Results & Weight Loss Quick Tips: Pre-Made "Convenience" Foods for Clean Eating or Slow Carb Diets

After Week 1 of the 90 Day Challenge, I had some ideas to make things easier on myself.  Yesterday I posted the recipes and my thoughts from the first week in this blog post.

My biggest challenge has been remembering to eat.  My appetite is non-existent, but once its time to eat, I need to eat and I don't want to put much time/thought into it.  I tend to get busy during the day and I want something convenient.  Sunday I took the time to make my family's bulk breakfast burritos, and while I was at it, I made my own precooked eggs as well.  *All of my calorie counts are from sparkpeople.

I used my itty bitty pan to cook egg "patties" = 2 egg whites, 1 whole egg = 100 calories*

I used my small skillet to make "Omelettes" = 3 egg whites, 1 whole egg = 120 calories*

I then put them all in a big ziplock bag in the fridge, so now I can just grab and go, and I don't have to mess up bowls/pans every day.

I also made chicken breast filets ahead of time with McCormick's Rotisserie Chicken Seasoning.  I weighed these and they were about 1.2oz or 2.2 oz.  I just take a small or large piece and I know its within that weight range.

I also bought a bag of ready to eat spinach (tastes great as a salad with a boiled egg or cut up chicken tender with a little sprtiz of balsamic vinagrette.)  I also like munching on celery for the crunchiness and lack of calories:)

Now, for the results!

My scales are wonky.  They are old and garage sale valued at $2.00 about 6 years ago.  I know they're not great, but for now... They show somewhere between a 2-4 pound weight loss (they just kind of bounce from pound to pound, about as indecisive as me:).  For my sanity, I'm going to go with the least amount.  I'd rather be pleasantly surprised later than super depressed!

I am really glad I measured!  You NEED to measure, people, the scales aren't going to show everything.  From my years of working at the gym, I chose these measurements.  There are a lot of spots to measure, but  its good to see where you're dropping inches, especially if the scale isn't showing a lot!

I Lost 10 Inches in my first week!

This week I'm adding more exercise to my schedule.  My goal is to do PiYo at least twice, walk the dog at least 3 times (around our neighborhood) and go to the gym with my husband/PT at least twice.

Oh!  And to drink MORE WATER!!!  I'm SO bad at keeping up my water intake!

90 Day Diet Challenge & Supplement Review: The Beginning

My supplements came Friday!  (WOW, that was FAST!!!)

I'm planning to start using the supplements today for the 90 Day Diet Challenge.  I chose the "30 Day Diet" option.  I'm going to "clean" up my diet again, hope the kids have finished off their (far too tempting) Halloween candy, and re-read Timothy Ferris' "Slow Carb" diet book... until my Paleo books show up on the library hold shelf.  It never hurts to refresh your memory... and I know that grains tend to affect me negatively, especially wheat, with bloating, cramps and just overall fatigue... so I'm going to try and keep those out completely, even though they're allowed.  I also absolutely can't handle artificial sweeteners, so I'll stick with Stevia and Xylitol as I have for the past couple of years.  I'm already used to using herbs without MSG or sugar, so that'll be easy enough.

**See my Week One Results Here!

My husband and I are starting to take our energetic 4 year old dog, Diva for walks around our neighborhood in the evenings after dinner.  I'm hoping that this helps get me in at least a little bit better shape... and if nothing else, it will be great for developing a new habit, and getting us both ready to hit the gym again by the end of the month when its probably going to be too cold for outside walks in the evening!

Now... for the before photos.  *gulp*  REEEEEAAAAAALLLY don't want to do this part.  Maybe I'll post before photos when I'm already losing a little bit, so its not quite so depressing.   I'll take the photos and hide them in a vault.  Yeah, that's it.  Then I can post at the end of the month to see how much of a difference I'e made!

At any rate, I can be incredibly sensitive to supplements (which can be a really good thing, or a really bad thing!), so I'm curious to see how this goes.  I'll be seeing my regular doctor on Monday, so I'll hopefully remember to bring up these supplements when I go.

