Day 18 - $1 30 day challenge

Tuesday - Back on Track

Breakfast I went through the Planet Smoothie Drive through. I chose from their lite menu and added pea protein to a medium smoothie. It kept me full.

Lunch I had leftover rositerie chicken and garlic broccoli. 

On the drive home from work I was mentally preparing for the work I had to do to get dinner ready, because I really wanted to eat on plan. I also was mentally preparing for laundry. I got the dinner ready first, because I was pretty hungry. It was Turkey Kale Sweet Potato Skillet. I used spinach instead of kale. I was surprised how quickly the sweet potatoes cooked on the stove. 

After dinner I did my exercises, YAY! It had been so long since I did the exercises. So I am really proud of myself for getting dinner and exercise both done. Back on track!

Exercise was squat jumps, crisscross abs, skiers, and tricep dips. I did 25-15-10. 

I had a little indigestion from exercing right after I ate, but I didn't throw up. 

I am really happy about getting back on track. So far I have lost about 9 pounds. I've gotta keep going!

Day 17 - $1 30 day challenge

Monday - Discuss Eating Restaurant Food

Still didn't get the Crock-Pot going, so I still haven't had the chicken dishes ready. So I had to improvise for breakfast and lunch.  

For breakfast I had banana and apple.

Lunch I had a leftover steak. It wasn't seasoned or anything, so I added salt pepper and ketchup. It was pretty though, but the ketchup helped. 

I was pretty hungry when I got home and it was too difficult to get the dishes ready. So we ordered Togo from the rotisserie chicken restaurant. For the sides I got garlic broccoli and quinoa veggie salad. I also tried some of their sauce, but just a little. The garlic broccoli was really good. The quinoa salad wasn't my favorite. I would have liked a warm quinoa side dish better. 

I thought I made a really good choice about my to go food. I kept it gluten free, green vegetables and not fried, lean meat. 

Sometimes you will have to eat from a restaurant and it is important to still eat healthy. I think I made a good choice in my food. 

Day 15 & 16 - $1 30 day

Saturday and Sunday

Saturday I ate a homemade smoothie and for lunch was bean salad from Trader Joes And various approved snacks.

I had some of the leftover tortilla soup when my husband got home.

Sunday I had some fruit for breakfast. It was Shavout - Feast of Weeks, so we cooked out. I had a steak with some A1 sauce. Some corn and sweet potato but they weren't really good so I didn't eat much. We also had watermelon and cantelope. I refrained from eating the two loafs of bread I bought for the feast. 

I did not workout these days. 

Day 14 - $1 30 day challenge - Reflections

Breakfast I had a Greek yogurt and fruit bowl on the go. 

Lunch I had the leftover chicken tortilla less soup. 

The Crock-Pot recipes kind of threw me for a loop in this week's menu. I really had a block when it came to doing those recipes. I still managed to do some recipes. Maybe I will get the Crock-Pot going Sunday and I can finish those recipes. In the Facebook group I heard the avacado chicken salad was really good. 

Today after work I didn't know what I would do for dinner. I went to the grocery store to get some things for shavout - feast of weeks. We decided we would cook out, so I got some steaks and vegetables. 

Since I had those edamame yesterday I was thinking about sushi. And we often have sushi of Friday night. I decided to get a sushi burrito. I thought it would be okay if I made it with brown rice, which they had. And I tried to pick a sauce that didn't have sugar. I got it with tuna, carrot, cucumber, and avacado, with ginger dressing. It was good but not amazing. A little underwhelming. And I still felt a little hungry. 

I went to another grocery store, because I felt like I needed something more stuff that I didn't get it at the last store. I bought some more fruit and Greek yogurt. And looked at their heat up meals. I decided on an Indian chickpea dish. When I got home to make it though, I realized it had mango powder in it and I am allergic to mango. Even though it smelled really good I didn't want to risk it. So I ate hummus with baby bell peppers instead. 

