Rule #5

"Let's get schooled.  There are two different kinds of fiber.  The first, soluble fiber, is just that.  It gets dissolved by water and absorbed into the bloodstream, where cells use its various components for vital functions.  It comes mainly from plants - fruits, vegetable, beans, nuts, oat bran, barley, flax.

The second is insoluble fiber.  This kind doesn't break down like the other; it can't get into cells so remains in the digestive system, where it keeps food moving, sweeps clean the gastrointestinal tract, and signals a bunch of antihunger molecules.  It comes from wheat bran, rice bran, and corn bran, and from the skins of fruits and veggies, nuts, seeds, and whole-grain foods."

"Type II diabetes - called "adult onset" diabetes until obese high school students started presenting with it"

"When you repeatedly tax your muscles to take in more sugar, they eventually become resistant to the gatekeeper hormone insulin, made by the pancrease.  So the insulin and excess sugar go packing off into the bloodstream, where they inflame skin, muscle, heart, and nerve cells."

Bob's top delicious sources of fiber:

Fruits (SKIN ON!!!)

Apple - 1 medium = 4 g
Blueberries - 1/2 cup = 2 g
Peaches - 1 medium = 2.3 g
Pears - 1 medium = 5.5 g
Raspberries - 1/2 cup = 3.5 g
Strawberries - 1/2 cup sliced = 9 g


Vegetables

Acorn Squash - 1/2 cup cubed = 4.5 g
Broccoli - 1/2 cup = 2 g
Brussel Sprouts - 1 cup = 4 g
Cabbage - 1 cup = 5.5 g
Carrots - 1/2 cup = 3.4 g
Cauliflower - 1 cup = 3 g
Spinach - 1 cup = 7 g
Zucchini - 1 cup = 8 g


Bread, Cereals, and Beans

Black-eyed peas - 1/4 cup = 4.5 g
Ezekiel bread - 1 slice = 3.5 g
Garbanzo beans - 1/4 cup = 3.5 g
Kidney beans - 1/4 cup = 4 g
Lima beans - 1/4 cup = 3.5 g
Plain Oatmeal - 1/2 cup = 2 g
Whole-grain pasta - 2 ozs dry = 6.3 g

It's a great day!  I feel amazing!!  I'm having a "skinny day" and anyone who's weight fluctuates knows exactly what I'm talking about and it's a good feeling!

Anyway, here's my menu for today (you'll see I'm needing a grocery trip....BADLY!)

Breakfast: 1 Hard Boiled Egg, 1 Apple
Snack: 2 cheese sticks, carrots
Lunch: Cajun Shrimp and Quinoa, 1 Apple
Snack: Apple and Natural PB
Dinner: WHO KNOWS!!!  (bad planning)

Happy Friday all!!!!  Hope you enjoy your weekend!!  Rock the fiber!



Rule #4

Probably my favorite rule!!  (As most of you know)

“Grains-mainly in the form of refined flours – dominate our modern diet.  Pasta is king.  Bagels are every day.  Grains in all kinds of shapes and sizes are cheap and tasty and everywhere.

They might be marketed as ‘low in fat’, ‘all-natural’, ‘whole’, and even ‘heart healthy.’ But if they are at all refined – from rice to bread- they make you fat.”

“Refined grains-as the first one on the label is often ‘wheat flour’ on the label- started out almost literally as a breakfast of kings.  When all the peasants were gnawing their way through amaranth and boiled wheat berries, the rich could afford to get someone to strip off all that bran and make a beautifully soft-textured bread, which became all the rage.  As modern food technology made this process affordable to Jane and Joe Average, it also took away the two more important parts of the kernel-the bran and the germ.  The former is utterly indispensable for digestion, and the latter brings nutrients by the bushel.  What is left is, literally and metaphorically, an empty husk.

But it is a dangerous empty husk.  Without the bran, starchy, carbs get stuck in our gut for much longer than they should, and begin to interrupt normal bodily processes.  Health bacteria get starved.  Starchy carbs without much nutritive value depress important hormones that cause you to feel full, and they stimulate hormones that make you hungry.  And without the germ, you get nothing in terms of minerals and vitamins and protein.  By the time these carbs get processed in your liver, you have a time bomb of sugar that sends blood sugar and insulin up, and that much desired feeling of fullness…down, down, down.

By contrast, whole grains have huge benefits: they speed up digestion, increase good hormones, and decrease bad hormones, steady blood sugar and insulin, drive up satiety, and in short, make weight gain just a little less likely.

Here is the most important tip: if the nutritional information on a loaf of bread does not lead with the words “whole grain wheat flour” or “sprouted whole wheat” pass it by.  I don’t care if the colorful ‘down-home’ label says it is ‘multigrain’, ‘nutty’, ‘whole wheat’, ‘natural’, ‘stone ground’, or whatever!  If it doesn’t say, first and foremost ‘whole-grain wheat flour (not the same as simply ‘wheat flour’ or ‘whole wheat flour’) then just keep on walkin’.  Ditto if any sweetener appears within the first five ingredients.  If you take just a little more time in your regular supermarket to read labels, you’ll soon know which breads and grains are rule-abiding.

