REAL Mac & Cheese

A few days ago I was lucky enough to receive the Mama Voxbox from Influenster. Here's what the box included:

Of all of these things, though, the one I want to highlight is the Aged White Cheddar Mac & Cheese.

I was a little leery to try it because I'm not a huge fan of 'boxed' mac & cheese. But I received it for free, so it was my duty to try it and review it.

Y'all...it was so good. I don't generally care for the tiny macaroni noodles, but the sauce was delicious. I'm a sucker for white cheddar popcorn, and this? This is my new vice. I shouldn't even call it a vice because although it's delicious, it's much better for you than other 'boxed' varieties. Plus, one single serve package is only 220 calories!

Here's a snippet straight from Annie's website:

The best part? My daughter LOVES it! Mac & cheese is her favorite, & this did not disappoint. Run [don't walk] to your nearest Target  & pick up some! It's a little pricier than other brands, but honestly, you get what you pay for. 

Progress

About 6 weeks ago, I decided that I wanted to try running. It's never been something that I enjoyed doing, but after seeing so many infographics about it, I thought I should give it a shot.

[source]

I started by going to the 3 mile track on post and I was just happy to get around the whole thing without passing out. I mostly walked. I jogged a few times, I didn't run. But most importantly, I didn't give up. I kept up with my time, and tried again. And again. I invested in a jogging stroller so that pushing my daughter would be a little easier. Every time I saw a difference in my time, it motivated me to go again. Each time, I've jogged a little more. More recently, I've been switching between going to the 3 mile track and running on the treadmill at the gym. I feel like the treadmill gives me confidence that I don't yet have at the track. I actually run on the treadmill. I jog, too, but I barely walk. I push myself to the limits, and it's helping increase my endurance and stamina. I can now run several minutes [on the treadmill] without stopping. I've gone from doing a 18 minute mile to a 13 minute mile. That's what hard work and dedication can do, y'all. I'm not done, though. My goal is to be able to run 3 miles without slowing below a jog the entire time. As of now, after mile 2 I start to get sluggish. I know this is going to take a lot of work, but I'm all in. I'm ready for the day that I can do a 5k in 36 minutes.

What are some of your fitness goals?

3 Times A Day Will Keep The Doctor Away...Probably

During my never ending research [to better my health], I came across an article that said drinking green tea 3-5 times a day has several health benefits. Here they are:

source

Isn't that amazing? What do you have to lose? A box of 40 green tea bags is less than $4. Get a box, some raw honey, and a few lemons, and drink a few cups a day. It's a delicious addiction. Your health is worth it!

For Your Sweet Tooth

If I didn't know any better, I would think that my sweet tooth is the size of Texas. It is probably the biggest reason that I've had so many relapses, but I'm here to share with you some of my favorite sweet treats to fight your cravings.

*Mind over matter! It's okay to indulge as long as the indulgences are within reason. Don't just eat aimlessly. Preportioned snacks are a good idea [especially for beginners] because once the package is done, you move on to a new activity. DON'T be tempted to open another pack! 

What are your favorite healthy [or low cal] sweet treats?

My Fitness Pal

Today I'm here to sing the praises of My Fitness Pal. 

 My Fitness Pal is such a valuable resource to those who are looking to lose weight. What initially drew me to it--It's free! On myfitnesspal.com, you can keep up with your caloric intake [separated by each meal!], add your exercises and calories burned, & track your weight loss progress. 

It's more than just a weight loss journal, though. It's a community. You have the ability to add friends and see what they've been up to. This has been a huge motivator for me to be able to connect & interact with my sister & other bloggers who are rocking their weight loss journeys! You can post in forums, print reports, and calculate your BMI. 

Not sure what the calorie count is for a meal you made at home? Easy. Just add all the ingredients to a 'new recipe' and let myfitnesspal calculate the calories for you! What I love about this site is that they also have an app. I have it on my phone and it's so easy to just enter everything I eat as it happens instead of trusting myself to do it later. Don't take my word for it, go see for yourself! And add me as a friend while you're there [username: jakintheb0x] :)

*this post was in no way sponsored by my fitness pal.

