Another great Grill out side dish

My mom always used to make this and I don’t know that I have ever had it else where or liked any as much. When I moved out and started going to grill outs and having them at our place I asked for the recipe and couldn’t believe how easy it was. Now granted I wasn’t much of a cook back then so easy was a must for me to make anything.

Ingredients
2 Cucumbers
½ of a medium onion
1/3 cup of Regular Miracle Whip
¼ cup of Light Miracle Whip
½ tsp of Salt
Pepper to taste

Peel cucumbers and slice thin. I use a cheese grater, the long slot works best for really thin slices.
Add to medium bowl.
Slice onions thin. Add to bowl.
Add both Miracle Whips, salt and pepper and mix well.
Refrigerate for at least a few hours, but normally I do over night. Enjoy chilled.

10 Servings
Calories: 34.8
Total Fat: 2.0 g
Cholesterol: 3.8 mg
Sodium: 100.7 mg
Total Carbs: 3.4 g
Dietary Fiber: 0.5 g
Protein: 0.9 g

Great Get-together Recipe

Another one of my favorite treats to take to get-togethers is what my friends now affectionately call ‘Buffy Bars’ and I call them Peanut Butter Cap’n Crunch bars (because it is usually the type of cereal I use). They are always a huge hit and people often request that I bring them. I found it in a magazine once and decided to try and make it. I think it was a Taste of Home copy but again I am not sure. I have been making it so long I don’t even have the original from the magazine I got it from anymore. Course I make them so much I can also make it from memory.

Ingredients
3 tablespoons of regular stick butter (do not use light butter, it does not turn out well and is kinda mushy)
1 tablespoon of peanut butter (can use regular or reduced fat. Nutrition info is calculated with RF)
30 large marshmallows
6 cups of peanut butter flavored cereal (Like Peanut Butter Cap’n Crunch or Cocoa and Peanut butter cereal. I usually get the generic brand of either since it is usually cheaper)
1 ½ cups of regular M&M’s

Spray a 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray, set aside.
In a large pot on stove melt butter, peanut butter and marshmallows on medium low heat, stirring occasionally. (Make sure the heat isn’t too high because the mixture will gum up and become hard and unable to stir after a while)
Once mixture is melted and all combined, remove from heat. Then add cereal and M&M's quickly and stir quickly to coat well. As the marshmallow mixture cools will become harder to mix. Then pour into prepared pan. Then I always spray a little cooking spray on my hands and press down the mixture into the pan to get it as even as possible. Allow to cool completely and cut into 24 squares. Enjoy!
Calories: 153.8
Total Fat: 5.5 g
Cholesterol: 5.4 mg
Sodium: 83.7 mg
Total Carbs: 24.7 g
Dietary Fiber: 0.8 g
Protein: 1.6 g

Memorial Day Recipe-Simple Orzo Salad

With Memorial Day weekend fast approaching, I thought I would share some of my favorite recipes to bring to grill outs and get-togethers.
This one is a newer summer favorite and have already made it twice (going on three times after this weekend). I wish I could take credit for this but I found it somewhere on the internet and tweaked it to my preference. Also wish I could tell you where I found the first copy but I’m not 100% sure. I think probably on SparkPeople…http://recipes.sparkpeople.com

Anyways, here is the recipe that I call ‘Simple Orzo Salad’

Ingredients
1 cup of orzo, uncooked
1 can of corn
1 can of black beans
1 green bell pepper
8 oz brick of 2% sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup of salsa
Garlic powder

Instructions
-Cook orzo according to package directions. Once done drain and rinse with cold water.
-Drain and rinse corn and black beans. Add to large bowl.
-Cube up cheese. You can make your pieces as big or as small as you like, but you want them in bite size pieces. I cube in pieces about ½ inch or less. Add to bowl.
-Seed and clean green pepper. Chop up. Again you can make pieces as big or as small as you like, just make them into bite size pieces. Add to bowl.
-Add Orzo, salsa and garlic powder to taste. I love garlic powder and probably use about 1 tbs but I don’t measure.
-Mix well. Cover and place in fridge for at least a few hours and then enjoy cold.

This recipe works well every where I have taken it. Usually camping and we just place it in a gallon bag so we don’t have a big bowl taking up room in our cooler. You can also add canned chicken or cut up chicken and make it a meal. It is so easy and so good!

Nutritional Info
Servings Per Recipe: 10
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 181.4
Total Fat: 2.4 g
Cholesterol: 4.8 mg
Sodium: 296.9 mg
Total Carbs: 29.8 g
Dietary Fiber: 4.0 g
Protein: 11.6 g

This weeks plan of attack!

