Couch to 5K Update

Hi friends, today starts week 3 of Couch to 5K training. I question myself at least every other day "why am I doing this?" and I don't know the answer, BUT we are doing it! I'll be honest and admit that I don't follow the every other day schedule train, rest, train, rest, train, rest, rest...but I do get my 3 days training in.

The first day you had to walk for 5 minutes, jog for 2, then walk for 5 and I'm so embarrassed to admit that jogging for those 2 minutes was HARD, I was real out of breath and watching the seconds on my stopwatch so I could quit. But I'm excited to say that yesterday I jogged 6+ minutes and YES I was tired & felt winded, but it wasn't nearly as hard as those first 2 minutes just 2 weeks ago.

Keeping my eye on the prize!

Weigh In

This week I have been good but not great. I didn’t run as much and on Saturday mom and I went to Epcot and ate Hibachi. You know the seafood sauce that’s white, which is pure mayonnaise; I drink that stuff like hot tea. The meal was great and worth every point!

Hope everyone is having a great Holiday Season! It’s been so hot here I haven’t been able to get into the Christmas spirit. Have a great weekend! I’m having Brandi for the weekend and throwing a Christmas Party on Saturday night! What are your plans?

Week: -1 pound
Total: -3 pounds

Picture from Epcot on Saturday

Weigh In Day

I’ve chosen Fridays to be my weigh in day. This week I have done very well at staying on track, and have used only a little of my flex points. I’m doing the Couch to 5-K challenge and have ran everyday except for Wednesday and Thursday, and it wont be FRIDAY because after this message I’m heading out with my tennis shoes. So what am I down this week?? 2.2 pounds, the scale has been so strange, up and down so I’m starting to weigh myself on Wii Fit, which is scary for me right now since they blew my character up, so no longer am I a skinny wii. I’m a chunky wii! How sweet of Nintendo to do that. Hope everyone has a WONDERFUL weekend!

Ry

Down: 2.2 pounds

Couch to 5K

Hi friends, it's the 4th Fat Chick Allie. I too slacked off this summer and let my eating get a bit out of hand. And you all know my hatred of all things considered "working out". But I've got my mind ready and am back on track. Starting today the couch to 5K program. It's a 10 week program, that goes at a very manageable (slow for most) pace. My good friend Tara is joining me. We are researching 5K in our area to sign up for in March.

Anyone else want to join us? If so you can get the schedule HERE.

I'll keep you posted as things progress.

Happy Week!

I'M BACK!!

SO....I took a tiny break and kinda gained some weight ;( Thanksgiving was great :)

WOW, I should be a poet :)

Well, I'm back and I'm starting weight watchers today! I know it's crazy to try such a thing during the holidays but I think it will help me maintain my weight until January! I will start posting my gains and losses on Friday's so if anyone wants to join me please do and please comment to help me stay motivated! I'm also starting WII fit, riding my bike, and rollerblading. Wish me luck during the holidays!!

Love, Ry

P.S. Hope everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving!

Light King Ranch Chicken Casserole

Light King Ranch Chicken Casserole

Makes 8 servings Ingredients ·
1 large onion, chopped ·
1 large green bell pepper, chopped ·
Vegetable cooking spray ·
2 cups chopped cooked chicken breasts ·
1 (10-ounce) can fat-free cream of chicken soup, undiluted ·
1 (10-ounce) can fat-free cream of mushroom soup, undiluted ·
1 (10-ounce) can diced tomato and green chiles ·
1 teaspoon chili powder
· 1/2 teaspoon pepper
· 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
· 12 (6-inch) corn tortillas
· 1 (8-ounce) block reduced-fat Cheddar cheese, shredded
Sauté onion and bell pepper (I hate bell-peppers so I left those out!) in a large skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until tender.
Stir in chicken and next 6 ingredients; remove from heat.

I actually made the "filling" the night before and refrigerated overnight & reheated the next day, this is what it looked like after I re-heated.
Tear tortillas into 1-inch pieces; layer one-third tortilla pieces in bottom of a 13- x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.

Top with one-third chicken mixture and one-third cheese

Repeat layers twice.

Bake at 350° for 30 to 35 minutes or until bubbly. This was DELICIOUS, maybe one of my favorite Weight Watcher friendly recipes!

Note: Freeze casserole up to 1 month, if desired. Thaw in refrigerator overnight, and bake as directed.

Nutritional Information 6 WEIGHT WATCHER POINTS
Calories: 282 (32% from fat)
Fat: 9.9g (sat 5g,mono 0.5g,poly 0.7g)
Protein: 21g
Carbohydrate: 26.4g
Fiber: 3.1g
Cholesterol: 54.4mg
Iron: 0.7mg
Sodium: 947mg
Calcium: 248mg

30 Day Challenge ~~Winner~~

I am so excited that we are announcing the winner of the FIRST EVER FourFatChicks 30 Day Challenge! I've been trying to decide all week how we'd go about this, and figured I'd give all 3 of our WonderWomen 4 chances to win. One for each FatChick!

Then I cut each of the names up and placed them into an old Fat Free Cool Whip container which, if you pay close attention to in the video I call it a Fat Free Tupperware! OOPS!


To find out who won the drawing you have to watch and listen to me actually draw!

Congratulations, WINNER! See how I did that? Now you HAVE to watch the video or you'll never know who won & you won't be able to make fun of me for all the silly faces I make and my couuuuntry accent!

~ Winner ~ email your address to FourFatChicks @ gmail.com so you can collect your prize!

PS ~ I did several takes and I'M NOT KIDDING the same person won EVERY time! Weird, huh? Must be fate!

1st week back! ~ Lesli ~

This marks the end of my 1st week truly back in the swing of counting points! Let me be the first to say ~ dang! It's so not easy getting back into the routine of counting every single point, but you know what saved my points life? Writing down every single point! I wrote them in my notebook & in my iWatcher application on my phone. I was SHOCKED at how quickly points would go and how much I was VASTLY underestimating just by doing points in my head. Not sure why I trusted myself... I've never been good at math!

