My Math Diet

That title has two words that most people don't like but I've had several friends ask me how I lost weight this year and have kept it off so I'm going to break it down. I lost about 25 lbs in 6 months and have kept it off for the past 3-4 months since I've been home.

I've had people assume that it was super easy to lose weight since I was deployed for 6 months away from the normal fast food temptations in America but there were people over there who gained weight. I believe it really wasn't that different than doing the same thing here. It always comes down to choices.

Our unit was encouraging people to use this time to set and achieve fitness goals while we were over there. When I first arrived, I weighed myself and was excited to get started. I started making what I thought were healthier choices in the dining facility and working out in the gym. I used the treadmill and the elliptical and did some free weights. A couple of weeks into it, I weighed myself again and hadn't made any progress. I was frustrated and more determined to figure this out. I remembered that there are a host of studies showing that people who keep a food journal lose more weight so I started recording everything in MyFitnessPal. I figured out that some of those healthier choices I thought was making were quite the opposite. I started reading the message boards on MyFitnessPal and learning some little tips and tricks as well as how to use the website/app to its full potential.

One of the girls in my section was teaching a spin class and invited me. I was reluctant because I used to belong to a gym and walk by the spin classes and never wanted to try it. It was dark, there was loud dance music going, people were screaming and it overall it just seemed like a sweaty, creepy rave.  I went anyway and was surprised to discover I didn't hate it. I liked the music she chose and the bike was showing an incredible number of calories burned. The thing I like about MyFitnessPal is that you get to set how much weight you lose, put in what you eat, and then you get to "eat back" your calories burned though exercise. So if I can eat 1300 calories/day to lose a pound/week, then I burn 500 calories in spin class, I can eat 1800 calories that day. It inspired me to keep working out more. I usually attended 2-3 classes a week. We joined a gym since I returned home and I still do spin 2 times a week.

I also started running and walking more. I worked up to a 5k from January to March, made it to running a 10k by May and was able to run/walk a half marathon by June. I usually ran 2 days a week and walked a couple of nights as well listening to podcasts.  I was not and am still not fast. I did the 10k in 1hr 10min or so. It burned a ton of calories though and it was great being part of a team that cheered me on to run the 10k and half.  I'm planning on run/walking another half marathon with my husband in a few months.

So what did I eat? I basically ate whatever I wanted that fit in my MyFitnessPal allotted calories. I learned to make some substitutions so that I could eat more. I learned that I like a Coke Zero with a twist of lime as much as a Dr Pepper. I learned that I can't eat as much mayo as I wish. I will sacrifice mayo for mustard if it means I can have ice cream. Condiments can really cut into your daily calories. Portion sizes are also important to watch. I focused on foods that filled me up and I still enjoyed eating. I really watched beverages because that is an easy place (juice, frappaccinos, etc) to use up all your calories and still be hungry.

An average day for me looked like this:

Breakfast: big cup of cereal (Honey Nut Cheerios were a great go-to with less calories) and coffee
Snack: banana
Lunch: grilled chicken salad with full fat ranch (lite ranch tastes like sadness)
Dinner: turkey burger with cheese and a side of veggies and Coke Zero
Dessert: Breyer's ice cream

Now, I eat pretty much what I want but I keep working out. My mantra is that you have to "change your plate to lose weight, but you have to train to maintain". I just got out of spin class and tomorrow I will run. Last night my husband and I walked 2 miles. It gives us a good time to talk. I weigh myself daily and make choices based on that. I look up nutritional information when I can on my favorite restaurants and look for better choices that I will still enjoy.  You can cut your calories in half with some simple choices eating out. Good example from McAlister's: I can have the Southwest Turkey Melt and Southwest vegetable soup for 500 calories or the Reuben and broccoli cheese soup for 760 calories. Throw a full calorie drink in and it is easy to get to 1000 calories for one meal. Most of the sauces at Chick-fil-A are really high calorie. I used to use 2 packet of Chick-fil-A sauce which is 280 calories! Craziness! Knowledge is power.

