A personal training & food journal. Read about our weight loss progress at Train With Ron in Chicago, our nutritional habits and the life changes we're making to get in shape and stay healthy!

I think word got out that I’m back to feeling myself again. This week we put that rumor to the test. It has been the first week this past month that I’ve felt more positive. I’m glad, it’s really discouraging to have to talk myself into getting up in the morning and into the gym. It can happen so I’m glad I know I can push through it and get to the other side. Of course it hasn’t hurt that the weather’s been really nice. In the 60s and 70s, so running up to the gym is still not something to dread. I shouldn’t say that, but I just KNOW Chicago winters and … well let’s just say I’ll do my best.

Wednesday I worked out with Matt. He asked me for an update on how I’m feeling and I HAD to tell him the truth that I was good. I could’ve said I wasn’t but I am the one that suffers with that one. Matt had me do something new where I was doing push-ups for a minute followed immediately by holding the push-up position for 45 seconds. I did the same with pull-ups and a few other moves. Now I’ve done this with other moves prior to this workout but the push-ups and pull-ups were new. My arms were so sore yesterday, I could barely move them. After a workout with DB this morning it’s was a little better. I’m hurting again so more ice.

I’ve only been going 5 times a week so far since I’ve been back but I’m planning on adding a 6th  day next week. Dan and others wants to know when I’m coming back in the afternoons for doubles but I don’t know about that yet. I’m looking forward to it but not just yet. However, the holidays are coming up AND I still have this pesky little goal to meet so it’s going to happen soon. For Thanksgiving Dan and I are going to a football game so I won’t be cooking up a storm as usual. I sort of already miss it we’ll be cheering on our favorite football team so I’m sure I’ll get over it.

I’ll want to share with you a recipe I use every Thanksgiving. Not this year, obviously.

Double Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake

Double-Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake

Feel free to substitute Splenda for sugar, fat-free cream cheese or regular and so on…

Ingredients:
2 pkg. (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Fat Free Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
Dash ground nutmeg
1/3 cup HONEY MAID Graham Cracker Crumbs

Make it:

HEAT oven to 325ºF.
BEAT cream cheese, sugar and vanilla with mixer until well blended. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, just until blended. Remove 1 cup batter; place in medium bowl. Stir in pumpkin and spices.
SPRAY 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray; sprinkle bottom with crumbs.
TOP with layers of plain and pumpkin batters. Bake 40 min. or until center is almost set. Cool completely. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

Nutritional information: (per serving)
Calories 150
Total fat 3 g
Saturated fat 1.5 g
Cholesterol 60 mg
Sodium 400 mg
Carbohydrate 21 g
Dietary fiber 1 g
Sugars 16 g
Protein 11 g
Vitamin A 70 %DV
Vitamin C 0 %DV
Calcium 25 %DV
Iron 6 %DV