Movie Time!!

 

I love going to the movies!  I also LOVE movie theater popcorn which is a big no-no in the eating healthy realm of things.  Regardless when I go to see a movie I have to have my popcorn & twizzlers!  They are a must!  Salty & sweet the perfect combo!  Plus twizzlers make mouths happy!  So I brought along my own goodies to stay on track!  Just see the amount of calories, fat & carbs I saved in doing so!  (I have listed the serving size for each of these though once I started eating I wasn't even able to finish that amount of popcorn & twizzlers in 1 sitting)

Large movie theater popcorn with butter & salt= 1,000 calories, 64g fat & 130g carbs
vs
2.5cups of Popcorn Indiana Aged White Cheddar= 150 calories, 9g fat & 12g net carbs

Twizzlers (6 pieces)= 210 calories, 1g fat & 54g carbs
vs
Sugar Free Twizzlers (6 pieces)= 120 calories, 1g fat & 11g net carbs

Large Coke= 310 calories, 0g fat & 86g carbs
vs
Water= 0 everything!Or add a Crystal Light packet it to for flavor for 10 calories! No fat! No carbs!

I truly used to eat movie theater popcorn, twizzlers & soda with no thought to the amount of calories, fat or carbs I was consuming.  Then I wondered why I had to keep buying bigger pants??  My best weapon in the path to eating healthy has been knowledge!  Just knowing what I am putting in my mouth!  Seems like such a common sense thing now but it took a long time (& several pant sizes) to get to this point.  By making changes as simple as this I have been eating healthier & I don't feel deprived at all! Which is truly a wonderful feeling!

Tailgating Done Right!!

It never fails that right after I start a diet there is always a big event with friends that involves lots of delicious & extremely unhealthy foods!  Generally, this will make me cave right away & days into a diet quit or I tell myself I'll just take a "day off" which somehow always turns into days, weeks or months to get back on track.  The solution is easy & I just was too lazy to do it before but I have to be prepared for it.  I need to bring my own cooler or lunch box of food that is delicious but still healthy.  A perfect example is right after starting a diet I got the chance to go to my first NFL game with a large group of friends which meant tailgating!  I brought asparagus & lean meat to throw on the grill, while another lady much more brilliant than I brought all of these delicious foods (pic above)!  She pulled out her cooler & brought out ahi tuna, scallops, crab legs & cream cheese stuffed jalapenos!! All pre-made & wrapped up in aluminum foil to be reheated on the grill quick & easy! All low carb & insanely delicious!!  It was so genius & I never would have thought of it because when I thought "tailgating food" I never thought this healthy!  Thankfully, she was very kind & shared with everyone!  The even more surprising thing was once the healthy options were offered they were the first thing everyone went for!  Including the asparagus!  Which I had just been sure people would make fun of me for bringing to a tailgating party!  Leaving tons of leftover macaroni, potato salad & chips!  Teaching me a valuable lesson in planning ahead & preparation!  It make take a little more time & money than buying a pkg of hot dogs & buns but in the end it is well worth it!  As these foods were far more nutritious & delicious than any hot dog could dream of being! 

Belated St. Pattys Day!

Even with St. Patty's Day a holiday I have always celebrated with unhealthy eating & drinking was made better this year!  Michelob Ultra green beer (2.5 carbs per beer)!  Even had broccoli salad as my side instead of greasy fries or chips with dinner! And missing out on all those carbs didn't make me enjoy St. Pattys Day any less!! Still had a great time at an outdoor event under a tent, with live music & spent with evening with friends!  What more could a girl ask for??  I even got a free glowing green buttons for the festivities!!  Can't wait until next year to do it again!

The low carb bread discovery!!

I have been using all my resources lately to make this "diet" a true lifestyle change.  While I know I can go without bread for awhile to try & loose weight I know that I will not be able to avoid it the rest of my life & the thought of even doing that makes me sad.  So I went online to try & do some reasearch & discovered low carb bread!! Only 1 net carb per slice! Is this heaven? Could it be?  And then to shock & amaze me more low carb muffins? What? Low carb brownies??  All can be found at www.julianbakery.com!  It is definitly more expensive than your regular grocery store bread which is almost $4 for healthy bread while this is $7.99 which is double but would I pay $4 more per month to be thinner?? Uh yeah!  I see it as the McDonald's meal I didn't buy!  There is even a place on the website for you to type in your zipcode & to see if anyone local sells it.  Which is what I did & my local Whole Foods store carried it!  Though from them it was $9.99 which was getting a lil crazy but I bought it to try & then I figure if I like it, I will order it online direct in the future.  There is a sourdough bread that is 1 net carb per slice & a cinnamon raisin bread that is 2 net carbs per slice- I bought both to try.  I wouldn't suggest the cinnamon raisin as you can barely taste it & I ended up adding a pkg of splenda & more cinnamon to it to give it more kick which could have been easily done to the sourdough for less carbs.  It is a different texture that's for sure but very good if you have been deprived of bread & craving it!  It's also very filling where 2 pieces is almost too much.  This morning I used it like a bagel & toasted a slice & added a thin layer of reduced fat cream cheese to it! Yum! I have great plans for egg sandwiches, french toast & making my own garlic bread!  All things I love & are now are low carb!  Making the transition to a healthy lifestyle just got easier!   

