My Newest Concoctions

I thought it would be cool to show ya'll some of the things that I've come up with as of late. I try to be creative and think of new ways to keep myself motivated, new meal or snack ideas, new changes to my work-out, etc, etc. I've really been workin' on finding these new creative...."things"...because it makes dieting and getting in shape more fun and helps you to focus on the positive sides of getting fit rather than the "I can't have this..I can't do that..." side. No one likes to think like that when they're trying to get fit! So here's some of the new ideas that I have come up with this week!

Idea #1

  

*It's a proven fact that those who exercise to music are much more productive in there workouts! Not only is it important to have music to listen to during your workout, but it's also super important to choose songs that are up-beat and motivating. Personally, I pretty much always take my ipod out with me while I'm running, but I never focused much on the songs I listened to. I kinda just let my ipod play whatever on its own. After reading about the facts about the up-beat music, however, I decided to try something out. I created a playlist on my ipod that is full of up-beat songs only. I still don't have to worry about changing the songs, but at the same time, I'm guaranteed to have motivating and fast-beat songs to keep me going! It really works!

                                                                                                       Idea #2

*Well, I can't really take full credit for this one because Britt came up with it a while ago and even wrote about it, but I tried it for myself! Sweet Iced Green Tea! Yum! For me, I wanted an alternative to water besides diet soda. Everyone needs a break from drinking water all the time, but diet soda isn't the best alternative. Green tea is extremely nutritious and thirst quenching/delicious in sweet iced form. Just make the tea like normal with green tea bags, then add however much Splenda you need to make it sweet enough for you, and pour in some ice! It's great!

Idea #3

*These babies have been the best! I have this really bad addiction to Starburst jelly beans, and April was the season for them! I stayed away from them all month....until they put them on clearance. First, they were 70% off, and I just got one bag. Then! They went 90% off and I couldn't help myself!! I got 2 more bags! I knew I had to keep myself in check somehow. Otherwise, I would eat the whole bag in one night. So, this is what I concocted. I split the bags into serving sizes--each bag=140 calories. They have been perfect for a quick sugar pick-me-up or a little reward for having a super awesome diet day! :)

 

                                                                                               Idea #4

     

 *This was one of my favorites! I got the daily workouts from Pinterest, and I've posted it on the blog before. I did something a little bit creative with them. I arranged them on a scrapbook-like background and put them in a frame. I added my own little motivating quote in the middle too! I put them in an actual frame with glass so that I could use it as a dry erase board and check off each workout as I do it! I'm the kind of person who loves to check things off my to-do lists, so this method works VERY well for me!

Idea #5

*This last one has been really helpful with my 5k training schedule! I already shared the 5k training that I was doing and I told ya'll how well it worked. Well, on their website, they have a printable version of the schedule. So, I simply printed it out and pinned it up in my room. Every day that I complete, I cross it off of the calendar. Once again, it feels GREAT to cross off a day of hard work and to look at it all once you're done! Very motivating and rewarding!




~My next project? I'm working on a "before and after" collage. I'm going to take a picture every time I lose 5 pounds. I wanna lose 35 this year, so hopefully I'll fill the seventh spot before Jan 1, 2013!

Try to think of your own little creative ways to keep your motivation up and make getting fit alot more fun! Share some of your ideas and pictures! :)

Fit Test

Today was my first official day of Insanity. You start with a Fit Test and redo that test every 2 weeks of the program. I am feeling it today! Can't wait to get home tonight & get my first REAL day under my belt. I skipped the morning workout since my fam is coming into town this afternoon and I'm only working a half day. I'll have the perfect amount of time to do it though while they are away surprising my brother with a Tim Tebow event! So excited for him to find out! He turned 13 last week. AH! 13? Seriously. Freaks me out. O well. I made some Fiber One Blueberry muffins last night. They are delicious! And roughly 80 fewer calories than your typical homemade muffin as well as filled with much more nutrients! Good deal.

P.S. Like Lindsay-I lost too! It was only 1 more pound, but I'm finally back in the 150's!!! I'm so excited. It was an amazing motivational boost. Here's to reaching our goals!!!

