Day 53

Insomnia seems to get the best of me these nights!  Ughhh…I need to learn how to still my mind.  I think tiredness makes me want to eat!  Thankfully I did some really good yoga tonight which did tucker me out…all except my mind anyways.   

B’Fast- Green apple, cottage cheese, coffee with stevia and vanilla almond milk

Snack- Edamame peas

Lunch- Turkey bread, sliced apples, brie cheese on ciabatta bread with coconut water. 

Dinner-  Burger Night!  New Wednesday night tradition.  Had a burger with blue cheese and mushrooms, a smaller side of French fries, a garlic pickle, and a bite of cold slaw.  I over did it last week with a dessert and a cocktail so I took it easy this time and opted out of dessert and traded the alcohol for water.   

Day 52

This month is flying by!  I can't believe we are almost into May.  Today was pretty typical but ended with another yoga class.  Today I did a higher level yoga and it was awesome! My back felt great.  I was even able to do a head stand and back bend.  Yeah for progress!  Unfortunately I dont think I will be ready for triathlons this summer but plan on doing a 5K run in June.  

B'Fast- Coffee with stevia and almond milk

Snack- All-natural iced tea and peanut butter/chocolate square

Lunch- Portobello mushroom burger with pesto, basil, on a sprouted wheat bun and tortilla chips. 

Dinner- A bowl of pasta and turkey meat tomato sauce with parm cheese

Day 51

What a day! Thank God for good food to keep my energy level up! I am very thankful that I was able to go back to a great restorative yoga class tonight. I wasn't very hungry today.

~Food Journal for today~

B'Fast- Coffee with stevia and vanilla almond milk, yogurt

Snack- My fav Peanut butter/Chocolate bar from the health food store with a coconut water.

Lunch- Steamed brown rice with seared tempah and mushrooms and a side salad.

Dinner- Sundried tomato, fresh mozz, and basil Ravioli with some butter and parm cheese (sorry...know its fat but there was no tomato sauce at the house and I was hungry!) :)

Day 50

Another gorgeous day today!  I can feel summer coming and its making me happy.  My friend left today which was sad.  But I’m ready to get back on track starting tomorrow with yoga and my diet.  The health food store is doing a cleanse program starting in mid-May and I’m thinking about doing it.  I’m a little nervous because I think the 8 day commitment could be a real challenge, but I think it will be a big benefit.  Its 3 meals a day and then a fresh juice every morning. 

B’Fast- Cherry yogurt

Lunch- I was starving!  Had a salad with beets, greens, cherry tomatoes, baby corn, avocados, these little sesame crunchies,

crumpled cheese, and a little Caesar dressing on the side.  I also tried a new organic Acai juice drink.  It was pretty good!

Dinner- Chinese food take out and my aunt and uncle’s house.  I wasn’t very hungry so it was easy to control what went into my mouth.  Had some sesame shrimp, sweet and sour chicken (both fried), broccoli, and veggie shumai.     

Day 49

Spent a long day driving around and doing site seeing stuff with my friend so I’ll admit it wasn’t a very active day.  I was totally okay with that though because I laughed enough with my friend to last me at least till the summer.  Sometimes I think that laughter is better than exercise!  :)  My aunt did say that she thinks I look the best I’ve ever looked.  She said that I look healthy and thin.  What a compliment!  It felt good.  I still think I have a ways to go but I’m happy with the progress and slow changes I’ve made recently.       

~Food Journal~

B'Fast- Iced Cafe Latte with 3 Raw sugars

Lunch- We went out to lunch at this great little cafe up the street.  1/2 bowl vegetarian chilli with dollop of sour cream and cheddar, veggie cutlet with lettuce, tomato, thin slice of fresh mozzarella on Tuscan bread.  Perfect! 

Dinner- Out to dinner again.  Had a warm roll with sundried tomato/olive oil/butter, meatball appetizer (such a creative dish: 4 medium sized meatballs each made differently- 1 wrapped in seaweed salad, one with a cranberry dressing (tasted like Thanksgiving!), one Swedish, and one with tomato sauce and freshly grated parm cheese), 2 slices of meat loaf for main entre with small side of mac-n-cheese, and for dessert- a small cheese cake dessert with raspberry sauce.  I was soo full that I still woke up this morning feeling it! My friend is leaving tomorrow so then its back to reality and eating healthier!

Day 48

Alas!  Forgive me for my absence the past couple days, a friend has been visiting from California and we have been busy busy busy along with my hectic work schedule.  Unfortunately, I haven't been able to catch a yoga class since Tuesday but plan on getting back on track next week (my friend Jen and I said we would try to go 5 days in a row). 

Food Journal 
B'Fast- Coffee with vanilla almond milk and stevia, then bagel day at work.  Had a flagel with butter. 
Snack- Carrot sticks, cherry yogurt, 1/2 English muffin pizza (made it with the kids)
Lunch- Having eaten a big b'fast/snack I wasn't hungry for lunch so passed
Dinner- Came home from work with an appetite so I had a left over chicken cutlet with a little sauce and cheese.  The fam went out to dinner to an Italian restaurant and I'll admit it, I was stuffed when I left :).  For appetizer we split: baked clams, a mesclun green salad, garlic knots, and fried calamari.  I tried not to go overboard...hahahahhaha..I then (yes...thenn) split a lasagna dish with my mom.  Despite a swollen stomach and a MAJOR food hangover we split tiramisu and a cannoli for dessert along with red wine.     

Day 47

Woke up this morning feeling DEAD tired but my body felt great.  I was surprised after the work out I had last night!  Now to get that appetite in control! 

I’m starting to really enjoy my morning commute early as strange as that sounds.  There is NO traffic and I get to see the sunrise and the ocean along the way before arriving at school.  Ahhh…its so easy to miss the little beautiful things when you let yourself get engulfed by the negatives that come with stress.  I was inspired by a this quote today:

“Would you like me to give you a formula for success? It’s quite simple, really. Double your rate of failure. You’re thinking of failure as the enemy of success. But it isn’t at all. You can be discouraged by failure – or you can learn from it. So go ahead and make mistakes. Make all you can. Because, remember that’s where you’ll find success”.

In a food sense…Ok…granted I’m not going to double my rate of failure by making the same bad food choices but it reminds me that it takes years of messing up and figuring it out until you can figure out how it all works (and of course gain some sense of control and education!). 

B’Fast- Organic cherry toaster tarts, strawberry yogurt, a few carrot sticks.

Snack- Organic green apple, peanut butter/chocolate square from health food store

Lunch- Pad Thai noodles with tofu, peanuts, lime, brown rice with a side salad (lettuce, cabbage, carrots, sesame seeds, dressing).  I was totally stuffed so didn’t eat much salad. 

Dinner- Ended up going again to the $5 burger night again this week.  Got a turkey burger with Swiss, small order of fries, and a bite of cold slaw.  Went for a walk around town to work it off then ended up meeting up with some others afterwards and had a small rum and coke and 3/4 of a piece of chocolate lava cake. 

Day 46

FOOD!  That’s all that has been on my mind today!  Not so much the cravings but more so just hungry.  I’m actually a little embarrassed that I ate so much today and now have to blog about it, but at least it wasn’t a day full of super sized meals from Mickey D’s. 

I ended my day with an hour and a half of intense yoga.  Tonight was a big mile stone for me because I was able to challenge myself in a higher level yoga class without pain unlike the past with my back problems.  I even did a head stand unassisted.  SO EXCITING!  Yoga has been my saving grace!  Just in the past month I have seen a huge improvement in my back and hips, its truly amazing! 

B'Fast- Annie's bunny fruit snacks, organic cherry toaster tarts, b'day party at school so I splurged and had 1/2 piece of cake and a few sips of orange soda before tossing it.  

Snack- Eggs with rice and beans and avocado, peanut butter chocolate bar

Lunch- Sandwich with sprouts, avocado, cheddar cheese, and “special sauce” from the health food store.  I think the special sauce is some kind of tahini sauce.  

Dinner- Roasted chicken with asparagus.  Thankfully my sister-in-law to be in a local farmer and dropped by tons of fresh asparagus this evening.  Yummmm.  I drizzled the asparagus with olive oil and seasoned it with sea salt before broiling it for a few minutes.   

Day 45

Super busy and stressful day but it ended with the usual yoga session…..ahhhh!  If you don’t do yoga, you should!  Now that I am paying more attention to my body, I have noticed that I have an appetite when feeling emotional.  I had to remind myself that the knot in my stomach was not hunger so I shouldn’t eat!    

B’fast- Organic whole wheat natural toaster tart, 2 organic Annie’s bunnies fruit snacks

Snack- 1 piece home made pizza (gluten-free bread with soy cheese and fresh mozz, and sauce)

Lunch- Cashew tofu stir fry with veggies and brown rice 

Dinner- Quinoa with more stir fry (red peppers, broccoli, and greens) and a steamed artichoke.   

