Today was a fantastic Monday ~ doesn’t that seem wierd to hear me say that for a “Monday”?  The odd part is I have no real apparent reason LOL.  I started my day off with a fantastic double workout which really set the tone for the day.  I felt amazing after getting in a good sweat session.

After my Power Hour workout, I was pretty much starved!  So, I had a Banana Nut Pumpkin Butter Muffin with a nice smear of Homemade Healthy Pumpkin Butter ~ SO GOOD, I cannot describe it.

I got my protein in the natural way with this amazing Berrylicious Smoothie.

1/2 c TJ’s 0% Greek Yogurt

1/2 c FF Milk

1/2 c Fresh Frozen Blueberries

1/2 c Fresh Frozen Strawberries

1 Tbsp Flax Seed

It was so incredible thick and creamy that I couldn’t drink it on my way to work.  I had to wait until I got a spoon ~ oops!

I wanted salty and crunchy for my mid-morning snack, so I whipped out some Salty Pepper Somersaults.

I had 1/2 the bag as one serving for 3 Weight Watcher Points.  I LOVED the nuttiness of the sunflower seeds with the salt and pepper spices.

I was looking forward to my lunch since I thought of it yesterday.  It is nothing fancy at all and I had to use our super cool bowls at work (don’t mind the mismatching – it all works the same to eat off of.)  I started off with an Herby Salad that I topped with Trader Joe’s Low-Fat Cranberry Walnut Gorgonzola dressing after snapping the picture.

I took a 1/2 c serving of my Crockpot Molasses Baked Beans over 3/4 c Trader Joe’s Organic Frozen Brown Rice….

Mixed it all together and had the perfectly balanced complete meal – so amazing and only 5 Weight Watchers Points!

After lunch, I still wanted something else.  I knew I was full and I had strawberries, but, I think I just wanted something else.  I told my co-worker Starbuck’s – she said Froyo and I said ~ Yup, that sounds the same!

We headed out to the NEW Over The Top Shop!  I heard they had Pumpkin
Froyo and I was all over getting some of that!

But, they didn’t have Pumpkin today   There were 6 other delicious sounding flavors listed though. No worries, that just means I have to go back!!!

With fun recipe ideas ~ Love the All Natural Idea!

Having my own cup and a machine can be dangerous.  The owner was nice enough to give me sample cups to try each flavor ~ It was hard to pick which I wanted.

Then, I turned around and saw this!  Holy toppings ~ how do you decide when you have this many to choose from…. 

Plus a bar filled with caramel, chocolate, marshmallow and more plus COLD  toppings.

It was really tough, but after about 5 minutes of randomly talking to myself I picked Fat Free Cake Batter and Fat Free Chocolate Froyo with sprinkles, Heath Bar Crunch and a few Yogurt Chips ~ MMMMMM!!! Total highlight of my day!  I think I could eat FROYO everyday!!!

When we got back to work, my little “sugar” high kicked in and we kidnapped my other co-worker’s massive zucchini so I could quickly take a picture with it.  Seriously ~ isn’t this the HUGEST zucchini you’ve ever seen?!  Ya, ignore my cheese face smile ~I was laughing way too much when this picture was snapped!   

On my way home The Husband informed me he wanted a simple dinner.  I LOVE him when he picks things like this for dinner!

This Pacific Foods Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato soup is full of flavor and honestly does not taste like boxed soup at all.  I LOVE the nutritionals ~ it isn’t loaded with fattening cream and you can recognize everything they put in the box.

I topped mine with a sprinkle of shaved parmesan and freshly ground pepper.

While the soup heated up, I baked some Whole Wheat Salt & Pepper Pita Chips for dipping.

Plus peppers cooked in olive oil and sea salt.

Dessert Pita Chips just might be my favorite new thing!!!

Salted Whole Wheat Pita Chips + Homemade Healthy Pumpkin Butter + 1 Laughing Cow Lite Wedge = LOVE!!! This tasted like Pumpkin Cheesecake!  You can have an entire pita plus 1 LC wedge plus Pumpkin (or Apple Butter if you don’t like Pumpkin – MOM!) for 3-4 Weight Watcher Points.  This is only 1/2 a pita served up.

All together, I had dinner with my Pumpkin Family while The Husband watched football.

I made up a POM Peach Passion White Tea Tea spritzer to go with dinner.  It was tasty, but, I am not a big fan of peach so it wasn’t my favorite flavor.  I LOVE the Blackberry POM tea best!

I feel like I’ve been typing forever tonight.  I am off to relax with The Husband and read!  Recipes, recipes and more recipes to be posted soon!

NIte!

So I am only about 6 weeks late in thinking of this idea.  I thought it would be a good idea to create a category for my Body For Life workouts as a great way to jump to they workout of the day.  I will continue posting my workouts to this category even after I complete the challenge.  Plus it’s a fun organizing technique!

Not that I am by any means a workout guru or expert, but, I thought it might also be a fun way to share my workouts and maybe give you all some ideas. I’d LOVE if you added your ideas, suggestions and comments on your workouts too because I know I can use all the workout ideas I can get.

That being said, here is how today went down.  Since I took the weekend off, I decided to do a double workout to make up for it today ~ My HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) and my Lower Body Workout (LBWO).

HIGH INTENSITY TRAINING INTERVAL

minutes 1 & 2: 3.5 mph
minute 3: 4.0 mph
minute 4: 5.0 mph
minute 5: 5.5 mph
minute 6: 6.0 mph
minute 7: 4.0 mph
minute 8: 5.0 mph
minute 9: 5.5 mph
minute 10: 6.0 mph
minute 11: 4.0 mph
minute 12: 5.0 mph
minute 13: 5.5 mph
minute 14: 6.0 mph
minute 15: 4.0 mph
minute 16: 5.0 mph
minute 17: 5.5 mph
minute 18: 6.0 mph
minute 19: 7.0 mph for 30 sec & 8.0 mph for 30 sec(level 10 ~ all the way!!!)
minute 20-21: 3.0 mph (cool down)

LOWER BODY WORKOUT:

Quads

Leg Extensions
12 reps at 30 #
10 reps at 35 #
8 reps at 40 #
6 reps at 35 #,
12 reps at 30 #

Dumbell Squats

12 reps at 50 # – Definite 10!

