But first of all, I wanted to post a little celebratory moment of my own. I don't update my weight every week because I've started weighing in a little less frequently, but today I hit my next short term milestone!
So I'm pretty darn happy with that! I know my weight loss has been a little slower this time around, but I am ten years older and much less active now due to my health conditions. And as I always remind new people, we didn't gain this weight overnight, and we shouldn't lose it overnight even if we could. The slower you lose, the more likely it is to stay off!
But 40lbs in just a few months feels wonderful. The only odd thing that has been psychological for me this time around is that I don't really feel very different. The number on the scale has been going down, and I trust the scale. Some of my pants are much baggier, too, but I haven't felt like unpacking all my thinner clothes yet. I still see the same me when I look in the mirror. Some people have commented to me that I look different, so there must be changes- I just don't see them yet.
I think I'm OK with that, though. Because ultimately, I am still the same me. I don't expect that losing a lot of weight will change who I am as a person, and since I'm not doing this for my appearance, I'm OK with still having the same mental image of myself. The important thing is that I am getting healthier so that I won't die young and that I will be there for my son as he grows up. I don't want to die at 36 the way my biological father did, and leave him without his mother. I am 36 now and my son is the same age I was when my bio father died, so that was a big wake up call for me that regardless of what roadblocks were in my way, that I needed to get healthier for my son. So, one day at a time, I will keep going!
But, I digress- back to the yummy food! My old Taco Salad recipe used a Nutrisystem entrée that was discontinued a long time ago, much of my great sadness. It was absolutely amazing. But it's not that difficult to flex it, and here's a great way to feel like you're having a gooey restaurant meal while still staying totally on plan! You won't feel deprived at all.
Cinco de Mayo Taco Salad (Flex Meals):
I'm sure that I'm not the only one who loves those edible taco bowls! I try really hard not to buy things that serve only one function, but these taco bowl pans are worth the small investment just because of how much fun they are!
So start by choosing the largest tortilla you can get that fits the Smartcarb stats of 80-120 calories and minimum 1g of fibre. I splurge a little and use a 150 calorie tortilla so I can have a 10" one, and count it as one of my daily extras. The larger the tortilla, the larger the salad you can make! Put it in the pan and bake at 350 for about 5 minutes, or until it starts to crisp up and brown at the edges. Set it aside to cool.
In the meantime, cook yourself up 4oz raw of 99% fat free ground turkey (it will shrink to 3oz as it cooks- always make sure when you're checking nutrition for meat whether the stats are raw or cooked as it's about a 25% difference) with your favourite taco spices (I like Old El Paso). I also add in some green bell pepper and onions as the meat starts to brown.
In a separate pot, cook up a can of Six Bean Medley along with an equal sized can of Rotel chili tomatoes. Really cook the beans down until they are mushy, and mash them with a potato masher so they look almost like refried beans. Beans are very versatile and while they are starchy, they can be considered to be a PF or a SC. Since we're using our SC for the tortilla, in tonight's recipe we count them as a PF. 1/3 cup of just the beans would be 83 calories and 5g of protein, so with the equal mix of the (free) tomatoes, we now have 1/2 PF of beans. I used the remaining 1/2 PF for shredded cheese. Yes, it's totally fine to split one PF among two foods as long as you're within the guidelines otherwise.
Lastly, let's assemble the salad. Fill the tortilla bowl with lots of your favourite lettuce mix. I also like to add some raw vegetables to it, usually raw sweet bell peppers as well as fresh tomatoes. Then spoon your 1/3 cup of the bean mixture over top, add your approximately 3oz cooked of the ground taco turkey. Top with 1/2 PF of cheese, and 1 tbsp. of FF sour cream (extra) or salsa (free) if you like, and enjoy!
This is so incredibly filling at a whopping 35g of protein and it's absolutely delicious. Counts as a flex dinner entrée of 1 SC and 2 PF, veggies, and any extras you choose to use. It takes a little work to make it, but I think you'll find it's well worth it!
Looks yummy and congrats on your weight loss. Have you ever Chi Chi's seasoning taco mix? It won't turn your meat red, and it is so good. There is a copy cat version out there that I want to try and minus the salt.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
DeleteI haven't seen the Chi Chi's version. I'll have to give it a try, thanks!