Day 44

It feels good getting back into a healthy regime! 

B’Fast- 2 pieces of my famous home made coconut French toast with light maple syrup.

Lunch- Citrus Kambucha, 1.5 packs of Annie’s organic fruit snacks

Snack- Shared some organic nachos, 3 shrimp with cocktail sauce

Dinner- My mom is home= cooking!  Asparagus, spinach with raisons and pine nuts, spinach salad with vinaigrette dressing and parm cheese, 1 chicken sausage 

Day 43

After many hours of sleep last night I was ready to rock and roll this morn!  Ran errands, ate some good food with good company, and  went to yoga.  I did indulge in some food today… 

B’fast- Slept in pretty late but I did wake up at 6:30a STARVING….so I had two kid sized bags of peanut m&ms  (yes, I know…I’m not normal!)

Lunch- 1/2 of a large omelet with egg whites, mushrooms, and Swiss cheese.   I also had coffee and sweet potato fries.  There was a lot of sweet potato fries so I made my bf eat half of em :).

Snack- Indulged in some soft serve while out shopping until I read on the website that it is 610 calories!  So depressing…guess I’m not enjoying that again any time soon!   

Dinner- Met some friends out.  Ended up having eggplant rollatini with tomato sauce and pasta. 

Yes, so far it has been an indulgent weekend.  I want to feel guilty but I’m not because I know that my activity level is a lot higher.  Just need to make healthier choices and less impulsive choices! :)

Day 42

Came home and crashed HARD CORE.  I think I slept a total of 14 hours last night.  That’s what happens when you are a workaholic I guess :).  Plus getting up an hour early makes it a challenge.  Didn’t exercise at all today but my appetite is still in overdrive.  I did alright today  

B’Fast- Fundraiser at school- had a bagel with 1/2 butter and 1/2 cream cheese, and some orange/apple juice

Snack- carrots, a handful of moose munch (aka carmel chocolate pop corn)

Lunch-Kim Chee wrap (cornmeal crusted tofu, toasted cashews, avocado in a spinach wrap) and a handful of corn chips.

 

Dinner- In and out of consciousness and wasn’t in the mood to eat much.  Had some brie cheese with fiber crackers and a cup of almond milk with some chocolate carnation instant breakfast in it.  

Day 41

My appetite is finally catching up with my exercise/activity level.  I’m back to a big appetite which has made it somewhat of a challenge.  I did an hour and a half of yoga tonight.  This was a really challenging class and now I’m sore!  :)  Since I have a decent camera phone I’m going to try to be more intentional about taking pics of my food to post.  

B’Fast- C0ffee with almond milk and two packets of stevia

Snack- 2 hard boiled eggs, coconut mango water

Lunch- A cup of lentils (with some sort of balsamic vinegar and olive oil dressing with thinly sliced veggies), cheese quesadilla with sweet potato, sour cream, and a few corn chips. 

Dinner- Home made sautéed (in pesto) portabella mushroom caps with sundried tomatoes and fresh mozzarella.  Had two helpings…now I feel bloated from all that bread. 

Day 40

That Easter candy keeps getting the best of me!  It’s still in the house…ughh!  Thankfully it will be out of the house pretty soon though because I’m giving it away at school left and right!  Played 40 minutes of basketball with the kid I’m mentoring so I ditched out on yoga tonight.  I was super exhausted. 

~Food Journal~

B’Fast- Coffee with almond milk, left over Easter candy (peanut M&M’s and fun sized Twix)

Snack- Pear, small packet of pretzels

Lunch- Apple, cottage cheese

Dinner- Five dollar burgers tonight at a local restaurant…woohoo!  Turkey burger with mushrooms and Swiss cheese, fries, a few bites of cole slaw and I was stuffed.  Really good.   

Day 39

What a day!  I just started today mentoring a student at my school in the morning.  I’ll be honest, it totally sucks getting out of bed at 5 something in the morning but its rejuvenating with less traffic.  The weather was amazing today and we went outside for about 45 minutes of catch.  Needless to say I’m totally exhausted and sore from throwing a ball around…its been so long!  But the sun was out and it felt good to break a sweat before half past 7!  I knew that I was going to be sore so I went to a hour and a half yoga class after work.  Now my body feels like jelly!  Its not even 9pm and my body and mind are ready for bed!  Yeah for productive days!

Breakfast- Coffee with almond milk

Snack- Organic apple, 1.5 plain rice cakes

Lunch- Salad with baby lettuce, beets, tomatoes, sprouts, hard boiled egg, and honey Dijon dressing and a seed cookie with raspberry preserves from the health food store.  

Dinner- Was starving on my way to yoga and stopped for a bbq chicken/blue cheese slice of pizza.  Def not the healthiest choice…yes agreed but it was light on cheese and the chicken was not fried.  When I got home from yoga I was still hungry so I had a piece of breaded chicken and some pasta and spaghetti sauce.  Well deserved after 2.5 hours of working out today!   

Day 39

Back to the grind!  Woke up totally exhausted and with a food hang over…I noticed a spare tire around my waist this morning but its all good…its ok to celebrate once in a while right? :)  No sweat…I ate pretty well and did an hour and half of yoga after work.

~Food Journal~

B’Fast- Had to stop for a Starbuck’s coffee…it was hard gettin up this morning!  Got a non-fat latte with soy milk.  When I got to school I had an apple.

Snack- 2 hard boiled eggs

Lunch- Hungarian mushroom soup, organic greens salad with oranges and almond slices.  

Snack- three left over Snicker candies

Dinner- Leftovers- turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, a little mashed potato and a sliver of apple cake. 

Day 38

Happy Easter everyone!  Hope you had a wonderful day.  My holiday was filled with lots of candy and unhealthy food…I’ll admit it!  If I’ve realized anything though through this blog, its that its okay to splurge once in a while (especially when its holiday and vacation time).  In fact their are seasons in our life where we splurge (i.e. Christmas!) and I need to stop beating myself over the head because it does no good.  As long as I am making healthy strides daily and staying active, when a holiday arises I’m not gonna sweat it!  So yes, my day was filled with fats and sugar!

~Food Journal~

Breakfast- eggs, bacon, bagel with butter

Snack- candy candy candy

Lunch- Napped and missed lunch

Dinner- Turkey dinner with stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, slice of apple cake and a sliver of canole cake

THE GOOD PART IS THAT I’M TOTALLY MOTIVATED TO GET BACK ON TRACK TOMORROW! 

Day 37

I’m back from an amazing 3+ days in the city.  I ate some amazing (not always healthy though) food and walked millions of miles with a backpack!  Wish I could have documented all the beautiful food consumed. 

Here are some highlights: South African food from this awesome place in Brooklyn my first night there: thin slices of ostrich (actually considered a red meat but very tender and very lean) with farm cheese, grilled calamari in lemon, olive oil, parley, garlic, and white wine, and for the main course- roasted cornish hen with truffled mashed potatoes (this was out of this world!), talapia fish with roasted red potatoes and green beans, bread pudding, mojitos, oh the list goes on.  Lets just say it was the week of great food.     

~Food journal for today~

B’Fast- 1 authentic NY egg bagel with Omega 3 butter substitute (think this butter is made from olive oil?)  and a cup and a half of coffee with 2% milk and sugar.  I love NY bagels!

Lunch- My first experience with Vietnamese food!  I had a veggie wrap (made with rice paper) with Asian noodles, greens, and streamed shrimp.  It came with a peanut sauce.  I also enjoyed a coconut bubble tea. 

Snack- Came home to Easter candy…torture!  I was able to refrain and ate of those little treat-or-treat size Peanut M&Ms and Twix bar

Dinner- Wasn’t feeling too hungry so I had a handful of Sun Chips.  I then realized that that wasn’t going to cut it so I ended up making some fresh juice- carrots, lemon, apple, spinach, flax seed oil, and granules.    

Day 36

Woke up this morning DEF needing a pick me up.  My energy is low from being ill so I made a big juice.  Unfortunately I wasn’t able to sit around and rest today so I knew that I needed to get all the energy I could get for work.  I’m off to NYC tomorrow and may not be by the blog for a few days…BUT I’LL TRY! 

~Food Journal~

B’Fast- Juiced carrots, lime, and organic apples.  Added flax seed oil and my old faithful granules.  

Snack- Organic Kind bar (trail mix type of bar with lots of nuts and drizzled with yogurt).  

Lunch- Enjoyed a large Tuscan chicken soup (chicken, lentils, carrots, celery) with a half of a ciabatta roll and a little bit of butter. 

