Week 2: Weigh In
Here’s my weigh-in for week 2.
Starting Weight: 157 lbs
Current Weight: 156 lbs (+1.0 lb)
Pounds Lost: 1 lbs
Goal Weight: 147 lbs
This week went by pretty quickly, there’s been a lot going on here but I’m going to make any excuses. I know I’m not eating enough green veggies nor am I getting in my 2 liters of water daily. I’m going to work on that this coming week. Hope you all have a better weigh in.
Week 1: Weigh In
Here’s my weigh-in for week 1
Starting Weight: 157 lbs
Current Weight: 155 lbs
Pounds Lost: 2 lbs
Goal Weight: 147 lbs
It was that T.O.M. when I weighed in last week, so I’m pretty sure this is water weight. But I’m happy just the same 
Today is Ash Wednesday and the start of Lent. Lent is 40 days from Easter.
My whole family has decided that we’re all going to give up junk food for Lent. (cookies, chips, popcorn etc)
Plus some of us are giving up meat and their Ipods too.
It’s been a few months that we have gotten into a bad habit of opening a bag of munchies while watching tv after dinner. We only use to have chips etc on Saturday night since that was our movie night.
So now that everyone is on board it’ll be easier for me to stick to my diet.
Here are the guidelines for the Easter Spring Fling Weight Loss Challenge:
1. The challenge will run from Friday February 19, 2012 to Friday April 6, 2012 (That’s Good Friday)
2. You may join the challenge at any time, late-comers are most welcome. To join the challenge, use the comment box to post your, starting weight, and goal weight.
Example: Starting Weight: 190 lbs
Goal Weight: 177 lbs
You may choose any goal you like. This is a 7 week challenge, a realistic goal is 1-2 pounds a week. That’s 7-14 pounds lost.
3. Pick a day for your weekly weigh-in, and stick to it a closely as you can. Then post your current weight each week.
4. You are encouraged to share how you are doing during the challenge, and especially to give each other support.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to post them.
Wishing you much success and happiness!
Marisa
I made this dinner for my family on Valentine’s Day. It was the first time I made this and it was a huge hit, everyone had two pieces of chicken just as I expected. It’s going to be a keeper that’s for sure.
Bacon Wrapped Blue Cheese Stuffed Chicken
Ingredients:
8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Black pepper
½ cup blue cheese crumbles
16 slices bacon
Roasted garlic spice
Salt & pepper
Preparations:
Using a small sharp knife cut into the thick end of the chicken and butterfly the breast. Season the chicken with pepper, add the blue cheese and stuff the breasts. Spiral-wrap the breasts with 2 slices of bacon tightly to cover the meat evenly. Place chicken in a nonstick fry pan cook on low to medium heat for 40-55 minutes until bacon is crispy and chicken is firm.
Blue cheese and stuff the breasts
Chicken in a non stick pan
I served this with steamed asparagus and Caesar salad (no croutons).
TRX Suspension TrainingI did my first TRX class yesterday, it was intense but oh so good. I’m a little sore on my arms but it’s a good pain. The picture above is just a few of the exercises I did.
Sure, it looks harmless (How hard can a workout with two nylon straps really be?), but this basic tool takes bodyweight resistance training to a whole new level. You need incredible balance and coordination just to be able to use the TRX trainer, let alone complete all the recommended exercises, making it a great way for advanced exercisers to take their workouts to the next level.
Integrated functional training promotes multi-muscle movements that combine lower body, upper body and the core in one. It tasks the body and mind.
Think of any mainstream exercises, bench press, squat, lunge rows, sit ups, all these moves can be replicated using the TRX Training System, but the design allows increased muscle involvement with co-ordination and your core is always activated this means results in a tighter mid section, better posture and a leaner figure.
It is transportable and once correctly anchored to a safe place such as a frame, it uses your bodyweight as resistance. It is designed for beginners and athletes as you can adjust the length of the straps to make the movement easier or more difficult.
It was developed and tested in conjunction with the U.S navy seals, so you can appreciate this kit doesn’t waste time and has become part of many sporting establishments, and commercial gyms around the world for the one and only reason….it works.
The TRX Training System promotes balance, agility, speed, co-ordination, strength and endurance and implementing this as part of your training plan will ensures all your muscles work together thus decreasing the risk of imbalances and injury.
Serves: 6
Ingredients:
10 pitted kalamata olives, halved
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 Teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh mint
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
4 oz crumbled Feta cheese
4 medium lemons, thinly sliced
3 Pounds chicken breasts
8 garlic cloves, peeled
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 Teaspoon pepper
Preparation:
Arrange rack in center of oven. Heat oven to 350°F. Layer lemon slices on the bottom of a 13×9 baking dish; set aside. Gently run your fingers between chicken breast and the skin to loosen skin.
Press 2 garlic cloves through a garlic press. Lift the skin from 1 breast and rub garlic between skin and breast. Repeat process with remaining chicken breasts and garlic cloves. Drizzle olive oil and lemon juice over chicken breasts. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and rub into skin. Place chicken breasts over the lemon slices in prepared pan.
Combine mint and oregano in a small bowl; evenly sprinkle over chicken breasts. Sprinkle olives over chicken and bake for 45 minutes, until juices run clear when chicken is pricked with a fork. Remove from oven and sprinkle with feta. Bake 5 minutes more. Serve with pan juices.
Net Carbs: 5
Fiber: 1.5
Protein: 50.5
Fat: 31.5
Calories: 516
In February the gym I go to is offering a paid program for TRX Suspension Training.
Apparently it’s been around for a couple of years now and it’s quickly turning into the hottest thing to hit the fitness world.
TRX – Is a suspension training workout that builds muscle and is great for core strength.
Click the link below to see what TRX Suspension Training is all about.
http://www.youtube.com/user/TRXtraining#p/u/0/Gagl23KZs0U
TRX Atomic Push Up
Has anyone tried this? What are your thoughts on it?
Please leave a comment, I’d love to hear your feed back. Just click at the bottom where is says “Leave a Comment”.
Here’s a few meals I hope to make this week, they’re not in any particular order.
1. Beef Stew
2. Chicken Souvlaki
3. Roasted Rosemary Chicken
4. Taco Casserole
5. Thai Beef Stir-Fry with Soup
6. Sausage stuffed zucchini boats
7. Hamburger & a salad for me – Pasta with meat sauce for my kids
(For my lunches) Dandelion Soup or Lentil Soup
All recipes are posted on my blog, just do a search and you’ll find it.
Enjoy!!
I’ve been eating pretty good this week other than some bad attack of the munchies at night while watching TV.
I’ve been killing it this week in the gym. Lately my typical day at the gym is:
Warm-Up: Elliptical or Cross Trainer: 30-45 mins
Workout: Kettlebells 45 mins or Pilates Class 60-45 mins
Sometimes I do all three, like yesterday I did, Cross Trainer 30 mins, Kettlebells 30 mins & Pilates 45 mins.
This week I’ve done, Spin classes, Pilates classes, Body sculpt classes and my own Ketttlebell workouts. Last week I wanted to try something new and I’ve never done any kettlebell exercises so I printed off some kettlebell workouts and I’ve been doing them every other day. I’ve loving the kettlebells. What took me so long to try them!!!
Here’s a few moves I like to do.
Around The World
Swing
One Arm Swing & Pass
Single Leg Stiff Leg Deadlift
I’ve heard many times that you need change your workout routine for many reasons. As for myself I had to change from high impact classes to Pilates since a foot injury. But I have to say it’s been the best thing. Change is good, my foot is slowly healing and I’m still getting a great workout, if anything it’s even better.
Did you know that in order to see continuous progress in your training that you have to change up your training regiment at the very latest, every two months?
To burn fat, you need to change your routine every 4 to 8 weeks.
To build muscle, you need to cycle your workouts every 4 to 8 weeks only AFTER you’ve been training for six months. When you’re first starting out weight training, the body goes through a lot of neuromuscular changes, therefore, you don’t need to change up your routines very much. You also need time to learn and execute proper exercise technique, this takes time.
An exercise routine will only work for a short period of time before your body adapts and progress stops. Changing to a new training regimen that your body isn’t accustomed to is the only way to prevent stagnation.
Speaking of going insane, wait until I show you what my next gym workout looks like. Apparently it’s the newest thing to hit the gyms. In February I’m taking a class at my gym, it’s a paid program but only a handful of people are allowed per time slot.
Interested??? Stay Tuned to find out what it is 
Stay Healthy & Have a Great Weekend
Unbaked – It’s about 10 inch round pizza crust
Baked
Toppings: Pizza sauce, mushrooms, olives, pepperoni, mozzarella, oregano.
Fulled cooked and it’s not complete if you don’t have paper plates!!!
Its a Win Win all around!!
Ingredients:
2 cups low fat mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons flax meal
2 tablespoons coconut flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a bowl mix cheese, eggs, flax, coconut flour, and baking powder together until a sticky wet dough is formed. Spread with a fork (or your hands) to ¼ inch thickness on a baking sheet.
Bake for 20 minutes in preheated oven. Remove from oven, flip crust over and add pizza toppings. Bake until cheese is melted and bubbly.
Slice in 4 and serve.
Nutritional Facts:
Number of Servings: 4
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 372.6
Total Fat: 32.5 g
Cholesterol: 159.6 mg
Sodium: 629.8 mg
Total Carbs: 8.5 g
Dietary Fiber: 3.7 g
Protein: 31.6 g
Net Carbs: 4.8 g
NOTES: I won’t be having this often since it’s very high in fat & calories but it’s nice to know that I have options when it comes to pizza. I had 2 slices and I was stuffed.
Please leave a comment, I’d love to hear your feed back. Just click at the bottom where is says “Leave a comment”.
Yup that’s right, 2012 is All About Me!!
I plan on toning everything that jiggles I’m really focusing on my abs & arms. I’m want to be bikini ready by June.
This past week I’ve hit the gym 5 days straight and it was intense, everyday I took it up a notch. Yeah Baby!!!
Today I’ve had a Spa Day. I had a manicure, pedicure and I got rid of that stubborn grey that keeps trying to remind me how old I am. Having a pedicure in the winter is a real boost when all you see outside is snow, but when you happen to catch your pretty painted toes it might just remind you of last summer and where you were. I was in Montreal last summer and I had a wonderful time visiting my family, miss you lots
OK gettting abck to me…See I told you it’s all about me this year LOL
I did my first Pilates class this week and it was great. This wasn’t your typical Pilates, it’s called Pilates Fusion. It’s Pilates with a twist. Core Conditioning combining yoga, and weight training techniques. I finally used my pretty pink yoga mat. This was the main reason I had a pedicure today my toes we’re unhappy without any color but now their happy tootsies!!! Ok I know I’m nuts but truly it’s the little things that make me happy.
Definition: Gym Rat
One who spends entirely too much time partaking in muscle building, strength training, cardiovascular, or aerobic activity. Specifically, one who does so at a health club or gym.
Ok I have to admit I’ve become a gym rat. I’ve come a long way from the person who joined the gym just 6 months ago. I was so nervous about going to the gym alone that just the thought of going there without my husband was inconceivable. I didn’t know how to use the machines nor would I wonder around to find out what the gym offered.
My husband & I started going to the aerobics classes and then I started going on my own. As I felt more comfortable in my surroundings I would jump on a machine and take it for a spin.
I’m not one who goes to the gym to chit chat, I’m there to workout. There’s some people at the gym that don’t break a sweat cuz they’re too busy talking and don’t want to ruin their make up. HAHAHA!!! You know the ones I’m talking about.
