30 Day Challenge Part 2

kylakesgal

For portion control, I've been eating on salad plates instead. I've cut way back on portion sizes and try to fill up more on salad. You can get a ton of salad for hardly any calories. I bought the salad spritzers at the store while ago. It's only like 10 calories a serving. I'm measuring everything these days and keeping the food diary really keeps you accountable. I also eat slower now and get full faster. It's amazing how changing little things like that, can make a huge difference:)

singer201

When I buy meats or salmon fillets, I cut them up and repackage in single-meal portions (one-person household here) before freezing. I only cook dinner at home twice a week, on my days off, so the rest of the time, it needs to be something microwaveable or ready-to-eat. I've been alternating between salmon, salads of lots of veggies with shrimp and hard-cooked egg adding the protein, baked chicken, and a homemade beef dish. Having the entrees ready in the freezer makes packing a calorie- and nutrition-appropriate meal much easier. I just add cut-up veggies and a fruit for dessert.

On my days off, I've been making dinner more of an "event". Salad nicely-arranged, entree and hot vegetable on an appropriate- sized plate, and fruit in a separate bowl or plate. Since I eat dinner out of a lunch bag and containers most of the week, it's fun making it special for me.

jessicamarie81

That is very smart singer! I love to make stuff ahead too and have it ready to go!
A food scale is also a great idea too! I need one myself, I'd love to be more accurate. I have also found myself utilizing my measuring spoons more these days as well.
Also, I like to log my food on here ahead of time like Olivia to see where I would stand if I eat "this or that" for the day, it really helps!

