Comfort food...is there anything better?

Once upon a time, when I ate "badly" I used to eat this wonderful concoction called, "dirty fries."  It was homemade sloppy joes (ok, ok, sometimes Manwich) over baked french fries, with a pile of cheese on the top.  After I changed my diet, I lost a little piece of myself when I lost my dirty fries.  Alright, a lot of myself...

Fast forward to tonight.  I made homemade sloppy joes and put it over baked sweet potato fries. 

So, here's the deal - the recipe...it's my very own.  When I say that my kids devour it, I really mean they inhale it.  It's clean, no sugar...nothing bad.  I put the kids' sloppy on buns with a little cheese and mine, well, I put over Trader Joe's sweet potato fries with a tiny sprinkle of cheese.  Tomorrow, my leftovers will be over half of a sweet potato...so maybe we should call that a "dirty loaded sweet potato?"  Hm. 

Anyway, you can dress this up or down...however you want it...or keep it the way it is.  This is my tried and true recipe, I've made it over and over again...I sincerely swear by it.  Now, without further adieu, the coveted (at least in my house) recipe:

Clean Sloppy Joes -

1 lbs ground chicken/turkey
1 small onion
1 small green pepper
(brown these all together until the veggies are soft and the meat is cooked through.  Add sea salt, black pepper, garlic and onion powder, as well...all to taste).

2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1.5 tbsp honey
1 tbsp yellow mustard
1 cup tomato sauce
3/4 cup water or chicken broth
(add all of this to the meat/veggie mixture, stir well until blended, add sea salt, pepper, and onion powder to taste.  Cover and simmer for a good 15-20 minutes so the flavors mingle).

Serve this delicious sloppy meat mixture over your choice of sweet potato fries, baked sweet potato, or steamed spaghetti squash.  Here is a picture of this yummy goodness:

So, my food today was pretty low, again.  Totally clean, yes, but I missed a couple snacks, but my eggs, banana, grilled chicken with steamed broccoli, and strawberries (I believe 7 of them) all happened today.

Now, what questions do you have?  Do you have any variations to this recipe?  How were your weekends....and what are you doing this weekend for 4th of July!?!   

Super quick, super fast:

I have a pretty busy weekend ahead, but I wanted to give you a food list today, as it's a little different. 

*8am - 3 hard boiled (warm...mmmm) eggs, 1 banana
*10 - 1/4 cup mixed nuts and 3 strawberries
*12pm - the cabbage recipe from last week, there was enough to freeze three meals.  So, those leftovers and a string cheese
*2pm - 1 whole peach
*6pm - probably the same thing as lunch...since I have so much. 

I hope you all have a wonderful Friday and an even better weekend.  Enjoy! 

Stressful days and stressful nights, but I will not over eat!

Four words:  Cold soft boiled eggs. 

Those were my breakfast and I'm pretty sure I gagged a little.  I LOVE runny yolks...love them.  However, they have to be warm or hot.  I can do soft boiled eggs (or even eggs over medium) every day if I wanted to, but when they are cold, there's just no way.  I also had an overripe banana this morning.  Think we can restart the breakfast part of the day?  I'd like to give it a try, at least...who has the time machine?!  Ha! 

So, yesterday.  Whew!!  Probably one of the hardest days I've had in a while.  Lots of decisions to be made, nothing really over the top, but as you all know I'm a single mom...a full time one, at that.  I live by myself with the kids and see the boyfriend a couple times per week....we have our routines.  Anyway, being a single mom, at times, is really, really stressful and exhausting.  The daily choices you make, even the simplest ones, could be detrimental to your future.  So, as I'm sitting here, writing, I have several forks in the road and I am trying really hard to figure out which one will be the best one.  It's overwhelming to say the least.

Here's the thing, though,when I stress out, I don't stress eat...I write (bet you couldn't have guessed that)!  I take time out of my day to put words onto paper....whether it's typed or handwritten.  Sometimes I'll share it with people, other times I just save it to my computer and move on.  I've heard from several people about stress eating and I totally get it, I do, but I think what we need to figure out, for you, how to move away from the food and move towards something else that will be more beneficial.  What do you like to do?  Knit, write, exercise, playing sports...there are so many options out there.  I will say, the absolute best thing I could have ever done for myself is get rid of all the junk (other than the kids' snack stuff that I usually don't eat anyway) so I wouldn't have the temptation. You don't have to throw it away, either.  Donate it to a local food bank...so many people in our areas, wherever you live, need these items.  If you absolutely need to snack...have peanut butter (or any nut butter with NO added sugar.  I highly recommend Trader Joe's nut butters) and an apple, carrots and hummus, and sliced fruit (although I try to stay away from grapes)...I'd say dark chocolate, as well, but I'm not a very big fan and it's very easy to over eat it. 

