Weddings, weddings, weddings!

I thought I would blog about my wedding details today since that's what's been on my mind! 117 days to go! Yikes.

I'm getting married at a yacht club, so we decided to go with a nautical wedding, which is actually very dear to our hearts. My dad loves to spend time with his yacht club buddies and on his boat, and some of the best times I've had have been with him and our family out on the boat. The Clover Island Yacht Club was just rebuilt in 2009. There's been a light house added to the island, along with a brewery and restaurant.

My wedding colors are navy, white, and coral, with some yellow accents. The navy and yellow look so beautiful together. The bridesmaid dresses are coral and the groomsmen are wearing navy blue sport coats and khakis (with boat shoes!).




We're going to decorate the ceiling with paper lanterns and draping sheer cloth. Beautiful and romantic feel!

Wedding colors and inspirations boards!

And instead of cake, we're going to be having cupcakes. But those I'm keeping a secret until the wedding ;)

Hope you enjoyed your sneak preview!

I'll post pictures from the wedding when they're available.

--HB

Slacking

I've been extra lazy this week. I've only done one work out in the mornings...I've just been so tired! I haven't been pigging out though, so I guess that's a plus! I've been super busy with tracking down addresses for my save the dates, which were supposed to go out Monday. If I get them in the mail Saturday morning, I'll be happy. There's 121 days left until I get married. Yikes! I feel like I haven't done much of anything. I guess I've got a lot of things planned though. I have: a venue, a caterer, a DJ, an officiant, a dress, a GROOM, my bridesmaids and their dresses, groomsmen, a wedding theme (nautical!), and more plans...

I need: shoes, a hair dresser, nail appointments, jewelry, veil, make-up artist, flights, and the list goes on, and if I were to sit here and think of them all I might have a break down. I'm going to email my "wedding planner" with a few ideas so I feel more organized.

So, I found this neat website where it gives you the '411' on food. It's http://www.hungry-girl.com, and it's got some great substitute ideas for high-fat/calorie foods for low-fat/low-cal stuff. Like these noodles I tried, tofu shirataki noodles, they only have 20 calories per serving (opposed to 200 calories of regular pasta per serving). They stink! But, they taste like whatever you put on them. You have to really rinse them well and dry them, but it's worth the calorie exchange. I used them in stir fry last night which had broccoli, cauliflower, bell peppers, onion, water chestnuts, sprouts, and chicken! Jeez, that was a lot of chopping.

Oh! And I called on my treadmill part yesterday. It's out of stock and back ordered. I tried to explain to the man that I was getting married and that treadmill was ESSENTIAL to my weight loss. He laughed and said "I understand ma'am, and I'm very sorry it's taking so long..." I wanted to scream that I only had 120 days left! But I calmly said thank you for your help and hung up. Stupid treadmill. It's finally staying light past 5:00 so I think I'll be able to run after work soon. On a lighter note, literally, I can tell that my pants aren't as tight. Yessssssss! Finally a little reward for the work I've been doing.

After I mail my save the dates this weekend, I think I'm going to make a batch of muffins, I found them on sassy fit's blog. This is the recipe:

APPLE-CINNAMON OAT-BRAN MUFFINS

This recipe's so delicious you won't even realize it's also heart-healthy

Heart Guards
Prep: 10 min Cook: 25 min

These baked beauties are a cardiologist's dream food--the pectin fiber in apples, the oat bran, and the vitamin E-rich canola oil are loved by docs because together they lower both total and LDL cholesterol and keep insulin and blood sugar levels under control.
But protecting yourself against heart disease won't even cross your mind when this dessert-worthy combo of apples, cinnamon, and nutmeg hits your taste buds. Too yummy to be typecast as breakfast muffins, they can be popped anytime for a filling and satisfying bite. Make a full batch of these and pack one in the morning for your mid-day sugar craving at work!
1/2 c oat bran1 c whole-wheat flour1/4 c ground flaxseed1 tsp baking soda1 1/2 tsp baking powder1 tsp ground cinnamon1 tsp nutmeg1 egg, beaten4 Tbsp canola oil1/3 c applesauce1 shredded apple1/4 c sugar1/4 c chopped pecans
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together bran, flour, flaxseed, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together egg and oil until smooth. Stir in applesauce, shredded apple, and sugar. Combine mixtures and fold in pecans.
4. Spoon batter into paper-lined muffin cups. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly touched. Cool on a wire rack.
Makes 12. Per muffin: 147 cal, 9 g fat (1 g sat), 163 mg sodium, 18 g carbs, 3 g fiber, 3 g protein

Though I might substitute the sugar with truvia. That eliminates about 100 calories from the whole batch, not a ton, but every little bit counts!

Okay-work time!

--HB

Weekend report

Friday afternoon I headed to Pullman, WA to check out my friend Sandra's new apartment and see her school. She's a graduate student at WSU getting her MS. I'm very excited for her. She's also following my blog, and has been using some of my recipes. When I got to her apartment, she was cooking me a healthy recipe she had found and it was so delicious I wanted to post it on here.

