Another easy meal brought to you by one of my favorite methods...Put An Egg On It! If you've never tried a fried egg I suggest you do so...soon! I had never had one until a few years ago and now I put them on everything. Random leftover veggies in the fridge? Throw an egg on those suckers and call it dinner! This is exactly what this meal was...I had leftover roasted veggies, some quinoa and spinach. I tossed all of them together and put a perfect fried egg on top. I get my protein from the quinoa and egg, healthy fat from the egg, carbs from the potatoes and all the good-for-you stuff you get from spinach and other assorted veggies. A balanced meal if you ask me! And even better, a meal that comes together in less than 5 minutes on a weeknight. No real recipe for this, just a method I recommend trying in your own kitchen. Another personal favorite? Get a fried egg on top of a plate of leftover taco goods (ground turkey, onions, beans, peppers, etc.) YUM!
Day 17...I'm in the home stretch...I can see the pizza at the end of the tunnel! Haha, just kidding...not really. Next week pizza is going to happen! :) If that's not motivation enough to get me through the last few days then the general feeling of HAPPY and AWESOME will do. Seriously, I've been feeling GREAT! I think it's the total combination of things...
Getting through my workouts and feeling PROUD when they're over.
Seeing a REAL difference in how my clothes fit.
Looking in the mirror and actually being able to see a difference in my body...Oh hello MUSCLE TONE!
Feeling energized and eager to EAT WELL and get my SWEAT on.
Knowing that each day gets me one day closer to my GOAL.
Want to know something else awesome about the past week?? I dropped another 3 pounds!! What the what?! SIX pounds in 2 weeks?? I could hardly believe it when I weighed in. That result got a little celebration dance! Another sign that my HARD WORK is PAYING OFF! And one of the best things about it? I feel like I haven't been trying too hard, in that I haven't been over thinking each thing I eat or trying to over-exercise or stressing myself out. I just do what the plan calls for and trust the process. It works if you put in the work! I promise it's WORTH IT! Another surprising thing this week? This final week calls for the extra challenge of DOUBLE WORKOUTS. You don't have to, but if you want to challenge yourself, you workout twice in one day. Doesn't have to be at the same time. It's actually ideal to break them up. I've been doing one in the morning and one after work. And I don't hate it, haha! Yesterday and today had 6:30am wake up calls to get my sweat on before work. The person I was a few years ago would have laughed in your face if you said I would be willingly getting out of bed at 6:30 IN THE MORNING to sweat. It's amazing what consistent routines will do to change your habits! Another reason to workout early?
Sums it up! Get it over with before you can think about it too long. Then it's DONE!
Be sure to check back next Wednesday when I share my final results of the 21 days! I'm feeling good about this!
This was a quick breakfast I made myself one morning when I didn't feel like cooking. My breakfast meals usually don't require much cooking to begin with...maybe some eggs but I was feeling lazy and wanted something fast without having to dirty a pan. It was also dark and raining outside so I was looking for some burst of color that morning. I happened to have lots of fruit in the fridge and put together this rainbow fruit bowl. I loved the colors. You just know you're getting something good for you when it's full of natural colors like this! This bowl had strawberries, blueberries, clementine slices and pineapple topped with some chia seeds. Simple, quick and full of good nutrition! You can use this for an easy breakfast or snack and choose whatever fruits you like. It's a great way to use up that fruit before it spoils. Also, you're guaranteed to smile when you're eating a pretty bowl of color like this.
Another Workout Wednesday, another workout done...One more closer to my goal of finishing the 21 Day Fix! Today is Day 10 and I have gotten a much better grasp on the portion containers than I had on Day 3. If you're looking for a program to help you learn the best types of foods to eat and how to control your portions without feeling like you're starving, I would definitely recommend this one! The program comes with a list of foods, ranked from the best choice to the "still-good-but-not-as-ideal" choice. There is a list for each portion container or category (Vegetables, Fruits, Proteins, etc.) I have brought this list grocery shopping with me. It helps me plan my meals and search out the best vegetable for my body in the produce section.
