Reflection Friday

"I do not think much of a man who is not wiser today than he was yesterday." -Abraham Lincoln

It's our last weekend of this challenge!  Based on Amy C.'s comment earlier this week about how her thought processes have changed when she thinks more now about what she's going to eat, I'd love to hear all of your reflections on how your body and your mind have changed over the last almost 6 weeks.  How is the new you different from the old you?  What have you changed about the way you think about healthy living?

Check out this article about changing our thought processes to effectively lose weight and keep it off: The Weight Loss Solution: Think Thin.

What do you like or not like about this article? Anything you can pick out that applies to your situation specifically?

I liked these especially:

• "When [they] reach a plateau or lose motivation, ... welcome the opportunity to ... be honest with themselves about the areas in which they can do better. Since hurdles and dwindling motivation are certain to happen both at camp and at home, teens learn creative ways to reconnect with their goals and experiment with new weight loss strategies." 
• "Negative affirmations can be replaced with a new, encouraging internal dialogue such as “It won’t be easy, but I can do it.”"
• "Thoughts lead to emotions, and emotions lead to actions...By changing the thought processes, we can control the bingeing and emotional eating. That is the process of lifestyle change." 
• But the best of all is ths one: "Long-term weight loss is as much about thinking thin as it is about looking thin." 

So what do you think it means to "think thin?"

Make it a phenomenal weekend, you thin hottie you :)

Feel the Burn Thursday!

"Believe that you can run father or faster.  Believe that you're young enough, old enough, strong enough, and so on to accomplish everything you want to do.  Don't let worn out beliefs stop you from moving beyond yourself."    -John Bingham, "Tools and Rules," Runner's World

Sub in whatever workout you like doing for the word "run" in the quote above, and you could sub in "excuses" for "worn out beliefs."  Believe you can do it and do it :)  Amy C., I'm so happy you were able to be an inspiration for your nurses group! 

How are the Pushups & Situps challenges going for you?  My knee pushups are getting harder, that's for sure, but I'm proud to say I've made a lot of progress in my arm and shoulder strength :)

So you may have heard that strength training, resistance training, or weight lifting will increase your metabolism and cause you to burn more calories while resting- heck I even posted an article about that at the beginning of this challenge- sorry.  Well, it kind of will, but just a couple calories more, nothing huge.  This really cool article points out that it's a myth that 40 mins of strength training will burn more calories than cardio work, but the real kicker for losing weight is reducing your calorie intake and getting in great runs/walks/cardio.  This article points out that it's a myth that you can weight train away a specific spot (i.e. saddlebags, spare tire, etc.), but that fat loss actually is a body-wide thing.  Weight train and do cardio for your entire body and you'll see the results.  This article points out that weight lifting or resistannce training is important to maintain your lean muscle while dieting, but that it's not the sole solution for weight loss.  You've got to still get in great sweaty cardio sessions and reduce your calorie intake. 

So, the bottom line?  We all are AMAZING with our 1) watching our calorie intake, 2) watching our calorie expenditures in workouts and 3) toning our bodies/preserving muscles with pushups and situps. 

Keep on rocking, ladies!  You're all doing so great!

Whatcha Eatin' Wednesday

Good morning, ladies!  Thanks for all your wonderful comments and also for voting in the poll.  Looks like 11/23 is winning by a landslide, but we'll wait and see what it looks like come Monday.  I came across this saying in a John Maxwell book and thought it was neat, "Pessimists and optimists usually get what they expect."  So what are you expecting out of this last week of the challenge?  And similarly, about our interactions in our day being positive or negative, "Your interaction with others sets the tone of your day.  It's like the music of your life.  When your interaction with others is poor, it's like having to listen to cacophonous music.  But when you place a high value on people and you treat them well, it's like listening to a sweet melody as you go through your day."  I for one love the interactions on this blog.  When I'm on here, or when I read your comments, it's like my tank is getting refueled.  But then when I turn away from the computer screen and back into real life....well...sometimes it's hard to remember positive vibes.  Sometimes the resolve and determination are clouded out.  Try really hard today to carry the positive feelings you get from this group of awesome ladies out into the rest of your day.  Share with us how you find ways to do that!

Ok, onto the yummy healthy goodness :)  Share what you've been eating lately or share a good recipe!  I'm trying Kim's shredded chicken this week w/ avocado, lettuce, and black beans in whole wheat tortillas w/ fresh lime juice.  There are 2 recipes here that I wanted to share that I've done in the past and just put on the menu for this week (went grocery shopping last night:) ).

Steak Salad w/ Lemon Walnut Vinaigrette
(originally from Shape or Fitness this spring)
3 oz steak
1 lemon juiced
1 T olive oil
2 T walnuts
1 t dijon mustard
3 cups baby spinach
Grill or broil steak until it reaches about 160 degrees F (medium done) and slice.  In a food processor (I use the magic bullet) pulse the lemon juice, walnuts, and mustard until smooth.  Toss spinach and steak slices with dressing.  Serve w/ whole grain roll. (Serves 1)

Chile Chicken and Basil
(originally from Men's Health in March 2009)
1 lb boneoless, skinless chicken breast
2 serrano chiles
1 t soy sauce
2 cups fresh basil
1 T fish sauce (I left this out)
3 cloves garlic
1/2 T peanut oil or canola oil (I used sesame oil)
1 t sugar
1 tsp fresh cracked pepper
1/2 T red chili paste
Brown rice
Whole-wheat tortillas
Chop the garlic and chiles finely.  Then use the side of your knife to press them together into a rough paste. Add a pinch of salt to make this process easier.  Preheat a wok or stainless-steel saute pan over medium-high heat.  Add the oil and the garlic-chile paste you just made and fry for 2-3 minutes, being careful not to burn the garlic.  Chop the chicken into small pieces and add them to the pan, cooking them until they're lightly browned, about 3-4 minutes.  Add the soy sauce, fish sauce, chili paste, and sugar- continue to cook until the chicken is done all the way through, another 3-4 minutes.  Add the pepper and basil and cook until the basil is just wilted, about 2 minutes.  Serve immediately.  Makes 4 servings. Serve with 1/2 each of steamed bok choy and prepared brown rice (I serve w/ brown rice & tortillas instead, eaten fajita style).

Can't wait to hear what yummies you ladies have been up to!

Tuesday Motivation

We all fight our own battles, but check out this article about getting back on the bandwagon after a setback: Dieting Setbacks: How to Get Back on Track After Regaining Weight.  Again, the best measurements of progress are not the scale but the way clothes fit and how your body measures.  Don't despair if you've gained- we all have weeks like that.  Don't use one rough weigh-in as an excuse to let the whole week spiral down the loo- you can start fresh right away.  You are in charge of your decisions and your body.  Don't be so rough on yourself- you're all pretty darn awesome :)  It's a marathon, not a sprint.  She who holds on longest will hit her goals and find success :)  Here's to a great last week!!!!!

Monday Check-in

End of 5 weeks! I can't believe how fast it's flown. How have you
done this past week? Did you have a good weekend? Can't wait to
hear!!!