Motivational Friday

 



Day 68:
Breakfast: 2 eggs
Snack: non fat yogurt
Lunch: grilled chicken salad
Snack: handful of almonds
Dinner:

5 days no moutain dew

7days

Summer Fever

 

Now that it is spring I am just dying for summer to get here. I am ready for all the wonderful things that comes with summer. Sunshine, pools, festivals, outside concerts, beach trips, bathing suits, flowers, getting tan, cookouts, I could go on for days. So I thought last night would be the perfect evening to start the season off right and have the bf over to grill and watch the Braves play their second game of the season.

 

 

 

Love spring time because the bf is a landscaper and so I get free landscaping.

 

 

Time to grill these babies.

 

YUM. (drooling at this point)

 

So we sat down and were ready. We had out pappertowels and our sides and the most important part the ribs. Now ribs are not that low fat so you do need to watch the amount you eat ( I only had 2 1/2 small ones). But I paired my ribs with weight watchers broccoli (on the left). Now the bf never really eats healthy so of course he has scalloped potatoes and broccoli (on the right). Below I am going to give you some tips on eating healthy at a cookout

 

This is what we had left, I think we did pretty good ( well the bf did) Too bad I don't have a dog to enjoy these bones. I don't think it would be a good idea for motor to get a hold of these.

 

Tips for Eating Healthy at a Cookout

 

When most people think of a cookout, they have visions of hot dogs, hamburgers, creamy potato salad and chips — all foods that can weigh heavily on your heart and wreak havoc on your waistline. It may seem impossible to make healthy food choices at these get-togethers, but you really can enjoy a fun, flavorful and healthy cookout by following the simple tips below.

Choose a Lean Entrée

Instead of high-fat hamburgers and hot dogs, choose lower-fat proteins. It’ll be a great change-up from traditional cookout foods, and your guests will be delighted. Here are some tasty entree ideas:

• Fresh fish can be grilled whole, in steaks or filet's, or on a kabob. Salmon, grouper, shrimp and tuna are great grilling options.
• Whole chicken or chicken breasts can be made in a variety of ways, like marinating with chipotle seasoning, vinaigrette's, barbecue sauce, jerk sauce or Cajun seasoning. If using chicken with skin, remove the skin before eating.
• Lean pork or beef tenderloin, trimmed of fat.
• Vegetable-based burgers. Portobello, black bean, roasted vegetable or burgers made with textured vegetable protein are flavorful options.
• Grilled vegetables make for a great entree themselves, especially veggies with hearty flavors like portobello mushrooms, squash, onions and peppers.
• Turkey or chicken burgers made with all-white-meat ground turkey or chicken.

Lighten up the Salad

Liven up pasta and potato salad with these ideas to limit saturated fat:

• Add grilled, raw or roasted vegetables. They’ll help bulk up the salad while lowering the calorie count.
• Use a flavorful vinaigrette dressing instead of a creamy dressing. Try a mixture of extra virgin olive oil, an acid (such as lemon juice, red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar) and fresh herbs and spices.
• If you just can’t do without the creamy potato salad, substitute full-fat mayonnaise with light mayo or light sour cream. Use small amounts of creamy toppings and add flavor with pickle juice, lemon juice or fresh herbs.
• Try using spicy arugula pesto or traditional basil pesto sauce in your pasta salad for a refreshing, healthy change.
• Choose whole wheat farfalle (bowtie), penne (tubular), or fusilli (spiral) pasta instead of enriched pasta. Or, make the salad using half enriched pasta and half whole wheat pasta.
• Dijon mustard is a great addition to vinaigrettes, as are rice wine, balsamic and champagne vinegars. To give a southwestern pasta salad some kick, add some adobo sauce or chopped chipotle peppers.

Add a Healthy Side Dish

Instead of high-fat potato chips and other unhealthy snacks, try some of these ideas:

• Fresh fruit kabobs. Put fresh strawberries, melon, grapes and pineapple on skewers, or toss it all into a big bowl and enjoy!
• Mozzarella, cherry tomato and basil kabobs are delicious! You can also layer the ingredients on a tray and sprinkle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar for a refreshing side dish.
• Instead of fried chips, try serving veggie chips, but not the bagged kinds! Thinly slice jicama, carrot coins, zucchini and cucumber and serve with hummus.
• Zesty corn and black bean salad.
• Serve baked tortilla chips with fresh salsa or guacamole.
• Make a beautiful array of grilled vegetables and serve warm or at room temperature.
• Serve corn on the cob with a variety of toppings like lime juice and grated parmesan cheese.
• Prepare a tricolor salad made with radicchio, endive and arugula. Toss with a red wine vinaigrette dressing.
• Offer fresh whole wheat pita with olives, tabbouleh salad and hummus.

Go Light on the Drinks

Instead of high-calorie, sugary drinks, try offering these refreshing choices:

• Ice water with cucumber and lemon slices.
• Sparkling water “spiked” with a dash of 100% fruit juice.
• Fresh squeezed lemonade with a small amount of sugar.
• Black or green unsweetened tea.

