Month One Updates.

Sorry I haven't updated as often as promised. I was attacked witih a sinus infection that seemed to have disappeared but then returned with a vengeance. Needless to say it has not been fun.

However, the good news is that despite being under the weather I managed to stick to new eating regime and modest excercise plan and have lost 12 pounds in one month! I've also lost another 1/2 inch on the waist which gives me a total of 8 inches lost from head to toe! It's very visible in my clothing. Love when everything starts feeling much loser and looking "flatter"! I'm sticking with this plan for the long run. My goal is another 12lbs by the next month (Nov 5th.)

Here are some of the foods I've consumed over the past couple of weeks let me know if you need the recipes, they are delicious, very low-carb,low sugar and low calorie foods but high on flavor and satisfaction!

Lunch

 Greek Salad with home-made yougurt vineagrette. Romaine lettuce, red onions, tomatoes, black olives, and sprinkled feta cheese.

Romaine and Italian Tuna "Tacos". I drained a can of Italian tuna in olive oil, diced celery, red onion and tomatoes, added a tsp of low-fat mayo, dijon and lemon juice. Cleaned and seperated romaine leaves and filled them with the tuna mixture into a handy little "taco" shape. The hubs loved them and no need for silverware;)

Arugula and Blackberry Chicken Salad. (I had left-over baked chicken breasts, decided to chop them up and add them to this yummy salad along with arugula, red onion, diced apple, cherry tomatoes and blackberries dressed in a home-made garlic vineagrette. The sweet and savory combos make it especially delicious!)

Appetizers - Party Food

One evening I had a few girlfriends over for a few appetizers and some vino (red and dry for me:) and I decided I would make delicious healthy dishes that I could enjoy guilt-free Like this hummus and crudite platter with a myriad of delicious veggies. (And for those who enjoy a little bread with their hummus I also added  hot pita slices when everyone arrived.)

These ground turkey kebobs I flavored with a delicious Middle Eastern spices and then cooked in skillet with olive oil spray and aded the skewers.  I then quickly whipped up a Tzatziki sauce with non fat Greek yougurt, grated cucumber, garlic and little salt and pepper to taste. These were a hit with the ladies!

Prosciutto wrapped cauntelope chunks sprikled with feta cheese and a drizzle of honey. I sort of came up with this last minute to add a pop of fresh to the appetizer platters, and it resulted in another huge success. Again the contrast of savory and sweet and the different textures made for a delicious bite of food:)

Dinner

I found flounder on sale at the grocery store so I cooked it up in a red wine sauce with lots of fresh herbs and combined it with Italian veggies. I paired it with poached pumpkin (auyma in Spanish) and a little avocado salad. The crappy picture quality does not give this dish the justice it deserves. Trust me, delicious and filling.

That's all I documented thus far. I hope to have more pictures and updates soon!

xoxo

The HH

2011 Food Diary, Day 4

Today was a very high-energy day. Was able to accomplish a lot and that always feels incredibly satisfying!!! After only three days, the hubby and I are visibly "flatter", however I plan to measure at the end of the week to verify:)

Let's get in to the details of the food:

Day 4 (February 3)

Breakfast: My breakfast choice wasn't the most filling or the best choice but it was a run out of the door type thing and I only had enough time to boil two organic eggs, brew my coffee and grab an orange.

(pictures stolen by google. forgot to take a picture of my breakfast)

Surprisingly, this breakfast held me up all the way through my morning service and my noon-time workout.

Lunch: After an intense cardio workout I was famished. This lunch I put together of one slice of whole grain bread spread with half a laughing cow cheese wedge (only 17 cals), 1/2 a swiss cheese slice, one slice of cured ham, served with 1/2 cup of italian tuna salad I made with green onion, two kalamta olives and lemon juice. a few carrot sticks and half an organic apple hit the spot!

Snack: Depending on what I've consumed, I typically don't always eat a snack in between meals. Only if my body asks for it do I give in. Today I burned little over 600 calories in cardio workout, so needless to say after about two hours of my  healthy lunch, I was once again hungry. Decided to repeat yesterday's "dessert" for my snack. This is only 170 calories but quite filling and delicious!

