One more day of work before my two days off. Spent a lot of the day at working jotting down new recipes to create for my diet. I came up with some pretty good ideas if i do say so myself! I am really looking forward to creating these new dishes and posting the recipes and nutritional information. I can't wait to put my spin on dishes that I have always enjoyed to make them healthier for my body.
I know I'm only 1 month into my diet, but I truly believe I have figured it out this time. It has made such a huge difference getting away from the frozen diet dinners. To lose weight you must eat healthy and say active in life. It HAS to be a LIFESTYLE. Eating frozen diet dinners everyday for the rest of your life is not a lifestyle by any means, and just not feasible, but to learn how to prepare foods in a healthy way while still enjoying the foods you love allows you to live that healthy lifestyle, not only for you, but your family as well.
I can't even begin to describe how much healthier I feel even after these first 35 pounds. I know I still have a LONG way to go in my weight loss/healthier lifestyle journey, but I am confident that the steps I am taking are the right ones. All it's been up until now is lots of temporary solutions to a problem. It's time for a permanent solution.
I'm not by any means saying that this is easy, because believe me, it's a challenge, but so is everything you strive for. This is not something you do for a few weeks or months. You have to be ready to commit yourself totally and completely.
I am still unsure of what recipe I will be creating and featuring on my blog this week, but I can't wait to get the creativity rolling.
Well, it's time for me to hit the sack y'all. Gotta be up bright and early for my last day of work for this week. Everyone be safe and have a great day tomorrow!
- Brandon
Monday, January 28, 2013
Saturday, January 26, 2013
January 26, 2013 - Part 2
Starting 1st shift tomorrow at my job. Gonna be nice to be home most evenings with my wife. Will be working another 16 hour day tomorrow. Already got my meals all packed for the long day so they are ready to grab and go when I get up in the morning. I have a feeling 4am is going to get here really fast.
I've still been racking my brain what dish I'm going to make this week for all my meals at work and for the new self-made recipe for posting this week. I was thinking maybe a low fat version of Chicken Parmesan. Although this really does sound delicious, and I absolutely love the dish, I'm just starting to get a little tired of chicken. It's been the primary meat on my diet since I started on January 1st. It's just that there's so many things to do with chicken. I got a few more days though before my days off on Wednesday and Thursday, so I will be racking my brain some more in the mean time. Feel free to leave me some good ideas. Always looking for something new and exciting to try.
Well, it's time for this ole boy to hit the sack. I hope everyone has a safe and happy ending to their weekend. Stay strong my fellow dieters, 1 day at a time!!!
Goodnight,
- Brandon
I've still been racking my brain what dish I'm going to make this week for all my meals at work and for the new self-made recipe for posting this week. I was thinking maybe a low fat version of Chicken Parmesan. Although this really does sound delicious, and I absolutely love the dish, I'm just starting to get a little tired of chicken. It's been the primary meat on my diet since I started on January 1st. It's just that there's so many things to do with chicken. I got a few more days though before my days off on Wednesday and Thursday, so I will be racking my brain some more in the mean time. Feel free to leave me some good ideas. Always looking for something new and exciting to try.
Well, it's time for this ole boy to hit the sack. I hope everyone has a safe and happy ending to their weekend. Stay strong my fellow dieters, 1 day at a time!!!
Goodnight,
- Brandon
Recipe 2 - Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Brandon's Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Ingredients:
8 - 5oz Chicken Breasts
15oz container of Low Fat Ricotta Cheese
2Tbsp minced Garlic
5 baby Portabella Mushrooms
1tsp chopped Rosemary
4oz Fat Free Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 jar of Ragu Chunky Super Vegetable Primavera
Directions:
Cheese Mixture
 |
 |
Chicken
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
  |
*NOTE* Before consuming, make sure that all of the Stuffed Chicken Breasts have an internal temperature of 165°F or higher, as all poultry and stuffed meats must reach this minimum required internal temperature to be safe for consumption.
Serving Size = 1 Stuffed Chicken Breast Calories per serving = 270
January 26, 2013
Whew,
Been a long couple of days! Worked two 16 hour days in a row. A couple months ago I could work 3 or 4 of them in a row and it not really affect me too much, but man, 2 days seemed to do me in this time. I have the day off today, and got another 16 hour day ahead of me tomorrow.
Okay, so the diet is going really well. My motivation for the food part of my diet is outstanding, but I continue to lack on the exercising. I so wish it was even remotely warm outside so I could go for walks. I wish I could take that motivation I have for the food that I consume and transfer some over to my exercise habits. I somehow need to light a fire to really get going on my exercising. I looked into buying a heavy bag. I think it would really help me, but even the more expensive ones at the sporting goods store just don't seem of very high quality. What I would really like is a good cardio workout that also focuses on building upper body strength, and I think this would be it, but just can't afford the "elite" items at the moment. ANY IDEAS???
