Aspartame sneaked into my life!

Who knew Ice Cubes gum had aspartame in it?  I didn't.  Guess I can't say I've eliminated all sugar substitutes.  Damn!

February 27

Breakfast:  Kashi Go Lean Triple Berry Crumble, frozen blueberries, almond milk, and coffee with the creamer and sugar.

Snack:  Cherry Pie LaraBar

Lunch:  1 egg, 2 egg white scrambled eggs with 2 mini red and 1 mini yellow peppers, ham, and cheese.

Workout:  This was a good one!
Jog 1 minute
High knee run 1 minute
walking lunges 1 minute
light jog 2 minutes
squat hold 1 minute
plank row to burpee 1 minute
sprint 1 minute
mountain climbers 1 minute
single leg deadlift with shoulder press for 2 minutes (switch legs after a minute)
Russian twists 1 minute
sprint 1 minute
2 feet lateral hops for distance 2 minutes
walk out push up to swivel 1 minute
Mary Catherine's for 30 seconds
Walking plank 1 minute
squat flips with 180 degree turns 1 minute
side planks 1 minute each side
squat hold 1 minute
plank row to burpee 1 minute
sprint 30 seconds
mountain climbers 1 minute
single leg deadlift to shoulder press 2 minutes (switch legs after a minute)
russian twists for 1 minute
sprint 1 minute
2 feet lateral hops for distance 2 minutes
walk out push up to swivel legs 1 minute
Mary Catherine's 30 seconds
walking plank for 1 minute
squat flips with 180 degree turns 1 minute
side plank 1 minute each side

Dinner:  1 Lou Malnati's deep dish pepperoni pizza and a banana;  I checked out the calories on that piece of pizza and it was 540 calories.  I swear on my honor, I will only love 1 piece of Lou's deep dish pepperoni pizza at a time.  So good!

That evening I drank a ton of water.

February 28

Breakfast:  Kashi Go Lean Triple Berry Crumble cereal, frozen blueberries, almond milk, and coffee with York Peppermint Patty creamer and sugar.  Gotcha!  I changed my creamer.  Not as good as Cinnabon and Almond Joy...but good!

Lunch:  A mini Green Monster (I halved the recipe).

Snack:  An orange and a lemon LaraBar.

Grandma's house snack:  2 chocolate chip cookies.  Let me tell you...these are the BEST chocolate chip cookies.  I couldn't pass one up this time.  Or 2.

Dinner:  The kids and I went on a mission to deliver girl scout cookies and then we headed off to Wendy's.  I ate a 1/2 apple pecan salad (the guy forgot to give me the pecans) and a sour cream and chive baked potato.  I used only 1/2 of the sour cream given to me.  Water

Evening snack:  water and popcorn

February 29 - Happy Leap Year Day!

Breakfast:  Special K cereal with crumbs of the Kashi Go Lean Triple Berry Crumble, frozen blueberries, almond milk, and the same coffee as yesterday.

Lunch:  This huge breakfast burrito had less than 400 calories...good calories!  I scrambled together 1 egg, 2 egg whites, skim milk, 3 mini peppers, a bit of chopped onion, spinach, mushrooms, ham, and a little cheese together.  I wrapped it in a 100 calorie multi-grain wrap.  It was huge and super tasty.  I finished the whole thing and began writing this blog.  It'll be interesting what time I had snack with all that protein in me.  Keep you posted!  Here's a picture of it.

Enjoy the day!  It's almost 60 here in the Chicago area!

Green Monsters, Pictures, and Birthday Fun!

February 24

Breakfast: Kashi Go Lean Triple Berry Crumble, frozen blueberries, almond milk, and coffee with the fixin's

Lunch: Whole wheat pita filled with ham, cojack cheese, and mustard; orange; sugar snap peas and skim milk.

Snack: 6 Almond Pops with blueberries

Dinner: I took the kids to Fratello's before my son's hockey practice. I had the roasted salmon salad with water. I asked for the soy vinigarette dressing on the side. This is a tasty dish! This restaurant is excellent, because they have an area for the kids to play and they are fast, courteous, and great with kids.  www.fratellospizzeria.com

Evening snacks: I promised the kids I would make them a green monster smoothie when we got home from hockey. They were excited about the name, but not so much when they ate it. I'm going to keep trying with them though! This smoothie concoction is so good (in my opinion)! I only prepared 1/2 of the recipe, but this would be excellent for an on the go snack or for breakfast. Later in the evening, I had some smart pop popcorn.

Green Monster
1 frozen sliced banana (slice before you freeze)
1 T. peanut butter
1/2 cup 0% Vanilla Chobani Greek Yogurt
1 cup Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Breeze
4 cups baby spinach

Combine all ingredients in a blender and enjoy.

350 calories, 10g fiber, 21g protein

February 25

Breakfast: Vanilla Almond Special K cereal, frozen blueberries, almond milk, and coffee, yada, yada, yada...