 

Dinner: Dinner is simmering away. Will be a  ground lean-meat, turkey, and veggie chili made with red kidney beans, zucchini, eggplant, celery and mushrooms for added texture. Served with a teaspoon (dollop) of low-fat sour cream (only 25 calories) and the hubs asked to have this topped with mozarella cheese chunks.

If I get hungry after dinner (which I doubt) I will have 1/2 organic apple with an herbal tea with no sugar.

Excercise: 50 minutes of cardio. Eleptical trainer intervals on high resistance and high speed. 600+calories burned. 

And that's all for now folks:)

2011 Food Diary, Day 3

(sorry, this was supposed to be posted last night but I was exhausted and decided to hit the sack early:)

Great day overall. Busy, but was able to incorporate 40 minutes of intense zumba cardio and stuck to our eating plan.

Day 3 (February 2) 

Here is the breakdown.

Breakfast: The hubs worked from home today (he gets to do so twice a week, always a treat for me) and I stayed home to work on some projects for my business. We both woke up quite hungry and he offered to whip us up some delicious omeletes. Mine was made with two organic eggs, spinach, green onion, mushroom and a half a slice of swiss cheese. Served with one slice of low-sodium bacon. Quite filling and delicious!

Lunch: Always thinking of ways to save time and economize, I typically make a large dinner than can be saved as left-overs and eaten for lunch the next day. This was the case with the delicious chicken soup I made Tuesday night, it reappeared again for lunch and was even yummier on day two.

Dinner: Shrimp and Flounder Ecuadorian Ceviche. There is truly no better, fresher way to eat fish and shrimp than to make it into a delicious and healthy Ceviche. It is so easy to do as well. 1/2 pound of thawed large shrimp with shell, 1lb of flounder cooked with spices, garlic, cilantro and salt and peppper (only takes about 7 minutes for the fish and shrimp to be done), finely sliced red onion, washed and marinated in the juice of about 3 lemons, eeoo, and the water of the drained seafood. also contains chopped tomato, cilantro, avocado, salt and pepper to taste and I add diced jalapeno for kick!:)

Dessert: This is a 170 calorie dessert with no fat and no sugar and it is divine. 1/2 cup of nonfat greek yougurt, 1/2 cup of frozen bluberries, 3 or 4 walnuts. sprinkling of stevia and cinnamon. This is what it looks like all mixed up, I will post a better picture of it in the later post I am making to cover today's meal plan.

Excercise: 40 minutes, 500 calories burned in Zumba Cardio and weights.

2011 Food Diary, Day Two

Today was a bit more challenging than yesterday, perhaps its because I didn't sleep as soundly last night, or because I'm starting to feel the beginnings of the dreaded PMS wrath.  Regardless,  my energy levels were definitely not as potent as yesterday..... I skipped my workout today because my body asked it of me. I've noticed that in the past, when I ignore my body and force an intense workout from it, it usually punishes me with a bout of sinus infection that leaves me incapable of any excercise for a week!

To avoid this vicious cycle, today I excercised (pun intended) good judgement and rested. I did however stick to my low-carb plan. Here are the details:

Day Two (Feb 1st)

Breakfast: Same as yesterday's but this one was on the go. Used the same container my FAGE nonfat yougurt came in to take it with me. This breakfast is very healthy and filling but after two hours, you will need a snack. For snack I ate an orange, pictured below:

Lunch: The left-overs from yesterday's yummy dinner. Turkey patties and brocoli/cauliflower mash and a side of delicious salad made with romaine lettuce, onion, tomato, cucumber and kalamata olives.

Dinner: A delicious, healthy, warm and comforting chicken and veggie soup. Organic Chicken Breasts, organic chicken broth, red cabbage, red peppers, cauliflower, sqash, eggplant, spinach and lots of fresh herbs and spices. It was quite delish! Served with a slice of whoel grain bread and my 1/2 cup of POM juice (in my Puerto Rico coqui mug:)

Dessert is same as yesterday, 1/2 of an organic apple and 5 almonds.

Tomorrow is a new day!



2011 Food Diary - Day One.

Sorry for the small hiatus. I'm not going to bore you with excuses. I have not had any motivation to update the ol' blog for quite some time...

