Getting my run on

I am finally up to 3.17 miles and it feels good. The heat is making it hard to run so this week has been a tough one with only one running day so far but it will be cooling down and I will be hitting the streets again. Wanna join me?

A few failures and a triumph

I have been trying new recipes for a while but I hit a slump with some bad ones. They were really bland and needed something added to them. I plan on trying them again before I put them up. But tonight was a good one.It is called South Pacific Shrimp and you can find the recipe here. The only thing I did differently is instead of peppers I added some japanese hot sauce and still tasted very good. It actually reminded me of a meal that my sister brought back from Thailand for me. All the seasoning was packaged and all I had to do was buy coconut milk and chicken and some eggplant. We put it over rice, I prefer brown rice but we didnt have enough so we put it over white rice. Very good.

On the Running Front

I ran 2.83 miles last week. My goal is 3 miles and I am so close. Unfortunately I got pretty sick this week and am still getting my strength back so I had not run since last Wednesday. Today my dear friend and cheerleader Trish got me to run two miles. It was hard since it had been over a week but I finished the two miles and now its time to get to 3. Hopefully by the end of next week. Run run run!

Finally I'm not overweight

I weighed myself on the Wii this morning. I'm wondering how accurate it is. But I did it twice and it was only a few ounces off. So according to the Wii I am now 154 and I am no longer in the overweight category. I have been running at BC Stadium and I finally ran a mile last week. I also run/walk the stairs. I actually felt like I was gaining weight each week and I thought that couldn't be possible since I was exercising so much. I wasn't eating great but it wasn't extreme. I think I was just retaining water or something. I hiked somewhere around 11 miles in the mountains this week and hopefully that helped too. Hopefully I can keep this up and improve my eating and the rest of the weight will just melt off. I also need to work on toning. I registered for the Volkslauf so I have a goal I have to reach by Oct 2nd. I have to be able to run 3 miles. I also have to be strong enough to pull myself over those 10 ft. walls. We'll see.

One New and One Old

Let me start with the old recipe. I have made this once before and we liked it but this time it was soooo much better because I made some changes. I got this recipe from the Better Homes and Gardens cook book and you can get it here but I will tell you the changes I made.
First I made a whole wheat pizza crust instead of all white flour. You can get a recipe for whole wheat pizza crust anywhere. The Eating Well website has a good one. I cant remember which one I used but next time I will try one that only calls for whole wheat flour and no white flour. I also didnt use any meat, it was vegetarian. I made the crust then baked it for a few minutes. Then I took some black refried beans and heated them up in a pan with some fat free milk, maybe half a cup to soften them up and make them easier to spread. I spread the beans on the crust and then spread taco bell sauce over the beans and added the green chiles and cheese. I baked that for maybe 4 minutes then pulled it out and added the lettuce and tomatoes. I only used half of the dough so the crust was pretty thin but it was really good.

Next is the new recipe. These are called Spiced Apple Cider muffins. They were really good. It calls for maple syrup which I didn't have but they were fine with out it and even fewer calories from the missing sugar.
Here is the recipe

Spiced Apple Cider Muffins

Streusel:

• 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
• 4 teaspoons whole-wheat flour
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon butter, cut into small pieces
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped walnuts (optional)

Muffins:

• 1 cup whole-wheat flour
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 large egg
• 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup apple butter, such as Smucker's
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1/3 cup apple cider
• 1/3 cup low-fat plain yogurt
• 1/4 cup canola oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat 12 muffin cups with cooking spray.

To prepare streusel: Mix brown sugar, whole-wheat flour and cinnamon in a small bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in walnuts, if using.

To prepare muffins: Whisk whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in a large bowl.

Whisk egg and brown sugar in a medium bowl until smooth. Whisk in apple butter, syrup, cider, yogurt and oil. Make a well in the dry ingredients; add the wet ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula until just combined. Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin cups (they'll be quite full). Sprinkle with the streusel.

Bake the muffins until the tops are golden brown and spring back when touched lightly, 15 to 25 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Loosen edges and turn muffins out onto a wire rack to cool slightly before serving.

I had a feeling...

Last month when I weighed in I had a feeling the Wii was wrong. I need to buy a scale. So when I got on this morning it said I had lost 6.4 lbs but the weight was 168. So I think last month was way wrong. However I am in the 160's and I am still closer to my goal than I was a year ago.

Two new Breakfast Ideas

This time I took pictures. Yesterday I made Hot Autumn Apple Oatmeal. It was really good. I didnt have bananas but it was good anyway.

Hot Autumn Apple Oatmeal

INGREDIENTS

• 1 teaspoon butter
• 1/2 Golden Delicious apple, cored and chopped
• 1/2 large banana, sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 3/4 cup skim milk
• 3 fresh raspberries (or blackberries)

PREPARATION

1. Heat butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add half of the amount of chopped apple, banana and cinnamon. Cook, stirring often, until apple softens, 3 to 4 minutes. Add oats, honey and milk. Bring to a boil. Immediately reduce heat to low and cook until oats are soft, about 1 minute. Top with berries and remaining apple and serve.

