Okay so...

...I really meant to post things on the blog but I'm sure you noticed I was not really in the running so I didn't have any good advice ... ;)  Which was all me, so I'm not complaining.  I wanted to tell everyone how great it was hearing how this was helping so many people.  That was awesome.

I also wanted to say thanks to Chelsa for putting this together.  I have done a healthy habits competition before so I gave her my two cents but she really did the bulk of it.  She always said it wasn't about the money and I believe her.  Her name was pulled twice in the weekly drawings and she wouldn't take it!  I know she answered lots of questions daily and most importantly worked her butt off!!

So thanks to everyone for playing and for motivating each other.  Everyone did great.  Even if you didn't get tons of points but changed one habit you wanted to I think it was worth it.

-Amy

Final Winners

Sorry once again for the late posting.  Some stragglers and yesterday was out of control for me.  I have tried and tried to post my spreadsheet on here as an add on but apparently I am not that smart.  I didn't want to re-type everyone in so I have added a picture of the final shakedown if anyone wanted to know.  It could be a little blurry.  I don't know what else to do.  Other then that here are the winners.

First Place - Chelsa Johnson with 499 total points - $200

Second Place - Nikki Holbrook with 495 total points - $160
I forgot to give a big shout out to Nikki.  She is almost 20 weeks pregnant.  I could not have done what she did.  Also, this is an add on, she is is jumping on the band wagon and sharing 30 bucks with Jessica.  You ROCK too!!

Third Place - Kristi Marshall with 7.14% body weight lost - $120

I want to say thank you again for all those who participated.  I have heard from many of you how good this has been and how it has made changes in your life.  I want to give a couple shout outs without names, they will know who they are.  One of you has diabetes and has said she has never felt better nor has she had it under control so well.  Many of you lost 10+ pounds, I think that is amazing.  Way to go!  I know that I feel a ton better about myself.  The results I got were more then enough winnings for me.  I don't crave the sugar as much, even though I still want to eat it.  I am more likely to not give in because I don't want to ruin all my hard work by going back to old habits.  So with that said, I've told many of you that I did not start this thing for the money.  I originally thought we'd have like 8 people.  It was never about that for me.  I just wanted to fix some things that I felt were broken.  And then my competitive side kicked in.  I know that I am not the only one that worked hard.  Jessica came in 3rd place with points and is nearly 40 points ahead of the 4th point place person.  Poor Ashley thought she had won the % and called me back the next day and told me she had looked at her paper wrong and would feel guilty taking the money.  So where she had won by .46% she now was in 2nd by .11%  And then there is Amy Bybee who was also super close in % of weight loss.  So we have three extra winners that I will be sharing my cash with...

Jessica Bastian - 481 will get $35

Ashley Graves  - 7.03% body weight loss will get $35

Amy Bybee - 6.40% body weight loss will get $30   

Also the final week gift certificate winners are

Rebecca Petersen
and
Britney Ericksen

Sorry ladies the only certificates left are for Roxberry Smoothie.    

Amy or myself will be bringing around the cash and certificates to those of you who won.    By the way, a big shout out to Amy for helping me through this thing.  Not only did she do all the drawings and pick up certificates she also took multiple calls a day from me asking for help and suggestions.  She ROCKS!  
 I noticed Jessica posted about doing round 2.  I know that I am going to continue this on my own no matter what.  I will just be keeping track of my points.  I also know Jessica isn't the only one who wants to continue.  So if you want to go again, maybe we could modify a bit if needed, leave a comment or post something on the blog.  I will say that I can't be in charge again.  Jeff says it makes me crazy.  But I would love to play again.  And by the way he has put the kabosh on me working out for 2 hours (so have I, it kinda sucked) so anybody who gets the crazy in them can go ahead and try to beat me.  :)

  


 

Round 2 Anyone?

Hey girls!  These past 6 weeks went by too quick.  The challenge was tough but it was one of the best things I have ever done as far as sticking to a healthy eating plan and working out.  I usually say "I will start on Monday" and by Wednesday night I am chowing down on some junk food.

