Day 26: I Can See the Finish Line!

Hey all!

Thanks for hanging in there with me for 26 days!  I can't believe it's almost over!  I went to Eternal Fitness & Nutrition today for the final weigh-in and body scan, but will reveal the results on my last day!  I had to go a little early because the weigh-in times this weekend conflicted with my work schedule.

For breakfast, I enjoyed another bowl of Raisin Bran.  Oh man, I just realized I ran out of sliced almonds!  Well, I'll just eat it without the almonds tomorrow...no big emergency!

I had the day off, so I had some time to work on packing for my trip to WI next week, paint an art project for our upcoming craft fair at work and do a little cooking.  I cooked up my version of the sweet potato parsnip latkes that Brian made a few weeks ago at the Engine 2 meeting.  Unfortunately, it was a giant fail.  Somehow, there was an overwhelming off-putting taste going on with the pancakes.  I tried eating one topped with unsweetened applesauce, but it just didn't make it much better.  Oh well, at least I tried it out.

For a snack, I made up some more brown rice tortilla chips and ate it with homemade guacamole.  Now, THAT was good!

The only thing about the guacamole was that it gave me a stomachache.  I put in lots of fresh garlic and onion and think it just didn't sit well with my stomach.  I decided to forgo my plans for this afternoon and take a nap with a heating pad on my stomach.  It kinda helped, but I still woke up with a sore stomach.  Maybe it's just more sensitive from the E2 Diet.  Who knows?

I was planning on making some pad thai for dinner, but didn't think I could handle it.  I didn't want to go to the store to grab something that might absorb the icky feeling in my stomach (like a nice big piece of whole grain bread), so I dug through my cupboard until I found an option.  I boiled up the leftover whole grain noodles I bought for the mushroom stroganoff I made a few weeks ago.  I served them in a bowl with a little unsalted vegetable broth with some sliced shitake mushrooms.  I simmered the mushrooms in the broth for a few minutes so they were tender.

This meal helped me feel a bit better.  Yay!

I also whipped up more pudding tonight!  I don't think I'll eat it til tomorrow, but yay! 

Today I felt:  Bummed my latkes didn't turn out, Sore from a sour stomach, Glad my noodles helped my stomach.

Thanks for reading!  Just two more days!!!

Day 25: Almost Missed This Post...Sleep Made Me Do It

Hey all!  Day 25!  And that's right, I just woke up. I've been staying up late each night cooking and blogging, and was the opener at work today, which means I had to start my shift at 6:45 AM.  I ran a bunch of errands after work and got home around 5:30. 

Today started wtih my favorite cereal with almond milk (I'm still not sick of Raisin Bran!)  And again for my snack at my 15 minute break, I had a granny smith apple with almond butter.  Mmmm  I only had one tea today because I was out of my regular green tea packets.  I tried my kombucha herbal tea packet, but the flavor was stronger than my usual tea, so I just finished that cup but decided to wait until I bought more of my usual.  I like the green tea that comes in 100 packs for like $4. 

At lunch time, I finished up my 4 for $4 Health Starts Here salad pack from yesterday and ate a Larabar on the side as well.

I was glad to get off work a little early today (2:30).  I think my late nights added to some typical work frustrations really put me in a mood.  So, anyway, things started cheering up when I clocked out, especially since I'm off tomorrow!

After running some errands, I arrived at home and was really really hungry.  My lunch didn't really fill me up for that long, so I was already ready for dinner.  I made what was supposed to be a lunch extension around 6:00, but that turned out to be my dinner.  I cooked up the rest of my tofu into Chicken Baked Tofu and the second half of a sweet potato into oven chips.  Yum!

I had a lot of big plans for tonight.  I was going to paint and cook my spaghetti squash.  But instead, I had half a glass of red wine, FaceTimed my twin and then fell asleep on my bed until 10:45 PM!  My cat woke me up because it was very past her dinner time!  Oh no!

So, sorry to disappoint again, but I look an awful mess right now and will skip the progress photo.  All the more progress to be shown in tomorrow's photo however!

Tomorrow, I'll make more pudding, and that'll be awesome!!! 

Today I felt:  Hungry because I didn't eat enough at lunch, Sleepy, and Proud we have just a few days left!

Thanks for reading!  Good luck to you all!

Day 24: Wow, We're Almost Done!

If you asked me 24 days ago how I think I'd feel today, I'd say "READY FOR A PIZZA!" But, I am proud to say that I don't really have those cravings as much!  Sure, the rotisserie chickens coming through my lane today smelled divine, but I don't crave those greasy cheesy indulgences I used to snarf down. I guess my taste buds are really evolving!

