Day 17 There are gaps...I know, I am stressed

So I have not been as consistent lately with my blogging and dieting for that matter. It is so hard for a strict diet to coincide with life when you are surrounded by others who eat and do as they please. Some of my friends are dieting, it has be helpful to talk with them about my woes with my diet. However, there are more people in my life who aren't dieting, and certainly don't need to. I have been very wrapped up these past few days with events like bridal showers, birthdays, fundraisers and many others... not to mention a few very important people in my life have birthdays coming up. Sadly between the stress of bills and trying to be a part of these events y diet is yet again falling by the wayside. It is discouraging and upsetting to me but all I can do is keep on trucking. My friends Hailie, Katrin and I have set a goal for April 11th to lose 10lbs. If we succeed then we get one cute outfit for ourselves and go out for a night on the town. This has also been a lot of motivation for me.



So this morning I woke up late but I still had a few hours to get a workout in before I go in for my shift at work so I had some oatmeal and raspberries and headed to the gym. I was pissed to find out that I had been going to the gym for over a week now and no one who works there bothered to stop me to let me know my account balance had a late fee tacked onto it. I was of coarse pissed, I had my credit card stolen at work a few weeks ago, so I canceled the card and ordered a new one. In the meantime I gave someone at their finance office my account routing number so that the fees could be taken out directly and they lady I spoke to said everything was good. Well, apparently it wasn't because a month later I am now trying to pay a balance which has a bunch of late fees tacked on, I was pissed but luckily we had it sorted out. But that put me in a fowl mood and I only ended up doing 40 minutes of cardio and leaving. But I just did my 1 hour pilates video and I feel much better. I am going to make some tilapia and asparagus for a late lunch and pack a nice chicken salad to eat at work. The stress is building with all the things I have going on but at least working out helps take some of that away.

Day 16 Home Visiting

I am marking today as day 14 only reason being is that I didn't have time to workout yesterday and I didn't eat between the hours of 5am-3pm and then blew it all away when I ate Chipotle when I took my brother and sister to the movies. Grils Night Out with all of my girlfriends (minus Brittany) was so much fun! It was wonderful only paying 7$ for the ticket, having 4 differnet cocktails thmemed according to the boutique, food  and limo rides to each store and we got to go shopping!!! It was a much needed event with my loves athough those little snacks and cocktails didn't really fit into my diet.

Today I woke up at Hailie's after a wonderful night and came home, I decided to make a mexican chicken salad and although some of the ingredients are more fattening then I should have I am okay with it because it is already noon. I am going to spend the day relaxing and enjoying the day with my family.

Day 15 Feeling an Itch for Chocolate

Went to the gym really early this morning it feels good to be done early so I have some of the day to look forward to although I work until late and then turn around and work at 6am on Thursday morning. I just had some lovely oatmeal with frozen raspberries on top which I put in the oatmeal halfway through its microwave cycle. It was so yummy and had just the right amount of bitter are sweet flavors plus it made the oatmeal pink! I am most likely going to have a grilled chicken salad for lunch and I am packing a shrimp and spinach wrap with mango salsa and some sliced apples with peanut butter for a desert/ side dish. I hate working until close because I either have to eat really late or starve so I need to start packing dinners or myself.


Last night I made some yummy shrimp and Hawaiian stir fry with half of a baked potato, no salt or butter. It was so good combining the stir fry with the potato...

Of coarse it is getting close to that time of the month so I have seriously been craving chocolate so I am going to have a little bit of sugar free jello chocolate pudding and do some research for more low calorie chocolate desserts in an upcoming post.

Some Healthy Low Calorie Snacks

My favorite On-The-Go Healthy Snacks:

Wheat Thins and String Cheese

A single-serve bag of crackers and a string cheese are easy to find at a mini-mart or 7-11. What's more, they're a great combo to help curb your hunger and add some nutrients to your day. The Wheat Thins offer fiber and good, whole-grain carbs, while the string cheese adds hunger-zapping protein.

Recommended serving size: 1 single-serve bag of Wheat Thins and 1 string cheese

Calories: 240

Yogurt Smoothie and a Banana

"Fresh fruit is always a great choice," says McLachlan. And when you combine it with dairy, you have a filling mini-meal. Look for a bottled yogurt smoothie with about 100 calories. "Check the label and avoid smoothies with fructose or high fructose corn syrup listed as one of the first ingredients," says McLachlan. This type of refined sugar will cause your blood sugar to peak, then crash -- making you hungry again before too long.

