Ugh.

Since I had Halle 5 months ago, I have lost and then gained back the same 5-6 pounds 3 times. I get super motivated and determined for a couple weeks and lose 5-6 pounds quickly, but then I just kinda go crazy because I feel too restricted. I obviously can't figure out how to make realistic changes in my diet/lifestyle.

In 8 weeks our little family is going on a trip to Kona, Hawaii. You'd think that would be some major motivation to get swimsuit ready. You'd think.

 

 

 

Come on, Ashley. Just do it.

My favorite recipes

Turkey Meatloaf Muffins (I really love these!)

Nutrition per muffin

Calories: 80
Fats: 2 grams
Carbs: 4 grams
Protein: 11 grams

• 2 lbs ground turkey (or chicken)
• 3 egg whites
• 1 cup quick cooking oats
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 2 tsp dry yellow mustard
• 2 tsp black pepper
• 2 tsp chipotle pepper spice (I used about 1 tsp. of cayenne pepper instead)
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp garlic powder (2 cloves minced)
• 1 small onion (finely chopped)
• 2 celery stalks (finely chopped)  

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
   
2. Spray muffin pan with canola or olive oil.
   
3. Mix all your ingredients together in one large bowl.
   
4. Roll the mixture into balls and place in muffin pan. Muffins should be about the size of a racquetball.
   
5. Bake for 30-35 minutes.
   Makes 12 muffins 

Turkey Burgers

Ingredients

• 3 pounds ground turkey
• 1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup finely diced onion
• 2 egg whites, lightly beaten
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

1. In a large bowl, mix ground turkey, seasoned bread crumbs, onion, egg whites, parsley, garlic, salt, and pepper. Form into 12 patties.
2. Cook the patties in a medium skillet over medium heat, turning once, to an internal temperature of 180 degrees F (85 degrees C).

Nutritional Information

Amount Per Serving Calories: 183 | Total Fat: 9.5g | Cholesterol: 90mg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Baked Chicken Nuggets

 

3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (not actually "clean", but you don't use a lot)

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 tablespoon dried basil

 3-4 egg whites

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2. Cut chicken breasts into 1 1/2-inch sized pieces. In a medium bowl, mix together the bread crumbs, cheese, salt, thyme and basil. Mix well. Put egg whites in a bowl for dipping.
3. Dip chicken pieces into the egg whites first, then coat with the breadcrumb mixture. Place the well-coated chicken pieces on a lightly greased cookie sheet in a single layer, and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. 

These are even better the next day after the flavors soak in.

Clean Meals

So the idea of eating clean is to combine lean protein and complex carbs at every meal. Each meal is usually 200-300 calories, and you eat 5-6 meals a day.

Here are some examples of clean things to eat:

 

 

This is my breakfast almost every morning. Oatmeal with cinnamon, blueberries (frozen) and a little bit of banana. And then for the protein I have one whole egg and one egg white, either scrambled or "fried." Today I added mushrooms to my eggs, if you're wondering what that is. Breakfast is often my largest meal. Oatmeal and eggs are really filling.

 

 

 

 

 

This is a typical clean dinner. Chicken with just spices on it, sweet potato, veggies. Yum.

I like onion powder and garlic powder on my chicken and vegetables. I should also add that both of the plates in these pictures are salad plates, not a regular sized ones. I like using smaller plates to keep my portions smaller.

 

 

 

Here are just a few examples of clean meals and snacks:

 

 --Breakfast burrito:  1 egg and 2 egg whites, veggies, spices, wrapped in whole wheat tortilla

 

--Eggs (scrambled or fried) on whole wheat toast

 

--Kashi Cereals:  I like Go Lean Crunch and Go Lean Crisp a lot. These are great because they have complex carbs and protein in them. Most cereal have little to no protein. Go Lean Crisp is my favorite. Costco sometimes sells it. I also prefer almond milk instead of cow's milk. That's just my preference. Almond milk is cool because it's low calorie and still has lots of calcium.

 

--Tuna wrap: mix tuna with a tiny bit of light mayo (which is not clean...oops), sliced grapes, walnuts, celery etc and put it in a whole wheat pita, tortilla, or on bread. It's like chicken salad.

 

--Whole wheat spaghetti: I use a healthy spaghetti sauce and add veggies and ground turkey

 

--Turkey burger: ground turkey mixed with onions and spices, cooked on the stove, and then add tomato, lettuce and avocado on top and put it on a whole wheat bun

 

--Stir Fry: chicken, veggies and brown rice (use a small amount of low-sodium soy sauce)

 

--Cottage cheese + a pear or peach

 

--Apple + almonds

 

--Greek yogurt + some fruit or veggies or Kashi cereal on top