Day 59

The "small town" girl in me came out today. 

 I had to drive over to St. Pete for a doctor's appointment this afternoon.  

Driving to St. Pete means.........driving over the Skyway Bridge.  

Driving over that bridge FREAKS me out, BUT it's gotten easier every time.  

 The first time I drove over it was on a windy day.  

My white knuckles were tightly gripped to the steering wheel at the 10:00 & 2:00 position. 

 I had the radio turned off and my cell phone off to keep me focused.  

I was terrified.  

Today's trip over was a little scary at first with construction and traffic but as I continued along, the better I felt. 

 On my return trip back over the bridge though, I realized how relaxed I was. 

 I found myself singing along to the Zac Brown Band on the radio and actually took the time to glance over at the water and enjoy the beautiful scenery.  

Why was it so much easier this last time?  

It was probably due to several reasons.......

Traffic was much lighter, there's no construction on the south side of the bridge, and

 I had some experience under my belt and had more confidence in myself.

You may be wondering what in the world crossing the Skyway Bridge has to do with weight loss. 

 If you think about it........

working towards a weight loss goal is EXACTLY like crossing a bridge.  

Sometimes it's scary and sometimes it's smooth sailing.  

Outside variables that are beyond your control can make it more difficult than you expected. Regardless of how you feel as you cross that bridge, it feels GREAT once you get to the other side.  

Sometimes the bridge between Fat to Fabulous can be scary.  

Sometimes I want to turn around and go back where I started.  

Sometimes I want to speed up and get to the other side as fast as I can.  

But, when I let go of my anxieties and fears and put my faith in God, the journey is so much easier.  

The next time you are worried about crossing a bridge into unknown territory, 

keep your eye on the prize and 

Remember........

Everything 4:13!

 

Day 58

Most nights, my brain has a VERY hard time shutting down at bedtime.  Which, of course, causes me to have trouble getting to sleep.  Instead of using some type of over the counter or prescription sleeping pill, I decided to give Melatonin a try. It has really helped.  I try to take it an hour or so before bed and I haven't had any trouble "getting my brain to quit talking" and have felt well-rested in the mornings.  Apparently,  Melatonin has other health benefits as well AND a good night's sleep is good for weight loss too. Win-Win!

With the "healthy sleep" thing in mind, I've made a conscious effort to go to bed an hour earlier and wake up an hour earlier this week.  It's amazing how much more "with it" I have felt this week.  I have time in the mornings to get my "mind" ready for the day and I am well rested too.  After trying for weeks, I was also FINALLY able to wake up early enough to exercise BEFORE work two times this week!  (I won the battle with the snooze button!)

 

The next time you are tempted to stay up a little later one night and/or hit that snooze button one more time in the morning........keep in mind that the old saying "Early to Bed Early to Rise" is actually good for your weight loss goals (and your sanity too!)  Remember..........Everything 4:13!  

Day 57

Weight Watchers posted the following tip on Facebook today:   

"Accept imperfection. 

Aim to eat sensibly MOST of the time. 

None of us have a 'perfect' diet. 

Instead, make the best choices you can, when you can!"

Accepting imperfection is hard for me......actually it's hard for all women.

It's just in our nature to strive for perfection in EVERYTHING we do.

Instead of having a desire to be perfect, 

we need to remember that the only one with perfection is God.  

His grace gives us the strength to succeed in spite of our imperfections

so we can be and do exactly what HE has planned for us.  

The next time you feel tempted to "beat yourself up" for having that piece of chocolate, having a messy house, forgetting an appointment, or anything else that is "imperfect" in your eyes......

Don't let it get you down.  

 

Remember........Everything 4:13!

 

 

Day 56

 

I have 3 yummy, healthy recipes to share today.  I tried all three and I definitely plan on making each of them again.  

 

The first thing I made is the "Southwestern Chicken Salad".  There are a few things I plan on doing differently when I make it again.  I made it for the purpose of having something to eat for work.  Although I didn't add the dressing until I actually ate it, the other ingredients still were kind of soggy.  Next time I make it, I plan on prepping the ingredients and just combining them each morning when I fix my lunch for school.  Here's the recipe.

Southwestern Chicken Salad

(7 WW+ points)

1 head of lettuce, chopped 

2 cup cooked, shredded chicken

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 can low-sodium black beans (rinsed)

1 can sweet yellow corn 

2 diced tomatoes 

(I forgot to buy tomatoes, so I used a can of ro-tel...still yummy)

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

2 ripe avocados, diced

1 cup crushed tortilla chips

Dressing:

1/2 c. mayo

2/3 c. greek yogurt

1 tbsp. dry ranch seasoning

1 tbsp. taco seasoning

 I made "Skinny Spinach & Artichoke Chicken" for dinner tonight.  Although my boys turned their noses up at the green stuff, they still managed to clean their plates.  I'm excited that there is enough left for me to take to class tomorrow night.  The topping taste like Spinach/Artichoke dip.....which I LOVE!  (By the way, the "Emily Bites" blog is one of my favorite sites for healthy recipes.)