Recommended serving size: 1 bottled low-fat smoothie and one banana

Calories: about 170

My favorite Home Made Healthy Snacks:

Homemade Nachos

Ingredients

4 oz. light vanilla soymilk
3 oz. fat-free cheddar cheese
2 wedges The Laughing Cow cheese, Light Original Swiss
2 tbsp. fat-free cream cheese

Directions

Place all ingredients in a saucepan and heat stovetop at low-medium heat. Stirring frequently, heat until cheeses have melted and sauce is well mixed and hot.

Serving Size: 1/5th recipe (approx. 2 tbsp.)
Calories: 50
Fat: 1g
Sodium: 300mg
Carbs: 2g
Fiber: 0g
Sugars: 2g
Protein: 7.5g

* 1 Point

Chunky Peach Popsicles

INGREDIENTS

1 1/4 pounds  ripe peaches, (3-4 medium), halved and pitted

  Juice of 1 lemon

1/4 cup  freshly squeezed orange juice

1/4 cup  sugar, or to taste

1/4 teaspoon  vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

1. Coarsely chop peaches in a food processor. Transfer 1 cup of the chunky peaches to a medium bowl. Add lemon juice, orange juice and sugar to taste (depending on the sweetness of the peaches) to the food processor. Puree until smooth. Add to the bowl with the chunky peaches and stir in vanilla.

2. Divide the mixture among twelve 2-ounce or eight 3-ounce freezer-pop molds (or small paper cups). Freeze until beginning to set, about 1 hour. Insert frozen-treat sticks and freeze until completely firm, about 1 hour more.

Tip:
MAKE AHEAD TIP: Store in the freezer for up to 3 weeks. | Equipment: Twelve 2-ounce or eight 3-ounce freezer-pop molds, or small paper cups with frozen-treat sticks

NUTRITION FACTS

Calories 33, Carbohydrate 9 g, Fiber 1 g, Potassium 90 mg. Exchanges: Fruit 0.5.
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Hummus with Pita and Peas

3 tablespoons hummus; 1/2 whole-grain pita, cut into pieces; and 1/2 cup pea pods

Strawberries with Chocolate Sauce

1 cup strawberries drizzled with 2 tablespoons chocolate syrup

MY #1 Favorite Snack!!!!

Apple and Peanut Butter

1 medium apple, sliced, with 1 tablespoon peanut butter

Fruit and Yogurt Parfait

It's a familiar story: You're out for what seems like hours,running errands, shopping at the mall, or driving all day, when suddenly you feel that growl in your belly. You're hungry, and you didn't pack a snack. You could succumb to the Cinnabon stand or grab some fries at the drive-through, but there are better options! "A nutrient-dense snack will give you that quick fix you need until you get home to prepare a real meal," says Linda McLachlan, RD, CDN, a New Jersey dietitian with Nutrition Matters, LLC. Here, six emergency snacks that are healthy and filling.

When fast food restaurants are all you have access to -- say, when you're on a daylong driving trip -- it's best to know your healthy choices. A McDonald's Fruit 'n Yogurt Parfait will fill you up thanks to the fruit's fiber, and sustain your hunger, thanks to the yogurt's protein. Whatever you do, avoid the fries. "They're nothing but junk!" says McLachlan.

Recommended serving size: 1 small McDonald's Fruit 'n Yogurt Parfait (hold the granola)

Calories: 130

Day 14 Bored but Happy

So this morning I had to wake up super early and take Gene to work, his car has been in the shop for a few days. After that I headed to the gym and did 40 minutes of cardio, 20 minutes on the elliptical and the other 20 on the bike. I also went tanning, a bit vain but like I have said before I hate being so pale. I ate one of my 90 calorie bars before I worked out. I didn't feel up to eating a ton so early. But when I got home I made a lovely egg white omelet with some fat free cheddar and mild salsa. I make this dish quite often but today it actually looked pretty so I took a picture.

I used...

1/4 cup fat free cheddar (45 calories)

9 tbls egg whites (60 calories)

4 tbls mild salsa (20 calories)

Yesterday I had some lightly breaded halibut for lunch topped with mango/ginger chutney and some steamed spinach on the side it was delicious. The chutney is from Trader Joe's, my favorite place to shop when I can get over there and their chutneys, sauces and accents for food are low in calories and so delicious. This mango and ginger chutney had a nice spicy kick to it beyond the sweetness. Yummy! For dinner last night I had a grilled shrimp salad minus the tortilla strips it normally comes with, which rounded out to 466 calories with the chipotle apple vinaigrette dressing.