Hamgstrings

Backward lunges off the step

12 reps at 20 #
10 reps at 30 #
8 reps at 40 #
6 reps at 50 #

12 reps at 30 #

Leg Curls

12 reps at 25 #

Calves

Seated Calf Raises

12 reps at 20 #
10 reps at 25 #
8 reps at 30 #
6 reps at 35 #
12 reps at 30 lbs

Seated Angle Calf Raises

12 reps at 30 # 10 ++!

Abs~ performed VERY SLOW for each side no weights added.

Obliques – both sides with a crunch in the middle

12 reps
10 reps
8 reps
6 reps

12 reps

Leg Raises
12 reps – 10!

Jello legs, but, that is such a good thing!  This entire workout took me 55 minutes from start to finish.  I spent the last 5 minutes stretching.

What do you all think of the idea having my workouts as a separate post?  Yes, no? Maybe? Doesn’t matter….LOL!  Feel free to be honest

Today was a fun day of relaxing, visiting with friends and family plus making TWO new recipes ~ Banana Nut Pumpkin Butter Flax Muffins and Molasses Baked Beans.  Both were big hits and I am glad I got it right on the first shot.  I now officially owe you all 3 recipes this week.  Once I have a chance to type them up with the stats I’ll post them.

We were up bright and early this morning to head over to Home Depot and our friends house for more fence fun.  Before heading out the door, I had a slice of Nature’s Pride 12-Oat Bread topped with 1 Tbsp Almond Butter & 1 Tbsp Healthy Homemade Pumpkin Butter – Wow!  Adding freshly ground dry roasted almond butter to this mix is AMAZING!  I can definitely see this in my future again. PB+AB = LOVE!

We stopped at Starbuck’s & I took the VIA taste test.  I knew which was the Pike’s Place because it was hotter than the VIA.  Although I am impartial to the “Pike’s” Place name, I actually liked the VIA better because it didn’t taste burnt or too strong.

I passed on a regular coffee since my heart was already racing and I ordered my usual Grande FF Decaf Latte with caramel drizzle….MMMM!

While The Husband and his friend installed their second fence of the weekend, I visited with our friends and got caught up on my gossip (US Magazine!)  He was starving so on our way home we stopped at Rubio’s.  This time, no chicken bowl for me – I got what I envy every time we go. 

I started with an awesome side salad (forgot to say dressing on the side, but, luckily they didn’t over load it).

Then, I had 1/2 of this bean and cheese burrito with 3 chips.  I quickly dumped my chips on The Husband’s plate so I wouldn’t eat them.  I was shocked to learn that their plain bean and cheese burrito (regardless of the whole wheat tortilla) is 960 calories (16 Weight Watcher Points)!!!  What do they put in their – it’s beans, cheese and salsa? Too bad because it’s so good.

I set out on a mission this afternoon to create the perfect recipe using my Healthy Homemade Pumpkin Butter that I made yesterday.  I found a winner with my first try ~ Banana Nut Pumpkin Butter muffins with Flax.

I had to sample 1/2 of one with a little extra pumpkin butter ~ INCREDIBLE!  That is all I can say.  I LOVE these muffins and they are healthy.  Recipe and stats coming soon (either later tonight or tomorrow). I can’t wait to share!

The nephews stopped by and brought us some mini pumpkins to go with our big pumpkin.  They said we needed a pumpkin family to decorate for Halloween.  So cute!

I finally found a reason to make the Mini Burgers I always see at Trader Joe’s – they have mini buns too.  I suppose the grown up term would be sliders, but, they are in burgers to me.

I made full sized burgers for us using the 96% Lean Ground Beef from TJ’s along with grilled corn on the cob x’s 2.

MMM ~ I served my burger up on a Whole Wheat Bun with lettuce, tomato, onion, mustard and ketchup ~ delish!

To round it out, I threw out some snap peas and cherry tomatoes for a side.

Plus a 1/2 c serving of the Molasses Baked Beans that I’ve been cooking since yesterday using my new Canario Beans.  These are surprisingly good and I cannot wait to have them with some brown rice for lunch tomorrow.  I’ll post the recipe and stats tomorrow – You’ll love it – only 2 Weight Watcher Points per 1/2 cup.

I am back from my Body For Life Hiatus starting tomorrow.  I am going to continue with the eating as I described in THIS post, but, I will start my workouts up again tomorrow morning.  I really think the little breather helped to rejuvenate my motivation and make me ready to jump back in to finish the challenge strong.

Off to read, relax and enjoy what is left of the weekend.  Night all!

I had one of the BEST Saturday’s I’ve had in a really long time.  What did I do you ask?  Well, nothing really fancy, no fun events or anything special.  It was just one of those days that I did a bunch of stuff that I wanted to do without a care in the world. I didn’t stress over getting my todo list checked off and really just went with the flow.

My day started off with The Husband bringing me a nonfat decaf latte on his way over to help his friend install a fence.  I saved the latte to drink during my Weight Watcher meeting.  My meeting was so awesome.  My FAVORITE substitute leader was there – she has so much energy and looks amazing.  I want to be like her But, even more inspiring, there was a 77 year old lady who reached 83 lbs lost!!! How amazing is that?? Seriously, if she can do it, I can do it!

After my meeting, I snacked on a mini apple from my parents apple tree.

Then, headed over to the Farmer’s Market (surprised – probably not!)   I LOVE going to the markets and go all the way up until they stop having them, then, go through withdrawals.  I have to admit, the market was looking pretty scarce, but, I managed to scout out some good finds.

