Enchilada Stuffed Peppers

Another of my own creations! If you need exact measurements, sorry.  Just do what sounds yummy.

Boil 2 small chicken breasts, with a bay leaf and some salt.  Make sure you scrape off the nasty foam stuff.  When it's done, shred it.

While that's cooking, boil 1 can red enchilada sauce mixed with 1 small can diced green chilies, until reduced by about half.

Rinse and strain a can of black beans.

Chop some cilantro.

Rinse 2 halves of whatever color you want bell pepper (I used the leftover halves from last night's dinner).  Put into a baking pan.  Put a couple spoonfuls of black beans in the bottom.  Sprinkle on some cilantro and spoon on a bit of sauce.

Mix shredded chicken with some more of the sauce (maybe like half of what's left? You want it wet but not dripping).  Divide it between the 2 peppers and smoosh it in (that's a real culinary term, look it up).  Top with more cilantro and some mozzarella, then bake.  I did 375 for 20 minutes and they were a bit brown (I got sucked into watching the wheel and kind of forgot about them).  We put some low fat sour cream on them before we ate (not pictured).  It's yummy, low carb, low fat, fast, and filling!

Smells like Eggnog

Well, the official weigh in results are I lost 3.8 pounds.  I can live with that.  That puts me right about where our scale at home says.  It would be lovely if both scales could say the same thing. It would be awesome if my team lost the most and wins the $250 prize for this week.

I don't know about you, but I need food with good flavor, texture, and color in order to feel satisfied.  I could each a million rice cakes and still want chocolate cake afterwards.  However, by filling my tummy several times a day with delicious, flavorful, appetizing food, I haven't had a hard time with craving junk food.  I've also found good substitutes for some things I couldn't stop craving.  Also, if I want chocolate, I'll have a few dark chocolate chips.  It has antioxidants!

On that note, dinner was super yummy tonight.  I kind of invented it.  I'll try my best to give the recipe:

1 package, 6 links, Italian chicken sausage (was on manager's special and it's full of flavor)
1 shallot
1 garlic clove
1/2 red pepper
1/2 yellow pepper
about 1/3 a box of frozen spinach
Whole Wheat pasta (I used rainbow fettuccine, which is fortified with carrot, spinach, and something else to make yellow)
olive oil
red pepper flakes
salt and pepper

Remove sausage from casings, cook thoroughly while breaking up into pieces.  While that's cooking, mince the shallot and garlic.  Add to pan when done, with about a tablespoon of olive oil.  Cook until shallot is translucent.  Add chopped peppers and spinach, cook a couple of minutes until tender and heated through. Toss with cooked pasta.  Drizzle with about 1 tablespoon more olive oil, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper to taste.  I sprinkled mozzarella over mine, but only because we are out of parmesan, which I think would taste better.  It would also be good with black olives, but we don't have those either.

A couple of days ago our refrigerator started smelling very strongly of eggnog.  We cleaned out all the left overs and everything that might be a little old, and nothing has spilled or leaked.  We have to hold our breath when we open it.  I have a feeling it's some healthy new food we haven't had in there before, but we really can't figure it out.  Any ideas?

The Accidental Pizza Incident

Haven't posted in a while because my weigh in Monday left me in a very negative attitude.  And nobody wants to read more negativity.  But, I have changed a few things this week, including my mindset.  I'm not going to stress out about how many pounds I loose every week.  Instead, I'm going to think to myself, "Did I do everything in my power today to be a healthier person?" And if the answer is yes, then I have succeeded.  And I think that if I continue to make healthier choices, my weight will naturally reflect that.

I also started taking lactobacillus acidophilus pills again.  It's the bacteria found in yogurt times a million (or so).  It really helps with digestion, and I've noticed less gas, more poop, and less bloating.  Also, if you are taking antibiotics, it will prevent a yeast infection.  It's an amazing little pill, and I highly recommend it.  Don't take too much though.  I did that once, and a very embarrassing problem developed (thank goodness it lasted less than a day!!).

So with my new mind set and tuned up digestive system, MY scale says I've lost 4 pounds this week (so that makes 7 pounds since I started).  Who knows what the weigh in scale will say.  But I can't control that, so I'm not going to worry about it.