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The skinny

351 calories per serving, 7.2 g fat (2.6 g saturated), 70.6 g carbs, 8.1 g fiber, 8.9 g protein

Then this morning I made a recipe for Breakfast cookies. They were really good too and the kids loved them. I didn't put walnuts in them but thats ok because I dont like them.

Cookies for Breakfast

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup (1 small jar) strained carrot baby food
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup bran cereal flakes
• 1/3 cup raisins
• 1/3 cup walnut pieces, lightly toasted in a dry skillet for 2 minutes, until fragrant and chopped

Directions

Place rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Whisk together flours, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Combine butter, oil and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on high speed, scraping down sides if necessary, until sugars have dissolved and mixture is light in color, about 1 minute. Add egg, carrot puree and vanilla and beat an additional 30 seconds. Add flour mixture and beat an additional 30 seconds. Add oats, flakes, raisins and walnuts and mix over low speed just until incorporated. Dough will be slightly sticky and less cohesive than traditional cookie dough. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper. Using between 3 to 4 tablespoons of batter, form a ball and place on cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining batter, leaving about 3 inches between cookies. Wet hands and use palm of hand to flatten cookies until about 1/4-inch thick. Bake for 12 minutes, until cookies are fragrant but still soft. Let cookies cool slightly, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Tell me what you think!!

Not just dinner

So what I have discovered on this road of weight loss is that you are not just supposed to eat healthy at dinner but ALL DAY! Unbelievable! So I have been on the look out for recipes for breakfast and lunch. I have a small collection of breakfast recipes that I am starting to try. First I tried scrambled eggs rancheros and I'm sure it would have been tasty if I hadnt burnt the eggs. The kids make me burn thing, I swear I'm not a bad cook. Here is the recipe:

Scrambled Eggs Rancheros

INGREDIENTS

• 2 egg whites
• 1 whole egg
• 1/4 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 tablespoons part-skim mozzarella
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon extra light olive oil
• 8 tablespoons tomato salsa
• 1 slice whole-wheat toast
• 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro (optional)

PREPARATION

1. Combine egg whites, whole egg, beans, cheese, onion, salt, pepper and paprika in a bowl. Warm oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add egg mixture and reduce heat to low. Cover and cook without stirring until eggs begin to set, 2 to 3 minutes. Top with salsa; cover and cook until egg is cooked through, about 2 minutes. Transfer toast to a plate and top with eggs; garnish with cilantro, if desired.

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The skinny

363 calories per serving, 12.7 g fat (3.7 g saturated), 37.7 g carbs, 7.4 g fiber, 25.2 g protein

This morning I tried Pumpkin Muesli which wasnt too bad. Next time I will try it with Vanilla yogurt instead of plain and I added some spices to the pumpkin puree like cinnamon and ground cloves. Here is the recipe:

Pumpkin Muesli

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/4 cup quick-cooking oats
• 1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 1 sliced fresh strawberry
• 2 tablespoons slivered almonds

PREPARATION

1. Combine pumpkin and oats in a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave for 20 seconds; set aside 10 minutes (so liquid will be absorbed). Mix yogurt, honey and zest in another bowl. Swirl in pumpkin mixture and top with berries and almonds.

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The skinny

377 calories per serving, 8.5 g fat (1 g saturated), 66.8 g carbs, 6 g fiber, 12.4 g protein

Tell me what you think and any ideas you have to spice them up. I'll post more as I try them.

To my surprise

I got on our Wii scale yesterday and I had lost 10.8 lbs between April and May!! I was in shock. I felt I was sort of out of the running for our weight loss competition when my brother came to town looking like a million bucks while I had just gained 5 lbs. I told him it wasn't fair that he can lose all this weight because he doesnt have kids and he can go running whenever he wants while I have to just wait until some one can watch them. He said he hadn't been exercising just eating smaller portions and the right foods. So I have tried my best this month to do that and now it paid off! I am more motivated than ever. I dont ever remember being in the 160's.

Turkey Black bean burgers

I changed this recipe up a bit. We used to eat it with ground beef but last night I tried it with ground turkey and I thought it was awesome.
What you will need:
1 lb lean ground turkey
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
1 egg
1 can black beans
1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn
one small bunch chopped cilantro
2/3 cups lime juice
2 tomatoes diced
chopped onion seasoning
salt and pepper
Italian seasoning mix

Directions: First I like to throw the peppers in the food processor because it brings out a lot of the liquid. After they are nice and chopped I put them on a paper towel to press out the rest of the liquid. The liquid in the peppers make the meat fall apart. When they are as dry as you can get them mix them together with the ground turkey meat, eggs, salt pepper, chopped onion seasoning, if you want to throw anything else in there like cumin or a little bit of cayenne or chili powder then go for it, it will only make it taste better. Mix together and form into patties. Turkey meat has to be a little thicker if you are going to BBQ or else it falls apart. Broil for 10 minutes or BBQ for....I'm not sure, the husband did that part. Next add the rest of the ingredients into a bowl and mix well creating your black bean topping. I buy whole wheat flat buns for less calories and my husband even toasts them. Put the turkey on the bun, top with turkey and black bean mixture and we even add avocado instead of cheese for some healthy fat. Enjoy!

