Spaghetti with Spinach, Lemon and Grilled Chicken

Each week I sit down at the dining room table armed with my iPad, laptop, grocery store flier and my coupons and plan our families meals for the week. I've become increasing bored with the usual family staples we have always enjoyed. Don't get me wrong, they are the first ones I turn to when I want comfort food, but I can't eat like that every day anymore. When I was growing up, our meals always consisted of a meat, a veggie and a starch. When I left home, I just assumed that's what all meals should contain. And when my mother-in-law taught me some family recipes, those where traditional Italian meals.

And in the effort to lose weight and live a healthier lifestyle, I am always on the search for new and exciting meals. Meals that awaken the senses and are satisfying without leaving you stuffed. Some I have tried have really brought the house down, others turned out to be just okay. Edible, but not in the rotation.

I came across this recipe on Pinterest and added it to my Healthy Eating board. This week I gave it a try. I did modify it a little to conform to our taste and reduce the amount that I made. You can view the original recipe here.

Things You'll Need

1/2 lb. whole grain spaghetti
6 tbsp. olive oil
8 cloves garlic, minced
Juice of 1 lemon
6 oz. bag baby spinach
2 thin sliced boneless, skinless chicken breast
Salt and pepper or additional seasonings for chicken

What You'll Do

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and return to pot. One reason I love whole grain pasta is because you can put the pasta back in the pot without sauce to prevent it from sticking like with regular pasta. I also love the flavor that it brings to the meal, especially when using lighter sauces.

In the meantime, put oil, garlic and lemon juice into a small saucepan and cook until garlic is soft and fragrant. Don't let the garlic start to brown. It will cause it to have a burnt, bitter taste to it and not be very enjoyable. If the garlic is done before the pasta, simply remove it from the heat and set aside. 

I chose to add some grilled chicken to the recipe to add some lean protein to the meal. I used my stovetop grill pan and sprayed it with non-stick cooking spray. I sprinkled each side of the chicken with a little salt, pepper and our new favorite kick-it-up-a-notch spice, cajun seasoning.

 As soon as the pasta is done, add the garlic lemon sauce and toss to coat the pasta.

Then fold in the spinach. I found that tongs worked really well to help mix the pasta and spinach together. 

Continue to fold the pasta and spinach together until the spinach is wilted. 

Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. I have a thing with symmetry, so feel free to dice it any way you choose. 

Arrange the pasta on a plate and top with 1 sliced chicken breast.

We really enjoyed this recipe and I even had a little pasta left for lunch the next day. Give it a try!!

Fat to Fit - End of Week 1

I have ended week 1 of my Fat to Fit journey. And what a week it was!! Although I did not get the results I was hoping for, I did kick ass out on the pavement. I got out and walked/ran Monday through Friday and clocked a total of 12 miles. My strength training didn't go so well, as in, it didn't. But I still managed to lose an inch overall while my weight stayed the same. 

Lesson learned: GET IT DONE!!!

One thing I realized about my eating habits, is that they are all over the place. Being unemployed makes it so hard to maintain an eating regime, at least for me. I know, you'd think it was the other way around. When I was working, I planned my meals, breakfast, lunch and 2 snacks. I had it all packed in my little lunch bag. 

Seems like a great diet, right? Not when your job is to sit on your butt for 8 hours at computer. I'd take the stairs coming and going, but it wasn't enough. We'd eat late because hubby didn't get home until just before 6:30pm. After cleaning up, packing lunches, ironing and showers for 3, the night was gone and I was far to exhausted to head to the gym at 8pm. 

But when I am home, I get up, have my coffee and I'm off. Either cleaning up, organizing, writing or out walking. Some days I literally forget to eat. I'd realize at like 2pm that I was starving. Awful habit. And probably the hardest for me to break. So, this week, I'm making it a priority to eat regularly, eat healthy and add in the strength training. 

What tips or tricks do you use to make sure you are eating the right foods through out the day? 

Fat to Fit

For as long as I can remember, I have struggled with my weight. Not because of a medical problem, simply because my diet sucked and I did't exercise. I start eating healthily, I stop. I start exercising, I stop, I make excuses, I find more important things to do than take care of myself. Cause, honestly, who am I accountable to besides myself? No one. And as any wife, mother or human being knows, it is really easy to let yourself down and forgive yourself with a justifiable excuse, truly a very dysfunctional relationship.

This is where Fat to Fit comes in. It's a way for me to stay committed and accountable. <gulp>

Over the last few months, I have tried a few different things to lose weight and get fit. Most importantly, we have really tried to watch our diet and portions. I am cooking more clean foods, less carbs, more veggies. But it hasn't been enough. I've been doing some cardio and different workout challenges, but it just isn't the right combination for me. Don't get me wrong, I am super proud of the 12 pounds I lost since May, but there is more work to be done.

So, I took to the internet, okay, Pinterest, for inspiration. I pinned, I tried, I hated, I loved, until I found a combination of cardio and strength training that I could live with. I'm no personal trainer, but I feel that I found enough workouts to work each "trouble spot", better known as everywhere!!

Today I began my journey. I began my journey at 181 pounds. Today I began with a 2.5 mile walk and a full body workout. I took my measurements to also gage progress.

I'm really excited to finally be on the road to being healthy and fit. Now to stay motivated...

How do you stay motivated? I'd love to hear tips in the comments below!!!