Lunch: Portillo's chopped salad with no dressing and water

Snack: Orange

Dinner: So I went down to Taylor St. in Chicago to celebrate a friend's birthday. We went to a fabulous restaurant called Davanti. They do not take reservations, so we put our name in at 6:15 pm. They told us it would be 1 1/2 to 2 hours. OK, fine, we'll just go across the street to a wine bar, and come back later to be seated.  The name of the wine bar was Beviamo Wine Bar, and they had the longest martini list I had ever seen. Seriously, I just asked the waitress to give us some options. I ended up having 2 pomagranate martinis and some water. The martinis were amazing!  You'll have to go there someday...www.cityinsights.com/chicago/beviamowinebar.html

We headed back over to Davanti at 8:00 and ordered a bottle of red.  The four of us split the bottle, and at 8:30, I walked over to ask the host how much longer we had to wait.  I was starving so basically I told them that if I get any hungrier, I turn into something quite ugly.  We sat at our table at 8:45; 2 1/2 hours after we put our name in.  When we sat down, I wondered how I was going to journal my food, so I decided to take a menu, circle our choices, and take pictures to share with you all.  Enjoy the ride!  Remember, these are small plates, except for one, and we split the dishes 4 ways.  Check out www.davantichicago.com.

View from Davanti from the wine bar.

roasted squash+farro+whipped goat cheese+hazelnuts+watercress = my favorite dish of the night!

truffle egg toast+fontina+asparagus

Pizza della Terra - foraged mushrooms+braised leeks+laleggio+truffle oil = delish!  I had 2 pieces.

Focaccia di Recco - Ligurian style baked focaccia+fresh soft cow cheese

This dish was huge, and yes, I ate 2 pieces.

Paccheri con Salciccia e Pomodori al forno - giant rigatoni+sausage+oven roasted tomato+parmigiano

So good!  Almost forgot to take the picture.  Maybe the 2 martinis and the glass and a half of wine were beginning to kick in.  No more alcohol for me...just water during dinner.

After dinner, the waiter offered a dessert menu and we decided to have our dessert in martini form back at the wine bar we visited earlier in the night.  The dessert martinis looked crazy amazing.  So we pay our bill which was incredibly inexpensive for the meal we just had, and headed back over to the wine bar.

One oatmeal cookie, one reeses peanut butter cup, one grasshopper, and mine was the peanut butter and jelly.

 Our suburban cab was on the way, and we decided to have a second when he was taking a bit longer than expected.  Oh darn!

Picture while enjoying our dessert.  This guy thought he was SO....cool.  For those of you who do not know me, I'm the second from the left.

So the cabbie picks us up and brings us home.  What a fabulous night!  The End...

Wait!  The night's not over.  I get home and decide to have a small bowl of Kashi Go Lean Triple Berry Crumble Cereal with frozen blueberries and almond milk.  Seriously?

February 26

Breakfast:  2 pieces of turkey bacon, hashbrowns, scrambled eggs with cheese, and one piece of toast with butter, cinnamon and sugar.  Skim Milk and Coffee

Lunch:  We had a lazy morning so our breakfast was at 10:00 am.  It was a bit of a crazy morning too, but part of it was driving my husband to the airport.  After dropping him off, the kids and I went to my mother in law's birthday brunch.  I had coffee, a little orange juice and some fruit.  We sang her happy birthday and I enjoyed some chocolate cake with vanilla frosting and chocolate chip ice cream.  It's no secret that I love chocolate, and inside the cake was chocolate chips which was a great addition.

Dinner:  I really wasn't hungry all day.  I'm guessing because I ate so well the night before, plus I had a pretty big breakfast.  I rolled deli ham around light string cheese, ate an orange, and topped it off with 4 almond pops with blueberries.  Water

Now, my goal is to get the kids to bed early, cuddle under my favorite blanket, and watch the Oscar's.

What time do I eat anyway?

I've never really discussed the times of my meals, and I thought I'd clue you in.  A typical day is a 6:45 breakfast, 11:15 lunch, 2:45 snack, 5:30 dinner, and if I have an evening snack it's around 8:30 pm.  On the weekends, my meals vary a bit due to not being so scheduled throughout my day.  However, the times may vary, but the meals are typically pretty consistent.  I'm getting better about my water consumption and always have some available throughout the day.

I've become much better at scheduled meal times since I've started journaling.  I learn when and why I'm hungry and don't eat just to eat.  I pop that gum if needed and it will satisfy me.  I've been much better with my fruits and vegetables as well.

Wednesday, February 22

Breakfast:  Vanilla Almond Special K Cereal with blueberries, almond milk, and the coffee concoction.

Lunch:  1 egg and 2 egg white wrap.  I sauteed one orange and one yellow mini pepper and a bit of a jalapeno pepper.  I added the eggs that were mixed with skim milk.  Also, added were 3 turkey bacon strips that I cut up into pieces.  When all was cooked together, I topped with a bit of chedder cheese and placed in a 100 calorie whole wheat wrap.  Skim Milk

Snack:  Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Lara Bar = so good!  The lunch I had really satisfied me.  I was not hungry when I had my snack, but I'm glad I had it.  If I wouldn't had, I guarantee I would've been starving come dinner time.

Dinner:  I finished off the baked pasta, had a bit of edamame and also had some baked sweet potato french fries.  Water

February 23

Breakfast:  Kashi Go Lean Triple Berry Crumble Cereal, frozen blueberries, almond milk, and coffee

Lunch:  Portillo's Chopped Salad - I do not add any dressing to this salad.  I've always thought it was good without it.  Plus, it saves a ton of calories.  Try it and maybe you'll like it this way too.  I also ordered a water.  My son offered me fries, AND I SAID NO THANKS!  Who am I????  Unheard of...holy crap!

Snack:  I checked out the calories in the chopped salad from lunch and it was surprisingly low.  Usually "salads" are high in calories in restaurants.  I was hungry for a snack so I had an orange and a key lime pie Lara Bar.

