Lean and Green Recipe - Bruschetta Chicken

Tonight, I made this yummy Lean and Green - I'm calling it Bruschetta Chicken...

(yes, that is steam rising from the meal - I was still cooking this when I snapped the picture!)

Ingredients

Chicken breasts
garlic
olive oil
Sun-dried tomatoes
McCormick Gourmet Bruschetta Chicken seasoning mix (Sweet Basil & Oregano)
White cooking wine

Directions

Cut up chicken breasts - 6 oz for each person.  Chop 1 clove of garlic (or use the kind that is already chopped for you - see picture)

 
Cook garlic in 1 Tbs. olive oil, add chicken.  Add salt and pepper (I use Mediterranean Sea Salt, and freshly ground pepper corns).

Sprinkle the chicken with the McCormick seasoning mix.

Cook chicken thoroughly.  Add about 1/2 cup of white cooking wine, and 2 cups of julienned sun-dried tomatoes.  Cook until heated.

I ate just the chicken mixture (add a salad for more "green"), but for my family, I served it over whole wheat pasta, sprinkled with a small bit of Parmesan cheese.  My husband, who loves "sauce" on anything and everything, thought it was a bit dry.  Maybe if you added fresh tomatoes, instead of the sun-dried ones, they would cook down, and it would be more "saucy". Hmmm.

RECIPE - Lean and Green Crockpot Chicken Taco Soup for 2

Just found this yummy sounding Lean and Green meal...

Crockpot Chicken Taco Soup - this serves 2 people

2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
1 cup water
1 tsp taco seasoning
1/4 tsp chili powder
1 cup Rotel tomatoes with green chilis
14 oz. chicken breast
garlic
2 cup chopped cabbage

Cook on low for 6 hours.  Remove meat and shred.  Add back in.

Let me know if you like it!

TSFL LOVE

Hi everyone!

Just got back from the most amazing Take Shape for Life convention!!  I was in Washington, DC with over 2500 health and weight loss coaches.  It was SO exciting to hear Dr. Andersen speak, along with all of the leaders in this incredible company.  I want you all to know that I am SO confident that we have one of the BEST companies backing us - you are in very good hands.  And you have the best food plan in the whole industry!  I was able to talk to Dr. Garcia - an oncologist - who is now a health coach with TSFL.  She and SO many other doctors are jumping on board with this life-changing program, so they can help with the growing epidemic of obesity.  It's good to see doctors who want to help people get and stay healthy, instead of just put "bandaids" on the diseases that are caused by being overweight.

I was also SO excited to see the possibilities of this health coaching opportunity.  I need to dream WAY bigger from now on.  I'm on track to make every single dream come true - SO thrilled to be part of this!  The great thing is that ANY of you clients can do this same exact thing.  Remember... in January of this year - just 5 short months ago - I was overweight and in fact, obese.

I started my journey at 236 pounds.  After only 5 months, I've lost over 67 pounds and over 70 inches from my body.  I'm feeling SO much better, and my energy level has sky-rocketed.  Just 8 more pounds to go to my goal weight!!

There are many of you on this same journey with me, and I'm grateful every single day, that I get to help all of my clients feel as good as I do.

If you are reading this, and haven't jumped at this opportunity - please contact me.  I can help you achieve ALL of your goals.  Remember, TSFL is all about the Trilogy of Health - healthy body, healthy mind, and healthy finances.

LOVE this company (have I already said that?!) :)

Which Challenge Will You Succeed At?

I love this picture!  This was the challenge I took for SO many years!

 Now, I'm taking a way different challenge.  I did REALLY well on that first challenge, and I'm doing just as well on my current challenge.  The difference?  The challenge I took on this time, is helping me feel better, look better, and have health for life!

So proud of all of my clients who are taking the TSFL challenge with me!

Sleep - Nature's Nurse

In Dr. A's book, Habits of Health, we can read all about the importance of sleep (Chapter 17).

"...O sleep, O gentle sleep,

Nature's soft nurse, how have I frighted thee"

~William Shakespeare, Henry IV, Part III

Like Shakespeare, Dr. A refers to sleep as "Nature's Nurse".  In addition to Chapter 17, here is a wonderful and informative article, written by David Stern, especially for this blog, about the benefits of sleep... ENJOY!!

Never Underestimate a Good Night’s Rest: The Benefits of Sleep
Sleep might be one of the most undervalued aspects of daily life. While there are certain necessities to surviving, such as food and water, people do not often realize that sleep is one of these life necessities as well. While most people sleep every single day, they do not realize the severity and impact it would have on them if they chose not to.

Extreme sleep deprivation can cause someone to become very ill, delusional and to even die. So the best thing is to respect your body’s daily need for this rest. There are plenty of great benefits to making this choice every single day, but first you might need to appreciate how much sleep you really should be getting.

