Color me Rad

What's going on with the sport, Running?  What is one of the first things you think of when you here running? a 5k, and then maybe a 10k or Half Marathon, or Marathon.  I started running in August 2010 when I went from the couch to a half marathon and that's when I first heard of an ultra marathon.  Today promoters of runs have gone a little crazy coming up with something new, how about these: the Santa Claus run, color run, girls night-out run, bubble run, glow run, mud run, sucker run and many more.  However not to be left out of the craziness, Jan and I did a 5k last Saturday called the "Color Me Rad Run" in the rain and 50 degrees.  We had a great time and did it with friends, Mycah and Doug from Horses of Hope.  It wasn't a timed run so I walked with Jan for the first 5 minutes and then ran the rest.  Throughout the run we were pummeled with  colored powder, sounds nuts, but we had a good time.  Before the run I was challenged to put a temporary tattoo across my forehead, big black letters RAD, the problem was getting it off and I had to use scotch tape to pull it off, it worked but it wasn't very gentle.  We still have an issue with the colored powder showing up everywhere, did I say we had fun.

Before the run, nice and white

End of the run, a little bit of color!

Almost there, at weigh in today I lost 1.6 for a total of 40.4 and I'm only .8 away from my new goal, Jan had a great week and was down 1.4.  She really likes her ActiveLink and has been enjoying the challenge to earn activity points.  She even made me go on a walk with her last night so she could reach her activity points goal, I think I created a monster.

I read an article on 10 mind tricks to fool yourself into eating less and I thought I would share a few of them each week with you.

1. Size Matters - Try downsizing your dinnerware, but keep your forks big and your glasses tall.  Studies show people eat less with smaller bowls and large forks, and drink less with tall, narrow glasses as opposed to short, wide ones.
2. Let Food Color Pop - The bigger the difference between food color and plate color, the less likely you'll be to over-serve yourself.  Example: Serve Tomato soup in a white bowl, you're more likely to dish too much if it's in a red one.

Keep the following in mind:

The Secret of Getting ahead.......

......is Getting Started

 

I leave for Chicago on Friday morning as Weight Watchers is sending me there to attend their Basic Leadership Skills training.  There has been  some discussion on whether I need to attend or not but New York said yes I need to attend.  I have made up my mind that I will go with a positive attitude, learn something new and bring back some new ideas to share with the members.

 

The other night I looked down at my dinner plate and just had to take a picture of it, it has this weeks food find on it with broccoli, carrots, green beans, onions, mushrooms and cabbage, I also had a nice green salad, it was delicious!

 

 

Craving Veggies!

 

I've really enjoyed this weeks food find, it's been a great alternative to Captain D's (a local fish place).

 

 

This weeks recipe is for healthy cookies, enjoy. 

 

Healthy Cookies

 

Servings: 8 • Size: 2 cookies • Calories: 93 • Fat: 3.5 g • Carb: 15 g • Fiber: 2 g • Protein: 2 g

Ingredients:

·        2 medium ripe bananas, mashed

·        1 cup of uncooked quick oats*

·        1/4 cup crushed walnuts

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a non-stick cookie sheet with cooking spray.  Combine the mashed bananas and oats in a bowl. Fold in the walnuts and place a tablespoon of each on the cookie sheet.  Bake 15 minutes. Makes 16 cookies.

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Give of Yourself

There's not much traffic here in the Ozarks, even if you go into the big city of Springfield. As a matter of fact, in less than five minutes you can drive from one end of our beautiful city of Bolivar to the other.  Most roads are two lanes, one in and one out except the highways, we actually get two lanes in and out.  Needless to say I haven't been in a traffic jam in a long time.  Now that doesn't mean we don't get hung up on the road once in a while, just look below.

Beep Beep!

One of the most enjoyable things I have done since moving here is volunteering at Horses of Hope.  Here is a little bit of information about them.

Horses of Hope is a non-profit organization with facilities in Buffalo, Missouri and Baxter, Kansas and is dedicated to providing equine assisted therapies to both children and adults for the last 15 years. they offer equine assisted therapy services to client’s living with various disabilities through their Therapeutic Riding, Hippotherapy and Equine Facilitated Learning programs. Their programs use the horse and its movement, to assist with development of functional abilities that lead to enhanced participation in life experiences. Their clients also benefit from the friendships developed with the horses, peers, and volunteers that make the program possible. Horses of Hope is affiliated with the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship, International (PATH INTL).  For more information check them out at horsesofhope.com

Jan and I volunteer at the Buffalo, MO facility and we both thoroughly enjoy not only the interaction with the riders but also the staff and volunteers, we always look forward to our volunteer days.  The two individuals responsible for Horses of Hope are Shelly and Val , they started it 15 years ago and are the most dedicated, caring and giving individuals.  Give of yourself and you will not only bring blessings to those that you help but also to yourself.  Service to one another makes the world go around!

