Day One - Letting Go and Leaping Forward

My friends posted these tidbits on Facebook. I stole them...

 Are you ready to make the leap?? Are you ready to rock this challenge?? Don't forget, you don't have to buy any product; this isn't a scheme or a get skinny quick deal. You are going to feel better, and you WILL lose weight, but not 60 pounds in thirty days or some other ridiculousness. What you DO have to do is stop what you were doing and move forward.

 I was encouraging someone new to join me in this challenge yesterday and their response was, "I really can't afford another weight loss gimmick right now." I said, "Do you buy groceries?" She stammered and said, "Well, yes." I put my arm around her and said, "Just buy better ones." That's it. We aren't selling anything! We aren't encouraging you to stop enjoying the things you enjoy. I plan to have a day where I can indulge a little bit every week. I know I will fail a day here and there. I know I have spent the last few weeks since I decided to do this eating everything I knew I wasn't going to eat for the next thirty days. Guess what? I gained almost 8 pounds. Now I've got to stop eating junk and lose them again. So I'm letting go of the bad choices I made last month and pushing forward to new choices, better choices. "No more eating after 8 p.m." is going to be one of the hardest ones for me. I think to combat that, I will have a healthy snack right at 8 and then tough it out. Period. That's what this challenge takes...willpower, determination, and an understanding that I cannot do it alone.
So here I am ready to rock this challenge. I start my day with a cup of tea. I put three small teaspoons of sugar in my tea every morning. To cope with that, I switched tea (I drink a flavored tea) and used Splenda instead. Instead of ruining my tea (which I WILL start drinking again after this challenge is over or even after the first week or two once my body resets itself) I have a completely different tea that can taste anyway it tastes because it isn't something I drank every day. So I am greeting this morning with raspberry pomegranate green tea...not bad. If only I could count it as a water...

30 Day Challenge -- How do I create a Food Diary?

Here's the deal. Yesterday, I gave you a whole host of things to eat while on the thirty day challenge. Today I am going to explain how to keep track of it.

Did you know research shows that people who keep careful track of their food actually eat healthier? I guess it's all that guilt we feel when we actually write down that we ate four pounds of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream and seeing it on paper is, well, kinda gross.

My food diary looks like this:

 And yes, it is paper. It is a spiral notebook that I keep on the kitchen counter with a pencil tucked into the spiral. I know, I know, I'm a terrible tree hugger and if you want to figure out a way to do a food diary digitally, more power to you, but I am rather fond of my spiral notebooks. In fact, I have an entire filing cabinet full of them. I'm a list maker and I like to write things on actual paper and check them off. As a matter of fact, if I do something that is not on my list, I will write it down just so I can check it off. It is immensely satisfying, this checking off thing. You should try it.

This is a copy of a page from last year's food diary. Notice the bottom where I have the little squares? Each square stood for 12 ounces of water (the above shows squares for twenty ounces). Every time I finished a glass of water, I would mark it on my diary. That way I was keeping track of the amount of water I was drinking (80-100 ounces is key here) and I got that whole "checking off" satisfaction thing too.

Last year my plan was 900 calories/90 carbs. However since my shakes are heavier on calories and carbs, I have increased this year's challenge to 1,000 calories/100 carbohydrates. I am also a lot more informed on complex carbohydrates vs. "regular" carbohydrates and intend to add some rice and whole wheat pasta into my diet this time. By the way, I broke down my tuna salad so that I could evaluate everything that was in it. I use Miracle Whip Light which has only 20 cal/2 carbs for the amount I used and for those who are wondering, English Sauce is what they call Worcester Sauce in Brasil and is a habit that we have gotten into due to our Brasilian family.

So, some of you are wondering where I get some of this info and how do you work the Challenge into your daily lives when you are not at home. I found a great resource that I love. It is called the Calorie King and I downloaded the book to my Kindle and use it anywhere. I keep a tiny notebook in my purse and just record stuff there when I am out and about. I work at home and homeschool my kids, so we are home a lot and I can get to my kitchen diary most of the time. When I cannot, the little notebook in my purse serves to help me keep track of things when I'm out and about.

