A Salad I Can Love

I get bored, fast, with food. For a while I was stir-frying vegetables for dinner, then I got bored. I was making salads, then I got bored.

I made a salad last night with homemade dressing and it was DELISH!

1 cup spring mix lettuce

1 cup butter lettuce

1 chicken breast cooked on the stove top with olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic salt (use 1/2 for salad, save the other half for another day) or your choice of protein

Handful of your preferred nut (sliced almonds, walnuts, pecans, sunflower seeds, etc)

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

*Cook chicken/protein in a small skillet for about 8 minutes (I used Extra Tender, might take longer for a thicker chicken breast), or until there is no pink inside.

*Mix balsamic vinegar and olive oil in a small container and put in refrigerator for a few minutes (I prefer my dressing cold, if you don't, then no need to cool it)

*Use whatever lettuce you prefer, I just happen to like the mix of the two I listed above. I like to make things easy, so I just use bag lettuce because I don't feel wasteful. Put the lettuce in a bowl of your choice, add nuts.

*Cut chicken in half, set one half aside for another salad. Cut the half you're using into small pieces, however small or big you'd like, add to the salad.

*Pour dressing over the salad, toss, and enjoy!

This was perfect for me because I had one chicken breast in the freezer and I was able to use it for 2 meals. You can definitely make a larger amount of the dressing and set aside for regular use. I don't have a great container for it, so I just make it as I go. I've heard 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar, but I found that resulted in a very thick, oily dressing, lol. So I used 1 part vinegar to 1 1/2 parts oil.

Free Zumba Classes in Shoreview!

Today marks the beginning of 2 weeks of free fitness classes at Shoreview Community Center! They do this in between their fitness sessions so you can check out the classes before you put money into it. These 2 weeks are especially important if you want to take Zumba. I've been posting on my Facebook about how my favorite instructor, Renee Miller, is leaving SCC to go on to Physical Therapy school in Duluth. During these 2 weeks, the new instructors will be leading the classes and you can try them out!

Here is a link to the class times:
http://www.shoreviewcommunitycenter.com/programs

Scroll to "Fitness" then click FREE! Fitness Classes.

I will be at most Zumba classes this week and maybe a few others next week once school's out for the summer!

Slow Weeks Happen

This week was weird. I was up at the cabin last weekend for Memorial Day. Monday I was off school so I made sure I got up and got to the gym since I didn't get much exercise in over the weekend.

Sadly, I had to interpret a visitation and funeral this week. A good friend of my brother's (mine too) dad passed away and of course I made myself available to interpret. I've known the family since Jeff and Jake were little, like 3 years old, but I never really knew the father. Just interpreting for something that emotional, though, seemed to take a toll on my body.

Tuesday was the visitation and a very long day so I knew I wouldn't get to the gym. Wednesday was the funeral and I just was not myself. However, I knew I couldn't slack on my workouts, so I took a nap and got to a Zumba class that night. Thursday was my regular Zumba day and I met my mom beforehand, as usual, and went on a long walk. I got to the gym yesterday and did my core, but I only got in my weights one day this week.

My point is, while I really needed to be sure and get in my cardio, I also had to remind myself that if I'm not feeling well and I'm run down, then I need to take a step back for a couple days. I've been feeling guilty all morning because I decided to sleep in and take it easy instead of going to the gym. However, I DID get in 4 cardio workouts (once with strength also) and this week starts free classes at SCC so I know I'll get in lots of great work outs.

This may have set me back in my weigh in, but I'm finally rid of the awful migraine I had last week and I'm ready to tackle the next week AND the last 7 days of work!

Have a great Sunday!

Small Victories

So I'm down 14 pounds and there are times when I'm disappointed that I can't see it more. Then, I had a few small victories over the weekend to show me that I AM making progress.

*My jeans that I bought a year ago that have gotten a little snug, buttoned with ease!

*I got on the treadmill this morning, and looked at myself in the mirror and thought "who is this person with the small thighs??" I can already see a difference in my thighs and bum.

*I do these things that my trainer calls "bird-dogs", I get on all fours, lift opposite leg/opposite arm then bring them in kind of like a crunch, plus it works my back. I went to do my left leg/right arm and my leg FLEW back behind me. It was so much lighter than it was a month ago!

I have a lot of things going on this week, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I can still eat healthy and continue to have small (and big) victories!

3 more down, almost there!

Yep, I've lost 3 more pounds!

