Preparing for the holidays

I thought I would post a few holiday recipes I have found.  The biggest challenge thru this process of changing my lifestyle is getting creative with foods, flavors and spices.  This would be a easy dish to take to any holiday meal:

Skinny Green Beans, Southern Style

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 8 hours

Total Time: 8 hours, 10 minutes

Yield: 16

Serving Size: 1/2 cup

Calories per serving: 37

Fat per serving: 1

Skinny Green Beans, Southern Style (Makes 16 servings) Minimum Crock Pot Size: 5 quarts Nutritional Content 1 serving = 1/2 cup

Calories: 37 Total Fat: 1 gm Saturated Fats: 0 gm Trans Fats: 0 gm Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 101 mg Carbohydrates: 6 gm Dietary fiber: 2 gm Sugars: 1 gm Protein: 2 gm

Nutritional Information estimated at Nutritiondata.com

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh basil, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh (flat leaf) parsley, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 pounds fresh or frozen snap green beans, rinsed
• 1 medium potato, peeled, diced (I didn't add the potato)
• 3 cups water
• Salt to taste (I used sea salt)

Directions

1. In a medium skillet saute onion and garlic on medium-low heat until tender, about 4 minutes. Add sauted onion and garlic along with all other ingredients to the crock pot.
2. Cover and cook on low 8 hours. Cooking time may vary depending on how tender you like your green beans.

ADAPTING

I was so excited when I hit 30 days.  I spent 1/2 a day cleaning out my closet.  No longer did size 14 fit me.  Luckily I had saved varying sizes over the years. I was now in a size 12, had moved a few notches on my belt.  I was not only feeling better, but those size 14 were going, to never come back.  Kamryn had started to want tomatoes, cucumbers, and anything her mommy was eating.  I was left thinking, "Is this just a stage because that is what mommy is doing?" 
I was learning that on girls night out, we could still meet and eat at Lettie's.  I would sustain from chips and cheese dip.  A taco salad, no cheese or shell, but with about 2 tablespoons of guacamole would satisfy my Mexican craving.  When Corbin wanted his favorite meal of hamburger helper, I would make a chicken stir-fry for me.
Chicken Stir-Fry
6-8 oz lean chicken breast, sliced thin
3 tablespoons, Kraft Lite Asian Sesame Salad Dressing
2 tablespoons water
Sliced onions, water chestnuts, mushrooms, snow peas and broccoli.
Stir fry meat, using salad dressing + water as your sauce, til meat is done and adding veggies until you reach desired doneness.

One more pan to go in the dishwasher was no big deal.  I now always keep baggies of sliced meat in the freezer for a quick and easy stir-fry.  I have learned to up the meat and veggie quantities, Kamryn would rather have stir-fry with lots of broccoli, that hamburger helper. 

She snagged my cucumber off the cabinet before I could even get is cut up.  Needless to say she ate the whole thing and 2 tomatoes.  I love that baby girl.

On July 7, 2011 I started the suddenly slim program from First Fitness Nutrition.  The program consist of an herbal diet pill, a colon clense, meal replacements shakes, and a menu plan.  The first day when i weighted and measured it was seriously a reality check for me.  Thru the first 30 days I started to feel better.  I had some major cravings for SUGAR.  Befor starting the plan I was consuming 5-6 cans of DrPepper a day, cookies, and not just a 2 or 3 with a huge glass of milk every night.  But I could tell that my body was changing, not ony physically, but from the inside out.  I had more energy.  The first 30 days I lost 17 pounds and 12 inches. 
What I learned those first 30 days:
*I was living my life dehydrated.  You should always drink 6-8 glasses of plain water a day.
*Sugar was fueling my highs and lows.  I would snack on high sugar items, feel good, then hit a low, crave more sugar, or carbs, or even another soda.  Then continue thru the cycle of highs and lows from eating sugar, crashing, craving sugar, and on and on.
*Eating healthy does not mean you need to eat a salad at every meal.  You learn to intigrate veggies in your everday life.  You learn to substitute carbs for veggies.  Who knew that spaghetti squash could be just as good as noodles with your spaghetti sauce, or that you gould sslice eggplant thin and use to make lasagna?  Definately not me. 
*I learned to plan.  I now take the time to plan our meals, and shop for the week.  I clean and prep all the veggies and fruit I buy.
*I also learned that I am only human.  Pizza and Olive Garden are still 2 of my favorite meals.  I've just learned moderation.  A big salad from the salad bar, and one slice on pizza are as satisfying as 1/2 a large pizza.  Olive Garden is still the place we eat at when we go to UAMS to see my husbands oncologist, and he gets a clean bill of health.  But now I settle for 1 bread stick, and 1/2 a normal portion of pasta, with lots of salad (dressing on the side). 

Dieting was always a way to lose weight.  But I always gained it back.  First Fitness Nutrition has taught me a lifestyle change that I will forgever be greatful for.

My beginnings

My story is very typical of todays working moms.  You get to busy to take time for yourself.  I had settled in life as a 185pound 5foot 4inch, mom, wife and employee.  I had had my first child at almost 32, and my second and last child at almost 36.  I had gotten in the habit of fixing easy, quick and carb filled meals. 
My 20 year class reunion was in June of 2011.  We had the family picninc at the Cotter Sping Park.  Corbin wanted to go swimming.  There was no way I was getting in a swim suit in front of everyone there.  I was ok with taking him to White Water, those people didn't know me.  So we came home and swam in our pool, where I didn't worry about being judged.  At dinner that night Penny Fox (her husband Bryan and I had went to school for years) had a button on her purse that said "I've lost 20 pounds and 11 inches, Ask me how."  So I ask...
She told us about a company called First Fitness Nutrition, and a diet plan she had done called Suddenly Slim.  She went on to tell us how financially they were benefiting from her selling the products.  She gave Sheri Alsup, Sheris friend Pam amd I all brochures.  It took a few weeks, a few weeks to decide if we could afford it, a few weeks to decide i was ready to change my life. 
I started the Suddenly Slim Program on July 7, 2011.  Here is my befor picture from our class reunion:



July 2011, 185pounds