** Scale **

I have to admit I just got my 1st scale for my Kitchen. Another purchase I'm not sure why it took me so long to make. They run in a very wide price range. I got mine at Costco and it is so little and thin that it doesn't look bad on my Kitchen counter. Scales help a lot to stay in the portion sizes you want to stay in. Fruits, veggies, nuts, meat, and anything else can all be put on the scales. Nuts and Granola are two things you really have to watch how much you eat. Although Granola is talked up as a health food it is usually high in Calories and Fat and a lot of them can have a lot more Sugar in them then you would think they do. So the most important thing is to read the labels and really make sure you stay in the portion size you want. A great way to start out the week is to pre-portion out things at the start of the week and put them in bags for you to just grab when its time for a snack or to throw in your purse so you have something if you are going to be gone for awhile. It also helps a lot when you or your kids are making lunch. Just throw the pre-portioned bags into your lunch bag and enjoy!!!!

{ EATING }

I would say without this step your weight loss just won't happen and that is the Eating part. Your meals and your work outs go hand in hand to lose weight and also to maintain it. The meals/eating comes in a few parts as well. The first is calories, you have to lower your calorie intake in order to lose weight, the next part is making sure those are healthy and nutritious calories you are getting in. If you are set to eat 1200 calories in a day then that doesn't mean 500 Calories of Sugar filled Ice Cream, 200 in Soda and the rest just snacking on whatever you found around the house like candy or fattening snacks that aren't good for you. The next step besides the calories you get and making sure they are good calories is how you eat them. It is very important to get 3 small meals and then 2 snacks between them. Grazing is one of the worst things you can do when losing and maintaining weight. If you are getting good work outs in and you can't figure out why you aren't losing you are most likely grazing or you didn't cut enough calories. You have to make sure you get enough calories though sometimes not enough calories can also mess up what you are trying to do. Everyone is different so a Husband and Wife def can't compare and eat the same. You can't even compare to one of your friends that you think is around the same size as you. My Husband and I are about 1000 calories different in our intake. So for 1200 calories you can cut up the calories into like 330 calories and then have 2 snacks that are around 100 each. Or if you know you are going to be having a lunch that has more calories then normal you can cut your snack calories down or even another meal but do not cut a meal out totally. You can put the calories however you like, some people like a bigger Lunch and smaller Breakfast and Dinner so they have a few more calories at Lunch then the other meals. It is also best to eat an hour or hour and a half before you work out. For me I can't have an actual meal before working out unless it is over an hour before hand. Also make sure you watch when you eat your last meal. You do not want to eat too close to when you fall asleep. You will hear lots of people say don't eat past 9 well if you go to bed at 9 or 9:30 that doesn't really make sense. Just make sure you are giving yourself time after eating before you go to sleep. I know if I have Dinner at 6 it is better that I go to bed at 9 than 11 because I will start getting hungry and end up eating something that I shouldn't. It is best to eat 3 hours before you go to bed.
If you need to go thru anything in your house and get rid of anything that you shouldn't be eating. I have gone thru everything we have and got rid of anything and everything that we shouldn't be eating. I didn't have much since I don't like to keep sugar in our house but I got rid of anything I could snack on and shouldn't. If you shouldn't eat it now then you shouldn't ever eat it. You can donate it to the food bank if it isn't open. No reason to just throw it away. The easiest way to keep healthy is to make sure your fridge is FILLED with fresh fruit and veggies! Kids love to shop for them as well. I take my Son with me when we go to the market and he picks things he wants to eat and then he is excited to eat them.

** HIKING **

In Arizona one of the best things to do is hiking! I have been hiking since I was very little, it is one of the things I looked forward to doing most growing up. It is so nice to get out into nature to get some fresh air and even better a little Cardio! The views you get when you hike are just breathtaking. It is just one of the most rewarding things to get to the top and look down over the City or the other Mountains. For the most part anywhere you live in Arizona has some place to go hiking or it isn't a far drive to a place. Start out slow and def don't start with a 10 mile Hike!! You can look online for places you are able to hike if you aren't sure where to go. It is also something you are able to do with your Family including Children! On our way to go hiking this morning my Son called my Mom to talk to her about us being on our way to go hiking. It reminded me what was important and that is the memories you make with your Children and Family. The majority of my memories of growing up are us doing something as a Family outside either hiking, riding bikes or playing at the park. This is what I want for my Son and my Family. I can't think of too many Daughters who can call their Mother on a Saturday morning to have her just be finishing a bike ride and the Daughter being on her way to go hiking. I have been blessed with an active family and I find that a true blessing. My Parents set a great example to me and I hope my Son will say the same thing when he is older and has his own Family.
These 3 pictures were taken on a couple hikes I have taken over the last couple years and without being out hiking I would've never been able to see such beauty!

