What I Ate Wednesday #30

I feel so weird not having posted a WIAW in like... THREE weeks now! I had this post originally set and ready for last Wednesday... until I completely forgot to link it prior to work. I fell asleep when I got home, too, so linking up then was out of the question! Work has taken up my Wednesdays, as well as a lot of my Sundays (and other days of the week, haha). At least my job now is completely bearable, being I work with SUPER lovely people! Third time's job's a charm! 
Anyways! Since I haven't posted a WIAW since November, here are some of my recent December eats:

11/29/12 - Breakfast: cinnamon roll protein egg white oatmeal with healthy cereals + banana slices + plain Greek yogurt + cinnamon + slivered almonds + CHRISTMAS SPRINKLES! (+ a bit more unsweetened almond milk)! All inside a super delicious Biscoff spread jar.

11/30/12 - Breakfast: I took off of school this day since I had a physical, so I had time to make pancakes!

HUGE stack of Tirimasu protein pancakes with Dark Chocolate Dreams + protein mocha “sweet cream” + banana slices + pumpkin flax granola + a tiny drizzle of maple syrup after the picture.

This entire stack is less than 300 calories with 30g protein... Can you ask for anything better?! I think not!

11/30/12 - Dessert/Snack: clean mini protein German chocolate cake microwaved cupcake with protein sweet frosting, on top of two super mini apples (+ a few banana slices) + a sprinkle of healthy cereal + homemade chocolate protein almond milk "ice cream" + gingerbread cocoa sauce + some slivered almonds.

12/1/12 - Breakfast: Christmas egg white oatmeal for the 1st of December!

Peppermint tea infused-oats with healthy cereal + banana slices + plain Greek yogurt + cinnamon + slivered almonds + shredded coconut + Christmas sprinkles + Dark Chocolate Dreams + sifted cocoa & gingerbread powder + my advent calendar chocolate! Andddd water in my Christmas tumbler + sugar cookie tea in my winter thermos.

12/2/12 - Breakfast: fluffy gingerbread tea-infused egg white oatmeal with healthy cereal + super ripened banana slices (I love me some brown banana!) + plain Greek yogurt + cinnamon + slivered almonds + cinnamon roll protein cream + Biscoff spread + gingerbread man marshmallows! So cute, right?!

12/2/12 - Lunch: healthy sandwich made with loads of vegetables, feta cheese, super spicy mustard & buffalo chicken slices, and a tuna salad made with more veggies, some chickpeas, spices, feta & spicy mustard. Loads of protein and clean and healthy goodness goin' on here! 

12/3/12 - Breakfast: super thick banana bread butterscotch egg white oats with healthy cereal + pumpkin flax granola + banana slices + plain Greek yogurt + cinnamon + Biscoff + prepared butterscotch fat-free/sugar-free pudding (mixed with a bit more of plain Chobani) + slivered almonds + my advent calendar chocolate! I also added some extra unsweetened almond milk after taking this picture.

12/3/12 - Lunch...ish: half of my lunch is this beautiful, beautiful plate of steamed fresh vegetables with spices & super spicy mustard (with Greek yogurt ranch & more mustard to dip). The other half is was boring looking. I have an ADDICTION to a plate full of soft, steamed vegetables with a bit of spices on top. I eat them nearly every single with lunch.

12/4/12 - Breakfast: how freakin' pretty is this bowl of oats?!

Christmas oatmeal! Green "power" oats (spinach, banana, Greek yogurt, egg whites, etc.) with healthy cereal + banana slices + plain Greek yogurt + unsweetened all natural cocoa powder + banana nut granola peanut butter & Dark Chocolate Dreams + cherry vanilla pudding I made, mixed with some plain Chobani + Christmas sprinkles + my advent chocolate!

12/4/12 - Dinner: my at work bento; sandwich made with high fiber, low calorie bread, stuffed with cinnamon raisin granola peanut butter + plain Chobani + cinnamon + some whole egg + apple & banana slices + healthy cereal (for crunch! Hehe + fresh baby spinach (can't taste it), with 1/2 a tiny sweet potato (stuffed with plain Chobani + cinnamon + a drizzle of melted Biscoff) and the rest of my small apple topped with cinnamon & more melted Biscoff.

