Whole 30- Week 3

We're now into the last part of our third week on the program! I can honestly say that it has been MUCH easier to follow the past 2 weeks. Week one was a bit torturous. Feeling the effects of ridding your system of sugar, dairy, and wheat feels very hard before you start to feel the benefits.

A simple chart that helps you understand what the "rules" are:

Week one I had cravings, like I just wanted to get a candy bar or ice cream. I never eat candy bars really, so that was kind of strange. Looking back, I think my body was just craving the artificial sweetness that sugar (artificial and added refined sugars) adds to food. I really encourage anyone aiming to try this program to read up on it first, but the fact is this: food additives and sugars (both fake and "real" added sugars) trick your body into craving tastes that do NOT exist naturally in nature. Once you detox yourself from those tastes by cutting them out, you can really appreciate how food actually tastes. I swear, apples taste sweeter to me now.

Week two I felt like I was really into the groove. I wasn't feeling as hungry as I did in week one. I figured out how to cook enough for dinner and leftovers for lunch the next day. Breakfasts have been either hard boiled eggs or a banana with almond butter or almond milk (some people disagree with almond milk on The Whole 30, but I'm using an unsweetened one). I've had a bunch of really great dinners that have been filling and flavorful. Spices are your friend here, and if you under season, things will be bland.

Snacks are either an apple, a few nuts (almonds or cashews), or a lara bar. Tonight we're doing breakfast for dinner with poached eggs, bacon (nitrate and sugar free from Trader Joe's), and sweet potato home fries with peppers and onions. Sliced avocado on the side. That's a perfect example of a meal that will NOT leave you hungry! Tomorrow night I'm making Barbacoa Beef from Paleomg. Her blog is one of my favorite resources, and her recipes have been hits with us.

Matt is feeling really good as well, and has officially hit the 30 pound weight loss mark! His weight loss started back in October, so it's been slow and steady. I think he should be most proud of getting through the holidays without gaining anything back, even it things stalled slightly then.

So, are we going to turn the Whole 30 into an ongoing food regimen? No. Because that would mean cutting out alcohol (not gonna happen!), never enjoying deserts, and not being able to enjoy some favorite foods that aren't necessarily that healthy (pizza). We're going to stick to a mainly Paleo diet, and allow splurges now and then. I'm not going to say we'll have one "cheat" day, or meal, or any real count of when to splurge, rather we will try to do our best with diet and indulge when we feel it's worth it.

I will say that the biggest effect I feel physically is having no bloating. My stomach has been completely flat since we've started, and I'm sure cutting dairy is the reason. I've seen a lot more muscle definition as well. I didn't take any pictures before, but I might post an after to show it off!

I've officially filled my last notebook with workouts- I always write out my class design and workout for that day. Yesterday, I picked this one up:

 

 

 

Maybe a little cheesy, but the cover says "Live Your Dreams, Discover Your Purpose". I really feel that teaching fitness enables me to do just that. Every single person that stays after class to tell me that my class is the best they've ever taken, or that they love how each class is a totally different workout, really inspires me to keep working at being the best instructor I can be. Helping people achieve their weight loss, fitness goals, and lifestyle changes is such a wonderful motivator to continue living my own healthy lifestyle.

 

This weekend we'll be having some fun with built in babysitters, I mean grandparents, visiting. Connor can't wait to show off how big of a boy he is. New words are keys, and "cheesus" (you don't want to know the translation there). Let's just say Matt and I now know we have to watch our mouths. Shit just got real.

 

 

 

Meals lately/ How to maximize the results in your workout

We are now into week 2 of the whole 30. Only (well, that's an understatement) 3 weeks to go! I've been reading a lot of other people's experiences on the program, and I relate to a lot of what they're reporting. Basically, I've read that many people say the first week is tough, and you start to feel a little discouraged by how restrictive the program is. I felt that way 100%. I also was dealing with feeling a constant sense of hunger in the evenings. I'd have a snack of an apple and almond butter most nights, but then worry that I was taking in too many calories. I'm not trying to lose weight, but I'm not trying to gain weight by any means. Matt has also been frustrated because he gained a pound in our first week (despite feeling like he's hungry)! He's going to stick with it and weigh in again next week. I know the program suggests to not weigh in, but that doesn't really work for Matt (who has been doing so well with his weight loss) and it also goes against how I maintain my weight.

