Goals...Paleo? Maybe

I am happy to report I am still going strong on my healthy lifestyle changes. I have some new tools to help me accomplish my goals.

1. Vision Board
2. My food/Weight journal
3. Marbles!!

First, I am a huge fan of vision boards! My 2013 board consists of a list of written goals and pictures to represent other goals.

2013 Vision Board

My list of goals include becoming a teaching fellow, saving money, and getting fit among many other things.

Each goal is an  important improvement or change I want to make in my life. One goal I am particularly concerned with is losing weight. I am happy to announce that I am 11 lbs lighter than when I started the year!! Woot to me! One of my concerns is my current weight tends to mark my plateau and eventual turn back up the scale. I am determined to stay focused and lose all of the weight this year!

One tool I am adding to my bag of tricks is a food and weight journal. I am also doing jars with marbles. The idea is simple. One jar (the smaller one) has a marble for every pound I'd like to lose. The second jar (tall, thin jar) has the pounds I have lost. So every time I lose a pound I get to add a marble to my skinny jar. Soon my small jar will be empty!

I have also started using Isopure. It had great ratings online and it seems to be working well. I am using the protein shake as a meal replacement in the morning. So far so good! I'll give more feedback after I've used it for a longer period of time.

Lastly, I am considering starting the Paleo diet. I know a handful of people who have had a lot of success with the diet, my brother being one of them. I am currently investigating the program to see what it is about and if it's something I want to add to my life. Please let me know if you have any thoughts or comments on the subject of Paleo or dieting or anything else for that matter.

Talk to you soon!

Oven Baked Broccoli

So I have seen this recipe for the best broccoli ever all over Pinterest and over course I had to try it. I went to Dig In to find the recipe and my results are below:

Look at those struggle veggies

Ingredients 
Broccoli
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Garlic
Parmesan cheese
Lemon juice 

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 425
2. Cut up vegetables and place them in a small bowl
3. Use a small amount of olive oil to coat the vegetables

4. Evenly lay the vegetables on a baking tray
5. Sprinkle salt, pepper, garlic and cheese over the vegetables
6. Squeeze half a lemon over the vegetables

7. Bake for 20 minutes

The final product with some chicken and rice

This was another failed recipe. The website didn't provide many details so I made up some of them as I went along. I found 425 was too hot so I decreased the temperature. I also took the food out after 15 minutes because they were more than done.  I wouldn't suggest this recipe either. Hopefully next week I'll have some better finds for you all.

Crock Pot Chicken Teriyaki

 So about a week or so ago I made some chicken teriyaki in my crock pot. I got the recipe from Key Ingredient. I decided to try this as my meal for the week. Here were my results:

The finished product.

Ingredients

1	lbs chicken, diced (I added about a half pound of extra chicken. I also increased all other ingredients to compensate for the extra chicken)
1	cup chicken broth
½	cup teriyaki sauce
⅓	cup brown sugar
3	garlic cloves, minced

Directions
1. Combine chicken broth, teriyaki sauce, brown sugar and garlic cloves in large bowl.
2. Add chicken to sauce, and toss to combine.
3. Pour chicken mixture into crock-pot.

Getting ready to come out of the crock pot.

4. Cook on low 4-6 hours, or until chicken is cooked through.
5. Serve over hot cooked rice and spoon extra sauce if desired.

I felt like this was an easy, quick meal but overall I didn't care for this recipe. The sauce wasn't as flavorful as I would have liked and it was also watery. I'll let you know if I have any better luck with other recipes. 

His Grace and Mercy

Hey Guys!!

So…here’s my update! Life has gone through so many changes!! I quit my job! I’ll be honest, I have been unhappy for at least 6 months now. My supervisor made working there unbearable and it started to feel like someone was ripping out my soul every time I thought about going back. How absolutely crazy is it that I stayed for so long!! But let me let you know me and the Lord talked for a very long time about breaking free from that situation. I was definitely nervous because I didn’t have a new job lined up. But one day it just hit me that I needed to quit. That same week I got two calls for job interviews. By that Wednesday I printed off my letter of resignation. I planned to quit that Friday but I just couldn’t wait that long. I had a long, intense prayer and mediation session on Wednesday afternoon and I knew I needed to quit soon. So Thursday morning I went to the office and dropped off my letter of resignation.

I put my faith in the Lord and the left. I jumped without a net. I cannot explain how beautiful and liberating that day was for me. I reached a new level of faith and trust in the Lord and I feel amazing!! That same afternoon I got hired with a different company. God works so quickly! That night I did some yoga, read my Bible, prayed, and meditated. I found myself sitting in my living room in tears. I wasn’t crying because I was upset about leaving my job but I was so grateful for making it though that situation. As I reflected on the situation I found myself realizing all of the feelings I had been suppressing just so I could make it through. I also realized I had started going to be later and later because I knew when I woke up I’d have to go straight to work. All I could do was thank God for pulling me through a storm I didn’t even know I was going through. Now I am in a new job and could not be happier!

I know understand the strength, power, grace, and mercy of the Lord. I knew it was real before but now I KNOW it’s real!! Prayer is so powerful and the Lord heard my cry. I recently heard Pastor James at The Potter’s House preach a sermon on Holler Until He Hears You. This is what I did and if you are going through any situation I encourage you to pray! And holler until the Lord hears you! The Lord is real!  I encourage you to try Him today!!

Talk to you soon!

A Little Motivation

I'm feeling a little slacker-ish...This is my motivation for the day. Enjoy!

 Source: http://www.motivationblog.org/category/workout_loss_fat/page/7/#.URVgndXC6Q4