Peach Cobbler Protein Shake

One of the most common complaints I hear about eating "healthy" is that it's boring. Who wants to be eating bland chicken and brown rice when you could be eating bacon pizza and Chocolate Peanut Butter PopTarts right??? Listen, I'm not going to dispute that the tried and true "contest prep" diet used by bodybuilders, fitness models, and Hollywood actors getting shredded for a role (Oh hi, Chris Evans, nice abs in 'Captain America', by the way...) can get a little monotonous after, say, the 2nd meal. However, if you're not preparing for a competitive event, a photo shoot, or an action movie, it does not - I repeat - DOES NOT have to be that way! You can afford a little fun in your diet and STILL live a healthy life - I promise! The way you do that is by getting creative and experimenting a little. 

If you know what your nutritional needs are and know what the nutritional value of certain foods are, the possibilities are quite endless. One of my favorite things to do is to experiment with different ideas in the kitchen; some days this turns out to be one giant inedible fail of epic proportions...but on other days...you get the "Peach Cobbler Protein Shake"!

I make this in the morning and throw it in my shaker cup for
safe and clean travel to work! :)

Ingredients (based on what I had in the house, but feel free to customize to your liking!):
1 cup Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
1/2 cup Fat Free Cottage Cheese
1/2 cup frozen Peaches
1 Tbsp Stevia
Cinnamon
1 Tbsp Walden Farms Calorie Free Pancake Syrup
Ice (optional)
Pinch of Salt (optional)

Add ingredients and blend together until smooth.

*Notes and Suggestions*: 

 - If you are like many and are skeeved by cottage cheese OR want to pack more of a protein punch into your shake, substitute the cottage cheese for Vanilla Whey Protein Powder or Vanilla Greek Yogurt!

 - Use any type of sweetener you like! 

 - Fresh peaches would work beautifully, but frozen are great to have on hand for that "spur of the moment Peach Cobbler protein shake craving"! (Not sure if there is such a thing, but I just invented it!)

 - Omit the WF Pancake Syrup if you are anti-artificial sweetener! Agave nectar or honey would work well too!

Well there you go! Love it or hate it, hopefully it will get the wheels turning in your head and get some experimentation going in your kitchen! I look forward to hearing about your concoctions so feel free to share if you have anything fun to add to it! Enjoy! :)

Losing My Balance

I have a confession to make. I am a bit of an extremist when it comes to certain things. An all-or-nothing kind of girl, if you will. When I go for something, I GO FOR IT...which can be great, don't get me wrong. When I really want something, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING can get in my way. Focus, dedication, and discipline are my middle name. But on the downside, it also means that when I fall, I fall HARD. If I'm not putting my all into something, I'm putting in nothing - no - less than nothing, if there is such a thing. It's not a truth I'm proud to admit, but it's the truth. It always has been my whole life.

If I knew I would be great at something, I'd go for it. If not, I wouldn't even attempt it. Why? Because in my mind, if I'm not the best at something, I'm a failure...and failure is unbearable. As much as I've tried to suppress this way of thinking, it always manages to creep up on me and make it's way back into my subconscious. It's become such a deeply embedded part of who I am, to the very core...and I hate it.  

I hate it because it keeps me from achieving the very thing that makes me feel whole...BALANCE.

It was, in fact, the very thing that inspired this blog in the first place. After undergoing a huge transformation in my lifestyle, my body, and most importantly my mindset, I finally felt like I had found balance. I had found who I was...and for the very first time in my entire life...I LIKED THAT PERSON. For a girl who spent the majority of her life living in a constant state of self-loathing and insecurity, that's SAYING SOMETHING!

And then it all fell apart.

The scales tipped back out of balance. I slowly allowed myself to fall deeper and deeper into a depression that would ultimately test the integrity of this new person in the mirror I had come to respect. It was a test that I have, to date, failed miserably. I stress the words to date, for a reason.

So, I do have a tendency to go off the deep end sometimes. I have my fair share of issues with perfectionism and failure. And yes, I've experienced episodes of depression that, on certain days, have nearly annihilated my motivation just to get out of bed in the morning and function. However, I do not offer this deeply personal information to you as an excuse, but rather as a proclamation of self-awareness. One of the many lessons I've learned through my fitness journey is that you are capable of exactly what you allow yourself to be capable of. If you allow yourself to be bogged down by challenges and excuses, it becomes a cycle of even more excuses, followed by mediocrity and failure. But if you are honest with yourself and you rise to the challenge with a little bit of self-awareness and a lot of determination, you are UNSTOPPABLE. 

I realize now, that the mistake I made was assuming that balance, once achieved, cannot be taken away. In reality, life, people, and circumstances are constantly changing and therefore balance is something that we will struggle to maintain each and every day. So, when I say that I have failed "to date", it only means that I still have work to do - that I'm not giving up on myself. That I will not just lay down and take whatever mediocrity hands me. It means that I'm capable of going exactly as far as I'm willing to push myself...which brings me to the reason I decided to share this: BECAUSE SO ARE YOU. YOU NEED ONLY REALIZE IT.
   

"It's Part of the Process"

If you have ever followed a fitness professional/blogger/Youtuber/enthusiast, you, no doubt, have heard the phrase "learn to appreciate the process." Meaning, don't look at the lifestyle as just a means to an end. If you're in it for the right reasons, the results will come. Don't fixate on the little things, but rather see your journey on a larger scale as "the bigger picture" and the little things will fall into place. I, myself, am guilty of throwing this phrase around time and time again when it comes to fitness. I believe it wholeheartedly, I truly do. I know it, I believe it and yet, even I manage to lose sight of it from time to time...and perhaps forget that it applies to more than just fitness.

