Holy wow! With all the excitement I almost forgot about my beloved fitness blog! Today is day 26. Everything has been going smoothly. I have lost (until my weigh-in tomorrow) 10 pounds and 7% body fat! I am very excited. I haven't skipped one workout in 26 days. Some days are more intense than others. I have been eating clean and I feel so good. Last night we went to Angus Steakhouse (this is the first restaurant meal in 26 days). I had a 6 oz fillet mignon, steamed broccoli, about 10 bites of Caesar salad, and a few bites of chocolate chip cookie & 2 tall glasses of lemon water. I didn't eat until I was full; I ate until I was satisfied. It was nice to go out to eat and NOT have 2 baskets of bread while we waited for our food. Last night was a special occasion and I kept within my Weight Watchers points. I am very happy. I didn't even go into my weekly allowance points! Go me!!!
Today we are headed to the boat for lunch. I think I will take a long some fruit and veggies. (Just in case I get hungry!) I am looking forward to the next 4 weeks. I sure hope I can lost 10 more pounds!
As for the rest of you...HOW IS YOUR JOURNEY GOING!!!??? I am sure you are as fabulous as always.
Until Next Time....Eat Clean!!!
Shakeology
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Day 14
I have lost 5.2 pounds and 5.5% body fat in just 14 days!!!! I am feeling really good. I need to venture out in my cooking and really try some new recipies. I will start this weekend! This is a really busy week for me so I don't really have a lot of "night" time to try new stuff. I did find an interesting article in the LA Times...
Saccharin - most think it is unsafe...
Think saccharin is unsafe? You may want to think again.
Saccharin was first identified as a hazardous, potentially cancer-causing chemical by the Food and Drug Administration in the 1970s. But since that time it has slowly been exonerated by state and federal agencies. The FDA changed its position on the chemical in 2001, reclassifying it as OK for consumption, as did the state of California. Now the EPA has announced removal of the sweetener from its list of hazardous chemicals too.
Saccharin is one of the best studied artificial sweeteners — after all, it's been around the longest. It was discovered accidentally in the 1870s by a Johns Hopkins University scientist who was searching for a food preservative when he noticed that one of the compounds he was working with was terrifically sweet.
By 1900, saccharin had become popular among food manufacturers, who slipped it into products unannounced as a cheap alternative to sugar. When word got out about the practice, irate Americans demanded better food labeling laws to ensure they were getting what they paid for.
During World Wars I and II, when sugar was rationed, saccharin become popular among consumers. But its popularity wouldn't surge until the 1950s, when dieting came into vogue and women, in particular, began casting about for low-calorie foods and ingredients. That's when saccharin, until then available in drugstores as a sweetener for diabetics, began to make its way into kitchens and a growing number of diet foods, says Carolyn de la Peña, professor of American Studies at UC Davis and the author of "Empty Pleasures: The Story of Artificial Sweeteners From Saccharin to Splenda."
From the 1950s through the 1960s, as dieting became more and more popular, saccharin and a second class of artificial sweeteners called cyclamates were added to everything from canned fruit to diet soda.
Both sweeteners became the targets of new federal laws in the 1970s, when the environmental movement focused Americans' attention on the potential risks of synthetic chemicals, says David Rosner, professor of history and sociomedical sciences at Columbia University in New York.
In that decade, new studies examining the sweeteners' effects on lab rats suggested that both cyclamates and saccharin increased the risk of bladder cancer. The FDA moved quickly to ban cyclamates in 1970, invoking a 1958 law that allowed the agency to restrict any food additive found to cause cancer in animals or people.
But when the agency attempted to do the same for saccharin in 1977, a million people wrote letters of protest, says De la Peña. She attributes the outcry to the fact that Americans were less trusting of government in the late 1970s — and to the fact that the Calorie Control Council, which represents the diet food and drink industry, ran an ad campaign encouraging consumers to protest the ban. (A petition by the Calorie Control Council was also behind the EPA's recent review of the sweetener.) In response, the FDA required saccharin-containing foods to bear the following warning label instead: "Use of this product may be hazardous to your health. This product contains saccharin which has been determined to cause cancer in laboratory animals."
Research on saccharin continued after the FDA declared it a hazardous chemical, and animal studies continued to link the sweetener to bladder cancer when ingested at high doses. But human studies were less conclusive.
A few European studies looked at populations who consumed artificial sweeteners back in the 1940s, when saccharin consumption was high, but these found no link between the sweetener and bladder cancer.
