Challenge Weekly Update: Week #2

So after two weeks on my new health and fitness kick, I am officially down 6 lbs. Can I tell you how excited I am?

Things I learned this week:

• Don't forget to eat
  I have a tendency to get so wrapped up in what I'm doing that I forget that I haven't had breakfast or lunch yet.
  
• Add a protein rich snack to my afternoons
  Yesterday I was feeling dizzy, weak, tired. So a friend suggested to have a protein and carb snack. I had some peanut butter and a few triscuits and I felt so much better. Protein, it does a body good.
  
• Starchy, fatty, fast food will affect the way you feel for more than 24 hrs
  On Saturday I just REALLY needed to get out of my house. So the girls and I went shopping and hung out on the North side of town. We went to L&L Drive-inn for lunch and let me tell you that Chicken Katsu, rice and mac salad with a Spam musubi chaser was great but... I felt it during Saturdays and Sundays workout. Won't be doing that again anytime soon.
  
• Buying a new stability ball is cheaper than buying a new pump
  Strange but true. I went to Wally World to pick up a new pump for my stability ball (because I can't find my old one) and that sucker was $10. Curious, I walk over to the stability balls and find one for $9 that not only comes with a new pump but also an exercise chart. So being the cheap-o that I am, I save a whole dollar and bought a new stability ball.

So all in all a good week. I'm only down 2 more lbs but when I set up my challenge, I was aiming at 1 lb a week. So I think I'm doing pretty well for now.

What did I eat this week? Salads, sandwiches, cereal and whole wheat spaghetti. Not very interesting. A new goal for myself for this coming week is to actually plan out my meals and stick with them so that way at 6 pm I'm not scrabbling to figure out what to make for dinner.

30 by 30 Challenge UPDATE

Okay so week one is behind me and I'm down 4 lbs!! Can I tell you how excited I am?!

I have been working out daily on my elliptical and doing some ab crunches on my stability ball, that combined with making better choices with the foods I put into my mouth, are definitely making a difference. And that difference is not just noticeable on the scale but also in my skin, my attitude and my sleep patterns. I find that if I don't get my daily workout in, I'm crabtastic the next day.

So what have I been eating you ask? Well a lot of salad and brown rice for one. My husband says that I'm not Asian because I love my brown rice. :)

But also I have been trying some new recipes. And these recipes are not only good for you but good for your wallet as well, if you are shopping smart (watching your sale flyers).

Here are some that I have been trying lately:

Turkey Burgers/Patties
This was really good as a burger. I served it on a whole wheat bun with mixed greens and sliced tomatoes. The girls enjoyed it for the most part. I also had leftovers the next two days with brown rice and a salad. These were flavorful enough to hold up on their own. So good!

Baked Honey Mustard Chicken
I thought this was really good but my oldest liked it and my youngest (Ms. Picky) did not. I used regular yellow mustard instead of the dijon that reviewers recommended and I thought it was nice balance of tangy and sweet.

Spinach Quiche
I wouldn't nessesarily classify this as "diet" food. But it was good. I used light mayo and light cheese (a combination of cheddar and mozzarella). If I had used egg substitute it probably would have been even better and more diet friendly but I have to say that this made a really nice light dinner with a salad served on the side. My youngest even asked for seconds!

I've also been doing a lot of baked dinners. Baked chicken, baked salmon, baked tilapia. Again, all served with brown rice (white for the kids, they are true Asians), and salad. Breakfast is normally a bowl of cereal. I'm really liking raisin bran crunch and lunch is typically a very large salad. I'm feeling satisfied and not uncomfortably full which is good.

So 4 down 26 more to go!!

Now I better get in my 30 minutes worth of exercise before my oldest gets home from school!

My 30 by 30 Challenge

So I have this new goal for myself right now. I want to lose 30 lbs by my 30th birthday which is about 6 months away...

I think I can do it. But then again, I have a tendency to start things but not finish them. Maybe that's why I'm blogging about this, to hold myself accountable.

For the last week or so I have been concentrating on eating well. And so we've (or I should say I) have been eating a lot of lean meats and fish, brown rice and salad. I have been attempting to satisfy my sweet tooth with fruits instead of sugary sweets. Well, unless that chocolate craving hits and then there really is no substitute for a chocolate chip cookie. I have "cheated" a couple times this week and my skin is paying the price.

Today I started my workout routine. Which I have to say I'm pretty pleased with. I got maybe 30 crunches in on my swiss ball and about 7 minutes worth of workout on my elliptical. Now that may not seem like a lot but for someone who hasn't worked out practically at all in the past several years, that is monumental. ;)

So join me. I'll be posting some of my frugal diet recipes and my weekly accomplishments. But right now, lunch is calling me.