Life, for example. It has it's fair share of ups and downs, that's for sure. The past two years or so have proven this to me. There will be times when you feel happy and free and invincible. You lose a bunch of weight and people start noticing you that never did before and you start a blog and a YouTube channel and feel as though nothing can ever get you down again. And then something does get you down. And then another something gets you down and another something and another and before you know it you feel as though you're about as low as you can go...and then just when you think you've hit rock bottom, you fall even harder than that. 

I'm not looking for sympathy, here - the point that I'm trying to illustrate is that this is the cycle of life. It's not always sunshine and rainbows - in fact, more often than not, life will throw you rainclouds (aka obstacles) to try to block out the sun. There's no way around it. It happens to the best of the best. And when it does, you have only two choices. You can give in to the feeling of hopelessness and let the rain beat you further and further into the ground, or against all odds, you can fight like hell to weather the storm. 

Anyone who has ever been in this position knows it is not an easy decision to make. But it is part of the process. And it determines who you are and where your journey will take you. 

I have had much reason lately to doubt that I am truly the person I've strived to be - to wonder if everything I've worked toward has been in vain. I've looked to everyone and every place I can think of to find the answers - except the one place I needed to be looking: IN THE MIRROR. I am the only one who has the answer. There are days when I feel completely powerless to find these answers that I seek and it is on those days that I hate myself for being so weak. And then it hits me.

Weakness is part of the process. Without it, we are not able to appreciate strength. Without the bad, we do not know how lucky we are to have the good. Without the rain, we have no rainbow. It is NECESSARY to feel pain, to feel lost, to feel weak...because it is in those moments when we think we are too weak to pull ourselves back up, that we find out just how strong we really are. 

I'll admit, I have a long way to go before I am out of the storm. However, just knowing that it is part of the process and it's within my power to pull myself out of it gives me something to look forward to. Though it may seem faint, if I look beyond the rain, I can see just a glimpse of the rainbow to come...

"The soul would have no rainbow if the eyes had no tears."

Top 3 Dumb Reasons Girls Don't Lift

If you follow my YouTube Channel, you'll find the live angry rant version of this post. But, I still felt the need to sit down and write an intelligent account of my experience on my Monday night Push workout.

After overhearing an interaction on the bench next to me, the wheels in my head started turning almost as furiously as my front delts were burning. It was a young guy and girl I had never seen before and he was "training" her, as it was clear she had had no experience with lifting weights. If you want the full scoop, check out the video, but to sum things up, if I had been this girl and it was my first experience lifting weights, it would have also probably been my last. Not only did he not help her to get a good workout, but he also made her feel silly and insecure for not doing it right. This made me downright angry the more I thought about it - almost to the point where it interfered with my own workout. But I was able to put the thoughts aside and when my workout was done I thought back to the interaction and again the rage started bubbling up inside me as I walked out of the locker room. I felt it was my responsibility to share this experience.

As I've mentioned previously, I started lifting weights almost by accident after stumbling upon some information on the internet that pointed me to the theory that this was the answer to the dream body I was seeking. I've never been athletic or had any comprehensive weight training experience, so I was basically just determined and self-taught. It is intimidating to be in that position and walk over to those weights which are typically surrounded by beefy guys looking super-tough, like they totally know what they're doing (even when, as I later came to find out, most of them didn't!).

So I can absolutely understand why there are so few women who lift weights. I understand it. But it doesn't mean I like it. When I first started my YouTube channel, it was in hopes that it would inspire others like myself to make changes - maybe not NECESSARILY other women, but subconsciously it was my intended target audience. What I found out, though, was that the bodybuilding/weightlifting community is overwhelmingly male. I don't mind because I have managed to make a great number of new friends that I wouldn't have otherwise had through that experience (most of whom are male), but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed that more females didn't show much of an interest in what I was trying to do.

So what is that, exactly? To share this message: LADIES!!!! YOU ARE NOT A PRISONER OF THE ELLIPTICAL!!!!! YOU, TOO, CAN LIFT LIKE A DUDE!!!! YOU'LL BE BETTER FOR IT, I PROMISE!!! What's stopping you? This:

1. "Bulking Up" Myth: It has long been taught that if you want to bulk up you lift heavy weights and fewer reps. If you don't want to get too bulky and you just want to "tone up" - light weights and high reps, right? There is so much wrong with this theory, but I'll just delve into the most obvious: WOMEN DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH TESTOSTERONE TO GET BULKY!!! Those bodybuilding women that you see with the manly shoulders and veins popping out? They didn't get that like that by accidently lifting too heavy. That took years of VERY heavy lifting, spot-on proper nutrition, and likely some hormone therapy. For this reason, the excuse "I don't want to get bulky, I just want to look good in a bikini" is completely invalid. 

2. "Women Are Too Weak for Heavy Lifting" Myth: Yes, women usually lift lighter weight than men. But we tend to take the term "lifting light weights" too literally. LIGHT WEIGHTS DOES NOT MEAN NO WEIGHT!!! What is "heavy lifting"? You walk into the gym and see men lifting weights that you probably couldn't even pick up once. Don't assume that when I say "heavy lifting" that's what I mean, because you'll psych yourself out that way. It is true, women are not built with as much muscle mass as men. In your natural state, with no weight training, your boyfriend or husband is likely to be able to lift heavier weight than you. But this does not mean you cannot lift what is considered heavy to you. It is all relative to the person in question. I shoulder press 22.5 lb dumbbells. For some people that might be way too heavy, while others might be able to do that in their sleep. But I am able to get 8 good reps out, while keeping proper form. That IS lifting heavy for me. The idea is to push yourself, to push your muscles beyond what they've previously been able to accomplish, so that they will break down and regrow better than they were before. I promise you, you're not doing that with a pair of 5 lb pink dumbbells. Don't underestimate what you are capable of simply because it's not what HE is capable of.