New to me CANARIO beans – 2+ lbs worth!  They are supposed to be like navy, pinto or kidney beans.  I am soaking some now to make Molasses Baked Beans in the crockpot.  I’ll let you all know what I think.  

An organic pumpkin & butternut squash! 

A fun YELLOW WATERMELON!

The inside is YELLOW and don’t laugh, but sorta tastes like root beer to me

Cherry Tomatoes!

The smallest bunch of cilantro I’ve ever bought & bok choy.

Squash-i-ness!

White Corn!

After my fun trip to the market, I headed over to Barnes & Nobles.  This was totally another highlight of my day.  I spent some time sitting in the sunshine browsing a bunch of magazines and books deciding what to buy.  I did read Tina’s article in Shape and picked up two magazines that had me drooling over their recipes and pictures.

I also picked up the cookbook I’ve been waiting for to come in ~ Tosca Reno’s latest Eat Clean Cookbook.

The table of contents doesn’t do it justice – seriously – there are some awesome recipes with tons of pictures in there.  I cannot wait to make some!

When I got home I noticed my neighbors pomegranate tree….I pondered how I could talk her into giving me all those pomegranates

Since I didn’t have much for breakfast, I was STARVING.  I had stopped at Trader Joe’s on my way home and picked up stuff to make a Pita Pizza!

Here is a BIG TIP on how to make your pita pizza seem like 4 pieces of pizza!  Cut your pita in half so you have TWO big circles and top with your sauce. 

Add your favorite toppings.  I chose Canadian bacon, pineapple. low-fat mozzarella and a sprinkle of parmesan.  Bake at 400 for 7 minutes until your cheese is all melty.

Enjoy as is or cut into 4 slices to have 4 pieces of pizza for 4-8 Weight Watcher Points depending on your toppings.  I LOVE these and they really do taste just like the real deal.

1 Trader Joe’s Whole Wheat Tortilla (2 WWP)

1/4 c Pizza Sauce (0 WWP)

3 slices Trader Joe’s Healthy Turkey bacon, chopped (1 WWP)

1/2 c pineapple (.5 WWP)

1 oz Low-Fat Mozzarella, finely shredded (2 WWP)

1/2 Tbsp Parmesan Cheese (.5 WWP)

Bake at 400 for 7 minutes and enjoy!  Makes 1 serving.

When I was at Trader Joe’s I picked up stuff to make salad.  I had no idea that the organic blend I bought was an Herbed Salad Mix.  OMG ~ I am SO GLAD I bought this without knowing it. The fresh herbs in it are amazing ~ they add a whole new level of flavor to your average salad.  It reminded me alot of the herbed salad they served at BlogHERFood09.

My salad included the Herbed Salad Mix and sprinkles of TJ’s Berry Blend, Roasted Sliced Almonds and a little shaved parmesan.  I topped it with another favorite TJ’s Dressing ~ The Cranberry Walnut Gorgonzola.

Love the STATS too!  I actually like their entire line of low-fat fridge section dressings – they are probably my favorite bottled dressings out there.

You can see the big chunks of walnuts and cheese in it.  Oh and it doesn’t taste like stinky cheese either or I wouldn’t eat it

I spent the afternoon in Pike’s Place test kitchen (the name my friend gave our kitchen – love it!)  I whipped up some Healthy Home Made Pumpkin Butter that does not use white sugar or pectin.  (Recipe coming soon – either tonight or tomorrow). 

Since I wanted to see how it compared to the real deal, I did a taste test comparison of Trader Joe’s jarred pumpkin butter vs my homemade version on Nature’s Pride 12 Oat Bread.

TJ’s on the left, Mine on the right!

I couldn’t decide because I LOVED them both!  So, I took some over to The Husband’s Mom and she ate it straight up.  Then, the unthinkable happened!  The Husband who does not like pumpkin tried them out too!!! Shocker!  We all agreed that they are good, but, the homemade version was SO MUCH BETTER!  TJ’s was more clove like and super sweet, while the homemade version was more pumpkin-y, cinnamon-y and vanilla-y.  MMMMM, I can’t wait to gobble it up and maybe bake with it!  I am so excited it turned out so well!

After the Pumpkin challenge, I headed over to Target to pick up a few things.  I have been brainstorming Halloween ideas for decorating our office since we are having a contest at work.  As I was perusing, I had to laugh when I noticed that they have CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS out already right behind the HALLOWEEN ones.  Look closely – so funny!

I worked up an appetite shopping so I had a little snack when I got home.  1 c watermelon/cantaloupe.

Plus a handful of lightly salted cashews.

I LOVED my lunchtime salad so much that I made it up again for dinner, only this time I remembered the tomatoes I forgot to include last time…..MMMM! I am LIVING all the fresh herbs!

I whipped up a quick batch of Shrimp Scampi over Farfalle Pasta.  I thought that I was using a fun new pasta shape when I bought the farfalle, but, guess what – it’s just another name for Bow Tie Pasta LOL.

All together I had 12 shrimp for 6 pts with 1 c of WW Farfalle Pasta for 4 pts.

I am not sure if I’ll have dessert tonight or night.  If I want something, I am thinking more of that Cantaloupe/Watermelon with some Whipped Cream.

I think we might watch a movie tonight ~ The Poker Club or Mummies are our choices.  Can you tell who picked them out?! LOL.

Alright all ~ have a great night!  I now officially owe you TWO recipes, maybe THREE by the weekends end. Coming soon…..at some point this weekend

You all are seriously amazing!  Thank you for all the amazing comments on my last post regarding my mid-challenge updates on Body For Life.  You each put so much thought into your responses and I cannot tell you how much I appreciate your words.  I really LOVE that I have so many supporters and people who believe in me.  It was nice to know that there are others who can relate to what I am feeling.  Thanks for making my day!

Ok, enough mushy-gushiness and onto yesterday’s eats.  I knew exactly what I wanted when I woke up.  I started out with 1 serving of Trader Joe’s 0% Organic Vanilla Bean Greek Yogurt mixed with 1/2 c TJ’s Low-Fat Cottage cheese and topped with a few organic strawberries.