Five-Spice Turkey and Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup of water
• 1/2 cup instant brown rice
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 1 pound 93%-lean ground turkey
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 1 large red bell pepper, finely diced
• 1 8-ounce can water chestnuts, rinsed and chopped
• 1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce (see Note)
• 1 teaspoon five-spice powder (see Note)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 heads Boston lettuce, leaves separated
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh herbs, such as cilantro, basil, mint and/or chives
• 1 large carrot, shredded

Directions

Bring water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add rice; reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. We used regular brown rice, which took 45 minutes to cook, feel free to prepare the rice ahead of time.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add turkey and ginger; cook, crumbling with a wooden spoon, until the turkey is cooked through, about 6 minutes. Stir in the cooked rice, bell pepper, water chestnuts, broth, hoisin sauce, five-spice powder and salt; cook until heated through, about 1 minute.

To serve, spoon portions of the turkey mixture into lettuce leaves, top with herbs and carrot and roll into wraps.

Sandra used extra cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and pepper to season the turkey. The extra spice and kick was delicious! We also cooked extra brown rice and served it as a side. 1/2 cup cooked brown rice= 85 calories. The meal was 370 calories total.

Nutrition

Per serving: 285 calories; 11 g fat (3 g sat, 1 g mono); 66 mg cholesterol; 24 g carbohydrates; 26 g protein; 5 g fiber; 543 mg sodium; 390 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (150% daily value), Vitamin C (140% dv), Iron (25% dv), Folate (20% dv).

_____________

I showed Sandra some of my vinyasa yoga and we were going to get up Sunday morning and do some...but I guess coffee and sweet orange rolls sounded more appealing. :) whoops.

I'm still waiting on my treadmill part! Gosh! I'm calling Reebok again today and asking where it is. Hopefully it will come this week. I'm taking my dress in for alterations in 2-3 weeks. The thing about my dress is, the places that need the most alterations really have nothing to do with weight loss, which is good, because I didn't want to get too thin, and I definitely don't want to gain weight either. So hopefully my dress will fit just right :) I really need to tone my arms...they're definitely wobbly and in poor form! I think I'm going to use this work out, along with my yoga and pilates, to tone my arms.

Compliments of womenshealthmag.com

Pushup2

Get in a pushup position on hands and knees. Lower your chest, then push up as fast as you can. (If you can, clap hands in the air.)

SETS: 2

REPS: 12-15

REST: 60 sec

Close-Grip Cable Row2

Sit with your abs tight, lower back slightly arched, shoulder blades squeezed back, and torso upright. Lean forward from the hips to grasp close-grip handles and return to the upright position (A).

Squeeze your shoulder blades and row toward your chest, pulling the handles back as far as possible while keeping your arms close to your body (B). The rowing motion should come from your upper back, not your arms or lower back. Don't jerk your body backward to complete the movement. Slowly extend your arms to return the handles to the starting upright position.

SETS: 2

REPS: 12-15

REST: 60 sec

Stability Ball Lat Swim2

Grab a pair of 2-pound dumbbells and kneel over a stability ball, keeping your feet where the wall and floor meet (it will help brace you). Walk out until your body forms a straight line and lift the dumbbells in front of you to shoulder height, palms down. Keeping your arms straight and palms down, squeeze your lats (think shoulder blades) and bring your arms to your sides. Bring them back in front of you. If this is too hard, start with no weights, and perform the exercise until your form breaks.

SETS: 2

REPS: 12-15

REST: 60 sec

Floor Dip2
Sit on the floor with your knees bent and hands at your sides, directly underneath your shoulders. Hoist your hips off the floor, like a crab. Next, bend your elbows and lower yourself toward the floor (without touching it), then straighten your arms.

SETS: 2

REPS: 12-15

REST: 60 sec

21's 2
Stand with a dumbbell in each hand, palms forward. Curl until elbows hit 90 degrees, then lower to start; do seven reps. Follow immediately with seven more curls, this time bringing the dumbbells to your armpits, then lowering until your elbows reach 90 degrees. Finish with seven complete curls, lowering the dumbbells to your hips and curling them all the way up.

SETS: 2

REPS: 12-15

REST: 60 sec

Now, for my meal plan today

Breakfast: Kashi GoLean! Crunch with non-fat milk and coffee with non-fat milk, no sugar

Lunch: Lean Cuisine- Lemon Chicken & hard boiled egg

Snacks: Cottage cheese & Orange, Granola bar & banana

Dinner: Mediterranean chicken and bow ties- now we usually use lots of noodles with this dish, but we're limiting our portions of bow tie pasta to 2 oz each, which is about 1 cup cooked pasta.

1 cup pasta: 200 cal

4 oz chicken: 110

Herbs, chicken broth, & olives: 50 calories

1 tsp olive oil: 40 calories

Thats all for now, have a great Monday!

--HB

Food day. Get some inspiration!

I wont lie, one of my favorite past times is eating. I love to experience food. So I though I'd share some of my favorite recipes and types of food today. Hope you Enjoy!



Tomato-Tortilla Soup Yield: 4 servings, serving size: 2 cups

Ingredients
2 (6-inch) corn tortillas
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon canola oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 small onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 (14.5-ounce) cans no salt added diced tomatoes. with juice
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Brush both sides of each tortilla with oil, using 1 tablespoon of the oil. Cut the tortillas in half, then cut each half into 1/4-inch wide strips. Arrange the strips on a baking sheet, sprinkle with the salt, and bake until crisp and golden, about 12 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.

Heat the remaining 1 teaspoons of oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft and translucent. Add the garlic, jalapeno, cumin, and oregano and cook for 1 minute more. Add the broth and tomatoes, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes. Stir in lime juice.