Spinach & Artichoke Chicken
Source: adapted from Add a Pinch

Ingredients:
8 (4 oz each) raw boneless, skinless chicken breast cutlets (2 lbs total weight)
Salt and pepper to taste
4 oz of 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened
½ cup fat free plain Greek yogurt
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup chopped onion
14 oz can artichokes packed in water-based brine (not oil), chopped
10 oz package of frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese (the kind that comes in a can)
½ cup shredded 2% Mozzarella cheese

Directions:
1.    Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly mist a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray.
2.    Lay the chicken breast cutlets across the bottom of the dish in a single layer (see photo above). Sprinkle them with salt and black pepper and place them in the oven to bake for 15 minutes.
3.    While the chicken bakes, combine the yogurt and softened cream cheese in a large bowl and mix together until thoroughly combined. Add all the remaining ingredients and stir together until everything is well mixed.
4.    Remove the chicken from the oven after the 15 minutes (it will not be fully cooked yet). If the chicken has released a lot of excess liquid at this point then drain it out or soak it up with paper towels and discard. Using a large spoon or a spatula, spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the chicken in a nice thick layer. Place the dish back into the oven and continue to bake for another 20-25 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.

Yields 8 servings. WW P+: 6 per serving 

(P+ calculated using the recipe builder on weightwatchers.com)
Nutrition Information per serving from myfitnesspal.com:

 232 calories, 6 g carbs, 8 g fat, 35 g protein, 2 g fiber

I pinned the 1 minute "cup"cake recipe a LONG time ago, but have never tried it.  At today's Weight Watcher's meeting, someone mentioned how good they were.  At only 3 points, it is GREAT for when you have a sweet craving but don't want to jeopardize your diet.  The recipe is easy.

3-2-1 Cake

Ingredients:

1 box of Angel Food Cake mix

1 box of cake mix (any flavor, your choice!)

Mix the two boxes of cake mixes together in a storage container or ziploc bag.  Get a coffee mug or some other type of microwaveable container.  Scoop 3 tablespoons of the cake mixture into the cup.  Stir with 2 tablespoons of water.  Microwave for 1 minute!

Yummy!

Remember........Everything 4:13!

 

Day 55

 I bought a set of kettlebells yesterday on clearance at Dick's Sporting Goods.  I've heard a lot about them, seen tons of different workouts in magazines and Pinterest, and seen the trainers use them on Biggest Loser........but had never used one.......until today.

I read an article/workout in this months' issue of Weight Watchers magazine.  I decided to use that workout for my "introduction" to the kettlebell.  Don't get me wrong.........I'm WAAAYY out of shape so it doesn't take much for me to "feel" the burn, but for a 10 minute workout........I can feel the "pain" in my muscles that haven't been used in a while.  Here's the kettlebell workout I did today.

I already have a dinner menu and exercise plan for the week posted on my fridge to help prevent the "work week" chaos.........or at least minimize it.  I have another crazy, hectic week ahead of me again.......crazy, hectic is becoming our "normal"..........Looking forward to an abnormal week very soon! (AKA Spring Break)

Remember..........Everything 4:13!

Day 54

Since it's Saturday, it's my night to post some of my favorite motivational quotes.  Here you go!

 

 

 

Remember...........Everything 4:13!

Day 53

I finally got around to watching this week's Biggest Loser episode last night.  This season, Biggest Loser is focusing on the childhood obesity epidemic.  In this week's episode, the trainers introduced  the teenage contestants to Seventeen Magazine's Body Peace Pledge.  If you have a daughter, this is definitely worth taking a look at with them.  Click here to sign the Body Peace Treaty.  Many of the items on the pledge are battles I have faced myself for years.  In today's world of "picture perfect celebrities", it is important for young women to learn to love themselves for who they are and to have "peace" with themselves.

If you're ever having one of those days where you feeling low on the "self-confidence" front, just remember the words of Ecclesiastes 3:11.  In HIS eyes, we are ALL beautiful and if we're good enough for HIM, that's all we need.  Remember..........Everything 4:13!

Day 52

It is amazing how much more "with it" I feel when my house is un-cluttered.  I had time to straighten up the house after school today. Once I had time to sit down and admire my hard work all I could do was breathe a HUGE sigh of relief.  Until.........a few minutes later when I discovered more dirty dishes in the sink, a cowboy hat in the middle of the floor, 2 mismatched dirty socks, and an unflushed toilet. Oh well......at least the "with it" feeling lasted for a few minutes. Remember......Everything 4:13!