I've also started taking a small assortment of vitamins daily. I know a lot of people that take them and swear by them, saying how much of a change they really feel in themselves about their health in general. Anxious to see how they make me feel and how they help me on my journey of my diet.
So, I've been racking my brain trying to think of a meal I can make for my dinners at work this next week and can't really think of anything good right off hand. I always make my meals for the workweek on my days off, so they are most generally the same meal everyday, but it lets me have some creativeness in my diet instead of just picking up the typical diet meal or what not from the local grocery store. Please feel free to share ideas, would love to hear some.
Okay, not it's time for me to focus on getting this Stuffed Chicken Breast recipe up from earlier this week. I hope everyone has a wonderful day and I shall return within the day.
- Brandon
Been a long couple of days! Worked two 16 hour days in a row. A couple months ago I could work 3 or 4 of them in a row and it not really affect me too much, but man, 2 days seemed to do me in this time. I have the day off today, and got another 16 hour day ahead of me tomorrow.
Okay, so the diet is going really well. My motivation for the food part of my diet is outstanding, but I continue to lack on the exercising. I so wish it was even remotely warm outside so I could go for walks. I wish I could take that motivation I have for the food that I consume and transfer some over to my exercise habits. I somehow need to light a fire to really get going on my exercising. I looked into buying a heavy bag. I think it would really help me, but even the more expensive ones at the sporting goods store just don't seem of very high quality. What I would really like is a good cardio workout that also focuses on building upper body strength, and I think this would be it, but just can't afford the "elite" items at the moment. ANY IDEAS???
I've also started taking a small assortment of vitamins daily. I know a lot of people that take them and swear by them, saying how much of a change they really feel in themselves about their health in general. Anxious to see how they make me feel and how they help me on my journey of my diet.
So, I've been racking my brain trying to think of a meal I can make for my dinners at work this next week and can't really think of anything good right off hand. I always make my meals for the workweek on my days off, so they are most generally the same meal everyday, but it lets me have some creativeness in my diet instead of just picking up the typical diet meal or what not from the local grocery store. Please feel free to share ideas, would love to hear some.
Okay, not it's time for me to focus on getting this Stuffed Chicken Breast recipe up from earlier this week. I hope everyone has a wonderful day and I shall return within the day.
- Brandon
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
January 23, 2013
Today is my Monday. What a horrible day of the week. It's all going to get just a little better here soon though because I finally just got 1st shift at my job, so starting this Sunday, I will be working the morning shift. Can't wait to actually have the evenings to be home and spend with the wife.
Yesterday I made stuffed chicken breasts. I am very eager to try them. A lot of the times when I try/create a new recipe for my diet, I make enough for my entire work week, which is what I did this time. I made 8 stuffed chicken breasts and have pre-made all of my dinners for my week at work. I find that making my meals for the entire week of work helps because I am able to control and plan my calorie intake for the week. If I'm running a little bit behind, my meals are just grab and go so I don't have to worry about not having any food at work.
I will be posting this recipe for everyone here within' the next day or two, depending on how my work schedule pans out. I'm really impressed with just how changing the way I prepare my foods have helped so much in my diet. I have lost 29 pounds since January 1st and still got my 130 pounds to go. Almost 1/5 of the way there.
My problem right now is getting myself motivated to do some exercising. I know I have to get my rear end up and moving, but it's just hard to get the gumption to get up and move before work (it's so dang cold here in Ohio right now), and I don't get home until 11:00 pm on nights that I work. I'm hoping my motivation will really change once I switch to the day shift at the end of this week.
Well, it's that time where I gotta start getting ready for the ole grind. I hope everyone has a wonderful day and I hope to start hearing from people soon. Really looking forward to people reading and commenting on my blog.
Have a safe and happy day y'all!
- Brandon Johnston
Yesterday I made stuffed chicken breasts. I am very eager to try them. A lot of the times when I try/create a new recipe for my diet, I make enough for my entire work week, which is what I did this time. I made 8 stuffed chicken breasts and have pre-made all of my dinners for my week at work. I find that making my meals for the entire week of work helps because I am able to control and plan my calorie intake for the week. If I'm running a little bit behind, my meals are just grab and go so I don't have to worry about not having any food at work.
I will be posting this recipe for everyone here within' the next day or two, depending on how my work schedule pans out. I'm really impressed with just how changing the way I prepare my foods have helped so much in my diet. I have lost 29 pounds since January 1st and still got my 130 pounds to go. Almost 1/5 of the way there.
My problem right now is getting myself motivated to do some exercising. I know I have to get my rear end up and moving, but it's just hard to get the gumption to get up and move before work (it's so dang cold here in Ohio right now), and I don't get home until 11:00 pm on nights that I work. I'm hoping my motivation will really change once I switch to the day shift at the end of this week.
