Wednesday, October 24, 2012

It's all in your head...

Half-way through the work week, even closer to Halloween, and I still don't have a costume for my annual party I have at work.  I thought I had a great idea, but last night when I tried to put it all together in a practice run, it resulted in an EPIC FAIL.  lol
 
I'm heading up to San Antonio this weekend, so I really need to get my booty in check and find something.  I'm out of options here in town, unless I want to go this route...
 
Ummm wait...what??  I think I'll pass.  lol
 
Aside from searching for a costume, I'll also be taking my niece and nephew to SeaWorld with the familia.  Every year during the month of October, SeaWorld puts together some scaarrryyy fun for the Howl-O-Scream event.  Check out the link I provided if you can.  They have some pretty awesome areas of the park to visit this year.  I am sooo looking foward to it.  I freakin' love Halloween!  :)
 
I also went to my Weight Watchers meeting/weigh-in yesterday afternoon.  I've really grown to appreciate all the members in the group.  They are always so supportive of each other, and a few of them have become great friends of mine.  I love the fact that we are able to laugh with each other about the day-to-day struggles we experience, and at the same time feel confident that noone in that meeting is judging you.  We recently got a new group leader a few weeks ago, and she's been doing a great job so far!  My previous leader Nancy was just as awesome.  She kept me motivated the entire time since I started on my journey back in January, and I appreciate everything she did to show continued support and encouragement.  Here's to you Nancy!!
 
 
The pic on the left is of Nancy and I during the meeting when I reached my 100lb. weight loss.  She did a little presentation, and gave me a certificate.  Such a memorable day!!
 
The pic on the right is of my Zumba instructor Andrea and I, after one of her amazing work-outs.  This girl is just sooo full of energy and positive light.  Muchisimas gracias Andrea!!  Chicas, if you haven't tried Zumba yet, I highly recommend that you do, and soon!!  If you love music, and you love to dance, then this is definitely the work-out for you.  It doesn't even feel like you're exercising!
 
I couldn't have come this far on my journey without the help of these two amazing women.  If you ever get the opportunity to have inspiration such as these people in your life, feel very very blessed chicas.  Thank you ladies!!!
 
My weigh-in went pretty well yesterday, aside from the fact that I over-indulged in margaritas this past weekend at a quincienera.  lol  That's what happens when you haven't had a drink in awhile, and you're around friends and family.  Ya gotta love any party that has a frozen margarita machine on hand!!  Yummm!!!
 

 
I lost 2.2 lbs. this week!  I am sooo beyond psyched chicas!  This year has been life-changing for me, and I can't help but try to encourage others towards a healthier, positive lifestyle.  It really makes me happy that my family has adopted some of the small changes I've been making.  It's easier to make smart decisions when you have people around you that support you, and love you unconditionally.  And that's all it takes!  Really yall', if you ever feel alone, or that you don't have anyone around for support, don't ever hesitate to head in this direction.  Send me a message or an email, and I'll do my best to help you in any way possible.  It's a mental game chicas.  Thinking positive will attract good things into your life, and before you know it, you'll be moving foward towards whatever goal you have your heart set on.
 
We all have our bad days.  Hell, I have them pretty often sometimes, but you're feeling how you're feeling at that moment for a reason.  Does that even make sense?  lol  Ride out your emotions, and feel them.  Don't bottle them up and ignore them.  That's only going to make it harder on you when they resurface again.  And chicas...they always do.  We know this.
 
Stay positive my friends!  Have a great rest of the week.  :)
 
Ohhhh...one last thing...just for a quick smile.  This week is 'Red Ribbon Week' at my chiquita's school.  Every day this week the school has a different theme for the kids to participate in, such as 'crazy socks day', 'crazy hat day', etc.  Today was 'crazy hair day', so I got up extra early to help my niece with her hair.  She insisted on the color purple, so that's exactly what we did.  I have to say though, she should have just worn her hair straight out of bed!!  This is the REAL crazy hair!!
 
 
Poor baby was still half asleep!!  lol
 
 
Be blessed...and stay blessed!!!
 
xoxo,
❤Nica

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Taco Thursday...

Hola chicas!! 
 