I go the the gym 5 days a week and I see the same faces day after day. You start off with small talk and later as the days go by you briefly chit chat about the weather. I’ve met some really nice people, one lady in particular that we hit it off really well, we even worked out together a few times and it was great since we have the same goals in mind. Workout first then chit chat.
Here are some signs if you might be a gym rat.
Here’s a recipe I found on about.com awhile back but never got around to making it. I made it yesterday and I’m going to have to make a second batch before the week is over since my whole family loves them.
It’s so nice to have a crunchy low carb snack. It’s great with cream cheese.
Mix all ingredients together.
Spoon onto sheet pan which is lined with parchment paper.
Cover the mixture with a piece of parchment or waxed paper. Spread and flatten out the mixture to about 1/8 inch. I used a rolling pin to flatten it out.
The important thing is not to let it be too thin around the edges or that part will overcook before the center firms up. So after you spread it out, remove the paper and go around the edges with your finger and push the thin part inwards to even it up.
Using a knife, gently score into 50 crackers (10 crackers x 10 crackers).
Bake until the center is no longer soft, about 15-18 minutes. If it starts to get more than a little brown around the edges, remove from oven. Let cool completely – it will continue to crisp up.
Break into pieces.
The whole recipe is 6 grams of effective carbohydrate plus 35 grams of fiber
0.2 Net Carbs per cracker.
Enjoy!
Please leave a comment, I’d love to hear your feed back. Just click at the bottom where is says “Leave a comment”.
Cheese Taco ShellsIngredients:
1/4 cup cheddar cheese
parchment paper
Preparation:
Spread out cheese in a thin layer on parchment paper.
Microwave on high for one minute, or until cheese is bubbly.
While the cheese is still flexible with parchment paper still attached, fold it over into the shape of a taco shell and hold it for a few seconds, it will harden as it cools, it doesn’t take long.
When it has cooled, peel it from the parchment paper.
Now you’re ready to fill them with whatever you like!
This recipe make 1 taco shell.
In these tacos I used a 1/4 cup low fat refried beans (7g), sour cream, salsa, green onions.
Use can use beef, turkey, chicken or veggies.
Steel Cut Oatmeal
Uncooked Steel cut oats
I’m not a big oatmeal fan but I know it’s good for you so I have it once in awhile.
Old-fashioned, rolled oats have already had the bran removed and are then rolled flat. Steel-cut oats are essentially the unprocessed oat kernels, which have been cut into two or three pieces using a steel disc. Hence, the name steel-cut.
As a result, steel-cut oats are nuttier and chewy, offering a lot more texture than traditional oatmeal. They keep me full longer than traditional oats.
Here’s my favorite recipe for steel-cut oatmeal. It’s simple, but delicious. Unsweetened almond butter, splenda, and a dash of cinnamon.
Enjoy!
Cooked steel cut oats with peanut butter and brown sugar.
Steel-Cut Oatmeal
Ingredients:
1 cup steel cut oats
6 cup water
Preparation:
Add about 6 cups water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil, stir in 1 cup steel cut oats. Stirring occasionally.
Reduce to medium-low heat, allowing oatmeal to simmer (with lid on) for 20 minutes (depending on desired consistency) my family likes it al dente, a little chewy and not mushy.
Remove from heat, drain and rinse under cold water until water runs clear, it might take awhile. It now looks like boiled rice. You can now refrigerate and reheat in microwave. This will last you all week.
To Serve:
Measure ½ cup cooked steel cut oats, ¼ or ½ cup of milk or almond milk, heat in microwave. Then add toppings.
Topping Suggestions:
Peanut butter or Almond butter
Chopped, toasted Nuts
Coconut Milk, Almond Milk, or for a cold oatmeal stir in Fat Free Yogurt
toasted, unsweetened Coconut
Spices such as Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Ginger, Pumpkin Pie Spice
Any fresh or dried fruit
Maple Syrup or any sweetener you like
Nutritional Information:
Makes: 6 servings (just the cooked oatmeal without toppings)
250 grams Per Serving:
Calories 52
Fat 0.9g
Protein 1.8g
Carbohydrate 9.2g
Dietary Fiber 1.4g
Net Carbs 7.5g
It was the month after Christmas and all through the house
nothing would fit me, not even a blouse.
The cookies I’d nibbled, the eggnog I’d taste,
at the holiday parties had gone to my waist.
When I got on the scales there arose such a number!
When I walked to the store (less a walk than a lumber).
I’d remember the marvelous meals I’d prepared;
The gravies and sauces and beef nicely rared,
the wine and the rum balls, the bread and the cheese
and the way I’d never said, “No Thank you, please.”
As I dressed myself in my husband’s old shirt
and prepared once again to do battle with dirt.
I said to myself, as I only can
“you can’t spend a winter disguised as a man!”
So—away with the last of the sour cream dip,
get rid of the fruit cake, every cracker and chip
every last bit of food that I like must be banished
till all the additional ounces have vanished.
I won’t have a cookie—-not even a lick.
I’ll want only to chew on a long celery stick.
I won’t have hot biscuits, or corn bread or pie,
I’ll munch on a carrot and quietly cry.
I’m hungry, I’m lonesome and life is a bore,
but isn’t that what January is for?
Unable to giggle, no longer a riot.
Happy New Year to all and to all a good diet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ingredients:
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes
balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup plain yogurt
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped (or 1 tsp. dried)
1/4 Cup green olives, chopped
Place tomatoes in a small bowl and add balsamic vinegar until just covered. Allow to soak for about an hour. Remove tomatoes from vinegar and drain well. Chop finely and mix with other ingredients. Keep in refrigerator until ready to serve.
Makes 16 Servings.
3.5 net grams of carbohydrate per serving.
Just a quick note to wish you all a Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!! Hope you are all enjoying your time off and spending quality time with your family and friends.
Remember the holidays are not a free for all, so stick to your guns and have some self control when the tempting foods are in front of you. Now I’m not saying don’t indulge, far from it, have your treat but know your limit, then walk away from the table. You didn’t work so hard this year so that you can pack on 10 lbs in the last few days of 2011.
Let’s start 2012 lighter so we won’t be starting the year with yet another new years resolution.
Let’s say good bye to 2011 and hello 2012, let’s start the New Year with a bang!
Blackened Chicken RecipeIngredients:
8 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast Halves
2 Tablespoons Salt
1 1/2 Tablespoons Garlic powder
1 1/2 Tablespoons Ground black pepper
1 Tablespoon White Pepper
1 Tablespoon Onion Powder
1 Tablespoon Ground Cumin
1/2 Tablespoon Cayenne Pepper
1/2 Tablespoon Paprika
3/4 lb Unsalted Butter, melted
Preparation:
Pound chicken breasts to about 1/3″ thick.
Thoroughly combine the seasoning mix ingredients in a small bowl. Just before cooking each piece of chicken, dip it in the melted butter so that both sides are well coated, then sprinkle each fillet evenly with the seasoning mix, using about a rounded 1/2 teaspoon on each, and patting it in with your hands. (If you lay the fillet on a plate or other surface to season it, be sure the surface is warm so the butter won’t congeal and stick to the surface instead of to the meat. Immediately place the fillet skinned side down in a hot skillet, making sure all meat folds are opened up and the meat is lying flat. Pour about 1 teaspoon butter on the top of the fillet (be careful, as the butter may flame up). If you cook more that 1 fillet at a time, place each fillet in the skillet before buttering and seasoning another one.
Cook uncovered over the same high heat until the underside forms a crust, about 2 minutes. (The time will vary according to the thickness of the fillets and the heat of the skillet or fire; watch the meat and you’ll see a white line coming up the side as it cooks.) Turn the fillets over and pour about 1 teaspoon more melted butter on top of each. Cook just until meat is cooked through, about 2 minutes more.
Serve the chicken fillets crustier side up while piping hot. Clean the skillet after cooking each batch and repeat the blackening procedure with the remaining chicken fillets.
Zero Carbs.
Ok so I’m a little late on last weeks recap but better late than never Right!!
Last week was not one of my bests. I went to the gym on Monday and did my spin class, Tue & Wed I did weight training with my husband, we had a good workout. But then it went down hill from there. Thursday I woke up at 4am with a sore throat and it’s slowly going away. I’m sleep deprived with a sore throat to boot.
I’ve tried my best to stay focused but when I’m sick all I want is carbs. I made a lima bean soup which was very good but the bad part was that I ate it with crackers.
I did some Christmas shopping on Saturday and it was a mad house every place I went, not to mention the 45 mins wait just to pay. I’ll have to check my list twice but I think I’m all done. Yippee !! 
Oh yeah !!! one more thing. I bought a pair of jeans and they’re a size 7!!! Yup that’s right you heard me…a freaken 7!!! Yeah baby!!
I went to a spin class today and did 1 hour weight training. My spin class was very entertaining. At my gym since there’s a limited amount of bikes we have to sign in on a sheet to reserve our bike but some poeple don’t do that and then the people who signed in are left bike-less. Today there was this new person who came in the class freaking out and yelling that she signed in and now there’s no bike for her. She was so rude and even had the instructor do a roll call of the sign up sheet and sure enough there was a person on a bike who wasn’t signed in so they had to give up their bike to loud mouth McGee!!!
Ok I get the fact that she had the right to be there but she was so dramatic and childish. She sat on the floor and pouted until she got her bike and let everyone know that she took a day off of work to do this class.
Ingredients:
1/4 cup white wine
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp thyme
1 tsp roasted garlic spice
Pinch of salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 pkgs (454 g) whole white mushrooms, stems removed
250 g goat cheese, room temperature
1 tbsp sun-dried tomato, tapenade
Preparations:
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). In a bowl, toss wine, oil, thyme, garlic spice, salt, pepper and mushrooms. Marinate, 5 min.
In a separate bowl, fold together goat cheese and1 tbsp sun-dried tomato tapenade .
Remove mushrooms from marinade and stuff with goat cheese mixture, mounding slightly. Place on a baking sheet.
Bake 20 min., then broil for 2 to 3 min. until cheese is lightly golden.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
Ingredients:
6 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts
6 extra lean ham
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tsp garlic powder
salt & pepper
Preparation:
Place a sheet of wax paper on cutting board and slice each chicken breast down the middle. Using a meat tenderizer pound each chicken breast as flat as uniformly possible. Sprinkle with garlic powder, salt and black pepper.
Place a slice of ham on each chicken breast, overlapping slices as needed.
At this point you can add the cheese but since my husband is lactose intolerant I don’t, but for the rest of us I put the cheese on top of the chicken after it’s fully cooked.
Fold chicken breast and season the top and bottom with garlic powder, salt and black pepper.
In a large non stick fry pan place chicken and cook on low, cover, for 20 minutues, remove cover and cook until chicken is golden brown.
When serving sprinkle on top with shredded mozzarella cheese, served with broccoli and salad.
Here’s a great recipe to get you ready for the holidays and it won’t throw you off track. I found this at Better Home & Gardens website.
Makes: 48 servings
Serving size: 1 tablespoon Yield: 3 cups
Prep: 45 mins Chill: 4 hrs to 24 hrs Stand: 15 mins
Ingredients
1 – 8 ounce package light cream cheese
8 – ounces blue cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup chopped pitted ripe olives, well drained
1/3 cup coarsely chopped walnuts or almonds, toasted
Fresh parsley
Assorted vegetables and crackers for the carb lovers.
Directions
Place cream cheese, blue cheese, and butter in a large bowl; let stand until room temperature. Beat cheeses and butter with electric mixer on low speed until smooth. Stir in olives and chives.
Cover and chill for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours.
Shape mixture into a ball; cover and chill until serving time.
