4 to 40 ~ Week 2

So far, my 4 weeks to 40 is going fairly well, but Easter is fast approaching!  I did have a good week last week though.  I still didn't make all of my goals, but I did lose weight!  Yay!  Slow but steady...

Here's how my week was:

1.  Lose 5 lbs. - Lost 1.4 lbs this week; 2.6 lbs total so far!
2.  Exercise 4x/week for 30+ min.  - only 3x: 30 min. walking, 30 min. workout DVD, 30 min. Wii Fit
3.  Drink 4 (12 oz) glasses water/day. - Did 4/day about 3 times.
4.  Go to bed @ 11:30pm on weekdays. - Made it twice!!
5.  Make 2 breakfast & 2 lunch recipes/week. - Only managed the breakfast recipes - made Fabulous Fruit Salad and Jen's healthier baked oatmeal.

Not bad!  I feel like I'm on track for my 4 weeks!  How are you doing with your goals?  Are you on track?  Start over today if you need to - you can do it!

2 more weeks til I'm 40 and 2 more weeks for you to achieve a goal!  Then we'll start something new to keep us on track!

Have a healthy day!
Lisa  :)

Healthy Recipe: Parmesan Encrusted Green Beans

I ran across a great green bean recipe in a past version of Extra magazine from Raley's/BelAir grocery stores.  Tried it and loved it!  Very simple, but yummy and only 2 WW points per serving!  I think it's nice enough to serve to company too.

The recipe is on the Raley's website: Parmesan Encrusted Green Beans.  Enjoy!  I made things even simpler by using frozen haricot vert (skinny green beans) from Trader Joe's.

Have a healthy day!
Lisa  :)

4 to 40 ~ Week 1

Well I completed the first week of my own 4 weeks to 40 challenge!  I didn't quite have my mind ready for it and was still transitioning from the goals of my previous 10 week challenge, so I didn't do very well as far as my goals.  But I did lose weight!

I weighed in at WW and lost 1.2 lbs for the week!!  Yay!!  That's a good start for my 4 weeks - I just need to keep it up!

Here's how my week went:

1.  Lose 5 lbs. - Lost 1.2 lbs so far!
2.  Exercise 4x/week for 30+ min.  - only 3: 40 min. walking, 50 min. walking, 30 min. Wii Fit
3.  Drink 4 (12 oz) glasses water/day. - Most days 3/day, did 4/day once.
4.  Go to bed @ 11:30pm on weekdays. - Still didn't do - ugh!
5.  Make 2 breakfast & 2 lunch recipes/week. - Didn't do yet; have some planned for this week.

So you can see I need to do better this week!  So far, this week is going OK - I need to keep my focus!

Did you come up with a challenge for the 4 weeks?  How did you do last week?  Remember, you can start fresh this week!  Share your struggles and successes in the comments!

Thanks for following along with me as I attempt to be a little healthier and lose weight along the way!

Have a healthy day!
Lisa  :)

4 Weeks to 40

Shame on me for putting up a pic of delicious cake, but I couldn't help it!  It is exactly 4 weeks until my 40th birthday (gasp - now you know how *old* I am!)!  I am happy to have started off the year by focusing on healthy goals from the 10 in 2010 challenge and I want to continue.

It is generally thought that it takes 21-30 days to develop a new habit (though I just read that that is actually a myth and research suggests that it could take an average of 60+ days).  I figure that 4 weeks is enough time to work on habits already established and improve upon them.  I'm making some new goals for the next 4 weeks and will post weekly on my progress.  You are welcome to join in with your own goals and post about it to help keep yourself accountable.  I recommend making realistic, attainable goals - success at smaller goals is a great motivator to go on to bigger goals!

4 to 40 Goals:

1.  Lose 5 lbs.
2.  Exercise 4 times a week for 30-60 minutes.
3.  Drink 4 (12 oz) glasses of water a day.
4.  Go to bed no later than 11:30 pm on weekdays.
5.  Make at least 2 breakfast and 2 lunch recipes each week.

