Pre-All Hallows Eve

So I have two Halloween Parties to go to, and so I decided to have two costumes. Hint for the first costume: 

Think you know?!?!

I woke up and did the Insanity workout scheduled. Then I heated up oatmeal and hate about half before I finally came to the conclusion that I do not like oatmeal, I know it is healthy. I just don't like it. A friend suggested trying the kind with fruit in it, and I will give that a try. But this was no good, I ended up having toast instead haha.

Oatmeal 

So for lunch I had a repeat of yesterday's lunch. Again, it was delicious and filling. I just forgot to take a picture.

After classes I went to see a movie with a friend and then we decided to go to McAlisters Deli to eat. I forgot to take a picture until I was almost finished eating but I had a cup of Fire Roasted Veggie soup (that stuff is SOOOO good!) and a cheesy potato. It was a delicious meal!

Ok, so did you guess Penny from the Big Bang Theory?!?! If so then you win! You don't win anything of value though, sorry I am a poor college student! Here is me and my Bestie as Amy Farah Fowler! IT was a lot of fun, I didn't drink though since I had to drive home, but I ate a delicious homemade cupcake and lots of cheese and crackers!! SOOO GOOD! :)

Tonight is the law school's party. Wonder what I'll be!! ;) 

Manic Monday... Yes I Like Song Titles

So today I started out with a quick stretch workout, to get awake and stretch out my foot some. I've now become convinced that the top of my foot is bruised, so I'm still trying to take things slow and keep it loose. 

Breakfast was a slice of pumpkin spice toast, some egg whites with spinach, and cheese grits. Along side of the breakfast was some fruit.

For a snack, I had pistachios. Honestly, I just recently discovered pistachios and I can't get enough! Why have I not eaten these for forever?!?! I think the green threw me off, but I'm glad I was brave!

For lunch I had my first deli sandwich in a long time! Faux deli turkey! It was quite good, I had it on a whole grain roll with a banana, baked cheetos, and carrots! Delicious and filling!

For dinner I wanted to make some vegetarian fajitas. In the pan went two green bell peppers, a yellow bell pepper, two roma tomatoes, a squash and a zuchinni. A little bit of fajita seasoning went in and after a few minutes of seasoning they were ready!

 While cooking I had a snack of some organic salsa with some baked whole grain tortillas chips! SOO GOOD.

I accidentally forgot to buy tortillas, but I had the new Hungry-Girl Flatbread that worked perfectly! I added a little salsa for some extra taste! It was so yummy!!

Overall today was good. I went to the gym and added a little treadmill time before dinner. I thought it would be a good way for me to get in some more stretching of the foot. 

Tomorrow I think I still have plans to see a movie with a friend and then I'm going to a Halloween party! It should be fun. BUT it means up and early workout! :) 5:00 a.m. I can do it!

Ouch Sunday

Sooooo... Today started out with an Insanity workout! Woke me up so I could pay attention in church!
Before church I had a breakfast that included two slices of the Pumpkin Spice Bread, it was really delicious! While, I'm not the biggest fan of pumpkin pie, I love pumpkin spice flavored things. Its cinnamony, nutmegy deliciousness. Deliciousness, is a word in my book. Add some yogurt and granola on the side and you have a great breakfast!

Breakfast

Lunch was just some Strawberry Mini Wheats cereal and warmed up milk. It was warm and delicious.

Leo Time!

Isn't he adorable?!?!

Dinner started out with a salad that included some broccoli salad on top.

Dinner was leftover faux chicken with a red potato, whole grain bread, and broccoli! YUMMY!

So I have my first injury, and while I almost wish I could blame it on an Insanity workout or something athletic, it happened while I was walking outside to take Leo for a walk. I don't think its that bad, I think its more bruised then twisted, so I'll be trying to work out in the morning, BUT if I start feeling pain I'll definitely make tomorrow my off day. Ice pack is on it now, just in case. :)

Currently I'm taking a break for the night, eating some grapes and watching a documentary on how a man used McDonalds to lose weight. Its quite interesting to see the opposite view of Super Size Me!

