Calories don't count on Thanksgiving!

What?! Two "what I ate" posts in a ROW?!

That's right.

Happy Thanksgiving, fellow Americans!

I'm so glad Jenn's letting us post double-the-fun this week! I'm excited to share some more little victories, and some good food with you all now! I'm that obnoxious overachiever that Jenn warned you all about. 

Let's start off with my night-before-Thanksgiving, shall we?

Holy. Homemade. Cookies.

I got to hangout with one of my all-time BEST BEST friends last night, for the first time in years...

 She has the same food/ED-related problems I do (literally the EXACT same aside from one thing), and we had THE greatest time just baking homemade cookies all night. Who needs alcohol when you have cookies?  While baking, I had 4-5 (PLUS dough!) since, you know, I was a taste tester and all! Hehe.

The amount I'm proud of myself for this little lame victory is incredible... Normal things like this usually stress me out so much. But I was so excited and willing to try them, without even worrying if the cookie was 100 or 200 or even 300 calories a piece. I liked that feeling. I missed that feeling. I didn't and still don't feel any bit of regret, nor do/did I feel “fat”. I just feel... normal, ya know? And free! Me and her are so much alike it’s ridiculous, and we both feel so much freer after challenging ourselves. It's so much easier to do when you have someone who knows EXACTLY what you're struggling with supporting you.

We made cinnamon chip oatmeal cookies, peanut butter chocolate chip cookies, pumpkin white chocolate almond oatmeal cookies, and finally, snickerdoodles! Nearly 3 hours later, and they were all freaking amazing! Nothing beats a homemade, ""unhealthy"" cookie. Forrealsies!

Thanksgiving:

I actually woke up early no problem, around 7:20 am, despite getting home late and going to sleep at 1:30 am! So, I had a small pre-workout snack (un-pictured/uninteresting), then, I killed my workout!

I did Insanity Max Interval Circuit's warm-up, 2 ZWOW workouts, 1 BodyRockTV workout, and a short plank. I actually felt super body-positive this morning, which was super unexpected after last night. Despite my tummy ache, I was feeling amazing!

This... This beauty was my post-workout breakfast.

I made every one in my family an individual, personalized stuffed French toast.

Mine:

White Chocolate Wonderful, Dark Chocolate Dreams and Biscoff spread stuffed French Toast on 100% stone-ground whole wheat bread, stuffed with banana + shredded coconut + slivered almonds + cinnamon roll protein cream + cinnamon, topped with clean chocolate sauce + banana + a bit of shredded coconut + cinnamon + slivered almonds + some crushed cereal + a mini sprinkle of pumpkin flax & chocolate granola + a bit of maple syrup + powdered sugar.

Holy. Freaking. Deliciousness.

*Had an un-pictured, also uninteresting small apple + less than half a cookie... Hehe.*

THANKSGIVING DINNER! The best part!

Turkey (+ gravy), loads of vegetables, mashed cauliflower, mashed potatoes, stuffing (so addictive!), homemade sweet potato pie, and the EASIEST homemade whole wheat buttermilk biscuits!

I made a lot of this stuff on my own, and I am so proud of it! Everyone was happy and that proved success.

I also had about 4 servings and felt like I was gonna explode after. No regrets, though. No. Regrets.

Dessert-on-dessert-on-dessert.

I had so much dessert I can't even begin to explain. No regrets... again.

Cannoli "chips and dip", homemade cookies, frosted sugar cookies, brownies, white chocolate pudding pie, oreo pudding pie with an oreo crust, homemade pumpkin roll (SO good) with cream cheese, homemade pumpkin pie, and homemade s'mores pudding cake.

After dessert, I went back and forth with eating because I kept feeling on and off nauseous... and I really wanted to make the most of my Thanksgiving! 

Then, me and my cousin head out for our first Black Friday...

and boy, was it an experience...

We went to Target first, and it was absolutely RIDICULOUS! We ended up getting overwhelmed, buying nothing, and leaving...

