Healthier Taco Salad (And EASY too!)

 

My husband is a Mexican food fiend. He loves taco salads and we've been guilty of having calorie loaded versions. His brother and girlfriend were going to stop by for lunch and I needed a quick option so I decided to try out an idea I saw on pinterest. 

 

I used 50 calorie "mini" fiesta wheat wraps for this. I simply sprayed the bottom of the muffin pan with baking spray (Pam, etc) and pushed the wrap down into the pan. I baked at around 10 minutes at 375. If you don't like 'em crispy, I would pull them out sooner. Depending on how much cheese (and other toppings) you use this is relatively low calorie. 

My recipe - makes around 5-6 servings. 
1 lb ground turkey 
Cumin, Chili Powder, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder to taste 
1 cup salsa 
1/4 of a medium onion, diced 
4 small to medium sweet peppers, died 
Mexican Shredded cheese (around a cup) 
Jalapenos, extra salsa, Grape Tomatoes (optional) 
Spinach/Salad (around a cup for each serving) 

1. Saute onion and peppers for a few minutes. 
2. Brown and drain ground turkey (add seasonings to taste). 
3. Add salsa and simmer for around 5 minutes 
4. Assemble 

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Still Alive

I knew it had been a while since I blogged, but I didn't realize that it had been almost two weeks! I went home for a few days and that got me out of the routine... I have managed to keep up my exercise (at least 30 minutes a day is my goal). Most days I have gotten at least 120 minutes. The challenges I'm participating in have really helped motivate me to keep it going... 

My husband accused me of manipulating my grandmother.... Why? I managed to get a new pair of running shoes while I was home... 

 

In my defense, I didn't DO anything. While I was home over the 4th (plus my mom's birthday) I visited my grandparents "farm" to walk. They have a concrete driveway plus over a half-mile of gravel driveway and paths in the woods. So I was going every morning to walk before my visit. My grandmother is a shopaholic (its genetic!). Well she doesn't go shopping as much, so when she gets the chance she pounces. She noticed my tennis shoes. She offered to buy me a pair and of course I said no. I ended up buying myself these Nike's and when she saw them she wrote me a check to reimburse me. Maybe I was a little bad, but I was planning on buying some when I hit 195 as a reward anyway.... Rambling... 

I also managed to force.... er... convince my bestfriend to go walking with me at night. I was walking 3 miles at my grandparents and then finishing up with her at night. We started out at a mile and then worked up to 2 miles by the third night. 
She's coming up next week to stay for a while before school starts (she's a teacher as well) and I'm excited to continue to help her with her journey as well. I just feel like I'm pushing her. I know she needs to come to it on her own... 

While down "home" my friend and I also visit a local yogurt shop, Berry Berry Good. They rotate flavors and this time I got strawberry/cheesecake swirl. I was "bad" and add a little strawberry syrup and graham cracker crumbs. It tasted almost exactly like cheesecake. It was probably almost the same calorie wise, but the portion was a lot larger and I didn't feel quite as quilty. I did stay within my calorie goals though. Whatever I have to tell myself right?  

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Little Accomplishments and High Heat

You may or not have seen this blog about 2 weeks ago: 
www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_jo
urnal_individual.asp?blog_id=4927918 


In it I posted a few pictures of my walking route. Well as of yesterday I upped my lap from right at a mile to right at 1.75 miles. Now that doesn't seem like a big deal, but now my route includes another hill/incline. Thankfully its only a slight one. That's not the big thing though. Now my route takes me past some houses. I've been avoiding it because I am silly, but I don't like walking were people can see me for some reason. One of the great side effects of exercising/losing weight is that I don't get as embarrassed as easily. Last weekend while in Tennessee I actually wore sleeveless shirts for most of the two days we were there. We were outside on a sod farm (for a rocket launch) but we were still surrounded by people. Usually I wouldn't mind because its people I don't really know, but one of Cody (hubby's) and my friends from college showed up. It's not much, but I have settle little accomplishments. Wow... I'm rambling. I guess after writing 15+ pages (2 Final Essays and a Weekly Reaction Essay for my Summer Grad class) I'm in writing mode. 

I got up early and was going to get my walk in, but my Final was due at noon. So now its a little warm. I might try and get a mini walk in but I'll probably just Wii it up until it cools off. Although I might be waiting a while since we are under a heat advisory until Sunday at 10 PM. 

 

It's around 102F now (feels like 106 according to weather.com)! By 5 its supposed to be 103 and feel like 109! I guess I can go for a walk after dark when it drops to 86 (and feels like 91). 

Either way I need to get up before I root to this couch... Hope you are having a wonderful Saturday! What are your plans for the holiday/holiday weekend? I'll be going "home" Sunday-Wednesday.