While I was shopping at the grocery store I was reflecting on this lifestyle change. As I went through the isles and didn't buy candy or other unhealthy things, I was proud. I have stopped drinking sugary drinks and stopped eating candy and stopped eating gluten. That is a big deal. 

Although I wasn't in the mind set to work out today I was happy with the diet changes I have made and that is a big accomplishment in itself. 

Day 13 - $1 30 day challenge

(Thursday)

Breakfast was fruit, I didn't have anything prepared in advance. I could have had the spaghetti squash hashbrowns but I didn't have time to cook it. And I got hungry pretty early because I only had fruit. 

Lunch was left over spaghetti squash casserole. It was really good. 

On my way home from work I was craving edamame. So I got some. I thought it would be okay, it's healthy. 

Dinner I made chicken tortilla-less soup. It called for crock pot, but I don't have time for that. So I just threw everything in a pot and cooked it till the chicken shredded. 

It was really good. 

I was eating a mandrin and thought it would taste great with the Greek yogurt. So good like cream cicle. Next time I want to try it frozen so it will be even more like cream cicle. 

I made a strawberry and chocolate protein shake. I don't know why I kept snacking all night. But at least it's not snacking on candy.

No I didn't exercise today... More reflections on how I am processing that and the adjustment to the diet in the next post. 

Day 11 - $1 30 day challenge

(Wednesday) I wanted to get in the mind frame that I was going to cook and exercise today because I didn't the day before. I got my dinner ready. Spaghetti squash pizza casserole. I cooked half a spaghetti squash in the microwave for 15 min and then put together with the casserole ingredients into the oven. 

While it was baking I did my exercises. I did day 9 exercises because I was behind. It was drop squats, side to side pushups, plank tuck jumps, and high knee runs; you were to do them for 20/25-15-10 and go back up. I only did 20-15-10. I haven't gotten to the place where I can push myself hard core. It's enough just to get it done. I felt good that I had cooked and done my exercises today though. It ready does take some mental preparation. You have to think ok I'm going to get home and get dinner ready and exercise.

Surprisingly I didn't miss the cheese in this dish like I thought I would. I thought how can it be called pizza without cheese. But the eggs in it added a creaminess. 

Breakfast was chia pudding made with almond milk and blueberries. I enjoyed eating this. Next time I think I will add less almond milk. 

Lunch I had leftover sweet potato quinoa bake. I couldn't get much of it down. Later in the day I snacked on bean chips, which are gluten free and high protein from the vending machine. 

Day 10 - $1 30 day challenge

(Tuesday) I woke up really late. My clothes didn't get fully dried. For breakfast I was supposed to have the left over vegetables with an egg. I didn't have much time so I just cracked two eggs on to of the vegetables and threw it in the microwave. It was actually really good. I had to cook it a little longer at work. But I ate it at my desk. 

It was really filling and I ate late, so I wasn't very hungry for lunch. Lunch was leftover salmon and a cliantro lime dressing salad with tomatoes and avacado. 

When I got home I ate some berries and Greek yogurt. It was soo good. 

After relaxing, I realized I had a head ache. It was getting late and I still hadn't exercised or cooked dinner. I wasn't feeling too hungry anyways. With my head ache I didn't feel like exercising. I decided to eat hummus with baby bell peppers and unsweetened peanut butter with apple slices. I got chia pudding ready for breakfast. 

Goals for tomorrow, plan a time to exercise and cook dinner. 

Day 9 - $1 30 day challenge

 Monday (day 9) was Memorial Day.   I took the day off and went up to my friends house for a birthday gathering. For breakfast I had the chocolate covered strawberries protein smoothie. I didn't have any ripe or frozen bananas though. 

For lunch I took my leftover sweet potato quinoa bowl. I was good to bring my own food. Even though my friends are super healthy. They ate vegan einkorn flour pizzas.  They had a bunch of different vegetables on it. For dessert they had einkorn flour pumpkin muffins. And because they were sweetened with only some honey and the eikorn supposedly doesn't act like gluten I ate one. 

