Its almost a month!

So today I will post a picture of myself for tracking purposes. Granted it is (from a blackberry so not good quality) and from a Lord and Taylor fitting room in a SUPERCUTE dress that I found and wanted ever so badly .. but alas there is no need to buy summer clothes anymore :(

That is part of my "shopping diet" - do not buy things that I dont need right now or ever. Anyways this dress is a size 10. I would ideally want to be on the side of 6-8 so onward with the diet...

Monday August 30, 2010 I ate:
Trader Joes Peach Yogurt
Coffee
Lunch was:
Trader Joes multigrain crackers dipped in my homemade Babaganoush, and then some more crackers  with some really good cheese. Unsure if I mentioned it before but it is called Boursin cheese in garlic and herb flavor. It is a random soft cheese that is delicious and KOSHER! I got this at Fairway but I have heard they sell it at Costco as well.

At around 5 oclock when I left work and began my afternoon errands I started getting shaky.. this happens when I dont eat humongous filling lunches, so i got a Snickers bar to hold me. I know, not good for diet at all but unless i wanted to pass out on the F to Queens I had to do something to keep the blood sugar up. So yummy snickers it was!

I took my brother grocery shopping at Arons in Queens on Kissena Blvd. (Highly recomended this place it is the Queens version of Pomegranite!) we perused cheeses, fruits, veggies, meats and the like while listening to Heimish music. Fantastic.

So dinner was a takeout sushi roll called "The Storm" I didnt even look what was inside it was covered in spicy mayo and eel sauce so I grabbed! Blech- I dont like water chestnuts or carrots in sushi so gross.. but whatever 4 huge pieces in I was satiated so I stole 2 of Hubbos Tuna Tempura roll and I was good to go.

Later snack of a dinosaur plum completed my random day of eating..

Random I know but I think I noticed a difference in how clothes are fitting these days.. a bit less flab rolling over the sides of pants/skirts and if thats not a great achievement than I don't know what is!

BABAGANOUSH

So yesterday was a normal day foodwise not cheap but definately healthy!
Breakfast
Splurged on an ice coffee in the morning- splurging for me is $2 from the awesome cafe on the corner.. Starbucks was cut out a long time ago :(
Banana
Lunch
Went out with friends at NY Lunchbox and got 2 sushi rolls - Spicy salmon avocado and tuna avocado.. I highly recomend their sushi rolls bc they are huge and filling (8 pieces per roll) and 9 bucks for 2! Cheap in the kosher world!
Dinner
After a random trip where we stumbled upon Fairway in Paramus (where I stocked up on Australian licorice and organic treats) I came home and made fajitas.
I had never made these before and kind of winged it. Sauteed sliced onion and yellow and orange pepper added strips of pepper steak, chili powder, paprika, and salt/pepper. Chopped up some tomatoes and red onion and wrapped it all in these soft tacos (Fairway). Delicious .. my only regret was not having the energy to wash the bigger frying pan to make more.. next time.

I realized that it was Thursday night and I needed to cook for Shabbat.. so in the theme of cheap and healthy I made my own Babaganoush!! I know it is soo easy and I am honestly embarrased I haven't done it before. I first learnt it was possible when I was in Israel and my "free bird" sister in law made it right in front of me..

So last night I did it and it looks delicious (at least imo):

1 lg eggplant (cut in half and cook on 400 for 45minutes to an hour aka one episode of Dexter :)

2-3 cloves garlic

2 Tbsp lemon juice

2 Tbsp Tahini (crushed sesame seeds purchased in Israeli food section)

salt/pepper to taste

EVOO

I roasted the eggplant then scooped out the inside and threw it in a bowl (you can also food processor this but I am not into cleaning the huge contraption). So immersion blended it was! Added all ingredients except the EVOO. Mix it all up and drizzle EVOO in until desired thickness/taste etc.

Voile! ( I think thats how you spell it)

I also made a fantastic beef barley soup this morning before work but I will post soon!

Also this is my first pic on the blog woop woop!

Chili with a baked potato YUM!

Also at Trader Joes i picked up 2 artichokes at $0.69 each so i cooked those alongside a new chili experiment. I picked up a chili cookbook at Marshalls recently for $3.99 and have so far tried out two.

Yesterdays was simple enough

1 chopped yellow onion
1 lb ground turkey
1 28 oz can diced tomatos
1 can black beans
1 can red kidney beans
1 Tbsp cumin ( I only did 1/2 Tbsp and that was too much for me)
1 Tbsp chili powder

I think that was it .. pretty basic: Just saute onions, add turkey, break apart. Then add cumin and chili powder once turkey is no longer pink. Add cans and cook for 10 minutes or longer.

