Computer trouble

Hey guys, just letting you know that I didn't abandon my blog. Currently I am having some computer trouble and will possibly be back tonight for an update. I made some yummy baked whole wheat penne pasta with turkey last night that's getting me through my day. We can't forget about the cookies I made the other night either. ;) I'm a real cookie monster.

"People are just as happy as they make up their minds to be."

BREAKFAST

Another oatmeal pancake has made its way into my week, a chocolate pancake at that. Yum. I am slightly obsessed. 

Pancake:  

1/3 cup oats

1/2 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa 

1/4-1/3 cup egg whites, the kind from the carton

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Cinnamon to taste

Topping:

1/4 cup vanilla yogurt, which I will use less of next time...it was smothered

4 whole raw pecans

1/2 banana

Last night I stumbled upon Eat Me Delicious where I have discovered a great selection of decadent baked goods I want to whip together, but I will save myself the suffering and wait until a party occurs to stuff my face make these lovely goods as a treat for everyone to enjoy. Peanut butter squares with milk chocolate and oats, marshmallow crunch brownie bars, and oreo crunch brownies. OH MY! The blog is based on vegetarian cooking and baked goods most of which look delicious. Although I am not vegetarian, I do not eat a lot of meat and enjoy exploring recipes that are vegetarian and vegan.

LUNCH

Again, this is "dinner" as my lunch. 

Italian sausage is delicious, probably because it's not exactly good for you. We don't have this very often at my house and I love it when we do. When I was younger I despised Italian sausage, was I crazy? Italian sausage packs a mass amount of flavor alone. It looks kind of gross cooking though? Oh well!

Simple salad with tbsp. balsamic vinagrette dressing. Only 5 calories! 

1/2 baked sweet potato with 2 tbsp. Chi Chi's salsa.

And of course, Italian sausage.

This evening I will be tackling my disaster of a room. Boy have I been a bit lazy these past couple of weeks or what! I blame it on this Pennsylvania weather. The highs for this week are in the low-mid twenties with snow every day. Is it Spring yet? Better yet, is it summer?

VEGAN COOKIES

Alright, so I didn't very much done tonight aside from a good ab exercise and cookie baking. I got the recipe from allrecipes.com and within the hour I was baking them. Instead of eggs and butter I used apple sauce and although it gives the cookies a drier and tougher texture than a normal cookie, it's healthier and still tastes great. Next time I will be using more apple sauce though so they aren't as dry. I had two of these, one fresh out of the oven before my workout and one after. Tomorrow's breakfast? Cookies! A note: My mother actually liked these! Considering they weren't made as a normal cookie I was very surprised by this.

1 cup oats

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. nutmeg

3/4 cup apple sauce (preferably unsweetened)

1/2 cup raisins of choice

1/2 cup walnuts or other nut of choice

Makes: 24 small cookies

Preheat oven to 350. Spray baking sheet with vegetable spray.

Mix ingredients in medium bowl. 

Drop rounded teaspoon fulls onto baking sheet. 

Bake for 10-14 minutes.

Allow cookies to cool slightly before removing from pan.

DINNER

Sammie:

Arnold Thin

Morning Star veggie chick'n patty

Lettuce, onion

Sauce:

1 tbsp. fat-free miracle whip

Unknown amount of hot sauce

Chili powder

Red pepper flakes

Side of carrots and celery

"Let him who would enjoy a good future waste none of his present."

1/2 cup vanilla yogurt

1/4 cup Bear Naked apple cinnamon granola 
1 medium apple

I added a dollop of peanut butter today and oh my I want PB in my messes ever day! I wish I added more, but I wasn't sure if I would like it or not...who was I kidding?

AFTER WORK OUT SNACK 

Half of an orange from yesterday. Need that vitamin C!

I managed not to skip a work out today. After reading The Chic Life's post about squashing work out excuses I told myself "I can do this! Do the best you can! It will pay off!" My work out plan is a bit too challenging for me, but I stick with as much of it as I can do. My abs are sore, but it will pay off and I will only get stronger.

I did say that I would take my measurements and weight today for my challenge, so here it is:

Smallest part of waist: 27 inches

Waist at belly button: 33.5 inches

Hips: 35.5 inches

Weight this morning: 119.8

I'm not concerned with my weight anymore I am mainly concerned with my waist to hip ratio. When I lose around 2 inches off of my waist I will look much healthier and toned. Also, I have come to realize that I do have a pear shape. Pear is a good shape and I must learn to embrace the curves that comes along with it. 

