Thursday, September 17, 2009

Hungry Girl

We love cheeseburgers but, unfortunately, they don't always love us back. Check out our fast food findings, a brand-new and DELICIOUS cheeseburger-inspired recipe, plus our ROCKIN' recipe round-up! Read and chew...


The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Fast food restaurants... take twenty paces, turn, and DRAW!


Winner! Wendy's Jr. Cheeseburger

PER SERVING (one burger): 270 calories, 11g fat, 700mg sodium, 26g carbs, 1g fiber, 6g sugars, 15g protein -- POINTS® value 6*
Need a cheesy fast food burger? This is a quick and easy way to satisfy your need without totally blowing a whole day's worth of calories in one sitting. Pair it with a side salad topped with fat-free French dressing for a total of just 370 calories and 12g fat (POINTS® value 8*) for the whole meal. Well done, you!





Loser! McDonald's Angus Third Pounders

PER SERVING (one burger): 750 - 790 calories, 39 - 40g fat, 1,170 - 2,070mg sodium, 59 - 63g carbs, 4g fiber, 8 - 13g sugars, 40 - 45g protein -- POINTS® value 17 - 18*
What happened, McDonald's? You were on a health kick for a while there, but then you dropped these Angus burgers on us. People, these are to be avoided like, well, the cheese demons they are!






SHOCKER! Hardee's 2/3 Pound Monster Thickburger

PER SERVING (one burger): 1,420 calories, 108g fat, 2,770mg sodium, 46g carbs, 2g fiber, 9g sugars, 60g protein -- POINTS® value 37*
Folks, COME ON. Sure, Carl's Jr. and Hardee's are the unapologetic bad boys of fast food, but this burger is just WRONG on so many levels. One bun, TWO beef patties, THREE cheese slices, FOUR bacon strips... and probably about FIVE straight days of running on the treadmill to counteract it.





HG's Crispy Cheeseburger Pizza

PER SERVING (entire pizza): 226 calories, 4.5g fat, 1,207mg sodium, 33g carbs, 15g fiber, 9g sugars, 27.5g protein -- POINTS® value 4*

Make our quirky, burger-style pizza in the comfort of your own kitchen. It has fewer calories than ONE SLICE of CPK's version...

Ingredients:
1 1/2 tbsp. ketchup
1/2 tbsp. fat-free mayonnaise
1 tsp. yellow mustard
1/2 cup frozen ground-beef-style soy crumbles (like the kind by Morningstar Farms or Boca), thawed
1 La Tortilla Factory Smart & Delicious Low Carb High Fiber Large Tortilla
1/4 cup shredded fat-free cheddar cheese
1 tbsp. chopped onion
3 tbsp. shredded lettuce
2 tbsp. chopped tomato
Optional toppings: hamburger dill pickle chips, additional ketchup

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a small dish, combine ketchup, mayo, and mustard, and mix until uniform. Add soy crumbles and toss to coat. Set aside.

Lightly spray a medium-large skillet with nonstick spray and bring to medium heat on the stove. Lay tortilla flat in the skillet and cook until slightly crispy, a few minutes on each side.

Transfer tortilla to a baking sheet sprayed with nonstick spray. Scoop soy crumble mixture into the center of the tortilla and spread it out evenly, leaving a 1/2-inch border around it. Evenly sprinkle with cheese and onion.

Bake in the oven for 11 - 13 minutes, until tortilla border browns and cheese melts.

Top with lettuce and tomato. If you like, add pickles and a squiggle of ketchup. Cut into slices and EAT!

MAKES 1 SERVING

HG Heads Up! We know this one's a bit high in sodium. You can save about 300mg sodium if you use no-salt-added ketchup, like the kind by Heinz.





Flippin' Burgers with HG!

A bevy of burger recipes (most of 'em meatless!) for your every craving...

Awesome Whopper Stopper - The original burger swap. A MUST-CHEW cheeseburger!

Chili-rific Cheeseburger - Forget those Carl's Jr. commercials with an obscene amount of chili dripping from a ginormous burger. Ours is way lower in fat and calories -- and marginally less messy.

The Cheeseburger Chomp - Get unconventional with your burger fix... Chop it and then wrap it up in a tortilla!

Outside-In Cheeseburger Patty - A patty with creamy delicious cheese INSIDE it? Where do we sign up?

Island Insanity Burger - One look at the picture and you'll fall into a full-on food fantasy...

Burger Specials! - Cheeseburger Quesadilla... Big Bad Burger Wrap... BLC Wraps... All three of these tasty burger recipes can be found in Hungry Girl 200 Under 200. By the way, BLC stands for Bacon, Lettuce, CHEESEBURGER!













CHEW ON THIS:
Tomorrow, September 18th, is National Cheeseburger Day. No matter how you take your burger, we've got you covered with our BRAND-NEW Crispy Cheeseburger Pizza and our recipe round-up!

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Motivated MORE THAN EVER!!!