12/5/12 - Breakfast: sugar cookie tea-infused fluffy egg white oatmeal on top of healthy cereal + a pumpkin Magic Pop cake + pumpkin flax granola + plain Greek yogurt + cinnamon raisin granola peanut butter (+ the tiniest bit of Biscoff) + banana slices, topped with more of those things + prepared pumpkin spice pudding mixed with more plain Chobani + my advent chocolate, of course!

12/5/12 - Dinner: this was DELICIOUS! I love me some giant sweet potatoes!

HUGE “baked” (microwaved) savory stuffed sweet potato (Jenn will appreciate this!); stuffed with tuna + salsa + plain Chobani + feta + spices, with a chickpea & vegetable “salad” mixed with some salsa & more Chobani and what not.

12/6/12 - Breakfast: fluffy s'mores protein egg white oatmeal with healthy cereals + banana slices + a bit of hot cocoa Goldfish + plain Greek yogurt + a few mini marshmallows + extra unsweetened almond milk (added post-picture), all inside a nearly-empty Dark Chocolate Dreams jar! So gooood.

12/6/12 - Snack: made FULL fat, straight-out delicious hot chocolate brownies for my family after my workout! Then enjoyed one after my big rainbow plate of deliciousness for dessert, and I regret absolutely nothing. I’m proud of myself for not taking the oil out of the recipe like usual, nor the eggs. They came out thin, but still fabulous!

12/7/12 - Breakfast: banana bread egg white oatmeal with healthy cereal + more banana slices + plain Greek yogurt + cinnamon + banana nut granola peanut butter + prepared sugar/fat-free chocolate pudding + my advent calendar chocolate! First time prepping my oats with just unsweetened almond milk and no water... LOVED it! So much creamier!! 

12/7/12 - Dinner: just look at this MOUND of super healthy and clean deliciousness that I had for dinner! These happen more often than not. I eat my salads out of serving bowls.

"Power" bowl/"power" salad with baked chicken + a bit of tuna + chickpeas + all the vegetables in the world, topped with some hot mustard + hot sauce + salsa + plain Greek yogurt + feta! Calories shmalories.

12/8/12 - Breakfast: December "pancake Saturday" calls for Christmas-themed protein pancakes!

Green 'monster' chocolate protein pancakes, topped & stuffed with Biscoff + cherry vanilla protein sweet ‘cream’ + warmed cinnamon PureVia honey crisp apple slices + healthy cereal with slivered almonds, plus my advent chocolate and a mini drizzle of light maple syrup! Oh, and Christmas sprinkles, of course!

12/9/12 - Breakfast: post-workout super freakin’ fluffy chocolate protein egg white oatmeajl ooked in all unsweetened almond milk with a strawberry Magic Pop cake + healthy cereals (a bit of strawberries & cream + berry Kashi) + banana slices + banana nut granola peanut butter + strawberry Greek yogurt (made myself) + my advent chocolate, as per usual lately!

12/9/12 - Lunch: this was my first time having spaghetti squash... Verdict: LOVE IT!!!! I topped it with tuna + garlic & onion diced tomato (aka my new obsession) + feta + more wonderfully delicious and healthy things, with a chickpea “salad” made with vegetables + salsa & plain Greek yogurt.

12/9/12 - Dinner: I happily enjoyed my night with my fellow Rite Aid employees at our Christmas "party" at Chilis! First, I had a few chips with salsa (not the best, to be honest... The chips are like paper, and the salsa is SUPER watery. Not a big fan anymore!), almost all of the semi-breaded jalapeños from this onion ring & jalapeños appetizer (SO GOOOOD! I would like all of my jalapeños like that from now on, please?!), and my full meal; this grilled chicken dish (topped with cheese and some other delicious things) that came with a side of steamed broccoli, and another side dish, which I chose sweet potato fries... And they gave me TONS of the best sweet potato fries EVER... And I ATE IT ALL! It was so good, and I'm usually not a big fan of Chili's food! This was also my first time having sweet potato fries, and definitely not my last! So proud of myself. No stress went on afterward, which is such a big step for me.

