Day 5 - Usual Day

I spent nearly the entire day taking care of my sick son. Through careful planning, I was still able to make food for myself that adheres to the plan. Other than that, not much else to report today. I'm looking forward to the week ahead and hoping to keep my sanity due to an equally as busy week as last week. Hoping to actually relax someday soon?!

BREAKFAST (9:30 am)

Cherry Almond Green Tea Smoothie:

1 cup Trader Joe's Very Berry Cherry Blend, frozen berries
1/4 cup whole oats
8 oz organic skim milk (I cut this in half, so my smoothie was thicker.)
2 TBSP almond butter
Green tea leaves and dash cinnamon

This smoothie was just OK. It had too much of an almond taste for me. I like my smoothies to taste more like berries. Next time, I will leave the almond butter out of the smoothie itself & eat it on the side.

LUNCH (1:30 pm)

Turkey Almond Pita:

1 medium chopped plum tomato, 1/2 cup diced cucumber, 1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 whole grain pita
3 oz Trader Joe's roasted and sliced turkey breast
2 TBSP almond butter
Dash balsamic vinegar for the pita




After lunch, I was kind of bad and had too many of those cadbury eggs with the candy crunch shell. No more substituting for the dark chocolate allowance...


SNACK (4:30 pm)

Cranberry Pesto Egg Spread:

1/4 cup dried cranberries
1 serving whole grain crackers
1 hard boiled egg, sliced
1 TBSP sun dried tomato pesto
Dash rosemary


DINNER (7:30 pm)

Edamame Cashew Stir Fry:

1/4 cup each diced red pepper, shredded carrots, chopped celery, diced onion
1/2 cup cooked brown rice
1/2 cup shelled edamame
2 TBSP chopped cashews
1 TBSP each OJ and rice vinegar, dash ginger, and chopped scallions

I was able to cook with edamame again! This meal was really yummy. I added cooked chicken to my husband's meal, but I really liked mine just as the recipe directed.




Tomorrow, I am planning to have Berry Walnut French Toast for breakfast, Cinch Caesar Salad for lunch, Berry Smoothie with Hazelnuts for a snack, and the Turkey Mock Tacos for dinner.

Day 4 - Food Inc

Last night I watched Food Inc., which is a documentary made in 2008 about the mass food industry. I was amazed and disgusted at times, especially when they showed how meat is raised, processed, produced, and shipped out for human consumption. The movie was enough to make me want to become a vegetarian, but I just don't think I could do it. I do like meat A LOT, but I plan to start being much smarter about my meat choices in the grocery store, during restaurant meals, and any other place where I might be eating away from home. I realize yet again how important it is to me to eat as chemical-free, hormone-free, pesticide-free, & antibiotic-free whenever possible. I realize this won't always be the case, but when I am able, I will!

And now, back to my Cinch plan. I lost another 3 pounds in 3 days on the Fast Forward. I have now lost a total of 11.5 lbs in exactly 5 weeks. It's amazing how awesome food tastes after you've been eating the same thing for 3 straight days. Thinking back to the first time I completed the Fast Forward phase, I remember how much I loved the variety of foods and flavors that I was having on the Core plan.

BREAKFAST (9:00 am)

Cranberry Cashew Parfait:

1/4 cup dried cranberries
3/4 cup Kashi Go Lean cereal
6 oz. vanilla yogurt
2 TBSP chopped cashews
Dash cloves

This parfait was really yummy. My husband's parfait is on the left, and mine is on the right. His looks like it has more yogurt inside the glass...




LUNCH (2:00 pm)

(This recipe was supposed to use ground turkey, but I needed to use some rosemary ham in the fridge before it went bad.)

Ham Pita "Pizzalad":

1/4 cup marinara sauce, 1/4 cup shredded carrots, 1/4 cup chopped onion, 1/2 cup diced bell peppers, 1/2 cup spring salad greens
1/2 whole wheat pita
3 oz rosemary ham
1 TBSP olive oil
Dash of balsamic vinegar for the salad

This pita pizza tasted SOOOO good! Loved this one. It felt like I was eating so much food too, and the whole meal probably only had about 250 calories. Delicious.



After lunch, I substituted my daily dark chocolate with 6 of the mini cadbury eggs with the candy crunch shell. It was also 100 calories, but this is my favorite candy ever. It's only out once a year around Easter time, so I just had to have a few. I tried to forget about the fact that it's loaded with Yellow #5, Blue #3, etc. UGH!


SNACK (5:30 pm)

Apple, Hazelnut Butter, and Cheese

1/2 of an apple
1 mini Babybel Gouda cheese
1 TBSP Justin's Chocolate Hazelnut Butter

I dipped my apple in the hazelnut butter and ate the cheese on the side.


DINNER (8:00 pm)

California Cilantro Chicken Burrito Bowl:

1 cup chopped romaine lettuce, 1/2 cup all natural salsa, 1/4 cup each green bell pepper, onion, & vegetable broth
1/2 cup cooked brown rice
3 oz cooked chicken, cubed
1/4 medium avocado, cubed
1/4 tsp chopped garlic and 1 TBSP chopped cilantro

I really love this recipe too!



Tomorrow, I am planning to have the Cherry Almond Green Tea Smoothie for breakfast, the Turkey Almond Pita for lunch, the Cranberry Pesto Egg Salad for a snack, and the Edamame Cashew Stir Fry for dinner.

Days 2 & 3 - The Cheater in Me

These past few days have been very busy and stressful, and therefore my Fast Forward phase was a challenge. At first I thought it was easier this time around, but with the added stress in my life (6 daycare appointments and working 2 jobs this week), it was actually harder.

I managed to eat the same meals as Day 1 with a few exceptions and additions (unfortunately...) Here goes me being accountable again:

DAY 2:

I sticked mostly to my meal plan except at dinnertime when I had to make dinner for my husband and son, and then again late at night while I was working on a project my 2nd job. At dinner, I ate a few of the sweet potato fries they were having, and then I had a handful of pretzels around 10:00. My stomach was rumbling, and it was hard to concentrate on writing my report. I had the will power last time, but this time I was weak.

DAY 3:

I woke up this morning, and the scale was down 3 lbs. I was thrilled and super motivated to have a perfect day. And then, I realized that I was out of slivered almonds and raspberries for some of my meals today. I ended up substituting strawberries in my parfait, and my favorite Very Berry Cherry Blend frozen berries for the smoothie. I took the smoothie to work for my afternoon snack, and then I forgot to eat it! On my drive home tonight, I realized that I left it there. I worked on a really hard report all day today, so my focus was completely elsewhere and not on my diet.

Then, when I got home tonight, I fell off the wagon. I had my hard-boiled egg & spinach, and some other random stuff. :-(


I really liked the idea of doing the "detox" part of the Cinch diet again after completing the initial 30 days. But I realized that all of the added stress of this past week really didn't help me very much. I'm ready to get back to the yummy meals again starting tomorrow, and after evaluating myself these past few days, I certainly have all 4 meals planned for tomorrow already. Planning ahead is critical to my success.

On the plus side, I now fit into 3 additional pairs of pants that I haven't been able to wear since before I was pregnant -- Yippee!!

Day 1 - Fast Forward Phase 2!