It's amazing to me how great I feel. I really should have done all of this a long time ago, but I don't think I was ready, financially or mentally. I also have a very concrete goal in my sights this time and I think it's just the push I needed to get going. I'm going to be completely honest and say that a big part of why I wasn't working out or eating right was because we were living paycheck to paycheck for a year. Before that, we never really got our finances stabilized in order to have that extra monthly payment of a gym membership. I think Bobby's new schedule really pushed me to do something because I have every evening to myself. I can go out and take classes, I can join a volleyball league for the summer (which I'm still shocked that I did), I can cook healthy meals for myself.

Have I slipped and had a bad day/meal here and there? Sure! I'm not proud of it, but it has happened and I think that's normal for anyone who goes through this.

I don't know if I'll reach my first short-term goal by the 31st, but I'm SO close. Just the fact that I'm only 5 pounds away from that goal instead of still having the whole 19 pounds left to lose, is amazing. I've come a long way in just 2 months and I'm so proud of myself :)

Smart Meatballs

I've found several really yummy recipes this week and tried 2 of them. One of them is from my favorite magazine, Kraft Food & Family. There aren't always a lot of super healthy recipes but I found one! I LOVE spaghetti and meatballs! This recipe calls for a smarter version of meatballs and it is yummy!


Smart Spaghetti & Meatballs
Total time: 35 minutes
Prep time: 15 minutes
Servings: 6
1 lb extra lean ground beef
1 pkg (10 oz) frozen, chopped spinach, thawed, well drained (I ended up only using 1/4 of the package because it was still frozen, but it was plenty of spinach, I almost think a whole package would make it spinach meatballs and overpower the meat)
1/3 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs (I used Italian)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 egg
1 cup Kraft 2% Milk Shredded Italian Three Cheese Blend (I took the healthy tip and used 2% Milk Shredd Mozzerella Cheese)
3 tbsp Kraft Grated Parmesan Cheese
1/2 lb whole wheat spaghetti, broken in half, uncooked
1 jar (24 oz) spaghetti sauce (Used Prego sauce with Meat and 1 small can of tomato paste to thicken)

*Heat oven to 375*
*Mix first 5 ingredients, 3/4 cup shredded cheese and 2 tbsp parmesan. Shape into meatballs and place in a 15x10x1 inch pan sprayed with cooking spray.
*Bake 15 minutes or until meatballs are done (160*)
*Meanwhile cook spaghetti as directed on package and heat spaghetti sauce in separate large saucepan (I did this for about 5 minutes on low heat)
*Drain spaghetti, place on platter. Stir meatballs into sauce (I let it sit about 5 more minutes). Spoon over spaghetti, sprinkle with remaining cheeses.


It was absolutely delish! Give it a shot!

Crazy Weekend and Challenges

First let me say that this weekend was actually really wonderful. It just entailed a lot of storms and warnings.

Bobby and I spent the whole day Saturday together being lazy, renting movies, taking naps (that was just me) and enjoying an old favorite meal. We haven't had a weekend-day to just be alone and hang out for a few weeks, so that was SO nice to have. Today we finally got to have lunch with Ryan and Eric then had dinner with my family at my parents' house. We used our storm shelter for the 3rd time since we moved in today. There were some scary storms and tornadoes that touched down all around us. Thankfully they just missed us and we just got a lot of rain.

This week is extremely busy and creates a challenge of making sure I get in all of my workouts. I already went to the gym this morning and had a great cardio workout. Tomorrow night is Bunco, with good food, so I'll just have to have a semi-filling snack here so I don't munch as much once I get there. Tuesday, Ryan and I are going to a Glee/Dancing With The Stars Finale party with food and drinks. Again, I'll have to eat a little before I go. Wednesday I'm going with some students to the Twins game, and I'll probably have to eat my lunch at Target Field. Thursday night is Zumba and Friday I'll be with my family at a show.

The most important thing is to schedule my workouts on mornings that I know I won't be out late the night before. I need to grab a healthy snack before I go out to a place that will have lots of delicious snacks (even if some of them are healthy). I just need to hold myself accountable for behaving well.

We'll be heading up north for one night over the 3-day weekend and I've already told my family that I'm making salmon for dinner. We grew up doing hot dogs and burgers over the fire, but not this year. My mom and I both try to cook healthy so I know she'll be able to help with veggies and healthy sides. I'm excited to go up to the cabin while I'm on this journey. It'll be different but wonderful.

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend and have a great week!