Sunday, July 31, 2011

Sunday Sweets


Found this stumbling across blog world, and what an adorable super yummy low-cal dessert! Buy some bittersweet chocolate chips and stuff them into raspberries for a delicious little dessert!

Yum.

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Tofu Shirataki Noodles

Just came across this new guilt-free craze. Tofu Shirataki Noodles, made up of blended tofu and the root of a konnyaku (an Asian yam). It comes in Spaghetti style, Fettucinne, and Angel hair. Not only is it only 20 calories per 4 oz serving, but it has only 3g carbs, has NO cholesterol or sugar, is gluten and dairy free, AND vegan!

I pretty much can't wait to get my hands on these noodles.
:)

go here for more info.
*Purchasable at Lunardi's & Whole Foods*

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

No longer a teen!

{a sweet card my amazing co-workers made for me!}

Yesterday was my birthday, and guess what? I am no longer a teen. I am officially 20 years old. Oh em gee. Yes, I know, I'm still a baby. 

I still had to go to work yesterday, but my lovely co-workers took me out to lunch to this delicious Thai food place where we had pad Thai and yellow curry chicken...so bomb. Not exactly on my diet, but hey, it's my birthday! And then last night, I went out with my fam to Maggiano's, this amazing Italian restaurant. We ordered family style, and had Italian salad, Chopped Salad, Calamari, Steamed mussels, Linguine and Clams, Gnocchi, and Lemon cookies. Yes, that is a heck of a lot of food, but man was it good.

So it looks like I have a date today with the elliptical and my trainer. Awesome. Oh well, it was worth it :)

Saturday, July 23, 2011

Metabolism Boosters

I was watching Doctor Oz and one of the guests on the show was a metabolism expert. She recommended these 3 ways to boost metabolism and burn fat. Can't wait to try them out.

1) Forskolin - $14.99 at drugstore.com

This vitamin has proven to help boost individuals' metabolism and burn fat. Um, awesome!

2) Banaba Leaf Tea - $9.45 at amazon.com


This tea works to lower blood sugar levels, which then helps to burn fat.

3) Balsamic Vinegar - a few dollars at your local grocery store

Add 2 Tbsp of Balsamic with every meal to better digest carbohydrates. 


Well there ya go. Give it a try! I will be!

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

When you don't think you can, do it anyway!



My words of advice for today. When you don't think you can, do it anyway.

This weekend after a long week of work, I decided to sleep. ALOT. More than I should have. In result, I was super lazy, which meant no gym or workout what so ever. All the energy was sucked out of me, and going to the gym was the last thing I wanted to do. But when Sunday night rolled around, I super regretted it. I would have felt SO much better if I would have just mustered about some energy and went to the gym.

It's SO hard when you are super tired and you'd much rather catch up on your favorite shows then go to the gym/get in a workout. But my words of advice to you is, kick laziness to the curb, ask God for strength, and get sweatin! It may seem impossible, but trust me, you will feel so much better in the end. Not only will you not feel guilty because you didn't workout, but you will have so much more energy afterwards, and feel happier! One of the best feelings is doing something you didn't think you could do.

So push through, YOU CAN DO IT. Laziness is only there to rob of us being the best that we can be.

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Busy Bee!

Sorry for the lack of posts! This new job is utterly exhausting me. Yesterday I was at work from 8:30 to 4:00 and then went straight to the gym for my personal training session. Oy was I tired! But, I got through it! Thanks to God and my personal trainer yelling at me to pick up the slack. I must say, on my own I probably wouldn't have worked out that much, but because I had someone motivating me, I was able to push myself harder than I thought I could. So, my quick tip for you today is, find someone to motivate you. Whether that be your husband, your best friend, someone from work, or a personal trainer. It makes all the difference. They help us see our potential even when we don't. :)

Back to work tomorrow for another long day of phone calls and sitting in a cubical. Joy.

