New Life: Myfitnesspal.com - the easiest way to lose!

MFP button tracking pounds lost

Losing weight is hard - don't let anyone tell you any different. It takes dedication to maintain lifestyle changes, and before that, it takes dedication to a plan. Through my weightloss adventure, there is one tool that absolutely changed my life. Myfitnesspal.com is a web tool or app that allow members to track their calorie intake and their exercise so they can meet their goals, and best of all - it's free!

From the beginning, I have used My Fitness Pal (MFP). When I set up my account, I simply added in my stats, like weight, height, age, and activity level, and told the program how much weight I wanted to lose (back then it was 2 pounds a week). After compiling my stats, it gave me daily calorie goal.  I logged every bite that went into my mouth (no cheating here!). I also logged all of my exercise, even if it was just a short walk. If I needed to eat more calories, my number was green. If my number turned red, I knew it was time to stop for the day.

MFP has a huge food database, so most of the foods I recorded were already there. If they weren't, I could add the nutrition information for them. Likewise, it already had the information for exercise and figured approximately how many calories I burned based on my estimated metabolism. However, if I had used a heart rate monitor at the gym and knew my calorie expenditure, I could override the pre-calculated results.

One thing I love about the MFP program is that I can "eat back" all of my exercise calories because the base calories are figured as the lowest amount your body can function on for a normal day. If you have more activity than normal, you need to eat more. For example, if my daily allowance is 1500 calories, and I burn 500 at the gym, I get to add those 500 calories for the day for a total of 2000 calories for that day.

MFP report tracking my weightloss

Throughout the year, I have changed my calorie goals to meet my needs. After initial huge drops, I lowered my weightloss to 1 pound a week, and MFP adjust my calories. Also, as I lost more weight, it adjusted my daily calories based on my new needs. Now that I am pregnant, I still track all of my calories, but I use the Maintenance setting, meaning I eat enough so I don't lose weight. As my pregnancy progress, I will raise it so that I gain enough weight to support the baby.

MFP is fantastic because it is so customizable. There are no special foods or plans - you just have to be honest with your food journal. It also provides reports about your nutrition, exercise, and weightloss so you can easily see where you need to make adjustments. Feel free to leave comments or questions for me if you'd like to get started on MFP today!

Techno Prairie Menu Plan Monday - 2/18 thru 2/24

While menu plans are largely about being organized and prepared for what may come, they are also about flexibility. If something comes up during the week, you can easily bump one day's meal to the next day, or you can swap out days depending on how you feel and how much time you have. I never experience a week when I strictly adhere to my menu plan. There are days when family drops by and they bring over food, there are days we have so many leftovers that there is no need to cook, and there are occasions when we just feel like going out, such as Valentine's Day. So if your week doesn't go by the schedule, it's still a success because you had a plan, even if you didn't get to follow it to the letter.

Breakfasts
Cereal
Toast
Eggs
Orange juice
Milk
Coffee

Lunches
Leftovers
Tuna sandwiches
Cheese and crackers
Apples, Peaches, Pineapple

Dinners
Monday:
Peppered pork meatloaf
Baked potatoes
Green peas

Tuesday:

Stir-Fry Chicken and mixed vegetables
Brown rice
Egg rolls


Wednesday:
Pork tenderloin
Black bean quinoa salad (watch for the recipe!)

Thursday:
Beef stroganoff
Noodles
Green beans

Friday:
Baked salmon
Buttered brown rice
Spinach

Saturday:
Whole roasted chicken
Mashed potatoes
Creamed corn

Sunday:
Breakfast for dinner - eggs, bacon, biscuits, gravy

Recipe Box: Veggie Loaded Beef Tacos

We love tacos. LOVE them. We can eat them at least once a week, and while I do love them from our favorite fast food place, I feel much better about them when I can make them at home. I knew they are only made from wholesome, natural foods, they will be healthy, and the flavor will be amazing.

I love convenience about as much as I love tacos, and to me, that means a dish that is quick and simple. The base for the tacos is super quick which means I usually have plenty of time to make homemade tortillas. My go-to tortillas recipe is from thehappyhousewife.com. They turn out great every time!


Two clarifications: I know the recipes calls for canned tomatoes and beans. When I say canned, I usually mean what I've grown and/or cooked at home. I don't purchase canned goods if possible. However, if you like them, they will certainly work! Also, our ground beef is provided by my in-laws from their grassfed cattle ranch. I know that all my beef is organic and the healthiest available. I know this isn't possible for everyone, but I encourage you to investigate local options instead of chain stores. The quality will be much better, the nutrients will be higher, and you will be helping local ranchers.