Shelly (left) and Val (right)

It's not all work!

Waiting for my next rider

Jan loving on Skip her horse for the day

At today's weigh in I lost .6 pounds for a total of 38.8, Jan is yo-yoing, tracking seems to be her problem.  One of my favorite sayings is to track only on the days you want to lose weight and since I haven't missed a day.  She is down from when she started back and has chosen a partner at her meeting to be accountable to.  I must say that I love my ActiveLink, I had three days that I didn't earn any activity points but the other four days I earned 22 points.  I have found it to be very accurate for example one day I ran and then walked for a while and it showed me how long I did each and it was exactly the amount of time that the treadmill showed.  I highly recommend it, for those of you that do not attend a Weight Watchers meeting at least get a pedometer.  Wearing an activity monitor everyday will make a difference in your weight loss journey.  Something else that I am enjoying is eTools and the Weight Watchers mobile app.  Both of these have helped my journey so much.  I have lost weight every week since December.  Sometimes when I'm out at a restaurant I use the snap and track function, that way I don't forget what I've eaten and the cheat sheets for restaurants and certain foods is a huge help in making appropriate choices. So I highly recommend Weight Watchers eTools and the mobile app.

Remember, the only place where "success"

comes before "work" is in the dictionary

The food find this week, are the Kellogg's Special K Popcorn Chips, a great alternative to potato chips.

The recipe for the week is pretty easy and tastes great.

 

Balsamic Chicken with Roasted Vegetables

Servings: 5 • Size: 2 thighs plus vegetables • Calories: 347 • Fat: 17g • Protein: 31g •Carb: 19g • Fiber: 6g

Ingredients:

10 (20 oz) boneless skinless chicken thighs

20 medium asparagus, ends trimmed, cut in half

3 red bell peppers

1 cup carrots, sliced in half long way

2 red onions, chopped in large chunks

10 oz sliced mushrooms

1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp sugar

salt and pepper

3 tbsp fresh rosemary

2 cloves garlic, smashed and sliced

2 tbsp oregano or thyme

4 leaves fresh sage, chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425°. Wash and dry the chicken well with a paper towel. Combine all the ingredients together and using your hands and arrange in a very large roasting pan. The vegetables should not touch the chicken or it will steam instead of roast. All ingredients should be spread out in a single layer. If necessary use two baking sheets or disposable tins to achieve this. Bake for 35 - 40 minutes.

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Branson, Here We Come

I mentioned before that I did mystery shopping and I had the opportunity once again to mystery shop a resort in Branson this week.  Branson not only has incredible entertainment but also Silver Dollar City which is our closest thing to Disneyland.  We went to Silver Dollar City both Thursday and Friday as we have Annual passes and there are so many things to do there, they even have a culinary school which we attended on Friday,  We learned how to make a few Asian dishes and one of them is the recipe this week, it was so easy and tastes great, by the way we got to taste everything that was made.  Not only did we attend the culinary school, we rode some rides, saw great entertainment and even ate a few goodies.

Taking a break in a giant chair

The newest ride is called The Outlaw Run, the worlds most daring wood coaster.  The top speed is 68 mph with a 168 foot drop and is the worlds only wood coaster to twist upside down three times.  I was just getting up enough nerve to go on it when it had a breakdown.  WOW my prayers were answered and I didn't have to.

The Outlaw Run

We also saw a couple of shows while in Branson, we first saw Clay Cooper's Country Music Express which had country, rock "n" roll, gospel and patriotic music, of course it leaned very heavy on the country side.  It was non stop, full of energy and very enjoyable, we would see it again.  The next night we saw The Cat's Pajamas Vocal Band, five guys that create the sound of an entire band using only their voices, if you closed your eyes you would think that this group was singing with a band but they do it all themselves.  two hours of go go go, we would definitely go see them again.