Monday morning already? This past weekend definitely went by a little slower and it was a welcome change from previous weekends we’ve had. We have been so busy for the last few months, I am looking forward to our first free weekend in a long time. Of course it is filling up with stuff to do but sounds like fun stuff to do :)

My plans last weekend went ok. I had a lot of fun and ate more then I expected to but I also held back and didn’t feel totally out of control. I didn’t eat the best but it could have been much worse. I know that the weekends are my biggest down fall and obstacle when it comes to losing weight. I know I will figure something out though, where I don’t feel deprived but still can stick to a sensible plan. The next weekend is another chance to try again. Once I have finalized our plans for the weekend I can come up with a plan of attack to be good. You know me and my plans :)

So as for my goals this week…
-Behave very well in the food department. I know this weekend is shaping up to a lot of grill outs and what not and I need to try and do my best during the week to minimize the damage. I will keep most of my days down at the lower end of my calorie range. I went to the store yesterday and got lots of fresh fruits and veggies (lettuce, tomatoes, strawberries, apples, carrots, etc). We have some great grilled meals planned out and will have plenty of leftovers. I don’t have a lot of junk left in the house so that will help to keep my munching and mindless eating to a minimum too.
-Workout! I have my Zumba and Bootcamp class Monday and Tuesday so I know I will get a great hard workout with those. I also have some yoga and a run planned. The other days I will throw in a DVD, maybe some Tae Bo or one of the Hulu workouts. Something with weights. I want to also get some extra exercise in.
-I have felt super overwhelmed lately so I am also going to work on my to do list to minimize to the necessities and take time for myself to breath and relax. I haven’t realized until recently how much of a worrier I am and how I take on more then I can realistically do. Time to start thinking about what is best for me and my health (physically and emotionally) and stop worrying about everyone else.
-I will tell myself one nice thing a day about myself and try and be as positive as I can. While bad things will happen and there will be things that will discourage me I will continue on trying to be the positive happy person I deserve to be. And the more I do it, the easier it will become.

Motivation

I love Sparkpeople.com. One of the many reasons I love this free site is because I get to meet all kinds of great, interesting, motivating people. I have made friends with people from all over the United States and the world. I have made friends with people even here in Iowa and even in the same town. It's such a small world! The people whose stories you hear and journey's you follow are so inspiring. When you want to give up, someone there will help you want to keep going.

One of these great, wise people in one of their blogs, was talking about the motivation to work out. She said that it isn’t a matter of motivation for her, you just do it. You have to work out to lose weight, so you do it no matter how you feel. You maybe tired or busy or whatever, you can think of thousands of excuses but at the end of the day you just do it. This has been a lifesaver tip for me because I used to give into those excuses and my lack of motivation. I used to let those reasons keep me in bed, keep me on the couch, or just be lazy in general. But now when my alarm goes off at 6am, my friend pops into my head and tells me it doesn’t matter how I feel about working out, how tired I am…Just get up and do it. When you don’t give yourself permission to negotiate with yourself, it’s easier to get up and get on with it. If it isn’t a question of whether or not you are going to it, it’s a lot easier to get up and get moving.
So the next time you find yourself debating, or if you find yourself wondering where your motivation is, just do it. No negotiation, no second thoughts. Put on your workout gear and get moving!

Plateau? Time to get your strength on!

I just read this…
http://caloriecount.about.com/new-look-weight-loss-plateaus-b425152?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter_20100518&utm_term=continue1

I have never ever thought of a plateaus as a good thing. I have never read of as one either. It makes sense that your body would fight against the change and after a while start protesting.

I think building muscle is so important but have yet to make sure to include it into my routine. I do workouts that often include weights but do not have a set weight training routine. Some weeks I don’t even do a workout that has weights in them. I know I should and be consistent, but I guess I am still in lose weight mode and that translates to cardio cardio cardio! I have read a lot of articles that say you also have to weight train. I guess it just takes a while to sink into my thick skull…So the moral of this story is DO YOUR WEIGHT TRAINING!

Of course I think it is very important to point out that what you think is a plateau may not be. When I think back at my “plateaus” most probably aren’t. They are usually when I start to slack on my food tracking or severely over doing it over the weekends. So do your weight training and build those muscles, and make sure you keeping track of your food (and being honest with yourself).

Zumba...a lesson in pushing past your comfort zone

Ah Zumba. How much do I love you? So much!

