And The Winner Is...

Well, we are all winners because we have been living a healthy lifestyle and gaining healthy habits, right?!

But the person with the highest overall score is: Wendy!! Who lost something like 18 pounds!! Awesome!

Coming in second is: Karlee! Who also lost at least 7 pounds! Impressive numbers ladies!

And winner of the mini-competition is: Torrey!

I will get your winnings to you soon.

Thanks to everyone who participated! I hope you enjoyed it and felt like it was worthwhile. Will there be another one?? Perhaps. After the holidays when I need to get back on track!

Week 4

Final week!

Bonus for this week:
Have one free meal, as many bad foods as you want to have in it. This is worth 10 points. (This is also a test to see if you've learned anything. Are you going to go crazy? I'm not saying it's horrible to go crazy. It's perfectly normal for a healthy person to eat an unhealthy meal every once in awhile. But maybe you don't really feel like stuffing yourself with fattening food? The question is, how healthy are you going to remain once this challenge is over? Think about it.) Total bonus points available this week: 10.

Mini Competition:
Exercise for at least 30 minutes EVERY DAY this week except Sunday. If you complete the mini challenge, let me know in your weekly email. You do not get extra points for doing the challenge. A winner will be chosen randomly from all who participated.

Keep up the good work!

Mini Competition Winner

The winner of the first mini competition is Jenifer Walker! I will be in touch with you.

The second mini competition starts next week. And here it is:

During week 4, exercise for at least 30 minutes every single day (except Sunday). It's only 30 minutes. Find the time :).

Be sure to let me know if you completed this mini challenge in your final weekly email at the end of week 4.

Recipes from Natalie

Salsa
2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can whole corn, drained
2 large tomatoes, chopped
... 1 avocado, chopped
½ small red onion, chopped
2 fresh jalapeños, seeded and finely chopped
1 small can sliced black olives, drained
¼ cup cilantro, finely chopped
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 Tbs. red wine vinegar
3-4 Tbs. lemon or lime juice
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
Mix olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a small bowl and set aside. Combine all other ingredients and pour liquid mixture over and stir. Chill or serve immediately.

*I only used about 1 TB olive oil and didn't even add the olives.
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Tomato Sandwich
This is totally stupid to post for a recipe, but I love this sandwich and it is only good during the fall when you have garden-fresh tomatoes. It makes a great snack and is so good for you!

Toast two pieces of whole-wheat bread and slice a fresh tomato. I like to put a bit of butter spray or fat-free mayo/miracle whip on my toast and then I add the tomatoes and sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.
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Raspberry-Mango Smoothie
Recipe by Our Best Bites
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups Orange Mango Peach juice
1 cup cubed mangoes (or peaches)
1 cup raspberries
1 1/2 cups (about 3 large scoops) pineapple sherbet
2 cups ice (omit 1 cup ice per frozen fruit used)
Instructions:
Add all ingredients to your blender in the order listed and blend until smooth. Drink immediately. Makes 2 large smoothies or 4 smaller smoothies.

Week 3

You are halfway done! I hope everyone is feeling great and learning long-term habits. Be sure to let me know if you completed the mini-competition this last week. Here's the bonus points for week three:

Complete these tasks at some point this week. Each worth 5 points:
-Call or write a friend or family member you haven’t spoken to in awhile.
-Eat an extra fruit or veggie today.
-Treat yourself to something bad without taking off points!
-Take 15 minutes by yourself to do something relaxing (ie: warm bath, meditate, read a book, etc.)
-Try something different today, whether it’s yoga, or a new recipe, or something else.

Total bonus points available this week: 25

Recipes from Melanie

Turkey Black Bean Chili:
1 lb. lean ground turnkey
2 cups black beans
1 cup chopped onion
2 cups tomato sauce
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
In a saucepan, brown the ground turkey over moderate heat. Add the remainder of the ingredients. Simmer for 20 minutes. Makes about 4 servings.
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Chicken-Vegetable Soup
4 baked chicken breasts, diced into small chunks
1&1/2 cups chopped cabbage
1 Large Carrot, chopped
1 cup okra sliced
1 large onion chopped
2 large celery stalks with leaves, chopped
1 15oz can of crushed tomatoes
1 14oz can fat free chicken broth
1&1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
(I also threw in some zuccinni)
Place all ingredients, except chicken, in a large pan and simmer for one hour or until vegetables are soft. Add in chicken and heat thoroughly. Enjoy. Makes about 4 servings.
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Power Cookie
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 tbls almond paste
1 tbls flaxseed oil
10 packets of truvia
1/4 cup agave nectar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup whey powder
2 cups oats
1 cup dried cherries (i've used dried blueberries & craisins befor)
1/2 cup sliced almonds
Heat oven 350. Beat together applesauce, almond paste, flaxseed oil, truvia, and agave nectar. Beat in egg and vanilla. Mix well. Add flour, banking soda, salt, pepper and whey powder. Beat thoroughly. Stir in oats, cherries and almonds. Mix well. Drop the batter by large tablespoons onto a cookie sheet that has been sprayed with vegetable cooking spray. Divide dough so that you have 18 cookies. flatten each cookie with the back of the spoon. Bake 16 to 18 minutes or until brown. Remove from oven. Cool and store in a plastic container. Each cookie supplies 128 calories & counts as a protein and a starch. Great for a snack or breakfast on the go.