Hope your Thursday is going by quickly...I know we're all waiting on Friday to finally show it's beautiful face!  The next few weekends I have are booked with a lot of things to do...but trust me, I'm not complaining.  There's nothing better than familia, parties, and road trips.
 
Last night I made one of my all-time favorite dinners, chicken tacos.  They were complete yumminess, and I thought I'd share my recipe with you all.  Now, I know everyone has a different spin on this dish, as it's a pretty common meal en familias Latinos.  I used the WW Recipe Builder on eTools to create mine, so that it is PointsPlus friendly.  These tacos still have the same flavorful taste, just made a little healthier.
 
Ingredients:
(chicken taco filling)
 
1 1/2 - 2 lbs. boneless/skinless chicken breast
1 cup Spanish onion thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic minced
1 1/2 cups tomato sauce
garlic salt to taste
black pepper to taste
 
Begin by boiling the chicken for approximately 1 hour in slightly salted water, or until thoroughly cooked.  I used boneless/skinless chicken breast for my recipe simply because it's easier to work with, but bone-in chicken breast will work as well.  It is important to remove any skin before boiling though.  After they are done cooking, remove them from the water, and set them aside on a plate.  Also, think ahead chicas!  While the chicken is boiling, use that time to chop up any veggies you'll use for your tacos, or in my case last night, making a side dish like Spanish rice.  This can be a quick and easy meal if you prep prep prep.
 
Once the chicken breasts have cooled down enough for you handle, begin pulling them apart into thin shreds, or to your liking.  I usually do this by hand, and although it is a little more time consuming, the chicken stays a lot juicier this way once all the ingredients are added in.

Make sure the onion is thinly sliced, and the garlic is minced into tiny pieces.  This is what gives the chicken it's sabor chicas.

When you're ready, lightly coat a large skillet with non-stick spray and heat to medium.  Next, add in the chicken and let it cook for a few minutes, just so that it warms up.  After that, throw in the onions, garlic, and tomato sauce.  Mix well, and season to taste with garlic salt and black pepper.  Cook for approximately 5 more minutes while stirring occasionally, and it's ready!  Now serving sizes will vary, but using the Recipe Builder and my trusty scale, this is what I calculated:
 
PointsPlus Value= 3
Yields approximately 10 servings
Serving Size= 4.3 ounces
(yeessss I like to be exact lol)

Here is my finished product last night.  Like I mentioned above, I served my chicken tacos with a side of Spanish rice, which is how I grew up eating this dish.  I also chose to just warm my tortillas on a skillet, instead of the tradition to fry them.  Soo much healthier, and still sooo yummy.  All you have to do is add your own toppings, and you're set!
 
My plate above was suuuper filling, and totaled out to 10PP.
(1/2 cup Spanish rice= 3PP, 2 Tia Rosa red corn tortillas= 3PP, chicken filling= 3PP,
1/4 cup fat free cheese mix= 1PP, lettuce and tomato= 0PP)
 
For those of you who have never had these before, try them out!  I promise you're going to love them.  You can also try adding salsa, or even yummy avocado.  There's actually salsa on mine, but you can't see it, and I forgot to pick up some avocados at the grocery store, otherwise I would have had some too.  It goes greeeaaattt with these tacos.
 
I'm off for now chicas, but I hope I at least got you thinking about dinner tonight!!  Have a terrific Thursday!!
 
 
Be blessed...and stay blessed!!!
 
xoxo,
❤Nica


Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Tick tock...tick tock...

Where is this time going lately??
 
It feels like the year is nearly over, and I still have sooo much to do.  I know with the upcoming holidays, the time is just going to swing by even quicker.  It seems like every day is just hustle hustle hustle, and I never even have a moment to breathe for myself.  Yikes!!
 
First things first, let me give you all my updated WW weekly weigh-ins from the past 2 weeks.  I think I've been doing fairly well with my tracking, although I know I have a lot of room for improvement, especially when it comes to the weekends.  Lately, I barely even glance at my iPhone throughout the weekends to track my food.  No bueno.  :/
 

 
At last week's weigh-in (10/9/12), I lost a total of 4.2 pounds.  I have no idea how I did that chicas.  The only thing I can think is that I am underestimating the amount of activity points I count for Zumba.  It's a little hard to determine sometimes, because Zumba isn't listed as one of the 'workouts' under the activity list on the Weight Watchers website.  I do eat any activity points I earn, and very rarely go into my extra weekly 49 points.
At this week's weigh-in, I lost 1.2 pounds, making that a total of 126.6 pounds thus far!  Last week I was also awarded another 25 pound ring for my keychain, which was reallly exciting!  I got to speak a little about my journey so far, and I can only hope that my progress will inspire others to stay on track, and never lose hope that the program really does work.
 