I'm going to go ahead and post Sundays challenge, I have midterms to do online, college is keeping me so dang busy these days.

~~~***Sundays Challenge***~~~

Sundays challenge is going to be geared towards protein. Someone suggested working on that and was looking for ideas on what to eat. I seem to always go over my protein limit on my diary and I think that's a good thing.
What are good sources of protein? Fish, poultry, and beans are your best bets. When choosing protein-rich foods, pay attention to what comes along with the protein. Vegetable sources of protein, such as beans, nuts, and whole grains, are great and they offer a lot of good fiber, vitamins, and minerals. The best animal protein choices are fish and poultry. If you like red meat, stick with the leanest cuts. Eggs are also a really good source of protein as they contain the highest amount of essential amino acids. Rice, peas, lentils, kidney beans, oatmeal, and milk are also good sources.

Protein is important because it is required by the body for growth, maintenance, and repair of all cells. It's a major component of all muscles, tissues, and organs. It aids in metabolism and digestion. It's the main nutrient that keeps our hair shiny and healthy, nails strong, skin fresh and glowing, and our bones strong and healthy.

It is important to find a good balance of protein, too much just like too little can be detrimental to your health.
So today's challenge is get that protein in! Also share what kind of foods you enjoy that have a good amount of protein!! I find it easy to get mine in because I eat a lot of meat and eggs.

If anyone is wondering where I got all this info, I researched it on the web because I was very interested myself. After I had surgery a few years ago, it was important for me to get in high amounts of protein, it's a topic I am sort of schooled on.

ceejay000

My huBy and I both love this super eady low-cal chicken dish. Serve it with brown rice, raw or wilted spinach, salad greens, or any other low-cal side and you have a killer and easy low cal dinner:

2 chicken breast
1 pkg athenos low fat feta
Any herbs/spices u like, I usually add sage, thyme, garlic and/or oregano

Cut a pocket into each chix breast. Blend 1/2 pkg of feta with fav herbs. Stuff breasts with feta (as much as u can fit) and close hole with toothpics.

Heat fry pan to med-high with less than 1 tablespoon of olive oil. When hot add breasts. Cook until golden in color on each side. Add lid, turndown heast and cook 5 mins or so more (to ensure cooked all the way through. Serve with fav low-cal sides.

I made Olivia's stuffed chicken breast recipe tonight, and my boyfriend and I both loved it! I made it with a side of roasted asparagus, which was also delicious .

Thanks for the recipe!

jessicamarie81

My huBy and I both love this super eady low-cal chicken dish. Serve it with brown rice, raw or wilted spinach, salad greens, or any other low-cal side and you have a killer and easy low cal dinner:

2 chicken breast
1 pkg athenos low fat feta
Any herbs/spices u like, I usually add sage, thyme, garlic and/or oregano

Cut a pocket into each chix breast. Blend 1/2 pkg of feta with fav herbs. Stuff breasts with feta (as much as u can fit) and close hole with toothpics.

Heat fry pan to med-high with less than 1 tablespoon of olive oil. When hot add breasts. Cook until golden in color on each side. Add lid, turndown heast and cook 5 mins or so more (to ensure cooked all the way through. Serve with fav low-cal sides.

I made Olivia's stuffed chicken breast recipe tonight, and my boyfriend and I both loved it! I made it with a side of roasted asparagus, which was also delicious .

Thanks for the recipe!

I must have missed this one, looks delicious!!!

aab1

I love Taco Soup!! Here's a great recipe:

Ingredients:
2 pounds ground beef (I use 97% fat free)
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 poblano pepper, chopped
1/2 sweet red pepper, chopped
1 can black beans
1 cup frozen whole kernel corn
1 can stewed tomatoes – mexican style
1 can Rotel tomatoes
1 pkg. taco seasoning mix (I like to use low sodium)
1 pkg. original hidden valley ranch dressing (dry)
2 1/2 cups water or more, to make soup broth

Preparation:
Brown ground beef and drain off fat. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for about 30 mins.

Serving Suggestion:
add chopped cilantro
add fresh avocado
sprinkle with grated cheese
add a dollop of sour cream
serve with tortilla chips

Nutrition:
Serving Size: 1 1/3 cup
Calories: 215
Fat: 5g
Protein: 25g
Fiber: 2g

What I love about taco soup is you can add or subtract ingredients and it still tastes awesome!

I made Jessica's Taco Soup today. Delicious!! Thanks for sharing, Jessica.

swtchrypie

Sorry I have been MIA all day we were having a family day! I didnt even get to read the challenge for the day before I left but thought it was funny when I got home because we had to eat out today and my husband and I today decided to split a meal because we knew that a whole one was way over our portions. Haha. I hope you all are having a great weekend!

singer201

I just bought feta cheese yesterday and, other than adding to salads, wasn't sure what I'd use it for. The feta-stuffed chicken sounds really good! I like easy-to-fix, single-portion chicken recipes.

jessicamarie81

I made Jessica's Taco Soup today. Delicious!! Thanks for sharing, Jessica.

Glad you liked it! I love it too! It's very filling!

oliviawink

My huBy and I both love this super eady low-cal chicken dish. Serve it with brown rice, raw or wilted spinach, salad greens, or any other low-cal side and you have a killer and easy low cal dinner:

2 chicken breast
1 pkg athenos low fat feta
Any herbs/spices u like, I usually add sage, thyme, garlic and/or oregano

