Okay…it’s Sunday, and I promise that I am NOT slacking. In fact, I am getting this week’s (late) issuance out as I sit in my hotel room in San Angelo. To say that I have been a bit swamped at work is an understatement, but again, I suspect things well get better as I get used to things and smarten up the processes (or at least, that’s the plan!). As far as the journey? I had a maintain week this week, which is still good, considering the craziness. Yes, I got to travel to San Angelo for work, and my reward for all of this? I got to miss my husband’s 44th birthday, and Valentine’s Day. I come home Tuesday night, after all of the festivities end. I told Steve that I owed him a 5-star homecooked dinner when I got home. I am planning a nice lobster dinner and maybe a few other surprises. I will definitely post the recipes or otherwise forward them on to all of you!
The sleet, snow and ice have all gone by the wayside (thank G-d!!!)…and things in Denton appear to be getting back to a state of normalcy. Speaking of normal? As I said, our gym is now staffed by the Verizon folks, instead of being outsourced as in the past. I marched right down and signed up for my normal 3 sessions per week, and started with that last Tuesday, before this last round of bad weather. Jenna is my new coach over there. She was our wonderful intern in the Richardson office. So glad to be on her books. She worked me so hard on Tuesday, that I felt like I was going to be sick. Invigorating, but INTENSE!!! We started off with intervals on the treadmill. We alternated 2 minutes of walking at a pretty brisk 3.7 mph with 2 minutes of jogging at 4.7 mph on an incline of about 2.5%. We did that for 8 intervals (total of 4 walk and 4 run) and it totally got my heart rate up!
We started in with the circuit training after that. We did Sumo squats with dumbbells, step-ups onto the weight bench, lunges, push ups, wall squats with the stability ball, curl-presses with the body bar, and some bosu work after that. I am fairly sure I messed up the order here, but you get the idea. The end result? Legs, abs, butt were so sore that it hurt to stand up or sit down. All good things though. I am not sure about you all, but it always tends to make me feel like I had a fantastic workout when I can barely move the next day. It was quite awhile (or so it seemed), since I had felt that way, and I am THRILLED to have the training back again. I can’t stress enough what a BENEFIT it is for us to pay $15 for a gym membership and to have the training INCLUDED! I am so surprised that more folks at Hidden Ridge aren’t taking advantage of this! The way I see it? More time for me J
My son and husband are now strep-free, and somehow, my 10-year-old managed to get it. We were fine all last week, and then she started complaining of a sore throat. We almost wrote it off as sleeping with the mouth open, but when she didn’t have any relief by the next day, we figured that a trip to the pediatrician was in order. The rapid-strep test came back swiftly with a positive diagnosis, and so antibiotics were prescribed. She is feeling much better today, thankfully.
So, my next two races are a done deal. Doing the Demery 500 5K race in Fort Worth on the 20th of this month, and on March 5th we have the Boopa’s Bagel Deli 10K. Any of you D/FW locals that want to do these with us are more than welcome to! With the Boopa’s race, early bird ends on 2/17, so you’d need to hurry up and register if you are interested. This Saturday, Brenda, Karen and I walked, and had a blast, as usual. As the weeks go on, I look forward more and more to our Saturday 3.1. Love this hour or so that I get to bond with my Walk-It Challenge ladies. Hoping to pick up a couple of additional walkers, if I can convince them to join us! I also picked up another reader for the newsletter this past week.
Public Service Announcement: Distribution check! If you no longer want to receive this little newsletter, PLEASE drop me a line. No feelings to be hurt…I just don’t want to spam anyone!!!
I wanted to put in this graphic from Hungry Girl. This is her “Top Ate” Staples list. In case this is too small, the list is comprised of:
- House Foods Tofu Shirataki Noodles. These are my new best friends. So much to do with these, with little PointsPlus™ impact!
- The Laughing Cow Light Creamy Swiss wedges. These are the perfect size to spread in place of mayo or fatty spreads, or use in place of butter or margarine.
- Blue Diamond Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Breeze – the perfect treat. At 40 calories per cup, it’s the perfect milk swap!
