Valentine’s Day Brunch

Holidays are always a struggle to stay on track. I invited my mother over for brunch. I made an egg casserole that stayed on plan. It was delicious. 

  

  
There is some prep work involved. I did the sweet potatoes up last night (when I was cooking dinner). I also diced everything up last night while waiting for things to cook.  It made making this for today super quick. 

I made MANY modifications to this recipe, but it was inspired from the following paleo recipe:PaleOMG- Easy Breakfast Bake

Here is what you will need:

• 2 tbsp coconut oil 
• 2 sweet potatoes 
• 10 eggs 
• Diced ham (3 red containers)
• 1 red pepper
• 1 green pepper
• Olive oil (to grease pan)
• Sea salt
• Shredded cheddar cheese (blue container)

Recipe called for onions and garlic powered. I forgot about garlic and we don’t like onion in this house. Feel free to add this 🙂

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. 

2. Peel and dice sweet potatoes. Coat in melted coconut oil, place on baking sheet. Top with sea salt. 

3. Bake for 25 minutes, turning a couple times through out. 

4. While baking, I used this time to dice everything: peppers and ham. 

5. Put 10 eggs in a bowl, and whisk. Stir in ham, sweet potatoes and peppers. 

  
6. Lightly grease 9 x 12 inch pan. Place mixture in container.i found this great olive oil spray. I use it often when cooking.  

 7.   Sprinkle blue container of shredded cheese cheese on top of casserole. 

8. Bake for 40 minutes at 400 F. 

Enjoy!! Makes 8 Servings. 

  
Each serving is 1 red, 1/2 yellow, 1/4 green, 1/4 blue and 1 spoon. 

What keeps me going?

  I have been reflecting about what keeps me motivated. Here are my top 3 things that keep me going:

3. Constantly setting new fitness goals. Whether it is increasing reps, or working out for 100 days in a row. Setting goals often allows me to constantly keep improving. A big goal I have for 2016 is to complete a 10km race. 

2. Remember where I was back in July of 2015. I was 35 lbs and 20 inches bigger. I was active in that I played sports but I didn’t take care of myself. I used food as my only means of reducing stress. I feel healthier, stronger and even more flexible. I need to regain control when I slip, because it can come back so quickly. 

  
And my number one thing that keeps me motivated:

1. My family. I want to be active with my husband and son. I don’t ever want my weight to be a barrier.  Last winter I went skating and I could only do a few laps because my feet couldn’t handle my weight on the skates. Now we skate nearly every Saturday night. We go on many hikes and even did a family run this fall. 

  

If these don’t motivate you, then I am sure this will:

  
Until next time…

Keep Calm and Reduce Stress

Tensions at work are causing me additional stress, which means I have been making extremely poor food decisions. I am eating so much.  People always say to just exercise, but food has always been a part of my relief (which in turn causes additional stress, much like I am feeling tonight). Oh, and you should see my fingernails (or should I say lack thereof). 

  

I know I am making poor decisions because I am not taking pictures of my food. Almost like I am embarrassed or not proud of my choices.  This entire week has been challenging. I started eating extra servings of bread; RIGHT BEFORE BED!!! I wish I had more strength. As the week has progressed, my eating has increased with tonight being a new low for me. 

***Disclaimer: Incredibly honest post to come, one I am so embarrassed of. I am sharing because I know I am not alone. Today was just a day, and a part of my journey.*** 

Tonight I skipped dinner, not sure why. I was exhausted from work and had basketball tonight. After basketball I had to pick up groceries (I am starving, know where this is going?). I bought a large bag of popcorn – Chicago Style and a Mountain Dew. Did I mention  I also picked up a medium pizza from Little Caesar’s? On my drive home, I pigged out. I ate so much pizza and popcorn that I made myself sick. I was so disappointed in my choices I cried. I am afraid my strength is dwindling or getting hidden behind my stress. 

As of today, I vow to find control. There has to be other ways to deal with this stress! 

I decided to do some research and found these great tips for keeping calm when stressed. Thanks Mommy Mentor Blog for these great tips:

  
 

I have this image handy on my phone. I plan to look at this tomorrow when I get stressed. 