Week 1 down ~ stayed within my points and managed to exercise 6 of the 7 days!

Weight: -2

Waist: -.5inch

I decided this time around I was going to also measure myself so I could see the benefits of working out as well! The only other significant drop in measurements was my right thigh where I lost 1/2 an inch! Which is great news, because this is my goal dress and it is ~SNUG~ in the thighs and butt! {just to be sure I tried it on again yesterday & it's still snug!}

~ Next time you see this dress, it will be hanging perfectly from my body!

{WINNER of the 30 Day Challenge will (hopefully) be announced tomorrow! ~ it's been a much busier work week than I anticipated!}

French Fries (UN-fried)!!!

Now I must admit it's NOT a good option to eat french fries on a daily basis, but I know sometimes you just GOTTA have them. And I'm excited to say that I've found a frozen brand that is Weight Watcher friendly.

If you do the BAKED option, these fries are 150 calories, 5 grams of fat & 2 grams of fiber per serving (11 fries) which eaquals 3 points. So if you have a light point lunch you can have 22 french fries, which is probably more than a small order at fast food joint, for only 6 points! I LOVE it.

~30 Day Challenge~ SEPTEMBER {Complete!}

WAAAA HOOOO! That's what the end of my 30 Day Challenge calendar said! And if you ever wondered just how beautiful I am after I go for a run/walk and then do arms with Jackie Warner ~ now you know!



Girls ~ WE.DID.IT! I am so proud of each of you for setting a lofty goal and accomplishing it. Do not beat yourself up if you didn't work out every day, I personally had to skip some days, but the point is ~ I worked out MUCH more regularly this month than I have in MANY months! That's something to be proud of, and you should pat yourself on the back! Reward yourself with... a walk outside in this beautiful fall weather. You were hoping I'd say a chocolate milkshake or something? NOPE ~ October is here and that's where it all comes together with our eating good AND working out!



SO ~ if you participated, please please please let us know! You do not have to post your calendars today, but direct us to your last calendar post so we can see your accomplishment and pick a winner! Also, for those who participated and are not bloggers, please let us know how your month went so we can include you in the running for the Target $Gift Card$!

Thursday!

I'm choosing to post my food journal to help me stay on track, I'm sure it's boring but I feel like if I do so it will help ME stay motivated..so here it goes..I get 24 points in a day..I think, or so the chart says.

Monday

Breakfast:

Fiber 1 bar: 2 Points

Lunch:

Chick-Fil-A grilled chicken sand: 5 points

Chick-Fil-A side salad with fat free honey mustard: 1 point (I didn't eat any of the croutons etc..)

Dinner:

Grilled Chicken: 4 points

Baked Potato with fat free sour cream: 3.5 points

Asparagus: 0 points

Snack

2 glasses of wine: 4 Points

Gummy Bears...:( WHATS WRONG WITH ME! 4 points!

Popcorn: 2 points

Total: 24 Points

_____

Tuesday

Lunch:

Cuban Chicken 10 points

Dinner:

Scallops: 7 Points

Broclini: 0 points

Potato: 4 points

Snack:

Gummy Bear: 2 point

23 points!

____

Wednesday

Breakfast:

Fiber 1 Bar: 2 points

Lunch:

Grilled Chicken Salad: 7 points

Dinner:

Grilled Lean Pork Chop: 6 points

12 frozen french fries: 3 points

Brussel Sprouts: 0 Points

1 glass of wine: 2 points

Snack: popcorn 2 points

TOTAL: 22 points

Next Thursday's post will be for the whole week..wish me luck, the weekend is the hardest!

OCTOBER IS A NEW MONTH :)

First let me say CONGRATS to all you girls that have done the SEPTEMBER 30 day challenge! I'm so proud of you! September is almost over and now you can look back and say, that wasn't that bad :)

NOW, my September was a little different. The month was filled up with visitors and I'm ashamed to say I didn't do much on working out nor did I watch what I ate but things are changing! October is a new month and for all of you that didn't do the September challenge, lets do it together in October! I started Weight Watchers on Monday and will keep a food journal and my plan is to be active at least 30 minutes a day 6 days a week. Let's try to keep each other motivated, if you have any pictures, recipes, work out ideas, please email them my way and I will post them on the blog for you.

LETS GET FIT FOR THE HOLIDAYS!

Hope everyone had a great weekend! I'm off to Chic Fil A for a grilled chicken sandwich, which is only 5 points!

Ryan K

Y'all see that?

It's the light at the end of the tunnel! All you 30 Day Challenge bad asses keep up the good work and finish strong!

Even if you haven't done ALL 30 days ~ think about how YOU can get some exercise in today!

Ps ~ I've already done Weight Loss Yoga & plan on sweating it out later with the Shred & Cardio

Pss ~ I was in Target on Saturday & found MANY ways to spend $100!

Show me your Calendar ~ Tuesday SEPTEMBER 22

Hey Ladies! I do apologize for my lack of updates last week. Unfortunately, I had a family emergency last week and spent more time thinking than I did blogging. Lucky for you, I also spent some time getting my workout on! I did skip 2 days, one at the hospital, one at the funeral, but was diligent the other days!

I decided to mix it up and let my favorite at-home trainers hold up my calendar this week! The Biggest Loser came back last week and it put me in such a Bob & Jillian mood that I put BL Yoga back into the rotation! If any of y'all are look for a good yoga video, I've said it before, but this is a great one!

I was thinking yesterday while doing the Shred that September has FLOWN by! Can y'all believe that we've almost made it through? I also thought, while I was doing Level 1 on September 21st that some of you MIGHT be beating yourself up because you think everyone must be on Level 3 by now {and MAJOR props to those who are}, but DON'T! I did Level 1, because it's challenging to me, makes me pour sweat & I don't have to take a 5 second breather every other move. So, I do Level 1 at the end of September!

