A New Year....Same Weight Struggles......and a recipe

Officially Sundays will be the day I will check in with my weeks progress, and try to do my weight loss post on this day, including some recipes for the coming week.....I was going to do that about 2 months ago, but we know that did not happen...I am so sorry.....I know many have followed along the struggle I have had and feel like I have left them hanging, well, I am finally getting my act together... and now for a quick recap...and get us up to speed for what is to be from here on out.....

As of Thanksgiving, I had stuck to the diet, and supplements and lost a total of 24 pounds....several pounds of body fat and had added some muscle mass without any exercise.....I will be more detailed on the weigh in part from here on out, each time I visit my nutritionist, I will report.

Just to give you an idea, the office has a fancy schmancy scale....you take your shoes and socks off, step up on the scale, hold two stainless steel handles in each hand, and a computer prints out your weight, BMI, body fat per limb, body trunk, etc. it will totally blow your mind or at the very least open it up to reality.......trust me.......there is absolutely no hiding any pounds from the scale...it picks it all up....

I had done pretty good until after Thanksgiving, but the Christmas/New Year holiday was a bit stressful, and well....I lost focus....I gained about 6 pounds, which I guess really is not bad, but when you work so hard to take it off...well, it seems like a lot.....so it is time to get back on track.....

I want to share a recipe with you that is really yummy, good for you and not a lot of fat....I will be enjoying this soup next week at work and at home.....I am a foodie by heart, I love to cook, and well, you all know I had to have the Pioneer Woman's cookbook, I love to visit all the foodie blogs and get new recipes...The ONLY Problem with that is, well honestly, I should not be even reading the recipes on most of these posts...do you ever feel like browsing all of these wonderful, delightful new recipes only contributes to lack of success on a diet?...... Hello?.......anyone there?........have I lost you??? I hope some of the recipes I share you will find helpful...believe me, if I have tried something and it was not TASTY to me, it will never be posted here......I don't want to be a "diet foodie" but I do want to be a "healthy foodie" I want to help others who may be having a hard time starting a new journey.......and I don't want to lose the taste food in the process.

Next week, I'll post the diet I am following.....it may take me all week to work that into print.....but for some of you, it might really help if you are starting a weight loss plan, and if you stick with it, the weight will come off.....it has not been too difficult as long as I stay focused......hope you enjoy this wonderful recipe.....

Amazing Chicken Tortilla Soup

Calories per serving: 164
10 Servings

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium Jalapeno pepper, chopped and seeded
1/2 medium bell pepper
4 small boneless skinless chicken breast or 1 package tenders
2 cups frozen corn (can eliminate if you want)
2 teaspoons cumin
1/2 cup dry white wine or water ( I use water)
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 (14 ounce) cans chicken broth
2 (14 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
2 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce
Topping.....recipe to follow below.....


First, saute onion, garlic jalapeno and bell pepper with olive oil in a large pot until soft. Add all of remaining ingredients to large stock pot and bring to a boil. After about 15-20 minutes, remove the chicken breast and shred. ( I usually use two forks to shred chicken in a plate) Return shredded chicken to the pot and simmer an additional 45 minutes over medium heat. Serve, topped with tortilla chips.....recipe below.....

Seasoned Tortilla Strips

Calories per serving: 161
makes 7 one cup servings

1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper or ground red pepper ( I use Cayenne)
12-14 6-inch corn tortillas
salt
Tabasco sauce, to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a small bowl, stir oil and all of the spices together with a wire whisk.

Using a basting brush, brush one side of all the tortillas with the oil/spice mixture

Make 3-4 stacks of 4 tortillas.

Cut the tortillas into 1/4-1/2 inch strips

Put strips in a single layer on a couple of cookie sheets sprayed with Pam.
Bake until golden and crisp, about 10-15 minutes. If pans are on different oven racks, switch their positions about halfway through baking. Remove from oven and sprinkle with salt. Cool completely in pans and store in a zip lock bag. Garnish soup with strips

....ummmm so good!!

This is very good and satisfying and pretty low in calories...I have used the strips as a snack when I wanted something crunchy....usually about a 1/2 cup.

I know many have pledged to shed the pounds this year, if you are just starting, or trying to re-focus like myself....stay positive, provide yourself with snacks and foods you will eat, don't skip breakfast....and drink plenty of water. Skip the sodas, even diet.....they do nothing for you and the sweetener in the diet drinks are terrible for our bodies....remember we can do this....encourage one another!