Made to Crave: A Verse That Calls Me to Action

Hello!!! I've been so busy lately I haven't written anything in over a year!!!! Between grad school and wedding planning my blog (among other things I enjoy) have fallen by the wayside.  As you know, losing weight and being healthy has been something I have constantly had to work on and struggle with.  Through Proverbs 31 Ministries I found an online bible study for women having this same issue called Made to Crave!!!  This week is our week of #ACTION!  Today we're doing a photo hop where we share a verse that calls us to action and gives us encouragement.  One that I CONSTANTLY turn to is Philippians 4:6-7

This verse has given me so much hope and encouragement over the years, and I hope it will do the same for you.  Ready. Set. #ACTION

Wordless Wednesday- Fitness

ZUMBA!

Okay, I FINALLY tried Zumba. My absolutely wonderful mother got me the Zumba Exhilarate DVD set! I tried it for the first time today and I LOVE it!!!!!

I never look forward to working out- it's always annoying and sometimes painful, and even though I feel better after I hate doing all that "work." THANKFULLY, Zumba is so much fun!!! It's a workout (that's for sure) but the dancing and the music make you forget you're exercising (besides the sweat and the difficulty breathing lol)!

I am not the most coordinated or agile person in the world. And, somehow, I lost the rhythm I used to have in high school (or maybe it was all in my head). But, Zumba is super easy! I don't get ALL the steps quite right, but it doesn't matter if you're having fun with it! It's great cardio and it works EVERYTHING! What I really love is that I can do these DVDs in the privacy of my living room so I don't look like an idiot LOL. I get really self-conscious when I go to workout classes, and this is the first time I've tried Zumba. I usually tire really quickly when I workout, but, surprisingly, this didn't happen with Zumba! In fact, after an hour of learning the moves and 30 minutes of full-out working out I still wanted to keep going! Unfortunately, I can't just stop my life LOL.

I look forward to continuing using this and getting better at the moves! This makes me actually want to work out! I can't wait to try some of the harder stuff! If you hate working out like me I definitely think you should try it. I don't know how you could NOT love it!!

Here's the link to get the DVDs -> http://www.zumba.com/shop/category/dvd_s/

Also, there's Zumba for Wii, which is a less expensive option. I haven't tried it but I bet it's just as fun! ->
http://www.zumba.com/en-US/shop/category/video_game/214/

Chicken Caesar Salad

This past week I got to see my best friend in New Orleans for the first time in over a month, and she was gracious enough to make me dinner. This isn't my recipe but it's super easy and delicious, and I will definitely make it soon! She gave me permission to post it, so here it is!!

It's 8 Weight Watcher Points+, and it is really filling!
What You'll Need for One Serving
3 oz piece of chicken breast (1-2 chicken tenders)
Cajun seasoning (Tony's is what I use)
Garlic powder
Romaine Lettuce
~2 Tbsp Parmesan Cheese
a few grape tomatoes
a few texas toast Caesar croutons (1 serving)
2 Tbsp Light Caesar Dressing

Lay chicken on a plate and season both sides with cajun seasoning and garlic powder. On a George Foreman grill- grill chicken for about 5 minutes, or until fully cooked. Toss together lettuce, cheese, croutons, and tomatoes. Add chicken and dressing and ENJOY!!
I love this dish, and I'm not a huge salad fan. It's really good, and it's quick and easy- which is great for someone like me with a very busy schedule!
I hope you like it!

Baked Chicken Fries

Ok, time to switch it up a bit. Along with tilapia, chicken is a big part of my diet. I eat chicken all the time, so I get bored when it's always the same. I remember getting chicken fries in the cafeteria in grade school and they were sooooo good! But, trying to lose weight does not exactly permit for frequent indulgence in fried foods (too bad, huh?). Thankfully, I found a recipe for BAKED chicken fries that are just as delicious!! They're still not the healthiest thing in the world but they are MUCH better than the real fried stuff.