Now your turn ~ show me your calendar!

Show Me Your Calendar!!

Did you post your work-out calendar? LYNN did!

Leave your blog address in our comments, so we congratulate you on your progress!

it's the freaking weekend!

All right Fat Chicks~ The weekend is here! Let me challenge you to not take the ENTIRE weekend off!

Christina visited last week & before we had all our Saturday fun we went for a walk. It's amazing how fast an hour goes by when you're gabbing with your girlfriend!

Even if your girlfriends are far away ~ conference them into your walk! I talked with Allie for another hour today!

Instead of complaining that you're man is boring you to death with football ~ Get your Shred On! Get your Run on! Take a nice walk! Get your 20 minutes in! We're almost 1/2 way through September!

Show me your Calendar ~ Tuesday 9.8.09

Happy Tuesday everyone! How was your week of workouts? Was it hard to get in the routine of working out or were you pumped to get started?

My week was good! I was busy busy at work with the labor day promotion, and on the personal side I was focusing on my half marathon. I had to approach my workouts with intention, because I wanted them to prepare me for the race & not hinder me in the race!

When you make my calendar larger you see that I varied my workouts throughout the week with the 30 Day Shred, Biggest Loser Yoga, Walking & running.

This week I'm hoping to do more running & shredding! I forgot how much I loved the shred & I'll probably start doubling up the routines very soon!

Now it's your turn! ~ show me your calendar, but don't forget to tell us when to look! I wish you many good workouts this week! Xoxo

Show me your Calendar ~ Tuesday

I was thinking about it this morning, and why don't we get a FULL week of workouts in & post those calendars on Tuesday?

Doesn't make sense to get them all up and posted on FRIDAY when we just started on Tuesday!

DON'T and I repeat DON'T slack off this weekend!

Think about all the stuff you can buy with your giftcard while you're working out!

love, love!

Friendly Reminder!

This is a friendly reminder to all you 30 Day Challengers to get your calendars printed and filled out for tomorrow!


Here's what you do...

1. Print calendar {or leave email in comment & we'll email you a calendar}


2. Fix your calendar up!


3. Fill in your daily work outs!


4. Take picture of your calendar for the week!


5. Post a Picture of your calendar on YOUR blog!


6. Comment back to us so we can go look at your calendar & stalk your blog!


Since no blog post is complete without a picture I'm going to leave y'all with this. Honest to gawd... when I googled "calendar" this picture came up like a sign from God!


Motivation? Go work out, girlfriend!

~Day 1 Down~ ***GIVEAWAY***

So, how did it go? I saved my Shred for the end of the day & like a nut case I DREADED IT! I've been training for a marathon for the past 4 months and honest to gawd, when Jillian was going through the introduction I had a nervous tummy! Of course it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be & even though my arms are JELLO it went by fast & the cardio part was a snap. Let me get this out in the open - I hate doing abs. Jillian is the ONLY person that can get me to do abs. Not sure why I have a complete aversion to them, but I'd rather put my body through ANYTHING else to not have to do abs! Hopefully Jillian can get me over this mental block!


I've learned through my marathon training, that I am mentally better if I'm counting backwards. That means ~ only 29 days to go! Already out of the 30s! If you ever spend multiple hours running you begin marking strange milestones.

***GiveAway Time***

To make things easier one of our *Challengers* Amy, created a calendar to print out to write in daily workouts to keep track of progress. I loved it so much I thought, "How can I incorporate this into the challenge?" Then I thought... we need a GiveAway. How can we make this calendar apart of the GiveAway? {If you would like for us to email you a copy of this calendar, please let me know!}



SNAP ~ At the end of each week all those who are interested in participating in The FourFatChick's 30 Day Challenge will post a picture of their completed calendar on their BLOG & link back to http://www.fourfatchicks.blogspot.com/. Then leave us a comment so we can visit your blog & see your calendar! GET CREATIVE WITH YOUR CALENDAR! Decorate it, Take it places, Pose with it, most importantly FILL IT UP!



What's at stake? IF you stick to The FourFatChick's 30 Day Challenge, workout every day of September for at least 20 minutes & post a picture of your weekly calendar you will be entered in a drawing.



For?

$100

You read that right. A $100 GiftCard to Target could be YOURS in 30 days if you choose to complete this challenge. AND ~ because I was busy working on Tuesday & you won't read this until Wednesday I'm going to go ahead and let y'all join the challenge a day late. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE ~ feel free to invite your friends to join in the challenge!

~I chose Target because I LOVE their workout clothes & that they give back to the community.

Who's with us?

This is the LAST weekend before September starts, so I wanted to make one more push for our 30 Day Challenge in September!

I think the most important this is that we're MOVING, no matter what we're doing! If you're walking Disney World, running a marathon or pulling weeds in your garden at least you're moving! SO ~ don't let not owning the 30 day shred be just another excuse to not get control of your weight.

The reason I'm wanting to do this is because I've been so focused on my running training that I'm needing a change and I need to make a big change to get me from eating bagels and english muffins to sweating it out daily with Jillian, and that's what works for me!

Now ~ I've given you a few days to think about it and mull over all the excuses that will keep you from joining this challenge, and I'm here to ask again ~ who's joining us?

1. Lesli
2. Allie
3. Lindsay
4. Ryan
5. Christina
6. Lynn
7. Tiffany
8. Rikki
9. Steph Mc
10. Mandi
11. ??
and so on!

I propose...

A 30 Challenge.

WAIT! Before you click the little X or move on to your next great read in your reader Hear.Me.Out!

30 days has September & there is the 30 Day Shred, so I'm thinking we need to join to two together and allow them to make our bodies better. You know when you opened this blog and saw Jillian's damn good body you wished that that was your face instead of hers. Right? I did.

