I keep track of my weight loss on my fitbit fitness tracker. Today I received my weight loss goal badge! I am pretty excited about the progress that I have made. I have set a new goal and am excited about trying to reach it. It has been a lot of consistent work and I am excited to continue on this journey. I do have a feeling that the next goal may be a bit harder to reach, those last 5 pounds always seem to be the hardest to get rid of. 🙂
Recently I posted about meal planning and using my crock pot to make Seven Days of Clean Eating Slow-Cooker Recipes. Here is one of the recipes that we really enjoyed…
Serve the chicken shredded on a roll as a sandwich with some delicious coleslaw, or for an even healthier option skip the bread and serve the chicken over lettuce as a delicious salad topper.
Crock Pot Buffalo Ranch ChickenServes 4-6
Ingredients
● 4 chicken breasts
● 1 medium onion, sliced
● ½ teaspoon each: dried parsley, dried dill, dried chives, garlic powder, onion powder
● sea salt and pepper, to taste
● 4 peppers, tops cut off and seeds cleaned out
● ½ cup hot sauce* (I use Frank’s RedHot Hot Sauce)
*This can be spicy for some. Want it mild? Use a little less hot sauce!
Instructions
1. Put chicken, spices, hot sauce in crockpot.
2. Cook for 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low.
3. Shred and serve on your choice of sandwich thin, lettuce wrap, stuffed in a pre boiled bell pepper, stuffed in a baked sweet potato or over salad greens.
*Make a ranch sauce to go on sandwiches. ½ cup plain greek yogurt and ½ teaspoon of each: dried parsley, dried dill, dried chives, garlic powder, onion powder. This also cuts the spice!!
Ingredients
If you know me in real life, you know that if I am not at home, church, or at my kid’s school, most likely you can find me at Target! I love that place! They take all of my coupons, plus have cartwheel and mobile coupons. So, that being said, that is where I got all of these things.
I love Pantene! It is my all time favorite shampoo/conditioner brand! Even when I have used other higher end brand hair care I always end up coming back to Pantene. I am interested to try out this new Ultimate 10 BB Creme Conditioner and the Nature Fusion Moisturizing Shampoo with Melon Essence.
I have been enjoying the Maybelline Fit Me Foundation and wanted to try out the Fit Me Concealer. Of course, I also had a coupon.
I love the YES to Grapefruit Daily Facial Scrub, so I am wondering if these facial wipes will be good.
I love Maybelline mascaras, and have heard so many great things about the Lash Sensational Mascara but I have never tried it. I had a $2 off coupon, so I figured I would buy it and give it a try to see if it lives up to the recommendations.
Let’s face it, the EOS lip balm packaging is super cute! I have tried the Strawberry one, and I have to admit I was less than impressed by it. I was told that the vanilla mint one is different and better than the others. So, I am giving this EOS Visibly Soft Vanilla Mint Lip Balm a try.
I still had some Garnier coupons left and decided to give The Soothing Remover Cleansing Towelettes for Sensitive Skin wipes a try.
I had a coupon for the Herbal Essences Happy Go Lather Body Wash and decided to give it a try. It smells delightful.
If you are interested in seeing some other things I have recently purchased and have been trying out, check out my recent mini drugstore haul by clicking HERE
Most people know that October is “Breast Cancer Awareness Month.” While most are “aware of breast cancer”, many forget to take the steps to have a plan to detect the disease in its early stages. Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in the United States (other than skin cancer). Millions of women are surviving the disease thanks in part to early detection and improvements in treatment.
As you may remember, I recently started a new job at the Hospital. I’m working in an Out Patient Infusion Center. We give a lot of different medications, and a lot of chemotherapy. In just the few weeks that I have been working, I have seen so many cases of advanced cancer. The earlier the cancer is found, the better the prognosis!
If you think that you can’t afford to get tests done, in the USA, coverage of mammograms for breast cancer screening is mandated by the Affordable Care Act. The ACA provides that these be given without a co-pay or deductible. (Obama care is good for somethings) Don’t put off screening because of fear of the possible outcome. I can’t stress to you enough that early detection saves lives!!!!
Sometimes you just want to get your face cleaned all the way deep down! You could pay $100-300 for a Clarisonic brush or you can just spend $6 and use a little bit of gentle elbow grease.
