Freezer Meals: Taco Meat, Chicken, and Vegetable Soup

 I found Jeannie-O patties on sale so I am flash freezing them so I can pull out what I need later. Not shown, I made up 8 patties of a mixture of ground chuck and ground turkey to make the family burgers.

 I had a little bit of fajita marinade in the refrigerator so I put it on some chicken tenders and baked them. These are good over a salad with corn and black beans. Or, I  sautee onion and green pepper and serve over brown rice.

 I sprinkled these tenders with Greek seasoning and baked. I eat them in a chicken ranch salad, over brown rice, or as they are to accompany a sweet potato and vegetable. I flash freeze the tenders and then freeze in a Ziploc bag so I can pull out just what I need and they aren't stuck together.

 I made up a spaghetti sauce with ground chuck/turkey. I put it in this jar to freeze.

 After making chili for tonight, taco meat, veg beef soup, and spaghetti sauce I had four servings of cooked meat left. I put in Ziplocs and roll to remove all the air and keep them in a bin in the freezer for ground beef. I add these to beef dishes like Shephards Pie, enchaladas, tater tot casserole.

The three tall containers have the vegetable beef soup. The small container has leftover spaghetti sauce that wouldn't fit in the jar. It is perfect for a lunch. The large rectangle is taco meat. Since it doesn't fill the container I will put a piece of wax paper over the surface so no air touches the surface to keep it from getting a freezer burn taste.

New Challenge

The group I am in that is following the Eat Clean Diet started a new challenge. It is 12 weeks and isn't about the most weight, but the most overall change. It started last week, but I am starting today. I half heartily did it last week, knowing Easter was coming. But, today I am focused and ready to follow not eating sugar, drinking my water, eating small meals every 3 hours to keep my sugar levels right, and exercising. I need to run to Sams to get some Jeannie-O ground turkey so I can make some dishes up.

I am doing my FIRM Sculpt tape today. I have had to transfer it from VHS it is so old, but I love it. I have the double "fanny lifter" which is awesome. You use it one level for some exercises and double it for squat sits and lunges which really work your butt. It is a good overall toning video. You add weights as you improve to challenge your muscles. It is really hard and challenging for me. My son walked in while it was playing/recording to DVD and said, "YOU'RE going to do that?!?" That should tell you something, Ha, he thinks I am a sissy.

Derailed

I exercised every single day in January. Every. single. day. I was eating clean and doing so good. Then, I let excuses happen. Within two weeks I had major stuff happen in my life and I just couldn't do it. I first had a bleeding stomach. It was painful stomach pains and then I started having blood in my stool. I had this before, except it was bleeding in my large intestine, so I knew it was very important to get it seen about. Last time I went to ER and they did a CT scan and gave me IV antibiotics and then sent me home with an oral antibiotic. So, I went to the ER again as it was a Saturday. This time they made me stay three days and I had a scope and biopsy. I left and had pain for about a week after discharge so didn't push myself to workout. Fail #1. I should have at least walked and really could have pushed to do weights. I was not good with eating clean either, which was just a matter of I gave up and didn't push myself to eat right. I fell back on old comfort foods.

The next week my 19 year old decided to move out. He is in college so it is going to make it difficult for him to support living expenses and pay for college. At home we pay car insurance and everything and he is only required to pay college tuition. It really broke my heart. I am trying to understand that he isn't mad, he is just a boy and so many men say boys of that age want to be independent. I still don't get it and it still hurts when your baby leaves. I worry he will not complete school as it will be too much for him to pay for. I am trying to leave him in God's hands and allow God to lead him on the right path.

Then, my dad was diagnosed and started chemo in January. He goes every 3 weeks for his treatment. I couldn't go in Jan because we were fighting colds around here and I didn't want to take any germs over there. My dad is 6'4" and has always been a strong man. He just turned 76, but he is a young 76. All his family lives to be active in their 90's. He has just always been the strong one that you depend on and go to. He lives 4 hours away so I was on my way to see him and my step-mother called to say he had to go to the ER the night before so he was in the hospital. His white blood count was extremely low and he developed an infection so he was running a fever. To visit we had to wear a gown, mask, and gloves and were to really stay away from him as much as we could. To see him so weak was really hard. He has lost down to 169 lbs fully clothed. He couldn't stand alone. He couldn't eat because of being sick.

While I was there in Atlanta visiting him we got a call. My brother suddenly passed away. He was 10 days away from his 50th birthday and had no health problems. He was visiting his son and had a massive stroke. That just tore me up and I left dad's to go home to prepare for the funeral. I cried the whole way - four hours. My dad couldn't go to the funeral as he was so sick with his white blood count so low and that broke my heart that he couldn't go. 

I know all this is just excuses. That is what I fight.... making excuses. I could have continued to exercise. Yes, my body might have been in pain from the stomach bleeding. Yes, it would have been more difficult to be in someone else's home and have to adjust to not having a gym. I have hand weights and a resistance band and could have walked.

I also could have prepared meals to eat and continued eating clean. I just didn't. The spark within me to fight for me was pushed deep down and I let the easy route take over. What's bad is after all this passed I went all of March without getting back on board.

Well, I started again yesterday. I've cleaned out all the junk and have foods I need to eat clean. Just have to get back up and fight for it!

