The Three Part Challenge!!!

ckholmes

Stephanie,Shredder Where r u ?

Heather: thanks for the google site im going to check it out tonight, I had a good day today I worked out to a Kathy Smith DVD upper body only (20)min. I kow its not much but it was something, then I went out and played with my son for awhile in the backyard trying to sled on what little hills we do have in our yard, he had fun thats what counts!
As far as my calories today I was way in range, to much actually I had 600 left, what happened was I had today off so I slept in till 10am got up and had coffee then ate around 12:30 for breakfast and ate dinner at 7pm so i missed an entire meal, its now 9:30pm and Im hungry but dont want to eat before I go to bed.

Heather: MY mother in law goes to a Zumba class and loves it, and a friend of mine also has gone a couple of times and it kicks her butt she says, she come out drenched with sweat, shes asked me to go with her, on certain days she can bring friends for free , so i guess ill try it, it sounds like alot of fun.

Allie: How are u feeling? 2 more days to your marathon, GOOD LUCK:drinker:

Goodnight ladies!
Christine

HeatherMN

Christine: Thanks for the feedback on Zumba. I won't be able to go next week, but am planning on it for the following week and am looking forward to trying something new.

Yesterday I stayed within my calories, with 800+ left over after exercising. I drank 72 oz. of water, did my Couch to 5K workout and felt energized overall! For some reason, I'm really giddy again today.

Happy Friday!
Heather

Stephanie08

I'm here! I'm finally back into the groove of things. Lost my Christmas present pounds
I LOVE Zumba! I think its the only exercise that I LOVE.

Stephanie08

Oh and I meant to tell Allie GOOOOOOD Luck!

allie5199

Thanks for all the support guys!!!

I'm feeling like 80% better...so Im praying for 100% by tomorrow! I'll try to post how I did some time tomorrow afternoon/Sunday!

It looks like everyones starting the new year off great!! Great job losing the holiday pounds Stephanie! I'm jealous lol and for staying wayy in your calories Heather & Christine!

Where are you shredder?!? We miss you!

ckholmes

Shredder: its friday, im taking out the wine!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Stephanie08

Shredder: its friday, im taking out the wine!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mee tooo

ckholmes

Hi Everyone,
Well I had a good day ate well all day, do a lower body exercise dvd for 20 min. I wanted to log in my dinner before I pop the cork on the wine and when I did I went over by 67 calories . So I must say Stephanie I put the bottle back, maybe tomorrow .

Ive made plans with a friend to go to the gym in the morning to do some cardio so I think Ill be good for a couple of glasses anyway , Then Ive got to come home and do some grouting yay, just what I feel like doing, ! Things to do to make a house look nice before you sell.

Hope you all had a great day !

Christine

Shredder???????????? you out there?

shredder

I'm here, I'm here!!!!!
Me too, have my shiraz corked and breathing and ready to have a killer Friday night.:drinker:

Allie, I do hope you are better. Running when you are ill and exerting that much energy can make you regress. I implore you NOT to run unless you are 100%, I don't care how bummed out you'll feel, it's so not worth your health. At the very least, cause we all know what a go getter you are, take it easy and STOP if you feel dizzy, overheated etc. Do you have a running buddy? If so, let her know your condition and a plan of attack if you feel nausus.
Let us know how it goes and you know 3PC will be thinking of you all day tomorrow.

I'm in the dark about what Zumba is????Sounds like a dance of sorts but what kind?
Go for it if it means shaking your booty and pounds off. I love it!

So back to the saga of the crock pot. Christine, i made the most fab soup yesterday and the best part is each serving is only 192 cals and delivers your protein and complex carbs in every bite....here it is
2 chicken breasts, 1/4 shredded cabbage, 2 diced carrotts, 1 sliced celery stick, 1/2 cup button mushrooms, 1/4 cup whole grain rice, 1 28oz can diced tomatoes, 2 cans low sodium, chicken broth, salt and pepper and any spices you like to add ( i did rosemary, sage and basil). Throw it in the pot on high for 4 hrs or low for 6 hrs and you have the most delicious meal. Of course you can add beans, and any other veggies you love, even double the veggies for a minimum increase in calories. Shred the chicken right before serving (just pull apart in the pot with 2 forks) and serve with ww bread or a sprinkle of cheese (bump up the cals for those 2 little ditties). My kids loved it and I have a days worth left to eat tomorrow.

