Food

I am in love with the recipes that I made this week from Jillian Michael's book Making the Cut.  This week I made her Barbecued Chicken and Black beans (brown red onions and garlic, add chunks of chicken and cook, add a can of black beans and bbq sauce and heat through) and put it over lettuce. I made an Artichoke Hearts and tomato salad (halve cherry tomatoes and kalamata olives, add artichoke hearts.  Make a vinagrette using the artichoke marinade, vinegar, and dijon mustard) and added quinoa and some feta cheese.  I ate the leftovers the next day over a big bowl of lettuce.  I also made her Asparagus and Walnut salad (steam and chop up 1 pound of asparagus, make a dijon mustard vinagrette with minced red onion, put on greens, add chopped walnuts).  It was fun to try new recipes and get some new flavors in my mouth.  I ate way more meat this week and felt extremely satisfied.  Prepping my vegetables for the week is a good strategy for me.  I use them throughout the week for my lunches and quick dinners.  I use my grill pan to grill eggplant and zucchini.  I roast cauliflower with paprika.  I steam brussel sprouts and broccoli.  My spray olive oil and kosher salt are my favorite tools of flavor.  I also like to prep quinoa and brown rice.  Adding quinoa to my breakfast has been a delicious addition to my usual eggs.  Try these tips and I know that you will love them.  I don't count the calories of vegetables unless I add calories to them (like oil).  This helps me feel like I get a lot more food.  Here's to another successful week!

One Week Done!

I have made it through the first week.  I lost two pounds this week and I am now 154.2.  Go me!  My original goal for April was to get out of the 150's.  I have got a week to do it.  I think this week's success was due to my double days and really sticking to my calories of 1502.  I stayed on the Jillian Michael's diet for almost every meal.  I took 3 meals off and I drank a lot of coffee, but I budgeted all that into my calorie allowance.  In weeks past I have taken off a day and not counted any calories, but not this month.  Today is Sunday and that means an amazing meal with my family.  Today will be a test to see if I can stick to my word.  I will have a calorie goal and will not go over that.  I know that I can do it.  This week I am going to do the same as I did this week.  Double days!!!  Here I go...

Day 4

I have done Making the Cut for 4 days now.  It is hard, but I am loving it.  I feel strong and I can already feel some improvements in my workouts.  I did the 100 squats and it was not too hard.  Burpees are still REALLY hard though.  The diet is great and I have not gone over my calories once.  I am looking forward to a stronger body and mind. 

Day 3

I am loving my short morning run. I do 3 miles in the dark with my dog and it's great. I get back feeling energized and ready for the day. It's only 7 now, but I feel like I have been up forever. Must remember this feeling on those days when I don't want to get out of bed.

Watch my video

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FofAdzO3K2I

What did I get myself into?

Today was day one of my 30 day challenge, and oh my was it difficult! I have decided to do double days. I will be waking up early each morning and doing my cardio, which will be a thirty minute run with my dog. I did it today and I was having to drag my pup by the end. We will both be getting super fit. Then came the actual Jillian beat down and it was intense. My sister and I were DRIPPING sweat. It was very hard, but I did it! The eating was hard today as I was starving. I hit my calorie goal on the head today and am hoping my brain will get the message soon that I am full. Tomorrow is my first day back to work since spring break (boo!), but it does help keep my mind focused on other things besides food. I am looking forward to tomorrow's beat down.

A New Challenge

Tomorrow will be the start of a new challenge. I will be doing jillian Michael's 30 day making the cut plan. I will have a strict calorie intake (1502) but the real challenge will be the workouts. I will be doing things that I am afraid to do. I am looking fear in the eyes and going to get in the best shape of my life. Jillian promises me :) I will post as often as I can to fill you in on my status. I am excited. I need a a challenge and I think this will help me lose those last 20 pounds, or at least get me going. I want to be looking fine by June because we are going to Spain and I refuse to be the fat American girl anymore. I want my inlaws and extended family to be wowed by my weightloss. Wish me luck!