Monday, July 11, 2011

Carrie Underwood's Guilt-Free Pizza

Came across this yummy, low-cal recipe on Self.com, and thought I'd share it with you guys. Can't wait to make it myself!


Ingredients:
  • Vegetable oil cooking spray
  • I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Spray
  • 1 Food for Life Organic Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Grain (or whole-grain) 9-inch tortilla
  • 1/4 cup pizza sauce
  • 1/4 cup 2 percent shredded mozzarella
  • 16 slices Yves Veggie Meatless Pepperoni (or 3 slices lean sandwich meat, cut into small pieces)
  • Vegetable toppings of your choice
  • 1 cup mixed greens (optional)
How to:

Heat oven to 400°. Coat a cookie sheet or pizza stone with cooking spray. Spray I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Spray on both sides of tortilla; place tortilla on sheet; spread with pizza sauce; sprinkle with cheese. Top with pepperoni slices and your favorite vegetable toppings. Bake until tortilla is crispy and cheese has melted, about 5 minutes. Top with mixed greens, if desired. Cut into 4 slices and enjoy.

Nutrition:
239 calories per two slices, 6 g fat (1 g saturated), 20 g carbs, 3 g fiber, 26 g protein

*all information received from here*

Friday, July 8, 2011

Weekend Cocktail: Sangria Bianca


White wine, peaches, nectarines, oranges, and strawberries.
Delishhh.

Erase Arm Flab


via {here}

click image for larger size!

Restaurant Quick Tip


In order to make sure you aren't over eating when going out to a restaurant, especially one that has supersized portions, {like my favorite, The Cheesecake Factory - one dish could feed 3 people}! Ask the waiter before eating for a To-Go box, rather than after. This way, you can leave only the amount of food you should be consuming on your plate, and have the rest already packed away in a lil box for later. By doing this, you won't be tempted to eat more than you should since it's already packed away and out of sight.

Give it a try!

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Mozzarella Caprese Salad


{me!}

One of my mom's and mines favorite things is mozzarella caprese. Mainly because we are Italian and LOVE cheese.
And when it comes to fresh mozzarella cheese, baby I'm in love. So, mom and I decided to make it yesterday, because we were craving something light and fresh. Such a quick and easy dish. Here's the recipe:

Ingredients: {makes about 15}

4 tomatoes
1 log of Precious Fresh Mozzerella Cheese
1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of diced up fresh basil
enough olive oil to coat
enough balsamic vinegar to coat {this isn't a necessary ingredient, but we love the tanginess of it}

How to:

1) wash the tomatoes and basil; chop up the basil and slice the tomatoes into 1 cm thick pieces
2) slice up the log of mozzarella into 1 cm thick pieces
3) assemble the tomato pieces onto a plate {we used a dish so the olive oil and vinegar could soak into the cheese}
4) place the slices of cheese on top
5) scatter the basil across the top
6) drizzle olive oil over each piece; then drizzle balsamic over each piece
7) cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge for 15 minutes to let the oil and vinegar soak into the tomato and cheese.

Enjoy!

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Happy 4th of July!

For the 4th, here is a cute quick treat you can make for your family and friends.


What you need:
-strawberries
- cool whip or whip cream
- blue sprinkles

What to do:
Take strawberries, first dip in the cool whip, and then dip in sprinkles. Easy peasie!

Enjoy your 4th! I will be relaxing at the beach :)

Friday, July 1, 2011

Weekend Quick Tip


Time for the weekend, and that means parties, hangouts, and gatherings. This could be dangerous because what usually comes along with get togethers? Food. Lots of it. Have a problem with not snacking on the horderves table or the buffet table of desserts? ME TOO. Don't leave feeling guilty. Instead, before you go out for the night, stash some healthy snacks in your purse. I like to put in an apple, some grapes, and maybe some low-fat crackers. This way, when I'm tempted to snack, I won't be left feeling guilty. Phew!

Hope this helps!