Be The Change | Till Then Smile Often

August 7, 2013

Protein and Veggies for days

I may have mentioned one, twice or a thousand times that I am not a morning person. Yes, I get up at 5-5:30 a.m. but it takes me a while to function. So I have been struggling to make breakfast so I went back to my tried and true protein shake. It takes the least amount of time and I can take my cup to go with me on my drive to work if I don’t finish it.

Breakfast: Protein Shake Recipe: 1 scoop Raspberry Cheesecake protein powder ~ 1/2 cup of frozen Strawberries ~ 1 TBSP Natural Peanut Butter ~ 18-20 ounces of water ~ 1/4 cup of Almond Milk. Blend.

Mid-Morning Snack: This was 300 grams of cucumber (about 1-1/2 of medium cucumbers) and 100 grams of cheese sliced.

Lunch: My lunch consisted of 400 grams of broccoli sprinkled with Mrs. Dash. This is about a 10 oz bag of broccoli!! Holy broccoli I know but it is so low in calories. I also had 4-5 ounces of grilled Chicken.

Mid Afternoon Snack: This is packed full of protein to keep me going until my workout. This was 200 grams of 0% Greek Yogurt with a sprinkle of Sugar Free Jell-O powder for flavor.

Dinner: This was a Steak and Cheese Sub without all the bread. Add a little bit of hot sauce and you have a Steak Bomb! Click here for the recipe! I used a Low Carb Pita so it was Low Carb too! Bonus!!

It was a little ironic that I was writing this post while watching Extreme Weight Loss with Chris Powell. He switched places with the contestant to show how toxic her diet was to her body. He only made it to lunch when he started to get sick and called it off. For breakfast it was to McDonald’s breakfast sandwiches, 2 hash browns and a Medium Soda. Then a few hours later it was 2 donuts. Lunch an hour later was a large fry, 20 piece Chicken Nuggets and a soda. I lost count but it was about 5,000 calories by lunchtime!!

It was shocking to me (I don’t eat a lot of fast food) but I know that it is the reality for a lot of people. I sometimes feel guilty for having pizza but I stay around 1500 calories on most days. It broke my heart. It was also visual evidence that when you eat a poor diet it effects you in many ways. It isn’t just weight gain, it is being tired, not wanting to do anything. I mean super fit Chris threw up and then had to take a nap.

I am not a size 2 and will never be one and I am okay with that, I want to be an athlete. I want muscle. I want to be able to run half-marathons and triathlons and any crazy feat I want to put my body through. I aim for healthier than yesterday. Some days I struggle, sometimes it is the easiest ever. I commend that contestant for showing her struggle and her hurt as I know it can not have been easy for her. Sorry for this rant just know I show the food I eat to keep myself accountable, hopefully inspire others, and to see where I can make changes.

Hugs! Know that you are all beautiful!

August 6, 2013

Low Carb Steak Bomb

Guys, this recipe can not get any easier! It is only 4, count them 4 ingredients. This is a great way to get a Steak and Cheese Sub without the big honking bread wrapped around it! This can be customized with your favorite toppings , like grilled onions or peppers (it would change the carb count, but not everyone is counting carbs). I was trying to keep the carb count down so I went pretty low key.

Ingredients: Pita Pocket ~ Steak-Umm Sliced Steak ~ Parmesan Cheese (not the powder kind – freshly shaven is best) ~ Frank’s Red Hot Sauce

Directions: Place 2-3 of the Steak-umm slices into a heated pan. Heat until completely browned and cooked through. Drain to remove excess grease.

Spray a pizza pan or cookie sheet with Pam or other cooking spray. Top the Pita with the cooked steak. Drizzle with some hot sauce.

Cover with Parmesan cheese shavings.

Place in oven on broil until the cheese melts, approximately 3-5 minutes but keep an eye on it. Fold over and serve. I served with a small side salad.

What are your favorite toppings on a steak and cheese sub?

Willing to give this a try?

Linking up with Jessica and Ashley.

