What I Ate Wednesday #24 - It's Already Mid-October!?

It's October 17th already? W h a t!? It's already WIAW again?! This year is FLYING by!

On the bright side, at least the holidays are almost here!! YAY!! Can't wait to bake cookies, watch the snow fall, and watch ALL THE CHRISTMAS MOVIES!

Haha. Anyways, since today is Wednesday, that means it's time for me to post some weekly eats!

10/10/12 - Dessert/Snack: another clean dessert/nighttime snack!

Strawberry-pumpkin mini microwave cake stuffed with chocolate and topped with all the thingssss! And some homemade caramel almond milk “ice cream” (with some not-so-healthy PUMPKIN PIE ICE CREAM) alongside! 

10/11/12 - Breakfast: ugh... I just love OIAJ so much.

 I finished this entire jar all by myself... And I’m very proud! Hahahaha.

The most perfect and fluffy pumpkin pie egg white oatmeal with a sprinkle of granolas (plain, peanut butter & oatmeal raisin!) + a few Cinnamon Toast Crunch squares + banana slices + plain Greek yogurt + cinnamon + Dark Chocolate Dreams peanut butter... All inside a nearly-empty Cinnamon Raisin Swirl jar!

10/11/12 - Snack/Dessert: probably my absolute FAVORITE single-serving dessert yet!

"Reese's" protein muffin with my usual sides!

10/12/12 - Breakfast: this came out SO good, omg. My oatmeals have been so greatly plump lately!

Let's call this my ‘Friday favorites’ oatmeal! Haha. The FLUFFIEST chocolate protein egg white oats with granola (plain & peanut butter) + a sprinkle of my favorite cereals (Cinnamon Toast Crunch & peanut butter Cheerios) + banana slices + some plain Greek yogurt + cinnamon + White Chocolate Wonderful & Biscoff spread!

10/13/12 - Breakfast:  a super cold fall morning called for (PROTEIN!) PANCAKES!

I decided to try out some clean pumpkin "powercakes"... I mean, they took nearly an hour to finish and perfect, but they seriously turned out to be some of the BEST pancakes I've EVER had! Plus, this is ONE SERVING! 5 BIG PANCAKES! Without the toppings, the calorie count is only about 180-200 with loads of protein! Thank you, Kacey!

I topped them with healthy chocolate sauce & maple Greek yogurt frosting, along with banana & granolas and what not! This looks like the un-healthiest thing ever, when it was actually the COMPLETE opposite!

{Let me know if you guys want the recipe for all of this!}

10/13/12 - Dinner: eh... Treated myself to my favorites from KFC with absolutely no regrets... until afterward! I've felt nauseous with a sour stomach, on and off, for days after eating this. Bleh. The mashed potatoes, fries and popcorn chicken were worth it, though! Haha. Oh, and the biscuit... Mmmmmmm!!

But, anyways, even though I had treated myself to cheese-y bread the night prior, I decided to go ahead and eat this for dinner anyway because I really wanted it. I got my old absolute favorite meal — the "laptop"... Except it's now apparently 10x smaller and comes in a weird box, haha. I also had some of the best fries and mashed potatoes, and the best biscuit, evaaaah! The grilled chicken was alright... I think it's what made me kinda sick, though. My mom has felt kinda sick after eating from there, too... Bleeeh!!

10/14/12 - Breakfast: this smelled like pure fall in a dish/bowl!!

Perfect post-workout power-breakfast! The best pumpkin pie protein egg white oatmeal with some granola + some cereals + banana slices + a spoonful of pumpkin pie yogurt + a spoonful of plain Greek yogurt + cinnamon + shredded coconut + clean chocolate sauce + maple yogurt frosting + a drizzle of light maple syrup + some of my favorite nut butters!

10/14/12 - Lunch: I love me some food.

Don't judge, don't judge... Haha. I found pumpkin spice bagel thins, and naturally HAD to buy and try them IMMEDIATELY! 110 calories, 3g of sugar and 5g protein? PLUS IT’S PUMPKIN?! Yessss!! Perfect!!

Haha. This lunch consisted of a pumpkin spice bagel thin (half with Dark Chocolate Dreams, banana & coconut, and half with Biscoff spread & granola), a Boca original vegan veggie burger (70 calories and 13g of DELICIOUS protein!), some baked chicken, a pickle & a plate of fresh vegetables with plain Greek yogurt + ranch powder to dip! I've had this a few times lately... Too goooood.

