Healthy Lifestyle Continues

Wow! It’s been a while since I last updated. We have been so busy with summer activities and wedding planning, that I haven’t had time to post much—but I’m glad to be back!

Since my last update, we have cooled things off a bit with the Whole30. I completed a Whole60 and finally decided on adding some things back into my diet. The Whole30 was great and I lost 30 pounds doing it, but then I hit a bit of a weight-loss plateau and am just now pushing through that. I have had to really up my workouts, even adding morning routines which I just started today. I feel optimistic that with the increased intensity of the workouts, plus the (mostly) clean diet, that I will continue to drop the pounds needed to reach my ultimate goal weight. If I ever need to get back on track, I can always count on the Whole30 plan to get me there. Not to mention, I have found some of our favorite recipes from completing more than 120 (non-consecutive) days of the program.

We are now following the Paleo/Clean-Eating lifestyle (with an occasional cheat meal or adult beverage here and there). I have found outside of the Whole30 that this is what works best for me. I do add in a little dairy now, usually consisting of about 2 cups of yogurt (with live cultures) per week to aid in my digestive issues and it seems to help. I really enjoy the Chobani Greek 100, as they don’t add a bunch of crap to it. Also something new that I have started is calorie counting. I downloaded the Lose It app on the I-phone and it works great—I highly recommend it. I no longer have to keep a physical food journal because I log everything into the app, which is definitely a time saver. I finally realized that although Ghee and Avocados ARE healthy, eating too much of those types of items can cease weight-loss. Once I am down to my goal weight, I probably won’t worry so much about counting calories, but for now, it’s working nicely:)

Below I have included some pictures of how we are maintaining our healthy lifestyle. If you have any questions, feel free to ask! I hope to update more regularly as we head into the fall.

Until next time,

-J 

Buffalo chicken salads are pretty much amazing (and I have them figured out to be around 300 calories). I use good-quality chicken breast lunch meat, a drizzle of Frank’s Buffalo sauce, a drizzle of Garlic and Olive oil dressing and just a tiny sprinkle of mozzarella (which I only used because I had extra in the house from a recipe). Served here with a side of snap pea crisps, which are relatively clean and low in calories. 

So, I recently invested in a Dole Yonanas machine...and boy is it worth the $39.99! This nifty little machine allows you to add bananas (plus whatever else frozen fruit) to the chute and it comes out the consistency of real ice cream! You can get creative and add cocoa powder, cinnamon, almond butter, etc. Here I tried out bananas and mango--delish!

Berry chicken salads have become a favorite of mine. Feta is a low-fat, low-calorie cheese that I like to incorporate once and a while. A little goes a long way.

These broccoli pancakes are also a new favorite for breakfast (not everyday), but it's nice to switch things up from eggs or green smoothies. The name brand is Dr. Praeger's (which I find WAY too funny) and you can find them at your local health foods store or possibly at Giant Eagle. They are gluten free and non-GMO, as well as only 70 calories each. I just throw them on the skillet for about 4 minutes each side and voila! Served here with a 100-calorie peach Greek yogurt. Yum! 

As with the Whole30, prep for Paleo is just as important. I like to cook up chicken breasts for lunches on Sunday evenings, as well as slicing up lots of fresh fruits and veggies. It’s worth the 45-minutes prep, trust me. 

Creating delicious paleo friendly meals also helps when you have the best fiancé in the world, who just happens to be a great cook. Nick created these coconut flour chicken bites from scratch. Not exactly sure how he made them, but they sure were delicious! Served with some yummy broccoli florets! 

Fish and “chips” is one of our favorite paleo friendly recipes, though, potatoes should not be eaten often. They are a super starchy vegetable, not great for weight loss. If you want “healthier” fries, I do suggest investing in a fry-cutter. Saves a ton of time in the kitchen. We just slice up the potatoes and then bake them in the oven until crisp for about 30 minutes. Drizzle them with a little olive oil and seasonings and you will be good to go. Wild-caught cod is also great baked in the oven. 

We have spent most of our summer cooking healthy meals on the Pellet Grill or over the fire pit. Grass fed hamburgers with homemade guacamole…you can’t go wrong! Corn isn’t really paleo friendly, but it’s summertime for crying out loud!... and sweet corn is just too delicious to pass up every now and then. 

Here is an example of how I like to turn a boring Mcdonald’s side salad into a mouth-watering lunch option! I was in a hurry this day, so I just grabbed a side salad and unsweet tea to eat at home quickly. I added a handful of blueberries and a tablespoon of feta and it really was THAT much better:) 

As another breakfast option, I like to do gluten free steel cut oats. Top with a splash of almond milk, cinnamon and your favorite fruit and you will be full until lunch time! 