Late afternoon workout:  I was tired.  Thursdays usually are since I have had a week of early AM boot camps.  I started with a 20 minute run.  From there I did 2 cirucuits:

Circuit 1: repeated 3 times
Decline bicep curls
Deadlift with shoulder press
Calf raises

Circuit 2:  repeated 3 times
Chest Flys
Tricep Presses
Plank Back Rows

I ended my workout with 15 minutes on a Precor machine.  It's a cross between a stair master and an elliptical.  Done...total workout 60 minutes.

Dinner:  It was a breakfast for dinner type of night. I had 1 egg and 2 egg white scrambled eggs (mixed with skim milk) with peppers, ham and cheese.  4 Almond pops with blueberries, and 2 pieces of toast with margarine and raspberry jam.  Water

Who's still with me?  Anyone?  Anyone?  Bueller?

Now I'm mixing flavored water cocktails - non alcoholic...but still...

Tip of the day:
Tonight I am speaking to a running group at Fleet Feet.  I am so excited and nervous, which is normal for me.  I am always nervous before speaking to a group of people, but once I'm done, I'm so happy I did it.  I think being nervous is normal...at least that's what I tell myself.  Anyway, the topic is core training and the runner.  So...my tip is to always remember your core when you are strength training.  Your core is involved in every single movement you make.  It includes your entire trunk area from your shoulders to your hips, and when it's strong, you have better control of your movements, will decrease any back pain you may suffer from, and make you a better athlete, runner, or fitness enthusiast.

Food Journal

Saturday, February 18

Breakfast:  Banana;  I got up early and ran with girlfriends this morning.  After the run, a couple girls treated us to Starbucks.  My first Starbucks since I received a coffee maker around Thanksgiving.  It was so good!  I'm loving the Grande Nonfat Vanilla Misto which is what I drank.

Snack:  Fruit n' Yogurt Special K cereal with blueberries, and Almond Milk

Lunch:  2 chicken salad lettuce wraps and a lime La Croix.

Dinner:  I taste tested 2 mini farfelle noodles because the timer wasn't set.  No biggie...I am keeping track of everything like I promised.  I ate the leftover taco from the night before, ate a 1/2 serving or tortilla chips and salsa, 1 thin mint cookie and 1 tagalong cookie, and 2 1/2 Corona Lights.  One spilled behind our couch.  I was so mad!

Sunday, February 19

Breakfast:  Vanilla Almond Special K cereal, frozen blueberries, almond milk, and coffe with the creamer and sugar.

Lunch:  As a family, we went to the dentist.  I had some fillings replaced, am a total wuss, so I got pretty numbed up on the lower left side.  I was numb for almost 4 HOURS!  So, I slurped down a 16 oz. Jamba Juice Berry UpBeet smoothie through the right side of my mouth.  Good times...

Snack:  Key Lime Pie Lara Bar - YUM!

Dinner:  Baked Lasagna; 2 large pieces of buttered garlic bread, and skim milk.  This baked pasta I have prepared several times, and it's my go to when I make a meal for another family.  I love it!  I received this recipe years ago from a friend.  Glad she's a friend:)

Baked Pasta:
1 lb. of turkey burger
3/4 c. diced green pepper
1/4 c. diced onion
8oz. mushrooms
15 oz. can of tomatoes
2 tsp. oregano
12 oz. cooked pasta of your choice
2 c. chedder cheese
1/4 c. fancy parmesan
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
1/2 c. water

Spray medium sized skillet with olive oil spray.  Saute green pepper and onion in the skillet.  Brown turkey burger in a large skillet, and cook pasta according to directions in a large pot.

Drain turkey burger and spray  with water to get rid of any excess fat (there won't be much, it is turkey burger afterall), add sauteed veggies to the turkey burger in the large skillet.  Add oregano, tomatoes, and mushrooms.  Simmer for 10 minutes.  Mix the mushroom soup with the water and set aside.

In a 9X13 pan, layer noodles, add meat mixture, then add 1 c. cheese.  Repeat layers one more time.  At the top, pour the soup mixture over everything and top wth parmesan cheese.  Bake for 30-35 minutes in a 350 degree oven.  So flippin' good!

Monday, February 20

Breakfast:  Vanilla Almond Special K cereal, frozen blueberries, almond milk and coffee, yada, yada, yada.

Lunch:  Chicken Salad in a pita.  Orange and water

Snack:  Tropical Fruit Lara Bar

Dinner:  Leftover baked lasagna and 4 almond blueberry pops

Snack:  Banana

Later snack:  Popcorn and more water

Tuesday, February 21

Breakfast:  Vanilla Almond Special...........repeat from last 2 days.

Lunch:  Large sweet potato topped with cottage cheese sprinked with pepper and an apple.  water

Snack:  Clif Bar I found in the tower climb race packet.  It's called Builder's Chocolate Peanut Butter and it was pretty good.  It was a sample so was about half the size of a normal Clif Bar.  This bar had absolutely no nutritional information on it.  WEIRD!

The rest of the day will be revealed later...

BUT, before I go, I HAVE to share with you a new concoction!  Holy Crapolly!  I mixed La Croix Coconut water with Jewel Chill Lime Sparkling water and, WOW, it is so good.  I may as well be sitting on a beach.  Granted, there's no rum or vodka in it...but still.  You gotta try it!!!

26 days down and what I've learned.

What I've learned thus far:

26 days down...23 days to go...49 days total and then I'm done writing down on a blog just exactly what I'm putting into my mouth every single day.

