9/10/21

Why am I posting a photo of cheese and crackers?

Because this is actually a huge milestone for me. 5 months ago I would have eaten the whole sleeve of crackers and at least 2 pieces of cheese. (I cringe to even think about how many calories that added up to!)

Today, I flexed my self-control muscles and had this sensible 170 calorie snack that left me satisfied and not at all feeling guilty.

There have been many small victories during this #weightlossjourney and most of them don’t have anything to do with the scale.

I am the one driving this bus and although there are a lot of bumps in the road, I am strong enough to grip the steering wheel with all my might and get to my destination! HONK! HONK! 😂

🧀🚌🧀

9/8/21

A very colorful lunch today…

We get 6 portions out of this ravioli, which makes a nice meal prep for the rest of the week.

Plus, it’s under 500 calories!

9/6/21

 #foodfail

We don’t have many of them at the Vaughn household, but this was definitely one of them.

We put chicken breast in the slow cooker with Caribbean Jerk marinade and it turned out so freakin’ spicy that we couldn’t even eat it.

It’s something I’ve always wanted to try and was pretty disappointed.

I guess that’s the risk you take when you try something new…

9/4/21

Slow cooker chicken enchiladas (@themagicalslowcooker) are one of my favorite “indulgent” meals.

We get 6 good-sized portions out of this (400 calories) and usually pair it with tortilla chips (140 cal).

As long as you keep your portions sensible and don’t go over on your calories for the day, you don’t have to survive on kale and quinoa (I have yet to try either) in order to lose weight!

8/28/21

This orange chicken is my favorite “indulgent” meal.

It’s under 500 calories and we get 4 portions out of it, which makes for a nice leftover meal for the next day.

By portioning things out and not going too crazy, I can eat my favorite foods (like white rice) and still lose weight.

8/17/21

We tried this Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup recipe from @thesimpleveganista and it was absolutely delicious!

It made a ton for meal prep ( I might have added more veggies than it called for 😉) and each serving came out to ONLY 200 CALORIES! 👏

It’s really filling, too, and kept me full for most of the day.

We’ll definitely be adding this healthy, nutritious meal into our rotation…

8/14/21

We made the @tasteofhome Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Salad and it was delish!!!

And it’s only 160 calories. Eating healthy has never been so fun!

I can’t wait to make it again…

8/11/21

When we first had this ravioli a few weeks ago, I was in love. And then, when we had it today, we added in some spinach we had leftover from our smoothies and it was even better!

The best part is that the whole meal is only 420 calories of yummy goodness.

Cheers to ravioli 2.0 🥂

~Frozen cheese ravioli (290 calories)

~Newman’s Own marinara sauce (100 calories)

~Broccoli florets (30 calories)

8/4/21

The magic ingredient in these tostadas?

Avocado!

Piled with lettuce and tomato, tostadas make a yummy, crunchy lunch of only 460 calories for 2 of them.

🥑

8/2/21

I am loving these Outshine bars!

The peach and watermelon are only 60 calories, the pineapple is 70, and the chocolate 90.

They are a wonderful sweet treat for summer and I plan on trying every flavor the store has.

Pineapple is my favorite because it tastes like a real juicy pineapple and even has pineapple chunks in it and the chocolate is decadent and delicious.

Yummy!

🍍🍉🍑

Oatmeal Fun

For the longest time I’ve been having a sliced banana with my oatmeal and it’s one of my favorite breakfasts.

Well, hold onto your hat, I’ve changed things up and discovered that I can warm up a diced apple in the microwave and sprinkle cinnamon on top and it’s like a decadent treat for someone like me who hasn’t had much in the way of dessert for over 3 months.

Sometimes it pays off to try something new…

7/27/21

We had these beautiful soft tacos for lunch and they were under 500 calories!

In the past, we would have had the burrito sized tortillas, halved a can of refried beans between the two of us, put three times as much cheese, and added rice to “bulk them up”.

