Weekend Adventures

Friday night, Jarid & I had a date night planned.  We try to have one night set aside, per week, just the two of us.

“The Devil Inside” was a movie that we had wanted to see since the preview scared us out of our seats in the theaters.  Scary movies are something we both enjoy, so it was opening weekend and we were definitely not missing out.  The film was pretty eerie, but had a mediocre ending.

Saturday morning, I took the time to make myself a yummy breakfast before I got to work on the elliptical.

I absolutely LOVE having the time on weekends to prepare a cooked breakfast, since most of the time I’m running out the door with a pair of Kashi waffles and a banana in my hand.

No, a simple yogurt parfait or a bowl of oats just wasn’t going to cut it.  I traded in the quick and easy for a simple, yet comforting Pumpkin French Toast recipe that totally hit the spot.

3 egg whites
1/4 c. canned pumpkin
1/2 tsp. baking powder
cinnamon (to taste)
1 splenda packet
3 slices multigrain fiber one bread (50 calories/piece)

Add first 5 ingredients to a bowl & mix thoroughly.  Dip your bread into the mixture until fully coated.  Simply, spray a skillet with non-stick cooking spray and cook on the stovetop!

After breakfast, I allowed time for my food to digest by stopping at the post office to pick up one of Jarid’s Christmas gifts that finally decided to arrive.

 I guess I can’t complain since I only ordered it two days before Christmas and it was coming the whole way from China… Haha.  He loves his Portland Trailblazers!  I bought him his favorite player, Aldridge’s jersey…authentic and everything!

Next up: Insane Abs & Elliptical while catching up on missed episodes of The Bachelor on Hulu.

The workout was pretty good, but the show was pretty lame.  This season, most of the stuff has to have been staged…it’s less realistic than watching a soap opera.  Reality Steve is a little harsh, but he’s not far from the truth.

Lunch made up for the lack of entertainment while sweating, though.

1 Health is Wealth “chicken” patty with Tribe Roasted Garlic hummus + reduced sugar ketchup and a side of greens (swiss chard, spinach, & spring mix) rubbed with 1 tbsp. of Lite Gazebo Room dressing

Ya know that’s not gonna fill me up for lunch, so I roasted some parsnip fries, zucchini, summer squash, mushrooms, and butternut squash (salted & peppered) in the oven, drizzled in some more reduced sugar ketchup.

Boom. Fantabulous lunch.

Afterward, I was off to watch the lil seester play some basketball at my alma mater.

I want to make it to as many games as I possibly can.  She has been there to support me through all my high school and college years, an I can’t wait to watch her progress, too.

After the game, I went to visit Toni, a blogger, a friend, and now, an independant distributer of It Works!  You may have heard of these amazing products recently, as the word is quickly spreading how awesome they are.

When I heard she became a distributor, I was thrilled at the chance to try a wrap and some of the supplements that she would be selling.

I love the fact that it is a detox, rather than one of those phony wraps that promise a “weight loss miracle”.  You know what I’m talking about…those programs that simply wrap you up until you sweat out water weight and claim a “miracle” has occurred.  Not the case with It Works!  Here’s how it goes:

“Our body wraps are a detox. You’ve heard of cleanses where people drink just juice or cayenne water for days? Those cleanse you and your colon from the inside. The Ultimate Body Applicator cleanses from the outside in, targeting your adipose cells, AKA your fat cells. Unless you’ve Lipo-ed your fat cells into oblivion, you’re stuck with the fat cells you have. And beside holding onto fat, they also hold onto toxins, which not only comes from bad eating, but also our environment and even stress. That’s what the Ultimate Body Applicator targets, shrinking your cells back to their normal size. The result is you look tightened and toned. This process takes 72 hours and the results can last 3-5 months!”

ingredients:

Horse chestnut

According to the National Institutes for Health, horse chestnut seed extract is good for treating varicose veins

Green tea

Known to protect the skin from sun damage, caffeine also is showing much promise in fighting wrinkles and sun damage

Bladderwrack

This is a type of seaweed and helps aging skin

Ivy leaf extract

Reports in from Europe say this is good for reducing stretch marks

Horsetail leaf/stem extract

Known to help encourage weight loss

Butcher’s Broom root extract

Combats varicose veins

Guarana seed extract

A shrub rich in caffeine, known as a stimulant, and expected to increase fat burning

Jojoba seed oil

Similar in structure to human skin oils, jojoba is good for unclogging pores

Menthol

Comes from mint, used to treat sun burns and as a topical analgesic

Rosemary leaf oil

Chock full of antioxidants

Eucalyptus leaf oil

Used for acne … Plus, doesn’t it smell wonderful?

