Bad news... Last week was not a very clean week and it showed. Thankfully by Tuesday I had gone back down a little and only gained a pound total for the week. This was my first weekly gain and honestly I earned it. Not that that's a good thing.
Good news... I weighed again this morning and I'm down 2.4 pounds. Fluctuating is normal, especially for women. It's not my lowest since I started but close.
Ups and downs....as long as my down are more frequent and total more than my ups, I'm happy!

This is how I feel almost every day...




Happy Fueling!

~Suzanne


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The Good, and the Bad

    I'm not going to lie, eating clean this week has been very hard. I started classes this week and have pretty much felt overwhelmed. It will pass but my mood has been off and I cheated a LOT. A whole lot! As a result, I have gained 2 pounds so far this week. My final weekly weigh in is Tuesdy so I am hopeful that I can record a loss, no matter how small!

    I have done something to my ankle, back before the New Year. It just started hurting on Sunday afternoon.It doesn't hurt when I walk on it, but when I turn it certain ways. I haven't been exercising so far but I have to change that! I have wanted to do the Conservative Couch to 5K program.  This program is a 7-month program that takes you from walking only 10 minutes to running 30 minutes in 7 months. Check out the link! I want to run Sherry's Run here in Lebanon this September.  If I am going to be ready I need to start at the Beginning of February at the latest! As the website says, I have 230 days and 17 hours to train!

Happy Fueling!

~ Suanne

Total Update Tuesday and Recipe Review

New Year's Day was on a Tuesday this year so I'm posting my weekly totals every Tuesday. After a slow week last week (only 0.8 pounds) this week I'm excited to report I'm down another 3.4 pounds! Current grand total of 11 pounds!
I had a far from perfect week, which may or may not have included all-you-can eat catfish at City Limits Cafe on Friday night with Coke.

Now to the recipe review!
They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day. You are literally breaking your fast since you've gone, hopefully, 6-10 hours without eating. But many of us are a bit rushed in the morning. I don't even have kids, so I can't imagine what those of you that do go through in the morning.
I'm usually an egg white omelet girl. A few mushrooms, green onions and a little cheese. It's fairly quick but I want something even quicker. I found a recipe for Hash Brown, Sausage, and Egg Muffins in the November/ December 2012 Clean Eating magazine.
FIRST OF ALL let me tell you these are NOT quick to make, but it makes 12 and I froze them so that I could just pop them in the microwave in the mornings.



My thoughts: more trouble to make than they are worth I think. They taste good, don't get me wrong. But the recipe says the total time to make these is 1 hour and 10 minutes. Mine took longer because my eggs weren't done in the time they said they would be (and they don't figure in clean up 😁).
I used lean turkey sausage instead of chicken sausage. I give high praises to the taste of Jenny O's lean turkey sausage....very good. Other than that I followed the recipe.
As for freezing, they taste better fresh, but 2 minutes in the microwave was enough. I sliced them with my fork after a minute so the middle would get warm.
I'm not sure I'll be making these again soon, but I'll enjoy quick and brainless breakfasts this week!

Grad school starts tonight. I'm about to get some major use out of my cooler. I'll be okay if I can stay away from Blue Coast Burrito!

Happy Fueling!

~ Suzanne

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Vital Tool for Your Eat Clean Toolbox

Eating Clean is easier when you're prepared. There are several "tools" that will help you and I plan on highlighting them occasionally. (I'd like to make a weekly feature, we'll see.)

Today I want to show you my cooler.


