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!

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 #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.