Recipe from my book

We tried some of the recipes from our new "Eat this not that" book and one of my favorites so far is the Turkey and Guac burgers. I think they were really yummy. Jesús barbecued the turkey patties and I made the guacamole. We are big fans of guacamole over here. Here is the finished product. All you need is some whole wheat buns, ground turkey, homemade guacamole and Sargento low fat swiss cheese. Good stuff.

New recipe and my new favorite book

A couple of months ago, I snatched this recipe of my moms kitchen counter. My sister told me that it was a very good recipe. It is now my favorite recipe. It's called Chicken and Black Bean tostadas go here for the recipe. I changed it up a bit because I dont like radishes so instead I chopped up 2-3 tomatoes, and I made it tacos instead of tostadas. Doesn't that look tasty??? Good stuff, I promise. Now if you have not heard of it let me introduce you to my new favorite book. Its called "It This, Not That the Supermarket survival guide" I use it now for everything I buy. It tells you the best brands to buy of any product you can think of. I am thinking of buying some of the other books that are in the series. This book also offers some really good recipes we have tried two of them so far and they are very good and cheap! Its amazing how much weight you can loose just by eating healthier. I am also starting to do a little gardening so I think that will be a good way to get some exercising in. Jesus and I have talked about getting a treadmill so we can get exercise in even when we cant leave the house. If you want the recipes from this book without buying it let me know and I'll send you some.

How about a before and after

This is from my heaviest to my lightest

Almost to 50

So I weighed myself yesterday for my monthly check and to report for our family competition. I am down another 3.5 lbs and I am at 173. If I lose 3 more lbs I will have lost 50 lbs in all. I never thought I would see it but it motivates me even more. I have not been exercising but this just shows what a change in diet can do for your weight.

And back by request and at a perfect time I might add since St. Patricks day is just around the corner, my friend Julie requested the recipe for the Spinach Parmesan cakes. You can go here for the recipe. My advice maybe add some more garlic or change it up how you feel would make it more flavorful.
I also have a few new recipes I would like to add. One of my biggest problems lately is snacking. I am pretty cold but that might be because we keep the house at 65. If you're coming over bring a sweater! Well I keep snacking and mostly on junk. Not like hamburgers and fries and soda but the kids granola bars and fruit snacks that are full of sugar and high fructose corn syrup. So I was in desperate need to find some healthy filling snacks.
1. Probably my favorite is a new green herb hummus that we eat with whole wheat pita bread. You can go here for the recipe. I could eat it all day, but I won't because it fills me up.
2. little mini pizzas on whole wheat english muffins. Just put some veggies and homemade pizza sauce and light cheese.
3. For a drink I found this spiced iced tea. You can go here for the recipe. Obviously I didn't use alcohol and first I used mango herbal tea and that was ok then I used peach herbal tea and that was pretty tasty. I didnt use cloves with the peach tea and it was still really good.

I'm sure there is more but for now I cant remember. Exercise is not really going for me but I plan to start getting up early in the morning before everyone is up and either run or do a biggest loser video. I am feeling under the weather for now but as soon as I get my energy back I will have to start making it a habit. Even if I have to try to do it just for one week. Small steps.

I'm not sure how many people actually read this blog but I am grateful for those who do, I picture you at home pushing me forward. If you have any ideas for more snacks or meals please share, I love new ideas.

I have changed my goal

I originally had my goal as 150 lbs but I am thinking that I would like to go for a little more. I am starting a competition with my Dad and brother Ben to hopefully get to our goal weights by the end of this year. The winner gets a weekend with their spouse in San Francisco. I want that. I also want something else but it wont come in the form of a vacation get away or a new wardrobe (although that would be nice), mine and Jesús' 10 year reunions are this year. His is in October and so that is my goal date. I want to look good for mine too but mostly I want him to have a hot wife on his arm. My new goal is to get to 140. I can do it, I've gotten this far. That means I have 36 lbs to go. There is plenty of time I just have to take every minute to remember what I want most. My weakness? Macaroni and cheese. When I ever I make it for the kids I have to taste it to make sure its stirred enough and then again to see if its too hot. Whatever is left after they are done, I finish it off, even when I have already had my lunch. I told my self today that I would not even taste it. I found myself scarfing it down out of habit! I have to stop. I have to. I worked out yesterday, and the kids just went down for a nap so I might go try and get in a workout now. That will make two days in a row. I will picture myself in a beautiful J Crew dress that I want badly and hopefully that will inspire me.

lightest ever

I weighed myself today just to see and I am now at 176. That is the lightest I have weighed in probably 6 years. I had a couple of days when I went running but it has basically been eating better. Hopefully I can speed up this process.