Sorry for the delay. My house was a disaster. I spent all yesterday doing laundry and today I'm cleaning the house. Not that I'm too worried since there are only about 5 people who read this.
I got bananas and grapes for our fruit this week. E as been refusing eggs a lot so we're eating overnight oats and chocolate chip scones mostly for breakfast. He's also become obsessed with cheese, but he still hates milk. So I don't know what is going on there.
OK on to the good stuff. First up, broccoli and rice with onion gravy. Husband is out of town on business for a couple days so I take the opportunity to get in the broccoli. Unlike E, I've gotten tired of cheese so I'm going with the gravy. I know the recipe calls for the vegan gravy, but I already had everything for onion gravy so I'm swapping.
http://myplantbasedfamily.com/2012/08/23/brown-rice-and-broccoli-casserole/
http://www.kitchentreaty.com/vegetarian-onion-gravy/
I love chicken thighs because they are cheap. Cheap is good. It gets me out of eating beef. I swear my husband is programmed to eat nothing that is good for him and it drives me crazy. If it were up to him we would eat steaks every night. Not a fan. Thank goodness I get to do the shopping so we have yummy garlic ranch chicken and bonus: only uses one pan. Cooked with baby red potatoes and carrots (both compromised favorites in my house) this is a hit.
http://damndelicious.net/2015/05/08/one-pan-garlic-ranch-chicken-and-veggies/
Next is burrito bowls. I love them because they are so customizable. Like my husband puts cottage cheese on his (gross!) and I like tomatoes, ranch, and avocados if I can manage them. They're freaking expensive. I did not manage them this week sadly.
My husband likes to buy beer and not drink it. I'm not sure why, but we ending up using it in our food. Speaking of which I may end up making beer bread to go with this...so good. Anyway I'm trying my hand at making risotto and not just risotto, but beer risotto. I know it sounds totally healthy right? As it stand right now I'm sitting on around a 700 calorie deficit every day and that's just from food. That's not even counting my burned calories. I didn't set out to do that and I'm pretty sure they only recommend a 500 calorie deficit. I figure I can afford to up my calories a bit if I feel like being bad. So here's to beer risotto. I couldn't find a spicy sausage like they used so I just got smoke turkey sausage. So it's not so bad.
http://cherryonmysundae.com/2014/03/beer-risotto-with-sausage-and-gouda.html
Ta da! Now to finish cleaning. I have to wait for nap time to mop the floors and then I'm done after that. Yay!
Showing posts with label weekday vegetarian. Show all posts
Showing posts with label weekday vegetarian. Show all posts
Saturday, June 13, 2015
Tuesday, June 9, 2015
New Routine
So I pretty much revamped my workout routine. I actually do like it a lot better and I'm working out 6 days instead of 4. Which sounds like a lot, but it really isn't. I don't know if it's the change or if it was just time, but I lost an inch and a half off my thighs since starting. It makes me pretty excited about my new routine.
So since I did the 30 day challenges last month I decided I should go ahead and do the arms and thighs as planned. I am modifying squats for single leg extensions in all of the workouts. I'm doing them for lunges too, except for the side lunges. They don't bother me. I have to say my knee has been feeling better since starting this with the modifications as well.
http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/post/2092081/4262548677
https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/blogilates-fitness-food-lots-pilates-2092081/30-day-thigh-slimming-challenge-4209049210/
I actually made a few changes to my routine. First of all, I'm now doing full body workouts 3 days a week instead of doing targeted workouts 4 days a week. In addition, I'm also including active rest days in my routine. So 3 days a week I'm doing a light yoga routine. Active rest days allow you to be active while still being kind to your muscles. Yoga is something I've always liked, but if yoga is not for you I'm sure there are other kinds of exercises you can do. I just saw yoga and stopped there. You have to find what's suitable for you. Last of all I added dry brushing to my routine. A lot of people have never heard of it so I'm going to go into detail about it next week.
I like to mix things up so I don't get bored. So I like to have a few routines to switch between. If I get bored I might quit doing my workouts. Variety is the spice of life. I have 2 regular workouts and 2 yoga workouts. I'm switching which regular workout gets done twice each week and I'm switching the yoga workouts from week to week. I haven't really gotten into the habit of doing yoga before bed, but I want to do it. I really want to get my son doing it, but he's rebellious. As most 2 year olds are. He lacks focus.
Let's start with the regular workouts. This one tough, but I love it. I also like it because it has some definitive cardio. Don't forget to sub step ups for burpees here if you have bad knees. I know doing the 50 leg extensions seems like a lot, but it helps to do 25 on each side and split it. So do 10, then 10, then 5 on each side. So much easier that way.
http://ourthreepeas.com/full-body-circuit-workout/
This one is slightly easier, but I do it 3 times instead of 2.
https://drinkthepink.wordpress.com/2014/01/06/motivational-monday-get-fit-2/
Next is the yoga. If a pose is too hard or you can't go all the way down just do your best or try to find a modified version. It's different for everyone. If you keep at it, it will get easier over time.
This one takes me about 20 minutes to do. It's nice and simple. It's also specifically tailored for sore muscles muscles which makes it a perfect rest day workout.
http://www.popsugar.com/fitness/Yoga-Sore-Muscles-35243529?slide=11
This one is a group of poses that is geared toward weight loss, but are also ones that I know are fairly beginner friendly.
http://www.stylecraze.com/articles/effective-power-yoga-workouts-to-reduce-weight-fast/?ref=pin
So next week I'm going to go over dry brushing and I have an article to share about the benefits of yoga. Now I need to get my workout in. We've had a rather unorthodox morning and I'm running behind.
So since I did the 30 day challenges last month I decided I should go ahead and do the arms and thighs as planned. I am modifying squats for single leg extensions in all of the workouts. I'm doing them for lunges too, except for the side lunges. They don't bother me. I have to say my knee has been feeling better since starting this with the modifications as well.
http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/post/2092081/4262548677
https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/blogilates-fitness-food-lots-pilates-2092081/30-day-thigh-slimming-challenge-4209049210/
I actually made a few changes to my routine. First of all, I'm now doing full body workouts 3 days a week instead of doing targeted workouts 4 days a week. In addition, I'm also including active rest days in my routine. So 3 days a week I'm doing a light yoga routine. Active rest days allow you to be active while still being kind to your muscles. Yoga is something I've always liked, but if yoga is not for you I'm sure there are other kinds of exercises you can do. I just saw yoga and stopped there. You have to find what's suitable for you. Last of all I added dry brushing to my routine. A lot of people have never heard of it so I'm going to go into detail about it next week.