My breaded Halibut with Mango and Ginger Chutney

What fun I had

Here are some photos from my memorable week with my friends at both Shamrock Fest and on St.Patricks Day. I had a blast, ate delicious greasy food and drank a lot of beer. I don't feel like diets should define people especially when you have fun things like this planned. Being cautious is good and the days that I didn't have an event I ate according to my diet.

Shamrock Fest with my ladies and tons of beer!

The delicious Dublin Burger I had on St.Pattys (Definitely not in the diet!)

Some of my loves on St.Pattys day!

Tradition Photo: Me, Hailie and Cliff on St.Pattys

Day 13 While I was gone...

Soooo as it is apparent I have not posted in a week. It is terrible I know but there were fun activities and holidays to which dieting was not an option and I am a firm believer in making the best of every situation, not to mention drinking heavy amounts of beer during St. Patricks day with only some oatmeal in my stomach is just plain stupid. It seems like I am making excuses but truly I planned these event before my dieting revelation. Anyways, I had a wonderful week/ break from the blog.

I did keep with my diet between March 13th-17th and 18th-present day. I ate the usual egg white omelets and oatmeal with blueberries for breakfast. For lunch and dinner I did the occasional veggie tacos, chicken salad and grilled tilapia with brown rice. I also tried a few new recipes.


This one was simply grilled chicken breast, which was stuffed with a little cheese and steamed spinach. It was on top of a bed of steamed veggies, peppers, onions and zucchini. There was maybe half a cup of tomato sauce on the top and it was delicious and only 480 calories!

This was a bit messy but very yummy!

This meal was a little higher in calories but it was delicious and helps provide energy! I used two whole wheat tortillas which I fused together with 1/4 cup light cheddar cheese. I placed about 1/2 cup of tomato sauce and a few thin slices of fresh mozarella on top. I added some chopped onions, spinach and chicken on top with some seasoning and then placed it into the oven at 350 degrees for about ten minutes. Yummy!

Chicken, onion and spinach tortilla pizza!

I just did my favorite  Windsor Pilates video workout and then I ate an egg white omelet with some light cheddar cheese and salsa. I am going to the gym shortly and then off to the store for some healthy groceries!

Day 12 Revved Up!...But feeling ill

So the beginning of my night last night didn't go very well, I was very upset and down in the dumps. Gene was being very sweet and told me he wanted to take me to dinner. He was looking around for places that he and I could both enjoy because of my diet. We decided on Copeland's New Orleans style restaurant. I had a wonderful steak salad, there were very tiny onion rings as a garnish on the salad which I ate and shouldn't have and I also had some crawfish bread. I was very disappointed in myself although the bread and the onion rings were not enough to but my calories to far over the edge, I still should not have caved. But I have to say nothing comforts the soul more than good southern comfort food.

This morning I felt really terrible and since I was feeling under the weather, I have a long shift ahead of me this evening and I have Shamrock Fest tomorrow I decided to not go to the gym and just mellow out until I have to go into work. I had some Special K cereal this morning, about 300 calories all together with skim milk. Alex is still visiting so were just hanging out at my place and doing nothing, kind of nice every now and then to just do nothing.

I then became inspired to paint my nails with something crazy on them so I went with a St. Patty's Day theme!

I am so excited for Shamrock Fest its ridiculous. I am going to enjoy myself tomorrow with the beer and the food they have there, I am going to try to watch what I eat but I feel like special occasions like this should be enjoyed. But I will be right back on my diet by sunday.

Oh by the way I lost ...


3 more pounds!!!!


Hope everyone has a great weekend, I know I will. Happy Dieting!

Day 11 Rainy Day

Have you ever noticed that rainy days make you feel very lazy, let me tell you it affected me to the max this morning. I was having a hard time getting up but once I did I had some oatmeal and my vitamin. I went to the gym shortly after with Alex ( my best guy friend). Having him there although we didn't really work out next to each other motivated me, he would occasionally come check on me which put on the pressure. I got a good workout though.


At the gym I got into the St.Pattys Day spirit by listening to the Dropkick Murphy's Pandora station...It was awesome and very high energy, great for the gym.