Anyways, I just wanted to see if anybody would be up for another round of the Healthy Habits Challenge?  It would be a great way to stay motivated over the Holidays!

Jessica

Some Tips and Tricks

Here are a few tips and ideas to keep your healthy going.  Hopefully you have noticed changes and don't want to slip back into old habits.  I know I don't.  We don't have to be as crazy, give yourself a break now and then but keep yourself healthy by sticking to some of the habits or changes you feel you have made.

This one was from pinterest.

TIPS TO LOSE WEIGHT

1.  Keep a food journal ( I use my fitness pal)
2.  Drink 8 cups of water a day
3.  Eat more greens
4.  Cook with fat free broth
5.  Eat whole grains but keep carbs to a minimum
6.  Measure everything!! (this is huge)
7.  Use skim milk
8.  Take your time eating
9.  Use smaller plates
10.  Exercise (you have to push yourself to see results)
11.  Eat more seafood
12.  Use meat as a condiment
13.  Eat more fiber
14.  Eat more veggies
15.  Eat healthy snacks

This next info is from the P90X newsletter i get.  I have paraphrased a bit.

10 POPULAR DIET TIPS TO IGNORE

1.  BAD:  Choose fat free or sugar free foods
     GOOD:  Fat, sodium and chemicals replace the fat and sugar.  Stick with the original version and watch your portions.  Eat unprocessed foods.
2.  BAD:  No Cheating ever!
     GOOD:  Relax your rules to stick it out long term.  If 80% of your diet is tight then 20% can be a party.  Plan splurges ahead of time so you don't give into temptation
3.  BAD:  Stop snacking
     GOOD:  Choose snacks that offer a balance of protein, fiber and healthy fats.  Healthy snacks maintain blood sugar, keeping your appetite in check and energy stable.
4.  BAD:  Don't eat fruit - it's full of sugar
     GOOD:  Let fruit satisfy your sweet tooth.  Its vitamins, minerals and fiber out way and slow the absorption of the sugar. 
5.  BAD:  If it's organic - it's good for you
     GOOD:  Just because they may be processed without hormones, antibiotics and pesticides does not mean these organic foods are low in calories.  Use common sense.
6.  BAD:  Calories in, calories out - it doesn't matter what you eat
     GOOD:  What you are eating matters!  100 calories of candy bar does not equal 100 calories of avacado.  Eat foods that are loaded with water and fiber to help you feel fuller such as spinach, broth soups and veggies.
7.  BAD:  Try XYZ extreme diet
     GOOD:  Find a plan that works for you. Gender, age, metabolism, genetics and lifestyle all play a role in weight loss.  What works for one person doesn't work for everyone.  Find a healthy long term strategy that fits your lifestyle.
8.  BAD:  When in doubt order the salad
     GOOD:  Leafy greens and veggies are great but not if they're slathered in creamy dressing and covered in bacon and croutons.  Fatty fixings add 100's of calories to your meals.  Order dressing on the side and limit your add ons.
9.  BAD:  Don't exercise - it makes you hungrier
     GOOD:  Get moving!  An hour workout improves your cardiovascular health and strengthens bones.  As long as your eating clean your body will self regulate and you won't pack on the pounds.
10.  BAD:  Treat yourself for a job well done
       GOOD:  Rethink your reward system.  A workout doesn't earn you a cocktail or cupcake.  Splurging all the time will undo all your hard work.  Take a break on the weekends.  The best reward for a killer workout is getting one step closer to the body you want.

These techniques are like the old "teach a man to fish adage", if you give someone a gimmicky diet, they might lose weight for now but provide them with knowledge and they can be healthy for life. 

Week 5 Winners and Standings

The drawing winners for week 5 are...

Cami Lane

and

Michelle Gilette

Thanks to Amy for putting that together.

And the standings are...