Well, it's that time where I gotta start getting ready for the ole grind. I hope everyone has a wonderful day and I hope to start hearing from people soon. Really looking forward to people reading and commenting on my blog.
Have a safe and happy day y'all!
- Brandon Johnston
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
January 22, 2013 - Recipe #1
Portabella Pizza
Ingredients:
- 1 portabella mushroom (cleaned and gutted)
- 1/8 cup pizza sauce
- 1/4 cup fat free mozzarella cheese
- 4 pepperonis
Directions:
Remove stem from mushroom. Using a spoon, clean out the inside of the mushroom so that you are left with basically a mushroom bowl. Add pizza sauce, cheese, and pepperonis inside the bowl part of the mushroom. Spray baking sheet with nonstick spray and place mushrooms on pan. Place in 400°F oven for approximately 15 minutes or until cheese is completely melted.
Serving Size = 1 portabella pizza Calories per serving = 115
INTRODUCTION
Welcome everyone...and hello!
First off, I would like to start by introducing myself. My name is Brandon Johnston. I am 28 years old and am happily married to my beautiful wife Carrie. My wife is currently very dedicated to her schooling, where she is currently being educated in the field of Medical Assisting. We reside in one of those little "blink and you miss it" towns. That's right, not even a traffic light in our little town, only a complicated little 5-way stop right in the center of town which seems to throw off those non-local residents.
In my professional life, I am a Corrections Officer in a state prison. I absolutely love what I do. It's definitely not a job for all and you figure it out very quickly if it's for you or not. Our goal everyday is to make sure we all walk out the gates together just the same way we came in...safe and sound. Before I ever got into corrections though, I was a chef, thus where I get my passion of cooking and baking.
In my personal life I am many things. As I mentioned before, I am a husband to the most beautiful woman in the world. We have been together since August 18, 2007 but are still a newly married couple, as we exchanged vowels on October 22, 2011. My number one goal in my life is to be a Daddy, and I really hope that such a wonderful gift is not all too far down the road. My main hobby that I have is Flight Simulation. I know, nerdy, right? I know that's what you're thinking. Well, my dream has always been to be a pilot. Although it would be a dream to fly the heavies, I know that is no career for a family man, and I will never let anything interfere with the dream of having a family. I do however desire to obtain my private pilot's license. There is a freedom that comes with leaving the boundaries of the ground and escaping to the skies above. So for now, I use my custom built computer system and all the flight sim hardware I can get my hands on to bring a little bit of the dream to life in my own home.
Now, a little bit about why I started this blog. Forever (as long as I can remember), I have always been a rather big guy. Even as just a lil tike I carried on a few pounds extra. Well, over the course of 28 years, a few pounds kept getting to be more and more I have dieted more times than I can probably count on all fingers and toes. I pretty much always done the same diet, which consisted of frozen diet meals and a lot food deprivation. Now, every time I dieted I've always lost an extreme amount of weight, but always gained back the weight every time, plus some! It was not until I stumbled upon Albert Einstein's view on insanity did my pattern of thinking change: "Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." This was totally me. I continually dieted the same way, eating the same type of foods, the same type of starvation, only to wonder, "why didn't it work out in the long run this time?" I was INSANE!!! This was when I decided to make a change for myself. I used to be a chef, i love to cook. I am done with all of these frozen meals that have only yielded me temporary results and happiness. I now currently live by this principle alone when it comes to eating: I have chose not to do away with the foods I love, but have chose to teach myself how to prepare those foods in a healthier fashion to become a more healthy person on the inside and out. I am in control of what I put into my body, for it is my temple!!!
Now, although I will not tell you my starting weight that I was on December 31, 2012 (at least not yet...not revealing that HORRIBLE number until I have reached my goal), I will tell you the amount of weight I desire to lose, which is 130 pounds from the exact weight that I am right now. Only thing is, I am turning 29 the first week of March, so yea, I basically have like 13 months to reach this goal of losing 130 pounds. I know, 10 pounds a month, is it crazy...nuts...or is it even practical and realistic? This is the reason I created this blog, my first ever blog. Even though I started my diet on January 1, 2013, today, January 22, 2013, I am starting this blog.
I will be reporting my progress along the way, hopefully able to share something everyday, although I'm sure there will be days where that just won't be possible as sometimes my work schedule requires the occasional 16 hour shift. I will be sharing pictures and recipes of created dishes and at the very least the calories per serving with those dishes. I am a very active user of MyFitnessPal. Anyone who is dieting needs to make MyFitnessPal part of your dieting life. If you have no clue what I am talking about, go to http://www.myfitnesspal.com They even have an app for all you smart phone savvy people out there (which I use constantly). The service is completely free and you can track everything you eat. They have an online food database of absolutely EVERY food you can imagine. It gives me a real boost of confidence actually seeing in black and white what all I'm putting into my body and the progress that I am making.
