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