The Devil’s name is “Candy”

I hope everyone else fared much better than I did on their healthy eating programs when Halloween started rolling around.  I had lost 74 pounds and managed very well to keep temptation at bay and to keep my home a “controlled environment.”  A place that is void of all sugary treats and/or other misc. food items that would throw me off track. All went well until….Halloween.

Who would have thought that a big bowl of “fun size” candy bars would have had so much power over me? I swear they talked. Calling my name constantly. And I answered nearly every time. It would have been bad enough if I had endured only a day of it, but I set the bowl out 3 days in advance. Even had to fill it up again on the night of Halloween.  Shameful, but true.

Halloween has left me 5 pounds heavier. I could have continued to binge, but decided to get up, wipe the chocolate from around my mouth, enroll myself back into Weight Watcher’s, before the next couple of holidays roll around. I might have lost a battle, but I haven’t lost the war.

The battle rages on….

 

Plus Size Exercise

 

I thought I would give some details as to my exercise routine.  Exercise is not a one size fits all program.  Especially, if one is older or considerably overweight.  Considering that I fit into both of those categories, I decided to find what worked best for me, and at a pace that I could comfortably sustain and build on.  I ditched  an “all or nothing” mentality.  Any exercise I implemented, no matter how small, was better than what I had been doing.  Besides, I wasn’t interested in trying to impress anyone.   My goal was to get more exercise into my routine, and to become healthier and stronger.  I took baby steps and built on my successes as I became lighter and stronger.

We all have our own particular vanities, things that bother us, or get hung up about.  Right now, I need to spend more time sending loving vibes to my turkey wings, and less time hating them.  Needless to say, since that is a point of concern for me, my initial “Big Gurl Workout” included all kinds of exercise using hand weights to tone my upper body.  Especially, turkey wing trimming exercises.   I did the following exercises (using 3 pound hand weights for the dumbbell exercises):

Alternating Dumbbell Bicep Curls

Boxing w/Dumbbells

Dumbbell Flys

Dumbbell Lateral Raises

Dumbbell Shoulder Press

Dumbbell Tricep Extensions

Wall Pushups

Triceps Lifts (Can be done with dumbbells also)

To work out my lower body, I mainly walked or exercised on a stationary bicycle.

Currently, I am trying out the 7-Day Bootcamp Workout that I found on Sparkpeople.  It’s supposed to give my entire body the work out it needs.  The most important thing is to begin somewhere, even if it seems really small, and continue to build on your success. 

You can do it once you put your mind to it.

 

Crockpot Pulled Chicken Recipe

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb. raw boneless skinless lean chicken breasts, halved
1 cup canned tomato sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
2 tbsp. plus 2 tsp. brown sugar (not packed)
2 tbsp. plus 2 tsp. cider vinegar
2 tsp. garlic powder
Optional: red pepper flakes, to taste

Directions:
Place all ingredients except the chicken in the crock pot. Stir until mixed. Add chicken and coat well with the sauce.

Cover and cook on high for 3 – 4 hours OR on low for 7 – 8 hours, until chicken is fully cooked.

Remove all the chicken and place it in a bowl. Shred each piece using two forks — one to hold the chicken in place and the other to scrape across the meat and shred it. Return the shredded chicken to the crock pot, and mix well with the sauce.

If you’re serving a group, keep the crock pot on its lowest setting, so the chicken stays warm. If you like, season to taste with red pepper flakes. Enjoy!

MAKES 7 SERVINGS

PER SERVING (1/2 cup): 149 calories, 1g fat, 462mg sodium, 10g carbs, <0.5g fiber, 9g sugars, 22.5g protein — or 3 pts*