When we left the gym we went to go get groceries and I got the usual items, no artificial starches or sweets. Then we went back to my place and I made us grilled chicken stuffed with steamed spinach, onions and a little ricotta cheese. I also made some steamed broccoli for a side dish. I forgot to take a picture of it, I was just really hungry but I will make again this week and I will take a picture. Late lunch rounded out to about 450 calories. Hope everyone is having a great day aside from the rain!

Happy Dieting

Day 10 Wonderful Night Leading into Wonderful Day

So last night was amazing. I was expecting to go out to dinner with Gene but instead he mad us both a phenomenal dinner which was within my calorie limits for my diet. Now I have come up with some great concoctions that tasted great within my calorie limits but this meal exceeded my expectations! He baked fresh alaskan salmon with lemon slices, capers and various herbs and spices. He then grilled some yellow squash  (my favorite). He also made a balsamic glaze to put over the squash which did make the squash brown which he didn't like to much but it tasted incredible. Oh! I provided the desserts...my new found diet dessert love Banana Babies! They are frozen bananas covered in milk chocolate (they come in dar chocolate as well yum). They are only 130 calories!

Today I had some lovely oatmeal and I put some fat free maple syrup in it for a little change and since I didn't have blue berries. That was about 150 calories all together. I am going to make some lovely steamed broccoli and grilled halibut for lunch. That will be about 350 calories. Oh and just to let all know who are interested I am counting my calories either off of labels of through my blackberry calorie counter application.

So tonight I come upon another wednesday night. But I am breaking tradition and I am not drinking when I go out. I fear that the sobriety may be shocking to me at first watching all of the drunken debauchery at Lapas but I am better off because I am saving my liver for SHAMROCK FEST!!! wooo. Hope everyone has a great Hump Day!


Happy Dieting!

Day 9 Relaxation

I have had a lovely day off today. I enjoyed an egg white omelet with spinach while waiting for my laundry to be finished. I have done a little cleaning around the house and even got to some painting. (my grammy would be proud) I am going to head to the gym in a little while after I eat a nice salad for lunch. My workout clothes are still in the laundry so I have to wait for those to be done as well. I got an e-mail form my grandmother today showing me all these hilarious photos of food and other inanimate objects doing strange things in photographs. It was so interesting to me I decided to do a little research so that I could share.

             

               "Marilyn"

"Many Passionate Fans"

The artist's name is Terry Border and surprisingly he has a blogspot site just like I do! Here is the link "Bent Objects"


I think that the site give a funny twist to food and how appropriate for my blog as well. Off to the gym I go, hope all of you had a good day.

Happy Dieting!

Day 8 Percy the Plant... I Went Right Over the Edge

So today was interesting...I overslept once again because I took to long of a nap on sunday afternoon once I got off of work and it screwed everything up. I had my usual oatmeal and fresh blueberries. Then I just ran some errands, got some more st.pattys day gear for Shamrock Fest and for St.Patricks Day. Home Depot was right next door and I needed to get a few things, I went into the nursery to see what kind of plants they had, going in that area of Home Depot always reminds me of trips there with my mom. I secretly hate giant warehouse stores, except Costco for some reason. I don't know what it is about them...maybe the impending doom of some sort of laborious activity, but I tolerate them. When I was younger the part I enjoyed the most with my mom was looking at the plants and flowers. Anywho, so I see that all the indoor potted plants and I start to read a brochure on them, great for creating fresh oxygen in a home. Since I am just trying to become more healthy all around I decided to buy one. I got a tropical house plant that is supposed to grow pretty tall and I got a nice antiqued pot for it as well. I somehow stumbled upon the name Percy when I was driving the plant home with me. I just looked at the plant buckled in with the seatbelt (it kept falling over and I was in an unfamiliar area) and thought the plant should have a name and thats what I got. This is a silly long winded story which took up whatever measly time I had to myself before work.

I had some lovely veggie and chicken tacos when I got home for errands then I went off to work. I went to the gym right after work and got home just in time for my shows and to make a nice salad for dinner. Then I ate the small amount of sugar-free pudding I had from my late night craving sunday. It was a good day aside from stupid work. I tallied up my calories and sadly I went over 53 calories, not to bad but I was disappointed a little. I guess I will just work out extra hard in the morning. Day off!!!! Hooray! Looking forward to the weekend of fun already. Alright I am tired and as I am writing this I realize it is now Day 9...whoops.

