Fit for: The Holidays Partner's Challenge!!

Here is your invitation to be part of the first "Fit for: ..." challenge series!  This particular challenge will run for 6 weeks and there will be a cash prize of up to $200!  Contact me for more information or to reserve your spot!  I would love to have YOU be a part of this challenge!

Fruit-on-the-Bottom Greek Yogurt

Greek yogurt is a staple item in my fridge.  It's a super easy and quick snack that I especially love with 1 tbs of peanut butter mixed in.  Yum!  I wanted to see if I could create my own version using fresh, organic fruit and plain greek yogurt.  After perusing Pinterest, I found a promising recipe.  Thank you simplebites.net for the inspiration.

I changed my version by using agave nectar in place of the honey and also cut it back from 2 tbs to only 1.  The next time I make this I will omit this ingredient.

These should last about a week in your fridge and take about 10 minutes to make and assemble.  They are also much cheaper than buying the individual containers!

Here's what you need:
4 mason jars (mine were 6 oz. jars)
8 oz of fruit (I used fresh strawberries, but you could also use frozen - just thaw first)
3 c (appx) plain greek yogurt (I used Fage 0% Plain) 
pinch of salt
1 tbs cornstarch
1 tbs cold water
1 tbs agave nectar or honey (opt)

Directions:
Chop/mash up your strawberries (or fruit of choice).   Place strawberries, agave nectar (if using), and salt in saucepan over medium heat and stir until bubbly.  Mix cornstarch and cold water in a small bowl and pour into saucepan.  Simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring often, or until thickened.  Pour into a glass bowl (I used a measuring cup) and cool in the fridge for 5-10 minutes.  Once cooled, scoop 2 tbs of fruit mixture into each mason jar.  Top with desired amount of plain greek yogurt.  

I used 2/3 c. greek yogurt in my recipe and 1 tbs agave nectar.  Here is the nutritional information:
126 cal, 15 g carbs, 0 g fat, 17 g protein, 13 g sugar, 1 g fiber

Without agave nectar, here is the nutritional information:
111 cal, 11 g carbs, 0 g fat, 17 g protein, 9 g sugar, 1 g fiber

**If you want to flavor the yogurt, mix in 1 tbs of vanilla or 1 tsp stevia.**

Enjoy!

3 Day Shakeology Cleanse Results!

I had the best of intentions to follow the 3-day cleanse to a T.  If I had been at home for the full 72 hours, I would have had a better chance of following it perfectly.  I went to a party at my husband's office on Day 2 and was out running around all afternoon on Day 3.  So things didn't quite work out as planned, but I was still pleased with my results.

After the 3 days were over, I managed to lose 5 pounds!  Not too bad, huh?

I plan on doing the cleanse every 3 months!

Are you going to give it a try?

Shakeology 3-Day Cleanse

Are you looking to bust through a weight-loss plateau, get a jump-start on your weight loss journey, or rid your body of toxins in a gentle way?

The 3-Day Shakeology cleanse may be your answer!

I just started my cleanse this morning.  I'm hoping to get past my current plateau and start losing weight again.  I've read that it's possible to lose up to 8 pounds during the cleanse.  I realize that this is not all from fat loss.  Other common results are having less bloat, more energy (once the cleanse is complete), feeling lighter and rejuvenated.

There are lots of cleanses circulating online, but this one is pretty unique.  With the Shakeology cleanse, you will still be supplying your body with all of the nutrients it needs.

You can repeat this cleanse every 3 months.  It is NOT recommended to extend the cleansing period.  If you are interested in a longer cleanse, contact me about the Ultimate Reset.

Here's the schedule to follow for the 3-Day Cleanse:

Days 1 through 3

Breakfast

1 scoop of Shakeology mixed with 8-10 oz water (ice to taste)

1 c. of green tea/detox tea

1/2 c. fruit (60-90 cal.) *optional

Snack 1

1 piece of fruit (appx. 90 cal.)