Most of us need a good Kick in the Ass to get us over Summer & back into to the groove so we can get the pounds to Fall off! What better way to start than exercise? To quote Jillian from Twitter ~ "Shedding pounds isn't just a walk in the park. If you want to drop serious pounds and KEEP them off, you NEED to exercise." We can all count points until we're blue in the face, but we've got to WORK IT OUT! You don't even have to get up early to do it, because 20 minutes is 2 snoozes on my alarm clock and I get 2 snoozes just about every day.

So I vow to you that starting September 1st I commit to working out every day! Even if it means ONLY getting 20 minutes in, it's a start! It takes 3 weeks to form a habit, so the most i can hope for is being in a habit of working out daily. Now, I know you need rest days, so that's why I'm only proposing we get in 20 minutes a day.

Here's the Deal ~ I've been thinking about this a lot and coming up with a number of excuses that ALL of us {especially me} could use to get out of this, but there was this resounding GONG in my head - it's only 20 minutes a day! Trust me, I'm as busy as you, I work as hard as you {maybe harder}, and I'm as tired as you. SO ~ I'm leaving my biggest excuse in the comments as a way of putting it out there so I can get it out of the way for September.

Just think about it... I'd love for ANY & ALL of you to do the same! What's your excuse? Put it out there so we can get over it and move on! 7 days until we make the change!

Ryan Here :)

I wanted to check in, I know all of us are having a busy August! I have been trying to stay on track but with family reunions and fresh seafood that's fried to perfection, it's hard. I have only gained 1 pound, and I hope to start loosing again. Hope everyone is enjoying the end of summer!

Here is a picture from Tuesday night after dinner with my friend Lori. Let me tell you what I had :) Pan seared grouper with garlic, tomato, zucchini stew smothered over the top, with orzo pasta, which soaked up some of the stew juices. I swear, it’s the best grouper I have ever had, it was scrumptious :)

Weekly Weigh In

You might be wondering where all the Fat Chicks have been this week and I'm here to inform that we are all still alive and kicking just took a little break from the old blog. Allie's been shopping for a new car {which I'll let her tell you all about}, Christina's been working and painting Chicago RED, Ryan's family reunion~ing it up in Orange Beach and I've been running!

This is my last weigh in post until I'm an official marathon runner! For that purpose I haven't been weighing, because I want to focus on my training and not worry about counting points and losing weight. I've been fluctuating between 3lbs, and it's been very nice to enjoy all the good pasta and bread and not get to enjoy it doubly through my middle.

With that said, I can't wait to get back on the point counting band wagon and start a fresh! September is the perfect time to start anew, so cut yourself some slack for AUGUST and lets get ready to watch the pounds fall off come September. Cheesy, huh? You liked it.

Weekly Weigh In

Hello Everyone!!

This past month has been a pretty steady one for me. I didn't lose any significant amounts of weight but have been able to lose a little bit. I was out of town quite a bit, and COMPLETELY overindulged for 4 days over my birthday weekend. I really gave myself a pass to eat whatever I wanted, and indulged in pizza, cocktails, birthday cake, fried foods and a huge chocolate malt from Dairy Queen. (gasp!) It is amazing how your body burns calories when you are on a regular workout regimen. Seven days later, and can you believe it...I actually STILL lost weight. Clearly I know that I cannot make that a regular occurrence, but those foods tasted even better knowing that I had a plan to not let it throw me off my workout schedule, and my weight loss goals!

Week: -1 pound
Total: -17 pounds
__________________________________________

Ryan: -2 lbs
Total: -11 lbs
__________________________________________
Lesli - lbs
Total: -14 pounds

dreading the home stretch

Hey FatChicks! I've been traveling for business for the past week & didn't have an extra second to devote to the old blog, but you've been on my mind and I've been needing your help. Above is a picture of me starting my long run on the Sunday that I was out of town. 16 miles on 1 single treadmill. If you're not a runner, translate that to mean ~ that SUCKS real bad!

I'm not far from my marathon... in a couple of days I'll be 1 solid month away. Hear me now ~ I've hit a WALL. It's a mental wall, because barring any humidity problems my physical self feels great. Half way into the above pictured run, I sat down on the treadmill and cried. At that point I had watched TV, listened to my iTunes, watched a movie, listened to Pandora, listened to NOTHING, but I could NOT focus. So, I turned my iPod onto Eye of the Tiger and rallied, but it wasn't easy.

I'm here today to find out what inspires you, what motivates you to keep moving forward? I've come this far and it kills me that after every run I think ~ that was a bad run. The worst part to me is that sometimes I even try and talk myself into quitting all together. I want to finish strong & I know I can do it, but I'm going to have to dig down deep. Can any of you help me do that?

WW Pizza

My sweet friend Sarah, is NOT a fat chick...but she IS a fellow weight watcher and she's done a helluva good job at it. Check out THIS blog post for a delicious 5 point pizza recipe.

WEEKLY WEIGH IN

I have been out of town since Sunday. We don't return until NEXT SUNDAY! Dieting on the road is so hard for me. I haven't seen a scale all week, so I don't have any numbers for you today. Good thing is, I am on the gulf coast and I have all the freshest seafood in my reach, so I need to stick to the grilled seafood and stay away from the fried. Hope all the fat chicks and readers have a fabulous weekend!


Ryan

Allie:
+2
-20 (I've lost count...I think that's right?)
______________________________________

Christina: 0 pounds
Total: -16 pounds
______________________________________

Lesli:0 pounds
Total: -14 pounds

Terrée de Moules

Since I will be on the beach this weekend, I wanted to share a beachy healthy recipe for you to cook.  Nothings better than grilled mussels!  Recipe below!

