Weight loss Journal With Unicorns and Stuff

Today is Wednesday! The middle of the week and the day between my classes.  Don't tell anyone but I should be writing my essay for English.  However I though I would say hello.

Today I would like to start a weight loss/health journal to hopefully motivate me to lose the baby weight that Thaddeus generously gifted to me. Before pregnancy in 2011, I weighed 180 pounds and I am still 5 feet and 6 inches tall.  Thus, my BMI (body mass index) was at a 29.0 which is 1 point from being obese. If you want to find your BMI, click here  Well, I have a larger frame than the average women but still, not good.  Now as of 2/12/2014, I weigh 200.8 pounds which would mean my BMI is now a 32.4 which is BAD.

Let me give you a 'run down' of my habits within the last year... To start off, I am a vegetarian with a love of cheese and chocolate.  I consume WAY more cheese than I should. I would eat it on a lot of my foods.  For instance, I am making fresh hashbrowns and I would love to drown them in cheese.  I also eat more pasta and breads than I should. And the biggest one is, I dislike most vegetables... Surprising huh?

According to my doc, a healthy weight for my height would be around 152-167 pounds so I will start with 167 being my goal!  As I look through the interwebs on healthy ways to lose weight... I have found so much information on how to lose weight fast which includes starving yourself and running till you puke... That is not my goal.  I do not mind it being a slow race because slow and steady wins the race.  If you try to lose weight quickly (like 2 lb a week), you are setting yourself up for DISASTER.  You'll become frustrated becuase you are not losing the weight because you are putting your body into starvation mode.  In starvation mode, your body holds onto any kind of food and it stores it.  Secondly, once you reach your goal... you'll stop exercising because you reached your goal; thus, causing you to gain back.

To lose weight you must burn more calories (exercise) than you consume (eat).  If I want to weigh 167 pounds by this time next year, and I keep a seditary lifestyle, I should consume less than 1,700 calories. To find out what calories you should intake to lose weight click here.

With this blog I commit to posting once a week of my calories consumed for each day, exercises and times, weekly weight,weekly inches, and a weightloss tip.  I started a sparkpeople account which allows me to log calories and fitness work outs.  You can find me here and sign up here if you want to follow me there and lose weight together!  There is a moble app but it is $4! I have not bought a moble app and I do not plan on it.  However, if I like the site and how it works I may consider it.

I took some pictures for you guys as a 'before'.  I took 2 sets, the first is in the bathroom (standing) and the other set is on a full body mirror but it wasn't put up since I had to move it.  I think the full mirror is better to see exactly whats going on without that split.

 Which set do you believe is a better representation?

Recipe Tuesday: Squash Cheese Soup (230 calorie)

Today is Tuesday and I would like to start this blog off with a good and healthy recipe (one of my new found favorites!).

Squash Cheese Soup

Originally found in The Vegetarian Lunchbasket by Linda Haynes

(but I altered it slightly because the directions are AWFUL and to suite my taste)

Picture from http://www.restaurants.com

I decided a few weeks ago that I desperately needed new recipes and I wanted to start getting healthier again.  I went to my public library and found a few recipe books.  I didn't really look through them but I grabbed an armful to go through at home and I found this gem of a recipe!  I LOVE this and Thaddeus loves it too! Surprise surprise...

This recipe has about 230 calories per serving if you split it into 5 servings.  When I make this I usually eat it with whole-wheat garlic toast and I use the toast to scoop the soup.  It's pretty thick in the end so if you want a runnier soup then add more water or bullion.  I also eat this with some fruit to balance it out. To me, apples go really nicely with this soup.

Ingredients:

• 1 Butternut Squash (large enough to yeild 2 cups of mash)
• 3 Tbs Unsalted Butter
• 3 Tbs While Wheat Flour
• 2 C Water
• 1 Cube of Not-Chik'n Bullion (you can find this at King Soopers right next to the soup stocks)
• 1 C Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
• Seasoning Salt
• Pepper
• Fresh Garlic (grated)
• Red Curry Powder (TO TASTE! You only need a little)
• Basil
• Parsley

Method(And TONS Of Madness):

1. Gather all of the ingredients
2. Grate the squash and carefully cut though the middle.
3. Start boiling some water with a collander to steam the squash
4. Take the seeds and pulp and either keep the seeds to bake or garden; otherwise dispose.
5. Cut squash into 1 inch pieces and put into the collander above the boiling water for about 20 minutes or until mushy.
6. While squash is steaming, grate cheese and garlic; then prepare bullion broth.
7. Once squash is done and mooshy, blend the squash into a mash.
8. In a saucepan, melt the butter then slowly add the flour whisking as you pour.
9. Whisk the flour for about 2 minutes (don't let it burn!).
10. Slowly add broth while whisking, simmer for about 5 minutes or until it is a preferable thickness.
11. Stir in squash, seasonings, and cheese.
12. Simmer for 5 more minutes.

I hope to you really enjoy this! There are many recipes in this book that I like and you might too!  You can get this book from Amazon.com for a penny (plus shipping) used to $6 new.

I am going to try to post daily to get into a healthy habit and I would like to keep posting healthy recipes on TUESDAYS.  What is your favorite recipe???

Guess Who Made a Blog?

Hurray! Look who made a blog, all by herself!

My name is Danielle or Danni and I am a 20 year old mom.  I was born in Colorado on July 17, 1993 and I have never left this wonderful state.  I am currently in college to study ASL interpretation and I am about half way through my study.  I enjoy all things crafty, crocheting, reading, cooking, doing DIY projects, drawing, and spending time with my kids.  

I am currently engaged to a wonderful man named Joe who has a son, from a previous marriage, named Joseph Jr.  Joe and I also have a son together named Thaddeus; who was born a day after my birthday (July 18, 2012).  Joseph is 25 (26 in August) and he thinks he is getting so 'old'.  Joseph Jr is 5 and he is turning six on February 22!  Thaddeus is currently 18 months; he will be 19 months in eight days.

In my life, I had to move back in with my father and brother, who are not too thrilled about it.  It doesn't help the fact that Thaddeus is starting to go through his 'terrible twos'; so it gets pretty chaotic.  Thaddeus and I are vegetarians.  I have been a vegetarian for about 8 years or so and Thaddeus has been since he was born.  I don't really have a specific religion so I don't worry about that.

I can't wait for this blog to evolve and have other people enjoy my writing and tips and odd nature!