weightloss

Protein Packed Scramble

June 18, 2012 By Virginia 9 Comments

As you all know, I have lost sixty some odd pounds. In the process of losing weight, I have discovered that one of the things that is absolutely essential to curbing cravings throughout the day is a protein packed breakfast.

Short of drinking a protein shake every morning (which some mornings I do, just to save time and energy), I’ve had to come up with some creative ways to protein load my breakfast. One of my current favorites is a protein packed scramble. I keep veggies cut up in the fridge, which makes this delicious breakfast a snap to make.

Protein Packed Scramble

Rating: 51

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Yield: 1 serving

Calories per serving: 115

Fat per serving: 0.2

Protein Packed Scramble

This protein packed scramble is the perfect way to start your day.

***Also excellent with a slice of American Cheese or with other vegetable mix-ins. I really enjoy sauteed mushrooms and onions, as well.***

Ingredients

3/4 cup Fat Free Egg Beaters
1/8 cup onion slices (I used Vidalia)
1/8 cup broccoli florettes
1/8 cup bell pepper slices
5 cherry tomatoes, halved
Non-stick cooking spray

Instructions

Spray saute pan with non-stick cooking spray and add vegetables over medium heat.
Saute vegetables until onions are slightly tender.
Add Fat Free Egg Beaters and cook through.

Notes

Calories 115 Fat 0.2g Saturated Fat 0g Cholesterol 0mg Sodium 383.7mg Carbohydrates 8.4g Fiber 1.7g Sugars 6.1g Protein 19.3g

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Nom, nom!

What is your favorite protein packed breakfast recipe?

Filed Under: Fitness, Food, Health, On the Menu Tagged With: breakfast, Fitness, Food, weightloss

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The Fitbit Aria

May 24, 2012 By Virginia 38 Comments

Hello, Aria!

As a member of the Fitbit blog team, I was recently introduced to the Fitbit Aria, a Wi-Fi Smart Scale. We all know how much I love my Fitbit Ultra, so adding the Aria to my arsenal was exciting.

Let me tell you, this scale is Sa-weet!

Seriously, it is pretty cool. Set up was easy, simply remove the paper from the battery compartment, insert batteries, and download the Fitbit Aria software. Fitbit then guides you through the set up. It did take a minute to set up, because our Wi-Fi router is in the basement on one side of the house, and the scale is in my bathroom on the other side of the house. But, once it was set up, it was ready to roll.

The scale measures weight and percentage of body fat. The first time I used it (in April), I weighed in at 175.2 lb and my percentage of body fat was 33.5%. Not too shabby. I was *almost* back to the point at which I fell off the wagon last year. OUCH.

So, in the mornings, I get up, take care of business, then step on the scale. The display screen is backlit, so if I step on in the dark, I can still see the numbers. The Aria does the rest for me. And by the rest, I mean, she automatically sync’s to my Fitbit account and uploads my weight and body fat percentage, then she calculates my BMI as well. I can view all three on my Fitbit dashboard, and monitor my progress with the handy dandy charts available on my FREE Fitbit account. Here’s a peek at my weight log.

That’s pretty cool, right? I think so, too. In most cases I love that my weight is automatically recorded. Most. LOL. But, since I am all for honesty, I will say that there are days when I trot my not-so-happy hiney to the computer, log into my dashboard, and hit that little “X” button to delete a weight. Especially when Aunt Flo drops off her water bags for me to carry around for a few days. I don’t want the water weight affecting my calorie budget, KWIM? I also had to delete a couple of Hubs weights when he used the Aria. We were SO close in weight, and he wasn’t set up as a user on the scale, it recorded his weight as mine. Once I figured out what was going on, I invited him to be a user on the scale.

The Fitbit Aria retails for $130, is available in black or white, and can be purchased on Fitbit.com or on Amazon.

I know what you’re thinking… $130 for a scale? Indeed, that is serious bank, but this scale does more than just tell you how much you way. It is a great way to track your progress and keep yourself motivated, because it takes the work out of tracking! Seeing that downward trend on the graph is enough to make me smile! This scale, paired with my Fitbit Ultra, will help me attain my fitness goals.

The only thing I would change about it, is I would add the ability to track % Total Body Water, % Muscle Mass and Bone Mass. I have a scale that tracks those numbers, as well, and like being able to see the total picture.

Filed Under: Fitness, Health, Reviews Tagged With: aria, fitbit, Fitness, Health, scale, weightloss

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He Done Lost It

May 12, 2012 By Virginia 42 Comments

As you know, I started my journey to fitness last year, had a hiccup with my knee injury, and then started again in January. On January 12th, to be exact. When I restarted my journey in January, Hubs joined me in the quest for fitness.