Garmin/Week 2 & Injuries

Last night I had Spin class with a new Instructor and it was awesome! Never thought I'd say that about Spin while being one of the many people who have walked past Spin classes for years saying how crazy those people are that are in the class! It was my first class with my new Garmin and Heart Rate monitor! I don't know how I have worked out over all of these years without one. Before I even had my computer logged on the Garmin had uploaded onto my Computer. It showed as my average HR was 153 and my max during the work out was 185. I had about 15 minutes of just spinning my legs out where my heart rate stayed around 100 so that was used to factor in my Average HR so for the real work out the average was a little higher then that. It showed I burned 652 calories. Which I know it's not totally accurate (it is the most accurate on the market and def much better then what a machine at the gym would say) but this will help show me after more work outs which ones I'm getting the best work out in.

I have hurt knees and hip right now so that was better then I thought it would be for a work out. I am really hoping by Monday my knees and hip feel much better so I can start going 100% again! My Hubby hurt his knees as well this week so both of us haven't been able to go near as hard as we would like and we already knew we would be getting low numbers on the scale but they were even lower then expected because of us being hurt. My Hubby is down 1.5 pounds and I am down another 2.2 pounds which puts me at 10 pounds in the last 2 weeks and I am really hoping to keep it around 2 pounds for the rest of the weeks. That would put me at almost a 30 pound weight loss in 11 weeks and only about 10 pounds away from my main end goal weight.

I hope everyone else had a great week 2 and I really hope no one else has an injury. It sure does hold you off BUT you just have to make sure to heal yourself and not push yourself as much as you would when you feel 100%.

New Toy!!!!

Well I got a new toy today to help with my work outs! We got home tonight from meeting up with my Hubbies friends and a box was waiting for me at the front door with my new Garmin 405cx watch in it!!! I can't wait for it to be done charging so I can get it all set up and learn what all it can do! It comes with a wireless Heart Rate monitor which I am probably the most excited about. I tried my Moms out this weekend and I didn't even notice I had it on. It also syncs to the computer and downloads my activities to the software and shows the elevation that was ran and the minute to minute heart rate along with how many calories were burned. That part I love, it helps me actually know how many I've burned instead of trying to guess. The machines at the gym don't do a good job at calculating your calories being burned. So excited to see what the rest of my training and weight loss brings with my 1st Garmin!!!!

2 more articles

I received an email today from Real Simple and these two articles were included in it and I had to share! Remember though even with the Healthy food you need to make sure you limit the amount you eat. Still make sure it fits into your calorie count for that day.

~ 30 Healthiest Foods to make sure is in your diet ~

http://www.realsimple.com/health/nutrition-diet/healthy-eating/the-30-healthiest-foods-00000000051152/index.html?xid=weeklynews-01-26-2011

~ Secretly Unhealthy Foods ~

http://www.realsimple.com/health/nutrition-diet/healthy-eating/secretly-unhealthy-foods-00000000047642/index.html?xid=weeklynews-01-26-2011

Easy Dinner

So my go to Dinner right now that is nice and easy is Chicken! I haven't got any pictures but it is super easy. I do chicken cut into more tender sizes so that they cook quicker and so I don't eat an entire chicken breast. I spray a little Extra Virgin Olive Oil on the Chicken then sprinkle some Seasonings on it (I like the no salt garlic and herb seasoning). You can add a little sea salt and fresh cracked pepper if you'd like but I think it has great seasoning without it. Before I get the chicken going though I cut up my Red Potatoes and put them in a pan with some EVOO and sprinkle some Rosemary and Italian Seasoning on them, so good! It takes the potatoes longer then cook so it's good to get them going before the Chicken so it's all done together. Then I put the Chicken into the oven and prepare my Veggie. I've been using Asparagus lately, spray with some EVOO and put a little sea salt and fresh cracked pepper on it (you can do all of that right on the baking sheet) then put in the oven for the last about 10 minutes of the Chicken cooking and it all comes out together nice and hot!!! The potatoes can take about 30 - 45 minutes depending on how big you cut them.