They're 8 Weight Watchers PointsPlus for 4 ounces of chicken.
Here's what you'll need
Chicken breast cut into long thin strips (I use tenderloins and just cut them up)
EVOO
chicken/poultry seasoning
1-2 eggs depending on the amount of chicken (I've used egg beaters which still work fine, but fresh eggs work much better)
Breadcrumbs

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a medium sized bowl add in sliced chicken strips. Mix in EVOO, seasonings, salt and pepper- mix well. Break eggs in a small bowl and beat well. Spread breadcrumbs on a plate. Dip strips in egg then coat generously in breadcrumbs. Place on foil-covered baking sheet (I use nonstick reynolds wrap). Bake 15-20 minutes or until fully cooked and brown.
ENJOY!
I usually eat these by themselves, but they're also good with some simple mac and cheese (unfortunately not so great for us dieters) or some buttery broccoli (I used green giant broccoli steam packets).

Thanks for visiting! I'd love to hear how you liked it!!

Almost 18 pounds gone! I should be more than halfway to my goal by May!!!

More Tilapia!

As a broke college student, I am on a very tight budget. Some weeks are easier than others- none of them are terribly hard, though (thanks to my WONDERFUL mother!) However, this week I was on a bit of a tighter budget than usual to make sure I could afford my drive to New Orleans and my valentine's things for Will. So, since I had a lot of frozen tilapia left in my freezer I decided to make it again for dinner to avoid spending money unnecessarily on groceries.

I'm a southern girl, and that means I love fried food. Unfortunately, fried food doesn't exactly like me back. The baked tilapia I made last week was delicious! But, I needed to switch it up a bit. Although this is not a Weight Watchers recipe, it is a healthy one that is diet friendly! I got the recipe from the SparkRecipes App on my iPhone (from Sparkpeople.com). It's delicious and only 5 points for a big filet! This Delicious Dish Tuesday (as brought to you by Full Time Mama) is Crunchy Oven "Fried" Tilapia!

Makes 4 servings
What you'll need:
4 four ounce tilapia filets (1lb)
3 egg whites (I used egg beaters this time. It worked fine, but regular eggs work better in my opinion)
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp cajun seasoning (Tony's is by FAR my favorite)
1 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
Fat Free Butter Spray

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In one bowl, whip egg whites until somewhat frothy. In another bowl, combine breadcrumbs, cheese, and seasonings. Dip each filet first in the egg whites and then coat evenly with crumbs. Spray a cookie sheet with butter spray (or use reynold's non-stick foil), then spritz the top of the fish as well. Bake 8-10 minutes on 400 until fish flakes easily with fork.
Than, Viola! Crispy like the fried stuff without all of the fat and calories!

I served this with a simple side of pasta- with just a little bit of butter, olive oil, seasoning and sprinkles of breadcrumbs- and it was delicious! I will definitely be making this regularly!

Weight is falling off slowly but surely! Thanks for all the support!
Let me know how you like it! ;)

Ready to See a Change

Like many others my new years resolution is to get in shape again and be a healthy weight. I'm doing this not only to look better but also feel better- physically, mentally, and emotionally.

As I have said, I've been using the Weight Watchers PointsPlus program. It is fantastic! I knew I would do well with it because it worked for me before, and the best part is I can still pretty much eat whatever I want... in moderation, of course.

I know that the only way to lose weight and keep it off is to do it in a healthy way at a slow pace. But this pace is too slow for my liking. I know I'm not the only one who is dreading spring break (less than 3 months away!). Although I'm excited for the beach and time with friends, the thought of getting into a bathing suit makes me want to both cry and vomit simultaneously.

This semester- especially til March- is really busy and hectic and I can seldom find time or energy to work out. I don't even have time to watch TV- and anyone who knows me can tell you that that is especially odd. If I can't make TV time you can bet your bottom dollar that workout time is even slimmer. However, I need to see some change. As nice as it is having my friends tell me that I'm looking thinner- I don't see it at all, and the scale only sees it a little bit at a time. I've got to get some heavy-duty workouts in soon if I want to avoid getting sick at the thought of a bathing suit. So, I'm hoping to at least get 3-4 high-powered workouts in a week (motivation appreciated). After I come home from Atlanta in a couple of weeks I'll have the big Zumba workout (thanks Mom!!) so that will at least be something. Until then I'll have to find something else- and fast. This fat won't burn itself off.

Stay tuned for my progress- and I'll let you know what workouts work best for me! Please give any suggestions!!! They're very much appreciated!