Getting Motivated - Reading Fitness.

I used to subscribe to Fitness Magazine and I remember enjoying it, but after some time the magazine just began to pile up and it seemed as if the work outs became redundant. It also felt like I was just flipping through pages of makeup and style to get to my work outs which I would never actually do, so I reluctantly decided to cancel. Was I going to do that exercise on pg 60.. someday?

Turns out I didn't really miss it.

A few years later.... I was thinking about it again. With my current schedule, I can't make it to the gym classes like I used to be able to so I need to make up my own work outs which is why I need to start looking back at these magazines again.

I thought I would move out of the dark age with magazine subscriptions and into the new age of magazine subscriptions on the iPad. I always hated how the magazines would pile up. Maybe on the ipad, I wouldn't have that issue. Fitness wasn't available. After perusing the available choices, I decided on Women's Health from Amazon - Kindle Edition for my iPad. What I found was another addition of Cosmo. Make Up. Clothing Style. Some work out information, but it wasn't what I was looking for.

I did come across Fitness Rx for Women which seems a little more like a true fitness magazine and less like a Cosmo but unfortunately it isn't on iPad. This one talks more about nutrients and supplements and provides some good workouts.

I am still deciding, but am leaning towards the Fitness Rx. Though I may see if I can flip though a copy of Fitness Magazine just to see if it was how I remember.

Decisions.

Chicken Taco Chili

I wanted to try another slow cooker recipe, so I found this Chicken Taco Chili Recipe from Skinny Taste.

I modified the original recipe slightly, but it turned out great!

Crock Pot Chicken Taco Chili
Ingredients:
1 onion, chopped
1 16-oz can black beans
1 16-oz can kidney beans
1 8-oz can tomato sauce
1 sm can of tomato paste --> I added this to thicken it
10 oz package frozen corn kernels --> I chose not to add this.
2 14.5-oz cans diced tomatoes w/chilies
1 packet taco seasoning
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp chili powder
1 package (3-4) boneless skinless chicken breasts

The picture shows two packages of chicken - I only used the one package of chicken breast though.


Directions:
Combine beans, onion, tomato sauce, cumin, chili powder and taco seasoning in a slow cooker. Place chicken on top and cover. Cook on low for 10 hours. Half hour before serving, shred chicken (I was able to do this without removing from slow cooker). Stir in in chicken.

Pizza Thief....

Usually you can't leave pizza safely around me and this Skinny Lavish Flatbread Pizzais no different.

I didn't exactly follow the original recipe which is linked above, but fairly close. Comes to about 200-250 cal/10 points. Maybe next time I will measure my ingredients...

Packing Lunch

As part of my efforts to eat healthier, I am going to try to pack my lunch... (on occasion anyway :)). At least with packing my lunch I know exactly what I am eating, I will have control of my portions, and best of all save some money!

I packed today...

SB Friendly and I know exactly how many WW points my lunch counted for.

Tipping the Scales? Not Any More....

Another new gadget that I purchased this weekend... somewhat on a whim was a kitchen scale. I had been thinking about getting one for awhile but just hadn't jumped on the band wagon. However with my renewed focused on health on weight loss goals I decided now was the time.

Storage space in my kitchen? That still remains an issue that I will continue to ignore for now ....

This handy scale, the Perfect Portions Digital Scale + Nutrition Facts Display, can be purchased here on Amazon. This stylish, relatively small scale was ready to use right out of the box.
I literally took it out of the box, removed the plastic insert that protects the batteries and was able to use immediately without reading the directions. I found it to be fairly intuitive.

It was nice to know how many ounces of chili I was eating. Then I measured out the amount of cheese I was using as a topping. Usually when I enter my meals into Weight Watchers for point values, I estimate so this was fantastic!
What have I been missing out on by not having a scale?! More like, how inaccurate were my WW points values?

This particular scale also has the ability to give nutritional informational on certain foods (by entering the food code) based on how much that food weighs. I haven't tried this yet, but this seems like a neat feature.

Has anyone used kitchen scales? What are your thoughts on them? Are they necessary for successful weight loss?

Skinny (Black Bean) Brownies

I have made these before and forgotten that, while they aren't quite the same as regular brownies they are quite good. They have a more fudge-like consistency than regular brownies.

