It's Ok to Take Care of Yourself

I read a great article in SELF magazine last month. It's about a woman who gained some weight for various reasons and felt too fat and embarrassed to return to the gym. I myself have felt "too fat for the gym" for many different reasons. I have also felt a little too guilty at times to take care of myself (like this woman has). This article is a great read for those who have struggled in this capacity.

http://www.self.com/health/2011/02/too-fat-for-the-gym

It's gotten a little warmer here, so I've been able to run outside a few times, which has felt great. I even busted out what I now like to think as my signature - the running skirt. I still had to wear pants underneath but the fresh air and scenery are so much better than the dreadmill! :)

At my own weekly weigh-in I was disappointed to find that I didn't lose an ounce this week! I weigh myself on wii fit and it weighs to the decimal point. I repeated the weigh-in twice, and both times I was exactly the same as last week. This week I am really going to ramp it up! I think I ate out too much last week, which as we all know is a nightmare for those losing weight - even when you order healthy, it's just not the same as preparing food yourself. This week I am only going out to eat once. I am also going to focus on drinking more water, which I haven't been doing. Except big numbers for next week's update. :) I still want to lose 12 by the end of April.

SONG THAT KEPT ME RUNNING THIS WEEK: "Dog Days Are Over", Florence + The Machine

RANDOM TIP OF THE WEEK: I hate wasting produce. Often my intentions with purchasing produce are better than what we can actually use in a week. And then before the week is up, I end up having to toss some - which I hate! I feel so guilty wasting. Well since I found green bags, I am wasting no more! I am currently OBSESSED with them. I think I first heard about them through Jillian Michaels. They make your produce last so much longer and are worth ever penny. They are even reusable. 

THIS WEEK'S RECIPE: Crazy Good Chicken Enchiladas. My husband has been nice about my leaner recipes for the most part, but as soon as he took a bite of these on Monday night he said, "Wow, that's a keeper! Honestly these are so good." So take it from him and try them :). 

Crazy Good Chicken Enchiladas

-4 medium whole wheat tortillas

-3/4 cup of 2% extra sharp shredded cheese

(note: in the picture below i was a little more heavy handed, it was one of those days :)

For sauce:

-15 oz tomato sauce

-5 gloves of garlic minced

-2 tsp chile powder

-1 tsp black pepper

-1/4 tsp kosher salt

For chicken mixture:

-1 pound chicken breast, cooked and shredded*

-8 oz of canned crushed tomatillos (you can sub. green chiles)

-1 tsp hot sauce (I use Sriracha and a bit more since I like spice)

-1 tsp ground cumin

-1 tsp chile powder

-1 tsp garlic powder

-1/2 tsp ground pepper

-1/4 tsp kosher salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Combine all chicken mixture ingredients in large non-stick pan over medium heat and cook a few minutes until heated through mixing well. Remove mixture from pan and place in bowl. Combine all sauce ingredients in same non-stick pan and cook about 10 minutes stirring well. Spread a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of a 8x11 or so dish. Top enchiladas with remaining sauce and sprinkle with cheese. Bake on center oven rack for 20 minutes. Let cool a few minutes. I love cilantro so I also sprinkled with cilantro, spring onions would be good too!

*Tip: This could be a labor intensive recipe if you try to cook everything at once. I poached and shredded double the amount of chicken during the day. Then I froze half the chicken (it defrosts quickly when it is shredded) - for future enchiladas or chicken salad. And I refrigerated the amount for this recipe until it was closer to dinner time so I had it on hand. 

Nutrition**: 360 calories, 9g of fat, of that 3 are sat. fat, 34 carb., 6g fiber, 38g protein. 9pp+

**note: you could reduce the calorie content by using small 5" whole wheat tortillas and making smaller portions. I would have, but the store I went to didn't have them. Or you could eat a half of one and have a size of veggies or salad. These are SO good don't pass them up!