UPDATE :: July 2013 + future plans

Well well .. it's been more than a year since i posted anything up on here ... a lot has happened .. if any of you are loyal to my YouTube channel (LoveBLENDnBeauty), you know that i've been through a whirlwind of sh*t since last May 2012. As far as my personal health goes, it fluctuated on and off. I lost weight, gained weight, maintained weight, you name it. I was more focused on taking care of my mom more than anything after she was hospitalized in December 2012.

In June 2012, i got into a new relationship (still with him! hehe) -- we all know that people gain "happy weight" and i'm not even going to deny it, haha. I sure did gain a happy weight of at least 10-15 lbs -- which came and went over the past year. I think as of right now, I can definitely say that i've just maintaining where i've been, although i personally feel that i gained most of the weight back in my arms, slightly through my hips and that little lower pudge on my tummy. Hate it, hate it, hate it. You'll be hearing from me within the next week on what i'm gonna do about it because i'm feeling all kinds of sluggish these days.

I find myself being a little bit more lazy, out of sorts sometimes and just overall careless with my diet. After my mom was hospitalized 7 months ago and again in January 2012 a month after her first time, i just needed to take more control over things. I basically eat what she eats, but i have more than just one day of cheating now. ALL BAD. I still kept up with portion control, but it's what i'm eating that's effin me up.

Here's a current picture, taken today, just to be as updated as possible for you guys.

I'm embarrassed to show this, but this comes with the territory and of course, i have to be honest with you guys, lol.

As you can see, i have a significant amount of back fat, a slight pudge building around my lower abdomen. BLEGH.

This is what my stomach area looks like when it's flexing -- which is actually a good thing .. it means there's a good amount of muscle there, just a ton of pudge hanging around it. LOL. And in my experience and with knowing my body and how it reacts -- that pudge will be gone in less than 1-2 months of exercise and proper dieting again.

So here's where i'm at weight wise. Last time i weighed myself was June 27, 2013. I don't weigh myself often, but i weighed in at 177 and currently, I'm between a size 11-13. Last year, at my lowest weight, i was 165 and almost a size 9. I was super happy to be in single digits and no lie, it didn't take me much to get there. If you remember my last few blogs, all i did was a moderate work out 4-5x a week. These "workouts" consisted of 30 min cardio at the gym, followed with a Crunches circuit and light weights. For diet, i just switched out bad stuff for healthier alternatives and focused on portion control because my problem at the time was eating too much and i couldn't let go of fried food and snacks.

As of February-March 2012, i got super busy at work and workouts were less frequent -- mostly consisting of a run with my dog at the park and less time at the gym to focus on circuit training or weight lifting. As of April/May 2012, i was around 165 lbs, 20 lbs down from where i started in December 2011, where i was about 185 or so. I was almost a size 9 and that made me happy. And i could fit Mediums again! For a few months, all i did was play the maintain game. But late Summer to early Fall and then Holiday hit and my diet was screwed, haha.

So here we are -- gained almost 10+ lbs back. Most of it shows in my arms and my belly - hence the belly pictures. I think i'll show my arm pictures because you'll see a dramatic difference in both areas because that's where i gain most of it, aside from my thighs. Overall, I'm okay, but i just feel sluggish again. As for my diet .. it's so-so. It definitely needs to change again. I need more fresh veggies back in my diet, i need to start eating breakfast so i don't overdo it during lunch or dinner. I need to work out again because honestly, i just don't anymore. LOL. My workout consists of running around at work and taking the 5 flights of stairs back up to my car.

So here's my plan .. gonna work out at least 3x a week, even if it's a jog around the neighborhood with my dogs. I also have Zumba on my Wii, so anytime i can't make it out of the house or have work earlier in the day and i just need a quick workout, that's what i'll be doing.

As for diet, i'm gonna go back to eating fresher ingredients again. I was doing good not eating any fast food so i'm gonna cut that out again because Animal Style Fries just happen to get the best of me once in awhile. I realized that i need to drink more water. I also realized that i skip breakfast way too often and end up eating more at lunch and dinner because i'm starvin' Marvin by midday. I also need to stop with the chips. Goddamn chips. If there was one snack i couldn't get rid of, it was chips. I can still eat them .. i'll just need a healthier alternative. So i'm gonna have to revamp my snack stash again. Snacks are totally fine for you, in fact, i encourage them to keep your metabolism up. It's just matter of choosing the right ones. Gonna have to switch out that French Onion Dip for Hummus. :) lmao.

