J Crew outlet finds

I might need to make a trip to the J Crew factory outlet this weekend! These are all so cute and found here.

Next week's dinner menu

Sunday- Chicken Tortilla Pie

Monday- 6oz. tilapia, sweet potato fries, and broccoli

Tuesday- Southwestern Chicken Pasta salad

I will cook my own chicken breasts rather than a whole chicken or I may look at the marinated chicken breasts at HEB and see what the calories are for those.

I will most likely add veggies to it also- broccoli, zuchinni, squash, or carrots sliced up.

Wednesday- tuna, veggies, rice

Thursday- Pork and avocado wrap

Friday- I will see what ingredients I have in my fridge and come up with something!

Chicken-Tortilla Pie Recipe

Find the recipe here.

I rarely rely on the calorie count on websites or recipes. I get ideas of what a low calorie meal looks like and then add the calories up myself either on paper on using my app. The reason for this is that often the brands are different and I just want to make sure that I am eating the amount of calories that I think I am eating. I also may add things to the recipe and use less of something that is already in the recipe.

For this recipe, I may slice up 1 avocado for a topping, use low fat sour cream as a topping, or add corn. I may use less of the bean dip. It just depends on how many calories I would have left for the day, when I am eating it- dinner or lunch, etc.

Fruit

Eating fruit is good for you, but it is hard to find fruit that is not too high in sugar. While counting my calories, it lists how much sugar I have had for the day. The goal is no more than 24 grams. I am finding myself going over that every day even though I am eating healthy. The banana I ate this morning in my smoothie took up almost half of my alloted sugar for the day. The cantaloupe that I have been eating is taking up the other half. I looked up some low sugar fruits and this is what I have found.

Low-sugar fruits:

Low-Medium Sugar fruits:

Cantaloupe

Strawberries

Watermelon

Blueberries

Peaches

Apples

Grapefruit

Nectarines

High Sugar fruits:

Plums

Oranges

Kiwi

Pears

Grapes

Tangerines

Mangos

Pineapple

Bananas

Dried Fruit

Handbags

I think I need a new purse for Spring, which will be here soo soon! It's almost March! Can you believe it!!

Here is one I thought was cute, but is not exactly the color I want.

Here is another one. It is a bit lighter in color. It can be used as a hand bag or a shoulder bag.
Here is the color I want for spring!!

Most Expensive

Middle

Least Expensive

I will most likely be waiting awhile to purchase my white handbag for spring/summer. Many cheaper places (Target, Francesscas, Forever 21, etc.) have not come out with white bags quite yet. I will be on the look out for other options. I would like to have a variety to chose from.

Ball

This past weekend we attended a ball at the Hilton downtown. It is a ball put on by the Independent Petroleum Association of America and raises money for educational programs. Wes was invited by his company so we went together. It was fun- dinner and dancing. Since most of the people there were older, it didn't last too long. More than half of the guests were gone by 11:30.

I saw two movies recently- Just Go With It and No Strings Attached. Just Go with it was OK. I wouldn't recommend seeing it in the theater- wait for it on DVD. No Strings Attached was really funny but really vulgar. I liked it though. When we were at the theater, a mom was there with a friend and her kids. I assume her kids were either seeing another movie or playing in the arcade during our movie. The little boy walked into the theater at the most vulgar (in the sheets) scene that he could have walked in on. She started screaming, "What are you doing in here?? Cover your ears! Lay on the floor!" I am not sure why she wanted him to lay on the floor?? I guess so he wouldn't see anything- but it's really dirty! Couldn't he just cover his eyes???

Pets- Day 27

Trying to keep up with the blog challenge........

Here are my "children." I don't know what I would do without them! I love them so much and they always make my day better. I love coming home to them every day. I don't know how people live without dogs.

Sophie is 6 years old. Her birthday was just a few days ago- February 21, 2005.

Maggie is 1 year old. Her birthday was just a few days ago- February 20, 2010.

I always knew that they were meant to be with birthdays so close! I got Sophie when I was a junior in college. Obviously I got Maggie within the past year. They have a love/hate relationship! Maggie always loves and Sophie sometimes hates.

Maggie

Maggie and Sophie

Sophie and Maggie

Maggie

Sophie

Today's Wish List and Purchase

I signed up for ShoeDazzle today and made my first purchase! A stylist sends you things that she/he thinks you would like. If you chose to purchase that pair of shoes, handbag, or piece of jewelry, you buy it that month. If you chose not to buy it, you skip that month. You only pay for it monthly if you actually want to buy something. The shoes cost $39.95 each month and you can pick from different shoes that they think you would like based off of the questions that you answered. This is the first month of me actually buying something. We will see how next month goes!