What do you guys think about sharing a recipe each per week. The challenge would be to keep it uber healthy, easy, affordable and most of all TASTY.... let me know your thoughts.

shredder

To clarify, Stephanie would post her recipe by Monday for next week, Heather for the week after etc etc. Oh and by the way, this recipe does not HAVE to be in the crock pot (mmmm sounds like a good sign in name )

One more thing. Can you guys go and get MPH2 back in the game. I already sent him a message and he feels like he's left the team down over the winter break, which is ridiculous because we all have had our ups and downs and we're still here.Sounds like he's taking it hard.
He added an important element to our team and we need to get him back!!!!

ckholmes

Shredder: That recipe sounds awesome, I took chicken out this morning to thaw and thats exactly what Im making today THANK YOU! I just wanted to let you know I finally tried a Shiraz over the holidays a 2003 bottle at my in laws and it was AWESOME! I do love a good Cabernet, Merlot. I used to only drink white wines but my husband likes red so id thought Id try it and Ive fallen in love with the color red, haha. I did send MPH a message asking and telling him to get his a-- back here! We need him !! We need all of us, this is one heck of an awesome group you started Shredder :drinker:

Allie: good luck today and take into thought what shredder said health is so important, marathons will always be around!

Everyone have a Great weekend, Im heading to the Gym! yeeha

Christine

Stephanie08

I love the recipe idea. I'll pull out my crock pot recipe book. I just started subscribing to this magazine Taste of Home the Healthy Cooking edition and they have some recipes in there too. In fact I'll tell you what I'll do, I'll try one this weekend and post how it is on Monday.

By the way, where's Heather?? I'll send MPH a message.

shredder

Cool, looking forward to your recipe Stephanie. This soup thing is really working. I'm down a pound from yesterday and have 2 more bowls left for today. I think I'm gonna float out of here any minute I'm so filled up with liquids.
Christine, let us know how you like the chicken soup. By the way, the shiraz was so yummy and I didn't overindulge which always makes my Saturdays so much more enjoyable lol! I'm trying a Chianti tonight. Wine club for the weekend anyone????

Wonder if Allie ran today....crossing my fingers for her and hoping she doesn;t overdo it. Our girl has a mind of her own.

HHEEEAAATTTHHHEEERRR!!! where art thou hiding?

allie5199

I'm very proud to report that I ran the entire half marathon...all 13.1 miles!! and faster than my goal time (my goal was 2:30....I did 2:21). I woke up feeling amazing, probably because I did nothing but rest for the past 4 days. I really think the fresh air helped too. I didnt feel sick at all during the race...although I coughed quite a bit. I'm pretty sore now, so I probably wont work out again until Tuesday or Wednesday (maybe a little strength training but no cardio)

Thank you sooo much for all your support :flowerforyou: you guys are amazing...and were definitely on my mind during the race!!

Shredder: I cant wait to try our soup! sounds sooo good...esp with the weather this cold

MPH2-where are you??? Get back here NOW!! we all miss you and we all messed up a little over the holidays, but now that we dont have any more excuse weve been doing great...so get back on the wagon!! Plus itll make a great come back story when 3PC take the lead and wins this challenge!!

HeatherMN

Here I am! I don't have internet access at home, so I can only log in at work or at my boyfriend's.

Allie: You're amazing! Way to go on running the entire half marathon. You are my inspiration!

So yesterday, I went way over my calories because of the beers I consumed during and after dinner. I may have been a bit tipsy, even...Oh, well, I had enough calories left the previous four days so I'm going to stop beating myself up over it.

Today I stayed within my calories, even with the chocolate cake for the birthday party today. (My boyfriend's son turned 6 today). Tomorrow we're planning on going snowmobiling and/or snowshoeing and I have to see my horse, so I'll get some exercise in chasing her around the pasture. She really is good for my health!

One of the gifts we gave today was a pair of snowshoes and the 6 yr. old loved them! He thought it was so awesome that he could walk on top of the snow and "ski" down the snow pile in the front yard. I love giving kids gifts that will keep them active and that aren't computerized or electronic.

You're all awesome and I'll try to check in again tomorrow!
Heather

Stephanie08

Congratulations Allie!!!! That's amazing - I'm very happy you acheived your goal. Very inspiring.

Heather - I was looking at snow shoes at the store. They were a little pricy for after Christmas, I'll just have to wear my boots for now and look to get some next year.

Shredder & Christine - I had a nice merlot again last night. What I do sometimes is use a special glass that has a design on it, and I fill it up to a spot on the glass and I know I can only have 2 glasses.... yeah RIGHT! LOL

Stephanie08

Oh ad I sent a note to MPH-2 as well, I haven't heard back. OK off to walk the dogs!