These are just some of the wonderful ingredients found in the solution on our Ultimate Body Applicator body wraps. They stimulate and release the toxins and extra fat in your fat cells, then your lymphatic system does the rest of the work. That’s a fancy way of saying you pee it out. THAT’s why we require you drink so much water before, during, and after applying your slimming body wrap. And that, in an organic, botanical nutshell, is what the Ultimate Body Applicator is and how it works.

I’m going to do a full-review in the upcoming week so you can see my crazyyyy results, but for now, I’ll just recap the rest of the weekend.  Sorry for the tease!  I can promise, however, that there’s an opportunity of a giveaway for a WRAP!  Trust me, you want to try it! Both Toni and I didn’t know if we’d see extreme results, since I eat clean & workout all the time, but seriously… Let me just say, I’m completely dumbfounded by my results.  Stay tuned!!

On my way home, I had this delicious muffin for a snack.

Black Forest Light Touch muffin.  Just 135 calories (1.5g fat, 6g protein), made with wheat flour, and wholesome ingredients.

The rest of the night was spent with the surrogates, Jarid, & the family!  Jarid & I made turkey bacon wrapped jalapenos with fat free cream cheese stuffed in the middle.  SOOO yummy! It was a fantastic way to spend Saturday night.

 XOXO.

Ten Things For Tuesday.

#1.  Christmas is in FIVE, yes, five days.  I’m sure you’re well aware, but I felt the need to announce it.

 This beautiful tree was up at a Christmas party that Jarid & I attended last weekend.  We had a blast playing Catch Phrase, ping pong, and socializing.

#2.  I’m NOT a fan of this crackle nail polish…

I tried it out, in hopes of a festive, Christmasy manicure, but unfortunately, the result was more of a graveyard-esque feel.  I bought the Sally Hansen antique gold…not recommended.

#3. If I had to choose one vegetable to eat everyday for the rest of my life, it’d be a toss up between roasted butternut squash & parsnip fries… only if they were acommpanied by a side of Light Ragu, though.

The cooked squash & zucchini that I ate with them were delicious drizzled in Light Gazebo Room dressing, I might add.

#4.  Props to the boyfriend for matching my Christmas dress without even having to coordinate.  He’s even colorblind!  Impressive, no?

We enjoyed the kids’ Christmas play at my parent’s home church this weekend.  I had several cousins in the production and I’m so glad we didn’t miss it!

#5. While at church, this old woman beside us was relentless on trying to get us engaged.  I swear, she was on us like white on rice.

#6. I don’t want to sound like the grinch, but this week is the FIRST I’ve listened to Christmas music and not felt the need to change the station as soon as it came on.  One week of Christmas music per year is plenty for me.

#7. Since #2 was a fail, I’ve been dying to get ahold of some of the Sally Hansen Salon Effects Holiday Collection!

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I especially like the candy cane striped version!

#8.  I am getting SO excited to give Jarid his gifts.  I would totally spill what I got him on the blog, but sometimes he reads it…and I don’t want to ruin any surprises!

#9.  I just realized I did a whole bunch of veggie roasts this weekend, as per the photographic evidence.

This salad beast was delicious, thinking back.  Roasted beets, roasted broccoli, roasted brussels, roasted shroomies, and roasted squash atop a bed of baby spinach and drizzled with the last of my Annie’s  Lite Honey Mustard dressing.

* Note to self: order more Annie’s from iHerb.com.

#10.  Banana Chocolate Chip Vitatops.

Go.Order.Now.

They are YUMMMMMMYYYY.

Vitalicious sent me a generous sampling package of these and the Pumpkin Spice variety since I hadn’t had the chance to try them!  Typically, I buy the Deep Chocolate and Golden Corn, which are two of my favorites, but these just may take the cake – pun intended.

