Clean Eatin Meal Plan

Clean Eatin Meal Plan

This is what I do Sunday morning, I plan out my week, get the groceries, prep the food, and in doing so I'm able to stay on track with eating right.  Plus I don't have to worry about what is for dinner because I already put the time into planning it out. 

Monday-Cranberry Walnut Chicken
Tuesday-Turkey Meatloaf
Wednesday-Clean Sesame Chicken
Thursday-Clean Burgers
Friday- Clean Stuff Pepper Soup

If you would like more help with meal planning message me and I will help you to be able to stay on track

Team Beachbody Black Friday Deals!!

Team Beachbody Black Friday Deals!!

So I know for me and most of the world we are in a hustle to get the house ready, food prepped, giving thanks, hitting the grocery story one more time be before Thanksgiving.  I know for me personal I love a good deal and I just wanted to take a minute to stop and share with you all the great deals Beachbody is offering starting today at 3:00 pm.  I personal have not done turbo fire but know plenty of folks that have awesome transformations from this workout.  What I can say is Chalean Johnson is an awesome person to workout with.  I personal started with chalean extreme and had amazing results so just knowing that she also created Turbo Fire is enough reason for me personal to want to buy this program as well. 

Turbofire Complete System

TurboFire is the intense cardio conditioning program from fitness innovator Chalene Johnson. This 90-day weight loss and body slimming program will help give you that leaner, sexier body you've always wanted, because it burns up to 9x more fat and calories than regular cardio. TurboFire begins with Chalene's Fire Starter Class, which shows you the right form for all TurboFire routines. There are also two low-impact (but intense) workouts to help you get totally up to speed. Chalene keeps you moving all along the way with more than 20 smoking-hot music remixes through all 12 fat-sizzling classes.

Plus, you'll turn up the burn even higher with the TurboFire Complete System. You'll get everything in the TurboFire program PLUS 5 additional advanced workouts, 1 toning band, AND 1 thigh-firming band to torch more calories, help prevent plateaus, and shape lean, sexy muscles.

Chalene Johnson's TurboFire includes 12 amazing workouts on 5 DVDs.
Classes range from 10 minutes to 55 minutes. The number in each title designates the class length.
Fire Starter Class
Master the TurboFire moves as Chalene breaks them down for you at a slower pace, so you can be ready for the HIIT classes.
Low HIITs: Low HIIT 20, Low HIIT 25 Classes
Don't let the "low" (as in low-impact) fool you—these high-intensity workouts ignite the AfterBurn Effect to help you keep burning calories.
Fire HIITs: Fire 30, Fire 40, Fire 45, Fire 55 Classes
Actively recover from the HIIT classes while melting the fat away with these longer cardio classes, which include the HIITs you love, created by Chalene.
Extreme HIITS: HIIT 15, HIIT 20, HIIT 25 Classes
Give your max for up to 1-minute intervals during these classes, and you can burn calories for up to 24 hours AFTER your workout's over!
Stretch 10 Class
Increase your flexibility, reduce soreness, and lengthen your hardworking muscles by warming down after your HIIT and Fire classes.

Plus, get these great tools to help you reach your fitness goals:
TurboFire Class Schedule

Follow this daily schedule and you'll get your best results.

Quick Start Guide
Learn how to ignite your TurboFire program—fast.

And 4 FREE gifts to help you succeed:

Fuel the Fire Nutrition Guide

Flip through our specially designed Nutrition Guide for easy-to-prep recipes to keep you energized and burning calories.
Abs 10 Class
Get tight, flat abs in no time with this short, efficient core workout.

Plus, TurboFire: The Complete System also includes the TurboFire Advanced Classes!
HIIT 30 Class
Get through your longest HIIT Class (packed with 11 Fire Drills), and the AfterBurn Effect will be working overtime.
Fire 60 Class
Add variety to your schedule with Chalene's longest Fire HIIT Class. This one will have you HIITing it 4 times with Turbo Tracks to motivate you along the way.
Sculpt 30 Class
Get stronger for your HIIT classes (and leaner all over) with Chalene's total-body sculpting class. This class features dynamic moves to build endurance while firming and defining your hard-worked muscles.
Tone 30 Class
Chalene never wants you (or your muscles) to get bored, so she's designed an additional total-body resistance class with new moves that will work you out from top to bottom.
Core 20 Class
Focus on your entire core for 20 powerful minutes, and you'll see tight, flat abs in no time.