I love the magazie saveur, and I found this recipe on  http://www.saveur.com/food/new-recipes/terre-de-moules-52280.html

PS (If you don't have any pine needles, wrap your mussels in foil, throw your favorite wine and herbs in and grill away until they open) It's that simple.

Grilled Mussels

RATED 4 STARS

(Terrée de Moules) Pine needles impart a delicious, smoky tang to the mussels in a classic terrée de moules, or mussel bake, which is traditionally done on the beach. The same results (and spectacle) can be achieved by means of a standard kettle grill. If you have access to dried, pesticide-free longleaf pine needles (from a species like aleppo or umbrella), you can collect your own (make sure they're completely brown). Place 1 1⁄2 lbs. scrubbed and bearded mussels, rounded side up, about 1"–2" apart, between the slats of the grill grate. Pile lightly packed dried pine needles atop mussels to a height of about 12". Light needles with a match; stand back. Allow needles to burn to ash, about 4–5 minutes. Dust away excess ash. Eat the mussels straight from the grill. (Discard any that are unopened.) Serves 4

I'm Hooked!!!

If you follow me on Twitter, you have seen the countless entries on my new obsession...Yogli Mogli. Apparently, this self serve frozen yogurt shop is the first of its kind on the east coast. Their first location is literally a half a mile from my house. What's funny is, I had never tried it until Lesli was here for a weekend and suggested we check it out. We didn't get a chance to that weekend, but I tried it the next week and have been HOOKED ever since. A good friend of mine lives in LA, and apparently everyone is on the "Fro-Yo" kick... I totally see why. The flavors are delicious, you can get as much or as little as you like, and there are 40 toppings to choose from. Best of all, the frozen yogurt is fat free, and (if you don't get carried away with the toppings) it is a very low calorie treat. I have had a little bit for a snack, and often, I have it for lunch or dinner....in fact...I had it for lunch AND dinner today...Seriously....it is SO good.

My favorite flavor combinations are New York Cheesecake swirled with Strawberry, topped with fresh strawberries....the other is York Peppermint Patty with Pistachio.

I was going to take a picture for the blog and post it, but half way through my cup of yogurt when i realized I had TOTALLY forgotten to take a picture before I started devouring it...

They are opening up 5 more locations in Atlanta....I think I should go ask them for a job...

Their website has some information on the benefits of yogurt that were very interesting...I am glad its so good for me, because I'm addicted and I see lots more of this in my future...

How Yogurt Benefits The Body:

Many people eat yogurt for its health benefits, because yogurt is more than a delicious, nutritious food. The cultures in yogurt are considered beneficial to be present in the intestinal tract of the human body to insure proper balance needed for digestion and good health. Yogurt with live, active cultures can:

• Help to overcome lactose intolerance

• Aid digestion of milk protein

• Help prevent and combat digestive tract infections

In recent research, other exciting effects have been observed and are currently being studied. They include:

• The potential that yogurt can help boost the immune system

• An indication that yogurt may be useful in lowering serum cholesterol

• Yogurt's potential in the prevention and management of certain cancers

In addition, yogurt is a source of…

• Protein

• Calcium

• Potassium

• The vitamins B12 and Riboflavin

Natural Pharmacy

A sliced Carrot looks like the human eye. The pupil, iris and radiating lines look just like the human eye... and YES, science now shows carrots greatly enhance blood flow to and function of the eyes.

A Tomato has four chambers and is red. The heart has four chambers and is red. All of the research shows tomatoes are loaded with lycopine and are indeed pure heart and blood food.

Grapes hang in a cluster that has the shape of the heart. Each grape looks like a blood cell and all of the research today shows grapes are also profound heart and blood vitalizing food.

A Walnut looks like a little brain, a left and right hemisphere, upper cerebrums and lower cerebellums.. Even the wrinkles or folds on the nut are just like the neo-cortex. We now know walnuts help develop more than three (3) dozen neuron-transmitters for brain function.

Kidney Beans actually heal and help maintain kidney function and yes, they look exactly like the human kidneys.

Celery, Bok Choy, Rhubarb and many more look just like bones. These foods specifically target bone strength. Bones are 23% sodium and these foods are 23% sodium. If you don't have enough sodium in your diet, the body pulls it from the bones, thus making them weak. These foods replenish the skeletal needs of the body.

Avocadoes, Eggplant and Pears target the health and function of the womb and cervix of the female - they look just like these organs. Today's research shows that when a woman eats one avocado a week, it balances hormones, sheds unwanted birth weight, and prevents cervical cancers. And how profound is this? It takes exactly nine (9) months to grow an avocado from blossom to ripened fruit. There are over 14,000 photolytic chemical constituents of nutrition in each one of these foods (modern science has only studied and named about 141 of them).

Figs are full of seeds and hang in twos when they grow. Figs increase the mobility of male sperm and increase the numbers of Sperm as well to overcome male sterility.

Sweet Potatoes look like the pancreas and actually balance the glycemic index of diabetics.

Olives assist the health and function of the ovaries Oranges, Grapefruits, and other Citrus fruits look just like the mammary glands of the female and actually assist the health of the breasts and the movement of lymph in and out of the breasts.

Onions look like the body's cells. Today's research shows onions help clear waste materials from all of the body cells. They even produce tears which wash the epithelial layers of the eyes. A working companion, Garlic, also helps eliminate waste materials and dangerous free radicals from the body.

Weekly Weigh In

It's been a rough week for me. Not sure if it's all the freaking carbs or just the humidity outside, but I have felt so freaking heavy this past week! It's so hard to get out of the mind set of counting points to eating for energy/fuel. Surprisingly to me, I did lose weight this week & I think mentally I needed that. How can I not think ~ I ran 30 miles last week...I shouldn't be heavier. I did see the oprah with the weight lose celebrities on & one of them said, "To me it's not about being thin, it's about being healthy." at this moment that thought hit me & I thought that is what I have to make my mantra. I almost chunked my scale out the window so I could celebrate being healthy, but alas I'll be back to counting points in 6 weeks!

