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Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Weigh-In Wednesday



Hey Guys!

It's Wednesday, so you know what that means! It's time to calculate the weight loss for the week! We are also starting a contest this week which we will talk more about later! Now, onto the numbers!


Ashley
Starting weight - 244
Current weight - 240
Pounds lost this week - 4
Total pounds lost - 4

So I weighed in for another diet group I am a part of on Sunday and was down 7 pounds!! Imagine my shock and disgust to see that I had gained 3 pounds back since then! After a mild breakdown (that's my story and I'm sticking to it!) I have decided to just accept that I did my best and I am feeling better! I did ALOT of walking these past couple weeks so my goals for this week are: To try and incorporate some different exercise in with my walking and pay more close attention to my sodium and carbs. Also, whole foods, whole foods and WHOLE FOODS!! Thank you for coming along on this journey with us and for all of your support. You guys rock! (Does anyone say that anymore?) ~A

Holly
Starting weight - 240
Current weight - 235
Pounds lost this week - 5
Total pounds lost - 5

I'm really excited to have met my weekly goal, which was to lose 2.5 lbs. The numbers are good, but I've got more work to do. While I did lose weight, and eat healthy *most* of the time (there may or may not have been a 9pm run to taco bell last Thursday after we got home from taking the kids trick-or-treating, in which I may or may not have taken part in the eating of an evil crunch wrap supreme and the drinking of some liquid Satan which the world so misleadingly refers to as mt. dew)... I did not do much working out (and by not much, I actually mean none). So this week, in addition to making the new weight loss goal of 2.5 lbs, I'm also making it a goal to work out at least 3 of the 7 days. Baby steps, right? My biggest hurdle with working out is finding the time! Between homeschooling, daycare, being a mom, soccer, ballet, celebrate recovery, working a part time 3rd shift job and any of the extras in life, I've found there's not much extra time. My question for you guys is, where do YOU find the time? - H


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

We know that healthy living is *not* all about the scale!!  We also realize that some weeks we will do everything right and still not lose or maybe even gain (curse you, mother nature!). However, we feel that the weigh-in every week is a good way to keep accountable! Whether or not you feel comfortable putting your numbers out there is totally up to you.  Maybe you just want to comment on the lbs you dropped this week and that's ok. Just PLEASE get involved and let's motivate and help one another! Oh, and let's make a pact not to get upset if the scale is not kind for a week and remember what really matters is how you feel!! Ok, moving on!

We announced earlier in the week that we would be having 4 contests this month, one for every week. We will be calling out first challenge the "Hydration" challenge because it's all about, you guessed it...Water Consumption!  Drinking enough water is one of the keys to good health! It's calorie free and oh-so-good for your body! We want to motivate you (and ourselves) to not only drink enough water, but keep track of our ounces. So here's how it works: Everyday the first week of November we will post a "water role call" on our Facebook. We will post how much water we have drank that day and ask you to comment and do the same. Every person that comments EVERYDAY for a week will be put into the cyber equivalent of a hat and one name will be chosen to win this:
A BRAAAAND NEEEEW WATER BOOOTTTLEE!!!
(was that too much? It was, wasn't it?)
It's copper, made of stainless steel, holds 24 ounces and promises to turn any "normal" water drinking event into a splendid time! All your friends have them, so don't miss your chance to be the cool kid on the block!...You deserve this! Let your water scream out "I'm fancy"!
(I'm thinking about starting a new career in marketing!)
We are really excited about this contest and hope that it will get more people talking on our page and hopefully help some people meet their water drinkin' goals!!! As always thank you for reading and we hope to hear from you all this week!!!!
Like and Share us on Facebook!
Don't forget Pinterest!
http://pinterest.com/healthinus/
  
And feel free to e-mail us anytime!!




Saturday, October 27, 2012

Crock Pot Chicken Curry


Hey guys!

It's time for our weekly recipe blog! Today we are making Chicken Curry. This recipe is super simple, low calorie and ridiculously good! Bonus - it's a slow cooker recipe! We LOVE our crock pots. There's nothing better than coming home to a ready-made dinner. We could not survive soccer season (or dance season, or basketball season, or baseball season...ok you get the point) with out them!!  Alright, let's begin!
*For a printable recipe card, check out the bottom of this blog.

Nutrition Facts w/o rice:
It makes 6 One Cup Servings (over rice this is a decent sized serving, but if you are eating it without the rice you might want to double your serving!)
Calories per serving - 172
Carbs - 12
Fat - 5
Protein - 19

How awesome are these stats?? We checked and double checked them because even we didn't believe them. But it's true! So EAT UP!!!!!!