I really hope I can keep this up after the challenge ends.  I mean, like I've said, I am going home to WI next week (NEXT WEEK OH MY GOSH!) and will be eating some pizza at my twin's baby shower, and maybe some fish fry...  But I hope to still make healthy decisions for the majority of the trip.  Also, I can have a couple pieces of pizza...not 10.  And I can eat one piece of fish and take the rest home....or get baked fish instead of fried.  Either way, I'll get back into a healthy habit as soon as I get back to Music City! 

I still had a headache when I woke up, so I stayed in bed as long as I could.  I rocked a hat and skipped my shower, although the hot water would have probably made me feel a bit better.  I stopped at the pharmacy on the way to work and grabbed some headache medicine.  I typically don't take that stuff, but my sister suggested a different kind.  I picked up an orange juice at the pharmacy and ate a banana and Larabar in the car on the way to work.

On my 15 minute break, I had a granny smith apple with almond butter.  Surprise Surprise right?  Oh, that and the hot green tea with lemon and ginger juice. I didn't really have anything prepared to bring for lunch, so I bought some at work.  It's pretty convenient working at Whole Foods - I always have an option for lunch if I don't pack one.  I bought our 4 for $4 Health Starts Here special.  It's such a good deal!  I got the garlicky kale, cilantro lime quinoa, mint dill cucumber salad, and the deconstructed hummus.  I ate a little more than half, so will have some left for lunch tomorrow.  I may need to buy something else to eat with it.....maybe a Larabar or some rice.

After work, I headed over to the Engine 2 meeting!  Tonight's guest was Yusuf Rahman.  He is the Owner/Operator of Eternal Fitness & Nutrition and is taking our body measurements at the end of the Challenge.  We were weighed (at Whole Foods) by someone from Eternal Fitness & Nutrition at the beginning of the Challenge, but will go to Eternal Fitness & Nutrition's location for our final weigh in.  They'll take our body mass index and some other measurements....which is pretty neat!  I hope I'll have lost a little more by then!

Yusuf also talked about the importance of exercise and getting your heart rate to a certain level that is appropriate for you.  I do think I need to work out more.  Besides the fact that I spend a lot each month for my YMCA membership, it's important to take care of myself on the fitness level...not just nutrition.  My ongoing cold kind of kept me from working out during this Challenge, but I did get to the Y a few times and will aim for more this week!

After Yusuf's presentation, Michael Martin, Whole Food's Cooking Coach, gave us a cooking class!  He is suuuuuuch a great chef and I love learning from him.  He's always willing to give me cooking tips and I've made some awesome stuff just from recipes he' s told me off the top of his head.  Actually, he really helped me figure out the enchilada sauce recipe!  Tonight, Michael made an Indian Greens & Beans dish.  It had garbanzo beans, onions, curry powder, diced tomatoes, parsley, vegetable broth, toasted pumpkin seeds and wilted spinach.  It was served over brown rice.  Yum!

He also made a delicious garlic tahini salad.  It was kind of like the garlicky kale we sell at Whole Foods (and that I make a lot), but it has some different ingredients.  He also served the dressing over baby kale, sliced red cabbage and radish slices.  I want to add cabbage and radish to my garlicky kale salads!

For dessert, we were treated with the Engine 2 recipe: Adonis Cake!  This cake was OUTTA SIGHT!  I plan to make it on the last day of the challenge as a treat!  It was a chocolate egg-less cake made with whole wheat flour.  The frosting was made with silken tofu and semi-sweet chocolate chips.  Oh my gosh!  So so good!  Dori served the cake in little cups with raspberries on top. I had three since there were leftovers!

These Engine 2 meetings are fun! I met another nice lady tonight, Suzanna.  She sat with me and we chatted a bit.  She's going to look up my blog....hi Suzanna!  By the way, I have more international readers!  Poland has been added to my list of page views!  In fact, here's a map of the countries reading my blog.  Countries shaded in green have tracked page views.

So that's: United States
Canada
Germany
Australia
United Kingdom
Ireland
Costa Rica
India
Norway
Poland

Isn't that cool!?  Tonight, I got home and even though I have a headache again and actually a bit of a stomachache now, I forced myself to make dinner.  First, I got back to a project I started a few days ago.  I lined a baking pan with parchment paper and spread the cooked garbanzo beans (from a few days ago) evenly out on the baking pan. I sprinkled a few drops of liquid aminos over the beans and rolled them around to try to disperse the liquid aminos evenly.  Then I just sprinkled the garbanzos with chilli powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, paprika and nutritional yeast.  I rolled the garbanzos around to evenly coat them, then popped them into a 425 degree oven.  I baked the garbanzo beans until crunchy, which takes about a half an hour.  These are really good!  Watch em close at the end though, or they'll burn!  A few did...oops!

                           The photo is a bit dark, but there they are!  Aren't they beautiful!?

I also baked another portabella mushroom cap with balssamic vinegar and Hot Chicken Baked Tofu.  Yum! I was planning on having more pudding, but apparently ate it all!  I soaked some dates, though, to make more pudding tomorrow.

