Week 2

Well, after a lovely weekend of, once again, too many treats (are we seeing a theme here?) my official weigh in is:

196.9

So, at least it is down from last week. Seriously, I have had a hard time stopping the shovel towards my mouth. I have done better at planning meals, which is huge for me. My running, however, has not been so good. . . I have used the snowy weather as a great reason to not get out. So, I am going to do this week of the Couch to 5k program over. That is, the run 5 minutes, walk 3 minutes, times 3. Definitely not ready to move on yet.

I made one of my favorite crock pot recipes this week, that helps you have Cafe Rio at home, or at least a healthier version of the same thing. This recipe is totally Core, and if you choose wisely, the entire salad can be. Hope you enjoy.

Shredded Chicken, Cafe Rio Style

4-5 chicken breasts

2 cans Ro-Tel tomatoes (I use mild)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp cayenne (or to taste- I use just a pinch)

dash Tabasco sauce (Cholula is our hot sauce of choice)

Place all ingredients in a crock pot; cook on low 5-8 hours, or for 4 hours on high. Before serving, shred chicken and put back in crock pot to soak up juices. Serve with tortillas, salsa, rice, beans (pinto, chili or black), lettuce, guacamole and grated cheese.

( I mix a can of beans with a scoop of fat free sour cream and some good salsa, mix it and heat it, and use that for the beans. It adds great flavor and moisture. Also, I just use baked tortilla scoops, to save on fat, etc. A squirt of ranch mixed with salsa does it on the top!)

Enjoy!

"Looks like you're up a bit."

This is what the guy at Weight Watchers says if you gain. He doesn't really look you in the eye, and says this nice little phrase to make you not feel too badly, although it doesn't really work. UP?!?!? I am up. And this is why I need this blog. For a week JUST like this one! My weight this morning was:

197.4

And here's why: Almost an entire bag of Cadburry Mini eggs, trying out a recipe for Applebee's Blondie (SOOO GOOD!!!), a batch of pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, two batches of homemade bread, which meant, for me, too much toast and butter and honey. Also, a whole bunch of eating way too much at meals, along with fries and grilled cheese. There's my accountability, and it's not pretty. The Costco Magazine that came yesterday asks the question for their monthly poll: Is obesity a disease? Although I know this is a heated subject, for me the answer is NO! When I choose to stuff my face with chocolate (and other delicious things) I also choose to not lose weight/ gain weight. My trickiest thing is to have one cookie and then be done. I feel like food is like alcohol would be for me if I drank it. Sometimes its better just to stay away from the stuff, rather than "just have a little." I have a hard time stopping. This doesn't mean its impossible. It just is crazy hard!

SO! If I have my meals planned, I do a lot better, and don't go crazy with quickly convenient options, which are almost always not good for me. So tonight i am going to make my FAVORITE baked chicken fajitas, recipe below. I need to plan the rest of the week, and I will report next time. In the meantime, happy, healthy eating to all!

BAKED CHICKEN FAJITAS

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips

1 can (10 1/2 oz) diced tomatoes with green chilies (RoTel Tomatoes- mild)

1 medium onion, cut into thin strips (I always use more onion!)

1 medium green pepper and red pepper, each cut into thin strips

2 Tbls canola oil

1-2 tsp chili powder (I use one tsp- the husband doesn't like the taste so much)

2 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp salt

12 flour tortillas (6 inches), warmed

In a 9x13 pan coated with nonstick cooking spray, combine the chicken, tomatoes, onion and peppers. combine the oil, chili powder, cumin and salt. Drizzle over chicken mixture; toss to coat. Bake, uncovered. at 400 degrees for 25-40 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink and vegetables are tender. Spoon onto tortillas; fold in sides. YIELD: 6 servings

NUTRITION FACTS:two fajitas equlas: 350 calories, 8 g fat, 5 g fiber, 27 g protein

Note: The original recipe says to drain tomatoes, which does make for a less liquidy final product, but I've found the liquid from the tomatoes really adds to the roasted flavor. Just use a slotted spoon to serve, and its not a big deal. Hope you like these!