How exercise is going now

Well, after my 10 day hiatus from exercise, I decided to just jump right back into it yesterday. I did a HIIT workout and then a core workout. The HIIT was a struggle to get through, I'm not gonna lie. I was so tired this morning, but I was glad that I pushed through it. I did the Fire 45EZ workout today, and it wasn't much easier. But again, I just persevered through it, telling myself that I could finish it. It sounds cheesy sometimes use "self talk" when you are working out, but I tell you, it works. I can definitely attest to that. Yes I was still tired and I still had to struggle, but when you tell yourself that you can do it, your mind tells your body to finish. I don't know if that makes any sense, but it's the best way I know to describe what happens to me. I will continue to monitor my energy levels to see if I am getting my stamina back.

It's what's for dinner!

Well, I decided to try something new for dinner last night. I was pretty pleased with the results. It was a variation of a recipe I had seen on the show 5 Ingredient Fix on the Food Network. The original recipe was called Turkey Robinson. So, I tried it the way the recipe read a couple of weeks ago. It was pretty good. Only thing is, I just don't like the taste of cooked spinach. I have tried and tried, but i just can't get past the gritty taste I get from it. So, I will eat my spinach in salads. Anyway, I decided to give the recipe another go, with a few modifications. So, here is my version. I hope you enjoy!

Turkey What's For Dinner

1 pound lean (93/7) ground turkey

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 cups low sodium chicken broth

1 can great northern beans, rinsed and drained (you can use whatever white bean you like)

1-16 oz bag frozen green beans (if you don't want extra liquid, thaw and drain beans)

Salt and pepper to taste

In a large skillet, add the ground turkey and garlic. Cook over medium heat, breaking up meat and incorporating garlic. When meat is no longer pink, drain. Add the chicken broth and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Add the canned beans and green beans. Allow everything to heat through. Season with salt and pepper, if needed. Serve over brown rice.

Browned turkey with chicken stock. Let the liquid reduce by half.

Thaw your green beans first if you don't want the extra liquid in the finished dish.

The finished product. I put 1/2 cup of brown rice into the bowl and added the turkey on top. It was pretty yummy and filling!

After Dinner Treat

So, in keeping with watching my calories, especially since I haven't worked out in 9 days now, I decided to try lightening up my dessert. We bought some apples at the store last night but I didn't want to put the same old peanut butter on them. So, I had seen a facebook post from Holly Rigsby where she had suggested adding a little yogurt to peanut butter to up the protein content. So, I played around with it and came up with something that was quite tasty. Here's what I did:

Yogurt-Peanut Butter Dip

1/2 cup natural peanut butter

1/2 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon agave nectar

8 drops Sweet Leaf Vanilla Cream flavored stevia drops

cinnamon to taste

Mix everything together well and store in the fridge. Indulge when necessary.

Makes 4-6 servings.

Yes, I shamelessly stuck my finger in the bowl when the apple slices were gone!

Being sick is NO fun!

Well, I have finally come down with something. Not sure what it is, though. I think it's bronchitis, but I am not sure. I refuse to go to the doctor unless I am like dying. The only real bummer is that I haven't been able to workout for like 6 days now. That is what really stinks! So, I have been spending some time pondering things. Where I am, and where I want to go in the second half of this year. I am definitely extremely disappointed in my apparent lack of progress on the weight loss front. But, I can beat myself up, or I can move on and focus on what it is I would like to accomplish. So, I bought a book and downloaded it to my Nook reader. So far, it definitely speaks to me. The book is called Reshaping it All by Candace Cameron Bure. She definitely had struggles just like me. I will let you know more as I delve further into it.