Snack- Was dyin’ at work and had a bag of low fat Cheese Its

Dinner- A bowl of whole wheat pasta with turkey and veggie sauce. 

Day 35

Woke up sick this morning.  No bueno. I guess it doesn’t help that I work with kids ALL THE TIME.  I was able to go out to b’fast with a friend but went home and crashed until I hit up an awesome restorative yoga class for an hour and a half.  Its hard to remember everything I ate since I was in a fog for more of the day but here it is:

~Food Journal~ 

Breakfast- Went out with a friend.  Had an egg white omelet with avocado, spinach, mushrooms, and Swiss cheese.  Also had a cafe latte.  It was delish!

Snack- A couple of girl scout cookies, a small piece of left over cake, a handful of gold fish crackers

Lunch- slept through it :)

Dinner- Met my dad out for dinner.  I ended up eating a few of his sweet potato fries and ordered a chef salad (figured the protein would be good for me!).  Ended up pretty much only eating the meat off of the salad.

Day 34

Today was another splurge day.  I’m fully in vacation mode but I’m trying not to let myself feel too tortured since I know how freakin’ hard I work when I’m not on vacation.  My only regret is that I had no idea how many calories were in that panera sandwich!  Ouch!    

B’Fast- 4 girl scout cookies (evil…thankfully the boxes are almost kicked), hard boiled egg

Lunch- Went to Panera in a rush and got an iced green tea and a chipotle chicken sandwich (All-natural pepper-mustard chicken, smoked bacon, smoked cheddar, tomatoes & ancho-chipotle spread).  I ditched the chips (that was hard but my cousin loves em).  The sandwich was really good and I didn’t expect the calories to be bad.  Well…I got on the Panera website and it said that that one sandwich is 990 calories!  That’s not only insane but depressing!!  Now I’m totally bummed that I used all those calories on one sandwich! 

Dinner- Family party!  My dad got lobsters, clams, and mussels!  Yummmm!  I had 1 lobster, a bunch of clams/mussels, a few bites of spaghetti, two pieces of bread, a Corona, and a small piece of birthday cake.  Now that I’m on the calorie count thing, I looked up how many calories are in those sea creators and it wasn’t too bad.  What was bad was the butter, beer, and two pieces of bread.  I need to get healthier tomorrow!   

Day 33

I’m starting to get into the spring break mode.  The thought of not getting up at 6am on Monday is ecstasy.  I slept until 10 and then went to yoga for an hour and a half.  My diet was really random today.  Wasn’t feeling very motivated to be creative with my diet today so I didn’t make the best food choices.  Ate too much sugar (I curse you Girl Scout cookies!) which probably explains my now energy tonight.

B’Fast- 3 egg omelet with mushrooms and mozzarella almond milk cheese (sounds strange but it was good!), an apple

Lunch- 7? girl scout cookies.  Oh man they were so good…and believe it or not I didn’t get sick.  The fridge hasn’t been too stocked lately so I’ve needed to be creative…not so good when you need to make healthy food and have no motivation! 

Dinner- Went to my aunt and uncles to celebrate my aunt’s b’day and ended up eating a piece of vanilla/chocolate pudding cake.  It was good but I didn’t let myself polish off all that frosting.  I’ll admit that initially this was my dinner until I got a bit more hungry (BAD LIZ!).  I ended up having a cup and a half of cran-raspberry juice, a cheese stick, a cup of herbal tea, and a couple handfuls of nachos (tortilla chips/cheddar cheese).       

Day 32

It was a rainy day today…blahhh!  Those are the days that make it hard not to want to eat everything in sight! I will admit that I ate a lot today but since it is the ending of restaurant week I don’t feel that bad.  I also ended the day with a great (and challenging) hour and a half yoga class.  I’m so in love with my new yoga studio right now.  It feels like therapy! 

~Food Journal~

Breakfast- Wasn’t in much of a coffee mood but knew that I was gonna need a boost so I made up a b’fast shake.  Took vanilla almond milk, added a bit of chocolate Carnation Instant Breakfast to it and then added coffee.  IT WAS SOO GOOD!  The almond milk was sweet and it tasted really creamy.  

Snack- We took the kids bowling today and after polishing off an apple I realized I wouldn’t get to eat until after the field trip.  In a frantic search for food I found the vending machine at school and picked the two healthiest things in it….Strawberry fruit snacks, trail mix (peanuts, raisons, m&ms).  Not exactly “healthy” by my standards but it held me over.    

Lunch- By the time I got back to school, I was pretty famished.  I was craving my favorite sandwich so I decided to go in for the kill-turkey breast, honey mustard, brie cheese, and thinly slices apples on ciabatta bread.  I also had cheddar Smart Puffs (Robert’s American Gourmet). 

Dinner- After yoga, I went to this fancy restaurant in town called “Red Bar” with some friends for an amazing pre-fix menu (YEAH FOR RESTAURANT WEEK!).  I started with a good glass of red wine.  The first course was char-grilled baby octopus with warm chickpeas, frisee, and espelette pepper (yeah, I’ll admit it…I don’t know what half those things mean)  For the main course I had truffled chicken breast with mushroom risotto and french beans, and for dessert a banana creme souffle.  I think this food will be waiting for me in heaven when I die. 

Since a friend of mine was the waitress she brought out an extra goody for us- baked alaska with vanilla bean ice cream, tropical fruit, and flaming rum.  At that point my stomach was maxed out!  Perfect ending to a great day!

Day 31

What a day!  Work, tutoring, doctor’s appointment, failed attempt at yoga (got the schedule wrong and went to class an hour late) and missing my WII remotes so that means no working out today…oh well. 

~Food Journal~

Breakfast- Coffee with vanilla almond milk

Snack- Vanilla Greek yogurt

Lunch- Organic Apple & fresh mozzarella salad with toasted sunflower seeds, scallions, cabbage & honey mustard vinaigrette, finished with my favorite peanut butter/chocolate square, and mango coconut water (the perfect lunch!)

Snack- My pre-blog Girl Scout cookie order came in.  Thankfully my taste buds have changed a lot in the past 31 days so I don’t feel the urge or craving to house an entire box!  I did indulge in 5 cookies though and felt sick.  I’m actually kind of thankful I do feel sick because its a reminder of what putting bad things into your body does.  

Dinner- A refried bean, cheese, and sour cream burrito from my favorite local taco shop with tortilla chips.  I don’t enjoy them often but when I do they are heavenly.  Doubt they are exactly ideal for dieting but everybody needs a little beans, cheese, and sour cream combo in their life once in a while :)

Day 30

So I got to work this morning and realized that I totally forgot to write on my blog yesterday!  Oh man, my mind is flooded!  Tried to remember it all…hope I did!  I enjoyed some really awesome food today but unfortunately was soo pooped after work today that I failed to even think of working out. 

~Food journal~

B’Fast- The usual- coffee with almond milk and stevia

Snack- Greek yogurt with honey, apple

Lunch- Kim Chee (cabbage and some greens with a some sort of balsamic dressing) spinach wrap with a breaded (corn meal?) tofu.  This wrap was awesome…I want to learn how to make this one!

Dinner- Red peppers and asparagus with 2 chicken sausages.  I was still hungry after that and decided on a small quesadilla (whole wheat tortilla) with a natural sharp cheddar cheese.  

Day 29

It’s been almost a month since this adventure has started!  I’m wishing that I had more time in my schedule to create beautiful meals, photograph them, and share my inspiration but I know in time that will come.  I worked 12 hours today so there wasn’t too much or any time for exercise.  I plan on going to a yoga class tomorrow night so I’m not feeling bad about my lack of exercise today. 

~Food Journal~

Breakfast- Coffee with stevia and vanilla almond milk

Snack- Strawberry Greek yogurt, baked cheddar Lay potato chips 

Lunch- 5 wontons in broth, green apple

Dinner- Left over Chinese- smaller portion of egg fu yung with veggies, fried rice, and 1/2 bowl carrot veggie soup with veggie sausage.  Pretty good but pretty spicy!

Day 28

I’m finally starting to feel like eating healthier is becoming the norm.  Granted I still get cravings, some days stronger than others (as you have read in previous psychotic blog entries), but I don’t dream about going home and eating crap which has been a big benchmark for me.  It feels like this journey has been longer then 28 days, but I guess in some ways it has…

I went to a lower level yoga class today for a 90 minute session.  My back is in heaven.  I spoke with the instructor and the first thing she said is that I’m super flexible (could she tell by the fact that my legs are gumby’esk or was it the hyper extended joints)?  Either way its the truth.  The problem is that my joints have been so loose for so long that with all the physical activity they can’t take it anymore!  When my back is better I’m contemplating returning to spin for once a week (that is a kick ass core workout!), swimming once a week, and then just doing yoga for the rest.  This past weekend I finally realized my limitations with my back, but in a good way.  I’m not 21 years old anymore and I’m a woman whose got issues lets face it (well…sports injury issues anyways)!  I need to take it easy!  Something I don’t know how to do very well.        