I ate mine slightly thawed but still kinda frozen.  It’s totally dessert worthy.  Try them out of the toaster, too, or microwave them in the plastic for about 45 seconds (which locks in the moisture, so they don’t taste dry).

Tomorrow is hump day!  For once, I’m not ready for the week to be over.  There’s far too much to do and too little time to do it!

What’s one thing you’re diggin’ about this Christmas season?  Anything in particular on your wish list?

XO.

What I’ve Been Eating Wednesday

I know, I know…this is a food blog, so the lack of meal pictures recently is probably a bit of a let down…I promise, I’ll make it up to you with this “What I’ve Been Eating Wednesday“…here we go:

For her birthday, my friend, Mandy and I went out to her restaurant of choice, Hong Kong City. 

I hate that they call steamed shrimp with veggies “special diet food”, but I couldn’t resist ordering it.  This combo from a Chinese place simply can’t be beat. 

broccoli, shrimp, carrots, bamboo shoots, bok choy, water chestnuts, green peppers, and mushrooms with shrimp

I don’t know what makes the difference between their steaming and mine, but the shrimp always turn out to plump up SO big, and the veggies are perfect.

Too full for the cookie, but kept the fortune

It was a fun night with a good friend. 

Lunches, as of late, have been dateless, but delicious.  I didn’t get to share with you all, but JARID was selected for one of the jobs he has been interviewing for!  I couldn’t be prouder (: 

Since we haven’t been going out to lunch, I’ve been throwing a hodge podge of ingredients together…all pretty healthy, might I add.

romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, navy beans, roasted green beans, mushrooms, and onions with evoo valencia orange dressing

Beet & cucumber salad with apple cider vinegar + Splenda

PIZZA QUINOA - 1/3 c. dry organic quinoa cooked in 1/4 C. light ragu + 1/2 c. water, mixed with nutritional yeast & garlic lovers hummus; steamed snap peas on the side

money shot

 Annnnndddd snacks include things like apples the size of my face.I wasn’t lying.

After work, I’ve been heading to the gym for some time on the elliptical/dreadmill and an ab routine with the boy.  Sometimes, I even think ahead and make my dinner before I go so it’s waiting for me when I get home.

roasted veggie bowl: kale, cauliflower, zucchini, carrots, red pepper, broccoli & mushrooms

It’s so nice just to pop a bowl out of the fridge and nosh away, especially after a workout.

Of course, I needed something more than just vegetables for dinner, so I have been whipping up peanut butter chocolate ABOUT TIME protein shakes for a dessert-like ending to my night. 

If you want a smoothie to last longer, I recommend eating it with a spoon.  Otherwise, it’s entirely too easy to gulp it down in this heat.

1 scoop About Time chocolate peanut butter whey protein, 8 ice cubes, splash of unsweet vanilla almond milk, water to thin, and 2 handfuls of baby spinach

If you haven’t tried xanthan gum in your smoothies yet, do it now.  It makes the consistency like that of a giant, milkshake.  SO yummy.  Janetha is the one who first opened my eyes to it.  Just another reason why I love the girl!

 

That’s all for now!  I’ll leave you with today’s verse:

“Based on the gift they have received, everyone should use it to serve others, as good managers of the varied grace of God. If anyone speaks, his speech should be like the oracles of God; if anyone serves, his service should be from the strength God provides, so that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To Him belongs the glory and the power forever and ever.
-1 Peter 4:10-11

XOXO.

The Real Deal.

 Turns out, you all know me wayyy too well.  Haha.  McDonald’s, Taco Bell & Dairy Queen just were not convincing enough to fool ya Sooo here’s the real deal:

I’m sure you’ve realize by now, that Tuesday’s and Thursday’s mean boot(Y)camp for this chick and her Momma.  Yesterday’s class, we got paired up and had to do a variety of moves with a partner. 

We all need somebody to lean on, right?   I know Momma probably get’s annoyed sometimes that I come along…  I know she used to enjoy getting some “her” time in, and I didn’t mean to intrude on that…but to be honest, I’m really glad we get to do something like this together.  My Dad and I always got to go to tournaments for AAU basketball together, leaving Momma with the two girls at home.  I wouldn’t trade that time with my Dad for anything, but my Mom and I never really got that.