Seems silly, me blogging about a cooler, but really it's very important. Too small, you won't have room for food and water, too big, and you're less likely to carry it.
I found this embark cooler at Target. I think it was $15 or so. It's perfect! I can 3-4 meals in here if I need to but it's easy to carry with a shoulder strap. I keep a travel package of hand wipes in one of the side pockets and my little notebook of my plan in the other. In the front pocket I have some gum and a days worth of vitamins. (I always forget to pack them.)
In the main compartment I always have some sort of seeds or nuts and some sea salt. Then I just pile in what is on my plan for the day for when I'll be gone, an ice pack, and head out.
I have a smaller lunch bag that I use occasionally. It's good if I'm just going to have one meal while I'm out. But I like to be over prepared.
If your wanting to Eat Clean, I highly suggest finding a good cooler that you don't mind carrying around. If you work an 8-5 schedule, you'll likely have 3 meals packed in there! Remember, these aren't huge meals. When you eat every 2 1/2 to 3 hours you don't need to stuff yourself! Just a good serving of protein, a complex carbohydrate, and a healthy fat thrown in here and there. And water...don't forget your water!!

Happy fueling!!

~ Suzanne

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Week 2 is Always Bad...Right?

I've seen a few seasons of the Biggest Loser and the second week is always rough at the weigh in. (Thank you Leslie for reminding me if this.) The good news is that I lost and did not gain. The bad news is that I only lost 0.2 pounds. Maybe my body is through its shock of what's going on and will respond better this week. 2.5 pounds per week is my goal. I'm on track still with my big loss last week. I'm committed and I'm pressing on!

Happy Fueling!
~ Suzanne


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Weekend Fail!!!

Well, I had good intentions when I went to Chattanooga this weekend. I have no actual excuse. I could have ordered better when we went out; fried calamari won out though. So did a few other things...like Coke. I did eat clean breakfasts and drank some water. And I'm ready to get back on track this week. I'm a little behind in planning this week so I'm going to do that today. I'm NOT giving up. I'm in this for the year.
It wasn't a total wash! A weekend of great friends and pictures.








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Quick Success Story

Quick blog post today. Major success today, for me anyway. I was out running errands and on my way home when it was technically time for dinner. I had made my mind up to go to Chick-Fil-A and get a chargrilled chicken sandwich. Now this is pretty clean, granted. But it wasn't in my plan and I had food at home to eat. I was ready to turn in when I changed my mind and headed home. Whew! This weekend will be tempting enough. If I can resist, so can you!

Happy Fueling!

~ Suzanne


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Drum Roll Please...

I've been eating Clean for one week now, except for Sunday, and here's the first week observations!
First of all, I'm down 7.4 pounds!! But the effects go beyond that. My hands are not as puffy, my hands don't go to sleep writing or sewing, my nails are growing quickly and strong, and I just feel....better.
----- side note: after a week of drinking 2 1/2 - 3 liters of water a day, I'm not running to the bathroom every 5 minutes!

Week 2 is underway and brings a few challenges toward the end of the week. Can I eat clean on the road and out of town? I know I can, but will I?

Happy fueling!

~ Suzanne


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Water, Water Everywhere!

Did you know our bodies are over 60% water? I'd say water is pretty important. So how much water should you drink? The answers I've found vary from 48 oz (6 eight ounce glasses) to 2 gallons a day. That's quite a difference. It seems every health guru has an opinion. In my year of eating clean I'm going to follow the Eat Clean Diet book and go with 2-3 liters a day. Now I know that sounds like a lot, but I probably drank that much fluid on most days anyway. Except before it was sodas and caffeinated tea. Now it's water, green tea, and herbal teas.


I split it up like the book suggests. It's working well for me. All week I've had at least 2 1/2 liters of water each day. I have 1 liter (32 ounces) with breakfast. This is the hardest but I make myself chug it throughout an hour in the morning. Then with the other 5 meals I drink 1/2 liter. That's just 16 ounces. For lunch and dinner meals I usually have either green tea or an herbal tea (both iced) to mix it up.
I'm lucky, I like water. I know a lot of people don't. Adding a lemon, lime, or orange might help. If you want to keep it clean don't add those drink packets (just look at the ingredients), stay natural. But most herbal teas do not have caffeine and count as water as well. My personal favorite is Biglow's Plantation Mint tea.