This does not imply however that I have not continued my health routine. That never truly ceases. Not even when I reach my ideal weight and size, because then its maintenance time. I am pretty much the same size and weight as the last "vlog" posted below. I have varied about 5-8lbs since that video was recorded and posted, some weeks I am heavier, some lighter, all depends on the time of the month. In general however, I have pretty much stayed the same. I’ve had some health problems to blame, hormonal shifts that suck my energy and deprive me of my beloved and intense cardio workouts. Probably the  main culprit of my plateau. However, never one to give up, despite the challenge that might arise, here is my plan of attack!

2011 Health and Fitness Goals:

1. Achieve all A's in my health report card. Want very low and healthy numbers in everything from my cholesterol (which is under 200, but could be lower) to my sugar and glucose levels. Also want to keep a higher metabolism (last time I tested it was at very good.)
2. comfortably fit into a pair of size 12 or skinny jean size 14s. (I have one pair of size 12s that fit, but I want to be able to fit into most normal 12s. Its the right "size" for me. I am still teetering between regular 14s and some smaller 16s thanks to my large behind:)
3. Lose between 20 -25 lbs or reduce at least 10-12 inches all over my body, whichever comes first. However, I really like my friend Vero's philosophy, its more about just feeling completely satisfied and happy with myself and full of energy more than a number on the scale.
4. Drink at least one of my incredibly healthy green juices a day. (lately I’ve been slacking off to 2 or 3 a week.)
5. Stick to cardio and strength training at least 6 days a week but make it fun, interesting, and always switch it up.
6. Keep a food journal.
7. Drink lots and lots of water.
8. Use positive self-affirmations and feel proud of my accomplishments along the way.
9. Get to bed by latest 11 p.m. every night.
10. Accomplish all of this by latest June 2011.

In order to stay true to number 6. Today I decided to document my food diary with pictures for a whole month. From Jan 31st (since its a Monday)  to February 28, I will be documenting everything I eat and drink on a daily basis. The hubby and I have commenced a modified eating plan (I refuse to use the word diet, or to mentally restrict myself with it's definition). We have called it the European Low-Carb plan. It is not an extreme low-carb plan like Atkins or South Beach. It is reasonable, delicious and varied. It also has been known to help some lose up to 10lbs in 2 weeks! It is high on protein, veggies and certain fruits. It allows for  olive oil,  yougurt, cheese, olives, nuts, and real, organic whole grain bread (we will begin to make our own soon). It also allows for certain juices, squeezed fresh from the fruit, herbal teas, coffee and stevia.  It does not allow for any refined or processed carbs or any white bread, pasta, white rice, potatoes, sugars of any kind - includes none of my beloved brown rice either. It allows for a plethora of food combinations and delicious recipes and I am excited to share and document my menu with you below:

Day One (Jan 31)

Breakfast: 1 cup of non-fat Greek yogurt, 1/2 cup of oatmeal, cooked in water, 1/4 apple, diced, 3 small frozen chunks of mango, handful of walnuts and a little stevia and cinnamon. 1 cup of coffee, black.

Lunch: 1 1/2 cup of shredded romaine lettuce, 1/4 finely diced red onion, 1 small romaine tomato - sliced, 1 boiled organic egg - sliced, 1 piece of cured ham - shredded. 1 mozzarella stick, cut into chunks. Vinaigrette made out of balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil (evoo.) 1 piece of toasted whole grain bread.

Snack: Green juice made out of carrots, broccoli, kale and half an orange. 3 almonds.

Dinner: Two small ground turkey patties made with diced onion, green pepper, mushroom, garlic, organic multi-herb seasoning, salt, and pepper, cilantro.  Topped with one slice of low-fat Swiss cheese (one of the lowest-fat cheeses.) Cauliflower and Broccoli mash made with salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon of low-fat sour cream for 2 servings of mash (only 50 calories.) Blanched Zucchini and a few tomato slices, 1/2 cup of POM juice, made from 100 percent concentrate pomegranate. no sugar. no chemicals or preservatives.

Dessert: 1/2 organic apple and 5 almonds and a cup of herbal tea with no sugar. (sorry no picture of that.)

I apologize about the poor quality of the pictures, they are all taken with my Blackberry. As I plan to do this at least 5 days a week I will be using the most convenient method to document,  which is my mobile phone!

Exercise: 40 minutes of Cardio.

End of Day One. Please comment away and let me know if you like what you see and hear:)