Food Frenzy Friday 2

So you're on a "diet"... In quotes because diets are really a short term deal but when you are trying to lose weight and get fit for life, it's a lifestyle change. I've been behaving while I am in my main weight loss phase. I figure if I get off track now, it may be harder to stick to it. What I wouldn't do for some pizza, homemade chocolate chip cookies, ice cream, and a burger with fries. But I have my eyes on the prize. I will allow myself these foods again in small moderation once I've reached my goals and am just maintaining my weight.

I found an excellent substitute last week for pizza... Cauliflower pizza. Well, I found an equally great substitute this week for my cheeseburger craving. Again, it may sound strange to you, but I assure you it isn't. A Cheeseburger Casserole. Gina at SkinnyTaste has done it again with a wonderful recipe. Only 291 calories per cup. And it's a simple recipe to follow... Quick dinner! Lean ground beef, diced tomatoes, cheese, and (whole wheat) pasta are the key ingredients. As I have been with every new recipe, I was skeptical. I do think I overcooked the beef a little bit but overall, it was actually quite yummy and did taste a lot like a cheeseburger (did I mention you chop up pickles to sprinkle on top after it is cooked? Yum!!)

I did make one substitute, unintentionally. The recipe calls for tomato paste. I thought I had some at home and realized while cooking that I didn't. I used some pasta sauce I had in the fridge as a sub (I used 4 Tablespoons since it isn't as thick as paste would have been). I seemed to come out just fine like this. Also, her recipe calls to melt the cheese for about 15 minutes. Everyone's oven is different but mine was definitely done in 10 (and had I been paying attention, I probably could have taken it out sooner). So I would just keep an eye on the casserole when it is in the oven.

Image Source: SkinnyTaste

Another recipe I wanted to highlight: Skinny Fiesta Lime Chicken, compliments of Skinny Mom. This sounded so yummy... chicken, salsa, ranch dressing, lime juice, and cheese. Another really quick and easy dinner since you just brown the chicken and and then add the rest of the ingredients into the pan and warm until the cheese has melted. This smelled yummy and tasted it too. I served it with Uncle Ben's Whole Grain Brown Ready Rice. I don't usually use instant rice but this was perfect since dinner cooked quickly, and it tasted like I cooked it on the stove top. I use to love ranch dressing but I've outgrown my taste for it in recent years, so it tasted a little too "ranchy" for me (I don't think my heartburn I acquired during pregnancy ever really went away which could be contributing to my distaste for the ranch mixed with the salsa). I think next time I make this, I will use less dressing (possibly as much as half the amount since the recipe called for the entire bottle). I also think I'd like to try this with yellow rice next time to stick to the Mexican menu. 

I hope you enjoyed these dinners and will try them too. If you do, let me know how it goes!!

My Very First Influenster VoxBox!

I need to start by thanking my friend Lanaya at Raising Reagan for creating my addiction to Influenster. Another social media addiction... just what I need! But Influenster is so much more than that. This is actually a fantastic social media outlet for those who are active on other key sources of social media. Facebook. Twitter. Pinterest. Blogs. Instagram. You get the drill.

But Influenster adds a twist. First, you need to be invited by a current member. So what exactly IS Influenster? Per their website...

"An exclusive online community where tastemakers and trendsetters (such as yourself) come to share the latest and greatest news, places, products, and reviews with each other. 2. The hotspot you just bookmarked on your web browser that turns your social influence into sweet rewards.

Basically, Influenster is a place for culture junkies to come together and share their unique opinions of products and experiences. Active members of Influenster get exclusive access to deals, promotions, and swag from brands that thrive off the input (the good, the bad, and the ugly -- they just want to know what's up)."

You can earn badges in certain areas of expertise by taking surveys and writing reviews on products within these categories. People then read your reviews on the products and claim that your review was helpful. Your ratings on Influenster go up as your activity increases and is consistent. Eventually, you can qualify for a "VoxBox" within one of these categories. Influenster will send you a box of products free of charge to test out and share your thoughts about through their website. Hence, my first VoxBox blog!

I was so excited when I received my very first VoxBox last weekend. I knew it was coming and that it was titled "Sugar 'N Spice". Didn't know what to expect. But I was QUITE excited to see this bright orange box when I picked up the mail. Let me tell you about the exciting products I received!

