Its Been Awhile

OK, I haven't posted in quite some days. Honestly I had been off track and actually am ready to put forth some real effort starting today! Wow, its been over a week. This last week I free ate. I was glad to see I have picked up some very good habits that stuck with me. I still made smoothies and ate lots of fruits and vegetables. But, I also ate pizza, candy and french fries on a regular basis threw out the week. In return sadly, I gained a pound. I want to salvage the last few days of this weekend before weigh in and see what I can make happen by Monday. I have a good record going for me. So, time to loose!! Plus I only have one more weigh in after that before its final weigh in for The Biggest Loser. Lets get back up and try to win that.

So, again I have stayed true somewhat to new my healthy way of eating. Here are a few more things I found along the way.

This is my second time making stuffed Portabello mushrooms. Thumbs down and I'm sad about that. This was something I really wanted to like. Its too much cream cheese in one bite. Next time I may make up my own recipe with a cheese mixture. Check back for that!

This is wine with fruit. It was inspired by a beautiful fruity drink I seen on a health blog.  This was really good and it was fun to eat the fruit in the end! Wine is not too bad on calories, and its a nice treat for yourself!

This is a bad picture. At the local 99 cent store they had I cant believe its not butter spray with olive oil. It is 0 calories and yummy!!
And may I add I am a huge butter fan :)

This is a blood orange. I was excited to try it. Its good, kind of tastes like raspberries.

I have been lazy on yoga too. If I don't go tomorrow, this will make it the second week of missing. My trial is almost over with them also. I am going to put forth effort to go tomorrow.

Month 2...whoooo

First of all, let me say I am very happy to make it this far. In the last month I only messed up for one week and got right back on track. I am proud!!

The last two days I have been "lightly" eating starches. I am going into my menstrual cycle and find myself craving it. It hasn't been bad, but what has been bad is I have not worked out since Sunday!! Not a good look. I have a few excuses (lol). I have been having a hard time scheduling in the yoga class because it is only available certain times of the day. It is such a challenge that I think mentally I am running from it! But I so enjoy it (how could that be possible?). Anyways, I will be back at it tonight. My goal is to go to the 6:30p class.

It is amazing how much good food you can eat. I went from pairing fried shrimp with a salad to putting everything with a salad!! I have also tried some pretty good things over the past few days. I do ALOT of research online looking for low starch, light meals.

Homemade cream cheese/jalapeno won tons w sweet chili sauce

veggie pot stickers with soy sauce

 I still love my egg dishes. This one I made on top of the stove. Quick, easy, delicious and low cal!

Chocolate avocado pudding

I have tried a few snack ideas over the past two days. I keep coming across people talking about making chocolate pudding out of an avocado! I decided to try it and I must say it was pretty tasty. Now, I don't know if it will be my first choice as chocolate pudding to be honest. It is pretty high in calories, but I suppose its made from avocado for other health benefits. Another chocolate treat I tried was a milkshake made from coco powder, a frozen banana, and almond milk. This was a very tasty treat that I will make again and again!! Its a great low cal chocolate shake.

Chocolate milkshake

Starting A New Week

This morning was weigh in.  I lost 3 pounds.  It excites me for it to be a smaller number than last week.  In two days it will be one month since I began trying AGAIN to loose weight. So in one month I lost 7lbs. I expected it would be a much bigger number for a months time. But I will take it and embrace it. I own it as a solid 7lbs that will not come back on. Slow, gradual weight loss. I feel good and light on the inside. 

Week 3 Day 5

I kinda wavered the past two days. It was because I lost control of my designated meals. I did not go over my calories but I did feel like I was doing a little mindless eating. That's what happens when I do not separate out breakfast lunch and dinner.  I also have been eating ALOT of fried shrimp. I know I said it before, that I justify it by eating veggies with it.....but this is a bit of what I have been eating over the past two days:

frozen fried shrimp w sweet chili sauce

fried shrimp with blue cheese vinaigrette

Chinese tempura shrimp w sweet n sour sauce

So, you see I looove fried shrimp. I hope it doesn't interrupt my weight loss efforts but, we shall see.  I only have one more day until weigh. I plan to work out with my friend tomorrow and have a healthy lunch with her potluck style. i cant wait.

This is what I started my day off with.  It is a delicious egg fritata.

• eggs
• fresh spinach
• red/green bell peppers
• pepper jack cheese
• a splash of milk                    

I mixed everything in a bowl, poured in a glass pan and let it bake until it puffed up nice and firm. Oh, and I seasoned the mixture first. Sooo good and no white starches!! That and a glass of carrot juice was what I enjoyed. 

By lunch time I was hungry and my taste buds were asking for something savory. I decided to do a version of a tuna burger I seen on a recipe blog.  I took a can of tuna, seasoned it, added an egg (remind not to do that again) and pan fried it. I then put it over a bed of fresh mixed greens. Despite the egg I should not have added it was quite tasty! I also added a few black olives to the side. Just want to take this time to share a few snacks I enjoy.
 

