New Goal

I am beginning a new weight loss goal of 10 lbs by mid-August. I logged my weight in my head yesterday morning, but apparently yesterday wasn't the best day to begin. I was unusually hungry all day long. Hopefully, between yesterday's eating craze and the upcoming Memorial Day weekend, I can still manage to lose 1 lb by next Tuesday 5/31.

Today was pretty good eating-wise, and I went for a nice walk outside too in the Metropark.

BREAKFAST (8:30 am)

1/2 cup Kashi Go Lean Crisp Toasted Berry Crumble cereal + 1/4 cup Trader Joe's dried Montmorency cherries + 2 TBSP chopped pistachios + 6 oz Yoplait honey vanilla Greek yogurt + dash Vietnamese cinnamon and dash nutmeg

LUNCH (1:00 pm)
Out running errands at lunch

1 serving pretzel sticks (not on Cinch plan, I know) + 1 cup salad + Lean Cuisine Thai Style Noodles with Chicken

SNACK (5:30 pm)

1/4 cup 60% dark chocolate chips

DINNER (7:30 pm)

Greek Ravioli:

1.5 oz 90% lean ground beef + 1/4 cup feta cheese + 1 cup sauteed spinach + 1/2 cup Pomi brand chopped tomatoes + 2 TBSP chopped olives + dashes each garlic powder, oregano, and basil + 1 serving frozen cheese ravioli. (I looked everywhere last weekend for whole grain ravioli: Heinen's, Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, and no one had it! I sure wish someone would make it.)

Busy Day Yesterday

I'm still having trouble putting random food in my mouth. Yesterday I had a handful of peanuts at work because someone conveniently brought in a "make-your-own brownie" buffet, and peanuts were one of the toppings. I also had a few pretzels while I was cooking dinner. The problem is that I'm starving when it is time to eat my next meal. I need to start eating sooner, like every 3-4 hours instead of every 5 hours. I am also going to do another FF phase starting in a few weeks on April 17 for 3 days.

BREAKFAST (8:30 am)

Peanut Butter Banana Toast with Milk:

¾ of a banana
1 slice whole grain bread, toasted
8 oz organic low-fat milk
2 TBSP Justin’s maple almond butter
Dash nutmeg


LUNCH (1:00 pm)

Panera Bread:

1 cup field greens & romaine lettuce, 1 chopped vine-ripened tomato, chopped cucumber, and red onion
Whole grain baguette
Black bean soup (black beans, vegetarian broth, onion, red bell pepper)
Balsamic vinaigrette for salad. Cilantro, garlic and cumin in soup.


SNACK (5:30 pm)

Coconut cream lara bar
8 oz organic low-fat milk

I had my daily dark chocolate during my snack today.

I jumped on the elliptical for 40 minutes after work.


DINNER (7:30 pm)

Spinach Orzo Pasta with Feta Cheese and Cranberries

1 cup sautéed spinach leaves, ¼ cup shredded carrots, ¼ cup sautéed diced red onion, plus ¼ cup dried cranberries sweetened with apple juice
½ cup whole grain orzo pasta
¼ cup herb and garlic feta cheese
2 TBSP pistachios
Dash balsamic vinegar

Love, love, loved this meal!!

Plus, I had a handful of chocolate chips after dinner.

Day 2 - Modifications

I am enjoying making up my own recipes that follow the Cinch plan. Although, I had to modify the plan slightly since I was eating dinner at my in-laws.

BREAKFAST (8:30 am)

Fruity Waffle Sundae:

1 cup frozen Trader Joe's Very Berry Cherry Blend (cherries, blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries), thawed
1 Van’s brand whole grain waffle
¼ cup part-skim ricotta cheese
2 TBSP chopped pistachios
Dash Vietnamese cinnamon


LUNCH (1:30 pm)

Cran-Broccoli Chicken Pecan Wrap:

1 cup shredded broccoli slaw plus ¼ cup dried cranberries sweetened with apple juice
1 whole grain tortilla wrap
3 oz. cooked chicken breast
2 TBSP chopped pecans
Dash balsamic vinegar, dried mustard, garlic powder

I know that in the book you’re supposed to have fruit at breakfast and snack, and then vegetables at lunch and dinner, but in search of new recipes, I sometimes combine fruit and vegetables in the right portions. And this wrap was awesome!


I had my daily dark chocolate right after lunch.


SNACK (4:30 pm)

Apple pie lara bar


DINNER (7:00 pm)

8 steamed asparagus spears
1/2 cup sweet potato
3 oz. pork tenderloin
¼ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips after dinner
Dash pepper on asparagus spears

And I had 2 glasses of Chardonnay, which is not allowed on the plan, but I rarely drink alcohol anymore, so I will not beat myself up about it.

