FAT chance

Vegetarian Day #7: Artichoke and Goat Cheese Strata

2011-02-28T19:42:00.000-08:00

I love, love, love, LOVE artichokes and this strata highlights their amazingness. I used jarred artichokes instead of frozen because we always have jarred artichokes hanging around in our cupboards.

This meal looked so fancy coming out of the oven, and when I scooped it onto my plate I was delighted by the crust and couldn't wait to dig in to the crustiness.

This is a great recipe for any meal of the day! Click here to get it.

So overall, vegetarian week was great! Most of my family wasn't exactly thrilled about it, and they're probably relieved that it's over. I didn't really notice a significant difference in how I felt, which means I was neither more or less energized. I am ready to get back to incorporating meat into my diet, but I think I'll try and start a day a week with no meat. Meatless Mondays anyone?

Vegetarian Day #6: Vegetable Fried Rice

2011-02-28T19:28:00.000-08:00

We had brown rice leftover from the curry the day before and I wanted to put it to good use. Making fried rice is probably the easiest way to make sure leftover rice doesn't go to waste. All you have to do is toss it into a pan with whatever else you have lying around and, voila, perfect meal!

This time around I added shredded carrots, peas, edamame, celery, sun-dried tomatoes, soy-sauce, hoisin, ginger, garlic, salt, and pepper!

Delish!

Vegetarian Day #5: Vegetable Curry

2011-02-28T19:21:00.000-08:00

So obviously my vegetarian week actually ended a while ago, but I just haven't gotten around to posting. I get breaks sometimes, right? I'm only posting this because it was part of the whole vegetarian week, but honestly, it wasn't that great. I won't even bother posting the recipe because I do not recommend making this! It wasn't terrrrrible, but I found it bland and mushy.

Oh well, you can't always win.

Vegetarian Day #4: Broccoli Salad

2011-02-18T12:59:00.000-08:00

This recipe worked nicely as a light lunch, but would also be great as a side dish. Eating vegetables raw gives you the most nutrients, but it's not always easy to find delicious ways to eat raw vegetables. That's where this broccoli salad comes to the rescue! All you have to do is chop up a few ingredients, throw them together with a simple dressing, and enjoy. It was the perfect post-workout lunch.

Click here for the recipe.

I used almonds instead of sunflower seeds and red grapes instead of green, only because that's what I had on hand. Either way will work great!

Vegetarian Day #3: Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto and Feta Cheese

2011-02-17T13:14:00.000-08:00

Mmmmm...I forget how much I love sun-dried tomatoes. Then I make a fabulous dish like this and I remember how amazingly delicious the things are! This is a quick meal to throw together and full of flavor.

I used whole wheat pasta instead of the refrigerated fresh linguine, and I added the pasta water to the blender (yeah...still no food processor) instead of just stirring it in with a whisk like the directions say. And obviously I added some spinach! I try to put spinach in as many meals as I can because it's one of my favorite super foods!

Click here for the recipe.

Served with steamed carrots, this was a perfect and hearty meal!

Vegetarian Day #2: Quinoa and Black Bean Salad

2011-02-16T16:35:00.000-08:00

The recipe actually calls for red quinoa, but the store only had regular, which works just the same! This is a simple and delicious salad that was recommended to me by my bestie, Lillian. Thanks Lill! The flavors work perfectly together, it's light, but filling, and chock-full of nutritional goodies. I served it over a bed of spinach. And the leftovers are just as great!

Click here for the recipe.

Being a vegetarian for two days...so far, so good!

Vegetarian Day #1: Red Onion, Potato, and Goat Cheese Pizza

2011-02-15T10:42:00.000-08:00

Guess what week it is everybody? No, not Valentines...it's VEGETARIAN WEEK! My sister and I were talking and we thought it would be fun to try, so I got super excited and started to search for the perfect vegetarian meals. I love recipe surfing. Seriously, I do.

So this week, Monday to Sunday, we're going 100% vegetarian. I must say that I completely believe that meat is healthy for your in moderation, but I just wanted to try and see what, if any, difference I would feel in eating no meat. Expect some yummy vegetarian meals this week!

This pizza was so delicious...with a few, very slight moderations. A few people in the reviews said that it was a little bland, so I added a bit more seasoning along the way and the end result was a gourmet pizza! I used red potatoes instead of fingerling, and roasted them with salt and pepper instead of boiling them. I also sauteed the onions with the garlic until they were nice and carmelized. The recipe says to use a can of refrigerated pizza dough, but that was definitely not happening! So I made whole wheat pizza dough using this simple recipe, which made the perfect dough! I stacked the pizza according to the recipe and topped it with dried thyme before cooking it.

This pizza is so hearty that you'll never miss the meat...or the sauce. Mmmm...delicious.

Click here for the recipe.

One Meal Becomes Three

2011-02-05T18:26:00.000-08:00

See this beautiful pork here? This amazing pork became three full meals...even if it was by accident. I planned for meal #1 and bought what I thought was one pork tenderloin, but when I cut open the package there was a surprise second tenderloin! No, it wasn't some freak mutant twin loin or a packaging mistake, I had just failed to read the label closely. I wasn't complaining though! I made both according to meal #1, we ate most of the first for dinner that night, and the second one became two other meals. What a deal.

Meal #1: Roasted Pork with Bulgur Salad

I typically don't eat or make a lot of pork because I tend to find it a little dry and lifeless. Who knew I'd just been eating poorly cooked pork?! This is, hands down, the best pork I've ever eaten! It was incredibly moist and flavorful, and really, couldn't have been easier. MAKE THIS PORK!

Click here for the recipe.

On the side we had this delicious bulgur salad. I've been trying to eat new grains that I've never had before and bulgur was on that list. If you've never had bulgur either I definitely recommend trying it out with this great recipe.

Click here for the recipe.

Meal #2: Horseradish and Carmelized Onion Pork Sandwiches
Sadly, I'm a complete bubblehead, and forgot to snap a picture of these yummy and filling sandwiches. I'm obsessed with carmelized onion so anytime I see that in a title, I go for it.

Click here for the recipe.

Meal #3: Pork and Grilled Vegetable Salad

By the third meal there wasn't a lot of pork leftover, so I used this recipe to stretch what was left. And even better, I used the leftover carmelized onions! Man, I'm good. We didn't have any peppers so I just skipped them and it was still delicious. Also, I wasn't too excited about standing outside in the freezing cold to try and use the grill so I roasted the vegetables instead and it worked just fine.

My oldest brother said this was one of his favorite things I've made so far, so I guess that's a pretty good review. This salad is rich, robust, and very flavorful!

Click here for the recipe.

Crustless Smoked Turkey and Spinach Quiche

2011-02-03T14:13:00.000-08:00

Lately I've been wanting to put spinach in everything, and why not, when it's so, so good for you. I don't eat a lot of eggs compared to some people who eat them daily, but now and then I crave some creamy, delicious eggs. Eggs get a bad rap, but DO NOT be afraid to eat them! They are natural and full of nutrition. I saw this recipe and immediately put it on the week's menu, and let me tell you, this is some goooooood quiche right here!

If you're wanting to eat more eggs, definitely give this recipe a try!

Click here for the recipe.

Balsamic Chicken and Pasta Salad

2011-02-02T16:28:00.000-08:00

I love balsamic vinegar...I mean, LOVE the stuff. You can toss just about anything with balsamic vinegar and bam, insta-delicious meal. And that's what we have here folks.

carrots
grape tomatoes
edamame
apples
leftover roasted chicken
whole wheat pasta

I tossed all of those yummy ingredients together with some balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper and served it on a bed of spinach. It made the perfect healthy and filling salad. Salads are so fun because they're versatile and can be made a different way with different ingredients every time. This was certainly a good mix though!

Roast Chicken Chimichangas

2011-01-31T20:30:00.000-08:00

Mmmmm...don't you just love Mexican food? I know I sure do, and these chimichangas were amazingly simple and amazingly delicious! When I think of all the frozen burritos and chimichangas I used to eat, it makes me want to hang my head in shame. When making the real thing is so easy and so much healthier there is absolutely no reason to ever buy frozen again. I followed the recipe exactly except I used whole-wheat tortillas instead of flour.

Click here for the recipe.

Instead of using bottled green salsa I made a simple tomatillo and avocado salsa. Just toss some chopped up tomatillos and avocado in a blender with fat-free sour cream, lime juice, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth and then add corn. It couldn't be easier or yummier! This salsa was the perfect complement to the chimichangas.

Pumpkin Pie Cake

2011-01-22T15:22:00.000-08:00

I know what you're thinking... a CAKE?! Yes, my friends, a cake. People have to eat cake sometimes. And mainly those times are birthdays! I'm not flaunting this cake as being uber healthy or as part of a weight-loss diet, but like I said, sometimes, people just have to eat cake.

My brother was turning 21, and I wanted to make him a special birthday cake. I took to my favorite website, cooking light, and began the hunt. The post for Pumpkin Pie Cake jumped out at me because one of my brother's favorite desserts is pumpkin pie. I know what you're thinking, "hey, isn't one of this girl's favorite desserts pumpkin pie?" The answer is yes. I cannot tell a lie. But truly I made it with my brother in mind, and if it just so happens to also be one of my favorites than that's just a win, win situation.

You can stop licking the screen now. But SERIOUSLY YOU GUYS, this.cake.is.heaven. It's moist, rich, but not too sweet, and DELICIOUS! The frosting is super simple and is the perfect compliment to the flavors of the cake. My dad doesn't even like pumpkin pie and he was is love with this cake. And oh yeah, my brother loved it too!

I sprinkled cinnamon and sugar on top of the cake instead of using nuts like the recipe calls for.

Happy Birthday Lil' Bro! Love you!

Soup, Salad, and Bread (minus the sticks)

2011-01-21T18:08:00.000-08:00

Honestly, what could be better? It's like Olive Garden, except a thousand times healthier and dare I say, yummier? Yep, I said it.

