Thinking Of

Christmas in July.

What I would like most for Christmas this year is a healthy lifestyle. Unfortunately even Santa can't give this to me. What I've only recently come to realize after a lifetime of stuggling with body image is that I am the only person who can control my daily choices. This last week I have decided to take ownership of my health.

Whether I am met with success or failure the outcome will be a result of the choices I make every day. Life experiences that have shaped my relationship with food & exercise will not be responsible. I am no longer making excuses.

The ultimate destination in the journey I began last Sunday is going to come down to every turn I make at the crossroads of life. All week I've imagined I'm in a maze and every turn either leads me down the path to wellness or leads me away. With every turn I am able to influence the outcome. One wrong turn in the day does not have to lead to another.

I have blogged weekly about my weight loss journey in the past attempting to establish a level of accountability. I will not be doing that this time; the accountability I need to establish is with myself. I am doing this for me and that is who I must answer to. I finally get that.

With that said, this journey is going to be a large part of my life & don't be surprised to see the topic pop up from time to time.

Today I am celebrating a great first week. I alternated a gym workout of strength training/cardio & yoga at home M-F and stayed on plan with Weight Watchers. Today not only did I weigh in 3lbs less than I did last week but I feel strong in both body & spirit.

There were two recipes I discovered this week at Weight Watchers:

Layered Mexican Chicken

Ingredients
1 spray(s) olive oil cooking spray
2 pound(s) uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast
30 oz canned black beans, rinsed and drained
3 cup(s) fat-free sour cream
2 cup(s) shredded reduced-fat Mexican-style cheese, divided
8 oz chopped green chilies, two 4-oz cans
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp black pepper
12 medium corn tortilla(s), cut into 2-inch strips
1 cup(s) salsa, mild, medium or hot

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Coat a lasagna pan with cooking spray.

Place chicken in medium saucepan and fill with enough cold water just to cover chicken. Set pan over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 10 to 15 minutes; drain. When chicken is cool enough to handle, cut into 1-inch pieces.

Transfer chicken to a large bowl and add beans, sour cream, 1 cup of shredded cheese, chilies, cumin, and pepper; mix well and set aside.

Arrange half of tortillas in bottom of prepared lasagna pan, overlapping pieces to cover surface. Top tortillas with half of chicken mixture, layer with remaining tortillas and then top with remaining chicken mixture. Sprinkle with remaining cup of cheese.

Bake until filling is bubbly and cheese is melted, about 30 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing into 12 pieces. Serve with salsa on the side.

POINTS® Value: 6
Servings: 12
Preparation Time: 20 min
Cooking Time: 45 min
Level of Difficulty: Moderate

Chicken With Garlic & Broccoli Sauce

Ingredients
2 tsp olive oil
1 pound(s) uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tsp dried thyme, or 2 tbsp fresh minced thyme, or to taste
1/2 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
3 medium garlic clove(s), minced, or more to taste
2 cup(s) broccoli, florets
1 1/2 cup(s) reduced-sodium chicken broth, divided
1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
2 cup(s) cooked brown rice, kept hot

Instructions
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place chicken on a plate and season with thyme, salt and pepper. Add garlic to skillet and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add chicken to skillet and cook until browned on all sides, stirring frequently, about 3 minutes.

Add broccoli to skillet, cover and cook 2 minutes. Add 1 cup of broth, cover and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes.

In a cup, dissolve cornstarch in remaining 1/2 cup of broth; add to skillet. Simmer until mixture thickens, stirring constantly, about 1 minute; serve over rice. Yields about 1 cup of chicken and broccoli and 1/2 cup of rice per serving.

POINTS® Value: 5
Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 17 min
Cooking Time: 15 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Mitch enjoyed both of them & they were easy enough for me to cook! Have a wonderful weekend!

lovemon