This program can be tough if you're not a big meat eater, which I am not. I eat meat (not much red meat), but it's not something I crave, and I don't have large portions of it. That can make it hard to get full, especially at dinner. I've been eating sweet potatoes with a lot of our dinners to help get full.

I loved our dinner last night. We had fajita style chicken, peppers, and onions. Instead of cooking it in a grill pan like I usually do, I baked it in the oven. It was easy clean up, so I think I'll stick with this method.

I sliced up boneless/skinless chicken into strips, and sliced one (very) large onion and 3 bell peppers. Then I added cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, and salt on top (just estimated amounts). I squeezed the juice of half a lime on top before baking at 400 for about 40 minutes.

Keeping it easy, I cubed avocado in the shell, juiced the other half of a lime on top, and added chopped cilantro. It was a VERY easy version of guacamole. We each had half of the avocado with our dinner. This was nice and filling!

 

On to a little workout stuff. One method I use in my classes to really get the most effective results is to pulse or hold a movement at the most challenging part.

 

For example, instead of doing a regular squat, try squatting low, pulsing up halfway up, bring it back down, and then come all the way up. You really get double the muscle work done in that one squat. Try that method with other simple exercises to get the idea down, and then you can move onto more complicated moves.

 

I always love to work total body instead of just one body part, so combine a lunge and curl with the pulse. Start low in the lunge, come up halfway with your legs (they will be working the entire time) as you do a bicep curl halfway. Pulse it back down as you lower your arms, and then come all the way up with legs extended straight and arms curled up. It's a great way to mix things up!

Day 3: Whole 30 and a Recipe

We have officially completed 3 days on the Whole 30! Only....27 more to go, ha!

When I first read about what the plan consisted of, it looked like more of a list of what you couldn't have vs. what you could eat. I'm sure that is pretty intimidating to most people (including myself), but it honestly hasn't been that challenging.

What I've learned in the past few days about how to succeed on this plan: you need to meal plan in a new way. When I typically meal plan, it's for 4 dinners. Sometimes we have leftovers that are taken for lunch, other times Matt picks something up and I'll have a few different snack type things for lunch. Many of those items include granola bars, peanut butter and an apple, a yogurt, cheese stick, etc. ALL items that are banned on the Whole 30. Meal plans need to include breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and we can't just plan on eating out Friday and Saturday nights. I'm cooking a crockpot meal tomorrow that will be dinner for Thursday and Saturday nights. We're having Whole 30 friendly pulled pork. Of course, the difference with this recipe is that there is no sugar (which is always one of the first ingredients with any bottled or prepared sauce). This recipe uses pineapple to sweeten it. I'll serve it with roasted broccoli and carrots.

Matt and I are both feeling really good. We haven't been having any crazy cravings (thankfully), but Matt has had a few headaches. From what I've read, this seems pretty typical. I think it's probably a mixture of sugar withdrawal and caffeine withdrawal. We have both only been having one small cup of coffee each morning because unsweetened black coffee basically sucks.

So far this week we've had Chili:

 

Salads with veggies, grilled chicken, and roasted veggies on the side.

 

 

And, Curry Chicken with peppers, sweet potatoes, and onions.

 

 

Now, the picture of the Chicken Curry really doesn't do it justice (forgot to take a picture until I had packed up the leftovers in tupperware). This recipe is SO GOOD. And I'm completely patting myself on the back, because it's something I pretty much winged without a recipe. I love the Trader Joe's Thai red curry sauce, but one of the first ingredients is sugar. I looked at the other main ingredients in the recipe, and made this version. Try it!