Please take this into account: although you're eating better, you can still overeat.  By overeating you can gain weight and make it more difficult to lose the weight you've already lost.  Make sure to count and measure things out.  Measuring is the best thing you could ever do for yourself.  Buy a food scale (I found a super cheap one at Walmart), find out how many calories each strawberry has...or how many calories 2 tbsp of hummus has.  I know that if I sit down with my full container of hummus in front of me, with the Sam's Club bag of baby organic carrots, I'll eat until I can't see anymore...and that overeating can cause weight gain.  Believe me, I'd rather gain weight from a huge bowl of ice cream, than overeating carrots and hummus!!!  LOL 

Oh, yeah...one more thing.  Someone asked me about cheats and if I started having cheat meals right away.  No, I did not.  I took three months to have a cheat meal...and it was only one meal per weekend at that time.  I slowly wanted to incorporate certain things back into my diet...even if I was only eating them on the weekends. 

And here's my food list for the day....I know, I know...super repetitive, but I hope this list is helping someone, somewhere!

*8am - 2 COLD soft boiled eggs and a very overripe banana (gag, but I got through it)
*10am - 2 cups watermelon
*12pm - chicken breast, steamed broccoli, and green beans.
*2pm - 7 strawberries
*6pm - shrimp and chicken quesadillas.  Instead of tortillas, I'll use my living lettuce (bib) as wraps and the kids will have the tortillas.  I'll have a whole tomato, a little salsa (Trader Joe's), shrimp and chicken (I'll boil the shrimp in chili powder, cumin, and sea salt.  The chicken is a frozen bag of grilled chicken strips from Trader Joe's and I'll add a little spice to them, but not much), an avocado, and I'll make black beans (canned...rinse the beans well before cooking...add olive oil, a little bit of garlic and a bay leaf, let simmer...then add your beans and let it all simmer together for about 30 minutes....sooooo very good)!   Here is a link to the chicken I buy from Trader Joe's, http://palepage.com/?p=2517, these are amazing for quick meals, I use them for a lot of different things.  FYI, I will add a little colby jack cheese to mine, as well...the kids will have more than a little, since they're having quesadillas. 

So, what questions do you have for me?  I'm here to answer any and all...I'm an open book and will be completely honest with you!  Comment here or send me a Facebook message.  I truly look forward to hearing from you!! 

Way too much on my mind today....

Sorry for posting later than I usually do.  I have several things going on, personally, that I'm trying to take care of..  Nothing to worry about, at all..so no one panic.  Unfortunately, I still don't feel well, not sure what's going on, but the tummy is not very happy.  I barely ate yesterday, but I did get in dinner, thankfully.

Anyway, this evening the boys are going to the movies to see Jaws.  It's the 40th anniversary, so the movie theater in Uptown Charlotte is playing it for $3!  Now, you know what they say: "while the boys are away, the girls will play!!!"  And in my world "playing" means going out to eat!  I thought we'd go to a local BBQ (for all those who don't live in the South, I mean pulled pork and home cooking...) place here, one that's been around for awhile.  However, someone reminded me of an even better BBQ restaurant here in town, so we may go there.  Last time we had the food, Kara LOVED the ribs.  So, maybe we'll share a plate of ribs and have a side each...collards for me and maybe mac n cheese for her.  Tonight, the options are endless!!! 

Well, now you know what I'm doing for dinner, but you don't know what I've done the rest of the day....so here is the list:

*8am - 3 hard boiled eggs and a banana (surprise!!)
*10am - 15 baby carrots and 2 tbsp hummus (the carrots were super little for some reason)
*12pm - the food I was supposed to eat yesterday.  grilled chicken, grilled veggies, and half of a sweet potato
*6pm - either ribs or pulled pork (BBQ) and a veggie of some sort. 

Now, I'm off to do a little work and then it'll be time to go home!!  As always, if you have any questions, please ask...I'm here for everyone.  Have a wonderful hump day, y'all! 

I'm on the edge...

