"Optimism is the foundation of courage. "

BREAKFAST

I saw a lot of rave about cocoa oats, so I decided to try it today. I will be making more of this in the future. I've never added dried cherries to anything either, again I will be doing more of this.

1/2 cup Quaker Oats

1/4 cup dried cherries

1 tbsp. Hershey's unsweetened cocoa 
Cinnamon and a little Splenda to add some spark

Unfortunately I have to work a weird shift at work today. Not so much weird, but I don't like working shifts that make me stray from normal eating habits. I'll have to pack something quick I can eat in 15 minutes. Nothing is worse to me than being forced to eat in a 15 minute time frame, I prefer to take my time and savor it. 

 LUNCH 

I was a bit pressed for time so I grabbed the quickest thing from my house I could think of.

Cheese ravioli Lean Cuisine meal

1 small apple 

Odd thing about mentioning the 15 minute break thing today, I found out that we will no longer have 15 minutes breaks. When we work 6.5 hours we will get a half an hour for our break. I worked 3-9:15 today, not getting home until around a 9:45...a normal person eats within this time frame. I am by no means a morning person so I eat later and don't want to eat around 2 before I go in for my shift and the eat after 10 the next time I eat. The body needs food at least every 6 hours from what I hear and I personally feel the need to eat something within 4 or so most of the time. I am very frustrated with this. I did get a nice surprise from a co-worker today though. As I walked into our break room I noticed a gift bag with my name on it...I got a nice Christmas mug set with some yummy cocoa. I'll have to try the cocoa and take a picture of the mug soon.

DINNER 

"Taco salad":

Left over salad from my parents dinner 

1/2 cup Ortega fat-free refried beans

2 tbsp. salsa

Jalapenos

Chili powder to spice up the salad

8 reduced-fat Wheat Thins

DESSERT

1/2 Peanut butter and chocolate Skinny Cow ice cream sandwich

A few dried cherries (I think I'm hooked after trying them this morning)

A few of my friends stopped by my work tonight and invited me out for some Chinese tomorrow afternoon. I really haven't had to face Chinese with a group of friends since I've become health conscious, I've avoided it. I am thinking of getting steamed veggies and unbreaded chicken with sauce on the side, if at all. Cream cheese won-tons with duck sauce are my weakness, but I promise to myself that I will not touch them. 

In the past week or so I haven't followed a very healthy diet or exercised as much as I'd like, especially with me not feeling well. There is a noticeable difference to me in what I look and feel like from eating too much junk and not exercising. The pants are fitting a bit snugger it seems. ;p I do know that I will be getting back on track and then some. Like I said before, the holidays make me a bit weak just as they do with anyone. Good news is...I am stable enough to not let myself continue with the rut. 

Did I mention how cold it is here? Under 13 degrees! Brrrrrr! Hope everyone is staying nice and warm. =] 

"He who wishes to secure the good of others, has already secured his own."

BREAKFAST

1/3 cup Quacker's oatmeal made with water
1/8 cup Sunmaid golden raisins 

Cinnamon to taste

1 packet Splenda
Estimated calories: 183 

I have the next two days off of work and I am looking to get some things done around the house, especially with my disaster of a room. Usually, I don't let things get so messy...I think this cold weather is bringing me down. Tonight I will be going out to see my boyfriends band Sektor 7 play so it should be a good night. 

 LUNCH/DINNER?

 

Tacos:

2 "8 whole wheat tortillas

1 Morning Star south west veggie burger split 

1/2 slice of yellow American cheese 

Lettuce, onion, tomato 

Estimate calories: 316

DESSERT

 

1 peanut butter and chocolate Skinny Cow ice cream sandwich

Estimated calories: 150 (I think this is a good number of calories for an ice cream sandwich considering I've seen some around 300!)  

In all honesty, I'm not sure I'm really in the mood for dinner dinner. I woke up a bit late and don't want to eat anything to heavy late tonight. If I get hungry I'll probably snack on some wheat thin crackers. 

"The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing."