3. "I feel too silly to lift weights": This was the part that made me angry. Having been in this position, I understand what a monumental feat it is to overcome that self-consciousness that one feels when they have no idea what to do and are surrounded by people who make them feel bad about it,  intentionally or otherwise. But understand this: Learning any new skill is a challenge and you ARE going to mess up. You ARE going to get it wrong. EVERYONE DOES. It's part of the process. It sometimes feels as though everyone's watching you (especially if you are the only girl there!), and you may even have somebody like the jerk I mentioned earlier who is intentionally trying to tear you down to make themselves feel better. But know that this uncomfortable insecure feeling is only temporary. Know that the ones who are trying to tear you down are only doing it because they are unsure of themselves and are feeling threatened. Know that if you stick with it and dedicate yourself to learning and training, you will one day look up from your workout to realize that those big scary guys who once made you feel insecure are actually glancing over at you because YOU are making THEM feel insecure. Because you continually push yourself every single day to make yourself better and better. Because you don't even care anymore what they think. Because you are there for YOU. 

What's your rush?

When I first started getting really into nutrition and fitness I read a ton of interviews with professional fitness competitors for inspiration. One of the things that always stuck with me that seemed to be a recurring theme was the idea that changing your body is not an overnight deal. Many of these people took YEARS to get to where they wanted to be and despite having what the average person would consider "perfect" physiques, they STILL strive to better themselves on a daily basis. When you consider how long they have been working toward their goals, it may seem like a long time to wait to be able to see the rewards for your discipline and hard work. But not if you look at it from the right perspective - the perspective that the best of the best see it from. 

Sept. 2010

They have perfected what is known as "enjoying the process." They don't see watching their diet or going to the gym as just a means to an end. They aren't expecting to wake up tomorrow and suddenly be at their goal. They have respect for the fact that IT IS A PROCESS.

It is those that don't fully understand this who fail. You know the ones I'm talking about. Hell, you might even be one of the ones I'm talking about (no worries, I was that person for a long time, too!) The ones who've tried all the shortcuts, all the fad diets, all the bandwagon exercise programs...and failed. Failed because they expected to bypass the discipline, effort and time that it takes to achieve real, long-lasting results.  

May 2011

We live in a society where everything is on the fast track. We don't have the patience to wait long for our internet connection, our coffee at Starbucks OR our fitness/nutrition plan to yield results. But, the harsh reality is, that in the long run, it's the only way. Sure, you could do a cleanse that promises you that you'll drop 20 lbs in a week, or you could live on carrot sticks and celery to fit into a smaller size for an upcoming event. You could eat pre-packaged meals that come in the mail and drop a good amount of weight. But what exactly do you think will happen when you go back to eating normal food after that? You know the answer because it's probably happened to you or someone you know: you gain it right back. Then you're back at square 1.

June 2012

The aforementioned methods of weight loss are pretty miserable ways of life, if you ask me - so why would you want to put yourself in a position to have to go through it again??? Your best bet? LEARN THE PROPER WAY TO EAT/EXERCISE, PUT IN THE EFFORT, AND BE PATIENT! Instead of yo-yo'ing back and forth from pants size to pants size for the rest of your life, going from one extreme to another, you could see REAL results and be able to maintain them long-term.



***Believe me, I understand the urge to want immediate results, I do, really. But I promise if you take the path less traveled - the one fewer people are willing to take the time to walk down - you will see results that those who bypassed this path are not able to achieve. So, what's your rush? You have the rest of your life to become a little bit better each day. :) ***

March 13, 2013
It's been a long journey, and it's not over yet...
and I'm totally cool with that. <3

10 Minute Chicken Chili

When you work 4 days a week, go to the gym 6 days a week, have a 2 year old, a hubby, and a house to take care of, finding time to make healthy home cooked meals can be quite the challenge. Luckily I've never been one to back down from a food challenge. I've mentioned many times before that I prepare my meals at least a day in advance for the days I will be working and out of the house. Except dinner...sometimes. For some reason I still haven't quite mastered setting up for dinner on the nights when I will be working late...especially this past month, since we've been fridge-less and living out of a cooler. So two nights a week, when I work late, by the time I pick up Little Girl and get home it's approaching 8:00 and my stomach is usually growling. I don't know about you guys, but when I'm hungry, I seem to fire on a few less brain cells and trying to sort out what to make and how to go about making it is...as I said earlier, challenging. Some nights I give up and decide on some configuration of scrambled eggs. But other nights I have ground chicken sitting in the cooler on the floor of my kitchen that will go bad if I don't figure out how to use it...and on those nights...those are the nights that things like 10 Minute Chicken Chili are born.

I will warn you, if you are a gourmet chef this recipe may offend you with it's simplicity, but understand that it was not intended for you. This recipe is intended for those who've found themselves in a jam, without the time, patience or energy to chop, peel, simmer or saute and need to get some macros in them fast! :)

10 Minute Chicken Chili

You Will Need:

1 lb Ground Chicken (I get 98% Fat Free)

1 can Red Kidney Beans, (I prefer Reduced Sodium) drained and rinsed well 

2 8 Oz cans Tomato Sauce 

Onion Powder

Garlic Powder

Ground Cumin

Chili Powder

Salt/Pepper

Cooking Spray

Directions: 

1. Spray pan and brown the Chicken in a pan on medium heat.

2. While that's cooking, drain and rinse the beans really well to remove excess sodium.

3. Once the chicken is cooked through, add the beans and both cans of sauce and lower heat to low-med.

4. Start adding spices one at a time - my advice is to do each by your taste preference because let's be honest...you're in a rush and you're hungry. You could measure, but ain't nobody got time for dat. ;)

5. Let simmer for a few minutes (or as long as your grumbling stomach can hold out!) and dig in!

This recipe will make 4 servings. The macros will vary depending on the ingredients you choose. You may substitute the chicken for ground beef or turkey and customize and add whatever flavors you like and what you have time for!

 

Nutritional Facts: (as I said, they will vary depending on what you use!)