LUNCH 

Okay, this was more of dinner because I ate it when my parents had dinner. I wake up late what can I say? I am a little embarassed by this one, but I have become an extreme fan of bowl messes. They had sloppy joes, maccaroni and cheese, and peas. My equivalent is 1/4 cup sloppy joe, 1/2 cup Kraft mac n cheese, and about a 1/2 cup of peas. Does this sound gross? I don't care. =]

DINNER

I took a light approach for dinner and had to feed my peanut butter and banana craving I've been having all day.

Arnold thin

1 tbsp. Skippy's Natural creamy PB

1/2 banana

Cinnamon

Side of...

6 Seneca Gingerbread Apple Chips

Only $1 at Big Lots! Normally we buy the cinnamon, but these taste almost the same to me. Only 140 calories for 12 chips and they aren't doused in grease. Seneca has a wide variety of apple chips and also carry sweet potato chips, which I have yet to come across. Pick them up if you happen to spot them.

I wanted to talk to you about NuVal if you haven't heard of it yet. NuVal is nutritional value listed along with the price of items. They take calories, fat, carbs, etc. into consideration when giving a rating from 1-100. The higher the number, the better for you. Simple, right? Unfortunately only a select few stores have this for their customers. If you would like you may suggest stores near you where you would like to see NuVal. Many people are not educated in nutrition, even those of us who think we are may be surprised by their scores. Having NuVal can take out a lot of guess work plus lead the busy and slightly lazy into a healthier life style. Although they do not have wide selection of grocery items listed with their scores on the website they do have some and update frequently. Do you think this is a good idea or should people rely more on their own nutritional education?

 

"If there is no struggle, there is no progress. "

BREAKFAST

Oatmeal pancakes! Recipe courtesy of Kath Eats Real Food.

How I made my lovely pancake:

1/4 cup Quaker oats

2 egg white

1/4 tsp. baking soda

Vanilla extract

Cinnamon

I topped it with a medium warm apple, 1/4 cup vanilla yogurt, and walnuts. Delicious! Thanks again Kath for providing a new way to eat my oats.

I also had a cup of this Celestial tea. If you haven't tried this flavor yet I suggest doing so. If nothing else, boil this in a pot instead of lighting a candle. Hah.

LUNCH 

Okay, lunch wasn't anything special at all. I just put together the quickest thing I could think of.

Salad:

Romaine lettuce

1/2 cup re-fried beans (Left over)

Tomato, onion, and jalapeno "salsa"

Sprinkled with sharp cheddar cheese 

Dash of chili powder for spice

I also had half of an unphotographed orange a bit later.

DINNER

This was left over from my parents dinner, minus the fries.I haven't had a real hamburger in months! Oh, it was delicious. (This is also on a small plate, it makes everything look huge. I didn't have room for my fries either.)

Hamburger:

Lean ground sirloin burger

Arnold Thin

Lettuce, onion, tomato, pickles

Mustard

Side of white corn

Fries:

1/2 medium sweet potato

Season salt

Vegetable spray

I microwaved the potato for about 1:30 to make it tender ans sliced into strips.

Heated the oven to 450, although I think 400 may do the trick.

Sprayed my baking sheet with vegetable spray.

Arranged fries on baking sheet and sprinkled with season salt and spray a coat of vegetable spray.

Cooked for around 10 minutes.

I've never had baked sweet potato fries and of course will be eating them more often. Yes I do like my fries more on the burnt side, just like my eggs. 

I am still feeling my work out from yesterday and am worried that if I continue tonight I may strain my muscles too much. Being a beginner with exercise I can't be sure if the soreness is alright to work through or if I may injure my muscles. Research will be at hand. I also need to take my measurements tomorrow morning before I forget so that I can track my progress.  

Did I mention that I got my email from Food Buzz last night about becoming a publisher?! Tomorrow I will be filling out my contract and sending it in. Blogging has been a key element in my life the past couple of months and I am determined and excited about giving inspiration to others as well as keeping my self motivated on this journey.If you haven't checked out Food Buzz click my link under my about me. The website has tons of yummy recipes and great foodies.

Alright, see you tomorrow guys! I'm off to find more great recipes to try.

"Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other."

I had an extreme craving again for pancakes this morning, but time did not allow for such a craving so I opted for the usual oats with cocoa. (I will be making those pancakes tomorrow!) Never will I get tired of eating in the morning, or lunch, or dinner. Ever. 