Like I said…we really have spent our summer cooking outdoors. Nick has done a lot of experimenting with our new pellet grill (if you don’t have one, I suggest looking into them. Well worth the investment). This was pulled pork which he slow-smoked on the grill for 8 hours. I’m pretty sure this is what heaven tastes like…

Summer means lots of fresh squash and zucchini! I got several yummy squash free at work straight from a co-workers garden and decided to try squash pizza bites. I sliced up the squash and sprayed it with a little coconut oil, salt and pepper and then grilled about 4 minutes each side. Then, I finished off in the oven to melt the toppings. I used organic tomato sauce, turkey pepperonis and a little 2% mozzarella cheese. I didn’t even miss the real thing! 

Lastly, I just wanted to share an example of one of the healthy seafood meals that we made over vacation. Normally on vacation, we would eat out at restaurants every night, but this time we decided to save some money AND some calories by cooking seafood at home! We bought this fresh yellowfin tuna from the seafood market and it was just heavenly. Paired with a sweet potato and green beans. Yum!

Whole60--Almost to the Finish Line!

Wow! It has been about 35 days since I last updated my blog (my apologies to those of you who are regular readers). Nick and I have been dealing with a host of household and landlord issues, which has taken up a decent amount of my time lately. Anyway, I am glad to be back with some recipe updates for you:)! This Whole60 hasn't been perfect. There have been some slip-ups here and there, but we just continue to jump right back on track. We are now on day 57 and will be officially finished on Thursday. We are going to continue living the clean eating/Paleo lifestyle moving forward. We have decided to add brown rice, corn and an occasional adult beverage back into the mix here and there. I now have a really strong grip on the clean eating lifestyle and I know my limits. It's OK to have a beer every now and then or to have an ear of fresh corn on the cob. Moderation really is the key to a healthy, happy life, and we will be practicing that from here on out. I do know that I can always count on the Whole30 to help me shed a few pounds quickly, or to clean up my diet if I get too off track. This program really is a life changer and I know that I always have it to fall back on. In the meantime, here are some pictures and recipes from the last 30 days or so. Enjoy!

These almond flour pancakes have become a Whole30 favorite of mine that I will carry with me long after we finish our Whole60. They are so simple, fast to make and equally satisfying. To recreate: Mix 2 ripe bananas, 4 eggs and 1/2 Cup almond meal together in a bowl. I like to add a little cinnamon and vanilla extract as well. Whip  these ingredients together with a whisk and drop into a skillet over medium high heat, as you would normally cook a pancake. Be careful not to burn them! We top ours with a little almond butter and a tiny bit of good quality maple syrup. Yum! 

If you like spicy foods, go to your local Trader Joe's right now and buy a couple packages of their andouille sausages. They are free of nasty fillers and artificial ingredients and are absolutely delicious (and also very reasonably priced). I like to either top them with peppers and mustard or, as you can see here, they are great for stir-frys as well (we do A LOT of stir-frys in our household). Here, I just cooked up the broccoli with a little ghee and lots of garlic and mixed that in the pan with the cooked sausages and some brown rice. For the sauce, I used coconut aminos, which you can find at any health foods store. It tastes very similar to soy sauce without all of the negative effects. 

I never used to be a turkey burger person, but I finally found a brand that I really like. If you live near a Kroger or a King Soopers, look for the Simple Truth Organic turkey burgers in the frozen section. The only ingredient in them? Turkey. They are a great option to have on hand for those nights where you just need something quick. We usually just throw them on the George Foreman grill. I like to top with dill relish, onion and a little Tessemae's buffalo sauce. I also discovered that I LOVE cooking my potatoes this way. Heat them up in the microwave for a few minutes to get them soft, then make slits almost all the way through. Spread some ghee or coconut oil on top with seasonings and then finish off in the oven at 425 degrees. So yummy! 

We love grass-fed burgers on the pellet grill. Such an easy dinner with tons of delicious flavor. Also, a trick I have learned for red potatoes is to heat them up for a few minutes in the microwave before cutting,  then coat with olive oil and seasonings and finally, finish them off in the oven to crisp them up. Otherwise, they take about an hour in the oven, which we just don't have time for. I drizzle them with a little Tessemae's Cajun Paleo "mayo," which is to die for. Trader Joe's sells amazing long green beans in big bags for $2 in the frozen section. These are great to have on hand as well. Also debuting in this picture is..my new FAVORITE club soda: Watermelon! It is so yummy and tastes just like summer in a glass. 

