Happy Wednesday! So today won’t be completely wordless…I mean, I have to thank Jenn at Peas and Crayons for hosting my favorite link-up! Now on to my yummy eats from Tuesday….
Your Turn:
Happy Wednesday all! It’s that time of the week…What I Ate Wednesday! As usual, thanks so much to Jenn at Peas and Crayons for hosting this link up!
This week’s WIAW is a bit of a hodge podge of things I’ve eaten over the past couple of days. I’ve been eating pretty good, so I had to share more than one day’s worth!
I started off this week with an egg and avocado open face sammie. I saw this idea on a blog (and can’t remember whose!), but the flavors went together so well!
Strawberries covered in rhubarb sauce from the farmer’s market.
Tomatoes and basil with a touch of salt. Mmmmhmmm.
I am now officially only eating Chobani Flips. I can’t even eat regular Greek yogurt anymore, because I’m obsessed with the Flip flavor combos. Two favorites? Key Lime Pie and Almond Coco. Mmmm.
Lunch on Monday was a disaster. I was lazy and brought a Lean Cusine, that didn’t cook evenly and didn’t taste great. I’m posting it as a friendly reminder that home made lunches are almost always better than microwavable lunches!!
Oatmeal, as usual. I cut up strawberries and drizzled with honey. Favorite breakfast.
Now this is a lunch! You’ve seen it before, but it’s my favorite lunch. Whole wheat bread with smashed avocado, tomato, goat cheese, spinach and turkey (went for a new protein this week). I can’t get enough of this combo!
And finally…Tuesday’s dinner. Whole wheat pasta, tossed with shrimp, spinach, and avocado in the Lemon Basil Vinegarette I bought at the farmer’s market. I made a ridiculous amount of this and plan to eat it all week.
Tuesday’s Workout:
Since it was 80 degrees when I got home from work and I knew I didn’t want to relive Monday’s sweat fest run, I thought I would so a Jillian Michaels DVD for my strength training. I popped in Killer Thighs and Buns.
Um. It was killer all right.
I’m in pretty good shape. I can usually do her advanced workouts and start at Level 2. This workout kicked my butt. Hard. By the time it was over, I was drenched in sweat and I can barely walk.
If you’re looking a quick workout that targets your legs and butt, I’d check it out!
This is from YouTube – it’s a random mashup of the exercises we did, as well as a summary of the whole dvd. The side plank leg raises and plank squat jumps killed me. KILLED ME!
As an FYI, I’m starting to log all of my workouts on my Fitness page. Feel free to follow along and keep me accountable!
Feeling good pre-workout. Was going to post a post-workout pic, but didn’t want to scare you all away with my sweatiness!
Your Turn:
Happy Wednesday! Wednesday means What I Ate Wednesday, so as usual I’ll be linking up with Jenn over at Peas and Crayons.
I’m actually following the “rules” this week and documenting my eats for one day…Monday, to be exact. New week, new apartment, new mindset. I ate very well and definitely got my burn in, so Monday was a huge success in my book!
For breakfast, I had strawberry, banana oatmeal with honey drizzled on it. Yup, that’s the stuff breakfast dreams are made of. The strawberries were super ripe, so they added the perfect sweetness.
For snack (because yes, I’m 26 and still have snack time!) I tried the Chobani Peach Pistachio Flip. I was so excited when I found this flavor at Target last week and it did not disappoint! The peach yogurt was tasty (though a bit sweet), and the pistachios and dark chocolate chips went with it perfectly! Snack win!
For lunch, I went to my trusted sammie combo – Sour Dough Rye bread (tried for the first time, very good), with mashed avocado, tomato, pastrami, and goat cheese. Smashing avocado and using it as a condiment is my new favorite thing! I eat at least 1/2 of an avocado a day and it makes me so happy! Num, num, num.
For dessert, I went to my trusty Trader Joe’s 100 calorie milk chocolate bar. I’m working on portion control guys…working on it. Kind of.
