Hey Friends,

Hope your week is going well. Things are chugging along over here. Exercise went well last week; I did 5/7 days. I planned to do six but I ended up doing a strength/cardio interval workout one day so I did not feel too bad about the extra day off. I am doing three days of cardio, three days of strength training and an active rest day (Yoga). As I mentioned before, I am using Chalean Extreme for the strength training and the cardio is mostly TurboFire but I have allowed myself some flexibility there. I am on Week three of the Burn Circuit in Chalean Extreme. I also wrote down to the best of my memory what I ate every day for the week so I'm happy to be getting back on track with being accountable in those areas.

Weekly dose of randomness:

-I am seriously considering purchasing a Bikram Yoga package especially since they gave me a discount on my first one. The weather has cooled off so now is a good time to get back into it.

-I really should own shares in Kashi considering how many of their products I bought lately.

-It's time I set some non-scale goals (NSGs). First will be to do the crow pose. Second, a flat stomach (can't remember it really being flat… ever. I blame my sugar situation.)

-I think I am gonna re-read A Course in Weight Loss. Still don't plan on doing the rituals/altar and all that but I do respect the fact that weight loss and staying fit is as much a mental challenge as it is a physical one.

-I am currently rotating through Adolescent Psychiatry and it is fun but emotionally exhausting. Exercise has been a good coping mechanism. Yeah for endorphins!

-I tried Kale chips last week and I liked them (recipe to come). Will try it in a smoothie and salad soon.

-I discovered that I can bench press 75 lbs yesterday :-)

Something to talk about:

Have you all seen the personal trainer who went from Fit to Fat and will be going back to fit? He gained 75+ lbs in 6 months.  Any thoughts? I will be tuned in for the journey back to fit.

Also, November is here! Any goals for the month or strategies to survive the holidays? Almost time to revisit those resolutions from last year. 

Mini Website Round up

Source

Have you checked out the body rock movement as yet? Bodyrock.tv has great workouts that you can do at home. They are short, effective, and best of all FREE! They will also be adding more recipes on a regular basis in the near future.

I have also been spending some time on the YogaJournal YouTube channel lately. They have an array of free yoga videos. I tried the one on Arm Balances the other day and the instructions were pretty good. I am excited to learn these seemingly impossible poses.

Side notes:

I saw two things on FB this week that stayed with me long after I viewed them so I thought I would share. The first is a video in which Oprah describes the beauty of surrendering. Amazing insight on how to get what you what in life :-)

Finally, an associate of mine share this photo with the following quote on his page:

"Be yourself because everyone else is taken."

I was reading a blog recently and caught myself almost wanting to be like the writer because of their experiences and things they had accomplished. This quote came back to me and was a nice reality check.

Have a great and productive week :-)

Back at it/ Updates

A nice reminder :-)

Hey Friends :-). It's been a looong time but hopefully this post puts an end to yet another unintended hiatus. The past few months I've been focused on mostly on school (taking one major exam and a few not so major ones, and transitioning to a clinical learning environment i.e. working way too much at times.). I am somewhat settled in now but life is still busy as usual. On the weight loss front, I have not been consistent with eating healthy or working out all summer so my weight has fluctuated but it has mostly stayed within 6-8 lbs of my lowest weight. I haven't lost sight of my goal though so I have recommitted to getting it done. I plan on starting by being consistent with the basics:

-Eating right (more fruits and veges, three meals and one snack per day)
All I can say about this one is that I am a work in progress. At one point I had incorporated just about everything I worked on cutting out/reducing back into my diet on a regular basis. Sugar... just ridiculous how much I have been having. Weight loss is 85% diet for me though so I will keep working on this "lifestyle change" goal.

-Drinking water (eight or more glasses per day)
Unfortunately, drinking water makes you pee. I am usually too busy to pee multiple times or to sip water throughout the day so I try to drink more in the evenings at home rather than earlier in the day. On the days when I come home and pass out, I usually end up more on the dehydrated side. Not sure how to fix this though...

