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

meagalayne

Another male! WOW! :noway: Welcome Silver180!! :drinker: Don't mind all our incessant girl talk. Sometimes we get carried away but make yourself fell at home and post with whatever you like.

Spellbinder/Cait/Gonks - OK so at least my boy won't be the only man racing hahah! He was somewhat worried that he'd be swallowed whole in a sea of estrogen, I think :laugh: But he's very excited regardless and we're both psyched to meet all you lovely ladies. The after-party will be great with plenty of food, friends, and laughs I am sure and lots and lots of gloating and compliments. Gonks/Cait - tell your boys to man up! JK of course. But hope they join us because I think it's going to be a total blast and they are going to really miss out!

Cait - I'm having a rough emotional/stressful day today as well. Hope your run helped! I think mine did... and then it was all undone once again when I got home :ohwell: Argh! Oh well. Hope you are able to relax and unwind tonight.

Melissa - That recipe rocked and I really like that website. Definitely going back for more recipes in the future! Thanks again!

Aly - Hope you figure out what you are going to do with the boy. Relationships are hard enough when you're at 100% and able to give all of yourself to make things work, but when life is stressful and tough and you are struggling with other stuff, making it work can be overwhelming. I really hope you get a handle on what's going on and why you feel the way you do. Someone here suggested possibly going to see someone about your negative thoughts/feelings and maybe that's something you should look into. Definitely no shame in that - I spent a lot of time seeing someone when I was younger and having a really tough time in life. It can be a really helpful resource, along with everything else you're doing for you :flowerforyou: Thinking about you for sure!

Kandace - Welcome to you too! Great goal and looking forward to seeing you reach it! Any non-scale goals you'd like to add as well? We promote those here too because the scale doesn't always reflect our hard work and seeing progress in other forms helps to motivate and push us forward :happy: A balanced approach to health and fitness is a great way to go about starting out a new, healthier lifestyle.

Seripha - MINGO sounds AWESOME and hilarious! hahaha I wish we had that around here! And I wish I could partake in your clothing exchange. I'd love to benefit from some of your hand-me-downs! Send them my way :laugh: I'm basically a charity case at this point anyway!

InSky- You are such a fabulous scholar - What are you worried about? I know that life + health and fitness + cooking + working + school can be very overwhelming, but you've got it, girl. You did it last semester and you ROCKED it. So try not to stress too much and just take it one day at a time. You'll get it done :happy:

Guam - Mayyyyjor <<HUGS>> your way - Sounds like a whole lot of bullsh*t that you don't need right now. I am sorry to hear about the financial burden. Having been mostly unemployed for the last 18 months and being forced to move home, I can relate on some levels. It's a constant stressor to feel like you are barely scraping buy and it can be very emotionally trying to feel the need to ask for help, especially if you feel like you still won't really be making ends meet and you can't be sure you'll be able to make things work even with some financial backing in the first place. It can be draining. I hope you are finding some solutions that work for you and your kids -- that is what matters. Leave the rest of it for now and just work on making things a bit easier for yourself and your family. You are doing great with this lifestyle thing and your commitment to the gym is really impressive. I really hope everything works out :ohwell:

Roo - Thanks girl! I am trying to fine-tune... Seeing where it gets me! Friendly competition is ON! We're at basically the exact same weight right now so we'll see how the month pans out. I am not looking to lose anymore weight, but who knows! Keep at it and we'll compare notes at the end of the month!

It's funny that you say you talk about MFP and fitness/health all the time and people are getting concerned... I'm probably the opposite. I never mention anything about it to anyone, even the boy. Obviously my family and boyfriend notice how conscious I am, but I intentionally never talk in terms of weight-loss, because I want them to take me seriously and know that my goals are ultimately to live healthy. I try to make it seem like a "fait accompli" instead of a struggle -- I never discussion calorie content, or calories burned, only ever NSGs with them (running, explicitly). It's partly because I feel embarrassed talking about my weight, I think (a relic of my heavier days)... I spend SO much time on here, I wish I felt comfortable talking more openly about it because it matters a lot to me, but I guess I still feel sometimes like only someone worried about becoming over-weight again would care THIS much about logging food and what I put into my mouth. Perhaps that's why I rely on you guys SO much for an emotional outlet...

