Sandy

Its monday.. and im home... we are in the beginning stages of the worst storm to ever hit NJ.... we are under a state of emergency and my office closed for today--- id have to assume tomorrow also but i dont want to push it....

NJ has seens hurricanes before... but normally by the time they get to us-- they have either slowed down... turned into a trapical storm-- and in most cases... we arent a direct target of it.. they usuall hit AROUND us and we just feel the rain and win effects from it.... but this time is different... it is making landfall in Barnetgat NJ... people have been seeing flooding in the area since YESTERDAY... and at that point the storm was still 500 miles away... so i cant even imagine the catstrophic damage its going to do to the coast...

My mom called me before to tell me that my cousins house is already gone... under water and done.. they took what they could and left... its all very sad.. most of my family lives in south jersey-- specifically Barnegat/Manahawkin/Little Egg Harbor/LBI... so i have major concerns for their saftey at this point....

So frequently the weather people are wrong... they hype us all up.. and the storm just never ends up getting to us-- so i think-- alot of people are taking this VERY lightly... and i think that in itself is going to create more destruction--- being unprepared can be the worst part....

Joe and i are prob alittle over prepared.. if he didnt think i was a lunatic already i would bought a raft... i purposely didnt put away my pool rafts though... i dont think he noticed.. LOL...i just tied them to the deck incase of emergency... we really arent in a flood area.. but you never know!

Hes more concerned about the wind and trees.. and the fact that the storm is intensifying instead of decreasing in power... its like its winding up out at sea to really whammy us.... its actually very scary... i am very nervous.. and im trying to occupy my time by doing things around the house... i have prepared a ton of things to do as soon as the power goes out but i am getting impatient and wanting to do them now! so i figured i would write this blog instead so i can document what is happening, as im sure its something i will want to remember as this storm will make history.. as well has to divert myself from wrapping Christmas gifts, folding 10 loads of laundry and painting my nails.

I decided i try out the Paleo Diet... its going pretty well although its only been a week and i did have cupcakes today.. that werent paleo but still gluten free... i lost 2lbs this week so far doing it... and 4lbs total since my family and i started doing this weightloss challenge at the beginning of the month... i want to get down to about 115 and then start building muscle... rather then trying to build muscle where im at 125.... im hoping to get pregnant sometime within the next year or so... and i just want my body to be as prepared as possible... id assume getting pregnant would be like hurricane sandy on my body... so the more prepared the better off ill be.

ok time to go watch the weather again...

Thrifting- and cookies

I really cant believe i havent posted since July-- can that be true? Holy Moly-- the summer really did fly by!

I spent most of July/August hardcore thrifting-- i dont know why i just couldnt stay away from the goodwill! I got alot of great stuff--mostly clothes... i found a few great dresses... OH which brings me to alittle story-- so i found these 2 great dresses... still with tags (which in the thrifting world-- is like finding gold)... so i stand in line FOREVER to pay for them and the additional things i had bought... long story short-- i was so excited about the wetsuit i bought my cousins son--- i never realized that i walked out without some of my stuff.. the girl behind the counter-- after telling me how nice the dresses were-- never handed them over..... i got home and realized they were missing.. so i called the store-- and they said there was nothing left behind-- which leads me to believe that they  might have given my bag to the lady that was behind me-- bc i went back the next day and i went through EVERY isle twice... i spent 2 hours in there looking for them.. no such luck! i was so bummed....

My most recent purchases were this black dress that is fabulous! (picture to follow)

and this week i actually bought these Industrial Storage Shelves... normally sold in stores for $80.. and i got them for $10! so i bought 4.. and we are going to oraganize the garage during the basement remodel that we are doing! They are really big so they were apart when i picked them up-- once i put them together i will post some pics!!!

Last night i really wanted something sweet-- that never happened bc we didnt have anything but i decided to make these chickpea cookies... omg they are so good!! Heres a link to my facebook page that has the recipe!!Gotta Eat Good: ChickPea Cookies  and the link to the real recipe i got from Pinterest Pinterest: ChickPea Cookies.

I think thats all i have for now...

weightloss challenge

Well the weight loss challenge is over... i lost 7lbs.. not quite the 15 i wanted... but its a work in progress.... still wheat free.... for the most part-- i think i might have accidently eaten something wheat last week bc i just havent been right.. and thats how i can tell....

I bought some great shirts at the thrift store the other day .99 each and i cut them to make raceback tees for working out! awesome!

These last couple of days ive been exceptionally unmotivated... im just exhausted... i just want to sleep all day and night!!! i feel like this just shouldnt be... i mean i am working alot but i dont know i hope nothing more is wrong....

Oh well tomrrow is a new day... i swear i will wake up and work out!!!

a few more yummy things ive made

Fall Off The Bone Ribs!

This was so easy...

About 4 to 5lbs of ribs on the Bone

1.5 Bottles of BBQ sauce of choice (i used Sweet Baby Rays Hickory & Brown Sugar)

1 Onion chopped

Salt and Pepper to taste...

Put in the crockpot for 5 hours on high.. set it and forget it! woot! They were so darn good and literally fell right off the bone....

Egg Muffins

These are an easy quick fix for either breakfast, lunch or snack...

