Day #1

Here's my reflections on day one. After weighing in I immediately jumped on the treadmill. My best friend likes to comment on how I always "jump, run, dash, etc." in my speech when describing directions or actions. I think I like speed, so obviously running a race sounds romantic to me. I was doing three miles at a time, but only able to jog one and half miles before I'd have to go back to walking. There is a 5K at the end of this competition and I'd really like to be able to jog the entire race. I looked up the "couch to 5K" training program and started to follow it. Basically it has you start with 60 seconds of jogging/running followed by 90 seconds of walking. Run, walk, run, walk. You get the point. I did this for 35 minutes and then headed down to the green gym covered in sweat. On Saturdays they have Zumba there for an hour. I figure I'm going to have to plan a few hours at the gym every day (except Sundays). There was a male instructor and I really liked his hip hop routines. I was drenched by the end and figured I had burned enough calories for the day. When I got home I was pretty exhausted. I stuck to my plan though and ate an apple and salad for lunch. I wrote down everything I put in my mouth in my new food journal. I consumed 1,382 calories for the day. I wasn't hungry but I did miss all my comfort foods. The family were good sports about dinner. I made a new recipe from one of my Biggest Loser books. It's called Broke Bean Stew and it was tasty but not amazing. The family added tortilla chips to theirs and Davis actually licked the bowl clean. Here is the recipe:

Broke Bean Stew

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 lg. yellow or white onion, chopped

1 tbsp. chopped garlic (which I omitted due to my intolerance)

1 (28 oz.) can diced fire-roasted tomatoes

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. red chili flakes (optional - I omitted, didn't want to make to hot for the little ones)

3 (15 1/2 oz.) cans chickpeas, kidney beans, black beans, or white beans, rinsed and drained, or 4 1/2 cups cooked beans (I used white beans)

4 cups fat-free, low sodium chicken or vegetable broth

1/4 c. chopped cilantro

3 cups fresh baby spinach leaves or 3 cups chopped kale or swiss chard (I used spinach)

In a 4-quart saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes, until softened but not browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute longer. Do not brown the garlic. Add the tomatoes, cumin, chili powder, and chili flakes, if desired. Simmer for about 5 minutes. Add 3 cups (2 cans) of the beans and 3 1/2 cups of the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer. Meanwhile, place the remaining 1 1/2 cups of beans and 1/2 cup of broth in a food processor or blender. Add the cilantro and puree or blend until smooth. Add the puree to the stew. Add the greens and heat just until wilted. Stir well and serve hot.