Portion Distortion

Until recently, I had no concept of portion control. I'd usually make my meals in a similar way to how I grew up eating. A meat, a veggie, a starch, and some sort of bread. Don't get me wrong, health class taught me the food pyramid and to eat 8 servings of fruits and veggies a day, but that was something that I pushed to the very back of my mind. When I started to care about my health and body, that's when I started caring about how I ate. When I was learning to count calories, I was also learning how to portion my food. Did you know that an 8 oz chicken breast [what I used to eat on a normal basis] is actually more than TWO servings? A 'normal' serving of meat is 3 oz. At first, cutting my meat intake to this amount was a huge struggle. I just wanted to eat a WHOLE pork chop! But that was my big problem. I was constantly eating over sized portions of food, and I wouldn't just feel full afterward, I would feel stuffed. It's not a good thing, y'all. Here are a few images that are eye opening.

Since educating myself on proper portioning and caloric intake, I feel a lot better. I've lost cravings that I once had, and have found healthier alternatives to ones I still have. Even though I have the occasional splurge meal, I'm lucky to say that I no longer suffer from portion distortion. 

Do you?

The Green Monster, PB2 style

It's time to revisit the green monster again. 

I recently discovered PB2, all of the peanut butter taste--85% less fat calories. Whhhhhhat! Sign me up. 

I was a little hesitant, but decided to try it anyways. It comes in powdered form [to be mixed as needed] and TWO tablespoons is just 45 calories. Compare that to 190 in most other brands. Plus it comes in chocolate. I digress...

Here's a modified version of my beloved smoothie:

1 sliced banana, frozen 100 cal

2 tbsp PB2 45 cal

1 cup almond milk 80 cal

1/4 cup nonfat greek yogurt 55 cal

1 cup fresh spinach 13 cal
4 ice cubes 0 cal

Throw everything in a blender & blend until smooth. A refreshing, delicious breakfast for just 293 calories!

Find original recipes here & here.

Spicy Sweet Potato Home Fries

I've been a bit obsessed with sweet potatoes lately, but with all of these benefits, can you blame me?

[source]

This is the perfect side to any lunch, especially a lunch that you would usually eat chips or fries.

Spicy Sweet Potato Home Fries

Make this wrap! 1 tortilla [120 cals], 1 wedge laughing cow cheese [35 cals], 4 slices deli style lunch meat 

[56 cal], shredded lettuce [10 cal], sweet potato home fries [54 cal]

total for the whole lunch: 275 calories!

1 small sweet potato, peeled & cubed [54 cals]

1/2 teaspoon Lawry's low sodium seasoned salt

Red pepper flakes, to taste

Spray olive oil in a skillet on medium heat. Meanwhile, put potato cubes in a bowl and toss with seasoning. Add seasoned potatoes to the skillet and cook for 10-15 minutes [depending on how 'done' you want them, I like mine to have a slight crunch to them]. And Voila! There you have your spicy sweet potato home fries. Eat these plain [no ketchup!] or, if you must have something to dip them in, try 1 tbsp fage nonfat greek yogurt [14 cals] with a squirt of horse radish sauce. So good! 

Stop Making that Face

I was introduced to the deliciousness that is fermented fish sauce by way of kimchi.

Stop making that face. Yes, I said fermented fish sauce, and it's amazing.

A lot of times I'll use it in the place of salt, because it adds so much more flavor than JUST salt.

Why do I feel like I'm being judged right now?

If you eat asian food [specifically Korean or Thai] you already EAT it and you don't even know it. So go ahead, run to the store and pick up a bottle of fish sauce. The brand doesn't really matter, just make sure the bottle says first grade [the best kind]. 