Chelsa Johnson          412 c
Nikki Holbrook         410 c
Jessica Bastian           402 cc
Chairl Miller               375 c
Shea Nixon                374 cc
Cami Lane                 374 cc
Katie Wight               370 cc
Ashley Graves           366 c
KayeLynn Bastian     360 cc
Rebecca Peterson     353 cc
Kristi Marshall           350 cc
Amy Bybee               343 c
Ashley Ericksen         342 cc
Cristy Shields            333 cc
Amanda Peck           328 cc
Dela Ashby               325 cc
Britney Ericksen        324 cc
Darhyl Kerr               322 cc
Jen Chandler             319 cc
Emily Koons              313 c
Jen Hanson                313 cc
Gaylene Burbidge      312 c
Michelle Gillette         298 cc
Amy Anderson          295 cc
Cheryle Mounteer      279 cc
Bri Anderson             277 cc
Merilee Mckay          222
Bri Bastian                 162
Lauren Goff               156

So I sent the email out last night and also put the same information on the blog if you need to see the % of weight loss formula.  One final thing, don't give up because it is the last week.  There may be a SURPRISE at the end of this thing.

The Final Week

Hello Ladies,

I can't believe we are heading into our last and final week of this Healthy Habits Challenge.  I actually wish it was going to keep going.  If there are any of you out there who would like to keep going too, please let me know.  I have seen some massive changes and it's nice to know that there are others out there who are working hard as well, just need that little extra bit of motivation.  Also wanted to apologize for not posting as much on the blog as I wanted to.  Life and stuff got in the way ya know.  So I hope we can finish up strong.

First and second place prize will go to highest number of points.

The third place prize will go to the person who lost the largest % of body weight, biggest loser style.  So here is the formula:

1. • 1 Divide number of pounds lost by the starting weight.
   • 2 Multiply the answer to step 1 by 100
   • 3 Example: 40 /330 x 100 = 12.12%

At the end of next week when you send me your points/cheats/drawing also send me your % of weight loss.  Just that #, you don't need to send me your starting and beginning weight.  So third prize is kind of a mystery.  I'm excited to see who will take that one.


Here is the prize money breakdown:


We started with 30 people, giving us $600 even.
We used $120 for gift certificates. ($10/week x 2 winners/week  = 20 x 6 weeks = $120)
Leaving us 600-120=$480


So
1st Prize = $200
2nd Prize = $160
3rd Prize = $120
A nice even $40 separates each winner.


It takes 4 weeks for you to notice your body changing.  8 weeks for your friends and 12 weeks for the rest of the world.  Don't quit.
6 weeks to go.  I'm gonna take that challenge and keep it going.



Thanks for Playing,


Chelsa

This is a little tip from my friend Isabel De Los Rios. A fitness and health expert. (actually I don't know her, I'm just on her email list) :)   Gaylene

4 cures for a Sugar Hangover

Yesterday was Halloween...the one day of the year when kids go door-to-door dressed up in costumes, asking for treats from their neighbors.  I'd be willing to bet that those of you who ate quite a bit of candy last night are feeling the after-effects this morning. You probably feel fatigued, your heart might be racing, your mind spinning, your stomach hurting, and you can feel a headache coming on. So how do you get rid of this "sugar hangover"? 1. Drink water - Keeping your body hydrated will help flush your body of toxins and aid in recovery, ultimately making you feel better.  2. Take a walk - Get your blood flowing with a little exercise and some fresh air. If you usually work out, don't skip it...exercising will actually make you feel more energized, rather than more tired. 3. Eat breakfast - Don't skip breakfast in an attempt to make up for last night's indulgence. Make sure your breakfast includes some healthy protein (as it always should). With all that sugar you ate, you need to make sure your body has the protein it needs to remain balanced.  4. Avoid starchy foods - When dealing with a "sugar hangover," the last thing you want to eat is more foods that are going to quickly turn to sugar in your body. There is no need to avoid carbs altogether, but make sure you're making smart choices. There's nothing wrong with enjoying a piece of candy now and then. Just try not to overdo it!