Calories: 245

Protein: 29 grams

Carbs: 29 grams

Fat: 1.5 grams

New and Improved Protein Pancakes

Part of living a healthy and fit lifestyle is self-improvement. In the spirit of that, I thought I'd share some of the improvements I've been making to one of my favorite breakfast recipes. I've actually taken the original recipe down because when I read over the post, there were a few things I knew I wanted to change, so I thought it would just be easier to make a new one. If you are familiar with that one, there were a couple of other breakfast recipes in that post that I will re-post later in the week but for now, I give you the new and improved:

Not-So-Cardboard Protein Pancakes (Note: Hubby said he actually enjoys these even more than real pancakes...and that's saying something, because he wasn't a fan of my earlier attempts at protein pancakes!)

As you can see, my flipping skills have significantly improved! :)

Ingredients:
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 scoop your fave protein powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
Cinnamon to taste
Sweetener to taste (I do about 2 Tbsp of Stevia!)
1/4 cup Cottage Cheese (I like 1 %, but choose your desired fat content!)
1 egg white
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
Water
Non-stick cooking spray
Blueberries (optional)

Directions:
1. Add dry ingredients to a bowl and mix.
2. Add wet ingredients, except water and mix. You will get a THICK consistency. 
3. Add water, a little at a time, until desired pancake batter consistency (this may vary based on preference!)
4. Add blueberries (or chocolate chips, or strawberries, or bananas, or whatever you have a taste for that day, you get the idea!)
5. Spray a little cooking spray into batter and mix well (this is the only way I've gotten them not to stick, it works like a charm!)
6. Spray pan and put desired amount of batter in pan,
7. Cook on medium heat and flip when edges start to lift off pan! (The second side will cook quickly after this!)

Nutrition Facts: (without blueberries - this will vary based on your ingredients!)
Calories: 266
Protein: 34 grams
Carbs: 28 grams
Fat: 2 grams

*Makes about 8 medium pancakes, depending on how "medium" you make them!

Now grab a fork and enjoy...or not...to be honest they're so good I'd just eat them with my hands... :)

The Post Christmas Feast Abs Challenge

For those of you who follow my Facebook Page, I posted a picture of my stomach the day after Christmas for the world to see. It sucked. I'm not gonna lie. I wasn't crazy about posting a picture of myself bloated and puffy as a result of going all out for the holiday and not holding back in the least bit. So why did I bother doing it then? Well, there were a few things that I wanted to illustrate through this challenge.

#1 - Nothing says "I'm holding myself accountable" like publicly challenging yourself to get your "4-pack" back in a week's time. In that sense, it was for selfish reasons, I suppose.

#2 - Bad mojo thrives on momentum. It can be really easy to fall into the trap of saying "I've already blown my diet, I might as well just keep going and give up on it!" I've done it in the past - you feel so down about your "bad" behavior that it makes you feel like all of your hard work was for nothing and it's not worth even trying anymore. Well this is not the case. In reality 1 meal, 1 day, or even as it was in this case, a few days of poor eating habits are actually quite easily reversible. Always remember that. No one is perfect. Getting yourself together and getting right back to it is what's important after a slip-up or even an intentional "binge" for a special occasion. 

#3 - Water weight can ninja your mind. It's been known to happen that someone steps on the scale and freaks because they gained 5 lbs. overnight. I've been there - as a recovering scale junkie I've seen some crazy fluctuations in my time. It's water weight - I promise. The reality is that unless you consumed 17,500 calories MORE than your maintenance calories in one day, there is NO WAY that you gained 5 lbs. of body fat overnight...so step off the scale, take a deep breath, and don't panic. As quickly as it comes on, it disappears and it honestly means nothing in terms of your progress. 

#4 - If you also follow my YouTube channel, you know that this particular week I spent, either out of the gym, or doing a VERY light version of my normal routine due to a case of Pleurisy. Even once I was feeling up to working out I was not able to perform any direct ab work. The point that I want to make clear here is that this challenge was done without doing a single crunch. The saying "Abs are made in the kitchen" comes to mind. Millions of people are after the highly-coveted six pack abs and a good portion of them are going about it the wrong way. They think if they do tons of crunches and plank for 10 minutes it will give them tight, sculpted abs. The problem with this line of thinking is that, while you may have a strong core, no one will know because if your diet is not on point and you still have a layer of body fat covering your abs, they won't be visible. So my point is that I was able to reclaim my faint "4 pack" with no magic secret ab exercises - just a clean diet and lots of water!

So without further ado I give you the results of my 7 Day Post Christmas Feast Ab Challenge:

December 26th - Starting to feel a little like
the big guy in the red suit...

December 27th - Lost a little bit of water
not as puffy.

December 28th - Starting to see a little
definition in the upper abs

December 29th - Lower ab puffiness is starting
to flatten out a bit

December 30th - Flattened out but  the little
guys don't wanna come out and play today!
 

December 31st - Just about where I was before all those
Christmas cookies!

January 1st - Even after my father-in-law's Shrimp Scampi New
Year's Eve Dinner, the top 4 decided to stick around to say
Happy New Year! Now I'm back where I was before the holidays.
My plan for 2013? It's time to lean out a bit more and see if we can find the bottom 2 in there somewhere! ;)

                                                           

How To Stick To Your New Year's Resolution

I've made it no secret I'm not a fan of New Year's Resolutions. I never have been. On the few occasions I've decided to make one, I'd be generous if I said I made it a whole week before breaking it. Whether it's deciding to become more organized or more fit, the way I see it is: If you are setting a specific date in which you are going to set out on your journey, it means that you are putting it off because you see it as an unpleasant task. It means you don't WANT to perform whatever the action is that is necessary to reach your destination. And to me, that means that you don't WANT said destination as badly as you think you do. That's just me...