Again, grass-fed burgers are a favorite. Also, I am totally obsessed with roasted veggies over the fire. I actually found some "roasted vegetable seasoning" at a little spice shop in Fort Collins, CO, and it is the best. You can season with whatever you like though. If they are cooked over the flames, they are guaranteed to taste good! Also, we have gotten really good at making homemade fries;) 

Sometimes I just get in the mood for a big yummy salad for lunch. This was one of those days. Greens, cucumbers, salsa, grilled chicken and guacamole paired with a serving size of clean popcorn "chips" that I found at Sam's Club. Very light lunch, but it kept me full for hours! 

I really enjoy getting creative with leftovers. Here, I used leftover Dutch Oven chili that we made camping and put it on top of an Applegate hot dog, topped with onion and mustard, served with a side of apple "fries" for lunch. Yummy! 

And speaking of Dutch Oven chili...here it is! We went camping a couple weekends ago and  wanted to eat relatively healthy so, chili was a great option for doing so! I don't know what it is about cooking chili in the dutch oven, but I swear it tastes way better. We just used 1 Lb. grass-fed beef, 2 cans of beans (1 kidney, 1 great northern) 2 cups of beef broth, 1 can of tomato sauce, 1 can of diced tomatoes, onion powder, chili powder and a few other seasonings. Turned out great and I didn't even have to feel guilty for eating it (I did feel a little guilty, however, after 2 vodka-infused drinks-haha!)! Master Dutch Oven cooking skills are credited to my awesome fiance:) 

We even had a healthy Dutch Oven breakfast while camping! This is a mountain man breakfast recipe that we found on Pinterest (we just subtracted the cheese). This was just 6 eggs scrambled, 1/2 Lb. spicy chorizo breakfast sausage from Whole Foods, 1 red pepper chopped, 1 green pepper chopped, some chopped onion and lots of yummy seasonings. This was delicious! Good job Nick;) 

Every Sunday I like to splurge a little (usually after our run to the gym) with some uncured, Paleo bacon. Here, I just scrambled up some eggs with leftover potatoes from dinner and then fried up some local sausages and some bacon with a side of fresh watermelon. Perfect post-workout fuel. 

We tried to keep it healthy for our Cinco De Mayo dinner. Corn tortillas are a MUCH better option than regular tortillas and they are gluten free. We filled them with delicious chicken fajitas and topped them with salsa and guacamole. Two of these filled me right up! 

I wanted to include these on the blog because they are my new addiction. These are seriously so good and the perfect sweet treat (just don't eat the entire bag in one sitting....it's easy to do!). Trader Joe's also has freeze dried strawberries and mango which are both very good, but the bananas are my favorite. And only one ingredient...bananas! 

I love switching up breakfast from the usual eggs to a big green smoothie. I have one of these at least every other day. Fill your blender to the top with chosen greens then add 1-2 cups of liquid, depending on how thick you want it. I usually add 1 Cup almond or cashew milk with 1/2 Cup of water. I almost always add 1 cage free egg, 1/2 avocado for creaminess and chia seeds. I top with frozen berries and bananas. Sometimes I also add a scoop of either regular PB2 or Chocolate PB2. It adds a lot of excitement and flavor (though not Whole30 approved). 

And then for the mornings when I don't feel like a smoothie...I usually do eggs with another source of protein. I love to top my scrambled eggs with fresh salsa and guacamole. So yummy and filling! 

When all else fails...just top it with guac. I love making fresh guacamole for just about everything. Here, I topped my turkey burger with it and paired it with peas and potatoes. Simple, yet delicious! PS- You can find these amazing tri-colored potatoes at Trader Joe's. We absolutely love them! 

I think this meal tasted a lot better than it actually looks in a photo-haha! Chicken smoked on the pellet grill and topped with Tessemae's honey mustard (the BEST honey mustard I have ever had with no nasty ingredients), paired with a Thai peanut broccoli slaw stir-fry and some sweet potato "chips." I wish I could give you the recipe for the slaw, but honestly, I can't remember! I love experimenting in the kitchen and just throwing ingredients together (usually they turn out good). I know I used a little Trader Joe's coconut cream for the sauce with some ground nutmeg, cloves, chili powder and cumin and also a dash of PB2 for the peanut flavor. So good! 

Who knew that you could order a stir-fry at a Mexican restaurant? I discovered this dish a couple weeks ago at our favorite Mexican place in town and it is not only delicious, but pretty much the healthiest thing on the menu. I recommend looking for "Mexican stiry- fry" on the menu at your local restaurants. Really yummy! 