So you can see that I'm building on what I accomplished during the last 10 weeks.  I'm increasing my workouts and water drinking and hoping that it will help me lose 5 lbs in 4 weeks (sounds like a small amount but it seems to be tough for me).  I've changed my bedtime goal from 11pm to 11:30 in hopes that I can have more success!  And I'm good about making great healthy dinner recipes, but I tend to just scrounge around for breakfast and lunch.  If I plan out recipes for those too and make things ahead of time, I (and my family) will be much more satisfied with my food.

I'll post again next week with my progress!  How about you?  Do you want to join me for the next 4 weeks?  C'mon - it's only 4 weeks - I know you can do it!  I'm putting up a MckLinky below.  If you want to post about your goals for 4 weeks on your blog, then you can come back any time the rest of the week and link up your post.  Or you can leave comments with what you're trying to achieve and comment each week with your progress.  This is very informal - it's just nice to join in and get some accountability and encouragement!

I look forward to hearing about your goals and appreciate you checking in on me!  4 to 40 - let's do it (hey it's OK if you're not turning 40, just make it 4 to anything you like)!!

Have a healthy day!
Lisa  :)

10 in 2010 ~ Final Update

I finished the final week of Recipe Girl's 10 in 2010 Challenge!  Though I didn't have as much success as I originally hoped for, I did accomplish a few things and that will help me keep the ball rolling!

I went to my Saturday weigh-in and it was certainly not how I wanted to finish out the 10 weeks.  I had a gain!  Ugh!  I only gained .2 lbs, but it was still disappointing.  I wasn't as much on track this week, but still didn't expect a gain.

Here's how I did for the week:

Weigh in at WW:  Weighed in; couldn't stay for meeting.

Track all food:  Tracked every week day.
3 45-min exercise sessions:  1 60-min. Wii Fit Plus workout.
Bed by 11pm on weeknights:  Once. 
Drink 3 glasses water per day:  Did it about half the days.
Plan meals each week: Not well planned, and did end up eating In & Out burger and fries one night because of it.

Not a great week, but not a complete failure either.   So how did I do on my goals?

1.  To lose at least 15 pounds. ~ I only lost 5.2 lbs for the 10 weeks, but that is the first time that I have lost more than 5 lbs at one time in the last 4-5 years - seriously!  It's a great start for me!

2.  To be more fit/healthy with more energy. ~ When I keep up with my workout sessions and drinking my water, I definitely have more energy.  Since I can feel a difference, it makes me more motivated to keep it up!

3.  To be motivated to continue program beyond 10 weeks. ~  Definitely motivated, even though the weight loss is so slow.  I plan to keep on going!!

Over all, I'm pleased with my progress during the 10 weeks.  I'm much more consistent about working out and drinking water which will make it easier to increase amounts for both!  And though I didn't have a big loss, my jeans are more comfortable and being able to feel a difference makes me want to continue.

I do have a plan for the next 4 weeks to keep myself focused and you're welcome to join in!  I'll put up a separate post about that later.

Did you follow along for the 10 weeks (or part of it)?  How did you do?  Don't beat yourself up if you didn't hit all of your goals.  Focus on the positive changes that you made and keep on going!

Thanks again to Recipe Girl for doing this to help us focus on starting out 2010 in a healthy way!

Have a healthy day!
Lisa  :)

Healthy Recipe: Pulled Chicken Sandwiches

I'm still loving my newer WW cookbooks!  I like that the recipes work for you even if you're not a WW person - my family loves these recipes and you can even make them work for a more "Real Food" approach.

This recipe (from the WW Comfort Classics cookbook) was SO yummy - I've got to make it again this week!  I served it with Crispy Sweet Onion Rings on the side.

Pulled Chicken Sandwiches

1/2 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
1 tablespoon apple-cider vinegar
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
4 (1/4-lb) skinless, boneless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
8 slices whole-wheat bread, toasted

1.  Stir the ketchup, sugar, mustard, vinegar, chili powder, cumin, allspice, and ginger together in a medium skillet; add the chicken and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is tender, 20-25 minutes.

2.  Remove from the heat and shred the chicken with 2 forks.  Serve the chicken mixture between the bread slices.

~ The cookbook suggests topping the sandwiches with thinly sliced cabbage tossed with a little fat-free Ranch dressing.  I did this though I used light Ranch and thought it was a great topping and makes it a little more filling.