~Food journal~

Breakfast- Starbuck’s Vanilla skinny latte, green apple

Snack- Green apple, strawberry Greek yogurt

Lunch- Left over Thai food (small portion), veggie and organic jack cheese quesadilla from the health food store, and my fave choco/peanut butter square. 

Dinner- Wonton soup (2 wontons and broth), 3 pieces sesame shrimp, egg fu yung with brown sauce on the side.  My rents just got back into town and were dyin’ for Chinese food so I partook. 

Day 27

Another beautiful day!  I have been pretty tired today but my back didn’t feel as tight today so I went to an hour long yoga class and it felt great!  Hopefully tomorrow my back will agree.  I enjoyed some really good food and friends today. Yeah for Spring but boo for weekends that blow by quickly!

~Food Journal~

B’Fast- I made fresh juice with carrots, melon, and cucumber.  Made quinoa porage for my cousin and I with vanilla almond milk, dried blueberries/ cranberries, and added a bit of agave for sweetness.  

Snack- Pomogranite Greek yogurt

Lunch- 2 hard boiled eggs, 2 pieces provolone cheese (all this protein has made me very thirsty!)

Dinner- Thai food!  Its restaurant week this week so after yoga my friend Jen and I checked out a really good Thai food place.  I had a chicken soup with lemon grass/coconut milk broth, fried rice with chicken, shrimp, and veggies (couldn’t finish it all).  And for dessert a small tempeh battered banana with coconut milk ice cream (was soo full by then that I didn’t let myself eat the entire thing).  I was totally stuffed after that meal but it was well worth it!  

Day 26

Another glorious day!  So much so that my skin didn’t know what to do with the hour or so I was outside and I ended up getting a sunburn.  I’m such a white girl…all sense of the word!  I do have a confession...ended up going to McDonalds but don’t worry…I was strong.  Was in a rush on my way to meet a friend and ended up stopping to get an iced coffee and yogurt. 

~Food Journal of the day~

Breakfast- yogurt parfait, iced coffee, green apple, 3 oatmeal cookies (sweet tooth weakness)

Lunch-Juiced cucumber, carrots, melon, and red pepper.  Added flaxseed oil and granules.  This was a great afternoon energy boost!

Dinner- 2 small chicken fajitas with red beans, white rice, and grilled chicken

Day 25

What a beautiful day today!  Wish I could have called in sick just to play outside all day!  My back is bad and I need to get an MRI so unfortunately I am not very mobile right now.  I feel like such a drama queen with all the injuries!  I’m praying that maybe they will be able to get to the bottom of this and figure out what the problem is.   

~Food Journal~

B’Fast- Starbuck’s Vanilla Skinny Latte, spinach and egg wrap

Snack- Green apple and blueberry Greek yogurt

Lunch- Green salad and Quinoa with green peas, walnuts, and honey glazed tofu

Snack- 3 cookies

Dinner- Organic rice cereal with vanilla almond milk

Day 24

Started the day totally exhausted but thankfully overcame it with yoga.  I found a local yoga studio that had an offer for unlimited yoga for $50.00 a month.  So awesome!  Hopefully this will help all my injuries. 

~Food journal for today~

B’fast- 1 coffee with almond milk and stevia, green apple

Snack- strawberry Greek yogurt, another green apple

Lunch- Turkey with Brie cheese on a panini with honey mustard and slice apples…yumm!  Also had 3/4 of a NY style black and white cookie. 

Dinner- 2 Raspberry cookies…I’ll admit it.  And a seltzer. 

Day 23

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!  What’s this special day without gorging yourself on pizza and corona?!  Oh well….the day was super crazy (that explains the pizza anyways) and I ended up working 3 jobs while still going out and seeing some friends tonight. 

I feel like I have taken one step forward and two steps back with my back and sports injuries since I started this blog.  Its really frustrating and disheartening that I am having issues with my back again.  I feel captive in my own body.  I have so much stress in my life right now, exercise is sometimes my only release.  Thankfully the weather is getting warmer so I will be able to go outside more, even if its just to walk.   

~Food Journal~

B’Fast- Coffee with stevia and vanilla almond milk, green apple

Snack- Peach Greek yogurt

Lunch- 2 slices cheese pizza (I know…bad!)  Today was crazy at work and only had a few minutes to run out and grab something fast and cheap (unfortunately the health food store is neither).

Dinner- Lots o’corned beef, steamed carrot, Irish soda bread with butter, 2 Coronas (what?!  I don’t like Guiness!), and a sliver of some pineapple jello cottage cheese concoction that my mother made.  I did go out and socialize after that but opted for water.  I just don’t want to waste calories big or small on alcohol…even one beer can bloat me and add to my waist line!  

Day 22

Woke up feeling good this morning (although that time change darkness is not my favorite), but as the day progressed my back started acting up again.  I think I overdid it with the treadmill and spin and man am I bummed.  Anyways, decided to take it easy with the work out thing so I did lots of stretching…fingers crossed I’ll feel better tomorrow.   

~Food Journal~

Breakfast- Coffee with lactose free milk and stevia

Snack- 1/2 green apple

Lunch- Vegetarian lentil sloppy joe on sprouted grain bun

Snack- Pomegranate Greek Yogurt

Dinner- I got adventurous and it was a success!  I boiled 1/2 cup of quinoa, added dried cranberries and blueberries, glazed it lightly with agave, and sprinkled whole ground flaxseed meal on it.  Almost totally organic (except for the dried fruit)!  It was better than oatmeal and filled me up. 

I also had 6 ouches of orange juice mixed with a tablespoon of flax seed oil and lecithin granules (my new staple).  For dessert, I treated myself to an Italian style raspberry sandwich cookie.      

Day 21

Just went to put my exhausted butt to bed and realized I totally forgot about my blog today!!  CRAP!  So here I am cross eyed at 11:30pm at trying to recollect what I ate today.  Don’t worry, I’m not avoiding you because it was a bad day…it was actually a pretty healthy day for me and I got to do SPIN for 45 minutes!  It is no longer free but that’s ok…its still so worth it.  I’m noticing a big difference in my posture and strength since I started which is a huge motivator for me to keep going back!  Yeah for SPIN!

~Food Journal for today~

Breakfast- Grande Starbucks Skinny Latte (wasn’t hungry and couldn’t stomach anything)

Snack- 2 apples, handful of carrots, Blueberry Greek yogurt, 1 small square of vanilla raspberry sheet cake in celebration a student birthday (couldn’t resist enjoying it with the class)

Lunch- Ended up getting out of work at 2p today and was famished.  I can feel the metabolism starting to kick up into high gear after the treadmill last night.  My “snack” actually is what I ate throughout my entire school day (8a-2p) because I didn’t have a break to hit up the health food store.  I was totally famished after that and ended up stopping off at Panera Bread for a half soup and half salad combo.  Had the baked potato soup, Cobb salad, and a bag of their yummy kettle potato chips.  I still had that French fry craving and so I figured the chips would suffice.  Plus it came with the meal and when I read the ingredients I was pretty psyched- only safflower oil, potatoes, and sea salt.       

Dinner- My dad made meat loaf tonight.  I’m not much of a red meat eater but I do like a little meat loaf in my life on occasion.  Had a big piece of meat loaf, a healthy scoop of broiled squash and carrots, a helping of salad (with feta, tomatoes, lettuce, and I think sprouts?), and a baked potato with butter.  I stopped there and opted out of dessert but as I type I’m still hungry…I’m blaming it on Spin.  BE STRONG LIZ…GO TO BED!   

Day 21

I'm dreaming of tight abs and no muffin top again. I'm feeling so motivated to work out but I'm so tired at the end of a long day of work...it sucks! And getting up at 5am to work out before work is even more unmotivating. Last year this time, I was working a low stress job and working out every chance I get and I felt GREAT! Running 3 miles then swimming 3500 yards...it was awesome! Now I'm feeling lucky if I even get to work out. I have these little temper tantrums in my mind when I even ponder exercise after a hell'ish day of dealing with kids and working a second job. It's been a real challenge for me, especially when I look at pictures of what I used to look like. Granted my diet is better these days, but I want that muscle tone back!

Food journal for the day:

B'Fast- Orange juice with flax seed oil and granules, whole wheat tortilla with veggie sausage, cheese, and eggs

I wasn't hungry since I had a late b'fast so no lunch.