And get 2 resistance tools for rapid results:
Pink Toning Band with Handles*
Get lean curves in less time by adding this Resistance Band to your workouts.
Thigh Firming Band*
Burn fat and sculpt lean muscle by using this body-sculpting band in your Sculpting and Toning classes.

 

Improve your energy, endurance, strength, and focus with this NEW pre-workout drink. Its proprietary blend of advanced nitric oxide boosters, amino acids, natural energizers, electrolytes, and essential B vitamins can help you power through and maximize your workouts.*

Fuel up your workouts for faster results!

This powerful supplement is scientifically formulated to help improve your energy, endurance, strength, and focus, so you can maximize every minute of your Beachbody^® workout and get your best results.*
E&E Energy and Endurance^™ will help you:*

• Burn more calories and fat to get ripped faster.
• Maximize muscle performance to build muscle faster.

E&E Energy and Endurance features a proprietary blend of:

• Advanced nitric oxide boosters to help speed more nutrients and oxygen to your muscles for better performance.*
• Natural energizers to help increase energy production and focus to maximize your workout.*
• Amino acids to help promote muscular energy and overall workout performance.*
• Electrolytes to help fight dehydration and support optimal muscle function.*
• Essential B vitamins to promote a strong metabolism to provide energy so you can burn fat.*
• Stevia for natural, zero-calorie sweetness.

E&E Energy and Endurance contains:

• No artificial flavors, sweeteners, or preservatives.
• No high-risk or untested ingredients.

Get the most from your workout. Mix E&E Energy and Endurance with water and drink it 15 to 30 minutes before your workout. You'll feel more energized from the start to the end of your workout—maximizing your results.

Maximize your skills with this 30-day program that builds speed, coordination, agility, and power. Shaun T preps you to WIN with sports-specific training inspired by pro athletes. The result? Game day becomes your day to excel.

Train like a pro. Play like a star in 30 days.

Winning the game, the race, the match starts now with INSANITY: THE ASYLUM^™ workout program. Former track-and-field star Shaun T will push you to Dig Deeper^® than ever with sports-specific training and drills inspired by pro athletes. During this 30-day program, he'll push you to build your speed, coordination, agility, strength, and power. So on game day, you'll have the unbeatable athletic edge.
Here’s what you get with INSANITY: THE ASYLUM:

6 Intense Workouts:

• Speed & Agility: Get quick on your feet—fast, with this intense cardio workout. (45 minutes)
• Vertical Plyo: Jump higher than ever with this lower-body training routine. (40 minutes)
• Relief: Stretch out to build long, lean muscle and increase your flexibility. (25 minutes)
• Strength: Increase your strength and power by cross-training with weights and resistance. (50 minutes)
• Back to Core: Build the rock-solid core, glutes, and hamstrings for the explosive power you'll need to play and dominate at an elite level. (45 minutes)
• Game Day: Put your new sports skills to the test with this cross-training workout. (60 minutes)

Plus, sports-inspired training tools:

• Agility Ladder: Build strength and agility by using this portable ladder to sharpen your focus and your form.
• Speed Rope: Improve your foot speed and endurance with this ultimate training secret.
• ASYLUM Workout Calendar: Check it each day to cross-train like a professional athlete.
• Guide Playbook: Map out your 30-day transformation with this smart step-by-step guide.
• Get Shredded Nutritional Plan: Follow meals and tips used by Shaun T and you'll be ready for game day—every day.

And receive 2 FREE bonus workouts:

• Sports Performance Assessment: Discover the improvements you've made in your fitness and skills with this performance measurement tool. (25 minutes)
• Overtime: Add this 15-minute monster to any Asylum workout to see if you've still got game

So I know that is a lot of info to read and process.  I know for me personal if I would of just went on to beachbody website and bought a workout I would of never stuck with it.  I might of lasted a month maybe two.  Challenge groups are amazing and they work for everyday people with busy lives.  So to assure that I'm your coach go to  www.beachbodycoach.com/RACHEL9876 . Challenge groups are just something I do as a free service to my customers.  Would you like more info on the details involved on my next challenge group starting December 2?  Plus I have decided from now until November 30th for every customer that orders a challenge pack received $20.00 cash back.

