Freshology

It’s almost 11pm here and I am feeling it. I really hope I’m just tired and not coming down with anything! We stayed up too late last night, but it was worth it for a fun evening at our friends’ house. This morning we thought it’d be fun to take another family trip to the park – at 8:15 it was only in the 80’s, so it was actually pleasant to be outside. J and Brian rode bikes, while C, me, and the dogs were going to walk around the park’s trail. Notice I said, “were going to”? That plan got dashed immediately. Josie wanted to run and was tugging incessantly at her leash. Sally had never been on a leash before, so she was completely confused. We ended up going over to the playground where both dogs were insanely restless as I let C play – kind of a stressful “Saturday morning at the park” experience. So much for good exercise! Why can’t stress burn calories?

My meals this weekend have been pretty good. I’ve run through the circuit of desserts, because I’m starting to get repeats with those. That’s fine with me, though – I like pretty much all of them!

Friday Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs with Cheddar Cheese, Chicken Apple Sausage & Fresh Fruit (280 calories)

Scrambled eggs have always been a favorite of mine, so having them for breakfast was nice. I have, of course, noticed that there’s a rotation of side proteins – Canadian bacon, turkey bacon, maple sausage, or chicken apple sausage. I like the bacon options a lot more, because even though the sausage is flavorful I’ve  just never been a huge fan of sausage links. Overall, nice breakfast – the cheddar in the eggs made them seem a little rich, which was a treat.

Lunch: Southwest Steak Lettuce Cups with Corn & Black Bean Salsa (450 calories)

I felt like the name of this was a little misleading – it was more of a steak taco. That being said, it was a good steak taco, and I even got some sour cream (light, I’m sure) to go with it! I tried to pick around the corn a little but didn’t really notice it with it mixed in with all of the other parts of the meal – peppers, onions, black beans and the meat.

Dinner: Chicken Fajitas with Roasted Peppers and Onions, Spanish Rice & Beans (380 calories)

Wahooooo – Mexican food! This was a great meal. The rice didn’t taste like Spanish rice to me, but it was good anyway and this is right up there with one of my favorite meals I’ve had on Freshology. It’s totally something I’d order out, and it was SO flavorful that I didn’t feel like I was missing out. The chicken was super tender, too. Loved it!

Dessert: Chocolate Zucchini Bundt Cake (190 calories)

I’ve written about this before, so I won’t rehash it over again for you – I’ll just say it was as good as I remembered it from last time!

Saturday Breakfast: Mixed Berry Scone with Canadian Bacon & Fresh Berries (280 calories)

The scone was great! It reminded me a little of the blueberry muffin, but with a more dense consistency. The sweetness of that, the saltiness of the Canadian bacon, and the tart sweetness of the fruit was a great combination. I had a busy morning with an event for work to attend, and this meal kept me full throughout all of that.

Lunch: Wild Mushroom & Pork Tamale with Southwest Salsa (240 calories)

If this hadn’t had mushrooms in it, I would have given it 5 stars – with the mushrooms, I’ll say 4.5, because I could pretty easily pick them out and still enjoy the meal. The pork and masa was slightly spicy and SOOOO good! I also liked the added touch of the crumbled cheese, and the salsa added more great heat to the meal.

Dinner: Marinated Flat Iron Steak with Quinoa and Roasted Vegetables (460 calories)

Yet again, the steak was absolutely delicious. The marinade really added great flavor to the meet and kept it tender even when I browned it a little on the stovetop. The veggies were tender and flavorful (C kept coming up to snag some!) and quinoa is… well, it’s growing on me. I may just learn to love it!

Dessert: Dairy-Free Raspberry Cheesecake (180 calories)

I’ve also had this dessert before, and in case you don’t remember, I wasn’t a fan. In fact, I think this is the only dessert from Freshology that I didn’t just love. Well, I tried it again and it is a lot better this time around, although it’ll never be a favorite.

When we were at our friends’ house Friday night, we were playing a board game and one of our friends got out some chips for us all to snack on while we played. I reallllllly wanted some tortilla chips, but instead of eating a whole bowl like I would’ve before, I got one single chip and just nibbled on it every once in a while to get the flavor of chips. It worked really well and I didn’t feel tempted at all!

Hope you all have a great rest of the weekend!

It’s been another week – I can hardly believe it! My second week on Freshology has absolutely flown by, and I’m still loving it! I have to admit that I had a little nervousness about making a two-month commitment. I mean, I didn’t know how difficult it might be to stick to it! Little did I know, this is the easiest diet I’ve ever tried.

Before I get to my video, let’s take a look at my food for today. Be sure and check out the video too so you can find out how much I’ve lost this week!