Here's what you need:
not pictured: minced garlic...whoops!
Spray your slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. I used a "Misto". You put your olive oil in, pump a few times and spray...so much healthier than any chemical-ridden cooking sprays you can buy at the store....but I digress...


Trim and chop 1 lb of boneless, skinless, chicken breast (I used tenderloins 'cause that's what I had) and 2 bell peppers (I usually use green but my Kroger was out of them, so I went with red and yellow....fancy!) into fairly large chunks.


Add 1-2 TBS* of curry powder, 2 cloves of minced garlic, 1/2 tsp sea salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper and a dash of ground red pepper (be careful, it's SPICY! A little goes a long way.)
*this is depending on how spicy your curry powder is, I used muchi curry and it is HOT!! Plain ole curry is alot milder so you could definitely get away with 2 TBS or more!*


If you are using canned pineapple add about 1/2 of the juice out of the can into the pot. If you are using fresh, add 1/2 cup of pineapple juice. Add one *can* of light coconut milk. Mix it all up and cook on high 4-5 hours or low 6-8 hours.  


1 hour before you eat (or 2 if on low) add the following:
2-3 tomatoes, chopped into large chunks and 3/4 cup of chopped pineapple.
(note: if you want to throw it all in and let it all cook the whole time, you can, I've done it. It just tastes a little better if you add the tomatoes and pineapple at the end)


Let it cook the remaining time and you're ready to eat! It is really good over brown rice or you can eat it like a stew. Whatever you want!

Thank you so much for reading! We love cooking for you! :) Let us know if you make it and how it was!!! If you like it, SHARE it!!!



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Wednesday, October 24, 2012

~*~ UNstuffed Peppers ~*~


Hey Internet! 
Today we are making UNstuffed Peppers and would like to share the recipe with you!
For a printable recipe card, click the link below:

Looking for the nutritional information?? We've got it all added up for you!
This dish makes 6 servings! The numbers below are for 1 serving.
Calories = 359
Carbs = 49
Fat = 8
Protein = 25
We love stuffed peppers but Yeesh! How many steps can one recipe have?! This recipe is literally prepared in one pan in around half an hour! We switched out the traditional (and less healthy) white rice for brown and you could easily substitute ground turkey for the ground beef if you're not a red meat eater (say that 3 times fast!).  Ok, Here We Go!!

Here's what you need:
1 lb lean, ground beef or turkey (no hormones, no antibiotics added is the way to go!)
1 medium yellow onion 
3 cups of instant brown rice (if you don't prefer instant then make sure you partially cook your brown rice before adding it) 
2 cups of vegetable juice & 2 cups of water OR
4 cups of tomato juice
2-3 green bell peppers, sliced into rings 
A sprinkle of Parmesan cheese (optional)
*NOTE (For our paleo friends who don't eat rice, you could always try replacing the rice with this -> http://msihua.com/2012/02/paleo-cauliflower-rice-recipe/ ) Just be sure to cut the liquid down to about 1/4 of what's called for, or you'll end up with a runny mess!


This recipe makes quite a bit, but the left-overs are just as yUmMy or even better than the first time around. Save it for lunch the next day, or freeze it for a second dinner later on!

                                                             On with the show!!

     First, start browning your beef. Add a chopped onion as it's cooking so that the flavors have time to mingle!
                                    
                                                                  Smells good!
While your onions and beef are cooking, slice up some green bell peppers.
Make sure they look pertty!

Once your beef is done, rinse it! This step is optional, but who wants all that grease in their dinner?? NOT US!
Then add 3 cups of instant brown rice, and stir.
Lookin' good.

Now we want to add our liquid. We used 2 cups of veggie juice and 2 cups of water. You could also use 4 cups of tomato juice. We didn't have any, so we improvised.
Added vitamins by using veggie juice!

Bring this mixture to a boil and stir it up. Then arrange your bell peppers on top!
Sprinkle with some grated Parmesan cheese. We used about 2 tablespoons.
We can hardly wait!!

Once you've got all that done, turn the heat down to low/medium (it was number 3 on our stove).
Cover, and let cook for 30 minutes. There's no need to check on it, but we usually check it once.... just to be safe. Don't want the house to burn down or anything!

And then....


30 minutes later....


It will look a little something like this!
Who's ready to eat?!

 WE ARE!!

Thanks for reading! If you try out this recipe, let us know what you think. Did you add anything, or leave anything out? Do you have a different substitute for rice? As always, we welcome suggestions!
See you next time!!!!
And don't forget to like us on Facebook!

