3 Ingredient Breakfast in 7 minutes (including cleanup)

No one seems to have time to cook in the morning. The food industry is well aware of this issue and the market is full of quick breakfast items (bars, cereal, yogurt etc) but the thing is- I don’t love them.  I like warm, filling, substantial food to start my day. Oh and I want it to be healthy. Did I mention I don’t have time to cook, or shop for multiple ingredients?
This has led to new obsession- making an EGG BAGEL for breakfast.  3 ingredients- and can be made in 7 minutes INCLUDING clean up. Einstein has one- but you’re looking at 490 calories… read on to learn how to have your bagel & eat it too  for only 210 calories! 
Three ingredients:
Bagel: Ok fine- it’s a bagel thin :). Let me just start by saying- I’d pretty accepted that bagels and I didn't have much of a future (unless it involved shopping in the plus size section).  They’ve forever been one of my favorite foods, but I just “ couldn't go there” except for rare special occasions –I totally ate one the morning of my wedding. At that point the dress was either going to fit, or it wasn't!  Anyway- bagels had been a no no, until the introduction of my new morning staple- bagel thins! Weighing in at 110 calories, only 19 grams of carbs- they give me that bagel taste I love without the guilt. My recommendation- choose the “everything” version even though the wheat one is probably better for you. Totally worth it.
Egg:  The classic egg, not popular in the low fat days of the 90’s, but making a comeback. With 70 calories and packed full of protein, I've found that eating a full egg, rather than just whites keeps me full longer.
Cheese: Laughing cow light spreadable cheese wedge is my go-to.  35 calories, tons of new flavors (queso is a favorite!) Like spice? Add tapatio or other hot sauce to the cheese for an added kick. 

7 Minutes: So here’s the recipe- pop the bagel in the toaster (tip- turn down the toaster! Bagel thins toast/burn quicker than their thicker counterparts), while it’s toasting fry the egg (I like to break the yolk- personal preference) and then spread the Laughing Cow cheese on the bagel, pop the egg on top, cut in half and enjoy an egg bagel sandwich. Easy peasy. And, only 210 calories and it keeps me full till lunch!

Happy Breakfasting!

XOXO

Chel

PS: Key to quick clean up? Put soap and water in the pan right after taking it off the stove- it’ll sizzle and steam, scrub it around a bit, rinse and then you’re done. 
PPS: Interested in cleansing? Starting next Friday, I'm try a 3 day juice cleanse to jumpstart me back to healthy eating. This is my first one- so I'm excited to blog and share how it goes! www.coolercleanse.com

Breakfast: Quick and Easy with Egg Whites!

I think by now most people know you NEED to eat breakfast if you want to lose weight, be healthy, balance your blood sugar, ETC.  It's Key.  Don't believe me? Google it and thousands of official people/studies will confirm my point. With that as a premise- I felt the need to talk about my favorite breakfast food today following a happy hour discussion last night. A girlfriend mentioned how hard it was on her current diet to find breakfast foods. I brought up egg whites and she was pretty hesitant (meaning she called them totally gross :)) but I seriously think they are one of the most diet friendly foods around.  Not only are they low calorie, you can honestly put nearly ANYTHING in them for a warm and nutritious meal. The key is figuring out what to add, which takes a little experimenting.
What seems to challenge even more people than finding what to eat in the morning is finding the time to prepare and eat breakfast.  After making a delicious Basil & Swiss egg white omelet on English muffin in LESS THAN 6 MINUTES this morning, I know it can be done. 

Here are my tips (and recipe) that will speed things up in the a.m. 
Step 1: Pop English muffin in toaster.  Turn heat on pan and spray it with PAM.  Time saving tip- use the right size skillet.  If you are making a one person omelet, this should be a small preferably stainless steel pan. 

