Guilt free summer treats

Thirsty Thursdaaaaaaay!!!!
It's practically summer and that means summer treats. How about a summer treat that taste guilty but is a real treat for your health and your body ;D
Pina Colada Shakeology....YEA BOIIIIIII!!!! That's what I'm talkin' bout. I have worked hard to get where I am and still going, the last thing I want to do is feel like I am throwing it all away while trying to enjoy the season....
1 scoop Vanilla Shakeology
½ cup water
½ cup 100% pineapple juice
½ tsp. pure coconut extract
A squirt or two of stevia
½ cup ice
Blend and be transported to paradise :)

Happy Thirsty Thursday ;)

Summer is less than 30 Days, away are you ready?

It's time to get serious, we start on the 30th. Whose in?

It's time to step up and get serious... I am looking for 5 to 10 women and/or men who want to lose 10-20lbs in the next 30 days.
My favorite season is summer and I always look forward to the weather and the cute skimpy clothes... But two summers ago I was looking at all of these cute outfits that I wanted to wear. I wanted to feel sexy and beautiful and feel good in the clothes that I used to be ...able to wear. So I went shopping and instead of finding outfits that I felt good in, I cried. I realized I didn't look the way I thought I would and I felt even worse. I felt fat and unattractive and I cried....I cried for two days as I realized I had let myself go so far and I had to get myself back.

So I am going to take you through exactly what I did to get the weight off. Exactly what I did for that first month that helped me stop hating shopping for fear of how I would feel and look in those clothes that I so desperately wanted to wear. And that cringe of my own reflection in those dressing room fun house mirrors.. I swear they are designed to make you hate yourself..lol

I no longer dread shopping.. I love it again, I love myself and my beautiful changing body..so much so that my husband has to monitor my credit cards grin emoticon I want you to feel that again, the freedom of that and the empowerment that gives you.
So this will be a place of No excuses, just your commitment to hard work and growth. It's time to put those negative, self deprecating thoughts and feelings to rest, compete against yourself and your inner demons and WIN.
Send me a message to reserve your spot.

Slower cooker chicken tacos

 

I absolutely love Mexican food and when I find a recipe that fits into my busy schedule, tastes amazing, satisfies all of my cravings...CRUNCHY, SAVORY, SWEET..OH MY;) I just have to share it. This took just a few minutes to prep, 4 hours to cook (I ran errands in the mean time) and was amazing to eat. All without derailing my health and fitness goals. It's kid tested and husband approved. So enough chatter, here is the recipe. I hope you enjoy <3

Ingredients:

• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 Tbsp avocado, or olive oil
• 3 tsps onion powder
• 3 tsps chili powder
• 2 tsps garlic powder
• 3 tsps ground cumin
• 1 tsp of  crushed red pepper flakes.
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 3 cups organic, low sodium chicken broth
• 1, 15 oz can of diced tomatoes, drained
• 1.5 cups prepared black beans
• 2 3/4 cups of whole grain brown rice or long grain white rice or even boil in bag white rice
• 1/3 cup shredded quesadilla cheese (optional) .

Instructions:

1. Place chicken breasts in crock pot.
2. Pour in broth, canned tomatoes, oil, and seasonings.
3. Cook on low for about 3.5 to 4 hours.
4. Remove chicken breasts from slow cooker.
5. Turn temp to high and stir in rice and black beans.
6. Let cook 30-45 minutes on high, or until rice is tender.
7. Use forks to shred chicken.
8. Add shredded chicken back in, cook for 10  minutes on high, or until chicken is hot.
9. Serve with fresh diced tomatoes, plain Greek yogurt, green onions, diced avocado or guacamole, top with cheese if desired.

I used fresh corn tortillas that I crisp on a flat top to make my tacos and THEY...ARE...A-MA-ZING.
You could also spread it over your favorite tortilla chips and make nachos. I like organic blue corn tortilla chips.

Enjoy

Family Matters

I have a dilemma, my grandfather is dying and I need to go home to Philly. Now he and I have not been close in over 25 years. Our family dynamic is very strained with several members and I have some hurt feelings that I am dealing with. So should I go home for his looming death and funeral is what I am wondering? I wish I had the kind of family that was close and genuinely cared for one another but I don't or at least that is the way I perceive them. I think if I don't go home that would look bad on my part. I mean no matter what he is still my Grandfather...right? So I am planning to go when my daughter gets out of school next week. The problem is, his doctors don't know how long he has.. It could be days or weeks. So if I go and it takes him weeks to die am Iexpected to stay up there that long? I fully intend on putting my hurt feelings aside, putting a smile on my face and pretending nothing is wrong. But my feelings are so hurt ,I am afraid if asked I may blurt out what is eating me up. I don't want to turn his funeral into a circus or turn the focus on me. I want to be involved and enjoy that time with my family as much as possible, so how do you tuck away the hurt for an extended period of time spent with people that refuse to acknowledge your feelings or are too self centered to care?

