Weight Loss Diet Solutions

Last week we had this soup for dinner and I have to say it was fantastic.

To make things a bit easier my wife cooked this in the crockpot and even though you would think that it would harden the chicken cooking so long it ended up working out great.

Chicken Tortilla Soup Ingredients

2 Skinless boneless Chicken Breast
1/2 tsp Olìve oil
1 Cup Chopped onion
1 TBSP lime juice
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cumin
2 (14.5 oz) cans chicken broth
1 Cup Salsa
1 Cup corn
Tortilla chips and Monterey Jack cheese for garnish.

Chicken Tortilla Soup Directions

1. Heat oil on low in soup pot. Cut up chicken into bite sized pieces. Raise heat to high, cook chicken 2 min, stirring occasionally. Add onion, lime juice, garlic, chili powder and cumín. Cook approx 2 min.

2. Add broth, salsa, and corn. Cover and bring to boil. Reduce heat to med/high and continue to boil 8- 10 minutes to develop flavor.

3. Serve with crushed chips (I just used a few of those strips for salad, etc) and cheese.

4. I double this, and instead use 2 large cans of chicken. (Much easier) and also just cook in a crock pot 4-6 hours on high.

I also sometimes put a bit of sour cream on it too.

Let me know what you think!!!!

This is actually a WW recipe…if you use the FF chicken broth and FF tortilla chips (4 oz)…it’s 3 weight watchers points (from the old system).

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I thought that a nice Sunday ritual might be to recap my week on the blog so that I can share what was working for me during the week, the things that I did, lessons learned, and hopefully a little inspiration for you as a reader to help you get fit.

Does that sound good? A bit narcissistic maybe by me but hopefully it will give you some value

Jawbone Up24

Last Sunday my wife was a bit disappointed that she just is not getting enough exercise and decided that “today is the day” that she was going to get a fitbit.

I was put in charge of getting one and since I have researched these quite a bit I knew that the using of the device was the most important thing, They are all mostly the same with a couple of drawbacks each and strengths with others.

Anyway in the end the Jawbone Up24 is a little better than the Fitbit and was on sale for only $70 at a local store so that was my wifes new electronic pedometer/sleep tracker

Walking Lots This Week

So the Up24 led to walking week. My wife and I love to go for walks and the number of steps that she is supposed to do a day (10,000 total) meant that she would have to add an evening walk to the day to make sure she got those steps in.

And of course I was more than game to go for a walk with my pretty wife.

Walking is fantastic exercise which burns calories, reduces stress, connects you with the outdoors, and disconnects you from the internet.

All great things as a break in the day.

So on Monday night, Wednesday night, Thursday night, Friday night, and Saturday afternoon we went on walks.

I used the Runkeeper app on my old iPhone and she just has the Jawbone track her steps. The weather is really turning to Spring here in Calgary so it is getting warmer and nicer to walk.

Well the weather is nice except Yesterday with this ice everywhere.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

One of the meals that we had this week was a Chicken Tortilla Soup.

I really liked this even though my wife cut back on the spice, it was still great but not too spicy for the kidlets. I will post a recipe here as well

We tend to have a lot of soups I think and my wife is always making sure that there are lots of leftovers as I love to have left overs for lunch, which saves money and decision making for food

This leads to the next thing

Meal Planning – Again

We have done meal planning in the past. The idea is that you sit down one day on the weekend and make sure you have a plan for every day of the week for meals.

We really just worry about dinners but breakfast is dealt with as well and lunch, well lunch takes care of itself.

So last Sunday morning my daughter came up with a list for every meal including the Tortilla soup and a couple other new recipes.

My wife and I then went out shopping and got all the stuff. Today my wife and I made the list before she went out grocery shopping.

The really great thing about meal planning is that since you have a meal for every night you do not go out and have fast food to fill in any unplanned evenings.

Another good reason is that we can plan our day without having to shop in the middle of the week for stuff that is missing from the fridge and pantry. You spend a lot more shopping multiple times during the week because you end up buying more junk food and impulse items.

Kidney breakdown this week

Finally the week also involved my daughter ending up in the hospital again to get rehydrated.

If you don’t know about my daughter, Taylor has Nephronthysis which is a kidney disease that she caught genetically from my wife and I. It is a mess but will lead to her having her kidneys pulled in the next couple months and then I will be donating a kidney to her just a few weeks later.

Her issue this week was that she has been really tired and missed a few weeks of school again and also has had a bad headache for a few weeks which usually we associate with dehydration but this time we were looking for some better answers.

Anyway one thing that seemed to make a difference is a Neurologist that we talked to was saying that sometimes the effect of migraine style headaches can be reduced by supplementing with Vitamin B2 and that my daughter should also take Melatonin in the late evening to help her sleep better.

Both of these have made a huge difference and Taylor has now perked up this weekend and has a much better attitude towards things

Wow, that was a busy week. I knew there was a reason to create this post. I hop you learned some stuff and also have some confidence to push on this week with some great enthusiasm and motivation.

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Many dieters avoid restaurants for fear of undermining their diet effort. However, savvy dieters realize that – if they are careful – dining out can be a boon to a diet.

To succeed at dieting while facing a menu, there are two basic rules to follow:

• Demand that the food be cooked the way you want
• Expect to take home the excess food

And…

• Accept that you cannot eat the contents of the breadbasket or the mile high chocolate cake for dessert

Here are Some Better Eating Choices for Restaurants

Check the menu ahead of time

Whether you go on line or call the restaurant, know what kind to food to expect. The advantage to doing your menu homework is that you eliminate decision pressure (while the waiter is standing with pad at the ready).

Order first

It’s easy to be influenced by your friends, who, if not dieting, may order tempting high calorie foods. Once you order your broiled salmon and steamed vegetables, it is unlikely you will change that order

when your pal orders chicken Parmesan with pasta.

Be demanding

You’re paying for the meal and you have the right to have the food cooked the way you want. (Broiled, not fried. Hold the cream sauce. No sour cream or butter on the baked potato.)

Be knowledgeable about nutrition and food

Common sense tells you that fried fish and chips do not fit into a diet plan. Avoid cream-based chowders; have then hold the cheese and croutons on onion soup.

Be cranky

Food not prepared the way you want? Send it back. If you asked for the chicken breast without the melted Provolone on top and it comes drenched in cheese, you have the right to return it to the kitchen. Do not be noble and start scrapping off the cheese – assert your rights.

Don’t drink (too much)

If your diet allows wine or a drink with dinner, that’s fine. But when the waiter asks if the table wants another round, say “No.” Not only are you rejecting a second round of calories, but also you are protecting your willpower from the second drink’s “I don’t care anymore” diet collapse.

Take it home

Before you even start eating, anticipate what portion of the meal will be lunch tomorrow. Some dieters even put half their meal in a doggie bag before they start eating.

Here are couple of other quick tips that apply to eating away from home dining:

• Never arrive hungry
• Eat slowly; do not finish before your companions
• Drink lots of water (no, not alcohol)
• Move the breadbasket away from your section of the table – far away.
• Learn the difference between baked, braised, fried, broiled and other restaurant cooking styles.
• Ask for sauces and dressings on the side.

Enjoy your dining experience; do not let a diet commitment ruin the fun of dining out. Plan ahead, eat well and if you slip up a little, do not obsess. Tomorrow is a new day. And if you slip up a lot. Tomorrow is still a new day.

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