Aunt Flow and more recipes!

I know that title totally doesn't go together! Haaaahaaha!

This past week has been pretty tough for me. The week before I get my monthly visit from Aunt Flow I always get SO incredibly tired. It's the kind of tired like how you feel in the 1st trimester of pregnancy. Not fun! Also, I notice that I seem to crave more sweet things during this time and resisting the temptation of sweets seems just a bit harder than usual. Sigh. 

This morning I was fully intending to wake up at 5:30am to workout, but alas...it didn't work out! ;) Lol. Deacon, my 8 month old came down with a little cold so we was waking up CONSTANTLY through the night. I just couldn't do it. This mommy needed to squeeze in any amount of sleep I could before the day got started (which really wasn't a lot at all...maybe 3 hours?) Not sure. It's all a blur.

I'm going to workout tonight when my hubby gets home and the kiddos are all over the place. Crazy chaotic time to workout, but it's what I have to work with today. My body needs to workout. I think I actually start to feel sluggish now when I don't have that boost of energy from my morning workouts. Crazy how your body just knows know what it needs to make it run properly.

Ok...enough rambling. I wanted to talk about my go to healthy recipe I make all the time that is so super healthy and lean.... Ready..... Salmon!!!

The simplest way I make it is just with large size fillets that I sprinkle with salt and pepper and little lemon pepper seasoning. Mrs. Dash makes a good one with no sodium! Then I put it in the broiler for about 15 minutes or until it looks done. (make sure to constantly check it while in the broiler.)
I'll usually serve it with a side of some veggies or sweet potatoes.

There you have it! Aunt Flow and the easiest recipe EVER! Haahaa....

Alright. I don't know if anyone is even reading this anymore. Hope you can relate to some struggles I have or love easy peasy delicious healthy recipes like I do.

Have an awesome Friday! :) 

Food!!!

Let's talk food! Yum!  Who doesn't love delicious food!? I think people automatically assume that if you are dieting or trying to eat healthy it has to be bland and boring. SO not the case! I've been finding some really amazing meal prep recipes on pinterest. Most of the ones I look for are approved for the 21 Day Fix if you are doing that. I will usually meal prep lunch and dinner meals for about 5 days. It really isn't that time consuming (probably about 1 hour prep time). Then you have 2 different meals for lunch and dinner for the next 5 days and you don't have to worry about it at all! I don't have any fancy containers. I just use partitioned rubbermaid containers from the grocery store.

Here are the containers I use:

These are perfect for just popping and warming up real quick which is awesome when you have little to no time like me! :) They are also great for on the go eating too! 

Today's meal prep consisted of lunch: Buffalo Chicken Bowls 

http://www.kelseytorr.com/buffalo-chicken-bowl.html

These are so tasty and the secret is using nonfat plain greek yogurt. The only modifications I used with this recipe is that I didn't put the chicken in the crockpot. I just seasoned and cooked them on the stove and then diced them into really small pieces. Also, for the veggie mixture I added a splash of lime juice and a tiny bit of salt and pepper. 

I give this recipe a 2 thumbs up! After chilling it in the fridge it's so perfect on a hot day like today! I ate it while driving to pick up the kiddos from school. Perfect for on the go! 

For dinner, I'm on my last container of tilapia with avocado cucumber salsa.) That is also a phenomenal recipe! The hubby loved it too and I can totally see using this salsa on top of other types of fish. Here's a pic and the recipe for that. 

http://www.thegarlicdiaries.com/blackened-tilapia-with-cucumber-avocado-salsa-21-day-fix/

Happy Healthy Eating!! :) 

Not feelin' it!

