New Options for the Fatty to Fit Champ Challengers

It has been a super long time since I have last posted.  I realized the other day, I really need to give this blog some TLC.  When I started this journey it was all about the blog not much about Facebook and it kind of flip flopped.

I am excited to announce today that I am loosening up the criteria for my challenge groups.  Prior I required you to either purchase a challenge pack or be on Shakeology every day.  Well when I got into this business, yes it was about making money, but it was also about helping people too.  I want to open up the doors to help more people. 

**If you want to be in a challenge group I am only requiring you be on the Beachbody Meal Replacement Shake.  Why am I still requiring it?  Well because I want to make sure if I am COMMITTED to you that YOU are COMMITTED to at least one healthy meal a day.

I will still stand behind Shakeology as a product.  I have done some research on some websites that compare meal replacement shakes.  These sites have NO affiliation with any products and Shakeology is in the top 5 among all of them and the Beachbody programs still speak for themselves on how awesome they are. 

The combination of Shakeology and a Beachbody program is still going to get you the BEST results and the Challenge Pack is still the best value for your buck.  However, times are tough right now and I don't want to limit someone who really wants to get healthy just because of their budget.

To make this simple I have put a side by side comparison of the challenge group options:

My next challenge starts July 1^st J.  Are you in?

Lose 5lbs by October 31st

Ok so this is a little bit embarrassing but I don't like to be a whiner.  I did not lose 5lbs.  I lost only 2lbs.  It is my own fault.  I went into this to laxy dazy.  I was not consistent and because of that I would drop like 3 pounds in a week and then gain 2 back over the weekend.  I didn't track my food everyday, only somedays.  Which we all know is not a real day of the week.  I have been trying a couple of different things...tracking in my phone using an app, blogging food and writing in all down in a book.  I have to say after finding an old food journal, I think I get most into the book.  I am heading to staples today to get a new little notebook to make me get "in the mood" to food journal.

This was not a total loss.  I still lost 2 pounds and I figured out what is not working.  Not keeping track of how many cheat meals I had is not working.  Saying I will go to the gym sometime today is not working.  Sometime is not a time on the clock either.  Coming home and doing my usual routine of planting myself on the couch for the rest of the night is not working.  Some nights sure but every night NO!

Just keep reminding myself progress not perfection.  I also want to look more into this connection with food and eating to emotions.  Picking up a book by Geneen Roth later this week.  I will share my thoughts.

Mango Stuffed BBQ Pork

Pork...the other white meat.  This one is great when cooking alone or for a special someone :)  It is served with a salad but you can omit that and pair it with something else.

Mango Stuffed BBQ Pork

 

Ingredients:

SALSA:

1 Mango Diced
1 cup canned pineapple in water (reserve liquid)

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

1/4 red onion, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

PORK:

1/2 lb pork tenderloin, cut into 2 slices

2 tsp canola oil

1 cup Mango BBQ Sauce

DRESSING:
Zest and juice of 1/2 lime
2 tsp honey
1 tbsp Mango BBQ Sauce
1/2 cup reserved pineapple juice
4 cups mixed greens

Instructions:

1) In a large bowl, combine salsa ingredients.  Place 1 cup of salsa in a separate, smaller bowl.  Refrigerate the rest.
2) Trim any visible fat from pork

3) Add oil to a large skillet on medium-high heat.  Place pork in skillet to brown on each side, about 1 minute per side.

4) Add the sauce, cover with a lid and reduce heat to medium.  Let simmer about 5 minutes per side.

5) Meanwhile, whisk dressing ingredients in a bowl.

6) Serve each chop with 2 cups of greens topped with 1/4 cup salsa and 2 tablespoons dressing.

Serving Size: Serving size: 1 of the 2 equal portions: Calories: 439, Total Fat:11g, Sodium: 293mg, Total Carbs: 53g, Sugars: 41g

Recipe and Nutritional Info from Oxygen Magazine May 2011

Veggie Breakfast Casserole

I am a huge fan of batch cooking but breakfast had been an issue for me.  So I came up with this casserole idea that can be batch cooked on the weekend.  Keeps for most of the week in the fridge or can be frozen to last longer.  On a usual morning I eat 1/4 cup oats and 4 egg whites.  I specifically made this recipe so I would be getting those servings and it would be easy to measure out.  I included both the exact measurements if you are using fresh ingredients and the easy bag sizes if using frozen.

