Veggie Over Load

I am back! I needed another break from the Internet. I have spent the past few days eating right, continuing my butt kicking work-outs and sweats, and catching up on my knitting and needle point at night. Super relaxing after super stress days at work! I am hoping this week is going to be better, and we are already off to a good start. Keeping very positive this week!

Today was a totally veggie overload day! Not that I am complaining! I know I am going to feel super energized tomorrow. I had a heart pounding and tough yoga session yesterday, so today I opted for sleep. I have the toughest time waking up on Monday's and getting to the gym. But tomorrow is Tuesday and I am super pumped for a good gym work-out and weight lifting session!

Breakfast:

A newer mix! And it is delicious! Here is what was in today's:
*1/4 c. steel cut oats
*1 c. organic almond milk
*cinnamon
*1 tbsp raisins
*1 tbsp flax seed
*1/4 c. cinnamon apples
I LOVE cinnamon apples. Super easy to make and really delicious. Cut up an apple into small chunks. Place into a heat/microwave glass bowl. Coat with cinnamon and drizzle with a little honey. Pop into the microwave for 4-5 minutes, stirring once and done!! It is a great oatmeal topping and way to get some apples into your diet!!

Lunch:
No pictures from lunch because I was in a client meeting for lunch. Don't need everyone thinking I am nuts taking pictures of my food!
We ordered in from California Pizza Kitchen! Total yum! I looked up the nutritional values of all the salads before I ordered and I netted out on the Grilled Veggie Salad with Shrimp! Holy goodness, I ate every bite of this salad. It was delicious and very nourishing. I went with the half order and had 2 slice of sour dough bread on the side (one of my biggest weaknesses). It def kept me full and tied over to dinner!

Dinner:
Tonight was a little bit of something different. Polenta Pizza! This was the first attempt at this, not as successful as I would have liked, but still delicious!

I made the polenta and filled my baking dish with it. Then I topped my pizza with 2 tbsp tomato sauce, mushrooms, yellow pepper slices, 2 slices of prosciutto, 1 1/2 c. spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, and a little feta and fontina! YUMMY. I ate my small serving and have lunch for a few days! Light and delicious.

Off to finish watching Life from last night. Simple amazing!! You have to check it out!

Happy St. Patrick's Day

No update yesterday. Work was entirely too draining and I needed a break last night. Today was a new idea! And St. Patrick's Day! One of the best holidays of the year. Sleeping till 7:40 cut out my AM work-out! Oops.

Breakfast:

Here is what was in today's mix:
*1/2 c. organic sweet potato
*1/4 c. organic oats
*1/3 c. organic greek yogurt
*1/2 scoop natural whey
*cinnamon
This was super filling and delicious. Def kept me tied over till lunch. I did snack on a tiny piece of a Dunkin Donut to snack on. I have such a soft spot for a French Cruler!!!

Lunch:

I made a yummy small sandwich.
*4oz white chicken breast meat
*3oz organic cibatta
*organic mixed green
On the side I had some organic kale chips (one of my new favorite snacks) and a banana! Lunch was great and delicious.

To top it off I had a mini cupcake from Dinkles! WOOHOO! Party of sugar! But soo delicious and great buttercream frosting!


When I got home today, D and I went for a lake walk because it was so beautiful outside! Then we got home and did some cooking. I snacked on some peanut butter while we cooked. Tonight's dinner was sooo great. I cooked my rice on the stove for the first time and it was a HUGE success.

I measured out a 1/2c. organic jasmine brown rice and 3/4 c. of the coconut chicken chili. This dinner was awesome and the recipe was super easy to make! I am excited for leftovers tomorrow night.

Maniac Monday

I am so glad that today is almost over. The daylights saving time has really wiped me out. They say it takes your body 3 days to adjust. I think they might be on to something. I was exhausted this morning. I can't wait to crawl into bed and catch up on some Zzzzz's.

Dinner tonight was delicious!! Roasted chicken with sauteed spinach and mashed potatoes! Yummy!!!