As I opened my Cinch! Book this morning back to the page with the recipes for the Fast Forward phase, my Shape magazine tear-out page of the Fruity Waffle Sundae fell out from the front of the book. It looked so delicious; I haven’t tried it yet. Wouldn’t you know I can’t eat it? Temptations, temptations…

I made the same tweaks as the last time I did the Fast Forward phase to make it work for me:

• I add a small pinch of sugar to my breakfast raspberries only
• My smoothie snack is in the middle of the day instead of at the end of the day, and I eat the almond butter on the side with a spoon
• I eat vanilla yogurt instead of plain yogurt (and this time I am eating greek yogurt with natural sugar instead of vanilla yogurt with high-fructose corn syrup!)
• I don’t eat the raspberries at my dinner meal
• I cook the spinach for my dinner meal instead of eating it as a salad

Today was actually much easier than I thought it would be. Around 11:30 am, I was sitting right in the middle of a meeting at work thinking about the yogurt parfait that I wanted to eat. My stomach rumbled, and I told it to stop immediately before I became embarrassed. And then, I got hungry again around 3:00 pm, which is usually the time when I have my daily dark chocolate. I ended up having a mug of hot chai green tea & guzzled a lot of water. That seemed to help.

Here was my day:

BREAKFAST (7:30 AM)

Spinach Scramble with Berries and Almonds:

1 cup fresh spinach (sautéed in EVOO spray) and 1 cup frozen raspberries, thawed
1 organic brown egg
2 TBSP slivered almonds
Dash cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon for the berries
Dash oregano and chopped garlic for the spinach scramble

(There really is a cup of berries in that dish under all of the almonds!)



LUNCH (12:30 PM)

Parfait:

1 cup fresh raspberries
6 oz. 100% honey vanilla Greek yogurt
2 TBSP slivered almonds
Dash cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon

Here is my new love (yogurt that is…)



SNACK (4:30 PM)

Smoothie:

1 cup frozen raspberries
6 oz. 100% honey vanilla Greek yogurt
2 TBSP natural almond butter
Handful ice
Dash cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon

DINNER (7:30 PM)

Spinach “Salad”:

2 cups fresh spinach (sautéed in EVOO spray)
1 hard-boiled egg, sliced
2 TBSP slivered almonds
Dashes each balsamic vinegar, curry powder, and chopped garlic

This one might sound weird, but it really was quite delish!


My poor non-stick skillet has been showing signs of deteriorating, and it’s a known fact that once your skillet starts losing its coating, you need to replace it because chemicals in skillets can be cancerous. So, I’ve been skillet shopping. I’ve been doing tons of research (in addition to all that research I did when we registered for wedding gifts!). I do have a high quality stainless steel cookware set, but now I’ve realized that I will be replacing my "non-stick" skillets every 3-5 years. I think that I have settled on the Analon Advanced 12” Open Skillet. Don't want to spend big bucks on All Clad, Cuisinart, Calphalon, etc since I will eventually be replacing it again someday.

But what non-stick skillets do you have? There’s 800+ views on this page. Leave me a quick comment below – I know you're out there. :)

Day 30 - Core Plan Complete

Today was Day 30! It feels like I have been on this diet much longer than that. No more weight loss this week, but I’m about to begin another 3-day Fast Forward this Wednesday-Friday, so that should change. TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS (30 DAYS): 8.5 pounds.

I’ve been much more careful today with the random snacking.

BREAKFAST (8:00 am)

Strawberry Green Tea Muesli:

1 cup strawberries, sliced
2/3 cup Kashi Go Lean
6 oz. vanilla yogurt
2 TBSP chopped peanuts
Green tea leaves



LUNCH (1:00 pm)

Mediterranean Broccoli Couscous Platter:

2 cups steamed broccoli
½ cup whole wheat couscous
3 oz cooked chicken
2 TBSP chopped pecans
1 TBSP lemon juice and dash pepper

I had my dark chocolate right after lunch.

SNACK (4:30 pm)

Minneola Almond Twist:

Wedges from 1 medium Minneola
½ cup non-fat cottage cheese
2 TBSP slivered almonds
Minneola zest and sprinkled with basil


DINNER (7:30 pm)

Wild Rice and Chicken Lettuce Wraps with Citrus Slaw:

4 romaine lettuce leaves, 1 cup shredded purple cabbage, 1/4 cup green onions
1/2 cup wild rice
3 oz cooked chicken
1 TBSP sesame oil
1 TBSP pineapple juice, 1 TBSP rice vinegar, dash pepper, and I added some celery seed.

Day 29 - So Exhausted...

As I mentioned yesterday, my posts will be short for the next few days. I've got so much going on with my husband starting a new job, finding daycare for our son, and 2 freelance projects that I am working on in my 2nd job...

I've been so incredibly unmotivated today. Plus, I haven't slept well for the past 2 days. Hence, some random snacking habits today. I will start anew tomorrow, and I'm really looking forward to the FF phase this upcoming Wed.-Fri.

BREAKFAST (8:30 am)

Peanut Butter & Jelly Lara Bar
Yoplait Honey Vanilla 100% Greek yogurt

I originally packed the Raspberry Brazil Nut Pita for breakfast because the recipe looked delicious in the Cinch! book, but I made the mistake of using thawed frozen berries. When I got to work, I opened my pita that was wrapped in foil, and apparently I didn't drain the water from the berries enough because it completely ruined the pita. Luckily, I had a lara bar in my desk drawer and a yogurt stashed in the fridge at work.

And now I'm in love with the new Yoplait Greek yogurt. As everyone knows, I can't stand plain yogurt, and I've had some remorse about the fact that the vanilla yogurt I've been eating has HFCS in it and goes against the Cinch plan. But this greek yogurt was all-naturally sweetened, and I just can't believe how much I loved it. I only bought one at the grocery store last weekend (as a test just in case I didn't like it), so now I'm going out for more!

LUNCH (1:00 pm)

Cinch! Caesar Salad:

2 cups torn romaine lettuce
1 serving whole grain crackers
1/4 cup fresh shredded parmesean and asiago cheese
1 TBSP EVOO
Dash lemon juice and fresh pepper


SNACK (4:30 pm)

Peppery Kiwi Almond Crunch:

1 medium kiwi, peeled and sliced
1 slice whole grain bread (omitted)
1/2 cup low-fat ricotta cheese
2 TBSP slivered almonds
Dash black pepper


DINNER (9:00 pm)

Minestrone Soup with Whole Grain Crackers:

2 cups mixed veggies (carrots, onions, spinach, zucchini) and 1 cup vegetable broth
1 serving whole grain crackers
1/2 cup kidney beans
No plant based fat (due to my animal cracker binge - see below)
Lots of seasonings in the soup

And way too many animal crackers... Unfortunately, I went on a major pig out session with them this evening. Again, tomorrow is a new day.

Day 28 - Classic Favorites

It was nice to take the day off from my diet yesterday. For date night, my husband and I were originally planning to visit this gourmet hot dog restaurant that is supposed to be a pretty awesome place. However, it was too crowded when we arrived, so we ended up eating dinner at a Mexican restaurant instead. I still found myself ordering foods that fit into the puzzle pieces of the Cinch! diet. I think my brain is trained to eat this way forever! We split chips w/ salsa & guacamole for our appetizer, and I had spicy green lentils with tomatoes & onion, stir fry bok choy with garlic and lime juice, and jasmine rice for dinner (with a sangria of course!). Everything was really yummy. I was proud of myself because I had never tried lentils (beans) or bok choy (veggie) before. It was nice to try something new.

I have realized that since I took the day off yesterday that I have 3 more days of the Core plan, which means I will be starting the Fast Forward phase again this coming Wednesday instead of Tuesday.

Today, I found myself eating some of my favorites from the Cinch! book. Since I actually got to sleep in today, I ended up eating only 3 meals instead of 4:

BREAKFAST (12:00 pm)

(Yes, breakfast at noon on a Sunday!)

