What Motivates YOU?!?!

90-Day Challenge

"In everything the ends well defined 

are the secret to durable success"

 - Victor Cousins

So, I have signed up for a 90-day challenge.  Oh the joys of social media.  A guy that I went to high school with posted a challenge on facebook.  There is a $25 buy in, the winner will get $275.  Is this enough motivation?  I guess we are about to find out.

I also had to actually tell someone my weight.  I don't tell people what I weigh.  He is the only person on the planet (other than myself) that now knows.  It makes me incredibly uncomfortable, but, I did it.  I am really hoping this is the kick in the butt that I need.

So what is it about this that I think is going to motivate me?  Money?  Competitiveness? Wanting to save face?  Not wanting someone to know how big I really am?  For me the big motivator is both money and competitiveness.  I don't like to loose (except the weight of course...HA) and I reeeaaaally hate letting my money go into someone else's hands.

Some people are more simply motivated by encouraging words. I am usually pretty good at motivating myself.  I give myself pep talks, leave myself notes around the house...when it comes to weight loss, my problem is the start.  I seem to have problems getting myself started and going.  Jillian Michaels couldn't even get me moving, her screaming in my face would just cause me to sit my big stubborn butt down, cross my arms and say "hows that working for you Jillian".  Now, once I get started and have been doing it consistently for about a month, I can keep myself motivated to keep doing it.  Of course, it also becomes a habit for me which makes it easier.

So what motivates you?  Seriously, please tell me.  It may help someone else get motivated...or me.

"Winning isn't everything, but wanting to is" 

- Vince Lombardi

I have not been diligent in my healthy yummy recipe search.  I am back on that now...especially if I want to win my money!  I will also work at being more diligent in my blogging.

I have been thinking about what it is that I do or don't do that keeps me from loosing the weight.  I know the do's and don'ts. What is it that I'm doing, or not doing?  I have figured out that my biggest problem is not eating all day.  I will go all day without eating anything, then around 6:00 I am starving and I eat my entire days caloric intake in one sitting, right before bed...NOT GOOD!!!!

"Every ceiling, when reached, becomes a

 floor, upon which one walks as 

a matter of course and prescriptive right"

-Aldous Huxley

It's important to figure why we do or don't succeed.  It can show where we may need to change to find our success.  Not succeeding does not mean you failed.  It just means you found another way that something doesn't work.  Keep going.  Failure comes when you stop trying.  You are fabulous and worth the fight!

"Don't bunt, aim out of the ballpark"

-David Olgilvy

Eat Cardboard No More!

"How can a nation be great if it's bread taste like Kleenex."

- Julia Child

Ok, so my first search was directed at breakfast foods...pancakes.  I found several to choose from and tried two different kinds; carrot cake pancakes and peanut butter pancakes.  The winner was the peanut butter pancakes.  YUMMMMM! 

My focus was on trying to find healthier food that I would actually want to eat on a regular basis!  Now this is not healthy in the "extreme" form.  Some people might disagree with me putting this in a healthy category.  What I'm looking at is; calories, fat, protein, carbs, fiber and sodium.  In this instance I compared these items with an "original" pancake, with butter and syrup. My goal is to find healthier versions of foods that I already like. 

I made a few slight variations when I made mine that would change the nutritional value slightly.  I will give you the original recipe with the nutritional value based on the original recipe.  My variations will be listed in parenthasis within the original recipe.

Peanut Butter Pancakes

I found this recipe on myrecipes.com

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

6 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups fat-free milk (almond milk)

1/4 cup chunky peanut butter (Creamy peanut butter)

1 tablespoon roasted peanut oil or vegetable oil (canola oil)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs, slightly beaten

1. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.  Combine milk and remaining ingredients; add to flour mixture, stirring until smooth.

2. Spoon about 1/4 cup batter onto a hot nonstick griddle or large nonstick skillet.  Turn pancakes when tops are covered with bubbles and edges look cooked.

Cooks Note:  all natural peanut butter doesn't work well, it is difficult to stir into a liquid batter.  You can serve with Strawberry-Lemon syrup or Raspberry Honey Coulis.

This also make GREAT waffles...which I prefer to pancakes.  They have a natural sweetness so no syrup is needed.  I made a little honey butter and put a very small (approx 1/2 tsp) amount on my pancake and that was enough!  These are great to make ahead of time and put in freezer bags to freeze.  Then you can pull them out and put them in micro-wave or if your having waffles - the toaster.

NUTRITIONAL VALUE (comparison) for 2 pancakes or waffles

                                     PB Pancakces               VS                 Original
Calories                         349                                                     520
Fat                                11.7 g (a bit higher than I like)             14 g
Protein                          12.2 g                                                  8.3 g
Carbohydrate                49 g                                                    90.9 g
Fiber                             1.2g                                                    ?
Sodium                          432 mg                                               1104 mg

If you happen to try this recipe, please let me know what you think.  I really like the pancakes! 

I will keep searching!

"The only real stumbling block is fear of failure.  In cooking you have to have a what-the-hell attitude"

- Julia Child