By the time dinner rolled around, I was hungry after going for my first real run in quite some time. Luckily, dinner turned out to be a total success – Peanut Shrimp Stir Fry. I sauteed broccoli, zucchini, carrots, and snap peas in olive oil, while also sauteeing some shrimp in a bit of butter and lime juice. I threw them together and added some peanut sauce…then realized it needed a little more peanut flavor, so I added peanut butter. Wow! The peanut butter added a great flavor and creaminess – this dinner was a definite success (and will be repeated!).
I also am motivated to make my own peanut sauce now – I’ll let you know when I do!
And for dessert, a handful of Peanut M&M’s. Because, why not?!
Weekly Goals – My Workout Plan:
One of my weekly goals was to create a workout plan to help me stay on track. For this week, I basically designated days as cardio, strength, or rest days. I feel this is a good starting point for me – just get moving! My goal is to become more specific in my workout plans as I get back in to the groove. But so far, so good!
Monday – ran (and walked a bit) 3 miles
Tuesday – planned on strength training, but ended up going to a yoga class with a friend!
Wednesday – Rest (though I may end up going for a run and switching my rest day with Thursday)
Thursday – strength training
Friday – strength and cardio
Saturday – cardio
Sunday – strength and cardio
Even though it’s general, it feels good to have a plan in place and I’m already having fun creating workouts for myself – and I’m looking forward to sharing them with you!
Your Turn!
Happy Wednesday all! As usual, I’m linking up with the What I Ate Wednesday party that Jenn over at Peas and Crayons hosts. Thanks Jenn!
This past weekend, I headed on down to Milwaukee to spend the weekend with family and friends. Since I didn’t share a lot about my trip, I thought I would mix in my weekend recap with my WIAW, since I ate pretty good at home! So here is goes!
On Friday, I got home in the early afternoon and ran some errands (oil change, Targe binge, the usual!). After errands and catching up with my family, Jessi headed on over so we could grab dinner and see our friend, Joel, in the play “Kiss of the Spider Woman.” For dinner, we headed to Chili’s for margaritas and food, which is our tradition since grad school. I had a mango margarita and the spicy shrimp tacos. The tacos definitely had a bite…yum!
Saturday morning I was up bright and early (thanks for that, Charlie!) and shared a cup of coffee with my dad. Since we are early birds, we made a delicious breakfast just for us. First, I roasted a few red potatoes, seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and parsley, in the oven. When the potatoes were just about done, I began to sauté onions, celery, and a red pepper on the stove. When the onions were ready, I added the eggs to make a fritatta. I topped it off with pepper jack cheese and the potatoes…YUM! It was a tasty breakfast!
Saturday night I helped my dad prepare dinner for the family. I was in charge of the salad and made my go-to salad: spinach, strawberries, walnuts, and blue cheese. Mmmm. We also had chicken wings BBQed on the grill and corn on the cob (not pictured, I was too excited to dig in!). For dessert, my mom made a Heath Bar cake. Wow. Just wow. It’s so moist and flavorful. It’s not even a little in line with healthy eating, but small indulgences are ok (and encouraged!).
On Sunday, my family and I packed in the car and headed down to Chicago. My grandma turned 75 this week, so her family and friends gathered at La Hacienda, a local Mexican restaurant. Both the company and the eats were fantastic! For lunch, we had a buffet – Mexican rice, refried beans, chicken taquitos, steak tacos, and cheese enchiladas. Yum! I taste tested a bit of everything and was so surprised by how good it was! I also paired lunch with a pomegranate margarita.
As you can see, I definitely indulged more than my fair share this weekend! So, on Tuesday morning I started back on track. Vanille Greek yogurt, with strawberries, cherries, almonds, and a bit of honey. Tasty, filling, a great way to start my crazy week!
