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.