oatmeal banana raisin pancakes!

i absolutely love starchy breakfast foods--waffles pancakes muffins.  it's a guilty pleasure for sure.  nowadays, my guilty conscience doesn't really let me eat those foods though unless i know exactly what's in them or i feel like i'm going to like offend someone ha.  so today i was craving pancakes, which happens a whole hell of a lot.  i've been experimenting with recipes, more using protein powder for like a post workout snack or something to have instead of chocolate, but i wanted something a little more legit for breakfast.  i have seen the recipe for the biggest loser's oatmeal pancakes so i can't take complete credit for my recipe, but i definitely just used that to go off of.

Here's the link for that recipe:
Biggest Loser Oatmeal Pancakes

So it basically calls for oats egg whites cottage cheese and some flavoring--cinnamon, vanilla.

MY recipe, I used:

1 cup steel cut oats (just what I have here in the kitchen)
1 cup liquid egg whites (about 4 egg whites)
1 egg
1 banana (this is in place of cottage cheese since we don't have any, could try greek yogurt too)
2 tbsp PB2 (I seriously put this in everything)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup/a handful of raisins
PAM

Turn the skillet to medium heat and spray your pan with PAM or whatever you want to use.  Butter is always good, I just wanted to avoid the extra calories.

Mash up the banana in a bowl, doesn't have to be super smooth.  You can also put the ingredients in a blender; unfortunately the only one I have is small and probably wouldn't fit, so I just do it by hand. Either works.  Add the oats, egg, egg whites and PB2 and whisk until combined.  Then stir in the cinnamon and raisins.

Cook them up in the skillet and voila, you have a healthy pancake alternative.  The only thing I think would make a difference in my recipe is using actual egg whites from eggs.  Liquid egg whites caused mine to spread away from the oat mixture when I poured them in the pan.  I think using real egg whites would help keep it all together better.

Mine made 4 pancakes, I made them rather big though.  Probably should make about 6, or 3 servings, as per the Biggest Loser recipe.

If you make them big like I did, about 4 pancakes, it's about 257 calories per pancake.  If you make them the normal size, ha, it's only about 171 calories per pancake.  If you don't want the raisins, that would make them less caloric as well.  Either way, a healthy alternative to regular full fat, processed flour pancakes.

healthy changes in the kitchen

so having to buy my own groceries has been fun yet way too tempting.  i have to admit that in the first two weeks of moving out of my parents house we bought some...for lack of a more perfect word...shit.  like i actually let us buy doritos.  i'm so ashamed.  anyways, we got that kick out of the way.  i'm sure none of that helped with my whole weight thing, which i'm obviously realizing, so now we and by we it's probably more me since guys can eat whatever the hell they want and like lose weight, buying healthy foods.

today has been a good day to start.  i decided instead of dieting which literally lasted like 3 days, i'm just going back to enjoying food and just trying to lose the whole cow-grazing syndrome i tend to get into, especially when i'm bored.  i woke up extra early today--don't work till 1 so i normally sleep in till about 8--but i got up around 630 before steve left so i could get my HW done and get a sensible workout in.  i'm on this big english muffin kick.  like i don't know what it is about them, i legitimately have to have them in the mornings or i'm not a good person to be around.  it must be those nooks and crannies.  who doesn't love those. that's gross i'm sorry.

anyways, they've been having some good sales on english muffins at the g-store and normally we get the whole wheat/light whole wheat ones, but unfortunately those ones weren't included in this weeks sale, so we got the cinnamon raisin and the whole grain (if you don't know whole grain doesn't mean much--you really do want to look for WHOLE WHEAT).   so i started the day with a cinnamon raisin EM with peanut butter and a banana. very budget friendly and within my healthy but good means.

after that i hit the books and got some BS done and then headed to gym.  i do love that i can walk to the gym.  it's legit like under half a mile away.  i got a half an hour done on the bike while i read some info for my other class (exercise phys is legit ripping me a new one).  then i did a pretty tough leg workout--

started in the smith machine with some lunges--3 sets of 10, started with 20 lbs on the bar and then went to 40 and then 50.  i really want to get some sexy legs so i need to push the weights.

then i did the leg press--3 sets of 12 followed by 3 sets of 12 calf raises on the same machine.