AFM - Extremely hard (for me) interval run today. 2.5 miles of intervals with a 0.5mile warm-up and 0.5mile cool-down. My speedy intervals were at 6.5mph, which is basically my MAX speed right now. I was drenched with sweat leaving the gym. Definitely a good workout. No weights today though... The gym was CRAWLING with minors and I have exactly zero patience for anyone under 18 (yea, I know... broad generalization but honestly, its my greatest character flaw). Also, all the free weights were being used and abused and I couldn't be bothered waiting around. My day was hella stressful because my mom is on bed-rest and I had to care for her all day, and then I had to rush home from the gym finally to get dinner made so that my parents wouldn't STARVE (since I guess my father is virtually incapable of surviving without a female presence). It was just busy and I hate stressing/rushing about. And I caved in this afternoon and ate 2 full servings of licorice candy (my fave) instead of just passing it by... Brutal. Made me feel sh*tty all afternoon, but I'm over it now. Sort of :huh: Going to get back to my old routine from 10K training. Strength on Mon/Thurs instead of M/W/F -- 3 x week is too much for me right now. Maybe I'll try to pack in some circuit work on Saturdays if it fits, but I am not going to be down and out if I miss it. Push-ups are still on the agenda for later tonight!

Tried a new recipe today from my 500 Low Glycemic Index Recipe cookbook. Cajun Chicken Kabobs. Of course, I altered the recipe drastically for my tastes and it turned out pretty tasty. Also made my own homemade cajun seasoning (foolish given the time constraints but I am a horrible time manager at the best of times). The skewering was SUCH a hassle, however, and I wouldn't do that part again. I'd just bake the whole shebang and call it a meal! haha

Anyway this is thesis-lengthed. Sorry folks! Have a great night - I'll most likely post before bed with some responses and a recipe. Much love
Meag

wardiemelissa

Melissa - Sounds like you are a great Mom! Making mental notes for my future kids. :-)

Thanks!!!

wardiemelissa

Having a crappy day BUT I refuse to let it impact me being healthy. Still have my lunch packed and just trying to psych myself up for running tonight. Normally I would just go home and be lazy after a day like today but I know it wont help!

Anyway enough of that crazy talk! The other day I mentioned that I would love to start sharing more recipes again! I just wanted to share one of my favorite go to quick, easy, and healthy dinner that the fiance and I whip up when we are in a rush or stuck for ideas.

Zuchini Lasagna
*Last night we made it in a small glass 8x8 pan since I only had one pound of ground beef and cut it in to 6 small servings. We each had two servings and it was perfect!

1 lb ground meat (I try to stick with ground turkey breast or chicken breast. Or will use beef if its organic local and free range)
1.5 cups of low moisture skim mozzerella cheese grated
1 jar of pasta sauce of your choice
3-5 small zuchinnis (we used just 3 last night for this dish)

Peel the zuchinni and then cut in to long thin slices to resemble lasagna noodles
Brown your meet on the stove top. When it is mostly done add the sauce in for just long enough to heat up.

Then layer in to your glass dish in the following order 1.zuchinni 2. meat/sauce 3. half of your cheese
You should get two full layers of each item ending on top with the cheese.

Season to taste if you want. Usually doesnt need anything because of the flavors from the sauce and the salt in the cheese already.

I cook it in our oven on 375F anywhere from 10-20 minutes. The lower and longer the heat the better so the zuchinni can cook. Sometimes I bump the heat up at the end to get some nicely browned cheese on top.


YUM!!!! MFP calculated it at 239 calories per serving if you cut it in to 6 pieces like we did last night

Good job on not giving up on yourself!!! AND this lasagna sounds YUMMY!!!!

wardiemelissa

I have just a few minutes to update...need to spend a little time tomorrow to comment on how well everyone is doing. Here goes: had day 3 of my 1/2 training today. Had to do 5 x 400 speed intervals...ended up running out of time and only got in 4...BUT I ran 0.5 miles for both warm up and my cool down; I ran 2 x 0.25 miles at 7 mph and the other 2 at 8 mph!!! :sick: I couldn't believe that I ran at 8 mph and didn't keel over!!! I ran my 0.75 recovery miles at 6 mph...my only question is I'm not sure how to track the calories! I can't use my HRM on the treadmill and would need a foot pod. Any one have ideas of how to calculate???

Otherwise a good calorie day for me today!! I made tostadas for dinner and the girls loved their mini "pizzas"!!