Last week I mentioned that I was starting to use the ActiveLink from Weight Watchers.  I completed the assessment period and it is now calculating my activity points, I must say that I was quite surprised at how many points I was earning.  before ActiveLink I was calculating 2 to 4 activity points a day, ActiveLink is calculating 5 to 6 activity points a day.  Those extra points earned sure came in handy as Jan and I shared a funnel cake at Silver Dollar City, it tasted good at the time but we both felt miserable later on in the day.  I guess one funnel cake every 15 years won't kill you!

Do you want to be successful in your weight loss journey? Then set up a new routine, why not let it be activity, get moving.  Have trouble with your knees or back, then do exercises in a pool or work on your upper body while sitting in a chair.  Don't have any weights, then get some cans out of the pantry or a couple of water bottles.  We can make an excuse for anything, but DON"T.

NO MORE EXCUSES

While your at it purchase an activity monitor like a pedometer or even the ActiveLink and get moving.  If you do an activity for 21 days it will become a habit!

We can't reach our goals if we are standing in our own way

Today was our weigh-in and I lost 1.8 pounds for a total of 38.2, I'm only 3 pounds away from my new goal.  Jan also lost this week, 1.4 pounds and we did that eating funnel cake, maybe we should of had one each instead of sharing, NOT!  I reception now at the Tuesday morning meeting and Jan thought it would be fun to take my picture.

That's me! Hard at work

This weeks food find is THINaddictives by Nonni's, they are like thin sliced biscotti and very tasty, Jan loves them and we get them at Walmart.

The recipe this week is the one we made at the culinary school we attended at Silver Dollar City, it's YUMMY.

Spicy Asian Slaw

 

Servings: 6 • Calories: 110 • Fat: 7 g • Protein: 1 g • Carb: 11 g • Fiber: 2 g 

Ingredients:

• 4 cups shredded green and/or red cabbage
• 2 carrots, cut into julienne strips or coarsely shredded (about 1 cup)
• ¾ cup bite-size strips green, red, yellow and/or orange sweet peppers
• ½ cup coarsely chopped fresh radishes
• ¼ snipped fresh cilantro
• ¼ cup thinly sliced green onions

Spicy Asian Dressing

• 3 Tbs seasoned rice vinegar or white wine vinegar
• 3 Tbs canola oil
• 2-3 Tbs sugar to taste
• 2 tsp grated fresh ginger
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp crushed red pepper

Directions:

Combine all dressing ingredients and shake or mix thoroughly.  Makes about ½ cup.

In a large bowl, combine cabbage, carrots, sweet peppers, radishes, cilantro and green onions.  Pour the prepared dressing over cabbage mixture.  Toss to coat.  Cover and chill for 2-24 hours before serving.

Serve as a side or add chicken and make it a main course.

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Amish Country

I had no idea that there were so many areas around us that were Amish communities.  A few months ago we went to one that was about 60 miles from us but just recently found out there was a small community called Dunnegan and it is only 20 minutes from us.  We decided to check it out this week and had a great time.  We first stopped at their discount grocery store and found that it was surplus and or damaged packaging, we picked up a couple of items but left the Dove chocolate bars that were only 25 cents each,  Before Weight Watchers I would have bought everyone they had but now it was easy to pass on them.  We then drove down to the bakery, the baked goods all looked so good and we just had to buy something, we found a loaf of sugar free banana bread, it was great.  Next we went to the Country Cafe, they had just reopened for the season and were making donuts and giving them to you as you walked in.  Jan and I shared one as we couldn't pass it up, they also had fresh baked goods and we bought a strawberry angel food cake, yummy.  Our last stop was at a bulk product store were Jan found some rice and a few spices that she had been looking for.  The clerk was a young girl and was talking to a young boy about 12 years old in I think a Dutch/German language.  When we were leaving the store we saw him loading his cart with his purchases to take back home, it was different seeing these carts going down the street.  We had a great adventure and look forward to going again although we did have more bread and cake than we needed so we just froze it for another time.

The young boys cart and horses

We had our weigh in today and I was down .2 for a total of  36.4, Jan was up this week as she didn't feel well all week.  My activity was down this week as I only went to the gym once, I'm now using the ActiveLink and committing to more days in the gym this week and looking forward to see how many activity points I can earn.  One thing that ActiveLink will do is set up a 12 week activity program that should motivate you to accomplish the end goal.  I led a couple of meetings Monday and enjoyed presenting the topic, which was activity.

Not getting enough activity, here are a few suggestions to help get started:

• Chose an activity that you enjoy
• Make sure you have the proper clothing and or equipment
• Monitor your activity ( Pedometer, ActiveLink, Track)
• Schedule it - put it on your calendar
• Join a fitness center
• Buy or rent some DVDs to exercise at home
• Find an exercise buddy
• Make the commitment!

