Knock Out Gnocchi - Weight Loss Week Twelve Day Seven - Weight Loss Eating Plan

Week 12

Day 7 - Tuesday
8/04/2014 
Knock Out Gnocchi

The Week Totals (Including today!)

I wanted to do this first because I know that's why you're all here ;)

Price for the total weeks portions: $72.19
Amount for total groceries you would need to make all of this weeks food: $151.01 
I added up the things I already had, added 2 x 3L of milk as I have coffee everyday and took out some things I didn't use like Mayonnaise and Celery.  

I also added things like a whole bottle of Vanilla Extract for $11, Cinnamon, Baking Powder etc and only used maybe a few teaspoons.  I still have plenty of food left and I could probably make it stretch another week, I would just need dinners.

As I said I'm averaging about 1500 calories per day.  I made sure I had a variety of foods for the blog but if you were doing this for yourself, you could make things stretch more and have sandwiches everyday and the same cereal.

The current price for the 1500 calorie 7 day meal plan is $150.  So I would say it is cheaper to buy it all yourself, considering I still have heaps of food left.  Like Bread, Peanut Butter, Eggs, Cheese, Ham, Tomatoes, Rolled Oats, Grapes, Rice Cakes, Brown Rice Crackers, Cereal, Milk, Mixed Rice Crackers, Nut & Fruit Mix, Baked Beans, Hommus, Yoghurt and more! 

Simple and delicious

Breakfast: Baked Beans on Toast

Homemade Coffee (low fat milk, no sugar)

Ingredients: 1 Slice Molenberg 12 Grains & Seeds Original Bread (Coles)
100 grams Corale Baked Beans (Aldi)
25 grams Westacre Tasty Shredded Cheese (Adli)
10 grams Farmers Union Light Greek Yoghurt (Coles)
*This breakfast cost: $1.33 and would last approximately 4 serves due to the amount of Baked Beans.

Settled for an old favourite this morning, added a little Yoghurt on top for something different.

Heaven on a Rice Cracker

Morning Snack: Peanut Butter & Raisin Rice Cakes

Ingredients: 2 Pure Harvest Rice Cakes (Aldi)
20 grams Kraft Peanut Butter No Added Sugar Or Salt (Woolworths)
20 grams Just Organic Sun Dried Raisins (Aldi)
*This snack cost: $0.33 and would last approximately 10 serves due to the amount of Rice Cakes. 

OMG! I forgot how good Peanut Butter and Raisins were!  I remember having this as a kid but on Celery, I think they were called Caterpillars.  I was out of Banana so decided on Raisins, this combo is awesome!

Pizza Quesadilla? 

Lunch: Toasted Wrap

Ingredients: 2 x Bakers Life Wholegrain Wraps (Aldi)
20 grams El Tora Medium Chunky Salsa Dip (Aldi)
20 grams Westacre Tasty Shredded Cheese (Aldi)
30 grams Baby Spinach Leaves (Aldi)
10 grams Berg Sliced Leg Ham (Adli)
30 grams Cherry Tomatoes (Coles)

*This lunch cost: $1.69 and would last approximately 4 serves due to the amount of wraps.

Trying to think of a different lunch today and to use up the wraps, I came up with this.  I put one wrap on the sandwich press (mine didn't totally fit but it still worked), put on the fillings and toasted it.  I tasted like a Pizza due to the Salsa, Cheese and Ham.  I guess you could almost call it a Quesadilla, whatever it was, it was delicous!

I know I didn't have an afternoon snack today but honestly I was so full from the lunch! 

I'm going to Gnocchi you out!

Dinner: Creamy Tomato Gnochhi (Weight Watchers)

*This meals cost: $4.00 (Coles) Not on special anymore sorry :(

Due to last nights dinner (see here) being so disappointing, I was not expecting much from this dinner.  It was so yummy! The Potato Gnocchi was a good consistency and the Creamy Tomato Sauce was delicious!  I would recommend this!

*Total cost for today's portions: $7.35*These prices are calculated by current costs and specials and calculated per gram or item.Keep in mind that I'm also consuming about 1500 calories on average.

Glasses of water: 6

Sneaky Strength Training

Exercise: Dancing + Strength Training

I realised that I hadn't done any strength training this week so I snuck some in at the end of my routine.

