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!! 

"Clean" Pumpkin Cupcakes!

In honor of National Cupcake Week, I got bakin' and experimentin'!
I made pumpkin cupcakes... Healthy pumpkin cupcakes, that is!
Though, they came out more muffin-looking... That's okay, because they're still cupcakes in my eyes! 

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (unsweetened apple sauce will work, too!)

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup all-purpose flour

approx. 3 cups water (I just estimated... You might need more, might need less, so just eyeball it!)

5 packets of Stevia (or normal white sugar)

1/2 tsp packed light brown sugar*

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

dash of pumpkin pie spice

1/3 cup of pumpkin*

4 tsps butter, melted for 20 seconds (OR 1-2 tbsp canola or coconut oil to make it "cleaner".)

*note: my muffins didn't have too much of a distinct pumpkin flavor, so if that's what you're expecting, add more pumpkin and another 1/2 tsp light brown sugar (or even 1 tbsp for a sweeter taste)!

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (175 degrees Celsius).

In a small bowl, mix baking powder and Greek yogurt (or applesauce) to make a foam-like texture.

In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar/Stevia, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice, and brown sugar.

Add pumpkin puree, your oil, and the Greek yogurt mixture to the larger bowl. Add in water as needed. (Should be around 2-4 cups total!)

Mix well.

Spray your cupcake tins, or add in cupcake liners, then scoop mixture with an ice cream scooper to create equal-sized cupcakes into each tin/liner.

Mine came out to be 20 cupcakes altogether!

Bake for 30 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

Once cooled, frost with icing if desired!

(I used light whipped cream on some, and unsweetened all natural cocoa powder mixed with milk chocolate protein powder, whipped cream and Stevia on others. You can use whatever you want, if anything! Greek yogurt, peanut butter (which would taste delicious), or actual frosting!)

Right: light whipped cream & a sprinkle of unsweetened all natural cocoa powder

Left: light whipped cream mixed with unsweetened all natural cocoa powder & chocolate protein powder & Stevia

My mom loved these, my dad loved them (even plain... which was odd, because I didn't think they had much flavor plain!), and I loved them! I really loved the "chocolate frosting", too.

Oh, and I heated up leftovers for a few days and layered some into my morning oatmeal... Hehe. 

I hope you guys like 'em! Enjoy, and remember... PUMPKIN EVERYTHING!! 

P.S. Fall officially starts tomorrow! YAY!!

What I Ate Wednesday #20 - Goal Accomplished!

I bet you're all wondering why this week's WIAW title has "goal accomplished!" in the title...
Well, that's because I accomplished my goal of changing up some of my meals! I even experimented a lot, which was also something I really wanted to do!

9/12/12 - Dinner: made breakfast for dinner for my family!    I made them chocolate chip pancakes with cheesy eggs, then made myself "brownie" batter protein pancakes topped with Biscoff spread & White Chocolate Wonderful, banana & strawberry slices, pumpkin flax granola, a drizzle of maple syrup & cinnamon, and an egg white (with some yolk)! Oh, and some DELICIOUS cinnamon apple spice tea with almond milk & extra cinnamon on the side!

This was incredible... I can't wait to make breakfast for dinner again this week! 

9/13/12 - Breakfast: used a full serving of oatmeal for breakfast again! Yay!

Chocolate protein egg white oats with pumpkin flax granola + a few Cinnamon Toast Crunch squares (as usual!) + banana slices + a spoonful or two of plain Greek yogurt + cinnamon + Biscoff spread.

9/13/12 - Lunch: literally one of the best sandwiches I've had in my entire life.

I'm honestly really proud of myself for this quick and delicious lunch. I've been SO wanting and craving this sandwich, but the... calorie content... has stopped me from having it. But, I realize how dumb that is, and how I really need to recover from my old habits... So, I challenged myself and had exactly what I wanted!

Warm pumpkin spice bread with Biscoff spread & White Chocolate Wonderful, banana slices, cinnamon and plain Greek yogurt, with an odd side of exactly what I was craving -- some grilled chicken & apple slices!

If you've never purchased Pepperidge Farm's limited edition pumpkin spice bread... Go get it. Now.

9/14/12 - Breakfast: pumpkin spice protein egg white oatmeal (a full serving again! AND with lots of pumpkin! ☺) with pumpkin flax granola + Cinnamon Toast Crunch squares + banana slices + plain Greek yogurt + cinnamon + Omega-3 creamy peanut butter & Dark Chocolate Dreams peanut butter.

9/15/12 - Breakfast: this was 'effin scrumptious.

Pumpkin spice & banana omelet with a mini "baked" sweet potato! All topped with banana slices + pumpkin flax granola + cinnamon & a dash of pumpkin pie spice + White Chocolate Wonderful & Biscoff spread + chocolate protein "sauce" + a few slivered almonds... Exactly what I wanted, full of nutrients & completely clean, filling, and a perfect rest day breakfast!

Another look at Saturday's morning beauty.

9/15/12 - Dinner: yep. This was dinner on Saturday!  Exactly what I've been wanting forever, too.

