Every Thursday is weigh in day!

I have been on my weight loss/get healthy journey since Jan 14th 2011 and to date I have lost 18LBS!!!  I am so excited.  Scarlet has started really playing with toys which is so fun to watch.  I can just sit and watch her for hours, her little personality is really starting to develop.  I am so blessed to get to spend everyday home with her!

Sesame soy meatballs with edamame and bell peppers~ 2-16-2011

BEWARE THEY ARE A LITTLE SPICY!

This recipe recommends serving with rice.  I chose to serve it with edamame (frozen and prepared per bag directions) and stir fried with red bell peppers.



Serve these garlicky, spicy meatballs with steamed sugar snap peas and two cups cooked rice tossed with 1 tablespoon chile paste—you'll find it on the ethnic aisle of most supermarkets or at Asian grocers.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 5 meatballs)
Cost per Serving: $2.50

Ingredients

• 1/3  cup  minced green onions
• 2  tablespoons  brown sugar
• 3  tablespoons  lower-sodium soy sauce
• 2  tablespoons  dark sesame oil
• 1  tablespoon  chile paste (such as sambal oelek)
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• 6  garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1  pound  ground sirloin
• Cooking spray

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 400°.
2. Combine first 7 ingredients in a large bowl. Add beef; mix gently to combine. With moist hands, shape beef mixture into 20 (1 1/2-inch) meatballs.
3. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of the meatballs to pan; cook 4 minutes, turning to brown meatballs on all sides. Arrange browned meatballs in a single layer on a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Repeat procedure with remaining meatballs. Bake meatballs at 400° for 7 minutes or until done.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

241

Fat:

11.3g (sat 2.7g,mono 4.8g,poly 3g)

Protein:

23.5g

Carbohydrate:

10.3g

Fiber:

0.3g

Cholesterol:

42mg

Iron:

1.9mg

Sodium:

491mg

Calcium:

36mg

Julianna Grimes, Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2010

Beef and rice stuffed bell peppers~ 2-15-11



Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Yield: 6 Servings
Cost per Serving: $2.02

Ingredients

• 6  medium bell peppers, tops removed and reserved, and seeds removed
• 1  tablespoon  olive oil
• 1  yellow onion, diced
• 1  large carrot, peeled and diced
• 1  stalk celery, diced
• 2  cloves garlic, minced
• 8  ounces  lean (90 percent) ground beef
• 1  teaspoon  salt
• 1  teaspoon  pepper
• 1  (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes
• 1  cup  cooked brown rice
• 1  cup  grated Monterey Jack

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375°F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, add peppers and pepper tops and cook until tender, 6 to 7 minutes. Remove peppers from water and invert to drain fully.
Make filling: Warm olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add carrot, celery and garlic and continue cooking until vegetables are just softened, 4 minutes longer. Add beef, salt and pepper and cook, breaking up large chunks, until meat is no longer pink, about 7 minutes. Add tomatoes and rice and cook 5 minutes longer. Stir in 3/4 cup cheese.
Fill peppers with meat mixture, dividing evenly. Sprinkle mixture with remaining cheese and top with pepper lid. Bake until cheese is melted and peppers are heated through, about 5 minutes. Serve hot.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

240

Fat:

12g (sat 6g)

Protein:

12g

Carbohydrate:

23g

Fiber:

5g

Cholesterol:

33mg

Sodium:

688mg

All You, FEBRUARY 2008

Valentine's day dinner~ 2-14-2011

     My husband was so sweet to me this Valentine's day (like he is always).  I decided to make him a very special dinner.  I decided on a surf and turf with Zuchinni chips and a fresh spinach salad.  YUM!

Bacon-Wrapped Salmon

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Yield: Serves 4
Cost per Serving: $4.19

Ingredients

• 4  salmon fillets (about 6 oz. each), skin removed
• Salt and pepper
• 4  slices bacon (about 4 oz. total)
• 2  tablespoons  olive oil
• 4  cups  loosely packed arugula
• 2  teaspoons  lemon juice

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400ºF. Season salmon with salt and pepper. Wrap each fillet with a slice of bacon; secure with a toothpick. Place a large skillet over high heat until very hot, add 1 Tbsp. oil and heat until just smoking. Add salmon; cook until bacon is crisp, about 3 minutes. Carefully turn salmon over and cook 2 minutes longer. Transfer skillet to oven and roast salmon, 2 minutes for medium or 4 for well done.
2. Toss arugula with juice and 1 Tbsp. oil; season with salt and pepper. Divide among 4 plates. Remove toothpicks from salmon, leaving bacon in place. Place salmon on top of arugula. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