Week 4 Standings

Hi Ladies,

Sorry this is late again.  We had a few stragglers plus this week is a little bit out of control.  And so am I.  I can't believe we're half way through week 5.  I hope you are all still feeling the benefits of the changes you have made.  I know I am.  Everyone has been working really hard.  I also just want to say that the last two weeks drawings have had a double winner.  Both of the girls felt bad winning twice and gave up their prize so that someone else could have a chance to win.  So KUDOS to you two sweet girls!!

Here are the standings.

Chelsa Johnson          329 c
Nikki Holbrook         322 cc
Jessica Bastian           321 cc
Cami Lane                 311 cc
Chairl Miller               305 c
Katie Wight                305 cc
Shea Nixon                303 cc
Ashley Graves            298 cc
KayeLynn Bastian       291 cc
Amy Bybee                285 cc
Kristi Marshall            284
Rebecca Peterson       283
Ashley Ericksen          281 cc
Christy Shields            267 cc
Britney Ericksen          262 cc
Amanda Peck             260 cc
Dela Ashby                 260 cc
Darhyl Kerr                260 cc
Jen Chandler               259 cc
Emily Koons               258 cc
Jen Hanson                 257 cc
Gaylene Burbidge       248 cc
Michelle Gillette          242 cc
Amy Anderson           234 cc
Cheryle Mounteer      229 cc
Merilee Mckay           222 cc
Bri Anderson             215 cc
Bri Bastian                 162  missing last weeks points
Lauren Goff                156  missing last weeks points

Great job ladies.  Keep up the good work!

Week 4 Winners

The winners for week 4...

Darhyl Kerr

and

Katie Wight

Congratulations you two!  Great job everyone for working so hard.  2 weeks left!!

-Amy

Week 3 Standings

I have heard tons of good so far.  I've talked to a few of you who have lost up to 10lbs.  That is awesome.  Keep up the good work. I will try to post some new tips tomorrow.  I've slacked on that.  Sorry.


Chelsa Johnson        247   c
Nikki Holbrook       242   cc
Jessica Bastian         239   cc
Cami Lane               235   cc
Shea Nixon             232   c
Katie Wight             232   cc
Chairl Miller            226   cc
Amy Bybee             225
Ashley Graves         223   cc
KayeLynn Bastian   222   cc
Ashley Ericksen      211   c
Kristi Marshall        207   cc
Rebecca Peterson   207   c
Cristy Shields          204   cc
Jen Hanson             198   cc
Dela Ashby             197   cc
Emily Koons           197
Britney Ericksen      192   cc
Amanda Peck         192   cc
Jen Chandler           191   cc
Gaylene Burbidge    190   cc
Darhyl                     188   cc
Michelle Gilette        186   cc
Amy Anderson        175   cc
Cheryle Mounteer    175   cc
Bri Bastian               162   cc
Bri Anderson           157   cc
Lauren Goff             156   cc
Merilee Mckay        127   cc

Week 3 Winners!!

Here are the winners for week 3...

Nikki Holbrook

Ashley Graves

Congratulations!!  Great job everyone!  Chelsa will be posting the standings...

Amy

Week 2 Standings & Winners

Sorry about the late post.  We had a couple point stragglers today.  The numbers are combined week one and two and the cc's show whether or not the person cheated once, twice or not at all for week 2.  I have also added the week 2 winners onto the bottom of this post.


Chelsa Johnson          165
Nikki Holbrook          165  cc
Jessica Bastian            161  cc
Kristi Marshall            160
Shea Nixon                 159  cc
Katie Wight                158  c
Cami Lane                  157  cc
Rebecca Peterson       150
KayeLynn Bastian       149  cc
Ashley Graves             148  cc
Chairl Miller                148  cc
Amy Bybee                 145 c
Amanda Peck              142 cc
Ashley Ericksen          139  c
Cristy Shields              135  cc
Dela Ashby                 131  cc
Jen Hanson                  131 cc
Emily Koons                129  cc
Lauren Goff                 129  cc
Merilee Mckay            127  cc
Michelle Gillette           127  cc
Jen Chandler                124  cc
Amy Anderson            123  cc
Britney Ericksen           122  cc
Gaylene Burbidge         120  c
Cheryle Mounteer        120  cc
Darhyl Kerr                  119  cc
Bri Bastian                    106  cc
Bri Anderson                101  cc

