Today is Day 6 for me. Day 5 was a wonderful day! I was passed the stage of the infamous Medifast headache, gone was the drained feeling I had from re-starting again. AND Get this... I actually felt like exercising! That feeling isn't very common for me, but I took advantage of it and did 40 minutes walking on the treadmill. I burned 267 calories to be exact! 


 Now what could probably wrong with a little exercise? Well, on Medifast, you shouldn't start exercising (unless it is already a part of your lifestyle) for at least 3 weeks. This gives your body time to adjust to the lower calorie weight loss plan. Some have even told me exercising slows their losses down. I think I learned the hard way because my scale hasn't budged since Sunday and I just re-started Friday. I am at a stand still. I am not losing as much as I have hoped and I usually I have pretty good losses the first week.  I do know my thyroid meds need to be increased because my doctor mentioned it to me the other day. Now that I have my new prescription in hand, maybe that will help with my losses. Otherwise, I just need to be patient. I didn't gain all this weight in one day so I won't lose it one day either :) 

Here is a new recipe I wanted to share with you guys. I got this recipe from The Detoxinista and it is really good! If you are craving comforting food, then try this! It is creamy, cheesy and oh so good for you! She said it reminds her of a cheesy hash brown casserole and I have to agree. Definitely a family pleaser. I would have never thought of using yogurt to make this dish creamy but it works! I made a few minor changes to make it Medifast friendly as well as added some grilled chicken to complete my Lean. You could always serve the chicken on the side if you like. Just divide the chicken in half which would be 2.25 oz per serving. Also, I wanted to note that the recipe calls for Cheddar. I didn't have any so I used reduced fat mozzarella and it still tasted good! That is why my dish looks lighter and more yellow in color than The Detoxinista's . Enjoy this recipe!

Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti Squash Casserole
Slightly adapted from The Detoxinista

Ingredients: 

For Chicken:

6 to 7 oz raw chicken breasts - should yield 4.5 oz grilled (3/4 Lean)
1/4 tsp Mrs Dash Southwest Chipotle Seasoning or seasoning of your choice (1 Condiment)

For Squash:

3 cups spaghetti squash, cooked (6 Greens)
1 tablespoon light butter, melted (1 Healthy Fat)
1/2 tsp garlic powder (1 Condiment)
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste (2 Condiments)
1/8 tsp black pepper, to taste  (1/4 Condiment)
1 tbsp grated Kraft Parmesan cheese (1 Condiment)
3/4 cup 2% Fage Total Greek yogurt  (1/2 Lean)
3 oz. reduced fat cheddar, shredded and divided (3/4 Lean)
1/4 tsp dried basil (1/2 Condiment)

Directions:
Poke holes on all sides of the spaghetti squash with a metal skewer or a fork. 
Place a paper towel in microwave and place squash on top of paper towel. Microwave in increments of 3 minutes until flesh starts to get soft. I had a medium sized squash and microwaved for about 10 minutes. Let cool. Cut squash in half, lengthwise. Scoop the seeds and the middle strands out with a spoon and discard. Next, scrape the inside of the squash with a fork all the way to the skin. You should get strands that resemble spaghetti. Set aside.

Season chicken with your favorite seasonings. Grill until done. Weigh out 4.5 oz of cooked chicken and then cut chop into pieces. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine melted butter, salt, pepper, Parmesan cheese with the yogurt and 2 oz. of shredded cheddar cheese. Stir in spaghetti squash until combined. Pour spaghetti squash mixture into an 8 inch casserole dish. Top with cooked chicken. Sprinkle the remaining ounce of cheese and dried basil over the top. Put in oven and bake for 30 minutes. The casserole is ready when the top is a light golden brown, which makes for a crunchy crust! Serve immediately.

2 Servings with 1 Lean, 3 Greens, 2.8 Condiments and 1/2 Healthy Fat per serving

*If you would like to use cooked 93% ground beef, you will need 3.75 oz cooked. For shrimp, you will need 5.25 oz cooked. Remember, the meat will be divided into 2 servings so you will actually be eating 1.8 oz of  beef and 2.6 oz of shrimp per serving.


