The Life Simplistic

How I get through a day without starving

The Life Simplistic — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 19:39:52 +0000

I have a huge appetite. I track my calories in the “My Fitness Pal” iPhone app, and I am known to frequently go over my “goal” before noon. I eat. A lot. Having just had a baby 10 months ago, who I am still nursing, it has been hard to take off the extra weight. I’m trying to lose about 20 pounds. I just thought I would share with you what I eat throughout the day at work. I am successfully losing about 2 lbs a week, so I’m happy about that.

I usually have an Herbalife shake at home, but I sometimes make these in my office with a personal blender. My favorite is the Oatmeal Cookie Shake. You can find the recipe here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Delicious-Nutritious-Shake-Smoothie-Recipes
Fage or Chobani non-fat greek yogurt with wheat germ (about 1 tbsp) sprinkled on it.
Baby carrots and celery with hummus
The obvious: oranges, apples, bananas, grapes
Boiled eggs (just one per day)
Raw almonds
String cheese (with some fruit)

I now know NOT to buy pre-packaged snack foods, like those little 100 Calorie packages. I can eat a whole box if it’s at my desk. I am an eating machine. I can’t buy snack bars or anything like that, unless I only bring ONE with me to work for the day.

I need some new ideas for snacks at work – any suggestions?

I loved being pregnant

The Life Simplistic — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 17:27:50 +0000

No blog since I was 5 weeks pregnant, and now my daughter is 10 months old. This is why I have a full time job – I could never be a money-making blogger.

I wish I had chronicled my pregnancy in a blog. I barely chronicled it at all. Chris took some random photos of me eating Braum’s sundaes in bed in my granny panties. Not something I want to share. He did force me to have some pregnancy portraits done professionally. It caused me great stress to be 8 months pregnant and in front of a camera, but the results were worth it. I won’t share them here, as I’m not sure of the copyrights involved with professional photography – HOWEVER, here is the shot I took of myself one day before my C-section

The Belly at it's peak!

I loved being pregnant. I loved having that burgeoning belly. I loved how I waddled. I loved online shopping for baby things. It’s easy to take for granted. I miss it now, even though she is here and I can hold her and kiss her. I could have been pregnant for 40 more weeks!

Here is my love today. Happy and healthy. I didn’t forget to thank God for this blessing – Audrey Kate.

Audrey Kate, 10 months

Slow Cooked Chicken Chili

The Life Simplistic — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 23:26:14 +0000

With Pinterest still being relatively new, it seems Slow Cooking and Crockpotting has gained popularity – everyone is “pinning” crock pot recipes, and acting like it is something new. My crock pot is a hand-me-down from the 80′s, but it still works. It’s hard at work for me right now. I put on a pot of Slow Cooker Chicken Chili this morning before I left for work. It took me about 5 minutes to do this – and now I won’t have to cook dinner tonight. Makes me wish I did this every night of the week.

There are lots of recipes out there for this and lots of variations on it. Here is mine. (I just read an article about canned tomatoes not being good for you, for some reason or another, so I plan on canning some this summer. We’ll see how that goes.)

This is what awaits you when you get home.

Slow Cooked Chicken Chili:

1 can whole kernel corn

1 can black beans

1 can Ranch Style beans

1 can Ro-Tel

1 can petite diced tomatoes (or another can of Ro-Tel)

1 packet of Taco Seasoning Mix (I use one with 30% less sodium – all that canned stuff has lots of sodium already in it)

1-2 chiles in adobo (canned – in the Hispanic foods section)

4 FROZEN chicken breasts

EASY – dump all the cans and the taco mix into the crock pot, mix, and place the frozen chicken breasts on top. Cook on low for 8 hours. Take out the chiles and throw away so no one bites down on one! Take out the chicken and shred with two forks (or your hands if you let it cool). Place the chicken back in the pot. Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream, tortilla chips – whatever you like. I’m trying to cut my fat intake, so none of those goodies for me. Maybe serve with some warm tortillas?

I’m _____ and pregnant

The Life Simplistic — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 14:51:08 +0000

I think I used about 11 pregnancy tests total. At first they were negative; closer to my expected period, they showed faint lines. Just faint enough where I could either blow it off as negative, or if I had hope, it was “almost positive”. Finally, the line was undeniable. I am 38 and pregnant. It was planned and not at all an “oops”. Yet I am still surprised. I have an 11 year old, and I’m pregnant. I am unmarried and pregnant. I’m overweight and pregnant.

The main thing I am worried about is my weight. I let myself get about 20 pounds overweight prior to getting pregnant. Now, I feel the need to watch everything I eat and start exercising again so that I gain as little weight as possible. This does not make pregnancy fun. Not “Ben & Jerry’s” kind of fun anyway. I already look 4 months pregnant at 5 weeks! My face is a big square and my waist is history. I guess this is not time for vanity. All I can do is eat right and keep on exercising. Elliptical macine, here I come.