#aprilWhole30

I am always looking for ways to be healthier, feel better, and not consume as many ingredients.  I wrote a previous post about how I believe what we are consuming has a major connection with my generation being sick (feel free to go back and read).  So, when my mom starting telling me about this Whole30 challenge; a different way of thinking and looking at food, I first thought she had lost her mind. ;) But, typical of my momma she kept bringing it up, telling me how great her and her husband were feeling, their skin was glowing, and they had lost a good amount of weight in only a month. 

Needless to say, I talked the Hubby into it.  30 days.  Only eating non-processed whole foods. Fruit, veggies, and meat. (spices, oils, vinegar included also).  No dairy, no alcohol, no grains, no sugar, no soy, NO PROCESSED FOODS. If you cannot pronounce an ingredient, you can't eat it.  

It sounds more challenging than it is, I promise.

Along the way I found a few key things that saved me in my first #whole30.  

A good rule when doing any sort of challenge is to have a support team. As I mentioned before, I thankfully convinced the Hubby to join me the first time.  I would not have survived succeeded without him. I have found that I am terrible at holding myself accountable.  But, if I have given someone my word, I will stick with it until the end. Now, this time around, all of you will be my accountability partners.  :) So, thank you for going on this journey with me.  

Another saving grace is being prepared.  Biggest part is preparing what you will eat, Meal Prep.  It can either be your best friend or greatest enemy. Not even kidding, what's the saying.... If you fail to prepare then you are preparing to fail...? It is beyond true. I struggle with this; It is challenging for me.  I have no idea what I'm going to want to eat on Thursday for lunch.  But, this is a part of your "food freedom" Melissia Hartwig talks about A LOT! Food is fuel, it is not a reward.  As long as you have meals designed to fuel your body in the best way possible it doesn't necessarily matter what you "feel like eating".  Every single meal I made during #januarywhole30 was delicious!!  

I like to plan at most a week in advance, again, I do struggle with this.  Especially when I am trying new recipes and I am unsure of the amount of leftovers I will have. All I do is go and grab my go to cookbooks, sit down with a notebook or my planner, and get to looking and writing.  When I write down a recipe for each meal I immediately turn to a grocery list and write it all down.  Do not delay in writing out your grocery list.  You do not want to feel that turmoil. 

Also, make sure to have "in case of emergency" items available.  Nuts, fruit, LaraBars, RxBars. 

My favorite cookbooks are: The Whole30: The 30-Day Guide to Total Health and Food Freedom, by Melissa Hartwig and Dallas Hartwig (This book is EVERYTHING) / The Whole30 Cookbook by Melissa Hartwig / Well Fed & Well Fed by Melissa Joulwan (These aren't all Whole30 approved so watch the ingredients) / NonNonPaleo by Michelle Tam and Henry Fong
(Not all paleo recipes are whole30 recipes)

The hardest part for anyone I've talked to about this is coffee.  We all love sugar and cream in our coffee.  But, as stated above, no dairy and no sugar for 30 days.  My favorite line and probably the most quoted line Melissa has is this "It is not hard. Don’t you dare tell us this is hard. Quitting heroin is hard. Beating cancer is hard. Drinking your coffee black. Is. Not. Hard. You won’t get any coddling, and you won’t get any sympathy for your 'struggles.'" With that being said, I found my favorite way to drink my coffee is blended with a little bit of cinnamon and Califia Farms brand Coconut/Almond milk. There is creamer called Nut Pods, that you can purchase on Amazon. (personally, I like my concoction better)

Those are my few little tips.  Starting on Saturday I will be doing another round, if anyone would like to join me let me know!! :) I would love to help you make your Whole30 journey the best possible! Please please please ask me any questions, if I don't already know the answer, I will do my best to find it!! I would also love ideas, or suggestions for what you would like to learn or know more about! :)  And get ready friends, there will be a lot of pictures and my favorite recipes will be shared also. 

Food Homework is Fun Homework

I spend most nights perusing through the 1.6 million cook books Chris and I own and Pinterest. My bedside table is usually loaded down with 6 novels I'm in the middle of, 2 or 3 cookbooks and 1 or 2 foodie magazines.  In this house, with a baker and a chef, our lives basically revolve around food.

Recently, like the past week, I have been eating 95% paleo/whole30, healthy, however you want to put it.  Meat, eggs, veggies, small amounts of fruit, that's basically it.  (If you don't count the cookie and ice cream I had last week.)  As far as drinks go, I stick to water and coffee (which is where I am struggling to not add my flavors and milk) I can't help it, I LOVE my caramel vanilla iced americano with 2%, I'm a barista, it's going to happen.  After only one week of eating this way, I feel great.  I'm not lethargic, I'm not overly moody, and I'm enjoying cooking again <3

My favorite new found breakfast is baked eggs with lots of goodies.  Call it a fritatta, a spanish tortilla, baked eggs, whatev! Hello, easy, delicious, and filling!

Spanish Tortilla 

(play around with the ingredients)

Serves 1, 3 days

1 Small Sweet Potato, peeled and thinly sliced in rounds

1/4 Bell Pepper of your choice, thinly sliced in long strips

(I always have green and red on hand)

1/4 Walla Walla Sweet Onion, thinly sliced

1 Jalapeno, seeded and thinly sliced or diced

4 oz meat, thinly sliced or diced

(I've used ham, chicken sausage, anything you like)

5-6 eggs, beaten (preferably farm fresh, trust me, there is a difference)

2 tsp EVOO

fresh basil, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, italian seasoning

Heat EVOO in skillet over medium heat

Once heated, add sweet potato, saute 10 minutes, until browned and cooked through

Add in all other ingredients minus eggs

Saute 5-7 minutes, until veggies are par-cooked

Take off burner, put all yummy goodies into a heat-safe bowl to cool

Once partially cooled add beaten eggs.

