The joy of soy

Lets be honest ya'll, two years ago when I decided to become a vegetarian I was so scared that I wasn't going to get enough nutrients and vitamins everyday. I thought it was going to be so hard to get protein and fiber in my diet. I thought that all I was going to eat was soft, curdled tofu, and water.

WRONG!

Thanks to the company Morning Star, I can easily get the protein and fiber I need for my diet (ahem, lifestyle). The best part about their products is that they taste just like real meat! The burgers are so yummy, as well as the chick'n patties!

For those of you who still eat meat, let me tell you how fabulous Morning Star products are; about every product has a nutritional guide that tells you how much better eating soy is. They

compare the colesterol count, caloric count, sat/trans fat count, etc.

Morning Star also has little snacks (well not so little, I usually have to split a bag with one or two of my friends) that are so satisfying, they have soy chick'n nuggets which are delicious (and if you fed them to your children, they wouldn't know the difference!) Another snack choice they have are the spinach & artichoke nuggets and the brocolli and cheese nuggets. The taste might sound weird at first, but those two are my favorites!

My last recommendation from these products would be the "meal starters" which come in either soy chicken or soy ground beef. These items you can add to just about ANYTHING, pasta, spaghetti, salad, tofu, stir fry, or you can even prepare it by itself!

If you're still skeptical on trying out Morning Star products, go ahead and check out their website, or look on youtube for people who have reviewed the products.

Each box/bag can run anywhere from $2.00-$5.00; most grocery stores sell them for $5.00, but Target (yes, Target!) sells them for about $2.50 each!

You can access their website by clicking on this link http://www.morningstarfarms.com/ and you can access coupons you can click on this very long link:

http://gosublogger.com/2009/07/morning-star-farms-coupons-extra-100-saving-with-morning-star-farms-coupons/

Try out different products and tell me what you think!

Happy dieting,

-Brittany

small plate = small portions!

Let me introduce you to dinner..

This dinner was 500 calories! And the best part about it was it was low in sodium, filling, and was cut into 2/3 smaller portions. One thing I do throughout my day with my meals is use smaller plates. I can not push the fact of how important this is, always use smaller plates, bowls, and eating utensils.

Breakdown of dinner:

1 cup Home made mashed potatoes: 200 calories

1 cup of cooked, canned corn 100

1 packet of Mahi Mahi fish, 60 calories (two pieces = 1 serving)

The Mahi Mahi was cooked with I can't believe it's not butter, which is another 90 calories (1 tbsp) and I also added half a lemon...Well, I squeezed the lemon juice onto the fish while I grilled it on the pan.

The Mahi Mahi cooks in about 7 minutes on the grill (when frozen), and the corn takes another 5 minutes. The mashed potatoes are homemade. No butter or milk added!

It's a very satisfying dinner, and the mahi mahi was delicious! It's an easy meal to make after school or after work!

One way that I count my caloric intake and activity intake is the counter on www.caloriecounter.about.com

It's an easy way to know everything you're taking in and what you're taking out, and if you have an iphone or blackberry they have apps that you can download on your phone so you can access the website anywhere and make good decisions no matter where you are!

Shrunken face

Today when I was at the gym I ran to the restroom to water down my face and cool down. I looked in the mirror and noticed how thin my face is getting. That's where I always lose weight first is in my face.
Since every workout I do is always full body, low impact, high impact, cardio, and weight training, I have been noticing that my legs are starting to be more toned as well. :)

Here's what I did today at the gym:
*Stationary bicycle: 40 minutes at 7.0MPH
*Weight training and toning: 20 minutes
*Walking for a cool down, 17 mins at 2.5 MPH

Total calories burned: 789 (based on my height and weight)

My workout wasn't as intense as I wanted it to be; I was at the gym for about 1 hour and 40 mins total which is about average for one of my days off from work, but usually I go balls out..So I'm thinking about going running tonight once the sun goes down so I can burn more calories. :)

And a tip for anyone who needs to find a good pick me up after workouts; before you grab those nasty protein shakes that build you up and make you bulk, try eating an apple. Apples are packed with so many vitamins as well as fiber. Fiber is an essential thing for your diet (especially if you don't eat meat or meat products).
After a good workout (burning anywhere from 550-1,000 calories) I either eat peanut butter (2 tbsp) on wheat toast or an apple. :)

Starting a new.

One thing I've learned through my years of yo-yo dieting is that you must be 110% ready to lose weight and change your lifestyle in order to lose weight, become healthy, and be happy with yourself.

It took me 10 years to become ready. From the time that I first became chubby, to the point where I first started crying when I couldn't believe how much I had gained within my lifetime.

It's been an emotional roller coaster to say the least, but I know I'm ready now.

So far I've been dieting since February 1st, 2010, and I've been active with my workouts since February 23rd, 2010.

Here is the beginning to my adventure. :)