Jalapeno Crock Pot Chicken!

I am busting the crock pot out tomorrow! For some jalapeno chicken breasts!! (recipe courtesy of Better Homes & Gardens)
- 6 boneless skinless chicken breast
- 1 tbl chili powder
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/2c reduced sodium chicken broth
- 2 tbl lemon juice
- 1/3c sliced pickled jalapenos (drained)
- 1 tbl cornstarch
- 1 tbl cold water
- 1 8oz pkg reduced fat cream cheese (softened & cubed)
- 2 slices bacon cooked & crumbled (optional)
Arrange chicken at bottom of crock pot & sprinkle with chili powder.  Pour lemon juice & chicken broth around chicken & top with drained jalapenos.  Cook on low setting for 5-6 hours or high for 2.5-3 hours.  Once finished cooking transfer chicken & jalapenos to serving tray & cover to keep warm.  Reserve cooking liquid.  Mix water & cornstarch in separate bowl & then add to cooking liquid.  Mix in cream cheese & whisk together until combined.  Cover & cook for 15 minutes or more until thickened.  Serve chicken with sauce (& top with crumbled bacon if desired).  Yum! Can't wait!!

Santa Fe Chicken Tacos!

  As I post more recipes you'll see I LOVE mexican food, it's my favorite! (Next to chocolate that is)  Tonight's dinner was a quick & easy one but delicious!  Perfect for a week night meal.  I have been trying to stay on the low carb meal plan & thusly the Santa Fe Chicken Tacos were born! 
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 tbsp taco seasoning  
- philadelphia cream cheese santa fe cooking cream (only half the small container)
- 1 small can chopped green chili's 
- Dash of diced onions
Bake the chicken in water for 30 mins at 350 with a sprinkle of taco seasoning on them.  Once baked slice/shred the chicken & begin warming all other ingredients in pan on the stove together.  Then just add the chicken into the pan & stir all together & your done! And it's SOOOO good! You can then use this chicken mixture on top of a salad or wrapped in a low carb tortilla.  Either way is delicious & leftovers heat up perfect for lunch the next day!  I had raw broccoli as my side but lightly dipped it in a chipotle ranch dip (2 tbsp=2 carbs) to make it feel more themed with the mexican dinner but healthy!
*You can also add sour cream, guac or salsa for more flavor but I didn't use any of these to keep carb & fat content down. 

Backstory on me...

As I sit here thinking about writing this blog about eating healthy & exercise, I find myself looking back to where my journey started.  A little back story on me is that I grew up with a single mom & 2 brothers.  I never remember one time in my childhood my mother talking about being on a diet.  She never was & did not go to the gym.  She wasn't really big or really small just average.  I grew up the same way an average size with no second thought to what other people weighed vs me.  Lord knows my brothers didn't talk about their weight & diet either!  Like many we did not have very much money growing up & if it wasn't for food stamps we probably wouldn't be alive today.  Thinking back to it now it was a lot of processed foods (i.e. frozen fish stick, banquet frozen meals & frozen tator tots) things I wouldn't even look at in the grocery store now! Though needless to say my mother was not as chef (bless her heart) so I was just happy to be fed.  Another thing I struggle with now is if I am full to stop eating, simple enough right?  Well in my household you didn't leave the table until you had a happy plate & all your food was gone.  I principle I understand as a parent but have had a hard time breaking as an adult.  In fact I remember a night I slept at the dining room table because I wasn't allowed to leave the table until I ate my dinner.  When I woke up the next morning & asked for breakfast I was told I would eat my dinner leftovers for breakfast because I would eat that before I received anything else.  Ah the fond childhood memories... :)  Anyway, as I struggle with food now I look back to the lessons my mother taught me & I couldn't be happier.  I am truly happy that I never once thought about a diet, calories or carbs.  I never compared myself to friends or celebrities.  I was taught to love myself just the way I was & to love others the way they were as well.  A lesson I am ever mindful of to this day.