12/9/12 - Dessert-ish: A SUPER delicious homemade cookie made by my super Italian (other) manager’s daughter... And some espresso (with REAL SUGAR!) that I didn’t really enjoy, haha. Ended my night at one of my manager's houses since my boss legitimately nearly begged me to go for espresso after dinner, and she even offered to bring me home after! So, even though I had school at 7am, I went and I enjoyed it a ton!I went home happy, guilt-free, and proud. I love the “free” feeling I’m getting back. My cheeks hurt from laughing and smiling so much that night!

12/10/12 - Breakfast: SAM-OATMEAL! (Or samoatmeal!) Aka SAMOA-inspired oatmeal! 

Chocolate swirled protein egg white oats with healthy cereals + banana slices + plain Greek yogurt, topped with Biscoff + caramel Greek yogurt + clean chocolate drizzle + shredded coconut + my advent chocolate!

12/11/12 - Breakfast: fluffy pumpkin egg white oatmeal with healthy cereal + banana slices + plain Greek yogurt + cinnamon + cinnamon raisin granola peanut butter + light cream cheese (omg, SO good with pumpkin oats! And just pumpkin anything in general)+ my advent calendar chocolate + some SUPER healthy MIXED NUTS/TRAIL MIX (such a “fear food”!!) + some extra unsweetened almond milk! Delicious and super filling!

12/11/12 - Dessert/Snack: omg... SO good!

A "power" bowl made of a chocolate 'green monster' protein mug cake, diced golden delicious apple, a sprinkle of healthy cereal, and cinnamon roll banana protein almond milk "ice cream", all topped with clean chocolate protein sauce + some banana nut granola peanut butter + melted Biscoff spread! Honestly didn't even care about calories in this. It tasted too good to be so healthy and clean! 

12/12/12 - Breakfast: cinnamon roll protein egg white oatmeal with a bit of healthy cereal + banana slices + plain Greek yogurt + Biscoff spread + a creamy Chobani based protein “frosting” + a bit of super healthy trail mix/nuts because I like to challenge myself with “fear foods”. (Like I previously said, nuts/trail mixes/snack foods of the higher calorie variation are a HUGE "fear food" for me... Trying to conquer them slowly!)

Oh, and I also added some more unsweetened almond milk post-picture.

12/12/12 - Dinner: dinner at work was a delicious combination of garlic spaghetti squash (my newfound love!) with fresh baby spinach + tuna + diced tomatoes + feta + spices, 1/2 a sweet potato with plain Chobani + spices, and a chickpea "salad" mixed with vegetables + salsa + more plain Greek yogurt + spices.

12/13/12 - Breakfast: oh boy do I love OIAJ!

"Dulce de Leche" protein egg white oatmeal with #healthy cereal + crushed Dulche de Leche Cheerios + banana slices + chocolate almond protein Greek yogurt + my advent calendar chocolate + a few mixed nut + a little bit of cream cheese & unsweetened almond milk added after the picture was taken!

P.S. Can you tell this day was ‘pajama day’?! 

12/13/12 - Dessert/Snack: two FULL FAT desserts two weeks in a row?! That's right!

This is something I wouldn’t have even thought about doing a few months ago… But, now I’m willing, and I’m PROUD of that. Why? Because I miss living for ME. The times I missed out on because of my habits can never be made up. All the good food I avoided, homemade or not, can’t be eaten now, ya know? Incorporating treats (NOT “cheats”!!!!!!!! I hate that word!) into your diet will not only help aid your progress, but also help you mentally. Don’t deprive yourself, loves. Things like these delicious Reeses Puffs muffins out there! If one muffin made you fat, then I guess one healthy meal will make ya fit, right? (No.) Moderation is the real equivalent of a healthy, nonrestrictive lifestyle. Don’t “detox” until Christmas... If treats come along the way, FREAKIN’ ENJOY THEM!! You will seriously, seriously regret it later on if you don’t. I can promise you that firsthand.

P.S. These are some of the best muffins I’ve EVER had!

12/14/12 - Breakfast: "Butterfinger" protein egg white oatmeal with some healthy cereal + banana slices + plain Greek yogurt + caramel/butterscotch Greek yogurt swirled into the chocolate oats + crushed peanut butter Cheerios on top + banana nut granola peanut butter + my advent chocolate added after the picture.