Stephanie08

Hi All,

A lady on another board that I follow posted this link that I thought I'd share. Crock Pot Recipes!

http://www.50plusfriends.com/cookbook/crockpot/index-5b.html

Stephanie08

Weigh in: 207 :happy:

and here is the crock pot recipe

Slow Cooker Fajitas Recipe
Ingredients
• 1 each medium green, sweet red and yellow pepper, cut into 1/2-inch strips
• 1 sweet onion, cut into 1/2-inch strips
• 2 pounds boneless beef sirloin steaks, cut into thin strips
• 3/4 cup water
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 8 flour tortillas (8 inches), warmed
• 1/2 cup salsa
• 1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
• 8 teaspoons minced fresh cilantro
Directions
• Place peppers and onion in a 5-qt. slow cooker. Top with beef. Combine the water, vinegar, lime juice and seasonings; pour over meat. Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours or until tender.
• Using a slotted spoon, place about 3/4 cup meat mixture down the center of each tortilla. Top with 1 tablespoon salsa, 1 tablespoon cheese and 1 teaspoon cilantro; roll up. Yield: 8 servings.
Nutrition Facts: 1 fajita equals 335 calories, 10 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 69 mg cholesterol, 564 mg sodium, 32 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 29 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 3 lean meat, 2 starch, 1 vegetable. 

Stephanie08

Here's one more that was not a crock pot, but I had it last week and it was very good. You can sub chicken for tuna.

Creamy Tuna-Noodle Casserole
Ingredients
• 5 cups uncooked egg noodles
• 1 can (10-3/4 ounces) reduced-fat reduced-sodium condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
• 1 cup (8 ounces) fat-free sour cream
• 2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/3 cup 2% milk
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cans (5 ounces each) light water-packed tuna, drained and flaked
• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/4 cup finely chopped green pepper
•
TOPPING:
• 1/2 cup soft bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
Directions
• Cook noodles according to package directions.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the soup, sour cream, cheese, milk and salt. Stir in the tuna, peas, onion and pepper. Drain noodles; add to soup mixture.
• Transfer to an 11-in. x 7-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Combine topping ingredients; sprinkle over top. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until bubbly. Yield: 6 servings.
Nutrition Facts: 1-1/3 cups equals 340 calories, 8 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 63 mg cholesterol, 699 mg sodium, 41 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 25 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 3 starch, 2 very lean meat, 1 fat.

Stephanie08

Hmmm I seem to be talking to myself on this board...

HeatherMN

Stephanie: Thanks for the crock pot fajita recipe...fajitas are one of my favorite foods, this is excellent! You also mentioned snowshoes...you can buy used ones or new, less expensive ones on eBay. Make sure you review the sizing guides to determine which ones to buy and if you're between two sizes, purchase the larger size. This information was from a guy at a sporting goods shop! Personally, I require a 30" in the aluminum. Good luck, it's so much fun!!

That being said, we went snowshoeing yesterday for an hour and a half and burned 904 calories. We were dressed too warm, so we were a bit sweaty, but it didn't feel like hard work because it was so much fun!

Yesterday I went over my calories because I had prime rib and dessert (way to waste those earned exercise calories)! Today I've logged the food I planning on eating for the day and I'm going to stick with it!!

Have a good day!
Heather

ckholmes

Well I forgot to weigh in this morning, I was running late to work Ill weigh in first thing tomorrow morning and post it, Im sorry

Shredder: The chicken recipe was excellent!!!!!!!!!! and my son ate it too

Stephanie: Like Heather, Fajitas are one of my fav's too and I love tuna so the other recipe will be to my liking too. Its funny theres been conversation about snow shoeing and just yesterday a friend and I went waliking and we were talking about looking around for some, whats nice is that both my kids have snow shoes so there all set and this can become a family thing, even though I cant see my husband doing this:noway: and great job with your weight loss today, keep up the awesome work!!!!!!!!!!!!

Allie: congrats on youre marathon, you are the bomb!!!!

Heather: Well just think how worse it could of been if you didnt work out, I had a wicked fun Sat night but horrible clorie overload with 3 bottles of wine:explode: I kick myself right in the *kitten*, Now I realize when I do these stunts I start my tom right after. I do like wine though its so relaxing:drinker:

MPH-2 Where are you, We"re waiting !!!!!!!!

Have a good night ladies
Christine

Stephanie08

I went out and bought the stuff for Fajitas too, I'm making them tomorrow. And by the way, I have to tell you that I pronounce them Fajeetahs, even though I know how they are supposed to be pronounced. For some reason, my friends and I have always call them that. And if I ever find a recipe for Tortellini, we always say "turtle-weenies" not sure why, I guess we're just goofy.

MPH2

Crockpot Fiesta Chicken

Into crockpot add
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 can corn - drained
1 can of black beans - rinse the beans before adding
1 can Rotel or a couple of cups of salsa

Get the temp up then reduce to low for 3-4 hours. Now go hang out in the hammock and read a book, but I guess you could do chores if you have too. Grab 2 forks and shread the chicken breasts right in the pot. If there is too much liquid just leave the top off for a bit and let some water evaporate. Now add a bit of fresh chopped cilantro and you have a tasty chicken mixture. You can serve with tortillas, tostadas or on top of a bed of rice, stuffed inside a bell pepper or even a salad.