Breakfast: Cinnamon Raisin Oatmeal with Fresh Berries & Canadian Bacon (220 calories)

I actually liked this oatmeal a LOT! I haven’t had it in a long time, and let’s be honest, oatmeal isn’t very appealing to look at… so I was hesitant to try it. I was pleasantly surprised to find that this was full of flavor and a great texture. It seriously made me want to add oatmeal to my breakfast routine once I’m done with Freshology.

Lunch: Mediterranean Grilled Chicken Salad with Feta Cheese (310 calories)

This was my favorite salad I’ve had so far. The vinaigrette dressing was just tangy enough to balance the saltiness of the feta, and the marinade on the chicken was very slightly sweet. So good, and actually filling too!

Dinner: Roasted Turkey Breast with Sauteed Spinach, Roasted Mushrooms, Sweet Potatoes & Citrus Aioli (465 calories)

After a breakfast and lunch I loved this was kind of average to me. The turkey was good and well-flavored, and the sweet potatoes were really good. I don’t like mushrooms or tomatoes that much, so I just picked at those, and I discussed my ambiguity toward cooked greens in last night’s post.

Dessert: Marshmallow Cloud (160 calories)

I thought this photo might give you a better idea of the size of this dessert. I was SOOO happy to have this one again. It is delicious and I’d have it every day if I could!

Now let’s take a look at my weekly video:

And here are a few of those tips I promised to share with you from the Freshology Newsletter.

• Be attentive to your breathing. Mindful breathing slows down the heart rate, reducing stress, and allows us to take more oxygen to the brain, raising the capacity to think more clearly.
• Be honest about your eating. If you’re in denial about your habits, you can’t change them.
• Try new, flavorful recipes so you still get variety in your diet while keeping it healthy. Check out this recipe for roasted squash wheels stuffed with Goat Cheese. Yum!

Today I had a few cravings pop up, which was a little unexpected because I’d been doing so well at curbing hunger. I learned another lesson, though – I can now satisfy a craving with a tiny amount of something, which is new for me. Before, if I wanted ice cream, I’d get a big bowl of it. I guess it felt like a way to treat myself. Today after lunch I was craving something sweet. I had a couple of pieces of the boys’ Reese’s peanut butter cereal, and that was enough to give me the taste of sweetness and hold me over until dinner. I was really excited about that, because it again shows me that this is more than just a diet, it’s a lifestyle and mindset change.

Breakfast: Blueberry Pancakes with Turkey Bacon, Fresh Fruit and Blueberry Ricotta Spread (360 calories)

I haven’t had pancakes in a while, so this was a nice treat. I didn’t even use the syrup. I mainly ate the pancake plain because it was pretty flavorful on its own, although I did spread a little of the blueberry ricotta mixture on some bites – it was a nice complement to the pancake! I seriously want to buy Freshology’s turkey bacon forever because it is SO much better than any of the kinds we’ve tried from the store! Theirs is much more similar to regular bacon, whereas the other kinds we’ve tried have been like cardboard or something – crisp, with no chewiness to it at all. Anyway, I rounded out the meal with peaches and kiwi. Good stuff!

Lunch: Chicken Tortilla Soup with Side Caesar Salad (230 calories)

This felt like a lot of food for 230 calories! I loved that they gave me little tortilla strips – they provided a nice texture to the soup and made it feel a little like I was getting soup out at a restaurant. It was slightly spicy and I *think* I could taste some cumin and paprika in it. It was right up my alley, and I’d eat it any day! The Caesar salad was good too, and had cheese shavings with it. I love me some cheese!

Dinner: Apple Sweet Soy Sauce Glazed Pork Loin with Butternut Squash and Sauteed Swiss Chard (370 calories)

I had mixed feelings about this meal. The pork was well flavored and tender – I have never been a big pork fan, but I’m learning to actually like it while on Freshology! The squash was slightly sweet and had a slow heat/spiciness to it. It was really good paired with the pork, and I think I liked it better with bites of the meat than on its own. The flavors of the two together just really worked. I wasn’t a big fan of the swiss chard, but that’s just me not really liking cooked greens as much. The flavor of it was really nice, but the texture threw me off.

Dessert: Chocolate Caramel Cookies (200 calories)

These cookies were SO soft! It almost seemed like cake, which was perfectly fine with me! There wasn’t much caramel in either of my cookies, but the chocolate alone was really satisfying. It had a very slight saltiness to it which offset the sweetness perfectly. Can’t really go wrong with chocolate!

Don’t forget, I’ll be back tomorrow with my second video update!