A large American study, conducted by the National Cancer Institute and published in the journal Epidemiology in 1994, found a 30% higher risk of bladder cancer in people who consumed more than 1.6 grams of artificial sweetener a day. (The study also found that having multiple urinary tract infections and drinking more than 50 cups of coffee a week increased the risk of cancer by roughly the same amount.)
These data led the Department of Health and Human Services' National Toxicology Program to remove saccharin from its list of harmful carcinogens in 2000. The program's scientists concluded that the doses that caused cancer in lab rats — saccharin made up 3% or more of their diets — were far higher than human consumption rates. Furthermore, they noted, saccharin caused cancer in rats by irritating the bladder, an effect considered irrelevant to humans because of the differences in urine composition between people and rats.
Following the National Toxicology Program's decision, the FDA repealed the sweetener's warning label. And when the EPA announced it would take saccharin off its list of hazardous chemicals in December, it too based its decision on the National Toxicology Program's report.
But Marion Nestle, professor of nutrition, food studies and public health at New York University, says the safety of the sweetener is still up for debate.
"The science [on saccharin] has always been complicated, as is typical for substances used at low doses," she says.
Rosner says that population studies of saccharin's (or any chemical's) effects on humans are inherently limited. Such studies, which look at the health effects of large numbers of people who choose to eat saccharin or not, can't separate long-term effects of one sweetener from another, since people who consume artificial sweeteners don't usually limit themselves to one type.
Rosner adds says that saccharin is caught up in a decades-old political battle over how to determine whether chemicals added to food and other products are safe over the long term. Historically, he says, industry has favored putting chemicals into use until their risks can be demonstrated — an event that rarely happens unless a chemical causes immediate or dramatic harm. Consumer groups have called for a precautionary approach that would require industries to prove chemicals are safe beyond a doubt before including them in foods or other consumer products.
Politics aside, whether saccharin or artificial sweeteners in general are safe is a separate question from whether they're good for you, says Dr. Rebecca Brown, a pediatric endocrinologist with the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases at the National Institutes of Health.
Although decades of use and research indicate that the levels humans typically consume are unlikely to be toxic, saccharin and other artificial sweeteners may have other negative effects. For instance, Brown says, many studies have linked artificial sweetener consumption to increased weight gain and an increased risk of diabetes. Scientists still haven't determined whether the sweeteners cause the weight gain and diabetes, or whether people who are at risk of overweight and diabetes are more likely to use such sweeteners to begin with.
For some, the sweetener's bitterness may override other concerns. ("Personally, I do not like the way it tastes, and I avoid it when I can," Nestle says.) But, says De la Peña, "if it were going to kill us, we'd know that by now."
health@latimes.com
Saccharin - most think it is unsafe...
Think saccharin is unsafe? You may want to think again.
Saccharin was first identified as a hazardous, potentially cancer-causing chemical by the Food and Drug Administration in the 1970s. But since that time it has slowly been exonerated by state and federal agencies. The FDA changed its position on the chemical in 2001, reclassifying it as OK for consumption, as did the state of California. Now the EPA has announced removal of the sweetener from its list of hazardous chemicals too.
Saccharin is one of the best studied artificial sweeteners — after all, it's been around the longest. It was discovered accidentally in the 1870s by a Johns Hopkins University scientist who was searching for a food preservative when he noticed that one of the compounds he was working with was terrifically sweet.
By 1900, saccharin had become popular among food manufacturers, who slipped it into products unannounced as a cheap alternative to sugar. When word got out about the practice, irate Americans demanded better food labeling laws to ensure they were getting what they paid for.
During World Wars I and II, when sugar was rationed, saccharin become popular among consumers. But its popularity wouldn't surge until the 1950s, when dieting came into vogue and women, in particular, began casting about for low-calorie foods and ingredients. That's when saccharin, until then available in drugstores as a sweetener for diabetics, began to make its way into kitchens and a growing number of diet foods, says Carolyn de la Peña, professor of American Studies at UC Davis and the author of "Empty Pleasures: The Story of Artificial Sweeteners From Saccharin to Splenda."
From the 1950s through the 1960s, as dieting became more and more popular, saccharin and a second class of artificial sweeteners called cyclamates were added to everything from canned fruit to diet soda.
Both sweeteners became the targets of new federal laws in the 1970s, when the environmental movement focused Americans' attention on the potential risks of synthetic chemicals, says David Rosner, professor of history and sociomedical sciences at Columbia University in New York.