Banana Ricotta Hazelnut Toast:

1 slice whole grain toasted bread, topped with:
¼ cup low fat ricotta cheese
½ banana
2 TBSP whole hazelnuts
Sprinkled with cloves



LUNCH (4:30 pm)

Mediterranean Broccoli Couscous Platter:

2 cups steamed broccoli
1/2 cup whole wheat couscous
3 oz cooked chicken
2 TBSP chopped pecans
Minced garlic and 1 TBSP lemon juice



I ended up eating 2 graham crackers and 100 calories of dark chocolate around 6 pm. Maybe I should have had the mandatory snack after all...

DINNER (8:30 pm)

Smoked Gouda and Grilled Onion Salad:

1 1/2 cups torn romaine lettuce and 1/2 cup sliced onion
1 serving whole grain crackers
1 oz. smoked gouda cheese, cubed
1 TBSP EVOO
1 TBSP balsamic vinegar, 1 tsp lemon juice, sprinkled with pepper



This coming week is going to be extremely busy, so I'm probably going to have shorter blog entries. I won't be coming home for lunch tomorrow or Tuesday, so I will need to make sure and have plenty of time in the morning to pack my breakfast, lunch, and snack for each day.

Day 27 - Improvising

I fully intended on eating the 4 meals that I planned for the day, but then I decided to run errands on my lunch break, which meant that I needed both a lunch and snack that followed the Cinch plan since I wouldn't be going home for lunch. I also had a Dr. appt. right after work followed by a visit to the grocery store. I was practically on the go all day today from 7 am to 9 pm. So exhausted...

BREAKFAST (9:00 am)

Cranberry Almond Parfait:

1/4 cup dried cranberries
2/3 cup Kashi Go Lean Crunch
6 oz vanilla yogurt
2 TBSP slivered almonds
Dash nutmeg



LUNCH (1:30 pm)

Salad bar at Giant Eagle:

1 1/2 cups spring salad mix, 6 cucumber slices, 1/2 yellow bell pepper
1 serving Quaker whole grain mini rice cakes
1 hard boiled egg, sliced
8 olives
Dash red wine vinegar



I had my daily dark chocolate around 2 pm.

SNACK (6:30 pm)

McDonald's Fruit and Walnut salad (estimates):

Sliced apples and red seedless grapes
No whole grain
3 oz vanilla yogurt
1 TBSP chopped walnuts
No spices/seasonings

DINNER (8:30 pm)

Chicken Barley Soup with After Dinner Chocolate!

2 cups veggies (carrots, parsnips, onion, zucchini, scallions, asparagus) and 1 cup vegetable broth
1/2 cup cooked barley
3 oz cooked chicken
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Tarragon, basil, parsley, garlic

I love that I can choose chocolate as an option for my plant-based fat puzzle piece.

I am planning to take a break from my diet tomorrow because my husband and I are having a date! I will resume my blog on Sunday.

Day 26 - Mindless Eating Again

I had a fine day on the plan except for the random "putting things in my mouth at non-meal times" again (i.e., a couple of crackers before lunch, a few whole grain tortilla chips after dinner, etc.) I've got to get to the bottom of this mindless eating. Maybe I need to read the chapter in the book about emotional eating again. I am certainly looking forward to my 2nd Fast Forward phase next week. The best part about it is that it forces me to be more disciplined.

I just found a lovely blog from one of my favorite mail order catalogs in Ann Arbor Michigan: Zingerman's. They have some balsamic vinegars that I want to order soon, so I went to their site. And I discovered they have food tours in Italy! Oh, how I would love to go back to Italy and on a guided food tour nonetheless! Check it out in my blog list. I've got my eye on the Sicily tour in Fall 2012.

BREAKFAST (9:00 am)

Almond Toast with Berries and Milk:

1 cup frozen Trader Joe's Very Berry Cherry Blend (cherries, blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries), thawed
1 slice whole grain bread, toasted
8 oz skim milk
1 TBSP Justin’s honey almond butter
Dash nutmeg for berries

LUNCH (1:30 pm)

Turkey Almond Pita:

½ cup shredded purple cabbage (I was out of spinach leaves), 1 medium chopped plum tomato, and ½ cup chopped cucumber
½ whole grain pita
3 oz roasted sliced turkey breast
2 TBSP almond butter
Dash balsamic vinegar and pepper

I'm so glad that I can eat almond butter at every meal if I want to. I love it so much!

SNACK (5:00 pm)

Cranberry Pesto Egg Spread:

(I halved the whole grain and plant-based fat puzzle pieces again, so I could have the full recipe. I find myself doing this a lot.)

¼ cup dried cranberries
4 Trader Joe’s whole grain crackers
1 hard-boiled egg, chopped
½ TBSP sun-dried tomato pesto
Dash dried rosemary

DINNER (8:00 pm)

Pineapple Avocado Tacos:

1 cup fresh pineapple
2 soft taco-sized corn tortillas
¼ cup reduced fat feta cheese
¼ of a medium avocado
Dash pepper and lime juice

Yes, you read that correctly. I've been curious about this recipe since I love the combo of sweet & salty flavors together, but it was in the snack section of the book. I wouldn't have been able to eat it as a snack since I have to eliminate the whole grain from my snack each day, so I decided to try it for dinner telling myself that Cynthia's recipes usually do not disappoint. Well, it was just OK. Not sure I will make it again. It certainly isn't the prettiest thing to look at:

Day 25 - Pre-Pregnancy Weight!

Apparently 4 days of being on the road and not completely following the Cinch plan didn’t derail my progress too much because the scale is down another pound! I am officially at my pre-pregnancy weight. I’m completely elated and super motivated to continue my weight loss journey on this plan. I also tried on a pair of jeans that my Aunt gave me months ago that I could not fit into at the time, and this morning they fit! I am truly amazed and happy with all of my hard work. By the end of this week, I will have lost 8.5 pounds in 4 weeks. And I am about to start all over again on the Fast Forward phase. I'm thinking that I will only do 3 days since that is what the author recommends in the book if you do it a second time. Next Tuesday through Thursday will be Days 1-3, and then I will do the Core plan for another 27 days, which should bring me to about March 23rd.

Today has been much better than yesterday. I went back to work, and luckily I have some fresh food left in my fridge that hasn’t gone bad yet.

BREAKFAST (8:30 am)

Dark Chocolate Oatmeal and Yogurt with Green Grapes:

1 cup green grapes
¼ cup whole oats
½ cup low-fat cottage cheese
¼ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Dash cloves

Unfortunately, my green grapes were rubbery, so I didn’t eat many of them. The cottage cheese with a dash of cloves was better than I thought it would be.

LUNCH (1:30 pm)

Turkey (Chicken) Almond Pita:

(I subbed chicken since my turkey slices weren't defrosted from the freezer yet.)

½ cup fresh spinach, ¼ cup chopped cucumber, and ¼ cup chopped plum tomato
½ whole grain pita
3 oz cooked chicken
1 TBSP raw natural almond butter
Dash balsamic vinegar

This pita was awesome!



SNACK (4:30 pm)

Berries & Yogurt with Crackers & Peanut Butter:

(I halved the whole grain and plant-based fat portions of the recipe.)

1 cup frozen Trader Joe's Very Berry Cherry Blend (cherries, blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries), thawed
4 Trader Joe’s whole grain crackers
6 oz vanilla yogurt
1 TBSP Justin’s Honey Almond Butter
Dash cinnamon



DINNER (7:30 pm)

Tuna Pecan Pasta:

1 cup chopped green beans, 1/3 cup chopped onion, 2/3 cup chopped carrots (omitted mushrooms + increased carrots), and ¼ cup low sodium vegetable broth
½ cup cooked whole grain penne pasta
3 oz. canned tuna, in water
2 TBSP chopped pecans
Garlic, oregano, and basil. This time, I added a dash of balsamic vinegar.

