Weight loss

In one of my earlier blogs (Nov. 20th) I went through how to diet by only staying between your "magic" numbers.
~~ how many calories a day you can eat and still lose weight~~

I found staying below my set 1600 was easy staying below 100% of my daily salt intake has been the hard part.
At that time I had only been losing about 10 pds a year since my massive gain of weight with my health problems during my first pregnancy and my mother death (in which I gained a ton) I was a size 22 pants and a xxl top.
Less then 2 months later by following my number diet (which is eating less or healthier depending on the day) I am now a size 18 pant and a xl top.
The only exercise I have done as been infrequent and only for toning -to bring in the loose flab.

I have more energy, I feel more awake and I feel so much better about myself its a huge difference! So if you have been putting off losing those extra pounds because you think its going to be too hard I advise this - its easy and it works- if I can lose this much weight during the holiday season then anyone can lose weight by following their numbers.

My husband did not join me on this and in fact he gained 20 pds while I was losing so he is now on my "Magic number" diet and we will see how well he does.
In the main picture I was down to a size 20 I have lost another two inches since then and should continue to lose.

Chicken Fajita Casserole

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Tortillas stand in for noodles in a south of the border lasagna-style casserole.

Prep Time: 20 min

Total Time: 1 hour 15 min

Makes: 6 servings

1	can (16 oz) Old El Paso® refried beans
1	can (15 oz) tomato sauce
1	package (1 oz) Old El Paso® fajita seasoning mix
1	package (9 oz) frozen cooked Southwest-seasoned chicken breast strips, thawed
8	Old El Paso® flour tortillas for soft tacos & fajitas (6 inch; from 10.5-oz package)
1	bag (1 lb) frozen stir-fry bell peppers and onions, thawed, drained
2	cups shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese blend (8 oz)

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1.	Heat oven to 375°F. Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. In medium bowl, mix refried beans, tomato sauce and fajita seasoning mix. Stir in chicken.
2.	Spread 1/2 cup of the bean mixture over bottom of baking dish. Arrange 4 tortillas, overlapping if necessary, in baking dish. Top with half of remaining bean mixture, half of the stir-fry vegetables and 1 cup of the cheese. Repeat layers with remaining tortillas, bean mixture, stir-fry vegetables and cheese.
3.	Cover baking dish with foil. Bake 30 minutes. Uncover; bake 15 to 20 minutes longer or until hot and bubbly. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting.
High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): Bake covered 35 minutes. Uncover; bake 10 to 15 minutes longer.

~~~Now for the recipe above the main bad thing in here is the salt so any of the cooking options you can find that have a low salt alternative add it in, the second problem is the cheese however as long as you shred* your own and just watch the rest of your fat for the day you should be able to have this just fine.

* Cheese that comes pre shredded has been coated with a chemical to keep it from turning into a big mushy ball of cheese.