Why Take Progress Pictures?

Because you'll regret NOT taking them. That's why. I do. When I first started trying to lose weight, truthfully, I didn't have enough faith in myself to think I would ever get even remotely close to my goal. Taking progress pictures, or "Before" pictures never entered my mind because I didn't believe I would ever make it to the "After" pictures. And while I'm still not what I would call an "After" (I'll explain later), I've learned throughout my journey the importance of taking these pictures, no matter how goofy you feel doing it. 

I should preface what I'm about to show you with a confession: I am a recovering scale addict. No exaggeration needed for dramatic effect here. I, quite literally, used to step on the scale at least a dozen times a day. And whatever that number said dictated what state of mind I was in for the remainder of the day. The problem with this lies in the fact that those numbers can fluctuate dramatically and not in any way, shape, or form reflect your true progress. Water weight will make that scale do some pretty crazy things at times - and it's particularly a problem for women, who tend to retain water like the Hoover Dam, depending on the time of month. Something you should also consider when relying on the scale is that muscle is more dense than fat, which means that if you are building muscle, your weight may stay the same or even go up.

You can rely on the mirror to tell you if you are making progress, or how tight or loose your clothing feel, but this can often be subjective depending on how you feel that day.

Measurements are a great way to track your progress - yet another thing I regret not taking when I started out. They tend to be a pretty accurate account of how far you've come - just be sure to take them at the same time everyday for consistency.

But the saying "A picture is worth a thousand words" says it best. Progress pictures really tell your whole story if you are consistent with them. Giving up my obsessive weigh-ins and taking pictures to document my progress was really the turning point for me when it came to re-claiming a healthy perspective on my clean lifestyle. Sometimes you become so fixated on where you are headed, that you forget to look back and see where you came from, as well as look around at the present and appreciate how far you've come.

After getting several requests to post "Before" and "After" photos, I've done my best to compile a few pictures that illustrate my journey for you.  This wasn't easy for me to do, because quite honestly, who wants to post pictures of themselves looking their worst for the whole world to see? But I reminded myself that seeing other people's transformations was such a big motivator for me, and I would feel silly not posting them out of insecurity if there is the possibility that it might motivate someone else. Therefore, I present to you my "Before" and "During" pictures. As I mentioned earlier, I hate the idea of calling them "Before" and "After". "After" implies that the transformation is done. But the truth is, we're never really the "After" because we're constantly growing, changing, and striving for new things. So while I may never be the "After" picture, I'm enjoying being the "During" because I love the process of change and growth. So here is a brief documentation of my changes! Hope it motivates you to make your own "Before" and "During" album!  ;)

September 2010 -
A week past my due date, VERY
uncomfortable, and officially the
heaviest I have ever been.

March 2012 -
Couldn't find any pics, but
about a month after this, I
reached the lowest weight I've
 been since high school!

                         

                                 To all the moms who think they will never see their abs again -
                                  it's not impossible, I promise you that! It just takes time,
                           hard work and a good diet.

Absolutely HATED having
my picture taken!

I never felt comfortable wearing
a bathing suit - now for the first time
I don't even mind being
photographed in one! 
This Pic ^^^ was the first bikini
I had bought in years, and this was
 the first progress 
picture I decided to take!

      






    

                  My latest progress...my goals have
             evolved as I have grown and
              learned new things... 

Instead of trying to be "skinny", 
I increased my calories slightly,
 and started lifting heavier and 
with more intensity to grow muscle...
"Strong is the new skinny."  :)

Like I said earlier, if I hadn't taken progress pictures, I'd still be obsessing over the silly numbers on the scale! It's so important to take a step back and look at your progress from a distance to really gain some perspective on it! Even if you feel funny taking them, I encourage anyone who is trying to change their body to do this - and no, you don't have to make a blog and post them for everyone to see! Use them as a tool to learn about yourself and about how you grow and change. I promise, you won't regret it!  :)

Why I Do What I Do

As I've mentioned in previous posts, the one question I tend to get asked pretty often is "How'd you lose all that weight?" People always want to know what "diet" I'm on, or if I even eat at all.  I notice this particularly among many of my clients, because to them, my weight loss seems pretty drastic, I would imagine.  When you only see your hairstylist every 6 weeks and every time you see them they shrink a size, I suppose it does seem like it's happening overnight.  I can't blame them.

