Recipe Report

For today's Recipe Report, I decided to share one I made this past weekend: Quinoa, Grilled Corn, Tomato, and Feta Salad. It. Was. Delicious. Oh, my god, guys. Seriously... Heaven in my mouth. I love every ingredient in this thing. I also threw in a touch of balsamic vinegar to add some zing to it. It equaled out to be around 7 points plus a serving (4 servings total). I didn't have time (or maybe it's just that I'm lazy) to grill the corn, so I opted for a can of sweet corn instead. You should definitely try it!!

6 days until Weigh-In Wednesday!

Weigh-In Wednesday

Today's Weight:

284.2

Happy Weigh-In Wednesday, internet people!! I lost 4.8 pounds this week! Woo hoo!!! I'm so, so close to having less than 100 pounds to go. When I started, it seemed so daunting to have to lose 142 pounds, but now that I'm almost down to 100 left, it doesn't seem as impossible. Weight Watchers lowered my points value to 48 a day this morning after weigh-in, so that's pretty exciting. I used a points calculator to figure out how many daily points I'd be allowed once I hit my goal weight of 180 pounds: 33 points. That doesn't seem too bad, since some of my shorter friends get only 26 a day. I know I can do this if I just stick with it and take it day by day! Wish me luck!
Side note: Happy birthday, Dad! I love you! Thank you for supporting me with everything I do!

Total Weight Loss: 37.8 pounds

Only 104.2 to go!

Artistic Antics

Oops! I forgot to post this last night. I was busy grading papers and whatnot. Anyway, here's an update on our pottery class: the teacher and the other class members were particularly nice to us yesterday, so I'm not sure if they're being sarcastic or have just come to terms with our sass. Either way, it was a much more enjoyable class than the previous ones, so it didn't seem to drag on minute after minute. Next week is our last class to glaze things, then she'll fire everything, and then we'll come pick everything up and grind off any sharp spots from the glaze. I'm super excited to see what mine turn out like. The glaze looks nothing like what the outcome will be right now, so it's hard to imagine what the finished products will be like. I put a transparent glaze over my owl spoon holder, but now it just looks gray. I hope it turns out colorful!

Phenomenal Foods

Today's Phenomenal Food is:

Raspberries!

I love, love, love raspberries! They're so small, yet so flavorful. I just wish they weren't so expensive. I love the texture of the seeds in them and the extra little kick of flavor and texture they give to my breakfast shakes. According to an article called 7 Fat Loss Superfoods That Live Up to Their Hype from www.huffingtonpost.com, "Blueberries hog the spotlight, but raspberries are actually higher in fiber: One cup provides a whopping 8 grams. One study found you probably get about half the fiber you should, and on a lower-carb diet even less. Fiber's benefits include balanced glucose (blood sugar) levels and satiation to reduce hunger and cravings. Raspberries are a nutrient-dense, low-fructose fruit that make a healthy dessert and give a pleasant zing to protein shakes." I'll definitely have to buy some more fresh or frozen ones to throw into my morning protein shakes!

2 days until Weigh-In Wednesday!

Weekend Warrior

Happy Easter, everyone! Today was a very eventful day at the Francis house. We went to a car show all morning at a church, got sunburned, my dad took my brother and me to the parking lot of my old high school to practice on his motorcycle (we're just learning), and then we had a family dinner with the grandparents. (And tonight, Austin and I are going to see Divergent...again. Yes, it was that good. I'm currently on Chapter 11, but I can't wait to see it again!) Anyway, today was a very good day, and I even got to enjoy some goodies for Easter all while staying within my points for the day! Yay, Easter weekend! I get tomorrow off, so I'll have to be just as productive.

Yeah, I'm probably going to hell, but I couldn't resist.

(From left to right)
1933 Willys (Dad), 1961 Corvette (Dad restored for his friend, Phillip),
1956 Chevy (mine), 1983 Jaguar (Grandpa)
(Austin's 1954 Ford Station wagon is currently torn apart and in the shop)

My beautiful car!

First lesson on a motorcycle!

3 days until Weigh-In Wednesday!

Shopping Shenanigans

Today was a busy, busy day! I woke up, went to Costco with my mom and grandparents, went to Panera Bread with two of my favorite people (Amanda and Sosha) along with my favorite godson Jaxon, got a manicure and pedicure with Sosha, went to Intimate Designs (a bra store) with Caitlyn and spent way too much on two bras and a swim top, ate dinner with the family, and finally went to Wal-Mart for the remainder of the groceries. Whoo, I'm tired!
Also, at Costco, my mom bought me a FitBit Flex! I'm super excited to start tracking everything! I'm not going to use the calorie counter since I'm very happy with Weight Watchers, but it'll be interesting to try and walk 10,000 steps every day and see what my sleep patterns are like. Yay, technology!!
On a totally random note, I went to see Divergent with my brother and his friends yesterday and absolutely loved it!!! I'm currently reading the book, but I decided to watch the movie without finishing the book first as to not be as disappointed. I'm still going to finish the book because it's already 100 times better than the movie, but I thoroughly enjoyed it last night. If you haven't seen it yet, go now!!

4 days until Weigh-In Wednesday!

Exercise Escapades

Well, I kind of failed this week. I was so sore Monday from CrossFit that I couldn't bring myself to work out. I haven't skipped a workout day since I started. I did, however, workout the rest of the week. I really didn't want to today, but I forced myself to do it. I hope I get my motivation back next week. I think it was just all the traveling and CrossFit that kind of bummed me out. I was exhausted after our trip, so hopefully I'll get back to my normal routine next week. Anyway, here's this week's workout schedule:

Monday: CrossFit Recuperation Day - No Workout :(

Tuesday: Focus T25 Speed (Alpha)

Wednesday: Focus T25 Cardio (Alpha)

Thursday: Focus T25 Speed (Alpha)
Friday: Focus T25 Speed (Alpha)

5 days until Weigh-In Wednesday!

Recipe Report

For today's Recipe Report, I decided to share a recipe I found for Tomato-Bastil Spaghetti Squash Bake. Oh, my gosh! This was delicious!!! It kind of tasted like pizza, but with more flavor and texture. I made it right before my trip to Alabama, so I didn't get a chance to try it until I came back. But it was oh, so worth it when I did! It kept really well in the fridge because it's mostly just cooked vegetables. The cheese stayed crispy on the edge and gooey in the middle. I took it to work for lunch and ate it at dinner. I couldn't get enough! And, it only cost me 4 Points Plus for a serving (1/6 of the dish). I added 3 extra ounces of cheese because I love it so much; I used Shredded Weight Watchers Mexican Style. I'm definitely going to have to buy another spaghetti squash this weekend!
On another note, I'm going out to the bars in Warrensburg tonight with my good friend (and former roommate), Caitlyn. she graduates really soon, and I've been promising to go out with her before that happens. I'm not sure yet whether I'll drink tonight, but we'll see what happens. We're going to dinner, so I guess it all depends on how many points I have left. Wish me luck!

Layer 1: Spaghetti squash, tomatoes, basil, parsley, garlic powder, onion powder

Cheese layer

Layer 2 plus more cheese

Top layer - right out of the oven!

6 days until Weigh-In Wednesday!