Weekend in Brampton

Hello all!

So I had a great weekend in Brampton. I stayed on track for the most part while still enjoying some special treats :)

Saturday afternoon, we went to my cousin's engagement barbeque. I had a grilled chicken breast, vinegar-based coleslaw (delish!), a tiny bit of potato salad, fruit and *gasp!* a cupcake! The best damn cupcake I've ever eaten! LOL

Laura and I went to see a movie on Saturday night and I didn't think of a movie-time snack! So we went to Metro and found these!

Delish! We don't have a Metro in Kitchener but hopefully I can find them at Fiddleheads or Grandma's Gluten Free. So I ended up eating these and some Roasted Red Pepper Hummus.

When I made plans to go to my Nonna's today she said she was going to made gnocchi. For those who don't know what gnocchi is, it's a potato and flour based pasta. I asked her if she could just make regular pasta and I'd just have a tiny portion. Well... I guess she forgot, because we got there and there she was pouring gnocchi into the boiling water. So I ended up having a bit and let's just say I ate very slowly and made sure to savour every single bite, lol.

Gnocchi! It looks like a lot but it really wasn't. It's a close-up of a small plate, lol.

When I got back to my mom's I had a lovely surprise! My cousin Danielle, surprised me with a gift card and a card basically congratulating me on the great changes I've been making ;) It was so nice! I'm not sure if she reads my blog but if you do Danielle, thank you very much for the sweet surprise! :D

Anyways, now I'm back home and chugging water and popping psyllium fibre pills! lol

Hope you all had a great week!

Weekend Ahead...

Today I went to Fiddleheads to pick up some things for Laura. Walking in, I made sure to tell myself not to buy anything. Ha, like that worked. I picked up a pack of rice pasta (since I was running low) and I found Mary's Organic Cookies. As you might already know, I often eat Mary's Organic Crackers with my hummus. They were only $3.79 so I bought a pack. I got into the car and immediately ripped open the box. Verdict is... Let's just say I ate half the pack during my drive home, lol. They weren't amazing but they were pretty darn good! They almost tasted like store-bought chocolate chip cookies!

Tomorrow I am heading to Brampton for my cousin's engagement party. I'm sure it will be a little challenging but I am going there with the rules fresh in my head. 1) Use one small plate 2) Do the 25% protein, 25% starch and 50% vegetable ratio. Later that night Laura and I are going to watch the Hangover 2. Should be awesome! On Sunday, I am going to visit my Nonna and she is going to make me lunch. Again, sticking to the rules. Wish my luck!

I'm also pretty excited today because the size 16 jeans I bought during Easter are feeling a little loose and the caboose, lol. I tried on my size 14's and lo and behold, they look pretty darn good!!! Laura and I have made tentative plans to do a mini Buffalo shopping trip June 18th.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Mmmm, Homemade Gluten Free Lasagna

Wow!

Ok people, so I went digging for old pictures. The picture where I thought I was my biggest... Was not my biggest...
Get ready for it...

Never going back to that again.

Here is what I ate today:

Breakfast:
Kashi (1 cup)
Skim milk (1 cup)

Lunch:
Salmon portion
Brown rice (1/2 cup)
Low sodium soy sauce
Orange peppers and zucchini

Snack:
Skim milk (1 cup)
Gluten Free, Sugar Free Banana Muffin (1)

Just Another Tuesday...Kinda

Hello all!
Today I was off work, yay!!! Russell and I lounged around all day until my appointment at 4:00pm. I went to the ultrasound and x-ray clinic and got probed (literally). Hopefully the news is good-- that my ovaries have become less cystic.
After dinner I went to school for our Kindergarten Information Night. It was a quick meeting with parents about the upcoming school year. Then the Kindergarten team went out for drinks. I thought I might want to treat myself and ordered a Strawberry Daquiri. I felt regret and guilt as soon as I ordered it. A few minutes later the server came back and said they were all out of strawberry daquiris. It was a sign!... I ordered a diet coke instead, lol. Since most of us had already ate dinner, some of the ladies ordered appetizers. I ordered a small greek salad.
I noticed that I haven't been posting my daily meals so I am going to try to start doing it more often for those of you who might want to try it.

Breakfast:
Kashi (1 cup)
Skim milk (1 cup)
Apple

Lunch:
Lean hamburger
Whole wheat thin bun
Pico de gallo
Pesto Sauce
Fat Free Miracle Whip
Romaine Lettuce
Kraft fat free Italian dressing

Snack:
Pico De Gallo
Rice Works chips

Dinner:
Salmon portion
Brown rice (1/2 cup)
Orange peppers, zucchini and onions
Low sodium soy sauce

Dinner/Snack:
Small Greek Salad

My Special Treat :)

"Ice Cream Sandwich": 2 Gluten Free chocolate chip cookies + fat free frozen yogurt.

Dee-friggen-lish!!!

My Lunch

Egg Salad Wrap: 2 eggs, fat free miracle whip and green onions in a Gluten Free tortilla + 1 apple

Weekend with Jen!