August 5, 2013

Bath Time and Yard Time

This weekend was a little crazy and all about getting some stuff done!! I keep putting stuff from my to-do list until next week, then next week, then next week. So this weekend I really needed to tackle some of those things.

Poor Seamus like to rub himself all over dead things. Yup he picks a spot in the grass and goes rolly polly all over it. It maybe a worm or berries or squirrel droppings who knows, but he was smelling terrible. So giving him a bath was a necessity. He doesn’t mind getting into the bath but he does get bored after awhile.

He looks like such a different dog without all that puffy fur!! Still a cutie pie though.

This was the point where he was all done and wanted out of the tub!

It was also time for a new phone. I finally went to the dark side and got an iPhone 5. I have always loved the droids but mostly for the keyboards. I tried a Samsung once but returned it after 2 days because of how much backspacing and typos there were with the screen typing. Well it seems they are all getting rid of the keyboard so since I have an iPad, iPod Touch and the Nano and shuffle I figured might as well make the switch.

Since I picked out a color for my bathroom remodel I went shopping for some accessories and a new shower curtain. I have a 4 day weekend next weekend so I am hoping to get the painting at least completed. I still need to find some floating shelves and a few more touches but this was a good start. This was all found at Home Goods.

Sunday I woke up and did some work while watching Sleepless in Seattle. Such a great movie. Then it was all about yard work. My neighbor is kind enough to let his bushes grow over the fence so I spent the morning cutting them back. Thank you, kind sir!

I had to mow the lawn and pull some weeds in my front flower bed. After the yard was done it was time for a quick shower and grocery shopping. Once Seamus grabbing me all over the neighborhood I relaxed to ~~many~~ a few episodes of Real Housewives of the OC I worked on updating my About Me page. Head on over and tell me what you think.

What did you do this weekend?

Linking up with Sami at Sami’s Shenanigans and Leann at Join the Gossip .

August 2, 2013

Loving | Thinking | Lusting

This week has has been extremely busy. It is the busiest time of the year at my work. Yesterday I was in a 3 hour meeting and will be doing the same today. I am looking forward to when it is just crazy, rather than crazy crazy!! September 30th can not come fast enough! So needless to say this week has been tough and I have let it get to me a little bit. I am looking forward to this weekend so I can de-stress and refocus. But enough about work. Here are some of the things I am loving, thinking about and lusting over.

One. I am in need of getting my hair cut and I really need to find a new stylist in my area. I had such a horrible experience with the last person so the search is on. This is the hairstyle that I am hoping I will get. Vanessa Mercil is gorgeous, Am I right?!

I definitely need this hairstyle!

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Two. Yeah that half-marathon I am training for? Yeah this is more like it. Hoping that running bug kicks in.

too funny!

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Three. Can we just say dream kitchen!!! I love, love, love to bake. I am getting more into cooking and this is the perfect kitchen EVER! Can we just look at the exposed beams for a minute. Go ahead take a minute, I’ll wait! Dreamy, huh?! The amount of counter space and cabinets, heaven!

Just beautiful

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Four. You know you are a blogger when you subject your friends, family and pets to more photos than anyone is willing to sit through. I think Seamus has had enough!!

Five. This song has been on serious constant repeat and it is keeping me sane. I literally listened to it ten times on my commute home yesterday. I am liking it even more than Blurred Lines by Robin Thicke. So check it out and give it a listen! The Official video is so weird so I used the one with the lyrics.

July 31, 2013

It’s Summer and the Eats are easy

I am going on two weeks of being low carb and happy to report I have not cheated on my diet. I am down 5 pounds and feel good. The firsst week I was a little tired but I am so used to being tired thanks to Seamus’ early morning wake up routine it is hard to tell which was causing it! 🙂 Here are my eats for this week.

Breakfast: This is my coconut protein pancakes. These are so easy to make. Mostly made up of egg whites and good for you too!

Snack: I made these while I was prepping my other foods for the week. I stuck some zucchini on the grill and once both sides were just about cooked I added sauce and taco cheese mix. Heat until the cheese melts. It was really yummy and quick. You could add some other veggies on top, turkey pepperoni or regular pepperoni.