Recipes from Janalee

Chicken Soft Tacos

The other night I made these for me and my husband. They were delicious and he was surprised to find out how many vegetables he got in such a tasty way!
I just created this with what I had so you can adjust the amount to how much you need.

Onion
Zucchini
Diced, cooked chicken (great to use leftover chicken)
Packet taco seasoning
Water
Lettuce
Tomatoes
Walmart corn and black bean salsa
Whole wheat tortillas

Dice 1/2 onion and 1/2 small zucchini. Put in frying pan and cook until tender. All I added was a little bit of water. Add diced, cooked chicken and heat through. Add a packet of taco seasoning and water. Follow directions on packet, bringing to a boil and simmer until ready.

Meanwhile, prepare lettuce, tomatoes, and salsa for topping. I like to buy Walmart's corn and black bean salsa and add a 1/2 can of corn and 1/2 can of black beans to bulk it up.

Heat a whole wheat tortilla for 15 seconds in microwave. Add meat mixture. Top with lettuce, tomatoes, and salsa. Enjoy!
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Teriyaki Chicken Stir Fry

Cubed chicken (uncooked boneless breasts or tenders work well)
Teriyaki sauce
Frozen stir-fry veggies or fresh
Brown Minute Rice

Throw chicken pieces in a wok (or other pan) and saute (all I added at first was a bit of water to keep it from sticking). As it starts to cook pour in teriyaki sauce to cover. Add vegetables (you can use fresh veggies like carrots, pea pods, peppers, etc or just a bag of frozen stir fry or oriental veggies). Cook through and serve over brown rice.
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Wake Up To Breakfast

1 1/2 cups oatmeal
3 cups water
2 cups sliced apples
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Coat inside of slow cooker with cooking spray. In slow cooker, combine all ingredients. Mix well. Cover. Cook on low 8 to 9 hours. Makes 4 to 6 servings.
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Spaghetti

Whole wheat spaghetti noodles
Zucchini, diced
Mushrooms, chopped
Garlic, about 4 cloves minced
Can or jar of spaghetti sauce
Balsamic Vinegar

Cook whole wheat spaghetti noodles according to package directions.

Add diced zucchini and to a pan and saute with a little water or olive oil. If desired, add some minced cloves of garlic. Add mushrooms a little bit later than zucchini (it cooks pretty fast). When vegetables are tender- crisp, add spaghetti sauce. Of course, you can make spaghetti sauce from scratch, but I'm busy and have to healthify whatever I can to save time. I learned a trick that you can add some balsamic vinegar to store-bought spaghetti sauce to make it taste more like homemade, so pour a little in.

To serve, toss cooked spaghetti with vegetable sauce.

So Far

I have been going back and forth about posting names and points for food and exercise. On the one hand, knowing others will see your score should motivate you to do better. But on the other hand, it might discourage anyone who is not doing as well. I don't want anyone giving up after a week.

For now, I decided I will just post the top five people from week one. But you should all know that it is VERY close, so don't get discouraged if you are not listed below. These names are not in any particular order.

Karlee
Marci
Wendy
Torrey
Joanie (but since I'm not eligible to win, I'll list one more...)
Amy

Everyone did REALLY well on week one!! I can't wait to see your scores for week two!

Recipes from Marci

My favorite easy Meat Marinade. I use this a lot on chicken breasts that we are grilling.

1/2 cup oil (I use olive oil - could use Lite)
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 T Worchestershire sauce
2 T Mustard
1 t Pepper
1/4 t garlic (one small clove)

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Chilaquiles Casserole
1 T Oil
1 Medium Onion (diced)
1 medium Zucchini (grated)
1 Can Black Beans (rinsed)
1 Can (8 oz) Diced Tomatoes (drained)
1 1/2 Cups Corn (frozen (thawed) or fresh)
1 t Ground Cumin
1/2 t Salt
12 Corn Tortillas (quartered)
1 Can Mild Green Enchilada Sauce
1 1/4 Cups Shredded Reduced-Fate Cheddar Cheese (I use colby jack)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with baking spray.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high head. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in zucchini, beans, tomatoes, corn, cumin and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are heated through, about 3 minutes.