On a Roll!

I am proud to announce a weight-loss of 2 POUNDS!!! Some people might not think that's much, but it's a huge deal to me! It's been a while since I've dropped, and I worked super hard last week, so it feels goooood!

Like I said, I worked hard for those 2 pounds...but the kicker is, I enjoyed it! Ok, Ok...I didn't really ENJOY feeling pain while I was pushing myself to run, but after I actually did it, I felt like a million bucks. And trust me, It's paid off big time.

I started a 5k training program about 2 weeks ago, so I'm on my third week.. I can NOT believe how well it has worked! I hadn't gone running in a long while before I started this program, and, at the beginning, I felt like I was going to die. I'm only at the beginning of my 3rd week, and I ran over 4 miles today!! And it felt AWESOME! I know that I'll be ready to kick that 5k's butt when May 12th rolls around! Britt has posted it once before, but once again, here is the training that I'm following...

I encourage everyone to go online, find a 5k in your area thats at least 5 weeks away(there are always great ones going on that benefit really good causes!), and start this training program.  I'm not going to lie to you like a lot of people do, and tell you that it's a piece of cake and you barely even have to work for it! No, the first week is pretty rough...especially if you start like I did without having run for a while. But, as a motivating pin from Pinterest puts it...

And it's SO true! Forcing yourself to just get out and do it is the hardest part--not the actually running. If you do, you'll feel great like I felt today. If you don't, you'll regret it and the next day, you'll be smacking yourself and wishing that you would've made yourself do it.

After my VERY windy 4 mile run today! :)

Besides my running schedule, I also found some awesome Mint Green Tea at a local Amish store!

It's deeeeee-licious! I've been loving having a cup of this in the evening to just relax and wind down. (Unless of  course your sensitive to caffeine and not immune to it like me! :)) Either way, it's a great thing to have on hand when you THINK you're hungry buuuut you're really not. Just pop in a splenda, and one land-o-lake's creamer cup and you're good to go! Yum. :)

P.S. Props to Britt for the site re-vamp! Lookin' good!

Chicken Quesadilla

Chicken & Cheese Quesadilla

*Via Linds- I use Low Carb Banderita tortillas (there are a few options with the brand- they have fat free, low carb, and whole wheat), fat free shredded cheddar cheese, and grilled chicken strips-already cooked! (You can find these at pretty much any grocery store, even Aldi's! But I find it most helpful to get a large bag from Sams Club.  Of course it depends on how many quesadillas you think you may eat!), and then I dip the quesadillas in Fat Free sour cream.  The only catch is that I have a quesadilla maker, so it only takes about 1 minute for the quesadilla to cook! If you think this is a meal idea that you will use many times, I suggest in investing in one of these quesadilla makers! They're awesome!- Takes about 7 min. total

Yummm!

Linds

Age: 22
Birthday: 1/7

Siblings: Kristen (27), Brittany (25), Jordan (13)

Occupation:  Forms & Documents Specialist at Ohio Mutual Insurance Company
(Not to mention a full-time college student!!!)

Favorite Music: I also love alot of music, oldies are definitely a fav of mine!!

Favorite Season:  Definitely fall!

Favorie Entree: Grilled Chicken Tenderloins, Sweet Baby Carrots, and Sweet Potato (Cracker Barrel!)
Favorite Snack: Baked Barbeque Lays Chips
Favorite coffee:  Skinny Peppermint Mocha at Starbucks

Favorite Color:  Red
Favorite Store:  Target, hands down.

Favorite Holiday:  Christmas, of course!!!!

Favorite Workout:  Just a nice couple mile run on the street that I live on- which isn't busy at all.  The terrain is great if you want a challenging run, and it's just nice to have a workout time when I'm alone and just running my heart out without worrying about anyone around me.

My boyfriend Seth and me while celebrating my 22nd birthday!

