Week 5 Points

Okay, my compassion has run dry. It's kind of a pain to have to update this blog several times for all the late points, so please try hard to remember to get them in on Sunday!! Speaking of Sunday, I hope you had a fabulous free day. I realized more than ever that I NEED this competition because I have no self-control if there are no rules. I literally had like 8 sugar cookies...among other things I will not name that were not good for me. Even after this competition I plan on still having rules for myself so I don't go hog-wild every time I see sugar!

We are still missing points from: Cassie Salmon, Danell Bachrach, Julie Yamane, Kendal Babbitt, Karen Sunday and Tammy Babbitt. Hurry! You are losing a point for every day you are late!

Congrats to all you 60 pointers! I'm impressed! Can you handle 5 more weeks? For all the rest of us...keep it up! Even if you KNOW you won't win...you can still GAIN a lot (and I'm not talking weight) from this competition. I get great emails from you guys all the time telling me about the pounds you are losing and how much better you are feeling. Hopefully, that's worth more than money!

Week 4 Points!

* I had some compassion this week and decided not to dock any points for being late because most of you were! I'm hoping it had something to do with Father's Day!...but, it's your only freebie!

Four weeks down, 6 to go! How are you guys doing? Have you lost any weight, noticed any changes, feel healthier?? So, keep trying! We all have really busy lives and can think of plenty of reasons why this might be too hard. But, remember how important it is to be healthy, how you can be setting a good example for your kids, how you want to look better in a swimsuit, how much you want this money, and how good it is for you to teach your body that it is NOT in charge of you. Tell life to get out of the way because your health is important to you (and really...none of this competition takes up more than 45 minutes of your day...and it can be split up in intervals)! This is not a diet, it is a checklist for a healthy lifestyle. Keep it up, you guys! It's awesome to see so many 60's all the time! You are inspiring to me! We really SHOULDN'T be seeing anything below 50...seriously. So, try hard! If you are going to do something, do it well...right??! Let's all try to have better scores next week!

Remember to post any of your fab tips here, it really helps to get ideas from each other! Thanks to those who have!

- Mariel

Here are the scores: I'm missing Julie Yamane and Kim Kindall still.

we surrender

Neil and I are out.

It's killing us trying to keep up with this during summer, what with homeschooling and business trips and scout camps and violin and piano and swimming and church and everything else.
Our kids are also starting to be weirdly obsessed with their food, so I think it's time to surrender our $40.

Good luck to everyone! I can't wait to see who wins our money!

Natalie

on sale!!

I just wanted to let everyone know Target's fruit leather (archer farms) is on sale. I bought some this week, I don't know what day their sale's change though. It's great stuff and my favorite now for snacks. It was 2 for $5, normally $3.
(Mariel, go ahead and add a pic to my post if you want to show them.)

Week 3 Points!

HumdiddlyUmmus??

Traditional Hummus

A classic blend of garbanzo beans and roasted sesame, flavored with lemon and zesty garlic.

Its "homemade" texture makes it a favorite for dipping vegetables, spreading on crackers, or using as a base for wrap- style sandwiches. Appealing to health-conscious consumers, we make Meza® Hummus from the finest garbanzo beans. We also add a toasted sesame flavor and a coarse "like homemade" texture to create a wonderful hummus that is very different from those offered by our competitors.

This stuff has a ton of protein and I eat it with veggies-sooo good!

Costco- $4

Baked Chicken Chimichangas! (Easy, Good, & Low Carb)

This is today's post from my other, other blog...

One of my most favorite things is the Mission Carb Balance tortillas (don't get the wheat, they're yuck)! I talk about them to everyone I see! Probably annoying, but I find them so exciting! Why?? Well, for one...I try to live a mostly low-carb lifestyle (7 net carbs per tortilla, baby)! Except on Sundays, my free day, the day of rest...it's all about cheesecake, bread, bread, lemon bars, and bread. For two...there are...hold on to your pants...11 grams of fiber per tortilla! Holy Heck!

So you can make a myriad of low-carb meals with these puppies.

Think:

Turkey, bacon, cheese and ranch dressing wrap.

Grilled chicken pieces, lettuce, Parmesan, and zesty Italian dressing wrap.

Turkey, avocado, Swiss cheese, mustard wrap.

B.L.T

Breakfast burrito with eggs, ham, cheese, and salsa.

Tuna, lettuce, and cheese wrap.

Teriyaki chicken, Swiss cheese, lettuce and pineapple wrap.

Quesadilla

Oh, the possibilities are endless! That is why these are fantastically exciting to me! (Oh, by the way...when you are doing low-carb you don't want the "light" versions of dressings. They are high in carbs. Just buy the regular! Whoo! Fine by me!)

Anyway, so I've had this yummy, super easy recipe for Baked Chimichangas and it occurred to me to use my low-carb tortillas...and whoa! Easy, good, healthy, light, low-carb, sexy...you get the drift.