To serve: roll in nuts.
Let stand for 15 minutes. If desired, garnish with parsley.
Serve with assorted vegetables, crackers or apple slices.
Makes 3 cups (forty-eight 1-tablespoon servings).
Make Ahead Tip:
Prepare cheese ball, except do not roll in nuts; cover and chill up to 24 hours before rolling in nuts and serving.
Nutrition Facts (Olive Cheese Ball)
Servings Per Recipe 48,
Calories 50
Protein (gm) 2
Carbohydrate (gm) 1
Fat, total (gm) 5
This past week went by so quickly. I’ve been to the gym 4 times and I’m still doing my normal high impact classes but that’s going to have to change. I went to my see my doctor for the results of an ex-ray I had on my right foot and the bones are fine but the tissue in between my toes is inflamed so now I’m on anti-inflammatory meds for 2 weeks and she wants me to stay off the foot.
Yeah right!!! Like that’s going to happen.
So as per doctors orders I’m going to try Yoga and Pilates. It’ll be a first for me, I’ve never done any of these classes at the gym before. I’ve done P90X Yoga a few years back and it was a good workout but I did manage to pull a muscle back then that put me out of commission for a few weeks. So I’m going to take it easy this time around. I’m still going to do my spin classes since that’s great cardio and not too much pressure on my foot.
Ok that was a lie, I just can’t go cold turkey!!!
But I am looking forward to trying out my new yoga mat.
Pretty in pink.
The other day I made my Christmas urns for outside, I think they turned out really pretty. What do you think?
Did some Christmas baking with my daughter yesterday.
These are pizzelli with sprinkles. The house smelled so good it was hard not to try a few samples…ok maybe I should define a few………A few too many!!!
I tried a new recipe this week and I’ll be posting it soon. Here’s a sneak peak. It’s my low carb version of chicken cordon blue.
That’s it for now.
But here’s a little motivation to keep you going this week.
Here’s my second ricotta breakfast or snack recipe. This reminds me of my favorite dessert, cannoli. I guess I could call it a inside out cannoli.
Here’s what cannolis look like for those of you who haven’t had this delicious dessert.
Here’s my low carb cannoli version.
Ingredients:
70 grams Ricotta Cheese, part skim milk
8 Almonds (chopped)
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Splenda
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and enjoy!
Meat Ingredients:
2 pound lean ground beef
2 large egg whites, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon minced dried onion
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
Filling Ingredients:
1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, (defrosted and drained well)
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
Preparation:
Heat oven to 350ºF.
In large bowl, combine meat ingredients, mixing lightly, but thoroughly.
In medium bowl, combine filling ingredients; mix well. Set aside.
Place beef mixture on waxed paper and pat into 14×10-inch rectangle.
Spread filling over beef. Starting at short end, roll up like a jelly roll.
Press beef mixture over spinach filling at both ends to seal.
Place seam side down on parchment line roasting pan.
Bake in oven 1 hour.
To serve, cut into 1-inch thick slices.
Serves 6.
* For best results, use your hands to squeeze out the excess moisture from the defrosted spinach.
Went to the gym 3 times this week and loved every class. It’s never boring, they always add new moves and change things up but there’s always some burpees in every class. The classes that I do are high intensity and involve cardio, weights, body sculpting and pushing your endurance. You have to mop the floor when your done. Below are the dreaded BURPEES!!! for those who are not familiar.
(Plank, Push-Up, Jump & Repeat until you pass out hahaha)
I had this for breakfast a few times this week. It’s a high fiber brancrisp bread with almond butter, jam and coffee in my ceramic travel cup. I prefer this ceramic cup over drinking out of plastic.
This is my berry protein shake I have on the days that I go to the gym. I try and have it 30 mins before heading out so I have some fuel for my workout.
This is one of my favorite low carb bars, it’s just 2 carbs and it’s really good. I keep a few in my car for when I’m out and in need of a snack.
I started some Christmas shopping and as usual when I’m out I try and keep it low carb. Villa Madina is one of the best fast food choices, grilled Chicken Shawarma, Tabouli Salad, Coleslaw with a little bit of hummus & garlic on the side.
Here’s a few of my meals that I had for lunch this week
This is my typical go-to lunch when I’m in a hurry and don’t know what to have. In my freezer I pre-made very thin 3 oz lean beef burgers and they’re individually wrapped. I like to season it with Montreal Steak Spice as it’s cooking, it’s always accompanied by a salad and lately it’s been a french dressing that’s been a fav. so far, it’s low fat & low carb.
(on the burger is shredded low fat cheddar, low carb ketchup & mustard)
This is garlic shrimp with french salad topped with a few olives.
Snack this week was raw broccoli florets with low fat sour cream ranch dip.
Christmas shopping isn’t fun if you don’t buy yourself a few things.
Am I right ladies??
I’ve been looking for a long sleeve workout top since the weather is getting chilly and they gym is freezing when you walk in there. I scored a pretty purple Adidas top at Winners. But the purchase of the day that I’m really excited about are my boots. They hug my leg, perfect for skinny jeans or dress pants the picture doesn’t really give them any justice, they’re really nice.
I tried a new recipe this week, here’s the end result but I’ll post the recipe soon. It’s Spinach Stuffed Beef Roll, very easy to make but look like you spent a lot of time in the kitchen to prepare.
That’s it for now.
But here’s a little motivation to keep you going this coming week.
Here’s my latest creation. The other day I came back from the gym after doing two great classes and I needed a protein packed snack. This first thing I noticed when I opened my fridge was the ricotta cheese and then everything else just fell into place. Sometimes good things comes when you’re not even trying. Let me now what you think.
So here’s what I came up with.
Ingredients:
70 grams Ricotta Cheese, part skim milk
8 Almonds (chopped)
1 tbsp Smuckers Sugar Free strawberry jam (splenda)
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and enjoy!
162 Calories
10.4 Fat
10.5 Carb
4 Sugar Alcohol
10 Protein
0.7 Sugar
5.4 Net Carbs
Here’s a food diary of what I ate today.
My Daily Carb Allowance: 60 g—- Used Only 50 carbs today
Meal 1: 7:30 am
Coffee, Splenda, Unsweetened Almond Milk =1g
Strawberry Cheesecake Protein Shake = 5g
Net Carbs: 6
Meal 2: 10:30am
Scrambled Eggs (1 egg + 2 egg whites) = 0g
Ham extra lean =0g
Cheddar cheese, shredded 2 tb = 0g
Low Carb Ketchup 1 tb =1g
Net Carbs: 1
Meal 3: 1:30pm (I packed a meal for the road)
Salad w/ French dressing 2 tb = 2g
Olives 3 = 1 g
Sunflower seeds 1 tb = 2g
Cheddar cheese, shredded 2 tb = 0g
Net Carbs: 5
Meal 4: 2:30pm
Sugar free chocolate 2 pc = 2 g
Net Carbs: 2g
Meal 5 4:00pm
Cappuccino = 4 g
Net Carbs: 4g
Meal 6: 6:00pm
Chicken Stir Fry (Chicken breasts, Swiss Chard, broccoli slaw, green pepper, onion) = 0 g
Dumplings 6 = 30g
Net Carbs: 30g
Meal 7: 8:00pm
Sugar Free Chocolate Mousse = 2g
Net Carbs: 2g
Water: 32 oz
Gym: 1 hour
Ingredients:
1 scoop Kaizen Vanilla Protein
30 grams Low Fat Cream cheese
1 cup water
Ice (to taste)
6 strawberries
Preparation:
In a large 4 cup measuring cup or a tall 32 oz glass add all ingredients and blend using a hand blender.
Puree until blended and pour into a tall glass and enjoy.
I like my hand blender verses a regular blender, the clean up is so much quicker.
Makes 1 serving: 5 net carbs
1/4 cup blueberries or pineapple
1/3 cup raspberries, blackberries or grapes
1/2 of a small apple
1/2 medium sized peach
1/2 cup strawberries
Hummus and veggies
Guacamole and veggies
Pepperoni Chips: Microwave pepperoni slices until crisp. Great for dips.
Lunch Meat Roll Ups: Roll cheese or veggies in lunch meat
Lettuce Roll Ups: Roll luncheon meat, egg salad, tuna in lettuce leaves.
Sugar free yogurt 4 oz with berries and ground flax seeds
Cream cheese on cucumber slices
Sugar-free Jello
Nuts, sunflower seeds & other seeds
Celery with peanut butter or unsweetened almond butter
Celery with tuna salad
Hard boiled eggs
Dill pickles
Mushrooms stuffed with cream cheese
This week was very eventful. It was Halloween on Monday and I surprised my kids at their school dance all dressed up in a hilarious costume. I killed it at the gym this week, hence the reason my knees are killing me, plus I need runners badly.
Yesterday I knew I was going to be out all day so I packed a chicken Caesar salad, made with leftover rotisserie chicken, 4 olives, low carb dressing and…Voila!!! I ate it in the car in between errands. I felt really good that I planned ahead and that I had a healthy lunch.
Big News!!! Finally found a pair of running shoes!!! I went to a store called The Running Room and they had so many shoes to chose from and many came in size 10.5!!! I bought the Asics Gel 1160, Yeah me!!
Oh ya almost forgot, I turned a year older this week. I’m 43 and feeling great!!! On my birthday I went to the gym, met my husband for lunch and later met a few girlfriends for coffee. Good Times!!
Tonight we’re going out for my birthday dinner, Baton Rouge sounds good right about now, so I’ll let you know how that goes.
Went to the gym yesterday and had a great body shaping class. I get to the gym early so I always jump on the elliptical before my class starts, usually 20 mins for a good warm up.
Thursday Nov 3, 2011
Gym: Elliptical 20 mins – Warm Up – Calories: 200
Gym: Wynndurance-Body Sculpt 45 mins – Calories: 450
Total: 1 Hour & 5 Mins
Total Carlorie Burn: 650
My knees are really starting to hurt and I know it’s because of my shoes. So that’s why I went shopping for running shoes yet again!! Since I’m a size 10 it’s really hard to find my since store usually only get 2 pairs of 10′s per style etc. No luck today either 
But I did get lucky again at Lululemon, I know twice in one week. Who woulda thunk it!!!
I know all black…Right!! but believe it or not this is my only black top. Love the way their tops fit, they really hold the girls in place. The crop pants are reversible, Luv it!!!
Wish me luck on find a pair of runners soon my knees cant take it anymore.
Well let me start off that I never get what I am looking for when I go out looking!!! Today was no different. I’m in desperate need of new running shoes. I love my Nike Shox but I’ve worn them to death. I’ve been looking for runners for awhile now with no luck, but I did come across a pair of ASICS that I’m considering. Can it be, my love affair with Nike might just come to an end. I didn’t get them since my feet were sore and swollen, I couldn’t get a good feel of the shoe. Oh well I guess this just gives me another reason to go shopping hahaha
OMG!!! I bought my first Lululemon top and I love it!!! It’s a size 8 and it fits so nice. Those who know me, know that since staring my weight loss journey I’ve always said I would only buy lululemon at my goal weight. Even though I’m not at my goal (10 lbs to go) it’s my reward for my hard work, so far. So it’s kind of a big deal for me
This is how it looks from the back. It’s a light material with a built in bra. It’s very supportive so I won’t have to wear an additional bra for my cardio classes. Plus it has a drawstring at the bottom to give you some shape and a different look.
Nope they’re not running shoes but aren’t they purdy!!! I’m not sure if I’ll be returning them since they seem to feel comfortable. I’ll have to try them on again since my feel were swollen. The rounded toe makes my feet look smaller, soft leather and spandex so it hugs your leg and fits like a glove. I’ll keep you posted on the verdict.