Veggie Breakfast Casserole

 

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tsp Dried Basil

1/2 Tsp Oregeno

2 cups of dry oatmeal (I use Shoprite Instant)

32 Egg Whites

3 1/2 cups Frozen Spinach-Half of a 20oz bag

3 3/4 cups Mixed Pepper Stips- Entire 14oz bag

1 1/3 cups Frozen Chopped Onions-Half of a 12oz bag

Instructions:

1) Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.
2) Spray casserole dish with non-stick spray 

3) Pour all ingredients into casserole dish

4) Cook on 375 degrees for approximately 30 minutes or until cooked all the way through

5) Divide into 8 equal portions

Serving Size: Serving size: 1 of the 8 equal portions: Calories: 208, Total Fat:1.3g, Sodium: 361.3mg, Total Carbs: 18.9g, Sugars: 2g

Nutritional Info from Sparkpeople.com

Mango BBQ Sauce

I love this stuff.  It is my go to sauce to put on chicken and rice, dip chicken fingers in, marinade chicken in, use for BBQ chicken pizza...the options are endless really.  Plus it is super easy.  I will add new recipes you can use with it as we go along but for now the recipe is below.

Mango BBQ Sauce

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion chopped
4 cloves garlic minced
1 mango, peeled, pitted and chopped
2 15-oz cans Del Monte diced tomatoes no salt added
1Cup Water
1 6-oz can Hunt's tomato paste
1/2 Cup maple syrup
1/2 Cup molasses
1/4 Cup apple cider vinegar
2 TBS lemon juice
2 TBS Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp ground black pepper

Instructions:

1) Heat olive oil in a skillet on med/high heat
2) Add onions, garlic and mango. Saute until soft, about 3 min
3) Add all remaining ingredients and stir to combine. bring to a boil on med/high heat. Reduce heat, cover and simmer on low for 30min.
4) Remove from heat and allow to cool for at least one hour.
5) Use a hand blender (I pour it into a regular blender) to puree to liquify ingredients.
6. Use a funnel to transfer the barbeque sauce from the pan to sterilized mason jars.

Serving Size: Serving size: 2 Tbsp.: Calories: 20, Sodium: 45mg, Total Carbs: 5g, Sugars: 3g

Nutritional Info from Sparkpeople.com

Recipe from Oxygen Magazine May 2011

Recipes to make with Mango BBQ Sauce:
Mango Stuffed BBQ Pork

Emotional Drinking to Just Emotional Eating

Wow it has been a week from my last post.  I am sorry I have not been on the ball.  Things have just been crazy.  Lots of happening with work that I will announce once I have more details.  I also had all day meetings this week Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.  Then tons of catch up to do for being out of the office for those three days.  I had a hard time with my food and drink.  Going into the week I was only half a pound away from being down five pounds.  Now I am two.  I need to be focused the next couple of days to meet my goal on the 31st.  One highlight of the week is my team slected me to do a presenation during the week as the most innovative person on our team. It won me a free day off :) 

Today I had an emotional, dramatic and stressful day.  Normally I would have come home and opened that bottle of wine and gorged myself on food.  I even thought about going back out to the store and getting wine but I was like nah i don't feel like it.  So I will admit to my emotional food gorging but I didin't drink.  I am ok with.  For now maybe I binge with food but not alcohol and then maybe next week I don't binge at all.

I made a new meal plan for myself I am prety pumped about.  Everything has things I like to eat and can get excited about.  I find that it's really hard to stick to a meal plan when the food eh.  So tomorrow I should have some great recipes up for you.  Well good night for now, until tomorrow.

Ready Set Go!

Transform your body in 6 months for a bikini competition in April.  Ready…set …go.  The Get in Shape Girl helped me devise a plan today.  I am pretty excited.  My schedule is as follows:

Mon - Monday's ST workout (chest/ back) from site + HIIT Sprints

Tues - 45 min cardio choice

Wed- rest

Thurs - Wednesday's workout from site (legs/ abs) + HIIT Sprints

Fri - Saturday's workout from the site (total body)

sat - Friday's workout from site (shoulders/ arms) + HIIT Sprints

sun – rest

I know it is in my nature to take on too much, set too many goals or too many restrictions to just get discouraged and quit or quietly fade out like no one will notice.  So the GISG and I am working to build up the confidence I have in myself and my abilities.  The goal is to get through one of the three sets for the next two weeks (this week, plus the next two full weeks).   After that, it should put us at the first full week of November, go through all of the circuits twice.  After 3 weeks of that I should have enough endurance built up to make it through all 3 circuits each day.

I am starting tomorrow with legs and abs and HITT Sprints per the schedule.  I am excited, kind of anxious and scared though all at the same time. I have it all written out in my tracker so I am ready to hit the gym in the morning.

Eating has improved but the no drinking has been tough.  I made it through today drinking iced tea all day.  I need replace it with something other than water.  I have my bodybugg all charged up and ready to go for tomorrow too.  Just one more thing to track with and make sure I am on target. 

To accomplish this in 6 months is going to require dedication.