Cut a pocket into each chix breast. Blend 1/2 pkg of feta with fav herbs. Stuff breasts with feta (as much as u can fit) and close hole with toothpics.

Heat fry pan to med-high with less than 1 tablespoon of olive oil. When hot add breasts. Cook until golden in color on each side. Add lid, turndown heast and cook 5 mins or so more (to ensure cooked all the way through. Serve with fav low-cal sides.

I made Olivia's stuffed chicken breast recipe tonight, and my boyfriend and I both loved it! I made it with a side of roasted asparagus, which was also delicious .

Thanks for the recipe!

Glad you liked it. It's a staple if our household. Particularly good with asparagus, roasted cauliflower or on top of salad - I just love how the gooey cheese coats the salad nicely and you don't even need dressing!

kylakesgal

Yum Olivia's stuffed chicken recipe sounds delicious! I will have to try that one for sure:) Hope everyone has enjoyed a relaxing weekend. It goes by way too fast. Don't forget tomorrow is Weigh in Day and please be sure to post your weight loss and/or inches lost. Well tomorrow is Monday and the start of a work week so I'm going to make the challenge for tomorrow fairly easy to do.

********Mondays Challenge********
Eat your leafy greens! !! Let's all try and eat at least one salad for either Lunch or Dinner. They are the quickest and easiest foods to prepare and are packed with vitamins, nutrients, fiber, and antioxidants that our bodies need:) The rule of thumb on lettuce, the darker the leaf, the more nutrition they provide. Salads prevent diseases, lower cholesterol, decrease constipation and if you eat one before the main course, you will eat less higher calorie foods. Just make sure you check salad dressing label for calorie content as some dressing are high in calories. Choose a light or low fat dressing and enjoy:)

nikki8marie

I usually go over my protein too but I make its lean protein like eggs, beans, or poultry. I'm not a big red meat eater, although I do like it for special occasions. I just got a protein power because early in the month I wasn't getting enough protein and its great for after workouts.

I am so wiped out today, I'm helping a friend pack up her house. I didn't realize how many calories i could burn cleaning.

abbylane35

I've been away from this thread for way too long! We had our mid-winter break from school, and I gained a whopping 2 lbs over break. I'm back on track though, and am down 3 more pounds. My goal was to be to 246 by the 14th. I am at 253 right now. Maybe a miracle will happen (along with exercise and eating right) and I will get to 246 in a week. I might, I lost 5 lbs this week.

roselynsy

hi my sw was 196lb my gw is 187lb
21st 194lb
28th 191.8
7th 189.6
this weeks loss 2.2lb
total weight lost 6. 4lb im going to have to be really good this week if i want to reach my goal. will post total measurement loss next week (if any :indifferent: )

roselynsy

what am i going to do after this challange, i like checking in with you guys every monday, it keeps me going. knowing all you guys are going through the same week after week. maybe you could start a group (the 30day challenge group) and we could all check in still on a monday and keep each other going. plus tasks every now and then. once a month we could say if we and lost any measurements, that sort of thing. just an idea what do you guys think.

hoosteen84

SW: 235.4
CW: 232.2

Lost 0.8 this week, which I'm VERY surprised at! I've had a week off work so I've literally sat on my backside for a week playing on the xbox & ate utter rubbish!
I'm nowhere near my goal for the month (10lb) but at least I've lost something

tatiana_13

Weighing in

02/14/2011: 115
02/21/2011: 116
02/28/2011: skipped
03/07/2011: 115

Well...at least I lost that pound I had gained. These last 10 pounds are killing me. KILLING ME! Have a good Monday folks!

swtchrypie

HEY ladies! I LOVE salad so I am excited about this challenge. The only thing that bites is I just finished my good leafy greens and only have iceberg lettuce left. So I need to go out and buy some nummyness! ok well checking in today! SO I was weighing myself this morning and was soooo frustrated because it was saying I gained weight. BUT I realized my scale was on two tile and uneven. So when I moved it to one this was my outcome:
SW:142.8
2/21: 141.8
2/28: 142.6
CW: 140.8

Way too excited!!!

oliviawink

weigh-in:
SW: 183
2/28: 176.5
CW: 176

This is a .5 loss from last week, but as I've said before, for some reason (probably my looser eating habits on the weekend), I show loss on Tues or Wed. I'm also feeling like I'm a little bloated, probably b/c of beers this weekend. I did see 175.5 on Friday, but I'm not making that my official weight until I see it again.

nikki8marie

SW 256
2/22 skipped
2/29 259
3/7 255.5

Down 3.5 lbs yay! I really worked hard to mark sure I measured everything I ate and it paid off.

lesleed

Weighing in (and trying to get back on track!) I'm up 2 lbs this week. UGH!

SW 165
CW 162
GW 155

misserrint

SW 165
CW 162.2

Losing weight is a lot harder now than it was when I was in my 20's!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

sheilabennett

Hope everyone had a good weekend!! I am going to have to go get some leafy greens at the grocery store today too! How is baby spinach on the health meter???

Weighing in

SW - 189.2
02/21 - 186.8
02/28 - 191.2
03/07 - 187.2

I don't think I am going to hit my goal, but at least I'll have lost some!

jessicamarie81

SW: 2/14- 175
2/21 173
2/28 171.5
CW: 3/7- 170

2/14 Inches
Waist: 41
Bust: 38
Hips: 44
Thighs: 40
Upper Right Leg: 25
Upper Left Leg: 25
Neck: 14
Lower Stomach: 44
Upper Stomach: 36
Upper Arms: 14
Upper Calves: 15

3/7 Inches
Waist: 40
Bust: 38
Hips: 41
Thighs: 39
Upper Right Leg: 24
Upper Left Leg: 24
Neck: 14
Lower Stomach: 42
Upper Stomach: 35
Upper Arms: 13
Upper Calves: 15