Remove the pan from the heat and puree with an immersion blender or in 2 batches in a regular blender until the soup lightens in color but chunks of tomato remain, about 30 seconds. Serve the soup topped with the tortilla strips, a dollop of sour cream, and a sprinkle of cilantro.

Per Serving:

Calories 270; Total Fat 10g (Sat Fat 2g, Mono Fat 3.5g, Poly Fat 2g); Protein 9g; Carb 36g; Fiber 4g; Cholesterol 8mg; Sodium 335mg

Excellent Source of: Vitamin A, Vitamin C

Good Source of: Fiber, Niacin, Phosphorus, Iron, Vitamin K, Protein




Stawberry Mozzarella Salad. Sounds weird, but it's delicious!


Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 heart romaine lettuce, torn or cut into bite-sized pieces (3 cups lightly packed)
1 8-ounce container of strawberries, hulled and sliced
3 ounces part-skim mozzarella cheese, diced (about 3/4 cup)
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, cut into ribbons
Directions
In a small bowl whisk together the oil, vinegar salt and pepper. Place the lettuce in a large bowl and toss with half the dressing. Place the lettuce onto 4 salad plates.

Toss the strawberries with the remaining dressing and place 1/4 of the berries on top of each mound of lettuce. Top each with cheese and sprinkle with the basil.

Calories 150; Total Fat 12 g; (Sat Fat 3.5 g, Mono Fat 5 g, Poly Fat 1 g) ; Protein 6 g; Carb 7 g; Fiber 2 g; Cholesterol 15 mg; Sodium 320 mg

Excellent source of: Vitamin A, Vitamin C

Good source of: Protein, Vitamin K, Calcium, Manganese





Emerald Stir-Fry with Beef

Ingredients
1/4 cup mirin or semisweet white wine, like Riesling
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons canola oil
8 ounces beef round tip steak, sliced 1/4-inch thick
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups fresh snow peas (6 ounces)
1 large bunch broccoli (1 1/4 pounds) trimmed and cut into small florets
1 bunch asparagus (1 pound), trimmed and sliced on diagonal into 2-inch pieces
2 cups (8 ounces) frozen shelled edamame
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 1/4 cup warm water
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Directions
Combine mirin or white wine, orange juice, soy sauce, rice vinegar, red pepper flakes and water in a small bowl.

In a large wok or very large (14-inch) saute pan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook, stirring, until just browned, about 2 minutes. Transfer the beef to a plate. Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil over medium heat and cook garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add snow peas, broccoli, asparagus and edamame, raise heat to medium-high, and cook for 3 minutes until vegetables are slightly softened. Add the mirin-soy mixture and cook, stirring, until edamame are cooked and asparagus is crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Add the beef and dissolved cornstarch and stir to incorporate. Cook until mixture thickens slightly and beef is heated through, an additional 2 minutes. Drizzle with sesame oil and serve.

Per Serving:
(1 serving equals 2 cups stir-fry and 3 tablespoons sauce)

Calories 400; Total Fat 15 g; (Sat Fat 2 g, Mono Fat 6 g, Poly Fat 3 g) ; Protein 29 g; Carb 34 g; Fiber 11 g; Cholesterol 32 mg; Sodium 625 mg

Excellent source of: Protein, Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Iron, Phosphorus, Zinc

Good source of: Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Folate, Calcium, Magnesium, Manganese, Potassium, Selenium




Healthy Breakfast Sandwich



Ingredients
Nonstick cooking spray
4 eggs and 4 egg whites
1/4 cup minced chives
1/4 cup minced parsley
4 whole-wheat English muffins
4 1/2-inch round slices Canadian bacon
1 large beefsteak tomato, sliced into 1/2-inch thick slices
Directions
Crack eggs and egg whites into a bowl and whisk. Add chives and parsley and stir to incorporate. Spray a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Ladle 1/4 egg mixture into skillet and cook, omelet style, until eggs are cooked through, about 1 to 2 minutes per side. Slide omelet onto a plate and repeat with remaining eggs; cover with foil to keep warm. In same skillet, heat Canadian bacon until warm, about 1 to 2 minutes per side. Toast English muffin. Fold omelet in to fit English muffin, then place omelet on 1 muffin half. Top with a bacon slice, then tomato, then top with other muffin half.

Per Serving

Calories 330; Total Fat 13 g; (Sat Fat 5 g, Mono Fat 3 g, Poly Fat 1 g) ; Protein 25 g; Carb 31 g; Fiber 5 g; Cholesterol 245 mg; Sodium 920 mg

Excellent source of: Protein, Fiber, Vitamin A, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Calcium, Manganese, Phosphorus, Selenium

Good source of: Vitamin B6, Folate, Copper, Iodine, Iron, Magnesium, Potassium, Zinc




Pasta Primavera


Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves minced garlic
1 red bell pepper, cleaned, seeded and cut into strips (6 ounces)
1/2 pound thin asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 cup sliced button mushrooms (4 ounces)
1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, sliced in 1/2 (6 ounces)
1 cup low-sodium chicken stock
1/2 cup 1 percent milk
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, dissolved in 3 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 large carrot (6 ounces) peeled and sliced into strips with a peeler (about 2 cups carrot ribbons)
3/4 pound whole-wheat linguine
1/2 cup (1 1/2 ounces) grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves
1/4 cup shredded basil leaves
Directions
Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Cook garlic until soft, about 1 minute. Add peppers and cook until they begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms, asparagus and tomatoes and cook until softened, an additional 5 minutes. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute more. Add chicken stock, milk, salt and pepper and bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer and cook until liquid has thickened slightly, about 5 minutes. Stir in carrot strips.