Scatter half the tortilla pieces in the baking dish. top with about half the vegetable mixture, about half the enchilada sauce and half of the cheese. Repeat with one more layer of tortillas, vegetables, sauce and cheese. Cover with foil.

Bake the casserole for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking until the casserole is bubbling around the edges and the cheese is melted, about 10 Minutes more.
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Santa Rosa Rice Salad

Salad
2 Boxes Long Grain Wild Rice - Prepared
1 Lemon, Juiced
3 Chicken Breasts - Cooked and cut up
4 Green Onions - Chopped
1 Red Bell pepper - Chopped
1 Yellow Pepper - Chopped
3 oz. Pea Pods and/or Asparagus (Blanced for 1 Minute)
2 Medium Avocados - Cut Up (I don't put them in)
1/4-1/2 Cup Cilantro - Chopped
1 Cup Chopped Pecans - Toasted (Sometimes I use, sometimes I don't)
Dressing
2 Garlic Cloves
1T Dijon Mustard
1/2 t Salt
1/4 t Sugar
1/4 t Popper
1/3 Cup Rice Vinegar
1/3 Cup Oil

Mix Salad ingredients except avocado and pecans. Mix together dressing, and add to rice mixture. Chill 2-4 hours. Before serving, add avocado and pecans. Garnish with lettuce if desired. (I always place it over green leaf lettuce)

Recipes from Amy

Chicken Lettuce Wraps
http://cooksanonymous.blogspot.com/2010/10/chicken-lettuce-wraps.html

Ingredients:
1/2 Tbls canola oil
3-4 chicken breasts (small-medium, and thin in size; if thick, try pounding first)
1/2 onion - 1 whole onion, white or yellow, minced
1/3 bunch green onions (aka scallions), trim off 3 inches from top & 1 inch from bottom
1/4 cup liquid aminos (Braggs), or lite soy sauce (Kikkoman's)
1/2 Tbls fresh ginger (pealed and grated)
1 clove fresh garlic, pressed
1 Tbls agave nectar (of course, sugar or honey can always be used instead)
1 Tbls stone ground mustard (with whole seeds intact)
1/2 Tbls Mexican hot sauce, of your choice
1/2 Tbls chopped walnuts
1/2 Tbls slivered almonds
1/2 tsp sweet paprika (or just paprika)
1 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (or a 1/2 tsp chili pepper fusion, like I used)
Sea salt & pepper (to taste, but the liquid aminos has a lot of salt)
Bok Choy, 1 head


*I had pre-cooked chicken breasts I made earlier that day, so it made this pretty fast and easy to make. I seasoned them with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika, and maybe some thyme. I set my oven on bake at 375, and cooked them for about 25 minutes (it depends on thickness).

Prep: Mince onion (while oil heats on pan), and while onion cooks dice chicken breasts into small chunks. Than chop green onions, grate ginger and set aside for later (and chop walnuts if needed).

Heat canola oil in a medium/large saute pan on medium heat. Place onions in pan first and saute until soft (about 3 minutes) than add chicken. Than add your garlic, ginger, and all remaining ingredients, BUT wait to add green onions. Stir and heat through on low/med heat (depending on your stove and pan -you don't want to brown or burn anything) about 5-10 minutes. When onions become very soft and translucent add the green onions and cook for 5 more minutes, and stir often.
Serve hot (or cold) with Bok Choy, or ice burg lettuce.
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Oatmeal Banana Pancakes -Gluten and sugar free

Blend:
-1 cup water
-1 cup choice of milk (I used unsweetened coconut or unsweetened vanilla almond milk)
-1 Banana
-1 cup whole oats
-1 Tbls ground flax seed (I used the sprouted flax seed)
-1/2 tsp pure vanilla
-1/2 tsp sea salt
-1/2 Tbls agave nectar (or 100% pure maple syrup)
-1/2 Tbls coconut oil


After blending let it set for a few minutes to thicken, while griddle is heating up. Then these pancakes take a while to cook before you flip them, maybe 4 minutes first side and 2 the second (? not sure -the good news is, they are hard to burn. I have my griddle almost all the way to 400 and I don't ever burn mine).
Serve with 100% maple syrup or unsweetened applesauce with fruit, like chopped peaches, strawberries and/or bananas! Yum!!
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Vegetable Beef Soup Recipe

1 Tbls olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
4-5 carrots, chopped
5-6 celery stalks, chopped
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 C green beans, chopped in thirds
1 can diced tomatoes (or 1 large tomato, fresh chopped)
½ C tomato sauce (or spaghetti sauce)
6-8 cups broth, low sodium (chicken or vegetable)
.5 lb browned beef, lean*
2 russet potatoes, chopped (& pre-cooked)
¾ C Barley

1 tsp oregano, fresh (or dried)
1Tbls onion powder
1Tbls garlic powder
1 tsp dried basil
½ Tbls kosher salt (or sea salt)
Sea salt & pepper, to taste
Dash of sweet paprika (optional)
Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
1 bay leaf

(1/2 C fresh or frozen corn, optional)

*Season beef with salt, garlic powder & onion powder while cooking, & set aside.