The edge of getting sick, that it is. I'm not sure what's up, but there has been a nasty tummy bug going around. I really hope that's not it, but with the way my tummy feels and the constant sick feeling in my throat, I'm leaning towards that. Bah!  

Since I don't really feel like writing today, or eating, I'm going to make this super quick. 

I made a grocery run yesterday. I bought everything I needed for the week (plus some) and bought the kids their stuff. 

 

That's all of my stuff!!  We have: One head of living lettuce, one rotisserie chicken, 2 yellow squash, 2 zucchini, vine ripened tomatoes, 5 peaches, 1 lbs of strawberries, a bunch of fresh asparagus, 2.75lbs of cherries, 2 packages of plain hummus, 2 packages of shirataki noodles, 2 cans of diced tomatoes, one small can tomato paste, and one 15oz can tomato sauce.

Not pictured (kids stuff): A gallon of whole milk, 3 boxes of cereal, frozen pizza, and 2 small frozen lasagnes.  

Total grocery bill: $63. (The cherries were $11...on sale.  Woah.)

Anyway, I think anyone can do this. I understand cost of living is different in every town/state, but you still need a game plan, a meal plan, and willpower. If you have those three things, you can do anything!!  

So, onto my daily food list. I probably won't eat most of this stuff today, but I still wanted to show you what my game plan is/was.  

*8am - 3 hard boiled eggs and a banana (I ate this, but haven't eaten since). 

*10am - 21 cherries (they're calling my name right now, but I'm afraid...very afraid). 

*12pm - grilled chicken breast, half of a sweet potato, and grilled mixed veggies from the kabobs on Sunday. 

*2pm - 2 cups watermelon

*6pm - rotisserie chicke (one breast, only, for me) and steamed broccoli with a little shredded Colby Jack cheese...I'm talking 1/4 cup...if that. (I'll make the kids whatever starch/carb they'd like, but they'll eat everything else). 

Now, I'm off to wallow in self pity and pray this is just a fluke. By the way, those cherries are still callin' my name. Have a great day, y'all!

Sunday funday...every.single.week.

I'm not sure if any of you know this, but Sundays are my most favorite days of the week!  I'm a single mom and am divorced.  Due to my ex-husband's work schedule I don't have the usual full weekends away from my children, like some families do.  I have my children 7 days per week, usually.  So, every other Sunday my children head with their dad for a few hours and I'm usually with Brian, the boyfriend.  We have lunch, grocery shop at Sam's Club, eat ice cream, and now, since it's nice and warm (read: HOT) out, we've decided to grill every Sunday night for dinner.  Not only do I get an amazing healthy dinner, but I can make some pretty spectacular lunches for the week out of the leftovers.  Last night was no exception.  After getting back from the lake, the kids went with their dad for a couple hours and I headed to Brian's and we grilled out.  We had chicken, shrimp, beef (for Brian) and veggie kabobs...the kids joined us that night to eat, and we made them pork chops and apple sauce. 

This past weekend was a blur.  The kids and I had so much fun at the lake and were able to catch a ton of fish, swim, jet ski, and just lounge around.  All three of us came back tired, tan, and ready for our next vacation in a couple of weeks!!!  Florida, baby!  This week the kids started separate S.T.E.M programs, so I'm sure they'll have a ton to talk about this week.  Good news is, these programs will not cut into my nightly meal prep and cooking...whew!! 

When you eat the way I do...you need time.  Not a lot, but still some time to really get things ready.  I know you probably hear about people meal prepping and how much time they put into it...etc.  Well, I'm here to tell you, as much as I really TRY to meal prep, I usually don't...other than cut up fruit.  Honestly, when people tell me they don't have time to "eat healthy," I usually take it as them not really wanting to or really caring.  I'm a full time mom, I work full time, and I'm in college (although I'm taking the summer semester off this year)...if I have the time to do this...you do too!  If you can take the time to cut up a watermelon, wash berries, and boil eggs (I do this every other morning) then you have time to eat healthy...I promise.  You really just need a plan of action.  What fruits do you love to eat?  What about your breakfasts...will you do hard boiled eggs like me...or maybe steel cut oats?  For lunches, will you eat leftovers from dinner last night, or maybe a quick, easy to put together salad?  Then there's dinner!!  What will you have for dinner?  Do you need to thaw the meat?  Is there enough to make for everyone and will there be enough for leftovers?  This plan is all up to you and what you have time for. 

