Thereisonlyzuul

Yesterday I had a can of soda and a small bar of dark chocolate. I also swapped my rest day. *eyeroll* on the bright side I'm eating my vegetables. I have such port impulse control. It is one of the things I've been working on slowly building. Today is BW day complete with those new weights that kicked my booty on Thursday. I have a few cooking projects to do today- making applesauce and cushaw puree. I'm also going to try putting together some frozen breakfast sandwiches to have for the morning. I made some low cheese high veggie lasagna to have for lunches yesterday and precooked some chicken for salads. I just have to grab them and go if there aren't any leftovers for lunches.

I know scales suck. Mine weighs heavy and will weigh you the same in clothes with motorcycle boots and a winter coat on as it will when your buck naked five minutes later. I do normally pack, but I haven't gone to the grocery in a bit so I didn't really have anything to pack this morning. I was banking on having a leftover burrito from last night but my fiancé ruined that plan this morning.

Oh, honey. I could have like four yard sales with all of the junk in my trunk. XD Quarter close is quickly descending on the accounting team, which means it is devolving into a sugar and grease fuelled dietary nightmare for the next few weeks. I managed to stay out of the donuts but gave into the fried cheesesticks, chicken tenders and soda. As penance and to catch up on my veggie goal, I had a salad for snack and put in a little extra on my cardio. I'm taking the pups out for a two mile walk and dinner will be sushi with plenty of seaweed salad. Nomnomnom.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rZEnWhefCZI I'll just leave this here

My weights came in. The box was almost too heavy to carry. Tried them out on my workout today and they are just what I needed. No soda or sweets. Plenty of plant foods. I am declaring a new side goal though. I am not to use the scale again until week three. I keep obsessing about it, so I am putting it away for a little while.

Goodness gracious it took forever to get back around to this! TO clarify, acorn squash is my next to least favorite, right ahead of spaghetti squash. But I LOVE squash, so it really is more like just liking a particular ice cream flavor or type of pizza less. SAUSAGE AND GREENS STUFFED ACORN SQUASH 2 acorn squash, cut in half with the guts scooped out. I use a melon baller for scooping. (I don't know why I have a melon baller. I've never balled melons. However, this tool is great for scooping pumpkin guts and hulling strawberries.) Trim the outside a bit to make a flat spot so the halves don't roll around. 1/2lb sausage, sage or hot sausage work well. We get ours from our CSA. Try to find some made of pasture pork that won't break the bank. I would stay away from turkey or chicken sausage on this recipe 1/2 bunch of greens, kale or spinach or even dandelions! chopped 1/2 an onion diced 2 cloves of garlic, smashed and chopped Salt and pepper to taste 1/4C of good cheese like parmesan Paleo change- 1/4C ground pork rinds. Make sure the only ingredients are pork and maybe salt. Smidge of cooking oil of your choice 1.)Preheat the oven to 400. 2.)Place the unstuffed squash halves in a baking dish, cut side up. Drizzle a little cooking oil of your choice in the center, then season with salt and pepper. Pour water in the baking dish until it comes about halfway up the side of the squash. Cover with aluminum foil and place in the oven to bake for 1 hour. 3.) Brown and crumble your sausage, then drain. Cook the onions and garlic in the last of the grease that didn't leave the pan until fragrant (about 2 minutes). Add the greens and cook until wilted. Add the sausage back and stir. 4.) Remove the squash from the oven, uncover. Carefully put sausage greens mixture in each of the halves. It is ok if they mound over. Sprinkle with the cheese (or pork rind crumbs) and put back in the oven, uncovered for about 10 minutes. Top should get a little melty/crispy. 5.) Place individual halves on plate and serve with something like risotto or salad. Matt rating: Meh.

Billy Blanks Jr is a very strange person. I completed my first round of cardio for the week courtesy of Amazon Prime. I was supposed to do my BWW, but I ordered some dumbbells that will be here tomorrow so I'm swapping days. Tonight is mini meatloaves with roasted squash and asparagus. No candy or soda today and got all my veggies in my earlier meals.

