What's Cookin This Week

So I have to admit I am not a spectacular cook. I WANT to be! I love cooking shows and pretty food. I just doubt my ability and skills in the kitchen. Anyway in an effort to cook more and to eat healthier I decided to create a meal plan for the week. Here is what is cooking this week (I've included the links to some of these recipes others are pretty self explanatory).

BREAKFAST IDEAS:

WW English Muffin with Apple Butter & Light Cream Cheese

Egg & Cheese WW English Muffin

WW Waffles with fruit

Low Fat Vanilla Yogurt with Granola & Fruit

** Tip: Do you scramble your eggs with milk? Try scrambling them with water (about a Tbsp per egg) It does the same thing without the calories.

LUNCH IDEAS

Turkey Wrap (Herb Tortilla, Hummus, Spinach, Cheese, & Turkey)

Beef and Bean Chili Verde (this will be lunch for several days)

Smoky Corn and Black Bean Pizza

DINNER IDEAS

Chicken Alfredo

Healthified Stuffed Parmesan

Quick Chicken Cordon Bleu for two

PS I made this chicken cordon bleu today (3/1) its was EASY, it looked BEAUTIFUL & it tasted FANTASTIC!!!!!!

Lasagna

DESSERT IDEAS

I CAN'T WAIT TO TRY THESE!! YUM!

Pina Colada Parfait

Wonton Fruit Cups

Fatsecret.com-Challenge

So I've been using Livestrong.com for a while as my calorie counter and it's just not working out. It's me not you Livestrong, really. Anyway, I've gone back to my old calorie counter app which is by Fatsecret.com. I finally checked out their website and it's really fun. It's got the recipes, calorie counter, diet section, community forums.
BUT what REALLY caught my eye were these challenges. There are tons of them! They last anywhere from 10 days to 12 weeks. What is really fun is you can join the challenge and then you have a whole community doing it with you. I am going to start off easy by doing the following challenge it's only for 10 days. It starts on Feb 28th so if you want to sign up you still have time! Come on join at Fatsecret.com (it's FREE) and be my challenge buddy!

Good-bye to Old Habits Challenge

4 mini-challenges have been created for this challenge:

1. List 3 habits that you will say good-bye to during this 10-day Challenge.

Guidelines: Write in your Journal on Day 1 your 3 habits that you want to say good-bye to.

days 1 to 2

2. List 3 new habits that will replace these old habits.

Guidelines: Write in your Journal on Day 1 the 3 new habits that will replace those unwanted old habits.

days 1 to 2

3. Log your food intake for 10 days in a row. (No Excuses!)

Guidelines: Log your food intake during the day, allowing no more than 30-minutes to pass before recording. Do your best, and use your best judgment.

days 1 to 10

4. Exercise 7-9 times during this 10-day Challenge.

Guidelines: Log your physical exercise each day. Your exercise must be for at least 45-minutes and at a moderate to hard effort.

days 1 to 1

Spark People Does It Again!

That is catch my attention with another great article.

5 Secrets of the 5%

What You Can Learn from Successful Dieters (I HATE the word DIET! It's a lifestyle!!)

-- By Mike Kramer, Staff Writer

More elusive than Bigfoot, more mysterious than the alien residents of Area 51—they’re so anonymous, we’re tempted to ask "do these people actually exist?" I’m here to tell you that YES they do exist. You may even know one or two.

They’re the legendary 5% of people who have lost weight and actually kept it off for the long-term. If you’ve never met one these people before, don’t be surprised. They prefer to stay relatively unknown. Having discovered the prized secret to a healthy lifestyle, they tend to enjoy their status and privacy.

But what about the other 95% of us who have struggled with weight loss and continue to do so? Are we doomed to a life of frustration and failure, with no promise of good health in sight?

Of course not! At SparkPeople, I’ve witnessed a lot of these 5%ers in action. I wondered, what do they do differently than the rest of us? After a non-scientific review, I was able to boil it down to a handful of key strategies and tactics that are pretty common among people who succeed. For the first time, their secret is out. The doors are blown off. Join me in exploring these secrets and use them in your own life. Pretty soon, you can be part of this group too.