And the week 2 gift certificate winners are

Amanda Peck

and

KayeLynn Bastian

Lime Chicken Soft Tacos

1 1/2 lbs chicken breast; sliced
1/8 cup vinegar or red wine vinegar
1/2 cup lime juice
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 green onions; chopped
2 cloves garlic; minced
1 tsp oregano
tortillas
toppings

Saute chicken till cooked through. Add vinegar, lime juice, sugar, salt, pepper, onios, garlic and oregano. Simmer about 10 mintues. I also added about 1/3 of a diced jalepeno for more 'heat' while it was simmering. Then I shredded the chicken a little more. Serve in tortillas with tomatoes/salsa, lettuce, monterey cheese etc.

I ate this without the tortilla and made it into a taco salad. I didn't even need dressing because the flavor of the chicken was so good. A couple of my kids said they like the 'regular' tacos better but these were good too. :)

~Dela

Pumpkin chili

I made This pumpkin chili tonight. It was simple and delicious, you can let it cook in the crockpot which is always a fabulous thing. I didn't get it pulled together that fast today since I worked all day and Simmered it on the stove for about 45 min instead. I think the crockpot would've given it more time to bring the flavors out but I thought it was still great, my kids liked it too.  I added a scoop of cottage cheese to cool it off, boost the protein, and I like the creaminess it adds like sour cream would.  We added some butternut squash on the side and everyone else got yummy cornbread, that I had to pass on. :)

Oh and I used ground turkey and one serving has 250 calories and 24 grams of protein (without the cottage cheese)

Serves 8

INGREDIENTS:

1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium sweet yellow pepper, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups chicken broth
2 cans (15-ounce each) black beans, rinsed and drained
2 1/2 cups cubed cooked turkey or 1 pound round steak, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 can (15-ounce) solid-pack pumpkin
1 can (14-1/2 ounce) diced tomatoes, undrained
2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS:
In a large 12-inch skillet, heat the oil until hot and rippling over medium or medium-high heat. Add the round steak (if using already cooked turkey, proceed to adding the vegetables) and brown the pieces lightly. Transfer the meat to a 5-quart slow cooker, leaving oil in the skillet. Add the onion and yellow pepper to the skillet and saute until barely tender, 1-2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook one minute longer. Transfer the mixture to the slow cooker. Stir in the remaining ingredients to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 5 hours.

I also made these little quinoa patties last night that I thought were great.  I used coconut oil instead of olive oil, and I got 13 patties, coming in at around 110 calories per patty.  

-Nikki

Winners!! week one

So we decided to do 2 $10 gift certificate winners per week.  I think this will help everyone to stay motivated.  You can win more then once also.  We don't want someone thinking they are out of the running for everything and then not getting the benefits of the challenge.  So if you win we will contact you and let you choose from the gift certificates we got.  Also we did choose to go with certificates.  Mainly because we felt like you needed to be rewarded.  We don't want you handing over your $10 bucks to one of your kids or have it magically disappear into your grocery budget.  (Does this only happen to me and Amy) 

Week One Winners are...

Cami Lane 

and

Jen Hanson


Keep up the good work everyone!!

If you missed the standings they are in the post below this one.  

WEEK ONE

So after week one I need to clear a few things up.

First - the sleep thing.  We will not be making any changes to the points.  The majority of the comments on this voted no.  Many of you believed that this should be a personal goal.  I think that is a great idea.  If that is something easy for you then make it your personal goal and get a for sure point.  Even though a few of you said you still got the points for babies and bathroom breaks it is still too subjective.  Wanting to sleep 7 hours and actually sleeping 7 hours are two different things.  So for ease of our spreadsheets there will be NO changes to the point system.  Hopefully we are all doing our best on this one anyway if we are also getting up early to exercise.  I know I am wiped out by the end of the day.