First, in a separate pot boil chopped potatoes, about 15 minutes, drain & set aside. While they cook do the following:

In a large pot, warm olive oil on medium/high heat. Add chopped: onion, carrots, celery, peppers, & green beans. Stir then sauté for 5 minutes. Add ½ of all the seasonings, except the bay leaf. Add canned tomatoes. Stir and sauté on medium heat for about 10 minutes. (Sometimes I put the lid on for the first 5 minutes to help them soften more quickly).
Once veggies are soft and onions are translucent add broth, tomato sauce & remaining ½ of seasonings & bay leaf. Heat to boiling, add BARLEY, & cooked beef then simmer on low for 10 minutes. Than add cooked potatoes and heat through. Season with salt & pepper to your liking.

** I wrote this from memory, so it might require more (or less) seasoning, more or less broth, etc. You can play around with it, but you can’t go wrong on the veggies and barley really :).

Recipes from Karlee

Breakfast:
¾ cup oatmeal
Add light vanilla soy milk
Microwave for 1 ½ minutes
Add 1-2 tablespoons of organic peanut butter
Sprinkle cinnamon
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Couscous Salad
Ingredients
•1 cup uncooked couscous
•1 1/4 cups chicken broth
•3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
•2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
•1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
•1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
•8 green onions, chopped
•1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
•1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
•1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
•2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, drained
•salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1. Bring chicken broth to a boil in a 2 quart or larger sauce pan and stir in the couscous. Cover the pot and remove from heat. Let stand for 5 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, vinegar and cumin. Add green onions, red pepper, cilantro, corn and beans and toss to coat.
3. Fluff the couscous well, breaking up any chunks. Add to the bowl with the vegetables and mix well. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve at once or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Recipes from Wendy and Torrey

Sweet and sour Chicken
4-6 Boneless Chicken Breasts (mine were still frozen!)

1 Bottle Hawaiian style barbecue sauce (at Target with pineapple orange and mango in it)
rice
pineapple
Toss it all in the skillet and cook.

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Popsicles
chop fruit. Put them in a popsicle mold. Add Crystal Light. Freeze

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Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore

1 lb skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
2 c. fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 c. green peppers, sliced
1 c. onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 T. canned tomato paste
14.5 oz can crushed or diced fire-roasted tomatoes
1/4 c. chicken or beef stock, if preferred. I use chicken stock for this dish but beef is also very tasty!)
3/4 tsp. dried oregano, crushed
3/4 tsp. salt, divided
1/4 tsp. black pepper

Place chicken in a 3-5 qt. slow cooker. Add mushrooms, green pepper, onion, garlic, tomato paste, tomatoes and juice, wine, oregano, 1/2 tsp. salt and black pepper.

Cover slow cooker; cook on high heat for 5-6 hours or on low heat for 6-8 hours. Taste just before serving and add remaining 1/4 tsp. salt if necessary. Makes 1 cup per serving. Serves 4.

Serve as a stew or over whole-wheat penne.
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Hawaiian Baked Chicken
http://cupcakediariesblog.blogspot.com/2011/08/lighten-up-hawaiian-baked-chicken.html
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Crockpot Turkey Breast
http://cupcakediariesblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/crockpot-turkey-breast.html
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Lighten up Chicken
http://cupcakediariesblog.blogspot.com/2011/02/lighten-up-lemon-chicken-crockpot.html
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Jerky
3 lbs of thinly sliced carne asada. Cut into narrow strips. Overnight (10-24 hours) marinate
2/3 cup Worcestershire
2/3 cup soy sauce
1tsp black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1tsp onion powder
optional drop of Tobasco sauce or red pepper

Cook at the lowest oven setting of 170 degrees. Prop the oven door open with a wooden spoon so it will dry. Line the bottom rack with cookie sheets or tin foil. Hang the strips of meat on the top rack. Check them after a few hours. It should take 4 hours. Cut out any fat that snuck through your pre-cooking examination. Just use a pair of shears to cut it out...
Store your jerky in a cool dry place, in a zip-lock bag with a folded up sheet of paper towel (to absorb excessive moisture). It will keep this way for three to four weeks. If you'd like to save some for further into the future, you can freeze it for up to six months.
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Fat free Yoplait yogurt and Grapenuts

