Plus Size Fashion From Thrift Shop Finds

I have been fat all my life; however I have had this somewhat inner passion for fashion. I used to draw sketches of outfits & attempt to hand sew aprons & skirts out of my mom's scrap fabric. Being a fat kid in the 90s was tough. I had been the only fat girl in my class all through elementary school, making me feel awkward & aware that I was different from everybody else. 

Then in middle school, it appeared that every elementary school in the area had at least that one "fat girl" and we were all consolidated into one middle school & then high school. Even though I was glad to be around a few girls who had my same shape, I realized I was still the biggest & the awkwardest. 

I would always go through my teen magazines & be in memorized by fashion & how clothes could make you look and feel. I would try out different hair styles, lip glosses & would try to buy some sort of clothing pieces I thought would make me look good. 

Well, growing up in the 90s, in Puerto Rico, finding clothing for ME was super hard. It seems that nowadays there are more fat kids/teens, therefore more clothing options available for them. 

In high school, I participated in a plus size model search, and was selected to participate in this huge event in Texas a few months from then, where I had the chance to meet model agencies, etc. At the time, this was the beginning of the plus size models & I was happy. Until I learned the total cost to fly to Texas, plus food & hotel. I never made it to Texas, however I still have that "what if" feeling sparkling in me.

I think when I moved to Florida in 2008, that spark kinda went away. Here I was, weighing 340 lbs & was just wanting to find a pair of jeans that fit & last for a while. It is hard to be fashionable at that weight, so I just got comfortable with being uncomfortable & mediocre in my life. 

Fast forward to 2012, where I have lost 95 lbs & I feel freaking fantastic!!!! I am feeling in love with fashion again & want to see what I can create (for me it's all about creating the perfect outfit...no I don't do a whole lot of sewing or sketching now! lol) with what I find. My journey is still not over; I am still have 65 more lbs to go, but I am excited.

So, because I am attempting to live sort of a frugal lifestyle, sales & thrift shops are my place to shop. My goal is to see how little I can spend! lol. I don't know all the fashion rules, but I like it all to be fun! At the end of the day, there should be no rules...just a great feeling inside that you look beautiful & fabulous!

I apologize for the long intro; but without further ado, my first 2 outfits!!!!

Outfit #1 

Black slacks - Goodwill $4 - I think they are Levi's.

White top - Goodwill $4 - Old Navy 

Black vest - Bealle's Outlet $4.24 - I forgot the brand

Black necklace - I bought this off of ebay a few years ago...probably spent $2 on it.

Bow earrings - Kohl's - $2

Outfit #2 

Stripe Pants - Marianne's - $5 - These are soooo old! I bought them while I was going to college lol.

Black Turtleneck - Goodwill $4 - And it's a LARGE!!!!

Necklace & matching earrings - Christmas present - I have had this set for almost 2 years & this is the first time I wore it!

I took this picture to show a close up of the necklace & earrings. I had gotten so many compliments of it all day that I had to show it off. I really loved this outfit, it made me feel sexy yet sophisticated. And of course a non messy Bikram yoga bun on top!!!

I plan on hitting more thrift shops soon! I mean, I have lost 95 lbs & NEED "new" clothing anyway...so this is definitely going to be fun for me!

xo,

Nancy 

My Paleo Diet - Day 7 - Conclusion

So, I don't have any snazzy jazzy pictures to show off what I ate for Day 7, but I do have my conclusion!

Day 7 was a busy day for me. I ended up taking Bikram yoga in the morning, rushing home to shower & then rush off to work. I had a hard boiled egg & grape tomatoes for brunch & then an apple for a snack during lunch. I ended my day with a big salad from Crispers & water. 

I did end up losing 5 lbs overall during the week, however I did feel myself a bit restricted when it came to choosing my meals. Yes, there are a ton of different foods you can eat while on the Paleo diet; however I just wasn't feeling it. I am not saying it's not a good diet, and I am feeling that the reason I felt restricted is because I never got a hold of almond or coconut flour (I LOVE to bake!) & I don't have a food processor, so there were just some types of foods I could have played around with while using the food processor but was unable too.

I did feel a bit cranky/grumpy/no energy on Day 3; however the feeling was gone during Day 4-7 & it was business like usual. Like anything you do, it will take your body some getting used too.