I pour it over ice and it reminds me of when I was little and it was my job to pick the fresh mint to put in our tea at dinner.
If you want to take baby steps into a cleaner lifestyle I suggest to start with water. It will help you reduce or cut out sodas and juices and that will make a huge difference in how you feel!

Happy Fueling!

~ Suzanne


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Mutiny from within!

After my awesome lunch I blogged about yesterday I had to outdo myself for dinner...and I did. Blackened salmon, roasted Brussels sprouts, and cilantro lime quinoa.




Cilantro lime quinoa is extremely flavorful and super easy! I make my quinoa in my rice cooker. I sprinkled some minced onions in there too. When it's done just add a handful or two of fresh chopped cilantro and juice from a lime. Add them to your tastes, start conservative, you can always toss some more in. How easy is that?
Day two was going great. I was perfectly on track. Then my dad asks me if I want to go to dinner. My own family sabotaging me! How do I say "no" to my dad?? He suggested Mexican. I vetoed that quick! We ended up going to a local restaurant, Demos'. I had a sirloin steak, whole wheat spaghetti with (don't judge) brown butter and garlic with mushrooms sauce and a small bowl of chicken and rice soup. BUT, I immediately cut my steak in half and halved the spaghetti and put them in a to go box. AND I didn't have ANY bread. All in all I consider it a semi-success. Definitely not a complete failure.
I have no idea what my schedule will be tomorrow. If I substitute teach it will be my first "cooler" day. Whatever it brings I'm planned and ready!
Happy Fueling!
~ Suzanne
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Clean Does NOT Mean Boring!!

Well, today was launch day. I'm not the type of person that can do things too gradually, but I'm not an all or nothing person either. I'm somewhere in between. I bet you know what type of person you are too. I think that's key in being successful. I know I have to build in my Sundays and cheese and have a launch day.
This morning did not go exactly as planned (getting home at 3:00 am didn't help.) I had planned on getting up early but I woke up at 10 am. I changed things up a bit but still ate clean. I had boiled egg whites and a clementine for "breakfast" and 1 liter of water. For meal #2 I went ahead with my lunch plan of a Chicken sandwich, Kiwi, and 1/2 liter of green tea.
The term chicken sandwich is a bit misleading. This thing is an explosion of flavors in your mouth, and I even forgot to put basil on it this time! I discovered the basis of my sandwich last time I ate clean in the May/June 2010 issue of the Clean Eating magazine. I have adapted it a bit to my own taste, taking away the tomato and adding spinach. I also put it on whole wheat bread or Ezekiel bread instead of focaccia. It looks like a lot of work but it isn't and it's really quick.
Here's my version...

- 1 chicken breast
- Couple of handfuls of baby Bella mushrooms sliced
- 1 tbsp fresh rosemary
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1 tsp EVOO
- 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
-2 slices whole wheat or Ezekiel bread
- 1 slice part-skim mozzarella cheese
- spinach leaves (enough for a layer or two)
- 1/8 cup green onions
- Fresh basil (enough for a thin layer)

Preheat oven to 400° and line a cookie sheet with nonstick foil. Cut chicken into 1/2" pieces across the grain. Put the chicken, mushroom slices, rosemary, and thyme into a bowl. In a small bowl, stir oil and vinegar then add to chicken mixture. Mix it up well and spread it out on the sheet. Make sure none of the chicken is touching. Cook for 8 minutes, toss, then 7 more minutes.



Build your sandwich. I put 2 layers of spinach, a layer of basil, sprinkle the green onions, and then add my layer of cheese on the top slice. Next I add my chicken and mushrooms then put the bottom piece on.


I always have left over chicken and mushrooms. Guess what's going in my omelet in the morning? :)
Eating clean does not have to be boring. It's about being creative and using the bounty of good food available. A few herbs and spices don't hurt either.

Happy Fueling!
~ Suzanne


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