Knee update: got a new brace and it helped a bunch! I was able to run without too much pain.
New recipe from Cooking Light. It originally called for yellow squash but I couldn't find any so I switched it out for zucchini which is extra plentiful right now.
Baked Couscous with Zucchini and Herbs
Yields: 6 servings (1.5 cups)
1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less sodium chicken broth, divided
3/4 cup uncooked couscous
cooking spray
2 cups zucchini (about 2 small)
1/2 cup sliced green onions
2 TBSP chopped fresh basil
1 TBSP chopped fresh oregano (my oregano isn't doing well, so I used some fresh and some dried)
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup shredded fontina cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/4 cup egg substitute
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
Preheat oven to 400.
Bring 1 cup of broth to a boil in a medium saucepan; gradually stir in couscous. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat with cooking spray. Add squash, onions, basil, oregano, and garlic; saute 3 min or until tender. (I actually let it cook a bit longer so that I could cut baking time in half). Set aside.
Combine cheese. Combine couscous, squash mixture, and half of cheese mixture in a large bowl; stir in remaining chicken broth, egg substitute, salt and pepper. Spoon mixture into an 8x8 baking dish lightly coated with cooking spray. Top with remaining cheese mixture. Bake at 400 for 35 min or until golden brown.
Verdict: This was super yummy. It had really great flavor and is super low in calories (161 per serving). Both my mom and I had seconds! We ate it as a main dish but it would also be a great side dish. Definitely, a new keeper!
My stupid knee started hurting this weekend. Of course, it is the good one and not the previously torn up one. It's not bad just a lateral ligament sprain but still it hinders what I can do. My chiro placed some restrictions on my activities and that frustrates me. I hate having to baby an injury. Ugh! Ms. All-star was great at coming up with other things that didn't torture my knee. I got to punch a bag and work out my knee frustration! :) Always a good thing in my book! I plan to buy a new brace tonight and hit the treadmill to test it out. Here's hoping that it doesn't get worse. I am definitely not the best patient or a patient patient!! Plus, moving actually makes it feel better and sitting makes it stiff. I just had a funny thought: now Ms. AS and I are the gimp leading the gimp! We are both a mess. Maybe she rubbed off on me and I am having sympathy knee...
The good part about having to change up my activities is we can focus more on my core. However, this presents all sorts of new frustrations. I hate not being able to hold myself up or that I continually fall over when doing these exercises. I know I am too hard on myself. But is that really a bad thing?
I think I will head off for a little walk around campus. I need to get those steps in before midnight because this girl needs some sleep! I have a new recipe to post a little later. Something to look forward too!!
I have forgotten how much I love to swim. It was nice to just chill in the pool and not think about anything but remembering to breathe. My lung capacity is crappy right now. I felt like I had to breathe with every stroke. It got better once I forced myself into a routine and got over the "Oh God I can't breathe moment". Nothing like swimming laps to get the cardio-pulmonary system back in check! On the plus side, my speedo suit that I wear only to the gym fits again!! It was too tight last time I had it on!
I had to run/walk after the pool because with all the napping I was a wee short on my steps. And by a wee short, I mean 6000. Yikes. So after an 1.5 hour of cardio, I went home and passed out.
Steps aren't looking too good today either. Doh...time to get up and move.
Until tomorrow!!
Wow, this weekend flew by but I did get things accomplished! I'm just not ready for Monday! :)
Friday: I had a good day at work and hopefully resolved a problem that has been driving me batty for weeks! However, every time I mention that it is better it bites me in the arse! I managed a great milestone in my fitness endeavors. I had a low zone night and was to keep it at 30 min plus warm-up and cool down! I managed to run all 30 min at 5.0 and keep my HR steady!! I was super proud of myself. It helped that I ran in the cardio cinema with Paul Walker and Vin Diesel on the screen!! Yummy!
Saturday: My WW weigh-in wasn't the best. I was up 0.8lbs. I blame it on not eating enough this week and having to track calories. I am not used to doing it yet and I was worried about converting points to calories. Therefore, I was under cals each day and that isn't a good thing. You need to eat to lose. Hopefully, it gets better. I worked out with Ms. AS. This was the first 3x week and boy does my body hurt. She will be so stoked when she reads this, LOL!! F'n kettlebells. :) I got to spend some time at the pool, planned some meals for the week and went grocery shopping! I cleaned out the freezers and threw out old stuff and super crappy stuff!! I have some pantry cleaning to do but most of the bad food is gone.
Sunday: I stayed up way too late and I am drained. The plan for today is low key. I skipped church and took Moses for a walk. At least it was a little cooler, relatively! I intend to finish the laundry, take a nap and hit the gym. I may swim today since I don't think I have the energy to push through a medium zone day. I should be heading to a graduation party but I'm not sure that will happen. However, I really need to send those cards. I am such a slacker.