Here's the scoop:

You'll need 2/3 cup of your favorite salsa, 1 tsp. ground cumin, 1/2 tsp. dried oregano crushed leaves, 1 1/2 cups cooked chicken, 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, 2 green onions, and 6 flour tortillas. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

I just wanted to show you how childish my husband and I are. We haven't gotten over are childhood fears of onions so we blend it up and it's so much better! No more chunks!

I'm not sure why this picture is so blurry. Maybe because I'm distracted by all the feeties and helping hands on my counter...and the permanent blue marker all over my little girl...and all over her bed frame and walls....... Anyway, mix together the salsa, cumin, oregano, chicken, cheese, and green onions in a bowl. Note: I actually used a rotisserie chicken (2 if you only like white meat) to make it 10 times easier and faster.

Scoop about 1/3 cup of mixture onto the tortillas and roll 'em up! Brush some butter on top and stick them in a 400 degree over for about 25 minutes.

I was a little short on toppings, but load these up with lettuce, salsa, sour cream, avocados, black olives, etc. (all low carb choices...including the tortilla and the filling!...feel proud!)

Baked Chimichangas

2/3 cup salsa
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. dried oregano leaves, crushed
1 1/2 - 2 cups shredded or cubed chicken
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
2 green onions, chopped
6 flour tortillas
melted butter
*any toppings you want

Directions: Mix the chicken , salsa, cumin, oregano, cheese, and onion in a bowl. Place about 1/3 cup on each tortilla and roll up. Place seam side down on baking sheet. Brush tops with melted butter and bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes. Garnish with cheese, sour cream, salsa, avocado, lettuce, olives, etc.

Week 2 Points

Good work everyone! I noticed lots of you increased your score by a couple points! I'm also thinking men shouldn't be included next time because they are TOO GOOD at this!...just kidding... So, we are missing two scores from Kendal and Tammy Babbitt, hopefully they come in soon. We even had one drop-out this week! Boo! Thanks for your money!

it's too good to be true, you'll be running for the loo

(I posted this on my blog today. Thought I'd share the love.)

So Neil and I are well entrenched in the health challenge, and we're really enjoying it. Conquering the natural man is proving more fun than I thought it would be.

Well.

One of the rules is no sugar which is not that big a deal since many wonderful sugar free food choices exist out there.

While shopping last week, we discovered the diabetic snack section of the market. A place I had never before set foot.

Do you know what is in the diabetic snack section? Let me show you:

We have sugar free Oreos! Who knew? Where's me my milk?

Sugar free mint chocolate with extra flavinoidy goodness...yes, please.

And, HELLO! Sugar free Reese's peanut butter cups! Yesssssss...

Neil and I seriously thought we hit the jackpot loophole in the health challenge rules. We bought a bag of everything and took to sampling our fare.

We were smug. Oh, so very smug...


Pride goeth before the fall, y'all.


We felt some rumblings.

I had major cramps.

And then I noticed these casually inconspicuous warnings:

It is my firm belief that the folks who put these warnings on the packages have obviously never ingested their own product because if they had, the warning would be on the front of the wrapper in flashing neon, and it would look something like this:


WARNING!

ANY consumption of this product will most definitely result in mind-numbingly explosive diarrhea. If you really can't control what you put in your pie-hole, then do everyone a favor, and make sure you enjoy this product from the comfort of your toilet.
Not responsible for accidents or inductions into the Brown Spot Club.
*Please redeem the attached coupon for a free can of Febreeze with purchase.*


my
tummy
hates
me

Why Exercise Frightens Me!

What do these women think is going to happen to all this extra body when they stop weight training?? 

Remind me to never exercise again!  

Snack Ideas!

So, this is a post from my other blog, "Or so she says...". I'm sure some of you have already seen it. But, some people have been asking me for snack ideas, so I thought it would be easier just to repost this. There really isn't any reason you should be starving throughout the week. There are plenty of things you can eat that are healthy!

Here's the post:

As much as I'd like to think so sometimes...having 4 kids doesn't give me a free pass to "let myself go", be unhealthy because "I don't have time", or think "eh, I could look worse." With all my heart, I want to be healthy, feel attractive, and be attractive to my husband!

Enter living la vida low carb-ISH.

I've studied up and tried many of the different types of diets and I always go back to the low-carb. It is the only diet that gives me the energy I need, make me eat the healthiest, and helps me lose weight the quickest. Because I've done a few of them, I have kind of meshed a few of them together and created my own diet version. So, it's not strictly low carb, but mostly...with a few variations. I still lose weight and feel awesome. It's The Mariel Diet. After I have a kid, Mariel Diet. After the holidays, Mariel Diet. I wanna be healthier, Mariel Diet. You get the drift....I like my diet and I'm arrogant enough to name it after myself.

Anyway, thought I would share the love with you and start with snacks. Because aren't snacks the biggest buggers??

