The skinny on ZUMBA

I HATE exercise, hate hate hate it. I wasn’t built for running, I don’t get the endorphins rush, and I get bored SOOOO easily… until I discovered ZUMBA. It has been such a game-changer in my attitude towards exercise. Not only is it fun, but it is one of the best work outs you will ever get (hence the term “exercise in disguise”). From cardio to toning, to increasing flexibility and balance, it is an overall amazing fitness program.  And it’s not too shabby that a typical class (usually an hour long) can burn anywhere between 500 to 1000 calories!





It all started when I took my first tour at the gym that I now belong to (Ladies Choice Fitness Center). As soon as I walked in the door I could hear the music, a latin/pop mixture that made it difficult to not want to dance. Then I saw the class… I was in awe. There were women of all ages, shapes, sizes, rhythms, and coordination levels, I knew it would be the perfect place for me and I couldn’t wait to join in the fun. And I have to admit my first class did not go as smoothly as I expected, mostly because I’m a big tall awkward looking white girl that doesn’t really know how to pop and shake my booty. But I’ve now learned that it doesn’t even matter, as long as I’m trying my best I can still shake the inches off. In fact, ZUMBA is the biggest reason that I’ve lost over 13 inches!!! So for anyone that has never tried it, I encourage you to give it a shot! It’s the most fun you’ll ever have in the gym, I promise.

A Few Tips for ZUMBA Beginners


*Wear a GOOD sports bra

*Make sure you are well hydrated and have water close by.

*DO NOT be afraid to “shake it” that’s what helps you burn all of those calories!

*Make sure you wear pants/shorts that are not too loose; otherwise you’ll be tugging and pulling them up the whole time.

*HAVE FUN!!!

WW Asparagus Risotto

Keeping with my comfort food theme… I found this recipe on the Weight Watchers site and decided to give it a try last night. It is absolutely DELICIOUS and makes a great side item or small meal for lunch. You can also add in chicken or shrimp to make it a more complete meal for dinner.

Asparagus Risotto


*5 PP per serving

½ tsp table salt

1 lb. asparagus (cut into short bite-size pieces)

Cooking spray

1 Tbsp unsalted butter

3 small shallots

I cup Arborio rice uncooked (regular rice works too)

1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

4 cups of canned chicken broth

1/3 cup parmesan cheese (grated)

Salt & Pepper

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Fill a large bowl with ice water. Add asparagus to pot; blanch for 2 minutes. Immediately remove asparagus from pot and place them into ice water (to stop them from cooking and help retain their bright green color); set aside.

Coat a medium pot with cooking spray and set over medium heat; melt butter. Add shallots; cook, stirring frequently, until translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add rice and toss to coat; cook for 2 minutes. Add lemon juice; cook, until all lemon juice has been absorbed, stirring continuously so rice does not stick to sides of pot, about 1 minute.

Meanwhile, bring broth to a simmer; keep warm.

Add 1/2 cup of hot broth to pot at a time; stir until absorbed. Repeat with remaining broth, making sure each addition of broth is absorbed before adding more. This process takes about 20 minutes.

When rice turns creamy and just done (should be slightly chewy and not mushy), remove pot from heat; add cheese and stir well. Stir in asparagus; season with salt and pepper. Yields 1 scant cup per serving.

Enjoy!

Goal of the Week: Measuring & Portion Control

I’ve decided to include a special weekly update in my “new” blog (Thank you Anna H). Each week I will focus on a new goal and/or challenge and I’m hoping that it will not only hold me accountable, but maybe inspire a reader or Weight Watcher!

With that said this week’s challenge/goal is to have some portion control with my meals and actually measure out how much I’m eating. Not a big deal for a lot of people, but it’s honestly my biggest struggle. It seems like my will power goes right out the window when dinner time rolls around. The worst part is, I know it’s the reason why I’m not losing on the scale, yet I continue to eat MOUNDS of food anyways! But I have found that actually measuring out my portions and only cooking enough to fulfill those portion amounts can be very helpful. For example, measuring out your pasta and ONLY cooking that exact amount (as oppose to cooking the entire box and “eye balling” your portions, guilty on multiple occasions). I was shocked/amazed/depressed over how poor my “eyeballing” skills really are. Apparently 1 cup in my mind is about 2-3 in real life… fail. So this week (or at least what’s left of it before weight in on Monday) I am challenging myself to literally measure out EVERYTHING and stop the “eye balling”. I’m making measuring cups my new best friend and sticking to the plan 100%



A few tips & tricks to keep in mind to keep on track…

*Set utensils down between bites.

