Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Balsamic Chicken with Mushrooms

I have never been really good at cooking chicken.  I always buy it, and it ends up staying in the freezer for a long time.  I found this recipe and decided to give it a try since it sounded fairly easy.  It was, and the chicken turned out great!  This is a simple recipe and can be done in less than 20 minutes.

Ingredients:
2 tsp vegetable oil
3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 clove(s) (medium) garlic clove(s), crushed  
1 pound(s) uncooked boneless skinless chicken breast(s), four 4-oz pieces
2 cup(s) fresh mushroom(s), small, halved
1/3 cup(s) canned chicken broth
1/4 tsp dried thyme, crumbled

Directions:
1) In a nonstick skillet, heat 1 teaspoon of oil.
2) In a medium bowl, mix 2 tablespoons of vinegar, the mustard and garlic. Add chicken and turn to coat.
3) Transfer chicken and marinade to skillet. Sauté chicken until cooked through, about 3 minutes on each side. Transfer chicken to a platter and keep warm.
4) Heat remaining teaspoon of oil in skillet. Sauté mushrooms for 1 minute. Add broth, thyme and remaining tablespoon of vinegar. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are deep brown, about 2 minutes longer.

Serve chicken topped with mushrooms.
Serves 4; 4 WW Points+ per serving


Sunday, July 8, 2012

Quick One Dish Meal

We had leftover meat/rice mixture from yesterday's stuffed bell peppers.  Rather than have it go bad, I decided to just create a simple, one dish meal from it.  It was really good.  We even liked it better than last night's peppers.

I cooked the mixture (ground beef, brown rice, Ro-tel). Then simply topped it off with one slice of Sargento reduced fat pepper jack cheese.  I added 2 oz. of avocado to the top along with some salsa.

One serving (if you use 4 oz of extra lean ground beef and 1/2 cup of cooked brown rice) = 10 WW Points+... I calculated mine a bit less since I didn't have a full serving of the ground beef left from yesterday.


Stuffed Bell Peppers

The ingredients... Can you tell we like to shop at Wal-Mart??
Directions...
1) Preheat oven to 365 degrees.
2) Saute onions and garlic until onion becomes transluscent.
 3) Combine meat (1 lb. extra lean), cooked brown rice (2 cups), can of Ro-Tel, onions, and garlic in a bowl and mix well.
4) Hollow the 4 bell peppers.
5) Bowl the bell peppers for about 5 minutes... or until the skin turns a shade different.
6) Stuff the bell peppers with the mixture and bake them for 40 minutes or until meat is thoroughly done.
7) Top each peppers with 1 slice of Sargento reduced fat pepper jack cheese and then bake for an additional 5-10 minutes.
8) Remove from oven and serve.

Serves 4; Each serving is 8 WW Points+ (If you use all of the meat/rice mixture.)

We liked this okay... If I were to make them again, I would also add in a small can of tomato sauce.  The stuffing tasted just a bit bland since we just added one can of Ro-Tel.

Friday, June 29, 2012

Taco Cupcakes = Yummy!!

Tonight for dinner, I made Taco Cupcakes.  They were a hit.  Below is the recipe...

Ingredients:
1 lb. extra lean ground beef
8 Mission extra thin corn tortillas
1 can of Rosarita no fat refried beans
4 Laughing Cow cheese wedges
1/2 cup reduced fat mild cheddar shredded cheese
1/2 package of taco seasoning
1/2 cup salsa
12 tablespoons of light sour cream

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2) Spray cupcake tin with non-stick spray.
3) Line cupcake tin with corn tortillas.

4) Brown ground beef and then add taco seasoning.

5) Mix in taco seasoning and refried beans.

6) Place 1/2 Laughing Cow cheese wedge on each of the corn tortillas.
7) Add a scoop of salsa to each of the "cupcakes".

8) Evenly divide the meat/bean mixture between all of the "cupcakes".

9) Top each with salsa and then shredded cheese.

10) Bake at 375 degrees for approximately 20 minutes.  Then top with Light Sour Cream before serving.
Two of these Taco Cupcakes were 11 points.  Not too bad for a dinner.  It was very filling.

Monday, June 18, 2012

Half Marathon Training

I have decided to sign up for my first ever half marathon... Crazy, right?  I'll be doing the Harbor Half in Corpus Christi on October 21st.

I needed to find a strict training program to get me ready for the event.  Below is the link to the one I have decided to follow.  It's the Hal Higdon plan.  I am going to have to make this into a 15 week program rather than a 12 week because Week One kicked my tail!  This should definitely help with my weight loss goals.

Is it difficult?... Yes.  

Will it be worth it?... Most definitely!

Training Website:   http://halhigdon.com/training/51131/half-marathon-novice-1-training-program


Sunday, May 6, 2012

From "Obese" to "Overweight"

I'm proud to say that my current weight has brought my BMI down to the next category.  No longer am I in the obese classification.  I think my weight loss is beginning to become a bit smoother because I'm now making sure to fit in my exercise much more often.  It feels great!

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Fitting in Fitness


All I can say is being a working mom is no joke.  I have now been back at work for almost two months.  I absolutely love the daycare we are using for Mya, so I don’t find myself worrying about her during the day.  That is such a relief, but I do miss her terribly when we are apart.  I am finding that fitting all of my normal activities in each day is much more of a challenge.  Since I’m apart from Mya during the workday, I want to spend as much time with her in the evenings as possible.  This makes finding time to workout, clean, do laundry, and cook dinner much more difficult each night.  I’m still working on finding a balance.  I have been running and doing the Jillian Michael’s 30 Day Shred several times a week.  When I don’t feel like doing them, I remind myself that I am becoming a healthier version of myself for not only me but also for Mya.  I want to set a good example for her to follow.  With childhood obesity rates climbing as they are, it makes me wonder if more adults spent time getting healthier, would it trickle down to our children.  I want Mya to be active and healthy, so I’m determined to be the same.

