Weigh-in Day, Mar. 4!

197.4!! Can you capitalize numbers? That's how excited I am. That 1.4 pounds lost from last week. I'm now well into "One-derland" as the Biggest Loser contestants call it. That also means that I've lost 7.8 pounds since the beginning of January when I restarted this whole process. Also, to catch you up on how the measurements went last week, I lost a total of 1.5 inches. Not nearly as much as last time, obviously. But my body fat % went down almost an entire percentage point - from 35.8% to 35%. So that means that while my body might not be shrinking visibly, I am losing fat and gaining lean muscle mass. Which is kind of the point.

I will admit that this whole process isn't going nearly as fast as I'd like. But, I feel AMAZING. I feel so fit and limber and strong all the time. I might have sore muscles, but in general my body feels great. I have more energy, too! When I can't work out one day, I actually miss it. (Who am I?!) I'm wearing clothes I couldn't fit into a year ago, and all my other clothes fit so much better. Lately it seems like even my trainer is surprised by the amount of weight I can lift or how fast my heart rate recovers. I feel like I'm addicted to health! I love watching myself do things I've never done before. This week I ran for 5 straight minutes outside - NOT on a treadmill. And then I could run for 4 minutes, walk for 2 minutes 4 TIMES! Running on a treadmill is a great way to work out, but you're not pushing your own body weight nearly as much as when you run on pavement. I couldn't believe I could do that! I'm really looking forward to being able to run a whole mile. I think it will happen fairly soon!

When I mentioned all this to my trainer, she simply said, "It will come." When you make a massive change in your lifestyle, your body takes a little time to adjust. And beyond that, it takes everyone awhile to get into a routine. I feel like I'm there now - and look at the results! In the last 2 weeks I lost 4 pounds! You can't allow yourself to get discouraged early in the game. And if you're irritated that you've let yourself backslide a little, look at me! For 6 months last year I didn't diet at all and I gained some weight back. It just takes a little bit of work to get back in the routine. It might not be fast and easy - but hey, if that was the case, everyone would be a size 2! And it's possible!

Here's my update on my goals for this week:
Thursday 2/24 - 4 fruits and veggies
Friday 2/25 - 4 fruits and veggies, worked out with trainer
Saturday 2/26 - 4 fruits and veggies, worked out (dance game)
Sunday 2/27 - 3 fruits and veggies
Monday 2/28 - 4 fruits and veggies, worked out (ran and weight training), made new recipe, Spicy Skillet Chicken and Rice
Tuesday 3/1 - 5 fruits and veggies, worked out (ran outside)
Wednesday 3/2 - 4 fruits and veggies, worked out with trainer, made Grape and Walnut Chicken Salad again

So, 5 days of working out, 2 days of cooking, one recipe is new, and I did alright on fruits and veggies. I think my goal for this week will be to improve on that. But I will say that the Spicy Skillet Chicken was SO yummy! And pretty easy to make. I found that I couldn't wait to eat my leftovers. Here's the recipe if you guys want to try it?

Spicy Skillet Chicken and Rice
Makes 4 servings
4 PointsPlus values per serving

1 tsp olive oil
1 medium red onion, chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
1 medium clove of garlic, minced (I used garlic powder and it tasted great.)
2 tsp Cajun seasoning
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground Cumin
1/3 cup uncooked white grain, long grain (I used brown rice instead.)
14 1/2 oz canned stewed tomatoes
1/2 cup water
1 cup chopped roasted chicken breast
4 pimento stuffed olives

• Heat the oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 8 minutes. Add the Cajun seasoning, chili powder, and cumin; cook 1 minute. Add the rice and cook, stirring constantly, until the grains are coated, about 1 minute.
  
  
• Add the tomatoes and water; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, 15 minutes. Add the chicken and olives; cook, covered, until the rice is tender and the chicken is heated through, about 5 minutes. Yields 2/3 cup per serving.

For the vegetarians out there - this would be a great recipe for tofu or tofurkey or fake chicken. There's so much flavoring with the spices, I couldn't even tell that the meat was chicken! I hope some of you give it a shot! More to come soon!