Now the wish list:

Dresses I like: Coral Striped dress and Ruffle Dress.

Shoes from Piperlime
Tory Burch Reva Ballet Flat

1. Blue and White Dress

2. Gray Dress

3. Orange Linen dress

5. Colorful dress

Recipes for dinner

New recipes that sound delish and low cal:

Grilled Salmon with Corn Relish- I will definitely be having this this week! It sounds soo good!

I LOVE tortilla soup! Just get low fat cheese and sour cream and it will be pretty healthy. I like to add black beans also for more protein. Avocados are very high in fat, but in monounsaturated -- the "good" kind that actually lowers cholesterol levels. I don't suggest loading up on them, but it is definitely good to include these kinds of fats in your diet and will actually help to lose weight.

Chicken tacos sound great! The flank steak looks really good too. It would be great served on top of a spinach salad.

Resources for low cal meals:

1. http://www.myrecipes.com/healthy-diet/calorie-counts/

2. http://www.cookinglight.com/

3. http://www.eatingwell.com/healthy_cooking/healthy_cooking_101_basics_and_techniques

Day 2 of counting calories

I have been keeping track of my calorie intake on my iphone. I use an app called MyFitnessPal and it has a lot of foods already in its directory. I just search for the food and add it to my breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snack. You can also add exercise. I am enjoying it so far. It is actually kinda fun to see how many calories I have left at the end of the day.

Breakfast

Lunch

For a snack around 3:30, I had a piece of Light String Cheese (60 calories).

For dinner, I had the red snapper that we were supposed to eat last night. The fish was still frozen so we saved it for tonight. Last night, we ended up eating baked potatoes with broccoli and a small spinach salad. You can read about healthy baked potatoes here.

I also started the Couch to 5K tonight. There is also a nice app for that. It tells you when to walk and when to jog. It's pretty easy to follow. I started the couch to 5k program about 2 years ago. It is a 9 week program. I finished week 4 and then went out of town for 3 weeks due to a trip to Cancun and my best friend's wedding festivities. Unfortunately, I never picked it back up. I am NOT a runner at all and found this program to be very manageable as long as I did it about 4 times per week.

Since I ran, that deducted calories from my total sum. According to my calorie counter, I still need to eat 381 calories to hit the 1200 mark, but I feel like I ate a lot today. I am not hungry either. It is also 9:00 and I am trying to not eat after 8:00. I know that eating late is a big NO NO!

Hopefully I will get some posts up this week that are more about my life and not about what I am eating!

Day 1 of counting calories

For lunch I had the weight watchers pizza minis. The box comes with 2 trays- each with 4 mini pizzas. It was good. I also had a cup of cantaloupe, which I hear is really good for your skin so I am going to try to eat a lot of cantaloupe.

1 cup of cantaloupe= 60 calories

mini pizzas= 280 calories

The plan for dinner is some red fish with broccoli and rice.

Recipe:

4 6 oz. fillets of red fish

1 cup of diced onions

3 garlic cloves

1 TBLSP of basil

1 TBLSP of oregano

1 TBLSP of thyme

3 TBLSP of olive oil

1 TBLSP of red pepper

1 TBLSP of black pepper

1/2 cup of low sodium chicken broth

Saute onions and garlic, add herbs. Simmer for 10 minutes or so. Coat pan with olive oil or can you use Pam. Brush fish with olive oil or can spray fish too. Sprinkle red pepper and black pepper on fish. Put fish in pan. Pour sauted veggies on top. Pour chicken broth on top. Bake for 20 minutes on 475 degrees.

Serve fish over 1/2 cup of rice with a cup of broccoli.

Fish- 334 calories

1/2 cup of rice- 130 calories

1 cup of broccoli- 54 calories

Total for dinner: 516

Total for day: 1055

(includes breakfast)

That means I still have 145 calories left over which is enough for a snack or a Skinny Cow dessert!

Breakfast today

One vitamin plus one smoothie= good breakfast!

plus one TBLSP of Whey Protein powder- strawberry flavored (I didn't use the whole packet)

Mix all of the above ingredients in a blender for a healthy smoothie. It was pretty tasty!