The 5%…

1. …Make It Public. The 5% generally don’t keep their weight loss efforts to themselves. They recruit supporters. They ask for help. They swap war stories with friends. They give and take encouragement. Often a goal buddy is involved, or at least a positive, supportive friend who holds the dieter accountable. Studies show that just by writing down or announcing your goals, you automatically increase your chances of success. Keeping a Community Journal or blog is a non-threatening, productive way to make your goals public.
   
   
2. …Pay Attention. A permanent, healthy lifestyle is created on purpose. Planning, tracking, reading menus, asking questions, following progress reports—they’re all part of the 5% strategy of knowing what’s going on and preventing setbacks. This crowd doesn’t believe in fooling themselves or relying on chance to make things happen. Usually (if not always) aware of the foods they eat, and on the lookout for opportunities to stay active, they know that good health is no accident. Nutrition Trackers and Fitness Planners play key roles in this strategy.
   
   
3. …Enjoy Themselves. There’s a reason that a healthy lifestyle sticks around for this small minority. They make weight loss a positive experience and have fun with it. Because they feel good about their goals and their new habits, they also feel good about themselves and what they’ve accomplished. Programs based on negative messages, dread, resignation, or criticism are doomed to disappear. Optimists are proven to reach more goals than pessimists. They also live healthier, longer lives.
   
   
4. …Make Gradual Changes. The 5% know that permanent change is a process, not a 21-day event. Able to see what waits on the horizon, they spend time building a few small habits at a time, rather than diving into a program that’s totally incompatible with their current lifestyle. Too much too soon is like moving to a new country and expecting to adopt the new culture and language in a week. It works much better if you simply stick around and pick up a few bits and pieces at a time.
   
   
5. …Allow Themselves To Fail. It’s a guaranteed certainty. Every one of the 5% has failed at some point along their weight loss journey. The difference is that they learned to forgive setbacks and refused to beat themselves up. Every failure is simply one step closer to ultimate success. With this outlook, and using lessons learned along the way, they kept these setbacks from turning into full-fledged disasters.

Not so mysterious, now that you know their secrets, huh? A permanent, healthy lifestyle may be closer than you think!

Work it Out

So February hasn't been a great weight loss month for me. My goal is to lose a pound a week (very realistic) But this month between Valentine's day and celebrating birthdays I haven't been as strict with my calories. I have however been working out 5-6 days a week. Now I normally split up my workouts with JM's 30 Day Shred and the elpitical but my elpitical has been down until today. Either way I decided that I needed something new to say the LEAST (I've been doing this routine for the last hmm....year or two). So I went searching for new DVDs. When I couldn't find what I was looking for I jumped on Amazon and I found these beauties!

I found a great deal and ordered all three! I am so excited!!! I think they'll probably arrive the end of this week. As you probably noticed I am a Jillian Michaels fan. Her methods are proven successful every week on BL! And I've seen it in my own life. So if it ain't broke don't fix it! I'm stickin with her. I will FOR SURE let you know what I think! :)

Tip: I read both on Sparkpeople.com and Jillian's website that you don't need to kill yourself with 3 hour workouts. In fact you are more likely to over train your body that way. Consistantcy is the key. It is recommended that you wok out AT LEAST 3 times a week for thirty minutes at a time. Work on that and once you have accomplished that bump it up. Jillian also recommends not working the same muscle group more than twice a week because it can become "counterproductive, as it would throw the body into a state of overtraining and make it more prone to metabolize its own lean muscle tissue for energy."-JM

Jacquies Favorite Cookbook!