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions; drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water. Toss pasta with vegetables and sauce. Add pasta water, if necessary, to loosen mixture. Serve garnished with Parmesan, parsley and basil.

Per Serving

Serving Size, 2 cups pasta plus 2 tablespoons cheese, plus parsley and basil

Calories 480; Total Fat 11 g; (Sat Fat 3 g, Mono Fat 3 g, Poly Fat 0.5 g) ; Protein 22 g; Carb 76 g; Fiber 10 g; Cholesterol 10 mg; Sodium 610 mg

Excellent source of: Protein, Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Calcium, Potassium

Good source of: Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Iron, Manganese, Phosphorus, Selenium





Those are a few meal ideas, but what about snacks? Well, here's a few that will tide you over until dinner!


Peanut Butter and Whole-Wheat Crackers



Combine lean protein, fiber and healthy fat and you've got a satisfying snack. Protein and fiber work for cutting down and controlling hunger, while fat takes a bit longer to digest and keeps you feeling full longer. Peanut butter is high in healthy monounsaturated fats, but be sure to portion out one tablespoon to keep calories in check.

Portion: 1 tablespoon natural peanut butter and 4 whole-wheat crackers
Total: 180 calories, 5 grams of protein



Low-Fat Cottage Cheese and Fruit


With its good balance of protein, carbs and fat, cottage cheese is one of the most underappreciated foods. Add fiber with fresh fruit, such as berries, melon, pears or pineapple, for a perfect snack. A 1/2-cup serving contains 7% of your daily calcium needs, which is important for healthy bones.

Portion: 1/2 cup low-fat or nonfat cottage cheese with 1/2 cup sliced or 1 medium piece of fresh fruit
Total calories: 140 calories, 14 grams protein



Hummus with Sliced Veggies



This Middle Eastern chickpea spread is packed with protein, fiber and heart-healthy unsaturated fats. Veggies like carrots, bell peppers and broccoli make great dippers and add good nutrients, including beta-carotene, vitamin C and, of course, more belly-filling fiber. Two tablespoons of plain hummus has 50 calories and 3 grams of fat, so you're probably better off measuring out two to three tablespoons instead of sitting down with the entire container.

Portion: 3 tablespoons of plain hummus plus 1 cup of sliced veggies
Total calories: 120 calories, 7 grams protein



Trail Mix


Almonds, cashews, walnuts, peanuts or pecans are full of healthy fat, fiber and protein. A delicious homemade trail mix is simple: Portion out a handful of nuts and mix in two tablespoons of dried fruit like raisins, cranberries or apricots. To minimize calories, choose nuts that are dry roasted or raw. For a change of pace, throw in whole-wheat pretzels or some of your favorite cereal (I've been on a Puffins kick lately). Packing your trail mix in plastic bags or containers makes it easy to grab and go. If you find yourself plowing through your snack mix, try using shelled nuts that will take longer to eat.

Portion: 15 nuts plus 2 tablespoons of dried fruit
Total calories: 170 calories, 7 grams protein

Well, now that I've spent about an hour thinking about food...I'm going to go make some. Maybe I'll whip up one of those breakfast sammy's, sounds delicious!

With a hungry belly,

--HB

My state of mind.

I need some sunshine! For goodness sake. It's so dreary it's making me crazy. Which leads me to my next point. I'm extremely unfocused today, a little jittery, and ready fo some excitement, it might have something to do with how much coffee I've had. But who's counting? It's strange that I'm feeling both perky and glum from the weather. So please, can I have some sunshine?? 

This morning I got up at my usual time and did some stretching yoga, I'm a little stiff today from the vinyasa. Which is a good sign I guess. My abs and legs are a bit sore.  I've been thinking of doing some wii fit in the mornings too for toning sessions. They have some cool strength training exercises. I haven't been on the wii fit in months! Hopefully it doesn't make me feel guilty. When you get on the wii after it's been a while it kind of gives you a guilt trip. It asks you how you've been eating and exercising... 

My cats are really very good at yoga. They show me up every time. The only thing I'm better at is holding my pose. They only hold their poses for 3 seconds at best! Silly kitties. When my treadmill was working they would try to run with me, although, that's really not their forte. So I think they'll stick with yoga. I think Mr. Grey needs to go on a diet... But I'll leave that up to him.

I have tomorrow off for a funeral, so I'll be at home while blogging, and I'm thinking I'll do a healthy food blog with recipes so you (and me) can get some meal inspirations.  If I can figure out how to post pictures on here I'll even include those!  I might even have time to run, since I'll have some free time during daylight. Hopefully it doesn't rain tomorrow. 

My meals for today
Bfast: kashi golean! crunch with non-fat milk & coffee
Lunch: left over chicken and brown rice
Snacks: hard boiled egg, banana, orange, trailmix chewey granola bar
Dinner: spagetti with quinoa spagetti noodles, steamed veggies. 

