DID you get the massive snow from Mother Nature this week too?
Well..Then here you, go! You’re Welcome.
wild country 99
Falling Down and NOT Running Away
StandardSometimes things happen. Sometimes things are Life. Other times things aren’t things. They are just one thing. They are just one letter; I
Work didn’t tell me to skip the gym. My son didn’t tell me to eat pizza instead of the lunch I brought. My husband definitely didn’t tell me to skip doing work and play games on my iphone. Nope.
What we have here is a failure to commit. But why?
Ok, let’s rewind about two months:
I’m gung ho! I’m rarin’ to go! I’ve got my supplements. I’ve shopped. My training sessions are scheduled.
One day gets stressful and I seek the typical head in the sand escape. I cancel on Ben at Rejuv. I don’t eat my lunch or really anything at all. I’m running late and blame the world.
I’m afraid. I don’t know why. I’m totally fearless with so many things, but when it comes to weight loss and commitment to myself, I run scared and it takes me weeks to figure out that I’m running.
Then it’s the lunch lady sized ladle of steaming hot self guilt. “Will they just shake their heads at me?” “Will they think less of me?” “Am I a total failure?” “Who have I let down now?” “How can I hide my total embarassment and self pity from everyone, they can’t see me like this!”
I work in a career where my life is in the open for all to see. Sometimes I have to appear super happy even when I’m not. I have to be the life of the party. 90% of the time, I am happy and ready to party, but there’s that 10% of the time that I question if people will not like me as much if they only knew that I fall down on the road to progress alot. This is where negative self talk destroys me.
This has been a pattern in my life for years. Back in college, I was a Computer Science Major. I loved learning code, JAVA, C++, etc. However, even though I was good at it, I was even better at correcting other people’s incorrect coding. This is just like my weight loss journey.
I know what to do. I can even help others on their road. I have the answers. I just can’t seem to execute them for myself. The only thing I can think of is that by helping others, I’m not committing to anything. I’m just swooping in and doing what I love in short bursts.
Weight loss for me can’t be a hobby. It can’t be an every now and then thing. I need to keep my head out of the sand and make this a career. I know that I can do this. I did it before I had Timothy. Losing the weight after baby? So much harder mentally. I’m strongly thinking of joining the weekly support group at Rejuv Medical calling “Breaking Barriers”. It might be just what I need to finally COMMIT to this LIFESTYLE of health.
A Clean Take on Eggs Benedict (aka Ma’am, Step Away from the Pancake)
Last night was the annual Leighton Broadcasting Christmas Extravaganza! Woot! With “AL Bucks” a plenty, everyone was in good spirits as we dined on Shrimp, Beef and Chicken then ended the evening with a Hypnotist and our own Money Machine.
When they announced the hypnotist, my husband immediately tried forcing my hand in the hair to volunteer me. Of course, I resisted like a pair of too small spanx. Then the hypnotist had us all stand up and “try her simple test”. Stand up, concentrate on my voice, your hands are getting tighter and tighter together, blah blah blah. So there I was standing with my hands GLUED together above my head and when she said “open your eyes”, I anticipated there would be a room full of hands in the air. nope. just one set of hands that I could see. Mine.
Good Lord. To which, with hands still above my head mind you, I groaned loudly “Great. Just Great”. Everyone laughed and I was escorted to one of the 10 chairs up front. Funniest part, I wasn’t laughing. I was just praying that my “state of relaxation” wouldn’t take effect on my posture and have me flashing my bits to EVERYONE I work with. I had been a part of a hypnotist show before and needless to say, your inhibitions go the way of the wind. You let it ALL hang out. oy. In the end, i don’t remember too much, just that I was laughing alot, I was craving ice cream and felt like I had just taken the best nap ever. SCORE.
Even though I was sober all night, I still woke up this morning with the “We were out late last night and need a hangover breakfast”. You know the greasy spoon kind. Well, Charlie was already gone to get the car’s oil changed, so it was just Timothy and I. Timothy’s favorite is pancakes. So Pancakes it was. As I cooked up a dozen or so pancakes (so I could freeze them for Timothy later), I started to nibble one. Then it it hit me. Pancakes, although tasty and kinda nourishing are not clean. I have plenty of clean pancake recipes, but I wasn’t in the mood to make them. So I gave myself a proverbial wooden spoon slap on the wrist and stepped away from the pancake.
Instead, i opted for a different breakfast staple…Eggs Benedict…only this time, I would make it clean and sans Hollandaise…so here you go!