And here's my progress photo!  Just a few more left!

Today I felt:  Excited about how good the chocolate cake was, Happy to find another healthy snack option (crunchy garbanzo beans) and proud I've been plant-strong for 24 days! 

Thanks again for reading!  Have a great day!

Day 23: This is Why I Should Plan Ahead!

Hi all!  Day 23 already!  I've had some customers ask me about the challenge, and it's cool to see people are still interested!  I am getting more compliments on the changes in my body.  People say they notice my face is less puffy.  That's pretty rad! 

Today started with my favorite Raisin Bran with almonds and then a banana and almond butter for a snack.  I drank a few hot green teas with lemon and ginger too.

For lunch, I ate a garlicky kale salad and finished up my pad thai leftovers.  They were so good, but I think I packed too much.  It was a lot of noodles and I felt kind of heavy during the last portion of my shift.  I am planning on making more pad thai this week (since I have more green onions and cilantro to use up before it goes bad), but am going to use a spaghetti squash to replace the pad thai noodles.  Thank Jen Coyle, my cool twin, for the genius idea!

I picked up some more groceries at work today and also plan to make the sweet potato/parsnip pancakes with horseradish sauce soon.

I got home tonight and had a terrible headache.  It actually runs from my head and neck down into my shoulder.  I injured that muscle, the trapezius, a few years ago at a gig.  Anyway, the injury has gotten a lot better, but tonight, I'm feeling pretty blah.  I've been in bed for a few hours.  I want to make dinner, but don't feel up to it. My kind roommate offered to make me soup, but we don't really have any fixins in the house for E2 soup, so I'm just sitting up here trying to figure out what to do.  I could have an apple with almond butter, or another bowl of cereal.  I'll get one of those options soon enough.  And I have more pudding, which is packed full of the great nutrients from avocado, chia seeds, bananas and almond milk! 

I'm also too blah for a progress photo. Sorry guys!  But, if you're dying to see what I'm doing, here's a few photos of me and my headache...

 

 I want my mommy!

 

                                                                Ooowwww my head hurts!


Well guys, tomorrow is another day. I hope to sleep off this headache and wake up feeling lots of energy for work, with added energy afterwards to cook up some good meals.  Good luck to my fellow E2ers and thanks to everyone for reading!

Today I Felt:  Proud of my cooking skills (with my pad thai leftovers), Happy I bought more almond butter, Eager to think of other go-to E2 dishes (that are easy if you aren't feeling up to cooking a lot).

Day 22: I Lost Some More Weight!

Day 22!  Holy Moly! Just 6 more days!

Today was one of my days off, and that's always fun for me!  I stayed up until about 2:30 AM last night working on some art projects (I can't post photos because they're for my twin's upcoming baby shower!)  After waking up to do some more crafting...then falling asleep again, I finally got up and dug into some Raisin Bran with almond milk.

I lounged around my bedroom, filed my taxes, and finished this adorable art project!  I really wish I could show ya, but my twin reads my blog everyday! Hi Jen!  By the way, my sister is just the best.  You already know that she sent me roses on Valentine's Day, but she calls me every morning and is so supportive of me in everything that I do.  Everyone needs a Jen Coyle in their life!

Ok, let's get back to E2!  I was hungry a couple hours after my cereal, so I had a banana with some almond butter on it.  I love that stuff!  Then, I headed out to Franklin for a Bible study.  I stopped in to Whole Foods to grab a blueberry muffin flavored Larabar.  That was my lunch I guess.  Well, that and some hot green tea with lemon and ginger juice.

I had a great time at the Bible study.  It's great to have time to learn and also chat with some kind ladies about our lives.  I feel very appreciated and special there, which keeps me bouncin' through the day.  :)

After that, I popped into the YMCA.  I didn't have a ton of time to workout, but did lift some weights, and plan to get more workouts in this week....well, that's the hope!  And guess what?  I lost a little more weight!  I figured I wouldn't lose as much as I did in the first portion of the E2 Challenge, but was very excited to see that I lost another 2 pounds since last week!  So, that's a total of 10 pounds in 22 days!  Not bad!  Maybe I'll get another 2 pounds off by weigh-in next week.  There are prizes for the most weight loss at our Engine 2 Meet Ups at Whole Foods, and, being super competitive, I'd LOVE to win one!

When I got home, I got to cooking the garbanzo beans that I soaked overnight.  I put them in a big pot of water and added ground turmeric, ground cayenne pepper, ground paprika, ground cumin, ground ginger and ground garlic powder.  I covered the pot and brought it to a boil and then reduced to a simmer for about and hour...until the garbanzos were tender.  I strained the garbanzos and let them cool before packing them in a jar and putting them in the refrigerator.  I will bake them tomorrow until they are a crispy snack.  I planned on doing it tonight, but it'd take too long and I wanted to get upstairs and have some time to relax.