Line a small baking dish with parchment paper, (I used a 6 cup Pyrex)

Bake at 375 for about 30 minutes.

Let cool fully, pop out of pan, divide into 3 equal parts, place in tupperware of some sort

Magic, you have breakfast for 3 days!! :) 

My lunches are always leftovers from the night before.  Recently, I have only been cooking for myself.  My hubby works way too much, my daughter left for college last month, and my son is WAY to busy being a senior in high school to be home for dinner every night. ;) I have found that it works best for me to take any recipe I want to try and cut it in half.  That way I have dinner for that night and lunch for the next day.  It keeps me from getting bored, and eating whatever looks better at work, and then having to throw away perfectly good food.  

Tonight I was feeling the weather and a little nostalgic of my time in Ireland. I decided to make a "traditional fall dish" that I ate once a week during my time across the pond. Who doesn't love pork chops and applesauce? . I seared my thin cut pork chops, took them out and set them aside. Thinly sliced up new potatoes, a gala apple, purple cabbage, the other 1/4 of my walla walla sweet onion, garlic and some cauliflower.  Saute'd it all together with a good amount of salt, red pepper flakes, thyme, and cinnamon.  Added the pork back in, lowered heat to med low, and let it all cook together and the pork to come up to 160 degrees! Oh man, it was delicious, and so easy, I just love one pan meals.



It's amazing to me how a little bit of research, or homework, can change how I am looking at meals.  I have been cooking for so long that I can take bits and pieces from certain recipes and adapt them into a totally different one.  If you aren't to that point, follow a recipe.  It is simple.  Remember to try new things; I am shocked that I like certain foods now that 1 or 2 years ago made me shudder when I saw them in a dish (Main one, mushrooms, love them...now....) Another new flavor to me that I absolutely love, is curry! I don't keep any red curry in our house due to Chris' food allergy, but Yellow Curry is amazing!! Trust me. ;)

I hope my renewed love of cooking can come through your screens and help you to make healthy, easy, yummy food for you and your family.  <3

A New Way of Thinking

I don't know about you, but once I reached my late 20's (I can't believe I'm in my last full calendar year of my 20's) I started to see a lot of people my age getting sick.  I'm not talking about the common cold or the flu, more along the lines on cancer and bad food allergies.  Right now, I have 2 possibly 3 friends with cancer that I know of; and more people than I could possibly count have discovered that they allergic to real foods.  It has gotten me thinking, what are we doing wrong?  As a society we pride ourselves on being the best.  Everyone wants to be an American; This is "The Greatest Country in the World."  Why are we getting sick?

I am starting to believe that a major issue is what we are consuming; food and drink mainly.  We have become brainwashed and tricked into thinking that food is food. If it is sold in a grocery store, it is ok to eat and shouldn't make us sick.  Well, that's a bunch a bull, if you don't mind me saying so.
I dare you to go look in your cupboard, pick up any can or box of "food" and read the label.  Those words you and I cannot pronounce are not food.  They are chemicals, they are additives to make our "food" appealing to us.  To make it taste good and trick us into thinking its delicious. To make them easy to mass-produce, to make an easy dollar, or million. I have these same "foods" in my cupboard right now.  I'm trying to get away from them, but with 2 teenagers and my husband in my house, that gets a little difficult.

I would love to know the rates of cancer and food allergies in other 1st world countries.  Is it such an epidemic in Germany? Or France? What about Ireland? I know that they are not allowed to put a good majority of the chemicals in their foods as we do.  They do not process meat in a warehouse the way we do.  A lot of things have made me really take a step back, not always reach for the easiest item to indulge in, and really start taking the time and effort to put only real food items into my body.


Let me step off my soap box. :) With this new way of looking at our foods, and knowing that what I put into my body is what will either make me run at full capacity or just barely scrape by, I have really started to make myself prep my meals again.  I am re-learning what foods I really do enjoy, new foods to try, new spices and herbs.  I absolutely love to cook and bake.  It is one of my biggest passions in life besides being the best wife and mom I can be.  But, with that being said, some days I want nothing to do with being a kitchen, or doing dishes, blech!!!


I am learning to take an hour or 2 every couple of days and prep out breakfasts, snacks, and lunches for a couple days, it saves me a ton of time and irritation.  I am definitely one of those people who when I am hungry, I am starving and need to eat 10 minutes ago.  If it isn't easy or already made, I'm not going to make it.

I am also learning, that I do not like to eat the same meal more than 2 (maybe 3) days in a row.  I'm bored of it by then.  So, my plan on here is to share at least once, maybe twice a week what I'm cooking and eating.  My hope is that I might inspire just a few people, hopefully more, to take the time and learn to enjoy the time spent to take care of our bodies.  We only get one, and I personally would like to live as long as possible.  For goodness sake, my mom is saying she's going to live to 112, so I at least have to make it to 93.  ;)

Hello Portion Control, Nice to Meet You

I've been under the illusion that if I'm making my own food, and it's mainly lean and green, with some "healthy" carbs, that I am doing the right thing.  Hah! Wrong.  Wrong, wrong, wrong.  Part of it is right, but portion control is SO IMPORTANT and so not something we Americans are good at.  In any part of our lives, we love to over indulge. I love to over indulge.  But, I am learning that indulgence (by definition: to yield to an inclination or desire) is a treat, not a way of life. So, in turn, I am learning how to control portions; the size and amount of food I eat in a day impacts me beyond what I ever thought it could.  

