My Eating Clean Journey

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Day 6 Omni Drops – Chicken Fajita Lettuce Boats (Wraps)

Day 6 and I lost another full pound.  I’m not at a total of 9.8 lbs lost.

Breakfast – Nothing
Lunch – Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls
Snack – Granny Smith Apple
Dinner – Chicken Fajita Lettuce Boats

Also took Omni IV and Fiber ‘n More.

Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls (click on title for the recipe)
 
 
Chicken Fajita Lettuce Boats (also called wraps if you use Boston Lettuce)
 
4oz chicken, chopped
2oz onions, chopped
2oz, lettuce leaves
salsa
fajita seasoning (I used chili powder, cumin, sea salt and pepper)
 
Toss chicken with the seasoning and cook in a pan with the chopped onions.  Layer them on the lettuce leaves.  I used Romaine lettuce and turned them into lettuce boats.  I place all the fillings on 1/2 of the lettuce and then folded the lettuce over and ate it like a sandwich.  Prepared to get a bit messy when the salsa drips.  ðŸ™‚
 
 

 

Day 5 Omni Drops – Honey Mustard Dressing and Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls

I woke up this morning, stood on the scale and celebrated another one pound lost for a total of 8.8lbs.  It was also my first morning where I woke up with more energy then I knew what to do with.  I decided to do a bit of housecleaning before work.  I also realized that I haven’t drank coffee in 5 days.  Although I’m allowed to drink coffee on the Omni Drops, I can’t have my hazelnut creamer that makes my coffee ohhh sooo delicious.

I really am feeling great and I didn’t even deal with any detox or withdrawal symptoms.  I would guess it’s probably because I was already eating a clean diet with very little sugar and carbs, besides whole grains.

So, here’s what I ate yesterday:

Breakfast – Just a big tall glass of water (or two) with lemon
Lunch – Honey Mustard Chicken Salad
Dinner – Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls
Snack – an out from the refrigerator, delicious granny smith apple

 
Honey Mustard Chicken Salad
4oz chicken, chopped
4oz lettuce
salt and pepper
Omni-Approved Honey Mustard Dressing (recipe below)
 
Cook chicken, place on top of lettuce, pour on some honey mustard dressing and enjoy.
 
 
 
Honey Mustard Dressing
·         1/3 cup of Apple cider vinegar
·         1 cup water with 1 packet of Stevia mixed in
·         1/2 tsp salt, pepper, onion power & garlic powder
·         2 1/2 tablespoons of Spicy Brown Mustard
 
Whisk all ingredients together. This makes a nice marinade as well.
 
 
Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls
 
4oz. extra lean ground beef
3oz. cabbage, chopped
1oz onions, chopped
garlic clove
Spaghetti Sauce (below)
Cook the onions and garlic in a skillet with 4 oz extra lean ground beef until meat is browned.
Add in 4 oz of shredded cabbage and approx. 1/4 cup of water.
Cover and simmer till liquid reduces and cabbage is tender.  Add in 1/4 cup of spaghetti sauce and stir to combine.  Enjoy.
 
Spaghetti Sauce
1 onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
Dash of sea salt
1 can crushed tomatoes (organic & make sure there are no other ingredients)
1T Italian Seasonings
 
Cook an onion and garlic in a non-stick pan over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the onion is clear. (If your onions are sticking, add a little water.)
Add a dash of sea salt to bring out the onion’s sweetness. Turn heat to LOW
Stir in 1 can or jar of crushed tomatoes.  Add some Italian Seasoning, Cracked Pepper, and Sea Salt to taste.  Remove from heat.
 
 
 

Omni Drops Day 4 – Strawberry Slushy, Omni Sliders & Cabbage and Hamburg

Today is my R1P2D4 – Day 4 on the Omni Drops Program.  I’ve lost a total of 7.8 pounds.  Yeah me!

Here’s what I ate:

Breakfast – Strawberry Slushy/Smoothie
Lunch – Cabbage and Hamburg
Snack – Granny Smith Apple
Dinner – Omni Slider Burgers with Roasted Asparagus

I also took my Omni IV liquid vitamins, Fiber ‘n More and Nite Lite.

Here’s some recipes for my meals.  I’ll be putting up another post with recipes for homemade BBQ Sauce and Ketchup.

I had some errands to run so I made a Strawberry Slushy to take with me for Breakfast, plus my large cup of water.
 
Strawberry Slushy (also called a Strawberry Smoothie)
 
5-6 Frozen Strawberries
4 ice cubes
1 cup water
1 packet of Stevia (optional)
Omni IV liquid vitamins (optional)
 
Throw it all in a blender and blend away.  That’s it.  Nice and easy.
 