10/14/12 - Dessert/Snack: microwave protein cinnamon roll with maple Greek yogurt frosting & homemade almond milk pumpkin pie ice cream! I also had my usual side of a sliced apple and pear.

{Recipe coming soon!}

10/15/12 - Breakfast: this peanut butter took me/my family quite a bit to finish, even though it was a small jar... It was too salty for my liking, but otherwise, it was good! The granola gave it really nice texture and made it extra filling.

This OIAJ consisted of brownie batter protein egg white oatmeal with granolas + cereals + banana slices + a bit of plain Greek yogurt + cinnamon + a mini dollop of Biscoff spread, all inside a nearly-empty jar of banana granola nut Planters peanut butter!

10/15/12 - Dinner: calories shmalories... This was PACKED with SO many nutrients, I don't/didn't even care if it's "high in calories". Forrealsies.

2 WHOLE hard boiled eggs (team yolk forever!), some lean deli turkey, chickpeas, vegetables, and a medium-sized microwaved “baked” sweet potato all over baby spinach, artisan & iceberg lettuce. Dressing is plain Greek yogurt + salsa, with a drizzle of hot sauce and grated Parmesan.

10/15/12 - Dessert/Snack: this microwaved clean dessert was VERY successful!

Banana bread FUNFETTI "cupcake" with maple yogurt Frosting!

My brother saw me make this and really wanted to try one, so he tried my "Reese's" cake (with even more peanut butter), and he loved it!! I'm so happy and proud, haha.

{Recipe is coming!}

10/16/12 - Breakfast: strawberry shortcake (it was actually pink-ish in person, haha. Promise!) & melted banana egg white oatmeal with granolas + cereals + banana slices + plain Greek yogurt + cinnamon + White Chocolate Wonderful & Biscoff spread! Oh, and a splash of extra almond milk.

This was absolutely delicious!

10/16/12 - Dessert/Snack: essentially, this is basically my "Reese's" mini cake/muffin with a bit of tweaking. I wish I got better pictures of it before devouring it, but I really didn’t expect it to be good enough to take pictures of, though! Haha. I expected it to be just like the original... But it was even BETTER!

It turned out to be bigger than my usual ones, and SO. SUPER. MOIST. AND. PERFECT. I don’t know WHAT I did so differently... Maybe it was the addition of baking soda, but I can’t even describe how good this was. It tasted like one of those “lava cakes” from Applebees/Chilis/Dominos, except 100% clean and healthy... AND stuffed with peanut butter goodness!

I know the measurements are weird, as are some ingredients, but it was an experimental on-the-spot thing that turned into something worth sharing immediately! Hehe. (Btw, you can always sub ingredients and add more/less as you please. I just add what I want!)

10/17/12 - Breakfast: I didn't have testing today, so I only had a 2 hour school day... Which means I obviously stayed home instead of going! Hehe.

Woke up early, had an amazing workout session, then got to have this beauty! (Currently eating, btw.)

The fluffiest pumpkin pie egg white oatmeal with granolas + some of my favorite cereals + banana slices + pumpkin pie yogurt & plain Greek yogurt (a dollop of both!) + shredded coconut + cinnamon + some Dark Chocolate Dreams, all inside a nearly-empty White Chocolate Wonderful jar!

Smells incredible!!

My workouts and awkward flexing poses are right here!

Happy WIAW, lovelies! Have a great day, and remember to stay positive and keep pushing.

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 #21 - I Love Fall!

Fall.
The weather, the food, the holidays, the sweaters, the colors... just about everything is quite perfect about it. One of the only things I truly love about living in New Jersey, is the change of seasons. (And that's it, really...) I don't think I'd ever be able to live somewhere where the weather was one way all year round. That'd be lame.

Btw, can you believe we're already into our last week of September?! I'll admit, this month, of all months thus far (this year), has gone pretty slow... But, still! IT'S ALMOST HOLIDAY TIME! 

Anywaaaaaays! This past week has been full of another batch of new meals, which is actually quite surprising for me! I'm proud. Very proud. I'm glad I'm getting (sort of) out of my super routine-y habit of eating the same things all. the. time. I've also been changing up some of my workouts, which is quite the A+ on my part!

9/20/12 - Breakfast: surprise OIAJ are the best way to start the day!

We had this jar of natural peanut butter for quite awhile, and my mom had finally finished most of it off in my sister's sandwich for lunch that she prepared that morning... And I couldn't let the jar just sit and go to waste!