When speaking about whole-grain pastas, here’s what Bob had to say about the “rules” for pasta:

"1.       There should be two things in the ingredients: whole-wheat flour (or whole-wheat durum flour) and water.  That’s it.  Whole-wheat pasta has 9 grams of fiber versus 2 in regular!

2.       A serving size is 1/8 of a pound, or 2 ounces.  If you’re preparing spaghetti or other long thin pastas (linguini, angel hair, etc), here’s a rule of thumb: make an ‘ok’ sign as big as a dime-that’s a serving size.  What about shapes like penne and fusilli?  Again, 1/8 of a pouind.  Imagine 1/8 of the one pound bag or box.  Or, for the first two or three times, weigh out the portion for future reference.  And that’s it-200 calories. OK?  Pasta is meant to rest underneath another kind of food-veggies, I say!  It’s not meant to be the main ingredient!

3.       When you cook the pasta, do it in a big pot, and test it several times for doneness.  It should be just a tad al dente, which means slightly hard or underdone in the center.

4.       When you drain the pasta, don’t rinse it.  That’s so un-Italian!  The natural glutens left on the pasta will make your sauce stick to the noodles.

5.       Save about ¼ cup of the pasta water to add to the sauce at the last minute-an old country trick that kicks up the taste and enriches the sauce without adding calories.

6.       Try eating your serving of pasta with as many sautéed or braised greens as you like.  Use olive oil-no more than a tablespoon-too cook down the greens.  Toss the greens and the pasta together; don’t just pike them on top.  Now you’re at 350 calories-1/5 of your daily allotment.  With 4 ounces of Salmon: 550!

7.       Use that parmesan cheese.  Great taste, and it takes the place of salt.

8.       Eat pasta at lunch (see Rule 7) instead of dinner when you can.

There it is....my all time favorite rule and hopefully something that will help some of you understand why I try to eat the way that I do.  Refined carbs are SO BAD FOR YOU!  Enough said.

So for today's menu:

Breakfast - Chicken breast (yes cold and yes for breakfast) and 1 clementine
Snack - Carrots and Garlic Hummus
Lunch - Cqajun Shrimp and Quinoa, Apple
Snack - Apple and String Cheese
Dinner - Nothing out again....it was a ROUGH morning!

In other news!  I just got an email about a new challenge Stephanie Winters is doing starting the first week of September (first pinches will be 09/04/12).  If you'd like to get in on the fun and challenge for a healthier life, send me your email and forward you details :)

It's almost Friday...we can DO THIS!

Rule #3 and recipe

“But why at every meal?  Because:

1.       You will get the satisfaction and hunger-reducing benefits sprinkled throughout your day.  (You don’t want to get hungry at two o’clock and you can prevent that by eating protein at lunch.)

2.       If you weight 200 pounds, I want you to get at least 100 grams of protein a day; you’re not going to do that in one meal.  Spread it out over three meals and you’ll have no trouble.  And…

3.       Almost all forms of protein taste great; eating it at every meal gives you a chance to make your menu more diverse and less boring, which is pretty important to a dieter”

“Briefly, inflammation is your body’s defense system; when something foreign invades – bacteria, some bad air – your liver and pancreas begin to generate all kinds of warrior chemicals that kill the bad guy. “

“The problem is when this powerful system is sent into overdrive too often- by bad foods, among other thing.”

“Fortunately, our bodies have a natural check on this disastrous chain-if we get enough Omega-3 fatty acids.  Thay act as a kind of selective fire extinguisher-they tamp down inflammatory particles when we don’t need them.”

“Skinny recommendation:  take your weight and divide it by two-that’s how much protein you should be eating in grams every day”

Bob further categorizes different proteins and lists how many calories per gram of protein is in each cut of beef (leanest to fattiest). 

The dinner I made last night was AMAZING!  I took a recipe on Pinterest and of course had to alter it to fit my tastebuds and lifestyle (and what I had in my kitchen)  I'm posting my version :)  Feel free to alter or hunt down the original as you see fit.

Cajun Shrimp and Quinoa

1 bag of precooked, tail on large shrimp; tails removed and discarded

1 large yellow onion; I sliced mine

1 bundle of green onions; chopped

1 large tomato, 5 Romas; chopped

Cajun Seasoning

1 cup of uncooked Quinoa

1 1/2 cups of water

4 cloves of fresh garlic; chopped

Parsley

In a saucepan prepare the Quinoa with water as directed on the box.

In a skillet sautee the onions and garlic in olive oil.

In the MEANTIME, in a bowl combine the shrimp tomatoes, parsley and cajun seasoning.

When sauteeing is complete, combine quinoa and shrimp mixture in the onion pan with the onions and garlic.  mix thoroughly but gently.

I called it "Pure mmmmmmmmm" :)  HOWEVER I did realize this morning after waking up feeling slightly like a busted can of biscuits that the sodium content in the cajun seasoning was pretty high, so lots of extra fluids for me today.  Other than that, SUPER healthy recipe and tastes devilish!!  Enjoy!

