Weight Loss Wednesday #4

Pin It Happy Weight Loss Wednesday! I am pretty sure that the both of us have some news this week... some very exciting news in regards to our healthier way of living. I will let little sister speak of our cleanse... This week was a wonderful week for me and I hit a milestone and I am so excited. My whole mindset has changed and I feel like I did in 2008 when I lost all of my weight before. I feel in control of myself.... and am not allowing FOOD to control me anymore. I am faithfully trying to hit the gym now and it is great! 

I love Pinterest, as many of you do and I love finding the awesome motivating quotes on there about working out or healthier living... I like to read the quotes and let them motivate me. How true is it that we can be WHOEVER, WHATEVER we want to be... we just have to make that choice. That has been the biggest struggle for me as of late- making the choice to live a healthier life by choosing to eat healthier, workout, do healthier things in general. I love the way my life has been going lately. I have fallen off the wagon a time or two, but I have not lost my sense of control... I pick back up and keep going. I am feeling  awesome! 

I have been cooking many new recipes lately... and some of them really are not the healthiest for you.. but I have been trying to find new awesome recipes to serve my family. I may not eat it- or I may just eat a small portion... but I am loving the concept of trying new things. This week I would like to share with you our newest FAVORITE recipe! It was so yummy last week that I am once again making it on Thursday to share with the family. 

Asian Beef with Mandarin Oranges

I found the recipe online but made some changes to it myself. You can see what changes that I made in red!

Ingredients

2 tablespoons vegetable oil (I used coconut oil)
2 pounds boneless beef chuck, cut into 1⁄2-inch strips
1 small onion, thinly sliced (I used 2 onions)
1⁄3 cup soy sauce (I used the low sodium)
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger (I left out because I couldn't find it)
1 small green bell pepper, sliced (I used a large one)
1 package (about 3 ounces) shiitake mushrooms, sliced 
1 head bok choy, cleaned and chopped (I used 2 heads of bok choy)
1 can (5 ounces) sliced water chestnuts, drained (I left out because I couldn't find)
2 tablespoons corn starch
1 can (11 ounces) mandarin oranges, drained and syrup reserved (I used 4 snack size ones)
2 cups beef broth
6 cups steamed rice (I used brown rice)

Directions

1. Heat vegetable oil (coconut oil) over medium-high heat. Add beef, in batches if necessary, and cook, turning to brown all sides. Transfer beef to 4 1⁄2-quart CROCK-POT® slow cooker as it is browned.
2. Add onion to same skillet. Stir over medium heat until softened. Add next soy sauce, salt, ginger, green pepper, mushrooms, bok choy and water chestnuts and cook until bok choy is wilted, about 5 minutes (only took about 3 minutes for me). Spoon mixture over beef.
3. Whisk together corn starch and reserved mandarin orange syrup in medium bowl. Stir in beef broth and pour over ingredients in CROCK-POT® slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW 10 hours or on HIGH 5 to 6 hours or until beef is tender. (I cooked on high, but after 3 hours is was finished and I put on keep warm... I guess it depends on crock pot.)
4. Stir in mandarin oranges. Spoon steamed rice into shallow serving bowl and spoon beef over rice.

Guys, this was so amazing. I would definitely try it if I were you. My husband LOVED it. I even think Little Sis would enjoy this. Of course I forgot to take a picture, so the one I am sharing will be from the recipe online. 

(Recipe and Picture from Disneyfamily.com)

I want to thank our blog readers for being so awesome. Thank you for reading us and holding me accountable. You really do not realize how you are holding me accountable by allowing me to share some of my deepest struggles with you! We all know that losing weight/getting in shape is never easy. Thank you to those that believe in me and those that are following our journey! I appreciate it more than you will ever know. 

-Big Sis

WLW Stats for BIG SIS:

Starting Weight: XXX (held private for now)

Wed. 3/21: -13lbs total

Wed. 4/3: -16lbs total

Wed. 4/10: -22lbs total

-Little Sis

WLW Stats for LITTLE SIS:

Starting Weight: 170

Wed. 3/28: -3lbs total

Wed. 4/10: -6.5lbs total

About the Cleanse: 

The cleanse ended this past Sunday for us...it went really well, although it was not exactly what I imagined it would be.  I didn't notice a lot of changes in my weight throughout it, and I did not go to the bathroom excessively, which were actually my two biggest expectations when I started the cleanse.  What did happen I notice though was that I felt my body feel healthier.  I was staying away from sweets, and a lot of carbs, and began eating more fruit on a daily basis.  This is good for me, especially because of my bad eating habits that I spoke about in a former WLW.  So for someone like me I feel like it was great.  It has really started a new pattern for me to be very aware of what I am eating, practicing more self-control, and it has made eating more fruit a daily routine for me.  I am thankful I did it.  Then after being gone for 4 days I checked my weight and I actually was down!! I have lost a total of 6.5 lbs!!! That is very exciting for me! Now I just want it to continue!     -Little Sis

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