We, then, went back to her house... ate a bit more leftovers (we clearly have a problem), then went to the mall and waited outside for almost an hour... Just to leave with one sweatshirt altogether! So not worth it!!

Why, you ask? Well... SHE MADE ME WAIT IN VICTORIA'S SECRET FOR FOR ALMOST TWO HOURS FOR THE THING! VS had terrible (and barely any) sales, yet they had more people inside than a club. It was overwhelming and just so uncomfortable. I wish I was exaggerating, too.

It was literally painful because I started feeling horribly nauseous and sick did way through, so I just sat in a random chair in there for an hour while bitching to my cousin how it's pointless waiting for one sweatshirt that had absolutely nothing significant to it! Haha. I got home around 2:30 am, and literally just got my pajamas on and went straight to bed, nauseous and all.

Never will I ever go out Black Friday shopping again... at least not with her!

But, this is how I spent my Thanksgiving...

And I hope you all did the same.

I hope you all had just as an amazing Thanksgiving as I had, and I hope you enjoyed every moment, every bite of food, and just everything about today in general! You all deserve it more than ANYTHING! 

P.S. A new theme for Life Like Fruit Salad is on its way!! 

What I Ate Wednesday #14 - Change It Up!

Sometimes, I feel like I eat the same things too often. Routines may be {sort of?} fun, but only for so long. So, I like to change it up... And in the past 7 days, I've changed it up lots of times! 

A summer staple for me is most definitely salad! (Actually, it's more of an all year staple...)

8/1/12 - Dinner: taco salad! I make these every Wednesday (sometimes it's a different day depending on my schedule) for my family, and I use 93/7 lean ground beef... One of my all-time favorite dinners! I top mine with all the things!

8/2/12 - Dinner: healthy eggplant Parmesan over a lovely rainbow salad!

8/6/12 - Dinner: one biiiiiiiig grilled chicken salad with a slice of toasted wheat ciabatta bread! This was so good that I made almost the exact same thing for my lunch yesterday. Yep. No regrets.

This contains: Artisan lettuce & spinach, lots of vegetables (corn + peas + broccoli + carrots + tomatoes + mushrooms + cucumbers), yellow pepper, pickles, leftover grilled chicken, chickpeas, salsa + plain Greek yogurt + a drizzle of hot sauce, and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.

8/7/12 - Dinner: another BIG salad with tons of toppings; the best one being homemade Italian breaded tilapia!! The best (and me and my mom purposely saved leftovers for a remake of this for lunch today! Yeeeeeess!!).

Trust me, these were all big. ass. salads! And they weren't the only ones consumed within the past week... I have one nearly every single night, but they're almost all the same! Lettuce & spinach with all the toppings!  Go big or go home, right?!

Other than salads, I've also consumed...

8/1/12 - Snack: a warmed up mini oatmeal raisin walnut Clif bar, immediately topped with a tiny bit of dark chocolate peanut butter (which melted beautifully), and mixed plain Greek yogurt with milk chocolate protein powder and some granola on the side... All combined in the end.

This was one delicious, protein-packed, quick snack.

8/2/12 - Breakfast: post-workout chocolate protein egg white oats with granola + random cereals + plain Greek yogurt + cinnamon + a few banana and apple slices + both dark chocolate and white chocolate peanut butter... Heavenly. And super protein-packed!

8/2/12 - Snack: 1.5 lightly salted gluten-free whole grain rice cakes topped with a small slather of both dark and white chocolate peanut butter + plain Greek yogurt + a few banana and apple slices + a dash of cinnamon + cinnamon granola.

8/3/12 - Breakfast: cinnamon roll pumpkin stuffed protein French toast with dark and white chocolate peanut butter + banana and apple slices + granola... and my usual egg white scramble on the side!

Btw, I've been adding cinnamon roll flavored protein powder to my Green tea, hence why it looks so odd... But it just tastes so. good.

