12-Week Weight Loss Challenge: Week 7 (March 21, 2015 - March 27, 2015)

Week 7 has ended and as you can see below, we have some stellar results to date! Just a reminder... all participants need to weigh each Friday and report the results to HR. Those not reporting will owe $1.00 to the pot for each week not reported! We have 5 weeks remaining of our Weight Loss Challenge! Let's kick it in gear and see what we can accomplish these next few weeks!
Below are the participant rankings for this past week.

Participant Number	Cumulative Percentage Lost
31	-7.60%
13	-6.50%
34	-6.30%
21	-5.20%
4	-3.70%
20	-3.30%
7	-2.40%
6	-1.70%
8	-1.70%
10	-1.70%
23	-1.60%
15	-1.50%
1	-1.50%
18	-0.70%
28	-0.20%
19	0.70%
14	1.30%

Healthy Tip:

Tip #5 and Tip #7 from “21 Weight Loss Tips You Have Probably Never Tried”. 

5. Reward Yourself

You can make it something as easy as treating yourself with a new purse with 5 lbs lost, a spa day with 10 lbs. lost, or how about this idea: place a dollar in a jar for every time you exercise. It’s a fun way to reward yourself and stay motivated to workout at the same time. Think of this as your reward money to splurge on whatever you’d like!

 

7. Make A "Workout Only" Playlist

Music is a huge part of why I love running so much. It’s my time to escape and listen to some of my favorite songs. To help keep yourself motivated, make a playlist that is ONLY for your workouts. You will look forward to exercising more knowing that you get to listen to a fresh playlist.

 

Healthy Recipe:

Recipe: Pasta with grilled chicken, white beans and mushrooms

By Mayo Clinic Staff

Dietitian's tip:

White beans get their name from their light color. You can use any variety in this recipe, including marrow beans, Great Northern beans or navy beans. White beans are a good source of many nutrients, including iron, folate, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium.

Serves 4

Ingredients

·         2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, each 4 ounces

·         1 tablespoon olive oil

·         1/2 cup chopped white onion

·         1 cup sliced mushrooms

·         1 cup white beans, cooked

·         2 tablespoons chopped garlic

·         1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

·         12 ounces uncooked rotelle pasta

·         1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

·         Ground black pepper, to taste

Directions
 

Prepare a hot fire in a charcoal grill or heat a gas grill or broiler. Away from the heat source, lightly coat the grill rack or broiler pan with cooking spray. Position the cooking rack 4 to 6 inches from the heat source.

Grill or broil the chicken until browned and just cooked through, about 5 minutes each side. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes before slicing into strips.

In a large, nonstick frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and mushrooms and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the white beans, garlic, basil and grilled chicken strips. Keep warm.

Fill a large pot 3/4 full with water and bring to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente (tender), 10 to 12 minutes, or according to the package directions. Drain the pasta thoroughly.

Return the pasta to the pot and add the chicken mixture. Toss to mix evenly.

Divide the pasta among the plates. Garnish each with 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese and black pepper. Serve immediately.

Nutritional analysis per serving

·         Total fat 7 g

·         Calories 408

·         Protein 28 g

·         Cholesterol 37 mg

·         Total carbohydrate 58 g

·         Dietary fiber 5 g

·         Monounsaturated fat 3 g

·         Saturated fat 2 g

·         Sodium 122 mg