I like to mix things up so I don't get bored. So I like to have a few routines to switch between. If I get bored I might quit doing my workouts. Variety is the spice of life. I have 2 regular workouts and 2 yoga workouts. I'm switching which regular workout gets done twice each week and I'm switching the yoga workouts from week to week. I haven't really gotten into the habit of doing yoga before bed, but I want to do it. I really want to get my son doing it, but he's rebellious. As most 2 year olds are. He lacks focus.
Let's start with the regular workouts. This one tough, but I love it. I also like it because it has some definitive cardio. Don't forget to sub step ups for burpees here if you have bad knees. I know doing the 50 leg extensions seems like a lot, but it helps to do 25 on each side and split it. So do 10, then 10, then 5 on each side. So much easier that way.
http://ourthreepeas.com/full-body-circuit-workout/
This one is slightly easier, but I do it 3 times instead of 2.
https://drinkthepink.wordpress.com/2014/01/06/motivational-monday-get-fit-2/
Next is the yoga. If a pose is too hard or you can't go all the way down just do your best or try to find a modified version. It's different for everyone. If you keep at it, it will get easier over time.
This one takes me about 20 minutes to do. It's nice and simple. It's also specifically tailored for sore muscles muscles which makes it a perfect rest day workout.
http://www.popsugar.com/fitness/Yoga-Sore-Muscles-35243529?slide=11
This one is a group of poses that is geared toward weight loss, but are also ones that I know are fairly beginner friendly.
http://www.stylecraze.com/articles/effective-power-yoga-workouts-to-reduce-weight-fast/?ref=pin
So next week I'm going to go over dry brushing and I have an article to share about the benefits of yoga. Now I need to get my workout in. We've had a rather unorthodox morning and I'm running behind.
Thursday, June 4, 2015
Cheeky snails
My son told me he was one as I was thinking of a title. It's one of his favorite things to say. He loves Peppa pig. So my husband decided to take it upon himself to cook me a birthday dinner. The problem with my husband is he's kind of like. He thinks that because it's something he would want, other people want it too. So we had porkchops, italian sausage, and french fries. I wasn't entirely thrilled. I'm not a huge fan of pork and I would have rather had what I had planned on cooking. I ate it. It was nice that he made the effort. He's just excited about his new grill. I've taken that into account this week and offered him a healthier alternative.
Now I had actually planned on some pork this week, but I just can't get thrilled about them now. So I revamped the grocery list.
Sesame noodles are so easy and we all love them so made the cut this week.
I'm picking up dried apricot and white chocolate chips to put in my scones. They say that sweets in the morning helps curb cravings later in the day. My son is also boycotting eggs again so I have to get stuff he will eat. I had trouble getting him to eat eggs for the longest time and he apparently doesn't like them again.
Also doing beans rice and veggies again. I enjoyed it and it's really cheap. Using different veggies this time tho.
Next up is chicken kebabs. I'm using red peppers, green, peppers, onion, and mushroom. Use whatever veggies make your family happy. I believe I'm using a balsamic honey marinade which is just that plus garlic. To your own taste.
Last is some teriyaki chicken casserole. This is a new recipe, but it sounds so good. I'm doubling it. We like Chinese food in my house and my husband likes to stack his noodles with his rice so it's perfect. I figure grabbing a big pack of chicken breasts will work for both meat meals.
http://www.ohsweetbasil.com/teriyaki-chicken-casserole.html
I think im getting apples and grapes for fruit, but those mangos were delicious and there's a grapefruit recipe I want to try so we will see. Well I actually need to get our lunch for today so I'm off.
Tuesday, June 2, 2015
Last, but not least...Legs
So even tho I've completely changed my workout I'm still giving you my target area workout. Somehow I managed to have sunburn, a cold, and cramps on the same day so I put it off an extra day, but now I'm right on schedule. I'll be working through the week to make it up.
I know I'm bad with the sunburn. I didn't bother with lotion because I hadn't intended to be out as long as I was and just didn't think about putting any on later. I can't even guess how I ended up with a cold.
Legs are a problem area for a lot of people. Thighs specifically. I can attest to that. My calves look phenomenal. My thighs look like cake batter.
I realized my leg workout was probably too intense for me after a couple of weeks so I changed it. So now I have 2 workouts for you. Legs can be difficult. I have a bad knee so lunges, squats, and burpee kill my knee. I can do side lunges fine. Reverse lunges aren't so bad, but my balance sucks so I'm constantly falling trying to do them. They say replace squats with lunges, but if you're like me and lunges are just as bad, you can do single leg extensions. It's basically a short bridge with your leg out straight. I use them for squats and lunges. Burpees also suck. Like a lot. So I do step ups instead. My house has no stairs and my chairs are too high (cuz I'm short) so I just use a stool.
So for beginners I suggest using this workout. I do everything on both sides and add 10 secs. to each of the wall sits. I ran through this twice. Could have easily done it 3 times.
http://backonpointe.tumblr.com/post/53230433760/a-reader-pointed-out-to-me-today-that-i-have-no
This one is harder. I might like it more if it didn't hurt my knee, but I can only get through it one time.
http://m.tone-and-tighten.com/ezvviyj/articles/42852/Thigh-Pyramid-Workout
I like doing the individualized workouts because it's definite focusing on toning the specific areas. Remember though that you can't spot treat fat loss. You can workout your abs as much as you want, but you won't lose more weight from that area just because you work it more. Since my goal is fat loss I'm switching to full body workouts.
I'm doing 2 different sets 3 days a week with 3 active rest days and one full rest day each week. I'm alternating which set I do more each week. I'll tell you more about it next week. Otherwise I'll have nothing to talk about.