- Canned pure pumpkin – I have been using this to make the most delicious yogurt parfaits!
- Vitalicious VitaTops – ‘Nuff said. These are wonderful to cure any cake or chocolate craving!
- Fat-Free Greek Yogurt – I like to combine this with #4 above to make my parfaits. I have to agree with Hungry Girl on the Fage brand. It’s the best, in my humble opinion!
- Fiber One Original Bran Cereal – I add this to the yogurt parfaits for a bit of crunch or use it to bread faux-fried foods.
- Butternut squash – this is a great potato swap. It will last for MONTHS when stored in a cool, dry place.
I actually have ALL OF THESE in my house all the time. There are countless things you can do with these simple ingredients!!!
This week’s meeting focused on a really relevant topic, in my humble opinion—Are you REALLY Hungry???
How many of us actually eat JUST when we are hungry? If it was that simple, none of us would need Weight Watchers…
When is it truly hunger? Ask yourself these three questions.
- I know I’m truly physically hungry when___________________.
- When I’m truly hungry, the foods that satisfy me are______________________.
- What I’ve noticed most about my hunger since following PointsPlus ™ is_______________.
Often people eat when they’re not physically hungry. There are lots of reasons, some of which aren’t fully understood. Some may eat because of boredom, sadness, happiness, stress, habit and peer pressure.
How can you avoid eating for these non-hunger reasons? If you have the urge, ask yourself, “What am I feeling? Am I really physically hungry? Am I thirsty? What do I really need right now?” When you check in, you may discover that you don’t need food afterall.
What about when you are actually hungry? Rely on the Power Foods; pack a lunch filled with them and carry fruit with you. That way, when you do feel physically hungry, you will have laid the groundwork for success by being prepared with the smarter choices.
This week, think about the friends who would be the most encouraging during times when your emotions are about to send you to the fridge. Add them to your phone’s favorites!
This closing quote is by far not new, but it is still appropriate!
"If hunger is not the problem,
then food is not the solution!”
~author unknown
RECIPES
Rick Bayless’ Crunchy Tomatillo-Avocado Salsa
This delicious salsa accompanied Adi and Andy to our Superbowl Party on the 6th. They were gracious enough to leave the leftovers with me, and they repurposed themselves into a lovely marinade and topping for boneless skinless chicken breast. If you have never seen a tomatillo, I pasted a graphic below!
What I did with the leftover salsa…I took a gallon-sized zip-top bag and inside I placed 2 (5 oz) boneless, skinless chicken breasts and added the leftover salsa. I sealed the bag, and smooshed a few times. Marinate in the fridge for a couple of hours. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and bake for about 25-35 minutes, or until juices run clear. This is the perfect light dinner, and although most of the ingredients are Power Foods, the avocado (although not on the list) still provides a nice healthy punch of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats! I served this with a nice brown rice side dish that included more green! (spinach, mushrooms, garlic, green onions and about 1/3 cup of grated Asiago cheese). Just what I wanted for dinner that night.
PointsPlus™ Value: 2
Preparation Time: 5 min
Cooking Time: None J
Yields: 2 ½ cups of salsa; serving size of approximately ¼ cup
Ingredients:
8 oz chopped tomatillos, about 2 medium, husked and rinsed
1/2 cup(s) cilantro, loosely packed, coarsely chopped
2 small jalapeٌo pepper(s), stemmed and roughly chopped
1 medium avocado, pitted, flesh scooped from the skin
1 small onion(s), cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 tsp kosher salt
Instructions:
Roughly chop half of the tomatillos and scoop them into a food processor with the cilantro and green chiles. Measure in 1/4 cup water and process to a slushy, coarse puree. Roughly chop half the avocado, add it to the processor and pulse until it is incorporated into the salsa. Scrape into a serving dish. Scoop the onion into a small strainer and rinse under cold water. Add to the salsa. Finely chop the remaining tomatillos and add them, too. Finally, chop the remaining avocado into 1/4-inch pieces and stir them into the salsa. Taste and season with salt, usually about 3/4 teaspoon.
