The Most Random of All WIAW (#27)

I'm dubbing this 'the most random WIAW' because I have no intro, this post is filled with goodies from all throughout the past week, AND because this is a quicky post! 

11/6/12 - Snack/Dessert: celebrated having power and heat back for the first time in nearly 9 full days with a healthy MICROWAVE CAKE, of course!

Strawberry-coconut microwave oat (flour-less!) cake on top of a chopped apple + chocolate granola + cereals, topped with peanut butters & cinnamon roll #protein cream and homemade healthy "Almond Joy" almond milk ice cream, all topped with clean chocolate sauce!! 

11/7/12 - Breakfast: healthy banana split egg white oatmeal inside a nearly empty Dark Chocolate Dreams jar.

11/7/12 - Dinner: brinner. Breakfast food at dinnertime... The best of both worlds!

Pumpkin pancakes topped with peanut butter + cinnamon roll protein cream + cinnamon + banana slices + cereals/chocolate granola + clean chocolate sauce + light maple syrup and an egg white protein scramble over lettuce & hot sauce! And a mug of protein hot chocolate with 5 mini marshmallows. Mmmm!

11/8/12 - Breakfast: this was quite delicious!

Gingerbread tea infused egg white oatmeal with chocolate granola + cereals + apple slices (from the smallest and cutest apple ever!) + plain Greek yogurt + cinnamon + Biscoff spread + cinnamon roll protein cream + a mini gingerbread man! Oh, and an extra dash of unsweetened vanilla almond coconut Almond Breeze milk!

11/8/12 - Snack: nothing too special here... Just showing off our awesome $1 apple corer AND slicer!! Best invention for the lazy... aka me.

11/8/12 - Snack/Dessert: (this went with the apple!)

Banan anut oat microwave muffin stuffed with a pumpkin spice Hershey Kiss (topped with PB & cinnamon roll protein frosting) over diced apples + cereal/granola, with homemade "Almond Joy" almond milk ice cream, allllll topped with healthy chocolate sauce!!!

It's all about balance and moderation, lovelies!

11/9/12 - Breakfast: 100% clean 'coffee cake'/'crumb cake' egg white oatmeal with crushed up protein cereal + granola + lots of peanut butter (my one true love!) + banana + plain Greek yogurt + cinnamon “crust”/bottom, topped with a healthy peanut butter crumb topping + cinnamon + crushed protein cereal & an extra dash of unsweetened vanilla almond coconut Almond Breeze milk!

This actually came out REALLY good! {Let me know if you want a recipe!}

11/9/12 - Snack/Dessert: nutrient-packed snack of microwave pumpkin cake on top of 2 small diced apples + a few banana slices (and some granola + cereal) topped with peanut butters and cinnamon roll protein frosting, with homemade chocolate protein almond milk ice cream, all topped with healthy chocolate sauce (that was a bit too liquid-y...)!

 11/10/12 - Breakfast: I love pancake Saturday.
rotein #pancakes (using a FULL SERVING! of protein powder!!!!) layered with peanut butters + cinnamon roll protein cream + banana slices + chocolate granola (gluten-free & nut-free) + a bit of cereal, all topped with some shredded coconut, cinnamon and a drizzle of light maple syrup.
A better look at these beauties...

11/10/12 - Dinner: went all out and made my family a super healthy and clean dinner!

An amazing church gave us a HUGE homegrown cabbage and a HUGE bag of fresh russet potatoes for free, so I decided to put it all to good use.

I baked mini 93/7 lean Italian hamburgers in cupcake tins then put them in a pot of sautéed beef soup broth & mushrooms, garlic & onion steamed cabbage, and microwaved “baked” potatoes! We also have some canned veggies, and I also added some salsa and garlic & onion diced tomatoes to my plate! Loads of nutrients going on (I had TONS of greens at lunch prior, btw), and calories were not being cared about at ALL! I even had BUTTER on my NON-SWEET potato with no regrets! (Including my other true love, feta❤, and some plain Greek yogurt.)