SO are you curious to see my new haircut?! Here it is!

Grocery Shopping Saturday

Usually I go grocery shopping after church on Sundays, but today I was in the mood to go shopping, and since I'm trying to save money for a cruise in December, grocery shopping would have to do! :)

I woke up late for the first time in a long time, 9:00!!! It felt great!! :) After waking up I did some Insanity, the Pure Cardio and the Cardio Abs. I was burning by the time I was done!

Afterwards I had a quick shower and then prepared breakfast that consisted of 2 blueberry waffles with light syrup and Yoplait Greek Yogurt with a tablespoon of granola. It was delicious.

After breakfast I worked on my paper for a few hours then ate my leftover Jimmy Johns. And again I forgot to take a picture of it! Its still good, even the next day!!

After lunch I headed out to our local farmers market. I picked up some Pink Lady apples, some corn, and some organic dark chocolate with almonds. Overall, they had some great items there! Later, I arrived at Kroger and look what I found!! Pumpkin Spice swirl bread! 80 calories a slice! I can't wait to try it tomorrow morning with some greek yogurt before church!

Is it breakfast time yet?!?!

I also picked up some flowers for myself. Every southern girl deserves fresh flowers in her kitchen every now and again! Aren't they gorgeous?

Dinner included Naked Faux Chicken Tenders from Quorn that I brushed some Teriyaki sauce on top For my sides I had half a bag of broccoli and a red potato. Also, I had a whole grain roll from Kroger. It was sooooo good. And really easy!!

About an hour later I was in the mood for something sweet so I had a few squares of dark chocolate with almonds and then a Pink Lady apple with a tablespoon of peanut butter! It was so yummy!

Leo, enjoyed it too!!

Now as I'm writing this blog, I'm sipping on my first cup of green tea ever! Where was this my whole life?!?! It was delicious! A perfect end to a great day!

Tomorrow I plan on doing an Insanity workout before church and then after church going to the gym for a quick hop on the treadmill before going home and working on my paper and cleaning the house! It makes it super easy when my church and my gym are right next to each other! Laundry, laundry, and more laundry! :) 

Its Friday, Friday Gotta Get Down On Friday

SOOOOO today started out with a little bit of sleeping in. I woke up around 8 and worked out for an hour doing the Insanity Cardio Core and Balance (a little early, but I was tired of the other workouts!) and then some Cardio Abs. I don't care what Tony says, that Core and Balance work out is tough, my shoulders were exhausted afterwards!


After a workout I had a quick breakfast that should be looking pretty familiar to you by now. It included a banana, 2 slices of whole grain toast (40 Calorie Nature's Own) 2 servings of egg whites with chopped spinach and a sprinkle of cheese on top of cheese grits!! One of my favorite, filling go to breakfasts!!

After going to class I had an appointment to get my hair cut and colored (GASP! I'm not a natural blonde! Though technically I was born a blonde so I say its still deserved ;) ) While I was there, my hairstylist asked if I wanted something different, I've been going to her for several years and I trust her and I did want something different so I told her go for it! She gave me brown low lights on top of my hair and dyed the bottom half of my hair the same brown. It looks really nice, but I'm still getting used to it! I'll post a picture tomorrow once I've styled it my way! :)

For lunch I grabbed a Jimmy Johns Vegetarian sandwich with no mayo that I ate while she was mixing the colors! I ate half and plan on eating the other half for lunch tomorrow! I love that sandwich so much! It tastes so fresh and delicious! 

It has gotten cold outside! For dinner I decided to heat up a vegetarian frozen dinner, I thought the Veggie Meat Loaf would be perfect for such a chilly day! Homey, yummy warmth was what I wanted and I had never tried the Amy's Veggie Loaf before, but I had high hopes! And overall it was pretty good. With the addition of some ketchup on top, I was impressed! I added some leftover green beans and peas and added a toasted sandwich thin with a little bit of margarine and garlic salt on top! YUMMY!!!

Sorry about the dark picture!

Tomorrow I have planned to work on my paper all day. I hope to get the majority of it done so it'll be ready to turn in! I also need to work on an outline for my Criminal Procedure final. So with the exception of working out, tomorrow during the day should be pretty chill! 