Your Turn:
Happy Wednesday all! As usual, I’m participating in What I Ate Wednesday. Thanks to Jen at Peas and Crayons for hosting!
This week I’m featuring some of my meals from the last week. I work at a college, so summer is filled with registering new freshmen and sophomore students. There are days where I don’t eat anything all day and that wouldn’t make for an interesting post!
Sweet potato and nut butter. I’ve seen this on a couple different blogs and thought I would try it out. Honestly, I didn’t love it. The flavors were ok, but I think my next sweet potato will have a little butter and goat cheese on it instead!
I made a broccoli slaw salad for lunch this week. I added 1/2 of an apple to the slaw mix and then drizzled a soy sauce and lime juice dressing over it. It ended up being quite tasty!
Mmmm. My wraps have been awesome lately! This wrap has pastrami, goat cheese, tomato, arugula and an avocado spread, on top of a whole wheat tortilla. Filling, tasty, and quick to make.
A typical breakfast for me. Vanilla greek yogurt with strawberries, bananas and chia seeds and a side of whole wheat toast topped with peanut butter. Super filling and I like the mix of flavors (nutty PB and fresh fruit).
Here is my Tropical Smoothie (recipe here!). I’ve been drinking it a lot lately – since the weather is warming up and fruit is much more available, it’s a perfect breakfast or snack!
Saturday night I splurged and had Trader Joe’s Quattro Formaggi pizza. OH. EM. GEE. It was incredibly tasty and worth the mini splurge. Pizza is definitely one of my weaknesses and this one definitely held up with the best of them!
Mmmm! This weekend I made banana ice cream again! In case you missed it last time, I blend 1.5 frozen bananas in a blender until it’s an ice cream consistency. This time I added some PB2 for some peanut butter flavor without all the calories. Of course, I topped it with chocolate chips.
Finally, I’ve been on a strawberry quick. In yogurt, smoothies, as a snack…I’m really eating strawberries as often as possible! Makes it feel like summer is really here!
That’s all for today! Hope you all have a fantastic week!
Your Turn!
Happy Wednesday! As usual, thanks to Jen at Peas and Crayons for hosting WIAW!
This week, to keep things interesting, I thought I would focus on some of my guilty pleasure foods. I don’t love the phrase “guilty pleasures” because it implies guilt when eating certain foods, and I’m trying to move away from that. That being said, I think you get what I mean 🙂
Grilled Cheese. Probably one of my favorite foods of all time. So delicious and versatile. This weekend, I made this grilled cheese – fresh sour dough bread with a mixture of swiss and chipotle gouda cheese. It was mind-blowing. Seriously.
Hot Dogs. I love hot dogs. Too much. I like eating them on a bun and I like cutting them up and dipping them in ketchup and mustard. I also love venison hot dogs, which is what this is a picture of. Can’t even tell, right?
Hot Dogs…again. I’m also obsessed with hot dogs from Portillo’s. Loaded with everything (including hot peppers!). You could call it an obsession…and you’d probably be right. Especially with a side of cheese fries. Not healthy at all, but there are no Portillo’s in Wisconsin, so it’s a very infrequent treat!
Melted Chocolate and Peanut Butter. OMG.This is my go-to, totally yummy and tad obnoxious snack. This is once in a while snack, which makes it all the better. To make? Combine some peanut butter (or other nut butter) and chocolate chips (semi-sweet or milk chocolate). Put in microwave and nuke for 1 minute at 50% power or until chocolate chips are melted. You won’t be disappointed…
Popcorn. Mmmm. I had air popped (must be air popped, in a popcorn maker) popcorn last night. I like it plain or sprinkled with salt and parmesan cheese. Yummy, filling, and fairly healthy (if you do not load it with butter!).
Anything topped with goat cheese. Guys, I’m obsessed with goat cheese. Like go through a mini-tub a week. This is my Tuesday breakfast – two scrambled eggs, with spinach, tomato, and goat cheese, on a whole wheat tortilla.