Dinner- Whole wheat pasta with mozzarella and basil topped with tomato sauce, 1 can Goya coconut water. For dessert I had a piece and a half of blueberry pound cake with about two teaspoons of ice cream

I was feeling pretty guilty about such a non-active weekend so I ended up hopping on the treadmill while watching Celebrity Apprentice and doing almost 3 miles. Ran the first mile, then my hip was feeling pretty sore so I walked a lot. I replenished with another coconut water.

Day 20

Woke up at 11 this morning famished.  I guess that’s what happens when you sleep your whole morning away.  I was up at 8:15 this morn but fell back to sleep.  I feel a whole lot better and think I kicked the illness after 12 hours of sleep.  The weather is really crappy here and I am only motivated to go to the movies and eat. 

Food Journal for today:

B'Fast- Coffee with low fat milk and one teaspoon sugar, 2 bowls of Captain Crunch

Lunch- I went out for pizza with my boyfriend and cousins and was feeling much like I did yesterday (intense cravings and totally moody because of it).  My eyes were bigger than my stomach and so I ordered 1 meatball calzone and a garlic knot.  Thankfully I came to my senses when it arrived and after a bite of the garlic knot, I gave it away and ended up splitting the calzone with the bf.  I felt satisfied and unlike the past, I didn’t polish off my entire meal solo.   

Snack- We went to the movies and I ate candy…too much candy.  I shared Charleston Chews, Swedish Fish, Sour Gummies, and Caramels.  Because it was shared I didn’t end up polishing off my own box.  I opted for a bottle of water at the theater and not the old Diet Coke I would have gotten.  I could feel the temptation of my old habits coming on and so I came to the sad realization that I can’t eat a big (or at least calorie filled) dinner because of all the junk I ate today.  

Dinner- 1 moderately sized breaded chicken cutlet with a tiny bit of mozzarella cheese and tomato sauce.

Overall I sat on my ass all day.  Kinda hating myself right now but today has been a huge motivator to do spin next week.  I guess I’m really struggling with the balance of this whole diet thing.  I want to be really healthy and I know that I have made progress…but how much lee-way should I give myself?  Should I feel bad when I have two bad days of eating or should I allow it?  I think that balance has been one of my biggest challenges.    

Day 19

Cravings central today…SERIOUS.  And it didn’t help that I am still feeling sick and whipped :(.  The weather has been bad here and we are suppose to have rain all weekend so the ski trip was canceled.  So I’m going to have to be creative this weekend.    

Food journal for today:

B’Fast- Lemon tea, peppermint brownies (yes…bad bad bad!) 

Snack- Raspberry yogurt

Lunch- Left over quinoa with asparagus and eggplant.

Snack- More brownies when I got home.  My cravings are by far the worst they have been since I’ve started blogging.  They were INTENSE and it left me feeling grumpy all day.  I kept dreaming of McDonalds French fries and cheeseburgers and had a million temper tantrums in my mind today. 

Dinner- Broiled salmon with yellow rice.  I had a bit of that apricot cheese (no crackers) before and for dessert I had about three bites of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream with fudge.  Maybe its because I am aware now, but I can’t believe how much food affected my mood today!

Have a great weekend friends!  Does anyone get insane food cravings and feel grumpy if they don’t get what they want???

Day 18

Went to work today and they sent me home.  Ughh…I’m still sick!  Its been 3 days and I’m so over it.  I feel like I’ve had a run of bad luck the past two weeks with shin splints and then getting sick.  My back is stiff from all the sleeping but I’m afraid of pushing it and feeling worse.  My sweet tooth was insane today…must be that time of the month!  :) 

Food journal for today:

B’Fast- Coffee with rice milk and stevia and a sesame seed bagel with veggie cream cheese (I swore off bagels more than once a month but they were at work and looked so fresh!!).  So I took it easy on the cream cheese and didn’t even finish the entire bagel.  

Snack- Craving sweets like crazy today!  Added 1/2 packet of milk chocolate Carnation instant breakfast to a cup of plain rice milk…delish! 

I also bought a pack of oatmeal raison cookies but they were too sweet so I only had 1 and gave the other one away. 

 Lunch-Sweet potato quesadilla (whole wheat tortilla, 1/2 baked sweet potato, 3 slices Colby sharp white cheddar)

Dinner- Spinach Feta 3 egg omelet with ketchup and two peppermint brownies (that sweet tooth!) with plain rice milk.  

Day 17

Woke up with morning still feeling pretty crummy.  I was up most of the night tossing and turning and even contemplated calling in sick today but figured I would tough it out.  I tried weighing myself on Wii Fit this morning but was having some issues with the power so the morning weigh-in will have to wait.  I am wearing a pair of skinny pants but they are still feeling tight around the spare tire.  I really like these pants but they are 7 years old and I'm thinking about retiring them.  Maybe saving to buy some new pants when I lose a bit more weight may make me feel better then trying to squeeze into old ones.  I think I'm going to ditch working out again today since I still feel yucky and am going skiing on Saturday.   I did have a great time doing Spin on Monday I'm dyin' to get back on the bike.  

Breakfast- 1 blueberry pop tart.  Pop tarts taste to sweet to me these days.  I can't house two packages like I used to.  There are still two packages left so I will try pawning them off on my boyfriend otherwise I might just toss em.  Never thought I would say that!

Snack- Handful of organic carrot sticks, peach yogurt, kid sized chocolate pudding 

Lunch- Organic pear & fresh mozzarella salad
with mixed greens, sunflower seeds & orange-thyme vinaigrette, organic all natural peach iced tea

Snack- I was craving ice cream bad on my way to coaching and decided to stop for a small cup of fat free peanut butter/chocolate frozen yogurt.  I added peanut butter cups on the top.  Too much dairy…I don’t know what I was thinking.  I thought that since it was frozen yogurt it would not be so bad…no bueno…I was totally sick.  Oh well…lesson learned. 

Dinner- Quinoa with broiled red peppers, egg plant, asparagus, and tofu with balsamic vinegar, sea salt, and lite olive oil…yummy! 

Before

After….yummmm

Day 16

Woke up this morning with a fever. Felt crappy all day which made it hard for me to want to even think about eating right. I ix’nayed the exercising. When I came home (after 2 pieces of pizza) and decided to get on the scale and it said that I lost 2 pounds. I’m gonna weigh myself in the morning once the pizza is digested and see if I actually lost more :). My work pants have gotten really loose on me (in fact they are falling off!). Super exciting but also a bummer because I don’t have much money to go shopping for new clothes!

Food for today:

B’Fast- Coffee with rice milk and stevia

Snack- Raspberry yogurt, carrot sticks, 2 rice cakes

Lunch- 2 pieces of pizza (one cheese piece, 1 spinach riccota cheese piece). It’s been a while since I had pizza.

Dinner- goat milk brie and apricot cheese (both were really good and the ingredients are pure) with crackers, organic puffed rice cereal with rice milk

Day 15

Wasn’t that hungry today (perhaps its because I gorged myself yesterday?? hmmm…).  Long day but I did get to go to my favorite SPIN class!  So exciting!  I’m really proud of myself for getting there even though both my spin friends were out of town.   

Food journal for today:

B’Fast- Coffee with rice milk and stevia and 1/2 poptart (wasn’t able to finish it…it tasted too sweet!)

Snack- Vanilla yogurt, 2 rice cakes

Lunch- Greek lentil salad wrap
(organic baby arugula, tomatoes, cucumbers & feta cheese in a spinach wrap)…yummm!  I then had my usual peanut butter/ chocolate square from the health food store

Dinner- ANOTHER MEETING!  This time for lifeguarding.  Summer will be here before you know it!  I had about a cup of mac ‘n’ cheese and a bottle of water that’s it.  They had an array of fried chicken, salad smothered in thousand island dressing, and beer (it was mostly a man fest)…and I am proud to say I wasn’t even tempted!  I think that now I am giving my body the correct food it is not craving the crap as much.  Granted I have had my weak moments and times of intense cravings and splurges, but the more I keep with it the more I crave vegetables and fruits…pretty strange coming from my mouth!  I went into the faculty room today on break and saw a co-working eating a beautifully colored salad and the first thing I thought was…I want that!  When I got home I was in the mood for something sweet so I made my flax seed oil/lecithin granule mix with apple juice.  In case you guys are wondering what these granules look like alone, below is a pic. 

 

Every time I’ve tried taking pics of the granules on the counter (tonight was my third attempt), my cat always tries wants to get in the picture.  Finally I gave in and gave her her PR with the granules. 

This cat is more of a foody than me!  She eats veggies, fruit, pasta, ice cream, bread, you name it!  I have never had a cat that enjoys people food so much!  She tried chowing on the granules but unfortunately they are too expensive for me to allow her to snack on. 

