Tuesday Eats...

My day started off with a cup of basic Chia Pudding and sliced banana. Recipe for Chia Pudding to come!

Lunch was one cup of brown rice with half a cup of channa masala and half a cup of daal. I also had sautéed string beans. 

In between lunch and dinner I had a bowl of pita and pretzel chips as a snack. 

Dinner was Mexican Lasagna with a side of sautéed kale, carrots and bell pepper. 

And that's my food in a day! 

I think I'm going to start updating my blog more regularly with my daily meals. This helps me keep myself in check on what I eat :-)

Monday...

Oh Monday's...it's so hard to get up on a Monday morning. It's even harder when the weather is cold and rainy! Anywho, you do what you gotta do!

Well, on that note, I hope you guys all had a great weekend. I enjoyed the hot weather very much. I also took ads vantage of summer nights by going for walks along the river front. It's so beautiful at night and the weather is so nice and warm at night. My weekend was also filled with delicious food. 

Here's a weekend recap through pictures (since I'm lazy to write right now :-p):

And that was the weekend! More to come later!

A Wonderful Wednesday...

Good Morning!

I'm so excited about today because it's going to be a hot day :-). I really hope this summer weather is here to stay. The weather yesterday was not too bad either. It was suppose to rain and luckily it didn't. It was also a nice night to sleep with the windows open. 

I started off my day with coconut pancakes with cinnamon apples and banana. 

Boy, did I miss my pancakes! I made a batch the night before and heated these babies up the next morning. The cinnamon apples were delicious paired with pancakes. All I did was chop up an apple and sprinkle with cinnamon. When I warmed my pancakes and apples up the next morning it was like eating a warm apple pie. 

Luckily, this breakfast held me over for a few hours. I took my lunch break and headed over to the gym. I completed two sweaty miles on the treadmill. Not bad, but I'm trying to get to three miles at a decent pace (6.0?). 

Once I finished my workout I needed to eat my lunch. Enter my roast beef sandwich that I made the night before. Oh so delicious. Roast beef, cheese and mustard between two slices of ezekiel toast. Totally filling but lacking veggies :-(. 

My sandwich held me over for a few hours, then it was snack time! I had plain, non fat Greek yogurt with carrots. This little snack held me over till dinner time. 

An hour and a pedicure later, I was headed home.  We made a delicious Vera Cruz fish (thank you TJ's) and salad dinner. The best part... we ate out on our patio and had a blast. The evening weather was so nice! We lit up our citronella candle and stayed out on the patio for a while enjoying dinner, dessert and conversation :-) Nice night. 

For dessert I had a serving of my avocado ice cream. Delicious. 

I have to say my day was filled with eating right, getting exercise in and having a nice evening! Oh, also watching DVR episodes of the last season of The Office. 

Hope you all had a good day!

How to Prep For a WEEK of Healthy Eating...

We all like to have our indulgences on the weekend.  The key is to eat healthy through out the week.  With a little prep work it can be very easy to maintain healthy eating during the week!

Here are a few tips and tricks to help you keep a healthy lifestyle during the week:

• Plan out your meals -  Sit down for about an hour and plan out what you will be having for breakfasts, lunches and dinners.  Write everything down.  I usually plan three different dinners for the week and keep the leftovers for lunch the next day.  I also buy a few things to have on hand for breakfast.  For example, I keep a box of oats at my desk to make oatmeal in the morning or if I want something different, I make it the night before and bring it with me in the morning.  For example, sometimes I make a big batch of my coconut flour pancakes and have it during the week.
• Do your grocery shopping ahead of time - Once your meals are planned out, jot down all the ingredients you will need to make your meals.  Along with the ingredients for your meal, pick three different bunches of fruit to buy.  This will aide having a side for breakfasts and having snacks on hand.  Also, pick two snacks to have per day.  I like to pick non fat Greek yogurt, almonds or hard boiled eggs.  Also buy three different veggies to pair with your dinners for the week.  I usually buy one bag of lettuce, a bunch of asparagus and beans or brussels sprouts.
• Prep your fruits and veggies - Once you get your fruits and veggies go home and start chopping/dicing/slicing.  Do what you need to do so you can grab and go if needed
• Have snacks on hand - Again, buy things that you can grab and go.  If you buy almonds, portion them out and put them away.  Want hard boiled eggs? Boil a dozen up at once so you can grab and go.  A few other suggestions, string cheese and yogurt.