In that decade, new studies examining the sweeteners' effects on lab rats suggested that both cyclamates and saccharin increased the risk of bladder cancer. The FDA moved quickly to ban cyclamates in 1970, invoking a 1958 law that allowed the agency to restrict any food additive found to cause cancer in animals or people.
But when the agency attempted to do the same for saccharin in 1977, a million people wrote letters of protest, says De la Peña. She attributes the outcry to the fact that Americans were less trusting of government in the late 1970s — and to the fact that the Calorie Control Council, which represents the diet food and drink industry, ran an ad campaign encouraging consumers to protest the ban. (A petition by the Calorie Control Council was also behind the EPA's recent review of the sweetener.) In response, the FDA required saccharin-containing foods to bear the following warning label instead: "Use of this product may be hazardous to your health. This product contains saccharin which has been determined to cause cancer in laboratory animals."
Research on saccharin continued after the FDA declared it a hazardous chemical, and animal studies continued to link the sweetener to bladder cancer when ingested at high doses. But human studies were less conclusive.
A few European studies looked at populations who consumed artificial sweeteners back in the 1940s, when saccharin consumption was high, but these found no link between the sweetener and bladder cancer.
A large American study, conducted by the National Cancer Institute and published in the journal Epidemiology in 1994, found a 30% higher risk of bladder cancer in people who consumed more than 1.6 grams of artificial sweetener a day. (The study also found that having multiple urinary tract infections and drinking more than 50 cups of coffee a week increased the risk of cancer by roughly the same amount.)
These data led the Department of Health and Human Services' National Toxicology Program to remove saccharin from its list of harmful carcinogens in 2000. The program's scientists concluded that the doses that caused cancer in lab rats — saccharin made up 3% or more of their diets — were far higher than human consumption rates. Furthermore, they noted, saccharin caused cancer in rats by irritating the bladder, an effect considered irrelevant to humans because of the differences in urine composition between people and rats.
Following the National Toxicology Program's decision, the FDA repealed the sweetener's warning label. And when the EPA announced it would take saccharin off its list of hazardous chemicals in December, it too based its decision on the National Toxicology Program's report.
But Marion Nestle, professor of nutrition, food studies and public health at New York University, says the safety of the sweetener is still up for debate.
"The science [on saccharin] has always been complicated, as is typical for substances used at low doses," she says.
Rosner says that population studies of saccharin's (or any chemical's) effects on humans are inherently limited. Such studies, which look at the health effects of large numbers of people who choose to eat saccharin or not, can't separate long-term effects of one sweetener from another, since people who consume artificial sweeteners don't usually limit themselves to one type.
Rosner adds says that saccharin is caught up in a decades-old political battle over how to determine whether chemicals added to food and other products are safe over the long term. Historically, he says, industry has favored putting chemicals into use until their risks can be demonstrated — an event that rarely happens unless a chemical causes immediate or dramatic harm. Consumer groups have called for a precautionary approach that would require industries to prove chemicals are safe beyond a doubt before including them in foods or other consumer products.
Politics aside, whether saccharin or artificial sweeteners in general are safe is a separate question from whether they're good for you, says Dr. Rebecca Brown, a pediatric endocrinologist with the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases at the National Institutes of Health.
Although decades of use and research indicate that the levels humans typically consume are unlikely to be toxic, saccharin and other artificial sweeteners may have other negative effects. For instance, Brown says, many studies have linked artificial sweetener consumption to increased weight gain and an increased risk of diabetes. Scientists still haven't determined whether the sweeteners cause the weight gain and diabetes, or whether people who are at risk of overweight and diabetes are more likely to use such sweeteners to begin with.
For some, the sweetener's bitterness may override other concerns. ("Personally, I do not like the way it tastes, and I avoid it when I can," Nestle says.) But, says De la Peña, "if it were going to kill us, we'd know that by now."
health@latimes.com
Copyright © 2011, Los Angeles Times
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Day 11
I know. I know. I am way off on blogging. I have just gotten busy and I wanted to make sure I was getting my workouts in. My friend Heather sent me a link for a newsletter. Here are a couple of items from the newsletter...
Achieving Your Goals
1. Make each goal precise and measurable. If you don't know precisely what you want, you won’t really know what you’re striving for and wander aimlessly. Also, if you don’t make your goal measurable, you won’t know whether or not you achieved it. Be sure to include a time line.