 

 

1-1.5 lbs chicken breasts, cut into small pieces

1 can light coconut milk

4 red/orange bell peppers

1 large white or yellow onion

2 sweet potatoes cut into medium chunks

1 T cumin

1.5 T curry (more if you like it spicer, less if not)

2 t garlic powder

1 t powdered (more of fresh if you have it) ginger

Salt to taste

Chopped cilantro on top (as much as you like)

1 lime wedge per serving to squeeze on top

Olive oil to saute

 

Pre-heat oven to 410. Throw the chopped sweet potatoes onto a baking sheet and toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast until fork tender, I do about 15 minutes, flip, and another 15 minutes.

 

In a small sauce pan, combine coconut milk and all spices and heat over medium  low heat. Whisk it together as it heats. I let it simmer while the chicken and peppers cooked, it will continue to cook in the larger pot with the chicken and veggies.

 

In a large pot, brown the chicken pieces on medium high heat in olive oil (or coconut oil), set aside. Add a small amount of oil back into the pan, and throw in the veggies. Sautee until browned, about 8 minutes. Add chicken back in. Pour the coconut milk/spice mixture over the chicken and peppers. Let it simmer on low for about 20 minutes.

 

I served this with the sweet potatoes on the bottom of a bowl with the chicken curry mixture on top. Yum!

The Whole 30

I can't stop reading about or hearing from people who have done The Whole 30 program, and my curiosity recently made me start to read more about it. Trying to sum up the Whole 30 isn't easy, so I'll give you some basic info straight from the source.

What is the Whole30®?

Certain food groups (like sugar, grains, dairy and legumes) could be having a negative impact on your health and fitness without you even realizing it. Are your energy levels inconsistent or non-existent? Do you have aches and pains that can’t be explained by over-use or injury? Are you having a hard time losing weight no matter how hard you try? Do you have some sort of condition (like skin issues, digestive ailments, seasonal allergies or fertility issues) that medication hasn’t helped? These symptoms may be directly related to the foods you eat – even the “healthy” stuff. So how do you know if (and how) these foods are affecting you?

Strip them from your diet completely. Cut out all the psychologically unhealthy, hormone-unbalancing, gut-disrupting, inflammatory food groups for a full 30 days. Let your body heal and recover from whatever effects those foods may be causing. Push the “reset” button with your metabolism, systemic inflammation, and the downstream effects of the food choices you’ve been making. Learn once and for all how the foods you’ve been eating are actually affecting your day to day life, and your long term health. The most important reason to keep reading?

This will change your life.

We cannot possibly put enough emphasis on this simple fact—the next 30 days will change your life. It will change the way you think about food, it will change your tastes, it will change your habits and your cravings. It could, quite possibly, change the emotional relationship you have with food, and with your body. It has the potential to change the way you eat for the rest of your life. We know this because we did it, and tens of thousands of people have done it since, and it changed our lives (and their lives) in a very permanent fashion. (Need convincing? Just read some of our stunning testimonials.) The Whole 30

I first thought it was a "diet" intending to cause weight loss, but that really isn't the main point. People do lose weight on the program often, but not always. Even though I try to maintain a healthy diet, I've been feeling like too much sugar and dairy have been creeping in (I have a minor Reece's addiction). I'm hoping that by being pretty strict and cutting sugar and dairy out completely, I'll be less likely to reach for them. I gave up dairy for about two months when Connor was a newborn because I thought he might have a dairy intolerance. While I don't think he really did, what I noticed was how much better I felt off dairy. I didn't feel bloated, and my skin was completely clear.

Cutting out legumes isn't something I've ever done, or wanted to do. I'm going to get rid of them during the Whole 30 and then re-evaluate when I incorporate them back in. I like the idea of starting from a "clean slate" in terms of diet so you can really see what works for you, and even more importantly, what doesn't work for you.

Matt has agreed to sticking to the plan for the 30 days, and I'm trying to make it easier for him by preparing our dinners and helping him decide what to eat or bring for lunches.