Today's Menu:

Breakfast - 1 hard boiled egg, 2 clementines

Snack - 2 String Cheese Sticks, Carrots & Garlic Hummus

Lunch - Cajun Shrimp and Quinoa

Snack - Apple and Natural PB

Dinner - To Be Determined (I just realized I don't have ANYTHING out)

Happy Hump Day all!!!

Skinny Rule #2

I couldn't agree more with Bob on this one.  Anyone who knows me, knows the only thing I really EVER drink is water.  Once in a while I will indulge in a cocktail, but other than that, it's strictly water...and this is EXACTLY WHY!!!  Enjoy :)  I have highlighted in red one of the HUGE reasons I really try to limit my sugar intake, especially via the white carbohydrates I am so ridiculed for cutting out, because those white carbs turn to sugar!!  He also highlights the one reason I don't drink diet soda or crystal light or MIO or any of those other "better for you" artificial sweetner laiden beverages.  And I've said it SO MANY TIMES how bad "sports drinks" are for you and the people who say it hydrates you better than water are full of crap!

“Soft Drinks: As you heft one of those cans or buckets of sugar water to your mouth, consider that you are actually eating the equivalent of what should be your entire lunch.”

“Think of it this way: all that corn syrup?  It’s a bushel of corn!  And remember, when factory farms want to fatten their cattle, what do they do?  They feed them corn.”

“Moreover, when you drink soda, you are ingesting what just about every legitimate medical authority in the world has named as suspect number on in today’s sprawling diabetes epidemic”

“Juices and Juice Drinks: Most juices have exactly the same number of calories – and the same amount of simple sugars – as a cola.  Oh, you’ll protest, but doesn’t the fiber in a “natural” juice obviate that problem?  No.  That’s just what you’ve been told.  It is the same as drinking a soft drink.  You want fruit?  Eat fruit.”

“Energy Replacement Drinks: Well yeah – if you’re training for a marathon.  Otherwise, look at the label!  A 20-ounce sports drink – let’s face it, that’s how much you’ll “need” to quench that big thirst – weighs in at 130 calories.  Like a 12-ounce cola, but without the nifty zing of bubbles and caffeine.  I’ve always seen drinks like these as particularly insidious, because they are, in our heads at least, deeply associated with sports, which are deeply associated with health and fitness.  You have to break that connection.”

“Artificial Sweetners: Though the scientific jury is still out on whether there is a direct relationship between consuming artificial sweeteners and the urge to eay more sweet-tasting things, I know this from experience with clients, with The Biggest Loser contestants, and with myself: the more “sweet” you eat, the more you want it.  Another way to put it: when you taste sweet (even the tiny-calorie, artificial kind), you are conditioning yourself to continue wanting and even craving that same sweetness.  That continued craving isn’t going to help you lose weight – ever.  The biggest favor you can do yourself is to leave your sweet consumption to your splurge meal and learn to keep sweet indulgences in perspective: they are treats, not everyday affairs.”

“Alcohol: Although it might sound odd, if there’s one source of liquid calories that warrants some leeway in my no-sweetened-beverage world, is booze.  Wine, particularly red wine, deserves a place on your shelf – and on your table.  Nut not when you are trying to lose weight!  Until you are at your goal weight, it’s best to view alcohol the same way you would a Big Gulp.  When you get to your goal, red wine is the thing.  When you’ve kept to your goal, we’ll talk beer.”

“Now why am I so down on liquid calories?  Most of us know the basics: sugary drinks contain, uh, sugar, and sugar is made up of molecules that encourage the formation of new fat cells, as well as keeping existing ones filled.  This applies to all sugar, from “natural” ones like honey and juices, to the twin demon spawn of white sugar and high fructose corn syrup.  Sugars drive up your blood sugar, which tells the pancreas to make more insulin, which makes you hungry, setting the whole process in motion again.”

Coffee Rules –

“Drink espresso or black Americano only.  Just do it!  If you want a cappuccino, opt for nonfat or soy milk in the preparation.  That’s how I enjoy mine.

Limit consumption to two cups a day, preferable before noon.  Exception: you can drink it all day if you are indeed in Paris.

Decaf espresso is fine after lunch until around five.  After that even the small amounts of caffeine will disturb your sleep.”

Today's Menu:

Breakfast - Scallop Stirfry over Quinoa
Snack - String Cheese and Blueberries
Lunch - Tilapia Fillet and roasted carrots (AMAZING roasted carrots!)
Snack - Apple and Natural PB
Dinner - The shrimp and broccoli we chose not to eat last night.  Last night's dinner turned in to a munching of fruit, cheese, crackers (the kids not me) and veggies.  They wanted to eat NOW and I wanted to limit dishes and didn't really feel like cooking.

Happy Tuesday!

Today's Menu

I don't know how much people really pay attention to what I eat, but it helps me to journal, so here it is, like it or not hehehe.

Breakfast: 1 hard boiled egg, 2 clementines
Snack: Roasted Veggies (zucchini, onions, carrots, mushrooms, peppers)
Lunch: Scallop Stirfry over Quinoa, Grapes
Snack: Apple w/Natural PB
Dinner: Shrimp and Steamed Broccoli (per my son's request)

Hope everyone is having a great Monday!  I am!