It did take a couple weeks to actually feel full/not starving on the portions my meal plan was allowing.  At first I doubled the veg/lean protein, or added in a whole wheat bread of some sort.  Now, I'm doing much better, eating much less, and eating properly.  (Finger up when I take a sip and all. ;-) )

I have definitely decided that I am a breakfast eater, or just an eater... But without breakfast my day is hard.  According to Chris, I am always hungry.  Which, if I do not eat, I get hangry, very very hangry! It's easy to avoid, if I eat a good breakfast.  When I'm home I like to make healthy veggie scrambles with farm fresh eggs from my awesome cousin! But, when I have to be to work super early, that isn't much of an option... My favorite thing for work days are Overnight Oats.  So easy to prep 3 or 4 days in a row and just grab one in the morning and you are SET!

Overnight Oats, before Almond or Coconut Milk

OVERNIGHT OATS

1/4 cup Old Fashioned Oats

1/2 cup Unsweetened Almond Milk 

(I like Vanilla Unsweetened, and you can use Coconut Milk also)

1 scoop Protein Powder 

(My new fav is Fit Miss in Vanilla Chai)

1 Tbsp Chia Seeds

1/2 Tbsp Cacao Nibs

1/2 Tbsp Peanut Butter (or any nut butter)

1/4 cup berries 

(blackberries or strawberries(sliced) are my favorite)

2 tsp honey

Put all ingredients in a mason jar, and let sit overnight.  I usually make up to 3 days in advance.  

Today I also tried a new recipe that is going to stick around for quite a while, I even think Chris will like it! I love a good crockpot recipe, I love getting everything ready, puting my crockpot on low to cook and blend flavors for hours without me having to do much at all.  I also am really excited that I now have lunch and dinner for at least the weekend, if not a while after that!  Makes meal prep a breeze, since I have breakfast for all weekend prepped from last night.  Go me! 

Crockpot Black Bean Chili

(With lots of extra yumminess)

2 Tbsp EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)

1 White Onion

1 lb ground chicken/turkey or 1 package Tofu

2 tsp Cumin

1 1/2 Tbsp Chili Powder (to your liking) 

1 Tbsp Cayenne Powder

2 tsp coriander

2 tsp-1 Tbsp Salt

1 tsp Black Pepper

dash/pinch of cinnamon

(Split spices in half)

1/4 cup minced Garlic

1 can Black Beans

1 can Kidney Beans

2 cups sliced Mushrooms (I like Crimini)

1 cup Bell Pepper, diced

1 cup Sweet Potato, cubed

1 cup Butternut Squash, cubed

2 cups Quinoa (I use a quinoa/ancient grain mix)

1 can Fire Roasted Tomatoes + 1 can water

1 small can Spicy V8

Heat oil in pan over Medium heat, add onion, cook until soft

Add meat/tofu and 1/2 of spices, cook until browned

Add all ingredients to slow cooker

High for 5-6 hours, depending on you slowcooker 

I think I'm getting the hang of this food photography! 

Enough about food, even though it basically runs my life right now.  I have not been able to workout in a week and it's killing me! I slipped and fell on the ice last weekend and went from feeling 28 and wonderful to feeling 88 and in pain in a matter of seconds! Haven't been able to do much, getting through work decently enough the last couple days and really trying to mend my body.  Went to see my lovely Chiropractor today and he told me that I messed my lower back up real well.  Had one of the highest adjustments I've ever had, including after my car accidents.  EEK! I honestly never in my life thought that I would miss working out, but I do.  I can't wait to get back into it, I'm going to start on Sunday with my Yoga Camp again and see how I do!  

Thanks for following along with me on the this crazy journey! Hope you enjoy these recipes, there will be lots more to come!! Comment with things you would like to read about, or if you have any questions! :) I'm off to ice my lower back.... after I put on a sweatshirt. 

Meal Prep has taken over, in a good way!

Woah! Somehow we are already half way through the first month of the beautiful new year! Not sure how that happened, but it did.  I have been slacking in my blogging duties, but really, I haven't had much to share.  I have been following my TIU meal plan, for the most part, and working out daily, for the most part.  In these 3 1/2 weeks, I have realized a lot about myself.  Mainly, I am not going to EVER give up a few things in life (foodwise).  In no particular order, those things are: *iced 12oz caramel americanos with milk. *WINE (although I am going to not drink on worknights... for a bit) *Egg yolks.  because the whites gross me out! *salt *cheese (OMYum) *Gluten.  I do not have to live a gluten free lifestyle, there for, I will not.  (Trust me, I'm nicer when I can have bread)

Me today.  Its my Monday. :/

I have struggled with the working out part more than I have the food part.  Which, if you know me, is not a big shocker.  Like I've told you, I really have never worked out before.  Especially not for an extended period of time, and definitely not while hungover! But, watch out world, this new Alex might just take over! I have decided to take it easy on the days that I have to wake up at 4am for work.  I am just so exhausted on those days, it is hard for me to do much of anything.  Maybe eventually, or even tomorrow, I will be able to do my TIU workout.  For now, my goal tomorrow is to complete my Yoga Camp.

