, roasted red pepper dressing
Snack: Sugar free jello
Dinner: (thanks future hubs) Tilapia, rice-a-roni, and broccoli
Water: five 24 oz bottles
Exercise: Rest...sore muscles (but really I just had to work late which also meant sitting in traffic for 50+ minutes...are you noticing a trend here?)

Day 17 - Girls Rule, Boys Drool

A co-worker and winner of last year's Biggest Loser Competition came over to my desk yesterday to congratulate me on my lead. But on his way out he said, "Alright well, enjoy your soup! I'm going to go have a cheeseburger and fries."

My response was simple: YOU'RE MEAN!

How is that men can lose weight so much easier/faster than women??? I did some research last year and found this interesting article: 7 Reasons Men Lose Weight Faster Than Women – The Lucky Dogs!

Oh well, we have everything else harder in life anyways, so why not this too ;)

Yesterday's Recap:

1/31

Breakfast: Two hard boiled eggs
Snack: Sugar free jello
Lunch: Progresso Light Soup: Italian Style Veggie - with some leftover tuna on the side.
Snack: Grapes and mixed nuts
Dinner: Roman style chicken and couscous. Here is the recipe (thanks Giada!): http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/roman-style-chicken-recipe/index.html (only used 2 chicken thighs and minus the prosciutto and capers...because capers are disgusting and should be banned from existence)

Water: four 24 oz bottles
Exercise: 1 hour jog with Jasper