I need to find some new recipes! I'm getting tired of the same ol' foods! Maybe you can hit a food plateau.  

Okay, time to work. Thinking of you all!

<3 HB   

Becoming a yogi.

Wake at 4:10am. Move to couch. Pet cats. Close eyes and wait to hear coffee maker turn on. Finally 'wake' up at 4:30. My friend Tessa is coming over at 5:00 to do some vinyasa with me. Ahhhhhhh. So challenging but relaxing when it's all over. I think we're going to do yoga Tuesdays and Thursdays. I have this app on my iPhone that plays soothing music so we put that on and focus on our breathing and poses. It gets pretty intense towards the end. 

I haven't been sleeping well! I think I've been waking up at night because I'm too cold.  I don't know, but I need some good rest! I was fine during yoga, but now all I can do is yawn. I think I'm in for a long day. Good thing I've got dinner planned and prepped! Yay. 

Dinner last night was not satisying. Remind me not to listen to Jared again for dinner ideas :p. As temped as I was to eat something else that tasted good, I asked myself if I was hungry...nope. Full of food I didn't like. Oh well... I'll be satisfied tonight! 

Food for today
Bfast: oatmeal (again) and coffee
Lunch: lean cuisine
Snack: orange, banana, and turkey roll ups (turkey slices with bell peppers in the middle)
Dinner: lime & pepper chicken, brown rice, steamed veggies. 

What I love about this dinner is that the marinade for the chicken (lime juice and fresh ground pepper) is less than 50 calories. Total, not per serving. So you get all the flavor and not the calories. And, the chicken only needs to marinate for 30 minutes. I cooked the brown rice Sunday, when I made light orange chicken, so there's no wait on that. I love brown rice, but it takes 45 minutes to cook! I'm hoping, if Jared helps me, it will only take about 30 to cook, not counting the marinating time. 

I've been practicing being a wife. Haha. I cooked and cleaned the last two days with out asking for help, but I'm pretty sure Jared knows it's time to help out. He thanked me profusely last night for doing it. Which was nice! 

I really miss my treadmill! I hope the part comes soon. Maybe since I'm changing up my work out routine it will help me avoid a plateau.  I wonder, can you hit a plateau by eating the same foods? I basically eat the same kind of foods each week. Just mixing up the days. Hmmmm. I'll have to look that up. If you have any foods that you love that I'm not eating and you think I should try, let me know!

Until tomorrow,
HB

Improvising.

Week four

Treadmill still broken, I haven't worked out in four days, but I'm finally feeling better. So maybe this evening I'll do some lifting.  It's hard for me to do cardio with out my treadmill because it's dark and freezing when I wake up and dark and slightly less cold when I get home. I don't like running in the dark by myself. And Jared doesn't want to run after work and you know he's not getting up at 4:00! 

So this week, since my cardio will be limited, I'm going to really focus on my eating habits. Jared and I came up with meal plans for this week so we weren't scrambling to get dinner together. We made a list of dinners for this week and and for lunch (individually) and then based our shopping list off that. Today I'm eating:
Breakfast: oatmeal with cinnamon and truvia and coffee. 
Lunch: tuna with chopped up onion, celery, and red-yellow-green bell peppers. Salt and pepper to taste. The tuna will go on Kavli crisp bread (50 calories for 3 crackers). I used and individual packet of albacore tuna and 2 tsp of mayo made with olive oil. 
Snacks: apple sauce, blood orange, and banana. 
Dinner: our own healthy version of hamburger helper. With whole wheat pasta and lots of veggies. 

So, I'm thinking for cardio, I can do jumping jacks, burpees, and jumping over a line, back and forth. I know that those exercises really get my heart pumping and leave me out of breath! 

On a different note, I am very ready for spring. Winter here is dreary, wet, and cold. With no snow. The dreariness makes it hard to stay motivated! 

This week is crunch time. I've got to buy 300 stamps so I can send out save the dates, print off my address labels, and mail 250 save the dates! Yikes! Jared needs to design the invites and program and the center piece! I did a cupcake tasting with my sister this weekend, she's making them, and they were soooo tasty. She's a very talented baker! 

Stay tuned for more healthy and delicous meals and updates on week four!

-HB 

I think I jinxed myself.

Sorry for no blog yesterday, I was in bed, sick. I came to work today (office) and we'll see what if that was a good decision or not... I wanted week three to not hurt and well, I guess it doesn't. My treadmill broke, so my legs aren't sore, I've been sick in bed for two days, so no toning or lifting so my arms aren't sore...the only thing that hurts is my back from all the aches and pains! Agh! I promise never to complain again about working out. I got the part ordered for my treadmill so I hope that fixes it. Otherwise I'm going to have to restart my six week program! On the up side, I haven't been eating very much-- haha. My stomach didn't really feel like accepting food, although I did want a cheese burger really bad the other day... and no, I didn't eat it. I only fantasized about it.

I have no meal plan for today, only fruits and veggies and other simple things my body can digest easily. There's a crab feed tomorrow, so maybe it's a good thing I'm not feeling well. Although I do really want to eat some crab...I don't think my stomach would like all that butter.

I'm going to come up with a plan this weekend to do while my treadmill is out of service. I'll keep you posted.


Sorry this is so ho-hum!

HB

I am a weenie.