I'm gonna have to start off slow again .. small changes .. gotta get back into the groove. My main goal is just to get my energy up again because i'm feeling sluggish lately. As for "weight loss", i just need to tone back up and shave off some fat here and there and i'll be happy. My weight goal is to be back at 165, possibly even shave off more if i could. Knowing my body, the weight will do it's own work. I'm more concerned with how i actually feel and in turn, that goes with how i feel when i look at myself.

I hope all of you have been doing great and for those of you on any kind of fitness journey, i hope it's going well!

Stay Thick!
xoxo, Thick Chick

Mini Egg Frittata Muffins -- a healthier version!

So i finally decided to post something!! haha .. I know a lot of you were asking for an update on this blog -- it's been what, like a year?! Good lawd.

Anyway, i come bearing gifts. :) Some of you asked me for a recipe for this a long time ago and i never got a chance to post it! It's for these wonderful little egg muffins that are great for those of you on-the-go and for those of you who are looking for healthier recipes for your weight loss journey. These were lifesavers for me at some point .. and still are, i just haven't made them as often as i should, haha. Nevertheless, they're great and so easy to "customize" to your taste buds .. you can definitely get fancy here! I made one with tomato, basil and mozzarella cheese and it was amazeballs ... so don't be afraid to get creative here! This recipe is super basic, you can change any of the "filling" and do whatever you like, so long as you cook them properly and you have your egg base.

Mini Egg Frittata Muffins

What You'll Need:

• Vegetable(s) of your choice
• Meat of your choice
• Garlic, finely minced
• Onions, finely chopped
• EVOO
• Seasonings of your choice
• Cooking Spray
• Liquid Egg Substitute (i.e.: Egg Beaters)
• shredded cheese (optional)

Side Note(s):

• Vegetables and meat are totally up to you. i love using some kind of turkey sausage or kielbasa, personally. It adds a lot of great flavor from the natural juices in the spices that leak out when you're sauteing it. Spinach, Kale, Broccoli, or any kind of green veggie or bell peppers would be great combos to Ham, Bacon, Pancetta or Sausage. This specific recipe's combo is Zucchini and Crumbled Italian Turkey Sausage.
• As for seasonings, this is where you can get creative. Personally, my powerhouse is Salt & Pepper, Garlic Salt, Crushed Red Pepper (if i'm feeling fancy) and Paprika. But because this is supposed to be a healthier no-salt version (for my Mom's Diabetic and CKD diet), i used Ms. Dash's Garlic & Herb seasoning. Throw in some fresh herbs like parsley, basil, thyme, whatever you want, just to spruce it up!
• You are more than welcome to use Egg White substitute, it comes out just as great! Just add about maybe 3-5 mins of additional cooking time and don't expect them to be too fluffy ;) You can also use real eggs, just add 5 extra mins to the cooking time. :)

What To Do:

• Spray your muffin pan with your cooking spray and preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
• Heat up a saute pan with about 1 tbsp EVOO on Medium High heat. Saute your Onions and Garlic first until soft and/or aromatic.
• Add in your meat of choice just to warm it through. If you're using raw meat, wait until it's cooked at least halfway through before adding in your veggies.
• Add your veggies of choice, saute for at least 5-7 minutes. If you're using a veggie that requires a lot of cooking time, cook them al dente because they'll have an extra few mins in the oven to get softer. That way they don't get overcooked.

•  Add about 1/4 cup of your mixture to each "hole" :)

• Add your egg substitute to each cup until 3/4 of the way full, or a little more .. if you want extra fluffy muffins. :) Sprinkle some cheese if you'd like .. i used Soy Cheddar Cheese (it melts great and tastes great).

• Pop your muffins in the oven for 8-10 mins or until they puff up like so .. 

And voila!!

I like to store them in a tupperware after they've cooled down and i would say the serving size would be 2 muffins. These are prefect for a quick breakfast with some tea or coffee if you're always on the go, like me.

Love these little things ..

ENJOY!!

Stay Thick!
xoxo, Thick Chick