PAYDAY

Well, based on the title of this post, I bet you were thinking one of two things..money in the bank or an ooey, gooey Payday candy bar. Nope... you are mistaken. Actually, today is my PAYDAY for all of the hard work that I have put in this week and over the last couple of months with eating in moderation. Now, I won't lie...I have splurged several times but the best part is that I just got right back on program and cleaned up my eating act by the very next meal. I hopped on the scales this morning only to realize that (YES) I have broken through those chains that bound me to the 186 pound mark. I know...it's not Weigh Day Wednesday but I am a sucker on Monday to get an idea of how I am doing before Wednesday. Honestly, I had wondered if my scales were sabotaging me intentionally so that I would keep pushing harder. When I married my sweetheart in 2004, I was 185 but was "dieted" and felt famished most of the time. Today, I am 185.6 and feel absolutely stinkin' amazing and eating hearty! So...pushing harder is definitely what I will do so that I can leave those 180s behind me for good. 250 down to 185.6....64.4 pounds GONE!

Now, enough about that...I want to share another really awesome thing that happened today. I did my typical route for run/walk outside in the mid-morning 60s temp and it felt amazing. However, I focused today on finishing 3 miles in my ZONE. My fat burning ZONE is what I am talking about. I worked to keep my pulse in the range between 145-160 by running when I wanted to run but walking when I needed to slow the pulse. Here ya' go...it worked out nicely in that I still completed the 3 miles in just under 40 minutes. "What does this tell me?" you ask. Well, it tells me that I am getting fitter in the process of losing weight and toning and conditioning and so on. I used to be able to complete 3 miles in about 40 minutes but my heart rate was upwards of about 175 most of the time. That is more than tortoise versus hare pace for me...that is screaming HEART ATTACK..hehehe. So, I am working to keep it in the FAT BURNING ZONE moving forward. Wish me luck :)

When I made it back inside after my workout and then walking the dog another 1/2 mile, I tossed together a Kimberly's Kitchen Creation to share. As you look at the picture, don't judge it before you try it. If you even remotely like brussels sprouts or would like to try them for the first time, I highly recommend this recipe. It is quick, easy and fueled with flavor. I made it for my lunch at work yesterday but didn't snap a picture before I nearly licked the plate clean. SO, I made it again today (on my day off) for lunches over the next couple of days.

Here goes....prepare your brussels sprouts by package directions. I cooked mine in the microwave steamer bag. Slice your chicken sausage (I got mine from Costco but Sam's has it too.) and brown it up a little in the skillet. The sausage is already really cooked...you are just heating it up and browning it a little. Then, dump both of these together, add a little 4-1-1 seasoning (or seasoning of your choice), and serve it up. It is low in calories, high in protein, and reasonable in fat content.

Btw, the 4-1-1 seasoning is made up of 4 parts Kosher salt, 1 part black pepper, and 1 part Garlic Powder. If you want something wonderful to sprinkle on almost anything, here it is! Found it on Pinterest a while back and have been keeping it in the pantry every since. Just save your next empty condiment shaker or put it in an empty salt shaker if you have that tucked in a cabinet somewhere.

Ok, let's wrap this day of blogging my thoughts up for now. Gotta jump in the shower and do a little (a lot) of grocery shopping before the day is gone.

Here is your little taste of goodness today...hehehe. Every woman needs one of these boob separators, right?! I honestly have debated sharing this pic that I ran across in an ad that was in my email but then I said, "What the heck! Everyone needs a good Monday laugh to start the week off right." If only mine still looked like this after weight loss..or just ever...hehehe. I know...I don't have that filter between my brain and mouth in place every day :) Keep smilin'.