 The camera ate my breakfast picture.  It was pretty basic.  Just a green monster + 2 kashi whole grain waffles drizzle in sugar free syrup.

It snowed even MORE last night.  I’m hoping this is just a cruel April Fool’s joke from Mother Nature and that snow isn’t going to be a common occurence this month.  I’m ready for SUNshine.

Lunch was a pretty green salad with tomato, peppers, and cucumbers + balsamic glaze rounded out by some spaghetti squash + Dr. McDougall’s lentil & couscous soup mixed together.

Snack later was this meatless “jerky”

Primal Meatless Vegan Soy Jerky.  Sounds gross, tastes AWESOME.  It’s not super dry like real beef jerky is.  It’s got a ton of flavor and 10g of protein for just 100 calories.  My muscles thanked me.

I figured out that between the trek to my car and the two trips around the capitol that we take everyday on break, I walk about 3 miles in addition to any actual exercise that I do.  Good news!

I threw some frozen pineapple in a little ramekin for an after work snack and by the time I got to eat it, the slush was super refreshing.  Gotta get that Vitamin C in!  I do NOT want to get another cold.

I was invited to work out with the boys’ basketball team from 4:30-6PM, and I couldn’t pass it up.  Their coach was running strength training and agility sessions and I was excited to be part of it! 

It was exhaustinggggg.  676 calories burned in just over an hour.  First, we warmed up with lunges, high knees, army marches, and jogging the length of the court.  Then, we moved on to sprints with pushups on the basketball (way harder than normal pushups…try it!), sit ups dribbling the ball (easy as cake), and pilates with the bball.  The last two moves were simple.  Next, we laid on the baseline on our stomachs and when he blew the whistle, had to get up, sprint to the other end and do the same thing.  Several other similar drills like that were done, too like defensive slides, figure eight sprints, resistance sprints, and high jumps.  We finished with jump rope…at this point, my legs felt like jello.  We totaled 5 minutes with both legs and 3.5 minutes with each our right and left legs by themselves.  HOLY MOLEY.  I think I did myself in by going to bootcamp that morning…and then walking 4 miles in transition at work…and THEN going to do this stuff.

Dinner was totally worth the effort, though. While I had this cookie sheet loaded with fibery foods,

 I had an appetizer of some whole grains.

Toast with sugar free syrup for dipping.  It was like a lazy girl’s french toast, kinda?  The less dirty dishes, the better

Soon, the entree was served and my belly was content.

Grilled chicken with light Ragu, brussel sprouts roasted in sugar free maple syrup, baby bellas, squash, and broccoli with NutraSalt & pepper along with Cedar’s garlic lover’s hummus and Tzatziki.

Actually, I was rather stuffed.  Water dense vegetables have that effect…especially combined with a high protein food…and since I probably guzzled 2 liters of water on my car ride home from the gym, not two hours before.

What foods combo fills you up the most?  Sharing is caring

XO.

I’m Alive :)

It’s been awhile, huh?  Sorry for the brief hiatus.  I have been working on make-up stuff for school and playing catch up for all the things I had missed due to away games for basketball and our Championship travels.

This little article was brought to my attention by a guy at the gym who asked if I had seen my quote yet.  Haha.  I remembered talking to another reporter at some point, but forgot it was for the school’s paper.

The weekend was filled with some of my favorite things…In no particular order of chronology, here are some highlights:

I got to watch my little sis show off her skills on the basketball court.  She’s got game!  I wish I had more time to spend with her working on things and playing together.

I think she’s got a good shot at playing in college as well, if she chooses.  She developed much quicker than most of the kids her age.

Along with athletic events, school work came into play during my leisure time.We had to do expository demonstrations in our Speech Communications class on Saturday morning…I missed two classes already, so I clearly felt behind.

  I was the FIRST person to go, on top of all of that.  I chose to do mine on Yoga positions, with the creative title, “Strike A Pose“.   I began my demonstration on the floor, but was quickly asked to move to the table top so that everyone could see.  I was more nervous about falling off of the table than I was about giving the speech!

