Sometimes you have to hit rock bottom

Sometimes in life you have to hit rock bottom in order regroup and start over again.  I would have never thought  I would be in this position again and from my perspective right now... it sucks..... salty monkey balls.  But, that's OK.  I will survive.  That's what I do.  I will shock and motivate people (including myself) on my journey, because that's what I do. 

The last couple of months have been hell on wheels for me personally.  I became overwhelmed with life and pretty much resigned myself to just letting the chips fall where they may.  And when I say, chips.... I'm talking about chips falling in the crevices of my keyboard.  Down the front of my blouse.  In between the seats of my car.... You get the picture.

I started stress/emotional eating.  This is something I hadn't done in years.  For every healthy meal I ate.  I ate four fatty, sugary laced, processed piles of crap. I was literally eating my feelings.  The crazy thing was... I had been eating healthy for so long, that my taste buds didn't appreciate the food.  I was stuffing myself with junk but wasn't even enjoying it.

 Oh!  But my fat cells were having an amazing time. So amazing that I gained a rapid amount of weight in a short time.  I almost think I broke a record. Like, who gains 15 lbs in less than a month?  This chick right here did.  Hey, I don't 'half' do anything.  I go ALL in!

 It wasn't like I wasn't working out.  But between being injured, unmotivated and eating 55million calories to the 600 calories I burned at boot camp the science of weight loss/weight gain went into FULL effect.

 Needless to say these recent 15lbs + some 2013 happy/sad/happy weight has me in a place I haven't been in about three to four years. A year long bout with runners knee (from late 2012-late 2013) took me from running 20 miles a week to ZERO.  I didn't want to walk because that was 'beneath' me. I was doing 5Ks, running 5-6 days a week and improving my pace.  Walking was for my cool down.  Well guess what?  Being prideful got me into this mess.  Now I'm once again on restriction because of an injury to a disc in my lower back.  Guess who's walking now? Funny how things circle back around to slap you in your face.  I'm no rocket scientist, but I believe the rapid weight gain was the straw that broke the camel's back.  LITERALLY.  And hell, most of the weight went in my butt.  I woke up one day and was like where did you come from?  It was like a foreign object had attached itself to my body.  And no... I've never had a small derrière, but overnight I picked up a CABOOSE.  And it moves..... a lot.....I feel like my rump is its own sovereign nation.  It moves independently of the rest of my body.  I can't have this!  And my clothes can't contain it either.  It's a monster I tell you!  I won't even get into the havoc that was wreaked on my midsection.

So.............. I'm on a mission.  I've got some goals and I'm not going to stop until I reach them.  Point blank and to the Period <in my Tamar B voice>.  I also have too many clothes cute clothes for me to have to start wearing Naturalizers or Birkenstocks because my butt broke my back!

"Comfort Sandals"

"Meh"

Shredded Chicken

This has been my go-to for the last few weeks.  I can't take complete credit for this concept.  But I 'perfected' it for my own personal use.  I combined some advice I picked up from Caroline Jhingory and the Skinny Taste website and decided this works best for me.

Having the shredded chicken on hand at home has given me unlimited options during the week.  I keep my seasonings pretty generic so that I am able to use the chicken for any type of cuisine.  Italian, Mexican, and Asian are just a few of the flavor palates that I have tried since I've been preparing the shredded chicken each week.

All you need is:
Chicken Breast (boneless/skinless is a little more expensive but requires less prep)
Seasoned Salt/Pepper
Water
Crock Pot

Wash your chicken, season. Add to Crock Pot, cover with water and lid.  Cook on high for 3-4 hours until the chicken tests done.  Remove the chicken breasts from the Crock Pot.  Set aside until they are cool enough to handle.  Shred chicken with two forks. Place in plastic bag of airtight container for future use.

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Some of my favorite meals have been:
Italian Inspired Chicken Wrap

Flat-out Wrap
Shredded Chicken 
Sun Dried Tomatoes
Baby Spinach
Dried Italian Herbs
Pesto/Mayo*
Shredded Mozzarella*
*Use cheese  and mayonnaise/pesto spread sparingly (or omit completely!!!)

Spinach and Chicken Salad

Baby Spinach
Shredded Chicken (seasoned with Cajun Seasoning)
Crumbled Blue Cheese*
Walnuts
Raspberry Viniagrette
Diced Granny Smith, Fuji, Pink Lady or other firm apple
*Again, use cheese sparingly (I normally use 1-2 tablespoons - a little goes a long way)

Mexican Black Bean Bowl
Black Beans
Shredded Chicken (seasoned with Goya Adobo and dried or fresh Cilantro)
Diced Avocado
Black Olives
Taco Sauce or Salsa

You Want Nutritious???? Eat An Apple!!!!

A few days ago I emailed my sister a recipe for lemon pound cake that I had seen circulating all over Facebook.  My sister is a mean baker, so I figured I'd share the recipe with her to add to her repertoire.  (I also did this in hopes that she would bake  it one day.  Soon).

Doesn't this look good?

