08-05-09

I know I've been talking about weight loss and what not a lot lately..but that's what's going on in my life. I feel like I must have just been ready, ya know? Because talk about it all you want..nothing can really change until you're ready for it to. It helped me a lot to actually search out a plan that I felt was right for me..and so far it's been wonderful. I did a lot of reading and am now grasping (finally) how to properly read food labels (I already knew the calories and serving size thing..but there's so much more to it). It's a plan that doesn't involve feeding my family microwavable meals..and it's a plan that lets me do what I love to do: cook! I'm learning how to feed us the correct way..instead of just feeding us, ya know? While Orion was deployed and I was at the gym EVERY bleeding morning of the week sweating and exhausted and barely seeing any results..or the countless number of miles I logged on my treadmill here at home..the thousands upon thousands of crunches I pumped out didn't matter..they didn't matter because I was still eating pretty horribly. 'Oh, as long as I'm working out I can eat whatever' was pretty much my thought about the whole thing (not to mention the high calorie alcoholic drinks I was consuming! Like an entire DAY'S worth of calories on a few drinks! Eek!)..but yeah..eat whatever I want if I don't want to budge the scale. If it's something I'm good at..it's staying at a steady weight. But more often than not..it's a steady weight that I don't love.



But since starting this new plan, I've honestly gone on a couple of small walks with the family and normal day to day errands and activities. I have not been logging countless miles on the treadmill. I have not pumped out thousands upon thousands of crunches. I need to, I know. I know. Not countless miles or thousands of crunches..but more than what I'm doing now. I'll see better results with that..I know. I get a thrill out of seeing the number on the scale get lower and lower. And for ONCE in my life, I feel like this is do-able. I do. And all it took? Was a little reading and some patience in the grocery store.



A yummy example:



dinner last night! It looks like a ton of food, doesn't it? That was all just 450 calories, ya know.

Want the recipe?

Penne Rigate with Sweet-and-Spicy Picadillo Sauce

1 16oz package of whole wheat penne rigata, bow-tie, or radiatore pasta
2 t. olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed with garlic press
1/4 t. ground cinnamon
1/8 to 1/4 t. ground red pepper (cayenne)
3/4 pound 90% lean ground beef
salt
1 can (14 1/2 oz) whole tomatoes in puree (if unavailable, use whole tomatoes in juice), preferably reduced sodium
1/2 c. dark seedless raisins
1/4 c. salad olives, drained, or chopped pimiento-stuffed olives
chopped fresh parsley for garnish


1. In large saucepot, prepare pasta in boiling salted water as label directs.
2. Meanwhile, in non-stick 12-inch skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat until hot. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, cinnamon, and ground red pepper; cook 30 seconds. Increase heat to medium-high; add ground beef and 1/2 t. salt and cook, stirring frequently, until beef begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Spoon off fat if necessary. Stir in tomatoes with their puree, raisins, and olives, breaking up tomatoes with side of spoon, and cook until sauce thickens slightly, about 5 minutes longer.
3. When pasta has cooked to desired doneness, remove 1 cup pasta cooking water. Drain pasta and return to saucepot. Add ground-beef mixture and reserved pasta cooking water; toss well. Add salt to taste.
Garnish with parsley and serve.

Makes 6 servings. Each serving: About 452 calories, 22g protein, 67g carbohydrate, 9g fiber, 12g total fat (3g saturated), 37mg cholesterol, 175mg sodium (if using reduced-sodium tomatoes).

Very easy and yummy yummy!


I'm pretty excited for the next time I go to the doctor's for them to write this drastic change in weight on my chart. Maybe they'll be confused and ask me to step on the scale again just to double check..hehehe. And not to mention how excited I am to go check my blood pressure! I'll bet it's all kinds of lower!


P.S. I've officially lost 20 pounds so far! I hope to be at (or super close to) my goal by Christmas..which shouldn't be too hard because that's putting me at a goal of about 2 pounds per week. Do-able.