Some other topics of choice included “Baby Changing 101“, “How To Fashion a Paddle“, and “How To Avoid A Heart Attack“.  Overall, I was pretty happy with the way things went and I received positive feedback from my professor along with my peers.

You can bet that I had some awesome meals this weekend…a few of the classics, that I can’t seem to get enough of are roasted vegetables,

Squash, broccoli, parsnips, yellow pepper, baby bellas, and cauliflower with reduced sugar ketchup and Cedar’s Cucumber Garlic Tzatziki for dipping.

Spaghetti…squash style

Salted and peppered, topped with cooked spinach and canned mushrooms, swimming in an ocean of Light Ragu

Colorful salads

Romaine shreds, cherry tomato halves, cucumber, canned beets, orange diced peppers, and Raspberry Balsamic Glazee <3

And then there were some NEW things that I got to try!

Dr. Praeger’s  Sweet Potato Pancakes

I thought the ingredients list was pretty impressive, as were the nutrition stats.  Plus, anything sweet potato, short of being deep fried, is okay in my book

 

I figured they would be convenient and perfect for quickly packed lunches, but I couldn’t resist trying them out the day I got them.

They’re yummyyy, that’s for sure.  A little on the pricey side, but it’s not something I buy on a daily basis, so I’m okay with a splurge now and then.  I just popped mine in the microwave and nuked them for about 2 minutes!  They would probably have been better baked though, as the edges would’ve gotten crispy!

There were presents received this weekend, too!

Kopali Organics sent me some of their dried mango and chocolate covered dried banana to try out along with this cute green, organic tank.

Sure, the tank was adorable…soft and completely comfortable, but the product was AWESOME. 

I love mango, but it’s hard to get ripe.  I couldn’t believe there was no added sugar to this perfect snack!

Oh yes, and there was another present that I received in the mail…but I’m going to hold you all in suspense and just show you a sneak preview photo rather than get into the details for now.  There will be a review coming soon, but trust me, you don’t want to get me started on these babies, or this post will be a mile long.

See what I mean?  Glorious

 Of course, along with food comes fitness!  I enjoyed quite a bit this weekend.  There was a workout everyday.  Don’t sweat sessions just make everything better?   Maybe it’s just me, but I thoroughly enjoy a good workout.

Each session starts with Shaun T and Insane Abs…because, well, he’s the best eye candy ever…oh, and he does a job on my abs that I’m sure I’ll be thankful for, come beach weather!

As you can see, I like to stay entertained while I ellipticize by watching episodes that I miss throughout the week of things like One Tree Hill, The Biggest Loser, and Extreme Makeover Home Edition.

Before I know it, I’m down about 2 hours and 600 calories.  Nothing beats a basketball practice as far as calorie burn, but these workouts are nice and leisurely.

You know…they keep me sane.

To top off the weekend, I saw a new flick in theatres with my surrogate.  I love hanging out with her! 

[source]

Personally, I don’t think it’s possible to make a bad movie when you’ve got Jen Aniston and Adam Sandler on the cast.  It was pretty cute…predictable, but cute.

So.  Tell me, what have I missed?!  What’s new and exciting in your lives?

XO.

First Day Alone.

Pretty soon, you’re going to be tired of seeing the same old combination for breakfast.  I’ll apologize ahead of time, because I just can’t foresee anything looking more appealing to me in the morning than this combination.

(1/3 C. oats, 1 mashed banana, sugar-free vanilla Torani, cinnamon, pinch of salt, and 1/4 C. peanut flour)

The thing is, I learned something.  You MUST add a hint of salt to the peanut butter mix.  It takes things to a whole new level, which makes sense, since the best peanut butters I’ve ever tasted have a little added salt.  I used my Nutrasalt, which was the perfect addition.

I ate 1/2 of the mix at home and saved 1/2 for when I got to work…kind of glad I did since the lighting is so much better

I got a text from D with a timestamp of 7:43AM:

“Hey gorgeous, I’m at the airport, all settled in to wait.  I’ll text when I get to my connection.   Thanks for coming over last night”

It’s amazing what kind of comfort a text message can provide.  A little while later, around 10:30, I got a message from him again letting me know he made it to Charlotte.