I have worked hard. Today was a bad day. Just a little wrong turn in my journey. I plan to get back on the highway tomorrow — want to join me?

Thanks for reading.  This was a tough entry. 

Trying Something New

When I started doing this blog, I was really putting myself out there. I started to share what I was doing things I wouldn’t put on Facebook. Which is odd, here anyone can see it, but I wouldn’t post it for my friends?? I know, I am an odd ball. Really, I have to be, posting all these sweaty selfies for strangers to see!!!

  
On Facebook, I’ve never posted a video of myself doing a workout, but on my second or third post, I did that! I haven’t since; but I will try tomorrow. Instead, something I haven’t done is show a video of the program I am doing.

Right now I am doing Hammer & Chisel. I am doing the Chisel calendar. Today was Iso Strength Chisel. They don’t have any clips of this actual program released, so I took a clip from someone else. What I want you to see is that you don’t need fancy equipment to do this program – just modify and use what you have (but still be safe). I don’t have a bench, and currently am using a little step stool – but because I am loving the program, I will get a bench here soon enough.

Day 3 – Iso Strength Chisel Video

Tonight was workout 67. If only I could get as obsessive about my eating as I am about working out. I will have control soon. I will continue to plan, and one of these days I will stick to it!

 

Never Miss a Monday

  
It is true. My group has said this time in and time out. Working out always helps me stay focused and on track. I was determined to work out tonight. 

I came home with an intense headache, actually still have it. I took Advil, drank lots of water, but still no relief. I thought about not working out. But if I do that, then I will need to start back at 1. (FYI ~ I have challenged myself to completing 100 workouts in a row. Every day for 100 days. Today was workout 66). I really don’t give myself the option.  

I said that yoga might be what my body needs, just to get through it. But then something came over me and I wanted to start Hammer & Chisel. So, headache and all, I completed Chisel Endurance!! I feel fantastic!!

  
An awful picture but sweat was dripping, everywhere. 

It was an okay day. But I never do well when surrounded by goodies. The school inward supporting today had “soup day” where the staff room was filled with soups, fresh white breads and lots of dessert (including a decorate your own cupcake station). I was strong but distracted by these “healthy homemade granola bars.” They tasted too good to be healthy, so after indulging in three, I asked for the recipe. 

  
Here is the recipe:

Chewy Tasty Granola Bar Recipe

  
Clicking the above link will take you to the recipe. These are delicious, a great treat and would likely be a yellow (or two depending on how big you make them). 

Glad I made the most of Monday, did you?

Meal Prep is the NEW Fast Food

In my journey, I have thought about prepping meals. And for the most part I think about what I want to eat the next day, but I have never really meal prepped before. I would say that today’s prepping is very basic. Today I prepped things for breakfast and lunch for the week. My snacks are always the same, fruit (clementines these days) and veggies (usually at least 2 greens) with hummus. With this new prepping experience came two NEW recipes, which I am planning to share with you!

One-Pot Cabbage Casserole

This recipe was modified (minimally) from the following site: Diary of a Recipe Collector – One-Pot Cabbage Casserole

Here is what you need:

• 1 lb lean ground turkey (I would have done 2 lbs, but didn’t buy enough)
• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1 clove of garlic
• Himalayan salt and pepper (to taste)
• 1 cup brown rice, uncooked
• Half a medium sized cabbage, chopped
• 14 oz. can tomato sauce
• 2 cups of water
• 28 oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained

Here is what I did:

1. Cook beef and turkey. Add in clove of garlic (minced). Add himalayan salt and pepper.
2. Once meat is cooked, I added rice, cabbage, tomato sauce, 2 cups of water  and diced tomatoes. Stir.
3. Let it come to a boil and then reduce heat to medium low and cover to simmer for about 20 to 30 minutes or until rice is done and cabbage is soft. Do not lift lid before 20 minutes to make sure rice cooks well.
4. Enjoy!

 

My other recipe is for my breakfasts. This recipe makes 3 servings. I am really excited as it was the first time I ever used Chia Seeds!