I know, I know – it’s Tuesday. But Monday was so busy that by the time I was able to work on my Freshology post, I was exhausted and crashed in bed. It was a good day, but really busy from start to finish. We took Sally to PetSmart and picked up a few essentials, including a collar that she apparently finds quite itchy. Speaking of Sally, here’s a gratuitous cute puppy pic:

This post will be longer anyway since I’m grouping two days worth of food into it, so let’s get on to talking about meals:

Monday Breakfast: Blueberry Muffin with Canadian Bacon & Fresh Fruit Salad (350 calories)

Great meal! This is seriously going to become my staple breakfast post-Freshology: muffin, Canadian or turkey bacon and fresh fruit. It’s the perfect balance of flavors and it truly left me feeling full all the way until lunch.

Lunch: Roast Beef Wrap with Watermelon Radish and Garlic Aioli (390 calories)

This was pretty good, although (well-done beef orderer that I am) the meat was a little pink for my liking. It was tender and flavorful, though and I ended up really liking it. The tortilla (hidden under the meat in a plastic bag to keep it fresh) was whole wheat and a little dry compared to the flour tortillas I’m used to, but all in all it was a great combination. I’m seriously in love with squeezing a lemon on meals prior to eating them. It brings out such great flavor and really gives everything a fresh feel!

Dinner: Orange Glazed Grilled Turkey with Cranberry Quinoa and Brussel Sprouts (370 calories)

This was my favorite version of the turkey so far, although I didn’t get any orange flavor coming through. It was perfectly cooked! The quinoa was pretty good – the cranberry really made it with bright bursts of flavor, but I’m still getting used to the texture of this grain. I was most surprised by brussel sprouts… I actually kind of like them! I had never had them before, so I was a little uncertain, but these are good!

Dessert: Carrot Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting (150 calories)

GOOD stuff! This reminded me a lot of the Zucchini Bundt Cake with Mascarpone Cream, but I’m not complaining because I really liked that one too! This is a small dessert that feels like a big one, and I thought the cream cheese filling was spot on.

*****

Tuesday Breakfast: Goat Cheese & Oven-Dried Tomato Frittata with Chicken Apple Sausage and Fresh Fruit (350 calories)

I had goat cheese for the first time a couple of months ago and was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it. The saltiness of it really made this frittata a stand-out to me, and the sweet sausage was a great combination.

Lunch: Pulled BBQ Pork and Pineapple Pizza with a Side Salad (440 calories)

I’m so excited to have a new pizza combination that I love! The BBQ pork and pineapple played off of each other perfectly, and the crust was amazingly soft, especially after being microwaved. The salad was a nice finish to the meal, and I totally felt just as satisfied as if I’d had a couple of full-sized slices of pepperoni.

Dinner: Chicken Cacciatore & Roasted Vegetables (300 calories)

The chicken was amazing. I could totally taste the pepper flavors coming through in the marinade and of course as one of the sides of the dish. I even tried cauliflower and liked it! It helps that it was cooked until tender and had tons of flavor, I’m sure.

Dessert: Peach Cobbler (140 calories)

I loved that this had so much breading and felt like a traditional cobbler, but the bread was a little softer than I would have expected. The flavors were great but I wished the bread was a little crisper to provide some crunch. Great meal!

So, there you have it – two days of meals in one. I’ll be back again tomorrow to tell you what I think about Chicken Tortilla Soup (and chocolate caramel cookies – yum)!

Hi everyone! Well, our weekend ended with some excitement – we got a puppy! My friend Stephanie’s Golden Retriever & Labrador had puppies a while back, and of course I kept telling Brian how adorable they were every time she’d send me a photo. We went to check them out today, and Brian even said going in he knew I’d be a lost cause once I saw them. SO true – I fell in love! So, without further ado, meet Sally:

Named, of course, after Sally from Cars (we vetoed Lightning McQueen & Buzz Lightyear as options). Our miniature dachshund, Josie, has kind of adopted Sally and has spent quite a bit of time cleaning her. I’ll have to take some video of them playing together to show y’all!

We also got to spend time with my family this weekend, celebrating family birthdays and hanging out. It was a fun weekend for all of us! My brother is back out here for college, which of course is great because that means we get to see him more!

Breakfast: Flat Iron Steak with Scrambled Eggs & Fresh Fruit (230 calories)

I don’t know that I’ve ever had steak for breakfast before, but this was great! It was another one of those meals that didn’t look like a ton on the plate, but was really filling. The steak was tender and the eggs were cooked just how I like them. The toast was more like a crouton, but was provided crispiness and seemed to round out the meal. And of course, fruit! Can’t go wrong with that.

Lunch: Andouille Chicken Sausage Salad with Mango & Cucumber over Crisp Romaine Lettuce (330 calories)

I know I was supposed to eat the salad with the sausage, but for me keeping the elements separate fit more to my tastes. The sausage was spicy and flavorful, and I enjoyed it (which is saying a lot for someone who doesn’t really like sausage very much!). I wasn’t a huge fan of the salad dressing so I ended up just picking at the salad, but I still felt satisfied and wasn’t hungry throughout the afternoon. I love the concept of this salad, because the sweetness of the mango and the coolness of the cucumber really balance the spiciness of the sausage.

