What I ate Wednesday

So most of you that follow me on instagram (meighantosten) or facebook (meighan tosten) know that I have lost 30 pounds since may. I am 5 feet 3 inches tall. I have gone from 165 to now 135 and my ultimate goal is 125. I have managed to do this through doing 6 days a week of workouts and sticking to a 1200 NET calorie diet. NET, meaning that if I burned 400 calories in my workout I allow myself to consume my normal 1200 plus the 400 I burned off working out. I eat whatever I want within that calorie limit and give myself the weekend to be a little bit more relaxed about going over...Sunday is my CHEAT day I allow myself what I want and I skip cardio usually on sundays as well. In addition, I also figured out my BMR which is the amount of calories that your body burns in a day just being. So I know if I do NO working out and just want to maintain and not cause myself to gain I know I can eat that amount of calories and not suffer sonsequences. Here is a link to where you can figure yours out...BE TRUTHFUL and as ACCURATE as possible with figuring out your BMR so you know it: http://www.health-calc.com/diet/energy-expenditure-advanced

Right before my husband deployed in May we went on some type of trip or vacation every month from Sept.2011 right after I had my second son until May of 2012, and all of the traveling and my bad eating habits from when I was pregnant really didn't help me keep my weight down. I did a number of diets and periods of days where I would really work out hard after I had my second son (Ig gained 40 pounds with him and 70-80 pounds with my first son in 2008 YIKES) and I would drop a ton of weight fast and then put it right back on...DIETS DON'T WORK.

Now I use the myfitnesspal app that is available in the app store and also in the android market. I have decided to sort of follow in the footsteps of the stylediets youtube idea of what I ate wenesdays and share with you all what I ate and what I did to work out. Next week I will include pics. Also if you use myfitnesspal, feel free to friend request me My name on there is meighantosten.

Breakfast:
2 slices of whole wheat toast
1 TBSP of natural peanut butter
1 TBSP of sugar free strawberry preserves
Water (usually by the end of breakfast I have had a tumbler and a half full of water...maybe 20-24oz)

Snack:
3 pepperoni and cheese bagel bites

Lunch:
2 slices whole wheat bread
2 TBSP Hellman's May
3 slices of applewood smoked bacon
Water (about 20 oz)

Dinner:
1-1/2 cups of my homemade Chili
1 cup of calrose brand white rice

Snack:
Market Pantry brand mini cheese sandwich crackers
Homemade mocha frap (recipe from pinterest including sugar free international foods swisse mocha powder)
Homemade whipped cream (heavy cream, vanilla, splenda)

total calorie consumption: 1833

EXERCISE:
55 minutes on a treadmill going between 4.5 and 6 mph
40 jumping jacks
530 crunches
20 squats
10 push ups
total calorie burn: 793

NET FOOD CONSUMPTION:
1040 calories




BEFORE: me at anywhere between 155 and 165

RECENT: Me anywhere between 135 and 137 (as of today October 18. 2012 I weigh 135 lbs)

Uploaded videos (playlist)

Chocolate Malt Cupcakes

Malted Milk Ball Cupcakes


For cupcakes:


1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup whole milk
2/3 cup malted milk powder (recommended: Carnation brand)
1/2 teaspoon espresso powder
2/3 cup canola oil
2 large eggs
2/3 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup miniature chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 regular 12-cup cupcake tins with paper liners.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk until well blended.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, malted milk powder, and espresso powder. Add the canola oil and eggs; whisk to blend. Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture and beat until smooth. Add the sour cream and vanilla and beat until well combined. Stir in the miniature chocolate chips.
Divide the batter among the prepared cupcake tins, filling only halfway full. Bake the cupcakes for 15 to 17 minutes, until they spring back when touched and a toothpick inserted into the center emerges clean.



Malted Milk Buttercream:


8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
3-1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted
5 tablespoons malted milk powder (the author of Sweetnicks used chocolate syrup instead)
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed until fluffy, 30 seconds. Stop the machine and add the confectioner’s sugar, malted milk powder, milk and vanilla. Blend with the mixer on low speed until the sugar is incorporated, 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy, 1 minute more.

I added a big malt ball to the tops after seeing cupcakes in the target bakery decorated with the malt balls on top. I used the wilton 1M icing tip to create the classic cupcake icing swirl!

The recipe for the cupcakes was my own spin on a recipe a friend of mine gave to me (I have no idea where she got it from), the recipe for the buttercream came from the cookbook, Cupcakes!, which is available on amazon.com.

MOMMYcam: baby giggles from Lincoln