Skinny Rule #1 and weekend recap

Before I even got to Rule #1 I was marking things in the book Bob had to say in the introduction....so here are some of those first...When speaking about what he wanted to accomplish with the book Bob wrote:

 "That's what I want to do with this book.  Think of it as a rule book for your life as a healthy-weight person, a person who can enjoy delicious food in the right portions and be satisfied.  Someone who can not only resist all the jumbo colas and supersized fries that get waved in front of our noses, but not even feel tempted by them!"

"In 2011, the study's researchers decided to try answering one question: Are some foods associated with weight loss even if, over time, we've been increasing our intake of them?  The answer stunned a lot of traditionlists.  Predictable, increases in rutis and veggies were associated with weight loss, while caloric increases in potato chips were associated with weight gan.  The shocker came in the less-intuitive items.  Increases in nuts, whole grains, and - usefully for us, as you'll see late - yogurt were associated with sustantial weight loss.  No one is quite sure why, but we can guess: these foods don't spike your blood sugar and insulin responses the way other foods do, so they don't make you hungry."

In speaking about the contestants on The Biggest Loser Bob was talking about the salt consumption of the contestants when they come on the show.... "They eat it unknowingly - in the fired and highly processed foods that are their usual mealtime fare and that helped make them so overweight in the first place - and knowingly; too many of them often add salt to whatever they are servced.  They are usually eating so much salt that they have begun to mess up the delicate mechanisms of chimical balance so vital to our bodies.  When the kidneys are swamped with sale and without adequate liquis, you don't get enough potassium.  That and other minerals are absolutely key to weight loss."

Simple hydration tips:

- Make it your prremeal policy: drink a large glass of water before every meal.  No excuses.

- End the day with prepatation for a good start to the next: put a large full glass of water on your bedstand every night and drink it when you wake up, every morning.

- Get a little extra bang for your effort: mix a pitched of water with a noncaloric vitamin and mineral supplement.

So that sums up my blurb from Bob's Skinny Rules - now my weekend.  Overall it was an amazing weekend.  I went to the Steel County Fair with my dad and the kids so LOTS of walking and avoided the mini donut monster.  Then my cousin had a flat tire issue with which my dad was going to help him out by lending him a jack and when we stopped at his food booth "Potter's Pasties" he offered us lunch.  A hearty real food pastie.  What is it you say?  Well it's pretty much a pot pie all wrapped up in a pocket of delicious buttery bread.  He gave us two - one for me and one for my dad - now me typically being the white carb avoiding type had this warm hearty pastie in front of me bursting with ground beef, onions, potatoes, and carrots and all I can say is: IT WAS DAMN GOOD!  I shared with the kids and my dad, but the carbohydrates from the breading clearly through off my insulin because yesterday while at home cleaning my apartment it took every last ounce of strength in me to not make the beer bread that was in my cupboard, or the chocolate pound cake or even a Peanut Butter Sandwich and I struggled the most with the small handful of pretzel M&Ms the kids had left in the cupboard, but I did.  I actually enjoyed a carb one day and did NOT let it cause a binge the next.  It definitely helped being able to talk to someone about it and getting the "stay strong" text messages back!  So that's that.

I'll have to make another entry as this one took up most of my break....menu to come :)

Oops I forgot the Skinny Rules!

Well I forgot my Bob Harper's Skinny Rules book at home and who wants to start a new blog topic on a Friday anyway?  LOL!  Hopefully I'll remember to bring it to work on Monday and can get started blogging about the book chapter by chapter and my opinions, note, etc.  I'll highlight certain parts of each chapter that I found interesting, helpful, or just plain 'ol loved!

Until then - not too many plans for the weekend, so it should be a relaxing weekend, and Heaven knows I need it!  No plans for tonight, maybe an early bedtime, tomorrow we'll be enjoying the Steel County fair with my dad and Sunday is to be determined.  I have to fit laundry somewhere in that schedule because we are all running low on "drawls" LOL!

Anyway, here's my menu for today:

Breakfast - Banana and Natural PB

Snack - Carrots and Garlic Hummus (which I've already heard "EEEEWWWW!" from a coworker)

Lunch - Leftover Scallop Stirfry over Quinoa and 2 Clementines

Snack - Dill Cheese Curds (not deep fried) and leftover roasted veggies

Dinner - To be determined - I don't have anything planned - could be dangerous!

Hope everyone has an amazing Friday and a wonderful weekend!

I keep hearing all these people tell me they read my blog religiously and I'm just amazed how many of you are out there even though you're not "followers".  It makes so incredibly ecstatic to know that my progress matters to people and inspires others as well.  I LOVE hearing from you!!  So please please please keep the emails coming!

TGIF!

Cleanse Results

I've been DIEING to post and I know SOME of you have been anxiously awaiting this entry, so here it is....the results of my 14 day turned 17 day cleanse, but first.....

Dinner last night was DELICIOUS!  The strawberries were a hit with everyone involved.

And because I want to make you wait longer here is my menu for today:

Breakfast: 1 Hard Boiled Egg, 1 Roma Tomato
Snack: Baby Carrots and Garlic Hummus
Lunch: Leftover Pomegranite Chipotle Pork Chops w/Pineapple and Roasted veggies (carrots, mushrooms, onions, and peppers)
Snack: Apple w/Natural PB
Dinner: Scallops sauteed with veggies and garlic

Ok ok ok....so I guess I can't put it off any longer....oh wait maybe I can....NOPE I can't!  I'm dieing to tell you!!

