Recipe: Spaghetti Squash Lasagna

I don't love to cook. That's no secret. Since starting over on my journey to get healthy, I have been trying out some new healthier option recipes. This one caught my eye because my family loves spaghetti, lasagna and pasta. There was a time that having spaghetti in our house became the "old faithful" meal.

The problem? It was usually served with garlic cheese bread and maybe a side veggie. Most of the time it was just a carb overload that threw you into a food coma. I've always eaten to the point of being lethargic. It was a habit and what I thought was normal. Not so much. 

Through this journey I am learning to eat more nutritional foods that satisfy my body without making me lethargic. I want to show you that you too, can eat healthy foods that taste good and leave you fulfilled and satisfied.

My kids gobbled this dish up! It was definitely a hit for us and has been put on menu rotation. Check out the recipe below and let me know if it was a hit or miss in your healthy kitchen! 

Spaghetti Squash Lasagna

Ingredients:

1 spaghetti squash

1lb ground turkey

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, plus extra for topping

2 tbs fresh basil, chopped

2 cups pasta sauce 

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Directions: 

Heat oven to 425°. 

Slice spaghetti squash length wise and seed. Brush both halves with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Put squash in baking dish with about 1 inch of water and bake in oven for about 45 minutes or until you can scrape squash into "spaghetti". 

While spaghetti squash is cooking, cook meat and add sauce, simmer. 

In a separate bowl, mix ricotta and mozzarella cheeses with basil. Set aside. 

Once the squash is cooked shred into "spaghetti" into a separate bowl. 

Layer spaghetti squash, meat sauce and cheese mixture back into the hollowed squash ending with meat sauce on top. Add extra mozzarella cheese and put back in oven until melted. About 10 minutes. Take out and let sit 5-10 minutes. Enjoy! 

This recipe makes a lot! One half was plenty to feed our family of 4 a couple of times. I wrapped one squash half in foil and froze it for a another meal! (I had no issues freezing this and didn't taste any different and quality wasn't compromised.) 

Serving suggestions: Mix up a big salad with assorted greens and some of your favorite veggies as a side. Sauté fresh green beans with mushrooms and onions as another side option. 

Goal FAIL ...

It's been quite a while since I've updated this little blog o' mine. Life has been quite hectic since my last post, which was almost 9 months ago! So much has happened over the last 9 months, I'm not even sure where to begin to catch you up.

Since my last post was about my Reese's scandal, I should probably update on my weight loss progress first. As if the title wasn't a dead giveaway as to how its going, my weight loss goal for April did not happen. :( In fact I am still very much struggling with my weight and health.

Becoming healthy for me has been a constant yo- yo effect. See, I LOVE food and I want to be skinny and healthy. My weight goes up and down and my diet is far from being perfect. It has been a huge struggle and getting on track and staying there has proven to be my biggest obstacle. I'm still very much headstrong about continuing my goal to a healthier new me. I have it in me. I just need to dig deep and find that drive I had once again.

So I am still continuing on my journey to a healthy lifestyle, its just full of lots of curves, turns, dips, and empty holes. In late July, I decided to join a friend of mine into the Beachbody family as a coach. I began drinking Shakeology and saw my energy level jump! It was great. I started working out with the Les Mills Combat program and saw a few more pounds come off and even some definition. I went from 175 lbs to 171 lbs! I haven't seen myself weigh that is years. It was a good feeling.

However, I have fallen off the wagon again and haven't continued working out daily, as I should. I don't eat as well as I should either. Are you seeing a pattern? I'm feeling pretty disappointed in myself these days, especially because I KNOW I CAN do this! I have to find my will again.

Now, I'm not trying to make excuses for any of my inability to commit to this journey of mine. However, I took a new job in April at a doctors office and I LOVE it. But, almost every week, multiple times a week we have lunch brought in to us. This is so hard for me! I have zero self control and end up ordering things that are not so healthy. This has caused me to gain a few of those lost pounds back. I am currently at 178 lbs again. NOT where I want to be.

So tell me. How do you stay on track? Do you work a full-time job? What do you do for lunch? Do you prep your meals for the week? Do you get tired of eating salads all the time?

Here we are in the middle of the holiday's and I'm so feeling the consequences of not following through. Its rough. And I feel fat. But it is changing.

You just wait and see.

Reese's Pushed Me Off the Wagon

What?!?!

Believe it. It's true.

I was forcefully pushed off the stinkin' weight loss wagon! And that is NOT okay! I was doing all awesome and the weight was falling off and now...

I'm not so awesome! :(

I have been sucked in by Reese's Easter candy. I shamefully admit that I ate as many as 16 Reese's peanut butter cups in one sitting on multiple occasions. Yeah...

So, I am trying to put my recent Reese's scandal behind me and move forward with what little dignity I have left. I have a goal to reach and with this set back, I am hoping I will be able to refocus and make my goal a reality. Its definitely going to take some hard work and dedication.

Despite falling off the wagon, I have to say progress HAS been made. I wasn't seeing it, so one of my BFF's told me to take pictures of myself again. Hesitantly and scared as to what I would see, I took the pictures.