Happy Dieting!

PERCY!!!!

Crazy Cravings!

Certain times of the we all cravings, it is hard to ignore at times. Often times satisfying these guilty pleasures can only lead to guilt. According to psychological scientists Eva Kemps and Marika Tiggemann of Flinders University, Australia, review the latest research on food cravings and how they may be controlled in the current issue of Current Directions in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.

"We’ve all experienced hunger (where eating anything will suffice), but what makes food cravings different from hunger is how specific they are. We don’t just want to eat something; instead, we want barbecue potato chips or cookie dough ice cream. Many of us experience food cravings from time to time, but for certain individuals, these cravings can pose serious health risks. For example, food cravings have been shown to elicit binge-eating episodes, which can lead to obesity and eating disorders. In addition, giving in to food cravings can trigger feelings of guilt and shame."

I for one have an extremely hard time ignoring these mental images of cheesy nachos and banana split sundaes. Tonight I had one of those cravings and instead of diving into a pint of Brownie Batter Ben and Jerry ice cream I decided to make instant fat free/sugar free pudding. To some the sound and idea of anything sugar free/fat free mixed with chocolate is unappealing. To be honest it was to me to but these puddings are so well made it is hardly a sacrifice. The cold delicious flavor of the chocolate pudding satisfied my craving and POOF! No guilt! I added a dollop of light whipped cream on top (within my calorie limits) on top to add  to the decadence of this craving substitute. All around the pudding rounded out to 150 calories with the whipped cream on top. Yummmm

Day 7 Day of Relaxation

Had an amazing time last night with Kari, Michelle and Lauren in Clarendon. I was afraid having a few drinks last night would ruin my diet day but luckily I remained under my 1200 calorie limit. I am not going to drink when I go out to my usual spot with my boyfriend wednesday due to the fact I have Shamrock Fest to look forward to in D.C next saturday and of coarse they are only serving delicious beers so I figure taking a break until then would be wise.

I loved the top I was wearing...not so flattering here though.

Just got home and made myself a spinach and egg white omelet with low fat cheese and pico de gayo on top. It was delicious and really hit the spot. I will probably have a small salad before I head to work. Not sure what I am doing for dinner, I am probably going to just do a chicken breast or fish with some veggies and brown rice..mmmmm. I will check back in later!

Happy Dieting!

Day 6 Weekend Away

I am very happy to be home with my family today, it was a much needed visit. I got up early this morning to hang out with my Mama and do some pilates with her while my dad was out doing his normal Saturday morning grocery shopping. (he cuts coupons and has a filing folder for them, it's kind of cute) Anyways, I enjoyed some lovely oatmeal with frozen blueberries and they are actually lower in calories than fresh blueberries hmmm who knew? That rounded out to about 250 calories. It turn my oatmeal a lovely shade of purple, my favorite color haha but it tasted great. I watched a movie, Due Date (great movie) with my brother and sister (the twins) when they finally got up and I enjoyed a small bowl of light buttered popcorn, 110 calories. I am going to have a light lunch and something light for dinner as well. i have to save room for drinks with my besties in Claredon tonight. I can't wait I have not seen them in forever, it is going to be a wonderful night. It has been good being home and who couldn't resist coming home to see the beautiful face of my beloved yellow lab Lily!

Day 5 Triumph

I got up kind of late this morning, slept in with Gene. I was going to make an egg white omelet but I was not feeling breakfast once again. I need to start forcing myself to me a breakfast person because breakfast is the most important meal of the day! I settled for a Special K bar which is 90 calories. I went to the gym and had a great workout and then I remembered it was friday and I had to face the moment of truth....DUN DUN DUNNNN




THE SCALE!!!!


As you can imagine I was scared... but I hopped on. What did I see GLORY HALLELUJAH! 213 lbs I lost 5 lbs this week. As you can imagine I was ecstatic. This is me cheesin at the gym after I heard the good news. It's a bit fuzzy, I was alone in one of the weight machine rooms off to the side of my gym. Glad no one saw me take this picture they would have thought I was weirdo.

I am not going to get to ahead of myself though because I have many more hurdles to get over. But needless to say I am so happy. I am now eating some more veggie tacos I reported about earlier in the week (712 cal) I am headed off to work and then home to have a great weekend with friends and family. I am planning to work out at the gym on the weekdays and doing P90X or pilates on the weekends so that I can be anywhere and just pop in the DVD. Hope everyone has a great weekend! 

