Along this journey there are so many fears and doubts and insecurities
that I think all of us have dealt with or are dealing with right now.
When I first started I afraid I would not lose weight. And during the
first few months when I didn't it was like my fear was being realized.
Don't give up. That's what I told myself constantly. And soon the
weight did start coming off. During the course of my weight loss there
were days where I was super scared and doubtful about reaching my goal
weight. I figured that I would do something to derail my progress. I
had so much weight to lose that there were times where it seemed
daunting. But I took it one day at a time. I tried to look at just
losing 5 pounds at a time. From 280 to 275 to 270, really just trying
to focus on the last number 0s and 5s. Don't pay any attention to the
two hundred hiding behind the curtain. Breaking the pounds up into
smaller numbers really made a difference. It makes it seem much more
manageable. And before I knew it, I had lost 50 pounds, then I was in
the 1-derlands, and next thing I had made my goal weight.
Saturday: Pork Moo Shu, brown rice, and Asian veggies. This is one of my favorite
ways to make stir fry! I actually found this recipe in my daughter's
Disney Princess Cook book. I was pleasantly surprised at how easy and
delicious it was. And seeing as how it was in her cook book it's also a
recipe you can do with your kids. That way you get them into the
kitchen and helping to make dinner. Usually I bake spring rolls to go with Moo shu but today I opted for veggies.
Pork Moo Shu
1 tbsp canola oil
1 tsp ground ginger
5 cups broccoli slaw
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
1/2 tbsp less sodium soy sauce
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 cups baked tenderloin pork, diced
1/2 cup cashews (optional)
Heat oil in a large, nonstick frying pan or wok over medium-high
heat. Add ginger powder and stir for 1 minute.
Add the broccoli slaw to the pan, and turn up the heat a little. Stir-fry
the vegetables for 4 to 5 minutes. Cook them long enough to darken in color
without losing their crunchiness. Turn
the heat down to medium, and stir in the pork, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, and red
pepper flakes (and cashews if desired). Continue cooking moo shu for another 2 minutes to
heat through. Serve over rice.
Brown rice is a boil in the bag kind. Just make it according to package
directions. I like to toss a cube of chicken broth into the water to
flavor the rice. When it's done, I season the rice with Mrs. Dash, a
splash of less sodium soy sauce, and 1/2 tsp. Land O'Lakes Light Butter
with Canola.
For the Asian veggies, they are the frozen ones. You can
steam them right in the bag. Just follow the directions on the
package. Once they are done, I'll pour them into a mixing bowl. Add
1/2 tsp. butter, Mrs. Dash, pepper, and crushed red pepper. Then toss to coat and serve.
Sunday: Crab cake, green beans, and fries. My mom bought a box of frozen crab cakes and she gave them to me to fix
for dinner. It was super simple all I had to do was bake them. I had
the option to deep fry them or microwave them, but baking is best.
The french fries were a single serving tray that you can just pop in the
microwave. Follow the directions. When they are done I like to pour
them into a bowl, sprinkle with Mrs. Dash, pepper and dried dill. Toss
to coat and then serve!
For the green beans, they are the frozen ones. You can
steam them right in the bag. Just follow the directions on the
package. Once they are done, I'll pour them into a mixing bowl. Add
1/2 tsp. butter, Mrs. Dash, pepper, and crushed red pepper. Then toss to coat and serve.
Monday: Meat & Potato Casserole, black beans, and broccoli. A dinner that my husband lovingly calls "The Most Perfect Dinner!"
Meat and Potato Casserole
1 lb 93/7 lean ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 (10.5 oz) can Campbell's
98% fat free condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/2 tsp. Mrs. Dash
4 medium potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/3 cup water
Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with Pam. In a frying pan, brown beef and onion
together until beef is done. Stir Italian seasoning into beef mixture. Lay a third of the potatoes on bottom of the
baking dish. Sprinkle potatoes with some of the Mrs. Dash and some pepper. Spread
half the beef mixture on top. Repeat
layers, ending with potato layer.
Combine soup and water. Spread soup mixture over top. Cover and back 1
hour.