Because I was too lazy to log into Facebook to find the recipe, I decided to use Google.  I found the recipe on a baking website.  Beforehand I knew the cake was pretty darn rich because the ingredients included: buttermilk, 2 sticks of butter and white chocolate morsels.  Fat...Fat...and more Fat!   However, I wasn't at all prepared for how rich it was.  None of the Facebook posts showed any nutritional information.  There were only pictures of the cake followed by the recipe.  After I saw the calories, I instructed my sister not to look at the nutrition facts tab.  I didn't want her to feel too guilty and decide against making the cake, LOL.  I went on and on about how one could only eat a small portion and that it wasn't very nutritious. Blah, Blah, Blah.


Her response:  If you want nutritious....eat an apple.

*POW*

That simple sentence immediately made a whole lot of sense to me.  For goodness sakes, it's cake.  Why lament about the ingredients and nutrition if you're going to eat it knowing full well it's ....CAKE?  'Most' desserts aren't designed to be healthy.  If you have a health or fitness goal your best bet is to focus on nutritious whole foods.  NOT buttery, sugary concoctions that are going for 500 calories a slice.  YES, 1/12th of that lemon bundt cake registered in at just under 500 calories.  No Bueno.
No matter how you slice it, (no pun intended) cakes, pies and the like aren't on the same playing field as asparagus or broccoli.  Desserts are treats and should be handled as such. 



Gotta love CJ

 There's no sense in browbeating yourself about eating something.  Especially if you know going into it there are better options.  It's up to you what you choose.

What you eat in private will show up in public.

(Don't I know it!)

Celebrate Non Scale Victories - 1, 2, Buckle My Shoe

Often we get so hung up on what the scale says that we forget about the other things we have accomplished.  Every positive change that we experience during our weight loss or fitness journey isn't going to register on the scale.

It doesn't mean that these accomplishments are any less important.

I was reminded of a non scale victory recently.  I just realized that I am able to buckle my sandals with ease.  Something that most people take for granted was a major challenge for me when I was obese.  Many years ago, shoes with buckles were my arch nemesis.  Regardless of this fact, I still tortured myself by purchasing strappy sandals.  I had so much stomach and chest fat that it was difficult for me to bend over to fasten my shoes.  I'd either have to:

1:  Pre buckle the shoes, then slide my feet inside (often catching a cramp in my foot because the effort was extremely awkward).
2:  Bend my leg behind me backwards (on the bed or couch) and try to buckle the shoe from the side.
3: Solicit a friend to buckle the shoe for me.

Clearly #3 was the most preferred method, but unfortunately I wasn't always given that option.

For many years this was the story of my life.  I've been able to buckle my shoes normally for quite some time now.  However, it just registered last week that I had come a long way!


I know we all want to see the big changes on the scale and in our clothing sizes.  In the meantime, take a moment to reflect on the changes that you HAVE made in: strengthening your body,  losing inches, building muscle, building stamina and making healthier food choices.

For some, this journey may be a long one.  Don't just focus on one definition of success. The scale isn't the be all, end all! 

What are some of your non scale victories?

Cajun Stuffed Chicken w/Pepper Jack and Spinach

 This recipe has been floating around Facebook for the last few weeks.  I tried it out recently and was happy with the outcome.

Cajun Chicken Stuffed with Pepper Jack Cheese & Spinach 

 

 

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes

• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 4 oz pepper jack cheese, shredded (you can use up to 6 oz)
• 1 c frozen spinach, thawed and drained (you can also use fresh cooked spinach)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
  
• 2 tbsp Cajun seasoning
• 1 tbsp breadcrumbs (I use Italian style)
• Sea salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Lots of toothpicks

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Flatten the chicken to 1/4-inch thickness.  Season the chicken with salt and pepper.

In a medium bowl, combine the pepper jack cheese, spinach, salt and pepper.

Combine the Cajun seasoning and breadcrumbs together in a small bowl.

Spoon about 1/4 c of the spinach mixture onto each chicken breast. Roll each chicken breast tightly and fasten the seams with several toothpicks.  This part requires a tiny bit of skill and I typically use about 8 toothpicks in each roll to ensure none of the filling seeps out.  Be sure to count how many total toothpicks were used!

Brush each chicken breast with the olive oil.  Sprinkle the Cajun seasoning mixture evenly over all.  Make sure you get underneath, too.  Sprinkle any remaining spinach and cheese on top of chicken (optional).

Place the chicken seam-side up onto a tin foil-lined baking sheet (for easy cleanup).  Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.

Rough Caloric estimate:
16 oz b/s chicken - 560 calories
4 oz cheese - 400 calories (packaged shredded pepper jack)
1 cup spinach - 30 calories
2 tbsp vegetable oil - 240 calories
1 tbsp bread crumbs - 30 calories

Total - 1,260  or 315 calories per serving (4)
It's a few calories less if you skip the bread crumbs like I did

 

This is what my chicken looked like:

I'm not a fan of pepper jack on most days, but combined with the spinach and Cajun seasoning it was really good.

I've also tried this recipe with: Italian Cheese blend, spinach, artichoke and sun dried tomato with Italian seasoning.  The sky is pretty much the limit.  Just try different combinations and see what you like the best.


Paired with roasted spinach or steamed broccoli, this is an easy meal that looks like you spent hours preparing.  Seriously, you do want to account for ALL of the toothpicks before you serve the chicken.  Enjoy!