Oh my birthday is tomorrow too. May make my husband take me for sushi, but I haven't decided yet. I haven't been there yet, but they do have vegetarian options. I'm just not sure if that's what I want to do. I thought about going to the Toledo zoo, but there is a crazy mayfly infestation going on and I'm not so sure I want to be outside for very long. I almost just want to stay home and watch movies, but that's probably a lame birthday.
I know I'm bad with the sunburn. I didn't bother with lotion because I hadn't intended to be out as long as I was and just didn't think about putting any on later. I can't even guess how I ended up with a cold.
Legs are a problem area for a lot of people. Thighs specifically. I can attest to that. My calves look phenomenal. My thighs look like cake batter.
I realized my leg workout was probably too intense for me after a couple of weeks so I changed it. So now I have 2 workouts for you. Legs can be difficult. I have a bad knee so lunges, squats, and burpee kill my knee. I can do side lunges fine. Reverse lunges aren't so bad, but my balance sucks so I'm constantly falling trying to do them. They say replace squats with lunges, but if you're like me and lunges are just as bad, you can do single leg extensions. It's basically a short bridge with your leg out straight. I use them for squats and lunges. Burpees also suck. Like a lot. So I do step ups instead. My house has no stairs and my chairs are too high (cuz I'm short) so I just use a stool.
So for beginners I suggest using this workout. I do everything on both sides and add 10 secs. to each of the wall sits. I ran through this twice. Could have easily done it 3 times.
http://backonpointe.tumblr.com/post/53230433760/a-reader-pointed-out-to-me-today-that-i-have-no
This one is harder. I might like it more if it didn't hurt my knee, but I can only get through it one time.
http://m.tone-and-tighten.com/ezvviyj/articles/42852/Thigh-Pyramid-Workout
I like doing the individualized workouts because it's definite focusing on toning the specific areas. Remember though that you can't spot treat fat loss. You can workout your abs as much as you want, but you won't lose more weight from that area just because you work it more. Since my goal is fat loss I'm switching to full body workouts.
I'm doing 2 different sets 3 days a week with 3 active rest days and one full rest day each week. I'm alternating which set I do more each week. I'll tell you more about it next week. Otherwise I'll have nothing to talk about.
Oh my birthday is tomorrow too. May make my husband take me for sushi, but I haven't decided yet. I haven't been there yet, but they do have vegetarian options. I'm just not sure if that's what I want to do. I thought about going to the Toledo zoo, but there is a crazy mayfly infestation going on and I'm not so sure I want to be outside for very long. I almost just want to stay home and watch movies, but that's probably a lame birthday.
Friday, May 29, 2015
I was bad this week...
My husband brought home cookie dough ice cream and fried chicken, which I had been craving, this week. My resistance level is not high. I'm not in any hurry to lose the weight. Not preparing for a wedding or anything. So I'm putting us on a stricter set of meals this week. Only one of which has a recipe at the moment. But I have a plan.
I'm going to make a meatloaf and mix in shredded zucchini and serve that with mashed sweet potatos. I do put a little butter on mine, but I don't add extra salt. My attempts at meatloaf have failed miserably, but I'm going to try again.
I'm going to make some brown rice with a mixed veg, beans, and cheese. Just use whatever is your preference.
Doing something similar except I'm using ground meat and barley. I figure I'll do one at the beginning of the week and one at the end I'm being a little frugal this week because my birthday is coming up and I'm making country style pork ribs that day.
Last of all I'm going to make some white bean soup. I actually think using dry beans is easier and it's definitely cheaper. I believe the recipe calls for dry, but there's really no reason you couldn't use canned. Just remember that a pound of dry beans is not the same amount as a pound of wet beans.
And I think I'm getting apples and mangoes today. Might get bananas instead of apples. Actually I probably will, but we'll see. Usually when I write this I've already been to the store, but I woke up early today and found myself with some peace and the time to write.
Breakfasts this week are going to be overnight oats and egg sandwiches. Picking up some English muffins for those.
So that's it for today. I want to get done early and take E down to the splash park again. We made friends on Wednesday when we went and it's supposed to rain the rest of the weekend.
I'm going to make a meatloaf and mix in shredded zucchini and serve that with mashed sweet potatos. I do put a little butter on mine, but I don't add extra salt. My attempts at meatloaf have failed miserably, but I'm going to try again.
I'm going to make some brown rice with a mixed veg, beans, and cheese. Just use whatever is your preference.
Doing something similar except I'm using ground meat and barley. I figure I'll do one at the beginning of the week and one at the end I'm being a little frugal this week because my birthday is coming up and I'm making country style pork ribs that day.
Last of all I'm going to make some white bean soup. I actually think using dry beans is easier and it's definitely cheaper. I believe the recipe calls for dry, but there's really no reason you couldn't use canned. Just remember that a pound of dry beans is not the same amount as a pound of wet beans.
And I think I'm getting apples and mangoes today. Might get bananas instead of apples. Actually I probably will, but we'll see. Usually when I write this I've already been to the store, but I woke up early today and found myself with some peace and the time to write.
Breakfasts this week are going to be overnight oats and egg sandwiches. Picking up some English muffins for those.
So that's it for today. I want to get done early and take E down to the splash park again. We made friends on Wednesday when we went and it's supposed to rain the rest of the weekend.
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
Arm day
I actually really enjoy arm day. It seems much more straight forward than the rest of my workouts. I found out that full body workouts may be better for weight loss so next month I'm going to be trying that route. since I've taken measurements I can gauge how much of a change there is vs. how much was changed this month. I'm no where near dropping a pant size yet so if I drop down a size by the end of the month we'll know.
So I like this workout because it doesn't require a lot of moving around. You pretty much stay in one place and the while thing takes about half an hour. There are a few I have to skip because I find them impossible to manage properly using water bottles as weights. I have little hands so getting a good grip on these 32 oz. water bottles is difficult. These weigh about 2 lbs. but you use whatever is comfortable for you. One of these days I'll get myself a set of real weights. It's just not on the top of my list.
I also like this because it can be good for a beginner or someone who is more advanced just by increasing the weights you are using or the amount of reps you are doing.
Something I bet you didn't know: certain arm workouts can help make your breasts perkier. Frankly, I just want mine to shrink. I've never wanted large breasts and would seriously consider having them reduced since I had my son. I'm hoping getting into shape helps. If not I'm just screwed. I can accept my lot, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't like certain things to be different.