11/11/12 - Breakfast: I discovered how amazing warm oatmeal + cold pudding went together this day.

'Boston cream pie' egg white oatmeal with gluten-free & nut-free natural chocolate granola + banana slices + healthy chocolate Greek yogurt mixture + vanilla pudding & White Chocolate Wonderful mixture + a sprinkle of shredded coconut and slivered almonds + a dash of unsweetened vanilla almond coconut milk.

H.E.AV.E.N.L.Y.

11/11/12 - Snack/Experiment!: made really yummy clean and healthy egg-free, oil-free & flour-free peanut butter oatmeal cookies with natural gluten-free & nut-free chocolate granola since I had no chocolate chips!

I took inspiration from Chocolate Covered Katie, but I wish the batch came out to more!

My mom, dad AND little sister approve! I’d definitely add more peanut butter next time, though.

11/11/12 - Snack/Dessert: clean chocolate protein microwave mug cake topped with peanut butters & cinnamon roll protein frosting & cinnamon, on top of fruit, chocolate granola, and homemade chocolate protein almond milk ice cream!

11/12/12 - Breakfast: we also got a huge container of dry instant oats from that lovely church that I mentioned earlier, and I've never had them before, so I decided to try them out this morning...

Holy COW did this oatmeal come out big and FLUFFY! I don't know if it was the oats or not, but I'm gonna convince myself it was.

Healthy pumpkin CHEESECAKE egg white oatmeal with chocolate granola + banana slices + plain Greek yogurt + a drizzle of light maple syrup + prepared sugar-free/fat-free cheesecake pudding mix + cinnamon + a dash of extra unsweetened Almond Breeze + Biscoff spread (more added after the picture!)

Everyone needs to add prepared (the night before or a few hours before) pudding to their oats immediately, okay? Okay.

11/12/12 - Breakfast: this oatmeal bowl deserved an award.

I added 2 egg whites plus a scoop of pumpkin puree to the oats before cooking, along with my other ingredients, stirred really well, cooked it in the microwave for a few minutes... And, BAM! A HUGE bowl of SUPER thick and fluffy oats appeared! It looked like I doubled the amount of oats I made! So awesome, so filling, SO delicious!

THICKEST and FLUFFIEST healthy caramel apple protein egg white oatmeal with pumpkin flax granola + a little bit of cereal + plain Greek yogurt + cinnamon + drizzles of light maple syrup + 100% natural peanut butter + caramel Greek yogurt + an extra dash of unsweetened Almond Milk.

I'll take four more bowls of this, thank you.

11/14/12 - Breakfast: clean and healthy 'brownie batter' protein egg white oatmeal with plain Kix cereal (one of the healthiest cereals… Barely any ingredients! Really dry and bland on their own, though) + chocolate granola + banana slices + plain Greek yogurt + cinnamon + an extra dash of unsweetened Almond Breeze, all inside a nearly-empty White Chocolate Wonderful jar!

Here's a random workout diary featuring me, my naked face, and awkward "douche" pictures:

My other workouts can be found here and/or on my Instagram... which I post on a bit too much!

OH, and I didn't mention this to you guys yet, buuuuut...

I BEAT MY LONGEST PLANK BY ALMOST A FULL MINUTE ON SATURDAY!!

My arms and "abs" have been sore for DAYS since then...  And it's such a great feeling.

I hope you all are having an amazing November, an amazing week, and an amazing day! Thanksgiving is NEXT WEEK!! Can you guys believe it?!?! The holidays are HEEEEEERE!! YAY FOR FOOD, FAMILY, FRIENDS, DECORATIONS, HAPPINESS, HOLIDAY MUSIC, AND CHRISTMAS MOVIES!! 

What I Ate Wednesday #23

Hiya and happy hump day, lovelies! 
I've been changing up my meals more and more, and I could not be happier about that!