Recipes from Jennifer

Here are recipies I love!!!
Chicken BBQ Black Bean (From Jillian on biggest looser)
Saute till lightly brown
1/2 onion
1 clove garlic
1 breast chicken
(and fresh ground pepper)

Add
1 can black beans, drained
1/2 cup masterpiece bbq sauce (my favorite)
1/4 cup cilantro

After BBQ Chicken and Black Beans are done, enjoy with a carb smart whole wheat tortilla. You can add fat free cheddar cheese and light sour cream if desired! I love this, very addictive.
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The recipies below I just submitted to a cook book that will be put out by BYU football players and coaches wives. They really help me when I try eating healthy. That does not mean that I endulge in them...moderation!
Sprouted Almonds

1 cup raw almonds (or any amount)

Sprouted almonds are so much better than raw almonds. It takes approximately 3 days to sprout almonds. Super easy, and way better for you than raw almonds.

Place almonds in a mason jar with water all the way to the top. place in fridge overnight. Rinse in morning 3 times. Rince in evening 3 times. Repeat for 3 days. Enjoy!
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Healthy, RAW (meaning only natural ingredients) Brownies

Raw brownie recipe:

1 cup almonds (you can use walnuts in a pinch, but pecans are much better!)

1/2 cup cashews
1 cup dried dates

1 cup dried coconut (unsweetened)
5 tablespoons raw cacao (cocoa) powder (or unsweetened cocoa powder)
4 to 5 TBS raw coconut oil

3 tablespoons honey or agave nectar
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1. Place almonds alone in your food processor and process until they become small and crumbly. Do like wise seperately with the cashews.

2. Add dates to the raw brownie recipe and process again until the mixture sticks together and the dates are well processed.

3. Add the remaining ingredients to this raw brownie recipe and process again until the mixture turns a lovely dark chocolatey brown. Stop processing before it gets too buttery. (There should still be air between the small bits so that you will be able to press them down into your brownie pan.)Or, you can mix with your hands in a bowl.

4. Dump the mixture into a brownie dish or small cake pan and press down firmly using your clean hands. I use wax paper to line a square 9 x 9 pan.

5. Refrigerate this raw brownie recipe for a couple of hours. Or place in freezer. Then you can flip out the brownies (if you used wax paper), and cut them. Then I usually place them back into a freezer bag so I can eat them when I wish. You do not have to refrigerate it, but it is much easier to slice when chilled. By the way, this is actually a raw brownie recipe that keeps its shape! So it can be good for serving to non-raw fooders because the presentation of this raw brownie recipe is good when chilled.
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Basic Raw Macaroon Recipe

2c Dried Coconut (unsweetened)

1/2 C Almond Flour (you can make by taking raw almonds, blending them in the blender till fine...not till they turn into butter. Then take fine strainer and press with a spoon the blended almonds through the strainer. This makes almond flour. I often use all almond parts of the blended almonds).

1/4 C Coconut Butter (or coconut oil works, coconut butter makes it a little more compact)

1/4 C Maple Syrup*

1/4 C. Agave

1 Vanilla Bean

Pinch Sea Salt

Mix all ingredients together (I use my hands). For vanilla, use recipe as is.

*Maple syrup is not considered raw. You can substitute agave but the macaroons will not have the same consistency.

Recipes From Joanie

Some snack ideas:
Laughing Cow Garlic and Herb Cheese spread onto celery sticks
Yogurt with blueberries, or any fruit
Peanut Butter and apples
Cottage Cheese and Triscuts
Smoothies with yogurt, frozen fruit, fresh fruit and orange juice
Sugar Free Jell-O is great for the sweet tooth
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Quinoa with Dried Cranberries and Toasted Pecans: http://cooksanonymous.blogspot.com/2011/07/quinoa-with-dried-cranberries-and.html
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Black Bean, Corn and Quinoa Salad:
Dressing:
2 T fresh lime juice
3 T white vinegar
2 T minced fresh cilantro
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
2/3 cup thawed frozen corn kernels
1 tomato, seeded and finely diced
1 small red bell pepper, seeded and finely diced

Directions:
Whisk dressing ingredients in small bowl, add olive oil in a thin stream and whisking constantly until smooth and emulsified. Set aside.

In a saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the quinoa and 1 1/2 cups water. Stir in the salt. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until the quinoa is tender and all the water has been absorbed, about 10 minutes. Transfer the quinoa to a colander and rinse under cold running water. Drain thoroughly, then transfer to a large nonreactive bowl.

Add the black beans to the bowl with the quinoa. Pat the corn dry with paper towels and add to the bowl, along with the tomato and bell pepper. Pour in the dressing and stir to coat all the ingredients well. Transfer the salad to a large serving bowl or individual plates and serve immediately. Serves 6.