How Much Do You Need?
On average, the active adult should be getting around seven hours of sleep every single night. There are an innumerable amount of factors that can keep from getting this recommended amount, but there is a reason that your body needs that long to rest. Much of this has to do with the states of sleep that your body goes through each night. For most people, there is at least an hour or two of light sleeping before a deeper and more beneficial sleep develops from this.

If you are only granting yourself a few hours of sleep every single night, you are not giving your body and your brain a chance to recharge. Think of this like a battery on a cell phone. If you only plug it in for 20 minutes every day, your battery will never hold a charge long enough to be useful. That’s like the human body — if you do not give it what it needs, it starts acting adversely and nowhere near as effectively.

Dreaming
Sleep allows your brain to function naturally as well. The dreaming state, while strange to many people, is a way of processing information that you have received in a unique way. This time that your brain is active, you are engaging both the cognitive and the creative sides of your brain simultaneously. This promotes more intelligent responses and creative ideas or actions in the many hours you are awake.

Sleep and Energy
Energy is an obvious benefit to sleeping well every night. People tend to get tired more easily, or remain tired all day when they have not gotten a proper night’s rest. This affects their work environment, their productivity and the quality of the work that they are doing. All of these ramifications of sleep deprivation could put your job in jeopardy.

Sleep and Happiness
Your attitude and general outlook on life are directly linked to your regular sleep schedule as well. Those that are sleeping less than they should often have shorter fuses and a chronic negative outlook on what they are doing and those around them. This can be alienating, and prevent you from appreciating life as it should be appreciated. Not sleeping regularly for seven hours could just plain make you unhappier.

These are just a few of the key benefits to sleep. While there are many more to know and appreciate, these should at least explain the severity of not taking sleep seriously. Sleep deprivation can be damaging physically, mentally, and socially.

David Stern enjoys staying healthy and active, and he is a contributing writer at http://grouphealthinsurance.org/.

How to Lower Your Stress Level

I was recently talking to a client about the "S" word: STRESS.  Stress can cause all kinds of problems.  I'd like to share an article that I found very helpful - it was written for our blog, by Karina Alvare, who is a contributing writer at www.dentalinsurance.net...

Tightly Wound Without an Outlet — How to Lower Your Stress Level
When people get stressed, ironically enough, they tend to exacerbate their stress level in the process of searching for ways to lower it. Individuals that want to reduce stress can do so with some of the methods that are listed below. These are some surefire ways to reduce your stress level and bring some joy back into your life. The great thing about these methods is that all of them work rather quickly.

Get Some Sleep
This may sound cliché, but stressed out people are usually people that are not getting proper rest. The only way to truly combat this is by getting some sleep. People that are not well rested can become very cranky in a short amount of time. This can often lead to confrontations that lead to a lot more stress. This is why it makes sense to stop the domino effect early and get some sleep.

Read a Book
A book is a great escape from the world that you are in. It doesn't matter if you read a comedy, romance or thriller. When you are stressed out, sometimes anything is better the place where you are in life. The awesome thing about books is that they can take you into another world. It can become a getaway of the mind. It can take your mind off of whatever you are enduring at the time. Over time a reader that reads multiple books can be transported to different worlds. These masterful escapes of the mind will help reduce stress levels dramatically.

Change Your Environment
Sometimes the stress may be part of your environment. It may be home or work. This may require a little more than an escape of the mind. In certain cases you may actually need to change your physical environment. This may involve getting a new job that is less stressful. It may involve getting out of a bad relationship or reevaluating your friendships. All these connections can play a part in stress. You may have no choice in some matters. There are times when you may have to remove certain people or elements from your life to reduce your stress.

Listen to Music
A chance to truly improve your mood can be found in music. This is something to really think about. Music will often play in the background in elevators, dentist offices, spas and work environments. There has to be something to the joy of listening to music. People that find salvation in soothing sounds will often repeat the process of listening to music to keep their stress at bay.

Watch a Movie
A book is a great mental escape of the mind. Music also plays a wonderful part in stimulating parts of the brain. There may be times, however, when you need some visual stimulation. A movie can be the perfect solution to reducing your stress at times. This can be something that is good for helping you forget about the problems of the day. It can be difficult to let go of things if your mind is not focused on something else. A movie can take your complete attention and lock your mind into it.

Take a Day Off
Sometimes your stress can come from a lack of time. This is why you may need to take a whole day off. This may often be the only way that you can do things like watching a movie or reading a book. An occasion day off can work wonders.

These methods have been tried and tested ways to manage stress. Fortunately, these things don't cost much to incorporate into your lifestyle.

I'm off to read a book now! :)

Measurements Are An Important Indication of Your Success!

If you are having a slow weight loss week (or weeks), remember this...

