Mexican Chicken... Yummy

And Healthy...
But don't tell the children!

I was combing through the cupboards in an attempt to find something that the kids would eat that was easy, quick and somewhat nutritious...

because I do want TheBusyFamily to live long, healthy and productive lives and hope that some of what they are learning here in TheBusyFamilyHome will follow them when they finally leave...

They will all leave, eventually, right?

Chicken Mexican 

1 lb frozen grilled chicken strips  or raw chicken cut into bite size pieces
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can tomatoes and green chiles or a can of tomatoes, okra and corn...
1 can black beans - rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons taco seasoning
2 tablespoons chia seeds
olive oil
shredded cheddar cheese
plain greek yogurt
cherry tomatoes
tortilla chips of your choice

heat olive oil in a pot then add chicken and taco seasoning. Once chicken has browned add all the canned goods and the chia seeds...
bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer until sauce thickens- about 10 minutes or so




While the chicken is simmering place a handful of chips in the bottom of 4 bowls...

Once the sauce has thickened up spoon the chicken mixture over the chips...

add shredded cheddar , yogurt and cherry tomatoes and ENJOY!      

 I substitute fresh cherry tomatoes- whole into the pot they go- for the canned diced tomatoes when I have enough on hand...
I also use frozen corn and low sodium salsa in place of canned tomatoes and corn when I can to make it a little healthier...

The beauty of this recipe is that I can add or substitute all kinds of things depending on what is actually in the fridge or pantry when I start making dinner...

Because we all know that what I thought was in there when I started out never really is!

A New Year... AND Another Birthday!

Yeppers!

My birthday is in 3 days...

And this is shaping up to be THE WORST ONE EVER....

Okay...

I can let it be the horrible year or...

I can turn my health woes around and...

make this THE BEST YEAR EVER!

I choose to make it THE BEST.

As some of you may know...
Eleven months ago I tore my rotator cuff at work.
MISERABLE is what the last 11 months have been.
And, unfortunately, the shoulder is not yet healed enough to return to normal activities.

BUT WAIT.... There's More....

I threw my back out just after Christmas and it turns out that I have...
wait for it...
multiple herniated and evulsed discs in my lumber spine...
and am waiting for the insurance to allow me to get the MRI of the neck and upper spine ...
probably so I can find out my spinal column is ridiculously out of whack...

And then...
I was diagnosed with MRSA.
This is a Staph infection that is resistant to antibiotics in the Penicillin family...
probably a post-op infection , but...
The nurse liaison at worker's comp said I could have gotten it in line at the grocery store...
"it's every where these days"...
Sure. That's exactly where I got it.... (can you hear the sarcasm dripping from my words?)

So, as you can imagine, these health issues hitting me at once just as we are about to embark on the adventure that is 2015...
well, I admit to being a little depressed and my self-esteem took a serious hit.

Luckily for me, the antibiotic seems to be working...
MRSA on the way out!

The spine doc had a cancellation so I got seen yesterday...
a whole week early...
and I have to lose weight (well, duh!)...
and get moving to get my core strength back...
and I am allowed to start exercising again...
YAY!!!!

I also started a new medicine for the back pain that is supposed to not be as caustic to my very sensitive stomach... so far it seems to be okay and the pain is bearable...
Another YAY!

Today I walked 3 miles.
How did I do this with 3 inches of snow and ice on the ground?

I used the Leslie Sansone Walk Away the Pounds video.

This is easily tailored to any fitness level and really easy to do.
You just walk!
Okay, some arm movements and some side steps and leg lifts are thrown in there too...
But, seriously, just about anyone can do this.
And she makes you feel like you can, even when you're out of breath and sweating like crazy...

And I wore my new walking shoes...
Sketchers EZ-Flex Intensify in PINK...
Yes, I actually bought PINK shoes on purpose...
I figure they will help perk me up even when I am feeling blue...




And then I got out my Bullet...
it's one of the original ones from about 20 years ago so it's called The Bullet instead of the NutriBullet...
and the mugs and jars are smaller than the new one...
which makes no sense since serving sizes are important when watching your calories and eating healthy so why have 18oz cups when the 12 oz ones are perfect for a single serving breakfast smoothie?
Hey, if they want to send me a NutriBullet for free so I can give a real review...
I'm all in...
until then, my Original Bullet will be just fine.

Today's weight is... 218...
almost what I weighed the day I gave birth to SIX...
UGH!

Join me on my NEW YEAR NEW ME JOURNEY into 2015...
Getting healthy, inside and out...
with the approval of my doc...
which you should make sure you get before starting any exercise or diet program please...