Mark Sisson is the author of a wonderful blog, and in one post he speaks solely on the benefits of fermented foods. Read it here.

Green Eggs &...Jam?

Y'all, sometimes breakfast can be boring for me. I get stuck in a rut and I get tired of eating the same stuff every day! So this weekend I was looking for something a little different [I usually eat things on the sweet side for breakfast] and came up with this simple recipe with ingredients that I had on hand.

1 cup fresh spinach 13 cal
1 whole egg 70 cal
3 tbsp egg beaters [or 1 egg white] 25 cal
1 tbsp fermented fish sauce 20 cal [note:if you don't like or don't want to use the fish sauce, just season with salt as you would normally]
Pepper, to taste

Spray olive oil in a pan on medium high heat. Add spinach and allow to wilt. Meanwhile, beat egg & egg white together with the fish sauce & pepper. Once spinach has wilted, add the egg mixture & stir occasionally to 'scramble'.

Serve with a piece of whole wheat toast [60 cal], 1 tsp low cal butter [17 cal], & 1 tbsp sugar free jam [10 cal]!

A delicious, easy breakfast for just 215 calories!

My Journey

A couple of months ago, I wrote about finding out that I have [had?] high cholesterol. Since then, I've been on this mission to get healthy. Even before then, I had been losing weight, but had hit a plateau.

This is my journey.

A few weeks ago, I posted my one and only progress picture on Instagram. I was nervous, and a little embarrassed, but I did it. And I'm so glad I did! I got so much motivation from my friends, it was slightly overwhelming.

Left: 6/18/2012 The day I decided to stop hating the way I looked & felt. I had to take a picture because I knew at some point I'd need a reminder of where I came from & where I'm never going to be again. Right: 8/13/2013 14 months of hard work, changing my eating habits, a few relapses. I'm still a work in progress, but I'm happy with how far I've come & excited for where I'm going.

The best part, though? When one of my dear friends messaged me to tell me that I have inspired her. During my journey I have hit a lot of 'relapses'. From trying to go completely soda free, to drinking a 32 ounce every day for a week. From trying to go sugar free, to stopping by McDonalds every day to get chocolate chip cookies. One step forward, 500 calories back. I've had my high points and my low points, but I wouldn't have gotten where I am without having other people to help me [whether they know they're helping or not]. Over the past 14 months, I have scoured the internet. I spent numerous hours on pinterest finding health and fitness blogs, new/healthy recipes. I did a lot of research on calorie counting. I've tried various workouts, I've even bought a few things to help me along the way. My blog, for now at least, will be turned over to my health and fitness journey. I will be posting healthy recipes, no matter how simple or complex. I will be posting pictures, reviewing products, & sharing tips and tricks that keep me going. For all of the motivation I've been given, I want to give back. If I can help inspire or motivate even one person, I will be happy.

The Embarrassing Truth

Can I tell you guys a secret?

Last week I found out that I have high cholesterol.

Yep. I'm 25. 

How terribly embarrassing.

At first I was devastated. "Are you sure?" I asked the nurse.

She was positive. Blood tests don't lie.

My throat started closing up, because even though I wasn't 100% sure what that meant, I knew it wasn't good. I cried. A lot. And then, in my head I blamed the way I was raised...eating fried foods daily, drinking sweet tea instead of water, cake for breakfast. And yes, I'm sure that had something to do with it, but the minute I turned 18 I took control. I made the decisions, but it wasn't until recently that I decided I couldn't live like that anymore. At this point I've been counting calories for 3 weeks, and I feel better. I'm going to the gym 3 days a week. I'm taking nutrition classes. I have taken control. I can turn this around. I have changed my lifestyle for the better. 

The craziest thing I've heard so far? Most people my age probably have it and don't even know it. Lucky for me though, I get the chance to fix it now. I don't have to wait until it's so high I have to be prescribed medicine.

And no matter how embarrassing that is, I'm thankful I have another chance.