8/4/12 - Breakfast: a small plain Greek yogurt (mixed with chocolate and cinnamon roll protein powder) parfait with granola + a few pieces of Cookie Crisp (hehe...) + a few banana and apple slices + cinnamon + dark and white chocolate peanut butter, with a toasted cinnamon raisin bagel thin topped with a small slather of both peanut butters + plain Greek yogurt + banana and apple slices + cinnamon + granola. Soooooooooo good!

8/5/12 - Breakfast: my love, OIAJ... In my favorite peanut butter's jar! I cleared out this jar the best I could just so I could eat out of it that morning. Yep.

Post-workout cinnamon roll protein egg white oats with granola + Cinnamon Toast Crunch squares + plain Greek yogurt + cinnamon + banana slices + a bit of dark chocolate peanut butter + some slivered almonds... All inside a nearly-empty white chocolate peanut butter jar.

HEAVEN IN A JAR!

8/5/12 - Snack: this is what I get for listening to my body by eating intuitively; very odd cravings... Which lead into a very odd midday snack! Haha. But, really, don't knock it till ya try it!

1/2 a small Crispin apple with plain Greek yogurt and some gluten-free cinnamon Chex squares and peanut butter Cheerios (both are sickeningly addicting). Mmmm.

8/6/12 - Breakfast: what's better than OIAJ once a week? OIAJ two days in a row!!

My little sister's peanut butter jar was nearly empty, and I could NOT let it go to waste!

Chocolate protein egg white oatmeal with granola + cinnamon gluten-free Chex cereal + peanut butter Cheerios + plain Greek yogurt + cinnamon + banana slices + yes, a little bit of both dark & white chocolate peanut butter. So. Freaking. Delicious. I wish I could eat OIAJ every day. I'd be forever content.

8/6/12 - Lunch: a low carb high fiber wrap filled with light cheese + spinach + tomato + pickles + yellow pepper + leftover grilled chicken + salsa + a bit of honey barbecue sauce, along with steamed (fresh) broccoli and carrots with plain Greek yogurt + ranch powder to dip!

8/7/12 - Breakfast: post-workout stuffed French toast!

I decided that I need to start challenging myself more. I cannot keep giving in to these disordered/restrictive thoughts and habits anymore. Sooo... I challenged myself for breakfast! I used a more calorie-dense whole wheat bread (which is my favorite!), and I stuffed it with some dark & white peanut butter + plain Greek yogurt + cinnamon + banana slices + some peanut butter Cheerios and granola just because that’s what I wanted today! Alongside is my usual egg white scramble over lettuce & spinach leaves.

This is a HUGE challenge and step for me, but I’m so proud of myself.

8/7/12 - Snack: an oats 'n honey Nature Valley bar dipped in a big mug of cinnamon roll protein green tea.

This absolutely hit the spot.

8/8/12 - Breakfast: post-workout protein oatmeal... Which I am eating as I type this!

Banana bread protein egg white oatmeal with granola + cereals + plain Greek yogurt + cinnamon + banana + dark & white chocolate peanut butter + slivered almonds. Peeeeerfect!!

P.S. You guessed it, I'm that same Insanity fanatic as I was the past month or so... But, you can find my full workout diary here!

P.P.S. Thank you to the lovely Jenn for always hosting WIAW!

What I Ate Wednesday #13 - August Is Here?!

Is this summer already almost over?! Is it really August 1, 2012 already?! 
How is it possible that I'm already on my 13th WIAW?! I remember just starting it! That was thirteen weeks ago??!!

Okay, enough with the rhetorical questions and onto WIAW! 

This month's WIAW theme is "summer staples"... Jenn, you are getting creative with these themes!
When I think of "summer staples", I think of big salads, freshly grilled chicken, popcorn, ice cream, and the best -- fresh fruit! Especially watermelon...Which I can eat until I explode... Seriously. I wish I was kidding. ANYWAYS! Here are some recent eats:

7/26/12 - Breakfast: post-workout stuffed French toast with my usual side!

