Chicken Chili

Since I have decided to lose a size I have managed to work out once. Not at the gym, I worked out to Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred. I like working out at home for a few reasons. The first one is no one else is there to hear me breathing like an asthmatic in a hookah lounge. The second is I don't have to drive anywhere, so working out takes up less of my time. And the third is I can shout obscenities at the trainer, which would be frowned upon at the gym.

The DVD is great, I hurt so much the next day which is how I judge how effective a workout is. I was going to plow through the pain and work out again, but I went to C's house for dinner and when I got home I wanted to make my lunch for the next day.

Chicken Chili (my recipe)

1) Brown up a package of ground chicken in a large pot or pan

2) add a chopped onion, and heat until onion is soft, about 2 min

3) add some paprika, a little less than a Tbsp

4) add some chili powder (however much you like, I used a little over a Tbsp)

5) add a can of black beans, kidney beans, and brown beans. Rinse the beans first though.

6) add a 14 oz can of tomatoes with chili seasoning, and a 28 oz can of plum tomatoes. Use a spoon to break up the plum tomatoes

7) If you would like, add some hot sauce as well.

This recipe is reasonably healthy, and incredibly easy. I really like the use of ground chicken in chili, it's lighter than beef and it also absorbs the flavor of the chili. You could use any kind of beans, I like black for the color, and kidney because they are my favorite. I was going to throw in some frozen corn as well, but I forgot about it when I was making it (unusual I know). Considering the amount of chili powder and hot sauce I threw in, it wasn't actually all that spicy.

I had planned on working out after making the chili, but I went to bed instead as it was pretty late. Yesterday I was going to do pilates in an effort to stretch out my aching muscles, but due to some crippling cramps I spent the evening on the couch with a heating pad trying to calm down my ovaries.

While I have been failing at exercising, I have been doing great on water intake. I hate drinking water, but knowing that it's great for me I have been making a real effort to drink a lot more of it. Even though my start off is slow, I am still feeling positive.