Going for a HIKE!?!?

There is nothing I hate worse then boring exercise!
I like to exercise. Now getting up really early to do just that. I am not a fan of. I guess it is a good thing I don't have to.

But whether it be early morning or mid afternoon. The hardest part is making the decision to do it.

As soon as you change your clothes and put on your shoes you should be ready to go.. At least I am!

I have everything I need to have a good workout. I even have a room devoted to it.
I have a Total Gym which I don't and never have used, treadmill, and also some free weights and some other things like shake bars. So I got it all. I got the stuff for working my muscles and for cardio.
Still I am looking for something even different..
I have ALWAYS wanted to be a runner. But it is just not for me. I have many hip,knee and ankle issues that would only be aggravated by running. I am not saying never. Just not right now at this weight.

The next best thing. Hiking!!!
I am not talking about a leisurely stroll..I am talking about actually hiking.
I know better then to start off doing something that I am not conditioned to do. So I will start off slow.
But I have a goal..I have a lot of goals and this one would be to not be huffing and puffing after climbing a small hill.

I have always wanted to be really healthy and be a semi athlete. I even have a book that I bought a few years ago that has a bunch of hiking areas in Arizona. I need to dig that out.
I am not even sure if I ever read it.

Being over weight can really hold you back in a lot of ways and I don't think that people realize that.
Especially if they have never been over weight.
Just from losing 20 pounds my body has changed so much. My outlook on life has also changed a lot.
So it really makes me wonder how I will feel when I have lost another 40 LBS?

Holiday weight gain???



Even Kitty ate too much!

 This is the first week since I started this 17 weeks ago that I actually feel as if I have gained!
Now I know that it is all in my head!

I have busted my ASS for 17 weeks to lose  20 pounds and I did not gain that all back in a matter of days.
But did I gain back a pound or two???
Lets see...I weighed last Wednesday and had gained .5 pounds which is pretty much nothing considering it was TOM...I usually gain a few pounds and then the following week I lose what I had gained and another pound or so..

On new years eve I ate some munchies but not many and only had an Orange for breakfast. I also had Mexican casserole and cheesecake ice cream..This is food that I have not eaten in 17 weeks. So my stomach was KILLING me..A clear sign that what I was eating was bad for me..

In the past I have had a dinner out with Jack that I am sad to report was probably more calories then what I had on New Years eve. This was in the beginning of the 17 weeks. Not that it is any better. But my point being that back then I did not gain any weight. So why am I so worried about gaining now??

Well....for one..I feel like I have gained!
Maybe back when I was 20 pounds heavier gaining 1 pound was less noticeable and I lost it before I seen it on the scale??
When you have worked as hard as I have at losing weight the last thing you want to see is the number go up on the scale. There are some weeks that I have worked to lose 1 pound. So if I stepped on the scale and gained 2 pounds those 2 weeks or whatever it took to lose those 2 pounds is down the tubes!! That really sucks..It is the one thing that keeps me going and that I try and avoid.
When I think of eating something unhealthy I think....You busted your ass on the treadmill yesterday for nothing if you eat this..It usually keeps me from eating it. Then there are times I think..Well I have done really good..SO I DESERVE IT!!! I deserve NOTHING!!!!!!!! I have not proved to myself  that I can handle that piece of cheesecake. So what business do I have in eating it? I am still fat and I got fat by eating crap like cheesecake. I chose cream cheese and sugar over health and happiness! Think of how stupid that sounds.

When I got home on New Years eve my body craved junk which happens when you eat junk.
I ate one of the smores I made and that told me all I needed to know.They really are not that bad calorie wise which is why I made them. I told Jack to put them above the fridge (I think he has forget about them). I now recognise the signs.

Ever since that night I have eaten REALLY healthy and have been back on my program.
I love the holidays but I am glad to feel back in control of what I am going to be eating and what my choices will be.

Wednesday the scale will tell me everything that I need to know. Did I have enough calories saved up. Did I burn enough?? We will see.. But even if I do gain. It is business as usual.
Nothing is changing but maybe my calories for the day. Now that Jack will be going back to work it will be easier for me to do my low to high calories and when I say HIGH..I mean 1200

Flatout Italian Pizza

Last night's dinner was AMAZING!!!

You know how where you cook for yourself and your family and you get so sick of

eating your own food??
Well I decided to come up with a few new things. Yesterdays breakfast Protein Cakes was one of them!

Then last night I made
homemade healthy Italian FlatOut Pizza...YUMMY
I was SHOCKED at how good they were and I think Jack was too!
He likes my food and will eat anything I cook. Even I consider myself a good cook.
I can make anything! I can come up with anything. Or just make any recipe.
It is just who I am..Same goes with the baking side of me..I love to do it! I love baking for my husband or my family and seeing the joy it puts on their face. There is pure love that goes into that!
Only some of you know what I am talking about!
So I miss the baking...Even when I was baking I would have one maybe two pieces of what it was unless it was Cheesecake...THEN FORGET IT!! I ATE IT ALL!!!
So that part I do not miss! THE BAKING..NOT THE EATING..HaHA

So part of my New Year is to come up with some NEW recipes..
Last night was the Pizza..
This is what I used.