I think, for me, it takes less time to cook, as I don't have a complex meal plan.  It's usually protein/meat and vegetables.  That doesn't take long, at all.  The thing that takes the longest is whatever starch/carb I'm making for the kids that night.  Like tonight, I'm making spaghetti (I'll post all ingredients and food lists below).  The kids will have spaghetti noodles and I'll have shirataki noodles (I buy these at Wal-Mart or Harris Teeter in the refrigerated produce section: http://www.walmart.com/ip/Nasoya-Pasta-Zero-Plus-Shirataki-Spaghetti-8-oz/33141085).  These noodles are great and usually around $2 per bag (closer to the fall and winter I stop using these for spaghetti and go to spaghetti squash).  I buy multiple bags per grocery trip, as I use them pretty often.  Make sure to rinse them really well before heating them up, though!  After adding them to your sauce/soup/whatever it'll take on the flavor and they're great! 

So, what is the hardest part for you?  Is it the time it takes to prepare, or just cook, in general?   Are you an extremely picky eater?  What obstacles are you facing when it comes to healthy eating? 

Food list for this wonderful Monday:

*8am - hard boiled eggs, banana
*10am - 11 baby carrots and two tbsp hummus (plain)
*12pm - grilled chicken, shrimp, and vegetables (onion, green pepper, mushrooms, yellow squash, zucchini)
*2pm - 3 whole kiwi
*6pm - spaghetti (1.5 pounds ground turkey, this sauce: http://www.tammileetips.com/2013/05/gwyneth-paltrows-go-to-tomato-sauce-recipe/ and one full bag of shirtaki noodles - the link is listed above...the kids will have regular spaghetti noodles). 

I'd love to hear from you with any questions you may have.  Also, I have my Facebook page I started, and am posting daily pictures of food and other links I find interesting.  https://www.facebook.com/fromcupcakestobrusselsprouts?pnref=story. You're more than welcome to Share, Pin, Follow, or comment!!! 

Super de duper quick post!

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't in bed right now. My day has been full of swimming, lounging and fishing. We caught a ton of perch, blue gill and pumpkin-something-or-another today!  It was great. We actually have two lines out right now, hoping for big cat fish!  Don't worry, we're a catch and release family. 

Anyway, down to the nitty gritty...the food. My time lines are all of on vacation, so I'll post a list, without times, like yesterday. 

Breakfast: three hard boiled eggs and 5 whole strawberries.

Lunch: salad with a half of grilled chicken breast and 3 slices of boars head ham. I had 2tsp (yes...teaspoons) of thousand island dressing...because I love it. Sue me. ;)  

Snack: 2 cups of watermelon.

Dinner: grilled turkey burger, lettuce, tomato, pickle (no bun, no condiments), homemade guacamole, multi giant chips, and half of an ear of grilled corn on the cob. 

I hope everyone has a wonderful Sunday tomorrow, and to all the dads, Happy Father's Day!!  Does anyone have big plans tomorrow?

(A snippet of my day...lake full of kids and my dad, with his Father's Day cigar, in the midst of it all!)

Lake living.

This weekend I'm at the lake, Lake Murray, that is. My Aunt owns a house on the water and allows us to come down (2 hour drive) several times a year to just vegge out. So, this weekend we decided to head down here and take the time to chill out and relax. I needed a break from reality, badly.  

Anyway, like I said in the previous posts, I do cheat.  I try my hardest to not eat fast food (burgers and fries, are no longer in my vocabulary)...today, however called for something quick while on the road. I went to McDonald's...twice. Breakfast was oatmeal, plain, and a yogurt parfait. For lunch I had a grilled chicken premium wrap, no cucumbers. My snack was a handful of peanuts...and water, water, water. Dinner, unfortunately, will be pizza...so it'll be one of my cheats for the weekend. Tomorrow, I promise will be a MUCH better food day!  

Now, I'm off to get the kids out of the water so that the skin wrinkles will go away before dinner.

Here's my view for the evening!  Have a great weekend, y'all!!

Maintenance, willpower...and all that jazz!

Ohhhh, maintaining.  Let me tell you, this is a life style change.  It's not a diet, it's not a quick fix, it's not something I'll ever give up on...ever.  When I decided to eat this way, I went all in, there was no looking back.  I went years thinking about how different it would be if I finally just stuck to something and not give up.  Here I am, June 18, 2015, and I haven't backed down, I haven't stopped believing.  Believing in yourself and your ability will be the only way you'll ever be able to stick to healthy and clean eating.

