Clearly the new blog is going over well

Soooo I got 0 comments on my last post and I lost a follower to boot lol I guess I'm still finding my groove in terms of what to write about here and trying to come up with valuable things to say (and the time to write posts)

On that note, I'll kick this post off with a very informative statement:

Christmas is a brutal time of year for weight maintenance/loss!!!

Ok, so that is not news. Lots of people find it rough but I will step up and admit I am struggling! I was doing well but this weekend I fell off track a little. Because of the obvious - there are goodies EVERYWHERE: home, work, parties...etc. It's also a different Christmas than I've ever had. My family traditions seem to changing and with my new job, I don't get any Christmas vacation for the first time in my life (aside from Christmas eve and Christmas day)

Not complaining just struggling to deal. And to NOT take my emotions out on food. My goal is to turn back to some of my slow cooker favourites and have lots ready and available to eat to make sure I'm satisfied with my healthy meals so that I can cut down on the treats as much as possible!

I want to make some more chili because I found this to be a weight loss super food - lots of protein and fiber, low fat and low salt I had a very successful week when I ate this chili for lunch all week.

I also want to make lentil soup again because again it is packed with protein and it was absolutely delicious.The recipe is at the end of this post :)

My fitness goal is to hit the treadmill or do the shred at least 3 times this week, starting tomorrow.  Hopefully putting it out there will give me the kick I need to not be lazy after work.

Thanks for hanging in with my blog despite the change, I hope I'll get into the swing of things soon! Have a wonderful holiday everyone :) 

LEMON LENTIL SOUP

2 cups lentils (called for red but I just used regular)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 tsp salt
8 garlic cloves, minced
3 carrots, diced
1 tsp dried rosemary
2 tsp dried oregano
2 bay leaves
8 cups vegetable stock
juice of 2 lemons
1 cup crumbled feta cheese

1. Rinse lentils thoroughly in a colander under cold running water. Set aside to drain. Heat oil in a soup pot over medium-high heat and saute onion with 1/2 tsp salt until translucent. Add garlic, carrot, herbs, bay leaves and 1/2 tsp salt. Stir well and saute until the carrots are just tender. Add rinsed lentils and stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, partially covered, until the lentils are soft and falling apart.

I adapted for the crock pot and took it off the heat after adding lentils and bringing it to a boil. I put in the crock pot and put it in the fridge until the next morning. Then cooked it on low all day. When it's done, you can puree all or half but I didn't. I would only bother with this step if you were serving to fussy kids (or any picky eaters).


2. Season the soup with lemon juice and more salt and pepper to taste. Before serving, top with the feta cheese. Enjoy!