Nectresse - I can't even tell you how excited I was to see a box of packets in my VoxBox. Nectresse is a no-calorie sweetener from the makers of Splenda. Nectresse just came out last year; I remember seeing commercials on TV and decided I wanted to try it. I'd been using the yellow packets of Splenda for a few years with my daily cup of coffee, but I thought Nectresse tasted more like real sugar. It's made with Monk Fruit so I don't think it leaves some of the after taste that other sweeteners do. It never occurred to me that Splenda left an after taste until I started used Nectresse and ran out, leaving me with my old yellow packets of Splenda. I still use Splenda if I'm out somewhere since most restaurants don't offer Nectresse, but Nectresse is definitely my sweetener of choice. Not convinced? They will send you a sample as well as offer a coupon here. Try it for yourself! I hope you are pleasantly surprised like I was!

Colgate Optic White Toothpaste, Mouthwash, and Toothbrush - I had actually tried Colgate Optic White Toothpaste several months ago but had not used their other products. I didn't really see any drastic results, and now I know why. If you visit their website, you will see that if you use all three of their Optic White products together, you will see whiter teeth in just 5 days. And I believe it --- after using their sparkling mint toothpaste and alcohol-free mouthwash, I felt like I'd just left the dentist. I actually had trouble keeping the mouthwash in my mouth for 60 seconds because I felt that tingling clean feeling and it took a little time to get use to. It's a foaming mouth wash, and I actually feel like I need to rinse my mouth with water afterward to get all the foam out (which makes it kind of pointless in using it to begin with). If my teeth look whiter in just 5 days, I can't even imagine what using these products together for a month. I have been using a battery-operated toothbrush of a different brand for a few years now, but now that I see that they sell the Colgate 360 Optic White Powered Toothbrush as part of this line of products, I want to go out and buy it! I can't wait to use these products together for an extended period of time and see the fabulous results. Also a side note, their packaging claims that the ingredients in their products are comparable to leading whitening strips --- SCORE! Those strips are nearly impossible to wear in my opinion, so this excites me that I can get the beautiful white teeth without all the hassle.

BelVita Breakfast Biscuits in Cinnamon Brown Sugar - I've seen these in my local grocery store but was never really inclined to purchase them, so I was excited to see a free sample in my VoxBox to try... and I love anything that's cinnamon brown sugar flavored! If you're not familiar with the product, one package of 4 breakfast biscuits is considered a serving. This flavor has 230 calories per serving, 3 grams of fiber, 19 grams of whole grain... and as always, BelVita claims "nutritious, sustained energy all morning". They tasted just like a graham cracker (a little less sugary though - just enough sweetness for me). One package was definitely filling enough to be my breakfast. These would particularly be a great breakfast for you if you're on the go and don't have time to sit and eat breakfast at home before running out the door. Healthier and more filling than most of the breakfast bars I've tried. I don't think I would eat these most mornings since I am often at home, but I do have these on my grocery list for the days I need to be out the door early so I can have a nutritious breakfast on the go.

Vaseline Spray & Go Moisturizer in Total Moisture - I've seen the commercials all over TV for this product. It was only a matter of time until it happened... sunscreen comes in a spray can, so why can't regular moisturizers? I was skeptical though. Despite the advertisements claiming the lotion wasn't greasy, I was certain it would be oily, and that it wouldn't be enough moisture for my dry, sensitive skin. I live in the northeast so in the winter especially, I need a good moisturizer. I have a tendency of breaking out with eczema during the cold weather so I've been loyal to one product for quite awhile and had no intentions of jumping ship. I have been using Total Moisture for nearly a week now. I will agree that it's not greasy. And I didn't have any reactions to it with my sensitive skin (there have been a few lotions that irritated my sensitive skin). It's an easy spray and a few quick rubs and you're good to go. And it actually does moisturize a lot better than I expected it to given that it seems to be a thinner lotion, but I still think I need something a little bit heavier until the weather gets a little warmer. I am going to save this can until then so I can see how it works for me in the warmer weather. It will probably be a perfect summer moisturizer for me. If you're not too dry, this might be ideal for you year round!

