Grateful for the Pain

Last night I read a talk about trials, given by Elder Paul V. Johnson (of the LDS Church), entitled "More Than Conquerors through Him That Loved Us."

I just couldn't help but think back to when my husband was deployed. So many of the things Elder Johnson talked about were exactly how I had felt at certain points: how at the beginning I pleaded with God to end this madness because I really didn't think the blessings could outweigh the pain of the experience, how it seemed that this test was focused on an area I felt weak in, and then later when it was almost over and I felt that God was proud of me in some way for trying to do what He expected of me.

Although there are many good points in his article, and I strongly suggest that anyone of any faith read it, I want to focus on a few things that I feel can be applied to improving our physical strength as well.

How many times have you caught yourself thinking, "Gee, I wish I could just be naturally skinny and fit instead of having to work out and eat right"? I sure know I have, probably more than I'd like to admit. In health, in trials, in education, in pretty much any aspect of life, we must put forth the effort and endure the pain to get the growth. Elder Johnson said, "Sometimes we want to have growth without challenges and to develop strength without any struggle. But growth cannot come by taking the easy way." This can, quite literally, be applied to our physical well-being. We have to continually struggle and challenge ourselves to grow. We all want to become something. Whether the goal is to bulk up, lose 5 pounds, run a marathon, get a college degree, or be more independent, we have to do the things that get us to that goal. There is no worthwhile accomplishment that comes for free.

So what if you are, right now, in the process of "paying?" It is easy to hate every moment of a workout when the results aren't immediate or loathe every minute of solitude when your husband is away and you still have 8 months until you see him again. Elder Johnson said, "We must be careful that we don't resent the very things that help us..." We must be faithful in all things. We must believe that the hard work we put in now will pay off in the future. When you are in pain, no matter what kind of pain it is, you must keep sight of your goals and remain determined to succeed. Never resent the hard things you've been through because with each moment of pain, followed by a resolve to be strong, you are brought closer to that goal of being the person you want to be.

At some point when my husband was deployed I started to understand the reasons why it was all necessary for me. There is always something to learn from pain. Just as we must tear our muscles down through exercise so that they can grow stronger, we must also go through a little tearing down ourselves so that we can grow stronger. Whether physical or emotional, our pain is only a small moment compared to what we can become. 

Buy Smart, Eat Smart

With the price of fuel, and subsequently the price of food, on the rise, we must all take a step back and readjust our budgets. Even if we don't necessarily need to save money, I think we can agree that it's never a bad thing.

Oftentimes it is pricier to eat right. There's no denying that. However, when you look at how much you spend on trivial things -- cable TV, movies, the extras on your cell phone plan, and dare I say junk food -- you may notice you are putting your money down on things that are much less important than your health.

While it is important to focus your money where it's most beneficial, there are ways to trim your grocery bill and still be healthy.

1. Frozen vs. Fresh
When it comes to produce, studies have shown there isn't much nutritional difference between the two. I choose to buy most of my veggies frozen because they have a longer shelf life (meaning less waste), are often easier to prepare and cook, and are cheaper. You can buy 5 bags of broccoli if it's on sale and it won't go rotten!

2. Brown rice
Put a little brown rice underneath anything you serve and you can get away with eating a lot less of the other stuff. Brown rice is one of the good carbs, filling you up with complex carbohydrates and keeping you full longer.

3. Slice your meats
If you slice your meats instead of just serving the whole slab you'll find you are satisfied with much less. I don't know about you, but if I eat 3/4 of a chicken breast or a steak and I'm full I have a hard time letting that little bit go to waste, and it seems too small to save. If you start out with slices, chances are you'll load up less on your plate to begin with. And if you happen to have some brown rice under it, even better! (Two days ago I cooked 2 chicken breasts for my family of 3. I cubed it to serve in different dishes, and we still have chicken left for tonight's dinner, and maybe even for tomorrow's.)