Being a recovering alcoholic the last thing I need is to be put into a situation that pushes me toward the drink. I don't want to be surrounded by negative energy and I most certainly don't want to be the source of that energy. So I am curious, how do you go into such a delicate situation guarded but not cold? How do you not let things get to you to the point of blowing up at someone? How do you pretend nothing is wrong to preserve the integrity of the visit?

Spousal Support

Have you ever been in a place on a journey of your life, where you feel like you are doing everything right? I have been feeling like that lately with my weight loss journey. I have been making the best food choices and enjoying them. Drinking the right amount of water, putting great effort into my workouts and then BAM!! Out of nowhere, I start relaxing on my meal disciplines, which allows that voice of self doubt to creep in and get louder. I find that usually happens after there's been so much temptations constantly around me that I just cave in. I think I talk about this quite often. My husband and daughter are "sort of" on a journey of their own except on the weekends and any weeknight that they feel like indulging... This can be the hardest thing to deal with because, it is within the confines of what is supposed to be my "safe haven" my home. This is where I am supposed to feel safe, this is where I am away from the temptations of the outside world and I can make the best choices  possible because that is what is all that is available to me.....RIGHT??  Well not always, yesterday started off as a perfect day. I got up I had breakfast, and later I made us healthier versions of cobb salads (which my husband drenched in dressing :o) for lunch, then we went for a great hike in Roswell. It was wonderful, I came home, had a strawberry shakeology (taste like a strawberry milkshake) then I took a nice hot bath while playing classical music....so relaxing. My husband and daughter went off to pick up dinner while I was in the bath. I was going to have seared ahi tuna with fresh corn on the cobb and they were eating whatever. If they don't want what I am eating then they handle their food not me. I just don't want to deal with the temptation.

 Lately it had been easy to avoid whatever high fat, high sodium nonsense they were putting into their bodies but last night was different. He brought home these thinly sliced brisket from the farmers market, queso, fresh guacamole and corn tortillas....OMG!!! this is one of my favorite foods. Now, it can be a very healthy, light meal if you stick to the right portions but who does that with Mexican food. It's sooooo good. So needless to say I overindulged. I saw his tortilla chips in the pantry and all bets were off at that very moment. I grabbed the guac and queso and went to town. I stuffed my face with chips, queso and guacamole until I was full and then I had 4 corn tacos....one with tuna and 3 with beef and they were amazing. And to top it all off I had some of Miki's Candy.  For some reason he buys her candy and sodas at the farmers market... It's insane, so before bed I ate two of her cookies and cream pocky sticks..I think it's an Asian candy.

So of course today I wake up feeling bad about my choices yesterday and almost a little defeated. I feel defeated because I know I plan to have whatever leftovers there are for lunch. So I am a little worried, does this mean that my flesh has taken back over. I have been in such a good place that the desire to eat what I want hasn't been stronger than my desire to stick to my meal plan and reach my goals...until today. That is usually how it is for me,  I am doing great, until I am not. It always starts the same way too. My giving in to the temptations my husband brings into the house.

Somewhere in this day I have to take some time away to myself and regroup. Pray about it, recommit, talk to my husband and be clear. I will let him know yesterday cannot happen again for a while. He will have to support me better and then I need to lay down exactly what I need to happen this week for me to stay on track. I in no way intend on telling him what he can and cannot eat, but I will let him know if he needs to have something that I may be tempted by, then he needs to eat if outside of the house, get rid of the evidence and don't tell me about it. I need to be clear, I need be firm, I need to be honest about how this makes me feel and how much I need his support. Usually that will buy me just enough time to get my head back on straight, refocused and strong enough to resist the many temptations he sneaks into this house for a few more weeks..

 

 

Moist Herb Roasted Chicken

 

One of the things I like have in the fridge is a roasted chicken. I used to get rotisserie chickens but, I don't know what they put on them, let alone if it is a quality hormone and antibiotic free chicken. So I started making them myself. I use the breasts meat for my salads and the legs, thighs and wings I use for dinners. It is so quick and easy, I literally prepare it in minutes. Then I throw it in the oven while I workout and Viola 2-3 lunches and 1 nights dinner for a family of 3 and I know it's clean and healthy. 

Start with a whole chicken up to 3lbs.
 ^1/2tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

^1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon of chopped rosemary

1 teaspoon of garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon of thyme

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees before starting to prepare the chicken.