I got to sleep in this morning until 6:00! It turns out a few drillers weren't up to date on their training, so they had to do that today. And instead of getting up and doing my toning exercises, I laid in bed. BUT! My body was aching, not from working out, but like flu aching...I took some Advil and watched a little more news and eventually my body felt better. So, I'll do my workout when I get off work. I'm only working a half day. Why? Because I don't want to sit in the office all day twiddling my thumbs. And because I worked 13 hours yesterday. Anyway, I hopped on the scale today, and it read 132! What! What! Though, I had just woken up, went to the bathroom, and was stark naked, it still said 132! My goal weight is 125, and I'd like to meet that by May 1st and also be long and lean.

Obviously, my body is trying to tell me something, since I was aching and I'm kind of out of it today. I forgot to put on deodorant, almost spilled my coffee on my keyboard, and I've got the attention span of a gold fish, so I'll get on with what I was going to write.

I skipped breakfast, I wasn't hungry and my belly didn't feel like it would have accepted food. I did bring a muscle milk light in case of an emergency. I'm going to have a salad when I get home from work (and also run by lowes and the bank) and I found an Olive Garden gift certificate, so we're going out to eat tonight. I've already checked out my options. Venetian Apricot Chicken: 380 calories
or Soup: 100 calories for Minestrone, Breadsticks (limit of 2): 300 calories and salad: 150 Calories, with dressing on the side. Which is 550 calories. Maybe I'll go with the Apricot Chicken.

Tomorrow will be a better day!

<3 HB

Week three, go easy on me!

Good morning, pain. 
The begining of week three has not been kind. I think this is the slump week. Right smack dab in the middle of the running program. Ugh. Today, my pain ranges from my head, back, and legs. Nothing excrutiating, but a dull ache. It's probably karma from this weekend, more on that later. My work outs just amped up to 30 minutes of cardio. Which is part of the reason I'm tired and sore. 10 more minutes is a leap when you're out of shape :).  I also found out that my schedule for work has been pushed back a half hour. Which means I can squeeze in more of a work out and shower with out rushing! Still getting up at 4:00 though...ugh. 

So, this weekend, started out as a three day weekend and wound up being a four day weekend. Here's the good news: I did work out! Bad news...I drank way too much wine and pigged out. :( but! It's a new week so I'm not going to feel guilty because I'm eating right today and the rest of the week.  Also, my total weight loss is 5 pounds. That means I've got 5 more to lose in the next three weeks. I've cheated and been pretty slack quite a few times these few weeks, so if I really buckle down, I know I can do it. But, seriously, I'm so tired today that it's hard to feel motivated. Thanks goodness I've already done my workout today. 

My meals are boring today. 
Breakfast: banana, kashi golean! cereal with non-fat milk, and coffee
Lunch: lean cuisine and apple sauce (no sugar added)
Snack: muscle milk light
Dinner: I haven't decided. Maybe a salad or soup. Something easy. 

I'm so glad tomorrow is a toning day and not cardio. I'm not sure if I could do it. I do know that I'm going to bed at 8:30 tonight! I need to really get my sleep/waking routine down. I stay up too late a lot of the time, which doesn't help my energy levels or workouts. Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise...right?! And maybe fit? I think so. 

Anyway, time to get some work done!

Much love --HB

Weekend in Chelan

It sure was hard getting up this morning! Especially since I don't have to work...but I got up at 4:45 to do yoga with a friend. I chose a "fat burn" sequence that looked fairly easy. That was NOT the case. It was a very challenging sequence that you were supposed to repeat 5-10 times, good grief. I'm exhausted and shaky! So, I have two cats, Mr. Grey and Little Girl, well, they're both very good at yoga. This morning they were doing their stretches with us, then they decided that the best position would be to crawl under us while we were doing downward facing dog. And now, Little Girl wants to help me blog. Such considerate and helpful kitties.

I'm bringing my workout clothes to Chelan. I was thinking about not running (I know, I said I was going to!) but since I'm trying to make this into a routine, I have to treat it like a routine. I have a night routine, brush my teeth, wash my face, moisturize... And really, when I take my time, that's about 20 minutes, and I always do those things. I only run for 25-30, so there's not much difference in time. Though I don't think I'm going to wake up at 4:00am to run, I'll probably sleep in until 6:00. I just checked the weather though, and it's supposed to rain all weekend! Bummer! I forgot one more temptation in Chelan...My fiance, Jared, is Italian. His mom is the typical Italian mom who tries to feed you all day long, which used to be okay, but now since I'm trying to eat right and keep my daily caloric intake below 1400, it's going to be a little tricky. We already warned her we're trying to eat better, and to bring healthy snacks!

Today's Meal Plan:
Breakfast: 2 eggs scrambled with turkey and red, yellow, and green bell peppers, coffee!
Lunch: Curry Tuna on crisp bread with celery and sweet onion
Snack: Muscle Milk Light
Dinner: We'll be in Chelan at this point, so we need to make a smart decision of what we're going to eat. I'll keep you posted!

Wish me luck on my travel and adventures! I'll take some photos and post them.

Much love-- HB

Almost Friday!

Up and at 'em bright and early. I didn't have to be to work until 6:30 this morning, so with my extra half hour I squeezed in some pilates after my run. I feel good today. A bit tired, but my body feels good. I'm taking tomorrow off work so we can leave to Chelan a little earlier, so I'm meeting up with a friend to do yoga at 5:15. I get to sleep in a little! Yay! I need to be good this weekend because there are going to be big temptations. A wine walk, delicious food, the temptation to sleep In and not run! The condo has a gym, so I've got no excuse! 