This morning I woke up a bit later than usual and I was just not feelin' it. I dragged myself out of bed though and pressed play for my Piyo workout video.  Once I got started though, I just wasn't pumped like I usually am. Then, 10 minutes into the workout Deacon (my 8 month old) started crying. So, off I went to nurse him and when he fell asleep I thought I'd give it a go again. Except......he woke up again! Lol! Oh, the life of a mommy I tell ya. Sometimes it works out sometimes it just doesn't! At that point I really wasn't feeling it anymore, so I decided to just get the kiddos ready for school and do all the morning tasks. Even though I really didn't want to workout at this point I mustered up the strength to get through 2 popsugar workouts. I was sweating by the end and really glad I didn't give up today!

We are all going to have these days, but I find it's on these days especially where we REALLY need to push ourselves and remember what our goals are. DRIVE DRIVE DRIVE!!!

Here are the 2 videos that I used today. :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAQK22crBWc


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3320EhbImLY

Workouts

Tonight I decided to post what kinds of workouts I've been doing for the past few weeks. When I started the 21 day challenge I began the Piyo Workout with Charlene Johnson. It's a cross between Yoga and Pilates, but with continuous movement. I am not a fan of either yoga or pilates, because it's just to slow paced for me, but I've really been enjoying the Piyo workouts and they really workout your whole body.  The workout can be viewed on Beachbody OnDemand or through purchasing on the Beach Body website. Here's what it looks like:

There is a daily schedule to follow with the program, so I'll usually do what is directed, but afterwards i'll do 1-2 mini workouts afterwards that last about 6-10 minutes. During these workouts I'll focus on specific areas such as: abs, thighs, or weight training. For these mini workouts I'll use Blogilates and Popsugar workouts. 

http://www.blogilates.com/

http://www.popsugar.com/fitness

You can access both through YouTube. They have tons of fitness videos for free, which is awesome. My favorites from blogilates are her 6 minute abs, thighs, and booty workouts. For Popsugar I use a lot of their weight training videos.

There are a lot of great fitness videos out there for free on YouTube. It's such a great resource! Sometimes I also use these mini workout videos at the end of the day when I feel like I haven't made the best eating choices. It's just a quick way to burn off some of that nasty goo that accumulates throughout the day, especially when you're running around and not able to chose the most healthy meals.  (Quick tip: For some kids parties and outings I have packed my own meal prep containers in a lunch baggie and I take it with me. That way I can eat healthy and know I'm not stuffing down pizza or greasy foods. It's also a way to not feel so guilty when I decide to have a bite of cake).

Hope this helps! Happy Monday night!!! <3

21 day challenge results

Here's a quick check in after my 21 day challenge. A little more definition but still a ways to go. 

My daily health schedule

Today I'm going to post my daily routine, just to give you a snap shot of how my day goes and how I incorporate my meals into my everyday craziness. Now something that is crucial here. is DRIVE!!! Now I don't mean getting in your car and driving around. I mean you have to WANT this. You have to be DETERMINED to see it through and push yourself even and most especially on days you feel too tired or just plain lazy. You have to want and truly desire this change and be determined enough.  Otherwise, there's a million reasons why we don't have the time. I was totally in that mindset before. So here's some motivation before I go into my daily schedule!

Ok..are you pumped to do this!!?? Haahaa. I hope so! You CAN CAN CAN do it! Trust me! 

Here's a day in the life of me:

5:30a.m.- wake up and workout! (this time changes depending on what's going on that day. I try to keep it at this time but LIFE happens and babies wake up. Lol. So I will alter it if necessary, but I DON't make an excuse to skip it entirely!) 

6:30a.m.- Shower and start prepping kiddos lunches and breakfast before school

6:50am- wake kiddos up

7:00 am- Make my Shakeology and cup of decaf coffee (can't give that up!) I do use natural bliss creamer though, which is much healthier than that other one filled with stuff you can't pronounce!)

Fast forward to 10:30a.m.- Snack of 80 calorie Greek Yogurt with fresh berries on top. YUM! Also I'll snack on raw almonds too.