Dickinson's Original Witch Hazel Oil Controlling Towelettes - I'd never used of this product line before. The brand logo did look familiar to me but I don't think I had ever picked it up in the store to read the packaging.  Which is amazing because the brand has been around since 1866. Yes, you read that right - nearly 150 years. I have been a loyal Estee Lauder girl since college and only started deviating from their skincare line in the past year to see if I could find something that may cost a little less and be easier to access so I don't need to go to the mall just because I run out of a product. I love towelettes for after my workouts and when I travel. I don't need to worry about anything leaking if I'm traveling somewhere. These are even better than what I've been using in recent months because the towelettes are individually packaged. I love using these right after I workout. Since I have a baby at home, I don't always make it upstairs to wash my face right away, so these are perfect for me to keep downstairs so when  I'm done with my workouts, I can tear open the package and freshen up my face. It's a gentle cleanser without any overpowering scents (though I do smell the witch hazel as soon as I open the package, which took awhile to get use to). My face feels so much cleaner after using just one. I can't attest to it actually helping with blemishes as I am fortunate to not break out very often (I'm not that lucky naturally --- I took a round of Accutane 9 years ago and it worked wonders for me --- seldom do I breakout now, thankfully). I was lucky to receive a few coupons for Dickinson's in my VoxBox so I do plan to go out to purchase a bottle of the toner to use daily and more of these towelettes to use on the go.

A side note about Dickinson's... I know we ladies are very particular about trying something new when it comes to skincare. They have an entire section on their website about different skin types and how you should use their products based on your particular skin type. Feel free to check out how they suggest you use their product for your skin type.

Have you used any of these products? Weigh in on your opinions! Perhaps you'd like to join Influenster and get in on the action! You do need to commit to reporting back your opinions on the products they send you to try out, but we know that doesn't take long. If you want to know more, just let me know and I'll be happy to answer any questions or get you an invitation to become an Influenster like me!

First Food Frenzy Friday

Try saying that 5 times fast!

I'm excited to introduce my very first "Food Frenzy Friday" post. I am constantly trying to find new skinny recipes to try and give my own twist to. Even more so, I am always looking for new foods to try in the grocery store. I love to snack so finding healthy ways to cut out the sugary snacks to find healthier, more filling snack options are super important to me.

My very first feature recipe is a Pinterest discovery: Cauliflower Pizza. Yes, you read that right. This pizza doesn't have cauliflower on it... The crust is actually comprised on cauliflower, a little bit of cheese, and an egg. I need to credit Skinny Mom for this as it was her recipe and the reviews on her amazing blog that convinced me this recipe was worth a try... And was it ever!!

Let me start off with telling you... I love pizza. I grew up in Connecticut so if it wasn't authentic New Haven or New York style pizza, it just couldn't be any good. I didn't have any weird cravings when I was pregnant, but I probably could have eaten pizza every day if I thought it was actually a good idea. Since the start of 2013, we haven't really had much pizza. Even when we were visiting family last month, they ordered pizzas and I ordered a salad for myself. Tough to do but while I am working toward my goal, I am trying to keep my splurging to the absolute minimum.

I am not a fan of cauliflower. However, this pizza is absolutely delicious. My husband even said if he hasn't seen the recipe on the counter, he wouldn't have known the difference. It tasted a lot like pizza dough, though I think next time I need to try to blend the crust better together since it was pizza we had to eat with a fork and knife. I know this sounds impossible but it really was fantastic and I encourage you to try it! Skinny mom made hers with turkey pepperoni, but you can use whatever toppings you like!

Photo Source: Skinny Mom

Onto my grocery store finds. I have been poking around the protein bar section of the grocery store. I would never eat one of those bars for a meal so the calorie allowance for one full bar is too much. However, Zone came out with a line of bars for kids called Kidz Zone Perfect. I decided to buy a box of the Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip. I am hooked! Only 150 calories, 3 grams of fiber, 5 grams of protein... And the bar is a perfect snack size! I also picked up the Yellow Cupcake flavor this week. To be honest, I was slightly disappointed, but I think I was expecting it to literally taste just like a Yellow Cupcake. It did have the right flavors but it just wasn't what I was expecting, something about it tasted too artificial for me. They also come in Caramel Crunch which are on my grocery list to pick up!

Photo Source: Kidz ZonePerfect

While I love peanut butter, I am not a big fan of nuts in general. Something about the textures I think. I keep reading how the right nuts can be a healthy snack option. I found Emerald Cinnamon Roasted Almonds. I love cinnamon! And they sell a box of 100 calorie packs too (which is actually what I purchased... helps to make sure you don't eat too many!!) I remember reading that cinnamon helps lower blood sugar and cholesterol as well as reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. Mmm now I want some cinnamon roasted almonds. Emerald also has cocoa roasted almonds in the 100 calorie packs amongst other varieties that they sell in canisters. I may need to try those too!