You can learn more at www.calorieking.com

Got tips or ideas for your own food diary? Let's hear them!

So what exactly is this challenge and what should I eat?

The biggest part of this challenge is going to be your food diary. For thirty days, you will write down EVERYTHING you put into your mouth. If you eat a piece of hard candy, write it down. If you drink a cup of coffee with cream and/or sugar, write it down. At this time of year, I drink a cup of tea every morning. While there are no calories or carbs in my tea, there is in the sugar I put into it. As a hat tip to my healthy eating challenge, I will be purchasing sugar in the raw so that I am still not using refined white sugar. I also notice that I use less sugar this way. I also may change the type of tea I drink so that I am not expecting one flavor and level of sweetness and getting another.

So, these are some of the foods I recommend. Feel free to add things you like, but if you aren't sure, ask me in the comments and I will try to let you know if they are going to be a good idea. (don't forget I'm not a dietitian, we are just using my research)

Breakfast ideas:
I drink a ViShake every day. Period. If I miss my shake for a different type of breakfast, I have to have it for lunch or I will feel bad because my body craves the vitamins and nutrition in it. You are your own person. You can do your own protein shake, smoothie, etc.
egg white scrambled                          boiled egg
4 slices lean bacon                             1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1/2 cup blueberries                             fruit quesadilla on whole wheat tortilla

Here's a yummy fall breakfast recipe I found that is good for protein:
Stir pumpkin, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg into still-warm prepared quinoa. Serve Pumpkin Breakfast Quinoa with vanilla yogurt, chopped pecans and dried cranberries.

Another yummy option is breakfast cookies. This is something Bestie and I enjoy for a treat sometimes. You take two ripe bananas, 1 cup of quick oats and a handful of chocolate chips. Mash the bananas in a bowl, fold in the quick oats and add the chocolate chips. Drop 'em on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 until golden. Enjoy! Note: there is no protein in these cookies so you can add peanut butter if you like, but Bestie and I just split a shake and pig out on cookies.  I love eating healthy and still eating cookies!!

I also enjoy muffins on occasion. I use a super healthy recipe for this too! One box of devil's food or fudge cake mix and one 16 oz. can pumpkin. Again, I like to add a small handful of chocolate chips for fun. Bake according to the "cupcake" directions on the cake box. YUMMY!! They are 80 calories and around 9 carbs each.




Snack Time!! Guess what?!! If you don't snack healthy in between meals, you will snack ugly. That's what I call it when you get so hungry between meals that you eat everything in sight and feel super guilty later. I also have a really bad habit of eating when I'm bored. Having a snack schedule helps me know when it's time to snack and when it's not, I don't. Here are some snack ideas...

2 Tbsp almonds                             Banana Oatmeal cookies (see above)
Cheese Stick                                  Chocolate/Pumpkin muffins (yummy! see above)
small salad w/lt dressing               Baked oatmeal cups
pickles                                           carrots
olives                                             cucumbers (sprinkle a little chili powder - yum)
1 Tbsp peanut butter                      apple

What are baked oatmeal cups? Check them out here: http://greenlitebites.com/2009/03/07/banana-oatmeal-cups-with-chocolate-chips/

Let's do Lunch!! I am pretty basic when it comes to lunch. I don't really care about variety as much as I care about eating what I like. I like tuna salad. I could eat it every day (and I probably will). I ate it every single day in high school and lost thirty pounds my senior year. I BELIEVE in the tuna. You do what you want, just keep your protein high and your carbs low.
salad w/light dressing                                         egg muffins
tuna salad w/6 whole wheat crackers                 scrambled egg on 7 grain toast
chicken salad w/6 whole wheat crackers            edamame
egg salad on whole wheat tortilla                        Greek yogurt
Here are a few links for healthy recipes...