4. Plan ahead
My mom would be so proud of me. Make a list and buy accordingly! So much less food is wasted when you know exactly how you'll use it ahead of time.

5. Buy on sale
When it comes to certain products just pick the cheaper option. Sometimes it really doesn't matter. In my opinion, there is no difference between the store's brand of stewed tomatoes and any other stewed tomato. It all tastes the same in my chili. Same with flour or sugar in my cookies. However, sometimes it does matter to you. Try the cheaper option, which isn't always the store's brand. If you hate it, go back to your usual. I've often found that it doesn't matter to me, or that I even like the cheaper one better. You can save a lot of money by knocking off a few cents here and there.

How do you make sure that being healthy stays a priority in your life?

Walking

This has been quite the difficult week for me. One thing that is making my life particularly stressful is the impending repair of my husband's car. Before his deployment, we had one car and it was alright. I walked to the grocery store sometimes, but I really couldn't do a lot more than that. When he deployed and I got the car all the time, well, that spoiled me a little, and we decided it was time to be a two-car family, for the sake of my mental health. Within the first week or so of his return, we bought a used car. It's a VW, which means it is AWESOME, and it drives like a dream, but because of the mileage it was only a matter of time before something would need to be repaired. That just comes with the territory of buying something someone else may have abused.

Then on Wednesday as my hubby is driving home, the clutch gives out. As you may know, that's an expensive repair, and without it you just can't drive your car. Simple as that...

So now I'm stranded at home again, waiting for the parts to come in. I miss my car, but there are a few things that I now remember about walking:

1. I miss walking! When you have a car, you get lazy. It's true. Don't bother denying it. I think I'm going to make the effort to walk more. I don't think my new resolve to walk will continue when it starts snowing, but I can sure enjoy it now!
2. Gas is way too expensive to be using it when you don't have to. The grocery store is literally one mile from me. Why the heck do I drive there?! I'm still going to drive when I have a big shop to do, but there are times I drive there to pick up milk. Just milk. It's time to stop being so wasteful!
3. It wears the baby out. Who would have thought that sitting in a stroller could be so tiring? I think this beautiful sun makes my kid nap, and who doesn't want that?!
4. It's relaxing. Driving can be stressful sometimes. I don't exactly know why, but it is. Taking a nice stroll gives you time to think and focus.
5. It's healthy! Walking is an extra little thing we can do each day to keep healthy. The more active you are, the better you feel!

It's good for you; it's good for your wallet. Who else is making the goal to walk more?

Chicken Parmesan

You really don't need very much oil to fry your favorites.  Here is a recipe that proves a little oil can go a long way when it comes to taste.  If you are making this for 2, the recipe easily cuts in half and you only need 2 tsp of olive oil in 1 frying pan.  That's only 1 tsp per person, or 1/3 of a typical serving!

¼ c grated Parmesan, plus 2 tbs extra for serving 

¼ c Panko breadcrumbs
1 lb boneless, skinless, chicken breasts, split in half to make 6 to 8 large, thin cutlets
Salt and pepper
4 tsp olive oil
Reduced fat or low fat buttermilk

Marinara sauce

1. Place the chicken in a Ziploc bag and cover with buttermilk.  Let it marinate overnight, or at least 4 hours.
2. On a plate, combine the breadcrumbs and ¼ c Parmesan. Sprinkle chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Dip the chicken into the breadcrumb mixture to coat completely; set aside on a large plate or platter.
3. Heat 2 tsp oil in each of two nonstick 10-inch skillets over medium-high heat. Add half of the chicken to each skillet and cook until lightly browned on one side, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip, and cook until chicken is firm, and lightly browned on the other side, 1 to 3 more minutes.

4. Top with a spoonful of marinara sauce and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.

Recently I changed this recipe a bit to make breaded chicken sandwiches. Here's what you need to know to turn 1 recipe into 2 recipes:

1. Instead of cutting the chicken breasts into thin cutlets, use a meat mallet to pound them to about a 1/2-inch thickness.  Then cut the chicken in half to create a shape more suited for sandwich buns.