But enough about tomorrow, today I really felt the turning point, I powered through a section in the workout that was crunches with alternating left and right punches without a break! (woo) and then I jumped back into plank, held plank, and powered through that section too! :) I am so proud of myself, and in seeing the changes there is no turning back.  I am on the right track to health and loving my body! All of these things are full on non-scale victories! I haven't actually lost any weight, YET!

Veg all prepped out!! :) Simple Life!

Along with my Weekly Workouts from TIU, I am also doing Yoga Camp with Adriene.  I follow a bunch of fellow TIUGirls on Instagram and saw so many doing this, that I joined in also!  She is so relaxing, and funny, and I am moving in ways I was unaware I could, already.  (Joined late, finished day 3 today)

Constantly meal planning, but loving every minute of it. 

My meal planning has taken over the kitchen/fridge/ottoman/house. lol  I've never been this much of a meal planner, but man, it takes all the thought out of it.  I am eating more veggies than ever! Lean proteins, and finding new foods to love!  I am also learning how to cook on a healthier side, less salt, less fats, and foods that fill me up and leave me feeling healthy!!  Extra Bonus: Chris is loving the foods too! :)

I think I've caught you all up, shared some fun photos, eaten my dinner while blogging, and now it's time to go.  To continue to meal prep!! ;) Hope you all have a great night, thanks for following along!

Tomorrow is the day.

Tomorrow is the day.  The day I begin my journey to re-find myself.  Not that I've lost myself, I've just put myself to the side for the past few years.  I've been focusing on my job, my family, my appetite.  Appetite for life, for love, for food, for WINE! In that pursuit, I've lost track of me.  I turned 28 a couple months ago, and I'm ready to really focus on my health, on fitness and food.  A different kind of food though, not the kind that makes my feelings happy, but the kind that makes my body healthy and happy.  

I've found that the best way to focus on anything in life, is to be fully prepared.  I'm very good at preparing, at least for the things I can control.  So after work today I meal-prepped quite a bit.  I got all of my lettuce chopped, kale cut, bell peppers and mushrooms chopped and stored safely! I will be cooking my chicken either that day or the night before to get meals ready for workdays.  This way I can make sure to set aside time to check-in with myself and the TIU community. 

As I've told you before, I'm following the TIU 8 week challenge and with that I'm finding a few hurdles I wasn't fully prepared for.  For starters, I'm not big on spending anywhere over $30 for protein powder let alone $50 + shipping.  I'm sure their Perfect Fit Protein Powder is awesome, but I just can't spend that much.  So, I have the protein powder I really do love in my shakes, and I needed some for a baked item (donuts!).  Oh man, bad bad bad! Like, bad bad bad! Now I'm on the hunt for a new protein powder, that I can get in the small town I live in and that isn't too expensive... :/ Wish me luck, I think I'm going to need it.

I'm not letting that discourage me though, neither am I letting the fact that I haven't worked out since Thursday discourage me.  I worked a super long day yesterday, 12 hrs starting at 4am, and was asleep on the couch by 6pm last night. And today, well, today I just didn't... :/ Not that I still couldn't, but I've had a horrible neckpain/headache all day and today is not yet tomorrow. ;) (hello, queen of excuses) So again, tomorrow is the day! 

Another thing that bothered me, but I have already overcome, is that the meal-plan isn't quite as planned as I would hope.  The grocery list isn't quite accurate, and neither are the planning days.  Thankfully tho, I am quite the planner.  I had already gone over Week 1 multiple times, therefore I think I bought all that I could from one grocery store and will be hitting up a specialty store in the morning.  

Well, I think that's all for today.  Sorry for not having any pictures, I was so in the zone while prepping and cleaning that I did not get any taken.  Isn't it so nice to not be attached to our phones every once in a while?! :) Thanks for listening! 

Do The Work To Get To The Wine.

Hey blog friends! Remember me?! Almost 3 years ago I decided to join Medifast, my plan in doing so was to lose weight, fall back in love with my own body and learn to eat healthy proportions and not rely on "comfort foods" as every day foods.  Well, here I am 3 years later, heavier than I was then, and still just as clueless.  I want to learn to workout, learn what foods are going to feed my body the nutrients I need to live a long and healthy life.

Chris and I @ his xmas party

It feels so weird to admit that I am 28 years old, and I have absolutely NO idea how to workout.  Sure, sure, I know how to go on a walk, I do know how to jog (doesn't mean you're likely to see me doing it), I do know how to do a pushup, and a situp even.  But what I do not know, is how to use those to my advantage.  How many pushups/situps/wallsits etc should I be doing? What order? Do I push myself so hard that I don't ever want to do those again? I've struggled with these questions for most of my life, and I've also struggled with finding answers that will actually motivate me to do the work.  I also, am totally clueless as to what a healthy portion is, and why is it that I even if I am making all of my own foods, are they not healthy?!  Being a baker is a HUGE problem for my waistline.

I think I've found the answer.  Actually, I've had the answer, I've just been to stubborn and lazy to actually do the work. Before I stopped writting, eating right, working out last time (2 1/2 years ago!!!!) I had found a program called Tone It Up (TIU).  It was created by 2 amazing women who want to share their knowledge and love for being healthy with other women.  I have followed them online and through emails and have been a member for almost 3 years now.  What I have not done is actually FOLLOWED the information, tips, recipies etc from them.

