Healthy Cocoa Cereal YUM!!!

This looks SO good!  Must make for those days when you're craving some serious kid food.



http://www.oatmealwithafork.com/2013/05/06/5-ingredient-healthy-cocoa-crispies/

Day 159!

Wow!  Long time since Day 22.  Bad news is, didn't stick to the plan as thought.  Good new is, I now am down to 225. 

As to sticking to the healthy eating and exercise, well, let's just say it's time to begin again.  This has been a very stressful few months.

My school job ended up being a bust.  Wasn't enough students to warrant full-time work so I found a job at a home health agency.  It completely stressed me out and I went to the hospital three times in three weeks with what we suspect is Bell's palsy and  diverticulitis!  OUCH!  Figured out it was all due to major stress.  Job had to go.  I am in search of again.  ~sigh~

So, here I am, starting again.  At least I am starting again and not giving up.  That's the most important part.  And at least I am down a few more pounds as well. 

So, let the games begin...again!

Day 22-One of Those Days (and weigh in too)

My weigh in was a bit disappointing.  I didn't lose anything this week.  Of course, I didn't gain either so I'll count that as a win.

Since I promised to be honest on this little blog, here's some truth.  I'm having one of those days.  You know the kind?  The day when everything is blah and you just don't want to do anything. 

I actually slept for 12 hours, which is definitely not my normal.  I'm a 7-8 hour a night kind of gal.  I noticed I was starting to feel a little down last night for no real reason.  Sure, we're got our problems but things are looking better.  I've got a new job with tons of opportunity and things are going smoothly for the most part.  I've had my dealings with depression over the years so I know what's up. 

I woke this morning just wanting to stay in and eat comfort food.  So, guess what?  I did just that.  Since I got up so late, I didn't eat breakfast.  I went straight to lunch and the ultimate comfort foods from my childhood, Springfield-Style cashew chicken and chocolate pie.

Cashew chicken was the ultimate treat when I was growing up.  My parents would bring it home occasionally from the Bamboo Inn on Friday nights.  Crispy fried chicken nuggets covered in a flavorful oyster sauce sprinkled with green onions and cashews.  This was served with a side of pork fried rice.  Definitely not real Chinese food but I loved it. 

Chocolate pie was my Grandmother Finley's specialty.  It's homey and comforting.  Eating it is like being enveloped in a great big chocolately hug.  Good for me?  Probably not so much physically but let me tell you, my spirit is satisfied to the nth degree!

Tomorrow is another day.  I'll be going to work for a few hours and hopefully, my blues will benefit from some social interactions.  Until then, I'm going to embrace my mood, go with the flow and just let myself be. 

Lunch was cashew chicken, rice and chocolate pie.

Dinner was pizza with black olives and onions. 

Eating the Rainbow today?  Didn't care.

Day 21-Finnagin Begin Again!

Been looking at the foods of the last few days and yes, I've been very slack on my veggie and fruit intake.  Chalking it up to being busy is nothing but an excuse.  Old bad habits are hard to kick.  So, today, back to the Rainbow counter!  I've also been slacking off on walking so I shall reset my counter to a big old ZERO and begin again. 

I could be beating myself up, telling myself how bad I am, blah blah blah.  But this time, I'm taking a different tact.  This time, I am going to learn from my set-backs because I'm human.  I will have set backs.  The key is to start over.  No matter what, I can always start over.  Finding the patterns to why I'm having trouble and then making a plan to overcome those issues is the key.

Part of my issues this past week was my job.  I wasn't prepared to pack my own lunches.  I also didn't get to pre-cook foods for dinner.  This lead to being too hungry, tired, &/or feeling rushed, none of which are good for following a healthy diet.  My plan is to have a few back-up meals in the freezer so if this happens, I can still have a delicious and nutritious dinner but not have to expend a ton of time or energy doing so. I will also have veggies pre-chopped and make pasta, rice and other grains and bag them up in the fridge.  Easy peasy. 

Breakfast today was an English muffin with butter and jam and black coffee.  I just wasn't very hungry this morning.

