Tomorrow is my weigh in day for the 50 pound weight loss challenge I am doing. I will be happy with any loss right about now. Now, if I gained... then I will kick, scream and throw a fit! Nonetheless, I can't wait to see what my scale has in store for me. I started exercising this past Monday which is HUGE for me! I haven't been active in anything for quite some time. I really started moving my butt because of this 50 lb weigh loss challenge! One of our mini challenges is to exercise for at least 30 minutes fives times during the week. Well, today is my second day of walking on the treadmill for 30 minutes (33 minutes to be exact, but whose counting!). I feel pretty good about adding exercise to my daily routine and I find myself looking forward to it.
If you haven't already joined some type of a challenge or maybe a support group on Facebook, I highly suggest you do so. I am in a couple of social groups and what you get out of those groups is beyond words. The groups that I belong to are simply amazing! The people are wonderful, they know what you are going through because they are going through the same thing, and you will meet some very inspirational people! You learn so much from others on program, whether it might be a new recipe, tips and tricks to add variety to the meals, or how to cope with stress through this whole weight loss process. It isn't easy going through this journey alone so take advantage of all the resources out there!
Now, it is recipe time! This chicken is especially yummy because it has the subtle sweetness from the pancake syrup and a slight crunch from the almonds, while the lemon brightens it up with a little tang. It adds some variety to plain old chicken breasts!
Almond Maple Chicken
Ingredients:
8 oz raw chicken breasts - should yield 6 oz cooked (1 Leaner Lean)
2 tbsp Walden Farms pancake syrup (1/2 Condiment)
1/2 tbsp grated fresh lemon zest (1/2 Condiment)
1 teaspoon lemon juice (1/2 Condiment)
1/4 tsp salt (1 Condiment)
1/8 tsp pepper (1/4 Condiment)
10 whole almonds, chopped (1 Optional Snack)
Directions:
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place chicken in a shallow baking pan and then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Combine pancake syrup, lemon rind, lemon juice, and almonds in a small bowl. Pour mixture over chicken. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until done.
Makes 1 Serving
Each serving provides
1 Leaner Lean, 2.75 Condiments and 1 Optional Snack
(needs 1 Healthy Fat)
