Taking Shape for Life

I have seen people lose tons of weight using Take Shape for Life for years but I always thought I could do it on my own. I have been trying to lose the last 15-20 lbs of pre pregnancy weight for almost two years now and it wasn't happening. In fact while eating healthy I gained more weight... soo I joined. The plan is basically 5 Medifast meals or "fuelings" a day and one lean and green meal a day. I was so inspiring on my weight loss journey that Eitan even decided to join in on the fun. So in an effort to document here are my weeks worth of "lean and greens". AKA the one meal a day I get to eat. Also I started this one week ago and here are the stats:

Beginning Weight: 165

Todays Weight: 159

And that is with a lenient Shabbat! (post to come)

Lemon Garlic Chicken and lemon green beans

Steak with roasted cauliflower and sautéed spinach with onions and garlic

Salmon with sautéed bok choy and cole slaw and roasted brussels (had to eat around the carrots)

Turkey Burger with roasted brussels and cauliflower

I think I would have probably lost more if I was a stickler on the portions of the veggies, oils, and protein but its my one meal a day and I still love food, and its working.. so I will stick with this lenient approach as to not go crazy!

Here is to another weight of losing!!

Soup Season

Soup Season is upon us (kind of) and I have found myself making at least 2 a week. Usually one meat and one dairy or pareve. This soup recipe is a go to classic that I love:


Olive Oil
1 Onion
3 garlic cloves
1 cup of carrots
1 32 ounx can diced tomatoes
1 box of vegetable stock
1 can red kidney beans
1 small can vegetarian beans
salt
pepper
oregano
basil
dill


Saute the onions in the olive oil (just a dash) for a couple of minutes then add the garlic and carrots. A couple of minutes later you can add the rest of the ingredients with several generous shakes of the spices. Delicious and filling and healthy!

Happy Winter.

The last meal

I started the real deal diet this morning (again) so last night went to Basil to eat my last supper.

Basil Fries

Bianca- White pizza with roasted garlic and rosemary
Pencil Asparagus with golden beets and jalapeno

Wild mushroom and goat cheese and a marghareta 

Funnel Cakes!

SO SO delicious. I wish I wasn't obsessed with food it would make it much easier to diet.

Swimming!

I have been talking about starting to swim for about a year now. I know it is the best way of exersizing when pregnant and even bought goggles to go. Alas I never went until last night. So only about a year and a half late.. not bad. My friend and I went and did 10 laps and man I felt it after. I actually got a bit seasick from lack of glasses and goggles but hopefully next week I will remember the contacts and goggle combo so I wont feel as nausaus.

 

So summer workouts will be looking like:

 1 night swimming

 1 night yoga

 1 night abs

and maybe I will reintroduce strentgh training

 

Side point, we are having a Simchat Bat for my daughter on Sunday and I bought all this ice cream for the ice cream sundae bar.

Maybe I just wont diet that day.

Day 1 for realzz

Day 1 started off like any other.

I ate:
Banana
Coffee
Chobani
Super healthy lunch:

Grilled chicken with roasted peppers, asparagus, and a yummo beet slaw (purchased from Cedar Market)

 

Dinner on the other hand was a disaster. Its all fun and games when I pack nice healthy food and go to work but once I am home and the kids are around its no eating until they are in bed. I had the great idea to go to Costco so at 8:30 had a frozen yogurt from there because really you can't go wrong for $1.43.

 

Then I got home and was STARVING. So of course in true Teaneck fashion I ordered takeout at 9:30. RocknRoll Sushi made me one Mango roll (spicy mango sauce on a regular california roll) and one Confused Roll (pepper tuna, yellowtail, avocado, with spicy salmon) which I was ok with. But then we ordered Dumplings and Forest Noodles for my husband and Oh man those were delicious. So yeah. Thats what occured yesterday.

 

Rimon

A couple of weeks ago we went to a new kosher resturaunt in Great Neck, NY for my grandmothers birthday. It was AMAZING. So instead of dwelling on the fact that I cannot eat like this again for some time I will post these pics instead.

