New Dressing!

Good evening everyone! I just wanted to take a moment to share a new salad dressing I found! Zero calories, zero fat and zero sugar! Can you believe it?! They had a raspberry one as well. I got it at Walmart. Delish! Ate it tonight on my salad with Craisins, sunflower seeds and almonds :-)

I'm Back!

Ok peeps! I'm back with full force now. Went to the gym today (yay me!) and did not cheat! :D
Here is what I ate today:

Lunch:
2 egg omelet with peppers, onions and ham
2 slices of Kamut n' Flax bread
1 tbsp of Light Salmon Cream Cheese

Dinner:
1 cup of rice spaghetti
Onions and peppers
Chicken breast
1 tbsp of oyster sauce

Not Getting Any Fatter...

So, the holiday season has been really hard for me but I have made a promise to myself to go back to my super strict self in the New Year. I have even purchased a 30-day gym membership to Goodlife and plan to sign for the year after I have used that up! Looking to lose at least another 25 lbs. Wish me luck! xo

Scratch That...

So the whole thing about not worrying too much about dieting until after Christmas pretty much fell through. "Not trying" for me meant the occasional chocolate bar and eating gnocchi for dinner with no veggies. I looked in the mirror the other day and although my weight hasn't changed much, I looked different. I looked puffy in the face and the pants were a little more snug than usual. So I have decided that I need to go pretty hardcore. I did it before, I can do it again. Since school started again, I've found it difficult to track my food diary on Dr. Som's organizer so yesterday I downloaded the myfitnesspal app for my Android phone. It's pretty awesome and you can add friends to it which is cool. So if any of you have the app or decide to download it, let me know :) Wish me luck!!!

Don't Worry, I'm Not Dead :-)

Hey everyone! Thought I'd take a minute to post an updated pic just to show you (and my mom) that even though I am not eating perfectly, I am not gaining weight.
Also, to call attention to my new dress pants :-) I bought them this weekend in Niagara Falls, NY at the Gap outlet at Prime outlets. What's so special about them you ask? They are a size 16 "Curvy". Yes, Curvy! Along with Regular, Petite and Tall, the Gap now makes clothes for curvy women! :-)

MIA...

Hi everyone! So I know I have been MIA lately, truth is, my 75 day challenge didn't last long at all :( It's just so hard these days. I've been working like crazy and have little to no will power. The closer we get to Christmas, the more sweets and treats show up daily. So I have decided to maintain (or plateau, which is what I have been doing for a few months now) until the new year and then after that go at it again hardcore. It is at that time that I will ask for all of your support and prayers to help me succeed. Wish me luck!

Gluten Free Italian Style Fritata

One pack of gluten free spaghetti
3 eggs
1/2 cup of milk
Salt and pepper to taste
Sausage, ham etc.

Cook pasta according to package
Drain and rinse
Add all ingredients to a boil
Put a pan on medium heat with a bit of oil
Pour ingredients into pan
Cook on both sides until golden brown
Enjoy! :-)

Confession

Bad things went into my  body this weekend :(
McDonalds, pizza, chocolate milk, a bagel,  and cookies :(
Can't believe my lack of will power.
Wish me luck on my upcoming week!

Wedding!

Today is day 67 of my No-Cheat Challenge! The day I was awaiting/dreading was yesterday. It was mcousin Vince's wedding at a beautiful downtown theatre turned venue. The food was amazing! But today I get back on track for 67 more days straight

Here are some photos from last night!

 

71 Days Left!

So today, was Friday Treat Day at school. If you are a follower of my blog then you know that it is Fridays that I loathe due to all the yummy yet unhealthy foodthat fills our staff room at lunch time. Well today was no exception. There was Strawberry Rhubarb Pie, Cookies, Chocolate, Crackers and Gourmet Italian and Greek desserts. There just so happened to be one of my favourite Italian desserts. A cream-filled cake shaped into a peach. How could I have resisted one?!?!