Cinnamon roll cinnamon raisin stuffed French toast with white chocolate peanut butter + plain Greek yogurt + cinnamon + banana and apple slices. Nom.

7/26/12 - Snack/treat: a "kiddy cup" of birthday cake ice cream with banana wheels.

This was SO good... (And 20% off because it was from my job! Hehe. I brought my mom and little sister to my job to get ice cream!)

P.S... I spy a summer staple!

7/27/12 - Breakfast: chocolate almond protein egg white oats with granola + random cereals + plain Greek yogurt + cinnamon + banana slices + my favorite, white chocolate peanut butter... With a side of fresh fruit!

7/27/12 - Snack: made up this new recipe for chocolate peanut butter oatmeal protein bread!

1/9th of the loaf = 91 calories and 5g protein. So good. So healthy.

7/27/12 - {Balanced!} Lunch: even though I hadn't eaten 100% "clean" last week, I treated myself again... with no regrets. I had a small piece of pizza (which was delicious) with lean turkey for extra protein, and veggies/steamed fresh veggies with plain Greek yogurt + ranch powder. (This, plus watermelon cubes and a slice of my protein bread because I had to try it!)

7/28/12 - Breakfast: post-workout {power} oatmeal! Mocha protein egg white oats with granola + random cereals + plain Greek yogurt + cinnamon + banana slices + white chocolate peanut butter + a piece of my chocolate peanut butter protein oatmeal bread.

This really was as fabulous as it looks.

That's a promise.

7/28/12 - Lunch: an egg bagel from Dunkin Donuts with light cheese spread, lettuce, lean turkey, tomato, salsa + plain Greek yogurt, and spinach. Along with my usual steamed fresh veggies with plain Greek yogurt + ranch powder on the side...

ANOTHER ~FEAR FOOD~  (normal-sized bagels) HAS BEEN CONQUERED! Yes!

After being stuck inside a food store for nearly an hour without any power during a near hurricane, having to drive (with my mom!) on streets without working lights, going to ANOTHER food store, having trouble calling in late for work (since I was supposed to be in at 3:00 pm, and I got home at nearly 4:00 pm... Then, after getting ready to leave, they got somebody to cover my shift…!!!!!) cause my phone kept breaking up (AND THEN IT DIED…), THEN finding out my brother’s car basically broke down and having to leave the food store in a rush to get home... While also forgetting lots of things... I finally got back home... 3.5 hours later! Haha. And all I had since my post-workout breakfast, was a Nature Valley granola bar and some watermelon, so this super late "lunch" was EARNED! It filled me up, but not too much, and it made my tummy happy! I’m so proud of myself. Last week, I not only treated myself multiple times, but I had also upped my intake, and haven’t felt any regret, or any hatred towards for body by doing so. This meal was also a more calorie-dense meal, but I 100% could care less! I need those calories, and I finally realize that. And I honestly love eating more (and listening to my body) now! I don’t eat 100% healthy, and I don’t even care. To me, eating 80%-90% healthily, rather than 100%, truly means I AM living healthy... and actually living.

7/29/12 - Breakfast: post-workout protein stuffed French toast with my usual side!

Cinnamon roll protein (using my new protein powder!) French toast, stuffed with plain greek yogurt mixed with cinnamon roll protein powder + white chocolate peanut butter + banana and apple slices + granola.

7/29/12 - Snack: I clearly have an addiction to white chocolate peanut butter... And now dark chocolate, too!

I went to Target with my mom and little sister, and bought myself dark chocolate peanut butter... along with other things, but, those aren't important right now! 

My mom bought us s’mores and chocolate brownie kid Clif bars since they were on sale at Target, and I got hungry an hour after lunch, so (instead of ignoring my hunger and waiting three hours or more like I would’ve in the past), I ate. But, I couldn’t decide which Clif bar to try, so I split both flavors (half and half, obviously!) with my mom... B U T! I didn't stop there! I decided to make it an even BETTER snack, by putting on a small slather of dark chocolate peanut butter on the brownie half, and then white chocolate on the s’mores half... AND THEN, I made a mini sandwich with them… Can you say HEAVENLY!?