This isn't easy, y'all.  It's not.  There is temptation EVERYWHERE.  My children had doughnuts for breakfast...powdered, sugary cake doughnuts.  I wanted one, I wanted to remember how they melt in your mouth after the first bite.  Sweet, glorious, yumminess.  However, I knew that if I took one bite, I'd blow my day out of the water...so I stopped myself, threw away the one last itty bitty bite my son couldn't finish and I realized that this was a victory!!  Kristi - 1, Doughnut - 0.  If I can throw this away, you can too...believe me.  Willpower, y'all...mega loads of willpower. 

Back in April, around Easter, I was at the lake with my family.  We had food...lots of really good food.  I tried very hard to eat clean and keep the carbs down, but my Aunt made this macaroni and cheese that I could not resist.  So, I ate it.  Once I ate it, it was downhill for me.  I gained a few pounds that weekend.  Now, a few pounds doesn't sound like much, but to me, it is.  I feel heavy and bloated and know that I need to really buckle down to get that weight off.  Well, I buckled down on Monday and for some reason the weight wasn't coming off like it used to.  Then, six weeks later, I went on vacation with the boyfriend.  I cheat on vacations, well, because I'm on vacation and if a biscuit is an option with my breakfast omelet...I'm getting the biscuit...and the hashbrowns/homefries (I'm not much of a grit eater).  Dinner was delicious, FRESH, local seafood...but some of it was fried, some of it came with hushpuppies, and those seafood nachos were out of this world.  We were gone for four days and I gained a total of 5 pounds on the trip.  When I got back from the trip, I had gained a total of 8, EIGHT, pounds in 6 weeks.  UGH!  The Monday after we got back I had to do something...I felt absolutely horrible.  So, I did what I always do, I buckled down and started really, really watching what I ate.  It has been four weeks and I've lost 7 pounds...one more pound to go to get to where I was at the beginning of April.  Cha, Cha, Cha!

Anyway, the moral of the story is this:  Please know that if you decide to have cheat meals, that's great, but limit them and don't over do it or over eat...it's very easy to do.  This is a life style, when you start eating something you cut out of your diet (like biscuits or fried food), completely,  your body will go crazy and you will gain weight.  If you DO gain weight, then start all over again.  It's easy, it's simple, you got this! 

Now, for the important part of the day....FOOD!!  Remember, this will be pretty repetitive depending on the last time I grocery shopped and what all I have in my fridge!  Ha!

*8am - 3 hard boiled eggs and a banana (yep, again....I'm a creature of habit and I LOVE it)
*10am - 2 cups of watermelon
*12pm - leftovers from Tuesday's dinner (hummus chicken, sauteed spinach, and grilled cauliflower)
*2pm - 12 whole strawberries
*6pm - This:  http://smilesandwich.com/2014/07/25/amish-one-pan-ground-beef-and-cabbage-skillet/ (I'll be changing the ground beef to ground pork and will use olive oil instead of butter, I also may add a touch of thyme).  **My kids will not eat this, so I'll make them something else.  This will leave me with a boat load of leftovers and I'll freeze them for quick dinner meals and lunches.    

I hope everyone has a great Thursday!!  Today is my Friday, though, and the kids and I will be leaving tomorrow morning for the lake in South Carolina...we can't wait!  I promise I'll keep posting while I'm gone.  Oh!  I started a Facebook page so you can connect with me through there, as well.  The link is:  https://www.facebook.com/fromcupcakestobrusselsprouts?fref=nf

I look forward to meeting new people and seeing new faces!! 

Cheater, cheater, pumpkin eater!

I find this hilarious and completely ironic, but one of my biggest passions, besides writing, is baking.  Cupcakes, cookies, brownies, cakes, pies...you name it, I've baked it.  I wouldn't say this was the start of my weight gain, cause let's face it, I've always struggled with my weight and fluctuations depending on what was going on in my life.  There was actually a time, when I was much younger, that I actually refused to bake box brownies..I HATED baking.  One day, however, I decided to try my hand at homemade cupcakes...and then cookies...and cakes.  Before I knew it I had a very small side business blooming and was able to bake for people all over my town and for my family.  I wish I could tell you that I've stopped baking, but I haven't.  I usually bake for birthday parties for my family still, and I bake every other Friday for my boyfriend and his doctorate cohorts.  You can say he's spoiled, but there's nothing better than having the satisfaction of someone, anyone, taste something you've made from scratch and they're instantly satisfied.  Instant taste gratification...there's nothing better, well, almost.  Ha!

