25 percent

I hope you guys had a great weekend! Mine was long and filled with craziness but I had a lot of fun. Be sure to check out my race review and recap for the Ace of Diamonds 5K that took place yesterday. Also I posted my first featured piece as part of my new ongoing series, A Few of My Favorite Things. This Sunday’s article featured a great Vegetarian Recipe that will make either a delicious lunch or dinner. It is super healthy (around 300 calories per serving) and is relatively inexpensive (under $5.00 per serving). Of course, that depends on the ingredients you use to make it.

I originally had a strength training workout scheduled for today but I chose not to do it. The hilly race course really did a number on my quads. I decided to give my legs a full day’s rest before I continue my training. I did have a very exciting day though. When I weighed myself this morning, the scale said that I weigh 151.8 lbs., which means that I have lost 53 lbs. since embarking on the healthy lifestyle journey. I have lost more than 25% of my starting weight. I am getting really close to a healthy body weight and I am really happy about that.

Also, a couple of weeks ago, I entered a raffle over at Running With Sass that benefited the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. She is raising money as part of her Team in Training Program. Last week, I found that I won one of the prizes. I received my prize in the mail this weekend and am already planning what to do with them. Since the headband is Disney themed, I am definitely going to be wearing it for Disney’s Wine and Dine Half Marathon. I am planning on putting the decal transfer on a tank top and wearing the day after my first marathon.

Have you ever won a raffle? What did you win and what did you do with it?

Skillet Gnocchi with Spinach and Navy Beans

A Few of My Favorite Things: Vegetarian Recipe

I found the recipe at eatingwell.com and made some modifications based on my own personal tastes. I absolutely love the flavor of gnocchi, spinach and fire roasted tomatoes so I thought this would a perfect recipe for me to try. This recipe truly is delicious. It is full flavored and filled with unique textures.

Gnocchi are delicious Italian dumplings that are typically made from flour and potatoes. I have personally not attempted to make them fresh because the process can be rather difficult and time sensitive but I will definitely be trying at some point in the future. I have found a great brand (Gia Russa) at my grocery store that offers several different varieties. The original recipe called for Swiss Chard instead of Spinach. I personally prefer the flavor of Spinach so I chose to use that instead. It called for the use of White Beans (usually Great Northern Beans) but upon further inspection of the nutritional facts I found that the Navy Beans were actually healthier. One of the biggest things was the amount of sodium in the White Beans.

Skillet Gnocchi with Spinach and Navy Beans

Yields: 6 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
• 16 oz. package of gnocchi
• 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 cup of water
• 6 cups of chopped spinach
• 15 oz. can of fire roasted diced tomatoes
• 15 oz. can of navy beans, rinsed
• 1/4 teaspoons ground pepper
• 1/2 cup Shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup Shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of EVOO in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.Add the gnocchi and cook, stirring often, until they have plumped up and started to brown, which is about 5 to 7 minutes. Once the gnocchi are done, transfer to a bowl.
2. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon of EVOO and onion to the same skillet and cook, stirring over medium heat for approximately 2 minutes. Stir in the garlic and water. Cover and cook until the onion is soft, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the spinach and cook, stirring until it starts to wilt, another 1 to 2 minutes.
3. Stir in the tomatoes, beans and pepper. Bring to a simmer or until the sauce just starts to bubble.
4. Stir in the Gnocchi and sprinkle with the mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Cover and cook until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling, about 3 minutes.

Struggling with my self image ...

Sunday - Rest
Monday - Strength Training

• Kettlebells - 30 minutes (Joint Mobility Warm Up and 2X Fat Blast Workout)

When I woke up this morning, I decided not to workout as I planned because I wanted to measure myself. Six weeks ago, I went through the process of measuring myself to set a baseline of measurement for my progress. I know it isn't exactly accurate because I started my lifestyle change in February, which is way more than six weeks ago. My original intention was to measure myself every four weeks but since I was on vacations I let it slide. After I returned from vacation, I didn't want to measure myself because I was afraid that my physical appearance wasn't changing even though my weight has been dropping. When I look in the mirror, I still see the remnants of the person I used to be. I only see the imperfections that remain and I don't really see the changes that are occurring. I think I have had self image issues my entire life. My situation isn't being helped any when I receive compliments on a daily basis at work about my new physique. I watched an episode of Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta on TLC over the weekend that really struck a chord with me. One of the girls at the bridal salon had recently gone through her own lifestyle change where she lost 65 pounds over the course of a year. (I promise I was not on the TV show.) Even though her physical appearance had drastically changed, she still saw her old self and all of her old problem areas every time she looked in the mirror. Her lack of self confidence about her new physique really made the experience of wedding dress shopping a painful one for herself. I know that I am not getting married any time soon but I am afraid that as I continue down this journey I will be my own worst enemy. I have been so self conscious of my physical appearance for so long that it will be hard to see myself as a changed woman with the physique I have always wants but never thought I could have and I never have the guts to try to get it.

By the way, the results of my measuring process are a loss of 8.6 pounds, 13.25 inches (total), and 3 inches in my hips. Now keep in mind that these results are over the course of 6 weeks and me measuring myself. Hopefully, I will have more accurate measurements taken when I finally sit down with a personal trainer in the next couple of weeks.

My workout tonight was great. I felt upset with myself this morning because I didn't workout but I still was able to get it in. I really like the workouts on my new kettlebell DVD. They are more about using the weight of the kettlebell for its intended purpose rather than a prop to swing around for added resistance to body weight/cardio exercises. Now don't misunderstand me. I really enjoyed the Kettlenetics workout program and it helped me get to where I am now but it can only take you so far and there isn't a whole lot of room to grow. The exercises that are done in those videos can not be done with any bell heavier than 8 lb. I honestly can't wait until I access to heavier kettlebells to see how my fitness will improve. I also really want to talk to a personal trainer that can point me in the right direction. Up to this point, I have been doing everything on my own. I have developed my own nutrition plan and my own training plan (with the help of Nike+ and Jeff Galloway). I try to listen to my body as much as possible but I haven't quite figured out what my body's threshold actually is. I think I am going to join that gym this weekend and get the ball rolling. I guess I will have to write down my kettlebell workouts so I can take them with me.