I always have black beans in my fridge. It's one of the foods that I prep along with chicken. I buy a
can of No Salt Added whole black beans, not the refried ones. Rinse
them in a
colander. I take a medium size skillet add about 1/4 cup of water.
Heat over medium, and once the water is hot I add the beans. Then I
season them with garlic
powder, onion powder, chili powder, pepper, crushed red pepper, cumin,
hot sauce, and 25% less sodium seasoned salt. Stir it all up and then
mash them. You can add more water if you want them to be bit more
runny. And all the seasonings are to taste. Just depends on your taste
buds. I cook them for about 5-7 minutes on low. This is actually one
of the foods that I prep on Sundays. And then after they have cooled
down I keep them in the fridge for tostadas, burritos, or just as a
side.
For the broccoli, they are the frozen ones. You can
steam them right in the bag. Just follow the directions on the
package. Once they are done, I'll pour them into a mixing bowl. Add
1/2 tsp. butter, Mrs. Dash, pepper, and crushed red pepper. Then toss to coat and serve.
Tuesday: Chicken Fajita Stuffed Peppers, black beans, and mixed veggies. I love chicken fajitas and stuffed peppers this recipe
combines the two into one delicious dinner.
Chicken Fajita Stuffed Peppers
3/4 cup dry instant brown rice
5 medium bell peppers
1 1/2 cups chopped onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tbsp. canola oil
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 3/4 inch
pieces
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp paprika
1 (10 oz) can diced tomatoes & green chilies
1 cup no salt added black beans rinsed and drained
1 cup frozen whole kernel golden corn
1/8 cup chopped cilantro
1 tbsp. fresh lime juice
Preheat oven to 375. Cook rice according to package
directions. Cut the peppers in half top to bottom, seed and devein peppers. Set
aside. Heat oil in a skillet
over medium high heat. Add onions and saute until golden, about 5 minutes, then
add garlic and saute 30 seconds longer, add chicken, sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. chili
powder, 1/2 tsp. cumin, paprika, and season with salt and pepper. Cook stirring
occasionally, until cook through, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium low, add
tomatoes with diced chilies, black beans, corn, cooked brown
rice, remaining 1/2 tsp. chili powder, 1/2 tsp. cumin, cilantro, lime juice and
season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook until just heated through. Add a
heaping 1/2 cup of the mixture to each pepper half and slightly press filling
to fit. Pour enough water into bottom of baking dish to reach 1/8 inch height,
careful not to pour it into the peppers. Cover with foil and bake 30-35
minutes, until peppers are soft. Serve warm topped with more cilantro, sour
cream and hot sauce if desired.
What I did was made two trays of stuffed peppers, baked one dish of the
stuffed peppers and the other baking dish I put in the freezer for
later, minus
the water. When I get ready to use it. I take the dish out of the
freezer, let it thaw in the fridge and then follow the same direction
for baking.
I always have black beans in my fridge. It's one of the foods that I prep along with chicken. I buy a
can of No Salt Added whole black beans, not the refried ones. Rinse
them in a
colander. I take a medium size skillet add about 1/4 cup of water.
Heat over medium, and once the water is hot I add the beans. Then I
season them with garlic
powder, onion powder, chili powder, pepper, crushed red pepper, cumin,
hot sauce, and 25% less sodium seasoned salt. Stir it all up and then
mash them. You can add more water if you want them to be bit more
runny. And all the seasonings are to taste. Just depends on your taste
buds. I cook them for about 5-7 minutes on low. This is actually one
of the foods that I prep on Sundays. And then after they have cooled
down I keep them in the fridge for tostadas, burritos, or just as a
side.
For the mixed veggies, they are the frozen ones. You can
steam them right in the bag. Just follow the directions on the
package. Once they are done, I'll pour them into a mixing bowl. Add
1/2 tsp. butter, Mrs. Dash, pepper, and crushed red pepper. Then toss to coat and serve.
Wednesday: Leftovers. Chicken Burrito and cracker chips. I like to have cooked chicken in my fridge, one day out of the week I
cook a whole bunch of chicken. First I trim all the fat off of boneless
skinless chicken
breasts. Then I cut them in half, and with a meat mallet, I pound them
all to an equal thickness. Put them in a Ziploc baggy pour in some
lemon pepper marinade, and refrigerate
about 6 hours. When I get ready to cook the chicken. I spray a frying
pan with Pam, and heat on medium. Then I take the chicken sprinkle it
with lemon pepper seasoning and place them in the pan. Cook for about 6
or 7 minutes. Flip them over and continue to cook for 6 to 7 minutes.