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I wanted to share this wonderful recipe my husband and I simply can not get enough of! I love pad thai and it is my absolute favorite Thai dish. My mom would make it for us quite often, but now I live so far away from her that I had to learn to make it myself! I still do not make it quite like her no matter how many times I try because it seems momma always makes it better, but this recipe came out really good!

You might have realized that this pad thai recipe isn't made with the traditional rice stick noodles. Instead, it is made with spaghetti squash. Spaghetti squash makes a wonderful substitute for pasta or noodles and keeps the dish low carb. It has a slight sweetened crunch to it, but it works well for this Asian meal. I love spaghetti squash and my hips love it too! This recipe is definitely a keeper! Enjoy!


An update on my Diet Bets! I am proud to say that I am still holding strong! I hope to have a decent weigh in on Saturday for the Diet Bet challenge that I am currently doing... so stay tuned! I admit, at this point I would be happy with any loss this week because I know I will eventually get to my goal weight. In the past, this would have never come out of mouth because I expected a loss every week. I mean come on... I want results and I want it NOW! It is time to be realistic and accept what my body CAN or will eventually do whether it takes a little more time than I originally hoped for. In other words, we need to cut our bodies some slack!

Hoping all our weigh-ins will be Happy Weigh -ins!


Beef Pad Thai (Spaghetti Squash)

 Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups spaghetti squash, cooked (7 Greens)
1 cup red or green cabbage, shredded (2 Greens)
 18 ounces John Soules Beef Steak Strips * (3 Leaner)
1/4 cup reduced sodium beef broth (1/4 Condiment)
1/4 cup Bell Plantation Powdered Peanut Butter (2 Optional Snacks)
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar (1/4 Condiment)
2 tbsp light soy sauce (2 Condiments)
1/8 tsp red cayenne pepper (1/4 Condiment)
1/4 tsp ground ginger (1/2 Condiment) 
1/2 tsp garlic powder (1 Condiment)

 Garnishes:
1 oz dry roasted peanuts, chopped (3 Healthy Fats)
2 tbsp fresh Cilantro, chopped

 Directions:
Poke holes on all sides of the spaghetti squash with a metal skewer or a fork. Place a paper towel in microwave and place squash on top of paper towel. Microwave in increments of 3 minutes until flesh starts to get soft. I had a medium sized squash and microwaved for about 10 minutes. Let cool. Cut squash in half, lengthwise. Scoop the seeds and the middle strands out with a spoon and discard. Next, scrape the inside of the squash with a fork all the way to the skin. Set aside 3 1/2 cups of spaghetti squash and reserve the rest for another use.

 Place thawed beef steak strips into skillet over medium high heat. Cook for 4 to 6 min, turning several times. Set aside.

 To make the sauce, combine beef broth, powdered Peanut Butter, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, red cayenne pepper, ground ginger, and garlic powder in a small bowl. Set aside.

 To a large skillet, add 3 1/2 cups spaghetti squash, cabbage, and sauce. Heat over medium heat for about 5 minutes.

 Divide among 3 plates/bowls and top each dish with 6 oz of beef, 1/3 oz chopped peanuts, and cilantro. Toss to combine.

 Makes 3 Servings
Each serving provides
1 Leaner, 3 Greens, 1 1/2 Condiments, 1 Healthy Fat, and 2/3 Optional Snack

* Although beef is typically a Lean option requiring 5 ounces with no additional healthy fats needed, Nutrition Support stated 6 ounces of John Soules beef strips counted as a Leaner option requiring 1 Healthy Fat based on the current nutrition information. Cooked chicken breast would also make a great substitute.