423

Fat:

29g (sat 5g)

Protein:

39g

Carbohydrate:

1g

Fiber:

0.0g

Cholesterol:

134mg

Sodium:

694mg

All You, NOVEMBER 2009

 

Zuchinni chips

 

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 3/4 cup)

Ingredients

• 1/4  cup  dry breadcrumbs
• 1/4  cup  (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
• 1/4  teaspoon  seasoned salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  garlic powder
• 1/8  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 2  tablespoons  fat-free milk
• 2 1/2  cups  (1/4-inch-thick) slices zucchini (about 2 small)
• Cooking spray

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425°.
Combine first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Place milk in a shallow bowl. Dip zucchini slices in milk, and dredge in breadcrumb mixture. Place coated slices on an ovenproof wire rack coated with cooking spray; place rack on a baking sheet. Bake at 425° for 30 minutes or until browned and crisp. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

61 (28% from fat)

Fat:

1.9g (sat 1g,mono 0.5g,poly 0.2g)

Protein:

3.8g

Carbohydrate:

7.6g

Fiber:

1g

Cholesterol:

5mg

Iron:

0.6mg

Sodium:

231mg

Calcium:

87mg

Linda Oldenburg, Cooking Light, AUGUST 2005

 

Simple filet mignon

 

2 6oz filet mignon (serving is one 6oz portion)

1/4tsp sea salt

1/8tsp ground black pepper

1/4tsp garlic powder

1tbsp smart balance heart healthy spread

 

1. Combine spices in a small bowl

2. Rub each filet with Spice mixture

3. There are many ways to cook your steak.  Grill, pan fry, broil, but I used a flat griddle.

Set oiled griddle temp to 400 degrees.  Place both steaks on griddle for about 4 minutes per side.  This should result in a nice Mid-rare steak.

4.  Remove filets from griddle and top each with half tbsp of smart balance.  Let rest for 5 to 10 minutes to ensure all of your juices stay in the meat and not on your plate.

 

Est.  Calories 275

 

For the spinach salad I just used all of my favorite salad toppings

 

Fresh spinach

cherry tomatoes (halved)

Red onions finely sliced

carrots thinly shaved with a vegetable peeler

red bell peppers thinly sliced and cut into bite size pieces

baby bella mushrooms sliced

sprouts

 

toss and add your fav low cal dressing!

 

 

Spaghetti and meatballs- 2/11/2011



"I don't remember having spaghetti and meatballs as a child at home; we had polpette, which had the shape of crab cakes. Spaghetti and meatballs, on the other hand, is a big Italian American dish, a cuisine born out of the early Italian immigrants adapting to the New World." -Lidia Matticchio Bastianich

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: about 3/4 cup pasta mixture, 1/2 cup sauce, and 3 meatballs)

Ingredients

• Sauce:
• 5  (14.5-ounce) cans no salt-added whole tomatoes, undrained
• 1  tablespoon  olive oil
• 1  cup  chopped onion
• 1  teaspoon  crushed red pepper
• 3/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 2  bay leaves
• Meatballs:
• 1  (1-ounce) slice white bread
• 1/3  cup  (about 1 1/2 ounces) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 1/4  cup  milk
• 1/4  cup  chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 1  pound  ground sirloin
• 2  garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 1  large egg white
• Cooking spray
• Remaining ingredients:
• 1  pound  uncooked spaghetti
• 1/3  cup  (about 1 1/2 ounces) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Preparation

To prepare sauce, place half of the tomatoes in a food processor, and process until smooth. Pour pureed tomatoes into a large bowl. Repeat procedure with remaining tomatoes.
Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion; cook 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in pureed tomatoes, red pepper, salt, black pepper, and bay leaves; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Discard bay leaves. Keep warm.
To prepare meatballs, preheat oven to 400°. Place bread in a food processor; pulse 10 times or until coarse crumbs measure 1/2 cup. Combine breadcrumbs, 1/3 cup cheese, and the next 7 ingredients (cheese through egg white). Shape mixture into 24 (1-inch) meatballs, and place on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until done. Add meatballs to sauce; cook over low heat 15 minutes or until thoroughly heated.
Cook the pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain pasta; return to pot. Spoon about 2 cups tomato sauce (leaving meatballs in pan) into pasta, and toss well to coat. Transfer pasta mixture to a platter; top with remaining sauce and meatballs. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup cheese.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