I received a delightful gift from my mom this weekend, her old bread-maker! I have great memories of this bread machine. Is that weird? I remember as a kid that we'd all get so excited whenever this bread machine made an appearance. I seriously could not wait to throw some flour in there and make my first batch of deliciously easy homemade bread.

This thing might be a little outdated, but it still works, so, sweet deal! I found this whole wheat bread machine recipe online that required very few ingredients, was made of 100% whole wheat flour, and sounded heavenly.

The loaf came out smaller than I had expected, but there was still plenty for everyone and it didn't last long. I can't think of anything better than homemade bread. I'm trying...still can't.

My mom also gave me this great recipe for a mushroom soup that I was excited to try, and it's so creamy and filling that it's almost hard to believe that it's so light.

Light and Creamy Fresh Mushroom Soup

1 tablespoon butter
1 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme or oregano
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 pounds white mushrooms, sliced (about 9 cups)
1 can (14 ounces) low sodium chicken broth
1 cup white wine or water
1 1/2 cups lowfat milk

In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, melt butter. Add carrots, onions, garlic, salt, thyme or oregano (I used a little of both) and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until onions just begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms, broth, and wine (I added mushrooms and let them cook for a bit, and then added the broth plus another cup of broth instead of wine or water). Bring to a boil, cook for 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, remove 1 cup of the vegetables, set aside.

In a blender or food processor place half of remaining soup from the saucepan, puree until smooth, remove to a bowl, repeat with remaining mixture (I thought it was dumb to do it in two batches, so I put all of the soup in a blender at once...apparently I'm the dumb one. Even with the lid on, it made quite a mess. Do it in two batches. Learned my lesson). Return entire pureed mixture to saucepan, stir in milk and reserved vegetables. Simmer just until heated through, about 5 minutes. If desired, garnish with thinly sliced green onion.

This soup is delicious, especially with homemade bread to dip in it. Mmmm...yes. And my new obsession is spinach with balsamic vinegar and a little lemon juice. The perfect salad.

Honey Mustard Roasted Chicken

2011-01-20T14:03:00.000-08:00

On those days when you want to make a one-pan, few ingredient, healthy, and easy dinner, this is just the thing! The vegetables and chicken cook together in one pan, which makes for great flavor and moisture, but also makes clean-up a breeze. I used carrots and cauliflower (instead of potatoes) and cooked them for ten minutes in the oven before adding the chicken. I also covered the pan with foil once I added the chicken to trap all the moisture inside, but removed it when I added the sauce to the chicken.

The honey mustard sauce is exactly that, honey and mustard. Yeah...it's almost too simple, but it was a perfectly comforting and scrumptious meal!

Click here for the recipe.

Sesame-Crusted Tuna with Wasabi-Ponzu Sauce

2011-01-18T20:55:00.000-08:00

I saw some tuna steaks at the grocery store last week and they were calling my name. Unfortunately, tuna steaks weren't on the menu for that week, so I passed them by and made a mental note to come back for them. Once I got home I was so excited about tuna that I started looking at different recipes and settled on this one. Yeah, it was a good choice.

Making this tuna steak couldn't be any easier! The recipe calls for black and regular sesame seeds, but I skipped the black ones and stuck with just the regular. Remember, tuna does not need to be cooked all the way through, so cook until your desired degree of doneness.

The tuna itself is good, but dipping it in this sauce is what really makes it amazing! I used less wasabi than the recipe calls for and it was still too much for my taste. I would recommend adding tiny bits at a time until it reaches your heat preference.

Click here for the recipe.

Served with edamame, the perfect accompaniment!

Chicken Sate Wraps

2011-01-12T16:07:00.000-08:00

Mmmmm...yummy. I could make a big batch of this and eat it all week. It would be perfect for lunch on the go. I love these flavors. I used broccoli slaw instead of angel hair, but really, either would be perfect.

So easy and delicious!

Click here for the recipe.

1/11/11 Weigh-in

2011-01-11T13:17:00.000-08:00

Maybe this is bizarre, but I wanted to wait until today to post my weigh-in because of the cool date. Just imagine how exciting 11/11/11 is going to be! I can hardly wait.

Last weigh-in: 179 lbs

This week: 180 lbs

+1 lb

Total weight loss: 81 lbs

My last weigh-in was quite some time ago and I'm just happy that I didn't gain more than one pound since then. I definitely overdid things over Christmas, and when we got back to Oregon after Christmas I was super busy with rehearsals and performances for The Sound of Music. Did I tell you guys I was in a show? It was so much fun! I miss performing, but anyway, there were lots of goodies and eating-outs with the cast during the last couple of weeks.

Can you guess who I was? But the show is over (sigh) and it's time to hit the pavement and get down to my healthy weight during the year of 2011!

Happy 1/11/11 everyone!

Pineapple Teriyaki Salmon

2011-01-11T12:57:00.000-08:00

Yes, salmon, again. It's just too good, and too good for you. I've tried lots of different salmon recipes and I'm still looking for my absolute favorite. I don't think I've found it quite yet, but this is certainly delicious!

Click here for the recipe.

Quinoa Meatloaf Muffins

2011-01-07T14:03:00.000-08:00

These are before they were cooked, but aren't they so dang cute? I halved the recipe by only using one pound of ground turkey and still had enough to make 12 muffins, so I see no need to add a pound of ground beef, like the recipe says. I also added some spinach because we had a little leftover that needed to be used.

I added a mix of barbeque sauce, ketchup, and worcestershire sauce on top for the last ten minutes of cooking. It's so smart to make and eat pre-portioned food when you're trying to lose weight because it takes all the guess work out of portioning. Also, making meatloaf like this is a great way to "hide" veggies like the carrots, onions, and spinach, and even important grains like the quinoa. The raisins were a nice little surprise in there too. This recipe made for tender, moist, delicious meatloaf!

Click here for the recipe.

Served with mashed cauliflower, which is similar to mashed potatoes, but way less calories!

My Ultimate Pita Spread

2011-01-06T11:54:00.000-08:00

My mom introduced me to a place in Portland near her house that sells the most amazing, pillowy pitas. Whenever we stop there for pitas we also buy their homemade hummus and tzatziki, and altogether it makes the most delicious, light, and simple meal. So the other day when I found a whole wheat pita recipe I just couldn't wait to try it, and I knew I would be making hummus and tzatziki to go with them because in my mind the three go hand-in-hand.

Let's start with these pitas. Man OH man!

Making your own pitas is definitely a little labor intensive, but with the results you get, there is no way that you'll ever be going back to store bought. All the pitas I've ever bought from a store are brittle, crumbly, and rough. These are soft, pillowy, moist, and just delicious! The recipe makes 8, but when I make them again I'm going to double, maybe even triple the recipe and make a huge batch for the whole family to use all week. I don't have a pizza stone, and the recipe says that if you don't have one to cook them directly on the oven rack. I was skeptical about that, so I tossed one on for a few seconds and I could tell right away that it wasn't going to work. I quickly took it off and bits of it were stuck to the rack and burning. So I wouldn't recommend straight on the rack! I kept them on a baking sheet and it worked perfectly fine.

Click here for the best pita recipe!

On to the hummus! I looked at lots of different hummus recipes and wanted one that was simple with few ingredients, but had good reviews. This is a pretty classic recipe and I was perfectly satisfied with it. I can't say it was as good as the hummus from the market in Portland, but it was certainly good! I left out the tahini altogether like some reviewers said, which cuts a lot of the calories.

Click here for the hummus recipe.

Mmmmmm...tzatziki. If you're still trying to figure out how to pronounce that word, then you've probably never heard of or tasted this amazing stuff! It's a greek cucumber yogurt dip or sauce. This is a classic recipe and so delicious! I still don't know if it beats the tzatziki from that market, but it's pretty close.

Click here for the tzatziki recipe.

If you're still with me, I'm impressed, but I'm almost done! With the amazing pita spread I served a nice salad of romaine, spinach, grape tomatoes, cucumber, celery, edamame, and shredded carrots (they're buried, but I swear they're in there).

This is heaven to me. If you choose just one thing, MAKE THESE PITAS!!!

Szechuan Green Beans with Ground Pork

2011-01-05T15:17:00.000-08:00

HOLY YUMMY! There is seriously no need to ever buy asian takeout EVER again! I feel like a broken record when I say that, especially with asian dishes, but this is the easiest, BEST, most AMAZING asian dish I think I've ever made! I will definitely be making this again, and you could use this simple, delicious sauce for tons of variations of meat and vegetables.

I served it over brown rice instead of white, which is what the recipe calls for. Just so perfect and yummy!

Click here for the recipe.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

2011-01-04T11:57:00.000-08:00

DISCLAIMER: I know the chicken looks pink in this picture, but I swear it was thoroughly cooked!

When I was a freshman at BYU I lived in some wonderfully tiny and ancient dorms. We're talking those box rooms made for two people (to be in each other's face 24/7) that look more like a nice-sized walk-in-closet, and the bathroom down the hall. Have you ever shared a bathroom with an entire floor full of girls? If you haven't, you're seriously missing out. Regardless of how it sounds, I actually have extremely fond memories of my freshman year and living in the dorms. Due to our lack of kitchens, everyone in the dorm buildings ate at a common cafeteria. In case you're reading this saying, "What the heck is this girl's point?" Here it is...Every other Sunday was chicken cordon bleu at the cafeteria and those were our favorite days! It was clearly a pre-assembled, frozen chicken cordon bleu that they simply popped in the oven, but we loved it nonetheless. Chicken cordon bleu will always remind me of that year, all of the great times I had, and the memories I created with wonderful people that will forever be my dearest friends. I'm hoping that with this homemade version I upped the ante a bit.

Click here for the recipe.

The only change I made was to leave out the butter entirely, and I didn't miss it at all.

Paired with a simple salad of romaine, spinach, cabbage, grape tomatoes, shredded carrots, mushrooms, and celery. YUM!

