HI my name is Stacy and I currently weight 220! I have been blessed to start the Local Contest of The Biggest Looser. Our start night is Jan. 18th. This is going to be my journal. My thoughts and struggles with this 12 week program! Please feel free to become a follower and post any comments or questions you may have. Thank you for your support!

Saturday, July 9, 2011

New Chapter

I know it has been a very long time since I posted. I kinda lost my motivation because I wasn't moving very fast!

Well the Biggest Loser Program ended the beginning of April. I lost 16 pounds on the program and 12 inches overall from my body.... I wasn't very happy with the results so I stuck my gun and the best thing that came out of the program was my new friends. They are all such a great support for me. I made a few new ones also after the program was over. I kept my membership to the gym and worked out for 2 hours in the morning and 1-2 hours in the evening. Becoming addicted to a class called Body Attack!!! Check it out sometime. It's a Les Mills Class. Just google!

To date I am proud to say I am 192 pounds! Yep! That's right! Since my Dr. visit in Jan that is 34 pounds lost.

Last month I entered into another contest for an extreme makeover. I WON! One of the prizes was this 10 week program to Farrell's Extreme Body Makeover. It's a Kickboxing Resistance Band weight loss class. 45 mins a day 6 days a week. So stay tuned for updates from it!

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Smoky Tomato Pizza (YUMMY)

Ingredients
1 (12 inch) pre-cooked whole wheat pizza crust
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
6 plum tomatoes, sliced
1 small red onion, cut into very thin wedges and separated into strips
2 tablespoons snipped fresh basil or oregano (2 teaspoons if dried)
1 tablespoon snipped fresh rosemary (1 teaspoon dried)
1/2 cup shredded smoked Gouda cheese (2 oz)

Directions
Preheat oven to 450. Place pizza crust on a large baking sheet
Stir together olive oil and crushed red pepper, brush onto crust
Top pizza crust with mozzarella cheese. Layer with the tomato slices and onion. Sprinkle with basil and rosemary, and top with Gouda cheese.
Bake 5-8 minutes or until mozzarella cheese is melted and pizza crust is golden brown.
Cut pizza into 8 pieces to serve.

ENJOY!

Serving size 1/8 pizza
Calories: 190
Fat 8 grams
Fiber 4 grams
Protein 11 grams

Wheat Berry Salad with Red Fruit

Ingredients:
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 tsp. salt
2 1/2 cups cooked wheat berries
6 tbsp. fat free raspberry vinaigrette dressing
1/4 cup chopped mint leaves (optional)
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped pecans
2 apples, diced

Directions:
To prepare dressing, blend the orange juice vinaigrette and salt.
Put the wheat berries in a medium bowl. Pour the dressing over them and toss to coat. Set aside for about 15 minutes, tossing occasionally.
Add dried cranberries, pecans, and diced apples to the wheat berries and mix. Add mint leaves if desired.

ENJOY!

Pecans provide a wide array of nutrients that may protect your heart and arteries. In addition the whole grain wheat berries and fresh fruit are a great source of fiber.

Serving size: 1/2 Cup
Calories: 86
Fat 4grams
Fiber 2 grams
Protein 1gram

A little behind!

WoW! It's been awhile. Almost a month since I updated. I kinda got in a stoop. The week after I posted my last one I gained 2 pounds. So that kinda put me in a mood and I didn't even want to focus on loosing weight! I talked with my trainer and he said that it was normal. That actually tons of people who start losing the weight quit after the 3rd week because your body hits a road block. Now I am down 4 pounds and back on track!

SO here is what I have learned over the past few days.

I know why I am fat! I was eating way to many calories. Over 3000!

I learned about Carbohydrates and Whole Grains:
These are the main source of energy for your body to function! Some good items to eat are Brown/Wild Rice, Pasta, Wheat Berries, Barley (not beer!) Popcorn, Bagels and my favorite Quinoa. Whole Grain is the best and should have the label that says "Made with 100% Whole Grain"

Thursday night we learned about Dining Out! I think this is my biggest problem! Did you know Restaurants serve larger portions. Almost 2 times more than what you should eat! Check out www.healthydiningfinder.com for Healthy Eating choices when you go out. Look for menu items that have these words in them for a healthy choice: Baked, Broiled, Grilled, Poached, Roasted, and Steamed. Remember Limit dining out to 3 times or less a week, Be prepared, pick restaurants that offer healthy food choices, Stick to your meal plan make wise food choices and watch portion sizes.

If anyone is interested there is a 5k Run/Walk in Peoria on March 26th. Check out www.active.com for more info. Stay tuned for two more posts that are recipes

As always if you are interested in working out let me know.
HAPPY WEIGHT LOSS EVERYONE!

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Legs are back hurting!

Last night we did stairs! OMG! never thought that could hurt so bad! We just ran up and down 2 flights of stairs. On the way back up we skipped every other step. My thighs are feeling it today. This is going to be short. Tomorrow night is weigh in... I am thinking I gained weight because we were almost off for a full week and because of all the snow I was stranded in the house. And of course my problem is I eat when I am bored! Hint! my husband wonders why I like to hang out on the computer! HAHAHA! Check back tomorrow night for an update and a new recipe!

HAPPY WEIGHT LOSS!

Friday, February 4, 2011

Sqash & Apple Bake

Ingredients:
1/4 cup frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
1/4 cup light margarine, melted
1 tbsp all purpose flour
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2 inch slices
2 large Granny Smith apples, cored, and cut into 1/2 inch slices

Directions:
1. Preheat over to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together orange juice concetrate, margarine, flour, cloves, and cinnamon
3. Arrange squash in the bottom of an ungreased 9 x 13 inch baking dish, top with apple slices, then evenly pour the orange mixture on top. Cover with a lid or aluminum foil.
4. Bake 50-60 minutes, or until squash is tender.

Nutrition Facts
Servings per Recipe: 8
Calories: 121!
Fat 2.8g
Cholesterol 0mg
Sodium 46mg
Charbohydrate 25g
Fiber 4g
Protein 2g

ENJOY!

Getting easier!

Well this weeks training was easier on the legs. We did the same thing but seems to be getting easier. However we did sit-ups and many my stomach is hurting! Here is the training we did:

walk 2 laps on track (warm up)
Squat with weights creating an upright row 12 reps 4 times
Run 1 lap
Curl and press (3 variations: regular, hammer, reverse) 12 reps 4 times
Lunge and twist 6 reps each leg 4 times
run lap
Glute kick out 12 reps 4 times
Push-ups 10 reps 3 times
all fours. Leg and arm extension 12 reps 4 times each
Run a lap
Crunch reach through sit ups
Leg lifts (4 variations: Regular, in and out, swim kicks, scissors) 2 sets of 10 count each
Stretch for 5 minutes

If you would like for me to explain any let me know.

On to my nutrition class: Here is what I learned last night.
What is your calorie budget?
Track for 2 weeks your calories. Eat what you eat on a normal day. After those two weeks average out what your weekly calorie intake is. Then subtract 500-1000 calories from this number. This will allow you to lose 1-2 pounds a week without any exercise.! Just by changing your food!

I also was told this!
INCREASING MUSCLE MASS IS THE ONLY THING THAT INCREASES YOUR METABOLISM!