Cookouts should be enjoyed in the company of family and friends, and not create a stressful environment that wreaks havoc on your health goals. Enjoy trying the variety of substitutions provided, and don’t be afraid to make healthier changes to your family favorite recipes!

Day 67:
Breakfast: 2 eggs with 2 veggie sausage patties
Lunch: spaghetti squash with ground turkey and marinara
Snack: cup of grapes and strawberries with mixed nuts
Dinner:

Day 4 no diet MD

8 days

 

 

Goodbye Sweet, Perfect Diet Mountain Dew

Some of you might know that I am pretty much addicted to Diet Mountain Dew. I sometimes will drink 3 to 4 bottles a day. (that is horrible) So I decided if I am really going to change my eating habits for good then I really need to change my drinking habits. (this is going to be harder than changing my eating habits). Now I cannot just go cold turkey so I have decided that I can have Sprite Zero instead and only 1 to 2 cans a day (just this week). Starting Monday of next week I am going to do my best and cut out diet soda completely. The main reason is I actually researched what it is doing to my body. I might as well be putting poison in my body. Read below but let me warn you if you are a diet soda drinker you will not like what you read.

 

1. Neurotoxic

While artificial sweeteners may be a zero calorie alternative to sugar, they are in no way healthier. Diet sodas may use a variety of artificial sweeteners in place of sugar, including aspartame, which acts as a neurotoxin.

Also known as NutraSweet, aspartame originally received FDA approval for use in carbonated beverages in1983, and it still remains the most commonly used sweetener in diet soda. Annually, reactions to aspartame result for a majority of the adverse reaction reports made to the food and drug administration.

Made from L-aspartyl-L-phenylalanyl-methyl-ester, aspartame is 200 times as sweet as sugar and contains negligible calories. Once in the human body, aspartame breaks down into phenylalanine, aspartic acid, and methanol. Methanol is a wood alcohol poison that, when heated above 86 degrees Fahrenheit (the human body temperature is 98.6 degrees), converts to formaldehyde. Aspartame is also an excitotoxin that builds up in the brain, and can excite brain neurons to the point of cell death

2: Causes Headaches and Other Symptoms

Another artificial sweetener commonly used in diet sodas, sucralose, may cause a host of health problems including headaches.

Made from a modified sugar molecule, sucralose is supposed to pass through the body unabsorbed. Because sucralose is relatively new in the market still, its long-term effects have not been measured. Some evidence1 suggests sucralose may cause migraines, gastrointestinal issues, and thymus gland damage. Sucralose may also intensify sugar cravings, increase appetite, and trigger insulin release.

3: Acidifying

Soda is made up of a number of acidic chemicals. It is one of the most acidic substances humans ingest. The acids in diet soda demineralize the bones and teeth, and can lead to fractures and osteoporosis. Acid in the body also can lead to a number of health conditions such as inflammation and corrosion of body tissue. When your body is overly acidic your skin will not be as beautiful or youthful. It will contribute to looking older.

4: Caffeinated

Many diet sodas contain caffeine, which is an artificial stimulant and an addictive substance. Caffeine also excessively taxes the liver and can hamper its ability to cleanse and filter toxins from the body. Additionally, caffeine can trigger stress hormones, which can result in chronic stress and weight gain. Caffeine is also a diuretic, which dehydrates the body. It’s best to avoid caffeine in all its forms, particularly diet soda.

5: Increases Risk of Obesity

Studies show that although diet soda has no caloric value, it may have an impact on insulin similar to sugar ingestion. This is most likely due to the cephalic phase insulin response in the brain. When you taste the sweet in diet soda, your body perceives it as sugar and causes the pancreas to release insulin just as it would if you were consuming actual sugar.

Some studies show that drinking diet soda may increase the incidence of obesity and/or prevent you from losing weight. In fact, researchers at the University of Texas Health Center made some startling findings when testing the link between obesity and diet soda.

Obesity risk increased as followed:

26.5 percent for people drinking up to ½ can of diet soda per day, and 24 percent for regular soda drinkers consuming up to one can per day
54.5 percent for one to two cans of diet soda per day as opposed to 32.8 percent for those drinking the same amount of regular soda
57.1 percent for people drinking more than two cans of diet soda per day as opposed to 47.2 percent for people drinking the same amount of regular soda

In other words, diet soda consumption had a higher correlation.

  6: Increases Toxic Load

There’s not a lot that’s natural in diet soda. Here are just a few of the ingredients you may find:

Carbonated water
Artificial coloring
Phosphoric acid
Potassium benzoate
Citric acid

Doesn’t sound so delicious and healthy, does it! It sounds nasty, and that is because it is indeed a nasty product. Diet soda places a significant toxic load on your liver and can contribute to toxic sludge in your intestines. You are much better off drinking pure, filtered, non-tap water.