Hello everyone!

Hope all is well! Yesterday my sister came down to visit me, yayyy! We decided to paint my bathroom this weekend so we went to buy a new shower curtain to match and 2 new towels for the towel bar. Then we went to Boston Pizza and they have...Gluten Free pizza! I got the brushetta pizza, probably not the best choice since there was tons of cheese and no lean protein on it but 'meh'! I also added a salad with yummy poopyseed dressing. Then we went to go see the movie "Bridesmaids". It was definitely what I needed, I laughed my ass off, lol.

After the movie we went to Walmart to pick up the paint for my new bathroom, which was a mission. Apparently no one knows how to mix paint, lol. We also picked up some dessert, fat free frozen yogurt. Yummmmm-o! We put it on a whole wheat waffle with some sliced bananas and Voila!

This morning we painted the bathroom and did a little shopping. We went to Fiddleheads and I bought some "homemade" Gluten-Free chocolate chip cookies, Beanitos, Humbles and some Quinoa. The cookies were "meh", a little dry.

My Gluten Free Brushetta Pizza.

It was so yummy I had to eat a slice before taking a pic, lol

Beanitos with 2 Fat Free Kraft Singles. Yumm-o! 

I just thought this was funny, lol.

My new feminine washroom :)

Nothing like a new room to give you a fresh start :)

"Shushi!"

Mmmm... "Shushi!"

Me enjoying Sushi on a lonely Friday night, lol

Happy Friday!

I'm on cloud 9 today :) Got tons of compliments. Had to take a pic to see what all the fuss was about :)

Today after work I went to Sobey's and bought some sushi. I'm going to have a few pieces of sushi and a salad. The plan tonight is give Russell his dinner, take him to the dog park, eat my own dinner, do laundry, do a major clean up and watch wedding shows all night, haha. Tomorrow my sister is coming down and she gave me a great idea! I've always wanted a pink bathroom but since I've lived with a boy up until now, I couldn't paint it. So tomorrow, we are going to Rona and buying some paint for my bathroom. I'm also going to buy a new shower curtain and hopefully have time this weekend to paint some matching art work.

Happy Friday, Everyone! xo

Low-fat, low carb, Crustless Spinach Quiche!

This is something my mom has been making for years, I just decided to make it crustless and with a few tweaks.

Crustless Spinach Quiche

Frozen chopped spinach

Low fat (or fat free) ricotta cheese

3 eggs (or egg whites)

Salt and pepper to taste

A small handful of parmesan cheese

1 medium onion

margarine

Mix spinach, ricotta, eggs, salt, pepper and parmesan cheese.

Chop onion and heat margarine on stove top.

Cook onion until translucent.

Add to spinach mixture.

Line 9" pan with parchment paper and bake for 45 min at 350 degrees.

Enjoy!

Low Blood Pressure?

So I took my blood pressure at Shopper's Drug Mart...

Very low, I wonder if it's serious? :s

New Beginning

So if you haven't noticed yet, I am newly single. The reason I was stressed out was because I was dealing with so many feelings, confusion and decisions to make. I've decided to make the decision to take better care of myself and sadly, this meant ending my relationship.

Anyways, here is a pic I took today. Have a great day everyone!

Posing for a lone bathroom pic, lol.

A Brand New Week!

So I just got back from the ND's where we talked about my weightloss. Even though I have only lost 0.4 lbs in the past 2 weeks, Dr. Som was still happy with my progress. We believe my plateau could be from stress (which I've had a lot more of lately), my period or my serious lack of exercise lately (or all of the above). To get over this hump I need to start making more time for myself. So I'm going to try at take more relaxing baths, read more novels and not dwell on my finances and other stressors.
She also wants me to go get another internal and external ultrasound to see if my ovaries are doing anything different considering my new lifestyle. Tomorrow I will call Dr. Peoples and ask for a requisition.
My blood pressure is still a bit low but since I am no longer having dizzy spells, she is not worried. I am going to try to continue the Adrenal Support as well.
Other than that, I need to continue what I'm doing and fit my exercise regime in again... and stick to it!

Setting Myself Up For Success!

Hello all!

So I haven't weighed myself all week due to the depression my plateau has caused but I decided to jump on the scale yesterday morning. I don't know what possessed me but I carefully stepped on and... I'm still 238 lbs. I'm not gonna lie, I did breathe a sigh of relief. I was so afraid I was gaining, staying the same is fine for me at least until Dr. Som and I figure out a "crash the plateau" plan.