Tip: Remember that variety is the spice of life-and good for your body, too! To get all the vitamins and minerals your body needs, eat a variety of foods.

I don't know what clicked inside my brain but I'm so motivated to get this weight off that it isn't even funny. I feel just like I did when I lost all my weight before. I'm setting my alarm clock for 7 but my body is waking up at 6am saying get that workout in. So I am!!! I won't say I'm not super sore cause my whole body aches but I figure a little ache won't kill me & it's my fault for letting myself go anyway so I deserve the aches.

I started taking my vitamin B sup. at the first of the week & then 2 days ago started adding a fiber sup. to help me feel full longer. It's working! I haven't taken my multi vitamin since it made me so sick. I know deep down that I got sick cause I took it on an empty stomach but I'm tellin' ya ... I smell that pill & want to throw up.

Ok, so it feels like I switch up my diet every couple of weeks or so & I know I should stick with one but honestly I'm just trying to find something that works for me. What is working for me may not work for others. I'm a numbers cruncher so if I keep track of (weight watchers) points then I start obsessing over it ... I end up getting stressed out over it & quit. I've tried Atkins which caused me to obsess over the net carbs. I ended up not eating my allotted 20 net carbs a day cause I feared going over that number. I've tried the Wendie plan but it's a lot like the WW plan ... numbers... So I'm back to Slim Fast! They have a site online that's completely free to use. You can log in your water, food, cardio ... it does all the nutrition for you so no numbers for me. It keeps track of my cardio & how much I have burned ... it even prompts me to do strength workouts. Of course I don't need the animation to show me how to do it but it's great for those just starting out. I weigh in once a week ... they track it for me ... they graph my progress and if I want to know how much I can reasonably expect to lose by a certain date it tells me that too.

I was on Slim Fast about 3-5 years ago & I stopped using it even though I was losing weight. It seemed so different back then, maybe it was just me, who knows. Seems like it was just powder to make shakes with & then eating a sensible dinner and fruit in between meals. I know I was down to 180 while on the program cause believe it or not ... I found my old account. How terrible I felt seeing I'm 25 heavier. Guess it could be worse though right? Anyway, on Slim Fast program here is what my typical day looks like. The calorie count seems to be coming in right about 1200 a day.

B= meal bar
S= cup grapes
L= shake, half ham cheese sandwich with lettuce & mustard,1 cup cantaloupe
S= cauliflower with dressing, apple
D= baked lemon chicken, 1 cup steamed broccoli, 1 small baked potato
S= 2 cups mixed fruit bowl (strawberries, cantaloupe, pineapple, and grapes)

Cardio today was a 40 min. power walk this morning, 40 min Pilate's this afternoon, and a 20 min high intensity dance routine. I've already downed my 8 cups of water for the day plus some so all is well on my end. How's your diet going?

Steps: 11589/10000



<--- BIZNATCH (145 LBS.)

In other news ... actually just more motivation. I got a call from a friend tonight. We are always battling our weight and the biotch always seems to weigh less than me but I'm always so darn nice about the whole thing. Anyway, she calls me tonight gloating how she's lost 30 pounds so I congratulate her on a job well done. Biznatch says yeah I'm skinnier and hotter than you now. WTF was up with that? Didn't I just congratulate her? Why did she have to go and say chit like that? I tell ya what that was a bigger kick in the pants to finally get this weight off. Next time that BIZNATCH sees me her ars is gonna be bigger than mine. I'm not worried about her looks cause I think I'm prettier then her so called 28 year old ars. he he he The girl is 32 & still telling people she is 28. Girl looks older than I do & I'll be 37 on the 25th of this month.

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Super Excited





205.8 is my morning weigh in. Last weigh in was 211. I haven't weighed in for a couple of weeks & really didn't think I had lost anything so this was a much needed shock. Now I really wanna keep moving my jelly bum.

This morning at 6am I got up & did a 45 min pilates sculpt video. OUCH ... my inner thighs feel like there on fire. Won't be long till hubby will be up & I will be out the door for my morning walk.

I'll come back when I have decided what my food will be for the day. Probably a couple of protien shakes and a whole lot of fresh fruit & raw veggies. I want this weight off ASAP!!! I was thinking I would only be about 4 pounds lighter by the time my birthday got here but now I know I have a great c hance of making it to 200 or less by then. I still have 16 days to lose! =D

b: 1 c grapes, shake
s: 1 c grapes, slice canteloupe, 3 strawberries
l: protien bar, 1 c milk
s: 10 carrots
d: ?
s: 1 cup grapes, apple

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

A weak moment ...

OMG, for future reference; never take vitamins on an empty stomach.