Since I've started I have learned a ton about myself.  Especially the amount of willpower I own.  Whoa!  Seriously, I can't believe how much control I've been able to exercise during this experience.  It's a bit empowering.  I physically feel better, am sleeping better, my mid section has toned up a ton, and I still have not drank one single sip of Diet Coke.  Who am I?  My chocolate consumption has drastically dwindled...and guess what?  I'm still happy!  I'm not depriving myself of anything.  Instead I am thinking about what I'm eating, and quite honestly...I'm thinking less about it and just doing it!  My meals are more scheduled.  I am eating to live and not living to eat.  I learned that phrase from one of my boot camp girls.  She commented a while back that her husband eats to live...not vice versa.

Food Journal

February 16

Breakfast:  Special K Fruit and Yogurt Cereal, Frozen blueberries, Almond Milk, and coffee with the usual fixin's

Lunch:  A mini Turkey and Provolone sandwich with veggies, red wine vinegar and a bit of olive oil blend from Jersey Mike's.  A bag of Baked Sour Cream and Cheddar Ruffles.  Water

Snack:  8 blueberry almond pops from Costco - FYI - 180 calories

Dinner:  Spinach and Chickpea Patty from Costco.  Not so good.  Sundried tomato quinoa - I'm trying but quinoa doesn't seem to be for me.  Even the flavored kind.  Sauteed Spinach - Yum!  Skim milk; 1 girl scout Thin Mint Cookie and 1 girl scout Tagalong Cookie.  Those cookies are delicious.  Just do me a favor next time and read the label before eating these.  Just do it...

February 17

Breakfast: The bottom of the bag crumbs from the Kashi Triple Berry Crumble mixed with the Special K Fruit and Yogurt Cereal with Blueberries and Almond Milk.  Yes, I think it's fun to mix cereals togther.  The regular same ol' coffee mixture.

Snack:  Orange

Lunch:  I mixed plain greek yogurt with rotisserie chicken meat.  I added diced orange and red peppers and voila!, a chicken salad!  I took the mixture and wrapped it in lettuce.  I also had 4 of the blueberry almond pops and skim milk.

Snack:  Banana and 4 blueberry almond pops

Dinner:  Dinner was late;  I was starving;  Therefore, I ate too much.  We went to Alejandro's in Northlake after picking up my husband's truck from the body shop and we went to our son's hockey practice.  So, dinner was at 7:30.  Alejandro's is so good!  I devoured chips and salsa, and enjoyed 2 chicken tacos and their mexican rice mixed with potatoes.  I also had a couple of iced teas.

Half Marathon Training and Indians

Well, I sure learned my lesson Monday.  I've always said that I'm not kidding when I need to eat.  When I get hungry, I get curt with people, become fidgety, and just plain can't think straight.  My husband usually spots it quickly, and if we're driving, he'll peel off the road to put food in me.  I am the worst hungry person ever!

This week officially starts my 12 weeks of half marathon training.  After a 3 month hiatus from running, I'm ready to get back in the saddle.  Which means in the past I've had the mentality of...I-can-eat-whatever-I-want-since-I'm-back-to-training-again.  This time, I'm going to continue to be mindful of my eating while training.  Who knows...maybe I'll get a PR?  However, I also know that I'll be upping my caloric intake a bit due to calories lost during the running program I follow.  I follow Hal Higdon's novice program, and tweak it just a bit so I actually run an 11 miler instead of just going up to 10.  It's a mind game for me.  I pretty much follow his weekday runs according to his schedule.  Here's a link to his Novice 1 schedule:  http://halhigdon.com/training/51131/Half-Marathon-Novice-1-Training-Program.  The reason I like it is because it's easy to follow.  No bells and whistles attached.

Food Journal

February 14th - Happy Valentine's Day!

Breakfast:  Fruit n' Yogurt Special K Cereal, Frozen Blueberries, Almond Milk, and coffee with the creamer and sugar.

Workout:
3 mile run

Circuits - 3 times each
Decline bicep curls
calf raises - 1st set heels out, 2nd set heels straight back, 3rd set heels in
push ups

Curtsy lunges
Shoulder "W" raise
Reverse Flys

Cable Machine
Tricep Presses
Back Rows

Core
Plank Rows
Side Planks
Bicycles
Sit indian style and lie down on your back.  Lift your shoulder blades off the floor for crunches.  I would say criss-cross applesauce or pretzal legs, but saying Indian style is how I grew up as politically incorrect as it may be.  My grandpa used to tell us there were Indians in the woods near his farm in Iowa and I believed him.  He would say, "Jill!  Did you see that?  Be quiet 'cause they move with out a sound.  Oh, wait!  I just saw another one!  Did you see that one?" I never saw an Indian.  Therefore, Indian style it is.  It reminds me of my Grandpa.

Total workout time:  70 minutes

Snack:  Plain Greek Yogurt with sliced strawberries and granola;  I'm not a big fan of plain yogurt and the add-ins made it better, but I think I would've added honey in to sweeten it up a bit more.

Lunch:  Pita with ham, cheese, and mustard

Snack:  Ginger Snap Lara Bar

Dinner:  Turkey Meatloaf; corn; spinach salad with strawberries, sunflower seeds, sliced almonds, and creamy balsamic dressing; skim milk; 2 mentos; 2 Almond Pops with blueberries from Costco.