Above is the Strength Training I use.

My Fitness Pal - Food Diary

Did you enjoy taking this non Lite n' Easy journey with me this week?  Have any suggestions?  Have you ever forgotten to order and how did you cope?  

It's been fun sharing my ideas and recipes with you all, but the calculating, calorie counting and weighing everything I put in my mouth... you know what I mean! ;) It all got to me by the end of the week, so happy to be back on Lite n' Easy next week.  

As always, there will still be more recipes to come.

All the best, Mel.

Lite n' Easy Free - Weight Loss Week Twelve Day Two - Weight Loss Eating Plan

Week 12

Day 2 - Thursday
3/04/2014 
Lite n' Easy Free

I forgot to order my Lite n' Easy for this week so I'm doing it for myself this week.  
You can find my grocery haul here.  
With the help of My Fitness Pal here.

Mmm Wild Berry Bites, Mmm Peanut Butter

Breakfast: Berry Wheat Bites and Multigrain Toast with Peanut Butter

Homemade Coffee (low fat milk, no sugar)

Ingredients: 35 grams Weet-Bix Wild Berry (These are the Lite n' Easy "Berry Wheat Bites" they have the same ingredients and nutritional information). (Woolworths)

60 ml Paul's Smarter White Milk (Woolworths)
1 x Molenberg 12 Grains & Seeds Multigrain Bread (Coles)
10g Kraft Peanut Butter No Added Sugar Or Salt (Woolworths)
*This meal cost: $0.72 and would last approximately 14 breakfasts due to the amount of cereal

I wanted to keep breakfasts pretty simple, quick, easy and similar to what I would normally have on Lite n' Easy, so that it kind of felt like just another week.  I thought the Weet-Bix Wild Berry cereal was the same as the Lite n' Easy Berry Wheat Bites so it's good to have it confirmed.  

I didn't get much in the way of spreads so Peanut Butter it is, what a shame ;)

All the Apples in Lite n' Easy and I go and buy Apples for snacks ;)

Morning Snack: Pink Lady Apple (Aldi)

*This Apple cost: $0.88

Mmm Cottage Cheese and Beetroot

Lunch: Salad Toast Sandwich

Ingredients: 2 x Molenberg 12 Grains & Seeds Multigrain Bread  (Coles)
50 grams Coles Low Fat Creamed Cottage Cheese (Coles)
25 grams Berg Sliced Leg Ham (Aldi)
1/2 Cup Baby Spinach Leaves (Aldi)
22 grams (2) Cherry Tomatoes (Coles)
22 grams (1 slice) New Season Sliced Beetroot (Aldi)
*This meal cost: $1.68 and would last approximately 8 servings due to the amount of Spinach and Cherry Tomatoes

I can't remember the last time I had Cottage Cheese, it has to be years!  I forgot how much I loved the Cottage Cheese/Sliced Beetroot Combo on a Sandwich, YUM! 

I always prefer to toast my bread for Sandwiches for extra crunch, it was really yummy with these fillings.

Mmmm Yummy!

1 x California Mandarin (Aldi)
*This Mandarin cost: $0.29

These are so tiny.

This was so good! 

Afternoon Snack: Brown Rice Crackers and Salsa Dip

Banana & Oat Shake

Ingredients: 30 grams (approx 1 row) Damora Brown-Rice Crackers (Aldi)
50 grams El Tora Medium Salsa Dip Chunky (Aldi)
*This snack cost: $0.67 and would last approximately 3 serves due to the amount of Crackers

Another snack that appears on the Lite n' Easy menu and one of my favourites.  I did have a lot of Crackers here, you can obviously change the calorie amounts by the servings.

These Crackers were really crunchy and salty, I think they would make a healthy alternative when you're craving chips.  The Salsa was yummy and not too spicy, but you really can't go wrong with Salsa.

Shake Ingredients: Half Large Banana (Coles)
20 grams of Kraft Peanut Butter No Added Sugar Or Salt (Woolworths)
30 grams of Coles Smart Buy Rolled Oats (Coles)
100 ml Paul's Smarter White Milk (Woolworths)
1 teaspoon (5ml) Queen Vanilla Extract (Coles) 
*This shake cost: $1.31 and would last approximately 16 serves due to the amount of Peanut Butter

Mmm Breakfasty

I needed to add in some extra calories from my workout (info below) so I thought a shake was a great way to do that as it was pretty late in the afternoon.  I was online trying to find a recipe that didn't have protein powder and that I had the ingredients for but couldn't seem to find what I wanted, so I made my own.

