Sunday, November 13, 2011

Cream of Broccoli Soup

This is a super easy recipe and good! Got it from Weight Watchers.

1 tsp unsalted butter
1 medium onion, chopped
20 oz frozen chopped broccoli, thawed
32 1/4 oz canned condensed cream of potato soup, three 10 3/4 oz cans
4 cups fat-free skim milk
3/4 cup low-fat shredded cheddar cheese, extra-sharp
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp salt, or to taste (optional)

Melt butter in a large nonstick saucepan over low heat. Add onions and increase heat to medium-low; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 7 minutes.

Stir in broccoli and potato soup; gradually stir in milk until blended. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until broccoli is tender. Remove from heat; stir in cheese and mustard until cheese melts. Season to taste with salt, if desired. Yields about 1 1/4 cups per serving.

Saturday, November 12, 2011

COLD Run

Did 3 miles this morning in the rain/snow......YES! Bring it on Cold Turkey!! On the positive side, your legs go NUMB because of the cold...so it's not so painful. :)

Friday, October 28, 2011

SIGN UP!

I officially registered for the 5K!! Are you?? Only 4 weeks to go!

Friday, October 14, 2011

Chicken Fajitas

This is such an easy recipe and good for you! I'm making this for dinner tonight, so I thought I would share it!

4 to 6 frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or you can use 10-12 chicken tenders)
2 1/2 cups chunky salsa
1 green pepper-thinly sliced
1 red pepper-thinly sliced
1 large onion-thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped onion
Soft flour tortillas or you can use pita pockets

Place all ingredients (except tortillas) in a greased 4 to 6 quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 5-6 hours or on low heat for 10-12 hours. Just before serving, remove chicken from fajita mixtures and shred it using two forks. Next, put shredded chicken back into mixture and stir. Place about two rounded tablespoons of the chicken mixture in each tortilla or pita pocket and top with desired condiments. Fold tortilla and roll. Makes 8-10 servings.

Spencer and I use whole-wheat tortillas and put a little low-fat sour cream and cheese on top. So GOOD!! And you have plenty leftovers for lunches or dinner. I took this to lunch at work one day and got lots of compliments on how good it smelled and looked! :)

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Working Towards Your Weight Loss Goal

I know a few of us are probably working towards a certain weight loss goal. My position on weight loss is slow and steady is ideal. Weight loss of as little as 1/2 to 2 pounds per week is realistic and sustainable. The best weight loss programs include healthy diet, physical activity and behavior therapy.

What is a healthy diet? There are tons of diets proclaiming fast and easy solutions that will melt away fat and build muscle. The best diet for you is going to be different than the best diet for me. Your diet needs to include foods you love and enjoy or else you will not stick to it. It will include a variety of foods from each food group. It will also included a thing called moderation. However, sometimes what you eat is not nearly as important as how you eat and why you eat, so that's why examining your behavior will also be important. Most people do not have a healthy relationship with food or with their own body.

I've always loved these versus from D&C 59: 16-20. They give us some good insight into why God created this Earth and how He hopes we use and feel about it.

16 Verily I say, that inasmuch as ye do this, the fulness of the earth is yours, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air, and that which climbeth upon the trees and walketh upon the earth;
17 Yea, and the herb, and the good things which come of the earth, whether for food or for raiment, or for houses, or for barns, or for orchards, or for gardens, or for vineyards;
18 Yea, all things which come of the earth, in the season thereof, are made for the benefit and the use of man, both to please the eye and to gladden the heart;
19 Yea, for food and for raiment, for taste and for smell, to strengthen the body and to enliven the soul.
20 And it pleaseth God that he hath given all these things unto man; for unto this end were they made to be used, with judgment, not to excess, neither by extortion.

I will try to start making posts about various aspects of healthy weight loss and diet. Today's post is about record keeping!

Do you want to know how you can improve your diet and eating habits? Do you want to lose weight? Research shows that people who keep a food diary are more likely to lose weight. Why do you think Weight Watchers asks you to track your diet? Because it helps! Here's why:

1- Raises awareness
I'll tell you this up front...I'm not an advocate of counting calorie for the rest of your life! That is not a healthy relationship to have with food. However, I am an advocate of gaining information and assessing yourself. Look at this as an exercise in researching your eating habits. Do you currently have any idea how many calories you are consuming daily? Do you have any idea how many servings of vegetables you eat on an average day? This record will help you (and I... if you would like me to look over your records I'm happy to!) see areas for improvement and target priorities.