I think this before and "in progress" picture speaks for its self.

Doctor Scale Victory!

I know how much I hate getting on that scale in the doctors office. It always lies! Last week when I went, I was dreading hopping on the scale. I just knew that despite my hardest effort to eat well and exercise, the doctor scale would show a weight gain, worst case scenario, or no change, best case scenario.

Reluctantly, I stepped on the scale praying for the best. Surprisingly, it showed a 3 pound weight loss! What!?! That NEVER happens! EVER! I mean, I always feel like the effort I put into eating right and exercising is useless, because it never shows on the stinking doctor scale!

I started my weight-loss journey in the beginning of January at 188 pounds. I have been eating a lot more healthier and exercising more days than not. I even started running, which I never thought was possible. I am a super slow runner and each time I try to run I feel like my lungs are on fire, but at least I am out there trying. Right?

My current weight is 175 pounds. That's a 13, THIRTEEN, pound weight-loss! I am super stoked about that number and am almost right at the half way mark to my goal of 28 pounds! I still have faith that I will make that goal. I have been feeling so good, lately. My energy level is up and I want to take better care of myself, like getting up and actually getting dressed everyday! It's amazing how good you feel after losing a few pounds.

It hasn't been easy, but sticking with it and not giving up has been the right attitude to have. There have been days that I failed at eating right or didn't exercise, but as I have said before, each day is a new day, start over and do the best you can.

Since I started this journey, I have become a HUGE breakfast person. I never used to eat breakfast and if I did it was a sugary bar or some other junk that didn't belong in my body. Now I eat a full meal of 2 eggs (1 whole & 1 white), turkey sausage, and fruit almost everyday. It is filling and gives me the fuel I need to get the day started. I have always been told that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I can now say that is definitely true! I try to stick to a 1200 calorie a day diet. On the days I eat a good breakfast I am usually under those calories, but if I skip, I end up over eating.

I post lots of pictures of my healthy meals (and some not so healthy ones) on Instagram. If your not a follower, you should be. :) I have made healthy recipes I pinned on Pinterest, some were favorites and some not. I will be sharing some of those soon, so check back.

Progress

{Source}

This month has been full of ups and downs. At the beginning of the month I started my weight loss journey to  lose 28 lbs by my 28th birthday, which is in April.

I won't lie, I have struggled this month... a lot. I struggled and still struggle with finding the energy to get up and exercise as well as reminding myself to eat the healthier things and stray from those sweet cravings. There were many times when I failed and cheated, but each day is a new day, so I started over and tried to do better that day. 

As I weighed in this morning, I was scared to death! I just knew the scale would show no or little change or even a possible higher number. Eek! To my surprise the number I saw was decent! Not the Biggest Loser shocker number I was looking for, but decent considering the number of times I fell off the wagon. :)

An 8 lb weight loss this month is a win for me! Hopefully next month I can match that number if not beat it. I  with jumping on the scale every morning expecting to see a 5-10 weight loss. I know that's not realistic, but I can't help myself. Sometimes, I'm like I ate healthy all day today that's at least a three pound weight loss! But reality is, it takes patience and perseverance. Two qualities I definitely lack, but I'm working on them.

What are some of your struggles? How do you overcome them?  I have multiple texting buddies and some great friends that help keep me motivated. I log everything I eat in My Fitness Pal and have multiple friends there that help keep me motivated. Having people rally behind you on your journey is a great way to help you through your struggles.

Until next time...

Weigh-In Wednesday

Two posts in one day! What a treat! I am linking up with Erin and Alex for Weigh-In Wednesday. I am a bit frustrated with my weight and the shape my body is currently in. I weigh as much as I did 9 months pregnant. That's pretty darn embarrassing! I am on a mission to lose 28 lbs by my 28th birthday, which is April 12. That's just 4 months away! I can do this! I have joined Mama Laughlin's Fit Camp group on Facebook. I love it and find all these women to be so encouraging! 

So here it is, my official Wednesday Weigh-In. I told you already how ridiculous this is. I am pretty ashamed of myself, but I know that in the coming weeks and months it WILL change. I have no choice. I am done feeling so tired and lazy all of the time. 

Yep, you read that right. My current weight is 188. I was 187 lbs 9 months pregnant. So now that I have shown you what a huge embarrassment this is, I plan to start shedding many of those pounds. I always joke and say that I need to lose a kindergartner. :) I just need to get down to at least the 160's by April. 

For the month of January Jason and I have made a decision to not eat out. I think this will help me to eat a lot healthier and be able to plan out our meals for each week. And grocery shopping should be a breeze. I'm kind of excited to not have to face all those terrible food options at restaurants and fast food joints. 

My biggest issue with losing weight is exercising. I am not always full of energy and ready to sweat like a pig. Those things don't appeal to me. I know they are crucial when losing weight and becoming healthy. I wish I enjoyed working out like so many women I know. I have set a personal goal to run, jog, walk, crawl 100 miles by the end of January. I think this is pretty reasonable and may help keep me motivated. 

I could always use more motivation, what are some things you do to help keep you motivated? 