Tuscan Benedict (A Cleaner Eggs Benedict)
- 1 100% Whole Wheat English Muffin (I use Thomas brand )
- 3 Whole Large Eggs
- Tbl Chopped Green Onion
- 1 Cup baby Spinach Rough Chopped
- 3 small Campari Tomatoes or larger Cherry Tomatoes (sliced)
- 2 Tsp Grated Parmesean Cheese
- 1-2 Tbl Chopped Fresh Italian Flat leaf Parsley
- 1 large Basil leaf chopped small
- 1-2 Tbl Sabra Tuscan Garden Hummus
- small drizzle of EVOO
- Kosher Salt / Cracked Pepper
DIRECTIONS:
1. Crack Three eggs into a Measuring Cup and whisk, add parmesean, a tiny pinch of salt and couple grinds of pepper, whisk again, set aside.
2. Heat your skillet over Medium/Medium High Heat
3. Drizzle in EVOO, swirl the pan then add the tomatoes, green onions and spinach. Give Em a Stir and don’t let them burn.
4. Even out the Spinach mixture on the bottom of the pan and pour in the eggs. Turn heat down to med/Med-low. Using a scraper/Spatula, stir it up a bit then let cook slowly, stiring occasionally until eggs are fully cooked. I like my eggs to not be browned..that’s when they get dry, so usually when they are all solid I yank em off the stove.
5. Toast your english muffing to desired toastiness 🙂
6. Assemble! Distribute the egg/spinach mixture over the Two Muffin halves. Top with Chopped Parsley and Basil then add a dollop of Hummus.
Eat it. Enjoy it.
If you can’t find the tuscan hummus, I would most likely pick Roasted Red Pepper. They both have a tang to them, which is EXACTLY what I love about Hollandaise. So this is a win win!
Enjoy!
Email me or comment with any questions! 🙂
Resolving to Not Resolve (plus Lemon Mint Cucumber Water)
So, it’s be come obvious to me that I have to make things an obsession if it’s going to work. What does this mean? Well, it means that I have to keep up on the Social Media side of things to keep myself in check. I’m not starting a New Year’s Resolution this year, but I am starting my new journey to babyville.
There. I said it. My husband and I are ready to have another, but I refuse to put my body through that again until it’s healthy..again. I lost 75+ lbs to get ready for baby number one and then lived the life of a dairy queen who loved cheese, milk, ice cream and tacos. What?. nevermind, but seriously. I ate tacos probably 2x/week and ice cream almost daily. Oh and my friend Mr. Exercise. I broke up with him.
Let’s just say that Mama was nesting more than in a nursery. My waistline turned into a large eagles nest and I’ve hung onto it like it’s on the endangered species items of necessity list.
So, I told my husband that we’ll try again once we’re through with our ACM Award / Las Vegas Trip this April with the Radio Station. So I’m counting down the days til my health deadline, he’s counting down the days til…well, you do the math.
Needless to say, we’re both motivated. ha!
Last night we arrived home after a full week in North Dakota visiting family. The fridge? Empty. The Cupboards? Empty. My Blood Sugar? Drastically falling like a bad day on Wall Street since I’m officially 8 hours off the “High Fructose Family” diet. I will admit that my eating was FAR SUPERIOR to most holidays where I graze like a Guernsey on Chocolate, Chex, Meat, Potatoes, Bread, more bread and well anything that resembles anything edible. This time I watched that I mostly only ate at dinner times and portioned out things if I snacked. Not great, but better than before.
I did a quick Pinterest Search or two and made a list for restocking. This time, with Clean Eating in mind and items that wouldn’t break my bank.
I kinda became addicted to MIO. In the end, it was just artificial sugar and flavor, not doing much for me. I still love it, but opted for something new. Here is one of the water recipes (if you can call it a recipe) that I will drink this week. I will try to post/try a new one each week!
Lemon Mint Cucumber Water (Detox)
- 1/2 Lemon Sliced
- Mint Leaves (torn)
- 1 small/med cucumber sliced
Wash everything, slice em up and add them to a pitcher of water. let them meld overnight. Then enjoy. I will continue to refill the pitcher for a day or two til I need to change out the Lemon/Cucumber/Mint. tada! it’s that easy!
**Note** the acid in the lemon kinda ate away at my plastic container (i suppose it depends on the container), but I use a glass pitcher now just in case. 🙂
Thanks to FitSugar.com, here’s why you want to add these to your water:
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Lemon: Lemon water makes for a powerful detox drink; lemon juice helps to cleanse and alkalize the body. Add one thinly sliced lemon to a large pitcher, or squeeze fresh lemon juice into your glass.
