1 Year of Fitness

This time last year I was miserable and unhappy. I had once again made my same old new years resolution of getting in shape and losing weight. I said ok this year I am finally going to do it. I will finally loose weight. By summer I will be down 20 pounds I just know it. Of course January and February went like they did all the previous years. I would loose 10 pounds then gain back 20. This seemed like a never ending cycle, and I did not think I could ever break free from it. Finally on March 4 2013 my husband and I joined a gym and we signed up for personal training. I was excited and nervous about this. This was something I had never experienced before. I thought oh no I am not supposed to lift weights. I don't want to get too bulky. This is sadly a lot of women's thinking about lifting and is completely false!! With cardio of course you will burn more calories in one session, but  as soon as you step off the machine or stop running you stop burning calories. With weights your body continues to burn calories 24-36 hours after you've stopped lifting. So which one sounds better to you. Anyways I digress. :) I found my love of lifting. I was very intimidated to step into the weight room surrounded by all these men and women who were in such great shape and know what they are doing. I think that if I did not work with a trainer for a few months I would not have gotten up enough courage to brave that room. I am so thankful I did.

I worked with him for 4 months, and they helped change my life forever. I changed the way I was eating along with getting in exercise. I started following their diet. Which was very helpful, but I realized I don't want to be on a diet. I know as soon as I go off of it I will go back to my old ways and gain all the weight back. I need to change my lifestyle and just eat healthy foods. One big thing for me was cutting out sodas and drinking at least a gallon of water everyday. I started researching lots of different foods and ways of eating. I was so surprised at the chemicals that were in our everyday foods. I finally came upon the concept of clean eating. This is not a diet. This is just a way to eat whole healthy foods everyday. I am not a nutritionist so I would never try to recommend ways that other people should eat. I know this is what works for me and my family. My advice to everyone is to research your foods. It took awhile to finally figure out my eating, but I finally figured out what works for me. Eating whole, clean healthy foods is what I do. I eat organic on most if not all of my foods. I look for non-GMO labels while shopping and also try to find local foods. I incorporate vegetables, proteins (not just meat, but other proteins as well), complex carbohydrates, healthy fats and fruits. I will enjoy the occasional treat meal. Let me say this is a meal not a whole day, but since I am not on a diet and this is just the way I eat what I want. I do not believe in ever depriving yourself. I take my old favorite recipes and make them over with healthy clean ingredients. So whoever says eating healthy is boring is wrong. I believe nutrition is 80% of our heath and wellness and the other 20% is exercise.

Like I said I worked with my trainer for 4 months. So July of last year I was on my own to stay healthy. I was a little scared, but knew I could do it. I had learned a lot along the way and gained so much confidence. I continued working out at the gym along with doing different challenges at home with a mommy fitness group I joined. During the spring of last year I also did the bikini body program from muffin topless. Which was very helpful to me as well. I started a Facebook page to help keep myself motivated and encouraged. This page turned out to be amazing. I have gained so many fitness friends. I have had people tell me I have encouraged, motivated and inspired them, but honestly it is the other way around. I am amazed by the people I have "met" in this fitness community. They are all amazing. I started doing T25 in November. Which was another great program that I have really enjoyed doing. Seriously you should try it if you are up to it.

So January of this year I did not make the same old resolution that I have made in the past and did not stick to it. I made myself promises that I was going to keep going on my healthy lifestyle. I am proud to say that I am sticking to this lifestyle. I enjoy finding what works and what doesn't work for me on my journey. I am looking at my healthy eating and fitness as a lifelong journey. Let me say for anyone that is on their journey whether just starting, months in, or years in be proud of yourself! Know that you are worth it, and never give up on yourself. You are worth it, and you can do it. Stick with it. You will have ups and downs, but it is a lifelong journey. So just keep pushing yourself. Also take good measurements and progress shots along the way. Most importantly surround yourself with good positive supportive people. I am always here to help motivate and support you if you ever need it.

I am happy to report that after a year on my fitness journey I am down 102 pounds and 70 inches.


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Lunch time goodness!!