For supper, I had my favorites: Heather's Hot Chicken Baked Tofu and asparagus.

I also made a fun appetizer (since I didn't have much for lunch and was so hungry), baked brown rice tortilla chips and homemade salsa!  My tomato went rotten (gross!) but I used some leftover homemade enchilada sauce to use as the base.  To that, I added fresh minced garlic, onion, red bell pepper, jalapeno pepper, cilantro and lime juice.  And the last ingredient (which is what I learned at the E2 meeting from Brian) was minced banana!  It added a hint of sweetness and toned down the spice level...since it was pretty darn spicy!  This is such a great snack, and is so easy!

For dessert, I made another batch of chocolate pudding!  I'll probably branch out and try the brownie recipe in a day or so, but I had all the ingredients for this.  I made my Brownie Batter Chia Seed Pudding recipe but also added some unsweetened coconut flakes and avocado.  It was a great mix!

                                                            Yuuuuuuummmmy pudding!

   Day 1: 176 pounds  

Day 22: 166 pounds (10 lbs lost)

Pretty cool to look at these photos together!  What's cookin' good lookin'? :)

Today I felt: Proud of my weight loss, Pleased with my delicious salsa and chips, Glad to make more pudding!  I just can't get enough of it!

Thanks again for reading!  By the way, I reached my goal of 4,000 views!  I'm at around 4,285 views now!  So, maybe I can hit 5,000 views by the end!

Day 21: Feeling Great

It's Day 21!  Wow!  Just 7 more days!

Today was a pretty great day.  It was super sunny and warm here in Nashville, and I was in a good mood all day long.  I started my morning the way I've been starting it for the last two weeks, with Raisin Bran and almond milk.  I made a hot green tea with lemon and ginger juice before my shift started and sipped on that for a while.

On my 15 minute break, I snacked on a granny smith apple, cut into slices, with almond butter spread on the slices.  I love that mixture, and it keeps me full for 2.5 hours until lunch time.

For lunch, I had leftover Pad Thai.  I got a lot of compliments in the break room about how good it looked and smelled! I sure felt proud hearing those kind words.

After work, I bought a few groceries.  I had to stock up on a few items I was out of, so I picked up a big bottle of Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar, a bottle of lemon juice, a bottle of ginger juice and a two-pack of unsweetened almond milk.  They don't sell the unsweetened vanilla almond milk in a two-pack, but you save close to $2 getting the two-pack.  I can always add a little vanilla extract if I really want vanilla flavoring.

Once I got home, I frantically did my chores.  I have tomorrow off and would rather spend the day doing things I want to do instead of things I need to do.  I put my chicken baked tofu in the oven and used the timer on that as my motivation to get my work done.  I really moved fast and finished most.  For dinner, I had sweet potato chips, chicken baked tofu, a baked portabella mushroom cap and a garlicky kale salad with baby kale. 

Dinner was really good!  And I was glad to have a mason jar full of the garlicky kale dressing so I could just whip up a salad real fast.  It's always good to prep food in advance.  I'll have to think of other things to prep for this upcoming week.  Hmmm....  To finish the night off, I ate the rest of my delicious avocado chocolate pudding that I made last night.  I soaked some dates and have them sitting in the fridge.  I'll make more pudding tomorrow.  Oh, and I am soaking some garbanzo beans overnight too.  I'll cook them up tomorrow and then will bake them with seasoning on top until they are crunchy.  Dori, our Healthy Eating Specialist at Whole Foods, suggested that as a delicious snack.  Doesn't that sound good?

Today I felt:  In a good mood, flattered by compliments about my slimming figure, excited for 7 more days of E2!

Thank you to all my readers!  Have a great start to your week!!!

Day 20: Pad Thai Night

Hi all! It's Day 20! Wooooow!

First of all, I need to apologize for my crazy blog from yesterday! I thought I published it last night, but realized this morning that I didn't. Like I said, I was falling asleep while writing it and DID fall asleep, which is why it didn't post til morning.

Anyway, my dinner with Nathan was lots of fun. He's a great friend and we always have fun conversations. And MAN! I can't get over how good his avocado pudding was! Just amazing! 

It's no surprise that I ate another delicious bowl of raisin bran with added almond slices this morning. Still as good as ever...so why change?

I was stiil so tired this morning that I slept in as long as I could and didn't have time to pack a lunch. I really didn't have much to pack though, so I guess that's ok!

We sometimes do Pop Up Shops at Whole Foods that offer unique lunch specials. Sometimes it's quesadillas or ham and gruyere sandwiches or taco salads, etc. I was really fortunate today because it was a Quinoa Slider Pop Up Shop! They even put mine on special whole wheat mini pitas so I could stay E2 true.

It was so good! Top with a mustard sauce and onions! I really lucked out with that lunch.

