Don't Waste Your $$$

I'll let the pic speak for itself. Why no one can make/sell a decent pre-grilled frozen chicken breast is beyond me. 

I'm here!!!

I just realized Blogger has an app. I'm still at it. 23 lbs down. I might actually blog on the regular if I don't have to lug out the laptop. Apparently I prefer to type with my thumb only via iPhone. Ha!! New chicken salad recipe coming in a bit. 

Fiesta Chicken Pizza - 250 calories?!?!

I have discovered my best low-calorie recipe to date.  It is amazing.  Let's get right down to the nitty gritty.

RECIPE
1 whole Joseph's pita - 60 calories
2 slices low fat cheese (I used Provalone) - 50 calories each
1/2 cup Laura's Fiesta Blend - 90 calories, which I pulled right out of my butt, and it consisted of:
1 can corn
1 can black beans
1 diced green pepper
1 diced red onion
1 can Rotel (next time I'll use plain diced tomatoes b/c this was realllllly hot)
1 packet Fajita mix
1 and 1/4 cups diced cooked chicken.

I dumped all the ingredients for Laura's Fiesta Blend except the chicken into a saucepan and sauteed for 10-15 minutes, until the peppers/onions are cooked.  At the last minute I decided it needed something more, so I grabbed some cooked chicken I had on hand and dumped it in there.  Then I drained any remaining juice because I don't need runny juice on my pizza and neither do you. This made ELEVEN 1/2 cup servings.

I got out my trusty 60 calorie pita.  I covered it in 2 slices of Provalone cheese.  I dumped 1/2 cup Laura's Fiesta Blend on top. I gotta trademark that junk. I baked it for 10 minutes at 400 degrees, and it was DIVINE!!

Not only was it divine, but next time I want one, all I have to do is open the container in the fridge and scoop out some more of my Laura's Fiesta Blend b/c I made a buttload of it.

Week 2 Update

Week 2 ended on Saturday.  I am down 6 lbs.  Woohoo!!! It could've been more had I not had one binge day.  Boo.  Just to give you an idea of how my body works, I weighed in after my binge day and my weight was up 8 lbs.  I'm not kidding.  EIGHT pounds.  However, it all went away within a couple of days, plus some.

I had tons of witty things to type up here, but I've got a screaming bloody murder 2-year-old, and I can't even focus.  Working on another "recipe" tonight.  Homemade pizza. Have I mentioned I love pizza?!? I had made a new light chicken salad recipe with Greek yogurt I found on Pinterest, but it was nasty.  Don't let anybody lead you to believe Greek yogurt can replace everything.  These people who claim this have no taste buds and/or they are mayo haters, which means they aren't even fat to begin with.  If you can't easily eat 5,000 calories in one day and not blink twice, you are not allowed in my Fat Girls club.  Amen.

Coleslaw for 75 calories!!

It's that time of the year.  The perfect time for grilling and throwing down on a hot dog. Not just any hot dog.  A hot dog that is smothered in toppings so heavily that you have no choice but to eat it with a fork.  I can make this happen for you.

First, let me tell you how to make the slaw. This is a recipe I make year-round.  I freaking love coleslaw.  I've made this slaw for many a gathering, and it is always a hit, even with the annoying naturally skinny people who have never had to taste a "diet" food in their lives.

 As usual, this recipe is simple.  If it's not simple, I don't have time for it.  I have no time for elaborate, ornate meals with fancy trimmings.  I've got a 5-year-old with special needs and the craziest, busiest toddler you will ever meet.  My husband is never home at dinner time due to his work hours, so I'm just not that motivated to cook a whole lot.

Anywho, here's the recipe

COLESLAW
16 oz bag of coleslaw mix
1 cup Kraft mayo with olive oil
2 TBS vinegar
2 TBS splenda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp ground mustard
Mix all ingredients together.  If you've never made coleslaw before, after you first mix it, you will think it's way too dry and you simple must add more mayo or something wet.  You are WRONG.  Please believe me as it will settle to a perfect texture in a few hours.  I highly recommend making this the day before you need to serve it.
*Makes about nine 1/2 cup servings.  Each serving is 75 calories.  No, I'm not lying.  I redid the math 75 times just to make sure.  You're welcome.