Inspired by Pinterest

Hi there! I hope you all had a wonderful week and weekend. I originally planned to share with you about my first week participating in the 50 Day of Fitness Challenge, but I have been sick.

Last Saturday, while watching the Aggie game I started feeling terrible. I toughed it out all week and this weekend before deciding to go to the doctor this morning. I have an ear infection in one ear and fluid on my other along with a terrible sinus infection. I got some meds so hopefully I will be back to myself soon!

So my diet and exercise suffered last week along with my house and the thousands of chores that needed to be done. I did manage to lose 1.2 pounds last week. Which I have no clue how that happened because I ate terrible! 

While spending many hours in bed, I was able to pin a few recipes and exercises on Pinterest. Take a minute and check them out. You may find something that works for you. (Click the picture and you will be directed to that Pinterest Board.)

Healthy Recipes (And some not so healthy ones...)

Workout and healthy tips.

Inspirational quotes. I love having a positive note around to motivate me.

Have a BLESSED week! :)

50 Days of Fitness Challenge

You all know that I have attempted many times to lose weight. (See these past posts here and here.) I never seem to be able to stick with it. I will eat healthy and do some exercising, but then we have that one bad day that leads to a second bad day and so on. Before I know it I am back to my old eating habits and getting no exercising in at all. So here I am again laying it all out on the table.

A few of the ladies over at Real {Cheap} Housewives of Texas are hosting/participating in a 50 Days of  Fitness Challenge. I am not joining this challenge because there is a prize to be won, I am doing this because these women are REAL, they aren't exercise guru's cheering you on with their already skinny asses. They are moms who struggle daily and who live crazy busy lives putting their children's need before their own. Not to mention they are all super freaking crafty.

Losing weight does NOT come very easy for me. For me its more about getting into shape rather than shedding the pounds. Now that school has started back up, I actually have the time to dedicate to working out and eating right. I am always up for a challenge and know that now is the time to incorporate a healthy lifestyle into my daily routine. 

I still have no clue what my workout routine will consist of. With the nice fall weather we are having I will for sure be getting out in the mornings for some long walks. We have a bow flex machine, total gym and treadmill in the garage (our own at home gym and I still can't manage to exercise. I need major motivation!), so I am going to dust them off and get some use out of them.

I would love for you to participate along with us! Check out Real {Cheap} Housewives blog or their Facebook page for more info.


BEFORE PICTURES 8/9/2012

Weight: 181.6
Height: 5'4"
Goal: 25 lbs and 1" per week

Measurements: 

• Biceps- 16 3/8"
• Chest- 37 3/4"
• Waist- 40 11/16"
• Hips- 45 5/8"
• Thighs- 26 5/8"
• Calves- 15"

Here I go! Wish me luck! I will be logging my calories and exercise in My Fitness Pal. Feel free to add me and encourage me there or check back here for updates. Username is jessykagalow.

Inspire Me: Healthy

I am a little late with this link-up but didn't want to miss out. About a month ago I posted all my stats and weight HERE.

I will say that by watching what I eat and cutting out ALL carbonated drinks, I have surprised myself. I haven't had any motivation to exercise at all. And despite that my current weight is 177 lbs! YES! I didn't take the time to do my measurements.

That means in just one month, I have dropped 7.4 lbs. I owe my success this month to the rising Texas temperatures. I pretty much sweat all day everyday. Just loading and unloading my kids from the car when we leave the house causes me to sweat and pant as if I just ran a marathon. No lie.

Changing my eating habits have definitely helped. I drink water all day everyday and limit the amount of carbs I inhale. Snack foods include string cheese, and lots of fruit. When I take the kids to the pool,  I try to get in some water aerobics on my own. Well, my version of water aerobics anyway.

I'm now 47 lbs away from my goal! That's a crap load of poundage to lose! I would love for you to help keep me motivated! I try to log my meals and stuff on My Fitness Pal, but its hard and time consuming. You can follow me there by searching for my user name: jessykagalow OR you can motivate me by leaving comments or emails or texts. Whichever way you choose to help keep me motivated, it is greatly appreciated!  : )

All Talk? We'll See...

For years I have been saying things like, "I am going to lose weight" and "this is the year I'm going to be skinny". I am so tired of just talking and not doing anything. I have no problem eating healthy, its that I am not good at exercising regularly. I hate to exercise! I need tons of motivation or someone to literally make me get up and exercise.

So, I am going to post all my body stats in hopes that you (the blog world) will help motivate me. I am not sure what type of eating plan I will go with yet, but I really need to get up off my butt and work this fat off! I can will do this!

Current Stats: 

Weight- 184.8
Chest- 39"
Waist- 44"
Hips- 49"
Left Bicep- 18"
Right Bicep- 18"
Left Thigh- 28"
Right Thigh- 28"

I don't know how one thigh can be an inch bigger than the other, but it is. Trust me I measured and remeasured multiple times!

My Goal: 130 lbs & 1 inch per week

I will post my progress periodically. So check back often and leave me some encouraging comments! You can also follow my progress on the My Fitness Pal app. My user name is jessykagalow. :)