Nutrition...on track!
Workouts...on track!
I've really been enjoying the workouts now that I've gotten through a full week of them. They are quick (only 30 minutes, inclusive of the warm up and cool down phases) and fun. Fun!? How can workouts be fun??
The part I think is fun is seeing how your body can do things you might not have thought it was capable of. It's fun to see your body progress and improve, getting stronger each day. It's also fun to yell back at the TV when the trainer is pushing you through a move you're not particularly fond of, haha!
Here's a sampling of some moves from the Upper Fix workout. I really like how this program incorporates light weights into a good majority of the moves. I feel like I'm really getting the best workout possible in just a little bit of time.
Even my push ups are improving! They're still hella hard but I'm trying my best!
OK great, so you're eating well and working out but is it making a difference???
YES IT IS!
I was down three pounds in my first week of the program. I surprised myself with that number! And, further motivation/a sign it's working, I wore my size 6 jeans to work today and was told several times the jeans were too big for me...score! I knew they were fitting me much more comfortably, which I am so happy about, but it's always nice to get compliments from another person.
10 days down...
11 days to go...
Stay tuned for another update next Workout Wednesday!
This one is a play on my 3 Ingredient Green Pasta I posted about last month. You can find that post HERE. I had a craving for pasta and wanted something quick, easy and healthy. I was reminded of this green pasta I had made before and decided to add a few more ingredients this time around. You CAN eat pasta and still have it be healthy AND taste GOOD. I mean honestly, if it doesn't taste good, it won't matter how healthy it is since you're not gonna want to eat it! It's all in what other ingredients you use. White pasta loaded down with butter, four cheeses and heavy cream may make for a very tasty mac 'n cheese but you're not doing your waistline any favors. Not that I'm hating on the super cheesy mac 'n cheese! By all means, treat yourself in moderation. This is just another pasta option that includes some veggies and is quick to make for a lunch or weeknight dinner. So, back to how this one came about. I knew I had the ingredients in my pantry for my original 3 ingredient pasta, but I also wanted to use up some extra produce and add some more green. Fresh asparagus is showing up again in the grocery stores and farmer's markets now that we're into spring and I was dying to use it in a recipe. This was the perfect way to add in some more green vegetables to the pasta! Ingredients:
1 jar pesto
1 pound whole wheat spaghetti
1 bundle asparagus
Spinach, chopped (I had most of a bag leftover to use but however much you like!)
1 large tomato, chopped
Parmesan
Instructions:
Cook pasta according to package directions.
While water is boiling/pasta is cooking, trim the tough ends off the asparagus. Cut the remaining asparagus spears into 2 inch sections.
PRO TIP: During the last 2 minutes of your pasta cooking time, toss the asparagus in with the boiling pasta. It'll cook the asparagus without you having to use a separate pot or pan.
Drain the pasta and asparagus and add back into hot pot.
Stir in the jar of pesto and chopped spinach (the heat will wilt the spinach right into the pasta).
Top with chopped tomato and sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.
Enjoy!
This is also just as good, maybe even better, the next day as the flavors have more time to mingle together. Feel free to eat it cold, room temperature or heated up. All good!
I created what I like to call my "Orange Power Soup" a couple months ago. You can see the original postHERE. I named it "Orange Power" because it's completely vegetable based and you get great vitamins and nutrients from the orange vegetables. Vitamins + Nutrients = Power. :) I've made this soup many times since that first creation. I love how simple it is and how it incorporates multiple vegetables all into one dish. An easy way to get a couple servings of veggies into your day! Another reason I enjoy this soup so much is because it's fun to top. I've been playing around with different toppings based on what I have in my fridge or pantry. Let me just say, pesto croutons are my new favorite! Here are FIVE different ways I've topped this soup, all delicious and a great way to add different flavors to an already tasty base soup.