One thing I am proud to say ~ this past weekend I had to visit my local ER & the nurse asked me, "Are you healthy?" Beyond a shadow of a doubt & with no lie I boldly said, "yes, very healthy!" it was true & it felt good!

Week: -3
total: -14

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Christina: 0
Total: -16 pounds

Kitchen Parade

I found this really cool site called Kitchen Parade (www.kitchenparade.com). They have many weight watcher recipes and you should defiantly go check them out! One recipe that stuck out was the Maple Glazed Salmon! Here is what second-generation food columnist Alanna Kellogg had to say about Salmon. the recipe follows.

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Every week, another story emerges about the miracles worked by salmon. If the claims are to be believed, it’s the cancer-curing, figure-fending, wrinkle-ravaging, memory-mothering, clock-stopping, energy-saving, chocolate-tasting (okay, not that last one) food of the decade.
Whether the claims prove true hardly matters since salmon is so readily available, tastes so great and gets to the table so fast.

My recipe box includes a dozen great ways to cook salmon but this maple syrup-glazed treatment trumps them all. It’s a reincarnation of the French-classic and 1980s-trendy peppered steak, this time with buttery fish and cooked in just minutes under high heat.
Truth be told, it is a miracle food.

ALANNA's TIPS Salmon steaks, individual filets and thick filets from warehouse clubs all work well. If the skin’s still on one side, the salmon will be slightly tastier. Believe it or not, pancake syrup, even sugar-free pancake syrup, is a decent substitute for pricey maple syrup. The maple syrup-soy mixture can marinate two pounds of salmon so consider cooking extra for planned-overs. Commercial coarse pepper works better than freshly ground pepper. Do use a lot of pepper, more than seems imaginable! as much as a quarter cup. If it’s too peppery for someone, it’s easy to scrape off later. The salmon can be grilled as well.

QUICK SUPPER:MAPLE GLAZED SALMON
Sweet & peppery marinated salmon
Up-front prep: 5 minutes

Then marinate 4 – 48 hours

Then prep: 5 minutes

Then time to table: 25 minutes Serves 4

1 pound salmon (see ALANNA’s TIPS)
3/4 cup maple syrup (see TIPS)
1/4 cup soy sauce
Cooking spray
Plenty of coarse black pepper (see TIPS)

Combine the salmon, maple syrup and soy sauce in a ziplock bag. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours (no skimping!) and as long as 48 hours, turning occasionally.

Move an oven rack to the top position and preheat to 500F.

Cover a rimmed baking sheet with foil and spritz with cooking spray. Remove the salmon (discard the remaining marinade) and arrange (skin-side down for filets with skin) on the baking sheet. Thickly and firmly, press the pepper into the top side.

Cook the salmon for about 6 minutes for individual filets or 10 minutes for fat filets or steaks. (The rule of thumb is 10 minutes per inch of thickness.) The salmon is done when the flesh has turned pale pink but remains moist.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE Per Serving: 275Cal (41% from Fat); 13g Tot Fat; 3g Sat Fat; 17g Carb; 1g Fiber; 374mg Sodium; 67mg Cholesterol, Weight Watchers 6 points

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This looks so good and I'm sure you can do it out on the grill. I'm attempting to this weekend, I will let you know how it turns out.

Stop your Binging, SISTER!

Raise your hand if you splurged on your diet last week? {~Lesli's hand is going up...maybe more than once.~} I can confirm to all of you that I ate a donut last week for the first time in years and it was like eating a glazed topped blessing from heaven. I can also confirm that I felt ~ZERO~ guilt in my indulgence.

However, a little indulgence here and another indulgence there will eventually add up to more than a little gain on the scale & a set back in your hard work.

I recently came across an article that listed foods that help you stick to your plan and cut out binges. I know, I know, we've ALL seen these lists a million times, but these things WORK! Here are the products that I prefer!

Eggs: They’re a great source of hunger-quelling protein (about 6 g per egg), plus a recent study found that women following a low-fat diet who ate 2 eggs for breakfast at least 5 days a week lost 65% more weight and averaged an 83% greater reduction in waist circumference. Not a fan? Low-fat yogurt is a great source of (breakfast-happy) protein.

{If you follow me on TWITTER, you know how I love an Egg sandwich for breakfast! This is my favorite way to get in carbs & protein for breakfast. Real eggs don't have many calories either, so don't feel bad splurge on the real thing if you're not into the beaters!}

Almonds: These tasty nuts contain the healthy monounsaturated fatty acids, good-for-you fats that keep your appetite sated for hours. Studies back this up—one found that after 6 months, dieters whose eating plan included almonds lost 63% more weight, lost 50% more body fat, and shrunk their waistlines 55% more than those on a high-carb diet. They’re not exactly calorie free, so watch portions (1 ounce—or 28 nuts—is about 170 calories).

{Almonds are my favorite filler snack. I like to keep a bag in my purse so I can tide myself over or when I don't have my other snacks (Luna Bars, fruit, etc) readily available. LOVE the kick of the wasabi soy almonds, YUM!}

Avocados: How do I love these? In many many ways, but a few slices with a little lime juice is rich, satisfying, and loaded with so many important nutrients, including those healthy monounsaturated fats, plus vitamins and minerals like potassium and folate. No, they’re not calorie free, but a few slices have between 50 and 75 calories and will make any salad or sandwich SO much more satisfying (you can even throw avocado in a smoothie, which is common in Thai food).

{DO NOT be afraid of Avocados! They are your friend! What better way to enjoy them than to marry them with onions, tomatoes, lime & salt. How many of you can eat guac with a spoon? GUILTY!}

Apples: I’m going to resist the urge to write anything about absentee doctors and regular apple consumption, but needless to say, eating one or two of these crunchy, portable fruits really can benefit your waistline: One study found that subjects who ate one apple before every meal lost 40% more weight than those who didn’t. Plus, they’re low in calories—about 65 for one that’s medium-size.