  

 

Clean Eating Cranberry Walnut Chicken

Clean Eating Cranberry Walnut Chicken

This recipe comes from the kitchen of my sister Jeanette.  This was a standard recipe that she would make for her family and once she started eating clean she took her original recipe made a few changes and came up with this.  I hope you enjoy it as much as our family has enjoyed it. 

Ingredients-
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
6 (boneless skinless) chicken breasts
¼ cup olive oil
2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries (divided)
2 cups unsweetened apple sauce
1/4 cup raw honey
1 cup finely chopped walnuts       
2-3 teaspoons cinnamon
Cooked brown rice

Directions-
Place olive oil in a large skillet; brown the chicken well on both sides, seasoned with a bit of salt and pepper. Remove chicken and place in a baking dish. In the same skillet, add the cranberries, applesauce, walnuts and cinnamon. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until the cranberries burst, about 5 minutes. Add mixture to top chicken in baking dish. Cover and place in oven. Cook at 300 for about 75 minutes. Serve over cooked brown rice.  This recipe is low heat and slow cooking.  Enjoy!! What is a recipe that you have found that is clean yet the entire family enjoys?

Week 5 of Insanity

Week 5 of Insanity


So what have we been up to this week?  I feel like I have been making Clint a ton of pancakes and Josie is eating so much she must be ready to grow again. I found this gem at our local grocery story and have enjoyed adding puree pumpkin to it. 

We have been busy with getting a rental ready for the next family to move into.  I'm busy getting the word out about how awesome challenge group our and why they work,  using radio ads, newspaper ads, and social media.  Why?  Add one more thing to our busy lives?  Because people need this they need support and help with being accountable.  The products sell themselves I enjoy helping other and in return I'm able to create a business from that. 

I just wanted to share this post I did this week.  Because trust me I know how it feels to not have any energy I would look at the clock at 2:00pm wanting more energy and wanting to get in to shape.  I found it know 2:00pm hits and I'm wanting to help others do the same.  I'm not at my goal wait but I feel so good from the inside out this business was created just for me.  I'm not the out spoken  and tend to be on the shy side but I found that with helping others it gives me a sense of achievement. 

So for sure the next seven days means time off of work, extra food being served, family time, wine, shopping, and just plan relaxing.  Trust me their is nothing wrong with taking time off but this does not mean you take the next week off of eating healthy and keeping up with your exercising.  So for sure my meal plan is a must this week.  Also after 2 C-sections it's time to really focus on my abs so I love chalean extreme when I did it and the 10 minute ab workout is one of my favorite beachbody ab workouts.  So on top of saying on track this holiday week I'm going to push myself to add that workout in as an extra bonus.  I did this last week and it was fun, I would do it mid morning when the kids were up and we went to the basement to switch laundry I would just pop this video in and do it.  Plus it's not a workout I'm moving around and need my full concentration so it's fine to do while the kids are up and more then likely one of them ends up hanging on me so it creates more of a challenge.

Maybe your reading this and feel like you failed so many times before and spent so much money in the past on workouts, gym memberships, equipment, only to last a few weeks or a few months.  Don't let a bump in the road be the end of the road if your always looking in the rearview mirror you will never move forward.  That's advice that can be used in any part of your life.  Pick your head up and learn from failures and move on. So make the next week count set a small goal for yourself to get a 30 minute workout in 5 days a week.  Start small but by sticking to your goal you will feel a sense of accomplishment and want to set another small goal for the following week.  Your the one in charge of where your going don't let excuses get in the way of success.  Enjoy your Thanksgiving 2013!!

 

Blueberry Chia Jam

Blueberry Chia Jam

Ok I know I have been making a ton of recipes with Chia seeds lately but this might be my favorite and the kids love it as well. I found this recipe on the back of the Chia seeds I bought Bob's Red Mill Brand.

Ingredients-

3 cups of fresh or frozen Blueberries
1/4 cup of Agave Nectar
1/4 cup of Chia Seeds
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Directions-
Combine berries and agave in small sauce pan and cook on medium heat for 5 minutes.  If you are using frozen berries pop them in the microwave for 1 minutes then place in sauce pan.  Add Chia seeds once berries start to soften. Continue mixing until very thick remove from heat and cool, add vanilla.  Store in an air tight container for up to seven days. 


