Choker necklaces are all the rage right now and even though whenever I think of chokers I immediately think of being back in 6th grade wearing those stretchy black tattoo style chokers, I figured it was about time I hopped on the band wagon to DIY my own version. For my first choker project I decided to make something a little more grown up then what I used to sport in sixth grade though...and what is more classy/grown-up than a knock off from Anthropologie?
This Beaded Suede Necklace on the left from Anthropologie originally retailed for $68 and I was able to quickly and easily make my version for less than $20!
Thank goodness my fashion sense has also improved since I was in sixth grade! Instead of pairing my choker with a GAP sweatshirt, glittery white eye-shadow and flare jeans from Limited Too I kept it a little more simple with a black shirt, leggings, and an oversized poncho sweater.
While I did make jewelry back in sixth grade, my skills were not quite as developed as they are now. This project is so simple however that I think even a sixth grade Rebecca could handle it. With a few simple steps and some basic jewelry making techniques you too can make your own version!
I know that I am officially a grown up now because for the past three Christmases I've asked for kitchen appliances for my presents. Like really, how boring am I now that the only thing I can think of that I want are kitchen appliances?!? Grandmom status over here I guess.
Ah well, call me a grown-up or old but I actually have really liked every kitchen gadget I've received so far: first a dutch oven, then a grill pan, and this year was definitely the best so far because I got an AIR FRYER!!! (affiliate link - I have the philips brand!)
Annnnd then I went and made healthy air fried chicken tenders with it. WOOT! An "air fryer" essentially fries food by circulating hot air in the unit. You can use a little bit of oil or just spray your food with olive oil spray (like PAM) and it makes the food turn out nice and crispy like it was just dunked in a regular fryer but instead is SOOOO much more healthy for you because you only use a fraction of the amount of oil!
To make my chicken tenders I cut chicken breasts into tenders and coated them with flour, then dunked them into egg whites, and lastly coated them with panko bread crumbs.
You really only need a very small portion of flour and panko so this recipe is still pretty low carb.
After the chicken is coated all you have to do is load it into the bin of the air fryer, spray with olive oil spray, and cook at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes.
Only 10 minutes for super crunchy and tasty chicken tenders that taste like an indulgence but for none of the extra calories! I served this for dinner one night with some ketchup (duh) and a side of roasted asparagus and my boyfriend was SO impressed. He literally told me that he could eat that exact meal once a week for the rest of his life. I would call that a success!
Good thing I have 11 more months still to think of what appliance I want for Christmas next year because I have TONS of other ideas for things to make in my air fryer still! Stay tuned for some more yummy creations :)
Nutritional Information
My batch of chicken made two servings of 375 calories each with 18 grams of carbs, 6 grams of fat and 57 grams of protein.
Note: if you track macros exactly I would recommend weighing your egg whites, flour and panko before you dip your chicken in them, as well as after. Subtract out the amount of egg whites/flour/panko left over in the bowl (if any) after all the chicken is coated and adjust your macros accordingly.
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Healthy Air Fried Chicken Tenders
by Rebecca @ My Girlish Whims January-5-2017
Air Fried chicken tenders taste like an indulgent fried treat at a fraction of the calories! Only a few quick steps to prepare, they cook up in only 10 minutes and make a great week night meal.
12oz of Chicken Breasts
1 Egg White
1/8 Cup Flour
35g Panko Bread Crumbs
Salt and Pepper
Instructions
Trim chicken breast of any excess fat and cut into tenders. Season each side with salt and pepper. Dip chicken tenders into flour, then egg whites, then panko bread crumbsLoad into air fryer basket and spray with olive sprayCook at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes or until cooked through
Today marks one year of maintaining my 100+ pound weight loss as well as three years of my start date from attempting to lose weight.
I'd say that attempt was pretty successful!
On January 15th of 2014 I took these before photos and then on January 16th I dove head first into weight loss: I started working out every single day and counting calories using the My Fitness Pal app and decided that at my heaviest EVER weight of 246 pounds, it was time to make a change and stick with it.
I blogged monthly throughout my first year of weight loss which is organized here so you can read those post to see how I lost the weight in more detail. If you don't have time I'll give you the cliff notes version: I ate healthy 80% of the time, worked out, and decided to never give up no matter how many bad weekends or cheat meals or screw ups I had. THAT'S REALLY ALL THERE IS TO IT! There is no secret to weight loss: it honestly just takes work and dedication. If you stay committed and consistent long enough you will see result! On my first year weight loss anniversary in 2015 I had lost 78 pounds!
I continued working hard in 2015 and saw more and more pounds drop. I hit a plateau at around 90 pounds down and was stuck there for awhile until I really started to feel motivated to hit 100 pounds down and started to really buckle down. Along my whole journey I ALWAYS would give myself some time off on the weekends to relax my diet a bit and have around two cheat meals: it honestly kept me sane and able to stay focused during the week! But I actually cut most of those cheat meals out after being stuck at my plateau for so long and was able to make it down to 95 pounds down...and then got stuck AGAIN.
I was happy with my body but frustrated. When you get soooo close to losing 100 pounds...you just want to reach it gosh darn it!!! I also couldn't figure out what I was doing wrong: I was eating really healthy and exercising (still having some cheats with wine!!!) but the scale would not budge.
Finally, I decided it was time to switch things up. I switched from solely counting calories to the If It Fits Your Macros diet plan where you track proteins, carbs, and fats. I started to lose weight IMMEDIATELY because I realized my body needed much more protein than I had been eating before, and less carbs and fats. Suddenly after being stuck for months, after only one week tracking macros I hit my 100 pound weight loss goal ON MY TWO YEAR FITNESS ANNIVERSARY! On January 16th of 2016 I woke up and weighed in to see that I had gone from 246 pounds to 146 pounds in exactly two years.
Thus began another year of staying dedicated to my health and fitness...but instead of actively trying to lose weight my goal was now to just maintain which in some ways is easier, and in some ways is a COMPLETELY different game.
At 146 pounds and 5 foot 6 feet tall, my BMI is 23.6 or in the "normal weight" range of 18.5-24.9. Ultimately, I just want to be healthy. I don't need to be a model, I don't want to train for a figure competition, I don't want to run a full marathon (at least I don't think so as of now!) I just want to be a normal, healthy girl who can live her life! So my mindset throughout this past year has mostly just to been to continue what I'm doing to maintain this 100 pound loss.
So: how exactly am I doing it? How have I went a full year maintaining my loss? Well I'll tell you first and foremost that mostly I'm doing the same thing I've been doing all along! You can't reach your goal weight and then just STOP and go back to your old ways or the pounds will creep back on in no time. One of the biggest things that has not changed for me is my exercise routine: I still workout pretty much everyday!
Mixing chicken salad ingredients with greek yogurt instead of the traditional condiment of mayonnaise cuts down on the fat and ups the protein in this yummy and healthy meal packed with fruit and flavor!
When I was heavy I made chicken salad almost every week for dinner. I LOVED it!!! I would mix up chicken, onion, grapes, a few different seasoning, and a few big gobs of mayonnaise and spread it all on two big hoagie rolls and call it dinner. Yikes! No wonder I had to keep buying larger and larger pant sizes!!!
Chicken salad can be a very healthy meal...or very UNHEALTHY depending on how you make it and what you serve it on. Today I have a super healthy way to share with you that still tastes great too!
This recipe gets lots of flavor from sweet fruit, raw onions and a few seasonings so that it still tastes great mixed with just plain old greek yogurt.