You ever have those days where nothing in the house sounds good? I am having that day today. I make my meal plans, and try my hardest to stick to them every week. Sometimes wrenches are thrown in to our plans though and makes it almost impossible to stick to it. Well in the middle of the night last night I was awoken by those dreaded words no parent wants to hear, "Mommy I think I'm going to throw up." Followed by the sound of said action. So my night was spent cleaning up and caring for a sick boy. So needless to say it was not a good night, and a giant wrench was thrown into my plans.

My husband stayed up with our daughter, and let me get a little more sleep in. So the morning was not too terrible. When I woke up the last thing I wanted to do was cook breakfast so I had a quickie breakfast, but when it came to lunch today I wanted something a little more filling and well quite frankly delicious. Looking over my meal plan nothing looked good, and browsing through the cabinets again nothing looked good. Until I stumbled up a bag of noodles I had purchased last week that I had forgotten about. So I quickly put together a yummy lunch. It was very easy and quick to make, and to be honest more delicious than what was on my original meal plan. So I think this will be going into future meal plans. I'm calling it quick noodle yumminess!! Ok I may need to come up with another name :)

Quick Noodle Yumminess (I am currently accepting new names for the recipe :) )

8oz package of organic brown rice udon noodles
1lb organic chicken breast
1tsp organic unrefined coconut oil
1tsp organic garlic powder
1tsp organic cumin
1tsp organic sesame oil
1 organic red bell pepper chopped
1 cup organic kale (ribs and stems removed)
2 organic Portobello mushroom tops
1 organic zucchini 
Organic tamari

Cook your udon noodles as the package states. Coat your chicken in coconut oil, garlic powder and cumin. Grill your chicken (I just cooked mine on my George Foreman). After it has cooked for a little put 1tsp of tamari over the chicken. When the chicken is done cut it into chunks.

Warm up a pan with the sesame oil. Add your zucchini and kale first. After they cook for about 5 minutes add the peppers and mushrooms. Cook for another 5 minutes.

Mix everything together in a bowl and add a little tamari to each bowl. This should serve 4-6 people.

Quick and delicious. I think it took me about 15-20 minutes for everything. You could add different veggies if you would like, but these were the ones I had on hand. You get your protein, veggie, good fats and complex carbohydrate in one yummy bowl. Let me know how you like it, and if you added any other veggies to it.

Squat your...

Everyone says diamonds are a girls best friend, but that is false SQUATS are a girls best friend.

I have been doing these with my workouts since I started. The thing is though that are 250 million variations of squats. Ok maybe I over exaggerated that number a little bit. Seriously though look it up there are lots of different types of squats. So for the month of March my mommy fitness group is doing a squat challenge, but not the same old one everyday. We are doing lots of different versions. So join us won't you.

Haven't heard of half of these? Well that is ok. Here are some tutorials for you. Feel free to contact me if you need any further explanations. Or follow me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/losingitwith3

1. Sumo squat jumps

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWLPVLI5rLw

2. Basic squat

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dj4GqSXMTTs

3. Prisoner squats

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97p3_bDkPUE

4. Wall sit

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cdph8hv0O0

5. Goblet squats

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIrcxSkwui8

6. Uneven squats

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdT8mJ43Lyo

7. Split squats

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCWkvwz7DoU

8. Squat jumps

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVaEhXotL7M

9. Monkey squats

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IC3RuXMFZAc

10. Plié squats

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJzrn0SaiTA

11. Forward wall squats

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsra0nAEnak

12. Horizontal squat jump

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3xOkcv4BP0
(Ok you don't have to jump as high as this guy. The point is you are trying to jump as high as possible and try to jump forward).

13. Sumo pulse squats

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8RW18RQQOc

14. Squat hold

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5BFpmzzLbs

15. Frog squat jumps

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6voFQTee0g8

16. Pistol squats

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=It3yvU0fomI

17. Squat jacks

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilAf4jGvbHU

18. Tornado twister squats

http://www.weighttraining.com/exercises/squat-jump-twist


These are the variations we are doing in our challenge. Feel free to add different variations in with these. Let me know which ones are your favorites.

Just for the kale of it

The new fad in health foods is kale. Either you love it or you hate it.

So why is this leafy green getting so much attention. This is considered a super food.