-Working out five to six days per week
I started Chalean Extreme again last week and I am doing a modified version of the hybrid with TurboFire. I am usually good about getting my workouts in on strength training day but I've been lazy on cardio days. Maybe because a part of me feels like I do a lot of walking at work and my feet hurt by the time I get home. I have been working on getting up earlier to work out in the mornings but when earlier means 4:30am...ummm, yeah... Next week when I have more normal hours hopefully I can get into the habit.

For those that are still out there, how have things been going and what are your fall/winter fitness plans?

Today's Breakfast: Baked Omelet

I've been eyeing this recipe over at Yes, Divas Can Cook for a while and so when she re-posted it as a Mother's Day breakfast option I was inspired to give it a try. You can find the recipe and video here. Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers in the blogosphere!

Step One: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Whisk 1/2 cup milk and 1/4 cup all purpose flour together. Add 4 eggs, 1/4 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp salt and whisk until smooth (you may also use a blender to get rid of lumps). Add mixture to a well greased (using butter or non-stick spray) 9x13 dish and bake for 5-7 minutes until firm.

Step Two: Chop 1/3 cup onions, 1/2 green pepper and about 1 cup smoked turkey sausage and then saute in a little bit of olive oil. Spread over the baked egg mixture and top with 1 cup cheddar cheese (I used 3/4 cup Mexican). Bake 1-2 minutes until cheese melts.

Step Three: Use a spatula to free the edges from the dish and roll up into a log keeping it tight as you go along. Be careful, the omelet will be hot! Slice and serve with a dollop of sour cream (I substituted Greek yogurt) and salsa. Garnish with parsley and Enjoy!

Yum-Yum!

I also had Strawberry and Blueberries with Strawberry cream cheese dip with my omelet.

Something to read: Check out this post by Erica at BGG2WL on 5 Different Days to Enjoy Greek Yogurt.

One Reason Why I Love the Blogging Community

A few hours ago I really wanted a slice of cake. My sweet tooth has been rearing it's head for the past day or so and my pecan cracker with dark chocolate almond butter fix was not cutting it. Since it was dinner time, I decided to make a Hawaiian Pizza using this recipe that I have been all but living off for the last few days. It works very well for those days when you have little time to prepare a well rounded meal. The first two times I made it was under conditions of extreme hunger so they were quickly devoured. Today I waited long enough to snap a pic :-).

Hawaiian Pizza

The cure for my sweet tooth came from these Amazeballz. Gina (the fitnessista) swears by them and I must agree with her. They definitely taste like cookie dough and provided the baked goods taste I was craving without all the sugar. Another quick and easy winning recipe.

Amazeball!

If it were not for these and other health and fitness bloggers, this weight loss journey could have been a lot harder. I am always copying tasty healthy recipes into my OneNote program for easy referencing. This recipe for Maple Glazed Salmon changed my life. It makes a yummy dinner with veges on the side in less than 15 minutes. Check out the Resources page for more websites with great recipes.

Something to read: 101 Revolutionary Ways to be Healthy (scroll over each one for a description or view the full list here.) My favorite is #16: "Learn the skills Healthy, fit people have learned how to be healthy. Learn those skills, practice them, and you’ll be healthy, too." What's your favorite?

Quote of the Day

Source

"If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader." – John Quincy Adams

Spring in2 Action Challenge Wrap up

This challenge went by in a flash but I am proud to say that Team Unstoppable rocked it! I missed last week's update but I will put the numbers in this post. The last two weeks have been busy as usual. I finished up TF/CE and entered the Beachbody Million Dollar body contest (pls. cross your fingers that I make it to the voting round). After that I took a few days off of working out. They were not planned, I was just too tired and my feet hurt too much at the end of those days to get a workout in. I got back into it on Sunday and became a Yogi again :-). I went to Bikram on Sunday, then did Zumba on Monday, and yesterday was a rest day.  Today I did Hip Hop Yoga and Zumba. I love getting out of the house for workouts after a six month long program at home. The weather is also becoming warmer so that make it even nicer. The only disappointment so far is that I planned to start running last week and that hasn't happened because I am still having shin pain. I decided to take it easy for a while rather than risk aggravating my old stress fractures.