Spicy Shrimp Tacos with Tomatillo Salsa

2011-01-02T18:19:00.000-08:00

I promised you a shrimp recipe, and of course, I deliver. There is no excuse to not make your own tomatillo salsa because there is nothing easier than roughly chopping a few ingredients and throwing it all together in a blender. It's easy, delicious, and way healthier than buying pre-made salsa from a store.

In case you're sitting there, scratching your head, saying, "What the heck is a tomatillo?"

These, my friends, are tomatillos, and I found them in our regular grocery store so I promise, you can too. Just make sure you peel off that husk. Tomatillos are a staple in Mexican cuisine, referred to as "Mexican green tomatoes," and have a tart, almost sweet taste.

I give this recipe two huge thumbs up! It took just minutes to throw together (I skipped the refrigerate for 30 minutes step) and it's full of amazing flavors! I used whole wheat tortillas and added some cabbage for that needed crunch.

Click here for the recipe.

Christmas 2010

2011-01-01T20:42:00.000-08:00

This year for Christmas we all assembled together in Utah. Do I even have to say that my nephew was my favorite part? Shhh...don't tell. Dang, we make Christmas morning look good.

Yes, that really is just my immediate family...not to mention, I have a few more to add to the heap.

See? Gotta love big families. I know I do!

I had a fabulous Christmas, but I am always sad to see the Christmas season leave. I did some royal pigging-out, but I am ready to seriously buckle down and turn back into a lean, mean, fat-burning machine. This new year is the year I get to my final goal weight (whatever that happens to be...around 130). I know I can do it because I've proven to myself that I can, I just have to get back into the right frame of mind and ramp up the determination and motivation. Nothing can stop me.

How can it already be 2011? Better make this year a good one folks, since we all know what happens in 2012...

Carmelized Onion, Mushroom, and Turkey Pepperoni Calzones

2010-12-31T13:34:00.000-08:00

I'll fill you in on my Christmas break real soon! We just got home from Utah and I jumped right back into the kitchen!

Two of my little cousins are staying with us for a little bit and I asked them if they had any requests for dinner. They requested pizza and shrimp. Haha...no joke. I was very happy to oblige to both requests, but had to split it into two meals, which means, heads up on a shrimp meal coming soon! I wanted to do something a little extra special and the idea popped into my head to do individual pizzas, or even better, calzones! The calzones were new to the littlies, but they scarfed them down, veggies and all.

I followed a recipe from my favorite website for the dough and for part of the filling, but changed the main ingredients. I used carmelized onions, mushrooms, and turkey pepperoni, but kept everything else pretty much the same (left out the parmesan and crushed red pepper). You could use this dough to make hundreds of variations, that's part of the fun. Use your imagination and what sounds good to you. These were so delicious! The crust was perfectly crisp and flaky and the filling was melty, pizza-y goodness.

So glad to be home and back in the kitchen. I missed it!

Click here for the recipe.

Mozzarella-Stuffed Turkey Burgers

2010-12-17T14:44:00.000-08:00

I don't know what to say, other than YUM, just...YUM! I guess you would call these "inside out" burgers because the cheese is inside rather than on top. I was worried it would be pretty tricky to get the cheese inside and then not have them fall apart while they were cooking, but using the method described in the recipe it was really easy and they stayed together perfectly!

And don't cheat and use store-bought marinara sauce because the homemade sauce is what really makes this dish. Mine was a little orange because the plum tomatoes at the store weren't completely ripe, but it still tasted delicious.

I made some baked fries with sliced russet and sweet potatoes combined with olive oil, paprika, salt, and pepper.

I know you're drooling.

Click here for the recipe.

Sweet Orange Salmon

2010-12-16T15:58:00.000-08:00

Is it weird to crave salmon? It is for me because I used to refuse to go near the stuff, but now I get these cravings for flaky, moist, delicious salmon! I bought a beautiful salmon fillet at the grocery store and was super excited to try this recipe last night, and it was amazing! The perfect way to assuage my craving.

Click here for the recipe.

I paired the salmon with couscous cooked in orange juice and chicken stock, and sprinkled with dried cranberries, chopped almonds, and green onions. SO GOOD!

Jambalaya

2010-12-15T11:33:00.000-08:00

We had leftover brown rice from the night before, and this looked and sounded like the yummiest way to use it up. I definitely wouldn't eat this everyday because it's loaded with meat (even though it's all lean), but I made sure to have a small serving and it was hearty and delicious! The only difference I made was to use brown rice.

Outstanding flavors!

Click here for the recipe.

Simple Stir-Fry

2010-12-14T15:34:00.000-08:00

Now that I'm sitting down to post our dinner last night it's dawning on me that I never did a weigh-in this weekend. Well, as you know I was sick for most of last week and I did lose a few pounds, but as soon as I felt better my body was starving and I might have stuffed myself to compensate, putting me right back at the same weight. And I'm sure you all know that most people will lose "weight" when they're sick, meaning the number on the scale will go down, but it won't be genuine fat loss, mostly just fluid loss. So, that's the state of my weight.

We had some beef in the fridge that needed to be used up and I also wanted to clean out our veggie drawer before going grocery shopping today, so I decided to throw it all together in a stir-fry. What could be easier? Chop everything, throw it in a pan, add some sauces and seasonings, and bam, yummy dinner! I used squash, zucchini, green pepper, onion, and green onion because that's what we had, but really, you could use any vegetables in your fridge. I added low-sodium soy sauce, szechuan stir-fry sauce, ginger, garlic, salt, and pepper.

Served with brown brown, easy and delicious!

Pumpkin Pancakes

2010-12-10T18:46:00.000-08:00

I've been planning on making these for weeks, but for some reason they kept getting pushed off the menu. It might have had something to do with my family whining anytime I mentioned making them. Apparently they're not huge pumpkin fans, but I am, and I knew I could convert them. The recipe is super simple and super A-pumpkin-MAZING (that does not roll off the tongue at all)! The smell of them cooking was heavenly and it took all my willpower to wait and eat them until everything was ready.

I topped mine with a mixture of peanut butter and applesauce. Click here for the recipe.

My brother tried to teach me his cool flipping move, but I was too chicken, so he flipped them all for me!
I served the pancakes with veggie scrambled eggs. I sauteed some zucchini, squash, onion, green pepper, and mushrooms with garlic, salt, and pepper and then added in the eggs. These eggs are chock-full of veggies, and of course, I have to have some ketchup on top.

Not one single person was whining after taking their first bite of these delicious and hearty pancakes. A big hit for my come-back meal of the week! Yes, I've recovered!

'Tis the season to get royally ill

2010-12-09T17:52:00.000-08:00

Being sick is a serious downer. I know I've been shirking in my blogging of food and recipes, but I have a good reason. I haven't made anything! We're talking not one, single thing this entire week. I usually pride myself on how little I get sick, but apparently the germ gods wanted to cut me down to size, put me back in my place, and smack that healthy grin off my face. I've been inoperable this week and have consisted pretty much on the yummy homemade chicken noodle soup my dad made. I'm slowly regaining my strength and know I'll be better soon. So if anyone was wondering, there you have it.

Being sick totally blows.

12/05/10 Weigh-in

2010-12-05T16:11:00.000-08:00

Yikes bikes! I have no make-up on in this picture, but hopefully it doesn't hurt your eyes too much.

Last weigh-in: 180 lbs
This week: 179 lbs
-1 lb

Total weight loss: 82 lbs

Good things first, I'm back in the 170s! YAY me! My weight loss has been really slow the past few months, but I think I might have figured out partially why. I have had very little to do since I'm still waiting for the approval of my Oregon teaching license and I stay up really late at night and wake up pretty late into the next day. Last year when I was having such great success losing weight I was going to bed early, getting up early, and I was moving around all day at work. I've learned that our sleeping habits are a big contributor to weight loss and mine are far from stellar at the moment. On top of that I'm pretty sedentary during most of the day.

So where does that leave me? Well, I seriously cannot wait until I can start subbing, which will force me into a healthy sleeping pattern, and I'll be more active throughout the day. Until then, I'm going to do my best to get up earlier and move around more. Some excellent news is that the gym that bought out our local golds gym is allowing current golds members to continue using the gym. Did you follow that? I can use the gym again instead of working out at home, which doesn't prove to be as productive for me. PARTY! But regardless of the fact that I haven't lost very much weight, I feel great. That's most important, right?

In other news, I dyed my hair!

I know you're all ecstatic about this. I am.

Prosciutto, Pear, and Blue Cheese Sandwiches

2010-12-01T17:58:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I read the names of recipes and immediately think, that is toooooooooo fancy and has GOT to be complicated. When I look closer at the recipe I'm usually wrong. Sometimes I even muster my confidence and say, HEY, I could make that. I feel pretty dumb even admitting that I was intimidated by this recipe when it is absolutely the easiest thing in the world. I mean, there's basically zero cooking, it's just combining a few things and throwing it on some bread. Next time I'd probably leave out the shallots. It was too much raw onion flavor for me, but that's just up to your individual taste. This sandwich is filling, delicious, and maybe even a little fancy.

Click here for the recipe.

On the side we had a nice salad with pomegranate seeds and a dressing of pomegranate juice, red wine vinegar, and olive oil. The plate looked beautiful and everything tasted wonderful!

Click here for an awesome tutorial on the easiest and cleanest way to seed a pomegranate.

Lamb Tagine

2010-11-30T17:45:00.000-08:00

I had to change two major ingredients in this Moroccan-style stew and it was still completely AMAZING!! Our grocery store had no lamb or low-sodium beef broth, so I used pork and low-sodium chicken broth. That might be a total abomination, but I was blown away by the results. The sweetness of the cinnamon, apricots, and honey works perfectly with the spiciness of the cumin and red pepper. This dish will be a unique experience for your taste buds! I'll have to try it again with the lamb and the beef broth and see what the difference is.

I served this with brown rice, but couscous would be great as well. I also added zucchini because we had some and I wanted to sneak in more veggies.

Click here for the recipe.