Melissa

meagalayne

I have just a few minutes to update...need to spend a little time tomorrow to comment on how well everyone is doing. Here goes: had day 3 of my 1/2 training today. Had to do 5 x 400 speed intervals...ended up running out of time and only got in 4...BUT I ran 0.5 miles for both warm up and my cool down; I ran 2 x 0.25 miles at 7 mph and the other 2 at 8 mph!!! :sick: I couldn't believe that I ran at 8 mph and didn't keel over!!! I ran my 0.75 recovery miles at 6 mph...my only question is I'm not sure how to track the calories! I can't use my HRM on the treadmill and would need a foot pod. Any one have ideas of how to calculate???

Otherwise a good calorie day for me today!! I made tostadas for dinner and the girls loved their mini "pizzas"!!

Melissa

Why can't you use your HRM on the treadmill? Hmm Mine's got a chest strap and I have no prob using it on the treadmill... What gives? Killer intervals though. I'd estimate you burned around 8 billion calories at that speed, lady... And by that, I mean probably at LEAST 450. Depends on how high your HR gets and whether it's sustained. At 8.0mph my HR would be... dead. So I can't tell you I'd guess you burned higher than 30 mins @ 6.0 for sure, though. And :drinker: WOOT for D3 of 1/2 training! :drinker: We are so going to kick half marathon butt this spring!

How did you make mini "pizzas"? Small tortillas or something else? I just found a recipe for homemade low-fat tortilla with whole-wheat flour... They seem almost TOO low-fat (nothing wrong with good fats) but they could work. Thought I'd share with you guys/gals: http://budgetbytes.blogspot.com/2011/01/flour-tortillas-v20-low-fat-044-recipe.html - Very cheap to make, easy to keep, and would be great to have on hand for low-cal/low-fat lunch and dinner options! Besides, how bad-*kitten* does it sound to tell people you make your OWN tortillas! :laugh: I'll be trying these someday soon.

Meag

Silver180

Another male! WOW! :noway: Welcome Silver180!! :drinker: Don't mind all our incessant girl talk. Sometimes we get carried away but make yourself fell at home and post with whatever you like.

I thought the same thing: "Where are all the guys? Am I on the right site?" But after reading some threads I came across a few other people with a Y chromosome, so it's all good .

tjradd73

Mike-sorry for your loss..we are here for you when you are ready to get back ot it

Roo-If you are still in your range I say keep going until you are happy with yourself!! I am 5'3" and my range is from like 107-141 and my goal is going to be 114lbs

Guam-WOW! sounds like you've got a lot going on...stay sane and we are here for you if you need any support (diet or otherwise)

KanCrav-Welcome!! and NO it is never too late!!! Great goal for the month too!!

Diamonds-just take things one step at a time...and take a breather

Cait-you are still doing so awesome!! how was your run?

Silver-Welcome!!! this is def not only for girls...just so happens you are the SECOND male to be posting on here

TO ALL WARRIOR DASH PARTICIPANTS-i am so jelous that you are all getting to do a run togethor!! if i didnt live so far away I most def would be joining you!!! i wish you all the best and be sure top keep us "others" posted!!

QOTD-the only thing that I am looking forward to for this month as of right now...to get to my 70lbs lost (in 1.2lbs), to get to my pre baby weight from over 12 years ago (in2.2lbs) and to stay focused!!!

AFM-so far 2/3 on workouts for the week, 4/4 of getting my water so far, and I only lost 1lb today so not thrilled with those results but 1/8lbs down for January so far

Roobean33

Spellbinder - Sign me up for a bikini too! I wore one last summer but felt very insecure. Not doing that this year! We are gonna be a couple of hotties lol.

TJ - Thanks I agree! If the BMI is healthy, fair game! Hey, don't worry about losing only 1lb, I'm sure you'll get to your goal!

Silver - Welcome! How did you learn about MFP?

Melissa - TOUGH intervals! I bet you will sleep soundly tonight! Way to go!

AlyKat - Sorry about your funk. It's natural to have mixed emotions at times, I mean, hello we are WOMEN. lol But seriously, I hope that everything sorts itself out. For now, try to focus on you and your goals. If you are happy, your outlook will improve drastically.

Meag - Don't worry about the licorice. You rarely falter, and you still were in your calories anyway. So hard on yourself.

