Accepting Gratitude

This last month has been a true testament of how my life has changed.  I mean, obviously, my life has changed.  Life isn't stagnant, it just keeps moving and evolving based on every decision you make every day.  I guess, my point is that I've seen more evidence of how my life has changed.  Years ago, when I started this journey, it's no secret that my life was an absolute mess.  I was an unhappy person, toxic, insecure,etc...the list of negativity can go on and on.  When I looked inside and really evaluated who I was as a person, I wasn't happy.  I knew that I needed to make a change. 

My outside is a true reflection of who I am on the inside.  I challenge myself not only physically, but mentally and emotionally.  I feed myself with things that nurture my soul and build positivity in my life.  I have released toxic relationships and I've no longer allowed myself to self-sabatoge.  My inside, just like my outside, isn't perfect, but I strive every single day to better myself and give myself what I need to be a stronger, better person. 

Through this most recent weight loss challenge, I've seen and heard and underlining theme of "thanks".  I am constantly thanked for my efforts, told I'm changing lives, and given credit where credit is simply not due.  I enjoy the challenges, even with as much work as they are, but I enjoy them because I see people empowering themselves.  I'm simply the cheerleader.  In my weight loss challenges, I post my daily goals (as challenges)  I'm only posting what I want for myself.  Whatever I"m struggling with, I post as a challenge to the group- maybe someone else is struggling with that too!  Well, it seems to be working, because I have 80 other people working on the challenge too (realistically, it's probably only 50 or so that are really invested) nonetheless, they are doing the challenge too and that motivates me to stick to my goal.  You see, the challenge gives me personal motivation as well!  I'm not the hero, I'm just focusing on my own goals, saying them out loud and asking the group for support as well!  This is why I could never accept payment.  I wouldn't want them to expect me to help them reach their goals; like I've said, we're all on our own journey.  I'm here to cheer you on, share successes, empathize with struggles and help push you along, but I can never claim to help you reach your success...that's something very personal that the only motivation that will help you is from within yourself. 

I've had people reach out to me to tell me what an amazing thing I'm doing.  I just smile.  I'm actually embarrassed, because I just don't feel like I deserve that recognition.  These challenges have exploded and they are known throughout the community.  I can't go to my daughter's school, Jr. League events, the GROCERY STORE, without someone stopping me and telling me they've heard about my challenges.  Old friends/aquaintances, message me and tell me how proud they are of what i've accomplished.  It just feels funny.  I just want to shout, "these people are doing it all themselves!" because I know how hard they are working and I feel like what I do is just so miniscule. 

I had to recognize that I am doing something.  I had to check myself and remind myself that when I started this journey, I needed a lot of support from others too.  I was reminded that even though I was in the gym and it was me alone prepping in the kitchen, I had cheerleaders too, I had support, I had outside motivation.  I was not alone.  It made accepting the "thank yous" a little easier.

So THANK YOU to all my followers, all those in my weight loss challenge, all my supporters and all my friends and family.  Thank you for believing in me.  I accept your thanks whole-heartedly and feel so proud to be part of your journey! 

Stepping Out of Comfort Zone

I took Blythe's advice and met with a personal trainer from my gym.  I had previously mentioned that I didn't feel confident in most of them, but I chose to work with a young man named Maurice.  He's in really good shape; I always see him working with middle-aged women (rathen than meat heads), he's so nice and really seemed to know what he's talking about.  I had spoken to him month's before when he asked me to speak to one of his clients about nutrition.  I met with him last Thursday and I got an amazing workout routine!  He had me work an hour doing TRX.  TRX is suspension training.  You can learn more about it here:  http://www.trxtraining.com/suspension-training

It looks very intimidating, especially to someone like me who is probably the least coordinated person on the planet.  Working out using suspension straps, my own body weight, balance, core strength and did I mention BALANCE?  LOL!  Well, it was a challenging workout to say the least.  I had my arse handed to me.  Here I am three days later and I still wince every time I raise my arms.  That to me, folks, is signs of an awesome workout! 

I also learned a really great routine that focuses on my abs.  I admit that it's not the most comfortable position to be on the floor, feet in straps...ladies you know where I'm going with this...  you honestly have to just let your insecurities of how you look go.  I know I looked like a tangled up bafoon, but my abs got an incredible workout so it was worth it.  I know that in time I'll gain confidence and grace (ok, maybe just confidence;  or maybe I just won't care what I look like!)  For those of us with the mommy pouch, you know you really crave an ab routine that leaves you feeling like you did work!