French Fries (its no joke if they come in a cone)

Nadav's mocktail and personal pizza

Kale Salad, Caesar Salad, Fettucino with Pesto Cream Sauce (YUM)

My Roasted eggplant with pesto, sauce, and cheese and salad.

Obviously I was trying to be healthy and ended up eating way more than my share. There was also soup and dessert not pictured. So overeating at its best!


 

Today is a new day.

So you know that point in weight loss where you finally get to the place where you have the control to do it ?? I think I am there. So today is Day 1. I am back on South Beach but also starting at phase 2 because I don't think I can ever eat eggs again after Phase 1 last time. So today I brought lunch and I will work my hardest for at least 2 weeks.

Starting weight (today): 178.5

So in typical 20lbsdown fashion I need to lose 20 pounds to get to where I was pre-baby. Then 10 more but we'll cross that bridge when we get there.

Shavuot - 1 month later

A couple of weeks ago it was Shavuot and I made a whole huge menu of "lighter" foods because that holiday can get so super fatnng. On a 3 day holiday I made:
chicken with rice pilaf
roasted peppers
green beans
london broil
roasted onion soup mix potatoes
gefilte fish with tomato sauce
chulent
crunchy pecan cutlets
corn squash loaf
hasselback salami
roasted broccoli
Make your own pizzas
mustard dill salmon
lasagna
roasted asparagus
portabello mushroom quiche
spinach feta quiche
french onion soup
sphaghetti squash quiche
pumpkin craisin muffin

Which when listing seems like a lot but in the grand scheme of things it wasn't bad!

When I served the sphaghetti squash quiche everyone was so excited that it was low fat and low carb and low weight watchers points!

My mother in law originally made this and I just made up my own recipe based on hers:

Asparagus Quiche with a Sphaghetti Squash Crust
1 sphaghetti squash cooked (I just roast and then take out "meat" with a fork)
1 bunch asparagus
1 onion
2 garlic cloves
5 eggs
1 cup milk ( I used whole because it's all I had)
2 cups Natural and Kosher low fat part skim Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
salt and pepper

Sautee onion with garlic and chopped asparagus. In pan squish the sphaghetti quash into the edges like a crust. Mix eggs milk and salt and pepper and whisk together until mixed. Pour into sphaghetti squash crust and pour asparagus mixture into milk layer. Put another layer of cheese on top and cook at 350 until firm.

It appears low fat kosher cheese exists you just need to look for it! I really wish it was more easily available....

Still Winter over here...

When I got home from work today I was in the mood for soup because oh yes it is 5o degrees and rainy here in NJ. I don't have that much produce in my house but I was able to throw together this yummy mushroom barley soup!

Today was day 2 at work aka day 2 back on track!

Today I ate:

Coffee

4 bites costco muffin

Strawberry Greek Yogurt

Maple dijon salmon roasted broccoli and sesame noodles

2 mini lara bar *cherry pie and apple pie

soup for dinner

I also started the AB challenge yesterday so lets just say I am sore!

Now to fight the ice cream craving that is happening...

Just stab me in the heart America.

So in the land where there is no maternity leave I must go back to work tomorrow. On my last Friday I went out for frozen yogurt with my visiting father and kids. Pecan, cookies and cream, and vanilla with oreos and reeses pieces. I might as well go out with a bang right?

So in preparation for my week of no time to cook and needed to eat healthy I now have in the fridge:

2 pieces maple dijon salmon

2 chicken legs

london broil

sesame noodles

roasted sweet potatoes

roasted broccoli

soy ginger tofu

cut up watermelon 

lasagna

Lets hope that lasts until Wednesday!

Ladies Night

Just when I was doing so well on my weight loss journey I went to the Doghouse 2 nights in a row!

The first night was Ladies/Moms night out and it was certainly fun. Drinking a pitcher of sangria is :
100% my idea of a good time. The eats:

Beef Empanadas with "rocket sauce"

BBQ Brisket Sliders

Ring Ding

We were so so excited for that dessert and it basically tasted like a duncan hines cake that was cut and then refrigerated. Blech. 

Otherwise super yum!

So in weight loss news. Nothing doing because I eat like this.. Oh well tomorrows a new day. Although tomorrow is the dairy eating, calorie consuming holiday of Shavuot sooo probably not.