Great works are performed not by strength,

but by perseverance.



This weeks food find is for the real sweet tooth because you usually get a free sample when you buy these.

The recipe can either be an appetizer or a main dish, enjoy.

Crust-less Spinach and Feta Pie

Servings: 6 • Serving Size: 1/6th of pie • Calories: 126 • Fat: 5 g • Protein: 9 g •

Carb: 12 g • Fiber: 3 g  

Ingredients:

• 10 oz frozen spinach, thawed and liquid squeezed out
• 1/2 cup scallions, chopped
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 cup (2.5 oz) reduced fat crumbled feta
• 2 tbsp grated Asiago cheese (or Parmesan, Romano)
• 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2/3 cup fat free milk
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• fresh cracked pepper to taste
• cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°. Lightly spray a pie dish with cooking spray.
Mix spinach, scallions, dill, parsley, feta cheese, and place in the pie dish.

Sift flour and baking powder in a medium bowl. Add remaining ingredients to the bowl and blend well. Pour into pie dish.

Bake 28 to 33 minutes or until knife comes out clean from the center. Let it stand at least 5 minutes before serving.

Served with a salad, you can turn this into a main dish, or cut it into smaller wedges to serve as an appetizer.   Enjoy this warm or at room temperature.

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What - Snow in April!

I can't believe it, snow flurries and sleet in April.  Where's that warm weather?  I can't wait to wear some shorts.  I'm sure that in a few months I'm going to say, where's the cooler weather, I'm tired of this heat and humidity.

I led my first meeting here today and it went well.  I was subbing for another leader, but wasn't told until yesterday.  I'm looking forward to getting some of my own meetings.  Weigh in was great, I lost 2.6 pounds for a total of 36.2 and getting close to my new goal weight based on the shorter Bob.  Jan also had a great week, she was down 2.4 pounds for a total of 8.2, what success as she was in Phoenix last week playing grandma.

I must say that I'm really enjoying my eTools and mobile app, I haven't used it in a long time and it has really helped me be accountable.  Next I'm going to activate my ActiveLink.  I'll give you a report on that in a few weeks.  Accountability and flexibility, that's what makes Weight Watchers work for me.  I love the activity routine that I've created for myself and like today I made sure that I brought my exercise clothes with me so all I had to do was change and go.  I don't know if I would have gone back out if I had to go home to change.  Planning ahead makes a difference, so if we work on establishing routines, planning ahead, being flexible and staying accountable our weight loss journey should be enjoyable as we witness our success.  It is up to you to make that happen, remember, the best place to find a helping hand is at the end of your own arm.

Last week was Easter and Passover, I hope everyone had a great holiday and appreciated the meaning of them.  From Exodus to Resurection, what more can we ask for!

I want to share this great Easter card with you, it made me laugh.

Lets see the Easter Bunny do that!

Last Saturday I went to the zoo as they had a special program where the animals were given paper-mache eggs filled with hard boiled eggs, ice eggs and watermelon, they really tore them apart.  The only downer for the day was that it rained and rained and rained and the wind blew and it was in the low thirties, needless to say I didn't stay for the whole program.

All of the animals seemed to have a good time

Most of you know that I am a junkie at heart, anything chocolate or just sweet, so the food find this week was right up my alley, Goldfish Fudge Brownie flavor.

Gluten free, that's right I hear that all the time, it seems like more people need to be gluten free these days.  The recipe this week is gluten free although the nutritional information is nothing to write home about.  Remember though that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and if the nutritional value is a little high that it will be worth it.

Apples and Cinnamon Breakfast Quinoa

Servings: 4 • Serving Size: 1 bowl (1/4 of recipe) • Calories: 316 • Fat: 8 g •      Carbs: 53 g • Fiber: 6 g • Protein: 9 g

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dry quinoa, rinsed well
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 tsp cinnamon + more for sprinkling
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup golden raisins
• 1 cup warmed fat-free milk for drizzling (non-dairy milk is fine)
• 1 gala apple, peeled and diced
• 1/4 cup pecans, chopped

Directions:

Combine quinoa, water, cinnamon and vanilla in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and let cook for 15 minutes until quinoa can be fluffed with a fork.

Divide cooked quinoa between four bowls then stir in apple sauce, raisins, and pour in warmed milk. Top with fresh cut apples and pecans and a dash of cinnamon.

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