449 (25% from fat)

Fat:

12.5g (sat 4.9g,mono 5.1g,poly 0.6g)

Protein:

27.4g

Carbohydrate:

58.3g

Fiber:

4.9g

Cholesterol:

50mg

Iron:

4.8mg

Sodium:

633mg

Calcium:

239mg

Lidia Matticchio Bastianich, Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2003

Beef and broccoli stir fry with bell peppers~ 1/7/2011





Yield: 6 servings (serving size: about 1 cup stir-fry and 2/3 cup rice)

Ingredients

• 1  pound  flank steak, trimmed
• 2  tablespoons  low-sodium soy sauce
• 1  teaspoon  minced garlic
• 1/2  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 3 1/2  tablespoons  water, divided
• 2  tablespoons  oyster sauce
• 1/4  teaspoon  crushed red pepper
• 3/4  pound  broccoli
• 2  tablespoons  canola oil, divided
• 1  large red bell pepper, halved, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 4  cups  hot cooked long-grain rice

Preparation

1. Cut steak in half lengthwise. Cut each half across the grain into 1/8-inch-thick slices. Combine beef, soy sauce, garlic, and black pepper; toss well. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.
2. Combine 1 1/2 tablespoons water, oyster sauce, and crushed red pepper in a small bowl; set aside.
3. Cut broccoli into florets. Peel broccoli stems; cut stems diagonally into 1/4-inch-thick slices.
4. Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef mixture to skillet; cook 3 minutes or until beef is browned, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Transfer beef mixture to a bowl.
5. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon canola oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add broccoli; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons water; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add bell pepper; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Return beef mixture to pan. Stir in the oyster sauce mixture; cook until thoroughly heated. Serve over rice.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

323

Fat:

10.7g (sat 2.7g,mono 5.1g,poly 1.8g)

Protein:

21.2g

Carbohydrate:

35.2g

Fiber:

2.8g

Cholesterol:

26mg

Iron:

3.2mg

Sodium:

273mg

Calcium:

62mg

Diane Morgan, Cooking Light, JULY 2009

Chicken with cider bacon sauce~ 2/8/2011



Serve with broccoli and white and wild rice.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 chicken breast half and about 2 tablespoons sauce)

Ingredients

• 4  (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 2  bacon slices, chopped
• 1/4  cup  minced fresh onion
• 3/4  cup  unsweetened apple cider
• 1/2  cup  fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

Preparation

Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound to 1/2-inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Sprinkle chicken evenly with salt and pepper.
Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan. Add chicken to drippings in pan; cook 6 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm.
Add onion to pan; cook 2 minutes or until tender, stirring constantly. Add cider and broth; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cook until broth mixture is reduced to 1/2 cup (about 5 minutes). Stir in cooked bacon; serve sauce over chicken.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

269 (24% from fat)

Fat:

7.2g (sat 2.3g,mono 2.8g,poly 1g)

Protein:

41.1g

Carbohydrate:

6.9g

Fiber:

0.2g

Cholesterol:

106mg

Iron:

1.3mg

Sodium:

412mg

Calcium:

22mg

Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison, Cooking Light, JANUARY 2005

Chicken noodle casserole~ 2/9/2011

This dish was originally titled Aunt liz's spaghetti chicken casserole, but I changed the name because I found it misleading.



This chicken spaghetti casserole is low and calories and can easily be made ahead. The recipe makes two casseroles so enjoy one for dinner and freeze the other for later. To prepare the frozen casserole, cover and bake for 55 minutes at 350°; uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Yield: 2 casseroles, 4 servings each (serving size: about 1 cup)

Ingredients

• 2  cups  chopped cooked chicken breast
• 2  cups  uncooked spaghetti noodles, broken into 2-inch pieces (about 7 ounces)
• 1  cup  (1/4-inch-thick) slices celery
• 1  cup  chopped red bell pepper
• 1  cup  chopped onion
• 1  cup  fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 2  (10.75-ounce) cans condensed 30% reduced-sodium 98% fat-free cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
• Cooking spray
• 1  cup  (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese, divided