I do have plans to go out tomorrow night with my best friend to see a band! It should be fun!!

Michelle's Weight Loss Tips

So a friend asked me recently on how I lost my weight. I went off on a slight tangent of advice about how I did it. I realized others who may be reading my blog (I just know there are a few of you out there!) may like to read my tips too so I'm writing them down.

Now a disclaimer: I am not a dietician. I am not a doctor. I am a law student who realized I was heading down a bad path and I wanted to make a healthy change to my life for ever. These are the things that worked for me. 

So to start:
1. Figure out what your resting metabolic rate is. A good site is this one: BMR Calculator. This is what your body will burn if you do nothing but lie in bed all day. This is a good idea for what you should be eating at a minimum. For example if your BMR is 1400, at the minimum, thats what you should be taking in a day. Consult your doctor if you're not sure how many calories a day you should be eating.

2. Keep a food log of what you're eating a day. This makes you accountable. Track EVERY BITE. That cookie you ate in the break room? It counts. The chips you ate while you were cooking? It counts. I use Fat Secret to keep up with what I eat a day and what I burn. Be careful, because these are just approximations, but will give you a pretty good idea for what is going on throughout the day.

3. GET MOVING. Whether its taking the stairs, walking your dog more, cleaning your house, going down every aisle of the grocery store (whether you need to or not) try to be on the move. Limiting what you eat is helpful but the most important way to lose weight comes from exercise. I joined a gym, and I love it, but I understand that that is not a possibility for everyone. So some of my ideas for those who don't have the time for a gym or the money: look at work outs on Youtube. Look up zumba exercises. Look up yoga videos. Whatever interests you.

4. Don't give up. You will have bad days. You will have days where you are so busy you have no time to cook, but thats no excuse for quitting. Try to make good choices in the drive thru. Order a salad with dressing on the side. Order a burger and eat it without the top of the bun. Get a side salad instead of fries. Order a kids meal instead of a value meal.

5. Pack your lunch the night before. I always pack my lunch the night before. On Sunday I plan out my meals for the week. I try to stick to the list no matter what. However, its ok to change it up if you're just not feeling the sandwich idea, and want a salad or something else instead. Packing a lunch also saves you money, money that you can always put towards a gym membership, or a fitness class once or twice a week. Packing a lunch also lets you know exactly what you are eating.
On good days my lunch includes: veggies, protein, whole grain, and fruit. I try to eat a fruit and a veggie serving with each meal.

6. Sundays should NOT be rest days! Use Sundays for planning out menu ideas and grocery shopping. I try to plan a meal a week, I do not mind eating leftovers. But if you do, half recipes and freeze the rest. Your frozen meals are going to be a lot healthier then those lean cuisines! I usually make meals that have six servings and eat leftovers for  around three days and freeze the rest. Then the next weeks I reheat the meals whenever I want them!

7. Drink lots of water. I try to drink 6-8 glasses a day. Its not always easy, but I carry around a bottle and try and refill it as much as possible! I have given up soft drinks for the most part, but I do drink iced tea or hot tea in the morning for some caffeine to wake me up, but then I try to drink a glass of water to make up for the dehydration that caffeine causes. Also, sometimes with meals I drink water with mio or crystal light. Again though, for every glass of non-water I drink I try to make up for it with a glass of water for rehydration. Drinking ice cold water is shown to increase your metabolism. So make sure its cold!

8. The way I eat my calories is like this: My breakfast is around 300 calories, my lunch is around 350 calories, and dinner is around 400 calories, I eat a snack in the morning, afternoon that each equal around 100 calories and an after dinner snack (dessert) of around 150 calories. Now, those numbers are approximations, but its the general idea of my meal planning. By the end of the day I try to eat around 1400-1600 calories. I try to not keep it the same number for more then a few days, that way I keep my metabolism not sure of whats coming. :) So Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday my calories may be 1600 so Thursday I may eat 1500 and Friday 1700. Just an example.