Lunch: I have been using all the meats I prepped this weekend on the grill as the topping for my salad. One day was 1/2 a ham steak, the other day was a chicken burger.

Snack: This was a foil packet meal of Kielbasa, red onion, broccoli, and zucchini. I added a little salt, garlic and EVOO. So good!

Dinner: I made a Low Carb Buffalo Chicken Pizza on the grill. The recipe will be coming soon.

Is there one new food you have tried this week?

Any foods your want to try but may be afraid to try?

July 30, 2013

S’Mores Brownies

Can I just say that this recipe is really easy but it packs a punch! I had a family gathering this weekend and knew this would be a hit. I usually like to make my brownies from scratch but hey the recipe called for a boxed brownie mix so who was I to disagree?! I like the Betty Crocker fudge brownie mix best. For the original recipe click here.

Ingredients:

1 pack brownie mix (I used the Betty Crocker Fudge Brownie mix – oil, water and eggs per box instructions) ~ 2 cups miniature marshmallows ~ 4 graham crackers ~ 2 Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bars

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Spray a 9×9-inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. Prepare the brownie mix according to the directions on the box using the oil, egg, and water.

After baking, remove the pan from the oven and set the oven to broil at 500-550 F or High. Cool brownies for about a minute then sprinkle the marshmallows over the warm brownies. Make sure to cover most of the area.

Crumble the crackers by hand then sprinkle the graham crackers on top of the marshmallows.

Broil with the rack in the center of the oven for 30 seconds to a minute until the marshmallows are golden brown. Watch carefully so that they don’t burn. Break up the Hershey’s milk chocolate bars into the individual squares and place on top to melt.

Linking up with Jessica and Ashley.

July 29, 2013

The Weekend That Flew

Do you know those weekends were they just fly by? I felt like I did nothing but then I looked at the clock and it was 9pm. Saturday was my “relaxing” day even though I did a ton of errands, stopped at the library, did all of my cleaning and grocery shopping and fit in a workout.

I decided to do my meal prep on the grill. I promise my grill was clean when I started cooking. I made about 8 chicken patties, some kielbasa, chicken tenders, and there was a ham steak too. These will all be pulled throughout the week as my protein sources. Yum!

I also made some S’Mores brownies for the family get together for Sunday. They were super easy to make. I will have the recipe for you soon.

Sunday morning I baked Seamus some homemade dog biscuits, cooked some veggies in foil packets, and completed a workout. When I was making Seamus his done bones he went into the living room, when I came back he was snuggled up on the couch. Total cuteness, right?

I am trying out some new conditioners. I am normally a Pantene girl but I feel like I need to shake things up a bit because my hair doesn’t seem to be reacting as much to the old conditioner. I tried the Dover Conditioner and I have to say I am not liking the smell but I am going to give it a chance.

I am so excited to break out this bad boy!!! The Garmin Forerunner 210 will help me track my mileage leading up to the half marathon in September. I have to say I am hella scared. My training has not gone well but I am moving forward and pushing hard.

Sunday night was a family get together. My cousin drove up from Florida for a visit with her new baby. Seriously the eyelashes on him will break a lot of hearts. He is such a cutie!

What were you up to this weekend?

Do you have a specific “rest day” where you get all your cleaning done?

Linking up with Sami at Sami’s Shenanigans and Leann at Join the Gossip .

July 26, 2013

Friday Brings Smiles

What can I say other than heck ya it’s Friday!!! It has been crazy busy at work so I am looking forward to this weekend. My cousin is coming up from Florida on Sunday so we are having a get together and will finally get to meet her new baby!!

One. So I know I share with you all a lot of healthy recipes but that doesn’t mean I don’t love to bake or cook decadent full of fat foods too! I just bring them to others to eat! 😉 So for my family get together these are my top choices for what to bring for dessert. What do you think, which would you choose?

A. Apple Snickers Trifle.

Apple Snickers Trifle. Like a caramel apple with chocolate.

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B. S’mores Brownies

S'mores Brownies...ready in 30!

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Two. I saw this on Facebook and it just made me chuckle. Will you sing your order the next time you are at McD’s?