So, starting on January 3rd I will be partaking in their newest 8 week challenge.  This was MADE for me! Oh man, it is all planned; all I have to do is follow along.  If you want to follow along on my journey of learning how to workout, eat right and live a healthier lifestyle, please do! :) I'm sure there will be lots of pictures, laughs, tears, and complaints.  Oh, and wine.  There will be wine.  :)

On Sunday, I will be taking all new measurements, making my handsome fiance take pictures of me (which I will not be sharing with the world) and grocery shopping from my awesome new meal plan! But first, I have already started with the Weekly Workouts from my TIU team, and I can not WAIT to see the progress from steady and hard work.

Here we go friends! I am excited to share this journey with you, and if you would love to come along with me, please let me know!

--alex

Time to get back on track!

I have been slacking like no other!! Confession made! When I ended TSFL I had lost 26 lbs, and over the last month and half I have slowly gained 9 lbs back and I'm on my way to end up just where I was.  :/  That is NOT okay! I'm not sure if I was to do a little kickstart w/MM since I have a few left or to start with a 7DSD w TIU.  I guess I'm going to figure that out tonight, and start working out in the morning. 

Sorry I haven't been on here much, but I besides life being great, my diet has been bad and boring! I'll keep ya up to date on what how it goes from here! :) 

Changes...

EEK! I just noticed that it has almost been a month since I last posted.  I am so sorry! That just goes to show how fast time really does fly!  So much has happened in the past few weeks!!  I have changed programs and jobs.  I have realized that if I actually live in the town that I live in, I pretty much love the town I live in.  :)  I have become the happy girl I always knew I was.  YAY!!

I have stopped TSFL and using Medifast products.  Turns out that out here in the real world, working a job where I am constantly busy: using MM just doesn't work for me. I was unable to eat all of my meals each day and also unable to get in all the additional foods I was supposed to be eating.  Call it poor time management, or poor prepping or just poor excuses!  Whatever it was, it just was not working for me.  So I have spent the last week or so not on any program.  :/ I have been very good though, eating little to no breads/pastas/rice, eating mainly lean & green, and I have added exercise! 

I have started out with going on a walk every day, and today (after I am finished with this post) I will begin doing a HIIT workout, which will be done at least 5 days a week.  I am going to use Jullian Michaels '30 Day Shred' or a video from my TIU girls!  I am super excited to see the results from working out.  Just from lifting wine cases I can already see definition in my arms!! :) Also, with my job, I am on my feet for at least 5 hours a day! Huge difference from sitting on my bum for 8+ hours a day!

Starting on Saturday I will begin the TIU plan! I am so excited to continue my journey with this community, and make it my lifestyle!  I saw a quote the other day, "I am not on a diet, I am just eating healthy".  All of the sudden, the light bulb came on! DUH!! America has this predudice against eating healthy.  Apparently, if you are eating properly, then you are on a diet.  Come on people! Wake up!!! You wouldn't fill your car with shit fuel, so why are we putting shit food into our bodies?! We have been so brainwashed into feeling guilty if we are eating healthy.  It's time to put a stop to it!! Why do we feel like we get to reward ourselves with pizza 3 nights a week?! Or again, in the morning?!  Its fine to indulge every once in a while, but every day of the week?! No one is that good!! Just by me changing my eating habits the other people in my household are also.  Maybe not entirely by choice, but they are eating more veggies, less carbs and feeling much better about themselves.  (ok, stepping off of my soap box)

So, TIU! Otherwise known as Tone It Up, Or Karena & Katrina.  They are two amazing girls who have found what works best for them, and girls in general, and have put it out there for the rest to use!!  I have purchased the whole Nutrition Guide, and I am getting ready to begin with a 7DSD (7 Day Slim Down) on Saturday.  Their whole philosophy is to eat 5 small clean, lean & green meals a day and make sure you are putting in what your bodies need at the right time.  :)  

I promise to try to blog more with this program.  As I will be making/prepping all of my meals I will have a TON to tell you all about!!! :) 

PS.  I ended Medifast 26 lbs lighter than I began.  :) I will take all new measurements on Saturday morning!! 

Have an amazing day to you all!! and maybe, think twice about what you are putting in your mouth... ;)

Changes

April has been a little crazy for me! Maybe even a lot crazy!! I've been making a few changes in my life; changing careers/jobs, deciding how to continue my weight loss journey w/out the funds I currently have, re-organizing my priorities and HITTING THE 20 LBS LOSS mark! Plus lots more is always going on in the Thompson household! :) 

First: You heard/read me right, I hit the 20 lbs lost mark!! The picture I'm putting up is from my one month date of April 9th.  But I hit 20lbs and under 170 on April 20th.  I stuck with TSFL for the most part.  I hit a few bumps here and there, and took 3 days off intentionally to enjoy some time with my friends.  It was definitely hard work at times, but the payoff makes it all well worth it!

Now don't worry, I'm not stopping there! I'm still going with TSFL.  I have 3 weeks of my MM's all separated into daily bags, pretty sure towards the end I have some days w/2 pancakes, 2 brownies and a bar! haha!!  But those 3 weeks will be the end of my TSFL journey.  Main reason being that I will no longer be able to afford it.  :/  The prices went up and my paycheck is going down.