You can dislike things about yourself, but that should never change how much you love yourself. Like I have a big nose. I hate it, but I'm not rushing out to get a nose job. Whose to say it would actually look better after I got it anyway. I'm still pretty with my big nose and I've seen people with bigger noses so why complain?
Sorry. I kind of wish I'd had a girl so I could tell her about loving herself. I think that is less of a boy problem. So you guys get the lecture instead. Anyway I'm running behind today and still have to manage my own workout this morning so here's that workout.
http://www.popsugar.com/fitness/Best-Dumbbell-Arm-Exercises-35176832
So I like this workout because it doesn't require a lot of moving around. You pretty much stay in one place and the while thing takes about half an hour. There are a few I have to skip because I find them impossible to manage properly using water bottles as weights. I have little hands so getting a good grip on these 32 oz. water bottles is difficult. These weigh about 2 lbs. but you use whatever is comfortable for you. One of these days I'll get myself a set of real weights. It's just not on the top of my list.
I also like this because it can be good for a beginner or someone who is more advanced just by increasing the weights you are using or the amount of reps you are doing.
Something I bet you didn't know: certain arm workouts can help make your breasts perkier. Frankly, I just want mine to shrink. I've never wanted large breasts and would seriously consider having them reduced since I had my son. I'm hoping getting into shape helps. If not I'm just screwed. I can accept my lot, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't like certain things to be different.
You can dislike things about yourself, but that should never change how much you love yourself. Like I have a big nose. I hate it, but I'm not rushing out to get a nose job. Whose to say it would actually look better after I got it anyway. I'm still pretty with my big nose and I've seen people with bigger noses so why complain?
Sorry. I kind of wish I'd had a girl so I could tell her about loving herself. I think that is less of a boy problem. So you guys get the lecture instead. Anyway I'm running behind today and still have to manage my own workout this morning so here's that workout.
http://www.popsugar.com/fitness/Best-Dumbbell-Arm-Exercises-35176832
Saturday, May 23, 2015
So I lost my grocery list...
After I got back from the store I couldn't find it. Did some crazy amounts of cleaning today and it turned up, so we're back in business.
So this week's menu:
Vegan vegetable soup. I bought 2 bags of frozen vegetable soup mix. Mine has carrots, lima beans, green beans,corn, okra, carrots, potatoes, and tomatoes. I added celery, garlic, and mushrooms. I only added half the mushrooms because I'm using it for my next meal....
Pizza! The pizzas were such a big hit last time I made them I'm making them again. I've got some Vidalia onions and mushrooms for mine. D likes his half pepperoni and half cheese.
Remember those pork kebabs I made for cinco de mayo? Well D was in love with them. So I picked up some ground pork and I'm marinating it tomorrow and making pork burgers with carrot fries. We've been eating a lot of sweet potatoes so I thought I'd go with carrots instead. I've still got some corn from last week so I might cook that up too.
http://voraciousvander.com/2011/12/05/the-best-way-to-cook-zucchini-and-carrots/
I actually planned a lunch! Go me! OK super simple and it was pretty yummy...cucumber sandwiches. I nixed the butter because we were eating it right away, but I was very pleased with it. Paired it with grapes, but use whatever you like.
http://www.chewoutloud.com/2014/05/19/lemon-cucumber-cream-cheese-sandwiches/
Last but not least. Sweet potato shepards pie. I really wanted to make this, but I realized I had regular potatoes that needed to be used so I'm using regular potatoes. I'm giving you the recipe anyway and you can make it and tell me how amazing it was.
http://www.skinnytaste.com/2012/11/sweet-potato-turkey-shepards-pie.html?m=1
Picked up apricots and bananas as fruit. I checked out prices on pork ribs. Be prepared in 2 weeks. Making bbq pork ribs. I'm excited.
So that's it for this week. I let my soup simmer and the time just went off. So I'm gonna eat me some deliciousness.
So this week's menu:
Vegan vegetable soup. I bought 2 bags of frozen vegetable soup mix. Mine has carrots, lima beans, green beans,corn, okra, carrots, potatoes, and tomatoes. I added celery, garlic, and mushrooms. I only added half the mushrooms because I'm using it for my next meal....
Pizza! The pizzas were such a big hit last time I made them I'm making them again. I've got some Vidalia onions and mushrooms for mine. D likes his half pepperoni and half cheese.
Remember those pork kebabs I made for cinco de mayo? Well D was in love with them. So I picked up some ground pork and I'm marinating it tomorrow and making pork burgers with carrot fries. We've been eating a lot of sweet potatoes so I thought I'd go with carrots instead. I've still got some corn from last week so I might cook that up too.
http://voraciousvander.com/2011/12/05/the-best-way-to-cook-zucchini-and-carrots/
I actually planned a lunch! Go me! OK super simple and it was pretty yummy...cucumber sandwiches. I nixed the butter because we were eating it right away, but I was very pleased with it. Paired it with grapes, but use whatever you like.
http://www.chewoutloud.com/2014/05/19/lemon-cucumber-cream-cheese-sandwiches/
Last but not least. Sweet potato shepards pie. I really wanted to make this, but I realized I had regular potatoes that needed to be used so I'm using regular potatoes. I'm giving you the recipe anyway and you can make it and tell me how amazing it was.
http://www.skinnytaste.com/2012/11/sweet-potato-turkey-shepards-pie.html?m=1
Picked up apricots and bananas as fruit. I checked out prices on pork ribs. Be prepared in 2 weeks. Making bbq pork ribs. I'm excited.
So that's it for this week. I let my soup simmer and the time just went off. So I'm gonna eat me some deliciousness.
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
For some reason yesterday was Monday
I got my days mixed up. I kept thinking yesterday was Monday. Anyway today is when I talk about my butt workout. This one is great because it's short. It doesn't feel like it though. It's 3 sets of 4 workouts and a 1 minute rest. It takes about 15 minutes, but it does it's job. I also like that there are no squats.
http://tone-and-tighten.com/2014/03/booty-pop-workout-15-minute-at-home-butt-workout.html
You're supposed to do each workout for 1 minute, but I'm not sure you could get very many reps in at the beginning. Also I have an interrupting toddler. I do 15 reps each side for the fire hydrants and donkey kicks. I have a fairly wide living room so I go across my living room 4 times, which is about 20 total lunges. Then I just count to 60 for the reverse plank. You can do whatever works best for you. I also like the fact that it's more consistent that way.