So, when it comes to baking, I'm sure everyone wonders if I eat any and if I do how much do I eat...etc.  Well, I do taste the batter when making it and once the product is finished, I'll usually eat one or two, depending on what it is.  Although, several weeks ago I made these peanut butter chocolate chip cookies and I ate a lot of those.  I couldn't help myself.  I paid for it later, though.  You see, once you start eating clean/healthy and you abstain from eating sugar during the week, your body and your gut changes, drastically.  Anything over sugary will send my tummy into a swirling mess and I'm miserable.  This is why, when I do cheat, I limit myself to small portions.  I hate paying the price for my sugar over-consumption. 

Alright, so, cheat meals.  How often do I cheat and what do I eat?  Well, I usually go out to eat Saturday nights for dinner and Sunday afternoons for lunch.  These are my cheat meals, but I always proceed with caution.  If I'm at Razzoos (yummy cajun food) I get the Jumbalya pasta, hold the andouille sausage and add extra crawfish!  If I'm at Antonny's Caribbean Cafe' I'll have 1/4 chicken white, potato salad, and black beans.  Sometimes we decide on Mexican and I'll eat a burrito full of chicken and veggies (although sometimes I'm really good at Mexican and we'll get fajitas for two and I'll only eat the meat and veggies and leave the tortillas for someone else).  Oh!!!  And if it's warm outside, the boyfriend and I will go and get ice cream at a local creamery here in town. That usually happens every other Sunday, on our date days.  I'll have a kiddie cup and it's just enough to take away the ice cream cravings and not give me a tummy ache!  These things are my only cheats, though.  I do allow pasta, I do allow potatoes and mayo....heck, sometimes I'll even eat breaded and FRIED chicken fingers...gasp!!  I've also, very slowly, incorporated pizza back into my cheats.  It really depends on where I'm eating and what they have to offer.  I never, ever, eat fast food, though...at all.  That is one thing I have totally and completely stayed away from. 

Monday through Fridays are my amazing clean days.  I know they say 80/20, but I'm really at 90/10 since I only have two cheat meals (not full days) under my belt in a seven day period. 

Now, onto the really, really important stuff...my food for the day!!! 

*8am - 3 hard boiled eggs with banana
*10am -11 baby organic carrots and 2 tbsp original hummus
*12pm - My techs asked me out to lunch today...so a salad will probably be had. 
*2pm - sliced kiwi and nectarine
*6pm - I'm going out with Jake, my 11 year old...we're doing Mexican, not sure what I'll have, but I'm thinking the Fajita taco salad with shrimp (hold the rice, load up the veggies and shrimp)! 

Here's another before and after picture...the one on the left was taken in 2012 the one on the right was last year right after I hit my goal weight!










So, what cheats do you allow yourself to have?  Do you ever go overboard and pay for it later?  If just starting this journey, will you allow yourself to cheat right away, or will you give it time?  (Tip:  I didn't cheat for three months after I started...even on the weekends...it was a gradual thing).

Anyway, I hope everyone has a wonderful day!!  As for me, at the ripe ol' age of 34 I have my very first cavity and it's being filled this afternoon.  On the bright side, though, my lover boy is taking Kara-Lou out tonight for doing so well in school this year, they're going to see The Neverending Story, which means Jake and I have a mom/son date.  Can't wait!!!  

First things first...I'm a realist!

We all have our vices.  Things we know we can give up and the things we know we can't.  For some it may be Starbucks, for others it may be bread or pasta or ice cream.  The best way to determine what you can give up is to make a list.  That's how I knew I could probably kick some major butt in the clean eating realm.  Here's a list of everything I've given up:

Beef/red meat
Milk
Breakfast cereals
All bread products
Jarred spaghetti sauces that contain sugar (Ragu used to be my absolute favorite)
Any and all boxed food products
Pasta
Rice
Potatoes
All frozen and canned soups/meals
Pre-mixed spices
Any oils other than extra virgin olive oil
table salt

That list goes on and on.  This list may be a lot shorter...the things I DO eat:

Lean meats (poultry, seafood, pork)
Eggs...lots of eggs
Fruits, all of them
Veggies, all of them
Beans (including hummus)
Sweet Potatoes
Homemade spice mixes
Sea salt
Olive Oil/Coconut oil

My daily food intake looks the same most days, because I know what I like and I know what satiates me.  Every single morning, for the past 17 months, I've eaten three hard boiled eggs and fruit (banana, strawberries, kiwi, watermelon, nectarine...whatever is in season).  Yes, people, I eat around 21 eggs per week.  Many people have asked about my cholesterol levels, but I haven't had them tested in a couple of years.  I'm hoping this year I'll have my blood taken at my yearly and when the test results come back I'll compare them to the results from 2013. Anyway, to the daily food part!!! 