Veggie Loaded Tacos
1 pound ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup bell pepper, chopped
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 can pinto beans, drained
1/2 c. water
1 1/2 Tbsp. chili powder
2 Tbsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
Tortillas
Cilantro
Lime juice

Combine beef, onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Brown until cooked thoroughly. Add tomatoes, pinto beans, water, chili powder, cumin, and salt. Simmer until water reduces to thick sauce and all veggies are tender and cooked. Add to tortillas, top with fresh cilantro and lime juice and add your favorites - we love shredded cheese and sour cream. We also like to add a little corn, either on the side with butter or on top for a little texture.

Enjoy!

DIY Easy Valentine Wreath

I love Valentine's Day, and so does Prairie Girl. I love any holiday associated with love. I'm a generally bubbly person anyway, but a day devoted to hearts and flowers and romance sends me over the moon. Prairie Girl thinks it's a day just for her family since pink is my favorite color (and hers too!) and red is Prairie Dad's favorite.

Even though I love it, I'm not the kind of person who's going to cover the house in balloons and glitter to celebrate. I like simple decorations. And you can't get much more simple than my V-Day wreath.

I bought a a heart-shaped wire frame at Hobby Lobby. At $3 it's a steal, but a 40% off coupon makes it even better. Picking the tulle was easy - pink and red with a little white filler.  I picked up the tulle at Hobby Lobby too when it was 50%. I did not use all 3 spools, but since I paid for all of them, we'll say the total cost for this project was about $10.

Then came the hardest part of the whole project - cutting dozens of strips of tulle! I highly recommend using a cutting mat and rotary cutter so you can measure each strip and so the cutter won't get snagged like scissors can.

After I had all of my strips, I tied them around the wreath, alternating the colors as I went. A word of caution: tie all of your knots identically so your tulle is going the same direction. I used simple slip knots to make the tulle lay evenly.

After I tied all the of the knots, I fluffed out the wreath and used scissors to trims it up to make it more even. It is now hanging on our back door to welcome all who enter.

Techno Prairie Menu Plan Monday - 2/11 thru 2/17

Today I'm linking up with Organizing Junkie for Menu Plan Monday. 
This past week has been wild! In case you missed it on my Facebook feed, I found out that I am expecting! Prairie Babe should make his or her arrival in early October. As with my first pregnancy, I am constantly nauseous, but this time around, I know how to make better food choices. What little I can eat has to be nutrient dense, so we're going to have some compact dishes on the menu plan this week.

Breakfasts
Peanut Butter Baked Oatmeal  - definitely Prairie Girl's fave breakfast lately!
CranBran VitaTops
Oatmeal
Milk
Coffee

Lunches
Leftovers
PB&J Sandwiches
Eggs
Apples, Peaches, Pineapple

Dinners
Monday:
Roasted Potatoes, Chicken Sausage, and Peppers

Tuesday:
Southwestern Turkey Burgers with Sweet Potato Fries

Wednesday:
Stir-Fry Chicken and mixed vegetables
Brown rice

Thursday:
White Cod Filets
Baked Potatoes
Broccoli

Friday:
Veggie loaded taco meat with homemade tortillas (watch for the recipe!)

Saturday:
Prairie Girl turns 3 - pizza party!

Sunday:
Hubby's Choice

Techno Prairie Menu Plan Monday - 2/4 thru 2/10

Today I'm linking up with Organizing Junkie for Menu Plan Monday. 

I was a bad girl this weekend. We had our annual Super Bowl party, and I ate my way through it. On top of that, I skipped the gym because it was being renovated and I didn't feel like fighting for the few available parking spaces. This week I'm making up for it by eating light and healthy. I'll have some heartier dishes that Prairie Dad can enjoy, but I'll be sticky with mostly veggies on my plate.

We were mostly successful with last week's menu plan, although we did have a few off days due to activities, so some of our meals are carrying over.We also managed to eat up some of the snacks from last week's menu, so we have a more limited selection this week.

As a special treat, here's my "skinny techno latte" recipe!

Skinny Techno Latte
K Cup of your choice - I use a reusable K Cup and Starbucks Caramel coffee
1/4 cup whole milk
1 T. Grade B maple syrup

Brew your coffee, mix in the milk and syrup, and enjoy! Only 90 calories per cup, and much cheaper than buying your coffee from the shop.

Breakfasts
CranBran Vitatops
Oatmeal
Milk
Coffee

Lunches
Pinto beans
Leftovers
Eggs
Bacon
Apples
Raisins
Crackers

Dinners
Monday:
Crockpot roast with potatoes onions and carrots

Tuesday:
Southwest Turkey Meatballs with Creamy Cilantro Dipping Sauce
Maple roasted green beans

Wednesday:
Whole roasted chicken
Mashed potatoes
Corn

Thursday:
Chicken fajitas

Friday:
Pork ribs
Quinoa black bean salad

Saturday:
White cod filets
Baked potatoes
Broccoli

Sunday:
Hubby's choice

Reaching the Resolution - February

At the beginning of each month, I'll check in with my progress with my new year's resolutions. While this is mainly to keep myself accountable, I hope that my readers will consider their own life goals and evaluate their progress. 