My eating is still so-so. My appetite has been weird and I've been eating outside the house more often because I haven't made time to cook. I need to get back on track in this area. The only other notable thing I can think of is that I have been extremely achy these past few weeks. Between muscle soreness, tiredness and bone pain, I was hurting much more than usual. I had another foam roller session a few days ago so hopefully all this pain will go away soon.

Okay now for the numbers:

Beginning of Challenge: 199
Week 5: 194.2 (+ .8 from previous week, probably due to stress)
Week 6: 193.0 (-1.2 from previous week)
Total for the challenge: -6.0 lbs!!


Woo-hoo! I think this is the most I've lost in a Shrinking Jeans Challenge so far. As I mentioned at the beginning of the post, my teammate Kristy also did an awesome job. She lost over 10 lbs! Way to go Team Unstoppable!!

Hip Hop Yoga and Foam Rolling

Happy Sunday everyone and welcome to my new readers!

Last Wednesday I tried out a new class that I wanted to tell you all about. I bought a Living Social deal for a local Yoga studio and while perusing the class schedule, I saw a listing for Hip-Hop Yoga. I just had to see what the class was all about. I got to the class a little late but at the beginning we were just going through various Yoga poses. The instructor had a R&B, Pop, Rap mix playing in the background so that was the first thing that was different. It definitely gave the class a more upbeat vibe. As we progressed, we still did poses but instead we were now holding them for shorter periods of time. We would get into a stretch and alternate between two different positions. There were a couple of finger snaps and "hands in the air" thrown in there and the poses were slowed down versions of popular hip hop dance moves. The class ended with a long savasana. Overall I liked the class and I will go back (I have four more classes left in the deal that I bought). It kept my interest and got my heart rate up quite a bit during some of the moves. There was just one problem...

The next day my legs hurt soooo bad. Now, this class seemed very harmless; as I said before, my heart rate increased, I got my sweat on a little but nothing seemed super challenging or painful so why on earth were my calves and hamstrings DONE the following day? I mean, I was doing some cardio and I was hurting so bad I was praying for the DVD to be done. The only reason I didn't quit was that I was too determined to finish it. I followed that cardio session up with a date with this bad boy:

My Foam Roller

I bought this foam roller a few months ago and had never used it until last week. I went to You Tube to look up some exercises for calves and hamstrings and then threw in the IT band exercise for good measure. I cannot tell you how much this helped. I mean I was dang near crying while I was rolling out the different muscle groups (especially my IT band which I didn't even know was tight) but the next day I was good to go and had minimal pain. After a second session, I am now pain free. This foam roller is truly like having a masseur/masseuse on hand- I think we will become great friends.

Learn more about Foam Rolling or Self Myofascial Release here.

Have you tried or considered using a foam roller? Have you been to a Hip-Hop Yoga class? Please share your experience below.

My South of the Border inspired (Breakfast for) Dinner

Huevos Rancheros w/ Blue Corn Tortilla Chips and Guacamole

Ever since my visit to Max Brenner's in NYC and having that foodgasmic Huevos Rancheros scramble, I've been seriously craving a repeat performance.  When I saw this post by the fitnessista the other day, I though I would give it a shot. I combined that recipe with Chef Emeril's version and I now present to you the remix. While it was not the same as Max Brenner's, the results were quite tasty!

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 large onion, diced

1/4 cup chopped red and green bell peppers

1/2 cup diced tomatoes

1/2 cup black beans

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/8- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne

1 tablespoon minced jalapeno

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon dried cilantro

1/4 cup water (can substitute chicken stock)

Salt and pepper to taste

 2 large eggs

Pepper jack cheese (optional)

2 tablespoons Guacamole

1. To make the Ranchero Sauce: In a medium pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and bell peppers, and cook, stirring, for 3 to 5 minutes. Add the black beans, cumin, salt, cayenne, jalapeno, and garlic, and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the water and simmer until thickened, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the cilantro. Adjust the seasoning, to taste, and cover to keep warm.