So I'm looking forward to meeting with Maurice again.  I don't anticipate that I'll work with him regularly, but I think that he'll be able to help me out with my routines, force me to change things up and give me some pointers on how to maximize my workouts and my results!

Modeling Healthy Habits

Yesterday, I spent the afternoon cooking with my daughter. We had the best time! We made a Braised Tilapia with Julienne Vegetables and a Béchamel Sauce, Wild Rice with Spring Vegetables, and Lemon Mousse with a Mixed Berry Medley. It turned out fantastic!

We started the afternoon at Whole Foods; she helped me with the shopping. I taught her how to select produce, read labels, look for fresh ingredients and compare prices. We had so much fun! There were several items we weren't sure where to find, but rather than ask, we played a game of trying to think where it could be. For example, we had to find whole cloves. At first, we thought it would be with the fresh herbs and spices, but then she remembered from a unit she did at school that it would be with the dry spices. Ha ha ha! We felt silly after we thought about a few items, but it really made us think about the food and where it comes from!

Once we got home, she really helped a lot. We laughed ourselves silly as we whisked egg whites to make the mousse (note: use a very large bowl...otherwise you're going to have foam EVERYWHERE!) I learned that her tiny fingers are perfect for slicing very very small julienne vegetables. I also learned that she shares my eye for food; good food tastes even better when it is well presented. She chose fancy plates, set the table, decorated it with flowers, etc. I was quite impressed!

For me, I felt that this was true quality time in that I got to 1. Spend time with my daughter 2. Teach her about choosing quality foods 3. Pass down my minimal culinary skills 4. Impress upon her the importance of food presentation and 5. share my love for all food with the second biggest foodie I know!

I can't wait until our next big cooking project! Cooking with her is so much fun and I feel like this is something that will not only stick with her in her memories, but will instill in her the importance of eating healthy and enjoying preparing foods the way they are meant to be eaten!

 

Our Finished Meal...YUMMY

Preparing for a conference!

So I've been asked to speak at a conference in April.  "Get Ready, Get Fit, Get Healthy".  This is a conference that focuses on the health and wellness of children!  I will be giving a class that I've developed called "A Healthy Child is a Happy Child".  Through this class, directors, administrators, teachers and in home child care providers will learn how to 1) Create and Promote a healthy environment as well as Model healthy habits! 2) Design and Implement Nutritionally balanced and healthy snacks and lunch menus 3) Plan and Implement Lesson Plans and Daily Activities that teach children about Healthy, Nutritious Foods and 4) Learn how to engage Parents and Families to participate in healthier options/alternatives and find resources to gain access to healthier foods. 

I am so excited to be part of this, as I believe that if we start the healthy habits early, we will prevent many many many health issues down the road!  The statistics related to childhood obsesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and many other issues are staggering!  Something must be done!

I'll update frequently as I get closer to the conference!  I'm sure I'll have lots to share here as well! 

Helpful links:

http://www.letsmove.gov/

http://kidsinthekitchen.ajli.org/

http://teamnutrition.usda.gov/Resources/servingupmyplate.htm

http://kidshealth.org/parent/nutrition_center/healthy_eating/myplate.html

Top Recipes from the 2013 Weight Loss Challenge!

I've been getting lots of requests for some of our recipes!  Here you go! (I do need to go back and figure our the nutritional content for each of them!  I need more hours in the day!)  ENJOY!

Crockpot Turkey Breast
7-8lb bone in young turkey breast
Rub:
1/4 cupdried onion flakes2 tablespoons low-sodium beef bouillon granules1/4 teaspoon onion powder1/4 teaspoon parsley flakes1/8 teaspoon celery seed1/8 teaspoonpaprika1/8 teaspoonground black pepper
Line crockpot with crockpot liner (seriously genius!)
Rub soup mix all over turkey breast, inside, out and under skin
Place turkey breast in crockpot; do not add stock or water or anything else
Cover and cook on high 1 hour and then reduce to low for 7 hours.
Remove turkey, remove bone and skin, put in tupperware and voila! you have turkey breast meat all week for wraps, salads, quick protein snack!
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Fajita Bites
4 Medium Bell Peppers
3 green onions
1/2 c fresh cilantro leaves
4 oz part skim mozzarella cheese
2 cups finely diced cooked chicken breast
1/3 cup of chobani plain non-fat greek yogurt
2 tbsp Pampered Chef Chili Lime Rub
another 1/2 c of chobani plain non-fat greek yogurt
Preheat oven to 400
Cut tops of peppers and scoop out seeds. Wedge the peppers.
Finely chop the onions and cilantro in a manual food processor. Grate cheese.
Mix half of the onion mixture, half of the cheese, chicken and 1/3 c of the greek yogurt and the rub.
Blot excess moisture from peppers and then scoop about 2tbsp of filling onto pepper wedges.
Sprinkle peppers with remaining cheese and bake 5-7 min or until cheese is melted. Mix the remaining 1/2 c of greek yogurt with the remaining half of the onion mixture. Spoon it into a resealable plastic bag and trim corner. Squeeze the yogurt/onion mixture over fajita bites to taste.
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Tomato and Avocado Salad
2 small tomatoes
1 small avocado
2tbsp fresh basil
sea salt to taste
2tbsp balsamic vinegar
Slice tomatoes, top with sliced avocado and basil, season with salt and vinegar (TOO EASY!)
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Red Pepper Soup
1/2 onion, 1 garlic clove 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes. Heat 1tbsp evoo then sauté onion, garlic and flakes 6 min. Add 2 large red peppers (quartered) and 1.5 c of vegetable broth. Cook until peppers are very tender. Carefully put in blender and purée. Serve immediately.
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Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal (for the crockpot)
1/2 C steel cut oats
2 C almond milk
1/2 C pumpkin puree
1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 t allspice
pinch of cloves