This week I'm making a new chili recipe from a paleo blog that I found, Chocolate Chili. The blog is called The Clothes Make the Girl, and the author writes a lot of tasty looking recipes. I'm also going to make a chicken curry with peppers, onions, and sweet potatoes, which is a recipe I made up and already make on a regular basis. I'm making big batches of everything so that we can either have leftovers for lunches or other dinners. For breakfast I'm going to either do hard boiled eggs and a piece of fruit or an egg scramble with veggies. Lunches will either be leftovers from the previous night's dinner or a veggie packed salad with grilled chicken on top.

I'll report back with my take on the Whole 30 periodically, and while I'm not in it to lose weight, I'll certainly update you with my results! Hopefully he won't kill me for writing this, but Matt is down 22 (or 23?) pounds and looking amazing! He's really been so on point with food, and it very motivated to give the next 30 days a shot.

And I call myself a blogger?

It's true, I've been terribly neglectful of this blog. Truth is, just like everyone else in the world, the holidays and life completely took over. No excuse! We've been up to a lot of the same things, working out and teaching a ton, spending family time, and of course getting together with friends.

One tradition we've started is a spin on something we already did. Friday pizza night! So creative, right? The "spin" is that I've been making my own pizza. I've made pizzas before, but usually just bought ready made naan bread and used it as the crust. I've broken my streak with unsuccessful bread recipes with a really easy pizza crust. I also don't have a pizza stone, and thought that it wouldn't come out well. Wrong! I found a really easy method on popsugar (randomly found while googling) that works SO well.

The way to cook the pizza without a stone is really easy, and it totally changes how the crust tastes and looks. Preheat a cookie sheet to 500 for about 10 minutes. When you pull it out, drizzle the sheet with olive oil (I lay down tin foil for easier clean up). Lay your rolled out dough onto the cookie sheet, top with your toppings, and bake. That's it!

The basic dough recipe is:

1 packet dry active yeast
1 Cup warm water
3 Cups bread flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 t sugar
2 T olive oil

Combine the first two ingredients in a mixer and let stand for about ten minutes (you're just activating the yeast). Once that starts foaming a bit, add the other ingredients into the mixer with a dough hook attachment. Let it rise for about an hour. I split it in half to make 2 pizzas.

My best pizza yet came from a very complex and difficult combination of ingredients. Not really, it came from a magical item you can find in your local Trader Joe's. Or Trader Giotti's. Their bruschetta is amazing, and it worked perfectly as a pizza "sauce"- chunky and flavorful without being too much like a regular chopped tomato bruschetta. I also use the bread dipping seasoning herb grinder on the left to season the pizza. Sometimes I even throw it into the dough as it mixes.

 

I put a blend of Parmesan and mozzarella on top of the bruschetta, and then baked at 500 for about 10 minutes.

 

 

Connor loves to cook in his new kitchen as well!

 

 

His latest favorite toy is very high tech....a diaper box. It's the simple things!

 

 

Happy weekend!







Muggy Monday

The weather is insufferable lately. Ungodly humid and HOT. Today's high was 95. The rest of the week is only supposed to get hotter! Ugh. Not only does the weather put a cramp in our plans because it's just such an effort to get going, but it hinders my workouts because I have to stay inside. I can be tough, but running in the 90's just isn't going to happen.

Once I got Connor down for his morning nap, I started a workout so it was out of the way. I repeated this circuit 3 times- each round took me about 15 minutes. 

20 squat jumps

10 pushups 

20 squat jumps

10 pushups

1 min high plank

30 sec side plank R

30 sec side plank L

30 sec high plank

30 sec low plank

1.5 min skull crushers on mat (laying down/legs in tabletop- tricep extension)

1.5 min bicycle crunches

10 reps butt lifts/bridge position
10 reps lowering butt halfway down
10 reps bridge up on your toes (engages the calves)
10 reps bridge toes point up/heels press into mat

3 min- alternate bicep curl, front arm raise, side arm raise 

10 squat/hold down in squat for 10 sec/10 half squat- repeat 3 times

Try this! I did 3 rounds, but you could do one or two and still get a workout in. 