I love Jesus with all of my heart, I love to write- poetry, inspirational pieces, stories, anything, I LOVE to sing and I never, ever stop.  I like to say that I have a passion for, and the talent of- shopping. =) I am always up for a ceramic cup- Starbucks date with my big sis, I am a freak about organization, I am in love with the Hunger Games Series, I LOVE to travel, I use Instagram to document basically every minute of my life, and I just love to hang out with the people that I love- doing pretty much anything!

Britt

Age: 24 years old

Birthday: 9/9

Siblings: Kristen (26) Lindsay (21) Jordan (12)

Occupation: Project Assistant

Favorite Music: I love ALL kinds basically. Jack Johnson is one of my favs.

Favorite Season: I really appreciate them all, but fall is my favorite.

Favorite Entree: Mexican!!!

Favorite Snacks: Blackberries or Apples with PB

Favorite Coffee: Pumpkin Coffee at Scioto (Local)

Favorite Color: Blue

Favorite Store: Weekend Outlet :) And Forever 21

Favorite Holiday: Christmas DUH!

Favorite Workout: Run around Hargus Lake or anything that ends with time in the sauna
Hmmm other than all of this-I have a boyfriend. He works a lot but is a really great guy at heart. I also have my little angel--Lona. She is amazing. She makes me smile...most of the time :)

       

In my spare time, I love to workout, read, spend time with the pup at the dog park, enjoy a good cup of coffee or tea, experiment with baking and cooking (Hasn't been going so hot lately), and spending time with friends and family scavenging for bargains!!!

Who are We?

So who are we? Good question. Keep reading...

This is a blog by two sisters trying to make some life changes.



My name is Brittany. I am 25 years old and live in my cute little apartment with my pup, Lona. I am a project assistant and a YMCA child worker. I am a Christian, a daughter, a sister, an aunt, a dog momma, and so much more. God has blessed me tremendously in basically every area of life! I've grown up as an athlete. I played tee ball, softball, soccer, and basketball since the age of 5. I played basketball and volleyball from 6th grade to my senior year of college. I love sports and working out and being healthy, but it's not always easy. Weight is something that basically our entire family struggles with. My sister and I want to start this blog together after being inspired by several other bloggers who had weight issues also and blogging has helped them with overcoming that struggle. We want to share our journey, our motivation, our workouts, our recipes, and our lives with whoever would like to read about it and experience it with us.

My name is Lindsay Noelle. I am 22 years old, and I am a Senior college student majoring in English and minoring in both History and Professional Writing. I am also a Christian, and God has blessed me with an amazing life and amazing people in it! I, like my sister, have grown up as an athlete. The first official sports team that I was a member of was my little tee ball team at the age of 6. From there, I was involved in soft ball for a few years, and volleyball and basketball for 7 years each. I have always loved playing sports, but being in shape and athletic has never been that much of a priority to me. It was pretty much just a fun part of high school. After my high school graduation, I didn't get involved with college sports, so my fitness pretty much got flushed. UNlike my sister, I never really enjoyed working out, and it's always just seemed like a huge chore for me. Therefore, all throughout my weight struggle, I have just chosen the "weight-loss" route, rather than the "get fit" route because I didn't think I could do it- and STICK WITH IT. My sister and I have completely different body types. She has a tall, athletic-looking body, and mine is more full and curvy, so I often used that as an excuse as to why she could work out all the time and I couldn't. Not anymore. My sister and I are out to prove that no matter what shape or size you are, ANYONE can make the choice to change their lifestyle for good, and GET FIT. Yes, it's challenging, and it won't necessarily be easy, but what's life without a little challenge?

Quick, Healthy Snack

Whenever Jon & I decide to have movie night-this is what I grab to keep me healthy instead of opting for the usual movie butter popcorn that is full of calories and fat!

Thank you Trade Joe and Kraft! YUM!

Going Insane

This is definitely how I feel after getting a third through the year 2012. With all my health issues I've been dealing with, I have been so discouraged! I've definitely made some small changes to my lifestyle that have gotten me five pounds lighter, but when I look at the bigger picture-seriously? ONLY 5 pounds. 