I measured out all my portions today so I knew exactly what went into my body!

Snack:
Since I worked a little later tonight, my snack was 6 saltines! I simply love saltines and don't think I can ever get enough of them!!!

Lunch:
Leftovers from Saturday night (totally deliciousness) and a cup of minestrone soup.


On the side I had a bag of baby carrots and apple (I didn't eat the apple as I was saving it for my 3pm snack, but that snack turned into saltines at 4pm!)


Breakfast:
I made a new combo and I will be a repeat all week.

Here is the mix:
*1/4 c. organic oats
*1/3 c. greek yogurt
*1/3 c. organic sweet potato (This was the new addition and it was sooo yum!)
*cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice
*topped with roasted apples

I made my apples in the microwave last night. I chopped two apples up, topped with cinnamon and 1 teaspoon of honey! They are one of the most favorite snacks in our house! D always hits the bowl before it goes into the fridge for the night. A great oatmeal topper!!!

Dinner Last Night:
Last night I met my mom and brothers for dinner at Pizano's with D. I LOVE pizza and haven't had it in a few weeks. I def got my fill last night. We started dinner with some Pizano's House Salad and a slice of bread with garlic and olive oil.

I had a few squares of Za for dinner. 3 slice of the Mark's Special (garlic and tomatoes!) and 2 small slices of Jack's Brickhouse (sasuage and mushrooms)

So delicious, but I don't think I need that many pieces next time.

Off to finish some work and bed!

Sunday!!

This morning I woke up super sore. But the weather is so beautiful I had to get out. More on that to come. After I started moving, I started my day with 1 c. of Barbara's Peanut Butter Puffs. This has got to be one of my most favorite cereals especially since it is gluten free and low-fat and calories.

I met a friend this morning at the Lavazza Cafe. I went a little early to meet my girlfriend so I had time to enjoy my skim latte and a some reading.

I so enjoy coffee places that make shapes in the foam of your latte. After some quality time catching up with my girlfriend, I walked down to Ulta for a little restocking action in the lotion and concealer department. I walked there and back home because it was so beautiful. I am so happy the sun is out and shining, I will take it even though it isn't super warm yet! Plus I got in 1 hour of mild cardio. I also snapped some shots of the city and the green river for St. Patty's Day!

Sooo pretty!


I was pretty hungry when I got home. I had stopped by the grocery store to pick up some things for dinner tonight and get the week started on the right foot. So I finished my tuna salad with some fresh organic greens. This was exactly what my body needed after my red meat dinner last night!



I am all done catching up! Finally. Off to enjoy the rest the day and a little yoga. Happy Sunday everyone :)

Saturday Rewind

Yesterday I started the day with sweaty ass kicking work-out! I hit the treadmill for 50 minutes on weight loss setting at 4 mph! After that I blasted through level 2 of the 30 day shred. It was brutal. (I am feeling it today for sure!) I burn over 600 calories yesterday. It was awesome and it felt great to sweat out all those toxins.

Breakfast:
I was ravenous by the time I got done working out! I made a rocking oatmeal combo! Look at how yummy this looks!

Here is what was in this mix:
*1/4 c. steel cut oats
*3/4 c. organic almond milk
*1 banana
*1/2 c. strawberries
*1 tlbsp almond butter
*1 scoop all natural whey protein
This was SUPER filling and delicious. I was thinking about adding jelly to give it a more almond butter and jelly, but the fresh strawberries were even better! This will be a repeat soon!!!

Lunch

My mom and I were out running errands and I had a little tuna nocise salad. This was amazing tuna salad in the middle. I would eat it every day if I could! On the side I had a little multi grain roll. It was delicious!!


Snacks:
At home we had a lemon cookie, 3 dates, and some mint tea. It was a great snack to tie me over to dinner.

Dinner:
We went out to dinner last night. I started with a dirty martini and 2 blue cheese olives. My favorite drink! To start we had a Cesar salad with cheese flats. Total yum. For my main meal, I had chopped sirloin with mushrooms and caramelized onions! I have been craving red meat and this was total yumness! Especially with a BIG glass of red wine! To say the least I went to bed rather early!