This entire year has been a true blessing for me chicas.  I cannot stress that enough.  I am thankful to God for putting me on this path, and helping me stick to it.  I know I am making the best decisions for my future.
 
Cheers to a new week, and in moving foward!!
 
In other parts of my life, work is getting crazier every day.  I'm planning my annual Halloween party, and getting ready for audit next month.  Before I know it, the holidays are going to be here, and we'll be starting another year!  I'm still not 100% sure about a costume so far, but I will definitely be dressing up...it's tradition for our fiesta at work!
 
Here are a few pics of my life over the past week or so...
 
My babygirl's 'candycorn' nails I did for her...I loooove my niece, but wow...these didn't last but one day tops! lol


A trip to the pumpkin patch on a Saturday afternoon always calls for pictures!!  They had a blast...and so did I trying to get my nephew to look at the camera just once!! lol

My yummy breakfast I made the other morning...only 5PP chicas!  2 points for the whole-grain bread (2 slices of Sara Lee 100% Whole Wheat), 1 point for the ham (1 ounce of Hillshire Farm Ultra Thin Honey Ham), 1 point for the cheese (1/4 cup HEB fat free shredded cheddar cheese), and 1 point for the three egg whites.  I crisp the ham a little in the skillet, and grill the veggies in the same pan, so that they are warm and soft when putting together the sandwich.  When the egg whites are cooked to your liking, add in the cheese so that it melts perfectly.  No oil is needed...just a little non-stick spray, and you're good to go.  The spinach, tomato, and banana are all freeeeee...which makes for a filling, delicious breakfast!

I also made these steamed dumplings one rainy Saturday afternoon.  I'll be posting the recipe soon.  I always have fun experimenting with the WW Recipe Builder on eTools.  I take any ideas I have in my head, throw them all together, and try to reduce the PP value.  It's challenging, but I think I've put together some really great recipes so far.
 
I also celebrated my bestie's birthday a few weeks ago.  We had a blast!!  Good friends, dinner, drinks, flamenco dancing, and lots of great memories!!

Love you Cat!!  Here's to many many more years of BESTfriendship.  :)
 
The only update I have with The Fisherman is that I'm reaching a breaking point.  I haven't really spoken to him in a few days, because he made me really mad over the weekend when he wouldn't answer a simple question!  It was just something I had never asked him before, and he became soo defensive.  Believe it or not...in the short time we've been 'talking', I've never asked him what his last name is.  It's honestly just never come up, and for whatever reason, I thought about it while I was on the road this weekend.  We were in the middle of texting each other, and I just flat out asked him 'By the way, what's your last name'?  His response??  'Why?? Uggg!!'.  Ummm wait...what??  Warning sign, I know chicas.  So I'm going to let things play themselves out..and I am definitely not going to hold back from saying exactly how I feel from now on.  I know what I want out of a partner, and I'm honestly more pissed off than happy half the time we talk.  Ask and you shall receive, right?  Even if it's not the answer you want to hear, it still helps you moves foward.
 
By the way...I finally updated my progress pictures!!  Make sure you click over to that page and take a look.  It's amazing what positive thinking can get you...put your mind and to it, and you can accomplish anything!!
 
Have a great week chicas...it's almost Friiiiddaayyy!!
 


Be blessed...and stay blessed!!!
 
 
xoxo,
 
❤Nica


Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Hit and run...


 
Just sharing last weeks WW weekly weigh-in.  Down 3.2 lbs. and going strong!!  Later today I have my WW meeting, so I'll share that updated weigh-in and more.  I have tons of pics to post, and lots to catch up on with you chicas!  Back to work I go...busy busy busy...
 
 
Be blessed...and stay blessed!!!
 
xoxo,
 
❤Nica