Crab Cakes

2010-11-29T17:53:00.000-08:00

I've never been a huge fan of crab or crab cakes, but I saw this recipe, felt adventurous, and decided to go for it. Afterall, I'm trying to eat and enjoy more foods and to have my family enjoy them with me. So I was a little nervous taking my first bite, but I was pleasantly surprised. It tasted great! I served them on a bed of greens with a vinaigrette of dijon mustard, lemon juice, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and pepper. Everything went together perfectly, and my little brother even liked them. That's how I know they're a big win.

Refrigerate the cakes before cooking to ensure that they'll hold together.

Click here for the recipe.

Turkey and Rice Salad

2010-11-28T22:10:00.000-08:00

This is like having Thanksgiving all over again! It is the perfect combination of flavors and ingredients. I used brown rice instead of wild because that's what we had and chicken stock instead of turkey, because, allow me to repeat myself, that's what we had. I also doubled the recipe so we'd have more to eat for lunch. If you still have leftover turkey and any cranberry sauce lying around, definitely give this a try, you'll love it! We gobbled it up.

Click here for the recipe.

White Bean and Turkey Chili

2010-11-27T12:57:00.000-08:00

We have LOTS of leftover turkey and our favorite thing to use it for is simple turkey sandwiches. BEST.SANDWICHES.EVER. But I wanted to try something different and I knew I could make this chili and still have enough turkey leftover for sandwiches. I used pinto beans instead of great northern because that's what we had and I also added some corn. A great and easy way to use that leftover turkey we all have!

Click here for the recipe.

PS. I know it's weigh-in day, but it was Thanksgiving week! It would be cruel to make me weigh myself, right? Maybe you can give me a break.

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-25T23:07:00.000-08:00

I heard on the radio the other day that the average american consumes 7,000 calories on Thanksgiving. At first I refused to believe it and guffawed at the silly radio show hosts. I mean, 7,000 CALORIES?! That's 3-4 days worth of calories! But then I created a mental checklist of the Thanksgiving norms: turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, rolls, pie, pie, pie (because there's always three kinds of pie, right?), drinks, and whatever else your family chooses to make. You eat that, all of that, and then you eat it again four hours later. I know my family's not the only one.

I love holidays and I love traditions and I love stuffing myself from time to time, but I vowed that this Thanksgiving I wouldn't eat until I wanted to die. Pretty lofty goal, I know. I spent today at my grandma's surrounded by my wonderful family and duh, delicious food. When it was time, I filled my plate, being mindful of getting just small portions of everything, and reminded myself to eat slowly. When I was finished I didn't even have the desire to go back for seconds because I was so satisfied and already pretty dang stuffed.

After eating we hung out for a few hours and then went home to skype with my favoritest nephew (my sister and bro-in-law might have been there too). I'm pretty stinkin' grateful for this kid.

I think he's grateful for me too.

LOVE YOU ALL!! HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

Herbed Chicken Parmesan

2010-11-24T11:19:00.000-08:00

I love chicken parmesan, but if you order this at a restaurant you're going to be taking in some major calories. This tastes fantastic and is a million times better for you! I used a mixture of panko and breadcrumbs and used olive oil in the pan instead of butter. I also prepared mine a little differently than instructed. I seared each side of the chicken in a pan and then put it on a baking pan. I covered the chicken with the sauce (didn't warm it up in the microwave), topped with slices of provolone, and baked in the oven until the chicken was cooked through and the cheese was melted. Worked perfectly!

I took a turn from the tradition of serving it with noodles and had brown rice on the side instead. It was a great pairing!

Click here for the recipe.

Thai Curry with Shrimp

2010-11-22T18:29:00.000-08:00

My absolute favorite Thai dish is a coconut curry served at a Thai restaurant here in Salem. I wanted to try and make a healthier version of it at home and found this recipe that couldn't be easier and also seemed to have the right flavors. I used red bell pepper rather than green because that's what I prefer, and the grocery store didn't have any green curry paste, so I used red. It was a little spicy, a little sweet, and turned out to be a pretty decent alternative to my favorite Thai restaurant dish. We ate it with rice noodles! YUM!

Click here for the recipe.

11/21/10 Weigh-in

2010-11-21T23:43:00.000-08:00

Last week: 180 lbs
This week: 180 lbs
-0

Total weight loss: 81 lbs

I know my mindset has improved and let me tell you how I know this. In previous posts when I had a week where I didn't lose any weight I would always freak out and obsess over what I did wrong or what I could've done differently. Sometimes I came up with legitimate explanations, but sometimes there really were no logical reasons as to why I lost no weight, and that would stress me out more than anything. Because, waaaaaahh, it's not fair!

I feel like I've finally reached the stage where I want to make healthy choices simply for the benefit of being healthy. I also know that along with doing that I will eventually reach a healthy weight for my body. I'm not quite there, but I'm well on my way, and I feel better and better everyday.

I worked out everyday and I ate wonderful, healthy meals. For whatever reason, I didn't lose any weight this week, but it's far from the end of the world. Remember to treat your bodies like the temples they are!

I love getting ready for bed and snuggling up with my cousin's son. You all know I'm going to be the best mom, right? Well, it's true. One of these days.

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

2010-11-18T18:21:00.000-08:00

The weather is getting colder and rainier (at least here in Oregon), which means it's soup time! I couldn't believe how creamy, thick, and filling this soup was. I did make a few changes though. I added mushrooms with the onions at the beginning, and then added the flour with the chicken broth and milk because I left out the potatoes completely. I felt that since there was rice going in the soup it didn't need any potatoes on top of that. Then I added fat free cream cheese instead of the velveeta, tossed in the chicken (I used roasted), rice, and added frozen green peas. Perfect for cold nights when you need to warm up with something delicious!

Click here for the recipe.

Fontina, Carmelized-Onion, and Pancetta Pizza

2010-11-17T18:21:00.000-08:00

Every now and then I CRAVE pizza. Who doesn't love pizza? My sister was craving some too so we searched through different pizza recipes and found this A-freaking-MAZING pizza! This is gourmet, restaurant quality pizza that you can make at home. It's a bit of work and definitely a plan-ahead meal because the dough needs time to rise and the onions need time to carmelize, but on those special days when you have the time and want to make something special you HAVE to try this recipe. Really take the time needed to carmelize the onions (mine took longer than the recipe said) and they will be sweet and heavenly!

I can't wait to make this one again!

Click here for the recipe.

Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad

2010-11-16T18:31:00.000-08:00

The sauce for this salad is creamy and delicious and SPICY! I added some of the adobo sauce from the canned chiles and that made it a little too spicy for my taste. So it's easy to adjust depending on your spice tolerance and preference. Other than that it was perfect! I baked some corn tortillas and made sugar-free jello for the sides. The jello definitely helped cool down my mouth!

Click here for the recipe.

Crunchy Shrimp with Toasted Couscous and Ginger-Orange Sauce

2010-11-15T18:27:00.000-08:00

Ok, this was seriously HEAVEN!!! My little bro requested that I make something with shrimp so I searched through all the recipes and chose this one...man, am I glad I did! I had a problem with the panko sticking to the shrimp (so mine doesn't look as pretty as the picture on the recipe), but it didn't make any difference to the taste. We just scooped up some panko bits to go with each bite of shrimp. The sauce is divine!!! Mmmm...mmm...mmm...this is one of my favorites I've cooked, EVER!

Click here for the recipe.

Cheeseburger Pie

2010-11-13T18:58:00.000-08:00

This is a huge crowd pleaser because it's simple, not too fancy, and delicious! I added taco seasoning to the ground turkey (omitted the worcestershire) and my family couldn't even tell that it was turkey instead of beef. If you're cooking for a big family of picky-eaters, EVERYONE will love this dish and gobble it right up!

Click here for the recipe.

11/13/10 Weigh-in

2010-11-13T15:54:00.000-08:00

Last week: 181 lbs
This week: 180 lbs
-1

Total weight loss: 81 lbs

I hope everyone is enjoying life and this wonderful time of year!

Butternut Squash Lasagna

2010-11-11T18:42:00.000-08:00

This is a fabulous vegetarian lasagna! When you're craving something rich and hearty, but not overloaded with fat and calories this meal definitely does the job. I think butternut squash is one of my new favorite things. The marinara sauce calls for canned fire-roasted tomatoes, but I couldn't find any at the grocery store and I was too lazy to make them from scratch, so I just used regular and added some paprika, which ended up being delicious.

Click here for the recipe.

Roasted Chicken and Pasta Salad

2010-11-10T14:57:00.000-08:00

This is a great recipe to make a big batch of and eat for several days on the go, perfect for a take-to-work lunch. The flavors even get better the next day! The dressing is light and brings everything together perfectly. I used rotini instead of farfalle pasta because farfalle wasn't available in whole wheat. Delicious pasta salad!

Click here for the recipe.

French Dip Sandwiches

2010-11-08T21:28:00.000-08:00

We had leftover roast from our Sunday dinner so I thought I'd put it to good use. This french dip recipe is actually a slow-cooker, but since our meat was already cooked I just combined the beef broth and onion soup mix in a pan, simmered it for a few minutes, and then added the meat which I'd thinly sliced to let it warm up. I put the meat on whole wheat hoagies, added light jarlsberg (50 cal a slice), and broiled for just a couple of minutes in the oven. I also used low-sodium organic beef broth from a carton, not a can. Everyone devoured these!

Click here for the recipe.

Honey-Soy Broiled Salmon

2010-11-06T19:35:00.000-07:00

This recipe couldn't be simpler, easier, or tastier! If you love good salmon then definitely give this recipe a try. I paired it with a salad of carrots, pears, and feta. YUM!

Click here for the recipe.

11/06/10 Weigh-in

2010-11-06T17:31:00.000-07:00

Last week: 183 lbs
This week: 181 lbs
-2 lbs

Total weight loss: 80 lbs

I am having a blast being able to cook everyday and help out my family! In Utah I pretty much ate the same thing every day for an entire week, which I've heard is actually better for weight loss, but it's much more enjoyable to have the variety of different meals.

And, wow, it's November! I've been listening to Christmas music nonstop (yes, I'm one of those) and am loving the beautiful Oregon fall season!