Vegan Overnight Oats

Here is what you need:

• 1 large banana, mashed
• 2 tablespoons of chia seeds (I got white seeds, but who knew there were different kinds??)
• 1/4 tablespoon cinnamon
• 3/4 cup of almond milk (a friend used regular milk, and this works too)
• 1/2 cup of rolled oats
• 1/4 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract (optional)

Here’s what I did:

1. In a small bowl, mash the banana until almost smooth.
2. Stir in chia seeds and cinnamon.
3. Stir in the oats, almond milk and vanilla (if using).
4. Cover and refrigerate over night (or for a minimum of 2 hours)
5. Stir then enjoy!

If your overnight oats have a runny consistency, simply add an additional tablespoon of chia seeds and place the mixture back in the fridge to thicken up. If the mixture is too thick, simply add a splash of milk, stir combine.

Possible Toppings (in case you want to add some flavour to the mixture)

• granola
• fresh fruit
• coconut flakes
• pure maple syrup
• cinnamon
• nuts and seeds

I sneaked a quick taste and it is sweeter than I thought. I added the pure vanilla extract, which I think helps with the sweetness. I was worried about this, as I have never had chia seeds before, but there was nothing wrong with the texture.

This can be enjoyed cold, or heated up to your liking. I am so excited for breakfast tomorrow!!

Here is hoping that my week will be off to a better start! Being planned will help make my mornings quicker!! MEAL PREP IS THE NEW FAST FOOD!! My Motto!!

Until Next Time…

p.s. I did Chisel Balance – thinking it was like 21 Day Fix Yoga — I was very wrong. But loved it!!

p.p.s. I also benched 70 lbs! I feel super strong! I think I impressed my husband (I don’t usually do this sort of workout, but my husband had, and I was seeing what I was capable of; he was supportive. At first I did 5, and I said, “Okay, I think I am good.” He said, “I think you can do more.” I DID 10 REPS! woo hoo!)

 

 

 

 

Sticking to the Plan

Yesterday I made a plan as to what I was going to eat today. I did it. The plan helped me know exactly what I was going to have. To when the time came to decide, no real thought was needed. I already knew what I was going to have. It was perfect. It will be apart of my daily blog. Making a plan of what I eat tomorrow. 

   

My goal is to get 10,000 steps in at least 1 day. 

Here is what I plan to eat on Sunday:

Breakfast: Vanilla Shakeology with banana and mango

Lunch: chilli and a slice of homemade pizza

Dinner: cabbage casserole

  

Flex it Friday

  
Looks can be deceiving. I had no idea this gun show was hiding!! This is the first time I noticed my muscles. Still a long way to go but I am excited for the journey. Not only did I feel tough (post-combat workout) but I look tough too!

  

Keep Calm & Make a Plan

It has been a couple days since I had a shake. I have felt like crap all three days. No energy. No motivation. And horrendous food choices. Following these choices I felt awful. 

How can I get back on track? Make a point to make a plan. Here is my plan for tomorrow. 

  
Breakfast: Shake & banana

Lunch: Eggs, ham (or some sort of chicken salad)

Dinner: Homemade Whole Wheat Pizza (from scratch). 

Snacks: veggies, clementines

This is my plan, look for pictures in my blog. 

Workout on the Road

This week I had to travel for work. I find it one of the harder things to do. Eating well while in the road. These are hard to do. But I’d say I did okay. 

Before hitting the road, I made sure I did a workout in the morning, before I left (this was my 60th workout). 

Wednesday morning I got my workout in. About 25-30minutes in the elliptical. 

   
    
As for food, in the morning I had my shake, with eggs, ham and fruit. I went no carbs in the morning as I didn’t know what was for lunch. For dinner I had LoneStar but kept it to chicken fajitas but I tried the lettuce wraps. Typically I have 3 or 4 wraps but I stick to one tortilla and 3 lettuce wraps I was proud. (Although I am sure my drink had more calories than I ate all day but that is for another blog post).  

    I made decent choices. Not perfect but I felt good with my choices. Here is to being home, cuddling with this little guy and sleeping in my own bed!  
 
(Check out his batman epipen holder!! He’s so cool)