spray your crockpot with a nonstick spray, throw in all ingredients, and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
serves 2. serving size 1 1/4 C. calories per serving :205 (i tripled this recipe when i made it, so i have breakfast for the whole week)

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Angela's Overnight Oatmeal

1/4 c old fashiponed oats
1/4 c Greek yogurt
1/3 skim milk or almond milk
1.5 t chia seeds
1 t honey (optional)
1/4 fresh fruit or berries

Mix all ingredients Add berries to top. Fridge overnight or up to 2 days. Eat cold.

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Overnight Oatmeal

Ingredients
◦ 1 cup of milk (skim, almond or coconut milk)
◦ 1/2 cup rolled oats (not quick cooking)
◦ 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract (change it up and use almond extract)
◦ 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
◦ 1 tbsp. raisins
◦ 2 tbsp chia seeds or flax seed*
(add a scoop of protein powder or a scoop of greek yogurt for extra protein)

Instructions
1. Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and cover.
2. Place in the fridge for at least three hours or overnight.
3. If you prefer it warm, just heat it on the microwave or stovetop but you may need to
add a little extra liquid.
4. Top w/ fresh berries, or dried fruits and nuts if desired. Delish!

Serve size: 1

Notes
This is easily a gluten-free and vegan recipe by using the gluten-free oats and coconut or almond milk.The chia seeds help to absorb some of the liquid and thicken the oatmeal. *If you are not using chia seeds you should reduce the amount of milk but about 1/4 cup. This recipe has daily recommended amounts of 50% calcium, 32% iron, 25% vitamin D, 50% vitamin E, in large part due to chia seeds.
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Hearty Chicken Stew with Butternut Squash & Quinoa Recipe

Yield: Serves 6
Ingredients
1 1/2 lb. butternut squash, peeled, seeded & chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
3 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1/2 tsp kosher salt
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 can (14 oz) petite diced tomatoes
2/3 cup uncooked quinoa
3/4 cup pitted and quartered kalamata olives
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
Instructions
1.Steam the butternut squash until barely tender, about 10 minutes. Remove half of the squash pieces and set aside.

1. Steam the remaining squash until very tender, an additional 4 to 6 minutes. Mash this squash with the back of a fork. Set aside.
2. In a large saucepan set over medium-high heat, bring the chicken broth to a simmer.
3. Add chicken thighs, cover, and cook until chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes.
4. Transfer the chicken thighs to a plate and allow to cool. Pour broth into a medium-sized bowl.
5. Return the saucepan to the stovetop and lower heat to medium. Add olive oil.
6. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is starting to turn brown, 8 to 10 minutes.
7. Add minced garlic and oregano. Cook, stirring, for 1 additional minute.
8. To the saucepan, add tomatoes, butternut squash pieces, mashed butternut squash. Stir to combine.
9. Stir in reserved chicken broth and quinoa. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook until the quinoa turns translucent, about 15 minutes.
10. Shred the chicken with your fingers or a fork.
11. Stir the chicken, olives and pepper into the stew and simmer, uncovered, to heat, about 5 minutes.
12. Stir in parsley and serve.