10/3/12 - Dessert/Snack: microwaved low calorie, high nutrient protein brownie! This time, it was an “Almond Joy” flavored brownie, topped with more homemade pumpkin spice almond milk "ice cream" (and lots of other things)!

10/4/12 - Breakfast: OIAJ two days in a row?! Hey, I was NOT complaining! Hehe. My mom finished off the majority of this jar the night before, and I could NOT let the remainder go to waste!

Strawberry banana protein egg white oatmeal with granola + some Cinnamon Toast Crunch + banana slices + a bit of plain Greek yogurt + cinnamon + shredded coconut + a little bit of Cinnamon Raisin Swirl peanut butter, all inside a nearly-empty White Chocolate Wonderful jar!

10/4/12 - Dessert/Snack: I know my protein brownie dessert/nighttime snack posts may be getting old and annoying, but this one came out INCREDIBLY good and I HAD to photograph it!   I made my microwaved “Almond Joy” protein brownie, and topped it with homemade mint chocolate almond milk “ice cream” (and obviously lots of other things, including a slather of 4 different peanut butters!! Hehe), and it was AMAZING!! I just added a sprinkle of both unsweetened natural cocoa powder & mint chocolate flavored Duncan Hines Frosting Creations to my almond milk ice cream recipe. I never liked mint chocolate before tonight! 

10/5/12 - Breakfast: one of my weirdest, yet most delicious oatmeal concoctions to date~

Pumpkin pie egg white oats with different granolas + cinnamon cereals + banana slices + plain Greek yogurt + cinnamon + defrosted frozen blueberries + shredded coconut + a nice spoonful of Cinnamon Raisin Swirl peanut butter.

10/5/12 - Dinner: guess who treated herself to EXACTLY WHAT SHE WANTED for dinner on her REST DAY!? That’s right, MEEEE!  I was CRAVING Chinese food for SO long, but I kept convincing my mom not to get it... Until Friday!!  I’m SO proud of myself, and I'm incredibly glad I ordered what I wanted! It WAS a lot of food, but nobody said I had to eat it all! I ate almost all of it... I had some leftovers (barely any, hehe) for the next day, but it doesn’t matter anyway because I don’t do things like this everyday!

The biggest dish is my favorite steamed veggies & shrimp, and the smaller dish is chicken & broccoli with a few spare rib tips! Oh, and I had an egg roll too because I wanted it quite bad, and I was NOT letting myself deprive myself any longer.

I love little victories like this.

10/5/12 - Snack/Dessert: another day, another sinfully healthy and INCREDIBLY delicious clean dessert/nighttime snack! I couldn’t decide between a pumpkin muffin or protein brownie, so I created a super clean pumpkin and banana microwave brownie/cake, with a few mini marshmallows for fun! I topped it with my homemade mint chocolate almond milk "ice cream", and lots of other things, of course. One of my favorite easy recipes yet!

{Recipe coming soon!}

10/6/12 - Breakfast: I woke up wanting this, and I am very glad I "allowed" myself to have it with absolutely no regrets. (This is a big step for me, haha.)

A fallen apart pumpkin & banana “omelet” stuffed with granola + banana slices + some Dark Chocolate Dreams peanut butter + shredded coconut, and the best parts — one slice of PUMPKIN SWIRL bread topped with Biscoff spread + banana + granola + cinnamon, and one slice of 100% whole wheat cinnamon raisin bread topped with White Chocolate Wonderful + banana + granola + cinnamon. 

SO. DELICIOUS.

10/5/12 - Lunch: such a beautiful colorful and healthy lunch!

Veggie & spicy mustard sandwich on light soft wheat bread, leftover steamed shrimp & baked chicken, and lots and lots of vegetables with plain Greek yogurt + ranch powder.

10/5/12 - Dinner: after having loads of yummy Chinese food the night before, I decided to treat my family to a lovely homemade healthy dinner tonight (Saturday)!

Baked chicken seasoned & wrapped in bacon, mashed garlic & onion cauliflower “mashed potatoes”, and lots of corn & peas! I also had a mini “baked” sweet potato with salsa & plain Greek yogurt and a few pickle slices myself. Oh, and I put my chicken over fresh baby spinach!