After work, I got to thinking about dinner. I've only got one frozen enchilada left and want to save that, so I'd have to make something new. I was debating between an E2 burger or pasta when it hit me! An incredible craving for Pad Thai! So, that's exactly what I made!

This was my first time making it, and I must say, I was very pleased with my creation.

Here's the rough recipe (I say rough because I didn't exactly measure things when throwing them in.)

Heather Jean's Pad Thai

1 package brown rice pad Thai noodles

2/3 package extra firm tofu

1/2 Vidalia onion, chopped

1/2 red bell pepper, sliced

1/2 baby bok choy, sliced

1 cup fresh brocolli, chopped

2 inches ginger, peeled and minced

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 tbsp no-salt/no-oil added peanut butter

5 soaked dates

2 tbsp cilantro, chopped

Juice of 1 lime

1 tsp lime zest

Juice of 1 clementine 

2 cups water

1 tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp ground ginger

2 tbsp sesame seeds

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1/2 fresh jalapeño, minced

Liquid aminos

2 tbsp vinegar 

Garnish Ingredients

2 tbsp chopped green onion

1 tsp sesame seeds

Juice of 1/2 lime 

1 tbsp raw peanuts

Tofu Directions

Preheat oven to 425. Line a baking pan with parchment paper. Slice tofu into long thin slices. Lay each tofu slice on the baking pan and sprinkle with lime juice, ground ginger and sesame seeds. Bake until firm (about 25minutes.) 

Sauce Directions

Sauté 1/4 cup onion, garlic and ginger. Once it starts to stick to the pan, add the water, celementine and lime juice, lime zest, dates, pepper, cilantro, red pepper flakes, jalapeño, vinegar and peanut butter. Mix well and simmer on low until tender. Take off heat and cool for 10 minutes. Once cooked a bit, blend until smooth and return to heat, simmering on low.

In another pan, add the rest of the onion plus the red pepper, bok choy and brocolli. Sauté until tender. Add a splash of liquid aminos plus a sprinkle of raw sesame seeds once cooked and tender. 

Boil the brown rice Pad Thai noodles until tender. Drain and add the noodles to the sauce. Then add the veggies. Plate and garnish with a squeeze of lime juice, fresh green onion, cilantro and the raw peanuts. Then...dig in and ENJOY!!

I'll tell ya, I am super happy with how it turned out! The noodles were a tad sticky (maybe I needed to rinse them?) but I really enjoyed my meal! And it was nowhere near as unhealthy as the Pad Thai take-out I typically would have gotten!

For dessert, I made more chia pudding, but added an avocado this time like Nathan did. It is SO SO good! Rich and creamy! Oh man! The best!

All in all, today was a great day of flavors! I'm a lucky girl.

And look! I got a haircut! 

Today I felt: So pleased with my Pad Thai, Excited about my new haircut, Glad I had an avocado for the pudding!!

Thank you for reading! Just one week left! 

Day 19: E2 Dinner With Nathan

Hey all! It's Day 19 already!

I've been thinking about my upcoming trip to Wisconsin and am wondering if my body will be able to handle all the cheat food I initially planned on eating. I figured, I'm only home for 4 nights, I'll just eat my favorite WI foods and not feel guilty. But, now I question how I'll physically feel instead of emotionally. It's been great not eating all that oil and stuff. I really feel better. I think I'll sample some favorites, but sharing things would be better than full meals, and making sure to eat my greens each day will help too.

Today was another predictable day: raisin bran for breakfast and enchiladas and garlicky kale salad for lunch. I snacked on a banana with almond butter too. I'm just about done with my enchiladas so I can make a new and exciting dish soon!

After work, I headed over hang out with my friend, Nathan.  I needed someone to share my enchiladas with and he's vegan and a good friend, so good choice! 

I'm so tired typing this. I can barely keep my eyes open. Work is wearing me out with our fundraising campaign. It's so awesome, but draining!! Enjoy pictures from our dinner party.

               Burned our first chips

Not burned rice chips made from rice tortillas. Bake at 425 for about 5 minutes until golden.

I thought that was a plate, but it's a decorative plate to go under the plates. Nathan laughed a lot. Oops!

Healthy Dinner party!

And Nathan made the best avocado pudding! Loads better than my chia pudding!

Today I felt: sooooo tired!!! And glad to have a friend to eat vegan with!

Thanks for reading!!

Day 18! 10 Days Left!!!

This challenge is really going better than I hoped! Like I said yesterday, it's not as hard anymore. Oh! I just remembered, I never asked Brian if I can post some recipes he showed us yesterday. Well, I'll try to remember to do that tomorrow!

I treated myself to breakfast in bed this morning! Same old cereal with almond milk, but a fun setting amongst pillows and blankets. Actually, not completely "same old" cereal! I added a dash of cinnamon, which was a tasty addition.

