Mexican Pizza... 100 calorie packs... and YOU!

Mexican Pizzas...
In case you haven't read any of my posts before... I love to make little pizzas with soft taco sized tortillas. They give you the taste you want, without being overloaded on calories.


Today I made a "Mexican pizza"...

2 ounces of Laura's Lean Beef
1 Azteca brand soft taco flour tortilla
1/4 cup of reduced fat shredded mild cheddar cheese
6 jalapeno slices
2 tablespoons of chopped onion
garlic powder
cumin
black pepper
salt

Cook your ground beef with seasonings and onions. Spray the bottom of a pizza pan and place one tortilla on top. Top tortilla with beef, jalapeños and cheese. Place under broiler for 3-5 minutes until cheese is melted.

only 250 calories!!


Super easy. Super quick. Super tasty.... and better for you than Taco Bell.


Now of course you can add peppers or more cheese or more jalapeños or whatever you want and just adjust your calories.

Make your OWN 100 calorie packs...


Sure, we all love convenience, but we also all love a good deal and a great price. The problem with things that are "snack size" or "100 calorie packs" is that they jack up the prices because they are using more materials to manufacture those individual portions. So, make your own. It only adds a few minutes to your grocery trip days.

I like to buy the snack size zippy bags or the smaller plastic containers like Gladware. All you need is a little math or a scale. Most chips, pretzels and snacks are portioned out by serving size which tends to be 1 ounce. However, most 1 oz snacks that we love are more than 100 calories an ounce... so... use that elementary math!

Example: Bite Sized Tortilla Chips (24 chips - 1 oz. serving - 150 calories)
150/24 = 6.25 calories per chip
16 chips = 100 calories... so throw about 16 chips in a baggy! Your done! 


You can do this with anything you like to snack on... veggies, chips, pretzels, cookies, fruits, nuts, etc. Oh and also, don't be fooled by those "Perfect Portions" individually wrapped chicken breasts. Convenient? Yes. Expensive? YES! Just buy the skinless, boneless chicken breasts and cut them to the ounces you want, place them in freezer bags, write on the outside the quantity, ounces and date with a Sharpie. It's perfect!

Last thing and most important... what tips would YOU like to know? 
Do YOU have any questions or stories you'd like to share? Maybe you have your own tips!

Please comment below!

At my home away from home... the gym!

Okay, so this isn't exactly the gym, but it IS the locker room!

now that spring is here... how about some salads?!

Most of us tend to eat heavier in the winter. We crave warm comfort food, bowls of soup, pot roasts, chili, mashed potatoes... (now my mouth is watering...) but my point is in the warmer months, we tend to eat lighter. One of my favorite things to eat in the summer... salads!

Salads do not have to be boring. They can be whatever you want to make them! Here are 3 of my favorites...

Tuna Salad for Two

2 cans of Albacore tuna in water
2 tbsp of Miracle Whip or Light Mayo
2 tbsp dill or sweet relish
2 boiled eggs (chopped)
1/2 cup diced onion (white or yellow)
2 Romaine hearts (chopped)

Total: 275 calories per person

This is so so simple, drain the cans of tuna, mix in the mayo, relish, eggs and onion and refridgerate for 20 minutes or so. (This is a personal preference ... I don't like room temperature tuna salad). Chop up the Romaine lettuce and disperse equally on a plate. Halve the tuna salad and top the lettuce. Viola! Packed with protein!

Roasted Vegetable Salad

1 red pepper
1 yellow pepper
1 zuchinni (medium)
1/2 package of white button mushrooms
3 oz. baby carrots
3 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup of onion
1/2 tbsp. olive oil
olive oil spray (spray pan)
2 cups spring mix or romaine lettuce

Rough chop the vegetables into 1" or 1.5" pieces except the mushrooms and baby carrots. Toss in olive oil. Place all vegetables except mushrooms into roasting pan in the oven on 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Add mushrooms during the last 5-7 minutes. Roast veggies until slightly charred. Top spring mix with vegetables.

250 calories total (This makes a large salad!!)

Goat Cheese, Cranberry & Candied Pecans Salad

1/4 cup goat cheese
1//4 cup dried cranberries
1/8 cup Target Archer Farms Honey Cinnamon Almonds (slightly crushed)
2 tbsp. Ken's Lite Raspberry Walnut Vinagrette
2 cups baby spinach

360 calories

Toss all this yumminess together! Sweet, salty, tangy, delicious!

15 best diet tips ever - taken from WebMD

Best Diet Tip No. 1: Drink plenty of water or other calorie-free beverages.

Best Diet Tip No. 2: Think about what you can add to your diet, not what you should take away.

Best Diet Tip No. 3: Consider whether you're really hungry.

Best Diet Tip No. 4: Be choosy about nighttime snacks.

Best Diet Tip No. 5: Enjoy your favorite foods.

Best Diet Tip No. 6: Enjoy your treats away from home.

Best Diet Tip No. 7: Eat several mini-meals during the day.

Best Diet Tip No. 8: Eat protein at every meal.

Best Diet Tip No. 9: Spice it up.

Best Diet Tip No. 10: Stock your kitchen with healthy convenience foods.

Best Diet Tip No. 11: Order children's portions at restaurants.

Best Diet Tip No. 12: Eat foods in season.

Best Diet Tip No. 13: Swap a cup of pasta for a cup of vegetables.

Best Diet Tip No. 14: Use non-food alternatives to cope with stress.

Best Diet Tip No. 15: Be physically active.

Read full article here.

Diet Buddies...

If you have a food addiction, it's a lot like other addictions, alcohol, drugs, etc. What helps us get through the rough times is a friend, partner or family member that has been through the same things.

If you're an alcoholic or a drug addict, you may go to AA or NA and surround yourself with people who need your support as much as you need theirs.

The same is true of people who are trying to lose weight and change their lives to be healthier and more fit individuals. Find a gym buddy, or someone who's a friend who will hold you accountable. You will need that push.

Here is an article I found on Yahoo! of friends who lost weight together and pushed each other. Click here!

Slow and steady wins the race...

If I haven't drilled this in enough, I wanted to reiterate the importance of slow and steady weight loss. I have lost 2.2 pounds in another month. I know that seems like a long time to have lost so little. But there are always more changes you can see and feel than the scale.
Now I am only 5 pounds away from my goal weight. Strong, lean and toned that is how I want to feel.