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Combine broth, salt, pepper, and soup in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add soup mixture to chicken mixture; toss. Divide mixture evenly between 2 (8-inch) square or (2-quart) baking dishes coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle 1/2 cup cheese over each casserole. Cover with foil coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

261 (27% from fat)

Fat:

7.8g (sat 3.9g,mono 2.2g,poly 1.1g)

Protein:

19g

Carbohydrate:

28g

Fiber:

2.1g

Cholesterol:

47mg

Iron:

1.8mg

Sodium:

652mg

Calcium:

134mg

Mary Jo Bryan, Atlanta, Georgia, Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2008

Chicken pasta soup 2/2/2011



Prep: 2 minutes; Cook: 22 minutes

Prep Time: 2 minutes
Cook Time: 22 minutes
Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups)

Ingredients

• Cooking spray
• 2  (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1  (8-ounce) container refrigerated prechopped celery, onion, and bell pepper mix
• 1  cup  matchstick-cut carrots
• 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 7  cups  fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1  cup  uncooked whole wheat rotini (corkscrew pasta)

Preparation

1. Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chicken and next 3 ingredients; cook 6 minutes or until chicken begins to brown and vegetables are tender, stirring frequently. Add broth; bring to a boil. Add pasta, reduce heat to medium, and cook 8 minutes or until pasta is done.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

156 (14% from fat)

Fat:

3g (sat 0.6g,mono 0.6g,poly 0.4g)

Protein:

20.4g

Carbohydrate:

12.8g

Fiber:

2.8g

Cholesterol:

40mg

Iron:

1.4mg

Sodium:

723mg

Calcium:

27mg

Cooking Light Fresh Food Fast, Oxmoor House, APRIL 2009

"chicken parm" with herbed orzo and brocolli ~ 1/27/2011



Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1/3  cup  (1 1/2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1/4  cup  dry breadcrumbs
• 1  tablespoon  minced fresh parsley
• 1/2  teaspoon  dried basil
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt, divided
• 1  large egg white, lightly beaten
• 1  pound  chicken breast tenders
• 1  tablespoon  butter
• 1 1/2  cups  bottled fat-free tomato-basil pasta sauce (such as Muir Glen Organic)
• 2  teaspoons  balsamic vinegar
• 1/4  teaspoon  black pepper
• 1/3  cup  (1 1/2 ounces) shredded provolone cheese

Preparation

Preheat broiler.
Combine 2 tablespoons of Parmesan, breadcrumbs, parsley, basil, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a shallow dish. Place egg white in a shallow dish. Dip each chicken tender in egg white; dredge in the breadcrumb mixture. Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 3 minutes on each side or until done. Set aside.
Combine 1/8 teaspoon salt, pasta sauce, vinegar, and pepper in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover with plastic wrap; vent. Microwave sauce mixture at HIGH 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Pour the sauce over chicken in pan. Sprinkle evenly with the remaining Parmesan and provolone cheese. Wrap handle of pan with foil, and broil 2 minutes or until the cheese melts.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

308 (30% from fat)

Fat:

10.4g (sat 5.7g,mono 3g,poly 0.6g)

Protein:

35.9g

Carbohydrate:

16.2g

Fiber:

1.8g

Cholesterol:

88mg

Iron:

2.3mg

Sodium:

808mg

Calcium:

249mg

Ann Taylor Pittman, Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2003

Linguine chicken florentine~ 1/25/2011

Ingredients

• 8  ounces  uncooked linguine
• 1  tablespoon  all-purpose flour
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  pepper
• 1/2  pound  skinned, boned chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
• 2  teaspoons  olive oil
• 1/2  cup  chopped onion
• 1  large garlic clove, minced
• 1  cup  low-salt chicken broth
• 1/8  teaspoon  ground nutmeg
• 8  cups  torn spinach
• 1  cup  (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat, reduced-sodium Swiss cheese (such as Alpine Lace)
• 1/4  cup  chopped fresh basil

Preparation

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain; set aside.
Combine flour, salt, and pepper in a bowl; add chicken, tossing to coat. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken mixture, onion, and garlic; sauté 4 minutes. Add broth and nutmeg; bring to a simmer. Cook over medium-low heat 3 minutes or until chicken is done.
Combine pasta, spinach, cheese, and basil in a large bowl; toss well. Add the chicken mixture, tossing gently.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

434 (22% from fat)

Fat:

10.7g (sat 4.7g,mono 2g,poly 0.9g)

Protein:

32.7g

Carbohydrate:

51.8g

Fiber:

