Monday, September 9, 2013

Kicking up Jenny Craig Beef Chili

On the menu tonight for dinner was Jenny's Beef Chili with Beans, veggies (minimum 1 1/2 cups) and a healthy fat.  This sounded like a great opportunity for me to volumize my dinner with lots of veggies mixed into my Jenny pre-made meal.  Here's what I had to start with.


Okay.  No problem.  I decided to go with sauteing garlic, onion, a red bell pepper and orange bell pepper in extra virgin olive oil.  


Can you tell that I've been to Costco?  Look at the size of that minced garlic!  I think that if any vampires existed and decided to visit my house, we'd all be safe ;-)  I love me some garlic.  


Those veggies look delicious even without the chili.  I cooked them until the onions were translucent and then threw in the chili with medium-heat salsa.  Here's my finished product.


It had a little kick to it and was very good.  The next time I have it, though, I'll only add in one bell pepper.  It was just way too much food, even though the veggies were really healthy.  

I do have to say that I have been enjoying my Jenny meals.  I haven't been treating it as eating from a box or as a "diet".  In no way do I see it as such.  Sure, I am purchasing my food from the center and I do follow a menu, but it's what I need to keep me accountable right now.  The only thinking I have to do is what fruits and veggies I'll be having.  I've been trying to eat things I wouldn't normally choose, so I've been experimenting with veggies like eggplant, asparagus and cauliflower.  I've been eating mangos and honeydew melons.  It's not that I wouldn't eat those things, but they certainly wouldn't be the first thing I'd grab.  Following through on my commitment, I made sure to leave my desk and had lunch in the back with the girls today at work.  I wasn't gone that long, but it did feel nice to get away from my work for a little while.  I am trying very hard to take good care of myself and let my experience with Optifast go.  It is in the past now for me.  Even though I had issues come up as a result of being on the program, I also met some great people and learned something great - I actually can lose weight.  It was feeling for a long time in my life like I just couldn't do it but now I know it is physically possible.  So, a day at a time, I'm doing the work to continue the work I already started.  I'm definitely very excited about that.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Hi Kathy, I just found your blog. I am considering an Optifast program that lasts 3 months. Just wondering your thoughts on it now that you have been through it and come out the other end? Would you do it again? I am really worried about the fast weight loss, then going back to food. Tara

Kathy said...

Hi Tara,

This is just my experience, but I would not go on Optifast again, even if someone paid me to do it! I did lose a lot of weight and very quickly - 190 pounds in 8 or 9 months. But I got very sick, did not feel good while I was on it and gained a lot of weight back. I still have residual issues that may not got better (but hopefully they will). This doesn't happen to everyone, of course, just my personal experience. I do know others that didn't gain the weight back, although they weren't people that had as much to lose as I did. I also know others that gained a substantial amount back. On the positive side, it helped me see that weight loss is possible on my body, I haven't gained all of my weight back and I was able to meet some incredible people who are still friends with me. I have links to some blogs of other people who have done Optifast on the right side of the screen (This Big Heart, Optifastmom, Optifast Gourmet, etc.). We've all had different experiences.

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