I was SO happy with the result of all of this!! My mom, who's a cauliflower hater, LOVED the cauliflower “mashed potatoes”! YAY! Success!

10/6/12 - Breakfast: the best and fluffiest "pumpkin pie" egg white oatmeal with plain & PEANUT BUTTER (aka the freaking greatest, completely natural) granola + a few squares of Cinnamon Toast Crunch + banana slices + maple protein “frosting” + shredded coconut + Cinnamon Raisin Swirl & Dark Chocolate Dreams peanut butter + cinnamon + a drizzle of maple syrup... Inside a fall-themed dish!

This was probably the best bowl of oatmeal I've ever had. And I've had a lot of oatmeal. (Let me know if you want the recipe!)

10/7/12 - Breakfast: overflowing OIAJ for my post-workout breakfast on Sunday!

"Almond Joy" protein egg white oatmeal with plain & peanut butter granola + a sprinkle of my two favorite cereals (Cinnamon Toast Crunch & peanut butter Cheerios!) + banana slices + plain Greek yogurt + cinnamon + slivered almonds + shredded coconut, all inside a nearly-empty delicious Biscoff spread jar!

Tip: stir in egg whites (or a whole egg) and a spoonful of pure pumpkin purée to your oats VERY well when cooking — it plumps them up without added flavor!

10/7/12 - "Snack": homemade healthy protein hot chocolate for a nice afternoon pick-me-up on this lovely cold evening! With some not-so-healthy, but still good for the soul, mini marshmallows! 

I actually NEVER liked hot chocolate until this moment... Homemade over packaged any day!!

(Plus, mine had added protein & nutrients... Totes a win-win! Hehe.)

P.S. Caloric drinks, including protein shakes, were kind of a “fear food/drink” for me... But psh, effff that!

10/8/12 - Breakfast: not to toot my own horn or anything, but I've seriously been making the best and fluffiest oats lately! I don't know what I've done so differently, but I LIKE IT!

~Banana bread egg white oatmeal with granola (plain & peanut butter) + my favorite cereals + banana slices + plain Greek yogurt + cinnamon + defrosted frozen blueberries + White Chocolate Wonderful (I only put a little because I always add more as I eat... Hehe.)

10/9/12 - Dessert/Snack: I'm becoming a pro at my quick, easy, and 100% clean & healthy dessert/nighttime snack!

This came out looking odd because I mixed in the baking powder last minute, and because I didn't fully mix in the little bit of banana, but it literally tasted JUST like a#sugar cookie... EXCEPT IT WAS MICROWAVED! And HEALTHY! Hehe. I topped it with some healthy... and some not-so-healthy (hehe)... ice creamz, and lots of other things! I always have my nighttime dessert/snack with a side of either just sliced apples, or a sliced apple and slice pear.

{Recipe coming soon!}

10/10/12 - Breakfast: before anyone tells me how "unhealthy" Marshmallow Fluff is... I don’t currrrr!! Hehe.

Perfect pumpkin egg white oatmeal with plain & peanut butter granola + Cinnamon Toast Crunch squares + banana slices + some plain Greek yogurt + cinnamon + shredded coconut + Cinnamon Raisin Swirl PB (which I'm almost out of... You know what that means!), in a nearly-empty fat-free Marshmallow Fluff jar! 90% clean and that is 100% okay with me!

My workout diary, including awkward pictures of me flexing, can be found here!

So, aside from the delicious food I've been eating recently, life has been pretty good overall. Of course it still has its ups and downs, but when will it not, ya know? It's all about staying positive at this point! Oh, and I didn't mention that I WON 'MOST CHANGED' FOR MY CLASS' SENIOR SUPERLATIVES!  Seeing I had lost 60-70 lbs since sophomore year, it made me feel really proud and happy that so many other people acknowledged that and voted me for 'most changed'. I know that winning a school senior superlative doesn't seem like an actual accomplishment, but it feels like one and I'm so happy about it. It's a really lovely memory to look back on.