BREAKFAST

1/2 cup oats

1 medium gala apple

1 tbsp cocoa

A nice glob of yogurt

I took a nice mini trip to the store today, mainly to get some produce. Who would have thought I'd come home with more than apples and bananas? Picked up some plump oranges and nectarines this time around. The last time I had a nectarine was most likely over 5 years ago I'd bet! Why don't I eat these tasty suckers on the regular? But like I have said before, most of the produce in the store is poor quality so I stick with what I know. Romaine lettuce is my new choice of lettuce, I've always been an iceberg girl. (Terrible, I know.) Iceberg lacks so much flavor! Romaine is a nice combination between iceberg and a more leafy lettuce. Never will I be making my salads from iceberg out of choice again.

LUNCH

Bed of Romaine lettuce and celery

1 small apple

1 Morning Star Chick'n Patty

Topped with yogurt and cinnamon, of course!

Yay for something different! So yummy, but I wish I added in walnuts. This was much more appealing to the taste buds than it sounds, trust me. First time trying the Morning Star Chick'n patty and I haven't been disappointed with a product from them yet. Honestly, I was almost convinced it was indeed chicken. Haha. The breading was nice and crispy, not soggy at all. I've been trying like crazy to get rid of my quart of yogurt before it expires so I figured why not use it as dressing?  

SNACK

1 nectarine

1/8 cup walnuts

3 tbsp. frozen light cool whip (I'm being naughty and using cool whip for "dessert" fruits.)

DINNER

Don't you love my "dishware"? ;)

1 big ladle of my Moms chilli

1 Arnold Thin with 1/2 laughing cow cheese wedge

FINALLY STARTED A WORK OUT CHALLENGE PLAN!

This is an ab challenge based off of Oh She Glow's Whittle My Middle II and 10 Minute Solution Yoga's Ab work out. Also use shape and womens health mag as references. Just as Whittle My Middle I will be doing this exercise 5 times a week for 30days and may add in the 10 Minute Solution buns and thighs work out every now and then. I did the work out today and it was a bit challenging, but my goal is to improve and tone up my tummy either way. 

Front plank: 60-90 seconds. 

Side plank: 60 seconds.

Torso twists: 10-20 reps.

Plank ups: 10-20 reps. (I'm determined to finish the challenge able to lift my legs)

Low boat extension: 20

Rock N Raise: 20

Double crunch: 30. 

(10 forward, 10 left side, 10 right side)

Side leg lifts: 20.

Rock N Raise: 20. (2 reps of 10) 

Double crunch: 30.

Hyper back extension: 20. (2 reps of 10) 

Bridge pose extension: 10-20.

Sliding mermaid: 20.

Butterfly stretch: 60-90 seconds.

"A man too busy to take care of his health is like a mechanic too busy to take care of his tools."

Saturday update

BREAKFAST

3/4 cup yogurt

1/4 cup Bear Naked apple cinnamon granola

1 small apple

Extra cinnamon is always a must

SNACK

While watching the Penguins play Matt made some popcorn so I decided to have about a cup. It was Orville's microwave butter popcorn.

LUNCH

Later after watching Indian Jones Matt and I were really hungry and we invited his sister along. We decided to go to IHOP. I have only been there a few times and was never very impressed...until today! I never had their pancakes and decided I would go all out. I had multi-gran and nut pancakes with apple comote and whipped cream. Mmmm, mmmm, mmm. Best pancakes ever. The pancake alone was good, much better than the usual buttermilk pancake. I ate 3 of the 4 and had absolutely no regrets. I probably would have eaten all  if I could. ;p

DINNER

When I came home there was Little Caesars pizza calling my name. Would I dare say no to Little Caesars? No way. They recently opened up a shop right in town so expect to see it more often on the blog. Normally I am not much of a pizza person, but who can resist a delicious $5 medium pizza and crazy bread? If you don't have one of these in your town I am sorry. I ate a slice cold and heated up a crazy bread stick. My cousin stayed over and we played Guitar Hero for awhile and somehow I managed to eat another slice...opps.

TODAY

BREAKFAST

 

Eggs:

1 egg

1 egg white

Tomato, onion, pepper

1 medium/large apple sprinkled with cinnamon

LUNCH

Again, my parents made a ton of sauerkraut and I hate seeing so much of it go to waste. No one ever eats the hot dogs it seems, so I had 2 with sauerkraut and spicy brown mustard in Arnold Thins.

DINNER

Sammie:

Arnold Thins spread with 1/2 Laughing Cow cheese wedge

Lots of iceberg lettuce, tomato, and onion

I also have an obsession with ground black pepper

1 cup Amy's black bean and veggie soup 

This was my first time trying Amy's soup and I really enjoyed it. Personally the flavor was that of chili and re-fried beans mixed with veggies. The consistency was creamy, not watery like most canned soups. Amy's brand just may become a new favorite.