The truth is that it isn't happening overnight - it's been a long, sometimes difficult journey of dedication and hard work.  And I've loved every minute of it.  No, really.  Everyone needs to have that one thing that moves them - something they're passionate about.  For some people it's religion, or politics or in my hubby's case, anything with a motor!  For me, this has been it.  And if you've known me a long time or if you've followed my previous blogs, you'll know that this wasn't always the case - I didn't grow up with any appreciation for healthy living or an active lifestyle.  I grew up in front of a TV, eating fast food and mac n' cheese.  So if I was able to fall in love with a life of fitness and clean eating, I'm pretty sure anything's possible! 

I get a multitude of different reactions when I answer the question, "How'd you do it?" with an enthusiastic "I eat healthy and I exercise...a lot."  Some people shake their heads and I'm sure they are thinking I've gone off the deep end and I'm one of those "health nuts".  They wouldn't be caught dead giving up their favorite foods or their time to go to the gym. Don't get me wrong - that's completely fine, as long as they are happy with where they are at - I'm not judging.  But others often say they wish they could be like that - to have so much discipline, but they're just not that kind of person, or they don't have the time, etc. What I wish to say to those people is that you can be like that if you truly want it - but you have to go about it in the right mindset.  If you go into it thinking of it as a chore, you're only setting yourself up for failure.  It's always a little awkward at first, starting anything new, but the trick is to learn to truly APPRECIATE the process.

When I first set out on my health/fitness journey, I'll admit, for me it was only a means to an end.  I wanted to be skinny and this was the way to do it.  But along the way, I've realized that it has become about so much more than just fitting into a smaller size. It's become an entirely new way of life. I have come to love it - and not only because it has provided results.  I genuinely look forward to my workouts and to eating healthy, balanced meals. If you're reading this and you still think I'm nuts, just hear me out.  These are just 3 of the things you stand to gain from living a healthy lifestyle - aside from a smaller waistline!  ;)  This is why I do what I do:

1. It feels good knowing you have a healthy body.  A few months ago - right around the time I found myself struggling with finding a healthy balance in this lifestyle - I took a pretty hard spill at work and went right down on my booty in a pair of shoes I probably shouldn't have been wearing!  When you're a kid, falling is a natural part of life - you get right back up, put a band-aid on it and go along your merry way.  As an adult though, your body doesn't always handle it as well and it becomes a bigger deal - and truthfully it shook me a little.  I knew that I would likely wake up in agony the next day from the "trauma" of wrenching my whole body around to try and catch myself.  Well, the next morning I was surprised to find that, while my butt didn't feel so great, the rest of me managed to escape unscathed.  Later that day, my dad commented that it was a good thing I was in such great shape, or I would have really been hurting.  That's when it hit me.  While my mind had been so focused on eating and exercising to LOOK good, I had managed to build myself a body that could take a little bit of a beating.  I had always been sort of a weakling in that way, and it made me proud to say that I had toughened myself up a little bit.

2. Empowerment.  Nothing feels worse than being helpless.  I know.  I've been there - that desperate feeling that you have no control over your life or your surroundings.  Living a fit life has given me a sense of empowerment that nothing else ever has.  Feeling empowered to make healthy choices, even when they may not always be the easiest ones to make, is a character builder like no other.  Just the other day, I came across this blog post by Electra over at Vanilla Bean Lean and she put very eloquently into words exactly what I was thinking while writing this post.  She said, basically that you ALWAYS have a choice, and any time is a good time to choose.  It's not something someone needs to twist your arm to get you to do - it IS in every one of us to make the decision to lead a healthy life, and to truly learn to love and appreciate the process.  It's just a matter of realizing that the power to choose is all you! 