I don’t know if you have heard of Zumba or have wondered about it but it is the most fun I have ever had working out. Here is a great link that explains what it is…

http://www.dailyspark.com/blog.asp?post=all_you_ever_wanted_to_know_about_zumba

I have been really pushing myself to get out of my comfort zone and try new things. If you never try something, how do you know that it won’t become something you absolutely love? How do you know if it is going to improve your life and make you happier? You have to try things to find out what fits into your life and help you become the person you always dreamed of.

So in January I pushed myself to try this new class that looked like a lot of fun, and now I can’t imagine life without it. I take my class on Monday nights and I now look forward to Monday’s. If you know me at all, I dislike Monday’s a lot. It’s always super busy and stressful at work and like anyone it’s hard to say good bye to the weekend. But since I started Zumba, I may have moments of stress or moment of ‘God I hate my life’ but then I remember that I have Zumba after work and all is right in the world.

I go to class and when I get done I am the happiest girl in the world. My teacher is amazing and so high energy. The workout goes by so fast and I always burn a ton of calories (typically 500-650 calories). I truly cannot imagine my life without it.

So go out and try something. If you have thought about doing it, push yourself and do it! If you don’t like it or it doesn’t work out, at least you know. You don’t have to live with the what if’s. Then you can move on to the next thing. I know I want to get the most out of my time here on earth and I hope you do too. I think you will be surprised at the things you can do if you just push yourself to give it a try.

Bootcamp!

Holy Bootcamp class! Ok when I saw the name “Extreme Outdoor Bootcamp” offered through my local Park and Rec, I thought that could be fun. It’s outside at the parks around town so I would get some fresh air, get a nice hard workout in, what is not to like about it? I thought it would be tough and push me, but jeez I obviously did not realize how tough it really was going to be. I have always known that I tend to push myself harder when I see others around me doing better then I am. When I ran my first 5k last year I thought I would run a little and walk most of it. But as all these runners kept running, when I would normally walk, I kept running. And I kept running until I absolutely had to walk for a bit. I ended up running most of that 5k which was a big accomplishment for me, the girl who didn’t run regularly.

So I guess I wasn’t surprised that I pushed myself harder then I normally would have during a normal workout, but I was surprised at how far I could push myself. My heart rate was through the roof the whole time. At certain points it was so high that I had to modify the moves down but I tried to keep the intensity as high as I could for as long as I could. I thought I was in much better shape then I really am. I mean I work out 6 days a week minimum, this shouldn’t be that hard…but it was.

The class started out with us warming up and then a ‘short’ run (the instructor said). There was nothing short about the run by any means, but I kept my pace slow and steady and just kept going. Then we did some arm exercises with bands. Then she had us run over to these picnic tables and had us do step ups on to the bench part. Then some other exercises, tricep dips, one legged squats (one leg was up on the bench part again, the other on the ground), etc. After that we hit the grass next to the picnic tables and did some more cardio. Crab walks, bear crawl, jumping jacks, burpies…basically more torture. This was the part my heart rate was highest and I had to modify the moves a bit. It was so high that I felt a bit dizzy and sick so I had to take some deep breaths and get it down.

Then we ran over a bridge and on to the stairs. Step ups, jump ups, etc. Then up the other set of stairs and ran back and forth, which was killer. Up and down, up and down, three times. The next station was running drills and then planks and what not. Then we were sent back down the stairs for some more arm exercises with the bands. Finally we ran over to do some push ups and core work with a partner. Then some quick stretching and the hour class was done. I ended up walking home (took me about 20 min walking at a leisurely pace) and by the time I got home and did some more stretches I had burned 778 calories. My arms were tired, my legs were jelly, my lungs tired from huffing so much. I was wore out!

Like I said the class was very tough and at times torture. But I am glad I am taking it because I know it is going to push me to be in so much better shape then I am in and I know it will help me reach my goals. Plus I get to take it with one of my favorite Sparkfriends and man that girl pushed me to keep on going. When I wanted to give up I kept going because I saw her in front of me, still going at it. The other people in the class and the instructor and her helper all seemed really nice and encouraging. I just need to remember next time that it is ok to go at my own pace sometimes and lower my intensity so I am not dying.

I was watching the BL last night after recovering from the class and eating dinner and I imagine that class was what those contestants go through during a last chance workout. Well that plus hours more of it. But like the contestants, I can safely say I left all I had on the ground at that park. I think I literally worked my butt off or at least part of it :)

Doing it for the right reasons

I have been thinking a lot of the reasons we chose to change. When I first started to lose weight it was for my husband. Not because he asked me to, he would have never done that. He has always loved me regardless of my weight and have seen me at my smallest and at my largest.