I LOVE this Meatloaf recipe.  Here it is...
1.5 lbs. turkey burger
1 cup oatmeal
1/2 t. salt
2 eggs (I only had 1 and it worked out just fine)
1/4 c. chopped onion
1 cup tomato juice (I only had 3/4 cup and again...just fine)

Mix all of the ingredients together and put in loaf pan.  Bake at 350* for 45-50 minutes.  Slit the top of the baked loaf and add ketchup onto the slits.  Bake an additional 5 minutes.  Enjoy!

The family ate....it....up....!!!

February 15

Breakfast:  Kashi Go Lean Triple Berry Crumble; frozen blueberries, almond milk, coffee with the creamer and sugar.

Lunch:  Pita with chicken and cojack cheese; roasted yellow pepper, tomatoes, and onions.  Light olive oil spray and seasoned salt.

Snack:  Apple with peanut butter

Dinner:  Leftover meatloaf and leftover pasta and tomatoes from Wade's meal the other night.  Skim Milk

Until next time...

Bunco, Band, and Tower Climbing

Foods to include for cardiovascular health:

• Omega-3 fatty acids: salmon, tuna, olive oil or flaxseed
• Beans: black, kidney or red beans
• Nuts: almonds or walnuts
• Whole grains: brown rice, oatmeal or whole-grain pasta
• Vegetables: spinach, broccoli, asparagus, tomatoes or red bell peppers
• Fruits: blueberries, oranges, cantaloupe or papaya

What a weekend!

So on Friday night at Bunco, I drank water, ate a couple (and might I say AWESOME) bacon wraps with dates, goat cheese and pecans.  They were worth every single bite.  I also had 3 cubes of dill cheese.  I did not win a single penny, but Bunco is about the conversation and girl time anyway:)

Saturday, February 11th

Breakfast:  Special K with Berries, Almond Milk, Blueberries, and coffee with the creamer and sugar.

Lunch:  We were with some good friends and their daughter wanted to go to Buffalo Wild Wings for her birthday.  Yep, 2 days in a row for me.  I had 5 hot BBQ wings, a side salad with southwestern ranch dressing (You never need to saturate your salad with dressing!), and water.

Snack:  My daughter's school had their big Winter Wonderfest fundraiser.  We had a fantastic time and enjoyed a mini Jamba Juice Smoothie.

Dinner:  We journeyed to Naperville and went to La Sorella.  I had a few fried calamari with marinara sauce and probably about a 1/3 of a cup of lobster risotto for an appetizer.  For dinner, I ordered rigatoni with sauteed veggies and mozzarella.  I ate all of the veggies, and brought half of the rigatoni home with me.  Finally, I drank water.  We saw a great band called Radioactive and I continued to drink water because I was going to be doing a tower climb the next morning and wanted to feel 100%.

Sunday, February 12th

Breakfast:  Kashi Go Lean Triple Berry Crumble cereal, blueberries, almond milk, coffee, and water.

At 10:00 am, my Gol Dang Amazing team climbed the Oakbrook Tower.  I believe we all did it twice.  It was so much more difficult than I imagined!  The first climb I took off too fast and was gasping at the end.  The second climb was much better because I didn't take off and alternated between taking one step at a time and taking two steps at a time.  Mind you...the second time was hard too!

Lunch:  I toasted a ham and cojack cheese pita.  Orange and water

Snack:  Cherry Pie Lara Bar and an apple.

Dinner:  Chicken Stir Fry and Rice.  I bought a rotisserie chicken from Costco, as well as, the stir fry vegetables.  The Brown Rice Medley was from Trader Joe's.  The rice medley consisted of long grain brown rice, black barley, and daikon radish seeds.  I added a bit of lite soy sauce and truly enjoyed the meal.  The family liked it as well.  Skim Milk

Monday, February 13th

Breakfast:  Fruit n' Yogurt Special K cereal, frozen blueberries, almond milk, and the coffee with creamer and sugar.

Snack:  Apple

Very late lunch:  Greek yogurt with granola and honey, and left over stir fry from the night before.  It was hard eating later, but with driving kids around and meetings, I had no choice.  I won't forget a snack to put in my bag before I leave next time.

Dinner:  My late lunch definitely impacted my dinner.  I was STARVING!  While I made the kids dinner, I ate chips and salsa.  I haven't done that in forever and I know it's because my eating throughout the day was different.  I had been been putting my entire plate of food together before eating.  But I regressed to my old habit of eating while I made the kids dinner. Then, when I finally sit down, I'm already half full.  FAIL!  Anyway...lesson learned:)  I also had a turkey burger on a bun.  Turkey burgers from Costco are so good!

Keep up the journaling if you're in!  I still am!

I'm not in college anymore.

February 8th

Breakfast - Cheerios, Almond Milk, Blueberries, Coffee with almond joy creamer and sugar

Snack - Greek Yogurt with Honey

Lunch - Raisin Bran Crunch cereal with Almond Milk

Snack - Banana

Dinner - Skinnie Hammie from Potbelly with Swiss Cheese; Black Bean soup and water

Evening Snack - Popcorn and Water

February 9

Breakfast - Cheerios, Blueberries, Almond Milk, Coffee with almond joy creamer and a bit of sugar.

Lunch - Polished off the yummy chili.  Personally, I like beans in my chili which would also increase the fiber intake.  I made it without beans, because my husband is not a bean fan.

