Holidays

It's nearly Christmas!

I'm excited :-)

As you can tell by the look of the blog, it's been a busy holiday season.

I'm looking forward to doing more challenges -after the holidays are over ;-)

I want to eat my weight in cookies first, and then I'll definitely be motivated to keep going with this!

Also, my body needs to heal before I can do an intense workout again.

On Sunday I was racing my sweet husband to our car and I slipped on some mud and hit the pavement hard.

It still hurts.

My right palm and left hip are swollen and bruised. My hip has an especially nasty bruise, and is very painful.

But I'm healing! and taking it easy.

So, I'm motivated to sit back, relax and enjoy the holidays, and then to start back up with Reasons to Lose after things settle down!

How are you guys doing? Still working out, or waiting til after Christmas?

I know Thanksgiving is past, but most people have a big Christmas feast as well. Here are some tips to help in case you don't want to eat your weight... though I don't know who wouldn't be into that. sort of thing.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

ps. Thank you Annie for giving me some Peppermint Bark! You're awesome :-)

pps. I'm linking this to Nain's new meme: Motivation Monday!
what are you motivated about?

Mmm... Peppermint Bark

I have been really bad at posting on my day, sorry guys!

I'll do better next week :-)

So I haven't "phoned" anything in yet, but it sure is difficult to keep up a workout routine during the holidays, because I am so busy.

Thank goodness we have our Monday workouts together!

The food challenge this week is pretty awesome. 

It is so important to know what we are putting in our bodies. I've been reading labels and researching the ingredients a lot, so this challenge is easy for me because I've been doing it for months now. :)

I know I'll need to work out extra hard after the holidays because I plan on splurging on cookies and candies

Speaking of, here is a recipe for Peppermint Bark

Ingredients

• 8 ounces high-quality semisweet chocolate, broken into pieces
• 2 teaspoons canola oil, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract, divided
• 8 ounces high-quality white chocolate, broken into pieces
• 25 peppermint candies, crushed

Directions

1. Lightly grease a 9x9 inch pan and line with waxed paper, smoothing out wrinkles; set aside.
2. Place the semisweet chocolate and 1 teaspoon of the canola oil in the top of a double boiler over just barely simmering water, stirring frequently and scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula to avoid scorching. When the chocolate is melted, stir in 1/4 teaspoon of the peppermint extract. Pour the melted chocolate into the prepared pan, and spread evenly over the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle half of the crushed peppermints over the chocolate layer. Refrigerate until completely hardened, about 1 hour.
3. Place the white chocolate and the remaining 1 teaspoon canola oil in the top of a double boiler over just barely simmering water, stirring frequently and scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula to avoid scorching. When the chocolate is melted, stir in the remaining 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract. Pour the white chocolate directly over the semisweet chocolate layer; spread evenly. Sprinkle the remaining crushed candy over the top and gently press in. Refrigerate until completely hardened. Remove from pan; break into small pieces to serve.

I've never made it before, but it looks and sounds delicious!

I think one of you should make it for me :-P

The Absolute Best Taco Soup in the History of Ever

Hey guys. Now that I'm jobless, I have plenty of time to cook and clean and oh gosh, someone please hire me.

Ahem.

So, I made this recipe yesterday, and it was just as freaking amazing as always. If I had to choose this soup or my husband, something tells me he wouldn't be too thrilled with my answer (but since he's tasted it, he would understand). Then I realized- I can't keep it to myself. That would be unforgivably selfish. So here it is.

It's a hybrid of 3 different Taco Soup recipes that I found. I mixed them together myself. Go me.

(there are like a million ingredients, but it makes a ton of soup.)

(and it is super simple to make)

(don't drain the cans)

The Absolute Best Taco Soup in the History of Ever.

What you need:

* 1-2 lbs Ground Beef
* 1 Onion, diced
* 1 Can stewed tomatoes
* 1-2 Can(s) diced tomatoes
* 1 Can diced tomatoes with green chilies
* 1 Can kidney beans
* 1 Can black eyed peas
* 1 Can pinto beans
* 2 Cans white corn (I used yellow)
* 1 lb Velveeta cheese, cut into small chunks
* 1 Package taco seasoning
* Chili powder to taste

(If you are short an ingredient or 2, don't sweat it. But the more you add, the more people you can feed)

1. Brown the ground beef in saucepan, with diced onion, over Medium heat. Drain.
2. Pour ground beef, diced onions, cheese, taco seasoning, and all of the cans (Un-drained!) into a large pot, also over Medium heat.
3. Do not drain cans.
4. Heat for 40 minutes to 1 hour (or until cheese is completely melted). You can speed this up by pre-melting the cheese, but you will still want to let it simmer for a while.
5. Add Chili powder to taste.
6. Serve over a handful of broken tortilla chips.