At work, I drank a couple hot green teas with lemon and ginger juice. I just love those! On my 15 minute break, I cut up an apple and ate it with some almond butter (that I spread on the apple slices.) That's a delicious snack with some substance behind it. Kept me full until lunchtime (2.5 hours later.)

I had another enchilada for lunch! People are asking if I'm sick of them yet, but so far, nope! I'll actually be bringing some (that I froze) to my friend's house for dinner tomorrow! I spent too much time chatting with my friend, Candyce, to eat anything else during lunch, but, thankfully, the enchilada is real filling with the beans and sweet potatos inside.

I came home around 7:30, ready to cook supper, when tornado sirens went off! I left my groceries on the counter in the kitchen, grabbed my cat and hung out in the bathroom for a half hour or so. Poor kitty, she did NOT like being in there.

                   "Let me out!"

         "Seriously!!! I'm freaking out!!!"

I called my mom and she helped look at the radar and weather alerts and finally, Cirrus and I got to escape the porcelain dungeon. 

I finished up my tofu and baked a portabella mushroom cap (drizzled with white wine and balsamic vinegar.)  I enjoyed that with a large helping of asparagus sautéed in white wine. Very good!!

Eating lots of veggies gets me full, but is so healthy! Yay!

I got more compliments about my body transformation today. Customers and coworkers are noticing. Pretty cool!  

Still making progress! Yay!

Thanks again to all who have been following my blog. Hello to all of you international readers too! Leave a comment if you'd like! Love to hear from you. 

Today I Felt: Annoyed with the length of the tornado warning, Pleased with how my mushroom cap turned out, Amazed we only have 10 days left!

Day 17: Yeah, I Got This!

I'm hardly even feeling like I'm in a Challenge anymore...where's the challenge?! I'm kidding about being overly confident, but really, it's just not as difficult as it once was!

Like I said in my previous blogs, to stay on budget since I'm cooking for one, I have to eat a lot of the same stuff each day. But, I hope to share some new recipes soon!

So, you guessed it, I enjoyed another bowl of my "homemade" Raisin Bran. Putting my own raisins in bran flakes with almond slices is so good, and I don't even miss the sugar coated raisins. I was pretty hungry this morning so I also had a banana with almond butter on it.

On my 15 minute break, I had an apple. Could have used more, but didn't think I'd be that hungry. I made a couple hot green teas with splashes lemon and ginger juice too, and that was real good!

Lunch was another enchilada with 1/4 avocado sliced on top and a wedge of lime juice sprinkled over top. Yum! I can't get enough of those enchiladas...and coworkers on the breakroom said it smelled good!

After work, we had another Engine 2 Meet Up at Whole Foods. I didn't get there last week because I wasn't feel well, so was glad to make it tonight. Brian, our Catering Specialist, showed us how to make 3 different entertainment-worthy E2-friendly recipes! 

He made a fresh salsa (with peppers, cilantro, banana, green apple and more!) We ate the salsa with homemade rice chips! He just cut rice tortillas into triangles and baked them at 425 until crispy! I was so impressed!

Next, he made sweet potato and parsnip pancakes topped with a horseradish sauce! He used cashew cream in the horseradish sauce! I'll ask if I can post the recipes, because I bet you'd love them! (Sorry, I didn't snap a photo!)

For dessert, we enjoyed a peach muffin parfait! And he had lots of leftovers so I got to eat 3! They were small...and soooooo good!

        Heart be still! I think I'm in love!

I learned a lot at the meeting and even got to share my brownie batter pudding recipe with a woman there. She was so cute; she was like, "Has anyone cooked with chia seeds?!" I was sitting in front of her and said I'd share my recipe with her. She said she'd make it soon and was happy to have it. Yay! She also told me about two of her relatives who are 74, but look decades younger because they eat so healthy. They also eat chia seeds, which inspired her to pick some up. I am excited to find out how it worked for her. 

Dinner was the same as last night: Hot Baked Tofu, Baked Onion Peels, Sautéed Asparagus, Saffron Cous Cous. The only difference this time was a garlicky kale salad on the side. My plate looks kinda crazy, but I wasn't really concerned with presentation tonight. Just get it on the plate so it can get in my belly! I was proud of my huge salad though!!

It's fun that you can eat a plateful and not feel bad about it. And I can't get enough of the nutritional yeast on the tofu and onion peels! 

Well, hate disappoint tonight, but no progress photo... I fell asleep and woke up to not feeling up for a photo. Tomorrow though!!  Thanks for the encouragement! Good luck!

Today I felt: Sleepy, happy to have the recipes at the meeting, eager to share my story

Day 16: Eating My Favorites To Stay On Track

It's Sweet 16 today! I'm still going strong! Plant-strong. (That play on words will never get old.)