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Day 2 is complete with the infamous headache, but nothing that a little Tylenol couldn't fix. I actually felt pretty good today minus the headache of course. I wasn't suffering from any hunger pains that I sometimes endured during times of re-starting the Medifast plan. Thank goodness! I did experience a little tiredness but I am not sure if it is because of the restart or because I just found out my thyroid levels or a tad bit higher than what they should be. Hopefully the trip to the doctors next week for increased dose in meds will alleviate that problem. I am still feeling positive about this time around and I am so happy I have you guys to share this experience with. Thanks so much for all your support through comments on my blog, emails or through my Sandy's Kitchen Medifast page. They truly mean so much to me and they are greatly appreciated!

This weekend has been very hectic for me and I needed an easy recipe that I could throw together into the slow cooker. This one is perfect! I mean... come on... 3 ingredients! It doesn't get any easier than that! Two seasoning packets of brown gravy mix and Italian salad dressing mix combined with a bit of water makes a flavorful gravy for this roast. If you notice in the photo, I didn't add any gravy to the beef because I was making the roast into a salad. It is delicious that way too! What is best about this dish is that it is very family friendly. Serve it with some mashed cauliflower. I promise you won't even miss the potatoes! Enjoy!


Two Packet Beef Roast from the Slow Cooker

Ingredients:
3 lbs beef round eye (7 Leans)
1 packet Medifast gravy mix (12 Condiments)
1 packet Good Seasons Italian Salad Dressing Mix (8 Condiments)
1 cup water

Directions:
Trill all fat from roast. Place roast in slow cooker. Combine two seasoning packets with water and stir until combined. Pour over roast in slow cooker. I usually flip the meat halfway through (about 4 hours), but this is optional. Cook on LOW for about 8 hours or until meat is cooked. Enjoy!

7 servings with 1 Lean, 2.8 Condiments and No Healthy Fats Required


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Some of you may already know that I am doing a Diet Bet right now. What is Diet Bet you ask? Well, let me tell you about it. Everyone who plays must pay a set bet amount and it all goes into one big pot. The game I am playing is $25. If you lose 4% of your total weight, you get to split what is in the pot with all the other winners. Grant it you won't become a millionaire, but I think you get a lot more out of playing the game than just money. I did this to help gain some motivation and accountability. I really don't have much of either. Can you lend me some of yours? I lost mine. Also, it just sounds like something down right FUN to do while losing weight! Who doesn't like having others cheer you on when you are trying to lose weight or have someone say don't give up if you have a bad weigh in. I thrive on that! Although it is probably too late to do the game I am doing right now, you could always join a different game or start your own. I am going to try it out this month and if all goes well... I'll be betting again next month :) I will keep you posted on how I do!

So here I am Day 1 of restarting the Medifast plan. How many times have we heard that one before? Too many times to count I am sure! I have constantly fell off plan and I have no one to blame but myself. I am a binge eater. I admit it and accept it. It isn't easy trying to lose weight when you eat even when you aren't hungry or you have a mouth that just doesn't know when to stop eating, especially the foods with high amounts of CARBS! By the way, that's a bad word in Medifast! Now the question is... what to do? Do I keep staying on this roller coaster ride of being on plan and then off plan? Could this time really be the last time I fall off plan? Honestly, probably not. But... I recognize the problem and I am aware of it. I have had this problem ever since I was a teenager. It goes way back to the stone ages :) I remember I would eat a box of little debbie snacks in almost one sitting but back then I didn't gain much weight when I had those binges. Oh the joys of getting older! Bad habits are hard to break, but I am working on it. I know it will get better. You know why? They HAVE to get better... for my overall health, my family, and my life (plus I want to look cute in those tight skinny jeans). 

Anyways, I am back... AGAIN :) I feel really good about being back and I can't wait to start cooking in my kitchen!