3. A more positive outlook. This is not to say that there are not some very fit people with bad attitudes out there - if you've ever watched an episode of Jersey Shore you can attest to this!  But if you research fitness and health, one of the things you'll find is that a lot of the people who live this lifestyle tend to be pretty positive people.  My guess is that the first 2 reasons above have something to do with it.  If you have a healthy body and a healthy mind, even the hardships in life don't seem as bad.  It's much easier to keep a positive attitude if you FEEL good.  And if there's one thing I've learned, it's that a little positivity goes a LOOOOONNNNGGG way!  Energy, whether positive or negative, tends to build momentum.  It's like that Liberty Mutual commercial where one person does a nice thing and then they pass it on and so on and so on.  Do one nice thing for someone for no reason and you want to do it again and again and before you know it you're a positive ball of energy doing all kinds of nice things for people just because it feels good!  Similarly, if you wake up and stub your toe on the bed, and drop your toothbrush in the toilet, and burn your breakfast, and catch every stoplight on the way to work, it can be pretty easy to let that negativity build up and then you take it with you all day and the next day and so on. And before you know it, you're a miserable, negative person who makes everyone around you miserable!  Ok, now I'm really rambling, but my point is: it's much better to be the 1st type of person, and if living a healthy life will make me into that person, I'd say all of those hours at the gym were well-spent!

As I said earlier, if someone is happy without fitness in their life, more power to them!  Except a lot of people nowadays are not happy with how they look or feel but they see fitness and healthy eating as too much of an inconvenience to be for them.  All I'm saying is that it doesn't NEED to be.  If you take the time to really learn to appreciate what your body can do if you hold it accountable and push it beyond it's limits, you may find out that you get more than you bargained for - in a REALLY good way!  


     

Update: Baby Cheesecakes and a New Workout Split

I haven't had a chance to do much blogging the last couple of weeks because the battery on my laptop died and I had to wait for a new one to come in from Amazon ($18 by the way, as opposed to the $60 everywhere else, in case you're in the market for a replacement battery!).  In the meantime, I have been experimenting with a couple of fun recipes and trying out a new workout split, which I am finally getting the hang of, and am super-excited about!

So I thought that I would just write one big "update" blog to cover the high-lights of the last couple of weeks!

My Baby Protein Cheesecake w/Raspberry Chocolate Protein Sauce

LeanBodyLifeStyle's Protein Cheesecake was AMAAAAZZZZING!!!  Being me, of course I tweaked it, but only slightly.  And, sadly I can't manage to make cheesecake (healthy or not) without cracks so, they weren't as pretty as Michael's, but they did taste awesome - and that was with some of the toughest critics taste-testing them! Instead of making one big cheesecake, I revived an old cheesecake fave of mine and made "Baby Cheesecakes", using a cupcake pan, so you get 12 small portions.  I followed the recipe exactly, but decreasing the amounts by about 1/3 (only because I didn't buy enough cream cheese - oops!).  I also made a good Chocolate-Raspberry Protein Sauce to go over them, because as much as I love cheesecake, it's just not the same without either chocolate, raspberries, or - even better - both! To make the sauce, I simply cooked down a couple of handfuls of raspberries in about a cup of water and some stevia (the amount depends on how sweet you like it - I think I threw in about 3 or 4 packets).  Then I added a Tablespoon of unsweetened baking cocoa and about 1/3 scoop of chocolate protein powder!  If you like it a little smoother, you can blend it together like I did in the Magic Bullet, or leave it as is if you don't mind a little texture.

The macros on the sauce will obviously depend on how much you use, but it's pretty sweet so you won't need much and it's low calorie, so don't feel guilty if you don't track it!  ;)

Michael provides the macros for the original recipe in the video but here it is if you do the "Baby Cheesecakes".

One Baby Cheesecake (no topping)
Calories: 68
Carbs: 5 grams
Fat: 1 gram
Protein 9 grams

*********

As far as my workout regimen goes - it has been a tricky month or so and my routine has undergone a lot of changes. Being a creature of habit, this has NOT been an easy transition for me, but I know that you need to change to grow, so I'm working hard on it!  When I first started working out, I was unsure of where to start, like many people are, so I went with a really simple Upper Body-Lower Body Split. I definitely recommend it because it's effective and easy to follow.  It went something like this:

Monday: Upper Body

Tuesday: Lower Body

Wednesday: Cardio/Abs

Thursday: Upper Body

Friday: Lower Body

Saturday: Cardio/Abs

Sunday: Rest

But if you read my post I Pick Things Up and Put Them Down, you know that I recently decided enough was enough with this plateau phase and joined a new gym to change up my scenery and workout options. When I signed up, they gave me a free hour of personal assessment with a trainer, who suggested doing a Push-Pull split to break my plateau and then going back to my Upper-Lower routine after 6 weeks.  I wasn't crazy about it at first because the plan he recommended only trained each muscle once a week, but I have been playing around with it on my own, since I can't afford the ridiculous amount of money they charge for a trainer on a regular basis, and I think I've managed to figure out a split that works for me.  Over the past few months I have had a lot of people tell me that that their biggest challenge in the gym is that they don't know what exercises to do or the proper way to do them and they feel self-conscious about it, so they just don't go. Well, I can tell you from experience, you're only hurting yourself by doing that.  The awkward feeling of just starting out will eventually pass, but the knowledge that you let fear get in the way of reaching your goals stays with you.  That being said, though, I can totally relate.  Even though I've felt comfortable in my old routine for a while, starting a new one was a little unsettling, so I felt like a newbie all over again! What has really helped me though was preparing for my workout by researching example Push/Pull Splits online and having my phone with me to refer to during my workout.  I loved this one and have been doing a modified version of it for about 2 weeks now:

The people at my gym probably just think I text a lot during my workout - haha - but I'm actually going through my "Checklist" to make sure I've hit every muscle! Oh well!

What I really like about a Push/Pull Split is it forces me to think about what muscle group I'm working out and how the muscle moves, as opposed to just going through the motions, like I have been with my previous routine. And, bonus - while it hasn't been proven that muscle soreness is necessarily linked to progress, I'm not gonna lie - it's kind of nice to get up in the morning and feel a little sore from my workout for a change!  

So that's pretty much it for this post - I know my computer troubles came right in the middle of my breakfast recipe frenzy, so I will definitely be posting some of those later this week, and I have a couple of other ideas I'm working on finding the time to put down on paper computer (that didn't sound right, did it?).  Well, thanx for reading - stay tuned for more this week!  :)

I Pick Things Up and Put Them Down...

Yea, as in Planet Fitness.  Since I started working out, that is the gym I have gone to 1.) because they are cheap, 2.) because it was the least intimidating gym when you haven't stepped on a treadmill in years.  I know lots of people have their opinions about a gym like that - it's a joke, not serious, a place to go for free pizza and tootsie rolls, the weights don't go up high enough - I know, I've heard them all.  But in all honesty, for the past year and a half, they have had everything that I needed to get me where I wanted to be.  They have plenty of cardio machines, dumbbells, weight machines, cables - most of the basics you'd find at any gym.  I would recommend them to anyone who is on a budget and wants access to this equipment, or someone who might not feel comfortable walking into one of the bigger "fancier" gyms.  

So, then why, you ask, would I go in there yesterday to inquire about cancelling my membership?  Well, the same reason I like it there is the reason I felt the need to leave - my comfort level there is just a little...shall we say, TOO comfortable?  I walk in and don't even need to sign in anymore because almost the entire staff knows my member number by heart.  I know all the regulars and they know me (if not by name, at least by face), and the equipment has become familiar and easy to maneuver...aaaannnddd therein lies the problem.  I've made little progress in the last few months because my routine has become soooo...routine.  I noticed a while back that I was literally just going through the motions.  And while increasing the weights, reps, intensity, etc. were obviously the first things I thought of, I found that my heart just wasn't in it anymore.  I needed variety to be challenged.  There's only so many times you can do the same leg press machine before you get bored.  

I truly believe this saying that "If it isn't challenging you, it isn't changing you."  This goes for anything, not just fitness.  My whole life, I have always had a nasty habit of staying right smack dab in the middle of my comfort zone - school, career, friends, and now my workouts.  I think it's something a lot of people struggle with and don't even realize it.  Many people will never know what they are truly capable of because they are afraid to push the limits.  WELL...I WANT TO KNOW WHAT I'M CAPABLE OF.  I'm pretty dang sure it's more than what I've been doing.  Yes, at one point my, now, regular routine was certainly a challenge for me, but the whole idea is to continue to grow and evolve, and that just hasn't been happening for me.  So instead of sitting around and wallowing about hitting a wall, I decided to do something about it.  So I went and signed up for the new LA Fitness that just opened across the street (sorry my Planet Fitness buddies, I know that's kind of a slap in the face!) - a much bigger gym with more machines, weights, classes (which I've never taken before and am super nervous about - but I'm doin' it!), and variety to challenge me.    

