The first 4 Days

Food Diary:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/CTK3989

Day 1: I think I did pretty well today. I definitely could have done better, but I am pretty amazed that I drank 64oz of water today. WOOT!! Hopefully, I can keep this up.

Day 2: I went over my calorie limit (by 600 cal) today but gosh darn, I was hungry! I don't know how I'm going to lose any weight if I eat tons of calories. I will have to work out like crazy!

Day 3: I did MUCH better today! I am very proud of myself.

Day 4: I am 4 days into my Lean Cuisine, Healthy Choice, Fiber One, Special K foods only diet. Between all of the sodium I intake and the 64 oz of water I drink a day, I look like I'm 3 months pregnant! I hope I see some weight loss soon.

Day 1 of New Diet

I got off to a great start today. I did Cardioke at 7am, I ate a Fiber One Blueberry Muffin for breakfast, I had a Healthy Choice Chicken and Rice Soup Bowl for lunch, and I have had Nabisco 100 Calorie Oreo Cookies as a snack. The food was delicious and to top it off, I have drank 48 ounces of water and I'm not done yet!! I am SO Incredibly proud of myself. Now, if I can do this for 2 weeks, I will be beside myself with joy. Check out my Food and Exercise journal. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/CTK3989

A New Start

Okay, I am definitely not great at keeping up with blogs but I try. Starting on December 1st, I will be eating Lean Cuisine, Healthy Choice, Fiber One, and Kashi products only. My goal is to lose 8 pounds and tone my entire body by March. I hope to get into a routine and continue to live a healthy lifestyle after I reach my goal.

Wish me luck!!

Day 7: Southwestern Turkey Burgers With Sweet Potato Fries

Serves 4
Calories per serving, turkey burger: 342
Calories per serving, sweet potato fries: 89

For the sweet potato fries
2 sweet potatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more for sprinkling
Juice of 1/2 lime

For the turkey burger
1 1/3 pounds lean ground turkey
1 4-ounce can diced green chiles, drained
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2–3 spritzes canola oil in a mister
3 ounces 50%-reduced-fat pepper-jack cheese, cut into thin slices
4 whole-wheat Kaiser rolls
Romaine lettuce leaves
Tomato, sliced
Red onion, sliced
1/2 avocado, sliced

1. For the sweet potato fries, preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

2. Wash and dry the potatoes and, with the skin on, slice into 1/2-inch-thick rounds; cut the rounds into 1/2-inch-thick finger-shaped pieces. Toss the potatoes in a bowl with the oil, chili powder, garlic powder and salt.

3. On a baking sheet, spread the sweet potato fries in a single layer and roast, stirring every 10 minutes, until brown and tender, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from the oven, transfer to a platter or bowl and sprinkle with a little more salt.


4. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix the lean ground turkey with the diced chiles and season with salt and pepper. Shape into patties and refrigerate until ready to cook.

5. Heat a large grill pan or nonstick skillet on medium heat and spritz with canola oil. Add the turkey patties to the grill pan and cook until browned on one side, about 4 minutes. Flip, reduce the heat to low, cover (if using a skillet) and cook until the juices run pale pink, about 4 more minutes. Top with the reduced-fat pepper-jack cheese during the last minute.

6. Toast the rolls in the oven or in a toaster oven. Alternatively, grill them 1 minute on each side.

7. To assemble: On a platter, place the fries and a burger on a bun and top with lettuce, tomato, onion and avocado slices. Squeeze lime juice over the fries and serve.

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This week is all about dinner! Sorry I didn't get to blog yesterday but this meal was made on Tuesday, September 7, 2010.

This meal was delicious. My family really enjoyed it and I will be making again sometime soon.

Day 7: No Recipe

No recipe today but I have been eating healthy and watching my calories. WOOT! For that!

Day 6: No Recipe

I needed a break from cooking so no recipe today. I will resume tomorrow.

On another note, I am doing pretty well with staying inside of my calorie limit. Woot!

Day 5: Stuffed French Toast Sundaes

Serves 2 (2 cups per person)
Calories per serving: 353

1 whole egg
1 egg white
2 tablespoons skim milk
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon honey
4 slices whole-wheat bread, crusts removed
1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1/2 cup raspberries
1/2 cup blackberries
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.


2. In a bowl, whisk together the egg, egg white, milk, cinnamon and honey. Spray a nonstick muffin pan with calorie-free vegetable spray. Carefully dip each slice of the bread into the egg/milk mixture and press it into the muffin pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 12 minutes, until crisp.

3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together the ricotta cheese until smooth. Spoon equal amounts of the ricotta mixture into each of the bread cups and top with berries. Drizzle the maple syrup on top.

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The french toast is so delightful. I never had ricotta cheese before today but it is pretty good mixed with other foods. I substituted the raspberries and blackberries for blueberries. I may have to make this more often.

Yesterday, I was so bad. I started my day off well but it ended with fried chicken and corn bread. My husband took me to a soul food restaurant. The food was yummy but I only ate a little bit because I felt so bad. Did I mention that I had popcorn at the movies? I didn't even work out. I will be doing overtime next week to make up for this weekend.

Day 4: Raspberry, Orange, and Banana Smoothie

Serves 2

Calories per serving: 205

1 cup fresh raspberries

1/2 cup chopped banana

2 1/2 cups freshly squeezed orange juice

1. Place the ingredients into the bowl of a blender and whip up until smooth.

*Ideal for a mid-morning snack.

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This smoothie is so yummy! I doubled the recipe for my family of 4 and it still worked great! This morning I had a muffin from Day 3's recipe and as a mid-morning snack, I had a smoothie. What a delicious way to start my day!?