then since i wasn't with steve i did some girly things.  i did the add and abductor machine (inner and outer thighs/hip flexor machine--or the im spreading my legs please dont look at me machine--or simply put the slut machine).  then i did some kettle bell single leg cross dead lifts (i may have made that up but i don't feel like looking up the actual name; i know exactly what i'm saying, HA) and finished with some hamstring ball curls.

overall a decent workout.  i want to get in a routine so that i'm willing to spend a little more time at the gym though.  baby steps.

as i mentioned before, i've been on a protein smoothie kick.  today's menu consisted of a mocha protein shake

i have seen recipes on pinterest for these but never really thought to try it, mainly because i like to get some fruit in there.  but i gave it a whirl because i had left over coffee from this morning.

basically it consisted of:

1 c coffee
1 healthy choice vanilla frozen greek yogurt
1 scoop chocolate protein
4 ice cubes (needed more but i had none, naturally)
splash of half and half and dash of cinnamon

under 300 calories-depending on your protein-which is what i try to stick to

as i'm sitting here writing this i am on to lunch and i must say i did a good job.  i made a tuna sandwich--nothing fancy, just a basic sandwich.  i do use mayo i just try to do equal parts mayo and mustard to lower the cals a lil bit.  add tomato, spinach, and a pickle and that was that.

i had some edamame in the fridge that needed using up (we have so many vegetables it like forces me to eat them--try it, if you're poor you'll feel guilty wasting it)

so it threw those in a saute pan with a tsp of oil, some cajun seasoning and ranch seasoning and i have to say, they are DELICIOUS.  some thing i definitely plan on making again.  you really can make vegetables fun, seriously, i'm not lying.

this is the half eaten lunch--i couldn't resist, i was hungry.

VIRGINIA IS FOR LOVERS

oh hey blog, where have you been all my life? (you have to sing that like rihanna).  so clearly, i haven't blogged since, ohhh, 'nam.  it has been brought to my attention (cough cough ally--shoutout, i miss you!) and i suppose a lot has changed so i should probably get back to it.

so i don't live in PA anymore, yay!  check that wish off the list.  steve and i moved down here, arlington, va, end of november.  he got his first PT job in college park, MD and they gave him a potential start date of nov 19th-ish, so i freaked out and looked into transferring to a UA down here.  well that happened, i am still an associate manager and i am working at the potomac mills mall in woodbridge, va.  i pretty much started working, scratch that, I DID start working the morning after we got here.  we didn't even get to move into our apartment that night because we hit traffic and missed the realtor's hours.  so that was annoying.  steve actually didn't start working until we had lived here for about a month because it was a pain in the ass to get his PA license transferred to MD.  so we were legitimately living off of my income, which let me just tell you what i make in a month is what our rent costs--not including electric, for the first month.  that and our credit cards, so it wasn't the easiest start.

needless to say it is what it is and here we are.  we live off of columbia pike, about two miles from arlington and honestly it's great.  we can walk to pretty much anything we need--gym, groceries, bars, etc., so that's awesome.  our apartment is small but perfect really.  just a one bedroom, which due to the lack of couch that we own, is really a studio with a huge empty closet/laundry room without the washer/dryer part.  so our bed has been in the living room since we got here or else we'd be doing it hippy style and watching tv from the floor on the beautiful rug i thankfully splurged on.



this is a picture of the outside when we moved here in the fall.  pretty classy joint eh?

anyways, steve finally started working and making money.  he got a nice little sign on bonus so we have lived somewhat comfortably, but with the bills and trying to get out of credit card debt we've got a ways to go there.

as far as my fitness and eating goes, i've been okay, but the stress has been eating me alive and i've actually gained like 7 lbs since i moved.  i cannot express to you how bitter i am about that either.  WE WALK EVERYWHERE WTF IS GOING ON.  sorry rage black out.  no but really the store i transferred to has been like hanging by a thread since i got there.  i came in and basically all of the previous management staff had left, so there was the assistant manager who had only been there a week or two when i got there and another associate manager who had been there for going on 5 or 6 months. so staff wise we were okay, but the ASM had already worked her ass of to get the store in some kind of  shape and she did a great job but she was basically doing it all by herself.  i like to think i helped when i got there, giving that i have a pretty smart head on my shoulders and know how things go since i've been with the company for almost 2 years.  so things were okay, frustrating, but okay.  then the other associate manager ended up being let go so there was only two of us.  that's somewhat where the stress started for me.  knowing there were only 2 of us meant working more hours and taking on more responsibility. it was just us 2 running the store for about two weeks.  we had a store manager that we were just eagerly waiting to start, but even then, the first week he was there was just going to be training so it'd basically be another week of really just us two working.