2. Season the chicken however you'd like before dipping them in the crumbs.  I used salt, pepper, onion powder, and paprika.  Forget the Parmesan and just use the plain Panko crumbs to coat the chicken.

3. Cook the chicken the same way.  Serve on a whole wheat or whole grain bun with lettuce, tomato, or whatever you like!

Half-Guilt Banana Bread

I have been trying for awhile to bake a healthier banana bread. What else can you do with the bananas your kid refused to eat all week? I found a recipe online that worked well with substitutions. First I tried replacing all the butter with regular vanilla yogurt. The texture was wonderful and very moist, but it didn't taste quite the same. Still good, but not what you expect when you crave banana bread. Next I tried replacing the butter with light vanilla yogurt, which was simply just a bad idea. Finally, I tried replacing half the butter with regular vanilla yogurt, and even my husband, the banana bread connoisseur, couldn't tell the difference!

I plan on applying this idea to other banana bread recipes and cake recipes as well. Here's to half-guilt goodies!

3 or 4 ripe bananas, smashed
1/6 cup vanilla yogurt 

1/6 cup melted butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

No need for a mixer for this recipe. Preheat the oven to 350°F. With a wooden spoon, mix yogurt and butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour last, mix. Spray a 4x8 inch loaf pan lightly with cooking spray and pour in the mixture. Bake for 1 hour. Cool on a rack. Remove from pan and slice to serve. 

I seriously just throw everything into my KitchenAid and it's done in minutes.  Easiest recipe ever.  You can add walnuts or even chocolate chips if you like.  If you like a hard crust, let the banana bread cool all the way on the rack and then eat.  If you like a soft crust like I do, let it cool mostly on the rack and then wrap in plastic wrap.  After a short while it should be moist and ready to eat.

After 50 Pounds

With all this talk about success I thought it would be appropriate to finally post some before and after pictures. Granted, I've still got a bit to go, but 50 pounds is quite a significant mark, I'd say!

Before at size 18, weighing 188 lbs

After at size 8, weighing 138 lbs

 The sad thing is that I didn't even realize how much different I look until I put these pictures side by side.  I haven't been this size since high school.  I only wish I would have made the changes sooner, but we can't relive the past.  And who would want to anyway?!  It's never too late to get what you want out of life.

Celebrating Success

I find it very difficult to find joy in the successes I've already had. It's something I need to work on. Many times when I look in the mirror, all I see is the work I have left to do. When we look at ourselves, we don't see a silhouette of who we were; all we see is what we are. Maybe if we had that outline of ourselves at 50, or 30, or even 10 pounds heavier we could cut our bodies a little slack.

Today I had a little glimpse at that "silhouette" of my past, if you will. I had a health assessment at my gym. A personal trainer measures your body fat, takes your weight and height, and measures your flexibility, strength, and other stats. After all the measuring and evaluating, the trainer gives you some info about your progress since the last health assessment you had, which for me was when I joined the gym in September.

I had lost 21 pounds overall, but gained 9 pounds of lean body mass, which means I lost 30 pounds of fat just since September! My body fat composition was 41.3% (I cringe just typing that) and now is 26.4%. That's an almost 15% drop in body fat! My metabolic rate, which is the number of calories your lean tissue uses each day, has increased by over 100 calories. If you think back to other posts, I've said that your body burns more calories at rest when your lean body mass increases, which is effectively done through strength training. Here's the proof! It's very important to exercise properly and not just reduce calorie intake to lose weight because otherwise you are robbing your body of important nutrients and most likely slowing your metabolism.

