Kicking *kitten* In Our Twenties - January Challenge!!

emmarie1630

Thank you all for the encouraging words! I truly appreciate it! I will definitely be getting on the wedding dress shopping SOON. And if/when.. (probably when) I freak out about the next thing I'm glad I can turn to you guys for advice. But once again I'm up far too late and have a busy day tomorrow. I wish I had time to reply to each and every one of you right now. I'll catch up some more later!

tjradd73

is this thread gonna last us until the end of January?! LOL only 8 days to go!!

angelsandwolves09

tjradd- Great job on the elliptical WO!!! It's great to hear you are so motivated!!!

Meag- tee hee hee...you coupon shopper...lol..jk....that's awesome that Ty worked out with ya....I wish I could get Joe to WO with me....he keeps saying he will...but doesn't....lol...hope you have a great night at work!!!

HOLLA! I actually SAVE $$ on my grocery bill and I dont try very hard on the grocery bill lowering (I eat wut I want!wink ). The sticker shock tho- that's what I think gets to people - For these carrots I could have 3 family size bags of chips!!! But yea- in season is totes the way to go- both friendly on the wallet and the taste buds.

Gonks- i totally agree with that!!! I have that problem every time I go shopping. "Well if I buy these chips they will last longer than the broccoli..and feed Joe for a few more days(he's a bottomless pit, i tell ya....lol)" I think that is definitely what gets people....it surely gets me every time!!! lol

wowie...lol...thanks you guys for the comments....I think I have decided not to go with WW or atkins....or any other diet plan. No offense to anyone on any of them....But like meag....I too am a frugal body....lol....(BTW, you guys had me laughing for like an hour reading the previous posts!!! lol) I think I am just gonna stick to keeping up with my calories and exercising....So far I am liking the results and it's a little easier for me to keep up with...lol....

Hope you all have a great day!!! Keep up the good work!!!

kirsty_hw

Happy New Yr every1....
Well i have never before been more mentally prepared for weight loss...I am soooo in the zone! Was told about this site by some1 at work and decided to use it to aid my weightloss.
I cannot wait to go on holiday in May and feel Fabulous and Confident...something i have not felt for a while now.
THINKING POSITIVLEY....PRAYING FOR WILL POWER.....AND ROLL ON MAY.....
WOOPAAAA.
x

tjradd73

welcome to the site Kirsty and welcome to this thread sounds like you are very motivated which is great!! if you'd like to join the January challenge (even though there is only 8 days left) thats cool! just fnd the last list of goals and copy and paste it adding your goals for the remainder of January! in Febuary we will be starting a new thread I am sure, where you can post some monthly goals that you would like to achieve!

arwamya

When's the feb thread coming up?

KanCrav

Made the best stuffed mushrooms for my dinner party tonight!~! I used made this receipe when I was doing South Beach but I never thought of putting it in to see how many calories it was. Only 96 calories for 5 mushrooms, It sounded like alot at first, but these babys are awesome!~!~! And I overestimated the crabmeat and mushroom amounts til I see how it pans out.

I didnt make it to the gym yet today, but I did make it to Church for the frist time in about 13 years. So, I did a little spiritual exercise then cleaned my butt off before people come over. I logged in what I expect to eat for dinner and I still have 600 calories left over. I guess I can chow down as much as I want!~! Woot Wooot.

Welcome to the Site KRISTY!~!~! I hope you join us here on this thread. I just joined in the begining of the month and I love these guys already!~!~!

(i had alot of caffine today guys, sorry about the horrible spelling..lol... I am on such a crazy motivational high right now I just dont know what to with myself!~!)

KanCrav

ok the stuffed mushrooms were really 86 cals for 5 of them. ( I used meduim mushrooms so its not a perfect science)

1lb of Lump Crab meat
2 tbsp of Hellmans Mayo
4 tbsp grated Parmesian
1 tsp chopped garlic
1.5 tsp worcheshire sauce
1/8 cup diced hot banana peppers
1 tsp hot sauce
pinch of salt.

This made 40 stuffed mushrooms!~! (Baked at 350 for 30 min.