These are just a few tips that help me maintain a healthy lifestyle.  This may seem a lot at first but as soon as you get into the swing of things all of this can be done very quickly!

Getting My Food On...

Wow...already into Hump Day. This week is flying by! I hope you all had a great evening. 

Yesterday I completely forgot to make my breakfast and bring it to work. I definitely love to splurge on food, but on good food. Not on a bowl of oatmeal that I overly paid for, that I could have made myself! Anywho, so, I started my day off with a small bowl of steel cut oats with a banana mashed in. I got the oats from Pret A Mangier and they were delish!

Lunch was a chicken lime burger and a salad. All leftovers from the previous day. Sadly, no picture since I inhaled it :-p

A little while later I snacked on a Chobani non fat lemon yogurt. Mmm..mmm perfectly tart and sweet. Also, kept me full until dinner time :-)

Yesterday, was so cold and rainy. All I wanted for dinner was something warm and comforting. Thank goodness I had leftover lentil chili!! Oh yes, this totally hit the spot. I heated up a bowl of lentil chili and had a slice of ezekiel toast on the side. This was an awesome dinner followed by watching DVR episodes of The Mindy Project! Oh, I love Mindy! 

I also managed to make today's breakfast last night. Here's a sneak peek:  

:-) Enjoy your day!

Shape Up in 2011: Eat This, Not That

I'm starting Eat This, Not That to help you make better choices when going food shopping or when at a party. Little changes can yield big results when practiced. I'm hoping this will be a great guide for people looking to make smarter, healthier food choices. Instead of a bag of potato chips have a air popped popcorn Calories saved: 100 Instead of Chips and dip have veggies with hummus Calories saved: 200 Instead of full fat dairy have reduced fat dairy Calories saved: 80 Instead off flavored, instant oatmeal buy plain instant oatmeal and add fresh fruit and a spoonful of honey Calories saved: 80 Instead of French fries make your own baked potato fries Calories saved: 150 ***These are just a few suggestions and I hope to continue bringing you more.

Shape Up in 2011: Day One

Good Morning Everyone, I hope you are all ready to start your year off to a healthy lifestyle! Now that you've already read some of the basic points of your new healthy lifestyle, I wanted to give you a few tips. Write down EVERYTHING you put in your mouth. Even if it's just a spoonful of yogurt write it down. This will better help you realize where your calories are coming from. Make note of your weight and waist size. Every week you should record this to track your progress. Watch your portion sizes. This may be a good time to invest in a food scale. I bought one from Target for less than $10. Remember, start your day off right with a healthy breakfast, and get your exercise in!

Happy New Year: Shape Up in 2011

Happy New Year!!! A new year has started and this is a great time to work on living a healthy and happy lifestyle. There is no better time to start a healthy lifestyle than now, this is why I'd like to kick off Shape Up in 2011! To start, the first thing you need to do is plan. Plan out your meals so you know you are brining healthy lunches to work and eating a healthy dinner. Lets not forget about breakfast, plan on buying a box of instant oatmeal and making it every morning, or buy a healthy cereal to keep at your desk. If going out to eat, try to get the menu ahead of time and look at what you can eat Next, plan out your day to include exercise. You NEED to set aside one hour a day to work out for at least five days a week. Remember, this is your time to make a positive change. Exercise is a necessity in this process. Plan on bringing healthy snacks wherever you go. This can be fruit, low fat/non fat yogurt, granola bars or portion controlled nuts. In a nutshell: Plan healthy meals Workout at least five days a week Get your healthy snacks together Here is what I will try to do for you: Give you healthy recipes Motivate you with workouts Positive posts for a healthy lifestyle January 3, 2011 will mark day one of Shape Up in 2011 and I hope you all will join me in this journey!

Are You Ready To Resume Your Healthy Lifestyle....