I still haven't discounted this diet as a worthwhile diet; I still intend to attempt it once a month for a week. In the meantime, I plan to just keep an eye on my carbs & try to stick to 1/4 during each meal like I had been doing this week.

xo,
Nancy

My Paleo Diet -Day 5 & Day 6

So, after Day 5, I am seriously getting tired of this diet! I am tired of feeling restricted. Cannot wait for Day 7 to be over & done with. Here is what I had for breakfast: 1 leftover meatball from Wednesday night, 1 starfruit & 1/3 cup sweet potato. 

And for dinner I had baked cauliflower with nutmeg, 1/4 cup sweet potato & chicken breast stuffed with broccoli.

Day 6

Today's breakfast was super easy! 1/4 cup of sweet potato, 1 hard boiled egg & cherry tomatoes.

For dinner, I had the same thing as I did on Day 4, except I also added a carrot.

Bon appetite!

xo,

Nancy

My Paleo Diet - Day 4 - Nutritional Information & Recipes

So, Day 4 seems to like me a lot better! A few of my Paleo friends suggested I added more meat to my diet (which is probably why I was feeling low on energy on Day 3). I am not a huge meat eater, so this would be my challenge. However I did have a huge salad for lunch (which had turkey AND bacon!) 

I had 1/4 cup sweet potato (note, you can have other starches on this diet, however I had 3 sweet potatoes that I didn't want to go bad...so I am stuck with them, 1/4 cup at a time! lol) 1 starfruit & 1 "deviled" egg! I saw this recipe where you take the yolk & add avocado (instead of mayo & such)...so I mixed in 1 tbsp of avocado & topped it off with paprika. It was super yummy! Below is the nutritional information on the "deviled" egg!

Calories 78
Total fat 5.7g
Saturated fat 1.6g
Cholesterol 164mg
Sodium 62mg
Total carbs 1.3g
Dietary Fiber .7g
Protein 5.8g

Good points

Low in sugar
High in phosphorus
High in riboflavin
Very high in selenium
High in Vitamin B12

Bad points

Very high in cholesterol

This dinner was sooo good! I made tostones (which are fried plantains) baked asparagus & turkey/bacon meatballs. 

After I cut off the tips of the asparagus, I coated them with a tad of olive oil (a little goes a loooong way) and seasoned with some garlic & baked at 350 for 30 minutes.

The tostones are made from green plantains. After you cut them in circles, you fry them for a couple of minutes on each side, then take them out, squish them with a tostonera (or with whatever you have around) and fry them again. I used 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil to fry them & I included that in the nutritional information. This is 1/2 a plantain.

Calories 349

Total fat 28.3g

Saturated fat 4.1g

Cholesterol 0mg

Sodium 4mg

Total carbs 28.5g

Dietary fiber 2.1g

Sugars 13.4g

Protein 1.2g

Good points

No cholesterol

Very low in sodium

NO BAD POINTS!

Here is what I used for the meatballs. This gave me 8 meatballs in total & the information below is based off of 2.

10 oz lean turkey

1 egg

1 cup kale

1/4 onion

pepper & garlic to taste

2 oz bacon (no nitrates!)

Mix together & make balls. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.

Calories 150
Total fat 7.5g
Saturated fat 2.3g
Cholesterol 99mg
Sodium 261mg
Total carbs 2.9g
Dietary fiber .6g
Protein 18.2g

Good points 

Very low in sugar
Very high in Vitamin A
Very high in Vitamin C

Bad points 

Very high in cholesterol

Okay, so the turkey meatballs weren't the healthiest part of this diet so far....but they were sure yummy & adding kale made them slightly healthier. 

Bon appetite!

xo,
Nancy

My Paleo Diet - Day 3 - Recipe & Nutritional Information

So, Day 3 & I haven't gotten along AT ALL today! I felt weak & couldn't complete half of my Bikram yoga class. My muscles & entire body just felt like it was going to give up. I keep hearing that it's the Day 3 hump...so I am pushing through! Not giving up.

So, here is what I had for breakfast:

I had 1/4 cup of mashed sweet potato (with all natural unsweetened applesauce & cinnamon), 1 orange & then sauteed 1 cup kale, 1/4 cup asparagus, 1/3 cup cherry tomatoes & 2 oz of Hormel's Natural Selects turkey (NO NITRATES!)

I did the calorie analysis of the sweet potato on Day 1, and here is the analysis of the kale concoction!

Calories 146
Total fat 3.4g
Saturated fat 1.0g
Cholesterol 43mg
Sodium 72mg
Total carbs 10g
Dietary Fiber 2.6g
Sugars 1.9g
Protein 20g

Good points

Low in sodium
High in iron
High in manganese
High in niacin
High in phosphorus
High in potassium
Very high in selenium
Very high in Vitamin A
High in Vitamin B6
Very high in Vitamin C
High in Zinc

No bad points!