 
Ohhh, my favorite
Cabbage and Hamburg
4oz ground beef
3oz cabbage, chopped
1oz onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
salt and pepper
 
Saute the garlic and onion in a pan with a splash of water.  Add the hamburg and cook until it’s no longer pink.  Add in the cabbage and saute – you may need to add a bit of water to help cook the cabbage.  Add salt and pepper and you’re done.
Omni Slider Burgers
 
4oz ground beef, divided into two
seasonings you’d enjoy (I used some garlic, salt and pepper)
1 wasa cracker
a smear of homemade BBQ sauce or homemade ketchup
 
Divide the ground beef into two and make two patties. Cook in a pan until done to your likeness.  Sprinkle with your seasonings.  Break your wasa cracker in half and place the burgers on the crackers.  Top with homemade Ketchup or BBQ sauce.
 
I served my sliders with roasted asparagus.  We were watching the NFL Playoffs and it was my version of finger foods.

Day 3 of Omni Drops – It’s all about Chicken Curry

Day 3 of the Omni Drops program, phase 2, has concluded and I’m down another 1.6 pounds for a total of 7.4 in three days.  I’m feeling motivated, excited and promising.

Yesterday I ate:

Breakfast:  Cup of Superfruit Green Tea and Omni IV
Lunch:  Curry Chicken Salad
Snack:  Cinnamon Apples in microwave
Dinner:  Chicken Curry with a Wasa cracker

 
Curried Chicken Salad
 
4oz chicken diced
3oz lettuce
1oz cucumbers
Curry powder (I use Hot Curry from Penzeys)
1/4 C water
 
Sprinkle the chicken with the curry powder and toss until well coated.  Saute in a pan until cooked.  Add in 1/4 cup of water and scrap the bits off the bottom of the pan.  Use this liquid as your dressing and pour over the lettuce.
 
Chicken Curry
 
4oz chicken, bite size
2oz celery, chopped
2oz onion, chopped
Curry powder
1/2 C water
salt and pepper
 
Sprinkle the chicken with the curry powder and toss to coat well.  Saute the celery and onions in a pan for 3 minutes.  Add in the chicken and cook until cooked through.  Add in the water and a dash of the curry powder, salt and pepper.  Serve.  You can omit the water if you’d like but I enjoyed having a little broth in the mix.

Omni Drops Update Day 2 – Recipes and Measurement Trackers

Today is my R1P2D2 (Round 1, Phase 2, Day 2) of the Omnitrition Omni Drops Protocol.  I’ve lost a total of 5.8 lbs in the last two days.  Every morning I’m so excited to step on the scale to see what number appears.  I understand that there may be days when I don’t see a loss and I should just focus on scale victories but also my non-scale victories.  Today I’ll be taking my measurements so I can see how many inches I’ll be losing along the way.

Here is what I ate yesterday:

Breakfast:  Didn’t eat anything but drank a ton of water.
Lunch:  Spicy Chicken Salad
Snack:  Cinnamon Apples with Wasa Cracker Crumble
Dinner:  Chicken and Cabbage Soup (made spicy with some dried jalapenos)
Snack:  A Wasa Cracker

Took my Omni Drops 4/day, Omni IV Vitamins, Fiber ‘n More and Nite Lite.

Spicy Chicken Salad
serves 1
 
4oz of chicken breast cut into bit size pieces
cumin (to taste)
chili powder (to taste)
chipotle powder (to taste)
1/4 c water
4oz lettuce
 
Sprinkle the uncooked, chopped chicken with the spices.  I think I used about 1 tsp of each.  Cook the chicken in a small pan.  Add 1T of water to help saute the chicken.  Once cooked, add the rest of the water and scrap all the dried goodness from the bottom of the pan.  Use the liquid as your dressing on the salad.  Top your lettuce with the chicken and enjoy.
 
 
Spicy Chicken and Cabbage Soup
serves 1
 
4oz chicken, chopped, cooked (weigh before cooking)
1 garlic clove, minced
3oz cabbage
1oz celery
1 tsp sea salt
a pinch of pepper
a pinch of parsley, thyme, oregano and basil (I used Penzeys Spice Italian Blend)
1 tsp minced onion
1 tsp dried jalapenos (I get mine from Penzeys), optional
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 bay leaf
2 cups water
 
Cook the chicken in a small pan with a tablespoon of water.  I coated the chicken with some of the Italian Blend spices before cooking.  Set aside (or cook while the vegetables are simmering).
Add the Garlic to a small medium pot and cook with a bit of water until softened. (2 minutes).  Add in the cabbage, celery, salt, pepper, Italian spices, minced onion, jalapenos, onion powder, bay leaf and water.  Mix and bring to a boil.  Lower to a simmer and let cook for 20 minutes.  Add in the chicken and serve.
 