Second - I am going to post the rules somewhere on the blog.  Many of you have had questions about them.  They are on the initial post but that is now at the bottom of the blog.  I will try to get them where you can see them.  Biggest question was the cheat days.  You get one entire cheat day for sugar or soda, not both.  You have to choose between the two.  You can eat all day if you want.  You still get your point.  Same goes for the cheat meal (singular).  Cheat days are optional.  You don't have to take them. 

Third - I apologize if I freaked any of you out about the water.  I just threw out a round about number without using any math.  Obviously.  So you are fine to stick to your 64oz.  Also related to this, sorry for confusing the two Cristy/Kristi's.

Fourth - A couple of you asked about Sundays.  I use Sunday as my rest day and gave myself 0 points for exercise.  This is your choice.  Another asked about fasting.  If you need to do so you will get full points for healthy meals and water.  You will not be punished for fasting.

Fifth - I mentioned that we may have to use the cheat days to break a "possible" tie in the end.  There have been a couple comments and emails asking for a coin toss.  I know there are a couple people who have already made the decision not to cheat.  AT ALL.  For the entire time.  If that's not will power I don't know what is.  So, there will be no coin toss.  If it comes to a tie in the end and one person cheated and the other didn't, the non cheater will win.  They earned it.  Most of you I have chatted about this with have felt the same way.

I hope I haven't missed anyone's questions.  That's all I can remember right now. 

I really wanted to somehow bring my spreadsheet into the post but its not working.  So here are the week one standings.  I am missing a couple who haven't sent in points.  I'll add them when I get them.  I will try to fix it for next week.  The format is driving me crazy but I know a few of you have been patiently waiting for the scores. Sorry about the a's, they are check marks on my actual spreadsheet.  They show who cheated and if they took sugar or both sugar and meal.  You get the picture. 

		Week 1	Cheat
1	Shea Nixon	84	a
2	Chelsa Johnson	82	aa
3	Nikki Holbrook	81	aa
4	Kristi Marshall	81
5	Jessica Bastian	79	aa
6	KayeLynn Bastian	76	aa
7	Katie Wight	75
8	Cami Lane	75	a
9	Rebecca Peterson	74
10	Chairl Miller	74	a
11	Ashley Graves	73	aa
12	Ashley Ericksen	72	a
13	Amanda Peck	72	aa
14	Amy Bybee	70	a
15	Jen Hanson	68	a
16	Cristy Shields	68	aa
17	Emily Koons	67	aa
18	Cheryle Mounteer	66	aa
19	Dela Ashby	65	aa
20	Jen Chandler	62	aa
21	Amy Anderson	61	aa
22	Merilee Mckay	61	aa
23	Michelle Gillette	60	a
24	Bri Anderson	57	a
25	Gaylene Burbidge	56	aa
26	Bri Bastian	54	aa
27	Britney Ericksen	51	aa
28	Lauren Goff
29	Darhyl Kerr
30	Tannie Flammer

Jillian Michaels recipe for healthy fall breakfast

I LOVE Jillian Michaels. I receive weekly emails with exercise tips and recipes. This is one of her recipes. I substituted all purpose flour with wheat pastry flour.  You could also use whole wheat flour with 1 1/2 TBSP vital wheat gluten. My kids loved these too!
 - Cristy

Harvest Pumpkin Muffins

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup honey
• 1 egg
• 1 cup pumpkin, packed solidly
• 1 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

Preparation
In medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg; set aside.
Using an electric mixer, beat butter until light; beat in honey, egg and pumpkin. Gradually add flour mixture, mixing until just blended; stir in walnuts.
Spoon into 12 greased or paper-lined 2-1/2 inch muffin cups. Bake at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove muffins from pan to wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Makes 12 servings
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 30 mins
Total Time: 45 mins
Nutrition Facts
Number of Servings: 12
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 226
Total Fat: 10 g
Cholesterol: 10 mg
Sodium: 251 mg
Total Carbohydrate: 32 g
Dietary Fiber: 2 g
Protein: 5 g