2. Write each goal down and create sub-goals you will need to achieve in order to fulfill the main goal.
3. Share each goal with someone who can help hold you accountable and create milestones you can achieve along the way. Be sure to check in regularly with your mentor or buddy to ensure you are on track.
4. Measure results and change course if off track. If you find you are wandering off course, ask “why?” Find out what’s amuck and create a plan to get back on course.
5. Celebrate success. With each accomplishment, pat yourself on the back! It’s great to keep a “check list” of milestones so you can see them checked off as they are accomplished.
By applying these five tips, you can keep yourself focused and on track to achieving your goals!
And a yummy recipe!!
Apple Cranberry Salad
INGREDIENTS (Serves 8-12)
2 cups whole cranberries
2 apples, cored and sliced
¼ cup fresh orange juice
¼ cup raw honey
1 TBSP fresh lemon juice
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp ginger
¼ cup walnuts or pecans (optional)
PREPARATION
1. Wash and drain cranberries
2. Core and slice apples
3. Combine all ingredients in food processor. (NOTE: You may need to hand mix so that the big stuff on top gets moved to the bottom.)
4. Chill and garnish to your liking.
I hope you are enjoying the recipes! I hope you are getting fabulously fit. BTW, I LOVE Zumba!!! I am mixing it up with my run. I am also doing free weight exercises and bands. I am becoming addicted!!!
Until Next Time.....GET OFF THE COUCH AND GET MOVING!!!!
Achieving Your Goals
1. Make each goal precise and measurable. If you don't know precisely what you want, you won’t really know what you’re striving for and wander aimlessly. Also, if you don’t make your goal measurable, you won’t know whether or not you achieved it. Be sure to include a time line.
2. Write each goal down and create sub-goals you will need to achieve in order to fulfill the main goal.
3. Share each goal with someone who can help hold you accountable and create milestones you can achieve along the way. Be sure to check in regularly with your mentor or buddy to ensure you are on track.
4. Measure results and change course if off track. If you find you are wandering off course, ask “why?” Find out what’s amuck and create a plan to get back on course.
5. Celebrate success. With each accomplishment, pat yourself on the back! It’s great to keep a “check list” of milestones so you can see them checked off as they are accomplished.
By applying these five tips, you can keep yourself focused and on track to achieving your goals!
And a yummy recipe!!
Apple Cranberry Salad
INGREDIENTS (Serves 8-12)
2 cups whole cranberries
2 apples, cored and sliced
¼ cup fresh orange juice
¼ cup raw honey
1 TBSP fresh lemon juice
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp ginger
¼ cup walnuts or pecans (optional)
PREPARATION
1. Wash and drain cranberries
2. Core and slice apples
3. Combine all ingredients in food processor. (NOTE: You may need to hand mix so that the big stuff on top gets moved to the bottom.)
4. Chill and garnish to your liking.
I hope you are enjoying the recipes! I hope you are getting fabulously fit. BTW, I LOVE Zumba!!! I am mixing it up with my run. I am also doing free weight exercises and bands. I am becoming addicted!!!
Until Next Time.....GET OFF THE COUCH AND GET MOVING!!!!
Day 8
No...it is not Groundhog Day...I messed up. Today is actually day 8. I have a fabulous recipe for you!
I started this post a couple of days ago. I am sorry that I have been a blogging slacker. I can tell you this though...I have been no slacker with fitness! Weight Watchers is going fabulous and I have been working out every day. I am feeling so good and I am already starting to feel a difference. I am not sure how many pounds I have lost but I have lost 5% body fat since 29 December. I think that is a huge accomplishment. I am staying motivated and am very proud of myself. I am looking forward to my results at the 1 month mark. I have been trying several recipes and I have some really great ones for you. I am actually thinking of getting some Shakeology packets (chocolate flavored) and mixing them as Amy has described to me. I guess more like a "smoothie" as opposed to a cleanse.
I hope all of you are having a fabulously fit day! I have included a recipe!
Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry
Ingredients
2 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch, divided
1/4 Tsp salt
3/4 pound lean sirloin beef, trimmed, thinly sliced against the grain
2 Tsp canola oil
1 Cup reduced-sodium chicken broth, divided
5 Cups of broccoli
1 Tbsp fresh, minced ginger root
2 Tsp garlic
1/2 Tsp red pepper flakes (or more if you like)
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup of water
Directions
On a plate combine 2 tablespoons cornstarch and salt, add beef and toss to coat
Heat oil in a large pan or walk over med-high heat and ad beef. Stir fry until lightly browned (about 4 minutes). Transfer to bowl with slotted spoon.
