Weekly Check In May 23

I was correct in last week's guess that getting back to biking daily was going to be difficult. I did manage to bike a few times last week but I was tired enough and sore enough from dancing that I didn't bike as much as I would have liked. On the plus side, I was able to bike 6.25 miles in 24 minutes. That will cover the minimum distance to work and is a faster pace than I had been maintaining.

I was also dancing almost every night this week. Wednesday through Sunday were all dance nights with an added couple of hours in the afternoon on Saturday for a workshop. It wasn't enough to maintain my weight while I succumbed to the temptation of fresh baked cookies but it was still god exercise. This week I hope to work on being a disciplined eater with a focus on eating healthy foods and avoiding sugary snacks and potato products (yes, I'm talking to you, French Fries).

Dinner Plan for May 23-29

May 23 - Steak with Grilled Vegetable

May 24 - Garlic and Soy Grilled Pork Chops with Grilled Peppers

May 25 - Cheesy Vegetable Soup

May 26 - Traveling

May 27 - Traveling

May 28 - Traveling

May 29 - Traveling

Statistics:

Last Weigh-in: 212.2
Current Weight: 214.2

Starting Weight: 207.4
Highest Point: 218.6

Lowest Point: 206.4

Recipe: Italian Pot Roast

This was a delicious recipe that was the result of adapting to ingredients that we keep in the house.

Recipe: Italian Pot Roast

(based on recipe from Taste of Home "Slow Cooker" December 2010)

Ingredients:

6 whole peppercorns

4 whole cloves

4 whole allspice

1 cinnamon stick

1 pot roast or beef chuck roast

2 celery ribs

3 cups baby carrots (roughly half a large bag)

4 cloves minced garlic

1 cup beef broth

1 jar (24oz) Spicy Basil-Tomato Sauce

Directions:

Place the peppercorns, cloves, allspice, and cinnamon (break into pieces) on a square of cheesecloth and tie closed.

Place the meat on the bottom of the slow cooker and top with celery, carrots and spice packet. Add garlic, beef broth and tomato sauce and mix gently. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours. Discard spice packet before serving.

Weekly Check In May 16

Overall, traveling didn't put me back too far in my weight loss but it did put a dent in my exercise plans. Being gone for a few days broke the momentum that I had in biking everyday and it's going to be a bear to get going again. On the plus side, swing dancing is great exercise! I just need to keep working on consistent exercise and healthier eating and things will work out just fine!

Dinner Plan for May 16-22

May 16 - Out

May 17 - Italian Pot Roast with Brussel Sprouts

May 18 - Italian Sausage

May 19 - Chicken Capri with Brussel Sprouts

May 20 - Shishkabob

May 21 - Leftovers

May 22 - Taco Salad

Statistics:

Last Weigh-in: 210.3
Current Weight: 212.2

Starting Weight: 207.4
Highest Point: 218.6

Lowest Point: 206.4

Recipe: Thai Curry-Peanut Sauce

My favorite Thai restaurant serves their salad with a peanut sauce dressing which makes it on my list of favorite ways to have salad. As a salad hater, that really means something. This recipe was my first attempt at making my own and I really liked it, though it might need a bit more curry paste...

Thai Curry-Peanut Sauce

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons red curry paste
1 1/4 cups creamy peanut butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon olive oil
3 (13.5 ounce) cans coconut milk

Directions:

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the garlic, and cook until the aroma of the garlic has mellowed, about 1 minute. Add the red curry paste, and stir for 1 minute more. Whisk in the peanut butter, brown sugar, chili powder, cayenne pepper, soy sauce, olive oil, and coconut milk. Bring to a simmer, whisking occasionally, until the sauce has thickened and is smooth.

Weekly Check In May 9

This has been a good week for exercising: I've been very consistent about biking everyday and I'm up to 4.7 miles in 18 minutes. That's puts me very close to the minimum distance needed to bike to work and almost halfway to my goal distance.

Unfortunately, this has also been the week that my sweet tooth won out over my desire to be healthier. Since I still lost weight it worked out alright but I'll look forward to seeing how well I can lose weight when I have both diet and exercise under control. This week may not be the week that it happens since I'll be traveling to Seattle for dancing and it's much harder to eat healthy while traveling but I'll definitely give it my best try.

Dinner Plan for May 9-15

May 9 - Out

May 10 - Leftovers

May 11- Tomato-Zucchini Casserole

May 12 - Leftovers

May 13 - Out: Traveling

May 14 - Out: Traveling

May 15 - Traveling?

Statistics:

Last Weigh-in: 213.6
Current Weight: 210.3

Starting Weight: 207.4
Highest Point: 218.6

Lowest Point: 206.4

Recipe: Slow Cooker Jambalaya

We like our Jambalaya nice and spicy so I've added extra andouille sausage! I also make it without shrimp for the seafood hater in the house but I think shrimp would go in very nicely. For best results, serve over rice.

Slow Cooker Jambalaya

Ingredients:

• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1.5 pound andouille sausage, sliced
• 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 large green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons dried parsley
• 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 pound frozen cooked shrimp without tails (Optional)
• 
  
• Directions:
• In a slow cooker, mix the chicken, sausage, tomatoes with juice, onion, green bell pepper, celery, and broth. Season with oregano, parsley, Cajun seasoning, cayenne pepper, and thyme.
• 
  
• Cover, and cook 7 to 8 hours on Low, or 3 to 4 hours on High. Stir in the shrimp during the last 30 minutes of cook time.

Check In May 2

I haven't been very consistent on blogging about my progress (or lack thereof). April was a busy month of travel and birthdays which made it difficult to lose weight. I have stayed relatively steady even though it is higher than I would hope. I hope to get back on track and stay on track losing weight through the month of May and beyond.

My exercise plan has changed a bit. I have added a lindy hop class to my normal two nights of social dancing. My goal for the summer is to start biking to and from work. To get into biking shape, I have started make use of the stationary bike. My work is about 6 miles from my house, so roughly 30 minutes. My short-term goal is to get up to 10 miles in 40 minutes on the stationary bike. I'm biking everyday and am currently up to 3.3 miles in 15 minutes.

I did get to try out Barre3 workout during April. I really enjoyed the combination of movements and I will look forward to take more classes there in the future.

Dinner Plan for May 2-8

May 2 - Out

May 3 - Grilled Chicken and Peppers

May 4 - Steak and Mushroom Stroganoff with Broccoli

May 5 - Thai Chicken, Peppers, and Salad with Peanut-Curry Sauce

May 6 - Chicken Capri, Brussel Sprouts

May 7 - Slow Cooked Short Ribs, Asparagus with Cheese Sauce

May 8 - Garlic and Soy Grilled Pork Chops with Peppers

Statistics:

Last Weigh-in: 218.6
Current Weight: 213.6

Starting Weight: 207.4
Highest Point: 218.6

Lowest Point: 206.4