Day 14

What a great weekend! The weather was beautiful and I was able to fit into my skinny jeans! Granted my love handles are still hangin, but I’m not complaining considering the last time I tried these jeans on I swear someone started singing “Fat girl in some little jeans…”

I did get to go for a nice walk tonight which counts for a little work out. I’ve realized too that I have been able to resist a lot of food temptation this week…probably some of the most in a long time. The good part is that I’m not feeling guilt for passing anything up. I’m so thankful for that!

Food for today:

No B’Fast- Slept in late today

Lunch- Spice rubbed chicken sandwich with avocado, bacon, and chipotle mayo. This is one of my fav sandwiches from this little sandwich shop in Amagansett called Mary’s Marvelous. It was on what looked like white sour dough (prob not that good for you) and there was a lot of chipotle mayo but it was heavenly.

Snack- 1 garlic knot, 1 slice fried calamari pizza (I was so tempted to have more but thankfully had self control). Another super social day. I went to watch my boyfriend’s sister’s hockey game and they took us out for pizza after. We then went to their house where we munched on organic dark chocolate covered cranberries and acai/blueberries. So amazing but I went overboard.

Dinner- Detox tea with agave, wonton soup…I’ve been super hungry today. I think it’s because my little girlie friend will be arriving next week. I’m craving anything and everything and nothing seems to be satisfying!

Day 13

Aaaahhhh…the weekend!  It’s beginning to look a lot like spring which has been a huge motivator.  I didn’t end up going out for a jog today but I did however do a bunch of cleaning in the house and in my car which I count as working out (I did break a sweat vacuuming).  

Breakfast- I had my usual "Membrane Fluidizer Cocktail"- 1 tablespoon flax seed oil, 1 tablespoon lecithin granules and 6-8 ounces orange/apple juice. 

I drink this a lot and thought I would post a pic of it.  Granules are mostly absorbed by the oil but it can look a little odd.  I really like the taste.     

Snack- 1 hard boiled egg, veggie chips (yam, potato, and beet)

Lunch- 1/2 sweet potato quesadilla with sour cream, 1 crab cake (with mayo alternative and relish), 1 snack pack sized chocolate pudding

Dinner- We hosted a family party and I figured instead of sitting back and eating whatever, I decided to take a pro-active approach to what we were going to be eating tonight.  So…I made a bunch of healthy food for the fam to enjoy.  The first thing I made was sweet potato quesadillas.  They always have em at the health food store, I figured they couldn’t be too hard to make.  I baked 2 sweet potatoes in the oven for about an hour and a half, peeled the skin off, and mashed them.  I then took whole wheat tortillas and spread vegetarian refried beans on half the tortilla.  I think added the mashed sweet potatoes and cheese and warmed them up with a little olive oil in the frying pan.  It was awesome and a huge hit with the fam! 

My uncle made burgers (which I didn’t partake in) but instead loaded up on the broiled veggies and salad I made.  I  broiled egg plant, asparagus, and Italian squash.  I drizzled olive oil and balsamic vinegar over veggies with sea salt and broiled for maybe 15 min.  So tasty and easy!  I also made a salad with baby organic spinach, cherry tomatoes, hard boiled eggs, cheddar cheese and carrots.  Topped it with a balsamic honey mustard dressing.  Totally satisfying!  

Dessert- My aunt made brownies…so I enjoyed 1 large brownie

Day 12

After 14 hours of work all day (Sports Night at school so I just stayed) and after hours with co-workers, I’m totally whipped.  The good news is that my shin splints feel a ton better and I was able to participate and play with the kids tonight without pain.  If the weather is nice this weekend I hope to get back out there with at least a jog. 

Today I made a big personal realization about how food is almost always the focal point of ALL social gatherings.  Granted this week has been an unusually social week, but in every occasion food was the central part of each meeting.  Don’t get me wrong, breaking bread together is essential and eating is a necessity to all humans, but lets be honest folks, as Americans we go overboard.  We think that more is better and at least in my house, we end up having to waste food because we buy so much and can’t even eat it all after parties…or better yet we (or at least I) shovel it in so as not to waste.  And I’m not talking about organic greens…I’m referring to beautiful social food like chips and homemade guac, deviled eggs, beer, mimosas, pizza, bread and butter, éclairs, etc… I used to mindlessly eat in my more social and unaware days and had no idea how much calories and fat I was mindlessly taking in. 

Today’s food journal:

Breakfast- Coffee with stevia and rice milk, 1 poppy seed bagel with butter (my once a month bagel splurge)

Lunch- Vegetarian Cobb Salad (greens, cabbage, carrot, hard boiled egg, avocado, grated mozzarella cheese, fake bacon, and chick peas with a honey dijon dressing) and an all natural iced tea from the health food store.  Note: this salad was out of this world….I didn’t want it to end!  Everything was super tasty, I’m for sure making this at home. 

Snack- 1 chocolate chip cookie and 3 mini peanut butter cookies.  Not a smart food choice but I was starving by about 4p and someone came around with cookies.  Make sure I always have something healthy in my bag or my desk to aid me in weak moments

Dinner- Went out to dinner with co-workers during a work break.  I actually boycotted the penne pasta cheese ecstacy dish at the last minute for something healthier and more creative.  To start I had a good sized goat cheese and sunflower seed salad with spinach leaves and a balsamic dressing and as my main entre I had a 6 piece sushi roll (salmon, seaweed, cream cheese), margarita (as a splurge with my collaueges), and a few pieces of fried calamari.  Opted out of another drink and the white bread…especially since I had a bagel this morning).

Snack- At about 10p I headed over to a co-workers house for a little after school party.  The kitchen was decorated with amazing food.  I knew that I couldn’t leave unscathed so I snacked a bit.  I had a small cup of fruity punch with strawberries (there was some kind of alcohol in it but not sure what), a sliver of Mediterranean looking pizza (olives, artichokes, etc..), 3 mini bite sized cream puffs, 2 mini bite sized shrimp puffs, and a bite of a deviled egg.  It was hard not going crazy because everything was homemade and fabulous.        

Day 11

Just finally read all the comments that you awesome people have left over this week…you guys are the peanut to my butter, the salt to my pepper, the soy cheese to my burrito (ok…I’m being ridiculous…I’ll stop here)!

My shin splints have been feeling a little bit better but I am still taking it easy (aka no working out for at least another day).  I contemplated lifting today but after 7 hours on my feet and coaching rambunctious 7 year olds my shins were sore and I figured its better to take it easy then to voluntarily submit myself to torture. 

Work and life in general has been super stressful (when it rains it pours)….especially today which made me aware of how I either don’t eat or I “stress eat” really crappy food when under pressure.  Had a lot of cravings at lunch today but settled for a veggie jack quesadilla from the health food store.  I did go to a girlfriend’s house for dinner tonight (first girl time gathering since my blogging escapade) and I did alright considering the massive amount of yummy goods she had there).  Sorry friends, I was unable to take food pics again today but swim season ends next week which will free up more time in my life:).

I started reading the book YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT, by Dr. Gillian McKeith. 

    

The book is really awesome so far (at least the first 65 pages anyways)!  To name a few of the immeasurable amount of info you can get from this book, Dr. McKeith talks about the importance of organic food, how pure and freshly grown food can heal you from diseases (even cancer), and even impact your memory, slower the aging process, and help reproductive health.  It amazes me that God created this earth with plants that have the power not only feed us and nourish us but heal us too!  I’ll keep you posted on more cool things I find in the book…or you can go and buy it and tell me what you found fascinating in it too! :)

~Food Journal for today~

B’Fast- coffee with almond milk and 1 packet stevia, small cup of orange juice with flax seed oil and my good ole granules

Snack- Soy yogurt, kid sized chocolate pudding

Lunch- Veggie/Bean/Cheese quesadilla and Vegan Coconut/Chocolate pie (you can always tell how busy I am based on how many visits I make to the health food store per week!)

Dinner- 3 moderate pieces of homemade quiche.  1 piece I had with goat cheese, basil, and veggie and the other 2 pieces were mushrooms, cheese, and some sort of meat (maybe sausage?).  I probably shouldn’t have had the third piece but it was soo good (very light and fluffy).  Thankfully I found the will power to opt out of the chips and guac, cheese and crackers, and mimosas (I did have 1 glass of red wine).  Then for dessert my friend Kate prepared this amazing dessert made of coconut, butterscotch, chocolate, and gram cracker crumbs.  It was utterly sinful but I only allowed myself a piece and said no to taking some home (that was the hardest part!)  

Day 10

I woke up with a good back but shin splints.  Totally sucks!  I hobbled around all day and decided that it would probably be best if I took the day off from all physical activity.  Aside from that, I didn’t eat much during the day but was stuffed at dinner time and now I’m paying for it dearly.   

