Finally Friday



"The difference between try and triumph is just a little umph!" ~ Marvin Phillips

My mother-in-law emailed me the above quote and I felt it portrayed this week of Meltdown so well.  I have had a great week but needed some "umph" most days to get my workouts in. 

For some reason I decided I would stray from my original plan of 4:30 a.m. workouts.  Why?  I have no idea.  It worked fine last week but I decided I would deviate from the plan and workout when I got home from work.  What I found was that I was tired when I arrived home or someone needed help with something, I had a meeting, and blah, blah, blah!!  Life happened after work ~ imagine that!  I did however manage to get all 6 of my workouts in (even my 1 hour workout) but I am going back to my early a.m. workouts next week and throughout the rest of the Meltdown.  Lesson learned:)

One thing that helped me this week was walking at lunch.  This morning I did return to my 4:30 a.m. workouts.  I like getting my workout done & over before my actual day starts.  It invigorates me and I like putting myself first but more importantly I like getting the thing I don't want to do out of the way first.  The scales showed the persistence in my workouts and the healthy eating and my clothes definitely reflect that too ~ just the motivation I need to push me through Week 3.

Our entire office woke up excited this morning and anticipating our Friday Weigh In.  We were all successful and impressed with our weigh in!  We all agreed it's easier doing this Meltdown because you have someone as a power partner who is eating healthy, exercising, and having ups and downs too.  We have had so much fun trying new recipes, talking about what we did for exercise, and we all feel it helps you stay on track too!

Just a reminder taht you have until 9 p.m. tonight to get your weigh in stats to us:)

Since it was Friday and our weigh in day we all waited to eat breakfast until we weighed this morning.  We love the yogurt Parfaits and decided this morning was a great time to have one for breakfast!  I love this and it's a daily favorite at our office.  Full of protein, fruit, and delici-O-SO-nous.

170 calories 2.5 g Fat

For lunch we decided a 6-inch Chicken Breast Sub from Subway sounded to good to pass up.

Flat Bread, Veggies, and Oven Roasted Chicken ~ Super Yummy!

Click on the link for the nutritional information on the sandwich -- for flatbread it has 330 calories and 7 g of fat. 

http://subway.com/applications/NutritionInfo/index.aspx

Weekly Menu items for the upcoming week that I will be cooking & sharing . . .

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

Mexican Pizza

Buffalo Chicken Salad with Homemade Ranch Dressing

Ice Cream

Chicken Rallatini

Shrimp Tacos with Avocado & Salsa Verde

Please post comments on our Facebook Page Neosho County Meltdown and on this blog.  We love to hear from you!!

Have a blessed weekend ~ Stephanie

20 Years Younger Thursday

Special thanks to Teresa for bringing the awesome mini muffin pan and items to fix this awesome breakfast!!

Egg Substitute Quiche

Spray your mini muffin pan with non stick spray.

We took spinach and fresh mushrooms chopped medium fine.

Place the spinach and mushrooms in the bottom of the mini muffin pan.

Pour Egg substitute in each pan (for 24 muffins it took 1 1/2 cups)
Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes depending on oven

12 Calories per quiche and <1 g of fat!!!  We decided these would be even better with Fat Free Cheddar Cheese, garlic powder and some minced onion or green onions.  Of course the calories would be increased but i think the taste would be enhanced.  Still a great idea to freeze these and have them for the weekend as a fast breakfast or even a snack.

Lunch was more Chicken Fajitas ~ I love these & never get tired of them.

A 15 minute walk to burn off more calories and a yogurt parfait for this afternoon!!

This time I used banana and strawberries along with Captain Crunch & 8 dark chocolate chip morsels.

Did you watch yesterday’s Oprah show?

Last night I worked out on the treadmill and watched Oprah.  This is actually one of the few episodes I've watched all season.  Bob Greene, the man who has been on her show 49 times, was her guest along with dermatologist Dr. Harold Lancer, sleep expert Dr. Ronald Kotlers, and nutritionist Diane McKay. Bob has penned a new book that discusses the lifestyle changes needed to look & feel 20 years younger.

I was excited to hear and see what all of the experts had to say ~ probably because I have a birthday coming up next week!!!!

Bob’s team said that in just two months you can lose weight, erase wrinkles and get energized. It will take up to two years; however, for the effect of feeling 20 years younger to truly be finalized.

Mr. Greene is an exercise physiologist and certified personal trainer specializing in fitness, metabolism, and weight loss. He has written countless books and is Oprah's personal trainer. She was his “best woman” at his wedding.

