Weekend Splurging? It's OK right?

To give everyone an update...

I'm on Day 12 of my 21 Day Fix Challenge. I'm following the Countdown to Competition meal plan that is included in the program.

As I sit here frustrated that I've only lost 4 lbs in 2 weeks, I'm thinking to myself...4 lbs.. 2 weeks...that's pretty good. You've been working out EVERY day for about 2 years and that hasn't happened before.

Also, I'm thinking that I haven't been hungry AT ALL! It's actually been the opposite and I've been full all day. So is my nutrition more dialed in?

Yes!

ALSO...Have I gone out for my weekly Friday Margarita? Have I purchased my occasional bag of Cherry Sours? Did I end up endulging in Popcorn Friday today at work? Have I stolen a cookie from my son's Oreo bag?

NO!

And I should feel proud of myself for just that alone. Who cares about the scale...I didn't go into this to lose weight...I wanted to see my body change. Well, I guess my willpower is changing as well.

And that's HUGE!!!

This image was posted in our 21 day fix group today. And this is definitely what has been holding me back from making any further changes to my body.

I'm not really wanting to lose weight anymore. But I would like to see muscle definition or see those abs poke out. And the weekend has been my splurge time.

Well not this time. Not last weekend. And not next weekend. I've committed to the challenge. 21 days. I can do this. :)

And I'm not saying I will never have a margarita or candy or popcorn...haha...because that would be CRAZY talk. But what I'm saying is that my cravings have changed...it's really not that hard to say NO. My body is telling me...it's doesn't need that like it used to think it did.

And that makes me happy. :)

Where Does Motivation Come From?

I ran across this picture today in my news feed and it was a THUMBSTOPPER for me.

Why? Because so many people think that they are just too far gone to try something new. Would it really be worth it? Will it really work? Will I really lose weight? 

Most people will talk themselves out of starting before they can even begin. But in all reality, when you BREAK...that's where the motivation comes from.

When you take those before pictures. ..that everyone hates...that's where the motivation comes from. You have to break before you can SHINE! Join a group,  surround yourself with others that will lift you up,  help you get back on the wagon when you fall off...

Don't hold back. Don't talk yourself out of this time. It's your turn. It's your time to shine. Let's SHINE bright together.

Let's chat! Message me. :)

21 Day Fix Approved...Beef and Butternut Squash Stew

When my husband is traveling and kids are busy with late night practices...cooking dinner for just one person can be tough. So I have decided to make this full batch of stew and have it for multiple individual portions this week. Either for a snack or for dinner.  I had quite a bit of turkey last week, so I'm looking forward to the beef this week.  Again, I'm all about keeping this simple, quick, and tasting good!  That's what makes this journey easier to manage and become a lifestyle!  No quick fixes here!

I'm completely enjoying learning new things that are healthy for me to eat and ones that taste good too.

Hearty Beef and Butternut Squash Stew

Makes 6 servings, approximately 1 1/4 cups each
21 Day Fix = 1 green, 1 red, 1 spoon per serving

1 tsp. olive oil
1 1/2 lbs. raw lean beef stew meat, boneless, cut into 2 inch cubes
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 medium tomatoes, chopped or 1 can diced tomatoes
1 cup low-sodium organic beef broth
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. ground black pepper
2 cups cubed butternut squash
1/4 cup fresh flat leaf parsley

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.
2. Add beef; cook; stirring frequently, for 4 to 5 minutes, or until beef is brown.
3 Add onion and bell peppers; cook, stirring frequently, for 4 to 5 minutes, or until onion is translucent.
4. Add garlic; cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute
5. Add tomatoes, broth, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cook, covered, for 40 minutes.
6. Add squash; cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 12 minutes, or until sauce has thickened and beef is fork-tender.
7. Remove bay leaf; serve topped with parsley

OR

Put all ingredients into the crock pot EXCEPT squash - Cook on low for 6 hours.
Add squash and cook 1 additional hour.