1. Kale is very low in calories, high in fiber and has zero fat.
2. Kale is high in iron.
3. Kale is high in vitamin K.
4. Kale is filled with powerful antioxidants.
5. Kale is a great anti-inflammatory food.
6. Kale is great for cardiovascular support.
7. Kale is high in vitamin A.
8. Kale is high in vitamin C.
9. Kale is high in calcium.
10. Kale is a great detox food.
11. Kale is a good source of protein.

 

 

Kale has sort of a bitter taste. It can be hard to get used to. I know the first few times I tried it I did not really care for it. Now I eat it pretty much everyday. The thing is the first few times I tried it I didn't really know what to do with it. I just put it directly in a salad, and it was very bitter and unexpected. Now I have researched some and figured out the best ways to prepare it (in my opinion). So here are some of my favorite recipes.

 

 

Kale chips (a great snack recipe for children and adults)

3 large handfuls of organic kale torn into shreds

1/4tsp sea salt

1/4tsp smoked paprika

1/4 organic garlic

1-2tbsp organic olive oil

 

Preheat the oven to 350 and line a pan with foil

Rinse the leaves and then pat them to dry or if you have a salad spinner dry them in there.

In a bowl mix the oil with the leaves. Arrange them on a pan and bake for 12 minutes. Check them you don't want them to turn brown. After they are done baking add the seasonings to them.

 

Green smoothie (you can use different fruits if you would like)

1/4 c water

4-6 ice cubes

4 whole organic strawberries (include the green tops)

1 organic celery stalk

3 handfuls of organic kale

1/4 cup diced organic mango

2 organic

kiwis diced

1tsp chia seeds

 

Add it all in the blender and hit blend

 

Sautéed kale

3 cups kale coarsely chopped

2tbsp organic coconut oil

1/2 cup chopped organic red onion

2 organic garlic cloves

5 chopped organic portabella mushrooms

1/2 cup organic vegetable broth

sea salt and pepper

 

Heat coconut oil in a large pan and add the onion and garlic. Cook it until soft not brown.  Add the stock, kale and mushrooms. Cook for 5 minutes covered. Remove the cover and cook until the liquid evaporates. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

 

Kale salad

3 cups organic kale (midribs removed)

1 cup roasted organic chickpeas

1 organic cucumber sliced

1/2 cup organic cherry tomatoes (cut in half)

1 organic avocado sliced

Fresh squeezed lemon juice

 

I try to find ways to add kale to my recipes. I have put it in meatballs, spaghetti sauce, soups etc...These are a few recipes that I use a lot. Here is a link with many many more kale recipes. Please add your favorite kale recipes in the comments.

 

http://www.rachelcooks.com/2014/01/18/kale-recipes-2/

 

Time for chili

I love everything about the fall and winter. It really is the best time of year to me. I love the clothes, cooler weather, sights, sounds, smells and definitely the food. One of my favorite things to do is curl up in my yoga pants (because I pretty much have a pair on everyday) and eat a warm bowl of chili. I mean that just sounds awesome right? 

Ok so since becoming healthier I am trying to make over all my old favorite recipes into healthy ones. That's what we all want right healthy comfort food. I play around with my recipes until I think they are yummy. So feel free to change anything in this recipe to make it yummy for you. We are all different so we don't all like the same things. Although it would be so much easier if you all just went ahead and liked everything I do (kidding...maybe :))

So here is my healthier version of chili. This is turkey quinoa chili

1 pound organic ground turkey breast

1 cup organic quinoa

30 oz organic black beans (2 cans if you're using cans, but I like the organic ones in the bag)

16 oz organic chickpeas (1 can if using cans)

16 oz kidney beans (1 can if using cans)

2 cups water

6 oz organic tomato paste (I do use a can for this)

16 oz organic tomato sauce (homemade is even better)

1/2 cup organic purple onion

4 organic sweet peppers (I used red, orange and yellow)

3 organic sweet potatoes

3 stalks organic celery

1tbsp cumin

1tbsp black pepper

1 tbsp garlic

1 tbsp chili powder

1 lime juiced

I just dump all the ingredients in the crockpot really in no particular order. Chop your peppers and onions and celery and peel and cube your sweet potatoes. Add your spices (I use organic in those too by the way). If using canned beans look for a low sodium one and rinse them before adding. Cook it in the crockpot on low for 6 hours.