As I briefly mentioned, I am changing my job.  For many reasons, but the big one is I am ready to be home.  If you don't know, for the last 1 1/2 I have worked 120 miles from home 3+ days a week.  Meaning: I am gone from Saturday afternoon until at least Tuesday morning every week.  On top of being gone, I work graveyard.  So unlike all of you lucky souls, I am AWAKE during night and sleeping away soundly during the day (on days that I work).  Which may work for some, (those of you I applaud), but for me I am ready to join the world of the living.  No more night owl, vampire, nocturnal hours for this girl!  Now, I am going from my awesome career with great pay and benefits, back to serving; with awesome customers, great tips and a more active lifestyle.  But mainly, I get to sleep in my own bed, with my very own handsome man, EVERY night.  

I will be changing my weight loss journey also.  Through another blog, I have discovered the Tone It Up program!  It is basically eating 5 clean, portion controlled, meals that are designed to be eaten at certain times of the day and to work out for certain times and at certain times.  If you know me, I don't work out.  I never have.  But, I do want to start and start it correctly.  After looking into the program for a week or so, I have made the plunge.  Bought the whole damn program: workouts, recipes, food plans and so on!  I must say, I am super excited!! Will fill you in more as I learn more! :) 

Unfortunately I can't stick with TSFL through the transition and maintenance,  but I think that TIU (Tone It UP) is going to be a good way to transition from MM to whole foods.  It still has the same basic set up as TSFL, but with food food.  :)  Chris is, of course, fully behind this change.  Which trust me, if you are going to make any lifestyle change, make sure you have a great support system!! It is the biggest key!!

He's so cute!!! <3

Since I am still doing TSFL, I might as well give you some recipes and pictures of what I did for this week.  :)  Yesterday evening our kitchen became ground zero!!  Chris kept walking in and directly back out shaking his head.  What?! I had to prep for 4 days! I've been sticking to pretty simple L&G's lately, and I was so sick of them! It was definitely time to shake it up a bit.

Ps, that picture is only half of my counter, all behind me was a close mirror image!! ;) 

With me this week I have Cauliflower Pizza with bell peppers.  It's the first time I've pre-made it to re-heat.  I know it won't as crunchy, but I'm hoping it's at least edible.  Any place I saw said that you should re-heat them in the oven.  Well, I do not have an oven at work.  Gotta make it work, I guess.  I also made a Chicken Enchilada Bake, and asparagus to go with.  (A co-worker of Chris' cut some fresh out of an orchard, and oh goodness!!! Delish!!!)  I made the most amazing Greek Turkey Burgers, with broccoli.  Lastly Mexican Cheesy Dish with salad.    :) I also had been dying to try a "cheesecake" recipe, it was... different.  Kind of more like a souffle ... Still not sure how I felt about...

I will post the recipes tomorrow, or maybe even tonight, but in a different post.

There, now you are all caught up! Busy, busy, busy!! :) I hope you are all having an amazing April!  Get outside, enjoy the beautiful tulips that are EVERYWHERE! :) and Thanks, to all of you who are reading this and keeping me accountable!! <3

Ps.  It was in the stars for all my changes!!

Non Scale Victories!!

This has been an exciting week! For many reasons but mainly: I finally tried on my jeans that I have been dreading putting on, and guess what?! THEY FIT! With a little room to spare!! Phew!! I was so relieved/excited.  I even did a happy dance.  If you are a girl, or guy, who has struggled with weight gain you know what it starts to feel like when your favorite jeans just keep getting tighter and tighter?! It is the worst feeling ever.  Especially if you are like me and are a "jeans and tshirt" kinda girl.  

TSFL & Medifast both have NSV's, Non Scale Victories.  This was my first big one. :) It made my whole day that much better! I was putting off trying my jeans on.  What if they were still super tight? What if I had gained weight?! Right?! Well, I knew that I was on the right track when I put them on and they fit! I've noticed that fatty weight that keeps just melting off of me if definitely coming off of places that I hadn't even thought would ever be small again.  My thighs are shrinking, my waist, my face! I'm just so surprised by the transformation that is happening! Thank you TSFL! You are giving me back my confidence, my love for life!!! <3

My other NSV of this week is, I went out to a local Pub last night and drank... WATER! Even though all I wanted was a big fat Costco size glass of wine last night. ;)  We all have those cravings; whether it be wine, cheesecake or a burger.  We all have days where that is all we want, and all we can think about! Well, that was my yesterday.  With both wine and cheesecake.  :/ (EEK!!) But I stuck to my guns.  I got dressed up as though I was going to go hit the town! (Ps, I live in Small Town USA, We currently have 1 bar open past 10pm).  I think just getting dressed pretty, makeup done, hair done, cute clothes, helped me so much.  

I have stuck to my plan completely for 10 days now.  If you've been reading along with me, that's the longest I've gone w/o cheating.  And I am in NO hurry to begin cheating! I am going to stick with this! Soon those jeans will be falling off of me, and I can not wait!!  

I am learning with my L&G to keep it simple, stupid! There is no point in making a whole separate meal just for me.  Especially when Chris & Sydney are so easy to cook for.  (Unless they want pizza, or something I really can't eat).  For example, dinner tonight is: pork chops marinated in olive oil, balsamic vinegar, some steak seasoning and oregano.  Along with roasted asparagus (LOVE) and zucchini!! Sydney gets to have rice and a roll with hers! Super sonic easy right?! :) 

Speaking of dinner, I'd better get off the computer and get to cooking!!! Hope you are all enjoying this beautiful weather!! <3 

Weigh in & TSFL Recipes

Weigh in day 3!! :) I am down to 176.8, which means since the very beginning I have lost 10 pounds! WOOHOO! Since beginning TSFL I have lost 5.8 pounds! In 3 weeks!! I am so excited! I can definitely see the difference.  Chris and I were talking late last night, and I was telling him how yesterday, for the first time, I could see my face becoming slimmer.  My yoga pants and scrubs are fitting better! I'm still a little too afraid to try on my jeans! I'll give that another few days.  LOL  Point is: I can see the difference! :) In as little as 3 weeks! 