Then, I decided I needed a little crunch.  I received this AWESOME box of Nature’s Path Organic Pumpkin FlaxPlus Granola from BlogHerFood09.

I LOVE the ingredient listing and the nutritional stats are not bad.  I personally never eat 3/4c of granola and usually use just a sprinkle.

Like this!

I have to admit I am impartial to their Organic FlaxPlus Pumpkin Raisin Crunch as my favorite, but I LOVED this granola.  Check out the BIG pieces of pumpkin seeds – YUM!

My co-worker whipped up a batch of Martha Stewarts Strawberry Cupcakes and used the Pillsbury Easy Frost that I gave her  to decorate.  Don’t they look great?!

Mid morning I had one of my favorite snacks ~ Mini Organic Peppers, Sargenot Low-Fat Colby Cheese, 1/2 a WW Pita Bread (toasted) with a little bit of The Hummus Guy’s Spicy Hummus with Harissa.  So good!  I could eat this every day.

Does anyone else eat these mini peppers straight up?  My co-workers were teasing me about eating a pepper straight ~ I think it’s pretty normal – they are crazy

Lunch was at Buckhorn’s Grill with one of my good friends who I haven’t gone out to lunch with forever.  I am seriously the social butterfly this week I guess with all these lunches out but I can’t complain – It’s been fun!

I decided to venture out from my usual salad and have their Little Buck Tri tip Sandwich ~ “4 oz. thinly sliced tri-tip. Served with caramelized onions or Au Jus dipping sauce” It was smokey and tasty. I ended up using some of their BBQ sauce inside instead of the Au Jus.

For my side I picked a green salad with their honey basil vinaigrette.  I LOVE this dressing and really need to figure out how to recreate it ASAP.

I stole a couple of sweet potato fries – I seriously have not met a sweet potato fry I didn’t like.

My lunch kept me full all afternoon so I didn’t grab an afternoon snack.  When I got home we ended up switching cars and heading over to another friends house.  (Yup, social butterfly – that’s me!)  We brought Vasquez Deli to our friends and chatted it up about Halloween decorating ideas, movies and just catching up on life.  I LOVE simple things like that.  For dinner I picked 2 chicken tacos with hot sauce ~ My favorite their since they make their own tortillas.

I am SO glad the weekend is finally here!!!  No big plans this weekend so I am looking forward to some relaxing since we didn’t do too much of it on vacation. 

I know I am making up a couple new recipes to share with everyone.  Fingers crossed they turn out!

Have a fantastic weekend all ~ see you all later tonight!

Happy Friday Eve all!  I am so ready for the weekend.  Why does it seem like the longest week ever when you return from vacation?!  This morning I woke up again at 4:30 am for no apparent reason.  I stayed in bed for a bit and then The Husband woke up to tell me I’ve been tired, I should sleep in.  Wow, I so wish my body/brain would let me sleep?!  After sitting there for about 10 more minutes, I figured, sleep wasn’t happening so I got up to do my Upper Body Workout.  I started with my chest exercises and told myself I didn’t need to do the jumping jacks/jumping rope in between to give myself a break.  I honestly really just wasn’t feeling it.  I did something I don’t think I’ve ever done, I decided to ditch my workout and enjoyed a leisurely morning making breakfast and eating it at home.  The besst part, I didn’t feel guilty for not doing it ~ my body/brain both were saying they needed a day off.  (More on this at the end of my post in my BFL ramblings)

APPLE PUMPKIN OATS 

1/2 c Quaker Old Fashioned Oats

1 c water

Dashes of cinnamon and vanilla extract

1 Tbsp Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Butter

1/2 Honey Crisp Apple, chopped

Sprinkle of Organic Unsweetened coconut

1 Tbsp Freshly Ground Almond Butter

It was perfect for the cooler weather we have been having.  I brewed up some decaf hazelnut coffee to go with it and thoroughly enjoyed sitting at our table for once and eating breakfast. 

Sadly I am not sure when the last time was that I ate breakfast at our table.  I usually take it to work with me and eat there.  I definitely need to enjoy our house more often!  Since I didn’t add any protein in, I was pretty much hungry an hour later.  But, I held out for 2 hours before I had a snack ~ the other 1/2 of my apple, Sargento LF Colby Square and a few cashews.

Today was definitely at day to get out for lunch.  The weather was beautiful.  My two co-workers and I headed out to our favorite local Mexican food place called TR2.  I did have a few chips and salsa ~ why resist when they look THIS GOOD?!

I really should venture out and try something new, but, I LOVE their tacos.  Today, I had 2 tacos, Mexican Style (with cabbage, cilantro, hot sauce, cojito, and AVOCAOD!)

Shrimp!

Fully loaded with major HOT sauce – so, so, hot with AVOCADO to cool it down!

Chicken!  I actually think it might have been better than shrimp today.

I did taste the rice and beans, but, really didn’t have room to eat them.

On our way back we made a stop at Starbuck’s.  I got a grande iced nonfat decaf latte with caramel drizzle for my afternoon snack.  I LOVE afternoon lattes!

Even with the fun of going out to lunch, today honestly felt like the LONGEST work day ever.  When I got home, I had a fantastic POM Surprise waiting for me ~ I LOVE surprises!  They have two new flavors ~ check them out!

* Pomegranate Nectarine 100% Juice!!!!

* Pomegranate Kiwi 100% Juice that is 100% The Husband’s since I am allergic to kiwi’s   He’s excited to have his own surprise LOL!  He is drinking it now and says it tastes like POM with hints of Kiwi ~ He likes it, Mikey likes it! LOL….

I am debating drinking the nectarine one or creating a fun recipe with it…..Hmmmmm – decisions, decisions!

Today was the LAST DAY of our local Farmer’s Market ~ sad!  Lucky for me there are still TWO others open through November.  Although it was slim pickings, I still scored some great loot.

Organic Strawberries!