Hard work always pays off, no matter what. The key is to never give up.

P.S. I got my mom addicted to everything pumpkin.

I have no regrets.

What I Ate Wednesday #22 - So Many Changes!

Before I begin this WIAW post... How is it already Wednesday again?! I feel like I literally JUST posted my last WIAW!
*I'm pretty sure I say that more often than not...*

Okay, anyways!! This past week, I've changed up my meals a TON! I'm not only very proud of, and happy about that, but I've also treated myself a couple of times with no regrets. Yep, that's right. I think I'm turning into a different person! 
Love this months theme! Thanks, Jenn!

9/26/12 - Dinner: I LOVE breakfast. And I love it even more when eaten twice a day!

Breakfast for dinner -- super healthy & low calorie cinnamon pumpkin spice pancakes topped with Biscoff spread, bananas, granola, a drizzle of light maple syrup & cinnamon + pumpkin pie spice, alongside an egg white scramble and warm cinnamon green tea.

These came out incredible. My pumpkin pancakes have never came out so good!

9/27/12 - Breakfast: oatmeal is best out of a jar.

This is what I like to call my "little bit of everything" oatmeal!

Cinnamon roll protein egg white oatmeal with granola + a few pieces of Cinnamon Toast Crunch + frozen blueberries + banana slices + a crumbled up leftover delicious banana pumpkin oatmeal muffin (so sad they're gone!) + White Chocolate Wonderful peanut butter!

9/28/12 - Breakfast: mocha cocoa egg white (with some yolk... Oopsies!) oatmeal with a sprinkle of oatmeal raisin granola + a few Cinnamon Toast Crunch squares + banana slices & frozen blueberries + a bit of plain Greek yogurt + cinnamon + some of a crumbled banana pumpkin oatmeal muffin + White Chocolate Wonderful.

9/28/12 - Lunch (part of it, haha): things I will ALWAYS eat (in moderation!) and NEVER give up: spinach & feta cheese-y bread from Dominos. Not sorry.

9/28/12 - Snack: this re-started my love for mug cakes. This was definitely one of the most delicious, SUPER clean & healthy, low calorie dessert/snacks ever!

A mini pumpkin & banana oat microwave cake with homemade strawberry almond milk "ice cream"… (Yeah, it really was as freaking fabulous as it looks and sounds.) Also had some apple slices & a nice warm mug of cinnamon green tea.

9/29/12 - Breakfast: I had work for the first time in weeks from 12pm-3:10pm (originally, it was until 4:00 pm, but we didn't have enough business for me to stay any longer), and then I went grocery shopping with my mom, so I needed a nice hearty breakfast!

Baked cinnamon pumpkin spice egg white oatmeal with lots of toppings/mix-ins! A sprinkle of oatmeal raisin & pumpkin flax granolas + Cinnamon Toast Crunch squares + a few banana & apple slices/cubes + some plain Greek yogurt + cinnamon + a drizzle of maple syrup + banana nut granola peanut butter & Biscoff spread. Delicious.

9/29/12 - Dinner: my semi-healthy dinner that made me incredibly happy. Hehe.

All I had eaten since my breakfast at 9:40 am (it was around 5:45 pm now), was 1.5 mini apples & a few grapes. I got off work early (like I previously mentioned; around 50 minutes early), but I immediately head out food shopping with my mom after! She thankfully brought me an apple, but that obviously didn't fill me! Haha. Anyways! My dinner was EXACTLY what I wanted (eff you, disordered & restrictive thoughts and habits!) -- a 9-grain honey oat sub with bacon & tons of vegetables & salsa, and a sweet onion teriyaki chicken & vegetable salad. Freakin' perfect!

9/30/12 - Breakfast: the best post-workout breakie; OVERFLOWING. oats. in. a. jar.

