Jackson Free Press

I have literally been working my butt off since the first of the year in an attempt to lose my "baby weight." The phrase is becoming less acceptable by the day, seeing as how my baby is 2 years old, speaks in complete sentences and has potty-trained herself. But trying to get back in shape after having a baby (or in my case, three babies in four years) isn't fun. I'm not one of those people with a body that "bounces back" after a baby. My body bounces like a raw egg on a concrete slab.

After a few unfortunate episodes with child-care workers in South Carolina, I became a bit leery about taking my kids with me to the gym. Once, I had only been on the treadmill for about five minutes when I was summoned back to the nursery to change my child's diaper. "Maybe y'all should change your sign from ‘child care' to ‘supervision,'" I said. We packed up and went home.

In a separate gym snafu, I went to a weight-lifting class after losing 50 pounds following my second pregnancy. I was in the best shape of my adult life and felt really good about myself. This is, until the instructor sashayed up to me with her 12-pack abs and spandex bikini, leaned in and whispered, "When are you due?"

I wanted to scream at her, "Not everyone who comes here looks like you, you freak!" Instead, I calmly looked her in the eye and said, "I'm not pregnant." She nervously backed away and whispered, "I'm sorry."

I've heard nothing tastes as good as skinny feels, so I'm determined to lose all the weight I gained with Baby No. 3.

I've always known fruits, vegetables, and lean meats were the best way to eat healthy and lose weight, but I never realized how much more food you get to eat if you are eating healthy. For example, for 160 calories you could eat one small snack-size bag of Doritos, or you could eat a huge blackened-chicken salad. So these days at my house, it's all about the veggies. High fiber and low calorie means you get to eat a lot and feel full without packing on the pounds.

Regardless of how you feel about vegetables, everything is better if you put it on a stick and throw it on the grill. You can alternate veggies and meat on your skewers if you want, but I find that I want to cook the meat longer than it takes for the veggies to stay crisp. So I marinate the vegetables and meat separately, and cook them on separate skewers.

Grilled Veggies
Wash and prepare any combination of the following vegetables:
2 yellow squash or zucchini, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
Half each of a red and green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 sweet onion, cut into 1-inch wedges
1 container cherry or grape tomatoes

Mix together:
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning

Marinate vegetables for no more than one hour to keep them from getting soggy.

Thread onto skewers and grill over medium-high heat for 10 minutes.

Serves four to six.

Chicken Kabobs
2-3 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2-inch cubes
3 tablespoons Italian dressing
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Mix all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for two to 12 hours. (Overnight will be too long; the chicken gets a bit salty.)

Remove from fridge, thread the chicken pieces on kabob skewers. If you use bamboo or wooden skewers make sure you soak them in water according to package directions to avoid setting your dinner on fire.

Grill over medium-high coals for 10-15 minutes. Let cool before removing skewers.

Serves four to six.

How Many Calories?
When looking to achieve a healthy body weight, managing your daily calorie intake is important. The United States Department of Agriculture provides the following guidelines for moderately active* adults to maintain their current weight. To lose weight, you must decrease your calories, increase your physical activity, or both.

Women
Age 19-30: 2000-2200 calories
Age 31-50: 2000 calories
Age 51 and over: 1800 calories

Men
Age 19-30: 2600-2800 calories
Age 31-50: 2400-2600 calories
Age 51 and over: 2200-2400

*Moderately active refers to physical activity equivalent to walking about 1.5 to 3 miles per day at 3 to 4 miles per hour. Estimates for women do not include women who are pregnant or breast feeding.

Previous Comments

ID

162542

Comment

From my recent and life saving experience: If you want to lose weight and get off of medications (easily and effortlessly), and save time in the kitchen - give up the meat & dairy and stop cooking the vegetables/fruits. And of course exercise every day. Otherwise..good luck.

Author

FrankMickens

Date

2011-03-15T13:30:07-06:00