Not much to say on this one. It's pretty straight forward.
In other news, I finished my 30 day challenges. I can definitely see that that my abs are more toned, but I haven't lost very much fat in that area. However, I am not disheartened...well maybe a little bit. I think I expected to see more gone, but that just means my expectations were too high. I have no idea how much weight I have lost still, but I can tell that I have.
I can say that I feel better and I look better. I also took some measurements yesterday. I know that I have lost about an inch off of my bust line. I had been measuring for new bras that I never did buy. I went from 33 1/4 in to just over 32. My waist is at 38 in. I checked my thigh circumference as well. Since I have a knee brace I have to keep one that fits properly. Since I'm wearing a large almost any loss means I need a new one. The largest circumference is up to 22 in. I recall being at exactly 22 in and now I'm down to 19.5. The problem is that you can't spot treat for fat loss. You're going to lose weight all over your body. So you're going to lose in the easiest spots first. I'm seeing the most differences in my calves, arms, and face. I'm also seeing some difference in my bust, but I'm not really sure how much I'm seeing.
I will try and show you a few pictures later so you can get an idea. I'm hoping in another month I get to see a bigger difference. I'm really angry at myself for letting it get so bad. I guess I just want to be where I was before. I want to get back to some kind of normal.
http://tone-and-tighten.com/2014/03/booty-pop-workout-15-minute-at-home-butt-workout.html
You're supposed to do each workout for 1 minute, but I'm not sure you could get very many reps in at the beginning. Also I have an interrupting toddler. I do 15 reps each side for the fire hydrants and donkey kicks. I have a fairly wide living room so I go across my living room 4 times, which is about 20 total lunges. Then I just count to 60 for the reverse plank. You can do whatever works best for you. I also like the fact that it's more consistent that way.
Not much to say on this one. It's pretty straight forward.
In other news, I finished my 30 day challenges. I can definitely see that that my abs are more toned, but I haven't lost very much fat in that area. However, I am not disheartened...well maybe a little bit. I think I expected to see more gone, but that just means my expectations were too high. I have no idea how much weight I have lost still, but I can tell that I have.
I can say that I feel better and I look better. I also took some measurements yesterday. I know that I have lost about an inch off of my bust line. I had been measuring for new bras that I never did buy. I went from 33 1/4 in to just over 32. My waist is at 38 in. I checked my thigh circumference as well. Since I have a knee brace I have to keep one that fits properly. Since I'm wearing a large almost any loss means I need a new one. The largest circumference is up to 22 in. I recall being at exactly 22 in and now I'm down to 19.5. The problem is that you can't spot treat for fat loss. You're going to lose weight all over your body. So you're going to lose in the easiest spots first. I'm seeing the most differences in my calves, arms, and face. I'm also seeing some difference in my bust, but I'm not really sure how much I'm seeing.
I will try and show you a few pictures later so you can get an idea. I'm hoping in another month I get to see a bigger difference. I'm really angry at myself for letting it get so bad. I guess I just want to be where I was before. I want to get back to some kind of normal.
Saturday, May 16, 2015
Sick baby
Yesterday was bad. My baby was sick. He had a fever and ended up vomiting. So I didn't get a whole lot done. You probably don't want to hear about that though. He's feeling much better today just so you know. He rarely gets sick.
So to combat my little ones yucky tummy we had fried rice for dinner. Everyone has their own recipe for fried rice. Sometimes I use quinoa and this time I didn't use meat. I kept it pretty bland, but still yummy. I was also able to cook rice successfully for the first time ever. So that was pretty exciting.
This morning I tried making overnight oats. There are a ton of recipes. My sister sent me the one I used. She's really into the make ahead meals right now. This one calls for chia seeds, but I used ground flax seed because I already had some. Plus I'm not sure how the boys would feel about the whole seeds. We topped it with banana, strawberry preserves, and granola. E was a little hesitant about it, but after I let him stir he was all for it. I bought some pint jars for $5 to make ours in.
http://www.katheats.com/recipage?recipe_id=6000086
For dinner tonight I'm making turkey burgers with baked sweet potatoes. My husband hates that I don't use beef, but I'm just not a fan of ground beef. I think it tastes awful. Plus ground turkey is cheaper. This is another one of those things where everyone just makes them the way they like. I do recommend adding extra seasoning to ground turkey. It seems to need that little extra or it's too bland.
Next I'm making cauliflower mac and cheese in the crockpot. I love anything I can make in the crockpot. Plus getting my husband to eat more vegetables. Always a plus. I'm sure the boys will eat hot dogs with it. I always keep a pack of turkey hot dogs in the freezer. I got enough to make it twice. I always underestimate how much I'll have leftover.
http://spicysouthernkitchen.com/crock-pot-cauliflower-cheese/
Last of all I'm making Ritz ranch chicken tenders with corn. Corn was 12 cents a piece and asparagus went up to $4 a bunch. So I got corn instead. I'm making it in the crockpot again. It was really good last time. Ritz chicken is a husband favorite. I figure I owe him a little for putting up with my vegetarian food.
http://www.mylifeasamrs.com/2013/01/easy-3-ingredient-ritz-cracker-chicken.html
So that's what we're eating this week. Oh I grabbed grapes and bananas for our fruit. I also grabbed some more raisins to make scones and some string cheese for snacks.
So to combat my little ones yucky tummy we had fried rice for dinner. Everyone has their own recipe for fried rice. Sometimes I use quinoa and this time I didn't use meat. I kept it pretty bland, but still yummy. I was also able to cook rice successfully for the first time ever. So that was pretty exciting.
This morning I tried making overnight oats. There are a ton of recipes. My sister sent me the one I used. She's really into the make ahead meals right now. This one calls for chia seeds, but I used ground flax seed because I already had some. Plus I'm not sure how the boys would feel about the whole seeds. We topped it with banana, strawberry preserves, and granola. E was a little hesitant about it, but after I let him stir he was all for it. I bought some pint jars for $5 to make ours in.
http://www.katheats.com/recipage?recipe_id=6000086
For dinner tonight I'm making turkey burgers with baked sweet potatoes. My husband hates that I don't use beef, but I'm just not a fan of ground beef. I think it tastes awful. Plus ground turkey is cheaper. This is another one of those things where everyone just makes them the way they like. I do recommend adding extra seasoning to ground turkey. It seems to need that little extra or it's too bland.