If you know me very well at all than you know I am either 150% in or -50%. I'm all in or completely out. So, I've decided to go INSANE with INSANITY. I'm starting Monday. The workouts are typically around 40 minutes. I plan to do one work out a day and supplment my 5k training in 3 days a week. I know it sounds rough, but like I said this is how I do things. I have to go big on this type of stuff. Otherwise, it feels like a HUGE option. I don't want it to be that at all. In order to prep for the next sixty days or Insanity, I'm cleaning out my fridge and cupboards. I want to have plenty of protein, water, veggies, and good carbs to keep me going. I also purchased and app specifically for Insanity. It has the workout schedule where I can fill it out, make notes, and check each work out off my list. Gotta love the Iphone. 

List of things to get done before Monday:

1. Clean out cupboards and fridge

2. Organize house

3. Grocery store

4. Prep lunch items

5. Squeeze some work in

6. Prep a workout area

7. Have clothes ready to go for the week (to make getting up early easier)

8. PLENTY OF SLEEP!

Menu for the week

Breakfast

Protein Lite Pumpkin Frap with 1 piece of toast and piece of fruit

or

2 pieces of toast, piece of fruit, smoothie

Lunch

Leftovers

or

Chicken Breast w/ Lite Cheese on wheat bun, TJ's cheeto puffs, veggie

or

Santa Fe chicken w/ Tortilla chips

Dinner

Chicken w/ Quinoa, veggie

or 

Santa Fe Chicken

or 

Pasta Dish (Philadelphia Cream Cheese Reduced Fat Garlic Cooking Creme)

Snacks

Cheese puffs

Fruit

Veggies w/ Hummus

WhoNu Cookies

WhoNu cookies---Check these things out. Good, decent on calories, and actually have a little nutrition in them-sounds good to me!

Check out my new nails! So easy, I love them.

New Coach wristlet

Trentaaaa

Did you guys all have a great Easter? I know I did. I headed home to see my family. Friday night, I spent the evening at my sister's house with my little lovely niece Bella. We made this pinata for her upcoming 2nd birthday. It turned out AWESOME. Thank you Pinterest.

Mid week already?! Yowza. It's been a super productive week so far. I partly credit this to the Boyfriend being out of town for his first week on the new job. I've missed him lots, but it has been nice to get some things done. Monday, I went to Trader Joe's on Monday after working some OT. I stocked up big time and also got a few new things to try. I got three different types of Reduced Guilt Cheesy Snacks, Agave, Chile Lime Chicken burgers, All Natural PB (Only ingredient is peanuts), Cilantro Dressing, and much more. Here are some pics of the trip finds. 

Bagged Snacks for 120 cal packs

Chile Lime Chicken Burgers

For the Chile Chicken Burgers!

Roughly $60 & should last me over 3 weeks.

I told Jon I wanted some plants to liven up my apt & I came home to this! Love him!!

Healthy Salad Bar. The Mac Salad was my splurge!

Agave + Creamer + Blonde Coffee

I also stocked up on my queso, chips, and three layer hummus :) Delish. I completed Day 1 of Week 2 5k Training. It was rough cause the wind was fierce that evening, but Lona and I completed it successfully. We were both exhausted and ready for some H2O when we got home. I ended the evening with some stretching and icing my foot. I'm still at 160 lbs. My goal is to just hit 159 so we I can be in another range of numbers beside the 160's. I think once I see that 159, I'll be extremely motivated to truck on. Lindsay is also doing the 5k Training, as well as the Boyfriend. He has even been working out while being out of town at the hotel workout area. I'm a proud girl. 

So thinkin of a new hair color for the spring and want to do something I haven't done before, so here it is! Super excited to see how it turns out.