When I made my new year's resolutions, I was filled with optimism. After a hard month has gone by, that optimism is still there, but the drive behind it has dwindled. But I am not the kind to lose hope. I didn't make resolutions for them to be forgotten - I made them to better myself and maybe even to inspire others. Here's my progress (or lack of).

1. Devote more time to studying God's word and prayer
I admit, I feel like a failure on this one. While I knowing I've been praying my heart out all month, it wasn't the way I had really intended. We've had struggles this month. I lost my grandmother, my husband was very ill, and I went back to working nights at the library. While I skimmed through my Bible for comfort, I didn't devote time to studying it or reading my devotional books because I felt like I didn't have time. This is my biggest regret this month.

2. Establish a homeschooling routine for my daughter
This may be my most successful resolution this month. I have been working with Prairie Girl as many days as possible, and we've developed a curriculum that works for her so far. We're using a combination of materials from ABC Jesus Loves Me and letteroftheweek.com, and we both love it. She loves the routine and learning new things, and giving her that has made her much more calm and focused, even when we aren't having our school time. My hope for February is that I can incorporate more art and science into the curriculum.

3. Make our home more eco-friendly by eliminating plastics and using more natural products
This has also been a success this month. I've been reading Plastic Free: How I Kicked the Plastic Habit and How You Can Too by Beth Terry, and it is changing my life. I've eliminated almost all of the plastic storage food containers in my kitchen, given up frozen dinners, and diligently used my reusable shopping bags. I've also been able to find more natural body care products for myself and Prairie Girl, and I've found ways to eliminate some plastic packaged items from our lifestyle. I am loving all of it, and I feel like my house is a healthier, happier place because of it.

4. Avoid buying things I don't need while de-cluttering excess from my home - to the extreme!
Also a success. I greatly down-sized my shopping habit and have been running errands just one day a week. I've resisted purchases and walked out of stores empty handed when I didn't find what I needed (as opposed to settling for some second rate product I didn't need). As for de-cluttering, I've donated several huge bags to charity, given away items to friends and relatives, and sold items online. I'm in no way done, but I've made significant progress, and as I get rid of more, it's easier to let go and discover how little I need.


5. Finish the craft projects I started in 2012 and use up my current supplies
Another failure. I completed about 5 rows on a potholder I'm knitting, and that's it for this month's craft projects. There just wasn't time.

6. Lose the last 13 pounds so I can finally achieve the 120s for the first time in my life
I wouldn't exactly call this one a failure because I didn't gain any weight this month, I just didn't lose any. But I didn't try. After losing weight for 8 straight months, I gave myself a little break. I couldn't handle the stress of life and scrutinizing every bite I ate, so instead, I gave myself a little flexibility. I feel good about it though and will hopefully be back to losing in February.

7. Limit my computer usage so that I can accomplish more
I did limit myself when I thought about it. I refused to take my iPad out of town with me, and I purposefully logged off some sites so I wouldn't be so tempted to check them throughout the day. I am planning to start measuring my time at the computer so I better gauge how to limit my usage.

Overall, I think I had a pretty good month for progress. Like I said, it was a hard month that was far from the norm. February may be short, but I think it will bring good things. At least I am starting with good plans.

What were your successes and failures this past month? Feel free to share so we can help and encourage each other.

Recipe Box: Maple Roasted Green Beans

Once a week, I'll open my recipe box and share one of my favorite healthy, tasty, low calorie recipes. Use them to spice up your menu plan and find a delicious way to maintain a healthy weight.

Growing up, I thought green beans came from cans, they were a drab olive color, and they were all squishy in texture. I was so wrong! Fresh green beans are bright, flavorful, and can be anywhere from crisp to chewy depending on how they are cooked. My favorite way to cook them is to slow roast them in the oven to bring out the best flavor while helping them retain their nutrients.

Maple Roasted Green Beans

2 cups fresh green beans with stems trimmed

2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp. maple syrup (grade A or B is acceptable)

salt and pepper to taste

Combine all of the ingredients and toss the green beans so they are well coated. Spread them on a foil covered baking sheet and put them in a preheated 350 degree oven. Let them roast for 20-30 minutes - it really depend on if you like them more crunchy or more dark roasted. Stir them a few times while they roast to prevent burning and sticking.

And that's it!

A half cup serving is only 63 calories and packs 2 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber. The maple syrup is also loaded with antioxidants, and unlike sugar, it helps balance insulin levels. This simple side dish will make any meal feel like a fine dining experience. Enjoy!