turnip fries

Missing the taste of fries yet? Well, I have created an alternative! Of course, nothing will ever compare to french fries, but these come close. Plus, you will feel so much better eating these than those greasy sticks.

Step One:
Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Gather your ingredients. You will need:

1 turnip
1 teaspoon of olive oil
2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese

Step Two
Wash and peel the turnip

Step Three
Cut the turnip into 1/4 inch wedges and put them into a bowl. Then add the olive oil and Parmesan cheese and coat the turnip wedges evenly.

Step Four
Cover a cookie sheet with foil and spray with non-stick spray. Then arrange the wedges on the sheet. Do not overlap or they won't cook properly.

Step Five
Bake the fries for about 20 minutes and then carefully turn them over. Bake for another 15-20 minutes.

Step Six
Remove the fries from the oven and allow them to cool for about 5 minutes.

Step Seven
Using a spatula, carefully uplift each wedge and place in them in a bowl.

Feel free to enjoy them by themselves or pair it with a lean meat and make it a complete lean and green meal.

The turnips alone count for all of your greens for the day. Enjoy!

xoxo,
Toni

day two...a paddle out and a craving attack

This morning was an emotional one. I woke up around 8:30 and began to prepare my first meal. But my reason for getting up this early on a Saturday evening was because I was going to a paddle out at the HB pier to honor the life of Pastor Chuck Smith. The photo above is when all the men were gathered around yelling out verses and singing hymns. It was definitely a moment not to be forgotten. 

So on my way to the beach I had a mocha shake. I love shakes and I love coffee. So this was just divine. 

After that I had some cinnamon pretzel sticks. Good thing I brought them with me, because I was still at the beach when it was time to eat my meal again.

So yeah, not too excited about those pretzels, they were ok, but not great. Next I had my "lean and green" meal for the day. I got creative and had the exact same thing I did yesterday: 3 cups of salad, 4 ounces of ground turkey, and 2 tablespoons of light dressing. 

Soon after that it was time to eat again and so I grabbed a cinnamon roll bar. Yes, it was good...but not as good as a real cinnamon roll.  

Then for some reason I just had massive craving attack! And it was like an hour after I just had the bar! Now, I am allowed to have diet and sugar free drinks, so I ended up drinking a zero Monster. I know it's not the best, but it's a lot better than eating a bunch of junk. 

After that it was time to have yet another meal. So, seeing that I could treat myself on this lovely Saturday, I made the Mac and Cheese. I wasn't sure what to expect, but it wasn't bad at all. Totally hit the comfort food spot. It wasn't as bad as it looks. Promise ;)

Lastly, I had my dessert meal after getting home from church. I ended up baking their chocolate chip cookie. It was surprisingly not bad at all! I was expecting some chemical tasting nastiness, but it actually (mostly) tasted like a chocolate chip cookie. I feel like I'm cheating by eating this kind of food, but it's totally ok! I think I'm going to do this (it's about time too).

Please keep praying as I continue this journey to get healthy and lose weight!

xoxo,

Toni 

start of something new

So I am starting a new health plan today and am so excited. And yes, I just started one with holidays right around the corner. But why should I want to wait another 3 months just to feel terrible in the clothes I wear and really just feel sick. I want to change now. I am going to change now. And this blog is my to document the next 6 months or so of my life.

I am starting a plan called Medifast. I was a bit skeptical at first, but warmed up to the idea after about a month of research. It is quite expensive, so I wanted to be sure this was the way for me. Not only do you get healthy, but you lose weight in the process—can't beat that!

Everyday I will be posting my daily food eats and exercise and maybe some recipes here and there. I am also going to try and post progress pictures every other week or so...along with my weekly measurements and weight.

I hope you will come and support me as I begin this new journey to a better, healthier me!

xoxo,
Toni