So I call this the Math Diet is because that's really all it is. Calories in minus calories out. People kept seeing the weight come off and asking how I was doing it and I just would say, "Math!"

Cherry Pecan Cookies

I've been meaning to blog about this recipe for a long time and I'm finally getting around to it. This is the perfect cookie recipe if you need to make a very large batch or are just looking for something very different than a standard chocolate chip. They also are great for a Christmas cookie exchange because the red color makes them so festive. They are very soft if you take them out quickly enough before they get too crisp and they cherry flavor is a hit with kids. I love them any time of year and I just made a batch the other day with my littles. This is a family recipe and what I love is how simple it is. It actually is a modification of a very famous old cookie recipe. It originally started as the "Prize Cookies" recipe from None Such Mincemeat but we aren't much of a mincemeat family so we throw in what we like. 

1 cup shortening (I used the butter flavored sticks)

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 eggs

3 cups flour

1 t baking soda

1/2 t salt

8 oz maraschino cherries chopped

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 375. Beat shortening and sugar until fluffy then add eggs. Mix flour, salt and baking soda separately then slowly add to shortening mixture. Fold in cherries and pecans.  Drop rounded teaspoonsful onto greased cookie sheets about 2 inches apart and bake for about 10 minutes until they just start to turn golden on top.

Should make about 6 dozen. 

1 Roast, 2 Amazing meals

So I love saving money and time on dinner while making things still delicious.  Here is a super easy way to make one roast into two yummy dinners.

First, start with one of the easiest slow cooker recipes ever.  Take a roast, a three pounder would be great.  Put it in the slow cooker and liberally cover with some garlic powder.  Then pour in half to a whole jar of these:

Sliced Peperoncinis/banana peppers.  I used a half jar with juice this time because I don't want it too spicy for my kids.  It really wasn't spicy at all using half the jar.

Now cook for 8 hours on low and then shred...that part will be easy.

First meal-Italian Beef Sandwiches:  I use hoagie rolls and fill them full of this shredded roast goodness, top with some provolone cheese and toast in the oven on about 400 degrees for 5 minutes.  Top with mayo, tomatoes, etc.  Serve with a salad and oven fries.  I "borrowed" the pic above from this blog where she shows making a very similar version of my sandwiches.

Second meal-Street Tacos: Use the leftover shredded roast in warm corn tortillas and top with avocado, pico de gallo and cheese and serve with rice and beans.

Best part?  All of this can be purchased very inexpensively from Aldi!  I have never had a bad roast from their meat department.

Reheating pizza 2.0

So like a lot of people, if we had leftover pizza, I used to zap it in the microwave for a minute or use the magical pizza button.  But as you know, doughy things just get doughier (if that is a word) in the microwave.  I saw this tip somewhere and gave it a try and it is awesome.  I will never use the microwave for heating up leftover pizza again!

The stovetop!  It works!  It crisps up the crust and heats up the toppings just enough.   I just cook it on medium for a few minutes.  I even flip it and cook the toppings side for just a minute to get the cheese all gooey again.  This was some yummy New York style pizza from a local place and it was great last night but even better for lunch because the pan made the crust perfectly crispy!

Enjoy!

7 Can Tortilla Soup

So cheap, so easy and quick.  I make this usually with cheese quesadillas for a great lunch or dinner.  Great topped with cheese, sour cream and or chopped avocado...and of course crushed tortilla chips!

1 can diced tomatoes with green chilis (Rotel)
1 can corn
1 can pinto beans
1 can black beans
1 can white meat chicken breast
2 cans chicken broth

Dump all in a pot, undrained...bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes.  Add any seasonings to fit your tastes.  I love the cilantro cubes you can find in the Mexican food section.  I also usually add diced onions and garlic but all are optional!