OK, 6:00 pm is the beginning of when I regress back to the old days when we spent most of our Thursday evenings in Iowa City partying it up.  Note to self...I'm not 21 anymore.  Or 18, 19, 20, 22, or 23 either!  Keep this in mind when you see my journal entry from here on out of this evening.

Snack - 2 Leinenkugal's Berry Weis beers at the super awesome pub in the Miller Coors building.  I'm lucky enough to have a friend who works there, and him and his super cool wife took us to the pub in the building.  Might I say these are mighty tasty!  I was given a snack bag of salted peanuts and I did not eat them.

Dinner - We went to Salseria at the Willis Tower.  It's the same owner and the Salseria here in our own town.  I enjoyed a few chips with salsa.  I love their Chicken Arbol dish and polished it off.  I did not eat the tortillas that were included and I opted for black beans instead of their regular beans.  I think they taste better anyway.  Oh, and a Corona Light with a lime and lots of water.

Our night ended up at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago where we watched OAR in concert.  They were great, as usual.  While there, I continued to think I was in college and drank a few Miller Lites.  I was happy to just have 3, but then the 4th round came and they twisted my arm really hard.  Actually, it was more like a baby twist.  Anyway, yes, who can turn down another beer.  You can't throw it out, right?

So brings me to...Friday, February 10th

Breakfast - Kashi Go Lean Triple Berry Crumble, Blueberries, Almond Milk, Coffee with the same ol' creamer and a bit of sugar.  Water with a NUUN tablet, which I heard cures hangovers.

I then proceeded to go on with my morning routine of dropping the kids off at school and train a client at the gym.  I trained her and then continued on to my own workout that lasted a measly 30 minutes.  Definitely not a good workout...HMMMM...I wonder why?  UGH!

Snack - Orange and the last Ibuprofen tablet in the whole house.  1!!!!!  Double UGH!

Lunch - I'm feeling way better and who knew that that 1 Ibuprofen tablet could be so helpful?  I had a ham and cojack cheese on a pita with mustard, and a spinach salad with creamy balsamic vinaigrette and a sprinkle of pine nuts.  All downed with water.

Snack - So I'm a girl scout leader and a co-leader brought snack for the girls.  It was Cool Whip mixed with Strawberry yogurt and you dip apples in it.  I totally had some and it was light and perfect.

Dinner - A Buffalo Wild Wings Grilled Blackened Chicken Salad;  I had blue cheese on the side and I just lightly dipped my fork into the dressing.  I barely used any at all.  I drank water, and did not eat any of my kid's leftover fries.  That is a gigantic milestone.

Bunco is tonight!  I hope I can control my hand with those always so awesome treats that will be there.  I'm going out the door in a minute and will be grabbing a piece of gum on the way.

See ya!  Wish me luck to bring home the big prize!

Moving right along...

Monday, February 6th

Breakfast:  Kashi Go Lean Triple Berry Crumble, Almond Milk, Blueberries and Coffee with Almond Joy creamer and a bit of sugar.

Lunch:  Turkey Sub with all the veggies, American Cheese, and Mustard on wheat bread from Subway.  Water

Dinner:  Chili with sour cream and cheese.  Skim Milk and half an orange (I shared with my son)

Tuesday, February 7th

Breakfast:  Special K with Berries, Blueberries, and Almond Milk.  Coffee with Almond Joy Creamer and a bit of sugar.

Workout:  20 minute run/20 minute stairs/20 minute bike/10 minutes core

Lunch:  Raisin Bran Crunch cereal with Almond Milk, a Banana, and water with a NUUN tablet. 

These tablets give your water a refreshing light taste, and replace electrolytes lost during a workout.  Check it out at http://www.nuun.com/.  They come in lots of flavors and I bought mine at Fleet Feet Sports in Elmhurst.  Recently, I met Fleet Feet's new owners, Stacey and Frank, who are super excited to be in Elmhurst.  Their store is for anyone looking for great athletic shoes, accessories, and clothing, and they also offer programs for people of all fitness levels.  For more information, go to http://www.fleetfeetelmhurst.com/ .  Which reminds me, I need new running shoes before my half marathon training starts on Monday!  ON IT!

Snack:  Lemon Lara Bar

Dinner:  I made a German cabbage salad.  Very low in calories and satisfied me until I went to a see some fellow runners who will be running with me in June from Madison to Chicago.  A special shout out to RMFAO!  That'd be our team name this year and I love it!  OK, onto the food.  So, I'm a sucker for apps.  Ingested by me was quite a few wheat thins and some gluten free crackers dipped in low fat cream cheese and jalapeno peach jelly.  I also had just a few tortilla chips with salsa and a bit of queso.  Drank a couple glasses of water and enjoyed a glass of red wine.  To top it off, I had 1/2 of a extremely large M'M Cookie.  It was so good!

I got home shortly before 10 pm, planned boot camp for the next day, and went to bed.  Didn't sleep that well since my mind was racing thinking about stuff going on in my life.  Thank goodness, it's all good.  :)

Super Bowl Sunday

I need to finish my Saturday evening before I can move onto Super Bowl Sunday.  Before I went to bed, I enjoyed a Corona Light with a lime which was supposed to be shared with neighbors from the old street.  Oh and can I mention, my sick son with a 103.5 temp decided to run around all day like a crazy man and seem to be just fine...annoying!  But, I'm following that 24 hour rule.  Whatever...