Photo Source: Amazon.com

I've been trying to get on the Greek Yogurt bandwagon. I have been an Activia advocate for years. Too many sugars, not enough protein. I had tried a few of the "big" brands of Greek Yogurt on the market but just didn't like them. My sister recently tried Yoplait Greek 100 and said she enjoyed that the most of all the brands. I bought a few different flavors and agreed with her --- if was the best! Vanilla has always been my favorite flavor, but I've also has the Mixed Berry, Peach, and Key Lime. All are great. Plus there are 10 grams of protein per serving (in the Vanilla - not sure if that varies based on the flavor). And if you're following Weight Watchers, these yogurts are WW approved with the points noted in the container.

Photo Source:  Yoplait Greek 100

I hope you've enjoyed my first Food Frenzy Friday, and that you have found that one of these foods might work in your diet. Please feel free to share your thoughts with me!

Motivating Music

Another week begins! I am going to start a bit more structure with my blogs moving forward as I work on pointing my blog in the direction I want it to go.

Monday: Slim by the Summer Blog - whatever the group's weekly theme is will be my Monday blog. Once this concludes, it will be more of a weekend recap and my progress thus far.
Friday: Food Frenzy Friday - I want to focus on new recipes, new foods I may have stumbled across in stores to incorporate into my diet.

I haven't set a firm day yet for other posts, but more to come as time progresses. There will be a few special posts in upcoming weeks about the Influenster Sugar and Spice VoxBox I received in the mail this weekend! I will fill you in on what all this means if you haven't heard of Influenster and tell you all about the complimentary products they sent me to try out and review. You can be an Influenster too!

My recap of the past week... I kind of hit a rough patch. As you know from last week, I did not lose much weight from the week prior, so I was thinking that I might see a bigger number of weight loss on the scale this week... That was until I woke up with a bit of a sore neck on Tuesday. That didn't stop me from putting in a good workout, of course. By the time my husband got home from work Tuesday night, I could barely move my neck. This continued Wednesday... Thursday... Friday... And Saturday! No exercise. Thank goodness for Advil, my heating pad, and IcyHot Patches. It was rough but this has happened to me before so I know it wasn't caused by my workouts, but I have an inkling that the workouts combined with lifting my 21-lb daughter could have worked together in causing this.

Nonetheless, I stuck to my 1200 calories daily. And was stunned by the scale. Down 3.8lbs since last Tuesday. The best week weight loss week I have had without working out?!

Over the weekend, I started going through my "skinny" clothes. I'm 7.6lbs away from my first weight loss goal which puts me at my wedding weight (actually, 2lbs less!!) so I thought most if those clothes would fit or just be a little snug. And I was right! It was so exciting to pull those clothes out. A few pairs of jeans still can't be buttoned but a few of them do fit! And well! It was so refreshing. This weekend, I finally realized I was starting to feel like my old self again. Looking in the mirror, happier about what I am seeing... Success!

The Slim by the Summer theme of the week: Music! What are my favorite workout tunes? To be honest, I haven't really touched my workout playlist in nearly 2 years. That's the last time I was using it for running, so anything that is on it is no newer than 2 years old. :)

I do have a few compilations I downloaded from iTunes that I use while I perform my Bikini Body Mommy Circuit Training. The newest is an album from Shape Magazine. It's called "Shape Cardio - Pure Hits Now and Then - Volume 2". It has everything from "Everybody Dance Now" to "Last Friday Night" to "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough". Shape has several albums from several genres of music at different paces, so whether you plan to walk or jog, there are options. I know they have an 80s mix which I also have purchased and enjoy. Shape also has a ton of lists on their website you can reference for suggestions.

Another big music motivator I have used is the "Biggest Loser Sports Anthem" mix. Nothing gets you moving like cardio versions of "We Will Rock You" and "We Are the Champions", amongst many other awesome songs you might hear at a sporting event. Biggest Loser also has a Disco 70s workout mix... Awesome!! In case you haven't figured it out yet, I prefer a lot of the older mixes because those songs are classics, where sometimes I get tired of some of the newer music after awhile.