Happy Dieting!

Day 4 Feeling Change

I am not one to jump the gun and get ahead of myself, but I can't help but feel a satisfied yet healthy sort of cleansed feeling. I don't know how to describe it honestly and I know it may be to soon to have lost much weight but I truly feel satisfied, my hunger, body and mind. I have always been a lover of food the heavy sauces on pasta, delicious cheeseburgers and fries, the gourmet cuisine my chef boyfriend makes me, however the feeling of eating sumptuous food is truly fleeting and this feeling of cleansed euphoria after changing my diet and kicking my own ass at the gym is a much better feeling and it seems to be lasting. All I can say is I am truly excited to feel the sheer happiness when I can fit into my "skinny me" jeans collecting dust in the back of my closet, that will be a feeling to outweigh the all.

Today I went to the gym, did my normal 1 hour and 30 minute workout. I alternate upper body and lower body when I lift to give each half of my body a day to rest. I never try to max out weight like guys do, I simply choose a weight that gives me good tension in my muscles to help give me tone not bulkiness. The key (which I have learned form my expert weight lifter Father) for women is low weight and high reps, for example doing about thirty pounds for your arms about 10-15 times and repeating that for about 4 sets, so 40-60 in total. Guys would be doing things the opposite way, something like 100 pounds of weight two or three tomes for 4 sets.


That probably sounded a bit confusing. But any who I had an amazing workout with the...

MOTHER MOSTER LADY GAGA to inspire me blaring in my headphones, she is a great motivator!

For breakfast I just had 1/2 a cup of egg whites and a Special K bar (wasn't feeling hungry this morning I am generally not a breakfast person). That was about 110 calories. Then for lunch I had grilled cilantro tilapia and steamed zucchini squash and tomatoes with fresh garlic. Yummy!

Grilled Cilantro Tilapia with fresh steamed Zucchini Squash and Tomatoes

1 fillet of Tilapia

1 Zucchini squash

1 Vine ripe tomato (med size) 

1 Tbsp Cilantro (fresh or dried)

1 clove Garlic

1 Tsp salt 

1/2Tsp pepper

Warm a small skillet which has a fitted lid to steam the veggies. Then heat up the grill, I use my George Foreman. Season the tilapia on both sides with cilantro, 1/4 tsp pepper, 1/2 tsp of salt. Then put on the grill. Mae sure grill is hot and spray with cooking spray. Then chop the zucchini, I cut in circles or halves depending on the size of that part of the zucchini. Then place the zucchini into the skillet (add cooking spray), add about 1/4 cup water and cover. Stir occasionally and once the zucchini starts to become transparent in the center add the tomatoes and the rest of the seasonings with the minced garlic. Cook veggies until they are softened. The tilapia should be white with a golden hue. Plate and eat...Delicious! 

Tonight I am going to dinner with Gene (my boyfriend) and I am making sure we pick a place with a diet friendly menu. I will take photos and let you know where we go.

Happy Dieting all!

Splenda... My sugar substitute addiction

I love Splenda, to me scientists could not have created a more pleasing substitute for sugar. However, there are many theories and studies can give you the following problems according to Dr. Janet Starr Hull who wrote the book "Splenda, Is it safe or not?"...

SPLENDA® Is It Safe or Not?

After twenty years of NutraSweet® (aspartame) dominating the sweetener market, people are realizing for themselves that aspartame really is a foul food chemical tragically harmful to their health. Now, people think Johnson & Johnson’s Splenda, made from sucralose, has come to the rescue as the newest chemical sugar replacement “made from real sugar.” People don’t want to hear that it may be just as dangerous as aspartame, and this white knight of sweeteners is no better improvement. 

New chemical sweeteners (like Splenda) and the sweetener blends (aspartame, sucralose and acesulfame K blended together in one product) may be causing users to show signs of weight gain, disruption of sleep patterns, sexual dysfunction, increases in cancer, MS, Lupus, diabetes, and a list of epidemic degenerative diseases. The corporations continue to stand tough in their denial of any connection to chemical sweetener additives.