His program is built around four pillars: Exercise, nutrition, skin care and sleep. According to Bob, incorporating these pillars into your life can change your physiology, which will slow down aging and cause your body to function as if you were years younger. Bob says there is one nonnegotiable element of his program: exercise. "Make it like an appointment that you simply won't cancel," he said on the show today.

Bob Greene, and his challenge to look twenty years younger has been put in a book called Twenty Years Younger.

Twenty faithful Oprah viewers participated in Bob’s challenge to look and feel younger. The challenge lasted for two months and that is the committment to your journey of looking and feeling younger.

A few of the women took off 20+ pounds in just two months. A couple stopped their blood pressure medicine. One women’s cholesterol level went down by 100 points. Two women stopped smoking. Needless to say they had new clothes on, their hair was styled and they had the best make up artists working on their faces before the show. They all did look better. More importantly they said they felt better.

This was just the show I needed to see today.  I know it's Week 2 of our Meltdown but sometimes it's hard to see down the road 9 weeks from now.  Our Meltdown results are going to be just as amazing or better than the twenty viewers who took the Bob Greene Challenge and I must have needed a good reminder to stay on course and most of all stay consistent with my exercise, eating healthy, and getting 8 hours of sleep each night!!

Please be sure to make a comment and put in our post!!!  We love to hear all of your goals, excitement, and tips!!
Have a blessed Thursday ~ Stephanie





Walk By Faith Wednesday

Breakfast was just that ~ a fast break!!  It consisted of 1/2 of a whole wheat

English Muffin topped with egg substitute.

Protein Packed and filling!

Lunch was a small Yukon Potato (plain), okra, & 4 ounces of chicken breast.

Lunch was super filling and had 310 calories.

Our wonderful yogurt parfait seems to be the afternoon staple around here!  This helps get me through my workout after work and while cooking supper.

Thoughts for Wednesday . . . . .

I am walking by FAITH. 

Fully, Active, In every way, Thriving, & Healthy!

Now that the Meltdown Fever is taking over our county I have had several people stop me on the street & ask, “How it’s going with the Meltdown”.  It truly is going great!  There’s so much to be thankful for; so much to be celebrate.  Every day is fun & exciting and becoming healthier is almost a new way of life ~ almost. 

Remember that new habits are formed within 21 days of starting something new ~ next week will be 3 weeks!! 

Changes I have seen so far as a result of my Meltdown goals . . . . . .

            **I am eating healthier every day & writing down each bite therefore I have made better food choices.

            **I like (I am not at the LOVE stage yet) to exercise!  I sleep better at night, my stress level is down, and I am enjoying new ways to spend time with my family doing something active.  My stamina has increased and each day I have increased my speed, incline, and length of time exercising.  I have found that I like to do something different each day regarding exercise; Zumba, walking, running, bike riding, circuit training, and so many other things!

            **I actually like to create healthy recipes and find it fun to make family favorites more healthy with less fat.

            **My clothes fit better PLUS many have been put in a box to donate because they are too big!  No amount of chocolate or food tastes as good as retiring clothes that are too big feelsJ

Don’t look at where you started on this Meltdown journey.  Look forward to where you are going to finish and enjoy the smaller steps along the way that get you to a healthier, fitter YOU!!

What are some of your goals?  What changes have you seen so far in your Meltdown journey?  Post a comment or two at the bottom of this blog and let us know how you are doing and where you want to go on your Meltdown.

            My goals for next week are to drink 8 glasses of water via my 2 water bottles each day and to increase my exercise minutes (8 extra minutes each day of next week). 

            Stephanie

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1)

Wisdom Wednesday

I found some neat tips from the website Fitbie.com and thought we would share them with you on "Wisdom Wednesday"!

There are simple ways to help cut calories and fat per meal

#1 Select non fat or 1% whole milk.
#2 Dip your fork into your salad dressing, then pick up the lettuce leaves--not the other way around.
#3 Have a high protein granola bar or a high-fiber bar instead of an energy bar
#4 Substitue meats with lean meats such as turkey burgers, lean hamburger and canadian bacon
#5 instead of the whole egg, use only egg whites or use egg substitute
#6 substitue half the oil in a reciepe with applesauce when baking
#7 Try a calorie controlled frozen dinner made with whoe grains, lean proteinm and veggies instead of ordering take-out.
#8 Downsize your plates
#9 wait to have seconds for 20-30 minutes since it takes your body to register that you are full.
#10 water, water, water! If you are not getting enough water, your kidneys turn to your liver for help, which takes away from your fat-burning ability and slows metabolism.