Next I'm making cauliflower mac and cheese in the crockpot. I love anything I can make in the crockpot. Plus getting my husband to eat more vegetables. Always a plus. I'm sure the boys will eat hot dogs with it. I always keep a pack of turkey hot dogs in the freezer. I got enough to make it twice. I always underestimate how much I'll have leftover.
http://spicysouthernkitchen.com/crock-pot-cauliflower-cheese/
Last of all I'm making Ritz ranch chicken tenders with corn. Corn was 12 cents a piece and asparagus went up to $4 a bunch. So I got corn instead. I'm making it in the crockpot again. It was really good last time. Ritz chicken is a husband favorite. I figure I owe him a little for putting up with my vegetarian food.
http://www.mylifeasamrs.com/2013/01/easy-3-ingredient-ritz-cracker-chicken.html
So that's what we're eating this week. Oh I grabbed grapes and bananas for our fruit. I also grabbed some more raisins to make scones and some string cheese for snacks.
Sunday, May 10, 2015
Happy Mother's Day!
I hope you all have a happy mother's day at least a better one than me. I've been up since 6 am cleaning. My gift to you I'd pictures of my pizzas, which were amazing btw. We couldn't wait to eat the first one as you can see.
Also, tiny toddler and his dinosaur kingdom. I fear they've killed the bear.
Saturday, May 9, 2015
Takeout is garbage
Due to my dietary change my husband has been wanting take out more. I love Chinese food so we got some last week. It was terrible. I felt like garbage. I literally felt like a lumpy bag full of rotting food and rubbish. I felt unmotivated and tired. When you are eating well fast food can make you feel awful. I did get promised some red lobster tho. Snow crab legs are my favorite and haven't had any since I was pregnant. I think it's better to make copycats of your favorite take out food.
So instead of my grocery list, I think that may have been rather dull, I'm just going to be talking about my menu.
I will tell you we got apples and halo oranges for our fruit this week. Apples are one of those fruits that you really should buy organic. My son loves the pink lady apples. There are 6 in each bag. The non organic apples have 9, but they are half the size. Since they mostly get used for apple pancakes I don't mind getting size over quantity.
I've become a big fan of making scones for breakfast. I think they are better than my prepackaged bag muffins, but with the cost of fruit I tend to lean towards the chocolate chip and peanut butter variety. I'm not a huge fpan of eggs. My husband only likes scrambled and my son is still wary of runny eggs. Breakfast has always been my least favorite meal. I'd eat smoothies for breakfast if I could. I'm working on finding better breakfast ideas.
Scones are actually pretty simple and my kid loves them. I do most of my mixing by hand. I lack a stand mixer sadly, but it's convenient because anything I recommend requires no special equipment.
http://www.mlovesmblog.com/search/label/recipe?updated-max=2013-07-05T09:04:00-07:00&max-results=20&start=8&by-date=false&m=1
I think I say it a billion times...I love leftovers. So I try to make it so I have enough leftovers that I only have to cook 4 days a week. Thanks to the takeout I never ended up cooking spaghetti so I now have that in reserve if I need it.
Last night I made alfredo with spinach. If you like to make your own alfredo, go for it. Here it's hot and we don't have central air. So my kitchen is like hades and the less time I spend over a stove the better. Just cook your pasta and let it sit in the strainer while you wilt the spinach. Then toss together with you're alfredo and you're done.
It also requires very few dishes which is a plus. One pot meals are a mom's best friend.
Tonight I'm making foccacia bread pizzas. I'm making two. One is for D and one is for me. E just shares everything we eat so he'll get what he likes. Mine will be broccoli and onion with cheddar and D's will be half pepperoni half cheese. That way everyone can have what they like and I don't get any complaints about lack of meat. I'm making the foccacia myself, also by hand, hoping it works out. All my baking has to be done Amish style so it's work, but I'm just going for it and hoping for the best. My family are good cooks, but very few bake.
http://www.handletheheat.com/focaccia-bread/
I'm not using the rosemary in this recipe, but I'm adding some garlic. It's been ages since I made a pizza at home so I'm par cooking the dough by reccomendation of my father.
I feel like I'm eating a lot of carbs this week, but it all sounded so delicious. This week's theme is simple and delicious. Next is a vegetarian pot pie. The nice thing is the meat is easily added to this and who doesn't love pot pie?
http://momstestkitchen.com/2014/03/easy-vegetable-pot-pie.html
Last, but not least one pot chicken, carrots, and potatoes. Chicken thighs, carrots, and potatoes seasoned and roasted in the oven. I'm using bone in, but you could easily substitute boneless thighs. I like chicken thighs because they are cheap and have a lot of flavor.
http://letthebakingbeginblog.com/2014/05/one-pot-chicken-potatoes/#_a5y_p=2054833
If you're ever wondering what we eat for lunch it's usually more leftovers. I need to get better at lunches. I actually want to do some cucumber sandwiches sometime.
Well I'm off to get working on my foccacia dough and get my 30 days done. Wish me luck with my dough.
So instead of my grocery list, I think that may have been rather dull, I'm just going to be talking about my menu.
I will tell you we got apples and halo oranges for our fruit this week. Apples are one of those fruits that you really should buy organic. My son loves the pink lady apples. There are 6 in each bag. The non organic apples have 9, but they are half the size. Since they mostly get used for apple pancakes I don't mind getting size over quantity.
I've become a big fan of making scones for breakfast. I think they are better than my prepackaged bag muffins, but with the cost of fruit I tend to lean towards the chocolate chip and peanut butter variety. I'm not a huge fpan of eggs. My husband only likes scrambled and my son is still wary of runny eggs. Breakfast has always been my least favorite meal. I'd eat smoothies for breakfast if I could. I'm working on finding better breakfast ideas.