To start you out right here is my breakfast smoothie recipe:

1/2 cup kale/spinach mix  (or one or the other is fine too)
3 whole strawberries with greens on
a handful of blackberries
2-3 tbs greek yogurt - plain or vanilla works
2 tbs Chia seeds
1/2 cup of almond or soy or low-fat milk
 OR
a splash of fruit juice- I like V8 fruit punch or Pomegranate Blueberry

Blend until thick and smoothe and YUM!

I buy fresh strawberries and freeze them whole with the stems on to make the smoothie thicker and colder, but you can use whatever is handy for you.

Blueberries or raspberries can be swapped out for the blackberries...

Basically, get whatever looks good in you grocer's produce section.

Add 1/2 a banana and a scoop of protein powder for an after work-out booster shake...

There you go...
a healthy and tasty way to start your day...

You Are Welcome!

Let's Get Started... or at least start to get started

When ONE wishes to lose weight ...
ONE must actually DO something to make the weight go away...

Okay...
sounds simple, right?

Well, you would be WRONG!

In order to lose weight ONE must first have the proper accoutrements in which to aid ONE's path to a thinner ONE...
In this case feel free to substitute ME or YOU or GLUTTON FOR PUNISHMENT for the word ONE at any time...

To get started on the road to losing weight ONE must first decide upon the road on which they plan to travel...

IE: find a gym and procure a membership... or...
purchase home gym equipment like a treadmill or stair climber...
(although you can walk up and down your own stairs for free anytime you want... unless you live in a rancher or ground floor apartment... okay I see why someone may need a stair stepper thingy)...

find a workout buddy...
shouldn't be too hard, I mean everyone is trying to get fit these days...
it just has to be someone who lives in the same area as you, has the same work schedule as you, can get the same free-time away from the family as you AND wants to work out when and how you do...
like I said- Piece of cake... or pie, if you prefer...

find some workout clothes that fit in a way that allows for free movement and air flow to important parts...
like your lungs...
while not making you look like you have either:
1) borrowed clothes from the homeless Sasquatch in yonder woods;
or 2) have painted on your clothes so that every dimple of cellulite is visible in all it's jiggly glory and your muffin tops have actually become full-on muffins-- the giant ones you get at the bakery...

find a diet that you can stick to...
because it tastes good and is easy to fit into your hectic life would be ideal...
but probably because you actually do lose some weight...
which is probably because it tastes like sawdust or dried grass and is easy to grab and go...

And last but by no means least...
ONE must decide why it is that ONE wishes to lose weight in the first place.

This sounds like a no-brainer, I know, but really, it's not.
ONE must figure out why they want to lose weight ....
and be truthful to oneself in the process or NOTHING WILL WORK!

Losing weight because someone else wants you to...
because you want to fit into a special outfit for a special event...
because everyone else in the family is skinnier than you...
These are all real nice...
but they do not have staying power as motivation when the carrot cake is calling your name!

And believe me...
that carrot cake and his friends red velvet and chocolate brownie will be ready and willing to pick up the slack when your will power ebs...

So, let's start to get started losing weight by...
Identifying the reasons why you want to, need to, hope to, wish to...
Lose 10 or 20 or 30 pounds or more...
and be honest...
because you'll only be fooling yourself...

And really, do you want to make yourself look like a fool...
and a Fat Fool at that?

Yeah, me neither...

You Are What You Eat...

I guess that makes me a Spring Mix salad with low-fat small curd cottage cheese and Poppy Seed dressing...

Or a soft pretzel...
Or a handful of dried fruit...
Or a bowl of low-fat chicken soup...
Or fresh strawberries and fat free yogurt...

Yeah, I am not getting much of a variety in my diet these days.

But, it is true that you are what you eat.

I mean, what else would you be?
All your vitamins and minerals and nutrients come from your food...
right?

Wrong!
You get a lot of that stuff from your water too...

So the saying should really be...
You Are What You Eat AND Drink!

But then there are the little things that you breathe in like...
residue from acid rain and toxic fumes from car exhausts and factories...

So the saying should be...
You Are What You Eat and Drink AND Breathe !

And then there are the things that you absorb through your skin...
chemicals and toxins that leach into your system from contact without even knowing...
ingredients in soap and lotions and cheap crayons like formaldehyde and lye and lead...

So the saying should be...
You Are What You Eat and Drink and Breathe and PUT ON YOUR SKIN!

I am a Spring Mix Salad with low fat small curd cottage cheese and poppy seed dressing.
I am Mango-Peach Green Tea.
I am fresh strawberries and fat free yogurt.