I love this recipe too!

I started working on my upcoming grocery list for this weekend tonight as well. I'm trying some new recipes this time as well as some traditional favorites of both me & my husband while I have been on this plan.

Day 23 & 24 - Ugh

Yikes... the days slipped away, and unfortunately so did my diet.

DAY 23:

I certainly had all the best intentions, which is usually the case with breakfast:

BREAKFAST (9:00 am)

1 cup sliced strawberries
1 slice Nutty Oat bread, toasted (didn't have any whole grain bread available)
6 oz. vanilla yogurt
1 TBSP Justin's all-natural chocolate peanut butter
Dash cinnamon

What I really wanted for breakfast was a bowl of cereal, but there wasn't any milk, so thankfully I was able to use my yogurt that I bought during the beginning of our trip. I mixed the berries with the yogurt and cinnamon, and had the toast with PB. I think that I could eat the different varieties of the Justin's nut butters everyday.

LUNCH (12:30 pm) at Brayten's

Salad Bar:

Lettuce, broccoli, cucumbers, onion, 3 or 4 cherry tomatoes
Garlic toasted rye bread croutons (The best whole grain I could find...Is rye even a whole grain?)
Diced hard-boiled egg and 1/4 cup cottage cheese
7-8 black olives and 1 TBSP sunflower seeds
Pepper

It was hard finding something to eat on the menu that would fit the plan. Especially since I was distracted with my son who was wiggling around and did not want to sit still in his high chair. I was really hoping for a big bowl of vegetable soup, but the 3 soups of the day were something creamy with chicken, chili, and tomato. I still find myself eating a lot of cold foods. I want to start eating cooked veggies with lunches & dinners, but it's hard being on this plan and salads seem like the safest bet. Most veggies are cooked with added salt or sugar.

I had my dark chocolate around 2:00 pm.

I skipped the snack because I knew we were having another dinner where I wasn't sure that I could make the plan fit into the meal.

And then, dinner was where it all went South:

DINNER (6:30 pm):

Salad with orange French dressing
1 slice garlic bread
1 small piece of lasagna
And 4 more pieces chocolate from Charlie's candies...

I managed to skip the homemade cinnamon rolls with almond icing that everyone else was having for dessert, so there is a small victory. And I certainly wanted a bigger piece of lasagna (which was super delicious)!



DAY 24:

BREAKFAST (8:30 am)

Pecan Lara Bar
Cappucino with skim milk

LUNCH (12:00 pm)

Panera Bread:

1/2 Classic cafe salad
Whole grain baguette
Black bean soup
Olive oil in the balsamic vinaigrette dressing
Lots of spices in the dressing and soup

SNACK (4:00 pm)

At a gas station:

No fruit available
1 serving of my Dr. Cracker whole grain crackers
Low-fat string cheese
1 TBSP Justin's all-natural chocolate peanut butter
No seasonings/spices

And I had my dark chocolate right after my snack.

DINNER (7:00 pm)

I was so tired when we got home that I didn't feel like cooking, so I ate a frozen Lean Cuisine instead, the Butternut Squash Ravioli.

I'm so looking forward to getting back to the plan tomorrow.

Day 22 - Snacking Today

Despite all of my efforts, today was harder than yesterday. I've had both victories and challenges. Being away from home is hard. So far, I have learned that I can certainly make the Cinch plan work while traveling, but I still have a long way to go with my will power surrounding the constant need to eat. I don't understand why I contantly feel like snacking? (It's certainly not boredom since we've been quite busy during our trip.)

BREAKFAST (9:00 am)

Kashi Go Lean Cereal, Yogurt, and Lara Bar:

Apple Pie Lara Bar (fruit and plant-based fat puzzle pieces of the Cinch plan)
3/4 cup Kashi Go Lean cereal
6 oz vanilla yogurt
Dash cinnamon

LUNCH (12:30 pm)

Turkey Burger with Steamed Broccoli:

1 cup steamed broccoli
1 slice Nutty Oat bread, cut in half
4 oz turkey burger (this was 1 oz. over what I should have had for the protein)
No plant based fat
Pickles and mustard on the burger and Pampered Chef Tomato Pesto Garlic seasoning for the broccoli

Before lunch, for some strange reason I ate 5 crackers, a bite of a biscuit, and 2 bites of my son's chicken finger while I was waiting for my turkey burger to cook. I was pretty hungry and was multi-tasking way too much, which in turn made my meal take longer to cook. Yet another reason why it is important to plan your meals ahead of time and not be distracted.

I had my dark chocolate 100 calorie bar around 3:30 pm.

No snack today because we were having a family dinner tonight where I wasn't sure I could stay within the plan.

DINNER (6:30 pm)

1 1/2 cups of salad with tomato, dried cranberries, and 1 cup cooked green beans
1 small wheat roll
3 small slices of honey baked ham
Sliced almonds on my salad

After dinner, I had 2 bites of my son's chocolate chip bar and another piece of dark chocolate at my grandma's house. This was a small victory considering that I was thinking about having a whole piece of peanut butter cream pie. And I skipped it -- Yay for me!

After we got home, I got hungry while watching the Grammy's. I was tempted yet again by the nacho cheese Combos in the pantry, but I ended up having another Lara bar instead (the Cashew one). I wasn't too impressed with this flavor. So far, I like the Cookie Dough and Apple Pie flavored Lara bars.

I'm really hoping that tomorrow is easier than today.

Day 21 - On The Road

Today was pretty good considering that I was completely out of my element and traveling on the road. I packed quite a lot of Cinch friendly snacks to fill in the puzzle pieces for any meal that I might be missing. I packed dried veggies, whole grain crackers, Kashi Go Lean cereal, a few Lara bars, a few 100 calorie packs of raw natural almonds, and a few packs of the Justin's all-natural nut butters. And of course, my daily dark chocolate boxes of 100 calorie bars from Trader Joe's! I even gave a box to my Dad. Next to me, he is the biggest dark chocolate fan I know. Here is how the day went:

BREAKFAST (9:00 am)

McDonald's Fruit and Maple Oatmeal and Skim Milk

Dried cranberries and raisins and red & green apples
Oatmeal
1 jug of low-fat skim milk
100 calorie pack of raw almonds
Spices - probably a few in the oatmeal

At first bite, the oatmeal was VERY sweet. And then I noticed that McDonald's has kindly placed 2 nutrition labels on the side of their oatmeal container: 1 with brown sugar and 1 without the brown sugar. They must be anticipating people to order their oatmeal without the added brown sugar.

And the difference is? About 14 grams. Yikes. 32 total grams of sugar in this baby. I ate a little over half of it. Although, I certainly could have kept going because it was tasty. I paired it with skim milk and a package of almonds I stashed in my food & snacks bag.

LUNCH (2:00 pm) at Cracker Barrel

Salad, Cottage Cheese, and Toast:

2 cups tossed salad (lettuce, tomatoes, red onion only)
1 slice of wheat sourdough toast
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1 TBSP Justin's honey almond butter
Red wine vinegar for the salad

This was perfect for the Cinch plan! I was so proud of myself. Although the bread was probably not whole grain. And I did manage to sneak a bite of a biscuit at the table. Oh well...



A few hours later, we stopped at a Wal-mart to pick-up some misc. things we needed. While there, I bought some low-fat cottage cheese and vanilla yogurt to keep on hand at my parents' house. Shortly after Wal-mart, I had my 100 calories of dark chocolate.