I haven’t said much about his journey, because he has never been one to brag on himself, and I want to honor that. Today, however, I have to brag on him (with his permission, of course).

Why is today any different than every day in the last four months? Today is noteworthy because today he made goal. Here he is, posing next to a picture that was taken before he started losing weight.

Here’s a better look from the front…

And from the side…

He has lost a grand total of 47.6 pounds.

No gimmicks.

No shakes, pills, or drops.

No fad “diets.”

He done lost it with #LoseIt. Yep, just plain ole calorie counting. We both use LoseIt.com to track our calorie budgets and calories consumed. I also use my Fitbit Ultra to track calories burned, and it syncs to my LoseIt account.

I can’t tell you how stinkin proud I am of him! His success spurs me on toward my goal, and I am ecstatic that we are building a better future for ourselves, our kids, and our family (as a whole) as we incorporate healthier habits into our lifestyle.

Way to go, honey! I love you, and couldn’t be prouder!

Filed Under: Fitness, Health Tagged With: Fitness, loseit, weightloss

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My Fitbit Ultra

April 10, 2012 By Virginia 16 Comments

I first heard of the Fitbit from a friend and then saw it on my LoseIt.com log. I count calories, and one day when I was logging a meal, I saw that it said that the Fitbit was “now compatible with LoseIt”.

“What’s this Fitbit?” I thought. So, I looked into it… The Fitbit Classic accurately tracks daily steps, distance, calories burned, and activity level. It measures how long and how well you sleep. It is small and discreet. Tuck it into your pocket or clip it to a belt or bra. It uploads data wirelessly to your Fitbit.com account. There is no monthly fee. By logging into your Fitibit.com account, you can see online graphs, compete with friends, and so much more..

No monthly fee? Wireless uploads? AND it will sync to my LoseIt account? I had been looking for an ACCURATE way to record calories burned, and liked what I saw, so last year in September, I purchased the Fitbit Classic (on Amazon). Here’s a screen shot from when I first started using my Fitbit last year.

Shortly after I purchased my Fitbit Classic, the Fitbit Ultra was released. I was a little bummed. Had I waited a few weeks, or if I had ordered it from the Fitbit website, I could have gotten the newly revised Fitbit Ultra, which does everything the Classic does AND tracks floors climbed AND has a clock AND has a stopwatch feature. Oh YEAH. That would be an awesome, I thought.

In the meantime, though, I was impressed with the sleep tracker. I feel like I spend a lot of time exhausted. Even after sleep. When I talked with my doctor about my sleep pattern, I was able to show him, using my Sleep Stats, that I am awakened no fewer than five times a night, and some nights at least fifteen times.

The Activity Stats came in real handy when I visited the orthopedist in February. I was able to show that on a day when my knee is really bothering me, I do well to get in 3000 steps (eek). That bought me some physical therapy, and I am back up to 8000+ steps a day, and headed toward at least 10K. Had it not been for my Activity Stats, I would have had NO idea how many steps I get in a day. The real measure of my physical therapy progress has been to see my step count steadily improve!

Last month, I received an opportunity to review the new Fitbit Ultra. Of course, since I LOVE my Fitbit Classic, I said yes. I chose to get the Fitbit Ultra in the new plum color, so Hubs could take over the blue/black Fitbit and we could tell them apart easily.

Using the Fitbit Ultra is just as easy as using the Fitbit Classic. I simply clip it to my bra and proceed with activity as usual. With the Fitbit Classic, I could see my steps, miles, and calories burned, and a fun little flower (activity tracker) that adds more leaves the more active you are. The Fitbit Ultra will show me steps, miles, calories burned, flights climbed, and of course my fun little flower activity tracker. With the addition of the Ultra came activity badges. Now, when I notice at 9 p.m. that I have climbed 8 flights of stairs, and know that I can earn my stairs badge with two more flights, I can run to the basement a few times. And if I want to log in, I can see see my daily climb badge. LOL…

I really like that the Ultra has an added clock and stopwatch feature, too. I have to say that of all my fitness accessories, my Fitbit is my favorite. I can’t wait to see what Fitbit comes up with next! Wouldn’t it be awesome if they came up with one that is waterproof and tracks laps swam?

***I received a courtesy sample of the Fitbit Ultra to facilitate this review. I purchased my own Fitbit Classic, and would purchase the Fitbit Classic or Fitbit Ultra again. All opinions stated are my own***