Dinner: Ginger Steamed Tofu with Baby Bok Choy & Forbidden Rice (480 calories)

This one was outside of my food comfort zone, for sure. I’ve never tried tofu before, and I have to admit I have a preconceived perception that it’s, well… gross. I was determined to try it, though. The texture was softer than I expected; a little softer than the white of a hard-boiled egg, if that makes sense. It was really mildly flavored, so not too bad at all. That being said, this is a meal I wouldn’t pick to eat again solely because it doesn’t fit my specific tastes.

Dessert: Oatmeal Raisin Cookies (140 calories)

Great, tender cookies packed with a lot of flavor! They’re smaller – about the size of Oreos – but in having two it felt like a substantial dessert.

I’m excited about the meals I have waiting for me for the next few days (including chicken tortilla soup and – yay -a muffin for breakfast! I’m sure you’re wondering what the guys will be chowing down on this week… let’ take a look:

Monday: Pasta that we didn’t end up having this past week. I’ll sautee some carrots and we have leftover garlic bread to go with it. This meal won’t take long to prepare, which is good because J has gymnastics class.

Tuesday: We’re babysitting our friends’ girls plus C has his first gymnastics class, so we’re doing Chick Fil A for dinner.

Wednesday: Leftover pasta with salad

Thursday: Grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato basil soup, and raw veggies to snack on with it.

Friday: Breakfast for dinner! We’re doing our breakfast in a biscuit, which we’ve affectionately renamed Breakfast Cupcakes.

Don’t forget to check out Weber’s Grilling Recipe of the Week – Peach Shortcakes! I love this because I never think about doing dessert on the grill – and this sounds soooo good!

Saying it’s hot in Texas probably seems like a no-brainer, but this summer has been HOT. Like, triple-digit temps for over a month straight. It’s also been incredibly dry, so when we woke up this morning to find out it had rained we were thrilled! It also meant that the day wasn’t a complete scorcher, so we jumped at the chance to head to the park so J could finally really break in his new bike we got him for his birthday.

I walked beside C, who wasn’t too sure about those weird red pedal things and much preferred to just walk along while sitting on his little bike. That quickly turned into me holding him on one hip and carrying the bike in my other hand. We all had a lot of fun and decided we need to do this on a regular basis. It was around 83 degrees and breezy when we were out there, so it felt amazing! It was a huge blessing to have a break from the heat.

I was glad to get some exercise in, and it made me think of a question I’m going to ask Freshology. If I’m eating a reduced-calorie meal plan each day, and I exercise, do I need to somehow replace those calories with a healthy snack so I’m not ending up with too large of a calorie deficit? I’ll find out the answer and let you know.

Breakfast: Carrot Walnut Muffin with Vanilla Ricotta, Turkey Bacon, Strawberries & Kiwi (380 calories)

I loved this breakfast! The muffin was slightly sweet and the turkey bacon offset that perfectly. Strawberries & kiwis are two of my favorite fruits, so this was a trifecta of greatness for me! I could seriously eat variations of this breakfast every day and not get tired of it.

Lunch: Vietnamese Noodle Bowl with Shiitake Mushrooms, Edamame & Ginger Ponzu (380 calories)

Lunch was totally out of my comfort zone! I have to admit this is a meal that I didn’t eat a lot of, and it’s totally due to my own picky tastes. Brian ate some of what I didn’t eat and loved it. I at the noodles, cucumber, carrots, and a little sprouts and edamame. I wished this dish had assembly instructions. I assumed you were supposed to just mix everything together (although I didn’t, because I knew I wanted to eat only certain parts), but the contents of the bowl to the right also looked like they could potentially be a salad of sorts. There was a sauce, but I wasn’t sure where to use it exactly. A little label with preparation suggestions would be really helpful for more complicated dishes like this. I love that Freshology pushes the envelope and doesn’t just deliver chicken for meal after meal, but this wasn’t my favorite. Brian, however? He gave it two thumbs up.

Dinner: Roasted Turkey with Broccoli, Roasted Yams & Fresh Herb Gravy (340 calories)

Great dinner that felt like Thanksgiving on a plate. I heated this in the oven for a bit and the turkey came out very flavorful and not dry at all. This was a meal that didn’t fill up my plate as much, but it was very filling and so good. I could’ve eaten a whole plate-full of the yams alone! I thought the broccoli was cooked to the perfect level of tenderness. C apparently did too, because he kept snagging pieces of it!

