Take A Load Off.....

A load of carbs off your daily diet that is.  I've really been watching my carbs & sugars the past month and trying to be better about substituting while cooking.  And you know how you feel weighted down after a huge pasta meal?  Yeah, you won't feel that way with a plate of veggie noodles that's for sure.

Tri-Blade Plastic Spiral Vegetable Slicer 

 Which led me to purchase this handy, dandy machine.....may I present the Spiralizer! There are lots of different models & types out there but I read reviews diligently and this one seemed to suit me best. I liked the different blades, ease of use and easy clean up.  You can use it for fruits AND veggies...so mix it up and try new things I say :)

Which led to me getting it, washing it & putting it right to use because I was super excited! 

(it doesn't take much folks, trust me)

I decided to use zucchini & yellow squash to make spaghetti noodles first. I snapped in the right blade, cut the ends off of my veggies and spiraled away...its pretty fun to twirl that handle. Reminded me of the Play-Doh Hair Salon I had as a kid hahaha!  The spiralizer has suction cups on each leg to keep it in place while you are twirling away...don't get too excited now..hehehe. AND keep the skins on for extra source of fiber too (after you've washed them all really well).

And I ended up with a blow of these yummy veggie noodles.  I used 1 each of the zucchini & yellow squash to make enough for two servings (my veggies were med sized).

Cook or Raw?

Now you can eat them raw if you like or to soften them a bit you can cook them up quickly.

I put a TBS of Olive Oil in my pan along with 2 diced cloves of garlic and sauteed them for about 2-3 minutes.  Easy peasy.  (I also drained them on paper towels because I wanted less oil on them)

Don't have a Spiralizer or don't want to buy one? 

 Use a julienne slicer or peeler and make long, thin strips instead...it may take a bit longer but results will be similar.

I also had some homemade marinara meat sauce simmering and ready on the stove.  Mine has onions, mushrooms & ground turkey in it...yummmm!

And direct from a Healthy Eating Website here is the low-down on zucchini spaghetti:

Each medium zucchini provides 33 calories, 6.1 grams of total carbohydrates and 2.0 grams of fiber, which works out to only 4.1 grams of net carbs.

A typical plate of spaghetti can easily provides 100 to 150 grams of carbohydrate, and that is before you even consider the garlic bread and soft drink that might go with it. Most low-carb diet plans recommend limiting your daily carb intake to fewer than 100 grams a day.

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How is that for a comparison huh?  I think this girl will be sticking to her veggie noodles and feel much better after enjoying it too!

And all these pics were with my iPhone..sorry..I didn't realize that BOTH my 

camera's batteries were dead until I of course needed them lol!

And that turned into a yummilicious dinner...I swear it was so good I could've eaten 2 bowls.  The veggie noodles were softer and took on the flavor of the sauce...you'd never know if you weren't told what they were.  Definitely a winner!  I served it up with a field greens salad & balsamic dressing..nummers.

I will be using this Spiralizer a lot me thinks!

I also pinned quite a few recipes using a Spiralizer on my LOSE WEIGHT RECIPES board on Pinterest if you are interested.
Oh and there is a blog dedicated to only Spiralizer recipes..check it out too!

Take It Alllll Off.....

I know...I've heard it many times...you look fine, you don't need to lose weight, why would you think that, you are being silly.  While I appreciate the kind sentiments, I know myself that something has to be done..and soon.  I have to lose 24 lbs and I need to get my health straight and I need to bring down my cholesterol levels (which are higher than they should be) without meds.

It may not be easy to see in pics on Facebook but I've gained a lot of weight since surgery and treatments..the meds I was on didn't help me any either.  And I've been stressed and upset and eating poorly. And because I haven't been well I've not been very active either.  When you are in constant pain and exhausted it kinda puts a hamper on exercising.  So I have to get myself together...I'm 40 and I feel like CRAP!  I don't want to feel like crap anymore, I want to have energy again and I'm sick of not fitting into my pants too...that'll make you real mad every morning.

So this post is to hold me accountable in a way.  I'm not good at dieting or limiting myself so I'm not calling it that or doing that diet mindset...its a GET HEALTHY plan and STAY HEALTHY plan.  I'm allowing myself 2 cheat foods a week in moderation..for me I need them and it adds motivation to get to something good for me each week too. May not work for you but it works for me.  I'm incorporating paleo foods, weight watcher recipes and trying to get rid of all the sugar and processed stuff.  I got lazy this summer with so much going on and it was easy to just grab the "crap" and go...but no more of that stuff. 

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So starting today I'm mapping out each week's meal plans and putting recipes on my Pinterest board.  I am also adding a link in case you want to check out the recipes I add each week...some are tried&true and some are new. I like healthy, good food with lots of flavor..so its just a matter of planning and making it happen. I can be lazy during the day and just not eat...not good for my kind of metabolism..and leads to me sometimes snacking too much late in the evenings. 

 LOSE WEIGHT RECIPES PINTEREST BOARD HERE

I also ordered a Fitbit One Wireless to track my movements...I'm very competitive so I'm hoping this keeps me moving regularly as it tracks me every day. I spent a  lot of time reading reviews of all four fitness bands and this one seemed to be what I needed...it clips on or you can slip it in your bra/pocket. I didn't want a band for myself so that's why I chose this one.  

I'm also using 2 apps to help keep myself organized and accountable for everything....both are free...Map My Fitness and Lose It (both work with the FitBit).

And to help with stress I'm going to be doing Beginner Yoga on YouTube and some Blogilates twice a week as well.  And the usual Jillian Michaels & Tracy Anderson DVDs too...my goal is to do a video 5x a week with regular walks added in.  I have to start out slow...24-35 min workouts because of my health and slowly build stamina. I can't jump right in hilly-nilly...so bare with me.

So at the end of every month I will add screen shots of my progress and what weight has been lost.

I will also share my meal plans if you are interested in trying some new recipes too.

So here I go....anyone going with me??? 

LOL!

Here's this week's meal plan if you want to see it (double click to make larger) and the recipes are on my Pinterest Board Link above.