The number on the scale is not the only indication that you are doing well.  For instance, I haven't lost more than about 4-5 pounds total in the last 3 weeks.  I've been kind of depressed by that!  It didn't make sense, because I feel thinner, and my clothes are fitting differently.  But, after I weighed last Thursday, I remembered that I haven't done my measurements for about 3 weeks.  So I got out my measuring tape and went to work.

Imagine my surprise when I found that I had lost 9.75" in the last 3 weeks!  That's why my clothes are bigger, and why I think I look thinner - I DO!  I've even gone down a full size in my pants this last 3 weeks.

If you haven't done measurements yet... STOP what you are doing, and pull out your measuring tape.  It's important!  You need to be able to look at the whole picture - literally.  Why do you feel different and look different if you haven't lost weight?  Because your body is losing inches, too. :)  Isn't that great?

For a guide to taking your measurements, look on the right sidebar.  This is how I take my measurements.  I don't just do bust, waist, and hips.  I do 12 different areas on my body, because I know that I'm losing inches everywhere.  I even wish I would have taken a measurement of my neck before I started - I know I've lost there.

This week's challenge - do your measurements.  Compare them to the measurements you took before you started.  Even if you've been on the plan for only 2-3 weeks, I know you'll see a difference.

-Kara

Exercises To Tighten Your Body/Skin After Weight Loss

I don't know about you, but I'm finding that as I lose weight, I've got a bunch of excess skin "hanging" around!  I think this is because we are losing weight rapidly.  Plus, the older you get, the less chance of your skin "bouncing" back - it has a lack of elasticity.  Here are a few exercises you can do for those trouble spots you might experience:

Neck and Chin:
Stand with your arms at your side. Tilt your head back until you are looking directly at the ceiling. Do not strain your neck. Open your mouth and close it, slowly touching your teeth together. You can feel a slight pull on the muscles of your chin. Repeat this exercise five to 10 times per day for optimum results.


Arms:
Light 5 pound dumbbells tone the muscles in your arms. Overhead stretches help to tone this troublesome area. Simply sit comfortably with your back straight. Hold one dumbbell in each hand, resting them down at your sides. Raise your arms straight out in front of you with your palms facing inward. Slowly lift the dumbbells straight up so they are above your head. Bend your elbows; your hands should be behind your ears. Hold for five to 10 seconds and lower your arms. Do 10 to 12 reps every other day.

Legs:

To address the saggy appearance on thighs, lay on your left side with your left leg bent under your right leg at a 90-degree angle. Prop yourself up on your elbow. Keeping your right leg straight, slowly raise it until you feel a slight pull in your inner thigh. Hold for five seconds and return to your starting position. Repeat 10 times and move to your left leg.

This information is found at the Livestrong site.  To read more, click on the following link:

http://www.livestrong.com/article/426580-exercises-to-tighten-your-body-after-weight-loss/

Six Fuelings For Your Body Every Day

What are the benefits of eating a small amount of food more often?

--Helps you to lose weight
--Controls hunger
--Reduces blood insulin (a factor in fat storage and inflammation)
--Lowers total cholesterol levels
--Reduces LDL ("bad") cholesterol
--Depresses glucose levels
--Increases bile acid secretion
--Suppresses free fatty acids levels
--Reduces serum uric acid levels, a common risk factor for coronary heart disease
--Increases uric acid excretion
--Reduces adipose tissue enzyme levels
--Reduces fluctuations in satiety (fullness)
(from "Habits of Heath", chapter 6, page 63)

One of the things I've noticed as I've adopted this healthy habit of eating 5-6 small meals every 2-3 hours, is that I'm never hungry.  I'm constantly fueling my body, and it's happy!  And just look at all those benefits up there!

As you progress on this eating plan, don't forget to eat ALL of your meal replacements - you need those calories.  And, please space your meals every 2.5-3 hours. It's very important.

**HINT:  Take at least 2 meal replacements and a bottle of water with you whenever you leave the house.

My TOOLS!

Yesterday, I promised to post my "TOOLS" - those things that make my life a bit easier on this eating plan.  So... here they are: 

1.  This adorable scale is a Paula Dean scale, from Walmart.  I got it because RED makes me happy.  I use this to weigh ALL of my meat AFTER it's cooked.  I love that it has a really big bowl on top.  It holds lots. :)

2.  This is my amazing water bottle.  It's from Contigo.  I got it from Costco. It comes in a three pack (not sure if they sell these anymore - I got mine during Christmastime).  It's 24 oz.  I drink 4 of these every day.  When I first started the food plan, I weighed more, so I drank 5 of these.  The straw makes it SO SUPER easy to drink all of my water.

I am headed to Costco again today, because I saw these same water bottles (in a two pack) that are stainless steel and insulated.  They are around 20 oz.  They are supposed to keep drinks cold for up to 20 hours!!!  So, now I can make a shake before I leave the house, put it in one of these babies, and have that in my car for a MF meal while I'm out and about!  Sweet!

