Veggie Lasagna!

Yesterday, I made Veggie lasagna and it was very good.  Why veggie lasagna you ask?  Well, I am trying to make Mondays meatless in our house full of carnivores (Plus my kids just don't eat enough veggies.)  So Mondays are meatless until further notice from management me.  It was very scrumptous and each serving was only 206 calories, made 12 servings. Here is the recipe I made up followed:

Ingredients:

 Cooking spray 

 Barilla - Lasagna No Boil Noodles, 9 pieces

Italian Style Five Cheese Blend, shredded, 1 container (2 cup (28g) ea.)
Pasta Sauce: Tomato, Basil & Garlic, 1 container (2 1/2 cups ea.)
Onion - Raw, 1 cup, chopped
Olives, Ripe, Black -Sliced, 1 container (64 grams ea.)
Mushrooms - Raw, chopped (small container, I think it was 8 oz)
Squash, includes skin, raw, sliced medium Zucchini, includes skin, raw, sliced medium
Low-Fat Ricotta Cheese, 1 container (1 4/5 cups ea.) (I used Target brand for everything except the noodles. The olives say Kroger, but they were Target, odd.) Directions: Preheat oven to 375. Chop all the veggies and toss together in large mixing bowl. (I didn't layer my veggies individually because I was feeling lazy so I mixed them all together)  I used a 9x13 glass baking dish.  Sprayed the baking dish with cooking spray to prevent sticking. Spread pasta sauce on the bottom of pan (I used about 4 soup spoon fulls).  Lay 3 lasagna noodles side by side on the bottom of the pan, there might be spaces in betwen depending on your dish.  Spread 3 dollups of ricotta cheese covering the noodles.  Spread a few handfulls of veggies over the ricotta. Sprinkle a handful of the shredded cheese over the veggies.  Spread paste sause over cheese, about the same amount as before.  Then start over layering with noodles and lather, rinse, repeat.  Your last layer should be veggies covered with shredded cheese.  Pop it in the oven for about 35-45 minutes.  Then enjoy!! I used myfitnesspal.com to calculate the calories.  See screenshot below:

 

If you change the serving size to 8 people the calories are 309, which still isn't that bad. 

 

Hubby and I loved it, the girls liked it but once they discovered there wasn't any meat they weren't to happy.  (They still ate it of course, but there were faces made.)  The leftovers are wonderful.

 

Tonight is breakfast for dinner.  Eggs, bacon and whole wheat choco-chip pancakes! Yum!

 

Stefanie

One year.

One Year ago today, I set out on a journey to take back my body.  To lose all of my baby weight and get healthy again.  When the hubby and I got married (7 years ago) I weighed 145lbs.  I worked out all the time and was the healthiest I have ever been.  Then I had two kids and life took over.  I started 2011 weighing between 195-198lbs, depending on the day.  I was a size 14 but could squeeze into a 12, if I wanted to torture myself.  I didn't work out and was not happy with how I looked or felt.  It was time for a change & the journey began.

Before

After

While I would love to say that I met my goal weight of 145, I didn't.  But I sure did get to 148.5!! 

I have been @ 148.5 for the past 2 weeks.  I think my body likes it here.  I know I do!!  I feel like a different person.  I am currently wearing size 6 or 8 pants depending on the cut and style.  I can fit into a medium shirt and not feel like I'm trapped.  I'm not going to lie though, this journey has been tough.  There are days that I look in the mirror and still see 195lb me.  But I know it is in my head and I'm working on changing how I see myself.   I've come to terms with my body for the most part. I know that I will never look like I did when I was in high school, that was over 10 years ago, and my body has experienced a great deal of wonderful things to get me here and I'm happy here. 

 

So what's next?  Well, now I am going to start the maintaining process.  I am going to revamp my (and my familys) diet to maintain a health lifesytle from now on.  I also am going to continiue to train and exercise.  Let the journey to a health lifestyle begin!!

Week 2 of 52

When I started this new year and new blog, I had these grand plans of sitting down to the computer and blogging about myself and where I am in my journey to better myself, but to be honest, I just don't know what to write about or if what I have to say is interesting enough to put out here for all to see... Then I kick myself for not being accountable to, well, myself.  Here I am, a week late on my update but an update nonetheless.

Body update:

I started the HCG diet again, this is my fourth cycle. When I started the diet the first time in Feb 2011 I was roughly 195, you can read about my journey with weight loss here. It works but it's soo boring and hard.  I have been doing it for a little over two weeks. (Saturday will be 3 weeks) I plan to do 6 weeks or as long as I have drops.  How have I done this time? Egh, alright I guess.  I think my body is like "Really? This again?!?" and doesn't want to let go of the weight.  Have I cheated?  Yes, I have, only twice though.  My sweet tooth and those darn girl scout cookies have really gotten the best of me.  But I have given myself a do over, restarting my "no more sugar" resolution as of today. So keep your fingers crossed for me. :)  Well, I'm sure you all want to know more about results than anything else, so here you go:

January 1, 2012: 158

Pants:8
Shirts: M

Current Weight: 149
Pants:8
Shirts: M


(Not alot of change physically, the belly pouch is going down but that's about it.)