Black Bean Brownies

1 Box Brownie Mix
1 15 oz Can Black Beans

I used a box of Betty Crocker Brownie Mix and substituted Black Beans in place of the egg and vegetable oil that recipe on the box called for.

To puree the black beans, drain and rinse. Then place the beans back in the can and fill with water. Then I used my NEW Kitchen Aid Food Processor to puree the beans.

Mix the puree with the Brownie Mix and follow the rest of the directions (minus the egg and oil).

Baked Sweet Potato Fries... Almost

I tried yet another recipe from Skinny Taste. This is a great site if you are looking for healthy recipes.

Baked Chipotle Sweet Potato Fries
Servings: 2 • Serving Size: 1/2 • Points+: 3 pts

1 sweet potato, (about 5" long) peeled and cut into 1/4" fries
2 tsp olive oil
sea salt
ground chipotle chile (I chose to add this afterward and did half spicy and half plain)
garlic powder

Preheat oven to 425°.

In a medium bowl, toss sweet potatoes with olive oil, salt, garlic powder and chipotle chile powder (optional).

Spread sweet potatoes on a baking sheet. Spread out to avoid crowding so potatoes get crisp. The original recipe says to bake 15 minutes and then to turn and bake an additional 10-15 minutes.

As you can see there is only a before picture..... lesson learned was that even though the directions say to bake for 10-15, I think in my oven I should only bake for 10. I neglected to pay attention to the part that says cooking times may vary.
Perhaps I need to check to them more frequently. I burned most of them to a crisp! However, the ones that weren't burnt were delicious and I plan on trying this recipe again. Luckily since this was the first time I was attempting anything like this. I purchased frozen store bought back up, just in case....

Does mean my glass is also half empty.. or that I am always prepared?

Skinny Baked Chicken Nuggets

This was one of the favorite recipes from Skinny Taste, so I had to try it out. I followed the recipe exactly except that I didn't use Whole Wheat bread crumbs - I used the ones I had.

Healthy Baked Chicken Nuggets
Servings: 4 • Serving Size: 1/4th of nuggets • Points+: 4 pts

16 oz (2 large) skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into even bit sized pieces
salt and pepper to taste (I used the thin sliced chicken)
2 tsp olive oil
6 tbsp whole wheat Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
2 tbsp panko
2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
olive oil spray (I used my Misto)

Preheat oven to 425°. Spray a baking sheet with olive oil spray.

Put the olive oil in one bowl and the breadcrumbs, panko and parmesan cheese in another.

Season chicken with salt and pepper, then put in the bowl with the olive oil and mix well so the olive oil evenly coats all of the chicken.
Place the chicken into the breadcrumb mixture to coat, then on the baking sheet. Lightly spray the top with olive oil spray then bake 8 - 10 minutes. Turn over then cook another 4 - 5 minutes or until cooked though.

These were so yummy!

I would definitely make these again :)

Breaking in the New Crock Pot: Crock Pot Chili

My first slow cooker recipe was a chili recipe was from Skinny Taste
The original recipe is linked above, I modified it slightly.
Here is the Recipe: Crock Pot Turkey Chili

1 package fat free ground turkey breast
1 small onion, chopped
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (16 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (4.5 oz) can chopped green chilies, drained
1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 (15.5 oz) cans small red beans, drained and rinsed
2 tbsp chili powder

Brown turkey and onion in a medium skillet over medium high heat until cooked through. Drain any fat remaining and transfer to crock pot. Add the beans, chilies, chickpeas tomatoes, tomato sauce and chili powder mixing well. Cook on high 6-8 hours.

Finished dish turned out really well.

Topping: Reduced Fat Cheese for Topping

For storage, I then placed them into mason jars for freezing.

My New Kitchen Gadgets

I have some new kitchen gadgets to help me on my journey (and to make cooking more fun!). What I have learned over my previous weight loss journey is planning is half of the battle. With the crock pot, I would like to make some bigger meals (like soups and chilis) and then freeze them, so that I will have choices on nights that I come home exhausted.

The kitchen aid food processor is just to puree some foods that some of the recipes called for. It is unfortunate that my kitchen is too small to store my new gadgets :)

Getting Started Again

A blog to chronicle my trials in the kitchen, weight loss journey and focus in the gym.

What better time to get started than April 1st... a new month.. a restarted journey!