Have a great and healthy day!!
I’m out shopping, wait till you see what I bought. I’m so exited to show it off. But first I stopped and had lunch. It’s from Villa Madina, shaved grilled chicken, 2 types of salad & hummus.
Yum yum!!
Gotta luv WiFi in the mall.
Happy Halloween!!!
Today my day started off by getting my kids dressed in their spooky costumes and out the door to bring them to school. Then off the the gym I went.
Here’s my workout:
Monday Oct 31, 2011
Gym: Elliptical 12 mins – Warm Up – Calories: 100
Gym: Spin Class 45 mins – Calories: 500
Gym: Body Blast 30 mins – Calories: 300
Total: 1 hr & 30 mins
Total Carlorie Burn: 900
After the gym I went out and came across a inflatable ballerina costume so I bought it & surprised my kids at their Halloween dance party at school. Oh my gosh!!! What a laugh!!! The look on my kids faces when they saw me was priceless.
By the way I danced for an hour, so I’ll add that to my exercise too hahaha.
I worked my butt off at the gym today since I knew I was going to scoop up some of those little devilish chocolate treat!!!
Uncooked veal roast
Ingredients:
4 whole garlic cloves
1 tablespoons dried rosemary
3 pounds veal shoulder roast
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, halved
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup water
3 bay leaves
Salt & pepper to taste
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large baking dish add onion, garlic, celery, carrots, water, wine, bay leaves, rosemary, place veal on top and sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle olive oil.
Cover; bake until veal is tender, about 2 hours.
Using slotted spoon, transfer meats and vegetables to large platter.
Spoon some juices over meat and vegetables.
Cooked veal roast
Uncooked vegetables- I made roasted vegetables with rosemary & canola oil
(Rutabaga, carrots, garlic, onion, potato)
Cinnamon Baked Apples
Since I had the oven on and a bowl full of apples I made baked cinnamon apples for my family. No sugar or butter, just cored the apples and sprinkled cinnamon and baked until tender. They loved it and I loved the smell in the house.
Wow time has gone by so quickly since thanksgiving which happened to be my last post. Since visiting my parents for the holidays my mom came back to our house for 2 weeks. The 5 hour drive home just flew by with all the chit chat going on. Sadly she went back home on the weekend but we had a wonderful time cooking, baking and shopping. Needless to say I wasn’t eating all that great this past month, but this week I’m back and going strong.
I’ve had a great week at the gym.
Friday October 28, 2011
Gym: 15 mins Elliptical – Warm Up
Gym: 45 mins Boot Camp
Total: 1 hr
Thursday October 27, 2011
Gym: 15 mins Elliptical – Warm Up
Gym: 45 mins Wynndurance-Body Sculpt
Gym: 25 mins Arms & Legs
Total: 1 hr & 25 mins
Wednesday Oct 26, 2011
Gym: 15 mins Elliptical – Warm Up
Gym: 45 mins Spin Class
Gym: 30 min Body Blast
Total: 1 hr & 30 mins
Thanksgiving weekend was great, we had fun as always spending time with family and eating delicious food.
This is my mom’s boneless stuffed turkey. It’s amazing, she debones it herself but you can ask your butcher to do it for you.
My mom came back with us and will be here for a few weeks. I’m looking forward to it. Yesterday we made low carb cabbage rolls, I think we over did it just a little hahaha
These delicious cabbage rolls are nicely tucked away in my freezer at the moment but I have a feeling they won’t be there for long.
Here’s the link for my low carb cabbage rolls recipe. I haven’t made these since last winter. There’s no rice just veggies, lean ground beef, spices and tomato sauce.
http://marisaskitchentalk.wordpress.com/2011/02/09/low-carb-cabbage-rolls-recipe/
You had what for dinner??? Say it isn’t so???Wow with being sick with a cold and my monthly curse at the same time I was totally out of commission for almost 2 weeks. But I’m better now and going strong!! So far this week I’ve been to the gym three times and I’m trying new classes.
Yesterday I posted my workouts on my fitness page, I haven’t been updating it this past month but I plan on logging all my workouts daily. This was my workout for yesterday.
Gym: 25 mins Elliptical 250 calorie burn
Gym: 45 mins Wynndurance
Motivation & MaintenanceSince being sick, my eating habits went out the door. All I wanted was comfort food and to be honest, most comfort foods are very high in carbs. But I’m back on track and feeling fine. I’m happy with my weight now but I would love to those infamous last 10 lbs but I’m not sweating it, I’ll get there when I get there. The hard part now is staying motivated and to not lose myself and fall back into old habits. I feel that maintaining is just as difficult as trying to lose weight. The goal is to not gain weight and maybe lose a few more so even though I’m happy where I’m at right now it’s still a challenge not to indulge and let things slide.
This weekend we’re going to visit my family for Thanksgiving…Yeah Baby!!! I’m so looking forward to my mom’s cooking and seeing my sista, these two ladies are so important in my life. Luv you! I’m also looking forward to seeing my dad, nephews, uncles etc.. didn’t want to leave anyone out
Phew!!! Very funny!! Squash!!!Monkey Brains for dinner…What??!?!?!??! Yup …Ok well not really, last year we watched the Indian Jones movie with our kids and they were eating monkey brains, eeeww!! GROSS!!! a few days after watching that movie I made this sausage stuffed squash for the first time so when my kids asked what’s for dinner… of coarse I said…Monkey Brains!!! and the name stuck LOL.
*No monkeys were harmed in the making of this recipe*
I haven’t made this dish since last winter, sausage stuffed squash, YUMMY!! Here’s the link if you’ve missed it. This time I added some grated parmesan cheese and it was delish!!!
http://marisaskitchentalk.wordpress.com/2010/09/11/sausage-stuffed-acorn-squash/
I’ve been sick with a cold for the past few days and all I want is comfort food, but I have to admit most comfort foods are loaded with carbs, potatoes, pasta etc.
I’ve been drinking many types of herbal flavored tea but I wanted a change but still something hot and coffee just doesn’t taste right when I’m sick.
I looked in my fridge and saw the unsweetened chocolate almond milk and then it hit me…OOOHHH Hot Chocolate YUM!!
Hot Chocolate Almond MilkIngredients:
8 oz unsweetened chocolate almond milk
1/2 tsp splenda
Preparation:
Heat almond milk in micorwave for 90 seconds, stir in splenda.
For a whipped cappuccino: use a milk frother to create the fun foam.
Next time, oh yes there will be a next time, I will sprinkle some cinnamon on it.
This delicious hot treat is just 2 g net carb
Nutritional Facts:
Per serving: 8 oz
Calories: 43
Fat: 3.3g
Carbs: 2.9g
Fiber: 0.9
Protein: 1.95.3 g
Net Carb: 2 g
YIELD: 4 servings
1 medium zucchini
2 medium yellow squash
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh mint
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 thin slices prosciutto (1 ounce), chopped
1/4 cup (1 ounce) crumbled feta cheese
Shave the zucchini and squash into thin strips using a vegetable peeler. Discard seeds. Place zucchini and squash in a medium bowl, and toss with salt.
Combine mint and next 4 ingredients in a small bowl; stir with a whisk. Pour over zucchini and squash; toss.
Heat a small nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add prosciutto; saute for 2 minutes or until crisp.
Place 3/4 cup salad on each of 4 plates.
Top each serving with 1 tablespoon cheese; sprinkle evenly with prosciutto.
Nutritional Facts
Amount per serving
Calories: 68
Fat: 4.9g
Protein: 3.5g
Carbohydrate: 3.6g
Fiber: 1.1g
Net Carb: 3g
It’s been interesting these past 3 weeks since my kids have been back to school. Since the first day of school I’ve been bumping into people I haven’t seen all summer or even longer than that. Mostly school yard acquaintances. So far I’ve had people come up to me and say “Wow you lost weight?” “How much did you lose?” “How did you lose it?” “OMG!!! you look amazing, have you lost more weight?”
I’m almost speechless when I get these compliments, yes I’ve lost weight 41 lbs to be exact and yes I’ve seen the progress but I guess for some reason my brain still views me as a fat person.
Anyhow with every compliment that comes my way it just reminds me that I’m doing good and don’t stop now, plus my brain image of myself is starting to change as well.
Also I’ve had people really interested in how I lost the weight, they either come right out and ask or they shimmy their way around a few topics and gradually ask. I basically just say that I eat lean protein, fruits and veg. Some people are very opinionated and have to give me their 2 cents on how bad it is to cut out carbs bla bla bla. I tell them that I have carbs but my carbs come from beans, fruits and vegetables and not from bread, pasta, or rice .
Anyhow getting back on the topic we all love and hate so much…Food hahaha. The other day I went out for lunch with a friend and had a great chicken salad over wonderful conversation. The salad was so good that I wanted to recreate it at home. It was a grilled chicken over baby spinach, topped with brie, dried cranberries and sugared pecans with a drizzle of a a citrus vinaigrette.
Here’s my version of it.
Ingredients:
8 cups baby spinach leaves
2 oz brie, diced
3 tablespoons dried cranberries
3 tablespoons sunflower seeds
2 Tbsp orange juice concentrate, thawed
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp splenda
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
Preparation:
Combine the spinach and brie in a large serving bowl.
Whisk the juice concentrate, oil, vinegar, garlic, splenda and mustard together in a small bowl.
Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat.
Garnish with the sunflower seeds and dried cranberries.
**Adding grilled chicken breast to this salad is a quick and easy dinner.
Serves: 4
Nutritional Facts:
Per serving: 101 gr
Calories: 144
Fat: 12.1 g
Carbs: 4.8g
Fiber: 1.8
Protein: 5.3 g
Net Carb: 3 g
Cooked ground beef, salsa, re-fried beans
Low Fat sour cream
Low Fat Cheddar Cheese
Baked and then topped with chopped green onions
Ingredients:
2 pound lean ground beef
1 tsp minced garlic
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 cups salsa
1/4 cup water
1 (16 ounce) can low fat re-fried beans
1/2 cup low fat sour cream sour cream
1/4 cup chopped green onion
1 cup shredded Low fat Cheddar cheese
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook ground beef until no longer pink and drain any fat.
Season beef with garlic, chili powder and onion powder.
Spread meat evenly in a 9×13 baking dish, add salsa and water.
The spread the re-fried beans over top.
Then spread the sour cream over the beans.
The top with shredded cheese.
Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. The sprinkle with green onions and serve with a salad on the side and nachos for the carb eaters in your house.
Serves: 8
Nuturtional Facts:
Per seving: 229 gr
Calories: 308
Fat: 10.2 g
Carbs: 10.6g
Fiber: 3.6
Protein: 41 g
Net Carb: 7 g
This is a dense cupcake with a dark chocolate brownie-like consistency.
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup blanched hazelnuts or almonds
8 tablespoons splenda
3 oz bittersweet chocolate
1/2 cup sour cream
2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon Frangelico or Amaretto liquer (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
5 egg whites, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon salt
Preparation:
Heat oven to 350 degrees. I used a silicone muffin tray and they popped out so easily.
Finely grind the nuts with 1 tablespoon of the sugar.
In the top of a double boiler over barely simmering water, melt the chocolate and remaining 4 teaspoons of butter, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Remove from heat.
Place the chocolate mixture in a large bowl. Stir in the nut mixture, sour cream, egg yolks, liquor, vanilla extract, cinnamon, 5 tablespoons of the remaining sugar and the remaining 2 tablespoons cocoa powder until well blended.
In another large bowl, with an electric mixer on high speed, beat the egg whites and salt until foamy.