 

http://jennycollier.com/?p=7999

http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2012/09/90-healthy-no-heat-lunches-for-work.html

http://www.leanitup.com/30-protein-packed-small-meal-ideas-under-250-calories/2/  

 

 

What's for dinner? Dinner is always a big deal to me. Usually I am starving by dinner time and I end up eating way too much. With the snacks between breakfast and lunch and lunch and dinner, it isn't so bad, but I still end up eating a ton of food...because I CAN!!  Here's the deal with dinner. Your goal is to eat 1 serving of lean protein and 2 servings of good for you carbs. 1 serving of lean protein is usually around 4 ounces, or if you don't have a food scale (because THOSE are just lying around everyone's kitchen...not) it is about the size of the palm of your hand and not quite as thick as your hand.

 

Lean Proteins: 1/2 cup shredded chicken

                        1/2 cup diced turkey sausage

                        4 oz chicken or turkey

                        4 oz lean beef

                        4 oz fish

 

Healthy Sides: (don't forget to choose TWO!)

                        1 cup broccoli

                        1 cup green beans                   (Can you tell I like green veggies?)

                        3/4 cup spinach

                        3/4 to 1 cup any steamed veggies

                        large salad (limit salad dressing to 1 tbsp and use lite dressing)

 

Here is a great crock pot dinner from my own blog...

http://divamommydiaries.blogspot.com/2012/09/whats-for-dinner-gluten-free-thursday.html

I would substitute quinoa for the rice for a better complex carbohydrate and the same filling texture, plus quinoa is a great source of protein!

 

Tomorrow I will explain your food diary and how you should do that.

Don't forget your water!! 96 ounces of water per day is a key to this challenge! It keeps you hydrated and keeps you from getting hungry. Did you know that sometimes when you are "hungry" you are really only thirsty and your body doesn't always know the difference. Drink a glass of water and wait a few minutes and see if your "hungry" goes away.

 

 

 

30 Day Challenge...Wanna join us?

So Monday, September 23, I am starting a Fitness/Healthy Eating Challenge. Anyone who would like to join me is more than welcome! I will be posting all info on here along with recipe ideas and food suggestions as well as my success and obstacles. I am NOT going on a diet. I do not diet and I do not believe in diets. I do, however, believe in little changes. I have made several little changes over the last year and those changes have resulted in almost 30 pounds lost and GONE forever. I decided I needed a little jump start and thought I would do it again.

For me, I have found that the trick is to reboot my metabolism and appetite. To do that, for the next thirty days, I will be on a specific nutritional plan. I am going to eliminate as many processed sugars and carbs as I can and eat a lot of healthy foods, emphasis on A LOT!! I plan to eat A LOT of food in these thirty days. I am also planning to spoil myself once a week with something decadent (this was a suggestion from a fitness friend of mine).

This Thirty Day Challenge is NOT a gimmick, a diet, or a product scam. I am not pushing any products, although I will share with you what I am doing and what I am using. I am a big fan of Visalus for their protein/energy/nutritional shakes and I do have one of those a day for healthy reasons. I don't like to eat a meal in the morning for breakfast, so I used to just drink a Boost, but then I would be hungry too soon, so I started the Visalus because I wanted all of the healthy benefits. By the time I am done adding fruit and other goodies, I have a meal that keeps me satisfied till lunch and helps regulate my low blood sugar, which is a problem for me. I strongly recommend protein shakes. My sister-in-law uses a product from GNC, another friend uses something from Sam's. Use what you like, or eat a healthy high protein breakfast of whole foods.

A lot of the foods I talk about will be gluten free, but not vegetarian and definitely not vegan. I love milk WAY too much for that!

And, if you join us, I know there will be results. Maybe not a thirty pound weight loss, but you will feel better, have more energy, probably lower blood pressure and blood sugar, and maybe even help out your cholesterol.