12/15/12 - Breakfast: I freakin' LOVE pancakes.

Sugar cookie tea-infused protein pancakes with cinnamon raisin granola peanut butter + sweet gingerbread protein "cream" + banana slices + a sprinkle of healthy cereal/granola + a drizzle of maple syrup + clean chocolate sauce... mixed with my melted advent calendar chocolate!! There's also a few dark chocolate covered soynuts inside my pancakes... O m g. Under 300 calories with nearly 30g protein again (not including my globs of peanut butter)! Who said eating healthy was boring?

{Recipe coming soon!}

12/15/12 - Dinner: garlic and Italian herb spaghetti squash with fresh baby spinach + tuna + garlic and onion diced tomato + a few nuts thrown in there, 1/2 a sweet potato stuffed with turkey + plain Greek yogurt, and some chickpeas in healthy spicy ranch. Oh, and a pickle!

12/16/12 - Breakfast: clean pancakes and ice cream, anyone?

This mess of a breakfast is literally one of the cleanest and healthiest breakfasts ever, surprisingly!

SUPER fluffy chocolate almond protein pancakes (using Spoonful of Fit's fluffy coconut pancake recipe, but subbing in whole wheat flour and cocoa powder and what not. Seriously, she’s a genius!! Omg!! The pancakes themselves are only 160 calories with 16-17g protein… And there’s 5 BIG ones! Ahhhhhh-mazing!) topped with banana nut granola peanut butter + banana slices + homemade banana cinnamon roll protein almond milk ice cream + a sprinkle of healthy cereal & shredded coconut + a drizzle of light maple syrup & clean chocolate sauce (mixed with my melted advent chocolate).

Literally the best post-workout breakfast ever. SO happening again!

{If anyone wants this recipe, let me know!}

12/16/12 - Snack?: I didn't eat this entire back, obviously, but I wanted to show off this 4 pound bag of popcorn I purchased when Christmas shopping. I have an addiction, and I don't even care!! (I say this as I shove popcorn down my throat...)

12/17/12 - Breakfast: SUPER fluffy vanilla egg white oatmeal with healthy cereal + banana slices + plain Greek yogurt + cinnamon + cinnamon raisin granola peanut butter + a bit of prepared sugar-free/fat-free pudding mix + a broken up Biscoff cookie (all natural European cookie! So good — just as good as the spread!) + my advent chocolate & some unsweetened vanilla Almond Breeze added after the picture!

12/17/12 - Dinner: sandwich made with rye and pumpernickel (I believe?) swirled bread stuffed with turkey + feta + fresh baby spinach + tomato + healthy spicy ranch + plain Chobani with a side of spaghetti squash mixed with vegetables + chickpeas, and a pickle!

One of the best sandwiches ever.

12/18/12 - Breakfast: oh boy do I LOVE OIAJ! This was perfect in every form of the word.

Super fluffy gingerbread tea-infused egg white oatmeal with healthy cereals + banana slices + plain Greek yogurt + two gingerbread man marshmallows + my advent calendar chocolate + an extra dash of tea & unsweetened vanilla almond milk, all inside a nearly-empty SUPER creamy natural peanut butter jar!

... Merry 7 days until Christmas to ME!

12/18/12 - Dinner: can you say PANCAKE PORN?! Holy goodness were these amazing.

I FINALLY mastered the perfect pumpkin protein pancakes!! Inspired by Spoonful of Fit's fluffy coconut pancake recipe again, I made lower-ish calorie, high protein 100% healthy pumpkin protein pancakes topped with a bit of PB + cinnamon roll protein cream + a sprinkle of healthy cereal + a few banana slices + clean chocolate fudge. With a small egg white scramble on the side.

I would like these ten more times, please and thank you.

{Recipe is on its waaaay!}

12/19/12 - Breakfast: I recently won a giveaway by Jill Hanner, and yesterday I received my prize, which was a few individual packets of Coach's Oats. So, I decided to try ‘em out this morning!