My darling friend Jacquie emailed me about the above cookbook. Here is what she had to say about it:

"I just wanted to share it with you because I love it so much! I was given it when we got married and at first I wasn't really that interested because it didn't have the handy tabs and such that my convenient Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook has. But once I dived into it, I REALLY loved it! It's the "Woman's Day Cookbook". Here are the things I love about it; it lists the nutrition facts of every recipe listed, it's organized by types of food (chicken & turkey, eggs and cheese, fish and seafood, soups, salads, vegetables, etc) but it also lists different convenient things in each of those sections (under 30-minute, one-pot, make ahead, low fat recipes, etc), most everything I've tried to make is yummy! It also has a couple of sections in the book that are helpful; "cook once, eat twice", "investment cooking", and more. I am really loving it. Here's one of my favorite recipes from it so far (which I've made in a crock pot as well)"

Squash & Beef Soup
(from Woman's Day Cookbook)
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
12 oz boneless beef chuck, cut into 1/2-in pieces
1 1/2 cups chopped onions
1 1/2 cups sliced celery
2 lbs winter squash (butternut, buttercup, or kabocha), peeled, seeded & cut into 1/2-inch chunks (about 6 cups)
1 can (28 oz) tomatoes in juice, un-drained
2 cups beef broth
1 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried basil leaves, crumbled
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano leaves, crumbled
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 pkg (10 oz) frozen corn kernels

1. Heat half of the oil over medium-high heat in 4-5 quart pot.
2. Add beef and cook about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until browned on all sides. Remove with slotted spoon onto plate.
3. Heat remaining oil in pot, then add onions and celery. Cook over medium-low heat about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to scrape up the browned bits on the bottom, or until the onion is soft.
4. Return the beef to the pot. Add the remaining ingredients except the corn. Cover and simmer about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the beef is tender.
5. Add the corn, cover and simmer another 8 to 10 minutes or until the corn is heated through.

To cook this in the crock pot, follow steps 1 through 3, then throw everything except the corn in the crock pot for 6-8 hours (you could throw everything except the corn in and skip the first three steps, but those steps lock in the flavors). Add frozen corn during the last hour of cooking.

Thanks for sharing Jacquie! I will definitely have to check it out! Click HERE to purchase this book on Amazon. It looks like new copies start at $5.10.

If you'd like to share your favorite recipe, cookbook, or even a story just email me at suziqabeyta@hotmail.com. Thanks for reading! :)

Dad

Feb 17 is a day of recognition in my life. This day 13 years ago is the day I lost my dad. I guess you could say he is a big reason why I want to be healthier. My dad is smart, handsome, funny, spiritual, and loving. He has a laugh that would crack anyone up. He was full of wise advice. I want more time with him. I want him here to meet my husband and play with my daughter. I don't blame him for not being here, I know there is a plan for each of us. But I will be healthy today so I can be around tomorrow. Relationships deserve time. Dad I love you!

I have an eating disorder!

No I am not anorexic or bulimic. I have another disorder...I am an OVER EATER or an impulsive eater. I can assure you this is a real disorder and is just as unhealthy as other eating disorders. Case and point, The Biggest Loser. Now I am aware enough to know that I have this disorder so I can control it for the most part but this last weekend I LOST it! I share this incident to show you that as the author of this blog I am FAR from perfect! Here is what happened:

Friday my darling husband wanted to surprise me for Valentines Day and brought home a box of Sees candies. Not just ANY Sees candies but my favorites...fruit creams. YUM! The box contained 21 chocolates, by Saturday morning it contained 6! Aaron had eaten TWO! Yes friends I have a problem! Today it contains 2 (which I won't eat cause they are dark chocolate with chocolate centers). Aaron as eaten 4.

As embarassing as it is to share this story with you I find it important to share all of my journey not just the good parts. So there you have it!

This week I VOW to be better. I have already gotten my workout in and eaten a healthy breakfast. I am off to a great start!