Today was better. No soda and no sweets. Are a good amount of fruits and vegetables. Tomorrow is time to get back on the workout band wagon. I'm probably going to order some heavier dumbbells. My resistance bands are nice, but without a good place to anchor them, my workout options are limited.

This weeks ingredient is acorn squash, my least favorite of the squashes. Recipe will be coming later tonight.

The last few days have been very bad. For those of you that have been following me, you know that I have more than a few issues. Today those issues culminated in a binge. It was a mild one compared to the episodes of my past, but it hurts to think that I have just pissed all over my hard work from the last few months. Despite everything that I am, I have chosen not to quit. I considered doing so for NF, school and wedding planning. It is silly that a bad grade on a final and not being able to find a ring that I like that fits would crush my whole life, but that is what I've felt for the last few days. I will publicly confess to my sins- I had 2 cans of soda and a bottle. I had Taco Bell. I had an Arby's shake. Then I had cookies, all today. I skipped my workout yesterday. I honestly deserved the grade that I got too, while we're at it. I blew off my class until the last second and it bit me in the rear. So now I need to get the heck over it. That is the hardest part. I can wallow and make it worse, which is what I want to do. However, if it is this bad for just a ring that doesn't fit, how bad will it be for a wedding dress? I have to make myself get back to it. Tomorrow is a new day. I'm going to be fine. *sigh*

I really like the idea of your life quest. The general nature should definitely help make it easier to accomplish. Congrats on your wedding. It sounds like you guys really are getting into the swing of being married.

Thanks, guys. I'm sure it will be a very special day so long as I don't lose my mind between now and then. Lol. Today I officially statrted the challenge. No soda despite wanting some all day. I actually didn't have caffeine of any sort. I stayed out of the box of fundraising candy that I'm babysitting for a coworker. I had two types of vegetables with each meal and one with snack, but I need to make sure that I'm eating full servings. Does playing with ferrets count as exercise? I totally enjoyed doing that more than a grown adult should. Especially in public, carrying a bag of overpriced dog food. Sadly, ferret curls don't count so I'm doing my circuits right after this post. Tomorrow is time for the farmer's market and that means a new veggie of the week will go up tomorrow too.

Territorial Seeds sells seeds for growing for greens. At the store they will likely be much bigger than what you see in the yard so they are easy to overlook. The ones I brought home were over a foot long. If you ask the department manager at your store, they can let you know if it something they get in. If they don't, try it with spinach or kale.

Hello everyone! I am sooooooooooooooooo glad the forum is up. I was getting restless. So this is my second challenge, but my first full one. The story so far is that I have always been heavy, but I believed that I was healthy. As time has crept on, I have been noticing omens of ill health. Finally, I had my first brush with my inevitable destiny if I did not start taking my health seriously. I joined NF and started participating in a challenge. I've started working out regularly and have cut out sweets. I started working on actively eating more vegetables. Everything was going well though the scale didn't budge much. Suddenly, a wild proposal appeared. I was excited to finally get married! But then the unthinkable happened! My plans to run off to the courthouse were shattered. Now I have to prepare for a formal, full blown church wedding. *insert dramatic surprise music* I have until June to get myself into a place of health and get looking in good shape. The number of wedding dresses I can wear is inversely proportionate to my weight. The lower my weight, the more dresses I can choose from. Also health. MAIN QUEST: Lose weight! I would like to be around 200 pounds by June. I am at 263 now. I have about 9 months to go, so that means a meager 7 pounds a month will get me to my goal. Subquest 1: Keep doing my bodyweight exercises every other day. Add 20 minutes of cardio twice a week. Subquest 2: Eat two servings of fruits and vegetable with every meal, and one with every snack. (I realized I was still paying for WW. I am using their tracker now instead of Sparkpeople.) Subquest 3: Quit soda. Continue avoiding sweets. I will figure out point allocations a little later. Funny story. I've lost about 4 pounds since the start, with maybe an inch off in most places. Including my hands apparently. Of all the fatty deposits to lose during an engagement, I lost weight in my fingers. Now my engagement ring that I waited for weeks for because of shipping snafus doesn't even fit. RAAAH. Srsly, body. You couldn't have started on my butt first?