Sweet Indulgence

Counting Calories can be fun and all [especially when I'm seeing results!], but it can also be annoying. Like when I have a hankering for a frappe, but realize that there's almost as many calories in one little cup as there was in my entire lunch [300 calories in a 12 oz caramel frappe from Starbucks]? That's annoying. But realistic. So when I want to cheat these days and have a sweet coffee treat, I came up with a little something to fit my needs. Not only is it less calories, but it's also budget friendly because it uses ingredients that I always keep on hand!

4 frozen coffee cubes*

12 oz almond milk

1/4 cup vanilla frozen yogurt

fat free whipped cream [optional]

Take your frozen cubes* and put them in the blender with your frozen yogurt and milk, blend for 10-15 seconds or until there are no large chunks of ice left. Pour into your favorite glass and top with whipped cream!

Not only is it deliciously rich and creamy, but it couldn't be easier to make!

Here is the calorie breakdown:

coffee cubes - 2 cal

almond milk - 120 cal

fro yo - 35 cal

whipped cream -  5 cal

Total: 162 calories

Looking for less calories than that? Try using 8 oz of almond milk [80 cal] with one less ice cube & you'll have a smaller treat with the same great taste for only 122 calories!

*To make the frozen coffee cubes, just brew your favorite coffee and once cooled, pour into an ice tray. Freeze for 2-3 hours or overnight.

If you're going to add any sweeteners, do so while coffee is still hot [just be mindful in doing so, as you're adding calories!]. Six cups of brewed coffee for me made two trays of coffee cubes.

A Better Breakfast

From time to time, I get burnt out on drinking shakes for breakfast. When that happens, I look for something low in calories while also being delicious and filling.

That's how I discovered this treat:

It's so simple. Honey Wheat Toast with Almond Butter and Honey Drizzle. So. Good.

I've been pairing this with a banana and 8 oz of 2% milk for a total of 395 calories. That may seem a little on the high side, but it keeps me full until lunch. No mid morning snacks for me!

What's your favorite healthy breakfast?

Happy Loser

Here I am, at a place in life that I wasn't sure I'd ever get to just a few short months ago.

I'm officially 10 pounds lighter (& counting!), which means I've successfully completed another one of my goals.

I'm not going to lie and say that it was easy or that I didn't have days where I wanted to eat everything in my refrigerator, but what I will say is that I didn't give up. It was a long journey for me mentally, physically, and emotionally. I'm not yet where I want to be, but I'm proud of my progress and will continue to work towards my new goal.

Starting Stats:  7/9/2012

Weight - 149

Bust - 41"

Waist - 36"

Hips - 38"

Thighs - 22"

Current Stats:  11/9/2012

Weight - 138.8

Bust - 39"

Waist - 33"

Hips - 36"

Thighs - 21"

It's amazing how shedding a little weight can boost your confidence. 

Next goal: High School Weight!

Pushing Through the Burn

For months, I've been contemplating buying an elliptical.

Last week, I took the $200 plunge.

Thinking about it was getting me no where.

Prior to this, I considered going to the gym a few days a week since the gym on post is free.

Except they don't have childcare.

And my husband 'doesn't have the time' to watch Adelei when he gets home from work.

So, I'd have to take her to daycare on the days that I wanted to go...which would take the experience from free to close to $80 a month if I went 5 days a week.

Elliptical it is!

It arrived Thursday, and it took me no time to put it together.
I'm not going to lie and say the directions weren't confusing, because they were.

I'm pretty smart & have a ton of common sense though  [thanks, Nanny!], so I didn't have any trouble just figuring it out on my own.

I am loving it!

It's easy to get my work out in while the baby is napping, and it doesn't take up very much room in our garage.

 I didn't realize how out of shape I was until I started my first 'run'. Within the first few minutes, my quads were burning so bad I slowed to a walk. And that was with basically NO resistance!

I set my goals, though, and stuck to them. I pushed my way through the burn, and kept going. 