*Don't leave leftovers in plain sight, it makes going back for leftovers that much more tempting.

*Snack throughout the day (nuts, fruits, etc.) so that you wont be out of control hungry by dinner time.
*Eat off smaller plates.

*Pre-portion the more tempting treats.

*Drinks lots and lots of water, before and after meals.

*Make sure you're filling up on the right foods (proteins, fiber-rich, etc).

*Visit HERE for a VERY cool interactive portion control plate with wallet and fridge size portion guides!

Wish me luck!

A Comfort Food Time of Year

Fall is my absolute FAVORITE time of year. I love everything from the fall colors, tall boots, football, tailgating, leaves changing, sweaters, and COMFORT FOOD. This past weekend I finally got a chance to satisfy my fall cravings when Charleston’s temps actually dropped below 70 with an added bonus of no humidity! I found this to be the perfect opportunity to make my favorite chili! It’s a super simple and lightened up version that packs a lot of flavor and lasts forever. So if you’re a fall foodie like me, you may want to give it a try!

Weight Watchers Friendly Chili
*About 5 PPs per serving
Amounts can be easily adjusted according to how much you want to make.

1.5lb. lean ground beef (93% lean or ground turkey)

2 Cans of Kidney Beans

1 Can of Garbanzo beans

1 Large can of petite diced tomatoes

1-2 Packets of Dry Chili Seasoning

1-2 Tbsp Cumin

½ tsp chili powder

1 large can tomato puree

1 Large Vidalia Onion

2Tbsp Garlic

1 Cup Sliced Mushrooms


1. In a skillet, brown and drain your meat. Add onion, mushrooms, salt/pepper and stir frequently until onions and mushrooms are slightly cooked down.

2. In a large pot, combine the diced tomatoes and puree and mix. Then add your meat mixture to the pot. Depending on your preference of consistently, you can add water at this step if you think it’s too thick.

3. Add all of your garlic and seasoning and stir entire pot until well blended. Cover and simmer for at least 1 hour before eating.

*This goes great on top of whole wheat pasta or with a dollop of fat-free/part-skim ricotta cheese. Enjoy!

A New Direction

So in order to keep my poor little blog alive, I’ve decided to switch gears and take things in a new direction. My last attempt with “adventures in chucktown” was okay, but the truth is I don’t have that many adventures specifically related to chucktown. Something that I DO have a lot of adventures with, is the battle of the bulge. So yes, this will be another one of “those” weight loss blogs but I’m hoping that it can just maybe be the slightest bit helpful to anyone going through the same trials and tribulations of losing weight. It will mostly revolve around the Weight Watchers Points Plus plan but will also have fun tips, recipes, victories and new ideas!


So without further ado, (I’m already anxious/excited to get started) a little background story to bring things up to date…



Ever since I was a kid, I've always been bigger than all of my peers, had to shop at the "big girl" stores, and dreaded swimsuit season. I feel as though i have basically run the gauntlet when it comes to dieting, from crash diets to pills, shakes, bars, no carbs, etc. I've just about tried them all with little to no success. Until I started Weight Watchers (ahhhh shining golden beams of light), I had never realized that it IS possible to eat and live like a real person while still losing weight. It has opened my eyes so much more to the importance of balance and simply making better choices about what I put in my body. And I am now at the point where I only have the last 20lbs to go before reaching my ultimate goal weight (which i have never met in my adult life)! Good news right? Well, not exactly. Those last several pounds can be the most difficult to lose, especially when you have a post 25 year old metabolism (yea, no one ever warned me about that one, thanks a lot mother nature.) But I am bound and determined to do it this time and I am confident that Weight Watchers is going to get me there!



So here goes (for the millionth time), stay tuned for all things weight loss and the journey to a smaller me!