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

BMI and Obesity...


If you are anything like I was before I began Weight Watchers, you may not be certain what BMI actually is and why it is important to take into consideration.

BMI stands for Body Mass Index.  It is calculated based on a person’s weight and height.  It does not measure body fat directly, but research has shown that it correlates to direct measures of body fat.  BMI is an inexpensive and easy-to-perform method of screening for weight categories that may lead to health complications.

How can you find out what your BMI is?  There are a couple of ways.  There are lots of reliable BMI calculators online.  You simply enter in your weight and height, and they do the calculation for you.  Google "BMI Calculator" to find the sites that offer this tool.  If you want to figure it out yourself, the mathematical formula to use is to divide your weight in pounds by height in inches squared and multiply by a conversion factor of 703.

The standard weight status categories associated with BMI ranges for adults are as listed below…

BMI
Weight Status
Below 18.5
Underweight
18.5-24.9
Normal
25.0-29.9
Overweight
30.0 and Above
Obese

Here is a more specific BMI classification chart…

Classification
BMI
Severe Thinness
<16.00
Moderate Thinness
16.00-16.99
Mild Thinness
17.00-18.49
Normal Range
18.50-24.99
Overweight (Pre-Obese)
25.00-29.99
Obese Class I
30.00-34.99
Obese Class II
35.00-39.99
Obese Class III
40 & Up

I was interested in finding out the differences between the different levels of obesity since I at one point had been in the Class III category with a BMI of 41.09.

Class I Obesity means that you are at risk of developing health-related problems.  It is recommended to decrease your weight by 10% or more if you are in this category.

Class II Obesity puts you at a high risk of developing health-related problems, and you should see your doctor immediately.

Class III Obesity puts you at an extreme risk for health-related problems or even dying.  A doctor must be consulted to find an immediate solution.

Wow – sounds scary… but I do believe it is true.  I had high blood pressure due to being overweight.  I was put on a very high dosage to regulate my BP.  Once I was able to drop some weight, I was able to get off of my medication completely.  Also, when I gained weight during my pregnancy, it caused me to have to be induced early and be put on medication after Mya's birth.  Since dropping some of the pregnancy weight, I've already been able to get off of the medication again.  My current BMI is 33.02 (Obese Class I).  At my low weight point back in 2011, I had made it down into the Overweight category.  My goal weight will put me in the Normal BMI category.

While the BMI tool is fairly reliable, it shouldn’t be the only tool that you use to evaluate your health status.  It is important to measure your blood pressure, heart health, physical activity (or lack of), and abdominal girth.

BMI does not distinguish between muscle mass and fat mass.  A person who is very athletic and who weighs more due to muscle may have a BMI that indicates that they are overweight, when their weight is simply higher due to muscle mass.

Sources: Center for Disease Control & World Health Organization

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Baby Product Reviews

I can't believe that our Mya is already 6 weeks old.  It has been the best 6 weeks of my life!!  She is such a sweet baby.  She is hardly every fussy, and she is getting more and more interactive every day.  I could sit and stare at her all the time.

With babies come many, many products... Here are a few reviews of items that we are currently using...

Pampers - Of course I had to list these first because we go through diapers more than anything else!  :o)  Everything we have to say about the brand is positive.  We have tried another brand and had a bad experience with leaking.  I realize that Pampers can be quite pricey, but the coupons that are out there really do help bring the cost down.  Also, the Pampers Rewards program is pretty good.  Each Pampers item has a code that you can enter online... After you accumulate a certain number of points, you can trade the points in for other things.  



Graco Deluxe Stylus Travel System - We received this as a gift from my wonderful coworkers.  I really liked the design because it is gender neutral.  We chose to get neutral patterns on the big items in case our second child is a boy.  This system looks great and works great.  Mya is comfortable in the infant carrier, and it is really easy to get her in and out of the car with the carrier.  She loves riding in the stroller, and it has nice compartments for storage.  I would say the only negative aspect of the system is that the stroller is a bit bulky once it is collapsed.  It takes up pretty much the entire back section of my xTerra.

Playtex Diaper Genie II Elite - One word... AWESOME!!!


Fisher-Price Newborn Rock N Play - I had never seen one of these until we went to visit our close friends that had their baby this past September.  They swore it was a must-have.  They were right.  We keep this in our living area and are able to put Mya down when she is napping.  She really likes the position that it has her in when she is placed in it.  It can also be collapsed for easy storage.



Avent Bottles - Searching online, you can find many, many reviews of the different bottle brands out there.  After doing some reading, I decided to go with the Avent bottles.  They have worked well for us.  They are easy to assemble, and we haven't had any problem with leaking or with Mya getting too much air when taking her bottle. 

As we continue using more baby items with Mya, I will be sure to post my thoughts in case any of you are looking for honest reviews of baby products.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

New Year, New Beginnings

I'm excited to launch this blog...  I hope you find my journey into motherhood and the continuation of my weight loss inspiring.

There are a few things that I will focus on in my posts... 

a. My thoughts, feelings, and product finds related to parenting.
b. Recipes and such that work to help me stay on track with Weight Watchers.
c. My daily fitness activities and products that help me on my path to being physically fit.

Check back often and feel free to comment on any posts with your thoughts on the subject.  :)