a healthier taco

Dinner tonight was two turkey tacos!
For the taco meat, I used:
1 package of ground turkey 
1 large yellow (or white) onion, chopped
1 poblano chile pepper, chopped
2 cups of grated zuchinni
1 tbsp of crushed garlic
1 tbsp of taco seasoning.
Saute the onion and pepper until semi-tender. Add the zuchinni and continue to saute until golden and tender. Add the garlic, taco seasoning and turkey. Mash the turkey in the pan with a potato masher to break up. Let cook on medium to medium high heat stiring occasionally, until the turkey is thoroughly cooked. This should make enough for 10 to 12 tacos
For the rest of my tacos, I sauteed on our flattop one sliced red, green and poblano peppers each and a large red onion also sliced all until nice and tender.
Diced cherry tomatoes with cilantro
Torn baby spinach
Reduced fat Cheddar
Taco shells
I estimate my two tacos done this way to be around 350 - 375 calories in total for the meal. Not too shabby.

Cucumber Quinoa salad with avacado dressing

2 cups quinoa (cook as per package instructions and fluff)
2 medium seeded cucumbers small to medium dice
1/2 red bell pepper finely diced
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar (I used white)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup diced cherry tomatoes
1/4 Tbsp chopped cilantro
1 Hass Avacado diced
1 lime juiced
1 tsp garlic herb mix or a zesty herb salad mix
salt to taste

Cook the quinoa as per the instructions, fluff and let cool. Meanwhile, chop the cucumber and bell pepper and place in a large salad mixing bowl.
Pit the avacado and remove the flesh and give a quick dice. Squeeze the lime juice and place into a mixing bowl with the avacado and toss to coat. Add in the vinegar, olive oil, tomatoes, cilantro and herb mix. Stir lightly to combine. Give a taste and salt if desired.
In the large bowl, combine the cucumber, bell pepper and quinoa. Spoon over the avacado dressing and combine.

More about quinoa
quinoa nutrition
more quinoa recipes

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Sept. 2nd

Lunch today was a blend of last nights dinner and yesterdays lunch. Took a Morningstar Farms chipolte black bean burger and grilled it. Topped it with some of last nights tomatoe, pepper & onion chutney and then a slice of asiago cheese and baby spinach, all on a sandwich thin by Arnolds.

Added an apple from our orchard that I picked yesterday while out mowing the lawn. Years ago, our cocker spaniel we had at the time found out about the apple tree and these sorta crab apples that grew on it. He would wait for the apples to grow so he could eat them. Since then we transplanted the tree and every year, I have some apples from it. This was the first of this years crop.

Dinner was like last nights (see previous entries) dinner, with the addition of a bed of baby spinach for the fritters to go on.

Now onto some exciting news!  Thanks to some of my food blogging (as it is) and picture taking of said food, I won a trip from Buitoni Pasta to the Food Network NYC Food & Wine Festival ! How cool is that!

So my day has been a bit crazy. I did get to the farmers market and picked up some fresh corn and other fruit and veggies that we didn't have in our garden this year. I still need to get a workout in. Think I will go do that now!

Steak for dinner

Steak, yellow squash fritters and tomato pepper onion chutney

my healthier burger option

Like many an American, I love a good burger. I was having a craving for one for lunch today and this is my healthier option I had today.
Here is the nutritional breakdown as per the labels of ingediants and what I got off the TLS website.
Calories 420 Fat 15 g, Cholesterol 16 mg, Carbs 52g, Fiber 14g, Sugars 5g Protien 26g 
Now, can you guess what all is in it?

Comparatively, here are the nutritional values of your average BK Whopper with cheese.
Calories 790, Fat 48g, Cholesterol 114 mg, Carbs 52, Fiber 3g, Sugars 13g, Protien 35g
Whopper w/cheese nutritional data
While the carbs are similar, I can tell you this, theirs is more from the refined white flour and less then the veggies. Where mine is more from veggies and the roll in mine uses whole grains.

How bad?

Success comes in many shapes and forms. I will be successful with my weight loss!

How bad do you want it?

"When you want to be successful as bad as you want to breathe, then you'll be successful!"

August 31st.

Chaotic day. Ended up having brunch using my leftover eggplant parmesan from the night before. After I got on the road to Buffalo, I realized I left my wrist band at home. I use this wrist band I got from a TLS training I attended. On it it says "I will be a success story". I try and wear it whenever I head to town or anywhere I might be tempted by food, especially junk food. I am now wrapping it around my wallet so I will not forget it again. Had a protien bar for a snack later on. While running errands, and not finding what I needed to I was at the Wegmans on Sheridan and thats when my stomach started really growling as it was around 7:30. So I got some channa masala (chickpeas in a spicy tomato sauce), two pieces of curried chicken, green beans and roasted vegetables for dinner. Got home after 9pm and then went and had a 40 minute workout.

Where I have been and where I am headed

At my worst, about two years ago, my weight had crept up to around 380-385 in that range. Shortly before my dad's passing, I had down to around 280 before the holidays.

When I got back on the scales in July I was 325ish and was horrified. I knew I had gained some weight back with the stress eating and moping around with the depression. It's amazing how when you are in a depression, you don't really take time to think about all those bad things you are eating. But when you are in that kinda funk, I guess you just don't think about it.

So two years ago, I was at 385, wearing size 50 pants - below the waist that overhung and well over 50% bodyfat.

Today my weight is down to 305 and wearing a size 46 pant (some 44's) and 40% bodyfat. My goal is to be down to 200 lbs a year from now. Loosing roughly two pounds per week. I might hit it sooner, I might hit it later, but I will hit my mark!

Tonights dinner was a healthy eggplant parmesan

I brushed the eggplant lightly with olive oil and seasoned them with a vegetable grill seasoning then cooked them on the flatop until fork tender.
Meanwhile, I sliced up a cup of cherry/grape tomatoes, a light drizzle of olive oil and then ...some basil and oregano.
Lined a baking sheet with foil, placed the eggplant on the sheet, covered each with a bit of spaghetti sauce, then the diced tomatoe and sprinkled with a small amount of four cheese reduced fat italian blend from Sargentto.
Placed that under the broiler until the cheese was golden.