Food journal:

Breakfast- coffee with soy milk and stevia.  Ended up dumping 1/3 of it because I was over it. 1 package pop tarts (they are still in the pantry and calling my name…hopefully they will be gone soon!).

Lunch- 3 bean chilli with sour cream and jack cheese and 1/3 my jalapeno cornbread and 1 chocolate/peanut butter square from the health food store.

Dinner- 1/2 a large sandwich (roasted red peppers, turkey, cheese) with a creamy dressing (not too sure the ingredients except for prob cream, garlic, and parm cheese),  1 garlic knot, and 1 connoli.  STUFFED!

Sorry guys, no pics today! :(

Day 9

My cravings are really kicking in BAD.  I feel like a recovering addict on the verge of a relapse.  Luckily I didn’t give into my McDonald’s demons and opted for some good quality food today. 

I woke up with an incredible amount of soreness today in my legs and would probably have been better off in a wheel chair.   

I had a bunch of work stuff to do so instead of swimming Masters I did the stationary bike and Eliptical machine for 30 minutes on my breaks.

  

Food Journal for today:

Breakfast- French vanilla coffee with almond milk and agave added for sweetness

Snack- hummus with carrots and cucumbers

Lunch- 1/2 container of sweet potato soup,

piece of bread with canola butter and my guilty pleasure monkey pie…as you see below its a whole lot of ecstacy 

I am on a search to find this recipe.  Its amazing!  All I know is that it has dark chocolate shavings, bananas, and its vegan. 

Snack- O’Soy Yogurt,

1 square left over homemade pizza (whole wheat crust, fresh spinach, tomato sauce, mix of regular/soy cheddar cheese)

Dinner- a bowl of left over steamed veggies with brown rice and 1 shrimp, 2 crab cakes with tarter sauce made with (Vlasic relish and Smart Balance Omega mayo substitute)

I feel pretty satisfied!  Totally whipped from work and working out so I’m gonna try to go to bed early tonight.  Bracing for Spin tomorrow with my girlfriends!

Day 8

I dodged spin like a bullet today.  Went to a teaching conference and after 2.5 hours of driving round trip I opted out of another 40 minutes of driving to and from spin.  Being lazy and unmotivated after a long day on my a$$, I contemplated laying in bed and not working out at all.  I then thought about how I would have to admit it to you so instead I gave myself a kick in the pants and went for a run/walk with my dog Maggie.  Because Maggie usually takes ME for the run (not the other way around), I pondered slipping on my running shoes and sliding out the back door, but homegirl always knows and incessantly started barking at me and wagging her fluffy (a polite word for chubby) bodice around the kitchen guilt tripping me to take her along.  The guilt trip worked but I couldn’t find her leash and ended up having to create a makeshift leash by tying a rope my brother found in my dad’s truck around her collar (passer byers must have wondered).  This was the first road run I’ve done in 5 months and I was tired.  My energy level wasn’t the highest but I did take a few sporadic breaks and sprinted it out on my way back to the mail box.  I think my running partner and I have a lot of getting in shape to do.  

Food Journal for today:

Breakfast- Coffee (with rice milk and a packet of Stevia) and a small portion of rice cereal

Snack- Blueberry fat free Greek Yogurt

Lunch- Eggplant wrap with mozzarella cheese, roasted peppers, oil/vinegar, and artichokes (good but too oily), apple chips (these were really good because they weren’t fried and the ONLY ingredient in the bag were apples!), a low cal Vitamin Water. 

Post workout- Rehydrated with 2 servings of Goya coconut water (MY NEW FAV!)

Dinner- The madre made pizza on fresh whole wheat dough crust with raw spinach, a mix of left over real cheddar and soy cheese.  Yummy!  

 

For dessert I juiced cucumber, apples, grapes, celery, ginger, and lemon.  I then added lecithin granules and flax seed oil to the juice. 

Think I added too much ginger though, it had a kick. 

With the left over carrots and half of a cucumber, I put it in a bag for lunch tomorrow. 

Workout- 2.5 run/walk

Day 7

Today is the first day I’m tryin’ out this whole Windows Live Writer thing and it’s pretty cool!  Still playing with it so it will probably take some time for me to go pro so bare with me.  Overall, this weekend has been pretty lazy although I did peel myself off the couch today to vacuum and clean up the kitchen but tomorrow is spin.  

 Today’s Food Journal

B’Fast- 3 egg omelet with Swiss cheese and mushrooms, cafe latte with 3 raw sugars, and I shared a plate of homemade fries

Lunch- 4 stuffed shells

Snack- a few pieces of Brie cheese with a fresh pear stew (lemon and fruit preserves cooked with fresh sliced pears) on crackers

Dinner- Chinese food take out…potentially dangerous but I stayed on the light side.

I had a half a plate of steamed vegetable with shrimp and a bit of teriaki sauce and 2 wontons. 

My biggest splurge was adding 5 bites of General Tao’s chicken to my plate.  

Day 6

Today was probably the laziest day of my life. The biggest amount of activity I did today was walk from the fridge to the couch. And I fell asleep twice on the couch this afternoon. After 9 months of only a full week off, I think I'm losing my mind...I sleep every extra moment I have. I think my goal right now is to work out 3 days a week? Well I worked out 4 days this week so I'm on track and not gonna feel that bad for being a sloth today. Last night my aunt told me she thought I lost weight. I checked myself out today and it looks like I lost some fat around my middle. I have been intimidated by the scale because when I work out I gain weight. Yes, I know that muscle is heavier than fat but the scale depresses me after hard work. I still have love handles but my stomach seems a bit tighter. I've noticed that my stomach has shrunk and I get fuller faster. The hardest part is the cravings. I have been fantasizing about cheese cake, french fries, and mac and cheese.


Here's what I ate today:
Breakfast- orange juice with granules and flax seed oil, a half of a pop tart

Snack- Brie cheese (at least 2 servings) with homemade crackers topped with a pear stew (cooked fresh pears made with natural preserves and lemon juice)

Lunch- 4 stuffed shells

Dinner- 1 bowl of potato soup with cheddar cheese and bacon, 1 peanut butter cookie, 2 glasses of red wine

Day 5

Today was a lazy day...I'll admit it...exercise-wise anyways. But I guess I can partially blame the snow storm and the soreness from spin and swimming as an excuse to chill-ax. Fridays are usually my hour long physical therapy sessions which actually give me a decent workout- bike to warm up, massage (my favorite part of the workout by far), strength training, and balancing activities, but with the weather and what not it was canceled. When I got home from work I totally crashed...so much so that my boyfriend called me an hour into my slumbered stooper and I couldn't wipe the drool fast enough to answer.



I faced a new challenge in my blogging quest for health (drum roll please...)- RESTAURANT FOOD (particularly buffets). This is tough for me, especially since I have this tendency to want to eat "my moneys worth" all too often. I almost cracked under pressure tonight with this food ecstacy, but I managed to hold it together.


Food for today:



B'fast- Licorice tea with stevia, 3 mini muffins (fresh bran w/raisins, blueberry, carrot) from my favorite bakery, Goya coconut water (this was some good shiz...it has pieces of coconut floating in the drink and is actually low in calories...two servings are around 120 calories).


Snack- Apple, Mocha TLC bar, Fat Free Vanilla pudding


Lunch- Strawberry Greek Yogurt, pretzels


Snack- Bowl of baked potato soup with cheddar cheese and bacon, 6 ounches of orange juice with Lecithin granules and flax seed oil, a bite of a pop tart.



Dindin- I had 2 small plates of food at the benefit both with ziti, salad, seared tuna with tomatoes, and mashed potatoes with two Jack n Cokes. Every part of me wants to be negative right now and say that the mashed potatos had lots of butter, coke is soda with high fructose corn syrup and refined sugar, and the ziti had cheese (I already had cheese today!) but for once, I'm going to focus on the positive...I had smaller portion sizes then I would have had in the past, I stayed away from the white bread, I didn't have any dessert, and I didn't add any salt or butter to my food. I've noticed that I can be a perfectionist at times and not give myself credit for the baby steps I've made. Moral of the story, celebrate small victories...even if its as small as not getting your moneys worth and pigging out at an all you can eat buffet.

Day 4

Well its almost 11:00 at night and I'm beyond exhaustion after 12 hours of work and an hour and fifteen minutes of swimming so unfortunately tonight's blog won't be life changing (sigh of sarcasm). I'm hoping to have some time this weekend to jump into it more...so take cover! In brief, Spin kicked my ars more then I thought it would! My back was a little sore this morning but so was the rest of me! And did I mention I feel like someone kicked me in the cooch? I need to invent an extra down pillow bike seat because the gel ones aren't cutting it...sorry. Anyone who has done spin without padded shorts can probably lament with me (unless of course you were blessed with a JLo booty in which case...I don't feel sorry for you). Going upstairs at work today took willpower and so did doing flip turns in the pool tonight. MY FREAKIN ARMS ARE EVEN SORE! Totally glad I jumped in the pool tonight but I was lagging for sure. Luckily I have until Monday before my next Spin class...that means 3 more days of recovery!