I had another day off and was able to do some cooking for the week. As I was planning yesterday, I made another batch of enchiladas. I figure, they're in my budget and really delicious, so even though I'd love to show you all new recipes everyday, I gotta go with what works for me. I made the black beans that I stuffed inside and they're so good! Here's the rough recipe:

Enchilada Black Beans

1 bag dry black beans

1 tbsp ground cumin

1 tbsp ground garlic 

1 tsp ground paprika

1 tsp ground cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp Bragg's Liquid Aminos

Directions

Soak the beans in water in a large pot overnight. Cover the pot with a towel and keep in a cool place. The next day, drain and rinse the beans. Put the beans back in the pot and cover with water until the water is just about 1 1/2 inches over the beans. Add the spices and stir. Cover and bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer for about an hour, until tender. Add more cumin if you want it to taste more taco-ey. If it's still too watery, take some out. You can add more spices if you take out water. Thats it! 

Kinda a fuzzy shot, but there they are!!

You guys have my enchilada recipe from my Day 10 blog! I also added more kale to the today's enchiladas for more nutrition! I made some more garlicky kale dressing for some salads this upcoming week as well!

After cleaning my room, finally, and rigging up a way to keep my window screen from falling forward (preventing the scary Tennessee bugs from entering my room) I headed downtown to volunteer at Children's Hospital. I'm a musician volunteer with the most awesome non-profit, Musicians On Call! 

Anywho, I realized that I typically grab something fast after volunteering. I get out around 8, then need to drive 20 minutes back home. So cooking a dinner is usually not on my priority list. But, I didn't give in. I mean, come on, I've been strong for 16 days already, including Valentine's Day, so I can be strong for the next week and a half!

For dinner tonight, I made my favorites. I'm really hooked on this Hot Baked Tofu. I made it extra spicy tonight. I had extra nutritional yeast breading leftover so I cut a wedge of onion and made baked onion peels. I gobbled them up before I took the photo so you'll have to use your imagination! I made up some plain cous cous, that I added a little saffron and liquid aminos to, and some asparagus. Mmmmm it was so good!!! Again, I enjoyed the tofu with Muir Glen Organic Ketchup, which is acceptable on the Engine 2 Diet.

I feel a little bloated again today (from being a lady, not because of the food I'm eating), and think that shows a bit in my progress photo. But I still see progress, so that's good!

 

Oh! By the way, I have over 3,100 pageviews now! Some are in Canada, Germany, Norway, Ireland, India and more! And, of course, USA!

Thanks for reading! Please share if you'd like! I'd love to hit 4,000 by the end of the challenge!

Today I felt: Pleased with my enchiladas, glad to eat my favorite tofu meal, and still proud of my progress!

Good luck to you all! Thanks for reading!

Day 15: Guess How Much Weight I Lost!

Hi all!

It's Day 15! I can't believe it's over halfway through the challenge! It's pretty cool to be able to look at my progress and also what was unhealthy about the way I used to eat.

It's great that I've been cooking so much. I'm spending more moolah at the grocery store, but saving in the long run from all the prepared and fast food meals I'm skipping. I'll really be sure to cook approximately 19 meals a week after this challenge is over. Then I can allow for 2 meals out or prepared. But, I'll still try to make healthy choices! Because, I'm proud of my progress and want to stay a comfortable size!

Speaking of progress....I finally weighed myself at the YMCA tonight...and I lost 8 pounds! In 15 days! Holy cow! I kept pushing that thing on the scale over and it kept going down until I settled at 168! 15 days ago I weighed 176! Dang!

I wonder if I'll lose a lot more in the next two weeks, or stay here, or gain? You never know! My goal, however, is to get down to 162, so that's 6 lbs. We will see if I can do it (in a healthy way of course.)

I'm lacking in photos today. I had Raisin Bran for breakfast. I kinda overdid it on Raisin Bran in 12 hours (had two bowls last night and one this morning). That much fiber is a lot for my body to handle. TMI but, just letting you know if you plan to eat that much in 12 hours!

After getting together with a friend and buying adorable gifts for my soon-to-arrive nephew, I finally got to the YMCA! I did some lifting and then did some cardio on the treadmill. There's a TV built into the treadmill and I ended up watching The Food Network - haha! They were showcasing great dipping sandwiches. I don't really like those dipping sandwiches, but I do love cooking, so I watched it and enjoyed myself! And drooled all over the treadmill. Haha, not really!

When I got home, I got to work on my own cooking. I made more enchilada sauce and cooked up quite a big dinner. I only had a Larabar for lunch, so was pretty hungry! As I cooked, I ate a banana with raw almond butter on it. Then I had Heather Jean's Hot Baked Tofu, along with sautéed asparagus and and an enchilada topped with sliced avocado. I baked my tofu longer this time (around 30 min at 425) and it was so much better. Real crispy on the outside. 