Add 1/2 cup broth to the same pan, stir to loosen any bits on the bottom of the pan. Add broccoli, cover, cook tossing occasionally and sprinkling with a tablespoon of water if needed. Broccoli should be crisp-tender. Uncover pan and add ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes, stir fry until fragrant.
In a cup stir together the soy sauce, remaining half cup of broth, remaining half tablespoon of cornstarch, and water until blended. Stir into pan. Reduce heat and simmer until thickened. Return beef and accumulated juices to pan and toss to coat.
1 1/4 cups per serving (5 PointsPlus value)
ENJOY!!!!!
I started this post a couple of days ago. I am sorry that I have been a blogging slacker. I can tell you this though...I have been no slacker with fitness! Weight Watchers is going fabulous and I have been working out every day. I am feeling so good and I am already starting to feel a difference. I am not sure how many pounds I have lost but I have lost 5% body fat since 29 December. I think that is a huge accomplishment. I am staying motivated and am very proud of myself. I am looking forward to my results at the 1 month mark. I have been trying several recipes and I have some really great ones for you. I am actually thinking of getting some Shakeology packets (chocolate flavored) and mixing them as Amy has described to me. I guess more like a "smoothie" as opposed to a cleanse.
I hope all of you are having a fabulously fit day! I have included a recipe!
Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry
Ingredients
2 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch, divided
1/4 Tsp salt
3/4 pound lean sirloin beef, trimmed, thinly sliced against the grain
2 Tsp canola oil
1 Cup reduced-sodium chicken broth, divided
5 Cups of broccoli
1 Tbsp fresh, minced ginger root
2 Tsp garlic
1/2 Tsp red pepper flakes (or more if you like)
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup of water
Directions
On a plate combine 2 tablespoons cornstarch and salt, add beef and toss to coat
Heat oil in a large pan or walk over med-high heat and ad beef. Stir fry until lightly browned (about 4 minutes). Transfer to bowl with slotted spoon.
Add 1/2 cup broth to the same pan, stir to loosen any bits on the bottom of the pan. Add broccoli, cover, cook tossing occasionally and sprinkling with a tablespoon of water if needed. Broccoli should be crisp-tender. Uncover pan and add ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes, stir fry until fragrant.
In a cup stir together the soy sauce, remaining half cup of broth, remaining half tablespoon of cornstarch, and water until blended. Stir into pan. Reduce heat and simmer until thickened. Return beef and accumulated juices to pan and toss to coat.
1 1/4 cups per serving (5 PointsPlus value)
ENJOY!!!!!
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Day 8
Today is day 8! I haven't even been on the scale so I have no idea how many pounds I have lost. The scale I have at home is "broken". By that I mean that I think it is about 6 pounds off according to the doctor's scale. So today I will buy a new scale.
My Zumba arrived on Monday and I did one of the sessions last night....HOW FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am addicted to ZUMBA!
How are all of you doing with your fitness goal for the new year? I hope all is going great. Here is a new recipe for you to try!
Sauteed Califlower and Tomatoes
Ingredients
Directions
My Zumba arrived on Monday and I did one of the sessions last night....HOW FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am addicted to ZUMBA!
How are all of you doing with your fitness goal for the new year? I hope all is going great. Here is a new recipe for you to try!
Sauteed Califlower and Tomatoes
Ingredients
4 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
8 cups cauliflower, fresh
¼ cups water
2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
1 tbsp minced garlic
¾ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper, freshly ground
Directions
· In a large, deep, 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat 2 teaspoons oil over medium-high heat. Add cauliflower; cover and cook, stirring occasionally and adding a tablespoon or two of water if needed, until cauliflower is golden in spots and almost tender, about 6 to 8 minutes.
· Add remaining 2 teaspoons oil, tomatoes, garlic, salt and pepper; cook, stirring, until tomatoes soften and cauliflower is tender, about 3 minutes. Yields about 1 cup per serving.
ENJOY!!!!!
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Day 5
I want to list a few things in today's post. First of all, I didn't have my pre-workout Access Bar this morning before my workout. I could totally tell because I just wasn't feelin it today. I did a 30 min jog/walk on 3.0 incline and did about 10 minutes of weights and about 3 minutes of stretching. I just wasn't feelin in today and I know it as because I didn't have my bar. I may have a bar a little later and go for an actual run. We'll see. Otherwise so far so good. I will be posting my first "pounds lost" on Wednesday.