I am NOT a medical professional or a dietitian, nor do I play one on TV, so all statements made in this and any other 30DC posts are purely my opinion and experience and are NOT to be substituted for medical advice or instructions. Joining us in this challenge does not guarantee weight loss or any other medical benefits. What it does guarantee is moral support, a little humor, and some understanding from other couch potatoes with bad eating habits who are trying to change them.

Join us and see what we can learn together! The 30DC starts Monday, September 23! Let's see what we can accomplish together!

What's for Dinner? Gluten Free Thursday

It's Thursday so it must be Gluten Free Thursday! Here's another gluten free meal for fun. We are having a favorite in our house tonight. Hibachi Steak with veggies and rice.

I am using a cool gluten free product from Sam's that is my beef strips already precooked (I know, I know, NOT homemade, but still home COOKED).



This is a great "last minute" convenience food that is gluten free and easy to throw together. We have a lot of "broccoli" monsters in our house, so any dish that is heavy on the broccoli is a big hit here.

If I could get the girls to show any interest in zuchinni, we would totally add that to our menu. For now, I am just grateful that broccoli is such a big hit.

Saute your fajita beef for a few minutes with your broccoli or steam separately. I like to add some onion to ours. We also add a little salt, pepper and gluten free Soy Sauce. BE SURE YOUR SOY SAUCE SAYS IT IS GLUTEN FREE. Not all Soy Sauce is the same!!!

Gotta love the Kikkoman because it is available in many stores and you get the same flavor as you would with "regular" soy sauce.

While the broccoli is steaming and the beef strips are simmering, rice is also cooking and Mama is whipping up some "White Sauce." If you have ever been to a Japanese Hibachi style restaurant, you know the beauty of white sauce. A friend of ours claims to be able to eat it by the spoon. He says it would make cardboard taste good. But since I don't know if cardboard is gluten free, I wouldn't try it.

Here is the White Sauce recipe...

http://www.japanese-steakhouse-white-sauce.com/white-sauce-recipe.htm
Find more about the beauty of Japanese White Sauce on the website where I found the above fool proof recipe http://www.japanese-steakhouse-white-sauce.com/index.html

And yes, before you ask, Helmann's Mayo IS gluten free. And since I only use McCormick's seasonings, I know they are all safe as well. ALL of McCormick's single ingredient seasons are gluten free.

ENJOY!!!

What's for dinner? Gluten Free Thursday!!!

I have always wanted to try White Chicken Chili and Chicken Taco Soup and stuff like that but I don't eat beans (and I'm allergic to peppers). So I got to thinking, what could I throw in my slow cooker that would taste good together and give me the fun of the other meals without the beans. I am also allergic to peppers so anything with Ro-Tel is out for me. I also have a dear friend who has Celiac Disease so I like to find new ways to cook gluten free whenever I can. So here is what I came up with. My husband asked me what I was making and I said, "I have no idea, but I hope it tastes good." It needs a name. Any suggestions? I'm leaning toward "Pollo con Pico" since that is basically what it is.

Start with three large frozen chicken breasts (You can use fresh, but you probably don't want to start at night if you do. If I ever buy fresh, they go bad before I get a chance to use them, so I buy the Great Value brand from WalMart that are already frozen)

Before you go to bed at night, put these three in your slow cooker and add enough water to cover them. I like to add a boullion cube, but when making this gluten free, be sure to use Knorr's or Herb Ox. They are both gluten free products. I also added a bit of salt, pepper, onion powder (We LOVE the California Style from McCormick's. If you've never tried it, I highly recommend it) and dehydrated garlic (I also like to use the Garlic, Garlic from Tastefully Simple, but any dried garlic will do) and some dried cilantro. Set your slow cooker on low.