 2. Spray a frying pan with non-stick spray and fry eggs  until they begin to set, about 1 minute.  (You can sprinkle cheese on top here if you choose.)

3. Place the eggs on a plate, top with the warm Ranchero Sauce and guacamole and serve with tortillas or tortilla chips.   

4. Enjoy!

Let me know if you give it a try. Until next time...

Spring In2 Action Challenge - Weeks 3 and 4 Recap

Where has time gone? This challenge is almost over! I missed last week's update because I had a major final exam on the brain. Now that that's over I am enjoying a little rest and relaxation. So, what's new?

-Well first, I didn't exercise for most of the last week (all except yesterday actually). First I was tired and then I didn't feel up to it. This doesn't really happen very often but maybe it was my body telling me to take it easy. I was having some shin pain and I knew I needed to get new shoes. I got that taken care of on Monday and jumped back into it yesterday.

-My eating habits were so-so. As usual, they could be better. What I've been eating hasn't been too bad but I need to include more veges. The sugar reduction for Lent is also going okay. I had ice cream from Coldstone and chocolate in the last couple of days (blame it on the hormones), and two sugary coffee drinks during exam week but overall I haven't been going too crazy with the sugar. By the way, the sugar in that ice cream messed me up so bad, I became sooooo tired after eating it and swore I was running a temperature. I won't be doing that again any time soon.

-I still need to get back on track with breakfast but now it's more because of laziness rather than being busy.

Let's have a look at the numbers:

Beginning of Challenge: 199
Week 3: 194.8 (-2 from previous week)
Week 4: 193.8 (-1)
Total: -5.2

Edited to add* - How could I forget to mention? Team Unstoppable kicked major booty last week and made our debut on the Leaderboard at position 8. Check it out!

How was your week?

Until next time...

Quote of the Day

"If you think you can do it, you're right. If you think you can't do it, you're still right."

Henry Ford

Spring In2 Action Challenge - Week 2 Recap

I began writing this post yesterday but didn't get around to posting it so here it is:

What's new for this week?

-I am in the final month of the TurboFire/Chalean Extreme hybrid program. This program served me well as my winter workout plan but I am ready for it to be over. I began writing my review of it and I will share it along with progress pics when I am done.

-I decided to drastically reduce my sugar for lent (I say drastically reduce because I still get sugar from fruits and I use it in my tea/coffee.). This is something that I really needed to work on and so I decided to make it my sacrifice during this season. It has been a little challenging but I feel like I can already see and feel the difference it is making. I passed up desert over the weekend at dinner but on Tuesday I gave in and had a small piece of a cookie. I think I will also cut down with alcohol as well but I haven't really been drinking much these days anyway.

-Challenges: I skipped breakfast a few times this week - partly because I was not hungry and partly because I was busy working on something or the other. I was also exhausted by the time the weekend rolled around and losing an hour on Sunday did not help. I also still haven't found the time or energy to begin the push-ups challenge so I think I might postpone it until after finished with TF/CE because those workouts have push-ups in them already.

Overall this was a good week. I am even happier today because my major focus this week is to clear my To Do list and it is dwindling slowly but surely! Here are last week's numbers:


Last week- 199
This week- 196.8
Total for Challenge- -2.2

Until next time...

Spring In2 Action Challenge - Week in Review

 
The Spring In2 Action challenge is on it's way! Meet Team Unstoppable!!! You can check out my buddy for the challenge Kristy here. We are both ready to get 'er done.

The first week is already over and I've barely had time to figure out what I should be doing for the challenge. You blame it on the two programs I was planning, one last Saturday and one tomorrow.  My eating was not on point this past week because that tends to happen when I get really busy. Cooking is one of the first things to go when time is limited. I didn't eat as much fast food but I did eat out a few times and Saturday was muffin, pizza and wings day. My water intake has also been slowing slipping from my 8-9 glasses/ day. I really need to figure out new strategies to combat these issues since me being busy won't go away any time soon. On the other hand, I got in all of my workouts except Friday and Saturday when my body and feet would not comply because I was on them most of the day running around.