These are some of my tips that have worked for me, they may not work for you, I'd love to hear of any tips that you've found useful!! :)

LSRJ Thursday

SOOOOOOOOO today I woke up early to work out. Insanity Cardio Abs and Pure Cardio. It was such a great workout I was needing a nice Green Smoothie for a pick me up! I had to take a picture of this one because it was almost lime green! :) This Green Smoothie had pear and a small frozen banana and strawberry yogurt and spinach of course! While I waited for it to blend I had the last slice of cinnamon toast. 

Green Smoothie

So for lunch I was sitting at the LSRJ Informational Table and so I made sure to bring food that again could be easily eaten while talking to people. I forgot to take a picture of lunch but it included strawberry mini delight cereal, a nectarine, a banana and some berries.

I took a picture of dinner, I THOUGHT but it did not save on my phone! :( Sad day. BUT it included the pasta sauce I had made and some pasta with green beans and green peas. I went to grab a whole grain roll, but they were moldy! I was so disappointed, but then yesterday I ran into Walmart and bought the new flatbread sandwich flats from Hungry Girl and I grabbed one for the side! IT WAS DELICIOUS! I cannot WAIT to make a pizza out of those! They were so delicious!

 

The Panel at the Law Students for Reproductive Justice Panel

After the Panel Discussion there was a cocktail hour, I wasn't hungry but for some reason I ended up eating way too many hors d'oeuvres! I ended up eating two spring rolls and two small quesadillas along with too much hummus and pita bread. I think I stuck some carrot sticks in there too though! 

I've been having such a stressful week, and my usual thing to deal with stress is to overeat, but I had been doing pretty well this week in spite of all the stress. So, while I"m frustrated with myself, I am going to move on and just realize that I did not ruin my diet by having one not so good day, I will have a better day tomorrow. 

I get to sleep in a little tomorrow morning because I do not have to babysit! I plan on waking up and working out then going to class and then I had planned on going to Jimmy Johns for a sandwich before my hair appointment to split for lunch and dinner. It should be a nice day. 

Wednesday Humpday

So last night I went to bed early, around 9:00 so I could wake up and get a good cardio workout in. I decided instead of heading to the gym after class I would take Leo for a long walk before meeting up with a friend for some shopping/browsing and dinner.

However, my body had other plans and I woke up WIDE AWAKE at 2 in the morning. So I decided to get up and work out then, and after an hour work out I was exhausted, so I took a quick shower attempted to make my hair wavy (its naturally wavy but I never have time to air dry it to make it look nice because it takes FOREVER to dry) but upon waking back up at 7 to get ready to babysit I discovered I had used too much gel and was looking like a hot mess. :)

So I jumped back into the shower for just long enough to wash my hair so I could blow dry and straighten it. :) It looked much nicer now.

For breakfast I had a bowl of Strawberry Delight Mini Wheats and a banana. It was delicious and surprisingly filling. I have never been a huge fan of mini wheats and milk, but for some reason this morning I just decided I wanted the soggy texture.

Lunch consisted of a pb and j sandwich on a sandwich thin, some whole wheat crackers, carrot slices, and grapes. Yummy! I love pb and j sandwiches, and though I bought some faux-turkey slices for Meatless October, I have not opened them yet. Next week! I vow to use them!

For dinner I went for sushi with my good friend. My favorite roll is the crunch roll but since I'm vegetarian I'm including no fish, (which isn't so difficult since I'm not a huge fish fan to begin with) so no crab so no crunchy roll. BUT I did have the vegetarian roll which had seaweed and avocado rolled in cucumber which was really delicious. And a cucumber roll which was also really yummy!!! I started the meal with miso soup and a cucumber salad. You're seeing the after dinner picture (I forgot to take a picture till then! ha) It was delicious and filling.

After sushi my friend and I ran into Maurices to be nosy, and I found a new little black dress for 6 bucks!! I was so excited, I have two LBD's but they're getting too big for me, so they're no longer flattering. I plan on wearing it on Thursday for the LSRJ event. 