Turkey Meatloaf

I absolutely love to cook and eat. One of my struggles is to cook food that is good and is good for me. I am obsessed with this meatloaf. It is so tasty and moist. My husband loves it too. Makes for a great dinner with smashed potatoes and veggies. This recipe is from Giada and it is amazing. You must try it and tell me what you think. Ingredients Vegetable cooking spray 1/2 cup plain bread crumbs 1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley 1/4 cup chopped garlic and herb-marinated sun-dried tomatoes 2 cloves garlic, minced, optional 2 eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten 2 tablespoons whole milk 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 pound ground turkey, preferably dark meat Directions Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray. In a large bowl, stir together the bread crumbs, parsley, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, if using, eggs, milk, feta, salt, and pepper. Add the turkey and gently stir to combine, being careful not to overwork the meat. Carefully pack the meat mixture into the prepared pan and bake until the internal temperature registers 165 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and slice. Put on a serving platter and serve. Per Serving: Calories: 329; Fat: 17g (Saturated Fat: 6.5g); Protein: 29g; Carbohydrates: 14g; Sugar: 4g; Fiber 0g; Cholesterol: 213mg;

Success

I did it! I went shopping and got new jeans ans work pants that make me feel awesome. No more saggy butt! I am a size 8 and loving it. I am encouraged to keep getting fitter and healthier, and skinnier. Can't wait to wear these clothes. Success!

Clothing

Now that my body is changing, my clothes are looking ridiculous. I look frumpy and baggy. Not cute. I went shopping and it was strange. While I was looking at the clothes and collecting what I wanted to try, I had to remind myself that I am not a 12/14 anymore. I tried on 10's and 8's and they fit. It was exciting, but I still didnt really believe it. I ended up buying one pair of size 10 jeans, but when I wore them the next day my sister pointed out that they already looked too big. I guess I have forgotten how fitted clothes feel. I am determined to get some new work pants before my spring break is up. I have 4 more days. The search continues. Thankfully my sister is a super shopper and wants to help. I am truly blessed.

My love and I

My Hubby and I enjoying a high carb, pre-race meal.  I love running for many reasons, but one huge one is that I can eat more.  Food is fuel.  I like that. My husband is a huge motivator for me.  He asks the hard questions and puts a mirror up to my face when I need it.  He has helped me immensly and I have really changed some habits thanks to him.  He keeps me going.  He is my Jillian Michaels.

Our Race

Cousin TJ, Me, Sister Amber, and Sister Lindsay.  The coolest nuns around!  This is us after our half marathon on April 1st.

My fitness pal

One key to my success has been the app myfitnesspal. It is fantastic! It is like Facebook for dieters. Not only do you log in your daily calories and exercise, you also get to motivate your friends and be motivated by them. One of my favorite things about this app is that it keeps a memory of the days you consecutively log in. I will be hitting day 200 in five days and I am so excited. Do you have this app? Be my friend. My username is hgrgich. I'd love to see you there and read about your journey ;)

Obsession

I am in love with drinks lately. No not those fun alcohol laden ones, but good post workout low to no calorie treats. My favorites include coconut water, vitamin zero, and sparkling flavored waters. I usually only drink water, so the addition of these fun drinks is so exciting. I literally visualize one of these drinks to quench my thirst and boredom of water as I am working out. How else do you think I got through my half marathon? It was the drinks made by Body Armor I knew were waiting at the end for me. PS I helped myself to 12. Hey I worked hard and deserved them. What low or no calorie treats do you enjoy? What gets you through those grueling workouts? Leave a comment. I love new fun things!

Journey

I kind of hate the word journey as it is greatly overused, but I cannot think of a better word to describe this battle I am undergoing with my food addiction and body image. On this journey, I have realized that it is filled with ups and downs. I'm talking not only about the scale, but also mood and motivation. I am trying something new though...... I'm not stopping. I have had many weeks during the last year and a half where I gained, took a week (or month) off. What I am learning is to not be so hard on myself. To focus on how far I have come, but not just in pounds lost. I've made great improvement at the gym, on my runs, in the kitchen, and the list goes on. I have made great improvements, and I need to remember those. What have you improved on? What are you still working to improve?

Weigh in day

I am down another two pounds! 154.2 is my new number. I haven't been this light for a while. Feeling good and hoping to get out of the 150's by the end of April. This next week is my spring break and one of my goals is to get a new pair of work pants. I have been feeling so frumpy in my baggy pants. Time to get smaller ones. A good problem to have. new York and Company, watch out for me!

The Race

Today was the half Marathon in Santa Cruz. The weather was excellent. I was feeling pumped. I forgot my stopwatch, but was not going to let that stop me. We warmed up before and I felt great until mile 9 and 10. I ran the whole time and slowed down and sped up depending on how I was feeling. My goal was 2:25 and I finished in 2:13. So excited! I got a fatty burrito and chips and salsa. I have been relaxing all day and I just feel so good. I am encouraged to continue to lose weight and run farther distances. Possibly an 18 miler with my sis in May. I also weighed in on Friday this week and was 156.2. That is my lowest weigh-in weight thus far. I am excited for what is to come. I have 2 1/2 months for Spain. I want to be 146. Let's see if I can do it.