{My favorite apples are Gala Apples & my least favorite are green apples, but oddly enough, I eat them in a fruit cup every day.}

Oatmeal: This is the food weight loss dreams are made of. It contains high amounts of soluble fiber, which slows digestion and keeps you full for hours, and one study found that subjects who ate oatmeal for breakfast every day and also walked an average of 15 to 30 minutes daily lost about 10 pounds in 12 weeks.

{I've been loving Village Farms Whole Grain oatmeal for a long time & my favorite is the blueberry kind! I don't care that it's 90+ degrees I love that oatmeal sticks to my bones and keeps me full}

Peanut butter: Despite the name, peanuts are actually a legume, not a nut, but they’re still high in those craving-quashing monounsaturated fats, and research has found that dieters who snack on peanuts or peanut butter lose more weight than those who don’t. My advice is to stick with the natural kind because it’s lower in added sugars—and spread some on those apple slices next time you get the 4 pm munchies.

{Naturally More peanut butter is delicious & I've been eating it on english muffins. Honestly, I've been SHOCKED at how it tides me over MUCH longer than I'm used to.}

Information taken from: Binge-proof your diet: 6 Foods that keep you full and satisfied partner by Liz Vaccariello, Editor-in-Chief, PREVENTION

DRESSED to Perfection

Salad dressing is a major sabotage, but only if you let it!

Drowning a salad in a high-calorie, high-fat dressing can easily turn a healthy dish into a diet disaster. Avoid overdoing it by using no more than 2 tablespoons per serving and stick to the healthier options, see list below.

Low Fat Italian: 22 Calories & 2 grams of fat
Raspberry Vinaigrette: 49 Calories and 3 grams of fat
Low Fat Ranch: 59 Calories 4 grams of fat
Thousand Island: 111 calories 11 grams of fat
Balsamic Vinegar and Live Oil: 133 Calories and 14 grams of fat (this one SHOCKED me!!)
French: 146 Calories and 14 grams of fat
Ranch: 145 Calories and 15 grams of fat

Weekly Weigh In...

Happy Friday everyone! It has been an awesome 4 weeks since the last time I updated. I can say now that I have consistently worked out 4-6 times a week for the past month! I have also modified my weight watchers regimen. What I try to do now is only use my flex points on weekends. This has really helped me stay focused during the week so that i feel good and get more out of my workouts. Things are finally on track and I am very happy about that. I looked back at past blog posts at all my "goal dates." If you have been reading, I think you know that I haven't been able to reach ANY of them! I have decided that instead of putting a date on when I need to be down a certain amount of weight, I am just going to keep doing what I am doing, and not stress as much about how long it is taking to get these pounds off. Of course, the first week I start to do this, I FINALLY get over the hump! No more hovering around the same weight and complaining about it people....I'm officially over the 15 pound mark!

Christina: -2 pounds
Total: -16 pounds
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Lesli: +3
Total: -11 pounds
____________________________________________

Ryan: 0 pounds (I rode my bike everyday this week and almost died of a heat stroke)

Total: -9 pound

_________________________________________

Allie: -2

Total: -20

Moroccan Chicken Kebabs

Allie found this recipe for me, it's right up my ALLEY! :) THANK YOU ALLIE :)

Moroccan Chicken Kebabs

Makes 4 servings

POINTS® values 3 per serving
Ingredients

1 1/4 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 Tbsp orange juice
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray
1 large zucchini, cut into 1-inch-thick half-moons
2 small red onions, quartered through the root
4 long skewers for assembling the kebabs

Instructions

Mix the chicken, orange juice, coriander, ginger, cinnamon, cumin, salt, garlic powder and pepper in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 6 hours.

Off heat, coat grill with cooking spray. Prepare gas grill for direct, high-heat grilling or build a high-heat charcoal bed in the center of the coal grate on a charcoal grill.
Divide the chicken, zucchini and onion among four large skewers, threading the meat and vegetables over the pointy ends and down the skewers.
Set the skewers directly over the heat and grill for 16 minutes, turning about every 4 minutes onto each of the other three sides, so that all four sides are well browned. When turning the skewers, use tongs to gently grasp some of the meat at the center. Do not turn the skewers by their ends — or put your hands down near the heat source.

Serving size: 1 skewer.

Thoughts from the trail

The other day I was driving to work & thought to myself - good grief I am in soooo much pain! Actually, its not far off from how I feel at this exact moment! Which of course got me to thinking about why I am putting my body through all the rigorous training in the first place and through those thoughts I learned a valuable life lesson that I think we can all benefit from. 

It made me realize that in every goal we set if we're going to reach it, it's not going to be easy & there's probably going to be a lot of pain.  For me, I'm running a marathon, because I want to believe about myself that I can do anything I put my mind to.  

My friend Camille posted a quote the other day that I love "a journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step." that's true of ALL of our journeys, be it trying to lose weight, trying to eat better, to work out more often or to finish your first marathon.  We all have to start somewhere! 

It takes a lot of thought, effort & patience to get where you want to be. There is no magic pill that will make you skinny in 2 weeks or prepared for a marathon in that length of time.   The thing is, we all have to start somewhere & it's going to be hard & probably a little painful, but the truth is ~ we WILL get there!  I just know it!

The Hills...

Amy invited me to run a 4 mile loop near her house on Saturday, and of course I was happy to join. Her and her jogging buddy were so sweet, and totally slowed down to keep up with my pace. What she didn't accurately describe are the MASSIVE hills that were involved in this run. I promise 2 miles of it was COMPLETELY up hill. I have only been running on flat trails, so this was a BIG change for me. After the run, I was exhausted and my butt and thighs are STILL sore! Apparently running up hills is great for training and conditioning. Here is some information I found about the benefits.