Good Morning All, It's the Monday after Thanksgiving weekend. I'm sure we all ate a lot of good food, spent a lot of time with family, and many of us, like myself probably did not get much exercise in. Well, you're all in luck. Today is Monday, a new day and a new week to start eating healthy and exercising again. Over the Thanksgiving holiday, I managed to put on 3.4 pounds. This was the result of eating many sweet things and going to TWO Thanksgiving dinners. I don't feel bad or regret this at all. I spent great time with friends and ate great food. I do know that now that this is done and over with, it's time to get back on track. Yesterday, I resumed my healthy eating habits and exercise. As a result, I did lose my bloat and am down 1.4 pounds. I also know in no time, I'll be back to my regular weight and back in the race to lose the additional 5 pounds that I'd like to lose. Today, I started my morning off right. I had a bowl of oatmeal with 1% milk. I also plan on hitting the gym today and getting in at least 30 minutes of cardio in. Are you guys ready to resume your healthy lifestyle?

Just 10 Challenge: COMPLETED!!!!!

I'm happy to report that I have successfully completed Dr. Oz's Just 10 Challenge! Yes, it's taken me a month and a half to lose ten pounds! I think this is actually a very realistic time frame to lose ten pounds. So, how did I do this?

• No snacking in between meals
• Cardio, at least 30 minutes 5 days a week
• Workout with weights at least 3 days a week
• Stay away from processed sugars as much as I can
• Watch my portions
• Incorporated more fruits and vegetables in my diet
• Drank a lot of water through out the day

My typical meal plan for a day:

Breakfast: 1/2 cup of oatmeal made with skim milk, coffee Lunch: Two slices of Ezekiel bread, tuna mixed in with one tablespoon of light mayo, onion powder and pepper, slice of cheese, lettuce and tomatoes Dinner: Fish with brown rice and vegetables Dessert: Any piece of fruit Snacks (if needed and carefully portion controlled): fruit, yogurt, cherry tomatoes, celery sticks, cucumbers, peanuts, almonds After working so hard it won't be hard to keep this up. In fact, most of this now comes naturally. Of course I have had my slip ups and will probably continue to have them every now and then. The key is to keep it at an every now and then level though! Have you guys joined the Just 10 Challenge?

Day 5: Just 10 Challenge

Last night I did eat dinner at 8:30pm. I had a very small portion of smoked salmon and greens. This morning I woke up and weighed myself. I was up .8 of a pound from yesterday. Honestly, this does not discourage me. First off its not even a whole pound. Secondly, this could have been from excess sodium. Thirdly, remember,you are not going to lose a pound of day. This is not a fad diet, but a healthy lifestyle! Right now I am on the train CRAVING my morning breakfast of toast, almond butter, banana and cinnamon. I also have to think about how I will be strong this weekend. I need to get at least one exercise day in and of course eat right. Its always hard to make healthy food choices when you are in a social environment and out with friends. After I get done with this weekend I will post some tips on this. More to come later...I hope you all have a great day!

Losing the last ten pounds...

Yesterday morning I got on the scale and saw I did not lose any weight. In fact, I had gained a pound. I was not shocked,no...I totally expected this. In fact, I was surprised I only gained one pound. After all, my weekend consisted of zeppoles, two types of crepes, chocolate mouse and an all you can eat Indian Chinese buffet. After all that, the one pound weight gain didn't really shock me. Oh, I also managed to get no exercise what's so ever. So, the weekend has come and gone. Monday I made smart food choices through out the day. Today I plan on doing the same. While I was at the gym yesterday I watched The Dr. Oz Show. I love Dr. Oz, he's my hero. Anyway, Dr. Oz was explaining the benefits of losing just 10 pounds. By just losing 10 pounds you decrease your chances of heart disease, cancers and cholesterol. By losing just 10 pounds you gain more energy and confidence. Also, losing 10 pounds is an extremely reasonable goal! So, I decided to take Dr. Oz's advice and just focus on losing 10 pounds. With this commitment, to make a conscience decision to eat healthy and exercise, you gain a new sense of motivation. Next time I eat at a buffet, I'll think to go easy, after all I just need to lose 10 pounds. This can definitely be done and you can do it too! Setting small, realistic goals will help you get back on track! Dr. Oz even has a free bracelet you can order and wear, just to remind yourself to stay on track. To get started, I suggest you all visit Dr. Oz's website (www.doctoroz.com) and take the Just 10 Challenge. You can also sign up to receive a free Just 10 bracelet, which will serve as a constant reminder to stay on track. How about we take the Dr. Oz challenge and commit. ourselves to eat right and exercise and to lose just 10 pounds!

Day 1: Raw fooding it...