Today, my food intake schedule is:

*8am - 3 hard boiled eggs and a banana
*10am - 11 whole strawberries
*12pm - grilled chicken marinated in Antonny's All-Purpose Caribbean marinade (http://anntonystropicaltastes.com/bulk-orders.html), grilled veggies (olive oil, sea salt, black pepper - onions, baby portobello mushrooms, zuccini, yellow squash, multi-colored peppers) and half of a large sweet potato (plain).
*2pm - around 2 cups of watermelon
*6pm - grilled cauliflower (thanks Trader Joe's for this new item...it's in the freezer section), sauteed baby spinach (olive oil, diced vidalia onion, garlic, sea salt and black pepper), and hummus baked chicken.  (4 chicken breasts, 1 cup original hummus, paprika, sea salt, and black pepper to taste.  Season the chicken with your salt and pepper, then coat the chicken in the hummus.  Spray a pan with non stick cooking spray ((I use Trader Joe's coconut oil spray)), spread the chicken out evenly and then sprinkle the tops with the paprika). 

Everything I listed, minus dinner tonight, is here...I eat, y'all.  I eat a lot.  

So, what are your vices?  What can't you live without and what CAN you live without?  Comment with your lists, I'd love to see them!

January 13, 2014

It's weird how I remember dates.  Certain dates have impacted my life, like no other.  The days my children were born, the day I was married, the day I left my now ex-husband, the day I met my current boyfriend...and the day he decided to call it quits.  January 8, 2014 was probably the most important date, of my life.  It was the day my boyfriend, the one who I thought was my one and only...forever, decided to break it off with me.  I was heart broken, I was mad, however, it gave me enough fuel for the inevitable fire that was itching to be lit.  I decided I needed to really look inside myself and change...everything.  I was ready to bloom, to morph into what I always knew I had inside of me...a person who was much smaller and way healthier.

I gave myself a few days to grieve and on Monday, January 13th I decided to suck it up and went to Walmart with a shopping list.  I had the basis of what I needed, but I wasn't exactly sure if I could totally and completely change my diet for good, so I gave myself a week.  I bought enough food to last that week and if I was still going strong on Sunday, I'd shop again and replenish what I had eaten.

Everything I eat is fresh, everything.  Although, I do utilize frozen veggies, a lot.  With clean and healthy eating you have to grocery shop once a week, sometimes more.  Now, some of you may be all, "that's so expensive, we can't afford that type of shopping and eating!"  I'm here to tell you that you absolutely can!!!  I'm a single mom who is considered low to lower middle class, so if I can afford to eat like this, then you can too, I swear. 

So, here's the low down - January 13, 2014 I started and in August of 2014 I hit my goal of 160lbs.  That is a few pounds shy of 40 pounds lost.  I started at 198lbs...GASP...I know.  I can't tell you if I feel better now, because I do not remember how I felt before I started.  I just know how I feel now and I feel AMAZING!!  Sure, it hasn't been all rainbows and flowers, but it's been pretty amazing.  Oh, and that guy that ditched me, Brian, well, he came back a few days later, and even though we are insanely happy (2.5 years...baby!) I've stuck with this way of life, this new found way of eating...nothing makes me happier than the perfectly steamed brussel sprout, or amazingly grilled asparagus. 

I plan on going day to day with you and my diet.  Tomorrow, I'll give you a low down on my breakfasts, which is basically the same thing, every.single.day, but it makes me happy.  I'll also give you recipes, as well as shopping lists and I may throw in some pictures of my weekly (sometimes daily) grocery carts (in the South, we call them buggies...so please forgive me if I ever call them that).  Now, I'm off to give my almost 9 year old a shower, tuck the two minions into bed...and watch The Bachelorette.  Peace out, y'all! 

Here's a before and after...enjoy!