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Mint: Mint adds a touch of sweetness without the sugar to your water, and it also helps settle your stomach and aids in digestion as well.
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Cucumber: Cucumber water isn’t just for spas. Adding a few slices of cucumber to your water makes for excellent rehydration, and cucumber contains anti-inflammatory properties, as well.
Winter Weather calls for Winter Food and fun
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Timothy trying out his snowpants for the first time!
So mother nature has decided to grace us with anywhere from 7 to 11 inches of new snow here in the next 24-28 hours. It’s the thick, heavy & wet snow that is PERFECT for making snowballs and snowmen. It is also perfect for getting your car stuck and socks wet. I guess you get good with the bad and vice versa.
Growing up with my mother, food was always in abundance. The second the Weather Guy would mention snow, she would load me up in the car and we’d be off to the grocery store. You can only imagine the “apocalyptic style mania” that all Midwest grocery stores have during the pre-storm period. The crazy part of this whole phenomenon is that we always ended up buying MORE than what we usually would, and not just in quantity, but in variety. I don’t think I ever ‘survived’ a Minnesota/North Dakota snowstorm without Queso & Chips, Chili, Spaghetti & meatballs, Doritos, Oreos, something home baked and a mother load of Diet Coke. It was honestly like we were getting ready to have our last meal. Only instead of looking like a sad depiction of a woman who’s circumstances were gruesome, it would be a young overweight woman who died with a Minh Pork Egg Roll in one hand and the remote control in the other after the storm took out the cable.
Now don’t get me wrong, I am not blaming my mother or the way we ate for my “husky” (which by the way I hate when people call me husky). The majority of my weight came on as an adult when I was in total control of everything I ate. I use the word ‘control’ loosely.
Having just restarted my journey back to health, fitness and babyville, I wanted to still get that comfort that I remember, but not kill every ounce of my work at this. So, I decided on a Beef Noodle soup. I know what you’re thinking, “Babs, soup really isn’t that healthy”. Well, I would agree with you, if you’re buying it in the can, package, box, or frozen. If you are making it, soup takes on a new role in a healthy diet. It’s comforting, it’s tasty, it’s inexpensive per serving and it’s freezable.
So while my husband finished up the Christmas lights (this round of them) with the help of our jolly little man, Timothy, I started chopping. 6 years ago we received a Kitchenaid Stand Mixer for our wedding and the pasta attachment. BEST. GIFT. EVER.
So I opted to make homemade Whole Wheat Egg Noodles. They turned out great. I watched the sodium and fat in this soup by using EVOO and Low sodium Beef Broth rather than Bouillon and added 2 FRESH Bay Leaves and about a tsp of Italian Seasoning to the mix. Right before serving, I added fresh chopped flat leaf parsley. It turned out great and after portioning it out into containers for my lunches, today proved it was EVEN BETTER the next day!
Here’s a quick synopsis if you want to take a crack at this Clean Eating Pot of Goodness!
Beef Noodle Soup (clean)
- 1.5 lbs stew beef
- 2 16oz containers of Low Sodium Beef Broth
- 3 large carrots chopped
- 3-4 stalks of celery chopped
- 1 medium/large yellow onion chopped
- 2-3 cloves of garlic minced
- 1-2 T of EVOO
- 1 tsp Italian Seasoning
- 2 bay leaves
- Salt / pepper to taste
- Balsamic Vinegar to taste (adds a zing/tang)
- Whole Wheat Egg Noodles (Whole Wheat Flour, 3 eggs, dash of water) Or store bought.
1. Heat the EVOO in a Dutch Oven/French Oven ( this is mine)
2. add the garlic and cook a few moments before adding the beef
3. add pepper and a splash of balsamic to the beef, cook then scoop out beef in to a bowl and set aside.
4. Using the juices left from the beef, add the carrots, onions, celery and bay leaves to the pot and cook about 5 mins ( stirring so not to burn) If your pan is too dry, feel free to add a splash of beef stock and scrape up the bits from the bottom.
5. Add the rest of the beef stock and beef back into the pot and bring to a light boil. then reduce heat, cover and let simmer. add a splash or two of Balsamic Vinegar if needed (to taste)
6. Add the fresh whole wheat egg noodles about 5-10 mins before you’re ready to serve, just add them, stir it around and let it continue to lightly simmer covered.
7. Stir in a good 1/2 – 3/4 cup of chopped flat leaf (Italian) parsley right before serving.
Enjoy!
Eat · Train · Lose 