But I Can Still Have Pizza!!!

My cupboards and fridge are nearly empty which can be a nightmare for someone trying to lose weight. The reason? Take out tends to be high in calories and fat making it impossible to find anything with nutritional value...except maybe pizza. Really? Pizza? YES!! I did some research on the nutritional value of my favorite, Papa Johns. I was surprised to find that a thin crust Garden Delight pizza (220 KCals per slice of a 14" pie cut into 8 slices) has less calories than a Pizza Hut Veggie Lovers (240 KCals per slice of a 14" pie cut into 8 slices). Thanks goodness because I like Papa Johns so much more!! I ate 2 whole slices and part of another for a total of 550 KCals!! I did cheat a little and had the yummy garlic dipping sauce with my pizza (150 KCals per serving) which made my dinner a total of 705 KCals including a packet of the special seasoning. So yes Cynthia, you can have pizza!!

Weigh In: 10.29.11

Got on the Wii Fit this morning and I am now down to 262.1 lbs!!! That is a total loss so far of 31.1 lbs...23.9% of my goal!!! Who knew I would enjoy this so much!!!

But It Is So Easy My Husband Could Make It!!

This weekend I needed to make something to take to my cousin's 9th birthday party. I wanted to make something in the crock pot so that it would remain hot for the 40 min ride to the party. My cousin suggested I make Lil' Smokies in the crock pot. So I search online for a an easy yet tasty recipe and came across one of the easiest recipes I have ever seen!!!

SWEET AND SAVORY BEEF LIL' SMOKIES

2-3 14 oz packages of Hillshire Farms Beef Lil' Smokies (I used 3 packages)
1 12oz bottle of Chili Sauce (I used Heinz)
1 12.45 oz jar of Grape Jam or Jelly (I used Smuckers Sugar Free Jam)

Combine all ingredients in the crock pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

I have to admit that I was concerned as to how it would come out with the sugar free jam, but it was delicious!!! Everyone at the party loved them and they smelled amazing!!

But I Can Make Garlic Parmasan Oven Roasted Broccoli

I have gone through a phase of being addicted to steamed vegetables, but here lately I am obsessed with oven roasted veges!! Tonight I made roasted broccoli and all I can say is...DELISH!!

GARLIC PARMESAN OVEN ROASTED BROCCOLI

Approximately 1.5 lbs fresh broccoli florets
4tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tsp roasted minced garlic (or the equivalent of 2 garlic cloves, minced or crushed)
2 tbsp dried minced onion
1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400*. Combine broccoli, evoo, onion, and garlic in a bowl and stir to coat all of the broccoli. Lay broccoli in a single layer on a baking sheet. Sprinkle Parmasan cheese over the broccoli. Bake for 15-20 minutes stirring once during baking.

Weigh In: 10.19.11

So for giggles I decided to get on the Wii Fit and check my weight. Much to my astonishment I am now down to 265.2 pounds!!!!! That is a total loss so far of 28 lbs.!!!!!!!!! Who knew that this whole becoming diabetic and changing my lifestyle would be so rewarding to me!!!

But I Can Make a Darn Good Pizza!!!

I have been craving pizza ever since I was diagnosed with diabetes. Up until today I had only made little pizzas on Pepperidge Farm Deli flats, which are good but not the same. Today I made a pizza using FlatOut Light Italian Flatbread and...OMG, it was so good!!!!

FLATOUT PEPPERONI PIZZA

1 FlatOut Light Italian Herb Flatbread
1/2 cup of reduced fat mozzarella or Italian blend shredded cheese
4 tbsp of any tomato sauce of your choice (I used Barilla Tuscan Herb)
7 slices of turkey pepperoni, cut into pieces.
1 tsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 425*. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or grease the pan with cooking spray. Place the flatbread on the cookie sheet and spread the olive oil over the top side. Pre-bake in the oven for 2-3 minutes to crisp up the flatbread. Assemble pizza as desired and bake for approximately 8 minutes. Cut and enjoy!!!

*Nutrtional Information-331 KCals, 17.84 g fat, 20.40 g carbs, 1.20 g sugars, 1104 mg sodium, 55.72 g protein

But I Can Have Chicken Salad...YUMMY, YUMMY!!!

Ok, so maybe that is a cheesy take on a Wiggles song but I just couldn't help myself!!! LOL!!!

Earlier this week I had a lazy evening and didn't want to cook so I got a rotisserie chicken from Publix. They are so yummy!! I wasn't sure what I would do with all the leftover chicken (and there was quite a bit!). Today, I had an epiphany...CHICKEN SALAD!!!

Approximately 1.5 cups chicken chopped
1/8 cup brown spicy mustard (you can add more to your own personal taste)
4 tbsp light mayonnaise
4 tbsp finely chopped onion
4 tbsp sweet pickle relish

Combine all ingredients and enjoy!!! Feel free to tweak this to your own tastes and preferences. I added this to low calorie whole bread and a slice of 2% milk colby jack cheese.

*Nutritional information for full batch (all values are approximate) 506 KCals, 25 grams fat, 21 grams carbs, 9 grams sugars, 40 grams protein

But It's a Whole New World Out There

What a roller coaster my life has been on in the past month. I am still trying to find employment which has been one of the hardest things I have had to do. Bachelor's degree and teacher certification have thus far failed to get me a job. My son has been struggling in school and my daughter required a trip via ambulance to a specialized children's hospital have a procedure on her throat. And the icing on the cake...I am now living with diabetes.

To some, this may have been devastating news, but for me it is the beginning of the rest of my life. I have been overweight for all of adult life and at 33 years of age it caught up with me. I knew this was going to happen one day. My family has a strong history of diabetes and coupled with my weight, I was doomed! But as I just said, it is not the end and I will not let this get the best of me.

I was in the hospital for 3 days and was diagnosed at the time. I was given a diet plan and oral medications to control my blood sugars. It took nearly 4 weeks for my sugars to finally even out to a normal range. Now, 6 weeks later I am happy to say that not only have my glucose levels normalized, but I have lost 22.5 pounds!!!!!! I still have a long way to go, but I plan to celebrate every single pound!

You may be wondering, how am I doing it. The answer is simple, by finally taking the step towards becoming a healthier me. I eat more veggies, limit my carbohydrate intake, eliminate as much white flour products from my diet as I can, make better choices at the grocery store, and of course...cut sugar out of my diet.

So this brings me to the purpose of this blog. Since my diagnosis I have been posting my healthier culinary creations on Facebook as a way for me to remain accountable. In doing so, it seems that by doing this I have inspired others in my life to take control of their health as well. This blog is going to remain a lighthearted and fun way to keep myself in check. My hope is that in doing this I am able to help others do the same for themselves.

Changes are coming!!

Just wanted to post this quick update that this blog will undergoing a radical redesign and a change in focus. I hope that you all stick around to see what is on the horizon!!