For dinner, I made bruschetta chicken and roasted broccoli. It was healthy and very easy! Recipe to come soon- it's super easy and uses premade bruschetta from Trader Joes, one of my favorite spots. 

Garlic Shrimp with White Beans

This is my version of the delicious white bean and shrimp appetizer we had at Spasso on Saturday night. It's not exact, but was SO good.

2 cans cannellini beans
4 cloves garlic
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (we like it really spicy, you can halve this or omit)
1tbsp olive oil
15 shrimp
2 handfuls baby spinach
1 tbsp fresh chopped rosemary
1/4 cup dry white wine

Chop the shrimp into bite sized pieces and saute in olive oil until cooked through. Season shrimp with salt and pepper white cooking. Remove from pan. Add garlic, rosemary, and crushed red pepper- saute for about 2 minutes. Add 2 cans (drained) white beans. Saute on a medium heat for about 10 minutes. Add white wine and turn the heat up to medium high for 3-5 minutes. Add baby spinach. Put the shrimp back into the pan to heat through.

I served this with a piece of crusty bread and roasted asparagus.

The asparagus is so easy- simply layer it on a sheet pan in a single layer, season with salt and pepper, and bake at 425 for about 10 minutes.



Healthy cooking doesn't have to be hard!

Friday

Last night, a great group of women showed up for class. We worked it, and were pretty spent by the end. I incorporated a few high intensity intervals to really get the heart rate up- and get maximum calorie burn.

One of the intervals we did was:

3 rounds of-
10 burpees
10 push ups

Even if you're just trying to get into the fitness game or shake things up, the circuit above is something you can bang out in a short period of time. That is what makes "working out" accessible to EVERYONE. Yes, it's hard. But YES, you have the time. Maybe do 10 burpees and 10 push ups during a commercial break. After you throw in a load of laundry. Waiting for your coffee to brew. Water to boil. Song to download. And it goes on! You have the time, even if it's just a few minutes here and there. It all adds up.

MAKE THE TIME, LADIES!

When I got home, I threw together an easy egg scramble. This one had: carrots, peppers, spinach, onions, 2 eggs, and 1 egg white. Sriracha over top. High in protein, low in fat and calories.

I've been working hard on a project with my friend Pete Mattis at ZAKTi fitness http://zaktionline.com/ . If you're interested in training with me in a small group setting, stay tuned for details- it's going to be good!

My parents are visiting this weekend, and very eager to babysit Connor. Matt and I are very eager to get out and have a date night too, we haven't in over three months! As you've seen, we do get out a lot, but always have the baby with us. Not that I'm complaining! It will be really nice to get a little dressed up and actually wear heels. Matt might not recognize me.

Wishing you a happy weekend!ZAKTi

Easter

Yesterday we celebrated C's first Easter, and to say I was excited would be an understatement. It's so much fun establishing new family traditions for each holiday. We planned on attending 11:30 mass, which works out perfectly with our nap schedule. C woke up at around 10:45 (he went down for nap at 9) and we did a quick Easter basket opening, and then got him dressed. 

Easter Basket (or beach bucket)

Not sure what to do...

He knew just what to do with that... 

Instead of doing a basket, I put his Easter goodies in a bucket that he can use at the beach. Inside, I put swim trunks, little sunglasses (can you tell we're excited for the beach?), a teething toy, sippy cup, and the Fisher Price Seahorse. I've heard the seahorse thing helps zone them out as they're falling asleep. Who knows, but for some reason I keep calling it a glow worm, and Matt can't stop making fun of me.

All dressed for Church

I was so excited for his outfit. The pants are cords, a little out of season, but I assumed he would be in 3-6 earlier than he was- peanut.

We tried getting a few pics of the two of us before church, but this was the best Matt could get. It's a lot easier when it's just me getting a picture of him!

C was SO good during mass. He really enjoys everything going on- music, looking at the stained glass, and of course people watching. He will spot a person and then zone in on them. Some call it "alert", other times we call it "creepy". No one seemed to mind though, haha. He did a lot of staring, and a lot of smiling too. 