Take them out of the pan and place in a baking dish to cool down.
Cover with foil and refrigerate until ready to use. On burrito night I
take a Flatout flatbread. Those are 90 calories for the light ones.
And they also come in different flavors: original, Italian, and
rosemary. I get the original. Spread Laughing Cow cheese, black beans,
4 ounces of warmed up chicken. Throw some salsa on top. Roll it up.
Top with sour cream, and even more salsa, serve with a side of cracker
chips and YUM!
Thursday: Salisbury Steak, mashed potatoes and gravy, and mixed veggies. Maybe some day I'll be able to convince my husband to let me try mashed
cauliflower in place of mashed potatoes. Until that day I'll keep using
low sodium chicken broth in the place of milk. He doesn't even know
the difference.
Salisbury Steak
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
salt
pepper
Spray a frying pan with Pam and heat to medium. Combine all ingredients
and form into 4 patties. Cook 5-7 minutes and then flip and cook 5-7
minutes until done.
Garlic Ranch Mashed Potatoes
2 lbs white potatoes, peeled
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
2 tbsp Land O'Lakes light butter with canola
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp Mrs. Dash
1/2 tsp ranch dry dips mix
1/2 tsp salt
1 Laughing Cow Light Swiss cheese wedge
Cut peeled potatoes into large chunks. Add potatoes and
garlic to a large pot filled with water. Boil 18-20 minutes or until tender. Drain.
Place the potatoes and garlic back into the empty pot. Add chicken broth, butter,
cheese, salt, pepper, dry ranch mix and seasoning to the pot. Mash until
desired consistency. Serve.
The gravy is made from a package. Just follow the directions.
For the mixed veggies, they are the frozen ones. You can
steam them right in the bag. Just follow the directions on the
package. Once they are done, I'll pour them into a mixing bowl. Add
1/2 tsp. butter, Mrs. Dash, pepper, and crushed red pepper. Then toss to coat and serve.
Friday: Chicken & Brown Rice Dinner, black beans, and mixed veggies. A quick dinner for those busy nights. All you need to do is add a side
vegetable and dinner is done in no time. My husband really like this
dinner. He told me it reminded him of a chicken soup that he used to
eat as a child.
Chicken and Brown Rice Dinner
1 1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast
1 1/4 cups water
1 (10.5 oz) can Campbell's Healthy Request cream of chicken soup
2 cups instant brown rice, uncooked
Spray a large skillet with Pam. And heat on medium high heat. Add
chicken; cover. Cook 4-5 minutes on each side or until cooked through.
Remove chicken from skillet, and cover to keep warm. Add water and soup
to skillet. Stir in rice. Bring to boil reduce heat, cover and simmer
for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir. Cover; let stand 5 minutes or
until liquid is absorbed. Fluff with fork. Top with chicken and serve.
I always have black beans in my fridge. It's one of the foods that I prep along with chicken. I buy a
can of No Salt Added whole black beans, not the refried ones. Rinse
them in a
colander. I take a medium size skillet add about 1/4 cup of water.
Heat over medium, and once the water is hot I add the beans. Then I
season them with garlic
powder, onion powder, chili powder, pepper, crushed red pepper, cumin,
hot sauce, and 25% less sodium seasoned salt. Stir it all up and then
mash them. You can add more water if you want them to be bit more
runny. And all the seasonings are to taste. Just depends on your taste
buds. I cook them for about 5-7 minutes on low. This is actually one
of the foods that I prep on Sundays. And then after they have cooled
down I keep them in the fridge for tostadas, burritos, or just as a
side.
For the mixed veggies, they are the frozen ones. You can
steam them right in the bag. Just follow the directions on the
package. Once they are done, I'll pour them into a mixing bowl. Add
1/2 tsp. butter, Mrs. Dash, pepper, and crushed red pepper. Then toss to coat and serve.