The more information you add to your record the better. At minimum it should include food and amount eaten. But, other useful information are the circumstances surrounding your eating such as time of day, level of hunger, were you alone or with others, feelings (ie. bored, stressed, guilty), multitasking activities (ie. driving, watching tv). Information on these circumstances will help you in examining the how and why of your eating.

2- Forces you to think twice
If you commit to keeping a record a few things will happen. You will be forced to record any and all food you eat. You will have to be accountable for what you eat so you'll think twice about what you put into your mouth! This might cause you to start thinking twice about having to record or enter each and every little snack you consume between meals.

You can keep a record in various ways. Grab a good old fashioned pen and notebook and start jotting things down. Or for the more high tech-ies, there are many great and free tools on the internet.
Here are links to a couple:
www.loseit.com
http://www.livestrong.com/thedailyplate/

You don't have to keep a record every day. If you have the desire, go for it! But, my challenge for you is to record 2 days in the next week as a start. Then let me know if you learned anything about yourself from this exercise in self assessment!

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Cold Weather Oh My!

Question! What are we supposed to do for exercise when it gets too cold outside!? I want to train for this 5k but I feel bad taking Carter out into the freezing cold! I guess it might be freezing cold Thanksgiving day so we should just get used to it?!

It's still a good idea to do something active indoors sometimes. I have a workout ball and I can get zumba videos from the library! :) I'm looking into getting a used exercise bike.

What are your ideas for workouts indoors?

I have found that i really like all the information available at livestrong.com. There is tons of great info and videos on fitness and health. Take a look it you get a chance.

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Broccoli & Cheddar Mini-Frittatas

Got this recipe from The Biggest Loser Cookbook. Very EASY & Yummy! :) Makes a good breakfast or snack.

Olive Oil Spray
1 Cup chopped steamed broccoli
2 Cups egg substitute
2 ounces (1 Cup) finely shredded light or low-fat cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly mist 8 cups of a nonstick standard muffin tin with the olive oil spray.

Divide the broccoli evenly among the cups (2 tablespoons in each). Then divide the egg substitute evenly among the cups (1/4 cup in each). Bake the frittatas for 7-9 minutes, or until almost set.

Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the tops of the frittatas. Bake for 8-10 minutes longer, or until the egg is no longer runny and the cheese is melted. (Note that they will puff up quite a bit in the oven, but after resting out side the oven they will deflate). Cool for about 2 minutes before serving.

Makes 4 (2 frittatas) servings. Per serving: 102 calories

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

One Step At A Time

I finally got my new running shoes this weekend! On Monday morning, I set out early (6 am) to do a small jog around the neighborhood. I forgot the fact that I haven't been steadily jogging for a few months now and expected my body to start where I left off. WRONG! Why do I have to learn things the hard way? It took some sore muscles to remind me that I have to slow down. I'm going to be walking this week and getting my body used to this again. I feel disappointed in myself that I stopped my routine and have to start over again. But starting over and moving forward is what matters.

My challenge for me and you all is to do something active for at least 30 minutes each day this week. WE CAN DO IT!

Friday, September 30, 2011

Forget-Me-Not

Did you get a chance to watch the Relief Society broadcast last week? Whether you did or not I would highly recommend reviewing President Uchtdorf talk. http://lds.org/general-conference/2011/10/forget-me-not?lang=eng

It was definitely one I needed to hear! He gave a great sermon using the five pedals of the forget-me-not flower. These are five things it would be wise never to forget...



Forget not to be patient with yourself.

Forget not the difference between a good sacrifice and a foolish sacrifice.


Forget not to be happy now.


Forget not the “why” of the gospel.


Forget not that the Lord loves you
.


I bring up this talk because it reminds us of some very important truths. I believe Heavenly Father wants us all to be happy now. He can help us with our goals whether they relate to spiritual, physical, intellectual, social, or emotional things. We are much more likely to be successful when we include Him anyway. So, as this blog is related to our health and wellness, I think it is appropriate and necessary to include things like this!