Then we played games. Before lunch they showed me their sewing studio and garden. It was really good seeing them, it has been a while. 

I started getting a headache towards the end of my visit. I took a ubrevly. I usually get head aches when I am on my period, which I was. It was still hurting me as I was on the road so I stopped to get something to drink and take some ibuprofen.

I found this neat unsweetened tea. 

 I tried eating some nuts, but stopped because I was getting nausea. I took a nausea medicine, and thankfully I didn't throw up while I was driving. I think the combo ubrevly and ibuprofen worked because by time I was home the headache was better. 

I had a video chat with my extended family and then got dinner ready. Week 2 starts out with crock pot recipes, and I didn't have time for that, so I made the salmon dish that was scheduled for the end of the week.  It was baked salmon and roasted vegetables seasoned with paprika and garlic. 

I was surprised how much flavor was in it with only paprika and garlic and salt and pepper. It was really good. 

I saved one serving for breakfast and lunch the next day. 

It was so late when we had dinner I didn't feel like exercising. I should have done it before I left for the day. I just need to plan better next time. Gotta fit the exercise into my schedule. 

Day 8 - $1 $30 challenge

Saturday night (day 7) I made poached eggs for dinner because I didn't feel like eating the left over Mexican pasta and I didn't have the ingredients for the meal that was scheduled. The poached eggs were really good though. I cooked them perfect.  I seasoned them generously with salt pepper and paprika. 

Day 8 Sunday I ordered my week 2 groceries on insta cart from Aldi. While I was waiting on those to be delivered I did my exercises. It was abs parymid. I did really well. I did the whole parymid not just the evens. And only one modification. 

Then I went to get a couple of things they didn't have at Aldi and look for protein powder. I didn't like the ones they had a Walmart market. They all had artificial sweeteners and added vitamins. I didn't want anything extra. GNC was closed, so I went to Sprouts. And they had a really good selection. I found one for only $18 for a smaller container (I didn't want a big one) and it was sweetened with stevia and no added vitamins. They also had another brand that was another good option. 

Dinner was a quinoa baked in the oven with sweet potatoes, ground turkey, black beans with mexican type spices. It was really good. 

Day 7 - $1 30 Day Challenge - Snacks

Today I'm going to talk about snacks. There is an approved food list that gives you some ideas for snacks. Things I have been snacking on:

• Greek yogurt fixed with fresh fruit and a drizzle of honey, or with cinnamon and vainalla extract (pictured 1st below).  This is Soo good both ways. It is like a treat. 
• Nuts such as raw unsalted almomds, walnuts and pecans. My favorite is pecan. 
• Hummus with vegetables for dipping (Pictured middle). I love hummus. I'm used to eating it with a bread product so it is an adjustment to eat it with vegetables. I've tried it with raw zucchini, raw carrots, celery, and bell pepper, and grape tomatoes. I think I like the bell pepper and tomatoes the best. 
• Fresh fruit such as berries, apple, banana or orange 
• Unsweetened peanut butter try it with apples or celery. I think apples are best. Check out this brand I found at Kroger. No added ingredients. And it doesn't need to be stored in fridge (picture bottom below)

*BONUS SNACKS I discovered later in the challenge, links to those posts below* 

• Strawberry Milkshake/Soft Serve Ice Cream see bottom

• Mandrin Orange and Cream see bottom

• Chocolate Greek Yogurt Pudding

Today was the Sabbath, a day of rest, so I won't be doing the workouts today. I heard there is a break in exercises on day 8 so I'll catch up on that day. 

Dinner is sweet potato, black bean and turkey bake. The store was out of sweet potatoes, so I'll have to see if I can go to the store to make it, but I can't go to the store til sundown, so I might just eat another leftover Mexican casserole for dinner today instead tomorrow when it islis scheduled for lunch.