Place the whole chicken into a medium sized baking pan.
Rub the entire bird with the olive oil.
In a small bowl combine the salt, pepper, oregano, basil, and paprika, rosemary, garlic powder and thyme then sprinkle evenly over chicken. Lift the skin over the breast and rub the seasoning mixture over the breast meat and rub some inside the cavity of the chicken.
In the preheated oven bake the chicken for 20 minutes.
Lower the oven to 300 degrees.
Continue baking for 40-50 minutes, or until golden brown and juices run clear.
Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before carving and serving. (This allows for the juices to flow back in..)
I hope you enjoy :)

 

 

 

Countdown to my First Triathlon

My first triathlon is upon me and is 8 hours away and I AM TERRIFIED. I am afraid of not finishing the swim in time and being disqualified. I am afraid of being afraid in the ocean swimming 500 yards out. I am afraid of having a panic attack out in the gulf. I am afraid of encountering dangerous sea life. I am afraid of so many things and "what ifs".  I have no idea why I am feeling this way. I thought I had conquered this part of me. The part of me that somehow lost my sense of self confidence and was too afraid to do anything that was outside of my little box. But for some reason those feelings are back tonight. I am completely outside of my comfort zone and I just want to revert back to the old afraid me and cancel this event. I want to pretend something out of my control happened and I cannot keep my commitment. I literally want to run back home. I hate this feeling, I hate that these feelings are back and I want to retreat. But I am here and I have no choice but to go through with it right? I keep trying to repeat to myself in the place of all of the "what ifs'' that are freaking me out... "what if I have a great time", "what if it is fun"... and "what if I surprise myself and do really well"? I felt sort of the same way when I did my first half marathon....but it was nowhere near as scary as this one. Since the entire race was on land...LOL But I finished before the time cap and I am willing to do it again. So no matter how scared I am feeling, no matter how badly I want to run, no matter how much my skin hurts because I am freaking out... I am going through with it. I will pray for guidance and protection. I will pray to stay in the moment and just aim to have fun. I pray that I finish within the time caps so I get to actually finish the entire race. I pray that I will remember that I trained for this and I know I can do it. I pray I go out there and show the scared me just what I can do and focus on one thing... enjoying myself.

Oh those Damn Plateaus

So myself and a few of my challengers have been going through plateaus. Talk about feeling defeated. There is nothing worse than busting your butt and doing what feels like everything you can to keep moving forward, day after day, week after week with zero changes.

This can be so discouraging and if not handled correctly it can send you spiraling back to your starting weight. I know because, I have been there....been there...done that... ;) The best way to handle and maneuver a plateau is to first, get educated on what it is and how to get out of it. 

Our bodies are extremely complex, well designed machines with systems in place meant to protect us and keep us alive. When your body is under stress (which is how it perceives exercise) chemicals and hormones are sent out to protect us. Another way our bodies attempt to protect us is by adapting. When you do the same exercises over an extended period of time, your body adjusts to the stresses of that activity. So the calorie expenditure of performing that exercise the first few weeks will no longer be the same after a few more weeks once your body knows what to expect. For example, if your a runner, over time your body will burn less calories doing that same activity than it did in the beginning. You will still work up a sweat and feel like you had an amazing workout, which you may have.. but it no longer takes as much energy to do it anymore. I noticed that on my own heart rate monitor. On a five mile run I was burning almost 100 calories less than I did just a few months ago. My body adapted and the same will happen with your nutrition. Not only will you stop getting the same satisfaction out of those same old meals, but your body will adjust to that intake and no longer yield you the same results.

So what do you need to do you ask? Well, you switch things up. First you should start tracking everything that you put into your mouth and I MEAN EVERYTHING. Even what you are drinking, then go back to measuring your foods. Sometimes you can find the culprit in a stall to weight loss by simply going back to the basics and weighing your food again. If you are like me, you get a little liberal with the serving sizes over time. Then take a look at your food tracker and see where you can make some cuts. What foods are in there that really shouldn't be, but somehow snuck back in. I noticed a few weeks ago that I was having 3 servings of cheese a day.... :o 3... WHAT THE FRENCH TOAST? I have no idea how I didn't even notice that and if I hadn't been tracking I don't know how long it would have taken me to figure that out. Change up your caloric intake, when we lose weight we no longer need the same amount of calories that we had been consuming to get where we are. You may have to play around with this a little, so definitely find a way to keep notes on what your doing. I picked up a tip from a celebrity trainer and she says "alternate higher calorie days with lower calorie days and on the lower days try to get up later and go to bed earlier". I have actually done this and it works. I'd also like to add maybe upping your water intake will help as well. If your stuck at 80 ounces...like I was for a while, aim for 100, then a gallon.

Lastly, change up your workouts. As I mentioned before your body already knows how to do what you have been doing, so it is not going to burn more calories, it will actually start to burn less. Add in some weight lifting, circuit training, HIIT training, lift heavier, take a martial arts class, or try a new sport like tennis or bicycle riding. The point is, you have to keep your body guessing to keep it changing and to do that you have to step out of your comfort zone. If a workout is truly uncomfortable, your calorie expenditure will be higher until your body adapts to that too, just as it won't always be hard and uncomfortable. Like the hills on my runs, I used to stop and walk the hills, but now I put my head down, get wrapped up in my music and get through them. Soon I will run them without even a second thought. Well...after I celebrate that progress of course.  But that is what will keep you growing and your body changing....getting out of your comfort zone

I hope this was helpful y'all, have a great Sunday <3