We have been slacking a bit with our diet and exercise this weekend.  Yesterday we went to Chipotle, and had burrito bowls with brown rice, black beans, barbacoa, salsa, lettuce, and a little sour cream and cheese.  I only ate half of it, and then we walked around the grocery store for 2 hours (and spent over $200 AGAIN!) so I figure that evens it out.  We skipped our legs and back workout too.

Today we tried to go to a healthy soup, salad, and sandwich place, but after getting lost and walking for an hour and who knows how far (literally from one end of Breckenridge to the other) the place was closed.  By then we were starving and ready to kill each other, without many options, so we went to a pizza parlour, and shared a thin crust pizza with chicken, broccoli, garlic, mozzarella, and marinara. Not ideal, but better than meat lovers!  After that we walked to the other end of Breckenridge again.  So we definitely got our exercise in today, probably aren't going to eat more than cereal for dinner, and we aren't doing our workout tape today.  I feel guilty about the pizza.  Especially the day before weigh in.  But seriously, oh well!

Tomorrow is weigh in.  I'll let you know how it goes.

Here's my inspirational quote for the day...

ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME??

Tonight was the first weigh in since the first weigh in.  The first one that shows results.  After the first weigh in I weighed myself on our scale at home, which put me at 4 lbs heavier than official scale A.  According to that scale, as of yesterday morning, butt naked, I've lost 5 pounds. So going in to this weigh in today I was expecting at least 2 pounds, but hopefully closer to 4.  So imagine my surprise when I stepped on and weighed .8 pounds less than I did a week ago.  Not 8 pounds, POINT 8 pounds!!! I looked at the lady and said "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?" To which she replied, "Well at least you lost SOME and didn't GAIN any!"  I just looked at her.  If you know me, I'm sure you can imagine my facial expression.  Then she said, "would you like me to write it on your card for you?" I said whatever and kind of tossed it to her. I feel like I should apologize to her for my bad attitude, if only I knew who she was. I wanted to break into tears right there.  The team member I went with lost 12 pounds.  I kept my emotions under control, while listening to a girl talk about how she ate a bag of chips today and has had dessert and still lost 2.2 lbs.  I tried to be excited for them on the ride home.  As soon as I walked in my door I took of my coat and my boots, stood on MY scale wearing exactly what I had worn not 15 minutes before, and it said I've lost 3 pounds.  How does this make sense???? Their scales are fucked up, that's how.  They were even talking about how they need to check them, because some people have lost a ton of weight, and others haven't lost any.  But then, another team member text me, and said she lost 9 lbs.  She also uses scale A.  I don't get it.  But they need to check their shit.  There's money on the line and I have a team counting on me, and for me to bust my ass all week, loose at least 3 pounds, and then have a scale say I've only lost POINT 8 pounds is so not cool.

All of my motivation, all of my confidence, all of my excitement, all of my give a fuck flew out the window.  I've worked my ass off for a week for POINT 8 pounds.  I've stuck with it without cheating through a very busy and very stressful week at work for POINT 8 freaking pounds.  Chris and my mom tried to make me feel better by saying I know I've lost weight and I feel good about myself and that's all that matters.  Well I still feel like a fat ass, except now my body hurts everywhere and all I want is a brownie, and that doesn't exactly help my team out in the competition.  I'm going to email them and ask them to check their equipment.  If they are holding a competition with money on the line, they need to make sure their equipment works.

Anyways, after I stopped crying and realized life wouldn't be over if I just ate something, I made a really yummy dinner.  Fish tacos (fish leftover from last night) with 2 whole wheat tortillas, low fat sour cream, mango salsa, and avocado.

Here are some oh so true words of wisdom to end the night...

We're in the paper!

How could I forget?!? We made the newspaper, twice.  Here's the link to the article.  I thought they were going to post our starting combined weights, and our team names and people participating and descriptions, but I guess that was too embarrassing or something.  And they got their facts wrong, Nancy isn't on our team.  Just us ladies standing up.  We are famous!

This was taken when the speaker unexpectedly asked the getting back to sexy team to stand up.  As you can see, Kim embraced the moment.

Week One Is Done!

Friday was rough.  My arms hurt so bad I couldn't write on the board at school.  I was exhausted and crabby and done.

There was a Kit Kat in my box, and without thinking I started to open it to eat it.  When I realized what I was doing I yelled "What am I doing?" and threw it on one of the secretary's desks.  It made me realize how much junk I've been eating without even thinking about it.