So last month I went on a raw food diet for a week, this time I am attempting to go on a raw food diet for a month. Well, I'll be honest, a slightly raw food diet. Yes, I will eliminate coffee, but I am still staying with my green tea. Now, why am I doing this for a month? Well, this is sort of my way of detoxing my body. Trying to eliminate all the processed food and toxins from my body. Now, I am not abandoning WW by an means. In fact, I am incorporating my raw food diet within my points system. Just because you are eating healthy, raw food, too much of this can cause weight gain as most raw foods have a lot of nuts incorporated into them. Lots of nuts = lots of fat and calories! So, I thought I would document my raw food experience with you all. Some of the recipes I have are from raw food books, others are from myself. They are all tasty and I will share as much as I can with you, so lets begin! Breakfast -My Muesli 1/4c groats, soaked over night and drained the next day 1TB of raisins 1TB of chopped almonds 1TB of cinnamon 1TB of flax seed 1/4c. of almond mylk (recipe from Ani Phyo's raw food book) Mix all of this in a bowl and enjoy! Total points: 5.5 Now, I know this is more points than usual for my breakfast, but lets see if I will need a snack later on! PS: Ill post a pic tonight!

Hello there...

Hello Everyone, We have officially completed one whole month of the new year! How have you guys been doing so far? I hope you are all planning your meals well and trying to get some sort of physical activity in your day. January was alright for me. I only had a total weight loss of 3lbs. (I did gain a pound, so I went from 4 to 3). One thing that has helped me out a lot is making sure I have my breakfast ready in a fast way (thank goodness for instant oatmeal), and planning out my lunches during the week. I have some great recipes which I will share with you in a later post :-) How have you guys been doing? What do you find to be your biggest challenge?

Week Two...Tryin Somethin New...

Good Morning Everyone, We are now into week 2 of the New Year. This week I've decided to try something different, something that I've been wanting to do for a while, and that is a raw foods diet. At work, I found Ani Phyo's book: Ani's Raw Food Kitchen. I LOVE this book because number one, most of the recipes are very simple, number two the fancy schmancy equipment that other raw foods recipes ask for, are optional in this book! Surprisingly, being on the raw foods diet has worked out well in conjuntion to weight watchers. Although there are a lot of nuts and EVOO used in recipes, with proper portion control I stay within my points. So, what have I noticed thus far being on a raw foods diet? Well, I do have more energy. I've also realized that a raw food diet does not mean eating bland fruits and veggies. When the right foods are combined, this is really delicious! You can make everything from burgers to wraps, to decadent desserts!! Ani is amazing when it comes to this!! Last night I made a whole 3 course raw food meal which consisted of: Lemon Fennel EVOO soup Cabbage slaw with thyme and apple cider vinegar Delicious Dolmas stuffed with dill, raisins, pine nuts and sun dried tomatos!!! Yum..all this was around 9 points!!! So good and delicious!!! Go ahead and try something new and healthy this week!!! How have you guys been doing this week?

Recipe: Lemon Ginger Scallops

Good Morning Everyone, I am fortunate enough to be able to write a weekly column for TheAjnabee.com. This week I wrote a recipe for Lemon Ginger Scallops. The full recipe and article can be found on www.theajnabee.com. Here are the deets: Ingredients: 1lb. sea scallops 1TB. of canola oil 2 c. of fresh lemon juice Zest of one lemon 2 inch piece of ginger, grated 1 tsp. of honey Salt/pepper PREPARATION: In a large bowl combine one cup of the lemon juice and all ingredients except for oil and scallops. Once thoroughly combined, add the scallops and toss to coat. Allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes. Add the canola oil to a sauté pan and turn stove on to medium heat. Once the oil is hot place the scallops and allow to cook and sizzle, browning each side approximately one minute on each side. Once you place the scallops in the pan, do not move them, to properly brown. When scallops have browned on both sides take out of pan, and use the remainder one cup of lemon juice to deglaze the pan and make a thick pan sauce. Drizzle this sauce on top of the scallops. Enjoy!!

Healthy Ways to Bulk Up Your Food...