Currently I am working on an exercise plan with Shape.com and from various blogs I have been reading. I am not sure how much my body can handle so this is difficult. I will be starting out simple, so you won't be impressed when I begin recording them. In all honesty too I am thinking of saving for an elliptical or treadmill, any recommendations? In general do you have any recommendations for work out beginners?

Weight loss story!

Finally...I worked hard putting together my weight loss story to share with you. Here it is! =] Phew!  

As a kid I was always active and my parents tried to incorporate nutritious meals and options. I never played team sports, but was always actively playing them with friends and neighbor-hood kids. I loved basketball, cheerleading, dancing, gymnastics, biking, swimming, you name it. Sometimes I even felt a little embarrassed when people claimed they wanted to "fatten me up".

Around the age of 12 or 13 I began to turn to food out of boredom and the stress of growing up. I heard many times that the weight would eventually catch up to me and sure enough it did around 15 or 16. At first I thought the weight gain was natural for my age, but I quickly learned I had a slight addiction to food. Being active in after school activities had me restoring to a ton of fast food. My weight in my senior year averaged around 148. Going from a size 4 to a size 6 the next year and so on was putting a major damper on my confidence.

After graduating high school I started a new job. Everyone at my new job ate even worse than I did and I got sucked in. Day in and day out I ate McDonalds, Dairy Queen, pizza, chips, sweets...You name it, I ate it. Food became completely mindless to me. I got to a point where I'd be literally sick from eating so much. There were times I knew I needed to quit, but I didn't know how to go about it aside from crash dieting. I bought a scale and weighed myself to be 151 as my highest weight to my knowledge. Yikes! Yes, I was officially over weight and felt disgusting.

About a year into my job a few people quit and the staffing at work was quite different. This time around I found myself working with someone who is very health conscious and I was inspired more than ever.

When I began watching what I consumed in June 2008 I weighed around 148. First and fore most I cut down on fast food and cut soda out of my diet completely. As bad as diets are, I started off with The Special K Challenge and within 2 weeks I quickly saw the weight coming off. But, after so long I realized this diet led to a lot of binge eating. I felt starved! Luckily internet is a useful tool. I searched day in and day out about eating better and finally had a decent concept.

Around August I was weighing in around 136 and a few people began noticing. Although people noticed and asked what I was doing I sort of denied I was trying to lose weight out of embarrassment. Losing 10 pounds made me proud and kept me motivated.

In September I began a food journal and also started counting calories. Many people don't like counting calories, but it has been a major part of my weight loss. Around this time is when I realized I needed to incorporate more fitness into my life to help me lose the extra weight. Yoga has been a life saver considering I have never been fond of exercise.

By October I lost 5 more pounds. 130! I originally thought I would be happy at this weight, but I decided to push for 10 more. The problem with this month is that I neglected to treat myself to some of the things I enjoy most, which again led to some binge eating.

November was the time I reached below 130. 125 was more of my weight average. I stepped up to working out 2 times a day and making more of my own meals, rather than resorting to prepackaged meals for every meal. My body looked and felt better than I have felt in years! My confidence was boosting, but with all of the weight loss comes a wardrobe loss. Bummer.

In the beginning of December I dropped below 125 and now range between 120-123. Unfortunately, I am not very happy with this month due to my insane holiday food binging and lack of exercise. On the bright side I am much more knowledgeable now than ever about nutrition. I discovered the world of food blogs this month and they have been immensely helpful in my journey! People now tell me how thin I am and even though at times I still get slightly embarrassed discussing my weight I am more open to say "thank you" and share what I did with them if they ask. In the new year I will be keeping up with my journey to become more nutritionally aware as well as becoming physically fit. A work out plan is on its way. 120 is a healthy weight and I plan to stick with it, but toning up is in order.

Now, here you have it in pictures...

Younger days:

 

Freshman year:

Still very thin around 14 years old. Most likely a size 3. 

Sophomore year of high school:

 

A size 4 and happy with it. 

Junior year:

This is when you begin to see my weight gain. 

Senior year:

 

This was nearing 148. You can really see the weight in my face. 

Summer 2008:

 

I assume I was weighing in over 150 at this point, my highest weight. I tried to convince myself that having on a wet t-shirt made me look heavier. 

August 2009:

 

I was finally losing weight instead of gaining. 136 pounds. 

October 2009:

Ranging around 127. I was finally confident enough to wear a costume like that!

December 2009:

 

Finally at a happy weight of 120-123(minus my holiday pounds). Now it's just about toning. =]