A little bit of bad/sad news is that the golds gym in Salem just closed its doors and now I'm out a gym. We have a few cardio machines in our house so I'm going to continue using those and hopefully it won't affect anything too much.

HAPPY NOVEMBER EVERYONE!!

Lemony Orzo-Veggie Salad with Chicken

2010-11-05T12:33:00.000-07:00

I know it's not summer (it's a GORGEOUS Oregon Fall) and this is such a summer dish, but it looked so good I just had to make it! And my eyes were right! It's the perfect meal when you want something light, healthy, and refreshing.

I made more than the recipe says because I wanted to have it again for lunch today, and it's just as yummy the next day! And do I even have to say it? I used feta instead of goat cheese. Take this to any cookout or potluck and people will definitely be asking you for the recipe!

Speaking of, click here for the handy-dandy recipe.

And on the honeydew (probably my favorite fruit in the world!) and bananas I just put a dollop of plain greek yogurt mixed with vanilla.

Chicken Enchiladas with Salsa Verde

2010-11-04T12:51:00.000-07:00

I LOVE Mexican food and these enchiladas are incredible! I even used fat free cream cheese instead of 1/3 less fat, didn't add any queso fresco, and they were still delicious. I also skipped the step of dipping the tortillas in chicken broth because it seemed unnecessary and other reviewers said that the tortillas got too mushy and fell apart. I should have warmed them up in the microwave to make them more pliable because they did rip, but overall, it didn't really matter. Tastes just the same!

Click here for the recipe.

I made a nice chunky salsa to go on the side with chopped tomatoes, chopped avocado, corn, cilantro, lime juice, salt, and pepper. So simple and the perfect compliment! My family was obsessed with the dish and requested that I make it again soon! Not to mention, one serving is two enchiladas!! Mmmm...yes!

Barbecued Pork Chops

2010-11-02T18:53:00.000-07:00

This barbecue sauce has only four ingredients and it couldn't be easier to throw together. I broiled these pork chops on High for about 6 minutes on each side and they came out perfect! They were juicy and moist, and the barbecue sauce was way better than any store bought kind.

Click here for the recipe.

Paired with Cucumber Salad
sliced cucumber
plain greek yogurt
rice vinegar
lime juice
dill
pepper

Confetti Burger with Cilantro Sauce

2010-11-01T19:13:00.000-07:00

This is a restaurant quality burger folks! If you're a burger lover, but you're also trying to watch your weight or just eat healthier food, you MUST try this! Just looking at the picture and remembering how perfect it was is making me drool. My brother was a little unsure about all the "junk" in the burger, but he absolutely loved it!

I added diced cucumber to the cilantro sauce and used lean ground turkey instead of beef like the recipe calls for. I also added feta cheese because like I've said before, feta is heaven to me, and the flavors all went together divinely!

Click here for the recipe.

Peanut Noodle Salad

2010-10-31T12:30:00.000-07:00

I love Asian flavors, especially anything peanutty, but I've always been way too intimidated to make any fancy asian dishes because the recipes always call for exotic ingredients that I've never heard of or wouldn't know where to find. Yes, I'm pretty ignorant. So I was excited when I found this recipe because it has an asian flair, but most ingredients that I already had.

I used crunchy peanut butter, so didn't add any extra peanuts, whole-wheat spaghetti instead of lo mein, and added chicken to make it a little more filling. Delicious and so easy!

Click here for the recipe.

10/30/10 Weigh-in

2010-10-30T16:49:00.000-07:00

Last Halloween I dressed up as a first grader (to entertain my own little first graders) and weighed 215 pounds. A hefty little first grader.

Last night I went to a costume party and dressed up as a rag doll! Halloween is so much fun, even as a 25-year-old. I wish I could dress up everyday. Well, maybe more like once a month.

Last weigh-in: 183 lbs
Today: 183 lbs
-0

Total weight loss: 78 lbs

I had a few crazy and busy weeks after the last weigh-in, which is probably why I'm still at 183. I had a good week, back to working out and eating right (you saw the yummy food!) and I'm going to continue to do so!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Fish Sticks with Broccoli Salad

2010-10-29T11:36:00.000-07:00

We had two pieces of uncooked tilapia leftover from earlier this week so I needed and wanted to use them. Each piece made four fish sticks and they were great! This is the perfect healthier and adult(ier?) version of those sad frozen things. My dad was absolutely in love.

Click here for the fish sticks recipe.

To go with the fish sticks I made a broccoli salad, but made quite a few variations from the recipe. For the dressing, I left out the sour cream only because we didn't have any, but it was light and tasted fine without it. For the salad, I left out the bacon and water chestnuts and added chopped up almonds and feta cheese. Yummy side!

Click here for the broccoli salad recipe.

Veggie Frittata

2010-10-28T12:31:00.000-07:00

This was my own invention! We had lots of vegetables that I wanted to use up before they turned bad, so I came up with this easy and delicious dish. And I didn't really measure anything, I just used an amount that looked right. So here's a list of ingredients without measurements.

Red Potatoes
Zucchini
Red Pepper
Mushrooms
Green Onion
Bacon
Egg Substitute
Milk
Salt and Pepper
Thyme

Chop all the veggies (except the green onion) and cook in a pan with a little olive oil. Pour veggies into a sprayed casserole dish. Mix egg substitute, milk, green onion, salt, pepper, and thyme in a bowl and then pour over the veggies. Sprinkle a little bacon on top and cook in the oven at 375 for around 30 minutes.

Perfect for any meal of the day!

Spiced Pork Chops with Apple Chutney

2010-10-27T14:33:00.000-07:00

Pork chops and apples are a classic pairing and this recipe showed why! We had this for dinner last night and it was filling and delicious. The only change I made was to use Smart Balance instead of regular butter and it seemed to work just fine. Oh, and we didn't have any coriander so I used cumin, which I know isn't exactly a substitute for coriander, but it still tasted great!

Click here for the recipe.

Sauteed Tilapia with Lemon-Peppercorn Pan Sauce

2010-10-26T10:16:00.000-07:00

I was a little nervous about making this because I've never cooked tilapia before, but there was nothing to be scared of! It was easy as pie and delicious! We were never much of a fish-eating family, but everyone loved it and ate it all up. If you're a fish-cooking novice or an expert, I definitely recommend this dish!

And like a lot of the reviewers recommended, I used capers instead of the peppercorns. I omitted the butter and added cornstarch to the sauce to thicken it.

Click here for the recipe.

Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Artichoke Hearts

2010-10-26T10:04:00.000-07:00

This is one of the best chicken dishes I've ever made! It is absolutely delicious! The recipe says to cut the thickest part of the chicken breast to stuff it, but I pounded the chicken thin, put a spoonful of the filling in the center, and rolled the chicken, holding it together with toothpicks. I find it easier this way, but use whatever method you prefer. I also used feta instead of goat cheese because feta is heaven to me!

I paired it with roasted squash and zucchini. This picture hardly does this dish justice. SO SCRUMPTIOUS! (Don't be freaked by the slight hint of pink on the chicken, it was from the red toothpick I used. Fully cooked!)

Click here for the recipe.

Up and Running!

2010-10-25T22:03:00.000-07:00

If you've stuck around this long, wow, I'm impressed. And, THANK YOU! I've been here and then not here so much the past handful of months I wouldn't blame you for ditching me. I even swore I was starting up again and then went and disappeared. Let me just say, A LOT has changed for me in the past few weeks that I've been MIA. I left Utah and moved back home to Oregon. You might be thinking "what the heck is going on with this girl?" Trust me, I know how you feel, and not to mention, I wish I knew. I'm in the process of getting my Oregon teaching license (which apparently takes 8 weeks to process...awesome) so I can sub in the district I grew up in. I am also cooking for my family and we're all working together to get healthier.

I am SUPER EXCITED to announce that I've revamped the blog and will be posting more than just my weigh-ins. If you'll allow me to brag, I suck, I mean, SUCK at figuring out anything that has to do with technology and I did the entire thing completely solo. I'm sure it could be snazzier, but I'm pretty pleased. You'll get to see more of what I'm cooking up and eating, and I'll be giving helpful (hopefully) tips and advice on what has helped me to lose weight and how to do it yourself.

Thank you all for all of your love and support in the past year. I've come so far and changed so much, but I know I still have a ways to go.

I hope you like the new look! I'll start again this Saturday with a weigh-in!

09/25/10

2010-09-25T12:18:00.000-07:00

Last week: 184 lbs

This week: 183 lbs

-1

Total weight loss: 78 lbs

Slowly, but surely.

And I have to say, congratulations on the mission call to my bestest friend, Autumn Papritz! She's going to Budapest Hungary, Hungarian speaking, as the mission nurse specialist, and leaves December 29. HOW INCREDIBLE!!! You're going to be amazing!! Thank you for all of your love and support!

Don't just count your years, make your years count

2010-09-19T15:19:00.000-07:00

Guess what guys? It's my 25th birthday. Quarter-life crisis? Hmmm...maybe. It's a really odd feeling for me to not really know what I'm doing with my life at the moment and to not have anything to do for most of the day. I'm still clinging to the peace I know I felt when I quit my job, and to the vision that I was going to do something great or unexpected. I have a few options "in the works," but nothing concrete enough to put on public display. I promise I'll let you know what it is once I figure it out. Until then I'm forcing myself to not freak out about turning 25 and to embrace my life as is. A lot of things have changed in the past year, and I have to remember where I started, how far I've come, and not allow myself to get discouraged by the ground left to cover.

So naturally, I received a bunch of happy birthday emails from various websites that I'm a member of, and I quickly deleted most of them. For some reason I stopped to read one and was impressed by what they had to say.

From Spark People (a fantastic website by the way): "What matters most in life is often viewed as peripheral to the things that we usually focus on. Passion takes a backseat to production, wellness to working, and balance to busyness. The old adage that "life is not a dress rehearsal" is so true, and yet we act to the contrary by putting off what is truly important or indulging in things that are not. On your birthday, stop focusing on your age and start meditating on your life at this exact moment."

