Where Do I Begin???

I often hear this from people, "I want to lose weight but I have tried everything and nothing works."
Or "How did you do it (lose 30+ pounds)?" Or "Where do I begin?"
Well I am hopefully going to help answer that question in this blog post!!!!!!!

1. Get it clean!!!! It's time to ditch all of those unpronounceable ingredients, those artificial colors and flavors, and get back to nature. If you are not sure what foods are clean, and good rule of thumb is to stick with vegetables (fresh or frozen, except for canned beans drained and rinsed well,) lean meats, occasional fruit (fruit is high in natural sugar,) and complex carbs like brown rice and natural oatmeal. Sweet potatoes and white potatoes are ok occasionally too, as is whole wheat pasta and bread. For a list of Approved Foods click here.
   
2. Eat every 3 hours, and don't skip meals!!!!! When you skip meals, your metabolism goes to sleep and the next time you eat, your body will cling to those calories for dear life because it doesn't know how long until it will get to eat again.
   
3. Portion control is just as important as what you eat and how often you eat. For ladies, 4 oz is a serving of protein, about the size of the palm of your hand. A tablespoon of peanut butter means a level tablespoon, not a heaping one!!! When in doubt, weigh/measure everything until you can confidently eyeball proper portions.
   
4. Water, water, water! You should drink 8 glasses a day, at least!!!
   
5. Get thee to the weight room!!!! Muscles on women are not only sexy, but they will help speed up your metabolism!!! Don't be afraid to lift heavy, you will NOT get "bulky!" I repeat, you will NOT get bulky!!! Ladies do not make enough testosterone to look like Arnold, unless they are injecting them! So no worries, go for the big bells! ;)
   
6. HIIT it hard! Cardio is important, and the right cardio can act like a blow torch to your fat cells!!! High Intensity Interval Training is much more effective than steady state cardio (think hamster on a wheel!) The point of HIIT is to train super hard for a short duration, recover for a short duration, and repeat. The internet is a great resource for HIIT workouts that can be done on the treadmill, the elyptical, or the bike. I will also occasionally post a HIIT workout on my Facebook page.
   
7. Give it TIME!!! You didn't get where you are in 2 weeks, so don't expect to get into Fitness Magazine Model shape in 2 weeks either. I like to set 12 week goals for training. Take a picture on day one, and a picture on the last day. You will be amazed!!!

I hope this helps!!! If you need help with menu planning or workout planning, you can email me here!
Remember, the road to fitness is a journey!!! :)

One Year of Clean Living

Here we are, and it is hard to believe. But I have been eating clean and training consistently for a year now. Looking back, I cannot believe how far I had let myself go. Looking ahead, there is still so very much left to accomplish. Am I happy with it all? Yes, but not enough to stop. I need to keep going. I have new goals now, not just to "lose some weight." I have grown to love this lifestyle. I love my time in the gym. I love being strong and getting stronger. I love the look of lean muscle and definition. It is addicting. And as for my diet, well it is just a way of life now. I feel like I eat better than ever before, lean proteins, fresh veggies and fruit, very little processed carbs and of those, only whole grain. I feel good when I eat well, and I feel sick when I don't. Even if I succumb to a craving, I usually feel sick afterward and just end up craving my "health food" again. One year ago I would have never thought I would be here, and yet here I am. Long gone are my size 12s and size large clothes, replaced with size 4s and size smalls. The one thing I can say is that a program is critical to success, I could not have done this without some tracks to run on. And encouragement is priceless!!! So here's to the next step, taking it to the next level, and never, ever looking back!!!!

Finally, bikini ready!!!

Citrus Coleslaw

I cannot wait to try this with some Blackened Fish Tacos!

4 cups Cabbage, finely shredded (use both red and green for color)
2 spring onions or scallions,thinly sliced
1 carrot,finely grated
1/4 cup cilantro,chopped (or less, to taste)


Citrus Dressing:
1/2 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice,freshly squeezed (or lime!)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Prepare the dressing by whisking together all the dressing ingredients.
Mix all the other ingredients in large salad bowl.Pour over the dressing and toss to combine.Let sit in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to let the flavor come together.Serve Cold.

Turkey Meatloaf Muffins

Oh my, these are so good! And super easy to put together! I did not have a muffin pan (long story involving a crayon experiment, hey I am a mom too!) So I just put heaping mounds of the mixture on a cookie sheet and it worked out marvey-pooh. So here's the recipe:

1.25 pounds ground turkey (I use 93/7)

1 large green bell pepper (or any color), diced

1 medium purple onion, diced

1 egg

Mix together and make 8 mounds of "meatloaf muffins" either on your cookie sheet or in your muffin pan (that has not been ruined by a crayon experiment.)

Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Remove to paper towels to soak up any excess renderings from cooking. 

Top with some low-sugar ketchup, or go western and add a little BBQ sauce, or Mexican and add salsa! I could go on.....oh! And you can add other veggies too! Like maybe shredded carrots and shredded zucchini? Then top with marinara? Oh and wouldn't these be so yummy "frosted" with a bit of whipped potato???

Per serving (1 meatloaf muffin) 112 calories, 6g fat, 15g protein, 3g carb

(ok, so what if I eat TWO at a time, it's just so YUM!)

I simply cannot believe that in 3 weeks it will be the ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY of this journey to becoming more fit!!!!!! Looking back, so many things have changed. I laugh to see my stumbling blocks and challenges, and how far I have come from those days. It is only fitting that the end of my current 12 week challenge will conclude on the anniversary of beginning any kind of training regimen. And so, in 3 weeks I will post a before/after pic of then and now. I am very proud of my progress, but I am still inspired to keep going with even bigger fitness goals! It has truly become a lifestyle that I enjoy and therefore, there's just no stopping now!!!! 

Here's to getting stronger, every damn day!!!!! :-)