Gradually beat in the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar until the whites hold stiff peaks when the beaters are lifted. Fold a quarter of the beaten whites into the chocolate mixture, then fold the remaining whites. Spoon into muffin pan and bake for 25-30 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
Cool on a wire rack until warm. The cupcakes will fall slightly.
Makes 10 cupcakes
Cupcake 3 net carbs + Frosting 2 net carbs = 5 net carbs per serving
Total Recipe Nutritional Values:
Calories 1535.44
Fat 142.77g
Cholesterol 551.77mg
Sodium 536.22mg
Potassium 3001.93mg
Carbohydrate 55.51g
Dietary Fiber 24.96g
Protein 39.171g
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon instant coffee powder, crushed
1/3 cup granular Splenda
1/4 cup cocoa, sifted
Pour the cream into a medium, deep mixing bowl. Add the instant coffee powder and stir until dissolved; add Splenda. With a wire whisk, whip the cream until it just starts to thicken. Slowly blend in the cocoa and whisk just a few seconds until thick. It will thicken very quickly so don’t over beat.
Makes enough to frost 10 cupcakes
2g Net Carbs per serving
Per 1/10 recipe: 91 Calories; 9g Fat; 1g Protein; 3g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 2g Net Carbs
Slow Cooker with alluminum balls to support the chicken
Chicken with spice rub
Chicken is fully cooked after 8 hours and so juicy
Chicken breast, asparagus with parmesan and a caesar salad on the side.
This chicken was a huge hit and I have enough leftovers for lunch.
I see chicken caesar salad in my future
Ingredients:
2 whole chickens
Rub Ingredients:
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon chilli powder
1 tablespoon ground rosemary
2 teaspoon seasoning salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
Preparation:
Roll aluminum foil into balls and add to bottom of your crockpot.
Rub dry ingredients all over the chicken, and under the skin and rub some inside the cavity.
Set chicken on top of foil balls and set slow cooker to high and cook for 8 hours.
Just before serving you can broil for 5 mins to make it crispy.
*For Carb Lovers* You can also make a gravy with the drippings
Ingredients:
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 cups chicken broth
2 zucchini, diced
1 cup romano beans
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tsp dried oregano
salt and pepper
Preparation:
In a fry pan saute onion, carrots, celery and garlic in the oil. Until tender.
In a 5 quart slow cooker add the sauteed vegetables and the rest of the ingredients, zucchini, romano beans, tomatoes, broth.
Simmer for 5 hours on high.
Sprinkle Parmigiano cheese when serving.
Serves: 8
Nuturtional Facts:
Per seving: 228 gr
Calories: 85
Fat: 4.4 g
Carbs: 7.2g
Fiber: 1.9
Protein: 4.3 g
Net Carb: 5 g
Shredded Roast Beef, Dandelion Salad, Fried Red Peppers
Ingredients:
3 pounds beef blade roast
1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
1 (1 ounce) package dry onion soup mix
1 cup water
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
Preparation:
Pour the soy sauce and dry onion soup mix into the slow cooker. Mix well. Place blade roast into slow cooker.
Add water until the top 1/2 inch of the roast is not covered.
Add the fresh ground pepper over the top.
Cover and cook on High for 6 hours.
For the carb lovers in your family, once the roast is cooked, you can use the broth to make gravy.
Enjoy!
Roasted Jalapeno
Roasted Jalapeno covered with sausages & cheese.
Ingredients:
8 fresh jalapenos or bell peppers; sliced in half length wise & seeds removed
2 tablespoon vegetable oil ; divided
4-5 Italian sausages
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1/2 cup diced celery
2 garlic cloves ; minced
1/2 teaspoon rosemary
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
Preparation:
Heat oven to 400 degrees.
Place jalapeno or bell peppers halves on a parchment lined cookie sheet and set aside.
In a large skillet add 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat.
Remove casing from the sausage and add to skillet, with a rubber spatula break sausage into smaller pieces, for about 5 minutes, until cooked through.
When the sausage is fully cooked add green onion, celery, garlic, rosemary.
Remove from heat; add the Parmesan cheese and stir just until cheese melts.
Pour sausage mixture over roasted peppers and sprinkle with 1/4 cup mozzarella.
Bake 15 to 20 minutes, until peppers are tender or mozzarella is melted and bubbling.
Ingredients:
1 can Albacore tuna
1 Tb light Mayonnaise
1 tsp tangy relish or diced pickle
1 Tb lemon juice
1 rib chopped celery
Salt & Pepper to taste
5 leaves romaine lettuce
3 cherry tomatoes
Preparation:
Combine all ingredients except for the romaine lettuce & tomatoes.
Place romaine lettuce leaves on a plate and spoon tuna on top.
Fold and eat it like a taco shell.
Eat and enjoy!!
NOTE:
By the way those cherry tomatoes are from my garden. They’re so sweet!!
Also my legs are so sore from my first spin class I did yesterday. But can you believe I’m contemplating going for another spin tomorrow LOL What can I say I love the pain!! and the satisfaction of finishing the class and not passing out
QUESTION???
For those who have done a spin class, Will you do it again?
Oh my gosh!!! My husband and I went to the gym today and did our first spin class. WOW!! It was incredible from start to finish. A trainer once told me that you can burn 1000 calories in a spin class, I totally believe it.
We did 45 minutes of dripping sweat spinning and then we worked on our arms. OUCHIE!!!
Ingredients
2 cups Zucchini
1 medium , onion
1 tsp salt
2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
Preparation
Wash zucchini (4 medium will give you about 2 cups) and chop in slices 1/4 inch thick. Peel and chop onion into half moons.
Add oil and onions to a large sauté pan, sauté 3-4 minutes.
Add zucchini.
Sauté on med high heat (7-8) until nearly soft and translucent.
Mix in salt and pepper while sautéing.
OK what can I say other than that I’m really enjoying my protein shakes for breakfast and trying new ideas. The inspiration for this was a Reese Peanut Butter Cup. This is my liquid version LOL.
*Only 2 net carbs*
Ingredients:
1 scoop Kaizen Vanilla Protein (1 carb)
1 Tablespoons Almond Butter (1 carbs)
1 Tablespoons Unsweetened Cocoa Powder (0 carbs)
8 oz Cold Brewed Coffee
Ice
Preparation:
Combine all ingredients into a large glass.
Blend well using a hand blender, add ice cubes if you want, and enjoy!
Ingredients
2 Tbsp Pesto
2 Tbsp Grated Parmesan cheese
2 green zucchinis, each cut into thick rounds
1 small eggplant, cut into thick rounds
Instructions
Grill zucchini and eggplant on the barbecue over medium-high heat for 2–3 minutes per side until lightly charred.
Place warm zucchini and eggplant slices on plates and let them cool.
In a large bowl add pesto and zucchini and eggplant, mix well until coated.
Arrange on a platter and sprinkle Parmesan cheese.
Great warm or at room temperature.
Morning all,
This is not my typical breakfast since eggs are not one of my favorite foods plus it always triggers heartburn. But none the less I like to try it every so often to see if I get a reaction. I made this ham & cheese omelet and so far not upset stomach yeah!! It was really good and it might be regular on my breakfast menu.
Oh check out my coffee I used unsweetened chocolate almond milk and it was DELISH!! It’s my version of a moccachino
Coffee 0g + Unsweetened Almond Milk 1/4 .5 g + Splenda 1/2 tsp .5 g=1 Net carb
Ingredients
1 whole egg
2 egg whites
1 teaspoon butter
1 slice extra lean ham
1 tablespoon reduced fat cheddar cheese
black pepper
Preparation:
Beat egg and egg whites in a small bowl until blended.
Add butter in a small nonstick pan; heat over medium heat.
Add chopped ham to pan and sautee for 1 min. Remove ham and place in a plate.
Add eggs and cook over medium heat until bottom is set, gently pushing edges of omelet towards center to allow uncooked eggs to flow underneath.
Add the ham. Once eggs are almost cooked gently flip omelet ham facing down.
Remove from heat and sprinkle with cheese.
Serving Size 150 g
Amount Per Serving
Calories 179
Total Fat 10.5g
Total Carbohydrates 1.1g
Sugars 0.8g
Protein 20.1g
Net Carb 1.1 g
Omelet 1.1 g + Low Carb Ketchup 1 Tb 1g= 2 g Net Carb
Coffee 0g + Unsweetened Almond Milk 1/4 .5 g + Splenda 1/2 tsp .5 g=1 Net carb
Complete Breakfast: omelet, ketchup & coffee for just 3 net carbs
*Only 2 net carbs*
Ingredients:
1 scoop Kaizen Vanilla Protein (1 carb)
1 Tablespoons Almond Butter (1 carbs)
a pinch of cinnamon (0 carbs)
8 oz water
ice
Preparation:
In a large 4 cup measuring cup or a tall 32 oz glass add all ingredients.
Blend well using a hand blender and pour into a tall glass.
I like my hand blender verses a regular blender, the clean up is so much quicker.
Hey everybody,
I arrived back home Saturday night, it was a great 5 hour drive, the weather was perfect and I was listening to some podcasts that helped pass the time so quickly.
In a Jillian Michaels podcast that I was listening she was talking about facing your fears. Here’s a little bit of what she had to say.
Face your fears and in looking at fear you have to have a game plan , never jump into it, set up to succeed. Educate yourself and when you give yourself some knowlege you will give yourself a boost of confidence, resilience and peace of mind to take that risk. Information gives you power.
Attitude of failing:
You need to think of failure as an opportunity to grown, learn, to become better, so many of us have poor self esteem. In life the thing you fear the most, you manifest in trying to avoid it. If you look at the patterns of what your afraid of for example, you’re afraid of being alone, afraid of going to the gym because you’re 400 lbs. You’re creating it by not facing it. You need to start off by building your confidence up so start asking people for feedback and criticism and remind yourself that this is my way of getting better, and getting ahead. By working on these weaknesses that’s what’s going to make you stronger and improve and move forward. You’ll survive the feed back, you’re strong, you’ll come through it. When you see that you’ve faced these things you’ll build your confidence. Also surround yourself with supportive people that will be there for you. So if you fail you need to realize that you’re still loveable.
We learn from failure not from successes.
OK that’s the best I can do at transcribing her podcast she talks so fast, anyhow I find her very motivational and true to the point.
Ok now back to me…haha. Our 3 weeks away from home visiting family was fun filled. We spent quality time with family and friends. My parents are amazing and I miss them already. My sister introduced me to some really nice people that I know I will see again the next time I’m in town. You know who you are, I will check up on you and find out if you went insane hahaha.
Speaking of my insanity workouts I did manage to do it a few times plus we did so much walked too.
These pics were taken in Old Montreal, it’s beautiful there with their cobble stone streets and horse draw carriages, artists selling their goods and performing acts singers, comdiens, jugglers etc.
I made this smoothie for breakfast a few times for those days when I had to eat and go. It contains low carb vanilla protein, 8 oz water, raspberries, blueberries and pineapple. I combined all ingredients and with my immersion blender, puree and enjoy.
My sister who is the BEST sister anyone can ask for, is a nail technician and she did my nails with gel and put colored gel on my toes.
I love waking up in the morning and seeing my happy toes. They will last for weeks without any chips. Happy Happy
I found this recipe awhile back but I can’t remember which site it came from. I wanted to make it before I posted it but since I’m away on vacation I’m posting it as is. My intention is to make it lower in fat and calories as well as low carb.
Stay tuned for a new version but in the mean time…Enjoy!
