If You Do What You've Always Done...

I personally am not feeling that inspiring this weekend, so I am going to provide you with some of my favorite quotations that I've read recently. 

Have a wonder Easter to those who celebrate it! See you on the flip side.

"To be beautiful means to be yourself. You don't need to be accepted by others. You need to accept yourself." - Thich Nhat Hanh (Buddhist Monk/Peace Activist).

"Gluttony is an emotional escape, a sign something is eating us."
Peter De Vries (Writer) 

Eating everything you want is not that much fun. When you live a life with no boundaries, there’s less joy. If you can eat anything you want to, what’s the fun in eating anything you want to? Tom Hanks (Actor)  Random I know, but so true... right?

"If you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always gotten." - Anthony Robbins (Motivational Speaker)

I lost another pound this week. It's coming off a little more slowly than I want it to, but I am happy that I still lost something. I've lost a little over 12 pounds since the end of February. I was hoping for 18 by the end of April - but happy that this is truly becoming a lifestyle change for me.

SONG THAT KEPT ME RUNNING THIS WEEK: "Changes" Tupac (thanks SBS)

RANDOM TIP OF THE WEEK: Big bagel shop bagels can be a nightmare for someone trying to lose weight - high in calories & carbs, low in protein & fiber, so they're not very filling in the long run. The problem is these bagel shops are such a great place to take kids for a quick lunch. I was pleasantly surprised when I recently went into Einstein Brothers Bagels. They now have "bagel thins". You can get whatever you want on them - I got egg whites, turkey sausage and some veggies - delish (and filling).
THIS WEEK'S RECIPE: Chicken Tamale Casserole

This is modified from an original Cooking Light Recipe. I jazzed it up with more chiles, green onion garnish and significantly reduced the fat of the original recipe by using 2% cheese. I made it for my husband and in-laws and everyone enjoyed it!

• Chicken Tamale Casserole
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded LITE Mexican blend cheese, divided
• 1/3 cup fat-free milk
• 1/4 cup egg substitute 
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 1 (14 3/4-ounce) can cream-style corn
• 1 (8.5-ounce) box corn muffin mix (I used Jiffy)
• 2 (4-ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained
• Cooking spray
• 1 (10-ounce) can red enchilada sauce 
• 2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
• 1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
• 1 bunch of green onions, chopped

Directions: Combine 1/4 cup cheese and next 7 ingredients (through chiles) in a large bowl, stirring just until wet. Pour mixture into a 13 x 9–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. 

Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until set. Pierce entire surface all around with a fork; pour enchilada sauce over top. Top with chicken; sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup cheese. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until cheese melts. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes. Cut into 8 pieces; top each serving with 1 tablespoon sour cream. And sprinkle with chopped green onions. 

Nutrition per serving: 329 Calories, 8g Fat, 26g Protein, 2g Fiber, 38g Carbs, 8pp+