12noon ish- Lunch (one of my meal prep containers)

3:00p.m.- a cup of coffee iced or hot 

3:30p.m.- Oatmeal

(WHAT!) I know what you're thinking. Crazy to have it as a snack in the afternoon. BUT! By that time I have a serious sweet tooth craving and this totally fills it right up! I LOVE LOVE LOVE Oat fit oatmeal with a small bit of chia seeds, splash or maple extract, blueberries, apples, and unsweetened almond milk. It's SO SO good! Totally crushes that sweet tooth craving and I feel energized afterwards.

6:00p.m.- Dinner (another meal prep container)
I'll also have about a cup of vanilla almond milk for dessert to satisfy that need for dessert. :)

Now, throughout the day it's SOOOOOOOOOO necessary to drink plenty of WATER!! This is a must! Yes, you will pee like never before... BUT! It's a vital for a healthy body and keeps you in check if you're really hungry or not.

Okie dokes. That's a quick snapshot. See, this is TOTALLY doable. Remember too, the idea is NOT to starve yourself. You'll only retain more fat that way. It's to constantly nourish yourself with healthy whole foods that your body know what to do with! So try to figure out a routine that works best for your and a meal plan and remember. YOU are so worth taking care of!!!! The Lord blessed you with your life and our body. It's up to us to take care of it!

Pancakes!!!

So so happy to share this! One of my most favorite breakfasts foods ever are pancakes!! I just LOVE them! I mean nothing says weekend more than a stack of hot pancakes dripping with ooey gooey syrup! The only problem with this favorite breakfast food of mine is that once I started having kiddos those stacks of pancakes and syrup started accumulating in my booty and belly! Lol.

So, since going on this fitness adventure I was determined to find a pancake mix that was healthy, packed with protein, and something that didn't make me feel totally guilty for indulging on weekend mornings such as today. :) 

Drum roll please.........

This is the white chocolate flavor and it's so yummy! I pair it with organic agave syrup (Costco) and it's just scrumptious! I can even imagine this with some fresh fruit on top as well! I got this little tin of goodness from Vitamin Shoppe, but I think they also sell it on Amazon as well, along with the other flavors. 

So what does that mean for us!!!??? Go and enjoy yourself some yummy in the tummy pancakes!!! Wohoo!!! ;) Happy Sunday!

Shakeology!

So about a month 1.5 months ago I started drinking this amazing super power drink called..."Shakeology!" I learned about it through my friend who invited me on the 21 day challenge recently and who is also a Beach Body coach, Cindy Beggs.  She was raving about how it's been a game changer for her and totally gives you a boost of energy throughout your day and helps you to take in all these amazing nutrients for your body. Well, after thinking about it long and hard (because it aint cheap!) I decided to give it a try. Afterall, if there is anything this tired mommy could use is a boost of energy and a drink that makes sure I take in all these superfoods! So, for the past month and a half I've been drinking this magic elixir...and....I LOVE LOVE LOVE it! Now it's hard not to imagine my mornings without it!

I usually will drink it right after my workout in the morning. It's so awesome and I even got the hubbster to start drinking it too! I know the price tag is a bit hefty, but right now my focus really is on self improvement from the inside out, so at least for now I'm going to continuously incorporate this into my diet. If you're interested in purchasing it or trying it out here's the link to my friends beach body site. www.beachbodycoach.com/cindybeggs

Ok, enough praising the liquid gold...but trust me...I love it and it tastes so great! My fave is caffe latte. I'll drink it with a 1.5 cup of unsweetened almond milk, 4 ice cubes, a splash of vanilla extract, and a scoop of shakeology. Yum Yum in the tum. Feels like a healthy frapuccino! For real!! :)

The Road to Fitness

Today I made a decision to document my fitness journey! I have NEVER done something like this before. I mean sure, I've had a blog where I've shared daily happenings and adventures going on in my life. However, that fizzled out and it was just so much easier to do quick posts on Facebook instead of writing it all down. This time though, I've made a life decision. To change my health and body from the inside out. I thought that in itself deserved it's own blog! Lol. (I need to express my ups and downs and document this whole process.) 