While I know some of you are saying "Big deal, you switched gyms, why are you blogging about this???", on a certain level, it IS a big deal.  It represents my realization that to continue to grow, we must do things that are sometimes outside of our comfort zone, and that's not an easy thing to do for most people - regardless of how trivial it may seem to someone else.  But the important thing is that we acknowledge it, so that we can move past whatever it is that is standing in the way of reaching our full potential.  I think that AMAZING things can happen when we strive for this.  

My point, here, is that if there is something in your life that you have been putting off doing, fitness/nutrition-related or not, just because you're either scared or don't want to put in the extra effort, realize that it's only going to hold you back from so much of what life has to offer.  My boss, Kat (who is an extremely smart lady, but has STILL yet to read my blog, so maybe this will get her! he he he) has always told me "You could be so much better than just mediocre - you just have to learn to get out of your own damn way!"  

Whether it is just getting up the guts to walk into the gym, or going for that big promotion that you never thought you could get, get out of your own damn way, and tell that little voice in your head that's keeping you in your comfort zone to shut the hell up!  :)

"You will either step forward into growth, or you will step back into safety."  -Abraham Maslow

5 Must-Haves To Get The Body You Want No Matter Who You Are!

Did you ever notice that the more you learn about something, the more aware you become of just how much you actually don't know about it?  Take fitness and nutrition, for example.  Over the past year, I have learned so much more than I ever knew, and yet the more I learn, the more I realize how in-depth these topics can get.  It's truly mind-boggling.

There are a few things, however, that no matter what stage you are at in your journey - whether you are a rookie starting a new diet/exercise program, a seasoned fitness enthusiast or somewhere in between - that are just basic principles that will help you to reach your goals.  Easy to understand, but also easy to forget about, once you start trying to cram all that other, more complex information into your brain.  So these are a few things that you NEED in order to get where you want to be:

1. A Positive Attitude - It sounds corny, but you would be surprised how far this will get you in life.  Ever notice how draining it is to be around someone who's a Negative Nancy ALL THE TIME???  You can accomplish so much more if you channel your energy into having a more positive outlook.  If you start a task expecting to fail, chances are: you're going to.  But if you go into it with an open mind and the ability to see the brighter side of things, you're increasing your chances for success, exponentially.  This will also ensure that, should you experience a setback (notice I didn't say failure!), you can get right back on track and keep going!  

2. A Good Support System - I have been fortunate enough to have this right from the start.  Once they realized that this was something that was important to me, my hubby, family, and friends have been there for everything from moral support, to offering baby-sitting services so I can get to the gym, to stock-piling green tea just for me (thanks Dad!). I do understand what it's like, however, to have people in your life who form sort of an "anti-support" system - the nay-sayers who seem to secretly (or not so secretly!) want you to fail and always turn their nose up at your healthy lifestyle choices.  It is hard to get past this - especially if these are people that are important to you - but it can be done.  This just means you will have to actively seek out positive, like-minded people to be your personal cheerleaders. Whether it be through the internet (as I've mentioned before Facebook and MyFitnessPal are great resources for this) or someone you know from the gym, look for people who have similar goals so that you can support & motivate eachother.  Once you do this and continue pushing through to reach your goals you may even notice a funny thing happens: those nay-sayers will sometimes have a change of heart and become your biggest supporters!