Starbucks. Extra hot, chai latte. Enough said.
Cookie Butter. If you have not tried this, drop everything you’re doing, run to Trader Joe’s, and buy this unique spread. You’ll probably eat the jar in two sittings, using only your finger, and like me, vow to never buy it again. But it’s something you have to try at least once!
Self Magazine, Drop 10 Update…
I’ve finished up my first week of the Self Magazine Drop 10 program. To be honest, I’m having a tough time with it. Psychologically, I have a very hard time following a food plan. I’m not sure why, but having every meal and snack planned everyday feels very constricting and then I end up binging at night. Not healthy for me, physically or emotionally. At this point, I’m not sure how to proceed…should I keep doing it? Or should I go back to a plan that I know works for me? Decisions, decisions!
I did need to take updated pictures of myself this week, and I will say, I’m happy with my overall weight loss progress (over the past 18 months, not just the last week!). Slowly but surely, I’m getting to where I want to be!
Your Turn!
Happy Wednesday all! It’s that time of the week – What I Ate Wednesday! Thanks to Jenn at Peas and Crayons for hosting!
As I’ve mentioned, I’m completing the Self Magazine Drop 10 program. The program is designed to help you lose 10 pounds in 5 weeks (which for me, at my weight, I’m not entirely sure will be possible, but am still trying!). The meal plan is to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner, each around 400 calories, a snack around 150 calories, and 2oo “free” calories that I get to choose. In addition, there is a workout plan to follow.
I got the meal plan on Sunday and was a little apprehensive, mostly because I didn’t think I would be full on this plan. I’ve been pleasantly surprised to be wrong so far! So, here are my Drop 10 eats from Tuesday.
For breakfast, I made the Spiced Apple and Almond Butter Wrap. I sautéed 1/2 an apple in cooking spray and topped with pumpkin pie spice (the recipe said apple pie spice, but I didn’t have any..oh well!). After the apples were done, I spread them on a Trader Joe’s whole wheat tortilla with peanut butter spread on it. This was not only delicious but actually filled me up until lunch – WIN!
For lunch I made the Toasted Roast Beef Sandwich. This may have been the biggest sandwich I’ve ever made. I mashed 1/4 of an avocado with salt and garlic powder and salt and spread it on one slice of toasted Trader Joe’s whole wheat bread. On the other slice of bread, I spread Trader Joe’s chipotle hummus. The sammie filling was spinach, tomato, and 30z of roast beef (I used a little yes). This sandwich was HUGE and delicious. No lie, I’m making it all week for lunch!
For my snack, I mixed Trader Joe’s plain greek yogurt with PB2 and a few chocolate chips. I had never tried PB2, but I think I liked it. It definitely wasn’t peanut butter, but the taste was still there. I only used 1.5 tbs, so it was less than 45 calories. Not too bad for those times I’m craving a peanut butter fix without the calories!
Dinner time! I made the Smoky Paprika Chicken. Full disclosure…I didn’t have any paprika, but it still turned out! In place of paprika, I seasoned the chicken with salt, pepper, garlic power, cumin, and chili powder – great flavor! I also cut up and roasted 2.5 carrots, which was amazing! The carrots really softened up and almost had a french fry texture – maybe that sounds weird, but it was good – promise! I also had 1/2 cup of brown rice, which I don’t love, but it was filling!
At work, I’m a helping plan a regional conference and as a party favor today, we received these cow cookies. I had to have a bite for dinner…he was delicious! Ha. This pushed me over my “200” happy calories, but in addition to walking Charlie twice, I raked and mowed my lawn, so I feel like I definitely got my cardio in – no guilt here!
In other news, I think a mix of spring/summer has finally made it to Madison (I know I’ve said it before, but I’m becoming more convinced every day). Randomly, these flowers have popped up in my yard and I thought I’d share. They put a smile on my face everything I get home from work!
Your Turn!
Racing Bananas 