Step 2: Get egg whites out of fridge, cheese, and any other ingredients you want to add. Time saving tips- use egg whites that are in a carton, already separated from the yolks and cheese that is pre-shredded or pre-sliced.
Step 3: Pour 1/3 cup egg whites (about the amount of two eggs) into pan.  Grind pepper or other spices onto egg mixture in pan.  Time saving tip- make sure the pan is already heated to speed up cook time.
Step 4: As the egg starts to firm up, add in additional ingredients.  This morning I used fresh basil, simply tore up a few leaves and put them in.  Then add cheese and let it melt. Once the cheese has started melting (cook time about 3.5 min), fold the egg mixture in half and it magically becomes an omelet!
Step 5: Get English muffin out of toaster, place on plate.  Remove omelet from pan and cut in half.  Put one half on each English muffin and you have a delicious, balanced, nutritious breakfast in UNDER 6 min. 
Calories:
1/3 cup egg whites: 50
Slice light cheese (today I used Swiss): 50
Thomas Brand Whole wheat light English muffin: 100
Basil: I'll give it 5- it was just a few leaves for flavor. 
Basil & Swiss Egg White Omelet. Total calories: 205.  Total Time: 6 min. Enjoyment level: So good! Eggs stick with you and don't leave you starving (and prone to sweets/carb cravings) at 10a.m.
Other quick and easy omelet additions that you might already have in your fridge:
Cilantro & salsa, chives, lunch meat turkey, spinach, tomatoes, avocado, bell peppers & onions, Morningstar Farms brand products (the fake sausage patty is my favorite)- really anything goes!
Don't love English muffins? Substitute for a piece of ezekial bread toast (80 cal) or make an egg burrito by making the omelet a scramble and putting it in a low carb tortilla (120 cal).

Here's my challenge- try an egg white omelet this week. I PROMISE you won't regret it and you may just find a new breakfast staple.
XO
Chel
PS.  The people who make Laughing Cow Light Cheeses have heard and answered my prayers! They created a spreadable light BLUE CHEESE version that is SO good and still only 35 calories a wedge! It might actually be a worthy substitute for my cheese cravings...

Hi, I'm Hungry. How's Your Day Going?

My body is STRUGGLING today to adjust to going from relaxed eating (and probably 2,000 calories a day) back to my bootcamp calories.  I can have (according to a very complex formula) between 1100 and 1300 calories per day to lose weight at a rate of 1.5 lbs per week.  Day One went smoothly and I came in right at 1100.  Today- reality sets in and I am HUNGRY and cranky and want to eat.  But I am resisting.  After a few days of decreasing the calories, my stomach should "shrink" a little and I won't need as much to feel full. Looking forward to that...

Last night I made a great stir fry that was really low cal.  Trader Joe's has a product that is a pre-made stir fry mix with fresh veggies (chopped onions, mushrooms, broccoli, snap peas, etc) I tossed that into the wok with some grilled chicken and had a little brown rice as a side and it was delicious! Simple, healthy and as Chris commented "very colorful", which is fun!
Breakfast this morning was another Trader Joe's item (they should seriously be paying me for how much I write about them!) Steel Cut Oatmeal frozen oatmeal.  It comes two individual servings to a package (so it's a little more expensive than the packets) but you just put it in a bowl and throw it in the microwave for 2 min and it comes out perfect consistency, and it's only 150 calories! Its so filling when you eat it- but I was hungry again fairly quickly afterword. Don't know if that's because it's a lot of carbs... or just my adjusting back to eating less!

Oh! And I had the dreaded WEIGH IN this morning.  I haven't weighed myself in at least two months (bad, I know) and it wasn't great news, but not the end of the world.  I've gained 4 pounds since the end of my last bootcamp.  Disappointing- but definitely something I can deal with. I was secretly afraid- and have been feeling recently like I'd gone completely off the deep end and was going to have gained 10, so 4 was actually a relief! Being back in Bootcamp,  I've realized now is the time to focus, commit and really change my body in the next 12 weeks.  It's only 12 weeks!
I'm going to go drink some water now. Yummm :)
XO
Chel

I Basically Have a High School Reunion in 8 Days...

Last I checked, I was still 2 YEARS away from my 10 year reunion- which is just about the right amount of time to start getting ready :) BUT- Brooke's bday is the 23rd of December and since we're all heading home for Christmas- a party was obviously in order! Thanks to the magic of Facebook she was able to invite pretty much our entire graduating class plus some to come celebrate with us! Should be interesting...
It's funny becuase a few years ago I probably would have rushed out and bought a new outfit, got my nails done, stopped eating immediately and basically been in panic mode. I don't know if its the wisdom of my years (and the 4 major wrinkles I've recently gained- more on that another time) but I'm really more excited about catching up with old friends and hearing about their lives than panicking over being judged.
It could be becuase I'm pretty content with the way things are right now. Life is good, work is work (but I'm grateful to have a job!) and although I may struggle sometimes because I'm not at my goal weight- I'm still a heck of a lot closer than I was 6 months ago. I think being good with myself makes me a less bitchy, judgy person and more able to appreciate others. Hmm... well there's an underrated reason to get in shape-it just might make you a better person!