In response to some questions I had about improving and continuing my weight loss, the trainer asked me what I usually eat each day and what I do for exercise in a typical week. I told him, and he told me to keep doing what I'm doing, maybe adjust a few things here and there. He said that he wished he could get all of his clients to do what I've done by myself. Then to top it all off, he asked if he could recommend for my "success story" to be put in the gym newsletter. Obviously I was completely flattered, and a bit shocked!

Sometimes all it takes to feel proud of yourself is a little blast from the past. Even though I've changed my goal weight, and now have 10 pounds to lose for optimum health, I feel more confident than ever because I see how far I've already come. And a little praise and recognition doesn't hurt either! If you are lacking that feeling of accomplishment, try climbing into an old pair of "fat" jeans or comparing some old pictures to new ones. Make yourself remember! It is important to celebrate what you've accomplished, but what is most important is to love yourself for who you are now. If you don't, no amount of weight loss will ever make you happy. (Trust me, I know!)

Smooth, Baby.

My new favorite thing? Yoplait Smoothies. 

A little over 100 calories prepared.
Low fat.
Good source of calcium.
Real fruit and yogurt.

Just throw in the blender with some skim milk and you're good to go.
Each package has two servings, so invite a friend over and enjoy!
Toddlers like 'em too.

(I feel like I should be getting paid for this...)

My Secret

So far I've lost over 45 pounds. When people find that out they are pretty amazed, which is incredibly flattering to me since I don't consider myself to be amazing, so thanks! I've even had a few people ask me what my secret is. What do I do that's so effective? Well today's your lucky day, folks, because I'm gonna tell you a few of my methods.

I've said before that I don't count calories, and I don't, but I do weigh some of my food. It's the most accurate form of portion control. There is no need to weigh fruits and vegetables, but I find it helpful to weigh my meats. For example, after I cook a chicken breast, I weigh it to see how many ounces it is. Then I try to cut a 4 ounce (1 serving) piece off, and I'll save the rest. It may seem tedious to some people, but it really helps you recognize how big a serving really is, so that when you go out to eat you can better control your portions. A kitchen scale can be very inexpensive; I bought one for $5 at Target. There are higher quality ones for $20 or $30 or even more, but the $5 one is adequate for my needs.

When I'm really cracking down on my nutrition, trying to get through a plateau or lose some weight I've gained (like over the holidays), I'll restrict my carbs to daytime and only eat protein and vegetables for dinner. Meals should consist of 1 serving of protein, 1 serving of good carbs, and the remainder of the meal should be fruits and vegetables. (Unless you are eliminating carbs, and then you should replace that with more fruits and veggies.) You may look at a 4 ounce serving of meat and think that can't fill you up, but that is not the purpose of it! It is just one part of a meal, and most of the meal should be fruits and vegetables.

Don't buy into the hype that all carbs are bad. The reason I don't eat carbs at dinner sometimes is because carbs are your fuel for the day and dinner is the last meal. How much energy do you really need after your last meal of the day? If you exercise after dinner then this isn't the best suggestion, but I usually exercise in the morning. For me, dinner is a necessary meal, but a small one. If I'm eating carbs and then not using them, they are getting stored as fat.

So what are good carbs? Brown rice, whole grain breads, whole grain cereals, oatmeal, etc. Bad carbs include things made with refined flour like white bread, white rice, sugary cereals, etc. Start looking at the ingredients list of your pre-made foods. Despite popular belief, eating healthy is not all about reducing calories and eating low-fat foods, although that is part of it. I have people swear to me that they are eating healthy, and they really believe that they are, and I come to find out their meals are not balanced properly and they aren't eating the right kinds of carbs either. Eating healthy means eating the right kinds of foods. You have to train your body to burn that fat because it thinks you want it there, just in case you end up in a time of famine.

I also try to work out every day. It doesn't always happen, but unless I'm out of town, I end up with at least 4 workouts a week. When the baby's sick, there's no going to the gym. When I'm sore, I give myself a rest day. Don't fight what you can't control. Do the best you can, but give it all you've got when you get the opportunity to exercise.

