11.22.2011

Thanksgiving Week

Thanksgiving is fast approaching. Not a good stretch of weeks here if you are wanting to lose weight!!!! But I have to tell myself its not really a diet its a life style change. So far its been a good change! I have gone from a staggering 301 to 256.8 as I stepped on the scale this morning!

My goals for Thanksgiving Holiday
1) I do not want to feel like the STUFFED Turkey!
2) Get up in the A.M. and Run and have a good workout
3) Portion Control

 1) ah the stuffed turkey feeling... You know that feeling right? the unbutton your pants to get the pumpkin pie down feeling... Ah yes I know that feeling, so full that it hurts to lay on the stomach feeling. Well this year the plan is to NOT feel like that at all! How do I prepare NOT to feel like this?
Well I have a Lunch (my family) and Dinner (wife's family). As everyone knows there usually is alot of food at each gathering. Turkey is always a given but then you have mashed potatos, sweet potatos (and not the healthy kind either), dinner rolls, plenty of pumpkin, pecan, apple, and cherry pies!!!!

What I plan to do: Fill at least half my plate with vegetables, and fruit, have some turkey (unless its deep fried then ill have to pass) or ham. I can not pass up stuffing but for 1/2 cup it will cost me 5 pts. (oh well, only eat stuffing once a year and can not miss it). I am sure there will be things to munch on before Lunch/Dinner but if planned right I can survive thanksgiving and still lose at the scale! Oh and I can not forget pumpkin pie 1/8th of a piece is 11 pts... BOO but hey its Thanks Giving!

2) Workout in the Morning! So the YMCA in my town is not open on Thursday and thats the day that I usually train shoulders and train on the elliptical for 30 min and then run for 3-4 miles... Usually my day starts at 5:15 every weekday morning at the Y. Thursday I will not be able to do the elliptical or lift weights but I can get a nice run in. My run will start around 6:15 AM when its suppose to be a crisp 38ยบ outside. Brrrrrr but I have been running outside more than inside (with the help of UA Cold Gear) I plan on running at least 3 miles at a 11:30 min pace. May try for 4 miles, I will just see when I start.

3) Portion Control: This is a big one for me. Yes MOST vegetables and fruit are 0 pts. sweet Potatoes and mashed potatoes do not count as 0... This sucks but its manageable! Turkey is 3oz for 2 pts... Not bad. The sides are what I have to control 1/2 cup of stuffing, and 1 piece of pie if I have the pts left. Just have to listen to my stomach.


Here is a DRINK recipe for all to enjoy! Cake Batter Martinis

These are not weight watcher friendly (6 pts each not including the top brim if you use the dots)

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makes a single serving, is easily multiplied

1 ounce amaretto
1 1/2 ounces Pinnacle whipped cream vodka
1 1/2 ounces creme de cacao
1/2 ounce Godiva white chocolate liqueur
1 ounce heavy cream
assorted sprinkles (nonpareils work best)
frosting
Using your finger, coat the rim of your glass with frosting – make sure not to miss any spots! Dump sprinkles on a plate and press glass rim into sprinkles, pressing to adhere. Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake for about 30 seconds. Strain into glass and drink!

11.07.2011

5K run and Weekend...

along way from weighing 301. Today when I stepped on the scale it rang up 264.8 lbs! Down 36.2 pounds so far... Just a quick update on that part of it :)

Ok so last Saturday was my first real 5k race... My goal was to run 12:00 min per mile so finish just over 36 min.

I finised with a time of 32:21 for 3.2 miles so I averaged just over 10 min per mile....

more to come this week.

11.01.2011

Been training...

Well I know I am training to lose 75 lbs in 365 days, but I now have a new goal as well. I am now training to run Tough Mudder on March 18th in Indiana!!!! 

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WHAT IS TOUGH MUDDER YOU ASK????

Tough Mudder Probably the Toughest Event on the Planet

Tough Mudder is not your average lame-ass mud run or spirit-crushing ‘endurance’ road race. Our 10-12 mile obstacle courses are designed by British Special Forces to test all around strength, stamina, mental grit, and camaraderie. Forget finish times. Simply completing a Tough Mudder is a badge of honor. With the best obstacles and the most innovative courses, it’s no surprise that Tough Mudder has ten times more participants than any other mud run and half a million participants globally. Tough Mudder has raised over two million dollars for the Wounded Warrior Project.

WARNING: Tough Mudder is 3-4 times longer and MUCH TOUGHER than a typical mud run such as Warrior Dash. On average, only 78% of participants finish the event. Only those in reasonably strong physical condition should enter.

My Indiana Course!!!!
12 Miles Long...

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Obsticles in my way thoughout the race include: Climbing Walls, Huge Hay Bales, Swimming in icy cold water, crawling thru mud under barbed wire fence, monkey bars over ice cold water (hence why I will be swimming),  Mud Hill Climb, Tightrope over river, Up and Under Logs, Carry a wood log a mile, jump off 15 ft cliff into lake, and the ever so fun ELECTRIC SHOCK THERAPY (hanging electric wires some having 10,000 volts going thru them!) ALL THIS FOR A TSHIRT, HEAD BAND AND THE THRILL OF KNOWING I AM A TOUGH MUDDER!

They say the average time is just over 3 hours for this course! Mind you this is in MARCH!!! There may be snow on the ground!!!

Last yearit was a high of 66 and a low of 33!!! So it will be a nice chilly run I am sure!!!! Some people asked me why I am doing this? I told them I just want to have something to shoot for.

The first mile I ran I my time average was 15:07 for the mile. That was me running/walking with major shin splints... I am now averaging between 9:30-10:45 min per mile... While some may say thats slow, for me thats pretty damn good. I can now run a mile without walking and my shins no longer have sharp pains going thru them. I run 5 days a week now taking friday and saturdays off from running. Tho some saturdays I will start adding some 5k races to my agendas! Maybe MAYBE a half marathon...

So far in the last 3 weeks I have lost an amazing 11 lbs... Not to bad. I am about to get into a weight category I have not seen in over 2 years!


Recipe of the Day


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Cherry Cheesecakes
PointsPlus® Value: 3
Servings: 12
Preparation Time: 20 min
Cooking Time: 15 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy

A perfect combination: rich, creamy filling and a light, buttery crust. Try different flavors of pie filling and whole vanilla wafers for crust.*

Ingredients
¾ cup(s) Crumbs, graham cracker
2 Tbsp Butter, light, melted
¾ cup(s) Cheese, cream, light
6 Tbsp Cheese, cream, fat free
3 Tbsp Juice, lemon, fresh
2 large Egg whites
1½ tsp Vanilla extract
½ cup(s) Sugar, white
¾ cup(s) Pie filling, fruit, light, canned, cherry

Instructions
1. Place 12 cupcake liners in a cupcake pan. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. In a small bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs and butter; mix well. Spoon 1 tablespoon of crumb mixture into bottom of each liner and press down gently; refrigerate until ready to use.
3. In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat both types of cream cheese until fluffy. Add lemon juice, egg whites, vanilla extract and sugar; beat until smooth.
4. Spoon cream cheese mixture evenly into muffin liners; bake until set, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
5. Top each cheesecake with 1 tablespoon cherry pie filling. Yields 1 cheesecake per serving.

Notes
*Could affect PointsPlus value.