So far so good....share your stories!

Ok ladies,
So far so good for me!  I started at 166 and weighed in today (after dinner and with sneakers on!) at 163.6! Sweet!!!

Share how you are doing! Up, down, struggling, succeeding?  We can all help each other!!!

Phew! And Turkey Day!!!

Ladies!!!!

I have had such a crazy weekend!  Sorry I haven't been around to post!!!

We had company in town and then of course there was that THREE hour Zumba Saturday that just happened!!!  I had a blast at the Zumbathon and want to say a big THANKS to everyone who came out to support Owasso!

Ok, just a few things here and there...

THANKSGIVING is in three days!!!  Here are a few tips for a 'happier, healthier' Thanksgiving...

Eat Breakfast

While you might think it makes sense to save up calories for the big meal, experts say eating a small meal in the morning can give you more control over your appetite. Start your day with a small but satisfying breakfast -- such as an egg with a slice of whole-wheat toast, or a bowl of whole-grain cereal with low-fat milk -- so you won't be starving when you arrive at the gathering.

"Eating a nutritious meal with protein and fiber before you arrive takes the edge off your appetite and allows you to be more discriminating in your food and beverage choices," says Diekman.

Lighten Up

Whether you are hosting Thanksgiving dinner or bringing a few dishes to share, make your recipes healthier with less fat, sugar, and calories.

"There is more sugar and fat in most recipes than is needed, and no one will notice the difference if you skim calories by using lower calorie ingredients," says Diekman.

Her suggestions:

• Use fat-free chicken broth to baste the turkey and make gravy.
• Use sugar substitutes in place of sugar and/or fruit purees instead of oil in baked goods.
• Reduce oil and butter wherever you can.
• Try plain yogurt or fat-free sour cream in creamy dips, mashed potatoes, and casseroles.

Slowly Savor

Eating slowly, putting your fork down between bites, and tasting each mouthful is one of the easiest ways to enjoy your meal and feel satisfied with one plate full of food, experts say. Choosing whole grains, fruits, vegetables, broth-based soups, salads, and other foods with lots of water and fiber add to the feeling of fullness.

Spread out the food and fun all day long. At the Finn family Thanksgiving gathering, they schedule dessert after a walk, while watching a movie together.

"We eat midday, and instead of another meal at dinnertime, we continue the feast with dessert a few hours after the main meal," Finn explains.

Focus on Family and Friends

Thanksgiving is not just about the delicious bounty of food. It's a time to celebrate relationships with family and friends.

"The main event should be family and friends socializing, spending quality time together, not just what is on the buffet," says Finn.

Ladies, I will start giving out your holiday cards to you right after Thanksgiving.  Half (29) of the cards will have a free class in them as my part of the holiday challenge deal!!!!

If I don't see you before Thursday, have a blessed holiday with your loved ones!!!

~Renee

Quote of the day!

QUOTE OF THE DAY: "I have never 




found any answers to life's problems in 




my refrigerator". -Jay Robb

I need YOUR help!

Ok girls, this doesn't but DOES have to do with the holiday fitness challenge!  We are quickly outgrowing our space at K & Co. Dance studio during the week.  The weekend class/classes will stay at K & Co!!!  I have taken all of your email input and made thirteen phone calls to thirteen places in Claremore and notta one will work.  I've heard everything from 'we don't rent our space' to 'we are booked every night' to super high prices, etc.  And by super high, I MEAN super high prices!  Please please please give me more ideas of where to turn!!!  Schools are out of the question, they have a board clause that no one but a few leagues can rent from them...the skating rink, which was an awesome idea, wants $250 a night!!!  Ahhhhhhhh!  Again, I know that with the holiday fitness challenge, we are all trying to attend classes and bring new friends, BUT I want to have room for EVERYONE!!!  HELP!!!  =)

~Renee

58!!!!!!!

It's 58 ladies!!!!  I make 59, but hope you are all OK with my contributions of punch cards for all three winners and 29 free classes!!!!!

Ready, set, GO!!!!

Well, here we are girlies!!!  Day one of the challenge and what did I do?  You don't want to know!  Honestly.  Ok, it involves Red Lobster.  Big enough clue?  Ok, ok.  I know, it was my goal to 'start' this thing tomorrow.  Maybe not the best thing to tell you girls, but hey, I'm honest and I'm human gosh darn it.  


Ok, now that the endless shrimp promo is ending, I can move on and eat healthy.  Not that shrimp themselves aren't healthy, but all the garbage they throw on top of it is what doesn't help!  Like breading!!!!!  Anyway, please forgive me, I am still entering weights and measurements into my excel program and will have hip hip hooray head count for you girls tomorrow (I hope!).  


I'll be making this quick too because I am still so tired from this past week of Zumba events!  Woo, it was wild!  Just a reminder...please please please share a healthy recipe with us!  I know there are at least 50 women in the challenge and I think there are like six recipes!!!  That  post is titled The Recipe Exchange!  Help us all out!!! :)


Thanks girls and don't forget to check the blog often and post often!  Help each other out, share stories, give tips!!!!!


Have a great night!!!  See you Tuesday!!!


~Renee

The recipe exchange!!!

Ok ladies, I figured the best way to start supporting each other is to share some yummy (HEALTHY!) recipes that we can all try out over the next two months of our challenge!!!


This is my ABSOLUTE favorite!!!  It is from several years ago.  My sister-in-law made it and honestly, nothing about it sounded appealing to me!  Especially since it was from Cooking Light!  Haha.  But it is one of my favorite things to have now and really doesn't taste healthy healthy, if you know what I mean!!!