Oh yeah - QOTD I am looking forward to spending some time with my brothers and parents this month. We haven't seen each other since Thanksgiving. It's going to be fun, loud and exhausting, but I love it.

KanCrav

I am very new to this message board stuff... so one question, whats AFM stand for? As For Me???

Well, Its morning for me, and I am trying to get motivated to do SOMETHING. I usually start my day with a 20 min walk with my dog, but its FREEZING and I woke up to a lot of snow fall. I am not really a runner but I know that I should be doing more cardio to get my weight down. I keep track of my food intake pretty well but I know I need to be more fit if I am ever going to make a goal. Another thing that I dont understand is that my heart rate goes really high when I work out. It goes up to about 170, sometimes it reaches 180 when I have am really really pushing myself. Is this becasue I am REALLY out of shape?

tjradd73

KanCrav-yup you got it AFM-as for me :)you are right cardio is very important...when i first started i had a difficult time focusing on my diet and cardio so i started with just my diet...but the more calories you burn the more weight you lose with it being cold outside the wii, and dvds are good alternatives to your walk. your HR should be going up that means you are working out hard....I wouldnt be too concerned unless it goes over 180ish and stays there for a while! the more in shape you get the less it will go up and even be while resting! you can look up some target HRs online though to see where you should be for your age and weight! good luck...you will do great

KanCrav

I acctually just realized why I have been soooo bloated... lol (im not good at keeping track) ... so I am hoping that when I weigh next week some of that water weight comes off!

TJ- I have game for PS3 called Active (or something like that) its really great to get me moving, and it does make me break a pretty good sweat... I get nervous about my heart rate, but it does go back down with my cool down. I am trying to focus on Diet AND Cardio, this is not the frist time I tryed so I want to really kick it into gear this time. Thanks for the motivation!

I just got done with lunch and it was soo delicious that I wanted to share! I took a can of tuna (in water) and mixed it with a little black pepper, 2 peperoncini pepers, half a med tomato, about a quarter of a yellow bell peper, a little onion and one tbsp of fat free ranch.

It made three small sandwhiches! It was only 74 calories for a third of the whole mixture. I ate mine on some german whole grain bread, but it would also be awesome in a leaf of Romain lettuce (i am going to do that tommorrow so I can save on carbs) or on top of a salad.

I hope someone trys it, it was amazing!~!

mkingraham

So everyone is talking about the Warrior Dash and I also would love to do it, but I am not sure where everyone is located. I live in the Washington, DC area and I know they have one here at some point- so even if I can't do it with you ladies I think I might do it just for fun. It seems like a challenging and interesting way to burn some serious cals!

Kan- WELCOME! I just join this thread at the beginning of the month as well and everyone is very supportive of what you are trying to accomplish.

AFM- I don't have much time to post a response to everyone right now so I will come back later and do that. But yesterday I had a headache all day long- which basically SUCKED! I tried to drink a ton of water, and got in at least 10 glasses, but I think it was just one of those days. So instead of waking up for my 6:30 am work out, I decided to sleep in another hour and half and work out this afternoon. So far I don't have a headache today so I am happy with my decision to sleep in. If this little bugger creeps back in I will probably just do a lite workout on the recumbant bike, or maybe go for a walk with the hubby this afternoon, although its pretty chilly out especially with the wind.

I am doing a really good job of eating a healthy breakfast and 2 pieces of fruit everyday and I am putting my mind to sticking with it! I hope everyone else is doing great on their goals as well!! Have a great day and I'll catch up with you later!

Megan

jillybeanruns

Gah, I could have sworn I checked in yesterday here. Boo on me! I do read the posts, but sometimes get too overwhelmed to comment:grumble:

Re: Warrior Challenge - I think it's really not as "Warrior-like" as they lead you to believe. Mostly why I've opted to not do it. I've heard/read that you wait around for periods of time to use the obstacles as they make the heats too large. So it's awesome that you're all doing it, but I don't foresee any injuries in your future from sprinting as fast as you possibly can. Just my .02 though

Re: Finding Races - Active.com is my best best best friend. It's hard enough to run 12 races in less than 8 months, nevermind actually finding the races. Word of mouth for them only works if you're in a club! Use it and love it! Runner's World also has a list on their website and some of the bigger races are listed in the back of their magazine issues!

Meag - Nice job on your runs lately! You're really knocking down some improvements! Mind sharing the cajun chicken kabob recipe? I need some new food and I'm trying to not eat sandwiches for lunch anymore!