I threw it on a baked potato and yummo dinner!
I tried this recipe but didnt like it as much as the traditional recipe without cumin. I think I'll try a new one next time.

Also I went on the bike last night for the first time in over a week! Last week was just too tiring.. I was healthy and watched what i ate but too tired to do much else.. So 2 miles yesterday... I think I can even go longer next time.. which will either be tonight or thursday night!

Good Luck to me!

Trader Joes

Woa I cant beleive it has been a week since I posted.. Pretty shameful.. anyways I am back on the bandwagon after a night of watching Food Inc. Highly recomended to inspire anyone to watch what they eat!

So last night i went to Trader Joes to stock up on some organics and honestly their prices are not so bad. When buying organic you have to expect to spend a bit more but honestly a couple of cents more wont kill anyone, especially when their prices arent bad to begin with. And they have a wonderful kosher selection also.
So here is what I got for any interested:

3 organic romaine hearts- $2.79 (cheaper than 3 non organic in other stores)
yogurts - 79cents (tons of flavors and not made with cows treated with rBST)
multigrain crackers- $1.99
pita crackers - $2.49
Red pepper spread - Delicious and only $1.99 for a pretty nice sized container
Avocados- 4 for $2.99!
Regional cucumber - $0.79
Organic bananas- $0.29 each.. kind of pricey for me but i did it
Cranberry harvest rolls - $2.79

So go to your local Trader Joes because its worth it!

Lazy Days...

Just a quick post of yesterday...  I have discovered a new snack which is not good becuase my diet consists of meals only.. but this is healthy (maybe..) so allowed! It is Australian licorice- originally discovered from my friends who just got back from Australia but easily sold/accesible at Fairway @ 2.49 a bag!

Monday August 16, 2010

Breakfast
Banana/coffee
Yogurt
Lunch
Quinoa salad w/tomatos/avocado/cucumber (lemon juice/salt/pepper dressing)
Dinner
Sushi Metsuyan- Kawasaki Roll (Yummmm) and 3/4 of Noodles w/sauteed veggies - so delish and usually I stay away from carbs but I was starving and my budget does not allow for more than 1 sushi roll per person.
Late night snack - Australian Licorice in Strawberry flavor (super super delicious .. tastes like a big fruit snack!)

Thats it!

-Jessica

Monday will be a new start!

Oh man...
Yesterday started wonderfully... I was all ready to be healthy and fit.. and then my second night in a row of Carlos and Gabbys got to me.. I gave up and 3 vodka brownies later I was off the wagon.

To recap:

Wednesday
Breakfast
Yogurt/banana/coffee
Lunch
Gross salad w/feta and grilled veggies
Snack- only because I had to throw away part of my soggy salad and was still starving!
Medium Berrywild frozen yogurt -1/2 plain 1/2 coffee
Dinner
Carlos and Gabbys (yum! but not good for diet)- 2 chicken zingers w/buffalo wing sauce and 1/2 a plate of nachos w/chili, guacamole, olives, corn, jalapeno sauce and many other delicious toppings!

This may seem horrible but just over a month ago i was eating at Carlos and Gabbys WEEKLY and sometimes not even once a week but 2 TIMES A WEEK!! So I view this week as a small failure because I went on Wednesday night (obtaining a free order of Buffalo fingers for later use) not knowing that I would be eating C&G's again on Thursday!

Which brings us to...
Thursday
Breakfast
Yogurt/banana/coffee
Lunch
Terriyaki chicken salad w/balsamic vinegarette (!) Such a good dressing recipe involving Balsamic vinegar, mayo, ketchup, mustard, EVOO and italian seasoning...
Dinner
More  C&G zingers and BBQ chicken salad..
Fail
3 VODKA brownies w/icing and sprinkles
I even took a chocolate chip cookie to snack on but then put it down because that is just NOT OK!

Friday
Breakfast
1/2 banana, vanilla yogurt, granola/coffee
Lunch
5 Honey BBQ chicken zingers dipped in avocado sauce ( FREE and sitting in my fridge too easy to say no to!)
Dinner
Promises to be an epic fail but hopefully I can pull through with no carbs and some protein and veggies.

Unsure if anyone noticed but this week was a bad week on the exersize front.. there were no bike rides only social obligations and tv, food, and sleep. So Monday will be a new fresh start!

Shabbat Shalom to all!

-Jessica

Back in the Game

Wow weekends are failures. This weekend was particularly brutal as we were away for Shabbat and then in Chicago Sunday/Monday for a wedding.. So there was no excersize except for dancing at the wedding ( I would not normally count that but we are desperate here)
So to recap:

Friday, August 6,2010
Breakfast
banana/coffee
Lunch
1 leftover slice of homemade whole wheat pizza
5 honey wheat pretzels dipped into green olive dip
Snack :(
baskin robbins soft serve ice cream
Dinner
carrot soup, Amazing Honey garlic chicken, Cauliflower popcorn, potato kugel, cake/lemon square
(and this was not eating everything offered... hence how Shabbat is horrible for diets!)