The Buffalo Chicken "Pizza" is the first Lean and Green meal I decided to cook during the Diet Bet challenge. Day 1 today :) Thanks to Jeremy Lopez! It's funny I never thought about making this sooner until Jeremy brought it up, considering the Buffalo Chicken Bake is one of the most popular recipes on my blog. This "pizza" is very similar to that recipe except all the yummy gooeyness is spread on a cauliflower crust. Oh my goodness! It is now my fave type of "pizza"! Seriously, you have to try it! I promise it will soon become a personal favorite too. I usually make pizza crusts in batches and freeze them, but this particular crust is slightly different from the others because it has less cheese in the crust. This is so that chicken can be added in the recipe. I usually get about 5 to 6 cauliflower crusts with one head of cauliflower so I made two of this type of pizza and four of the traditional type of pizzas. Don't forget to add one more Green to your meal. You could always add a 1/2 cup of celery, or maybe some assorted bell peppers. I just had 1 cup of romaine lettuce on the side with some Walden Farms dressing with mine. I hope you enjoy the recipe as much as I have! I am definitely going to make this one again!


You could also fold the pizza in half and have a nice pita style wrap! Stuff a 1/2 cup of lettuce (1/2 Green) and 1/4 cup tomatoes (1/2 Green) inside as your other Green.


Buffalo Chicken "Pizza"

Ingredients:

Crust:
1/4 cup egg beaters (1/8 Lean)
1/4 cup reduced fat cheddar cheese or Mexican cheese (1/4 Lean)
1 cup grated, raw cauliflower (2 Greens)

Toppings:
2.25 oz chicken breasts, cooked and chopped (3/8 Lean)
2 tbsp Frank's Hot Sauce (1 Condiment)
1 tbsp reduced fat ranch dressing (1/2 Healthy Fat)
1 tbsp reduced fat cream cheese (1 Condiment)
1/4 cup reduced fat cheddar or Mexican cheese (1/4 Lean)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Place parchment paper on a cookie sheet and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
Combine grated cauliflower, 1/4 cup cheese and 1/4 egg beaters in a medium size bowl.
Spoon mixture on prepared pan.
Use the back of the spoon or your hands to thin out mixture and form a circle about the size of a dinner plate without the rim. 
Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes.
Flip the crust over and bake for an additional 10 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine chicken, hot sauce, ranch dressing and cream cheese.
Spread on prepared crust. (You could also add your extra green at this point such as 1/2 cup diced celery or bell peppers).
Top with 1/4 cup of shredded cheese.
Broil until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.

1 Serving with 1 Lean, 2 Greens (you need 1 more Green such as 1/2 cup celery), 2 Condiments and a 1/2 Healthy Fat


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This is one of my favorite "On the Go" recipe. You can make these in advance and stick them in little plastic baggies to take along with you. The weekends are kind of hectic in our household, so these are perfect for me to make the night before. Another great thing about these little cakes is that you can switch out some of the Medifast or Optavia pancake fuelings and use them with a variety of soft bakes for added variety! These are especially good with the light laughing cow cheese! Oh my heavens! Delish! Enjoy this versatile recipe!


Chocolate Chip Cakes
Slightly adapted from New Beautiful Me

Ingredients:
1 packet Optavia Brownie 
OR 1 Chocolate Chip Soft Bake 
OR 1 Cinnamon Cream Cheese Swirl Cake (1 Fueling)

1 packet Chocolate Chip Pancakes 
OR Original Pancakes  (1 Fueling)
1/4 tsp baking powder (1/2 condiment)
1/4 cup water

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the soft bake mix with ONE of the pancake mixes. Add baking powder and water stirring until combined. Divide batter into two brownie trays or muffin tins and bake for 18 minutes or until done. 

 This makes a total of 2 servings, 1 cake per meal
 Each meal has 1/4 Condiment and 1 Fueling

Click Here to Print

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I made these today and they were pretty darn good! It wasn't eggy or tasted mainly of cauliflower. It really didn't have much flavor at all, which served perfectly as outer shells for my tacos. They aren't the crunchy kind of shells, but are very similar to tortillas or soft shells. I used 93% ground beef, but you could use chicken or shrimp if you like. Nutrition support said the egg beaters counted as an ounce of protein so just deduct an ounce from whatever lean you decide to use. If you want the source of the recipe with some photos, check out Happy Chomp! These are a great alternative if you are following a low carb lifestyle! Enjoy!


