And the Journey Begins with Freezer Meals!

Alright, so I didn't just post about my desire to lose weight and then forget about it over the last few days, I've just been deciding what I wanted to post first. 

**As a quick update, I've already lost five pounds.  I'll post later about what I'm doing so far.**

On Saturday, one of my friends, Sarah, invited me on a walk.  She is in much better shape than I am so I know that I slowed her down considerably, especially when we went up a large hill, but about 90 minutes later we were done and I was tired!  It was a great walk and we had great conversation. 
We talked about our personal struggles with weight loss/management and what we were both doing now to help remedy the situation.  I thought a lot about what the biggest culprit of my weight gain is, and it kept coming back to food.  That's obviously not the only problem, but it's one that I can take care of and change now. 
First of all, let me put out there that I'm not a big snacker.  I don't really like cake, brownies, ice cream, cookies etc., so staying away from sweets isn't a huge problem.  However, if you throw a plate of chicken enchiladas in front of me, I'll eat until I can't move.  Or lasagna?  Yes please!  Why not have 3 or 4 servings?  Or when it's late and I've had a long day?  Taco Bell dollar menu here I come!
So knowing that I have this problem, and with classes starting up again this fall (I'm in school to get a degree in math education), and having 30+ piano students on top of that, I've decided that I have to prepare better for meals so that pre-packaged grocery store meals, pizza, and taco bell don't become my main source of food.
Monday through Thursday I won't be at home or I'll be teaching from 8 AM to 7:30 PM.  So I've decided to do home-made freezer meals- quick meals that I can just throw in the crock pot or in the oven.  I got together with my mom, grandma, and sister Alix a few weeks ago and we planned the ones that we wanted and threw together the following:

I shouldn't way "threw together"- it was more work than that- but in the end we ended up with two bags of chicken curry (on the left), two of teriyaki chicken (the brown ones), two of apple cranberry chicken (on top of the teriyaki chicken), two pans of sausage rice casserole, and a meatloaf.  We got the aluminum pans at the dollar store- I think they come three to a package.  I know that this isn't a lot to start, but we plan on getting together once a month and making a bunch of them. 
I'm excited to have these!  I know this will cut down tremendously on our Taco Bell visits and pre-packaged meals.  I know fresh vegetables are ideal, but at least this way we'll be eating more veggies too!

Here's the recipes for the curry, teriyaki chicken, and apple-cranberry chicken.  If you'd like the recipes for the sausage rice casserole and/or meatloaf, leave a comment!

**We made sure that we bought gallon-size FREEZER bags.  There are also STORAGE bags so make sure you have the right ones.**

Teriyaki Chicken
(Makes 2 Gallon-size Bags)

• Split a large bag of Baby Carrots between the 2 bags (We just cut up carrots we already had)
• Chop a red onion into large chunks and split between the 2 bags
• (1) 20oz can UNDRAINED pineapple in each bag (We used pineapple chunks)
• (2) Garlic Cloves chopped per bag
• (2) Chicken Breasts in each bag (We cubed the chicken)
• 1/2 cup teriyaki sauce in each bag

*Add an additional 1/4 cup teriyaki sauce when you put everything in the crock pot . Cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 8 hours. Serve over Rice.

Curry Chicken 

 (Makes 1 Gallon-size bag- you can easily double the recipe for more bags)

•  1 1/2 Tablespoons flour
• 2 Tablespoons curry powder (I put in more because I really like curry)
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. garam masala (optional)
• 1 pound cubed chicken thighs or breasts
• 1 cups peeled and chopped sweet potatoes (can use regular potatoes)
• 1 cup baby carrots (I chop them in half)
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 of a chopped zuchinni
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 1 chicken buillion

*Add one to two cans of coconut milk (depending on how thick or thin you want the sauce- I usually do two) when you put everything in the crock pot.  Cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 8 hours.  Serve over rice.  You can garnish it with raisins, peanuts and/or cashews.

Cranberry Apple Chicken  

(Makes 1 Gallon-size bag- you can easily double the recipe for more bags)

• 2 medium apples cut into wedges
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 1-2 pounds chopped chicken breasts or thighs
• the juice of one and a half lemons
• 1 Tbsp quick-cooking tapioca or Arrowroot flour
• 1 1/2 Tbsps honey
• 1 can cranberry sauce or you can use fresh if in season

*Cook on HIGH for 4 hours.  Serve over rice or couscous.

