30 by 30 Challenge UPDATE

Okay so week one is behind me and I'm down 4 lbs!! Can I tell you how excited I am?!

I have been working out daily on my elliptical and doing some ab crunches on my stability ball, that combined with making better choices with the foods I put into my mouth, are definitely making a difference. And that difference is not just noticeable on the scale but also in my skin, my attitude and my sleep patterns. I find that if I don't get my daily workout in, I'm crabtastic the next day.

So what have I been eating you ask? Well a lot of salad and brown rice for one. My husband says that I'm not Asian because I love my brown rice. :)

But also I have been trying some new recipes. And these recipes are not only good for you but good for your wallet as well, if you are shopping smart (watching your sale flyers).

Here are some that I have been trying lately:

Turkey Burgers/Patties
This was really good as a burger. I served it on a whole wheat bun with mixed greens and sliced tomatoes. The girls enjoyed it for the most part. I also had leftovers the next two days with brown rice and a salad. These were flavorful enough to hold up on their own. So good!

Baked Honey Mustard Chicken
I thought this was really good but my oldest liked it and my youngest (Ms. Picky) did not. I used regular yellow mustard instead of the dijon that reviewers recommended and I thought it was nice balance of tangy and sweet.

Spinach Quiche
I wouldn't nessesarily classify this as "diet" food. But it was good. I used light mayo and light cheese (a combination of cheddar and mozzarella). If I had used egg substitute it probably would have been even better and more diet friendly but I have to say that this made a really nice light dinner with a salad served on the side. My youngest even asked for seconds!

I've also been doing a lot of baked dinners. Baked chicken, baked salmon, baked tilapia. Again, all served with brown rice (white for the kids, they are true Asians), and salad. Breakfast is normally a bowl of cereal. I'm really liking raisin bran crunch and lunch is typically a very large salad. I'm feeling satisfied and not uncomfortably full which is good.

So 4 down 26 more to go!!

Now I better get in my 30 minutes worth of exercise before my oldest gets home from school!