My McDonald's favorites -- chicken selects & grilled chicken and bacon ranch salad (with my own homemade plain Greek yogurt + ranch powder instead of their nasty greasy kind, haha).

'Eff you, disordered thoughts and habits! Moderation > deprivation... forever! 

9/16/12 - Breakfast: OVERFLOWIN’ OIAJ POST-WORKOUT? HECK YES!

Since I'm trying to stray away from my old habits (like you all know), I decided to use a normal serving of oats with pumpkin and egg whites mixed in... And it made so much that I couldn't fit it all in the jar. Haha. I ate some of the extra, but gave my dad some too (and he loved it!! Yay for getting him to eat healthy! Haha). I tried, though! I promise!! 

But, anyways, this is pumpkin spice protein egg white oatmeal with the best oatmeal raisin granola (180 calories per 1/2 cup... AND all natural? Yes please!!) & some pumpkin flax granola + banana slices + plain Greek yogurt + cinnamon + some melted peanut buttahssss... All inside a nearly-empty and completely delicious Biscoff spread jar!

Freakin' perfect!

9/16/12 - Dinner:  (I couldn't quite finish every bit of this, but I got most of it down!)

Huuuuge salad (because the soup is SUPER low on calories) and lots of homemade chicken soup... In our old fall dishes! Hehe. The salad contained a fresh spinach, artisan lettuce and iceberg lettuce mixture, with corn, carrots, peas, mushrooms, tomatoes, onions, chickpeas, some leftover baked chicken, yellow peppers, pickles, and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese with a dressing of (a drizzle of) hot sauce and salsa + plain Greek yogurt. Deeeeeeee-licious!

One of the best parts of fall & winter: momma's homemade chicken soup! She even made me my own pot since I didn't want too many macaronis.  She's so lovely!

9/17/12 - Breakfast: I had another post-workout breakfast of OIAJ! The best.

Chocolate almond protein egg white oatmeal with oatmeal raisin & pumpkin flax granola + banana slices + plain Greek yogurt + cinnamon + a few slivered almonds + melted Biscoff spread inside a nearly-empty White Chocolate Wonderful jar.

 (OIAJ are such a common occurrence for me because I'm lucky enough to have a family that loves peanut butter as much as I do!)

9/17/12 - Lunch: this lunch was way too pretty too not take a picture of!

I also had a small bowl of corn and peas on the side... I'm veggie-obsessed.

Baked chicken (and some lean turkey slices), microwaved "baked" sweet potato with salsa & plain Greek yogurt, pickle slices, tomatoes & broccoli & carrots! Plain Greek yogurt mixed with ranch powder for dippin' on the side, of course.

9/17/12 - Snack: in honor of National Cupcake Week, I decided to get bakin'! Andddd I made (from scratch/my own recipe!) healthified pumpkin spice cupcakes! Without their (healthy) frosting, they’re about 45 calories each, and they’re about 60-80 each with. They came out delicious, and both of my parents LOVED them!

I love experimenting, I love food, and I love successful recipes!

(Recipe should be comin' soon!)

9/17/12 - Snack: aside from my pumpkin muffin, this was my evening/nighttime snack, instead of  a gigantic bowl of popcorn and Chex Mix! As much as I love that combination, I've had it nearly every. single. night for months, and I definitely feel like I've been eating WAY too much of it. It's hindering some progress for sure, and I know for a fact I rely on it too much. (I also know it's a big reason to why I eat less throughout the day (to mentally "save calories" for nighttime). So, I decided to only have it a few days a week, or at least every other day! (... Yay for changing things up even more! )

This snack consists of a ginger gold apple, sliced with melted Biscoff spread and White Chocolate Wonderful peanut butter, and a pear sliced, with some steamed fresh broccoli and carrots with butter spray and seasoned & garlic salt!

9/18/12 - Breakfast: this... was freakin' Heaven. PERFECT start to my school week!

Out of a basically empty Marshmallow Fluff/Creme jar: pumpkin spice protein egg white oatmeal with oatmeal raisin & pumpkin flax granolas + banana slices + plain Greek yogurt + cinnamon + one of my pumpkin cupcakes + melted Biscoff spread.

9/19/12 - Breakfast: first time doing tea-infused oatmeal... DEFINITELY doing again soon!

Chocolate peppermint protein egg white oatmeal with pumpkin flax granola + banana slices + plain Greek yogurt + melted White Chocolate Wonderful + a leftover healthy pumpkin cupcake + a sprinkle of cinnamon & Stevia! (Oh, and a sprinkle of a broken peppermint just for looks and to represent the peppermint in the oatmeal. Hehe.) All inside my new mason jar!

Click here for my weekly workoutz!

P.S. Sorry for going MIA for the week! I haven't worked (apparently Aeropostale doesn't get much business off-season...), but I've still been quite busy with workouts, school and homework, and just life in general! Not too much has happened, but I did go driving with my favorite teacher/my driving teacher again on Thursday! I did really good (well, he said I did, at least!), and I'm proud of myself because I've been too "scared" to drive lately, and I did it for almost two hours! It felt great.