Big red grapes for The Husband ($1/lb) and a $2 cantaloupe!

2 Pomegranates ~ Yeah!!!! I LOVE these straight up or in salads.

Do you all remember when I sautéed up these sweet & spicy peppers?  I got a bunch of them for only $0.50/lb.  I couldn’t pass up that deal.

Green beans for $1.00/lb!

Since it was the last day of the market, we both agreed we had to visit The Husband’s favorite BBQ vendor.  He gets these hot links that are straight up red there and loves them.  I picked up a humungous teriyaki chicken skewer that I split with The Husband.

And balanced it out with some TJ’s Organic Broccoli Slaw with TJ’s Low-Fat Spicy Peanut Vinaigrette.

This is one of my favorite dressings and the stats are pretty decent.  It’s awesome on slaw, salads, pastas and as a marinade.

After dinner I whipped up a recipe using these fantastic Organic Japanese Cucumbers for one of my co-workers from her CSA box. Can anyone guess what I made???

I’ll be posting the recipe either tomorrow or this weekend.  Be sure to check back for it because it’s so simple, tasty and healthy you’ll want to make it.

BODY FOR LIFE UPDATE AND THOUGHTS (MID-CHALLENGE, WEEK 6)

This part of my post is really just my ramblings to get some thoughts out that are going through my head.  Feel free to skip to the ***** or read on and share your thoughts – I’d love to know them!

RAMBLING STARTS HERE

Let me start out by saying I am not quitting the challenge or anything like that.  I have never quit anything in my life and I am not about to start.  I am sharing some of my thoughts and assessing where I am at/where I want to go.  I have been really proud of myself for sticking to my workouts 100% the entire challenge.  That means getting up every morning at 5 am 6 days a week with only 1 day of rest.  My eating for the first 4 weeks was spot on.  Week 5 during my vacation, I stuck to the BFL eating for breakfast, all snacks and most lunches/dinners.  Since I was on vacation I decided to enjoy a little too.  This week is week 6 and I am honestly really struggling.

I am not sure why but this morning I gave myself alot of time to reflect on what is working well and what I can improve on.  I think my biggest issue with how I have been doing BFL is that I actually eat less fruits/vegetables and dairy than I normally do.  With my Weight Watchers roots, I have embedded in my eating habits 2 dairy servings and at least 5-7 fruits/vegetable servings a day.  I also feel like the perfectionist in me needs to meet the BFL ratios the 40/40/20 (protein/carbs/fat) 100%.  When I don’t, I feel discouraged like I am not working the plan very well. 

I naturally balance my carbs/proteins usually but for some reason I feel so confined to really try to hit those ratios.  It’s like being told to eat in a box and when you do that, you are not enjoying life.  I think I should be able to add fruit to my breakfast of eggs and toast and not have it count against me.  It’s a healthy addition.  I should be able to add fruit to my flavored yogurt and not have it count against me.  I know you can do BFL and not have their shakes or bars, yet, I feel like it is encouraged to get the best results.  I struggle with the ingredients in their products because they are not part of who I am. I am all about clean eats with clean ingredients I can recognize 90% of the time.  There is always room for indulgence so that is what the 10% is for   But, I feel like if I go with a bar or a shake I am somehow missing out on REAL food where I can have a fruit/vegetables with something simple like hummus or cheese or nuts – once again, all healthy things.  I think i struggle trying to fit in 25 g of protein 5-6 times a day as well.  This is why I use the shakes because it takes so much prep to plan for that much protein.  I am not so much into buying processed/pre-cooked meats since I like to cook my own.  I also think that I consume more calories by consuming more protein/carbs when i could be eating less through fruits/veggies/etc.  I could probably go on, but, I think this sums most of it up.

All that being said, I am not saying the program is bad.  There isn’t one eating plan that is perfect for everyone.  What I am saying is that at the half way point ~ it’s time to assess where I am at and where I want to go.  I have noticed my motivation this week is lagging and to me it shines through in what I am eating – notice it isn’t BFL balanced.  I NEED to feel inspired by what I eat and feel motivated in all that I do.

For the next week, beginning Saturday, I am going to try a new approach to my BFL challenge.  I am still going to do the workouts 100% by the book, however, I am going to rely on my Weight Watcher roots to point out my eats, balance them according to WW and keep the BFL food theories in mind.  I will still focus on protein/carbs being balanced, but, I am giving myself a little freedom to just basically eat clean within my points with no ratios to worry about.  Points keep my portions in check and WW has always worked for me when I work it to lose weight.  I am down 3.2 lbs in 6 weeks, I want to see how much I can make that go down in the next 6 weeks with this theory.

BFL workouts + Weight Watchers Philosophy on eating.

What do you think?  I’d love to hear any thoughts from any of you who have done a challenge or just struggled with trying to meet your weight loss goals.

*************************************************************************************************

I am really exhausted tonight so I am off to read, relax and catch up on some zzzz’s.  There might be some Dulce de Leche ice cream involved here too, but, I am not too sure just yet. I am considering this my “free day”.  I am not setting my alarm for my early morning workout.  If I wake up, I’ll do it then, if not, then, I’ll do it at lunch or after work.

Have a great night all ~ The Great Pumpkin Giveaway winners will be announced in the morning!

Wow – you all LOVE your pumpkin butter!  I have to admit that you have me drooling over ALL amazing possibilities and ways to use pumpkin butter….MMMM!  I LOVE the idea that was mentioned today of possibly including a Pumpkin Butter Recipe and/or a recipe using Pumpkin Butter with the winners prize packs.  Of course, I’d have to post the recipes for you all too.  Note to self to add this to the list!  For now, you have ONE more day to enter The Great Pumpkin Giveaway– make sure you checked off all 4 ways you can enter to win!

