Keeping Hydrated

My latest goal for this journey is to drink 3 bottles of water a day. This may not seem like a hard thing, but I have a really hard time drinking the amount of water I should, and so I thought this would be a good challenge for me. Drinking a lot of water has quite a few benefits... here is a list just to show some of them.

• Drinking water helps maintain the balance of body fluids.
• Water can help control calories.
• Water helps energize muscles.
• Water helps keep skin looking good.
• Water helps your kidneys.
• Water helps maintain normal bowel function and prevents constipation (Who knew?? I didn't...).
• Water helps you lose weight by flushing out the by-products of fat breakdown. (Yay!)
• Water helps relieve back pain and headaches.
• Drinking water makes you more alert and able to concentrate.
• Drinking water regulates your body temperature, so you feel more energetic when you exercise.
• Water keeps muscles and joint lubricated, so you are less likely to have cramps and sprains.
• Drinking water helps you stay healthy longer, and helps your body to fight off the flu.
• Water relieves fatigue.
• Drinking water can help to reduce the risk of cancer. (WOW.)

As you can see, keeping yourself hydrated has a lot of benefits. I want to challenge you to drink more water and tell me how it's helped you! Just a warning, if you are not used to drinking a lot of water (like me) you are going to need to use the bathroom a lot more frequently for a while. Keep going. Your body will get used to it, I promise. One more tip: putting a little bit of lemon juice in with your water (a few drops) is also really helpful for cleansing your system and for trying to lose weight. It's a little like a detox formula.

Have fun, work hard, and drink lots of water! Good luck!

Weight Loss!

Today I measured myself for the first time in a couple of weeks, and discovered that I have lost about 10 lbs. So far, as I haven't had the money for a gym membership yet, and it's below zero outside (I live in Idaho), I have just been working on changing my eating habits little by little. It's amazing what a difference a little change can make. I am so excited! 40 lbs to go!

Healthy Dinner!

I found a blog that has a ton of recipes and other tips from a girl who lost 135 lbs called Can You Stay for Dinner?. On it, there was a Buffalo Chicken Macaroni and Blue Cheese recipe. I didn't add the blue cheese, but the recipe was still super tasty! And it's definitely healthier than some of the options out there. Best part? It was super easy and quick to make. I'm definitely making it again in the future.

Here's the recipe. :)
Buffalo Chicken Macaroni and Blue Cheese
1 c 1% milk
1 Tbs cornstarch
1 Tbs butter
3/4 c extra sharp cheddar cheese (I used mild, and it was also excellent)
1/2 c crumbled blue cheese
4 c cooked elbow shaped pasta
1 lb cooked chicken breast, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1/2-2/3 c hot buffalo wing sauce (recommended: Frank's Red Hot)
Instructions
Stir in the milk and cornstarch in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer. Stir in the butter. When sauce is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon, add the cheddar cheese and stir until the cheese has melted and the mixture is silky and well blended.
Place your cooked, drained pasta in a large bowl. Pour the sauce over it and stir it to combine.
In a separate bowl, toss the cooked chicken with the hot sauce, evenly coating and moistening the meat evenly. Use more or less hot sauce depending on your spice preference.
Gently stir the chicken into the pasta, followed by the crumbled blue cheese. Serve immediately. Serves 4.

The Beginning of My Journey

Hi! My name is Krysta Jenkins. A little while ago, I was prompted to put in my mission papers so I could go on an LDS mission and serve the Lord out on the mission field. I was super stoked. Recently, however, I discovered that I have to lose about 50 lbs in order to go. I was pretty crushed. That's when I decided to start a new journey. A journey to a happier, healthier, and better me. I will try to keep you posted on new tips and recipes that help me along my journey, as well as my progress. LET'S GET IT STARTED!!!