Day 51

Well......tonight I'm going to eat something that IS NOT on my diet........my words!  Last night, I said I was going to "disappear" from Facebook and Pinterest for a while........until reality set in.  I didn't realize how many apps I use that are connected to my Facebook account.  I also didn't realize how much I rely on Pinterest for my classroom and cooking.  So......here it goes, "I CAN NOT disappear from Facebook or Pinterest."  I am going to re-word and say, "I'm going to try to REDUCE the amount of time I waste on Facebook and Pinterest."  Another reason not to "disappear" is the fact that I would miss no longer seeing my daily blog posts to my Facebook wall.....since right now my wall is pretty much an online chronicle of the first 51 days of my 2013 year!  So.....don't fret!  You can still find me on Facebook.......you can still re-pin the numerous recipes, teaching ideas, and random stuff I "pin"........I just won't be visiting either as frequently as I have in the past.

Speaking of time.......I'm thinking about giving the whole "Freezer Meal" trend a try.  If you're not sure what I'm talking about click here to learn more.  Basically, you prepare and freeze a month's worth of meals in a day. (Takes around 4-6 hours)  It would be FABULOUS if I didn't have to take the time to plan a weekly menu, grocery list, and especially come up with the time to cook and clean the kitchen.  The only problem is.........I have to find 4-6 extra hours to get the month worst of meals put together.  Have any of you tried the freezer meals before?  If so, how did it work for you?  Feel free to share any tips or pointers you may have to help me get started.

My "time management" went much better for the most part today...........until I got home and had to participate in an online class that lasted almost four hours!  As I sat there in front of my computer screen, all I could think of was all of the other things I could be getting done instead.  Tomorrow is another day and I'm a little excited at the fact that I have NOTHING to do after school so I'm looking forward to getting in some exercise, laundry, cooking, and dishes tomorrow afternoon.  Fun, fun!  Remember........Everything 4:13!

Day 50

What is the BIGGEST obstacle I face in my weight loss battle? TIME........there just aren't enough hours in the day.  The quote above is so true...........if you don't manage your time, the rest of your life is chaos.  That is exactly how I feel right now...........I have got to get a grasp of my "time" and figure out how to balance it all. 

It's not that I don't have the "tools" to help me manage my time.......there are 1000's of apps, calendars, timers, and planners out there to keep you organized......I have many of them.  I start out each day with "a plan........the problem is that plan doesn't have any room for error.........if one little thing changes....then the WHOLE schedule for the day is out of whack.  What gets pushed to the side 99.9 % of the time.............EXERCISE.  (Cooking a healthy meal, doing laundry, and cleaning house coming in a close 2nd, 3rd, and 4th place)  As Ephesians 5:15-16 says, I MUST make the best use of my time and prioritize.  What is REALLY more important?.......getting a few minutes of exercise or checking out the latest pins on Pinterest and Facebook posts?  I've tried it before with a VERY short-term success, but starting tomorrow I am going to attempt "unplugging" myself from the social network world until I can get a better grasp on my time.  Don't worry.......I'll keep up the blog........if you want to "follow" me, you'll have to subscribe to my Blog via RSS or e-mail (look for the links on the right side).......Every time I get tempted to log-in and catch up on things in the Facebook world instead of devote my time to more important things, I will have to remember.........Everything 4:13!

Day 49

 

I was FULL of excuses not to stick to diet and exercise this past week........ my son's birthday, my husband's birthday, stressful day, out of town company, Valentine's Day, too tired, too busy, the list goes on and on!  Even though I didn't do too great last week, I was still down one pound.  The end of the month will be here before I know it though, and I still have five more pounds to lose to reach my 8 pound monthly goal. So........I've GOT to let go of the excuses this week and stick with it. Anytime I am tempted to come up with an excuse, I need to remember.........Everything 4:13!

Day 48

Twice-baked potatoes are one of my favorite sides to cook when we grill steaks.  Since my "recipe" consists of a stick of butter, mayo, sour cream, and LOTS of cheese.......I figured it probably needed some modifications.  I found the following Weight Watchers Twice Baked Potato recipe.......at only 2 points per serving, I must say.........it was a delicious substitute to the high-fat original version.

Weight Watchers Twice Baked Potatoes

Points Plus Value:  2 

 Ingredients:

3 large baking potatoes
1/2 cup fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 cup 2% Milk Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese, divided
1/3 cup thin green onion slices
1/4 cup Light Sour Cream
1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
1/4 teaspoon paprika

(You can also add bacon crumbles, Points value would increase to 3)

Directions:

Heat oven to 400 degrees F.

Pierce potatoes in several places with tip of sharp knife. Bake 1 to 1-1/4 hours or until tender. Immediately cut potatoes lengthwise in half; scoop out centers, leaving 1/4-inch-thick shells.

Beat potato pulp, broth, 1/2 cup cheese, onions, sour cream and mustard with mixer until well blended. Spoon into shells; top with remaining cheese and paprika.

Bake 20 minutes or until heated through.

Makes 6 Servings

Per Serving: 88 Calories; 1g Fat; 2.5g Protein; 17.3g Carbs; 2.3g Fiber

Everything 4:13!

Day 47

I'm busy visiting with family from "home" (AKA....GA) this weekend.......so I'm keeping my blog post super simple today.  I think I'll make this a weekend theme from now on.........motivational pics on the weekends........that will leave more time for me to spend with my family!  Remember.......Everything 4:13!