Sometimes, lunches are just super random, but that is OK. I like to eat multiple colors on every plate of food. Here, I had some nitrate-free turkey breast, apple slices, veggies, pop "chips" and a little hummus. Delicious! 

The best thing about clean eating? Ribs are on the menu!!! (high quality ribs of course;)) Nick smoked these ribs on the pellet grill with Stubz BBQ (it does have a little sugar, but WAY better than the other BBQ sauces on the market) and then we roasted corn and veggies over the fire. This is summertime perfection right here! 

I found these individually wrapped, wild-caught salmon fillets in the frozen section at Sam's Club. I highly recommend them! They are free of nasty ingredients and they come pre-seasoned with healthy spices. Just bake them in the oven at 400 for about 35 minutes and you will be good to go! Served with some wild grain rice and green beans. 

If you absolutely don't have time to make your own sweet potato fries, I recommend the "Alexandria" name brand in the frozen section. These are a lot better than any other frozen fry, with many less ingredients (and of course they taste delicious too). Trader Joe's also sells very good sweet Italian sausages which is what you see here. I turned them into a stir-fry with a bag of frozen peppers from Trader Joe's as well. Yum! 

Is it obvious yet how many stir-frys we do in our house? They are just so quick and easy, it's our go-to dinner when we can't think of anything else to make. Here, I just stir fried up some steak strips with broccoli, mushrooms and green snap peas with coconut aminos as the sauce and put them over some brown rice. 

This was my favorite stir-fry, hands down, that I have ever made. It is a "Thai" cashew chicken stir-fry. I used coconut cream as the base for the sauce and then pretty much went crazy with lots of different spices. Chicken, broccoli, red peppers, onion, mushroom and cashews make up this one. So, so good. 

I wanted to include a picture of my recent 5k that I ran last week for work. I wasn't fast, but I upheld my 12-minute mile pace and I finished! I am very proud of myself for this accomplishment. This is really just training for the Warrior Dash 5k obstacle race that we will be doing in August! The only reason I am now able to do ANY of these runs is because of my diet. It is becoming easier and easier on my knees to run with every pound that I drop. Thank you Whole30! 

I want to end with a progress picture. This was around day 49 of my Whole60 and I will post final progress pics in  a few days. These are a favorite pair of old jeans that wouldn't even fit up over my butt around Christmas time this year. Putting these away in my "these no longer fit" pile was a very depressing moment for me back in December. I cleaned out my drawers a couple weekends ago though and realized that a lot of my pants that I had not worn in a while...no longer fit! They were too BIG! And a lot of my jeans (such as this pair) that hadn't fit in almost a year...now fit! I can't express that happiness in words...let's just say, I had a moment of major happy tears. I can't believe that in just six months time I am down almost 30 pounds and almost two pant sizes. I can't wait to see where this journey continues to take me. I am far from finished! 

First 20 Days Down, 40 to Go!

Well, it's been almost 22 days on the Whole60 and for the most part, it has gone really well. I had a few small slip-ups due to stress taking over (still not an excuse!), but I am fully back on track and pushing through to the finish. I've realized it is best to have an approved snack available for those stressful times when you really just feel like you need something other than vegetables. I just tried cocoa roasted almonds for the first time over the weekend and they are delicious! I like the ones in individualized packets (only 100 calories) with all the benefits of the protein, with only 1 Gram of sugar. I realize these aren't "technically" Whole30 approved, but I would rather have a packet of cocoa almonds with only 1 Gram of sugar than to binge on something far worse! Throughout the several Whole30s that I have completed and now this Whole60, I'm starting to learn it's really about finding your groove. I followed the first two Whole30s to a T, but now it's more about finding what works well for us and what doesn't. We've decided to add back both corn (I just love corn on the cob roasted over the fire every now and then) and also legumes into our diet. I have eaten them again in small doses and felt totally fine. Thanks to the Whole30, I now know that I absolutely need to stay away from dairy and gluten. The few times I have eaten it over the last several months, I have gotten very ill. The program really is a science experiment as Melissa states in the book! I am so thankful for that. Anyway, I am going to continue through the 60 days with no sugar, no gluten, no dairy and lots of veggies, proteins and fruits! Once I am finished, I have decided to basically stick to the program for life (no need to count days, every day will be a Whole30 day!) Clean, healthy eating combined with a significant exercise routine should get me to my goal weight before I know it. I'm excited to continue heading down this path and to see where it takes me. I know I will feel so much better when it is all said and done<3 Living a healthy lifestyle is so important! Here are some picture and recipes from the last two weeks! Enjoy!

