All i can do is try ;-(

Update... 5 weeks of boot camp and not a pound lost... Sad, isn't it? I am hitting it hard 3 times a week. I wish i had the stamina to work out 5 times a week but i am zapped at the end of the day...

I could whine and cry about it except i signed up for another 5 weeks... You know as i typed that, Lady Gaga's song "i live for the applause, applause" song comes to mind. Despite feeling defeated, i gotta keep pluggin away. Last night, i jogged with a resistance band around my waist pulling my daughter. It was tough but i am improving.

I am cooking a little more when time allows. What do you think of these stuffed peppers? I browned ground pork, onions, zucchini and red sauce along with some jasmine rice. Topped with Mexican blend of cheese. Daniel had two servings...



My goal for the next few weeks is to continue logging my food using MyfitnessPal. It is tough to stay under 1300 calories. Every time i log my food fitness pal says i should weigh 173 if i ate this way for 5 weeks.. LIE.... I still weigh 180.

Breast reconstruction seems unattainable even though logically 170 lbs is not that big of a goal. Damn menopause. All i can do is try, right?

Time to dip deeper

Happy Friday all.  Do you have any special plans for the weekend? I'll be working on Saturday. I'm proctoring a Professional Responsibility exam.  We are all doing more at work with the recent staff reductions. I'm blessed to have a job given the state of legal education today.  Many law schools are accepting fewer students and reducing their staff.  Whew... where did that come from?

Anyways, can I show you my recent workouts from Kaia Fit Sacramento? I absolutely love this gym and the workouts.  The woman are super supportive of one another. 

For example, this Super Speed nearly killed me.  I made it to the Kaia Builders and next thing I know, the coach is counting down along side of me, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 and she calls time. Everyone starts to applause and it's then that I realize I'm the only one that hasn't finished the set.  I am pretty sure I wasn't doing the exercises correctly but when I could, I called out to the coach for corrections. I gave it all I had. The coach and the class knew I had it in me.... Isn't it odd how we don't know we have it in ourselves? Does that make sense?

Last night, we did a Fit Test. I was able to run the 800M spring in 5.27 minutes.  I've shaved 30 seconds from my first Fit Test four weeks ago. It's not great but it's an improvement.

Burpees remain a challenge.  Any suggestions on how to do them correctly? 

I've been thinking about why I have not lost a single pound in the last 4 weeks. If I'm gong to be honest, I need to examine my portions. Am I being precise in my calorie counting?  I think we're all a little guilty of massaging the numbers as we log them into our journals.  Time to get real with myself.  Bottom line is I NEED TO EAT LESS and not underestimate what I can accomplish.  After all, I did 45 seconds jumping rope last night. I've not jumped rope since I was a kid.

Time to dig deeper on all levels.  If you're up to the challenge, let's do the Super Speed workout in under an hour.  Let me know how you do?

Best,
Paula

Shrimp a la Diabla -- I cooked an amazing meal last night!

Shrimp in red chile sauce

Last night as I waited for trick o treaters, I felt inspired to cook. Daniel was returning home after a 3 day job out of town and so I thought I would have something on the stove for him when he arrived.

I've eaten this dish many times in restaurants but could never quite nail the recipe. I think I came close last night.  Here is what I did.

Sauce Ingredients
3 Chile Guajillos
5 Chile de Japones
4 small roma tomates
3 cloves of garlic

Directions
Toast the Chile de Japones in a skillet until charred and set aside.  Take the Chile Guajillos and remove the seeds and stems.  Place the Guajillos chiles and tomatoes in a small pot with about 1.5 cups of water. Boil on high for about 5-6 minutes until soft.  Add the Guajillo and tomato mixture to your blender, adding the toasted chile de Japones (these are hot so if you don't care for heat, use two).  Add two cloves of garlic, salt and blend.  Set the sauce aside.

Ingredients
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
1/2 white onion
1 clove of garlic
1 tbs. of olive oil or butter
2 lbs of clean, deveined shrimp. Be sure to remove the tails.

Slice your peppers and onions in thin strips.  Saute in oil or butter until soft.  Once the peppers half way cooked, add your shrimp and toss for a couple of minutes.  Add the chile sauce to your pan. Turn the heat down low. Cover and let simmer for about 15 minutes on low heat.  Do not cook too long because you don't want your shrimp to shrivel up.

Serve over a plate of white rice. Heat tortillas and enjoy.  I think this dish would be great with refried beans. I had a little left over from a previous meal and the sauce added extra flavor to the beans.

If you enjoy spicy food, then this recipe is for you.  Daniel loved the sauce.  I am not the most affectionate person but cooking this meal for him was my way of showing him I care.  He must get tired of eating fast food while working out of town.  Actions do speak louder than words, don't you think?

It feels nice to write about food again.  Here's to inspiration (imagine I have a glass of wine in my hand as I clink your glass).

Have a great weekend my friends and don't forget to turn your clocks back an hour on Sunday.

Best,
Paula