Yum-o Alert!!

Lunch is on!


I tried a pita today, and it was really good! Mine was packed with deli turkey breast, carrots, and baby spinach. Verrrrrry good!

I have a confession to make; I am obsessed with protein bars. I eat them for lunch or dinner, or whenever I want something quick. I'm trying to get out of that habit though, because as my husband says "it's not real food!". My husband finally lost it with me the other day at the kitchen table. He saw me unwrapping one, and flipped out. Instead of what I thought was a healthy meal (I do round out those protein bars, don't worry!), he made me eat lasagna that I cooked for the rest of my family. Not what I considered the best option, but when you're married, you learn how to pick your battles!

So in an effort to make real food, quick and easy, I am playing with different things in the kitchen. It has to be fast though, since I have 2 kids who want lunch at the same time. So since I'm being healthy for life, I need to start making better food choices for myself. It really filled me up, and the pita itself was only 90 calories!

I'll be trying different versions of these too. I plan on trying a chicken one and egg whites one later on this week. I can't wait to get different variations. I won't lie either, I got this idea from Bob Harper, and I was really surprised our commissary here in Okinawa had whole wheat ones!

I also plan on trying hummus. I know what you're thinking "what!? You haven't tried it yet!? Are you nuts!?". I know, I know. I'm late to jump on that. I've got the stuff to make it this week though, so never fear!

I know I have to get off the protein bars though, as much as I love them. I have to make this stick for life. I have to make this work for myself! They are good for losing weight, but now I'm trying to maintain. So please don't think I'm preaching that everyone should do what I did and eat protein bars like crazy (I just loved the taste! They have CHOCOLATE ones, y'all!), it just isn't the best option for you. I'm still learning, too.

Until next time,
HarperGirl

Swaps & My Favorite Eats

Guess what I did?

I broke 100 miles! This counter started Jan 1st, 2012. I am way excited about this! So if you've read my previous posts then you know that I've never really been a "runner". Running is my weakness, which is why I do it. I love to do things that challenge me and push me outside the box. I love to see what my body can do when I hit a wall. These are not all distance runs on my counter, some are sprint intervals, HIIT's, or 5K's. So don't take my time into consideration. But look at how many calories I've burned! Just from running! Not even counting all the Bob workouts I've done :) Sweeeet!

Okay so onto other things. This month I've been doing "swaps". I've cut out all soda in my house. I don't drink it, but my husband does. We've successfully gotten rid of it! We've replaced it with citrus tea, which is tea with lemons and oranges sliced up in it. Mmmmm!

Here is another swap I have:

Apple chips! We all have that "one food", right? That one we know isn't healthy but we portion it out just so we can still have it. Mine is tortilla chips and homemade salsa! I traded my tortilla chips for apple chips! I love them. Just slice an apple really thin, paper thin, and put them on a (greased) cookie sheet. Spray the apples lightly with cooking spray, and top with a touch of cinnamon & sugar. Just a little bit will do! Bake at 225 for 1 hour & 45 minutes, or until they are golden brown. They come out crispy! Very yummy! My favorite snack, and my husband steals them all the time from me. My favorite afternoon "down time" activity is my bowl of apple chips and reading a good book.

A swap for my boys:

Instead of snacking on cookies, they are snacking on frozen yogurt bites. Which are exactly what they sound like! Just some parchment paper, your favorite yogurt and a Ziploc bag is all that's needed. Pop 'em in the freezer for a couple of hours and they are good to go! My kids love these on a warm day, or just as a regular snack. I love giving them yogurt bites rather than a cookie or some other processed junk.

My last swap of the month:

I started eating eggs in the morning. I used to just eat a mini bagel, but that isn't enough for my body. Now I have at least 1 egg, plus a fruit, protein shake, or small grain like a mini bagel. Making this swap really benefited me. I wasn't getting hungry at 11am anymore. Big changes for me! Plus I'm getting in more protein!

So these are my favorite eats of the month! I hope making some small changes to your routine will help you as well!

Until next week,

HarperGirl