Yesterday I promised you  TSFL friendly recipes, and here they are!! (these are not approved by NS, this is what I have estimated them to equal.)

Baked Turkey Spinach Meatballs

1 TBS Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/3 cup Chopped Onion

2 Garlic Cloves (we used minced, so I did 2 tsp)

1 tsp salt (we use kosher)

1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper (I have not figured out how to measure f.g.p, so I estimate)

1/4 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/4-1/2 tps red pepper flake

16 oz frozed spinach (after thawing and draining, mine weighed 13 oz)

2 TBS Worcestershire

1/2 cup egg beaters

2 1/2 lbs ground Turkey (the leaner the better, I used 98% fat free)

1. Set oven to 400 degrees

2. Saute onion, garlic, salt, pepper, thyme, oregano and red pepper flakes together with olive oil over medium heat.

3. Thaw and drain your spinach, add to onion mixture until well combined.

4. Combine turkey, egg beaters, Worcestershire and onion/spinach mixture.  Mix.  (I used my hands) 

5. Cover baking sheet with parchment paper.  Weigh out 1 oz portions of turkey mixture.  Roll into balls.  Bake for 30 minutes, or until internal temperature is 165 degrees.

This made 55 meatballs for me, I separated them into 6 bags of nine.  With one leftover for Chris to try.  He liked it! :)

1 lean portion w/ 2/3 of 1 green.  So you will need to add 2 1/3 Green to this.  It also has all of your condiments for the day, but you should add at least 1 healthy fat, if not a little extra.  :)

Cheesy Cauliflower Pancakes

1 head of Cauliflower

1 cup of egg beaters

1/2 cup reduced fat mexican blend shredded cheese

1/2 cup moderate fat mozzarella

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp salt

1. Cut cauliflower into small pieces, boil until very soft.  

2. Mash cauliflower.  (I used a whisk) 

3. Add egg beaters, cheese and spices.

4.  Heat pan on medium, spray with Pam.

5.  Make patties.  (I used a measuring cup to scoop, and flattened with a spatula.)

6. Fry on both sides, about 3-4 minutes each side.

I made 9 patties total, and had 3 count per meal.  So 3 patties equals 3 Green and a little over 1/3 Lean.  

Have a great day!!! And an amazing Easter!!! <3

Back and Going Strong

Wow, this week has flown by! I can't believe it is already Friday!! That's exciting for all of you M-F workers!!! Unfortunately that means today is my Sunday and it is back to work tomorrow for me! Today is day 5 of being back OP (on plan).  I am feeling great, ready to not cheat at all and keep going strong through the end! :) I'm not weighing in until tomorrow which will be my 3rd weigh in since beginning this journey.  I'll update ya when I see the numbers tomorrow. 

With it being Friday, my prep day, I am going over and over my recipes that I keep adding to my Slimproject folder on Pinterest!! I think I have decided with a Baked Turkey Spinach Meatball recipe and a Cheesy Cauliflower Pancake.  Can you say yum?!  I'll put the links to the original recipe at the end of this post and post my "TSFL friendly" version later today.  I still need one more meal, I'm sure I'll come up with something delicious!! :) 

Yesterday, I was reading a friend of mines blog; she is also on a weight loss journey.  She said that she keeps getting discouraged due to the fact that she is an instant gratification kind of girl.  Let me tell you, when I read that I yelled "Oh man, Me TOO!!!!"  I think that has been part of my problem; I want what I want, and I want it NOW!! 

Didn't our mothers always preach "patience is a virtue" and "squeaky wheel gets the grease"?  Well, at least my mom did.  :) (She has plenty more sayings like that also).  I am so not patient, nor do I particularly care to be 'squeaky'.  Maybe this is the time when patience becomes part of our lives, I guess I am in my mid-20's it is time to learn some patience.  I'm trying, really!!  Keep with me, and I'll make it to the end.  Just you wait and see!!

For those of you who are also on TSFL, I have a few tricks that I've learned along with way w/MM.  
*Hot Cocoa: Only add 1-2 TBL of hot water, mix until all the powder is gone, then add the rest of your hot water.  This makes for a nice smooth, no lumps cocoa.
*Brownie & Soft Bake: Adding 2 1/2 TBL of water, mix well, microwave for 1 min 15 seconds.  
*Mac & Cheese: (not a big fan), but if you mix a TON of fresh ground pepper and make sure to either eat it quickly or take big drinks of water after every bite... it makes it bearable.  
*Shakes: The colder the water the better
*Soups/Stews: Add the water 12+ hours in advance and let it soak!!!!
*Pancakes: Spray mug with Pam, mix pancake and 1/4 cup of water until most of the lumps are gone.  Microwave for 1 min 20 seconds.  Makes a little pancake muffin.  :) I cut mine into 8 bit-size pieces and add a little SF syrup.  YUM!

*One avocado is 2 healthy fat servings! (learned last night) 

well, that's it for now! It is beautiful outside, I have my tennis shoes on and all ready to go on a walk then to the grocery store! I sure do love living in a small town!!! Stay tuned for my updated recipes with lots of pictures!!! 