Like I said, it was a lot of food, but I was hungry! For dessert, I enjoyed some more of Heather Jean's Brownie Batter Pudding!

I'm eating it in one of my cat's food bowls because all the other small ones were in the dishwasher! :)

                Day 15: 168 lbs

I feel like my stomach looked flatter a few days ago, but I did just get my period, maybe TMI for some of y'all (sorry!) so that may be why I'm looking a little bloated. Either way, I lost 8 lbs and am dang proud of it!!

I'll be making another batch of enchiladas tomorrow with my homemade black beans. I'll give you the recipe for the beans tomorrow! If you're going to make 'em tomorrow, be sure to soak 'em tonight! 

Today I felt: Sooooo proud about my weight loss, happy I got my tofu real crispy, and excited about planning for life (and maintaining) after the challenge!

Thanks for reading! Take care!

Day 14: Halfway Through the Challenge!!

Day 14!! Made it to the halfway point! Wow!! I'm learning a lot about my cooking and eating habits and have made observations on how my body feels without animal products, and added salt, oil and sugar. I have not had intentional distress or heartburn in the last 14 days. That's awesome! I typically would get a lot of gurgling, bloating, irregularity and other charming bodily responses from eating overly processed, oily, fatty and sugary foods. So, I feel a little more...confident...after eating my E2 foods. The only thing I've been feeling the past couple days that is a little troubling is some dizziness. But, I don't think I got enough to eat in the last two days. 

This is where my speech about planning ahead comes into play again. I didn't have enough on hand yesterday, so just didn't eat as much, which may have contributed to the dizziness. I also didn't have anymore Raisin Bran fixins in the house, so had to wait to eat breakfast until I got to the store to grab a Larabar. Larabars are awesome, but be mindful of the flavor you choose. Some have added salt or coconut oil. But the Key Lime Pie, Cherry Pie, Blueberry Muffin and Pecan Pie flavors are all just fruit, nuts and sometimes juice. 

Anyway, back to the dizziness, I think that can be avoided by being better stocked. That being said, I'll continue to monitor it. If I feel worse, I'll look for options on how to fix it, even if it means breaking my challenge. I wouldn't want that, but I'm in the public eye and want to make decisions I'd want my readers to also make. Personal health and safety come first. But, I'm pretty sure I just didn't eat enough. 

The Larabar held me over until I got to work, where I picked up more snacks. I got another box of the Engine 2 Seeds and Spice Crispbreads and a package of our homemade guacamole. There is some salt in it, but not much and it's all fresh made here so I let it slide. This was a delicious snack!

On my 15 minute break, I wanted to get a banana, but we only had green ones (oh the humanity!) so I bought a red delicious apple instead. I picked up a container of fresh ground almond butter (no oil or salt added, just almonds) and ate it with my apple. I sliced the apple and spread the almond butter on it. And yum, the almond butter was so freshly ground that it was still warm! I told this to some friends and they were like "gross!", but I thought it tasted good. And it was a filling snack that held me over until lunch/dinner time. 

For lunch/dinner, I enjoyed another one of my homemade enchiladas! I really am so pleased with how good those taste! They don't seem like the vegan version of a dish, but just like a normal delicious meal I'd enjoy anytime. And they taste even better with a dollop of guacamole on top! I even bought more ingredients to make another batch of enchiladas on my upcoming days off!

We had a team meeting at Whole Foods tonight with pizza. I was assuming I just wouldn't get to eat any, but they ordered a special vegan and whole wheat veggie pizza just for us E2ers!!! It didn't have cheese, but tons of veggies and really was good. It went fast, but I was able to grab a nice big middle slice! 

                        PIZZA!!!

After the meeting, I was pretty hungry again, so I had a late night bowl of Raisin Bran with added sliced almonds and unsweetened vanilla almond milk. It's so stinkin good! 

Oh, one thing I wanted to add is that I've been taking a vitamin B12 supplement. At the meeting with Rip, he said that the US Nutrition Board says everyone over the age of 50 needs to supplement with B12. So...interesting! I got a deal on the supplements so picked some up. If you're open to trying supplements, maybe you could give this one a try.

I've been getting compliments on my progress and stomach slim down, and I appreciate it. I do worry, though, about the weight I'll gain after this because I know I can't be 100% strict to this plan. I'm going to still eat much better, cooking with no or less oil, watching my salt and avoiding sugar. I realize how many sodas I drank before. I typically don't set out to order a soda, but I started to eat a lot of fast food and they'd ask if I'd like to upgrade to a combo and I'd always mindlessly add a soda on. I don't need those calories and sugar. At all!

So, anyway, I've learned a lot and will learn more over the next 2 weeks. Thanks to all of you who have read my blog each day! I appreciate it!!

Today I felt: Dizzy at times, thankful God created avocados, and glad to not have intestinal distress!