This morning I was wide awake at 4 am ~ why?!  I refused to be awake at this time so I stayed in bed until 5:15 and finally gave in.  I decided that Power HIlls were in order for my HIIT today.  These absolutely make your legs and bum burn way more than any run I’ve ever done.

minutes 1 & 2: 3.5 mph @ 1% grade
minute 3: 3.6 mph @ 6%
minute 4: 3.7 mph @ 7%
minute 5: 3.8 mph @ 8%
minute 6: 3.9 mph @ 9%
minute 7: 3.6 mph @ 6%
minute 8: 3.7 mph @ 7%
minute 9: 3.8 mph @ 8%
minute 10: 3.9 mph @ 9% 
minute 11: 3.6 mph @ 6% 
minute 12: 3.7 mph @ 7% 
minute 13: 3.8 mph @ 8% 
minute 14: 3.9 mph @ 9% 
minute 15: 3.6 mph @ 6% 
minute 16: 3.7 mph @ 7% 
minute 17: 3.8 mph @ 8% 
minute 18: 3.9 mph @ 9% 
minute 19: 5.0 mph @ 10%  (barely made it, but, I pushed through it thinking of Bob & Jillian saying don’t say you can’t do anything again – you can!!!)
minute 20-22: 3.0 mph @ 0%

Can I just say between yesterday’s rocking lower body workout (that included step lunges) and this power hill workout, my legs are SORE like week 1 – such a good thing!!! I can’t believe my Body For Life Challenge is half over – yahoo! 

Breakfast included 1/2 c egg beaters cooked in the microwave with some hot sauce, sea salt and pepper.

1 slice Nature’s Pride 12 Grain Oat Bread with a smear of PUMPKIN BUTTER!

It was delicious and completely hit the spot for a complete carb/protein balanced 4 Weight Watcher Points!

I knew that Meal #2 was going to include The Hummus Guys Pita Bread and Spicy Hummus with Harissa.  This WW pita bread rocks because it gets super soft when you toast it.  I had 3 mini peppers and 1/2 c low-fat cottage cheese on the side.

At lunch today I had to run out to buy the Birthday cakes for the September birthday’s at work.  I was super bummed that Whole Foods changed their policy and said that they now require 48 hours to order any big cakes While I was there, I picked up a cup of their Garden Vegetable Soup to go with lunch.  It looks tasty, but, it was, eh ok – it really needed salt and pepper.

I added 1/2 c Trader Joe’s 0% Greek yogurt with 1/2 c Low-Fat Cottage cheese and 1 Tbsp PUMPKIN BUTTER for some protein with my soup.

For dessert, I had 1/2 of this Honey Crisp apple before I got pulled into meetings :/

I had 32 oz of bubbles with lunch too….Fizzy water seriously makes my day!

I ended up finding 3 delicious looking cakes at Raley’s – a local market.  They are Mile High Cakes ~ Blondie (white cake, custard, strawberries, white chocolate), Carrot Cake and Tiramisu!  I am pretty sure everyone LOVED them because they disappeared fast.

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Check out all the LAYERS each cake has!!!  I did have 2 bites of each kind for “quality control” and all ~ MMMM….they were all good but I LOVED the carrot cake best ~ It tasted like PUMPKIN

I managed to grab a little bit of a snack on my way to my next meeting.  I had some Whole Wheat Annie’s bunnies (x’s 3) and a Low Fat Sargento Colby Jack Cheese.

The animals were out like crazy at our house.  It seems our adopted kitty invited her friend over……she didn’t ask us!

Then, while I was cooking dinner The Husband called me outside to tell me we had a bunny in our back yard.  Crazy ~ how do you find a bunny in the city?!

I have really been craving Turkey Meatloaf lately and I am pretty sure it has to do with the weather cooling.  I picked up some Trader Joe’s Tomato Chutney yesterday and thought I’d replace the ketchup with it.  The stats are pretty decent.

I didn’t have time or patience to make meatloaf, so I made Meatballs!  The Husband said the shape doesn’t matter – square or circle, it all tastes the same.  These only take 20 minutes to cook! 

I topped them with Trader Joe’s Tomato Chutney after I cooked them.  WOW – that is some seriously spicy hot chutney, but, it’s loaded with a great curry tomato flavor.

FAST TURKEY MEATBALLS

1 lb Lean Turkey Breast (99%)

1/3 c chopped red onion

1/3 c chopped green bell pepper

2 garlic cloves

1/4 oat bran

1/4 tsp ground thyme

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce

1 egg white

Garlic Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Saute the onion, bell pepper and garlic in nonstick spray over medium heat until soft, about 4-5 minutes. 

Combine the above ingredients and shape into 8 meatballs.  Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until browned and cooked through.

**Note, if using sauce, add during the last 5 minutes of cooking or when served.

Makes 8 medium meatballs or 4 large meatballs/mini loaves

Top with your favorite sauce and enjoy!

I chopped up the leftover Grilled Carrots for side #1.

Plus some Trader Joe’s Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes.

Dinner was all about FAST comfort foods that were delish.  I am so glad the week is 1/2 over….only 2 days left til the weekend – woohoo!

Tomorrow is the last day to enter my Great Pumpkin Giveaway!  Good luck, good luck!

Nite all!

When we were shopping in South Lake Tahoe last week at Pier 1 Imports, The Husband checked out the Halloween stuff.  He came over to me wearing this “Cat” Mask and telling me he wanted to buy it so he could go up to our adopted Kitty and be a “Cat” too!

So, I introduce you to “CATMAN”!!!!

He has a fierce claw, but, is really just a nice kitty kat!

As soon as we got home, he put on his mask and taunted our adopted kitty with “meows” and “hisses”…..

It only took her a minute or two to figure out her dad is CRAZY!   OMG, I am STILL laughing as I type this and it’s been a few days since I took these   Here kitty, kitty, kitty ~ Maybe I should pet him

I woke up today thinking about Catman so I thought today would be a FANTASTIC day to post it.  I LOVE Tuesday’s because they are Biggest Loser day.  It helped to motivate me to get up bright and early to fit in an awesome Lower Body Workout!