I am gearing up for a great week! Plus, Cards game on Friday!!! Woo hoo!
Yesterday was my day off from the gym! I use Thursdays to recoup and make up time at work. I did take Moses on a long walk, well until he laid down and dug in those little paws. Wimp! Since he wasn't any help to get me steppin, I pulled weeds and watered all the plants. I still need to sweep the patio but damn it is too hot.
I was talking to a dear friend last night that is on this same journey. She has done amazing things so far and I am really proud of her. We were discussing how our lives have been put on hold because of our commitment to losing weight. Right now, I spend tons of time in the gym and not with my peeps. It's frustrating that so much time and effort has to be devoted to the cause. However as frustrating as it is, being fat is detrimental to my life. There will be a point when I can find a routine that let's me maintain a healthier weight. But I'm not there yet. So for now, I can't do all the those fun things during the week because my priority is me and turning my life around. The weekends will have to suffice until I'm a better me!
In the category of really great news: My mom saw her oncologist yesterday and she is still kicking butt! She will be 11 years cancer free next week! I am still amazed by the medical miracles that saved her life. When she was diagnosed with Stage IV NH-Lymphoma, I was prepared for the worst but after loads of chemo and a stem cell transplant, she's won that battle and every battle since then. I love you mommy!!
I apologize for the lack of update yesterday. I was so exhausted after my high workout on Tuesday night that I went straight to bed. Then work was super busy yesterday. Although, it turns out to be a good thing because today's post is so much better!! No one really wanted to hear me complain about running, right?
Last night, I weighed and measured with Ms. All-star! OMG I f'n rocked those measurements! I've had great months before but nothing close to this one! I remember in the very beginning losing 10lbs and being super excited! Well this month has superseded that excitement by a 100%. I weighed 240 (why can't all scales read the same). I've lost 17lbs of fat and gained a 1lb of muscle! There is a 1-inch difference in chest, waist and hips!! I can't remember neck, thigh and arm. I gained a 1/2-inch on my calves. Woo hoo!
It is nice to know that all the effort has been worth it. I know some days that working out was the last thing I wanted to do but I did it. I figured something was better than nothing. I am sure Ms. AS has wanted to strangle me when telling me to push and keep going. All the hard work has paid off though! We have a long way to go but we are off to a great start!
My eating this week has been erratic. I am not sure how nice the scale will be to be on Saturday. I've been under on points/calories. I also haven't been hungry. I am eating because I know I should but not enjoying it. I've only really cooked once and that needs to change. I did make a super yummy veggie:
Roasted Fennel with Asiago
1 large Fennel bulb or 2 medium ones
2 Tbsp Asiago cheese
2 Tbsp Olive oil
1/8 tsp salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 400. Cut the fennel bulb into slices. Place fennel, oil, salt and pepper into a Ziploc bag to mix up ingredients. Roast on a cookie sheet or jelly roll pan for 12 min. Mix in the cheese and bake for an additional 12 min or until tender.
I have never had fennel and it smelled so good roasting. It tasted good too! Make sure you get the slices tender those are much better than the crispy pieces! I served with stuffed chicken breast (already prepared). Enjoy!
...and somehow managed to spend 3 hours there last night. Only one of those actually working out! But it was all good because the extra time revolved around learning a new program that will track all the necessary weight loss information to help me succeed. It does everything by calories and I'm not used to counting them. It's a foreign concept to me. I am so used to figuring out points! For now, I plan to track both ways and figure out what actually works best for me. Ms. All-star likes it because she can spy on her clients at any time...well our food journals anyway!
So before I get called out for not reporting the "best part" of the gym extravaganza, I'll poke a little fun at myself. I managed to show up with a left and a right shoe, just not the same pair of shoes. Needless to say my lovely trainer made sure the entire gym was aware (or at least the ones who bothered to listen)! The combo was a bit uncomfortable and my feet hurt this morning. I will definitely pay closer attention when packing my gym bag from now on.
I rode a spin bike for the first time last night. I only did it for like 10 min and that was freakin hard. Wow, people actually do that for an entire class. Bless them! However, it was fun! Although not nearly as entertaining to watch as my circuit training, where I flail around and try to decapitate Ms. AS, sometimes intentionally and sometimes accidentally!
It is nice to know that my efforts are starting to show up. Every day someone will tell me that I look better and thinner! I like getting the attention. There was a point in my life where I preferred to be invisible. The less people looked at me the better. When you are morbidly obese you never get your wish; everyone stares at you. You feel like a circus side show. Each day is a struggle to just get out of bed and put on the armor to protect against the looks and the comments. It is amazing how much confidence can come from shedding some weight and figuring out who I am on the inside. I am starting to really like the new me!
Until tomorrow!