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Chicken Tortilla Soup
-This is my absolute FAVORITE meal! Only I don't bother with the grilling, I just put it all in a pot.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/tortilla-soup-recipe/index.html
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Black Bean Soup
-Also a favorite!! The sandwiches are delicious too, but not for the challenge.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/black-bean-stoup-and-southwestern-monte-cristo-sandwiches-recipe3/index.html
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Apple Pancakes
-Skip the syrup and just use whipped cream. Or you can use light maple syrup.
http://cooksanonymous.blogspot.com/2011/02/apple-yogurt-pancakes.html
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Blueberry Bran Muffins
http://cooksanonymous.blogspot.com/2011/02/low-fat-blueberry-bran-muffins.html
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Granola Bars
-SOOOO good!
http://cooksanonymous.blogspot.com/2011/06/granola-bars.html
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Easy Steak Kabobs
-We're having these for dinner tonight.
http://cooksanonymous.blogspot.com/2009/07/easy-steak-kabobs.html

Week 2: Bonus and Mini-Competition

You made it through week one! Unfortunately the second week is usually the hardest. Stay strong!

Bonus points this week:

Let's help each other out by giving some of our ideas for how to get our 'good foods'. Email me (poanster99@gmail.com) up to three recipes and I will repost them. Each recipe is worth 5 points, for a total of 15 bonus points available this week. Of course, you are welcome to contribute more than three, but you only get points for three.

Mini-Competition:

The first mini-competition is this week. If you complete it, let me know in your weekly points email and one winner will be chosen to earn a little money. (I don't know how much yet because I haven't received everyone's money and I don't know how many people are really 'in'.) Here's what you have to do:

Choose something you are addicted to that is not healthy. Examples are Diet Coke, chocolate, maybe even TV or sleep. Choose one addiction and conquer it every day this week.

That's it! And if you haven't sent your money yet, you need to at least let me know that you intend on sending it soon so I know how to divide up the winnings. Thank you.

Clarify

I hope everyone is doing well and feeling great!

Does anyone else have a hard time drinking 64 ounces of water?? I think it's one of the hardest things for me. And it's frustrating to try to drink it all and then end up losing all the points because you didn't quite make it. Not to mention that I've had WAY more bathroom breaks these last few days than I have time for.

After getting some input, I am going to change the water points just a little. If you drink all 64 ounces, you get 10 points. If you drink only 48 ounces, you get 5 points. If you don't reach that, you get zero points. Anyone have a problem with that??

Just to clarify, you are still allowed to eat things like mayo and sour cream, as long as you choose a lower fat version. I like the olive oil or canola mayo. It's less fat than regular and it doesn't taste as bad as the light. Do you like salad but can't stand the low-fat ranch you buy in the store?? (I know I do). Make your own version of low-fat ranch at home by using skim milk and olive oil mayo with the ranch packet. Salads are an easy way to get all your veggies for the day. Just add some carrot, celery, bell pepper, tomatoes, part-skim mozarrella on top of spinach and/or romaine. You get your dairy serving along with tons of veggies (and maybe fruit depending on how you count tomatoes. I feel weird calling it a fruit, but I guess that's what it is. I don't care if you count it as a veggie, though.) Also, Sargento's makes some good reduced-fat cheeses. Look for the pre-sliced stuff.

Another must for me is gum and mints. At 8:00 pm when I'm feeling munchy, I just chew some gum. They have so many good flavors out there these days. Tic-Tacs helps to ease the candy craving as well. Just my pointers.

Feel free to send any questions my way! Good luck!

Week 1

There are two bonus opportunities this week.

First, worth 5 points. Eat one serving of something off the bad foods list without subtracting any points. (Shouldn't be too hard ;)) This can be done at any time this week.

Second, worth 5 points. Wait until the end of the week (Thursday-Sunday), go to the blog (fitnessandhealthchallenge.blogspot.com) and comment on this post answering the following questions:

What do you LOVE about this challenge so far?
What is the hardest rule for you to follow?

If you can't leave a comment for some reason, you can email me your answers and I will post them.

Total bonus points available this week: 10

Get Psyched!

The challenge starts on Monday, so I hope you are gearing up. Get some determination and hit the ground running. Maybe eat something rich and fattening for your last meal on Sunday night. Bake a yummy treat and enjoy it for the last time for a month. Then go shopping for some low-fat mayo and spray butter. Plan out what time you are going to be able to exercise each day. And get psyched!

This program is meant to help us get into healthy habits we can use all our life. It’s not meant to be four torturous weeks of deprivation to the point that your self-control breaks and you decide to drop out. You are NOT meant to get perfect scores every week.