What we eat

So here are my most cooked meals every month.  Some with links to the recipes.  I think I may try one major grocery shopping trip for the month to buy most of the ingredients and I may even start cooking some ahead of time and freezing them so things go smoothly after school gets going.  Having a meal in the freezer keeps me from running out to a restaurant.  If a recipe involves ground beef we usually use ground turkey and look for other substitutions in these recipes to save fat/calories/salt.

Potato Soup with Paninis
Waffles and Turkey Bacon (thanks to this magic machine and the waffle plates)
Beef Stew and homemade bread
Slow Cooker Pot Roast, Mashed potatoes and Veggies
Ham and Homemade Mac and Cheese
Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes and Veggies
Grilled Salmon, Rice, Salad
Our Favorite Chicken, Rice, Veggies
Mostaccioli, Salad
Chili with Cornbread Muffins
Taco Salad
Stuffed Peppers with Veggies
Chicken and Dumplings and Salad
Tacos or Burritos with Rice and Beans
Spaghetti with Salad and Garlic Bread
Sloppy Joes with Sweet Potato Fries
Slow Cooker Tortilla Soup with Quesadillas
Slow Cooker Italian Beef Sandwiches with Steak Fries and Veggies
Baked Flounder/Cod/etc with Rice and Steamed Broccoli
Stir Fry Chicken or Beef with Rice (frozen stir fry veggies with the meat with this and then I make fried rice)
Marinated Grilled Chicken with Rice and Veggies


I usually try 2-5 new recipes every month so those are somewhere in the rotation and we eat out occasionally.
Share your family favorites!

You know you want some mac and cheese

I make great macaroni and cheese.  It took years of experimenting but I believe I have perfected it.  I'm sharing this with the world so here it is...

First, boil and drain 2 cups macaroni noodles.
Then, make a roux.  You need a 1/4 cup butter and 1/4 cup flour.  Stir together for about a minute and then gradually add in 1 3/4 cups milk.  2 cups is too much.  1 1/2 is too thick.  1 and 3/4 cups is just right.

Next add the cheese.  I use about 1/4 lb Velveeta.  I have tried doing this the "right" way without American cheese but you just don't get the ooey gooey factor.  Then add 8 ozs of your favorite cheddar.  It should look like this

then stir and melt until it looks like this

Throw all the cooked and drained macaroni noodles in and stir to coat.  Pour in a casserole dish and top with whatever you like.  I like to take about 2 Tbs of melted butter and mix in some seasoned bread crumbs until it is crumbly and perfect and sprinkle that on top.  You can also use toasted bread, more cheese, or let your imagination run wild.

Here is how it looks when it comes out of a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes...YUM!!!

Finding joy in this diet

Let me start by saying that I'm thankful to be in the National Guard because I have to stay a healthy weight for my job.  Losing a job that you love is a powerful motivator to get and stay healthy.  I am exercising so that I can pass my fitness test but I knew that my eating habits needed to change as well.  I heard about the "Lose Baby Weight Diet" from Parents Magazine and decided to give it a shot.

I will be honest...I was really irritable about it at first.  I hate depriving myself and like most people I want to do what I want to do.  Then last night at Chili's I had a revelation.  I was ordering off the "Guiltless Grill" part of the menu when I really wanted an Oldtimer and fries with a side of ranch for ultimate fry dipping.  I was mad that I couldn't do what I wanted to do.  Then I looked at my kids.  I thought about what it would be like to be raised in a family that made really good food choices so that when you grew up you just automatically made those choices.  You splurged occasionally and indulged on holidays but for the most part, you made healthy food choices because it was just what you knew.

I'm thankful that I was raised at least halfway there.  We didn't grow up with fattening snacks around and we ate vegetables with dinner.  I just want to go even farther in that direction for my kids.  I want them to see me making good choices everyday and enjoying healthy foods not just enduring them.  I want them to see my husband and I exercising regularly because that is just what you do to take care of your body.

So it means I will have to be more intentional with what I eat...because it matters.  Not only for my job and the way I look in jeans but in how my kids will treat food for the rest of their lives.  I won't be on as strict of a diet forever but little changes add up and I want to be a good example for them in every area of my life.