Ermergerd when will the new one staaaaaart? *rolls around on the ground knowing full well that the date is in the FAQ thread*

The hour is usually for really big chickens or ones that you start from frozen. The longer it cooks, the easier it is to shred though so you probably won't do any harm cooking longer. I usually gauge it by the legs and wings. When the wings come off just by trying to pick it up or when the meat and skin visibly seperate from the end of the leg, you should have a fully cooked bird. If you don't have a good meat thermometer, you might consider getting one to take the guesswork out.You can also use boneless skinless chicken breasts for this if that is more your speed. The broth won't pick up as much flavor, but it should still be better than the premade chicken broth. As for the tortellini, you could cook it separately and let your family mix it into their own servings if you aren't eating pasta or cheese. Orzo, gluten free pasta shapes or whole wheat spirals would also work.

Garr... Work, darn you!

Aww thanks! I started the veg of the week thread. It is in the recipes forum

Today the illness is starting to wane and I thought it fitting to end this like I started. I took the pups to the glacier trail to see how McGhee of a difference the last four weeks had made. It was much cooler this time around, so I did sweat less. I finished the trail portion about ten minutes faster than last time, but I cannot compare the full walks. I ended up parking in the lot near the trail this time as the normal lot about a half mile further out was completely full. Despite all the coughing and sneezing, I didn't really get winded. I didn't feel good t as much in my thighs as I did last time, though my calves were still feeling it. I also did this walk on only a pouch of applesauce and a cheese stick and I'm still not hungry. I am currently 265 pounds even. I'll post a finish up photo in an edit later.

Alright kids, the thread is open in the Recipes section. This week is dandelion greens and I made soup!

This week I am sick, so I am making soup. The vegetable of the week is DANDELION GREENS! Dandelion greens are the leaves of the infamous weeds (if you live in the US) that turn up in lawns every year. They have bright yellow flowers that turn into puffy seed heads that children make wishes on. The are actually edible in their entirety. European settlers brought them over as a garden flower that became and invasive species and eventually naturalized in the US. Dandelion greens are available in some grocery stores, typically displayed with other greens like chard and kale. I tend to notice them on display for sale in spring and fall. Dandelions are a great candidate for urban foraging because they are everywhere and easy to identify. If you do chose to forage them, know the place they came from well. You don't want to eat weed killer, chemical fertilizers or dog piss. You also don't want to break the law, so make sure foraging is ok in your area. They are best harvested when they are small before the flower sets. After the flower forms, the leaves get super bitter. Once you procure your greens, you'll want to store them like any other green and thoroughly wash them when you are ready to use them. You can separate the leaves from the stem like other greens, or you can leave the stem like you would spinach. NOTE: If you have any medical conditions that cause dehydration, talk to your doctor before eating these. Dandelion greens contain a strong diuretic and cooking them does not seem to dissipate this effect. Dandelion greens tend to be a bit stronger than other greens, but are soft like spinach so they can be substituted for spinach in most recipes. I have not tried them in smoothies, but due to their strong taste I imagine you would use less of them. For salads, use only the smallest, newest leaves. I am using them today in chicken tortellini soup. Not exactly healthy, my version is fairly cleaned up. What you'll need: 1 whole chicken 1 bundle of dandelion greens 1 10oz package of whole wheat cheese tortellini (You can use regular or make your own) 1 box of vegetable broth 1c milk (sub for plain almond or coconut as needed) 1 box cream of whatever (chicken, mushroom, celery) soup (You can use Campbell's, but I like Pacific because it has less ingredients.) Salt, pepper, thyme and anything else you want Step 1.) Rinse your chicken and check inside for organs, necks, whatever. Remove them if they were provided. If you are using a chicken straight from your local farmer, check for feathers too. Place the chicken in a pot, pour the box of vegetable broth over it, then raise the fluid level to just above the chicken with either water, beer, wine, or a mixture. Add some salt, poultry seasoning if you have it, pepper, and maybe a bay leaf, then bring to a boil. These seasonings don't have to be exact. Once it reaches a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook until done. It can take 20 minutes to an hour depending on your chicken. Step 2.) Rinse and stem your greens. Chop them roughly. You can leave the pieces larger as they will cook down. Set them aside to drain in a colander. Step 3.) Remove the chicken from the pot and let the cooking fluid and the chicken cool. If you used a bay leaf, remove it now. Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the skin and discard it. Remove the meat from the bones and shred it into bite size pieces. You can keep the bones for another round of broth if you want. Step 4.) Reserve about 3 cups of the cooking fluid from the chicken, but pour out the rest. You can put the reserved amount in the fridge for a bit to make skimming the chicken fat easier if you want to. Otherwise you can leave the fat in the broth or just use a spoon to scoop some of it off the top. In the pan, add the greens and stir them until they wilt a little. Step 5.) Add the cooking fluid back to the pan, stir. Next add the chicken, milk, and cream of whatever soup. Stir it up and taste it. Add salt, pepper and thyme as needed. Garlic, onion power, parmesan cheese and hot sauce are always good options to add. Bring the mixture up to a simmer and add the tortellini. Cook until the tortellini is done ( about 7-10 min) and enjoy. Matt Rating: Meh