Recipe ideas

My sister just sent me a new website to check out.  omWww.skinnytaste.com.   It is beautiful and has lots of ideas plus it has the nutritional info.   Also if you want a website or app for charting things. Check out spark people.com. It's great.
Merilee

Soup

I made this yummy squash soup this week. Davi actually thought is was potato cheese soup at first (without the potaoes in it) It was delicious. I thought i would share it. I know it has a lot of butter in it, but maybe someone could think of a substitute and share your thoughts.

For squash soup
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 medium onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 lb yellow summer squash, halved and thinly sliced
2 carrots, thinly sliced
1 yellow-fleshed potato (1/2 lb), peeled, halved,
4 cups chicken stock or reduced-sodium chicken broth

for pistou
3/4 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley sprigs
1 large scallion, chopped (1/2 cup)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons water
1/4 teaspoon salt
print a shopping list for this recipeview wine pairings

preparation

Make soup:
Melt butter in a 6- to 8-quart wide heavy pot over moderate heat, then cook onion with salt, stirring, until softened, about 8 minutes. Add squash, carrots, potato, and stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, then simmer, partially covered, until vegetables are very tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and cool soup, uncovered, 10 minutes.
Working in batches, purée; soup in a blender until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids) and transfer to a bowl. Return puré to cleaned pot and thin with water if desired; simmer 3 minutes. Season with salt.
Make pistou while vegetables simmer:
Pulse mint, parsley, and scallion in a food processor until finely chopped. With motor running, add oil in a stream, then add water and salt, blending until incorporated.
Swirl 1 tablespoon pistou into each bowl of soup.


Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Summer-Squash-Soup-with-Parsley-Mint-Pistou-235736#ixzz28SQvudjj

Gaylene

Names

Because we are all logging in to post on the same account make sure you add your name under your post so that we know who you are.

If you comment on a post and use your own email your name will show up.  If you want to comment and can't log in with your email you can log in with this blogs information.  Just remember to add your name at the bottom of your comment.  This way everyone can see what people are thinking.

Love all the comments that this is helping people.  IT'S GREAT!!

Chelsa

Yeah for Chey and Amy

Way to go for putting this together for everyone!  I am seeing good changes already, as I know everyone should be.  This is a sugar thing for me, but is helping some unwanted inches disappear.
Ok, sending my comment in on the 8 hours of sleep, I like Gaylene's idea that she commented on that if you want put it into your personal goal, go for it.  I have sleeping issues that have come because of things that are somewhat out of my control.  So my vote is no on the point for sleep.  Also, it might be wise not to change the rules in the middle of the challenge.
All your recipes look awesom.  Good Luck everyone.

KayeLynn

Zucchini, Black Bean & Rice

Tonight I made this for dinner:

Super delish and very filling.  My kids didn't eat it (shocker) but my hubby loved it.  Enjoy!

This recipe is from HERE 

 I did switch out a few things:

*I used olive oil instead of canola oil...I just like the taste better
*I used roasted red peppers instead of a green bell pepper
*I used shredded mozzarella instead of the cheddar
*I used brown rice (the already made, just warm up kind from Trader Joes), if you use this option, you don't need the water.  I cooked the rice in the microwave and added it to the skillet

NUTRITION INFORMATION*

Serving Size	4 servings (1-1/4 cups each)
Calories	276

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon Pure Wesson® Canola Oil
• 1-1/2 cups quartered lengthwise, sliced zucchini
• 1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
• 1 can (15 oz each)  Whole Black Beans, drained, rinsed
• 1 can (14.5 oz each) Hunt's® Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes with Garlic, undrained
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 cup instant white rice
• 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese blend

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add zucchini and bell pepper; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add beans, undrained tomatoes and water. Increase heat and bring to a boil.
2. Add rice; stir well. Cover; remove from heat and let stand 7 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Sprinkle with cheese.