I am going to have to REALLY read the labels on everything that I put IN or anywhere NEAR my body from now on...

I'm thinking that perhaps having a limited diet isn't such a bad thing after all?

3 Steps Forward... 2 Steps Back?

Today is March 4th. I have officially been using the Sensa Weight Loss program, we'll just call them Sprinkles, for 2 months.

In that 2 months I have lost 7 pounds.

Here is the break down for those inquiring minds who think they need to know...

Jan 3rd I opened the box, read the instructions and started sprinkling everything I ate...

Week 1- 212.5 pounds... a 4 pound weight loss in about 8 days.

Week 2- down to 209.5... a 3 pound weight loss for a total of 7 pounds down...

It was looking good, REALLY good and then...

Week 3- weigh in didn't happen because of the 102 degree fever, chills and horrible pain in every part of my body...

Week 4- weight was the furthest thing from my mind... just taking a shower had me in bed for a 2 hour nap from exhaustion... the FLU from Hell was in full swing and all I could manage to do was drink about 100 oz of water a day and try not to cough up a lung...

Week 5- Finally, FINALLY! I woke up feeling like I had actually had some sleep... and I could take deep breaths without triggering a coughing jag that would last an hour. Back on track at work, getting caught up on my writing assignment deadlines and... ran the vacuum for the first time in nearly a month...

LIFE IS GOOD! 

Week 6- Life is NOT good. I tire too easily and it is all I can do to get thru the day to take a nap to go to work... weight is up to 213 and hanging there... but I could be worse, MUCH worse...

Walked 3 miles on Monday and nearly 6 miles on Wednesday this week... the weather was in the 70's so I took advantage! 

Week 7- Weight is 210-ish. It's been up and down for the few days ( yes I weigh myself almost every day - it makes me pay attention to what I am doing!)

Week 8- That's TODAY! Weight is at 209. Not bad, but certainly not astronomically astounding either.

I have figured out that I have not sprinkled enough.
Actually it's not that I am not sprinkling enough, its that I am not eating enough so I am not sprinkling what I am not eating.

At the end of each month I have been told that month's Shaker ( the thing the Sprinkles are in) should be empty, or nearly so. You get 2 a month and by mid month one should be empty and at the end of the month the other one should be too.

Well, I have almost a full Shaker left at the end of this month. Not Good, Not Good At All!

So, I am going to have to make myself eat more, I mean like eat 3 meals and 2 snacks a day instead of 1 meal and maybe 2 snacks...

A typical food day is lunch - a sandwich or a salad or a some yogurt with granola and fresh fruit.

Then there's a snack... some Sun Chips or some Wheat Thins and hummus or an apple or a pear.

Dinner... yeah, not usually on the menu, but a small helping of whatever I made the family... Jambalaya, Beef Stew, Baked Chicken, Meatball subs...

At night at work I eat a piece of fruit, granola and sometimes cookies.

Ya gotta have a cookie now and again or ya get cranky!

So I resolve to eat more frequently and try to eat more fruits and veggies for snacks.
But more importantly, I VOW to SPRINKLE EVERYTHING I eat... and since I'll be eating more then I'll be using more SPRINKLES and then...

Look Out! Hot Momma coming down!!!

Wednesday's Weigh-In.... NOT

Yes, this is a weigh-in...
From yesterday, which was Wednesday.

But I am not really gong to pay attention to this weight this week for several reasons.

First- I am not making excuses, this is all true.

Now-

1-   I am retaining fluid from the cold and cough meds...
      and because I have only been drinking 2-3 quarts of water or crystal light a day.

2-   I ran out of the Green tea peach mango crystal light - the metabolism booster one?
      And I really do notice a difference from drinking that one all day versus drinking the peach tea or the
      raspberry lemonade.

3-   I am hungry since running out of the green tea which is unusual since I don't really get hungry...
      well I do but not often.

4-   I have been eating my emotions again... I try not to but...
      if you had my family for just a day you would understand... really, you would!
     TheBusyFamily is not always TheGoodFamily...
      which if you ever read my other blog you would know by now.

So, there you have it.
The reasons why I am not going to beat myself up about this week's weight...
Oh yeah, which is 213 btw.

Since I am not beating myself up I will instead treat myself to a bowl of diced fresh pear and apple with my morning coffee... and then I will head out to the store to buy some of that green tea peach mango metabolism booster Crystal light...

whether it is the difference or not really isn't the point...
It's what my brain thinks is the secret to my weight loss success

And who am I to argue with my brain?