don't get me wrong, i love UA and the products, but i do not love working in retail.  it pays well and is somewhat easy to move up into, but honestly if i were to get promoted i'm not sure i would take it.  especially moving to a store down here since corporate is right around the corner.  there are a lot more random visits and visits in general and i don't care enough to have the pressure on my shoulders all the time.  i can definitely see myself working in corporate, i just hope i can wait it out for as long as that may take.

anyways, so work has been stressful and meanwhile all this is happening, obviously i'm in school, and classes started up again, which is just one more thing i have to worry about, and then there's the cleaning and the cooking.  it has definitely been a lot to jump into and i'm not settled in enough that i've been able to get my head straight on my weight and food.

i have had a couple episodes of binging, which has led me to really want to diet, and i do want to diet, but i don't think that i'm far along enough in my journey to recovery to be able to restrict my eating.  i really need to just get into a routine and not stress so much.  i'm hoping i'll finally be able to take some PTO soon; i legitimately haven't had more than one full weekend off since i moved, and that's been rough especially since steve has weekends off.

on a positive note, i've been quite the little chef lately!  i've been on a big protein smoothie kick for post workouts and making protein pancakes/muffins for sweets instead of constantly craving chocolate and indulging in those cravings.  i've also been a good housewife and made some yummy meals that have been healthy but boyfriend approved.

hopefully i'll be able to take some time out of my days to share some of my recipes with you--i'm definitely cooking more than i used to and i don't like to follow recipes, so i just wing it, and come up with some good stuff that i'd love to share :)  stay tuned!

SMOOOTHIES

i freaking love smoothies. i seem to get on this annual kick where im like obsessed with buying fresh fruit and yogurt and coming up with delicioso meal replacement drinks.  i blame the weather...since it's FINALLY starting to be a little consistent with the sun and the temperature.  i've always been more into eating fruits and veggies and i get bored of eggs with peppers or just an apple by itself so why not make a fabulous concoction ehhh.  so not that i've come up with anything crazy, i figured i'd share my smoothie recipes on the days that i make them.  this mornings breakfast is a mango strawberry peach smoothie. yummo.  i prefer to use fresh fruits, but for consistency i usually try and use at least one frozen because it makes it a little thicker and my blender also sucks and doesnt blend ice well. i always end up with chunks because im not patient and it's annoying.

recipe:
3/4 cup frozen peaches ~50 calories
1/3 cup strawberry halves ~15 calories
1/2 cup mango ~54 calories
1 container chobani strawberry greek yogurt ~140 calories
1/4 cup simply orange juice ~28 calories
3 ice cubes

throw it all in a blender, and voila you have creamy healthy breakfast, lunch, or dinner.  add some coconut rum and you have a nice by the pool cocktail haha. i don't ban drinking remember. thats just boring.

nutritional facts:
calories: 286
fat: 0g
carbs: 57g
protein: 16g
sodium: 67g
fiber: 5g
sugars: 48g

my first break through..eek!

AHHH i'm so going to be one of those girls right now.  so after months of struggling and feeling HARRRIBLE as thom from queer eye would say about an awful decor (i don't watch tv anymore only queer eye) today was like the first day that i was excited about myself and the work i've been putting in.  so i really haven't been doing anything unusual...i actually ran outside today for the first time in like 2 weeks--got about 3 mi in couldn't run the whole thing as per usual but no big deal.  it's also my first workout since sunday which is a long time for me. but besides the point whenever i get home from a run i have this habit of looking at my stomach.  whenever i lost weight in the past i loved my stomach and after every run i would look at it to see if it was more defined than like 30 minutes before haha so i guess i just do it as a habit now.  but i was like stunned.  for the first time my stomach is actually starting to flatten again and my wittle abs are starting to show through...ive got some work to do for sure still but im happy for once at where im at. i took a picture of myself which i really feel gay about doing but i should be able to gloat about something that could be life changing right? like when am i actually excited about myself really and i can use this pic as my before pic (one that i feel i can put on the internet without wanting to die)...anyways i'm like freaking out and this could really be a turn for the better for me.  honestly i think the less pressure i put on myself and the less i stress myself out about my weight (i havent lost any weight mind you) the harder it is for me.  ive been keeping track of what i eat, trying to mix up my workouts but other wise not dieting...at all...i mean it...i eat healthy on reg basis but ive literally had some sort of ice cream or dessert every day for the last 3 weeks. so i guess besides bragging and being excited for myself i wanted to put this out there more for the fact that it is possible to lose weight and feel better about yourself by making tiny steps and LIVING while doing so. you seriously just have to be patient...that's it.