Enjoy!!  Use on your morning whole wheat bread!! Use it on top of pancakes as a spread or even add it to your plan Greek yogurt.

Clean Eating Zucchini Bread

Clean Eating  Zucchini Bread

This recipe also makes great muffins as well.  Who does not love the smell of fresh baked bread coming right out of the oven?  ME!! I was just able to clean up an old classic and still be able to stay on track.  For me I always think of this as a fall food.

Ingredients-


3 cups whole wheat  flour

1/2 teaspoon teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 egg + 4 egg whites

1 cup canned pure pumpkin puree (or you may use

   unsweetened applesauce)

1 1/2 cups Coconut sugar

3 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract

3-4 cups grated zucchini

1 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup  raisins

Directions-
 

Sift flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon

together in a bowl.  Beat eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar together

in large bowl.  Then add shifted items to the cream mixture,

and beat well.  Stir in zucchini and nuts until well combined.

Grease either muffin tins or 2 small loaf pans

(8x4) with extra virgin olive oil.  Bake at 325 degrees or until

tooth pick comes out clean. Muffins may only cook for

12 minutes banana bread will cook for 40 to 50 minutes, then

cool on baking rack.

 

How to survive the holiday session

How to  survive the holiday session


So here we are one holiday down (Halloween) and 3 more to go. How will you not fall into the normal crowd?  Being healthy and eating right for sure means your not going with the crowd.  Everyone else around you is munching on chips, eating pie, lots of beer, baked goods, turkey, ham, the list goes on and on. We all love the sounds, smells and sights of the holiday, the aroma of the turkey and stuffing in the oven, and the smell of a fresh baked pumpkin pie out of the oven.

 I'm not saying to not enjoy the holidays with a small amount of turkey and stuffing.  But lets be real Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years are three days not 40 days long of forgetting about taking care of your body.  Are you going to join the crowd this holiday or look amazing in a cute black dress for New Years eve?  So for me I really stick by the one cheat meal a week rule and it works amazing it's not the entire day it's one meal.  When you have a cheat meal you should not look like this guy in the picture either.  It's not an all out binge.  If you have a hard time only having a little bit of ice cream I would not use that as a cheat meal if it leaves you wanting more.  And when you do have a cheat meal enjoy it with out any guilt attached.

Give thanks on Thanksgiving and Christmas for the wonderful family and friends you have, give thanks to the nourishing meal put before you and as you are eating it, take your time to enjoy it with your family, have gratitude. Don't give into the need to out shop someone else. Those are the reasons we get stressed out and overeat.  Sure, it’s okay to have a few treats and cheers; even I will be having a few cheats and glasses of wine, it is the holidays after all.  But using the excuse that it’s the holidays and having a “this is just the way it is attitude” may definitely land you in a larger size!

Be prepared-  Yep, that simple.  Wherever you are going; make sure you have a cooler packed with snacks or simple meals and water. If you are going some where and are unaware of what is going to be served pre-eat.

Exercise- Yep, that simple.  Don’t let your workouts fall by the wayside because you’re “too busy,” schedule it in if need be, like you would an appointment.  Exercise will be vitally important during the holidays because of the extra stress people put on themselves anyway. We all have the same 24 hours – make time for you, even if it is just 25 minutes! T25 is awesome workout for this time of the year.

Stay hydrated  Water, water, water; fruits & vegetables.  Nothing more to say.

Don’t ‘starve’-your body because you know you’ll be eating extra calories at that party you’re going to.  I can’t stress this enough – eat your meals/snacks just as you would any other day; which will actually help you not go overboard.

Eat your 5-6 small meals everyday- make sure you get plenty of fruits and vegetables, lean protein, healthy fats, fiber and whole grains.  You’ll need the energy! For me shakeology is going to be a life saver this holiday session.

Plan ahead-  Back to that party your going to…have a plan in your mind how many desserts or drinks, for example, you’re going to allow yourself; then stick to it!  We are grown ups, you can make your own decision of what you want to put into your body, no one ‘makes you’ do it.  Stand firm (there are sabotages out there) and don’t give in to ‘pure pressure’. Just because grandma's pie is right their just step away from it.  Stand out in the crowd!!