SNACK (5:30 pm)

Chocolate Cookie Dough Lara Bar
8 oz skim milk

At my grandma's house, I was getting hungry for dinner. I also sneaked a slice of deli turkey and a piece of dark chocolate after my snack. Being accountable to "the cheater in me" stinks...

DINNER (8:00 pm)

Grilled Chicken Salad and Whole Grain Crackers with Almond Butter:

1 1/2 cups lettuce plus 1/4 cup Just Tomatoes Etc. dried veggies
1 serving Dr. Kracker whole grain crackers
3 oz cooked fajita chicken (I might have had more than 3 oz... yum)
1 TBSP Justin's honey almond butter
1 TBSP apple cider vinegar and Tastefully Simple Tomato and Pesto dried seasoning mixed spices

This was pretty good. I need to find a way to eat cooked veggies. I don't want to keep eating salads during this trip.



All in all, I didn't do too bad today.

Day 20 - Quick Post

Just a quick post for today. I still have to finish packing for our trip tomorrow. I'm going to do my best to stick to my diet while we are in Indiana.

BREAKFAST (8:30 am)

Almond Toast with Berries and Milk:

(I made this one up since I'm trying to use up my berries before they go bad.)

1 cup fresh strawberries and blueberries, combined
1 slice whole grain bread, toasted
8 oz. skim milk
1 TBSP almond butter
Dash cloves for the berries

I also had a cappucino from the work cafeteria for breakfast, but it tasted REALLY sweet. I think it may have had some kind of creamer or sweetener that I wasn't aware of. My taste buds are definitely changing since I have eliminated salt, sugar, and other artificial sweeteners from my diet (with the exception of my vanilla yogurt). I refuse to eat plain yogurt again.

LUNCH (1:00 pm)

Tomato, Olive, and Munster Cheese Pita:

(I made this one up too, so I could use up my tomatoes and olives.)

1/2 cup tomatoes and 2 large romaine lettuce leaves
1/2 whole grain pita
1 slice munster cheese
10 Kalamatta olives
Fresh basil and dried oregano

This was tasty especially as I got to the bottom of the pita where all of my cheese was buried. Yum!



I had 100 calories of dark chocolate around 2:00 pm.

SNACK (5:00 pm)

Peppery Kiwi Almond Crunch:

1 medium kiwi, peeled and sliced
1 slice whole grain bread (omitted)
1/2 cup low-fat ricotta cheese (I subbed cottage cheese)
2 TBSP slivered almonds (I subbed pecans)
Dash black pepper

DINNER (7:30 pm)

Green Tea Chicken with Avocado Corn Salad:

1 1/2 cups field greens, 1/4 cup chopped red onion, and 1/4 cup fresh salsa
1/2 cup corn, frozen
3 oz cooked chicken
1/4 of a medium avocado
Green tea leaves mixed with pepper, garlic powder, and lemon zest

I thought this meal was quite delicious. The green tea leaves on my chicken were a surprisingly pleasant taste.

Day 19 - Down Another 1.5 Lbs.

I have now lost 7.5 pounds in almost 3 weeks! In fact, I am 2 lbs away from my pre-pregnancy weight. My son is almost 2 years old, and I’m just now losing all of my baby weight. I suppose it is better than not bouncing back at all.

This is better than any other diet I’ve tried. I’m absolutely going to do another 30 days of this plan. I have a goal to reach by my son's birthday at the end of April.

BREAKFAST (8:00 am)

Dark Chocolate Oatmeal and Blueberries Mixed with Yogurt:

1 cup fresh blueberries
¼ cup whole oats
6 oz vanilla yogurt
¼ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Dash nutmeg

Dark chocolate for breakfast. *drool* It was pretty awesome.


LUNCH (1:00 pm)

Black Bean Tacos with Cilantro Guacamole:

I altered the recipe to 1 full cup of cooked spinach, ¼ cup chopped red onion, and ¼ cup all-natural salsa
2 whole-corn tortillas
½ cup black beans
¼ of a medium avocado
Lime juice and chopped cilantro

I love these bean tacos. They were especially yummy with the fresh salsa. I finally found corn tortillas that don’t break in half when I eat them. They are the 365 brand from Whole Foods. And my avocados were finally ripe… Wouldn’t you know? I’m getting ready to go out of town for 4 days!



I had my daily dark chocolate and chai green tea around 3:00 pm.

DINNER (6:30 pm)

Citrus Salmon Salad:

1 cup field greens and ½ cup each chopped red onion and chopped green beans
½ cup frozen corn, thawed
3 oz cooked salmon
¼ of a medium avocado
1 TBSP red wine vinegar (I used balsamic instead), dashes of dried oregano and basil, as well as juice & zest from a Minneola

This salmon salad was great!



SNACK (9:30 pm)

Vanilla Almond Frozen Banana:
(I halved the whole grain and plant-based fat portions, so I could eat the full recipe.)

1 small banana
1/8 cup whole oats
6 oz vanilla yogurt
1 TBSP chopped peanuts
Dash cinnamon (subbed instead of the vanilla, since my yogurt was already sweetened)

Oh yum, I really liked having my snack later tonight. I had to rearrange my usual 8-12-4-8 eating schedule today since I took a Latin Mix class at the gym tonight. It didn’t start until 7:15 pm, so I needed to eat dinner earlier this evening.

But anyways, back to the banana. I stuck it in the freezer for ½ hour around 9:00 and took it out to enjoy around 9:30 pm. Look how delicious it is:



Tomorrow, I'm planning to make my meals based on whatever ingredients I have in my fridge that need to be used up before going out of town. Should be interesting!

Day 18 - All Aboard Again!

Today has been much better. I have gotten back on track after venting about yesterday.

I will be traveling 8 hours in the car to Indiana this coming Saturday through next Tuesday to be with my family after the passing of my uncle last Saturday. I will be "tested" with my diet for 4 straight days. Which means, it's important that I do some planning ahead. I am packing 8 Lara bars (for the fruit and plant-based fat servings in my breakfasts and snacks), 8 serving size snack bags of the Just Tomatoes Etc. dried veggies (for lunches and dinners), 8 servings of the Dr. Kracker whole grain crackers, and 4 single size servings of the Justin's Butters. I will just need to incorporate some protein at each meal (such as chicken, yogurt, cottage cheese, or milk). My dad said that a family friend is supposed to be making our family dinner one night, so I will have to make the meal work into the puzzle pieces. Although, if it is the one meal that I happen to splurge a bit, I will not beat myself up because she is a FANTASTIC cook!!

Here were my meals today:

BREAKFAST (8:00 am)

Banana Ricotta Hazelnut Toast:

1 slice whole grain toasted bread, topped with:
¼ cup low fat ricotta cheese
1 small banana
2 TBSP chopped hazelnuts
Sprinkled with cloves

Yes, I'm addicted to this breakfast. This might be the 4th time I have had it now.

LUNCH (12:00 pm)

Zesty Bean and Summer Slaw Pita:

1 cup shredded purple cabbage, ½ cup shredded carrot, and 2 TBSP chopped onion
½ whole grain pita
½ cup cannellini beans
¼ of an avocado (I subbed 2 TBSP sunflower seeds)
1 TBSP orange juice, 2 TBSP rice vinegar, ½ tsp celery seed, dash pepper

My silly avocados are now showing signs of ripening, but they still weren't quite ready for my pita today. I ended up subbing the sunflower seeds, which were pretty good.



SNACK (4:30 pm)

Pineapple Almond Peppercorn Parfait:

1/2 cup canned pineapple
1/4 cup whole oats (omitted)
6 oz vanilla yogurt
2 TBSP slivered almonds
Dash pepper

This was pretty good. Although, I went overboard on the pineapple. I didn't realize the serving size was 1 cup fresh pineapple or 1/2 cup canned pineapple. I ended up eating a full cup of canned pineapple.