I'll post some of my favorite recipes as I go, including what I find for Thanksgiving!

Here are some of my Top Five favorite past recipes that will fit this protocol 

(*some will need a slight tweak, but its doable!)

Super Easy Chicken w/Onion "Noodles"

Protein Smoothies:  A Quick Tip!*

Super Quick & Easy Mexican Eggs

Cajun Tilapia

Orange Tilapia*

What are your favorite healthy recipes?  Please share!  Include a link to your own blog recipes if you have one, I love finding new blogs!

I believe that planning can take the edge off.  I plan to have figured out serving sizes and plan with a list of available options for my breakfasts, lunches and dinners.  I'll have my grocery list ready to go and some serving size meals ready to heat and eat for those times (you know everyone has them) when I'm going to have a time crunch and need to eat RIGHT NOW.  Mostly, though, I just want to plan to get back to my healthy habits.  The fact that I let the stressful events in life get me down so much that I gave up on my emotional and physical health is very disappointing to me.  I'm going to give up the guilt and let myself move on and have hope that I can make the change a permanent one.

What are your no fail healthy eating tips?

Disclosure: I will be receiving product as a participant in the 90 Day Weight Loss Challenge. All opinions are my own. 

Super Easy Camp Fire Roasted Potato, Onion & Cheesey Bake

Roasted Potato, Onion & Cheesey Side Dish

You might remember my Memorial Day Camping recipe for Camp fire baked Tilapia that I posted last year. Well, now we have a fire pit in our back yard and we've really been enjoying our "camp fire" in the evenings.

For "Clean Eating" my husband and I stick to baked onions to top our steaks with... the pescatarians eat grilled fish, and Kainan chose grilled chicken.  Whatever your tastes or restrictions, this is a super simple way to make an amazingly deeply flavored side dish for your meal.

Directions:

• Set out some pieces of foil about 18" long (this is a good "assembly line" type of family prep if you like)
• Using coconut butter, oil the foil, leaving just 1-2 inches around the edge
• Add your choice of vegetables (we've used garlic, onion, potato, cheese so far **Slice the potato into somewhat thin slices, and make a short stack.
• Fold the foil and wrap up tight.  Since our foil this time is the cheap stuff, I  used two layers... the turning of the packets in the fire can be a little hard on these little packets!
• Once your camp fire (or grill) is hot and has the hot coals *don't put the packets in the direct flames*, put your packets in the hot coals.  After 8-10 minutes, use grill tongs to carefully turn the packets. 
• Another 8-10 minutes and you'll have scrumptious baked onions/potatoes!

Grilled onions are fantastic as a steak topper!

The steaks, fish and chicken... I have to admit, my mouth is watering just remembering how good this was last night!

What are your favorite fall dishes? 

(Ie:  I need new ideas.  I'm bored with my own ideas!:) 

I must admit that this year, Fall has definitely won out for my favorite season.  The weather is gorgeous, I am in love with our new house and yard... and things are shaping up to so well, I am ALMOST happy to see winter get here.  Okay, not really.  Unless its really REALLY mild, I'd really prefer to just go straight from fall to spring!

The kids sitting by the fire eating dinner.  Look at all that wood in the background that they  helped chop & carry today!

Clean Eating Recipe: Beef Burgundy Pot Roast & Veggies

I was inspired by this recipe that I ended up at when I was reading the Paleo Blog.  I've been researching the whole "Primal" or "Paleo" diets for a while, because carbs have always been a... bad thing for me.  I like reading about diet, nutrition and health regardless, but since I'm soon going to be doing the 90 Day Challenge, I think the issue is more in the forefront of my brain lately.  This recipe is NOT Primal/Paleo, the above recipe IS... but it definitely inspired me to want some pot roast:)

I added a lot more carrots and potatoes, because I have vegetarians in the house, and those are their preferred veggies when it comes to a pot roast type meal.

My kids are SO weird.

It has been SO nice lately, we've been having our meals on the back deck.  I'm loving this weather!