This picture was taken BEFORE I added the squash! 

Butter Nut Squash...it's so good! Who knew?

As you all know, I've been on this 21 Day Fix journey for about a week.  Last week I learned that I may not need dressing on my salads and actually enjoyed them without it.

This week, as I was prepping my food today...I decided to try a Butternut Squash stew.  My online accountability group raved about this last week and so I thought I would add it to my meal plan for this week.  I will have a blog post with that recipe here soon! :)

I had plenty of extra squash, so I looked up a recipe to cook the extra and have a a veggie snack during the week.  Wow...I am so excited.  It's so good, healthy for me and easy to do.  So I thought I would share it with all of you.

Cinnamon Roasted Butternut Squash Recipe

Yield: 4 (1 cup) servings

You Will Need

• 1 large butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes (about 3 pounds or 8 cups, cubed)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• Dash cayenne, optional

Directions

Prepare Squash: Heat oven to 425º F and line two large baking sheets with aluminum foil.

1. Toss squash cubes with olive oil, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt and the cayenne until well coated. Tumble coated squash onto baking sheets and spread into one layer. Try not to crowd them too much or else they will not brown. Remember...I had already used some in my stew...so you will probably need 2 sheets if you are using an entire squash. 

1. Roast Squash: Roast squash, turning once and rotating pans once, until edges are lightly browned and centers are tender; 40 to 45 minutes. (Since ovens can often run hotter than you have heated them to, check the squash every so often to make sure they are not roasting quicker than expected).

Just Say No!!

It's Friday...and what have I done every single Friday for probably a year??...Go eat Mexican, have a margarita and enjoy some chips and salsa...and maybe some queso too! 

I mean...I had eaten healthy all week...so why not splurge on Friday night?  It wasn't going to kill me right...could I really gain weight from one night?  The answer is no...but honestly...I was working out every single day.  I was trying to get these results that you always see, but they weren't happening for me.  

What I am finding out in just 5 short days of sticking to the 21 Day Fix plan...is that when you actually eat right...you don't crave the junk, you stay full, and I FEEL great!  

Trust me, when I committed to this plan...I wasn't worried about the food but THIS...THIS right here is what I was worried about.  3 weeks without my Margarita?  How could I survive? But honestly, it has been such an easy process for me, I've lost 4 lbs in the 5 days and I am seeing and feeling results. 

So yes, I am not going to give up what I want...and I want abs, for what I want right this second.  I can do this.  I have a support group that is helping me and I owe it to myself to get the results that I've been working hard for.  One silly margarita is not worth it to me.  

Thoughts?  Do you do the same thing?  Have you been stuck at the same weight for awhile?

Click here to join my next challenge group on March 2nd with the 21 Day Fix Extreme...it's been WAY easier than I thought it would be.  

Mind Blown...Creator of Shakeology explains to me why I NEED it!

I know that I love Shakeology.  I know that it tastes good.  I know that it helped me lose weight.  I know that it gives me energy and helps me sleep better.  I know that it's quick and easy for me to use for breakfast...But after getting off of a webinar with the creator of Shakeology himself...

I'm just that much more of a believer in Shakeology...and will probably drink it forever.  Hands down, I'm sold, it will be something that drink DAILY.

He was asked about new flavors and why they have more like some other brands do...His answer about everything being natural, no chemicals, and having anchor ingredients to give flavor to Shakeology stood out to me.  It's no wonder there isn't a Berries n'Cream Shake.  That would need to have artificial sweeteners in that to give it that flavor.  Shakeology WILL NOT do that.

Why is Shakeology more expensive than other brands?
They go out of their way to make sure that all ingredients that they say are "in the bag" are actually in the bag in the the proper state that we need them to be in.  There is no GMO's in Shakeology and they pay more for that to be the case.

I could go on and on...but I'm so glad that I have chosen to invest in my health and fuel my body at least 1 time per day with the nutrition it craves.  Call me crazy, call me biased...but I absolutely will drink Shakeology everyday.  My health is that important to me!