Hello everyone! It is time for a vegetable of the week thread in honor of the vegetable challenge and to take us into the next six week challenge! What I'm going to do: Every week I will take one vegetable, usually a less loved one, give a recipe for it, along with any interesting facts I find. What you'll need to cook along: For these recipes you will need some basic equipment. I suggest having a good knife, a cutting board, a colander, one good pan and one cookie sheet. Having those will get you through most of my recipes. Who is it for: My recipes will not be specifically paleo or vegetarian, though some will end up being such. If I know a way to change it I will make a note. Some of these will be main dishes; others will be sides. I don't have kids, so these will not be kid-tested. However, I have a 30 year old that eats like a five year old, so I will give you "Matt Ratings" that can be approximated to kid-testing. The Matt Ratings scale will go from NO!! (1/5) to Do I Have To Eat It? (2/5) to Do We Have Cheese I Can Put On This? (3/5) to Meh (4/5) to Omnomnom (5/5). If you try it and like it, let everyone know. Everyone should feel free to share their own recipes for the vegetable of the week for others to try! I will also take suggestions on what you want to see in the following weeks.

I am super sick today. It set in last night. I feel like death. Tried to work out, but I didn't have the strength or balance. I had some ice cream to soothe my throat, but it didn't help too much. I hope I feel better tomorrow.

My future husband made my brain hurt today. Apparently we are not going to have a nice little ceremony at town hall on the 16th. No. Now I have to plan a wedding. And with a wedding comes the terror of finding an inexpensive dress in my size. Please stab me now. Not that I'm completely against it. Having one will make things a little less awkward for the families. I'm just not one of those girls that planned out her dream wedding at age five. I honestly thought my future husband was cats. Weddings are expensive and dramatic and expensive. This gives me some goals for the next challenge though. I'm going to hang around with the rebels again for the next one. My goals will be: 1.) No sweets or soda or cheese platter/party food. 2.) At least 2 servings of fruits and vegetables every meal and one with snacks. 3.) Keep working out every other day, but take it up a notch. There are free weights in the exercise room of our apartment complex. I may also start trying to teach my dogs to not stop every five seconds so we can do intervals. Today I took down the soda a little bit more. I've eaten a decent amount of veggies. No candy despite how delist Muddy Buddies looked every time I passed the vending machine. I just need to pound out my workout and call it a night.