My in laws came over for dinner, which turned out great. I made my favorite brussels with brown sugar and bacon among other items. I was so proud of my cupcake chicks! I do enjoy baking, but when I try and decorate baked goods, it usually looks like a little kid did it. Note the cupcakes in the background that were supposed to be Easter eggs. They looked more like baseballs and basketballs, according to Matt. 

I hope you had a wonderful Easter!

Saturday

Yesterday was a very busy day, but in a good way. My girlfriend Alison asked if I wanted to do a 10k, exactly 5 weeks before the Broad St 10 miler. It was a really good thing to do for race preparation. It might sound strange, but running 6.5 miles on your own is a lot different than running the same distance during a race. I think races help push you along because you typically feed off of the energy of other people. I did about 5.5 miles on the Wednesday before this race and felt awesome. No cramps, achy feet or ankles, it was great. Yesterday though, there were definitely a few moments where I struggled. The course was really beautiful and took me through suburban neighborhoods I'd never seen before. Absolutely beautiful houses. It also had a few hills that were long, steady upward grades. There was one right before mile 4 that actually made me walk for a few seconds before pushing through to the top. 

Broad St is mostly flat and even a little downhill, so hopefully I won't have any "moments" during that race!

I started off freezing, so the vest seemed like a great idea. 

I wanted to rip off that damn vest by the end of the race!

After I got home from the race, and Matt got home from golf (my mother in law was nice enough to watch the baby during that time), we decided to go out to an early dinner. For a few months, we've kind of felt trapped in terms of going out with C except for daytime outings. He has needed to nap so often, and really naps so much better in his crib that sometimes it just didn't seem worth going out. Now, he's getting to a point where he can stay up longer in between naps. We left for dinner at about 5, yup, early bird special. Or, happy hour. I guess those are two ways of looking at it. 

We went to the St. James in Ardmore, which is a new favorite. They're always very accommodating with the carseat/stroller. 

Apple Sangria

Photogenic little guy!

Daddy making C laugh

6 months is really just such an awesome age. People always tell me that he's so "good", and I agree, but I also think this age is just so fun! In total, we were there for about an hour and 45 minutes. He was happy the entire time. I even brought his dinner- steamed/pureed broccoli and oatmeal- and he sat on Matt's lap while I fed it to him. Broccoli is a new vegetable to him and really produces interesting faces :)

We got home just around C's bedtime, seven, and he went down very easily. 

Easter Sunday will be a busy day around here, we're hosting. I'm trying a few new recipes and will post them if they turn out well! 

Busy Thursday

Today C and I shook things up and headed into the city to meet with my friend Pete Mattis at Zakti fitness http://zaktionline.com/. Pete originally got me into teaching group fitness, and I'm so happy that he has his own studio up and running. We share a lot of the same fitness philosophies; especially the principle that good form is the key to a good workout. You can do a hundred squats with mediocre form and never see results. Tighten up that form and do 10 perfect squats; you'll feel and see the difference.

Pete Mattis

C watched as Pete did a plank

This weekend we are shooting Pete's first fitness video, so we ran through some moves and talked about different ideas. It should be fun, and I'll update after the shoot. 

Another friend, Josh Thornton, will be in the video. Josh runs his own company, My Epic Strength http://www.myepicstrength.com, and he's partnered up with Pete. Josh's workouts are intense- not for the faint of heart! 

Josh Thornton

Zakti

C playing on his activity mat

After getting home from the city, I had about an hour before I had to leave to teach class. When I finally got home at around 7:15 I was exhausted. I threw together a quick and healthy dinner- 2 eggs, 1 egg white, diced onion and red pepper, handful of spinach. I like to make this when I need something quick and light. 

Doused in Sriracha of course!

Brussel Sprouts with Brown Sugar and Bacon

The title alone is enough to make you hungry, right?

I went to a new restaurant in the area, The St. James, in Suburban Square. They had an amazing brussel sprout dish that I had to recreate at home. I tried to make this a little less indulgent by cutting some of the fat- while still keeping the bacon.