But I was so unhappy with what I saw in the mirror, what I saw in our wedding photos and I had enough. I wanted him to be able to introduce me and have people think ‘Wow he has got a hot wife’. It seems so silly to me now but that was the driving force that started me on this long journey. Now when I look back I think the reason I started this way, was because I was too scared to do it for myself. I was so afraid to fail, I didn’t even tell anyone what I was doing, besides my husband. I had never truly tried to lose weight and I was afraid to fail as I had seen people in my life do so many times. How many times have you heard of someone who lost a lot of weight and put it back on? I didn’t want to be that girl.

At some point in my journey I started doing things for me. I started to be proud of the accomplishments I had made and at the weight I had lost. I started to see the journey as more then becoming ‘hot’ and more about making this life the best life I could. I started to gain self esteem I never had. I started to see myself as more then a number on the scale or a jean size. I started seeing all the things I was capable of. I started to do this for all the right reasons. I finally saw that I could do this and not fail. I could do this and learn and trip and get back up and keep going. I could finally define me and my journey.

I think whatever your reasons to make a change in your life, in the end you have to do it for yourself. I think that is one of the only ways that the change will last. You have to start to value yourself and what you think, over what everyone else thinks. You have to start being the person you dreamed you could be because YOU know you can. Not because someone else tells you, you can. It’s a nice push at the beginning but in the end you have to do this for you.

So look in the mirror. Tell yourself something nice. Don’t be so quick to be mean. See the person your husband or best friend or sister or whoever that loves you, sees. Be nice to yourself and you will start to see all those great qualities everyone else in your life sees.

I define who I am...not anyone else

I was watching the Biggest Loser the other night and during a speaking engagement a girl asked Jillian about losing weight, when you have always been told you can’t do that.
For a long time I was that same girl. I always thought that I couldn’t do anything because that is what I had always been told. But Jillian asked a very important question. A question I am not sure that girl really got. But it rang so true to my heart that I started to cry. Jillian asked that girl, “Says who?”

Who says you can’t do that? Who gets to decide what you are capable of? So often those people saying those things to you are saying those things because of insecurities they have. Things they think they can’t do. The biggest lesson you can learn is that it is not about you, it’s about them and you cannot take those things to heart. You cannot make that a part of who you are. YOU get to decide what you are capable of. You get to decide what can stand in your way. You are the one who decides, not someone else. Your journey is all your own and you cannot let someone else’s words stand in your way.

As soon as you realize that you are who YOU say you are, not someone else’s definition of you, nothing can stand in your way. Sometimes you have to be your biggest supporter and your biggest fan. There are definitely people out there that will support you, all you have to do is find them. But if all you got is you, that is ok. You are the one making the changes and the one making positive changes in your life. So why not celebrate and cheer for that? Why not celebrate the good in your life, instead of dwelling on the bad or past? Why is it so bad to be proud of yourself? It’s not, and don’t let anyone ever make you feel like you should. Those people are just trying to break you down and keep you in the same place they can’t get out of. But none of that is your fault. You can’t fix their problems, you can only fix your own.

First post

This is my journey. This is about me and my quest to tackle my emotional demons to lose weight and get healthy. This is about me finding out who I am and realizing that I’m not so bad. About how I found my way to loving myself, something I never thought was possible. I will write about my life and how I struggle and triumph and live.

When I started, I had no idea how much weight loss had to do with your emotional well being. I had no idea how much of the extra weight I carried, had so much pain and self loathing attached to those pounds. I mean I thought if I lose weight, then I will be happy...who doesn’t think that?

But in my journey it has been so much more then losing weight and *poof* then you become happy. It doesn’t happen that way. Once you reach that goal or get close, happiness doesn't just happen. You have to work on those emotional issues that you tried so hard to hide by eating. I always said that 'I just liked to eat; I loved food and life was too short to diet'. I was never going to do those crash diets, just to lose weight for a while and then gain it back. I had no interest and thought I was as happy as I could be. Fat or not. At the time I hadn't realized how I was eating as a way of pushing down emotions I was too weak to deal with. It seems so clear to me now but then I was so oblivious.

Emotional eating doesn't even really make sense to my healthy emotional mind. When I emotionally eat or go on an emotional food episode, I am miserable. Before, maybe not during, but especially after. If you are upset or bored and you eat to "deal" with those feelings, you don't feel any better. So why do we run to eating to feel better?

Anyway this will be the place that I come to sort through my feelings, and share my thoughts. I will share when I succeed at a goal or when I fall flat on my face. My life has always been a pretty open book so why not blog about it :)