... I have no idea how I did it but I did! Yay me! lol. Here is a list of what I ate today:

Breakfast:

Kashi GoLean (1cup)

Skim milk (1 cup)

Apple

Lunch:

Chicken (deck of cards size)

Rice noodles (1/2 cup)

Romaine lettuce

Carolie Wise Italian  Dresing (2 tbsps)

Vegetarian Oyster Sauce (2 tbsps)

Dinner:

Tuna burger

Brown rice (1/2 cup)

Romaine Lettuce

Calorie Wise Italian Dressing (2 tbsps)

Snack:

Low Fat Strawberry Frozen Yogurt

Sugar-Free, No-Bake, Pumpkin Cheesecake

Made this on Thanksgiving and it was pretty delicious :)
Courtesy of www.kraftrecipes.com


Ingredients:

1 pkg. (8 oz.) light PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened

1 cup  canned pumpkin

1/2 cup sugar light (or Splenda)

1/2 tsp.  pumpkin pie spice

1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed, divided

1   HONEY MAID Graham Pie Crust (6 oz.)

 

Directions:

BEAT cream cheese, pumpkin, sugar and pumpkin pie spice with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Gently stir in 2-1/2 cups of the whipped topping. Cover and refrigerate remaining whipped topping for later use.

SPOON cream cheese mixture into crust.
REFRIGERATE 3 hours or overnight. Serve topped with remaining whipped topping. Store leftover cheesecake in refrigerator.

75 Day Challenge!

Ok people! This is the day I start my own 75 day challenge. The challenge includes no sweets, junk food or any unhealthy food for 75 days! That will bring me right up to Christmas Eve. I am not going to give myself an exact weightloss goal, but Ithis one: Try to lose as much weight as possible in 75 days. Now, the thing that I always find challenging is special occasions because usually special occasions mean special food and we all know that special food is always delicious/unhealthy food.  There is one even that I am aware of that is going to be very challenging and that is my cousin Vince's wedding on Saturday. I know, a wedding! The worst event for a diet ever! It seems like my huge temptation these days is at work. There is always yummy food in the lunch room that I end up snacking on so this 75 day challenge will include eliminating the lunchroom munchies.  I feel very motivated to do this again so I'm hoping the increased motivation will provide me with a great amount of will power.

Happy Thanksgiving, Canada!

After eating like crazy this past Thanksgiving weekend I feel gross. Saturday was Oktoberfest at Bingemans. Had a lot of fun but ate Schnitzel on a BUN, half an apple pie slice and 4 beers!

On Sunday we headed down Brampton for Thanksgiving dinner at the De Napoli's. As usual, the feast was endless: turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, yams, stuffing and corn and then for dessert two types of cheesecake and my gluten free pumpkin muffins. Ya, I know, nice try Kris, lol.

On Monday, we went to Joe's mom's for Thanksgiving dinner. Again, a delicious traditional Thanksgiving feast. At least I made a "healthy" dessert. A non-bake pumpkin cheesecake which I will post a recipe for :)

Anyways, no wonder I felt like crap last night! I downed a couple of litres of water and some psyllium fibre pills. I also set some alarms for taking my supplements since I haven't been able to get back into routine in that area.

Ya, I know. I'm a bad girl, lol

Anyways, that's about all for this post. Keep checking back for more. Looking forward to your support!

Somedays You Just Need a Little Reminder...

Out of My Control...

Today we went to my Uncle's house in Georgetown and as always, with every other Italian gathering, there is always an abundance of food. I don't think I did horribly but here is what I ate today:

Breakfast:
Gluten Free Pumpkin Muffins (2)
Skim milk

Lunch:
Ritz crackers
Cheese (I know, not the best choice)

Dinner:
Chicken breast
1 scoop of tuna macaroni salad
1/2 sausage
2 big helpings of salad
Peppers, onions and mushrooms

Snack:
Gluten Free Pumpkin Muffin
Apple cider

BTW, ran yesterday and Thursday and every square inch of my legs kills! Thighs, calves, ass, ankles everything!!!!

Healthy (Gluten Free) Pumpkin Cupcakes

Hello ladies,
This time last year, before the discovery of my gluten sensitivity, I was obsessed with making delicious Pumpkin Cupcakes. I got the recipe off Splenda.ca and it uses whole wheat flour and canned pumpkin. Tonight I tried supplementing the whole wheat flour for rice flour and got a delicious gluten free alternative! Here is the recipe! Enjoy!

Healthy Pumpkin Cupcakes

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Bake Time: 18-20 minutes
Makes: 12 cupcakes

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups (375 mL) whole wheat flour (or rice flour for a gluten free alternative)

• 1/2 cup (125 mL) SPLENDA^® No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated

• 1 tsp (5 mL) baking powder

• 1 tsp (5 mL) baking soda

• 1 tsp (5 mL) ground cinnamon

• 1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt

• 1/2 tsp (2 mL) ground nutmeg

• 1/4 tsp (1 mL) ground cloves

• 1 egg

• 1 3/4 cup (430 mL) canned pumpkin

• 1/2 cup (125 mL) canola oil

Icing Ingredients
• 1 package (250 g) spreadable low fat cream cheese

• 1/2 cup (125 mL) SPLENDA^® No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated

• 1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla extract

Directions

• Preheat oven to 400⁰ F (200⁰C) and prepare a 12 cup muffin pan with baking spray.

