DIY Workout Shirt

   A few months ago, I donated everything in my closet that didn't fit me anymore. After gaining a lot of weight during my pregnancy, and not being able to lose it, that amounted to about 90% of my clothing. I had been holding on to some items for years and it felt really good to finally be letting go of it all. It was a cleansing experience and I couldn't have been more proud of myself afterwards for letting go of that excess baggage.
   Boy, do I regret it now! I would have a closet full of clothes that seemed brand new. But instead, I have even less to wear because everything I kept, is falling off of me now. I have bought a few things, but I am trying to keep the shopping at a minimum until I reach my goal weight.
   Which brings me to workout clothes. I threw out every piece of exercise clothing I owned. Obviously, the last time I wore them I was much smaller. Apparently, spandex tanks, yoga pants, and running shorts are not the most forgiving. So when I came across a tutorial on Pinterest for turning an old t-shirt into a workout tank, I knew I had my next project. This works best with a loose fitting tee because it will cinch in a good bit. I made two, but I am enjoying them so much, I plan on making many more and trying more styles. Here's what I did:

1. Start with an old t-shirt.

2. Cut off the sleeves and collar, staying as close to the seam as possible. ( I left the collar on the grey shirt because it was already a deep V)

3. Cut the sleeves and collar a little deeper so that it resembles a tank top. (I used a washable pen to draw out my lines before cutting.)

4.  Use the original collar (or a long strip of fabric) to cinch the back across the shoulders. This will make it look like a racerback tank. Tie a double knot and cut off the excess.

5. Admire your work!

Toddler Approved Green Monster Smoothie

 Today for my mid-morning snack I decided to make a green monster smoothie. These smoothies, made using spinach or other leafy greens, are all over the internet lately. I have been wanting to give it a try for a while now. It was REALLY good! I used banana, strawberries, spinach, almond milk, and water to make mine.
   Ethan LOVED this smoothie. After I filled my cup, I poured the rest in a little cup for him and he was all about it! Ethan has always been a great eater, but lately he has been spitting out anything green.  You can't even tell there is spinach in it, so it is a great way to sneak vegetables to a picky toddler, child, or even an adult. Next time, I will make Ethan his own smoothie, so he doesn't insist on drinking mine!

Here is Ethan trying his smoothie.

"WHOA, Mom! That is awesome!"

Here is Ethan after insisting on having my smoothie.

This is the face I got every time I took my smoothie back!

Green Monster Smoothie
Makes one 24oz smoothie (130 calories)

1/2 banana, peeled, sliced, and frozen
1 cup strawberries
a handful (or two) spinach
1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1/4 cup to 1/2 cup water
ice

Place banana, strawberries, almond milk, spinach, and a few cubes of ice in a blender. Blend until well mixed, adding water if needed. *I used a little less than half a cup of water to get the consistency I wanted. Pour and Enjoy!

Notes: This smoothie can be made a million different ways. Try adding peanut butter or Greek yogurt for more protein. Or, try making it using different fruits. You can always use cow's milk, I just prefer unsweetened almond milk because it is lower in calories and sugar.

Weight Loss and Crash Hot Sweet Potatoes

  You may have noticed I haven't made any new blog posts in over a month. I have been on a brief hiatus to focus on my health. I am proud to say after 15 months I am finally at my pre-pregnancy weight! Getting healthy has been quite a journey for me. My weight has yo-yoed for years and I have always struggled to lose weight and keep it off. I lost 30 lbs before getting pregnant, only to gain close to 50 throughout my pregnancy with Ethan. Diabetes and heart disease are serious issues in my family so I knew how important it was for me to start living a healthy lifestyle now, before I started having issues of my own.
   I have begrudgingly tried so many diets and forms of exercise in the past; some worked, some didn't. But I never once enjoyed it enough to turn it into a lifestyle. This time has been different. I am enjoying eating clean, healthy foods and I am loving the way exercising makes me feel. I worked with a weight loss clinic for the first month, doing a complete overhaul of my diet and taking HCG injections to help me along. I drank a gallon of water everyday and lived off of only chicken breast, green veggies, and a handful of fruits. It was tough, but I felt better and better everyday knowing I was becoming healthier and cleaning all of the toxins, from the junk I had been eating the past 26 years, out of my body. Now, I am on my own, but remain eating a low calorie diet made up of lean protein, vegetables, fruit, and whole grains. I love the way real food tastes now. I love feeling satisfied after a small portion without feeling like I'm going to burst because I ate so much food. I love my body again and I love having nothing to wear because all of my clothes are falling off of me!
   Of course, eating nothing but plain chicken and steamed vegetables, I had nothing interesting to add to the blogosphere last month. But fear not, I have started cooking again and look forward to sharing some delicious, healthy recipes with you!

   Tonight for dinner we had a turkey breast tenderloin I rubbed with a salt-free blackening seasoning from a local company, Dak's Bistro. I served it with a green bean salad and Crash hot sweet potatoes. I have made these sweet potatoes several times, I just changed the recipe up a little bit to lower the calories per serving. They weren't really unhealthy before, so I only made a few small changes. You can find the original recipe here .

Crash Hot Sweet Potatoes
Serves 4 (110 calories per serving)

2 small to medium sweet potatoes, peeled
cooking spray
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Cut peeled potatoes about 1- 1 1/2 inches thick. Cook in boiling water for about 10 minutes, until just tender. Drain potatoes and let cool about 10 minutes. Place the potatoes on a baking sheet lightly sprayed with cooking spray. Use a fork to slightly smash each potato disk. Spray tops with cooking spray.
Combine sugar, salt, and spices. Distribute spice  mixture evenly amongst potato slices.
Bake on 375 for about 20 minutes. Broil last few minutes for sugars to caramelize.

In the original recipe, both sides are coated with sugar/spices and a butter/olive oil mixture is used to aid in caramelization. These have much less fat and sugar, but still taste delicious.

Enjoy!