Sooo good!~! I also made stuffed pepers and was very happy to see that my recipe was only about 250 calories a pepper! I am soo excited to have dinner tonight, yet I still have 600 calories left over, just like yesterday. I hope that doesnt mess anything up too bad. Happy Sunday everyone!~!

meggonkgonk

When's the feb thread coming up?

arwamya, we start our new thread on the 1st of each month (one of our members works late and often starts it in the early morning hours on the 1st).

I know we are towards the end of the month, but feel free to introduce yourself and check in from time to time- some of us are on here daily, some just a couple of days and some weekly (for weigh-ins) but this is a great group and we would love to get to know you before the new month!

Also: FYI we've been moving fast this month- there's a good chance we are going to max this thread out and have to start another one by the end of today (the link to the new thread should be on the last post on here).

Welcome!
~Gonks

finncmh

Just a quick share- I FINALLY lost some weight... hahaha after a 6+ week plateau! and honestly I am crediting the hault from not eating enough after I had really ramped up my exercise. So this past week I really made sure I was eating close to my calories (and if I didnt I knew Meag would yell at me )!!!!! so anyway that one pound came off- I am glad that I didnt really set a scale goal this month because it has been my healthiest month by far when I let go of focusing on the scale and just focused on me. I am just so focused on eating healthier and exercising to the best of my ability. So even though the lb is great I am still not going to focus/depend on the scale! Most importantly I feel INCREDIBLE!!!!!

meagalayne

Morning all This is going to be a long one because I've got some folks to catch up with, a recipe to post, and some selfish-ness to update you with (as usual!) So buckle up! :laugh:

Cait - Stellar loss, lady! You are doing a wonderful job and I'm so glad that you're getting to enjoy MORE delicious healthy food while you lose weight. It's the best motivation to working hard in the gym, IMO. You've made such awesome improvements to your diet and fitness regimen this month and you should be really proud. So far your healthiest month to date - but it's awesome to look forward knowing that every month that follows with earn that title as well. Things are only going to get better!! I love ending each month thinking that I did better than the last. Living healthy, eating clean, working my butt off... It's a great, great feeling! I am so excited to see you reach your Jan goals, Cait!

This may sound dorky, but I am thinking about setting a Green Monster goal for Feb... Thoughts? haha We should tag-team it and see if we can have one every day! I really do feel incredible now that I've included them into my daily routine. What do you think?

Aly - Thai Beer Stir Fry? Hmmm.... This intrigues me! How do you think this is made and can I whip up a healthy version to satisfy my ridiculous need for kitchen experimentation? Very intriguing, indeed...

Melissa - Sounds like you're doing great work :happy: Sorry to hear you are tired and sick lately, but I give you tons of props for keeping up with your running. Every time I see an exercise post on my news feed I think "Hellllssss yea! 1/2 training, baby!" haha Keep at it!! You keep me really motivated on days I do NOT want to run!

Spellbinder - Great to hear your husband is on board with the gym! No worries about being busy with life and not keeping up here all the time - Just post when you can. We love hearing from you :happy: Keep eating healthier and doing what you're doing. And let us know how your WI goes on Monday!

Megan - I feels ya! I love having people over for dinner when I get to cook because I find that eating other people's food stresses me out - I have no idea what people use in their food but generally I expect that it's not terribly balanced. Maybe I'm a snob, or just a total crazy person, but I don't like eating things if I can't decide exactly what goes into them. And I love to have options - Even eating at the boyfriend's house is hard because we buy different brands, different types of food, and all that jazz. It's just rough. So yea - Having dinner parties instead of going out to eat is a great way to alter your social calendar to fit your lifestyle... it just takes a little more time and preparation! Great job getting er' done.