Sunday, February 5

I did wake up and go to the gym first thing.  I rarely go to the gym on the weekends.  Typically, I workout 5 days a week and then rest on the weekend, but I have to say, I looked forward to going and I did have an evening with some good food to look forward to as well.  ALSO, I am feeling awesome and my core is firming up too.  BONUS!  I'm sleeping better and this is HUGE!  I can't believe what only 2 weeks of journaling has done.  I may just keep this up after my 49 days.  Time will tell...

Let me preface...this IS Super Bowl Sunday...OK?

Breakfast:  1 egg and 2 egg white scrambled eggs with spinach and mushrooms topped with cheese.  A piece of toast with margarine and raspberry jam.  2 pieces of turkey bacon and Orange Juice.  Alrighty, I'm doing good here!

Lunch:  Bowl of chili with sour cream and topped with cheese.

Snack:  An orange and I licked the bowl of brownies I made.  AND, I licked the bowl of cream cheese filling too.  I had extra brownie batter and made a cupcake that stared at me for hours until I tossed it in the garbage.  Phew!  I can't believe nobody else wanted it.  And can I just say that my daughter and I are the only ones who seem to have a sweet tooth in the family!  My husband and my son really could care less about chocolate staring at them right in the face!  Seriously?  Who are these people???

Super Bowl Food Frenzy:  Actually, it wasn't that bad at all.  I KNOW I would've eaten more if I wasn't being mindful.  3 buffalo wings, lots of veggies, a bit of hummus, one piece of fried chicken that I took the skin off (I never eat the skin.  OK, well the only skin I eat is the extra crispy chicken from KFC), 4 super yummy corn fritters (I think that's what they were.  They tasted like donuts),and Beets.  For dessert, I intended to only eat the brownies I made with ice cream, but I also indulged in the rice krispie treat that my son barely took a bite out of.  Again, where is his sweet tooth?!  I shouldn't complain, and should just tell him to toss it rather than give it to me to eat.  Too top it off, I drank 2 Coors Lights and a bottled water.

February 6th

Breakfast:  Kashi Go Lean Triple Berry Crumble, Almond Milk, Frozen Blueberries, and Coffee

Lunch:  Subway Turkey and American on Wheat with loads of veggies (6 inch) and a WATER!!!!!

Snack:  Orange (I gave half to my son)

Dinner:  Chili with the sour cream and cheese and skim milk

I hope people are still with me:)  I'm really noticing the benefits of journaling!

Healthy Food Shopping

I woke up today with a child with a 103.5 fever.  Yuck!  Was supposed to have the old 'hood over to see our new place and now need to cancel.  I planned to prepare a no bean chili and a vegetarian chili and have 2 cases of beer, 4 bottles of wine, juice pouches, and pop (soda for some of you) for our guests.  Still no diet for me!  YIPPEE!  Still not even a craving and I'm very surprised.  Trust me the sparkling water is just perfect:)

Before I share my journal, I wanted to share a few things I've learned from grocery shopping.  In fact, I wrote a newsletter some time ago about this very topic.

• When you see "natural" - PAUSE! Everything comes from something so essentially everything is "natural".
• A product with the "all-natural" claim can still be high in calories, saturated fat, sugar, sodium, or low in fiber, and low in other nutrients.
• 3 grams or more of fiber per serving means that it is a good source of whole grains.
• Organic has to do with how the plants are grown, or how the animals are raised. It has little to do with the nutritive value of the final product.
• Organic Food: Products that are free of antibiotics, preservatives, growth hormones, and trans fats.

3 Organic Food levels—

-100% Organic (USDA)

-Organic (USDA) at least 95%

-Made with Organic Ingredients. At least 70%

The bottom line is if it’s certified organic, it’s certifiably healthy.

 Nutrient Label Descriptors

Low—calorie: Less than or equal to 40 calories per serving

Trans-fat free: <1% total fat or less than or equal to 0.5g fat

per serving

Cholesterol free: <2g saturated fat

Low fat: less than or equal to 3g per serving

Low saturated fat: <1g per serving and less than or equal to 15% of

calories from saturated fat.

Very low sodium: less than or equal to 35mg per serving

 Low sodium: less than or equal to 140mg per serving

Do you or anybody you know only buy no fat or low fat products?  I know I've been known to do so, but next time you do, please take the time to compare the labels.  Think of it this way, if you remove some fat or all fat from a food, something needs to be added.  Many times it's sugar and carbohydrates.  Just take a gander and see for yourself.

Food Journal

February 2

Breakfast:  Kashi Go Lean Triple Berry Crumble, Frozen Blueberries, Almond Milk, Coffee...big surprise.

Lunch:  Peanut Butter and Jelly on a whole grain pita.  Yum!  Banana and Water

Snack:  Lemon Lara Bar

Dinner:  Salmon with sauteed mushrooms and spinich.  Skim Milk

Evening Drinks:  Chai Tea Latte and water

February 3

Breakfast:  Special K with Berries, Frozen Blueberries, Almond Milk, Coffee

Lunch:  Sweet Potato with Cottage Cheese and Pepper.  Water

Snack:  An orange and a key lime Lara Bar.

Dinner:  Boy, this is a dinner for champions.  Get this...veggie straws, pretzel chips dipped in jalepeno Greek yogurt (Costco and sooooo good), cucumbers, and 3 Coors Lights.  Yep, it was an impromptu thing with another family.  We ordered pizza too, but honestly, I wasn't even tempted...until the leftover pizza was sent home with us and I bagged it up.  Before bagging, I was going to snag a piece, but honestly I was so dam full from eating the appetizer stuff that I really didn't need it.  Remember mindless eating?  Guilty as charged!  I have no idea how much I put down.  Oh well, at least it wasn't that crappy.

