See that #transformationtuesday up above? That’s me a little over a year ago and me just this past weekend. What’s changed besides my weight? My lifestyle.

I’ve gotten a lot of questions over the past few months on how I’ve been able to drop, as of Saturday, 23 pounds! The simple answer: it’s a lifestyle change.

Let’s be clear, this wasn’t one dramatic change I decided on another “diet starts Monday”. This was little changes over the course of the last ten months. It started with going dairy free, see more on that here, then meal prepping all vegan lunches and eating animal products (dairy not included) only at night, then I added daily workouts, and lastly, I started intermittent fasting.

It goes without saying, this is what has worked for me, but may not be what works for you. You should always consult your doctor before starting any new regimen or diet. In speaking with my doctor and getting blood work, I’m healthy and these changes have been what have worked for me!

I probably get asked the most about the intermittent fasting. Each day looks different for me. Sometimes, I’ll be able to fast for 16 hours, sometimes 22, sometimes 20 and sometimes only 13. I take each day one at a time and listen to what my body needs, and then maybe spend a little bit more time at the gym on those 13 hour days! Intermittent fasting worked for me because of a few different factors. I’m not a breakfast person to begin with and I noticed that when I do eat breakfast, I was much more likely to overeat throughout the day. This makes longer fasts easy for me. Also, I never feel like I’m depriving myself of anything I really want. I just eat the things I want, in moderation, later on!

Those 23 pounds haven’t been easy and there’s been plenty of plateau weeks, but this is also the longest I’ve been able to maintain such a significant weight loss.

Today I’m sharing one of my favorite recipes for times when I just need a little home cooking at the end of one of those longer fasting days, without the guilt!

Crunchy Pollito aka Crunchy Chicken

Ingredients

• Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs, diced in 1-2 inch cubes
• Garlic Powder, to taste
• Lemon Pepper Powder, to taste
• Cumin, to taste
• Cornstarch, 2-4 tablespoons
• Salt, to taste
• Pepper, to taste
• 3 tablespoons of preferred cooking oil, I use safflower oil for this recipe

*Please note, I never measure my seasoning, but just go with what looks good and feels right! For the cornstarch, you want to use enough to make sure all your chicken has a pretty even coat.

Preparation:

1. Heat skillet over medium high heat with preferred cooking oil
2. With your diced chicken thighs in a bowl, add your garlic powder, lemon pepper powder, cumin, salt, pepper and cornstarch.
3. Toss chicken with remain ingredients in the bowl so that diced chicken pieces are evenly coated
4. When oil has heated, added chicken to oil and let cook for 5-6 minutes on one side
5. Flip chicken pieces over to cook on remaining side
6. When chicken has finished cooking, place on a plate with paper towel to drain any excess oil.

A few notes about this recipe:

• I like my “pollito” extra crispy so I leave the pieces in long enough that they brown on the outside on at least one side
• This recipe is healthy than your traditional fried chicken because instead of coating with egg and breading, you’re only coating with cornstarch!
• If someone attempts this recipe in an air fryer, please let me know how it is!
• I love to pair this with my delicious white rice or with my dairy free mac and cheese! But this can easily pair with any veggie side, throw it into a sandwich (like a homemade Publix Chicken Tender Sub, excuse me while I drool all over my keyboard)