6.3g

Cholesterol:

53mg

Iron:

6.1mg

Sodium:

331mg

Calcium:

487mg

Karen Levin, Cooking Light, MAY 1997

Spicy Mexican lettuce wraps~1/17/2011

You will need

Fresh Romaine lettuce washed and ribs trimmed

1lb flank steak, cut in half length wise and then slice thinly against the grain

one small onion sliced thinly

Pico di gallo ( I purchase my from a local Mexican restaurant)

Hot habenero, tomatillo salsa (purchased from the same restaurant)

2 limes (one for slices and one for juice)

Taco bell canned fat free re fried beans

shredded cheese of choice (preferably reduced fat or fat free)

taco bell fajita seasoning

ground cumin

salt

pepper

Ok this one is really simply

1. Coat deep nonstick pan with cooking spray heat on medium high.  Add steak and onions. Add the juice of one lime.  Season to your taste using salt, pepper, cumin, and fajita seasoning. cook until desired doneness.  If you like your meat really spicy go ahead and add a little bit of the salsa while cooking.

2.  Put beans in Microwave safe dish ( I like to add a little taco bell taco sauce to thin out beans) heat in microwave for two minutes.

3.  Now it is time to start building your tacos.  Place 3 lettuce leaves on your plate.  Add 2oz of meat mixture to each life.  Top with desired amounts of pico, salsa, and cheese.

4. plate with refried beans and a lime wedge

5.  ENJOY!

By serving your tacos on lettuce leaves you are saving over 300 calories!!!

Greek crusted chicken with oven roasted veggies and herbed orzo~ 1/19/2011

This recipe was not actually one I got from Cooking light, but it was tasty and healthy non the less. 

For this recipes you will need

4 to 6 chicken cutlets (thing sliced boneless skinless chicken breast

McCormick Gourmet blends Greek seasoning

Salt

pepper

orzo pasta (found in all supermarkets including Walmart)

Fresh flat leaf parsley (finely chopped)

1 tbsp of unsalted butter

1 tbsp EVOO

3 medium zuchinni (cut into bite size pieces)

1 medium red onion (cut into bite size strips, but do not pull apart)

3 cloves of garlic (minced)

Mushrooms quartered (optional)

Greek salad dressing (If you live in the Chattanooga area I suggest using Acropolis housemade dressing)

1. pre-heat oven to 375 degrees

2.Toss zuchinni, red onion, and mushrooms in greek dressing.  Place veggies in a single layer on a baking sheet or baking stone that has been coated in oil or cooking spray.  They will need to cook 35-40 minutes turning once half way through cook time.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

3. Prepare orzo acording to the directions on the package.

4.  While veggies are a' roastin lets prep the chicken.  Sprinkle chicken evenly with salt, pepper, and greek seasoning on both sides.

5.  Heat EVOO in a non stick pan. When oil is hot sear chicken on both sides  until you get a beautiful golden brown.  Transfer to a prepared baking sheet or stone, bake for 20 minutes. 

6.  When orzo is done mix in butter and parsley,  then cover until you are ready to serve.
7. Plate, serve, and enjoy!

There is no better inspiration for getting healthy than your child!

After I had my daughter in October of 2010 I was pleased with the amount of weight I instantly lost.  I did not anticipate how difficult the coming weeks would be.  I continued eating like I did when I was pregnant, and led an extremely sedentary lifestyle (mostly because I was too tired to move).  Before too long I weighed 15lbs more than the heaviest I'd ever been IN MY LIFE (with the exception of my pregnancy).  

     For Christmas 2010 my husband bought my a XBOX360 Kinect and Biggest loser ultimate workout.  A couple weeks into the new year I decided to start my new way of living.  I am 4 weeks into 12 weeks super weight loss program on The Biggest Loser:  Ultimate workout, combined with calorie counting (http://www.myfitnesspal.com/) I have already lost 18lbs. 

     This blog is my way of sharing my journey (and keeping myself accountable).  I am cooking meals 5 to 7 nights a week using recipes almost exclusively from the Cooking light magazine.  All of the recipes I have made so  far have been amazing, and best of all the publication lists all of the nutritional facts for each dish. 
I have recently subscribed to Cooking light, but if you are not one for magazines you can search their recipes on http://www.myrecipes.com/, because the sight is a compilation of several different publications you will need to choose Cooking light from the column on the left.  Happy healthy eating to you!!