Obstacles

I am my own obstacle. 


I hate to say it out loud, but I am. I fell off the wagon so to speak over the past couple weeks. I got really sick and it took 2 rounds of antibiotics to get rid of my sinus infection. I was so hungry craving carbs and soup and I didn't watch it... And I didn't run... And then one kid got sick, and then the other got really sick. 


Now I want to strongly point out, that I am not making excuses. I realize that I didn't have to go as overboard as I did in certain instances. My problem is that it only took some conflict to get me majorly off track.


I realize that life is always going to have conflicts and social events and other things that could derail me. I just have to be stronger than those instances and not let them take over. 


Food is my go-to for comfort and has been for years. I know that I can't let it be and still be the person who is inside of me; who I want to be. 


My goal is still aggressive. To lose 40 pounds total by the end of June. I will post the updated chart next week.


PS- Try this week's recipe. It is interesting and has tons of veggies in it. :). My husband loved it (and I did too because it was so different).

SONG THAT KEPT ME RUNNING: "Shake It Out" Florence + The Machine

THIS WEEK'S RECIPE: One Skillet Vegetable & Beef Polenta - this is a combo of a few different recipes I've been exposed to. The spices are very interesting together and make the dish taste much richer than it is. It's loaded with veggies!

One Skillet Vegetable & Beef Polenta

Veggie Prep

Serves 4
2 tsp olive oil
3/4 pound lean ground beef (I used ground sirloin)       
1zucchini, minced
1 carrot, minced
1 celery stalk, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 red pepper, minced
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup salsa verde
1 tbs ketchup
1 tsp salt
9 ounces ready-made polenta, cubed
1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Pre-oven finish off.

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 400. Heat a cast-iron or oven proof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef and brown. Transfer beef to a plate (with paper towel on to soak the extra oil). Wipe skillet with a paper towel.

Add the olive oil and the onion, zucchini, celery, and red pepper to the skillet; saute until vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for a minute. Add the chili powder, cumin and cinnamon and saute 1 minute.

Add the beef, salsa and ketchup into vegetables; stir. Season with the salt to taste.

Scatter the polenta over the mixture and sprinkle the cheese over the top. Bake until polenta is heated and cheese is melted about 8 -10 minutes.

Finished product

James Brown

I feel good. I feel I am mentally back on track, and in control like I was before the holidays. And that's big.

Last week I didn't lose an ounce. I said I was going to work extra hard to make up for it and I did. I lost 3.5 pounds this week. 

Here's what I think were the major contributing factors:

- Cooking. I prepared all my own meals except one. I almost always had a big side of veggies (my go to veggie mix was sauteed zucchini, red onion, tomatoes with basil and salt & pepper - mainly just because it's what I had in the fridge!). I either used 1 tsp of olive oil or cooking spray but I also added a splash of chicken broth for extra flavor without the oil (I always seem to have a box in the fridge).

- Protein. When I was hungry for the most part I ate protein for meals and snacks. My favorite protein packed items from this week were fat free plain Fage yogurt - I ate about 1/2 a cup on a baked potato for a few meals this week along with a side of veggies. Another was light string cheese wrapped in a piece of turkey and microwaved for 30ish seconds, and roast beef.

- Apples. Besides protein my go to snack was an apple that I often had with the protein.

- Outdoor Running. Intervals of walking and running OUTSIDE! You burn more calories when you run outside due to the uneven terrain etc. I also love the feeling of being unhinged whereby I am not running at a certain pace the entire time, and I am more apt to dictate my own pace - which actually makes me run faster than running on the treadmill! Today it was nasty, so I had to go back to the dreadmill, but hopefully not for too much longer. 

- Small Indulgences. I did go out for a nice dinner for a birthday celebration. I had a salad and a petit filet (with no butter etc), one cocktail, one glass of wine and I even had a delicious cupcake. Other than this I really stayed on track. I think if you let yourself slightly indulge once it really helps staying on track the rest of the week.

I think what is helping me the most is that I am not looking for instant results and I have come to terms with the fact that this is going to take time.  When you realize that, it just doesn't seem as daunting as it really is.

For anyone counting... this means I have 8.5 more to lose by the end of April to reach my short term goal of losing 18 by the end of April! I am well on my way :)! 

SONG THAT KEPT ME RUNNING THIS WEEK: "Rolling in the Deep" Adele. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G song - actually the whole CD is great - you should check it out!

RANDOM TIP OF THE WEEK: Tea, tea and more tea. Not only are some teas great for you - green and white teas. They also can be a very satisfying end of meal drink! That's one of the things that really helped me this week. Sometimes when I would finish a meal I knew that I should be satisfied but I still felt like I wanted something else. I would cap off the meal with a glass of tea or two and it really helped me feel more satisfied. I specifically am really enjoying flavored white teas these days! My favorite is Imperial White Peach....... so fulfilling.

THIS WEEK'S RECIPE: Country-Style Beef & Green Pepper Soup (modified from a Clean Eating recipe). This recipe is delicious and super healthy! The balsamic is a must!

Country-Style Beef & Green Pepper Soup

Ingredients:

It tastes so much better than it looks, promise :)!

- 2.5 tbsp olive oil, divided

- 12 oz extra lean ground beef, I used ground sirloin

- 2 medium green peppers

- 1 cup chopped yellow onion

- 1 lb of fresh tomatoes chopped

- 6 oz fresh green beans, broken into 1-inch pieces

- 1 cup frozen whole-kernel corn

- 2 cups coarsely chopped green cabbage

- 3 cups low-sodium beef broth

- 2 tsp dried oregano

- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar (this makes it!)

- 1 tsp sea salt

- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Heat 1 tsp oil in large pot or dutch oven on medium-high - tilting to coat. Add beef and cook until browned. Drain excess fat and then place beef on paper towels to remove excess grease. 2. Heat 1 tsp oil in pot on med high. Add bell peppers and onion and cook for 6 mins or until edges begin to brown, stirring occasionally. Add beef back to pot along with tomatoes, beans, corn, cabbage. broth and oregano. Bring mixture to a boil over same heat, then reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 15 mins or until beans are tender-crisp. 3. Remove pot from heat, stir in remaining ingredients. including remaining oil. and let stand for 10 minutes before serving to allow flavors to meld.

Nutrition info for a 1.5 cup serving: 182 calories, 5.5 grams of total fat, 1 being sat., 17g carbs, 3.5 grams fiber, protein 16 grams, 4pp+!

*Hopefully there aren't too many typos - i am pooped and don't feel like proofreading tonight!