So if I don't believe in setting Resolutions for the start of the new year, then why am I writing a blog post about how you can keep your New Year's Resolution? Good question. Well, the thing is there are still LOTS of people who DO believe in making them. (I assume if you are reading this, you're one of them, yes?) All around the world people are taking a good long look at their life and brainstorming things they want to change about it. And that's commendable, no matter what time of year it is. Far be it from me to rain on that kind of parade. 

I'm a HUGE advocate for self-reflection, self-improvement and goal setting. I have spent the better part of 2 years trying to step back as objectively as I possibly can and nail down the things that I like, dislike, and want to improve about myself. Needless to say, it's been quite a life-changing journey.

And THAT is why I am writing this post. Because all of you out there who are about to set out on your own life-changing journeys via 2013 Resolutions DESERVE to see it through. I suppose you could say if I was going to set a Resolution, that would be it - to help others see their New Year's Resolutions come to fruition. 

That being said I have one key piece of advice for making sure you keep it: 

KNOW YOUR RESOLUTION INSIDE AND OUT.

ALLOW ME TO ELABORATE:

KNOW WHAT YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE: DON'T BE VAGUE ABOUT YOUR GOALS. BE SPECIFIC IN WHAT YOU ARE SETTING OUT TO DO.

KNOW WHY YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE IT: WHAT IS YOUR MOTIVATION RIGHT NOW -THIS VERY SECOND - FOR WANTING THIS? I CAN'T STRESS ENOUGH THE IMPORTANCE OF KEEPING THIS FRONT AND CENTER IN YOUR BRAIN, BECAUSE THERE ARE GOING TO BE DAYS WHEN YOU LOSE SIGHT OF IT AND YOU WILL NEED TO GO BACK TO THE BEGINNING AND ASK YOURSELF WHY YOU'RE DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING.

KNOW HOW TO ACHIEVE IT: BLINDLY POKING AROUND AT YOUR GOAL HOPING IT WILL FALL INTO YOUR LAP WILL NOT GET YOU FAR. TAKE THE NECESSARY STEPS TO EDUCATE YOURSELF ABOUT HOW TO GO ABOUT IT. THE ABUNDANCE OF RESOURCES VIA THE INTERNET AND SOCIAL MEDIA HAVE MADE WHAT USED TO BE CONSIDERED CLASSIFIED INFORMATION EASILY ACCESSIBLE.

Time to take a good look at the person staring back at you in the mirror and ask...
"Are you ready to kick some butt???"

Don't make a Resolution just to make one, and don't make it because that's what everyone else expects you to do, or because that's what everyone else is doing. TAKE A GOOD LONG LOOK AT THE PERSON STARING BACK AT YOU IN THE MIRROR AND ASK THAT PERSON IF THEY ARE READY TO SET OUT ON THIS JOURNEY. IF THEY CAN LOOK YOU IN THE EYE AND SAY "YES" BEYOND A SHADOW OF A DOUBT, YOU'RE GOLDEN!


Happy New Year everyone! 

XOXO, 

Sara

Grocery List

I often get asked what kinds of foods I buy at the grocery store so I thought I'd put together a list of my most commonly purchased items. Keep in mind, I am constantly playing around with different foods and recipes to avoid boredom, so this may not reflect EVERYTHING I buy ALL THE  TIME, but these are some of my personal favorites that have become staples in my kitchen. (Note: These are merely suggestions - feel free to get creative with the list and add your personal preferences!)

Protein:
~Chicken Breast
~Eggs
~Liquid Egg Substitute
~Turkey Breast
~Canned Tuna
~Greek Yogurt
~Cottage Cheese
~Turkey/Chicken Sausage
~Ground Turkey
~Ground Chicken
~Shrimp
~Tilapia
~Lean Ground Beef
~Steak

Complex Carbohydrates:
~Sweet Potatoes
~Brown Rice
~Oatmeal
~Quinoa
~Whole Wheat Bread
~Ezekiel Bread
~Whole Wheat Sandwich Thins
~Whole Grain Wraps
~Whole Wheat Pasta
~Cous Cous
~Beans
~Whole Grain Cereal
~Rice Cakes

Healthy Fats:
~Peanut Butter
~PB2 Powdered Peanut Butter
~Almond Butter
~Olive Oil
~Whole Almonds
~Avocado

Favorite Veggies:
~Broccoli
~Asparagus
~Green Beans
~Cauliflower
~Zucchini
~Yellow Squash
~Spinach
~Tomatoes
~Cucumbers
~Eggplant
~Celery
~Carrots
~Romaine Lettuce
~Butternut Squash
~Acorn Squash
~Spaghetti Squash
~Peppers
~Onions
~Mushrooms

Favorite Fruits:
~Apples
~Bananas
~Blueberries
~Strawberries
~Raspberries
~Peaches
~Oranges
~Clementines
~Plums
~Grapes
~Grapefruit
~Cantaloupe

Beverages:
~Water
~Unsweetened Almond Milk
~Tea (any flavor but I especially LOVE Green Tea and Peppermint!)
~Coffee
~4C Totally Light Flavor Packets
~Mio Liquid Water Enhancer
~Torani Sugar Free Flavor Syrups (for my coffee!)
~True Lemon Naturally Sweetened Flavor Packets

Cheese:
~Fat Free Feta Cheese
~Greek Strained Yogurt Cheese
~Fat Free/Low Fat Cream Cheese
~Low Fat Laughing Cow Flavored Spreadable Cheeses

Extras/Condiments/Spices:
~Light Mayo
~Walden Farms BBQ Sauce
~Walden Farms Salad Dressings
~Panera Bread Poppy Seed Dressing
~Walden Farms Chocolate Dip/Chocolate Syrup
~Walden Farms Marshmallow Dip
~Walden Farms Caramel Dip/Caramel Syrup
~Walden Farms Pancake Syrup
~Hummus
~Salsa
~Cinnamon
~Basil
~Mrs. Dash Seasonings
~Garlic Powder
~Onion Powder
~Parsley
~Rosemary
~Paprika
~Stevia
~Splenda

Protein Supplements:
~Whey Protein Powder
~Quest Protein Bars


You may also want to, periodically check out the "Grocery List" Tab on my homepage for updates to this list, as I will continue to add to it as time goes on!