Day 3: Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Serves 12
Calories per serving: 200

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 ripe banana, mashed
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups reduced-fat buttermilk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a 12-muffin tray with paper liners. Set aside.


2. In a standing mixer, combine the all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, rolled oats, ground cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt and mashed banana, and blend on low speed for 2 minutes. Add the walnuts, brown sugar, vegetable oil, eggs and reduced-fat buttermilk, and blend for 2 minutes on medium speed. Add the vanilla extract and mix until well combined.

3. Using an ice cream scoop, portion the batter evenly into the muffin tin, and top each muffin with 3 to 4 chocolate chips. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Once muffins are baked through, remove them from the oven and let cool. Serve.

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OMG!! These muffins are DELICIOUS!! They are the bomb diggity! They are so moist and yummy. I will definitely being making these again! The chocolate chips on top sealed the deal for me! The recipe is pretty simple and I love that there isn't a long bake time.

I know I am posting early, but I had to make my husband breakfast and lunch tonight since he has to be at work before I wake.

I also stayed inside my calorie limits today and I will be doing sit ups and push ups before bed. Woot!

Here is a pic of the muffins. My kids helped make them.

Day 2: Eggs Benedict on a Muffin with Garlic Aioli

Serves 4
Calories per serving, eggs Benedict on a muffin: 178
Calories per serving, garlic aioli: 145

For the eggs
8 fresh chives
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons white vinegar
4 large eggs
2 whole-wheat English muffins
8 slices smoked salmon (4 ounces)
1 cup mixed baby greens

For the garlic aioli
1 1/2 cups reduced-fat mayonnaise

2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons water, warm
2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

1. Trim 1 1/2 inches from the tops of the chives, and reserve for garnish. Finely chop remaining chives, and transfer to a small bowl. Set aside.
and bring to a steady simmer. Break an egg into a small bowl, hold the edge of the bowl close to the water, and tilt the egg into the water. Repeat with the remaining eggs. Cook until whites are cooked through but yolk is still runny, about 3 minutes. Carefully remove the eggs, one at a time, with a slotted spoon, and drain on paper towels.

3. Toast the English muffin halves, and cut into 3-inch rounds using a biscuit or cookie cutter. Place a poached egg on the cut side of each muffin, and drape a slice of smoked salmon over each egg. Divide the greens among the muffins and mound over the smoked salmon. Spoon the sauce over and around the Eggs Benedict, garnish with remaining chives and serve.

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This wasn't one of my favorite recipes. I'm not into tomatoes or runny eggs. Also, I have a 'thing' about certain textures and I didn't like the parsley in the aioli. Overall, this not a recipe I will be cooking again but it was great to try it and it was filling. Breakfast today, was a grand total of 323 calories!

Day 1

This week is all about breakfast. I will cook 7 different breakfast meals from the Cook Yourself Thin cookbook.

Grocery shopping was eventful this morning. It took me 2 hours to shop instead of my normal hour long adventure. Shopping with 3 small kids (ages 3 and under; 1 child isn't mine) is no small feat. Not to mention, combing the aisles for food that I don't normally buy.

After thoroughly stocking my pantry and refrigerator, I began preparing my first meal of this journey:

The Better for You Breakfast Sandwich

Serves 4
Calories per serving: 306

2 tablespoons white vinegar
4 whole-wheat English muffins
4 slices low-fat cheese
4 thin slices low-sodium ham
4 eggs
4 slices tomato
Spritz of olive oil
1/2 tablespoons dried oregano
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Fill a large, deep skillet of water to a depth of 4 inches. Add vinegar and bring to a steady simmer.

2. Arrange the muffin halves on a baking sheet and, using a round biscuit cutter, cut each half into a round. Cut the cheese slices into 3-inch rounds with the biscuit cutter. Place a slice of cheese on each of the bottom halves. Cut the slice of ham into shreds or ribbons and place on top of the cheese. Transfer to the oven and bake until cheese melts and top halves are toasted, about 4 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, cut 4 slices from the tomato and spritz each slice with some olive oil. In a separate nonstick saute pan over medium-high heat, saute the tomato slices for 1 minute on each side. Then season with salt, pepper and dried oregano. Set aside.

4. Break one egg into a small bowl. Hold the edge of the bowl close to the simmering water and gently tilt the bowl to pour the egg into the water. Repeat with the remaining three eggs. Cook until whites are solid and the yolk is still runny, about 3 minutes. Carefully remove the eggs one at a time with a slotted spoon. Transfer to a plate with paper towels to drain.

5. Remove the toasted muffin halves with cheese and ham from the oven and transfer to a plate. Place a slice of sauteed tomato on top of the ribbons of ham and top with a poached egg. Season with salt and pepper and top with the other half of each muffin. Serve immediately.

This was a very yummy recipe and I can definitely see myself cooking this recipe often. The sandwich melted in my mouth and was very filling. The hardest part of this recipe was cooking the eggs. The most I can do efficiently is scramble and egg so that part was definitely challenging. Hopefully, I will be come a much better cook after this experiment.

Off to run more errands before spending some one-on-one time with Jillian Michaels. How fun! *dripping with sarcasm*

Today is the last day of unhealthy eating!

Tomorrow, I will be grocery shopping for my first 14 days of recipes from the Cook Yourself Thin Cookbook. Through out this journey, I plan to get fit, drop a dress size, and learn to cook healthier foods.

Hopefully, my blog will not only motivate me to become a better person, but inspire someone else along the way! Tomorrow awaits a new beginning!