3.  This is my Magic Bullet blender.  I LOVE this thing.  I throw some pebble ice in (about 2/3 full), dump in the shake mix, any extract I want to use, and a bit of Truvia sweetener, and BBZZZTTT!  I've got a shake in about 10 seconds.  This is SO easy to use.  Costco has the set for around $40-$50, I think.  I've had mine for over 3 years.  LOVE it.

4.  This is an oversized mug.  It probably holds at least 3 cups.  I use this to make my soups in.  If I use anything smaller, my soup boils over and makes a mess.  Especially since I usually add a bit more water and bouillon.

5.  This is a small thermos (shhh... I got it at Jenny Craig years ago!)  My coach told me to put the soup mixes in a thermos in the morning, with boiling water, and let them sit until lunch time.  I tried this the other day - it was amazing!  The soup was SO much better!  Doing it this way allows the veggies and meat in the soup to soften up.  I think this one holds about 2 cups.

6.  And this is my little group of tools I use to mix things up - 1/4 cup measuring cup, small whisk, small mixing bowl, 1 tablespoon and 1/4 teaspoon.  I use these every single day.  The spatula is to clean out the bowl after mixing pancakes.

7.  Because I use all of these every single day, I just keep all of the small stuff in a cheerful red bowl on my counter!

8.  And, of course, I use one of these whenever I make pancakes!  Pull it out... heat it up... cook the pancakes... wipe it out... put it away!  Easy Peasy!

Hope this helps!

-Kara

Food Supplies for your Take Shape for Life Eating Plan - What I Use!

Just a few ideas for today. I found a website that has lots of recipes that you can make with your Medifast meals! So, you can now think outside of the box! I'm excited to try these. Here is the link: http://healthycheapandsimple.weebly.com/new-medifast-recipe-creations.html 

PLEASE make sure you only use the recipes for the Medifast Meals.  That way, you'll stay on plan. :)

Also, I had a client ask me about a shopping list for the start of the eating plan. Here is what I use...

1. Sugar-free maple syrup - Walmart has one called Maple Grove Farms. Very good!  You can use 1-2 Tablespoons of this syrup as a condiment.

 2. I've been experimenting with extracts lately, and have had great success! I use them in the shakes, pancakes, and oatmeal. I get the Watkins extracts from Walmart - they are a good size, and they are about $2.30-$2.50 each. The extracts I use are: banana, peppermint, orange, raspberry, maple, coconut, strawberry, lemon, vanilla nut, and rootbeer. My sister told me that she adds the caramel extract to her Dutch Chocolate shakes, and it's YUMMY!

3. Make sure you have some "Pam" on hand - for non-stick cooking (pancakes).

 4. Get some packets of sweetener. I use Truvia. It's natural, has no calories, and only a few carbs. I add some of this sweetener so whatever I put extracts in. I've found that it is very sweet - so you only need maybe half of a package. Again, Walmart has this - it comes in a green and white box.  Remember that 1 packet of artificial sweetener counts as 1 condiment.

 5. Bouillon - chicken and beef. Get the low-sodium. I usually add an extra 1/2 cup to 1 cup of water with bouillon to my soups. This gives me a bit more soup.

 6. Costco canned chicken!!! I love this product. It's packed in water, and it's all white chicken breast. I like to use about 2 oz. of shredded chicken in my soups and chili. Adds more bulk, and then I don't have to try to eat 6 oz. of protein during my lean and green. Plus, being able to open a can and have instant cooked chicken is great! Lots of times, I just use the rest of the can I opened at lunch time on top of my salad. You can throw it into a pan and heat it up, and use BBQ sauce (1/2 tsp - on the condiment list), or a tiny bit of sweet and sour sauce. Sometimes, I'll just mix it with balsamic vinegar - that's my favorite. Remember to weigh your chicken, though. Usually, one can of chicken is around 7 oz. (that's the chicken, not the can plus chicken! :) So, you can have almost the whole can in one day. Makes it easy to split it between two meals!

7. I use the balsamic vinegar from Costco. It's amazing. (I'm drooling just thinking about it!)  (You can have 1 teaspoon as a condiment)

 8. Make sure you have a good supply of baking powder - you'll use this in your pancakes. Plus, I use cocoa in my shakes and pancakes. So, have some of that on hand.  (Cocoa is not really on the plan, so you have to be careful with how much you use.  I only use 1/8 - 1/4 of a teaspoon.)

 9. If you are having trouble drinking all of your water (you need to consume half your body weight in ounces every day), add a powder like Crystal Light, or Propel Zero (my favorite). I have a 24 oz. water bottle with a straw, and I usually drink 2 of those during the day, put Propel Zero in another one, and drink that at dinner with my lean and green. And then, I sip on the 4th bottle of water all night - and I've had all the water I need for the day!