In 17 days I dropped 25 lbs!!!!  At the end of my last challenge I was at 294 (that was a Friday, the cleanse started the following Monday) and now this morning I weighed in at 269!!!  Crazy huh?  Is it just the cleanse?  Have a discovered some magic pill?  HELL NO!  There is no such thing!  My results say a lot about a good cleanse regimen + a low carb diet + Bob Harper's Skinny Rules + (and possibly the number 1 most important ingredient to success) an AMAZING support system! 

And at the end of the 17 days I can say that I do not crave or desire ANY type of chocolate, sweets, breads, pastas, or anything of that sort.  Would it make meal planning a smidge easier?  Maybe, but only because we typically use these foods as fillers.  Remove the fillers and you have so much more room for even MORE healthy foods. Just think if you didn't eat the dinner roll how much more room you'd have for the garlic roasted veggies or for a larger helping of your protein.  If you didn't have the pasta you could have put your meat sauce over a chicken breast or grilled veggies.  Besides that those types of carbohydrates turn to sugar and SEVERAL studies have shown that sugar and carbs have the same effect on the same part of your brain as cocaine or any other addictive substance.  When your body runs low you CRAVE it.  Deprive your body, suck it up and tough out the withdrawals and the cravings subside and eventually disappear.  The taste of the food is similar to high from street drugs.  We KNOW it's good, but what it does to our body is FAR from good. 

Now some people say it's unhealthy to eliminate all carbs and they are absolutely right and I can tell you that I do NOT eliminate carbs, I just choose to get them from different sources.  Breads, pastas, rice, sugar, etc are not the ONLY source of carbs in the world.  The best source and the one I choose to get my carbohydrate fix from are fruits and vegetables.

Here's to a healthy future for all of you.  Tomorrow I will start blogging about the Skinny Rules by Bob Harper :)  Stay tuned and have an amazing Thursday!

THE LAST CLEANSE DAY! YAY! And a recipe

So today is the final day of my cleanse.  I am optimistic about my results tomorrow morning.  I'm feeling a smidge bloated today for some reason (not a ton of water consumption yesterday), but overall am feeling pretty good.  I don't have much to share today I guess, besides of course, my menu for the day.

Breakfast: 1 Hard Boiled Egg, 2 Clementines
Snack: 2 sticks of string cheese, Blueberries
Lunch: Bayou Bourbon Pork Tenderloin, Italian Mixed Veggies Salad
Snack: Apple and Cream Cheese
Dinner: Pork Chops, Roasted Veggies, and for dessert: Malted Cocoa Cream Cheese Stuffed Strawberries

So I found a recipe on Pinterest for Cheesecake stuffed strawberries and I changed it to my own little invention of a recipe.  The directions on pinterest included whipping together cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla, stuffing that in to hollowed out strawberries and then dipping the tops in graham cracker crumbs.  Since I want to add as little sugar as possible and I don't eat graham crackers (or their crumbs) I decided to change it up, so here's MY recipe:

Malted Cocoa Cream Cheese Stuffed Strawberries

1 pkg of Cream Cheese, softened
1 lb of Strawberries, tops removed and hollowed out.
2 tsp Vanilla extract
2 Tbsp of Tastefully Simple Malted Cocoa Mix
splash of skim milk

With a hand mixer whip together everything except the strawberries until smooth.  Put mixture in to a plastic storage bag and clip off the tip to make a filler bag.  Squeeze cream cheese mixture in to strawberries.

I made mine last night and have them chilling in the fridge as we speak for a tasty (not horribly unhealthy) treat after dinner with my guy and the kiddos tonight!  Can't wait!

Hope everyone has a Happy Hump Day!

Cleanse day 15?? Menu, Recipes, Grocery List

I don't know how many days I've been doing this darn cleanse anymore.  I've missed a couple, so had to add a couple on the end and so on.  All I know is tomorrow is my last day and I'm feeling amazing!

So a lot of people have been asking me "What do you eat?" and "What do you buy at the grocery store?", so I decided to share last night's grocery shopping list with you :-)  This is for two weeks

4 containers of fresh blueberries
1 pkg of stoplight bell peppers (red, yellow, green)
1 pkg of frozen Tilapia fillets
2 pkgs of frozen scallops
1 bag of Clementines
2 bags of Apples
1 pkg of Baby Cucumbers
1 box of multi grain and seed crackers (for the kids lunches)
2 containers of Feta
1 gallon of Skim Milk
2 medium Zucchinis
1 pkg of green grapes (they were on sale)
1 pkg of 4 pork chops
1 pkg of Kiwi (about 6)
1 pkg of Roma Tomatoes (6-8)
2 pkgs of string cheese
2 pkgs of Colby Jack cheese sticks

Chances are I'll have to pick up a couple odds and ends here and there throughtout the next two weeks.  Not to mention I have a variety of meat items, etc still in my freezer, but this is a pretty typical two weeks shopping trip.  Mostly fruits and veggies and a few protein items.  Once in a while bread or thins for the kids lunch sandwiches.