You're STILL on that DIET???

DIETING VS. BEING HEALTHY: WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?

When I first started changing my eating habits, it was probably somewhere around the millionth time I had promised myself I'd lose weight and change. Over the years I've done the whole yo-yo thing and used all kinds of questionable means. But this time...this time, it was different. I knew that. I knew it to my very core. Nobody else knew it, but I knew. 

So how, you ask, did I KNOW that this time was different? Because I wasn't dieting. I was "living a healthy lifestyle." To those who asked me what my secret was or asked what "diet" I was doing, I tried to make it abundantly clear that this was NOT A DIET!!! IT'S JUST HOW I EAT!!! It got frustrating at times to have to constantly convey this point to people. The implication that I was dieting was almost insulting, because I knew that it was so much more than that. But over time I came to realize that instead of being annoyed by the question, I should take a minute to think it over, and get to the bottom of why this was such a common misconception. 

The truth is that there can sometimes be a fine line between dieting and "healthy" or "clean" eating. When you're looking at it from afar, they do actually seem like the same thing. But they are not. There are actually a number of differences between the two.

1. One of the main characteristics in any weight loss diet is self-deprivation. Whether it's depriving yourself of calories, carbs, or fat, this is a common theme among all "diet" plans. And while there is no denying that healthy eating to lose weight DOES rely on a calorie deficit (since this is the only way to actually lose body fat), it is more about SUPPLYING YOUR BODY WITH NUTRIENTS rather than DEPRIVING YOUR BODY OF FOOD. (See how I turned that around??? It's all about perspective - it changes a lot!) Anyone can lose weight if they eat less calories than their body needs. It's science - pure and simple. If your maintenance calories are 2500 calories a day (JUST AN EXAMPLE!) and you eat 2000 calories a day in Pop-Tarts you will lose weight, sure. The problem is that you won't look or feel as good as if you are supplying your body with 2000 calories of whole, unprocessed nutrient-dense food. Shifting the focus from restricting food that will make you fat to including food that will make you healthy is where the difference lies.

2. Diets are temporary and therefore yield temporary results, whereas healthy eating is meant to be a lifelong commitment. It's not realistic to think that you can maintain the drastic requirements of fad diets long-term or that the results of said diet will be permanent. Just ask any fitness model or competitive bodybuilder and they will tell you that even under the expert watch of professional coaches, the extremes they have to go to, dieting down for a photoshoot or a show are not something they would want to do on a permanent basis, nor is it in their best interest healthwise. Furthermore, once you go off the diet and back to your "normal" eating habits, whatever progress you saw will quickly disappear. Since living a healthy lifestyle doesn't require you to go to drastic self-deprivation measures, it is much easier to continue long-term, ensuring that you will be able to maintain your results.

3. This last one is going to come out sounding harsh, but after trying to word it a thousand different ways, I realized there's just no better way to put it, so here goes: Diets are designed to appeal to the impatient, lazy and ignorant - and I do mean that in the nicest way possible! The reality is that fad diets are created for the masses, and let's face it - the masses are compiled of busy people who want to see results YESTERDAY and don't "have the time or energy" for research, food preparation, and long-term goals. In contrast, healthy eating DEPENDS on research, knowledge and a commitment to hard work over a long period of time. I've spent countless hours sitting in front of a computer, researching, and barely even scratched the surface. I've also put in many, many months of hard work training at the gym, and hours planning and preparing my meals. To this day I'm still not where I want to be, but I'm okay with it because I know that I have the rest of my life to continue working toward both my short-term and long-term goals. 

Have I had people tell me I'm nuts for doing what I do? All the time! It used to bother me, but not anymore and this is why: I am committed to living a healthy lifestyle because it makes me happy - and that's worth SOOOO much more than any "diet". Is it hard at times? Yes - I'm not going to lie - to commit to a life of healthy living requires dedication, time, and hard work. It may not give you overnight results, and yes, it may interfere with your schedule at times. But with it, comes a greater understanding and appreciation for what your body and your mind are capable of, given the chance to shine!

THAT is the difference between "dieting" and BEING HEALTHY.

How Not To Get Off Track This Holiday Season

As I sit here digesting my turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, Apple, Pumpkin, Coconut Custard, and Pistachio Pudding Pie (yes I tried each one!), not to mention my AMAZING clean-but-not-so-clean Pumpkin Cream Cheese Whoopie Pies, I am reminded that the day after Thanksgiving starts the beginning of a new era. If you're a hardcore shopper, no doubt your thoughts immediately go to the Black Friday sales. If you're a "Before-Thanksgiving-Is-Way-Too-Early-For-Christmas-Lights" Bah-humbug-er, you assume I mean the start of what is considered fair game for all of the decorations, music, and general holiday madness to begin. But if you are a health nut, dieter, or just your average health-conscious individual, you KNOW what I'm talking about. So let's talk about it. It seems silly to treat it like the elephant in the room, don't you think?

This is the time of year that you will inevitably put on those extra holiday pounds, right? Maybe. Or maybe not. You cannot ignore the fact that along with this time of year comes an excess of not-so-healthy foods, what with all the chocolate, baked goods, eggnog, and not to mention, the holiday feast.

I am a huge advocate for making allowances for "unhealthy" foods on special occasions. Having lived with the crippling fear that one holiday meal or one slip-up will send my progress flying into reverse, I understand the impulse to want to bring your chicken, brown rice and veggies in Tupperware to Christmas dinner. Please DO NOT DO THIS - I'm begging you!  

