Day 3 - Success

I'm so tired tonight. Other than a handful of animal crackers that I had after dinner, today was mostly successful. A quick post for the day:


BREAKFAST (8:30 am)

Cranberry Cashew Parfait:

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


LUNCH (1:30 pm)

Thai Chicken Wrap:

1 cup chopped cucumber and 1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 whole grain tortilla wrap
3 oz. cooked chicken breast
2 TBSP Justin's maple almond butter
Dash balsamic vinegar


I had my daily dark chocolate around 2:00 pm.


SNACK (5:30 pm)

Ginger Snap lara bar
8 oz. organic skim milk


I have found a new favorite lara bar, the ginger snap. It is so yummy!


DINNER (8:00 pm)

Zucchini and Black Bean Quesadillas:

1 cup sauteed zucchini, 1/2 cup sliced red onion, and 1/2 cup all-natural salsa
1 whole grain tortilla wrap
1/4 cup black beans plus 1/2 oz. cheese
1/4 of a medium avocado
Dash cumin

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 1 - Starting Over Again

Wow... Other than the burger I had last Thursday, I've actually done quite well over the past few days that I have been missing again. My son was sick all last week with a double ear infection. It was the most awful thing to see his poor little eyes crying out in pain. I was off of work most of last week taking care of him since he could not go to daycare with a fever. What a relief that he is feeling better today.

I've absolutely had no time to post my Cinch meals over the past few days, but I'm attempting to start again. In exactly 30 days is my son's 2nd birthday and also the date that I set for myself back in January to reach my weight loss goal. I am 6 lbs away from that goal. Here goes the next 30 days! (And then, I'd like to start toning for summer...)

BREAKFAST (8:30 am)

Maple Almond Plum Toast with Milk:

1 plum, peeled and sliced
1 slice whole grain bread, toasted
8 oz. skim milk
1 TBSP Justin’s maple almond butter
Dash nutmeg

LUNCH (1:00 pm)

Asian Sesame Chicken Wrap:

1/2 cup sliced red bell pepper, 1 cup sugar snap peas, 1/2 cup shredded carrots
1 whole grain tortilla wrap
3 oz. cooked chicken breast
1/2 TBSP sesame oil plus 1 TBSP slivered almonds
Dash pepper


I had my daily dark chocolate right after lunch.


SNACK (4:30 pm)

Kimi Nutmeg Almond Crunch:

1 kiwi, peeled and sliced
No whole grain
1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese
2 TBSP slivered almonds
Dash nutmeg


WORKOUT (6:15 pm)

30 minute workout on the elliptical trainer


DINNER (7:00 pm)

Chicken Fajitas:

1/2 cup sauteed onion, 1/2 cup all-natural salsa, and 1 cup sauteed red, green, and yellow bell pepper strips
1 whole grain tortilla wrap
3 oz. cooked chicken breast
1/4 cup Wholly guacamole
Dash cumin

And I had about 8-10 tortilla chips while I was cooking. I was starving!

Day 2 - So Far, So Good

After my post yesterday, I tried to mentally "record" the many food decisions that I was faced with today. It started with breakfast when I toasted my bread in the cafeteria. "I saw the apple cinnamon crumb cakes all beautifully wrapped up in a bowl; I wondered how much the chocolate chip cookies were; I noticed they started adding hummus to the refrigerated case; I thought the type of flavored coffee they made for the day sounded yummy; I looked to see what the salad was for lunch today; the dept admin brought in banana bread and carrot cupcakes and told everyone to come and enjoy." All of this while I simply used the cafeteria toaster!!!

Around 9 am, I realized that I forgot to eat the side of hazelnuts that I brought with me. Around 11 am, I started thinking about my lunch, but managed to keep working hard on my projects, so I wouldn't eat it too early. After lunch, I reached for my desk drawer to have a 100 calorie dark chocolate bar, but I was out! I dug in my change purse for coins (since I never keep cash on me) with the thought that I would check the cafeteria vending machine for a hershey's dark chocolate bar (none available). I realized that I would just go without chocolate today. Then, around 3 pm, someone decided to buy 12 boxes of different kinds of ice cream bars, and the entire marketing department went to get one.

I'm sure there were more food decisions today, but man -- I am tired just thinking (and typing) about it. Amazing that I made it through unscathed:


BREAKFAST (7:30 am)

Banana Ricotta Hazelnut Toast:

½ banana
1 slice whole grain toasted bread
¼ cup low fat ricotta cheese
2 TBSP whole hazelnuts
Dash cinnamon


LUNCH (12:00 pm)

Baja Bean Salad with Whole Grain Tortilla Chips:

1 plum tomato chopped, 1 cup chopped cucumber, and 1/4 cup salsa
1 serving whole grain tortilla chips
1/2 cup kidney beans
1/4 cup Wholly guacamole
Dash cumin




SNACK (3:00 pm)

Apple, Gouda, and Chocolate Peanut Butter:

1 cup apple slices
No whole grain
1 Babybel gouda cheese
2 TBSP Justin's chocolate peanut butter
Dash cinnamon


I had my dark chocolate when I got home from a Dr. appt around 6:30.