3. Knowledge - With all of the information available to us through TV and the web, this can actually be harder to obtain than you would think! There are tons of myths and misconceptions floating around when it comes to weight loss, muscle-building and general nutrition/fitness, and it can be a full-time job trying to filter through it all to get to the truth.  But if you make a real effort to become knowledgeable about what you are trying to achieve and how to go about it, it will make all the difference!  The best and most relate-able example I can think of is abs.  If you are like I was a year ago and go by infomercials or what celebrity personal trainers tell TMZ, you believe you either have to pay 42 payments of $19.95 (plus shipping/handling!) or do 10,000 crunches a day to get flat abs.  Do a little more research though, and you'll actually find that those washboard abs everyone's after are more likely to pop up with a few tweaks to your diet than from killing yourself doing every belly busting fad workout imaginable. Yep, the truth is that no matter how much you build up your abdominal muscles, you won't see any of that hard work if there is still a layer of bodyfat covering it.  Having this information enabled me to change my approach and saved me from hours of very frustrating and fruitless labor.  They weren't kidding when they said knowledge is power!  :)

4. Hydration - So, if you are a human being residing on the planet Earth, chances are, at some point in your life you've been lectured on proper hydration.  I have too.  It wasn't until recently, though that I finally listened - and I mean, very recently. Even with my exercise and diet in check, my downfall has always been not getting enough water - mostly out of forgetfulness, or sometimes just laziness.  I would have 1 or 2 cups of green tea and call it a day.  I didn't realize just how detrimental this was until I unknowingly fixed the problem.  I was suffering from symptoms of chronic dehydration without even realizing that there was such a thing.  To me, dehydration meant that you got a dry mouth and a headache, and if it was bad enough you would die.  Well clearly, I wasn't dead, so I thought nothing of it.  What I didn't realize is that if your organs, muscles, brain, etc. aren't getting enough water, you can also suffer from symptoms such as fatigue, anxiety/depression, forgetfulness, inability to concentrate, water retention, achy joints, weight gain, excessive hunger and cravings for sugar and carbs - all of which can obviously have negative affects on your health and fitness goals, as well as other aspects of your life.  It wasn't until I got my mental clarity back from correcting this that I put it all together.  There are tons of opinions out there about how much water is the proper amount, but here are a couple of resources to check out if you suspect you are in need of a little more H20, too! 
 ---> BeWellWithMichelle: Stressed and depressed or dehydrated?
 --->  MattyFusaro: How Much Water Should I Drink A Day?
 --->  Human Water Requirement Calculator

5. Realistic Expectations - When I say this, I mean it more in terms of time frame than actual goals.  Too often, we place limitations on ourselves because we think that if we set our sights too high, we're only setting ourselves up for disappointment.  So, yes, while it may be true that not everyone has the genetics to look like a Victoria Secret model or Arnold Schwarzenegger, I would be hesitant to say don't shoot for it if that's what you truly want.  I have seen people make amazing transformations with a little hard work and determination!  What you should be aware of, though, is that these transformations don't happen overnight - at least the long-term kinds.  Be sure to set up a realistic time frame that you hope to achieve your goals in.  While this may be frustrating sometimes (because obviously, who wouldn't want to wake up tomorrow morning with their ideal body???) it is imperative that you realize that it will take time.  Setting up some short-term goals is always helpful because it will give you a sense of pride in what you've accomplished on the way to that long-term goal.  If your goal, for example, is to lose 50 lbs., set short-term goals at 5 lb. increments, so you can have a little congratulatory party for yourself when you meet them!  And don't beat yourself up if you do experience a setback - because REALISTICALLY, no one is going to be 100% perfect 100% of the time.

Hopefully, this has shed some light on some of the most key elements to helping you meet your goals, whatever they may be.  They are things that have been instrumental in me reaching mine and will continue to be so as I change and strive for new things.  So obviously, I would love to hear if this has helped you in any way, because that's the purpose of this blog, of course, but if I am being completely honest, I am also writing this for myself.  Because let's face it - sometimes life gets hard and everyone needs a little reminder that all you need to do is go back to the basics! 

Clean Brownie Recipe

So, I didn't mention the REAL name of this recipe, because if I had said "Black Bean Brownies" in the title, chances are you might not be here right now, am I right? Haha, sneaky, sneaky!  Well now that I've got you here, I only ask that you keep an open mind because this is one of my FAVORITE recipes!!!