I bought this Precision Pore Cleansing Pad about 4 weeks ago and I have been in love with it ever since. For only $6 this thing is amazing! It really makes my face wash foam up and deeply cleans my face. I also use it daily and have had no problems with irritation.It has soft silicone nubs that gently massage the face and feel so good. Paired with my CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser it is like a match made in Heaven. I also bought a second one and have been using it to clean my brushes. It works perfectly! I highly recommend this simple yet effective cleansing pad.
What does the Sephora Website have to say about it?
What it is:
A flexible silicone pad that gently massages the face and helps deliver deeply clean, radiant results.
What it does:
This tool uses tiny bristles to invigorate the skin and effectively clean pores, helping to exfoliate and soften the skin.
Continue with me on my journey as I go from Flab to FAB…
Regular exercise is definitely important for good health. When I say exercise, I mean a dedicated time set aside to do things such as cardio and strength/weight training. This might surprise you, but the answer is definitely yes!
Studies show that it is most effective to work out for less than an hour a day, generally between 30-45 min a day. The American Hear Association suggests: “At least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity at least 5 days per week for a total of 150 minuets. Or at least 25 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity at least 3 days per week for a total of 75 minutes; or a combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity aerobic activity. Moderate- to high-intensity muscle-strengthening activity at least 2 days per week for additional health benefits.”
The most important thing is to find the right balance. I know for me, when I work out too intensely, I tend to eat more. I have more sugar and snacking cravings. Balance high and low intensity to help control your hunger level. If you are exercising more but eating more, that will not be an effective way to lose weight. You cannot out run a poor diet! Find what works best for your body. If you feel tired or burnt out and are craving more food, maybe you are working out too much or too intensely. Don’t decrease your activity, but maybe just your time and intensity.
While exercising too much isn’t necessarily a good thing, what is important is to be moving throughout the day.Look for ways to include more movement to your day. Make small changes like standing when you can instead of sitting down, walking up the steps instead of taking the elevator, parking further away from the door. You don’t have to be doing things that cause you to be out of breath and sweating, but being more active overall is important.
According to Edward R. Laskowski, M.D. at the Mayo Clinic’s website
“For most healthy adults, the Department of Health and Human Services recommends these exercise guidelines:
Moderate aerobic exercise includes such activities as brisk walking, swimming and mowing the lawn. Vigorous aerobic exercise includes such activities as running and aerobic dancing. Strength training can include use of weight machines or activities such as rock climbing or heavy gardening.
As a general goal, aim for at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day. If you want to lose weight or meet specific fitness goals, you may need to exercise more. Want to aim even higher? You can achieve more health benefits, including increased weight loss, if you ramp up your exercise to 300 minutes a week.
Short on long chunks of time? Even brief bouts of activity offer benefits. For instance, if you can’t fit in one 30-minute walk, try three 10-minute walks instead. What’s most important is making regular physical activity part of your lifestyle.”
I hope this was helpful!
Thank you for your support! How exciting to have 200 followers on Looking Joli Good!
Do you meal plan? Do you love it? Hate it?
Now that I have gone back to work, meal planning is going to be more important than ever! I used to be able to go grocery shopping whenever I felt like it and take my time. Then all afternoon I’d be planning and making dinner. Not so much anymore.
When I come home from working all day the absolute last thing I feel like doing is taking the time to make a big healthy meal. (Can I get an Amen!) I am starving from running around taking care of patients all day and I want to eat right then! I have to admit, I had a bit of a rough time with sticking to my diet this week. I did awesome during breakfast and lunch, but when I got home and was trying to get the dinner situation figured out, I was so hungry that I snacked before dinner. If you recall, I am a bit of a food addict, and snacking doesn’t go well for me! While I didn’t gain any weight, I haven’t lost any this week either. (que the sad music :-()
This coming week, starting today, I am planning to put my crock pot to great use! I will be following the “Seven Day Clean Eating Slow-Cooker Recipe eBook Brought to you by your coaches and friends at Strengthen You” I have my shopping list all ready and plan to head to the store soon. I will let you know how the meals turn out and if this crock pot meal plan helps me to be more successful this week! (If the food is good, I may share some of the recipes.)
Here is what is on the menu for the week…
Also, if you have a killer crockpot meal that you know is not only healthy but delicious, please share it!!!
Looking Joli Good 