Geaux Tigers!!! LSU

I am a LSU Tigers that LOVES SEC football!! I live in Houston now, but miss the days in Baton Rouge! I miss being able to go to all the football games. No school knows how to tailgate like people at LSU! Getting there at 7 Am on game day is too late for LSU folks! Many people get out there on Friday afternoon and don't leave until Sunday! It is a blast walking from tailgate to tailgate, trying all the foods that have been cooked- gumbo, alligator, red beans and rice, ribs, the list could go on and on!

I was a DZ at LSU. I met many girls during my time here. I lived in the sorority house my junior year of college. That meant many nights of staying up late and many days of skipping class to go to TCBY!! We also had many late nights studying History in the dining room.



Watermelon Bust- always fun!

Christmas Party


Senior Luncheon

I had a blast at LSU and always enjoy going back for football games. I hope one day, I will have kids that go to LSU and we can enjoy it even more! I am linking up to Kelly's post.

GEAUX TIGERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fast Food

If you MUST eat fast food at some point, here are a few things to think about....

McDonalds:

Medium fries: 380 calories

Double Cheeseburger: 440 calories

Medium Coke: 210 calories

So for just one meal of the day: 1030 calories!!!

Based on my 1,200 calorie per day diet, I don't have much room left for breakfast and another meal!!

Healthier Options for eating fast food if it' a MUST:

McDonalds: Get a salad. They have salads for under 150 calories. They also have salads under 450 calories if you are eating dinner. Drink water!!! The Premium Grilled Chicken sandwich without the mayo is 370 calories. But that means NO FRIES OR COKE! You can look up all of their nutrition facts here.

Wendys: The salad with the lowest calories is the Apple Pecan Chicken Salad with 580 calories. Although, I am not quite sure about that. In one place on their website, it says 580 and another place says 350. The 350 calories may not include all of the toppings, dressing etc. For all I know, neither one includes the dressing! The Homestyle Chicken Go Wrap is 320 calories. I guess I would stick with that one.

Taco Bell: 1 crunchy taco is 170 calories. 1 soft taco is 210 calories. The salads were in the 700-900 range. Your best bet is to stay away from Taco Bell unless you want their Border Sauce! That is calorie free!

Burger King: Whopper Jr. Sandwich without mayo is 206 calories. With cheese and no mayo, it is 300 calories. The tendergrill garden salad is 230 calories plus the salad dressing.

Subway: There are several sandwiches for under 350 calories.

I rarely eat fast food, maybe once per month. I do not suggest it. Even if the calorie count is low, there are numerous other problems with the food. The food is usually high in trans fat, saturated fat, and sodium.

Other tips:

Always drink water!!

No fries!!

Get the sandwich undressed- no mayo, cheese, etc. Trust me- it's NOT the low fat brand!

Ask for a packet of ketchup or mustard and put it on yourself. You can control the amount.

Carry around your own salad dressing

Go here for a stop and go guide to fast food. This website also gives many more tips.

Salmon dinner recipe 400 calories

Ingredient List:

6 oz. salmon fillet (350)

Veggie List: 200 calories- so if you serve 4 people, its 50 calories each

1/3 cup red onion, diced

1/3 cup red bell pepper, diced

1/3 cup zucchini, diced

1/3 cup corn

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Recipe for veggies: Here

Bake fish in oven. Serve veggies on side or on top.

Chicken for dinner

Here are 2 dinner options. The pictures are not of the actual meal- just there for affect! The first list of ingredients is for a chicken breast with veggies and a side salad. The second list of ingredients is for a chicken salad. I figured out the calorie count with this website.

490 calories--- dinner- Chicken with Veggies and Side Salad

6 oz. of chicken

1 TBLSP butter, low fat

1 cup of broccoli, cooked

1 cup of spinach

1/2 cup of strawberries

1 TBLSP pecan

***add calories for salad dressing also***

439 calories- dinner- Chicken Salad

2 cups of raw spinach

2 cups of romaine lettuce

6 oz. chicken breast

1 cup of cucumber

1 medium tomato

1 TBLSP almonds

2 TBLSP shredded cheese, low fat

***add calories for salad dressing also***

**use cooking spray to cook chicken instead of butter**

Meal under 350 calories

I am trying to figure out my meals for next week's dinner. For lunch, I will most likely eat Lean Cuisines, Healthy Choice meals, etc. It is always important to watch out for the high level of sodium that some of these meals contain.

Another option for lunch or dinner:

Baked Potato with side of fruit (328 calories)

1 medium baked potato (161)

2 TBLSP low fat sour cream (41)

2 TBLSP shredded cheese, lowfat

1 slice of turkey bacon for bacon bits (20)

1/2 cup of cantaloupe (27)

1/2 cup of strawberries (23)

***Check package of sour cream cheese, and bacon to be sure.****

Other ideas to put in a baked potato that keep it relatively healthy:

corn, black beans, salsa, low fat ranch dressing, onions, taco seasoning, chopped herbs, chicken, kidney beans, broccoli. See more here.