On the Mend

So I have this huge post I wrote last week, but I never finished it because guess what---I GOT SICK! Super sick. It's been terrible. Seriously, the year from age 24 to age 25 is ridiculous. This entire year of 2012 has been full of injuries and sickness for me. I just cannot seem to shake it! I am currently doing much better but still not 100%. After being off of soda and coffee for 5 weeks, I am sadly back on! Ahhh. I blame it on being sick. I couldn't taste much so I loved soda cause the fizz I could still feel and I could taste Root Beer and Dr. Pepper. I also learned that texture was important while not being able to taste & if any of you know me very well-I love Mint Milanos for their taste and their TEXTURE! It's my most beloved food texture ever. Weird right? I know. So my diet has been suffering some the past week, but not terribly.

I did complete two days of 5k training so far, but I am going to officially start over so I can really get on track with it for my first race back. My body just has not been able to do much. I could barely breath just laying down so working out was a definite no go. I have been doing some recipe exploring and trying to get some new things to eat. I found one recipe that is AMAZING. I have made it twice this week already. Jon & I are having it again tonight for dinner!

Guess what else?!?! I got an Iphone. I love it. It's so much more functional. Part of this functionality just comes from the fact that I now have a data plan whereas before I did not have any data capabilities. It's just amazing to be able to do everyting on my little phone. I also scored a bargain on cute case.

Regardless of the sickness I've been dealing with, God has been so absolutely good to me. One thing that I don't feel Linds & I have stressed enough is how big a part God can be during one's journey to weight loss. I have been trying to incorporate my new healthy lifestyle into my relationship with God and just asking for help and discipline. I know it's not something a lot of people talk about but God does address gluttony in His word. This doesn't always relate directly with being overweight, but in my case---IT DOES! I love food. Sometimes I just cannot say no. I want to be able to be in control of my own body and I truly believe allowing God to be a part of that is crucial. :)

So, taxes are done-viruses are dwindling-and spring is still in the air (sometimes) :) Get out today & get some fresh air and burn some calories!!!

Here We Go!

In the words of a boy band, "Here we go, one more time!"

So this week has been an AWESOME one for me! I finally got the motivation jolt that I've needed for a while, and I've been extremely successful so far. Here's how my week has gone...

Monday- Started my 5k training to prepare for Britt and I's next 5k in May! My goal is to run the whole thing without breaking with a walk! The first day of training included walking for 1 minute then running for 3 min (repeated 7x). Let me tell you, it was MUCH harder than it sounds! I also started a daily work out plan for muscle training that I found on Pinterest!

~So I followed this plan for Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.

*Tuesday- For 5k training today, I needed to choose some type of cross-training. So, I chose to go on the elliptical for 30 minutes. I went at like a 4.5 mph pace, so nothing too impressive, but not too shabby either!

*Wednesday- The weather was awful today, so I decided to stay in and do cross-training again. Another 30 minutes on the elliptical!

*Tomorrow I plan to get back outside to run again, along with Friday.

Besides having a few awesome days of workouts, I've done impeccably well with my food choices! I started drinking tea in place of coffee during my mornings, which has definitely cut some calories! I've also forced my healthy choices on my boyfriend. :) We went out to eat both on Monday and today, and he wanted to go to a Chinese buffet! I put my foot down and told him that I had to go somewhere that would give me some healthy choices. He wasn't buying it until I said that I would be wasting his money if we went to the Chinese buffet because I would only get salad. He then agreed to go to Wendy's. There, I ate a small chili with sour cream, a few chicken nuggets, and drank just water.

Today, we went to Bob Evans for lunch- which has a ton more healthy options! I just got a bowl of vegetable beef soup which is DELICIOUS!

Besides all of the good news about my diet this week, I also started my new job on Monday! It's definitely a challenge to get up at 6:30 every morning, sometimes even earlier, but I think it's really helping me to be healthier all around! I never believed people when they said it's better for you to wake up early, and your metabolism works faster when you do. But I'm starting to believe them! I really do feel alot better since I've been going to bed early and waking up early. Oh, and, I'm loving my job so far! :)

And last but not least, I've decided to use this picture that was taken on Easter Sunday a few days ago as one of my "before" weight-loss pictures.