Rewind

So I have taken a few days off from posting. But today I am going to do a little rewind.

Thursday Snack:
An egg with hot sauce!! This was super filling and hit the spot.


Thursday Dinner:
D and I went out to the little cafe around the corner from our house. I ordered a cheese burger with swiss and mushrooms. I only ate the burger and veggie, no bun. And of course had to have a few fries too. But I am super proud of myself because I didn't eat all the fries, only half. This is huge for me. I usually chow down all of them, but I'm making changes and they are adding up!


Friday:
Another day off from the gym. Needed it this week.
Breakfast:

*1/4 c. steel cut oats
*1 c. organic almond milk
*1/2 c. granny smith natural applesauce
*1 banana
*1 tlbsp. flax seed

This oatmeal combo was pretty good. I cut out some of the extras to keep the calorie count down.

Lunch:
Tuna Salad! The same from Wednesday. I love this combo and would highly recommend making it!

*1/2 c. tuna salad
*mixed greens
*1/4 green pepper
*an orange
*baby carrots

Snack:
Cinnamon Roll Larabar! It was super great and filling to tie me over to dinner. I am loving these bars, my favorite part is that they are vegan and natural!


Dinner:

Was pretty simple and made up of a bunch of things I had in the fridge!
*1 c. organic red sauce
*1 c. organic brown rice pasta
*1/2 green pepper
I had a cookie and red wine to top it off. I had a super long week at work and this was the perfect ending. I little R&R at home and to bed early!

Almost done....

Hi Guys! I am soo excited it is already Thursday afternoon. I could scream! But I won't. I slept a full 10 hours last night. I can't hardly believe it. I set my alarm, but I must have turned it off and rolled back over. Even when I got up I felt like I could have slept another 5 hours. Ugh! I hate it when I am like this. My body must need it and I am glad I am listening to it.

Breakfast:

Oatmeal!!! Here is what was in today's mix:
*3/4 c. organic almond milk
*1/4 c. steel cut oats
*1/2 c. all natural granny smith applesauce
*1 small banana
*cinnamon
This combo was a new one, but very delicious! I love cinnamon in my oatmeal. It adds a great depth of warmth. Plus cinnamon has great health benefits, might as well get it in where I can! On the side, I had my last piece of cantaloupe. Melons are one of my favorite fruits, so I am bummed I am out. Will have to re-stock this weekend!

Lunch:
Today's lunch was a bit of a mash up from last night.

I had a cabbage salad with 4 oz grilled chicken, 1/2 chopped red pepper, 2 tlbsp. non-fat greek yogurt, and hot sauce! This was delicious and filling.

On the side I had an orange and bag of baby carrots! Keeping the mix of lunch quite colorful!


Off to finish work! Pretty excited to get home tonight!!

Half way there!

Soo excited today is coming to a close. I am kinda thinking I need a hard sweaty work-out in the morning, but we will see how I am feeling. My energy has been soo low this week, so I am hoping I can force my butt up!

Lunch:

Super Healthy Tuna Salad:
*11 oz Tuna
*4 tlbsp non-fat Greek Yogurt
*2 tlbsp. grainy mustard
*2 tlbsp. organic relish
*1 tlbsp. capers
*garlic salt and pepper

I measured out a 1/2 c. to top my shredded cabbage, 6 small roasted potatoes, and a couple caliuflower! This was super satisfying and filling!

On the side, I had an orange and twizzler! It was pretty good, but I don't miss this candy. I had no urge to go for a second!


Mid-PM Snack:
So I think I have a new snack. Egg Popper! I was inspired by this blog post from one of the blogs I follow: http://fitnessista.com/?p=6094

I took and egg, whisked it together, popped it in the microwave for 2 minutes and topped it with some hot sauce! Yumness! It was the perfect snack to tie me over!

Dinner:
Taco Night!! Woohoo! I love this night! Tonight was chicken, hard corn shells, shredded cabbage, chopped tomato, topped with a little shredded cheese, and a side of sour cream! And of course I topped it all off with some hot sauce! This was the perfect dinner! Filling and full of veggies!