*You may already know this, but when you choose the "hi" or "low" settings on your slow cooker, you aren't setting the temperature, merely the time it takes for the cooker to reach its temperature. They both reach the same temp, but when you use the "hi" setting, it takes approximately 2-3 hours whereas the "low" setting usually takes about 4-6 hours.*

The next morning I got up and drained the water off the chicken. In its place, I covered the chicken breasts with chicken broth. I use Swanson as Campbell's has them on their list of gluten free foods (http://www.campbellsoupcompany.com/pdf/FAQ_GlutenFreeProductList.pdf), but when cooking for my friend, we look for a product that is CERTIFIED gluten free as there is yeast in Swanson's and a small amount of glutamate is created when yeast is heated (which is something to stay away from if you are trying to eliminate MSG from your diet also). I added more of all of my seasonings and kicked things up with about half a teaspoon of chili powder (McCormick's is gluten free) and a small handful of freshly chopped cilantro (okay, no I didn't. I'm not a "fresh herb" person. remember the chicken needing to be frozen? same deal. fresh herbs just rot in my house.). If you are also not a "fresh herb" type of person, try Gourmet Garden's cilantro and garlic paste. They are gluten free also and come in a tube that can be found in the produce department at your local grocery store (yes, even WalMart).

I also added a bit of Gourmet Garden's garlic paste to the slow cooker. Then I walked away until it was lunch time.

****Now, if you are making this for dinner, I highly suggest that you use fresh chicken and put it in first thing in the morning without the overnight in the water and dried herbs and spices. I also suggest you put your slow cooker on high. ****

About an hour before we were going to eat, I diced two fresh tomatoes and a thick slice of red onion and added them and some more of my Gourmet Garden Cilantro. I also took a "forked" serving spoon and gently shredded the chicken a little bit. While those flavors are "hanging out" in your slow cooker, start your rice. I strongly recommend Basmati Rice, but Jasmine will work too. The Basmati has a slightly nuttier flavor and a better consistency than plain white rice and will do better at mixing with the chicken. You can also use pasta, but that kinda ruins the whole gluten free vibe and doesn't do as well at soaking up the juices.

Fill a plate with the rice and dump a healthy portion of the chicken from your slow cooker on top.

I will try to take more pictures next time, so that I can edit and update with them. For now, you will just have to make it yourself!! :)  Let me know how this turned out for you and if you have a better suggestion for the name! :)

Is it Fall yet?????

I love fall. It is my favorite season. I begin decorating Labor Day weekend. I have pumpkins and scarecrows and hay stacks and lots of plaid.

This was my sofa table year before last. I'm not sure what I did last year, but it was probably pretty much the same. I love the colors and scents of fall. I love to transform my house every year. I am one of those people who don't decorate for Christmas until the weekend after Thanksgiving because I can't bear to put my fall decorations away. Of course, my Christmas tree stays up until at least the second week of January too for the same reason.

I have this fabulous "shelf/ledge" above my front door that is perfect for decorating. This is what I love to see at Fall. After Thanksgiving, this particular year, it was replaced by my extensive snowman collection. However, last year, I put up some of these adorable trees with twinkle lights, red glass mosaic cone trees with gold stars on top and pictures of my girls from the Christmas holidays years past and present. Oh, wait...

Yeah, it's the end of August and this is what it looks like STILL!! I've been a little busy this year and I'm not allowed on the ladder when I'm here without another adult. No, I'm not on probation or anything, I just fall...a lot. Add to that the fact that I am quite frightened of heights and, well, there are still Christmas pictures on my ledge.

ANYWHOO......I thought I would post a few quick tips and tricks on how I plan to keep my sanity during the lunch time this fall/winter. I intend to make some soups and the like. I have found a few recipes on Pinterest that I will post links to on here and you can try them along with me.

