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.

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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!