Pumpkin cinnamon roll protein egg white oatmeal with granola (plain & pumpkin flax) + a few Cinnamon Toast Crunch squares (no, I will never give them up!) + banana slices + some plain Greek yogurt + cinnamon & pumpkin pie spice + a bit of Dark Chocolate Dreams peanut butter + shredded coconut… All inside a nearly-empty delicious Biscoff spread jar.

... Perfect.

9/30/12 - Snack: one for the best cookies I've ever eaten. Really.

Super soft, mouth-watering pumpkin cheesecake cookie by Pepperidge Farm. So good. So, SO good.

(I planned on having it as a nighttime snack, but I couldn't help myself and I had it in between lunch and dinner!)

10/1/12 - Breakfast: YAY! HAPPY OCTOBER!

Carrot cake egg white oatmeal with granola (plain & oatmeal raisin) + Cinnamon Toast Crunch squares + banana slices + plain Greek yogurt + cinnamon + raisins + shredded coconut + maple "frosting" + a drizzle of maple syrup + a dollop (or two...) of Cinnamon Raisin Swirl peanut butter!

10/1/12 - Snack: mini blueberry microwave muffin topped with a delicious maple "frosting", granola, banana slices, and some melted Biscoff spread.

 I had this with some more homemade almond milk "ice cream", and my usual apple (and pear) slices!

{Recipe coming soon!}

10/2/12 - Breakfast: German chocolate cake inspired protein egg white oatmeal! Topped with maple & peanut butter "frosting" + granola (instead of nuts because I have none) + banana slices + some Cinnamon Toast Crunch (of course!) + Biscoff spread + cinnamon!

This was SO freaking good. I know I overuse that saying, but it WAS! I promise!

10/2/12 - Snack: guess who treated herself to an extra delicious scrumptious cupcake instead of refusing it when she really wanted it? This girl! Yay! Today (October 2nd) was one of the Autistic kids that I work with in school's birthday, and someone made him cupcakes... So, I enjoyed one with the rest of the lovely kids! I loved it, and I’m proud of myself, and I don't even care how lame that sounds. At first, I'll admit that I refused it. Then, I went back and got one because 1. I RARELY “treat myself” (which I'm trying to change, as you can tell!) and 2. I really did want one. So, yes, this was fabulous, and no restricting went on the rest of the day, which makes me even more proud!

10/2/12 - Snack: I cannot believe this was real. And that I created it, all on my own, on the spot.

On-the-spot successful recipes make for the best recipes... Am I right?!

Anyways! This beautiful creation was a microwave completely clean protein brownie, on top of some plain Greek yogurt and cinnamon, all topped with homemade pumpkin spice almond milk "ice cream", Biscoff spread & White Chocolate Wonderful, granola & some crushed Cinnamon Toast Crunch (I. Can't. Get. Enough.), banana slices, shredded coconut, cinnamon, some more melted Biscoff spread, and a mini dollop of Cinnamon Raisin Swirl peanut butter.

I had it with a sliced apple and pear. You can say I ended my Tuesday fabulously.

{Recipe coming soon!}

10/3/12 - Breakfast: I was so happy to have a FULL SERVING(!) of OIAJ for my breakfast today! Yay!

Pumpkin spice egg white oatmeal with granola (plain & pumpkin flax) + some Cinnamon Toast Crunch, of course + banana slices + a bit of plain Greek yogurt + cinnamon + shredded coconut, all inside a nearly-empty Dark Chocolate Dreams jar! Perfection in a jar.

My workouts are located here-izzle, as always!
Oh, what else "fun" happened within the past week, you ask? Well, I finally got to work again! Even though it was only for a little over 3 hours, it's better than nothing, right?
Oh, and I got a new tattoo!

I've been REALLY wanting to get this done, and I'm so incredibly happy that I did. It's just a small reminder to stay strong and keep pushing everyday. I love it.

P.S. I'M SO HAPPY IT'S OCTOBER! This means the beautiful weather and the HOLIDAYS are on their way!! YAY!!