Ingredients:

2-4 lbs.* of Steak, Roast, basically BEEF!:)

*I use less meat because I'm cheap and because two of my kids are vegetarians, so we don't need as much. Plan accordingly if you have a bunch of carnivores in your house or they might revolt.)

1 tablespoon of coconut oil

1 bottle of Red Wine

1 32 oz. Box of beef brother

1 32 oz. box vegetable broth

3 16 oz. cans of tomato sauce

3 lbs. onions quartered

2 lbs. of potatoes quartered

2 lbs. of baby carrots (or regular carrots, chopped)

1 tsp. garlic salt

1/2 tsp. worchestershire powder

2 tsp MsDash Garlic & Herb seasoning

OPTIONAL:  2 Tbsp of Almond Flour or Corn Starch for thickening

First: Heat the oil in a skillet on high

Add the steaks and sear for just a minute on each side to help seal in juices.

Second:  Toss everything else in the crock pot, except the potatoes (unless you don't mind slightly mushier potatoes... and I don't, but if you do, add those later because they cook faster than everything else:)

Next, you have three options:

A) Use a big enough pan in the first place

B) Use half the ingredients so that it all fits in your 5 qt crockpot.

Or C) The option I inadvertently chose:

When its time to add the potatoes, realize that you don't have any room left.

Transfer half of the ingredients to your spare crock that you have from the last crappy crock pot you had.  The base doesn't even exist anymore because it was so crappy so you have to use the oven and heat the entire kitchen because you didn't think ahead.  

*I don't recommend this one unless its really cold outside, and then I most definitely do.

Cook on high in your crock pot for 4-6 hours or in the oven at 350 for 3-4 hours.

If you add cornstarch or flour, put that in a separate bowl with some of the liquid and make sure you have all the lumps out before adding to the stew.  Leave the lid off for the last half of the cooking time to let the sauce thicken.

Optional step #3:  While that's cooking, realize at 4:50 that it is indeed Thursday and that your youngest child has gymnastics at 5:00.  Rush out the door... get back and still have dinner cooking because crock pots are awesome that way.

Finish with a lovely family dinner with your crazy children on your pink and brown deck.**

YUMMY!!!

 I am SO in love with our yard!  And this weather!

**If you don't HAVE a pink and brown deck, I apologize profusely for getting your hopes up.  If you don't have crazy children... you can borrow some of mine.  They'll rub off on yours and soon you will have your own crazy children.  Really.  I've seen it happen.

Even Faster! Bulk Cooking Breakfast Burritos/Baked Quiche Wraps

We were going through the breakfast burritos at an amazing rate, so I found an even easier, faster way to make them... because you can count on me to constantly be on the look out for ways to make things more efficient so I have more time to be lazy:)

Baked Quiche Wraps!

Use whatever ingredients you like... for our Clean Eating Wraps, we like to use a variety of the following:
Whole Wheat Tortillas
Eggs
Spinach
Peppers (especialy red & yellow bell peppers for me!)
Sauteed Chicken
Onions (lots of onions!)
low fat cheeses

Not so Clean idea that my kids like, and helps extend the eggs are oven fries (cut really small).

Directions:

• Sautee your choice of veggies and meats in a skillet with a little coconut oil.
• Beat eggs in a separate bowl (I used 2 1/2 dozen for our pan, with LOTS of veggies)
• Pour all ingredients into a 9x13 baking dish
• Bake at 350 until done.  (Our 'new' oven is REALLY off temp, wise, so I'm really unsure of the time for a regular oven.  Probably 15-20 minutes?)

After the eggs cool (I just put them in the oven overnight), divide the pan into 16-18 servings.  I cut across the middle first, then in half the other direction... it makes it easier to get more even slices.

Lay out your tortillas with cheese and wrap.

Wrap each on with plastic wrap and you're ready to go!

I keep them in the fridge in a drawer and they're ready to go for my early morning husband and kids!

 What is your favorite easy-go to recipe?