1 container brussel sprouts, halved
3 strips bacon, chopped
3 T brown sugar
2 T balsamic vinegar
2T olive oil
1/2 t garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste

Pre-heat the oven to 400. In a bowl, toss together all ingredients except the bacon, and let them marinate for at least a half hour. After everything is marinated, toss in the chopped bacon. Spray a tin foil lined baking sheet with olive oil pam. Spread the mixture in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes and then stir/flip everything. Bake for another 15-20 until the brussels and bacon look browned and crispy.

Chili

One of my favorite meals to throw together quickly is a pot of Chili. It's great for leftovers, and you can always put more veggies into it to get a nice round meal. Although I change the recipe a little bit each time I make it, here's my basic version. Add in any extra veggies you have lying around, and if you like it spicy, throw in some hot sauce or Sriracha!

I went shopping for the ingredients last night after teaching class and was very happy to find one of my favorite seasonal products:

So excited, that I bought almost every bottle they have. No, I can't just wait until next holiday season when this comes back out. Don't judge me!

My girlfriend Beth was coming over with her son Ray, so I wanted something I could put together quickly in the morning and let simmer until lunch.

Again, a cute sous chef helps, but is not required.

Chili

2 T olive oil
3T chili powder
1t cumin
1t seasoning salt (you can always add more later)
1t dried oregano
2t garlic powder

1 medium onion diced

1 red pepper diced

1 zucchini diced

1.5 lbs organic beef (you can also use turkey)

1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes

About 14 ounces water (half of the crushed tomato can)

16 ounce can tomato paste

1 14 ounce can kidney beans

-Put the olive oil in the bottom of a heavy pot on medium high

-Add in the onion, pepper, and zucchini until soft

-Sprinkle spices over the veggies until fragrant 

-Push the veggies over to one side of the pot, add the meat and brown

-Add in crushed tomatoes, water,  kidney beans, and tomato paste

-Bring all ingredients to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer

-Simmer at least an hour, let it go longer if you have time

-Turn off the pot for about 20 minutes before serving (this allows the flavors to really meld together while cooling off so you can taste each flavor, not just HOT)

Serve with any toppings you like. We usually do: shredded cheese, diced onions, Sriracha sauce, and sometimes I make cornbread for the side. Kettle sweet potato chips are great with it too!

Superbowl Hangover

Did you indulge too much Sunday night? Whether it was food or booze (or likely both!) there's no need to beat yourself up about it now. Nearly everyone has a night, an entire day, week, or even a few months where you get off track. Eating the wrong foods, drinking too  much, or a combination of the two often leads to that sluggish feeling that in turn makes you want to skip a workout. Acknowledging you've gotten off track is important so you don't let it snowball into a month of eating badly and not working out.

Just because you did indulge a little for the Superbowl doesn't necessarily mean you've gotten off track though. We went to a party where the food was plentiful, delicious, and there were many unhealthy, yet tempting choices. I tried to taste what I wanted to, eat a little of the unhealthier options, and then fill up on salad and protein. I even had a small slice of cake. Trying to keep the portions in check will help you feel in control of your diet. If you have good portion control (not that it's an easy thing for anyone!) you really can eat anything you want and stay slim. You just can't eat anything you want in any portion you want and stay slim. That would just be too good to be true. If I ever find a way to eat ALL the food and stay thin, I'll let you know. Until then, portion control my friends.

Whenever I've been trying to lose weight, my mindset on how I'm going to do it is the first important step- even before diet/exercise plans. For me, viewing each day individually helps. It's a lot easier for me to avoid sweets for one day versus thinking "I'm never going to have dessert again".

Ok, now it's confession time. C is taking a wonderful nap, and I'm blogging from bed. His long nap is probably due to his less than stellar sleep last night. Even though I'm not doing this circuit now, I will be doing it at the gym with my class tonight- watch out ladies, it's not easy!

Power Nap Circuit-

5 rounds (you can always do more if you're up to it!)

20 squat jumps- make sure you squat LOW, sit that butt back!
1 min up/down planks- start in high plank and lower onto your forearms, then back up