Will do. And thanks to my wonderful sister, Katelyn, for my birthday dress!

09/18/10

2010-09-18T16:29:00.000-07:00

Did you know that tomorrow is my birthday?! Wow. It seems like just yesterday I was turning 24 and starting this weight loss journey, and already I'm turning 25. I'll post a picture tomorrow in my birthday outfit, but I'll give you the info today. It's been a pretty slow week because I can't workout as hard as I want, thanks to my little knee situation. I think it's getting better though and I'm just happy to be losing again!

Last week: 186 lbs

This week: 184 lbs

-2 lbs

Total weight loss: 77 lbs

OMG! What week is it?!

2010-09-13T17:03:00.000-07:00

I honestly feel like I should start all over and put "week 1" because it has been quite a break. Maybe my continued titles should just be whatever the date is. Hmmm...something to mull over. Well, my dear, dear friends and followers, I am back in Utah and took a little bit longer than expected to get all settled in (not to mention a pesky knee problem that's been rearing it's head), but today I am announcing my current weight and will weigh-in again every Saturday.

I've heard the hardest pounds to lose are the easiest to gain back. Whoever said that is a teller of cold, hard truths. It felt like it took me eons to get from 190 down in the 160s and now I've gone and pretty much gained that all back. I hate to tell you this. Seriously I do, because it's disappointing and frustrating. I've told you all that I had an incredible summer full of lots of wonderful adventures, and I did, but I was traveling so much and didn't have many options when it came to what I was eating. Not only that, but I overdid things. I avoided the scale like the plague because I knew what I was going to see.

All I can say is that I'm fully committed...again. I learned my lesson about how my body handles any kind of junky food. I GAIN WEIGHT. Some people don't, but boy, I sure do. I will have to be conscious of what I eat for the rest of my life, and I can't just start eating whatever I want when I get to my "goal" weight. In reality, it's kind of a blessing because I will have to eat foods that are healthy and work-out and my body will love me and I'll live as long as possible!

Here's the number...

Current weight: 186 lbs

And I was trying to put some pictures up, but our internet is super slow and lame.

Life Beats Blog

2010-08-05T14:02:00.000-07:00

1. NO, I AM NOT DEAD/YES, I AM ALIVE!

2. This is not the end of my blog/weight loss journey.

3. I haven't forgotten about you, but I did almost forget the web address for my own dang blog just now.

4. I haven't gained 100 pounds and am so ashamed that I'm hiding out in some cave.

5. I wasn't kidnapped and sold to the circus. I mean really, what act could I do anyway?

6. I haven't joined an anti-technology, shoe-missing, minimalist group.

7. I have been having one of the most FANTASTIC and BUSY summers of my life. I had originally planned to continue losing weight and blogging during the summer, but quickly realized that was pretty dang near impossible due to all of the trips and traveling I've been doing. Places like Japan, Mexico, California, Utah, Beach, California again, the list goes on and on. Well that's basically the gist of it, but I've been outside of Oregon more than I've been home! And even when I've been home I've been busy, busy, busy with awesome outings.

8. I haven't weighed myself since before I left for Japan. More than likely I've gained some weight back, but I don't feel any need to excuse myself or make myself feel guilty.

9. I have learned first-hand how difficult it is to maintain a healthy lifestyle when your routine changes so drastically. Along with that, I can't WAIT to get back to my normal schedule of working out daily and being in control of all my meals.

10. Consider this my summer hiatus. I PROMISE I will be back in one short month.

At my sisty ugler's graduation. GO HEATHER FEATHER!

In Mexico with my sister, Elaina, and my BEAUTIFUL nephew!

Outside concert in Oregon...yeeeeeeeeah.

On our way to see The Lion King. It was GREAT!

In Red Bluff with my sisters helping my grandma pack up her house. We'll miss her house tremendously, but are thrilled she's moving to Oregon!

Thank you to everyone who've been checking my blog/my facebook/asking me to my face to find out what the heck is going on with me and inquiring about my life. LIFE IS GREAT, it couldn't be better, and I still have so many exciting things planned for the rest of my summer. I'm also ecstatic to continue my weight loss and to see what life has in store for me!

I'm BAAAAACK!

2010-05-30T14:39:00.000-07:00

Actually I've been back for over a week, but this whole month has been such a whirlwind I can't believe that it's almost June! The Japan trip was simply INCREDIBLE! When we met up with Katelyn it was at the mission home and her mission president's wife answered the door. We stood on the doorstep talking to her for a minute when Katelyn just came around the corner, so we only got the end of her reaction recorded...which means that we missed all the good stuff. Let me just tell you she screamed...a lot! It hadn't remained completely secret (like I'd imagined), but she was still completely shocked to actually see what I looked like.

Here are just a few pictures from our trip, but if you want to see more click here to go view my facebook album.

At the Aomori chapel.

Katelyn's first time wearing pants in 18 months...and yes, they're mine!

Backstreets of Tokyo looking for a sushi place.

Back in Salem with the fam when she was released as a missionary.

I know you all are dying to know what I've been eating/if I've been exercising/what my weight is, and I can enlighten you on two of those things.

I don't understand why everyone is so freaking skinny in Japan because we ate a TON of food. It was all super delicious and I was happy to indulge because how often am I going to be able to eat authentic Japanese food? This week I've been back in Utah, but Katelyn is here with me and we've been hanging out with old friends and eating out a lot. Plus I didn't want to buy a bunch of groceries because I knew I'd be leaving in a week. And exercising? No way. I haven't had two seconds, let alone two hours to hit the gym. This all sounds like some annoying, terrible excuse, but once I'm in Oregon for the summer it's back on 110 percent and the whole family is joining me!

And that last one, what my weight is? Just forget about it. I haven't weighed myself in three weeks and I'm going to hold out for at least one more. What's the point of stressing myself out? This month was about Katelyn and enjoying life. Next month better bring it!

New hair to go with the new body

2010-05-09T17:46:00.000-07:00

Now I'm ready for Japan!

And since you've all been begging (come on, you have!) I'll do everything I can to tape THE MOMENT! Not to mention, I would like to see it myself...over and over again.

Week thirty eight

2010-05-08T13:47:00.001-07:00

Week thirty six: 167 lbs

Week thirty seven: ?

Week thirty eight: 163 lbs

-4 lbs

Total weight loss: 98 lbs

I'm leaving Tuesday morning for JAPAN and no, I didn't quite make it to 100, but I feel absolutely zero shame in being able to tell my sister that I've lost 98 pounds! Quite the opposite actually, I feel incomprehensible pride. I went to the dentist a couple of days ago and checked "recent weight loss" on my form. The dentist asked me about it and I told him that I'd lost almost 100 pounds. He just froze and stared at me and then asked, "Have you ever felt so proud of yourself?" I thought for a minute, and I've done some great things in my life that I am extremely proud of, but my answer was a sincere and honest, "No." This certainly takes the cake.

I guess I won't be updating for the next two weeks and just so you know in advance, I'm planning on enjoying everything Japan has to offer with zero guilt or thoughts of, "Hmmm...how many calories are in this?!" I'm going to soak up every moment and experience as much as I can! That's what it's all about, this thing called life.

Week thirty seven?

2010-05-01T12:42:00.000-07:00

Don't hate my guts, but my scale is on the fritz (ok...it really just needs a new battery). I did weigh myself at the gym this morning, but I had clothes and shoes on and guessing is too risky.

I'm going to make you wait one more week...hehe...it's more suspenseful that way, right?

PS

2010-04-24T09:43:00.000-07:00

Watch this video! We reached our goal at school so we got to decorate our principal and VP as human ice cream sundaes. It was hilarious of course, but if you want to see a "live" photo of me, you can see me for two seconds at the very end. Not the best, but better than nothing...right?

Week thirty six

2010-04-24T09:33:00.001-07:00

Week thirty five: 170 lbs

Week thirty six: 167 lbs

-3 lbs

Total weight loss: 94 lbs

I'm back down to where I was a couple of weeks ago, wa-hoo! I'll take it. I better be out of the 170's this time fer rillz!!! That 170's was like a gravitational pull for me. It did not want to let me go.

This means I have two more weeks to lose 6 pounds...piece of cake (figuratively, of course). Here I come shimai!

Week thirty five

2010-04-17T12:36:00.000-07:00

Last week's weight was a little crazy and surprising, but I'm down a fair amount.

Week thirty four: 175 lbs

Week thirty five: 170 lbs

-5 lbs

Total weight loss: 91 lbs

I'm not all the way down to where I was before I went on vacation, but I'll get there. No complaining from this side!

ALSO, I was looking at my calendar the other day and realized I have only THREE WEEKS until I give my missionary the surprise of a lifetime! My original goal was to be at 150 when I went to pick her up, but things started slowing down and plateauing now and then, so I've readjusted my goal and want to be 161 (at least) so that I can tell her that I've lost 100 pounds! I can already here it coming out of my mouth! As long as my body cooperates, this is definitely an achievable goal!

Have a great week everyone!

Week thirty four

2010-04-11T17:01:00.000-07:00

I know you're all DYING to hear my update and are STEAMING that I'm a day late and are CONSTANTLY checking to see if I've posted yet, right? Yes, I really do think you're all that obsessed with me and my blog. Well this week's update is in serious need of some background info, so allow me to ramble.

This past week was absolutely incredible! I mean, INCREDIBLE! I was on spring break so me and my bestie (Autumn Bottom) headed down to beautiful Moab, Utah to OD on adventure and the great outdoors. I'd never really heard of this place until I moved to Utah, but apparently it's a huge tourist attraction for people from all over the world and they've filmed tons of movies there. It's world famous for it's petrified sand formations, slick rock, and the smorgasbord of available outdoor activities. During our short time there we went on several hikes (climbing up and down and all over rocks and things), did some serious mountain (rock?) biking, kayaked a portion of the Colorado River, and went on a hummer tour. To make a long and wonderful story short, it was AWESOME!