I found it on LeanBodyLifestyle's YouTube channel and I'm completely hooked on it.  It's pretty easy, has lots of fiber (I don't think I have to go into detail on why that's so great!), and if you're a clean-eating chocolate addict like I am, you'll love them!  I make them all the time and everyone who I tell this to gives me that same "OMG she's finally cracked" look, but I PROMISE YOU WILL NOT TASTE THE BEANS!  The only complaints I have gotten are 1.)the aftertaste of the Stevia (you could substitute with real sugar if it bothers you that much, but keep in mind, that would make it considerably "dirtier" - ha ha) and 2.) this is a direct quote - "They are too chocolatey."  That last one was from my sister though, who has always been pro-vanilla, so in my mind that makes her opinion null and void. :)


Sooooo, on that note, you might be wondering how exactly I'm going to turn THIS:

into THESE:

Welllll...here goes!  Here is a list of the ingredients that I use - if you clicked on the link for Michael from Lean Body Lifestyle's recipe above, you'll notice they are just slightly different, because of course I had to play around with it and put my own twist on it - although the original one from the video is amazing too, as are all of his recipes!!!

INGREDIENTS: 

1 (15 oz.) can Low Sodium Black Beans

1/4 cup Whole Wheat Flour

1/2 cup Stevia

6 Tbsp unsweetened baking cocoa

1 tsp baking powder

1 scoop chocolate protein powder (not in the original recipe, but if you just had a good workout, your muscles will thank you!)  ;)

Vanilla extract (your preference - I usually do a couple of teaspoons or so!)

2 egg whites (the original uses 1/2 cup liquid egg whites from a carton - I find that the texture is a little lighter with real egg whites)

About 5-6 oz (give or take) water

Cooking spray 

DIRECTIONS: 

1. In a bowl, add all dry ingredients together.

2. Be sure to rinse the beans well.  Blend the water and beans in blender/food processor.  

3. Add the wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix well.  Slowly add more water if needed - it should have sort of a thick pancake batter consistency - thinner than the batch in the video above, but they'll still be perfect, I promise!  

4. Spray brownie pan and pour.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. I find that 22 min is just about perfect in my oven, but yours may vary, so keep an eye on them - they will be a little dry if they bake too long!  :)

Now for the icing! I will admit, I actually haven't tried the protein icing in the video, although it does look delicious.  But I added protein into the brownie itself and I have a couple of different SUPER EASY icing options you could try out if you're with me on the Walden Farms calorie free bandwagon. :)

Option A: Fluffanutter Icing

If you LOVE LOVE LOVE peanut butter, like I do, you'll probably want to go with this one.  You could do it one of two ways:

Equal Parts Natural Peanut Butter + Walden Farms Marshmallow Dip

                                              OR

Equal Parts PB2 Powdered Peanut Butter (mixed with water to your desired consistency) + Walden Farms Marshmallow Dip

Microwave for a few seconds to soften, mix together and ICE!

Option B: Low Fat Cream Cheese Icing

Equal Parts Reduced Fat Cream Cheese + (You guessed it!) WF Marshmallow Dip

Same directions as above!

*** I can't give exact measurements for the icing because I usually (especially if I'm using the PB2 recipe because you can't mix that in advance) ice each brownie with a small serving when I am ready to eat them, instead of icing the whole pan all at once!  Mix the amount you would like at your discretion! 

Nutrition Info:

Brownies (without icing): *NOTE: Traditionally, you would cut a pan of brownies into 16 squares, but taking into consideration my love for chocolate, I just don't see the point in having that small of a serving - ha ha - so I cut them into "Brownie Bars" (meaning 8 larger brownies).  So the info below is if you are going to have 8 brownie bars - if you prefer regular size brownies, just cut everything in half!  :)

Calories/Brownie Bar: 90

Protein: 9 grams

Fats: 1 gram

Carbohydrates: 17 grams

Fiber: 6 grams

*** Also, one last helpful hint that I learned the hard way - if this were a batch of regular brownies, I would simply cover them and store them on the counter (out of the reach of the dog, of course, since, even though he can barely see, he still always knows when there is something yummy up there!), but because of the beans, I HIGHLY recommend refrigerating whatever you don't plan on eating right away or you WILL end up with a mouthful of rotten beans!!!  Not fun!!!  :)

Hope you enjoyed this recipe and are brave enough to try it out because it will be totally worth it!  Comment below and let me know if you liked it!