Move on your lunch hour! A brisk 15 minute walk burns about 100 calories and it gives you less time to eat. Walk during your lunch for five days and burn 500 extra calories.
Chew your food! Women who chewed at least 20 times before swallowing ate up to 70 calories less at mealtime. 

All this exercise should make you sleep even more on the weekends!
Studies show people who get less than 6 hours of sleep eat up to 300 calories more during the day because a lack of sleep triggers the production of the hunger hormone, grehlin.
Each extra hour of sleep could save you 100 calories. So don't set your alarm on saturday, and if you snooze, you lose!

Never go more than 4 hours without eating! Waiting to long to eat can cause you to become so hungry and irritable that it's hard to think throught the healthiest meal choice, let alone prepare one! And never go to the grocery store hungry!

Try to have 3 meals a day and a protein snack before dinner so you are not hungry for seconds! Protein makes you feel full and last longer till the next meal and you will feel more satisfied!

Have a great Wisdom Wednesday ~ Jennifer

Tantalizing Tuesday

It is Tantalizing Tuesday and we are very excited to bring you more recipes and photo's!

As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.” Proverbs 27:17 (NLT)

I work with the best group of women!  It's a fact and just to show you how awesome they are here's what I found on my desk this morning.

The super yummy treat was made with love from one of my best friends and it just so happens I get to work with her every day too~ thank you so much Donna!!!!

Packed inside this breakfast parfait are layers of awesomeness. 

Bananas, Strawberries, and just when you thought it couldn't get any better . . . .

Crunchy Kix Cereal!!

Stats for the Parfait: 180 calories and I shared it so the split was roughly 90 calories and it kept me full until 10:30 a.m.

I needed a little protein so I made another Omelette like we shared with you on yesterday's post. 

Special thanks to Teresa for her inspiration for the Omelette ingredients. 

I added fresh spinach and put in my mug.  Poured 1 cup of Egg substitute and microwaved for 2 minutes.  Topped it with 1 Tablespoon Feta Cheese.



I ate half and shared.  Donna and I both needed a protein lift to get through the morning.

120 calories for the entire serving ~ 1/2 serving = 60 calories & 1 g Fat

Chicken Fajitas are a favorite of mine.  I like them for supper or for lunch.  Today is my hour long workout so I knew I needed a good lunch to get me through. 

My fajitas are really simple.  Smoked Chicken (remember I cook for the entire week)

4 ounces cut into strips.  Romaine Lettuce, low carb tortilla, & I split 1 Tablespoon of guacamole between the 2 fajitas (homemade -- see recipe below).  I either put Fat Free cheese on my fajitas or guacamole but not both. Today I was in the mood for guacamole.

I also saute onion, peppers, and squash to put in for additonal vegetables.  It's filling and helps to get my veggies in:)  I use salsa in the middle for an extra kick.

320 calories for 2 stuffed chicken fajitas

Recipe for Homemade Guacamole

**I like to make my own guacamole so I know exactly what is in it and I can control the sodium as well.

2 Avacadoes

Sea Salt

Garlic Powder 1/4 teaspoon

Onion Powder 1/4 teaspoon

Mrs. Dash Onion & Herb or Garlic & Herb

5-10 dashes of Tabasco

Juice of 1/2 of a lime

Mix and let sit for 10 minutes before serving

1 Tablespoon = 25 calories  3.5 g Fat

Supper tonight will be a fast and easy Salad topped with Chicken, Okra, black beans, and Fat Free Cheddar Cheese.  My dressing of choice will be Salsa.

Yummy Monday!



It's Yummy Monday and the start to our daily posts of recipes and what's cooking!

Today's menu plan includes my famous Omelette in a Mug, Easy Chicken Salad, & PBB Yogurt Parfait.

Omelette in a Mug is so simple and easy.  Spray your favorite mug with non-stick spray.

Add your favorite Veggies ~ today I used 2 Tablespoons of Onion & Mushroom which I added to the Mug and microwave for 1 minute.  Take out of the microwave and blot the veggies with a paper towel to get the moisture out.

Add 1/2 Cup of Egg substitute.  Microwave for 1 minute. 

Take out of microwave and stir.  Take 2 Tablespoons of Fat Free Cheddar cheese (or I use string cheese and put it in the food processor).  Stir and put back in the microwave for 40-60 seconds depending on the microwave.  Super Yummy and full of protein!