I was super excited for a few reasons.

One, I was excited for the mere fact that I was excited. Ten months ago if someone had said, "Hey, let's go down to Moab to hike, bike, and kayak," I probably would have come up with a brilliant reason why I couldn't go. That was definitely not my cup of tea because I would have DIED! But I was genuinely excited to party it up hardcore style!

Second, I wanted to prove to myself that I could participate in and ENJOY those kinds of activities, and see how far I'd come physically. And let me tell you, I wanted to shout for joy numerous times after climbing up steep inclines for miles and not even feeling that tired.

Third, I anticipated losing a ton of weight because, HELLO, we were going to be physically active like crazy!

I got home late last night (wasn't so pumped about coming home) and decided that I would wait until this morning to weigh myself. In a cruel moment of extreme letdown this is what I saw on my scale.

Week thirty three: 167 lbs

Week thirty four: 175 lbs

+8 lbs

Total weight loss: 86 lbs

TALK ABOUT YIKES! At first I thought, dang, I must've moved around on the scale or something. So I got off and on again and again, until there was no denying it, my current weight is 175 lbs.

Now, let me bore you with WHY I think my current weight is 175 lbs. Did I actually gain 8 pounds of fat in the last week? No, that's probably humanly impossible. Did I gain a few pounds of muscle? This is actually quite possible, even likely. I was using muscle groups I never even knew existed before. And even the ones I knew about were getting a heck of a good beating. We're talking major soreness.

And the main culprit I believe is my favorite friend, Mr. Sunburn. If you know me, if we've ever been outside together, you know I'm a burner. Even with my applications of sunscreen I was visited by the sunburn fairy. I suspected, and google confirmed, that sunburns can cause large amounts of water retention, hopefully even 8 pounds worth.

Now let me make something clear, this is about me getting healthy and living a healthy lifestyle, not just losing weight and seeing a smaller number on the scale every week. This past week was definitely one of the most active and healthy weeks I've ever had in my entire life and if it caused a higher number on the scale, and if it isn't water retention and I have to re-lose all of those pounds, than I'm honestly ok with that. I would do it again in a heart beat. I would kill to go back and do it all again this week!

If you've lasted this long, THANKS FOR READING, and thanks for being part of my crazy journey with all of its ups and downs. Seeing 175 on the scale, not the greatest moment, but worth it for every moment of joy and beauty that I experienced this past week.

LOVE LIFE EVERYONE!! I know I sure do.

Week thirty three

2010-04-03T07:52:00.001-07:00

I finally bought a new outfit! I kind of despise the word outfit (it seems so valley girl circa 1991), but that's what it is so what can you do? I was at the mall, not a normal occurrence, but I was getting an eye exam, and just for the heck of it I decided to go into this cute store called Charlotte Russe. I've always liked the clothes there, but they only carry S, M, and L, meaning I've never been able to fit into a single stinking thing. Alas, I'm sure you've figured out where this is heading...I FIT INTO THEIR CLOTHES NOW!! Of course I still had to buy the largest available size, but even fitting into a large is a pretty big deal for me. Plus, isn't this romper pretty dang cute? I thought so!

Week thirty two: 169 lbs

Week thirty three: 167 lbs

-2 lbs

Total weight loss: 94 lbs

AHH! COME ON 100!!! COME ON!!!

Week thirty two

2010-03-27T10:53:00.001-07:00

Week thirty one: 170 lbs

Week thirty: 169 lbs

-1 lb

Total weight loss: 92 lbs

I don't know if my little cheat day is the culprit for the one pound or if it was just a slow week, but either way, one more pound gone!

You know I'm human, right?

2010-03-25T18:15:00.000-07:00

This definitely proves it.

Today was MISERABLE! It started off totally fine, like any other day. I had my usual breakfast of kashi oatmeal with some strawberries and then headed off to work. Cue the lunchtime scene, that's when everything started going downhill. I knew there was a faculty lunch today, but I decided to bring my own lunch of salmon and veggies. Good for me! At least I had good intentions. I figured a peek at the spread wouldn't add any calories, but a peek turned into "oh man, that looks good," which turned into "I'll just taste and nibble a little here and there," which turned into me stuffing my face with a large sampling of everything there was to offer.

Did I mention there was cake?

After a regrettable lunch I vowed to work my butt off longer and harder at the gym this afternoon to make up for it, but all the way home I just couldn't shake the thoughts of what a total failure I was and how I couldn't believe I'd lost my self-control. NEVER DO THIS!

So there I was feeling horrible about myself and this little evil voice kept whispering to me, "You already ruined this day, just go eat whatever you want." Because I was already so down, I just caved and gave in to that voice. Somehow my car ended up at Iceberg and I found myself ordering a full chicken fingers dinner and a huge milkshake, which I promptly scarfed down. Now I seriously feel like vomiting and stepping foot into a gym is the last thing I could manage to do.

Why am I telling you this?

One, I want you all to know that I have bad days and make unhealthy mistakes too.

Two, (and this is definitely a personal lesson learned) don't be too hard on yourself! Hating yourself for making an unhealthy choice only leads to more unhealthy choices.

Love yourself for the healthy choices that you strive to continuously make...and I'll do the same thing!

Week thirty one

2010-03-20T07:12:00.000-07:00

Week thirty: 173 lbs

Week thirty one: 170 lbs

-3 lbs

Total weight loss: 91 lbs

Last night I spent some time with some of my amazing extended family members who are in town and we were discussing my blog and all of the people who follow it. They were telling me about people they know that they've told about it who now follow it and I've had other friends tell me that their friends now check up on me too. First of all, thank you to all of you! And second of all, I just want to say this week that you can do this too. If you're struggling with a weight issue and are unhappy about it and wish to change it, then DO IT! It won't be easy. You will have setbacks, but you CAN do it! Start with small changes and those small changes will gradually become big changes and you will fall in love with health and fitness like I have.

START TODAY!

Week thirty

2010-03-13T15:55:00.000-08:00

I think changing up my workout was just the thing I needed! Bodies and weight loss are such funny things. I know I wasn't burning as many calories as I normally do at the gym, but just surprising my body with something new paid off on the scale.

Week twenty nine: 176 lbs

Week thirty: 173 lbs

-3 lbs

Total weight loss: 88 lbs

So close to 100 I can taste it!!

Just what I needed!

2010-03-10T16:53:00.000-08:00

I couldn't have asked for a better response from everyone! THANK YOU SO MUCH!! Honestly, it was JUST what I needed! I can't even tell you how much it means to me that you all spend your time supporting me and offering me such amazing and useful advice. Not to mention, I love seeing comments from people that I didn't even know knew anything about this little blog of mine. Every single one of you keeps me going and I wish I could thank you all personally.

Taking in some of your advice, I decided to switch up my workouts this week and have been doing the majority of my workouts at home rather than my normal gym routine. Oh, and since every keeps asking, my normal gym routine is a half an hour of weights (rotating upper and lower body) and then an hour to two hours doing cardio (rotating between the treadmill, elliptical, and the bike). This week I've been walking/jogging all around the area down where I live in Orem and have discovered some wonderful little places and things I never knew existed. Everyone should get out and explore their space. It really has been enjoyable. Then on top of that I've gone back to my Jillian Michaels workout video, which I haven't done since the very beginning of this journey. And I've definitely been feeling the soreness, which I'm told is a good thing. I'm hoping this switch up will jump start my weight loss again and if not I'll regroup and try something else!

Also, I just got this shirt in the mail from my amazing dad and just had to share it because, DANG, isn't this the truth?!

Yes, I'm aware it's backwards. That's what Photo booth gives you. If your backwards reading skills aren't quite up to snuff it says: EXERCISE, Some motivation required. How do I get myself a T-Rex? He'd make a pretty good personal trainer. THANKS DAD!!! AND THANKS EVERYONE ELSE!!

Week twenty nine

2010-03-06T10:23:00.001-08:00

Maybe I'm a huge narcissist now or maybe I've just lost my marbles...but I was shaving last night and I thought my legs looked pretty sexy. Apparently they're my best feature now. So I took the risk of endangering my iphone and had myself a little photo shoot. I TOLD YOU I'M LOSING IT!! ...here's why...

Week twenty eight: 176 lbs

Week twenty nine: 176 lbs

-0 lbs AGAIN!

Total weight loss: 85 lbs

I need some inspiration my friends. Some pearls of wisdom. I'm trying to maintain a positive attitude and keep up my motivation, but I feel it slipping. I added the stair stepper to my gym routine, but that clearly didn't make a huge difference. This sure is a long plateau for me. Maybe my body is just finally slowing down after all of this crazy fast weight I've been losing. Any thoughts?

Week twenty eight

2010-03-01T18:43:00.000-08:00

Sorry I'm late with this post, but I was spending the weekend in Salt Lake sans an internet connection. Plus, I know it's picture week, but I'm holding off until next week just to drop a few more pounds.

Week twenty seven: 178 lbs

Week twenty six: 176 lbs

-2 lbs

Total weight loss: 85 lbs

This week I'm going to add in some extra things to my workout because I think my body is getting too comfortable with my routine now and I need to start changing it up more. We'll see if that helps!

Week twenty seven

2010-02-20T10:57:00.001-08:00

Yeeeahhh...nothing too exciting to see here. Move along. Move along.

Week twenty six: 178 lbs

Week twenty seven: 178 lbs

-0 lbs

Total weight loss: 83 lbs

I worked out, I ate my normal calories, but for some reason it just didn't pay off this week. I guess that's typical though. I could get super stressed out and mad and annoyed (which I'm trying very hard to repress), but that won't help anything. So, I'll just throw my hands in the air and look forward to next week!

Week twenty six

2010-02-13T10:54:00.001-08:00

Somehow I survived our Valentines party at school, but there are still copious amounts of sinful goodies in my classroom. Any takers? Out of sight, out of mind.