Total prep time is like 2 commercial breaks

So I am back literally back to where I started 212.2, at this rate I'm never going to fit in that bikini by summer. ;-)

Nice job Allie on the half, and a good finishing time to boot.

Thank you ladies for your support and e-mails!!!!!!!!!!!!

HeatherMN

MPH: So glad to see you back here! We missed you!

Stephanie: It's funny that you call fajitas "fajeetahs", because my family does too, just to be weird. Gotta love it!

Allie: Did I post my weight yesterday? I thought I did, but if you're missing it, it was 200.6 this morning.

Yesterday I stayed in my calories again, but didn't get any exercising in because of a meeting for the volunteer group. I even got my Caribou Mint Condition and stayed within my calories, so I'm pretty excited about that. My weigh-in last night was good with a 1 lb. weight loss (keep in mind it's an evening weigh in with clothes on, so it never matches my true weight!). I also lost another inch in the bust, an inch in the waist and 1/4" in the arm.

Last night, after my meeting, I thought I'd try on the my size 12s again and found that they actually fit but aren't my preferred style, so it looks like I need to go shopping. I also tried on a few polo shirts I bought earlier this year that didn't fit but they're perfect now! I'm so excited because I have a lot more options for clothing now. Yippee!

Tonight I'm making chicken breast with baked sweet potato and corn and should be well within my calories again. Plus, my mom said she'd workout with me tonight, so that's always a good thing. Gotta keep it rolling!

Have a great day,
Heather

shredder

:flowerforyou: Welcome back dude.... we missed you and don't you ever go AWOL again. You're a huge part of this team and the gap cannot be filled by anyone but you!!!!

Stephanie, those fajitas sound mighty delicious. I'm gonna give it a go for dinner but leave out the tortillas. I've ommitted all white sugers from my diet and really embracing the protein, complex carbs. I've also decided for 2010 not to count a single calorie and to focus more on portion control and be more in tuned to listening to my body....eat when hungry, stop when satisfied. This clean eating for me has to be a lifestyle change, it's about creating healthy habits and I have to trust myself to make informed decisions and not rely on a calorie counter to dictate when and what I can/cannot eat.
That being said, I know that some of you guys are counting calories and if that works for you I support you 1000%. I am not knocking that at all and know it has been tremendously helpful to people's success, it's just not for me. So this will add an interesting twist to our group, those of us who are losing while counting calories and those of us who lose by portion/hunger control.
In my opinion

shredder

:flowerforyou: Welcome back dude.... we missed you and don't you ever go AWOL again. You're a huge part of this team and the gap cannot be filled by anyone but you!!!!

Stephanie, those fajitas sound mighty delicious. I'm gonna give it a go for dinner but leave out the tortillas. I've ommitted all white sugers from my diet and really embracing the protein, complex carbs. I've also decided for 2010 not to count a single calorie and to focus more on portion control and be more in tuned to listening to my body....eat when hungry, stop when satisfied. This clean eating for me has to be a lifestyle change, it's about creating healthy habits and I have to trust myself to make informed decisions and not rely on a calorie counter to dictate when and what I can/cannot eat.
That being said, I know that some of you guys are counting calories and if that works for you I support you 1000%. I am not knocking that at all and know it has been tremendously helpful to people's success, it's just not for me. So this will add an interesting twist to our group, those of us who are losing while counting calories and those of us who lose by portion/hunger control.
In my opinion, the more hard core and competitive we start the year out, the faster we will reach our goals.
So Allie must still be resting \up after her incredible run. I'm so proud of our girl....what a champ she is and a role model for us all.
Christine, how's your week going? Have you squeezed in any excersise?
Heather you are sooooo close to breaking out of the 200's.....come on girl, you have to do this....I know you can. You are so darn close. It's so exciting and I'm very proud of you and all your hard work.
Ok...so my weigh in today is 185. I'm really happy with that as it's that TOM and I haven't been to the gym once all year. No, that's a lie, I went last Tuesday so I'm for sure heading there after I post this and getting back on track with my New Year's wish list.
Ok....gotta go get my fajitas in the crock.
Talk to you all soon!!!!

Stephanie08

Hi Shredder, I say do whatever works! After a while you start to figure out what and how much to eat anyway without logging.

I'm heading to a class they call "body attack" at the gym today. The only way I can explain the class is that it's like when you were a kid, and it's a combination of gym and recess. It's so high impact that you can burn up to 700 calories in 60 minutes.

shredder

Yeah, your'e right Stephanie.
Got to the gym as promised and ran 1.5 miles and walked .50. Fell good and :happy: really motivated.