I was pleasantly surprised at my inches lost in my hips, lower stomach, thighs, and upper arms! I didn't think I'd lose anything this week since we ate at Olive Garden last night and the sodium was through the roof and the weight loss has been going slow but I'll take it!
I love todays challenge, I love my lettuce, Sheila...I almost always use baby spinach because it seems to last longer than romaine or iceberg in the fridge, and it is very good for you, every time I log it, it is a good total. I love the Dole packaged baby spinach, we also like the field greens.

Congrats on everyone's loss! I'm not sure if I'm going to reach my goal, I need to lose 4 more pounds between now and then but anything is possible! If you didn't lose weight, check your measurements, they are really encouraging to me today!

hnason

Down 2 lbs from last week! Bought a new fitness mag that inspired me to do some HIIT training. Killer workout - I want to cry at the end - but it produces results!

SW: 149
GW: 139
2/21: 146.4
2/28: 146.2
today: 144.2

kylakesgal

Woohoo I'm excited for everyone today on their weight loss!!! It's such a feeling to see that scale move or the measuring tape.
We just have one more week to go of this challenge but I think we are all making excellent progress and let's all eat our rabbit food for today~

My weight loss for week- Exactly -2 lbs
Inches lost for week - -3.5 in.

aab1

Last week we had been discussing whether to eat our calories burned from exercies. Below is a response from a nutritionalist & advid marathon runner. I wanted to share with all....

Response - Weight loss is a simple math equation.....create a calorie deficit and you will lose weight. If you want to maintain your weight you should eat the calories burned in exercise. But if you are after weight loss you definitely would NOT want to eat those calories. Training for a marathon is somewhat different though....you will want to replace some of those calories burned to help your body rebuild muscle after those long training runs. But a simple workout of <500 calories burned does not necessarily require extra calorie intake. Today for example I ran 12 miles (approx 1200 calories burned). I will eat a little extra today, but the goal is to eat "healthy" foods to rebuild my muscles....lean protein (chicken, fish), "good" carbohydrates (whole grains, fruits), milk, etc....not just the fun stuff like cookies, ice cream etc...Suprisingly many people find that they don't lose weight when training for a marathon...for a number of reasons....they are so hungry after long runs that they end up eating all of the calories burned, they are gaining muscle (which of course weighs more than fat), and also the body will store extra glucose (simplest form of carbohydrates) and fluids after long runs because the body thinks you will "starve" it again.

sheilabennett

Last week we had been discussing whether to eat our calories burned from exercies. Below is a response from a nutritionalist & advid marathon runner. I wanted to share with all....

Response - Weight loss is a simple math equation.....create a calorie deficit and you will lose weight. If you want to maintain your weight you should eat the calories burned in exercise. But if you are after weight loss you definitely would NOT want to eat those calories. Training for a marathon is somewhat different though....you will want to replace some of those calories burned to help your body rebuild muscle after those long training runs. But a simple workout of <500 calories burned does not necessarily require extra calorie intake. Today for example I ran 12 miles (approx 1200 calories burned). I will eat a little extra today, but the goal is to eat "healthy" foods to rebuild my muscles....lean protein (chicken, fish), "good" carbohydrates (whole grains, fruits), milk, etc....not just the fun stuff like cookies, ice cream etc...Suprisingly many people find that they don't lose weight when training for a marathon...for a number of reasons....they are so hungry after long runs that they end up eating all of the calories burned, they are gaining muscle (which of course weighs more than fat), and also the body will store extra glucose (simplest form of carbohydrates) and fluids after long runs because the body thinks you will "starve" it again.

Thanks so much for this! I for one, rarely eat back my exercise calories. I know a lot of people say you should. But the way I see it, if I eat back all the calories I burned, why did I bother burning thiem in the first place? I know that exercise is to build muscle, tone, etc... but right now I am after weight loss. I'll worry about the rest of it later!

singer201

I try to make dark green leafy vegetables part of every day. Today, I'll take one of my big salads to work for dinner. Sometimes I get weary of all the chewing, but the various colors of all the good veggies in it make me smile. I add shrimp and hard-cooked egg for protein. I've been loving the organic baby "Spring Greens" or "Half (baby greens) and Half (baby spinach)" that Costco has. If I take at least a small salad every day, I can use up the big tub in a week. Did you know that the fat/oil in the salad dressing helps your body absorb the fat-soluble vitamins A, E, and K in the veggies??

I'm at 199.8 today, down 2.8 from last week. Under 200 for the first time since last fall!

kylakesgal

Yes singer I had read that yesterday about the fat/oil in dressing! Do you make your own dressing? I was wanting a good homeade recipe using olive oil. Anyone have one?

Great job on the weight loss Singer!!! I'm sure you are soooo excited about that. I also like to add boiled egg to my salad and love a mix of salad greens. I think I need to go back to the grocery store today to pick up some more raw veggies. I also try to add a salad to my meals at least one a day. It keeps you from overeating plus I love salad:)