Now, I know that soda is not good for you and I will break this habit eventually. But, I love diet soda and it can be such a treat for zero calories.

This I made today and it was fabulous. Do not forget about your local 99 cent stores. I found the Yoplait light with granola at mine.  Only 190 calories for entire container and it was good! I actually scooped it into a glass and added some blackberries on top and bottom for an even more delicious treat.

Today was an emotionally heavy day due to a domestic dispute. My boyfriend and I could not see eye to eye for anything in the world and it made me very irritable. But.....thank God I stayed on track!!! Whooo hoooo!! I decided that no one or anything will get in my way of what I need to do. I made it a priority to pick up and move on.

Breakfast was at Denny's Restaurant with my kids and grandma. I had a veggie cheese omelet, half an english muffin and water. I did pretty good because it came to 600 calories. Last night I made single portions of the veggie chili beans I made and ate one of the containers with some carrot juice. I really love that juice. It is surprisingly sweet.

Pepper jack cheese and green onion on top

Delicious

I went to Hot Yoga tonight. My body does feel stronger already but still I have a really long way to go. It is even a challenge to do the poses where I have to suspend my arms in the air for a long period of time. Sweated my butt off and still my favorite workout to date!!

Dinner was honey walnut shrimp over a bed of raw cabbage. This was wonderful. It would have tasted better with rice and soy sauce lol...but, low on the white starches. I must say I have been doing really well with this these last few days. It did taste just like any Chinese restaurant!! (add rice and soy sauce lol)

Around 500 calories

End Of Eating Today

I had a really good dinner tonight! I know this isn't the best picture...

• mixed green lettuce
• sauteed onions and bell peppers
• shredded cheese
• sour cream
• salsa
• black beans

This was inspired by Chipotle's veggie bowl and also because I prepared chicken tacos for my family and wanted to avoid the white starchy products. It was so filling and delicious.

OK, so weigh in was tonight. Me and my friend Yasica went. I'm getting excited because it seems like all the forces are with me at this time. This challenge, Tracy wanting to walk, my hot yoga, having a friend with me and us planning our exchange day....workout included!!  I'm so grateful.

My weight so far is 303lbs. That's a huge number now that I wrote it down.   Anyway, I started this fresh one week ago and have lost really 5lbs in a week. Last weeks weigh in for me was 308lbs!! That's almost a pound a day. From this past week I see, going very light on the white starches and hot yoga are two things work. I am going to continue this same philosophy threw out the next upcoming week.

                                  
                         Plan For Week One Biggest Loser

1. Go very light on white starches everyday of week
2. Hot Yoga....Tu...wed....Fri...Saturday
3. gym with Yasica....Sunday

No More Alcohol!!!

Last night I had a small eating binge. I blame it on the fact that I was drinking and up late. A new goal going into week 4 will be to set a bedtime for myself. Not working seems to make me think I can stay up all damn night!! Anyway my binge included the following:

• 2 big candy covered pretzels
• 2 handfuls of honey roasted peanuts
• fresh mango slices  

Now that I look at it, it was nothing compared to a normal binge prior...lol. But, the point is that I was already at my calorie max for the day. The pretzels hit me for 180 cal each and the peanuts around 140....sad. It just took me over the top. I felt stuffed too!!

I cant have another day like that. Not for at least 30 days. Today I am joining The Biggest Loser weight loss challenge. It is a group of people off of Facebook and someone I know invited me to join. It is a 30 day challenge with the weigh in being today. Everyone puts in $20 and winner of all the money will be announced Feb 2. I am excited and if I stick to my plan I feel I have a great chance to win!! Either way it is a nice jump start. So, this is how I started off my day:

It is quite good. Its two Boca Patties, two slices of cheese, BBQ sauce, mustard and mixed green lettuce on top. It cost me 333 calories. Not bad. I need more ideas of low starch breakfasts. Today this was what I had.

Second Day Hot Yoga

Enjoyed my class again today after taking New Years Eve off. I made sure to bring in the first day of the new year doing hot yoga!! I hope this speaks to what I will do all year long.

Eating went OK today. I stayed away from starches minus the coating of the fried shrimp from the shrimp over raw cabbage I ate for dinner.....no wait, thats not true. (I decided to include this because that is how quick you can forget what you ate if you dont track what you eat.) With my My Pal check in, my only other meal if the day was fierce in calories.  I had a veggie burger Western style from Burger King. I also had their medium onion ring. That set me back 980 calories. Amazing what such a small meal can do to you.  Other than that the shrimp and cabbage for dinner was the only other meal I had. I felt really full and satisfied the whole day. I have posted this meal before and its so good I will post again.

According to mypal this full plate of raw cabbage and wonderful fried shrimp in a sweet/spicy sauce was only 317 calories!! I would give a little more calories due to the shrimp were fried and I forgot to add that into the recipe counter.

   I also made these wonderful snack item. Big pretzles coated in almond bark. These do hit 180 calories each but, these are such a tasty treat and are really big and rich, so one (or two is plenty enough).

  WEIGH IN 2MORO