Strawberry egg white oatmeal with a small sprinkle of healthy cereal + a few banana slices + plain Greek yogurt, topped with a little bit of sugar/fat-free chocolate pudding mixed with Greek yogurt and cocoa powder + clean chocolate fudge + a few mini chocolate chips (yay fear food!) + my advent calender chocolate! Oh, and there’s some peanut butter in there as well.

Verdict on the oats? WAY more filling than my normal ones! Not as thick/fluffy, but still more filling!

I was only gonna share a few, but... I decided to share a bunch!  Sorry for the super lengthy post... Hope you guys don't mind!!

Workout {Picture} of the Week featuring an awkward flex-ish pose, as always:

The rest? Here!

P.S. 06 days until Christmas, and 05 until Christmas Eve!! I'm really excited, but I don't want this season to end!  Oh, wait... I forgot, Christmas never ends in my little world! 

P.P.S. HAPPY 100TH POST/BIRTHDAY, WIAW!

WIAW #26 - Hurricane Sandy + A New Outlook

Wow... it's been over a week since my last post, and I haven't even done WIAW in two weeks!
Why, you ask? (I hope...!)

Well, I'm almost positive all of you know about Hurricane Sandy and it's destruction to the east coast... preferably to the shore of New Jersey? I actually live about 10 minutes off-shore, and my town got pretty banged up. Over 60,000 people just from my town had lost power, and my family JUST got power and heat back yesterday. We, successfully, went almost 9 full days without power or heat... And I'm pretty proud of that!

Being deprived of electricity taught me a lot of things. One of those things is definitely to not take so much for granted anymore. My warm bed, the microwave... those things I didn't really care to acknowledge enough to appreciate before, I appreciate more than ever now. Thankfully we have a gas stove (two, actually), or I'm pretty sure we wouldn't have survived the storm! Haha. We used a lighter to carefully light it (it's electrically powered), and we made the most of what we had. I didn't feel like I HAD to go on my computer. I didn't feel as helpless as I thought I'd feel without any electricity. I learned how to use a kettle (yay, tea!), make my own successful workout circuits (which turned out to be some of my favorite workouts yet. So relaxing to do in mostly quiet!), eat healthy without having to eat completely fresh, and how to treat myself without regretting it. Without power, I, for some reason, grasped onto intuitive eating a lot easier than when I had it. I ate what I wanted, and I felt more body-positive than I have in a long time. I didn't feel obligated to eat certain things because I was so limited to what I could have. I didn't feel overwhelmed. I just kinda went with it all.

Some meals I consumed through the power-less 9 days:

Big salad with hard boiled eggs (2 whole), chickpeas, honey turkey, a mini piece of grilled chicken and vegetables. Dressing was hot sauce, salsa + plain Greek yogurt.

Pumpkin egg white oatmeal with protein cereal (plus some Cinnamon Toast Crunch) + pumpkin flax granola + banana slices + plain Chobani + cinnamon, all inside a nearly-empty Biscoff spread jar.

Pumpkin cheesecake and gingerbread cheesecake cookies (omg so good!! Me and my mom split them.) and a mini Almond Joy.

Take 5 protein egg white oats with protein & regular cereals + slivered almonds + pretzel pieces + banana slices + plain & caramel Chobani Greek yogurt + White Chocolate Wonderful! And an extra splash of unsweetened original Almond Breeze.

Candle-lit breakfast-for-dinner with mommy and sissy!

Clean and healthy "Almond Joy" pancakes with a big egg white protein scramble! And some of my favorite sugar cookie tea!

Banana split egg white oatmeal with cereals (protein & regular) + plain Chobani Greek yogurt + cinnamon + banana slices + Dark Chocolate Dreams PB + shredded coconut + healthy protein chocolate sauce + a mini sprinkle of some sprinkles and Fruity Pebbles for color! Oh, and an extra dash of unsweetened original Almond Breeze.

Low calorie, high protein pumpkin protein pancakes (recipe adapted from Powercakes!) layered with peanut butters, cereals, banana slices, and cinnamon roll protein cream, all topped with healthy and clean chocolate sauce!

Could NOT pass these up for $1.99! Caramel apple flavored Milky Ways. 

S'mores protein egg white oatmeal with cereals + banana slices + plain Greek yogurt + mini marshmallows/a bit of Marshmallow Fluff, all inside a nearly empty White Chocolate Wonderful jar.