On another note- yesterday I did not go to bootcamp (BAD) becuase it was dark, cold, Chris had just gotten home, etc etc many more crappy excuses. But I did stay in my calories and skipped all sugar and wine (GOOD) so at least that's something. Tonight I've got a holiday party so I'm starting the day well- Go Lean Crunch for Breakfast, leftover spaghetti squash for lunch and hopefully I'll be able to fit in a walk with Ry before I head out tonight.

I had the BEST breakfast this weekend and I just keep thinking about it- so I thought I'd share.
Egg White Omelet with Garlic, Spinach & Pepperjack cheese. I actually had this at Naked Cafe- but figured it would be easy to replicate. (The mix of flavors may sound random, but I promise it's good and it gets you a serving of veggies for breakfast!)
6 tbs egg whites
1 clove finely diced garlic
1/2 cup baby spinach
1/4 cup shredded pepperjack cheese
Directions: Spray the pan with non stick cooking spray. Sautee the garlic and spinach for about 2 min over medium heat, until the garlic starts to lightly turn brown. Add in the egg whites and allow to cook for another minute while the egg firms up. Then sprinkle the cheese evenly over the top and fold half of the omlet in half with your spatula. Cook about 1 min on each side until cheese is melted and egg is cooked through.
Enjoy!! One omelet has 170 calories.
XO
Chel
PS. I can't believe Christmas is only 10 Days away!!! Let the countdown begin!

The Cost of Eating Well

I want to go see the movie Food Inc. I've heard it's going to make me never want to eat again which might be tough (but will sure help with the diet :). I watched a preview for it last night, and I think the basic concept is how the Food Industry has become really powerful and is dangerously unregulated, that the American public is eating things that could be harming our health over time. Overuse of hormones, inhumane treatment of animals, overprocessing- all of which has led to food that has less nutrients than it should and our bodies are not getting what they need. The "solution" seemed to be to "fight back" against the food industry by supporting local farmers and shopping at Farmers Markets rather than the large grocery chains.
It's an interesting concept & I definitely want to see the movie. I'm all for supporting local foods- but to be honest, price, selection & convenience also are a factor in where I shop. I'll keep you posted if I change my tune once I see the movie!
Speaking of price- this morning as I was eating breakfast I was thinking about how one of the common arguments against eating healthy is that it's "too expensive". And I agree- it can be. But there are definitely ways around that. For example- my breakfast this morning was an Egg White McMuffin with cheese & scallions. At McDonalds- the same Egg McMuffin would cost between $3-4 and have 300 calories (still not bad- I actually reccomend this if you're going to have a fast food breakfast). I calculated the cost on mine and it went like this:
Light Thomas Brand English Muffins (8) $3.49 +Carton Egg Whites 15 servings $2.99 +Bag pre-shredded lucerne reduced fat cheddar cheese (8 servings but I only used half a serving) $3.99+
Scallions 99cents (used about 1/6 of stock) =
Total cost for my Egg White McMuffin was $1.23 and only 185 calories. Oh and did I mention it was delicious and filling? Serve with a side of fruit and you've got a great start to the day.
Even my usual breakfast- a bowl of Kashi Go Lean Crunch comes in at 200 calories- 240 with milk and at $4.29 a box(and that's not even a sale price) divided by 16 servings comes out to 27 cents a day! Wow- I tend to be a little obsessive about deals when it comes to shopping for clothes- I don't want to get too hooked on this food thing... Next thing you know I'll be updating Chris daily on how much $$ I saved by eating healthy that day! He got an email yesterday detailing how much money I'd saved at Old Navy (is everyone aware of their 50% off all outerware sale??) Ok- Stopping calculations now :) but seriously- no more cost excuses for not eating healthy!
XO
Chel