Last night I FINALLY made the honey teriyaki Salmon I'd been planning for DAYS!  Grilled salmon fillets brushed with Tastefully Simple's Honey Teriyaki sauce...OMG!!! YUM!  I was in a prep/cook mood last night so I also made a mixed veggie italian salad I'd tried at the REAL Summer Olympics this past weekend.  Thanks for the idea Jami K!

Mixed Veggies Italian Salad:

4 green peppers
1 red pepper
1 yellow pepper
2 roma tomatoes
8 green onions
Italian Salad Dressing (I used Wild Harvest Rustic Italian)
Feta (I used Garlic and Herb)

Chop peppers and onions and combine with other ingredients....YUM! (and easy!)

Today's Menu:

Breakfast - 1 Hard Boiled Egg, 2 Clementines
Snack - 2 sticks of string cheese, Snack Bag of Blueberries
Lunch - Honey Teriyaki Salmon and Mixed Veg Italian Salad
Snack - Apple and Natural PB
Dinner - Pork Tenderloin (in the crockpot as we speak) and Mixed Veg Italian Salad

It's Tuesday....one day closer to Friday!!  Hope everyone's having an amazing day!

Cleanse Break

So Saturday night with the consumption of alcohol and Sunday with the hangover, were not ideal days to take my cleanse capsuls, so I held off and started back up today.  I did WELL, with the exception of the alcohol and the hint of lime chips Sunday morning to soak up some of the gut rot I was experiencing....I am VERY proud of how I ate over the weekend.  Today, we're fully back on track and feeling like a million bucks and loving that I have such great friends and such an understanding and supportive guy in my life.  They were all awesome this weekend!

Today's menu:

Breakfast: Imitation Crab (never again after I read the ingredients)
Snack: Baby Carrots and Garlic Hummus
Lunch: Rotisserie Chicken Breast without skin and Broccoli/Grape Salad
Snack: Apple and Natural PB
Dinner: FINALLY THE DAMN SALMON!!!

We also will be going to the grocery store, laundromat, and Walmart tonight for some errands and the plan is to get a workout in after the kids go to bed.  Let's pray it all goes as planned! :)

Happy Monday ALL!

Cleanse Day 12

I will start by saying I am super excited, but also a smidge nervous for the weekend.  I will be attending "The REAL Summer Olympics" with my favorite guy, sister, and her boyfriend at my girlfriend's house.  There will be a sandwich bar and an overabundance of liquor.  Atleast the beer will be lite, but I know when I drink I tend to indulge in foods that are not very good for me.  My plan is to alternate every other drink with a glass of water to try to attempt to stay hydrated because Monday will be the last day of my cleanse and I really want a good result.

Today's Menu:

Breakfast - Apple and Natural PB
Snack - Carrots w/Garlic Hummus
Lunch - Chili
Snack - Apple and String Cheese
Dinner - To be Determined - Maybe Salmon because I STILL have not made that!!

Happy Friday all!!!  Have a phenominal weekend!!!

O my aching hammys!!! (And Cleanse Day 11)

Last night when I got home I was SO exhausted I didn't feel like cooking and SURE didn't feel like working out, so I opted for a light dinner (Apple and Natural PB), skipped the workout and went to bed early (shortly after the kiddos).  I just didn't have the energy to do Boot Camp with Bob Harper.  So this morning I sat straight up in bed at 4:45am and realized I forgot to turn my alarm on (normally goes off at 5am, but I hit snooze until 6am) - I turned it on and couldn't go back to sleep for nothin'!  So I figured that was a sign to get my keester moving!  Since I missed my workout last night, I got up and did some Yoga with Bob Harper this morning.  HOWEVER, yoga on an empty stomach leaves you jittery I've decided.  The rush of adrenaline, endorphins, and dopamine left me shaky and wanting to crawl out of my skin....lesson learned (maybe).

Anyway, in to the shower I went and we were all ready and out the door EARLY!!!  Amazing morning so far, but my poor hamstrings are KILLING me!  I need to do some active stretching before I dive right out of bed in to some Weight Loss Yoga.  ANOTHER Lesson Learned!

Anyway, on to the menu of the day (VERY similar to yesterday - possibly identical)

Breakfast - 1 Hard Boiled Egg, 2 Roma Tomatoes
Snack - Carrots w/Hummus
Lunch - Chili and Blueberries
Snack - Apple and Natural PB
Dinner - Grilled Salmon w/Steamed Veggies

IT'S ALMOST FRIDAY!!!!!  Have a Healthy Thursday :)

Cleanse Day 10

I DID YOGA!!!!!!!!!!!

Last night when I got home I was told my hot water had been fixed so I was DETERMINED to get a workout in.  I got the kiddos to bed about 8:15pm and changed and off to the living room floor I went, toting my pink (of course!) yoga mat.  I did the Week 1-2 portion of The Biggest Loser Weight Loss Yoga with Bob Harper.  AWESOME time!  I felt amazing!  UNTIL....I turned the shower on and STILL had NO HOT WATER!!!! UGH!  Well, I couldn't go to bed all sweaty and gross, so I jumped in the ice cold shower.  However my body was so warm and the water was so cold it literally took my breath away.  It was not a fun time, but it got the job done.  Tonight the plan is to rock The Biggest Loser Boot Camp DVD, and if I have to take another cold shower to get it done, then so be it!

