So, I have done WIW since before I left for South Africa and I think it’s about time I started again. I don’t really have a number to base my weekly weight loss on but This will just have to do.

Start Weight: 237

Last Week: ???

This Week:  221.4

Total Loss: 15.6lbs

Not bad! my last weigh in before I left had me at 224, then I gained a few while I was there which means I lost the extra and then some!

I’m headed to the gym this afternoon to see my trainer. Very pumped!

trackmyfit:

bikinisummer:

byebyeweight:

heathersweightloss:

heregoesmylife:

carlconnor:

tracytakeson:

fatgirlreform:

gut2glam:

theskinnyonfatblog:

continouslywaiting:

gettingto119:

ribsplease:

victoriadiaz:

bonjourskinny:

littletinything:

obesityparty:

stickin together… :)

Tsk. Fine. I hate to be one to jump on a bandwagon…but what the hell.

Yay! now I have new blogs to follow!

I’ve been having trouble balancing my food intake lately. I’ve been eating really well during the day only to find myself snacking like crazy after dinner. I think the issue is that by the time dinner is over, I still have about 300 calories left that I should have broken up over the course of the day. I’d prefer to be full enough from dinner not to have to snack past 7 or 8 pm.

So today I’m eating an epic breakfast. Epic for me anyway. 1 free range egg and a bowl of grape nuts in milk with cut up strawberries. That probably doesn’t seem like much but normally I’d just have oatmeal or fruit. Lunch will be another challenge.

Tomorrow is my first training appointment at the gym since my knee started acting stupid. I’m looking forward to it, especially the energy and endorphins! I miss those! It will be a good starting point to figure out what I actually can and can’t do, that way when I go on my own, I don’t injure myself further. Trying really hard to stay positive here, No more negative nelly!

Dinner!

Whole wheat pita bread with homemade hummus.

Grilled lean pork chop with minted yogurt sauce

Spinach, cucumber, basil, feta and almond salad

So yummy!

Also, since I’ve started eating clean and avoiding processed foods, holy crap do I have way more energy!

If you would like any recipes from this meal posted, let me know?

eeeeee!

Sorta.

I made the decision to go back to my old salon part time to do hair again. Mostly  because I’m broke but also because I miss it! It will be nice to have an excuse to do my hair/makeup when I leave the house since I usually feel silly going all out just for school.

So as of now I am a part time: hairstylist, student and research assistant. All three pretty much equal to a full time (if not more) job.

Maybe I’ll be able to get out of debt!?

Such an accurate description of what I’ve been trying to do!

This morning I went to the hospital for my GI series tests. I have been having stomach issues lately and hopefully this will figure out what the heck is wrong with me. However, the test included a barium swallow which was probably the most vile thing I have ever injested in my life. After this ordeal and the stomache ache that followed, I found myself craving some real down home healthy food. This is what transpired!

The recipe is loosly based on this one but I was able to reduce nearly 150 calories, almost half the fat and nearly 400mg of sodium. I think the fiber calulation on the nutrition chart is a little off, I would estimate it to be about 5-6g per serving.

It may seem daunting because of all the ingredients, but it’s actually very simple once all the prep work is finished. You can add or subtract veggies and spices as you please, I tend to make up my recipes based on what I have on hand, hence the addition of eggplant and spinach. If you want less spice simply omit the chopped red chili.

Ingredients

• 1 medium chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped red pepper
• 1 medium eggplant, peeled and chopped
• 1 tbsp unsalted organic (or not) butter
• 3 cups broth (I used homemade chicken broth)
• 1 cup water
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 1/2 cups uncooked long grain brown rice
• 2 cloves or garlic, chopped or pressed
• 1 small handfull of fresh oregano, chopped (or 1 tbsp dried)
• 1 small red chili chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 large can diced tomatoes
• 1 cup of diced meat of your choice. (chicken would be very good, i used leftover roasted pork tenderloin)
• 1 - 2 cups raw medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 1/2 cups frozen peas
• 1/2 cup frozen or fresh chopped spinach

In a large pot or saucepan, sautee onions, eggplant and red pepper in butter (or olive oil if you prefer) until onions are soft.

Add garlic, chili, worchestershire, oregano and salt&pepper then stir in the broth water and the rice. (if your broth is high in sodium you might not need at add salt at all)

Add meat and tomatoes and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to low-medium and let simmer for 35 minutes.*

Add uncooked shrimp and simmer for another 10 minutes or until the rice is fully cooked.

Stir in peas and spinach and heat through.

*Timing may vary, since brown rice is finicky and you may need too add a little more water here and there.

*Calculated using Livestrong.com

Currently testing out a new recipe I made for a healthy version of Jambalaya. As soon as it’s done and I know it tastes good, I’ll post it here! It’s a fairly time consuming meal with lots of ingredients but nothing is actually difficult and the pay off is so worth it.

What type of recipes do you prefer? Tasty and Quick or Complicted and Delicious?

ilenepowell:

according to http://www.ileneandmike.com we have 100 days to go until our wedding! AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

After seeing this post I just realized that I am getting married in exactly ONE YEAR. Maybe I should start planning?

Congrats Ilene! Your owl wedding art is fantastic!