Friday's workout was yoga, the one everyone has been saying is the easiest.  Well I made it 20 minutes.  My arms couldn't support my weight, my wrists hurt, my hands went to sleep holding them above my head, and I have no coordination to move quickly between the poses.  So I thought okay, I'll just do what I can, and wound up standing there watching it, doing nothing.  After hurting my shoulder, side, knees, and wrists, and seeing that I still had an hour and ten minutes to go, I gave up.  I lost all drive and motivation and didn't care anymore.  Chris got mad at me and I was mad at myself, but oh well.  And I'm not doing that video again.  The last thing I need is to try to do something outside of my ability and let it crush my spirit as much as that did.  So we are either going to find a beginners yoga video, do the abs workout, or redo the kick boxing video that was today.  Anyways as I sat on the couch trying not to cry my dear husband suffered all the way through, and my cat Maggie did my part for me.


Yesterday was better, the workout was still tough but I made it through.  For dinner I made a really yummy Asian pasta for dinner.  I kind of made it up, and you could do a lot to change it, but here's my recipe:

1/2 box whole wheat pasta
1 zucchini
2 large carrots
1 red bell pepper
sprouts
2 cloves garlic, minced
Chicken breasts- I only had 2 so that's what I used, but I'd use at least 3 next time
1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup canola oil (good fat!)
2 Tbs lime juice (or rice vinegar)
1 1/2 tsp crushed dried red pepper flakes
2 Tbs. fresh cilantro- I only had dried, so I used 1 Tbs. of that
**the recipe for the sauce had sesame oil and sesame seeds in it, but I didn't have those.

Cut chicken into bite size pieces and cook in pan with a little canola oil and some salt and pepper.  Boil noodles until done.  In food processor (or with grater) matchstick carrot, zucchini, and red pepper.  When pasta is done, strain.  Put matchsticked veggies in pot and put hot noodles on top.  Put lid on, to steam the veggies.  When chicken is almost done, add garlic and cook a couple of minutes until done, then add both to pot.  Whisk together soy sauce, oil, lime juice, pepper flakes, and cilantro, pour over noodle mixture and toss to coat.  Put in bowl, and top with desired amount of sprouts. Should make about 4 servings.

Last night I had a killer craving for dessert and a cherry soda.  I thought I was going to go crazy, until an amazing friend on Facebook suggested a Yoplait yogurt.  That Light Red Velvet Cake Yoplait was the most amazing thing I've had all week.

Today's workout was like kickboxing, I don't remember the real name of it.  It reminded me of Tao Bo and the stuff I did in women's self defense.  Lots of punching and kicking.  This was by far my favorite of the videos.  I just pictured a certain parent who for very good reason I would love to knock some sense into, and let my fists and feet fly!  It was kind of stress relief too.  I think I would enjoy a kickboxing class.  Plus I actually got my heart rate up and was sweating during this one, unlike the others.

Dinner tonight is Tilapia, baked herbed potato wedges, and salad.  The healthy version of fish and chips.

I've made it through the week without cheating.  Tomorrow is weigh in.

Exercise Gives Me a Foul Mouth

Tony Horton is the host guy in the P90X workout videos.  I like to talk to Tony.  Here's how our conversations have gone...

Day 1:  I don't get it! How are you doing that? What's your name again? German Potato Soup!

Day 2:  Hellz ya Tony! You're so witty. Let's do this! HOOrah!!!!

Day 3 (today): F!$& you Tony! YOU do 10 more all you do is walk around talking nonsense!  How the HELL do you expect me to do this? F$%# S%!@ F F F F F F!!!!!!!

you get the point.

How am I supposed to work my abs if I can't lift my legs?  And my butt is bruised from sitting on my mat on the floor.  I don't get how people do this and think it's fun.

The food part is going good.  I've been saving the dark chocolate chips from my trail mix for dessert

Tomorrow is yoga.  I hope it's restful.

Plyowhat?

Wasn't as sore as I thought I'd be today.  I was really tired this morning though.

For dinner, I made a cider glazed chicken that was delicious.  The sauce has butter in it, but just a bit.  I also attempted a brown rice carrot pilaf.  I thought I could modify the recipe and make the rice in the rice maker, then mix in the other stuff.  Well the rice wasn't even a little cooked after the rice cooker finished, so I put it in a pot with more water in it and simmered it.  After 2 hours it was still crunchy.  We ate it anyway.  It had a great flavor, I'm sure it would be amazing if the rice cooked correctly.