February 4th

Breakfast:  Special K with Berries, yada, yada, yada...

Snack:  Apple

Lunch:  PB & J on a whole wheat pita, water

Snack:  Sugar Snap Peas

Chili for tonight recipe:

Terrific Turkey Chili (http://allrecipes.com/Search/Recipes.aspx?WithTerm=terrific%20turkey%20chili&SearchIn=All).  I pretty much followed the recipe, except I accidently bought pineapple salsa, didn't add a bunch of green onions, and added a jalepeno because we love it HOT!  I added up the calories and it serves 6 people at 214 calories a pop.  NICE!  This is without the sour cream, cheese, crackers, Doritos, etc...that you may add on top.



Dinner:  A bowl of chili with a tablespoon of sour cream and a bit of shredded cheese.  This chili was so good!





No Diet Coke Since FRIDAY!

Yep, it's true and I'm proud to say I haven't consumed a single sip of Diet Coke since Friday!  It hasn't even phased me (yet).  It's been mentioned a couple times that I should drink sparkling water as a replacement.  I'm doing it, and I think I like the whole carbonation thing.  Maybe that's why I opted for Diet Coke because of the carbonation.  Not sure.  Furthermore, I have eliminated the sugar substitutes since I don't order my coffee with Equal or the like, and the Diet pop has not been drank in a while.  I wonder how long it takes for the the sugar substitute to leave my body?

People have also been saying, "Why do you even need to do this.  You look fine."  I've been an avid gym goer and exercise lover for a long time.  I work hard.  However, I'm physically and emotionally "feeling" better every day and I love the fact that I feel empowered that I'm listening to what my body is telling me.  When you write things down, you learn that when you feel really hungry at a certain time it may mean that you need to do something different earlier in the day.  My mantra is eating in moderation, AND being MINDFULL in your eating, NOT MINDLESS.  How often do you look back and you have absolutely know idea what went from your hand to your mouth?

The boot camp journals are out and the challenge is on!  A funny thing happened yesterday when I dropped one off yesterday at a friend's house, and I accidently dropped off my own journal and not a blank one for her to start.  Guess I need to write my name on the cover.  Whoops!  I think she enjoyed reading it. :-)

Food Journal:

January 31, 2012

Breakfast:  Special K with Berries, Almond Milk, Frozen Blueberries, and Coffee with creamer and a bit of sugar.  I love cereal!  This meal will most likely be repeated over and over and over again.

Lunch:  Subway Turkey Sub Sandwich on wheat bread.  American Cheese and tons of veggies.  The more then better.  A bag of Lay's light potato chips.  These chips are half the calories and are made with Olestra.  Haven't researched the whole Olestra thing, but I hope it's not another toxic thing.  I may get back to you on that one.  When I lived in Iowa we were in the test market for these chips.  They were known as Lay's WOW (or was it MAX?) Potato Chips back then.  I vaguely remember a few people complaining about gastrointestinal issues from the Olestra.  I never had these side effects then, or even now eating them.  Mind you...I eat a individual size bag of these maybe 2 or 3 times a year. They literally taste just like regular potato chips.  I also drank water and did not, I REPEAT, did not order a Diet Coke.  I usually do.

Snack:  Apple and water

Dinner:  I prepared this delicious meal from Trader Joe's.  It's Gnocchi Alla Sorrentina.  My neighbor told me about it and I prepared 2 chicken breasts to mix into it.  The rest of the family liked it and so did I.  I also had a piece of garlic bread and a glass of skim milk.  After dinner, I had a couple of Mentos.  Was introduced to them from a friend and neighbor as well.

Evening:  I continued to drink water and did not feel the evening hunger pangs like I often do.

February 1st

6:45 am Breakfast:  Kashi Go Lean Triple Berry Crumble Cereal, Almond Milk, Frozen Blueberries and Coffee with the creamer and sugar.

11:45 am Lunch:  Deli Chicken, cojack cheese, and mustard on a whole grain pita.  Spinich salad with red pepper, tomato, and creamy balsamic vinegar dressing.  Water

Workout: 

Warm up and Cardio:
20 Minute Interval Workout on a Stair Master.  Holy mother!  If I wasn't doing this, I may have toned down the intensity!  Completed 98 floors.

Circuits: Each circuit was repeated 3 times
Bicep Concentration Curls
Chest Flys
Curtsy Squats
Mary Catherine's

Calf Raises
Tricep Dips
Plank Back Rows
Mountain Climbers

"W" Shoulder Raises
Rear deltoid Flys
Single Leg Saxon Bends

Cool Down:
10 minutes on the bike reading Lucky magazine:)

Core:
Bicycle Crunches
Side Crunches
Front Plank

2:30 pm Snack: Greek Yogurt with honey and cinnamon

4:45 pm Dinner:
Salmon lightly sprinkled with seasoning salt on the George Foreman grill.  Roasted red peppers, yellow squash, mushrooms, tomato and cooked spinich with a bit of olive oil, buttered elbow pasta with parmesan, and skim milk.

After a night of religious education and football, I enjoyed a chai tea latte, cuddled with the kids, put them to bed, brushed my teeth (a wonderful way to avoid night time snacking is to brush, brush, brush!), folded laundry, grabbed The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, found my favorite blanket, and began reading.  Good night, ya'll!