Mary - Nice job on your lowest adult weight! I personally don't think 128 at 5'2 is too thin, but it depends on body type - one number just doesn't work for everyone. I'm 5'3 1/2 and 119ish and I think I could still lose a few, but for me it's mostly a toning issue and not a number issue. I don't want to lose anymore from my waist, but I have no control over that. Mostly sick of having to buy smaller pants every month though!

Mike- I'm so sorry for your loss.

Cait - I'm not a big zucchini fan (need to try it again) but that sounds delicious! Thanks!

Aly, you definitely need to go see a doctor about everything going on as soon as you can. I used to get fainting/dizzy/nausea spells quite often and I had to wear a ECG for a full week. I have a heart condition that's fairly serious when I get too dehydrated/hot and it tends to come when I'm standing for too long. Not something to mess with at all! Better safe than sorry, always!

Bethany, sorry to hear about your son's father and your brother's ex-girlfriend. What is wrong with people?!?! Not sure what your situation is with your son's father (and I have no experience with any of this) but you can always go to court and get more money for your son. Just because he lives with you doesn't mean he's your sole responsibility -50/50 is what it should be

Kandace, welcome!

Silver, welcome! Yayyyy another man around here!

Melissa, WOW! Nicely done with your intervals No idea on the Garmin - search the Garmin boards though. The reason I got a Polar first and not a Garmin was because Garmins don't calculate calories burned very well (supposedly the numbers they give are too low) and they're difficult to use indoors for anything other than running (which as you said you need a footpod for) I've heard they calculate calories burned based on speed + heart-rate...but yeah, check the boards over there! People seem to be knowledgeable and helpful on them! Sorry you're having trouble!

Doing good with my goals so far - will finish Week 2 of TurboFire tonight - Stretch 40 + Core 20 and probably do a 15-20 minute walk at lunch to get some fresh air. Tuesday night I did TF HIIT 15 + Sculpt 30 + 10 minutes of cardio intervals + 10 minutes of strength. My dumbbells are too easy for me now, so I bought adjustable ones yesterday. Got in 12 glasses of just plain ole' water yesterday. My skin loves it! Garmin arrived yesterday! Not sure I love it because it's HUGE and way more awkward on my wrist than my Polar, but we'll see how I feel come my weekend runs!

Anyone have any good/simple kale recipes? It's on sale this week at my grocery store and I want to get the most bang for my buck especially if I don't like it!

No one in my "real life" knows about MFP. They all know that I'm super fitness oriented and that I pay attention to what I eat and look at labels, but that's where it ends. There's no need for them to know really and I already get enough comments from people that I don't need to lose any more weight and am too thin. Actually, b*tches I'm super fit and feel fabulous not eating junk :drinker:

meagalayne

Jill - No one in my "real life" knows explicitly about MFP either, or that I count calories. When I was more active in the MFP Runners Club thread I just called it my "running forum" when he was around, or asking, and that's just always how he's referred to it... Since I was mainly using this site as a way to get advice on improving running (before I found all you beautiful people), I figured that was accurate enough. Sure maybe it's not the MOST accurate/honest but it works for me. I don't need my family/friends/boy harping on me about how obsessed/crazy I supposedly am. "Actually, b*tches I'm super fit and feel fabulous not eating junk" should be our motto :laugh: Love it!

I know what you mean about the Warrior Dash - I am not expecting FABULOUS things out of the race itself. I am just more exciting for the whole experience. It'll be great to meet some fellow MFPals and it'll be a wonderful way to spend a weekend out of the country with Tyler. I am really excited to get away from here as much as I can this year and try to explore places I've never been. Seems like the mountainous areas around Albany could be extremely pretty and the city will be fun to check out at night. I am not too worried, really - We always manage to have an amazing time together. Besides, the event itself will just be a fun, active way to meet so many fabulous women from this group. It's all a WIN in my books.

For Canadian races, I think all of those sites are no help, unfortunately. There are quite a few similar racing sites up here so I have been using those and researching diligently. Also going through local running clubs to find races in the area. So far I've got 10 or 11 races picked out as potentials... Wanted to run a 5k on Feb 6th, but I am not sure if our schedule will accommodate that. The boy wanted to race with me but then forgot about it and made plans to go skiing up north that weekend :ohwell: So forgetful. He was crazy apologetic on the phone last night and offered to cancel his plans, but it's not that big of a deal and that would really suck for him so who knows. I'll post my race schedule once it's finalized!