The food you do or don't have

This week has not been the best week for me. My cupboards were not stocked to my liking and somehow I found everything that wasn't good for me very appealing. Let's see...I ate Chefboyardee Raviolis, fruit snacks (because I wanted something fruity!), and Chips ahoy because I couldn't find anything better to eat! Which brings me to my point. Why do we keep crappy food in our homes? Why do we even buy high preservative cans of crap!? Lets face it if its in our house there is a GOOD change that we will eat it. So let's do a clean sweep! I know we have to keep some stuff for others in the home. But get rid of your biggest temptations! And lets eat healthier! Last night I FINALLY made it to Costco and stuffed my house full of healthy snack and meal items. And I feel much better! Last night I enjoyed a nice half cup of slow churned no sugar added vanilla ice cream with fresh raspberries! YUM!! MUCH better than chips ahoy don't ya think?

Side note: Looking back on this week I was not a very happy camper! I was irritable and ornery! See what crappy food does to us?

What I'm Eating

I had a friend ask me the other day if all I was eating were salads. I had to chuckle. Friends, I am NOT a person who can survive by eating like a rabbit. I have changed my eating habits though. Here are just a few of the things I have been eating:

Breakfast:

I am a bread person! I go out to eat and fill up on bread before my meal has even begun. But I am trying to get better. I have grown to LOVE Thomas' Whole Wheat English Muffins! LOVE LOVE LOVE THEM! Toast em and put some low fat cream cheese and Apple Butter ( A new love, I'll get to that in a minute!) and va la! You have a very yummy and low cal breakfast! I also will scramble an egg (with water not milk) add some spinach and a very small piece of cheese and you have a very delicious breakfast sandwich!

Now on to Apple Butter. As I mentioned before I love bread! And nothing goes better with bread than some butter and jam right? WRONG! Way too much sugar, way too many calories! Apple Butter is the PERFECT substitute! It's got about 30 calories per tablespoon! Only a few carbs and sugars! And it is DIVINE! I love it! Hint: you can find this next to the peanut butter and jam.

LUNCH/DINNER
So for lunch or dinner I enjoy a wrap! I LOVE these Garden Spinach Herb tortillas. Now I cut them in half (they are pretty large). I throw some Hummus (YUM! and a great substitute for mayo), low fat cheese, turkey, and some spinach. Yum! If you are not a fan of hummus you can throw a little pesto on these.

I normally eat more calories at dinner time so I'll add some chips. These chips are the BEST chips I've EVER eaten! They are also the MOST healthy chips I've ever eaten! You can get a great buy at Costco on these!
Now if I DO eat a salad I normally go fruity! I have some spinach with turkey, cranberries (or fresh berries), with sliced almonds, and this! Maple Grove Fat Free Poppy Seed Vinaigrette! This dressing is AWESOME! And it's only 30 calories (for 2 tbsp)!!
Anyway that is some of the yummy stuff I have been eating. Have a recipe or meal that you love feel free to share! Until next time!

Another Article to Read

Spark People hits us with another great article

Fitting Healthy Habits into Your Hectic Life

13 Tips to Get More Nutrition and Fitness into Your Day

1. Drink water throughout the day. You don’t hear this nearly enough: water is an all-purpose wonder-substance. It’s great for your skin, your digestive system, and circulatory system, and aids in weight loss and cellulite reduction. If you feel fatigued during the day, it’s often because you aren’t hydrated properly. Drink water throughout the day, sipping from a large bottle or glass. If you have it nearby, it’s easy to remember. If you don’t like the “taste” of water, keep a supply of lemon so that you can add a slice to your water – it cuts any bitterness, adds a bit of vitamin C and makes it taste more festive!
   
2. Cut back on the amount of soda and coffee you drink. Sugar and caffeine dehydrate you and create energy rushes followed by crashes, which are ultimately energy-depleting. Substitute with drinks like green tea or 100% fruit juice.
   
3. Replace high-sugar foods with low-sugar versions. Cutting back on the amount of refined sugar you consume helps reduce calories and weight gain and also helps you avoid the energy slumps that come from sugar withdrawal. Items high in refined sugar include most soft drinks, cereals, baked goods, and of course, candy and ice cream. Look for low-sugar or no-sugar versions of these, or simply opt for healthy snacks instead.
   
