The Better Than Ever Challenge!

good for you jdownes!

Hi all! Happy Day 2! Yesterday I got my 60 minutes of exercise in but just barely. 25 minutes elliptical 15 minutes biking 30 minutes walking. My husband thought I was crazy. LOL I explained it though and he is on board. Here is what I made for dinner last night and whats on deck for tonight. I thought you might enjoy. HUGS

Charity

Biggest Loser Sweet and Sour Chicken

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon Cornstarch
1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
1 Pound Trimmed Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast, Cut Into Bite-sized Cubes
1 Tablespoon Toasted Sesame Oil
1 Cup 1/2" Wide Strips Onion (about 1" long)
1 Cup 1/2" Wide Strips Green Bell Pepper (about 1" long)
2 Tablespoons Freshly Minced Garlic
1/4 Cup Bottled Sweet & Sour Stir-fry Sauce (I used La Choy)



Directions
In a large bowl, combine cornstarch, garlic powder, salt, and pepper and mix well. Add the chicken and toss until thoroughly coated.

Place a large nonstick skillet or nonstick wok over high heat. When hot, add 1 teaspoon sesame oil, onion, green pepper, and garlic. Cook, stirring, until the garlic softens and the vegetables are crisp-tender, 2 to 4 minutes. Be careful not to overcook or the garlic may burn. Transfer the vegetables to a large bowl and cover to keep warm.

Return the pan to high heat and add another teaspoon oil and half the chicken in a single layer. Cook until the pieces are lightly brown on the bottom. Flip the pieces and continue cooking until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the cooked chicken the the bowl with the vegetables. Return the pan to high heat, add the remaining oil and cook the remaining chicken.

Return the vegetables and chicken to the pan to reheat if needed. Transfer to a medium bowl, add the sauce, and mix until well combined. Divide the stir-fry among 4 bowls, and serve. I didnt use the peppers and onions but added some pineapple and water-chestnuts.

Lime Chicken Tacos
Ingredients

* 1-1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
* 3 tablespoons lime juice
* 1 tablespoon chili powder
* 1 cup frozen corn
* 1 cup chunky salsa
* 12 flour tortillas (6 inches), warmed
* Sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese and shredded lettuce, optional

Directions

* Place the chicken in a 3-qt. slow cooker. Combine lime juice and chili powder; pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or until chicken is tender.
* Remove chicken; cool slightly. Shred meat with two forks and return to the slow cooker; heat through. Stir in corn and salsa.
* Cover and cook on low for 30 minutes or until heated through. Serve in tortillas with sour cream, cheese and lettuce if desired. Yield: 12 tacos.

Day 2 eating was horrible for me however Zumba is awesome and I love it! I sweat so much and I feel like I am getting something. Its been too hot to go walking/running for me. Day 3 is a new day. I did my 60 minutes of playing with my kids yesterday. I have eliminated tv till they go to bed to help my kids and myself be more active. It was hard yesterday. Today I feel pumped and eating will be better today. I determined to see a NEW ME!

Hello Ladies!! Looking forward to a great challenge!

Holds **I just gave birth to my first child 2 months ago via emergency c-section**
1) I feel too busy to fit in working out!
2) Sweet tooth gets the best of me!
3) Lack of energy from the busy life

Goals
SW: 190
GW: 140
**Ultimate goal is to lose 10 pounds each month - So a total of 50 pounds by January 1, 2012 - For this challenge I hope to lose 30 pounds by the end**
Target 1: September 1 - 10 pounds total lost - Reward: Mani/Pedi
Target 2: October 1 - 20 pounds total lost - Reward: New Shoes
Target 3: November 1 - 30 pounds total lost - Reward: New Work Out Clothes
Target 4: December 1 - 40 pounds total lost - Reward: New Hair Cut/Color
Target 5: January 1 - 50 pounds total lost - Reward: Weekend getaway with the husband!!

Commitments
1) I will commit to 2 classes a week at the Y!
2) I will commit to 6 morning or afternoon walks at least 45 minutes each!
3) I will commit to eating healthy, not eating out and satisifying my sweet tooth with healthier alternatives! (New favorite treat: Chocolate Milk - Skim of course)

Holds:
I do not get the amount of sleep I need nor allow.
I do not eat enough during the day, causing myself to binge and/or slow down my metabolism, resulting in weight gain.
I go hard in intervals. Rather than always starting and stopping with exercise and eating right, it needs to become a part of my life.
I don't drink enough water nor move around much during the day!

Goals:
To finally lose the fat I have been wanting to rid of for years.
To look in the mirror and feel great.
To try on clothes and feel gorgeous in them.

Commitments:
To start making more simple changes and become more excited every day about changing my life.
To remain positive. Realize that I can do it, and I really know I can.
To always be moving, not necessarily working out, but literally always remaining active.
To eat five small meals a day with as much water. I mean, I don't mind if it's not the perfection of healthy eating, but at least eating does it well.
Lastly, to sleep at ten every for as many nights as possible.

SW: 170 lbs.
CW: 166.1 lbs.
GW #1: 161.5 lbs (SILK ROBE)
GW #2: 153 lbs (SPRAY TAN AND WAX)
GW #3: 144.5 lbs (SPA)
GW #4: 136 lbs (NICE JEWELRY OF CHOICE)
GW #5: 127.5 lbs (NEW SWIMSUIT FOR CRUISE)
GW #6: 119 lbs (VICTORIA'S SECRET BRA AND PANTY SET)

Day 4 Update:
D1: Goals met and 230 under cal goal.
D2: Goals met but 99 over cal goal.
D3: Goals exceeded and 102 under cal goal.
D4: Not starting out so good. I had a tiny snack for breakfast, did my workout, then was starving and overage at lunch. I haven't wrecked my cal limit for the day but can physically feel that it was too much. Now food coma sets in because my body has to work harder to digest the quantity of food. On one hand this is a good sign, because I used to be able to handle the same portion size before with no problem... Conclusion: my stomach must be shrinking!

So, Tip of the day: If you skip or have an unusually light meal don't "make up for" all those calories or general quantity (the physical size of the meal) regardless of calorie worth. You'll make yourself sick and/or set off a foodcoma which will make you feel groggy and less motivated to work/ exercise, etc. If you NEED to eat those calories, for whatever reason, save it for a later snack or spread across multiple meals.

Needless to say, my body is sore and I have a blister on my pinkie toe. I have bought some cool bandaids and I am still moving.

It's all about the cool band-aids. As a hairdresser, I cut myself relatively frequently and figure.. if I gotta use a band-aid.. it may as well be a cool/interesting one. At one point I had light blue ones with little ambulances on them and others that were comic-book bubbles that said things like ARGH! OOOOWCH!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!! POW!! etc. I even had a friend buy me CareBear ones because we are convinced they have extra-special healing properties. :P

saylerm104... Amazon is the way to go! (hey that kinda rhymed!)

gogogo!!!

thank you so much for reaching out and giving me help. and your right so my ultimate goal weight is to be 190lbs, during this challenge my goal is to lose 30lbs. the big word is accountable......and im holding myself accountable everyday. the challenge is great and so are the ladies that have joined it!!!! :-)

Whats holding me back:
-munching after work and before dinner
-find myself eating bad when i hangout with the boyfriend
-and then tend to lack on the workouts

Goals:
-within the last year i have lost 30 pounds and finally down to 106 ( i am 5 feet) so i am trying to focus on toning rather then losing more weight. my goal is to go down a pant size and to tone my legs and butt

Committments:
-walk 4 nights a week
-- use kettlebell on regular basis
-learn to say no to fast food

im excited to do this with all of you!