• Combine the whole wheat flour, SPLENDA^® Granulated, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon, salt, ground cloves, and ground nutmeg in a mixing bowl. 

• Beat the eggs thoroughly in a separate bowl.

• Add the canned pumpkin and canola oil to the beaten egg. Mix until thoroughly combined.

• Combine the mixtures in the two together until just mixed. Do not over mix. The batter will be stiffer than a typical cake or muffin batter.

• Spoon the batter equally into the prepared muffin pan, taking the time to evenly smooth the batter in each cup.

•Bake for approximately 18 to 20 minutes.

•Remove from the pan and cool completely on a wire rack.

• Combine the cream cheese, SPLENDA^® Granulated, and vanilla to form an icing

• Spread the icing equally over the tops of the thoroughly cooled cupcakes.

Nutritional Information

Amount per Serving:

• Serving Size: 1 cupcake

• Total Calories: 200

• Calories from Fat: 117

• Total Fat: 13 g

• Saturated Fat: 3 g

• Cholesterol: 30 mg

• Sodium: 340 mg

• Total Carbohydrates: 18 g

• Fibre: 3 g

• Sugars: 3 g

• Protein: 5 g

It was picture day at school today :)

New Plan of Action!

I'm proud to announce that I have had a great week this week! Down two lbs since Monday with nooooo cheating! Whoo, hoo!
Went to see Dr. Som today for some advice and to give her an update which made me remember how different things were when I saw her last. Every appointment she would ask "What's your stress like?" and I would go on to tell her about the varying degrees of stress in my life. At that point she would encourage me to relax and not let things stress me out. Today was the same as every other but this time when she asked me what was stressing me out I simply said "nothing". That's right, I couldn't think of a single thing! This is an epic event! For years I was always stressing out about something! Wonder if my cortisol is down? lol. Hope this lasts! I feel pretty good today :)

Dr. Som's suggestions:

• Exercise -  Running 3 days a week. She suggested Tuesdays, Saturdays and Sundays since I work late 2 days per week. Talked to Joe, he may join me on my run on the weekends :)
• Try two weeks 100% strict. She believes that this should "reset" my weightloss mentality. My goal is to be down 10 lbs by Thanksgiving. Already down 3 :)
• Start taking my supplements again, especailly the adrenal support and Inositol.
• Start charting my food again. Slacked this summer :P
• Eliminate artificial sweetners. Boo :(

Tonight I ran with Russell :) Felt good!  Here is what I ate today:

Breakfast: (8:00am)
Kashi GoLean (1 cup)
Skim milk (1 cup)
Banana

Lunch: (11:45am)
Quinoa (1/2 cup)
Chicken (deck of cards size)
Mixed veggies

Snack: (2:00)
Grapes
 Laughing cow cheese wedges (2)

Snack: (4:30)
Banana
Peanut butter (1 tbsp)

Dinner (6:00)
Turkey sausage (1)
Brown rice (1/2 cup)
Peppers & onions

Snack: (8:30)
Glutino crackers (4)
Cheese (2 cubes)
Apple

Here We Go Again!

Ok, so I know I've been MIA lately. Truth is, I have been bad :(

Since school has started, I've been trying to get my will power back but it seems like every day there is a new treat in the staff room-- pizza, cookies, cupcakes, you name it! I used to be able to look at it and have no desire to eat it, but these days I am not so strong.

Today is Monday, the first day of a new week. I am trying again. Going to see Dr. Som on Thursday, hopefully she will offer me some good advice. Went to work early today to do some planning with my teaching partner and worked at Oxford until 6:00pm so I am sure sleep is not far off.

Here is what I ate today:

Breakfast: (7:30am)

Kashi GoLean (1 cup)

Skim milk (1 cup)

Banana

Lunch: (11:45am)

Romaine lettuce

2 eggs (hard boiled)

Brown rice salad with fat free mayo (1/2 cup)

Fat Free Italian Dressing (2 tbsps)

Snack: (2:15pm)

Banana

Snack: (6:30pm)

Banana

Dinner: (7:30pm)

Tuna burger

1/2 cup of rice pasta

Laughing Cow Cheese

1/4 Fat Free Cheese

Mixed veggies

My dinner :)

Why Didn't I Think of This Sooner?!