Taco Shells from Cauliflower
Slightly adapted from www.happychomp.com

Ingredients: 
One head of cauliflower but you will only use 1 cup cooked and grated (2 Greens)
6 tbsp egg beaters (subtract 1 once of lean from your whatever lean you use or 1/8 Lean)
2 tsp low sodium taco seasoning (3 Condiments)
4 oz lean 93% ground beef, cooked (7/8 Lean)
1/2 cup shredded lettuce (1/2 Green)
1/4 cup chopped tomato (1/2 Green)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Use a food processor, blender, or hand grater to grate the cauliflower into a crumb-like texture.
Microwave the cauliflower for 5 minutes, stirring a little halfway through or move the grated cauliflower to a pan and add 1/4 cup of water. Cover the pan and steam over medium-high heat for about 8-10 minutes. Just make sure to stir half-way through to avoid the cauliflower from burning. Keep in mind that you will have a bit more water to squeeze out.

Place the now-cooked cauliflower in a kitchen towel, that is on top of a sieve, on a bowl. Make sure to drain as much excess water as possible. There is surprisingly A LOT of water in cauliflower.

** Measure out 1 cup of cooked cauliflower.

Mix the drained cauliflower and egg beaters until smooth.
Place the mixture on a baking sheet into two circles at about 1/4” thick.
Bake for 10 minutes. Flip. Bake for another 5-7 minutes (I baked for another 10 minutes). This is important to dry out the tortilla.
Move the tortillas to cooling rack to cool, so the bottom does not become soggy.

Make meat by browning the ground beef. Drain excess fat. Measure out 4 oz using a food scale. Reserve the rest for later use. Add 2 tsp of taco seasoning with about 2 tbsp pf water. Let simmer for a few minutes. Serve on cauliflower shells and top with lettuce and tomatoes.

1 Serving with 1 Lean, 3 Greens and 3 Condiments (No healthy Fats needed)
 
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I love shepherd's pie, but my traditional recipe is loaded with carbs! I swapped out the usual mashed potato topping for mashed cauliflower and melted cheese. I also added more veggies to the ground beef mixture. I used french style green beans, but yellow squash and zucchini are also great choices. It turned out amazing! I am so glad I have an extra serving for tomorrow!


Shepherd's Pie

  Ingredients:
7.5 oz cooked 93% lean ground beef (1 1/2 Leans)
 1 tbsp + 1 tsp McCormick less sodium brown gravy mix (4 Condiments)
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 cups (7.14 oz) canned french style green beans, drained 
or cooked from frozen (3 Greens)
1/4 tsp salt (1 Condiment)
1/8 tsp black pepper (1/4 Condiment)
1/4 tsp garlic powder (1/2 Condiment)
1 1/2 cups (9.51 oz) cooked from frozen cauliflower, 
mashed (3 Greens)
1/2 cup shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese (1/2 Lean)

 Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
Follow the cooking directions on the back of the package if using frozen green beans. If using canned green beans, drain liquid. Measure out 1 1/2 cups or 7.14 oz for the recipe and set aside the rest for another day.
Combine cooked ground beef, gravy mix, water, and green beans in a medium skillet. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5 to 10 minutes. Spread ground beef and green bean mixture on the bottom of a small casserole dish. 
Add salt, pepper, and garlic powder to mashed cauliflower then spread over the ground beef and green bean mixture. Sprinkle cheese on top and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until cheese has melted.

Makes 2 Servings
Each serving provides
1 Lean, 3 Greens, and 3 Condiments

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I love Asian foods and I really love this dish. The spaghetti squash is an excellent substitute for pasta. The slight sweetness and crunchiness of the spaghetti squash makes this dish absolutely delicious. I have to say that this will definitely be a regular on my low carb menu. If you aren't sure how to cook spaghetti squash, click here for a tutorial. I cook mine in the microwave for about 8 minutes, turning every 2 to 3 minutes, until it gets soft. I had a small one though. Cooking times will depend on how big your squash is and your microwave. Yum, yum, yum! I think I will have this meal for the next two days!