<3

Websites Mentioned:
Cheesy Cauliflower Pancakes
Baked Turkey Meatballs
Jones to Borninkhof

Oops, I did it again...

Whew, finally, in my house and on my couch with no where to go! The last month has been so busy and definitely kept me on the run.  Although, I can't complain too much.  I have a great job and a loving boyfriend & step-daughter to come home to.  :)  I am so thankful to him and my family!! They have been so supportive and accepting.  Chris even makes sure that whatever he is making for dinner is something I can eat.  We had steak and shrimp w/asparagus and zucchini! Yumm!! I love that I live w/a chef.  ;)  He made sure to make mine completely on plan and weighed out exactly right.   

I bet you are wondering how I am doing with TSFL.  It has been a while since I wrote a post, my apologies.  Well, here it is: I fell off the wagon this weekend.  :( I was doing so so great, lost another 1+ pound, meaning 5 total.  WooHoo!! But, this weekend we had a family reunion.  It was absolutely lovely to see all my family that I hadn't seen in ages.  I kept pretty on point through the buffet line with amazing pasta salads, and top raman salads, I even avoided all the rolls.  I had meatballs with my mom's homemade Orange Chili Marmalade (OMG! YUM!!), I had some BBQ shredded pork w/o the additional BBQ sauce, and a couple salads.  Pretty good, right?! 

Then I saw the dessert table.  EEK!!! Now, let me back track and make sure you know that the night before I had made 2 different kinds of cupcakes and didn't have any! But, when I saw a lemon cheese cake and my mom's banana-nilla wafer pudding! I lost control! Now, I only had a little bit, but still.  WAAAAAAYYYYYY not on my plan.

But, life happens and you just back on the horse.  Right?  I should have been back on that horse today, but I am taking to today off as well.  I will get back on plan, I promise.  Either tomorrow or when I go back to work on Wednesday.  Right now, I just want to relax.  I have just been so darn busy, and having to eat every 2-3 hours just seems like a pain today.

I know, I'm making excuses.  I do promise, to all of you and more importantly to myself, I will be back on plan by Wednesday at the latest.  

Hope you all are enjoying our beautiful weather! :) I know we have been!! Have a great day and an amazing week!!

Weigh In Day!!

So, the day I have been scared of, arrived.  Weigh in day.  I was supposed to weigh in on Saturday, which I will be doing from now on, but I did not pack my scale to go to conference.  But, good news, I lost 3.8 lbs.  :) Woohoo! I was honestly quite nervous.  :/  Only reason I was nervous is because I never feel hungry.  Oh, and because I totally cheated and had dessert when we went out to dinner on my conference.  And, it wasn't just a piece of pie or cake, we were at a buffet, I tasted quite a few different things.  Oh man, I felt so sick & guilty afterwards.  I don't think I will be cheating again for quite a while.  

Other than my one time cheating, the conference went great!! :) I ate my meals that I packed drank PLENTY of water and stayed right on course.  Minus a small detour.  Oops!  We learned quite a bit to take home and use in our sleep lab, we also sat through a lot of Dr's talking about genetics and different types of blood tests and stuff that was waaaay over my head.  But I did understand some of it, mainly that the future of Sleep Medicine is changing, drastically.

The drive home on Sunday was beautiful! It quite raining shortly after I left.  Unfortunately it was incredibly windy almost the entire drive.  But still, we live in a beautiful area.  :)

I thought this picture was quite fitting for the day.  It was St Patricks Day, my favorite holiday next to my birthday.  This picture really reminds me of being in Ireland.  Perfect! Well, minus the whole driving on the right side of the road part.  ;)  I made it home safe and sound, half an hour sooner than I expected.  :) 

I made Syndey (My Step-Daughter) and I a delicious dinner of chicken & broccoli, with salad for me and rice for her.  I butterflied the chicken to cook faster added red pepper flakes (to mine), garlic powder, rosemary and kosher salt then cooked it on the stove-top.  I added 1 wedge of laughing cow cheese and a bit of shredded cheese to my broccoli, Syd isn't a big fan of cheese.  And I had a little salad to make up the rest of my green.  Amazing how easy it is to make dinner while on TSFL, but still feeding a growing 15 year old!!

  

To start week 2! I am 179.8 and I am also back to work today.  I feel like I have been working for 2 weeks straight! I am so ready for my week off that is coming in just 2 short days! :)  Tonight I packed all my MM's, the other half of my tuna from conference and "mashed cauliflower".  It isn't exactly mashed, since I can never get the right consistency when I "mash" it, so I blended it! :) With 2 laughing cow cheese wedges, I used Swiss and Sun-Dried Tomato(?), and salt and pepper! I like it, well enough.  Chris DID NOT like it! But he is a potato lover through and through!! <3 I must give him a round of applause for always trying whatever concoction I come up with.  That's love, lemme tell ya!! 

I'm not quite sure if I will make cauliflower that way again, it wasn't my favorite way of having cauliflower.  By far, it is the pizza! YUMMO!!  This week I am definitely going to try the Mockeroni and Cheese (haha!!), how could I not?!  

I am loving finding all these amazing recipes and trying new foods!  I'm sure I will soon be making my own TSFL friendly meals, until then.  I'm good with the ones already out there!! www.Sandyskitchenadventures.com has been my life saver so far!! 

Well, time for me to go eat my tuna lettuce wraps and "mashed" cauliflower!! Have an amazing night/day!! <3