"SLIM IN 6" DVD Giveaway

Today was the first snow day of the season! I got snowed in, so I had plenty of time to do something I have been wanting to do for a while. Since I have gotten so much love and support from my You Tube subscribers, I have decided to have a giveaway to show my appreciation.

I will be giving away a "SLIM IN 6" DVD and a resistance band to one of my You Tube subscribers.

http://www.beachbody.com/slimin6

For those of you that also follow me here in Blogger, your entry counts twice!! So click the link below and watch the "Thank you, subscribers..." video to find out the rules and how to enter!

http://www.youtube.com/freshfoodiefitness

Contest ends December 28, 2009.

Incorporating new videos into your workout regimen is a great way to "Keep it fresh"! ;0)

Fresh Foodie Find: Soup so good I blogged about it

Garden Vegetable Soup

Well, I can hardly claim to have "found" it. I've been hearing about it for years: "Weight Watchers' Zero Point Soup". Seriously. It's practically legendary. I've tried Weight Watchers* several times in the past, and- even though I love soup- have always steered clear of this one. People would rave of it's deliciousness and I would turn my nose up at it after merely reading the recipe-I never was a fan of cabbage.

But in my new-found efforts to be a "Fresh Foodie"- and try to eat more of a variety of fruits and veggies- I started incorporating cabbage into my diet. First, I tried it raw, mixing it in with my romaine salad. Surprisingly delicious. Then, when that became a habit and my weight loss slowed down just in time for winter, I remembered the soup. I crave soup this time of year. since I have a new respect for cabbage and eating a healthy variety of foods, I figured: "why not try the recipe and see if it's worth the hype?"

Well, it is definitely worth the hype. Soup so filling and delicious, I was compelled to blog about it. I was even inspired to create a new series: "Fresh Foodie Finds". If ever I am overwhelmed by the awesomeness of a recipe or product I've tried, I will let you guys know all about it. As we've already established, I LOVE FOOD.

So here's the recipe for Weight Watchers' Garden Vegetable Soup as I made it last night. Of course, as we all do in our own kitchens, I tweaked it to my liking. Hopefully you'll like it this way too! I added the marinated chicken breasts, took out the green beans and doubled the zucchini instead and added the cilantro. (NOTE: Adding chicken to the soup is optional, but if you decide to do so, it is no longer zero POINTS. I'm not on Weight Watchers, so I don't count POINTS. If you are, please found out how the chicken affects the POINTS value so you can track accordingly.)

Weight Watchers Garden Vegetable Soup (a la Fresh Foodie)

2/3 c sliced carrot
1/2 c diced yellow onion
2 minced garlic cloves
1 large diced chicken breast (marinated in mojo criollo for an hour)
3-4 c fat-free beef broth
1 1/2 c diced green cabbage
1 T italian herb tomato paste
1/2 t dried basil
1/2 t dried oregano
1/4 t salt
1 c diced zucchini
pepper to taste
1/4 c chopped fresh cilantro leaves


Spray a large saucepan with olive oil spray.
Saute the carrot, onion and garlic over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes.
Add chicken. Saute for 5 minutes more.
Add broth, cabbage, tomato paste, basil, oregano, salt and pepper.
Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer covered about 15-20 minutes.
Stir in the zucchini and heat for 3-4 more minutes.
Add cilantro and heat for 3-4 more minutes.
Serve hot. (I sprinkled mine with feta cheese, optional. Also adds to POINTS value.)


Serving size: 1 cup

Recipe makes 4 servings.

Enjoy!

* I am not affiliated with or endorsed by Weight Watchers in any way.

7 Day Kickstart Challenge- Day 7!!

Day 7- Sunday

The final day of my Kickstart Challenge has come and gone! I did not feel like working out today at all. As a matter of fact, I took a 2 hour nap. I guess three late nights in a row finally caught up with me. But I knew that I had to do it in order to make my workout goal for the week. So I made a deal with myself: no watching the shows in my HULU queue until I had done my 30 minutes of Cardio and 10 minutes of toning. It worked!

"Last Chance" WORKOUT-Since it was too cold and dark outside for a walk and I had already done Turbo Jam 2 days this week, I decided to do the 30 minute cardio of Hip Hop Abs. It was fun and the 30 minutes flew by. I followed up with 100 sit ups and upper body weight work, and I feel great. I feel great physically, but I also feel very proud of myself for meeting my goal since this week's goal included more workouts than usual.