Goals and Weekly Weigh In

In the past I have done weight watchers and south beach and lost around 20 lbs on each of them. Now as a 10 week postpartum exclusively breastfeeding mom I am not going to portion control or count calories but I am trying to eat healthy and stay away from carbs...

Most of my days over the last two months have been:
-coffee with creamer (I have tried to break this addiction for 6 years and so far not happening)
-nonfat plain greek yogurt with trader joes granola, honey, and berries,
-lunch like below chicken and sauteed veggies
-dinner is usually whatever I can find (chicken patties, chicken, roasted sweet potatoes, pizza)

This chicken was actually really good and I made it again this week for Shabbat!

Asian Inspired Chicken Breasts
2 chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
Turmeric
Ground ginger
Curry powder
Honey
Soy sauce

Cover chicken with spices drizzle with soy sauce and honey. Surprisingly yum!

These are the types of food I make now.. no frills and tasty and very diety!

Also Breaking News I weighed in this morning and we are at 178! Now the trick is not to eat full cakes for Shabbat.. fingers crossed that I can control myself.

So we are going to try this again .. right?

So here I am a year and a half later.. one more kid and um 40 more lbs? Wait lets see, I was 149 last time you knew me and yes now I am 179 post baby #2 so thats only 30 more (phew I thought we were in a bad situation or something).

Brief History of past year:
I broke my elbow in half in February of 2014. I gained 10 lbs in lounging around the house weight before I got pregs so I started pregnancy #2 at 158lbs. After gaining 45 lbs total I gave birth to a big baby girl at 8 lbs 9 ounces and have since lost some weight but not much. I know this is a slow process but I do get frustrated from time to time.. I also eat ice cream from time to time too and that is most likely what is slowing this weight loss down. I was much more active this pregnancy so I feel like I am in better shape but last week I took a picture of myself and was just looking huge (at least in my own eyes).

Anyways, in an effort to put more on my plate (2 kids, full time work, gym) and really track my food/ become accountable yet again I am starting this bad boy back up. I now have a real website (!) which means I am taking this seriously. Because I just invested $12 and that is no joke.


Here we go!

Must Moniter Food Intake!

I have found that over the past couple of weeks I have been eating whatever I want whenever.. and now I am 149. No Bueno.

So back to tracking food.. even if it isnt the best food.

Yesterday was:
Coffee ( I am trying to break my creamer addiction and it is NOT going well)
a couple of bites of oatmeal
1/2 tilapia filet (Broiled with spiced and sprayed with coconut oil spray)
Salad w/beets, feta, cukes, tomatoes, pepper EVOO and Mrs. Dash (an old fave!)
3 Pizza Bagels

This is clearly a fail but I did go to the gym and worked on legs and some cardio for 1 hour so by the time I got home I was starved!!!


Today so far I had to have a coffee from Dunkin (which I am fairly sure was a hot chocolate and I drank anyway...)
multigrain bagel with egg and cheese
tilapia, tofu, steamed broccoli and cauliflower for lunch
Shabbat- Going away will try and be good!!

Heres to a good weekend of eating well and not going overboard on the food!!

Weighing In

Things have been pretty much the same for weeks now and my weight has stayed the same fluctuating between 147 and 149 depending on what I eat. I realized as I looked at the blog that the last weigh in I was actually at 152.5 so I definately lost more since then!! Which means since starting South Beach I lost 10 lbs!!!!

People who see me are telling me that I look much thinner so that is really encouraging. The problem with that is then I don't watch myself at all! I have eaten chinese takeout at least once a week for 3 weeks, been snacking on peppermint patties, hershey kisses (both regular and candy cane flavor) and generally just eating whatever. While I don't gain weight doing this anymore (I guess the gym really is helping) my face totally broke out so must watch it from now on. Also its more of a health issue .. shouldn't really be eating that crap!

Today I ate:
Cheese string and almonds
Coffee
Egg Salad wrap with 1/2 avocado, tomatoes and lettuce
last of a bag of kosher skittles

Dinner is planned as marinated chicken wings that I will be baking and some tea for dessert!