Net carbs are what matter. Look at any nutrition label. Take the carbs and minus any fiber from that. The answer is the net carbs (what matters when counting carbs). Fiber is good! Try to find products with lots of fiber.

This is what you will find in my fridge and pantry for snacks (All or mostly low carb):

Cheese, ladies. ZERO carbs. I love these Tillamook snack size ones!

More cheese! If you like cheese, buy lots of different kinds and flavors. ZERO carbs.

These particular almonds are so good! I buy a few cans at a time. I always keep one in the carto prevent me from pulling into the drive-thru! Nuts are high in fiber, protein, the good fat, good for your heart and really low in carbs. Eat 'em up.


Nuts are how I get my "salty" fix. Well, there is something else too...


Pork rinds. All right, all together now..."ewww!" Well, if they're good enough for Ricky Bobby, they're good enough for me. Mind you, I was raised by a mostly reformed southern red-neck so you have to expect some things to rub off! These babies are what?? Zero carbs. They replace chips and I like 'em, so get over it!...though, not necessarily low-carb I also advocate Pirate's Booty and Veggie Crisps.


Back to nuts and "salty" fixes. Sunflower seeds are so yummers. I like to buy snack size ziploc bags and pour some in and mix in some craisins. I keep the bags in my purse in the car and in the pantry. Easy, quick, yummy grab.

Craisins (see above "Sunflower Seeds"). Mix them together...keep in snack size ziploc bags. These aren't low in carbs and have added sugar. But just add small handfuls to your nuts to jazz them up.

Fruit isn't always low in carbs but is totally good for you. They have the "good" sugar and help you satisfy sweet cravings. Since this is "my" diet, I eat all the fruit I want. These particular apple slices are my favorite! I have only been able to find these ones at Wal-Mart grocery stores. I like buying them like this (all sliced up) because I am more likely to eat them. Yes, I'm too lazy to cut my own apples. They are already cut and easy to grab. Berries are the lowest in carbs fruit. But, I say eat them all!

Again, yogurt is not really a low-carb food. But, remember the fiber lowers the carb count.This Fiber One yogurt is fairly low in carbs. And, yogurt is really good for you! It has lots of the good bacteria that your body needs to stay healthy! I love Fiber One's lime yogurt to dip my apples in!
Low-carbing is about no sugar. That's why things like sugar-free Jell-O help me make it through. An easy, sweet snack.


Baby carrots and ranch dressing. Oh, baby. Remember with low-carbing you DO NOT want "low fat" or "light"...that equals higher carbohydrates. Bad. But, good! Yay! Light and low fat sucks.



I don't know why this is the only picture of "Wild Coyote" ranch on the internet. But, this is thebest ranch! It's a little more pricey, but worth it. It's in a glass bottle in the produce section.


Beef jerky, zero carbs.

Peanut butter on celery. Low carb.

Target's brand, Archer Farms makes my most favorite fruit leather! It's soooo good! I buy like 8 boxes at a time! Organic, pure fruit.

I think that pretty much sums up my kitchen, as far as snacks go. Stay tuned, next we'll do Drinks & Treats!

Easy Low Carb Lunch! (Chicken Wraps)

So, most of my eating is based around low-carb, high fiber choices (coupled with low calorie). I totally prefer low-carb to low-fat because I have more energy, lose weight faster, can eat more, and I eat healthier. Here is a favorite lunch of mine...

So, these babies are my life-saver. They can totally replace bread. There are only 7 net carbs (carbs minus fiber) and get this...11 grams of fiber!

Then I get some Hormel Natural Choice grilled chicken pieces (0 carbs) The Tyson brand is too slimy and has more chicken gunk on it. I put those on the tortilla with some shredded lettuce (0 carbs)...

and then some grated Parmesan (0 carbs)

And the best part...Kraft Zesty Italian dressing all over the chicken, lettuce, and cheese (3 carbs). One of the nice things about eating low carb is that you don't have to buy the "light" dressings because light means higher carbs.

You could also add some super healthy avocados and tomatoes to your wrap!

Low-carb variations using low carb tortillas:

Chicken, lettuce, cheddar cheese, bacon bits and ranch dressing

Tuna, lettuce, cheese

Breakfast burritos - eggs (0 carbs), salsa, bacon bits, cheese

Turkey pieces, bacon, tomatoes, avocado, swiss cheese, mustard

Endless options...you'll love it!

Berry Delicious..

I know it's nothing compared to chocolate or donuts or cheesecake.. BUT...

these scrumptious drinks are a little healthier for you than processed sugar and empty calories and just might help appease your sweet cravings (maybe?!?)... Don't hate them cuz they are good for you.. they are delicious!!

FYI~The C-boost (2nd from the left) has 1200% of your daily vitamin C intake- if I feel like a cold is headed my way I pick one of these up from the store... I haven't been sick in a year!!

You can find them in the produce at any major grocery store (except Walmart) and you can read more about them at http://www.bolthouse.com/.

Hope you enjoy..