It wasn't easy the first few days. However, I am working my way up slowly but surely.

Day 1: No resistance - 1 mile, 8 min 23 sec

Day 2: Level 1 resistance - 1.5 miles, 11 min 46 sec

Day 3: Level 1 resistance - 2 miles, 13 min 58 sec

Day 4: Sunday [rest]

I do realize that running on an elliptical is way different than running on pavement or grass. I know I couldn't do a 9 minute mile on an actual surface right now, but I do feel good that I'm at least working towards my goal to get fit.

If you have the myfitnesspal app, you should add me on there! Username = jakintheb0x

The Easy Way & A New Shake

I've been back on my shake routine for a little over a week now, and I've been looking for more convenience. My spinach doesn't really hold up for very long, and I'm not a fan of going to the grocery store more than once a week. So, I decided to make spinach cubes & keep them in the freezer.

Not only does this keep the spinach from going bad before I'm able to use it all up, but it also saves a lot of time in the morning.

If you have a full size blender, I would definitely suggest using that when making the cubes.

All you need is

1/2 cup 2% milk

1 bag of spinach

Ice cube trays or a mini cupcake tin

 Pour all of the milk in the blender & fill the rest with spinach. If you're using a full size blender, I would suggest still adding just a handful of spinach at a time so you don't over work the blades. It's basically going to look like spinach milk. There is no thickness to this whatsoever.

Once it has blended down, add more spinach & blend again.

 Disclaimer: This process may not work as well if you don't have a super cute helper. ;)

 If you're using a mini blender, you will have to dump some of the liquid before you can continue with the rest of the bag. I had to do this twice. But the steps are pretty simple. Just keep about half full of liquid, half full of  spinach until you're done with the entire bag.

 Then pour it neatly into ice trays or a mini cupcake tin. If you don't use ice trays, you need to lightly spray the surface of the cupcake tin with nonstick spray.

 Pop them in the freezer over night & they will be ready to go in the morning!

I use 3 cubes in each shake. This process, for me, made 8 days worth of cubes.

When you pop these out of the molds, store them in a freezer bag to take up less room.

And as promised, a new shake recipe.

Here's the old one, in case you missed it.

I got tired of bananas.

I tried a few other fruits, but none that were blog worthy.

This, though. This is heavenly.

I can see myself drinking this for a very long time.

1/4 cup Low Fat Vanilla Yogurt
[use vanilla greek yogurt for a creamier shake]
1 tbsp peanut butter
8 oz 2% milk
1 tsp honey
dash of cinnamon
3-4 spinach cubes
4-6 ice cubes

Put all ingredients into blender & blend until frothy.
Milk & honey? I told you it was heavenly. Just try it. Don't be scared of the spinach.
If you're worried that this won't hold you over until lunch, don't be.
It will, unless you're doing a lot of activity.

What is your go to shake recipe? Even though I love, love, love this one, I'm constantly looking for new ideas!

Detoxing

When Nanny was here, I told myself I would take the chance to indulge. Up until that point, I had quit sodas & sweet tea. I had rarely been drinking coffee. Fried foods were on my cheat list, which didn't happen very often. But I didn't want to spend her time here saying 'no'. The way I grew up eating is vastly different than how I eat now, but I still miss it sometimes.

So, while she was here, we enjoyed coffee on the porch every morning. We had sweet tea.

The few times we went out to eat, I had soda.

When I ran errands, leaving Adelei at home with her, I treated myself to Starbucks [this may or may not have happened every other day].

Because I was drinking coffee in the morning, I quit eating breakfast. We ate sandwiches pretty much every day at lunch even though I had been limiting my bread intake before her arrival.

I didn't even bother weighing myself, because I also didn't take the time to exercise when she was here.
Shame on me.

The biggest problem with all of this? Is that I didn't stop when she left.

I was kind of in a funk. 