Crust:
1 1/2 cups almond flour
6 Tbsp Splenda
5 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
Filling:
1/2 cup boiling water
1 box (.3 oz) sugar free lime Jell-O
1 cup heavy cream
16 oz Philadelphia Cream Cheese
1 cup Splenda
1/4 cup Baja Bob’s Desert Key Lime Margarita Mix
Preparation:
Mix all crust ingredients well and press into bottom of 9″ springform pan or aluminum (disposable type) cake pan (not pie pan). Let chill in refrigerator.
Meanwhile, make filling:
Mix boiling water with sugar free lime Jell-O. Set in refrigerator to partially set up. In a bowl, whip heavy cream. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, Baja Bob’s Key Lime Margarita Mix, and 1 cup Splenda until smooth. Very lightly mix in partially set lime gelatin. Fold in whipping cream. Pour into pie shell. Chill 2 to 3 hours.
Top with additional whipped cream, and/or garnish with key lime slices if desired.
NUTRITION INFORMATION PER SLICE (MAKES 8 SLICES):
304 Calories
31g Fat
6g Protein
3g Carbohydrate
0g Dietary Fiber
3g Net Carbs
I’m still here on vacation visiting family and I’ve extended my trip for another week. Missing my husband since he couldn’t join us on this trip but we do video chat a few times a day which is great.
The weather has been beautiful, there’s a really nice outdoor pool in walking distance so I take my kids there daily. I wish we had one in our area, the closest one is a 20 minute drive.
Food:
I’m doing good and sticking to my low carb lifestyle. My mom’s amazing in the kitchen and I haven’t strayed too far. I’ve been eating on plan and drinking my water. My only cheats have been cappuccinos with skim, once I had some potato chips, one night I shared a slice of pie.
We went out for dinner a few times and I kicked butt I was so good. I had diet 7-up, chicken kabob, hummus and salad. Everyone else had the same plus bread, rice and wine.
Last night I met some friends that I haven’ seen in years and we laughed and talked on an outdoor terrace til 3am and all I had was a diet coke. I’m having fun just going out for coffee after dinner, I’ll have to make this a habit when I get back home and not fall in the same routine.
Exercise:
Friday I did my Insanity Pure Cardio, it was a good workout.
Shopping:
I did some shopping and bought a few tops that have a little bling or sequin on them. Two of them are a size medium and one is a small. Happy days!!!
I got them on sale which was a great deal to boot!!!
A colorful Italian antipasto made with arugula, artichokes, mozzarella cheese, and roasted red pepper.
Ingredients
5 oz arugula
6 oz canned artichokes hearts, drained , coarsely chopped
4 oz Cheese, mozzarella, fresh, balls, bites, serving
4 oz roasted red peppers with brine , cut into thin strips
2 oz prosciutto , cut into strips
1 medium celery stalks , thinly sliced
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 pinch hot red pepper flakes
Preparations
In large bowl, combine arugula, artichokes, mozzarella, roasted red pepper, prosciutto, and celery.
Drizzle with oil and vinegar.
Sprinkle with hot pepper flakes and toss. Chill for 30 minutes. Serve.
Nutrition Facts
Makes 6 servings Serving Size: 1 serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 107.7
Total Carbs 4.7 g
Dietary Fiber 2.3 g
Sugars 0.9 g
Total Fat 7.1 g
Protein 6.8 g
Net Carb 2.4g
I came across this recipe on myrecipes.com and thought I’d share this with you.
Prep: 20 min., Stand: 1 min., Chill: 8 hr.
Makes 16 (4-cube) servings
Ingredients
1 cup sparkling white wine
1/2 cup vodka
1/4 cup Peach Puree
1 (3-oz.) package *Sugar-free peach-flavored gelatin
1 (1-oz.) package unflavored gelatin
1 cup boiling water
Garnish: fresh peach slices
Preparation
Stir together wine, vodka, and Peach Puree in an 11- x 7-inch baking dish; sprinkle gelatins over wine mixture. Let stand 1 minute.
Stir 1 cup boiling water into wine mixture, stirring until gelatin is dissolved. Cover and chill 8 hours or until set.
Cut gelatin into 64 (1-inch) cubes. Garnish, if desired.
Nutritional Information
Amount per serving
Calories: 49
Calories from fat: 0.0%
Fat: 0.0g
Protein: 0.9g
Carbohydrate: 5.3g
Fiber: 0.0g
Net Carb: 5.3 g
I came across this recipe on myrecipes.com and thought I’d share this with you.
Ingredients
2 slices center-cut bacon
1 1/2 pounds peeled and deveined large shrimp
5 cups arugula leaves
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
2 tablespoons plain low-fat yogurt
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Preparation
Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from the pan, reserving 1 teaspoon drippings in pan. Crumble bacon, and set aside. Add shrimp to drippings in the pan; sauté 5 minutes or until done. Using a slotted spoon, transfer shrimp to a large bowl. Add arugula leaves and halved cherry tomatoes to shrimp; toss gently.
Combine yogurt, vinegar, oil, and pepper in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Drizzle vinegar mixture over shrimp mixture; toss gently to combine. Place 2 1/4 cups salad mixture on each of 4 plates; divide crumbled bacon evenly among salads.
Makes: 4 servings
Nutritional Information
Amount per serving
Calories: 247
Calories from fat: 28%
Fat: 7.8g
Protein: 36.8g
Carbohydrate: 5.4g
Fiber: 0.8g
Net Carbs: 4.6 g
I’m on vacation visiting family for 2 weeks and it’s been great seeing everyone.
My kids are having a blast with their cousins and swimming almost everyday. We’re really working on our tans heehee. The other night we went to Little Italy for some gelato. Yummy!! had a few spoons to taste and it was so good.
Food:
I’m doing good and sticking to my low carb lifestyle. My mom’s amazing in the kitchen and I haven’t strayed too far.
Exercise:
Had a good workout the other day when I went to the gym with my sister.
The other night we speed walked for an hour and did 4.60 km.
Saturday morning I grabbed my iPod and listened to my favorite podcast The Jillian Micheal’s show as I walked/jogged at 7:30am for 30 mins, I did 3.40km.
Saturday night met my sister for a cappuccino and dessert at an outdoor terrace and after we went for a two hour walk and did 7.20 km. We burned off any calories we had from the pie.
This massive pie you see before me is a Caramel Fudge Cheesecake, I shared this with my sister, we couldn’t finish it, too rich.
Today we have plans to spend the day outdoors with the kids and maybe do a little shopping, site seeing …who knows?? But I’ll post again and keep you updated cuz I know you’re all anxiously waiting hahaha
Mediterranean Cauliflower Salad
Ingredients:
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
1/4 cup red pepper, chopped
2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 cup Greek olives
1 Tbsp. capers
1 Tbsp. wine vinegar
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
Steam cauliflower florets until just tender.
Refresh under cold water to stop the cooking process.
In a bowl, combine cauliflower, pepper, parsley, olives and capers. Toss lightly. Whisk together vinegar, oil and oregano. Pour over vegetables.
Marinate in the fridge for two hours or overnight.
Serve cold.
Makes 4 servings.
4.3 net grams of carbohydrate per serving.
The other day I finally had the urge to clean out my closet, honestly I don’t know why it took my so long. I have a dear friend who’s sweet and keeps telling me I should go on a shopping spree and get ride of my fat clothes. But I buy what I need since I’m not at my goal weight yet.
In the above picture are my jeans from when I was at my heaviest at 189 lb which was a tight size 16. The jeans are sizes 16, 14, 12, 10, 8.
I’m currently in a size 8 and I’m thrilled about it.
Sometimes when you step on the scale and you don’t see it move in your favor. Don’t fret the scale isn’t the only measure to see your successes.
Take a look in your closet and go try on the clothes you wore before you started this life style change. You’ll be happily surprised with your Non-Scale Victory.
Wishing much success on your journey.
Ingredients
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp finely grated lemon rind
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 pinch each salt and pepper
1 tsp oregano
2 rainbow trout fillets, (about 375 g total)
Preparation:
In a large non-stick fry pan add olive oil and garlic, saute.
Arrange fish, skin side down, cook until the edge of fish turns pink then gently turn over. Remove skin and discard season fish with salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes.
Remove fish and place in a serving platter.
In fry pan add lemon juice, lemon rind and oregano, scrap off bits in pans. Cook for 1 minute and then pour over fish and serve.
Serve with green beans, and green salad.
Ingredients:
2 tea bags of your choice
6 cups water
a few sprigs of mint leaves
2 tablespoobs lenon juice
¼ cup splenda
2 cups ice cubes
Preparation:
Boil 2 cups of water, add 2 tea bags to boiling water and let the tea steep for about 15 minutes without moving.
Discard tea bags (do not squeeze or tea will be bitter).
Add ice in a large pitcher and add tea, remaining 4 cups cold water, lemon juice, splenda and fresh mint.
Stir and enjoy!!
Makes 6 servings
Ingredients:
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Marinade:
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 T red wine vinegar
2 T minced garlic (or garlic from a jar)
1 T dried oregano
1 green onion
Preparation:
Trim all visible fat and tendons from chicken breasts, then cut each breast into about 6 strips.
Put chicken strips into large Ziploc bag.
In a blender combine olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, oregano, and green onion and puree.
Pour marinade into Ziploc bag, seal, and squeeze bag and shake gently so the meat is well coated with marinade.
Put into refrigerator and marinate 8 hours or more.
To grill, remove chicken from refrigerator, drain chicken pieces and thread onto skewers.
Spray grill with non-stick spray, then preheat gas grill to medium high. (You can only hold your hand there for a few seconds at that heat.)
Grill skewers about 12-15 minutes, turning often. Souvlaki is done when the chicken is slightly browned and firm, but not hard to the touch.
Pan Fry:
If it’s raining and you can’t go out to grill (that’s what happened to me yesterday). No need to skewer the chicken
Using a non stick fry pan add marinated chicken and fry.
Once you see a lot of liquid accumulate, drain and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and fry chicken until lightly golden brown.
Serve with Tzatziki (cucumber dip), Greek Salad (tomato, cucumber, onion and feta)
Serves: 4
INGREDIENTS
4 cups popcorn, popped
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1-1/4 teaspoons chili powder
Dash garlic powder
DIRECTIONS
1. Mix hot popcorn and butter.
2. Mix seasonings thoroughly.
3. Sprinkle over popcorn.
4. Mix well.
NUTRITION INFO (per 1-cup serving)
Calories: 66.3
Fat: 4.2 g
Carbohydrates: 6.6 g
Protein: 1.1 g
Starting Weight: 189 lbs
Current Weight: 148.5 lbs
Goal Weight: 135 lbs
Total Loss to date: 40.5 lbs
Pounds to goal: 13.5 lbs
I had my weigh-in today, I only lost half a pound (-0.5). I know it’s not a lot but I’m happy the scale moved in the right direction.
Yesterday I had a great workout, I did my Insanity DVD, it rocks!!! After my workout they say to have protein to help condition your muscles. So I came up with something new when I opened my fridge. It’s a keeper.
*Only 4 net carbs*
Ingredients:
1 cup fresh baby spinach (0 carbs)
3 strawberries (3 carbs)
8 oz water
1 scoop Kaizen Vanilla Protein (1 carb)
ice
Preparation:
In a large 4 cup measuring cup or a tall 32 oz glass add all ingredients except ice and blend using a hand blender.
Puree until blended and pour into a tall glass filled with ice and enjoy 
I like my hand blender verses a regular blender, the clean up is so much quicker.
Hi all,
I’ve been busy on the look out for some new food finds and I hit the jackpot. I’ve added over 10 more foods since my last posting so have a look and I hope you get lucky and find them at your stores.