It's been a while since I've felt this good and felt this determined!  It's an amazing feeling to realize I'm starting to get my groove back.  It helps to have amazing support too.  Tiffany and Jordan have been my all time biggest supporters and thank you both SO MUCH!

So on to the day's menu:

Breakfast - 1 Hard Boiled Egg, 2 Roma Tomatoes
Snack - Baby Carrots & Hummus
Lunch - Chili and Blueberries
Snack - Apple and Natural PB
Dinner - Grilled Honey Teriyaki Salmon with steamed Parmesan Broccoli

Happy Hump Day!!!

Olympicnic Results

I'm an Olympicnic medal winner!!!!  I took bronze in the staple pulling!! WAHOO!!  I got this awesome plastic metal and a pencil!! BAHAHAHA

So what did I eat?

I had chip less taco salad, shredded chicken with BBQ sauce, frozen fruit and meatballs.  I'd call that a success!

Pretty sure "The REAL Summer Olympics" this Saturday hosted by one of my great girlfriends is going to definitely rival this competition....more on that in Monday's post I'm sure!

Enjoy the rest of your day all!

Cleanse Day 9

Ok ladies and gents I discovered last night that spicy chili and this cleanse do NOT go well together...YOWZA!!!  My stomach has NEVER reacted to THIS cleanse this way.  I'm definitely not a fan, but felt like a million bucks this morning!

Other than that, it's been going amazingly well.  I was faced with dreaded mini eclairs again last night, but as the kids munched a couple of them after dinner, I ate a bowl full of watermelon and got my sugar fix naturally and was super satisfied!

So today is our company "Olympicnic" at work.  Yes, we are going to play Olympic "games" - the one I get to compete in for gold for my Australian team is Staple Removing!!  Wish me luck!!  And while we are competing in games we'll be having foods from the following countries for lunch....(I may need more luck with the food than the staple pulling) - Mexico, Sweden, Germany, China, and the US.

In case there aren't enough healthy choices....I have more spicy chili in my lunch box.  I'm PRAYING for healthy choices!!! LOL!

So today's menu is:

Breakfast - homemade Barbacoa Chipotle bowl (Barbacoa, black bean and corn salsa, tomatoes, jalapenos, and onions)
Snack - Watermelon and String Cheese
Lunch - To be Determined
Snack - Apple and Natural Peanut Butter
Dinner - Spicy Chili

I ALMOST got a workout in this morning!!  I got up at 5 determined to do some yoga before work and after using the bathroom and going to wash my hands discovered there was no hot water anywhere in my apartment, so I texted my landlord and had to skip my workout as I wasn't ready to rock THAT look while I was pulling staples! LOL!

It's Tuesday, one more day closer to the fun weekend I have planned (yet another Olympic event = another challenge to conquer).  Let's rock this week!

and a 6, 7, 8!!!

Ok, so here's an update for Cleanse Day 6, 7, & 8 (today)....Friday I didn't want to subject my poor guy to any ill effects of the cleanse, so I opted to skip it and extend my cleanse an additional day, so it'll be a total of 15 days.

I am VERY proud of the choices I made this weekend.  There were a MILLION temptations all around me, but I stayed strong and kicked each one of them right square in the ass.  I don't remember specific menus from every meal of the weekend, but yesterday was probably the most challenging with a picnic lunch of sandwiches, chips, my favorite little mini eclairs, etc etc etc, luckily there was plenty of fruit and veggies too.  So I opted for meat without the bread, a few slices of cheese, carrots w/ranch, and loads of watermelon.  The eclairs came home with me and are in my fridge and I haven't even been a little bit tempted.  I'm not going to say it wasn't a struggle when my stomach was growling to dive head first in to the bucket of eclairs, but once I started eating, the temptation subsided.  I also think I'm getting to the turning point as far as carb cravings go.  Each day it becomes easier and easier and I'm feeling AWESOME, so as long as I can focus on how great I'm feeling, I'll do awesome I'm sure!

This morning I was jittery and became nauseous, but I think I pinpointed the reason for that too.  I took my multi vitamins, fiber packet, and cleanse capsules all at one time this morning and as you'll see below I didn't eat much for breakfast.  Once I ate my early morning snack, I started feeling a little better, but still SUPER energized!!