Lunch

1 scoop of Shakeology mixed with 8-10 oz water (ice to taste)

1 c. of green tea/detox tea

Snack 2 (Before or After Dinner)

1 scoop of Shakeology mixed with 8-10 oz water (ice to taste)

Dinner

Salad (made with dark greens) + non-starchy veggies

4 oz (maximum) of poultry or fish (no breading, must be baked, grilled, poached)

2 tbs (maximum) low-fat salad dressing *optional

Drink 2-4 liters of water each day.

No dairy.  This includes almond, soy, coconut milk.

No added sugars/sweeteners.

Limit salt intake.

I will be sure to report back with my results!  

Feel free to contact me with any questions.

"Health" Food: Is it really healthy?

Over the past couple of years, I have read a lot of health and fitness blogs.  I figure they already have things figured out, so I make observations about what they eat and how they exercise.  One thing that they all have in common is how much real food that they eat - especially vegetables.

When you are trying to lose weight, it's so easy to fall into the trap of stocking up on Reduced-Fat Wheat Thins, Low Fat granola bars, Light flavored yogurts, Lean Cuisines, Baked Lays, Diet Coke and the like.  We think that we need less fat and carbs and fewer calories and that's all that matters.

However, it's not just  the quantity of food that matters, it's the quality.  When you buy these diet foods, you are more than likely ingesting a lot of synthetic ingredients, sugar, and artificial sweeteners.  All of this "junk" negatively impacts the way your body functions and sets you up to be at a higher risk for diabetes, hearth disease, and being overweight or obese.

We have to become stringent when assessing food labels because the food companies are trying to trick us into thinking that we are making good choices, when we may not.  You need to first look at the ingredients in each food you are buying, not just the information in the nutrition box.

Here is a breakdown on various "health foods"...
RF Wheat Thins: Click here.
Chobani Greek Yogurt: Click here.
Ocean Spray Cran-Pomegranate Juice: Click here.
Special K Bars: Click here.
Morning Star Riblets: Click here.

What themes do you see?

All of these foods have some form of sugar or artificial that is highly addicting and will keep us coming back for more.  They are all lacking in real forms of nutrients.

Ex. Motts regular applesauce contains high fructose corn syrup.  Is this really necessary?  No!

So what should you eat?

You can never go wrong with the foods above.  (If you are pre-diabetic or diabetic, you will need to limit foods that have a high glycemic index).  Your focus should be on vegetables and then fruits.

I really like this Great Plate illustration from University of Michigan on what types of foods should be filling your plate.  You can download the PDF, here.

The Great Plate

Luckily, Shakeology contains a ton of super foods, fruits, and vegetables and none of this "junk".  For your other 2 meals during the day, you should try to make vegetables the highlight of your meal.  You want to feed your body foods high in nutrients so you can feel great and truly be healthy!

What if I don't like vegetables?
I promise that if you continuously try to include veggies in your diet, your palate will start to change.  I used to hate asparagus, brussels sprouts, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, spinach, etc but I enjoy all of them now.  Sometimes you just need to change the way that they are prepared.  I prefer my vegetables to be roasted, and not steamed.  You can season them with your favorite herbs.  You can sneak them into sauces by pureeing them first.  I have even added grated summer squash to ground beef when making tacos.  Lilly didn't even notice!

Try different kinds.  Who says you can only eat carrots and broccoli??

40 Unexpected Ways to Add Veggies to a Meal

**Notice that potatoes count as starches and not vegetables.**

Homework - Look at your food diary.  Write down the foods that you thought were healthy, that really aren't.  Next to each food, write down what you can replace it with at your next grocery trip.

My list will include exchanging my non-fat plain greek yogurt with 2% plain greek yogurt.  

Shakeology - Not Just a Drink!

If you are looking to consume your Shakeology in a way that doesn't involve a blender, this is a great way!  You can make these ahead of time and pop them in your freezer for a quick snack.

Below is a video from Mindy Lawhorne, a well-known Beachbody coach.  We work out together several times each week...she is in my TurboJam videos.  ;)  She used to be overweight and has totally changed her life with her dedication to health and fitness.