4 meatless Quorn meatballs, 1 tbsp. Cedar’s garlic lovers hummus, & light ragu.  The huge side salad had a base of steamed kale, sliced yellow peppers, snap peas, and cherry tomatoes and peach balsamic glaze for dressing

Digging into lunch around 12PM was the only thing keeping me sane.  While in Germany, D won’t be able to use his phone, so communication will be limited.  He will, however have his computer.  I’m hoping for a Skype date this weekend…I’d like to see him on Valentine’s Day, but I don’t know how that will work, if at all, since the time difference is six hours.

1 slice Arnold 10 grain bread + 1 sonoma jack’s light pepperjack cheese wedge & sugar free apricot jam

Work dragged on as usual, and by the time 4PM rolled around, I was more than ready to get my butt in gear to hit the gym. 

Exercise is such a release for me, so I was really looking forward to meeting up with a girl on my team in the fitness center before practice at 5PM.

Dethawed, frozen pineapple pre-gym was necessary for a little natural sugar boost.  I also picked up some cherries walking back to my car from work since I go right past the farmers’ market.

Just as I finished up my 20 minute quickie on the Cross Ramp, my phone lit up…not that I was staring at it the entire time…:)  At 4:45PM, I got a text that read:

“Hey baby, I’m gonna get on the plane to Germany in a minute.  I’ll talk to you as soon as I can, honey.  I miss you already! Good luck this week with your games!”

My heart totally melted and I felt a sense of total peace after I said a prayer asking God to keep him safe.  He just has a way with me… I don’t know how else to describe it.

By the time practice was over, I’m pretty sure I had the whole team saying a prayer for his trip   Oh yeah, and I had burned 870 calories.  As soon as I got home, I was craving something cool and refreshing.

(1 handful frozen spinach, 2/3 C. almond breeze, 3/4 C. canned pumpkin, sugar-free vanilla Torani, 1 scoop vanilla whey)

You see, dinners for me consist of a mish-mosh of different cravings.  I wouldn’t have it any other way.  While my veggies were roasting in the oven, I nuked a little cheesecake oat muffin.

(1/3 C. oats, 1 tbsp. fat-free cream cheese +1 tsp. peanut flour+sugar-free vanilla Torani)

I actually ate a spoonful of fat-free chocolate fro-yo with this and it was like chocolate cheesecake!  It held me over quite nicely until the rest of my meal was ready to eat!  One thing I realized, is that I can really make a mess in the kitchen.  I re-use as many dishes as I can while I’m preparing things, but I ended up with a lot of clean-up!

Totally worth it, though, am I right?!

2 Parsnips, green beans, baby bella mushrooms, sliced zucchini, and broccoli with a little dipping trio on the side of light ragu, Cedar’s cucumber & garlic Tzatziki, and Cedar’s garlic lovers hummus

A good old veggie roast was just what the doctor ordered to replenish my body …in fact, a food baby was born.

Don’t worry, though, there’s still room for dessert…especially on my first night alone :-/  Chocolate was definitely in order.

Now that I was aware of how vital salt is in my peanut butter creations with peanut flour, I couldn’t wait to try out some more.  It makes a WORLD of difference, I’m telling you.

I made little peanut butter/chocolate sammies, which were divinee <3  Check out the little flax seeds in the chocolate!  Outstanding.  Newtree Belgian Biscuit chocolate + Peanut flour paste (made the same way as in my breakfast bowl) is my favorite dessert.  It even overrides Arctic Zero ice cream.

I think my first night on my own wasn’t too bad.  I was happy with the way we left things.  We had an awesome night together before he left.  I completely adore his family and cannot wait to visit them again…oh yeah…and to visit him!  Only a couple of months and I’ll be on a plane to Denmark!

Thanks so much for all of your supportive comments and prayers for D.  I appreciate them more than you can imagine!  Blog friends are best friends, and I love each and every one of you 

XOXO.

I Am New.

I was really thinking hard about this song after picking apart the lyrics.  Today on K-Love, they were chatting it up about how we look in the mirror and only see our faults.  God looks at us and sees a beautiful creation that has His “made in heaven” sticker imprinted on us:)  How neat is that?  Next time you’re feeling like you don’t measure up, try to grasp that concept.  The GOD OF THE UNIVERSE made you and loves you more than anything…in fact, even if it had been JUST YOU on this Earth, he would’ve sent his ONLY Son to die on the cross for your sins. 