quick quinoa and a non kettlebell kettlebell workout

well its humpday. and i'm pretty ready for this week to be over...not that it ever ends since i work everyday but i definitely have less hours towards the end of the week so thats what i can look forward to.  i havent gotten to get any running in yet this week which is putting some pressure on me to get my 10 mi goal but im hoping to get at least 2 on the treadmill tonight. we shall see.

in other news, i had a bit of a binge day yesterday--its bound to happen and i dont hold grudges unless it happens like 3 days in a row. so today has been like a "make up day" if you will and i've been doing quite wonderfully if i do say so myself.  had the morning off so i actually got a good breakfast in and had time to make my quinoa for lunch, which i shall share my easy peasy recipe here in a bit.  breakfast i had the usual egg white scramble with my onions and peppers and i threw in some turkey sausage crumbles and a little bit of cheese.  topped that off with chipotle tabasco, a slice of rudi bread, coffee and an apple and i had about 380 calories there.

i had been meaning to make up the rest of my quinoa for a while now and i decided today would be a good day for it.  it isn't anything more time consuming than cooking noodles so that 15-20 minute process was the hardest thing about the whole meal. and of course it only came to about 400 calories take a little.  quinoa is also really filling, you get a good bang for your buck and i probably couldve eaten even less and saved myself some calories but since i knew id be at the gym all night i figured id get the calories in early--thats how i prefer it anyway.

so i took the remainder of my boxed quinoa and cooked it up -- for 1 cup of quinoa add 2 cups of water, bring to a boil, simmer and cover for 10-15 minutes--usually takes me the full 15.  the water will be soaked up/evaporated and you'll see a white ring around the kernels.

in the mean time get the rest of your ingredients together:

• schwanns roasted peppers and onions--i used a handful which prob came to 1/2 cup (3/4 cups is 60 calories)
• morningstar crumbles--once again i didn't measure but a serving is 2/3 cup at 80 calories so it was close enough to that
• 1/2 cup of spinach
• 4-6 tbsp. salsa
• 1/4 of an avocado
• cheese if you want (i used half a slice of american because it's all we had, not my preferred choice)

i took the roasted peppers and onions and the crumbles combined them in a bowl and microwaved for a minute or so, then topped with the cheese, microwaved for another 25 seconds, and stirred to combine.  once the quinoa was done i put it into that mixture as well.  i used the spinach as more of a bed/liner and lined the bottom of a bowl with it and put the peppers, crumbles, cheese, quinoa mixture on top.  then topped it off with chipotle tabasco (clearly a staple of mine), salsa and avocado and wallah you have a meal.  after i took the picture i basically just stirred it all up and destroyed my presentation.  it was very tasty, quick, healthy, and satiating as well.

nutrition facts:  ~375 calories/serving, 14g fat, 3g sat. fat, 10mg cholesterol, 44 g carbohydrate, 10 g fiber, 6g sugar, 19 g protein, 34% vit A, 9% calcium, 19% vit C, 24% iron

filled with good fat! nomnom (i hate when people say that and me and steve <3 tend to mock things with it, so its appropriate)

so the workout so far today was a take on a kettlebell workout my boss/trainer did at a kettleball class and wanted to bring it here with the use of dumbbells.  it was somewhat just thrown together timing wise and basically i was the lab rat for it but it was a pretty good workout for sure, lots of squatting!