So here is the great, yummy and quick go to Dinner!

-Chicken with Garlic and Herb seasoning

-Red Potatoes

-Asparagus (or even Green Beans)

I have also done the Chicken with a Fiesta Lime seasoning instead which was so good and then I made some Brown rice that I added some of the seasoning to and had some Black Beans with it.

WEEK 1

Well week 1 of our 11 week Biggest Loser competition is over and we are well into week 2. I lost 7.8 pounds and my Hubby lost 9.5 pounds. It was a great start for us and def helps us keep motivated for this next week. I am hoping if I can stay with a 1 or 2 pound weight loss for the rest of the competition than it will be a great start to my Journey. I was expecting a big number this first week since I had to cut out Gluten and Sugar at the same time and right at the start of it and with cutting that out I knew I'd lose weight and we have been working out like crazy. I starting taking a Spin class and I didn't think I'd like it at all but boy was I wrong. I LOVE IT, I think it is my new favorite thing to do for a cardio work out. Luckily the gym we go to has a ton of classes. This week I'm trying a few different classes along with the Spin so I can mix it up some. Since I've played sports my entire life I think I just do better in the class settings instead of working out on an elliptical. I get bored way too fast just standing still like that while on a machine by myself. I have found that I enjoy the stair stepper not the stair master but the stair stepper that moves.
Tonight is the Kick box Cardio class and I am really looking forward to it, I love to kick box and haven't done it in so long. It's an amazing work out and it's always fun to kick and punch things!!!! Tomorrow I'm going to be going thru my IPod to get some new music on it to help out my work outs! Music can do so much for your work outs. So if you haven't gone thru your playlist recently then you may want to. Switch it up or even make playlists for each kind of work out you do. I know people who have a cardio playlist, weight lifting, spinning, yoga, and even a running and walking playlist! Just have fun with it and search for what makes you move and keeps you entertained during your work outs!

{EXTREME}

Well I was looking for work out pictures and these came up. Extreme Body Building is well way to extreme, working out and over doing it are very different things. Years ago I dated a body builder, he wasn't close to an extreme body builder and I don't think I've ever seen men this big before, I just don't find this type of body building attractive at all. I had to share what happens when you take working out to an extreme. The first 2 are women and the last two are men. Just remember to give your body a break every few months, take a couple days off and relax and have fun. Too much of anything can be a bad thing! ENJOY!

Maintaining Weight Loss

It may seem easy but its not, maintaining ones weight loss takes some steps. When you get to where you want to be that doesn't mean you can go back to your old ways and stop working out and start eating anything you want, with that you will gain all the weight back and usually will even gain more. These steps also go for starting weight loss and keeping that part up. With barriers in your way you won't be able to even start. About 80% of people who have lost weight have gained it back, so if you happen to be someone how has lost weight and gained it back, you are not alone, but I am sure that most of that 80% would like to figure out whats going on and how to get to be one of the 20% who keep it off. Bob Greene was also on the Oprah show after Dr. Oz and he has 5 steps that help you lose and maintain your weight loss.

Step 1 is to have a clear vision of what it is you want. "Picture your life the way you want it," Bob says. "You could even be the most motivated person on the planet. If you don't have a vision for yourself, your motivation will take you somewhere away from the vision that you want for your life."
Also, make sure your vision is realistic. "If you're 5'4" and you want to be 6'1", have a different vision," he says. "In your heart, you need to know that you can achieve it."

I really liked that part of what he said, especially the part about having a realistic vision. If you picture something that is unrealistic it will just discourage you and you will stop believing in yourself. It could even be that you want to lose 60 pounds and you put a month time frame on it, that isn't realistic, you have to give yourself time and take it one day at a time.

The 2nd step is to convince yourself that you are deserving. Bob says it's critical to break down this barrier. "[People] feel unworthy because that was reinforced growing up by either an unsupportive adult or authority figure,” Bob says. “You're reconfirming [that] by sabotaging your own efforts.” If you yourself isn't convinced that you deserve it then it will never be able to happen.

Step 3 is to identify your biggest barriers and the 4th step is to break through them. Bob says there's a big difference between a barrier and an excuse. "I've heard every excuse imaginable—except a good one," he says. "A barrier is more of an issue."
"We all have a natural aversion to discomfort and pain, and that's the irony on both exercise and diet. You don't want to give up. There's some discomfort giving up your favorite foods," he says. "If you're doing exercise right, you have a level of discomfort to get results. And we are wired to avoid discomfort and seek pleasure."