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Taking Measurements

Use this chart to take your measurements – Before and After
Click on the photo for a larger image – right click on your mouse to print.
 

Mexican Tortilla Soup

Mexican Tortilla Soup
Ingredients:
6oz of turkey sausage, crumbled
1 red onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
5 cups of low sodium chicken broth
2 cups frozen corn
3 plum tomatoes, chopped
3 corn tortillas
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
2 T lime juice
Cook the sausage in a dutch oven, until browned, about 6-8 minutes.
Add the onion, peppers and garlic.  Cook, stirring frequently until they soften.
Stir in the broth, corn and tomatoes.  Bring to a boil and then simmer for about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat a skillet over medium heat and add 1 tortilla at a time (or more if there is room).  Cook until golden brown (about 45 seconds), flip and brown the other side.
Slice the tortillas into strips.  Set aside.
Stir in the cilantro and lime juice into the soup and then top with the tortillas.

Chicken Ratatouille

Chicken Ratatouille with Penne

Ingredients:
1 pound skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1″ cubes
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium eggplant, unpeeled, cut into 1″ cubes
1 zucchini, cut into 1″ cubes
1 yellow squash, cut into 1″ cubes
1 green pepper, seeded and sliced into 1″ cubes
1 can (28oz) of Italian Style Tomatoes, drained and chopped
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp sugar
3/4 tsp salt
4 cups of penne
1/2 cup of basil, chopped
1/4 cup of shredded parmesan or mozzarella cheese
– Cook the chicken over medium heat in a dutch oven.  No oil needed, just drizzle 1T of water from time to time to saute. Remove from the pot and place on plate.
– Add the onion and garlic to the pot and saute until softened, about 5 minutes. (again, use water if needed)  Add in the eggplant, zucchini, squash and green pepper, tomatoes, chicken broth, oregano, sugar and salt.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer, cover until the vegetables are tender – about 30 minutes.
– Add the chicken back to the pot and heat until the chicken is hot again.  
– Add in the cooked pasta, basil and cheese and stir.  

Stuffed Acorn Squash

What a day it’s been.  After two weeks away from Weight Watchers, I bit the bullet and took the plunge and went back to weigh in.  I was up 2.6 pounds.  Since I knew I was going to have a gain this week, I decided it would be a good week to wear my “winter-weigh-in-clothes”.  For anyone who has been to Weight Watchers, you know how much care is taken into wearing the perfect outfit to weigh in.  Any change in the clothing from week to week can alter our real weight….right?  ðŸ™‚

This week we talked about Thanksgiving and we were given a photo of a plate on a piece of paper.  We had to draw (or write) the items down that we normally put on our plate on Thanksgiving and then we had to guess how many Weight Watcher Points Plus are in each item.  My normal Thanksgiving plate consists of 3 oz of Turkey (white/skinless), 1 cup of mashed potatoes, 1/2 cup of corn, 1/2 cup of Stove Top stuffing and a bit of gravy on my turkey (I’ve estimated that to be around 1/4 cup).  The biggest kicker was my slice of pumpkin pie.  1/8 of a pie is 13 points plus.  13!  That is a crazy number.  I’m reconsidering that slice this year.  I’m on a hunt to find out how many points are in just the pie filling itself.  I know that most of the points are associated with the pie crust and I don’t really care if I eat that part of the pie.  Right now, I’m at 17 total points without the pie.  Not too bad for a special occasion.  My challenge is that we’re invited to two Thanksgiving feasts – one at noon and another one at 3pm.  Planning will be the key to staying on track and within my daily pointsplus allowance (which is 39 points).

What are your must haves for Thanksgiving?  No matter what you will eat it and suck up the PointsPlus?

Tonight I made Stuffed Acorn Squash for dinner.  I think I’m in love with Acorn Squash this year – actually all squashes.  Butternut was my squash of the month last month.  Then if you add Smoked Gouda to it…..oh it just brings it to another whole level.  I love topping anything that I stuff with Smoked Gouda cheese.  Yum!