Last night I didn't get home unt 7:00. Gross. So I made a salad instead of chicken Marsala. I need to figure something out for dinner tonight because my best friend called me in desperation to babysit for her.  Which actually, I love because Grace is perfect! I think I might grab a lean cuisine for dinner. Or raid her fridge and see what she has!  

I can't believe this is only week 2! It feels like forever. I understand why it's so hard to keep new year resolutions that involve working out/weight loss. Getting through one day at a time seems to be the easiest way. Each new day is another opportunity to succeed in your goal. Rather than being dissapointed that you've got 4 more weeks of this. I feel successful when I meet my daily goals of working out and eating right. 

Meal plan:
Breakfast: oatmeal, banana, coffee
Lunch: sandwich (on Sara Lee low card bread 90 calories per 2 slices), turkey, honey mustard, and lettuce (165 total cals)
1cup cambells select chicken tortilla soup (110 cals)
Dinner: lean cuisine or whatever I find in the fridge that meets my criteria. 

Until tomorrow morning!

 

Routine!

4:00am. Good morning darkness!  I passed out on the couch last night at 7:45, or so I'm told. I guess I was tired for some reason! I feel rested today though. Up again at 4:00 for pilates. I use a resistance ring with my pilates, I can feel it really working my inner thighs and arms while I do these exercises. These early hours aren't as bad as I expected them to be. I feel more awake when I get to work now! Which usually was a difficult thing to do when you need to be at work at 6:00. I've got a 45 minute drive out to my geology site, so being more awake is welcome

For dinner last night I made scrambled eggs (2 eggs with 2 egg whites) with bell peppers, onion, mushrooms, olives, and diced turkey. 
For dessert :) I had a skinny cow ice cream sandwich. Oh so delicious. 

Today's meal plan:
Breakfast: 1/2 cup oatmeal with cinnamon and truvia
Mid morning snack: banana
Lunch: Lean Cuisine and Dannon light and fit yogurt
Mid day snack: cup of motts all natural applesauce (no sugar added)
Dinner: light chicken Marsala over 1/2 cup brown rice 

It's important to have meals planned out and that are easy to make because it helps to keep you from eating whatever is in front of you. If you have meals that are planned out oand partially prepped it's so much easier!  If I'm going to have stir fry, I'll chop up the veggies the night before and put them in a container in the fridge. The next day, all I have to do is cook the chicken (or you can use beef or tofu) and dump the container of veggies into the wok. Easy peasy. 

I'm not looking forward to my run tomorrow morning, bright and early! But I know I'll feel better afterwards.  

Until then!

HB!  

Week 2: proving more difficult due to early mornings!

Sorry for the hiatus! My schedule got changed, so I've been getting up at 4:00am. Yuck! But I'm still working out in the mornings, which isn't as terrible as I had thought. It's only bad for the first few minutes. *yawn* I'll eventually get used to it!  Eating was a struggle this weekend! I went wine tasting in Walla Walla and had pizza. But I didn't over eat, but I did eat an un-needed chocolate and caramel torte. Almost entirely by myself but it was delicious! Saturday night had too much tequila, but a portion controlled dinner! One enchilada with rice. An over indulgent weekend means a strict week! Which will be easier since I'm working 12 hours a day! I lost 3 pounds last week! The number sounds good, but I can't tell a difference in the way I look.  

On a different note, wedding plans are coming along! Booked a DJ, almost finished the save the dates, looking at caterers, and getting all the decorating details hammered out. I've got take my dress in for alterations the begining to middle of February. So I need to lose most of my weight by then and start focusing on toning. 

My wedding is nautical themed and is going to be at a yacht club. The city just completed a lighthouse next to the yacht club. It's going to be so cute for the pictures. :) 

I need to figure out a dinner plan! 
Breakfast: kashi golean! Cereal with non-fat milk, banana, and coffee 
Lunch: whole wheat tortilla wrap with turkey, lettuce, bell peppers, and a little mustard. 
Dinner: TBD

Running this morning was made fun by the new Glee soundtrack I got. So catchy!

That's all for now! 

<3 HB 

Pilates

Well, Good morning!
Yesterday was such a good day, and I almost knew it would be to good to be true! I am pooped today. I did pilates this morning. I used to do pilates 3 times a week in college. I could hardly balance and keep my legs straight this morning! It was kind of discouraging, but at the same time, gave me something to work towards. I was thinking yesterday...how losing weight teaches you patience. I want to see immediate results! But my tummy and butt look the same as when I started, just a little more sore. I'm going to try and go week by week and take measurements so I can chart my progress. I need to feel successful at what I'm doing. Having some kind of support is important, you need someone encouraging you.

For dinner last night we wound up having black bean and cheese burritos. I added some grilled bell peppers and onions. I also mixed a little corn in with the black beans. All of this stuffed into a whole wheat tortilla with a sprinkle of feta and like juice with cilantro to garnish. It was really good. Today though, I was tired so I ate some Kashi cereal and grabbed a Dannon light & fit yogurt and a lean cuisine for lunch. For dinner it's lime and pepper grilled chicken with brown rice and veggies.