Bob says the only way to break through a barrier is to identify what's holding you back. "You have barriers for a reason. They're coping mechanisms in many cases," he says. "So many people think getting on the treadmill or turning down your favorite foods is the hard part. That's the easy part. It's these issues and barriers of unworthiness—or being in a toxic relationship is a top one."
Breaking through takes courage, but the benefits could last a lifetime. "I've never seen anyone successful long term that couldn't make at least one or more tough decisions," he says.

The top barriers are finance and relationships along with Grief and many others. Everyone will have different barriers. You have to be able to identify what your barrier or barriers are and figure out how to get past them before you can really be successful. I've seen so many women get divorced and then become an entirely new person, they lose weight and just become a better them in so many ways, they got rid of the toxic thing that was holding them back and they could finally be happy and focus on themselves. Now I'm def not saying to go out and get divorced and use your money from your divorce to get a trainer, visit the plastic surgeon and get new clothes. BUT if you are not in a good relationship then work it out, go to a therapist to see if it can become a better relationship. One of my biggest barriers was my Grief. After losing 2 sons I well sort of just lost it. I didn't want to take care of myself and losing the baby weight this last time was the last thing on my mind. I had to get thru the biggest part of my grief before I could focus on me and get healthy again. My body was destroyed for the most part and it didn't help I took a year off after delivering to grieve and do about nothing else. I did however need that, without that I wouldn't have been able to start working out and get to where I want to be. Grieving is a life long process especially when you are grieving the loss of your children but you can get to a place where you start being more yourself and are able to focus on what you need to. It does take time and no one can tell you when you are ready. It went from an excuse to a Barrier and as soon as I realized that and could deal with it I took the excuse and the barrier away.

The 5th step is to put yourself first. "Another way to say that is, 'Get the support you need,'" he says. "It's getting the people in your life on board."
Bob says parents struggle with this the most and too many use their children as an excuse not to make themselves a priority. "What parent would [tell her child], 'Don't take care of yourself?' That's the message your kids are learning," he says. "Putting yourself first is not selfish. It's a way to become a more profound role model for children and those in your life."

This can be the hardest step and even barrier for a lot of people. I also think it's also important to take care of yourself more along with putting yourself first. For me it is taking time to lock myself in the bathroom every once in awhile and have a nice bubble bath and to give myself a facial. Some people may want to take time to read a book or garden by themselves. It is just very important to get "me time" where you can really focus on yourself.

# Know YOUR Numbers #

I saw that an Oprah show was on Health so I DVR'd it and watched it after my boys were all fast asleep one night. A lot of what was talked about I had already been thinking about and was going to post about this, but it was so nice to hear all the professionals explaining everything like they did.

5 Numbers you HAVE to know, not need to know I'm going to say you have to know them.

- Your Blood Pressure is by far the most important for so many reasons.

For me knowing my BP is something that is just part of my routine. My son knows how to take it for me and he's only 5. While I'm pregnant I get severe Pre-Eclampsia and HELLP. My 1st pregnancy my nurses kept telling me my BP was normal, well it would have been normal if I had normal BP to start with but I have low BP to start with so normal BP was high for me. So within 4 days of catching what was going on and being admitted into the Hospital I was having a seizure and delivering my Son at 27 weeks gestation. Since that day I've probably been a little OCD about checking my BP to make sure I know what it is and how it fluctuates. Now I'm def not saying to check it as much as I do, no one has a reason to do that. My BP almost killed me twice so I just have a few things making me do that. Checking it once a year is a great start. Once you lose some weight and are working out more then check it again. Working out helps lower your BP and usually people can get off any BP meds they are on!! The ideal number is 115/75.

The 2nd number to know is probably the one number no one wants to know!

- Your waist size.

All you need is a measuring tape like you'd use for sewing and you can just do it at home nice and simple with NO ONE knowing what it is! Your waist size should be half the size of your height and it is best to measure it once a month.

- Your Weight is the 3rd number

Weighing once a week is best. It is also best to weigh in at the morning at around the same time. I usually do it shortly after getting out of bed before having breakfast and getting ready for the day. If you weigh daily you can stress yourself out so if you can just do it once a week!

- Cholesterol is the 4th one you should know.

If you haven't been to the Dr lately to be checked then schedule an appointment and have a physical. A simple blood test can show a lot and it is always so nice to see results even in your blood results when you are working out and losing weight. Your healthy HDL Cholesterol should be greater than 50 and you want your LDL which is your Bad Cholesterol to be lower than 100.