Emmarie - Glad to hear you are feeling better about wedding dress shopping - I have no doubt you (and Cait!) are going to be stunning brides! Can't wait to see the pics :happy:

Tara - No dice! This thread is going to max out today or tomorrow, for sure! I'll post the new link to my profile and encourage all you veteran Kickin' A$$sers to do the same. Just helps everyone find the thread a little easier! Thanks :bigsmile:

Angels - I love how cheap I am - wouldn't have it any other way! I use sales and coupons to my greatest advantage... $1 off egg whites here, sale on zucchini and ground chicken there, $1.50 off soy milk at another place. Sure it can be a hassle if you aren't used to it, but I make it a part of my routine and I shop often (about 3-4 times a week) just picking up a few items at a time. Helps to keep my produce super fresh, too. Buying in bulk and buying in season helps a lot too. Learning how to store foods to get the longest shelf life out of them is paramount - Carrots, onions, celery etc can all be cleaned, chopped and frozen and then used later in soups, for instance. So if you buy in bulk or on sale and prep it ahead of time it cuts down on meal-time prep during the week and it saves you $$. It really can be manageable, even on a tight budget!

Kristy & Arwamya - Welcome to the thread! :flowerforyou: Post your goals or wait until the Feb challenge starts on the 1st and join up with us then. In the meantime, introduce yourself! We love fresh meat in the group haha

*****************

Recipe time!! So I found this Peanut Sauce recipe searching through MFP for chicken stir fry ideas and it was sooo yummy. I altered it a little so I'll post exactly what I made. It turned out amazing! And apart from all the chopping of veggies (yes yes, I'm a veggie monster I know! but it made the meal sooo filling and for min calories) it was insanely quick and easy :bigsmile:

300g boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces (I'd probably use more like 350g/400g next time)
1/2 large red onion, sliced into half moons
1 medium carrot, sliced into thin medallions
2 small stalks of broccoli, stems and trees divided *** See note
1 large red/orange/yellow bell pepper, chopped
20 green beans, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces

(all your veg should be about the same size for even cooking)

2 Tbsp natural peanut butter (creamy works best)
1 Tbsp less sodium soy sauce
1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 Tbsp honey
juice from 1/2 lime (I used about 1 1/2 Tbsp)
1 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp cayenne (more for a nice kick)

***Note: When I use broccoli in stir fries I always cut the stems off, trim/peel them and then slice them on the diagonal into medallions. Add this in with the carrots and onions and then add the florets later since they require less cooking time. It's a great way to multi-purpose your broccoli and gives a nice balanced texture to the dish.

Heat a deep 12inch skillet (non-stick) to medium, without any oil or spray, and brown the chicken, turning every few mins, until all sides are golden. It may stick a little but that helps with the browning so I say it's all good. Remove to a plate and reserve. Spray the skillet lightly and add onions, carrots, and broccoli stems. Cook for 7-10 mins, until slightly browned and onions are softened. Remove and reserve with chicken. Add peppers, florets and green beans to the skillet and stirfry for 2-3 mins. Add 1/4 cup of water to prevent sticking and allow it to "steam" for an additional 2-3 mins, until just tender crisp and water has evaporated (do not cover at any point)

While this is all cooking, mix together your sauce ingredients in a small bowl and reserve. Once the pepper mix is cooked to your liking, return the chicken and other vegetables to the skillet. Pour the sauce mixture evenly over the dish and add an extra 1/4 cup of water to distribute it. Cook on medium for an additional 10 minutes to heat through and allow sauce to thicken.

Serve with whole grain, if desired, or eat on it's own (what we did).

Makes 3 dinner servings. Since Ty usually eats more than I do, I usually end up with a nicely sized "lunch" serving leftover (about 1/4 of the total dish). Works perfectly!

Breakdown for 1/3 of the dish:
Calories 275
Carbs 22
Fat 8
Protein 27
Fiber 5
Sodium 365

***********

AFM - Phew! Work last night was busy and VERY late. Same old. Had some apple cinnamon yoatgurt today for breakfast and will be heading out to the gym in a short while to cap off my week with a 7 mile run. Can't wait! haha Making some homemade ciabatta bread today when I get home and going to spend some quality time with my kitchen. Tried my hand at some "lighter" cornmeal pancakes yesterday and they turned out alright (recipe source: http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,176,150177-238207,00.html) but I don't think I let the batter sit for long enough before cooking.