Dressing or No Dressing?

So as I sit here at my desk eating my salad with NO dressing...

I've been wondering if all this time I just thought I had to have dressing on salad. Obviously it adds flavor and goodness...but it also adds calories and fat of you get some of those yummy dressings.

But I'm on this plan for the 21 day fix and I'm only allowed dressing every 3rd day. Well yesterday I didn't even put dressing on my salad. I have actually been enjoying my spinach, cherry tomatoes, hard boiled egg, and pepper salad. With NO dressing!

So I'm learning that just because dressing is what you THINK you have to put on salad...I may think again from now on. I give it a Thumbs up.  I don't really feel it's necessary. Thoughts?

21 Day Fix Extreme Day 3 Review...NOT STARVING!

So most people think that when you eat healthy, all you get is salad.  All day...every day!

Well that is far from the truth with the 21 Day Fix Extreme.  I'm not going to lie to you and tell you that when I first opened up the package and looked at the size of the containers...I thought "what...these things are TINY".  I truly did think I would be starving!

But that is far from the truth.  I've actually had to force myself to eat everything.  And tonight...I'm STUFFED.  My dinner was so good and filling!  I've tried 2 new recipes using Ground Turkey and I will let you know...I'm a fan.  Turkey Chili and the Turkey Meatballs from the recipe guide that comes with the program will definitely be added into our dinner rotation when we aren't on the FIX.

My breakfast today: Shakeology blended with frozen fruit
Morning Snack: Carrots, Cauliflower and Hummus
Lunch: Salad with grilled chicken and mixed blueberries and raspberries.
Snack: 2 hard boiled eggs
Dinner: Turkey Meatballs, Sweet Potato, and Steamed Veggies.

Very filling and very tasty.  I can't wait to try the Lettuce Wraps and the Chicken Fajitas next week.

21 Day Fix Extreme Upper Fix Review

Wow! I've done a lot of workouts. But what do I normally choose? Cardio.  Recently I've been LOVE with PiYo. But joining this 21 day fix challenge has set me to to do some different workouts.

Tonight was Upper Fix Extreme. And although the moves are very basic and at a pace for ANYONE to do,  my arms felt like jelly when I was done. Who knew you could get such a great workout with a set of 5 and 10 lbs dumbells. :)

I'm excited to see what today's Pilates Fix Extreme is like. We use a resistance band. Stay tuned!

Favorite Recipe of the Week - Turkey Chili - 21 Day Fix Extreme APPROVED!

Okay...so I started my 21 Day Fix Extreme journey and the one thing that I was concerned about was...what was I going to eat??  This program is so focused on your nutrition.  Was I going to have to eat salad all day long??  Um...no, not even close.  What I found out is that I need to add protein into my diet.  So this recipe popped out at me in the nutrition guide.  I mean...who doesn't like chili?  I am happy to say that I've now had it twice and I approve and want to share.  This will be added into our rotation even if I'm not doing the challenge.  

How cool is that?  I'm getting healthier, learning new recipes, and finding new things to add into my everyday lifestyle to continue this journey day in and day out.  You'll have to try it out...let me know how you like it. 

Turkey Chili - 21 Day Fix Extreme approved!!

1 tsp. olive oil
1 1/2 lbs. raw 93% lean ground turkey
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. sea salt or Himalayan salt
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (to taste, optional)

2 (15 oz.) cans black beans (or pinto beans), drained, rinsed
1 (15 oz.) can all-natural diced tomatoes, no sugar added
12 fresh cilantro sprigs, finely chopped (for garnish)

1. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat.
2. Add turkey, onion, bell pepper, and garlic.  Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 8 minutes, or until turkey is no longer pink.
3. Add cumin, chili powder, salt, and cayenne pepper; cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute.
4. Add beans and tomatoes (with liquid).  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low, gently boil, stirring occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes, or until thickened.
5. Serve warm, sprinkled with cilantro.

Makes 6 servings, 1 cup each