Stuffed Acorn Squash

7 Weight Watcher PointsPlus
Ingredients:
2 Acorn Squash
2 cups Black Rice, cooked
1 cup leeks, sliced (about 2 leeks)
3 celery stalks, sliced
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1/2 tsp sage
4oz Smoked Gouda, shredded (optional)
Preheat oven to 350.  
Cut acorn squash in half and place upside down on a baking sheet (make sure you remove the seeds inside the squash first). Add enough water to bring the level to 1/2″ in the pan.  Bake for 25 minutes.
While the squash is baking, saute the leeks and celery in a pan with about 2T of water until they soften.  Add in the sage and poultry seasoning and mix well.  Add the rice and mix until well combined.
Fill each squash with the rice mixture and place back in the oven, covered with foil, for 20 minutes.
Optional, top with shredded cheese and place back in oven for 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
If you choose not to top the squash with the cheese, subtract 2 PP, bringing the total PP for one serving to 5PP.

My Last Two Weeks and BBQ Turkey Sloppy Joes

Wow, the last couple of weeks have been a whirlwind.  The first week I was away on a business trip to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.  My trip started out with the TSA confiscating my yogurt that I packed to snack on while traveling.  I guess I forgot that would be included in the liquid category.  Luckily I still had some low fat cheese slices with me and a few apples.  I also packed some oatmeal to eat for breakfast each morning so I wouldn’t be tempted to consume pastries and bacon.  The pastries I’m okay walking away from but the bacon…oh…bacon.  Need I say more?  ðŸ™‚
I feel like I did pretty good with my food choices while in Florida.  It’s always hard when all of your meals, except my oatmeal for breakfast, is eaten out.  As you know, even if you order grilled chicken, you never know if the chef/cook is really just grilling it plain or throwing on a load of fat laden butter or other condiment and  I’m not a big salad person.  If I’m going to indulge in a salad, I like fancy ones – like the Thai Chopped Chicken Salad from Panera or the Chopped BBQ Chicken Salad from The California Pizza Kitchen.  I don’t like garden salads with plain, boring dressings.  Here at my house I eat my veggies in my green smoothies, in stir-fries or by roasting them.  Occasionally I’ll eat them as a snack – like cucumbers or carrots with hummus.  Vegetables in those forms are hard to find at restaurants, especially when you don’t have a choice on where you’re eating.

Right after my work trip, I took a weekend cruise to Nassau, Bahamas.  I got sick on the cruise with a cold virus.  Body aches, fever, sore throat, runny nose, cough – all of it at once.  I slept all day Sunday in my cabin.  When I got home on Monday, I was in bed for the full week.  No energy to get up and cook or even make myself a meal.  I relied on frozen food I had in my freezer for my family to eat while I was gone and canned soup.  Clean eating went out the window.  I’m now putting a plan in place to start storing some healthy, homemade meals in my freezer.  If anyone has any good-for-the-freezer meals, I’d love it if you shared them.
Yesterday was my first day back to work.  I had enough energy today to actually hit the grocery store and tonight I made my first homemade meal in 2 1/2 weeks.  It felt so good.
We enjoyed BBQ Turkey Sloppy Joes.  It’s not a 100% clean recipe, as I used a bottled jar of BBQ sauce.  You could make your own to keep it clean.  I spotted a bottle of BBQ called Maine Apple from Charley Biggs.  I loved the apple flavor in my sloppy joe and after a discussion with my son, we decided next time I make these I’ll chop up an apple and put it in the mixture.

BBQ Turkey Sloppy Joes
Ingredients:
1 lb ground turkey
2 assorted bell peppers, chopped (I used a yellow and orange)
1 onion, chopped
2T chili powder (I used Arizona Dreaming from Penzeys)
1 cup BBQ sauce (or more, if needed)
4 whole wheat hamburger buns
Cook the ground turkey in a large skillet over medium heat.  When cooked throughout, add in chopped peppers and onions.  Cook for another 3 minutes until the vegetables soften.  Stir in chili powder and bbq sauce.  Heat for 2 minutes on medium.  Toast the buns and serve the mixture on top.

Eggplant Caponata served with Chicken Sausages

Tonight for supper we enjoyed the Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Chicken Sausages with Eggplant Caponata (straight from our garden).

I found the recipe for the Eggplant Caponata from the CleanEatingMag website.  I played with the recipe a little and added in a minced jalapeno.  Next time I’ll add in two since I couldn’t really taste the jalapeno.
If you haven’t tried chicken sausages yet – put them on your next grocery list.  They come in a variety of flavors.  Tonight we had Red Pepper flavored ones.  We get them at Costco in large quantities. 
I also did what I promised yesterday and went for a walk first thing this morning.  It was a great way to release some stress – even dragged my furloughed husband along with me.  We decided to hit up a recreation trail that is in our town.  I absolutely love autumn and enjoyed the cool air and beautiful colors.

Tomorrow is my weigh in day with Weight Watchers.  Look for an update on how this week went – scale wise.