Shrimp Lo Mein 

 Ingredients:
1 cup or 156 grams or 5.5 oz spaghetti squash cooked (2 Greens)
1/2 cup broccoli or Chinese cabbage (1 Green)
1 tbsp lite soy sauce (1 Condiment)
1 tsp teriyaki sauce (1 Condiment)
1/4 tsp garlic powder (.50 Condiment)
1/4 tsp ground ginger (.50 Condiment)
9 oz raw shrimp, deveined, tails off (1 Leanest Lean)
1 tsp olive oil (1 Healthy Fat)
1 tsp sesame oil (1 Healthy Fat)

 Directions:
Heat oils over medium high heat. Add shrimp and cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until shrimp is cooked. Add spaghetti squash, broccoli, sauces and spices. Toss until coated and warm.

Makes 1 Serving
Each serving provides
1 Lean, 3 Greens, 3 Condiments, 2 Healthy Fats

*If you would like to add 6 oz of chicken instead of shrimp, decrease the oil to 1 tsp instead of 2 tsp. I would use the sesame oil and leave out the olive oil for more flavor.

Click Here to Print

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Happy Valentines Day everyone! Who says an OP Valentines Day isn't possible? Well here are a few yummy ideas you can do to celebrate the holiday with Medifast!


Chocolate Mint Ice Cream Brownie Bottoms


Chocolate Chip Soft Bake shaped into a heart and then baked in the oven at 350 degrees for about 12 to 14 minutes.


Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups made with powdered peanut butter (PB2)


Caramel Crunch Bar cut into thirds


Brownie with Light Laughing Cow Cheese, Strawberry flavored


I hope you have a wonderful Valentine's Day!
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I love this Lean and Green meal because it definitely fits into the comfort food category. You have the yummy seasoned meatballs, the ooey gooey cheese and the Italian diced tomatoes that all yell COMFORT! I decided to use cut up meatballs because those just seem to be the rave right now on Medifast :) I did bake the meatballs in the oven first so that I could cut them into fourths but you can put them in the microwave. I just prefer them from the oven because they get nice and brown. I did notice liquid seeping out of the lasagna, I think it was from the squash or the ricotta cheese. No worries! I just drained it out by tipping the dish to the side. Make sure the lasagna doesn't tip out with it :) I am definitely making this one again!


Meatball Lasagna

 Ingredients:
5 Butterball Italian Style Turkey Meatballs, cooked and sliced into fourths or 
2 1/2 Trader Joes Turkey Meatballs or 
2 1/2 Jennie-O Homestyle Turkey Meatballs (1/2 Lean)
1/4 cup part skim ricotta cheese (1/4 Lean)
1/4 cup 2% reduced fat Mozzarella Cheese (1/4 Lean)
1 cup yellow squash or zucchini, sliced lengthwise (2 Greens)
1/2 cup Great Value Italian diced tomatoes (1 Green)
1/4 tsp garlic salt (1 Condiment)
1/4 tsp dried basil (1/8 Condiment)
1 tbsp reduced fat grated parmesan cheese (1 Condiment)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Layer zucchini or squash slices along the bottom of a medium sized casserole dish. Spread ricotta cheese over the squash. Sprinkle garlic salt and basil over the ricotta cheese and squash slices. Combine diced tomatoes with meatball pieces in a small bowl. Pour over ricotta cheese. Sprinkle mozzarella over meatballs and then top with grated parmesan cheese. Bake for 25 minutes or until cheese is melted. There will be some water or liquid from the squash or ricotta. This is normal. I just drain it from the casserole dish by tipping the dish slightly to the side while making sure the lasagna doesn't pour it as well :) Enjoy!

 1 Serving with
1 Lean, 3 Greens, and 2 .16 Condiments

Click Here to Print
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