I ran to Walmart for some apples, bananas, broccoli and most importantly: TAYLOR'S NEW CD. I'm a huge fan and have been since I heard the song Tim McGraw. I love this CD, its very poppy and not so country (I am a huge fan of country music) but its still really good and a lot of its upbeat! :) New work out music!

Busy Tuesday

So today I don't have any pictures to share, cause honestly my meals weren't very fancy looking. I had a busy day so after a cardio workout, compliment of Insanity,  I made a Green Smoothie and grabbed a slice of toasted cinnamon bread. That stuff is so good. I may buy some next week and freeze it that way I can make it last longer!! :)

I had class all morning and then I had to sit at a booth for the Law Students for Reproductive Justice event we have coming up. (LSRJ for future references) I knew I may have to talk to students but I still wanted to bring something healthy so I brought an apple and two servings of dry cereal for lunch. It was delicious, and actually pretty filling.

After more class I had a snack and then a meeting with a teacher over a paper that I'm writing on how to stop domestic child sex trafficking. How horrible do those words sound together. Child. Sex. Trafficking. Ugh. Shudder. You'd be surprised how relevant that topic is. How it happens every day in just about every city in the world. So disgusting, but true!

When my meeting was over I ran home to take Leo for a walk before I knew it, it was time for dinner which I had leftovers! Still delicious. Then I gave Leo a bath and decided to do some yoga at home.

After searching for yoga videos on youtube I discovered this one: 20 Minute Weight Loss and Fat Burning Yoga. 20 minutes was about the time I was looking for. Something to chill me out before bed and stretch me out after all that Insanity Cardio. Its a great video! I liked her comments and her corrections and I really enjoyed the workout! I would definitely recommend it. I'm going to look at some more of her video's and I'll report back with reviews.

Today (Wednesday) I'll be eating dinner with a friend! :) I'm excited, she commutes to school and is in another program (Anthropology Masters) and I don't get to see her much and we always have a great time when we get together!

Monday Monday.... So Good To Me...

So today I was very excited to wake up and NOT having a headache! It was so nice! The massage was definitely worth all the money! I woke up early and did the Cardio Recovery from the Insanity workout and after classes I planned on working out on the treadmill.

For breakfast I wanted a little bit of everything, I was in the mood for scramble egg whites on toast?!? And then I wanted cinnamon toast and then I wanted grapes and bananas too! Whatever works! :) It kept me full for a long time!

Yummy Breakfast

Before going to babysit I went to check my mail and I found a belated birthday present from my family! I come from a pretty large family, my Mom was the third of 8 children and my father was the third of 7. Now that I'm 24, I don't expect presents from them for birthdays BUT when I get one I am sooo excited and I feel very blessed that they are thinking about me! Now that I've lost some weight I will put the gift card they gave me to good use!

THANKS

So for lunch I packed more grapes and some baked cheetohs and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I was in the mood for carbs today, in case you didn't notice ;)

Yummy Brown Bag Lunch

After class and the gym, I decided to run by Petsmart and grab some food for Leo and a birthday present for Leo and Roxy (coming up on Halloween). Well technically that IS Leo's birthday, but I don't know when Roxy's is. So too make it easier on a cash-strapped college student I decided to combine their birthdays. I know their animals. They don't need a birthday at all. But I love them like they are my babies and I want to celebrate when they came into the world and my life.

Also, I've been wanting to buy Leo a halloween costume but I didn't want to pay the full price, well tonight I found a Lion costume for 3 bucks! So excited! I decided to name Leo after a lion, because I think Shetland Sheepdogs look a little bit like lions when their fur is all puffed out and pretty! :)

After my quick trip I decided to make a salad because I was starving!!! 

Salad with a little zesty italian dressing

For dinner I had another whole grain roll some more green beans and pasta with some added vegetarian meatballs. I gotta be honest. The meatballs were NOT my favorite. I ended up throwing them away. I don't know why I bought them honestly, though because I am not the biggest meatball fan as it is, but now I know they're not for me. So far, this was the first vegan/vegetarian item I have not liked!