Dessert: Marble Cheesecake (160 calories)

I don’t know if you remember, but I had a non-dairy cheesecake last week that I was less than fond of. When I saw cheesecake on the menu again, I was a little hesitant. I was very happily proven wrong for having worried, because this was great! It had the consistency almost of a cheesecake pudding, if there were such a thing, and was light while still feeling creamy. It was pretty rich and the small portion was perfect. I may have flipped the wrapper inside out when I was done and licked it, though. Maybe. Yup, it was that good! A nice end to a great day.

A day off from work, not from Freshology! I got “attitude of the month” at work and earned a free day of vacation, which worked out really well because the boys’ day care was closed yesterday! We had a fun morning – I took the boys to Target to get new backpacks and lunchboxes (they both picked Cars 2 stuff, surprise surprise), and then we headed over to the mall for them to eat lunch at Chick Fil A, to buy shoes for them, and to give them some time to play in the mall play area. 100+ degree weather day after day makes indoor play very appealing. Later my family came over – they’re in town – so all in all it was a busy, fun day.

Breakfast: Granola with Nonfat Vanilla Yogurt, Fresh Blueberries & Grapes (410 calories)

I waited and ate this right before we left for our errands so that I wouldn’t get hungry while we were out and about. The granola was sweeter than the granola I had last time, and it included two types of raisins. The yogurt mixed with the granola was really good and reminded me of the yogurt parfaits I enjoyed pre-Freshology. It’s amazing to me how filling granola is. I ate some of the fruit and put some in a baggie to save for later, because I was actually getting full just from the granola. I kind of wished I had something salty with this breakfast to balance out all the sweetness, but all-in-all it was a good breakfast.

Lunch: Granny Smith Apple & Walnut Salad with Grilled Chicken over Romaine (405 calories)

Loved this salad! The walnuts were glazed and slightly sweet, the apple was tart and crispy, and it also had peppers & cucumber, with lemon juice squeezed over top. The flavors worked really well together and it was a really satisfying, filling lunch!

Dinner: Peppered Flat Iron Steak with Barley, Roasted Tomato and Asparagus (390 calories)

Instead of microwaving my whole meal, I heated the meat, tomato and asparagus in a skillet. The beef quickly got a little extra caramelization to it, and it didn’t take long at all to heat everything through. I was split on my opinions of this meal. The barley was new to me – it was pretty good but was a little heartier than I am used to. I liked the asparagus ok, but mainly just the tips. I’m not a big tomato fan, but I did have to admit that it’s seasoned really well (and I gave some to my parents to try – they loved it!). My favorite part, though? The steak. AMAZING. Seriously, it was sooooo good and definitely felt like something I’d get in a restaurant. I’m eating more beef than normal while on Freshology and I’m realizing how much I like it! They do a great job of giving it a ton of flavor and keeping it tender. I think it’s really smart of them to send it slightly pink – if someone likes is medium they’re good to go, and it’s really easy for people like me (I’m a well-done kind of girl) to heat the meat to our liking without drying it out.

Dessert: Zucchini Bundt Cake with Mascarpone Cream (140 calories)

Great dessert. We were celebrating several August birthdays in our family (J, my dad, and my brother) and everyone else had ice cream cake, but with this dessert I didn’t feel at all like I was missing out. The mascarpone cream tasted kind of like a cream cheese filling, and the cakes were soft & light, with a nice subtly sweet flavor to them.

I did well today staying on track, even avoiding  having any of the boys’ ICEE and popcorn at Target. While they ate lunch at Chick Fil A I did order a small sweet tea to sip on. Then anytime I felt a little hungry I just took a sip of tea and felt like I was getting a treat, since all I normally drink is water. I didn’t get a refill, so I just added 90 calories to my day!

Part of the whole Freshology experience for me is posting daily and vlogging (video blogging, of course! It’s the new Brangelina) once a week. Today I’ve been on the program for one week, so it’s about time for my first video… little did I know I’d be having an, um, interesting hair day. I’m really low-maintenance, but oh how I wanted to wash my hair and start fresh for this! Lesson learned for next week – be prepared.

Here’s my video in all its glory. In it, you’ll hear:

• my recap of the week
• thoughts on my meals for today
• how much weight I lost during my first week (!)

Here are photos of the meals I had today (watch the video to find out more about them, including calorie count):

Breakfast:

Lunch:

Dinner:

Dessert:

Note: I received food from Freshology to facilitate my review. I was not compensated monetarily. All opinions shared in this post are honest and are entirely my own.

Cliff Notes Summary: Today I had my favorite breakfast so far… but also ventured off of the Freshology food a little bit, learning two valuable lessons. And C tried to eat my dinner again!