Today's VLOG- http://www.youtube.com/freshfoodiefitness


WHAT I ATE

BREAKFAST-

Organic granola with skim milk and unsalted cashews

LUNCH

Lean/Lite Bacon cheeseburger and a Romaine Salad with almonds, feta, craisins

DINNER

Ezekiel Bread with Natural Peanut Butter and Honey, Skim Milk and Apple

WATER- over 110 oz

Tomorrow is my regular weekly weigh in day.

See you tomorrow for a weigh-in and challenge recap!

7 Day Kickstart Challenge Day 6

DAY 6- Saturday

Despite how much I dread the winter, I absolutely love winter clothes. Colorful hats and scarves, fashionable coats and high-heeled boots are so much fun to wear. (Besides, they work wonders for a girl's figure.) I had another great day, despite the cold, wet, rainyness outside. Since I had to be out in it today, I decided to dress in colors to offset the grey landscape.

Bonus: I had my first weight-loss related compliment today. My next door neighbor asked me how I've lost weight and how much I've lost. When I told her I'd lost about 12 pounds so far, she looked amazed. "Looks like so much more," she said. "you really look great."

It was so nice to see that someone had actually noticed the results of all my hard work these last 4 months. 12 pounds in 4 months may seem like a little to many people, but I worked hard for each and every one of those pounds. I am proud of what I have accomplished so far. Plus, I feel great knowing that I have the tools I need to succeed. It gives me the boost of confidence that I need to reach my goals.

Here's what I ate:

BREAKFAST

Organic Greek Yogurt with Low fat granola and Almond Milk

(not green juice and tea as shown)

SNACK

Wasa crackers, 2% colby jack, apple and orange

LUNCH

Grilled Tilapia and Cheese (made with 2% Colby Jack Cheese and Whole Wheat Sandwich Thins) and Romaine salad with walnuts, goat cheese and craisins

DINNER-Pizza Night at a friend's house.

Unfortunately I got to Dinner 3 1/2 hours late, only to find the menu had been changed to pizza.

2 slices of Domino's Pepperoni Pizza (blotted the grease as much as possible)

One very small sliver of a Butterscotch Pumpkin Pie that I took to the party

WORKOUT
Turbo Jam (20 min) and Turbo Sculpt (40 min) in honor of Twitter's #turbothon day!!!

WATER- 110 oz

I have not been home in time to make my rest goal the past few nights, but I have been out living life and I know that's just what I've been needing to beat these winter blues!

TODAY's VLOG- http://www.youtube.com/freshfoodiefitness

See you tomorrow!! :D

7 Day Kickstart Challenge- Day 5

DAY 5- Friday

Everyday vloggers, this idea was genius. I have not changed anything about my plan. I have not decided to workout everyday, or eliminate major food groups from my diet. I don't even weigh-in everyday. All I have decided to do is show the world what I am doing on a daily basis, and it really helps keep me on track. I feel so successful and happy with how I have done so far.

But this is about the time of the week when I start to feel a slight panic about what the scale will say come Monday morning. I have a night out with the girls tonight and ahead of me; the dieter's nightmare: the unpredictable weekend. How will that effect my progress? Have I even made progress? Should my progress be measured only by the number on the scale? All of these questions run thru my head when the weekend approaches.

Part of the idea of my five factor approach to weight loss is that I only have control over four of the factors. I can control my diet, exercise, water intake and the amount of rest I get. But it's that fifth factor that I use to measure my long term goals. Despite that, I need to remind myself of the fact that no matter what the scale reads come Monday morning, this Kickstart Challenge has already been a success. I have regained my focus, improved my mood, treated my body well. I feel strong, optimistic and, believe it or not, even a little bit slimmer.

Here's what I ate:

BREAKFAST

Organic Natural Peanut Butter on Ezekiel Raisin Bread and Green Juice

(not almond milk as shown)

SNACK

Wasa Crackers, 2% Colby Jack, Apple, Orange

LUNCH

Romaine Salad with Almonds, Dried Cranberries, Feta Cheese and Soy Ginger Dressing.

DINNER- TREAT MEAL!! :) At a Cuban restaurant. ohhhh my, was this delicious......

(Sorry about the lighting, it was dark in there and my flash was too harsh)

Appetizer

Cup of Cuban Chicken Soup

Entree

Lechon (Slow Roasted Pork); Arroz Congris (Black Beans and Rice); Maduros (Ripe Cooked Plantain Slices)

Dessert

Tiramisu (1/2 of shown) and Cuban Hot Chocolate

Workout- Today is a rest day from working out, but I got a bonus 20 min workout in busting my moves on the dance floor.