Ok, now on to the next item of business. Power Foods. Here is a short list of power foods (and many of them 0 WW points).
FRUIT
Apples
Bananas
Blackberries
Fresh Cherries
Blueberries
Kiwifruit
Oranges
Pomegranate
raspberries
Pumpkin
VEGGIES
Asparagus
Cucumber
Beets
Broccoli
Fennel
Lentils
Sweet potatoes
Spinach
Squash
WHOLE GRAINS
Barley
Cornmeal
Rice
Wheat berries (cooked)
DAIRY
Cottage Cheese (low fat for fat free)
Fat Free milk
Fat free sour cream
fat Free or Light yogurt
Soy Milk
LEAN PROTEINS
Beans
Bison
Buffalo
Chicken breast
Eggs (preferable egg whites if you are doing WW)
Fish
Pork
Veggie Burgers
Venison (cooked obviously)
And now for a delicious side dish to your lean meats/fish for dinner! YUMMY!!!
Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
3 medium sweet potatoes (peeled and cut into 1 in. chunks)
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup plain fat-free yogurt (greek recommended)
4 tsp sugar (or Truvia)
1/8 tsp table salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
Instructions
Place potatoes and garlic in a large saucepan; pour in enough water to cover the potatoes. Set pan over high heat and bring to a boil; boil until potatoes are fork-tender, about 8 minutes)
Drain potatoes and garlic; transfer potatoes and garlic to a large bowl. Add yogurt and sugar to bowl; mash until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper (you can also use nutmeg or cinnamon).
1/2 cup per serving (2 WW points)
Ok, now on to the next item of business. Power Foods. Here is a short list of power foods (and many of them 0 WW points).
FRUIT
Apples
Bananas
Blackberries
Fresh Cherries
Blueberries
Kiwifruit
Oranges
Pomegranate
raspberries
Pumpkin
VEGGIES
Asparagus
Cucumber
Beets
Broccoli
Fennel
Lentils
Sweet potatoes
Spinach
Squash
WHOLE GRAINS
Barley
Cornmeal
Rice
Wheat berries (cooked)
DAIRY
Cottage Cheese (low fat for fat free)
Fat Free milk
Fat free sour cream
fat Free or Light yogurt
Soy Milk
LEAN PROTEINS
Beans
Bison
Buffalo
Chicken breast
Eggs (preferable egg whites if you are doing WW)
Fish
Pork
Veggie Burgers
Venison (cooked obviously)
And now for a delicious side dish to your lean meats/fish for dinner! YUMMY!!!
Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
3 medium sweet potatoes (peeled and cut into 1 in. chunks)
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup plain fat-free yogurt (greek recommended)
4 tsp sugar (or Truvia)
1/8 tsp table salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
Instructions
Place potatoes and garlic in a large saucepan; pour in enough water to cover the potatoes. Set pan over high heat and bring to a boil; boil until potatoes are fork-tender, about 8 minutes)
Drain potatoes and garlic; transfer potatoes and garlic to a large bowl. Add yogurt and sugar to bowl; mash until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper (you can also use nutmeg or cinnamon).
1/2 cup per serving (2 WW points)
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Day 4 and Happy New Year!
Today has been a great day! I used some of my activity points today. Working out has made me extremely hungry. Way more than normal. I ran today and lifted free weights and stretched with the bands. I feel great. I was sure to take my vitamins and my heart health vitamins. Tomorrow I am going to do P90X Kenpo. I love that workout and I feel so good when I am done with it. I may or may not run on the treadmill. We shall see how much energy I have left. Tonight for dinner I had Mahi Mahi and a big green salad with Ras Vin dressing. I have had 8 glasses of water today (all with straight lemon juice) and one cup of coffee. I did "splurge" today and I had a coke early this afternoon. A Coke is 4 WW points so I haven't been drinking them. Today, I wanted one. I actually didn't even drink it all because it was so sweet. Besides, I have been trying my hardest to stay away from sugar. So far the fitness journey is going well. I have some great friends that are keeping me on track and motivated. I am here to help keep you motivated too!
Today was a success! I hope your day was a success too!
Welcome to 2011 fellow fighters!
Today was a success! I hope your day was a success too!
Welcome to 2011 fellow fighters!
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