I don't know how many visitors I will end up having to this blog. Heck, I actually don't even really know how to get the news out there that I have a blog, but I am interested to see the results and at the very least hope that at the end of my journey I could help motivate someone to making their goals realistic. Thank you all for your time and for getting to know a little bit about me. I would love to hear from you and learn about you and the goals you have set for yourself.
Here's to happy and healthy lives!
- Brandon Johnston
First off, I would like to start by introducing myself. My name is Brandon Johnston. I am 28 years old and am happily married to my beautiful wife Carrie. My wife is currently very dedicated to her schooling, where she is currently being educated in the field of Medical Assisting. We reside in one of those little "blink and you miss it" towns. That's right, not even a traffic light in our little town, only a complicated little 5-way stop right in the center of town which seems to throw off those non-local residents.
In my professional life, I am a Corrections Officer in a state prison. I absolutely love what I do. It's definitely not a job for all and you figure it out very quickly if it's for you or not. Our goal everyday is to make sure we all walk out the gates together just the same way we came in...safe and sound. Before I ever got into corrections though, I was a chef, thus where I get my passion of cooking and baking.
In my personal life I am many things. As I mentioned before, I am a husband to the most beautiful woman in the world. We have been together since August 18, 2007 but are still a newly married couple, as we exchanged vowels on October 22, 2011. My number one goal in my life is to be a Daddy, and I really hope that such a wonderful gift is not all too far down the road. My main hobby that I have is Flight Simulation. I know, nerdy, right? I know that's what you're thinking. Well, my dream has always been to be a pilot. Although it would be a dream to fly the heavies, I know that is no career for a family man, and I will never let anything interfere with the dream of having a family. I do however desire to obtain my private pilot's license. There is a freedom that comes with leaving the boundaries of the ground and escaping to the skies above. So for now, I use my custom built computer system and all the flight sim hardware I can get my hands on to bring a little bit of the dream to life in my own home.
Now, a little bit about why I started this blog. Forever (as long as I can remember), I have always been a rather big guy. Even as just a lil tike I carried on a few pounds extra. Well, over the course of 28 years, a few pounds kept getting to be more and more I have dieted more times than I can probably count on all fingers and toes. I pretty much always done the same diet, which consisted of frozen diet meals and a lot food deprivation. Now, every time I dieted I've always lost an extreme amount of weight, but always gained back the weight every time, plus some! It was not until I stumbled upon Albert Einstein's view on insanity did my pattern of thinking change: "Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." This was totally me. I continually dieted the same way, eating the same type of foods, the same type of starvation, only to wonder, "why didn't it work out in the long run this time?" I was INSANE!!! This was when I decided to make a change for myself. I used to be a chef, i love to cook. I am done with all of these frozen meals that have only yielded me temporary results and happiness. I now currently live by this principle alone when it comes to eating: I have chose not to do away with the foods I love, but have chose to teach myself how to prepare those foods in a healthier fashion to become a more healthy person on the inside and out. I am in control of what I put into my body, for it is my temple!!!
Now, although I will not tell you my starting weight that I was on December 31, 2012 (at least not yet...not revealing that HORRIBLE number until I have reached my goal), I will tell you the amount of weight I desire to lose, which is 130 pounds from the exact weight that I am right now. Only thing is, I am turning 29 the first week of March, so yea, I basically have like 13 months to reach this goal of losing 130 pounds. I know, 10 pounds a month, is it crazy...nuts...or is it even practical and realistic? This is the reason I created this blog, my first ever blog. Even though I started my diet on January 1, 2013, today, January 22, 2013, I am starting this blog.
I will be reporting my progress along the way, hopefully able to share something everyday, although I'm sure there will be days where that just won't be possible as sometimes my work schedule requires the occasional 16 hour shift. I will be sharing pictures and recipes of created dishes and at the very least the calories per serving with those dishes. I am a very active user of MyFitnessPal. Anyone who is dieting needs to make MyFitnessPal part of your dieting life. If you have no clue what I am talking about, go to http://www.myfitnesspal.com They even have an app for all you smart phone savvy people out there (which I use constantly). The service is completely free and you can track everything you eat. They have an online food database of absolutely EVERY food you can imagine. It gives me a real boost of confidence actually seeing in black and white what all I'm putting into my body and the progress that I am making.
I don't know how many visitors I will end up having to this blog. Heck, I actually don't even really know how to get the news out there that I have a blog, but I am interested to see the results and at the very least hope that at the end of my journey I could help motivate someone to making their goals realistic. Thank you all for your time and for getting to know a little bit about me. I would love to hear from you and learn about you and the goals you have set for yourself.
Here's to happy and healthy lives!
- Brandon Johnston
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)