Breakfast: Lemon Poppy Seed Muffin with Vanilla Ricotta Spread, Canadian Bacon & Fresh Fruit (360 calories)

Like I mentioned, this has been my favorite breakfast so far. I am a bread person. Muffins, tortillas, a good loaf of French bread or some Ciabatta – you name it, I like it! Having a muffin felt like a treat, especially since it didn’t at all taste like a diet muffin. It was soft and just the right density, and the lemon flavor carried through really well. I heated up the Canadian bacon and it was a good complement to the muffin. Again, I saved the fruit for last – the pineapple was ripe and the tangerines were nice and tart!

Lunch: Chicken & Roast Corn Chowder with a Side Salad (340 calories)

So, here’s where I went off course. If you know me, you know why. I hate corn. Hate it. I can tolerate it in things where I can’t really taste it, but if it’s the star of the show, I’ve got a problem. I was hungry, but knew I would just pick at the chicken so I made the executive decision to… gasp… eat something else. I was nervous, honestly! I went with a friend to our local health food store, where they offer lunch. I had four ounces of tomato basil soup (no cream base) and a chef’s salad, which included chopped chicken for a little protein, and had radishes, zucchini, sprouts and other veggies (some of which I may have set to the side. Like olives. Maybe). It came with a dill dressing and a scoop of guacamole. I gave the guacamole to my friend because I wasn’t sure if that would be too high-calorie.

Here’s where I learned two lessons. 1: It is SO nice having Freshology be my meal planner and calculate all the caloric and nutritional information for me. I knew I liked it, but I didn’t realize how much I love it until I had to try to figure it out on my own. 2: I am becoming a better eater in general. The portions I’m getting used to eating with Freshology helped me realize that no, I didn’t need to dump my whole tub of dressing out on my salad (which I SO would have done, pre-Freshology). Instead I used just a little, trying to envision about how much I get with salads on the plan, and then I gave the rest to my friend so I wouldn’t be tempted. This made me even more excited about being on Freshology, because I feel like I’m not only eating healthy during the process, I’m also training myself for how to eat long-term.

Dinner: Rosemary Pork Tenderloin with Wild Mushroom Quinoa & Broccolini (330 calories)

Brian and I are big food TV fans. We watch Top Chef, and a lot of the shows on Food Network, and because of that I’ve heard a lot about quinoa. It’s a really healthy quasi-grain stock full of essential amino acids, calcium and iron among other things. It had mushrooms in it, but the texture of the mushrooms was not too prominent with the quinoa, so I liked it just fine. The hearty texture of the quinoa was really nice with the pork, which was tender. I hadn’t had broccolini before – it’s a cross between broccoli & Chinese broccoli. It has longer stalks and the heads aren’t quite as full. I liked it, but I do like regular broccoli better because the stalks are my least favorite part. All in all, a great, filling dinner.

So, you’ve seen how much was on my dinner plate. It’s a full plate. Now let’s take a look at what the guys ate tonight:

This was J’s plate, hence the hot dog sliced in half and no bun. I took a look at the packaging, and figured out that one hot dog with a bun, plus a serving of ranch-style beans, would equal more than the amount of calories in my whole plate of food!

Dessert: Flourless Chocolate Cake (150 calories)

I love chocolate, and it’s probably one of my biggest weaknesses. I was pretty thrilled to get chocolate for my dessert tonight! To give you perspective on size, these cakes were probably each about the size of 1 1/2-2 small Reese’s peanut butter cups. So, kind of small but not absolutely tiny. They were delicious – rich and decadent, and totally something I would love to have for dessert anytime. This was a good lesson in portion control too because in the past I totally would have eaten way too many of these. When I ate a good thing, I wanted more. Now I’m learning to enjoy a little of something good, and let that be enough.

Except sleep. I’d like a lot more of that.

Note: I received food from Freshology to facilitate my review. I was not compensated monetarily. All opinions shared in this post are honest and are entirely my own.

I’ve always been a snacker. I would typically snack throughout the day, which could be a good thing if I weren’t eating junky food! Today was the first time since starting Freshology that I didn’t feel the need to have some apple or another little snack to get myself through the day. It’s like my stomach is finally catching on to what’s happening!

I’m excited about my progress this week, but I’ll wait and tell you about that Thursday with my first weekly vlog! For now, I’ll tell you a little more about my meals today.

Breakfast: Broccoli, Mushroom & Cheese Frittata with Turkey Maple Sausage & Fresh Fruit (270 calories)

Yup, you’re just seeing the fruit there. That’s ’cause I gobbled up the frittata and sausage before I realized I had forgotten to take a photo of it! It was really good – the omelet was structured similarly to the omelet I had last week, with two egg rounds and filling in between. The flavors were completely different and I actually didn’t mind the mushrooms in this dish at all! As always, I love finishing my breakfast with fresh fruit. It’s nice having grapes, because they take longer to eat and you feel like you’re getting even more.