what i have written down isn't the exact sequence i did, but is basically the same thing.  you would want to set your interval timer for 30 seconds on 10 seconds off 12 rounds and when you go to the next sequence, youll press start again. we didn't do it like that and it kept getting all messed up so that's the somewhat revised way of doing it.  i had 10 lb, 12 lb, and 15lb dumbbells on hand bc somethings were harder than others.  i probably used the 12 and 15 pound weights the most

single arm reverse lunge with a swing thru kick - hold the weight with your right hand just about the shoulder area and youll just keep it there through the whole process, do a reverse lunge and when you come up swing your leg through.  from there youll go straight into a reverse lunge again. 
high swings - swing the weight between your legs and bring it up over your head
repeat single arm reverse lunge with kick with other leg

youll go 2x through for each set/exercise

single arm clean - squat and put dumbbell towards the floor, pull up to your shoulder and repeat
presses - just press up from the shoulder
single arm clean - switch arms

single dumbbell squat - hold dumbbell with one arm and perform a squat
goblet squat - hold dumbbell at your chest with both hands and perform squat
single dumbbell squat - switch arms

single arm swings - using one arm, swing dumbbell between legs and up straight in front of your chest, not above your head
alternate catches - perform single arm swings, when you swing up in front of you let go with one arm and grab with other arm, swing, and repeat
single arm swings - switch arms

--take 1-2 minute break--

single arm rows - bent over row, you'll do 5 with one arm, switch to the other do 5, then 4 with one arm, 4 with the other, and so on down to 1 then go back up to 5.  this may take up to 2 minutes so you may have to either adjust your timer or just go through it and then start your timer (you only have to go through this once, but you're always welcome to do more)


single arm clean and press -  same as single arm clean but combine the press at the end
alternate single arm clean and press - alternate clean and press with both arms
single arm clean and press - switch to other arm
(you'll be doing 2x through again)

front plank in pushup position - hold plank from hands instead of elbows (no dumbbell for these)
up downs - start in pushup position, then go onto elbows and repeat
front plank in pushup position - repeat

tricep extension - hold dumbbell behind head with arms bent and push straight up
bicep curls
tricep extension

straight arm side plank - same as front plank in pushup position but to the side
russian twist - in seated position hold dumbbell with both hands and touch floor on either side of body continuously
straight arm side plank - switch sides

bench press
windsheild wipers - continue holding bar and swing your legs up straight to either side
bench press

DONE!
if you feel like running like i suppose i feel like doing then do before or after.  i got a good 3 hour break though--sorry ima cheater!

1st baby goal...check!

ahhhh my first goal complete.  it's a good feeling.  i haven't really been setting goals for myself over the years...at least not realistic baby step goals.  goals more like i'm losing 30 pounds by tomorrow!! not really...i'm not that stupid but you get my point.  so my first goal..which i actually set 2 weeks ago but never really got a good chance to start...was to run 8mi in a week.  i finished that off today and actually ended up running about 8.5 total.  most of my runs were outside because it was SO nice out, but 2 of them i had to get done on the treadmill at work.  today it's back to being gloomy and rainy so i had to do the treadmill.  todays mindset of running on the treadmill was: this is going to go awful (the usual), said i'd get at least 1 mile done without stopping, and finish up my last half to get the 8 mi in.  well today was the first day that i could run, told myself eh i'll wait about 3 songs and then look, and i ended up being about .16 over when i said i'd stop.  well that was a good feeling, so i said i'll get the last oh .34 over with so i can be done.  went a couple of songs and i was over again! i basically ended up going about 2 mi without stopping and walked about .60.  i was super pumped because usually i'll start running...it'll feel like ive been going for at least a mile and i'll only be at like .46 which is where i start getting frustrated.  so i think that today was a sign i'm finally getting into shape again.  although my knee wasn't super happy with me nothing is new there and nothing a little ice wont cure.

so despite my groggy drag myself out of bed mood i was in, i am now feeling good.  prob wont push myself into doing anything else, but hope that i can at least keep my eating on track today.

so as i stated above, counting the songs i think helped me push through today.  some of my favorite songs to run to are:

Chris Brown - Yeah 3x
LMFAO - Sexy and I know it
LMFAO - I Work Out (for obvious reasons)
Lady Gaga - Born this Way
Katy Perry - Fireworks
Chris Brown - Forever
Pitbull ft. NeYo - Give Me Everything
Lil Wayne - Knockout ft. Nicki Minaj

I think they have a good rhythm that keeps you going and they're also upbeat songs, which I find seems to also help keep me going because I can think positively about what I'm doing.

so here's to sunday funday and a new goal next week - i'm thinking i'll weigh myself at the end of the week and I'm going to go for 9-10 mi.

"just keep swimming"
                     -Dory