Three. I can see this in my bathroom. I posted some of my bathroom re-do wish list here and I think this would be a great addition. Maybe leaning on the shelves.

Beach Sign, Anchor Decor, Keep Calm And Stay Anchored, Nautical Sign, Hand Painted Wood - Customize Your Color

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Four. I said in a business meeting yesterday that I should quit and be a dog walker for a living, no one is miserable being around dogs. Well unless you don’t have a heart! Just kidding. But seriously being surrounded by total cuteness other than Government mumbo jumbo, no brainer I would chose the dogs!! Or cats. Meow!

hahaha

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Five. Seamus. I just can’t leave him out. If anything makes me smile it is this little love bug! Tell me you aren’t smiling after seeing his cute little face!?!

Well that is all I have for you today! Hope everyone has a really great weekend!! Keep smiling!

July 24, 2013

Going Low Carb

So I have decided to go a little bit more low carb lately. I went really low carb when training for my triathlons and I will be following a similar diet. I am going to be eating very similar to how I was eating before but a little less fruits, a little less peanut butter. 🙁 It is still going to include lots of lean proteins, and veggies and a little more fats. This has always worked for me in the past to shed some pounds and I want to be lighter for my half-marathon. When I get to my longer runs I will add more veggie carbs. So on to the eats:

Breakfast: I made two eggs over easy and three strips of bacon.

Snack: I had a 1/4 cup of toasted almonds and about 6-7 slices of sharp cheddar cheese.

Lunch: One Boca Veggie burger with Cheese, Salad with iceberg lettuce, 1/2 cucumber, 1/4 cup of red onion, 1/4 of a tomato – diced and one pickle.

Snack: I had about a 1/2 of a cucumber and 2 Tbsp of my Bacon and Caramelied Onion Dip. So yummy. Onions are little higher in carbs so only have a little of the dip. Measure it out!! Click here for the recipe!

Dinner: This was a really odd combination but it was really yummy! It was about 2 cups of Iceburg lettuce, 1/2 cucumber, Slice of Tomato diced, 2 polish dill spears sliced, 1 BBQ chicken premade on my grill this weekend, and topped with some Mango Peach Salsa that I got at Target. So yummy. I think this Salsa is going to make an appearance in a lof of my recipes and only 2 Net Carbs. Win!!

Remember everyone is different and all diets are different, find what works for you. This one is easier for me to follow. I count carbs versus calories. I still eat a ton of veggies and feel full. Find what speaks to you!

July 23, 2013

Bacon and Caramelized Onion Dip

I am a little excited to share this recipe with you all. I tend to stay away from dips since most are served with carb heavy crackers but then I said duh, there are so many substitute options for crackers! Am I right? Of course! I served mine on top of cucumber slices. You could also pair with some celery sticks or carrots. Of course, serve with crackers for those not trying to watch their waistline! 😉

For the original recipe you can go here. She also has a great tutorial on how to make caramelized onions. Hers looked so much better than mine. I was multitasking a little too much on this one. Oops.

Ingredients:

1 cup caramelized onions, cooled (about 2-3 onions) ~ 6 slices bacon, diced – cooked crisp ~ 1 tsp cider vinegar ~ 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper ~ 1 3/4 cups sour cream (or Greek yogurt or a combination of the two) ~ Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

Caramelize your onions in a skillet and allow to cool. Stir all remaining ingredients together in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Chill for 20 minutes before serving. This should last up to 3 days or 30 seconds depending on your level of hungraaay!!

Since I really like my readers I bring you a second “recipe”. This light and refreshing drink is low in carbs so it was a great pairing with the above dip. It was really only two ingredients too! Easy peasy, right?!

I used the Sugar Free Lime Margarita mix Walmart brand but I think Crystal Light sells this flavor too. Mix one packet with 2 quarts of water. Add to a glass some ice and a shot of Smirnoff Orange (or other citrus flavored Vodka) and top off with the Lime Margarita mix. It was so light and refreshing so watch out or it will knock you on your keister! It will sneak up on you! Enjoy!

Linking up with Jessica and Ashley.

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