Ok...so, here's my "Road to Fitness" story.  (A bit nervous about posting some of these pics. Lol) ...When I was a kid I never really had to worry about my weight, until my Dad passed away when I was 10. I fluctuated up and down throughout high school and always had such low self-confidence. When I got to college I decided that I wanted to get healthy and I totally changed the way I ate, which in turn helped me to go down 4 sizes. I stayed this way for a while and then got married to my wonderful husband and 9 months later we had our 1st son. Losing weight after baby #1 was easy peasy. I did some p90x and breast fed and the weight just fell off. Then I had baby #2 three years later and I noticed my body changing. It was a little harder to lose the weight, but eventually I did and afterwards I stopped working out and just watched what I ate. Then 4 years ago I had baby boy #3 I noticed that with each baby I seemed to be going up a pant size. After baby #3 I became somewhat indifferent to working out. I was too consumed with motherhood and teaching that I felt like I had little to no time to take care of myself. Life was just too busy. I also had a really challenging teaching year after having my third baby, which really took a toll on my physical and mental health. I was NOT a happy teacher, wifey, and mommy. My PMS would go through the roof and I would just break down in tears for no good reason other than feeling completely overwhelmed with life. That led me to deciding that I needed to just STOP and breathe and take a break from working for a bit. I feel so blessed that I have been able to take these past 2 years off and just focus on improving myself inside and out! 

Last year we were blessed with the news that we were expecting baby boy #4!! I told myself that I would have a fit pregnancy, but then cravings for chili cheese fries kicked in and I was so exhausted from running after my other 3 boys. I gained 45 lbs. with my last pregnancy and by the end I just felt so yucky! As soon as I was cleared to exercise I started working out every day and meal prepping. It was HARD and there were MANY times I wanted to just throw in the towel. Thanks to my hubby’s motivation and encouragement I pushed through and ended up losing the 45 lbs. I had gained! Now this road to losing the 45 lbs. was NOT easy! I started working out 2 months after the baby was born (October). My goal here was ONLY to lose the weight and that's really all I cared about. I just wanted to fit into my darn pants and not feel like a giant mushroom shaped mommy. I went up and down on the scale and I got discouraged constantly. I needed constant pep talks from my hubby to keep me going. Sometimes I think he got annoyed by my whinning that things were happening SO slowly. But honestly, if it wasn't for his continuous encouragement I probably would have given up. 

Now he also told me that losing weight was really 80% what you eat and 20% exercise!! WHAT!!!!!! I was busting my booty and that only accounts for 20%! NO FAIR! So after pouting about that I went onto pinterest and found all these awesome healthy meal prep idease. I realized that if I was really going to get somewhere faster I totally needed a food makeover! THIS really really expedited my weight loss! I also started to vary my workouts instead of doing the same old p90x video over and over to the point that I could put it on mute and my 4 year old could tell you what was coming up next! Haahaaa..

A few weeks ago I also joined a 21 day challenge group and the main reason I joined was because I had plateaued. I really feel so blessed to have been a part of this group. They  motivated me to push myself even harder! I’m seeing improvements and some more definition. I lost another 5 lbs! 
More importantly though than losing all that weight, is how I feel inside! I feel SO great now and I have gotten to the point where if I don't work out my body seems to be like, "Hey you! Get your booty into you workout clothes and BRING IT!" 

So, in a long nutshell that is my ROAD to today. A mommy of 4 who is constantly on the move with my kiddos but learning to prioritize my own health and take care of myself. Something I NEVER really felt I had time for. I feel like I have reclaimed my old self! Yipee!!! 

Here's a before and after collage of my progress. We're still working on it daily, but I think I've come so far! To all of you who feel like it's impossible...it's NOT! You are SO worth taking care of!!! <3