Smoothy Recipes

I have a lot of recipes but I've only tried a few because I don't like cold drinks, so if you want more, let me know.

Strawberry-Peach Paradise Smoothie
1 cup frozen peach slices
1/2 cup frozen strawberries
2/3 cup fat-free milk ( I think it needs more)
1/4 cup fat-free, sugar-free vanilla yogurt
1 Tbsp lime juice
1 pkg stevia (opt)

In a blender with ice-crushing ability, combine the peach,  strawberry, milk, yogurt, and lime juice.  make sure the lid is on thigh. Using the Puree or Ice crush setting, blend until the ingredients are relatively smooth. Then blen on the Liquefy setting or high speed a few seconds until completely smooth. Serve immediately.  Makes 1 serving if you can eat it all.
181 cals, 9g protein, 37g carbs, trace fat, 5mg cholesterol, 3g fiber, 126mg sodium
From the Biggest Loser Family Cookbook

Strawberry-Limeade Smoothie
1 1/2  cups frozen strawberries
6 oz fat-free, fiber enriched key lime pie yogurt flavor
1/4 cup fat free milk
zest of 1 lime (about 1 1/2 tsp)
2 Tbsp lime juice
sugar substitute (splenda, stevia) to taste, opt

In a blender with ice crushing ability, combine the strawberries, yogurt, milk, lime zest and juice, and sugar substitute, if using.  Blend on high speed or Ice crush setting until smooth. Makes 1 serving
228 cals, 9g protein, 55g carbs, trace fat, 8mg cholesterol, 13g fiber, 134mg sodium
From Biggest Loser cookbook

Like I said, I have more so if this doesn't work for you let me know. I buy big bags of frozen fruit at costco so I can always make things like this for all those boys in my life.

Smoothie Recipe

I love the occassional fruit smoothie. My kids enjoy having fruit that way too. Does anyone have some delicious smoothie recipe they would love to share?  ~Rebecca

A week or so Menu

So I put a menu together that uses recipes we already have in our ward cookbook.  Hopefully this helps some of you.


Breakfasts
1.      Breakfast Burrito
2.      Oatmeal with fruit
3.      Egg muffin (R.S. CB pg. 200, 250 cals)
4.      Egg sandwich
5.      Egg white omelet (3 egg whites and 2 Tbsp reduced fat cheese, cubed small, 106 cals )
6.      French Toast (1 egg white and ½ to 1 Tbsp milk per slice of bread, 117 cals/slice)
7.      Yogurt Smoothie (made by Yoplait in the freezer section, just add milk and blend)
8.      Kashi GoLean Cereal (1/2 serving with an egg white omelet is very filling)
Lunches
1.      Wraps (low carb tortilla with turkey, avocado, tomato, lettuce or do ham or beef with favorite toppings.  You can even do chicken salad.  Chicken with BBQ sauce and reduced fat cheese) Be creative.
2.      Leftovers
3.      Tuna Salad Sandwich (low-fat or fat free mayo, reduced fat cheese, whole wheat bread- open face is best, dill pickle, grill under broiler if desired)
Dinners
1.      Picante Chicken(R.S. CB pg. 57, use fat free cream cheese and low fat cheese)
2.      Creamy Black Bean Salsa Chicken (R.S. CB pg. 57, crockpot recipe, I served it with chips to try and get my kids to try it, kind of worked) (use light cheese and sour cream)
3.      Tacos (You can use tortilla chips, baked preferably, or low carb tortillas by La Tortilla Factory.  I prefer ground turkey with taco seasoning or you can use extra-lean ground beef.  Add your favorite toppings like avocado, tomatoes, lettuce, black beans, reduced fat cheese, fat free sour cream, salsa, etc.)
4.      Teriyaki Beef Tenderloin (R.S. CB pg. 86)
5.      Café Rio Style Pork (R.S. CB pg. 93.  Use tenderloin roast, less fattening and comparable in calories to turkey or chicken, also use BBQ sauce with 7g carbs or less per 2 Tbsp, ketchup without high fructose corn syrup, and splenda)
6.      Maple Salmon (R.S. CB pg. 95- use reduced sodium soy sauce and homemade maple syrup made with splenda)
7.      White Chicken chili-  I’ve given this out a couple times
8.      Beef Roast (I like to put roasts in the crock pot while we are at church.  Can pour some reduced sodium beef broth over it and add veggies and onion if you like.)
9.      Lemon Pepper Chicken- the chicken recipe I posted last week using lemon pepper
10.  Mom’s New Beef Stew (R.S. CB pg.16)
Sides
1.      Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower (R.S. CB pg. 47)
2.      Veggies
3.      Brown Rice
4.      Green Salads
Snacks
1.     String cheese
2.     Almonds
3.     Fruit
4.     Raw Veggies
5.     Cottage Cheese
6.     Non-fat yogurts
 