Sometimes when you are trying to watch out for portion distortion, you'll realize that actual portion sizes are pretty small! We do eat with our eyes as well, and if we see such a small amount of food, we think..how will this ever fill me up?!? Have no fear because there are healthy ways to bulk up your portion sizes without adding many points..and I mean hardly any! Next time you're cooking, try these suggestions out:

• Anytime you have a meat dish using ground beef, chicken, turkey, or even chunks of meat such as chicken salad or even tuna salad, you can increase the bulk of your meals by adding finely diced mushrooms! When diced, mushrooms can be very meaty and you’ll hardly know they are mushrooms because they will absorb the flavor of whatever youre cooking.
• Making a creamy dip? Substitute half of the 'creamy' part with non fat Greek Yogurt. This is awesome because Greek Yogurt is not tart, and is thick and rich. Best of all, it's fat free!
• When baking, you can save a ton of fat and calories by substituting 3/4 of the oil for apple sauce!
• Love mashed potatos but cannot take all the carbs....no problem, boil up a head of cauliflower and mash this into the potatos! You'll get twice as many 'mashed potatos'!
• Double up your guacamole by adding mashed peas...seriously, people will not even know the difference!

These are just a few tips and tricks I have. As I find more out, Ill post them. Do you guys have tips?

New Year, new day, new you....

Good Morning Everyone, Today is the first Monday of the new year! Usually I am against setting a specific date to start a healthy lifestyle, but since this is a new year to start off fresh and coincedentally also a Monday (the day most people decide to start their healthy lifestyle), why not take advantage of this if it works for people? Yes peoples, this is a new year to start off fresh! Forget about the past and work on the present so you can have a future! You are well equipped to take control of your life now. You have the knowledge to make healthy decisions, and if not, I will always be here to help out and give advice!! Here are a few steps to help you get started: 1. Restock your pantry with fruits, veggies, heart healthy nuts, lean protein. 2. Look through the ingredients of all your breads, pastas and rice. If this starts with enriched flour, switch over to 100% Whole Wheat or Whole grains! 3. Buy healthy on the go snacks such as part skim string cheese, apples, low fat yogurt and granola bars. 4. Invest in a 32oz. stainless steel water bottle. You can bring this anywhere and remember to keep yourself hydrated! 5. Plan out atleast 30 minutes a day of physical activity! This seems to be the hardest for people, but serious, even if its a walk during your lunch, every bit helps! 6. On a weekend day, plan your meals out for the week. Your breakfast, your lunches and dinners. This will make your trip to the grocery store easier and quicker. You will also be in control of what you feed your body! 7. Out of sight, out of mind. Throw away any trigger foods. Cakes, cookies, chips. If these are not with in reach, you cannot have them! I hope you all take these tips and work on bettering your eating habits! Feel free to share any tips you may have!! We are in this together!

***Recipe Alert: Smoky Bean Stew***

The original recipe for this stew is on my weekly column for The Ajnabee, www.theajnabee.com. This recipe is awesome and I decided to try it out by using pinto beans and adding spinach! Ah, so delicious and hearty, I really suggest you try this out! Here are the deets:

INGREDIENTS:

· 2 15.5oz. can of pinto beans, partially drained

· 1TB. of EVOO

· 1/2 onion, diced

· 2TB. of cumin seeds

· 2 cloves of garlic, sliced

· 1TB. of freshly grated ginger

· 1 tomato, diced

· 2tsp. of chopped chipotle peppers

One bag of baby spinach

· 1/4c. freshly chopped cilantro

· Juice of half a lemon

· Salt/pepper to taste

PREPARATION:

In a saucepan, add the oil and place the pan on medium heat. Once hot, add the onions, cumin and salt. Saute until onions are translucent. Add the garlic and ginger, saute for another minute.

Add the tomato and stir for a couple of minutes. Add the chipotle peppers and stir. Add the spinach, beans and lemon juice

Add the cilantro and season with salt/pepper to taste. Allow this to simmer on low heat for 20 minutes.

Don't wait till next year...

In my journey to leading a healthy lifestyle and losing weight, I realized there is no better time than the present to start making positive nutrition changes in your life. Don't wait til January 1st to make your resolution to eat right and excersise. Start right now so you can be on your way to looking fabulous for 2010! Think about this, you will ring in the new year in 3 1/2 weeks, in 3 1/2 weeks, by eating right you can easily lose 5 pounds! This is a great way to continue your healthy lifestyle for the new year. Think about how great and confident you will look and feel when ringing in the new year! With that said, don't wait another 3 1/2 weeks to eat healthy and excersise. Start today!