This shake wasn't too bad, not as bad as the salty one from yesterday!  I think I added a tad too much Vanilla Extract but it did bring out the sweetness of the Banana.  Because of the Oats it felt more like a breakfast shake and I think it would be great for that.

One lump or two?

Dinner: Chicken Tikka Masala (Lean Cuisine - Woolworths)

 *This meal cost: $6.69

Can we just start by looking at the photo, there are two lumps of Chicken, one on my fork and one on the plate...yep, that's it!  What? Two tiny lumps of Chicken in a dish called "Chicken Tikka Masala", pathetic!  There were tiny Shreds of Chicken here and there but put them all together and they would have only amounted to another tiny piece of Chicken.  The Chicken was really tender if that's any consolation. 

The sauce was nice with a little bit of spiciness, but basically this was like eating sauce and rice and the rice was a little mushy.  Would I buy it again? Definitely not! Would I recommend it to anyone? Absolutely not!

Is it worth complaining about the quality of this meal do you think? Comment and let me know.  I mean the amount of Chicken in there is a joke?  Sometimes I feel like why should I bother complaining but I hate when companies offer low quality products and keep getting away with it.  I think I may have thrown away the packaging but still have proof of purchase.

*Total cost for today's portions: $12.24
*These prices are calculated by current costs and specials and calculated per gram or item. 
Keep in mind that I'm also consuming about 1500 calories on average due to exercise.

Glasses of water: 7

Love every minute of it!

Exercise: Dancing (Melercise)

So proud of myself that I have kept up the exercise and it's pretty much everyday, even on weekends!  I'm so much happier and it's not just the exercise, dancing makes me so happy!  How can you not be happy when you're dancing?

My Fitness Pal - Food Diary

It's not easy finding new healthy meals everyday and balancing it all but I'm enjoying the challenge this week.

This is the same plate.
Before: Chicken Schnitzel with Chicken Curry Pasta sauce and veggies.
Now: Lite n' Easy Roast Chicken Dinner 

Sometimes on a journey it's hard to see just how far we have come, but I found a photo of the type of dinners I used to eat.  I didn't think my meals were that unhealthy and portion size, what is that? 

Healthy Grocery Haul - No Lite n' Easy This Week

Yes, that is TWO jars of Peanut Butter...they were on special, don't judge me!

Ordering Lite n' Easy completely slipped my mind these week, I have no idea how!  I didn't realise until the night before my delivery was due!  I realised and freaked out for all of a second and then I thought "I've got this!"  I've been making my own snacks for the last week and slowly incorporating my own food.  

I've been on Lite n' Easy for almost three months so I definitely know the types of foods and portion sizes.  I do want to go off Lite n' Easy eventually and do it for myself, however, I want to have some solid healthy dinner recipes behind me first.  

Because I didn't have time to plan my dinners I opted for frozen ones and decided to make my own breakfast, snacks and lunches.  I wanted to share it with you all in case the same happens to you, enjoy :)

Aldi Receipt - *Items blanked out were not part of my groceries

First stop was Aldi because they closed earlier and I wanted to get the bulk of my groceries there as they are cheaper.  Most of their brands/foods are just as good or better than brand names in my opinion but there are exceptions.   I got some pretty awesome prices there. :)

Woolworths Receipt - *Items blanked out where not part of my groceries 

Then off to Woolworths for the rest of the groceries.  

The total was $91.99 for both shops.  I do have two Lite n' Easy dinners left in the freezer and about four lunches.  I got a lot of variety and this stuff is definitely more than a weeks worth of food.  I mean who would go through two jars of Peanut Butter in a week? Okay, that was a bad example ;)

I wasn't too happy about having Lean Cuisine meals almost every night for dinner, there wasn't much variety at Woolies, but it's only for a week, I guess we will see how they go.

I also have some extra items already at home like Bread, Cottage Cheese, Cherry Tomatoes, Yoghurt and Eggs.

In the blog posts to come this week I will be including all the brands/recipes and reviews.

Please let me know if you have any further questions or suggestions :)