7: Increases Risk of Heart Disease

A study at University of Miami Miller School of Medicine4 showed that people who drank diet soda daily had a 61 percent increased risk of a cardiovascular event. The study followed more than 2,500 participants for about nine years, during which 559 vascular events occurred. Even accounting for age and other risk factors, the risk with diet soda consumption appeared to be at least 48 percent higher. With that kind of risk, why take a chance on diet soda?

8: May Contribute to Metabolic Syndrome

A study at University of Minnesota’s School of Public Health in 2008 linked diet soda to metabolic syndrome, a cluster of metabolic disorders including obesity, high blood pressure, elevated triglycerides and hormone resistance. According to the study, consuming diet soda increased the risk of developing metabolic syndrome by 34 percent, which was higher than the elevated risk from consuming two other unhealthy types of foods– meat (26 percent increased risk), and fried foods (25 percent increased risk).

With all of theserisks, you have to ask yourself, is diet soda worth it? Avoiding soda may be one of the best things you can do for your health and beauty.

Day 66:
Breakfast: 2 veggie sausage patties
Snack: green seedless grapes and strawberries
Lunch: spaghetti squash with ground turkey and marinara
Dinner: 2 1/2 small ribs and weight watchers broccoli and cheese

 

Day 3: no diet mountain dew


9days (holycow)

 

Slimming Black Bean Soup

What you will need

1 1/2 cans fat free chicken broth

2 cans of organic black beans (drained)

1 1/2 bunch's of green onions (chopped)

1/2 bunch cilantro

2 cups grape tomatoes

1 tablespoon garlic salt

crushed red pepper (as much as you like)

1 jalapeno

1 lime

 

 

Start by chopping up your cilantro and green onions. ( You are going to blend them so they don't have to be super chopped)

 

Then measure out 2 cups of grape tomatoes and

 

drain you black beans.

 

Start by pouring in your 1 1/2 cups of chicken broth

 

then add cilantro, green onions, black beans ( only pour 3/4 of each can in blender), garlic salt, crush red pepper

 

and finish it off with the lime juice.

 

Mix it all together,

 

and pour into large pot. (It is going to be a yucky color but it will change color once cooked)

 

Cook on medium and add what you have left of the black beans.

Cook for about 45 minutes

( Add  a chopped jalapeno, if you want it spicy)

 

stirring occasionally, it will slowly turn into a dark brown color.

Once it has,

 

get ready to enjoy!

 

Day 65:

Breakfast: 2 veggie sausage patties ( this was my first time trying them and they were delicious, I bought the morning star brand)

Lunch: grilled chicken salad no dressing

Snack: a few slices of ham (low fat) and quinoa with coconut
Dinner: spaghetti squash with ground turkey and marinara sauce (I used the Southern Homes brand from Bi-Lo it only has 2 grams of sugar)


 

10days

 

HoPpY Easter

When it comes to holidays  I am like a five year old again. I just love all the many activities and memories made on holidays. So I was super excited about Easter this weekend. It was an absolutely  beautiful weekend. As soon as I was off work on Friday I went straight to the store to get the stuff I would need to dye eggs. I went ahead and boiled the eggs so they would be ready whenever we had the chance to dye them.

 

 

I was pretty proud of myself I only cracked three while boiling

 

That night I went to the bf's sister house, where the bf, his sister, fiancee and I grilled out, dyed eggs and just had a laid back blast sitting by the fire.

 

 

I know I'm not the best egg dyer but I have a blast doing it

 

Nothings better than a night in with your favs, no makeup, comfy sweats, yummy food,  a blazing fire, and of course dying eggs.

 

I caught the bf doing his happy fire dance?

 

Motor wasn't really into hanging out, but isn't she darling.

 

Two weeks and these two love birds will be married. (wwheew haha)

 

My favs

 

For dinner that night, they had oysters (I'm allergic) and I had the best Maui Maui with a mango sauce that I had ever had because

of course the bf grilled it.

 

I am so mad because I forgot to get a picture of the Maui Maui but at least I got some of the oysters. But I personally think they would be a pain to eat. (shuck)

 

 

 

All in all it was a amazing weekend because other than Easter dinner we had no plans to be anywhere. We all just kicked back and relaxed and enjoyed each other.

 

Day 62:



Breakfast: slept in
Lunch: Zaxbeys blackened blue salad (no dressing, no bread, and took of crispies)
Dinner: a very large piece of maui maui

Day 63:
Breakfast: slept in
Lunch: turkey burger with cheese, jalapenos, lettuce and ketchup with quinoa salad
Dinner: 3 ribs, 1/2 piece of corn on the cob 2 whole deviled eggs
Late night snack: fruit and low fat cheese.

Day 64: I have 11 days till the big weigh in day, so I am going to be very strict these last 11 days.

Breakfast: grapes and strawberries
Lunch: roasted pepper tomato soup (gluten free, all natural)
Snack: large green apple
Dinner: Low calorie black bean soup. I will be sharing step by step tomorrow.




11days