This one was the original topping. Bake some kale in the oven until crisp and top the soup with your kale chips, fried onions, Parmesan cheese and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
This has my new favorite creation...PESTO CROUTONS! Come on, how good does that sound?! I created these yummy, crunchy bits of goodness by toasting a piece of Ezekiel bread and then spreading on a thin layer of pesto while the bread was hot out of the toaster. Cut into little squares and you've got pesto croutons!
Another easy one...spoonful of pesto, fried onions for crunch and some chopped spinach for an extra serving of good-for-you-veggies.
This one delivered on texture! Toast some chopped walnuts and top with white and black sesame seeds. A savory way to use walnuts.
Thinly slice some jalapeno for heat, add a dollop of yogurt to help cool it down and garnish with some white and black sesame seeds. Not to mention, this soup is pretty inexpensive to make and you'll enjoy multiple bowls of orange power from one big batch!
I am officially at the start of a new program! As I mentioned last week, this time I am trying my hand at the 21 Day Fix. The workout plan is easy enough. Each day you do the same exercise routine, adding doubles if you want for the 3rd week. There is also a 10 minute ab routine you can add whenever you want but I haven't worked up the courage to try that one yet, ha! I am coming off of T25 which is pretty intense as far as the exercise routines go. I did have about a two week break in between ending T25 and starting the 21DF where I didn't exercise quite as regularly (just a few times a week). On my first 21DF workout, I thought, "This is easy!" Fast forward 15 minutes into the workout and 3 days later...not so easy! So far it incorporates weights into most of the exercises which T25 did not do. I gotta tell you, I am feeling soreness in all my muscles right now BUT that means my muscles are working and changing so I'll take the soreness. :)
And, I'm trying to get back into my Wednesday MORNING workout routine. I have certainly slacked off on the early morning thing but I'm recommitting to one early day a week. That's do-able! I accomplished it this morning and felt so good after getting it done and starting my day off with a healthy sweat. I forget how good it feels to have that done before the rest of my day starts! Remind me of that next Wednesday morning when my alarm goes off early, haha! A routine that I have kept up is my workout calendar. It's an easy way for me to see what workouts I have planned for the week and which ones I've knocked out. Each time I complete a workout I give myself an orange sticker. I was looking for gold star stickers at the dollar store but couldn't find them so I settled on the orange circles. :) This really helps keep me accountable and it's exciting to see a week and then the month fill up with orange circles. It reminds me of how much I've done and how satisfying it is to stick one of those circles onto the calendar.
Tomorrow I have Pilates Fix as my workout. I'm curious to see what that's like as I'm not very familiar with pilates. I'll let you know how it goes...
The other major portion of this program is the meal planning and the portion containers. That part I'm still not 100% comfortable with. It's like a food puzzle trying to figure out what to eat, how the colored containers work, etc. I'm learning through trial and error this week and believe I may have a better game plan for prepping this weekend for the next week ahead. At the very least I know I'm eating whole foods...lean proteins, veggies, fruits, healthy fats, my yummy Shake-o and keeping carbs to a minimum. If I don't exactly get the container count right I figure I can't go off the rails too badly if I'm eating whole foods. See you next Workout Wednesday!
The other night I had a craving for something sweet but didn't want to totally take a dive into the full on indulgent treat pool. I created what I like to call Apple Nachos. I was going into the kitchen with the thought of just slicing up an apple and putting some cinnamon on it, but then I figured why not include some delicious almond butter. Then I took it a step further when I spotted the dark chocolate in my pantry...let's add that to the mix as well! Ingredients:
1 large apple
1 T. almond butter
Cinnamon
Dark chocolate bar
Instructions:
Slice the apple and arrange on a plate.
Microwave the almond butter to make it easier to drizzle. Drizzle over apple slices.
Sprinkle with cinnamon.