Shakeology Balls

You can experiment in the kitchen with Shakeology.  You want to stay away from heating it though because that will diminish the potency of the ingredients.  Happy baking!

Weighing In

I have a love/hate relationship with my scale.  I love it when I lose weight and I hate it when don't.  I'm sure you can relate.  One morning, you are down 2 pounds and the next day you have gained 3 back.

 Source

Even though I know that it is nearly impossible to gain 3 pounds of fat overnight, it still starts me off on the wrong foot at the beginning of the day.  My first feelings of the day do not need to be feelings of failure.  During my first week of working out and eating right I actually gained 2 pounds.  I was so mad at myself and was wondering what I was doing wrong.  I could have been more disciplined with my nutrition, but I knew that I had improved my eating habits from before.

On the other hand, knowing that I was losing weight was have a negative effect on me too.  I would become more relaxed and start to slack off a little more.  A cookie here and skipping a workout there and I was back up a pound.

This created a vicious cycle that I couldn't break!  I was yo-yo-ing back and forth and not really going anywhere!  Now after a month, I have lost close to 5 pounds and a little over 10 inches.  I can't complain there!  I'm still no where near my final goals, but I'm making progress.

As far as the scale goes, I've decided to only weigh myself once a month.  I wake up and pay attention to how I feel and I'm not letting a number set the tone for the day ahead.  I feel like I'm in a challenge with myself because I want to lose weight before my next weigh in.  I'm more disciplined with my workouts and have been even more conscious about what I'm eating.

I urge you to do the same if you can relate to the negative feelings associated with weighing yourself each morning.  If you can't hold out an entire month, try waiting 2 weeks.

Whole Wheat Banana Bread (Oil and Sugar Free)

One of my favorite things to do with Lilly is bake.  It's fun and it teaches her so many things.  Best of all, she is more willing to try foods that she has created.


I have a slight love of the Food Network and Lilly has grown to enjoy "mommy's cooking shows".  Last week we made our own cooking show when we made this bread for the first time.


It is so easy and so much better for you than your traditional banana bread recipe.


Watch our video here!

Whole Wheat Banana Bread


2 ¼ cup whole-wheat flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt

3 large bananas (the riper the better)
¼ cup kefir (or yogurt) plain
¼ cup honey
2 eggs
1/3 cup applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla


*1 cup walnuts, optional


Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl.  Combine wet ingredients in a small bowl.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients.  Mix until well incorporated.  Batter will be lumpy.  Pour into a greased loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees F until done.  Toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean.


**Portion Control Tip**


If you have an issue with portion control, I highly suggest cutting the loaf after it has cooled and wrapping each piece individually in foil.  Put all of the pieces into a freezer Ziploc bag and store in the freezer.  Just remove one at a time and microwave for about 45 seconds before eating.

Own It

Tonight I finally did something that I have been putting off for a long time --- my "before" pictures.  Technically, they aren't really "before" pictures anymore since I've already started this journey.

There is something very real about actually seeing a full-body shot of yourself from 4 different angles.  I'm normally running from cameras and I hate to have my picture taken because I know I will not like what I see in the photo.

Hiding from the camera is just a form of denial.  You know you probably won't like what you see, but you hope that it isn't as bad as you think.

Seeing my pictures (which I have now hidden on my computer) was not easy.  I had to fight the urge to let my negative self-talk take over when I finally looked at them.  Instead, I just became more motivated to reach my goals.  I'm not looking for a quick fix diet or some magic pill to take.  Those don't exist and if they do, they are not healthy.  This is going to take a lot of hard work and persistence.

My appearance tells a story.  I'm clearly not happy with the way I look and I can give you many reasons why I look the way I do.  Notice how I did not say "excuses"?  I am owning my laziness that I had for over a year and my total lack of caring what I put into my body.  I let myself spiral out-of-control and that is the reason why I am overweight.

Tomorrow morning, I will be creating a list of all of the reasons that I gained so much weight and then I will be creating another list of ways to correct those bad habits.

This is all about taking control and owning my actions!

Let's do this!

