Day 14!!!

Its day 14!! 

Everything is still going well and I'm still feeling good!

Weekends haven't been as bad as I thought they would be. This weekend we BBQ-ed with friends again and the boys ate pork steaks while Danielle and I ate salmon! I tossed some mushrooms in a foil bag and had that as well! It was so good!

I have been using my meal planner to keep track of healthy foods and meals each week. It has been working out really well. I have meals divided up by crock pot meals, main dishes, sides and I even put some healthy deserts in there too! I sat down with my planner and wrote down what meals we will have each day or if we plan on having left overs because of a crazy work day. This also helps me know if I need to make larger meals to have left overs for the week.
I sit down before hitting the store,  write in meals for a couple of weeks and use my meal planner to make a list of everything I need to buy.
This little meal planner just hangs out in the kitchen so It is easy to find!

One night this week I was busy but I had time to toss some chicken, green beans and potatoes into the oven and made sure I had enough for left overs too!

Another night I grabbed the meal planner again and made up another meal, again enough for left overs!

This recipe is super easy! Just chopped up some of my favorite veggies for flavoring, tossed in a can of diced tomatoes, vegetable stock and whole grain noodles! Placed in a skillet, covered for 10 mins and stirred every couple of minutes or so. Super easy and good!!!

I even tried a recipe out of the desert section! But..I didn't love these healthy cookies. I will have to try something different when I am craving something sweet because these didn't do it for me.

Lets see, I tossed in some natural peanut butter, old fashioned oats and natural cocoa! ehh.

People have been asking me what all I can eat lately... A lot of people seen to assume that clean eating means never being able to eat anything good!

I've actually been able to eat some pretty good stuff and It really hasn't been hard finding things to make! When I make a grocery list these are some of the things I buy but there is so much more you can buy too..I'm just a picky eater and I tend to stick to the same things. 

Vegetables

Leafy lettucee

  Asparagus

String beans

Bell peppers

  Mushroom-I could eat these with everything!

Cucumber

  Green and Red pepper

  Onions (green, red, yellow)

  Garlic

  Tomatoes

  Zucchini

  Squash

  Spaghetti Squash

  Corn

  Edammame

  Canned chickpeas

Complex Carbs

 Old Fashioned Oats -Not the instant oatmeal

 Sweet Potatoes or just potatoes 

  Black Beans

  Kidney Beans

  Lentils

Whole grain pasta

  Wild rice

  Brown rice

  Whole wheat pita

  Corn tortillas

 Whole wheat couscous

  Quinoa

Quinoa flour

Fruits

  Blueberries

  Raspberries

  Lime & lemon juice

  Apples

  Grapes

  Clementines

  Watermelon

pineapple

Healthy Fats

  Natural-style Peanut butter-no added sugars or salts

  Avocados

  Almonds/nuts

Proteins

  Boneless, skinless chicken breast

  Tuna

  Salmon

  Shrimp

  Extra lean ground turkey meat

 

Dairy & Eggs

Eggs whites

    I love my egg whites!

I really haven't been doing any dairy in this challenge and probably won't until I am done but I will add organic milk back into my diet, non-fat yogurt and fat free cheese.

Herbs & Spices

  Chili powder

  Mrs. Dash

  McCormick

  Cinnamon

  Basil

  Onion Powder

  Garlic Powder

  Red Pepper

  Condiments

  Balsamic Vinegar

  Balsamic vinaigrette

  Salsa

 Tomato Paste (low sugar)

  Stewed tomatoes (low sodium)

  Mustard (yellow or Dijon)

  Vanilla extract

  Almond extract

  Low-sodium, fat-free chicken broth

  Low-sodium, fat-free vegetable broth

  Reduced-sodium tomato sauce & tomatoes

 Sugar-free applesauce

Again, this is just what I typically buy, there's much more that you can buy and add into your diet while eating clean! 

While I know I still have a long way to go before getting to my goal weight, I feel good and I can feel a difference in how much clothes are fitting. I try to only worry about what the scale says on my weekly weigh ins but I do keep track of daily progress. Here is a look at how things fluctuate and where I have lost weight.

 I love seeing that 159! Obviously, I don't love being at that number but I have not been able to get past that stupid 160 number in a couple of years! I always just get stuck at the same number! I just have to keep up the hard work!!

I really am proud of myself for going so long without ANY cheating!!! However, yesterday without thinking about It I grabbed a handful popcorn while watching a movie with the kids I watch and I felt sick to my stomach after. I didn't know why because it was just popcorn but later when I looked at the bag I saw that it was movie theater style popcorn-extra freaken butter! I can't even eat that type of popcorn any other day because of the butter overload-makes me sick! But It really did not feel good on my stomach yesterday as I have really been watching my butter intake and I really try to not add it to anything when cooking.

So, I learned my lesson! I'm almost afraid to ever try to eat pizza or other greasy junk. If It makes my stomach hurt like that popcorn did Its not even worth it!

Day 24 will be here before I know it!!!!

I am excited because I will have a few days off from school and work at the end of this week. I'd like to get started on my diy headboard! Hopefully I will get to post about it soon. :)

But.....I will be back in my classroom at parents as teachers in one week,  which means my summer is quickly coming to an end & life is going to be super busy. 3 jobs and school... Good thing my Erin Condren planner will be here next week!  That's another post to come soon! :)

♡karah