New Diet Plan

After reading this post, I became inspired to start a diet that has an actual plan. I have spent the evening researching different foods, etc. I have looked up the calorie count, etc. I will go to the grocery store this weekend and get the food. I plan on looking at the nutrition facts when I come back home to make sure that this Calorie Count website I am using is accurate. Even if it is mostly accurate, different brands could have different amounts. I have planned out my breakfast menu and tried to include lots of protein to start my day off right.

Next week's breakfast--- no more than 200 calories

Monday: 3 egg whites (50), slice of wheat toast (70), and 1 cup of strawberries (50) = 170

Tuesday: 2 slices of Canadian bacon (90), low fat, plain yogurt (100) = 190

Wednesday: 3 egg whites (50), slice of wheat toast (70), and 1 cup of cantaloupe (50) = 170

Thursday: 2 slices of Canadian bacon (90), low fat, plain yogurt (100) = 190

Friday: Cereal with skim milk- Kashi Lean Crunch

6 oz. of skim milk is 60 calories.

I tried to plan easy stuff to make in the morning b/c I like to hit the snooze button! The only thing that should take a little bit of time is scrambling the egg whites.

Smoothies

Breakfast recipes for under 200 calories- all are 1 serving.

Breakfast for under 200 calories- all are 1 serving.

Banana Milkshake- 128 calories

1/2 banana

6 oz. skim milk

1 TSP vanilla extract

1 TSP cinnamon

1/3 cup crushed ice

Chocolate Banana Milkshake- 175 calories

1 medium banana- sliced and frozen

6 oz. skim milk

1 TBSP unsweetened cocoa powder

Blend until smooth. Do not over blend.

Fresh Fruit Smoothie- 205 calories

1/2 cup skim or soy milk

1 cup of strawberries

1/2 sliced banana

1 sliced kiwi

ice if desired

Strawberry Banana Smoothie- 155 calories

1/4 cup of frozen strawberries

1/4 cup of plain, low fat yogurt

1 banana

1/2 cup of ice

Jamba Juice smoothies that are 220 calories or less:

Strawberry Whirl- 220

Peach Perfection- 210

Berry Fullfilling- 150

Mango Mantra- 150

Strawberry Nirvana- 150

Boosts: Soy Protein adds 30 calories. Whey Protein adds 50 calories.

Healthy Cooking Secrets

Here are some healthy cooking secrets from an article online. I picked out a few that I thought might be helpful.

1. Study the recipe. Closely examine the original to see where changes can be made. "You can't just wing it, no matter how familiar you are with the recipe," says Test Kitchens Professional Kathryn Conrad. "Look at each ingredient to see where you can take away, add, or substitute."

When I first starting cooking years ago, I always thought I had to follow the recipe exactly. I now know better. I add my own things, take away things, or use whatever is in my pantry. I never understood when people would say they cooked something, but would have trouble giving a recipe. Now I understand- a little of this, and a little of that!

2. Limit sodium. Try the recipe with half the recommended sodium.

This one is hard for me because seasonings add so much to a dish. Where I come from- you don't season lightly!

3. Reduce portion sizes. When plating, start with a smaller amount and see if that satisfies you.

This seems obvious, but so many people pile stuff on their plates. I've heard over and over again that you should eat a little bit. If you are still hungry 15 minutes later, then you can eat more. If not, you are full but would not have realized it if you hadn't waited.

4. Sprinkle cheese, chocolate, or nuts on top rather than mixing into batters. As toppings, they deliver concentrated flavor.

Many casseroles call for cheese in them. Rather than mix the cheese in, just save it for the top. It will save a lot of calories.

5. Increase low-calorie ingredients. For example, add extra vegetables to casseroles and fruits to breads, muffins, or snack cakes. This will increase the yield of your recipe without adding fat.

6. Use nonstick pans and cooking spray in place of oil or butter.

7. When you need oil, use canola, which has nearly half the saturated fat and more healthful, unsaturated fat than other oils.

Source

http://caloriecount.about.com/cc/recipe_analysis.php

That is a GREAT website to help count calories. It is so simple. You copy and paste the recipe into the box and it does all the work for you.

http://www.sparkpeople.com/

That is a site where you can record your calorie intake each day.

Read this post for inspiration.

Favorite Valentine's decor

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