Secret to Weight Loss

Something to remember as we head into the weekend, when good eating habits become a little lax...

 [Source]

Weight loss is about 85% nutrition and 15% exercise.  If you are working out a lot and not seeing results, chances are that your diet is to blame.  

Bye, Bye Processed Foods!

I am really making an effort to stop buying processed foods.  Processed foods are anything that comes in a package from the grocery store.  If it has a nutrition label, it is more than likely processed.  You will not find a nutrition label on an apple (not processed), but you will find one on a jar of applesauce (processed).

Our society seeks out food that is quick, easy, and convenient.  We are all busy and cutting down on the time spent in our kitchens can be enticing.  Let's look at a loaf of bread.  If you make bread from scratch, you need: water, yeast, flour, butter, salt and maybe some honey for added flavor.  Notice how you can recognize and pronounce all of those ingredients?  Now, if you were to buy a loaf of Wonder bread from the store this is the ingredient list that you would see on the back of the bag...

 [Source]

Huh?  Did you get a little confused after "water"?  If you were to research how each of those ingredients were to affect your health, you would probably be shocked.  I would say that the majority of people do not have the time to search each ingredient on their iPhone while standing in the grocery store aisle with 2 screaming perfectly-behaved kids in tow.  

Why are these unrecognizable ingredients added to our food?

Manufacturers add these to our food to:

• Color - Cherries for the top of your sundae are NOT naturally that red
• Stabilize - Commonly used in mayo and salad dressings
• Emulsify - Who says oil and water can't mix?
• Bleach - To disinfect and deodorize
• Texturize - Everyone wants a crunchy potato chip
• Soften - It's as if the ice cream was churned twice
• Preserve - Twinkie anyone?
• Sweeten - Sugar is sweet but saccharin and aspartame is sweeter
• Hide Odors - Do you really want to smell the fish paste in your instant Pad Thai?
• Flavor - Nothing like having the sweet taste of watermelon all year round

Why are these additives and preservatives bad for your health?

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), processed foods are to blame for the spike in obesity rates around the world.

Trans Fats are commonly found in processed foods.  These are the unhealthy fats that will raise your LDL cholesterol (the bad kind) and lower your HDL cholesterol (the good kind).  Having high cholesterol will increase your risk for heart disease and other diseases.

Gaining weight is simple when processed foods are part of your everyday diet.  Processed foods are high in calories compared to whole foods.  Sugar, artificial sweeteners, salt, hydrogenated oils will aid in packing on the pounds in the form of fat and water weight.

You will have an increased risk for certain cancers.  Some of the common synthetic chemicals used in food processing are known carcinogens.  Deli meats and hot dogs are a good example with the nitrates and nitrites.

Follow this easy rule...

:: If you can't recognize or pronounce the ingredients, don't put it in your cart. ::

It may take some time, but there are brands out there that don't add a bunch of junk to increase the shelf-life or taste of their products.  

The best alternative is to make more food from scratch.  I can hear your inner voice now..."Liz, I don't have time to make food from scratch!".  Here's my frank response: Ok, well then you can clear some time on your calendar for more doctors visits and set aside some money for prescriptions to help with your high cholesterol and diabetes.  I am a firm believer in this quote...

 [Source]

The key is making baby steps.  I'm not suggesting that you throw away everything in your pantry.  (If you are willing to do a complete overhaul right now though, go for it!)  So, when you use your last slice of bread.  Find a recipe for bread.  You don't have to own a bread machine to bake bread.  When you use up your applesauce, go to the store, buy a bunch of apple and make your own!  You can freeze the extra and pull it out as you need it.  If you have little kids, they will love helping you in the kitchen. They will learn so much from it to and be more willing to try the food since they helped to create it!  

Here is a list of foods that I already or plan to start making at home...

Bread

Applesauce

Granola Bars

Butter

Chocolate syrup

Crackers

Animal crackers

Tortillas

Pancake mix

Tomato sauce

Pizza dough

I will be sure to post some of the recipes that I am using to help you out if you decide to start eliminating processed foods, too!