Today's workout was plyometrics.  I had no clue what it was.  Now I know.  So do my legs.   The DVD froze and skipped 10 minutes.  We were completely okay with that.

The local paper came out today.  I'm in 2 pictures.  The first picture is of all the people participating in the challenge.  I wasn't paying attention, and my big white head is smack in the middle.  I have no clue why my head looks so big in pictures, it looks normal when I look in the mirror!

The other picture is of my team when they asked us to stand up and talked about getting back to sexy.  We look okay in that one, but they listed a person who's not on our team, as being on our team.  Oh well.

Listening to other people who are participating in the challenge, I feel like my team is putting way more effort into this that anyone else.  Some people don't even have a diet or exercise plan.  Others are already cheating.

I haven't really felt deprived when it comes to food yet.  I really want a brownie, but that's nothing new, and not satisfying the craving isn't new either.  Everything I've made so far has been healthy and tasty.  Salad is getting old quick though.

I guess we will see at the next weigh in if this is working!!!

Day One

I've survived day one!!!!!!!

It started off eating a bowl of Kashi Go Lean Crunch.  I was so damn crunchy it took 15 minutes to eat, and I wound up being late to school.  Explain that one...

Snack was a light yogurt, lunch was some surprisingly yummy lentils, lowfat cottage cheese, rye crackers, and a cutie orange, with a naturally flavored raspberry peach crystal light with added fiber (say that 5 times fast).  Afternoon snack was trail mix, dinner was a salad and cauliflower crust pizza with ground turkey, garlic, banana peppers, red peppers, a bit of mozzarella, and a sprinkle of Italian seasoning.  The crust was a lot like dough, but it stuck to the pan so much it wasn't much like pizza once it got on the plate.

I wasn't really hungry all day, and the food was good.  This is doable.  As long as the gas subsides (quick story, I told Chris I feel bad for my students with me crop dusting all afternoon.  He said that's what they get for calling me gordo.  Ha!).

When I got home from school Chris and I did our first P90X workout, which was chest and back (could have fooled me, and my poor arms) and abs.  I did better than I thought on both, but the push ups are going to take a lot of work.  My goal is to be able to do at least 5 of each type of push up without grunting, by the end of the 30 day cycle.  That achievable, right?  Even the ones with your feet on a chair, or the dive bomb things I'm not coordinated enough to even comprehend right now.  The abs were easier, but still tough.  It's been 2 hours since the workout and I'm already sore.  Tomorrow's going to SUCK.

The paper posted a picture of my team (plus Lanie, second from right) on their Facebook page today.  We look like crap.

The paper comes out Wednesdays.  I'm in suspense wondering what's going to appear in that...

Here's a couple pictures of my pizza.  It really was tasty, and very low carb.  AND easy to make.

crust, after baking, before toppings

After toppings and broiling for about 3 minutes

I need to make sure I have an ample supply of Advil in my purse for tomorrow.

No Pressure!

Today was the day to measure my starting point.  It was also my last day to eat whatever I wanted.  I was able to drink a 42oz. Diet Dr. Pepper, eat a bbq bacon cheeseburger, fried cheese curds, and a vanilla shake before the weigh in.  Still, I feel like I could have done more to bloat up before the first weigh in.  Oh well.

This morning Chris and I did the P90X fitness test, which determines whether or not you should even try the program, and also shows you where you're starting so that you can measure growth.  I'll list the stats below.  Let's just say I'm very borderline for even being able to start the program.  2 minutes of jumping jacks was not possible today.  My arms still hurt.

This evening was the first weigh in and screening tests for the Get the Lead Out challenge.  My mother always tells me I share too much on the internet, but this is part of my journal/ accountability/ peer pressure piece.  Once again, I will list those stats below.

After the weigh in was a presentation of the challenge's sponsors and a motivational speaker.  The room was filled with members of our community, including several of my students there with their parents.  Little did I know my team would become the center of attention.  The editor of our local paper, the Leadville Herald Democrat, began by saying how wonderful it is that so many people are participating, and that nearly every part of our town is represented (I believe there are 37 teams of 4-6 people competing).  She then asked all members of our school district to stand, which we did, and said how great it was that we are setting a good example for our children.  Then she asked us to sit.  THEN she asked the "Getting Back to Sexy" team to stay standing (she is of an older generation, I don't think Justin is on her playlist).  I was so caught off guard that I just stood there turning red with a dumb expression on my face.  She paraphrased our team description, saying that we are dedicated teachers who have let ourselves go because we are too busy educating our future generations, and that we are going to get back to sexy.  