DINNER (7:30 pm)

Cranberry Chickpea Orzo Salad:

1 cup sauteed spinach, 3/4 cup chopped zucchini, and 1/4 cup dried cranberries sweetened with apple juice
1/2 cup whole grain orzo pasta
1/2 cup organic chickpeas
2 TBSP slivered almonds
Dash red wine vinegar and dried parsley

Yes, I know the cranberries were technically a "no-no" since you're supposed to have only veggies for your lunch and dinner meals. BUT WHATEVER! Did you see the crazy day I had, and the yummy goodies I could have eaten?

Day 1 - Starting Over

I've been missing for a few days, and I confess it is because I have been randomly snacking and not wanting to be accountable to my blog. I haven't really been able to understand why; I cannot find any explanation in the book, nor do I feel that the exercises help me understand my behavior. I wonder if my random snacking is purely rebellion at this point? (Unfortunately, I have always considered diet success to be an "all" or "nothing" measurement.)

I think it's related to the number of food decisions we make in our daily lives. A Cornell study published in 2009 said that participants estimated they made about 15 food decisions per day. But, when they answered specific questions about when, what, how much, where they ate, and who made decisions about meals, the participants actually made an average of 221 food-related decisions each day.

"So many food decisions are made on mindless autopilot," Brian Wansink, the John S. Dyson Professor of Marketing and of Applied Economics at Cornell, said in a prepared statement. Wansink said the problem with making more food decisions than we are aware of is that each decision is influenced by the environment.

He has published a book: "Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think" that maybe I should read.

Although today was quite difficult, I made it through...


BREAKFAST (9:00 am)

Berry Wafflewich (folded in half like a sandwich):

1 cup frozen Trader Joe's Very Berry Cherry Blend (cherries, blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries), thawed
1 Van’s brand whole grain waffle
8 oz. organic skim milk
2 TBSP Trader Joe’s all-natural almond butter
Dash nutmeg

LUNCH (12:30 pm)

Refried Bean Wrap with Side of Broccoli florets:

1 cup fresh spinach, ¼ cup all-natural salsa, ¾ cup raw broccoli
1 whole grain wrap
½ cup vegetarian refried beans
¼ cup Wholly guacamole
Dash cumin

I had my daily dark chocolate right after lunch.

SNACK (5:30 pm)

Peppery Kiwi Almond Twist:

1 kiwi, peeled and sliced
No whole grain
½ cup skim-milk cottage cheese
2 TBSP slivered almonds
Dash pepper




DINNER (8:00 pm)

Toasted Tuna Pita with Tomato and Cucumber Salad:

1 cup chopped cucumber and 1 plum tomato, sliced
½ whole grain pita
3 oz tuna
No plant-based fat
Balsamic vinegar for the salad/Pickle relish and dried dill for the tuna pita

(I did manage to have a few of my son's sweet potato fries at dinner too.)

Day 18 - I Need Groceries

I have noticed my fridge is becoming bare, and I have been using the same ingredients for the last few days in my meals. I actually like using the same ingredients in different ways, and I'm getting a bit tired of the same recipes from the book. So, I'm thinking that in preparation for my next grocery list this weekend, I might try making up my own recipes on most days. Although, I will probably still use some of my standard favorites from the book...

Well, since I said yesterday that I could eat this breakfast everyday, you better believe I ate it again today.

BREAKFAST (9:00 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

LUNCH (1:00 pm)

Bean and Guac Wrap with Balsamic Slaw:

(I created this one to use up some food in my fridge.)

1/2 cup shredded carrots, 1/2 cup shredded purple cabbage, and 1 cup fresh spinach
1 Trader Joe's whole grain tortilla wrap
1/2 cup white beans
1/4 cup all-natural guacamole
Dash balsamic vinegar

I was starving when I got home for lunch, and the devil side of my brain was screaming "snack while you prep". My angel side yelled back saying "no, just hurry up and make something quick before you can even think about what to snack on". I hurried and pulled all ingredients out of the fridge to make this wrap, and I was so proud of myself for not snacking before this meal. This is my weakest problem lately; I need to start planning for my next meal an hour before I actually plan to eat.

I had my daily dark chocolate right after lunch.

SNACK (4:00 pm)

Cinnamon Yogurt with Banana and Almonds:

1/2 of a banana, sliced
6 oz. honey vanilla Greek yogurt
2 TBSP almonds
Dash Vietnamese cinnamon

DINNER (7:00 pm)

Mediterranean Broccoli Couscous Platter:

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

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!