For more info go to Splenda Exposed

We live in a society where almost every thing is apparently causing "cancer" or serious "diseases" like artificial sugars, splenda, sweet-n-low and equal. Some processed meat products like hot dogs can cause cancer over to much consumption due to the high levels of sodium nitrite. French fries can as we due to the hydrogenated oil. What I am getting at is that I am no scientist, I cannot assume that any of these studies or theories are incorrect but the sheer fact that restaurant chains still serve and carry these products kind of deflates all arguments. The FDA would not allow these restaurants to carry any of these products it these theories were thus proven with irrefutable evidence. Until then I am still going to put some Splenda in my coffee every morning. It has become an addiction, yes, but I am not going to push aside something so low in calories that helps immensely in my diet because of insubstantial theories and studies about Splenda.

Day 3 Happy Hump Day!

Today went very well. I went to the gym with my man and seeing him workout as hard as he does was definately a motivator not to mention he would occasionally come over and encourage me to go faster on the bicycle. It was nice having him there most of my friends either live in my hometown or further away and the ones that do live near me have completely opposite schedules. It was nice to know someone was cheering me on (as cheesy as that sounds). But truthfully today went well and I reserved just enough calories to have about three drinks this evening for my wednesday ritual. I am so excited to just go out people watch and dance...I figure if I don't like the vodka sodas I will drink a lot less them hahahaha.


Happy dieting!


Oh I had blueberries and oatmeal this morning and another one of the spinach, romaine and chicken salads I mentioned yesterday for lunch ....delicious!

Blame it on the Alcohol!!

I am a victim... a victim to the allure of alcohol. I surprisingly have a love for beer, love it and trying new and different kinds is interesting to me and I love the process of creating beer itself, however it is not my drink of choice. I am also not one to ever ever turn down a good glass of pinot noir, I like white wine as well as long as it is not to sweet (sweet is meant for dessert people!) But my absolute downfall

RUMMMMM! 


Yep I can't help myself if a drink has rum in it, but thats going to have to change. I am going out tomorrow night, as I do almost every Wednesday to my favorite fun place with great drink specials on wednesday. I always go with Gene and a few of our mutual friends. It has become a ritual over the past two years that helps me get through the week. I have been doing a lot of research to find low calorie drinks and I do not want to mess up my diet. So here is what I have found out...

The best options: (one standard size drink)

Vodka/ Soda - 65 calories
Vodka/ Diet- 65 calories
Southern Comfort/ Diet Lemonade- 48 calories
Jack/ Diet - 64 calories
Rum/Diet- 85 calories
Champagne - 85 calories

Surprisingly my favorite Rum/Diet soda is 85 calories but I think I am going to try Vodka/Soda tomorrow night. I might also cut back my calories tomorrow to make up for the inevitable drink or two I will be having!

Day 2 Frustrated

So today has been frustrating, especially because my beloved gift from mother nature caused me such terrible cramps which caused me to sleep in until almost 1pm. I never sleep in that late and I missed my early morning/not many people will see me hour of 7am. Due to the fact that I have not gone for a run through my neighborhood or any other in quite some time and I wanted to start running early to avoid being seen as I keel over on the side of the road or clutch my heart and start to wheeze. If it weren't for my roommate Rachel I would probably have never woken up. Luckily I had time to have a healthy meal, my favorite healthy food actually... oatmeal with cinnamon, splenda and fresh warmed blueberries on top. Once its done cooking I pour a little skim milk on top to cool it down and make it extra creamy. I had about 2cups of skim milk to drink as well.

1 serving quick oats=
140 cal
1 glass of skim milk (2 cups)=
 180 cal

Since I didn't get to go running I kicked my ass at the gym and added about 20min on to my cardio. I had to run some errands at the Arundel Mills mall, for those who don't know its about 1/2 mile around the entire thing and I went around twice getting a few things done.

I had a spinach, romaine and chicken salad with peppers, onions, tomatoes, light cheddar cheese with balsamic dressing on top. The total calories was 294.




For the day with the addition of a few baby carrots and a yoplait yogurt I have had 718 calories today... looks like I can reward myself with a glass of wine YIPPIE!

I has been a long day, I am so off balance because of my all nighter with flo. I am going to pack up my workout clothes for tomorrow and head over to my boyfriend's house, the one man who sincerely believes I am perfect the way I am. I am a lucky girl!

My day started out sucky...listened to my favorite metal music at the gym to get me pumped and I ended up eating way under the 1200 calories I allow for myself everyday so now I can have a reward. I just need to keep my head up.

Happy dieting all!