But at the same time, don't just sit back and settle for what you think is the inevitable weight gain during this time of year. Yes, it's FINE to enjoy yourself and your time with loved ones around the holidays, but you don't want to be one of the ones who has to make the dreaded New Years' Resolution to lose all the weight you packed on during the holidays!

I have never been a fan of gearing my progress TOWARD a specific event or date. I find that I actually lose focus and momentum if I give myself a deadline. This is just my life. It's not a temporary fad diet, there's no finish line, and my goals are constantly changing. If you've ever heard the saying "It's a marathon, not a sprint" then you get where I'm going with this. I wouldn't say "I have to lose this amount of weight by such-and-such a date." I'll lose the weight doing it the healthy way, in whatever time frame my body needs to do it in. So it wouldn't make sense for me to schedule my setbacks around the calender, either. 

Yes, they ARE going to happen eventually - that is inevitable. No one's perfect. But you are setting yourself up for these setbacks when you go into something with the expectation that you will fail. Finding a healthy balance between enjoying your holidays and enjoying your progress is key.

So what's the secret to having a healthy, happy and WELL-BALANCED holiday season? The trick is to choose your battles wisely and to take a minute to sit back and create a plan for what you want to allow yourself during the holiday season. Here are a few things to consider:

1. Ask yourself  "What are the food traditions that are the most important to me during this time?" Is it the Italian 7 Fishes Christmas Eve dinner, the Potato Latkes at Grandma's house, the...FRUITCAKES...??? (Hey, I'm not judging - whatever floats your boat!) While there are going to be plenty of things that will be passed around in the next month that will look tempting and delicious, the important thing is to practice moderation. Instead of eating every temptation that comes your way in the spirit of holiday cheer, take the time to say "Is this important enough to me to put my progress on hold?" Some things are - don't get me wrong (my Potato Latkes are THAT good - just sayin'!). But not everything is. Some things JUST taste good and hold no sentimental or traditional value, and therefore...do you really need them? It's learning to identify the difference that will make or break your progress this season. 

2. Identify your challenges. For me, my weakness is all of the little treats that my clients bring me during the holidays - candies, cookies, and those cinnamon-sugar pecans my boss's stepmom makes and sends to the salon every year! While I am always thankful for the holiday wishes that come along with them, the treats themselves hold no sentimental value and don't involve any family traditions that I wouldn't want to go without, but I'm a sucker for them anyway. Admitting it is half the battle and raising your awareness of it will help you to reason your way out of mindlessly munching on them until the container is empty!

3. Eat the things you really want to during the holidays and GET OVER IT! Don't beat yourself up over minor setbacks. One cheat meal or even cheat day is not going to set back your progress irreversibly. Creating an unhealthy mindset riddled with guilt and shame, however, will. Allowing yourself to feel guilty only brings down your self-esteem, which will eventually lead to you giving up on your goals. REPEAT AFTER ME:  IT HAPPENED. NOTHING I CAN DO ABOUT IT. NOW MOVE ON.

The important thing to remember is to ENJOY this time with family and friends! Don't allow it to become your enemy by messing with your head or your progress! 

Wishing everyone a happy, healthy holiday season!  :)

~Sara 

Guest Blog Post: Life After Sickness

I am so proud to present to you my first guest blog post! After seeing all that the H.I.P.S. organization was doing for teenagers, I asked my cousin Rebecca to share her experience with living with an eating disorder and body image issues, how she coped, and how she came to appreciate her body and help others to do the same!

Life After Sickness

By Rebecca Kaiserman

The transition to high school was harder than expected. The academic, extracurricular and social pressures were more than I expected. However, living in today’s society, I was only taught how to increase life’s speed, rather than cope with its current stresses.

I began to engage in very unhealthy behaviors, including restriction of calories, purging of food and over exercising. I decided to finally acknowledge that my behaviors had gotten out of hand and was admitted to a relatively local treatment center during the summer between freshmen and sophomore year of high school. Continuing in private psychological and nutritional therapy, I founded the H.I.P.S. organization during my sophomore year of high school. I was fairly stable until the eating disorder voice resurfaced towards the end of my junior year. I began to abuse diet pills as well as retreat back to all the previously stated unhealthy tendencies. But hold on, this is where the story turns around.

The summer between my junior and senior year of high school, I was on the verge of being readmitted to a more intense level of treatment when I miraculously managed to convince my parents it would be a better idea to keep my plans to go on an abroad community service trip. I spent ten days in Costa Rica teaching English and becoming immersed in one of the most beautiful cultures in the world.

The culture in Costa Rica put my illness and my priorities into perspective. Their culture does not emphasize the size of one’s body, but rather the value of an education and hard work. I came back home with the greatest sense of appreciation for our world. I did not leave pitying the lack of fiscal resources that many believe plague foreign communities, but rather with the hopes of implementing their values into my daily life. 

I have been able to continue to appreciate the little things and focus on continuing to do what makes me happy. I have become very interested in spiritual practice and connecting my mind, soul and body. I truly believe if you use your mind to take care of your body and foster your soul, these three things will align to optimize your physical and mental health. I have come to appreciate my body as a vehicle that helps my soul convey the messages it contains and dreams I hope to accomplish. My body knows so much more than I think and communicates with me what it needs, as long as I remember to listen.

Absolutely there are days where the eating disorder voice reemerges, telling me my life would be easier without lunch and if I spent hours on the treadmill. But I know myself well enough to know I can over power this voice; I have enough faith in myself to look back on all through which I have persevered and am sure that if I want to continue to lead a physically and mentally healthy lifestyle, that is as possible as I wish it to be.

To see all of the amazing work Rebecca and the H.I.P.S. organization are doing visit their website.

Treat Your Body Like You Love It!