I quickly got ready and was starving by the time I got to work.  I whipped up a BIG Chocolate Banana Protein Shake (1 scoop 100% Whey Chocolate PP, Banana, water & Ice).

I completely know better than to bring BIG Chocolate Bars to work because they taunt me all day long. I brought it in today to try and to share with my co-workers.  Scharffen Berger gave us a ton of their AWESOME chocolate at BlogHER Food09 and I have been dying to try the Milk Almond Sea Salted Chocolate!

Ignore the nutritionals , but, check out that ingredient list ~ It’s CLEAN and you can recognize EVERY ingredient…..see chocolate IS the new health food   I LOVE that it has WHOLE VANILLA BEANS in it too.

I think I might have drooled a little when I opened up the package and saw this beautiful chunk of chocolate loaded with almonds.

And since it was only 9:00 am, I dug in and had some   I shared too!  WOW – it’s so creamy with a hint of sea salt that makes it caramel like right before you get the roasted crunch of the almonds.  I am beyond words to describe it but it was awesome and totally not BFL approved at all ~ Oops! Sometimes a girl needs some chocolate…..at least I shared.

After my chocolate fest (which was awesome with some GOOD coffee), I decided to have a proper snack at 10:30.  

2 slices Cabot RF Cheese

Handful of lightly salted TJ’s Pistachios

5 Back To Nature Organic Whole Wheat Flax Crackers

It was the perfect snack and it held me over while we shopped at the Farmer’s Market.  I was really sad at the market today because there was hardly any fruit to choose from and NO SQUASH – boooo!  I did score some fantastic looking peppers and tomatoes plus something new to me – FIGS! 

Friends can so cool!  My friend couldn’t believe I’ve never tried figs so she bought me some to try.  I know you can add them to salads and pizzas or eat them straight up. 

Do you have any ideas or recipes for using figs?  If so, do share, I’d LOVE to know.

After we worked up an appetite at the market, we headed over to Taylor’s Refresher.  I was sooo jealous of her order ~ she got one of their specials ~ an “organic heirloom tomato mozzarella sandwich”!  Check out the yellow and green tomatoes! MMMMMM

I did steal a couple of her spicy sweet potato fries – so good!

I ordered two Grilled Mahi Mahi Tacos that were awesome with all that fresh pico de gallo.

At the Farmer’s Market today, I did pick up a couple of things to share at work.  I restocked our Spicy with Harissa Hummus and Pita Bread, but, also bought some cookies from my FAVORITE LOCAL BAKER there ~ Annie The Baker.  IOMG ~ I had no idea that you all at BlogHER Food09 had her cookies there until I just saw she was on Foodzie ~ Awesome coincidence!!  Her cookies are absolutely amazing and I buy them from her every week, but, usually give them to my co-workers!  I bought 3 and she gave me 1 free!

Toffee Chocolate Chip ~ My personal favorite!

Snickerdoodle ~ The newest addition.  The cinnamon is on the INSIDE.

Double Chocolate Chocolate Chip

Peanut Butter with Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

These are super soft, chewy and fully loaded ~ check out the insides of them all!

We cut them into small pieces and everyone nibbled away.  I am weak at the knees for these cookies since they are my favorite….I did have a couple of bites and they were 110% worth it!  I traded in my afternoon snack since I indulged a bit today.  I am thinking my FREE DAY this week needs to not be so FREE.

Dinner was a fast and easy breakfast scramble.

1 LF Spicy Chicken Sausage

1 egg plus 1/2 c Egg Beaters with splash of lf milk

Handful Sliced Mushrooms

Handful Spinach

1/2 tomato, chopped

Sea Salt & Pepper to taste

I had the other 1/2 of the tomato sliced on the side.

Plus 1 slice of Nature’s Pride 12 Oat Bread.  I LOVE this bread – it’s soft and doughy with a hint of nuttiness from the oats.  I’d definitely buy it!

All together it totally hit the spot!

Check out Amanda’s Pepper Dog Salsa Giveaway by clicking HERE!

Off to watch The Biggest Loser!!!!  Stay tuned tomorrow morning for a fun Fall Pumpkin-Y Giveaway!!!

Nite!

Today feels like the first day of FALL here and I LOVE it!  It was dark out when my alarm went off at 5:15 am, but, I hopped out of bed to get in my Body for Life HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) run in.  I debated with myself for about 8 minutes on what I felt like doing, then, finally, I told myself I needed to “Just Do It!”

minutes 1 & 2: 3.5 mph
minute 3: 5.0 mph
minute 4: 5.5 mph
minute 5: 6.0 mph
minute 6: 6.5 mph
minute 7: 5.0 mph
minute 8: 5.5 mph
minute 9: 6.0 mph
minute 10: 6.5 mph
minute 11: 4.0 mph
minute 12: 5.0 mph
minute 13: 5.5 mph
minute 14: 6.0 mph
minute 15: 5.0 mph
minute 16: 5.5 mph
minute 17: 6.0 mph
minute 18: 6.5 mph
minute 19: 8.0 mph (level 10 ~ all the way!!!)
minute 20-21: 3.0 mph (cool down) Plus a few more minutes just walking really, really slow

When I got to work I decided to celebrate fall by opening my first jar of the season of Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Butter.  I scooped 1/2 Tbsp over 3/4 c Low-Fat Cottage cheese ~ Pumpkin Cottage cheese is SO GOOD!  I had a Honey Crisp apple and some Starbuck’s decaf on the side.

I did ponder declaring “email bankruptcy” when I walked in to over 200 emails.  I learned about “Email Bankruptcy” from Elise at BlogHerFood09.  Each  month she clears out all her emails and puts them in a folder that may/may not be accessed later.  This way her email box is CLEAN and the pressure to respond to them all is gone. Good idea, no?

I took a break mid morning and had a container of TJ’s 0% Blueberry Greek yogurt with a small handful of TJ’s lightly salted cashews.  MMMM – LOVE this yogurt and the stats are fab too (120 cal, 0 g fat, 0 g fiber, 16g carbs, 13 g protein) – 2 Weight Watcher Points!