So, forget not to be patient with yourself. Don't try to change everything and overwhelm yourself in our quest for better health. Be compassionate and patient with yourself. Don't beat yourself up too much over missing a few days of exercise. Be patient with yourself if don't reach your weight loss goal in a week.

Forget not the difference between a good sacrifice and a foolish sacrifice. Are you sacrificing scripture study and prayer for less important things like TV and Facebook? I think making time to take care of your body with exercise and eating right is a good sacrifice and something Heavenly Father wants us to do. This section is something you will have to ponder and weigh on your own.

Forget not to be happy now. Wow I think this is so important and true! Do you find yourself saying/thinking, "I will be happy once I've finished school" or "I'll be happy once I am such and such a size" or in my case "I'll be happy once this baby sleeps through the night!" ? I think President Uchtdorf says it best.

"...if we spend our days waiting for fabulous roses, we could miss the beauty and wonder of the tiny forget-me-nots that are all around us.

This is not to say that we should abandon hope or temper our goals. Never stop striving for the best that is within you. Never stop hoping for all of the righteous desires of your heart. But don’t close your eyes and hearts to the simple and elegant beauties of each day’s ordinary moments that make up a rich, well-lived life."


Forget not the why of the gospel. President Uchtdorf said, "We focus on what the Lord wants us to do and how we might do it, but we sometimes forget why." I often fall into the routine/ going through the motions trap. Remembering the why Heavenly Father has asked us to do certain things and why we want and need to follow Him is crucial in avoiding these traps. But another thought I hope you'll think about is the why behind your personal health and wellness goals. Don't forget what is motivating you and don't forget the big picture. It might be a good idea to write it down as a reminder for those times you start to forget.

Forget not that the Lord loves you! How amazing that the God of heaven and earth has not and will never forget you! He loves you and knows you perfectly!

"No matter how dark your days may seem, no matter how insignificant you may feel, no matter how overshadowed you think you may be, your Heavenly Father has not forgotten you. In fact, He loves you with an infinite love."

I hope you all enjoy this conference weekend! I challenge you to do something active before, after or in-between sessions! It could be anything... a walk, yard work, wash your car, a hike, a jog, a workout video!

Maybe we can each comment on what we did? Any takers? 

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Millcreek Cold Turkey 5k Run/Walk

It would be awesome if everyone in our family did this! Thanksgiving morning we can run a 5k and then spend the rest of the day eating turkey and pie! 

Date: Thursday, November 24, 2011 

Time: 9:00AM

Location: Starts at Olympus Hills Shopping Center, up Millcreek Canyon & finsih at Einstein's at Olympus Hills

Cost: $25 After, Nov. 19th $30


I accept this challenge! Do you?!
PS let me know what email to send your author invite to

The Challenge!

Hi Family!

Jerilyn and I have been talking about how we want to do better with health and wellness. We decided to create a blog as a support group/motivator to improve. We hope this blog can help you work towards your personal wellness goals whatever they are. I'm not exactly sure how it all will work but we were thinking of posting challenges, health information and such. Our idea was that each person/family who wants to contribute to the blog and participate in the challenges will be made an authors on the blog. Then we can update each other on how we are doing or share articles or helpful websites. I plan to contribute some nutrition tips and info! Jerilyn suggested we share healthy recipes. There are tons of good things you could contribute to the blog! So let me know what email I should send the author request to so you will be able to post things onto the blog. If you don't have a blogger account you will probably have to create one. If you need help with that (Mom) call me and maybe I can help you figure it out!

Jerilyn found an awesome race called the Millcreek Cold Turkey 5k Run/Walk. It is on Thanksgiving morning and we hope everyone in the family will want to do it! This can be a wellness goal you work towards or just a fun thing we all do together. (No Pressure... but we should all do it!) The plan is to have Thanksgiving at Jared and April's house. (Am I right?) Is anyone not spending Thanksgiving with the Tobler family?

I don't know if you guys want to open this up to other friends and family or keep in Tobler exclusive. Please share your thoughts and ideas about what you think! Thanks all!