Lunch and dinner were rolled into one.  I was seriously craving Chinese food, specifically, Sweet & Sour Chicken, which is odd as it's not my usual go-to.  So, yes, I made Sweet & Sour chicken from scratch to sooth my cravings.  Ate it with a side of rice.  Delish! The nice thing about making it yourself, you can add more veggies! 

Evening snack was berry sorbet, made with blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries. 

Happy to say, I ate the Rainbow today! WOOT!

Eating the Rainbow:
Red: Strawberries, raspberries
Orange: Carrots
Yellow: Pineapple
Green: Green peppers
Blue: Blueberries, blackberries
White: Onion, garlic

Day 20-The Dreaded Work Pot-Luck

So, it's here.  The work pot-luck.  Who knows what will show up.  I was convinced most of it will be convenient and not so great for me.  I took shortbread cookies.  I know they were made with real, simple ingredients, just butter, sugar, and flour.  No preservatives.  No chemicals. 100% real food.  

I was pleasantly surprised.  Several co-workers took the time to make some delicious from-scratch dishes.  We had dirty rice, homemade spaghetti sauce (who does that anymore!), BBQ chicken thighs, roasted potatoes with onions and peppers, and chicken enchiladas.  Delish!  Most of the dessert items were store-bought except mine, which by the way, everyone went ga-ga for!  All in all, I was impressed. 

Breakfast was scrambled eggs with chives (using 1 full egg and 2 egg whites) topped with ajvar, toast, butter, strawberry jam and coffee with a splash of milk. 

Lunch was pot luck.  See above.  No pictures.  Sorry.

Dinner was waffles with peanut butter and sausage. 

Day 19-Is it Summer?

Yet another beautiful day in Oklahoma.  Our high will be in the upper 60s again today!  Makes me wonder what this summer is going to be like. 

We're having a pot luck at school tomorrow, so I made cookies.  If I can keep Hubs out of them, I'm sure my co-workers will love them.  Basic shortbread, some with strawberry jam, some with peach preserves and some with chocolate frosting.  Yes, I indulged and had one strawberry and one chocolate.  Pretty tasty, if I do say so myself!

Breakfast was French toast with pecans, sausage and black coffee.  Homemade bread sure makes for some delicious French toast!

Lunch was special pimento and cheese (recipe coming later), olives, crackers, and pickles.

Dinner was probably the best roast chicken I ever made, carrots, onions, potatoes with sour cream and salad with French dressing. 

And just in case you were wondering, I typically drink water with my meals.  Occasionally I'll have iced tea but usually, it's just plain ole water.

Day 18-Saturday in the Sun

It's another beautiful day in OKC.  Today's high is supposed to be 62.  Tomorrow is supposed to be almost 70! Unbelievable!  I've got the day to myself.  Hubs and Son are visiting the grandparents for the day and won't be home until supper time.  Yes, I'm enjoying the quiet.

Breakfast was odd.  I have a ton of leftovers in the fridge and spied a few things rooting around in the kitchen.  I had Chili 5-Way which consisted of spaghetti, chili with beans, onions, and cheese.  I know it's kinda weird for breakfast but I've eaten chili for breakfast since I was two years old.  My mom figured it was full of protein and healthy so why not?  It's been a favorite breakfast since.

Lunch was veggie skettie.  I sautéed some squash, onions, green peppers, carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower, added garlic and spices, then threw in a cup of angle hair pasta and a squeeze of Ranch dressing, and topped with a bit of parmesan cheese. 

Dinner was eggplant parmesan sandwiches and French fries.  I forgot to take pictures.  Sorry.

I stayed up very late and ended up having some popcorn and one those Mexican T.V dinners.  Fortunately, they are pretty small so it wasn't too much damage.  Guess I was hungry.

It looks like I'm eating a lot but I have been paying more attention to portion sizes.  My pasta servings were 1 cup of cooked pasta.  Before, I'd eat at least twice that if not more.  I'm eating what I want but less of it.  I'm going to continue that to see how it affects things.