MOM'S POTATO SOUP

The first soup I will be making is my Mother's Potato Soup. It is very simple, very inexpensive and very filling. It has a few very simple ingredients...potatoes, milk, water, onions, salt and pepper. A bag of potatoes can make a TON of soup, so what I will be doing is making a large batch and freezing it in quart size freezer bags. When it is time to eat lunch or a quick dinner with the girls (they don't eat soup) I can grab one of my freezer bags and toss it into the microwave. I can even toss a couple of them into a pan on the stove and make multiple servings for me and hubby to enjoy. There is no trick or special secret to Mom's soup. You peel and dice the potatoes and onion and boil them together with some salt and pepper. Once they are done, you drain off most of the water and use a hand held potato masher to break up some of the potatoes giving you a better texture. Then add some milk and mash it around until you get the consistency that YOU like. BUT, here's the kicker...When you are done with all of that and you have it frozen in great little individual servings, when you reheat it, you can "doctor" it up however you like. Add some cheddar cheese, add some velveeta while it is reheating and it will join the soup. Add some sour cream and chives to the top when you are ready to eat it. Add some cheddar cheese and bacon. Add some cheddar cheese and broccoli. The possibilities are endless and since you made the original soup yourself, you are saving LOTS of money on individual meals over the cold months. Personally, my favorite thing to do is add a handful of saltines and a tall, cold glass of milk.

MOM'S CHILI (kinda)

Are you sensing a pattern here? See, my mother didn't actually TEACH me how to cook, but I spent enough time in the kitchen that I knew what was going on and when I did learn to cook, I went back to the things I loved as a child. Now if my mother ever reads this blog (which I don't think she does, but hey), she would be the first to say that I HATED chili as a kid growing up. But, the thing is, I didn't hate the chili, I hated the beans in the chili. So I make my chili without beans. Mom makes hers with beans and once you unfreeze your little portions, you can make yours however you like. Here's mine (with a little help from my mom and my friend Robbie)... 1lb of ground beef (or if you are freezing, then double everything), 1 packet of McCormick's chili seasoning (yes, I am a brand snob...sometimes), 1 small can of tomato sauce (keep the can, you will use it for water), 1 can of diced tomatoes (if you like a lot of "zip" in your chili, use Ro-Tel, but I am allergic to chiles so I don't use them in anything). Brown and drain the ground beef, add your seasoning according to the package directions and then add the rest of your ingredients. I like to add some salt, pepper and onion powder to mine. Then add the rest of your ingredients. After you let it simmer for a bit, take your tomato sauce can, fill with water and add that too. Again, freeze these in individual quart size bags and keep them in your freezer to take the chill off the winter months. Add a bag to a pot of rice or freshly cooked elbow macaroni (my favorite) for a hearty winter meal in minutes. Add a bag to a package of melted Velveeta cheese for a super yummy dip at the next game night party. Zap a bag and add to hot dogs for a great homemade chili dog in minutes. Again, use your imagination and have fun.

Here's my apology/disclaimer...it's still August, so I haven't actually done any of these yet. But towards the end of September I will and I promise I will post pictures then. In the meantime, here are some others I plan on trying...

This is Bacon Cheeseburger Soup. I AM going to try this. This is the picture I copied from Pinterest and here is the recipe on the pin...Crock pot Bacon Cheeseburger Soup! 1 lb ground beef browned, 2 lb velveeta, 2 lb shreadded hash browns, 6-10 cooked bacon strips crumbled, 30 oz. Chicken broth.

I am on a search for the orignal blogger/recipe from this pin, but this was as far as I got. If I find it, I WILL post. I believe in credit being given where it is due.  I also plan to make mine without the bacon (hubby doesn't eat bacon) and make my bacon when we eat it. I bet this would freeze well too.

http://www.diabeticlivingonline.com/diabetic-recipes/30-minute/easy-recipes-in-a-bowl/

THAT looks amazing!!!!

And ONE more (for now)...

http://rita-may-recipes.blogspot.com/2011/11/crock-pot-cream-cheese-chicken-chile.html

Now again, I have to leave out the beans (for my own personal sanity) and swap out regular diced tomatoes for Ro-Tel (for my own personal well being), but I intend to try this one as well!!!

For now...I'm just gonna keep marking off the days till fall is here! :)

 
UPDATE: I opened my FB tonight and found THIS message from my mother... "FYI I read every one of your diva diary blogs. So don't put anything you don't want me to know. Loved the soup one. ♥ ya!"  Gotta love her!!! :)