“Now, I won’t deny the worst you could say about me,
but I’m not defined by mistakes that I’ve made because God says I’m me,
I am not who I was, I’m being remade, I am new
I am chosen and holy and I’m dearly loved, I am new
Who I thought I was and who I though I had to be,
I had to give them both up, cause neither were willing to ever believe
I am not who I was, I’m being remade I am new
Forgiven, beloved, hidden in Christ, Made in the image of the Giver of life
Righteous and holy, reborn and remade, accepted and holy,
This is our new name”

Breakfast this morning was creamy and delicious.  It was a simple oatcake (1 egg white, 1/3 C. oats, sugar free vanilla torani, and cinnamon microwaved) but the icing was out-of-this-world good.  This time, I used fat free cream cheese and mashed it up with some sugar free syrup.  It tasted JUST like sweet cream cheese that you’d find ontop of a carrot cake!

Around 9:30ish, I had a golden delicious for my mid-morning snack.  Almost everyday I have an apple at this time while sitting at my desk sorting through paperwork.  I’m the only certifier in Public Welfare, so many times, I’ve got stacks and stacks of things to do on my desk.  I like staying busy!

 Also, I’m on a mission to stay away from most soy products, due to the fact that they really affect my thyroid levels.  My medicine is seriously affected by soy, so I’m doing my best to stick with real meats.  Unfortunately, some of my favorite foods are soy burgers, veggie patch products, and edamame.

I did manage to put together a pretty delicious lunch though, even without those components! 

V8 broccoli soup (1 cup) + steamed broccoli florets for bulk, 1 grilled chicken breast with 1 tbsp. forty spices hummus + a squirt of ketchup and two tomato slices,

and some baby carrots on the side.  Then for lunch dessert, I had a slice of Pepperidge Farm 7 grain bread smeared with a touch of sugar free strawberry jam and fat free ricotta cheese.

The other half was saved for after work as a pre-workout snack.

After work, on my way to the gym, I had a Strawberry chobani and my other sweet sandwich half.

Again, before practice, I did the Cross Ramp for about twenty minutes followed by some planks and floorwork for my abdominals.

From the fitness center, I went to practice at 5PM.  It’s the day before a game, so we didn’t do anything too crazy.  We are working on a new defense that will be implemented in the next game, which is called a triangle and two.  Basically, one of the other guards and I will be playing two of the other team’s girls in a man defense, and the other three girls on our team will be in a zone defense.  It’s pretty simple.  Much easier to do than explain

781 calories, max hr 178.  I had to hustle home afterward because it was girls’ night and my turn to host!  The show comes on at 8Pm, so everyone always arrives a little early.  There was dinner to be made and a shower to be gotten all in a matter of about 30 minutes!

While my veggies were roasting in the oven, I snacked on the last few slices of my chicken breast lunch meat.  

Along with some hard boiled egg whites with forty spices hummus.

FINALLY, they were finished.

Shroomies, broccoli, parsnips, and red pepper with salt n pepper seasoning with light ragu on the side for dippage.

Before I knew it, a crowd had gathered together at the house all to watch this schmuck date a bunch of women.

Momma FF had to go to the little seesters’ basketball game, but she had already prepped all the food for everyone and set it all up.

My friend, Heather from my math class actually made it this time!  I was really excited to see her!  We hadn’t gotten to hang out or chat since our last class!  Hopefully we’ll be able to stay in touch.  Facebook is a beautiful thing

A little while later, I had dessert.

Yeah, I know… repeat offender.  Whatevs.  It was awesome at breakfast and I wanted it again   Along with this, I had a chocolate protein shake with 1/2 C. unsweet almond breeze and scivation chocolate powder.

There may or may not have also been 1 pack of sugar free jelly beans consumed too.

Oh, and this

RIP Justin’s.  I will look forward to the day that we meet again.  All of my packets are officially gone. 

On another note, make sure you enter Danica’s giveaway for a sweet homemade tshirt!

How was your Monday?  What are you looking forward to this week?

XO.