This is the way I like the chili. You can leave out the turkey to do a vegan friendly version or add chicken or beef if you prefer. You can use different beans or just one or two of the ones I used. Whatever kind if beans you like. I don't like my chili really hot (I'm already spicy enough ;) ), but you could add poblanos or jalapeños if you like. You could also leave out the celery or add carrots of you want. Basically adapt it to how you like it. I like my chili topped with avocado, black olives and a little plain Greek yogurt. How do you like yours topped?

Fat vs Muscle

I hear people say all the time "muscle weighs more than fat" I don't know who started this, but they must have missed school that day. There is absolutely no way that one pound can more weigh than another. A pound is a pound whether it is muscle, fat, feathers, rocks, cookies or apples. You cannot change how much a pound weighs.

The thing you need to look at is how much space it takes up. Muscle takes up so much less space. Like a pound of rocks takes up a lot less space than a pound of feathers. A pound of apples takes up less space than a pound of Hershey's kisses. So stop saying a pound of fat weighs more than a pound of muscle. That can never happen. These two weigh the same, but the one with muscles looks much smaller. That is because the muscles take up so much less space. To get a lean toned body you should focus on building lean muscle mass. Do not focus on what that number on the scale says. Focus on getting healthy and building your muscles. (Don't worry women you will not get bulky. We have less testosterone and our muscles will not bulk up like this).

 

 

I would much rather carry around some tangerines than some grapefruits. Wouldn't you? So be sure to focus on building those muscles!!

Scrumptious Saturday!

I like anything pumpkin...Wait let me rephrase that I LOVE anything pumpkin. I think that still is not a good enough word...OK I am OBSESSED with anything pumpkin. I mean it is so awesome!! I know a lot of people are really excited when the fall comes because there is pumpkin everywhere, but I am here to tell you friends pumpkin is not just for the fall. I love it all year. I am going to give you all my recipe for my yummy scrumptious pumpkin muffins. I kind of made up the recipe on the fly. My picky 7 year old has gobbled them up since I made them. First before I give you the recipe let's talk pumpkin. So here are some benefits to one of my favorite foods. Seriously pumpkin is amazing!

 

 

So yea pumpkins are awesome!!!!

 

 

 

Ok the first thing I did was make my pumpkin puree. You can use canned, but I like the fresh pumpkin. If I don't use fresh I get the organic pumpkin that is in a carton (at whole foods) not in a can. To puree your pumpkin just cut it in half and scoop out the middle (save your seeds to do roasted pumpkin seeds) and place it down in a dish. I put a little water around my pumpkin. I bake for about 60 minutes. After it has cooled just scoop out the middle and put in a food processor or blender and voila yummy pumpkin puree. Make sure you get the right kind of pumpkin. This is what I use.

 



After making the yummy puree it is muffin time. So finally what you have been waiting for here it is...The pumpkin muffin recipe!!

15oz of pumpkin puree (homemade or carton or canned)
1/2 cup of applesauce (homemade or organic unsweetened)
2 large organic eggs (flax eggs can be used as well, 1tbsp of flax with 3tbsp water= 1 egg)
1tsp organic vanilla
1/2 cup organic coconut sugar (you can also use brown sugar)
1 3/4 cups organic spelt flour (oat, coconut, wheat, or quinoa would work as well)
1tsp baking powder
2 1/2tsp homemade pumpkin pie spice (nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon, and ground cloves)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

I always mix all my ingredients together in the order listed. I know every recipe says do dry first in a bowl, and then a separate bowl mix your wet ingredients and then in another bowl mix them all together. Seriously who wants to do that many dishes? I have a Kitchenaid stand mixer and just dump everything in there, and mix.
I used silicone muffin tins, but use whatever you have. If you have paper lightly grease the bottom with a little organic olive oil.
I use an ice cream scooper so I can get roughly the same amount in every tin. Bake them for 30 minutes. With the applesauce they will be a little softer on the inside. You can freeze them to pull out to eat during the week. Let them cool down and then enjoy.

You could add some other ingredients in there if you want. Nuts, chocolate chips, peanut butter, bananas etc... I don't want that other stuff in the way of my yummy pumpkin though. I am a pumpkin purist :)