Scones are actually pretty simple and my kid loves them. I do most of my mixing by hand. I lack a stand mixer sadly, but it's convenient because anything I recommend requires no special equipment.
http://www.mlovesmblog.com/search/label/recipe?updated-max=2013-07-05T09:04:00-07:00&max-results=20&start=8&by-date=false&m=1
I think I say it a billion times...I love leftovers. So I try to make it so I have enough leftovers that I only have to cook 4 days a week. Thanks to the takeout I never ended up cooking spaghetti so I now have that in reserve if I need it.
Last night I made alfredo with spinach. If you like to make your own alfredo, go for it. Here it's hot and we don't have central air. So my kitchen is like hades and the less time I spend over a stove the better. Just cook your pasta and let it sit in the strainer while you wilt the spinach. Then toss together with you're alfredo and you're done.
It also requires very few dishes which is a plus. One pot meals are a mom's best friend.
Tonight I'm making foccacia bread pizzas. I'm making two. One is for D and one is for me. E just shares everything we eat so he'll get what he likes. Mine will be broccoli and onion with cheddar and D's will be half pepperoni half cheese. That way everyone can have what they like and I don't get any complaints about lack of meat. I'm making the foccacia myself, also by hand, hoping it works out. All my baking has to be done Amish style so it's work, but I'm just going for it and hoping for the best. My family are good cooks, but very few bake.
http://www.handletheheat.com/focaccia-bread/
I'm not using the rosemary in this recipe, but I'm adding some garlic. It's been ages since I made a pizza at home so I'm par cooking the dough by reccomendation of my father.
I feel like I'm eating a lot of carbs this week, but it all sounded so delicious. This week's theme is simple and delicious. Next is a vegetarian pot pie. The nice thing is the meat is easily added to this and who doesn't love pot pie?
http://momstestkitchen.com/2014/03/easy-vegetable-pot-pie.html
Last, but not least one pot chicken, carrots, and potatoes. Chicken thighs, carrots, and potatoes seasoned and roasted in the oven. I'm using bone in, but you could easily substitute boneless thighs. I like chicken thighs because they are cheap and have a lot of flavor.
http://letthebakingbeginblog.com/2014/05/one-pot-chicken-potatoes/#_a5y_p=2054833
If you're ever wondering what we eat for lunch it's usually more leftovers. I need to get better at lunches. I actually want to do some cucumber sandwiches sometime.
Well I'm off to get working on my foccacia dough and get my 30 days done. Wish me luck with my dough.
Friday, May 1, 2015
Shopping
Today was shopping day so you get a breakdown of my list.
I always grab some fruit so today we got bananas and kiwi.
My toddler loves fruit so we always keep some handy. I'm a fan and it makes for a healthy snack.
Meat-I got some pork stew meat. I'm going to grill it with some hot sauce and lime juice. I picked up some skewers for those. Also some chicken thighs, but those were on sale and I need them next week.
Like I said, we're still eating meat a few days a week so I plan a few meals with them. I always keep an assortment of ground meat on hand, mostly chicken or turkey. I happen to have a lot so I didn't need to pick any up.
Veggies-Green onions, tomatos, lettuce, cucumber, and an avocado
Most of this is for burrito bowls.
Other- chow mein noodles, ranch dressing, quinoa, cinnamon life cereal, vegetable pasta, spaghetti sauce, sesame oil, and whole corn
Contrary to the belief of my husband, corn is a grain and not a vegetable. So it falls under the "other category". Quinoa and ranch are for burrito bowls. My son likes cinnamon life and pretty much no other cereal (we've tried generic. Not even close to the same taste.) I like to grab the vegetable pasta because who doesn't need extra vegetables? And it isn't so much more expensive. I try to buy organic when it's not crazy expensive. Sesame oil and chow mein noodles are for sesame noodles. I like the texture of the chow mein, but I'm pretty sure whoever wrote the recipe just uses spaghetti.
Staples- flour, milk, eggs, muffin mix, bread, and coffee creamer.
This is stuff that is always in our house. Sometimes I get a bug and get a baking fix and I make scones or something. Most of the time we eat eggs or muffins for breakfast. We buy whole milk because my husband drinks it so that's where most of it goes and I just don't argue (Anyone notice how particular he is yet? Too soon probably). He drinks coffee, but I switched to green tea with 1 tblsp. of honey. We get one in a bear because...toddler.
So as you can see I'm not a total health nut. I believe in eating what is good. I ate canollis on Wednesday with a white pizza and wine. Which was a treat. We rarely eat out.
I'm also not rich. Tack on another $35 worth of non-food items and all this comes out to a little over $100 for the week. I usually sit around $100-$125 for 3 people. I believe in leftovers. My husband hates eating the same thing. I'm not always sure what or if he eats, but I stick strictly to my budget. He usually gets himself stuff for lunch because he usually just tells me to get "whatever" and then hates what I get him. He's one of those people who is too busy to eat or falls asleep before getting to eat.
So this week's menu is:
Sesame noodles
burrito bowls
grilled honey lime pork with seasoned corn cooked in the crockpot
Spaghetti
and I keep Tuna patties as a stand by in case I misjudge how long food will last.
Usually during the winter I make a soup every week and we never run short. I've yet to find something that works for summer. I think it might be burrito bowls, but I might have to switch back to rice. I believe in leftovers. If you can make a lot of something that everyone likes and it isn't too expensive then go for it.
Fun fact: I can not cook rice to save my life. It never turns out right. Even when I use my rice cooker. That's why I use quinoa. Feel free to substitute.
OK so here's the part where I share the recipes. Very few of them are my own so I'll hand out the links, but this is literally what I'm eating.
Spaghetti- I dunno how you make it. Make it how you make it. I cook noodles, usually twisty because toddlers love them (I think they're called rotini), cook ground meat, and then dump everything in one pot with the sauce.
Burrito bowls-cook grain of choice, add veggies, add meat of choice (optional), add tasty dressing. Voila! Healthy delicious meal. It's like a salad with rice or something for those few unaware of what a burrito bowl is.
Sesame noodles- I do not use the chili oil in this recipe because a) I can't find it and b) husband (who I will now refer to as D. and toddler is now E.) can't do spicy or he gets heartburn, but it's still yummy and everyone loves it. Also, if you don't have canola oil any kind works. I've used grapeseed and it's still delicious.