I know I don't look obese, buuuut I would say that I look pretty plus-sized (No comments, Britt!) haha So, here's to shedding off the extra pounds and continuing to have an awesome week! :)

Good luck fellow Health Nuts!
<3, Linds

5K Training

It's official! I have successfully ran two days this week so far! I am ecstatic that my foot is doing well. Lindsay and I signed up for another 5k in May, so I knew that I needed to jump on the training wagon. I've talked about Sparkpeople a lot lately. It's a lot like Myfitnesspal but MUCH more involved. If you want something simple-stick with Myfitnesspal. But if you want something to get more involved in as far as a community and group of ppl-Sparkpeople is much better. You can get emails from people in your group and much more. I'm now a member of the 20 Somethings with 10-24 Pounds to Lose and also the 5K Training Group. I get weekly emails reminding me of what my running schedule looks like (which is pictured below). I can also track my daily runs. I like that this program stresses rest and variance in weekly workouts with the cross training. 

Ran right after a good rain so it was nice and cool.

Monday, we headed to Hargus. We took it extremely easy just to test how strong my foot was after two months off. Tonight, we are heading to the Y to cycle or swim or something besides walking & running. Than I will be spending my entire evening cleaning & packing. Got a busy few days ahead of me! And lots of family time so I cannot wait :) I love Spring & Easter Time. I still have to find a killer Easter outfit. Kind of a Martin girl tradition!!! Right Linds? 

My current obsession: The three layer hummus I got from Trader Joe's. Holy cow-it is delish. I liked hummus before but just got sick of it after a few times of buying it. But this new mix is perfect. I have been opting to eat it with celery mostly. The spicy taste of the cilantro hummus really gives it an edge while the original and red pepper cool it down a bit because it is PRETTY spicy.

Any races or new food favs for you guys?

Motivated Monday

I have never been more excited for a Monday in my life. Except maybe if Christmas has ever fallen on a Monday which I'm sure it has. Any way, today is my first day back to running. I have high hopes of a good run and a good feeling foot afterwards. I plan to take some motrin before running and ice immediately after the run. We are heading to some softer running ground instead of running downtown on concrete. I want to do whatever it takes to just be able to run! Cannot wait.

There is just something about working out and eating well. It's hard for me to do one without the other. So in order to do this-this girl needed to head to the grocery. I've been doing a lot of research and thinking about the types of food I put into my body with all of my recent health issues. I headed to Trader Joe's to find some healthy, organic, reduced guilt food to help get me through this first week back! I found SEVERAL yummy items. I was pleasantly surprised at the affordable prices at Trader Joe's. I just expected everything to be completely out of price range and ridiculously over priced. What did I buy? Well let me just tell you.

1. Trader Joe's Queso Dip. At 15 calories a serving-who can resist?
2. Triple Layer Hummus-Cilantro, Traditional, and Red pepper. I am excited to try the Cilantro kind!
3. Garlic Cucumber Dip for Veggies, Chips, & more. Also low calorie at 30 a serving.
4. Reduced Guilt Tortilla Chips. 120 Calories per serving
5. Organic Navel Oranges
6. Reduced Guilt Brownies. You just add vanilla greek yogurt, mix, and bake for these treats!
7. Ezekiel Bread Raisin Cinnamon. Heard lots of great things about this stuff.

I believe that sums up my Trader Joe's Shopping Trip. I also made my way to Walmart to pick up some regular items I didn't find at TJ's.

I have switched from Myfitnesspal to Spark People also. Spark has a lot more things to participate in. Groups you can get involved in, setting every possible goal you can imagine and being able to track it, daily progress reports, workouts to follow-these are all some of the things Sparkpeople offers. Here is a snapshot of my day today-Nutrition and Fitness.

I have cardio tonight as well as strength training for which they provide workouts, examples, and rep numbers. EXCITED! 

I also bought this new water bottle. My lovely boyfriend gave me a huge Brita so I could stop buying bottled water so I got this guy to take with me to work. We decided I may need two because this guy was almost gone by 11:30 a.m. I'm a bored drinker!

Morning Snack

Finishing up lunch. Delish.

So since this is motived Monday-what motivates you?

Here is my motivation for today!!!