In hill running, you are using their body weight as a resistance to push against, so the driving muscles from which their leg power is derived have to work harder. The technique to aim for is a "bouncy" style where you have good knee lift and maximum range of movement in the ankle. You should aim to drive hard, pushing upwards with your toes, flexing your ankle as much as possible, landing on the front part of the foot and then letting the heel come down below the level of the toes as the weight is taken. This stretches the calf muscles upwards and downwards as much as possible and applies resistance which overtime will improve their power and elasticity.

You should look straight ahead, as you run (not at your feet) and ensure your neck, shoulders and arms are free of tension. Many experts believe that the "bouncy" action is more important than the speed at which you run up the hills.

Hill work results in the calf muscles learning to contract more quickly and thereby generating work at a higher rate, they become more powerful. The calf muscle achieves this by recruiting more muscle fibres, around two or three times as many when compared to running on the flat. The "bouncy" action also improves the power of the quads in the front of the thigh as they provide the high knee lift that is required.

Hill training offers the following benefits:

• Helps develop power and muscle elasticity
• Improves stride frequency and length
• Develops co-ordination, encouraging the proper use of arm action during the driving phase and feet in the support phase
• Develops control and stabilization as well as improved speed (downhill running)
  promotes strength endurance
• Develops maximum speed and strength (short hills)
• Improves lactate tolerance (mixed hills)

My goal is to incorporate this run into my workout, so that I can get even stronger for the marathon. I did check right after this run and the course at Kiawah Island is supposed to be really flat... thank goodness!!

Weekly Weigh In

Hey guys, it's Friday....WAHOO! So it's my week to post on the weekly weigh-in and prob the worst week for me since we started. My weight is up (way up) and I'm totally to blame. Regardless of the exercise I've done the last week or so, it's my eating. I'll admit I got a bit out of control. I really haven't counted points in weeks, and the last few weeks I have eaten naughty foods like I did in the good ole days. You know the days when I wore elastic-waist gauchos? I've just been OVER IT lately. Sick of thinking about it, sick of counting points, sick of eating salad when other ate chimichanga with queso on top. And since weight loss is A LOT mental, my mind took over my food. Aaarrrgggg! I weighed myself on Tuesday and was SHOCKED and then DISGUSTED. So I'm back on track and eating lean protein and veggies! Speaking of I need to go get my chicken and asparagus off the grill. Hoping to have much better results next week. Love,

Week: +4
Total: -18
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Ryan: + 1 pound
Total: -9
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Christina: -2 pounds
Total: -14 pounds

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Lesli: 0 pounds
Total: -14 pounds

Last Thursday I asked if anyone had any pointers and I received this sweet email from Jennifer over at http://www.theblessedhome.blogspot.com/

Here's what she had to say!

I saw your post this morning and thought I would write my tip. I recently met up with a friend of mine who is a personal trainer that helped put me on the right track with exercise through running. I keep calendar that I printed off the computer and track my progress throughout the week. Knowing she is going to get that calendar and see what I've done motivates me to make sure I do something every day. Also, I add up the times I ran and the miles I ran at the end of the week and the pounds I have lost. If I set a good goal number for the beginning of the week I find I work really hard to achieve it. I started three weeks ago only able to run 2 minutes and walk 4 minutes in intervals. Now I'm running 1/2 mile to 1 mile with 1/4 mile walks in between. Doing this exercise curbs my diet in that I want to eat healthier so I can run further.

Hope that helps!

Jennifer Brown
http://www.theblessedhome.blogspot.com/

Jennifer, Thank you for your email! Your doing so well! I'm sure you have motivated many to start their own exercising calender. I'm printing a calendar off right now. Good luck on your runs and keep us posted!

If you have a tip or would like to share your progress please EMAIL ME! I love hearing about every one's progress! It helps me get back on track. Have a great Thursday!

Retrain Your Brain!

{Here I am last week posing with a lovely landscaped BearBush in Fairfax!}

Hey FatChicks ~ Lesli, here! Thank you for allowing me a break last week ~ I was working my hiney off in Fairfax, VA and was down a computer and short on time! I missed y'all!

I had an interesting week last week, and I thought I would share with y'all. Whenever I meet a marathon runner I ask them for their advice. The advice that I most often get is ...

1. Eating right is CRUCIAL.

and

2. Expect to GAIN weight, not to LOSE weight. {Hear what I'm saying ~ don't hang up your running shoes, because running is a GREAT form of cardio & very much helps in weight loss, but stick to more normal distances, more often & sprints to lose weight}

Hi, I've been losing weight with my FatChicks for the past few months & I'm running many miles a week, how can that mean anything but Weight Loss? Since I'm burning more calories, I'm taking more calories in and different types of calories. Before, I ate a TON of fiber, and now I have significantly cut down my fiber intake. {Read www.ALifeLesOrdinary.blogspot.com TODAY to find out why THAT is necessary}

I've always been a reward eater, and I have been retraining my brain for the past 7 months to NOT walk in from the gym and immediately reward myself with chocolate cake with extra icing! On any given Saturday I can burn over 1,000 calories and I'll admit... it is WAY HARD to not come home and splurge.

I left my treadmill on this past Sunday in tears, because I gave into my indulges and paid BIG time. I couldn't do it. It's so hard for me to admit here, but I couldn't physically finish my run. In the 24 hours before my run I consumed~ Five Guys Burgers & Fries, Sausage Purses, Chipotle Burrito Bowl, M&Ms & Gardettos. I was properly hydrated, but holy hell, I was FAR from properly nourished. I haven't eaten like that in a LONG time and I was definitely overcome with guilt.

Lesson learned. I have more travels planned for July & I have to get control now. At this point, if I lose weight great, but my MAIN goal is to finish my race and I'm ALMOST half way there!