Sage Risotto with Fresh Mozzarella and Prosciutto

Diced mozzarella melts but doesn't completely disperse in this rice-based risotto. Little pockets of warm cheese will surprise and please you. Substitute basil for sage, if desired.

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 2  (14-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1  tablespoon  butter
• 1  cup  finely chopped leek
• 2  garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/4  cups  Arborio rice
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1/2  cup  dry white wine
• 1 1/2  to 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage
• 1  cup  (4 ounces) finely chopped fresh mozzarella cheese
• 2  ounces  prosciutto, chopped (about 1/3 cup)
• 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• Sage sprigs (optional)

Preparation

Bring broth to a simmer in a medium saucepan (do not boil). Keep warm over low heat.

Melt butter in a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Add leek and garlic; cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add rice and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in wine; cook 2 minutes or until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Add broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring frequently until each portion of broth is absorbed before adding the next (about 20 minutes total). Stir in chopped sage, and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in mozzarella. Spoon 1 cup risotto into each of 4 bowls; top each serving with about 1 1/2 tablespoons prosciutto. Sprinkle with black pepper. Garnish with sage sprigs, if desired.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

443 (25% from fat)

Fat:

12.3g (sat 7g,mono 3g,poly 1g)

Protein:

18.8g

Carbohydrate:

59.6g

Fiber:

1.4g

Cholesterol:

43mg

Iron:

1.3mg

Sodium:

863mg

Calcium:

193mg

Welcome to the Zumba Fitness with Renee Holiday Challenge!

Welcome everyone! 


I can't even begin to tell you just how excited I am that SO many of you were interested in this type of a program!  I will do my best to update this blog daily over the next several weeks until we all reach our goal of staying healthy this holiday season!!!  So please check back often and there just might be some sort of a prize based on your input!  The more we support each other, the more we will succeed!!!  


Let me start my giving you a little background on me and my weight gain/loss in the past.  Honestly, at this point, I have ceased to care about telling people what I weigh.  After having a child, that just doesn't seem so sensitive (to me, at least) anymore.  I hope that by using numbers, people will get a better grasp of where I am and where I've been.  Just using words like, weight loss and weight gain, are not as efficient to me.


Ok, in high school, I was a skinny mini.  5'8 and in the 120/130's.  No boobs either!  Lol, I asked my mom all the time, when can I have boobs like yours!  Now I'm wishing they'd take a hike!!! =)  Then college struck and that freshman fifteen piled right on.  Maybe it was a freshman thirty would be more like it.  I think I topped out at about 160 and I swore I'd never let myself see that number again.  My second year of college I decided to lose a bunch of weight and try out for the Buffalo Bombshells, which was a professional dance team for the AFL.  I dropped all the way down to 130 and made the team.  Don't ask me how I lost the weight either because at age 22, I think I just wiggled my nose or clicked my heels and it magically fell off.  For three years, I danced professionally and slowly I gained ten pounds, putting me at 140.   Oh, I forgot to mention that somewhere along the road, I got boobs!  =)  Also in the meantime, I started dating Erik (my wonderful husband).  Quick side note on Erik...he can eat a whole pizza and lose a pound.  I'm sure many of you can relate to that kind of a hubby! Grrrrr...  Ok, back to me! =)  I ended up gaining weight, just being comfortable in my relationship and ended up at 155.  Well the next thing I know, I ordered my wedding dress online after being fitted in a local shop and it ended up not fitting!!!  I desperately hit the gym daily until I knocked off ten pounds, getting married in 2004 and 145lbs.  Oh, this is where the struggle really began.  We moved away from Buffalo (everything I've ever known) one month after getting married, I think I was up to 165 in no time.  Then I got sick of feeling yucky about myself and bounced back down to about 155, then we moved here!  Well, when Honeywell pays for your meals as part of your relocation package for 30 days, let me tell you...you eat only the BEST!!!  I, within a month mind you, was over 170, 172 to be exact.  Then I got pregnant.  You all know where this is going!!!   Honestly, thanks to my gyn, I only gained 35lbs.  Either way, that put me at a blistering 207.  Pregnant or not, I never thought I'd see 200 or above on the scale.  Once Owen (my darling two year old...lol), I literally lost 7lbs...I mean, he was 6lb 14oz.  Was that a joke?  Wasn't there like an extra 25lbs of other stuff that was suppose to disappear immediately after he was born?  So I tried the nursing technique that so many others rave about.  I struggled through nursing for three months and didn't lose but ten pounds.  


My breaking point was a picture...which I will have to find and post for you all...and I just looked at that picture and couldn't believe that that was me.  I was stuck at 187.  So I decided to join a gym...a little side note on gyms...I have NEVER stuck with a gym EVER.  I usually sign the year + contract, go for like two months, lose three pounds, get all excited and then stop.  Can anyone relate to that?  Or is it just me?  I started going to the gym religiously...first three, then four, then five days a week.  I slowly got down into the 170's then I found Zumba!!!!!  I started taking Zumba in May of 2009.  Long story short, haha, too late...I managed to get all the way down to 160...that sneaky little number from college that I never wanted to see again...remember???  =)  This time I couldn't have been happier to see that number.  These days I fluctuate between 157 and 164...I'm being honest in saying I'm not 100% ok with those numbers.  In my dream world, I'd be 150 and never fluctuate.  =)


Well, I'm hoping my first blog didn't bore you to death and I do hope that using all those numbers helped you see what I've been through and please tell me that you all can relate somehow to this!  


Thank you to all of YOU for making this happen and for sharing my goal of getting healthy and doing something good for OURSELVES!!!!  


~Renee...the master of exercise in disguise =)