Kasha GoLean with skim milk can be quite bland. Today I added blueberries and some cinnamon :)

Back!

Hello everyone! Yes, I'm aware I have been MIA for a couple of weeks but I am back on the map! lol
We had Joe's mom's birthday a few weeks back and then Joe and I did some camping last weekend so you can imagine what put into what crap I was putting into my body. Drumroll please...
2 hamburgers on white buns,
4 hot dogs on white buns,
spinach dip (healthy!) but with bread :(
Gluten free tuna macaroni
S'mores! Hershey's chocolate, marshmallows and no, not graham crackers because we couldn't find them at the store but CHOCOLATE DIP COOKIES! Amazing but oh so bad :(

Good news is, I am back at work which means back in a routine and eating at a regular schedule.
Down 2lbs over night. Maybe shoving crap down my throat has given my metabolism a kick in the ass?
Anyways, plan on being pretty strict for the next little bit. Hope to be down another 20lbs by Christmas.
Wish me luck!

Crabby Joe's

No, my Joe isn't crabby... He's actually a pretty happy guy :D lol

This Joe is crabby, but his food isn't :) lol



I know, I'm a dork, lol. I went to Crabby Joe's for dinner with Jody and Heather. Yay! :) Unfortuntely, I didn't take a pic of my meal and I couldn't find it on the internet but I will describe it in the best way possible...by copying and pasting what it says on the menu itself, lol.

Grilled Veggie Wrap

Grilled red peppers, zucchini, eggplant, lettuce, tomatoes,

goat cheese and sun-dried tomato pesto wrapped in a flour

tortilla and baked in the oven.

It came with a soup, salad or fries. I did good and ordered a salad but Crabby Joe's only had Ranch or Balsamic vinegar dressing, both of which I don't like. Opted for a Caesar Salad and although it was delish, could not help but think of how bad it was for me :(

Caesar Salad:

Crisp romaine lettuce, bacon bits, croutons and parmesan

cheese tossed in our creamy Caesar dressing.

This is where my willpower was defeated. Both girls ordered dessert and there was no way I could watch both of them eat my favourite things without going totally nuts. I even asked one of my gf's if they wanted to split a dessert. She's prego and said no, lol.
Here is what I ate and although it was delicious, I am still feeling super guilty.

A Stroll Down Memory Lane...

I was going through some old pics and realize that you don't notice the changes your body makes until you compare photos. If this isn't a motivation picture I don't know what is, lol. Enjoy! xo

             

Taken October 31st, 2009 around 280lbs                    Taken June 30th, 2011 around 230 lbs

Breakfast

2 slices of Vegehut Kamut N' Flax bread
Light Ricotta cheese
Apple slices

Last Night's Dinner

Homemade tuna burger with fat free Swiss cheese
Mixed veggies
1/2 cup of tuna macaroni salad

Tonights dinner

My dinner :)
1/2 cup of Tuna macaroni salad: rice pasta, fat free mayo, tuna, green onions and celery
Chicken burger with fat free mozzarella
Romaine lettuce with fat free Italian dressing

Tis' The Season...

I know I'm wayyyy to early to be thinking about the fall/winter season but it's particularly chilly today and I wanted to bust out my "fall" coat :) I love this coat. I bought it Black Friday 2009 at the Old Navy in Pennsylvania. I remember seeing it at home but of course they didn't have my size. I was so happy when I found a size XXL for $20!!!

Me in Niagara Falls, Ontario in 2009. "Around" 280 lbs. (Notice how the buttons are popping and how tight it is around my stomach).

Here is me today, 224lbs. I love this jacket and I'm not ready to give it up yet. I was thinking about trying to move the buttons over, and make it fit properly. I went to measure how much I would need to adjust it and it looks like about 7"! Ahhh, feels good!

Decision Made :)

Thanks to those who gave me their input about the dress. Many of you liked the first one but I will tell you how I came to my decision :)

Dress #1: Addition-Elle, Size 14, $69.99 (On Sale)

I really did like this dress. I liked the way the top covered up the chunk around my arms, lol and it does look pretty classy ;) lol but I felt like it made me alook a little older than I am. I felt like 35, lol. Also, my tummy is my problem area and I did not feel comfortable in it. Especially since It's an Italian wedding and I have told myself I am going to eat like an Italian that night and drink like an Irishman, lol. Hellllllssss yaaaaa! LOL


Dress #2: Addition-Elle, Size 14, $99.99

I really liked this dress. It came in purple and black. The style hid my tummy issues, gave me an hourglass-type figure and...it has pockets!!!! LOL. I probably would have bought it right then and there but it was $99.99 :s Keep on shoppin!