 

10. Get a good, low-carb dressing for your salads. My favorite is Paul Newman's Olive Oil and Vinegar - just 1 carb. (Remember, this will count as your healthy fat - 1 serving is up to 2 tablespoons)

11. I also always have a supply of pebble ice from Sonic! I use this in my shakes.

12. Remember to stalk your fridge with protein (meat and eggs and tofu, if you'd like), and lots of veggies.  Check out the list of veggies you can have in the Quick Start Guide.

I think that's about it.  Tomorrow, I'll post my favorite tools for this eating plan - there are just certain things that will make your life easier while you are fixing these meals (like a Magic Bullet blender!)

-Kara
Health Coach

The Path to Optimal Health - It's all about HABITS!

Habits of Health by Dr. A... Yesterday, I was reading in the Habits of Health book, and something I read really made a lot of sense to me:

Most changes we try to adopt (like dieting) are based on solving a problem or trying to get rid of an unwanted situation. This type of motivation almost never leads to lasting changes. You make changes at first, but later you fall back into your old ways of behavior. So, for instance: think about your health problems... you might hate the way you look or feel, and your natural response is to feel terrible about it. In order to end that feeling, you take actions that make you feel better - you go on a diet, or you exercise. But those actions aren't motivated by what you want (just by what you don't want), so they lead you into a predictable cycle... you act, and then because you've acted, you feel better - even if the situation hasn't changed much. Feeling better takes the pressure off, lessening the bad feelings. Less emotional conflict means there's less reason to continue doing the things that reduced the conflict in the first place. Since you feel better, you no longer feel a pressing need to follow through on your actions. And the original behavior returns. That's what we call a "yo-yo pattern". Conflict-driven motivation in one of the major reasons people yo-yo. So, we need to change the way we're motivated...

We need to motivate ourselves by focusing on what we want - not what we don't want! This is the difference between a problem-oriented motivation and an outcome-oriented motivation. Changing our emphasis from what we're against to what we're for has a dramatic impact.

I found this fascinating. If I'm understanding this right - what I need to do is change my motivation from thinking that I don't want to be unhealthy, to thinking that I want optimal health. Instead of trying to lose weight, I need to focus on gaining health! I love this idea! If I focus on losing weight, then at some point, I'll lose all the weight, and then what? Most likely I'll stop doing what I'm supposed to do, because I've reached that goal. But, if I focus on gaining health - well, that never ends. It's a life-long pursuit. And that means, I'll be working constantly on that. No more yo-yoing!

On the front of the Habits of Health book, it says "The path to permanent weight control and optimal health". I'm now well on my way down that path, and I've got the goal of optimal health in mind. It makes me happy just to think about where I'll be in 2 months, in 6 months, in a year - or even 2 or 5 years.

-Kara

Taste Suggestion: Extract Heaven

I'm sitting at my computer enjoying orange flavored pancakes with chocolate chips! I've had some real successes in the past few days with extracts, so here are a few suggestions:

Root beer Float: 1 package of French Vanilla shake mix, root beer extra, one package of Truvia sweetener, water and ice. Blend this up in a Magic Bullet, and you've got a root beer float - seriously! It's super yummy.

Chocolate Orange pancakes: My favorite pancake mix is the chocolate chip (mostly because I'm a chocolate nut), so I thought I'd try this: 1 package of chocolate chip pancake mix, orange extract, 1 package of Truvia, 1/4 cup water, and 1/4 teaspoon baking powder. Don't forget to spray your pan with Pam so they won't stick. The smell while I cooked these was almost as good as the taste. I ate them without syrup - they were sweet enough because I added the Truvia. Mmmmm... heaven. I'm not exaggerating. :)

Taste Suggestion - Cocoa

Welcome to my two new clients, Ronalee and Stephanie. I'm excited to work with you both, and help you along the road to health! Today, I thought I'd share a Taste Suggestion - something you can add that will improve the taste of some of your meal replacements. Because I LOVE chocolate, I've been experimenting with cocoa. For 1 tbsp of cocoa, there is .5 g of fat, 10 calories, and 3 carbs. However, you don't need to use a tablespoon. Just use 1/2 of a teaspoon - this gives you only tiny amounts of fat, calories, and carbs. Here are a few suggestions for cocoa: 1. I like to add ice and extra water to my shakes. This can make the taste watered down, so to a chocolate shake, I'll add 1/2 teaspoon of cocoa, and one packet of Truvia sweetener. This makes a rich, yummy, bigger shake! 2. I love to add 1/2 teaspoon of cocoa to my Original Pancakes to make cocoa flavored pancakes. I'll use a bit of Truvia as well, to help counter the bitterness of cocoa. Remember that you can also make muffins from the pancake mix, by adding a bit more water, and baking them. Oh, and don't forget the baking powder to make your pancakes fluffier. Works with muffins, too. Please make sure to check in with me if you have any questions... 801-360-4666.