Week twenty five: 181 lbs

Week twenty six: 178 lbs

-3 lbs

Total weight loss: 83 lbs

I'm kind of weirded out because I think it looks like I worked some computer magic and squished my current picture to make me look narrower, like I'm standing in front of some fun mirror at a carnival, but if you know me, you know I hardly have the computer know-how. That's actually me. Feeling pretty good about that.

Week twenty five

2010-02-06T11:45:00.000-08:00

This past week was parent teacher conferences, which meant I had to stay at school for two straight days until 7:30 and then force my butt to the gym. Not so fun. I imagined this little devil me on my shoulder trying to dissuade me from hitting the gym and hitting the sack instead. Would've been wonderful, and well deserved I might add, but I shooed devil me away and lugged my exhausted body over to that treadmill. Thank goodness it all paid off!

Week twenty four: 185 lbs

Week twenty five: 181 lbs

-4 lbs

Total weight loss: 80 lbs

It feels good to lose four pounds in one week again! And 80 pounds ain't too shabby either. Twenty pounds away from 100!!! OH.MY.WORD!

Week twenty four

2010-01-30T11:15:00.001-08:00

Week twenty three: 187 lbs

Weeks twenty four: 185 lbs

-2 lbs

Total weight loss: 76 lbs

Sorry if you were expecting the traditional swimsuit picture, but I wanted to show off my new dress that my mom bought me! Thanks Mom!

Week twenty three

2010-01-23T11:20:00.000-08:00

Week twenty two: 190 lbs

Week twenty three: 187 lbs

-3 lbs

Total weight loss: 74 lbs

I'm in the 180's baby! BOOYAH!

Week twenty two

2010-01-16T14:12:00.000-08:00

I worked my gosh darn butt off this week because I wanted to get in the 180s sooo badly! I didn't quite make it, but just one more week and I'm there!

Week twenty one: 193 lbs

Week twenty two: 190 lbs

-3 lbs

Total weight loss: 71 lbs

It feels awesome to say that I've lost 70 pounds! Woohoo!

Week twentyone

2010-01-09T08:43:00.001-08:00

I was super anxious to weigh myself this morning because I honestly had no idea what number I would see staring up at me. It's been almost three weeks since I've even gone near a scale. I had all of these numbers running through my head, just like on the Biggest Loser when they're weighing in and the numbers on the scale are jumping all over the place. Of course my scale is less dramatic, but it was still a nerve-wracking 2 seconds. In the end, I'm alright with what I saw.

Week twenty: 194 lbs

Week twentyone: 193 lbs

-1 lb

Total weight loss: 68 lbs

I'm positive this means I slapped on an extra couple of pounds while I was at home, but burned them off this week back in Utah plus one more for mercy's sake!

I figured I should fill you in

2010-01-07T12:47:00.000-08:00

I know I've been super lame and haven't posted my weight for two weeks, but there is a method to my madness! After being home in Oregon for just a few days I went to visit my favorite 2nd family and expressed my concerns about my weight fluctuating while I was at home for Christmas, and the inevitable, sigh, weight gain. I was given the following advice by a very wise woman:

Don't weigh yourself while you're at home and don't even weigh yourself until you've been back in Utah for one whole week. That way you have a chance to get back down to normal and won't freak yourself out by some horrendous number on the scale.

I liked the sound of that, so I've stuck by it. I can guarantee that I put on a few pounds over Christmas break, even though I worked out here and there when I could and tried to watch what I ate. I was definitely indulging in all the yumminess that I found myself up to my ears in! And you can blame that on my step-mom! Haha, love you Sheila.

So the long awaited weight post will be this Saturday. I've been back in Utah for almost a week now and I've gotten right back to my healthy habits and hopefully the scale won't betray me too badly!

ALSO! You have to check out my friend's new blog! Her name is Katie, we worked at the BYU kindergarten together, she's awesome and writes awesome songs about cats, and she's trying to lose some lbs too! Spread the love!

http://gettingridofthepudge.blogspot.com

2010 Challenge

2010-01-01T15:16:00.000-08:00

It's a new year again. Resolutions, resolutions, resolutions. I wonder if any other country is as obsessed with resolving to do this thing and that thing as we are. I don't know about you, but I can't think of anything more depressing than composing a huge, long list containing every, single little thing you dislike about yourself and wish to change in the course of a year, which becomes all the more depressing when at the end of the year you discover you've failed to do 99-100% of the things on that list. I'm not claiming to be a goal-setting expert, but I have ALWAYS found that the more I put on my plate the less I do ANY of it.

So this is my challenge to any and all of you who read this blog, pick one thing that you want to do or one thing that you want to change about yourself. Did you catch that? ONE! Throw away all of the overwhelming lists and choose one, and only one thing to focus on. Make it something hard, maybe even something you deem impossible, and then do it. Because you can do it! And I promise you that you will feel on top of the world and ready to take on anything. At the risk of sounding too cheesy, I truly believe that all human beings have incredible power, which is seldom unlocked or found. Find yours today and do something hard. We can do hard things!

What's your new year's resolution?

Week twenty

2009-12-19T13:31:00.000-08:00

Has it really been twenty weeks?! Man, times flies!

Week nineteen: 196 lbs

Week twenty: 194 lbs

-2 lbs

Total weight loss: 67 lbs

I'm going home for Christmas this week...you know what that means...yikes! I'm super excited, but nervous, so wish me luck!

Week nineteen

2009-12-12T11:45:00.000-08:00

SPOILER ALERT!!!!!

No, that's not some image I pulled off the web. That's MY scale after MY body had been on it!

Week eighteen: 201 lbs

Week nineteen: 196 lbs

-5 lbs

Total weight loss: 65 lbs

It's the weirdest (and by "weirdest," I mean "awesomest") thing to step on the scale and see a number that starts with a 1...that hasn't happened for a very long time. I am so elated and know that I can do anything that I set my mind to! And with that said...my next goal is 150!

LOVE YOU ALL!!

Week eighteen

2009-12-05T14:05:00.000-08:00

Week sixteen: 204 lbs

Week seventeen: 205 lbs (So I weighed myself after I got home and I was definitely ok with only going up one pound!)

Week eighteen: 201 lbs

-4 lbs

Total weight loss: 60 lbs

It feels so good to be able to say that I've lost 60 pounds! Not to mention that I'm SOOOOO stinking close to finally being under 200. Next week my friends. There is nothing that can stop me.

Recipe Time!

2009-12-03T16:57:00.000-08:00

This first recipe I got from my wonderful friend, Natalie! It's called Pumpkin Chili, and she's right, it doesn't taste like pumpkin at all, but it's still suuuuper delicious! I halfed the recipe and it still made tons!

Pumpkin Chili from recipezaar.com

Ingredients

2 cups fresh pumpkin or canned pumpkin
3 lbs ground beef (I used ground turkey)
2 (16 ounce) cans red kidney beans
2 medium onions, chopped
3 (15 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons chili powder
1/4 teaspoon red pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 bay leaves
1 cup fresh mushrooms

Directions

1
Brown the ground beef (or turkey!) and pour off grease.
2
Add the rest of the ingredients to the pot, stirring well. Simmer for 1 to 2 hours.

I've been eating this one for lunch every single day this week and I'm still in love with it!! It's Artichoke and Olive Tuna Salad. I knew I had to try this because artichoke is one of my favorite things in the world! This one is definitely a keeper. I know I'll be making it again soon!

Artichoke and Olive Tuna Salad from eatingwell.com

INGREDIENTS

1 12-ounce can (or two 6-ounce cans) chunk light tuna, drained and flaked
1 cup chopped canned artichoke hearts
1/2 cup chopped olives
1/3 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise (I used fat-free)
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano, or 1/2 teaspoon dried
Combine tuna, artichokes, olives, mayonnaise, lemon juice and oregano in a medium bowl.

I made this the weekend before I went to California for Thanksgiving break and it kept me full and happy until then. It's Apple Turkey Picadillo and I ate it inside some whole wheat tortillas. SOOOOOOO GOOD!

Apple Turkey Picadillo from eatingwell.com

INGREDIENTS

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup finely chopped red onion
1 clove garlic, minced
8 ounces 99%-lean ground turkey
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 medium tart green apple, peeled and chopped
1 cup chopped tomato
3 tablespoons chopped green olives
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup sliced scallion greens

PREPARATION

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook until soft, stirring often, about 2 minutes. Add turkey; cook, stirring and breaking up, until lightly browned, 4 to 6 minutes.
Stir in cumin, oregano, salt, pepper and cloves; cook for 30 seconds. Stir in vinegar, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in apple, tomato, olives and Worcestershire sauce. Reduce heat and gently simmer, stirring often, until any liquid in the pan has reduced to a syrupy glaze, about 8 minutes. Stir in scallion greens and serve.

Try these recipes!!! You won't regret it!!

Week seventeen

2009-11-28T11:48:00.000-08:00

Week sixteen: 204 lbs

Week seventeen: I don't know and I don't want to know.

Honestly, I don't know and I'm not weighing myself. I'm thoroughly enjoying my time with my FREAKING ADORABLE nephew and my fam, I'm off my normal schedule and routine, and I think I deserve it.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Week sixteen

2009-11-21T19:15:00.000-08:00

Week fifteen: 207 lbs

Week sixteen: 204 lbs

-3 lbs

Total weight loss: 57 lbs

I'm a little bit disappointed this week because I worked out harder and longer than in previous weeks because I wanted to get as close to 200 as possible before this coming week. I know I won't be losing 5 pounds this week, so getting under 200 is still another 2 weeks away. I'm not being pessimistic, just realistic. I'm going to my sister's in California for Thanksgiving, leaving Wednesday and coming back Sunday, and my main focus is going to be spending time with my family and my new nephew! I'm definitely not throwing my hands up and saying "Well, anything goes," I'm going to try to squeeze in some workouts and eat as healthy as possible, so hopefully I'll lose something, but no where near enough to get under 200. It's been YEARS since I've been under 200 pounds so I guess another 2 weeks won't kill me! And hey, 3 pounds is 3 pounds!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE! I am so grateful for all of your love and support in helping me change my life!