4. Stock up on healthy, portable snacks. When you are grocery shopping, pick up bags of baby carrots, string cheese, nuts, fresh and dried fruit, single serving packs of applesauce, yogurt, wholegrain crackers, peanut butter, turkey jerky, etc. Having healthy portable snacks around will help you avoid bad vending-machine, convenience store and fast-food options. Read some more portable snack ideas.
   
5. Take the time to plan healthy meals for the week. Spend 15 minutes or so to map out your meals. Keep it simple. Then, when you shop for groceries, make your purchases based on the meals you will make during the week. This will help you avoid relying on less healthy take-out or fast food choices. Learn even more grocery store tips.
   
6. Purchase frozen, ready-to-cook ingredients. Frozen fruits and vegetables have high vitamin and mineral content because they don’t sit around losing these nutrients for long before they are preserved. Although you’ll want to keep plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables around, it’s great to have frozen produce available for quick meal additions and smaller servings. Also, some grocery stores offer frozen boneless chicken breasts and a wide variety of seafood items in re-sealable packages. These are great for quick, healthy meals.
   
7. Pack your lunch the night before. You'll have given yourself the gift of extra time in the morning and you will assure that you have a healthy meal during the day. Don’t forget to pack snack items so you can avoid the vending machine.
   
8. Cook double batches of whatever you’re cooking. When you prepare dinner, especially on weekends, cook extra and freeze to use for another dinner or lunch. Then, you'll have a healthy meal ready to go when you are.
   
9. Give yourself some slack. If you are stressed out about preparing healthy meals every day, use what some experts call the "80/20" rule in your eating. If 80 percent of what you eat is healthy, then allow yourself to take it a little easier for the remaining 20 percent. You and your diet will survive.
   
10. Fit in exercise whenever you can. Experts recommend that adults exercise a minimum of 30 minutes three times per week. Aim for this amount, but don’t kick yourself if you can’t meet this goal. Any amount of exercise is better than none. No time to go to a gym? Build a stock of exercise tapes – many have routines that you can complete in 20-40 minutes. Use hand weights or do crunches, leg-lifts and lunges while watching television. Or invest in an exercise bike – you can pedal while catching up on your reading. Think of what would be most interesting to you and what best fits your schedule and budget.
    
11. Take a walk break during the day. Even 20 minutes can make a difference in your energy level, plus it gives you time to clear your head. If you walk with a friend or colleague, it also gives you time to socialize.
    
12. Whenever possible, walk. Increase the amount of time you can walk, versus sit or drive. It doesn’t take that much extra time to park a bit farther from the store entrance, or to make a personal visit to a colleague rather than phoning, instant messaging or e-mailing.
    
13. Get enough sleep. Even if you gain more time in your day by cutting back on sleep, you will be less effective throughout the day, as your energy level and cognitive functioning will be reduced. Insufficient sleep also makes you more susceptible to illness. By getting enough sleep, you become more efficient during the time you are awake.

A thought from me: Remember not to be hard on yourself. Everyone who decides to change their lifestyle has good days and bad. Just remember--don't give up. Eventually your the habits your are trying to create will just become part of your lifestyle, until then take it one day at a time.
:) Good Luck today!

Recipe Analysis

Do you ever wonder what the nutrition facts are of your grandma's famous chicken and bean casserole? Well let me give you a tool that might just help you with that.

I have mentioned that I am a big fan of Caloriecount.com and on their site they have this fantastic tool the RECIPE ANALYZER!!
You just type in the number of servings and then your recipe and it spits out the nutrition facts. Pretty cool right? I have only used it several times but it seems pretty accurate. I have not done any major research to see how accurate it is yet but I think it's pretty handy.
**After analyzing your recipe be sure to scroll down. It will list your ingredients and give them a green, yellow, or red flag. If it gives them a green flag they found your ingredient. If they gave you a red flag your for sure need to adjust your ingredient. Hopefully you find this tool helpful! :)