New Health Coach!

Well, it's been several weeks since I posted anything, and I've made great strides toward getting healthy. I've been on the diet for 13.5 weeks now, and I've lost 42 lbs, and over 40 inches!! Wow, right?? I'm so happy with how I'm feeling that I've decided to become a health coach, so that I can help others reach their optimal health. I'm so excited about this new opportunity. So, from now on, I'll be posting as a health coach, and trying to post things that will help my clients. I can't wait to get started. I've cleaned out my office, and I'm getting all of my "stuff" organized, so that I can be the best coach possible. This is just the next step on my road to optimal health, and I know I'll enjoy it!

First Week - Weigh In

Phew! It's been a few days since I posted about the diet. Everything is fine - in fact, it's more than fine. I weighed in last Thursday, and during the first week, I lost 7 pounds! WOW!!!!

I'm just too busy right now to post every day, so I'm going to plan on posting weekly - on Thursdays, right after I weigh in. I'll post any new recipes I come up with, any problems I've had, and any good things that happen.

See you here tomorrow for my second weigh-in.

Sixth Day - Take Shape For Life Diet

I drank ALL of my water by 8:00 pm on my sixth day! I'm getting used to the water. My menu was...

Breakfast: Strawberry Shake
Snack: Bar
Lunch: Chili - I added 2 oz. of shredded chicken, and 2 tablespoons of salsa. YUM!
Snack: Bar
Dinner: I have the same dinner as the night before - BBQ Chicken Salad
Snack: Bar

Goal for tomorrow, I need to read through everything again, and go to the website, and set everything up. Plus, I need to read through at least the first chapter of the book that came with the diet. Lots to do!

I'm On Day 5!

I'm having a hard time remembering what I ate on day 5 - yesterday. I forgot to write it all down. Hmmm... here's what I do remember...

Lunch - I decided to use 2 oz. of my "lean and green" protein during lunch. I have the Creamy Chicken Soup and added 2 oz. of shredded chicken. A little salt, and I had a meal. Yum!

For one of my snack, I tried another kind of Crunch Bar - Caramel. I liked this one as well. So far, the only Crunch bar I didn't like was the Chocolate Bar.

Oh, I remember what I ate that made me so happy - the Smores Crunch bar. Holy moly! This is my favorite thing in the diet so far. :-)

For dinner, I have some BBQ chicken, diced, on top of a salad. It was very good.

I did drink ALL of my water again. It makes me happy that I am accomplishing that goal. When I started this diet, I really didn't think I would be able to maintain the 118 oz. of water!

Two more days, and I get to weigh in, and talk to Candi, my coach. Can't wait!

Day Four - Take Shape for Life

My forth day on this diet was much better, because I felt better. I had more energy. Again, my biggest challenge was that I started later in the morning than I should have, so I had a hard time getting in all of the food.

Breakfast: I had the Chocolate shake. It was pretty good, and I really like starting the day with a refreshing shake. One of the things that helps the shakes is the kind of ice I have been using. I have some ice from Sonic - the small little chunks. It's pretty easy to get those blended up.

Snack: Wow. Unbelievable - I can't remember what I had. Probably a bar of some kind.

Lunch: I tried the Chili this time. It was pretty yummy. The seasoning was great. Next time I have the Chili, I think I might try putting a tablespoon of salsa mixed in it. I think that would be really good.

Snack: Another bar - the caramel one. These are so easy - just grab one whenever I need to get something quick.

Dinner: I ate with my family. I had put a couple of turkey breasts into the crockpot in the morning, and I measured out 6 oz. The only thing I'm not too sure about, is that these turkey breast were pre-seasoned in the store. I'm not really sure what was used. Hopefully there were no oils. There was no fat on them, so I know they were really lean. We also had French-style green beans. I had about a cup of those, and then a simple side salad (about 1.5 cups) - leafy green lettuce, fresh spinach, tomatoes. I'm really glad I'm able to have tomatoes.

Snack: Because all of my meals were so much later than they should have been, this last snack was around 11:00 pm. That's why I decided on the hot chocolate. It was ok. All by itself, it might not have been great, but I added some cinnamon and some vanilla to it.

I drank all 15 cups of water. I'm really proud of myself for drinking the water each day. I didn't think I could do it. I had a Propel Zero for 24 oz. of the water during the day.

3 days more, and then I get to weigh in. I'm anxious to see if I've lost any weight. I feel like I have, so maybe I'll have good news on Thursday morning!

3rd Day of Take Shape For Life

Yesterday, day three, I didn't feel well. I was tired, sluggish, etc. I was hoping it was just the end of "the first 3 days", and that I'd feel better today. I do.