Also, since my blog is still new and I'm still trying to figure out exactly where I'm going with it, if you have any suggestions on recipes or topics you would like to see to make it more interesting and fun, I would greatly appreciate any feedback you might have!  Thanx!

~Sara  :)

Work For It

"All I did was wear this cool Ab Sculpting belt and eat healthy and work out 5 days a week."  Oh, is that all?


Right now, it's 3:43 in the morning and I had to get up out of bed to write this because I was laughing so hard.  I woke up to the usual infomercials that were clearly meant to target people in a half-awake, gullible stupor who will buy anything if you tell them it will give them abs!  Buy this belt and you'll have a six pack...oh yea, and I'm sure the fact that the person ate healthy and worked hard for it, had absolutely nothing to do with it.  But it got me thinking...


Why are we so quick to buy into these products that give us "quick, easy" results? Haven't we learned by now that nothing worth having comes for free?  And nothing that promises to work overnight, with no hard work on your part is going to stick, even if it gives you temporary results.


Something I've noticed over the past year is that when you lose a dramatic amount of weight, people tend to want to know how you did it.  I get comments on a daily basis about my weight loss - some are encouraging and meant to be taken as compliments, others not so much.  The one thing they all have in common, though, is that they are followed by "What have you been doing?"  When I first started getting asked this question, I would say "I eat healthy and I work out."   Apparently this is not the correct answer, though, because you get some very strange looks when you tell people this.  At first I was confused, thinking maybe this was just too blunt and would then fumble around in an attempt to make the story sound more interesting and theatrical.  Sometimes I would take it personally and spend the rest of the conversation trying to figure out what I had said wrong.  Did they think I was being sarcastic or snide?  Or perhaps lying?  



Then it hit me.  It simply wasn't the answer they were hoping for.  They wanted that quick, easy fix so that they, too could jump on the magic weight loss bandwagon.  And my answer was neither quick, nor easy.  It's not magic.  It's science.  It's dedication.  It's consistency.  


Calories in, calories out.  You can't expect to eat 5,000 calories in fast food a day and cross your fingers that your body will just "forget" because you did a half hour of cardio that day, or because you took some magic fat burner that claims it's going to make you look like a fitness model!  And you can't expect to go to the gym 3 times a year and see results, either!


It sounds harsh, I know, but somebody had to say it.  But the truth is that, from where I stand, if I had the choice to use some magic product to get quick, easy results or to work hard for the body that I want...knowing what I know now, I think I would choose the latter.  Because the feeling of knowing that you worked hard for something and stayed dedicated to a goal is even better than the aesthetic results of that goal.  Whatever your goal is, when you reach it, of course it's a great feeling!  But when you can say that you got there because you and only you put the effort into it, it's even better.


I think most people do know this, because I'm sure at some point in your life, you've felt that feeling of pride when you worked hard for something and really earned it. I'm not inventing the concept, here.  We are just so quick to forget, and sometimes we focus on the wrong things - the results.  I have a folder on my computer of motivational pictures that I've saved over time and I look over them when I'm having a bad day.  This one always helps when I'm starting to feel like I'm fixated on the end results, instead of enjoying the process it takes to get there:

Sometimes all it takes is a little change you make in your life.  And then another.  And another.  And then it snowballs into a whole new way of life and you start feeling better and better everyday.  I just told a friend recently, that if you had told me 5 years ago that I would be so into living a healthy lifestyle, I would've told you that you needed to be committed, because you're out of your damn mind.  I never thought I would make such a big change in my life - I'm not sure I even thought that I wanted to make that change.  Until I did.  And it feels pretty amazing.  

So, if you are someone who is thinking about making a change to your diet or exercise routine, as I said earlier, you will have to learn the facts, do the work and understand that real results will not come overnight.  It's a lifelong journey and you will have to learn to appreciate the process.  It won't be easy, and you might even have those days where you just want to give up, but what I can promise you, is that it will be TOTALLY worth it in the end to know that you worked your ass off for it.  :)