As for my energy level, it was high this morning...until I eat school chicken nuggets. Yeah, BIG mistake...I'm surprised I didn't get explosive diarrhea. Ok, I'm being a drama queen but once again this is an example of my impulsivety. Once again Liz, TMI TMI. I'm hoping that continuing to do spin will help strengthen my core and my back.

I splurged a bit more than I wanted to today. I'm still trying to find the balance between being a health nut and non-obsessive. I think this is the hardest part.

Here's the food diary today:

Breakfast- I ran out of orange juice and so I tried organic grape juice instead. Mixed about 6 ounces of it with the flax seed oil and granules. It was fine but grape juice has a lot of sugar per serving and tastes too sweet to me.

Snack- 3 small slices of all natural sharp cheese, Blueberry Non-Fat Chobani Greek Yogurt

Lunch- Ended up eating 10 of the kid chicken nuggets, 1 serving of Smart Food popcorn, and a chocolate chip cookie. I totally crashed after lunch...hmmm...wonder why?!

Dinner- 2 crab cakes with a tarter sauce I made out of relish and a natural mayo substitute. Then these Pop Tarts in the pantry kept calling my name begging me to eat them...so I did....2 cherry Poptarts later and I'm in bed. I think this was my pig out day??

Exercise: Swam 3000 yards during Masters swimming today (surprised my arms didn't just fall off).

Worked: 12 hours today

Day 3

I'm back after my first spin class in 3 years! It totally kicked my flabby booty but it was awesome! I ended up meeting two friends there and it made it so much more fun...and did I mention the class is TOTALLY FREE all winter and spring?!?! Ride The Zone is a spin studio located in Manhattan and East Hampton. They offer free spin classes on Monday and Wednesday evenings (at least at the EH location) and the place was awesome! You also get free clip-in bike shoes for the class if you don't feel like rocking your sneakers. I'm a big (poor) cheapo so anytime I find a good deal, I have to tell the world. My friends and I had so much fun that we are going to try to go at least once a week.

Now that my physical activity is higher in the past week, so is my appetite (as I discussed a bit in yesterday's blog). I have been a super active person my whole life (college swimmer, 13+ years as an ocean lifeguard, triathlete, runner, etc...) but ever since I hit 25 my metabolism isn't half of what it used to be! I swear, I eat a quarter the amount I used to and I'm double the size...ok thats an exaggeration but you get the point. In the past when I used to work out hard, that was my excuse for pigging out on virtually everything I laid my eyes on. The problem is (besides not fueling my body with the correct nutrients) the minute I stopped working out (whether it be work, sports injuries, etc...) I continue eating like a pig and the flab reappears. If I make a full recovery from my injuries soon, I'm excited to see how a healthy diet will help my athletic performance.

Ok...so here's how I did today:
Breakfast- Orange juice with lecithin granules/flax seed oil (you can read up about this more in my blog from yesterday), chocolate fiber bar (super good but tasted pretty sugary), and a Soy Latte with 3 organic cane sugar packets.

Snack- Strawberry Greek yogurt, Licorice tea with a packets of all natural stevia (I've noticed that I am usually starved by this time of the day...even if I eat a good sized b'fast!)

Lunch- 4 finger sandwiches (turkey, cheese, mayo), a handful of potato chips, pickle


Dinner- A crock pot concoction of potatoes, green beans, and chicken cooked in Campbell's cream of chicken soup served over left over couscous. Thanks mom!



Hours worked today: 8

Workout: Spin class for an hour

Day 2....LORD HELP ME!

So I woke up this morning with that buyers remorse feeling. What am I doing telling perfect strangers what I eat and what I do in my day? TMI (TOO-MUCH-INFORMATION)!? I know that what I'm doing is totally awesome, but I'll admit it...vulnerability is uncomfortable!!

Rookie mistake.... misspelled Beth's blog address! Its actually fatbustermack.com...check it!

Whenever I step up the exercising, I always end up eating like a savage beast! I'm a little nervous about the diet accountability here especially since I plan on starting to train for another triathlon this summer (injuries permitting). The good news is that I woke up without back pain this morning for the first time in a LONG time...awesome! I'm hoping that with proper nutrition and more exercise my injuries will perminently chill out. Today I was super hungry and ate pretty well but I ate large portions for lunch and dinner.

Here it goes:

Day 2:

Brekkie- I had a fiber bar for breakfast and tried something called the "Membrane Fluidizer Cocktail" this morning. The name sounds nasty but it was actually really good! I got the recipe from Dr. D'Adamo's book (Eat Right 4 Your Type). The recipe is simple- 1 tablespoon flax seed oil, 1 tablespoon lecithin granules and 6-8 ounces orange juice. I didn't taste the oil or the granules. Lecithin is a lipid, found in animals and plants, that contains metabolism- and immune enhancing properties. It absorbs into the oil so you can't taste it in the juice. I picked up the Lecithin granules at the health food store and it was pretty reasonable. I love orange juice but yes its high in calories. Maybe one of these days I can motivated myself to get up earlier and make fresh vegetable juice.


Snack- Mocha TLC bar, Blueberry Greek Yogurt

Lunch- A big Quinoa soup (with squash, potatoes, and red peppers), coconut water (tasty and a natural electrolyte + very high in potassium!), and an all natural peanut butter/dark chocolate square (my guilty pleasure!). My friend told me today that Quinoa is high in protein which fills you up (I can use that with my appetite!).

Din'ski- Whole wheat tomato, basil, mozzarella ravioli with tomato sauce (I ate a lot...I'll admit it...I WAS HUNGRY!)

Exercise: 30 minutes on the StairMaster

Energy level: Better then yesterday!

Hours worked today: 12

The virgin blogger intro...drum roll please...

Food obsessed? Yes. Compulsive? Yes. Workaholic? Yes. Suffering from Muffintop'initus? Yes. If you can relate to any of the above then it sounds like you and I are perfect for each other.

After being inspired by my friend Beth's blog (http://www.fatbustermac.com/) and being sick of feeling like crap, I've decided to take positive steps toward unlocking maximum health and wellness in my life. I've realized that creating a blog is not only a great accountability, but a way to get ideas, and dialog with other people who are passionate about change like me. To begin, I want to take a real vulnerable and honest look at my lifestyle and habits as I continue to strive toward my healthy ying yang. I am not one who sits on the couch and eats bonbons, nor am I the perfect candidate for "The Biggest Loser". In fact according to my Wii Fit, I am in a healthy range for my BMI and I wear a size 8. But despite all that, I still don't seem to have enough energy, I suffer from digestive issues, and I feel flabby.


I guess my quest for a healthier me started 11 years ago in college when I doused my couscous with extra virgin olive oil or when I thought that "organic" somehow negated the calories in the entire box I polished off. Or better yet, when I asked for gravy on the side of my cheese fries. My intentions to eat healthy have been pure, and I have made progress in the past years, but I'll admit it...I'm compulsive. Anytime I see the golden arches I get a warm fuzzy feeling. That drive through is a euphoric feeling until I'm laying on my boyfriends couch with a food hangover...


Here are some healthy steps I've slowly taken in the past few years:
-Cut down on refined sugars and my alcohol intake
-Given up aspartame (check out the documentary Sweet Misery: A Poisoned World)
-Began juicing raw fresh fruit and vegetables (when I have the time of course!)
-Started eating more organic foods


SO here it is- my short term goals:
-Exercise more! 3 days a week of cardo and at least 1 day a week of strength training to firm up the flab! Note: I'm having some reoccurring athletic injuries and back problems so this should be interesting!
-Be more disciplined about stretching! It makes me feel SOO GOOD...especially with my injuries!
-Don't be compulsive about what I eat! Think about the long term affects...another wards....

I think these beginning goals could be a challenge...but lets see what happens!

For my first day as a blogger, I thought that I would start off on the right foot (especially since I gorged myself this past week over vacation)....

So here is day 1:

Brekki- Green Tea with lite Agave

Snack- Fat free Greek yogurt with peaches, 2 servings rice chips, Almond Mocha TLC bar

Lunch- Braised Tempeh with caramelized mushroom sauce, brown rice, and a side salad (NO I didn't make it...but I'll take the credit for it!)

Din'sky- Couscous with red peppers, vegetable stir fry with a few pieces of chicken apple sausage, 3 pieces of dark chocolate

Exercise: 15 minutes on the stair climber

Energy level: TIRED!