**If you have any great freezer meals that you've done, I'd love to have the recipes!  I'm new to this so any suggestions and/or comments would be greatly appreciated too!**

Beginning a Journey

The beginning of my weight loss journey

Most of my life I have NOT been fat.  I'm tall- 5'9"- and my family genetics have given me a larger bone structure, so I have never been an itty-bitty thing, but in general I've been a healthy weight for my body type.
In High School I was a swimmer and so I was never fat.  In fact, I couldn't seem to eat enough to satisfy my appetite.  I ate a lot but never had a problem with my weight because of the swimming.  I hovered between 115-135 lbs during my four years in High School and I was happy at that weight.  I remember going to a doctor my junior year to get an annual physical and she said that for my height and bone structure my healthy weight should be somewhere between 140-175, with 175 being on the you-better-start-losing-a-few-pounds end.  Suffice it to say, my weight wasn't an issue.
Yes, after High School ended I put on some weight because I wasn't swimming anywhere near as much as I was when I was competing.  I suddenly grew boobs (my friends in HS used to tease me that I was jealous of a wall because I was so flat) and curves.  But I was never concerned.  I stayed within my healthy range and so I didn't worry about it a lot.
Then when I turned 20 I took a year off of college to work so that I could save money to serve a mission for my church.  I worked a lot and hung out with friends and the weight started creeping up on me.  For the first time in my life, my weight went over 200 lbs.  I about died because I was so mortified.  I didn't do anything about it though because I didn't look obese.  Because I'm tall, I have a lot of places to tuck the extra weight and so I didn't really let it bother me after awhile.  When I left for the Amazon Jungle in November of 2002, I weighed about 215.  I knew I was overweight but I told myself it wasn't that bad.  By the time I came home in June of 2004, I was back in my healthy range.  Excessive walking and constant sweating for 18 months will make anyone lose weight.
Over the next four years, I slowly creeped back up to about 215 and stayed there.  Again, I didn't look really fat- I just looked like someone who could stand to lose a few.

(I realize this isn't the best picture but it's the best I could find for the purpose I needed.  I'm in the black at the bottom with the glasses and long hair)

Then I got married and was put on birth control.  The doctor told me it wouldn't cause weight gain, but I found that for the four months while I was taking it, I couldn't stop eating.  I never felt full.  I finally researched the stuff I was taking and while it didn't say that it would cause weight gain, it did say that it could cause a "change in appetite".  Change was an understatement.  I was eating all the time and couldn't stop.  I finally quit taking the stuff but by that time the damage was done.  I had already gained a significant amount of weight and my hormones were all messed up.  In fact, I gained so much weight so quickly that my stomach looks like a war zone from all of the stretch marks that I never thought I'd have until I was pregnant. In hindsight I wish I would have researched birth control more- I probably never would have taken it in the first place.  It's now been three years since I've been married and I'm fat.  No, I won't say how much I weigh because I'm too embarrassed by it.  But here's a picture that was taken earlier this year.

I look awful (isn't my niece, Madi, cute though?). I avoid mirrors that show anything below the neck.  I avoid pictures like the plague.  I hate, HATE to go shopping because I don't want to buy "fat" clothes.  I don't like the feeling of being short of breath all the time.  I sleep poorly and wake up constantly during the night to find a more comfortable position.  Worst of all, I can't get pregnant.  I went to a homeopathic fertility specialist and she said my hormones were way out of balance and that I needed to lose weight, among other things, to get them back in control.  Until then, I probably don't have a chance of getting pregnant.

So here I sit, on August 28, 2012, ready to start.  I've been planning and preparing for this over the last few months so that I have a better chance of success.  I have a diet plan, a workout plan, and a lot of motivation.  One of the reasons that I'm doing this blog is to be able to keep a record of my journey.  Maybe I can motivate someone else, or I can find motivation in words of encouragement from those who have taken or are currently on this journey. 
Thoughts, comments, and tips will be greatly appreciated.  I will try to keep a frequent record with pictures, successes, and struggles so that I can come out on top!

First Blog

Alright, so this is my first post ever as a blogger.  I feel like in order to do this I need to lay a few things out on the table first so that those who read understand where I'm coming from.

• First and foremost, I am NOT a writer.  I am an impeccable speller and I strive for perfect grammar, but I've never pretended to be a good writer.  I put my thoughts and feelings down in the way that suits me.
• Second, this blog is for me.  I'm not seeking fame and fortune this way- it's more of an avenue to organize my thoughts and highlight different parts of my life, as well as provide a place where I can be accountable to myself.
• Third, the title of the blog, Wonder Woman Wannabe, is not a cry for attention and/or compliments.  I am who I am yet I'm always striving to be better and to develop my talents and interests as well as my character.  I can say with complete confidence that my definition of  a Wonder Woman is not the same definition that anyone else would give.  I have certain goals, dreams, and hopes that I would like to achieve that are right for me.  Maybe this will inspire others to be their own kind of Wonder Woman that is right for them.
• Fourth, I am very opinionated but I am willing to be taught should the need arise.  I don't want this to be a place of contention!
• The fifth item is a warning: I am a complete nerd.  I like Star Wars and Lord of the Rings, and I prefer action/adventure to chick-flicks.  I do logic puzzles for fun and enjoy the occasional video game.  While I appreciate and strive for beauty and cleanliness in my home, I am not crafty and I am not a huge fan of cooking.  So if you're looking for the Jane Austen/crafty/cooking-corner blog, you've come to the wrong place!

All this being said, I'm looking forward to delving into the world of blogging and to seeing what happens!