DINNER (7:30 pm)

Mediterranean Pasta Salad:

1/2 cup each artichoke hearts, fresh baby spinach, red bell pepper, and red onion
1/2 cup whole grain spiral pasta
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
10 Kalamatta olives
1 TBSP red wine vinegar (I used balsamic instead) and dashes each dried basil and oregano

I was pleasantly surprised by this meal! The artichokes kind of tasted like the earth (hahaha - I'll just say it "dirt"), but the rest of the meal was still tasty. I have only had artichokes in spinach artichoke dip before, which of course is covered in creamy cheese. Hmmmm... now how can I make spinach artichoke dip Cinch! friendly?



No exercise today since my son had Little Gym tonight. I exercised for the past 3 days, so 1 day off will be OK.

I'm considering doing the plan again once my 30 days are through - even starting over with the 5-Day Fast Forward phase again and continuing through another 30 days. I'm not sure what the author's thoughts are about repeating the plan from start to finish a second time.

Tomorrow, I am planning to have the Dark Chocolate Oatmeal with Blueberries & Yogurt for breakfast, the Black Bean Tacos with Cilantro Guacamole for lunch, the Vanilla Almond Frozen Banana for a snack, and the Citrus Salmon Salad for dinner.

Day 17 - Extra Chocolate Pt. 2

I had my fair share of chocolate again today. Although, I’m not going to blame mother nature. I read somewhere in the past that women need extra calories during this time, but I don’t know how much I buy it. Maybe? But I just had a bad day eating overall...


BREAKFAST (8:30 am)

Pesto Breakfast Pita:

1 cup red seedless grapes
½ whole grain pita
1 hard-boiled egg, sliced
1 TBSP sun-dried tomato pesto
Dash pepper

This pita was just OK. It might have been better with a scrambled egg. Not sure I will make this one again. There wasn’t much to this pita; it was rather flat considering the rest of the pitas I’ve been eating lately have been overflowing.

I had about 50 calories of dark chocolate around 11 am.

LUNCH (1:00 pm)

Tomato, Basil, and Walnut Salad with Cannellini Beans:

1 medium chopped plum tomato (recipe calls for 2, but I only used 1)
½ cup cooked wild rice
½ cup cannellini beans
2 TBSP chopped walnuts
1 TBSP balsamic vinegar and dash dried basil leaves

I love this meal! I’ve had it once before, and it’s another recipe that I could eat over and over again. No picture this time since I’ve snapped its photo once before.

I had another 150 calories of dark chocolate after lunch. What has happened to my will power? So, in honor of all the dark chocolate I have eaten, here is what remains in my house...



The chocolate chips are only 60% cocoa, but I couldn't find 70% or greater at the grocery store (70%+ is recommended in the book).

I was supposed to have the Pineapple Almond Peppercorn Parfait for a snack, but I wasn't very hungry around my usual snack time. So, I left my snack in the fridge at work for tomorrow. And then, wouldn't you know? -- As soon as I got home from work, I was hungry. I ended up having some almond butter on whole grain Dr. Kracker brand crackers. I should have eaten my balanced snack instead.

DINNER (7:30 pm)

Black and Blue Salad:

1 cup field greens and 1 medium chopped plum tomato
1 serving Trader Joe’s whole grain crackers
¼ cup crumbled bleu cheese (but I used feta cheese instead)
10 Kalamatta olives, sliced
1 TBSP red wine vinegar and dashes each dried basil and oregano

This salad was OK. I might have overdone the vinegar because my salad was too tangy. And I managed to sneak a bite of my son's mac & cheese as well. :(



I wasn't too impressed with my meals for the day. Maybe my taste buds are off. This is the first time this has happened since I started the Cinch! eating plan. I'm also feeling a bit disappointed in my "lack of structure" over the past few days. These are the exact eating habits that I've been trying to break. I am so much more confident and proud of myself when I stick to the plan. It's time to change my attitude tomorrow.

I felt so guilty about today that I hopped on my elliptical in the basement for 35 minutes tonight (even after I cancelled gym plans because of my cramps – So sorry Holly!! Please forgive me.)

Tomorrow, I am planning to have my favorite breakfast (Banana Ricotta Hazelnut Toast), the Zesty Bean and Summer Slaw Pita for lunch, the Pineapple Almond Peppercorn Parfait that I didn't have today for my snack, and the Mediterranean Pasta Salad for dinner (unless my avocados miraculously ripen overnight). I don't know what is taking them so long. They are organic. I wonder if that has anything to do with it?

Day 16 - Extra Chocolate

I was extra hungry today. I had 2 servings of the dark chocolate, and after my Step Aerobics class, I was starving! I worked out extra hard tonight. So, I had a few whole grain crackers and a Laughing Cow cheese wedge while I cooked my dinner. I've got to stop this random eating. I was doing soooo well! It must be mother nature right around the corner... ugh.

BREAKFAST (8:30 am)

Spicy Grape Parfait:

1 cup red seedless grapes
½ cup Kashi cereal
6 oz vanilla yogurt (Still cannot stand plain yogurt)
2 TBSP sunflower seeds
Dash cinnamon and cloves, dash pepper

This was pretty good. I liked the crunchiness of everything mixed together.

I had my dark chocolate treat around 11:00 this morning.

LUNCH (12:30 pm)

Spinach Walnut Feta Pita:

1 cup fresh baby spinach and 1 plum tomato, chopped
½ whole grain pita
¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
2 TBSP chopped walnuts
Dash pepper and 1 TBSP balsamic vinegar (omitted)

I still cannot figure out how to transport my bottle of balsamic vinegar to work. Plus, since I was going to the gym right after work, I didn’t want to be taking it with me everywhere today. I definitely need to leave a bottle at work.



SNACK (4:30 pm)

Minneola Almond Twist:

Wedges from 1 Minneola
½ cup low-fat cottage cheese
2 TBSP slivered almonds
Dash dried rosemary

I love this snack. I’ve had it once before. Luckily, I have 2 Minneolas leftover from my last grocery trip. I looked for them again at Trader Joe’s this past Friday, but they weren’t there. Since I was planning to have this snack 3 times, I contemplated a few citrus alternatives. I had a bag of Blood Oranges in my hand, but then, I let the cashier talk me into 3 Celebration Grapefruits instead. She insisted they would be gone soon because they are seasonal and extremely delicious. I told her how much I hate grapefruit. She said she hates grapefruit too, but these were very sweet and to trust her. I ended up making the switch, but I don’t have the courage to try them just yet. Perhaps, in a few days… For now, they will just sit pretty on my fruit stand:



DINNER (7:30 pm)

Chilled Herb Chicken Pasta Salad:

½ cup each fresh baby spinach, diced tomatoes, chopped celery (omitted), and chopped red bell pepper
½ cup cooked whole grain spiral pasta
3 oz. cooked chicken
1 TBSP EVOO
1 TBSP balsamic vinegar, and dash each dried basil and oregano

This was outstanding. I felt like I was eating at Olive Garden. But, I did not have this recipe chilled. Have I mentioned how cold it is in Ohio lately? For some reason, I still tend to pick out recipes in the Cinch book that are cold. Well, I modified this one for dinner; keeping the pasta warm and cooking my veggies in the skillet.



Tomorrow, I am planning to have the Pesto Breakfast Pita for breakfast, Tomato Basil Walnut Salad with Cannellini Beans for lunch, Pineapple Almond Peppercorn Parfait for a snack, and the Black and Blue Salad for dinner.