I seriously think going back for work on a MONDAY after 9 days off makes the day SOOO LONG!  I had planned to work on some of the cool stuff I learned at BlogHerFood09, but, I decided I NEEDED to get outside instead.  Off to Whole Foods & Trader Joe’s I went.  I was really hoping to get the WF Teriyaki Chicken Bowl that I heard about from Emily , but, the WF by me doesn’t do them – Booo!  So I settled for making up my own meal from the hot bar.

Herb Roasted Turkey Breast

1/2 c Brown Rice

A scoop of grilled veggies

Asian Slaw

All together it was a decent lunch.  The turkey was SO DRY but it had great flavor. 

This afternoon was so fun!  First, my co-workers re-created the rainbow cake I made for The Husband’s birthday.  Didn’t they do a great job?!  LOVE IT!

I also brought in the two containers of the NEW Pillsbury Easy Frost that I got at BlogHerFood09 – Vanilla Dream and Decadent Chocolate Fudge to set up a Cupcake Decorating Station!

I LOVE the concept of these frostings in that they come with the tip already to decorate.  My only complaint is that they contain trans-fats (aka the Hydrogenated Oils).  I know you can’t have perfect ingredients when indulging in treats, but, you can easily avoid ingredients by making your own frosting or finding a brand that excludes them.

Here was our mini Cupcake station!  I baked up a batch of Chocolate Cupcakes last night to bring in and share…..

Then, I let my co-workers go to town decorating.  The only catch was that they had to take a picture   HELLO CUPCAKE – Quite possibly the BEST dessert ever created (aside from ice cream of course!)

They all did such a fantastic job! My FAVORITE were the Clown Faces!

I have a confession to make ~ I couldn’t resist!!! I am helpless when it comes to frosting!  I could visualize myself squirting this in my mouth like frosting so I HAD TO bring it into work…You know you all have done that!!!  

When I got home, I had a cool box waiting for me from FoodBuzz!  I received 2 NEW Nature’s Pride Loafs of bread as part of their Tastemaker Program – woohoo!  I cannot wait to try them out.  I’ll be sure to let you know what I think, but, so far the stats are awesome!

Dinner tonight was a new recipe ~ Creamy Grilled Chicken Marsala with Grilled Carrots.  The recipe is up next!

1 day down, 4 to go!  Let the weekend countdown begin.  Tomorrow is a fun day because I am meeting a friend to go to the Farmer’s Market plus lunch.  Then, of course, it’s Biggest Loser night – yahoo!

Have a great night all!

Happy Saturday all!  Today was totally productive and I got everything done on my todo list and then some – YES!  I am leaving for vacation organized – wow.  I had debated saving my FREE DAY for tomorrow (day 1 of vacation), but, when I woke up I felt like I mentally needed it today.  I needed to be able to eat whatever, not plan anything and just go with the flow – so I did just that.  I think it will help set the tone of vacation too if I go into right on track.

BFL UPDATE: I weighed in this morning and maintained which I think is fair since I wasn’t perfect last week.  I will check again in the AM and let you know if it goes down. I am currently 3.2 lbs down – I’ll take it and I’ve lost 1.5 inches – yahoo! I can see some more definition in my arm muscles and I feel like overall my body is getting a little firmer even if you cannot visually see drastic results yet.  4 weeks down, 8 to go!

I have been craving a latte ALL WEEK long so today I started out with a Grande FF Decaf Latte with Caramel Drizzle.

Plus one of my FAVORITE FALL indulgences.  I figured since Fall officially starts next week, I’d get a head start in celebrating today on my FREE DAY.  I had a Pumpkin Scone from Starbucks.

LOOK at all that pumpkin-Y goodness with that thick layer of vanilla pumpkin cinnamon glaze – soooo good and worth EVERY calorie. For those doing Weight Watchers – this is 10 Points but seriously worth it!

I did a little shopping for my “secret” recipe that I am doing for a guest post.  While at Trader Joe’s I saw a NEW Product that I had to get.  Are you surprised?! LOL I pretty much cannot resist any new product there LOL.

Each twist is only 30 calories and surprisingly VEGAN.

I had TWO of these mini twists.  They are really sweet, cinnamon like and crispy.  The good thing is that this keeps you from eating too many of them.  The Husband is a snacker so this gives him a healthier treat than other options.

My “secret” recipe includes spicy Pepper-Jack Cheese.  I had two slices like this while I cooked it.  I can never resist not snacking on some cheese whenever it’s involved in a recipe.

Here is a sneak peak at my “secret” recipe.  It’s a Body For Life ~ Healthy version of Creamy Chicken, Spinach and Mushroom Enchiladas.  The recipe will be showing up in about TWO weeks and I’ll be sure to link to it so you all can have it too.  I know you will LOVE it – it was AMAZING.  I had one enchilada for lunch and one for dinner (twice in one day since we are heading out of town).  I wanted to freeze the extras but The Husband LOVED it so much he wanted to eat it all LOL.

Since I’ve decided every FREE DAY should include ice cream, I had this mini Haagen Dazs Dulce de Leche Ice Cream.  OMG ~ I am so glad I only had a small container – SO, SO GOOD!  Caramel ice cream with BIG caramel ribbon swirls…..MMMMMM!

I thought it was cute how they included a little spoon in the lid. 

I am all packed up and ready to go – Yeah!  I am getting up a little early to get in my Upper Body Workout before we head out.  I am excited to have a week of nothingness   I have a fun week of Guest Posts lined up for you all and I hope to pop in and say hi at times too.

QUESTION:

I got asked to be a guest speaker at a convention for women in October about blogging, being a female blogger, etc.  I have to speak for 15 minutes (scared!)  So, I wanted to ask you all ~ If you had to give a speech about blogging, starting a blogging and/or being a female blogger – what would you say???

Off to read, relax and hopefully catch some zzzzzz’s!  Nite all!