I am participating in the 100 Push ups Challenge however I am starting the workouts this week. I did push ups in my regular workouts and was able to do a full set of 8 this week (my starting number was 6). My goal for this challenge is to lose 6 lbs over the six weeks (1lb/week).

Starting weight: 199
Last week: 199
Today: 199.2
Total: +.2

Until next time...

My Blog's 1st Birthday!

My blog turned 1 today! I remember last year this time when I on my way with my weight loss journey and was considering starting a blog. There we so many things to consider and I was quite worried that I would not have the time to put into it. That has not changed :-) but I think I did pretty okay. Since then we got a face lift and became a little stylish (signature and all), I learned a ton about creating images and html codes and all that jazz, and I've made some new online friends :-). Most of all this blog has kept me accountable in my weight loss journey and has played a huge role in helping me to lose the 35+ lbs that I have said goodbye to forever.

I love being a part of the blogging world (and having my own little corner of the net) and I really hope to be able to keep up in year 2 as well. Thank you to all of my readers for following and for your support during this journey. I REALLY appreciate it!!! Do you have any suggestions for improvement?

Check out my very first post.

Updates and Big News!

First and foremost, welcome to my new readers. I appreciate you following :-)!
Second, it looks like we have a Bloggerversary coming up on Friday! Stay tuned for the celebration.
Third.... I've found my way back to..... Onederland!!!

I am extremely happy about this scale victory! I still have quite a way to go in my journey but I remember a few years ago when I was gaining weight, I would think to myself that 200 was the number that I shouldn't let myself get above. I went above and beyond that so it definitely feels good to be back in Onederland territory.

I spent last weekend in New York City for a conference. It was extremely tiring. I had very long days, plus I ended up dragging broken luggage all over Brooklyn and Manhattan (didn't even have to worry about getting a workout in after that) but I had a good time with my family and friends. On Sunday I met two friends for breakfast at Max Brenner in Manhattan and all I can say is if you're in NYC you should definitely put this on your list of restaurants to try. Here are some pics... Enjoy!

New York, New York

I had a Chocolate Cappuccino in the Hug Mug. See the heart?

My friends had Chocolate Chai in a fancy teapot contraption

I had the Huevos Rancheros Sunrise Burrito scrambled instead of in a burrito. Instant foodgasms!

 These were their menu choices:

Chocolate Cheesecake Crepe

Cinnamon Apple and White Chocolate Truffle Cream French Toast

It was all worth every single calorie! Until next time...
 

The Power of One Challenge- The final three weeks

The last couple of weeks have been a whirlwind of me trying to keep up with my life. What's new? As I am writing this post, I should really be studying for an exam that I have tomorrow morning. Anyhow, the Power of One Challenge ended last week so I though I'd give a recap and post my numbers for the last three weeks.

Beginning of Challenge: 205
 
Week 6 (2/9)- 202.2 (200.8 the following day)
Week 7 (2/16)- 203.6 (202.2 the following day)
Week 8 (2/23)- 200.6 (199.4 the following day)

Total loss during the challenge: -4.4

In  the Week 5 Recap I weighed in at 201.6 so I had a gain the following two weeks but was still able to have a final weight close to my goal for the challenge (<200). My exercise regimen was pretty consistent but my eating was probably what caused these fluctuations. I also posted my weight on the morning after the weight in because interestingly enough it is always a lot lower??? I am not sure why this is the case but it might have to do with the fact that Wednesdays are my rest days and I am usually pretty sore or tired by Tuesday night. Maybe the recovery day helps with decreasing inflammation etc.?

Overall I really enjoyed this challenge. I missed getting to know new people since it was about the power of one person, but I got to know myself a lot better. My weight fluctuated a heck of a lot, running as high as 208 in the beginning and below 200 toward the end of the challenge. I've become a better planner and while it is still a work in progress, I've made strides in planning my meals and activities for the day and week. I also became very familiar with working out to muscle failure. I didn't comment on the February monthly project before now but for me this month it was the push-ups that did it. I hated doing push-ups before however, this month of Chalean Extreme gave me the gift of push-ups. I did them until I ended up on the ground in a slump. The upside? I can do at least eight perfect push-ups on my toes baby!