WATER- 120 oz

Here's the link to the Day 5 Vlog http://www.youtube.com/freshfoodiefitness

See you tomorrow!!! :-)

7 Day Kickstart Challenge- Day 4

DAY 4- THURSDAY...

Hi Guys!! Sorry my blog is late, I went to a show last night and got home too late.



The Evening Muse


1-Matt Lowell; 2-Tony Lucca



1- Josh Hoge; 2- Britten

The bad news is, I got into bed an hour late and missed my bedtime goal last night. The good news is, I had so much fun!! The show was great and it was a much needed night out. Also, I still managed to get a good workout in and make great eating choices.


For my workout, I did Turbo Jam "Cardio Party" (40 minutes).

Go here to see my workout:

http://www.youtube.com/freshfoodiefitness

Here's what I ate:

BREAKFAST-


Organic Greek Yogurt with Lowfat Granola and Green Juice

Lunch-


I did my workout on my lunch break, so my lunch was light.

DINNER-



Romaine Salad with Turkey Pepperoni, Feta Cheese, Almonds, Dried Cranberries


Plus, 100 oz of water!


This was a really good day!



See you tomorrow!! :)

7 Day Kickstart Challenge- Day 3

DAY 3- Wednesday

Today was a cold, wet, nasty day. From the time I stepped out of my house this morning for work, to the time I walked in this evening, the rain and wind never let up and the sun never came out. But my spirits weren't dampened just because my feet were. I kept a positive outlook all day, and stuck to my plan. (I even turned down a cupcake and passed up the cookies at Subway without the slightest hesitation. To my surprise, I actually didn't even want them.)

Me at work feeling positive despite the gloomy weather :)

See my Kickstart Challenge Day 3 Video at http://www.youtube.com/freshfoodiefitness

I had the bright idea to make a breakfast recipe video this morning (which made me even later for work than usual). I bumbled thru it this time; I hope the next one will be better...

BREAKFAST-

Bacon, Egg (Whites) and Cheese Sandwich and Green Juice

See the video on how I made this at http://www.youtube.com/freshfoodiefitness

LUNCH-

Subway Meatball Marinara, Sunchips, Spinach Salad, Apple

SNACK-

Reduced Fat Colby Jack Cheese, Wasa Crackers, Orange

DINNER-

Romaine Salad w/ feta cheese, almonds, dried cranberries & soy ginger dressing

Plus 100 oz of water!!

Today was a rest day from workouts.

I went to bed on time and got a good night's rest again last night...

hmmm...maybe that has something to do with my positive attitude. haha

See you tomorrow!

7 Day Kickstart Challenge- Day 2

Day 2- Tuesday

I am feeling great today. I am feeling positive, optimistic, energetic, in control...dare I say it...happy. I honestly believe that after 7 days of doing this challenge, it doesn't matter what the scale says; I will be a success. Not only for getting back on track with my healthier lifestyle, but for taking control and fighting back as hard as I can against my Seasonal Depression. I know that I can't just make it go away with a couple of salads and a walk in the park, but at least don't feel quite as helpless and hopeless when I know I am doing all I can to minimize its effects.

I've been trying to set smaller goals to give myself something to look forward to and help keep me in line during these winter months. For one thing, I am less than 9 pounds away from "ONEderland". I have to admit, when I was first introduced to the phrase I rolled my eyes and swore to never call it that. But the closer I get the more anxious I am to get there. There is this part of me that is yearning to be able to say, "I've lost over 20 pounds, I weigh ONE...." Oh it's been so long since I have been there and I am longing to get back. This challenge is designed to remind me to stay focused and do what it takes to get there, and beyond.

TODAY'S WORKOUT
Today I met my friend at the park after work and we walked together for 40 minutes. Not that I don't have some great tunes in my mp3 player, but it's nice to have the company and the conversation every once in a while...





WHAT I ATE


Breakfast-

Organic Greek Yogurt and Granola with cashews and dried cranberries, Green Juice, Constant Comment Tea


Snack-

Reduced fat Colby Jack Cheese and Wasa Crackers (only ate half the amount of cheese and crackers shown here), Apple, Orange

Lunch-

Subway 6' Toasted Ham and Cheese, chips and salsa, Romaine and Spinach Salad

Dinner-

French Toast (made with 2 eggs, skim milk, Ezekiel bread), Syrup, Decaf Vanilla Hazelnut Tea

Plus 100 oz of water!

I also went to bed on time last night, so I'm off to a good start! :)

See you tomorrow :)