This was a post that I wrote for my cousin, Rebecca, who runs an organization called H.I.P.S. (Health Image Power Success) which helps to foster positive self-image among teenagers. I was so inspired by her work and all of the good that she has accomplished that I was so unbelievably honored to be asked  to write this piece about how fitness and healthy nutrition can enhance your life to create a healthy balance! Check out their website and Facebook for more great information and motivation! Enjoy!

Your body is an amazing thing. When you really stop and take a minute to appreciate what it is capable of, it's truly mind-boggling. The inner-workings of your body are made up of such an intricate collection of systems that even the greatest minds on the planet don't fully understand it. One thing they do understand, however, is that if you don't treat it right, there's a good chance it won't treat you right. In order to get the most of this beautiful work of art, there are certain things your body requires of you.

Proper nutrition allows your body, as well as your mind, to work to their fullest potential and give you the opportunity to enjoy everything that life has to offer. The key to making your body run more effectively is fueling it with adequate nutrients and hydration - without this, you can suffer from such symptoms as chronic fatigue, depression, decreased ability to concentrate and a multitude of physical ailments.

Fitness can also enhance your body and your life in ways you may never have even thought possible. When it comes to fitness, it's not about fitting the mold of someone else's idea of perfection. It's about pushing yourself beyond the limits you once thought were holding you back. It's about seeing what you are truly capable of, about breaking personal records, about creating a stronger version of yourself. When practiced in its purest form, the art of physical fitness will not only build a healthier body, but build character and a healthier spirit as well.

Creating a healthy, well-balanced lifestyle first starts with the right mindset - meaning you must want to include fitness and a healthy diet in your life for the right reasons. Instead of making these efforts day in and day out because of self-hate, do it out of self-love. Do it because you love everything about YOU and know how well you deserve to be treated - inside and out!

Girls, do you even lift?

Ok, so the logic behind why guys lift seems pretty obvious, right?  Lift heavy weights. Check.>>>Get big muscles. Check.>>>Make girls swoon. Check. (For the record, boys, I'm only kidding...I know that's not the only reason!)  ;) 

For generations upon generations, the stereotypes of what the perfect male and perfect female are supposed to look like have dictated what we think we should be doing to achieve these said perfect physiques. Guys go into the gym, pump some iron, down their mass gainers, and read Muscle and Fitness, all in hopes of getting, bigger, stronger and more ripped, while the ladies can usually be found on the cardio machines or in aerobics classes, trying to achieve that "perfect" Barbie waistline and shrink their butt and thighs.

Speaking as an experienced "cardio bunny", I have news for you, ladies: (while this may not apply to ANYTHING ELSE IN LIFE) when it comes to changing our physique, we have a lot to learn from the boys. The reality is that cardio will only get you so far, and yet soooo many women are reluctant to venture their way off of the elliptical and over to the weight room.

Oh, trust me, I get it. I'm not judging. I spent a year straight, killing myself doing cardio six days a week and wondering why I still didn't look like a fitness model! The truth is, you just don't know what you don't know. I was always taught that you do aerobics to get skinny and if you lift any weights at all, you do light weights and high reps, or else you'll get giant muscles like a man. I had no idea this is ABSOLUTELY NOT the case! And clearly I wasn't the only one who was misled, because look around most gyms and you'll find an overwhelming number of women doing hours of cardio and wielding around those adorable pink 5 lb. dumbbells.

Ladies, here is the truth about why you should consider jumping off the treadmill (well, make sure you turn it off first!) and picking up something with a little weight behind it!

1. No matter what anyone tells you, you WILL NOT get big and bulky like a man just because you are lifting weights. Men and women are built very differently, both in our musculoskeletal structure and hormonal balance. We are not physiologically designed to build or carry large amounts of muscle mass, nor do we produce enough testosterone on our own to do so. Simply put, women, naturally, do not have what it takes to bulk up the way men do. The one thing we do have in common, however, is that our muscles, just like men's muscles, require stimulation to grow. So ladies, don't be afraid to lift and lift heavy enough to challenge yourself and stimulate those muscles!!!   

2. Muscle burns more calories than fat. Even when you are just sitting around doing nothing, muscle requires more energy to sustain itself than bodyfat does, so the more muscle you have, the faster your body will burn calories. Need I say more?

3. Muscle takes up less room, is more shapely than fat, and...the best part? It doesn't jiggle. :) Translation? You actually look tighter and more sculpted than even the skinniest skinny-fat person!

4. Ok so this last one may not be a legitimate health or fitness-related reason to start pumping some iron, but it's still not a bad one: You feel pretty bad-ass going into a male dominated weight room and making all their jaws drop when you start lifting weights like a dude! I work out at a time of day when there are very few women in the gym, and the handful that are there are usually cardio bunnies. So I understand what it feels like to be intimidated, working out next to a bunch of jacked guys. But if you hold your head high and walk in there like you own the place, I promise you, they are more likely to be impressed than to judge you. Now I'm not saying that you NEED to impress anyone - you are doing this for yourself, after all; but my point here, is that, as women we are the underdogs. Nobody expects much from us when it comes to fitness. It's kind of nice to prove 'em all wrong, don't ya think? ;)

Don't get me wrong - if lifting weights isn't for you, it isn't for you! In my opinion, whatever type of physical fitness you are passionate about and will stick to is the best type for you - whether it's weight lifting, running, yoga, or a combination of all three! But when I look around my gym and overhear remarks like "I don't want to lift weights because I don't want to look like a guy!" it makes me cringe, because I know how misinformed this statement is! I HATE the idea of someone not reaching their goals because they didn't go about reaching them the right way due to misinformation and I think there is a TON of that going around when it comes to girls lifting weights! So, ladies, my advice is to be proactive in finding out what the optimal plan is for the results you want to achieve. If you're investing the time and effort in working out to change your body, you might as well make it worth your while, right???