Lunch: Open-Faced Philly Cheese Steak with Side Salad (400 calories)

I didn’t take a photo of the salad because I figured the sandwich is the star of the show. There was half of a whole-wheat pita for the bread, and it was piled with onions, red peppers, beef and cheese. I thought Freshology did a great job of translating such an unhealthy sandwich into something light! My favorite part of this lunch was the sauteed onions – yum.

Dinner: Teriyaki Chicken with Sauteed Bok Choy & Shiitake Mushrooms, and Rice (390 calories)

Yet again dinner was filling and flavorful. The teriyaki sauce was slightly sweet and totally made me feel like I was eating our stir-fry we like so much. The chicken was tender, and the rice was a great compliment. I love fried rice… this was heartier with a brown rice grain,  but was a good substitute! I let Brian have at the bok choy and mushrooms, and he was really impressed, especially with the mushrooms.

Dessert: Apple & Cranberry Cobbler (140 calories)

SO good! I heated it up in the microwave for 30 seconds, and it was a perfect end to my day’s food. There was just enough of the crumble on top to make it feel like I was splurging, and the apples and cranberries were a nice blend of sweet and tart.

Note: I received food from Freshology to facilitate my review. I was not compensated monetarily. All opinions shared in this post are honest and are entirely my own.

J officially turned 4 today! It was a fun day, from picking up donuts in the morning, to surprising him at lunch with a trip to the bike store, to a trip to Chuck E Cheese for dinner (watch for the review and a really fun giveaway later this week, by the way)! I think we’re all exhausted – I know as soon as I finish this post I’m going to crash!

He picked out a green bike, because green is his favorite color right now, along with brown and black. Alas, no brown or black bikes were available but I am kind of glad – I love the one he ended up with!

The past four years have absolutely flown by. Sunday night Brian and I reminisced about the night before J was born, when the air conditioner was out and we were burning up! We spent that last night with the fans blasting and completely uncomfortable. I remember being so nervous the next day, and then being so elated once he was born. He keeps us on our toes and sometimes alternates between silly and grumpy in a matter of minutes, but mostly he is a sweet, thoughtful kid who makes us laugh a lot. He is still a negotiator and is always angling for more dessert, or less bites of dinner, or 2 extra minutes of play time before bed. He loves to play with his little brother and our dog Josie, and is following in his dad’s footsteps as a Lego fan. It’s so fun to watch his personality unfold and we can’t wait to see who he continues to become (slowly, though. This whole “time flying” thing is not cool). We’re so thankful for him!

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Before heading to bed I need to share my Freshology update, and I thought I’d include it in this post.

Breakfast: Dried strawberry granola with nonfat vanilla yogurt & fresh berries (380 calories)

Good stuff – I’ve always been a big fan of yogurt with fruit & granola, so this was right up my alley! And guess what – I didn’t eat ANY donuts (even though I brought some for work too and they were sitting RIGHT THERE around the corner from my office. And even though I got chocolate glazed, which are my favorite. I was pretty proud!

Lunch: Roasted Vegetable Salad with Pork Loin and Apple Cider Vinaigrette (300 calories)

I’m going to blame it on being really focused on work, but I didn’t realize the salad was supposed to be eaten with the veggies & pork on top, so I ate these separately, heating up the veggies & pork. It was actually really nice that way and took me a long time to eat since I was eating the salad and then the rest. I very rarely eat pork, so this was a reminder that I actually do like it! Seasoning was spot on as always, and both the veggies & pork were tender.

Dinner: Black Pepper & Pomegranate Glazed Turkey with Wild Rice Pilaf & Carrot Puree (460 calories)

While I have liked almost everything I’ve eaten, the dinners have been my favorite meals so far. They’re so substantial, and I think I especially like them because they’re a departure from what I normally eat. We only eat turkey for Thanksgiving or in deli sandwiches, but I’ve already had it twice on Freshology, and each time has been a completely different incarnation. Tonight’s version was sweet with a hint of tartness, and was great paired with the rice and carrots. I’d never had a veggie puree and worried it would remind me of baby food, but it actually seemed more like a mashed potato consistency – and was really good!

Dessert: Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt Cake (150 calories)

This was delicious! I love lemon creme cakes, and this was a lighter version of that without losing any of the depth of flavor. The drizzle of icing was a nice treat, too.

I did really well again today, not straying from the meals except to try one small bite of pizza at Chuck E Cheese, and that was only to help facilitate an upcoming review. I am already noticing that I’m adjusting to eating less, and am not feeling as hungry throughout the day. The heat (Texas has been in triple digits consistently for weeks) has helped with my water consumption – I’m hitting well over 64 ounces per day. I worried I might get headaches from caffeine withdrawal (it’s happened before) but so far it’s been just fine!