Stay tuned for my Food Frenzy Friday post! I will be telling you about a skinny pizza I made over the weekend, and a few new yummy snacks I discovered at the grocery store this past week.

Tending to my Trouble Spots

First, my weight loss update... only down 0.3lbs from last week. I blame my wine drinking this past weekend when we had friends visiting from out of town. I put in extra exercise on Saturday morning to compensate for my extra (celebratory) calories but it didn't seem to help as much as I'd hoped. I guess abstaining from calorie-laden beverages really is important!! But it was absolutely worth every calorie consumed since we only get to see them a couple times a year, so let's move on.

What do you think of when you hear the phrase, "trouble spots"? I am sure even the most fit people have what they consider to be a trouble spot. A part of their body that takes extra effort to sculpt into the image you have in your mind for yourself. Something you may just feel even a little insecure about from time to time.

Trouble spots is this week's Slim by the Summer theme. Personally, my tummy has always been my biggest trouble spot. My mother always told me that's the easiest place to lose fat from. I feel like no matter what I have tried in the past, there is just no toning my tummy to look the way I wanted it to, but hindsight, I don't think I gave it my all... so this is a new challenge for me. By no means do I need a six pack. But having had a baby recently certainly isn't helping my cause. I refuse to let this be an excuse though. If I am finding time to workout daily, I should certainly be able to fit in a few extra minutes to focus purely on my abs. And that is my plan!

Those of you who follow me on Pinterest have seen an obscene amount of fitness related pins in the past few weeks. I am obsessed with finding what people believe are the best ab exercises out there to tone my abs. I've been going through them to find which ones come up the most to incorporate them into my current routine. Even though I give my abs some attention in my cardio workouts, it's not enough. Must do more!

Right behind my abs would be my thighs, which I have been so fortunate to see great results with toning since I started my new routine in January. My thighs are definitely slimming out, but I still want to reduce the cellulite as much as I can. Summer is coming. Shorts season. I'm on the short side and think I look funny in Bermudas since I am not a skinny short person, so I must work those thighs to comfortably wear my cute summer shorts. And perhaps buy a few new colorful pairs from J. Crew to add to my collection. It's been a little painful to go shopping --- I've been refusing to really spend money on new clothes until all my old ones fit me right again, and I even gift cards from Christmas and my Birthday to put toward my new wardrobe. Needless to say, I've been doing all my shopping for my daughter to get my shopping fix (did I tell you I live 5 minutes from the outlets? Yes, very dangerous and it takes great will power not to buy everything I want!) So this is my plan when I get down to my first goal weight... 11.4 lbs to go!!

So, my new healthy discoveries from this past week: not necessarily healthy but healthier... Using reduced sodium taco seasoning for tacos and the whole grain shells. I was worried I would taste a difference but I didn't (and neither did my husband or friends). I used 92% organic lean beef this time. Next time, I am going to bite the bullet and try ground turkey. I have always been skeptical that they wouldn't be as good with turkey, but if a turkey burger and turkey bacon and turkey meatloaf can be good, why wouldn't turkey tacos? I will keep you posted!

A new recipe I made, compliments of Pinterest... Oatmeal Applesauce Muffins. This was on the Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans website which I am still familiarizing myself with. They weren't too bad --- a bit more dense than muffins I have made in the past, but it makes sense since they are made with oatmeal and applesauce. I'm wondering though if these also contributed to my lower weight loss this past week. I realized when I made the Weight Watchers Banana Muffins a few weeks back, I had a smaller loss on the scale than all other weeks. Maybe I should just avoid even healthier muffins.

Another week begins... here's to seeing a bigger number on the scale next week!

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Working Out: If it were easy, everyone would be doing it...

This week's topic for the Slim by the Summer group... exercise...

Exercise. Working out. Breaking a sweat. No matter what you call it or how you do it, I've quickly learned it is a necessity to a healthy lifestyle. I can remember starting Weight Watchers back in October 2009 using their old points program; I was able to lose 20lbs just by following their points program without working out at all. Of course, as soon as I started to gravitate away from it when the points allowance seemed too low to curb my hunger (I was dipping into the weekly bank of points I could use), I started to slowly gain weight back. That's when I learned that I need to eat right AND workout, which is exactly what I did to prepare for my May 2011 wedding.