(Come on avocados – you need to ripen already! I’m waiting on you!)

Day 15 - Halfway There!

I cannot believe it has already been 15 days. I'm halfway to the 30-day goal. Although, I fully plan to continue this journey after a month because it's so easy & delicious. Plus, it works for me!

Not much to report today. I started the day still sad with a few ups & downs, and then I spent the rest of the day cleaning and relaxing.

BREAKFAST (9:30 am)

Chocolate Pear Ginger Smoothie:

1/2 medium pear, cubed
1/4 cup whole oats
8 oz. organic skim milk
1/4 cup Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips
Dash ginger

This recipe has potential. Unfortunately, I had to use a bunch of ice to thicken it up, which in turn, watered down the recipe. For my husband's smoothie, we used vanilla yogurt instead, and I had a small taste. His was MUCH better. Next time, I will use the yogurt.

LUNCH (1:30 pm)

Open Faced Pesto Egg Sandwich:

1 cup seedless grapes
1 slice whole grain bread
1 hard boiled egg
1 TBSP sun-dried tomato pesto
Dash smoked paprika

This was pretty good. This was actually a recipe from the snack section of the Cinch book, but if I would have eaten it as a snack, I wouldn't be able to have the whole grain. So, I made it into a lunch. I know that goes against the plan because you're supposed to have veggies at lunch. But oh well. I haven't had grapes in a long time, and the sandwich tasted like deviled eggs on bread. YUM!



I had my dark chocolate around 3:00 pm. Those 100 calories bars from Trader Joe's are a life saver. Otherwise, I don't think I would stop eating chocolate if it wasn't in these easy portions.

SNACK (4:30 pm)

Peppery Kiwi Almond Crunch

1 medium kiwi, peeled and sliced
1 slice whole grain bread (omitted)
1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese (subbed this for the ricotta cheese)
2 TBSP slivered almonds
Dash black pepper

LOVED this snack! I need to eat kiwi more often.



DINNER (7:30 pm)

Layered Cilantro Bean Dip

(I altered this receipe because my avocados aren't ripe yet! I was supposed to make a guacamole for this one.)

3 celery stalks chopped, 1 small red pepper (omitted), and I added 1/4 cup chopped tomatoes
1/4 cup frozen corn, thawed + 6 whole grain tortilla chips (I halved the corn serving, so I could have 1/2 a serving of tortilla chips too.)
1/2 cup vegetarian refried beans
10 Kalamatta olives, sliced
Dash pepper, chopped cilantro, squeezed lime juice

This was a perfect Super Bowl meal! My husband really liked it too.



Back to work tomorrow. I'm not coming home for lunch, so I have to pack breakfast, lunch, and my snack before work tomorrow. Better make sure to have plenty of time! I'm planning to have the Spicy Grape Parfait for Breakfast, Spinach Walnut Feta Pita for Lunch, Minneola Almond Twist for a Snack, and the Chilled Herbed Chicken Pasta Salad for Dinner. I'm hoping to kick my workouts up a notch this week too!

Day 14 - Emotions

I have been an emotional roller coaster today. My uncle passed away early this morning, and I've tried very hard to stay focused. I did manage to sneak a few extra pieces of food in my mouth out of sadness at random times throughout the day. I don't think it amounted to very much, but now I want a glass of red wine... Oh the temptation. I'm not hungry, but my brain needs some kind of an outlet.

Unfortunately, I didn't make it to my Step Aerobics class. I received the news early this morning around the time I was supposed to leave. Plus, it was snowing AGAIN! And I am getting so tired of winter! If the temperature could just hold steady in the 30's for a few days, it would make a world of difference in my attitude. This winter has been really tough.

OK, enough of my rant. Clearly, I'm so over today. I'll just post my meals, and go to bed.

BREAKFAST (9:30 am)

Chocolate Hazelnut Toast with Berries and Milk (made this one up):

1 cup frozen Trader Joe's Very Berry Cherry Blend (cherries, blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries), thawed
1 slice whole grain bread
8 oz organic skim milk
1 TBSP Justin's All-Natural Chocolate Hazelnut Butter
Dash cinnamon and cloves

The Justin's Butters are awesome. I have a few varieties in different flavors, and this one was yummy.




LUNCH (3:00 pm)

(I ate lunch way too late. I had to run to Target and the grocery store after all the tears this morning, and I got home later than I wanted.)

Spinach, Red Pepper, and Pesto Pita (made this one up too):

1 cup fresh spinach, 1/4 chopped red pepper, 1/4 cup chopped celery
1/2 whole grain pita
1 oz. English Cotswold cheese
1 TBSP sun-dried tomato pesto
Dash cracked pepper

This was delicious, but I stuffed the pita so full that it broke apart. I had my dark chocolate right after lunch with a cup of coffee + 1/4 cup skim milk.

Didn't have the snack since I ate lunch at 3 pm.

DINNER (7:00 pm)

Wild Rice and Chicken Lettuce Wraps with Citrus Slaw:

4 romaine lettuce leaves, 1 cup shredded purple cabbage, 1/4 cup slivered red onion (subbed this instead of the green onions)
1/2 cup wild rice
3 oz cooked chicken
1 TBSP sesame oil
1 TBSP pineapple juice, 1 TBSP rice vinegar, dash pepper, and I added some celery seed.

I modified this meal slightly, and it was delicious! Another favorite to add into the regular rotation. My husband really liked this one too.




Tomorrow, I'm planning to have the Chocolate Pear Ginger Smoothie for Breakfast, Zesty Bean and Summer Slaw Pita for Lunch, Peppery Kiwi Almond Crunch for a Snack, and the Layered Bean Dip with Cilantro Guacamole for dinner. And hopefully, no more mindless munching throughout the day...

Day 13 - At Least One Thousand Nuts

I realized today that I have a bunch of nuts. Almonds, pecans, hazelnuts, peanuts, and walnuts. All of my favorites are now represented in a glass bowl sitting on my kitchen counter because I don't have enough room in my cabinets. I've got to make room for other things after I finish my grocery shopping tomorrow.



Yesterday was good. I didn't go off my diet too much. I had the Grateful Dave sub, which had turkey and avocado on the sandwich, and my co-workers bought me a chocolate cupcake. But today, I've had a difficult day, and it's been hard to stay focused. My uncle is living his last days in Indiana (5+ years of living with Alzheimer's), and I cannot be there for my family. I've been crying a lot today, and I have felt like "snacking" off & on. I know this is the emotional eating side that Cynthia talks about in the book, so I'm not going to beat myself up about how I diverted from my plan. I had a handful of my Just Tomatoes Etc. dried veggies and 2 small Dr. Kracker Cherry whole grain crackers that arrived from Amazon.com today. I was so excited that of course I had to try them. Then, as I made my lunch, I found myself snacking on pieces of the chicken and broccoli before measuring out my exact portions. Then again after I got home from the grocery store, I couldn't resist the 2 mini choc chip oatmeal cookies from Trader Joe's. I WILL stay focused tomorrow. The crying has been often today, and I'm just thankful that I didn't go crazy eating (which I have been known to do in the past.)

Onward to the day:

BREAKFAST (8:30 am)

Almond Berry Cottage Cheese: (I made this one up -- we were running low on groceries.)

1 cup frozen Trader Joe's Very Berry Cherry Blend (cherries, blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries), thawed
1/4 cup whole oats
1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese
2 TBSP slivered almonds
Dash cloves

This was super delicious!