Makes 10-12 servings.

Leftovers may thicken in the fridge. Simply add a little water before reheating in the microwave.

I like to freeze half of it, for a week when I don't feel like cooking.

Enjoy!


(No, really. I would eat this soup every single day if I could.)


-Helena

Weekly Challenge #5

In case you are new:

Each week we are given two challenges. These challenges will start on Sunday (usually) and go through the following Saturday. (click here to learn more about our weekly challenges)

At the end of the week, we will each write a post explaining our experiences with the challenges.

BE HONEST. If you failed the challenge, tell us why. If you rocked it, tell us how. Most importantly, tell us how you feel about it.

This week's challenges

Physical Challenge: Don't Quit!

We all have those times when we don't really put 100% into our workouts, maybe you could push a little harder but you don't, or maybe you are stuck in the same routine and don't really go the extra mile. This week, with whatever you do, give it your all! Don't quit, push harder, give it everything you have! You don't have to add an extra workout, just make sure whatever you are doing, you don't phone it in!

Nutritional Challenge: Better Eating!

This is the season for food, not officially of course, but that is what everyone seems to have turn it into... and I'm really okay with that but seeing as we are trying to be healthier we should probably be mindful of what we are putting into our bodies. So this week read all the food labels on everything you eat! If you are shopping, read the label before you buy it, if you are going out to eat see if you can get the info on what you will be consuming before you go (or if your phone allows, do it at the restaurant). You can still eat whatever you want but maybe if you know exactly what you are putting into your body, you might decide on something a little healthier!

Oh heck yes. I am SO going to win.

Good news!

I got laid off!

Ok, so that isn't actually good news. But there are some positives.

1. I get to sleep in.
2. I get to have naked dance parties.
3. I get to move around a whole heck of a lot more.

That's right guys. For the first time in a long time, I did not spend 40+ hours in my week sitting in front of a computer.

My blog reading is suffering. But my butt is not.

Thanks in part to this, in part to my much-better eating habits, and mostly because I am a little afraid of Amber's disapproval (have you seen that look she gets?) I have already lost 7 pounds!

No, not in a week. Since we started this round a month ago.

And compared to last season when I gained weight, I'd say that's pretty darn awesome!

I'm still nowhere near my goal, but heck, I'm not complaining.

So thank you guys, for believing in me, even when I was being lame and not living up to my group blogging responsibilities.

And now that I'm finally seeing some results (and I have some more time on my hands) I plan on being a little less lame, and a little more active.

I am feeling very encouraged right now.

And now, for my challenge updates:

Physical Challenge: I added some running to my week. I hate running, but I haven't done it in forever, and so I thought I would give it a try. It was just as terrible as I remembered.

Emotional Challenge: I tried to ask Kurt, but he was sleeping, and could only mutter "your lips" while pushing me away. So I called Amber and Chantel- but they didn't answer. Maybe because it was 2 in the morning?

Who the heck would be up this late...?

Why, Jimmy and Annie, of course!

I was totally right, and they were more than willing to help.

They didn't focus on physical things, but on characteristics that are so much more real.

My intuitiveness, my creativity, my determination and drive. My perspective and advice, my listening skills, the way I notice others and meet their needs.

I was floored.

They each gave examples, and were incredibly sincere. And I realized- these are the things I want to be known for. These are the things that really matter.

So now? I just have to believe them.


-Helena

Begging Your Forgiveness

Hello lads and lasses,

*The following content is not for those of you opposed to quitters, quitting, quizzes, or other "Q" words.
It is with heavy heart and deep regret that I come to you and request forgiveness "For what!?" you may ask, mortified at the bleak scene that I have just now set. I would and am forced to reply, "for withdrawing from our friendly competition . . . " Permit me (though I deserve no such mercy) to explain why:

I have, just this last semester, again engaged myself to an establishment of higher education, one Utah Valley University. In doing I applied for and eventually received a bit of financial aid to assist with the increased fiscal burden of my lost working time. Upon this aid was placed a condition, a seemingly insignificant one at the time, to end my classes with a C+ or higher. If, at the end of the semester, I had failed to keep my side of the bargain, I would then be responsible for repaying the full amount of aid provided. Thinking nothing of this, I signed on the dotted line and proceeded to skip classes like the studious little popinjay that I am. Now we come to the practical application. Having just received both an unsatisfactory report card and a detailed list of everything required for my quickly approaching Finals I desperately sought to trim some time consumers from my schedule that would cripple me in my quest for passing grades. Quickly surfaced in my mind eye three easily redeemable hours per week that would be better spent studying than say . . . exercising. Poorly though I felt at my decision I knew it must be made and so here we are, you, in front of your computer screen, mouth agape in horror at my weak discipline and I, on bended knee, begging your forgiveness.