I must thank Jillian Michaels for kicking my @$$ into shape with her "Ripped in 30" DVD... I worked out with her DVD (and sometimes alternated with Jazzercise "Cardio, Strength, Stretch") 5 mornings a week. Getting out of bed at 5am every day was super tough but I was determined to look amazing on my wedding day and didn't want any back pudge when I had on my beautiful strapless wedding gown. That has always been a pet peeve of mine in wedding pictures: seeing a bride look absolutely stunning in her wedding grown and then you see a side profile with a little bit of back pudge hanging over the top of her dress. I was successful, no back pudge!!

However, my life has changed a great deal since May 2011. The biggest change that took a huge toll on my body: delivering an adorable baby girl in August 2012. I had lost nearly all the baby weight before ringing in 2013 (I was 5lbs shy) but still had a few post-wedding pounds beyond that to shed. For some reason, my tummy seemed to look fuller than I remember it looking before getting pregnant. I made it my resolution to get back down to my wedding weight/size so I can fit into all those fun summer clothes I wore in Aruba on the honeymoon. I felt like I wasn't seeing the success as quickly with Jillian's "Ripped in 30". So I decided to start to mix it up as I regain my strength before going back to Jillian's 3-2-1 workouts that I absolutely love.

I owe my success so far this year to the following routines (in addition to eating right)... without them, I can just about guarantee I'd still be spinning my wheels and not budging the scale:

• Jillian Michaels "FastFix" --- 20 minute kickboxing workouts (there are 3 on the DVD) --- she will make you sweat just like she does in every other workout DVD she's released. I prefer the arms and legs workouts (which are workouts 1 and 2). Workout 3 focuses on abs but the workouts put a lot of weight on the right leg which I feel makes me really "uneven" --- I wish it evened out the exercises on both legs)
• Jazzercise "Cardio, Strength, Stretch" --- 30 minute Jazzercise workouts. For those not familiar with Jazzercise, I first got my start in 2006 when I started taking classes when I was living in DC. I loved it because I use to dance and it's kind of like dancing for an hour to all sorts of fun music. Their DVDs can only be purchased on their website (they do have a few newer ones I'd like to add to my collection). This DVD has 3 workouts on it, so sometimes I will do 2 or all of them to get in a really good workout, especially on the weekends when I know I would like to have some wine or a cocktail with dinner. I wish I had time to take the classes in person, but I have a baby at home so it really isn't conducive to my schedule right now. When she goes into nursery school, I'd LOVE to become a Jazzercise instructor. Workout and make money at the same time? Sounds like fun to me!!!
• Zumba Core for Wii --- I've never taken a live Zumba class but it always looked like so much fun when I saw commercials/infomercials on TV. I finally broke down and bought one of the games for Wii and I absolutely love it! You have the option of taking a short class (20-30 minutes), mid-length class (45 minutes), or full class (60 minutes). The option of just doing single songs. The option of learning the dance steps. Plus as you improve, you can unlock videos to watch as bonus content. Love it! You hardly even realize you're working out. To be honest though: you need to have rhythm for this because if you lose the beat, you might have trouble catching back up. 
• "Bikini Body Mommy Challenge" --- I must thank Pinterest for stumbling across this challenge which led me to the website, Facebook page, and blog. Briana Christine shares life experiences about her 100lb weight loss after having 3 babies and encourages you to participate in her 90-day challenge. She posts the exercises on her Facebook page with pictures to show you how to complete the workouts. Essentially, you are encouraged to workout 6 days a week and rest on Sundays. Monday, Wednesday and Friday, you follow the exercises she gives you for the particular day of your challenge that you're on. It's basically circuit training, usually only 10-15 minutes of it (but you track how many of each exercise --- like squats --- you can complete in the time she allows --- and then at the end of the week, you can see how much stronger you've gotten in less than a week, which is so rewarding). It's a hard workout, as in you will sweat and possibly even collapse onto the floor after you're done in pure exhaustion (yep, it's happened!) Sometimes on these days, I still sneak in a 20-minute cardio workout to burn some extra calories as I work toward my goal. Then on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, it's cardio time. For the first half of the 90-day challenge, it's 45 minutes of cardio, but I believe it switches to 20 minutes of HIIT after day 45. I am just wrapping up my fourth week right now so I still have a bit of a way to go. 

In following the Bikini Body Mommy Challenge and mixing up the cardio with the 3 workouts above, I have already dropped 6.2lbs just since starting this workout routine AND staying within my daily calorie allowance in the past 28 days. I think after I finish the 90-day challenge, I'm going to get back into Jillian's "Ripped in 30". I also know Jillian has a new DVD coming out this spring called "Hard Body"... I can't wait to see the reviews on this to decide if I'm ready for her new @$$ kicking. Exercise isn't easy. Weight loss isn't easy. Think about it: if it were easy, everyone would be doing it and everyone would be fit.

In the meantime, I keep looking for ways to aid my weight loss now as I build a new lifestyle for myself and my family. Foods lower in calories (and hopefully sugar since I'm still consuming more than suggested daily) and higher in protein to curb my hunger. A couple post-workout snacks I discovered this week... Egg Beaters with Weight Watchers Mexican Cheese and Ortega Mild Salsa... my own little Mexican scrambled eggs. I was originally trying to get rid of the cheese I'd opened for my Skinny Chicken Enchiladas last week but I ended up loving it. I actually used Wegman's Egg Busters (1/2 = 2 eggs = 60 calories). Then 1/3 cup of the cheese is 80 calories, though I'd barely used 1/4 cup so that's another 60 calories, then there's 25 calories in 2 tablespoons of the salsa. 145 calories of a protein-filled post-workout snack! I had it for lunch a couple days too.

Though I'm not following Weight Watchers anymore, I do love the foods they sell in grocery stores. There's a wide variety of frozen meals you can buy called "Smart Ones" --- this may have been the first foods they started selling in stores. I remember seeing these for years now. They have an assortment of baked goods (cookies, brownies, cakes), breads, candies, chicken products (tenders, burgers, breasts), all kinds of cheeses (shredded like I used, string cheese, cream cheese, deli cheese... and more), and frozen treats like ice cream bars, just plain ice cream, fruit bars... so many possibilities. The frozen meals are great to take to work (though I'm home these days, I use to take these to work for lunch --- I do keep some on hand in the freezer to mix up my lunches at home). I'm not really a huge fan of their bread for sandwiches to be perfectly honest. I feel like it's not filling enough, but that's my own personal opinion as a bread lover. There are lots of other healthy options out there if you look hard enough that won't ruin your diet.

However, a new favorite obsession of mine... I love apples. And I love peanut butter. But even the natural or light versions of peanut butter has a lot of calories in it (160-200 on average). While browsing the peanut butter/almond butter/etc section of the grocery store, I found PB2. This is going to sound weird but stay with me. It's powdered peanut butter. I wouldn't be able to paraphrase this so here's an excerpt directly from the Bell Plantation website:

"Peanut butter has always been a staple for the health conscious and physically active. But even peanut butter can be improved. PB2 reduces fat through a chemical-free process. Like all Bell Plantation products, PB2 and Chocolate PB2 are all natural, preservative free, and contain no artificial sweeteners. And that makes them a sweet alternative for active lifestyles, dieters, and moms who want healthy snacks for their kids."

Their products contain 85% less fat calories than regular peanut butters as they press those calories out during the process of making the peanut butter. Only 45 calories per serving!! So how does it work? You mix 2 Tablespoons of the powder with 1 Tablespoon of water. I actually purchased the peanut butter powder with chocolate. As if peanut butter needed any help being yummier. I was skeptical buying this product, especially since it was over $5, but I was not disappointed. It is DELICIOUS! Since it's mixed with water, it's not as thick in consistency as regular peanut butter, and now that I think about it, this jar is going to last longer than a jar of peanut butter since it's powder that you mix with water, so it was more than worth the $5. My organic gala apple with 2 Tablespoons of PB2 (with chocolate) is only 115 calories. Another excellent post-workout snack! They have a ton of recipes that consumers have posted on their website too. Imagine this in a smoothie!! Yes, I want to try it ASAP!!

I also discovered the ShopWell app on my iPhone this past week. Another new obsession. I know, it sounds like I've been busy, right? :) It allows you to enter information about yourself as well as what foods you may be looking to increase/decrease in your diet, and you can either scan foods or search manually... it will then give a score (1-100) and color code the score (red = avoid; yellow = proceed with caution; green = excellent choice) to help you decide which foods you should and should not buy. Awesome tool! It may be hard to find some of the foods they suggest if you don't have a good organic store or organic section in your regular grocery store, but I'm looking forward to giving this a try in the grocery store. So far, I've only used it in my home to scan foods we have in the house. 

And thus, another week begins... make it a strong one!