Dinner! I made something new: orange garlic chicken!!! It was sooo good & 7 sauteed brussel sprouts (don't judge, I LOVE them burnt! lol) and the same 1/4 cup sweet potato. All I did was cook the chicken breast (2 oz) in a pan (no oil, kinda just sauteing it) Once it was almost done, I squeezed the juice of 1/4 orange into the pan & garlic & just cooked. Below is the nutritional information on the chicken.

Calories 134

Total fat 4.3g

Saturated fat 1.2g

Cholesterol 50mg

Sodium 49mg

Total carbs 6.3g

Dietary Fiber 1.2g

Sugars 4.3g

Protein 17g

Good points 

Low in sodium

High in niacin

High in selenium

High in B6

Very high in Vitamin C

Bad points

High in cholesterol

Hope you all enjoyed! Bon appetite!

xo,

Nancy

My Paleo Diet - Day 2 - Recipes & Nutritional Information!

Oh Day 2! I am still only eating 1/2 cup of starch a day (which is what I read via several articles the amount you should eat on a Paleo diet, since it focus more on other "Mother Nature" type foods) I had a long day, so I am unsure the crash I felt right after dinner was because of my limited intact on starches or the long day. However I still managed to hit the gym tonight & burn off a few calories! 

Oh, and I do have lunch! Even if it's not pictured. Another part of this diet is that you eat whenever you're hungry (not the typical 5 small meals every couple of hours deal)...and even though there are no counting calories, I will still be posting the information for you (I am using the recipe calculator over at Calorie Count.

This is pretty much the same breakfast as yesterday (I haven't used any of the amazing recipes I found on Paleo Plan yet) Along with some strawberries! 

1 egg

1/4 cup sweet potato

1/8 cup sweet onion

1/8 cup green peppers

1/4 cup tomatoes 

Calories 123
Total Fat 4.5g
Saturated Fat 1.4g
Cholesterol 164mg
Sodium 82mg
Total Carbs 14.0g
Dietary Fiber 2.5g
Sugars 5.5g
Protein 7.1g

Good points

High in phosphorus 
High in riboflavin
High in selenium
Very high in Vitamin A
High in Vitamin B6
Very high in Vitamin C

Bad points

Very high in cholesterol
High in sugar

Dinner time! This was actually interesting since it had been the first time I had sauteed romaine lettuce before!!! Yes, you heard me! Not bad.

I sauteed: 

2 cups romaine lettuce 

1 carrot 

1/8 cup sweet onions 

1/2 cup broccoli

This made 2 servings. Here is the nutritional information:

Calories 31

Total Fat .2g

Saturated Fat 0g

Cholesterol 0mg

Sodium 34mg

Total carbs 6.7g

Dietary Fiber 2.2g

Sugars 3.2g

Protein 1.5g

Good points (WOW! This is going to be a list to remember!)

Very low in saturated fat

No cholesterol

High in calcium

Very high in dietary fiber

High in manganese

High in magnesium

High in phosphorus

Very high in potassium

High in thiamin

Very high in Vitamin A

High in Vitamin B6

Very high in Vitamin C

Bad points

Very high in sugar

I also had:

1/4 cup sweet potatoes

1/8 cup unsweetened apple sauce (all natural to substitute the butter)

1 tsp cinnamon

Calories 63

Total fat .1g

Saturated fat 0g

Cholesterol 0mg

Sodium 4mg

Total carbs 15.8g

Dietary Fiber 3.1g

Sugars 3.3g

Protein .7g

Good points

Very low in saturated fat

No cholesterol

Very low in sodium

High in dietary fiber

Very high in manganese

High in potassium

High in Vitamin C

Bad points

High in sugar

Served with 2 oz of thinly cut chicken breast cooked on the George Foreman grill!

On top of that, I had a banana & some strawberries throughout the day.

Bon appetite!

xo,

Nancy

My Paleo Diet - Day 1 - Recipes & Nutritional Information!

After talking with a few friends who are currently on the Paleo diet, I decided to give it a try. I am not an expert on this type of diet, however by what I've read, you basically eliminate grains, legumes, dairy & refined sugar from your diet. Here is the link to the food's list I am following for this week: Paleo Food List. 

