HYC Check In: The Food Edition

I have to say that I'm much more on track with my eating and exercise than I have been in weeks. Last night I wrote in my journal (you know the one that I physically write in, not just my blog here for all to see!) that I've been having some body image issues. I'm only four pounds heavier than what I was at the end of June, and yet those four pounds weigh on my mind like the 44 that I've lost. It's so annoying. I think that hitting the gym and putting my body to the test day after day helps me feel better about myself. Funny, but when I was sweating and out of breath on the elliptical this morning, I didn't think to myself, ew, you're disgusting and fat and you can't do it. Instead, I finished my elliptical 5K in 36 minutes and gave myself a mental pat on the back, preparing myself for my next C25K run tomorrow. I'm definitely sore, but at the same time, no pain no gain, right??

Food... my favorite topic. I'm not going to talk about the pint of Ben and Jerry's that somehow snuck into my house over the weekend and disappeared in less than 24 hours. Whaaat??? Kroger sent me a free B&J coupon. Did you really think I was going to pass that up?? No, instead, I'm going to talk about some of the healthy foods that I tried while I was gone, and love to no end.

Fiber One Strawberry Bars I'm in heaven when I eat this bar. This bar is better than the chocolate. Even better than my beloved peanut butter F1 bars. They are sweet and good and filling. I also tried the Apple Struessel bars, but they weren't for me. Not that they didn't taste good, but the Strawberry ones had my attention. Sorry Apple Struessel.

Fiber One Yogurt I love the commercial with the lady that says, I have to eat the box to get the fiber? Nope, not in these yogurts. I really like the strawberry flavored ones. My big complaint is that the yogurts themselves are 80 calories a pop, but they are in such tiny portions! I can buy my Kroger light yogurt for the same 80 calories and have a much bigger portion. I would say that those of you that need help in the fiber department should definitely check this out, but if you have enough fiber in your diet, then just eat the regular light yogurt and have more of it!

Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken I've seen this recipe floating around the internets (haha) and since I finally bought myself a slow cooker for one (or I guess two), I thought I'd try some thing out. This is what you need if you have a regular sized crock pot: four chicken breast, boneless and skinless; one jar of salsa (I used medium for some kick but be careful because your chicken is going to be cooking in this stuff); and one packet of low sodium taco seasoning. Throw it all in the slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours. The chicken was so tender when it came out of the slow cooker that it literally fell apart. I topped with a teaspoon of low fat shredded cheddar (I hate fat free cheese) and ate it with a side of corn. YUM. According to the Sparkpeople.com recipe calculator, each serving (which is one chicken breast) has 337 calories, 3.4 grams of fat, and 3 grams of fiber. So, those of you on WW, that's 6 points per serving. Not bad for dinner time!

I've also taken to liking these roasted peas that I found at my mom's local grocery. I can't find them here where I live, so I'm lucky enough to stock up on them when I'm at home and bring them back with me. They are crunchy and perfect to snack on at night when I'm in a noshing mood. I also loooooooove roasted chick peas, so these aren't too far off of those. Happy munching!!