- The Last number you have to know is your Fasting Blood Sugar

Your Fasting Blood Sugar should be less than 100. The higher your number than the higher your chance for a stroke, heart disease, impotence and kidney failure.

* Website *

My Husband sent me this link on an article about the Worst Free Restaurant Food! Its sort of like my Eating Out post but I wanted to share it since it goes a little bit more into detail.

http://health.yahoo.net/experts/eatthis/worst-free-restaurant-food

*** Dessert ***

Dessert is by far my favorite thing to eat! In fact growing up it was probably the only thing my parents could get me to eat without me crying or complaining. Now I'm 26 and hypoglycemic and anytime I have something really sugary I am sick as can be for a day or two. Guess it's OK though cause Dessert doesn't always play into the healthy category, so it helps me not to pig out on Chocolate and Sugar all day! One of my favorite things now is to make a few Chocolate covered Strawberries after Dinner. It curves my sugar craving and they aren't that bad for you. Using dark chocolate can make them even better for you. Another good Dessert can be a bowl of berries (blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, whatever you like) with some melted dark chocolate drizzled on top.

Motivation

Motivation is something everyone needs and sometimes its always good to get some along the way of your new journey! It could be an old picture of you or it could be the thought of doing something you've never done before or haven't been able to do in years.
Well one of my girlfriends that I've been friends with since Junior year sent me pictures from 2001 of the 2 of us. That was all the extra motivation I needed this week. This is about the size I would like to go back to except just a little bit more muscle and well add a butt to my backside! It's the only thing I hope doesn't go away when I lose my weight!! I haven't seen these pictures in so long but I def remember them. Yes I know it is crazy to think that after 3 kids I could get to a HS size but a girl can dream! I know it may not be able to happen but oh how I miss my jaw line and not having fat on my neck and having what people called my chicken arms. I found out a few years ago that my nickname on the soccer field was Legs by some of the other teams because I had long skinny quick legs that went around everyone. Now I doubt I could move around anyone who was actually moving! haha BUT it is another goal I have, I miss playing Soccer and although I love coaching my 2 teams I miss being out on the field and playing and I really hope by around Summer time I can get on a co-ed team and start playing again.
The last picture is of us at Telluride for a school ski trip! It was such an amazing trip and I sure do miss skiing. I haven't been able to much, in the last few years I haven't been able to go at all. Seeing that picture helped me get even more motivation because I really want to go skiing next season since this season I don't fit into any of my ski clothes and it would've been my first year back on my skis. Next season I am hoping for us to take a family trip to Telluride to all ski together. My son loves to ski but he barely got to go last season and this season he hasn't been able to make a trip yet with Grandpa. So I have found my extra little motivation and those pictures to look at when I need to remember why it is I'm in the gym almost everyday and sometimes twice a day!!!!

* Weight Loss *

The words Weight Loss can be like nails on a chalkboard for me! It is one thing that no one looks forward to and I just wish I could be at the weight I want and that was that. INSTEAD it is something I have to do and everyone that has any weight to lose has to deal with. Sometimes I feel like the little cartoon which made me smile when I saw it. The second picture with the words HELP on it is how I feel a lot of the time which is one thing you have to do when you are starting to lose weight and get healthier. You have to be able to ask for help. If you have questions about the best and healthiest way to go about losing weight and changing your eating styles then you have to be able to ask for Help from anyone you can. It is hard to do alone and having support is a such a huge thing. I am very lucky to have my parents and then of course my Hubby and my Son. My son loves to go for bike rides and to take the puppy for a walk which are great ways to add another workout in and it gets your little ones and your puppy out of the house and outside to run around.
My Husband and I are doing a weight loss competition right now, it started on Thursday. I have to say little competitions like this are great ways to get started and you have a built in support system with them. It's 11 weeks and my goal for that 11 weeks is to lose 20 pounds. I def would be happy if I lost more. My end goal is around 40 pounds but I'm not going to push myself to do that in 11 weeks. The last time I had any weight to lose was over 6 years ago, I was younger and had only had 1 pregnancy. Since then I have had 2 pregnancies, a ton of bed rest and had some health problems. I don't know how my weight loss will go this time around so I really wasn't going to over shoot what I was able to lose and then be disappointed. Say I lose 24 pounds which in 11 weeks is amazing, but if I have my goal at 30 pounds I wouldn't have hit it and then I would've been upset that I didn't hit that goal, but at 20 pounds anything I go over 20 will be an added bonus and if I work as hard as I have been I should be able to hit the 20 pound mark just fine.
The 1st week of doing this I am planning on my weight loss number being a big number. This first week I have cut out Sugar and Gluten. I am Hypoglycemic and most likely have a Gluten Intolerance and this is the way for us to find out so these are 2 things I have to do for my health, if you do not have a gluten problem you shouldn't change to Gluten Free. With cutting these 2 things out, really focusing on what I'm actually eating, drinking a ton more water and getting some great work outs in I should get a bigger number this first week. The most important thing though is if you get a big number that first week to prepare yourself for a low number for awhile, keep working hard and be happy with the numbers you get. Don't get down on yourself if your 2nd week or 3rd week are low numbers or even a 0. It happens, your body is regulating and the most important thing is to stay positive and keep doing what your doing!