7/30/12 - Breakfast: my pre-driving test (for my permit... which I got!) oatmeal!

Pumpkin pie protein egg white oatmeal with a few banana and apple slices + cinnamon granola (SO. GOOD.) + plain Greek yogurt + a dash of cinnamon + a few Cinnamon Toast Crunch squares + both dark AND white chocolate peanut butter.

7/30/12 - Snack: felt SUPER hungry after my driving test (I ate around 7:30-7:45 am, and got home at nearly 11:00 am!), so I had a small snack when I got home! A honey wheat cake with both dark and white chocolate peanut butter + plain Greek yogurt + banana and strawberry slices + cinnamon + cinnamon granola.

This was SO delicious. Like, so SO delicious!

7/30/12 - Dinner: I haden't eaten ANYTHING since lunch (about six hours prior), so this dinner was very much wanted after a long, busy work day! I had  a serving of whole grain macaroni and cheese shaped as Power Rangers (made a bit healthier, too!) over baby spinach with fresh tomato slices, steamed fresh vegetables with plain Greek yogurt + ranch powder to dip, and some grilled chicken!

This was honestly one of my favorite dinners yet.

I love food.

{Click the pictures to read better!}

And the nutrition and what not for the mac & cheese wasn't too bad either! (I used a yogurt-based butter and soy milk, AND only half the packet of cheese! Haha. Health-ified easy mac & cheese, ftw!)

7/31/12 - Breakfast: post-workout protein oatmeal!

Cinnamon chocolate protein egg white oatmeal with cinnamon granola (I'm addicted and I can't get enough...) + random cereals + a few banana and apple slices + plain Greek yogurt + cinnamon + both dark and white chocolate peanut butter... Alongside my fall-scented candle to make me crave fall even more!

This was super delicious, btw.

7/31/12 - Lunch: my planned lunch was a fail, so this was a last minute lunch... That turned out so yummy.

I think I like last minute lunches best because that's when I actually listen to my body. I don't like planning!

But, this was a toasted cinnamon raisin bagel thin with dark and white chocolate peanut butter + a few banana slices + cinnamon + cinnamon granola, an egg white (with SOME egg yolk!) scramble over lean turkey + lean ham and lettuce, and steamed fresh veggies in plain Greek yogurt + ranch powder. Random, but delicious... I promise!

7/31/12 - Dinner: a super quick salad (SUMMER STAPLE, FTW!) made up of spinach and lettuce leaves + chickpeas + tomato + pickles + carrots + broccoli + corn + peas + grilled chicken + mushrooms + a few pieces of Chex Mix (it's my drug, okay?!) + a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese + hot sauce, salsa, and plain Greek yogurt as a dressing! Y.U.M.

8/1/12 - Breakfast: post-workout POWER PANCAKES!

I haven't had pancakes in a few weeks because, well, I was getting frustrated with the fact they wouldn't come out right... BUT! These came out perfectly round, and SO fluffy and delicious!  I want 10 more!!

{Cinnamon roll pumpkin pie protein pancakes topped with dark & white chocolate peanut butter + plain Greek yogurt mixed with cinnamon roll protein powder + banana slices + cinnamon + cinnamon granola + a drizzle of light maple syrup + a bit of powdered sugar.

P.S. I really like cinnamon.}

My workouts as of lately have been, yes, Insanity. I am still that Insanity fanatic I was last week. And the week before. And the week before that, too. You can find all of them here!

Ahhh, a wonderful early morning workout and a deliciously healthy breakfast can really do your body and mind good! I have the whole day ahead of me now... Gonna make it a nice, relaxing, and {hopefully} productive one! Happy WIAW!!