This week marks month #2 of no TOM. Worrisome, indeed. I should probably consider making an appt to see a doctor about this eventually. I know it's very likely a function of my crazy workout and diet regimen but I don't want to risk it being something else and just ignoring the change. Maybe once my folks get back from Mexico I'll get a second opinion from my mother and go from there... Couldn't hurt to get it checked out, I guess :ohwell:

That's about it for me. Sticking to my sweetener goals still, although I am "cheating" so to speak with my protein powder (which is sweetened) and a hot chocolate I had on Friday night. Otherwise, one pack of sweetener a day! No excuses.

Hope everyone's finding their goals for the month manageable! We are nearly there - 8 days to go! Keep it up, ladies.
Meag

mkingraham

Just a quick post everyone- I ran a mile without stopping today!!!!!!! I am so excited!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I don't have time to do much of an update right now, hopefully tonight- but I knew how proud you ladies would be of me so I wanted to share!

finncmh

Just a quick post everyone- I ran a mile without stopping today!!!!!!! I am so excited!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I don't have time to do much of an update right now, hopefully tonight- but I knew how proud you ladies would be of me so I wanted to share!

YAYYYYY!!!! I totally know how awesome that feels! SOOOO proud of you! :bigsmile:

tjradd73

Kandace-you seem so pumped!! that is awesome! and the mushrooms sound super yummy...i may need to give em a try!

Cait-awesome job on the loss! i know that is wasnt your major goal for the month but like i said you have been doing awesome and deserve to see it move a little bit!! WTG!

Meag-what is a green monster?? LOL and i would recommend the doc for sure soon

Arwamya-welcome to the group!

Megan-WTG on the mile!! that is so great!

AFM-i dont even remember what i put yesterday but its not much diff got in 1/3 on WOs yesterday and today is a rest day for me, havent missed my water yet and really hoping for 2 lbs this Wednesday to put me close to my goal at least now i am tryin to think of some realistic scale and NS goals for February so i can post em when that thread opens!

Great job to everyone this month!! and lets finish out these last 8 days super strong!! WOOT WOOT!!

finncmh

This may sound dorky, but I am thinking about setting a Green Monster goal for Feb... Thoughts? haha We should tag-team it and see if we can have one every day! I really do feel incredible now that I've included them into my daily routine. What do you think?

Not dorky at all! I think its a great idea. Would have to think about exactly what I want my goal to be- not sure if I will do them everyday. HMMMMM decisions decisions!

wardiemelissa

Meag-what week are you on with the HH? I think you are a week ahead of me! I am going to have to start trying the Green Monsters...just bought some more frozen fruit, spinach, and protein powder. MMM... I don't think that I am cheap or frugal BUT I do shop around and I coupons!!! My favorite part of Sunday morning is sitting on the couch, drinking my coffee, clipping coupons, and planning my weekly menu and grocery list! I purposely give the cashier my coupons and store card at the end because I like to see my total drop :laugh:

Megan-nice job on the mile!!! I remember how EXCITED I was when I first started running!! Just so you know it doesn't stop! Every time I reach a new milestone it gets even better

Kristy & Arwamya-welcome!!!:drinker:

Spellbinder-I'm kind of jealous that your hubby is taking an interest in working out with you! I wish mine would!!! Maybe after he gets his knee fixed :happy:

AFM: Starting to feel a little bit better...all the congestion is finally breaking up...still a lot of pressure in the sinuses...but didn't stop me from grocery shopping or getting my run in today! I was supposed to run a 5K race today (WK 3 HH 1/2 marathon) but that wasn't going to happen in 7 degree weather outside. I opted to run it on the treadmill and finished with a time of 28:29 (just a little over 9 min miles). I am happy with that!

Everyone's talking about all the saving that they do on food and how they do it...one of the things that we do that is not only cheaper but also healthier is how we buy our meat. My husband hunts so we usually have at least 4 (this year he got 6) deer. He also processes the meat himself and makes everything from steaks and burger to different kinds of sausages and brats (italian, hungarian, cheddar, and my favorite spinach and feta). He also fishes (walleye and salmon) so we know when and where all of the fish comes from. As far as beef and pork we are very lucky to have friends who raise both cow and pig and we go in with a group and buy a quarter cow and pig...honestly chicken and turkey are really the only meat we ever buy from the grocery store. I love knowing where the meat comes from and how it was raised or what kind of environment it is from! Sorry for anyone who is a vegetarian-we are meateaters in my family and I love that my girls like all sorts of different types of meat!! I don't know many 2 and 5yr olds that get excited when we have walleye or vension steaks :laugh:

Anyways....getting ready for some dinner (spinach and feta venison brats + asparagus = YUMMY!!! Gotta finish lesson plans for the week...jury duty tomorrow! Hoping I don't get picked...lesson plans for an entire week is a LOT of work!!!