Grain Free Taco (aka Taco Style lettuce Wrap)

Grain Free Taco AKA Taco Style Lettuce Wrap

Ingredients:

• Refried Beans (I make refried beans from dry beans)
• Cooked Ground Beef (I cook in bulk and freeze to make this a quick fix)
• Tomato
• Cheese of choice
• Green Leaf Lettuce leaves, whole (or you can just make this as a salad)
• Sour Cream (just a little bit)
• Spices to taste (I use these Mrs. Dash flavors)

I slice tomatoes instead of dicing so its less messy... unless I'm making this salad style

I mix a little bit of refried beans into the taco meat to extend it (because, hey, meat is ExPenSive!) and also to make it stick together a little bit more for less mess!

Add the tomato and get ready to fold and eat!

Viola!  Grain Free Taco!

Verdict:  Um, yeah.  I've had one of these every morning this week.  I LOVE it.  Having the seasoned ground beef and beans already put together in the fridge or freezer has been perfect for a quick fix meal!

OAMC:  Add some extra ground beef to your Once a Month Cooking plan and leave seasoned ground beef and refried beans to your list to make this a quick and healthy fix for your family!

What are your favorite quick fix meals?  How many grain free meals do you suppose you make in the course of a week?

Grain Free Quick & Easy Breakfast Pepperoni Pizza

Grain Free Pepperoni Breakfast Pizza

I am currently looking into going grain free.  I have a long blog post explaining, but until I'm willing to put up a photo of my current weight, I'm not going to publish it just yet.  Suffice it to say that I have tried everything under the sun that I could think of, I have been to doctors and been tested for everything we could think of and my weight continues to creep up...

Well, I went gluten free this past weekend and my weight has dropped two pounds.  That's not necessarily saying a lot, but after a full year of a continuing climb, I'll take it!

I saw this super easy idea for pizza (one of my favorite foods ever!) when going grain free, so I tried it this morning.  Not bad!

Ingredients
1 tsp coconut oil
2 egg whites
2 eggs
pizza toppings of your choice
1 Tbsp pizza sauce (marinara or alfredo)
1/4-1/2 cup of cheese of your choice

Dab the oil from the pepperoni to get rid of a little extra fat

Directions
Melt coconut oil over medium heat
Whip the eggs & pour into skillet
Once the bottom is cooked, lift edges and let the uncooked egg run under (this is my hubby's favorite way to make omelettes... it makes them a lot fluffier).  After about a minute, flip the eggs.
Add pizza sauce, toppings and cheese
Remove from pan & stick under the broiler for just a few minutes


Eat it up!

Verdict:  Yummy!  It definitely won't replace "real" pizza forever, but it will hold me over as I go through this month of trying grain free!  Next time I'm going to try it with alfredo, spinach, feta and tomato:)

Clean Eating: Easy Spicy Gluten Free Meatballs

Super Simple Super Spicy Meat Balls

Ingredients:

2-3 cups of Gluten Free cereal.  I used Rice Squares.

1 pound of lean ground beef

1 Tbsp Chili Powder

1 Tbsp "Extra Spicy" seasoning from Mrs. Dash (you can leave this out, but I love these spices!)

1 Tbsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

1 can of diced tomatoes

2 eggs

I just crush up the cereal using my hands, but you can stick it in a food processor if you want.  I ended up pureeing most of the diced tomato when my picky girl said, "Ewww... you're putting tomatoes in it?" but you can usually just leave them in chunks.

I always bake meatballs on a wire rack in a pan to catch the grease, even with lean ground beef, this helps keep even more fat out.  I can't stand cooking ground beef where it is sitting in the grease... yuck.

Viola!  These were SPICY!!!  Dang!  I'm glad I made some without the crushed red pepper for Abyni and I because I took one bite of a spicy one and my mouth was on FIRE.  Of course Kainan actually ate his with extra hot sauce.  Go figure.  I served them with the goulash type dish that I kind of made up on the go.  It was a little liquid-y because I didn't get the beef broth until late in the game, but it was very flavorful!