PICK YOUR OWN TOPPINGS TOO !

Flatouts Original lights 2/ 1each
1 Plum Tomato
4TBS Frozen Spinach Drained
4 Button Mushrooms

56 Grams Mozzarella Cheese

62 Grams Part Skim Ricotta

2tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

Italian Seasoning to taste 

                                            

IT MAY BE FOR DINNER.....AGAIN

                                         























Protein Cakes

JACK'S PLATE  (  ;

Jack has been home now for almost 2 WEEKS and will be going back to work on Tuesday.

I have really enjoyed having him home for the holidays. But I am also glad that we will get back in the swing of things. Him work..Me? My eating healthy and working out!!

This morning....well AFTERNOON I wanted to make him a GOOD BREAKFAST!!!

I came across a recipe that looked not only really good but also really healthy. So I decided to make it today! You can find the Original hereMy Daily Nosh

I decided to make my own adjustment just like anyone does to any recipe. But nothing too crazy!

This is what I used..



THIS IS GOOD STUFF!!



2/3 Cup Old fashioned Oats                            

2/3 Cup Dannon Greek Yogurt With Honey

2/3 Cup Egg Beaters

1 1/2 tsp Baking powder

1/2 tsp Cinnamon

Mix the Oats in a blender. I used a small blender. Or you can use a Bullet. I did not want to use my Steel cut oats for this but you could.

Then add the baking powder and blend a bit more.

Pour out into a bowl and mix in the rest of the ingredients.

Spray your pan with PAM..Ladle mixture onto hot pan. When it starts to bubble top with bananas then flip after a minute or when the edges start to puff.

I topped mine with a Tbs of Agave. Jack used melted PB and Agave..Up to you! As you know..The more you add the more calories it adds.
I tried to figure out the calories on the recipe builder on caloriecount.com but it was a hassle.
Regardless they are HEALTHY! Full of Protein!!!!!
I will try another program and if and when I figure it out I will add it to the Recipe page!

Blend really well but not to a powder!

                                             

You can also use egg whites!



Without honey will save you some calories

                                               

Try other Fruits

You can use any yogurt..Next time I am going to use Greek that has no honey in it. You can also use Cottage cheese but blend well! You can also add other fruits..Use your imagination. There are hundreds of variations if you really think about it!

I will have fun with this recipe!

ENJOY..We sure did!!!

Happy New Year

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!
So did you make YOUR new year resolutions??
Did I?? I don't really have any plans on making any!

The last few months I have been making some serious changes. I got started ahead of the game.
In the past year after year I would always say this will be the year that I will lose the weight!
Most people whether it be my family or close friends have no idea how bad my weight has bothered me over the years. So for me to have lost already now 19 pounds on my own with NO PILLS, PLANS OR GIMMICKS is astounding and I have to say I am really quite proud of myself! I have kept it to myself over the years that my weight bothered me as it did. So I was not telling anyone that I was losing the weight or even trying to lose until Thanksgiving. I knew the holidays were going to be hard and by telling at least a few people I knew that it would help keep me in check! Not that I would be sneaking big pieces of cheesecake anyways. I did not get here by sneaking food. This is hard work!!!

So resolutions???
I have goals that need to be made! But no..Not because I am not capable of sticking to anything but because I am in the process of already making those changes!

I love the holidays but I am soooooo very glad that they are OVER..I am glad that the food temptations are over.
Tonight we went to my aunts for a family night for new years eve. I decided to make Pretzel Smores. I had actually came across them on another blog.ajourneytothin Thought they looked easy enough and not so tempting that I would eat the whole batch! So at midnight last night I went and bought all the stuff.

Dinner was dinner...My Nanny (grandmother) makes it. It is a Mexican casserole made with chips,chicken,cheese,soup mix..lets just say it is not healthy..But IT IS REALLY GOOD!
There was also a few other snacky things. Chips and dip,cheese balls,chips and salsa and veggies..Ya know the usuals..I had a little bit of this and that.My aunt was nice enough to mention that there were a few healthy things. I had saved my calories and only had an orange in the morning. Then a family friend made a cheesecake ice cream pie!!! OMG! I did NOT have a slice right away! A long time ago I started by not having any right away and make sure that I REALLY want it. I did have a bite or two of Jacks. Then a few hours later I had half a slice and then wondered why I even ate that? But it was good! I did not get fat on one piece of pie and I won't gain my weight back with one piece of pie. But I also won't lose weight with one piece of pie!!! But what is done is done and moving on. I am just glad that I can finally get back to eating as I always do. I was not halfway through my dinner and my stomach started to KILL me!! My stomach is not use to rich food when all I eat is lean protein,grains and veggies for months!

My family decided to play poker!

 

Pictured from bottom left going clockwise Family friend Jody,Aunt Sherri,Nephew Cody,Nephews Fiance Easton,Sister Rachel,Brother Clayton,SIL April..Oh and my Nanny in the top left there!
NOT pictured..Me of course..Hahaha..Jack,Papa and my two nieces Jayden and Jordyn.My Dad was not there or my Mom
That's my family! Some anyway... One day I will post more pics!

Hope everyone had a safe happy new year! I look forward to reading everyones GOALS for the NEW YEAR!!!!!