In my experience, accountability is everything. It’s been proven that keeping a food journal helps people to control what they eat and to lose weight. This is a fun way to do just that.

To hold us accountable each week, I will be posting scores JUST for total food points and for weekly exercise points. Knowing our scores will be posted will help motivate us to do better. And it will also give you an idea of how others are doing. Don’t get intimidated. We are all living different lives and some people are able to exercise daily while others are not. Just do your best.

Speaking of exercise and busy lives, if you are having a hard time finding ways to exercise, I have some ideas. Other than just going for a walk, you can also rent work out videos at the library. Or I have a few you could possibly borrow. Pilates is a nice thing to do at home when the kids are in bed. You can chase the soccer ball around with your kids for a half hour. Even Just Dance on the Wii can get your heart rate up if you do the higher-intensity dances. Try your best to avoid making excuses.

Email me with any questions you have. And feel free to communicate with others in the challenge by commenting on this blog or by replying to the conversation on Facebook.

It’s going to be great, I promise!

Whole Wheat

We would all be much healthier if we ate like they did hundreds of years ago, growing their own wheat, grinding it, making their own bread. With everything processed and refined these days we are really doing damage to our health.

White flour is wheat that has been subjected to the refining process, which basically removes the bran and the germ from the wheat, and along with it most of the nutrients (including all of the fiber).

White flour has been shown to increase your risk of type 2 diabetes (because it has a high glycemic index which affects blood sugar in unhealthy ways, similar to just eating a spoonful of white sugar). It also raises your levels of bad cholesterol (LDL) causing heart disease. It’s been adversely linked to colon health because of the lack of fiber, which can lead to Crohn’s disease, IBS, and colon cancer. And it’s associated with excess fat, especially around your middle (true story, I’m not making this up). It makes you feel sluggish and less inclined to want to exercise. I have experienced this, but I also read it so I swear it’s not just my opinion.

Eating whole grains has the opposite effect, decreasing your risk of diabetes, heart disease, and colon cancer. People who eat whole grains weigh less. It also lessens chronic inflammation, helps prevent gallstones, keeps your GI tract regular, even protects against breast cancer. (Okay, now I feel like I’m giving my breastfeeding speech, which just so happens to include a lot of the same benefits.)

There are actually more benefits listed on this site. http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=66

Have I sold you yet? Are you ready to toss out your white flour? If not that’s okay. But for the sake of this competition, let me just say that once you get all your servings of whole grains/fiber for the day, you won’t have much room left for white flour. And if you are eating a whole lot of it along with everything on our list that you need to eat each day, most likely you are not going to lose weight because you’ll be getting more calories.

There is a wide selection of whole grain pastas in the stores now. There are a lot of whole grain tortillas. Of course there’s also a lot of products that claim ‘whole grains’ when they are really mostly refined flour. But I’m not going to get too nit-picky with the competition. Just do your best to choose high fiber foods for your three servings.

It’s true brown rice doesn’t taste as good as white rice. But that probably means that you won’t eat as much of it, right?

This is one of the things I gained a better understanding of from doing a competition like this. You look at food and ask what it is providing for you. Vitamins? Fiber? Calcium? Protein? Wheat bread with honey is actually good for you. Where as Nilla Wafers are just empty calories that play with your blood sugar. (But they sure are yummy :))

You can substitute whole wheat flour for white flour anywhere in your diet. I've even used it for gravy! Try it. It's awesome. I can't go back.

Safe Foods

No points given nor points taken away.

•Unsweetened cereals/Low in Fiber: Cheerios, Wheeties, Crispix, etc
•Nuts
• Low Sugar Jam
• Diet Soda or Crystal Light (both not necessarily good for you)
• 100 cal popcorn snack or air popped popcorn
• Pretzels, wheat thins, etc (in moderation)
• Sugar free jello, Fat free sugar free jello pudding
• Fat free or Sugar free cool whip, or light whipped topping
• Mustard, Salsa, Relish, Pickles, Marinara sauces, or lower fat sauces
• Spray butter, light butter alternatives, Pam
• Olive oil, Canola oil
• Low-Cal, low-fat healthy alternatives
• You are allowed 3 servings a week of something sweet, 150 calories or less. Ideas include Skinny Cow ice cream treats, or small amounts of sweets. I am trying to be realistic and a life without anything sweet is not realistic. Any more than 3 servings in a week, or more than 150 calories in one serving is negative 5 points.

Good Food List

3 Fiber (goal is 25 grams a day)- up to 15 points: (5 points each)
*Oatmeal (i.e. old fashioned or Quaker Weight Control)
*Whole grain hot cereals (unsweetened, may add agave nectar or honey)
*Low sugar, High Fiber cereals (i.e. All Bran, Fiber One, ~10g/serving)
*Whole grain bread, pita bread & tortillas
*Brown Rice
*Legumes (black beans, kidney beans, etc)
*Etc.