By the way to see My Food Finds they are all collected on one page called….Yup you guessed it….My Food Finds.
There’s a tab at the top and even on the right side of this page. Just click on My Food Finds to have a looky.
Tuesday 
I worked out on my elliptical burned 281.3 calories.
Wednesday 
I went on a school field trip walked all day from 9am-2pm and I brought a healthy lunch with me. I packed light cheese, hummus, celery and water.
Thursday 
I baked for the school bake sale and my Spongebob treats brought in $100 for the school Yeah!!
Friday 
I went to a Walmart supercenter to get my car looked at. In the meantime I walked around for 2 hours and scored a nice thin pair of capri pants a size 8. Yippee Skippy I think it’s official that I’m a size 8 heehee and my t-shirts are a medium.
Went out for dinner tonight since my kids activity finished very late. We went to a Mediterranean restaurant, my kids love the chicken shawarma pita sandwiches and I had a chicken shawarma plate with salad and hummus, I specified no rice, potatoes or pita.
Saturday 
Today I went on my first bike ride of the summer. I was on a quiet country road, there was over cast and it was a little chilly at first but it didn’t stop me or the other bikers I saw on the road. I did 28 km (18 miles) in 1 hour and 27 minutes. My bike is 25 years old so it’s very heavy but it still gets me where I need to go, it just takes longer. I wish I could get one of those lighter bikes but they’re so expensive and our summers are too short s I wouldn’t get much use of it. Anyhow it was a great ride but I could’ve been faster if my bike was lighter heehee. By the way I took this pic when I stopped to head back, it’s highway 48 and 19th Ave.
Tonight after dinner we went to the movie theater, I had some popcorn but I also brought with me a bottle of water, cashew nuts and 2 sugar free chocolate candy.
Also I’ve been really good this week with my meals, drinking 2 litres of water per day, some days even more.
Plus a good friend of mine has been bitten by the health bug and is back on the band wagon to a healthy life style. Way to go B!!!
Also I met a really nice lady at an online diet chat group and it turns out that she lives just 10 minutes away. We’ve been emailing each other back and forth on how we’re doing etc.
It’s great to have someone to talk to who’s going through the same thing as you. We said that one of these days we’re going to meet for coffee, looking forward to it.
My computer crashed so I have no way of playing my Insanity DVD
My bike computer doesn’t work, so if any of you have a Cateye Strada, I could use some tips of how to get it to work again.
Night time munchies.
Didn’t get in all my workouts as I wanted too.
Two nights this week I had popcorn and chips plus tonight and that makes three.
Haven’t tried any new recipes, so nothing to post.
My time of month is approaching and soon the munchies will take over. Grrr!!!
Yup I’m weighing in at 149 lbs!!! I’m so happy I can’t believe it.
Starting Weight: 189 lbs
Current Weight: 149.0 lbs
Goal Weight: 135 lbs
Total Loss to date: 40.0 lbs
Pounds to goal: 14 lbs
I had my weigh-in today, I’ve lost 2.0 lbs which brings my total loss to 40 lbs. I’m doing a little dance as I write this blog
Here’s my latest low carb food find. I’m hooked on it 1 Tb is 3 carbs but it’s so worth it.
It’s Kraft Mango Chipotle Dressing. I’ve been having it on my broccoli slaw and it’s delish!!!
Check out my newly added page it’s called “My Food Finds”. This page is for my favorite low carb foods that I’ve found at my local grocery store. I put them together all on one page. I keep adding to it so remember to check back on
“My Food Finds”.
Today was a great day!! The sun was shinning and it was HOT!!! I drank all my water and then some.
I did my Insanity workout this morning and then I road my bike to an appointment. Now this was no casual stroll on my bike, I was pushing it. I did 10 km/6 miles in 45 minutes. This was my lunch when I came home, I was really looking forward to it. It was delish!!! Hope you like it.
Ingredients:
1 tomato, diced
1 tsp fresh diced jalapeno pepper (add more if you like heat)
1 Tb Extra Virgin Olive Oil
salt to taste
2 lean Italian sausages
1 Tb Parmesan cheese, grated
2 portobello mushrooms
Ingredients:
1 pound lean ground beef
1 tbsp Oregano
1 tbsp Chili Powder
Garlic and Onion Powder to taste
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 tbsp Salsa
2 tbsp sliced green olives
2 tbsp low fat sour cream
2 tbsp low fat cheddar cheese, shredded
Leaves of romain lettuce large enough to hold meat and toppings
Your favorite Hot Sauce (no sugar added)
Preparation:
*Ground turkey or ground chicken can be used in place of ground beef.
Season meat with chili powder, garlic powder and onion salt. Brown and drain.
Wash lettuce leaves, make sure to keep them whole, and dry.
Fill lettuce leaf with meat and add toppings just as you would a taco shell.
You can add other toppings, green peppers, black olives, guacamole, green onions,
Wrap lettuce leaf up and enjoy.
Makes approximately 8 individual wraps using 2 oz of meat for each wrap.
Blackened Beef Brisket RecipeIngredients:
3-4 pounds well trimmed beef brisket
1 Tablespoon cajun seasoning
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 325°F.
Rub surface of brisket with seasoning. Brown in hot cast iron skillet with vegetable oil spray. Place brisket on rectangle of heavy aluminum foil. Combine water and hot sauce and spoon over brisket. Seal foil and place in baking pan. Bake about 30-45 minutes per pound at 325°F or until meat is tender. Remove from oven and let stand 15-30 minutes for ease in slicing.
Makes 9 servings. 1 net gram of carbohydrate per serving.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
3 leeks, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 large head cauliflower, chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
8 cups vegetable broth
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 cup heavy cream (optional)
Directions
Heat the olive oil and butter in a large pot over medium heat, and saute the leeks, cauliflower, and garlic for about 10 minutes. Stir in the vegetable broth, and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 45 minutes.
Remove the soup from heat. Blend the soup with an immersion blender. Season with salt and pepper. Mix in the heavy cream, and continue blending until smooth.
Servings Per Recipe: 12
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 155
Total Fat: 13.1g
Cholesterol: 35mg
Sodium: 387mg
Total Carbs: 8.3g
Dietary Fiber: 2.5g
Protein: 2.4g
Net Carbs: 6 g
I’ve had a really great week, I had a visit from my mom and sister who live out of town. They stayed for a few days, it was so nice to see them and spend time together. Too bad the weather wasn’t cooperating, it was raining the whole time they were here. So what’s a couple of girls to do other than Shop Till You Drop!!! and that’s what we did
I convinced my sister to try the Insanity workout, it was her first time and even though she said she doesn’t like jumping exercises at the end of the DVD she really liked it. So much so that we did another Insanity workout the next day. It really is addictive.
It was sad the see my mom and sister go but I know I’ll be visiting them in the summer. We ate so good when they were here, nothing tastes as good as mom’s cooking.
Oh check out my new sexy 2 piece bathing suit, it’s a size medium. Woohoo!!!
We went away for a few days visiting family and I have to say that I was really good at resisting temptation. There was chips, popcorn, cake, ice cream and other high carb fatty foods and for dessert I ate fruit, mostly strawberries and watermelon. I even surprised myself. By the way I might have a few more people hooked on kale chips
Well we’re home now and back to normality, I’m looking forward to sleeping in my bed again.
Put the lime in the coconut, drink ‘em both up…in this case you eat them both up.
I made this cake before with orange zest and lemon zest but today I had neither. But I did have a fresh lime so I used the zest of the lime and the juice of the lime. Wow it turned out great. Hope you like it.
By the way it’s so easy to make, only six ingredients.
*Remember to line your loaf pan with parchment paper, it makes for easy removal.
Ingredients:
3/4 cup coconut flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
6 eggs
1/2 cup salted butter, melted
2 tablespoons granular Splenda
1 tsp lime zest
juice from 1 lime
Preparations:
Sift the coconut flour and baking powder in a small bowl and set aside.
In a medium bowl or use your electric mixer.
Whisk together eggs, butter, splenda and lime zest.
Add the dry ingredients and whisk until the batter is smooth with no lumps.
Spread in a parchment paper lined 8×4″ loaf pan.
Bake at 350º for 40 minutes.
Remove from the pan and cool on a rack.
Can be frozen.
Makes 12 servings
Per Serving:
Calories 134
Fat 11g
Protein 4g
Carbohydrate 4g
Dietary Fiber 2g
Net Carbs 2g
Having a well stocked fridge and cupboard with healthy foods is a great way to stay on your diet. I’m always asked what I eat and I thought I’d show you so here’s what’s in my fridge and cupboards. You can click on the picture to enlarge them.
Top Shelf:
Roasted Red Peppers, Olives, Homemade Pesto, Almond Butter, Dijon Mustard.
Jam, Frank’s Red Hot, Sour Cream, Sugar Free Jam, Ricotta, Almonds.
Cooked Rapini,
Deli Drawer:
Parmigiano Cheese, Blue Cheese, Mozzarella.
Veggies:
Celery, Asparagus, Lettuce, Cucumber.
Bread Drawer:
12 Grain Bread.
Side-door:
Eggs, Butter
35% Cream, Almond Milk, Egg Whites, 1% Milk
Soy Sauce, Sesame Oil, Minced Ginger, Minced Garlic, Lemon Juice, Olive Oil Mayonnaise.
Salad Dressing, Low Carb Ketchup, Mustard, Ketchup.
Pure Maple Syrup, Sugar Free Maple Syrup, Salsa, Beer, Worcestershire Sauce.
Top Shelf:
Herbal Tea, Peaches, Sardines, Tuna, Hummus, Artichokes, Kids School Snacks.
Mom’s Low Carb Shelf:
Eggplant, Bran crisp, Peaches in water, SF Meringue Cookies, Phyllium Husks, LC Biscotti, CarbRite Bars, SF Jello.
DaVinci SF Syrups, Trail Mix, Wafers, Ginger Snaps, Peanut Butter, Multi-Grain Crackers, Cereal. I also have my new favorite food which is Chia Seeds but they’re in a different cupboard with my vitamins etc
I have had an eventful week and it’s only Thursday. For starters; a trip to the Emergency, kids after-school appointments, kids school event where my daughter danced her heart out.
I took my kids out for dinner after their Dr appointments. We tried a new Middle Eastern restaurant and they loved it. They had a chicken shawarma sandwich and I had the chicken shawarma plate. I told the person to replace the rice and potatoes that with salad. It’s become a habit now to ask for what I want and not settle for food I can’t eat.
I had leftover Cajun chicken and made this for lunch yesterday. It’s broccoli slaw and Cajun Chicken. YUM!!
I’ve been keeping up with my workouts and my food diary. So far this week I’ve been kicking butt!!! My butt!!!
Mondays workout left me sore
Tuesday was a day off
Wednesday Insanity workout
Thursday (today) I would’ve done Insanity again but due to technical difficulties (DVD player didn’t work.)
So I jumped on my elliptical and did 20 mins and burned 200 calories. Hopefully my handsome husband can’t fix that problem *Hint Hint*
I went shopping today since a friend told me of a sale going on. I popped in and the pants that I was eyeballing a few weeks ago is now half off and the best part…get this…They’re a size 7!!! SHUT UP!!! and then I went to Costco and bought capri pants that are a size 8!! I’m going to tell me hubby to wrap them up for Mother’s Day hahaha.
I’m in such a good mood right now, ok I know I’m really not a size 7 and every clothing company has different sizes but what the hell I’ll take it, it says 7 on the label…heehee!!!
Oh and did I mention this is the first day this week that the sun decided to make an appearance, Mother Nature’s has been pissing down on us for over a week. Today was the first time that I walked and picked up my kids from school. They love walking home, I plan on doing it more often now that the weather is getting warmer.