Weigh In and Week Two

Well, I did week one! Whoo-hoo, learning to make it a habit. I was a little discouraged to weigh in yesterday and I have only lost 1.2 lbs. I've worked so hard all week and really wanted a higher number. I know that sounds whiny, but I am just being honest. I can feel changes already... changes in my endurance, in my energy level, in my ability to shut out the voice that tells me to skip this one. I wasn't going to do measurements until week four, but in a group I am in someone posted their 1 week stats and it was amazing. So, I measured.
Bicep- zero loss
Bust-1 1/4"
waist- 3/4"
abdomen- 1"
hips- 1/2"
thigh 1/4"
So, that made me a little happier to see some progress there. I need to measure my calf because it wasn't on the Eat Clean Challenge form to do, but I want to add that one since one goal is to be able to wear boots. I can't fit into boots now because my calves are too big. I guess I am used to losing quickly because of water weight. Since I am eating 6 meals and drinking tons of water maybe that is why that didn't happen. Whatever.... I feel the changes and will keep on.

I did the 2nd day of the Shred video. I am going to do it this week along with my weight and walking to do twice a day workouts. It gives me a challenge and something where I can see my progress as I am better able to do it. I am looking for my Firm Sculpt video to do once a week for weight workout. I had taped it from my VHS but I cannot find it. I can't do the VHS upstairs.

Tonight is the Alabama game so I am making red beans and rice and wings. I am using this as a cheat meal for the week. I am not supposed to have the sausage in the beans. I need to go to the store for more food for the week, but don't have time today.

Cheat Meal Day

I get a cheat meal each week so today was my day! I didn't plan for it so just got lazy tonight and decided it would be cheat meal. I didn't get real bad I had a salad with grilled Greek chicken, boiled egg, cucumber, tomato, Ranch, bacon bits, cheddar cheese. I also had 8 white chocolate with peppermint kisses to polish off what has been on my counter all week. I have thought every day that I would just have one, but every day told myself I would not give in and save it for my cheat meal.

I didn't exercise today. It was raining which brought on a headache all day. So, tomorrow would have been an off day and I will go walk or do something tomorrow to get in today's workout. I am learning to make it a priority and not let it get totally pushed off my schedule. It really helps me to think of my big goal and that it has been broken down into bites and this is what portion I "have" to get done this week or today. I will weigh Monday morning and get to see if anything is changing yet. Well, I KNOW there are changes I can feel them. I have more cardio endurance after just one week. I feel I am not as dependant on sugar.... hope I didn't kill that with my kisses tonight! I feel I am making working out a habit. My muscles have been sore. So, whether the scale shows it or not there are changes going on.

Eat Clean Menu

I thought I would share some of my meals that I have had this week.

Italian chicken, steamed broccoli, and 2 cups of salad greens.

BBQ pork loin, green beans, and 1/2 a sweet potato

Chicken fajita over 1/2 cup brown rice.

1/2 cup (precooked) of gluten free oats with apple, splenda, and cinnamon

Vegetable beef soup, salad

I've had a real hard time remembering to eat all six meals! Some are just greek yogurt with 10 almonds or an apple with nut butter, but I get busy and forget. So, I have not had six meals yet. Today I am setting a timer to remember to go get my snack. The reason to eat so often is to get your metabolism going.

Yesterday was horrible! It was my 3rd day no sugar. I know from getting off sugar in the past you usually have this day about 3 days in as your body adjusts from having a regular sugar/carb fest. I don't know for sure but I think our bodies go through a lot of chemical adjustments to switch the source of fuel it uses.... meaning going from its regular supply of carbs through sugar to using your stored fat. Well, I felt like I was in a fog and was hardly able to concentrate. I had a dull headache, kind of like sinus congestion in my head. I was very irritable and shaky and just felt lethargic and had zero desire to workout or do anything. I went to the gym and walked for 10 minutes then did a really good lower body weight workout. I am so proud of myself for going and not skipping that workout! It has been my continual habit through the past years to "give myself a break" and wait until I feel better, but that is something I am working on changind. I am NOT going to feel like working out most of the time. I just have to do it, because I want to change both my body and mind and fight for myself.

I have gone to the gym every night this week and twice went a second time in the daytime. I want to do two a day every day with an occasional time off. I am not trying to overdo it.... just a morning workout with weights three days and 3 days of morning walk increasing to running... then go at night with my husband and walk again a mile and a half or do the elliptical increasing to adding my Tae Bo one day and Pilates one day.

Today not tomorrow

I went to the gym TWICE today. Yay, me! I am on fire! Ha,ha. I needed to do my weight workout so I went when we finished school for the day. Then, my husband and I went back tonight and I walked 25 minutes. I feel so good! I didn't ever get to the point of feeling tired/legs aching/any of that.

I didn't get all my food eaten today. I ate the almonds of my M2 (Meal 2) but didn't eat the yogurt. Then, I totally didn't eat my banana and peanut butter for M4. I ate vegetable beef soup before going to the gym to walk, but haven't eaten the salad. I got the banana with pb in after the gym, but don't think I can eat the salad. I am supposed to eat it through the day to get my metabolism going so I don't want to cram it all in tonight. I think I will set my timer tomorrow to remind myself to eat.

I took my before photos today. I knew it would be totally humiliating to see them and post them in the challenge for the other ladies to see. But, I had no idea the emotions that would come from seeing myself like that. To see the back and side view that you just don't get to see of yourself. I don't know, when I look in the mirror I don't see myself as bad as the photos show. A real eye opener. But, after being sick at my stomach, hurt, sad for the girl in the photo I told myself that I can either keep eating like I was, keep putting off the hard work of exercising, keep making excuses or I can look that girl in the eye and see the fat and misshapen body and use that as a driving force to do something, everything I can to change. So.... Hard work... Dedication... Dedication... Hard Work!