Have a great Sunday night everyone!!!
:flowerforyou: Melissa

mkingraham

Good Morning everyone!! its only 8:11 and I already feel so very accomplised today. Did some jogging again this morning, and did a 5k alternating jogging and walking. Then I showered and got dressed and what do you know my pants are about 2-3 inches to big! YIPPEEE!!! And my shirt is a little baggy too! So I am definitely keeping up this bootcamp/spin/jogging routine I have going on. Not all in one day obviously- I think I would die!!

Ok let me do some non-selfish posting:

Meag- I made a delicious chicken tender with mushroom sauce. It had 3 different kinds of mushrooms with some chicken stock and balsamic vinegar, fresh thyme and parsley, garlic, and of course a little flour to thicken it up. I served it with roasted aspargus (delicious!) and I made some orzo. I think next time I would substitute the orzo for whole grain rice, or avoid that extra carb all together. But it was very tasty- only took about 40 minutes from start to finish and everybody loved it! SUCCESS!!

Melissa- I can't wait to hit the next milestone! I am trying to get back into shape to play adult league soccer. I played from 5-18 and then had to stop from getting too many concussions, but I really miss playing- hopefully I'll be in even better shape then I was in highschool.

Cait- Thanks for the support! I know you also recently successfully completed your first mile without stopping! Look at us becoming little runners! I think its all the peer pressure from this running crowd hehe- not a bad thing to get peer pressured into doing!


To all the new people- WELCOME! I just started with this group at the beginning of January and its been the best! They are all very supportive, but most of all its been a great place to vent and share because they all know exactly what we are going through! So please share and say what ever you like. I am still not great at responding to everyone but they don't mind and I know as time goes onit will get better.

AFM- Super stoked about all the jogging accomplishment this weekend! Hoping to have a good weigh-in this morning, but if not it doesn't matter because I can really tell that my fitness is improving and in the end what matters is that I am healthy on the inside which means the weight will come off as time goes on. Any ways I hope everyone has a magnificent monday!!!

Megan

finncmh

Welcome to the new gals! Great group of ladies on here!

KanCrav- the mushrooms sound like a great appetizer (wish I liked mushrooms!!!) hehe

Meag- that recipe sounds delish! I think the boy and I are going to try it (still haven’t gotten his sezchuan sauce recipe yet… silly boys) Definitely think a trip to the doctor is in order. Jus to be on the safe side!

Melissa- we do the same thing with meat (although not the boy doesn’t hunt so we only get deer when we get it from friend) but we do go in on a half cow that has been raised locally, organically, and only grass fed. So its nice know exactly where everything is coming from. We also have a local farm that does the same thing with chickens and they distribute them to the local grocery stores- more expensive but worth the money in my mind!

Megan- great attitude on your new lifestyle. You are really rocking it and I am honored *insert cheesy grin* to be a “little runner” with you!!! Hehe I think Gonks and Meag are wearing off on me with their silly humor!


AFM- still trucking along. Tonight is the first day of my new lifting routine so we will see how that goes. Still trying to find the right balance of food (I changed my percentages to a 50% 25% 25% know that my carb numbers have been a lot lower since I cut out a lot of the processed breads and food) so I am still struggling with staying under on the fat and getting enough protein… work in progress I guess! Have a great Monday everyone!!!!

finncmh

Man I cant believe we are still holding on to page 20 of this thread- really thought we would be in to part 2 by now!

meagalayne

Should be starting a new thread after this post.... Maxes out at 500. The new thread will be linked at the bottom of the LAST comment in this thread. It will say "< continued at this topic >" so just click the link, and you'll find us!

-Meag