We just had two small hot Amazing cookies hot out of the oven! And now some tea and R&R with D!
Night everyone :)

Happy Hump Day!

Finally, Wednesday has come! I am sooo excited this week is half over and the weekend is that much closer!

Today I did level 2 of the 30 Day Shred. I am kinda skimping on the hard core cardio I have been doing the past weeks to let my body rest a little bit. But Level 2 is a total sweat fest challenge. I have to admit all this weight work is really making a difference and I am feeling stronger. Now on to focusing to drop a few problems (aka pounds.

Breakfast:
I decided to do a little mix up on the oatmeal this morning!

Here is what was in the mix:
*1/4 c. steel cut oats
*3/4 c. almond milk
*1/2 c. all natural granny smith apple sauce (no sugar added)
*1 tlbsp. flax seed
*1 tlbps. almond butter

This oatmeal was divine! The tartness in the applesauce counteracted with the sweetness in the almond milk. It was filling nutritious and counted as a serving of fruit! Love sneaking in healthy choices when I can.

I am back on track today eating wise. I packed a yummy lunch and plenty of healthy snacks to keep me going!

I also had a small non-fat latte for a caffeine kick start! Yum!!

I woke up today sooo sore from Level 2 of the 30 day shred. I took the day off from working out, my back was super tight and legs burning. However, tomorrow I am back at it!

Breakfast:

Oatmeal!
*1/4 c. steel cut oats
*1 c. almond milk
*1 mashed banana
*1 tlbsp. flax seed
*1 tlbsp. almond butter

On the side I had 1/4 of cantaloupe. Super yummy!

Lunch rolled around and I was starving. I had a handful of pretzels before we went to lunch to tie me over.
I had a working lunch at Portillos today!

I ordered the BBQ Chicken Salad with the dressing on the side. The salad had corn, black beans, romaine lettuce, tomatoes, chopped bacon, and chicken. I only had about 1 tlbsp of dressing! I skipped eating the tortilla chips on top. Fried food didn't sound good to me today which is weird because who doesn't crave fried foods. I did eat the piece of bread on the side.

After lunch my sweet tooth got the better side of me. I had a small chocolate shake from Micky D's! Oh sweetness was it yummy, rich, and chocolaty!! I was in heaven. I was having a carb and sugar craving kinda of day today! It happens every few weeks and I let myself indulge. But I know I am def hitting the gym HARD tomorrow.

No snacking this afternoon!

Dinner:

I came home to super healthy dinner!!! Yeah for fresh fish! Tonight was baked salmon, 1/4 c. veggie pasta (not pictured bc I narfed it down), and green beans! My favorite veggie. I don't know why I love them sooo much, but there is something about green beans that I just love!!!

Alrighty, off for some tea and Biggest Loser!! Have a great night :)

Dinner and R&R

When I got home I was starving! So to tie me over while cooking I ate 1/4 of a cantaloupe and a slice of Gouda. One of my most favorite cheeses, I love the nutty, buttery flavor. It feels like you are eating a rich bite goodness and only need a small amount to satisfy the craving.


The main course was wild caught sward fish with a little soy glaze and steamed broccoli.


It was delicious and now I am ready for a little tea and reading! Night everyone!

Manic Monday!

Today started with a butt kicking work-out! I went down to the gym this morning and rode the bike for 15 minutes to warm up. Then back up to the condo for Level 2 of the 30 Day Shred! OUCH! This 30 minute work-out totally kicked my butt. I was sweating and getting weak in the arms with jelly legs by the end! It was great, but I know I am going to be sore tomorrow. Total calorie burn was 350, which is a little low, but I didn't have the gusto to hit cardio hard this morning!

Breakfast:

A little Greek Yogurt Oats topped with Blueberries
*1/2 c. non-fat vanilla Greek Yogurt
*1/4 c. organic oats
*3/4 c. organic frozen blueberries

I didn't add my usual flax seed or any protein, but will next time after a hard work-out. It will keep me fuller longer!