BREAKFAST

1/3 cup Danon Light and Fit vanilla yogurt

1/8 cup walnuts

1 medium banana 

Cinnamon to taste 

Estimated calories: 227

LUNCH

1/2 medium sweet potato roasted with chili powder

Wrap:

1 "8 whole wheat tortilla 

1 tsp brown mustard

Healthy Choice turkey breast

Ground black pepper to taste  

Lettuce, onions

Estimated calories: 227

DINNER

Taco salad:

Lettuce, onion, brocoli, tomato, a smidge of parmesam cheese 

(This was already made up by my Mom when I came home, so I used it.) 

1 Southwest Morning Star veggie burger

5 jalopeno pepper slices

1 tbsp salsa

2 tsp brown mustard for dressing 

Estimated calories: 163

DESSERT

(Not pictured)

1/2 Skinny cow chocolate and peanut butter ice cream sandwich

1/2 medium banana

Estimated calories: 128

OVER-ALL CALORIC INTAKE: 744

I have a few things I need to get rid of soon so my meals seem a little repetitious. Yesterday I bought the Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches and they tasted a bit better today than yesterday for some reason...the taste isn't what you would expect. I prefer my ice cream smooth and creamy, but this was more "icy" to me and didn't have much of an ice cream flavor. The cookie sandwich part is pretty good, but over-all the flavors aren't very strong. Tonight I pared half of the sandwich with half of a banana and I liked it much better and cut down calories. I don't know how I'm going to get rid of all of the sandwiched these next couple of days. I've tried to cut back on my sweets and desert intake, especially before Christmas, but I've come to the conclusion I can't cut it out of my life. Instead, I am eating sweets and such in moderation. Christmas is just about 8 days away, but all of the heavy goodies come to me on Christmas Eve and I have confidence that I will do much better this time around than Thanksgiving. Pierogi is a big part of Christmas Eve and also my favorite food, I'm really looking forward to them considering this is the only time this year I believe I will have eaten them. Also, I am looking forward to tomorrow. A Christmas Carol is showing at The Benedum Theatre in Pittsburgh and I will be going with my boyfriend and his musical theater class at CalU. I hear we're going to some kind of dinner event after, hopefully I will find something yummy.

"Reflect on your present blessings, of which every man has many; not on your past misfortunes of which all men have some."

BREAKFAST

1/2 cup Special K Protein Plus cereal

1/4 cup Danon Light and Fit vanilla yogurt

1 small apple

Cinnamon to taste
Mixed together and yum! 
Estimated calories: 204

Got this idea from: http://graduatemeghann.com 

MORNING SNACK 
(Not pictured)  

1 whole-wheat original triscuit  

Estimated calories: 20 

I visited my old high school this morning with my friend Pixie and was really glad I did. I got to talk  to two of my favorite teachers during their lunch break. Mr. Hartz was eating a salad and triscuits for lunch and I had to steal one, just to taste it...I don't think that I've had triscuits before. I saw a few people that were sophomore's when I was a senior and chatted a bit, also nice. Hopefully I will be back to visit soon enough, probably around spring break. The high school is putting on Singing in the Rain as the musical this year and as always I am excited to see the outcome in spring.

LUNCH 
(Not pictured)

I went to Apple Bee's with some friends and ordered my favorite thing there, the oriental chicken salad with grilled chicken, no noodles, and dressing on the side. I was still really full from breakfast so I only ate about half and took the rest with me. 

Estimated calories: 201

AFTER LUNCH DESSERT/SNACK
 (Not pictured)

1 Skinny Cow chocolate and peanut butter ice cream sandwich

Estimated calories: 150 

DINNER 
(Not pictured) 

1/2 of my Apple Bee's salad

1 cup tea purchased at a Dollar General

Estimated calories: 291

SNACKS 
(Not pictured) 

We had a movie night and of course that included lots of goodies, but I chose to stick with chips and chili for dip.

About 6 Tostitos Restaurant Style chips

About 1/8-1/4 cup Cambell's Road House chili 

Estimated calories: 93

At the end of the day I feel stuffed! I think I had a little too much snacking and not enough real food, but I did better than I expected...I'm usually one to pig out with friends. Until I get a new jump rope I think I will be sticking with some yoga for the night.  

OVER-ALL CALORIC INTAKE: 966