~Britney

Questions, Concerns & Comments

First of all I want to say thanks to all of those who decided to take the challenge.  When Amy and I started talking about this we never thought we would get 30 people to do this with us.  Second, I'm guessing we all have different reasons/goals in mind for participating.  With that said I wanted to address some things.

Q:  Can I get half a point for 15 minutes of exercise?
A:  Nope, full points only, gotta get that full half hour in.


Q:  What is a full glass?
A:  I'm thinking we should be getting at least 70oz of water.

Q:  If I cheat can I have more then one treat?
A:  Heck yes.  You already lost your point.  Eat away.


Q:  What if we have a tie with points in the end?
A:  Please keep track of your free cheat day, I know its a free point but it may have to break a tie if someone only cheats once or twice.


Q:  Would you like to add an extra point for 7 hours of sleep?
A:  PLEASE COMMENT ON THIS, I'm not going to add an extra point without consulting you guys.

There have also been quite a few concerns about what is/isn't healthy.  I was pretty concerned for a couple days about all of the questions.  My husband was also giving me a hard time about how to track stuff.  We are all busy people.  I wanted to do this as a way to help myself get motivated.  Not all of us have the time to be checking in with someone or logging our food somewhere everyday.  I don't want to make this overly hard.  You know what works for you and we are getting posts from a few of you with healthy recipes that are great.  In the end I hope that the changes you make in your diet work for YOU.  I hope they help YOU reach your goals.  Feel better about yourself.  Make your family healthier.  Whatever it is YOU were looking for when YOU signed up for this.  So...keep posting to help others make healthy choices.  See my picture, this is about YOU.  I am not going to hover over you like a crazy person (I only do that to myself), we are all adults who can make our own choices.  I hope you are all ok with that. 


Gift Certificates

Like I said, more people signed up then we thought.  We originally were thinking we'd get about 10 people and we would maybe do one or two $5 gift certificates.  We have 30 people that have paid.  If you do the math that is $620!!  We asked for comments on what to do, here are a few.

*Visa Gift Cards came up.  Great idea.  If you would rather have cash please chime in.  But, I will not go buy gift cards.  I will simply hand you some cash.  I'm a busy mom too. 

Would you rather have two winners a week @ $10 each or one winner?  (Leaving the rest of the money for the pot in the end.)  This is your money so I would really like your input.  Even if we do 2 winners a week there will still be $500 for the end winners.  What do you think?

Also, once you win a gift certificate should you be able to win again?
Remember, to be eligible you have to get at least 8 points each day for the week.

I hope I have addressed everything I have been asked about.  Please comment on here for all to jump on and see.  The majority will decide on some of these questions.  If you don't comment your voice can't be heard and then you might not like the answers.  

Pumpkin Protein Shake

I love pumpkin flavored things, especially this time of year.  This shake satisfies my pumpkin craving without having to bake something sweet.

1 c almond milk
1/4-1/3 c pumpkin
1/4 c greek yogurt
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1/2 t pumpkin pie spice (nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, and all spice)
1 T stevia (or honey or agave)
4-5 ice cubes

I believe this had about 275 calories when I added it up.  and 29 g of protein.

-Nikki

Love the ideas for 'real' food so i don't have to make separate food for me and my family. Here is one that works for us. Fast, easy and yummy. For dessert we had fresh raspberries - but my kids wanted to know where the icecream was! ~ Dela

Teriyaki Chicken and Rice

2-3 tsp oil

1 lb chicken breasts; cut into strips
1 cup water
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
½ tsp garlic powder
1 1/4 cups minute brown rice
2 cups frozen broccoli (i like green beans better)
½ cup cashews

 Heat oil in skillet. Add chicken and cook 5-7 minutes until cooked through. Add water, teriyaki sauce and garlic powder. Bring to a boil. Stir in rice, broccoli and cashews. Cover. Cook on low 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes.