That’s a wrap!

I have a new favourite breakfast (and actually dessert).  It’s a whole wheat tortilla with some natural crunchy peanut butter, unsweetened apple butter and a banana.  I am in love with this combo (the apple/PB/banana flavour is awesome to my mouth)

I had a noteworthy lunch the other day.  I was using up leftovers.  I had cooked some brown rice in some condensed tomato soup (and water).  I threw some beans in tomato sauce in the mix along with some black beans, corn and tomatoes.  I thought it might taste a little bland, but I didn’t add any spices or anything until I tried it.  Turned out, I liked it just the way it was… and the beans?  Quite filling!

Tonight I was using up more food in the fridge and made pita pizzas.  In the frying pan I cooked up some onion, garlic, mushrooms, peppers and turkey bacon.  I threw it on top of whole wheat pitas with BBQ sauce and topped it with mozzarella.  I had a simple salad on the side but the 1 pita pizza was so filling that I didn’t have time for the salad

I am happy to report I made it to the gym tonight after work.  I’m starting out slow, but at least I made it again!

Dinner

Dinner was at job #2 tonight & it was pretty good! Brown rice cooked in tomato soup, diced tomatoes, canned beans, black beans & corn!

Health… & safety

Today was a long day.  It started out with my alarm being my enemy this morning.  It was followed by 11 hours of nothing but Health and Safety work at the office (note: I work 7 hour days but I worked through my lunch and kept working from home tonight).

Today started out with coffee.  It was much needed.  I’m new to the coffee world.  I’m a pathetic coffee drinker actually. I buy the PC hazelnut coffee and the vanilla… then combine them and brew them up in my fancy empire red Kitchen Aid coffee maker.  I add a splash of skim milk and 2 heaping spoons of Splenda. I’m sure that’s enough to make most coffee lovers puke… but it’s how I can manage it and it wakes me up nicely!

When I got to the office I enjoyed a smoothie with: frozen fruit, 1/2 frozen banana, yogurt, skim milk, chocolate Amazing Grass, chia seeds & 1/2 scoop protein powder.  This thing kept me full from 8:30 until 1:30!

Lunch was one of my classic salads.  Romaine, baby spinach, shredded carrots & broccoli (bought in a pre-made bag), 1/4c black beans & corn, cucumber, 30g light old cheddar & 3oz boneless, skinless chicken breast.  The dressing was my old favourite… 2 tsp EVOO, 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar, frank’s hot sauce & garlic.

It was followed by some awesome PC Greek yogurt

Dinner was not photographed… but it was a Blue Menu chicken burger on a whole wheat bun, low fat superfries and peas with frank’s hot sauce.

I have a new favourite snack (but didn’t have time to eat it today). Baby carrots with Kraft Calorie Wise Poppyseed dressing.

The plan was to go to the gym today… but work was too exhausting.  Tomorrow is shaping up to be the same.  These are the days of our lives. I’m off to enjoy some Teen Mom 2!

Ready… set… Go!

Hello all.  I am back again!  When I last left you I was going on “vacation” to Chicago to help my sister for a week.  I got to “meet” my niece, Ivy (note: I did not get to hold her due to NICU restrictions at that hospital).

And I got to see my favourite little man…

I came back to reality 5 short days later and (in typical Jen fashion)… I took a while to get back in to the swing of things (specifically, tracking what I ate). 

In the last week, spring has arrived and the snow has disappeared. I took Friday off from work and had a renewed positive attitude. The sun was shining and I made my way back to the gym.  It was my first time visiting this location since I moved (for anyone keeping track… I moved October 29th!!).  I am severely out of shape so I started out easy.  I just aimed to do 30 minutes on the elliptical.  I am ashamed to admit – it was a killer.  I kept my heart rate up beyond my THR the entire time and I was sweating. It felt GRRRREAT!

Today, I start anew with my healthy intake.  Today, I start tracking again using My Fitness Pal app/website.  Tomorrow I head back to the gym again.

The last time I was blogging (in February) I was attempting to find my desire for a healthy life again… and hoped blogging would help me find it.  Today, I blog because I have that desire for a healthy life (and thinner one!) … and blogging is now the result of that desire.

Still with me?  If you are… I want to tell you about my breakfast.  It was divine.  It started with some coffee (who is this person? I drink coffee now??)

It was followed by some pancakes.  I have started reading blogs again (and will start commenting again!) and noticed a heck of a lot of pancakes and waffles out there. I wanted in on this action.  I made some Fiber One pancakes (bought in Chicago) and added 1/2 scoop of vanilla protein powder and a banana.  I whipped it up in the food processor (didn’t feel like chunks of banana today).  I topped the pancakes with 1 tbsp natural crunchy PB and 3 tbsp unsweetened apple butter.  Holy Hannah. It was SO filling and really yummy.

And now… it’s time to tackle making some healthy food for the rest of the day.  I can’t guarantee I’ll blog every day. I’m not going to pressure myself to do that.  But, I will try to blog often and will try to share my challenges and successes with you.

I plan to weigh in for the first time again on Friday and start my weight loss journey from there.  I have avoided the scale for almost 2 months.  It’s time to face the music.

In the mean time… Happy SPRING!