Better in 2012

PINEAPPLE BLACK BEAN ENCHILADAS

2 tsp vegetable oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 (20oz) can pineapple tidbits, drained
1/3 cup pineapple juice, reserved
1 (15oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (4 1/2oz) can chopped green chiles
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 (10oz) can mild enchilada sauce
8 whole wheat flour tortillas

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 13x9 inch glass baking dish with cooking spray. In a nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook 4 to 5 minutes or until softened. Stir in pineapple, beans, green chiles, and salt. Cook and stir until thoroughly heated. Remove skillet from heat. Add 1/2 cup cilantro and 2 cups of cheese.
2. Spoon and spread 1 tablespoon enchilada sauce onto each tortilla. Spoon about 3/4 cup vegetable mixture over sauce on each. Roll up tortillas; place seam side down in baking dish.
3. In small bowl, mix reserved 1/3 cup pineapple juice and remaining enchilada sauce; pour over entire surface of enchiladas. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup of cheese. Spray sheet of foil large enough to cover baking dish with cooking spray; place sprayed side down over baking dish and seal tightly.
4. Back 35 to 40 minutes, removing foil during last 5 to 10 minutes of baking, until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly. Top each baked enchilada with 1 tablespoon sour cream and 1 teaspoon cilantro. 

Hello, all! I promise to have a new recipe posted up for you soon (and maybe some workout tips?) but for now I thought I’d post up my personal progress.

First I’ll post the numbers because they’re the least important.

Since 01/2012 I have lost:
6lbs
2” around my waist
1/2” - 1” everywhere else (minus my upper arms/calves)
1% body fat

Tada!

But what really counts? I can lift more (almost everything is up by about 10lbs), my endurance has definitely improved, I can actually run for longer than 30 seconds, and I have so much more energy than I did before! My flexibility is better as well as my coordination.

I feel happier and healthier inside and out and that is so much more important than those silly little numbers up there. That’s where the real progress lies, followers! 

Let my preface this by saying that I am not a professional trainer. Any exercise tips I may give here on this blog have come directly from my personal trainer, however, so I believe them to be safe and accurate to the best of my knowledge.

I’ve always hated running. I did not inherit my dad’s natural stamina or running talent so gym class often left me frustrated. I never passed the mile in the Presidential Fitness test and so by the end of my high school career I had all but written it off and decided I just couldn’t do it. Well, my dear followers, it turns out that during those years of physical education classes no one had actually taught me how to run properly!

Yes, there is a way to run properly. My trainer gave me these four tips and since then running has turned into a pleasure (crazy, right?). So here they are:

1. Keep your shoulders down and relaxed. If you hike up your shoulders you lose a large amount of your oxygen supply; making any kind of aerobic activity difficult.
2. Do not clench your hands or flex your fingers. Again, remain relaxed. If you clench your hands into fists this will cause your shoulders to rise (see #1).
3. Remain light on your feet. This helps your joints and increases your muscles’ longevity.
4. Remember to breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. This will set a breathing rhythm and discourage you from huffing and puffing through it. Doing this will, of course, increase your oxygen supply for a longer period of time.

I also find that looking straight ahead and not at a clock/timer helps a good deal. Finding music with a good beat to run to is always nice too!

As with any exercise remember to take it slow. Ease into it. If you push yourself too hard all at once all you will do is cause yourself injury! Don’t get discouraged if you can’t go as far as you’d like right off — you’ll get there.

Good luck!

Okay, bear with me on this one. I know some people think meditation is cheesy and a total new-age fad but in this busy, stress-filled world we see ourselves in I don’t see any harm in taking some time to yourself each day to reflect and allow yourself to relax.

That said, I’m new to this meditation thing myself. There’s a great program that a friend introduced me to that I’m excited to do. It’s a 21-day meditation challenge that is completely free and conducted online so you don’t even have to leave your home. Every day they send you the link to a new meditation practice and all of them are run by master teachers to help you.

If you’re interested in checking it out and doing the challenge with me click here. The challenge started yesterday so you’ll only be one day behind!

Hello, my little list of followers.

I’m sorry that I’ve neglected this blog so much lately. My life got a little crazy for a minute there but I’m back! I have some great things planned to put up here so stay tuned. 

I hope all of you are well. ♥