Yummy yummy dinner

After a dessert I try to keep busy doing things so I don't mindlessly eat. I'm going to bed early tonight so I can wake up early for more Insanity. Tomorrow is Pure Cardio and Cardio Recovery. I may add in some Cardio Abs too. So it will be an early morning!! 

Sunday Funday

So today I babysat again. A sweet little boy who slept almost the whole time I was there. After he woke up I fed him his lunch then took him on a walk around his neighborhood. It was such a beautiful day and it felt amazing. :)

For breakfast I had some cereal. Along with a cut up nectarine yummy.

I love nectarines!

For lunch I had leftover frozen corn chowder and some whole wheat crackers.

I forgot to take a picture!

For dinner I put some cut up zucchini, squash, and tomatoes in the crockpot with a jar of organic tomato sauce and make some whole grain pasta to go with it. Also, on the side I had a whole grain roll and a cup of green beans. So yummy!!!

 

This weekend went by so fast, I have a lot coming up this week but I will try my best to post something everyday! Thanks for reading!

Food Roundup

Well, though I've had all the good intention of posting once a day, with the migraines I've had all week its been tough.

I went to a masseuse on Friday, it was the first time I've ever been and it was amazing! I will definitely be babysitting more in order to go once a month!

So on to the food I've been eating: Because of my jaw I've been trying not to chew too much so as you'll see there is lots of cereal and toast.

Thursday's Breakfast

Thursday's Dinner

Friday's Breakfast 

Hot Tea

Saturday and tomorrow I have to babysit. I woke up and worked out to Insanity and ate some cereal. I'm almost done with the box, so I'll probably be eating it more tomorrow too.

Saturday's Breakfast

While babysitting I ran by the Farmers Market and picked up some local tomatoes and bell peppers and squash. I chopped it up and I plan on putting it in the crockpot with some tomato sauce for some veggie filled pasta for dinner tomorrow!! :) Can't wait!

Sweat Treat before Story Time

FroYo Sharing with the Baby

Lunch

For dinner tonight I had leftover pizza from yesterday's lunch with my BFF. I apologize for how there are just pictures and not much description of my days! :)  I vow to do better next time!

Long Week

So blog readers, I am still here, I've just been extremely busy this week! I have been helping friend with a trial competition and between that and these monstrous migraines I've been having its hard to find time to write when all I want to do is pass out the moment I get home.

I have had TMJ since I was 12, and I was slammed in the face with a cleat while I was playing goalie for my soccer team. I had surgery on it when I was 14 and was told, that like any joint, the injury would reappear, but that the surgery should help for around 5-8 years. Well, its been 10, so I guess the surgeons knew what they were doing!

I have made an appointment Friday with a masseuse who is supposed to be amazing with helping injuries and when I told her I had TMJ the first question she asked me was if I was having headaches. I wanted to say "OH MY GOODNESS YES!" But I simply answered, "yes ma'am" like the southern belle I am! :)

Ok so now on to what I've been eating the past few days:

Tuesday for breakfast I had a slice of cinnamon toast and a green smoothie, with blueberries and raspberries.
For lunch I had a lot of snacky things, because I had another headache and was not completely hungry, but I wanted to keep my metabolism going.

For dinner, I ran by Jimmy Johns and ordered the vegetarian sub with no mayo and I ate half of it with half an order of chips and half a pickle, I saved the rest for lunch the following day!

Dinner: the only picture from that day!

On Wednesday I had 3 slices of cinnamon swirl toast, grits and egg whites with spinach. It was so delicious!

Breakfast

Like I said, lunch was leftover Jimmy Johns, that sandwich is soooooooo good!

Lunch

So a while before the whole Chik-fila boycott when I discovered the restaurant was giving money to anti-gay groups I decided personally to boycott the restaurant. And when they finally agreed not to give any more money to those political organizations I was already in my vegetarian month, so I haven't been there yet, so yesterday when I got out of class and finished running some errands around town I decided to treat myself with an ice cream cone! Its one of my favorite treats!!

Last bite of an ice cream cone is the best!

I had a vegan buffalo chicken patty for dinner with some corn (cut off the cob to accommodate my TMJ). It was delicious!

Dinner on my new plates!