ULTIMATE SLAW DOG

Oscar Meyer light hot dog - 50 calories
Healthy Life hot dog bun - 80 calories
Great Value Hot Dog Chili Sauce -(10 calories per TBS)
Mustard - 0 calories
LIGHT COLESLAW- 75 calories per 1/2 cup

As you can see, if I use a whopping 4 TBS of that hot dog chili sauce, my entire slaw dog comes in at 245 calories.  And it's HUGE.  I ate one for dinner tonight.  I was out of chili sauce. :(  But, it was still awesome and only 205 calories.  :)

Week 1 Update

Well, I've been counting my calories for 8 days now, and I'm down 3 lbs. Stick with me, I have a super duper long way to go.

Here is me today after a 3-mile workout. Just look at my glow!  And lack of makeup.  And lack of a shower.  I bet you can even smell me through your computer.  

Here is a little bit of diet humor, because if we don't approach this with a sense of humor along with a sense of determination, we will fail.

I am of the opinion that restricting yourself like this is not realistic longterm.  Even just eating less calories is not going to work longterm if I don't stay consciously aware of it for the rest of my life.  Honestly though, for me, just eating less calories is the very best plan of all.  Find what works for you.  

LOL

3-Course Lunch - 450 calories

I eat a ton of prepackaged foods.  The main reason I do that is for the built-in portion control.  I can't be the only American who does this.  Maybe I'm just the only one bold enough to proclaim it for the world on a blog?  I don't know.  I'm a very smart girl. I know it would technically be better for me to eat fresh, preservative-free and all that blah blah.  For right now, I'm gonna do the best I can with the small amount of $$$ I have to do what it takes to escape obesity.  I KNOW that to escape obesity I HAVE to not feel deprived.  Feeling deprived is only going to make me angry.  Nobody like an angry mama.  

So, I share with you my 3-course lunch.  I eat a version of this everyday.  Let's break it down.

APPETIZER (80 calories)

This is the addition to pre-packaged lunch that makes the meal filling and round.  There are some delicious light frozen meals, but are they truly filling?  Are they truly satisfying?  Not usually. Okay, not ever.  The main ingredient I'm about to share with you is life changing, and if I can't find these in my Walmart because they're sold out because I shared my top secret info, I'm gonna hunt you all down.  I want hurt you or anything, but I will totally raid your pantry and take stuff.  Don't think I won't.  

THIS, my friends is the magic.  These are Joseph's pitas.  A soft, thin little pita.  You eat 1/2 of a pita at a time.  The entire half has 30 calories.  Yes.  I said 30 calories.  What I'm telling you is you can stuff these suckers with anything and only add 30 calories worth of bread around it.  That's amazing. In this particular "recipe", I stuffed my pita with Hillshire Farms Honey Roasted Turkey, some light mayo, tomato, and lettuce.    The entire pita had 80 calories.  There are so many options possible with these things.  

These can be found on their own island in the bakery at Walmart. They are also available in the organic section at Publix, but of course they cost more.  They're $2 and something at both stores, but I believe they're $2.99 at Publix.  Publix does run them buy one get one free from time to time.  You get 6 pitas (12 APPETIZERS WORTH!!) in a package.  When I open a package, I go through and pre-slice them all with a pizza cutter.  They last WAY past their expiration date, and they freeze well if you should happen to stock

 up on them.  

ENTREE (220 calories)

The key for the entree, in my opinion, is that it must be 250 calories or less.  Usually, I eat some sort of Lean Cuisine or Smart Ones with 250 calories or less.  Or I could make a loaded slaw dog.  (RECIPE COMING SOON!)  In this particular meal, I used a Healthy Choice meal.  It was Chicken Alfredo with Spinach.  It had 220 calories and cost $1.50 at Walmart.  This particular meal is always $1.50.  At a later date, I will share the lower calorie, lower $$$ frozen meals I like the best with you.  

DESSERT (150 calories)

Dessert is essential for me.  I am hopelessly addicted to chocolate and I refuse to give it up because I have no intentions of doing so for the rest of my life.  The dessert here, as you can see, is a good ol' fashioned Fudge Round.  That's right.  A Little Debbie.  It has 150 calories.  

Why go with the Little Debbie?  I would love to go healthier.  For example, have you heard of Vitatops?  They are fudgy and awesome and preservative-free.  But guess what?  A box of 4 costs at least $4.27.  EFF THAT.  I also love the new Skinny Cow ice cream bars.  Again, a box of 5 is $4.27.  In a similar calorie range, there are variety of non-diet foods I can pick from on the cheap.  Fudge Rounds, Starcrunches, and German Chocolate Cookie Rings are Little Debbies that all have 150 calories or less. Even better, you get 8-12 in a box for around $1.50.  COME ON!!