Warm Mustard Greens & Kale with Fried Egg

Sundays are my favorite. My husband doesn't have work, we can stay up late the night before and sleep in late Sunday morning. Everything is languid and easy, including the food. Since sleeping in tends to happen on Sundays, in our home, brunch takes the place of the usual breakfast. My go-to brunch favorite is heavy, greasy biscuits and gravy or thick, buttery eggs benedict. However, those don't really fit into my lifestyle these days. Last week, I started trying to replace most of my carbs with vegetables. I am a carb addict and it's certainly hindering my progress. So, instead of toast and eggs for yesterday's brunch, I grabbed some leftover rice, leafy veggies, namely: Mustard Greens and Kale, oh and a few brussel sprouts and sauteed them in a pan with a drizzle of olive oil tiny splash of balsamic vinegar and a dash of pepper. Then, I sprinkled some flax seeds on top and put it all on a plate. Next, I fried up an egg (no butter or salt, only canola oil to grease the pan) and put it on top of my warmed greens.


Bon Appétit

SM Weigh-in

Sorry for the silence. I've been a busy Mama, lately. Entertaining visiting family, Easter parties, birthday parties, etc. I'm about 2 weeks, or so, overdue for a Skinny Mama weigh in. Here it goes.

I've only lost 2 lbs since my last post, putting me at 155.5 At first this was frustrating, because I just have a little less than 15 lbs to lose and I was hoping they would go quickly, or at least as steadily, as the previous pounds have gone. However, from talking to other women that have gone through significant post-pregnancy weight-loss, the last 15 lbs are the hardest to get rid of. So, that is that. To be honest, this last week we had family in town and my healthy eating habits took a back seat for a few days. This week I've been re-training myself back into smaller portions. It's crazy how quickly you can sabotage progress just by taking a few days off. Oh well, no point in mourning, just have to pick up and keep going. Good new is I didn't gain any weight during my tiny break. I have a whole set of new workouts lined up for next week, which I'll be sharing in an upcoming post. I'm excited to mix it up a bit. Also, come Saturday it's supposed to be in the 60's here, which means more walks outside with the baby!

SkinnyMama Update

I just returned from a week of vacationing in California with my family. Although, I did indulge in 1 Disneyland ice cream cone and 2 pieces of greasy pizza, for the most part I stayed on track. My second day in California I went on an early morning run with my sister and my brother, not to mention the 10 miles we walked around Disneyland the rest of the day (if not more). The third day, I ate healthy to make up for the pizza and ice cream, and of course walked 10 or so miles around Disneyland again. The 4th day I swam, walked the beach and ate small portions at each meal, except I might have had a little too much sushi for dinner. The 5th day, I went on a morning jog with my mom on La Jolla beach, got nice and sweaty, and then spent the rest of the day sun tanning and hot tubbing. (Can I just do that every day from now on, please??)  I had frozen yogurt that day, but only half the serving. I only drank water. No soda (I don't like soda, anyhow) Of course, I could have done better-- we can always do better-- but I feel pretty good about not pigging out and having exercised almost every day. As soon as I got home, I picked up my regular exercise routine and even bumped it up a notch. I've maintained my small meal portions and I'm feeling good. Also, since my last weigh in, I've lost another 1.5 lbs. putting me at a total weight-loss of 52.5 lbs in 8 months.
Here are some pics of my 157.5 lb bod.

Admittedly, I'm sucking my stomach in a little. As you can tell in the bottom picture, I'm having a very hard time losing the Pregnancy Pooch. I've looked up some ab flattening exercises which I will be implementing for the next month to see if I can zap this pudge. I'll follow up on the results in a month. Love handles are still hanging around, but we'll see if they decide to move on after this next month of exercises focusing on my stomach. Arms and legs are ever thinning, weight-loss is still consistent. I'm hoping to reach my goal of 135 lbs by June.

Chicken and Brussel Sprouts

Skinless Chicken breast with italian herbs and pepper

sauteed brussel sprouts

a dab of guacamole hummus

Total calories: 255

Skinny Snacks

Another post of my favorite snacks!

Raw carrots with guacamole hummus.

yogurt and granola

toast w/ peanut butter and a drizzle of honey

makin' it work.

 Lately, I've been really focused on my workout routine. for the last few months I've been mostly running on the treadmill. That worked at first, but my body became accustomed to it, so it was time to mix it up. First, I threw in stationary biking. That  shiz is hard! Never underestimate the power of a stationary bike. Talk about burning thighs and buttocks (yay!) I run for 10 minutes/bike 5 minutes/walk 5 minutes/ run 10 minutes and then end with intense biking for 5 minutes. This kicked my butt and definitely got my body responding to workouts again. Then, last week I threw in arm exercises. On the days I do arms I run for 15 minutes, lift 10 lb weights for 25 reps, walk for 5 minutes, life 10 lb weights for 25 more reps and then run 10/ walk 5. (sorry if this is confusing.) I do two days of each cycle and then the other 2 days I just run for 30 min. Mixing it up seems to be doing me a lot of good. My legs are certainly benefiting from it, but stomach is still a major issue. Next week my sister is going to teach me how to whip those love handles into shape. I'll be sure to share her tips with you.

I'm only down 1 pound this week. That's ok, I'm not worried about it. I expected it, really, because last week my husband was out of town and working out with a baby rolling around is pretty hard. So, my workouts were few and far between. Also, I'm about to start my lady-week (TMI??) so I'm retaining a bit of water and all that fun stuff. Next week my baby will be 8 months and I'm no where near I thought I'd be in the weight-loss process. It's hard. But losing 51 lbs ain't bad, I suppose. Still have about 15-20 to go. One day at a time.

Salmon w/ Orzo Pasta & Veggies

You'll Need:
Salmon (prepared to your liking)
Whole Wheat Orzo Pasta 
Spinach
 Carrots
 Basil Cream Sauce

(Lean Cuisine has a pre-made version of this!)




Homemade calories: 295
Lean Cuisine calories: 210