Woo Hoo! I feel back in the groove. After having a one pound weight loss last week, I lost two and half pounds this week! I am almost to my ten pound weight loss for the month and I’m feeling fantastic.
This week I really tried to get back to basics. I stuck with my 5 miles a day walking/running plan and I am really starting to see a difference in the muscle tone in my legs. They seem slimmer and more defined.
I’m not sure the exact moment, but I discovered that I really like working out now. It’s almost like the gym is my sanctuary where I can go and completely zone out of the problems or stresses that I have and just focus on myself. If I’m ever in a bad mood or tired, I go for a walk. Within ten minutes I feel happier and lighter, not just because I know the weight is coming off but because my mind isn’t filled with so many unmanageable thoughts.
Another thing I like to do in the gym is create small challenges for myself. If I’m on the elliptical machine or treadmill, I set it to a certain time. If I get to that time, say 30 minutes, and I’ve burned off 265 calories, I’ll actually add more time until I reach the next hundred calorie marker. It is usually less than five minutes and I’ve burned so many more calories and feel like I’ve accomplished more than I set out to.
I did better with my diet this week too. I really tried to focus on eating whole foods, nothing processed and include more fruits and vegetables in my diet. Starting off the weekend, my fiance and I went to the farmer’s market and bought a bunch of bananas, peaches, strawberries, watermelons, cucumbers and zucchini. I’m the first one to say that I’m not much of a cook as my idea of a home cooked meal means ordering take out and I transfer the food from the boxes to a platter and set the table. (I’m really good at setting a pretty table.) But this week I researched recipes before going to the grocery store and I put together a few small meals. My favorite meal I made this week was a low calorie mozzarella pizza with tomatoes and basil. It was delicious. It only had a few ingredients but turned out so well.
Recipe for low calorie tomato, basil and mozzarella pizza:
- 1 whole wheat thin crust pre-made pizza dough (I used Freshchetta’s 100% Whole Wheat Thin Crust)
- 5 medium sized tomatoes, sliced
- 5 large basil leaves
- 1 mozzarella ball
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. While the oven is preheating, lay out the pizza crust and brush a thin layer of olive oil on the entire pie. Next, take the tomato slices and evenly distribute on the pizza. In between each tomato, add a small ball of mozzarella and add the basil on top of the tomatoes. Then, chop the garlic and sprinkle on top. Finally, lightly add salt and pepper to taste. (My fiance also adds red pepper flakes to up the spicy factor.) Cook for 10 minutes (longer or shorter depending on oven) and take out to cool.
Next week, I’m in for the big push to lose the remaining three pounds of my ten pound challenge. I’m hoping to continue eating fewer carbs and less calories and trying new recipes. I’m also starting my boot camp class tomorrow morning. I’m a little nervous but pretty excited to see how this class is going to change my body. Maybe I’ll lose even more than 3 pounds — fingers crossed!