I'm taking Saturday as my rest day, I'm looking forward to it! I think we're planning on going to Walla Walla for some wine tasting. Yum!

HB

Proud

I successfully completed one day of my routine, food and all! I am proud of myself! It wasn't so hard, I'm actually looking forward to 6 weeks of this as a challenge. I'm feeling very energetic today. Right after I woke up, I grabbed a banana and a glass of water, and waited about 20 minutes to get on the treadmill. I listened to Katy Perry and it made running a little more fun. My legs are a little wobbly and sore, but it's encouraging. My body feels healthy today, not sluggish or bogged down. I ate a lot of veggies yesterday and protein. I'm excited to feel this good everyday! I know I'm going to struggle so I might as well rejoice in the good days so I can remember them when I hit those rough patches. Even my beafy personal trainer (treadmill)is starting to look less scary. Tomorrow morning is rock solid abs, and I must say, I'm not looking forward to it. Not so much the work out, but the following day when it hurts to laugh and turn sideways.

I like to write about my food because it reminds me of what I've already eaten and it keeps me accountable, plus this salad I brought looks like it's going to be delicious!

Breakfast: Banana, Oatmeal with truvia & cinnamon, and coffee

Lunch: Salad- 2 cups mixed baby greens, 1/4 cup dried cranberries, 2 tbsp gorgonzola (1 oz), 1/4 walnuts (1 oz), 1/2 of a medium sized granny smith apple (sliced and chopped into bite sized pieces), 2 slices of foster farms smoked honey roasted turkey (YUM!) chopped. Dressing: 1 tbsp olive oil & 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar.

Snack: Muscle milk light (if I'm hungry for it)

Dinner: TBD! I need to look over my meal plan. I don't follow the days, but I mix and match from the meals to fit what I'm feeling like. I'll keep you posted!

<3HB

New Day!

Okay...I totally pigged out last night on Clam Chowder and baguettes (and butter). OK, and a glass of wine and two truffles. But that was it. And it was more than enough. That one "meal" was 800 calories, which is 60% of my daily caloric intake (1400 calories). I felt bad, but I realized that tomorrow (today) is a new day! I will do better today with meeting my goals. I have a dinner planned out, tender chicken packets- carrots, sweet potato, onions, broccoli, and cauliflower in a foil packet with some olive oil and seasoning, baked until tender. Totally delicious and a healthy meal.

I woke up this morning, not wanting to get on the treadmill or do anything. I was supposed to do a "tone zone" work out, but I slacked off and just got on the treadmill. To make up for my laziness, I walked at 3.7mph @ a 12% incline or 20 minutes and then did a cool down. I was sorry I didn't do the tone zone after that... I was huffing and puffing to get up that hill!

I feel like I've got a pretty good menu today, so I'll share with you!

Breakfast: 1 cup Kashi GOLEAN
Crunch! Honey Almond Flax with 1/2 cup of non-fat milk
+ coffee with 2 tbsp of soy silk french vanilla creamer (yum)

Lunch: Carmelized French Onion soup (campbells select) with 1/4 cup of Mozzarella, 4 celery stick with 1 tbsp of peanut butter, and 1 container of Motts all natural apple sauce.

Dinner: 3 chicken tenders (4 oz) with carrots, onion, sweet potato, broccoli, and cauliflower, drizzled with olive oil and seasoned with garlic powder, Johnny's seasoning, and pepper. Bake in 350 degree oven for 45 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Voile! Delicious and easy meal.

I think I might even have enough calorie room to sneak in a glass of Cab Franc! Yum-o!


HB

Day One...How I hate you treadmill.

Today is January 4th, 2010. I have six months, almost to the day, to get down to my goal weight, and get the body that I'd like to flaunt up and down the beaches of Cabo! I've wanted to tone and get in shape for a good while, but I haven't had any motivation. Well, I'd say a wedding dress and a beach are plenty of motivation!

Today I started my weight loss/shape up plan. I printed off "running for weight loss" from Womens Health Magazine online (http://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/running-for-weightloss) for a start. It's a 6 week program where you run or walk/run-which is what I'm doing- and you gradually build up to running for 30 minutes straight. That might not sound like a lot, but you get on the treadmill and run for 10 minutes and tell me how you feel! Unless you're already in shape...but I'm not. The program also has a meal plan with it, so I printed that out as well. It seems pretty reasonable. I downloaded livestrong for my iPhone, it tracks the calories that you eat, so hopefully that will help as well. I really like to eat. Pretty much everything actually. I think that will be my biggest struggle. My fiance agreed to work out with me as well. We're doing a competition, kind of like Biggest Loser. Hopefully he doesn't poop out! We bought a treadmill, some free weights, a fitness ball, and a yoga mat. Today I walk/ran for 20 minutes like the chart said to. It wasn't too bad. The treadmill we have is a beast. I look at it, and it feels like I'm looking at a beafy personal trainer who's going to yell at me and make me do push ups.

As I come along delicious and figure friendly recipes I'll post them. Oatmeal is good for breakfast. Today though, I made coffee and mixed it with a muscle milk light. It turned my ordinary coffee into a mocha breakfast drink. Delicious. For lunch it was a Lean Cuisine because I was lazy, but tonight I'll make one of the meals from the meal plan and bring it to work.

Wish me luck!

The Hungry Bride