Happy Weigh-In Day!

Dodging puddles

First things first...today is weigh-in Tuesday.  I happy to report I lost 3 pounds this week.  Remember last week when I said I was disappointed that I only lost 3 and that I would be grateful later for a 3 pound loss?  I am. The first couple of weeks I hoped for big losses to just have that thrill of a fast start.  By the third week I realize things are going to slow down and I am okay with that.When I get discouraged about the day to day grind, I try to think ahead 6 months.  I am sure 6 months from now I would be content having lost at a 1-2 pound pace.

So that brings the official totals to 11.2 lost and 63.8 more to lose my puppy!  You can follow my weigh-ins on my Progress page.

My husband has been working his tail off too and I am proud to say he lost 5 pounds this week.  That brings his total lost to 24.2.  He started a little before me by quitting soda. He drank a serious amount of Coke. It is a hard habit to break and I am SO proud of him!

This morning's walk was good. I had been a little nervous because I'd been having some pain in the back of my thigh and knee area. Last night it was really bothering me. I could feel it a bit when I woke up. However, it didn't bother me at all while walking :)

When we left the house I thought the rain had stopped, but turns out it had just paused.  When I got to the far end of the loop it started again. Thankfully, it was a light rain and actually felt kind of good. I had planned to walk 3 miles, but ended up walking 2.5. I was a little concerned that my phone would get wet with only a pocket to protect it. My pace was about 16:15 minutes per mile. I would have liked it to be faster, but I was a bit cautious with the wet roads. Hopefully tomorrow will be drier and I can work on speed.

My husband has gotten me hooked on Pandora. I have the app on my cell phone now that I can pull up, plug in my headphones and listen to music while I walk. Pandora allows you to choose music you like and it will create a station based on that. I entered Girls Just Want to Have Fun and I got lots of peppy 80s music :)
I am working on a Tools page to feature things that help me through this lifestyle change. I added Pandora today.  www.pandora.com.

I never listened to music when I walked because I hated ear buds and I thought headphones would be annoying - slipping off my head and such. But I got a pair of Sony headphones a few weeks ago and now I am really enjoying the music. I am trying to decide if I want to wear them in the race Saturday. I don't want to look like a goof :) Also, if I decide to stop listening they are a bit cumbersome to carry and I don't like them down around my neck.

Tonight's dinner is a new favorite of mine - Salsa Verde Chicken Tostadas from Skinnytaste.com. They are super easy and so tasty. The chicken is made ahead in the crockpot with a jar of salsa verde and a few spices. Then later you use that chicken to assemble the tostadas with a little cheese and jalapenos. Bake to melt the cheese. This morning I cooked the chicken before work - takes about 2 hours on high. I put it in the fridge and then warmed it this evening before assembling the tostadas.

Now, I know many people are going to think this odd but the recipe includes a slaw to top the tostada - red cabbage, cilantro and lime juice. Sounds odd, but so delicious - it adds a freshness and crunch that sends the dish over the top. Not to mention the color is amazing. If you are completely irredeemably opposed to cabbage (like my husband) I would recommend red onions in place of the cabbage. Be sure to read the comment section on Skinnytaste - people have made several tasty suggestions for topping them. I have also used this recipe to make party snacks. Instead of tostada shells I have used tortilla chips or Tostito Scoops as the base. Yummy finger food!! 

For more recipes I have tried and heartily recommend check out Skinnytaste.com on my Top Blogs page.

Skinnytaste Salsa Verde Chicken Tostadas

Back to the Neighborhood

Maybe the best part of our early morning walks - watching the sky.

After several days of walking in other locations - track, levee, bike trail - it was nice to be back in the neighborhood. After yesterday's long walk my walk today was more about discipline than anything else. I just wanted to do something. I almost left my watch at home because I didn't want to feel pressured to walk a certain pace. I am happy I wore it. My pace was slow - average 18:45 minutes for the two miles I walked. My legs were a little sore this morning. I felt good to stretch them out a little with a more leisurely walk.

Nose to the ground and we are off.  Pretty sure she is following my husband's trail - he ran ahead.

My husband ran ahead of me as he usually does, but this time he didn't take Millie. After the long walk yesterday and an afternoon of hard play with my in-laws puppy we thought she could use a more relaxed pace too.  For the most part she was pretty good. Every now and then I think she was picking up my husband's scent and wanted to find him.  He walked in the opposite direction of the loop so we intersected with my husband a couple of times.  Millie got excited for a minute and then settled back into our walk.  I was happy to let him run his pace. 

Today I have been having some pain on the back of my thigh and calf. Hopefully it will be feeling better in the morning. As it feels now I would still walk in the morning, but maybe not as hard/long as I would like. I don't want to miss a day, but I don't want to have pain for the race.

Tomorrow is weigh-in day again. I have been doing some daily weighing so I do have an idea. Unless something goes tragically wrong tonight I think I will be satisfied.  Stay tuned!

Saw this cutie running by :)

Finally took a picture of this oldie today...love seeing it :)