Meal Planning 101

The key to my weight loss will be in my meal planning abilities.  I have been making an effort to Sunday night sit down & lay out a plan.  I know it may look like a lot of food (which it kinda is) but I am used to eating a lot of food (which is why I am heavy) & I need to feel like I am not being deprived in the beginning as I transition into this & as I get into & see the lbs melting away I will begin cutting out more.  I am going to share what some of my beginning meal plans look like to show (you & me) how yummy the low carb life can be!
Breakfast: Coffee ( a must have in my life) 1 tbsp of sugar free french vanilla, 1 pkg of splenda= 2g of carbs, 1 caramel caffe latte atkins shake & 1 hard boiled egg for a total of 4g of carbs for breakfast.
Lunch: Southwest Salad with extra lean ground beef (0 carbs), romain lettuce (1g per 2 cups), reduced fat cheddar cheese (1/4c 0 carbs), 1 tbsp guac (.5 carb), 1 tbsp light sour cream (1g carb) for a total of 2.5g carbs for a delicious salad! I will then have 2 stalks of pre-cut celery (2g carbs) with 1 tbsp of chipotle ranch dip (1g carbs) & a sugar free jello for a total of 5.5g carbs for lunch! 
Dinner: I pre-baked chicken (0g) Sunday night & have in tupperware ready to go for the week which I will re-heat in the oven with herbs & a sprinkle of parm cheese (.5g per 1/4c) & then dip in a honey mustard (2g per 2tsp) with a side of broccoli (2g per 1.5c) sprinkled with parm as well (.5g) for a total of 5 net carbs for dinner!
Dessert: I will have one of Atkins new Cookies & Cream bars (3g) Yum!!
Totaling 17.5g net carbs for the day & you get 20g! So I have room for a low carb snack or 2 through out the day as well!!!  I can still love food & eat all day long!! :)

Eating Healthy!

I have tried many diets (i.e. Special K diet, Atkins, Ideal Protein, Calorie Counting, etc) & what I have found is that the carbs are my downfall! I love them & they love to stay on my derriere!  I know I need to say a fond farewell, tomorrow I begin the low carb lifestyle again.  I have done it before so I am pretty versed in what I can & can't have & with the popularity of that lifestyle its easy to find products.  The difference this time is I'm not going to go on "I'm on a diet mode" which in my case means looking at every food I can't have & looking at it longingly & saying bye I CANT have you anymore EVER again.  WRONG! I am telling myself I am not going to have you today.  If it something like a special occasion or something I REALLY want I will have 3 bites.  They say that after 3 bites you are satisfied & the craving is then gone so this is the philosophy I am going to try as well.  Though in the next 2 weeks I am going to make an effort to be pretty good as last time I started the low carb lifestyle I lost 6lbs in the first 2 weeks & my goal is to beat that!  It is said you can loose up to 15lbs in the first 2 weeks of a low carb lifestyle (20g of net carbs per day) & I want as many lbs off as I can get!! I know people say when you loose weight doing low carb eating, as soon as you stop you gain it all back but I lost 15 lbs 5 months ago by doing it & I have been 'not dieting' (but still making semi-healthy choices) & have not gained a pound back in fact have lost more! So if I were able to achieve even the 6 lbs I lost last time, in the first 2 weeks, I would be seeing a number on the scale that I haven't seen in a VERY long time! Which of course thrills me to no end to think of! I can do it! I can do it! I am the little engine that could & I will do this! Writing this blog will hold me accountable to myself & others to make this happen! I can't wait to take this journey & to see the woman I will become in the following months with my new take charge attitude! The possibilities are endless!!
*I will be weighing myself in the morning for my Day 1 weight & from there we will track the next 2 weeks!

Instant Happiness!!

It's truly amazing just by knowing that I have finally started my own blog it has made me instantly happier!! If the sun where shining it would be shining brighter right now! (but it's night so maybe the moon is shining brighter now??)  I read a quote today that said be happy with what you do each day as you gave up a day of your life to do it & that is how I feel right now! Just so happy knowing I did something I said I wanted to do & wasn't sure that I ever actually would do! But I did it! Last week I decided I wanted to run a 5K so I started training & I'm going to do it! Last month I said I wanted to start a blog & here I am doing it! It's an amazing feeling!

Getting Started...

Hello Cyberspace! As this is my first post nobody is 'technically' reading it at this point in time but someday I have great hopes of many reading it.... Hmmm let's see... Where to begin?  Ah ha! I supposed I could talk about what this schnazy blog is going to be about! My intentions are that in the following days, weeks, months & years to post information on various topics to amuse & educate!  To go over recipes (healthy & unhealthy), the various diets I have tried (some successful, some just made me miserable & hungry), crafts ( I have lots of ideas for crafty things but in general have problem with the execution of making said crafts), as well as current info on food, diet, exercise (as I learn them to share with you) & any other thing that pops into my head really.... which for those of you who know me could be a number of things...  Enjoy!