Don’t hover by the food tables- Seriously, standing by the foods will make you want to eat it, even if you’re not hungry.  Go mingle talk to someone that you normally would not have time to talk to because you where at the "turf" I mean table full of foods.

Bring a healthy dish- If you’re bringing a dish bring something healthy that you can eat.  We all know that many pot- luck style parties are usually not the best food choices.  You can control some of that by sharing a healthy something.

Munch on the fruit and veggie trays (watch the dips!) before dinner and then look for the leanest cuts of meat, baked potato; hold the gravies/sauces.

Have one drink-If you’re going to drink try not to indulge in the fruity, sugary, high calorie ‘festive’ looking drinks.  And if you have more then one do not drink and drive!

Don’t bake a ton of ‘goodies’-if you can’t control yourself from eating many before they leave the house!  Equally, don’t participate in the cookie exchange unless you want them lingering well after the holidays. Search the internet for a healthier version of your favorite holiday cookie.

Don’t overbook yourself- My goodness, let’s go back to the true meaning of the holidays; yes it’s a time of joy but it’s not meant to put added stress on your life or your wallet for that matter.

Go outside and be active- kids off school, good family sledding, ice skating, skiing time.  Even this girl who does not appreciate winter will be outside making snow men with the kids.

Set goals- If you are a person with a goal of losing weight, find someone else that is also losing weight as the holiday session moves forward. 

Get sleep!  Enough said.

I hope this helps you and gives you a way to stay on track even if "no one else" is doing it.  Just think of how you will feel when everyone else wants to loss weight come January 1st and you already have a great success story and are able to stay on track.   Make what ever your doing a lifestyle not something you start and stop.  It's not a sprint to the finish line rather as simple as it sounds a lifestyle.  Food is our bodies nutrition,  food has meaning and purpose just as the holidays do.  Be thankful for your body and treat it with respect and also have fun creating holiday memories.

How to travel and stay on track

How to travel and stay on track

Yippy I have say this is my favorite time of the year I love having everyone together and just chilling.  For our family we are blessed to not have to travel.  But for so many this is the time of the year to be busy traveling to see loved ones.  So how to stay on track?  Maybe you did really well all summer long and every year this is when things fall apart.  I will share with you tips to stay on track so come January 1st. you are already maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

You spend so much time planning a flight, the car rental, the hotel, and other details of the trip, why not put your nutrition and exercise on the list of things to plan for. Set goals to come home in better shape then when you left.

Get a hotel with a kitchen- Many hotels chains offer rooms with full kitchens.  Or try short-term apartments or condo rentals.  Search the internet and you will be surprised at the type of lodging available and sometime at better prices then a hotel.

Go food shopping as soon as you check in- After checking in, make a beeline to the local grocery store, with your shopping list in hand.  Wherever you are in the world, if you have a kitchen and well stocked fridge, your meal planning and food preparation are not much different then when your at home.

Check the local restaurant menus in advance- When you travel, it's likely you will have more restaurants meals then normal.  Use all the restaurants planning strategies you learned earlier and always think in advance about what you will eat when it comes time to eat out.

Cook portable foods and pack healthy snacks- This applies when driving, flying, or day trips.  For long flights and drives nothing beats portable meals and snacks that you can carry with you.  you can learn to make variety of portable foods. This is another reason I love shakeology because I can take my shaker cup and have the best nutrition meal on the go no need to stop and eat greasy garbage along the way.  Trust me you end up staving so much money a long the way by taking the time to plan out what you will eat while you are away.  Trail mix is awesome as well and easy to make and take. 

Write out your work out schedule in advance- Keep using your planer or your workout schedule even when you are away from home.  Always work from a written planner.  Also set a timer on your phone and when that times goes off each morning start your workout.  It's making the choice to make working out part of your travels that will set you apart from the rest of world that just falls apart this time of the year.  And pack your workout shoes and clothing to be able to wear.


Choose your training location in advance-  You can do body-weight exercises right in your hotel room.  Grab your beachbody workout DVD set while packing.  Or switch it up a bit and try the workout equipment at the hotel most hotels have standard exercise rooms for those traveling. 