** Eating Out **

Eating out can be one of the most stressful things when you are trying to get healthy and eat healthy. BUT living a healthy life and eating healthy yummy food doesn't mean you can't eat out at your favorite restaurant. I put some examples of a menu at Olive Garden that is about the most popular menu for people when they go out to Olive Garden. I also included calories of the breads and salads from a few restaurants. The best thing to do when going out is to check the menu first and check out what you want, most websites have a nutritional tab along with the menu. Then you don't even have to look at a menu when you get to the restaurant and be tempted with everything. Try to stick with water with lemon to drink, the lemonades will get you every time with all the calories and sugar they have in it. If you don't think you can limit the amount of bread or chips and salsa you can eat you can also ask the person who seats you to not bring you any. One last thing about eating out, just because its a salad doesn't mean its good for you. One of the worst things you can eat is a Caesar Salad. If you don't like all the stuff that comes with a House Salad then you can order a Caesar Salad with a different kind of dressing. Finding all these calories was a huge eye opener for me and really helped me realize what I have to do personally. I had the chance to go out to eat at Olive Garden actually this week and I picked my meal before time and didn't even have to look at the menu. It was great not having to focus on what I couldn't have and to be able to order with no worries and enjoy my entire meal!

Olive Garden Meal :

Beverage - Raspberry Lemonade 110 Calories a Glass (Usually you'll have at least 2)
Salad - 350 Calories per serving

Bread stick - 150 Calories PER stick (um you know you can't have less then 3)

Alfredo Dipping Sauce - 380 Calories

Fettuccine Alfredo - 1220 Calories

Dessert - Warm Apple Crostata - 730 Calories

Grand Total for 1 meal - 3460 Calories

Garden Salad w/Dressing - 350 per serving

Garden Salad w/o Dressing - 120 per serving

Caesar Salad w/Chicken - 850 Calories

Olive Garden Bread sticks - 150 Calories each

Alfredo Dipping Sauce - 380 Calories per small dish

Outback Steakhouse - 1/2 Loaf Bread & Butter - 234 Calories
Texas Roadhouse Rolls - 227 each
Cinnamon Butter - 1.5 TB 125 calories

{ Linguine with Chicken, Garlic & Basil }

I'm sure everyone loves pasta and if you are like me you just have moments where you crave it! This pasta recipe is really good for you and so much better for you then most pasta dishes and you don't have that feeling afterwards like you over ate. Eating healthier doesn't mean you can't eat things that taste really good! Try using Whole Wheat Linguine to make it even a little bit more healthier! Follow the instructions carefully on whole wheat pasta though it usually has to cook a few minutes longer then regular white pasta.

Linguine With Chicken, Garlic and Basil
Serves 6
1/4 cup Olive Oil
2 TB - 1/4 cup Minced Garlic (use however much you'd like between those two sizes, Garlic is great for you and does add some great flavor)
1 box Linguine
1 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
2 Poblano chilies AKA Pasilla. Seeded, cut into matchstick size strips
2 plum tomatoes, seeded & Diced
1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh Basil (in a pinch you can use dried)
4 oz Prosciutto, chopped (ham or back can work but Ive never tried them and Prosciutto adds a lot to it)
2 TB Butter
1 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

*Tip - cut everything before starting, it helps to make it go quicker and assures nothing gets left out.
Heat 1/4 cup Olive Oil in skillet over medium heat. Add Garlic and saute until light golden brown (be careful to not over cook, it goes from golden to burnt quicker then you'd like! so at this stage def don't go walking away) Remove garlic with slotted spoon. Cook linguine in large pot of boiling water until tender but still firm to bite. Meanwhile add chicken to skillet and cook over med-high heat for 5 minutes. Add poblanos and saute 2 min. add tomatoes, 1/4 cup basil, prosciutto and 2 TB cooked garlic and saute until chicken is cooked through about 1 minute. Remove from heat. Add butter and stir until melted. drain linguine; place in large bowl. Add chicken mixture and 1/2 cup Parmesan. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup basil and if desired more of the cook Garlic. Serve with Parmesan.