I wrote the team description.  Apparently my writing skills made an impression on the editor of the Herald.

Anyways, after she was finished, another lady got up for her turn to talk, and looking at our team said that teachers will always be sexy because of the hard work we do for kids. Ya right.  Then a representative of the paper came and asked for our names to use in the paper.  I corrected her on our team name.  Maybe we'll make the front page!? NO PRESSURE!!!

Then we had a motivational speaker.  A guy who used to be overweight and an addict, and now runs the Leadville 100.  He said something that impressed me, "You can't loose 160 lbs. at once.  But you can loose 1 lb. 160 times in a row."  Granted if I loose 160 lbs. I'll be dead, but you get the point.

Looking at members of the other teams, and knowing how motivated my team is, I feel that we have a good shot at winning.  And even if we don't win, I know for damn sure that we will have brought at least a little bit of sexy back.

So, here is me, as I stand right now.  Tomorrow is day one.  Hopefully this doesn't kill me.

January 16, 2012

• Height 5'6"
• Weight 169.4
• BMI 27.4 (overweight)
• Body Fat 41%
• CBGlucose 90 (really good considering what I ate for dinner)
• Blood Pressure 104/76
• Oxygen Saturation 90 (remember where I live)
• Pulse 87

Body Measurements

• Bust 39"
• Waist 33"
• Hip 43"
• Thigh 26"
• Arm 12 1/2"

P90X Fitness test results, prior to day 1

• Pull ups: 20 (this is really wrong, we don't have a bar so did tension bands)
• Vertical Leap: 10"
• Push ups 8: (on knees)
• Toe touch: 10" away from toes
• Wall Squat: 13 seconds
• Bicep Curls: 15
• Abs test: 15 reps
• Heart Rate after "2 minutes" of jumping jacks:
•      Immediately 160
•      After 1 minute 118
•      2 minutes 114
•      3 minutes 100
•      4 minutes 104 (???)

Here are my before pictures.  I didn't suck it in.  Dear God, please don't let Brad Pitt read my blog!!!

Why I'm Bringing Sexy Back

I'm sick of feeling fat.  I'm sick of avoiding full length mirrors.  I'm sick of it taking 15 minutes every morning to decide what to wear.  I'm sick of my students saying "La maestra es gorda," like I don't know what it means.  I'm sick of feeling everything BUT sexy.

So... I'm bringing sexy back (cue Justin Timberlake now)

I got married in July.  Every girl looses weight for her wedding.  Me? If anything, I GAINED weight before my big day (emphasis on big here).  The stress and pressure of the wedding, combined with the expectation on me to look great, backfired.   My only consistent reliable motivator throughout my life has been peer pressure.  Until now, I have had none.

My lovely little town of Leadville has decided to host a challenge titled "Get the Lead Out."  We have 16 weeks to loose as much weight and body fat as we can.  The winning team gets $1,000.  Some friends and I have decided to compete.   What better way to loose weight than to have it cost you, your husband, and your friends/coworkers money?  Our group weight and subsequent weight loss will be posted in the local newspaper.  Half the people I know are participating and competing.  I can't think of much more peer pressure than that.  Plus, with the idea of starting a family in the back of our minds, I need to start preheating my oven.  

Our team name is named Bringing Sexy Back.  Our first weigh in and informational meeting is tomorrow.  Diet and exercise plan starts Tuesday.  I have the P90X DVDs burned, purchased a workout mat and resistance bands, and $222 worth of healthy food is stocked in my cupboards.  I've eaten or thrown out all of our junk food, got my last Chipotle fix today and will have my last burger, fries, and milkshake fix before the weigh in tomorrow.  I'm ready.

Why am I blogging?  Because it will help me keep track of my weight loss progress, what I eat, how much I work out, etc.  It will also give me a venue to bitch about how much it all sucks, and brag when I feel like I've done well.  But mostly, it will give me one more piece of wonderful peer pressure to keep me motivated.  What's more public than the internet?  If I eat that candy bar, it will be like doing so naked, in front of a mirror, in front of a studio audience.  NO THANK YOU!!!!

I plan on using this blog as my daily journal.  The accountability piece of my diet/exercise plan.  

Let's do this!