Consistency

I am having a problem being consistent with exercise. I can go 3 or 4 days doing some form of exercise but then I will miss 2-3 days before getting back to it. What helps you to get your exercise done daily?

What do you need?

So I've been a little too busy and haven't posted.  But I want to know what you guys need.  Where is it the hardest for you?  Do you need recipes, ideas, tips, exercise help etc?  I am here to help you in any way I can.  I know the journey is hard, but so worth it. If we can identify the areas we need help in, we are more likely to succeed. So let me know and I will do my best to help you.
~Gina

Down but not Out

Since last Friday I haven't exercised. I have had 20+ ounces of dr pepper a day. I have had cake, brownies, or a candy bar every day. (Not all on one day) I haven't eaten more than 1 serving of vegetable a day. I feel blah, tired, sick.

I am not quitting. I may be down but I am not out. I just need change my game plan and reset my goals. I am going to post my daily and weekly goals where my hubby and kids know what they are. I am going to make sure I exercise before even starting housework. I learned last week that if exercise was number one thing for the day it got done. Since I can't seem to enjoy just a little dp without wanting more then I am going just not drink it. This will be painful but doable. I just need to stay busy so I won't think about it. Replace the times I normally drink something with healthy drinks...watching jazz bball, scrapbooking,... I enjoy water and crystal light and lemon water. I just need to have a glass of something healthy to drink where I will see it. Also I am going to make sure I journal food and feelings. Journaling seemed hard when I did it last week. I tried to figure out why. I was eating well to be able to write down that I was eating well. When I wanted to stray I just put the journal away for the day. Then I didn't have to feel guilty. But that didn't help. So I am going to journal and be truthful about it, no matter what.

Thanksgiving is next week and I want to show not only myself that I can take better care of my body and health but I want to show my Heavenly Father that I am thankful for the body He has blessed me with. To do this I need to eat the right foods and exercise to get strong and healthy.

I CAN DO THIS. :-)

1st week done

So it has pretty much been a week for some of us on our new lifestyle.  Hopefully you have weighed in or will soon.  Also it is important to take your measurements and check how your clothes are fitting.  Please share your successes and failures with the group.  We do better when we know others are in this with us. Keep up with the good work. I can't stress enough how important it is to keep going even if we think we aren't doing that great.  It takes time to get use to things.  Keep setting weekly and daily goals.  Small changes add up. When I look at the last year, I think of all those times I just kept going and did my best at eating well and getting in my workouts and it really paid off.  If you have any questions, just ask.

Dealing with Stress

First of all, I have done pretty well with my exercise plan. I have enjoyed working out to the 30 day jump start. The first few days with my eating plan went okay. My pop (and caffeine) intake was even less per day as I had planned. But Tuesday came and I had to go to work. Being involved with a family business has become very challenging and frustrating. I felt my stress go up even on the drive over to work. After work I worked on my own finances and bills. My stress went even higher. That day my diet was horrible....2 pieces of cake, 2 bottles of dr pepper, halloween candy, water intake down. The next day I did better with what I ate but I had to work hard not to let eating take care of my stress/pain when I thought of stuff. How can I deal with financial stress? How can I deal with in-law stress (particularly a brother-in-law)?  ~Rebecca

A Monthly "Lunch Bunch"

The big goal that I am going to be working on is to drastically reduce my sugar intake.  I would like to get to where I only have a delicious treat once a month.  But I don't want to bake something and have lots of leftovers that will just tempt me for the next few days.  I thought that it might be nice if we were to have a monthly "lunch bunch" where we try new healthy recipes out for lunch and then have a delicious dessert afterwards.  Since there are only 9 of us (I think?) half of us would just show up to eat & visit, and the other half would be in charge of the food & hosting.  One person could just provide their house, and the other 3 or 4 people could each bring one item of food to share:  a salad, a soup, an appetizer, a main dish, etc. etc. and of course, a dessert.  (Then we'd switch off the next month.)  I know Stephanie works full time, so we could even do it on a Saturday.  Since Thanksgiving & Christmas are right around the corner, we could begin our lunch bunch in January.  What do you ladies think?  Is anyone interested?  --Heather

Food Journal, etc.