Shave some dark chocolate over it all (I use a vegetable peeler for this).
Enjoy!
This is a great idea for a breakfast, snack or dessert. Also a fun way to get the little ones to eat something healthy.
I'm anxious to tackle my next program and this time I'm trying out the 21 Day Fix. The main focus here is portion control. The plan comes with 30 minute workouts. I'm not worried about the exercise. I'm a little more worried about the meal planning. This will be my first time attempting this program and it looks like it requires some definite advance planning. I'm going to use this week and the weekend to look over the meal plan, grocery shop, food prep, etc.
I figure it may take a few days for me to get a hang of it but you can do anything for 21 days. Even avoid pizza (my weakness!) Although, the plan does allow for some comfort foods (including pizza and wine!) I am going to try my first round abstaining from those lovely items. Why you ask? Mostly just as a personal challenge to myself to see if I can do it. Pizza will always be there.
I'm excited about trying it and even more pumped that I'm part of a great, online, private Challenge Group that will be there to keep me accountable, motivate me and share their experiences with the program.
Look at all the cool stuff I got with the program! Portioned containers, exercise DVDs and an eating plan. The basic idea is you get a certain amount of those containers each day. For example, I get to fill that green container three times and the red one gets filled 4 times in a day. The plan comes with a super helpful list of recommended items to fill each container with. You can mix and match and make all sorts of meals and snacks out of it without having to count calories,
Want to join me on this 21 day journey? Find me on Facebook HERE! Feel free to send me a message if you're curious about this or another fitness program.
I'll keep you all posted as I go through this new challenge. Diving in 100% on Monday!
I posted about this on Facebook last week and loved it so much I had to do a post here about it as well. I drink chocolate Shakeology daily whether it's for breakfast, lunch or dinner. It's become a staple in my diet and I seriously love the stuff! When I have more time, I like to use the blender to make it extra thick and eat it with a spoon. If I'm rushed trying to get out the door to work, I'll just mix it in my trusty blender bottle with some almond milk and call it a day. But oh man, when I get to indulge myself with the extra thick, extra creamy, cold-like-soft-serve-ice-cream version...seriously delicious! Even better? It's made with Shakeology which is a dose of healthy super foods so you can eat it and know you're getting great nutrition. I treated myself to this lovely bowl of chocolate for breakfast last week. What a fun way to start the day! Ingredients:
1 frozen banana
1 cup almond milk (I use plain, unsweetened)
1 scoop chocolate Shakeology
Instructions:
Blend together with some ice until it's the consistency you want.
Top with dark chocolate shavings for an extra treat if you prefer.
Enjoy!
PRO TIP: Often I also add a tablespoon of almond butter to the blender...YUM!
I wanted to share another super quick, tasty and EASY pasta dish you can enjoy for lunch or dinner. This one came about as many of my meals do...I was looking to accomplish a few things... 1. Use up something in my fridge before it's "best by" date. 2. Use up leftovers. 3. Incorporate cheese into the recipe. 4. Cook something fast and simple on a weeknight. This recipe delivered on all four of those things and it only had FOUR ingredients! Also, it's barely a recipe it's that easy!
Ingredients:
1 container of garlic bruschetta (Item I had to use before "best by" date)
Drain and pour pasta back into hot pot you cooked it in.
Stir in whole container of bruschetta and grated Parmesan (however much cheese you want!)
Microwave those turkey meatballs for a minute or so and add to the pot of pasta, cheese and bruschetta.
Serve in a big bowl and garnish with extra cheese if you like.
Enjoy!
PRO TIP: I chop my meatballs into halves or quarters before I reheat them. Two reasons there...One, they reheat much faster and two, it "stretches a buck." Suddenly 8 meatballs turn into 16 halves or 32 little bits of turkey meatball goodness running through all your pasta. PRO TIP: This gets better the next day or even the day after that as the pasta and bruschetta sauce really get a chance to hang out together in your fridge.