Scheduling For Success

When dieting- although you are eating less & restricting your calories, the one thing I've learned is that you should NEVER be starving. By letting your body get to the point where you feel sick or light headed, you are setting yourself up for failure. Once you hit this point, you will eat ANYTHING in sight and are more likely to make a bad food choice. So- by always having healthy foods on hand to get you through those rough spots & incorporating snacking into your daily schedule, you not only encourage your metabolism to burn calories throughout the day, you also avoid that terrible starving feeling. Here's what an optimum day looks like for me:
7:30am Breakfast 250 calories
10:am Morning Snack 100 calories
12:30pm Lunch 300 calories
3pm Afternoon Snack 150 Calories
5pm Pre-Workout Snack 50 Calories
8pm Dinner 350-400 Calories
Total Calories for the day above would be between 1200-1250. You'll notice that I try and snack every 2-3 hours. My afternoon snack is usually larger than the morning one becuase I tend to feel hungry in the afternoon and if I'm working out after work I need some fuel. My trainer reccomends eating 70% of your daily calories before 3pm- but that's still something I'm struggling with. It's hard to adjust to not having dinner be your main meal & I'm not quite there yet. My compromise is eating lean proteins & salads for dinner rather than carbs.
Every day this week I'll give you a few ideas for different meal ideas that are satisfying and fit in the calorie range above. Let's start with "the most important meal of the day"...
Breakfast for 250 Calories:
Yogurt Parfait. Individual size plain or vanilla non-fat greek yogurt (if you like the plain go with it- it's a difference of 70 calories vs. 130) Mix in 1/2 cup Kashi Go Lean Crunch (95 calories) and then top with fruit. Blueberrys are great for this, only 20 calories in 1/4 cup. Strawberrys are great as well. If you try this breakfast- make sure you are using the GREEK yogurt- not regular Yoplait or other brand. The best thing about the greek yogurt is that a single serving has 14 grams of protein! That will keep you full for a while. They also have a lot less sugar than regular yogurt.
Egg White Scramble. I talk about these a lot and there's a ton of variation you can do. Basically 6tbs (about the amount of 2 scrambled eggs) has 50 calories. So use that as a base and add in fun veggies, some lite cheese, turkey... yum! I like to save some calories so that I can have a side of a half of a wheat english muffin as well (80 calories). This breakfast takes a little more time to make, but is really satisfying!
Cottage Cheese & Fruit & a mini bran muffin. Can you believe you can eat all of that for under 250 calories? Talk about filling! 1/2 cup non fat cottage cheese is only 80 calories and tastes great topped with fresh berrys. That by itself could be a 100 calorie morning snack as well. The mini bran muffins are available at Trader Joes and they each have about 50% of your daily fiber and only 80 calories! Look at the label to make sure you are buying the right one.
Hope that helps encourage some breakfast creativity!
Chel
Oh and PS- day one of my "pull it together" week was successful yesterday, I came in at 1160 calories and had a great (=hard, I wanted to die) boot camp and am feeling back on track. Wish me luck today!

Egg White Scrambles... YUM

Egg white scrambles are my new favorite thing. I had one for dinner last night and again for lunch today! Last night I was planning on a chicken salad with leftover BBQ chicken but was just feeling BURNT OUT on salads- as occasionally happens. I wanted something satisfying and filling, so I created an amazing low-cal scramble. Recipe below- serves 1:
Take the following & put in a lightly greased skillet
1/4 cup chopped onion 15 calories
5 pieces asparagus chopped 25 calories
1/2 cup fresh spinach 5 calories
1/2 cup chopped chicken breast 100 calories
Grill these in the pan until the onions turn lightly brown on the edges. Then add:
6 tbs egg whites 50 calories
Scramble together till the eggs firm up and then add:
1 tbs goat cheese- 50 calories
And you have a fabulous chicken veggie scramble for 245 calories. I was completely filled and way more satisfied than I would have felt after a salad.
And there's lots of variations- I'm planning to experiment with different cheeses, veggies, meats, etc. With such a low cal base as egg whites, you can include lots of fun stuff and still have it be good for you!
Obviously you can eat this for breakfast, but one of my trainer's recommendations is eating lean proteins & veggies for dinner(and less carbs) which can be hard to do without always eating meat & salad- so this meal both fit the plan & mixed up my routine. Love it!
Check back tomorrow for the Top 5 Suppliments EVERYONE should be eating according to a nutrition seminar I attended this past weekend. To get a sneak peak, check out the nutritionist's website at www.thewholejourney.net.
Chel