Recent Eats Israel edition

Last week we went to Israel. The first picture is of eggs I made when we returned on Tuesday but the rest are the yummy healthy treats we enjoyed (read: pounded) while there!

Official weigh in on Wed morning (pre Thanksgiving): 149!!!!!
Go figure after a week of no real exersize but lots of walking and healthy eating!

Basically my diet is fruits, veggies, whole grains, eggs, and cheese. Except for the day of two jelly doughnuts.. but it was Chanukah so its ok.

The week of eats:

Breakfast eggs!

Stir Fried Salad w/fried halloumi cheese, mushrooms, bean sprouts, and tomatoes.



Fresh Juices and Iced Coffee




French Fries aka chips



Village pizza with corn, mushrooms, onions, and peppers

Some of the doughnuts.. Krembo, Lemon lime, and reg jelly filled

Another Stir Fried Salad with Bulgarian Cheese

Fresh  sandwitch with whole wheat bread, eggplant, cheese, pesto, red pepper

 

Eating my plain rugs!!!



Potato Soup

It's major soup weather here in NJ so last night in order to use up some of the veggies I had I made this:

1 onion

1 red pepper

squeeze of minced garlic

salt, pepper, dill, thyme, parsley

6 red potatoes (cut up)

1 box chicken broth

All I did was sautee the onion with the pepper, add spices, cook for a bit, add broth and potatoes and cook!

Went to gym for bodypump and when I came back i blended with the hand blender and voila!

Yummy soup!

Yesterday.

In Classic Jessica Blog form I will now list everything I ate yesterday because I was so good and only ever blast this blog with posts when I am good! Greek Yogurt w/honey drizzle Cheese String Salad w/fresh mozarella and vinegarette Root Canal - aka huge stretch with no food Zumba (while still numb from root canal) 2 chicken thighs w/o skin and 1 bag of steamed cauliflower That should reflect well in tomorrows weigh in no?!?!

Getting in the groove

I have been doing ok on this South Beach extravaganza. I am super strict during the week and on weekends it appears I suck. I am trying to have more control, but I am a massive foodie so I figure its the balance my body needs to not lose the lbs extra fast so they come flying back. This past week I weighed in at 152.5 which means I gained 2 lbs over the weekend and lost 1 already.. I am fine with the fluctuation just because it meant I could drink wine, eat sushi, and pizza, and french fries while out Sat night! I had to stop with the morning omelets I was getting super naus from all the eggs. Now every day goes like this:

Cup of nonfat plain greek yogurt with a drizzle of honey ( I know not south beach approved but I am too much of a health nut to eat fake sugar)

Cheese String for snack

Salad:

The other night I made this soup that is perfect for winter and I would imagine no points (WW will always be in my head).

Veggie Soup:

Onion

3-4 Carrots

1 zuchini

1 box frozen spinach

1 32 ounz diced tomatoes

1 8 oz can tomato sauce

1 box vegetable stock

1 can white kidney beans (Canneloni)

spices (dill, parsley, thyme, salt, pepper, oregano)

Freshly grated parmesan for top!

All I did was sautee onions, carrots, zuchini with garlic and olive oil until tender. Add spices stir around. Add tomato cans, and stock. Make it hot! Add spinach and kidney beans and cook until the soup thickens up (about 30 minutes).

Serve with grated parmesan!

YUM!

Side

Er Phase One?

So on Thursday night I had a cup of whole wheat pasta and then the carb free time was over. I just couldn't do it anymore!

I also can no longer eat eggs! Blech!

So for the past couple of days I have been eating nonfat plain greek yogurt with some truvia and calling it a breakfast.

Shabbat was kind of ok I have definitely not been as strict as last week but it was kind of ok. I gained .5 lbs back so was pretty good on Sunday.

Coffee
Greek Yogurt
Some nuts from a trail mix
Chinese Food Beef with broccoli with no sugar - who knew you could ask for that!!
2 wontons in garlic sauce - AKA best thing ever and I call eating only 2 a great triumph bc. one time I ate 10 in one sitting. Just saying.

Onward to an awesome week of losing at least 1 lb!