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5K W/J W1/D2

Day 2 of the 5K Your Way Walk/Jog Training Program: 
Walk for 4 minutes, then jog for 1 minute. Repeat 4 more times. 
(Total workout time: 25 minutes) 

Today I actually got out of bed before 9am! Doesn't sound like a big accomplishment but for a teacher on summer break who is not a morning person, I count it as a mission accomplished. It really helped with my outside workout. There's quite a bit of difference (at least mentally) between Mississippi heat at 8:30/9 compared to 11:30/12. I also didn't push myself quite as hard, which I generally think of as a bad thing, but according to the training program I was supposed to skip today anyway. It allowed me to actually focus on the music, which really helps me. Yesterday I couldn't tell you a single song I listened to. Also my iHeartRadio App didn't cut out a bit. Little things excite me :) 

I didn't make the 15 minute mile today, but I did make 16! Not only that but I walked an additional 1.9 miles afterward. I was planning on a "cool down" mile/lap, but I just keep going. I guess its true that it gets easier. All in all I walked almost 3.5 miles (3.43 to be exact) in 65 minutes. A 5k is "only" about 3.105 miles so I know I can make the distance. Now I just need to work on my time! 

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5K Your Way Walk/Jog: Week 1 Day 1

From yesterday


Well I'm actually supposed to be on week 2, but really never started last week so week one it is! 

Day 1 of the 5K Your Way Walk/Jog Training Program:  (through Spark People)
Walk for 4 minutes, then jog for 1 minute. Repeat 4 more times. 
(Total workout time: 25 minutes) 

I haven't really walked since Saturday and that was on a treadmill and only about 30 minutes. All that to say, I probably shouldn't have picked my first day back to start the program, but I have a feeling that I might have to do one of the weeks more than once to make it through the training program by the end of July for the Virtual 5k. 

I didn't think I would be able to make it through all four cycles, but I did! It wouldn't have been so bad if I didn't choose to do it at noon on a day that was in the high 90s, but I still made it. I'm just glad today was one of the few days that only one person passed me on the road. I hate to see what I looked like! 

 

I also ALMOST made a 15 minute mile (within a few seconds)  

 

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Week 3 Recap (A little late)

Hubby and I went to Tennessee for the weekend. We left on Friday and got back late Sunday. Then when we got back on Monday he got stung by a yellow jacket and had a severe allergic reaction. This is not an excuse, but I didn't do as great as I should have. 
I am proud to say that we used the weight/exercise room at the hotel everyday and pretty much stayed on track with eating. Plus we found a Wii Balance Board and I'm watching Cody use it right now (I already have). It really adds to our workout. We're using it with Wii Fit and Wii Gold's Gym right now. 

Week 3 
20.1 miles tracked. I also got some miles in on the treadmill and at the rocket event that were not tracked. 
Appox. 4144 calories burned 
671 Fitness Minutes 

On day 24 on SparkPeople and day 25 of getting at least 30 minutes of exercise every day!

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"Toward the Truest of Destinations... No fear"

I'll admit the first thing that comes to mind when I think of "No Fear" is the decals that were (and still are to extent) very popular as an adornment for the back glass of the trucks of guys back home. 

 

But it's so much more. It's not just a motto or a slogan. It should be a way of life. Now you might wonder why this blog now. If you haven't figured it out by now a big motivational tool for me is music. The song "No Fear" by Terri Clark is one that I probably had heard before but yesterday on my walk it really hit home. It wasn't really the actual lyrics, but more like the spirit behind the song. The fact that if we can move beyond our fear, we sometimes find what we've been looking for all along. 

I've always let fear hold me back. I'm the kind of person that runs all kinds of scenarios through my head about what might go wrong. As I'm working on myself this is a big part of what I'm trying to improve. I want to be able to live by the slogan "No FEAR!" Now I've thought about tattoos, but I'm a chicken and will probably never get one. This would be a great one to get though. 

 

I'm afraid that I won't be able to stick with this. I'm on day 19 which is the longest I've ever maintained a daily exercise program. I'm afraid that if I hit a roadblock I won't be able to work through it. I'm afraid of so much, but with the support of my SP friends, my husband, my friends, and family I know I can work through it. 

What are your fears? How do you work through them? 

As the song says I'm running "Towards the truest of destinations... No fear." 

"No Fear" by Terri Clark 
I want a road stretching out before me 
I want a radio in my ear 
I want a full tank of absolution 
No fear 
I want a rainstorm to pull me over 
Then a sky that begins to clear 
Towards the truest of destinations 
No fear 

I used to hit every wall there was 
I used to run away from love 
All I ever wanted was right here 
But I had to reach way down inside 
I had to have faith I'd find 
No fear 

I want the world to just keep on turning 
I want the dawn in my rear view mirror 
I want to hear my own voice singing 
No fear 
And when I need two arms around me 
And theres no one near 
When I'm alone let the only sound be 
No fear 

I used to hit every wall there was 
I used to run away from love 
All I ever wanted was right here 
But I had to reach way down inside 
I had to have faith I'd find 
No fear 

I want peace, Love and Understanding 
A stogie and an ice-cold beer 
Don't want to live afraid of dying 
I used to hit every wall there was 
I used to run away from love 
All I ever wanted was right here 
But I had to reach way down inside 
I used to stay up all night long 
Wondering what I was doing wrong 
All I ever needed was right here 
But I had to reach way down inside 
I had to have faith I'd find 
No fear 

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