Make physical recreation part of your travel plans- Rent bikes, do some climbing and hiking, help family members go and pick out a real Christmas tree, take the kids outside to build a snowman if you have snow to access, go skiing, walk the neighborhood and sing Christmas songs,  What ever you enjoy doing that involves moving and being active make that apart of your exercise for the day. 

Happy Holidays!!

Clean Eating Thanksgiving Recipes

Clean Eating Thanksgiving Recipes

First before I share my secret clean eating recipes that will keep me on track this week it's important also to give thanks to God for everything he has blessed us with.  And not just during the month of Thanksgiving but daily.  Also with Christmas right around the corner its so easy to think about me, me, me what am I going to get for Christmas, how many presents can I get all the kids.  When that's not at all what Christmas is about.  So stop and ask yourself on Thanksgiving how can I help someone else as you enter into December.  What are you good at what do you have to offer to someone else that can bless them.  I guarantee when you take the focus off of you and put action into helping out someone else that needs your help it will be the best Christmas ever.

Crockpot  sweet potatoes and apples

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup of pure maple syrup
• 4 cups of sweet potatoes cut into 2" cubes with skin
• 4 cups of apples (any) pealed, cored, & sliced
• 1 Tablespoon of cinnamon
• 1/3 of chopped walnuts (or pecans)
• 1/2 cup of water

Directions:
Place all ingredients in crockpot and turn heat on medium for 4 hours.  Best if served warm, I love this recipe because you can prep it the day before Thanksgiving and have it ready to turn on the morning of with the work already done.  The entire time it was in the crockpot my son keep asking to have a bit!!  So I'm saying that the recipe is 5-6 servings!!

Clean Eating Corn Bread

Ingredients:
1 cup of plain corn meal
1 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour
1 tsp. of baking soda
2 tsp. of cream of tartar
1/2 tsp. of salt
4 Tablespoons of raw honey
1 cup of non-fat Greek yogurt
1/2 cup of almond milk
3 egg whites
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 cup of frozen corn
1/2 cup of un sweeten apple sauce

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees
In a large mixing bowl mix your dry ingredients together next in a different bowl mix all wet ingredients.
Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just barley blended.  Lumps are ok don't over mix. 
Grease a 13x9 baking dish and bake for 15  minutes.
Slice into 12 slices and enjoy!! I also like to make this recipe to go with a good batch of chili!!

Clean Eating Stuffing
 This is as clean as it comes and this is my version of clean stuffing of course I had to add a little bit of butter.  This stuffing also works great for stuff pork chops. 

Ingredients:

1 loaf of Ezekiel bread, thawed and broken into bite-sized cubes*

1/2 tsp  dried thyme

2 tsp  dried sage

1 tbl. of parsley

1 tsp  freshly ground black pepper

 3 tbl. of melted butter

1 large onion, chopped fine!!

2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced

5 celery stalks chopped fine!!

1 cup of almond milk

 2 to 3 egg whites depending on how moist you want it

Directions-
First you want to take your butter in a small nonstick pan and add celery and onions place heat on medium and cook until translucent. Next take a 9x13 pan and  add your cubed bread, spices, onions, celery, garlic, then pour almond milk over bread.  Take a minute and really start to mix it well, then add your egg whites one at a time, and continue to mix well.  You want the texture to start to feel like it's blended well and sticking together in a ball form so it has enough moisture.  I will add with using this type of bread the stuffing has flavor but for sure needs more moisture then your traditional stuffing. 

No-bake cranberry oatmeal cookies
For me making cookies is still important and l love my little helpers in the kitchen.  This year I will be doing the same but I won't be using white flour or white sugar.  This is the recipe I will be using for a cookie exchange as well. 

Ingredients-

1/3 cup honey

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/3 cup creamy almond butter

1/4 cup wheat germ

2 tablespoons chia seeds

1 cup quick-cooking oats

1/2 cup  dried cranberries

1/4 cup pecan pieces, chopped

Directions-

Place all ingredients in a mixing bowl and wash your hands and mix well with you hands.  This recipe will make 12 small balls, you will want to place balls on a cookie sheet and freeze for 45 minutes.  You will want to store these in a air tight container, these cookies freeze great as well. 