I will definitely post my Cajun Chicken recipe, Jill! Coming up :bigsmile:

Megan - We are all signed up for the WD in NY on Aug 13th, in the 3pm starting slot. Should be loads of fun! :happy: You should see about doing the DC one if you want a race with a twist. I think the obstacles will be neat change and a great calorie burn for sure.

Kandace - Bundle up! Walking is good exercise for weight loss and while it might be cold it's not unbearable. Just bundle up and get outside. Once you get moving you'll forget how friggen freezing it is. If not, then walk faster or start jogging a little. If I have learned anything this winter it's that the weather is no excuse to curb exercise, so just make it happen! If you REALLY can't get outside - try doing the stairs in your house - up and down -, jogging on the spot, doing jumping jacks, or whatever else gets you moving. Do a few different exercises in 1-2 min intervals for 30 mins. Get that heart pumping!

AFM - Sweetener challenge is going amazingly well. I still haven't cheated. Go me! Breakfast today was yummy - Reheated a small portion of last night's dinner (chicken + veg), added spinach and 1/3 cup 100% egg whites and cooked for 2 mins, topped with nutritional yeast and TADA, super healthy protein packed breakfast for under 300 calories, even with coffee and soy milk :happy: I am getting good at this cooking business.

Nerdfitness workout today + 3mile run. I also need to get back on the push-up wagon. I did my exhaustion test last night and maxed out at 12 full push-ups. Really not great but I will get it back. I am going to kill it today with workouts and then rest tomorrow. Any suggestions for cold-weather cross-training my boyfriend and I could do on Sat? Cycling is out because it's way too cold and icy here, and running is out because I'm long-running on Sunday. I'm looking for something different and fun to do. He loves to ski but I am terrified of hills/heights so that is no good... Always taking suggestions :bigsmile:

Have a great Thursday, y'all!
Meag

jillybeanruns

Meag - Just checked for you and active does indeed do Canada! I even put in Hamilton and found some races. Namely a 3K (and half marathon) in Grimsby on February 27th that the boy could perhaps do with you to make up for the skiing incident?! There's also a marathon/half marathon/10K/5K in Mississauga May 14-15 (http://www.mississaugamarathon.com/event_10k.shtml) if you can't find anything else. Not tonnes of races yet in there (or maybe not ever) but might be worth a look-see: http://search.active.com/search

And yes, I think that should be our motto! No one is super judgy really to my face, but I know they judge me. I chalk it up to jealousy and maybe partly due to concern about the whole eating disorder fiasco in my late teens-early twenties. I think it's fine that Ty doesn't know, it's no big deal...or so I don't think. Warrior Dash will definitely be a great experience. I would maybe come out and join to meet up, but we'll see where I am in August. Plus, already running a 1/2 marathon and possibly a full marathon in NY so I need to not "waste" my races on traveling to states I already will have run in!

meagalayne

Jill - Yep those races I knew about. The 3k is a bit short I think and not worth the $$ signing up, IMO. It's part of the Niagara racing series (http://www.instride.ca/) that I took part in last year and I am signing up for 4-5 of their races in 2011 :happy: The Mississauga Half looks terrible, tbh. I live about 40 mins from there and it's not somewhere I want to be racing. The Toronto Half Marathon is on May 15, 2011 as well and that is my back-up race for now. I was hoping to find something more fun to run, possibly in NY, OH or PA. I am flexible. Still searching!

Really like your new signature by the way - Sooo bling :laugh:

Cajun Chicken Kabobs - Adapted from "500 Low GI Recipes" by D*ck Logue (You know it's good when his name has to be ****'d out), pg 429

1lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed
5 1/2 ounces (2/3cup) plain low-fat yogurt
1 Tbsp cajun seasoning (see recipe to follow - I made my own)
2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp lemon (or lime) juice
1 medium red onion
1 large red bell pepper
1 medium zucchini
1/2 whole fresh pineapple, trimmed and chunked for skewering (about 1lb)

**I used more pineapple than the recipe called for because we love it but yes - it's high in sugar. Cut back if you like. The recipe calls for only 8oz, or 225g.

Cajun Seasoning:
1/2 tbsp sweet paprika
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp dried thyme
** In the future I would add more cayenne - it was not spicy at all!