*Only 3 net carbs*
Ingredients:
1 scoop Kaizen Vanilla Protein
8 oz water
3 strawberries
Preparation:
In a large 4 cup measuring cup or a tall 32 oz glass add all ingredients and blend using a hand blender.
Puree until blended and pour into a tall glass and enjoy
I like my hand blender verses a regular blender, the clean up is so much quicker.
Below is the Nutrition Fact for the Kaizen Vanilla Protein:
Yesterday was a very eventful day, some good…some bad.
I had a great morning workout, I tried a new Insanity dvd called Cardio power & Resistance.
Holy Cow!! It really pumped me up for the day.
I made a yummy Strawberry Vanilla Protein Shake then then for lunch a Cajun beef with sauteed spinach. I was totally on the ball yesterday.
Recipe will be posted for Strawberry Vanilla Protein Shake.
My lunch Cajun Beef & Sauteed Spinach
Last night my kids went to the park after dinner. An hour went by and my son came home saying he had something in his eye. I looked and there was nothing there. I had him wash his eye out a few times and even dropped in some eye drops and still nothing changed he was in a lot of pain and couldn’t open his eye. We were worried he scratch his cornea. What next…Yup!! a trip to the emergency since the clinic I went too wasn’t equipped for that type of eye exam.
I was expecting to be there for a minimum of 4 hours but thankfully we were out of there in less than 2 hours. The Dr checked his eye and swabbed it and said he couldn’t see anything but if it persists to come back. Thankfully he woke up this morning and he was fine, no blurriness, no pain.
Oh yes…and I lost my wallet today, forgot to mention that too. As I pulled into the clinic I realized I didn’t have my wallet, well I can’t tell you all the things that were spewing out of my mouth; they were not lady like at all. I later apologized to my son. Earlier I had to show my I.D. at the voting polling station and I guess when I thought I put my wallet back in my purse it fell out. So I drove to the polling station and they had my wallet. Then we were able to go to the emergency. What a relief!!!
On the way home from the hospital I couldn’t believe the day I had. I was mixed with emotions worried for my son, angry I lost my wallet, happy my son didn’t have a scratched cornea, happy they found my wallet.
Then I began to think positive which in the end made me smile because today could have turned out horribly but it didn’t. Everyone is healthy and happy.
I guess I was meant to have this day to shake me up an see everything I have.
Every Sunday we have brunch in our house, eggs, bacon, pancakes etc. Everyone picks what they want and we all sit and eat together. I ususaly have my low carb muffin and some bacon with cream cheese. YUM!!
But since I made that delicious low carb bread, I decided to make my favorite breakfast which was prior to my low carb life style.
I made french toast with a sprinkle of cinnamon added to the beaten egg. Then drizzled sugar free maple syrup that is made sweetened with Splenda.
I was a happy camper
Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding
Ingredients:
½ cup 35% Whipping cream-heavy cream
1 cup unsweetened chocolate almond milk
2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 Tbsp splenda
⅓ cup chia seeds
Preparation:
Combine all ingredients in a bowl until well blended.
Cover and refrigerator until thick like pudding.
Makes 4 servings
2 net carbs per serving
Congratulation to the happy couple.
In honor of the Royal Wedding here’s a few pictures that I came across and thought were pretty funny.
What’s with those hats ???
I’ve had some challenges this week in the food department. Yesterday I met my Prince Charming for lunch and I went the low carb route and had blackened chicken with green beans and steamed broccoli.
Then in the evening we all went out for his birthday dinner and he chose the restaurant, it’s a birthday tradition in our house that the person celebrating their birthday gets to pick where we go. Dinner was good, I didn’t have any bread but I did share some fried calamari for appetizers. Which gave me heartburn later that night!!! I should’ve known better.
I had chicken marsala which was pan-seared chicken breast, mushrooms, marsala, cream, grana padano, linguini and vegetables. I asked the waitress if I could replace the pasta with veggies and she said “Sure, we have spinach or green beans.” I chose the green beans since I figured the spinach was going to be drenched in cream or butter not that there’s anything wrong with that but I didn’t want all those calories. It was really good, wish I would’ve taken a pics.
Here’s my version of a Royal Low Carb Dinner Menu fit for a Queen or maybe a Duchess
Appetizers: Shrimp Cocktail 
Entree: Surf & Turf
Dessert: Will & Kate’s Wedding Cake, it’s beautiful but I’d have a slice of low carb cheese cake.
Beverage: Low Carb Pina Colada
Yesterday was fun, I can now say that since I’ve lost some weight shopping is Fun!!! What?? Really?? Ya no kidding!!!
I have this family function to go to next month and I needed a pair of dress pants. I went out yesterday thinking it would take a few shopping trips before I found something. That wasn’t the case this time, I found dress pants in a size 9 and they were on sale I can’t remember the last time I was in a size 9!!
I’m trying not to buy too many clothes now since I still have weight to lose, so to find something that fits and it’s on sale is a good thing.
Anyhow the beginning of this week so far has been challenging since there’s my kids Easter chocolate still lingering around and it was my handsome husbands birthday the other night so we had cheesecake and ice cream!!! on that same night I had potato chips while watching a hockey game.
But last night while we were watching another hockey game (it’s the playoffs) they had chips and I had kale chips with ranch dip. Yum!!
Yesterday and today I’ve been really good.
Here’s my lunch from today. Garlic shrimp, low carb bread, romaine salad with French dressing.
We’ve packed up and are on the road trip back home.
It was really great to see everyone But I’m looking forward being home and in my bed, seeing my cat (she hates road trips) and getting back to my food and exercise routine.
My kids have no school tomorrow so I hope it’ll be a nice day so we can spend it in the park and maybe we’ll met my husband for lunch since he’ll be working.
We are here at my in laws for Easter.
Breakfast: Coffee with splenda & milk
Low carb muffin and 3 pcs bacon
S: I drank my 32 oz bottle of sugar free nestea & chia seeds.
L: Starbucks coffee
S. Shrimp, hummus, ranch dip, gluten free crackers, nuts, water.
D: Chicken kabob, asparagus, Tabouli, 3 grape leaves, garlic sauce,
S: honeydew melon, a sliver of bday cake, 6 easter eggies, 3 espresso with bailey’s.
Oh ya a few more people saw me and told me that I lost weight.
Over all I could’ve drank more water and I could’ve done without dessert.
I need sleep since I woke up at 3:00am.
It was nice seeing everyone but I’m looking foreword to getting home.
Yesterday was Good Friday and we drove 4 hours to spend the Easter weekend with my in laws.
There’s no meat today so as for my food choices here’s how I did.
Breakfast: Tim Hortons coffee & vanilla yogurt with berries.
Sounds like a good choice right? Well after grabbing their nutritional pamphlet on the way out, I noticed that a donut had less carbs and sugar than that yogurt!!! What !! Seriously I couldn’t believe it.
S: I drank my 32 oz bottle of sugar free nestea & chia seeds.
3 bathroom breaks later we arrived at my in laws.
L: There was a ton of food but I was very picky since I didn’t want to throw all my efforts out the window, nor did I want to stay awake all night with heartburn.
I ate dandelion even though it had a ton of raw garlic which burned after a few bites but I ate it since I needed the fiber, hummus, falafel, salad,celery and ranch dip.
D: was the same as lunch
S: I ate watermelon & cantaloup while everyone else chowed down on dessert.
Here where I screwed up: at 9pm we’re watching tv and the chips where put on the table. I avoided them in the afternoon by eating celery and ranch dip.
Anyhow other than the chips I did pretty good. I need to drink my water today as I didn’t have enough yesterday.
Oh ya people are all saying “wow you look great, you lost weight” & “you’re so skinny” & “how much have you lost?”
My husband said something really nice while as someone gave me a compliment. He says “she didn’t have to lose any weight, she’s always been beautiful to me”.
Aawwww!!! isn’t he a sweetie. He earned brownie points with that one lol.
Starting Weight: 189 lbs
Current Weight: 151.0
Goal Weight: 135 lbs
Total Loss to date: -38.0 lbs
Pounds to goal: 16 lbs
I had my weigh in today after not weighing myself for 5 weeks, I was so sick with the flu then cough etc I know it sounds like excuses but I had no energy to think of anything other than getting better. Honestly it’s just been these last two weeks where I’ve picked myself up and whipped my butt in shape with workout after workout. And let’s not forget my one thing that keeps me on plan and that is my food diary. Without it I wouldn’t be able to count carbs in my head.
As of today’s weighed in, I’ve lost 3.5 lbs which brings my total loss to 38 lbs. You can’t see me but I’m doing the happy dance. When I have a great weigh in I like to have a “one time only” carb fest. I had carb stuff at lunch and that’s it for me, now I’m back on the Low Carb band wagon
I bought a low carb bread mix. Here’s the Nutritional Facts: 1 slice (21 g) = 5 carbs
One recipe made 2 small loaf pans instead of one really big loaf so I sliced them thin and weighed almost every slice at 21 grams so now each slice is 2.5 net carbs. I figure it’s 2.5 g since I made 2 small loaves and not one big one.
Does that sound right?
Low Carb Bread, isn’t it pretty?
I slicved them pretty thin each weighing 21 grams.
Each slices is 2.5 net carbs.
It’s been a busy week. I’ve been working out on my elliptical and doing the Insanity DVD. Not to mention the two whole days it took me to pressure wash my deck. Here’s a pic of how it badly needed a cleaning. The weather hasn’t been cooperating. It was freezing when I did this and now I had a runny nose, I better not get sick. But my deck looks great I even washed that bench and it’s like new again. When the weather is more stable and warmer I plan on staining the deck.
I’ve been eating pretty good for the most part but I did have an encounter with the evil Oreo. I lost count on how many I had, thank goodness there’s none left in the house.
I desperately needed new walking shoes and I got lucky last week and snagged these comfy Ecco shoes.
This is how I’ve been eating that pressed cottage cheese, crumbled over a Caesar salad. It looks like feta cheese doesn’t it?
This is my typical breakfast:
Coffee, Splenda 1 tsp, Unsweetened Almond Milk 1/4 c = 1 carb
Low Carb Cinnamon cake = 2 carbs
Sugar free Strawberry jam 1 Tb=1
Total carbs for breakfast: 4 net carbs
Ya know I never finish that huge cup of coffee, I just really like my cup I now only use 1 tsp of jam instead of a Tb.
Went to see my Dr this week to find out the results for my blood test she did for my yearly physical and it was all good news. I told her I was concerned about Cholesterol since I eat lean meat twice a day (lunch and dinner). She reassured me that my numbers are amazing and I should have any worries. Yeah!!
Now I’m waiting for results on another blood test to see why I have digestive problems with certain foods.
Well Easter is next weekend and we’re going to be visiting family and I know there’s going to be very tempting foods but I plan on sticking to my guns. I’m going to make a list of foods to pack for the road trip and muffins for breakfast everything else I can manage. Plus I plan on buying my favorite Sugar Free Chocolate just in case.
What a day!!
My 12 year old son had some friends over to play and hang out. Twelve year old boys are so funny, especially when they see a cute girl at the park then they really are hilarious.
Anyhow the best part of my day came when one of the moms saw me for the first time since last year. She told me she almost didn’t recognize me and said Wow!! you lost weight you look so good. She just went on and on and then asked me what I did to lose the weight. So I told her that I’ve changed my eating habits. I find if you say Low Carb then people get weird and tell you all the negative things they’ve heard.
That made my day and it just reinforced that I’m doing great even though I don’t always see results.
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