Yesterday was kind of a hard day, because I didn't eat breakfast as early as I normally do, so it threw me completely off. My menu...

Breakfast: I had the Chocolate Pancakes. They were pretty good, although they were about 1/8" thick, and maybe 2.5" in diameter. :-) There were 3 of them, though, so it was a good mini-meal. I had a small amount of sugar-free maple syrup on them.

I then threw 2 bars into my bag, and headed for my Lifting Hearts board mtg. At the library, during the meeting, I had a Lemon Meringue Bar for my first snack.

Lunch: After the meeting, on the way home, I had a Mint Chocolate Bar.

Snack: Late in the afternoon, I had a Frozen Peanutbutter treat. MMMMMMMM!!!!! I liked that alot, but I think it would be easier to get the ice to the right consistency if I have a better blender.

Dinner was pretty late - around 8:00 (after I finished making my family's dinner)...

I decided to try some Egg Beaters for an omelet tonight. I diced veggies - red and orange bell peppers, mushrooms, and celery. I added Oregano, Basil, Onion Powder, and some Cayenne pepper. I had no idea how the Egg Beaters would cook up - I've never had them before.
Here is what the omelet looked like after I added the veggies...

It was apparent, after about 5 minutes, that they weren't going to do well as an omelet, so I mixed everything together and ended up with scrambled eggs. Two cups of Egg Beaters is a LOT. There was SO much food there, I could hardly finish it. Oh, and I had a side salad as well. It was all very good - especially the peppers - they were very sweet. However... I'm thinking, after eating the Lean and Green meal for 3 days now, most of the time it's WAY too much food - 6 oz. of meat is quite a bit. So, I might cook my meat in the morning, and use some of it during lunch, with my meal replacement. Anyway, here's what the scrambled eggs looked like...

Because I was SO full from dinner, I just couldn't snarf down another meal replacement, so I ended up with only 4 for the day. I know that the problem is that I forget the time, and don't space them out, so I need to try to do better.

Water: I only drank 14 cups, instead of 15. I tried, but I was so full at night, and I didn't drink enough in the morning, that I just couldn't finish. However, I will say that using a 24 oz. Propel Zero is working well - much better than trying to drink it all in regular water - it just gives me a little bit of a break in the middle of the day. I tried another sparkling water, but they kind of make my stomach bloat, so that won't be an everyday thing.

Onward...

Day Two of Take Shape For Life...

Day Two -

Yesterday was my second day, and I wasn't as dizzy as the first day. When I asked Candi (my health coach) about it, she suggested that I drink some Propel Zero - it has electrolytes that will help. She also said that this won't last very long - maybe the first 3 days.

Here was what I ate:

Breakfast: Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal. This tasted pretty good, and I normally like oatmeal, but I think the next time I try it, I'll put just a bit more water in it. The consistancy was kind a thick and sticky. I put some Truvia sweetener on it as well.

Snack: I tried another crunch bar - the lemon meringue one - and I liked this one alot.

Lunch: I had the creamy chicken soup in a mug. This was very good, however, I had to add some salt. I asked Candi if that's ok, and she said yes - most of the meal replacements would taste better with some seasoning.

Snack: For my afternoon snack, I tried the Chili Cheese Puffs. I actually thought these tasted pretty ok. Again, there is a weird underlying taste - probably the soy. But these were seasoned well, and it was fun to munch on them. However, they didn't seem to fill me up like the other food. I was hungry less than 2 hours later.

Dinner: For my Lean and Green meal, I made Italian Shredded Chicken on Lettuce Leaves...

(this looks a lot like yesterday's Balsamic Chicken, but the taste was different - more Italian tasting.)

I measured out 6 oz. of shredded, canned chicken (packed in water) - the kind from Costco. It was almost the entire can. The actual can says there is over 12 oz., but when I measurement the meat, it was around 6.5-7oz. I then diced some tomatoes, cucumbers, and celery and added that to the bowl (it was about 1 3/4 cups worth of veggies). I seasoned it with garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, and basil. I added some cayenne pepper as well - that sure added a kick! I also put about a tablespoon of dill pickle relish in. Then, I drizzled 2 tablespoons of Paul Newman's Olive Oil and Vinegar dressing over the top. I mixed it all together. Then, I grabbed 3 large leaves of leafy green lettuce, and stuffed them full of the mixture. I thought it would be like eating a chicken enchilada-type thing, but the leaves didn't hold up. So, I cut them up and just ate it off of the plates. There was a ton of food! I sprinkled some red wine vinegar on it as I ate. YUM!