Dress #3: Sears, Size 14, $79.99

MY DRESS! So this is the dress I chose :) Very similiar to the purple one but I fell in love with the colour... and the price :) Since I am broke as ass my wonderful and amazing boyfriend was able to help me out :) He's awesome <3
Since I am a control freak and very detailed oriented (lol) I have already figured out what I am going to do with my hair and shoes. Shit, you'd think it was my own wedding, lol. So stayed tuned to see the final result October 15th! lol


Yes, peacock blue = peacock feathers in my hurr, lol
 Sparkly shoes to bring out the jewel-tone in the dress :)

Friday Shopping with Jen! Need Your Opinions!!!

My lovely sister drove a whole hour to come visit me today :) We went to a few stores on a mission to get a feel for a dress for my cousin's upcoming wedding. I know I said I wanted to try to fit into my old red dress and although I do fit into it, I realized that, I need a nice new dress to show off my new figure ;) lol.
There are three dress possibilities. I already have my opinion, now I need yours :)

# 1:

Dress #2:

Dress #3:

FYI: The first 2 are size 14s, the blue one is a size 16 ;)

Also, had some yummy non fat key lime pie frozen yogurt ;)

Recent Dinners

So the last few evenings have been so chilly out and it's making me get into the "autumn spirit". I know, way too early to be thinking fall but it is my favourite season :) With cooler weather also brings my desire to cook dinner! lol Here is what I made Tuesday night:

\

1/2 cup of cereal pasta with 1 tbsp of light salmon cream cheese

1 filet of sole

Asparagus with a tbsp of light ricotta cheese

Chicken breast (deck of cards size)

1/2 cup of quinoa with low sodium soy sauce

Asian style frozen veggies

Also, notice the glass of Peach Mango V8? Started taking my Inositol again today :)

(I've been really slacking on taking my supplements, partly because  I started running out and didn't have any money to buy new ones and partly because I\ve been waking up at noon for 2 months and missed a bunch of my morning ones, lol. Hopefully I\ll get back on track in September!)

I Want Junk Food!!!

I have no idea what is going on with my body today but I am having severe cravings!!!
Yesterday I was on the brink of ordering pizza just because my air conditioner was still not working and I didn't feel like cooking in a hot apartment. Knowing Joe usually hits Timmy's on the way home from work, I was thisclose to asking him to grab me a donut. A donut!!! I should get off my butt today and pick up some groceries but I'm a little worried I will make some bad choices, lol.
Quick question: What do you think a couple should spend on groceries per month? Seems like we do groceries often but we aren't spending too much each time, or so I think. I'd appreciate your input!

Best Gluten Free Pasta!

As an Italian girl, I love my pasta so turning gluten free has had a big impact on me. Firstly, I made the change very slowly-- going from white to whole wheat pasta and then trying a variety of gluten free pastas until I found one I liked. The first type I tried was "brown rice pasta". If you've had Pad Thai, it's the type of noodles that are used in Pad Thai. I've also tried Spelt pasta and Kamut pasta, both pretty good but mostly tasting like whole wheat. My favourite pasta, and the type that most resembles the "white" one is this: CEREAL PASTA?!?! It's basically made up of a bunch of different type of gluten free grains including rice, buckwheat and corn. I love it :) You can get it at Costco-- 2 bags for $5.99

Great Day!

I had a great day today :) I got a new part time job and I am getting a sweet cheque from my apartment rental company. Not bad!

Here is what I ate today:

Breakfast:

Banana (on my way to my interview)

Lunch:

Grapes

2 slices of gluten free bread

Sundried Tomato Copanada (From Fiddleheads. All organic but probably full of fat. They had a free sample and I was hooked so I decided to treat myself, lol)

Dinner:

Salmon portion

1/2 cup of cereal pasta with light Salmon Cream Cheese (delish!)

Brocolli with one Fat Free Kraft Single

Back On Track...

So I am back on track this week and proud of it! Lost 3 of the 5 lbs I gained this weekend, (lol) and headed back to T-Zone today. Also made a supper yummy and healthy dinner :)

Risotto with brocolli and mushrooms

Filet of Sole

Brocolli with fat free cheese

Confession

Had a great weekend but ate horribly! Nonna cooked all weekend and I ate all weekend, lol.

Back on track tomorrow!!

Pad Sew!!!

Mmmm... Pad Sew! Gluten free and full of deliciousness ;)