I got up this morning feeling fabulous. I popped in my yoga booty ballet dvd in at 6:30. I was determinned to start out my morning on a positive note. When my routine was over I woke up the hubby so we could head out for our morning walk. 1.5miles ...feeling great. Come in and pop a multi vitamin, a B-12 vitamin, and another one for my stiff joints ... within minutes I start feeling a little strange which moved in to feeling light headed & queezy. I laid down for a bit to feel better but I only felt worse so I got up. Within a minute I was running to the bathroom and leaving part of my stomach in the toilet. I feel so weak right now but I did stick to my planned breakfast. =)

b: shake
s: baby carrots
b: shake, bread, ham, cheese, mustard,canteloupe
s: pineapple
d: turkey burger, steamed squash, canteloupe
s: roast beef, string cheese

cardio: 1.5 mile walk, 60 min yoga

Monday, September 7, 2009

Weight Loss Train

This week should be very slow which means I have all the tme in the world to concentrate on my diet & workout plan. I'm hoping to lose a good 5 pounds by the time my birthday gets here which in on the 25th of this month. I also have a 20 pound goal that I want to reach by Thanksgiving. I will be seeing friends from high school & don't want to be this heavy. Wish me luck!

I'm still having a lot of problems losing weight. I should have lost a lot of weight ... a lot for me being 2-3 pounds. It's not happening. I'm only losing a ounce here or there. Anyway, I dropped into GNC yesterday for something to pump up my metabolism & the lady suggested I get back into taking a multi vitamin, a B-12 complex, and replace 2 meals a day with aprotein shake. So that's what I'm doing this week & I'm hoping by Friday I will see some sort of weight loss. If I don't then it's back to the doc cause there must be something wrong with my body why I just can't lose much of anything. I'm so jealous of you ladies who can lose 5+ pounds a week simply by eating right.

I'm getting back into my yoga/pilates program too. I noticed that when I do yoga/pilates a few times a week that I may not see a loss on the scale I would feel my clothing getting loser so I will be happy with that.

Did you know that for me to be in a healthy weight range (BMI)I have to be lower then I used to be? When I was teaching aerobics a healthy weight range ... at the top end of the chart was 154. Well, I made it to 150 and felt very comfortable there. Now the charts say I should be at 149 ... top of scale to have a healthy BMI. I thought the older you got the heavier you could be because the older you get the heavier your bones are. Oh well ... guess my new goal is lower then it once was. Instead of 149 I'm going for 145. No reason to hang on the border of being considered over weight.

B: shake
S: 10 baby carrots
L: shake, 1 slice wheat bead, slice cheese, 1 slice deli ham, 1 tsp mustard, 1 c canteloupe
S: 1 c pineapple
D: 2 c chili
S: slice roast beef, string cheese

10 Tips to help keep you motivated

1. Pick an exercise that you enjoy. If you don’t like the exercise you are doing, its more likely that you won’t stick with it.

2. Set realistic goals. Unrealistic goals can cause you to give up to soon. Pick a goal such as losing 5Ibs in one month or running a 5k.

3. Monitor your progress. Keeping a journal to see your improvements can be a great encouragement.

4. Exercise at the same time everyday. Having a set schedule makes it easier to be consistent with your workouts.

5. Read about exercise and fitness. Educating yourself about health and fitness can help you find new ways to stay fit and encourage you to want to workout more.

6. Reward yourself after you have reached a goal. Buy yourself something nice, a new pair of jeans, a purse or an ice cream cone. Whatever Makes you happy.

7. Change your workout routine regularly. Changing your workout routine regularly will help eliminate boredom.

8. Get a workout buddy. Workout with a friend or spouse or take your dog for a walk in the park. Working out will be more enjoyable and time will fly by fast.

9. Don’t punish yourself for getting off track and missing a workout. Its not the end of the world, just start back the next day.

10. Don’t over train. Pushing yourself too hard can lead to over training. It takes time to achieve your goals. Over training can actually slow down your progress, so slow down and enjoy your
workouts.

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

New Puppy




Isn't she just precious? She's already sold too. A lady a t my church asked if she could have one and I said ok. She confirmed with me today that she still wants it. =)

Side tracked

My goodness ... I'm like a blond who gets side tracked with shiny objects. he he he I got side tracked this week! First was my boy chihuahua going into surgery to have his cherry eyes removed. It wasn't a very long surgery ... doesn't seem to have been painful either. Thank you Lord. Anyway, I come home to see my mama chihuahua has gone into labor so I patiently sit by her side from 12:30 til about 5 when the baby actually comes into this world. Well, mama wasn't able to eat through the cord so we had to make the decision t o cut it ourselves which made us worry like crazy about infection since we didn't have iodine on hand. Anyway, mama's milk hadn't dropped so baby didn't have anything to eat for at least 10 hours. Then when we thought the baby would starve to death mama's milk dropped & baby has been sucking pretty much non stop. Only one baby but what a beautiful baby she is.

I have good news ... I have gotten at least 10,000 steps in everyday for almost 2 weeks now. I didn't on Sunday but ever other day I did. Food hasn't been great this week but not horribly out of control either. I'm trying to stay as busy as I can ... our trip to Disney is at the end of this month.