So what does your Thanksgiving plate look like?  Will it be an all day binge?  I found this picture on-line and found it very helpful as a visual for Thanksgiving, will you be running a marathon afterwards?

 

How to lower BMI

How to lower BMI

Maintaining a healthy body weight looks attractive and can prevent future health problems. The body mass index, or BMI, is one way to measure the proportion of your height and weight.  To check your BMI click here.  Body mass index, also called BMI, is a calculation of a correlation between a person’s height and weight that categorizes him or her as underweight, of normal weight, overweight or obese, assuming a normal body composition. Underweight is considered a BMI of 18.4 or lower. A BMI of normal weight is any number between 18.5 and 24.9. The overweight range is between 25 and 29.9, with anything above that being considered obese. Maintaining a low BMI is important for normal health, growth and functioning of your body.

This chart is a great way to see where your range is. 

So the steps that you can take to lower your BMI-

Increase your exercise, get aerobic exercise most days of the week. Get at least 30 minutes of daily exercise to start, but build up to longer exercise sessions to see greater results. Choose activities that raise your heart rate, such as jogging, brisk walking, swimming or fast biking. Learn to embrace the idea of exercising. Make your exercise routine a bit more fun. Change it up every 30 days, if you do the same exercises and routines, every day you will become bored. Once you are bored, you are more apt to quit or put less effort into the workouts.

Weight training why? Many people do not connect resistance training with losing weight, but in fact it is an effective strategy for lowering your BMI. The reason weightlifting or resistance exercises help burn fat is because they help you build muscle, which burns more calories than fat. So, the more muscle you have, the more efficient your body will be at burning calories.

Burn Intervals-HIIT, may be just what you're looking for. HIIT is a training method commonly used by college and professional athletes to help build muscle, increase endurance and lower overall body fat levels. This is a great way to lower your BMI as well.


Next is to take a look at what your eating, .Eliminate empty calories, such as sugary beverages, candy and fast foods. Eat a lot of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meat, fish and poultry and low-fat sources of dairy. Reduce portion sizes and stick to eating 5-6 smaller meals a day.  That's one of the reasons I love shakeology because so many times we cut calories wanting to loss weight but in return we end up cutting our nutrition shakeology gives you all the nutrition equal to making six salads and eating them but without all the calories. Also  add spices into your diet, spices can help give your foods that extra punch and help keep you from feeling as deprived.  Make a meal plan and stick to it!!

WATER!!  A  minimum you need to be drinking half of your body weight in oz. The University of Maryland Medical Center recommends drinking water to help with weight loss because it flushes out the kidneys and may prevent excess weight due to water retention.

So depending on where you are in your weight loss journey you may be just starting and just the fact that you our out walking for 30 minutes a day is awesome and your starting to read labels and see what your putting in your body.  Or maybe you have been at this for a while and your very close to that "average range" so small tweaking here and their is going to be key for you with doing weights 2-3 days a week and adding in HIIT  to your weekly work out.  Also taking note of everything you eat in a day is so helpful I know for me I can hardly remember what I had for breakfast so how can I remember if I ate enough or had to much as the day goes on.  What ever you find to do make sure its bringing you closer to your goals rather then farther away.  It's a life style of being healthy not a quick sprint to the finish line.

Recipes for a yonana

Recipes for a yonana


So for me I love ice cream but hate to work hard on staying on track only to consume a ton of unwanted fat from one sweet treat.  Then yonana machine and I crossed paths.  It really gives you that creamy texture of ice cream because of the way it was designed.  You can find them at Bed Bath & Beyond.  Plus you can always find a 20% off coupon for that store.  So you want to use ripe banana's and freeze them for at least 24 hours first.  Next find what you want to use to add to the banana's.

Options:

• coco
• raspberries
• coco/PB2
• strawberries
• peaches
• blueberries

It really is fun at the same time our family was always having ice cream at every get together and now my dad is cranking out a healthier version of ice cream.  But of course he still needs his chocolate so by adding coco it's perfect.  Make memories with your family it's not able the food it's about the time spent together while eating that most of us want.  Stay on track and eat clean!!