So here's today's Menu -

Breakfast - Naked Smoothie, Blueberries
Snack - Greek Yogurt, Apple
Lunch - Leftover Barbacoa taco salad
Snack - 2 sticks of string cheese
Dinner - I'm thinking stuffed bell peppers (I have some ground beef that needs to be cooked and for some reason have an over abundance of peppers in my fridge right now)

Cleanse Day 5

Well today is a fairly easy explanation....I forgot my cleanse capsules and fiber at home :(

I plan to take it right away when I GET home, but that doesn't help me now.  I have been battling the carb cravings HARD CORE, but I also noticed I battle them worse when I haven't planned for my day.  Yesterday on the way home from the mechanic I was STARVING and walked in to a Holiday gas station.  I literally had a bag of trail mix in my hand and I picked it up and put it back about 4 times.  However then I spotted the fresh fruit cups and string cheese, so I opted for two sticks of pepper jack cheese and a cup of fresh grapes.  That held me over until I got to my aunts to pick up the kids where there was pulled pork and beef waiting for me and then I had some veggie chips when I got home.  It was really too late to be eating, but it was the only way I dodged the pretzel m&m bullet my son had a bowl of in front of him at the dining table.  But I DID dodge the m&m bullet both last night and this morning and feel amazing about my choices. 

Today's menu:

Breakfast - Greek Yogurt & 1 Banana
Snack - Baby Carrots, 2 sticks of string cheese, and Blackberries
Lunch - Chicken Cashew Salad & Blueberries
Snack - 1 Apple & Natural Peanut Butter
Dinner - To be Determined (dangerous I know, but I have plenty of healthy options in my fridge)

Happy Friday!!!  Super excited for my weekend!!  Hope you enjoy yours as well!!

See you Monday!

Cleanse Day 4

Ok Ok Ok, I said I wasn't going to have computer access, but it appears the St Cloud Public Library is where I will be spending most of my day, so here I am :)  Blogging away (you're welcome Tiff!).  Let me just say that I give Tiffany a lot of crap, but she is one of my great friends, one of my biggest supporters, and her (and all of you) following my blog keep very focused and motivated to continue on. 

I suspected today would be a challenge as I am FAR from home and didn't really "pack" anything, because I didn't know where I would have to keep it.  I'm in St Cloud getting my car worked on and only my luck would have it that the place is SO small I couldn't even stay there.  In fact, to get me out of there they asked if they could give me a ride somewhere (I opted to walk).  Across the street was a Wendy's which I KNEW wasn't a good option for anything, except information on where else I could go.  The gals there told me there was a library "a ways" down the road (which means 4 blocks)....I made the "long" walk to the library and plopped down with "The Skinny Rules" by Bob Harper.  Around noon, my tummy was grumbling at me and all I'd had all morning was a water and a fruit and yogurt smoothie from McDonalds, so I got up and started walking through downtown St Cloud.  I figured there HAD to be something better than Wendy's around.  I really was on the hunt for a Subway and after about 12 blocks, my friend, Jessie (via facebook) helped me locate on near where I was.  So I enjoyed a roasted chicken salad with all the veggies, double chicken, and sweet onion sauce and read some more of the Skinny Rules.  When I was thoroughly annoyed and distracted by other customers in Subway, I shoved the book in my purse and made the walk back to the library.  I decided I needed a break from the book, so decided to hop on line and here I am :)  My car won't be done until at least 5pm and it's 2:48pm as I type this so I definitely have some time to kill.  Probably won't make it back home until almost 7 and then still have to find something for dinner....it's gonna be a long evening I have a feeling.

Good thing I have my mom to pick up the kiddos.  I don't know what I would've done if I would've had to bring them with.

Anyway, my review of The Skinny Rules is positive so far and I plan to share a rule daily if I can make it work so that you all can get the "jist" of the book, so watch for that!

Signing off for now!!  Have a great Thursday!  I'm definitely looking forward to a fun filled weekend, I hope you are too!

Cleanse Day 3

Well day 3 starts the fiber powder packets and the "Christmas" capsules (they're red, white, and green) as I call them.  My first lesson of the day was that you should never mix fiber powder in a Naked Green Machine smoothie - it gets chunky....EEEEEWWWW!  Next gross out of the day was the shrimp tails from yesterday's lunch were still lovingly stinking up my garbage can in my cube, so I nearly vomitted when I arrived to work this morning to dead fish smell in my cubicle...EEEEEEWWWWW AGAIN!

I didn't think the potluck yesterday was going to be a challenge until one of my sabotaging co-workers walked over to my desk with a plate full of Turtle Pie and kept teasing me and sticking it in my face and telling me how delicious it was.  When she said "Doesn't it look gooooooood?!?!" I promptly replied "It's not going to look that good on your ass." and that was pretty much the end of the taunting.  She had a rallied a couple other troops to tempt me as well and I was not at all appreciative.  I struggled hard, but I feel like it almost fueled my determination NOT to give in and I didn't!!  My anger with the situation made it easier to avoid the crap food everyone was shoving in their gullets.  I am deserve so much better than turtle pie, so here's today's menu:

Breakfast - 1 Hard boiled egg, Naked Green machine Smoothie
Snack - Banana, String Cheese
Lunch - Chicken Cashew Salad (see yesterday's dinner - it turned out SO good, but I did cave and use Olive Oil based mayo instead of yogurt)
Snack - Apple, Yogurt
Dinner - Tortilla-less tacos with my guy and favorite kids.  Green leaf lettuce filled with Barbacoa (slow cooking as I type), cheese, corn and black bean salsa, onions, and tomatoes. MMMMMMM Can't wait!!

Happy Hump Day All!  I won't have computer access tomorrow, so hopefully you all have a fabulous Thursday as well!