The one on the left is just 1 egg white, broccoli and cheese

The one on the right is 1 egg white, salsa, feta and broccoli

You can really use anything you like with eggs, i have in the past also used potatoes, bacon, string beans.. whatever you like!!

Spray Muffin Pan

Crack 1 Jump Egg White Per Muffin hole

Then add the toppings of your choice

Bake at 385 for about 15 to 20 mins or until they look cooked

If you over cook them, they will turn green!

You can keep the extras in the fridge for a few days or if you make a big batch you can freeze them for awhile!.. I usually just put them all in the freezer and take them out in the morning, and around lunch time they are thawed andi just heat them up. If you plan on having them for breakfast i would take them outa the freezer the night before and leave them in the fridge!

Some more positive coming from no wheat

SOO normally when i start my monthly cycle i turn into a BEAST... i have always been irregularly late (unless i exercise regularly)... and i normally get the worst cramps EVERY for a week before... I received my friend last saturday (a whole day early) with NO cramps whatsoever... and i didnt have ANY mood swings AT ALL!!!

Amen!! No wheat is the solution to every problem i had been having!!

Also id like to report that my head/hair hasnt smelled since i quit the wheat! woot!

Thats all for now!!!

Wheatless High

SO i have been feeling GREAT!!!! I also have been doing kettle bells with Joe.. and that has been helping ALOT... i havent lost MORE weight but i can see my body changing... i am alot tighter in places i wasnt like my stomach and legs and butt.... but i think that has alot of to with the kettles in less to do with the Wheat.. I DO think though that not eating wheat is giving me a cleaner body.... my hair is still super clean all the time.... my nails are so healthy and so is my skin.... i started taking flax seed oil in my protein shakes because i was having alittle problem with my bowels, which i was hoping was going to clear up with the no wheat-- no so much... i was talking to a lady at work that told me that it takes AWHILE to get your body normal again without wheat bc the damage is already done... she has been off wheat & dairy for 5 years now and she feels awesome... so i guess it only gets better from here..... below are some of the things i have been eating....

I call this Protein Mocha... I make a pot of Dunkin Donuts regular French Vanilla Coffee and put it in the fridge... this way i have it prepared in the morning, i normally can get 3 or so cups out of my pot... i started with just using 1/2 a cup (im not real good with caffeine- i get the shakes).. now im up to a whole cup... then i add almond milk... 1 scoop of chocolate whey protein.. and 2 ice cubes... stick it in the Magic Bullet and viola! Protein Mocha! Its DELISH... its like a chocolate Coffee treat.. with very few extra calories from the coffee... plus i am getting an extra jolt in the AM!! Lord knows i do need it.. now im always buzzing around!

Kale Chips... This was pretty easy... i wish i could have enjoyed them more... I bought Kale from the Farmers Market... i wash them all good.. and cut them the leaves off the stem... bunched them all up and dried them really good... put them on parchment paper and sprayed them with Olive Oil Spary and sprinkled with salt... put them in the oven at 350 for like 15 mins... and they came out DELISH.... but it was late so i put them in a bag to enjoy the next day.... unfortunately they werent good the next day... so note to self--- only make them when i can enjoy them right away!! You can make only what you want to eat and keep the rest of the uncut kale in the fridge, im pretty sure it stays good in there for awhile... I also am going to try sprinkling them with Parmesan cheese instead of salt next time... heard thats delish!

I found this on Pinterest.... and i thought it would be great because i could make it Gluten Free... So it was easy... i bought 2 containers of strawberries... cut out the top and bottoms so they would stand.. then cut the middles out and make a cheese cake filling with Cream Cheese and powdered sugar and vanilla... put the filling in a ziplock... cut a whole in the corner and squeezed it intot he strawberries... the recipe called for graham crackers but thats not gluten free... so i got these GF ginger snap cookies and crushed them up in the magic bullet and dipped the strawberries in them!!! I brought them to work and they were a HUGE hit... love love love... this is going to be my new dessert when i have to make something to bring somewhere... its delish and i can eat it!!

Here are some improvement pictures.... The first ones i took were first thing in the morning.... these i took at night.. but i can see a HUGE difference in my stomach... it looks so much flatter.... i also am noticing a difference in my clothes.. i dont feel so "packed in".. LOL

2 weeks wheatless

Everyday gets less hard... i actually dont even really care about the things i cant eat anymore, because there is still so much great clean food i can eat....

I havent weighed myself and its too early right now to go in the bathroom and make noise bc the hubs is sleeping... my last posting i actually started on 2/1 and then never got around to finishing it... so thats from about a week ago...

Ive been hitting the gym 5 or so days a week and doing kettle bells with Joe in addition to that... i feel better... so thats what counts...

Another interesting thing i noticed was that my head/hair which used to smell and be greasy after 1 day... is not either of those things anymore... infact this week i got away with not washing it for 3 days....

On every website ive been going to to get recipes, ive noticed that what you need to substitute the wheat is alot of weird things that i dont know how to say.... so i def dont want to put them in my body... so ive been really just eating naturally wheat free things... alot of fruit and veggies, chicken, eggs, turkey meat, cottage cheese, rice, popcorn (not so much of that bc it makes me bloated), cheese, yogurt.....

i can feel my stomach getting flatter... see ya later wheat belly!