I still wasn't eating breakfast, but lunch time also passed me by & I never felt hungry so I didn't eat.

I had to cook, and I knew that if I didn't eat dinner Aaron would be suspicious, so I ate a little every night.

What had gotten into me? 

Whatever it was, I had a breakthrough. One morning last week, I stepped on the scale. 

It was going in the wrong direction!

I was furious with myself. I decided right then, I needed/wanted to get back on track.

So that is what I'm doing. I've starting drinking my shakes again in the morning, going for walks with Adelei, planning my meals so I eat healthy. The first few days of detoxing are always the worst, but minus the caffeine headache, I'm doing well.

 And hopefully soon I'll have a better update.

Easy Chicken Salad

I've found that if I have my lunch planned out [or even made!] for the week, I am less likely to eat a bunch of junk. One of my go to lunch recipes is this easy chicken salad!

Ingredients:

 2 Cans chunk chicken [drained]
1/2 bag craisins
1/2 bag glazed walnut pieces
Mayo

In a large bowl, add chicken. Use a fork to shred chicken before adding other ingredients. Add craisins and walnuts. I start out by adding 1/4 cup of mayo. I love mayo, so I always end up adding more, but this is a good starting point. You want it to be moist, but not drenched. Pair it with bread for a sandwich, or with lettuce & crackers for a healthier alternative! It's ready to eat as soon as you make it, or you can let it sit in the refrigerator over night to let the flavors merry.

The best part of this recipe [other than being so simple & delicious] is that you can easily adjust the proportions depending on your preferences. Don't like cranberries? Add raisins or apple chunks. Don't like walnuts? Add pecans or almond slivers.

Another perk of this recipe...you get 5-6 lunches out of this for just $5.08 *

Here's the breakdown:

2 Cans of Chicken $1.59 each

Bag of Craisins $1.29 [.65 cent for amt used in this recipe]

Bag of Glazed Walnuts $2.49 [$1.25 for amt used in this recipe]

*I didn't add mayo into the price bc that is an ingredient most people have on hand.

There you have it. 

Cheap, easy, delicious. Can't beat that! 

Enjoy!

The Green Monster

Have I ever mentioned my dislike for eating breakfast?

It's not that I don't like breakfast food, I just don't like making breakfast for just me. 

And quite honestly, I don't usually 'feel' like eating until noon-ish.

Since I'm trying to lose weight, I'm trying to make sure I eat [or drink] something first thing in the morning to get my metabolism going.

Hello, smoothies!

I find it a lot easier for me to drink a smoothie than to eat a bowl of cereal.

While on pinterest a few days ago, I saw a recipe for a green monster smoothie.

I had never heard of it before, but just reading the benefits of it, I decided to try it.

Being a spinach lover, I wasn't skeptical at all and I'm so glad!

Although I use 2 handfuls of fresh spinach, I can't taste it at all [hint, hint spinach haters!]

1 sliced frozen banana

1 tbsp peanut butter

 1/4 cup Low Fat Vanilla Yogurt

2 % Milk*

2 handfuls of spinach

Tip: I never buy frozen fruit at the store. I always buy fresh , wash/prepare it myself, & separate by serving size into freezer bags. It takes maybe 5 minutes of my time, & I get way more bang for my buck that way.

 Start out with the frozen bananas, add the peanut butter.

 Next, add your yogurt & milk

 Should be about half full before you add the spinach

 I add 1 handful of spinach & then blend for 30 seconds. Once it is smooth, I remove the cap, add more spinach & milk, and blend for another 30 seconds.

The finished product! This is such a rich, creamy smoothie. It's packed full of healthy goodness, but you wouldn't know it by tasting it...it tastes like a treat! I'm definitely looking forward to experimenting with different variations soon.

*Note: I didn't put a measurement for milk. The main reason for this is because you don't want a really watery  smoothie, you want it creamy. I just add a little bit of milk at a time until it gets to the consistency I like & I would suggest that to you as well.