So if you are one of those people who prefer to use a computer to keep track of your food journal, exercise journal, and how you are feeling, then I found something you might like.  www.mytrainerbob.com  This is a free website, unlike Jillian's which costs money.  I tried Bob Harper's new Yoga DVD today.  I had no idea I was so flexible.  It was fun and hard.  Definitely trying that one again.

Cobbler

So when I started my journey, some of my first recipe searches were for treats because I really didn't think I would be able to give up on them but I didn't want to blow my calorie budget. Here is a peach and blueberry cobbler that everyone in my family loves.

Peach and Blueberry Cobbler with Ginger and Cinnamon
Cooking spray
4 ripe peaches, peeled, pitted, and sliced (about 4 cups)*
1 cup fresh blueberries*
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated splenda
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon Bisquick Heart Smart baking mix
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup skim milk
2 tablespoons raw sugar

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Spray a 7x11-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray, and set it aside.  In a medium bowl, mix together the peaches, blueberries, the 1/4 cup splenda, and the 1 tablespoon baking mix. Pour the fruit mixture into the prepared baking dish.  In a medium bowl, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons splenda, the remaining 3/4 cup Bisquick, and the ginger, cinnamon, and milk.  Stir until the mixture forms a soft dough.  Drop 8 spoonfuls of the dough evenly over the fruit mixture.  Sprinkle the sugar over the dough.  Bake the cobbler until the fruit is tender and the biscuit topping is golden brown, about 30 minutes.  Let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.
*You can also use frozen fruit

This recipe comes from Now Eat This! by Rocco Dispirito
Makes 8 servings.
Per serving:  96 Calories, 1g fat, 2g protein, 22g carbs, 0mg cholesterol, 2g fiber, 158mg sodium

Baggage Claim

So we all have things we have had to deal with in our lives.  Some good, some bad.  Some of us dwell on the bad so much that we give it power over us.  Some of us shove our feelings in a closet and hope we lose the key and never have to deal with the pain.  Others of us are just disappointed with ourselves.  Maybe we feel alone or scared or defeated.  We feel that no matter what we do in our lives, we always fail.  I'm sure we have all had these feelings at one time or another, but it is what we do with those feelings and how we deal with them that can make or break our future.  We can NOT change other peoples behavior, no matter how hard you try.  If one of the things that you need to face from your past involves another person, your first reaction could be to tell them how they wronged you.  I can guarantee you that this will solve nothing and could make things worse for you.  The first thing we have to do is change ourselves.  We need to become okay with ourselves and who we are.  We have to acknowledge the pain and face it head on, so that we can move forward.  Taking small steps every day is the best way to create a change for the better.  We can be our own worst enemy, so we have to start with ourselves.  Blaming others for our problems will inhibit us from moving on, but so does fear of the unknown.  Analyze your problem and see what you are gaining from staying where you are, then see what you could gain from leaving it behind.   Once we let go of our anger and resentment from our past and realize that we are responsible for our feelings (yes, even the ones others "inflict" upon us); we will be able to move forward and focus on our weight loss goals.  Bob Harper in Are You Ready says " Starting with your physical body-- through diet, fitness, or both-- gives you confidence, the essential ingredient you need to let go of old behaviors and feelings that are no longer working for you so that you can turn to a new way of living that is all about self-empowerment."  I hope this helps and that you are all getting a chance to read Bob's book.

I found a used book "Are You Ready" in paperback for $1.44 plus shipping on Amazon.com.  It should be here next week. Thank you, Gina!