Shabbat/Sunday- I am skipping as the amount of food consumed is unnaceptable.. and that is even with cutting back significantly..

Monday-
Breakfast
Banana
no lunch just snacked on some Snyders of Hanover pretzel cheese sandwhichy things
Dinner @4 pm
1/2 a caesar salad w/ 1/4 baked ziti (shared)
Snack @ 10:30 pm
honey bunches of oats cereal w/milk

Tuesday-
Breakfast
Banana/Coffee
cottage cheese double with peaches
Lunch
Tuna melt wrap w/tomatos from Books and Bagels
Dinner
1 slice of pizza and a diet lemon snapple (I didnt actively do this but I was at a meeting and the food was provided for us)

soo slowly but surely I am getting back in there! I wish myself energy to get on the bike tonight!

-Jessica

Day 2

I am still trying to work out how i will be organizing this blog.. as i really list what I did the day before .. but oh well for now:

Thursday, August 5, 2010
Breakfast:
Banana and Coffee
Lunch:
Same grilled veggies salad w/feta, EVOO, Mrs. Dash
Dinner:
Whole Wheat Pizza w/homemade tomato sauce (aka can of crushed tomatoes, EVOO, italian seasoning), fresh mozarella (combined w/ regular pizza cheese also for hubs),tomatoes, and dried basil - As part of my "money diet" going out for fresh herbs etc is not entirely prudent so dried will have to do for now!
I found the recipe on http://www.eatingwell.com/ and loved browsing the site for more healthy, useful tips!

Excersize:
This blog is working because last night when I got home (after walking 13 blocks to the dentist and being told i have 3 cavities..) I DID NOT want to go on my bike.. but then what would my blog followers say??
so..
1.5 miles on the bike ( I know its not as much as my goal but I was so tired I am just proud of myself!)

Going into the weekend is difficult because on Shabbat (I am Orthodox Jewish) whether i go to friends or family all people do is make fatning food!! Challah, Kugels, meats, and way too many desserts for someone on a diet ... Hopefully this blog motivation will help me say no!

So wish me luck, Have a good weekend, and Shabbat Shalom!

-Jessica

Hello World

Hello Unknown Blogger World!

I have been stalking blogs (fashion, baby, food etc.) for awhile now and have always wanted to start my own. I wrote clothes blogs in my head and thought i'll start that soon..but alas i did not!

I am a shopoholic (trying to recover) and I am not obese, extremely overweight, or any of those labels (at least imo) but I recently discovered that while i looked at these fashion blogs,catalogs, women in the street I always thought  I would love that  ..  if it only looked on me the way it looks on her... and now because of these feelings i have been working with i decided it is time for a  REAL DIET!

 I recently started what i call my "healthy diet" and i will catalog it here (food and excersize logs) along with my weekly weigh in.. along with any other things i may feel like sharing (a bit of traveling, fashion, my unbelievable deals! etc.) The goal here is to lose weight (and not shop!) I will look good in my clothing that i own and not feel the need to buy something new that just makes me feel attractive while all of my old and "must have at the time" clothes sit forlornly in my closet waiting for that day when i will be comfortable in them again.

I am 5"3 and a half and as of today weight 160lbs ( I know!!) My goal is to lose at least 20 lbs. and look and feel good.  In my past at 125lbs I was a STICK so I dont care to go there (but if it happens i wont complain :)

So here we go:

Wednesday, August 4:
Breakfast:
Banana and coffee (starbucks pike place roast w/fat free vanilla creamer)
Lunch:
Salad consisting of: romaine lettuce, tomatos, cukes, roasted veggies (peppers, zuchini, yellow squash and portabello mushrooms) and feta cheese drizzled with EVOO and Mrs. Dash original seasoning (my go to healthy dressing)
Dinner:
Flounder- cooked with a little butter, lemon juice, dried basil, tomatos and salt and pepper
Mashed idaho potatos -w/garlic powder, butter, s/p (I know! i will try to be better )
and dark cherries as dessert

Excersize:
2 miles on my new awesome bike- http://www.amazon.com/Stamina-1300-Magnetic-Resistance-Upright/dp/B001ICNNOY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1281037987&sr=8-1
100 stomach crunches (I havent done these in years but i MUST try and tone myself i am a flabball! I will post a picture of myself tonight as my Before  picture.

But that is it for now..

Wish me luck!

--Jessica