Hi guys!
The time has finally come. The time where I have to slow it down on the sweets, the fast food, and the “treating myself” to ice cream every night. I have seen one too many photos of myself…and well, it’s just time. That’s all there is to it.
I’ve tried being disciplined once before, buuuuuut it didn’t stick.
Luckily (for me), Grant has a weigh-in for the Navy coming up, so we are both on the counting calories bandwagon.
Now, I am not claiming to be a calorie-counting expert, nutritionist, or health guru. I’ve literally only been doing this for 3 weeks. But I quickly realized that the only way I could make this into a lifestyle change is to find a way to incorporate the things I enjoy doing, in this case, cooking and baking! Because that’s what we want, right? Not necessarily counting calories forever, but to create new healthy habits that extend beyond the weight loss phase.
Our Calorie Counting Process
So, what exactly are we doing? What has been working for us is finding easy, low-calorie recipes. It has kept things fun, interesting, and something to look forward to each day.
First and foremost I had to figure out what my calorie limit was for the day. What Grant and I are both using is the MyFitnessPal app. When you sign up it asks you for your information, your weight, your weight loss goal, and your activity level. It then gives you a calorie intake limit for each day based on the information you provided. I’m allotted roughly 1600 calories each day if I want to lose 2 lbs a week.
Once I had my daily calorie limit, then I got to thinking about how I wanted to eat those calories. I like to leave roughly 800 calories for dinner and a little snack before bed.
You didn’t ask for any of this, but I’m powering through anyway.
I’ve really been enjoying SkinnyTaste.com as a resource for recipes. The author, Gina Homolka, has recipes for just about any course, any mood, any diet, and/or any holiday you could wish for. Her recipes usually have generous portions with enough for a yummy leftover lunch the next day. The best part about all of it is that the nutritional information is included in every single recipe. I’ve been enjoying her recipes so much that I even have one of her cookbooks on the way.
Another thing that has really been helping is using our air fryer. We use our air fryer almost every single day. My latest obsession is cooking chicken breasts in the air fryer. Pound the chicken breast out evenly (we prefer it pretty thin), spray it with a little cooking spray, then throw it in the air fryer at 350 degrees for 6-8 minutes on each side. Perfection.
We currently have the Ninja Air Fryer but are in the market for a larger one.
I want to share a few of the low-calorie recipes we have loved so far. Not all the recipes we have tried are keepers, but these definitely are!
Easy Low-Calorie Recipes
Balsamic Vinaigrette
144 Calories. 0 Protein. 5 Carbs. 14 Fats.
Simple. Quick. Delicious. This basic Balsamic Vinaigrette is so good. I’ve been thoroughly enjoying a simple salad of fresh lettuce, spinach, and kale (from my own garden), a hand full of blueberries, a couple of chopped strawberries, and a serving of feta topped with 2 Tablespoons of this Balsamic Vinaigrette. When I’m feeling extra wily I’ll add a bit of rotisserie chicken and a few walnuts or pecans.
Cilantro Lime Chicken
We really enjoyed this Cilantro Lime chicken recipe. In fact, we have already made it multiple times.
Zesty Lime Grilled Chicken w/ Pineapple Salsa
395 Calories. 4
We made Zesty Lime Grilled Chicken With Pineapple Salsa in the air fryer and grilled the pineapple on the stovetop and it was so good! I think it would be even better with that true “grill” flavor. With that being said, we ate every single bite of this, so the stove top/air fryer version is definitely good.
Maple Soy Salmon
Maple Soy salmon only takes a handful of ingredients. Maple syrup, soy sauce, garlic, and siracha – done. So good and so easy!
Beef and Broccoli
This Broccoli Beef recipe is better than any Chinese takeout I’ve had. In fact, we have already made it a couple of times. Plus, another selling point, the leftovers were fantastic the next day for lunch.
