Weeks 10 & 11

It has been a busy couple of weeks. We are preparing for the installation of hardwood floors tomorrow. Today is "moving day." We'll pick up the u-haul truck and clear out the downstairs after church today. I am ready to say a huge "good bye" to this carpet! I'll post before and after photos once it is complete.

Brooklyn and I had a fantastic Spring Break week. We did lots of fun activities during our stay-cation. I think the most budget friendly and surprisingly fun for her was the library. She is at a great age to be excited about seeing all the books and interacting with the other kids. The week also included painting pottery, the Tennessee Aquarium, and the zoo. I cannot wait to take advantage of our zoo membership this summer. It is well worth the money! A lesson I learned from this week is how easy it is to go out and do something and be active. It's easy to stay at home and get into a rut. This week I looked forward to our next activity.

Tom and I continue to lose a few pounds. We are really looking forward to spring weather so we can get fresh air while getting the exercise in. And here are our numbers...

Over the past two weeks Tom has lost 3 pounds for a total of 32 pounds and I have lost 4 1/2 pounds for a total of 36 pounds!

Week 9 Weigh In

This weekend we came to the conclusion that eating at home is better in several ways than going out to eat.

1. It's cheaper
2. You don't have to sit and wait on slow service
3. It tastes better

Last week we treated ourselves to a dinner out and ordered small steaks. Tom's steak was over-cooked and my steak was dry. Last night he grilled out and it was so much better! It was delicious and we got four portions of steak for $6.

We weighed in yesterday and Tom lost 4 1/2 pounds for a total of 29 pounds! I lost 1 1/2 pounds for a total of 31 1/2 pounds! I better step up my game so he doesn't catch up to me!

Delicious Dinner!

Last night I made this for dinner and it was quite tasty! I had leftovers for lunch and two of my coworkers also loved it!

"Healthified" Cashew Chicken and Broccoli

7 reviews

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12 ratings

55% less sat fat • 52% less fat • 21% fewer calories than the original recipe—see the comparison. It's not nutty to serve chicken with cashews. We cut the fat in this dish by using half the cashews. Brown rice and more veggies raised the fiber to new heights. From eatbetteramerica.

prep time:30 min

start to finish:30 min

makes:4 servings

2	teaspoons canola oil
1	lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
1	teaspoon finely chopped gingerroot
2	cups fresh broccoli florets
1	cup Progresso® reduced-sodium chicken broth (from 32-oz carton)
1/8	teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2	cups Green Giant® frozen sugar snap peas (from 24-oz bag)
3	tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
2	teaspoons rice vinegar
1	tablespoon cornstarch
1	teaspoon sugar
2	medium green onions, sliced (2 tablespoons)
3	cups hot cooked brown rice
1/4	cup salted roasted cashew halves and pieces

1.	In 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken and gingerroot; cook and stir 4 to 5 minutes or until chicken begins to brown.
2.	Add broccoli, 1/2 cup of the broth and the pepper flakes. Cover; cook over medium heat 2 minutes, stirring once. Add peas; cook 2 to 4 minutes longer, stirring once, until vegetables are crisp-tender.
3.	In small bowl, mix remaining 1/2 cup broth, the soy sauce, vinegar, cornstarch and sugar; stir into chicken mixture. Add onions; cook, stirring frequently, until sauce is thickened and bubbly. Serve over rice; sprinkle with cashews.
High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): No change.

30/25!!!!!!!!!

This weekend we hit another milestone in our journey...

Amie lost 3 1/2 pounds for a total of 30 pounds and Tom lost 3 pounds for a total of 25 pounds!!!!!!!!!!

We have found ourselves deciding that the "easy" meal options do not sound good to us because they are not healthy. Yesterday we found another good healthy place for a quick eat. We met friends at Jason's Deli and really enjoyed the salad bar. It was delicious.

We are feeling good....

A good feeling...

No post this past weekend because we didn't have much to say. Unfortunately it was a down week as I gained a pound and Tom lost just 1/2 pound. We're not going to let it get us down though! I've already lost the pound I gained, so here's looking to the rest of the week.

Today I had a good feeling--sitting in the theatre seats at school have always been uncomfortable, but today as I sat down, I had a bit of room and sat more comfortably! Another good feeling has been the fact that we have had a hard time keeping our pants on, literally. This weekend as we were walking, I felt like my pants were falling down! Tom bought a pair of jeans in a smaller size and the were a perfect fit.

We're hoping for more of those good feelings!

What a week!

So much has happened in the last week! We survived the trip to Indy and all the festivities for Brooklyn's birthday. It was great to hear family say they could see the difference of the weight loss in us. It's always encouraging to hear that something you work hard for is noticed. While there we also talked wedding plans with my sister and she chose a dress for us bridesmaids. It is beautiful and another inspiration for me to keep moving forward on this journey.

We had a bit of a heat wave today in Nashville (49 degrees), so

tonight we hit the pavement and walked with our new iPod nano. The songs that came across for me weren't that inspiring or uplifting, so I have a new mission of making the best walking playl

ist. I'll take suggestions!

When we returned from the trip, we weighed ourselves and our results from Tuesday morning:

Amie lost another 3 pounds for a total of 27 pounds!!

Thomas lost 6 pounds for a total of 22 pounds!!

By the way, if you didn't already know, here is our inspiration to leading healthier lives:

Mid week weigh in

Tomorrow we head north for Brooklyn's birthday. I won't be able to post until late on Monday, so I decided to weigh in this morning and I'm showing a 5 pound loss since Sunday. We'll see how that "weighs out" when we return from traveling and less control of our meals by cooking for ourselves.

Can't wait to see all the family we'll see. I think I am still in a bit of denial that Brooklyn is turning 2, but I'll try to keep the emotional eating in check!