P.S. Congrats to Linds on her new job! Couldn't be happier for her. Love you little Sis. But I still want my Starbucks cup back little brat!

Surviving a World of Eating Out

Well! I've had a pretty successful few days of being back at it! Nothing too hardcore, but I have started making good choices once again!

Good Choice #1: Doing SOME kind of exercise every day- even if it's not what I "scheduled" to do. (These past few days it was walking for an hour each day)

A lot of my other good choices came into play with eating out.  As Britt has talked about in the past, our family is one that eats out A LOT. When I say a lot, I mean A LOT as in usually at least once a day...sometimes more. If you don't believe me, let me tell you how these last few days went down..

*Thursday- Breakfast and lunch were pretty safe with a cup of raisin bran and a cup of coffee, then a peanut butter and jelly. For dinner, however, my family decided that they had to try out the new restaurant that's in our area- the Texas Roadhouse. I opted out for grilled BBQ chicken breast, mashed potatoes, and corn.

Beware of the rolls! The best ones I've had, but for
a whopping 226 calories, 45 g of fat, and 41 carbs!

*Friday- I made it through the whole day with no offers to eat out, and I stayed home getting some cleaning and stuff done. Without fail, my family decided that they wanted to go out to Target and Starbucks around 8 PM. I contemplated, but decided to decline the offer to go out. Then, my mom offered to buy me a Starbucks and bring it home. Ahhhh! I haven't had a Starbucks since before I left for Haiti, so I'm already going through withdrawal! After a lot of contemplation, I finally said that I would pass. Let me tell you, that was challenging! haha

I stayed at home drinking water instead...
Hey, it was IN a Starbucks cup at least! :)

Saturday- I went out of town with my mom, sister, and niece to do some shopping and visiting with family. Of course, we had to eat out for lunch. Thankfully I talked them out of going to Red Robin, and we just went to Panera instead. I hadn't had my coffee, so I had a headache and needed one! I chose just a regular coffee instead of the delicious and calorie-filled cafe mocha that Panera has. I also chose a much healthier meal than I used to get, which was creamy tomato soup and grilled cheese. (Talk about fatening!) This time I chose a pick 2 with the Chopped BBQ Chicken Salad and Chicken Noodle Soup, with a whole grain baguette that I only ate like half of.

Salad= 250 cal, 11 fat, and 25 carbs
Soup= 60 cal, .5 fat, and 11 carbs
Baguette=180 cal, 1.5 fat, and 36 carbs (for a whole one)

Later that day, my mom and I were the only ones at home, so she decided that we should go to the other Roadhouse. Seriously!?! Ahhh! Well, instead of getting the fried mac and cheese bites that I love, I chose grilled BBQ chicken again, with salad and a delicious sweet potato (And it wasn't one of the loaded kinds...with pounds of marshmallows and brown sugar!)

Yummm!

Sunday- Well, sunday is an envitable eat-out day for my family. After church, we headed to Tim Hortons to get some donuts. NOT COOL. Well, I didn't refuse the donut, BUT! my boyfriend was with us, and I made him split one with me :)

For our actual lunch meal, my boyfriend and I went out. He said that he either wanted a Chinese Buffet or Fazoli's. Blah. So I told him there was no way that I was going to a Chinese buffet...a place where the unhealthy food is delicious and the healthy food stinks. Not to mention the BUFFET part. Uncontrolled portions! Ahhh! Run! haha So I chose Fazoli's. We always just get a pizza to share, so I just ate 2 pieces compared to probably the 4 pieces that I used to eat in the past! Yikes!

Once again, at the end of the night, my fam stopped at Mcdonalds to get ice cream. I refused the ice cream and got a small HI-C orange drink. Yay me!

To put it simply, I have to spend a lot of my dieting time trying to make good choices around the world of eating out. But I'm doing it! It's definitely not easy, but it will be worth it! :) Today I'm going to make a run to the grocery store and try to pick up a few healthy items to store at home for those times when I have to let my family go out without me! Wish me Luck! :)

<3, Linds