My last snack of the day was a Chocolate Mint Bar - I think this might be my favorite meal replacement so far. :-)

I, again, drank 118 oz of water. Actually, I mixed it up a little bit - I had 9 cups of water, 3 cups of Propel Zero, and 17 oz. of this yummy sparkling water I found called Cascade Ice. In the 17oz. bottle, there are just 4 calories. It was nice to be able to do something a little bit different than just plain water. I finished the day with another cup of water.

I think I did well yesterday, but the one thing I need to work on is eating my meals every 2.5 hours. I'm not used to eating 6 times a day, and a few times yesterday, I let 4-4.5 hours go between meals. NOT a good idea, if I want to be able to do this.

Take Shape For Life Diet - Kara

This blog has not really been used for what it was meant for. However, I just started a diet, and I'm supposed to keep a journal or blog and because this one is already made, I'm going to use it! YAY!

It's been 3.5 years since my cancer diagnosis, and I've stopped drinking soda, and cut my portion sizes, but it still hasn't help with any weight loss. Bummer. A year ago, I made some plans to take back my health. Part of the plan involved my stomach. Stomachs are difficult to get rid of. And, abdominal fat is lethal, so I had a tummy tuck! Got rid of all that yucky fat, and had my damaged stomach muscles sutured back together. What a relief. After waiting for nearly a year for swelling to go away, I had liposuction done on my stomach to finish up. That was 3 weeks ago.

And now, I've found a medical diet that will help me lose the rest of the weight/inches that I need to. This plan is a little bit drastic, but I'm ready. I'm fed up, I'm tired, and I feel just too much despair that I'll never be able to be healthy again. So... Take Shape For Life - here I come!

So, I started the eating plan (diet is a stupid word - so I'm tricking my body/mind into thinking this isn't one - hah!) yesterday. This plan is LOW carb, HIGH protein, soy-based, LOW glycemic. I have to stay completely away from fruit (too sugary right now), pasta, bread, rice, potatoes, and dairy products. Oh, and right now, I can't have high carb veggies either (like carrots, peas, corn, etc.) Phew! This might be a little bit tough...

I weighed myself (in the morning, before breakfast, naked), and took my measurements. I'm not putting that info here, though. I might reveal it someday, but only when I'm not that size anymore. :-)

Take Shape For Life is a meal replacement - you eat 5 of their meal replacements, and 1 Lean & Green meal that you prepare yourself.

Pros: the meal replacements are easy to prepare, most of them can go into your purse to take with you anywhere (no being caught hungery with nothing but fast food to eat!)

Cons: the meal replacements aren't that great tasting, most have a weird consistency

Yesterday, I ate:
Breakfast - Strawberry Creme Shake (mixed in my Bullet with crushed ice)
Snack - Caramel Nut Bar (this was pretty good - just a hit of cardboard taste, but I'll get used to it)
Lunch - Beef Vegetable Stew (Mmmmmm.... yummy. I was surprised by how good this was. I mean, there was still a weird underlying taste, but it still tasted good. I think the weird taste in everything is soy.)
Snack - Chocolate Crunch Bar (yuck. Nuff' said.)
Dinner - Lean and Green - I marinated 8 oz. of chicken breast in balsamic vinegar with some garlic powder, cracked pepper, and a tiny sprinkle of salt. I then grilled it on my George Forman. It shrunk up - I'm hoping it went to 6 oz., which is what I'm allowed to have, but I forgot to weigh it after it cooked. Geez. I could have 3 servings of veggies, so I chopped up some leafy green lettuce - 1 cup. Put it in a big bowl, along with 1/2 cup of chopped tomato, and 1/2 cup of chopped cucumber. I can use salad dressing, if it's low carb, so I used 2 tablespoons of Paul Newman Light Balsamic dressing (only 2 carbs). Oops. I just realized with the chicken breast, I should have only have 1 healthy fat, not 2. Hmmmm. Oh well - I'll remember next time. I chopped up the chicken breast, and then tossed it all together with the dressing. This is what it looked like...

It was SO good (maybe that's because it was the first "real" food I'd had all day, but still... yummy!)

My late night snack was banana pudding. I like the taste ok, but I really didn't like the consistency. I have to figure out a way to get the lumps out before it sets up (it gets thick REALLY fast). Maybe I'll go and get one of those small hand held blenders - that might work.

So, I stuck to the food plan almost exactly, but my biggest accomplishment for the day is that I drank ALL of the water that I was supposed to. This might not sound like a big deal, but I had to drink 118 oz! That's 15 cups! I was water-logged by the end of the day. I love the water bottles my parents gave me for Christmas - they are 24 oz. and they have a built-in straw, which makes drinking the water so much easier.

By half way through the day, I felt weak and dizzy (I guess this is to be expected for the first 3 days). It felt like I had taken a Percocet, but without the pain relief! Hopefully, after 3 days, I'll start to feel better. It's probably just my body saying "HEY! Where are my carbs and my milk???!!!!"