 

122 Calories and <1 g Fat.  I ate 1/2 of a whole wheat English Muffin with it too.

Total calories 182.

Romaine Lettuce & Smoked Chicken (from the grill ~ I cook Chicken to use all week in my meals)

I added 2 Tablespoons of Part Skim Mozzarella Cheese.

My favorite Salad Dressing is Salsa ~ no fat, extra calories, and tons of flavor!

4 ounces of chicken breast = 120 calories

1 1/2 cups of Romaine Lettuce = 40 calories

2 Tablespoons of Part Skim Mozzarella Cheese = 72 calories

Salsa = 22 calories

Total Calories = 254 Calories

Thanks to my little guy and our Wii Let's Dance 2 workout last night, I was inspired to create this Elvis (Viva Las Vegas) recipe which we are calling PBB Parfait (Peanut Butter & Banana).

Measure out 6 ounces of yogurt (I used Vanilla & we also tried Strawberry).  Most yogurts that are purchased individually are 6 ounces or you can buy your yogurt in a larger container like I do.

Crush 2 Tablespoons of Peanut Butter Puff Cereal (it's a small amount to get the great Peanut Butter flavor you may be craving)

Cut up a medium size banana.

Cut or crush up 8 chocolate chip morsels (or you can use 1 teaspoon of mini chocolate chips).

Get your parfait glass and start to layer ~ yogurt, banana, cereal.  Final layer add chocolate chips on top!

 This was sooooooooooo decadent and yummy!!  I shared with the girls at the office and we also tried the strawberry vesrion!  This is only half of the banana, cereal, and chocolate.  Basically we halved the recipe and put 1/2 with vanilla yogurt and the other half with strawberry to see which we liked best.  We are unsure so we are trying it again tomorrow:)

102 calories (for half of the recipe) and 1.5 g Fat.

Supper tonight is going to be Chicken Fajitas for me.  My chicken Fajitas are full of veggies and salsa and I don't even miss the cheese!  A power packed workout and my snack if I need a little something post workout then I'll fix a small salad with shrimp and salsa for dressing!

Make sure to check in tomorrow with more recipes!

It's the Climb

Happy Weigh In Day!!!  You have made it through Week 1.  Pat yourselves on the back for changing.  You are a different person today than you were a week ago.  Your health is improving.  Congratulations!

Last week I said that it takes 21 days to make a new habit.  You are 1/3 of the way to creating new habits.  For me the new habit is waking up at 4:30 a.m. and getting on the treadmill, doing Zumba, or the Wii.  I did really good most of the mornings but I'll admit that this morning seemed the hardest.  I knew if I slept in I would regret it so I pushed myself, got up, and did what I committed to do.  It felt great!  Each day will get easier on the road to consistent exercise but it is a daily battle for me!

Our focus for the upcoming week is going to be menu planning.  When I know what I'm going to eat for the day I stick to it and do better.  I love Rachel Ray and one of my favorite shows she has is, "Week in a Day".  I decided that I needed to do a Week in a Day for myself as well.  So I'm going to discuss ways you can pack your breakfast (if you don't eat at home), great lunch ideas, healthy snacks, and ideas for supper.  It's easy if you plan and it doesn't take alot of time.  So check in daily for my tips, ideas, and photos!!

My little guy was channel flipping yesterday and he happened to land on the Disney Channel.  Since our household is out numbered with more testerone than estrogen (I wanted to preface with that because you won't believe the next sentence) you can imagine that I truly didn't know who Hanna Montannah was.  Now if you'd ask me about Johnny Quest, John Deere, or a 55' Chevy I could tell you everything and anything.  With that said, as the channel stopped I heard the words to the most amazing song.  Miley Cyrus was belting out the lyrics to, "It's the Climb".

 I can almost see it, that dream I'm dreaming but,
there's a voice inside my head saying, you'll never reach it.
Every step I'm taking, every move I make feels
lost with no direction, my faith is shaking,
But I, I gotta keep trying.
I gotta keep my head held high

There's always gonna be another mountain.
I'm always gonna wanna make it move.
Always gonna be an uphill battle
And sometimes I'm gonna have to lose.
It ain't about how fast I get there,
Ain't about whats waiting on the other side.
It's the climb.

For me the words spoke to my heart.  Every move I have made in the past on my journey to become more fit has always been full of mountains & uphill battles.  I have lost weight, kept it off, and then became stagnant, remaining at the same weight for the past year.  My self renewal of the healthy eating/exercise process seemed to be found inside the lyrics to this song.