Brussels Sprouts. You either love them, or you hate them...and I absolutely love them! I could probably eat them three times per week and not get sick of them. I like to saute them up with some freshly minced garlic, 1 Tbsp. olive oil, salt and pepper. YUM! Also pictured here is a grass-fed beef burger on the grill, topped with a pepper/mushroom blend. I just mixed poblano, green pepper and mushrooms and let them caramelize in the pan with chosen seasonings. So delicious!  

THIS is what I'm talkin about!!!! Grilling/bonfire season is my absolute favorite! We love to cook right on the fire pit. Here we marinated chicken in a spicy olive oil blend and then cooked until 165 degrees! We let the corn roast on the fire the entire time that the chicken cooked. Simple and delicious. 

OK...I HAVE to tell you guys about this amazing little machine. This my friends....is a fry cutter, and it will save you loads of time in the kitchen. We love to do homemade russet fries as well as sweet potato fries, but we didn't love spending 25 minutes cutting them into thin strips. This machine will do it for you (you can find them on Amazon for about $25). Probably one of the best kitchen items I have bought in a LONG time. Go buy one right now! You won't regret it. 

This yummy meal is (obviously) a sweet potato, veggies and Italian marinated chicken. We used the Tessemae's Italian dressing and just let the chicken marinade in it for about six hours and then baked in the oven in a glass baking dish until done. So much flavor!

For us, Friday nights are steak nights. We like to treat ourselves to a decent steak once per week. Here, we did a grass-fed rib-eye with veggies cooked right on the grill and baked potatoes with ghee, salt and pepper. YUMMY! 

Weekly fajita lunch run! These were spicy, healthy and delicious. If you are in a pinch for lunch, I suggest talking with your local Mexican restaurant to see if they can custom make you fajitas with no added butter. It is totally worth it! And, I get to enjoy lunch out once a week! Score!

Yep. I'm 26 years old and still eating ants on a log (NOT ASHAMED)!!! I just substituted almond butter instead of peanut butter. Makes for a yummy lunch snack. Here, I had them with a turkey and tomato Paleo wrap. Quick and satisfying lunch! 

Did I mention how much we love cooking on the fire? Ok, may be a little overkill on this post, but we did a lot of cooking out over the last couple weeks! Veggies, steaks and fresh sweet corn right on the fire. Heaven! 

I never did post our Easter dinner meal, so I figured now is just as good a time as any! We tried to keep things healthy and Whole30 approved for Easter. I couldn't find a ham within our price range that was uncured, so I just chose the ham with the least amount of ingredients and it was really yummy. The potatoes are just homemade mashed red potatoes with ghee, minced garlic, parsley, salt and pepper. Just boiled the potatoes and then mixed them all together with my hand mixer and the above ingredients. Nick made the bacon green beans with little pieces of uncured bacon cooked right in. We had a really wonderful meal. 

Burgers on the grill are always a quick, yet healthy option. We like to make "chips" to have with our burgers. I also whipped up a batch of chipotle mayo for dipping. Yummy! 

If you are a coffee lover like I am, go to the refrigerated drink section of your grocery store right now and buy the Starbucks unsweetened black coffee. It makes things quick and easy, especially on a warmer day! I just mix it with a little almond or coconut milk, vanilla extract and cinnamon. Yum!  

My gram sent me healthy Easter snacks this year instead of the usual basket of candy! Such a thoughtful gift and we were thrilled to get these! (They were gone within a week-hah!). I recommend "Nick's Sticks"-- you can order them on Amazon and we really loved the Spicy flavor. Also, blueberry RX bars are my absolute favorite. These are great on-the-go snacks!!  

This is our new favorite dessert. I was messing around in the kitchen last week and just decided to see what would happen if I blended some coconut cream with a few dates...and that's how I created my new favorite Whole30 approved fruit dip! About 2 large spoonfuls coconut cream (You can create coconut cream by turning a can of coconut milk upside down and putting it in the fridge over night) and then just use some of the coconut milk/water for the liquid. I threw in 4 dates and a little vanilla extract and voila! Top with cinnamon and shredded coconut. Nick swears this tastes like strawberry shortcake and he begs me to make it...almost every night (so you know it must be good!). 

Salads are amazing. I know some people would think I am crazy for saying this...but I actually really enjoy salad! Here, I mixed romaine with some baby spinach and topped with onion, tomato, no-nitrate and no-carageenan turkey breast, uncured pepperoni, a drizzle of buffalo and a drizzle of Tessemae's "ranch" dressing. Served with a fruity club soda=perfection! 

Until next time, remember, progress is progress! Sometimes I just wish the weight would fall off overnight, but I have to remind myself that it took four years to put on the weight, it's going to take some time for it to come off. Keep going! We can all do this together!!!