Yogalates - Week 2

I am happy to say that I attended Yogalates (Yoga/Pilates) class again this weekend. It was good. I was late again and oddly, the instructor, Christina, had not arrived. After about 25 minutes of waiting, two ladies went to use the treadmill and the remaining four of us decided to wing it. One lady in particular stepped up and lead us in the moves. It was great! One lady told me that she had lost 12 lbs doing this and some other things. Another lady told me that she had lost 10lbs. I'm sooo glad I joined the Y. It's a great experience and I'm thrilled to be in a very multicultural group and multi-age group of women with whom I exercise. I'm inspired. At some point I should probably do my measurements and track my progress...not sure if I'll publish them but I should, at least, track them.

Regarding this class, I remember the 1st week that my back ached a bit while I was doing it. I got kind of tense trying to balance myself and compensate for my artificial leg. I must say that the ache melted away in good time after class while I was out running errands. This week, I don't recall having that experience. It definitely inspires me to keep it up.

There is something great about this class...I get to hang out with new people. A bunch of women - young, old, different culture - with same goal to be healthy and fit. I'm so thrilled that we joined the gym.

Cabbage Soup: The Prequel

The economy, Lew's recent layoff, a Depression Era cook and my brother Kendal have inspired me to create hearty soups that contain inexpensive ingredients. I want to make soups that are healthy, lower-in-fat and full of vegetables.

I asked Lew to procure some particular soup ingredients on his last grocery trip. I'm pretty excited. The ingredients which I am currently considering are a head of cabbage, carrots, celery, chicken breasts, small potatoes, onion, corn, tomatoes, garlic, bell pepper, green beans and ground turkey. I'm considering either Italian or Cajun seasoning. I'll let you know how it goes and post the recipe later.

I've found several recipes on the web for inspiration and technique. These are the ones that really strike me:

Lower Fat Chicken Vegetable Soup by Pam Oliphant

Wedding Soup by SALLIEIS60

Country Cabbage Soup by Vicky Catullo

Fat-Free Vegetable Soup

Chicken and Sausage Stew by Diana Rattray

I also think that once I've developed a soup or stew, I'll be able to create a lot of different variations. Oh, the fun! I'll let you know what the guys say about it too. More to come!

Love,

Deie