Notes
Calories 329 / Total Fat 14.1g / Saturated Fat 1.0 / Cholesterol 15.2mg / Sodium 1209mg / Total Carbohydrates 32.8g / Fiber 5.4g / Sugars 3.0g / Protein 19.4g / WW (Old Points) 7 / WW (Points+) 9
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Quinoa Stuffed Mushrooms
20 mushrooms
4 spring onions
1/2 c cooked quinoa
2 T parmesan cheese
Clean mushrooms, snap off stems. Place caps in 9x13 baking pan. Chop stems and spring onion fine. Spray saute pan with pam, add chopped stems and onions. Saute until cooked through. Add quinoa. Cool slightly. Add parm. Stuff mushroom caps (pack down stuffing slightly in cap) and bake about 15 minutes. Serve warm.

Grilled Chicken, Roasted Red Pepper Soup and Tomato with Avocado andBasil Salad

I will post Recipes soon!

Inspirational Story from one of my Challengers

I received this email this morning from one of my weight loss challengers just as I was finishing up my morning run. I read it, but it took a few minutes for the message to really sink in. As I was driving down the road, I was absorbing what this man had just told me and I had to pull the car over to collect myself and wipe the tears from my face. This is truly a story about a man who is choosing to take control of his health and save his life!

Dear Alice Anne,

As you have probably already noticed, I do not regularly do Facebook -- Susan generally posts for both of us. However, I wanted to share something with you as a way of saying "thank you" for all of the work that you put into creating and administering these challenges.

I began gaining weight in the fall of 1981 when I got my first fulltime job as a draftsman for a small engineering firm in Raleigh, North Carolina. I sat at a drafting board for 8-10 hours a day. I gained a little bit of weight every year since then. The more weight I gained, the more sedentary my life became simply because I did not have the energy or the drive to make a change in lifestyle. One time about 14 years ago, I posted a note on the office bulletin board asking if anyone would be willing to walk/jog with me at lunch once or twice a week to help me get in better shape. Instead of getting any help or even any encouragement, I was humiliated to find close to 20 comments written on the bulletin board poking fun at my request. I lost all desire to get in shape.

I began making regular trips to West Africa in 2004 to build laboratories for the NIH. During our safety briefings that preceded each trip, someone always asked what we were supposed to do if we encountered a wild animal (e.g., lion, tiger, etc.). The running joke for close to five years was that no one should worry about that scenario as long as you were capable of "running faster than Bill" because you would have time to escape while the animal attacked him.

I participated in your challenge last fall to support and encourage Susan but I did not embrace it for myself and had lackluster results.

I had a physical exam two weeks before this challenge and my doctor blindsided me with the sobering news that my health was in such bad shape I probably had no longer than 1-2 years to live unless I began a regime of taking multiple medicines for the rest of my life. I had no desire to be medicated for the rest of my life and I asked him if it would make a difference if I could lose 30 or 40 lbs? He looked me straight in the eyes and said that it would make all the difference in the world, but he had NEVER had a patient in my shape ever be able to make such a radical lifestyle change. He agreed to give me 90 days to make a change but said that the only exercise he would sanction at this time was walking. He then told me that when he saw me again in 90 days we would start an aggressive regime of medicines because he was sure that I would fail in this effort.

Although I was educated as a scientist, my career has been predominately as an engineer. My new position with NASA has recently given me the chance to work more as a scientist for the first time in my life. I decided to approach this challenge as a 12-week science experiment. I used my prior affiliation with NIH to gain access to the latest scientific studies in weight loss. I used my status as a graduate student at the Harvard University Extension School to gain access to the vast Harvard libraries where I have been able to read up on some of the latest research in the nexus between brain function and weight loss and some of the cutting edge obesity studies coming out of the Harvard School of Public Health.

During the first two weeks of the challenge, it was all I could do to go 1-2 miles on the treadmill. Yesterday, I walked on an inclined treadmill for 18.25 miles (just over five hours). It felt great!

Two weeks ago, the doctors at NASA rechecked my blood work and found the following:
my blood pressure has gone from 172/105 to 117/64; triglycerides have gone from 514 to 150; total cholesterol has gone from 420 to 128; thyroid function has gone from 8.22 to 4.52. In general, almost all of my biomarkers have gone from "dangerous" to either "normal" or very close to "normal". This weight loss challenge is not only changing my life, it has saved my life. I just wanted to take this opportunity to sincerely thank you for all you do in organizing and running this challenge! It is making a miraculous difference for our family.

Best regards,

Bill

Again, SUCH an inspirational story! I just had to share! His journey has been a long and treacherous one; one of lost hope, jokes, and never believing things were "that bad". Sometimes, we just have to hear something that shakes us up and makes us stop and realize that we are in charge of our lives and our health! I'm so incredibly proud of this man and he is a true testament that we are in COMPLETE control!