I will be updating on a daily basis during my 7 days with what I have eaten. Also, because you eliminate the foods from your diet that do have the most calories, there is no real reason to count calories; however I will include the information. 

Day 1 Brunch

1 egg

1/4 cup sweet potato

1/8 cup sweet onion

1/8 cup green peppers

1/4 cup tomatoes 

Calories 123
Total Fat 4.5g
Saturated Fat 1.4g
Cholesterol 164mg
Sodium 82mg
Total Carbs 14.0g
Dietary Fiber 2.5g
Sugars 5.5g
Protein 7.1g

Good points

High in phosphorus 
High in riboflavin
High in selenium
Very high in Vitamin A
High in Vitamin B6
Very high in Vitamin C

Bad points

Very high in cholesterol
High in sugar

I also had:

1 apple
1 tbsp almond butter
1/8 cup raisins

Calories 250
Total fat 9.9g
Saturated fat 1.0g
Cholesterol 0mg
Sodium 6mg
Total Carbs 42.9g
Dietary Fiber 5.6g
Sugars 29.6g
Protein 3.4g

Good points

Low in saturated fat
No cholesterol
Very low in sodium

Bad points

Very high in sugar

Dinner! Now this was super yummy!!!

The "main" concoction consists of (and this made 2 servings!)

2 carrots

1/4 cup cherry tomatoes

1/4 cup sweet potatoes

1/4 cup broccoli

1/4 cup sweet onions

2 oz of Hormels Natural Selects turkey

This portion was also sauteed in a frying pan with no oil.

Calories: 108

Total fat 1.7g

Saturated fat .5g

Cholesterol 22mg

Sodium 69mg

Total carbs 13.9g

Dietary Fiber 3.2g

Sugars 4.3g

Protein 9.8g

Good points 

High in dietary fiber

High in niacin

High in potassium

High in selenium

Very high in Vitamin A

High in B6

Very high in Vitamin C

NO BAD POINTS!!!

The cauliflower was baked (that's 1/4 head ) at 350 degrees F for approx 30 minutes. Before putting it in the oven, I used 1 tbsp of oil oil & then sprinkled the cauliflower with nutmeg.

Calories 148

Total fat 14.9g

Saturated Fat 2.6g

Cholesterol 0mg

Sodium 20mg

Total carbs 4.6g

Dietary Fiber 2.1g

Sugars 2.2g

Protein 1.4g

Good points 

No cholesterol

Very low in sodium

Very high in Vitamin C

NO BAD POINTS!!!

And then a cup of romaine lettuce on the side, which has the most nutrients of both sides put together! lol.

I also had an apple when I woke up in the morning before heading out to Bikram yoga & I had a few turkey slices in the afternoon while at the beach. Day 1 is going great...now to start Day 2 today!

xo,

Nancy

Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Broccoli & Cheese

Casey & I were on one of our latest grocery shopping trips when the frozen, store bought stuffed chicken breasts were on sale. Well, I quickly put the box down when I realized all the sodium & crap that was in it (DUH!) and told him, "I can make that at home!" Challenge accepted!!! 

The nutritional information below is approximate, since I didn't weigh the chicken breasts; however I used Perdue's thinly sliced chicken breasts. My package brought 6 & it was 1 lb 1 oz package. I also grilled mine on the George Foreman grill...but baking it could be another option!

Ingredients

Chicken breasts (thinly slice if possible)

fresh broccoli florets

75% reduced fat cheddar cheese

I use the 75% & you can't even taste the difference!

Take one chicken breasts & sandwich it between saran wrap. With a mallet (or rolling pin...like I did!) start whacking at it until it's really thin (if you have a regular size chicken breasts, you can either do it this way & have a super thin layer of chicken, or just cut it in half)

Once you do this, just put enough broccoli & cheese in the middle & fold. Mine cooked in the George Foreman grill in about 8 minutes. I used approx 1/8 cup of broccoli & 1/2 oz of cheese per breast.

Below is the nutritional information on one stuffed chicken breast.

Calories 149

Total fat 7.1g

Saturated fat 2.8g

Cholesterol 60mg

Sodium 137mg

Total carbs .7g

Protein 20.5g

The following is based off of a 2000 calorie diet:

Vitamin A 6%

Vitamin C 16%

Calcium 13%

Iron 4%

Good points

Very low in sugar

High in niacin

High in selenium

High in Vitamin C

Bad points 

High in cholesterol

This was my first attempt at stuffed chicken breasts...and it was yummyyyyy!

Bon appetite!

xo,

Nancy