Recipes

So I have an easy Chicken Recipe that is very versatile.  It can be eaten plain with veggies and such as a meal or you can shred it and put it in salads, on sandwiches, or in a quesadillas. I like to use this chicken or a rotisserie one and shred it (3 oz cooked), put it on a low-carb tortilla (La Tortilla Factory), add some low carb BBQ sauce (I like Stubs- 7g of carbs or less per 2 Tbsp), add some low-fat cheese and melt in the microwave.  It is very filling.

Simple Grilled Chicken
4 (4 oz) trimmed boneless, skinless chicken breast
Olive oil in sprayer (not-store bought spray)
2 tsp salt-free garlic and herb seasoning (Mrs. Dash)- I like to use lemon pepper seasoning
Salt to taste

Preheat grill to high heat.  Lightly mist the chicken breast with olive oil.  Rub the seasoning all over each breast and lightly season with salt.  Grill for 3 to 5 minutes per side, or until the chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.  Serve immediately or store in an airtight plastic container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Per serving: 127 Cals, 26g protein, 0g carbs, 2g fat, 66mg cholesterol, 0g fiber, 74mg sodium
From the Biggest Loser Family Cookbook

It is important to use salt-free seasonings and add our own salt sparingly if needed.  Too much salt interferes with our weight loss.  Also, buy a food grade spray bottle and put some olive oil (first cold press is best) in it.  Use it as you would Pam.  This way you are not getting the propellants that are in things like Pam and with spraying instead of dumping you are saving yourself a ton of calories.

Are You Ready?

So we talked about everyone reading a book I feel is extremely important to becoming in charge of your life.  It is Are You Ready! by Bob Harper.  I have started reading it again and have learned more just in the first few pages.  We truly need to love and accept ourselves for who we are now, so that we can move on.  He helps us make the mind--body connection so that we can get the weight off and keep it off.  Everyone, please try to read this book.  I feel it will help you in more ways than you know.  There is freedom in following his plan.

Also, I am so happy to hear that people are trying to make changes.  Remember, small steps lead to big changes.  I recently hit a plateau and was trying hard to break it.  I kept fluctuating up and down a few pounds, which was so frustrating.  So I became more diligent in my food journal, and put more effort into my workouts.  I tried to keep my stress down and feel my feelings instead of eating them.  I finally broke through that plateau and dropped the 6 pounds I had been trying to lose for 4 weeks.  It finally just came off.  I tell you this, not to make you upset, but to let you know that it is truly possible.  We can do this!  If you guys have any questions, please ask me.  I love to help people and to talk about it.

The Excitement is in the Air

I am so excited to start working towards a better and healthier life. I know we discussed not waiting until "tomorrow" or "Monday" but I have had a pulled muscle stopping me from doing a whole lot. I have taken the week to review notes and write up an eating plan and an exercising plan. I feel good about the plans I have. Now I just need to work my plans. Starting tomorrow I am going to be doing the Biggest Loser 30-day Jump Start DVD. It starts with 10 minutes a day and increases 10 minutes each week. My biggest hurdle with eating better is my addiction (yes - addiction) to Dr Pepper. I have thought about how to get rid of that addiction. I could drop it all at once or I could slowly get rid of it. I have chosen the latter. I hope to be done with pop in 3-4 weeks. Thank you Gina for all your knowledge and support. You are truly and inspiration to me.  ~Rebecca

I'm going to start...........

Don't we say that to ourselves all the time?  I'm going to start Monday....I promise!  Or I'm going to start........ and we just never commit to a date.  Let's all start right now.  We can all begin to make better choices for ourselves and our family.  We should never think that by starting on a certain day makes it so we can eat badly for just one more day.  We are not going to deprive ourselves by any means, we are just going to make better food choices.  If you have a craving for something and it just won't pass no matter what you do, then give into it, in moderation.  Sometimes we just have to do that, and if we don't, we end up eating more calories trying to fill in that craving than we would have if we just ate what we were craving.  Start slow, don't eat the whole elephant today.  But if you can make small changes you will see a snowball effect.  So tonight, serve 2 veggies and drink water with your meal.  Once you go through a tough workout, you do not want to undue what you did, so you are more likely to eat healthy.  Remember, it's not a diet.  It is a healthy living plan!

The Beginning of a New Blog!

Welcome Ladies! Feel free to log in and post your own thoughts and feelings. This is a great place to ask Gina questions and get advice. Start following and sharing your success stories.