LUNCH (1:30 pm)

Mediterranean Broccoli Couscous Platter:

1 1/4 cups steamed broccoli, 1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup whole wheat couscous
3 oz+ cooked chicken
1 TBSP olive oil
Minced garlic and 1 TBSP lemon juice

This was yummy! And then I had my dark chocolate right after lunch. Here it is:



SNACK (4:30 pm)

Cookie Dough Lara Bar (fruit serving and plant-based fat serving)
8 oz skim milk

I loved this bar! I said a few days ago that I didn't like Lara Bars in the past, but this one was good.

DINNER (8:00 pm)

Mozzarella Tomato Basil "Pizzalad":

1 cup chopped tomatoes, 1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 whole grain pita
1 oz fresh mozzarella cheese
1 TBSP olive oil
Minced garlic



I could eat this one all the time. My husband loves this one too. Below is my portion next to the "man-sized" portion. I have to say that after I ate my half, I wished there was more of it. I still am not sure why we only get a 1/2 pita in this plan. All of the other whole grain servings are around 100 calories, but my 1/2 pitas are about 50 calories. What gives?

Well, tomorrow I get to finish my grocery shopping after Step Aerobics class (yay!) I will probably have the same breakfast I made today, but as for the rest of the day, I will have a kitchen full of fresh ingredients to try and make new meals for 2 more weeks. :-)

Day 12 - Down One More Pound

And the scale finally budged! I have now lost a total of 6 lbs in 11 days. I knew it was bound to happen. (Even though knowing my luck, it’s probably just water weight, but hopefully it is fat!)

I’ve been contemplating which “emergency” foods to keep on hand when I cannot prepare my freshly-made meals. Cynthia had a few different suggestions in the Cinch! book. Lara Bars are an option for the fruit and plant-based fat puzzle pieces of a meal. I bought a few of them last week, but I haven’t eaten any of them yet. I have had these bars in the past, but at the time, I didn’t like them. I prefer Luna bars. Hopefully since I bought 5 different flavors, I will find one that I like. She also suggests a few more brands: Just Tomatoes Etc. makes dried veggies and soy nuts. Doctor Kracker makes natural whole grain crackers, and Justin’s makes a variety of all-natural nut butters (the Maple Almond Butter sounds delicious!).

On Amazon.com today, I bought some of the Just Tomatoes Etc. dried veggies and Doctor Kracker Cherry Semolina Culinary Crisps. Amazon also has the Justin’s nut butters, which are packaged in perfectly size packets, but they’re not available right now. I’m going to look for them at Whole Foods this weekend.

So, all in all, my “emergency meal kit” is off to a great planned start!

Here were my meals for the day:

BREAKFAST (8:30 am)

Berry Almond French Toast:

1 cup frozen blackberries, thawed
1 slice whole grain bread
1 egg
2 TBSP slivered almonds
Dash each cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves



Really loved this breakfast! I have to add this one into my regular rotation.


LUNCH (12:00 pm)

Chicken Pesto Pita:

4 large romaine lettuce leaves, 1 medium chopped plum tomato, and ½ cup chopped cucumber
½ whole grain pita
3 oz cooked chicken
1 TBSP sun-dried tomato pesto
1 clove minced garlic




Really loved this pita too!

I had my dark chocolate around 3:00.


SNACK (4:30 pm)

Cinnamon Walnut Apple Crisp:
(I cut the whole grain and plant-based fat servings in half, so I could have the full recipe. I usually have to omit the whole grain from my snack each day)

1 medium apple, chopped
1/8 cup whole oats
8 oz skim milk
1 TBSP walnuts, chopped
Dash cinnamon

I was so looking forward to this snack, but it wasn't as good as I thought it would be. I microwaved my apples, and then stirred the oats and walnuts into the dish, but it was pretty dry. Maybe I'll pour some of the milk over the snack next time to mix it up a bit. Or, I could cook the oats with a bit of hot water first before stirring into the mix.

DINNER (7:30 pm)

Ricotta Primavera Penne:

Mushrooms (omitted), 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper, 1/4 cup chopped red onion, and 1 medium chopped plum tomato
1/2 cup whole grain penne pasta
1/4 cup low-fat ricotta cheese
1 TBSP olive oil
Minced garlic, basil, and oregano


And this meal was just OK. I put marinara sauce into the dish for my family's meal, but left mine as directed in the recipe. I think I missed the marinara sauce!

Tomorrow, my co-workers are taking me out for a belated birthday lunch to Dave's Cosmic Subs. I will be subbing both my Cinch lunch and snack for this outing. So, I probably won't write an entry for tomorrow. But then, I'll be back on the plan like clockwork. I don't want to go off the plan anymore until my 30 days are over, and then possibly not even then either!

Day 11 - I Love Grocery Shopping!

Due to the “media crazed” weather forecast of the imminent snow and ice storm headed for Ohio, I decided to not come home on my lunch break today. Therefore, I had 3 meals to prepare this morning before work (breakfast, lunch, and snack). I had 15 minutes in the kitchen, whipped out all of my ingredients, but I ran outta time to cook my Berry Almond French Toast and chop my veggies for my Turkey Almond Pita. I ended up wrapping up the veggies in foil, packed a knife, and kept the turkey and my ½ pita in 2 additional separate baggies. I hurried up and threw together the ingredients for the Banana Ricotta Hazelnut Toast instead and ran out the door. I learned yet again today how important it is to plan in advance for my meals...

That being said, I started looking over the recipes in the book again in preparation for my grocery shopping next weekend. I decided that I would make the same breakfasts, snacks, and lunches for a few days in a row (to cut down on prep time). Dinner will always be something new each day. A note about grocery shopping: I LOVE IT!! I’ve always loved planning out my meals, making a shopping list, going to the store, and coming home to place everything in my kitchen where I can easily find it. This is probably a huge reason why I am so in love with this plan.

Alright, onward to the fun part… THE FOOD! As I already mentioned, I had the Banana Ricotta Hazelnut Toast for breakfast around 8:30 am because it was easy to make. I’ve had this breakfast 3 times now, and I love it.

LUNCH (12:00 pm)

Turkey Walnut Pita:

1 cup spinach, ¼ cup chopped red onion, and 1 chopped plum tomato
½ whole grain pita
3 oz. Trader Joe’s roasted sliced turkey breast
2 TBSP walnuts
Cracked black pepper

I was supposed to have balsamic vinegar on this pita too, but I couldn’t figure out a way to transport it to work this morning. Maybe I’ll have to start leaving some in my cube at work. Here it is with all of the ingredients before proper assembly:



I had my daily dark chocolate indulgence right after lunch.

SNACK (4:00 pm)

Minneola Almond Twist:

Wedges from 1 medium Minneola
½ whole grain pita (omitted)
½ cup non-fat cottage cheese
2 TBSP slivered almonds
Minneola zest and sprinkled with basil

Great snack! It will be even better in the summer time (on days like today -- January in Ohio -- one can dream of summer...) I've noticed that my meals lately have been cool and refreshing, but I'm so darn cold every day. I need to make some hot meals to warm up.


DINNER (7:00 pm)

Avocado Tostadas:

1 cup chopped romaine lettuce (omitted), ¼ cup chopped onion, and 1 chopped plum tomato
2 soft whole corn tortillas
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I subbed 1/2 cup leftover white and black beans)
¼ medium avocado
Chopped cilantro, fresh lime juice, and lime zest

This one was just OK. It needed more flavor. I might add cumin next time:




Tomorrow, I’m definitely having the Berry Almond French Toast for breakfast that I didn’t get to have today! I will have the Chicken Pesto Pita for lunch, Cinnamon Walnut Apple Crisp for a snack, and Ricotta Primavera Penne for dinner.