I’m so proud of the food choices we’ve been making and I’m so proud of myself for going strong with this weight loss journey going into my 4th month!

🌮🌮

Crock Pot Meals

Slow cooker for the win…

As long as I portion out my meals and stick to having a single serving, I can still eat all of my favorite foods and still lose weight.

Here are my favorite crockpot meals, all under 420 calories:

Chicken Enchiladas: 400

Mexican Cream Cheese Chicken: 365

Chicken Stroganoff: 355

Vegetarian Chili Mac: 420

I pair these with tortilla chips or bread to add 140-160 calories (even though I should probably have veggies instead!)

These meals are great for meal-prepping because they taste even better leftover.

We get 8 portions out of each of these, they are very inexpensive, and incredibly delicious too!

6/27/21

Lunch in a pinch…

It’s probably not the healthiest meal, but my cupboards are bare!

At least I halved everything and meal prepped the rest for tomorrow’s lunch. In the past I would have eaten the whole package of ramen without draining the sodium out.

Ramen noodles: 200 calories

Canned mixed veggies: 80

Fresh fruits and veggies are on the grocery list…

Satisfying Dinners Under 500 Calories

We eat “real” food at the Vaughn house while losing weight!

You’ve heard it before: This isn’t a diet, it’s a lifestyle. That’s why I still eat the food I love during this journey. Because I can’t imagine a life without pasta and Mexican food and breaded shrimp.

Moderation is key, along with meal-prepping out our portion sizes to keep our calorie count under 1500 per day.

Here are some of my favorite dinners under 500 calories...

Crispy Fish Fillet 130

1/2 Sweet Potato 60

Fiesta Blend Veggies 60

Total: 250

Orange Chicken 235

White Rice 170

Steamed Stir-Fry Veggies 40

Total: 445

Cheese Tortellini in Alfredo Sauce 410

Steamed Broccoli, Carrots & Water Chestnuts 30

Total: 440

Parmesan Shrimp 200

Normandy Veggies 40

Yellow Potato 110

Total: 350

Tostadas: 375

Chicken Enchiladas 400

Tortilla Chips 70

Total: 470

🥦🌮🍝🧀🥔

Low-Calorie Snacks

 In my 1500 calorie meal plan, I have plenty of room for snacks...

Right now some of my favorite low-calorie snacks are:

🍎 Gala Apple 100

🍿Popcorn 60

🍓🍌Strawberries and 1/2 Banana 85

🥨 Pretzel Twists 110

🍊 Grapefruit Slices 80

🥜 Trail Mix 130

Then again, I guess you can make any food low-calorie depending on how little you eat of it 😋

What I Eat in a Day ~ 1500 Calorie Meal Plan

Even though I’m on a 1500 calorie meal plan, I seem to be having a hard time getting up over 1200. I don’t know where my appetite has gone (no complaints!)

My typical day of eating looks something like this:

BREAKFAST
Cereal and milk: 290

SNACK
1/2 apple (split with hubby): 50

LUNCH
Baked potato, steamed veggies, fish fillet: 260

SNACK
Strawberries and 1/2 banana: 90

DINNER
Slow Cooker Chicken Stroganoff and garlic bread: 610

🍋 Lots of yummy lemon water

TOTAL: 1300

That leaves some wiggle room for another snack or popcorn during movie night.

As long as we portion things out, I’m able to still eat my favorite Crock Pot meals and even add a slice of bread in here and there.

🍓🍞🍌🥔

4/28/21

You don’t have to survive on nothing but quinoa and kale in order to lose weight!

This was our dinner last night: tostadas. Delicious tostadas piled with crunchy lettuce and yummy tomatoes.

For 345 calories, I was able to have two. A little bit of refried beans spread on the shell, a sprinkle of cheese and topped with olives.

If you portions things out and don’t go crazy, you can eat all the same foods you love.

Keeping your meals in moderation is the key to making changes that you can sustain the rest of your life.