Day 17 - New Favorite Breakfast

Today was slightly better. It certainly started out great with my new favorite breakfast:

BREAKFAST (8:00 am)

Fruity Waffle Sundae:

1 cup frozen Trader Joe's Very Berry Cherry Blend (cherries, blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries), thawed
1 Van’s brand whole grain waffle
¼ cup part-skim ricotta cheese
2 TBSP chopped pistachios
Dash Vietnamese cinnamon

I could eat this breakfast everyday. The Banana Ricotta Hazelnut Toast used to be my favorite, but this one is even better!




LUNCH (12:00 pm)

Mediterranean Lentils with Couscous:

1 cup chopped cucumber and 1 chopped plum tomato
½ cup whole wheat couscous
½ cup cooked lentils
1 TBSP olive oil
Minced garlic




SNACK (4:00 pm)

Cinnamon Yogurt with Apple & Peanut Butter:

1 Gala apple, sliced
6 oz. honey vanilla Greek yogurt
1 TBSP Justin’s all-natural chocolate peanut butter
Dash Vietnamese cinnamon


DINNER (7:30 pm)

Layered Bean Nachos:

3 celery stalks chopped, ½ cup shredded carrots, ½ cup shredded purple cabbage
Too many whole grain tortilla chips :/
½ cup vegetarian refried beans
¼ cup all-natural guacamole
Dash pepper

This alteration of nachos was very yummy!

Day 13 - Back to the Gym!

It was so nice to squeeze in a 3 mile walk with my friend Holly after a long hiatus. I really missed the gym over the past few weeks, and I'm looking forward to getting back into my group exercise classes.

Today was pretty good on the Cinch plan until the end of the day where I ate way too many animal crackers. And if I'm being completely accountable, I also ate 2 dark chocolate peanut butter cups from Trader Joe's. They are extremely good, and I'm going to get my Daddy some next weekend when he comes to visit us. :-) He loves dark chocolate too!


BREAKFAST (8:30 am)

Cranberry Cashew Parfait:

1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup Kashi Go Lean Crunch cereal
6 oz. honey vanilla Greek yogurt
2 TBSP chopped cashews
Dash cinnamon and cloves


I had my daily dark chocolate around 11 am again today!

LUNCH (1:00 pm)

Leftover Avocado Crab Dip with Whole Grain Tortilla Chips:

½ cup celery sticks, ½ cup all-natural salsa, 1/4 cup shredded carrots, 1/4 cup sliced red bell pepper, ½ cup chopped cucumber
1 serving whole grain tortilla chips
3 oz lump crab meat
½ of a medium avocado
Lime juice and chopped cilantro

SNACK (4:30 pm)

Lemon Lara Bar
8 oz. organic skim milk

DINNER (7:00 pm)

Leftover Pistachio Nut Dusted Chicken, Wild Rice, and Salad:

Salad with 1 1/2 cups romaine lettuce and 1/2 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup wild rice
3 oz cooked chicken
2 TBSP crushed pistachio nuts
Balsamic vinegar for the salad

Day 11 - Feeling Better

I'm not 100%, but I am getting there. I suppose there is a light at the end of the tunnel. I'm actually quite surprised how quickly I jumped right back on the Cinch plan. I spent 3 straight days of random eating; I was sick and stressed out all of last week; Mother nature paid me a visit; The scale climbed up 3 lbs.; and amazingly I started over yesterday with no problem. I think this "diet" will be easy to maintain over the long-term.


BREAKFAST (8:30 am)

Strawberry Green Tea Muesli:

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


Love, love, love this breakfast. The breakfasts in this plan are easy to pack on-the-go for work.




LUNCH (1:00 pm)

Spinach Walnut Bleu Cheese Pita:

1 cup fresh spinach and 1 large chopped plum tomato
1/2 whole grain pita
1/4 cup bleu cheese
2 TBSP chopped walnuts
Dash balsamic vinegar


As I ate my pita today, my co-worker right next to me said "Something smells good." She looked to see what I was eating, and then my other co-worker pops his head over my cube and says "Seriously? How do you have time to make that?" I actually realized how easy it is to throw a plum tomato in my lunch bag, pack a handful of spinach in a ziploc bag, measure 2 TBSP of walnuts in a side container, wrap a pita in foil, pack a knife, and keep some balsamic vinegar on hand at work. Sounds like a lot, but it took me 5 minutes this morning to pack both my breakfast and lunch. I already had a snack waiting on me at work, so there was no need to pack one.

SNACK (5:30 pm)

Lemon Lara Bar
8 oz. organic skim milk


DINNER (8:00 pm)

(I made this one up based on a recipe in the book.)

Pistachio Nut Dusted Chicken, Wild Rice, and Sauteed Spinach with Tomatoes:

1 cup fresh spinach leaves, ¼ cup green onion, and 1 chopped plum tomato - sauteed
½ cup cooked wild rice
3 oz cooked organic “Smart” chicken
2 TBSP chopped pistachios
Dash basil and 2 TBSP balsamic vinegar for the spinach and tomatoes; Dash garlic powder and tarragon for the chicken

This one was quite yummy!