Preheat oven to 425F-450F
Place chicken pieces in a medium bowl. In a small bowl, mix yogurt, spices and citrus juice together and stir into the chicken. Marinade in the fridge while you chop the veggies. Thread chicken pieces onto 8 kabobs, alternative with onion, pepper, zucchini and pineapple. Cover a baking sheet with aluminium foil and spray lightly with cooking spray. Place skewers and whatever veg is remaining on baking sheet and bake for 15-20 mins, turning every 5 mins, until chicken is fully cooked. Baste with remaining marinade throughout cooking.

Makes 4 large servings. We used only 312g of chicken (2 half breasts) so our calculations were off, but for this recipe exactly I did the calcs and each serving contains 244 calories, 27g carbs, 1g fat, 28g protein, 4g fiber, and 238mg sodium.

seripha

Meag - I use Runningroom.com find my races (i'm sure you use that already as you have bought shoes from them) and runningskirts.com has a really good list of canadian races that are (unfortuately for me) in ontario.

If you're serious about doing a bunch of races and really getting into running I would suggest joining Team Running Skirts. You get discounts on all of their gear (besides the running skirts they also have really nice tops, bras, tanks, socks, etc) and discounts from other partner companies. The link below relates to the 2009 team, but I'm sure that if you email them they'll get back to you with more info about it.

http://www.runningskirts.com/RunningSkirtsTeam.html

That goes for everyone BTW. You can be from any where in the world and join the team

finncmh

Silver180- welcome welcome! Like the goals! There are more males on MFP than lead on… many just don’t post- so good for you!

Meag- hahahahaha on the man up. That will only make him more stubborn- hehe. We shall see we shall see. And the mountainous region around there is ABSOLUTELY gorgeous. As it gets closer we can chat and I will give you some recommendations on things to do and places to check out!!! The run did help A LOT!!! And my rough morning made me push even harder on my run so that was good. Stress again when I got home, but running helped me chill out a little bit and not be so overwhelmed by the sress.

Melissa- thanks for the props and the lasagna is super yummy and great for a quick meal. You can easily make more servings for a family by doing it in a larger glass dish. There is no real set standards for the recipe something I have just created along the way so have fun with it! And GREAT start on your marathon training- cant wait until I am running enough to be able to talking training with you ladies. Very inspiring!!!

TJ- you are rocking it as always. You will get there no worries at all!

Mary- enjoy your family time this month!


KanCrav- you just gotta get out there!!!! Just go for 5 minutes and before you know it you will be in the groove and walking a lot longer than that… sometimes the mental battle is much harder than the cold! Your lunch sounds interesting- I actually sometimes will just mix a can of tuna with spicy brown mustard- I don’t like mayo and it cuts the calories out A LOT! Mmmmm

Megan- definitely check out the WD in your area- if not for anything more than something different!

Jill- I am with Meag. Just looking for something fun to do and motivating. For someone who hasn’t been able to run in years its really motivating for me to find something to like this to work towards and meet some AMZING MFP ladies too boot. If we get stuck waiting at obstacles it will just be more excuse to chat and catch up- hehe

AFM- Run last night was great!!!! Did a variation of C25K week 3 except that I went for 30 minutes instead of the 20… did a 10 min warmup at 3.5mph walking. Stretched my knee out good (last time I didn’t and I couldn’t finish the run… boooo and lesson learned) Anyway did 1:30jogging at 5.0 then walking 1:30 at 3.5… followed by 3:00 jogging at 5.0 and 3:00 walking at 3.5… repeated this 3 times and then did another 1:30 of jogging at 5.0 before cooling down. 45minutes total of cardio including the warm up and cool down. Felt good and its getting me towards my goal of 5 minutes in a row of running. I think I could do it now at a slower speed but I figured I would just stay with this for now and see where I am at the end of the month.

That’s it for now. Crazy day- not going to be able to get my normal workout in so hoping to squeeze in a dvd with jillian at home

GuamGrly

Meag - my stepdad sounds exactly like your dad. He can't function without my mom or myself in the house. Its kinda comical to me but irritates me too!! Great job with kicking your sweetener habit!! Any habit is hard to break but you are doing a great job!!

Melissa - those sound like amazing intervals!! I would have flowin off the treadmill!!

Kandace - your sandwich sounds yummy!! I need to start incorporating more veggies into everything I eat!!