Ok, I’m off to bed… hopefully I make it all the way back to our bedroom before falling asleep. Night, everyone!

Note: I received food from Freshology to facilitate my review. I was not compensated monetarily. All opinions shared in this post are honest and are entirely my own.

We’ve had an eventful weekend, starting with J’s birthday party Thursday night. I’ll have to post photos from it – it was so much fun! We had it at a local gymnastics place, and I really think the adults had just as much fun as the kids. J liked it so much that we signed him up for gymnastics classes that start this week! We’ve had family in town and have been on the go most of the weekend! The boys and I managed to fit in naps this afternoon. If only the boys appreciated the greatness of naps like I do. :)

Tomorrow is J’s actual birthday, so we’ve still got some celebrating left to do – we like to spread birthdays out in our family! Brian and I are picking him up to have lunch, and we’re surprising him with a trip to the store to pick out his present from us – a big kid bike! I think Brian and I are just as excited about it as he will be. He has been talking about wanting a bike for months, so we can’t wait to see his reaction.  We’ll also go to Chuck E Cheese for dinner, which is partially blog-related – we’re (well, the boys and Brian are) reviewing the new pizza recipe they’ve recently started using. There will be even more celebrating this next weekend when my parents & brother are in town, so that will be fun!

I did well with meals today, although I learned that Sundays are a little tricky with lunch. I ate my breakfast before church, but then it’s just easiest to go straight from church to lunch, so I did order a side of cantaloupe to eat while everyone else had burgers & fries (and J had a hot fudge sundae… have to admit that was slightly tempting, but I didn’t give in!).

Breakfast: Roasted Vegetable Egg Scramble with Fresh Fruit and Grilled Foccacia (290 calories)

The egg scramble was good, although I avoided the mushrooms. I know, you mushroom lovers think I’m nuts. I’ve got to learn to like them more! The foccacia bread seemed a little dry to me, but it was perfect paired with the eggs, and the flavoring of the bread was nice. The fruit was incredibly fresh. I have to say, it’s a huge treat getting all this fresh fruit!

Lunch: Grilled Chicken Cobb Salad (410 calories)

This was a really filling salad with a lot of flavor! It came with the lettuce, half of a hard-boiled egg, carrots, a ton of Canadian bacon, and grilled chicken. It also had a lemon to squeeze over the top of it, and a nice creamy salad dressing. This salad was a good lesson to me in how I should be eating salads. I learned I can still get a lot of flavor without drowning the salad in dressing. The lemon juice was a nice addition to the salad, too – it gave it a fresh, bright flavor.

Dinner: Basil Crusted Beef with Green Beans & Red Rice (310 calories)

This was SO good! The beef was tender and had a great flavor from the basil. The rice was blended with veggies and was just the right texture for me, and the green beans were fresh and lightly seasoned. I could seriously imagine getting this meal at a nice restaurant. I would eat this again any day! C came over and started snagging some of my green beans – he kept coming back over to “see me” and grabbing a green bean each time.

Dessert: Sweet Potato Chip Cookies (160 calories)

I wasn’t sure what to expect with these, because I’ve never had any sort of cookie with sweet potato in it before. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that these were a real treat! The “chips” in the cookies almost had the texture of little toffee bits, but with a sweeter flavor. It was nice having two of them, because that felt a little indulgent to have more than just one. I did pour about 1/3 cup of milk to have with the cookies, because they were a little sweet… and, well, I just love milk with cookies!

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On to meals for the week. I’ll be continuing with my Freshology meals, but here’s what the guys will be eating:

Monday: Chuck E Cheese!

Tuesday: Hot dogs & ranch style beans. This is a favorite of theirs, and a least-favorite of mine, so it’s perfect!

Wednesday: Burritos – Brian requested this, and I’m fine with that because it makes great leftovers. Speaking of leftovers…

Thursday: Leftover burritos – shocking, right? The boys eat theirs deconstructed, because they’re all gourmet like that. :)

Friday: Pasta with marinara, green beans, and raw carrots.

Saturday: We haven’t quite decided yet, and will probably see what sounds good to my family since we’ll be celebrating not only J’s birthday but also my brother’s (the 20th) and my dad’s (the 29th). August is a busy birthday month for our family!

Don’t forget to check out Weber’s grilling recipe of the week. This one looks like something Brian would love – scallop salad with citrus vinaigrette!

Have a wonderful week, everyone!

Note: I received food from Freshology to facilitate my review. I was not compensated monetarily. All opinions shared in this post are honest and are entirely my own.