The Meltdown kickoff was perfect timing for me.  It gave me a sense of purpose again.  This time feels different for me.  Maybe it's the mindset.  Maybe it's knowing I'm not by myself.  Maybe it's just the right time.  The difference for me personally this time with pushing through is that it isn't about losing a certain amount, getting into a dress, or about a crash diet.  This is not a diet; it's a lifestyle change.  It is a daily climb of exercising, healthy eating habits, and self motivation.  We all have a climb on this journey; it's the climb to a better YOU!

Have a wonderful Easter Weekend ~ Stephanie

The Heart Takes Care of Itself First

Congratulations for joining this 11 week journey of our Neosho County Meltdown.  A journey of healthy eating, pairing it with exercise, and being accountable to yourself and your team as you weigh, measure, and log minutes of exercise each and every week.  We look forward to this time together and the time to celebrate becoming a healthier YOU!

**special thanks to Donna Bates via her sister for sharing the awesome quote that opens today's message.


Your heart is SMART!  It pumps the blood to itself first and then takes care of the other organs.  Think about that for a minute . . . . 
As women we usually take care of others first and put ourselves last on the list.  I personally am taking a lesson from the heart these next 11 weeks of our Neosho County Meltdown.  I'm putting myself first. 

To accomplish a task you must first know where you are going.  Ponder this for a minute.  Imagine you were practicing hitting a target with your bow & arrow.  You steady yourself.  Take a deep breathe.  Check the wind.  Decide if you should aim more to the left or more to right.  You zero in your focus on the target. Not the blue part of the target where the outer circles are.  No, you zero in on the red area.  Your shoulders tighten, another deep breathe, yep you're ready.  You pull back on the string and let her rip. WHIIISSSSH!  You hit the bullseye dead center.  Goal met.

Now let's look at scenario number two.  Imagine that you are once again getting ready to hit the target with your bow & arrow.  This time however you are not focused.  You look at your target and steady yourself.  You notice the blue rings of the target as well as the red but you never really zero in on a specific spot.  Your focus is all over the place.  You pull back the string on the bow and CLOSE YOUR EYES hoping for a good outcome.  WHISH.  You didn't hear a thump, in fact you didn't hear a thing.  As you open your eyes one at at time very slowly you get a very distinct feeling that you weren't even close to the mark you had set "in your mind" at all.  Your focus wasn't even really a focus.  It was a whatever happens, happens.  You look around for your arrow and there it it.  It's laying on the grass right next to your target.  You hadn't even hit the mark! Not a big surprise. You were not focused in on a specific target.

The next 11 weeks of the Meltdown will help you zero in on your target.  What's the next step now that you've signed up to do the Meltdown? Get Moving and Exercise.  Log your daily minutes of exercise.  Eat Healthy.  Weigh in at one of our participating weigh in sites & measure each Friday.  Get your stats to your Team Captain or email them to Neosho County Health Department by 9 p.m. each and every Friday!!

Set a goal for yourself as you step up to a new you and healthier lifestyle.  When I looked at what my personal goals are for this 11 week Meltdown I knew I wanted to accomplish several things.  My goals are simple but easy ~ 30 minutes (or more) of exercise 6 days a week, tracking my healthy eating lifestyle, and by doing these two things (eating healthy and daily consistent exercise), I know my 3rd goal will just happen and that's to see a decrease on the scale. 

Identifying your obstacle.   It is the dance partner to your goal.  By knowing the obstacle it is easier to overcome the hurdle.  A major obstacle that I identified and knew I would encounter was making the time to exercise.  I am a mom, wife, and nurturer.  In other words, throughout my life I have chose to arrive at the end of the day dead last to the finish line of exercise life; hence the heart paragraph above.  If I am going to set myself up for success I must put myself first and that for me means getting up early before "life happens" at my house every morning and exercising 30 minutes 6 days a week.  4:30 a.m. is going to come early but I know I am putting myself first which in turn means I am taking care of my family because I will be a leaner, fitter, happier me! 

Promise me that today you will decide what your goal is, identify your obstacle and how you will overcome it, and we'll celebrate your accomplishments at the end of our 11 week journey together! 

We encourage and welcome your posts!  We'd love to hear what your goals are for the 11 weeks of our Meltdown!!     

Have a blessed week!
Stephanie

**This blog is a tool to help each of us communicate, share, encourage, and up lift.  We will be posting recipes, giving exercise tips, and so much more!  Check in daily both here and on our facebook site, "Neosho County Meltdown".