I had a snack attack around 11am, so I grabbed a few organic pretzels!


Lunch:
I was starving! So I got a cup of Chicken Noodle Soup and Turkey Sandwich. Yummy!

Sandwich
*5oz fat free turkey
*Dijon mustard
*Lettuce and tomato
*1 slice provolone cheese
I ate my pickle and few Frito's on the side too!

When I got back to the office, my sweet tooth was going crazy so I grabbed an organic whole grain cookie I have stashed at my desk!


This afternoon has been nuts at work! I can't wait to go home and have dinner. Need some R&R after a hectic Monday at the office!

Back Again!

I needed a two day break from my blogging and food picture taking. Friday and Saturday were great days! Just busy with life things. Friday morning started off with a fantastic work-out! And then I spent the weekend at home in the burbs with my mom, dad, and brother. We went out to a Supper Club on Friday night for some fresh taliapia. Saturday started with a great walk outside for 2 hours! Love getting some fresh air. I went to a beautiful shower during the day. Saturday night we went and saw Alice in Wonderland in 3D IMAX.


Here is the start of a new week!
Breakfast:


Mom made some oatmeal with cinnamon, dried apple slice, and raisins! It was delicious!!

Snack:
I had 6 gummie bears and 1/2 a bag of Cheezits! Total kid comfort food, but yummy!

Lunch:
Was a little late today! But we went to El Souk, a Mediterranean place around the corner from my house! I got the falafel plate which included 6 falafel over rice, with a side of hummus, and cucumber salad! 2 slices of pita were served on the side. I had one slice. The rice was a HUGE serving and I didn't finish it. But this was a great late lunch!


Dinner:
Pretty low key tonight! We just ordered in a pizza! Yummy!

I had two small slices and I am calling it a night! Getting excited to watch the Oscars and make some cookies!! More on those tomorrow!

Have a great night and see you all at the start of another week!!

I'm Back

So I needed a break yesterday from blogging. It was a needed night off of relaxing and enjoying time together. And today was my day off from working out! My muscles were tired this morning and I needed a break.

Breakfast:

*3/4 c. almond milk
*1/4 c. steel cut oats
*1 mashed banana
*1 tlbsp. almond butter
It was pretty basic, but totally YUM! I am loving almond milk with my oats. Totally delicious and kinda rich in a healthy way.

Lunch Time:

Today's salad was filled with lots of organic goodies! Here is what was in the mix:
*Arugula
*Heirloom tomatoes
*broccoli florets
*onions
*4 oz. chicken breast
*Balsamic Vinaigrette

On the side I had 10 dried apricots! So sweet and delicious! (I didn't eat the apple in the picture today, saving it for tomorrow!) And about 6 Wheat Thins!


Snack:
Today's snack was an organic pink orange. These oranges are amazing, juicy, and sweet!


Dinner:
Another mix match of things from the kitchen! But super good. I went out for tea with a friend after work, so I was pretty hungry when I got home. I snacked on 2 oz. Gouda cheese with 3 Kashi crackers to tie me over!

Here is what was in that mix:
*1 c. organic tomato sauce
*2 c. spinach
*3 oz. fillet of beef
*1/2 c. organic brown rice pasta
*2 tlbsp. asagio cheese
This was delicious. But I could only eat half the portion which I am happy about. I am going to wrap up early and hit the hay early. Can't wait till another kick ass work-out in the morning!

Morning!

Today's work out was a total butt kicker! I finally got my new work-out shoes, which is awesome because my feet were giving me so much pain from the old ones!

Work-out:
*50 mins treadmill - weight loss setting - 50 mins
*combo Level 1 and 2 of 30 Day Shred - 25 mins
*Total calorie burn - 553

Breakfast:

Yup, you guessed it, pumpkin yogurt oats. I seriously don't think I can get sick of this combo! I love that I get a serving of veggie and fruit with breakfast! It is sooo delicious and fills me up!

Off to finish getting ready for work!