Per sandwich: 352 cal., 11 g fat, 3 g fiber, 7 WW points

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Hope you try this one!  I say double or triple the recipe so there are leftovers!  And now I'm wondering if it would freeze well - then you could even freeze individual portions to pull out later, heat in the microwave, and make your sandwich.

I'm linking this up to Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam - go check out all the yummy recipes!

Have a healthy day!

Lisa  :)

10 in 2010 ~ Week 10

 

OK - 9 weeks done and starting the last week of the 10 in 2010 challenge!!  This has been so helpful to keep me on track with goals and plans!  Somebody asked if I would be doing this again.  The program was set up by Recipe Girl and will be over at the end of the 10th week.  I wouldn't mind doing something myself when it's over to stay on track.  At the end of the 10 weeks, there will be 4 weeks until my birthday, so I think I'll come up with a 4 week challenge that you'll be welcome to join!

I did have my weigh-in on Saturday and it was a loss - .4 lbs.  Not much, but again in the right direction!  I sure am glad those WW scales do those decimals - LOL!  I know that I need to do more exercise and make some better choices with what I eat to lose more weight and will work on that eventually.  My main goal for this 10 weeks was to develop some good habits and become consistent.  Then I can add on!

Here's how I did this past week:

Weigh in at WW:  Weighed in; couldn't stay for meeting.

Track all food:  Tracked every week day.
3 45-min exercise sessions:  3 60-min. Wii Fit Plus workouts - Yay!!
Bed by 11pm on weeknights:  Not even sure I made it once.  :(
Drink 3 glasses water per day:  Did it almost every day!
Plan meals each week: I didn't plan as well for the week, but got through it OK.

3 things I'm proud of this week:
1.  I worked out longer than my goal each session!
2.  I've gone to every weigh-in during these 9 weeks, whether or not I thought I had a loss.
3.  Made good choices when eating out this week.

How was your week?  Do you have some good habits you're trying to develop?  Let's start fresh again and have an excellent week!!

Have a healthy day!
Lisa  :)

Healthy Recipe: Frozen Peanut Butter-And-Chocolate Pie

I enjoy finding new healthy desserts to have!  I must have some sort of dessert or I will fail miserably at any healthy eating attempts!

I found this recipe in my WW cookbook -  Comfort Classics.  I didn't have a reduced fat crust, so I made my own crust with some chocolate graham crackers and melted butter - not a reduced fat crust and I made it too thick!  So my version definitely had extra points, but it was a nice treat!

 

Frozen Peanut Butter-And-Chocolate Pie

1 1/2 cups fat-free milk ( I used whole milk)

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon reduced-fat creamy peanut butter (I used all-natural PB)

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup frozen thawed fat-free whipped topping (I used light)

1 (6 oz) prepared reduced-fat graham-cracker crust (I crushed chocolate grahams and mixed w/ melted butter)

1 tablespoon chopped dry roasted peanuts (I skipped this)

1/2 oz semisweet chocolate, coarsely grated

1.  Combine the milk and sugar in medium saucepan and set over med-high heat.  Cook, stirring constantly, until sugar is completely dissolved, about 2 minutes; remove from the heat.  Whisk in the peanut butter and vanilla until smooth.  Pour into a medium bowl and refrigerate until completely cooled, about 1 hour.

2.  Gently stir the whipped topping into the chilled milk mixture, spoon into the crust.  Sprinkle with the peanuts and grated chocolate.  Loosely cover the pie with wax paper, then with heavy-duty foil.  Freeze until completely frozen, at least 4 hours or up to 2 days.  Let the pie soften at room temperature 15 minutes before serving.

12 servings

Per serving: 175 cal., 7 g fat, 1 g fiber, 4 WW pts (my version was probably 6 WW pts)

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Hope you get a chance to try this recipe - don't be afraid to make changes to recipes and make them your own or use up what you already have in your home!

I'm linking this up to my other blog (Stop and Smell the Chocolates) for Chocolate/Dessert Friday, but you should only stop by if you can keep your chocolate cravings under control.  :)

Have a healthy day!

Lisa  :)