Even though I've been treating myself like crazy lately, my mom bought a discounted bag of my all-time favorite chocolate candy — Take 5 chocolate bars.

I literally almost cried when I saw she had gotten them because I was frustrated since I wanted them SO bad for SO long, but I haven't had the courage to treat myself to one in over a year... BUT! After my {big and filling!} candle-lit dinner with my family, we all decided to have a small piece of chocolate... to cleanse our pallets, ya know? Haha. I treated myself to a small Take 5 bar, and guess what? It was just as amazing as I remember, and I didn’t magically gain 70 lbs back because of it. It’s ridiculous to think that way, and I can only help this will help inspire all of you who suffer from those thoughts to not be afraid to treat yourselves, too. I feel, not “fat” (though there’s worse things to be and feel), but content and free. I’ve been loving treating myself lately, and I’m feeling more body-positive today than I have in a LONG time. I don’t call it “cheating”, I call it “TREATING”. “Cheating” sounds so negative and I hate it. The end.

Fluffy pumpkin spice egg white oatmeal with my new gluten-free and nut-free natural crunchy chocolate granola (AMAZING, cheap Big Lots find! I’m obsessed! The serving is 1/2 c for 160 calories, too! I have no allergies but it’s still amazing) + cereals + banana slices + plain Greek yogurt + a little bit of Biscoff spread + a mini gingerbread man, ainside a nearly (and basically) empty Cinnamon Raisin Swirl jar!

(Note: ALL of my family (there's 5 of us) eats these nut butters... Not just me! I promise I don't finish these jars all by myself, haha. They take 2-3 weeks to finish normally with all of us eating them.)

My delicious post-workout lunch! Higher in calories, but who cares?

Swiss & feta turkey grilled cheese on soft light wheat bread, tomato & basil soup with some spicy Mrs. Dash, and a big ol’ plate of steamed vegetables with plain Greek yogurt + ranch to dip. I like me some soft veggiez.

Warm chocolate protein egg white oatmeal with gluten-free/nut-free chocolate granola + cereals + banana slices + plain Greek yogurt + shredded coconut + Biscoff spread & White Chocolate Wonderful + a dollop of cinnamon roll protein “cream” + a mini gingerbread man.

Probably one of the best bowls of oats I've had!

{I guess this can count as a WIAW post now... Hurricane Sandy edition!}

Though me and my mom jumped and screamed when we finally got power back (ironically enough, me, her and my little sister had left to get hand warmers since it was 57 degrees in my house, and we came back to power!), it was nice living without it for awhile. It taught me to appreciate a lot more, and it made me spend a lot more time with my family. (And I mean A LOT more!) In a way, Hurricane Sandy was somewhat of a blessing... at least to my family. My mom got to have some time off of work (even though we desperately need the money, she works on birthdays, holidays... everything. Since she works off-line, though, both of her jobs were closed, and she was unable to get on anyways), and we got to have a lot of mother-daughters time. (Me, her and my sister, that is!) I cringe when I see what happened to my poor boardwalk and the homes surrounding it, but it's all nothing time can't fix. The most important thing is no one got hurt. People I know who lost their houses (or at least some of their belongings) are being sheltered for free, and they're all okay. Maybe not completely mentally, but time will fix that. They're alive, their families are alive, and that's all that should really matter. We're lucky Hurricane Sandy was only a category 1 hurricane (or "super-storm")!

A big factor in staying positive and, you know, sane through all of this, was actually my little sister. She was the one I was most worried about (aside from my mom since she can't make income without the computer, haha), but she was actually the most positive. She's 11-years-old (almost 12! My little girl's growing up so fast!), and she's autistic, but she stayed happy. She made the most of what she had (no TV, no iPhone, no laptop, no iPod or iPad... just my mom's Kindle!), and she didn't complain even once. She barely even cried until the last few days when she was starting to get frustrated, which makes sense. She was more happy to be off of school than anything! Haha. I swear, that little girl was born with invisible angel wings. She's a blessing.

P.S. A week and two days after a hurricane, and it's SNOWING! AHHHH!! This makes me even more excited for the holidays! I can't believe Thanksgiving is so soon!