2 Protein – up to 10 points: (5 points each)
*Fish (tuna, salmon, halibut, etc)
*Shrimp
*Chicken (w/o skin)
*Turkey
*Eggs, Egg Whites, Egg Beaters
*Protein Shake (less than 250 cal per shake)
*Cottage cheese (lowfat)
*Legumes (black beans, kidney beans, etc)
*Peanut Butter
*90% or more lean ground beef or lean steak
*Low fat beef jerky

2 Dairy – up to 10 points: (5 points each)
*Skim or 1% milk
*Lowfat cheeses (string cheese, mozzarella, laughing cow, etc)
*Lowfat or nonfat yogurt (Dannon Light ‘n Fit, 1 cup ~ 80 to 100 cal)
--If you are lactose intolerant or you have issues with dairy, you can achieve
similar results with soy products, a calcium supplement, etc--

All Fruit – 5 points each – up to 15 points

All Vegetables – 5 points each – up to 15 points
clarification: potatoes are a great source of fiber, however, make sure you eat in them in moderation and not mashed.

Supplements – 5 points
*Multivitamin (Centrum gets good reviews)
*Calcium and Vitamin D (Oscal Ultra or Caltrate 600 Plus - good reviews)
*Fish oil capsules on days when you did not eat fish (1 gram)

Bad Foods List

Subtract 5 Points for each SERVING of food you eat a day on this list.

• Sugary cereal, full-fat store bought granola
• Fried foods, cheesy foods, full-fat cream sauce, bacon or full-fat sausage
• Bakery items such as muffins, cake, bagels, doughnuts, brownies, cookies, pie, sweet roll, danish, etc
• Soda or other drinks with sugar
• Mayo, sour cream, butter, margarine, creamy sauces, full calorie/full fat salad dressings, dips
• Ice cream, whole or 2% milk, cream, full fat cheeses, cream cheese
• Potato chips, Cheetos, Fritos, Doritos, Cheezits, crackers, etc.
• Fast food, Restaurant food, pizza (There are some good choices – your discretion)
• Chocolate, candy, candy bars, pop tarts
• Full sugar syrups, jams, jellies
• High sugar or high calorie protein bars over 150 calories.

RULES

Program runs from Sept 5th to Oct 3rd.

Honesty. Of course there is no way to check up on each other and make sure we are telling the truth. It is on your honor that you report your numbers each week.

Track your points daily. The week goes from Monday morning to Monday morning. Use checklist to help keep track of points daily.

Weigh In. You will weigh in each Monday. Try for the same time of day each week. You will earn 10 points for ANY lost weight as long as it’s half a pound or more. If you are already at your goal weight, let me know beforehand to work out something else.

Every Monday you will email your points to me at poanster99@gmail.com. If I get your email on Monday, you get 5 extra points.

There will be two mini-competitions on week 2 and week 3. If you participate in these challenges, you will let me know in your weekly email to me and I will have random.org choose the winner out of those who played.

Good Food Points (see other form). You get 5 points for each serving you eat, up to the maximum points for each day. You do not get extra points for extra servings.

Bad Food Points (see other form). You will deduct 5 points for each serving of foods you eat on the bad foods list. No max! If you eat 10 servings of bad food, you get -50!

Water Points. You get 10 points for drinking 64 ounces of water a day. That is just less than four normal size water bottles, or 8 cups. I like to number water bottles 1-4 so I can sip on them throughout the day and still keep track.

Exercise Points. 15-29 minutes= 20 points. 30-45 minutes= 30 points. 46 minutes and up= 40 points. Max of 40 points a day. No exercise points counted on Sundays. Exercise can be resistance training, cardiovascular, zumba, yoga, pilates, brisk walking, etc. Pretty much anything that gets your heart rate up, and maybe a little sweat on your brow.

After 8 PM Points. You earn 10 points if you eat nothing after 8 PM. Or 3 hours before bed. If you regularly go to bed at midnight, then you can eat up to 9 PM. (If you have issues with blood sugars or other reasons you can not keep this rule, let me know and we will work it out.) Eat after eight…. Put on weight!

Bonus Points. Every week I will send out emails including ways you can earn bonus points. These emails will also include freebies, ie: eat a serving off the bad food list without losing points.

Supplement Points. Can be something like a multivitamin, or calcium and vit D, or fish oil, or a combination of all three.

Prayer. Receive 10 points for daily personal prayer. Family prayers or prayers over meals do NOT count.

Scriptures. Receive 10 points for reading scriptures, or another inspirational book, daily.

Good Luck!!