Megan - hope the headache stays away today!! Thats never a good way to start the day!

Mary - have fun wih the fam!! I love spending time with my brother but that seems harder to do everytime he gets a girlfriend.

Jill - love your motto!! I look forward to making that my motto also!!

Mike - sorry to hear about your aunt!!

All newbies - welcome!!

And a HUGE thank you to everyone that has been supportive of my situation!!

AFM...ugh *hangs head in shame* Last night turned out to be a night of self-destructive behavior. I was craving the cookies that my brother had baked the night before. So when I got home, I ate not one, not two, but eventually lost count of the amount that I indulged in. And then I made myself a grilled cheese sandwich when I was making my daughter one. I was so wore out last night from the day that I had that I went to bed early. BUT I still managed to get in W1D2 of the push-up challenge. I told myself that I couldn't continue to sabotage myself. I wanted to look great for the wedding on Saturday but that is not gonna happen. But I don't need to involve myself in some sort of downward spiral. No cigarette, no drink, and no item of food will make my problems go away so there is no valid reason to over indulge in any of them. I gave up smoking last year but when I get stressed I always think about lighting one up so I had to throw that out there. And I also realized that kickboxing makes me feel amazing so I am going to do whatever it takes to pay for the kids club for my daughter while I work out.

Oh and I am hoping you can help me out...my 2 problems spots are my inner thighs and my belly. Let's just say that I was pregnant for almost 6 months before I found out because my belly concealed it. Any tips on how to help with these areas??

Hope everyone has a wonderful Thursday!!

lostalykat

Wow, I come back from the evening and all you peeps either are staying up late or living in a different time zone! Nice to be able to read some updates when I get into work tho.

Meag- What do your intervals look like? I was doing the treadmill tonight for the first time in a long time and I was playing around with intervals. I pretty much just stuck to my outdoor running plan. Work my way up to 6mph for about 10-15 minutes do that until I hit 25 minutes, do 6.5 until I hit 28 minutes. Then do 6mph for 6 minutes and 3.5 for 1 minute about 3 times. I bumped it up to 6.5 for the last 3 minutes, it was brutal but I felt great.

Jill- Thanks I know I need to see a doctor about the dizzyness and headaches. I am going to make an appointment today so I can get this taken care of. It comes and it goes so we shall see. But thanks for your concern.

Krav- Start slow, I found that committing to a program and signing up for my first 5k helped me a lot. There are a lot of couch 2 5k programs out there. And you can even just work up to walking a 5k I know a lot of people who did that to start. I am addicted to people so I always liked classes too. Don't worry the fitness bug will bite you soon enough.

The boys- Yay! Welcome and glad to have you here, I already forgot new guys name but I know mike is on here and it will be interesting to get a guys opinion on stuff.

First of all I want to say thank you all for your support yesterday and the day before. It really helps to talk about stuff more and more and I feel safe talking to you guys here. I really appreciate all you guys.

AFM- I am feeling amazing today! Lets hope this sticks around. I have been eating healthy all week and didn't even want dessert last night after dinner. I wen to track practice last night with the team and the track was closed. But, we are so hardcore that we did some running next to the track that was slightly lit up and a bunch of core, go me! I needed more strength anyways but I was bummed about the run. I came home and did my Push-ups and realized I had to max out at the end of the sets, I maxed at 15 which was awesome! I am feeling so strong already, so glad I finally committed to this.

Woke up this morning at 5am to hit the gym, it was about 40 degrees outside and the pool did not sound good, I also felt like I needed that run I missed, so I did the treadmill, I discussed my workout earlier in this post with Meag. I did about 40 minutes running and cooled down for 5. I am also dealing with trying to make my GPS heart rate monitor work at the gym. I think the GPS messes things up, so I put down that I did a 35 minute run at 6mph.....

Tonight we have a family dinner, I got all cute for work and I am feeling very confident. peaked at the scale and it is not as low as it was earlier this week but it is lower than it was friday and that is my official day. I know something is happening because I have been using the restroom a lot! (sorry TMI) Well looking forward to a great day. I am debating about getting a swim in tomorrow or spending the night with the boy and doing a date night....hard because I feel that I really need the exercise....I also haven' t swam all week. We do have a swim workout on Sunday with the team. Well sorry for the super long post...I guess I am pretty juiced about my workout today hehe.