Workouts (so far!)
Monday- Day of rest

Tuesday- Cardio Hip Hop & abs at night before bed

Wednesday- Boot Camp and walked to get Zoe from school & abs at night before bed

Thursday- Kick Boxing

Friday- Boot Camp

Saturday- 1.5 mile run

Sunday- Day of rest!!

(My work out schedule Tues - Fri won't change unless I'm sick or the weather is bad.)

I haven't ran much while on the HCG diet, it's so hard to find the extra energy. I already feel like I'm running on fumes just to get through my workouts and the day to day stuff & It's too COLD outside.  Me + cold weather running = YUCK!  I do plan to pick up my run training in March.  I have tentatively scheduled my 5Ks and a 10K for the year and requested off from work.  I'm so excited to start training again!!! 


Mind Update:
I feel so scatter brained lately.  I have alot of things in my head that I feel like I need to get out but just don't know how.  Do you ever feel that way?


I was going to register for school, but realized I needed to do that, erm, yesterday. So I am planning to register for a mini-mester in March. I am currently reading "Heart of the matter" By Emily Giffin.  I love her books.   I think once I don't feel so scatter I will have more of an update but for now I'm doing good to remember to brush my teeth.

Family Life Update:
Life is pretty status quo at home right now.  We are working with Zoe on her reading and she is catching on very well.  She is also very into numbers right now, adding, subtracting, counting by 2,5 &10s.  We haven't gone to the park, as I mentioned before, it's too COLD!!  But Zoe has had playdates with a few friends and we are hoping for many more.   Ava is learning her ABC, which btw she HATES when I sing them to her. (My beautiful singing voice, maybe?)  I am actively potty training her, yesterday was a great potty day!  Only wet one diaper.  Today, she has done fairly well also. I am really trying to not open the new box of diapers we just bought, it would be so nice to return them!  Keep your fingers crossed for us!


How has your New Year treated you?  Have you already used your do over like I have?

The Beginning.

Welcome to 2012 Everyone!!  I'm starting the year off at work, but I plan on having some black eyed peas and hugging my girls really tight!  I don't officially start my diet until tomorrow (gotta have some peas and corn bread) but the rest of my resolutions start today.  Starting with tracking my body change progression, well no progression yet, just a starting off point! 

Here are my before pics:
Weight - 158
Pants - 8
Shirts - Medium

So here's to the beginning of 2012 and something beautiful!!

2012, the start of something beautiful

Recipe for a Happy New Year. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Anonymous

    Take twelve fine, full-grown months; see that these are thoroughly free from old memories of bitterness, rancor and hate, cleanse them completely from every clinging spite; pick off all specks of pettiness and littleness; in short, see that these months are freed from all the past—have them fresh and clean as when they first came from the great storehouse of Time. Cut these months into thirty or thirty-one equal parts. Do not attempt to make up the whole batch at one time (so many persons spoil the entire lot this way) but prepare one day at a time.

    Into each day put equal parts of faith, patience, courage, work (some people omit this ingredient and so spoil the flavor of the rest), hope, fidelity, liberality, kindness, rest (leaving this out is like leaving the oil out of the salad dressing— don’t do it), prayer, meditation, and one well-selected resolution. Put in about one teaspoonful of good spirits, a dash of fun, a pinch of folly, a sprinkling of play, and a heaping cupful of good humor.

I decided 2012 is going to be the start of something beautiful.  2011 was a great year however I am ready to embrace the New Year with a better body, mind and me.  I plan on using this blog to journal and track my progress of bettering myself throughout 2012.  I have alot of plans, dreams and hopes for 2012, ya know.  Speaking of plans, dreams and hopes.. Lets start the New Year with my resolutions!

Body:
1.  Particpate in atleast (4) 5Ks
2.  Work out atleast 5 days a week  - (Work outs can take place at home, the gym, or out running)
3.  Lose 10lbs and keep it off.
4.  Eliminate sugar from my diet.
5.  Take a picture of myself weekly to show my progression.
6.  Learn to love my body (stretch marks and all.)

Mind:
1.  Complete atleast 3 classes towards my degree. 
2.  Read 12 books (none kid or school related)
3.  Journal once a week
4.  Improve my relationship with God.
5.  Focus on the positive.

Family:
1.  Take girls to the park once a week
2.  Potty train Ava (pray for me)
3.  Teach Zoe to read
4.  Date night with Nick once a month and take a picture as a couple
5.  Organize and declutter the house.
6.  Eat out once a month, all other meals will be prepared at home.

Hopefully, I will be able to keep all of my resolutions for 2012 and make it a great year & a better me.

Welcome to 2012!! 
Stefanie