Unexpectedly, Laura decided to come down yesterday. She started the GI diet a few months back and she is already at her first goal weight! Congrats bebe! We did a little shopping and then went on the hunt for Wasa Crisps. In the GI and Hormone Diet, it suggests you eat Wasa Crisps although I have never seen them before. Dr. Som has told me about Fiddleheads, a health and nutrition store close to my place. We decided to try there first and I was pleasantly surprised! Fiddleheads is a store that has grocery/produce/baked goods/supplements/deli/restaurant sections! I was so excited! There was so much I could have bought but I had limited funds so I will definitely be going back after payday. We ended up buying some produce to make pico de gallo as a late night snack and hummus chips chips called Humbles! There are made out of chickpea flour and get this... 120 calories for 40 chips! We had a great late night snack. We also bought Chi Chi's salsa (no added sugar, and only pure ingredients). The two things I know I will have to go back to Fiddleheads for is their gluten free homemade cookies and bread. There were so many to choose from I was so overwhelmed. Next time I will have to just tke my time choosing the right type. Oh, by the way, we found the Wasa Crisps. They pretty much look exactly like Ryvita bread which I hate.

I woke up this morning with an e-mail from WagJag-- $22 for a month membership at Goodlife Fitness...GTA only :( Boo to Kitchener for being too far.

Tomorrow is my appointment with Dr. Som, I am looking forward to seeing what advice she can give me this week. Have a relaxing Sunday, everyone! xo

Humbles! Made with Chickpea and rice flour! Yummo!

I think I may try these the next time I go. Gluten free :)

Another treasure I bought today. Loose leaf tea travel mug :) Skinny tea on the go!

Plateau :(

Hello ladies,
I'm sorry I haven't been posting lately but the truth is I don't really have anything positive to post. I have hit a huge wall named "plateau". I think my body has become used to this way of eating and I need to shock it or something. Please, please, please, if you have any tips to help me overcome this I would really appreciate it! Anyone?
On another note, my doctor e-mailed me asking me if I would like to change my 6:30pm appointment Monday to 5:00pm and she added a "how is everything going?" I said "sure" to the appointment change and added a "just trying to get over this plateau". She replied "Focus on how far you've come so far, and try not to dwell on the plateau at this point. Let's take the next few days to celebrate your progress (because you have to admit that you've succeeded in losing a LOT of weight so far!) Journal and write down you successes (even if it's just 5 points each day) and I will see you soon". Dr. Som is seriously the best doctor, her words are so encouraging. She doesn't scold you for messing up or blame you for the plateau. I really believe that she wants to see me succeed.
Anyways, I will keep you posted on my upcoming appointment! Have a great weekend!

Can YOU Tell Me WHERE I Need The Most Work? LOL

Below is a pic of me in my red dress that I would like to fit into. The size is 14 Petite. (Now, I know I was never "petite" but I was 16 when I bought it, lol.)

Although the tummy part is grotesque, I have a waist! LOL

I'll try it on again when I get down another 20lbs :)

Gluten Free Banana Muffins!

Today our parents came down for the day! We went to St. Jacob's Market and then off to lunch at Country Boy. Mom, Dad and I all ate the chicken souvlaki with rice, veggies and a greek salad. Soooo yummy! Oh, and mom brought down my "When I'm Skinny" bin and I am proud to say I have a bunch of new-old pants and capris to wear this summer! I haven't tried on any of the tops but I saw my beautiful red dress and it looks a lot smaller than I remember, lol.

I also wanted to make something we could all eat as a snack so I decided to try these gluten-free banana muffins from Spark People.com. They turned out fan-tabulous! They did not taste restrictive at all. I used Splenda instead of sugar but you can make it either way. I'm sure you could even use white or whole wheat flour instead of rice flour. Here is the recipe!

Gluten Free Banana Muffins

1 Egg

1/4 milk (or any other liquid)

2 tbsp of sugar (or Splenda)

2 tbsp of canola oil

1 cup of white rice flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1-2 overripe bananas

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Put in muffin liners or lightly grease a 12 cup muffin pan.

Mix all ingredients in a mixing bowl.

Fill muffin liners.

Bake for 15-17 minutes.

Allow muffins to cool 5 minutes before removing them.

The recipe said it made 12 muffins but I only got 6. I guess my muffin tins were bigger?

Try it! Let me know how you like them!

I Love Food :(

Hello everyone!

I know it's been a few days since I posted but things have been very busy. First things first, those gluten-free tortillas were... meh. When I was in Mexico during Christmas break, we had "authentic" Mexican tacos. The tortillas they used were very grainy and dry, but edible. This is how these tasted. Guess they'll have to do for now.

"Authentic" Mexican Tacos

I have a huge problem. My food cravings are seriously killing me! I'm so sad to admit that I have sneaked a few bites here and there of Chris' pasta and cookies :( Sadly those few bites caused me to gain 3 lbs this week :(

I think the solution to my problem is to really take the time to ensure that I have healthy food alternatives that will satisfy my needs. I have run out of tahini so I haven't been able to make my hummus or baba ghanoush, I have run out of rice crackers and I just came back from the store to buy some more fruit. I am currently enjoying fat-free chocolate pudding. Only 35 calories for 1/4 of the package.

Good news though! I finally have my sister, my mom and my dad on board and doing the GI diet! Whoo, hoo! So proud of you guys for finally making the choice to try it out. Don't get discouraged, you can do it! And if you have a slip up, don't worry we all do, just make sure to get right back on track again the next day! 

Back on track tonight!