Chicken Quesadillas

These are so tasty, filling, and comforting!

-1 1/2 tortilla (195 cal.)
-3oz shredded boiled chicken (115 cal.)
-1/2 cup refrained beans (100 cal.)
-1/8 cup 2% Mexican blend shredded cheese (50 cal.)
-1/4 cup grilled onion (8 cal.)
-1/3 cup tomato (5 cal.)
-2 tbsp. salsa (15 cal.)
-handful of spinach leaves (3 cal.)
-1bsp. Light butter (73 cal.)

Obviously change any ingredients if you would like or try any variation you can think of.

Cook all materials and then layer the ones you want inside on one half of the tortilla. Fold it in half and grill it up with the butter. Then put the materials you want on the outside there. Enjoy!!!

Grand total 550 calories! It's a higher calorie dinner but it is a comfort food feeling that lasts longer into the night.

Exercise

Now counting calories isn't the only thing I did to lose the weight. I also put some time into exercise. I started off walking as fast as I could for 30 minutes about 6 times a week. After a while my dad forced me to walk even faster with him until he got bored and talked me into add bursts of running in. Then it became competitive! This competitive nature allows us to want to do it more and more. Can we beat our time? Can we run farther than we did last time? I call myself a runner now but the truth is I still have intervals of walking in between and I probably always will. I also try to only run every other day so my muscles can still be stretched and worked by walking briskly but not running. I still exercise 6 days a week the best I can. This was all done without any equipment just the local park's track. Now that my apartment has a small gym I have done some elliptical, cycling and wii workout games on my off running days to change things up for my body and my mind! Keep things new and fresh but cardio is very important!!!

I used to talk about how I would never run. I am also in love with swimming but the resources are not cheaply available to me so I did what I had to do. Start things slowly and you can work up to it. Don't walk outside and think I'll attempt to run 3 miles today. Sign up for 5ks before you think you are ready for them. (Or have friends that sign you up and then tell you...). You can do this if you try!!!

Homemade zucchini fries

These settle a salt craving and are a great substitute for fries!!!

-1 cup of chopped zucchini (30)
-salt to taste
-1/4 tbsp. olive oil (30)

Directions:
-Turn your oven on broil
-Cut zucchini into bite sized pieces
-Cover entire thing in salt and olive oil
-Broil in oven until lightly browned

Amazing snacks

Here are some great snack ideas that I have found!

Sweet:
-1 cup of halved strawberries with Splenda or 2 tbsp of light cool whip (49 or 64 cal.)
-1 serving sugar free jello with or without 2 tbsp of cool whip (10 or 25 cal.)
-1 100 calorie snack pack (100 cal.)
-1 sugar free fudge bar (40 cal.)
-1 sugar free fruit Popsicle (15 cal.)
-1 pack of yogurt (80 cal.)


Salty:
-20 snyders mini pretzels (110 cal.)
-1 100 calorie snack pack (100 cal.)
-1 cup homemade zucchini fries (60 cal.)

I will add more as I think of them.

Goodbye 80 pounds :)

Do not dwell on the past...
Look forward...
It is also important to stop and enjoy where you are and how far you have already made it in the journey.

I have decided to do that now. I started off 80 pounds heavier in the first picture than the second picture. I felt awful, I was depressed, I was tired... So on and so forth. Now I am 80 pounds closer to my target weight and loving it! I still have some more to go but ill enjoy the view for a moment and then continue to climb... :)

Mushroom pizza with zucchini mix

I love meals that have a lot of food for a low calorie count! I also like my food to be delicious... Is that to much to ask for? This was something new I tried tonight! Amazing!!!

Items needed:
1 Portobello mushroom cap (35 cal.)
1/2 of a Can of tomato sauce (35 cal.)
1/4 of a package of Italian sausage (255 cal.)
1/2 cup Chopped onion (34 cal.)
1/2 cup Chopped tomato (12 cal.)
1 cup Chopped zucchini (20 cal.)
3/8 cup of 2% mozzarella cheese (105 cal.)

Directions:
-Set oven to 350
-Cook Italian sausage and onion
-Remove the center stem out of the mushroom cap
-Add a thin layer of tomato sauce
-Add cooked Italian sausage and onion
-Add raw tomato
-Add cheese on top
-Cook these in the oven until cheese starts to brown

-Put leftover sauce, tomato, sausage, and onion in a skillet
-Add zucchini
-Cook covered (stirring occasionally) until pizza is ready or until zucchini is soft

With both items you may season to taste! (Onion, garlic, Italian, salt, pepper, ect.)

This creates 1 serving for approximately 500 calories!!!