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/08/simple-sesame-noodles/?crlt.pid=camp.L1rrvZsNX9cW
Honey Lime pork kebabs and seasoned corn- These are both something new so I hope they're good. If a recipe has cilantro or red pepper flakes in it I usually omit. The red pepper flakes due to D. and I really don't like them. I find that cilantro doesn't seem to make a difference if it is there or not so I just don't use it. Even tho it is a chicken recipe, I am using pork.
http://kitchenmeetsgirl.com/honey-lime-chicken-skewers/
I haven't decided if I'm doing one or more of the flavors here, but I'll let you know when it happens.
http://www.theyummylife.com/slow_cooker_corn_on_the_cob
And last but not least Tuna Patties- There are plenty of variations of this so feel free to explore. I am a huge fan of Pinterest. I really like this recipe though. I buy the 4 pack of cans and just add enough of the ingredients until it seems right and eat it with a nice veggie or applesauce.
http://www.kaylasjoy.com/tuna-patties/
So that's what we're eating this week. It may seem overly healthy, but have no fear I'm making pizza next week.
I don't like counting calories or avoiding carbs. You can still eat healthy without doing all that. It's just about being concious of what and how much you're eating.
I always grab some fruit so today we got bananas and kiwi.
My toddler loves fruit so we always keep some handy. I'm a fan and it makes for a healthy snack.
Meat-I got some pork stew meat. I'm going to grill it with some hot sauce and lime juice. I picked up some skewers for those. Also some chicken thighs, but those were on sale and I need them next week.
Like I said, we're still eating meat a few days a week so I plan a few meals with them. I always keep an assortment of ground meat on hand, mostly chicken or turkey. I happen to have a lot so I didn't need to pick any up.
Veggies-Green onions, tomatos, lettuce, cucumber, and an avocado
Most of this is for burrito bowls.
Other- chow mein noodles, ranch dressing, quinoa, cinnamon life cereal, vegetable pasta, spaghetti sauce, sesame oil, and whole corn
Contrary to the belief of my husband, corn is a grain and not a vegetable. So it falls under the "other category". Quinoa and ranch are for burrito bowls. My son likes cinnamon life and pretty much no other cereal (we've tried generic. Not even close to the same taste.) I like to grab the vegetable pasta because who doesn't need extra vegetables? And it isn't so much more expensive. I try to buy organic when it's not crazy expensive. Sesame oil and chow mein noodles are for sesame noodles. I like the texture of the chow mein, but I'm pretty sure whoever wrote the recipe just uses spaghetti.
Staples- flour, milk, eggs, muffin mix, bread, and coffee creamer.
This is stuff that is always in our house. Sometimes I get a bug and get a baking fix and I make scones or something. Most of the time we eat eggs or muffins for breakfast. We buy whole milk because my husband drinks it so that's where most of it goes and I just don't argue (Anyone notice how particular he is yet? Too soon probably). He drinks coffee, but I switched to green tea with 1 tblsp. of honey. We get one in a bear because...toddler.
So as you can see I'm not a total health nut. I believe in eating what is good. I ate canollis on Wednesday with a white pizza and wine. Which was a treat. We rarely eat out.
I'm also not rich. Tack on another $35 worth of non-food items and all this comes out to a little over $100 for the week. I usually sit around $100-$125 for 3 people. I believe in leftovers. My husband hates eating the same thing. I'm not always sure what or if he eats, but I stick strictly to my budget. He usually gets himself stuff for lunch because he usually just tells me to get "whatever" and then hates what I get him. He's one of those people who is too busy to eat or falls asleep before getting to eat.
So this week's menu is:
Sesame noodles
burrito bowls
grilled honey lime pork with seasoned corn cooked in the crockpot
Spaghetti
and I keep Tuna patties as a stand by in case I misjudge how long food will last.
Usually during the winter I make a soup every week and we never run short. I've yet to find something that works for summer. I think it might be burrito bowls, but I might have to switch back to rice. I believe in leftovers. If you can make a lot of something that everyone likes and it isn't too expensive then go for it.
Fun fact: I can not cook rice to save my life. It never turns out right. Even when I use my rice cooker. That's why I use quinoa. Feel free to substitute.
OK so here's the part where I share the recipes. Very few of them are my own so I'll hand out the links, but this is literally what I'm eating.
Spaghetti- I dunno how you make it. Make it how you make it. I cook noodles, usually twisty because toddlers love them (I think they're called rotini), cook ground meat, and then dump everything in one pot with the sauce.
Burrito bowls-cook grain of choice, add veggies, add meat of choice (optional), add tasty dressing. Voila! Healthy delicious meal. It's like a salad with rice or something for those few unaware of what a burrito bowl is.
Sesame noodles- I do not use the chili oil in this recipe because a) I can't find it and b) husband (who I will now refer to as D. and toddler is now E.) can't do spicy or he gets heartburn, but it's still yummy and everyone loves it. Also, if you don't have canola oil any kind works. I've used grapeseed and it's still delicious.
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/08/simple-sesame-noodles/?crlt.pid=camp.L1rrvZsNX9cW
Honey Lime pork kebabs and seasoned corn- These are both something new so I hope they're good. If a recipe has cilantro or red pepper flakes in it I usually omit. The red pepper flakes due to D. and I really don't like them. I find that cilantro doesn't seem to make a difference if it is there or not so I just don't use it. Even tho it is a chicken recipe, I am using pork.
http://kitchenmeetsgirl.com/honey-lime-chicken-skewers/
I haven't decided if I'm doing one or more of the flavors here, but I'll let you know when it happens.
http://www.theyummylife.com/slow_cooker_corn_on_the_cob
And last but not least Tuna Patties- There are plenty of variations of this so feel free to explore. I am a huge fan of Pinterest. I really like this recipe though. I buy the 4 pack of cans and just add enough of the ingredients until it seems right and eat it with a nice veggie or applesauce.
http://www.kaylasjoy.com/tuna-patties/
So that's what we're eating this week. It may seem overly healthy, but have no fear I'm making pizza next week.
I don't like counting calories or avoiding carbs. You can still eat healthy without doing all that. It's just about being concious of what and how much you're eating.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)