Week 3 of Insanity

Week 3 of Insanity

Wow I have to say for my husband and I the last 6 weeks has been amazing and crazy all together.  Growing our excavating business and given the opportunity to do the work that we have been working towards is a great feeling.  They say results come after the work when your losing weight and that is so true in just about anything in life.  It does not happen over night or even in a few months.  We made plenty of mistakes along the way but learn as we go along.  Being a stay at home mom and have the choice to just pack the kids up in the car and drive to see daddy at work for sure make me smile.  I have know idea what God has in store for Clint when he gets older but right now any equipment lights up his day.  When Steve comes home at night all Clint wants to do is watch the videos Steve made of the equipment running at work.
STRESS!!  Yep it's everyday no matter who you are and how did I stay on track this week.  Thank goodness for shakeology to keep me on track and to curb my sweet tooth. 

Yippy look at those numbers changing!!  Yes I for sure would say Chalean Extreme I loved but I think Insanity I might love just as much but for different reasons.  I liked Chalean Extreme and enjoyed lifting weights and still find myself popping in a DVD once and a while to workout to but I can tell you I will be doing the same with Insanity in the future when I want to switch things up.
 

I also did something this week that I have not been able to do since I was a teenage.  I think it's so important to not base your day on seeing that magical number on the scale.  You all know what I'm talking about if it's a "good" number your happy and if it's not it sets the tone for the entire day.  I weight myself once a week and beyond the number on the scale I challenge myself in other ways to track progress.  This is not a sprint to the finish line and in that mind set it's key to set other non scale accomplishments. 

I also shared this thought I had one morning this week while working out and thought I would share here as well. 
How I view this is like buying a car meaning you ...have a gym membership, workout videos, or a treadmill. Your in your house looking at the car and you make the choice to get up get your keys and get in the car. Meaning you make the choice to get up put your sneakers on and workout. Great now what? Your sitting in your car waiting.....nothing is happening. You need fuel to make the car run. Meaning you need to put the proper nutrition in your body to make the car move. Sure you can put the car in neutral get out and push but your not going to get far and for sure your not using the car the way it was intended on being used.

So at what point are you at? Are you sitting in the house wishing you had a car? Are you needing to get your keys out? Did you get your keys out and now your sitting in a park car? Or are you going down the road at 55?

So this week think about your car and where you want to go and how you are going to get their.  Happy Eating Clean!!

Tips on how to drink more water daily

Tips on how to drink more water daily

Water is essential for our bodies health, over 60% of the human body consists of water, and the effects of dehydration can be life threatening.  We all know this and everyone knows that pops, juices, and sports drinks don't count for your daily water intake.

How much water should I drink in a day?

A minimum of half your body weight in oz. that is just a base line more water is never a bad thing.  So say you weight 200 lbs. you need to drink at least 100 oz. of water a day.

Tips to remind yourself as the day goes on

• Water is a must while working out so get in the habit of doing so, don't leave your workout area until you have at least drank one glass.
• We all carry phones on use set timers to go off as the day goes on
• Have your screen at the office be a picture of a glass of water to remind you.
• Find a water bottle that you will drink from and figure out how many times you need to empty it to get your water intake and place that many rubber band on it, every time you empty it take a rubber band off. 
• Stick note on the fridge
• When eating 5-6 small meals a day don't eat until you have drank one glass of water.
• Use an app on your phone that has a chart and you can make a mark for every glass you drink as the day goes on.
• Every time you leave the house grab your water bottle make it a habit like grabbing your purse or wallet.

Here is a list of foods that our high in water content.  Anyone that has made their own baby food knows this to be true as these foods become very watery once placed in the food processor.

Here's a handy list of some common foods and their water content:

• Cucumber -- 96 percent
• Lettuce -- 95 percent  
• Celery -- 95 percent
• Zucchini -- 95 percent  
• Tomato -- 94 percent  
• Spinach -- 92 percent
• Watermelon -- 92 percent
• Strawberries -- 92 percent  
• Broccoli -- 91 percent
• Grapefruit -- 91 percent

So between these two list you can see that you are taking water in with the food you eat.  At the same time don't use that as an excuse to not drink your water from a glass.  If you are trying to loss weight, stay healthy or have more energy drink up!!  We all know their are a ton of benefits to drinking you water so bottoms up folks!!  And fill up and repeat!!  Cheers to drinking more!!