Cinnamon apple spice infused egg white oatmeal with oatmeal raisin granola + apple slices + plain Greek yogurt + cinnamon & Stevia + a leftover pumpkin muffin... All inside a nearly-empty natural peanut butter jar! This = delicious. I love OIAJ more than I love a lot of things. (And just oatmeal period...)

9/21/12 - Breakfast: I decided to try out sweet potato oatmeal for the first time... And I absolutely loved it! This was sweet potato & pumpkin egg white oatmeal with pumpkin flax & oatmeal raisin granola + banana slices + plain Greek yogurt + cinnamon + the last of my pumpkin cupcakes.

Scrumptious!

9/22/12 - Breakfast: my first day of fall breakfast had to be fall-themed, of course.

Baked pumpkin spice-chocolate swirl egg white oatmeal with oatmeal raisin & pumpkin flax granola + banana slices + plain Greek yogurt + Biscoff spread + a sprinkle of cinnamon & pumpkin pie spice + a drizzle of maple syrup. I baked this and ate it inside one of our fall dishes! Hehe. It looks like so much food, but I promise it was one serving and not six! Hahahaha...

9/22/12 - Tea time!/"Snack": found this pumpkin spice chai tea at a Pepperidge Farm thrift store, and I automatically had to get it!

The taste is VERY strong, though, so I had to add some almond milk, Stevia & cinnamon to be able to drink it all. But, nonetheless, it was so warm and comforting. So lovely for the upcoming weather!

9/22/12 - Dinner: made dinner for my family -- baked chicken wrapped in bacon with Guy Fieri marinade & minced garlic! Put mine over a biiiiig salad! 

Protein, I love you. (And, bacon, I love you almost more than I love chicken. But not quite. Sorry...)

9/23/12 - Breakfast: sweet potato pie oatmeal was in store for my post-workout breakfast on Sunday!

9/23/12 - Snack: I decided to get experimenting with baking again... And these muffins/muffin tops (since they didn't rise very well) came out even better than last week's muffins/cupcakes. They're seriously so incredibly delicious and moist... even over 24 hours after they were baked! It's amazing how something that's only 34 calories (I miscalculated and thought it was 37... not that it's much of a difference/not that it even matters the least bit) is SO delicious and HEALTHY! I think I'm gonna turn these into a bread recipe soon... 

9/24/12 - Breakfast: cocoa banana protein egg white oatmeal with some Cinnamon Toast Crunch squares + banana slices + plain Greek yogurt + cinnamon + a leftover, still SUPER moist & delicious banana pumpkin oatmeal muffin (crumbled up) + White Chocolate Wonderful peanut butter.

One of my favorite combinations ever: chocolate, peanut butter, and banana. Literally perfection in it's simplest of forms.

9/25/12 - Breakfast: this was SO good. Strawberries + chocolate = always a good combination.

Strawberry shortcake egg white oatmeal with granola + some Cinnamon Toast Crunch squares (hehe... always!) + banana slices + plain Greek yogurt + cinnamon + a leftover (STILL moist & delicious) banana pumpkin oatmeal muffin + Dark Chocolate Dreams peanut butter. Mmmm, so good.

9/26/12 - Breakfast: I love being off from school and being able to workout early and eat a yummy post-workout breakfast!

I was so determined to have OIAJ for my post-workout breakfast this morning, that I made my dad and little sister sandwiches for lunch tomorrow with this peanut butte... And I also gave my little sister half a sandwich with some, too... Hahahahahaha. I know I'm pathetic, but I truly don’t care! Hehe.

Pumpkin spice infused egg white oatmeal with some granola (plain & pumpkin flax) + a few Cinnamon Toast Crunch squares + apple cubes + plain Greek yogurt + cinnamon + a leftover (... still perfect) banana pumpkin oatmeal muffin, all inside a nearly-empty (with around 1 tbsp of PB left... That's right, disordered thoughts! I have no regrets! ) Omega-3 peanut butter jar! SO. FREAKING. GOOD.

Aside from the food, this past week has definitely had it's up and it's downs. But, one of the MAJOR ups, is that people (a lot of them!) are voting me for "most changed" for our senior classes' superlatives! That might not mean much to some people, but it means the absolute world to me. (It also gives me a giant boost of motivation!) It means the world because people are noticing how much work I put into changing myself... When I lost weight (I was nearly obese, btw. I didn't lose weight just to fit society's definition of "skinny".), I gained confidence, which was something I never had before. I also became more outgoing and just happier all-around. I'm so happy people are noticing that.