You're probably thinking that this sounds like a ton of work, and I won't lie to you and tell you that it's easy, but the longer you do it the easier it becomes. It is never easy to change, but if you really want health and weight loss that lasts, you do it the right way. I don't want to hear whining about how that doesn't work for everyone. To be blunt, that's a load of crap. The only people it doesn't work for are those with metabolic disorders and/or hormone imbalances, things that doctors need to work with them to correct. I do recognize that there are people who need additional help, but it is a small group, not a majority. For the rest of us, however, eating right and exercising is the only way to live a normal life with weight loss that is maintainable. (And if I hear or read one more person tell somebody to do HCG, I'm really gonna lose it.)

Do you think I'd still be living this way if I couldn't eat what I want sometimes? Absolutely not. I haven't deprived myself by any means. Most of the time I eat healthy, but on occasion I eat candy with my daughter, or go out to eat with friends, or bake some goodies. I live! You cannot live if you are crash dieting all the time.

If you have any questions, whether it be about my personal routine or just health in general, don't hesitate to comment! One thing you have to know about me is that I'm very opinionated. Don't take it personally. If you want to eat white bread and cocoa puffs I'm not going to judge you, but if you come to me saying you can't lose weight and don't know why, I'm gonna tell it like it is!

Again, I love my readers, so show me some love by commenting away :)

Super Foods!

Here are some of my favorite foods right now. Super healthy, super delicious. They are gonna rock your world. Think you can handle it?

1. Egg whites 

One large egg white has about 16 calories and 4 grams of protein. No carbs. No fat. My favorite ways to eat 'em are either hard-boiled for a quick snack after a workout, or scrambled with a little low-fat cheese and diced tomatoes (or your veggie of choice). Because they are so low in calories, you can easily make a guilt-free scramble with 3 or 4 of them, but 2 usually works for me.

2. Kashi Go Lean Crunch!

This cereal is amazing. We're talking 190 calories, 9 grams of protein, 8 grams of fiber, and only 3 grams of fat in a 1 cup serving. If I'm eating cereal for breakfast, I like to get my protein and fiber in too, and this will do it for you.

3. Chicken breast
You're probably thinking, "Gee, this sounds exciting..." So maybe you already know chicken breast is an awesome lean protein. Maybe you already know a 4 oz serving has only 110 calories and 1 gram of fat, with about 27 grams of protein. So I probably don't need to tell you that it is fabulously moist when marinated overnight in some low-fat buttermilk, seasoned, and then baked. Yeah, I figured I didn't need to tell ya ;)

4. Broccoli
With just 30 calories for a whole cup, how could you pass it up? If you are looking to lose a few pounds, this is the veggie for you. Just make sure you skip the butter.

5. Skim (nonfat) milk
You can cut a lot of calories and fat by keeping this gem in your refrigerator. Milk is a staple, whether you pour it on your cereal, cook with it, bake with it, or just drink it straight. A single serving has only 90 calories. Just replace your other, evil milk with skim milk, and you'll hardly even notice the difference, especially when cooking or baking.

What are some super foods that you are in love with right now?

Motivation

A little something I've learned recently is that even though you may love doing something, if you fall out of your routine it is so hard to start up again! We took a little trip for Christmas, and I tried to be good. Okay, so I didn't try all that hard. And now I'm having the hardest time getting back to the gym. I've been using the Wii Fit and eating right, so I haven't given up completely, but I need the kind of thrashing I get from my classes.

If these two came to my house and made me work until I cried, that would make my life complete :)

I went once last week, gave it all I had, and I was so sore for the 2 days that followed that I didn't go again. This week I'm making it a goal to go every day, like I used to. I'm hoping that it will rekindle the love I have for the gym.

And since I finally have a honeymoon planned, (better late than never, right?) you know I'm gonna be lookin' fly in a new swimsuit. Guess I better get to work!