So the really good news is that the Spring Into Action Challenge begins tomorrow - and there's even a push-up challenge included! Are you in?

White Chili with Chicken

I fell in love with this dish a few weeks ago (I am late, I know). Since then I've made it twice and I feel like I could eat it everyday! It is very comforting in this cold weather and is a quick recipe that you can play with and make unique to your taste. The version of the recipe that I modified can be found here.

  Ingredients

• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast meat - finely chopped
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced (I omitted)
• 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped (I omitted)
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 5 cups chicken broth
• 2 (15 ounce) cans cannellini beans
• 1 (4 ounce) can diced green chiles (I used about 2 tablespoons Jalapenos, diced and seeded )
• 2 Tablespoons cornstarch (optional)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
• 1 can of corn (my personal addition because I love corn)
• 1 teaspoon cilantro (my personal addition for flavor)

 Directions

1. In a large stock pot, saute chicken, olive oil, onion and garlic and red and yellow peppers.
2. Add chili powder, cumin, cilantro and oregano. Cook on medium for 3 minutes. Add chicken broth, beans and green chilies (or Jalapenos) and continue to cook on medium low for 5 to 10 minutes.
3. If you want to thicken, add the cornstarch to the chili. Season with salt, pepper and hot sauce and serve.

Enjoy!

Lebanese Seven Spice

I was first introduced to Lebanese Seven Spice last summer while working in Chicago. One of my coworkers used it in her dishes and I loved the flavor that it added. I didn't think I would be able to find it in my area so I set out to make some myself. I found this article and followed the very simple instructions.
Here are the seven spices:

Allspice, Black Pepper, Cinnamon, Ground Cloves, Ground Nutmeg, Fenugreek and Powdered Ginger

The hardest of these to obtain was the Fenugreek which I found at a local Bazaar for a very reasonable price. I also had whole cloves so I ground them to powder.

Next I mixed equal parts of the seven spices above in a container and that was it. I used the Seven Spice to make Bulgur and Chicken and I also plan to use it to make Chicken Biryani in the future.

Finished Product

Spicy Asian Chicken with Brussels Sprouts

I found this recipe on A Black Girl's Guide to Weight Loss and it was perfect timing since I had some Brussels sprouts in the freezer that I needed to use up. It came out great! Here's the recipe:

1 cup long-grain white rice

1 large egg

1/2 cup cornstarch

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced (2 large)

3 tablespooons olive oil, plus more, if necessary

1/2 pound Brussels sprouts, thinly sliced

1 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and cut into matchsticks (I used about 1/2 tsp powdered ginger)

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

3 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar

1 red chili pepper, thinly sliced ( I used crushed red chili pepper)

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

2 scallions, thinly sliced (ommited because I didn't buy any)

2 tablespoons chopped roasted peanuts

-Cook the rice according to the package directions.

-Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat the egg. Place the cornstarch in another large bowl. Add the chicken to the egg and toss to coat. A few pieces at a time, lift the chicken out of the egg and coat in the cornstarch, tapping off the excess; transfer to a plate.

-Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. In 2 batches, cook the chicken, turning occasionally, until golden, 3 to 5 minutes (add more oil for the second batch, if necessary); transfer to a plate.

-Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in the skillet over medium heat. Add the Brussels sprouts, ginger, and garlic and cook, tossing occasionally, until beginning to soften, 2 to 3 minutes.

-Add the soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and ¾ cup water and cook, stirring occasionally, until the Brussels sprouts are crisp-tender and the liquid begins to thicken, 2 to 3 minutes more.

-Return the chicken to the skillet, along with the chili, and cook, tossing, until heated through, about 1 minute. Add the sesame oil and scallions. Serve over the rice and sprinkle with the peanuts

Enjoy!