** If you'd like to still serve bread with this then try an Italian Loaf or Rosemary Loaf, they can be found in the bakery area next to all the regular bread and in with the breads made in the store and are round . Cut the loaf into slices (or ask if the baker can cut it them and/or the deli will usually slice it for free for you) and put a little olive oil on each side and cook on a skillet add a little rosemary and Italian seasoning for some great added flavor before you put it down on the skillet.

This is a picture of when I made it for Valentines Dinner, I made a Salad with Strawberries and a homemade Strawberry Vinaigrette Dressing then we just sliced the bread without any seasonings on it. You can make it for any kind of setting, a Nice family dinner or just a regluar laid back dinner.

** Labels & Soda **

One of the most important things about making a difference in your life and not making changing your food habits a diet and instead making it a lifestyle is to learn how to read labels. It was life changing for me when I realized what I was putting into my body. It is so important to read labels for so many reasons.

Diets don't work, as soon as you stop eating what the Diet tells you to you will gain all that weight back and sometimes more. The only way to keep the weight off is to make it a full change and don't ever stop eating healthy yummy food. I am one of those annoying people you get stuck behind in in the aisles of the Grocery Store that is reading every label I pick up and going back and forth comparing them to other brands of the same product. I wouldn't have it any other way though, it has made a huge difference in my life. It is so very important to read and see how much sugar is in something and also sodium. It could fit in the calories you want for that meal but the sodium and/or sugar could be out of the roof. Also just because it says Light or Diet doesn't mean it's something you should be eating. Always look at the ingredients themselves and if Sugar, Corn Syrup or anything like that is in the first few ingredients its probably something you should put down. A big one to make sure to look at the label is Yogurts. They are actually good for you but some of them are loaded with extra sugars so just make sure you are getting the right one. A thing of yogurt and some fruit makes a wonderful breakfast!

Getting healthy isn't just about losing weight its about maintaining a healthy weight for you that you are comfortable with and feel your best at. Every person is different and every person needs to have a personal goal of what they want. A HUGE thing though is to stop drinking soda! Yep I said it, even if its Diet Soda it needs to go bye bye! At no time do I keep soda in my house, not for Dinner Parties or anything else. If you have a hard time drinking just straight water then add a little slice of lemon or lime to it or even cut up some cucumbers into a pitcher of water its so nice and refreshing and this is coming from someone who is just starting to introduce veggies into her food groups! You can also freeze some berries into ice cubes with water and put that in your pitcher of water so you get a nice berry taste to your water. So many options! You can also drink Green Tea they have so many flavors to pick from and they are so much better for you then a soda is even a diet soda.

Fresh Start

Well its time to start living a healthier life and I'm sure I'm not the only person who is ready to get a healthier more active life! I grew up in a very active household and have been playing sports since I was 4 years old. Before that I was for the most part raised on the UofA Track. Well 3 kids later and with my 3rd pregnancy a total of 6 months of bed rest and a year after that of no working out makes for 18 long months for my body to fall apart! I have along the way tried to start and shortly after starting got a stress fracture in my foot and was back to square one. A few months after that I found out I have a very extreme Vitamin D deficiency along with other vitamin problems. I am now trying to get in 2000iu of Vitamin D a day along with a multi vitamin, Caltrate D, Amino Acid, Iron and I have a feeling I'm forgetting a few!
Let me just say that making sure your body has enough vitamins is huge in feeling better. A lot of these vitamins give you the energy you need to be able to get a good work out in and get you feeling better and more energetic. Instead of having the feeling of I'm just going to sit here cause I'm to tired to get up and do anything you will want to get up and be active.
So the 1st step to getting healthy is to get your vitamins in! If you think you may have a Vitamin deficiency then head on over to your Dr and ask for your levels to be checked, make sure they are checking your Vitamin D as well.