To print this recipe, click the link below:
http://www.mediafire.com/view/?27y2tlilabyd7z7





Monday, October 22, 2012

The dreaded weigh-in...


Hey there, Internet!

First, let's start off by announcing the *wInNeR* of last weeks give-a-way!!!!
AND THE WINNERS ARE....
Michelle Nalls & Miranda Shepard
Congratulations girls!!! Send us a message on Facebook with your finger measurment, and we'll get those rings to you ASAP!


Now then...
What's the absolute wOrSt part about starting a weight loss blog, you ask? Well, let me tell you. It's the fear of putting it all out there... and let's be honest, there's a LOT of  "it".

But alas, we would be fools to think we could start a weight loss journey with Internet, and still keep all the gory details to ourselves. So, without further ado, we post the following pictures and numbers (For some of us, anyway!) with the hope that in the following months we'll be able to look back and say "Remember when we were so big we didn't even want to post the pictures?"

Ashley
Weighing in at - Apparently 0lbs because she refuses to put those numbers out there. I'll keep working on her!






















Holly
Weighing in at 240lbs....yep.
Long Term Goal - 125lbs
Monthly Goal - 10lbs
Weekly Goal - 2.5lbs
























                                                   So that's it for us!!!
 Want to join in on the action? Email us your before pictures and starting weight, and we'll add you to this blog post! You'll be included in the weekly weigh-in which will be every Wednesday!
If you've already finished your journey or are near the end, please send us your before and after pictures! We'll create a collage to help inspire others!
*hInT* You just might need them for an up and coming give-a-way!
                                                       healthin.ourselves@gmail.com

Please remember  to like & share our Facebook page!!
                                                   www.facebook.com/healthinus      


                                           



Monday, October 15, 2012

Introducing "Healthin' Ourselves"!!

     
Hey everyone!!! Welcome to our brand new blog "Healthin' Ourselves"!! We are SoOo excited to be starting down this road together, and even more excited about sharing it with you!!! Let's start with some introductions, shall we?

Who are we??


Hi, I'm Ashley! I am Mommy to 2 beautiful, crazy, energetic little boys. I love Jesus and my family more than anything. I wanted to start this blog to help hold myself accountable and maybe help others stay on track! (There's strength in numbers, right??!) I want to teach my boys to make good and healthy choices and what better way then to lead by EXAMPLE!! I'm so excited to be starting this journey with my best friend, Holly...and you! 




I'm Holly! I'm a stay at home mommy of two sweet little girls and I run a small daycare. I home school my girls and also my preschool age daycare kIdDoS. My life pretty much revolves around serving the Lord, and being a good wife and mother. I'm doing this because the thought of having to tell my kids or husband "No, we can't do that because I'm physically unable to" is depressing, and I know I'll end up there if I don't turn things around now. I want my kids to grow up knowing what healthy is, and living that lifestyle. I want to look better, feel better and have more *EnErGy*! No more squeezing into a pair of jeans that are a size too small because I refuse to admit that I need to go up one more size!


What's our purpose for this blog?
We're starting a weight-loss journey! This is going to be a place we can be held accountable, and talk to you about our ups and downs. We hope to encourage you, as well as be encouraged by you!

What kinds of things will we be posting?
A little bit of everything and pretty often!! From recipes for quick healthy dinners, to weighing-in. From struggles with the kiddos, to the creepy guy across the ally who digs in the dumpsters. From what we did at the gym today, to how awful it was that we skipped breakfast this morning.

You name it, we'll blog it!


 
How can we do this together?
Like us on Facebook to join a group and weigh-in! Share your own recipes, tips and tricks with the rest of us! Comment often and let us know how you're doing!

The great give-away kick off!!
What better way to start a blog than with a give-away??
(I'm pretty sure there is no better way.)
For our first give-away we will be randomly selecting two very lucky people to win a ....
wait for it......


FaBuLoUs SpArkLiNg fLoWeR rInG!!
I know, I know. We've really out done ourselves. But, only the best for our readers!
Like the chipped nail polish? Us too. It's all the rage these days. All the cool moms are wearing it this way!

So what do you need to do to enter?
I'm glad you asked!!! Just like us on Facebook, and share our blog with your friends! Keep reading to find out who the winner is! We plan to do these give-aways often! =)
www.facebook.com/healthinus

Thanks for reading!!!!

 A & H



Picture Bloopers! If you're anything like us, you know how awkward it can be to take pictures of yourselves. Clearly, we did not end up looking this fabulous on the first try!